"You came back!" Sakura screeched in his ear, her arms around his neck.

Syaoran stood there, stunned by her sudden outburst of emotions. What do I do? he thought, When we were younger we were just friends. I never knew she'd miss me this much when I left. I didn't even think she'd remember me. What am I thinking? I barely recognized her! She looks so different, but still the same. She's beautiful.

"Enough, enough! I see you're already aquatinted," said the Sensei, smiling slightly, causing everyone to laugh.

All the students in the classroom were extremely surprised. Sakura had never really liked a guy like this before.

"Li and Kinomoto, go sit down." The Sensei ordered

"Oh, sorry Syaoran." said Sakura, blushing a dark red, realizing she had just jumped all over a guy in the middle of class.

"No problem." he replied, blushing slightly too.

During the rest of class the Sensei had to tell Sakura to turn around and stop talking to Syaoron several times. She kept trying to ask him why he was there.

****

It wasn't until after class that they finally got a chance to talk.

"Why are you here Syaoran?" Sakura asked him gently as they walked along the hallway slowly with girls glaring jealously at Sakura.

Syaoran knew he couldn't tell her the real reason he was there. If I told her about the dream she might get scared and I wouldn't be able to protect her, Syaoran thought.

Out loud he said, "My mother sent me here just for a kind of vacation." He knew it was stupid but what else could he say? He sat down on a bench in the hallway, pulling Sakura down beside him.

"What?" asked Sakura, catching on to the stupidity of the answer herself, "I thought your mom was strict! You're telling me she just let you come because you needed a vacation? And in the last month of school too?" Sakura looked at him suspiciously.

"Um, yeah..." he said giving her an odd smile.

Sakura was about to ask him for the real reason but they were interrupted by the intercom. "Can Syaoran Li come to the office, please, Syaoran Li."

Crap! Not now! Syaoran groaned inwardly, and stood up looking at Sakura "I'll be right back, don't go anywhere." She nodded to show him she understood.

As Sakura was standing in the hall waiting for Syaoran to come back, Ching Tai-Shu approached her, smirking.

She hated Ching because he always thought he could get any girl he wanted. It seemed lately that he was after her.

"Hey Sakura," he said smoothly, "You lookin' good today." He winked at her. Ching was considered one of the more popular boys in school and also one of the most dangerous. He had slick black hair and liquid black eyes to match.

"Go away, Ching, I don't wanna talk to you." Sakura said, barely paying any attention to him.

"Oooh, I hear that you and the new guy hooked up. But your little boyfriend isn't here to protect you now. Too bad." And he grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer.

"Let go of me!" she yelled, kicking at him wildly. She swung her foot at him and it connected with a crack on his shin.

"Ow, you little wench!" He cried, pulling her closer and closer until she was right up against him. He grabbed her hair and tilted her head back so she felt exposed.

As Syaoran was walking back to find Sakura he heard a commotion down the hallway and saw some guy holding her and pulling her head back by her hair.

Anger coursed through him. What is that bastard doing to Sakura? he wondered.

"Hey, asshole." he called.

Syaoran looked over at Sakura and saw tears in her eyes. "Help me!" she mouthed to him.

Syaoran launched himself at the guy and in one swift movement he had him off Sakura.

Ching threw a punch at Li and it hit him near his eye but it didn't even faze him. That just made Syaoran madder.

He grabbed the guy by his shirt collar, lifted him off the ground and pinned him up against the wall. "Don't," he said just inches from Ching's face, "Ever touch Sakura again."

With that he threw him to the ground and kicked him once for good measure.

"Syaoran, the Sensei is coming!" Sakura warned. Syaoran grabbed her hand and ran.

Once they were outside he turned to her. "Are you alright? What happened?" he asked concern showing in his eyes.

Sakura nodded. "I'm fine." The tears that were in her eyes were now coursing down her cheeks but other than that she looked alright. A little shaken maybe.

Syaoran grabbed her and gave her a hug. She looked so fragile standing there. She rested her head on his shoulder and just stood there for a moment or two.

"You didn't have to do that." she said even though she was very grateful.

He laughed. "What was I supposed to do, stand there and watch?" he said giving her a smile that was used only around her.

She bowed her head, blushing a bit at the smile he gave her. He reached out and used his hand to lift her face up so she was looking at him.

"It wasn't a big deal Sakura. I don't want you to get hurt." He said looking into her emerald eyes.

He moved his face towards Sakura. Oh, My God, she thought, He's going to kiss me! Syaoran's going to kiss me!

But all of a sudden before their lips touched Sakura noticed a small cut above his eye. "Syaoran, you're bleeding!" Then, realizing what she had done she screamed at herself in her head " BAKA! Look what you've done! You just wrecked the moment!"

He laughed, caught off guard by her sudden out burst. "Yeah, I guess I am." He looked back at her. " I really missed you Sakura."

She smiled at him. "I missed you too." She wanted to add "More than you will ever know" but she thought he didn't need to know that.

*~ NOT THE END~*

A/N: By toned and buff I don't mean grossly buff. I mean hotly buff. As in, the buff that is hot (o.O)