Disclaimer: I will never own CCS

At Your Side

By Silver Moonstar Chapter 2: A Short Detour.

Syaoran POV

'How dare that bimbo-girl embarrass me like that! We'll see who gets the last laugh' Syaoran thought angrily. (A/N: Sorry to call Sakura a 'bimbo- girl' but I have to make it sound as though he really is angry. People call others weird names when the get angry. I bet you have done it too, right? Or you might be calling me one now. ( and I suppose Li has a rugged side on this part of the story)

He leaned back against his closed door. Without due reason he took out a packet of cigarettes and lit up one. He sat there in the dark, smoking. Outside, it was dark too since Tomoyo and Eriol had turned in for the night. Li Syaoran he had the night for him to think through his thoughts when all of a sudden the door swung open.

Li fell on his back with the cigarette still in his right hand. He saw a figure clad in pink pajamas and had reddish-brown hair looking down at him. The face got nearer he saw a glint of green reflected by the moonlight streaming in through the bare windows.

"It's you!" Li spat out. "Don't smoke you're only sixteen. And you're not suppose to smoke at this age," Sakura picked out the cigarette from his hand. She crushed it to ashes when she ground it underneath her foot.

"What is it that you want?" Syaoran asked coldly. He stood up and glared at her in the eye.

Sakura's POV (In her words)

He stood up and stared at me in the eye. I realized his was half a head taller than me but I won't be intimidated. I glared directly back at him. "If you really must now, I came here to say sorry," I replied icily. "But seems like someone needs and attitude adjustment. So we're even now. Good night, Li Syaoran."

I turned and walked away. I could feel his burning gaze on my back. I hadn't been as contrary as I usually was to aloofness. So what was me holding back? I wondered. But my curiousness wasn't strong enough to pull me back on pondering the subject.

When I got into my room. I stared around in the dark. My room was immaturely pink but that was my favorite color so it wasn't wrong. All of sudden I remembered the cold amber eyes. I could see past the coldness that shielded the real emotion it held. But does sadness counts on someone who doesn't seem to have feelings except for anger and frustration. Those two are about the same. (A/N: Ahh. the symptoms are starting. But we shall delay them won't we? *grins evilly*) Syaoran's POV (In his Words) I watched the retreating back disappear into the room near the end of the corridor. 'Who is she to judge me?' I thought. I shut my door and undressed to get ready for sleep. The night was a balmy one for an autumn night in cold England. I tossed and turned fitfully.

The infuriating lime green eyes keep illuminating inside my mind's eye. The look she shot at me penetrated through my skin like hot knives cutting through butter. A look I never saw before. Nobody has ever given me the full glare as though they can see right into my heart and my soul. Until she came around.

Finally I snapped open my eyes and stared up at the ceiling. I notice a square trapdoor up in the ceiling. A handle lay, nailed to the trapdoor, tempting me to pull it and open the trap. And I did.

Unlike what I expected, nothing came crashing down. No black plastic bags filled with old toys or some junk. No spiders or any insects' dead bodies poured all over me. Above the apartment was an attic since we were at the top of the building. After that was the roof of course.

I pulled myself up and climbed into the dark attic. To my surprise I saw a light bulb swinging as though someone had previously bumped into it. The attic room was bare with dusty floorboards. An exception was corner near another trapdoor that was swung open from another room. The corner was kept unbelievably clean due to the fact that there were several items arranged in accordance to the decorator.

Gingerly, I crawled towards the particular corner and observed it. There was a picture of a lovely lady with long wavy gray hair. Around her were pink cherry blossoms, which was quite unusual for a country like England, which had rare Cherry Blossom trees. There was a teddy bear at one end. As it sat, it held a photo frame, which was a picture of a family. My eyes traveled across it. There was a be-spectacled man who look quite similar to Eriol, a teenage crosspatch and in the middle was a girl who looked like."Sakura?!" "Yes, me," a voice said behind me.

Sakura's POV (In her Words) *Sakura's Room* To my surprise the room felt warm. Funny, I thought, it never get this warm in England. Maybe another night on the roof would be good. I glanced at the trapdoor, which was unforgivably appealing. There were two in the apartment. One was in my room and the other was in one of those annoying boys' room. I just hoped that they were as dense as they looked and not find the secret attic room and the opening to the refreshing rooftop.

I stood on my bed, which lay right underneath the trapdoor, and pulled the handle. I pulled myself up and got into the room. It was pitch dark, as it should be thankfully. I roved around for the switch of the tiny light bulb that hung old fashioned-ly in the center of the room. I tugged the switch and almost immediately a dim orange light lightened the whole area. I turned around to look at my special corner.

My special corner was the area where I placed all the items that return my memories of my family. I sat down in front of it and gazed at the photo of my beloved mother. She was gorgeous in the picture. But she was gone. only a blissful memory in my mind not someone I can hug, run into or anything. But I've always thought she was watching over me as beautiful angel (A/N: Boy, does she know anything?(). I hugged the picture possessively. A tear rolled down my cheek. Then I put it down and stared at the other picture that was one with my family now. Touya, Dad and me in the center. I was ten during then. A mere girl in a world that was so threatening and cruel. Now here I am, in a college in England, heading for the University, I realized. I fingered the fresh cherry blossoms that I had received from an order from the florist the day before. "We are one, not physically, yes, but in our hearts we are," I whispered to my family. I wiped away the lingering tear hastily when I heard a sound behind me. The extra trapdoor was opening!

In my rush to hide, I bumped the light bulb. 'Dolt!' I cursed myself mentally. I his in the shadows and saw who it was that disturbed my peace moment. My worst expectation came true and I saw it was brown-headed fool who was the inheritor of the extra trap. He looked around for a bit while I held my breath. For a moment he stared at the swinging bulb. Then his eyes rested on my corner. He clambered clumsily into the attic and lumbered like a bear to my corner. He watched Mom's photo for a while and then he saw the family picture. "Sakura?!" he said, sputtering. I crept behind him and said coldly, "Yes, me."

General POV "You?" Syaoran said incredulously. "There's nothing wrong with it, I believe," Sakura snapped. Syaoran studied the picture for a moment and then glanced up at the girl then back at the photo. Sakura then looked much happier and cheerful then Sakura now.

'She's in need of something' Li realizes. "Are you done with staring at the picture?" Sakura asked impatiently. She didn't like the way he was observing both her and the picture. His amber eyes were looking past her mask of coolness and dignity, so it seems, seeing her darkest fears and deep longing.

"Once you're done with it just return to your room, okay?" Sakura cooled down. She headed towards the roof entrance. "Where're you going?" Li asked. He was surprised at her last comment. She didn't say anything with her cutting tongue. "I'm going on the roof," Sakura replied. She opened the door. The night wind whipped her hair across her porcelain white face. She felt a sudden need to be kind and said without thinking, "You may come if you want to. But don't disturb me." She added.

'Maybe I can learn more about her life and probably plot something from that' Li said (A/N: Eeviil ain't he? Sakura's trying to be kind and he's like plotting revenge for that wasabe incident)

Li followed Sakura up to the roof. It was as chilly outside as it was warm inside. Sakura had her sweater on but Li.(A/N: Heh.heh.) was only in his boxers.

He shuddered in the cold. "D.Do you always g.go up he.here, Kinomoto?" Li asked sitting quite uncomfortably in the cold and on the roof tiles, beside Sakura. "When I feel lonely, I guess," Sakura replied looking dreamily at the stars in the sky. There was a silence in between them before Sakura decided to break it by asking a question, "Do you think of your Dad sometimes?"

Li stared at her for a moment. He wondered what could possibly made her ask the question. Then he replied, "I don't know. I don't have much time to myself with all the things I need to do. But sometimes I remember him and I wonder whether he remembers me." He looked so downcast that Sakura felt pitiful. "My dad told me once that lost loved ones never forget who they loved. So if your Dad loved you then he will remember you at watch over you," Sakura said simply.

'She thinks so simple- mindedly' Li thought, 'Yet she doesn't seem to be bothered by it' Then he was enraptured by her dreamy emerald eyes. 'There it is again, the look of yearning for something' he realized.

" What do you need to do?" Sakura turned to look at him. Her sudden movement made him blush swiftly. He turned away. Sakura frowned at him, 'What is this guy problem?' She studied him while her replied, "I'm the next leader to my clan. So I have to be in control of what I do at all times. I have to be an all- rounder and be in control of my emotions even when they're over the brim, y. you know what I mean?" Great, why was he stuttering?

Sakura thought differently, 'Control, control, control. this guy is a control freak. And he's so overprotected by that shell of his that he acts like a brat.a gaki, Chinese gaki, Touya would call him that for sure.'

"Gomen, Li-kun but don't you feel over pressured by all that responsibility you have?" Sakura asked politely. "I got used to it over the years, I suppose," Li replied. Sakura shook her head slightly. She got up and said, "I'm going in, I think you'd better too, seeing you're only in your shorts." She giggled and pointed before going into the attic again. Syaoran blushed a deep maroon. ******************************* A/N: Heh, heh, I know this Chappie is rather long and boring but I did it to tell what Sakura's and Syaoran's thoughts for each other are currently like. R+R please! And you can tell me how I can improve and all the downsides of this story. I don't mind flames either.