Thank you so very much again for reading Promises. Although at first, I had doubts as to how you guys would receive a Hao/Anna fic (and a dead Yoh), I was very glad that in the end, you guys enjoyed it.
Some of you commented that it ended too soon, so maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to come up with another Hao/Anna fic in the near future after I wrap Wanted: Perfect Husband up (the fic is also nearing its finale).
After quite a few days of brainstorming, I have decided to come up with a series for Promises, featuring my other non-canon couples. The first one, a Ren/Pirika story, will be posted after I finish He Loves Me.
But for the meantime, enjoy the excerpt from the first chapter of Promises 2.
Syaoran no hime
I carefully carried the tray of snacks to the study, balancing precariously the bottle of milk and the plate of sandwich as I ascended the grand staircase of the Tao mansion.
At last, I arrived in front of the room. I used my foot to knock on the room, then waited.
As I scuffed my sneakers on the floor, I found myself reminiscing on the reason why I was staying in the Tao mansion.
Months ago, my onii-chan was training in the Tao compound when he met an accident, one that caused him to be put into comatose. The Tao family immediately decided to look after me while he still couldn't.
I was so used to living close to Mother Nature, and I would have opted to continue living so, but the second time the Tao family invited me to live in the mansion, it had been impossible to say 'no'. Not when the one who was inviting you was a grim-looking Ren Tao.
~*~
"Onee-san wants you to stay with us in the mansion," said Ren, crossing his arms.
I hugged Kororo to my chest, maintaining eye contact with the ground. I was afraid that if I meet his gaze, I might burst into flames, the way his eyes were piercing me. "I can make do on my own," I said quietly.
"My sister doesn't think so," he said. "Stop wasting time and come with me."
I lifted my eyes to him, ignoring the throbbing in my chest. "No, thank you. I'm staying put."
"It seems that you do not know a Tao very well," he said darkly. "A Tao never accepts an answer contrary to what he seeks." With no overture, he grabbed my hand and dragged me with him.
"W-Wait…" I looked down, feeling submissive and rebellious at the same time. I didn't want to leave the place, but there was something in him that could make 'no' disappear in my vocabulary.
"Your brother would like it very much if he wakes up and you'll be the first person that he would see." Ren glanced at me briefly, and then continued walking briskly.
The single fleeting look woke up something within my heart- one that made my heart jump out of its place. I had acknowledged back in the Patch Village that I felt something for the indifferent Chinese shaman, but two years after the shaman fight, the feeling hadn't died. His hands clasping mine lit the flame once again, waking up the sleeping embers within my heart.
By the time we were seated in his car, I have come to realize that I still am madly infatuated with Ren Tao.
~*~
I sighed impatiently when the door didn't open. I decided to put the food tray down to try the doorknob. To my surprise, the door swung open freely. Since when had Ren forgotten to close the door of any room in the mansion?
Clutching the snack tray once more, I stepped into the room, eyes roving for living figures. Seeing none, I decided to put down the food tray and leave it there.
The Tao family treats me well, and they do not ask me to help out in cleaning the mansion because they had enough maids to clean the entire Patch Village, but when it concerns Ren's needs – his personal belongings, his food, his personal orders – I would make it a point to help out. I was happy already in serving him in little ways, even if he wasn't aware of it.
I then noticed a telegram on the table. I was about to stand up and ignore it when my eyes caught the name 'Yoh'. I frowned. So the letter came from Yoh Asakura? The same person onii-chan and Ren wanted to defeat?
To my shock though, it wasn't the friendly Yoh Asakura-sent letter that I expected; it was a telegram from Master Mikihisa, sending word about Yoh's recent death.
I read on.
Master Mikihisa wants Ren to go to Japan and attend Yoh's funeral, and to help out in cheering Ms. Anna up. He narrated that Yoh died right in front of her, so she was in trauma right now. The company of Yoh's friends might help her.
"Didn't your mother teach you not to touch things that aren't yours?" boomed a familiar voice.
I lifted my eyes from the paper and found Ren Tao standing in front of me, fresh from his regular gym session. He was perspiring all over, and his shirt clung to his muscled body. I nearly fainted- heavens, Ren could be so damn sexy!
"Well?" he snapped.
"G-Gomen," I choked.
He grabbed the letter from my hands and crumpled it. He dropped it on the floor, then grabbed the glass of milk on the snack tray. He took one big thirsty gulp of it.
I watched in fascination, as if I was watching his every move in slow motion. There was no angle that diminishes the Ren Tao sexiness- even his milk moustache was complimentary to him too.
He put the half-empty glass of milk and stared at me. "So what are you still doing here?"
I blinked. "N-Nothing."
His eyes narrowed at me. "Then get out already."
I cleared my throat. "Are you…really going to leave?"
"You read the letter."
"When will you return?" I asked.
He raised his brows quizzically. "If I do reply, what is it to you?"
I quickly shook my head. "I…I just want to know."
He exhaled sharply, showing his impatience with me. "I'll try to ask Anna to go with me back here."
"W-Why?" I asked.
"My mother wants me to present her a fiancée that I would marry when I reach the age of twenty-one. It's our clan tradition."
I tried to fight off the dread growing within me. "S-So Ms. Anna is the girl you're planning to-"
"It will just be a make-believe engagement anyway." He looked out at the window. "I have no intention of losing my much-valued freedom."
That didn't bring me much relief. Whether the engagement was real or not, I wouldn't have a chance with him.
"After my birthday, Anna and I can go separate ways, and my mother can do nothing anymore about it," he finished.
"I-If you're going to marry, why don't you try to keep your bride anyway?" I asked.
He looked at me as if I was some kind of a naïveté display. "Because I love my freedom."
"Oh." I felt like a concrete hollow block just slammed on my fragile heart.
He rubbed his temples. "And why am I explaining things like this to you anyway?" He turned to the door. "Get out."
I nodded meekly and headed for the door. However, I couldn't resist sneaking a glance back at the boy I secretly love.
I had to smile as I let my eyes wander on his stone-cold but darkly handsome profile. I longed to run my fingers on him and trace his contour, in hope of softening its harsh, pointed edges.
Ren suddenly turned to me. His forehead creased when he saw me still standing by the door. "Do you have something else to say?" he asked curtly.
I shook my head and shut the door,
