.::Spilling Stars::.
By Fantasiimaker
~Chapter Seven: Closer
"Aaah... What a beautiful night!" Sakura stretched out her arms in a embrace of the cool darkness. This night was so perfect. Here she was, strolling along next to Syaoran under the stars, just the two of them. Could things possibly get any better?
But then... As she stole a quick glance at him from the corner of her eye, Sakura noticed that the brown-haired boy had returned to his previous state of silence. Now the the budgie was gone, they didn't seem to have much to talk about. Syaoran was walking swiftly ahead of her and focusing his attention on anything but her. Eyeing him uncomfortably and somewhat resentfully, Sakura sped up her pace a bit. How could a person change so much in a matter of minutes?
"Here we are," he said, and stopped so suddenly that she almost bumped right into him.
"Oh, I've been to this park before!" Sakura exclaimed, following him onto the smoothly paved white path made even whiter by the moonlight. "This is where I stopped once or twice after school to rollerblade! People always walk their dogs here, or bring their kids to the playground. It's a great place."
"Hmm..." said Syaoran quietly. Reddening, Sakura wondered if maybe she had sounded too over-enthusiastic. Did he think she was talking too much?
"Eriol told me that you always used to rollerblade to school," he said as they walked. "Why did you stop?"
"I didn't want to, I love rollerblading so much! But the wheels cracked," said Sakura sadly.
"You should go get new ones then."
"But I'm broke, and my father is always so busy. I don't think I'll be able to anytime soon." She gave Syaoran a quick smile. "It doesn't matter very much. I can walk to school since it's so close. I just miss feeling the wind in my hair as I sail by-" Blushing, she stopped suddenly, wondering if she was rambling on again. His silence was unnerving.
They had reached the playground, which now looked cold and deserted without the usual shrieks of laughter and little running feet in the sand. Sakura paused awkwardly at the edge. "I haven't been on a playground since fifth grade," she laughed, turning to Syaoran.
But he was already striding across the sand toward the swings. "C'mon," he smiled, settling in and patting the swing next to him. Trying hard to keep a wide grin from spreading across her face, Sakura lowered herself into the swing.
"Do I make you feel uncomfortable, Sakura?" Syaoran asked at once. This time, his eyes were completely focused on hers as he swung lightly back and forth.
"Well, I-" She clutched the chains that supported her swing on both sides. "Yes. No! I don't know-" she faltered. "I just wish you'd turn back into that person I met over vacation."
"Oh," he said simply. Then he kicked off from the ground so that his swing flew up high. "Are you sure you want him back?" he called, louder so she could hear from his height.
"Sure I'm sure!" Sakura called back, frowning up at him. Why wasn't he taking her seriously? "I mean, don't you feel more free that way?"
"Oh, I don't know about that," Syaoran said, swinging ever higher. "What could be more free than being silent as a ghost? You get lots of sleep that way!" Winking at her, he proceeded to snore mid-swing, letting out a particularly atrocious snort of surprise as he almost fell off.
"You idiot!" Sakura laughed, her heart soaring.
"I see how it is. You like someone you can insult as much as you like, is that it?" He skidded to a halt, spraying the sand under his shoes in different directions. Grabbing one of the chains of her swing, he pulled his face closer and fixed her with a mock glare.
"W-w-what-?" Sakura trembled as he edged closer, leaning back until she too almost slipped out of the swing.
With a smirk, Syaoran gently tugged a strand of her auburn hair and swung back immediately to escape her retaliatory swipe. "What was that for??" she shouted, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and forcing him to stop.
"Scary Sakura," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching. "I was only retrieving this object from your lovely hair. The mesmerizing beauty of your maidenly locks withered any hope the poor thing had of looking pretty itself." He dramatically whipped out a small, pale cherry blossom and presented it to her with a bow.
"You're even worse than Eriol!" exclaimed Sakura, taking it. She made a face at him.
"What! You've got to be kidding! Unlike Eriol, I actually have a brain!"
"Quite brainless too, and certainly arrogant enough," she muttered under her breath, loudly enough for him to hear.
"Hey!" Syaoran complained. "If you don't stop that, I'm gonna magically pull some more flowers out of your hair!"
Before she could stop herself, Sakura chuckled, "You're so cute like this." Then a cloud of heat swept across her cheeks as she realized what she had just said.
Syaoran amusedly watched her blush for a moment, then turned his face to the sky. "So many stars out tonight," he commented, smiling.
"Mmm," murmured Sakura, not quite trusting herself to open her mouth in case something else embarrassing popped out.
"I think I feel like one of them sometimes. A star, I mean. Because they're so far away from everything else. Even though it looks like they're close to the stars around them, they're really zillions of miles apart." Syaoran's face became thoughtful as he went behind Sakura's swing. "Want me to push you?" he asked, his gaze softening as it fell on her. Sakura nodded.
"Don't you think they get lonely up there, all by themselves?" she said to him as her swing sailed gently forward. When she swung back, Syaoran caught her for the tiniest fraction of a second. She could feel his warmth right next to her, and she shivered regretfully when the swing left his hold.
"Of course they're lonely," agreed Syaoran. "Just sitting there in the cold, empty darkness, pondering and dreaming and waiting. Staring hungrily at the brightness of stars in the far distance-"
He caught Sakura again and held her long enough to whisper in her ear, "-but knowing it could take longer than a lifetime to ever be able to reach them..."
"You should write poems," she smiled, twisting around to get a look at him.
"I do," he replied, his eyes not leaving her brilliant green ones.
Suddenly, Sakura had a heart-stopping urge to throw her arms around Syaoran. His once-spirited amber eyes were downcast and lonely, and he looked just like a lost little kid who was almost to the point of giving up hope. She blinked. Was this really Syaoran?
Standing up with the swing between them, Sakura slipped a hand into his and squeezed it confidently. Syaoran looked up in surprise. "Do you need a hug?" she asked gently.
"How did you know?" He leaned close, and her slender arms reached out to pull him into an embrace. Her heart began to thud quickly as the realization of his closeness hit her.
Stepping over the swing, Syaoran closed the final distance between them and lightly clasped her in his arms. Sakura's head spun when his brown hair touched her nose, and she closed her eyes to let everything else float away. This was a special kind of heaven in itself, just holding each other under the inky blankets of night. This was where she belonged, she was certain.
Neither of them moved for a long moment. Then Sakura felt something pressing against her shoulder and finally pulled back. "What's this?" she said, digging out a black string that hung around Syaoran's neck. At first she thought that it was nothing but a cord, but a small white seashell dangling from the middle caught her eye.
"Ah...that's just something of a good luck charm," said Syaoran sheepishly. "I've had it for years."
"Oh..." Sakura stared at the shell. There was something about it... something familiar...
She closed her eyes, and the washing of the ocean tide assailed her ears. A flash of white sand... the running feet of a child... dark amber eyes...
A wave of drowsiness washed over Sakura, and she found that she could barely keep her heavy eyelids open. "I think I'll sit down for a minute. I feel kinda tired," she murmured, yawning widely. Vaguely, blurrily, she felt Syaoran lead her to a wooden park bench, where she collapsed at once. The last thing she remembered was Syaoran's arm around her shoulder. She smiled sleepily and let her eyes close.
Syaoran looked down at the girl who had fallen asleep against his chest. Bringing one hand up to brush aside some stray reddish-brown hair, he gazed deeply at her peaceful face. Something stirred inside him.
Bending down, he lifted her small frame easily and began walking toward home.
*****
It was that dream again. She was a little girl once again, humming softly as she sat building a sand castle in the dark, wet sand. The salty waves licked at her feet, and gulls could be heard crying in the distant blue sky.
There was a roar, and a particularly huge wave began to roll onto the beach. She stared out at the ocean, transfixed with fright. Someone grabbed her hand and pulled her away just in time for the waves to dash up and fiercely swallow her sand castle.
"How many times has that happened now?" said the person who had saved her. It was the little boy with amber eyes. His mouth turned up at the corners and his eyes crinkled at her.
"It's easier to build castles in wet sand!" she retorted, stomping her foot in childish impatience. "But the big scary waves always come and eat them up. It's not fair!"
The boy laughed. "You can build them in dry sand too, you know," he grinned. Without giving her a chance to ask "How?", he pulled her to where another sand castle stood further up on the beach.
"Wow..." the girl breathed, staring with round eyes at the magnificent thing.
"See, now it won't be melted every time the waves come in," the young boy informed her.
"Did you make this?"
The boy nodded, looking rather proud of himself.
"Wow!" she squealed. "Is this one going to stay here forever then?"
"No, of course not," he laughed.
"W-why not?" asked the girl, looking a bit confused.
"'Cuz nothing lasts forever."
"Yes they do!" she piped at once. "Daddy told me lots of things last forever! I asked him!"
"Oh yeah? Like what?" he shot back.
"Well..." Wrinkling up her forehead, the little girl thought for a moment. "Like...like love."
"L-love?" said the boy uncertainly.
"Yup!" She smiled, cocking her head cutely to the side, and the ocean breeze tossed her auburn locks in the sparkling summer light.
*****
Sakura woke up in the morning to an unfamiliar ceiling. Groggily, she threw an arm out and clutched the soft blankets closer to her for security. Where was she? A squawk issued from the corner of the room, and she whipped her head around to look for the source. A birdcage.
She bolted upright in the large bed with a start. This was Syaoran's room! She glanced around hurriedly, but he wasn't anywhere in the room. Breathing a sigh of relief, she quickly got out of bed and padded across the room to the door.
As she walked across the hall, Sakura looked down and realized she was still wearing the same clothes from last night. So she had fallen asleep in the park... and then... "Oh my god!!" she yelped aloud. She'd been gone from home all night! What the heck was her dad going to think??
"Morning," said a cheerful Syaoran from the table. He beckoned to her, and she slipped into the seat next to him. "Mother's out shopping," he told her. "And breakfast is almost ready. Hope you don't mind eggs."
"Eggs are fine," said Sakura, watching him as he went to the stove and checked on a pan.
"After you fell asleep last night, I brought you here because I wasn't sure where your house was," said Syaoran from the kitchen. "Then Mother told me your dad doesn't come home until late. So she called and left him a message. We thought it was better to just let you rest."
"Thanks," she said, giving him a smile. "And thanks for letting me use your bed."
"No problem." He brought the pan over and tipped an egg into her plate, then one into his own.
"Um...where did you sleep then?" she asked.
"Couch," he grinned. "Quite comfy, you know. And I didn't, ah, do anything to you, if that's what you're worried about."
"No! I wasn't thinking that at all!" protested Sakura, blushing furiously at the thought.
"Well then, eat up, and then I'll take you home."
"Oh, it's okay, I can walk home. It's so close."
"I don't mind," said Syaoran. He caught her eye and smiled.
"Oh yes, and before you leave..." He pulled out a large bag and presented it to her. "Open this when you get home."
"No way! I couldn't take this!"
"Take it!" ordered Syaoran, dropping the heavy bag into her hands.
Clutching the plastic handles, she stared in curiousity. "What is it...?" she wondered aloud.
"I'm sure you'll be able to guess." He winked and went back to his breakfast.
*****
"Bye Dad!" called Sakura on Monday morning as she shouldered her backpack and pushed out the door on her brand new rollerblades. She couldn't wait to thank Syaoran again for his wondrous gift, this time in person. She had already called him twice on Sunday: once right after she opened the bag, and again a few moments later after she had tested the rollerblades out and found them perfect.
It felt so wonderful to be able to fly across the sidewalks again, not having a care in the world- or even if she did, forgetting them all until she had to return to shoes again at school. But it would be different now. She and Syaoran would be able to talk to each other. Right?
*A/N- A rather short chapter, I know. And sorry for the wait. I'm just a bit stuck right now.. Ideas, anyone?
If you like this story, I would be VERY grateful if you'd take a glance at my earlier, shorter CCS story called "Dance With Me". It's not very hard, just go up and click on my name, go to my profile, and there you are! And there's a small scattering of other random stuff inside, if you're interested.
Do give the hopeful amateur writer some inspiration! Review! ^__^