Does anyone ever read these author notes anyway?
Disclaimer: I don't own Syaoran (I'm a fan of repetition, that's why I put it up every chapter)
Chapter 3
* "Hey gaki, where's all your food and what was with those pink pants Sakura was telling me about, I wish I could have been there!" *
Syaoran gave a faint embarrassed smile, feeling a little betrayed they were talking about him behind his back. He cleared his throat,
"So, ah, why are you all here?"
"To check up on you Li-kun! Sakura said you sounded sick, now that I mention it you do look a little pale, are you feeling all right Li?"
"Oh, you didn't have to, I'm fine Madison." He fidgeted uncomfortably not really knowing what to do, they hadn't come here since Meiling left. Touya left the mantle and made his way back to the couch to settle beside Yukito.
Unable to meet their eyes (as he was still suffering from a slight case of embarrassment) he went into the kitchen to make them tea. And Kero, the ever so curious Kero (please note the sarcasm) decided he wanted his questions answered, never mind that they were rhetorical. Unbeknownst to Syaoran he followed the muttering boy into the kitchen.
"You gaki! Don't ignore me like that, answer my question!"
The shocked Syaoran turned to glare.
"Well? Fine, if you won't tell me then I'll just have to assume you wear pink clothes all the time because you love them and I'll just have to assume you don't have any food because you were to lazy to-"
"Kero! Ugh, be quiet you little stuffed animal!"
"Well then answer my questions gaki!"
Per usual this started a glaring contest between the two. Then the kettle boiled. Syaoran swiftly turned and grabbed it off the stove nearly splashing himself. He filled five cups and put them on a tray, preparing to leave the kitchen. Kero was still giving him the 'evil eye' as he left the room.
Syaoran quietly set the tray on the coffee table in the middle of the living room. He glanced at Sakura and noticed she was blushing. 'I hate those stupid pants!' He thought in his mind and had to stop himself from snarling, he never ever got a break! Everyone settled with their tea, Touya and Yukito (as already mentioned) on his couch, and Eriol, Sakura, and Madison, miraculously all fit themselves onto his love seat. Meanwhile Kero hovered angrily near the mantle.
"So..Li, where's Wei?" Sakura started, breaking the silence.
"Oh, he's...uh gone"
"Gone? Then who are you staying with?"
"No one" He said hesitantly. Most of them looked alarmed, couldn't he ever keep his big mouth shut? "Yet" he added.
"Is your mother sending someone?" Eriol asked politely.
"...yes"
"Syaoran you can come stay at my grandparents house with me until you find someone else" Yukito suggested.
"I'm fine."
"Gaki," Touya started, "What makes you think we'd leave you alone here?"
"I'm not alone..." Syaoran protested.
"Then tell me this, how long has Wei been gone?" Touya glared although Syaoran was used to it.
"Not long.."
"Gaki, I'm warning you, if you don't want me to call social services..."
Syaoran snorted, "since Meiling left."
"But Li," interjected Sakura, "that was so long ago."
Syaoran sighed. "Can we please talk about something else?"
"Fine, but I'm not leaving here until this is all settled."
Syaoran wisely remained quiet.
"Well maybe now you can tell us what you were doing in pink pants and why you weren't in school, kid." Kero joked, sounding a little sympathetic. Syaoran glared, but then stopped and plopped down on the floor. When it became oblivious that Syaoran wasn't going to answer his question, Sakura (seemingly always the ice breaker) Got up and started walking around Li's living room. She stopped in front of the mantle.
Li's poor little heart was nearly having an attack as she picked up a picture.
"Oi, Li-kun can you tell me about these, I don't recognize any of them"
He wiped his sweaty hands on his pants and awkwardly made his way over to Sakura. There were about seven pictures on the mantle, one or two with his sisters and cousins, one with his mother, one of his parents on their wedding day, one of his mother speaking publicly on behalf of the Li-clan, and the last two of his father, Jin-Lang.
"This one is of me and my oldest sister and Meiling, Wei, and one of my cousins- Xue-Lang" his finger lingered on the last face he pointed to. The small girl had black pigtails with the same smoldering eyes, in the picture both Li, Xue-Lang, and Meiling looked around six. "She...died." He finished.
"I'm sorry" Everything in the room became quiet. 'She was a Li, why couldn't I protect her?' Syaoran thought resignedly. His mother had always old him that although he could protect them from outside forces, the Li's were one, and you can't protect someone from themselves. Her father had killed her and his wife and lastly himself.
Syaoran pretended he didn't hear Sakura apologize. He moved onto the next picture, "This is me and my mother on my ninth birthday before I left,
This is one with all of my sisters in it,
This is one of my mother speaking in front of the other clan representatives, it's right after the leader of the clan disappeared and when she became the new temporary one, most people still think the previous clan leader will come back,
And finally my parents on their wedding day." He handed to Sakura a shriveled picture of his mother in a beautiful Chinese wedding dress standing a few steps behind her new husband, her face was straight and emotionless, the same as the grooms, who was also wearing Chinese robes.
"How come we didn't meet you father on our last visit?" Sakura asked, and turned in time to catch him wince.
"He was the previous leader of the Li-clan"
"He disappeared," Eriol broke in, only the second time he had talked since they arrived, "on the night of Syaoran's birth, isn't that right little wolf?"
Syaoran glared and was about to say something about the wolf comment....when the phone rang.
"Moshi moshi" Syaoran ground into the phone.
"Xiao-Lang?"
"Mother?" Syaoran asked switching to Cantonese. There was a musical laugh on the other line.
"No, it's me, Meiling."
"Oh"
"Oh, don't oh me, your sisters and mom are busy, the elders called them. I wanted to find out if anything was wrong."
"What do you mean?" He switched back to Japanese.
"What I mean is why did you increase the shield around the mansion and on your sisters and mother and a few others but no one else?"
"Nani? I didn't do that! What do you mean, and no one else?"
"I mean that not all the Li's shields were increased, only some of them, including Wei's and he's not a Li. The elders are mad, apparently their shields weren't increased and they're ranting about how you should be more like your father."
"I don't understand, whenever the shields are strengthened it's always distributed evenly, you know how that works, I don't even have as much power protecting me as you do! And you can tell the elders that if they want my father, go join him and leave the rest of the Li's alone!"
"Join them? What do you mean?"
"N-nothing."
"They said the prophesied boy could see things, where did he go Syaoran?"
"I don't know okay? I don't know why I said that."
"Well, I'll tell them you're clue less as the rest of us."
"Please don't mention what I said before."
"I won't! Can't you ever trust me? Your mother will probably want to talk to you later just so you know."
"Okay, bye Meiling."
"Good-bye Syaoran!"
Syaoran was confused and it must have shown on his face because the others looked curious as well, even though they couldn't have understood more than half the conversation.
"Was that Meiling?" Sakura asked. Syaoran nodded. He sighed.
"If you'll excuse me I think I need to go lay down." Syaoran turned pale. 'Join him? What was I thinking, maybe that's what those dreams were about....'
"Not so fast gaki, I said we'd settle your living arrangements before we left."
"I'll be fine by myself, I've been living by myself ever since Wei and Meiling left you know."
"And if I would have known sooner you wouldn't have." Touya glared, " now listen, my dad's going away for a few months on an archaeological dig. You can stay with me and Sakura but you have to leave Sakura alone." Everyone except Touya, Syaoran, and Kero sweat dropped. "And I won't take no for an answer unless you find someone else to stay with."
Syaoran opened his mouth, then shut it.
"Well, Gaki, don't just stand there, get your stuff!"
Syaoran scowled and left, hearing Kero's whining in the background. He had to admit that he didn't expect Touya to do that. He stuffed his school clothes, clow-card capturing clothes, night clothes (which consisted only of the pink pants) and his 'casual' clothes in his book bag. His casual clothes of course were formal, all Li's wore formal, all the time. Only the girls not yet in their teens were exceptions to that rule, as they were not seen in public as much. He put his sword pendant around his neck and went to join them.
He found the girls and Eriol in the living room with Kero. Yukito came back shortly followed by Touya. Yukito gave Syaoran a small smile. "Syaoran, I think you need some groceries." Syaoran sweat dropped, 'tell me something I don't know'.
As they all made their way to the door Syaoran stopped and grabbed a picture from the mantle, the one of his mother and father on their wedding day.
AN: There it is. I guess I won't know if it's long enough until it's posted. If it's not then I'll make it eight pages. Well, please tell me if something's wrong with it! Thanks for reading!