Disclaimer is in the first chapter.
Notes: Well, there's not much to say really. I turned un-original though in an attempt to get more words by adding in a ball and shopping and all-sorts. Hmm…do you like it? I sure do hope so! So, next chapter is my dodgy chapter! Hurrah! Looking forward to that, I've written quite a bit already. I've noticed that I'm very tired today, because of school. My update might be late when it comes to chapter six, because of school. I still love you guys.
Disclaimer: This week's disclaimer is dedicated to SweetBabyGurl, who saved my ass by beta-ing because my beta has taken a break. Zenin still gets a mention, because she's still helped out a lot when I've been desperate. Okay, also to the reviewers! I love you. You keep inspiring me! Thank you!!
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I Dare You to Dance
Chapter Five: Champagne Kisses
By Emmy
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Sakura felt a little claustrophobic and far too hot. She didn't normally wake up like this; normally she would be cuddled up in bed, at complete ease with the world. But there was an added teddy bear to her bed, a very big one, but it was so soft and warm. She needed out though, new teddy or no new teddy. She tried moving around for her to get out but found herself stuck. She cracked open an eye and saw arms around her middle, and she screamed.
Oh boy did she scream, and she felt the arms around her move away quickly, as she spun around as fast as she could, throwing out her arms and beating the person/teddy in question. The person/teddy stopped her hands and groggily shouted, "It's me, Sakura, Syaoran!"
Sakura sat up quickly, feeling slightly less scared. She shuffled away, and Syaoran pouted slightly, "What was that for?"
Sakura shrugged, "I'm just a bit hot, and that's all."
He nodded, "Oh."
Sakura looked at the messy bed-head and groggy eyes that Syaoran was proudly sporting and found herself swooning, even more so after he said, "What do you want for breakfast?"
Sakura proudly managed to keep her jaw-dropping to a minimum, and shrugged. Syaoran cocked his head to the side, "Pancakes?"
Sakura nodded quickly smiling brightly and began the inner struggle that so many people have battled with since the beginning of time. Warm in bed, cold floor, but lots to do out where the cold floor is. Sakura put one foot out, "I'll make them, you just go get ready."
"I offered to make them." Syaoran nonchalantly with a cute pout and pulled her back in bed.
Sakura paused, he had a point. Syaoran climbed out of bed, and winced as his feet hit the freezing floor. Sakura winced too, just because she knew how cold that floor was. It wasn't like she cared, and was about to offer him her slippers. Syaoran turned around and tried to cover his soft smile at the way she was looking this morning. Her hair was ruffled and her face was sort-of red, and she had rolled herself up in the duvet. He turned around, not noticing the way she turned her head to look at his, ahem, assets with a big goofy smile on her face.
It was at least ten minutes later and Sakura knew she had to get up. She honestly didn't want to, but she really did have to because she had that dance practice today with Lisa, and it was really important to make up for the last one. She winced as the last dance practice came back to her. She really, really needed to make up for the last one. And Syaoran was making pancakes, Sakura really loved pancakes. That was enough on its own to make her enormously large smile to become even larger if that was humanly possible. But it was so comfortable; she never noticed how comfortable the bed really was. Sakura delicately put a leg out, and swung herself out, bracing herself for the floor. She needed to get up, and she was determined to just that.
She stepped towards the shower, quite quickly, because of her state of undress. But it was foiled when the phone rang, and Syaoran picked it up. When Sakura heard his masculine voice, she made a mad dash for the shirt lying on one of her chairs in order to cover herself. But it was all in vain for soon enough Syaoran came into her room to give her the phone before she even had the chance to reach the chair. She felt her cheeks redden as she thanked him quietly, then put the phone to her ear and was greeted by the sobbing Natasha. "Natasha?" Sakura asked her friend quietly as she suddenly becam quite worried, plonking herself back onto the warm and fluffy bed.
"Oh Sakura, it's horrible! You remember my mother?"
"Of course I do! Is the lovely woman in town?"
Sakura secretly didn't like Natasha's mother, Lillian. To put it mildly, she was a bossy bitch. Always running into town and leaving when things got bad, and normally things became bad because of Lillian in the first place! She kept it to herself because Tash worshiped the woman and loved her to death. Sakura loved her friend and didn't want to ruin things, so she'd just keep listening to her friend's sniffles, "Well, she is, but the problem is, she's got a ball to go to tonight and she went and got herself the flu."
Sakura nodded sagely, "Stupid weather, its coming into winter."
"Yes and that up-town Winter Ball is on tonight!
Sakura knew how involved Natasha was in those social circles, "Yes, I'm well aware, what's the problem?"
"Mother is always going to them, always, she's never missed one. But she'll have to, because she's so sick. We have four tickets, and they're incredibly expensive and non-refundable. You must come with Jake and me!"
Sakura snorted and sat cross-legged on her bed, "I don't have the dress, let alone the date!"
"Who was that lovely sounding man, then?" Sakura could feel her friend's devilish grin all the way from the other line. Yes, it was true that she was quite dense, but even Sakura knew when she was trying to be set up!
Sakura stuttered, "M-m-my roommate! And we're not involved, at all."
The sniffling stopped, Natasha had sensed that she had won this, "He's a male, invite him. You're coming, and you're meeting me at one outside the 'Upper East Shopping Centre' so we can go shopping and get our hair and nails done, and bring that roommate of yours. Ciao, darling."
And with that, she was gone. Sakura sighed, there was no arguing with Natasha, the feisty Russian that she is. She put the phone on her bed as she hit the off button solemnly and went to the bathroom, had a shower and got dressed, wondering all the while how she was going to ask Syaoran, or phrase the question so it didn't sound like she was asking him out.
She decided as she sat down at the breakfast table that she was just going to have to ask him straight out, "Syaoran, you busy this evening?"
He cocked his head to one side and focused on his pancakes, his tongue sneaking out of his mouth in concentration, "Yeah, why?"
Sakura grand plan fell apart as she let out a sigh, "Oh, my friend invited me to go the Winter Ball; she had an extra two tickets."
Syaoran blinked, "Well, I was going there tonight. I was going to see if you wanted to come."
Sakura sighed and focused on her pancakes, not knowing what to say, and Syaoran started talking for her, "I'll go with your group, I know some people who I can give the tickets to."
Sakura smiled at him, not realizing the blush that was on his cheeks, "Thanks Syaoran!"
She looked down again at her strawberry pancakes and then at his chocolate ones and grinned. She knew he was just one big softie, despite the tough exterior. She shook her head, and continued eating. They finished eating and jumped in a taxi together, Syaoran having called Lisa before they left to let her know that they were coming. They stepped inside the almost-familiar building and were dragged into a studio by Lisa, who promptly put them in the dancing hold.
Lisa strode over, her skirt billowing about her and locked the doors and turned on Syaoran and Sakura, "You will be perfect." Syaoran and Sakura simultaneously blinked.
Lisa continued, circling them, "Now, please, take me seriously. All I need is for you to screw up. If you do that, I will kill you."
She stalked over to the radio and turned it on, a sexually-charged song blaring through, and they danced. They had memorized their parts, and putting them together with sweeping moves and beautiful motion seemed so simple. It was far simpler then their feelings towards each other, if there were any. Which, they decided, there could be. They needed a few more days to figure it out. Or, all Sakura really needed was for Syaoran to bring her closer and then her feelings were set. She liked the handsome reporter, she really did.
She danced harder, wanting to impress him, and he danced harder, to keep up with her. Soon, they had finished, breathing heavily and extremely close. She could feel his sweet breath on her mouth, but she simply closed her eyes and turned away, not giving each other a chance to do anything about their closeness, breaking free of his hold rather reluctantly.
"And that slump you were in, Sakura, it's definitely over?" Lisa questioned with a raise eyebrow.
Lisa's now chirpy voice signalled they were finished, and she replied with as much surety as she could, "Most defiantly."
It had to be, because she secretly loved the feeling of being in his strong arms, and feeling his breath. Syaoran was thinking along the same thoughts, because he now liked the pretty dancer. He liked holding her in his arms; he loved being so close to her, being able to smell the sweet vanilla smelt that was Sakura. He was sure now; he liked her.
Lisa clapped her hands, and swayed over, enjoying the songs beat, telling them to go over the bit where they're closest together. Syaoran brought her as close as was possible, without making it obvious, Sakura gripped his hands just a little tighter, but as not to make it obvious. He dipped her to the floor, letting her hair touch the floor, and pulled her back up, their hips moving in time with the beat and their feet going over the quick steps. But they hadn't noticed that the song had stopped and Lisa had a very amused look on her face.
Lisa crossed her arms, "Are you two quite done?"
They broke apart, both blushing heavily. Lisa smirked, "Now, I'm letting you two go. Because I think you're ready. I'll be seeing you on Friday, at three-fifteen. Any later and I'll kill you. The competition is only three weeks away."
Sakura looked at her watch noticing that it was close to one, and she turned to Syaoran when they were out of the building, "You have a suit?"
He nodded and she hailed a cab, "I'll call you and we'll meet outside a restaurant, and we'll have dinner before we go. See you!"
She jumped into the cab and turned around, Syaoran had one hand up in a wave and she smiled, and turned around, the cabby turned around and asked, "Where to?"
"'Upper East Shopping Centre', thanks sir." Sakura said breezily the events of what had just occurred still fresh in her mind.
And as she zipped through the streets of her beautiful city, she settled back, hating the smoky smell of inside the cab, she allowed herself to day-dream for a while. When they arrived and pulled into the cab bay, she saw the ever-well-dressed Natasha waiting for her, checking her watch constantly. She climbed out and walked over, and the two women screamed their hellos, as all good friends do.
Natasha took Sakura into a dress shop, and went over to a shop assistant, a very nervous looking one at that, as Natasha dragged her over and pointed to Sakura, "I'm thinking white, flowing and sparkly."
Sakura embarrassedly smiled and waved, then turned to Natasha, whispering desperately, "I don't know if I can pay you back."
Natasha waved her away, "Don't worry, silly! It's the least I can do for putting you through this so quickly."
The shop-keeper came back with many dresses, and Sakura saw one beautiful dress after another, only be chucked to the floor by her over-enthusiastic friend and she caught the eye of the frazzled shop-keeper and smiled apologetically. But she quickly looked away when a wild-eye Natasha was holding up a dress and screaming, "I FOUND IT!"
Sakura gaped at the dress, it was made up of hundreds of tiny white-gold pieces and flowed to the floor and was completely backless, "Oh god, Natasha. That's far too sexy, really, and look at what it's made of, it's a fortune!"
Natasha shrugged, "You can give it to me, but you'll look so beautiful in it. And mixed with a white-faux-fur wrap, you'll be so elegant. Some strappy white sandals will do the trick."
Sakura sighed and checked the size; it was an eight, perfect. And it really was beautiful. Could she do it? She thought of Syaoran's face when he saw her in it, and she opened her eyes, fire burning inside, and "Ok! Let's do this!" spilled from her mouth.
She looked away when the poor, innocent shop-keeper rang it up on the till but she cringed when she heard the price, "Five thousand dollars."
She opened one when Natasha shrugged, "Cheaper then I thought, do you take credit cards?"
And they walked out of the shop and straight to the faux-fur place and Natasha bought herself a black wrap and she bought Sakura a matching white one, "I love faux-fur, the real stuff is just horrible. Seriously. How can they do that to an animal? But fake fur has the same quality and is better for the environment."
Sakura could only nod, she felt like a movie star when she wrapped it around herself. She saw herself all dolled up in Syaoran's arms dancing the night away. She hugged Natasha, "Thanks so much hun, you're making me so happy."
Natasha blushed, "You're my best-friend, how could I not?" Shoes were still in order, and Sakura pointed out a beautiful pair of white heels with the thinnest heel she had ever seen. But they made her feel so sexy and Natasha bought a black pair so… she really couldn't argue. Well that was her excuse anyway, and she was planning on sticking to it.
Then came a coffee break, Sakura played with her biscotti biscuit, "Are you really ok with all this money-spending on me?"
Natasha put down her spoon, "Of course I am, I made my money and now I plan to spend it. Stop stressing, you can keep the shoes but the dress is mine."
The two laughed.
Natasha looked at Sakura over her coffee cup, "Who's that sexy sounding man of yours?"
Sakura blushed, "He's not mine, and he's called Syaoran. I was desperate for a roommate."
Natasha smirked, "Where is he?"
Sakura glared, "Drink your coffee."
When they had finished, it was time for nails and hair, and it was getting close to three. Sakura lay back and got a French manicure; opting to keep her nails clear as well as a pedicure, clear also. Her hair was curled into ringlets and her make-up was applied, keeping everything as natural as possible. The two got dressed in the toilets and when they were finished, they looked fantastic. And it was five o' clock, time for dinner.
Sakura rang Syaoran off Natasha cell phone, "Syaoran? You ready?"
Syaoran, "Yes, where should I meet you?"
"We'll pick you up, be outside the building at quarter-to-six."
"See you then."
They hung up and Sakura walked out of the building, her feet killing her, but it was okay, because she looked great. She forgot all about the pain when she saw the black limo, "Oh gosh, Tash! This is too much!"
They linked arms and walked down the steps, steadying each other. Sakura slid into the cool leather first and tucked her wrap more closely around herself and looked at her beautiful best friend. Natasha was wearing a black, halter-neck dress that reached her knee, with matching shoes and wrap to Sakura. Her white-blonde hair was pulled up into a messy bun with bit framing her face. Her make-up was as natural as Sakura, except for her dramatic lips and smoky eyes.
They picked up Jake first, he was dressed in a suit, looking very dashing, Natasha and he sat together as Sakura moved to the other side. They pulled up to the building and Syaoran was there, prompt and Sakura took in a breath, he looked stunning. He climbed in and the four toasted with champagne, Jake spoke up in a gravely voice, "Syaoran, we are sitting in a car with two beautiful women, that gives us something to drink to."
Sakura looked out the window to the hotel where they pulled up to and the two men stepped out first, then Natasha and Sakura was last. Syaoran's eyes widened, "Oh Sakura, you look really nice."
Sakura blushed, "You do too."
And they stepped inside, everyone's eyes were on them and their beautiful young selves. Natasha and Jake pulled away to do the socializing bit and Syaoran and Sakura were left alone, and she shyly looked up, "Syaoran, how'd you get tickets?"
He put his arm around her shoulder and whispered into her ear, "Does it matter? Now come and dance with me."
And dance they did, they danced hard and got very close. All with the aid of champagne and other alcoholic drinks. Sakura was swept around the dance floor in the strong arms of Syaoran, and was not allowed to leave those strong arms, but strangely enough, she didn't mind at all. At the end of the night, when it struck twelve, Syaoran swooped down, properly as drunk as could be, and as he kissed Sakura, he mumbled out a "Happy New Year" and continued kissing her as she kissed him back with the sense of emotion and force he used on her.
They didn't stop, because why should they? Syaoran invaded her mouth and noticed how much she tasted like the champagne they were drinking. He really liked it. And he'd do it again, happily.
When they stumbled in, at some unholy time, Syaoran fell into bed, with Sakura, again. He made himself comfortable and that night, his dreams were blood-drenched or monster filled, they were of champagne kisses and dancing in the moonlight with Sakura in his arms, smiling and laughing. And then they progressed, to a bad place, and Syaoran was more then happy to let them go, he couldn't control what he dreamt about.
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Right, so, like it? Slap me with reviews, it's good for me, honest!
Zenin: Have you gone AWOL or something? PLEASE respond to my emails! I'm getting worried!
