Love Reflection
He barely heard the doorbell ring through a peal of thunder.
Setting down his book, Syaoran opened the door on a girl. A wet, shivering girl who did not look too happy. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"What have you been doing, Sakura? Oh, come in first...I'll hear the sad story later."
Kinomoto Sakura grimaced at him, but quickly stepped inside with a sigh of relief. A small grin touched Syaoran's face as he shut the door and went into his room. When he came out again, he had a towel in hand, which he tossed to Sakura. "Arigatou," she smiled.
But as she toweled her hair dry, it was impossible for Syaoran not to notice the way her damp dress molded itself to her body. Or its slight...transparency. A blush manifested on his face, but there was also a definite glint in his eye.
Sakura stopped toweling, eyeing him curiously. "Something wrong?"
"Um, no," he calmly said, averting her gaze. "I think I'd better lend you something to change into." Ducking back into his bedroom, he did not reappear for a while.
Sakura stared at the doorway to his room in bewilderment. Then she looked down at herself, and a dark blush spread across her face. "Oh," she mumbled.
Syaoran finally re-emerged, holding a neatly folded shirt and jeans. Sakura meekly took the clothes without comment, but her dark-green eyes gleamed. A faint smile curved Syaoran's lips as she headed for the bathroom.
That smile turned to a blush when she came out again.
"Sakura...?" he choked. "Didn't I give you jeans to change into as well?" The green-eyed girl was only wearing the shirt, exposing quite a length of her slender legs. Syaoran tried his best not to stare, but gave it up as he realized that he was already staring.
Sakura looked at him innocently - far too innocently. "They were too long," she sweetly replied, handing the jeans back to him. Syaoran seriously doubted that, since one look told him that the garment had not even been unfolded. He considered pointing that out, but the firm look in her eyes told him that she was going to have her way in the matter of dressing no matter what objections he had.
And really, did he even mind? Somehow, he managed to stop himself from blushing at that thought.
"Fine, then." His tone was bland, but the glint in his eyes brightened, and a light red tinted Sakura's cheeks as she noticed it.
Seating herself beside him on the couch, she snuggled up to him with a contented sigh. Syaoran slipped one arm around her, and she rested her head against his chest, auburn ponytail spilling onto his lap.
"So?" he softly murmured, stroking her hair. "What brought you here in the middle of a thunderstorm?"
Sakura groaned slightly, the sound rather muffled by her face being pressed into his shirt. "I wasn't even expecting to come here, really. I went to that movie with Tomoyo-chan and the others...and then we went for dinner...and then we took a walk...Tomoyo-tachi headed for home..."
"Then it started to rain," he finished. Sakura sighed. "Hai. Anyway, your place just happened to be near, so I thought I'd, uh, beg shelter." She grinned at him, and he shook his head.
"And just how long were you counting on me to 'give you shelter'?" he enquired.
Sakura raised her head from his chest to look at him, her emerald orbs very wide and limpid. "The whole night?"
"I see." Syaoran's voice was low, but there was more than a hint of laughter in it. "And what makes you so sure I'll agree?"
Staring into his eyes, Sakura let a smile slowly curve her lips as she toyed with a button on his shirt. "Ne, Syaoran...because you love me, right?"
A bubble of laughter escaped Syaoran at this, despite his best efforts to hold it back.
"Koishii," he whispered, "I do love you, but that's no reason why I should let you sleep the night over. Any other excuses?"
"Because you can't throw a poor helpless girl into a thunderstorm with no defenses?" She looked wide-eyed at him, and he bit down another bubble of mirth rising in his throat.
"Sakura, have you ever heard of this object called an umbrella? I've got two in my room." She pouted at this, wrinkling her nose, and it was impossible for him to keep from chuckling. "Mou! Syaoran!"
"Gomen," he apologized, his voice suddenly turning serious. "Sakura- koishii...you ought to know by now that I would never turn you away." He pressed his forehead against hers, tightening his hold on her.
Sakura flushed slightly, her eyes shining with pleasure. "Honto? What makes you so sure of-" Syaoran effectively silenced her by capturing her lips in a deep kiss. She gave a soft sigh of pleasure, twining her arms around his neck, and he pulled her closer to him in response.
No words were spoken for quite a length of time.
Syaoran finally brought the kiss to a closure, albeit rather unwillingly. "Are you convinced?" he asked huskily, one finger tracing the delicate curves of her mouth. She flushed again, her silence more eloquent than any words.
Unwinding her arms from his neck, Sakura rested them by her sides. "To tell you the truth, Syaoran...I hope 'Nii-chan won't find out about this."
A grin flashed across the amber-eyed boy's face. "Why?"
"Oh, you know! Remember when he first caught you kissing me? You were lucky Yukito-san was there to prevent him from strangling you then. I shudder to think what he'll do to you if he knows I'm sleeping over at your place tonight."
The grin grew wider. "Why would he mind?"
Sakura turned crimson. "Well...he-he! He's afraid that we might end up doing...things we shouldn't be doing."
The grin escaped being a smirk by the merest of fractions. "What things?"
"MOU! You know...things!" She failed to find any words to describe exactly what those 'things' were, blushing even more furiously than before.
Syaoran chuckled, shaking his head. "Koishii...you are adorable, you know that? Oh, stop blushing!" He tapped her nose gently. "I do know what...things your Onii-chan are so afraid we might end up doing, and I confess I would like to do them..." his gaze swept over her lazily, resting on the exposed length of her legs, and Sakura reddened still further, "but I won't. Neither he or you have to worry on that score."
Sakura averted his gaze, willing the hot flush in her cheeks to cool. Syaoran cupped her chin in one hand, turning her face to his own. "Sakura, don't worry about Touya. We...talked, the other day," Syaoran bit back a grin at the memory of that particular conversation, "and I think we understand each other a little better now. If we couldn't be called best friends yet, it's still a start. So take that worried look off your face, ne?"
A smile blossomed on Sakura's face. "You did?" Oh, Syaoran. He nodded.
"Arigatou," she gratefully said, pressing her face into his neck. "You don't know how much that means to me."
But I do, Syaoran thought, dropping a light kiss onto the top of her head. Why would I have done it if I didn't?
"Ne. What exactly did you two talk about, anyway?" She looked at him expectantly.
Syaoran coughed, his gaze suddenly everywhere but on her. "Uh...it was...guy stuff. Yeah."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "And the sun rose in the west this morning. You expect me to believe that?"
"Why wouldn't you?" he asked with a straight face. A large sweat drop made its way down Sakura's head.
"Syaoran cut it out! Why can't you just tell me?"
The boy fidgeted uncomfortably. "I'm not sure whether Touya would like it..." he muttered.
"Since when did you become so concerned about what 'Nii-chan would or wouldn't like? I'd like it!" She stared at him pleadingly; her eyes wide, and he knew he was lost.
Syaoran sighed, a tad ruefully.
"Fine...fine. But not now, ok? Tomorrow. I promise."
"Why not right now?" she asked in exasperation.
"You wouldn't be able to go to sleep after you heard it," he said darkly. Sakura stared at him, wondering whether it was a good decision to hit him. However, he kept his mouth stubbornly clamped shut, and she knew she would have better luck getting a fish to fly than asking him to say more. She sighed too, resigning herself to wait until tomorrow.
A thought struck her. "Tomorrow? Syaoran, I'm leaving first thing in the morning."
He stared at her, pretending to be hurt. "So soon? Didn't know I repulsed you that much."
"Baka." She gently tugged on his ear. "I want to stay, but I need to get back before 'Nii-chan finds out."
"You mean, sneak back into the house at first light? Why bother? You can't even get up early by yourself, remember?"
Sakura ignored the latter part of his sentence, shooting him a sidelong glance. "You could help out me there, you know."
"What do you want me to do-kiss you awake? Not that I wouldn't enjoy that, of course." He raised one eyebrow suggestively, and she blushed, hitting him on his arm. "Shut up."
"Actually, I could wake you up early," Syaoran offered. "With my alarm clock," he hastily added as she glared at him. "Plus I'll also, uh, escort you back to your home. But," his voice lowering a few notches, "there would have to be...payment of a sort. After all, you're going to be depriving me of my much-needed rest."
Sakura snorted. "You mean your beauty sleep, Princess Wolf?"
"HEY!" he protested, causing Sakura to dissolve into giggles. "One more crack like that and I desert!"
"Gomen, gomen...so, what sort of 'payment' were you thinking of, hmm?" She eyed him suspiciously.
"Oh, nothing much," he innocently replied. "If you'd just spend the whole of tomorrow afternoon and Sunday with me, it would be enough."
She playfully shook her head at him. "You drive a hard bargain."
"After taking you in tonight and agreeing to help you sneak back into your house at dawn tomorrow, wouldn't you say that it's the least I deserve?"
Sakura sighed mock-resignedly. "Hai, hai, Syaoran-sama. All right, I agree. You happy now?"
He winked at her. "Perfectly. And since you addressed me as -sama just now, does that mean I can ask you to be my slave while I'm at it?"
She hit him again. "Don't push your luck, buster." But her eyes were laughing, and Syaoran smiled ruefully. Guess I deserved that.
Sakura suddenly yawned, much to the surprise of both of them. "Gomen ne," she apologized, looking slightly embarrassed. "I had a long day, I guess."
Syaoran's eyes softened as he looked at her. "Then...we'd better get you to bed, hadn't we?"
"You're coming too, aren't you?" Sakura gasped as she spoke the words aloud, covering her mind with her mouth. Pink flooded her cheeks, and Syaoran had to laugh.
"Gomen!" she wailed. "I really wasn't thinking!"
"Oh, Sakura, Sakura...maybe you're right, and it is for the best that Touya doesn't find out about this. I'm sure he would go into cardiac arrest to hear you being so...forward." She shoved her elbow into his ribs none too gently, and he winced. "See what I mean? Although," he continued, a devilish glitter in his eye, "it suits you. And for being so adorable, rest assured I won't hold it against you." He grinned mischievously.
The pink color deepened noticeably. "If you could haul your mind out of the gutter for a second, you'd see what I really meant by that." The words were tart, but her tone was not, and Syaoran hid a smile.
"Koishii...I do." He nuzzled Sakura's ear, sending a pleasurable shiver down her spine.
"So you are coming, ne?" Her voice dropped to a whisper, dark-green orbs never leaving his.
"...Of course I am." He gently brushed his lips against hers, and Sakura sighed, content.
Reaching behind her head, Syaoran deftly unfastened the clip that held her hair in its ponytail. Long, silky auburn tresses fell loose, and Sakura stared.
"You don't go to sleep with your hair tied up, do you?" He cocked an eyebrow at her, and Sakura smiled. "Iie."
He suddenly gathered her in his arms and stood up, all in one smooth motion. Sakura gaped openly at him. "Syaoran?" she squeaked.
"You're tired...I should make myself of service." His amber-brown eyes glinted meaningfully, and a sound somewhere between a giggle and another yawn escaped Sakura. He carried her into his room, gently depositing her on the bed, and turned to switch off the light before joining her.
"Aishiteru," she sleepily murmured, loosely wrapping her arms around his waist.
Syaoran kissed her forehead. "I love you too," he softly whispered. Quiet breathing answered him; Sakura was already asleep. A gentle smile crossed the boy's face.
Pulling his precious bundle closely against him, he too closed his eyes.
"Oyasumi...Sakura-koishii."
Index of Japanese words/translations:
Koishii--beloved ()
Mou--something very much like 'Geez!'
Honto--really
Aishiteru--I love you (pretty obvious, really )
Oyasumi (nasai)--good night
Breaking Barriers
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Sakura's eyes flew open in the dim morning light.
Turning her head slightly, she observed the luminous hands of the alarm clock. 6.00 a.m.; it was a whole half-hour before the alarm would sound. A small, satisfied smile curved her lips, one that grew bigger as the warm body lying beside her merely stirred, murmuring something incomprehensible.
So he didn't think I could wake up by myself, did he? Carefully hauling herself up into a sitting position, she eyed the sleeping Syaoran half- fondly, half-exasperatedly.
When will he learn not to underestimate me? Sakura studied him, her gaze softening.
He looked different when he was asleep, she mused. The tense reserve and slight wariness perpetually present in his face except when she was with him had disappeared. With a faint ray of light falling across him, he looked so peaceful, even...innocent, she thought. Like a little boy who had not gone through all that he had in his own childhood. A curious lump rose in her throat, the look in her eyes infinitely tender.
She ran a slim hand through his thick mop of dark chestnut hair, enjoying its silky-rough feel on her fingers. Sometimes it was a little hard to believe how far they had come since the days of capturing Clow Cards. After all, Syaoran had been telling her he would never acknowledge her as a fighting partner on a regular basis then, and look where they were now! Sakura did not bother to hide a wicked grin. You really could not trust words sometimes. Stifling a yawn, she stretched herself, not without a slight wince for the sound of popping joints...
...when she suddenly felt eyes watching her.
Putting on her sweetest smile, she turned to face Syaoran, who was watching her in sleepy astonishment.
"Ohayou. Enjoyed your beauty sleep, Princess?"
"I'll get you for that later," he mumbled. "What are you doing up so early? And how the hell did you do it?"
She whacked the top of his head. "You keep quiet. I'm capable of a lot more than you think." A muffled snort of laughter sounded, and she frowned at him.
He pulled himself up beside her, his amber-brown eyes twinkling. "Ah sou, gomen gomen...I had no idea. Then again, I never knew you were capable of going around in nothing but my shirt until last night, did I?"
Sakura crimsoned, firmly pushing his head down.
"Yeow! Fine, I'm sorry! Let me up!"
"Honto baka ne." She glared at him, her arms crossed over her chest. But the meaning stare he gave her made it impossible to hold the glare. If anything, it only made her blush harder.
"Sakura, there's something I don't understand. Since it was purely your decision to wear that shirt, why are you blushing so much?"
The Clow Mistress reminded herself that she really did not want to give her beloved a black eye, no matter how much he was asking for it. "Syaoran," she muttered through gritted teeth, "as much as I love you, you are going to be one very sorry wolf if you don't shut up now." He chuckled infuriatingly, and she buried her fist in the sheets to prevent it from 'accidentally' swinging up.
But suddenly, his face was very close to hers, and all thoughts of hitting him melted away like butter in the sun at the glitter in his eyes. The brown hue in them darkened, and she swallowed with some difficulty, her heart starting to pound faster.
"Then I'll have to think of something to prevent you from...hurting me, won't I?" Syaoran whispered. Nuzzling her cheek, he gently nipped her earlobe.
It was all but impossible for Sakura to focus her thoughts with the shivers he was causing running rampant through her. "If you...keep this up," she managed to get out, "I don't think you'll have to worry about that..."
"Really?" he murmured, sliding his arms around her slender waist. "But in any case, koishii, I was going to continue anyway."
He pulled her down to the bed, and nothing more was said...or at least, not until the loud shrilling of the alarm clock reminded them that it was time for them to get moving.
Later, they had left Syaoran's apartment and were walking back to Sakura's house. It wasn't too far a distance, but Sakura was anxious to get back before her brother's everyday morning run.
It was very nice, just the two of them walking together like this. The streets were bathed in pale morning light, the quiet broken only by the chirping of sundry birds and a few vehicles out on the roads. A playful breeze blew Sakura's long bangs across her face, making her glad that she had put her hair into a braid just now.
Suddenly remembering the preceding night, she tugged on Syaoran's hand in hers, and he cocked a quizzical brow at her.
"Yes?"
"Shouldn't you keep your promise now?"
He looked honestly confused. "What promise?"
She sighed. "Mou...you said you were going to tell me about your talk with 'Nii-chan the other day! Ne?"
Syaoran's mouth twisted. "Oh," he unenthusiastically replied.
"Onegai? I really do want to hear about it," she pleaded.
His eyes softened as he looked at her, and he sighed.
"All right, all right. I suppose there's no harm in telling you. Anyway," he continued dryly, "I suspect I'd have found myself speaking of it even if you hadn't brought the topic up last night. Being around you makes me prone to babble." Sakura let out a delighted giggle, and he shot her a rueful smile.
They continued walking, Syaoran beginning to recount the incident
"You went to that book fair with your father last Saturday, didn't you? Well..."
He looked at the large, oak-paneled door in front of him, and swallowed hard, wishing he could kick himself. What the hell was he doing here? Here, at the Kinomoto residence, to see Kinomoto Touya of all people?
He half-turned, taking a step away from the door, but clenched his fist abruptly. NO!
He might be a lot of things, but he wasn't someone who broke a promise he had made to himself...to the only person who had his heart.
Even if she was utterly unaware of that promise.
Syaoran vividly remembered the last time Sakura had brought up the subject of Touya. Then, he had been completely appalled by her tentative hint that they could be friends. "US?! Friends?" Cows might fly first!" Despite all her coaxing, he had flatly refused to give it even a try.
Her disappointed face still haunted him even now. "I should have known," she had sadly said before she left, twisting his heart in his chest.
He hated her to be sad. Seeing that look on her lovely face, she could have shot him and he would have died happy. And not only had she been sad, but disappointed as well. It was impossible for him to bear that. That was how, making an extremely large sacrifice (in his opinion), he now found himself standing outside her door to speak to Touya.
Syaoran hadn't the foggiest idea what to say or do...all he knew was that he would, at the very least, try being civil to the man. Anything to stop his conscience from perpetually throwing that sweet disappointed face to torment him.
Darn it, how does she make me do this with just one sad face? He shook his head in genuine amazement.
This was for her. For Sakura.
And for himself. He could not deny that being on good terms with Touya-- however remote the chance of that seemed--would definitely make life easier for all of them. I guess I can count myself lucky that her Otou-san doesn't hate me too, he wryly thought.
Syaoran took a deep breath, and pressed the bell.
Kinomoto Touya stared at the figure standing outside the door, wondering if it was real. He blinked twice, rubbing his eyes.
The figure never disappeared.
"Are?" he mumbled.
Li Syaoran made an irritated sound, jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "You aren't dreaming!" he snapped. Touya blinked again, and then his customary scowl of greeting immediately spread over his face. He fixed his dark-blue eyes on the shorter boy, the scowl growing bigger.
Syaoran grimaced back with a will. Guess what time it was, folks?
Uh-huh. You guessed it. Time for GGC, otherwise known as the Great Glaring Contest. This particular round lasted a whole fifteen minutes, earning them a great number of puzzled stares from people who saw them. Well, it wasn't everyday you saw two good-looking men standing on a doorstep staring daggers at each other, was it?
A few good citizens were so interested that they offered their views on the sight.
A mild-looking old lady asked as she saw them. "Rivals in love?" she whispered to her companion.
It was not soft enough to prevent Touya and Syaoran from hearing, though. Their mouths twitched wildly, but they kept the staring up.
The other elderly personage smiled knowingly. "Ah, the fighting spirit in today's young men runs high, doesn't it?" They tittered as they walked past, giving Syaoran and Touya a last parting glance.
The aforementioned pair of 'rivals' had the grace to blush when the old ladies were out of sight, abruptly breaking off their stares.
"Your fault, baka yaro," Touya muttered.
Syaoran spluttered indignantly. "NANI?! You started it...like you always do!"
"No, you caused it! You showed up at the door!"
Syaoran tripped on a step, almost falling flat on his face. "Teme..." he growled.
Touya snorted. "Hn."
"Well," he said in a most unwelcome tone, "what the hell are you doing here? Don't you know Sakura's gone out with 'Tou-chan?"
All too well, Syaoran mentally bit out, all too well. Someone please tell me how Sakura made me do this with one sad face? I'm defenceless enough as it is.
"Oi! I'm askin' you a question, wolf-boy!"
That got his attention. "I do know that, " he stiffly replied.
Touya raised an eyebrow. "Then what in blazes have you come over for? Of course, if you've come to ask me to tell my imouto you're breaking up with her, I'll be more than happy to help you out."
Through sheer strength of will, Syaoran managed to keep himself from throttling the smirking man--just barely. "Do NOT push me too far, kisama," he growled, "or you won't get to hear Sakura call you 'Nii-chan again. I came here to see you. Understand me?"
That flat statement knocked every last bit of wind out of Touya's sails.
He pinched himself.
He felt his forehead.
He gaped.
"WHAT did you say?" he squeaked. Actually squeaked. Syaoran was torn between wanting to laugh at him or hit him, but finally decided that neither was a good option. Exhaling deeply, he took firm hold of the stunned man's sleeve and hauled him into the house, shutting the door after them.
Once inside, Touya shook himself free, staring incredulously at the amber- eyed boy. "You're joking, aren't you?"
Syaoran eyed him in barely contained exasperation. "Do you think I am?"
"..." Touya ran a hand through his hair.
"All right, you're not," he finally ground out. "But what the hell do you want to see ME for?!"
"It's about Sakura."
Touya's mouth dropped open for a second time. "Sakura? What the...why do you want to see me about her?" Then his face grew serious. "Matte--did something happen to her?"
A very faint smile appeared on Syaoran's face. It doesn't matter if she's 10 or 17...he'll always be protective. "No, no. She's fine."
"Then what is it?" Touya snapped. "Get to the point!"
Syaoran braced himself. "To be more precise, you could say it's about the state of our...our..." he frantically hunted for a word, "our relationship!" He mentally hit himself, realising too late how idiotic that particular word choice sounded.
Touya stared at him as if he had grown fangs and had purple spots all over him.
"Excuse me?" he asked flatly. Very flatly.
Syaoran gulped. "Let me rephrase that. It's about...about the way we treat each other." If it still sounds dumb, at least it's better.
I hope.
"Oh," Touya replied. His voice was no less flat. "Care to go into detail?"
The Cantonese boy sent up a silent prayer to his ancestors before replying.
"Well...you know what it's like when the two of us meet."
"No, I don't," the taller man coolly retorted. "Explain yourself, Li."
Syaoran felt like giving him a good hard kick, but restrained himself and spoke again. "We're always glaring at each other..."
"Aa? You always start it."
The chestnut-haired boy's mouth twitched, but he continued. "We can seldom have a civil conversation..."
"Ara, you're the one who always shoots his mouth off!"
Syaoran gritted his teeth and doggedly finished, though it was an effort. "...And it's making your sister unhappy. I don't like seeing her unhappy. So I came to see you to...to see if...something could be done about it."
Touya had opened his mouth to make another cutting remark, but it never came out. He snapped his jaw shut, and cocked his head to one side, eyeing the shorter boy thoughtfully. Syaoran shifted his feet, feeling hot and bothered, but distinctly more comfortable now that he had made his point.
Lord only knows how he took it...
Kinomoto Touya eyed the amber-eyed boy standing before him, feeling somewhat startled. So that was the reason why he had come to see him.
He would never have expected it...not from him. Not from the boy he always saw as a confusing little brat, no matter what his age or how much Sakura loved him.
Yes, loved him. He was far from blind--he knew. He didn't like it, but he would never think of breaking them apart, even if he might wish it sometimes. Touya had felt their auras when they were together--a bond that strong should never be tampered with. And he would never dream of hurting his little sister so.
Well, Touya grudgingly conceded to himself, maybe the kid did have his good points. He rather doubted how much Syaoran really felt for his sister--it had always been a constant source of worry, but the boy had come to look him up just because he hadn't wanted to see Sakura upset. Touya had a feeling that if their places had been reversed, he would have more likely than not tried to brush it off and forget it. Thus, this demanded approval, albeit very reluctant approval.
Maybe...he's not so bad after all.
Touya gave a decisive nod. All right then. Who could tell? Maybe some good would actually come of his doing this.
A wide grin suddenly split his face in two, and he reached out to slap Syaoran on the back a little harder than would have been strictly necessary. The younger boy gasped, glaring daggers at him.
"Nanda--!"
"Temper, temper!" Touya admonished, holding up a reproving finger. "Unless I remember wrongly, you were the one who wanted to talk. And since I'm in a relatively good mood today, I'll be Mr. Nice Guy and oblige you. Ne? Shall we proceed?"
Syaoran's mouth fell open, and Touya inwardly snickered. He considered commenting on it, but decided not to--after all, his own jaw had been hanging open just now. Instead, he put out a hand and unceremoniously shoved the other boy's lower jaw back into place none too gently.
Syaoran blinked, glaring at him again.
Touya raised an eyebrow.
"You should watch it," he calmly said. "Bugs, you know."
Before a very long time had passed, the two of them were seated on opposite sides of the couch, the fragrance of the English tea Touya had made permeating the air from two steaming cups on the coffee table.
Touya carefully took a sip from his cup, looking at his companion expectantly.
Syaoran noticed at once. "Aa?"
Touya set his cup down, folding his arms across his chest. "Well, what do you want to talk about?"
For a whole minute Syaoran stared at him, unmoving. Then his whole form suddenly convulsed in silent laughter, and it was Touya's turn to stare.
"What's so funny?"
Syaoran shook his head, fighting his amusement down. "Nothing...it's just that I never in a million YEARS expected to find myself drinking tea in your house, with you of all people asking me what I wanted to talk about..." He shook his head again, his voice trailing off.
Touya eyed him for a moment...and then the humour of their present situation hit him. A chuckle escaped his throat, and as if that sound had been a trigger, Syaoran finally gave voice to his own laughter too.
It was some time before they could finally sober down, and then Syaoran unluckily happened to catch Touya's eye. The two of them dissolved into helpless mirth again.
"Next time, Li," Touya mock-growled after they had managed to stop their laughter, "keep your smart mouth shut when you think of something like that."
"Why?" came the other's retort.
"Granted, it was terribly enlightening, but I don't think my stomach can take it." Touya gingerly rubbed the sore portion of his body. "Itai..."
Syaoran snorted, but there was a faint twinkle in his eye.
"Sa...can we be serious now?"
Touya took a mouthful of tea before speaking again.
"There's something I want to ask you, Syaoran. I think I have an idea of how you'll answer me, but I still want to hear it from your own mouth." The dark-blue eyes looking straight at him were suddenly intent, all traces of the former amusement they had held gone.
"Go ahead," Syaoran told him, though inside he was feeling slightly nervous. In all the time they had known each other, Touya had never spoken to him so seriously before. What...
"How much do you love Sakura? And why do you love her?"
The Cantonese boy was more than a little taken aback.
He was silent for a while, chestnut head bowed slightly in thought, and then he looked up and met Touya's blue gaze unwaveringly.
"I love Sakura more than anything in this world, for the simple reason that she is the best thing that ever happened to me. She brought warmth into my life with her smiles and laughter; she filled the void inside me. She understands me like no one else ever could, and she loves me for who I really am. Even when I hurt her by mistake, she could find it in her to forgive me." He paused to take a sip of tea, amber orbs clouded.
"She doesn't care about my past, doesn't care what I might have done before. As long as she knows I love her, it's enough for her. I love her for all those reasons and more." His lips quirked slightly, his amber-brown eyes suddenly very soft.
Touya quietly studied the boy before him, his brow slightly furrowed. He was sure he had not imagined the dark undertones that had momentarily appeared in the other's voice as he had spoken of hurting Sakura by mistake, and he wondered what exactly had happened. Almost, he felt like grabbing Syaoran by his shoulders and demanding to be told the truth, but instinct told him he would be smart not to.
No matter how much he might call Sakura a 'kaijuu', that particular kaijuu was bordering on 18. As Yuki had once said, he should know when to leave well alone. His little sister was almost an adult, and though it was a little hard to admit, she could handle her own affairs well enough.
Syaoran's voice had been quiet, but all the more eloquent for that. There had been no mistaking how he really felt on that score. He read people well, and had seen how much emotion the boy's words had held.
A small smile hovered on his lips. He didn't think he had cause to worry now...but there was still one thing more he wanted to know.
"That being so...what would you be willing to do for her?"
Once again, Syaoran met his gaze squarely.
"Anything. Everything. Giving up my life included."
Touya's eyes flicked sharply over him, and then he nodded, once. The slight tension abruptly drained from the other boy's face, and he sat back, taking another sip of tea.
"Sa!" Touya said decisively. "You pass this first round, then."
Syaoran eyed him suspiciously. "What first round?"
"The first round of your test, of course."
"WHAT test?!"
"Why, the test to allow me to confirm whether you've really grown from a funny little brat to someone I can trust my sister with." Touya shot an innocent look at Syaoran, who could distinctly be heard grinding his teeth.
"Touya..." he growled menacingly.
"Don't worry, I'll be merciful and make it the last round," the dark-haired man calmly said, ignoring him. "You up to it?" he inquired, cocking an eyebrow at the younger boy.
Syaoran shot him his Ultra-Patented Glare of Death?, but finally nodded.
Inwardly, Touya grinned. This should be...interesting, at the very least.
"What's your opinion of me?"
For the second time that day, Syaoran's jaw dropped.
"W-H-A-T?!"
"Ara...did I mention you have to say why, too?" Touya added as an afterthought.
Syaoran sputtered incoherently. He closed his mouth, opened and closed it again.
"Oi," Touya mildly protested. "Don't go into goldfish mode on me now. I promise I won't throw you out of the house too hard if I don't like your answer." --which nearly made Syaoran choke on the tea he had gulped in an effort to calm himself.
"You aren't being serious," he managed to say through a spate of coughing.
"Why not? I must confess I really would rather like to know what the opinion of the kid who's hated me for a long time really is."
Syaoran shot him a sour look at being called 'kid', but his face grew thoughtful almost as quickly.
"I...don't think I ever hated you, really. Sure, I disliked you, especially when you'd do things like sic those Dobermans your friend asked you to look after on me when you caught me kissing Sakura that day--" he gave Touya a Look which the dark-haired man returned innocently. "--but no, I can't say it went to the extent of hate."
"I suppose it's a matter of old habits dying hard, y'know? I was having staring matches with you since fourth grade, and we continued having them all the way up until now. And of course, insults and the like followed. I guess I was just too used to acting that way where you were concerned, and laid it on thicker when you didn't hesitate in showing me that you didn't approve of Sakura being my girlfriend." --here he shot Touya another significant look.
"Oi, don't look at me like that!" Touya protested. "You didn't have to kiss Sakura at the very minute I opened the door!"
"It wasn't on purpose!" Syaoran snapped. "How were we to know you'd come back from that trip to Shinjuku a day earlier than you were supposed to?"
Touya sweatdropped. "True..." he reluctantly conceded.
"Darn straight," the chestnut-haired boy grumbled.
"Anyway," he continued, "I got really pissed off by your actions sometimes, but I did understand that you were worried about Sakura. So I didn't blame you...too much. I know you love her."
The smile curving Touya's face was faint, but it was there.
"Conclusion?"
"That I have no idea what my opinion of you is, since I haven't had any chance to really get to know you. I just think...that maybe you're not as intolerable as you sometimes seem. Maybe you aren't the overprotective egoist you appear to be." Syaoran instinctively tensed, ready for Touya to explode.
He certainly wasn't expecting Sakura's brother to let out a soft chuckle.
"Nani?" he muttered.
The older man was smirking.
"And I think maybe you aren't such a brat after all, wolf-boy. Maybe you aren't the immature smart-mouth you appear to be."
"Why you--" Syaoran sat bolt upright, but stopped as he saw the teasing gleam in Touya's deep-blue eyes.
Slowly, a smile crossed his face.
"I guess we both aren't what we seem to be, ne?"
"Sou," Touya confirmed. "Maybe it's time to be who we really are."
Syaoran's mouth quirked. "Way past time."
Touya's smirk broadened as he held out a hand. "Truce?"
Syaoran cocked his head to one side, eyeing the outstretched hand mistrustfully.
"No more scowling at me like you want a car to run me down when I come over to pick Sakura up?"
"...Yes."
"No more 'accidental', 'unintended' sic-ing of Dobermans or things of the like on me?"
Touya pulled a face, but nodded. "Yes."
"No more going ballistic and threatening to call the police if Sakura stays over at my place?"
"Now wait a minute...WHAT exactly do you two do when she goes over to your place?" Touya glared at him.
Syaoran raised both eyebrows at him. "What do you think we do?"
"That isn't answering my question."
Syaoran sighed in exasperation. "We do what any normal couple would do, baka. We talk; we do stuff like cooking together. Happy?"
"No big making out sessions?"
Syaoran choked, going extremely red.
"That--is--PRIVATE, kisama," he spluttered.
"Hn." Touya looked at him suspiciously, and the chestnut-haired boy reached the limit of his endurance.
"Well, what do you want us to do?! What do you and Yukito-san do when you go to his house?"
Surprisingly, Touya paled.
"What the--you--HOW did you..."
Syaoran snorted derisively. "Touya, I'm not blind. I used to like Yukito- san, even if that's ancient history now, and I've seen the way you look at him sometimes when you think nobody's watching."
Touya was silent, locking and unlocking his long fingers. Finally he spoke, and his voice was very quiet.
"Does...does Sakura know?"
Syaoran stared at him incredulously. "Of course she does. Hell, she's so much closer to you than I am--how could she not know?"
"And she...she isn't...she doesn't..."
The younger boy had a sudden flash of understanding.
"Iie," he gently replied. "She doesn't think that way at all. She was hurt that you didn't say anything at first, but she understands that you didn't want to upset her. Believe me, she's happy for the two of you. Because things are so much better this way, aren't they?"
Touya looked up, his expression unreadable. "...Hai."
"But I still think it would be better if you talked to her about it, you know? Sakura's a lot more mature than you give her credit for. She accepts the two of you together, but she was a little embarrassed at first...she did like Yukito-san too, and picturing the two of you together in that way...anou...well..." He trailed off, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders.
Touya's eyebrow twitched. "Wakatta."
"How are things between the two of you now?" Syaoran suddenly asked.
The dark-haired man stiffened slightly. "Fine, if you must know...but it's really none of your business."
Syaoran nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, it's not. In the same way, I know you're concerned about Sakura because she's your imouto, but what we do together when we're alone is also none of your business." Touya opened his mouth to protest, but Syaoran forestalled him. "However, I do promise that I will never force myself on her or anything like that. I will never hurt her that way."
Touya still looked a bit uncertain, but slowly nodded agreement.
The younger boy suddenly grinned, holding out his own hand.
"Truce."
"...And that's about it," Syaoran concluded. He looked over at his girlfriend, who was being rather silent.
"Hey," he gently nudged her. "What's wrong?"
She met his gaze, the expression in her eyes wavering between amused delight and irritated exasperation. "Mou," she said, shaking her head so that her braid moved from side to side, "I can't believe the two of you!"
"Naze?" Syaoran asked in an injured tone.
"Men," Sakura sighed. "Onii-chan had to ask you questions like that, hadn't he?" However, her eyes were shining. "But I do assume you meant all that you told him, ne, love?"
Syaoran squeezed her hand tightly. "Kitto."
Sakura shot him a sunny smile. "Ne-e, I guess this means I don't have to sneak back at unearthly hours in the morning when I go to your place anymore!" Syaoran snickered, making no comment.
"Anyway," the green-eyed girl sighed, exhaling hard enough to ruffle her bangs, "I hope he'll be able to talk to me now."
Syaoran glanced at her. "About Yukito-san?"
"Un." She sighed again, and he slipped his arm around her waist in a comforting gesture.
"You know Touya didn't mean to hide it from you."
"Sou ka. He meant well. But I do wish he wouldn't treat me like I'm still ten years old sometimes."
"In his mind, he doesn't see you as a child," her boyfriend said calmly. "He just needs to convince his heart of that."
They were standing at the front door of Sakura's house, and Syaoran was just about to kiss her when the large panel of oak suddenly flew open.
Touya stood in the doorway, one eyebrow twitching as he stared down at them. Syaoran stared back at him, and Sakura's cheeks turned slightly pink-- it was all too reminiscent of another incident that had happened a few weeks ago. She tensed unconsciously, half-expecting the usual barrage of insults to fly.
Her brother's mouth quirked up at the corners.
"You two are hopeless," he snorted. But if his words were tart, his tone was not, and Sakura had to hide a smile.
Syaoran shook his head. "Did you know you have really lousy timing?"
Touya stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Come to think of it..."
It was Syaoran's turn to snort, and he settled for pulling Sakura into a light hug. "See you later," he whispered in her ear, and turned to walk back.
As his figure receded down the road, Sakura turned to her brother with a grin. "I take it you two...resolved your differences, ne?"
"Hn. Baka kaijuu."
"Urusei," she snapped, stamping on his left foot. Touya let out an undignified squawk and shot her his best glare while hopping on his other foot.
"Will you never grow up?!"
"NANI?"
And as the sounds of their quarrelling floated on the still morning air to Syaoran's ears, he smiled.
The barriers were finally broken, once and for all.
Index of Japanese words/translations:
Wakatta--I understand
Kitto--definitely; surely
Urusei--shut up
Baka kaijuu--stupid monster
He barely heard the doorbell ring through a peal of thunder.
Setting down his book, Syaoran opened the door on a girl. A wet, shivering girl who did not look too happy. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"What have you been doing, Sakura? Oh, come in first...I'll hear the sad story later."
Kinomoto Sakura grimaced at him, but quickly stepped inside with a sigh of relief. A small grin touched Syaoran's face as he shut the door and went into his room. When he came out again, he had a towel in hand, which he tossed to Sakura. "Arigatou," she smiled.
But as she toweled her hair dry, it was impossible for Syaoran not to notice the way her damp dress molded itself to her body. Or its slight...transparency. A blush manifested on his face, but there was also a definite glint in his eye.
Sakura stopped toweling, eyeing him curiously. "Something wrong?"
"Um, no," he calmly said, averting her gaze. "I think I'd better lend you something to change into." Ducking back into his bedroom, he did not reappear for a while.
Sakura stared at the doorway to his room in bewilderment. Then she looked down at herself, and a dark blush spread across her face. "Oh," she mumbled.
Syaoran finally re-emerged, holding a neatly folded shirt and jeans. Sakura meekly took the clothes without comment, but her dark-green eyes gleamed. A faint smile curved Syaoran's lips as she headed for the bathroom.
That smile turned to a blush when she came out again.
"Sakura...?" he choked. "Didn't I give you jeans to change into as well?" The green-eyed girl was only wearing the shirt, exposing quite a length of her slender legs. Syaoran tried his best not to stare, but gave it up as he realized that he was already staring.
Sakura looked at him innocently - far too innocently. "They were too long," she sweetly replied, handing the jeans back to him. Syaoran seriously doubted that, since one look told him that the garment had not even been unfolded. He considered pointing that out, but the firm look in her eyes told him that she was going to have her way in the matter of dressing no matter what objections he had.
And really, did he even mind? Somehow, he managed to stop himself from blushing at that thought.
"Fine, then." His tone was bland, but the glint in his eyes brightened, and a light red tinted Sakura's cheeks as she noticed it.
Seating herself beside him on the couch, she snuggled up to him with a contented sigh. Syaoran slipped one arm around her, and she rested her head against his chest, auburn ponytail spilling onto his lap.
"So?" he softly murmured, stroking her hair. "What brought you here in the middle of a thunderstorm?"
Sakura groaned slightly, the sound rather muffled by her face being pressed into his shirt. "I wasn't even expecting to come here, really. I went to that movie with Tomoyo-chan and the others...and then we went for dinner...and then we took a walk...Tomoyo-tachi headed for home..."
"Then it started to rain," he finished. Sakura sighed. "Hai. Anyway, your place just happened to be near, so I thought I'd, uh, beg shelter." She grinned at him, and he shook his head.
"And just how long were you counting on me to 'give you shelter'?" he enquired.
Sakura raised her head from his chest to look at him, her emerald orbs very wide and limpid. "The whole night?"
"I see." Syaoran's voice was low, but there was more than a hint of laughter in it. "And what makes you so sure I'll agree?"
Staring into his eyes, Sakura let a smile slowly curve her lips as she toyed with a button on his shirt. "Ne, Syaoran...because you love me, right?"
A bubble of laughter escaped Syaoran at this, despite his best efforts to hold it back.
"Koishii," he whispered, "I do love you, but that's no reason why I should let you sleep the night over. Any other excuses?"
"Because you can't throw a poor helpless girl into a thunderstorm with no defenses?" She looked wide-eyed at him, and he bit down another bubble of mirth rising in his throat.
"Sakura, have you ever heard of this object called an umbrella? I've got two in my room." She pouted at this, wrinkling her nose, and it was impossible for him to keep from chuckling. "Mou! Syaoran!"
"Gomen," he apologized, his voice suddenly turning serious. "Sakura- koishii...you ought to know by now that I would never turn you away." He pressed his forehead against hers, tightening his hold on her.
Sakura flushed slightly, her eyes shining with pleasure. "Honto? What makes you so sure of-" Syaoran effectively silenced her by capturing her lips in a deep kiss. She gave a soft sigh of pleasure, twining her arms around his neck, and he pulled her closer to him in response.
No words were spoken for quite a length of time.
Syaoran finally brought the kiss to a closure, albeit rather unwillingly. "Are you convinced?" he asked huskily, one finger tracing the delicate curves of her mouth. She flushed again, her silence more eloquent than any words.
Unwinding her arms from his neck, Sakura rested them by her sides. "To tell you the truth, Syaoran...I hope 'Nii-chan won't find out about this."
A grin flashed across the amber-eyed boy's face. "Why?"
"Oh, you know! Remember when he first caught you kissing me? You were lucky Yukito-san was there to prevent him from strangling you then. I shudder to think what he'll do to you if he knows I'm sleeping over at your place tonight."
The grin grew wider. "Why would he mind?"
Sakura turned crimson. "Well...he-he! He's afraid that we might end up doing...things we shouldn't be doing."
The grin escaped being a smirk by the merest of fractions. "What things?"
"MOU! You know...things!" She failed to find any words to describe exactly what those 'things' were, blushing even more furiously than before.
Syaoran chuckled, shaking his head. "Koishii...you are adorable, you know that? Oh, stop blushing!" He tapped her nose gently. "I do know what...things your Onii-chan are so afraid we might end up doing, and I confess I would like to do them..." his gaze swept over her lazily, resting on the exposed length of her legs, and Sakura reddened still further, "but I won't. Neither he or you have to worry on that score."
Sakura averted his gaze, willing the hot flush in her cheeks to cool. Syaoran cupped her chin in one hand, turning her face to his own. "Sakura, don't worry about Touya. We...talked, the other day," Syaoran bit back a grin at the memory of that particular conversation, "and I think we understand each other a little better now. If we couldn't be called best friends yet, it's still a start. So take that worried look off your face, ne?"
A smile blossomed on Sakura's face. "You did?" Oh, Syaoran. He nodded.
"Arigatou," she gratefully said, pressing her face into his neck. "You don't know how much that means to me."
But I do, Syaoran thought, dropping a light kiss onto the top of her head. Why would I have done it if I didn't?
"Ne. What exactly did you two talk about, anyway?" She looked at him expectantly.
Syaoran coughed, his gaze suddenly everywhere but on her. "Uh...it was...guy stuff. Yeah."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "And the sun rose in the west this morning. You expect me to believe that?"
"Why wouldn't you?" he asked with a straight face. A large sweat drop made its way down Sakura's head.
"Syaoran cut it out! Why can't you just tell me?"
The boy fidgeted uncomfortably. "I'm not sure whether Touya would like it..." he muttered.
"Since when did you become so concerned about what 'Nii-chan would or wouldn't like? I'd like it!" She stared at him pleadingly; her eyes wide, and he knew he was lost.
Syaoran sighed, a tad ruefully.
"Fine...fine. But not now, ok? Tomorrow. I promise."
"Why not right now?" she asked in exasperation.
"You wouldn't be able to go to sleep after you heard it," he said darkly. Sakura stared at him, wondering whether it was a good decision to hit him. However, he kept his mouth stubbornly clamped shut, and she knew she would have better luck getting a fish to fly than asking him to say more. She sighed too, resigning herself to wait until tomorrow.
A thought struck her. "Tomorrow? Syaoran, I'm leaving first thing in the morning."
He stared at her, pretending to be hurt. "So soon? Didn't know I repulsed you that much."
"Baka." She gently tugged on his ear. "I want to stay, but I need to get back before 'Nii-chan finds out."
"You mean, sneak back into the house at first light? Why bother? You can't even get up early by yourself, remember?"
Sakura ignored the latter part of his sentence, shooting him a sidelong glance. "You could help out me there, you know."
"What do you want me to do-kiss you awake? Not that I wouldn't enjoy that, of course." He raised one eyebrow suggestively, and she blushed, hitting him on his arm. "Shut up."
"Actually, I could wake you up early," Syaoran offered. "With my alarm clock," he hastily added as she glared at him. "Plus I'll also, uh, escort you back to your home. But," his voice lowering a few notches, "there would have to be...payment of a sort. After all, you're going to be depriving me of my much-needed rest."
Sakura snorted. "You mean your beauty sleep, Princess Wolf?"
"HEY!" he protested, causing Sakura to dissolve into giggles. "One more crack like that and I desert!"
"Gomen, gomen...so, what sort of 'payment' were you thinking of, hmm?" She eyed him suspiciously.
"Oh, nothing much," he innocently replied. "If you'd just spend the whole of tomorrow afternoon and Sunday with me, it would be enough."
She playfully shook her head at him. "You drive a hard bargain."
"After taking you in tonight and agreeing to help you sneak back into your house at dawn tomorrow, wouldn't you say that it's the least I deserve?"
Sakura sighed mock-resignedly. "Hai, hai, Syaoran-sama. All right, I agree. You happy now?"
He winked at her. "Perfectly. And since you addressed me as -sama just now, does that mean I can ask you to be my slave while I'm at it?"
She hit him again. "Don't push your luck, buster." But her eyes were laughing, and Syaoran smiled ruefully. Guess I deserved that.
Sakura suddenly yawned, much to the surprise of both of them. "Gomen ne," she apologized, looking slightly embarrassed. "I had a long day, I guess."
Syaoran's eyes softened as he looked at her. "Then...we'd better get you to bed, hadn't we?"
"You're coming too, aren't you?" Sakura gasped as she spoke the words aloud, covering her mind with her mouth. Pink flooded her cheeks, and Syaoran had to laugh.
"Gomen!" she wailed. "I really wasn't thinking!"
"Oh, Sakura, Sakura...maybe you're right, and it is for the best that Touya doesn't find out about this. I'm sure he would go into cardiac arrest to hear you being so...forward." She shoved her elbow into his ribs none too gently, and he winced. "See what I mean? Although," he continued, a devilish glitter in his eye, "it suits you. And for being so adorable, rest assured I won't hold it against you." He grinned mischievously.
The pink color deepened noticeably. "If you could haul your mind out of the gutter for a second, you'd see what I really meant by that." The words were tart, but her tone was not, and Syaoran hid a smile.
"Koishii...I do." He nuzzled Sakura's ear, sending a pleasurable shiver down her spine.
"So you are coming, ne?" Her voice dropped to a whisper, dark-green orbs never leaving his.
"...Of course I am." He gently brushed his lips against hers, and Sakura sighed, content.
Reaching behind her head, Syaoran deftly unfastened the clip that held her hair in its ponytail. Long, silky auburn tresses fell loose, and Sakura stared.
"You don't go to sleep with your hair tied up, do you?" He cocked an eyebrow at her, and Sakura smiled. "Iie."
He suddenly gathered her in his arms and stood up, all in one smooth motion. Sakura gaped openly at him. "Syaoran?" she squeaked.
"You're tired...I should make myself of service." His amber-brown eyes glinted meaningfully, and a sound somewhere between a giggle and another yawn escaped Sakura. He carried her into his room, gently depositing her on the bed, and turned to switch off the light before joining her.
"Aishiteru," she sleepily murmured, loosely wrapping her arms around his waist.
Syaoran kissed her forehead. "I love you too," he softly whispered. Quiet breathing answered him; Sakura was already asleep. A gentle smile crossed the boy's face.
Pulling his precious bundle closely against him, he too closed his eyes.
"Oyasumi...Sakura-koishii."
Index of Japanese words/translations:
Koishii--beloved ()
Mou--something very much like 'Geez!'
Honto--really
Aishiteru--I love you (pretty obvious, really )
Oyasumi (nasai)--good night
Breaking Barriers
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----
Sakura's eyes flew open in the dim morning light.
Turning her head slightly, she observed the luminous hands of the alarm clock. 6.00 a.m.; it was a whole half-hour before the alarm would sound. A small, satisfied smile curved her lips, one that grew bigger as the warm body lying beside her merely stirred, murmuring something incomprehensible.
So he didn't think I could wake up by myself, did he? Carefully hauling herself up into a sitting position, she eyed the sleeping Syaoran half- fondly, half-exasperatedly.
When will he learn not to underestimate me? Sakura studied him, her gaze softening.
He looked different when he was asleep, she mused. The tense reserve and slight wariness perpetually present in his face except when she was with him had disappeared. With a faint ray of light falling across him, he looked so peaceful, even...innocent, she thought. Like a little boy who had not gone through all that he had in his own childhood. A curious lump rose in her throat, the look in her eyes infinitely tender.
She ran a slim hand through his thick mop of dark chestnut hair, enjoying its silky-rough feel on her fingers. Sometimes it was a little hard to believe how far they had come since the days of capturing Clow Cards. After all, Syaoran had been telling her he would never acknowledge her as a fighting partner on a regular basis then, and look where they were now! Sakura did not bother to hide a wicked grin. You really could not trust words sometimes. Stifling a yawn, she stretched herself, not without a slight wince for the sound of popping joints...
...when she suddenly felt eyes watching her.
Putting on her sweetest smile, she turned to face Syaoran, who was watching her in sleepy astonishment.
"Ohayou. Enjoyed your beauty sleep, Princess?"
"I'll get you for that later," he mumbled. "What are you doing up so early? And how the hell did you do it?"
She whacked the top of his head. "You keep quiet. I'm capable of a lot more than you think." A muffled snort of laughter sounded, and she frowned at him.
He pulled himself up beside her, his amber-brown eyes twinkling. "Ah sou, gomen gomen...I had no idea. Then again, I never knew you were capable of going around in nothing but my shirt until last night, did I?"
Sakura crimsoned, firmly pushing his head down.
"Yeow! Fine, I'm sorry! Let me up!"
"Honto baka ne." She glared at him, her arms crossed over her chest. But the meaning stare he gave her made it impossible to hold the glare. If anything, it only made her blush harder.
"Sakura, there's something I don't understand. Since it was purely your decision to wear that shirt, why are you blushing so much?"
The Clow Mistress reminded herself that she really did not want to give her beloved a black eye, no matter how much he was asking for it. "Syaoran," she muttered through gritted teeth, "as much as I love you, you are going to be one very sorry wolf if you don't shut up now." He chuckled infuriatingly, and she buried her fist in the sheets to prevent it from 'accidentally' swinging up.
But suddenly, his face was very close to hers, and all thoughts of hitting him melted away like butter in the sun at the glitter in his eyes. The brown hue in them darkened, and she swallowed with some difficulty, her heart starting to pound faster.
"Then I'll have to think of something to prevent you from...hurting me, won't I?" Syaoran whispered. Nuzzling her cheek, he gently nipped her earlobe.
It was all but impossible for Sakura to focus her thoughts with the shivers he was causing running rampant through her. "If you...keep this up," she managed to get out, "I don't think you'll have to worry about that..."
"Really?" he murmured, sliding his arms around her slender waist. "But in any case, koishii, I was going to continue anyway."
He pulled her down to the bed, and nothing more was said...or at least, not until the loud shrilling of the alarm clock reminded them that it was time for them to get moving.
Later, they had left Syaoran's apartment and were walking back to Sakura's house. It wasn't too far a distance, but Sakura was anxious to get back before her brother's everyday morning run.
It was very nice, just the two of them walking together like this. The streets were bathed in pale morning light, the quiet broken only by the chirping of sundry birds and a few vehicles out on the roads. A playful breeze blew Sakura's long bangs across her face, making her glad that she had put her hair into a braid just now.
Suddenly remembering the preceding night, she tugged on Syaoran's hand in hers, and he cocked a quizzical brow at her.
"Yes?"
"Shouldn't you keep your promise now?"
He looked honestly confused. "What promise?"
She sighed. "Mou...you said you were going to tell me about your talk with 'Nii-chan the other day! Ne?"
Syaoran's mouth twisted. "Oh," he unenthusiastically replied.
"Onegai? I really do want to hear about it," she pleaded.
His eyes softened as he looked at her, and he sighed.
"All right, all right. I suppose there's no harm in telling you. Anyway," he continued dryly, "I suspect I'd have found myself speaking of it even if you hadn't brought the topic up last night. Being around you makes me prone to babble." Sakura let out a delighted giggle, and he shot her a rueful smile.
They continued walking, Syaoran beginning to recount the incident
"You went to that book fair with your father last Saturday, didn't you? Well..."
He looked at the large, oak-paneled door in front of him, and swallowed hard, wishing he could kick himself. What the hell was he doing here? Here, at the Kinomoto residence, to see Kinomoto Touya of all people?
He half-turned, taking a step away from the door, but clenched his fist abruptly. NO!
He might be a lot of things, but he wasn't someone who broke a promise he had made to himself...to the only person who had his heart.
Even if she was utterly unaware of that promise.
Syaoran vividly remembered the last time Sakura had brought up the subject of Touya. Then, he had been completely appalled by her tentative hint that they could be friends. "US?! Friends?" Cows might fly first!" Despite all her coaxing, he had flatly refused to give it even a try.
Her disappointed face still haunted him even now. "I should have known," she had sadly said before she left, twisting his heart in his chest.
He hated her to be sad. Seeing that look on her lovely face, she could have shot him and he would have died happy. And not only had she been sad, but disappointed as well. It was impossible for him to bear that. That was how, making an extremely large sacrifice (in his opinion), he now found himself standing outside her door to speak to Touya.
Syaoran hadn't the foggiest idea what to say or do...all he knew was that he would, at the very least, try being civil to the man. Anything to stop his conscience from perpetually throwing that sweet disappointed face to torment him.
Darn it, how does she make me do this with just one sad face? He shook his head in genuine amazement.
This was for her. For Sakura.
And for himself. He could not deny that being on good terms with Touya-- however remote the chance of that seemed--would definitely make life easier for all of them. I guess I can count myself lucky that her Otou-san doesn't hate me too, he wryly thought.
Syaoran took a deep breath, and pressed the bell.
Kinomoto Touya stared at the figure standing outside the door, wondering if it was real. He blinked twice, rubbing his eyes.
The figure never disappeared.
"Are?" he mumbled.
Li Syaoran made an irritated sound, jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "You aren't dreaming!" he snapped. Touya blinked again, and then his customary scowl of greeting immediately spread over his face. He fixed his dark-blue eyes on the shorter boy, the scowl growing bigger.
Syaoran grimaced back with a will. Guess what time it was, folks?
Uh-huh. You guessed it. Time for GGC, otherwise known as the Great Glaring Contest. This particular round lasted a whole fifteen minutes, earning them a great number of puzzled stares from people who saw them. Well, it wasn't everyday you saw two good-looking men standing on a doorstep staring daggers at each other, was it?
A few good citizens were so interested that they offered their views on the sight.
A mild-looking old lady asked as she saw them. "Rivals in love?" she whispered to her companion.
It was not soft enough to prevent Touya and Syaoran from hearing, though. Their mouths twitched wildly, but they kept the staring up.
The other elderly personage smiled knowingly. "Ah, the fighting spirit in today's young men runs high, doesn't it?" They tittered as they walked past, giving Syaoran and Touya a last parting glance.
The aforementioned pair of 'rivals' had the grace to blush when the old ladies were out of sight, abruptly breaking off their stares.
"Your fault, baka yaro," Touya muttered.
Syaoran spluttered indignantly. "NANI?! You started it...like you always do!"
"No, you caused it! You showed up at the door!"
Syaoran tripped on a step, almost falling flat on his face. "Teme..." he growled.
Touya snorted. "Hn."
"Well," he said in a most unwelcome tone, "what the hell are you doing here? Don't you know Sakura's gone out with 'Tou-chan?"
All too well, Syaoran mentally bit out, all too well. Someone please tell me how Sakura made me do this with one sad face? I'm defenceless enough as it is.
"Oi! I'm askin' you a question, wolf-boy!"
That got his attention. "I do know that, " he stiffly replied.
Touya raised an eyebrow. "Then what in blazes have you come over for? Of course, if you've come to ask me to tell my imouto you're breaking up with her, I'll be more than happy to help you out."
Through sheer strength of will, Syaoran managed to keep himself from throttling the smirking man--just barely. "Do NOT push me too far, kisama," he growled, "or you won't get to hear Sakura call you 'Nii-chan again. I came here to see you. Understand me?"
That flat statement knocked every last bit of wind out of Touya's sails.
He pinched himself.
He felt his forehead.
He gaped.
"WHAT did you say?" he squeaked. Actually squeaked. Syaoran was torn between wanting to laugh at him or hit him, but finally decided that neither was a good option. Exhaling deeply, he took firm hold of the stunned man's sleeve and hauled him into the house, shutting the door after them.
Once inside, Touya shook himself free, staring incredulously at the amber- eyed boy. "You're joking, aren't you?"
Syaoran eyed him in barely contained exasperation. "Do you think I am?"
"..." Touya ran a hand through his hair.
"All right, you're not," he finally ground out. "But what the hell do you want to see ME for?!"
"It's about Sakura."
Touya's mouth dropped open for a second time. "Sakura? What the...why do you want to see me about her?" Then his face grew serious. "Matte--did something happen to her?"
A very faint smile appeared on Syaoran's face. It doesn't matter if she's 10 or 17...he'll always be protective. "No, no. She's fine."
"Then what is it?" Touya snapped. "Get to the point!"
Syaoran braced himself. "To be more precise, you could say it's about the state of our...our..." he frantically hunted for a word, "our relationship!" He mentally hit himself, realising too late how idiotic that particular word choice sounded.
Touya stared at him as if he had grown fangs and had purple spots all over him.
"Excuse me?" he asked flatly. Very flatly.
Syaoran gulped. "Let me rephrase that. It's about...about the way we treat each other." If it still sounds dumb, at least it's better.
I hope.
"Oh," Touya replied. His voice was no less flat. "Care to go into detail?"
The Cantonese boy sent up a silent prayer to his ancestors before replying.
"Well...you know what it's like when the two of us meet."
"No, I don't," the taller man coolly retorted. "Explain yourself, Li."
Syaoran felt like giving him a good hard kick, but restrained himself and spoke again. "We're always glaring at each other..."
"Aa? You always start it."
The chestnut-haired boy's mouth twitched, but he continued. "We can seldom have a civil conversation..."
"Ara, you're the one who always shoots his mouth off!"
Syaoran gritted his teeth and doggedly finished, though it was an effort. "...And it's making your sister unhappy. I don't like seeing her unhappy. So I came to see you to...to see if...something could be done about it."
Touya had opened his mouth to make another cutting remark, but it never came out. He snapped his jaw shut, and cocked his head to one side, eyeing the shorter boy thoughtfully. Syaoran shifted his feet, feeling hot and bothered, but distinctly more comfortable now that he had made his point.
Lord only knows how he took it...
Kinomoto Touya eyed the amber-eyed boy standing before him, feeling somewhat startled. So that was the reason why he had come to see him.
He would never have expected it...not from him. Not from the boy he always saw as a confusing little brat, no matter what his age or how much Sakura loved him.
Yes, loved him. He was far from blind--he knew. He didn't like it, but he would never think of breaking them apart, even if he might wish it sometimes. Touya had felt their auras when they were together--a bond that strong should never be tampered with. And he would never dream of hurting his little sister so.
Well, Touya grudgingly conceded to himself, maybe the kid did have his good points. He rather doubted how much Syaoran really felt for his sister--it had always been a constant source of worry, but the boy had come to look him up just because he hadn't wanted to see Sakura upset. Touya had a feeling that if their places had been reversed, he would have more likely than not tried to brush it off and forget it. Thus, this demanded approval, albeit very reluctant approval.
Maybe...he's not so bad after all.
Touya gave a decisive nod. All right then. Who could tell? Maybe some good would actually come of his doing this.
A wide grin suddenly split his face in two, and he reached out to slap Syaoran on the back a little harder than would have been strictly necessary. The younger boy gasped, glaring daggers at him.
"Nanda--!"
"Temper, temper!" Touya admonished, holding up a reproving finger. "Unless I remember wrongly, you were the one who wanted to talk. And since I'm in a relatively good mood today, I'll be Mr. Nice Guy and oblige you. Ne? Shall we proceed?"
Syaoran's mouth fell open, and Touya inwardly snickered. He considered commenting on it, but decided not to--after all, his own jaw had been hanging open just now. Instead, he put out a hand and unceremoniously shoved the other boy's lower jaw back into place none too gently.
Syaoran blinked, glaring at him again.
Touya raised an eyebrow.
"You should watch it," he calmly said. "Bugs, you know."
Before a very long time had passed, the two of them were seated on opposite sides of the couch, the fragrance of the English tea Touya had made permeating the air from two steaming cups on the coffee table.
Touya carefully took a sip from his cup, looking at his companion expectantly.
Syaoran noticed at once. "Aa?"
Touya set his cup down, folding his arms across his chest. "Well, what do you want to talk about?"
For a whole minute Syaoran stared at him, unmoving. Then his whole form suddenly convulsed in silent laughter, and it was Touya's turn to stare.
"What's so funny?"
Syaoran shook his head, fighting his amusement down. "Nothing...it's just that I never in a million YEARS expected to find myself drinking tea in your house, with you of all people asking me what I wanted to talk about..." He shook his head again, his voice trailing off.
Touya eyed him for a moment...and then the humour of their present situation hit him. A chuckle escaped his throat, and as if that sound had been a trigger, Syaoran finally gave voice to his own laughter too.
It was some time before they could finally sober down, and then Syaoran unluckily happened to catch Touya's eye. The two of them dissolved into helpless mirth again.
"Next time, Li," Touya mock-growled after they had managed to stop their laughter, "keep your smart mouth shut when you think of something like that."
"Why?" came the other's retort.
"Granted, it was terribly enlightening, but I don't think my stomach can take it." Touya gingerly rubbed the sore portion of his body. "Itai..."
Syaoran snorted, but there was a faint twinkle in his eye.
"Sa...can we be serious now?"
Touya took a mouthful of tea before speaking again.
"There's something I want to ask you, Syaoran. I think I have an idea of how you'll answer me, but I still want to hear it from your own mouth." The dark-blue eyes looking straight at him were suddenly intent, all traces of the former amusement they had held gone.
"Go ahead," Syaoran told him, though inside he was feeling slightly nervous. In all the time they had known each other, Touya had never spoken to him so seriously before. What...
"How much do you love Sakura? And why do you love her?"
The Cantonese boy was more than a little taken aback.
He was silent for a while, chestnut head bowed slightly in thought, and then he looked up and met Touya's blue gaze unwaveringly.
"I love Sakura more than anything in this world, for the simple reason that she is the best thing that ever happened to me. She brought warmth into my life with her smiles and laughter; she filled the void inside me. She understands me like no one else ever could, and she loves me for who I really am. Even when I hurt her by mistake, she could find it in her to forgive me." He paused to take a sip of tea, amber orbs clouded.
"She doesn't care about my past, doesn't care what I might have done before. As long as she knows I love her, it's enough for her. I love her for all those reasons and more." His lips quirked slightly, his amber-brown eyes suddenly very soft.
Touya quietly studied the boy before him, his brow slightly furrowed. He was sure he had not imagined the dark undertones that had momentarily appeared in the other's voice as he had spoken of hurting Sakura by mistake, and he wondered what exactly had happened. Almost, he felt like grabbing Syaoran by his shoulders and demanding to be told the truth, but instinct told him he would be smart not to.
No matter how much he might call Sakura a 'kaijuu', that particular kaijuu was bordering on 18. As Yuki had once said, he should know when to leave well alone. His little sister was almost an adult, and though it was a little hard to admit, she could handle her own affairs well enough.
Syaoran's voice had been quiet, but all the more eloquent for that. There had been no mistaking how he really felt on that score. He read people well, and had seen how much emotion the boy's words had held.
A small smile hovered on his lips. He didn't think he had cause to worry now...but there was still one thing more he wanted to know.
"That being so...what would you be willing to do for her?"
Once again, Syaoran met his gaze squarely.
"Anything. Everything. Giving up my life included."
Touya's eyes flicked sharply over him, and then he nodded, once. The slight tension abruptly drained from the other boy's face, and he sat back, taking another sip of tea.
"Sa!" Touya said decisively. "You pass this first round, then."
Syaoran eyed him suspiciously. "What first round?"
"The first round of your test, of course."
"WHAT test?!"
"Why, the test to allow me to confirm whether you've really grown from a funny little brat to someone I can trust my sister with." Touya shot an innocent look at Syaoran, who could distinctly be heard grinding his teeth.
"Touya..." he growled menacingly.
"Don't worry, I'll be merciful and make it the last round," the dark-haired man calmly said, ignoring him. "You up to it?" he inquired, cocking an eyebrow at the younger boy.
Syaoran shot him his Ultra-Patented Glare of Death?, but finally nodded.
Inwardly, Touya grinned. This should be...interesting, at the very least.
"What's your opinion of me?"
For the second time that day, Syaoran's jaw dropped.
"W-H-A-T?!"
"Ara...did I mention you have to say why, too?" Touya added as an afterthought.
Syaoran sputtered incoherently. He closed his mouth, opened and closed it again.
"Oi," Touya mildly protested. "Don't go into goldfish mode on me now. I promise I won't throw you out of the house too hard if I don't like your answer." --which nearly made Syaoran choke on the tea he had gulped in an effort to calm himself.
"You aren't being serious," he managed to say through a spate of coughing.
"Why not? I must confess I really would rather like to know what the opinion of the kid who's hated me for a long time really is."
Syaoran shot him a sour look at being called 'kid', but his face grew thoughtful almost as quickly.
"I...don't think I ever hated you, really. Sure, I disliked you, especially when you'd do things like sic those Dobermans your friend asked you to look after on me when you caught me kissing Sakura that day--" he gave Touya a Look which the dark-haired man returned innocently. "--but no, I can't say it went to the extent of hate."
"I suppose it's a matter of old habits dying hard, y'know? I was having staring matches with you since fourth grade, and we continued having them all the way up until now. And of course, insults and the like followed. I guess I was just too used to acting that way where you were concerned, and laid it on thicker when you didn't hesitate in showing me that you didn't approve of Sakura being my girlfriend." --here he shot Touya another significant look.
"Oi, don't look at me like that!" Touya protested. "You didn't have to kiss Sakura at the very minute I opened the door!"
"It wasn't on purpose!" Syaoran snapped. "How were we to know you'd come back from that trip to Shinjuku a day earlier than you were supposed to?"
Touya sweatdropped. "True..." he reluctantly conceded.
"Darn straight," the chestnut-haired boy grumbled.
"Anyway," he continued, "I got really pissed off by your actions sometimes, but I did understand that you were worried about Sakura. So I didn't blame you...too much. I know you love her."
The smile curving Touya's face was faint, but it was there.
"Conclusion?"
"That I have no idea what my opinion of you is, since I haven't had any chance to really get to know you. I just think...that maybe you're not as intolerable as you sometimes seem. Maybe you aren't the overprotective egoist you appear to be." Syaoran instinctively tensed, ready for Touya to explode.
He certainly wasn't expecting Sakura's brother to let out a soft chuckle.
"Nani?" he muttered.
The older man was smirking.
"And I think maybe you aren't such a brat after all, wolf-boy. Maybe you aren't the immature smart-mouth you appear to be."
"Why you--" Syaoran sat bolt upright, but stopped as he saw the teasing gleam in Touya's deep-blue eyes.
Slowly, a smile crossed his face.
"I guess we both aren't what we seem to be, ne?"
"Sou," Touya confirmed. "Maybe it's time to be who we really are."
Syaoran's mouth quirked. "Way past time."
Touya's smirk broadened as he held out a hand. "Truce?"
Syaoran cocked his head to one side, eyeing the outstretched hand mistrustfully.
"No more scowling at me like you want a car to run me down when I come over to pick Sakura up?"
"...Yes."
"No more 'accidental', 'unintended' sic-ing of Dobermans or things of the like on me?"
Touya pulled a face, but nodded. "Yes."
"No more going ballistic and threatening to call the police if Sakura stays over at my place?"
"Now wait a minute...WHAT exactly do you two do when she goes over to your place?" Touya glared at him.
Syaoran raised both eyebrows at him. "What do you think we do?"
"That isn't answering my question."
Syaoran sighed in exasperation. "We do what any normal couple would do, baka. We talk; we do stuff like cooking together. Happy?"
"No big making out sessions?"
Syaoran choked, going extremely red.
"That--is--PRIVATE, kisama," he spluttered.
"Hn." Touya looked at him suspiciously, and the chestnut-haired boy reached the limit of his endurance.
"Well, what do you want us to do?! What do you and Yukito-san do when you go to his house?"
Surprisingly, Touya paled.
"What the--you--HOW did you..."
Syaoran snorted derisively. "Touya, I'm not blind. I used to like Yukito- san, even if that's ancient history now, and I've seen the way you look at him sometimes when you think nobody's watching."
Touya was silent, locking and unlocking his long fingers. Finally he spoke, and his voice was very quiet.
"Does...does Sakura know?"
Syaoran stared at him incredulously. "Of course she does. Hell, she's so much closer to you than I am--how could she not know?"
"And she...she isn't...she doesn't..."
The younger boy had a sudden flash of understanding.
"Iie," he gently replied. "She doesn't think that way at all. She was hurt that you didn't say anything at first, but she understands that you didn't want to upset her. Believe me, she's happy for the two of you. Because things are so much better this way, aren't they?"
Touya looked up, his expression unreadable. "...Hai."
"But I still think it would be better if you talked to her about it, you know? Sakura's a lot more mature than you give her credit for. She accepts the two of you together, but she was a little embarrassed at first...she did like Yukito-san too, and picturing the two of you together in that way...anou...well..." He trailed off, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders.
Touya's eyebrow twitched. "Wakatta."
"How are things between the two of you now?" Syaoran suddenly asked.
The dark-haired man stiffened slightly. "Fine, if you must know...but it's really none of your business."
Syaoran nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, it's not. In the same way, I know you're concerned about Sakura because she's your imouto, but what we do together when we're alone is also none of your business." Touya opened his mouth to protest, but Syaoran forestalled him. "However, I do promise that I will never force myself on her or anything like that. I will never hurt her that way."
Touya still looked a bit uncertain, but slowly nodded agreement.
The younger boy suddenly grinned, holding out his own hand.
"Truce."
"...And that's about it," Syaoran concluded. He looked over at his girlfriend, who was being rather silent.
"Hey," he gently nudged her. "What's wrong?"
She met his gaze, the expression in her eyes wavering between amused delight and irritated exasperation. "Mou," she said, shaking her head so that her braid moved from side to side, "I can't believe the two of you!"
"Naze?" Syaoran asked in an injured tone.
"Men," Sakura sighed. "Onii-chan had to ask you questions like that, hadn't he?" However, her eyes were shining. "But I do assume you meant all that you told him, ne, love?"
Syaoran squeezed her hand tightly. "Kitto."
Sakura shot him a sunny smile. "Ne-e, I guess this means I don't have to sneak back at unearthly hours in the morning when I go to your place anymore!" Syaoran snickered, making no comment.
"Anyway," the green-eyed girl sighed, exhaling hard enough to ruffle her bangs, "I hope he'll be able to talk to me now."
Syaoran glanced at her. "About Yukito-san?"
"Un." She sighed again, and he slipped his arm around her waist in a comforting gesture.
"You know Touya didn't mean to hide it from you."
"Sou ka. He meant well. But I do wish he wouldn't treat me like I'm still ten years old sometimes."
"In his mind, he doesn't see you as a child," her boyfriend said calmly. "He just needs to convince his heart of that."
They were standing at the front door of Sakura's house, and Syaoran was just about to kiss her when the large panel of oak suddenly flew open.
Touya stood in the doorway, one eyebrow twitching as he stared down at them. Syaoran stared back at him, and Sakura's cheeks turned slightly pink-- it was all too reminiscent of another incident that had happened a few weeks ago. She tensed unconsciously, half-expecting the usual barrage of insults to fly.
Her brother's mouth quirked up at the corners.
"You two are hopeless," he snorted. But if his words were tart, his tone was not, and Sakura had to hide a smile.
Syaoran shook his head. "Did you know you have really lousy timing?"
Touya stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Come to think of it..."
It was Syaoran's turn to snort, and he settled for pulling Sakura into a light hug. "See you later," he whispered in her ear, and turned to walk back.
As his figure receded down the road, Sakura turned to her brother with a grin. "I take it you two...resolved your differences, ne?"
"Hn. Baka kaijuu."
"Urusei," she snapped, stamping on his left foot. Touya let out an undignified squawk and shot her his best glare while hopping on his other foot.
"Will you never grow up?!"
"NANI?"
And as the sounds of their quarrelling floated on the still morning air to Syaoran's ears, he smiled.
The barriers were finally broken, once and for all.
Index of Japanese words/translations:
Wakatta--I understand
Kitto--definitely; surely
Urusei--shut up
Baka kaijuu--stupid monster