T.Anjel: =P~ Hello folks! Back for more? Great! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and we present to you….chapter FIVE!!!
C-Mage: Hello to everyone.... You're all so nice! *o* Sixty-nine whole reviews, and after only four chapters. That's, um, 17.25 per chapter. -.-' Here's a shout-out to Teeny-chan, who hasn't reviewed chapter four.... *glares at Teeny-chan* As for the rest of you.... *grins* You're so kakkoi! Wai!~
Disclaimer: Who owns CCS?! Not me…
Summary – Sakura brings a sick Syaoran back to his house, but only to find there is no one to care for him. So, what else is there to do than to take care of the stubborn teacher herself?
Learn to Love Me - Chapter 5 – Sakura's Nurse Mode
I unconsciously gnawed at my lower lip. What was I supposed to do? Li-san had totally passed out, and there was no way I was going to leave him home alone with a high fever. With a determined grunt, I took off Li-san's large shoes and placed them next to the front door, making sure to take mine off as well. There was no doubt about it; I was in "Nurse Sakura" mode. I would always take care of Onii-san or Otou-san whenever they got sick. Li-san shouldn't be much different.
I took a quick tour around the small apartment complex before heading back to Li-san's bedroom. He was breathing heavily, the thin blanket rising and falling back as he did. I took the cloth from his forehead and rinsed it off in a small basin of water.
"You've got quite the fever, Li-san," I murmured, dabbing at his face to wipe off the sweat. I gently wiped his neck and noticed his shirt was damp with sweat. "This is going to be difficult," I told myself. I searched through Li-san's closet to find a clean T-shirt. He didn't have a stuffed closet, but I was able to find a considerably large shirt that was decorated simply with dancing Disney characters. I couldn't help but smile at the prospect of seeing the stubborn teacher wearing it.
"Li-san," I said quietly. "You're going to have to help me out of your shirt, okay?"
He groaned and said something, but his words were slurred together, sounding like "Mmgsshusgh". "I'll take that as an 'okay'," I told him. "C'mon. Sit up," I said as if instructing a baby, bringing the sleeping man up to a sitting position on the bed. I heard him gurgle out another string of words, but they didn't make any sense to me than they had before. He was probably sleep talking. I grabbed the bottom of the shirt and tugged it over his head and arms.
Li-san definitely had a nice body. I couldn't help but blush and feel as if I was intruding somewhere I shouldn't have been. I hastily washed Li-san's back and chest with the small towel and helped him into the Disney shirt.
My face was probably as red as a tomato, but I only had the gods to thank for making sure Li-san didn't wake up to see me changing him. "You can lay back down, Li-san," I said, hoping he would hear me through his fever and dreams. He groaned again in response and flopped back onto the pillow I quickly covered with an extra towel.
I rinsed a small towel in the basin of water and squeezed out the excess in one motion. Placing the towel on the man's forehead, I couldn't resist smiling at how helpless he looked compared to the stoic expression he held during class.
I let out a sigh, contemplating on whether to stay and watch Li-san or to call a relative over. I decided to call a relative and went over to the kitchen where his phone was. Searching through his cabinets, I wasn't able to come across any phone book of any kind. "Does he not keep in touch with family members?" I pondered, but let the thought pass.
"I guess I'll have to stay," I said aloud and from the look of his house, there wasn't much to do. The man didn't even have a TV. And there was no way I was going to stay in my dress. I looked down to see the pink dress Tomoyo picked out from her closet, telling me there was no way I was going to the party without wearing it. I wondered if Li-san would mind if I wore any of his clothes. "Hoe…," I mumbled at the thought, but the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable the dress became.
Finally making up my mind, I tiptoed back into Li-san's room, feeling as if I shouldn't be there with the aim of ransacking his drawers for clothes. I knew it would take a miracle to wake Li-san up from his deep slumber, but I tried to make the least amount of noise as possible. "Gomen nasai, Li-san," I whispered frantically to the sleeping figure, hoping it would make up for the invasion of privacy.
I knelt down in front of a large, oak bureau and opened the lowest drawer. It contained neatly folded pants, and it didn't take me long to find a pair of sweats lying on top. I cautiously took out the dark green pants, smelling of fresh laundry, and peered into the next drawer. Most fortunately, it contained the same; neatly arranged clothes, but they were sweaters this time.
With much care, I pulled out the top sweater, which was white with bold letters reading "BOO" across the top. I shut the dresser quietly and sneaked out of the room, the feeling of invasion still pounding in my head.
After shutting Li-san's door, I quickly changed into his clothes in the bathroom and immediately noticed that they were a few sizes too big. The legs of the pants pooled at my feet, and the sweater went way past my hands and almost reached my knees. I suddenly felt like a little kid again. Not wanting to search for anything smaller, which I doubted Li-san had, I took my dress and neatly hung it over the living room couch so as not to wrinkle it.
"Li-san should probably eat something," I suddenly decided and headed to his small kitchen. I was definitely on familiar turf as I flung open the refrigerator door and scanned the full shelves packed with chocolate, yogurt, fruit, and a little meat. I quickly flipped through all the cabinets and drawers, barely finding any kind of spices or even bowls and dishes.
With a determined grunt, I clumsily rolled up the large sleeves, having them bunch uncomfortably at my elbows. I opened the fridge again and took out the necessary items to cook up a decent soup.
To me, cooking was like a sixth sense and didn't require me to concentrate on what I was doing. My mind trailed off as I chopped the vegetables and stirred the thin soup. Li-san must be real lonely living all by himself, I thought, thinking about the sick man lying in bed. I wonder if he has any friends. Baka, I chided myself. Of course Li-san would have friends.
After deciding that the soup was done, I let it sit for a minute to cool while I searched the house for medicine. I managed to find a small medicine box stashed in the corner of the bathroom closet and took out a small bottle of Tylenol. Taking it back to the kitchen with me, I put the medicine, a bowl of soup, a glass of water, and a spoon on a cracked tray I had found.
Carefully balancing the contents of the tray in one hand, I used the other to quietly open the door. I set the tray down on a small bedside table, placing the basin of water that was previously sitting on it on the floor. I took the towel from Li-san's forehead and dunked it in the basin of water.
"Gomen nasai, Li-san," I whispered, hoping it was enough to wake him up. It wasn't, so I gently nudged him. "I don't want to wake you, but you're going to have to eat something and take medicine."
Li-san groaned out a groggy protest, but it was enough of a sign to me saying that he was basically awake. "Can you sit up for me?" I asked, leaving no room for arguments. I helped Li-san sit up on his bed, me doing most of the work for him. "You're awake?" I questioned again, seeing Li-san's eyes crack open and squinting against the dim light.
Li-san opened and closed his mouth, and I immediately placed the glass of water to his parched lips. He gulped down half the glass and attempted to speak again. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice cracked and sounding like a frog.
"You got really sick back at the party, and I drove you home, remember?" I asked. Li-san's eyes were distant, but I knew he tried to comprehend the words I spoke through the thick haze that usually takes over one's mind when sick. Not waiting for Li-san to ask another question, I took the bowl of soup in my hands and fed him a spoonful. "You're going to have to finish this," I said, feeding him another spoonful of my special thin, yet rich, soup.
Li-san nodded and drank down the rest of the soup obediently. His head lolled back against the wall. Hoe! He's falling back asleep, I thought frantically. "Li-san! Li-san!" I said. "Eat the medicine before sleeping, ne?" He nodded in response and allowed me to plop two pills in his mouth and feed him the rest of the water. He quickly sunk back in the bed, already fast asleep. I couldn't help but smile. "Feel better, Li-san," I murmured and kissed his forehead. I picked up the habit from Onii-chan and Otou-san and blushed as I realized I had unintentionally kissed Li-san's forehead. I thanked the gods for the third time that day for keeping the poor man asleep.
I hastily grabbed the tray and scuttled back into the kitchen, hoping that keeping myself busy would keep my mind off of my previous action. I gently put all the items on the tray into the sink to wash later, and I took out another bowl from a cabinet above the stove. I filled the bowl halfway with soup and ate it while standing up in the kitchen, feeling too awkward to sit alone and quiet at Li-san's table. It was still strange as I quietly slurped the soup, only having the ticking clock for company. I tried to finish my small dinner as quickly as possible and washed the dishes, having the added sound of running water to soothe my ears.
With the lack of dishes needing to washed, the deed was done quickly. I skeptically looked around the house, wondering what there was to do to pass some time. I continually had to pull up Li-san's sweatpants as they dragged along his spotless floor as I scanned every room to find something to do.
I finally decided to read a book from a small bookshelf in Li-san's room. After tiptoeing quietly out, I settled myself on his couch in the living room and began reading the book. Immediately after reading the first two pages, my eyes felt dry, and I had to keep on blinking to keep them moist. After reading the third page, I realized all the words I just read had oozed out of my brain as quickly as it was read.
My head began to feel heavy, and my eyelids decided to suddenly weigh three times more than usual. Without hesitation, I gave into sleep, forgetting I had a book in my hands and letting it drop to the floor.
I awoke when I heard a constant rapping at the door. I felt as if I had just closed my eyes to take a nap, but the clock told me I had been sleeping for about two hours. I groggily got up from the couch and hustled over to the chipped door. I flung it open, hoping the knocking wouldn't wake up Li-san as well.
In the doorway stood a woman an inch taller than I was with perfectly straight, black hair reaching her waist. She was a beautiful woman, no doubt about it, dressed in a tight-fitting skirt and blouse, topping it off with a long jacket. Once she saw me, she immediately frowned, staring me up and down with her piercing eyes.
I realized I must've looked like a total mess, just having awoken from the couch and in clothes ten times too big for me. "Can I help you?" I asked, trying not to flinch from under her gaze.
"Where's Syaoran?" she asked impatiently. She spoke English fluently, but I was still able to hear her accent through her words. "And who the hell are you?" she added as an afterthought. Her voice was familiar, and I must have been taking a long time in trying to match her voice to a face, because she began tapping her shoes irritably on the marble of the hallway.
"Oh! I'm sorry," I quickly said. "Uhm…Mr. Li is sleeping right now. He's extremely sick, and I'm watching over him tonight."
For some strange reason, the woman didn't seem to be satisfied with my answer. "And who are you?" she repeated.
"I'm a student teacher and am working with Mr. Li right now," I replied.
"So you were the one on the phone," she said, her thick lips twitching as she said this.
That's right! I thought, finally remembering her voice as the woman who picked up Li-san's phone when I called to inform him of the mistake on the homework.
I felt the woman's scrutinizing eyes run over me again before she simply stated, "I don't like you, and you better stay away from Syaoran if you know what is good for you."
I didn't say anything, but let her inside, shutting the door behind her as she slipped into a pair of slippers. "I won't even ask what you're doing in his clothes," she drawled. "I really hate this place," she added under her breath, quickly scanning the apartment. "You said he was sleeping? In his room?"
I nodded. "But you shouldn't disturb him! He's extremely sick…."
"I will do what I want, when I want," the woman said, turning swiftly around to face me and challenging me with her squinted eyes. "I'm sure you don't have a problem with that, especially since I'm Syaoran's fiancée."
I immediately reacted to the news by biting my lower lip. It was beginning to be a bad habit. Before she said anything else, if she was even planning on it, I saw Li-san's slouched figure dragging himself out of his room.
"Li-san!" I whispered as loudly as I could in surprise. I quickly strode past the stranger and wrapped one of Li-san's arms around my shoulders to keep him steady on his feet. "You should be resting, Li-san!" I said quietly.
As if he didn't hear me, he adjusted his eyes to the light and squinted at the woman walking towards him. "Meiling?" he croaked.
"Oh, Syaoran!" the woman said a little too loudly, for Li-san flinched at her voice. "You look terrible!" She quickly walked up to us and shoved me aside, taking my place by his side.
Li-san pushed her away, quite roughly, in fact, and growled, "What the hell are you doing here, Meiling?"
For fiancés, the two didn't seem to have the best relationship, but I didn't want to say anything amidst their argument.
"What do you mean? I just stopped by to see you! Is that too bad?" Meiling asked, her tone of voice changing drastically. She spoke to me as if she was a snake mocking her next meal, while to Li-san, her voice was strained to a high pitch and sounded like a cat purring in its sleep.
"Yes, it is, because I'm really not in the mood to deal with you right now," Li-san said, his eyes looking extremely angry and tense.
"You seem to be able to deal with this stupid student teacher of yours just fine," Meiling argued, her voice dropping just a few notes lower. "Is she some special exception for your attention?"
Li-san's eyes flickered to me for a moment as if he just realized I was there, dressed in his clothes, no less. "I never asked her to be here," he grumbled. I felt hurt by his words and had no reason to argue, because they were true. "Just leave, Meiling," he added in exasperation.
Meiling's nostrils flared with unspoken anger as she kicked her slippers off her feet. She roughly put her shoes on and slammed the door with such force that the only picture hanging in Li-san's apartment shook against the wall.
I let out a breath I forgot I was holding and saw Li-san collapse to the floor, leaning heavily against the wall.
"Li-san!" I cried, struggling over to him and helping him back on his feet. I did most of the work as he attempted to walk back to his room and lay down. "You shouldn't strain yourself, Li-san," I said as if scolding a child.
"She was so loud," Li-san grumbled, closing his eyes and breathing evenly.
I smiled. "Your fiancée was only worried," I answered.
"My what?" Li-san said with a hint of what I thought to be disgust in his voice. He peeked open an eye, signaling me to answer the question.
"She told me she was your fiancée," I said. "Is she not?"
Li-san let out a choked laugh. At least, I'm pretty sure it was a laugh. "I won't marry that damned woman, even if it costs me my life."
"You shouldn't say that, Li-san!" I scolded.
He just smirked and shook his head.
I let out a defeated sigh and dabbed at his forehead with a cold cloth. "You should get back to sleep, Li-san," I whispered.
"I'm dizzy," he complained. I couldn't help myself but grin at the complaint. It only reminded me that Li-san was as ordinary as anyone else.
"If you go to sleep, you'll get better quicker," I reassured, rinsing out the small towel in the basin of water.
He didn't reply to my suggestion but rather stared at me. Actually, he more or less squinted at me through his glazed eyes. I don't remember how long he was watching me for, but he suddenly said, "Those are my clothes."
I blushed embarrassedly. "Gomen nasai, Li-san," I said. "I just wanted to change out of my dress, and I didn't have anything to wear. I hope you don't mind."
He shook his head, and I began to get worried as his cheeks were turning more flushed than normal. "Daijoubu desu ka?" I asked, dabbing his face gently with the small towel.
"I'm fine," he grumbled back. "You should get back home." His voice was cracked and dry, and I offered him a glass of water. He drank it gladly, a small drop making its way around his mouth and down to his chin.
"I'm not going back home until you get better," I said, taking his empty glass and forcing him gently to settle back into the bed. "Or at least tonight."
Li-san pulled his blanket up, covering half of his face and closing his eyes. "You know, people will talk," he said, his words muffled by the blanket.
"Talk about what?" I asked.
"Never mind," he replied quickly. "Let me sleep, then."
I nodded and whispered a goodnight before shutting off his lights and closing the door. I sighed, feeling as if I accomplished a great deal that night. I shuffled over to the living room and stretched before plopping myself on the couch. I didn't realize until that moment that I was sleepy beyond belief. My eyelids immediately closed of their own accord, demanding that I get rest.
I woke up this time not by someone rapping against the door, but rather by the rays of the sun blinding me through my lids. I couldn't decide which way of waking up was better, but before I could decide, I remembered that I was in Li-san's apartment. I shot up from the couch, and the first thing I noticed was a blanket wrapped around me.
"You're awake."
I turned around to see Li-san dressed loosely in sweatpants and a T-shirt, drying his soaked hair with a towel. He obviously had just finished taking a shower.
"Hai…," I replied, rubbing the remainder of sleep from my eyes. "Did you…?" I asked, holding up the blanket for him to see.
He turned away, turning furiously red as he did so. A grunt was the only reply I received for my question.
"Ano…how are you feeling?" I asked.
"I'm fine," he replied, turning back to me, still drying his hair. "I only needed the sleep."
"That's good to hear!" I said with a large smile. "What a relief. I thought you were going to be sick for a while with your fever up so high."
"I heal quickly," he grumbled.
I smiled, realizing Li-san's stubbornness had returned to him. Without hesitation, I stood up and began folding the blanket into a perfect square.
"Uhm…I don't really have any decent food for breakfast…," I heard Li-san say from the kitchen.
I set the folded blanket back on the corner of the couch and strolled into the kitchen, tripping once over the large pants. "How about we eat out, Li-san?" I suggested with a smile.
"Eat…out?" he repeated.
"Hai," I confirmed with a nod. "Or would it be uncomfortable for you? Gomen nasai! I shouldn't have suggested that," I quickly said, covering up my mouth for being so straightforward.
"No, no," Li-san said, interrupting me from my blabber. "It's fine. We'll eat out."
"Are you sure?" I asked timidly.
He just nodded and motioned for me to follow him. We went into his room, and he pulled out a box from the deep corner of his closet. He opened it, and I saw clothes that belonged to a woman.
"When my sister came by for a while, she left some clothes here because they didn't fit in her suitcase when she went back to Hong Kong," Li-san explained. He pulled out a T-shirt, a thin sweater, and a pair of jeans. "They should fit," he said, flinging the clothes at me and shutting the box again.
"You have a sister?" I asked.
"Four, actually."
"That must be so much fun, to have four sisters!" I exclaimed, imagining the prospect of me having that many siblings. I think Li-san flinched at my comment but said nothing of it.
"Change and get washed up. Then we'll go out," he said, shutting the door to his room behind him.
TBC
T.Anjel: Sorry for the little Meiling bashing.. T_T There'll probably be more to come…so I'm apologizing in advance…
But other than that!!! End of chapter five!!!
C-Mage: Meiling bashing.... Yeah, there'll be more. Gomen to all of her fans. I like her too, okay? I even wrote a quasi-poem on her.... Oh, yes! Thanks to everyone who reviewed Hooded! We now have 201 reviews. ^.^~ I can't wait for the next chappy! ^.~
C-Mage: Hello to everyone.... You're all so nice! *o* Sixty-nine whole reviews, and after only four chapters. That's, um, 17.25 per chapter. -.-' Here's a shout-out to Teeny-chan, who hasn't reviewed chapter four.... *glares at Teeny-chan* As for the rest of you.... *grins* You're so kakkoi! Wai!~
Disclaimer: Who owns CCS?! Not me…
Summary – Sakura brings a sick Syaoran back to his house, but only to find there is no one to care for him. So, what else is there to do than to take care of the stubborn teacher herself?
Learn to Love Me - Chapter 5 – Sakura's Nurse Mode
I unconsciously gnawed at my lower lip. What was I supposed to do? Li-san had totally passed out, and there was no way I was going to leave him home alone with a high fever. With a determined grunt, I took off Li-san's large shoes and placed them next to the front door, making sure to take mine off as well. There was no doubt about it; I was in "Nurse Sakura" mode. I would always take care of Onii-san or Otou-san whenever they got sick. Li-san shouldn't be much different.
I took a quick tour around the small apartment complex before heading back to Li-san's bedroom. He was breathing heavily, the thin blanket rising and falling back as he did. I took the cloth from his forehead and rinsed it off in a small basin of water.
"You've got quite the fever, Li-san," I murmured, dabbing at his face to wipe off the sweat. I gently wiped his neck and noticed his shirt was damp with sweat. "This is going to be difficult," I told myself. I searched through Li-san's closet to find a clean T-shirt. He didn't have a stuffed closet, but I was able to find a considerably large shirt that was decorated simply with dancing Disney characters. I couldn't help but smile at the prospect of seeing the stubborn teacher wearing it.
"Li-san," I said quietly. "You're going to have to help me out of your shirt, okay?"
He groaned and said something, but his words were slurred together, sounding like "Mmgsshusgh". "I'll take that as an 'okay'," I told him. "C'mon. Sit up," I said as if instructing a baby, bringing the sleeping man up to a sitting position on the bed. I heard him gurgle out another string of words, but they didn't make any sense to me than they had before. He was probably sleep talking. I grabbed the bottom of the shirt and tugged it over his head and arms.
Li-san definitely had a nice body. I couldn't help but blush and feel as if I was intruding somewhere I shouldn't have been. I hastily washed Li-san's back and chest with the small towel and helped him into the Disney shirt.
My face was probably as red as a tomato, but I only had the gods to thank for making sure Li-san didn't wake up to see me changing him. "You can lay back down, Li-san," I said, hoping he would hear me through his fever and dreams. He groaned again in response and flopped back onto the pillow I quickly covered with an extra towel.
I rinsed a small towel in the basin of water and squeezed out the excess in one motion. Placing the towel on the man's forehead, I couldn't resist smiling at how helpless he looked compared to the stoic expression he held during class.
I let out a sigh, contemplating on whether to stay and watch Li-san or to call a relative over. I decided to call a relative and went over to the kitchen where his phone was. Searching through his cabinets, I wasn't able to come across any phone book of any kind. "Does he not keep in touch with family members?" I pondered, but let the thought pass.
"I guess I'll have to stay," I said aloud and from the look of his house, there wasn't much to do. The man didn't even have a TV. And there was no way I was going to stay in my dress. I looked down to see the pink dress Tomoyo picked out from her closet, telling me there was no way I was going to the party without wearing it. I wondered if Li-san would mind if I wore any of his clothes. "Hoe…," I mumbled at the thought, but the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable the dress became.
Finally making up my mind, I tiptoed back into Li-san's room, feeling as if I shouldn't be there with the aim of ransacking his drawers for clothes. I knew it would take a miracle to wake Li-san up from his deep slumber, but I tried to make the least amount of noise as possible. "Gomen nasai, Li-san," I whispered frantically to the sleeping figure, hoping it would make up for the invasion of privacy.
I knelt down in front of a large, oak bureau and opened the lowest drawer. It contained neatly folded pants, and it didn't take me long to find a pair of sweats lying on top. I cautiously took out the dark green pants, smelling of fresh laundry, and peered into the next drawer. Most fortunately, it contained the same; neatly arranged clothes, but they were sweaters this time.
With much care, I pulled out the top sweater, which was white with bold letters reading "BOO" across the top. I shut the dresser quietly and sneaked out of the room, the feeling of invasion still pounding in my head.
After shutting Li-san's door, I quickly changed into his clothes in the bathroom and immediately noticed that they were a few sizes too big. The legs of the pants pooled at my feet, and the sweater went way past my hands and almost reached my knees. I suddenly felt like a little kid again. Not wanting to search for anything smaller, which I doubted Li-san had, I took my dress and neatly hung it over the living room couch so as not to wrinkle it.
"Li-san should probably eat something," I suddenly decided and headed to his small kitchen. I was definitely on familiar turf as I flung open the refrigerator door and scanned the full shelves packed with chocolate, yogurt, fruit, and a little meat. I quickly flipped through all the cabinets and drawers, barely finding any kind of spices or even bowls and dishes.
With a determined grunt, I clumsily rolled up the large sleeves, having them bunch uncomfortably at my elbows. I opened the fridge again and took out the necessary items to cook up a decent soup.
To me, cooking was like a sixth sense and didn't require me to concentrate on what I was doing. My mind trailed off as I chopped the vegetables and stirred the thin soup. Li-san must be real lonely living all by himself, I thought, thinking about the sick man lying in bed. I wonder if he has any friends. Baka, I chided myself. Of course Li-san would have friends.
After deciding that the soup was done, I let it sit for a minute to cool while I searched the house for medicine. I managed to find a small medicine box stashed in the corner of the bathroom closet and took out a small bottle of Tylenol. Taking it back to the kitchen with me, I put the medicine, a bowl of soup, a glass of water, and a spoon on a cracked tray I had found.
Carefully balancing the contents of the tray in one hand, I used the other to quietly open the door. I set the tray down on a small bedside table, placing the basin of water that was previously sitting on it on the floor. I took the towel from Li-san's forehead and dunked it in the basin of water.
"Gomen nasai, Li-san," I whispered, hoping it was enough to wake him up. It wasn't, so I gently nudged him. "I don't want to wake you, but you're going to have to eat something and take medicine."
Li-san groaned out a groggy protest, but it was enough of a sign to me saying that he was basically awake. "Can you sit up for me?" I asked, leaving no room for arguments. I helped Li-san sit up on his bed, me doing most of the work for him. "You're awake?" I questioned again, seeing Li-san's eyes crack open and squinting against the dim light.
Li-san opened and closed his mouth, and I immediately placed the glass of water to his parched lips. He gulped down half the glass and attempted to speak again. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice cracked and sounding like a frog.
"You got really sick back at the party, and I drove you home, remember?" I asked. Li-san's eyes were distant, but I knew he tried to comprehend the words I spoke through the thick haze that usually takes over one's mind when sick. Not waiting for Li-san to ask another question, I took the bowl of soup in my hands and fed him a spoonful. "You're going to have to finish this," I said, feeding him another spoonful of my special thin, yet rich, soup.
Li-san nodded and drank down the rest of the soup obediently. His head lolled back against the wall. Hoe! He's falling back asleep, I thought frantically. "Li-san! Li-san!" I said. "Eat the medicine before sleeping, ne?" He nodded in response and allowed me to plop two pills in his mouth and feed him the rest of the water. He quickly sunk back in the bed, already fast asleep. I couldn't help but smile. "Feel better, Li-san," I murmured and kissed his forehead. I picked up the habit from Onii-chan and Otou-san and blushed as I realized I had unintentionally kissed Li-san's forehead. I thanked the gods for the third time that day for keeping the poor man asleep.
I hastily grabbed the tray and scuttled back into the kitchen, hoping that keeping myself busy would keep my mind off of my previous action. I gently put all the items on the tray into the sink to wash later, and I took out another bowl from a cabinet above the stove. I filled the bowl halfway with soup and ate it while standing up in the kitchen, feeling too awkward to sit alone and quiet at Li-san's table. It was still strange as I quietly slurped the soup, only having the ticking clock for company. I tried to finish my small dinner as quickly as possible and washed the dishes, having the added sound of running water to soothe my ears.
With the lack of dishes needing to washed, the deed was done quickly. I skeptically looked around the house, wondering what there was to do to pass some time. I continually had to pull up Li-san's sweatpants as they dragged along his spotless floor as I scanned every room to find something to do.
I finally decided to read a book from a small bookshelf in Li-san's room. After tiptoeing quietly out, I settled myself on his couch in the living room and began reading the book. Immediately after reading the first two pages, my eyes felt dry, and I had to keep on blinking to keep them moist. After reading the third page, I realized all the words I just read had oozed out of my brain as quickly as it was read.
My head began to feel heavy, and my eyelids decided to suddenly weigh three times more than usual. Without hesitation, I gave into sleep, forgetting I had a book in my hands and letting it drop to the floor.
I awoke when I heard a constant rapping at the door. I felt as if I had just closed my eyes to take a nap, but the clock told me I had been sleeping for about two hours. I groggily got up from the couch and hustled over to the chipped door. I flung it open, hoping the knocking wouldn't wake up Li-san as well.
In the doorway stood a woman an inch taller than I was with perfectly straight, black hair reaching her waist. She was a beautiful woman, no doubt about it, dressed in a tight-fitting skirt and blouse, topping it off with a long jacket. Once she saw me, she immediately frowned, staring me up and down with her piercing eyes.
I realized I must've looked like a total mess, just having awoken from the couch and in clothes ten times too big for me. "Can I help you?" I asked, trying not to flinch from under her gaze.
"Where's Syaoran?" she asked impatiently. She spoke English fluently, but I was still able to hear her accent through her words. "And who the hell are you?" she added as an afterthought. Her voice was familiar, and I must have been taking a long time in trying to match her voice to a face, because she began tapping her shoes irritably on the marble of the hallway.
"Oh! I'm sorry," I quickly said. "Uhm…Mr. Li is sleeping right now. He's extremely sick, and I'm watching over him tonight."
For some strange reason, the woman didn't seem to be satisfied with my answer. "And who are you?" she repeated.
"I'm a student teacher and am working with Mr. Li right now," I replied.
"So you were the one on the phone," she said, her thick lips twitching as she said this.
That's right! I thought, finally remembering her voice as the woman who picked up Li-san's phone when I called to inform him of the mistake on the homework.
I felt the woman's scrutinizing eyes run over me again before she simply stated, "I don't like you, and you better stay away from Syaoran if you know what is good for you."
I didn't say anything, but let her inside, shutting the door behind her as she slipped into a pair of slippers. "I won't even ask what you're doing in his clothes," she drawled. "I really hate this place," she added under her breath, quickly scanning the apartment. "You said he was sleeping? In his room?"
I nodded. "But you shouldn't disturb him! He's extremely sick…."
"I will do what I want, when I want," the woman said, turning swiftly around to face me and challenging me with her squinted eyes. "I'm sure you don't have a problem with that, especially since I'm Syaoran's fiancée."
I immediately reacted to the news by biting my lower lip. It was beginning to be a bad habit. Before she said anything else, if she was even planning on it, I saw Li-san's slouched figure dragging himself out of his room.
"Li-san!" I whispered as loudly as I could in surprise. I quickly strode past the stranger and wrapped one of Li-san's arms around my shoulders to keep him steady on his feet. "You should be resting, Li-san!" I said quietly.
As if he didn't hear me, he adjusted his eyes to the light and squinted at the woman walking towards him. "Meiling?" he croaked.
"Oh, Syaoran!" the woman said a little too loudly, for Li-san flinched at her voice. "You look terrible!" She quickly walked up to us and shoved me aside, taking my place by his side.
Li-san pushed her away, quite roughly, in fact, and growled, "What the hell are you doing here, Meiling?"
For fiancés, the two didn't seem to have the best relationship, but I didn't want to say anything amidst their argument.
"What do you mean? I just stopped by to see you! Is that too bad?" Meiling asked, her tone of voice changing drastically. She spoke to me as if she was a snake mocking her next meal, while to Li-san, her voice was strained to a high pitch and sounded like a cat purring in its sleep.
"Yes, it is, because I'm really not in the mood to deal with you right now," Li-san said, his eyes looking extremely angry and tense.
"You seem to be able to deal with this stupid student teacher of yours just fine," Meiling argued, her voice dropping just a few notes lower. "Is she some special exception for your attention?"
Li-san's eyes flickered to me for a moment as if he just realized I was there, dressed in his clothes, no less. "I never asked her to be here," he grumbled. I felt hurt by his words and had no reason to argue, because they were true. "Just leave, Meiling," he added in exasperation.
Meiling's nostrils flared with unspoken anger as she kicked her slippers off her feet. She roughly put her shoes on and slammed the door with such force that the only picture hanging in Li-san's apartment shook against the wall.
I let out a breath I forgot I was holding and saw Li-san collapse to the floor, leaning heavily against the wall.
"Li-san!" I cried, struggling over to him and helping him back on his feet. I did most of the work as he attempted to walk back to his room and lay down. "You shouldn't strain yourself, Li-san," I said as if scolding a child.
"She was so loud," Li-san grumbled, closing his eyes and breathing evenly.
I smiled. "Your fiancée was only worried," I answered.
"My what?" Li-san said with a hint of what I thought to be disgust in his voice. He peeked open an eye, signaling me to answer the question.
"She told me she was your fiancée," I said. "Is she not?"
Li-san let out a choked laugh. At least, I'm pretty sure it was a laugh. "I won't marry that damned woman, even if it costs me my life."
"You shouldn't say that, Li-san!" I scolded.
He just smirked and shook his head.
I let out a defeated sigh and dabbed at his forehead with a cold cloth. "You should get back to sleep, Li-san," I whispered.
"I'm dizzy," he complained. I couldn't help myself but grin at the complaint. It only reminded me that Li-san was as ordinary as anyone else.
"If you go to sleep, you'll get better quicker," I reassured, rinsing out the small towel in the basin of water.
He didn't reply to my suggestion but rather stared at me. Actually, he more or less squinted at me through his glazed eyes. I don't remember how long he was watching me for, but he suddenly said, "Those are my clothes."
I blushed embarrassedly. "Gomen nasai, Li-san," I said. "I just wanted to change out of my dress, and I didn't have anything to wear. I hope you don't mind."
He shook his head, and I began to get worried as his cheeks were turning more flushed than normal. "Daijoubu desu ka?" I asked, dabbing his face gently with the small towel.
"I'm fine," he grumbled back. "You should get back home." His voice was cracked and dry, and I offered him a glass of water. He drank it gladly, a small drop making its way around his mouth and down to his chin.
"I'm not going back home until you get better," I said, taking his empty glass and forcing him gently to settle back into the bed. "Or at least tonight."
Li-san pulled his blanket up, covering half of his face and closing his eyes. "You know, people will talk," he said, his words muffled by the blanket.
"Talk about what?" I asked.
"Never mind," he replied quickly. "Let me sleep, then."
I nodded and whispered a goodnight before shutting off his lights and closing the door. I sighed, feeling as if I accomplished a great deal that night. I shuffled over to the living room and stretched before plopping myself on the couch. I didn't realize until that moment that I was sleepy beyond belief. My eyelids immediately closed of their own accord, demanding that I get rest.
I woke up this time not by someone rapping against the door, but rather by the rays of the sun blinding me through my lids. I couldn't decide which way of waking up was better, but before I could decide, I remembered that I was in Li-san's apartment. I shot up from the couch, and the first thing I noticed was a blanket wrapped around me.
"You're awake."
I turned around to see Li-san dressed loosely in sweatpants and a T-shirt, drying his soaked hair with a towel. He obviously had just finished taking a shower.
"Hai…," I replied, rubbing the remainder of sleep from my eyes. "Did you…?" I asked, holding up the blanket for him to see.
He turned away, turning furiously red as he did so. A grunt was the only reply I received for my question.
"Ano…how are you feeling?" I asked.
"I'm fine," he replied, turning back to me, still drying his hair. "I only needed the sleep."
"That's good to hear!" I said with a large smile. "What a relief. I thought you were going to be sick for a while with your fever up so high."
"I heal quickly," he grumbled.
I smiled, realizing Li-san's stubbornness had returned to him. Without hesitation, I stood up and began folding the blanket into a perfect square.
"Uhm…I don't really have any decent food for breakfast…," I heard Li-san say from the kitchen.
I set the folded blanket back on the corner of the couch and strolled into the kitchen, tripping once over the large pants. "How about we eat out, Li-san?" I suggested with a smile.
"Eat…out?" he repeated.
"Hai," I confirmed with a nod. "Or would it be uncomfortable for you? Gomen nasai! I shouldn't have suggested that," I quickly said, covering up my mouth for being so straightforward.
"No, no," Li-san said, interrupting me from my blabber. "It's fine. We'll eat out."
"Are you sure?" I asked timidly.
He just nodded and motioned for me to follow him. We went into his room, and he pulled out a box from the deep corner of his closet. He opened it, and I saw clothes that belonged to a woman.
"When my sister came by for a while, she left some clothes here because they didn't fit in her suitcase when she went back to Hong Kong," Li-san explained. He pulled out a T-shirt, a thin sweater, and a pair of jeans. "They should fit," he said, flinging the clothes at me and shutting the box again.
"You have a sister?" I asked.
"Four, actually."
"That must be so much fun, to have four sisters!" I exclaimed, imagining the prospect of me having that many siblings. I think Li-san flinched at my comment but said nothing of it.
"Change and get washed up. Then we'll go out," he said, shutting the door to his room behind him.
TBC
T.Anjel: Sorry for the little Meiling bashing.. T_T There'll probably be more to come…so I'm apologizing in advance…
But other than that!!! End of chapter five!!!
C-Mage: Meiling bashing.... Yeah, there'll be more. Gomen to all of her fans. I like her too, okay? I even wrote a quasi-poem on her.... Oh, yes! Thanks to everyone who reviewed Hooded! We now have 201 reviews. ^.^~ I can't wait for the next chappy! ^.~