Warnings: There are a few shounen ai hints here. For those of you who do not know what shounen ai is, it is male/male. In addition to being mainly a SyaoranSakura story, there is also a TouyaYukito subplot because I think that they are a cutecuteCUTE couple. So if you don't like it, skip it.

Oh yes. And Touya has a potty mouth in this chapter. (sweatdrops)

Author's Notes: Wow. I just found my old account and I'm going to repost my old stuff to my new account! I'm so proud of how well I could write when I was 14! Too bad it's only gone downhill from there! (sweatdrops)

Reviewers:

crazychickie4life: Yeah well. Part of the problem is that I suck at summaries. The other problem is that I focus a lot on characters and the relationships between them. Not many readers care about that stuff, especially in the CCS fandom for some reason. (shrugs) But I'm happy with the way my fic is turning out so far, and it pleases me immensely to know that you think I'm a good writer! (blushes) So thank you so much for your compliments! And as for their first kiss...all in good time my friend, all in good time! (winks)

And now...let the plot begin! dum dum DUM!


Chapter 6: Confrontations

"Ne Syaoran. Thanks for everything." They were standing in front of her house, illuminated only by the soft porch lighting. He couldn't bear to look at her, at the way the light caused her eyes to sparkle and her hair to shine. He just couldn't. So he looked away from her and grunted instead.

"Hn."

"Hontou. I mean it. Arigatou," Sakura said as she poked him softly in the shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, ne?"

He nodded, still refusing to look at her. He waited until he heard her walk up her steps and open the door before he raised his head. Syaoran watched as she walked inside. Right before she closed the door, she offered a small wave, just a wiggling of the fingers, smiled, and gently closed the door.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Kuso. I almost lost it. Shaking his head, he turned to leave. As he walked down the walkway, a figure suddenly stepped out from behind the bushes.

"Oi," Touya said arrogantly. "Gaki. We need to talk."

"Maa maa Touya," Yukito said smiling as he too stepped out from the bushes. "There's no need to be so intimidating." The silver-haired man turned to Syaoran. "Li-kun, what Touya means is that he would appreciate it if you would speak with us, that is, if you have time?" he raised his brow in query.

"Ne, Yuki. I—" Touya started with a somewhat disgruntled look, his thunder having been stolen. Yukito raised a hand. Touya sighed and settled for crossing his arms and glaring at the Chinese boy in front of him.

Syaoran appraised the two men standing in front of him and shrugged. "Sure," he said.

"Then if you would follow us please?" Yukito motioned for him to follow them as they walked down to the sidewalk and moved far enough so that they could not be seen from the house.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Syaoran asked blandly.

"Ano...well, it's a rather delicate situation, isn't it?" Yukito said.

Touya stepped forward. "Stay away from my si—Oi!" he exclaimed as Yukito once again moved in front of him.

"Touya, why don't you let me start, ne?" Yuki said gazing pleadingly up at his friend.

Touya's countenance softened. "Hai," Touya responded. As Yuki turned back around Touya kept his gaze on him and the brown haired man smiled just a little bit.

Huh? Syaoran thought. How long has this been going on?

"Eto...," Yuki started, pulling Syaoran away from his thoughts. The silver-haired man stood in front of him in a neutral posture. Syaoran was surprised to find that he had to look down at him as his former crush was a good two inches shorter than him. Despite his pleasant smile, his eyes were serious. "What Touya meant to say was...well, we want to know what exactly your intentions are...regarding Sakura-chan."

Well, whatever Syaoran had been expecting, that wasn't it. "I.." he frowned and closed his mouth as he thought about it for a moment. "I want her to be happy," he said. He saw Yukito's face soften and Touya's transform from forbidding to surprised. "That's all," Syaoran said quietly.

"That's all?" Yukito asked his light brown eyes searching Syaoran's.

"Hai."

"Hm." The corner of Yukito's mouth twisted upwards. Just when Syaoran felt that he could no longer take the weight of his gaze, Yukito turned back toward Touya. "Okay," he said to the taller man. "Go ahead."

"Nani? He passed?" Touya asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Now it's your turn." Yuki leaned against the wall and waited for Touya to start. Sakura's oniichan turned to look at Syaoran and the Chinese boy had to steel himself to keep from blanching.

"So, you think you think a gaki like you can make my sister happy, huh?"

Syaoran hesitated. He was slightly intimidated by the man standing in front of him. He drew himself to his full height, which was only an inch shorter than Touya's. "Maybe," he said carefully.

Touya snarled. "Maybe? You better be fucking sure!" His brown eyes were glittering dangerously. "This is my baby sister we're talking about. You already broke her heart once and I'm not going to let you do it again. Am I clear?"

Syaoran was feeling a little bit woozy. "I...I did what?"

Yukito spoke up from the side. "Sakura-chan was very sad when you left." He smiled slightly. "She talked about you non-stop for a good three months or so before she realized that you weren't coming back."

"Hontou?" Yuki had to stifle a laugh at the hope in the Chinese boy's voice.

"Yeah," Touya said shortly. "So back to my question, am I clear?"

Syaoran studied the sidewalk for a moment. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and blew his bangs out of his face. Amber eyes clear, he looked at Touya. "You know," he said, "I wish that I had a brother like you to defend me." Touya startled out of his defensive posture and Syaoran half smiled. "And I wish that I could promise you that Sakura...she won't be hurt, demo...I can't. That's up to her because..."

Syaoran breathed in deeply and looked up at the sky and continued "I didn't come here to...be anything more than a friend to her." He shifted his gaze to the ground. "She's going to meet the man she...marries," he choked a bit on the word "soon...and he isn't me."

Syaoran looked up at the men standing in front of him. Yukito had shifted from leaning on the wall to standing upright. Yuki was staring at him, his brow wrinkled in concern and puzzlement. Touya on the other hand, had his mouth wide open in shock.

"Nani?" he asked incredulously. "Did you just say that my sister...is gonna get married...to some guy I don't even know?"

Syaoran smiled bitterly at him.

"Demo...Li-kun, how do you know this?" Yukito asked, stepping towards him.

"I've been having foretelling dreams since I turned seventeen, every night, the same dream," Syaoran kicked at the ground a little before continuing. "It's always the same guy, and it's always her. She always...looks so happy. And I—and I made a promise to her." Syaoran looked up at them and said stubbornly, "And I'm going to keep it!"

"Even if it makes you unhappy?" Yuki asked gently laying a hand on his shoulder. "Shouldn't you have a say in this too since you're in lo—" Syaoran shook his head, cutting the other man off.

"You don't understand." He hesitated before looking Yukito in the eye. "I made a promise to her before I left. I promised her...that I'd come back for her and that—and that I'd make her happy," he finished in a whisper. "And I want to keep it," Syaoran said looking fiercely at Touya who was now standing with a contemplative look on his face, "because it's the only thing that I have left to give her."

Syaoran looked at Touya. "So I'll do my best, but I can't make any more promises. I may break her heart. I may make her unhappy for just a little while demo she'll be fine...iie, happy in the end."

"Demo Li-kun, if this is the case, why did you come back at all?" Yukito asked concerned.

Because I'm masochistic, Syaoran thought to himself. "Because I promised her I would and...because I have to introduce them," he finished. He didn't want to look up so instead he glanced at his watch.

"I have to go," Syaoran said avoiding looking either of them. "I have school tomorrow."

"Hai. Of course." Yukito removed his hand from Syaoran's shoulder and smiled sadly at him. Syaoran nodded and turned to walk away.

"Oi gaki," Touya called out arrogantly from behind him. Syaoran stopped but didn't turn around. "You're not half bad, and if you want to...be with my sister, I won't stop you," he called out casually. "But if you make her cry, I'll kick your ass!"

Syaoran turned and smirked. He looked Touya up and down before he answered, "I wouldn't be so sure of that. I've been practicing. Ja." He raised a hand in a jaunty farewell and continued walking down the street.

Yukito watched him go and Touya watched Yuki. Yuki sighed and turned to the brown haired man.

"I feel so sorry for him," Yukito said sorrowfully.

"Why?"

Yukito looked at him incredulously. "You're kidding right?"

Touya shrugged. "It's just a dream."

Yukito sighed. "It's a foretelling dream," he said pointedly.

"So?"

"So, foretelling dreams are premonitions of the future. When a person with magic has them, they almost always come true...almost." The last word was a whisper and Yukito looked wistfully at the ground.

Touya thought for a moment. "So, have you ever had them?" he asked looking down at the man beside him.

"Sure."

"Do they come true?"

"Most of the time," Yuki answered carefully.

"Most of the time?" Touya asked.

"Mmhm."

Touya was about to press him when suddenly, "ONII-CHAN!" he was startled out of his thoughts by Sakura's yell. He looked down the sidewalk and sure enough, Sakura rounded the corner at full tilt. She skidded to a halt just in front of them.

"Onii-chan, Yuki-san," she said cautiously. "What are you doing out here?" Sakura looked at her brother suspiciously as he hemmed and hawed. "You weren't picking on Syaoran were you?"

"Oh so it's Syaoran now is it?" Touya said teasingly trying to change the subject.

"Did you?" she moved even closer to him, standing on tiptoe so her dangerously glinting eyes could bore holes into his. It's scary how well she knows me, Touya thought as he matched her glare.

"Maa maa Sakura-chan," Yukito interjected. "Do you really think that we would do something like that?"

Her gaze faltered as she looked at the pleasantly smiling man beside her brother.

"Well...I..." she started uncertainly.

"Why don't we go inside and have some cake? I made it earlier and if I do say so, it's very good!" Smiling, he placed his arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the house. "Of course, Touya can have some as well," Yukito said over his shoulder.

"Just don't let that kaijuu eat it all," Touya called as he ambled after them.

"NANI?!" came Sakura's outraged cry.

"Maa maa Sakura-chan!" Yukito's soothing voice trailed off as they entered the house in front of him. As the door closed behind them, Touya stood in the middle of the sidewalk looking in the direction that Syaoran had gone.

Well gaki. Good luck. Maybe one of us will get who he wants, ne? Touya smiled cockily but there was a hint of sadness there, in the right corner of his mouth for anyone to see, for anyone who cared to look. With one last glance, Touya headed into the house.


He was dreaming. He was always dreaming and it was always the same segmented dream. Some parts were quick flashes, others short reels. Always the same. Pieces. Pieces of a life to come. Pieces of a broken heart.

He watches as he introduces her to him. Watches as her eyes light up with interest.

She laughs with him. She touches and hugs him. She is happy.

He sees her in a house. A beautiful house full of small potted flowers and sunlight that burnishes her chestnut hair with a deep red hue. A child's drawings are tacked all over the walls. She is sitting at a table helping a small boy...her son. Her son with blond hair. Her son who has her eyes, but looks like him.

It had taken him two months to see the wedding band on her left hand as she reaches to point at something on the child's paper. Now he doesn't see how he could ever have missed it. It sparkles joyously and she laughs. She is beautiful.

Then she lifts her head, eyes sparkling and runs to the door. She throws it open. He is there with a suitcase, obviously back from a long trip and she smiles a wide smile. He laughs and she throws her arms around him. She leads him into the kitchen and the child runs up to him with a picture. He admires it and ruffles the boy's hair with his left hand. On that fourth finger is a ring that matches the color of the little boy's hair, that matches his hair because he is hers. He slips an arm around her and she smiles adoringly up at him. Never at him...not at him...not at me...

Syaoran's eyes flew open. His chest hurt, as it always did after the dream. He raised his hand and rubbed it across his face. He was surprised to find that he was sweaty until he remembered that he had forgotten to open the window to his room. With a sigh he swung his legs over the edge of his bed. He stalked to the window and threw it open. Syaoran gulped in breaths of cool, sweet air. He felt his bangs begin to unstick from his forehead. He ran his fingers messily through his hair causing it to stand on end. He was thirsty.

He walked from his room to the small kitchen adjacent clad in nothing more than his boxers. He didn't bother to turn the lights on. Syaoran grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it from a jug of bottled water he had sitting on his counter.

He had gulped it down halfway when her face flashed through his mind, emerald eyes gleaming, hair shining with silken tendrils wrapping themselves around the soft curves of her face. She was laughing. He pressed a hand to his chest, to stop the ache.

Dimly he heard something crash. Looking down, he realized that he had dropped his glass of water. His kitchen floor was littered with sparkling pieces of glass and drops of water. He stood there for a long minute, studying the glittering shards. Finally, he turned and walked back into his bedroom. He climbed onto his bed, kicked off his blankets and wrapped his arms around his pillow. Then he shut his eyes and prayed for darkness.


End Chapter 6

Notes: Whew! That was a hard chapter to write! I'll probably end up revising it before all this is over. (winces) My brain hurts.

This is an SS fic! I repeat, this is an SS fic! It's turning out a little angsty though huh? Weird. I don't usually write angst.