What is love?
Summary: Still in depression from her breakup with her boyfriend, Sakura meets Syaoran in unusual circumstances. Will love blossom between the 2 individuals who don't believe in love? SS, TE
Legend:
- words - refers to thoughts
Apologies for the delay in our updating of this story. As you see, our school has started and the amount of homework we have is numerous as this year is very critical, with it being our streaming year. Hopefully this chapter will help you to forgive us.
Disclaimer: CLAMP owns CCS, we don't.
In the last chapter...
"It ought to be." Syaoran paused for a while as he tried opening the staircase door. "But... It's all locked up." Syaoran continued seemingly nonchalant but actually shaken inside.
"What?!" Sakura shouted.
Chapter 6"Why me?! Why do I have to get stuck with an incorrigible jerk for hours?!" Sakura wailed loudly, making sure that Syaoran could hear her.
- Sheesh... She's been in my mind all day and I try so hard not to think of her. When I finally succeed, here she is in reality! What the hell? Why can't I seem to get her off my back? - Syaoran thought to himself sarcastically.
"Don't make yourself out to be an angel. It's just my luck to get trapped here, especially with somebody like you. Since I guess there is nothing we can do about it, we might as well make the best out of it. I'll go back to my office to rest while you can just stay here." Syaoran ordered as calmly as he could. He did not want to have anything more with this girl, if not, he would not be able to control himself!
"I don't need you to order me around!" Sakura replied, disgruntled.
"Whatever." Was all Syaoran bothered to say as he walked back to his office and lay on a sofa, the door to his office left wide open.
Both took out their hand phones. Both cursed, their batteries were well, dead. There was no other way they could communicate with the outside world. They could not do magic with the other present. None of them suspected that the other was actually a sorcerer. Dead silence fell upon the two. Hours passed. Despite how bored both of them felt, their pride stood in their way. There was no way they would talk to the jerk/ kid.
Rain started to fall, seeing it, Sakura started to tense. She sat on the floor and hugged herself tightly, seemingly scared of something. Soon, there was a flash across the sky, followed by a loud roar of thunder.
"Hoe!! Don't come near me! Go away!" Sakura shrieked hugging herself even more tightly, burying her head in between her knees.
"What happened?!" Syaoran asked, peering out of his room, wondering what it was that frightened Sakura so much.
Even though she told herself again and again not to, even though she thought of her own warm and comfortable home, even though she did not want to, a clap of thunder was all that she needed to lose that bit of control. Sakura cried.
No matter how Syaoran tried to ignore her, he wasn't totally heartless. He walked up and sat next to her on the floor. Sakura hugged her knees tightly as her whimpers gave way to sobs, and then, the sobs to full-fledged tears.
"Hey. Erm... Are you okay?" Syaoran finally murmured, looking worried. He was helpless towards girls, especially when they cried.
"I'm sniff fine." Sakura insisted in spite of the tears falling freely on her face, momentarily, she shivered.
Syaoran didn't say a word. He saw her body shivering like mad. But he knew better than to retort to her remark or to say anything. He took his jacket off and put it over her, hoping that it would help in keeping her warm. Sakura reluctantly accepted it, and she muttered a soft 'thanks' before hugging it tightly.
Suddenly, another flash of lightning came! Sakura shrieked again as she hugged Syaoran as tightly as possible, hiding her face in his chest as she continued to shiver and cry, causing Syaoran to turn several different shades of red. He was just glad that it was dark so that she could not see his face.
- She is hugging me! Normally I will just shove those girls off me if any of them did that to me, but what is happening to me today? Why can't I do the same for this girl? Why did she hug me in the first place? Is the lightning so frightening to her? -
Before Syaoran could think anymore, Sakura realized what she was doing and immediately let go off him, falling back a few steps, and turning beet red.
"I…I'm…. I'm sorry about that," Sakura apologized, turning her head down so that he couldn't see that she was blushing while drying her tears. - Oh my god, what have I done?! -
"It's okay," Syaoran replied gently, feeling relieved and disappointed at the same time.
They fell into deep silence. Syaoran wanted to ask why she was scared of lightning, but decided against it as he was scared that it would cause her to be even more frightened and cry again. Sakura seemed to hear his thoughts and she started to explain in a tone as calm as she could manage.
"When I was 4 years old, otou-san, onii-chan and I went to a country club. Otou-san was playing golf and we watched him as we normally did. I can still remember that I always looked at him happily whenever he played golf. That day, I pestered otou-san to teach me how to play golf, despite the fact that it was raining. As he never could say 'no' to me, he taught me how to play golf even though it was raining. He was showing me how to hit the ball and as he laughed for some reason which I can't remember, he raised his stick …. He was struck down by lightning. I didn't know what happened to him back then and thought he was playing. He… He just… stood there, still as stone for a few seconds before he fell to the ground, smoke was coming out of his body. I was so shocked back then. I tried to touch him but onii-chan stopped me from doing so. Onii-chan looked very stunned, as if something really bad happened to otou-san …" Sakura trailed off as she bit her lip, trying her hardest not to cry. A/N: Please don't kill us if the description of how being struck by lightning is off. We really don't know.
"I…" Syaoran started, his eyes were widened in surprise.
"People came later. All of them crowded around him. I don't remember what happened next. The next thing I know is that, in the hospital, onii-chan told me that otou-san was gone. I cried all night. I've regretted it all my life, asking my father to teach me how to play golf despite the rain. I really hate myself. Now every time I hear thunder or see lightning, I think it's going to come and take me away, like it did otou-san. It reminds me of the time otou-san was taken away from me, how he was struck by lightning… I.. I" Sakura said as her tears started to fall again uncontrollably, making her find it hard to talk.
"How about your mother?" Syaoran said, trying to make her think of other things.
"She died when I was 3." Sakura replied in between her tears slowly.
Syaoran felt sad for her, he wanted to console and protect her very badly. - She always looks cheerful among her friends. I never would have thought something like this happened to her. -
"Come on, don't be sad anymore. I bet your parents wouldn't want to see you being so sad because of their deaths. They wouldn't be able to rest in peace if that is the case," Syaoran consoled her.
Syaoran didn't know what came over him, maybe it was the urge to protect Sakura, but he hugged her. Though Sakura knew that it was not a good idea, she did not resist. She felt far too weak to. Besides, she did feel much warmer and safer in his arms.
The rain continued, getting heavier and heavier with each passing minute. Sakura was close to feeling hysterical. She had calmed down considerably, but each time there was thunder and lightning, she would still shriek and hug Syaoran even more tightly, which made him blush even more.
Hours had passed. Sakura soon fell asleep, yet Syaoran remained awake. He couldn't sleep. He felt lost, a feeling he hated and wished that he wouldn't have. What power did this girl have that made him feel like that? He had never treated a girl like that before, not to Meiling whom he considered his close cousin, not to his mother and not to his sisters. Confused, he just sat there, staring at Sakura's angelic sleeping face, staring until dawn came.
&---&---&
"Daidouji-san." Eriol called.
"You can call me Tomoyo-chan, Hiiragizawa-san" Tomoyo replied as they continued to walk on.
The two of them had just finished their dinner, and were now taking a walk at the beach as planned.
"Hai, then you will have to call me Eriol-kun." Eriol bargained, while smiling.
"Fine." Tomoyo shyly replied, the breeze from the beach made her hair fly wildly as the moonlight shone on her face. She looked just like an angel! Eriol just stared at her face, admiring her beauty.
"Is there something on my face?" Tomoyo asked, sensing that he was looking at her.
"Oh yes there is" Eriol replied, his eyes not leaving her face, not even for a split second.
"Ah! What is it? Leftovers from the dinner?" Tomoyo exclaimed embarrassedly as she quickly took out her handkerchief and wiped her mouth.
"It is a pair of amethyst eyes which I want to look and get lost in, a nose which I want to breathe the same air as me and a pair of lips which I want to kiss. Tomoyo-chan, this may be rather sudden, but I knew the very moment that I met you, I could tell that you are not an ordinary person. You are rich, yet you are not haughty. You are beautiful, yet you are not proud. Your sparkle for life is endearing. Tomoyo-chan, you are the person I can envision myself living with for the rest of my life. I have loved you since the time I first set my eyes on you. Would you be my girlfriend?" Eriol said passionately, yet stumbling along certain lines.
He was blushing like mad now. He couldn't believe that he had just said something like that to a girl. He couldn't control himself any longer. He had to let her know how he felt about her, right at that very moment.
10 seconds passed, there was still no reply. The breeze from the sea kept blowing over them, messing up their hair. Eriol Hiiragizawa stared at the floor dejectedly. Tomoyo's mouth opened, and he waited for the verdict.
"I... You... You don't know how I've dreamt for this day to come! Yet, it seems so many times more beautiful now than in any of my dreams. I have been waiting for you to say this! Of course I want to be your girlfriend! I love you too!" Tomoyo stammered at the beginning but soon gained confidence slowly.
"Tomoyo-chan, you have made me the happiest man on earth! I'm so glad you think the same way." Eriol exclaimed, his grin stretched across his whole face as he reached forward to hug Tomoyo.
&---&---&
"Oyasumi, Tomoyo-chan." Eriol said as he gave a peck on Tomoyo's cheek. He reluctant let go of Tomoyo and wished that he didn't have to leave.
"Oyasumi. Thanks for having the dinner with me and making this my happiest night ever. Let's keep in contact often ne?" Tomoyo said happily.
Tomoyo entered her house and quickly ran to the windows, waving madly as Eriol drove away.
She didn't know when and why she had fallen so deeply for the azure-eyed man, but she knew she would not be able to live without him now. Rushing up to her bedroom, she jumped onto the bed excitedly. She loved this feeling, this feeling of perfect-ness. Nothing in her life could go wrong now.
It was late, but Tomoyo was still not tired. Even after an hour, she still couldn't sleep. She was too happy and thrilled. She lay on her bed, fidgeting for about an hour more, before she fell asleep. On her face was a silly smile as she dreamt of happy, happy things about Eriol and herself.
&---&---&
The sunlight shone brightly on his face and he used his hand to cover his eyes as he opened his eyes groggily. Where was he?
"Oh shit!" Syaoran cursed as he recalled last night's happening.
He looked at the girl that he was still hugging, who was now lying on his chest sleeping soundly. - She must be very tired from yesterday's crying.-
Realizing what he was doing, he slowly laid her gently on the ground, putting his jacket over her as he quickly stood up, and looked at his watch. -Oh man, it is already 7.30am! -
He quickly rushed to the lift, hoping that it was working. Luckily, it was now. The lift soon came and he boarded it, alighting at the ground floor. To his luck, he saw the person that he wanted to see now, the security guard who was sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. There was the man whom he didn't know whether to thank or to hate.
"You!" Syaoran shouted at him angrily while walking towards him, anger was the best way out.
The guard looked up from his newspaper and to his horror, saw his boss looking disheveled and walking, or rather storming towards him from the lift, instead of from the entrance! - Does this mean that... I had locked him up in the office?! -
"You… How dare you skive! You actually locked the office 30 minutes before time and you did not even bother to check properly to see that no one was still inside! I cannot believe the nerve of you! You are working in a reputable company and to think that you are so irresponsible. There are thousands of people who want your job! Now, you still dare to drink your coffee and read your newspaper right in front of me? You are fired!" Syaoran yelled heatedly at the security guard. Although he tried to keep his cool, he blew up as he recalled last night's events. - Moreover, you locked me up with her, which makes it worse. -
The security guard was so frightened that he almost peeed in his pants.
He quickly stood up and knelt in front of Syaoran and pleaded, close to tears "I… I'm sorry Bo…Boss, I wasn't aware that you were still in the office. I…I… I thought that you had left as the whole company was dark, so I decided to lock up early so that I could continue to slee… Eh no no no, continue to do some work. I'm so sorry about that. Please don't fire me! I still have two children and a wife depending on me. If I lose this job, we will have nothing to eat! I'm very very sorry about this, can you give me another chance? I can ensure that this won't ever happen again!"
"Stop trying to find excuses. It is unforgivable in such a highly regarded company. If you remain as a security guard, the company might get robbed one day. I don't care how many people you have to feed. All I know is that you locked me in the company with that gir…." He yelled, stopping abruptly as he had almost let it out that he had spent the night with Sakura, he quickly corrected himself, "You locked me in the company overnight, and now you want me to forgive you? No, and that is final!"
The guard knew now that it was useless to plead anymore, seeing as his boss was fuming. He sighed and slowly walked to his desk to pack his things.
Syaoran took a few deep breaths after the yelling, trying to calm himself as he swiftly walked to the exit. "One more thing, I do not want to see you anymore when I come back" He stated in a cold voice as he walked out of the office, rushing off to his home to change. He would not allow himself to be caught with that girl!
The security guard looked at Syaoran's back. He could feel his skin crawling. Syaoran's cold voice was much scarier than his yelling. &---&---& Sakura woke up a moment later. She groaned, feeling the glaring sun shining on her. As she opened her eyes, she too, recalled last night's happening. But she didn't curse.As she stared at the jacket over her, Sakura smiled to herself. Maybe that jerk wasn't so bad after all. Finally coming back to Earth, Sakura immediately realized that she needed a change of clothes. She looked at her watch. It was 8.10am. There was still time for her to go back!
She too was relieved that the lift was working, she quickly took it to the ground floor, and saw the security guard at the table again. Only, this time, he was not asleep. He was packing his things, putting them into boxes, as if he had been fired. But being in a hurry. Sakura couldn't care less if he was fired. Running as fast as she could, she quickly ran back home, hoping that she could make it on time.
&---&---&
The security guard heard the sound of the lift coming and looked up, just on time to see Sakura coming out of the lift. Sakura just sent a fleeting look at him before dashing out of the building. Her hair was in a mess.
- Hmm, isn't that Boss Hiiragizawa's new secretary? If that was case, doesn't that mean that Boss Li and she had spent the night together? No wonder Boss Li was so angry, as he was not only stuck in the office overnight, but with a girl, most probably a fan girl too! Imagine what kind of torture he had to experience. But Boss Li didn't have his jacket on, that girl is holding it! I wonder if anything happened last night…-
&---&---&
Sakura had changed, her hair was now neatly tied up and she had put on a fresh set of make up. She was almost late for work. Sakura found herself running at fast as she could again, hoping that she could reach her company on time.
Bang! Sakura bumped into someone when she was almost at the office
"Itai" Sakura said as she used her hand to cover her forehead, the place where she knocked against that someone. "Gomen, I'm going to be late for work, and did not see you."
"Hey! Sakura-chan, what a coincidence! How've you been? To be meeting in such a situation, we two must be really fated." A male voice asked leeringly and seductively as he stepped forward to hug her.
Upon hearing the voice, Sakura's head shot up almost immediately only to see the face of the man that she detested, Andy. - What luck. - She thought mockingly.
"Get lost Li. I thought I said I don't want to see you ever again? And didn't I tell you it is KINOMOTO to you?" Sakura retorted as she tried to break away from his embrace. -This is no way as gentle and nice as his hug last night…. Argh, why am I thinking of him now? -
Not once did she think of the possible connection between the two 'Li's. In her mind, though she called them both 'Li', they were two separate people.
At the thought of Syaoran's hug, Sakura managed to break free from Andy, stepped a few steps back and said, "Go away Li! I told you there is no turning back. From the very minute you cheated on me, you had hurt me and I do not want to have anything to do with you anymore!"
"Hold it." Andy grabbed Sakura's arm tightly before he continued. "Why can't you just forget the whole thing? Let's start anew. I can't stop thinking of you everyday. I've said it before, it was Cassie who first seduced me! Since we meet again today, it shows that we are meant to be together."
"Oh whatever, I have heard enough. Now get lost! I don't want to see you again! " Sakura shouted at the top of her voice, causing a commotion as she bit his hand, causing him to clutch it in pain and let go of her. She quickly ran into the company.
Andy smirked as he continued his journey, looking at the teeth marks made by Sakura. - She sure is fiery, but who expected her to work in that company? Now, Sakura, you will never get away from me! You will be mine! -
Meiling, who happened to come at the same time, saw the whole thing. - What is that useless jerk doing here? And wasn't that Eriol's new secretary, Sakura? How do they know each other? This is bad, I had better tell Syaoran about this.-
&---&---&
"Hey! Li-san, thanks for yesterday. If not for you, I wouldn't have been able to withstand last night or sleep peacefully. As for your jacket, I will wash it for you today and return it to you tomorrow, okay?" Sakura said with a smile and a tiny suggestion of a blush upon remembering what had happened last night. She had met Syaoran at the entrance of the building and had decided to thank him for that night.
"Whatever. Don't mention last night's incident again or tell anyone about it. I don't want any rumors." Syaoran replied in a cold and can't care less manner. But deep inside, he was trying very hard to stop himself from blushing.
"As for the jacket, make sure you take good care of it and return it to me. It is branded." He continued.
"Geez,, what's his problem?" Sakura rolled her eyes at him as she walked to her table and began her work. - Where has last night's Syaoran gone to? -
"Kinomoto…" Three low voices growled threateningly, waking her up from her thoughts.
Sakura turned around and was greeted with the sight of 'B3'.
- Oh no! Now what? -
End of Chapter 6Ling: Hehe… We had a nice time writing how Syaoran scolded the security guard, we actually find it very enjoyable and cute.
Jo: Yep. We had a very nice time writing it. Although he did do something nice... ;; Anyway, unless something crops up, another chapter or two should be headed your way by next Sunday.
Ling: Remember to review so that we know that people are reading this story!