She didn't feel very bad about it because of what had happened during her tutoring session. She'd found that while this Li boy had a talent to make her feel like a beautiful, mysterious woman, someone he needed and cherished, he also had the power to make her feel like a complete idiot.
"'I like nikuman'? You're not even trying!"
"But I'm hungry," she complained, "and tired. I can't concentrate."
He glared at her with those fierce yellow eyes and she glared right back. "I'm tired too." He sat back and rubbed his eyes, sighing. "But if you think I'm going to waste my time here while you dole out trash, you're wrong." They shared an equally frustrated look.
And she realized he thought she was dumb. Her temper flared. "I didn't ask to get behind in math, you know. I was just out of school for a while and couldn't catch up as easily as in my other classes." She sighed and looked at her notebook. "I was already struggling to keep my grade up. Now I just need to pass."
"Why were you out of school?"
She stiffened a little and withdrew. "None of your business."
He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Let's go over integers again." He withdrew as well and they had an equally unpleasant afternoon.
Therefore, she was still too angry with him that evening to risk speaking, but, when he tutored her the next day, she regretted avoiding him.
He had become tense and distracted, marking her wrong answers as correct and being generally useless as a tutor.
"Li," she finally said, putting her pencil down, "go home."
He came out of his reverie and looked surprised.
"Go home and get some rest -- you look like you need it."
"But." He looked at her half-finished homework.
"I'll have Touya or Yukito check it. Even they're better than you like this."
He gave in and gathered his things. She stopped him at the door.
"Li, cheer up, okay? Whatever's bothering you will be all right." She smiled and was gratified to get a small smile back.
"Thank you," he said and left.
That evening, she waited for him under the penguin, forming a shield to keep anything unwanted away and to draw him in. She knew he could smell the magic.
When he arrived, he was wary. He stalked the penguin before poking his sword at the magical barrier.
"Be careful where you put that thing," she laughed, reaching one hand out to draw him in. Recognizing her, he allowed himself to be pulled.
It was cramped with the two of them but Syaoran solved the problem by pulling her onto his lap. She flushed, but it was too dark for him to see. Only her dress and the paleness of their skin could really be made out in the darkness.
"You didn't need help tonight?" he asked, looking out onto the playground.
"Maybe later," she replied, knowing he wasn't the only thing her magic would summon. "I just wanted to talk to you."
"You were made at me," he offered to begin. "Why?"
She grimaced. "I'm sorry." Her arms were around his neck because it was more comfortable that way, but her face was close to his and it made it hard for her to breathe properly. "I . . . saw you." He nodded, his hair brushing her cheek.
"I saw you glance back."
She shook her head. "No, during the day. While you were at school."
They looked at each other in silence for a long while, then Syaoran dropped his eyes. "What did you see?"
She leaned against him, putting her head under his chin. "Someone who needs to smile more, who needs to trust people."
"If I work on it . . ."
"Then you'll be happier."
He pulled her close and his voice was gruff. "I'm not doing it for me."
She was being held so tight that her lips were right beside his ear. She could feel him tremble when she spoke, and she relished the power of it. "If you do this, you'll be that much closer to making me fall in love with you."
His arms around her became steely and he moved his head so that his lips were on hers. She kissed him back almost wonderingly. How could this annoying, insensitive boy make her legs tremble and her heart pound? It was so unfair.
The kiss this time was wild and a little desperate. They clung to each other and let their lips speak for them.
She only pulled back when she remembered who they were, but she continued to lean against him for comfort. She would have to suffer his not knowing her during the day, but he adored her in the evenings.
She would keep the evenings for herself.
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