Me: A thousand thanks to Cheekypoo for telling me how to change my e-mail
setting. Kero, present Cheekypoo's reward.
Kero: You win this bass slapping fish, this piece of lint, and a free holiday to Peckham.
Me: Isn't that a marvellous set of prizes?
Kero: Keyo doesn't own Cardcaptor's and the characters in this fic, except for the ones he made up.
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Chapter 3 - Homeward.
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Art class eventually came to an end, in a time period that was far too long for Li and Sakura. The awkward silence that had built up was killing them. Occasionally one would glance at the other and smile, causing the other to turn slightly red and bury their face in their work. 'Why does she keep smiling at me like that? It's making me nervous. . .Hell. . .just sitting this close to her is making me nervous. Does she really like me?' Li had tried to focus on the paper before him, but found it hard. Whenever he tried to focus on an image in his head, he kept seeing Sakura's face and the scent of cherry blossom filled his head. When the bell rang the student's swiftly evacuated the classroom, heading for the back of the school where the buses stopped. Sakura took time out to put her books in her locker, having carried them around in her arms all day. When she arrived at the back of the school though, to her dismay she saw the last of the buses leaving the school grounds.
"NO NO! ! ! STOP! ! ! WAIT FOR ME! ! !" She cried, chasing after the bus but to no avail.
Her head slumped downward, her eyes gazing hopelessly at the ground. It was still raining and she didn't know how to get home. Walking was an option, but she didn't know the way. The rain beat down on her head, her hat beginning to sag under the weight of the water, then the drops stopped hitting her already soaked form. She quickly turned her head in surprise.
Li wandered out of the male toilet. He never took the bus. He liked to avoid places where pranks could be played on him. He pulled his fleece over his head and was begining to get his black umbrella out from his bag when he saw Sakura standing out in the rain. He didn't know why, but he opened his umbrella up and walked over to where she was standing, holding the umbrella over her to shield her from the rain.
"Li!" Sakura exclaimed. A smile spreading over her once downcast features.
Li couldn't resist returning the smile. She was actually happy to see him.
"Are you okay?" He asked a little nervous.
"I missed my bus and I don't know the way back home." She groaned.
'What does she expect you to do about it? Just walk away, no-one would help you.' Li mentally told the voice to shut the fuck up.
"Where do you live?" Li asked, his confidence growing a little.
"I don't know the street name. . ." Sakura admitted. "But it faces the front entrance of the sports centre."
Li nodded, his mind already visualising the area.
"I know where you mean, it's on the way to my place. I'll walk you back there." Li was starting to smile a bit.
Sakura's own smile grew. She couldn't get over how good Li looked when he smiled, rather than his usual morbid sorrowful appearance.
"You will!? Oh thanks Li!" She threw her arms around him giving him a light hug.
Li's mind went blank as she did this. His eyes widened and he had no idea how to react, save for going red. Soon Sakura realised what she was doing and pulled away, her face burning from embarrassment as well as cold. Li felt a little sad when she broke her embrace and felt a longing for that scent of cherry blossom she carried. He then noticed her shivering. It was a very cold day, and she was already soaked. Despite the cries of the voice in his head, Li pulled off his fleece and handed it to her.
"Here. Put this on unless you want to catch your death of cold. Shall we get going?"
As Sakura pulled away from Li she found herself missing the contact with his form. The warmth of his body, now absent, left her feeling colder than before. And that lovely smell of oak that emitted from his clothing. She felt a shiver run through her body. Damn it was cold. Then she could smell that lovely oak scent again, and turned to see Li offering her his fleece. She pulled it on, enjoying the warmth it offered and savouring the oak scent.
"Thank you Li. And yeah. . .Lets."
The pair set off through the streets. Li spent a little bit of time trying to force out the voice in his head. 'Why'd you do that? Now you'll be cold instead of her! And why are you helping her? It's not like she likes you or anything.' The cold wind that was building up cut through Li's shirt. Yes. . .He was going to be damn cold. But he somehow preferred this to watching Sakura shiver. He then felt her body press close to his, her warmth mingling with his. He looked down at the girl beside him.
Sakura noticed Li shiver and his teeth clatter as a cold wind blew through, his fleece shielding her. 'Man. . .He looks really cold. Well that's because I'm wearing his fleece d'uh.' She leant in close to him, trying to warm him up.
"You. . .Uhhhh. . .Looked cold." She stammered nervously when she saw his surprised eyes.
For once the pessimistic voice in Li's head was silent, unable to come up with an alternative motive for Sakura's action. His surprise turned into a nervous smile as he wrapped an arm around her.
"Y. . .Yes. . .Thank you." He smiled, enjoying the look of surprise on Sakura's face, along with her scent of cherry blossom and the warmth emitting from her form.
Sakura pulled her self in closer, enjoying the oak scent and the warmth form Li's body. She could not understand why so many people didn't like him, and didn't want to. They walked for about an hour, as it was a long way to Sakura's home. Sakura was able to start some casual conversation. Finding out that Li's sister Julie worked late most nights to support them. Li had a black cat named Wei and kept in touch with his old friend in China, Mei Lin, via e-mail. In turn, Li learned that Sakura lived with her father and brother Tori. He mother had died soon after Sakura had been born, and her father had moved the family here as part of a promotion. Tori was a big pain and had a white Labrador named Yuwe, while Sakura had a tabby cat named Kero. For both, the arrived at Sakura's home too soon, and both felt nostalgic for the contact with the other.
"I. . .Uhhh. . .Guess I'll see you at school tomorrow." Sakura sighed as she unlocked the door.
"Yeah. . .I guess so." Li sighed in return.
He began to walk back the way they had come. Sakura looked at him quizzically for a moment and then called after him.
"LI! I though you said my home was en route to your place!"
Li glanced back at her, returning her cry.
"I lied."
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Kero: Think Cheekypoo liked those prizes?
Me: I dunno. If not, I have a feeling I'll be getting a very close look at that Bass slapping fish.
Kero: Y'know. . .I could go for some fish and chips about now.
Me: *sigh*
[Thanks again to Cheekypoo]
Kero: You win this bass slapping fish, this piece of lint, and a free holiday to Peckham.
Me: Isn't that a marvellous set of prizes?
Kero: Keyo doesn't own Cardcaptor's and the characters in this fic, except for the ones he made up.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
Chapter 3 - Homeward.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
Art class eventually came to an end, in a time period that was far too long for Li and Sakura. The awkward silence that had built up was killing them. Occasionally one would glance at the other and smile, causing the other to turn slightly red and bury their face in their work. 'Why does she keep smiling at me like that? It's making me nervous. . .Hell. . .just sitting this close to her is making me nervous. Does she really like me?' Li had tried to focus on the paper before him, but found it hard. Whenever he tried to focus on an image in his head, he kept seeing Sakura's face and the scent of cherry blossom filled his head. When the bell rang the student's swiftly evacuated the classroom, heading for the back of the school where the buses stopped. Sakura took time out to put her books in her locker, having carried them around in her arms all day. When she arrived at the back of the school though, to her dismay she saw the last of the buses leaving the school grounds.
"NO NO! ! ! STOP! ! ! WAIT FOR ME! ! !" She cried, chasing after the bus but to no avail.
Her head slumped downward, her eyes gazing hopelessly at the ground. It was still raining and she didn't know how to get home. Walking was an option, but she didn't know the way. The rain beat down on her head, her hat beginning to sag under the weight of the water, then the drops stopped hitting her already soaked form. She quickly turned her head in surprise.
Li wandered out of the male toilet. He never took the bus. He liked to avoid places where pranks could be played on him. He pulled his fleece over his head and was begining to get his black umbrella out from his bag when he saw Sakura standing out in the rain. He didn't know why, but he opened his umbrella up and walked over to where she was standing, holding the umbrella over her to shield her from the rain.
"Li!" Sakura exclaimed. A smile spreading over her once downcast features.
Li couldn't resist returning the smile. She was actually happy to see him.
"Are you okay?" He asked a little nervous.
"I missed my bus and I don't know the way back home." She groaned.
'What does she expect you to do about it? Just walk away, no-one would help you.' Li mentally told the voice to shut the fuck up.
"Where do you live?" Li asked, his confidence growing a little.
"I don't know the street name. . ." Sakura admitted. "But it faces the front entrance of the sports centre."
Li nodded, his mind already visualising the area.
"I know where you mean, it's on the way to my place. I'll walk you back there." Li was starting to smile a bit.
Sakura's own smile grew. She couldn't get over how good Li looked when he smiled, rather than his usual morbid sorrowful appearance.
"You will!? Oh thanks Li!" She threw her arms around him giving him a light hug.
Li's mind went blank as she did this. His eyes widened and he had no idea how to react, save for going red. Soon Sakura realised what she was doing and pulled away, her face burning from embarrassment as well as cold. Li felt a little sad when she broke her embrace and felt a longing for that scent of cherry blossom she carried. He then noticed her shivering. It was a very cold day, and she was already soaked. Despite the cries of the voice in his head, Li pulled off his fleece and handed it to her.
"Here. Put this on unless you want to catch your death of cold. Shall we get going?"
As Sakura pulled away from Li she found herself missing the contact with his form. The warmth of his body, now absent, left her feeling colder than before. And that lovely smell of oak that emitted from his clothing. She felt a shiver run through her body. Damn it was cold. Then she could smell that lovely oak scent again, and turned to see Li offering her his fleece. She pulled it on, enjoying the warmth it offered and savouring the oak scent.
"Thank you Li. And yeah. . .Lets."
The pair set off through the streets. Li spent a little bit of time trying to force out the voice in his head. 'Why'd you do that? Now you'll be cold instead of her! And why are you helping her? It's not like she likes you or anything.' The cold wind that was building up cut through Li's shirt. Yes. . .He was going to be damn cold. But he somehow preferred this to watching Sakura shiver. He then felt her body press close to his, her warmth mingling with his. He looked down at the girl beside him.
Sakura noticed Li shiver and his teeth clatter as a cold wind blew through, his fleece shielding her. 'Man. . .He looks really cold. Well that's because I'm wearing his fleece d'uh.' She leant in close to him, trying to warm him up.
"You. . .Uhhhh. . .Looked cold." She stammered nervously when she saw his surprised eyes.
For once the pessimistic voice in Li's head was silent, unable to come up with an alternative motive for Sakura's action. His surprise turned into a nervous smile as he wrapped an arm around her.
"Y. . .Yes. . .Thank you." He smiled, enjoying the look of surprise on Sakura's face, along with her scent of cherry blossom and the warmth emitting from her form.
Sakura pulled her self in closer, enjoying the oak scent and the warmth form Li's body. She could not understand why so many people didn't like him, and didn't want to. They walked for about an hour, as it was a long way to Sakura's home. Sakura was able to start some casual conversation. Finding out that Li's sister Julie worked late most nights to support them. Li had a black cat named Wei and kept in touch with his old friend in China, Mei Lin, via e-mail. In turn, Li learned that Sakura lived with her father and brother Tori. He mother had died soon after Sakura had been born, and her father had moved the family here as part of a promotion. Tori was a big pain and had a white Labrador named Yuwe, while Sakura had a tabby cat named Kero. For both, the arrived at Sakura's home too soon, and both felt nostalgic for the contact with the other.
"I. . .Uhhh. . .Guess I'll see you at school tomorrow." Sakura sighed as she unlocked the door.
"Yeah. . .I guess so." Li sighed in return.
He began to walk back the way they had come. Sakura looked at him quizzically for a moment and then called after him.
"LI! I though you said my home was en route to your place!"
Li glanced back at her, returning her cry.
"I lied."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
Kero: Think Cheekypoo liked those prizes?
Me: I dunno. If not, I have a feeling I'll be getting a very close look at that Bass slapping fish.
Kero: Y'know. . .I could go for some fish and chips about now.
Me: *sigh*
[Thanks again to Cheekypoo]