Heads up! There's going to be lots of drama.
Something Pink
Part 8: Paving a Path for Next Time
A ray of sunshine broke through the glistening window, splaying drops of radiance into the bedroom. It was what woke her up instead of her usual alarm clock that morning. Beginning to stir from her sleep, she realized how tough her pillow had gotten over night, however comfortable and warm it was. The pillow even moved as if it were breathing, in taking a breath and exhaling rhythmically. It took her a long time before she could comprehend what was going on or why the pillow came to life the way it did.
Blinking the sleepiness out of her eyes, she caught sight of the unfamiliar yellow wall of the room she slept in. If that was not shocking enough, Sakura felt a pair of strong legs intertwining through hers and a strong arm over her hip. Syaoran's fingers were splayed across her belly, the heat of it diffusing through her shirt. Somehow he had become her pillow! Her head was right on top of his chest and she had been resting there for quite some time.
Sakura blushed as she slowly raised her head and looked directly into the face of Syaoran Li. Her heart stopped and she felt herself freeze over, looking at his peaceful, dormant face. Gathering her wits, she slowly writhed, but Syaoran tightened his hold on her and brought her closer if that were possible. She tried again, while she turned redder by the minute with her face pressed into his chest.
For several minutes, she waited for him to wake up. As those minutes dissolved, she could feel his hold on her slacken gradually. Unsure, she lifted her face to look at his, and to her shock, met his eyes. His eyes were smiling clandestinely at her as he finally spoke, "Morning, Beautiful."
Sakura pushed right off of him, and almost fell off her side of the bed if it weren't for Syaoran's quick catch on the front of her shirt. He pulled her back up onto the bed, saying, "Easy there! I don't want you getting a concussion."
"You were awake? What did you think you were doing?" Sakura demanded of him.
"I was being polite and letting the lady sleep on me when the daughter woke." Syaoran gave her a warm smile.
Sakura wrapped her arms around herself and almost whimpered in humiliation. "I don't need you holding me in my sleep as if we are…"
"Still together…"
Sakura looked away, hearing him finish the sentence.
Syaoran continued speaking. "Well, if you hadn't suddenly rolled onto my side and on top of me, I wouldn't have touched you at all."
"Well, you could have woken me up like a decent man would have," Sakura spoke in a menacing voice.
"I don't think you would have wakened, My Dearest."
There was a loud crash and heavy footsteps dashing down the hall to the room they were in. Peony hurtled herself through the door, slamming it open and leaving a big dent of the doorknob on the surface of the wall.
"Mommy, Daddy, look what I did?!" Peony shouted, waving a piece of paper in her hand, still standing by the doorway.
"Peony," Sakura scolded, "You ruined your father's wall. Apologize, now!"
Peony glanced at the dent and shrugged. "Little thing Daddy can pay for."
"Peony!" Sakura shouted, glaring at Syaoran, who shrugged just like the girl. "It's okay," he said.
"No, it's not. If you let her go around wrecking things, she will never learn!" Sakura screamed in rage.
"Well, if you were around more often, maybe you could have taught her those things," Syaoran argued.
"Still, when I'm not around, I was hoping you would be a good parent. Apparently you are not because our daughter keeps thinking that your money can take away that one vocabulary word, 'sorry!'"
Syaoran stared at her, wide-eyed. She was right. Being a rich father meant nothing if you couldn't discipline your own child. How did he ever let Peony get away with the things she did? Even though her future was set in stone because she was a Li, she still had to realize that the real world was not as kind and charitable as Syaoran.
While Syaoran thought through this with a grim look on his face, Sakura gasped and put both hands over her mouth, surprised and ashamed at her outburst. Syaoran raised his hand to stop her from apologizing and said, "Nope, you're right. I have been spoiling her. And it is about time someone steered me right." He sighed and looked at Peony, who now stood quietly by his side. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I'll open the door quietly next time," she whispered, hugging him around the neck. Syaoran hugged her back, saying that it was alright and that next time she should be more careful.
Sakura watched them through shinning eyes. Peony had apologized without having her speak twice and Syaoran was accepting her apology with a little hint of a fair warning. This was a great start, much better than what they had begun with. Syaoran was really beginning to understand the role of parenthood, which he seemed to fit in quite well.
Syaoran took the paper that Peony held out to him with care, wondering what it was. Before Peony could explain to him what he could not articulate from a three-year-old's drawing, Sakura looked over his shoulder at the drawing and laughed out loud. "It's lovely, Sweetheart. Who is this for?" Sakura asked, glancing at Syaoran's face, which was funny looking because he still could not figure out what the drawing was supposed to represent.
"For you and Daddy," the girl said.
Sakura's smile faded and a frown dawned on her face.
Syaoran leaned towards his daughter and asked in a soft voice. "Hmmmm. It's so—I don't know—so colorful." Peony nodded enthusiastically at his comment. "I'm going to make breakfast, now," Peony said with a cute toothless grin on her face as she left her parents alone again.
When she left, Sakura rolled her eyes at Syaoran, who was still looking at the picture as if it were one of his puzzling documents from work. "Ah-ha! They are flowers!"
"No, Silly!" Sakura exclaimed, coming closer to him, so that there heads barely touched. "Can't you see? That's me, you, and Peony. She's quite an artist once you get to know her work."
Syaoran tilted his head slightly to look at her. His nose gently brushed her cheek when he spoke. "Wouldn't I like to know?"
Sakura blushed and pulled back from her relatively close encounter with him.
He now looked her fully in the face and queried in a subtle voice, "Are you sure that's me? She drew me awfully fat and you awfully thin. Am I that fat?"
Sakura smiled and reached out to pat his hard stomach playfully. "Maybe you are."
At that moment he seized her outstretched hand and brought it to his lips. Carefully he kissed her knuckles and looked up to see her reaction to the gesture. She was certainly uncomfortable and outraged at the same time because he could tell how she scowled and trembled. She was about to yell at him when she swiftly drew her hand away, but the sound of shattering glass interrupted her. They both exchanged 'What-was-that!' glances. Then, simultaneously they jumped from the bed and rushed downstairs.
A little girl with brown hair and golden brown eyes looked up at them from her place in the kitchen. Two bowls were set in front of her, while she poised herself on the counter with her two wobbly feet. There was milk leaving a white, glistening puddle under her feet and dripping off the edge still. She held the milk jug, haphazardly in her hands, allowing the last drops to flow. Cheerios mixed with the milk got stuck on her little feet and on the granite counter like craters on the moon.
The parents' jaws dropped when she looked up and shouted, "Breakfast is served!" She said it with so much enthusiasm that she lost her footing. Sakura and Syaoran rushed forward; Syaoran caught the daughter and Sakura caught the milk jug. However both were attacked by flicks of milk as they retrieved there catches.
Sodden with milk themselves, Sakura and Syaoran glared at Peony. She whimpered this time, "Breakfast is served?"
She moved her thumb into her mouth and sucked its milky taste, bright eyes about to water. Simultaneously, Sakura and Syaoran beamed at her. "Thanks, Peony." And they all sighed in unison.
"Can you do me a favor?" 1
"It depends on what that favor is." 2
"I need you to get Sakura to go to the theater, where that new musical is taking place." 1
"Are you going?" 2
"What do you think?" 1
"I guess you are, then." 2
"Are you going to help or not?" 1
"Of course. But I don't understand why you don't have the guts to ask her yourself." 2
"Just think about it. Do you think she would even consider it?" 1
"Come to think of it, you're right. She just might shut you out completely if you ever asked her." 2
Peony's Birthday
The phone rang in Sakura Kinomoto's residence, almost going unheard. Over all the commotion, she spoke into the receiver.
"Sakura, I won't be able to come, today," Seiji said, once she greeted him.
"Oh, but Peony will miss you so much."
"She has her little friends."
"They won't be here until later in the afternoon. I need help with the decorations."
Seiji laughed. "I think you have enough hands, Honey."
There was silence on the other end. Sakura could not speak because she was very disappointed in him.
"Sakura, please don't be mad. How about this. I got two free tickets to the musical playing at the theater tonight. Once you put Peony to bed, you can get dress and go with me."
"Seiji, what about your girlfriend? Why don't you ask her instead?" Sakura suggested in between a sigh. "It's alright; I understand why you are busy. You don't need to put her off for cheering me up."
"I asked her already," he replied flatly. "I'm with her right now. She said she's busy and has to work late."
"I don't think I can. I'm so tired right now."
"Come on! Free tickets…" Seiji taunted.
"Alright, we'll see. I'm really busy right now, so I'll see you tonight."
"I'll be there at 7:30 sharp. Please, be ready."
"I'll try my very best—someone's at the door—I have to go now. Bye." She hung up without waiting for his reply.
She sighed heavily as she threw herself on the couch. Her body landed on the teddy bear, making her groan in irritation. She reached under and pulled it out. For a moment, she forgot about the door and stared at the teddy. Every time she looked into the bear's eyes she always saw Syaoran looking back at her. She would hug him close to her. Sometimes she would even sleep with it as if she were a child again.
"Sakura, are you going to get that?" Sakura's father, Fuji taka, asked through he kitchen door, bringing her back to reality.
Touya stood over her and added, "The door won't answer itself you know."
"If you are so carefree right now, why don't you answer it?"
Touya smirked and said in a monotone, "Because it's your house, Kaiju."
"Take that back!" Sakura shouted, clenching her fist at him and squeezing the doll in her other hand.
The doorbell rung again and Touya rolled his eyes. He casually strolled back into the dining room, while Sakura turned towards the door.
She threw the door open and was greeted with Eriol's smiling face. "Hey, Sakura! Where's the birthday girl?"
"Hey, Eriol! Touya and Dad are in the kitchen and Peony is still getting ready."
"What about Seiji?"
"He gave me a call and told me he isn't going to be here today." Sakura sighed and shook her head. "She's going to be so disappointed."
"Well, I better go help them, then," Eriol said handing her the big box that was Peony's present.
"And you're late like every year," Sakura reminded him. Eriol laughed quietly, his eyes smiling.
"At least I'm here unlike Seiji."
Just as he stepped into the house and disappeared into the kitchen Syaoran was revealed. He had stood there listening to their conversation, hiding from her view the whole time!
"Syaoran!" She shouted in surprise.
Syaoran smiled and snapped his fingers. Out of no where men with towers of gifts appeared. Before she got run over by them, she stepped aside from the doorway as they rushed forward setting the gifts in the living room. Each of them gave a bow and then rushed away, leaving no evidence, but the gifts, of them ever being there.
She blinked blankly at Syaoran, who now smiled at her. She closed the door behind him, while he examined the decorated house with keen eyes, his back facing her.
"Nice," he said quietly.
His eyes followed the colorful helium balloons floating about the house and scattered confetti on the carpet floor. There was a huge sign hung over the entrance of the living room with the colorful words "Happy 4TH Birthday Peony!" blazing across it. Pink and yellow ribbons decorated every room, bringing the boring white walls to a life of vividness.
"But I wouldn't have expected a grown woman like you to still be playing with stuffed animals," he said gruffly as he turned to eye the teddy bear in her arms.
She glowered at him. "There is nothing wrong with this doll or me. And if you don't recall, you were the one who gave me this thing," she said, shoving it in his face.
He gripped her wrists gently and pulled them down along with the doll, revealing her flushed face. "I recall," he said, taking a step closer to her. Sakura side stepped and walked around him to stand between him and the presents he had men bring in. Syaoran's eyes followed her face and his feet brought him behind her. "You've outdone me again, Syaoran," she sighed, not looking up at him.
"I'm not trying to out do you," he said, apologetically.
He didn't realize the presents made her feel that way. How dense could he get? "I think a child will look at a parent's gift with value not volume," he assured her.
"Don't try and cheer me up. I'm not upset," Sakura sneered.
His hand rested on her shoulder in a comforting act. At that instant, Touya had stepped out the kitchen to ask Sakura something, but his throat caught when he saw Syaoran.
"You!" Both men screamed. Touya strode forward, pointing an accusing finger at Syaoran. He was shaking with rage.
Syaoran crossed his arms and stared him down defiantly.
"I have yet to finish what I started!" Touya shouted.
"I have yet to repay you," Syaoran growled. "You caught me off guard that day." Syaoran fully faced him now.
Sakura stepped in between them with her arms spread. "You will not fight on my daughter's birthday!"
Touya and Syaoran stared at her. Touya stiffly nodded and brought his fists down. Syaoran was his unperturbed self, but he restrained his anger and cast his eyes down.
"You're lucky, Gaki. If Kaiju weren't here you would be lying in a puddle of blood."
Sakura and Syaoran growled at the same time. They glanced back at each other before they followed Touya into the kitchen. Fujitaka greeted Sakura and Syaoran with enthusiasm.
"Well, hi there! Sakura, who is this?" He asked, his kind eyes smiling at both of them.
Syaoran eyed him nervously. This man was nothing like Touya. He was wearing an apron with a spatula in his hand. He was waving it around while he beamed at Syaoran. This, Syaoran knew, was Sakura's father.
"Syaoran's the father of your granddaughter," Sakura said simply with a shrug.
"Oh," Fujitaka said quietly, pushing his glasses up from the tip of his nose to get a closer look at Syaoran.
"You can tell where Peony gets his looks from," Eriol said with a grin from beside Fujitaka.
"Yes!" Fujitaka exclaimed passing the spatula to Eriol's wet hands. Touya was pealing potatoes at the table as he muttered loudly, "Peony looks nothing like him, Eriol. You need to update your glasses."
"Now, Touya, be a little more considerate." Fujitaka said.
"Ohayo!" A new voice greeted as he entered the kitchen door.
"Yukito-san!" Sakura shouted, surprised.
"I kept knocking at the front door, but no one answered and the door was unlocked. I thought I could just invite myself in." Yukito said.
"Now everyone is here. We need all the hands we can get," Fujitaka said smiling more widely.
"Ah, not everyone. I don't see your boyfriend, Sakura," Touya said, while glaring at Syaoran.
Syaoran was surprised speechless.
"What boyfriend?" Fujitaka, Sakura, and Syaoran asked all at the same time.
"He must mean Seiji," Yukito said.
"Who is not here because he is with his girlfriend, so how can I be here if I am his girlfriend?" Sakura barred her teeth at her brother.
"Shut up, Kaiju," Touya muttered.
"It's alright, Sakura. Touya's lame way to make Syaoran jealous won't work. Am I right?" Yukito looked at Syaoran.
Syaoran nodded. "How did you know who I am?"
"You're all over the news and paper. And… Touya has told me about you." Yukito answered him with a smile.
"Like always," Sakura murmured to herself under her breath. Everyone stared at her. She dismissed their stares with a wave of her hand. "Come on everybody. Back to work."
In the afternoon all of Peony's friends from school went to her party. She received cake and many presents, but most important of all, she had the chance to show off the father she had, to all those that had made fun of her in the past for having no father figure.
"This is my Daddy," Peony stated proudly, taking her father's hand and bringing him to the front of her circle of friends. "He's rich and handsome."
One of the girls shouted out. "My Daddy is rich, too."
"But not as rich as my daddy. Daddy bought me millions of presents. And I could get new ones everyday," Peony declared, pointing at the pyramid of gifts in the corner of the room.
"Enough, Peony," Syaoran sighed.
"Daddy, tell them how great you are," she pleaded with him.
"I'm not that great." Syaoran replied, ruffling up her hair.
Sakura carried out a chair for Syaoran. He fell on it in exhaustion, his brain throbbing.
At that moment, Sakura took the stage and said in a bold voice, "Li-san is better than great. He's been champion in everything anybody could imagine."
"I bet my daddy can beat Li-san!" Someone shouted.
"Hold it!" Sakura said in a stern voice. "No one has to beat anybody. I bet, each one of your daddies are better than this daddy here at something else."
Syaoran could just feel his ego pop at the last remark made by his wife. He shrank in his chair.
"But being a good father doesn't mean being the champion of something. It means spending time with his children, and that is what Li-san is good at." Sakura said this, while she stared back at Syaoran. He was admiring her with his eyes, seeing her as the angel he had always dreamed of her as being.
Bored, with the argument, the children filed out with Peony leading them. Syaoran continued to stare at Sakura with shinning eyes, touched by her appraisal. As the silence filled the room, Sakura glanced back up at Syaoran her eyes firing up. "Stop staring at me!"
"I can't," Syaoran spoke quietly.
"You can and you will," Sakura said in a harsh voice. "I am not some piece of meat to admire."
Syaoran stood up and walked over to her. He stopped short in front of her, to watch her more closely then before. Then, he gave her a slow peck on the cheek and tapped her nose twice with his forefinger. "I'll see you later. Business waits."
Sakura stared at him, stunned speechless. Just as he reached the door she blurted out the fury that out of the blue flamed up inside her. "Oh, so that's it, now. You are going to leave right in the middle of the party. Typical you, as always."
Syaoran balked at the door and turned to give her his full attention. "We already had cake. And we celebrated alone bright and early in the morning with our little girl already."
"If you leave, I will be angry with you," Sakura promptly said.
Syaoran chuckled and enveloped her in a tight hug. "You have to understand. This is something I must do."
She pulled away from him crossly. "It's always something you must do. What else?"
He left without another word. Just like the way it was when they were still together. Some things, Sakura thought sadly as she stared at the door yearningly, don't change.
"Sakura, Hurry up!" Seiji called up the stairs, glancing at his watch every minute that ticked away. "They close doors at the theater after nine!"
Sakura came sprinting down the stairs, with her shoes half on. She landed in front of him in the most inelegant way imaginable. Seiji gawked at her entrance, but more at what she had chosen to wear for the evening. She wore a peach knee-length dress. The top half was held up by two one inch straps, cute bows adorning her shoulders. Sakura smiled at him and twirled around, her skirt flying about her. "What do you think?" Sakura asked.
"As always, absolutely lovely."
"Well, you look good, too."
Seiji glanced at his watch and jumped. "We're running very late." He shoved her out of the house and into the car.
They arrived on time and got their own balcony with the best view of the show. Sakura squealed with delight as she sat in her cushioned seat. "The view is perfect! I can see all the actors and the audience from up here!" Seiji sat in the seat next to her, laughing at her excitement. "I'm glad you like it."
Sakura turned to him. "Free VIP tickets! You didn't tell me! Who gave them to you?"
The lights dimmed. Seiji put a finger to his lips to hush her. Sakura looked out and over at the stage, excitement boiling up inside her again. As a few characters walked onto the stage, Seiji excused himself. Sakura seized his sleeve and asked, "Where are you going? It's starting!"
"To the restroom. I'll be right back."
Sakura released him and nodded timidly. She turned her attention back to the play and continued watching attentively until she felt a presence return to the seat beside her. Sakura quickly turned to him. "What took you so long? I was beginning to think…" The rest of the words died on her lips as she stared into Syaoran's golden gaze. Her shock immediately turned to horror. Before she could jolt from her seat, Syaoran pinned her down with both his arms by her shoulders.
"Don't you dare leave me and make a scene," Syaoran warned in a low voice. Sakura whimpered. "What do you want? I'm here with Seiji."
"Seiji won't be coming back."
Her eyes glimmered in realization "That jerk… You jerk!" Sakura swung her fists around in anger, trying to free herself.
"If you don't be quiet and enjoy the show, I'm going to lock you in my arms for the rest of the night," Syaoran whispered huskily in her ear.
Sakura naturally flushed, which made Syaoran smile in the dark. Slowly she relaxed and obeyed him to the point that he could finally release his hold on her. As the play progressed, Sakura had already forgotten or could care less who she was with the whole time. She slipped to the edge of her seat in anticipation as every scene unfolded, revealing something brand new to the audience. She gasped, laughed, and moaned sadly to match the moods of the play throughout the show, which Syaoran found much more entertaining than anything else displayed by the actors.
When the whole thing was finally over, Sakura had even followed him outside reviewing excitedly the whole play that Syaoran had paid little attention to. They only had a few more paces to walk before they reached the limo, but Sakura halted abruptly.
"I'm going to go call a cab," she said quietly.
"Sakura." She stopped in mid step when she heard him speak. "I want to settle this now," he said glumly.
"Settle what?" Sakura wondered, fear inching up her spine.
Syaoran looked at her, uncertain of what to say next. "Let me take you out just this once. I need to know," Syaoran said very quietly, his bangs hid the emotions running through his eyes.
Sakura looked at him sideways with her head tilted to the side. She gave him a puzzled look before she spoke out loud again. Something in his voice had triggered the sympathy she still had for him. It was something deep inside her that told her that she must listen to him because he needed her to. "I will go with you if you swear to not touch me, especially when we are going to be alone. Don't pull anything funny!"
Syaoran smiled, revealing his sparkling eyes again as he reached for the car door. "Hop in for the night has just begun," Syaoran promised. "Humph," was her response as she went in.
To her surprise Syaoran asked the driver to stop at the park instead of one of his fancy, five-starred restaurants.
Syaoran read her look and said, "This place is beautiful at night."
"I've never been here at night because it's creepy. You never know what's in there until you get robbed."
"You got me. What's there to be afraid of?"
They were following a paved pathway. The lampposts were their only source of light as there were no stars. The trees cast there shadows over them. Once Sakura thought she even heard something rustle within them. "What was that?"
"Just the wind," Syaoran assured her. Sakura shivered as she felt the breeze hit her.
"It's a little chilly out at night. You better put this on." Syaoran offered her his jacket, which she took gratefully.
Sakura watched the way he walked for a time. His hands were tucked in his pants pockets, and he seemed to be smiling to himself. The breeze played at his hair. In the dim light she thought she saw him differently. He seemed unreal, most unlike any other man in her life. His calm look made her unafraid and, that, she concluded was why she ever married him. But when she thought about this, she felt a sharp pain in her heart as if the thought was a lie. For as long as she could remember, from the day she left, the only men in her life were, her father, her brother, Yukito, Seiji, and Eriol. There was still something missing and that was the cause of the stroke of pain she had to face everyday in her life. The longer he stayed in Japan the sharper the pain grew.
"When are you leaving?" Sakura asked to end the silence that clung to her deafening ears.
"Leaving? I don't think I have any place to go. I'm still trying to find myself."
When he finished saying this they were at the lake already, standing under the only sakura tree in the park. Sakura was looking across the lake at the moon that cast its silver light over the glassy water.
"You talk," Sakura spoke hesitantly, "Strangely these days."
"That's because I figured out I have no direction in life without you," Syaoran stated plainly.
"Without me or without Peony?" Sakura laughed coldly.
"It seems that some of us still need time to grow up," Syaoran mumbled.
"Grow up? You're the one who keeps thinking you're better than everyone else, but you have no direction in life!"
"Oh yeah! What do you have planned, then?" Syaoran now pointed at her angrily.
"I plan on raising my daughter the best I can with or without a man by my side."
"You don't plan on marrying another man…" Syaoran whispered urgently.
Sakura scowled at him. "How can I when I'm still stuck with you by law!"
Syaoran was quiet for the moment willing the wind to pick up and blow around them. Sakura looked up and watched the cherry blossoms rain down on them in spirals. Syaoran caught one in his left hand and sighed deeply.
Sakura looked at him sternly and began again, "Let it go. I am not the wife you want. Open up and move on."
He squeezed his eyes shut while he clenched the petal in his palm. "I need to know… If there is still some room in that cold heart of yours." He opened his eyes abruptly, his fist with the petal in it still clenched close to his side. "I want to know one thing. Tell me, do you love me anymore?"
Now, it was Sakura's turn to be dazed. She looked away and whispered to herself, "no." Syaoran looked at her, his eyes searching while he asked desperately, "What?"
Sakura leapt back putting more distance between them. "I…" Her voice was weak and she found it difficult to loosen her throat in order to speak. "I said no," she spoke clearly this time.
She watched him to see what his reaction was to her answer. His face was blank as if he had not heard her the second time. At this, Sakura reiterated herself by shouting, "no, no, no, no!" with all the voice in her lungs.
She stopped when she got tired and noticed how he looked at her as if he saw through her. His eyes were so soft, at first, she could not recognize him. He had never looked at her that way. His eyes brought her attention back to her own eyes, and she screamed in her mind, 'No Waterworks!'
He started walking to her, but stopped when she yelled, "Stay back! Don't come any closer or I'll scream."
In that instant he looked past her as if she weren't there. He started moving forward again. Sakura wanted to move out of the way and run, but her feet seemed to be stuck to the ground and any protest was jammed in her throat as if his eyes were casting a spell to make her immobilized.
"I love you," he said faintly. "I cannot live without you by my side. Even if I was forced into a second marriage I know that I will love Sakura Kinomoto only and forever."
"No! Stop lying to yourself!" she shouted. And before she could say anything else, she felt his free hand on her right cheek. She closed her eyes, wishing he would just go away and leave or else vanquish the pain that he was causing to her lonely heart. "I am not the one lying to myself," he murmured. He was leaning forward and pulling her in closer to him. Sakura clenched her hands to her heart as she squeezed her eyes tighter. Syaoran brought her chin up and watched as her eyes started relaxing. She opened them to look at him and realized how close they were, his face only an inch away from hers. Like waking from a trance, Sakura started to talk. "I don't wan—"
Before he could let her finish her thought Syaoran had caught her parted lips in a passionate kiss. His fist came up to stroke the back of her neck as the other free hand massaged her cheek. Sakura's eyes closed and enjoyed the touch of his mouth moving across hers. She could almost reach those memories that she had locked up in the corner of her mind. Yet, just as she took hold of the key, her heart twisted and she felt a horrible pain again. Tears burst from her eyes, and Syaoran felt the moisture reaching his fingertips. He released her slightly and said against her lips, "I just needed to know." He was about to kiss her again, but Sakura pulled back abruptly, her hands like springs against his chest. "I can't do this," she murmured, with her head bowed. She turned and sped out of the park afraid to look back and see him chasing her.
Syaoran stood there staring at her, watching her run away from him. He unclenched his left fist and looked at the petal in his hand, wrinkled by his abuse. The wind caught it and spun it out into the lake. Syaoran looked out to the lake and then back at the path that he saw Sakura follow. "I cannot live without you by my side," he said again, anguish etched in his voice. "But now I know all I needed to know."
The cherry blossom petal that had flown into the lake drowned in the waves. Syaoran turned from the lake and trudged back to where the path began.
And this is where I'll end it… sniffles … For now…
