Chapter 7 – Emotional Birthday

Syaoran almost hit the brakes. "Pardon?" He asked. She was about to speak when he interrupted once more. "Y-you remember??" He shot her a look so filled with surprise.

"Yes," she replied as she carefully studied his profile. He was just too handsome for his own good. Sakura sighed wistfully.

"I didn't expect that," he admitted, "though that explains why you were looking for me." He shook his head, smiling lopsidedly. "Thanks."

For a moment, the simple thanks didn't enter her mind, her breath taken away from his expressive eyes and charming smile. Sakura snapped out of her thoughts. "I didn't do anything worth your gratitude," her gaze slowly drifting away from him.

He laughed out loud. That almost broke the barriers between them. "You're the only one who's greeted me today. I think that's worth a lot." He turned left and entered a parking lot of an expensive restaurant.

"What??"

He nodded without a care in the world. "My sisters sort of did last night, but nobody else knows, and I'm not planning on sharing it with them."

"Syaoran…" she whispered, almost in disappointment and sympathy for him.

He looked at her and smiled again, this time more confident. He got out from his side and opened the door for her. "Come on," he said.

"You know…despite everything…I honestly believe you deserve more than this," she said as they walked to the doors of the restaurant.

"Thanks for that," he replied with a wry smile. "But I don't think so. I'm getting exactly what I deserve."

She raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't say anything more.

He got them a table for two, simple and public, though a single red rose stood inside a long, slim glass. As soon as they settled in their seats, the waitress arrived. Syaoran glanced at the menu and decided to go for the barbecued ribs. Sakura ordered fried shrimps on a stick, which was one of the cheapest meals there, but Syaoran didn't bother saying anything about it. As soon as the orders came 15 minutes later, they dug in. A few words passed between them, but neither continued it for a more-than-25-words conversation. Sakura decided to start, throwing in a "random" question to him.

"Can I ask you something unrelated to your birthday?" She asked, glancing up.

He nodded. "Go ahead."

"Um…just for my own curiosity…how long are you staying in Japan?" She asked, trying to be nonchalant about it. Her voice successfully sounded that way, but her heart was another matter.

Surprised at the question, Syaoran's gaze sharpened at her. "Uh," he started, hesitating a little. "well, originally, it was planned for…about 3 months, but from where I'm at right now… I can see myself leaving sometime next week."

Sakura felt her stomach jump at her throat. She swallowed. "How…how come?"

He raised a brow. "How come I'm leaving early or how come only 3 months?"

"Both," she managed to say. Her pounding heart overtook her calm voice.

"Well, my sisters decided to give me 3 months of vacation and sent me to Japan to look over the business part time," he vaguely explained. "And at first, believe me, I said no. I didn't want to come back and ruin your life again," he said with a regretful tone. "But I agreed when I realized that I'd be staying at least a hundred miles from where you would've been. So that first time we saw each other again, I was telling the truth. I didn't come back to make your life miserable. Nonetheless, I did it anyway," Syaoran threw the bare rib down on his plate. "And I'm honestly sorry for doing it, which goes to the point of why I'm leaving earlier than planned. I figured your life's gotten worse by the month and a half I've been here; I'll just leave before I do any more damage." He shrugged again and took a drink of his wine.

Sakura bit her lip to keep the sudden tears from escaping. "You…you think you're ruining my life just by being here?"

He glanced at her, his face strained. "Every time I look at you, that's all I see in your eyes. I…I know you might not think so, but I hated the way our relationship ended, Sakura."

She lowered her gaze.

"I wanted to be friends again. That's all," he sighed quietly, taking a sip of his drink, and then resting back. "But I doubt that's going to happen."

"You're not making me miserable, Syaoran," she said quietly from her side of the table.

He scoffed. "Right," he muttered. The waitress placed the small tray on the table. He took out some bills and placed it in the tray.

A hand shot up and grabbed his. "My treat," she was determined to let him know just how she felt about him being there. "It's your birthday. Consider this my present."

He looked up at her, then down at their hands. Syaoran felt the warmth from her fingertips seep into his veins. He took a deep breath and pushed her hand away. "No. By being here, you've already given me what I wanted," his voice had gone low as well. "You're too nice for your own good, you know that?" He whispered between them.

Her eyes widened at his words. Fortunately for him, the waiter returned, so he muttered half-hearted thanks and paid the restaurant. As soon as that was over, they both walked out to the parking lot, the tension between them unfortunately worse than when they'd entered. Syaoran stayed in the driver's seat, unsure of what to do next. Sakura put on her seatbelt, deliberately avoiding his eyes. After a moment too long, she took a chance and looked carefully up at him, just to see that he was staring off out into the open land in front of them, thinking of something so far away. Sakura looked out as well, seeing the far end of the beach sparkling from the sun's rays.

"Should I take you home?" Syaoran's voice made her jump. She swallowed and quickly got her composure back. Her hand had suddenly found something to hold onto.

"Do you have to go back to work now?" She didn't even recognize her own voice from the hoarseness it held. She cleared her throat.

Taken aback at that, Syaoran glanced at her. "No."

She let her gaze roam everywhere except to him, and then let her eyes slip to his. She took a deep breath, and spoke softly. "Then take me wherever you want to take me."

His eyes widened. Sakura could see a muscle in his jaw tighten. "Believe me when I say how badly I would take you up on that offer," he muttered, gripping the steering wheel too tightly. "But what I'm thinking is completely different from what you're thinking, so I'm telling you now, don't make that offer…or we're both going to regret it."

His words formed embarrassment slowly growing in Sakura as her cheeks turned bright pink. "Uh…let's go to Tomoeda," she suggested, burying her own anxiety deep down inside.

He threw a doubtful look at her. "Why are you doing this?"

Sakura let herself stare into his eyes for a few long seconds. "Doing what?"

"Wanting to spend time with me."

She stared at him incredulously. "It's your birthday, Syaoran."

"What difference does that make?" He took a pause before finishing his statement. "I know you're not telling me the truth. Why are you really doing this?"

She frowned at him, stopping the conversation for about ten seconds. And then when she started, she blew up. "Why do you believe that you know everything I'm feeling?" She questioned, letting go of the door handle finally. "Ever since we saw each other, you assumed everything about how I felt towards you, about you coming back here and the past," she accused. "Why do you do that?"

"Because I know that's how you feel." He threw back at her, glaring this time. "That's how I'd feel if I were in your shoes. I know how uncomfortable you are around me. I know how scared you get when I get close to you, when I touch you, even barely at that. Actions speak louder than words, remember?" He added wryly.

Sakura gritted her teeth. "Why are you trying to be such a know-it-all jackass about this??"

"A know-it-all jackass?" Syaoran had a temper for name-calling. "About what??"

She ignored it and continued. "Not only are you being a jackass, but you're also being an arrogant, stubborn, foolish jerk, and I can even go on if you want me to!"

"Ok…" he took a deep breath and stared at her dangerously. "Say that again?"

She glared at him, challenging his stare. "Just stop assuming and let me decide on how I feel about you and everything else!"

"Exactly how do you feel then??" He snapped back.

"You honestly want to know how I feel?"

"Yes," he bit his tongue from yelling.

"Ok, fine!" Sakura glared at him hard and then her eyes flew down to her shaking hands.

Syaoran stared at her. "Well?" He asked, not even bothering to hide his irritation.

Her head flew up, and before Syaoran could even think, soft pink lips contacted with his. Sakura felt tears burn from the immense emotion that overwhelmed her at that moment, but she closed her eyes and blinked them away as she let her lips touch his for the very first time in years. Before she could get dizzier at the feeling, Sakura pulled away. Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back to him. She gasped as she landed on his lap. His eyes stared down at hers with a dark, stormy gaze. Their hearts pounding in sync, Sakura tried to breathe through her mouth. Syaoran took the opportunity to take her slightly parted lips once more, and kissed her deeply.

Syaoran pulled away first and opened his eyes to gaze at Sakura's rosy cheeks and lips. Her eyes were closed, still recollecting herself from the shattering kiss he'd just given her. Syaoran caressed her cheek with the softest touch, marveling at her beauty. This was the best gift anyone could've ever given him, he thought. Finally, Sakura opened her eyes, staring at him openly. He stared down at her with just as much intensity. Slowly, her green gaze traveled to his lips and then back up to his eyes again. He had done the same thing 'coincidentally.'

"Did I just kiss you?" she whispered.

"I think we're both guilty," he whispered back.

"Oh my god…" she shook her head and moved out of his lap, pushing his arms away. She returned to her seat, still a little shaken up. "No…I can't believe we just did that."

Syaoran didn't bother looking at her from her words. He kept his head down, letting his arms rest on the wheel. "What are you saying? You didn't want that to happen?"

"Not that one," she replied with a breath.

"Why would you kiss me in the first place and not expect that?" He asked back, finally snapping his gaze to her.

She looked up at him in surprise, not knowing what to say. "I-I didn't…I-I just meant to show you how I felt," she replied weakly. "I had no intention of-of that happening."

He raked a hand across his hair. "Hell, why'd you even kiss me?" His voice had gone low, but the shock and feeling were still present.

"I-I said…-" she started.

"I heard," he interrupted sharply. He didn't know why he was so mad.

Sakura bit her tongue and turned her gaze to the view in front of her. No one talked or moved for the next minute, and then with a low growl that Sakura heard clearly, Syaoran started the car and got out of the parking lot. His hold on the steering wheel was tight and very similar, but worse, to how he held it when they entered the place. Sakura opened her window and took deep breaths, deliberately trying to forget his presence and erase away the feelings still surging in her. As soon as they were in the highway, Syaoran began driving the way to Tomoeda, deciding inwardly to drop her off at home. Firmly sticking by his decision, Syaoran had to put as much distance as he could between them. He had to…or else she'd be in his bed by a snap of the fingers. Six years ago, he wouldn't have been so incredibly tempted to make love to Sakura as he was now.

"Where are we going?" She asked quietly, her voice interrupting his thoughts.

"Tomoeda," he answered tersely.

She sighed and squared her shoulders. "So I'm guessing you're going with your plans and leaving next week?"

He glanced at her pain-stricken face, feeling a tight gutting pain in his stomach, and looked away. "Most likely."

"And this time you're really not coming back?"

The thought of the arranged marriage flitted across his mind in a second flash. He couldn't tell her. "Yeah." They were both quiet for 10 long minutes, not knowing what to say at all. Syaoran turned right and went to the middle lane. Tomoeda was 30 miles from there. "If I had a reason to stay longer, I probably would," he suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence.

Sakura looked up at him, biting her lip, angry with him for making her feel like such a desperate idiot. "Wasn't…wasn't that a reason enough?"

"If I knew something would happen after, yeah. But I seriously don't know where this is headed," he said bluntly. "I mean, if I asked you to go on a real date with me, do I think you'd say yes?" Syaoran shook his head. "No. Every time we eat together, it's always just because we meet up. No, you won't do it."

"There you go again, being a jackass about this," she spoke out loud, crossing her arms.

"How am I being a jackass?" He asked again, irritated.

"You haven't even asked and already you've decided what I'm going to say!" She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Syaoran stopped. "What?"

She huffed. "I didn't regret it-"

"What'd you say?" He repeated, stopping the car abruptly at one side of the street.

She stopped and looked at him. "What?"

"What did you just say?"

"I didn't regret that kiss-"

"Before that."

"You're being a jackass-"

"After that," Syaoran interrupted once more.

Her eyes widened at the realization. Her eyes held defiance as she raised her head high. Unfortunately, her heart was just pounding too hard. "Y-you haven't asked me at-at all-"

"Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?" He asked, his eyes never wavering from hers.

His words shouldn't have surprised her. But they did. And she faced him, biting her bottom lip. She watched as he caressed her cheek, pushing away the hair strands around her face. She took his hand gently. "Yes."

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To be continued…