Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura.
Switched Valentines
By: Wings of Jade
Chapter 6: Heart to Heart on a Seesaw
Syaoran sat on the seesaw, staring fixedly at the ground. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. The evening air was quite chilly, and a cool breeze played over his uncovered skin (he was wearing a T-shirt). The face of Sakura kept playing over and over in his head, crying, heartbroken...He wondered if the chocolate was making her any better. It was a really useless and pointless thing to do. Though it was sweet, it was totally stupid.
His bag lay to the side. It contained his math homework, but he didn't feel like doing it at the moment.
"Mind if I join you?" He looked up. A small smile touched his lips. It was Sakura.
"Sure," he replied, and got off his seat gallantly so the other side would drop to the ground and she could get on. Then, after she was seated securely, he pulled his own seat down and sat on it. They sat in silence for a couple of moments, kind of moving up and down very slowly.
"So," said Syaoran, starting the conversation, "what brings you here?"
"I don't know," replied Sakura. "I saw you here all alone."
"And you felt like joining me?"
"Hai, I guess."
More awkward silence.
"So," Sakura began, echoing Syaoran, "how did it go with your valentine?" Syaoran shrugged.
"Nothing."
"Nani?" He shrugged again as he rose up. "I didn't give her anything, and it's not like she talks to me anyway."
"So..."
"I guess you could say I'm giving up on her."
Sakura was so surprised she nearly thunked onto the ground. "Naze?"
Syaoran sighed. "I don't know...she seems like the least of my worries."
"Worries?" Her hair floated in the air as she sailed down, her green eyes wide and bright. He looked straight into them, eyes and all.
"Like you."
"Me?"
"You were crying today because of him. He was with another girl." Sakura immediately looked up. He just had to remind me. Forget Kanaye. Forget...
"I'm okay," she said softly. "It's okay. I'm over Kanaye."
"Hey," said Syaoran, startled, "are you okay?"
"Hai." She wiped her eyes with her sleeves.
"No, really, gomen nasai, I didn't mean to mention him again...you...it was just...you looked so upset then...I kept wondering if you were okay throughout the whole school day..."
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
Sakura smiled. "You're just like my big brother, you know...looking out for me...I wish my own brother would look out for me like you do."
"You have a brother?"
"Yeah, he's 24, but he acts like he's a kid. And he likes to torment me all the time." The seesaw creaked as Sakura went up.
"Oh. Isn't that annoying?" Sakura shrugged.
"I'm used to it. And besides, every time he does torment me, my dad gives him a good round of shouting and grounds him for a week from the phone."
"The phone?" Syaoran raised an eyebrow. He knew that girls wasted half of the phone bill talking to friends and whatnot, but guys? "Does he have a girlfriend?"
"No, he has a boyfriend."
Syaoran: O-O
"Boyfriend?"
Sakura shrugged. "Well, that's whatI call Yukito. Touya's boyfriend. They always hang out together and they're so close and everything, you'd think they're...yeah."
"I see."
They fell silent again.
"What's wrong with her?" asked Sakura quietly. "I thought you really liked her. You were planning on giving her the chocolate, right?"
"I told you, I'm giving up on her because she's the least of my worries."
"That's really not a reason, you know."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Then what is it?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because you gave me the chocolate that was meant for her, and it wasn't like she was with somebody else or something."
Syaoran had a small smile. "Maybe because I thought you were a bit more important at the time."
"Me? What, because I was crying?"
"Yeah."
"But that girl must have been someone special."
"Everyone's special," replied Syaoran nonchalantly. "Including you."
Sakura was glad it was somewhat dark, so her fiery red cheeks couldn't be seen. "A-Arigatou gozaimasu," she said very, very quietly. Syaoran smiled at her again.
"Do itashi mashite." Then she stopped seesawing. The long piece of wood slowly stopped.
"I...I have to go home now," she said, getting off the seesaw quickly. "It's getting kind of late."
"Yeah," said Syaoran, "I'll walk you home."
"Iie, it's..." Something got caught in her throat.
Apparently, Kanaye and his little girlfriend were out for an evening stroll, because they were passing right by the park, holding hands and smiling at each other so...lovingly.
"...okay." Syaoran had also got up from the seesaw, and was right behind her, looking in the direction that she was looking. The couple she was looking at were stopping for a kiss, and he didn't really recognize the guy, but he could guess that it was the one Sakura had liked.
"It's Kanaye," she managed.
"Hey," said Syaoran softly. "You know what, I'm going to walk you home. Okay?"
"Y-yeah," Sakura choked out. "Sure." He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, before retrieving his bag and rejoining Sakura.
"Ready to go?"
"Hai." They walked together, side by side, and took sure strides out of the park. Syaoran purposely took a different path because he knew Sakura didn't want to run into Kanaye.
"So...ah..." Shit, what the hell am I supposed to talk about now? "Um..."
"I'm okay," Sakura blurted out. "You don't have to...comfort me or anything..." Syaoran raised an eyebrow and smiled sheepishly.
"I...I actually wasn't going to."
"Oh...um..."
Yet another moment of silence passed between the two, not a word spoken. Sakura felt herself turning red, and Syaoran was mentally cursing himself. You are such a baka. Yes, yes, tell her you weren't going to comfort her, then make her feel all embarrassed because she thought you actually cared. Now she probably thinks you don't care and...
"Gomen nasai," said Sakura, "I..."
"Let's just...drop the subject, shall we?"
"Yeah, yeah, let's do that." However, there really wasn't anything else to talk about. Syaoran looked up at the sky, hoping to think of something conversational quick. He frowned.
"You don't really get many stars up here in Tomoeda," he commented.
"No, not really," replied Sakura. "But the ones that do appear are very bright. See?" She raised a finger and pointed. "That one over there. It's especially sparkly and bright, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I see what you mean."
"The brightness of the stars don't match the brightness of the moon, though." Sakura's voice was dreamy. "It's a full moon tonight. Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yeah," Syaoran agreed softly, "Beautiful."
But he wasn't looking at the full moon that shone above them, casting a misty white light around the two.
He wasn't even looking at the sky, dotted with stars here and there, twinkling above them.
He was looking at Sakura.
She felt him turn towards him, and she moved so she was directly facing him. The light from the full moon was reflected in his dark eyes, somehow making them much lighter and clearer and as captivating as ever. I...I can't look away...
"Sakura..." He whispered her name softly, ever so softly. Then, he leaned in closer. And closer...and closer...until his lips were barely a millimetre away from hers. She could feel his breath tickle her chin.
Then, he kissed her. He kissed her. Gently, sweetly...sincerely. He wrapped his arms around her, and he placed a hand on the back of her head to pull them closer still. She snaked her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Finally, they broke apart, looking at each other silently.
"I..."Sakura started, then closed her eyes. "I..." she breathed.
"Shh," whispered Syaoran. "You don't have to say anything." He kissed her again, and Sakura smiled to herself.
I wonder if Kanaye could be as great as Syaoran...he's so sweet...and that's not just in kissing. Kanaye...She thought for a brief moment, and then kissed Syaoran back.
...Nah.
Yes, another chappie finished:) Aren't you so proud of me? Took me forever because of school, and because I kept changing things. Well, hope you're satisfied. REVIEW!