A tickling sensation woke Syaoran. He opened his eyes, and quickly blinked. All he could see was a sea of auburn. His chin rested on the back of Sakura's head, while her hair whipped across her face as he breathed. His arms encircled her slim waist, one leg wrapped possessively over hers. He inhaled her own delicate scent as he drew her closer to him, pressing her back into his chest. He was amazed by how perfectly she fit in his arms, almost like she was never supposed to leave his embrace. Syaoran bent his head slightly, nuzzling the tender skin between her shoulder blades.
Sakura gently opened her eyes, a sense of security encompassing her being. She'd never felt so safe and warm. Her skin began to tingle as she felt as soft pressure on her back. She closed her eyes, allowing the feeling to wash over her, comforting her. Sakura gasped as he nuzzled one particular spot. Syaoran stopped, propping himself up high enough to gaze at her face, "Don't tell me you're ticklish," he whispered, smiling slightly. Sakura pouted, damn him for finding her weakness. "No," she told him stubbornly. He unwrapped one arm from around her. "Really?" he asked her, softly dragging one finger down her back. He felt her shudder at his touch. "Really," she replied, just as stubbornly as before. Syaoran slowly traced the space between her shoulder blades before adding a touch more pressure. Sakura gasped again, trying to stifle a giggle fighting to make itself heard. Syaoran grinned wolfishly, before attacking her body with his fingers. He tickled her back, her stomach, even her neck while she giggled helplessly, trying to wriggle away from him, but never getting very far.
Sakura finally managed to whisper "mercy," between giggles. Syaoran's attacks stopped instantly. He found himself staring down into her lovely green eyes. He was positioned over the top of her, supporting himself with his elbows and knees. He flopped down beside her, unfortunately, they had wriggled to the edge of the bed and he fell the wrong way. Sakura screamed when she realised that his arms were still around her, and when he fell off the bed, he took her with him.
Syaoran landed hard on the cold floor, before bracing himself for Sakura. He prevented her from hurting herself in the fall, but was rewarded by being severely winded by the force of the fall. Both lay there heaving, trying to regain their breath. A faint pink blush stained Syaoran's face as Sakura's breath tickled his neck. His heart began to thump faster from her nearness.
They rolled over so now Syaoran was on top. Sakura gazed up into his amber depths, becoming entranced by them. She lay beneath him, panting slightly, while he reached one hand up to her face, gently brushing away the hair that had fallen across her pale skin. He was barely aware of his hand's movements and didn't realise that there was no longer any hair obscuring her face. Sakura closed her eyes as Syaoran bent his head closer to hers. Her breathing became laboured as she felt his breath play against her face. His cheek pressed against hers as he whispered into her ear, "I believe I won that round." He slid off her and stood, walking into the wardrobe to select his clothes for the day. She sat up, glaring at him as he strode back into the room, fully clothed. Syaoran just sighed at her, "are you going to get dressed?" he asked, "or are you just going to stay in that all morning?" staring pointedly at her silk night gown. "Personally, I wouldn't mind if you did," he told her, grinning widely, "but you might get a little bit cold." She stormed out of the room, into the wardrobe to change into her clothes for the day.
Syaoran sat on the bed, contemplating what had just transpired. Since when did a woman have such an effect on him? Never before had anyone been able to make him feel like that. It was almost like she completed him. He was just so comfortable around her, even though he'd only known her for a day. It was like there was an invisible string connecting the two of them, joining their souls. Okay, he told himself, enough babbling for today. He began to breathe deeply, centring himself, and started his meditation.
Sakura began the arduous task of choosing her clothes, mumbling to herself. Why did she feel so upset? She closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself, but as soon as she did, an image of him popped into her head. She felt a sharp pain, twisting in her chest. Why did it hurt so much? He hadn't even done anything to her, so why did her heart shudder with unspent tears? She clutched her chest while two large tears rolled down her cheeks. She swiped them away, collecting herself as she changed.
She walked out, dressed in a loose shirt, and a pair of breeches. Syaoran glanced up and noticed a small pout on her lips. Her eyes had lost their lustrous sparkle. Uh oh, he'd really stuck his foot in it. He'd seen his sisters use that look. It meant he'd somehow managed to hurt her, and no matter how many times he apologised, he'd just have to wait for her to respond…unless…
He held out a hand for her. Sakura looked away, pretending she hadn't seen it. "Sakura," Syaoran called softly, "why don't you follow me? I'll take you down to the training yards and you can meet my friends. You may not be able to swing a sword, but I can at least teach you some staff fighting." Sakura spun to face him, a smile replacing her pout. Her eyes glinted with joy as she ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she cried as he pulled her into a hug. Syaoran smiled to himself as he led her out the door, he knew she couldn't stay mad at him for long.