Hi again! Here's the second chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: CCS is not mine, duh!

Chapter 2: First Encounters

Another boring day of boring lectures and tons of homework…

Li Syaoran sighed as he opened his eyes and lazily got up from his warm, cozy bed. He stretched a little then proceeded to the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a bath. Afterwards, he wrapped a towel around his waist, looked at his reflection in the mirror, and sighed again. Ugh.. I look like shit… He had been up all night finishing a paper for his Philosophy class, which gave him large bags under his eyes. However, it hardly marred his striking and handsome appearance. His chestnut brown hair was in disarray and sticking out in all directions, but it only served to give him a sexy out-of-bed look. He had a well-toned and muscular body thanks to soccer practice and his training sessions at the dojo just a few blocks from his place. However, the most noticeable and mesmerizing feature of his was his eyes. They were a striking golden-amber color that seemed to be able to look into any other person's soul, but never revealed his own.

Because of his handsome features and athletic build, it was natural for girls to flock all over him and try to get him to notice them. However, he never paid any attention. The only things he ever said to them were 'Sorry' or 'No thanks', and for the more persistent ones, he just had to give them a glare or two. His cold attitude scared and challenged the female population of his school, and told the male population to just back off and not mess with him. Besides irritation and sometimes anger, he hardly ever showed any other emotion to people. He was a completely guarded individual that continuously scared, challenged, and mystified his schoolmates.

He lived alone in a small but luxurious apartment his mother provided for him after he graduated from high school. It was just two blocks away from his school, Tomoeda University. At nineteen years old, he was a sophomore and already co-captain of the soccer team. In all his classes, he was doing quite well, and his report cards were always filled with A's and B+'s. So he was handsome, he was athletic, he was rich, and he was intelligent. The dream of all his female schoolmates.

Dressed comfortably in jeans and a green cotton shirt, Syaoran ate a quick breakfast of cereals, got his schoolbag and overcoat, and headed out. There was a chill in the air when he walked out of his apartment building and into the sidewalk, and the sky was overcast, hiding the morning sun's warmth. Most everything was still pretty wet from last night's storm. All around Syaoran people walked by carrying umbrellas and raincoats and looked a bit gloomier than usual. It seems the bad weather was affecting the townspeople's mood as well.

Syaoran walked all the way to his first class in silence. He got there a few minutes before the bell, so most of his classmates were chattering away in groups, probably talking about what they did over the weekend. He walked up to the last row and sat down, not bothering to greet the person beside him. He just went over his notes in silence and after a few minutes, the professor entered the classroom so all the students went back to their proper seats.

Life for Syaoran Li was like this everyday. No matter how popular he was, he was a loner, and he preferred it that way. Since he was young, when he was still living in Hong Kong with his family, he was taught that emotions and needless associations with other people only served as a distraction and can possibly lead to a person's downfall. Therefore, he learned to be tough and to hide his emotions well. It was what was asked of him if he wanted to be the future leader of their clan.

After all his classes were done, Li attended soccer practice which was until 5pm. Afterwards, he headed for home immediately. Thankfully, it didn't rain the whole day. The skies had cleared up around noon and now, the setting sun cast an orange hue on the whole city.

He entered his apartment building and went straight to the elevators. He pressed the button for the 8th floor and waited silently as the elevator made its way up. Once there, he got his keys from his pocket, opened the door and turned on the lights. It was a small but plush apartment with a well-furnished living room, a small kitchen, a bathroom and one bedroom. The apartment's furnishings and decorations were very minimalist since Syaoran preferred it that way. The living room and kitchen were painted in white, and all the furniture had metal frameworks with brown or beige upholstery. The only noticeable ornament in the living room was an abstract painting done in black, green, and gold colors. Whenever Syaoran had nothing to do, he sometimes found himself staring at it, at the brush strokes and the way the colors blended and complimented one another. Nobody knew, but he liked this painting a lot. He actually found it in a flea market a year ago, and he bought it immediately. Besides the painting, there were just the television set, DVD player, stereo, and a tall bookshelf filled with all kinds of books.

He tossed his coat and schoolbag on the couch and proceeded to the kitchen. Soccer practice sure made him hungry. He fixed up some lemon chicken and rice then headed over to the living room to watch some TV while he ate. He plopped down on the sofa and turned on the TV, which was set on a news channel. Finding it boring, he was about to change the channel when the female newscaster's words caught his attention.

"At 5am this morning, two garbage men found the body of a man inside a dump truck as they were unloading it. Investigators confirmed the man's identity to be one Takashiro Kanzaki, and according to the police, the man had already been arrested six times in the past for robbery. Cause of death is yet to be determined. According to medical examiners, the only wounds to be found on his body were a 2-inch gash on his left eyebrow and some sort of bite mark on his neck. They said that such wounds could hardly be the cause of death due to blood loss, but shockingly, the victim lost an enormous amount of blood."

While the newscaster talked, video clips of the body's retrieval was shown, but the face was blurred. The newscaster continued. "The victim's estimated time of death was 9pm. In light of this event, the Tomoeda District Police are asking civilians to be more cautious and alert when out in the streets, and as much as possible, to be off the streets by nighttime."

Syaoran didn't hear whatever else the newscaster said after that since he was lost in his own thoughts. Bite mark? Blood loss? It was too much of a coincidence. He stood up and headed over to his bookshelf, scanning each row of books for the one he was looking for. He had always doubted their existence, always telling his family that it was probably one of the very few things their greatest ancestor got wrong. There was no proof of their existence, nothing in any kind of history book to indicate that they are real. Ah, here it is. He took out from the shelf a very old-looking book that had the symbol of the sun and moon on its cover. He gently opened the pages and stopped at a page that talked about..

"Vampires.." Syaoran muttered out loud to himself while he slowly scanned the contents of the page. The author talked about his theories on the species' unknown origins, how they looked like, how they were different from normal humans, what they did, and all other kinds of things. In the end, the author called vampires 'the undead' – beings that were struggling between the realms of the living and the dead, forever to roam in the shadows. He talked of his despair and pity for these beings, and how tragic it was that no magic could do anything to help.

Syaoran closed the book and turned to the back cover, where at the bottom was written the name 'Clow Reed'. I guess you were right… They do exist. Clow Reed was the name of their clan's greatest ancestor, and he is the most well known sorcerer in all magic-wielding families. He is said to have been the greatest and most powerful sorcerer of all time, and none could compare to his magic.

His ability to wield magic was passed on, and it served as a great factor in the success and power of the Li Clan today. This was why Syaoran had been training constantly since he was a little kid. He had to be strong, not only to manage the inheritance of the clan's business empire, but to act as the clan's ultimate protector as well. Physical, mental, and magical strength was needed to take on such a hard task.

"So vampires really do exist, huh?" He said to no one in particular as he placed the book back in its place. What did he have to do with this newfound knowledge, though? It didn't really make any difference. He was the only one in their family that doubted Clow Reed's words in the first place. All the other members of his family had accepted the fact that vampires exist although they've never seen one or been given any proof of their existence. It's not like they posed a threat to his clan, right? It seemed that vampires were very secretive beings if they'd been able to keep out of sight for such a long time. Why the sudden slip, though? Syaoran thought, referring to the news. The vampire must've just gotten clumsy.

Discarding all thoughts of vampires from his mind, Syaoran got his schoolbag from the couch and went inside his room. The walls were painted green, his favorite color. To the left were his personal computer and some cabinets for his clothes and other belongings. His bed was to the right, and straight ahead was a sliding door that led to the balcony. It had a wonderful view of the city, and he could even see his school from there. He loved sitting down on the railing and staring up at the stars whenever he was tired or there was simply nothing else to do.

He changed into a pair of comfy green shorts and a white cotton shirt, turned on his computer and proceeded to do his homework. By 10pm, he was only around halfway done with the last paper he had to do and he was getting sleep so he decided to go to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. As he reached into a shelf to get the container of instant coffee, he noticed that it was empty.

Darn it.. No way am I gonna finish that paper without some coffee! I can't cram this tomorrow morning! Guess I'll just head down to the convenience store and buy some. It's just a short walk, anyway.

This in mind, Syaoran got his coat and some money from his wallet and went out of his apartment. The moment he got out of the building the chilly night air hit him and he buried his hands inside his coat pockets. It was very dark out already so there were hardly any people out in the streets. Only one or two cars passed by every few minutes. Not feeling scared at all, Syaoran walked silently to the convenience store just a street away from his place. In just five minutes he was able to get there and buy some coffee. He was on his way back to his apartment when some sudden movements in an alleyway across the street caught his eye.

With the help of a nearby streetlamp, he could see the silhouette of two people in the narrow alley. He noticed some quick upper body movements, and suddenly, one of them was being held by the other on the neck and pinned high against the wall. Thinking that the person against the wall was being robbed or something, Syaoran immediately walked across the street silently and peered around a building and into the dark alleyway.

From where he was, he could tell the person being choked was a woman. And he noticed that her feet were dangling high above the ground, so he knew he should act soon. As he silently moved to get closer to the two, he heard the attacker, who was a male, speak.

"You fool.. Your insolence will bring nothing but misfortune upon your house. If you know what's good for you and your friends, you'd do as I say!" At this, he tightened his grip on the woman's neck even more, if that was possible. Syaoran had seen enough. With lightning fast movements, he threw a roundhouse kick that connected with the attacker's head. The man immediately let go of the woman, who fell down to the ground weakly. The attacker didn't fall down, though. He just stood there, seemingly shocked that someone interrupted them and actually landed a kick on him. He turned his head to glare at Syaoran, and Syaoran felt a chill run down his spine at the sight of the man's eyes.

They were a fierce, blood red color that seemed to shine in the darkness. It was a startling contrast to his midnight black hair, but it complemented his tall six-foot frame well.

In an eerie, unearthly voice, the man spoke to Syaoran, "How dare you interrupt us and attack me, human." He started to walk towards Syaoran slowly. "The penalty for such actions will be your life!" At that, Syaoran's eyes widened as he saw the man's canines elongate and form into fangs. Jeezus.. is this the vampire from last night! Any other thoughts were cut short as the man lunged forward in lightning speed to attack him. At the back of his mind he reminded himself that he couldn't use magic because the woman would see. Being the great fighter that he was, Syaoran was able to sidestep just in time to dodge the man's left hand punch. However, he wasn't quick enough to avoid the man's right hand, which sliced at his left arm with elongated, razor-sharp fingernails. With quick movements he was able to land a kick on the man's belly and sending him off-balance before Syaoran jumped back and held his wounded arm. The blood was starting to trail down to his hand.

The man stood up as if he didn't get hurt at all and started to laugh. "It's been a while since I preyed on a human who actually fought back. Unfortunately this is the end for you."

He was about to attack Syaoran again but the woman interjected his path before he could land an attack. She punched him hard, which sent him flying and landing a few feet away. She's strong. Don't tell me she's… The woman turned her head a little, but it was enough for Syaoran to see that she, too, had fangs. He looked down at her fingers. She had the same sharp claws as the other man. Shit.. What the hell have I gotten myself into?

The woman hissed warningly. "Leave now, Aidan. You will not get what you want."

The man laughed as he wiped some blood from the side of his mouth. "Maybe not now, my dear. But soon… Soon you will regret having done this." Syaoran just blinked, and suddenly, the man was no longer there. He was gone in a split second without a trace or sound.

The woman hadn't turned back to him yet. She was still facing the spot the other man just left. Syaoran heard her say in a teasing, angelic voice, "You're a foolish man, you know. Brave, but foolish."

Syaoran, thinking that the woman was going to attack him as well, quickly went into a fighting stance. "Who or what the hell are you?"

The woman giggled. "I think you already know the answer to that, don't you?" She turned around and Syaoran kept himself ready, but the moment the woman looked at him her eyes went wide a little and she stiffened. Syaoran was standing just at the end of the narrow alley, and the light from the streetlamp outlined his frame just enough for his face to be visible. It was the first time that night that she took a good look at him, and she felt her breath caught in her throat. It can't be… She scanned him completely from his feet up to his face, and settled to stare into his piercing amber eyes, which were fixed on her with confusion and mistrust.

As the woman stood there stiffly, Syaoran eyed her warily and was quite surprised to see how beautiful the woman was. She seemed to be just about his age. She was very slender, and she was wearing boots, black pants, and a tight black t-shirt. She had layered hair that reached past her shoulders, and with the help of the streetlamp he saw that it had an auburn color. Her beauty was ethereal, and he found himself most entranced by her striking emerald eyes. Like the other man's, her eyes seemed to shine in the darkness. The moment he looked at them, he felt as if he had some sort of connection with her.. like he knew her..

His train of thought was cut short when he heard the woman whisper something he couldn't quite hear. "Xiao Lang…"

Syaoran stiffened. "What did you say?"

As if snapping out of a trance, the woman shook her head a little bit. "Nothing." She took a step forward but stopped when she saw Syaoran only tensed up his fighting stance at her actions. She stood there, still gazing at him with a look on her face that Syaoran couldn't quite understand. It was like she had this realization.. like she knew something momentous and kept it to herself.

"I should be thanking you, human. Although I think I could have handled that situation on my own, you still risked your life to save me. Thank you."

She smiled at him then, and it lit up her face and her eyes beautifully. He had a hard time processing the fact that someone so beautiful.. someone who looked so innocent, was actually a vampire. Looks can be deceiving.., he thought. If her attack earlier was any indication, this woman was extremely powerful. His kick hardly did anything to faze the other vampire earlier, but one punch from her sent him flying a few feet away. She was not to be trusted, and so he kept himself at a fighting stance despite the woman's thanks.

"I thought you were being robbed. Were you people responsible for that dead man found in the dumpster this morning?" He was glaring at her, and her smile faded at his words.

She sighed. "Unfortunately, yes.. That was me. No one should have found the body, but things got complicated.." For a moment she seemed lost in her own thoughts, then she looked up at him again with a sad smile on her face. "It's a long story. Now…" She took another step forward while Syaoran kept still in his fighting stance while glaring at her.

"I should be putting you to sleep right now, you know. And when you wake up, you wouldn't remember a thing. But this situation is… different." She took another step forward.

Syaoran's glare darkened. "Don't you take another step."

The woman pouted. "I'm not going to hurt you. Besides, that wound of yours is bleeding pretty badly. Let me take a look at it."

It was only then that he remembered he had three long gashes in his left arm. At the reminder of it, he started to feel how painful it was. And she was right; he was losing a lot of blood. He glared at her for a few seconds as if battling with his mind whether he should trust her or not. It was then that he noticed she was holding a hand over stomach. His eyes slowly slid to the floor, where a small pool of blood was slowly forming around her right foot. He didn't notice at all that she was wounded or that she was losing a lot of blood as well. He could hardly see the blood because of her black clothes, but also, she hardly showed that she was in pain.

The woman seemed to understand what he thinking and waved a hand in front of her. "Oh, this is nothing. Don't worry about me. You do realize by now what I am, right?" Syaoran nodded. "Well, our bodies have excellent healing capabilities. These wounds will be gone in no time. Right now I'm worried about you." She smiled at him again and finally took the last few steps to stand in front of him. Syaoran only stood there, seemingly hypnotized by her smile and her eyes.

Her smile brightened up even more. "Now let me take a look at your arm." That said, she gently took his right hand in hers and raised it up, while her other hand rested atop his wounds. The minute her hands touched him, he flinched. Her hands were as cold as ice! It seemed so out of place with her bright and warm attitude. If she noticed him flinch, she didn't show any reaction.

"This will only take a minute." The woman said as she closed her eyes. Suddenly, a pinkish light was emitted from her hand, and it started to envelope the wounded area of his arm. As opposed to her icy hands, the aura was surprisingly warm. He felt a great power transferring from her body to his, and suddenly, his wound wasn't hurting anymore. He looked at it and was amazed to see that the gashes were healing and closing on their own until they finally disappeared completely. She let go of him, and he examined his left arm with amazement. No wound. No scar. It was as if there never was a wound in the first place.

He glanced up at her and she smiled. "All better."

He was unable to stop a slight tint of red from appearing on his cheeks. Thankfully, it was dark so she couldn't see. Finally, he muttered, "T-thanks."

The smile never seemed to falter from her face. "It was the least I could do after what you did. But I must warn you never to do that again. Beings like him are much too dangerous." She said, referring to the other vampire they fought a while ago.

Suddenly, she started walking back into the alley. "And now I must leave. It was nice meeting you again." Silently to herself, she added, "Finally…"

With those words, she disappeared just as quickly as the other vampire did.

"What the…" Syaoran stared at the now empty alleyway, lost in his own thoughts. That had been one of the most bizarre experiences he's ever had. Finding out that afternoon that vampires really existed.. and on the same day meeting not just one, but two of them. Seeing that there was nothing more to do there, he started walking back to his apartment. He couldn't help but think about that strange female vampire. If he didn't see her fangs, he wouldn't have guessed at all that she was a vampire. She just seemed too… innocent. The way she looked (besides the clothes), the way she spoke, the gentle way she touched him, the way she smiled... Syaoran mentally berated himself at that. She's a vampire you fool!

He was replaying the whole event in his mind when her last words suddenly rung in his head. It was nice meeting you again. Syaoran's forehead creased. Again? But I've never even met her before. And… Syaoran stopped walking and looked up at the clear night sky.

..I didn't even get to know her name..

AN: There you go! Liked it! Hated it! Please review!

What happens now! Will Syaoran ever find out the mysterious vampire's name? Find out in the next chapter!