This was supposed to be a one-shot but I broke it down into a lil ficlet… I know I still haven't finished those other two fics of mine but like I said before, I have a few stories just itching to get out of me…
Bored with my ranting already? Oh well…then let the party begin!
P.s: This is my new penname. Tomodachi no hi was just a temporary one…and chibi ijin no longer suits me.
DISCLAIMER: Damn! I say this all the time. Me no own CCS or anything other than LI Syaoran…. yep, I own Syaoran. ducks rotten eggs, venus flytraps and dairy cows Freaking fan girls! wipes off a year old pudding from her face and shakes her fist Stop throwing stuff at me! Fine. I admit! I don't own Syaoran, happy? bursts into tears and runs away
ĈŗőśŝŔǿãđŞ
Author: Šħīŕő Ỳē
Date: 16.05.2006
The noise blared shamelessly loud from the car's sound system, uttering profane words that were wholly worshipped by the majority of the world as 'music'. The driver nodded her head in time with the beat. She stopped her syncopating for a moment and looked out the window again. Funny, how the countryside was so quiet. Wasn't it supposed to be like, teeming with wildlife? What happened to all the birds? Little did Kinomoto Sakura know that the sound that the car produced had scared them well out of the way…pronto. One of her hands left the steering wheel and adjusted the black flat cap on her head and smoothed down her hair. She checked the gas gauge and almost went frantic when she saw the pointer indicate the petrol had reached the red bit.
'Ah, what the heck' she though lazily. Usually when it reached the red end, there was always some reserve fuel in the tank. She didn't give the meter another glance but turned her green eyes to the map that lay on her lap. She blinked as she followed the road with her eyes, occasionally looking up to check the road for traffic. There was a flash of white.
Abruptly she rammed on the breaks as a rabbit crossed her path and scurried in front of the car. She swore and veered slightly off the way. She straightened the little convertible and wiped the sweat off her brow. Both her hands gripped the steering for a while before she let her eyes wander back to the askew map.
There! That was the town that Tomoyo had mentioned…about fifteen minutes from where she was. If she reached the intersection, then she'd have no trouble at all. There still seemed to be a long way to go to the other town that her friends had mentioned for the camping trip to celebrate the end of their first year in college. But that could wait till the next day. First she needed to find that intersection…
Daidouji Tomoyo, her best friend, had promised to meet her at a nearby town and accompany her to the campsite. Yet even that was a long quarter hour drive. And it was already well in the evening, which meant, within a few hours, it would be night.
Sakura sighed and turned off the radio. This camping trip didn't seem like a good idea now. The sun was shining directly at her as it sloped its way across the distant mountains, making her shirt stick to her back and her mouth yearn for water. There was nothing to break the heat as well. No trees or shrubs. Only tall pampus grass on either side, a stray horse grazing in it.
If it was one thing she hated, it was driving in the night. And alone as well. Sakura looked out at the sun again as it tilted lower over the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant orange and coral. She sighed for a second time as the car rattled down the quiet countryside road.
After half an hour of traveling on the dusty road, she was almost at her wits' end. Where was that intersection Tomoyo had mentioned? Surely half an hour of travel would have at least led her to a sign post…
Unless she took a wrong turn somewhere….
She stopped the car and picked up her mobile. Raking her fingers through her hair with one hand, she dialed Tomoyo's number. There was a momentary pulse tone before the line went dead. Frowning, she looked at the screen. Her face fell as she saw the words 'Service not available' flash on her screen. Sakura leaned against the wheel tiredly for a moment before revving up the car and continuing on her quest.
Damn! Now she didn't know where she was, it was almost nighttime, she couldn't meet Tomoyo and to top it all off, she was alone and lost.
Sakura groaned and licked her dry lips as she parked the car on the roadside and got out. She slammed the door shut and planted her hands on her hips. The long sleeved cream shirt was drenched with her sweat and the black skirt had ridden up her thighs. Sakura wriggled her hips and pulled down the dark material as she cast her eyes around for someone, anyone to ask for help. Her eyes traveled up to the end of the path… Aha! A house!
So she must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, for the trail led to the house and nowhere else. It was a private road she had been on the whole time…
She left the car and walked down the road, hoping to kami that someone would be there.
thump …thump.
She paused, listening to the strange sound that echoed around her as she got closer to the house. Sakura tilted her head curiously to a side, trying to find the source of the sound. She stumbled over the loose rubble and stopped, standing on tiptoes to find it.
Thump…Thump….
The dull sound was repeated rhythmically and grew louder and louder as she neared the house.
THUMP…THUMP…THUMP….
The house stood in front of her, but instead she vaulted awkwardly over the wooden barriers around it and headed to the back of the wooden domicile. The sound was loudest there and she scanned the area swiftly. There were a few trees at the end of the enclosure at the farthest end. In front of them, was a man.
Sakura's jaw dropped.
He raised the glistening axe over his head and brought it down against the large log, slitting it into two clean pieces. He threw aside the chopped wood and replaced them with a new one.
Oh man, Sakura blew out a gust of air…what a guy.
Bishu, she thought faintly as she watched him splinter the new log.
The guy had brown hair that was out of control and definitely needed a brushing. The checked faded shirt that he wore was almost three quarters unbuttoned and stuck to his chest and stomach, leaving no part of him for her imagination. The denims finished the look of a typical guy who worked in the sun a lot. Her eyes feasted on his arms as he raised the axe over his head again. They were rippling, shining with sweat from his workout.
Suddenly he turned his back on her, loaded his arms with the chopped wood and walked away whistling piercingly as he did so. Sakura thought he was going to leave and hurried forward. A tall black horse came galloping out of the trees towards him and stopped beside the young man. He promptly dropped all the firewood by the side of the house and swung himself on to the saddle. He dug his heels into the shining flanks and yelled "Yaaa!" The horse took off down the other side of the house and disappeared with its handsome rider.
"Chotto!" Sakura yelled to no avail. She ran towards the side but slowed to a walk before she reached it and sighed tiredly. Leisurely, she walked back the way she came and sat down on the pile of freshly chopped spruce logs and waited for his return.
She took off her cap and smoothed down her windswept hair. How could she contact Tomoyo? Did this guy have a phone? Sakura checked her watch. It was getting later and later…she didn't have the hope of reaching the town tonight.
Abruptly she turned back the way she came and went to the car. She got out her map and locked the door, swinging the keys in her hand as she went back to sit on her woodpile. Much to her surprise, he was there again, ducking his head under a water pump. Sakura almost dropped the map as he threw his head back, spraying droplets of water all over the place.
Suddenly he turned to her. "Who are you?" he asked loudly, almost rudely, turning off the water and walking towards her. There was a faint foreign accent to his words. Sakura's throat constricted. She took a few steps forward herself. "I-I'm Kinomoto Sakura and…and I got lost on my way to Murasaki." she explained quickly dipping her head into a bow. The man ran a hand through his wet hair and came closer. The dying sun suddenly made something glimmer in his hair.
"I-I was wondering whether you have a phone I could use maybe…" she trailed off as he stopped in front of her. Now she could see him clearly. Stunning golden amber eyes were fixed on her face. His high strong cheekbones, straight nose, which was so uncommon among the Japanese, and a hard jaw that was working at something in his mouth. Her eyes fixed themselves on his lips…pouting pretty lips, just waiting to be kissed by her.
In front of her, she realized, stood a perfect specimen of the human male.
Fingers snapped in front of her face. Sakura dragged her gaze quickly back to his eyes which showed annoyance as well as a satisfied, almost amused look that was mingled with tons of pride. He turned his face away from her, a small smirk on his lips. "I get that all the time." He said briefly. Sakura felt herself redden. Then she caught sight of the gold ring laced through his ear….hell, he just knew how to make himself look so damn tempting….
"Well Kinomoto-" "Sakura, please" she said, smiling. "Sakura…the toll gates to Murasaki only open tomorrow afternoon." "Isn't there another way to go into town?" she asked feverishly. "Not unless you wanna drive through the bush land," he answered. Sakura shook her head. He emitted a short sigh and continued. "They're closed during this time of the evening. If you want, stay here for the night and then leave in the morning" he nodded at her then at the house. Sakura bit her lip. Not a bad idea. In fact she had been willing to beg to stay if he hadn't offered himself.
"Hai!" She said happily. He let out a small smile and slightly inclined his head. "My name is Li Syaoran." She squealed, a habit she had picked up from Tomoyo.
"Li Syaoran…totemo wa sukeki no namoe! Douzo yoroshiko!" she said beaming prettily. "Eh? …A-arigato" he said clumsily. He headed towards the house. Sakura stood where she was, quietly contemplating before, she giggled and said "Chibi okami!" Syaoran whipped around, slightly red in the cheeks "Nani!" he yelled indignantly. She giggled once more as she skipped upto him. "Well, that's what your name means, ne? Chibi okami!" she laughed again and walked away from him, heading for the car to grab her luggage. Syaoran stood flabbergasted for a moment before climbing laboriously up the steps and walking into the house.
"Waaa…" Sakura did a 360 on the bear rug. He had lead her inside to the living room, where she promptly dropped her bag and looked around her. A bright fire was roaring in the fireplace. The room was littered with stuffed animal heads of mooses and mountain lions. "Do you live here?" she asked, turning to face him. "During the holidays, hai…this used to be my grandparent's house...but for a short time, its mine," he explained. He threw her bag over his shoulder and walked to the next room. "This is my grandparents' room. Keep your stuff here and I'll fix you a bed on the couch, sou?"
She nodded her assent although she would have much preferred to sleep on the bed.
Syaoran grunted as he deposited her stuff on the bed and grabbed a few sheets from a nearby wardrobe and stomped back to the living room. He paused as he heard her follow him and said, "If you want to shower, the bathroom's to your left." Sakura looked down at her smelly clothes and sighed. Might as well do that, she solicitated and went back to her bags. Grabbing a spaghetti strapped yellow top and a pair of short flowery shorts and her towel, she made her way towards the bathroom.
Once inside, she looked at her simple clothing and shrugged. Who was there to impress anyway? Oh wait! She rushed out of the bathroom and rummaged her bags quickly. Finding her necessities, she returned to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Stripping down, she went into the shower and turned on the shower, letting the cold-water cascade over her body. Sakura scrubbed her body with her hands then let the water wash away the grim.
The water continued to gush out onto her back as she returned to her previous thoughts…who was there to impress. Who was there to impress! God dammit! The perfect male was there! She didn't know why she thought of him so, but every action of his was so…so masculine! She banged her head against the tiled wall.
Wasn't there anyone cuter than him? Not that she could think of, she solicitated to herself.
Sakura was pretty gutsy when it came to her feelings and she could confess that she liked him if she understood exactly what she was feeling. And she did like him; she did…for no apparent reason! Sure there was a lot of lust behind her feelings for him. She wanted to tell him she liked him…well at least liked him. But the problem just seemed to get bigger and bigger…
She wanted him to herself…as…. as her boyfriend…. and if she was honest to herself, she wanted him as something even more. It was fatal attraction, not just based on looks alone. It was something in the way he talked to her, looked at her, gave her that half smile, gawked at her. It was something chillingly deep.
It was some primitive instinct that told her that her mate was in front of her and her mating period was close…. very close…. very close.
But, she stared at her hands, how on earth could she think about him like that? A stranger?
Rational thoughts never were sweet. So Sakura just chucked them out the window.
It was time to let out the truth after the inner turmoil she had to undergo just seeing him.
He was it.
The pretty poison…the forbidden fruit…the thing that everyone vowed they would never fall for, but when they crossed it, gave into temptation…. the thing most desirable and most destructive…that was what he was.
And that was how she had come to define Li Syaoran a few minutes after they had met.
"IIITAI! SHIT!"
Sakura heard his voice yell. It was followed by a louder string of curses.
She wondered what the world was wrong as she hurried her shower. Quickly turning off the faucets, she dried herself haphazardly and got into her clothes, her dripping hair wetting the back of her top.
"Syaoran?" she called, closing the bathroom door after her. Semiconsciously rubbing her towel against her hair, she ventured into the living room. He was walking towards the kitchen, muttering darkly under his breath.
"Oi! What's up?" she called, speeding up to fall in step with him.
He turned and looked at her. Wordlessly, he held out his fingers, which were dripping with blood. Sakura's hand flew to her mouth.
"Wh-what happened?" she asked in a quivering voice, as her gaze wavered from his fingers to his face. "Daijoubu desuka?"
Syaoran shrugged. "I got scratched when I was fixing your bed," he said. She shot him a look laden with sympathy. "It was a good thing though," he quipped out of the blue as he went to the counter. "Why!" Sakura asked incredulously, following him, letting the towel fall to her shoulders.
Syaoran turned his back to the sink and leaned against it, looking at her seriously. "Well…now I knew that there was a fuckin'-" Sakura gasped at his language but he ignored her. "-pin in the couch, I could get rid of it instead of you getting jabbed in the butt in the middle of the night. Then you'd probably scream, and I'll probably wet myself with panic and…what are you laughing at!" he demanded suddenly.
Sakura tried to regain her breath as she leaned weakly against the counter after her joyous outburst. "Gomen nasai… gomen… demo, its just way you put it…" she looked up at him, her green eyes sparkling. Syaoran looked down at her steadily and then turned his back to her and ran his hand under the tap.
After closing the tap he examined the cut…it was still bleeding. "Shit." Was all he said. "Wakari masen…"
"Soko…" he heard Sakura's voice say. He turned around again as she lightly grabbed his bleeding forefinger. With only a moment's hesitation, she brought the finger to her lips and sucked on it. That was his breaking point. Syaoran's mind seemed to be jammed.
He could think of nothing…nothing except the feeling of her lips on his sensitive skin.
Sakura sucked harder around the wound, completely amazed at her own boldness. She could feel her gaze on her head but dared not look up. If she did…she would never have the courage to do this again…
Syaoran was losing control of his thoughts. Damn her to fucking hell… why did she have to do this to him? Why did she have to make him go haywire? He could feel her breath on his skin, smell her, hell, he could even taste her. Sakura stepped closer to him and his semi-alert mind now told him that his hands were roughly in front of her chest. He felt the wetness off her tongue dart over his finger and nail. He badly wanted break away from her and ram his head into the nearest wall. His emotions were threshold of liberation…
Unexpectedly, she drew away and beamed, holding his finger in front of his face. "See? All better now!" she exclaimed happily. Painstakingly, Syaoran dragged his stare to his finger to find it clotted and no longer bleeding. "So-Souka," he muttered as she dropped his hand. "All you have to do is apply pressure!"
Apply pressure… those words seemed to take an eon to travel to his brain. Then his mind reeled. Was it just about the wound or something else…
Sakura puffed out her cheeks and giggled lightly as she thought back to the previous incident. She had finished drying her hair and was rummaging in her bag for a suitable clip to go with the outfit.
"Hey! Wanna help with dinner? She heard his voice yell from the kitchen. "In a minute!" she shouted back. Pinching the ends of her hair, she shrugged and left it free before heading out to the kitchen. And the seduction goes on, she thought…
"What are we having for dinner?" she asked conversationally. Syaoran shot her a look. "First of all, we aren't having anything cos I never eat at night and secondly…" he seemed lost for a moment. "I don't know how to cook."
"NANI!" she screamed. Syaoran winced and rubbed his ear with his finger. "Then how did you survive for so long?" she asked, rummaging through the cupboards and finding a knife and a cutting board. "Frozen meals." He replied shortly, tinting as she gave him a skeptical eye. "I ran out of them tonight and I was going to pick some more up first thing tomorrow morning. But then you came along and-" He paused to look at her. "You do know how to cook, don't you?"
Sakura rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Well…sort of. But I can't cook a very decent meal." Sakura ducked her head quickly at the murderous look in his eyes. "How about ramen?" Instantly his gloomy mood seemed to vanish and he let out a gorgeous smile.
Sakura stood transfixed by it.
"Ramen! Yeah I like that stuff!" he replied enthusiastically. Sakura just stood there, a vacant expression on her face, a soft smile on her lips. "I think I might eat tonight…not to give you company or that kind of bullshit but because I like ramen so much…." He caught sight of her face and knew not a single word of his had sunk into her head.
"Oi! Wake up!" Grabbing her arms, Syaoran shook her roughly. Sakura snapped out of her reverie and looked at him hazily.
"Nani?" she asked indistinctly.
"Let's get started already!" Syaoran declared loudly, dragging her to the supplies cabinet.
"Damn! This is better than all those frozen meals that I've eaten! Hell…it's even better than that restaurant my sisters take me to in Hong Kong! Plus I don't have eight different chopsticks for every dish!" Syaoran raved happily as they slurped up their ramen. Sakura laughed. "I'm glad you like it, Li-sama!"
Syaoran emptied the pot into his bowl and then groaned. "Nani?" Sakura asked. "Look! I forgot to put something under the pan and its left this stain on the table! My grandma's gonna kill me!"
Sakura peered at the spot and sure enough, an ugly brown stain was seen on the polished tabletop. Sakura let out a small sigh. "We'll get to it after we finish eating," she promised. "Hey wait a minute…where are your grandparents?" she asked curiously.
Syaoran sank back into his chair, rocking it on two legs and using his chest as a table for the blue noodle bowl. "My grandpa had an accident when I was here…so grandma's taken him to the hospital…and a little holiday from me." He smirked. "So…you're not Japanese." Sakura concluded.
Syaoran shook his head. "Iie. I just come to Japan for my summer vacation. I live in Hong Kong."
Sakura once again turned back to her ramen. "Syaoran…do you mind if I ask a question?" Syaoran eyes instantly zoomed to her face, looking into her eyes with breathtaking intensity. "Depends what the question is, I guess," he replied lightly.
Sakura tinted a pale pink.
"Ano…do you…do you have a girlfriend?" she inquired in a soft tone.
Syaoran tilted his head and smiled quirkily. "No…why? Do you want to be my girlfriend?"
Sakura almost toppled off her chair. Whoa, talk about directness….
But as much as she wanted to say hai, she wanted…what was it she wanted?
She wanted time…to think things out. And it wasn't comforting that she had only till morning to decide on it.
Syaoran seemed to sense her inner battle (though she pretty much had a blank look on her face) and scowled dimly. What was she thinking about? Was she gonna say yes or something…well, he looked at her again. He wouldn't mind having her as his girlfriend. She was an okay type…not too gushy and not too quiet. That was enough to start with. And then there was…his eyes roamed over her body. Oh yeah. There was that.
She was…damn! He felt the oh-so-familiar longing to ram his head against a nearby wall. She was perfect for him. Perfect.
Her face was still dazed over from his question and he knew she was thinking it over. Oh what the fuck! How could he do this to her? How could he do this to himself! She would be leaving in twelve hours for freakin' crying out loud! She would be gone, parting, going on an exodus, adios…whatever!
But before he knew it, he told her, "I'll give you some time …"
Sakura woke up from her daydream with a start and glared at his cocky attitude. "And what makes you think I'm gonna say yes?" she mocked.
"What makes you think you're gonna say no?" he countered back. Good question, she thought.
"For all you know, I might have a boyfriend already," she said smugly. Syaoran shot her a sharp look and mumbled a "fuck him if she does have one".
"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked aggressively, leaning across the table. Sakura just tittered. "No…"
Syaoran slumped back in his chair. Giving her time to decide was a stupid idea. She would be leaving tomorrow anyway. So why bother? But there was something that made him do it…And asking her if she wanted to be his girl was so lame, not to mention it made him sound like a loser…
"How come you don't have a girlfriend?" her voice interjected.
"Never wanted one. Too much pressure from all sides. It was a better option to remain single," he answered. "But then what makes you think I'll be your girlfriend?" she repeated again.
Syaoran shrugged as he got up. "Just a feeling." He walked to the kitchen passing her. Sakura tipped her head up to look at him. Seeing her watch him from the corner of his eye, he swooped down and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. "Arigato doushito for the dinner," he whispered, and then moved to the sink.
Well tell me what you guys think…