Chap 3: Punch over Pictures and Deals with the Devil

Sakura woke up again about two hours after she had moved back into her bed coming out into the kitchen to see everyone awake and laughing at something she wasn't quite sure of. They all looked up at her coming in, hair disheveled, on strap of the tank top hanging down her shoulder and a small dry line of where she must have drooled during her sleep, and burst into fits of laughter again.

Sakura stared at them blankly "Hey, what's so funny? I could use a good laugh after last night. I'm so sore from sleeping in that chair." For some reason this comment seemed to bring about another wave of laughter from them all. She scowled at them walking over to Tomoyo, discreetly looking over her shoulder at something she was holding in her hand and gasped loudly. "What the- Who!- Syaoran you BASTARD!"

Her outburst brought forth-another wave of laughter as she lunged across the table in an attempt to strangle the living breath out of him. Syaoran only laughed at the reaction and moved out of the way getting up from his seat and step siding around the table out of her reach. She growled, visibly annoyed and jumped off the table in his direction aiming wild punches in his direction, most of which he narrowly dodged, he did not want to face her on a clear head he knew that much.

"You ARROGANT SON OF A BI-"

"Come on Sakura, its not that bad, it's just a little fun"

"HA! Well news flash Mr...Photographer! I'M not having any fun!"

"Oh and you thought I was when you all the sudden decided to beat me to a pulp yesterday." He retorted for lack of a better answer, ducking as she sent another swing at his head.

"You brought that on your self! You were so asking for it!"

"You kind of were" Yamazaki muttered from the table, of course this only earned him a murderous glare from Syaoran and he quickly shut his mouth again and let them resume their argument.

"Ugh! And I actually was starting to believe you were a fairly nice person!" This comment stunned Syaoran and was momentarily distracted, giving Sakura the opening she wanted and hit him squarely in the jaw knocking him hard against the kitchen counter. A pained hiss could be heard from everyone in the room except a still seething Sakura who grabbed the two pictures of her asleep at the table from Tomoyo and stormed back into her room slamming the door shut.

The room was silent for a moment as Eriol went and got an ice pack for Syaorans jaw who then stalked off back into his room muttering something about hormones and wild beasts.

Meilin sighed, "Well that was an interesting start for the day. Does anyone want pancakes?"

Everyone stared at her for a moment as if her comment was totally out of place before nodding and getting up with her to help.

Tomoyo shifted in her seat, "I think I'll go and check on Sakura." The rest nodded and continued their preparations. Tomoyo walked down the hall and knocked on Sakura's door announcing that she was coming before opening the door and letting herself in. Sakura only looked up for a half second from her bed before turning her attention back to the incriminating pictures that lay in front of her.

"Hey, you ok?" Sakura only nodded. "Don't you think you may have over reacted just a little?" Sakura sighed, leaning back on the wall behind her.

"Maybe. Now that I think about it, it is kind of funny. But I'm still mad at Syaoran for showing you guys."

"So would you rather have had him keep secret photos of you all to himself?" She said with a devious smile that earned her a pillow to the head and a loud "EEEEWWW Tomoyo!" from Sakura. Both girls laughed and hugged each other. "Thanks Tomoyo. But I'm so embarrassed about how I acted"

"Don't worry about it I'm sure he'll forget about it in no time. But you probably should apologize."

Sakura twisted her face into a disgruntled grimace and thought with dread over how it would go. "Do you really think I can just walk into his room (even though he'll obviously not want to see me) and go up to him and be like 'oh hey, up yea sorry about punching you I really did over react? Want to be friends?"

Tomoyo shrugged "worth a shot?" Sakura sighed, picked up the pictures and walked out of her room towards Syaorans. She stopped in front of the large door taking a deep breath before knocking, waiting a couple seconds (ignoring the loud 'go away!' from inside) and walked in.

"Didn't you hear me say-"

"Yeah I heard you."

"So why are you hear?"

"Um...I just wanted to say I'm sorry about your face"

"WHAT! GET OUT!"

"NO no wait! I'm sorry that came out wrong! I'm sorry about hitting you in the jaw like that. I really over reacted and now that I think about it, it really is kind of funny and I'm really sorry." She took a deep breath, having said the previous sentence all in one breath and continued this time at a slower pace. "Um...Here...you can have these back. Show them to who ever you want. Nothing like a good laugh right?" She said meekly looking up to see Syaorans reaction.

He still held the ice pack to his jaw (which was starting to swell) with an un-amused look on his face. "Is that all?"

Sakura shifted her weight from one foot to the other nodding and placed the photos back on the bedside table and turned to leave when his rough mumbled voice made her turn back. "What was that I didn't catch it?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking out loud."

She raised an amused brow at him, "talking to your self you mean? You sure you're not the one who needs a straight jacket?"

"Watch it you're still on thin ice missy. Any second now I could decide to un-forgive you."

Sakura's eyes widened with a smile. "So you forgive me!"

"Maybe"

Sakura's smile grew and she couldn't help but jump up and hug him before letting go quickly and bounced off towards the door. "Nice right hook by the way." Sakura turned and smiled before closing the door proudly walking off to breakfast. She was starving.

Syaoran eventually made it down to breakfast about half way through and piled a decent amount of pancakes on his plate. Surprisingly the swelling wasn't too bad and was going down already thanks to the ice pack (which Eriol tied to his face using a bandana, securing it nicely around his face holding the pack in place while he ate). Syaoran refused to look at anyone while he ate, ignoring the light snickers he heard from all directions, most prominently in Sakura and Eriols directions and continued his breakfast.

He glared at them from under the cover of his bangs as he reached for more syrup for his pancakes and eggs. He wanted to give Sakura a hard time with the dishes, making his plate as dirty and sticky as possible. He was still a little made although he had told her he forgave her. 'But who would be so quick to forgive after receiving a blow like that? Besides, One sticky plate won't hurt her. And Yamazaki, who knew he was such a Syrup freak. And she only has her self to blame for spacing out and over doing the syrup on her own plate.' He thought smugly as he ate listening to the conversation that flew around the table.

Everyone soon finished and began stacking the sticky plates on top of one another, making a majority of the plates sticky on both top and bottom. He watched Sakura's horrified face at remembering she was assigned to do the dishes and knew that there would be no Syaoran to rescue her from the task today.

She grudgingly picked up the stack and put them in the sink and began the chore while the rest of the cups, forks and knives were piled in as well. Most of the crew went off to various places in the house to do what ever. The girls (with an exception of Tomoyo) decided on laying out on the lawn chairs on the back porch to tan while Yamazaki watched TV and Eriol and Tomoyo went for a walk on the beach. Syaoran however, was content with watching Sakura wash the dishes looking at her smugly every time she pouted and frowned in disgust at their stickiness.

She looked over at him watching her smugly, sipping his orange juice calmly. "I don't suppose you want to help do you?" She said dryly, already knowing the answer.

"Oh no thank you, I'm fine here thanks. Great day huh."

"Yeah...Wonderful."

"Great day for a walk on the beach don't you think?"

"Then why don't you go."

"Oh no, I'd much rather watch you suffer. It's a lot more entertaining."

"Well I'm glad one of us is enjoying this."

"Me too." She looked over and saw him with a broad mocking smile which she was tempted to wipe off with another blow to the other side of the face but had to be content with throwing a small mass of soap suds into his orange juice causing him to frown; which in turn made her happy and continued with her dishes.

She sighed contently as she wiped her hands on the small kitchen towel, happy to be done when she felt a sudden tap on her shoulder. "You missed one." She scowled up at a smug Syaoran holding his soapy orange juice inches in front of her face.

"Wash it your self or leave it in the sink. I'll do it later. I'm going for a walk." And with that she took off the apron, tossing it on Syoaran's head and walked off. Syaoran frowned, placing the cup in the sink and went to join Yamazaki in front of the television.

He dropped onto the couch with a loud sigh, resting his feet on the low table in front of him gazing half heartedly at the TV. Yamazaki gave him a look that looked like he was suppressing a grin. "You know, you really should take that bandana off your head. You look retarded."

Syaoran gave him a lazy glare "Thanks, cause you know that's what I was going for."

Yamazaki laughed lightly at his sarcasm and turned his attention back to the television while Syaoran took off the bandana holding the ice pack and placed both on the table letting his face thaw out for a while.

Sakura came out of her room a few minutes later walking over to the back patio door turning to Meilin, "Hey do you wanna go for a short run for a while? I'm bored."

Meilin sighed "No, not really, I'm in a lazy kind of mood right now. Ask Yamazaki or Syaoran."

Sakura sighed and turned around and went to the living room and faced the lesser evil of the two couch potatos (a.k.a Yamazaki). "You wanna go for a run with me Yamazaki; I'm really bored."

"Sure, wanna come too Syaoran? There's nothing really good on."

Syaoran shrugged, "Sure why not" and followed the two out, the two boys trying to catch up with Sakura who had left one she heard they were coming.

"Hey Sakura wait up this isn't a race you know!" Yamazaki yelled after her once he was out the door and saw she was already half way down the street heading down for the beach. "Hey why are we going to the beach?"

"Because, the resistance in the sand will make it harder" she said with a grin wanting a challenge. She waited for them to catch up and all three went on running together in silence, the only sound being their labored breaths as they ran.

Syaoran looked over at Sakura as they ran along the beach, they had been running for an hour, Yamazaki had long since gave up collapsing into the sand last seen rolling towards the water to cool off, too tired to stand. Her face was full of determination to out last him but even he could tell she was getting tired and her legs were probably sore from the extra effort of running in the sand for so long. Hell, even he was tired, but he wasn't about to be the one to suggest they turn back.

Sweat poured down both their faces in large drops, both breathing hard. It took Syaoran a second to realized he was running alone and doubled back looking around for Sakura and found her standing a few feet away in line at an ice cream truck that had parked itself along the beach. He rolled his eyes and walked over next to her in line giving her a look. She met his look with large innocent eyes, "What? I got hungry so sue me; not all of us had a million pancakes for breakfast."

"Fair enough."

"So what will it be little lady?" Sakura turned her attention up to the rather large man standing in the truck. He looked rather short, his large stomach sticking out in front of him giving off the impression he had tried a few too many of his own product over the years. His large friendly grin waiting patently as she looked over the flavor choices on the board behind him.

"Um...I'll have moose tracks in a small cone please. Syaoran do you want anything?" Syaoran, a little taken aback at her even asking shook his head in a negative. Sakura shrugged turning back to the ice cream vendor, "Then make that 1 moose tracks in a medium cup."

The vendor smiled wider, "One medium moose tracks cup coming right up." He came back moments later handing her the cup and two spoons, handing them to Sakura with a wink before turning to the next customer.

Sakura walked to a near by bench taking a seat calmly as if she hadn't seen the devious wink and began on her ice cream, Syaoran not to far behind just watching her lamely. Sakura saw his semi-bored stare and turned to him finally deciding he was worthy of giving the extra spoon. "I told you you should have gotten an ice cream, you'd be bored watching me eat. And there is no way I'm not going to stop and sit after that run." Syaorans lips twitched into an amused smiled and held the spoon in his lap for a second thinking if it was weird sharing an ice cream with her but shrugged it off, his liking of Moose tracks Ice cream over powering his insecurity and took a spoon full. "See now that wasn't too hard was it. By the way you hesitated you'd think I had the Ebola virus or something"

This Syaoran couldn't help but laugh at and took another bite of ice cream, "I think I'd risk it for moose tracks."

Sakura laughed lightly leaving the last bite for Syaoran making him throw it out in the trash bin a few feet away before both headed back.

They walked silently along the beach and were almost half way back when they saw it and gapped, their mouths hanging off their hinges at the sight. Right there in front of them was Yamazaki, and about three or four other girls around him under an umbrella with some cold drink in his left hand and getting a foot and leg massage from the girls.

"Yamazaki what-what's all this!" Sakura yelled on the top of her lungs trudging towards him. The sound of her angry voice scaring the girls away and they jogged briskly away.

Yamazaki glanced wearily at her and smiled lamely. "Uh...hi guys? Have a nice run?"

"What the hell was that! And who were those girls!"

"And where can I find-" His sentence was cut cleanly off as Sakura elbowed Syaoran in the rib cage and glared at Yamazaki.

"Um...well after I collapsed on the beach I was rolling towards the water and just kinda ran out of gas and I was laying there face down in the sand when those girls found me and made it their God sent mission to revive me back to health."

"Well I can see you're happy about that, but I think you'd rather be dead after I tell Chiharu about this."

"NO NO NO Wait! Sakura come on don't do that. Come on you know I was just fooling around. I didn't really mean it. You know Chi's the only girl for me. Come on you can't tell her. Please."

Sakura frowned and continued walking. "You have till we get back to convince me, start talking pretty boy." Syaoran smirked as he watched Sakura totally play Yamazaki into her hands till she had safely secured him as her personal slave. (a.k.a, she had him doing the dishes for the rest of the trip and was condemned to doing the stack she had waiting at home). This seemed a small trade of in return for keeping secret what he had done but with the promise of not having to do the dishes (and Yamazaki's word he would tell Chiharu the truth on his own) she let him off the hook.

Sakura smiled devilishly the whole way back. Neither Yamazaki nor Syaoran knew the reason why, but then they didn't know how much she hated doing the dishes and what lay in store dish wise for Yamazaki in the sink in her own home. Only Tomoyo knew this little fact and had she known the deal would have been smiling too.

Lunch was a quiet affair as Tomoyo and Eriol had called earlier saying they wouldn't be coming for lunch and told the rest to go ahead. They settled for macaroni and cheese and at it quietly. Some suspicion arose when Yamazaki suddenly decided to do the dishes but he laughed it off nervously not daring to look at Chiharu or Sakura and casually picked up the dishes, "What a guy needs a reason to do the dishes?"

Chiharu eyed him suspiciously, "Well maybe 'a guy' doesn't, but you do. You're the laziest guy I know. You don't just do the dishes. You're up to something and I'm gonna find out just what that is."

Yamazaki swallowed hard, his Adams apple moving up and down as he did so, and tried to concentrate on the task of doing dishes as his girl friend walked smoothly into the living room, Rika and Meilin following close behind, missing Yamazaki mouthing 'help me' at Sakura who smiled shrugging. "Nothing happened as far as I'm concerned. I saw nothing; remember?" She smiled cheekily as she got up following Chiharu Meilin and Rika into the living room.

Yamazaki whined flopping down into a chair.

"I could have warned you not to make a deal with her."

"It's always the angelic looking ones that are the most dangerous." Yamazaki said with a sigh.

"And you my friend, just made a deal with the devil. She won't hesitate to use as many dishes for anything now that she has you doing them at her whim."

At this Rika pocked her head in, "Hey guys, we're going to go out and rent a bunch of movies and buy popcorn. Oh Sakura said to get a lot of bowls ready to keep the popcorn coming faster or something. Be back in a bit." She smiled and walked back out following her friends out the door.

"See I told you. Lots of bowls equals lots of popcorn. Popcorn makes you thirsty, that means a lot of cups. Which all adds up to a lot of dishes. Good luck my friend, you're gonna need it. And I'm guessing by your reaction and your quick agreement to this deal makes me think you're going to need it once your girl friend finds out. I'm going to go after them and make sure they don't come back with a bunch of chick flicks."

Yamazaki groaned, banging his head on the table a few times before getting up and starting on the dishes.

So how was that everyone? Thank you so much to CrysallineAngel for being my first reviewer. - And to Hououza, Firalyn Tiatra and dbzgtfan2004 for reviewing as well. Your reviews make me so happy - No joke. It totally makes my day. Keep 'em comming I love to know what you think -