A/N: Another chapter. Yay for fast updates.
I don't own CCS. If I did, the second movie wouldn't end there.
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ChronicallyLate
SakuraSyaoran
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Sakura clutched her white pillow tightly, blocking out the sunlight that streamed through her windows. She was never a morning person; that's the reason why she was always so late.
"...argh."
Okay. Not thinking about last night.
She buried herself deeper in the bedcovers, willing herself to go back to sleep.
ring ring ring ring ring--"Hi! This is Sakura. I can't come to the phone right now, just leave me a message and I'll get back to you." beep.
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo's voice filtered over. "G'morning! Just wanted to invite you and Li-kun to the Daidouji place tonight, we're having another dinner party. Please please please come, I'll be bored to death there if you don't! Can you stand that, huh, huh? Call me back! B'bye!"
In spite of herself, Sakura couldn't help but giggle. Tomoyo did have Eriol; how was she going to be bored?
you and Li-kun
Groaning, she dragged herself out of bed and ambled over to the bathroom, scrubbing away the crust of dried tears on her face as she went. The answering machine flashed happily, indicating that she still had unread messages. She pursed her lips and pressed the History button.
"Sakura. This is Syaoran. Meet me at Claire & Bonné's tonight, eight sharp. I can't pick you up, I took the car for an oil change." beep.
Pssh. Like she was going, the idiot, not after what he did tonight! She gave up on the answering machine and trotted back to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Staring at her usual just-woke-up self in the mirror, she ran a hand through her hair, mind still churning with thoughts of Syaoran. How dare he call just like that, no apology, no nothing!
...but you made him miss his thesis. Now he's not going to be able to graduate. A small voice at the back of her head said slyly.
Well...he did have a point there. Sakura, too, would be upset if she wouldn't be able to graduate on time. Maybe, just maybe, she should go...
- - - - -
"Good evening, sir. How may I help you?"
Syaoran looked around uneasily. Claire & Bonné's was a little too posh for his taste, with crystal and gold everywhere. However, the place just had to be right. He was going to need a hell lot of luck if Sakura was ever going to forgive him. Heck, he was here riding on the assumption that she was going to come.
"I have reservations for two under the name Li," he said clearly, and the moustached waiter's watery blue eyes widened considerably. Even here his family name was quite famous.
"C-certainly. Right this way, Mr. Li," he stammered, and led him deeper into the restaurant into a secluded outside table, magnificently set with china and candles. White and purple cloth was draped in layers on a circular table, and it was set for two with crystal goblets, fragile china, and silver cutlery. Plain white candles stood, ready to be lit at a moment's notice. He had specifically requested that the area be decorated with fresh cherry blossoms, and the management had done a splendid job. Well, it had taken a good chunk out of the money in his wallet, but no matter. He'd choose Sakura over money any day.
"I'll be right back," his moustache twitched as he whispered almost reverently.
Syaoran watched, amused, as the waiter literally scampered away. His rather good mood slightly evaporated when he contemplated the weight of the task before him. Fighting the urge to collapse into the intricately-made aluminum chair, he instead opted to stand at the railing overlooking a small but well-organized garden. Fireflies flitted around his head, and he almost shooed them away with the bouquet of roses in his hand before he realized it.
He sighed, and checked himself once more.
Long-sleeved blue polo, black dress pants, slightly polished shoes? Check.
Combed hair? Like combs ever worked on his hair, anyway. Check.
Cologne? Erm. Of course, check. He's never forget that; Sakura was the one who gave him a bottle of his now-signature scent. Wow. Eau de Syaoran.
Flowers? Only the best roses flown in from Ecuador. He did not know that a single stem could cost so much; but he bought a dozen anyway. And a separate three stems, intertwined in a bouquet with cherry blossoms. Never, ever forget cherry blossoms.
Jewelry? He glanced at his left hand, and was slightly comforted by the sight of their friendship, er, couple-ship, er, whatever rings. Like he could ever forget that; he had not taken off the ring except for a refitting two years ago. He wondered if he could take it off even if he tried.
He patted his trouser pocket, making sure that last, final, irrevocable piece was there.
It was going to be a long wait; after all, it was only six-thirty in the evening...what? He was nervous.
He only hoped honest-to-goodness that Sakura would not be late this time.
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"Have fun, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo waved energetically from their front porch, and Sakura beamed back at her. Eriol raised a hand in farewell before loping his arm around his fianceé's shoulders and ushering her back inside the Daidouji mansion.
She adjusted her rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of her newly-mowed eyebrows and meticulously shaded eyelids. Waxing hurt a hell of a lot more than plucking, she just found out earlier.
Sakura, on deciding to go to Claire & Bonné's just to see what would happen between her and Syaoran, had called Tomoyo for advice on what to do. After all, all she knew about said restaurant was that it was in the upscale part of town, and she had absolutely no idea on what to do.
On having called her best friend, Tomoyo had squealed through the phone for thirty seconds straight before ordering her to immediately come over. A very bored Eriol greeted her at the door and led her up to Tomoyo's studio, where, as expected, thousands of frilly...things awaited her. It turned out that Claire & Bonné's was exclusive for the filthy rich of the city (which meant Syaoran, Eriol, and Tomoyo had already gone there), and semi-formal was considered the way to go. Her best friend was literally shaking with excitement: Sakura was Tomoyo's self-proclaimed model. In fact, if she got her own way, Sakura would be a model for Daidouji Designs.
After something like fifty dresses, hundreds of shoeboxes (some of which she had chucked in a snidely commenting Eriol's direction), and more than a few trips to the washroom to get rid of botched makeup, Sakura had finally had a suitable outfit.
Argh. She felt more like a porcelain doll than ever.
...it didn't help when Eriol wolf-whistled as she examined her appearance in the mirror. But the death threat he got from Tomoyo did.
She tilted her head thoughtfully, glancing at the clock on her dashboard.
6:53 PM, it glowed happily. Claire & Bonné's was a half-hour's drive.
Pshh. Take that, Syaoran, she thought giddily, all dread temporarily forgotten.
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"Sir?"
Syaoran gave the manager a weak smile. The clock loomed with twenty minutes to eight, and his knees were getting weaker by the second. He shifted the bouquet behind his back, heart pounding madly. "I'm okay."
"Won't you wait inside, Mr. Li? I can tell the maitré'd to direct the other party to your table."
He stood up and stretched his legs nervously, walking back and forth. He had been waiting just outside Claire & Bonné's, near the lamppost, to personally escort his girlfriend inside the restaurant. Yep, he was that desperate...how stupid and how his words must've stung his cherry blossom. Argh. He was so damn stupid. If Sakura did come...
Behind him, he could hear the manager chuckle softly.
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Sakura took a panicked glance at the dashboard.
7:52 PM.
She looked upwards, and the traffic light turned green. She stepped on the ignition and her car shot through the intersection.
She didn't count on the traffic jam--a car crash had blocked the only accessible road to upscale Tomoeda, and she had to crawl through the detour like all the drivers in this rush hour. What's worse, she had overheated for almost twenty minutes on a deserted side road she had taken as a shortcut.
She. Was. Going. To. Be. Late.
Oh God, no.
Syaoran would probably never speak to her again. She won't be able to stand that.
Sakura bit her lip as she approached another intersection, and, as expected, the light glowed red the instant the car in front of her crossed the street.
Ack.
She tapped her foot impatiently, and when she swallowed, she could feel bile rise in her throat.
7:55 PM.
Claire & Bonné's was at least another ten minutes away.
Hot tears sprung to her eyes. She knew it would be childish to cry over something like being late, but in her case, she decided it was perfectly justified.
The light turned green.
Sakura shoved her stiletto onto the ignition pedal, and gripped the steering wheel.
She was going to be on time. Whatever it took.
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