"A Little Quality Time"


"You wanna go to the park today, Xing?" Sakura called out as she threw her bag in her room quickly.

She heard his little footsteps running down the hall as he rushed to her room. "Can we really?" he exclaimed excitedly.

She smiled at him warmly as she pulled her uniform tie loose around her neck. "Of course. Daddy says we can," she said softly.

Xing cheered, warming her heart a bit at the enthusiasm.

She had asked Syaoran if it would be okay for her to take Xing to the park. He had agreed as long as Kenta would accompany them. That had made Sakura feel skeptical about meeting her friend, but then brushed it to the side when she rationalized that there would be nothing wrong with seeing a friend. That did not mean that she would not convince Kenta and Xing to keep quiet about it though.

"Just let me change into something suitable and we can head out. Sit with Kenta in the living room until I finish," she instructed.

Xing gave her the salute before running off.

She smiled, closing her door to strip down from her uniform. She slipped on a pair of shorts and a tank as she thought about actually talking with her friend after not seeing him for so long. They had talked at the restaurant briefly, but it had barely been a conversation. She did wonder what he needed to ask her to meet with him today though. The boy rarely asked for anything, so she felt a bit anxious to know.

When she slipped on a pair of shoes, she headed to the living room so they could leave. They settled into the car before Kenta drove them to the park while Xing kept them entertained the entire ride there. Kenta had said very few words, which was what he normally did.

"You don't have to stay here the entire time, waiting for us, because I understand how boring that could get," Sakura said as soon as they pulled up to the park.

"You're very kind, Sakura, but I was ordered to," he said.

"Come on, Sakura! I'm ready to get on the slide," Xing whined in the back seat of the car as they sat in the car in the parking lot.

Sakura giggled. "Alright, Xing." She turned to Kenta with a reassuring smile. "Well, I hope we don't bore you too much then," she said, opening the car door to step out so she could help Xing out in the back.

Xing took off to the slides where there were other kids playing. Sakura took out her phone, shooting a quick text, letting her friend know she was at the park before her attention turned back to Xing.

She smiled, seeing him already making friends with one of the kids on the playground. She walked over to a nearby bench, sitting down as she kept her eyes trained on the little boy. She almost felt a little jealous, having had plans of playing with the little boy for a while until her friend showed up. She guessed it was better this way anyway.

"I'm a little surprised to see you here alone," a familiar voice said behind her.

Her eyes locked on Xing for a few more seconds before she looked in the direction of the voice. "Kaname," she said, standing from the bench to give him a hug.

Her heart warmed, feeling him wrap his arms around her tightly like he had yesterday at the restaurant.

Kaname had been another person she held dear to her heart, just as his father, Masamoto was. He had actually been the one to get her a job at the restaurant to begin with. They had met the day after her brother's funeral when she found herself sitting at his gravestone all night.

She had not shed one tear that day, trying to convince herself that her brother would not want her to cry. He had always talked about her needing to stay her usual, monstrous self, which annoyed her when he was alive, but she had held on to it over the years. He had told her that monsters don't cry whenever she would cry as a child. That had stuck with her, so when he died, she wanted to hold on to that last advice he had given her as a kid. She wanted to continue being that monster he claimed her to be, so she refused to cry.

But then, Kaname showed up at the cemetery, visiting his grandparents grave that day. He had heard her talking to Touya's gravestone, asking him what she should do because she would be forced to embrace random people as her family. He noticed how emotionless she had been, so he had decided to end her misery as she ranted to her brother about how her life would be turned upside down if she did not get up to do something. And how she felt hopeless.

She had had the shock of her life when the boy she had not even noticed appear, hugged her from behind, telling her that everything would be alright in time.

It brought her back to reality and made her realize who she is. So, she broke down and cried in the strangers arms.

After that, Kaname had introduced her to his dad and helped her apply for his restaurant so she could start working there. They had only grown closer over the years as she worked at the restaurant with him for two years where she met Akiho and Himari, who were also dear friends of hers at the restaurant. It sort of felt like she found another family in the sense of feeling like she had a home with them.

Sakura released him, looking back in Xing's direction to make sure he was safe. When she noticed him still playing with the little boy, she sat back down on the bench, patting the space beside her. "Sit," she demanded playfully.

He chuckled and sat down beside her. "Sorry to have called on short notice. My dad told me about...your current situation," he said hesitantly.

She held her breath for a moment, trying to figure out what to tell him. "What'd he tell you?" she asked, wanting to play it safe, just in case he did not know.

"You staying with Mr. Li," he said boldly.

She looked at him, seeing him stare ahead of them, looking deep in thought about that statement. "Yeah..."

"I'm going to be honest with you because you know I could never keep anything from you, but he's told me to convince you to get out of the situation before it's too late," he said softly.

Sakura's eyes trained on the little boy laughing at something his new friend had said as they played on the seesaw. "Yeah..." she said softly, not sure what to tell him.

"I'm not going to do that though. I know how much you hate being treated like a baby. I do want to know...what you're thinking of everything though," he said the last part hesitantly. "He won't get out of my ear until I talk to you about it, so...plus..." His cheeks colored a bit. "I'm worried too..."

"Honestly, I'm just thinking that I want to make it to graduation," she answered half-heartedly.

"That's it? There's nothing...going on between you two then?" Kaname asked, looking at her intently with his azure eyes that would normally warm her heart.

"Sakura," a voice called, interrupting their conversation.

Sakura looked in front of her immediately, seeing Xing stand in front of them now. "Xing," she called warmly. "Is everything okay?"

Xing just stared at the boy beside her, causing an uneasy feeling to settle in her stomach at the piercing look in his eyes. It almost resembled his fathers. "Who is this?" he asked with a slight frown.

"Uhh...Xing, this is Nakumura Kaname, Kaname, this is Li Xing," she introduced, offering Xing a smile.

He had not even seemed to notice though, since he was too busy staring Kaname down.

Kaname chuckled, scratching the back of his head as he broke eye contact with the little boy. "I guess it's only fair he doesn't trust me around his nanny," he said light-heartedly.

"Xing," Sakura called, snapping him out of his staring contest.

He looked at her and then Kaname again. "Sakura is my girlfriend."

Both parties were surprised by that statement before Kaname chuckled, ruffling the little boy's hair. "Don't worry, kid, I'm not trying to steal your girlfriend," he promised, grinning at the little boy.

Sakura smiled at the teenaged-boy beside her, admiring his looks as they enhanced at the smile.

Kaname had sandy-brown hair and the bluest eyes Sakura had ever seen. He was a few feet taller than her and had the build of an athletic, considering that he played sports. They went to different schools, but she would often go to his soccer games to support him.

"How can I trust that?" Xing asked, giving the boy a skeptical look to show he did not trust him.

Kaname hummed, cupping his own chin in a manner to show as if he were thinking about it. "How about because Sakura would never let me steal her away from you," he said after a while.

Xing looked at Sakura, which she blushed and nodded her head immediately when Kaname nudged her. "Of course!" she exclaimed.

A smile slowly crept to Xing's face before he grinned. "Okay, then. Fish kiss!" he exclaimed, landing a wet kiss on her cheek before he took off to go and play with his friend again.

"Wow, I didn't know you were taken. I have to say, I'm a little jealous," Kaname said teasingly. "I should've already shot my shot by now, but the little boy beat me to it."

Sakura giggled, wiping her wet cheek with the back of her hand. "I didn't know either until I met him," she said with a small smile on her face.

"He's special, huh..." Kaname commented as if he noticed her facial features soften.

"Something like that. But, I know it won't last forever since I know we'll have to part ways," she said, dismissing the thought of thinking he could be with her forever.

She felt Kaname's eyes on her. "I hope you know what you're doing, Sakura," he said gently.

"You told me once...'everything will be alright in time', and that brought me back to me, so I believe that applies here as well," she said softly.

"You mean too much for me to accept an answer like that from you," he said sadly.

"Please, don't...I don't need you feeling sad or worried too," she begged.

"I just want you to be careful, is all. Promise me that much, at least," he said, dropping his hand down to grab her hand tightly.

Her heart fluttered at the loving contact, feeling like she touched home again. "I promise, I will."

"Hands off my girlfriend!"

Kaname squeezed her hand gently one last time before releasing it with a chuckle at the little boy making his way back over to the two.

Sakura giggled at the jealous little boy trudging over to break things up.


"How's your little man, Li?"

Taking a sip from the glass of wine, Syaoran could not help but wish that Chao, his colleague would keep quiet. He was not in the mood to conversate tonight. He had decided to go out for drinks, but apparently, his colleague's had the same idea and place in mind too.

"You good, man?" Syaoran heard another one of his colleagues ask.

Syaoran turned to a middle-aged man named Chao who had brunette hair and brown eyes that could almost be mistaken for black. He shrugged his shoulder at Chao's question. "He's fine," he said, hoping his tone made it crystal clear that he was not interested in conversations. He had done enough of that in meetings today.

"My little girl just started school this week. She's been an even bigger ball of energy since. You would think that school's taking some of that energy from her," Chao said, chuckling softly.

"Yeah," Syaoran said quietly.

It was Friday night and he had not seen Xing since yesterday morning when he dropped him off. He had to get to the office earlier than normal today, so he could make time for this weekend with Sakura and Xing. Kenta had been the one to take the two to class this morning. He had only seen Sakura briefly, and that was during class. Even then, he barely looked in her direction of the class, though it was hard sometimes.

He was still trying to keep things subtle between them, but realized it was getting harder and harder to by the days since he acknowledged and accepted his attraction to her.

Despite him being busy since yesterday afternoon, he had only decided to go out tonight because he had been working on a project and had not finished until after ten tonight. He knew Xing would be sleeping, and Sakura should be too because it was pretty late.

"Come on, Li, loosen up a bit. You would think that alcohol helps, but not even with you. You're so stiff and tense," Asahi, another one of his colleagues, said.

Syaoran's eyes narrowed towards the blonde, middle-aged man. "I'm not," he said shortly. He really was not in the mood to argue or discuss himself right now. He had enough of that with his family.

"You are. Say, when was the last time you've gotten laid?" Chao asked, catching Syaoran off guard.

Syaoran almost fell off the stool at the personal question. "W-what?" he asked, unable to mask his surprise as he nearly choked on his drink.

"People are normally uptight and tense when they haven't gotten laid in a long time. Since you've been in Japan after the old boss walked out, you've been pretty stiff, so it's had to be a minute," Asahi said, sounding confident about that.

"That is none of your businesses," Syaoran said, dismissing the conversation.

To his disappointment, Chao laughed, slapping his back as if they were best buddies. Syaoran stiffened, uncomfortable with the physical contact. He had never really been a person to like physical contact, because, after all, it is his personal space.

He flinched away from the man, throwing him a deadly look that could almost kill, if that were possible. He had only given one person permission to put their hands on him, and even with her, he had not even vocally given her permission to.

At the thought of physical contact and Sakura, he could feel his face growing unbearably hot, thinking about a certain incident that had taken place in a classroom. He wanted to pull his hair out in frustration, wishing he knew what the hell he had been thinking to kiss her in such a public place. It almost seemed like he was trying to get them caught. He had been the one to say that nothing inappropriate would happen between them so she would not get any ideas in her head. Yet, it seemed like he was the one initiating everything. He had never been involved with one of Xing's nannies before, despite some trying to be, yet, here this girl is, not even trying to, but he is. He had been the one to lay those rules across the board, yet…it felt so right to want to claim her. He just wanted to know why he wanted to so badly.

Fuck...

"I say, we help you get laid tonight. Operation of Getting Li Some Pussy tonight," Asahi said, interrupting his thoughts.

"No," Syaoran said quickly.

He wondered what the deal was with people these days. He had never thought that sex was something to be played with like it was a game or some sort. He had never just slept with anyone before.

"Why not? It'll help you out a ton, man," Asahi pressed.

Syaoran's eyes slit in the man's direction before he downed the rest of his alcohol. He ordered another drink, hoping the man took the hint that the conversation was not up for discussion.

"You see that blonde over there?" Chao asked, pointing to a pretty blonde who was sitting at a table, glancing over in their direction with "the look" in her eyes.

Syaoran almost rolled his eyes at the lack of modesty from the woman.

"She's been eye-fucking you since we walked in here. Matter of fact, you have a wide variety of women to pick from here tonight because a lot of them have been eyeing you," Chao said suggestively.

Syaoran let out an aggravated sigh and stood from the chair, calling it a night.

The two seemed to notice because they each were grabbing an arm each immediately, pulling him back down in the stool. Syaoran glared at them, feeling annoyed that they even had this much confidence to lay a finger on him. He knew it was the alcohol though.

"We aren't trying to pressure you, Li, but we do want to help you get back out there," Asahi said.

"I don't want to 'get out' there," he said tightly. Syaoran was not even sure why he bothered to explain anything to the ninnies.

"You're 22—wait, 23, right?" Chao said. "Still young and need to live a little. Have you ever had a one-night stand before?"

"No, and I don't plan to—"

"And, that's the problem. Just try it once. Go over there and offer to buy that girl a drink," Chao said. "Yolo? You only live once. Isn't that what you youngens say, right?"

Syaoran gave the man a deadpanned look.

"Don't judge me with that look. I'm nearing my 50s, so I'm from a different time than you are," Chao said in a chastising tone.

"Stop trying then," Syaoran said blandly.

Asahi and Chao burst out laughing, shaking their heads. "Leave it up to Li to be an asshole," Asahi said good-naturedly. Asahi was not the youngest thing either. He was nearing his 40s.

"Look, we're getting off topic. Let's stay on, 'Operation of Getting Li Pussy tonight'," Chao said.

Syaoran glared at him. "Why are you guys so concerned?"

"We want you healthy, man. Having sex is a healthy, natural thing. It's been medically proven that—"

"Yeah, yeah. I know the medical research on getting a release. I don't need to get that from someone else, though," he said, annoyed that he was even letting them talk this way to him about this.

"Come on. I know jacking off is getting old—"

"That's not the point," Syaoran replied tightly.

"You're tense, stiff, and boring. You need to loosen up and have a little fun sometimes."

He froze, suddenly feeling like he was experiencing deja vu. Sakura had said something along those lines a while back. If she said it, his family said it, and now his colleagues were saying it...he could not help but feel that, maybe, he did need to. He let out a sigh, only feeling obligated to because of her. He just could not understand why Sakura was suddenly having this huge impact on his life and decisions he made. He liked to think he never did things people told him to do, but with her…he was realizing how she truly is making him do things. And, that thought triggered him, wanting to get rid of it somehow.

Damn it.

"...how?" Syaoran asked awkwardly.

Both of the men's face lit up before they let out a joyous sound at, "accomplishing" their mission, despite Syaoran only doing it because of the girl back home.

"Okay, so, you're going to go and ask her if you can buy her a drink," Asahi said confidently.

Syaoran looked in the woman's direction again, not even feeling the least bit attracted to her show of interest in him. He frowned. "Why would I do that?"

"Because...you know, girls like that kind of stuff," Chao answered for Asahi, shrugging his shoulder.

Syaoran's eyes fell down. "She has a drink," he said bluntly, staring at the drink in her hand.

"Look, we're just trying to give you pointers, you know," Chao said with a chuckle.

His brows scrunched together. "Okay. Then?"

"Asahi, you take it from here. I'm not sure how you young men do it these days, since I am a more traditional man myself," Chao said.

"Make conversation, ask her about herself, her likes and dislikes...charm her into accepting your invitation to fuck. Almost like…the way you persuade people in your presentations," Asahi said.

"I don't care to know her though," he said honestly.

"Well, of course you don't want to get to know her, but like…you have to make her think you care to know her, so she feels special. You know…"

Syaoran looked at him with a blank expression on his face. "I don't."

"Li—"

"But, I'll…try," he said the last part hesitantly, hoping they would not notice. They had never seen him uncertain about anything since he is normally the boss man who knows everything.

"Alright, so, step one, get your ass up and head over there, and then charm her into accepting the invitation to your place," Asahi said, patting his own chest.

"Wait, wait, wait. My place?" Syaoran asked incredulously, realizing what the man said. He had Sakura there and he most definitely did not want to parade women around in her face. For some reason, it just did not sit well with him. Plus, he wanted her to trust him.

"Oh, trust me. Your kid won't hear anything if that's what you're worried about," Chao said confidently. "Just have her out before he wakes up in the morning."

"It's not tha—" Syaoran stopped, realizing the men knew nothing about Sakura. He was sure Xing would not hear anything. The boy could sleep through a fire if one were to happen at the house. He frowned, erasing that thought from his head immediately. Sakura was the problem. He knew he did not owe her anything, much less loyalty, so why did he find himself hesitant to do it?

"Kids can sleep through anything, I tell you," Asahi said.

Chao threw his head back, laughing loudly at that statement. "If that isn't the truth."

"Look, let's forget this," Syaoran tried to reason, hoping they would drop it.

"No, no, no. Just go over and talk to her. You haven't been with anyone since your wife, right? I know the media came up with a bunch of bullshit about the nannies, but even I know you aren't that type of man. There hasn't been anyone else though, right?" Chao asked cautiously.

Syaoran sighed. "That doesn't mean I have to do this. Besides..." He paused, wondering if he should lie to get the men off his throat by telling them that he's seeing someone.

"Are you, by any chance, seeing someone?" Chao asked, sounding surprised by the revelation, even though he had not even said anything yet.

"I—"

"Why didn't you just say so? You know we don't tolerate cheating," Asahi said. "I'm still a happily married man for a reason."

"I'm not...I just...have to go. I have to be at the office early in the morning," he settled with, standing from the stool again.

"Say, why have you been getting to the office extra early these past few days anyway? It's Saturday tomorrow too."

Syaoran did not know who asked, too focused on wanting to get out of there. "Just working on a new project I'm coming up with. I'll see you guys later," he said, almost rushing out the bar.

He remembered sitting some cash on the counter before getting in the car where Kenta had been waiting for him. For some reason, he could not help but feel like he screwed up here tonight.


Syaoran closed the door behind him quietly, locking it. He felt a little more than tipsy, but not too drunk. Just drunk enough that he would get a good night's rest to be rejuvenated for tomorrow's activities with Xing and Sakura.

He glanced down at his watch, seeing it past eleven. He headed to his room to change from the suit into sweatpants and a T-shirt.

Once he finished, he decided to head to Xing's room, wanting to check up on the boy. The alcohol was making him feel a little vulnerable. The moment he turned the knob of the door, he heard the most satisfying sound he had ever heard. Sakura and Xing's laughter playing like a melody in the room. Slowly, he pushed the door open, but stopped when the room fell silent, aside from the television playing. He stepped into the room, so they could know it was him.

Xing gasped. "Daddy!" he exclaimed, jumping off the bed with Sakura, and running to hug Syaoran's legs tightly.

He could feel a warm smile tug at his lips before he stooped down to pick the little boy up. "What are you still doing up, buddy?" he asked, hoping his voice did not slur, as he ruffled Xing's hair.

Xing pouted, burying his face in Syaoran's neck. "I'm not sleepy." He sounded muffled as he said it.

Syaoran shook him gently, motioning him to sit up so he could see the little boy's face. "It's way past your bed time," he said, though there was no seriousness to his tone.

"But... I don't have school tomorrow," Xing said sheepishly.

Syaoran smiled a little, ruffling his hair again before placing him back on his feet. Normally, he would scold the boy for staying up this late, but found he did not have the energy to tonight. He blamed the alcohol. His eyes shifted to Sakura's direction, only to have his breath caught in his throat at her appearance. She had on a fitted green tank top, no bra underneath, and loose-fitting pajama shorts that were pink with green polka dots.

When he felt a stirring in his sweatpants at her nearly exposed nipples, he turned his attention back to Xing. "Uh...yeah...you don't, but we have a, uh...long day ahead of us," he said, a stuttering mess at his flustered state.

Stupid alcohol!

Anything that happened tonight, Syaoran had already decided that he would be blaming it on the alcohol.

"Well...can we stay up and watch one movie together?" Xing asked, giving Syaoran a pleading look.

He glanced at the clock, seeing that it was almost twelve. "It's…late," he said, his eyes drifting over to Sakura's direction on Xing's bed.

Damn it, stop it!

She scratched the back of her neck nervously. "Uh…I've been trying to convince Xing to sleep all night, but he kept insisting that he wanted to wait up for you because he's excited about tomorrow and…all," Sakura rambled as if she knew she would be in trouble for letting the little boy stay up. She was biting her lip nervously now.

"Yeah, that's not acceptable," he said, staring directly in her eyes. He could feel his own eyes getting heavy with lust. Thanks to the alcohol.

She stood from the bed, giving him a full view of her body. Even though she was not tall, her legs appeared longer than they actually were. He could not help but notice how smooth they looked. He could almost feel them wrapped around his body as he buried himself deep inside of her. "It is late, and we should all get some sleep," she suggested.

Syaoran looked up, seeing a smile on her lips. "Uh..."

"Right?" she murmured when he did not say anything, just staring at her dumbly.

"But, I'm not sleepy yet," Xing whined.

"Xing, you said when daddy gets home, you'd sleep. You can't go back on the deal now," Sakura said softly.

A pout played at his lips. "Do I have to…Daddy?" Xing turned to Syaoran, looking at him pleadingly.

Syaoran's eyes trained on Sakura as he—the alcohol—had other things in mind. "Sakura's right. And, don't try and play that trick on us again," Syaoran said in a gentle, scolding tone.

Xing pouted before a small smile played at his lips. "Fine…only because I'm ready for the surprise tomorrow," Xing said, climbing in the bed beside Sakura. "Can Sakura sleep with me tonight?"

Syaoran raised a brow, forgetting anything else he felt, and looking at her questioningly. "You don't need Sakura to sleep," he told the little boy.

Xing frowned. "Okay…" he said sadly.

Sakura giggled, leaning down to kiss his nose. "Another night, Xing. How about I tuck you in, though?" she suggested.

He grinned at that, nodding his head. "Okay!"

Sakura tucked him in bed, kissing his forehead. "I'll see you in the morning," she said.

"Are you and Daddy going to sleep too?" Xing asked, sounding unsure about the question.

"Of course," Syaoran said, walking over to the two so he could stoop down beside the bed. He stroked Xing's head gently, moving his disheveled hair from his face. "Goodnight, buddy."

"Can I have a kissy like Sakura gave me one?" he asked shyly. Syaoran kissed his forehead before standing, Sakura following along with him by standing from the bed.

"Good…night," Xing said, closing his eyes with a content smile on his face.

Syaoran turned the lights off, motioning Sakura out the room before he left the door cracked open a little. They walked down the hall, from his room in silence until they reached the end of it.

"You don't understand how glad I am that you got here at the perfect time, so thank you," she said quietly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, a little confused. He motioned her to follow him to the living room so they could sit on the couch together. He was sure to keep an appropriate distance between them when she sat down beside him. He did not want to tempt himself any further than he had when he pressed on Xing going to bed.

He cringed, thinking about how perverted his thoughts had been lately. He knew that he could not blame the alcohol on everything he had been doing. He was well-aware that he had been a pervert way before tonight. He knew that feeling attracted to a person was normal, yet he felt like the biggest pervert alive.

When her eyes drifted from his nervously, he let his eyes drift down to her breast again before they shifted from her immediately. "It's…nothing. How was your day?" she asked, suddenly looking at him again, causing his eyes to travel to hers again.

Syaoran swallowed. "Productive," he said stiffly. He hoped that response did not send as awkward and tense as he felt right now, due to nervousness.

She giggled, shaking her head. "So, I'm taking that it was good," she said.

Syaoran almost felt envious of her carefree attitude to socialize normally at times. "Yeah. Uh...how was your day?" he asked awkwardly. He rarely ever had to make small conversation with people. He did not know why this felt harder than anything he had ever had to do before. He could not help but think it really was the alcohol this time. He only felt a little tipsy now. It's affects were wearing off.

Damn it.

"It was great, except I had a pop quiz in math," she said, sounding disappointed in herself.

He raised a curious brow. "I take it didn't go well?" he asked.

She looked at him with a bashful look on her face. "Well...uh...math isn't necessarily my expertise," she said sheepishly.

Syaoran stared at her for a while, feeling his lip tug a little with a smile. "If you ever need any help, I could help you. I'm a math kind of guy," he said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Immediately, her face brightened up, a grin forming. "Really?" she asked anxiously.

He nodded. "Sure," he said, feeling his heart accelerate at the reaction he received.

"That really would mean a lot to me, so thank you," she said, bowing her head slightly.

Shaking his head, Syaoran motioned with his hands for her to sit up. "It's not a problem," he said, suddenly feeling flustered by the pleased reaction. He felt that he finally did something right by her. He decided that he would take credit for that, instead of giving it to the liquor.

"Of course, it is! I know you have a very busy life, but you're willing to help me with something as easy as math because of my lack of skills. That means a lot to me," she said sincerely.

Syaoran could feel his body untensing, seeing her open up and speak freely around him now. Instead of responding, he just nodded. He did not want to ruin it.

"So, what do you have planned tomorrow for us?" she asked softly.

"I have this yacht at a small, private resort here. We used to go there to get away during the summer sometimes. We haven't been there in a while, so...I think he'd like that a lot," he explained.

She nodded, laying back on the couch so she did not have to sit up anymore. "Sounds like fun," she said absentmindedly.

Syaoran looked back at her, staring in her unreadable eyes. "What were you guys doing before I arrived?" he found himself asking, the thought still lingering about what she had said earlier.

Her eyes looked panicked for a bit before she quickly shook her head. "Nothing! It's just...Xing was talking about his mother again," she whispered the last part quietly.

Syaoran stiffened, wondering what he could have told her about the woman. "What about...her?" he asked cautiously. He hated coming off as secretive about the woman, but he could not help but feel like telling Sakura about her meant opening more doors for her to creep into their family more.

"Well, quite frankly…I'm not sure what Xing wants anymore. It doesn't seem like he views mothers in a positive light, but I'm not sure how to go about handling the things he says. Sometimes, it seems like he wants one, but then at other times, it doesn't seem like it. Maybe he's just a bit confused?" she said quietly.

Syaoran nodded slowly, not sure where this conversation was headed. He had never talked about Xing's mother with anyone before, because, well, he had never opened up to anyone about anything before.

He looked at her face, seeing a sad smile on her face now when he did not respond. "I'm sorry. I know that your former wife is a sensitive topic for the both of you, but...she was and always will be a part of the two of you because of Xing. And... Xing knows that, even though he isn't aware of it right now. So, I never know what or how to respond when he brings her up to me because you told me to never say a word about it to him," she said softly, making him feel a little guilty for putting her in this predicament.

He sighed, giving in to the thought of opening up to her. He was putting this one on the alcohol. "Meixia and I only knew each other for a week before we were engaged," he started, letting his eyes stray from hers when he saw them widen. "I was 18, getting ready to take over everything. Mother and the elders saw it fit to have a wife, already ready to produce the next heir after I'm gone—"

"At 18?" she interrupted.

Syaoran looked at her, seeing her cover her mouth, while looking apologetic for interrupting. A bitter smile formed on his lips at hearing that. He already knew this and did not need to hear it out loud. "I didn't care because it doesn't matter. There always has to be the next heir in line, ready to lead." When she did not say anything, he continued, "I met his mother, and we were engaged for a month..." He thought about the time for a bit before shaking his head. "Maybe a little over a month, but we got straight to the point, which was having a kid." He scoffed, wishing he had more to drink now at the bitter thought of his loveless marriage. "Lucky for us, she was pregnant on the first try with a boy. Months later, Xing was born."

"You were happy about that?" she asked when he did not continue.

"After Meixia's pregnancy, things didn't go according to plan," he said instead of answering her question. He stopped.

Now, he was not sure if it would be okay to open up to her about the rest of the story. He had never told anyone the things that happened in that household after Xing was born. He had forbidden Xing from doing so too, in fear that things would backfire and all fall on him like they normally did. He had always been known as the untroublesome child in the family and he wanted to remain that way. Unfortunately, anything bad that would happen, it would still fall on him in the end, so he felt the need to keep this one thing from everyone. He was not sure he would be able to take the blame for the abuse of his kid.

"She treated Xing poorly?" Sakura asked softly, snapping Syaoran out of his thoughts of not wanting to tell her this, but wanting to tell her everything at the same time. He did not want to put this burden on her. She did not deserve that. "It doesn't take a genius to see how Xing closes off the idea of a new mother. It could be either two things…he doesn't want to replace her or…he doesn't like the idea of what he thinks a mother is."

When Syaoran looked at her and saw the cloud of sorrow swim in her eyes, he broke. "She was angry all the damn time, like I had forced her to have my kid, when in fact, she had wanted him more than I did when the idea of having a kid was presented to us in the beginning of our marriage."

Her face appeared unreadable, but it was neutral, like she had no thoughts about the things he had just said, so he continued. "We argued…a lot, which I admit, was my fault some of the time. I was always working, and she stayed home most of the time with him during the beginning of his birth. Then, she came up with the idea of having a nanny, which started the cycle of nannies..."

Syaoran suddenly felt like a crappy person, telling her all of this because the fault still pointed back at him. He tried mentally preparing himself to tell her the next things. He knew she needed to know everything though so she could understand why talking about his mother is forbidden. "Meixia and I argued so much in front of Xing, so...I know I triggered something in him when we argued the other day in front of him. It was my fault, but it still shouldn't have happened. We can't let it happen again, okay?" he stalled.

"Of course, it won't happen again," she said immediately as if she had already made that decision herself.

He nodded. "I often hope that his memories of her living aren't only bad because she…" He sighed, not sure how to say this. "She neglected Xing…and I know that's why he hates sleeping alone, but I…I've helped him get through that. He could manage staying in the office and sleeping alone because he couldn't at first. It's just…he's reverted back since you've been here for some reason. God, this is shitty to talk about. I feel like I'm digging a grave for myself here," he said, stopping himself from talking as he felt a headache creeping in.

This had been the first time that he had spoken so much to someone outside of meetings and public speaking events. He wanted more alcohol to continue this conversation.

"Neglect?" Sakura questioned.

"Yes, she wouldn't change his diaper, feed him at times…tend to his basic needs. And, that's not even to mention the physical abuse, and I just…" He looked away, bangs covering his eyes as he looked down. "But who am I to say anything about neglect when I'm not even here for him? I'm not even a good father. I just don't...want to be a terrible father. It's not easy being the best dad. It's hard, actually, but all I do is seem to fail at it or fuck things up and—"

He felt something soft land on his hand, making him look down. He saw her hand placed on top of his, grabbing it gently. "It's not supposed to be easy. You're never going to be a perfect dad, but that doesn't make you a terrible one," she said quietly.

He looked in her eyes hesitantly, feeling chills glide down his body at the sincerity in her tone and eyes.

"My dad was never perfect, but I think that he was the best dad in the world because he was my dad. He did everything he could to make sure I had a great life. Even though I didn't have a mother to fill in certain gaps in my life, he was able to fill them in with other things. He could do everything in the book because he tried his best, but he wasn't perfect. Being a good dad isn't being perfect. It's trying your best. That's what makes a great dad because perfect dads don't exist in this world."

Syaoran stared at her as she smiled. Syaoran had never met her dad before, yet she made him believe the man really had been a great dad. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"Of course. All you can do is try your best," she said, sitting up on the couch so they could be right next to each other now.

His heart began to beat faster, feeling her so close to him. Instead of responding, he just looked ahead of them, staring at nothing in particular as he thought about what she had said.

"So…you didn't really marry your wife for love?"

When he looked at her, the frown on her face made him feel slightly disappointed in himself. Instead of voicing that feeling to her, he shrugged his shoulders nonchalant, as if to say he did not care. "No. That was pointless," he said blandly.

Her frown deepened, making him feel irritated by her reaction because of the way it made him feel. Like he had been wrong for marrying outside of the reason of love. He had never even really thought about falling in love with anyone before. Quite frankly, he had been sure that he never would. "It's not a big deal. I mean, it's not that I'm some heartless being who has no feelings, but our relationship just wasn't like that. I cared about her and respected her, but she was just the mother of my child..." He stopped, wondering why he wanted to clarify that to her. It was not like she actually cared if he had been in love with Xing's mother, right? Why did he feel the need to explain himself to her, then? He was not even sure himself.

"That sounds very sad..." she said quietly.

He looked at her, seeing a sadness cloud her eyes. He had never seen that kind of gloomy look on her face before, so it unsettled something in him that he was not quite familiar with. He frowned, annoyed that he had been the source of that look. Clenching his fists to hold himself back from touching her, Syaoran closed his eyes tightly, so he did not have to see her like this. "Don't look like that," he said in a stiff tone.

"I'm sorry, but...why does everything seem so controlled in your life? Can't you make decisions based off your own wants and needs? Does everything always have to be set in order and you follow each step that's instructed for you to do? Where could you ever find happiness living like that? You didn't want a kid so early, yet you have one. You didn't love your wife, yet you married her. And, I'm sure that...you were forced to be the next leader of everything, and—"

"And, that's none of your business," he interrupted, feeling even more annoyed with her prying. He had never thought of himself being controlled. He had always thought that he had everything under control, that he made most of the decisions in his life. That was the reason he always stayed ahead of the game in everything. He always made the right decisions before anyone would have to even tell him to. He did not need her putting any ideas in his head.

She was quiet for a minute, almost making him regret using that tone of voice with her. "I—"

"You're right. I'm sorry for prying," she interrupted, sounding guilty for her actions. She stood from the couch, making him look up at her, surprised. "I'm going to head to bed, I guess," she said, keeping her eyes from his direction now.

He frowned, standing so he could tower over her, though his world spun a bit, due to the alcohol still coursing through his blood. There goes that feeling he wanted. "Tell me if you're upset," he demanded, wanting immediate answers to get rid of this feeling of…he did not know what.

She looked up at him, her emerald eyes wide. "Of course not. I had no business prying like that. Honestly, I feel quite embarrassed for getting ahead of myself by saying those things to you, and—"

Unable to resist her any longer, Syaoran leaned down, closing the gap between their lips in a gentle kiss. It was just to shut her up, he reasoned. But the moment her lips twitched against his, the plans changed. He grabbed her bare shoulders gently, feeling how soft her skin is under his fingers. The feeling almost felt addictive. Pulling her closer to him, his lips began to become more demanding of hers on their own as their tongues tangled in knots from the tango they played.

She let out a soft moan, placing her hand on his chest, in what he assumed, a way to stop him. So, he did. He looked at her, eyes feeling incredibly heavy to keep open as he stared at her face, wishing to read her mind. "What is it?" he asked, boldly letting his hands slide down her arms, to her waist so he could pull her body against him. It had to be the alcohol, right?

Out of all the three and a half years Syaoran had been with Meixia, they had only had sex one or two times, and that was including the time they did to have Xing. He never felt the urge to kiss her, let alone, touch her, when she was near him. He never felt the need to make her or anyone, aside from Xing, feel better because of something that bothered them, or made them uncomfortable. All of this was new. It was so foreign, that Syaoran was not sure how to feel about it.

"U-uh...Xing's...just a few feet from here, and I don't think that he'd be pleased to see us like this," she said timidly.

He stared at her face, seeing concern and worry in her eyes, so he nodded. "You would tell me if you don't want something, right? I know you're a virgin and haven't done anything, so I don't want you to feel obligated to do anything," he said gently, caressing her face unconsciously. She was so soft and delicate that he wanted to protect her from anything that could harm her. Including himself. He just could not understand where his new feeling came from. He had not even trusted her around them a few weeks ago, but now he wanted to protect her?

"I know. I just... this really is about Xing," she explained with a blush on her cheeks.

"I know, I just mean any other time. Tell me if you're ever uncomfortable with this or anything," he said.

She smiled at him, resting her hand on his on her face. "I would tell you," she said in a reassuring tone.

"Say you understand, if you do, then," he said, just to reassure her and himself, that she knew what he meant.

She giggled, nodding her head. "I understand."

He leaned down and kissed her lips gently and then pulled back before it could get any further. "Good. You need to head to bed now. It's late and you need your rest."

She pursed her lips, glaring at him playfully. "You need your rest too, mister," she said with a smile on her lips now.

Syaoran raised a brow, releasing his hold on her. "Get to bed, young lady," he said in an authoritative tone with a hint of sarcasm to let her know that he was not being serious with her, but at the same time, he was.

She surprised him with a giggle and a look of mirth in her eyes. "Yes, sir," she said in a fake pouting tone.

He realized he found her willingness and obedience to be sexy. He wanted to lean down and kiss her lips so hard, with the intent to claim her already. He really needed to get to bed, lest he did something he might regret later.

Staring down at her lips and beautiful, blushing face one last time, he dropped his hands from her soft face. He leaned down and kissed her forehead softly instead. "Goodnight, princess," he whispered against her head without thinking.

She froze under him, noticing his slip of tongue as well. Instead of commenting on it, he pulled back from her and almost rushed to his room, closing the door behind himself.

What the hell was that about?


"Daddy, Daddy! Come over and take a picture with us!" Xing exclaimed as Sakura and him stood by the pool, snapping pictures on her phone. Xing had insisted on taking pictures on her phone when they were in the pool, so they had been taking pictures for the last ten minutes. Now, he wanted Syaoran to join them.

Syaoran had swam with them for a few minutes before deciding that he had enough of making himself suffer with Sakura so close. She had on a two piece swimsuit, showing him more than enough of her body to imagine her completely nude before him. Especially when she came from under the water and the force of it pulling her top down a little.

He stared at her slightly wet behind, wanting to grab the meaty flesh in his palms. Before his body could react, he looked to safer territory, Xing. "No, you two have at it," he said, laying back on the stretched chair to enjoy the sun beaming against his skin.

They had been at the resort since ten that morning. Xing had only wanted to swim at the resort, but Syaoran had convinced him to play some of the games at the arcade before they got on the yacht. After the arcades, Syaoran had attempted to teach him how to golf, but that did not last long because he was too occupied with whining about swimming. They had been in the water for the last two hours before Sakura told Xing that she had to check her phone. He followed her and suggested taking pictures, which they were still doing because Xing had not had enough yet.

"Daddy!" Syaoran felt something heavy jump on top of him, causing his eyes to snap open immediately. His eyes met with an identical pair of ambers that belonged to Xing, who was straddling his stomach. Syaoran raised a brow, sitting up a bit to push Xing down to sit in front of him. "You guys finished?"

Xing frowned, folding his arms over his chest. "We want you to take pictures with us too," he whined.

Syaoran's eyes drifted over to Sakura who had a grin on her face with her phone held up as she waved it nonchalantly. "I'll take pictures of you guys," she suggested.

"But, you have to be in them too!" Xing whined.

Syaoran let out a sigh, making Xing turn over to look at him. "Stop whining," he said, giving Xing a pointed look, that read, 'keep it up and you'll be in big trouble.'

The pout slowly left Xing's lips with a smile replacing it as he tried to suppress it. "So, no pictures?" he asked.

Syaoran sighed, nodding his head towards Sakura to snap a picture of them together. She grinned, holding her phone up. Immediately, Xing was settling himself in his father's lap to pose for the camera. Syaoran gave the camera a neutral look as Sakura snapped the picture.

"No smile?" she asked after snapping another picture.

Syaoran stared in her eyes with a hard look on his face, almost telling her not to mention that in front of Xing. "Daddy, you have to smile! Like me!" Xing grinned widely, showing all his teeth.

Unconsciously, a small smile tugged at Syaoran's lips, finding humor in the expression on Xing's face. "That's enough pictures," he said in a finalizing tone.

"No pictures with Sakura and us?" Xing asked sadly with a frown on his face.

"I'm sure Sakura is tired of taking pictures," he said, hoping she heard his tone, warning her not to disagree with him on this.

"W-well—"

"Please, please, please?" Xing begged with his hands clasped together, looking at her with the eyes.

"O-okay, then," she said sheepishly.

Syaoran would have glared at her for being so weak to the little boys advances, but she was already walking over to them with her phone. She switched the camera over to face them before moving over to Syaoran, so the camera could get all three of them in view. He looked at her screen, eyes immediately landing on her breast as she tried to get the perfect angle.

And that's when he felt soft, plump flesh press against his bare back, causing the most delicious stir in his abdomen, down to his groin.

"Smile," she whispered in his ear.

His skin broke out in goosebumps, itching to feel her hot breath caress every single part of him now. He forced a small, uncomfortable smile, looking at the camera now. When she finally snapped the pictures, Xing left his side, forcing Syaoran to drop his hands down to his swimming trunks to hide the raging erection from her, instantly. The moment he did it, he knew he made the wrong move.

Her eyes landed where his hands were, widening as soon as she saw what he had a grasp of. He looked at her face, seeing the reddest shade a human could have on their face.

"Daddy, I'm hungry," Xing said, breaking the tension between the two blushing individuals.

Syaoran waited for a minute, trying to think of any and everything to get rid of his problem down south so he could get up and feed Xing. After he thought about Hiroshi, the old man, he went completely soft, because his mother also came to mind. He was up on his feet within a blink of an eye, telling Xing they needed to get changed first. "Let's go," Syaoran told her without looking in her direction. She followed them inside the yacht, listening to Xing talk to Syaoran about his friends from school.

He motioned to one of the small rooms for her to get rinsed off from the chlorine and changed. She did not say anything and almost rushed to the room with the medium-sized bag on her arm. Syaoran and Xing went to one room, where he changed Xing into a casual outfit. He changed into a casual, collared, button-down shirt and khaki cargo shorts once he sent Xing to the restroom connected to their room.

"Go ahead to the dining room. Sakura should be there. I have to make a quick call and I'll be right with you guys," Syaoran informed him.

The smile on Xing's face faltered, tears immediately filling his eyes. "I thought that you said no work today," he said sadly.

Syaoran frowned. "Don't cry, buddy. This isn't work-related—"

"Then you shouldn't have to take a call!" he exclaimed. Just as he said that, Syaoran's phone began to ring, making the tears fall from his eyes now. "I hate you! You're going to do the same thing you did when we went to Disney! You'll disappear and I won't see you anymore. I hate you! You always choose work over me!" Xing yelled, and then ran out of the room, leaving Syaoran stunned.

It took Syaoran a few seconds to recuperate before he ended the call, rushing after Xing. The moment he rushed to the dining room, he stopped, seeing Xing's arms wrapped around Sakura's legs tightly as he sobbed loudly. "What's going on?" she asked, looking at Syaoran worried, as she rest her hands on Xing's shoulder.

"I—"

"Daddy hates me! He hates me because he wants to leave me again! He wants to work and, and, and!" he wailed, leaving Syaoran at a loss for words, to his own surprise. The only way he knew to respond was to reprimand the little boy for acting so irrationally right now and spilling lies, but knowing that was probably not the smartest thing to do.

"Xing, honey, I need you to breathe." Her voice sounded desperate to stop his crying.

Syaoran walked towards them, motioning Sakura to release Xing so he could take over. He grabbed Xing's shoulders, but Xing roughly shrugged his hands away, infuriating Syaoran. Xing had never disrespected him like this before. "Xing," Syaoran called gently.

"No! I don't want to hear it anymore! You never tell the truth. You always hurt me! You're just like mommy and—"

"Xing!" Syaoran called loudly in an authoritative tone, making Xing silence his rant and cries. "That is enough," Syaoran said sternly. "Let Sakura go."

Immediately, Xing released Sakura, stepping back from her as if he knew he were in trouble.

"Come here," he demanded, looking at Xing's red, tear-stained face. Syaoran hated to use this tone with Xing, but knew he had to put his foot down or Xing would act like the stubborn, angry child for the rest of the day.

Xing walked over to him slowly, folding his arms with his lips in a pout.

"Drop the attitude and face now," Syaoran said.

Xing's brows immediately relaxed, being replaced with a sad expression.

Syaoran grabbed his shoulders, making Xing look at him. "I was not making a phone call for work, okay? I had to call your baba," Syaoran said, staring in his eyes hard.

Xing's eyes widened as if he did not expect Syaoran to say that. "Baba?" he questioned.

"Yes. I told you that there would be no work today. Just you and Sakura," Syaoran said, requoting what he promised Xing that morning when they first woke up.

Xing bit the inside of his cheek sheepishly, letting his eyes drop down to the floor, looking ashamed of his behavior. "I'm sorry...I didn't know...could you forgive me?" he asked sheepishly.

"Of course," Syaoran said, smiling at him a little.

Immediately, Xing wrapped his arms around Syaoran's neck, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry," he murmured over and over in Syaoran's neck.

Syaoran hugged him back, holding his head against him while letting out a silent sigh. He decided that his mother would just have to wait and he would deal with the consequences of that later.

Sakura cleared her throat, getting both the boys attention. Syaoran released him, looking up at her. She had on a plain, simple pink dress that stopped a few inches above her knees. "Is everything okay...?" she trailed off, raising a brow.

"Yes. It was just a misunderstanding," he said, standing from the floor before his dirty mind tried to conjure up something naughty.

"I'm sorry for troubling you, Sakura," Xing said, smiling at her sadly.

She smiled at him, pinching his cheeks playfully. "Of course, you didn't. I forgive you, but I am starving," she said, looking at Syaoran.

"Food's already done. I had the chef make the food at the resort. I just have to warm it up," Syaoran said.

Sakura was quick to interject with, "Oh, you've already gone through the trouble of getting us here, so I'll warm the food up while you guys sit and relax," she said, ushering the two boys to sit down.

His skin tingled under her soft touch as she held on to his arm. "I—"

"No buts, mister. I'm not taking no as an answer," she said, already heading to the kitchen after she had escorted them to the table.

Feeling like he had no other choice, Syaoran sighed, turning his attention to Xing. "So... how was your first week of school? Did you like it?" he asked.

Xing hummed, looking thoughtful in the chair beside him. "It was okay," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"What happened, aside from the incident? You were so happy in the beginning of the week," Syaoran said.

"Well, I made lots of friends." His face began to brighten up at the mention of his friends. "They're all very nice. The teacher's very nice too, and everyone's nice to me—oh, except this one kid. He was mean and didn't want to share the crayons with me."

Syaoran poked his side, making the little boy giggle. "They were his crayons, though," he reminded him.

Xing pursed his lips slightly. "But, I shared mine with him too," he interjected.

"Well, next time, you don't have to share yours with him or act out."

"I won't. Or, Sakura will be very sad. And daddy too," Xing said, adding him in quickly.

"Why will Sakura be sad?" Syaoran asked, dropping the volume of his tone.

"Well...you have to keep it a secret from her," the little boy said sheepishly.

"Of course."

"Well...she says that I should be good for daddy so that daddy can be happy," he said quietly. "She always says that to me, so she must want you to be happy. I think she likes you."

When a frown formed on Xing's face, Syaoran knew what that meant. "Not as much as she likes you," he said, leaning over to ruffle Xing's hair.

Xing had not even been bothered by that, too busy with not liking the idea of Sakura liking Syaoran more than him. "Really?"

"Of course. I'm just a friend to her and that's all," Syaoran said, hoping to reassure him that he did not have anything to feel jealous about.

"So... she won't ever be my mommy?" he asked in a hushed tone.

Syaoran looked at him, wondering if he wanted her to be his mom. The idea did not seem unpleasant, but he would never force that on her. She was still young and needed maturity in certain aspects of her life. She needed to live and experience a lot more before being tied down to a kid, so Syaoran knew he would not do that to her. After everything she had been through, he thought she deserved the best of the best. And for whatever reason, he intended to give her the best as much as he could. Even if that meant not being with her.

What?

He wondered where that thought had even come from.

"Well, Xing—"

"That would mean that she can't be with Name-nii-san," Xing said with a frown.

"Name-nii?" Syaoran questioned.

As if Xing made a mistake, he clasped his hands over his mouth, making Syaoran wonder who the little boy could be referring to. "Nothing," he said behind his hands.

"Xing," Syaoran called in a warning tone.

Xing shook his head vigorously. "Nothing, Daddy," Xing said, panic flashing through his eyes.

"Xing, you don't want to be on the wrong side right now," Syaoran threatened, though it was empty. He would never do anything to hurt the little boy, but at the mention of Sakura being with someone else did not settle right with him.

"Well…I just mean…Sakura has to find someone…right? And…when she does…they'll be…like, a big brother to me, right?" the little boy asked slowly as if he were coming up with this on the spot.

Syaoran sighed, knowing the little boy would not let up on it. He decided that he would just ask Kenta about it later. He stood from the table. "Sit here for one minute while I go help Sakura," he said, already walking towards the direction of the kitchen.

Just when he stood at the entrance, he heard Sakura humming a soft tune with her melodic voice as she held two plates in her hand with her back turned towards him. His eyes raked down her body, landing on her behind that was covered by the dress she had on. With quiet steps, he sauntered over to her in large strides.

When he stood close behind her, but not quite touching her, he was surprised she had not noticed his presence yet. This thrilled, yet irritated him for some reason. Thrilled because she had her guard down while around his place, which meant she trusts him. But, irritated, knowing she was always this carefree with her guard down around anyone.

His hands dropped to her waist, pulling her back against him slightly. Just as he expected, she jumped, dropping the plates back down on the counter before turning to him with his arms still wrapped around her.

She looked up at him towering over her with wide-eyes before she relaxed. She moved a delicate hand up to her chest, rubbing it gently. "Good gracious, you scared me. I didn't hear you come in," she said with a smile on her lips. As if she noticed his eyes there, the blood rushed to her cheeks. "I was just about to bring the food out," she said sheepishly.

"Xing has told me about the discussion you two had," he said suddenly.

"W-which one?"

"You, being his mother," he said.

Her eyes flew to his, looking a bit lost. "We didn't have that discussion."

A huge sigh of relief left him, pulling her closer to him. He had not even known if they did or not, but he wanted to see if she had kept something from him again.

"Did something happen? Did he say something about it?" she asked, sounding worried.

He grabbed her face gently. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"But—"

He gave her a pointed look, daring her to test him right now. He would often let her get away with things, but he was not in the mood to today. First, Xing was keeping things from him, which meant she was too. He just wanted to know who this "Name-nii-san" was, since Xing had even felt comfortable enough to refer to him as a big brother. And, someone Sakura would be with. That irritated him more than it probably should have. Possibly more than the "fairy" guy did.

She sighed. "Okay. I'll try not to—"

"Don't— "

"Daddy?"

Syaoran was away from her in mere seconds before Xing was even able to address him fully. He turned towards the kitchen entrance, seeing Xing just appeared there. "We just finished. I was about to grab your plate and bring it to you," Syaoran said calmly.

Xing stared at the two and smiled, nodding his head. "I was starting to think that you guys forgot about me," he said, rushing over to them.

"O-of course not. Here," Sakura said, handing him the plate.

They grabbed their own plates and went back to the small dining room.

Once they settled into their seats, Sakura and Xing sitting across from Syaoran, they began to eat in silence. Of course, with the exception of Xing playing with his food and making all kind of weird noises.

"Stop playing with your food," Syaoran said.

"But it makes eating so much funner," he said with a grin on his face.

Syaoran shook his head with a small smile tugging at his lips. "Just eat your food."

Xing let out a pouting noise, stuffing his face with the food.

Sakura giggled, making Syaoran look in her direction. "You don't have to stuff yourself," she said.

"I know, but I'm sleepy," he said, yawning after he swallowed the food he had in his mouth. "Could I take a nap, Daddy?"

"After you finish your food."

After that, Xing was quick to finish the rest of his food. He ended up laying on the couch by himself and falling asleep before Sakura and Syaoran had even finished their food.

"Casual fits you," Sakura said softly after taking a sip of her drink.

"What?"

"Your clothes. I think casual fits you," she repeated, smiling at him.

Syaoran clenched his jaw, unsure of how to respond to such a statement. No one had ever told him that before until now.

"It makes me feel more...comfortable around you," she said thoughtfully.

He raised a curious brow. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I don't feel so scared and nervous anymore."

"Why is that?" he asked, looking at her seriously now. He was not sure what she was trying to get at.

"I don't know. Maybe because I know you're out of the intimidating, influential character," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm the same me, though," he said in a flat tone.

"I know, but..." She looked down at her plate, seeming to be at a loss for words.

"Look at me," he said in a gentle tone.

Instantly, she looked at him with a timid smile on her face. "Maybe I just mean that you don't look so serious anymore."

He nodded. "Maybe."

A comfortable silence passed between them for a change, giving Syaoran time to think about everything. But, his mind kept going back to the person Xing mentioned earlier. He wished he could put the pieces together himself, yet hoped that she would tell him herself. He thought about it for a moment before he decided that it would be best if he tried to get it out of her too.

"Let's go out on the deck for fresh air," he suggested, not wanting Xing to hear the conversation in case he freaked out that Sakura would know he mentioned it to him. The two were definitely hiding something from him.

And Syaoran would get to the bottom of it.


A/N: Thank you guys so much for the support with your review and wishes for my midterms! I'm finally finished with them, but feeling extremely anxious because one of my midterm grades determines whether or not I'll be able to start looking for practicums for next semester to start therapy with real clients! I'll probably be getting that grade back tomorrow, so...fingers crossed!

Anyway, back to the story, what'd you guys think? Sakura let Kaname meet Xing, but, it was definitely because she already knew that Kaname knows about her situation because of his dad. Is he really a trust-worthy character though? Will Syaoran get it out of Sakura next chapter? Or Kenta?