WARNINGS: This is Syaoran's POV, so expect very pervy thoughts here and there. There's also heavy making-out somewhere in here, but still kind of T rated :P. After this chapter, the content will probably be explicit(it was bound to happen since it's M rated).
Enjoy the chapter!
"The First Mistake"
Of all the possible things that Syaoran had in mind to happen, Xing appearing had certainly not been one of them. So, he stood frozen, keeping his body glued to Sakura's as Xing stood outside the door of his office.
Fuck…
Slowly, Syaoran dropped his hands from her body, trying to stall as he thought of an explanation to give his kid. In all honesty, he wondered what he could tell the boy. Syaoran had never been one to be at a loss for words, but right now, his son had him trapped in a battle of mental turmoil.
Syaoran's eyes traveled down, locking with Sakura's equally shocked pair. Automatically, his mind went to blaming her for this predicament. He wondered if she had meant to come on to him like that, trying to persuade him into letting her get her way. He had certainly never pegged her as the type to try and seduce her way into getting what she wanted. He wanted to be upset for being caught off-guard by the girl, but the blood that had rushed south told him that he was not really upset about her advance.
"Daddy, you'll hurt her!" Syaoran felt little hands grab at his pant legs, trying to pull him from Sakura. He moved back from her slowly to put Xing's struggling at ease.
"Are you okay, Sakura?" Xing asked, looking at her worriedly.
Sakura snapped out of it, looking down at Xing with a forced smile on her face. "Y-yeah, it was just…" The blush was still evident on her face, making Syaoran want to beg the little boy to just give them a little more time alone.
"What was daddy trying to do? You were crushing her! You could have hurt her!" Xing pointed an accusing finger at Syaoran with a glare similar to his fathers at him.
"I-I was not," Syaoran stuttered uncharacteristically, feeling like the red bandit.
"Yes, huh. And, you were trying to give her a kiss on the lips too! You were trying to kiss her!" Xing accused as his face scrunched in disgust before a mortified look crossed his face. "Oh no!"
"What is it?" Sakura and Syaoran asked simultaneously in a panicked tone.
"Does that mean…" He stopped, looking between them with worry etched on his face. "You guys will be…boyfriend and girlfriend?"
Syaoran was baffled at that question, wondering where his kid had heard of such things. He had certainly kept him sheltered from things like that because he was too young to know about it. He did not like that in the least bit. He almost considered taking him out the school and homeschooling him like he had been himself.
Sakura shook her head vigorously. "Of course not! D-daddy wasn't kissing me. H-he was just getting the keys and I happened to be in the way," Sakura explained, a stuttering mess. Any normal person would be able to spot the obvious lie, but Syaoran adored kids for their naivety in that moment.
Xing looked at Syaoran suspiciously, making Syaoran raise his hands in defense. "What she said," he said, surprising himself at the panic he heard in his own tone. He could normally mask his emotions, but right now, it almost felt impossible to.
"Daddy?"
"See?" Syaoran held up the keys to show him. "She mentioned you wanted to play the piano and I was getting the keys, so we could all play."
Xing wrapped his arms around Sakura's body possessively, looking up at Syaoran shyly. "Really? You won't try to take her away from me then?" he asked timidly.
Syaoran silently sighed, not liking Xing's attachment to Sakura. He wished there were some way to break it to the boy that he would eventually be taking Sakura out himself. That Sakura was not his alone. "Yeah, she wants to learn how to play a song her brother used to play, so I'll be teaching her how to play it."
Sakura gasped, looking at Syaoran surprised. "Syaoran—"
He shook his head, silencing her. "I insist. Learning how to play it yourself will make you feel better than hearing it."
Syaoran knew her brother had died over a year ago, so he could only imagine how she had been feeling. She barely had time to mourn his death properly, having to figure out what she needed to do with her life.
When the thought of his own father passing flashed his mind, he eliminated the thought immediately, not wanting to remember those years. It was certainly not the time or place to go down that trail of thoughts.
Syaoran figured he could do this for her because it could help her.
"You don't have to…" she said quietly.
"Rejecting a kind offer is very rude," Xing interjected.
Sakura looked at Xing, a small smile playing at her lips.
"He's extending a helping hand and you're rejecting it. You'll make daddy very sad. Won't she, Daddy?" he asked, looking at Syaoran for support.
Unconsciously, Syaoran's lip turned a bit as he nodded to coerce her into accepting the offer.
Sakura laughed softly, shaking her head. "Well, if you two continue insisting, then I guess I don't have a choice, huh?" she asked, smiling at Syaoran sadly.
Without thinking, Syaoran walked over to the two and kissed her forehead lightly. "No, you don't," he whispered against her skin.
Xing let out a disapproving sound, making Syaoran step back from her and ruffle his hair. The annoyed look left his face being replaced with a pout. "You're messing up my hair," Xing complained, releasing Sakura so he could fix his hair.
Syaoran ruffled his hair again with a smile, making Xing chuckle as the pout left his face. "Dad," he whined, grabbing Syaoran's hands.
Syaoran smiled a little, removing his hand from the shaggy hair. "Come on," he said, holding up the keys.
"Maybe we should just forget this. This is clearly not my expertise," Sakura said in a discouraging tone.
"But, you can't give up, Sakura! I was just like you when I started playing, and Daddy always told me that I can't get frustrated and just have to practice to get better," Xing said, patting her back as he sat on the other side of the bench beside her.
Syaoran smiled, remembering when Xing first started learning how to play the piano. He was barely three, Yelan insisting that it would be good to start him early like she started Syaoran.
Because Xing was much younger, he cried and whined the entire time of his lessons because he could not get it. Thinking back on it, Xing did not even know what playing the piano was. It was just an object that made noise to him, considering his young age. Everything about that process was complicated, but, not impossible.
Discipline, his tutor, and Syaoran were really the only thing that made him as good as he was. Syaoran thought it to be interesting seeing Xing try and help Sakura, even if it was just by encouraging her.
"Here, let me show you the notes again," Syaoran said, gently taking her hands off the keyboard. Both breaths caught in their throats at the intense feeling from the contact, but Syaoran was able to mask his quicker than her. He motioned her to scoot over so he could have room beside her.
Looking at the music sheet in front of them, his fingers gracefully caressed the keys as he played the song slowly so she could see what keys his fingers pressed, his posture, and the position of his hands.
Syaoran had to admit, it was a beautiful piece her mother had created. Quite advanced, which meant her mother had been a talented woman, he noted. Apparently, her brother too since he could play it as well.
When Syaoran finished playing the song again and talking her through the notes, he turned to her, only to see she had her eyes closed with a small smile on her lips. He cleared his throat to get her attention.
She opened her eyes, turning to him. "O-oh," she said, a blush creeping to her cheeks at being caught. She had been enjoying the sound more than the lesson he presented.
He smiled, adoring the genuine look on her face. At least she was not crying. "How about we call it quits for today? We can pick back up on it tomorrow?" he asked, raising a brow.
Xing gasped, leaning over so he could see Syaoran. "Will you really be home tomorrow after school?" Xing asked excitedly.
Seeing how happy and excited he sounded, Syaoran could not help but nod. "Yeah."
He climbed down from the bench and pumped his fist as he jumped. "Yes! That means we get to spend more time together!" he exclaimed with a huge grin on his face.
Syaoran shook his head with a slight smile. "How about you play something for us now?" Syaoran asked him, letting his eyes fall on Sakura. "Sakura wanted to hear you play."
"Well…I don't know if I'll be gooder than you are, but…"
"Better," Syaoran corrected, making the little boy blush. "And, you're right. You'll be just as good as I am."
"Really?" Xing asked hopefully.
Syaoran nodded. "Right, Sakura?" he asked her, to make Xing feel more comfortable playing for her.
"Of course!" she said, turning around to face Xing. "Come on, you promised to play for me."
Xing looked at Syaoran as if he were asking for his permission, so Syaoran nodded. Sakura and Syaoran moved over so he could sit between them and have better access to the grand piano.
The Steinway piano was five times his size, so he looked like a little dwarf trying to play it, but Syaoran knew he could. He had mastered the arts of piano the moment he learned the keys and gotten the hang of it. Syaoran had to admit that he was almost better than himself.
With his hands already on the piano, he turned to Syaoran with a nervous look on his face. "What should I play?" he whispered shyly.
Syaoran smiled a little, ruffling his hair. "How about one of Paul de Senneville's piece?"
Xing bit his bottom lip before nodding his head and sitting up straight, shoulders back as he positioned his hands over the piano. A ghostly silence filled the room that if a pen were to drop, it could be heard. Concentration is what it was for Xing, until the melody started, drowning out everything around them besides the tune.
With each key Xing pressed, the melody caressed Syaoran's skin as if it were a person doing so. That had always been the beauty of the piano to him.
Mariage d'Amour, a French name, that translated to Marriage of Love in English. However, in Chinese, it meant, Wedding in the Dream. The piece was meant to be played for a happy event even though it was in minor key, yet Syaoran always had felt Wedding in the Dream could fit the meaning better.
A marriage of love that he never experienced.
Syaoran had never expected to marry for love, especially living in his family. Quite frankly, he was not even sure what it felt like to love anyone romantically. Or even just platonically. He knew his mother loved him, but it had always been in a funny way. His sister's form of love for him always just seemed obsessive, so he certainly knew that was not what love was.
He had a deep regard for them all though. He cared about his family. And especially his son. He may not have always shown it in the best way, but he knew he felt something warm for his son.
When he thought of it, no one who managed the family business had married for love and they all seemed to turn out just fine.
His mother, Yelan, had certainly not married for love. And his father seemed fine with the idea of their marriage not being for love either, which made Syaoran often wonder if Meixia would have turned out like his father; accustomed to the lifestyle of going home to a spouse whom they did not love.
Thinking about it, Syaoran had no problem with that, but it may have just been the fact that he had never been interested in love. He had never really had the desire to find a woman to love because he did not think there was anyone out there who he could love so much that he would do anything for her. He never had desires to have a kid, but he knew he would have to have one, one day for the family.
Syaoran had never found any of that interesting, but now, he could not help but wonder if things would be different in life if he did. His eyes landed on Sakura who seemed to be lost in the tune as he had been. Somehow, he knew that she was part of the reason for his curiosity now.
"That was amazing!" Syaoran heard a familiar voice exclaim as she clapped her hands.
He wondered when Xing had finished the piece.
"Thank you," Xing said bashfully, making Syaoran look at him. There was a blush on his cheeks as he smiled shyly at his father. It seemed like the boy was almost waiting for a compliment from him.
"Well done, Xing."
Xing's face lit up at the compliment. "Really?" he asked, sounding like he wanted more approval.
Syaoran nodded. "I'm proud of you," he said, voicing the words he had always wanted to hear from his parents growing up when he accomplished anything.
He had made a vow that he would never make his kids feel as his parents made him feel growing up.
"I'm so glad that Sakura and Daddy liked it," he said, staring at the piano as if lost in thought.
It went completely silent after that for some reason.
Syaoran looked at him with a raised brow. "What's wrong?"
When no response came, Syaoran started again. "Buddy—"
"Huh?" Xing asked, looking confused now.
"Are you okay?" Syaoran asked with a serious look on his face.
Xing nodded slowly. "Yeah…I was just thinking…" He trailed off.
"About…?"
"I'm kind of hungry," he said, smiling at Syaoran now. "Is Ms. Hana coming today?"
"Yes," Syaoran said, looking at Sakura who seemed to be just as confused as he was at the moment.
"Can I have a snack for right now until she gets back and then we could play outside in the backyard? Maybe…football?" he asked uncertainly.
Syaoran thought about the meeting he had today with Hiroshi about more paperwork needing to be finalized. It was Sunday though and…
His eyes drifted over to the two beside him. Well, he figured had already thrown his schedule off, so what would it hurt just canceling it?
"Sure."
"Yes!"
"I need you to cancel my five o' clock meeting today," Syaoran said into the phone as his eyes scanned over one of his student's homework.
"Are you sure, Mr. Li? This meeting involves the investment in—"
"I know what my meetings involve. Cancel it," he said before hanging the phone up before she could even respond.
Syaoran knew she meant well, but sometimes he did not need her questioning his decisions. That was the reason he had hired her to begin with; she had always just did what he told her without question.
Shaking his head, Syaoran continued to grade the homework assignments. He did not want to get caught behind on grading.
As soon as he finished grading the last assignment, his phone buzzed on the desk. He picked it up, looking at the text.
'Hey, I forgot to mention it this morning, but I have cheerleading practice today, so I won't be home early after school.'
Sakura. Wasn't she supposed to be in class right now? Syaoran glanced at the time, seeing that it was lunch hour. He did get to the school a little earlier today…
He texted back, 'How are you planning to get home?'
When a message did not come through ten minutes later, he found himself sending another text with a '?' and then quickly realized he was waiting by the phone for a text from her.
What the hell is wrong with me?
He grabbed his phone and opened the drawer, putting it inside before closing it. Waiting by his phone for a text from a girl? He had never done such a thing.
As soon as he finished grading the last assignment, he heard his phone buzz in the drawer. He took it out immediately.
'The bus.'
He knew she had to be kidding with that text. With a frown on his face, he stared at the text for a minute, trying to figure out what to say—no, how to tell her no and to stop being absurd.
With his fingers hovering over the keypads of the phone, he began to slowly type something in the phone before sending it.
A message came right after he sent the message.
'No, it's fine. You spend some time with Xing :). I'm heading to my next class, so I'll see you at 2.'
The frown on his face was more evident because of her rejection. He had asked her nicely if she wanted him to wait around for her after school, yet she still rejected the offer.
So much for being nice to someone who didn't like to receive any help, he thought bitterly.
"Everyone did well on the homework for the most part. I know we went over the assignment in class last week, but are there any questions so far about anything?" Syaoran asked, standing in front of the classroom.
His eyes scanned the room, landing on Sakura in the back, who was looking directly at him. He did not even need to bother looking, feeling her eyes on him anyway. Just the thought of knowing that the girl paid solely attention to him set something off in his body. It made him wish they were alone.
From the corner of his eyes, he could see one of the other student's raise their hand, so he looked away, calling on the student before he sported an erection in front of the classroom. He always found it so hard to concentrate on doing anything with her around.
"Uhh…what's the difference between business administration and business management?"
Syaoran looked at the student he had now come to remember as Mitsuki. He answered the question in grave detail, even writing out the similarities the two had with each other and why people got them confused.
After his explanation, someone else raised their hand and asked a question about what he did in the technical terms, which Syaoran answered with confidence.
After there were no more questions about the homework assignment, Syaoran moved on with the lecture. During the entire class, he found it hard to stop his eyes from drifting to the back of the classroom as he spoke on the fundamentals of business.
He hoped that no one noticed, because he felt it nearly impossible to stop from doing so at this point. He wished he knew what the hell his problem was.
Thankfully, time flew by faster than he ever thought it could have because he needed to get away from Sakura around other people. He could not be happier when the bell rang, letting him and the students know that class was over.
"Make sure you review your notes when you get home. There may be a quiz next class. Class dismissed," he said.
Syaoran was glad when the students gathered their things and headed out. On Sakura's way out, he caught her eye, offering her a small smile.
His heart had this unfamiliar tug when she returned the smile and winked at him. A grin nearly spread across his face when the class emptied, and he gathered his things before heading out.
On the way to his office, he changed his mind and decided to pick Xing up earlier today. He had already cancelled his 5 o'clock meeting, so he might as well just work from home.
He drove to Xing's school, mind drifting back to Sakura. He could not help but wish he had taken a peak at the field to see how she looked in her cheerleading uniform. When she mentioned that she would join the team, it had been a constant fantasy of his. He wondered if she would put it on for him one day and—
Stop it, Xiao Lang!
And, he did. He did not let his mind wander down that road right now as he arrived at Xing's school.
When Xing caught his eye as he stood at the entrance of his classroom door, his face showed surprise. He jumped up and ran over to Syaoran. "Daddy!" he exclaimed, hugging Syaoran's legs tightly.
Syaoran picked him up. "Hey, buddy."
"What are you doing here? H-how did you get here? I thought you had lots of work to do," Xing said, staring at him worriedly.
"I'm working from home today," Syaoran said, ruffling his hair before placing him back on his feet.
"Really?"
Syaoran nodded before telling him to get his things together. He turned to Xing's teacher when he rushed to get his things. "How was he today?"
When her eyes met Syaoran's, she looked away shyly with a smile on her face. "Oh, he was great today. Matter of fact, he seemed extra happy and excited than normal. No fights or tantrums, so his day was good," she explained.
Syaoran nodded before turning away from her. He feigned ignorance to her ogling and overexcitement. "That's good. I signed him out in the front, so it should be alright for him to leave, right?"
"Yes, sir. He has homework that I put in his bag," she said.
"Alright," Syaoran said in a dismissing tone that said was not interested in continuing any further conversation unless it was necessary.
"I'm all ready, Daddy," Xing said, grinning up at Syaoran with his bag on his back.
"Let's go, kiddo," he said after nodding towards the teacher and leading Xing out of the room.
"Where's Sakura?" Xing asked as they walked down the empty hall.
"She's still at school, but we'll pick her up later," he said. "Let's get home first and then maybe we could play some video games together before she gets there."
Xing gasped. "Really?" His voice rose in excitement. "We haven't played video games together in forever! I mean, we've never played video games together!" he exaggerated.
His forever's meant a few months or less. But in this case, Syaoran had never played video games with him before. He refrained from playing them himself growing up because he had been too busy occupying his time with schoolwork and learning the family business.
"Video games it is then."
Once they reached the car, Syaoran helped him inside and buckled him up in the car seat in the back. On the way home, Xing made sure to keep Syaoran entertained with his non-stop talking. The little boy actually reminded him of Sakura. Talking just because he could. She was definitely rubbing off on him because Xing had not been that much of a talker before she came around.
As soon as Syaoran pulled up to the house, he turned to Xing with a smile on his face. The entire 10 minute drive home, he didn't stop talking.
"Mhm," Syaoran said to something he did not even know what Xing was talking about.
"And we all shared our crayons! He didn't get mad, I didn't get mad, and we were all happy!" he exclaimed.
Syaoran turned the car off. "I'm glad you made up with Kaitou then," he said before stepping out the car to help Xing out.
"Let's go inside to play video games now!" Xing said, running to the front door.
Syaoran shook his head, walking up to the door to unlock it, while Xing hopped up and down impatiently. Xing ran inside the house before he could even open the door fully.
"Xing, you have to change first," Syaoran called after him.
"I'm in my room!" Xing yelled.
Syaoran shook his head again with an amused smile as he hung the keys on the rack. He reached into his pocket, ignoring all the notifications and texts he had, going straight to Sakura's contact.
'I'm going to pick you up after practice.'
After sending the text, he went to Xing's room, only to see Xing already had his clothes off, looking in his drawer for something to wear.
Xing turned to the door where Syaoran stood and held up a green t-shirt. "Is this okay?"
Syaoran nodded.
Xing rummaged through the other drawer before holding up plaid shorts. "And this?"
Syaoran shrugged, nodding his head. It was just clothes, and he would just be sitting in the house all day.
Xing slipped the shorts on and got ready to run out of his room before Syaoran made a grunting noise, stopping the little boy. "What is it?" he asked.
Syaoran looked at the floor where his uniform lay. And then his eyes glanced around Xing's entire room. "Pick up your uniform and we need to clean up this room."
Xing groaned. "Ms. Hana can do it like she normally does, right? I thought we'd play video games," he said with a frown on his face.
"After we clean," Syaoran said shortly.
When Xing started picking up his things slowly, Syaoran decided to help clean the room to make things quicker. That seemed to make Xing excited, as he started cleaning along with Syaoran faster now.
Though Syaoran hated doing this kind of stuff because he had always been a little bit on the extreme neat side, he found that he did not mind doing this. Syaoran had never cleaned before because neither of them had to do it since it was always done for them. He just normally picked up after himself.
Back in Hong Kong, he barely even had time to pick up after himself, having a maid on his track at all times. While Hana came over to clean once or twice a week, Syaoran did not see a need to have a maid here because he wanted to get away from that for a bit.
He knew how to make his own bed and pick up after himself. But, Xing's room was a different story.
"All finished!" Xing exclaimed, holding his arms out as if he were presenting the room to Syaoran.
A small smile tugged at Syaoran's lips, making him nod in approval before a buzzing sound and feel in his tailored pants made it drop. He took out his phone, looking at it, only to see that it was Sakura who had texted.
'Are you sure? I really can take the bus and get back just as safe.'
Immediately, he sent a text saying, 'I'm sure. Call when you're finished.'
"Video games now, Daddy?"
When Syaoran looked in his direction, he saw the pouty lips and beady look in his eyes. "Yeah, come on."
"How was practice?" Syaoran asked the moment she closed the door to the car.
"It was great. We didn't do too much since it's the first day. She mostly went over a few things about the semester and the work," Sakura said before turning around to greet Xing. "Hi, buddy! How was your day?"
"It was good! Daddy and I cleaned my room together for the first time and we played video games for the first time!" Xing exclaimed, sounding extremely excited.
Sakura giggled, making Syaoran glance over at her from the corner of his eyes briefly before focusing on the road again. "You and daddy cleaned?" she asked as if she could not believe that.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Syaoran asked, surprised to hear that Xing had asked at the same time.
She burst out laughing, making Syaoran frown slightly. "Pouting looks very cute on you," she said. Syaoran knew she did not mean it as a compliment, yet the statement still made his cheeks warm with a blush. "You guys don't clean. Or, I've never seen it before because Ms. Hana does all the cleaning when she comes over."
"We clean..." Syaoran said in their defense, trying to think of a time where he had decided to just clean a messy room.
"There's a difference between keeping your space clean versus cleaning. Like, you don't wash dishes regularly?" she asked.
"Yes—"
She giggled. "Putting dishes in a dishwasher doesn't count."
"Well, we can clean. Right, Xing?"
"Of course! My room looks cleaner than everything in the whole wide world right now," he exaggerated.
Syaoran smiled, wanting to say, "thanks to me," like a child, but withheld the retort.
"Let me be the judge of that," she said. From the corner of Syaoran's eye, he could see her sticking her tongue out at Xing playfully.
Xing burst out laughing, claiming that she would not believe how clean it was.
The rest of the ride home was peaceful with small conversation.
As soon as they pulled up to the house, Syaoran informed Sakura and Xing that he would be in his office until dinner to get some work done.
To Syaoran's surprise, Xing did not seem upset or sad about it. He just smiled and agreed, saying he would play with Sakura.
Syaoran could not complain, so he nodded before sending a small, appreciative smile towards Sakura and then heading to his office.
He needed to get back on schedule and get his secretary on the phone to figure out what he needed to have done before 5 tomorrow with her changing his schedule around for him.
"See? You're doing much better today!" Xing exclaimed as Sakura accomplished another part of the song.
Syaoran noticed she was doing better today too. No expert, but she could get the first few keys right without mixing them up compared to yesterday.
Sakura smiled at Xing as a blush crept to her cheeks. "Thanks...It's because I have such great teachers," she said, catching Syaoran's eye with a mischievous look in hers.
"That's all daddy! He even helped me become great like him," Xing said, grinning at Syaoran.
Syaoran could feel his cheeks warm a bit as he looked away from her. "Quit it," he said, feeling annoyed at the praise, yet proud of himself because of the praise from the two. He was such a contradicting man.
As ironic as it sounded, he hated attention. Leader over 1,000's of people, hated attention being put on him. Matter of fact, he had never been one to like attention, even as a child. He never really had friends in grade school. Not because he was socially awkward, but he just never found interest in it. Unless a person forced themselves in his circle, that was the only way he would ever communicate on an acquaintance level with them.
He had thought it would have changed over the years as he aged, even having been married before, but he still felt the same way about friends. Well, that is, before Sakura came into his life.
Sakura giggled, standing from the bench, stretching her muscles.
Automatically, Syaoran's eyes landed on the curves of her body, the arch of her back, all the way down to her round perk ass. He noted that whatever made him think she had absolutely nothing, was the biggest lie ever told, according to the jeans and fitted blouse she had on right now.
He noticed that she did not have the biggest breasts, but they certainly were not small either. He wished he could feel how much would fill the palm of his hands.
"Are you okay, Daddy?" a little voice snapped him out of his lustful stupor.
He snatched his eyes away from her ass, looking at Xing. "Y-Yeah," he stuttered, hoping Xing had not seen what he was staring at like a pervert.
"Sakura asked if she could cook dinner tonight and you didn't answer," he said, frowning at Syaoran's strange behavior.
"Oh, uh," He looked at her with a questioning look on his face. "You don't have to do that. Ms. Hana normally does."
"I know, but I promised I'd cook for you if you played the piano for me, remember? Besides, it's been a minute since I've been in the kitchen to cook a proper meal, so I think it'd be fun," she explained, smiling at Syaoran.
Syaoran looked at her uncertainly. Not because he didn't want her to, but because he didn't want to make her feel like she had to do anything. "Are you sure?"
"Of course. Ms. Hana could just come and help out if that's what you're worried about. I don't mind," she said.
"Well..." Syaoran looked at Xing who seemed enthused about it, so he said, "If you're insisting, okay."
"Yes!" Xing jumped from the seat with Sakura. "Can I help you guys?"
"Of course," Sakura said, grinning at him.
"Yay!"
"Ms. Hana should be here any minute now, so let's go to the kitchen and prepare everything before she does," Sakura said, ushering Xing out of the seat.
She turned towards Syaoran with a curious look on her face. "Is there anything specific you like? I've never made any Chinese dish before, but I can follow along a cookbook well," she said.
Syaoran swallowed, standing from the bench. "A-anything is fine with me," he said. He thought he omitted stuttering from his vocabulary.
She raised a brow with a smile on her face. "Are you sure?"
"Positive."
She grinned. "Great! We'll be in the kitchen if you need anything then," she said, sending Syaoran one last smile before leaving the room after Xing.
Syaoran decided to head back to his office to get those reports done.
"Oishiii!" Xing exclaimed, stuffing his face with the food.
Syaoran smiled, using the chopsticks to eat more of the oyakodon Sakura had made. He actually found that it taste good. He had taste many oyakodon dish before, but there was something different about this one.
"It's a secret ingredient only my dad and I know about," Sakura said, as if she could read his mind.
Syaoran looked at her, nodding his head in approval. "It taste delicious," he said.
A blush crept to her cheeks and she grinned at him. "It's all my dad," she said.
Their eyes never left each other's, feeling like they were the only ones in the room. "But, you made it."
"Well, thank you," she said bashfully.
"Hey, I said it first!" Xing said.
They looked away from each other as if their trance had been broken.
"Of course I'm glad you like it too," Sakura said, winking at him.
Xing blushed, giggling at her gesture. "You're the bestest cooker ever!" he exaggerated, as usual.
Syaoran smiled, shaking his head before eating more of her dish.
When they finished dinner, they helped Xing with his homework, which did not take very long. He was quite advanced for his age, so he caught on to things faster than normal.
As soon as they finished his homework, Sakura volunteered to put him in the bath, which Syaoran argued to do. And, it just ended with the two having a small banter about who would do it.
In the end, Syaoran let her do it after she said that he had the opportunity to spend time with Xing when she was in cheer practice.
The banter caught Syaoran off guard when it first happened, yet it seemed so...natural between them. Normally, it would seem like she was always insinuating that he needed to spend time with Xing. But this time, she said she wanted to. And then, followed up with telling Syaoran that he could put Xing to bed.
"Where's Sakura?" Xing asked with a frown on his face when Syaoran helped him settle under the covers.
Syaoran smiled a little, shrugging his shoulders as he sat on the chair beside Xing's bed. "I'm putting you down tonight. Is that a problem?"
Xing smiled, shaking his head. "Of course not! That makes me happy too," he said.
"So, are we reading your favorite book tonight?" Syaoran asked, reaching over into the bookshelf, finding the 'love you forever' book.
Xing shook his head. "Well, it's still…one of my favorite books," he said, once he saw the curious look on Syaoran's face.
"What is it, then?"
"It's just, me and Sakura have a new book that we like to read together now," Xing said, smiling.
"And what book is that?" Syaoran asked, feeling amused by this new information. As far as he was concerned, Xing never wanted to read anything else aside from the book his mother always read him. Now that had changed? Since when?
"This one," Syaoran heard the melodious voice behind him.
Syaoran looked towards the door, only to see Sakura standing with a green book held up in her hand. "The Giving Tree?" he read.
"It's a really great book! Sakura told me all about the meaning of the book too," Xing exclaimed.
Syaoran motioned with his head for her to come in with them. She sat on the edge of the bed on the opposite side of where Syaoran was.
Xing scooted over and then pat the bed beside him. "Come on, daddy, so you can read it with us," he said.
Without much thought into his next actions, Syaoran sat on the edge of the bed beside Xing so he could be cradled between the two.
Xing took the book from Sakura and opened it to the first page. "I guess you guys could take turns and I'll just listen, but once you guys finish, I'll tell you what the story means," he instructed.
Syaoran raised a brow, looking at Sakura with a questioning look on his face. She smiled, nodding her head, as if she were telling him that this happened every night they read the book.
"Daddy can go first since Sakura always goes first," Xing instructed as if he were some leader over a group of people.
Syaoran snorted before reading the first page. And they went from there, until the very end, which Xing had tears in his eyes.
Syaoran could feel the panic rising in his chest. "What's wrong?"
Xing sniffed, shaking his head. "I'm not sad. It's just, I'm so happy that the little boy came back in the end for the tree," he said with a smile on his face.
"Hmm?"
"I told you that you can't cry, Xing," Sakura said, wiping his face dry.
Syaoran stared at him for a moment, wondering if this was a routine between the two. It had to be. "What makes you so happy?"
"It's...the book. The tree is a very, very nice tree...always giving what it can, right?" He looked to Sakura for confirmation, which she gave with a nod. "It gives everything it can until it has nothing left to give the little boy...and then, in the end, the tree wants to give more, but it can't!"
For a moment, Syaoran started to think he felt sad and angry about this. He looked at Sakura, questioning what the hell was going on with his eyes.
"But, Sakura always tells me that...the tree is like you..." he said quietly. "So, I love the book, because you do give me everything I ask for...all these toys, this awesome room...food...ice cream...Sakura…" he trailed off.
Syaoran visibly froze, surprised to hear that coming from his son's mouth. He knew Xing could be bratty sometimes, but what kid wasn't? Syaoran just did not think he was this capable of sounding so grateful at this age.
"And, you always tell me that you do everything for me...even keeping Sakura here, so I...one day, I want to grow up and be able to come back home and do something for you too," Xing said quietly. "Right, Sakura? Isn't that what it means?" he asked, looking at Sakura for confirmation.
She smiled, caressing his hair. "Right," she said.
Syaoran swallowed, nodding his head, not sure what to say.
Sakura leaned over and kissed Xing's forehead before whispering goodnight to him. When she looked at Syaoran, he took the hint and did the same and tucked him in.
"Daddy," he called, stopping Syaoran from leaving after Sakura had.
Syaoran turned, looking at him. "Yes, buddy?"
When Xing sat up, Syaoran walked back in the room, closing the door behind him. He sat in the chair again, leaning forward on his knees. "What is it?"
"It's just...Sakura's so nice...and, I don't ever want her to leave," Xing said quietly.
This was not the first time Xing had said something like that. Not even the third. He had said this multiple time, but this time...this time, something felt different about it. Syaoran felt different about it. Syaoran felt like he could relate to his son for the first time.
But he knew there was no point in indulging the newfound feeling. This was not either of their choices to make, and it never would be.
Instead of telling Xing she would not be staying with them forever, Syaoran said, "I don't either."
Xing sighed, laying back down on the bed. "I love you, Daddy," he said, closing his eyes with a smile on his face.
"I…love you too," Syaoran whispered.
After watching him for a moment, Syaoran noticed his breathing become even, so he decided to leave the room. Glancing down at the clock, he saw that it was only 8:30 and Sakura had the tv on in the living room.
He walked to the living room, only to see her staring at the screen. Clearing his throat, he caught her attention before sitting down beside her on the couch, keeping a safe distance between them. "You don't mind me sitting with you, right?"
She looked at him, shaking her head with a smile on her lips. "Of course not. Nice company is better than being alone."
His cheeks warmed as he looked at the tv to distract himself from letting his thoughts get too far ahead of themselves at the compliment.
"You know, if that made you uncomfortable back there, then—"
"Sakura," Syaoran called, stopping her right there before she could get any further with that sentence.
She looked at him, emerald eyes widened. He could not help but get lost in them. They were so mesmerizing...
"Uh...you know..." Stop staring like an idiot and talk! "Back there...that was very nice of you. I didn't know that you guys were..."
"Well, he always chose the same book every night. I just...I asked if he wanted to read a different one and he just wanted to read that one. And, I remembered the book, so..." she trailed off with a smile.
"Why?" he asked without thinking. "Why are you...so good?"
She shrugged, laying back on the couch as she giggled. "No one's really asked me that before…" she said, looking thoughtful about the question for a moment. "My dad was...good. Everything about him inspires me now. I think that everyone could be a good person though."
"I know. That's why I asked why."
"Oh...I don't know. I just..." She looked at him and smiled bashfully. She laughed, shrugging her shoulders again. "I don't know how to answer that. No one ever really asks why a person is good, you know. That's a first."
Syaoran looked at her, feeling a small frown tug at his lips. "If you always play nice, people will take advantage of you."
Her brows scrunched together as if she were deep in thought about that statement before the muscles in her face relaxed. "It's happened in the past several times, but I know how to handle certain situations now."
"What do you mean you know how to handle 'certain' situations?"
She sighed. "Like...the landlord at the last place I stayed. You ended up showing up, but...I did say some things that could have been taken out of context. I didn't think of it that way, but...you know," she said, sounding uncomfortable with the topic.
"Is this a touchy topic?" he asked, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable with him. He enjoyed this carefree, natural vibe they had between them lately.
"Oh, no. I just feel...a bit embarrassed because of how stupid I was..."
After putting two and two together, Syaoran realized what had happened that day before he had shown up and stopped the bastard from hurting her. "You weren't stupid and that wasn't your fault that the creep wanted something you didn't. If you say no or stop and a bastard proceeds, it's not your fault no matter what led up to the situation. You were just trying to do what you had to do," Syaoran defended on her behalf. He was not even sure why he still felt riled up thinking about it. It happened over a month ago.
She sighed, looking at him as she leaned her head against her hand. "I know, but I still think I should've been more careful. You don't have to feel obligated to protect me, you know. I'm capable of living on my own just fine," she said, not sounding the least bit offended that he was trying to.
"I—"
"You're just like my brother and father at times. They were always so protective of me. My brother more than normal, but...you're almost on his level," she said.
"Who's going to keep you safe then?" he asked, not putting much thought into the meaning of that question or her statement.
"I don't know. Me? My secret guardian angel?" she asked, laughing softly.
"When you're incapable of doing so, though?"
"There will be something to keep me safe. There's always something," she said reassuringly. That had not reassured him at all though. Syaoran did not want to think about what something was. He just wanted it to be him.
"Well, let me be that something right now," he said without thinking.
She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "You're unbelievable," she said.
"So, I've been told."
She giggled at the sarcasm. "You know...Xing talks about your family a lot."
Syaoran raised a brow at the change in conversation. "What about them?"
"Just anything. I know of Meiling, the annoising one, as he likes to put it," she said with a giggle.
He snorted. "She is annoying."
"How many sisters do you have? He just says he has a lot of aunties."
"There's four. They're quadruplets, and older than me. They're…irritating sometimes too, but not so much as Meiling. She means well most times though."
"How so?" she asked, sounding interested to know more.
"They're clingy and think...everything's 'cute'," he said, shuddering at the thought of them harassing him when he was younger. "They're good people overall, though."
"That's good. I just had Touya, which you already know...but he was mean. He always picked on me and called me every mean name in the book, but his favorite was..." She clenched her fist, groaning as if she were thinking about it. "It made me so angry every time that now…I kind of long to hear him calling me a monster. I really miss him..."
The mood in the room shifted immediately, letting Syaoran know that her mood had dropped. Without thinking, he slid a little closer to her and opened one of his arms for her.
She looked at him for a moment with wide eyes. He was not sure what he could say to make her take the hint. "Come here."
When she looked him in the eyes for a moment, his cheeks warmed, and he thought she might just say no. But she didn't. Slowly, she moved over into his arm as she curled her body towards his. His heart almost burst out of his chest from its fast and hard beating. He pulled her closer, letting his hand rest on her bare arm. Her soft, smooth skin...
Stop it right there, Xiao Lang. You're comforting her, not seducing.
He caressed her skin gently before kissing the top of her head as she rest her face against his chest. "I don't understand how you feel, because I've never lost a sibling, but I have lost several people in my life who I cared about," he said quietly.
"Xing's mother?" she asked softly before wrapping her right arm around his toned stomach.
All the muscles in his body tensed when she clutched his side gently, causing a warm sensation to spread throughout his entire body. This was a first for him.
She unconsciously rubbed up and down his side, making him relax under her weight.
"She was the mother of my child, so I guess...but she's not who I was referring to," he said.
She looked up at him, resting her chin on his chest. All he had to do was make one movement and their lips would meet, but he knew it was not the time for that. He wished he could do so much more now though. Intimacy would make things a lot better.
"Who, then?" she asked quietly.
"Chen. I'd considered him a brother in my life several years ago, but he was my cousin," he said, rubbing up and down her arms slowly as his mind drifted back to the years him and Chen had spent together.
Chen would often come over when their parents had business to tend to together while they were kids. Already being a loner, Chen had wanted to be the first person to come in his life and change that.
While he did not change Syaoran's mind about the whole idea of friendship like Sakura, he still made a difference in his life. He was the first person, aside from Wei, to show he cared for him and not what he offered.
Syaoran thought about bringing up his father's death, but knew better than that. "Just different family members too," he said, not wanting to go into details about anything. "I think about them sometimes, but I also realize I have to move on and not dwell on missing them because it won't get me anywhere mentally."
She let out a small humming sound. "Yeah, I know," she said. "I try not to think about it much, but when certain things come up, I can't really help it..."
"Have you talked with anyone about your brother since...?"
"Me and Yukito used to talk about memories of him, but we've never really...talked about the loss of him, so...I suppose not.."
Syaoran swallowed down his insecurity about the fairy guy, but squeezed her arm gently. "Why not? I'm sure you know that talking about things would help you feel better," he said.
"I do, but...I just don't want others to worry about me, you know. Tomoyo already has things to worry about, and she's really the only person I could talk to about anything like that..."
He pulled her back gently so she could look at him. "And me? You know you can come to me when anything's bothering you, right?"
Since when?
"I..."
"I would never turn you away about anything you're feeling."
Again, since when?
Syaoran wanted to beat the hell out of his conscious, questioning his every promise to her.
"I don't want to worry—"
"You won't. Just let me do what I can for you," he said.
She smiled at him sadly before leaning up to kiss his cheek.
His face almost melted, feeling her soft lips caress his skin. She pulled back, biting that lip he wanted between his teeth. Syaoran knew he needed to calm himself before he lost control and gave in to temptation again.
"Thank you, Syaoran. I don't know how I could ever repay you one day for your kindness," she said.
"You don't have to," he said.
"I know. I want to, though," she said.
"S-so, you'll come to me?" he asked, deciding to change the subject. He did not feel comfortable with her feeling this way.
She smiled at him before laying her head back on his chest and letting her hand move down to his stomach.
He stiffened, not sure how to react to her sudden touch. There was nothing erotic about the touch, yet it sent all the blood rushing to his groin. He had never been grateful for the dark denims for holding down the painful erection he had right now.
"I'll try," she said, letting her hand slide up from his stomach to his chest slowly.
"S-Sakura," he called weakly.
"Hmm?" she answered innocently.
At that response, he knew she was not doing it on purpose like she had the other day. "I-if you keep touching me like that, I don't know what I'll try to do to you," he warned.
Her fingers froze over his nipple over the shirt. Her face was probably beat red with a beautiful blush. He wished he could see it, but was not ready to release her yet.
"I-I... sorry," she said, just letting her hand wrap around him again.
He smiled a little, feeling relieved she had not let him go yet.
A comfortable silence fell in the room, so he just stared at the quiet television. There was a cartoon playing on the screen that Sakura had not bothered to change when she came in earlier.
When he felt her breathing become even and quiet, he knew she had fallen asleep. He glanced at the clock, seeing that it was past nine. He could not bring himself to wake her.
Damn it.
He kissed her head again, deciding to wake her up later on in the night before it got too late.
Soft hands, a light weight, and the smell of cherry blossoms was the first thing Syaoran's senses detected the moment his body woke from its slumber.
He shifted under the weight on his body as his eyes began to open slowly. The first encounter his eyes met was a lightening blue flash in the dark room from the television playing.
He tried remembering if he had gone to bed last night. He shifted under the weight again, only to realize his arms were wrapped securely around a soft body as that weight took a deep breath.
He looked down, seeing that Sakura was laying directly on top of him, still fast asleep. He had somehow shifted to lying on his back, and she was laying directly on top of him with one of his legs propped up as she rest comfortably between his legs. Sighing, his eyes scanned the room, looking for a clock.
He remembered saying he would wake her and take her to bed, so when had he fallen asleep?
Fuck.
He did not want to move to wake her, but he did not want Xing to wake up and see them like that either.
"Sakura," he called quietly, letting his hands slide up her body to her shoulders. He squeezed them gently before realizing he did not want her to get up yet. He wanted to keep her here with him like that. But, his senses came to him before he could reason why he wanted to keep her in his arms.
"Sakura," he called again, shaking her gently.
She let out a soft moan, shrugging his hand away as she snuggled closer to his body.
He smiled a little, starting to realize that she really was not a morning person. "Sakura," he called again, but not making a move to shake her.
"Hmm..."
"You have to get up," he whispered.
She shifted, which created friction against his already hard dick.
Just great.
Before his natural instincts to use her body to get off on kicked in, he sat up from their lying position, making her body slide down his. It had felt so good that he wanted to do it again. He was not about to take advantage of a sleeping person, though.
Sakura let out a groan, sitting up from her uncomfortable lying position on top of him since he was sitting up. When her eyes slowly opened, they met his, making him freeze in his spot. It took her a while to register the fact that she was sitting directly on his legs, which was starting to get very uncomfortable.
Her mouth opened, yet nothing came out of it.
"Don't freak out," he said, wanting to calm her before she thought the wrong thing. "We just...slept. That's it."
She closed her mouth and swallowed before rubbing her eyes. Her hair was a disheveled mess, which looked oddly adorable. She still had not said anything though. That was starting to make him wonder. And his legs were slowly dying. He lifted his legs slightly, along with her body, to let her know the discomfort he was starting to feel.
As if she noticed, she gasped and lifted up on her knees. "I hope I didn't hurt you..." she said timidly.
He smirked, grabbing her arm gently to pull her body towards his so she could straddle his thighs on the couch this time. He pushed her down to sit directly on top of his erection. After taking one glance at the clock, he saw it was past five, which meant that Xing would not be up for a few more minutes.
"W-What are you doing? It's too early for this," she whispered, looking towards the hall behind them where Xing's room was.
"It's how we've been all night, though," he teased, wrapping his arms around her waist loosely.
She blushed, looking at him. "On accident...I didn't—"
"I'm not complaining about it," he said. "I'm just saying...it's no different from last night, except we're both awake."
She sighed, relaxing on his lap. "I guess not..." she said, looking him in the eyes. "I hope I didn't do anything weird."
An amused smirk crossed his face, thinking about all the "weird" things they could have done last night. "Why is that?" he asked, moving one of his hands to her hair to caress the soft strands.
"I don't know...I just don't want things to be weird between us now," she said. This was one of the things he admired about her; she did not mind speaking her mind.
He could not tell if it was her or him, but their faces were somehow getting closer to each other's as their eyes remained lock.
Just when their lips were centimeters apart, he heard the slightest bit of movement, making him stop their lips from meeting. She seemed to have heard it too because she pulled back and sighed.
"You should get more rest while you can," he whispered, hoping the disappointment was not evident in his tone.
She nodded, climbing off his lap. He stood with her, keeping some distance between them. He adjusted his pants, though it concealed nothing from her sight.
Her eyes trained on the bulge in his pants, seeming unable to look away. "Are you going to get more sleep?" she asked, looking up at him with a blush on her face.
"No. I'm going to take my morning run. I skipped yesterday."
She nodded, yawning while covering her mouth. "Okay. I'm going to head to my room then," she said, already walking to her room.
He smiled a little, shaking his head before he headed to his own room to change into his workout attire.
Syaoran sat at the kitchen table, eating his breakfast in silence across the table from Xing. He had his phone in hand, scrolling through his phone at his schedule for the day. He would be meeting with the executives at Nakamura Corporation.
Aside from merging the Li Corporation with Hiroshi, he had other business to attend to in Japan as well. He had thought that no man could be as stubborn as Hiroshi had been, but he was proven wrong when Nakamura Corporation wanted him to put more money into them than he thought they were worth. No amount of negotiating would break their stubbornness to buy them out because they had what Syaoran needed.
"Where's Sakura?" Xing interrupted Syaoran's thoughts about his upcoming meeting with the executives.
"She's—"
"Right here," Sakura interrupted, walking in the kitchen with them.
Syaoran shut his phone off, his eyes landing on her immediately. She was already fully dressed and ready for school with her bag hanging on her shoulder.
"You aren't going to eat anything?" Syaoran asked, raising a brow.
She shrugged, walking further in the kitchen to look in the cabinets. She grabbed a protein bar that he normally ate, tore the package, and took a bite from it. "I'm not really a breakfast type of person," she said.
"Why is that?" Syaoran asked, staring at her curiously.
"Yeah, Daddy says that eating breakfast is the most important meal of the day! You'll be strong, smart, and happy to start your day," Xing chimed in, making Syaoran smile at his assertion.
"It's just...I don't know. I haven't really had a proper breakfast since Touya. We would normally take turns cooking, like we used to with my dad."
Syaoran looked to the chair beside him, motioning her to sit and eat something more.
She shook her head, leaning against the counter and taking another bite from the bar. "We should head out, shouldn't we?" she asked.
Syaoran glanced at the clock on the wall, noticing it was getting late. "She's right. Hurry up and finish eating your food Xing, so we can go."
Xing nodded and continued to eat his cereal.
When they finished, they headed to Xing's school first, as usual. The moment Syaoran got ready to take Xing inside, his personal phone began to ring.
He looked at the caller ID and sighed before turning to Sakura. "Hey, do you mind signing Xing in today while I take this call?" Syaoran asked, all thoughts of her doing that being a risk. He just did not want her being in on this conversation.
Sakura smiled, nodding her head. "Come on, Xing," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt.
Syaoran swiped across the phone when it rang again. "Is anyone dead?" he asked in his native language.
"Do you have to be an asshole every time you pick up the phone?"
He released a silent sigh. "What's the problem, Meiling?"
Meiling rarely ever called anymore, even if it were just to check in on him. Syaoran had gotten her in check a few years ago after she insisted on calling every day to "check in." Syaoran knew it was more like spying for his mother. Meilin had always been his mother's spy and favorite niece. That had been the reason she came over often when they were younger.
"What are you doing?" she asked, sounding suspicious.
"What?"
"You canceled all your meetings yesterday. Why?"
Anger surged through his body at that question. "You're stalking me now?" he asked, unable to mask his annoyance with her prying. That had been one of his biggest pet peeves; people not knowing how to mind their own business.
"No, I'm trying to stay ahead of the game before Auntie finds out anything. You know she'll wonder why you canceled those important meetings yesterday if she were to find out about it."
"How I choose to handle my business is no one's concern. I'll schedule it for today if it'll get you guys off my ass. Since you're so diligently keeping up with my schedule, then you would know those meetings were just meetings to discuss a new project for the company," Syaoran said, knowing his voice showed her his annoyance.
He heard her sigh in the phone on the other line. "That's not the point—"
"Who's the spy you have in my office?" he asked after realizing she was not here to see anything. Normally, if he were in Hong Kong, she worked in the office, so she would see firsthand what was going on. He would have to re-evaluate every employee he had hired since he had been here soon.
"Just be careful and more cautious, okay? You know auntie would look into this strange behavior of yours if she weren't away with the elders. I'm just watching out for you."
Syaoran sighed, knowing there was only genuineness coming from her. He could blame no one but himself for always doing things "perfect" in his family, so of course they would question when he did something wrong.
There had only been one time when he failed at something, and he vowed to never do it again.
Feeling his nose flare at the anger he felt towards himself at that thought, he said, "Just keep your big mouth closed about it when they get back from the US," he said before hanging up.
The opposite side of the car opened, making Syaoran look in the direction. "Sorry it took so long. They were giving me a hard time because I wasn't on the list," Sakura said.
Syaoran frowned. "I'll get that fixed the next time I take him in," he said, not even thinking anything about the risk, his mind being too occupied with that phone call.
"Is everything alright? You look a bit tense," Sakura commented.
When Syaoran heard the concern in her tone, he turned the car on. "Yeah, just family business."
"Wanna talk about it?" she asked softly.
Syaoran wondered if she feigned interest or genuinely wanted him to open up to her. "Unless you want to talk about an annoying cousin who pesters you about your life, then I don't think so."
"Is it Meiling? I know you told me about an annoying family member yesterday," she said.
"Yeah."
"Well, I hope it doesn't ruin the rest of your day."
Syaoran decided not to further the conversation after that. He would not offer any more than that, not wanting to get in the discussion of her having a spy at his office. Just who could it be? Only his secretary knew his schedule so thoroughly, but he was sure she would not mention anything. That was the main reason he hired and brought her here to Japan with him.
The rest of the ride was peaceful and quiet, except Syaoran's inner turmoil about his mother finding out about the reason he had cancelled those meetings. He knew there was no way for her to find out it was because of Sakura. She certainly would not believe that it was because he wanted to spend time with Xing though. That had never been the case, so why would it now?
Syaoran's grip on the wheel tightened, imagining how things would turn out if his mother found out he had an infatuation with a girl who was technically not legal or had any type of status in society.
Though it was never spoken, he knew that it was expected for him to get with a high-class family that could benefit his own. It was obvious with his mother's pick of Xing's mother. She had been the heiress of Zhang Corporation, a large conglomerate. In Hong Kong, the Zhang's were considered to be one of China's great family fortunes, having ties to one of the most well-known American oil companies.
When their marriage was solidified, there was barely any time before the Li's had joined partnership with them, bringing more recognition and fame to their name.
Thinking about his ex-wife, Syaoran felt this overwhelming sense of dread wash over him at the thought of his mother finding out about Sakura and telling him it would never be.
Almost immediately, Syaoran masked that feeling with rational thoughts about how he had never intended to be with Sakura anyway.
She was just a high schooler babysitting his kid until he left Japan and returned to his Hong Kong life. That she certainly would never feel that way about him because she wanted to spread her wings after graduating.
Sakura had a bright future ahead of her with no demands from anyone. Besides, he was not even interested in her that way. It was just purely physical attraction between them. He just needed to get her out of his system. He just needed to enjoy the time he would have with her. And when he finished his business in Japan, he would go back to Hong Kong with Xing and forget all about her.
He would just have to make the most of what he could do with her now without his mother finding out about any of it.
Once Syaoran saw the school come into view, he pulled to the side of the road a few blocks down, away from any eyes or cars.
"What's wrong?" she asked, raising a brow at him. He sensed no fear in her tone at his weird, suspicious behavior.
All he could think about was making the most of his time with her before his mother got her claws on Sakura though.
He put the car in park after looking around, making sure no one was around before turning his attention back to Sakura. His eyes fell to her slightly parted lips.
As if she noticed, her breath caught in her throat and she closed her mouth and swallowed. "Here?" she questioned.
Syaoran shrugged as if this were a normal thing between them. They had not done anything too wrong anyway. They had only shared a few kisses that they both enjoyed. They were two people equally attracted to one another, so this had to be alright.
This is what making the most out of it that Syaoran had in mind though. They would explore their physical interest and then when it came time to part ways, they would end it. It sounded perfect and like no mistakes could be made.
Despite those thoughts, he still had a feeling that he was already the culprit in all of this. Even to himself. "The windows are tinted, so no one would see unless they're looking hard enough to," he said as if this were normal.
She bit her lip lightly as her cheeks colored, making Syaoran realize she was on board with his plan without even knowing about it. She wanted to explore whatever they had going on too. She had to be for her accepting his invitation to go on that date with him.
She swallowed, leaning towards him slightly, but hesitated when she saw him make no move to. He decided to close the gap between their lips, grabbing the back of her head to pull her closer to him.
Syaoran had gentle and short in mind to solidify the deal, but the moment he felt her teeth tug at his bottom lip, he deepened the kiss and clutched her hair a little tighter. He thrust his tongue into her slightly parted mouth without any hesitation, wanting to succumb to all his fantasies at that moment.
Something told him to stop though. This was no ordinary kiss that they had shared before, but one of promise to explore the interest the two had. To make the most of the time they would have together. He wished he could have stopped it, but when her tongue slid past his lips and into his mouth, he no longer cared to.
The discomfort in his slacks increased as their teeth clashed, and they aggressively explored the others mouth, setting his body on fire. Her fingers slid in his hair, pulling on the strands as her body shifted in his direction, letting him know the angst she felt at the loss of contact of their bodies. His hand slide down her neck, caressing the back of it before moving to caress her warm cheek.
The soft moan she released into his mouth shot all the blood in his body to his groin, making him pull back from the kiss abruptly. He knew they needed to stop, because they had no time to finish what he had started. He wished there were all the time in the world, but he decided to put a stamp on it for now and return to it later.
"U-uh...I think we should stop here before I can't stop anymore," he said, staring in her eyes, somehow still trapped in her lustful trance.
She licked her lips as her eyes shot to his lips. "Yeah...you're right," she whispered but remained close to his lips.
Syaoran cleared his throat, forcing himself to pull back. He put the car in drive and then drove up to the school building.
"Have a good day," he said, offering her a crooked smile.
She reached in the back to grab her bag before turning to him with a smile on her thoroughly kissed lips. Syaoran wished he could kidnap her for a little while to blow some of this steam between them. He had to wait though. He almost felt anxious at the thought of them taking it further next time they would have the opportunity to.
"Thanks. You too," she said, and then opened the door to slide out the car. She waved at him one last time before walking in the school building.
Syaoran released the breath he had been holding in since they stopped. He adjusted his pants, willing his arousal to go down. He groaned when it would not at the thoughts of him fucking her finally. He just needed to get her out of his system, he reasoned.
And he certainly felt he could do that before they would have to part ways. He had to.
A/N: Hello, everyone!
Thank you for the continuous support of this story! I'm pretty sure their date is the next chapter and things escalate between these two pretty fast(finally!), but there will actually probably be more scenes with them at school because things will be getting complicated very fast :). There's still Masamoto, the closest thing to a father that Sakura has here to deal with as well. There's also Kaname, and...another character I will be adding in very soon too since this story has mostly been focused on our three favorite mains in this story :).
Don't forget to leave a review about your thoughts!
