Hello! Thank you for your reviews! As always, haha. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
When Sakura woke she found that her corset had been removed, so her top felt loose while she lay in bed. She looked over to see that Syaoran was just pulling on his shirt and she blushed a little looking away quickly.
"Who took off my corset?" she mumbled.
"What?" he asked, not quite hearing her.
"I said, who took off my corset?" she repeated.
"I did."
"What? Only medical practitioners do that." She muttered.
"I am a medical practitioner." He replied bluntly.
"What? Since when do you remove corsets?"
"Since I've had the training." He replied with a hint of sarcasm.
She buried her face in her pillow, too confused and still half asleep to understand what was going on.
"I have to go out today-I might be back late, so please stay in the house." He said.
"Like that's going to happen…" she mumbled quietly to herself, so he couldn't hear.
He left, and Mira walked in just as she sat up. Mira smiled, "Would you like a bath?" she asked.
"No thank you; I'll have one tonight." Sakura replied.
"Alright."
She watched as Mira gathered her clothes together and walked over to the bed. It looked like she was going to be wearing one of her emerald green dresses for the day.
Mira helped her into her clothes and brushed her hair, and Sakura asked her to leave after that. She walked over to her bedside draws and opened her father's box, pulling out a smaller box inside. Inside was a necklace from when she was a child that no longer fitted around her neck, with a gold and emerald pendant. She smiled to herself and placed it back in the box before leaving the room to go and have breakfast.
After breakfast and once she was sure that Syaoran had left, Sakura slipped quietly out of the manor and headed out into the main part of town. Children ran around everywhere, getting into trouble by their parents for the mischief they caused, and men worked hard in their trade. Sakura received many nods as she walked through the streets, and she smiled in return.
She made her way to the nearby orphanage and entered to find children of all ages playing; there was a twelve-year-old boy mucking around with another boy who could only have been about one or two years younger than him, and a couple of other children were chasing each other.
"Rin and Kai! Stop messing around-you'll get hurt like that!" a woman's voice came from around the corner. A woman came storming in and the two boys stopped. She was a middle-aged woman and looked very kind, though also very stern. Her hair was pulled back in a bun and she wore a floral dress.
"Yes Lucy." They mumbled.
"Now, go get ready for morning tea." She ushered them down the hall and then spotted Sakura.
"Oh, My Lady, I didn't think I'd ever have the chance of meeting you in such a run-down place like this…"
Sakura smiled, "You shouldn't make such comments. How are the children?" she asked.
"They keep themselves occupied through play, and I think they're happy. I do think they're a little bit lonely however. The children out in the streets don't like to socialise with them because they're orphans."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to help out from time to time and spend some time with the children?" Sakura asked.
"That would be lovely, but is your husband alright with that?" Lucy asked.
Sakura smiled innocently, "Oh, I'm sure he won't mind."
"Thank you-it will be so nice to have someone else to interact with the children." Lucy said as they walked through to the back.
They entered a much larger room with wooden floorboards and cold brick walls with small windows and lace curtains. Pictures drawn by the children hung on the walls in frames and there was a long wooden table with chairs surrounding it. There were more children playing in the next room, so Sakura walked towards the room, only to have one little girl of around four jump out and hug her knees.
The child smiled up at her with a big grin on her face, her brown curls hanging down her back. Surprised by the sudden hug, Sakura wasn't sure what to do. She gathered herself after a minute and then bent down to pick her up.
"That's Carla; she lost her parents in a traffic accident." Lucy said.
"Hello Carla, my name is Sakura." She smiled. Carla smiled and played with Sakura's hair, but wouldn't speak.
"She can't speak due to some stress disorder." Lucy said sadly.
"That's sad, considering how young she is…"
Lucy nodded. "She lost her parents three months ago, and some people who saw the accident brought her here. I was really shocked, so I've had a doctor come and visit her every week or so."
"That's good." Sakura murmured.
Carla climbed down and pulled her into the room, inviting her to play a game. She obliged her request and a couple of other children joined in, and soon most of the children were sitting with Sakura. It was a relief to know that they could all still smile even after losing their parents, and Sakura didn't care how much time went by as she spent her time with the children.
It was late when she finally looked out the window; the sun was setting and she realised that Syaoran was probably home and feeling pretty pissed off with her for leaving the house. She stood from where she was sitting and turned to Lucy who had a grateful smile on her face.
"I'll come back whenever I can." She said with a smile.
"The kids all really enjoyed your company today. Thank you so much." Lucy smiled.
"If there's anything I can do to ease their troubles, I'd like to help." Sakura said softly, and then left.
She quickly headed back home, and though she made it inside the house and up the stairs without running into him, as soon as she entered the bedroom she was in trouble.
"Hello." He greeted unhappily. Syaoran was leaning against the wall by the window, and as she made eye contact with him she knew he was furious with her.
"I see you went out on one of your little adventures again." He said.
"Yes." She replied.
"So, where did you go this time? I know you didn't go and see your sister-I've already checked."
No wonder he's pissed off. She smiled, "I just went out for a little walk and lost track of time. Oh, I even brought you a little gift."
Before she knew what was coming, he pinned her against the wall with a kiss. She was so surprised that she could hardly breathe.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?" he said as he parted.
"You should have learned by now that I'm not going to listen." She smiled.
"Sakura." He warned.
"Don't worry-I won't do anything to tarnish your reputation." She muttered and walked out of the room after tossing him a pink stuffed bear.
…
The next morning, Sakura woke to find Syaoran checking her temperature. She felt like she was boiling, and her thin night dress stuck to her skin, damp with sweat. It hurt to breathe, each breath feeling like a thousand needles piercing her lungs, and her stomach was just as bad.
"Are you awake?" he asked. She nodded weakly. "Good. The bath is ready for you. You can't be comfortable like that." Syaoran said as he stood.
Sakura was too weak to retort. Goosebumps rose on her skin as he pulled the blankets away from her body, and he gently lifted her in his arms. She wanted to wriggle free, but she hadn't the energy.
Syaoran carried her to the bathroom and set her down on the chair. She looked over at the warm water that looked so inviting, then jumped as she realised Syaoran was lifting her nightdress off her frame.
"No!" she pushed at him weakly.
Syaoran frowned irritably, "Look-you're too weak to do it yourself. So, stop your complaining." He snapped.
Still, she struggled. "Don't-" she coughed hard, her lungs rattling in her chest.
He rolled his eyes and quickly lifted the clothing from her figure, stripping her.
Sakura glared at him as she covered her chest, tears stinging her eyes as he forcibly undressed her and hauled her into the bath tub.
"Stop resisting and let me help you, for crying out loud!" he snapped.
Sakura, although angry, knew she couldn't bathe herself on her own. She needed help, as much as she loathed to admit it. Her struggles stopped, and she slackened.
"Thank you." He muttered.
Sakura glared at the water in front of her. Syaoran had put some herbs that would help soothe her chest in the hot water, giving off a pleasant smell.
She could feel him wiping down her back and shoulders carefully and she would be damned if he would go anywhere near her chest or below the waist.
"When was the last time you were this sick?" he asked calmly, unfazed by her nudity.
She shrugged her shoulders. "During my teens, I guess." She rasped.
"What did you have?" he then asked. He made a mental note to get her medical file from her mother.
"Pneumonia." Sakura replied.
"Okay."
Sakura frowned. Why did it matter? He lifted her arm from the water and started to wash it down.
They sat in silence as he continued to wash her body-for Sakura, it was the only way she could keep herself from doing anything irrational.
Syaoran drained the tub and lifted Sakura out, who refused to make any sort of eye contact with him. She was beyond humiliated.
"Why couldn't the maids do this?" she grumbled.
"They're all busy with other things." He said as he carried her out into the bedroom and set her down gently on the bed.
She watched as he walked over to the chest of drawers and opened one, pulling out a pair of underwear and fresh night dress for her. He walked back over, "Here."
"Thank you." She said as she reached out to take her clothes, but he set them on the bed out of her reach.
"I'll help you." He said, "Can you stand?"
She glared at him and he sighed heavily. "I'll just hold you steady while you pull them on. I just don't want you to faint and hurt yourself."
Sakura froze and looked up at him. He was looking away from her. Slowly, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and grabbed his hand.
"I'll try and stand." She said weakly.
Syaoran turned his eyes back to her and held her steady as she stood. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her standing before him, completely bare.
"D-don't look!" she snapped as she realised he was looking her over.
"I've seen it all before. Calm down." He muttered.
"You really are a jerk." She mumbled.
He narrowed his eyes. "You should be grateful I'm bothering to help you."
Sakura wanted desperately to snap back at him, but she could feel her knees buckling beneath her weight. She tightened her grip on him, afraid of collapsing. Breathing was suddenly a lot more difficult.
Syaoran noticed and sighed softly. "Let's get you dressed. Arguing will only make you feel worse."
Sakura nodded weakly. Her eyes were feeling heavy and she was dizzy with fever.
Syaoran handed over her clothes and held her up as she pulled on her underwear, and he helped her into her nightdress. Once she was dressed and safely back in bed, Syaoran stood.
"I'm going to go get you some medicine and something to eat. It should help your stomach settle a little, and the medicine will help relieve symptoms for a while." He explained.
Sakura just nodded. Honestly, she didn't feel like eating, but he was a doctor and she trusted his judgement. It didn't make her like him any more though.
Syaoran stood and left the room, closing the door gently behind him. He leaned against it for a moment, already exhausted from looking after her-she was such a pain in the ass. Why did she insist on fighting against him all the time? It was so damn infuriating!
He sighed heavily and walked downstairs to the kitchen, where Ami was busy making bread. She looked up with surprise as he entered. "My Lord-how can I be of service?"
"Sakura's ill. I suspect it's the flu. Could you please make something that's easy on the stomach?" Syaoran answered.
"Of course! How is she?" Ami asked nervously.
Syaoran knew that Ami and Sakura got along well, and he thought it was nice that the cook was so concerned for Sakura.
"She's not doing too well at the moment. I'm going to be taking care of her for a while." He answered.
Ami nodded, "Alright, I'll have Mira bring her meal up when it's ready."
Syaoran gave her a nod, "Thank you."
He left the kitchen and headed to his study where he kept various medicines locked in a cabinet and retrieved the key from one of the desk drawers. He walked over to the cabinet and inserted the key into the lock, twisting it, and opened the door. He found the medicine he was looking for and then closed and locked the cabinet door before returning the key to the drawer. Then, he headed back to the bedroom.
Sakura was coughing horribly when he returned. Syaoran winced and hurried over to her, giving her the correct dose of medicine. Thankfully, it took effect quickly and she was able to breathe easier. A knock at the door alerted him of Mira's arrival.
"Come in." He called out.
Mira opened the door and carried Sakura's meal in, smiling sweetly at Syaoran. "Good morning, My Lord." She greeted.
Syaoran nodded to her, too busy checking Sakura's heart rate to bother paying the maid any attention. Sakura was dozing beside him, not alert of the maid in the room.
Mira noticed this, so she set the tray down on the bedside table and placed her hands on his shoulders. This caught Syaoran's attention and he smacked her hand away.
"Go do something useful." He growled.
Mira huffed and walked out of the room. Sakura cracked open her glassy green eyes and locked eyes with her husband. For a moment she thought she saw worry etched into his features but dismissed it. He wouldn't feel worried about her-there was no way.
"Your meal is here." He told her.
Sakura tried to move to sit up, but her body ached, and it took a lot of energy. Syaoran propped up some pillows behind her to make her comfortable, and then handed her the tray.
"You don't have to look after me, you know." She mumbled.
"Shut up and eat." He ordered.
She didn't even have the energy to glare at him. Instead, she just did as he said, and tried to eat as much of her meal as she could stomach.
When she was finished, Syaoran waited until she had fallen asleep before leaving her side. He headed to the lounge where he called Sakura's mother, and then called Eriol.
"Sakura's sick?" Eriol repeated with concern.
"Yes. It's probably the flu." Syaoran replied. "I've called her mother. She'll be visiting tomorrow to give me a copy of Sakura's medical records."
"I see... So how is Sakura right now?" Eriol asked.
"She's sleeping. She'll be fine with the proper treatment and rest." Syaoran said.
"I'm sure you'll take care of that." Eriol laughed.
"Shut up."
"I'll let Tomoyo know Sakura's okay. We might visit when Sakura's feeling better." Eriol added.
Syaoran nodded. "I'm sure Sakura would appreciate that."
"Well, I'll leave you to take care of your beloved wife." Eriol teased.
Syaoran just sighed. "Bye." He hung up the phone and sighed softly before returning to the bedroom to check on Sakura. Then, he sat down in the seat by the bed to read while he kept an eye on her.
Sakura woke feeling just as dreadful as the previous day. She'd had a rough night's sleep, having woken constantly to vomit or coughing violently. And not once did Syaoran leave her side to sleep in another room. A small part of her felt oddly happy about that little fact, but she decided she was being delusional from her fever.
"Honey? Are you awake?" a soft familiar voice sounded beside her.
"Syaoran...?" she mumbled her husband's name.
"Honey, it's me, your mother."
Sakura cracked open her eyes and her mother's gentle features came into view. Of course-Syaoran would NEVER speak to her so tenderly. She cursed herself for thinking it was him. 'Stupid fever!'
Her mother smiled, "It's good to see you awake."
Sakura frowned. "Why are you...?"
"Syaoran called me yesterday and told me you were ill. He asked me to visit so he could look at your medical records." She answered.
"Oh." Sakura mumbled.
"He's been very worried about you." Her mother added with a smile. "He's very sweet."
Sakura tried not to gag. He was far from sweet. "Where is he?" Sakura asked weakly.
"He's just getting you some medicine."
Sakura sighed softly. "Do you think this might be connected to my magic?" she asked quietly.
Her mother shook her head. "I asked Syaoran and he said it had no connection."
Sakura nodded. "Okay."
"I haven't heard from you in a while. I've been worried."
Sakura laughed at that. "You're the one who married me and Tomoyo off to better your situation." She spat bitterly.
"Sakura, I did what I had to do to keep you safe." Her mother spoke with a warning note.
"You married us off because we had no money." Sakura retorted.
"Sakura, stop being a child."
Sakura glared at her mother with tears in her eyes. "You and dad loved each other! You were lucky!" Her mother fell silent. Tears slid down Sakura's cheeks.
"I should be leaving now. I don't want to cause you any unnecessary stress while you're so unwell." Her mother smiled. "I love you, honey."
Sakura didn't even reply.
Syaoran looked up from where he stood as Sakura's mother walked out. She smiled at him a little sadly. "Did you hear all of that?"
"I heard most of it." He confessed.
She sighed softly. "She doesn't hate you, you know."
Syaoran looked at her with confusion.
"She just hasn't realised yet. She called your name in her sleep." The woman said, making Syaoran blush.
"You're sure she's in danger?" Syaoran asked.
"I think she's safe as long as she's with you. The same goes for Tomoyo and Eriol." She replied. "Somehow, my family always ends up in your debt."
Syaoran shook his head. "Don't think of it that way. My father did what he did for your family because he cared, and he wanted to."
She smiled. "You really are a sweet young man. Thank you."
Syaoran cleared his throat. "It's nothing."
She laughed softly. "I best be off now. Thank you for calling me."
"She doesn't hate you." Syaoran said.
"I know. But that doesn't mean she'll forgive me."
Syaoran watched as Sakura's mother was escorted out of the manor by a maid, and he sighed heavily.
...
Sakura was back up on her feet within the next two weeks thanks to Syaoran nursing her back to health, but he had strictly told her to take it easy as she wasn't back to full health just yet. Either way, Sakura was ecstatic to be up and moving again, and as much as she loathed to admit it, she was grateful to him for having taken such care of her.
So, as a thank you, she had decided to cook him breakfast for the next week-with Ami's guidance, of course.
Syaoran looked over at her one morning as she sat, eating her breakfast quietly. "So, what prompted this?" he asked.
"Don't get used to it." She replied, "It's a thank you for taking care of me while I was sick."
He smiled smugly. "Good. I deserve it."
She scowled at him. "Don't get too full of yourself."
He narrowed his eyes at her but didn't retort. He could punish her later if he wished. "You should call your mother more often." He changed topic.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
Sakura rolled her eyes and stood, picking up her empty plate. Syaoran decided to ignore her behaviour and let her go for the time being. He honestly couldn't be bothered dealing with her unruly behaviour. He'd had enough of it while he was nursing her back to health.
Ami looked up as Sakura entered and she smiled. "How was it?" she asked, but her smile fell as she noticed Sakura's odd behaviour. "Lady Sakura?"
"I'm sorry Ami, I'm not feeling too good." Sakura murmured as she passed the woman.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Ami asked.
Sakura shook her head and then left the kitchen. She didn't really know where she was going, but she needed to get away from the house and Syaoran. So, she decided to head into the town.
Sakura walked the busy town streets and made her way to the orphanage again but stopped herself from going inside. She still hadn't fully recovered yet and she didn't want to give any of the children what she'd had. They had enough to deal with and Lucy didn't need to be dealing with the flu bouncing between children.
Irritated, she stopped by the bakery and ordered some scones and a hot coffee.
She watched some children playing nearby and smiled, remembering back at her old home where she used to visit the orphanage often. She missed those kids and wondered how they were doing. Feeling peckish, Sakura picked up her scones and started eating.
She sat there for a while, lost in her thoughts, wishing she wasn't married to Syaoran. She hated his controlling behaviour and how he treated her like an object. Why her? He treated everyone else nice enough, but not her.
Was it because she rejected him on their wedding night? Was his stupid ego bruised?
"Damn him!" she snapped, tears stinging her eyes.
"Hey, are you alright?" a soft voice sounded.
She looked up to see a man about her age looking at her with concern. He was handsome, with sandy brown hair and bright green eyes. Quickly, Sakura wiped her tears on her sleeves. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that out loud." She tried to smile but failed miserably.
The man sat down across from her. "If you want to talk about it, I'm willing to listen." He smiled kindly.
Sakura looked at her knees. "That's very kind of you, but I shouldn't."
"Is it about your husband?" he asked.
She looked at him with surprise and he chuckled. "Sorry, I'm just guessing based on your earlier words and the ring on your finger."
"Oh." Sakura murmured. "I guess he's part of it."
"Did he hurt you?" the man asked.
Sakura shook her head. "He's just an asshole."
The man laughed. "Oh goodness me."
Sakura didn't think she could hold it in any longer, and so she told him everything, from her wedding night to the current day. He looked at her with surprise. They had come to sit on a lonely park bench together, and it was getting rather late. "Woah."
"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have-"
"Its fine." The man smiled. "It just makes it easier to do this."
Sakura frowned in confusion but before she could properly register, she had been hit over the head and knocked out.
...
Syaoran was getting more and more impatient by the second. It was dark, and Sakura still had not come home. He was furious. Once she got home, he was going to give her a piece of his mind.
He looked up as the floating orb he had sent out to track down Sakura came hovering back into the room. It landed on his palm and projected an image onto the wall, showing him an old warehouse where Sakura was being held hostage by three men.
It was at that point that Mira arrived with a letter. "My Lord? Someone just delivered this to the front door."
Syaoran walked over and took the letter. "You didn't bother to ask who they were?"
She looked taken aback. "It was a girl-she said she was told to deliver the letter by some stranger."
Syaoran gave her a look of disapproval. "You should be more thorough. You may leave."
Mira hurried out and Syaoran opened the letter, finding a hand-written letter.
-Greetings, Lord Li
If you wish to see your wife again, come to the address listed below with ten thousand gold and all of your medical notes by midnight. If you don't abide by our rules, we'll be forced to harm the young lady.
Kind Regards-
Syaoran rolled his eyes. "It's so like her to get caught up in this mess." He muttered as he grabbed his coat.
...
Sakura glared fiercely at the men holding her hostage. They were all playing poker while they waited for Syaoran, while she sat against a crate with her hands and feet tied and her mouth gagged.
"It's nearly ten thirty. Suppose he doesn't care about you?" the man asked with a smile.
Sakura rolled her eyes and shrugged. She wanted to say "whoop-de-doo, that's not news" but part of her was really hoping Syaoran would come for her. Despite how she looked, Sakura was actually terrified. Would Syaoran really just leave her? Surely, he cared at least a little?
She jumped as the door was kicked open, and the men were startled from their game. Sakura watched as Syaoran wasted no time in dealing with the men, taking them all down with ease and leaving them on the floor in a lot of pain.
"You chose the wrong Lord to mess with." He said to them as he walked over to Sakura.
Syaoran knelt in front of her and untied her, freeing her from her bonds. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine. Just a few bruises. Maybe a concussion." Sakura replied.
Syaoran sighed with relief. "That's good."
"What? You're not going to slap me and tell me how stupid I am?" she asked bitterly.
She saw no anger in his eyes. He shrugged. "I think getting yourself kidnapped for ransom is humiliating enough."
Sakura felt pleasantly surprised. "Oh."
"Let's go home. The police will take care of them." He said, taking her hand and pulling her behind him, leaving the men in their own mess.
They walked silently, and not once did Syaoran let go of her hand. "I didn't think you'd bother coming." Sakura confessed.
He stopped. "...Why?" he asked. He wasn't cold, nor was it rude or even angry. He did sound a little shocked, though.
"Because you hate me." She replied with a shrug.
"Sakura, I don't hate you." He said firmly.
"Yet you treat me like trash while you treat everyone else kindly." She retorted.
He stopped again and turned a little. "You're frustrating as all hell. I can't figure you out."
Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. "Maybe you should try treating me better." She muttered.
Syaoran looked at his feet. "...I'm sorry. I'm not used to being around women outside of patients or relatives."
"That's no excuse for threatening me with rape."
"Yeah. You're right about that." He said. "I'm sorry."
Sakura was silent. Where had his sudden mood swing come from? Was this a dream?
"I still think you should call your mother more." Syaoran added.
"Mind your own damn business." Sakura muttered, and they fell into silence the rest of the way home.
Things will be changing a little bit in the next few chapters. In particular with Sakura, which I'm sure you'll all scream 'finally' or 'yay'. Let me know what you think :)