Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN CARDCAPTOR SAKURA NOR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS - THEY BELONG PURELY TO CLAMP

AN: Yay! Got this up quicker than most! I know, it makes a change. Thanks for sticking with me!

Review Replies:

mochiusagi: Thank you!! Yeah, Syaoran has a tendency to blame himself for things. But Meiling and Tomoyo will sort him out yet! ^_^ Thank you!!!

Sakura evil twin of Sango: I'm you like it! Thank you for reviewing!!

NOTE: Alright, with updates being slightly quicker, I can understand people not necessarily reviewing. However, with 5'286 hits and only 42 reviews, it seems more than a bit ridiculous. Please review! Flames are just as welcome as one or two worded reviews, and feedback is always appreciated. Thank you.

Gypsy Dance
by Brooding Darkness

Part 8

"You think so, Eriol-san?"

"Yes. Your performance is just as good as the mask you wear," he said, walking with her into the back changing rooms while she continued to remove the dress.

"Right now, Eriol-san, I'm not wearing a mask. Emotional or otherwise."

"Oh? My mistake."

Slipping the blue cloth onto the chair where one of the designers would re-hang it, the green eyed woman viewed the man through the mirror while changing jewellery.

"Don't look at me like that. Or speak to me like that, either. It's your fault for setting me up with Tomoyo-chan. And I still like her, a lot." Smiling at the memory of the dinner that had had together, Sakura remembered the beautiful curves of amethyst eyes and pure pink lips that she had gotten to kiss.

"I wasn't aware of the situation, Sakura-san. You should have told me. And not just because of Syaoran. I'm your manager, and I need to know these things. What if the papers caught wind of it? Syaoran's a head CEO of one of the largest companies in the world. He could easily buy us out if he wanted to. And you're one of the world's top models. It'd be a scandal for the both of you. I need to know all the facts if I'm to protect you."

"Protect me? You didn't seem to want to protect me a few days ago, Eriol. If anything, you were too busy protecting him. Which, by the way, he can do just fine on his own. You don't know him like I do." She frowned at him, instinctively pouting slightly.

Rolling the next outfit over her hips, Sakura made her way back to the catwalk.

"He's a big boy, Eriol-san. And he can do things to people that would make anyone cower."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Frowning right back, Eriol paled slightly more than usual. "Did he do something to you? Did he hurt you?"

"No," she laughed. "That's not what I meant. What I meant was: That if Syaoran wanted to confront me, he would've found me after I'd left him at the altar, and had done so personally. You've never seen an angry Syaoran."

"I have actually. Twice."

Shaking her head, she waltzed beautifully down the platform, a perfect smile in place – nothing betraying the annoyance that was building up towards her manager. She had forgiven Syaoran long ago for loving her. And she hoped that he would start to forgive her completely. But Eriol's way wasn't the right one.

Stepping out from the arch, she looked at the bluenette. "No, you haven't. You've seen him annoyed, agitated, and probably frustrated. But never angry. I've only seen it once. And I'd never like to see it again."

"Once? Is it really that bad?" Once again, he followed her into the back rooms while she changed. Seeing naked or partially dressed people was a part of his profession. If it came with the job, it wouldn't faze him. Just like everything else.

"Yes," shuddering at the memory, she gulped lightly before taking a breath. "I both loved and hated him for it. I still do to an extent. I much prefer him frustrated, for more than the obvious reason." Mentally hitting herself for how that sounded, and the fact that she had even thought it like that under such circumstances, she carried on letting him wonder about an angered Syaoran.

Rolling her eyes at her mirror-image, she secretly agreed with Meiling. Sakura was one of Syaoran's semi-perverted friends. And it struck at the weirdest times.


Sighing, Syaoran placed the phone back onto its receiver. Yet another company asking for business advice. Really, as smart and hard working as he was, he didn't have time for every little query. Rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes, the brunette pondered over his personal problems.

One, Meiling was obviously going to rant again about Yue still not having picked the new corporate building, and she was going to dump him with her personal affairs of still being single, and never having a personal life.

Two, the last thing he had said to Eriol had been harsh and uncalled for, despite the content, and Eriol had only been trying to help. The poor man didn't know everything that had happened, and he feared the time when the manager would.

Three, the dance competition was fast approaching, and he still had nothing to wear, to dance to, or any moves that were or weren't allowed. He was also unsure of what he was even going to do. It left him biting his lip, and wondering why he hadn't killed the man who had gotten him into the situation in the first place.

Four, he really needed to contact Sakura, and this time talk it through properly. She needed to know his position, and he needed to completely listen to hers. Without yelling and cursing at each other. If not for them, then for Tomoyo. The two had seemed to hit it off, and the designer deserved someone good, and kind for her. It was about time the woman found love.

//Speaking of Tomoyo..// And five, he was definitely going to take her out for some fun. She was overworking herself way too much with this year's Summer fashion.

*Knock Knock*

"Yes?" Sitting up, the brunette pushed the issues to one side and got back to business. His business.

"Tsukshiro Yue wished to speak with you."

Hiding the smile at his receptionist's tone, he nodded for the man to come in.

It was still strange after all these years, that Yue was nothing like Yukito in any way. Yue was cold, blunt, and preferred his long silver hair to be loose or tied in a complicated bun. He never gave away his feelings, and he never showed he cared. Not even for his slightly younger brother.

While Yukito was warm, bright, and always full of life – as well as an empty stomach. With short silver hair, Yukito was always open about his feelings, and always showed that he cared. Even about people he didn't know. But especially for his slightly elder brother.

Even their sexuality's were different.

"What can I do for you, Yue-san?" Smiling slightly, he indicated one of the seats in front of his desk.

"I want you to send someone else to help me in my task."

Blinking, Syaoran felt fortunate on being just as good as Yue at controlling his emotions. "And why is that, exactly?"

"That woman is too simple. She does not search for the required building with the professional atmosphere expected of one of her position. She has not sense of what is considered too furnished or too large, and she has no taste in architecture."

At the sound of shock coming from behind his closed office door, Syaoran was once again grateful for his ability to control himself.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to correct you. Meiling is the best at what she does. She found the Porcelain* building after all, and I sent her here two months before hand to secure the building. I took no part in the choosing or negotiation of any of company buildings. I leave that to Meiling as my personal secretary and assistant. She is more than capable of doing her job."

Smiling inwardly at knowing the huge smile that was no doubt on Meiling's face, he watched Yue processes the conversations turning.

"She will fulfil the requirements, then?"

"Yes."

Sighing, the silver haired man nodded, before standing and shaking Syaoran's hand.

"As always, I will trust your judgment. However, it will take much longer to find the appropriate location this way."

"Believe me, it'll be worth it. It always is."


Smiling, Meiling sighed happily. This was definitely the one. There was no way, no conceivable way, that he could refuse the beauty and intelligent structure of the building.

"No. This doesn't fit the appropriateness of the business."

Turning on her stiletto heels, she clamped her jaw, took a deep breath, and glared at him.

"And why exactly, is it inappropriate?"

"Because," here he pointed to the large windows reaching from the ceiling to the floor, running all the way down the building's length, "it's too open to the public. This is only the first floor, and yet everyone can see it. It also causes the building to be too light."

Gritting her teeth, Meiling breathed through her nose for a moment with her eyes closed, inwardly cursing the God's, Syaoran, Yue and Yukito for putting her into such a position, before smiling brightly at the silver haired man.

"Alright then. Let's move on to the next location."

Nodding in reply, he followed her down the stairs and out of the main foyer, through the main doors and out onto the street.

It was a beautiful, crisp morning, and with no sign of rain Yue felt that it was a good day to continue his hunt for the perfect business location. Yukito would never forgive him if he messed this up.

Watching and following the retreating back of the dark haired woman, Yue felt that she was not only incompetent at her job, but also highly over-rated due to personal relations. So far the woman had yet to show him anything resembling his stated requirements, and he was partially sure that she was just doing it to get him back for the last Christmas party where he had refused to dance with her.

The softer side of him – the side that only Yukito was privileged to – wanted to believe that she really was being professional, and showing him her genuinely picked buildings. That side of him believed fully that she was incompetent.

"Don't worry, we'll find it yet," she smiled, breaking him from his thoughts.

Looking straight at her, with the sun bouncing off her long hair, tastefully held back in two Chinese-style buns, head tilted and balancing on one very thin heel, it was a wonder why she was still single.

"You just have to continue dragging that stick out of your backside, and we'll get there," she giggled turning back to the direction they were heading in.

Ah, that was why.

Sighing inwardly, he wondered not for the second time why Syaoran found such a quality endearing. When it had started to crop up in Sakura, the two became far more attached, and look where that had led them.

No, it was best to have a nice, quiet relationship that both could give and take gently from. One that he had witnessed himself to be a complete success. If his brother was anything to go off anyway.

Rubbing the ache from her head, Tomoyo listened to the drone of her assistants babbling on about how she never cleaned up after herself anymore, and how she was behind on her designs by a day – which in her business was a lot.

Smiling, she apologised secretly blaming her friends for all the trouble that could cause just by opening their mouths, and then grinned as an idea for payback entered her mind. It wasn't going to be nearly as good as her rival's was for Syaoran, but it was close.

Routing for her mobile, Tomoyo continued to ignore the complaints of her juniors and typed in the operator's** number.


Brooding Darkness: Thank you so much for reading!

Notes:

* This is just the name of a local building that I made up. It supports the deliveries of the trading companies, making sure that everything gets to be where it should. And everything is treated delicately, hence 'Porcelain'.

** For those of you unaware, the 'operator' is the company that you call to get any number. Yes, any number. Believe me, I asked. And you don't want to know.