A WINTER'S TALE
A fiction by moondocc
The Re-written Version of A Winter's Tale

Author's Note. Yes, I know last chapter was a little bit unexpected and definitely NOT funny and really dramatic, but this chapter will hopefully lighten the mood! And two of the reviewers had the right idea about the clothes thingy. Read on!

This chapter is dedicated to Avelyn Lauren. You have followed me since what, You've Got Mail, eh? (or maybe Twisted?) Thanks for reviewing through thick and thin :)

CHAPTER SIX

A series of hurried knocking beat against the wooden door in a dramatic and quick rhythm. It was barely nine in the morning and Syaoran had just gone to sleep three hours ago. He wasn't exactly in the mood for early-morning visits especially when he has just drifted off into sleep at 6AM. Boy, was he angry when he dragged his heavy feet out of the bed and slung his shoulders towards the direction of the door. Sometimes he really hated how big his apartment was. That means he had to walk more. And walking more was by no means Syaoran's priority at 9AM in the morning.

Slowly he turned the knob, prepared to tell whoever it is on the other side to shut up. "What is it?" Syaoran asked meekly, his eyes barely open to receive the intense sunlight seething from the windows in the hallway. To his surprise the man opposite of him pushed him right back into his apartment with such a drastic force that he almost fell over. The visitor marched into his living room angrily, his hand a ready fist.

"Syaoran Li," the man with jet black hair and emerald eyes snapped, "how dare you sell all of my sister's things for thirteen dollars and then send her home in the pouring rain without a cab and umbrella?" Touya demanded, his eyes raging with fury.

Syaoran blinked and immediately widened his eyes and stared at the six-foot-four man standing in front of him. He towered Syaoran's own six feet like a giant mutant, killing him not softly, but intensely with those bulging glares of his. "Good morning, Touya," Syaoran faked cheerfully, walking carelessly into the kitchen. "Thank you for visiting me, it's been months since you've paid me a visit here."

Touya's eyes followed Syaoran impulsively, knowing that he was up to no good. "Would you like anything to drink?" Syaoran asked casually, looking into his fridge. "Pepsi, perhaps?"

Shaking like a wet chicken, Syaoran grabbed a Pepsi can from the refrigerator and turned around. He also jumped back irritably when he saw Touya standing next to him, his nostrils flaring like a bull. He quickly shoved the can of soda into Touya's palms and evaded his death glares. Mind working like a mechanic workshop and wheels turning furiously as if to come up with an escape route, Syaoran decided to converse with Touya in order to buy some time; small talks weren't exactly his best cup of tea, but in a situation like this, the situation between life and death, one can often come up with monstrous strength to defeat those of the corrupt.

In this case, the corrupt would be who else but the raging Spanish bull, Touya Kinomoto? Even Syaoran found himself ridiculous. There was no way that he even surpassed the level of deftness that Touya possessed, to which he cursed himself utterly with disdain at having not attended Kung Fu lessons in the past three months. What to do, what to do, Syaoran pondered seriously as a very angry Touya inspected his every move from behind, a playful smirk ornamenting his lips. There was no way that Syaoran can escape now, not after what he had done to Mr. Red Bull's sister. This actor is going down.

Just when Syaoran turned around to ask Touya about a certain Daidouji, Touya decided it was best for him to throw in a punch targeted right in Syaoran's right eye. Baffled, Syaoran tumbled over two beanie bags and one coffee table, eventually dropping hard in a single and most painful landing.

"Ouch…" Syaoran moaned, one hand rubbing his behind while the other hand nursed his eye. "What the hell, Touya!" he hollered feverishly, although he knew what that punch was for. His eye felt intense pain, like shards of glass cutting across his pupils over and over again.

"That's for selling out my sister," Touya barked, standing tall over a cowering Syaoran, who was wiggling painfully on the floor. "And that's for leaving her in the rain alone so she had to walk three miles to my house," Touya kicked Syaoran again, only this time hard in the stomach, a sudden approach that surprised the victim. Syaoran yelped in twinge, his hands automatically moving to hug his wounded abs.

Somehow he had known that this would happen. Somehow he had known that Touya would never forgive him for all the tricks that he's played on Sakura. Touya's overprotective mode is turned on, as it always has been, and he realized, after those two throbbing blows, that his third eye has always kept a profile on Syaoran's whereabouts and his ulterior motives. Maybe he shouldn't have ticked off the most controlling brother in the whole world, the most overprotective, domineering sibling that one could ever wish to avoid. Or maybe Sakura had simply sent her six-foot-four brother over here to give Syaoran a nice ass-whopping. If that was what she had intended, then she had gotten her wish. This was a good one, Syaoran noted. A very good one. His stomach was on fire, so fierce the flames that no amount of words can accurately describe his aching, damaged tissues.

"I should have never trusted you, gaki. Look what you've done to my sister," Touya spat, his tone hiding hints of murder, "you almost killed her by making her walk all that way to my place in the biggest pouring rain since fucking prehistoric dinosaur age!"

Syaoran said nothing. He merely lay on the ground avoiding Touya's gaze. "Go apologize to her," he ordered. Syaoran flipped. He didn't exactly want to say "go to hell" to Touya's face, because that would cost him another ass-whopping. In the end, he decided that silence was probably the best answer.

Touya knelt down besides Syaoran, his emerald eyes locked Syaoran's sight sympathetically. "I'm sorry man," he apologized as Syaoran widened his eyes in shock, "but that was what a dutiful brother had to do. Now seriously go apologize to Sakura. She's very upset. If you don't apologize to her, then she probably wouldn't go to the Only Hope premiere with you." Touya explained, his voice channeling a tone of worry.

Syaoran stayed awed at Touya's sudden friendliness.

"Come on, Syaoran, the premiere is this Saturday. And it takes months of careful shopping to purchase the right things to wear. If you don't apologize now, she's never going to forgive you, and the media will never ever forget what you have done to Sakura."

Syaoran's ears sharpened a little bit, wiggling a little as if to show Touya that he was listening. "If you don't apologize to Sakura, then the press will know that you are not a true couple, and they will blame it on you! We already have blackmailers in this building who have heard my sister's screams."

Syaoran sighed. "You will be the one who will take the fall, and you may never even be able to recover from this kind of national shocker…" Touya elucidated in grief. "As your best friend, I don't want to see that happening to you, Syaoran."

Syaoran stayed silent, his ears slightly red from embarrassment lying in such a vulnerable position. He didn't show any will to move away, nor did he show any animosity towards the man who had just punched him twice. Somehow he felt like he deserved to take those hits for causing his partner so much pain. He honestly wished he hadn't pulled a prank like that on Sakura. Sure, she was a pain in the ass, but she hadn't done anything to deserve that.

Now he just really hoped that Kinomoto didn't tell Kinomoto's stupid overprotective brother about their little "encounter" last night. When Sakura's lips crushed his, he felt his heart beating wild out of control, like an unstable erupting volcano. His world was crumbling down, an earthquake brutally taking over his life, taking over his possessions, as if the sisters of Fate had cruelly thrust manly urges upon his chest, tempting him into giving in to his intuitions.

Receiving no response from him, Touya decided to leave the lying man on the floor alone. He stopped by the door, giving him one last glance. "Go to my apartment. Apologize, gaki. Or else." He warned as he closed the door quietly behind him.

The premiere of Only Hope huh, Syaoran thought bitterly. This Saturday? That's too soon for him to speak two simple words: I'm sorry. What he needed right now was definitely to ready his mindset for Sakura's reaction.

"Eriol, where are you?" Syaoran spoke quietly into his cell phone.

"I'm out," Eriol said simply. Syaoran noted that Eriol lived with Touya who is now housing his worst adversary.

"Is Touya at home?" He asked.

"Touya asked you to apologize, huh?" Eriol laughed into the receiver. Syaoran grunted. "How is she?"

"Not too well," Eriol said truthfully, "she's been sulky this whole morning. I think she's probably at home watching TV or something right now."

"Oh. Is Touya home then?" He asked again, hoping that this time he'll weasel an answer out of Hiiragizawa Eriol.

"No. Touya's at Tomoyo's place," Eriol said simply. "He's there to return the tape she gave him two days ago. I swear, Touya watched the tape within minutes after Tomoyo left—"

"Thanks bye!" Syaoran said quickly and hung up. On the other end, Eriol frowned at his cell phone. "Stupid potato," he cursed.

Grabbing his coat and shutting the door violently behind him, Syaoran put on his sunglasses and got in a cab. Memories of what happened last night came flooding back into his brain as his heart pounded wildly. He gave the driver the address to Touya's flat. He looked at the bags sitting next to his legs: there were at least twelve bags of designer clothing, each of which containing an expensive piece or two of clothing purchased by who else but his personal shopper, Jonu Teroki. He just hoped that these were Kinomoto's size.

Syaoran knocked on the door quietly, feeling stupid for carrying twelve bags of all different shaps and sizes in his hands. Nevertheless, he managed to look confident when a sick-smelling Kinomoto Sakura opened the door, saw him, widened her eyes, wrinkled her nose, then shut it in his face.

"Kinomoto!" He yelled from the other side. Sakura merely took two pieces of tissue paper and stuck it in her ears. "Kinomoto, open the goddamn door!" Syaoran screamed. Here he kicked the door several times, hoping that it will annoy Sakura. It didn't. Unfortunately she was in the other room, her TV blasting at a monstrous volume.

"KINOMOTO!" Syaoran screeched again, kicking and pounding the door in a most violent manner. People who have passed him by in the hallway gave him a curious look as his glare caused them to look away innocently again. "GODDAMN!" He cursed at the top of his lungs, and decided to give one last kick on the door.

Nope, no answer. None whatsoever. "This woman!" He groaned in frustration as he threw his hands dramatically in the air. Then, deciding that nothing will change Kinomoto's mind, he slumped himself against the wooden door and sat solemnly, looking at the bags with a profound interest.

Twenty minutes passed. Kinomoto refused to give Syaoran a chance to even apologize. Syaoran had already examined six pieces of the clothing from four different bags. They were all very nice. Very, very expensive. Syaoran's heartstrings winced slightly when he looked at their price labels. One beautiful evening gown cost him two million yen (roughly twenty thousand dollars).

But he had to admit, his personal shopper did have good taste, even if it was, unfortunately, an expensive taste. He studied the dress with careful precision. The dress was crimson, a color of dramatic confidence and intense sexuality, with a spaghetti strap lingering from one of the shoulders across to the other side (a/n: so it's like a spaghetti strap on one shoulder, the fabric going across the dress, but no strap on the other shoulder…it's bare). The fabric was silk, and it was beautifully cut, with a waist that would hug Sakura's waist tightly. The dress draped down into waves of ruffles around the knee, but was stylized in a diagonal way, so that one end ended at the knee, while the other end ended at the mid-calf. Whatever it was, it would look beautiful on Sakura. Perhaps she can wear it to the premiere… today is Wednesday, after all.

Another forty minutes passed. Syaoran had finished examining the contents of all of the bags present and was now just bored out of his mind. He was tired of sitting against the door, so he rested his head on one of the bags and proceeded to lie on the carpeted floor with a most wistful expression on his face. It was almost two in the afternoon, and Miss Drama Queen has still not opted to open the door for him.

"Stupid woman," Syaoran cursed.

"Who are you calling stupid?" The same voice that ass-whopped him this morning said out of nowhere. Sitting up straight immediately and taking off his sunglasses, Syaoran saw a very amused Touya standing next to him, his shadow covering his.

"Whoa!" Touya gaped, pointing at Syaoran's face, "Your eye! It looks terrible!"

"What!" Syaoran screamed, jumping up. Quickly he grabbed the doorknob and looked into its reflective material. "TOUYA! YOU ARE SO DEAD MEAT!" Syaoran yelled as he pointed at his eye, "I am going to sue you!"

Touya laughed heartily. "Right, right. Don't pull jokes you aren't liable to, Syaoran." Syaoran glared. "How long have you been waiting?"

Syaoran ignored him, pouting his lips. His hand rose consciously to cover his blackened right eye. "About an hour," he finally caved in. "Where the hell have you been?"

Touya cleared his throat and took out his keys. "Oh, I know," Syaoran said in oblivion, "Daidouji-san, correct?" Syaoran's eyebrow arched suspiciously.

"Get in," Touya ordered, avoiding Syaoran's gaze. Syaoran nodded with an innocent glee marked on his face. "All right, Touya," he stuck out his tongue, "I'll get in," he winked.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Touya asked, his hands folding across his buff chest. "Why the hell were you winking at me for?"

Syaoran sighed dramatically, as if playing a part in a drama-king commercial. "Nothing, nothing," he waved his hand in the air, "nothing at all."

Touya sighed and closed the door behind him. Syaoran crossed the room in a most confident manner and decided to see what's going on with our little heroine/drama queen/annoying pumpkin.

"Sa-ku-ra!" Syaoran sing-songed. He didn't know why he felt a sudden adrenaline rush. Perhaps because of the twelve bags he has in his hand, perhaps because he knew Touya's secret.

"Go away, you bastard," came the familiar, high voice from within. Syaoran shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere without seeing you first, darling!"

Inside the room, Sakura raised her eyebrow, so high that it was lost behind her bangs. "Darling?" she whispered to herself, "who the hell does he think he is? That insolent, conceited, annoying, arrogant, pompous pig!"

"Please, sweetheart! You made me wait for an hour!" Syaoran said in agony. This bit was true, and there was no denying that. But he still managed to say it sweetly, as if an hour was a mere ten hours, and that he would spend his lifetime cowering prettily behind her door.

Sakura glared at the wood that separated her away from Syaoran, shooting bullets at it with her emerald orbs, which are now fused with a mix of hatred and suspicion. She wore a pink bathrobe tied loosely around her waist, and her TV was still blaring loudly with the theme of The O.C. playing. She was on an O.C. marathon.

Another series of hurried knocking came, this time matched with a different voice. "Kaijuu! Open the door now!"

"No!" Sakura screamed at the door. Then, crossing the room, Sakura placed her hand on the knob firmly and screamed. "tell Li to go home! I don't want to see him now!"

"Oh, kaijuu, but you'll enjoy seeing him, after what I've done today," Touya said playfully. Sakura wrinkled her eyes. "What did you do to him today?"

"Why don't you come out and see?" Syaoran murmured seductively. "OW," he whispered loudly when Touya knocked him on the arm. Receiving a death glare, Syaoran instantly shut up.

Sakura stood on the other side of two immature human beings, her hand supporting her chin, thinking if she should give stupid insolent-conceited-annoying-arrogant-pompous pig a chance. Deciding at last, well, mostly because of her curiosity overtook her, Sakura slowly opened the door.

A grumpy-looking Syaoran stood looking wrenched on the other side, his back slouched, his hair dripping wet with sweat, his eyes unfocused, his right eye red with vessels running across, his hand clutching twelve bags of designer clothes (six on each hand), with a smirking Touya standing right behind him, hand pressed on Syaoran's shoulder.

Sakura broke into a pearl of giggly laughs when she saw how pathetic and ironic that Li Syaoran, one of Japan's most prominent-looking super-mega-movie stars, looked like as if he had just walked out of a trashcan with stolen goodie bags (probably thrown into the trashcan, and probably unwanted, anyway). Her hands clang on her stomach as she tumbled over with tears in her eyes.

Syaoran glared at her rudely. "What are you laughin' at?"

The response was more crazy laughter. Touya shook his head at his giggly twenty-one year old, perfectly grown sister. "I'll leave you two alone," he said shortly and walked away.

Syaoran's eyes narrowed into a straight line. "Kinomoto, get over yourself. I know I'm a sexy thing to look at, but don't stress yourself out. You'll have plenty to look at after I'm done."

At this all laughter subsided. "Done with what?" Sakura asked.

"Done with you," it was Syaoran's turn to smirk furiously. He dropped his bags on the floor and took a step closer towards Sakura. As if on impulse, the famous actress stepped back, her eyes widening in terror.

"If you're planning to do something to me I'll scream and Touya will beat you to pulps." Sakura warned, her breath growing quicker.

"Then don't scream," Syaoran said simply. He leaned closer to Sakura, and pressed his finger on her lips. "Hush little baby, don't say a word," he started singing softly. Sakura's eyes widened, appalled by Syaoran's violations against her. But she had to admit, he is a good singer.

"Papa's going to buy you a mocking bird," he continued singing, and leaned his face so close to Sakura's that she could hear his gentle breathing. "And if that mocking bird don't sing," at this he pushed her into her room and closed the door behind him, "Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring."

Syaoran stopped. The world seem to stop as Syaoran's face grew closer and closer and closer…now she could almost count the number of eyelashes on his lids, so thick and long, so…CLOSE!

Sakura took a step back, wriggling free from Syaoran's reach. "Get away from me," she hissed. Syaoran made no sign of retreat. Then, running his hands through his rumpled hair, he whispered, with a hopeful arch of his eyebrow, "forgive me?" here he added a sincere smile.

Sakura glared at him. "How do you except me to forgive you after what you put me through?" she hollered angrily. Touya shuddered at the volume of Sakura's voice in the kitchen. "Looks like things are going well…" he muttered sarcastically to himself before turning the page. He was reading the morning newspaper.

"Please?" Syaoran pleaded, "What if…" here walked back towards the door and grabbed the evening gown from the Chanel bag, "I give you all of these as compensations…and this lovely dress to wear to the premiere?"

Sakura stared at him. Honestly, did he think that he was going to buy his way to an apology? Well think again, pig head! Although…the dress was starting to look quite appealing… "No!" Sakura thought out loud. Syaoran bore a hurt expression of his face.

The dress hung loosely on his shoulders as he glided over next to her and dangled it in front of her eyes, controlling her green pools as if she were an infant puppy. His cologne became so infuriatingly strong that Sakura could have gagged to death.

HEADLINE: FAMOUS JAPANESE ACTRESS GAGGED TO DEATH AFTER SUDDEN EXPOSURE TO PARTNER'S COLOGNE

The mysterious death of Sakura Kinomoto, a pathetic loser who was overdosed with a simple Chanel No. 5 for men when twenty million men around her are wearing the same product.

"Hmm, hmm?" Syaoran waved it in front of her, "it's Chanel, your favorite brand!" He forced her to look in the mirror. Sakura could see it now, her looking absolutely fantastic in that beautifully cut dress, Syaoran behind her, looking utterly drop-dead gorgeous…who is also breathing down her neck…

"Get away from me, you idiot," Sakura pushed Syaoran away. Unfortunately, she pushed him a little bit too hard, as he slumped over the nightstand and rolled across the floor.

And didn't move.

Sakura's heart quickened. Syaoran's alright, right? He was just faking this. No, he had to be faking this. SO WHY ISN'T HE MOVING! Sakura tiptoed to where Syaoran was lying, unconscious, and knelt next to him. She placed her hand on his forehead. "Wait! He's not sick, why am I doing this?" she said stupidly. Then she shook him violently. "Li, wake up, wake up, Li!"

Nothing came from him. Maybe he hit his head too hard, reasoned Sakura. Then, she did the stupidest, yet smartest thing she had done in her life. She lifted her hands up and prayed in a quick, raspy, nervous murmur, "God, if you make sure that nothing serious happens to Li, then I will forgive him for being such an arrogant ass and be nice to him after this."

The tip of Syaoran's lips lifted as he jumped up suddenly and screamed, "BOO YAH!" Sakura screeched, jumping away from Syaoran's sudden burst. "You're alive!"

"And you forgave me," he replied slyly, "Come on, Sakura, you can't stay mad at me forever."

Sakura looked at him angrily. "You had me worried for killing you!"

"Ah, but the thing is that you didn't, did you?" he sneered. Sakura shot him a stern look. "Don't ever scare me like that!"

"So our little miss pumpkin does care about her fellow actor, doesn't she?" Syaoran laughed. A crimson shade reached Sakura's cheeks as she turned her head the other way. "I forgive you," she whispered. "I guess I deserved it for making life so miserable for you."

"Kinomoto's living up to her promise she made God, eh?" Syaoran elbowed.

"I said I forgive you, not I don't hate you!"

Oh boy.

Author's Note. My futile attempt at humor after such an angst chapter. Seriously, tell me this is light-hearted! It is, right? Right, RIGHT?

Well, it's not as dark as last chapter. And it wasn't written as well too. I had a major writer's block so I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't up to your satisfaction. Well, at least I didn't leave you at a cliffhanger right? Hehe. I'm updating as frequently as possible because once school starts (that's 8/14 for me lovelies) I won't have time to write/update at all. Anyway, the next chapter will be the premier and the super big secret!

Please review, and karma will get back to you!