Just to let yall know, I love you. Thanks for reading and all that.

By the way, I made this chapter a lot longer than normal, so you're welcome. Bwaha.

Chapter 8

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Sakura froze as the weight of what was happening crashed down on her.

Syaoran's prince-lips smiled on hers, once again taking without asking. Sakura...

Sakura wasn't sure what to think.

On one hand, she felt his aggressive and dominant behavior horribly disgusting, and wanted nothing more than to push him away and run as quickly as she could.

On the other hand... His hands knew where to touch... his lips knew how to move... and she was intoxicated.

At that point, she wouldn't have cared if he locked her in a dungeon with him for eternity. She wouldn't have cared if he took complete and total advantage of her. He was all she wanted. She needed him.

His hand wrapped around the small of her back slowly and brought her closer to him. Without giving conscious effort, her arms immediately inched up his body and netted themselves in his chocolate mess of hair. She wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Syaoran released her lips for only a moment, running them down her throat. She felt his hot breath trail to her ear, murmuring her name in between kisses. Yeah, she was in way over her head.

But maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

"Sakura?"

Sakura froze.

Again.

She turned to the door to find Cyou, stiffened against the now opened doors, expression no less than devastated.

Her heart stopped.

Anyone else, anyone... not Cyou.

She tried to say something, anything, but her words were soundless. His desolate expression deepened when he saw the face of her captor.

"...him?"

Syaoran stepped away from Sakura, either guilty or embarrassed. Sakura felt her legs weaken.

Cyou stepped forward slowly, his footsteps inaudible under the sound of Sakura's heart beating. Syaoran backed away, and she wished she could do the same. But she was glued to the spot, any movement questioning her stability. Every step he took towards her was painful, a knife lodged into her chest. She braved a glance at Syaoran; his eyes dwelled on the large sword attached to Cyou's left side.

Her fear vanished when she looked into Cyou's eyes; it was replaced with an astonishing heap of guilt.

"Cyou," she breathed. His eyes revealed everything he didn't say. He looked down at her dress and laughed.

"Ironic."

She reached out for his hand, but he backed away. Silence followed.

Sakura forgot Syaoran was in the room until he stepped forward. "Garate, you-"

Syaoran wasn't given time to finish before Cyou punched him in the face.

Sakura was caught between a gasp and laugh. She gaughed.

"Bastard." Cyou exited with tightly clenched fists, not once looking back at the future king that he knocked to the ground.

Sakura was still, not sure if she should help him up or not. Syaoran got on his knees, holding his nose as blood gushed out of it and onto the marble floor.

"Are you okay?" she asked, barely audible. He moaned.

"Should I go get someone, or something... or..." She stopped mid-sentence, because she really wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. There probably wasn't an etiquette book in the universe that covered this subject.

So she waited.

She felt a little awkward watching him sit there, but she realized it was probably more embarrassing for him. Getting beat up isn't really the best way to get a girl to think you're masculine.

"Ugh." Finally he stood, wiping his blood on the sleeve of his shirt which most likely cost about a bazillion times as much as Sakura's entire old wardrobe put together. She cringed.

Sakura tensed, waiting for a command. "Get out", "Leave me", "Go get someone", or "You're getting executed tomorrow" were her top guesses on what he would say.

Instead, he turned to her and smiled. "You are worth it." He kissed her hand gently before taking his exit out another side door, leaving her bewildered, embarrassed, guilty, and a little pissed.

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Sakura sat alone on her bed. The dress lay sprawled on the floor, having been hastily thrown off only minutes before. She locked the door, and wasn't planning on letting anyone in.

Okay, lie.

But she wasn't letting Li in. No freaking way was that happening. Ugh. That.. that freak. He was the one that kissed her, and if she didn't comply, he probably would have killed her. He might just do that tomorrow, actually. That wasn't a good thought.

She let her tears fall down her face, tired of keeping them in. Her life was turned upside down, and then some, ever since she came to this place. She wanted nothing more than to escape forever and ever and ever. With Cyou.

But, she couldn't fool herself for very long. Sakura could have stopped Syaoran at any point, and she definitely did not. She enjoyed that kiss, a lot more than she should have.

Sakura slumped backwards onto her bed and sighed. Life was too complicated. And what was Cyou mad about? The fact that Syaoran was kissing her, or that she was kissing Syaoran?

Yeah, life was way too complicated.

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Sakura jolted awake. She looked around hazily, having fallen asleep for who-knows-how-long. She looked out the window; the sun had set. She groggily stumbled to the door and opened it to find a tray of delicious-looking food waiting beside the wall. Sakura quickly dragged it into her room and shut the door before anyone unwanted showed up.

She leaned against the wall and examined the tray. It all looked amazing, and... She grabbed the note placed under a dish in annoyance. Of course.

Sakura,

Meet me when you're ready to talk.

Li

Sakura sighed. "Of course he wants to talk to me."

It was times like this that Sakura missed Tomoyo more than ever. Having no one to talk to was driving her a little insane.

Not wanting to risk being seen by Prince Li, Sakura opened her window and was prepared to make a rope when she saw someone below her window a few stories down, most likely trying to find a way to get up.

"Who are you?" Sakura called, but she was pretty sure she knew already.

"I'm pretty sure you know already."

She sighed. "Why don't you come to my door like a normal person?" she called, and slammed the window shut. A few minutes later, there was a knock on her door.

Sakura opened it willingly. Cyou stood panting in the doorway, smiling hesitantly. She ushered him in and quickly locked the door.

Sighing again, she turned to Cyou slowly. He sat down on the edge of her bed, looking at his feet.

Silence lingered.

Sakura walked to her bed and sat beside him. He looked at her.

The silence continued.

"So... what happened?'

Sakura took a deep breath. "I don't know."

He nodded.

"Well he started it."

He stared.

"You know what would have happened if I said no, right?"

Silence.

Sakura awkwardly fiddled with her hands; Cyou remained silently staring at the gound.

Finally he sighed. "I would ask someone else to ask you this, but... I don't know."

Sakura waited (im)patiently.

"Did... If Li-sama didn't have power over you, would it have been different?"

Sakura winced. Now that was a question that she couldn't maneuver her way out of.

"Uh." She cleared her throat loudly, trying to delay her answer (even though she pretty much already gave it).

"So I guess that's a no." They sat silently, Sakura waiting for Cyou to speak, Cyou not wanting to speak. So neither spake.

"So..." Cyou said slowly. "Ugh. This is difficult."

Sakura nodded.

Finally Cyou turned to Sakura and looked her in the eye. "Me or him?"

She froze.

"W-What!?" she asked, definitely unprepared for that question. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"Would you chose me or him?" Cyou asked again, eyes steady on hers.

"Cyou, you're my..." He leaned in closer to her, closing the little proximity they already had. Sakura stilled.

"I'm very jealous of him." He ran his fingers gently through her hair. His hand rested on the back of her neck. She looked into his eyes, completely intoxicated. "I want you."

Sakura's eyes widened. She leaned closer, feeling his warm breath on her face-

Suddenly his hand was back at his side and he grinned. "Just kidding." He got up and walked to the door. "See you around."

Sakura fumed.

"Are you serious?!" she called, ready to kill him then and there.

He stopped and looked back at her. "No."

Her anger vanished; the longing in his eyes was enough to tear her apart. He exited quickly, leaving her once again alone with her thoughts.

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I'm sick. But that means like, two days alone with my computer!! YAY. I'm very excited. And sick. But it's definitely worth it. Bwaha.