Disclaimer: I don't own CCS or any songs I mention!
Author: Alleycat
Story: Purely Coincidental
She was a free spirit and he a successful business man. She didn't care for love and he didn't have the time for it. Two strangers meet in an empty movie theater and nothing is ever the same.
Author's Note: Recently watched Say Anything for the first time and I must admit I am in love with Lloyd! Gah, I need a man like him.
Also I really like people using last names versus first name being more intimate.
Keep the Southern parts of the US in your thoughts/prayers as the tornadoes are relentless!
Chapter 5
"Back in [my] good graces again
Remember when you told me that I was your only friend,
Well you made the best of this life
Where you never knew one day from the next"
~ She & Him, "Me and You"
"Is this seat being used?" A tan man with black hair and a beard gestured to the empty seat next to Sakura.
Sakura smiled and opened her mouth when Tomoyo interrupted her.
"Yes, we're saving it for a friend." She said with a pointed glance at the stranger who walked away.
"Tomoyo, he's not coming," She shout whispered. "You should have let him have the seat!"
"He didn't just want the chair Sakura," Tomoyo chastised. "He wanted the company that came along with it."
Sakura cocked her head to the side. "Huh?"
The table burst into laughter at her reaction while she just sat confused.
"We love how dense you are!" Naoko adjusted her glasses and took a sip of her beer. "Did you guys hear that the place next door is haunted?"
"Doesn't that mean they can just come over?" Sakura asked her eyes wide with fright and her hands coming up to cover her mouth.
"I am sure we'll be fine," Tomoyo consoled behind her camera.
"Don't worry," A male voice added. "I'll protect you."
He had messy blond hair and startling blue eyes. He was wearing a tight black shirt and his teeth were white. He was gorgeous in a nut shell.
Chiharu rolled her eyes. "Will you leave us alone Westely?"
"Always so hostile Mihara," He said smoothly while grasping at his chest. "It's okay that you're attracted to me but my heart belongs to Sakura."
She raised her fist threateningly and Tomoyo giggled behind the lens. They couldn't wait until Chiharu finally hit Westely in the face. He deserved it for never leaving Sakura alone.
"Is there a problem?" A deep voice asked.
All eyes turned to the newcomer and Sakura threw her arms around him. Tomoyo kept her camera trained on the two and smiled to herself. She wondered what the famous Li would look like according to how Sakura described him. The soft smile on his face as he hugged her best friend told her exactly what she needed to know.
"How does she know THE Syaoran Li?" Naoko whispered and two other girls leaned in to hear the story.
They ignored Westely as he slinked off, glaring at the embracing couple.
Tomoyo was about to tell them when Sakura brought him over.
"Guys this is Li and these are my friends Miharu, Sasaki, Yanagisawa, and Daidouji." She introduced with a big smile.
He gave a polite nod and the girls sighed dreamily with hearts in their eyes. His hair was perfectly coifed instead of the slicked back style Sakura was used to. He was wearing a white button up shit rolled up to his elbows. He was wearing a gray vest and black slacks.
"Are you sure I'm forgiven?" He asked, his eyes intensely focused on her
Tomoyo wanted to giggle like a school girl at the handsome look.
"Well at least let me buy a round of drinks for everybody," He announced to the rest of the table.
"No that's okay," Sakura denied but her friends choruses of what they wanted and thanking him drowned her out.
"How do you know Syaoran Li?" Naoko asked again but directed toward Sakura when he left toward the bar.
Sakura leaned forward, her eyes suspicious. "How do you know his name?"
Tomoyo made a throat slashing motion behind her back and the other girls understood.
"He is as gorgeous as he looks in the pictures!" Chiharu said finishing her jack and coke. "Yum!"
"What pictures?" Sakura wondered, looking at Tomoyo behind the camera.
She shrugged innocently as a response.
She never got her answer as Li appeared with a tray of drinks and handed them out.
Sakura accepted her Midori Sour with a smile when he sat next to her. "Are you excited?" She half squealed.
He smiled and knocked his shoulder into hers. "Probably as excited as you," He teased. "I bought the album we listened to." His face turned serious. "I'm sorry I haven't been a good friend. I don't have a lot of practice."
"I'm just glad you made it," She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed.
He chuckled and let Sakura hug him. He was never one for affection but she wasn't mad at him. He thought he had ruined everything. He noticed the video camera trained on them and stiffened causing Sakura to pull away. "Why are you taping us?" He asked suspiciously, a glare settling on his face.
"That's just Tomoyo," Sakura assured him, patting his hand.
"Sakura," A girl called while running over to the table. She was holding another girl's hand and both were smiling widely. "Let's go dance!"
"It's the song we won nationals to last year!" The other girl said before gesturing for the girls to follow. "C'mon!"
The three girls got up hesitantly before joining them on the dance floor. Before Li knew what was happening they all broke out in dance.
"Sakura's been a cheerleader her whole life," Tomoyo told him, her camera trained on them. The moves were getting increasingly complex but they took it in stride.
"Really?" He wondered aloud, watching Sakura dance on the floor. Her hair was bouncing and she was laughing, looking like she was having the time of her life. He had never seen something so alive. He wanted to be a part of it with her. "She seems too nice."
The two remaining girls laughed.
"Sakura is unlike any other cheerleader," Tomoyo commented. "The whole squad worships her or else Naoko and Chiharu wouldn't have been able to even try out. No matter how amazing and better than most of the other girls they are. They just 'don't have the right personality'." She said using air quotes with the one hand not attached to video camera while rolling her eyes.
"It's not just the cheerleaders, the whole school worships her," Rika said quietly, a small smile on her face.
Even though his eyes never left Sakura's dancing form, he was listening very carefully to their conversation. He was desperate to learn anything about the girl who he couldn't stop thinking about.
"It really bothers her," Tomoyo finished for her. "She's just too nice to say anything."
"So that guy…" Li let his voice trail off for a second. "He's not her boyfriend or anything?"
"No," Rika sputtered.
Tomoyo laughed, whether it was at his thinly veiled attempt to see if her friend was single or as if Sakura would ever date Westely she was unsure."One of her many admirers that get too persistent, Sakura never dates them."
"Oh?" He echoed, his voice sounding flat to his own ears as he realized he had no chance. He should have known a girl like that would never go for someone as stiff and alone as him. "Why is that?"
"She's never had a reason good enough," Tomoyo winked behind the camera, it now trained on him.
His head whipped back to the dance floor, trying to control the blush that threatened to take over. "That's a beautiful dress. You're an amazing designer."
The dress was tight and fit her form to a t. It had a lace pattern stretched over a raven material. It had two pockets and a stripe around the bottom in the raven material where the lace became sheer. It had a sixties round collar and no sleeves. She wore raven booties and a matching headband.
Li wondered if it was normal to feel like he had just been punched in the stomach every times his eyes landed on her.
"It's easy when the model is Sakura. She looks good in everything," Tomoyo said modestly.
Before Li could agree, she was back at the table. She plopped down in her empty seat, a thin layer of sweat coving her skin and making her glisten. She picked up her long hair and began fanning herself.
"You were amazing," Li said quietly, leaning into her.
His cool peppermint breath washed over her skin, and she had tried to ignore the goosebumps as they appeared. "I should go get a drink," She announced loudly, dropping her hair.
"I'll get it," He jumped up. "Anybody else need a refill?" He asked over Sakura's protests.
"He's spending too much money," Sakura complained, looking at her traitorous friends.
"I'm sure he can handle it," Chiharu joked, and everyone but Sakura started laughing.
"I don't get it," Sakura complained but quieted when he returned and passed everyone's drink out.
The band got on the stage minutes later and all conversation ceased because of the sheer volume. Li bobbed his head to music and sipped slowly on his drink. He did not want anything to muddle the best night he had ever had. He wanted to remember everything.
When the opening chords to the song they heard on the bench played, Li froze. "Dance with me," He whispered in her hair. He held his breath until he saw her hesitant nod. He stood up and held a hand out which her small one slipped into. Determined to capture this moment, he bit his lip and embraced the tingles which were threatening to make him light headed.
Tomoyo, the omnipresent, had already trained the video camera on them at this point. She giggled at the sight of them whirling around the table. It was too crowded to dance and move properly in any spot except around the tables. They were doing some kind of waltz that she believed was only appropriate at the galas he attends. But he had sped it up to the music, and they were laughing. Well, Sakura was giggling and Li had the biggest smile on his face that she had ever seen.
He twirled her and she accidently hit Rika causing the whole table to start laughing. Li apologized profusely but Rika and Sakura couldn't stop their laughter enough to dissuade him. When Sakura realized he was really upset, she hugged his waist and told him that was the most fun she had while dancing.
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, "Really?"
"Yes," She pulled away with a brilliant smile before leading them back to their seats.
It wasn't long before the girls needed refills and Li was more than happy to comply. He ignored Sakura's offer to pay and fought the thronging crowds to reach the bar. He told her that it was the perfect time as the band was taking a short 'intermission.'
"Sakura," Emiko appeared again, still holding Susumu's hand. "You and Li are just friends right?"
"Right," Sakura agreed, not sure where this was going.
"So you wouldn't mind if I went and talked to him?" She asked sweetly, ignoring the glares of every other girl sitting at the table.
Sakura smiled and gestured for her to go ahead. "What?" She asked when she felt the weight of everyone's look.
"Why did you tell her that was okay?" Tomoyo said bluntly. Her eyes were on Emiko approaching Li at the bar.
"It is," Sakura told them. "We are just friends."
"You don't look at him like just a friend," Chiharu commented. "And as your friends, we would know."
"You like him," Tomoyo agreed.
"Of course I do but only platonically. You know how I feel about relationships."
"That they're horrible and that they ruin everything?" Naoko asked, smiling.
Rika snorted, "You know for how in love your parents were you're pretty bitter about love."
"Not bitter," Sakura corrected with a grin, not taking offence. They had this conversation way too often for her to be upset. "Just realistic."
The conversation stopped when Li returned followed by Emiko and Susumu. It looked like Li had put them to good work as both were carrying drinks. He thanked them for their help as the girls at the table received the drinks with fake smiles, all except Sakura. He sat down without another word and the two girls gaped at his obvious dismissal. Li handed Sakura her drink and sent her a small smile before sipping his soda. He didn't turn around again.
"You really do not need to walk us," Sakura told him as their group exited the bar.
He didn't listen and waited off to the side as the girls hugged each other goodbye.
"Seriously unnecessary," She reiterated as he trailed after her and Tomoyo. Sakura slowed down to let him catch up with them even as she protested.
"Hey," A man stumbled toward them from the same bar. "It's Li Syaoran!" He yelled, clearly inebriated, while pointing.
Li frowned at the man even though the girls giggled. "Let's just ignore him," Li placed a light hand on her back to propel her to continue moving forward.
"How does he know your name?" Sakura asked him as she allowed herself to be led.
"Is that a video camera?" The stranger yelled again but this time pointing at Tomoyo.
Li's head jerked up as he realized that she was recording them and panic began to set in.
"I'll pay you five hundred for the tape of him," The strange man continued, still following them.
"Walk faster and ignore him," Li instructed, quickening his pace.
"One thousand!" He yelled desperately. "Just give it to me!"
"Go to the car," Li decided, pushing them forward. "I'll deal with this."
"No," Sakura planted her feet and grabbed his hand desperately. "He could be dangerous. Let's just go together and call the police."
Tomoyo giggled behind the lens at the dramatic scene and zoomed in. Normally, there was no way that she would give a tape up. This one was far more exciting and juicy than any other so she would rather die than part with it. The tape of her best friend falling in love was priceless!
Li finally disentangled himself before deciding to rush to the strange man. Sakura called his name but he ignored her.
The man was surprised and began backing up, his arms raised in an attempt to protect him. "Hey man, it was just a joke."
"A joke," He repeated in a growl, grabbing the man by his shirt. "You say what you want about me but leave the ladies alone."
"Sorry," He explained. "I just wanted to make a little money."
Li released his shirt before striding back to the Sakura and Tomoyo standing by the car. "I told you it was a good idea to walk you guys to your car," He told Sakura once he reached them.
She responded with a laugh before throwing her arms him and telling him how worried she was. He squeezed her and told her everything was okay.
SO its been like 65 years! I am not worthy! Seriously though many apologies, but its finals time and I shouldn't even be posting this…Ah well! My update should be sooner than last time cause school ends in two weeks..leave a note and you might convince me to do it even earlier!
I love your comments, keep them coming please:
SakuraLover, Ree-Vance, Dija-chan, GrossGirl18, purplemoon, EchizenRyoma, jdcocoagirl, raina, Thunderous-Ice-Storm, Saki-Hime, LunaxXmoongoddessXx, avanthika, TheMaskedGirl, Liley, kaela, B.A.K11,mai, Riley S and di.