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.

Chapter 10

"I am not to speak to you,

I am to think of you when I sit alone or wake at night alone.

I am to wait,

I do not doubt I am to meet you again.

I am to see to it that I do not lose you."

~Walt Whitman, "To a Stranger"

"I'm talking to you
But you're not listening
I don't know what to do
My heart is blistering
Writing this song
Tell me I'm not wrong

I close up my mouth
When you're around now
Suffocating in doubt
I can't make a sound
In your sundrenched world "

~ Joshua Radin, "Sun-Drenched World"

"So when's Li coming home?" Tomoyo asked Sakura when they were doing homework in the living room.

It was a tradition that started in elementary school that they would get together and do their homework. At first, it was because they had the same classes but it grew. It did not matter if they weren't in the same group or even in the same class. They liked to ask each other for help or get another's perspective if the other couldn't contribute.

"Very soon," Sakura glanced at her phone in habit. He had text her that he had a client dinner and would call afterwards.

"He didn't tell you the date," Tomoyo questioned curiously.

"No," Sakura pouted. "He said it should be a surprise."

Tomoyo tutted. "It's not nice to keep things from friends. Especially friends who would like to know that her best friend is throwing a costume party and hasn't even brought it up yet."

Sakura groaned and put her notebook on the floor. "How did you find out?"

"Please like that gossipy cheerleader didn't tell everyone! You shouldn't be surprised," Tomoyo admonished.

"That's true," Sakura laughed at Tomoyo's expecting expression. "So what do you have in mind?"

"I'm so glad you asked," Tomoyo pulled out a sketch pad from nowhere and began narrating her drawing.

"Where do you get this stuff?" Sakura asked in wonderment.

"I got the idea from that movie I watched that you refused to watch with me," Tomoyo said haughtily but ruined it with a smile.

"I like it but doesn't it seem like a little much?" Sakura wondered.

Tomoyo looked offended. "When is anything I do ever too much?"

They were both silent before dissolving into giggles. Sakura lay on the floor and stared at the ceiling, her homework completely forgotten.

"Why do you think he doesn't want me to know when he's coming back?"

She tried to disguise the hurt but it was clear as day to Tomoyo.

"I don't know," She replied honestly. "Maybe he wants to surprise you."

"Or maybe he doesn't want to see me again," Sakura shot back.

Before Tomoyo could argue and tell her that she was being silly, Sakura's phone rang. With an obvious happiness, Sakura grabbed it and ran into her room. Tomoyo was caught off guard by abrupt departure but took the solace in stride. She smiled as an idea dawned on her.

He picked up after a few rings. "To what do I owe this pleasure Daidouji?"

"Hiiragizawa?" She asked with a laugh, used to his charms. "I was wondering if you could help me solve a mystery."

"This feels wrong," Sakura commented for the fifth time. "If he wanted me there he would've told me."

"Do you think his own cousin would tell us if Li did not want you to know?"

Sakura wasn't sure that this was a good question as Hiiragizawa was a mischievous cousin.

Without waiting for a reply, Tomoyo continued. "We have to hurry because his plane lands soon and there's no point in the surprise if we're not there when he walks out of the terminal."

Sakura agreed and let herself be pushed out the door.

Once they were inside the taxi, the nerves began to creep up on her. She repeatedly wondered if this was the right thing to do after treating him so horribly. She should respect his privacy and his life, even if he no longer wanted her to be a part of it.

"What's wrong," Tomoyo questioned with a sigh. She thought this would make her best friend happy but now she just looked sad.

"Nothing," Sakura lied, willing her hands to stop their shaking.

"Sakura."

"I think I'm getting sick," Sakura blurted.

"Sick?" Tomoyo repeated dully, not quite believing her.

"I mean my hearts been racing lately and I'm sweaty. I have trouble sleeping and I'm not eating much," Sakura blabbed.

"You feel like this all the time?"

"No," Sakura admitted. "Only sometimes."

"Only when?" Tomoyo asked but she knew the answer. This time she was not going to push her friend into realizing her feelings. She had to come to that on her own.

"I don't know," Sakura replied frustrated. "It's probably just the weather."

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Tomoyo wanted to ask her how her test went earlier that day but Sakura looked like she was in deep thought. She wouldn't interrupt her just in case she stumbled onto something big.

"Are you excited?" Tomoyo asked as they exited the cab.

"Yeah," She agreed breathlessly. She straightened her green cardigan and pulled at her satin button up. "How do I look?"

"Amazing," Tomoyo grabbed her friend and started dragging her to the terminal.

Sakura ran her fingers through her hair. "Are you sure?"

Tomoyo opened her mouth to reply when she heard the announcement that Li's plane had landed. She groaned and quickened their pace. They could still make it in time if they hurried.

"Daidouji!" A familiar voice called and they turned to see Hiiragizawa standing with a woman. She was older but still quite beautiful. The pair made their way over to them.

He opened his mouth to start the introduction when people starting exiting. Sakura unable to grasp anything beyond that she was about to see Syaoran for the first time in ten weeks turned in anticipation. She practically bounced in place waiting for a glimpse of him. She was finally rewarded with an obstructed view as he walked into the busy terminal.

Unable to contain her excitement, Sakura darted forward without a word to her friends and the mysterious woman.

Reaching Syaoran was harder than she thought and so she began weaving through the moving people.

Syaoran had to blink a couple of times before realizing that the bouncing head of hair was indeed Sakura. Instead of questioning her appearance, he acted on instinct and rushed forward.

It had been ten weeks since he had seen her face. Ten long weeks in which he had to attend monotonous board meetings and make chatter with presidents of companies. Ten weeks of pretending he cared about anything anybody said when all he wanted to do was be by this beautiful girl's side.

The distance had seemed impossible when she started ignoring him.

Their interactions, as brief as they may be, revived him through the beginning of his trip. He didn't care about the roaming charges and he secretly was paying part of Sakura's bill as well. Being a billionaire did have its perks.

When she stopped responding, he stopped attending meetings, parties, and any other social trivial thing.

He didn't leave his hotel room for days at a time.

His employees went in his place and made his apologies as sulked in his hotel room. He cursed his feelings for a girl who could sever ties with him so easily.

He wished he could cut her out of his life too.

But she was the only thing who made his life alive. Without her, his world was muted and stale.

He wasn't living; he was surviving.

To say that she had hurt him was an understatement.

Sakura took his heart and ripped it to shreds without even realizing it.

So when she called and apologized and began crying, he knew there was no way that he would not forgive her.

She was his everything.

But now he was smart, he taped his heart back up and hid it from her.

Then she sent him flowers and he feared he had not hid it well enough.

When they were close enough, she threw herself at him.

Syaoran was shocked but he caught her anyways and twirled her around. When he finally set her down, he noticed how she clung to him. This was new but not entirely unwelcome. Her sweet scent surrounded him and he buried his head in her hair. She smelled like perfection.

"I've missed you so much," Sakura mumbled into his chest.

He didn't respond but gripped her tighter; his head still buried in her neck. He was about to take a deep breath to get one last taste before removing himself enough to see her mesmerizing eyes when she was wrenched from his arms. He was left grasping at the air like an idiot when his face drained.

Sakura gave Tomoyo a weird look. "What was that for?"

"Mother?" Syaoran gaped at the presence that was in his view now that he wasn't connected to Sakura. In his shock he was rude, "What are you doing here?"

She watched her son with narrowed eyes. Her dark hair was pulled back and her lips pursed and red. "My son has been on a trip for ten weeks and he is surprised I am welcoming him back."

She was beautiful and Sakura was about to vomit on her pretty shoes. She had thrown herself on Syaoran in front of his mom? This was probably the worst first impression ever. She wondered if she could sneak away and die of embarrassment in solitude.

Tomoyo's grip and warning look was enough to tell her that she wasn't getting away.

Her eyes slide over to Sakura, who turned bright red. "I guess my importance has been usurped."

This seemed to knock some sense into Syaoran. "Mother this is my uh-I mean this"

Sakura stepped forward at his stumbling. "I'm Sakura Kinomoto, it's a pleasure."

"You and my son seem very close." She commented much to Syaoran's displeasure.

Sakura did not know if she should respond so she didn't.

Tomoyo, always a gem in awkward situations, took control. "I'm Tomoyo Daidouji and I'm also a friend of your son's."

"I had no idea my son was so popular," She replied stiffly.

"How could he not be?" Sakura teased, poking Syaoran in the side.

He squirmed away from her, blushing.

"Let's take this somewhere private," Hiiragizawa offered, speaking for the first time. He had been watching with interest at the whole interaction. He was hoping, inviting both Kinomoto and Yelan, that they would meet before Syaoran got off the plane. His plan was ruined when Kinomoto darted to meet him. Now they were starting to attract attention and soon they would realize who Syaoran is. "Wei is outside with the car."

"Why is he outside?" Sakura whispered to Syaoran as he led her outside, his hand on the small of her back.

Syaoran shrugged, more focused on her than listening.

"I am so sorry," Sakura told him when she was sure no one could hear. She tried to blink away the tears. "This is why you didn't want me here."

"What are you talking about?" He asked when her words caught up to him.

"This is why you wouldn't tell me when you came back." Sakura shielded her face with her hair as they walked. "You didn't want me to meet your mom."

"That's not it," He protested.

Sakura continued walking as if she didn't hear him. Frustrated, he grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him.

"The real reason I did not want you to know is because I wanted to surprise you," He told her.

Sakura tried to smile but it was obvious she didn't believe him.

"The first time I saw you I did not want to be wearing jeans and a hat," He admitted, avoiding her eyes.

Sakura smiled brightly, convinced by his shyness.

"I think you look handsome in anything," Sakura confessed before running to catch up to the others who were already waiting in the limousine (limousine!).

Syaoran's cheeks warmed and he rushed after her.

Sakura sat in the back of the car and fidgeted.

It was just her and Syaoran now that Wei had dropped everyone off. She wondered if she should slide down away from him but she missed him and liked the feeling of their legs touching.

That was normal, right?

"Sakura," He began.

Sakura tore her eyes away from the window to look at man sitting next to her.

"I have been waiting until I got back to tell you-" His voice dropped off and he turned away from her.

"To tell me what?" Sakura prompted when she was sure that he was not going to continue.

"Sakura," He repeated, looking back at her and into her eyes.

Her heart started beating so fast she was sure she would have a heart attack before he told her.

Then he kissed her.

Sakura froze.

He melded his lips against hers, moving with a roughness that surprised Sakura. His hand caressed her face and Sakura thought that maybe she should respond but her body would not let her.

Finally, Syaoran pulled back. He saw her shocked look and his face crumpled. "I'm sorry I should not-"

Before he could finish the sentence, Sakura pounced on him.

She kissed him a ferocity she had never felt before. She had stopped thinking and just concentrated on feeling.

And what a feeling it was.

Lips against lips and her body pressed against his as she straddled him.

It felt good, so good. And right.

She wondered why she had never tried this before. The hands she had seen and admired so many times crawled up her thigh with a maddening pace. She wanted to not only beg him to put her out of her misery but to never stop.

She awoke with a start.

Her breathing was quick as she sat up in her darkened room. The clock on her nightstand said 4:15.

And she screamed.

She continued screaming as she ran into Tomoyo's room and fell down on the bed, hoping to suffocate herself.

Tomoyo, who had just been woken up, started freaking out. "What's going on? Are you okay Sakura? Is someone hurt?"

"No," Sakura was still laying face down, her voice muffled. "It's worse."

Tomoyo rolled her onto her side. "Seriously, what is going on?"

"I had a dream," Sakura started hesitantly, looking at the ceiling.

Tomoyo let out a big sigh of relief, "Was it scary?"

"Very," Sakura breathed but refused to elaborate

"What happened?" Tomoyo asked and lay next to her friend. Maybe she would feel less self conscious if she didn't stare at her.

"Me and Syaoran," She started.

"Yes?" Tomoyo prompted, trying to hide her excitement,

Sakura covered her face up. "We did things, lover things."

"So?"

"So," Sakura screeched, sitting up. "This is insane. It's Syaoran. I mean he's like an old man compared to me."

"Seven years?" Tomoyo scoffed. "It's not like your 15, you're 21 years old. It's normal."

Sakura hesitated, "He is very good looking."

"Completely gorgeous," Tomoyo agreed, trying not to smile.

"Seven years might not be a long time to me but he seems so much older," Sakura admitted, horrified. "He's an adult and he probably thinks of me as a kid."

"I wouldn't say you were a kid," Tomoyo teased.

"What do you think this means?" Sakura wondered.

"I think this means you're attracted to him."

"Oh no," Sakura complained, hiding her face once again. "I was afraid of that. I hate having hormones."

"So," Tomoyo started after a few minutes of silence. "How was he?"

Sakura laughed, "Mind-blowing good. It was like nothing I've ever felt before."

"Just imagine the real thing."

Sakura pushed Tomoyo but her red face showed she was imagining it.

THE LINES WHERE THE DREAM STARTS-I originally did not include the line but it caused too much confusion lol

Sakura is on her way! Now she has realized she's attracted to him ooh first step!

I don't think it's going to be more explicit than that vagueness but there will be a greater emphasis placed on physical attraction.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I hope everyone is safe and has sooooo much fun. I know i did lol!

I wish I could have fit the costume party for halloween but it would have been rushed. That's next chapter!

Alleycat