A/N: To my lovely, encouraging reviewers, I dedicate this chappie to you. Thank-you so much for your enduring patience. Now, enjoy. ;]

Disclaimer: The usual…me no own…

Today had officially been her last day as a high school senior.

The graduation ceremony had been held earlier, that lovely, spring morning; one filled with speeches, picture-taking, and hugs.

Of course a certain brother of hers had been there as well, but she was able to avoid him, thanks to the many classmates that kept coming up to take pictures with her and bidding their farewells.

In fact, since yesterday morning's "incident," Sakura had done a pretty successful job of avoiding her him. Unnerved, albeit ashamed, by her previous encounters with him; she had thought it best if she stayed away from him until after the graduation ceremony.

So it was only natural that she agreed without hesitation to sleep over the previous night when Tomo-chan had extended the invitation, packing when Touya hadn't been home and leaving him a note, telling him that she was sleeping over.

_______________________

"Sakura-chan, you look beauuutiful!" The gray-haired girl complimented, inspecting her latest design on the now retired card captor.

Awakened from her thoughts, said girl looked at herself in the full length mirror.

The color of the dress was a sweet, solid pink, like the flower she was named after. The satin, off-the-shoulder dress was form fitting but not too tight; accentuating her curves as it gracefully flowed down past her ankles, covering the black, strapless heels she was wearing.

"I…don't know, Tomo-chan," she replied, a look of uncertainty in her deep green eyes as Sakura looked at her friend. She never thought her tom-boyish figure was ever really suited for dresses, compared Tomoyo's thin figure, which seemed so much more elegant and beautiful in her gray, lacy dress.

"What do you mean you don't know? This dress is just right for you and the color of it just complements your eyes perfectly!" The designer inspected.

"Don't you feel that it…shows a lot of skin?" Sakura asked, pointing to the low v-neck of her dress and her exposed shoulders.

She was used to wearing her best friend's different outfits over the years, but it had always been for her card hunts, never for purposes like a school dance. She nervously played with some loose hair strands that had managed to escape the hairpins holding her hair into an elegant bun.

"Nonsense, stop thinking so much Saku-chan. Now put on your mask and let's get going or we're going to be late. We wouldn't want to miss our senior dance" Tomoyo encouraged, urging her friend to get her things together as they left Sakura's bedroom and walked briskly downstairs.

"Wait, let me just write a note for my dad and Touya real quick," Sakura said, as the two entered the kitchen.

Her dad had gone out on a dinner with a few colleagues and Touya was nowhere to be found, so as not to worry the two when they returned, she hastily wrote down a note for them and rushed out the back door.

The large cafeteria that was usually filled with long, white tables had turned into a large "ballroom" decked in red and gold, portraying their masquerade theme.

The two teens made their way out onto the dance floor, or rather; the one in pink was being dragged onto the dance floor.

"Come…on, Sakura," the girl in gray grunted, losing some breath at the energy she was using to pull her friend, "Stop..being..such a …party pooper…it'll be…fun," she finished, giving a victorious squeal when Sakura had slipped on the hem of her dress in the midst of her struggle and let go of the table she was holding onto.

"Tomo-channnn!," she whined, a displeased pout on her face. She was already uncomfortable as it was in this crowded place, being surrounded by so many people.

"You know I don't-"

"Oh, is that Li-kun? Li-kun, over here!" Tomo asked, cutting Sakura off. She took off her mask and waved at the masked figure dressed in black and white.

"No…you wouldn't…" Sakura said in horror when she saw that all too familiar look in her friend's eyes.

Lately, Sakura had had the feeling that Tomoyo was trying to set her and Li together since the girl had always caused them to "accidently" run into Li whether it be at school or just while they were visiting different shops. Sakura had told her that there was nothing between her and the She didn't think the girl would be this persistent.

"Kinomoto."

Speak of the devil.

"…Hello Li-kun," she greeted back rather hesitantly.

"Li-kun, I'm surprised to see you here. I didn't think you were into dances," Tomoyo teased, as she readjusted the silver mask on her face.

"I don't, Meiling dragged me here," Li stated with irritation.

"Hmm, well…since you're already stuck here, might as well try to enjoy yourself," Tomoyo exclaimed, smiling almost too innocently.

As if on cue, a slow song began playing on the crowded dance floor.

"Oh dear, I almost forgot, I was supposed to go meet up with Chiharu-chan. Excuse me for a moment," the mischievous girl interrupted, winking at Sakura and giving her a rather hard shove towards Li as she ran off the dance floor.

"Tomo-chan, no…aaahh!" She closed her eyes expecting to hit the floor, but instead, found herself being held by Li.

She mumbled an apology and quickly separated from him.

That was it. Best friend or not, Tomo-chan was going to die.

As she was thinking of the many ways to get back at her friend for putting her in such a humiliating situation, she forgot about the boy in front of her until she heard an "ahem."

"Earth to Kinomoto," he said, obviously annoyed that he had been ignored.

"Oh, gomen, Li-kun," she said, nervously twirling the loose hair strands around her fingers.

Though the soft melody of the love song resonated throughout the place, the silence between the two masked figures was growing by the minute.

Things only became awkward when Sakura realized he was watching her play with her hair. Though his face was covered, the pair of brown eyes staring at her held an all too familiar intensity, much like…

No, not right now, Sakura, this is NOT the time! She scolded herself, shocked that she was even comparing the two to begin with. They were as different as day and night.

"Li-kun, I-"

"WouldyouliketodanceKinomoto?"

The words were all jumbled together and spoken quickly so that had she not been paying attention, she would have misheard his question.

"Well, I-"

She meant to tell him "no," that she didn't want to dance, but before it could all escape her mouth, he took her right hand forward and pulled her into a waltz position.

And just like that, she found herself dancing with the boy, no man, which she had always assumed had not liked her.

No words were spoken, simply footsteps dancing to the rhythm of the music.

She thought it best if she remained quiet, lest she say something embarrassing. So all she could do was look. Not really knowing how, she simply let him guide her steps.

Now that she had the chance, she had to admit, the solemn teen looked rather handsome in his black and white tux.

He seemed taller now, more muscular and manlier, nothing like the boy she had first met back in elementary school. The broad shoulder she was holding onto and the strong grip he had on her waist and other hand proved that.

So many questions were running through her mind.

Since when did Li-kun know how to dance? But more importantly, why was he dancing with her? She always thought he hated her with his stern looks and cold voice.

Why had he stared at her earlier with that intensity? The same intensity that she had seen in another pair of brown eyes…

So many thoughts, so many questions. She was thinking a million things a minute that she felt like passing out. It didn't help that she had been deprived of sleep and food either since the graduation ceremony and volunteering with the dance decorations had kept her running around all day.

The glittery mask on her face seemed suffocating all of a sudden, making it hard for her to breathe. She felt a bit dizzy and slightly tripped, which only caused Li to tighten his grip on her waist.

"Kinomoto, you alright?"

Surprised eyes widened behind her mask. Even his voice sounded deeper than it had once been. How had she failed to notice all these things before?

Instead of feeling happy or excited even, her new awareness of him seemed to only make her more uncomfortable and self conscious.

No, I'm NOT okay. I need time to think. I need to get away from you!

"I'm okay," was what she said instead.

With the chaotic state of mind she was in and her inability to dance the waltz, she clumsily tripped once more on the hem of her dress and fell backward.

Her loathing for dresses had now gone up several levels.

Her vision turned towards the ceiling as she tilted backwards before looking up into a black masked face.

His brown eyes seemed to be smirking at her as he held onto her arms.

"Are you alright..miss?" he inquired politely.

Ashamed of her clumsiness, she quickly got back up and turned towards her unknown savior, giving him an apologetic bow.

"I'm sorry for the trouble, I'm alright now…"

"Kinomoto, are you alright?" Li said, a hint of concern in his voice,

" ahem…I mean, if you're not careful, your clumsiness is going to get you hurt. Geeze, you couldn't even hold it together on a simple thing as the waltz."

Ah, now that was the Li-kun she knew and loved.

For a second, she forgot about her mysterious savior as the insult sparked her anger.

"For your information, I am NOT clumsy, you rude person!!"

"I'm not rude, it's called being honest, you klutz!"

Growling angrily, she raised her hand, intending to give him a good smack on the arm when she felt a greater strength hold her back.

Looking for the source of the force, she looked at her arm to see the stranger's hand on her.

"May I steal her away from you for a dance?" The taller man asked, pulling her towards him and away from Li.

The two teens had been so busy bickering that they had forgotten about the third person in their little circle.

Before either could respond, Sakura was pulled away from the crowd and out of sight. The last thing she saw was Li's shocked un-masked face as he called out from her. Then, everything blurred into one.

___________________________________

Clicks and taps echoed through the staircase as two figures climbed up into the night. The soft melody of the waltz now sounded like a far away lullaby as they went further and further away from the cafeteria.

"Wait!" The brown-haired beauty yelled, but he did not stop.

"I said…WAIT!!" She yelled again, using all her might to pull her arm out of his grasp, the force of it causing her to slam against the cold, hard wall.

"Ah!" She cringed slightly in pain, but before she could further express her discomfort, firm lips crashed onto hers.

Emerald eyes widened in horror behind the mask as she frantically struggled, thrashing at him violently in hopes of thwarting off her attacker.

In the blink of an eye, he sandwiched her body against the wall, holding both fragile wrists in one hand, while holding her pale face in another.

She tried to scream for help, but his lips were still on her, keeping her silent.

"Shhh, squirt, it's me," the stranger finally spoke, taking lifting his mask to reveal his identity.

She stilled at once, recognition seeping into her confused mind.

"Tou..Touya? What are you doing here?" She asked.

He smiled mischievously.

"How could you scare me like that?!" her question echoing through the stairway.

The adrenaline running through her and her rapid heart beating were proof of his little stunt.

"I came to see my favorite Saku-chan of course," he teased, "besides, you deserved it for just leaving like that and not even bothering to tell me in person where you were going. And then you go off and dance with that kid,"

His voice strained slightly when he mentioned Li so that Sakura thought she felt a sense of possessiveness behind his words.

How was she to explain about Li to her brother? She herself wasn't sure anymore. Ever since her little revelation, she was just plain confused about Li. This new awareness that he was no longer the little boy she knew made her feel uncomfortable…wary of him. She didn't like him, knowing that he hadn't provoked her emotions the way Touya did, but trying to explain to him about Li would just make him misunderstand things.

"Look, I-"

Footsteps and laughter from below startled both of the figures in the shadows as they became more alert of where they were.

"Quiet it down squirt, someone might hear us," he whispered to her, his lips a mere distance from her ear.

The alluring, musky smell of his cologne filled her lungs as she inhaled deeply, his lean form towering over hers. The warmth of his breath tickled her ear and made her heart beat that much faster. Her senses were overwhelmed by him, reminding her of a similar position they had been in that first night.

The black tux suited him well, giving him a tall, elegant image. The teasing smirk on his sexy face and the mischievous look in his brown eyes was making it very hard for her to think or focus on anything else.

Breathing was becoming a difficult task for the auburn-haired teen.

"Oi, you okay?" A concerned voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"I-I'm okay," she replied, trying to even out her short, shallow breaths. Thankfully, she still had her mask on so he couldn't see her blushing face.

"Really?" he asked, his face inching closer to hers again before he slid her mask up, revealing pink, flustered cheeks.

She made a startled sound and looked into deep, brown orbs, filled with a foreign intensity that she had seen earlier in Li's eyes.

Calloused fingers softly touched her cheek, causing her to give a small gasp as heat spread to her face.

"You don't sound okay to me, Saku-chan." His lips brushed her cheek as the control on her breathing relapsed into rugged pants.

He's too close. Push him away.

She moved slightly, which only encouraged him to tighten his hold on her wrists.

"Ni-chan…" She pleaded softly, though for what, she wasn't sure.

"Can you please-"

"Can I what, Sakura?" He cut in, pushing himself fully against her.

She bit back a moan as she felt his body align with hers, not wanting to encourage his actions any further.

"Can I please kiss you?" He leaned down and took her mouth with his. Her surprised gasp allowed him to slip his tongue in, caressing the roof of her mouth and then sucking on her bottom lip.

He smirked when she let out a wanton moan.

She let out a needy, almost desperate groan when he broke the kiss.

"What was that, Saku-chan? I didn't really understand you," he said, still smirking.

Arrogant bastard.

"I…I…was just…saying…" Talking was becoming another challenge, especially when she was watching the older boy kiss her pale arm down to her palm.

Stay focused, give him a piece of your mind!!

"I…I think y-you should ughnn.." The older boy had taken her by surprise, taking her index finger into his warm mouth. He licked the soft pad of her finger, sucking it slightly as he gave her a heated look, letting her know exactly what he wanted.

Her resolve was crumbling again, like it always did whenever he was like that, like it always did when the coils of desire began spreading inside her.

"Touya…please…not here…"

They were in the stairway, completely open and vulnerable, where anyone could catch them with just a few steps up the stairs.

And yet…she never felt more aroused.

"Why, Saku-chan? Is it because you're afraid we'll get caught? Or is it because you know that you actually like this?" He stated, reading her mind with such ease that it scared her.

"No…NO! What…are you talking about?" She struggled to move her arms, but he held her two wrists tightly over her head.

"Isn't it, Saku-chan? You like this. I could feel it the night we were in your room. And even now, I can feel it, see it, hear it, smell it,"

"Stop…"

Before I lose my control. Before I give in.

He stared at her, eyes filled with lust, burying his face into the crook of her neck and drawing a deep breath as he spoke those last words.

"Can you feel it, the adrenaline running through your veins? The thought of getting caught excites you."

It was less of a question and more of a statement, each word further chipping away her conscience, each word further chipping away her restraint.

His free hand trailed its way down her body, stopping at her hips and pushing her up against him in a sharp thrust.

Sharp tingles sparked in her lower legs and the younger one bit down on his shoulder to muffle a loud moan as she felt a shock of pleasure in her lower regions.

Face flushed, eyes glossed over with desire, the card captor made no more attempt to fight back now, panting harshly as she look at the satisfied look on her brother's handsome face.

"Sakura-chan, where are you?!!" "Kinomoto, where are you hiding?"

At the sound of the two voices, the two figures stilled immediately, blending in with the darkness.

___________________

"Goodness, Li-kun, I leave you one minute with Sakura-chan and you lose her to some stranger," Tomoyo exclaimed, searching through the lower empty hallways for her friend.

"I told you, I did not lose Kinomoto," an irritated Li responded, "She was the one that decided to go off and dance with some other guy, I don't know."

Tomoyo couldn't help but smile a little at the hint of jealousy she heard in his voice.

"Well, I'm sure they couldn't have gotten very far," she said, trying to soothe his worry and hers, "let's look around some more."

Sakura's pink covered chest moved up and down rapidly as she tried her best to quiet her pants, though her efforts were pointless with the way she rubbed against his chest every time she did so.

"Sakura…" With her rubbing against him so tortuously, he was tempted to take her right then and there while her little friends below were none the wiser.

A light exotic smell of citrus and fruits emanated from her skin, beckoning him to taste her, so he did. He heard a strangled moan as he laid an open kiss on her shoulder, sucking it hard as he thrust lightly against her to relieve some of the tension

"SAKURA-CHAN, where are you!"

_______________

Shit.

With her in such a needy and wanton state and the fact that they could be discovered at any moment was too much for him right now. His length hardened, his pants tightening to the point of painful as they blindly thrust against each other.

"Fuck Sakura." All the tension from the past few days was putting his desire into overdrive. He couldn't stop now even if he wanted too.

"Mmmnhh..unhh…ni-chan.." She whimpered in such a manner that she would cringe at how pathetic she acted when she later reflected on her actions.

More, please.

Her vision was blurring out of focus. It was so hot, the heat was overwhelming her. She hid her face in his neck, taking in small breaths as she heard her name echoing downstairs.

She would never admit to him that she was turned on to no end at the predicament they were in.

He was right, as always.

The silent, deadly thrusts. She arched against him, trying to meet him thrust for thrust.

The feel of his hard, cloth-covered length creating a delicious friction between her legs.

The marks he was making on her neck and shoulder, each possessive lick and suck leaving her more breathless than before.

______________________

Li stood still for a moment, looking in the direction of the staircase.

"What is it, Li-kun?" A curious Tomoyo asked.

"No-nothing…I thought I heard something from upstairs," he said, unsure of himself. He could have sworn he heard an almost moan-like sound.

"Upstairs? But there are only classrooms upstairs; there'd be no reason for Sakura-chan or anyone to be up there at this time of night. All the doors are locked anyways. Maybe your mind was playing tricks on you, Li-kun. We should go back to the dance. Maybe she came back."

She pulled his arm towards the direction of the party, pulling an unsure Li away.

"Yeah, maybe…" He allowed himself to be pulled, taking one last look at the stairs before turning away.

Just a few steps above, a couple stood against the wall, too engrossed in each other to notice or care about anything else.

______________________

After a few more minutes of silence, the older student drew back from his sister, bringing up a hand to brush away some of the hair sticking to her face.

"I think they're gone," He whispered to her.

Letting out a breath that she had not realized she had been holding in, Sakura started gasping for air.

With the lack of oxygen and heat, along with his earlier ministrations on her, Sakura began feeling dizzy, her knees trembling slightly before she slid to the ground, bringing a surprised Touya with her.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Strong hands held onto her bare shoulders.

"Touya…don't…feel good.." She managed to say, before closing her eyes.

She made a content noise when she felt something cool on her forehead.

He sighed. "Oi, squirt, you have a fever. Come on, I'm taking you home."

Too tired to argue, she simply nodded as he picked her sweaty form up bridal-style.

"So Miss Student Council President, know another way out of here? As much as I'd like to show you off, I'd rather avoid dealing with your little friends, especially that Li brat," he spoke, not bothering to hide his dislike for the younger boy.

"Back door, there's a back door," she murmured sleepily, head lolling against his chest.

Stealthily making his way downstairs and away from the crowd, he had not stepped a foot out of the school before he heard soft, even breathing and looked down to see the pretty teen fast asleep.

"Sweet dreams, princess. We'll continue this later." He smirked as he took her to his car, the full moon showing him the way.

A/N: Oh my goodness, this was THE longest (11 PAGES!!) chappie and a most painful one for me to write. Critique and feedback is much welcomed/wanted. Lots of reviews = lots of inspiration/motivaton for future chappiess!!! Hope you enjoyed it because I seriously slaved over this particular one. .