Disclaimer: Blah. The usual

The Bond that Binds us

Chapter One: Club, Booze, and Eyes

"Are you sure this is alright?"

"Yes, yes! I just need you to sing the song with me then it'll all be over," Tomoyo adjusted her sleeves and grinned. "I promise,"

Sakura eyed her. "Why am I having the feeling I'm going to regret this?"

"OHOHOHO!" Her hand to her mouth.

Sakura grumbled and strapped her guitar, adjusting its cords and tunes. Tomoyo giggled, reached for the microphone stands, adjusted its height and gave one to her best friend. Sakura acknowledged, made a face and tested it quietly.

Tomoyo placed a cool hand to her shoulder. "Oh, don't worry, Sakura! You know you have a wonderful voice!"

"Not as wonderful as yours, Tomoyo. Do you remember that?"

"OHOHOHO!"

Sakura made a face. "Did you take your pills?"

Tomoyo's chuckle immediately died. "That's not funny,"

Sakura mocked her laughter, placing her hand to her wide-open mouth and laughed. "OHOHOHO!"

"That's not how I laugh!" Tomoyo playfully slapped Sakura's shoulder, but immediately stopped when the lights outside had died down and the chatter had silenced. "Ah! Get ready!"

Sakura's heart thumped. "You. Owe. Me. Big. Tomoyo!!!" She strained her voice behind gritted teeth, already afraid and feeling like she was going to hurl.

"Hush!"

And the curtains were pulled.

"Why the bloody hell are you bringing me here for again?"

"Oh come on now, buddy! You know you need the time-off, right? From that estranged fiancée of yours-"

"She is not my fiancée, Eriol!" Syaoran growled.

Eriol, as usual, had tricked poor Syaoran into coming with him, saying that they were going to have some beer and play pool in a nearby pub. But when he noticed the bright neon lights flicker the name 'TuneZ' outside and the crowd that filled the club, Syaoran had lost his mood to do anything but to booze and listen to depressing bands singing depressing songs.

They grabbed their stools, sat down, ordered mugs of beer and scanned the heads of people who had sat down on sofas to watch the stage in front of them. Eriol came close to Syaoran.

"I heard it's a girl's night tonight," Eriol paused to drink. "Only girl bands are to sing for double the price,"

"Like I care," Syaoran spat and turned his stool to face the shelves of beer bottles, vodkas, and all other sorts of his favourite booze.

"Oh no, don't even think about it!" Eriol growled and turned Syaoran back to face the stage. "I promised you a good show, didn't I?"

"A show of depressing people singing to their depressed heart's desire! Geez, Eriol, d'you think I'm that depressed?!"

"Oh, Syaoran, lighten up! It's just one night. After this, I will never bring you to this place ever again. And that is a promise," he placed a hand to his chest. "Alright?"

Syaoran eyed him. "Whatever, man," he grabbed his mug and swallowed the yellow liquid.

"Look, it's starting!" Eriol bounded on his stool.

"Yipee…" Syaoran grumbled again and crossed his arms.

The curtains were pulled open and for a moment there, the audience were dead silent, watching the two shadows standing on the stage. Syaoran huffed angrily, turned back and drained his glass. Soon, a soft female voice was heard through the speaker box above and Syaoran drawled at the sound.

"Good show it is," he grumbled again and glanced at Eriol, who somehow had his eyes fixated on them. He rolled his eyes and ordered another beer. Receiving his second mug, he glanced at the stage, realising the second girl playing the guitar. Surprisingly, he kept watch of her; she had auburn hair – or maybe yellow? It was hard to see under those lights – and green eyes… or was it blue? He didn't know, and he didn't care. He just watched, gulped down his beer and burped.

Sakura realised how intense Tomoyo was singing and how good she was strumming her guitar. Tomoyo knew how much Sakura wanted to show-off her talents on the guitar, but not in this manner and in front of people who had known about Tomoyo and her previous band mate. They'd definitely think that Sakura sucked, bad.

But when she felt eyes on her – aside the hundreds of pairs – she glanced to the bar and noticed two men sitting on the stools. One had brown hair while the other behind him had navy blue – or was it purple? Well, no matter, for the one with brown hair was the one that caught her eye, literally, for when he noticed she was looking back at him, he made an angry face and turned back to stare at the shelves of booze. Sakura furrowed her brows and shrugged, returning back to her strumming and singing her part of the song.

Shit. Syaoran cussed in his head. That girl caught him staring! So what? It's not as if she's gonna come and bash you down or something! Get a grip, Syaoran! True as it is, he couldn't help but look at her again. And he did, with a slow turn on his stool.

Right at that moment, when she had finished her part, she looked up from her guitar and looked into a pair of brown eyes. For a moment there she couldn't comprehend why her heart was thumping or why she suddenly felt breathless but one thing's for sure, he looked like he was undressing her with his intense amber eyes.

And for a moment there, she almost felt like screaming…

"Yeah! Woohoo!"

"Encore, encore!"

"Wonderful!"

Sakura blinked and tore her eyes from the pervert to the crowd standing in ovation and applauding with might, whistling and roaring with satisfaction. Tomoyo kept squealing with delight.

"Can you hear that, Sakura? They love us!" Tomoyo turned to her best friend and grabbed her shaking hands. "They love you!"

Sakura stared at her, then to the man who had his back turned to her. "Y-Yeah… I guessed so,"

"Now, wasn't that a show!" Eriol grinned, his eyes kept on the girls.

Syaoran just shrugged, his eyes on a bottle of vodka and how its contents could "kill you". "Can we go now?"

"Oh no, not yet!" Eriol snorted at him as if he had asked a stupid question. "I've gotta ask that girl out, man! She's hot!"

His mind immediately flashed an image of the girl on the guitar, her eyes looking back at him. He furrowed his brows and shook his head from the dirty thought of a stupid, depressed girl. "Whoever she is, she'll destroy you," he grumbled.

"Oh, boo-hoo, poor Syaoran, dissed by his own mother for arranging an unwanted marriage to your cousin. Isn't that sad…" Eriol mocked, grinning widely again. His spectacles gleaming. "Look at it this way, Syaoran. Even if you don't love your cousin and you were going to be married with her whether you want to or not, you still have the chance to play around with other fishes in the sea, right?"

Syaoran glared at Eriol. "I'm not a player like you, Eriol. Do you actually remember who I am?" He lightly knocked his friend's head with a fist.

Eriol glared back. "At least I'm having fun!" He stood up in mock disappointment and held out a hand to someone behind him. "Finally we meet, Tomoyo Daidouji,"

Syaoran rolled his eyes again and drained his beer. He raised two fingers to the bartender for two more. The bartender eyed him, but handed him only one. He growled.

"Y-Yes, I guess we finally do," the girl behind him squeaked. Syaoran guffawed.

"And who might this be…?" Eriol tilted his head to the side, his eyes twinkling.

Syaoran blinked and looked into the mirror behind the shelves. It was a reflection of him, Eriol, the raven-haired girl named Tomoyo… and-

"S-Sakura…" Syaoran heart thumped. "Sakura Kinomoto,"

He swung his head over. "Ah! What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl like you," Eriol grinned, reaching to shake Sakura's hand, and wanting to kiss it. "It's a pleasure,"

But Sakura wasn't frightened about meeting Eriol, or feeling her heart thumping like a war drum, it was because of how close she was with the man who had been undressing her with his eyes. Pervert! And now he's looking at her again, this time with eyes of another sort: anger. What in heaven's name is he angry at her for? He's the one who's been staring at her and thinking dirty thoughts in the first place!

"Oh pardon me, Sakura," Eriol interrupted and pointed to the other man, "this is my buddy-"

Like hell I care… Sakura growled in her head.

"-Syaoran Li,"

Her eyes widened like saucers. "WHAT?!!"

"I AM SO LATE!!!!!"

Sakura hurriedly ran past the crowd, the stench of unhygienic people and stalls, towards the school lobby and into the lift that was about to close.

"Wait!!" She yelled, holding out her hand and managing to storm in before she missed it. Everybody inside stared at her as if she was a lunatic. "What? I was late," she grumbled, punching the button.

When she reached her floor, she ran out, searched for her classroom and stormed in, just before the teacher came in as well. With a huff and a puff, a swipe to her sweaty forehead with a tissue, she smiled as if she had been in class an hour before.

"You alright?" Tomoyo whispered as softly as she can to Sakura's ear.

Sakura leaned back. "I've almost forgotten about the Ethics work so I stayed up," she glanced at her for a moment. "Told you I would regret it,"

"Oh, whatever, Sakura. It's not as if I was the one who shrieked like a banshee yesterday night!"

Sakura gaped and turned her head. "He's the mentor I'm paired up with for my major project! I've never known who he was until Eriol mentioned it!"

"Oh, ya think?" Tomoyo grumbled. "You almost ruined my moment with Eriol!" Tomoyo sighed, "I could've gone out with him if it wasn't for you running out on me!"

"I did not run out! I… I just wanted to go home and deal with my Ethics-"

"Ms Kinomoto and Ms Daidouji!" The professor snapped, "Do you have any questions on why you shouldn't kill unnecessarily, or do you actually think you should?" Tomoyo and Sakura quickly straightened themselves and shook their heads. "Right, since you have been paired up with your mentors for the major project, I'm sure you'd pass this subject with flying colours – not a red mark representing an 'F'!"

The class kept silent.

"Perfect, now…"

"What am I going to do now, Tomoyo? I don't want to work with that pervert!"

"Who's the pervert?"

"Him! T-That… Syaoran Li!"

"Why in the world is he a pervert? He seems nice," Tomoyo grabbed a lock of hair and twirled it dreamily, "but Eriol's nicer-"

"Oh pipe down! If you haven't noticed, since I know you don't, he was staring at me yesterday, at the club, as if he was undressing me and wants me naked or something!" Sakura shuddered. "You know how I hate it when men look at me like that!"

Tomoyo chuckled with delight, setting her books down to the table. "Oh Sakura, how naïve you are! Definitely, he's in to you – and not for the naked sense but for everything else as well!"

"Tomoyo, please! I wouldn't see myself anywhere near holding his hands or saying 'I love you' ever in my life! Not even to a pervert named Syaoran Li-"

"Well then, I guess we can report to your professor and go home with an 'A' mark huh?" A stern male voice spoke above her head.

Sakura blinked, eyed Tomoyo who held her grin behind a hand, glared, and stood up to turn around. "H-Hi… I… I uh… I didn't mean to-"

"Oh sure, you don't but why would I believe you huh? All I ever I want is to look at you and I want you in my bed…" Syaoran grumbled and rolled his eyes. "Pfft,"

"Back at you," Sakura grumbled and crossed her arms.

Tomoyo snorted and Sakura shot another glare.

"Whatever." Syaoran turned about and walked.

"Huh," Sakura sat back down and let out a relieved sigh, "I guess that's over with-"

"KINOMOTO! ARE YOU COMING OR NOT?!"

"Eek! Y-Yes!" Sakura squeaked, hurriedly collected her books and joined Syaoran. "I'll call you, Tomoyo!" She waved helplessly to her friend.

"I'm looking forward to it!" Tomoyo giggled. And then, a heartbeat later, she looked around the canteen, dug into her bag for her cell-phone and speed-dialled a number. After the third ring, a husky male voice answered.

"… H-Hello?"

Butterflies happily fluttered in her stomach. "E-E-Eriol?"

After a pause, and some painful oofs and ouches later, Eriol coughed. "Tomoyo?"

"H-Hi," she paused and held her quivering lips, "am I bothering you?" She whisked her watch: it's only twelve in the afternoon, he can't still be sleeping is he?

"N-No, not at all," another pause, "something wrong?"

"N-No, not really," Tomoyo bit her lip. "I-I was just wondering if you want to join me for coffee later?"

He was smiling. Tomoyo knew. "Sure, why not? I don't have anything to do later aside sleeping," she giggled as he chuckled. "How about four?"

Tomoyo nodded. "At the coffee house beside the club?"

"Perfect, I'll see you there then,"

Tomoyo quickly covered the mouthpiece, squeezed her eyes closed and squealed. Then straightened her self up and smiled calmly, "See ya!" And they clicked off.

-End of Chapter One-

Author's Note: How was that for a first chapter? Is it boring? Have you gotten the idea yet? Oh I know it's not a good one but I'm improving as I go! Please bear with me and do review. You might ignore this note but please REVIEW! You can see this word can you? REVIEW! REVIEW!