Her Rising Saviour:

Chapter Five - Chocolate!!!

Syaoran watched Sakura race around the apartment, chuckling to himself. He himself sat on the couch, one arm slung over the back and the other on his leg holding a mug of coffee. He was only dressed in a pair of boxers, since it was early morning. He had the day off, and he was not feeling rushed to prepare for the day.

Sakura, on the other hand, was. And he was quite amused with her frantic scurrying. She and Tomoyo had a shopping day planned. Currently, she was rushing around in her jeans and bra, looking for a tank top she had washed. But five minutes before, she was rushing in and out of the kitchen, trying to multitask between making breakfast and finding her purse. The eggs burnt.

"Sakura," Syaoran suppressed a smile as she began tossing cushions off the couch in a frenzy look for this tank top. He stood up, out of her way as she gave a small noise of annoyance at the failed attempt to find it. "Why don't you just wear another tank? Or another shirt?"

"I can't, Syaoran," she growled angrily, putting the pillows back. "I only have one black tank top. And I don't want to wear another shirt!"

He gave a small chuckle and sat down, sipping at his coffee as Sakura ran out of the room. He picked up a Men's Health magazine from the coffee table and began flipping through it lazily. After a moment, he heard her squeal "Found it!" and the bathroom door slam close.

Fifteen minutes later, at nine o'clock, a small tap at the door alerted Syaoran. He set his magazine and coffee on the table in front of him and stood up to answer it. He smiled warmly at the woman standing in the hall, "Good morning, Tomoyo."

She smiled just as warmly at him and stepped into the apartment, "Syaoran."

"Hey Tomo..." Sakura greeted as she came around the hallway corner. Her eyes widened on Syaoran, then narrowed angrily. "What are you doing answering the door in you underwear?! What about some pants and a shirt!"

Syaoran smirked, "Sakura, it's not like she hasn't seen any of this before – "

"Syaoran," Tomoyo cut him off, elbowing him in the ribs. "Just go with it and agree."

Syaoran frowned and turned to her to whisper back, "Why? I'm sure she's just kidding around."

Tomoyo laughed softly, "She's obviously moody this morning...Oh! Baby mood-swings!"

"What are you two talking about?!" Sakura demanded, annoyed that she couldn't hear them. When they simply looked at her and smiled, she sighed angrily and grabbed her purse off the floor. She stormed out of the apartment and down the hall.

Syaoran turned to Tomoyo with a taunting smile, "Well, have fun."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes, "I'll return her by four."

Syaoran poked his head out of the door and watched the door walk down the hall. When they disappeared into the elevator, he went back into the apartment and closed the door. Then he went into the kitchen to clean up the mess Sakura had left.

b.K.d

Sakura sighed contentedly and put down her paper bowl-cup with a small clunk. She smiled weakly to Tomoyo, embarrassment washing over her as she twirled the tiny plastic spoon on the countertop.

"Umm, sorry for earlier..." she mumbled softly. "I don't know what happened to me. I just very suddenly wanted someone chocolatey and cold and became upset that we didn't have any. That was childish behaviour, sorry."

Tomoyo giggled, "Not a problem, sweetie. I understand that you're going to be going through some mood swings with the pregnancy hormones coursing through your body. It's nothing to apologize for. It's normal."

"But the way I yelled at Syaoran," Sakura mused regretfully. "I mean, I usually don't care if he answers the door for you in his boxers because, well, you have Eriol and don't really care. But I just...completely...lost it." She let her head fall to the table. "God, I'm such an idiot."

"Syaoran understand too, Sakura," Tomoyo reassured her. "He's not angry, I promise you. If anything, I think he found it funny."

Sakura sat back up and stood up. She slung her purse over her shoulder and grabbed her garbage and threw it into the food courts trash bin. "I should do something to make it up to him, maybe get something from La Vie En Rose..." She suddenly stopped, remembering their talk from the previous night.

"I-I want us to try and go without sex until we're married," he suggested.

Sakura gave a small groan; well, there goes that idea.

Tomoyo caught this and frowned, "What's wrong?"

Sakura's face turned bright red. She turned to Tomoyo sheepishly, then pulled her away from the crowd they were in and into the women's bathroom. Thankfully, it was empty. She brought her voice down low, her face glowing red. "Syaoran and I have decided to go without sex until we're married."

"What?!" Tomoyo gasped, wide eyed. "Are you serious? But you two are obviously" she ran her hand up and down in the air, indicating Sakura's stomach "already having intercourse. So why this decision?"

"Syaoran thinks that if we hold out from now until the wedding, it'll make the honeymoon that much more sweeter for each other," Sakura explained. "He's kind'a upset that he can't give me a real honeymoon since we already extended our relationship to this when we were teens."

Suddenly, Tomoyo's eyes turned sappy and shone. "Aww! That's so amazingly romantic!"

Sakura smiled wryly, "Yeah, it is."

"Alright then," Tomoyo said, leading them out of the bathroom. "Well, if you 'want to make it up to him', I suppose La Vie En Rose or Victoria's Secret is out of the question."

Sakura laughed softly, "Exactly what I was thinking."

"How about taking in a movie?" Tomoyo suggested. "I'm sure we can find something good at HMV."

"That's perfect!" Sakura squealed, beaming. "Thanks so much!"

Tomoyo giggled, "Not a problem, hun. But first..." she stopped in front of a store. "I need some new cosmetics!"

Sakura giggled softly as she followed Tomoyo into Clinique, their arms linked together.

b.K.d

Syaoran unlocked the door to his apartment and tossed his gym bag onto the floor in the entrance hall. His stomach growled for lunch, but he detoured to the bathroom first. After a quick shower and changing into some clean clothes – jeans and a Nike tee – he went into the kitchen for some food.

He dug through the fridge and found some left over pasta from the night before. He threw it into the microwave and poured himself a glass of ice-cold water. He leaned against the kitchen counter and shoved a fork-full of the food into his mouth.

He was just putting his bowl into the sink when the phone rang. He walked briskly into the living room to answer it. His heart nearly gave out at the icy, formal reply he got with his welcome.

"M-Mother?" He choked, shocked. He hasn't expected a call from her. "What's wrong?"

"I got your invitation in the mail today, Xiao Lang," she replied tightly.

Syaoran mentally groaned; she was using his Chinese name. That was never a good sign. "I'm glad."

"This wedding is to Miss Sakura Kinomoto?" She asked with a tone in her voice. "I was not aware that you and Miss Kinomoto were even together again."

Syaoran immediately felt his body stiffen and anger blaze through him. He forced himself to hold his tongue and keep his voice calm, "That's correct, Mother. Sakura and I have been seeing each other for over a year now. I found her when I came back to Japan."

There was a long pause, and then Yelan Li sighed heavily into the phone. Syaoran could almost see her pinching the bridge of her nose. "When are you going to realize that she is not a suitable wife, Xiao Lang? I thought this was just a fling."

Syaoran clenched his jaw, "I will marry who I choose, Mother. And she's perfectly fine. How could you possibly think Sakura and I were merely a fling?"

"You left her for China, didn't you?" Yelan shot and quickly continued before her son could retaliate. "How about that nice Mei Ling girl I introduced you to here, son? She was a nice girl, and she came from such a respectable family. She'd be a much better suited wife."

Syaoran trembled, remembering Mei Ling. She was an obnoxious young woman three years younger than Syaoran who clung to his arm whenever she could and referred to herself as his fiancé. Her father and his mother tried desperately to push them together, much to the girl's amusement. Syaoran, on the other hand, couldn't stand her.

But his mother's words stung him. He had never understood why she didn't like Sakura. She seemed to put up with the idea of him dating her when they first began to go out, but half way through high school, when Syaoran brought Sakura to China to meet his mother one summer, she seemed disgusted. She pulled Syaoran aside and said how horrid it was for him to be dating such a commoner still.

"Mei Ling was a brat," Syaoran shot to his mother, ignoring her gasp for his impolite tone. "There's more to a wife than a 'respectable' family, Mother."

"Xiao Lang, I could deal with this girl as a fling. I understand that as a young man, you needed to get the feel of women under your belt. But enough is enough. I forced you to come back to China in hopes of you finding a real woman to become your wife. Why do you defy me?"

"Sakura never was and never will be a fling!" He yelled angrily, his whole body shaking with rage. He had never in his life remembered being so angry with his mother. Suddenly, it was like he didn't remember the manners he was brought up with toward his elders and parents. All he could feel was anger. "She's the woman I love and always have. Always will. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can change that."

"Xiao Lang," his mother scolded. "She's just a girl. Get over it and leave her. She'll only bring you down."

"You don't get it, do you?!" Syaoran seethed. "I love her, Mother. And she's carrying my child. I will marry her...And if you want, you can come to the wedding as we've invited you. But you cannot stop this decision."

There was a long, uncomfortable pause. Syaoran's heart raced and his body burned with rage. He had never spoken out of term with his mother. He had never spoken back to his mother. Not even when he first brought Sakura to her and she had pulled Syaoran aside. He had shrugged it off and pretended he had never heard it to begin with, thinking she'd get over it.

Finally, Yelan spoke. And it was quiet, as if shocked beyond belief. "She's carrying your child?"

Syaoran's angered-hot body suddenly froze cold. His breath caught nervously. Oh shit, he slipped. His palms began to sweat clammy. "Y-Yes."

Another smaller pause, and then, "How...How long?"

"A month," he answered.

"Is this...Is this the reason for the wedding?" She asked quietly. "Xiao Lang...Syaoran...son, you don't have to tie yourself down with this girl just because of something so silly. We can cover it up and pay her money to help raise the child. Or there's abortion."

"Are you mad?!" Syaoran's anger rose again. "I'm not leaving her, Mother. Get over that. As for abortion...How could you possibly suggest that? How can you kill something so easily?"

"It can't feel yet," she reasoned. "It's just that so far – a thing. It'd be fine."

"Fuck no!" He heard her gasp at his language – another first. "That's unacceptable. I love that thing, as you've coldly put it."

"Xiao Lang..." she began in a testing tone.

"No, I'm done this conversation," he snarled. "Now, you can either come to the wedding or not. I don't care. I'd rather you did since you are my mother, but I will not tolerate any cold or rude behaviour toward Sakura or this baby."

"Xiao – "

He hung up before she could answer, slamming the phone down. He collapsed onto the couch and threw his head down between his knees, then grabbed a fistful of hair and screamed angrily.

b.K.d

"I'm home!" Sakura rang out happily, holding bags in her hands. She got no response and frowned, slipping off her shoes and wandered into the hall. She found Syaoran sitting on the couch, looking out toward the balcony's sliding glass door to outside. She smiled and put her bags down, then walked over and sat beside him. She slunk her arm around him and felt him stiffen.

She frowned and pulled away as he turned around her. She saw his eyes soften apologetically and he pulled her into his arms, "Sorry Sakura...I didn't hear you come in."

"Are you alright?" She asked, concerned. "I called out but no one answered."

"Sorry," he apologized again. "I was just preoccupied, I guess."

"S'kay," Sakura smiled and pulled back. Her face glowed happily.

Syaoran chuckled, trying to push the day's earlier events with his mother away. "Well, someone's in a better mood than this morning."

Sakura flushed bright red and looked away, "Yeah, err, sorry. I – "

Syaoran shut her up by placing a finger on her chin to turn her head toward him and leaned in for a light kiss. "It's fine, really. I understand."

"I brought some things home to make it up," Sakura offered, biting her lower lip nervously. She stood up and went back to her bags. She picked them up and indicated to Syaoran to follow with a nudge of her head, and led him to the kitchen. She placed the bags on the counter and pulled out a paper bag with red writing on it from one plastic bag.

Syaoran chuckled, "Chinese?" How ironic.

"Yeah," Sakura smiled, going to the cupboard to grab two plates. "I figured some take-out would be nice today. And I bought some chocolate ice-cream from Cows and a new movie."

Syaoran smiled warmly as she began pulling out the dishes from the paper bag. She had bought Cantonese Chow Mein, Beef and Broccoli, Shanghai Spicy Noodles, Fried Rice, General Tao Chicken and vegetable spring rolls.

Then, something stuck. He frowned slightly and went through the bags; sure enough, he found a tub of chocolate ice-cream. "Chocolate? But your favourite is strawberry. You always get strawberry."

She tinged pink again, "W-Well, you favourite is chocolate, is it not?"

"Yes," Syaoran agreed. "But it's never stopped you from getting strawberry before."

Sakura handed Syaoran his plate, along with a plum-sauce packet and a pair of chopsticks. She kept her eyes on her own plate, away from his curious gaze. "I seem to have a craving for chocolate tonight."

"Ah," Syaoran simply said, understanding. He watched her shuffle uncomfortably and frowned. "Are you embarrassed?"

"Well, yeah," she admitted with a dry laugh. "I feel weak having these cravings. It was why I was moody this morning; because we didn't have any. It was like when I wanted it, I needed it at that precise moment." She looked up and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry."

Syaoran smiled back, trying to comfort her. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, "Don't be. I get it." He saw her force a smile and decided it was time to change the subject, "And what movie did you get?"

"I didn't know what mood you'd be in," Sakura admitted. "So I bought a few."

She placed her plate on the counter and found the HMV bag. She pulled out three DVD's and held them up. "I bought PS – I Love You, Mr and Mrs Smith, and Daredevil."

"Hmm," Syaoran mused. "The first one is a chick flick romance, isn't it?" Sakura nodded and he continued, "And Daredevil is action...I've seen it before and it's great. Goes extremely well with the comics by Marvel. And Mr and Mrs Smith is a mix between action and romance, correct?"

Sakura nodded, "Yep. So which one are you in the mood for?"

"Honestly?" Syaoran asked with a smug smile. He waited for her nod and smiled seductively, "PS – I Love You."

Sakura giggled, "Really? Oh wow, honestly...I bought that for myself for another time. I didn't think you'd want to watch it. It's sappy, from what Tomoyo's told me. You sure you're up to it?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes, "After watching you bawl over Titanic, I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Hey!" Sakura gently chided. She watched him smile smugly and put the other two DVDs on the counter. He extended his hand to take the movie, and Sakura happily handed it to him. Then, she gasped and grabbed his hand. "What did you do to your hand?!"

Syaoran looked down at his knuckles and looked away, ashamed. After steaming about his mother's phone call, and realizing that she had said – about forcing him to come to China in hopes that he'd find a 'real' wife – he had became so angry and punched the fridge. Of course, no harm was done to the damn thing – only his hand. Faint bruising was now forming on his knuckles.

Of course, he wasn't going to tell her that.

"Oh, this?" He pulled his hand from her gentle grasp and waved it in the air as if it were nothing. "It was stupid really...I was at the gym later this morning and some idiot teenager dropped a dumbbell on my hand while I was doing some push-ups."

Sakura frowned and reached for his hand again. She held onto it gently, as if he were made of glass, and ran her fingers over the bruise. She didn't miss his wince. "Did you put some ice of it?"

"Of course," he lied. No, if fact, he hadn't. He cursed at the damn fridge and stormed off to cool down. He jogged around the block, came back, and sat on the couch – where Sakura had found him when she came home.

Sakura brought the hand up to her lips and gently kiss it, not liking seeing him hurt. "Are you alright at least? Does it hut?"

"It's fine, really," he lied again. He pulled his hand back and grabbed the movie. He smiled at her and swooped down for one last kiss. "Now let's go watch a movie, alright? And then maybe we can make sundaes with that ice-cream you brought home. We still have some whipped cream from the pie last week, and bananas from our last grocery trip."

Sakura smiled again and grabbed her plate. She followed Syaoran out to the living room, waited for him to put the movie in, and then joined him on the couch beside him. She sat as close as possible to him, without making it difficult for him to eat.

Syaoran smiled at her closeness and pressed play.

He didn't plan on telling her about his mother's phone call or her opinion on them.

Author's Note: T^T Sorry everyone...I had this honestly ready to post on FRIDAY, but fucking fanfic was messed and said there was an error every time I tried to upload the damn file. So ^.- I snuck on quickly this morn before I have to go out. LOL.

First of all, I DON'T agree with what Yelan Li said...so please, don't anyone think that. With abortion, I think the embryo/fetus can feel pain at any stage of it's life, though of course they don't understand it. It's not a "thing"...to me (and I'm not trying to start any arguments!!) I think it's a person the first day it's conceived. Of course, there are exceptions to my whole 'no abortion' way of seeing it. Like if it was a rape-baby. Please though...I'm honestly not trying to start any arguments about what's right and wrong in abortion...I'm just stating that whatever I wrote as Yelan is not my own opinion.

And finally...WOW!!! WOW WOW WOW!!! If I could hug you all, I think I would!! 15 reviews, everyone! Thank you all SO SO SO SO SO SO SO much! It's the most reviews I've received so far. I can't thank you all enough and I don't know how to express my gratitude other than THANK YOU!

Thanks!!

XOX, Riva

Next Time: Second lamaze class!! And guess who catches Rika's attention ^.-