W00T! We've hit 150 reviews! Thanks to kenshinlover2002 for posting the review that got us to that mark! I'd have to say this is the most successful story of mine so far! (huge grin) I'm aiming to beat 'Sleepover' with this story in terms of reviews. Let's see if we can make that happen, eh?
Enjoy the chapter, and review please!
Something of Yours
Chapter 6
The Seed of Doubt
"Come shopping with me?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I have homework."
This was the sixth argument that Syaoran had with his mother over the same topic.
"Like you care about school." His mother scoffed. "Syaoran, I know very well that you can do your homework in half an hour. You have plenty of time to go shopping with me."
"I said no!" Syaoran repeated, almost snapping his pencil in half. He took a deep, calming breath. It wouldn't look good to slap his mother. He had never raised his hand to a woman in anger before. No matter how much she deserved it.
"Syaoran, please?" His mother begged. Syaoran stood abruptly, shocking his mother. He headed straight for the door, grabbing his keys.
"I'm going for a walk. Go shopping while I'm gone." Syaoran growled, passing Yelan in a temper. He took a deep breath as he stepped out into the hall and towards the elevator.
He needed fresh air. Badly.
OoOoOoOoOoOSakura sat on the swings, massaging her temples. She was nearing the end of her tenth week of pregnancy, and the reality of it was finally sinking in. She was a quarter of the way in.
Graduation was in a five weeks, but Sakura had to survive finals first. They were next week, and she was terrified. Her hormonal imbalance had started to make her concentration worse, since she was randomly bursting out into tears for no reason at all, or cheering whenever she got a question right in class.
There were rumours that Sakura was pregnant flying around the girl's locker room the day after Sakura pulled out of her Gym class and Cheerleading. Sakura had quickly laughed off the rumours, and all of the talk went away. Though Sakura's friends just… they just knew. But they kept their mouths shut for her sake.
"I can see you're really preparing for finals." A cold voice commented from behind her. Sakura shivered.
"I could say the same for you, Li." She knew him without turning around.
"I needed a break." Was the dark reply.
"I know the feeling." Sakura commented dryly. She heard a squeak as Syaoran sat on the swing next to her. She felt his eyes boring into her, burning a hole in the side of her face.
"You quit Cheerleading." Syaoran remarked, almost derogatorily. Sakura glared at him.
"You joined the Soccer team. If I stayed then it would mean I'd have to cheer for you." She said distastefully. "I don't like the idea of that."
"It's not like you haven't called out my name before." Syaoran smirked at Sakura's reaction. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Her eyes were bulging out of her sockets and her cheeks turned an interesting shade of pink.
"Yeah well…" Sakura struggled to find a comeback. "This is different! I've woken up to myself now!" Only because of her friend. If it weren't for Tomoyo, she'd probably still be warming his bed. Sakura blushed at the thought.
"You know you loved it." He stood up and stood behind her. His warm fingers came into contact with the cool skin on her neck. She shivered as he traced them up and down her neckline. She almost moaned when he drew his mouth close to her ear, and whispered. "Don't bother to deny it. We both know the truth."
And, just like that, he stopped.
"Wha-what was that for?" Sakura asked, feeling all flustered. She hadn't felt like that for weeks. Not since the last time… Syaoran smirked.
"Just a little fun." He smirked as she blushed again. "Kinomoto, you know pink really is your colour." He quipped, before turning on his heel and walking off.
"Li?" Sakura got up and followed him. He turned around to face her.
SLAP!
"Say that to me again and I'll get my brother to kick the shit outta you." She threatened, stomping off in the other direction.
"I'd like to see him try!" Syaoran yelled out smugly. Sakura huffed, ignoring him. He wouldn't admit it, but that hurt!
OoOoOoOoOoO"You talked to him?" Tomoyo asked incredulously. Sakura nodded. "Did you tell him?" Sakura shook her head. Tomoyo frowned. "Why?" They both sat on Sakura's bed. It was about ten on Friday night, and Tomoyo was spending the night over.
"Because he's a suggestive bastard and I don't think he has a right to be anywhere near my baby." Sakura snarled.
"He has every right, Sakura." Tomoyo sighed, knowing her friend was going to be mega-angry with her. "It's his baby too."
"He's just a sperm donor." Sakura said icily. "I don't need him."
"I think you need him more than you realise." Tomoyo shook her head in exasperation. "Sakura, I know he's a lotta bad things, but I don't think he's irresponsible." Sakura glared at Tomoyo.
"Whose side are you on?" She demanded, "Mine or his?"
"I'm on the baby's side." Tomoyo wrapped an arm around Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura, a baby need's its father. No matter how absent he may be."
"I'll find someone better." Sakura sighed. "Besides, it'll have a grandpa and an uncle there. Why would we need the father?" Tomoyo sighed.
"I'm sure your dad and Touya will make great male role models." Tomoyo waved it off. "But it's not the same. Take it from someone who knows." Sakura glared at her friend. She knew Tomoyo had grown up without her father.
"But you turned out perfectly!" Sakura burst out. "You grew up without your dad and you're perfectly fine!"
"No I'm not." Tomoyo took Sakura's hands in her own and looked her in the eye. "I have deep-rooted abandonment issues. My father was never there, and my mother told me it was because he didn't want to be there. So I tracked him down six months ago. He said he'd never heard of me before. So now Mom and I are fighting because she lied to me all these years. Do you want that to happen to your baby?" Sakura shook her head.
"I'll say he's dead or something." She tried. Tomoyo clucked her tongue.
"Whatever, Sakura." She sighed, sliding onto the mattress on the floor. "Whatever you say. It's your choice. I can't force you to tell him."
"Thanks." Sakura sighed, settling into her bed. She turned off the lamp and the room was thrown into darkness, with only the moonlight casting a glow into the room. About ten minutes later, she called out tentively. "Tomoyo?"
"Yeah?"
"… Nothing… Don't worry."
"No." There was a rustling that indicated Tomoyo had sat up. "What is it?"
"I…" Sakura frowned. Tomoyo could make out her features in the moonlight, but only vaguely. "Do you really think it's best for him to know?"
"Yes." Tomoyo answered without hesitation.
"Well… I'll… I'll think about it." Sakura sighed.
"Good idea." Tomoyo laid back down.
"I'm not making any promises." Sakura was quick to put in.
"I know." Tomoyo sighed.
"I probably still wont." Sakura admitted.
"At least think about it." Tomoyo begged.
"I will."
OoOoOoOoOoO"I met up with Mr Kinomoto today." Yelan slipped into the room, watching Syaoran intently as he assaulted the punching bag.
"Sakura Kinomoto's father?" Syaoran grunted, throwing another punch.
"Yes. She's looking rather sick these days." His mother commented conversationally. "Always looking rather pale. She keeps assuring me that it's just a stomach bug. Poor thing. I think she might be pregnant." Syaoran missed his next punch.
"What?" He demanded, whirling around to face her. Yelan saw Syaoran's eye bulging out of his sockets and his jaw drop.
"The poor dear looks like she's pregnant." She shrugged, "There is every possibility that I'm wrong. I'm not a doctor."
"Kinomoto…" Syaoran sighed. "I don't think Kinomoto is pregnant."
"How would you know?" His mother was quick to reply. Syaoran caught himself from stuttering his next sentence.
"She just doesn't seem like the type to… you know…" He turned away and punched the bag, picking up his lost rhythm.
"To have sex?" His mother prodded. "How would you know? Did you make an advance that she turned down?" Syaoran flushed, but kept punching. If asked, he would blame it on the exercise. Either way, that was definitely not the case.
"No." He said gruffly, "But I've seen other guys make advances." He paused punching for a second, before starting up again. "She denied them all."
"Maybe she fell in love then." His mother shrugged. "Either way, just because she turned down a few men, doesn't mean she'll turn down everyone."
"Whatever you say, Mom. Whatever you say."
OoOoOoOoOoOSyaoran glared up at the ceiling. His mom's suggestion about Sakura being pregnant was stuck in his mind, plaguing him. He rolled to his side to read the luminous numbers of the alarm clock on his bed stand. One am. He growled.
It wasn't possible, he told himself. If she was pregnant, she would have told him by now… Right?
'You never know…' His mind tormented him. 'Think about it. She's been acting weird for the last few weeks.' But they'd always used protection! 'There was one time…' Only once! 'Once is enough.' He sighed in frustration. 'Unless the baby isn't yours…' But Sakura – as much as he hated to admit it – was no slut. Syaoran sat up and punched his pillow. He pummelled it for several minutes.
'If she was, why wouldn't she tell me?' Maybe she was afraid? 'Afraid of what? That I wouldn't take responsibility?' He sighed angrily as he laid back down, starting to glare at the ceiling again.
Li Syaoran may have been a lot of bad things, but he was not irresponsible.
Hehe… the seed of Doubt has been sown… Not let the games begin! (cough)
Ahem! How'd you like? I'd appreciate reviews!