A/N: Cookie for everyone who guessed the identity of Syaoran's late night visitor right. *hands over cookie jar* pretty much everyone got it right.

Skip ahead to the update since the following part of my note is just a response for my anon reviewer, Molly.

Well, considering the fact that you didn't really leave me a way to respond otherwise, I had to put it up here. I normally prefer responding to the reviews and comments via PM rather than here since that just takes up extra place and frankly speaking I doubt people enjoy reading responses in the Author's Notes when they'd much rather read what they came here to read. Sorry if I came out sounding snobby last time. I appreciate the criticism that I receive and I do pay mind to it. That's probably the only reason why I have improved as much as I have in the past four years but I know it's not perfect and that there's always room for improvement. I just didn't like that you implied I wrote for reviews alone. I do it for my own enjoyment but putting what I write up here means that I understand that people might not always like what I do. And they have the right to voice that when they feel like it.

Haha… No. I don't really ignore negative commentary but the way you had worded your review the last time, it sounded more like that you were taking out your frustrations on me for not making them any longer and that is something that I do ignore. Might not have been your intention but that's how it sounded when I read it. *shrugs* Just so you know, I actually love feedback that can help me improve as a writer in any way. I appreciate it that you took out time to do so for me but just a small piece of advice, (something that my Comm Skills teacher actually said in class once ^_^; ) when giving feedback or critique make sure that you word it right or you might end up giving the wrong impression to the other person, unintentionally offending them in the process despite your good intentions. (I'm not saying that I got offended by what you said but some people might.) Oh and if you have an account, do leave a signed review next time, I'd rather we talk via PM then here. ;) ;) And don't worry, I don't really bite… much. *shot*

*sighs* damn… my note ended up longer than the chapter again. .

Chapter 9:

This Love, This Hate

"You're awake." She said quietly as she stepped inside, dragging her useless leg behind her as she let the door close softly.

"I bet you're disappointed to see that." He responded, not even bothering to mask the bitterness of his tone. "Don't worry, Princess, I'll be out of your hair soon."

"You're leaving?" she asked in that same whispered tone.

"Does it even matter?" he replied tonelessly, finding his dirty sneakers shoved under the bed. Sitting down again, he pulled the right one over his foot and then the other.

"Don't go." She breathed as he walked past her to reach the door. His hand froze on the knob. Had he heard correctly?

"Why?" he hissed.

"…"

"So that you can go back to hating me again?" He turned around to stare at her coldly. "Take a look at me, Princess." He gestured at his face, the dark bags under his eyes standing out on his face with an unhealthy pallor. His cheeks had relatively sunken in, making him look tired, weaker and older than he really was. His body was trembling from the lack of the poisonous drug in his blood, his lips slightly cracked and almost colorless. The ugly bruise on the right side of his face stood out in the pale moonlight that poured in through the parted curtains of the window in the room. "See this?" He stepped closer to her, noticing with vicious satisfaction how the jade-eyed girl flinched, taking a step back. "Do you see me? Do you see how pathetic I have become?" He took another step towards her, watching as she shrunk, backing away until her back met the wall. It hurt to see her being afraid of him but he managed to mask his hurt with anger.

"This is what you and your precious friends have turned me into." He spat venomously, his voice still quiet, making him sound like he was hissing out the words. He stepped closer till he was towering over her, his burning eyes staring down at her face. "Admit it, Princess. You don't really want me to stay. You just want his face to be around you."

"No." She shook her head weakly.

"No?" he laughed harshly, the laughter turning into a raspy cough at the end. "Don't fool yourself into thinking you care, Princess. You hate me. I can see it in your eyes every time you look at me, even now. You're asking me to stay, but honestly, tell me… Is it that you want me to stay or because you're just being reminded of the time he left?"

"…" her lowered head was all the answer he needed. He had known the real reason, but it hurt all the same. The fact that she did not even care about him enough to lie and say that she wanted him to stay…