Chapter 9

Sakura followed Syaoran out of the car. A little confused as to what they were doing here, she scanned the road, the forest across it, and the wide view of the ocean to her left. He'd driven to one of the national parks near Tokyo Bay. She'd never stepped foot in the area, though she knew it was a known tourist spot.

"What are we doing here?"

He put on his sunglasses. "I love this place. Have you ever seen Odaiba at night? The Rainbow Bridge?"

She shook her head. "I heard it's beautiful though."

"That's an understatement. Since you showed me your favourite place, I'll show you mine tonight. Let's get something to eat."

Curiosity started to bubble up. Having realized how little she really knew about Syaoran, she wanted to take advantage of every opportunity to uncover parts of his life a little bit more. Just as she was about to probe about why he loved this place so much, her stomach growled.

She met his gaze and saw the quick grin split his face. "I take it your stomach agrees with me."

Sakura tried to stay dignified as she walked ahead of him with her arms crossed over her chest. "I want ramen."

"Ramen?" Syaoran echoed from behind.

"There must be some really good ramen restaurants around here. I've been craving it for a while now, but never got a chance to go for some with Tomoyo."

They crossed the highway and walked through a clearing in the forest. It was a shortcut Syaoran knew well that led to a strip of restaurants at the other side of the park. "I'm surprised you didn't choose a classier place to eat," he remarked. He'd assumed she liked fancy restaurants, considering her preference in men.

"Me? I'm so far from it. I just can't fit into that lifestyle." Sakura turned and waited for him to reach her. "Soshi took me to some expensive restaurants and of course, I was impressed at first. But then I realized how fake it all was. I wasn't being myself when I dressed up for him just so I could fit into his crowd. I guess you were right all along. Wait, why, you don't like ramen?"

"What? I do. Hell, I can eat ramen three times a day, seven days a week."

She laughed. Just as she spun around and tried to step over a big boulder, the front of her shoe got stuck in one of the crevices. "Ahh!" She cried as her body reacted to the movement and fell forward. Bracing herself for the impact, her eyes shut automatically and her arms straightened in front of her.

Then suddenly, it was like her body became suspended. In shock, she squinted her eyes open to realize her face was about a foot away from the ground. She blinked and stared down at the arms wrapped around her. Syaoran had caught her just in time.

"You really are accident-prone, aren't you?" He pulled her up until she was back on her feet.

Her face in a horrible shade of red, Sakura swallowed as she turned and faced him slowly. "That was…that was scary. I really thought I was going to hit my face on the ground."

Syaoran smirked. "Who knows where you'd be without me."

Her body still on alert, she felt the warmth of his hands through her dress since he was still holding her waist. When she glanced down, he followed suit, realized where his hands were and immediately dropped them. Sakura, despite feeling mortification, met his gaze warily.

Syaoran looked back at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes then he patted the top of her head lightly. "Come on. Aren't you hungry?" He walked past her.

She waited until her nerves calmed down before she moved.

"I guess I should thank you," she muttered.

Syaoran glanced behind him and still saw the reddened cheeks. He bit back a smile. The fact that she had tripped like that was just her personality and it really didn't surprise him anymore. Sakura was clumsy and got embarrassed too easily and wasn't good at hiding it. It was part of her charm and it was endearing, he had to admit.

"Let me ask you something," Sakura began, trying to regain her ground.

"Go ahead."

"Totally off topic, but I've been curious about this for a while. What kind of women do you normally date?"

"Oh. Probably women like Julia. Usually I ask women out who are obviously interested in me. I don't like going after women who play hard to get. It's a waste of time."

"Eh…Then what do you do with women you like first? Do you bother asking them out or do you just wait for a woman to show their feelings first?"

"Why the sudden interest in my love life?" He asked with a raised brow.

"I'm still mortified that you almost saw my underwear, so can you just answer the question?" Sakura retorted.

He burst in laughter. "Fine. I haven't liked a woman first in a while. It takes too much effort to be serious about someone. Going after a woman…I haven't done that since Yuki." He shrugged one shoulder. "You? Other than Soshi."

Sakura pondered over it for a moment. "I don't normally date. Surprisingly," she added derisively.

He chuckled. "How many relationships have you been in?"

"Three, including Soshi. My first boyfriend was when I was in high school. He was the first guy to ever ask me out. I didn't know who he was, but I was really curious what it would be like to have a boyfriend. That's why, when we began dating, we realized we had nothing in common. I think I stayed with him for 2 weeks? And then after that, we broke up. I wasn't particularly heartbroken."

"So you didn't get the whole first love experience," Syaoran concluded.

"No, I didn't." She let out a deep sigh. "At that time, I didn't think it was that important. Then my second boyfriend in college. Ah…same kind of thing. All my friends had someone, so they set me up with a friend of theirs. He was cute. We were together for a few months. He was my first kiss, but it wasn't anything special. I didn't feel a thing." Sakura stopped walking and rested her hands on her hips. "I'm tired. Why are we still surrounded by trees and rocks? Where are the restaurants?" She began to complain.

"All that junk food's keeping you in good shape, isn't it," he commented lightly. When she grunted in response, he grinned. Syaoran took her arm and pulled her along. "Keep walking. We're almost there."

"Fine. Where was I? Oh yeah, after that guy was Soshi. I mean, you know me. I'm pretty impractical when it comes to romance. I can't go on dates, because I start fantasizing about what the future will be like for me and that poor soul who has to go on the date with me. I can't help but romanticize everything, because it makes me happy to think that way. I know it's not realistic," Sakura spoke before he could interrupt her. "I know. But thinking that…that prince charming I always imagined would show up at my door, doesn't exist is…a little hard to swallow. Just because I've been hoping for him to come around since I was really young, you know?"

He didn't say anything, wanting to know if she really was still looking for that unattainable man. I guess women can't let it go that easily, he thought.

"Could I…borrow your arm?" She asked reluctantly while studying the mud-filled pond under the bridge. "Sorry, I'm no good with creepy things that swim and crawl in mud."

Syaoran refused to over-think it as he offered his arm. The idea of her depending on him made him feel strange. Not once in his life had a person ever leaned on him; not even Yuki. It was definitely an unfamiliar territory.

Sakura held his arm tightly as they walked over an old wooden bridge. Despite the rise in her anxiety level, she managed to smile in gratitude. "Thanks. But you know, Syaoran… I realized something important."

"What's that?"

"Mm…that there are different kinds of prince charmings that exist."

"What do you mean?"

"Like, there are men who don't have to look like Soshi and don't have to be sophisticated or high-class to be caring and sweet and treat women right. It took me a while to realize that," Sakura admitted with a rueful laugh. "Even now, I still haven't…given up on finding my prince charming, because the idea of it has changed a lot for me. It's not just about the looks anymore."

"How'd you get there?"

Here it goes, Sakura thought. She took an inward deep breath. "In some ways, you're… kind of like prince charming." When his arm fell limp, the corners of her eyes wrinkled.

"What?"

It was as though someone had thrown a football right between his eyes. The concept of putting 'Syaoran Li' and 'prince charming' in the same sentence had never occurred to him once. It was even more bizarre that it was coming out of Sakura's mouth; the same Sakura who had constantly labelled him as 'the most arrogant jerk I've ever known.'

Sakura watched from the side as several emotions flashed across his face. Syaoran had an adorable side too, she realized with pleasure. After letting go of his arm, Sakura began to walk ahead of him, laughing. Over her shoulder, she said teasingly, "Don't worry Syaoran, It'll be our secret." Then she turned around to leave him behind. "Oh I see lights. Hurry up," she called as she went through the narrow opening of trees.

"Sakura-" She ran out of sight from him. He let out a sigh before running after her. Even in a dress, flats, and handbag, Sakura still managed to run when it came to food.

When he got to her moments later, he saw the line of restaurants up ahead. Even without knowing the area, she still found her way to it. He wondered if her sense of smell was just that good. Syaoran stared at her back. "You're one crazy woman."

Out of breath, she looked over her shoulder at him. "Feed me, Syaoran. I'm hungry."

Her nose and cheeks were pink. Her emerald eyes were filled with humour. That smile that always hit him in the gut was on her face at that moment. She looked happy. And Syaoran found her too beautiful for words. With the wind in her hair, Sakura absently placed one of her stray curls over her ear as she turned back around.

Suddenly his hand shot out and grabbed hers. He yanked her back and she fell against his chest.

Bewildered, she stared up at him, her eyes wide. Her hands instinctively splayed against his chest. "Wha-"

Without a word, he bent his head down and lightly pressed his lips against hers. Her body froze. Her eyes remained open and wide as she stood thunderstruck while his lips met hers.

After a moment, he pulled away, slowly at first. When his gaze drew back to her eyes, he saw the shock resonating there. He bit back a sigh. She had been stirring him up all this time and it was exhausting to keep stopping himself. He should've known he had reached his limit already.

Sakura's eyes averted. When he stared at her just like that, her brain seemed to always shut off completely. What to do now? Her mind repeated in a panicked fashion. Her lips still tingled. Her fingers itched to touch her lips, but she fisted her hand. She couldn't even think clearly. It wasn't even her first kiss, but it felt so different. Why did it feel so…special?

To make things worse, she felt a warm ball of tears rise up in her throat. Oh my God, don't cry now. She blinked rapidly to push them back.

After what seemed like a long silence, she cautiously looked back at him. What would they both do if she started to cry? His amber eyes were staring into hers in a way that weakened her knees. Now he looked away, unsure what to say. Clearing his throat lightly, he spoke. "I see a ramen restaurant. Let's go."

Sakura managed to nod when he walked away.

Recognizing the fact that their relationship had now completely and utterly changed, neither spoke a word. There was no going back. He had made the move and she didn't do a thing to stop it. Avoiding each other's gaze, they continued to walk down the path, with a meter-length of space between them.

…

Lunch had been silent. At the ramen restaurant, the two had chosen seats at the counter so they didn't have to face the other. While random comments about the food were passed, conversation was for the most part dead. One was desperately trying to find something to talk about, while the other could care less, still mulling over what he'd done. He didn't regret it, but the fact that this awkward atmosphere had settled so quickly made him wonder if he'd picked the wrong timing to do it. Then again, it wasn't like he really had much of a choice. He didn't even realize he'd kissed her until it was over.

Now they were walking down a long stony stairway to the open beach. Sakura had requested it and he hadn't said no, despite wanting to avoid beaches. A little worried that she would trip over her own feet, Sakura took her time trudging down the stairs. Because of it, Syaoran ended up farther than she would have liked. Even though they hadn't said much to each other since that incident, having him near her still made her feel safe.

"Syaoran," she called out timidly. She squinted against the sunlight.

He turned around and realized he'd gone about twenty steps down from her. So absorbed in his thoughts, he had almost forgotten where he was. Sakura let out a worried smile, hoping he got the message. He knew her well enough to recognize it was a smile that meant 'fear.'

"Sorry," he said as he walked back up the stairwell. "Scared you might trip and break your bones?"

Almost automatically, her scowl returned. "Don't jinx it. You know I could very well do that."

Without hesitation, he took her hand and held it in his, then began to walk down. Feeling her pulse skip, Sakura kept silent as she curled her fingers over his tightly and walked in rhythm of his pace. His hand felt rough and big against hers. Regardless of what happened and what that might have meant, she was content that he still took care of her just like this.

...

Sakura breathed in the familiar scent of the ocean as she let the sand squeeze through her toes. In her hands were her bag and her flats. There was just something about the water that made her feel completely at home, at peace. She smiled as she closed her eyes and let the sound of the waves fill her senses. So serene here, she mused, even with the faint sounds of children playing in the ocean meters away from where they were.

"You really like the ocean, don't you?" Syaoran watched her idly from behind. He was sitting on a large log, his legs stretched out in a relaxed fashion.

She nodded. "I feel at peace here. I don't know why."

As he scanned the scenery, he was reminded of Yuki. The fact that he didn't go back to Yuigahama since the work trip haunted him. He knew it was time to find that letter. It was the only way to really move on from everything. But even after months, the same excuses and reasons always stopped him. He just couldn't muster up the courage to look for it and face it head-on. What it would be like after reading it was what he was afraid of. Would he turn back to that depressed, isolated person that he had become for that first year after she died?

Studying the searching look on his face, Sakura longed to know where it was coming from. The more she learned about him and spent more time with him, the more she began to care. It had made her wonder what it was, or who it was, that made him look this sad. She put her bag and shoes down on the sand, and stood about an arm's length in front of him. He looked over at her inquisitively.

"I forgive you." She said firmly.

His brow rose. "What'd I do?"

"For kissing me earlier." Sakura shrugged her shoulders quickly. "I know you didn't mean for it to happen and you're beating yourself up over it right now, so I forgive you. That means, you don't have to be sad anymore! Otherwise, I might just have to beat you into a pulp. I don't let men touch me that easily, you know?" Sakura smiled cheekily when he continued to stare quietly at her. It was the only way she thought could make him feel better. "And you're not that special, so don't start thinking you can get cozy with me, pal."

Suddenly he broke into a smile. Sakura had some kind of warped sense of humour that always seemed to amuse him. Every time he would get into one of these moods, she was always there to pull him out of it. "You think I'm sorry for kissing you?"

She blinked. A little thrown off, her mind went blank for a moment.

Catching herself before she could stutter, Sakura looked away and pretended to study the people at the beach. "W-why else would you be sad with me around? Don't you know when I was in high school, I was voted by practically the whole school as the most enjoyable person to be with? Heck, even my first boyfriend cheered for me and we had a miserable time together."

Syaoran glanced down at the sand then back up at her. "Really now."

"Yes." When he continued to send her that 'I-don't-believe-you' look, she laughed. "No. But don't you think I'm fun to be with?"

He merely nodded in agreement, biting back the sudden urge to pull her into his arms. He did enough touching for today. For Sakura, all these things were new and seemingly unlike what she'd experienced before. Keeping this in mind, Syaoran knew he had to step back. Besides, he reminded himself, wasn't this little outing to get her out of his system? Not put her deeper into it? At that, he decided to ignore his gut feeling and physically distanced himself.

"You're getting a little too full of yourself, Kinomoto." Syaoran got up and swiped at the back of his pants. "Hey, let's do a competition. First one's a race to that sand castle that kid's making." It was about 50 metres away. "Second one…let's see. Whoever can find the biggest shell outside of the water. It's got to be clean and can't have anything inside it."

"Ooh let's build something with sand too. Even though we don't have any tools, we could still use our hands." She suggested, immediately growing excited. It had been too long since she actually played at the beach like this.

"Fine. Best two out of three. Loser has to go buy ice cream and dinner." Syaoran grinned, brimming with ego. "I'm winning this one, baby."

"You haven't seen me at my best, Li, but you're about to see it now." She challenged, taking off her cardigan and throwing it to the side.

He followed suit and left only the white form-fitting tanktop. Sakura couldn't help herself. Her eyes remained fixed on his nicely toned arms. The man must be regularly lifting weights. The perfect beach bod, she concluded with part dismay and part awe. As hard as she tried, exercise was not her forte, and she'd gone with a dress that day to hide the little bump of fat on her tummy. But he definitely was a thing to look at.

"Stop flexing those arms," she said with a glint in her eyes. "I want to get this competition started."

Surprised that she called him out, he looked over at her and caught that impatient stance. Glad that she looked happy and was having fun, he let himself relax. He couldn't remember the last time he let all his worries and problems go and just enjoyed life. This was the prime time to do it. "Oh you're really asking for it now, Sakura. Let's start here."

...

Two hours later, they both sat on the sand about five feet from each other. Syaoran was currently building a car while Sakura was aiming for a temple. Without tools though, sand-building was highly tough to come by. Adding to that was the exhaustion that had piled up over the course of two hours, including endless arguments in between and during each game.

"You can't be the one yelling out 'start!' That's unfair!" Sakura argued.

"Then why don't you go find somebody to do it then? Good luck finding someone who has the patience to deal with you!" He snapped back.

Her nostrils flared. "Oh you just wait buddy!"

"Stop with the excuses and admit you suck."

"No! You're just not being fair! It's called sexism."

Syaoran stared at her wearily, glaring through his sunglasses. "Stop stalling and let's go! Come on, let me embarrass you already."

"Shut up! I'm going to ask that kid!"

After the race, which Syaoran had won every trial run and including the final race, the search for the biggest shell began. Of course, seashells by the shore were often the same size and didn't go past a certain diameter. The search had taken a good thirty minutes before Sakura managed to find a shell relatively bigger than anything he could find. So it was really just down to this one game, though neither was in the mood still to build something worth looking at.

"The sun's setting, Syaoran," Sakura complained as she tried to form the roof of the temple.

"But we can't eat until somebody wins." He was damned competitive. It was really an awful part of his personality that he knew too well. Losing was just not an option.

She blew the bangs that were sweat-glued to her forehead. "I didn't realize you're so competitive. The thought of beating people and coming out a winner really fuels you, huh?"

"Yes."

Sakura burst into laughter. When the silence settled again, Sakura pulled back and studied her temple. Damn, it didn't look like one at all. On the verge of defeat, she began to swipe her hands together and gathered herself up. She brushed back the sand on her dress. "I'm tired and hot and I want ice cream before dinner. I forfeit."

His head shot up, a scowl on his face. "Why would you do that? I was just about to put on the wheels."

When they both studied his sculpture, Sakura shook her head in mock dismay. "That looks more like a pillow, Syaoran. Get over it. Look, I'll just buy the ice cream and pay for dinner. Keep working on your car. I'll be right back."

He grabbed her arm when she walked past him. "You should've kept going with the game. At least you were getting somewhere," he said as he studied her sand temple. With a sigh, he extended his other arm upwards. "Help me up." As soon as he was on his feet, he said, "It's my treat today so I'll get the ice cream."

Sakura's mouth opened to argue, but he turned around and began to walk away. "Wait, I'll go with you anyway. I don't want you picking something I'm not going to like." She bent down and began gathering their things in her arms.

He turned and began walking backward, watching her as she shoved her feet into the flats. "Hurry up."

"Shut up. I'm going as fast as I can." When she walked past his horrible-looking car, she stopped for a moment and gave it a nice kick. When she looked up and caught the look of displeasure he flashed at her, she stuck her tongue out at him.

…

Syaoran bit into his ice cream. He caught Sakura struggling to balance her bag, shoes, and sweater while carrying a large ice cream cone with, as always, three scoops. Amused and feeling a little sorry for her, he took her bag and shoes out of her hands before she could say a word. He tucked them under his arm and began walking back down towards the water. Speechless, Sakura stared after him.

"Let's sit here." He dropped down onto the sand.

She followed suit and sat beside him. "Thanks for the ice cream."

Syaoran looked back at her and saw the happiness clearly set on her face. "Why are you so in love with it anyway?"

"When I was a kid, we lived near this ice cream shop that sold hundreds of flavours. My mom used to take me every week in the summer and it was so much fun. We always did things together like that. When she died, I stopped going for a long time. I didn't think I could take it. A couple of years later, my dad…even though he was still very sad, he took me out almost every week in the summer. And he'd smile at me, the way he used to for my mom, whenever I ate ice cream." Sakura let out a self-conscious smile. "So every time I eat ice cream even now, I think of my parents."

Syaoran stared into space for a moment. "I used to wonder about mine all the time. I got really depressed in junior high because everybody always talked about their mom and dad and I didn't have any. I got over it… but hearing those kinds of stories still make me jealous," he admitted with a grin. "I'm glad for you, though."

Sakura studied his face and saw the glimmer of sadness behind his smile. "Even without parents or a family, you still grew up to be a good man." She studied the waves hitting the shore. "You know, those people who abandoned you…I feel bad for them. Because they missed out on the chance to get to know you. But if it helps, you didn't need them."

She turned back towards him and saw the smudge of ice cream at the corner of his mouth. Realizing the situation had switched on them, Sakura rummaged in her purse for a tissue. Timidly, she pressed it against the side of his mouth. When he stared at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes, she blushed in embarrassment.

"You had something there," she mumbled, turning her head away.

For a moment, he watched her, touched. Then he shifted sideways and bumped her shoulder with his. At the act, she looked back at him, her heart pounding. He smiled with a sincerity that left her breathless. "Thanks."

...

Sakura pulled the cardigan tighter against her body as she crossed her arms. It was overwhelming. The night view of the Rainbow Bridge and Odaiba simply took her breath away. It was a bonus that there were no clouds in sight and projected what seemed like hundreds of stars across the night sky. Viewing the city from atop a small mountain, Sakura felt the fairytales from her childhood take form. Brightly-coloured, shining city lights mixing in with stars. It was like magic.

"How'd you find this place?" She asked, still mesmerized.

They were sitting on the grass. Syaoran pulled his knees up and rested his arms over them. "Yuki brought me here once."

For some reason, that simple statement had told Sakura exactly how deeply he must have loved her. She must have been a really special person in his life. It made her feel a little dull ache at the thought. "It's amazing. I feel like a little girl in a Disney story," she said with a light laugh. "Lots of pixie dust down there."

"Yeah I thought you might like it."

"Thanks for showing this place to me. Now you really are like prince charming." She laughed when he began groaning. "Three months ago, I never thought I would say that, but…" Sakura rubbed her arms from the cold breeze. "Things change."

Syaoran studied her profile for a long moment, then shrugged off his jacket. "I'm not trying to act like one, okay?" He declared firmly when he passed her his jacket. "It's just the decent thing to do."

Touched, she merely took it from him and slid her arms into the sleeves. She had a small smile on her face she turned towards him. "And that's why…" You're him, she thought. Instead, she shook her head. "Never mind. I had fun today. I'm still enjoying myself right now."

"Good. It was nice today. Sun was out…nice and hot weather."

She nodded. "I wanted to tell you something. Mm…sorry for the way I've been towards you all this time. You were right. I judged you before I knew who you were. Before, all I saw was Soshi. I hated any other guy who came near me or who was around me."

He studied her. "It's not like I'm innocent. I threw my fair share of insults at you," he said with a lopsided smile. "I guess we're even."

"Does that mean we're officially friends?" She asked brightly, despite the little twinge. A part of her wanted something different…more than a friendship. When he didn't reply, she turned back to face the night scene. "Actually, you've been a really good friend to me already. Thanks."

"It would be inhumane to leave a crying, beaten-up puppy on the road," he said, letting out a smirk when her gaze met his.

"Did I look that pitiful?" Sakura laughed and leaned back, resting her palms on the grass.

"Well, it's definitely not a sight I'd like to see again. I'm no good with tears. One of my pet peeves." He looked down at the grass and began pulling at it absently. Seeing Yuki cry in pain at the end of it all…in the hospital, in her bedroom…remembering how her family and their friends had cried at the funeral. Tears brought back old wounds.

"Why? Because you made so many women cry and the sight of them brings back all the guilt?" She teased.

Sakura didn't know anything about it. That's how it should stay. Instead of leaning on her like he wanted to, he merely reached over and pinched her arm.

"Ow."

:::::::::

Sakura placed her head against her pillow and looked up at the ceiling. It had been such a surreal day. Never would she have guessed that time with Syaoran could be so warm and filled with fun. But it had been. And it was more fun than all the dates she had with Soshi combined. Why did life work like that? She still couldn't figure it out; how circumstances had changed how she felt about Syaoran over time.

He was just always there, she recalled. He didn't change a thing about himself; it was just that she saw other parts of him that she never knew about before. In his own way, Syaoran took care of her. She smiled now, thinking back to all those petty arguments and sweet moments she'd had with him for just that one day. What she felt now…it was hard to put into words.

Her thoughts then circled back to those moments where she'd felt just a little bit more special. Even now, recalling that fleeting kiss made her cheeks flush. She could still see it so clearly in her mind; the way his face had gone so close to hers. Her fingers travelled to her bottom lip. She remembered how his lips felt; a little rough, but firm, gentle. His hand too, when he'd held hers on their way to the beach, she could remember how safe she felt when he easily held her hand.

Sakura closed her eyes. He would, she realized, always be special in her life now.

...

Syaoran stared out the window. It was like this every day, even when he was too tired to even think. She was just always there. So his plan was a big bust – the plan about taking her out for the whole day just to get her out of his system. Instead, she was practically rooted in him now. Thanks Tomoyo. Thinking about it now, he was painfully realizing that it must have been exactly her plan to make him suffer more.

As long and exhausting as it was, it was incredibly fun. He couldn't remember the last time he had that much fun. More than that, he'd kissed Sakura. But that, he couldn't help. All he wanted to do was touch her or be around her. She stirred him up in a strong way. What she'd just said about his parents and how she'd apologized for the way she'd treated him, he saw just how kind-hearted and caring Sakura really was.

Ahh…what was he going to do now?