Tattooed

Summary: "I've lost everything to drugs, do you know that?" Sakura told him with tears in her eyes. "The funny thing is I've never even touched a drug in my life and yet it destroyed me. It took everything." She turned to face him then. "Please, don't let it take you away from me. I won't be able to handle it, not this time, not again." S x S.

Author's Note: SweetSeductionCherryB, xXBlossomofShadowsXx, Fashion Fairy 26, I can't thank you enough.

Care and bubbles123321, thank you for reviewing! I would've personally thanked you but you left your reviews as guest!

Care actually got me to cave. This quicker update's all thanks to them. I might even do two a day, who knows? :) Two a day... :D

I'm writing a delicate part of the story and I'm wondering if you think the pace of the story is believable... 'cause it's gonna be slow. So slow is the burn of the fumes and the end of their pains in flesh before they finally melt in heat. Slow, that's our motto. But it'll get there... wherever that is.

Disclaimer: Nothing mine.

vi.

There is no difference in what we're doing in here

That doesn't show up as bigger symptoms out there

So why spend all our time in dressing our bandages

When we've the ultimate key to the cause right here

Our underneath

- Underneath/Alanis Morissette

Sakura felt herself trembling at the sensation of his wet fingers against her sides, her hips, her bare legs. He then brought his hands to the sides of her face, his eyes on hers, and gently played with her hair, then outlined her ears, her neck and shoulders.

Very, very slowly, paying close attention to her face, he grazed the sides of her breasts and let go.

"Over?" she asked as he pushed into her body. He didn't say anything. Their breaths, hot and sweet, mingled as he placed his forehead on hers. Before Sakura told him to, he pushed away and took three feeble steps back.

"You are so pretty, Sakura."

"Thanks," she told him before moving ahead and collecting him in her arms to give him a hug, trying her best to calm him down. He didn't let her.

"You were so pretty in the rain." he stated before pushing away to face the wall once again, this time dipping his hands into something creamy... like butter, like the colour of her coat.

"Are you painting me?"

Syaoran didn't reply.

Sakura watched his frantic movement across the wall which was splattered with different shades of colours. She gave up, sat on the couch and simply watched. There was no use trying to stop him. Eventually, he'd give out on his own.

And so that was what she did for hours. She watched Syaoran Li paint.

T

Sakura felt something wet against her cheek, startling her awake. The dark made her scream in horror before gentle hushing became a hug.

"It's okay," Syaoran whispered. Sakura's chest heaved as she pushed away and stood.

"Syaoran?"

"Yeah,"

"Turn on a light please."

The boy obliged her with a small lamp overlooking the couch. At least it wasn't complete darkness.

"What time –oh."

"Yeah,"

Outside the streets were sullen and quiet, as though no one had ever walked the streets before, as though no one ever would.

"It's beautiful, Syaoran."

Syaoran didn't respond.

A girl stood with her back turned on the wall now, with long auburn hair cascading across a cream coloured coat, umbrella protecting her from the silver drops of rain. It really was beautiful... and it was supposed to be her. How long had she been asleep? When did she fall asleep?

"Have you seen my pipe?"

"Syaoran—"

"Sakura, I can't find my pipe!"

Maybe it had been six or seven hours? How long had she been watching him paint?

"Okay," she placed a hand on his cheek. "We'll find your pipe. First, let's drink some water?" Sakura asked. Syaoran nodded mutely.

A drink of water and two (forced) bites of bread later, Sakura explored his kitchen and found only oatmeal and cornflakes.

"Here," she gave him a bowl. "Eat."

"I'm not hungry,"

"Try eating a little,"

Just one sip of the milk and cornflakes had the boy hurling out everything in his stomach over the kitchen counter.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her before going to the sink and plucking out leaves of tissue paper.

"Let me do that," Sakura told him gently. "Go have a bath."

"But—"

"Go," she said, a little sterner this time. The boy obeyed.

Sakura sighed as she wiped the counter clean and threw away the cornflakes and milk. With a filled bottle of water she entered the corridor opposite the 'wall' and made to the left. Three rooms later she found him on the bed, completely naked save for a towel. The smell suggested that the bath had been taken, thank God.

She searched his closet and found underwear and shorts. That would be enough. Without looking, she pushed him onto his back and pushed the undergarment on first, and then the shorts went up his thighs next. Her eyes opened then.

After pushing him gently to the middle of the large bed she placed the covers over him.

She went around cleaning his room, checking for meth, observing the personally painted walls with portraits of various people in his life she guessed. There were five women huddled together on a picnic blanket on one wall. There was a painting of a man's face turned to the side on another. At the bottom of said wall Sakura found a beautiful woman with long black hair glancing over her shoulder.

She stood and looked at Syaoran doze with his mouth now open. Was he having trouble breathing through his nose? Sakura didn't want to disturb him.

Back in the living room she cleaned up what little mess Syaoran left to be cleaned. The painting on his wall was for everyone to see now, like an elephant in the room.

You were so pretty in the rain.

Sakura opened her bag and found his phone vibrating. She decided to take the call.

"Xiao Lang?" a female voice came from the other end. "Hello?"

"He can't come to the phone right now," Sakura answered unsurely.

"Who's this?"

"I'm... his neighbour."

"What's wrong with him? Is he okay?"

Sakura moved to the bathroom and flushed the plastic packet of crystals. While cleaning the pipe she thought of how to respond.

"He's fine for now, but I think he needs you,"

"Really?"

"Are you family?"

"I'm his cousin,"

"Then really, he could use your help."

The girl didn't say anything. Sakura carefully took out the envelope, eyeing it sadly. While the portrait was priceless, it wasn't worth anything from the Syaoran she'd witnessed barely five minutes ago. On his bedroom study table she placed the pipe on the envelope. It was while leaving the apartment that the girl finally spoke.

"I'll be there."

Look at us turn away from all the rough spots

See you in less than nine hours.

Come join me at my CCS Fanpage on Facebook called 'Hiiragizawa's Archive of Bolting Cardcaptors'. Link on profile.

Want to discuss this story? Join my group called GP06FR. Link on profile.

TEASER for chapter vii. of Tattooed on profile.

Read and Review?