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: Fashion Fairy 26, petiteTRINH, deadflo, amelancholicangel: I know, I know. It's a late update. I'm on vacation and found a way to get online here at a cousin's place.
Thank you for your reviews ladies! You've made my days!
Disclaimer: Not mine.
xxv.
"Recovery feels like shit. It didn't feel like I was doing something good; it felt like I was giving up. It feels like having to learn how to walk all over again."
â Portia de Rossi
Sakura had dropped Syaoran off at the entrance of the subway before heading home. The boy had wanted to go paint for some time with others, keep his mind off the meth... and it was clear it wasn't happening at home.
Sakura had to get to her place and wait for Touya. She was so excited about meeting him this time. She wished Yukito could have made it too, but work was work. Sakura knew that well enough.
After reaching home Sakura made a short trip to the grocery store to pick up some essentials for dinner that night. She'd be feeding five of them that night, counting Fanren as well.
On the walk back home Sakura habitually looked up at Syaoran's balcony and did a double take. A woman... short brown hair and dressed in formals, stood with her hands folded. She looked over in Sakura's direction.
She smiled at Sakura.
Sakura couldn't help but smile back.
*.*
"Where is Xiao Lang?" Fanren asked as Sakura cooked her meal, roasted chicken and potatoes with garlic bread. She handed her a cup of green tea and biscuits and continued.
"He's gone to paint somewhere. He'll be back soon." She assured her.
The older sister looked wistful as Sakura cooked.
"How long have you known Xiao Lang now?" she asked first. Sakura sighed. Interrogating her was the first step in the ritual of girlfriend approval.
"About four months now," she told her without turning around.
"How'd you meet?" Fanren questioned.
"I..." she looked at her then. Fanren smiled.
"Obviously, the gory details are necessary for the real story."
Sakura inhaled. She hated doing this.
"I found him outside my apartment, probably on the same spot you just saw me." Sakura realized. How many times had she walked by that spot without realizing?
"Do you know how much Xiao Lang is worth?" Fanren asked then. Sakura frowned, turned the stove to low and turned around. She said nothing and instead waited for more.
"In pounds, he'd be well worth over one million." She quoted with one finger up. Sakura remained unfazed.
"Clearly Syaoran is entranced, what with the paintings everywhere, your face all over this apartment... my brother is in your spell.
"He has always had a soft heart, easy to fall for kindness and niceness. He has suffered a horrible childhood I would not leave upon any child. He will seek anyone out, be it the love of a woman, or the high of a drug." She paused to take a sip of the tea. Sakura still said nothing.
"You might be a distraction, a mere spectator in his life for the sake of his love, his money, his affection. If that is the case then I would like Syaoran to begin this journey without you, alone, so he can become stronger by himself.
"Tell me why I shouldn't doubt your reasons for being here."
Sakura stared at her. Fanren stared back.
"I have two brothers," she started. "... one best friend and a dog; I am the teacher of hundreds of children, each of whom I would do anything for. Across the street from your brother, I live the good life." She finished.
"You don't earn more than a few hundred pounds a month." Fanren pointed out.
"I could easily be a professor at any college of my choice, I have a PhD in English and yet I am a teacher by choice. My brother obtained a Masters in Aeronautical Engineering from University of Tokyo, while my other brother is a more than capable lawyer from Yale. Together we would make enough to live the life of a rich man's.
"My brothers gave up their own careers and started the APAA when I barely passed out from high school, just to help others instead of themselves. My brother, Touya, is on his way here as we speak just to help your brother because I asked him to." Sakura pointed at her.
"That may be a well thought out game play, a way to get your hands on my brother's money." Fanren countered.
"If I wanted your brother's money I would've had it by now." Sakura said haughtily now. "You're right, I'm the one on these walls, I'm the one in his heart... how hard would it have been to obtain a few millions from him already?"
Fanren looked amused. "You're one step closer to gaining my approval."
Sakura grinned.
Fanren couldn't help but grin back.
*.*
Syaoran sat with Touya at the coffee table after dinner, Fanren joined them as the others cleared up.
"I think it's best to start with a group therapy for now," Touya announced to the two of them as they listened intently.
"You'll have to be there once a week, sit through the sessions and listen to others speak. You can offer up something you want or just sit and listen. You'll be assigned a mentor, someone you will have to report to thrice a week for individual therapy and the best part; you get to stay right here, in Glasgow."
Syaoran sighed as Fanren clutched his hand in hers.
"No one will find out who I am?" Syaoran asked.
"Xiao Lang, it doesn'tâ"
"Big, it does matter and I know it does. Uncle Wei would be hit by this massively and his campaign would be affected." He told her responsibly.
"No one will know except Yukito, your mentor and me," Touya assured. "She'll be your guide through this whole thing here in Glasgow. Your confidentiality is her number one priority."
"Thank you, Touya." Fanren said after Syaoran had left to prepare for the next day. "Tell me what it is you do exactly."
"Well, we work majorly on spreading awareness; try catching our victims before they become victims. We have rehabilitation and self help centres that work with us if and when we come across addicts in need of therapy around the world."
"Where do you get the finance?"
"There are many interested in sponsoring APAA, be it rich, old individuals or other organizations dedicated to substance abuse." Touya finished off while observing Sakura from the corner of his eye. She seemed happier, lighter, as she spoke to her friends. Touya felt glad.
"How many of you form the APAA right now?"
"We started out small at our hometown in Japan, but now we have people from APAA in over fifty countries. So that would be three thousand people around the world." Touya watched as Syaoran went over to his sister and kissed her lips.
"How would you feel about Chinese political support?" Fanren asked.
His sister was hugging Syaoran.
"We can only accept your help unofficially, I'm afraid. We'd rather not be allied with political controversies and the sort." Touya responded. Fanren nodded and understood perfectly it seemed.
Syaoran looked at him then.
Touya did not let his stare falter. His eyes conveyed the message he did not find the need to put to words. Syaoran looked away with a frown.
The message was loud and clear.
QUESTION: Where was your best vacation so far?
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