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, teru21, deadflo: Maybe last chapter wasn't up to the mark. Hope you all connect with this one!

I've been writing again. Yes, being on vacation does that. Inspiration's on!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

xxvi.

She says we've got to hold on to what we've got
Cause it doesn't make a difference
If we make it or not

- Living on a Prayer/Bon Jovi

"Hello group, my name is Kaho Mizuki and I will be your group mentor." The woman with the horn rimmed glasses announced as the others took their seats. Syaoran took one right near the exit. "Let us say a prayer before beginning."

Everyone stood then. Syaoran stood along with them.

"Our Father, as we begin this new day, grant us the assurance of your presence so that we may face today - unafraid. Amen."

Syaoran didn't know the prayer to say it. A chorus of 'Amen' erupted as everyone took their seats.

"Seeing as this is a new group I would like everyone to say a little bit about themselves and tell us whatever they are comfortable sharing with us on the first day.

"As you all know, these are your group members, your support if you let them be. While we may not know your past, we do know we want what's best for our respective futures because we all have a common goal. We want to live life to the fullest, without hindrance from the drug we let ourselves get carried away with.

"Who would like to go first?" Ms. Mizuki said politely.

A petite girl with frizzy brown hair stood up rather confidently, almost within the second Kaho asked. She looked at everyone before addressing the group.

"Hi, my name is Chiharu,"

"Hi Chiharu,"

"And I used to be a drug addict." She finished off. The others remained quiet, as if waiting for her story. Syaoran realized that so was he.

"I used to live with my parents till I graduated High School. I left home and came here for college. That was when I started using.

"I started out like everybody else, in small doses and at limited periods of time, before I got wound up in it. Years passed and there was a time when I couldn't afford to buy myself some soda. I guess that's when I realized I was addicted. I didn't want soda as much as I wanted to get high. I didn't want food as much as I did the high.

"I tried to stop. Then I stopped trying to stop. It was so much easier just to give in, let the high take over and forget my parents, my marks, my teachers... everything. Even when things were going good and my grades were at an all time average I'd feel lonely and depressed, and so I'd let myself get high again.

"It was around the fourth year of college that during my self induced high I was raped."

Syaoran looked around for any looks of shock or pity. There were none. He supposed it was normal. What Nakuru did to him could be classified as rape.

"I was lucky; I did not get pregnant or contract any STDs. A friend of mine convinced me to get help, saying he would too." She looked over at a boy in the group. "That's the reason I've been clean for over seven months. Seven months, and I'm still standing.

"It wasn't easy. Weeks would pass where I would just go to sleep thinking about getting high and I'd get up wanting to get high. I moved back home for a while where I went to rehab for a year. I then came back here with a job in hand."

She sat down then. A boy stood up next.

"Hey, I'm Jordan." A contagious grin came onto his face as he spoke. "And I'm an alcoholic."

"Hey, Jordan,"

"Chiharu and I met in the dorm rooms when we were barely out of school. Don't be fooled by her cool as a cucumber persona guys, she packs a tight punch." Jordan joked. Chiharu smiled. Syaoran was amused.

"I don't really have a very unique story, you've probably heard it a million times over... I'll tell it anyway. I started drinking when I was thirteen. My first drink was a shot of tequila. Nasty as it was, I went back for more... and here I am." He gestured to himself. "My parents died in a car accident nearly two decades ago. I lived with my aunt till she passed... that was four years ago. The only family I have is a cousin in Yemen and this girl right here." He paused. "No, we're not dating. We couldn't be, I'd need a different gender preference to be with her." He wiggled his eyebrows at Syaoran. Offensive as it was, Syaoran still cracked a smile.

"It's not so bad, though. I don't have a dashing degree from college or even a glamorous job to look forward to, but I have friends. And I have a clean life. I've been sober for over two months now, and I'm hoping to keep it that way."

He sat down after that. Syaoran felt nervous. He was next.

He stood and spoke. "Hey... my name is Syaoran," he'd decided to keep his name. "And I was... a drug addict." He swallowed. Everyone was listening.

Dear lord, this was hard.

"I... gave up a few weeks ago when..." when what? "I..."

"Why don't you just tell us why you're here?" Ms. Mizuki said to him helpfully. Syaoran nodded.

"Okay... why I'm here..." Syaoran chuckled. "I'm here to stay clean. For my family, my friends, my girlfriend... I want to be the person they want me to be."

"Excellent." Ms. Mizuki clapped her hands and motioned to the others to take a turn to talk.

Syaoran couldn't concentrate on what they were saying though. His mind was elsewhere. What caused him to change, to come here and ask for help? He closed his eyes and let the disgust fill him up.

He was here because of Nakuru... because of what happened.

Admitting it was harder than he'd thought it would be.

*.*

Sakura came to the APAA and found the hall Syaoran was in. She peeked to see what was going on in there. He looked so awkward in there. Sakura peeked for a little while before walking to the front desk. The meeting was almost done anyway.

"Sakura?"

Sakura turned around and recognition filled her face.

"Yamazaki?" she came forward.

"It's been so long! How've you been?" he asked with a rub to her shoulder. She eyed the hand and smiled politely.

"I've been great. What about you? Still working with my brother, I see." She looked to the hall door and waited eagerly for Syaoran to come out. This was a conversation she could live without.

"Yup, still with him. I heard you became a teacher at a school."

"At Aloysius College, actually," she corrected. "Yeah, that's what I do." The door opened. Syaoran was the last of the lot to emerge out. When he saw her, he grinned. She grinned back.

"I've got to get going, it was nice seeing you." she said to Yamazaki abruptly and left.

"Hey," Syaoran said first before pulling her in for a hug suddenly.

"Someone's excited to see me." Sakura observed as she kissed his cheek and pulled away. Syaoran smiled before narrowing his eyes.

"Who's that?"

Sakura turned around to find Yamazaki looking at them. She smiled and looked away.

"An ex," she told him before holding his hand and walking to the exit. "Got any of those?"

Syaoran laughed and kissed her hand. "The exes talk... and here I thought you'd never gather up the courage to ask."

Sakura rolled her eyes. If Syaoran ever gave her a direct answer, pigs would fly.

"Keeping secrets I see," she observed as they sat in the car.

"No more than you, love." Syaoran retorted. "No more than you."

Sakura shook her head and pulled out of the parking lot.

Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear
Livin' on a prayer

QUESTION: What inspires you?

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