It is finally here! The long awaited final chapter! Hard to believe that after all this time it's finally over. I'm gonna miss it... But love not having to worry about it. Still, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. This whole thing has been a great experience, and a lot of it has to do with all of you. I wouldn't have made it this far were it not for all the people I know love the story and want to know what will happen to the characters. So, I guess I'll let you all read it, then we can reminisce at the end.

Enjoy the final chapter.

Syaoran's POV

I could tell something was up from the moment my meddlesome cousin invited me out to go see a movie and hang out before her flight back to Hong Kong two days from now. See, there are tell tale signs whenever Meiling is up to something. This time it was when she had to spend time looking up the length of all of the movies in the theatre. She claimed to be reading the summaries on her phone, but Meiling is the sort of person to just spontaneously buy tickets to some random movie that sounds interesting and hope that it's something she likes. After the movie, I humored her and accompanied her to a sweets shop so that I could grab some chocolate, but now that my stomach is filled with sweets made from the seeds of the cocoa tree that grows in parts of Central and South America, it seems about time to end the whole charade.

"Let's head back now, Meiling."

"What? No!" Her obvious panic doesn't help her attempts to keep me oblivious. "We can't go back yet. There's still so much to do."

"Meiling, you're clearly trying to keep me out for a reason. Why won't you just tell me what's going on?"

"A-aren't I allowed to want to hang out with my family before I go back home?"

"Of course, but that's not what this is. Besides, I already agreed to take you into Tokyo tomorrow."

Meiling stutters, trying to think of an adequate response.

"Don't bother. We're going home." I lead the way back in the direction we came. Meiling struggles to keep up.

"Wait! Syaoran! I promised I would keep you out until the afternoon!"

"Did Wei put you up to this? That doesn't seem like the sort of thing he would do."

"I-I'm not allowed to say. Just, please, help me out!"

I pause at this. Meiling looks at me with wide, pleading eyes. "...No, we're going home." I return to walking. Behind me, Meiling grumbles.

"Darn it, Syaoran. Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

There are no alarms going off, and nothing pops out at me when I step into the apartment, so I take that as a good sign.

Meiling comes barreling in and shouts, "Wei, we're back! I tried to keep him out as long as I could, but he was getting suspicious, and–hey, Syaoran, wait a minute!"

Ignoring her, I make my way down the hallway towards the main room. "What's going on? Why has Meiling been acting so-" I stop short as soon as I see the person standing in the middle of the apartment. "Strange," I choke out.

Meiling says something, and I'm almost too distracted to register it, but... "Mother?"

Did I just walk into my apartment, or some alternate universe? There's no way that in reality Sakura would be standing in my apartment across from my mother who is supposed to be in Hong Kong right now.

"Hello, Xiao Lang. It's been a while since I last saw you. Did you get a haircut?"

Did I get a... No. Focus.

Still trying to collect my thoughts, I manage to get out, "When did you... Why are you... What are you doing here?"

All this gets me is an exasperated shake of the head and, "I'm disappointed, Xiao Lang. You seem upset. Aren't you at least going to give your mother a hug?"

I just gawk at her, so she takes it upon herself to come over to me and give me a hug herself. Still having no idea what's going on, I return the embrace.

"I'm happy to see you, mom, but why are you here? You don't usually make unannounced visits during the school year."

After releasing me, she says, "Well, with all the reports I've been about what's been going on here, I decided I'd take some time off to drop by."

I force myself to ignoring the casual way she says 'drop by'. "Take some time off?" My mother almost never has free time. All she ever seems to do is work.

"Yes. Fuutie is watching over things while I'm away. She's become very good with business matters. That reminds me, I think it's about time I have a word with you about a few things. Sooner rather than later, Xiao Lang. Miss Kinomoto, if you're willing to hold your thoughts on the matter we were discussing, I'd like to speak with Xiao Lang first."

My mother's words snap my attention back to the auburn haired girl still standing a few feet away.

"Of course," she says, but her hands are clutching onto the sides of her skirt as if she's nervous.

To me, my mother says, "Xiao Lang, wait here while I see out our guest. I'll be back in a moment." Then the two leave the apartment and me with a million questions.

"Meiling, how long have you known about this?"

My mischievous cousin becomes defensive. "I only found out a few days ago. Auntie called last minute and asked me to keep you out of the house."

"Why is she here? Did you say something to her? Is that why Sakura is here, too?"

Meiling shoots me a glare. "Don't assume I did this. Aunt Yelan has been worried about you, so when she asks about how you're doing, I'm honest. I never once told her to come here."

She's right, I sigh internally. "I'm sorry, Meiling."

She humphs and stomps out of the room. "When you and Aunt Yelan are done talking, come get me so that I can see her, too."

Shrugging off Meiling's behavior, I fall back on the couch where I remain until my mother returns a few minutes later. I watch her silently, trying to decide what's to come. Yelan glides effortlessly across the room, her movements too graceful to be unconsciously elegant.

"I have something important to tell you, but I need you to promise me not to breath a word of it to anyone within the family."

That's suspicious, I think silently. "What's going on?"

My mother gives me a firm look.

Quenching the urge to roll me eyes, I nod. "Yeah, I'll be quiet."

"Very good. Now, remain calm for what I'm about to tell you." I cock an eyebrow curiously. "Your eldest sister... is seeing someone."

That took an unexpected turn.

"Fuutie has a boyfriend?"

"Fiance, really. They're going to announce their relationship to the family sometime after your return home."

"F-fiance? Who is this guy? Why hasn't she told anyone?"

"The young man is a businessman new to the industry, but he has become extremely successful in a very short time. They met at a business gathering a few months ago, and started seeing each other shortly after. He's a good man and only a few years older than her. They make quite the team."

"Why are you telling me this?"

My mother folds her hands into her lap. "I hope to pass the business over to Fuutie as a wedding gift of sorts. Then, hopefully, the two businesses will be able to merge, benefiting both parties."

I gawk. "You're handing down the business to Fuutie? Now?"

"She's ready, Xiao Lang. Fuutie has always shown the most interest in the world of business. I believe she will make a strong chairwoman, especially with her future husband at her side."

"I... I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything to me; however, when the time comes for her to tell you herself, congratulate her."

I force a nod. My sister. Head of my family's company. I know Fuutie's studied in business and shadowed our mother for many years, but I never really gave the idea consideration.

"Why are you telling me all this now?"

"Because I don't think I've ever been upfront with you about your future. The one I had hoped you would have, that is. Xiao Lang, I sent you to Japan for my own personal gain. Even when you were at such a young age, I was there making decisions about your future for you."

"Mom, what are you talking about?"

"When you were much younger and living in Hong Kong with your sisters and me, I saw that you weren't great with the other kids. I thought that maybe if I could somehow get you to open up, maybe you'd become more sociable and gain more friends, so when one of the board members proposed the idea that we expand the business internationally, I made the decision to make an investment. To do that, I chose to send you, my only son and youngest child, to a foreign country. Japan was the obvious choice given the economy, plus it's safer than many other places. It was my hope that you would grow to learn the language and cultured. One day it seemed it might be possible for you to guide us into the expansion of the company by bringing it to Japan."

It takes me a moment to register all the information that has been laid out before me. It wasn't like my mother hid her reasons for sending me to Japan, but she'd never laid it out the way she is now. Most of the things I had guessed, but now I know for sure.

"I don't know what to say."

"That's fine. I wasn't thinking we would talk about it now anyways. Let yourself think it over. You don't need to decide anytime soon. This is the time in your life when you figure out what you want to do with your future. If you decide that joining the family business isn't for you, then that is your choice. While I would like for you to be a part of that world, it is not my place to tell you what to do with your life."

She pauses, relaxing her serious expression. "That being said, go and find the beautiful young woman who was just here. She would like to speak with you as well."

"Now isn't the time," I say, shaking my head. "Although, I would like to know why she was here. That can wait, though."

"If you go see her now, your questions will be answered."

"Those questions can wait. Mom, I don't even know what college I'm going to, let alone what I want to do after that."

"Well, you better start thinking. I thought you were the type who was on top of these things. The college part, that is. Like I said, you can wait until farther into your studies to make a final say about what to do with yourself after you graduate."

"I've been under the assumption that I would be going to a school in Hong Kong."

"That's a bit close minded," my mother said in a voice that is dangerously close to teasing, something she isn't big on. "You can go to school anywhere you would like. For all I care, you can go abroad if that's what you want. Oh, but don't think that this means you can do whatever you want. I expect you to maintain proper manners and not go thinking you're just doing everything for the fun of it."

"I know the purpose of going to school, mother." It's all I can manage to think of saying in the moment, because, honestly, the woman before me is filling my head with questions and possibilities that weren't there before today.

"Good, in that case, we are done here. Now, go and do what I've told you to do."

"Why are you so hung up on Sakura, mom? She rejected me. I'm still dealing with it, and I really don't need to talk to her this soon after everything that has happened."

"Just listen to me, Xiao Lang. Your mother knows what she's doing."

I sigh reluctantly, but decide it best to just give in. There's no talking my way out of something when she has her heart or mind set on it. In this case, it seems she has both.

"Fine. I'll go and see her, but, mom, please don't go getting your hopes up about Sakura. She's a great person, and it seems like you hit it off again, but she's made it clear we don't have a future."

"Go talk to her, Xiao, Lang." I think I see a twinkle in my mother's eye, but her face remains emotionless.. "I'll still be here when you get back."

"Alright," I say. I get up and head to the door. Just before I head out the door, I lean into the family room for one last time before leaving. "Thank you, mom."

The ghost of a smile graces her lips.

Sakura's POV

Syaoran arrives at my house around an half an hour after I leave his. For that half hour, all I can do is pace up and down the main hallway until my feet are sore. Yelan said she would send Syaoran over as soon as she was finished saying whatever she needed to. Although I had no idea how long that would be, seeing as I didn't even know what they were talking about, so I wound up even more worried. My stomach has been in knots the entire time.

Touya, who's off for the weekend, gets annoyed with the relentless pacing and snaps at me several times. When my father arrives home, I almost pounce on him. I yank open the door before he has even finished trying to unlock it, then try to tackle him. Once my brain has had the adequate time to process everything, though, I let him go and proceed to force him inside the house, closing the door after him.

"I'm expecting someone to be dropping by," I rapidly explain.

"Daidouji?" he inquires.

"Li Syaoran. No time to explain."

Of course there's plenty of time to explain. Or perhaps there really is none at all. I haven't any clue. All I know is that he's coming, and when he does show up, I'm going to be here waiting.

True to my intentions, when someone knocks on the door half an hour later, I'm there in seconds to greet them. Sure enough, waiting on the other side is exactly who I want to see.

"Syaoran!" Relieved and eager, I brace myself on against the frame and lean past the door.

"Uh–Hey" Unsure how to begin, he says unsurely, "Apparently you have something to say to me?"

"Yes! I-I do." Oh gosh. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought. "I... Well, I was talking to your mom and-"

"Why were you at my house?"

"That? Um, it started when Wei called me and said that the 'Madame' was there and that she wished to speak to me, so I rushed over."

"Just like that?"

"Yeah... Anyways, we talked about... about you." I look down involuntarily.

"Oh great," he grumbles. I look up to find him running a hand through his hair as he looks off down the street. "Why does she have to do these things?" He focuses on me again with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry about that. She doesn't know about-" The sadness that appears in Syaoran's beautiful amber pools then makes my heart ache. All I want to do is make it go away so that he's his usual strong, confident self.

"Actually," I begin, "that's one of the things we talked about."

The sadness morphs into a form of dread. "Oh," he says, making a face. "You didn't..."

Worried I crossed some sort of line, I quickly apologize. "Sorry, should I not have?"

He hesitates a bit. "She was going to find out one way or another. I wasn't expecting you to be the one to tell her. You don't need to be sorry, though. If anything, I should apologize that you had to go through that with her. Had I known she was going to do something like this, I would have explained the situation to her before she could drag you into it."

Something about the way he says it makes my heart clench. "Aren't I already involved, though?"

He seems surprised. "Sakura..." He says it like he wants me to understand, then he gesture at the air between us.

"What?"

He sighs and shakes his head, running a hand through his hair. "Sakura, you made it pretty clear the other day what our relationship is. There was no reason for you to feel like you needed to talk to my mother. Honestly, you probably shouldn't have, because now she seems to be rather fond of you."

"Am I missing something here? How is that a bad thing? Aren't we still friends?"

I'm not prepared for the silence that follows that question.

A long, mortifying moment passes and the entire time my heart is pounding, and I feel like I'm going to be sick.

"Syaoran! We're still friends, right?"

"Of course we are." He doesn't quite meet my eyes, though. And before I can say anything to protest, he backs away from the door and starts to turn. "Look, I came here because my mom thought you wanted to say something to me. Whatever it is, though, if it can wait, I'm really tired and all of this is just..." Sounding genuinely exhausted, he pleads, "I've about reached my limit, so if it's not too important, can we just talk about it some other day?"

Nervous and ashamed of myself, I stumble to try and speak, but Syaoran never gives me the chance.

I've watched Syaoran go many times. Not once has his departure from my presence been pleasant, yet none of those times I was able to stop him. And those few moments before I go racing out the door after him, I feel nothing but utter shame and weakness. The past has been filled with regret and longing.

Well, I'm done with that. My mother died before her fortieth birthday. She had so much more life she could've lived. Still, when she went, she was happy because she told us she had no regrets.

To hell with having regrets. It's time to take a leap of faith.

So I do just that. I take a leap of faith. A leap of faith in the form of kicking off my indoor slippers and sprinting out my front door.

I jump over the steps in front of the house. I nearly crash into the gate at the bottom of the driveway, and when I finally round the corner at the end of our street, I don't hesitate to shout out the name of the one I love.

"Syaoran!"

A few feet ahead, Syaoran stops, mid-stride, and turns to face me. I can't imagine what I look like in my disheveled clothes and bare feet, but the expression I receive gives me a general idea of what Syaoran must be seeing. I ignore the shock and concern in his wide eyes, though.

"I'm sorry, but this cannot wait until another time. I need to say this now and just hope that it's not too late, because if I don't say it now, I don't know if I ever will. So just listen to me at least. Please? That's all I'm asking."

He manages a nod.

"Okay." I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. "I... I'm not good at letting people in, Syaoran. You already know that, but I'm serious. Even now after everything we've been though, I still have trouble letting you in. But... But if I'm going to let anyone in, I want that person to be you."

"What are you trying to tell me right now, Sakura?"

"I'm trying to tell you that if you're still willing to give me a chance, then I want to give this a shot. I love you, Syaoran," I heave. "I'm sorry it's taken me so long to realize what I want and what I'm willing to sacrifice, but I think I have now. I don't want to live a life of regrets. So, if I'm not too late..." I don't finish.

Syaoran contemplates, eyeing me very seriously. He doesn't look mad, just contemplative. "A few days ago you were quite literally pushing me away. What changed since then?"

"Your mother talked some sense into me." I laugh weakly, my throat tight.

"And now you suddenly want to be in a relationship. Just like that?"

I hesitate. "It's crazy and sudden. I know. And I'm still scared, but... I know you, Syaoran. I know how strong you make me feel because when you're there, I can see through all the bad things. You're my best friend, but you're also more than just that. You're someone I can actually see myself wanting to be with not just until we have a fight or drift apart. I've never felt like this before, and..." I raise my head high, trying not to crumble. Looking down again, I bite my lip and force out my words. "It scares me, Syaoran. I thought that by staying away from you, that fear would go away, but it doesn't. I just want to go to you, because you're always there for me to make things better. Which makes everything so much more complicated and real. My feelings are real. I've said it once already and I'll say it again. I love you. And I'll keep saying it if that's what it takes. I love you, Syaoran, and I want to be with you."

The silence following is agonizing. I keep my gaze firmly fixated on Syaoran. His expression expression has become unreadable.

Then he takes a step towards me. My eyes follow him until he's right in front of me, and I have to crane my neck to look up at him. Not a word is said as he encloses his arms around my shoulders and pulls me so that I fall against his chest.

"Syaoran?" I try to bring myself far enough from him to see his face, but he brings a hand up, running against my hair, to keep prevent the movement. The tip of his nose and lips press against the top of my head.

"For as much as I love you, there are time's I can't stand your stupidity."

My body tenses; however, I let my eyes fall shut and my arms rise to hold onto the back of his shirt.

"If we do this, then we're going to do it together. No more of your ideas on how to protect us, okay?"

I find myself smiling as I nod willingly against him. "Okay."

"No more running. I trust you, Sakura, and I want you to trust me just as much. I will never hurt you."

It takes almost all of my will not to cry. Happiness and relief crash down on me like a tidal wave, draining my energy, but in the haze, when Syaoran allows me to move freely, I surge forward without a thought in my mind. My fingertips glide over his jaw and suddenly he's kissing me back. Neither of us is very urgent, but there's a tenderness that's never been there before. I find myself involuntarily humming against his lips. There's not a doubt in my mind. I love this person.

Eventually, I come to my senses and pull away, covering my mouth shamefully. "Sorry," I mumble.

Syaoran shakes his head. "Don't be." He leans down and rests his forehead against mine. Looking into my eyes, he smiles and says something that makes my heart flutter even more than it was before. "I won't mind if you do that more from now on."

Giggling happily, I allow Syaoran to guide my lips back to his in a slow, gentle kiss.

The next day, Meiling, Syaoran, and I all get on a train first thing in the morning and head into Tokyo for the last day before Meiling and Yelan have leave for Hong Kong. Syaoran told me that it was Meiling's idea, but I didn't really buy it until we met at the station and she smiled at me and told me she wasn't sure I'd show up knowing she'd invited me. That was when I first started to look at Meiling in a different light.

Now, as we stand beside each other at the top of the Tokyo Tower, I'm beginning to think that my first impression of Meiling was all wrong.

"You really love him, don't you, Meiling?"

At this, she turns to me. After a moment of studying me, a smile breaks out on her face, and she turns back to the city stretched out beneath us. "Syaoran is my oldest friend. Closest, too, even if he doesn't know it. So, yes, I love him very much. The way I see it, I'm lucky just to know him, and my being related to him makes me proud to bare the last name 'Li'." Meiling turns to face me again, the same great big smile on her face as she declares, "So if you plan on hurting him ever again, I'll pummel you." Her eyes soften, and she surprises me as she stretches out her hand and says compassionately, "But if you're really serious about loving him, then I guess I'll have to put up with you. Friends?"

Even though her choice of words isn't the most welcoming, I can sense how earnest she is. I don't hesitate to take her hand. Something tells me I'll be getting to know this girl much better as time passes. It makes smile just to think about, and Meiling smiles with me all the while. By the time Syaoran arrives carrying three soda cans, we're a giggling mess. He doesn't question it, though. He just smiles with us and from then on the air around us seems to become lighter.

The following day I accompany Syaoran and Wei to the airport to see of Syaoran's mother and cousin. Meiling, to my surprise, takes me by the shoulders, looks at me intensely for a moment, then nods as if deciding on something. "Alright, when I get back, I'm going to start writing to you, Sakura. I want an answer to each one of my letters. Oh, and from now on call me 'Meiling'. We're gonna become close. I can just feel it." Then she hugs me, and skips over to Syaoran who's watching us with fond eyes.

"Miss Kinomoto."

I look over and am surprised to find Yelan standing before me, her hair pulled back in the business fashion I saw it in as a child.

"I know it's late, and pardon my poor timing, but I feel I should apologize for the incident that occurred all those years ago. I insisted my son return home to me despite knowing the circumstances of your mother's illness. At the time, all I was able to see was two children who were acting childish; however, as time has passed, I've begun to see things differently. I'm sorry for what happened to your mother. She had to have been a strong and kind woman to have given birth to such wonderful daughter. I'd like to have met her."

Yelan's speech leaves me not knowing what to say. She seems to understand, though. Rather than waiting for me to speak, she bows her head respectfully, turns, and leaves me with a weight-lifting sense of closure.

"Alright, so I'm thinking a shade of deep blue for this next one. I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it considering it doesn't seem to be your favorite color."

Syaoran leans forward from his place behind me. "Why not an emerald green?"

Of course. Green as always. Well, at least I can count on him for his honest opinion.

"Okay, I think I see where your going with this, but maybe a forest green instead of emerald," I suggest.

"Same thing, right?" he jokes.

I smile over my shoulder at him, and rise to get the paints.

Syaoran and I have been 'together' for around two and a half months now, and he's still his usual, teasing self. There are times when he's much more genuine and caring, though. Not that he wasn't before, but there isn't an awkward tension or need to hold back like before we were a couple. In addition, the more time we spend together, the more open it feels like we are with each other. I never realized how little I knew about Syaoran until he really opened up to me and told me some of his hopes and fears. He'd become far more human within the first few weeks of our relationship than he was in the years of knowing him.

One night in particular stands out in my mind as being when I felt like I was really getting to know the human soul beyond just the personality and characteristics. It was maybe a month ago, and we decided to humor my dad by having dinner all together. That night we all sat around a table and ate and talked and laughed. After dinner, I walked Syaoran out to say goodnight, and he seemed distant. He didn't speak until I'd asked him what was on his mind. I'd only ever heard Syaoran speak of his father once in all the time I knew him and it was simply to explain that he had passed away when Syaoran was just an infant, so when he smiled at me with sorrowful amber eyes and told me he thought it must be nice to have father like the one I had, it left me stunned.

I waited a moment before asking, "Do you miss him?"

"Well, it's hard to miss someone I never knew, but I sometimes wish that I could've at least met him."

"Doesn't your mom talk about him?"

"Not really. She's willing to talk about him when I ask or he comes up in conversation, but she never goes out of her way to mention him."

He stood there staring off into the distance while he spoke. After some time, he came back to me, meeting my gaze. His eyes were tired and his expression was soft. It was at that moment that I gave him a gentle smile, lifted my hands to his face, and kissed him delicately on the lips. The brief action brought a caring smile to Syaoran's face. When he said goodnight, he kissed me on the cheek, squeezed my hand, and left without another word.

"Hey, Sakura, you still haven't shown me all of your paintings."

I whip my head to where Syaoran is, pulling myself back to reality. "Huh?"

"Your paintings. A few months ago, you mentioned letting me see them when you were ready." He smiles playfully. "Still not willing to show me all the times you've painted me?"

I flush. "No! Gosh. Honestly, I kinda forgot about that. If you still want to see them, I can show you some time. Hey, you can even help me get them all back home before the year ends," I offer.

"Subtle," he says sarcastically. "But I'm interested, so count me in. You're cutting it a bit close, though, don't you think? This is our last week. We're about to graduate."

"I know, I know. I should've transported them as I finished them... They're kinda big, though. I didn't want to carry an entire canvas out of the building and down the streets. Not to mention I have work after school just about every day."

"Excuses," Syaoran proclaims, but there's a smile lighting up his face as he says it. "I can have Wei bring the car after school one day this week. Whenever works for you."

"As a matter of fact, I only work two days this week, so Wednesday or sometime after that. Wei won't mind?"

"Nah. Ever since Meiling left, I think he's been getting lonely during the day. Probably why he spends most of it out with the guys from his cooking class."

"Wei takes a cooking class?" I laugh.

Syaoran cocks his head to the side. "I've never told you? He decided to sharpen his skills and hopefully be able to make some friends while he was at it. Plus he want's to be as good as me some day."

"Oh," I smirk, "did he tell you that himself?"

Syaoran just shakes his head. Smiling, he walks over to me and takes my hands, guiding me back to a seat. "No, but you have to admit that it's a realistic theory."

I swat his shoulder playfully and step around him to the paints. "That ego of yours is going to get you in trouble one day."

"I can be perfectly humble when it suits me."

"Yeah," I agree, gazing over my shoulder at him for a moment. "I can't deny that."

Syaoran must guess what I'm thinking, because he comes up behind me and pulls me into his arms while I'm still dispensing the paint.

"Syaoran!" I try my best to sound serious, but it comes out as a playful laugh instead.

"Hm?" He rests his chin on my shoulder.

"If I spill this paint, I'm blaming you."

Vibrations travel across my shoulders as Syaoran chuckles. "Fair enough." Then he leans his face and presses his lips into the side of my neck. The paint is spilling onto my hand before I can even register that I've lost control and focus of the task.

I grumble, pulling out of Syaoran's arms.

"Whoops," is all that the guilty party says.

"Did you do that on purpose?"

At the silence, the answer becomes clear.

"I have half a mind to ruin yet another shirt of yours."

Syaoran's eyes fill with mirth. "I'm starting to think you have something against my shirts."

I roll my eyes, pretending not to notice the obvious way that he's getting closer to me.

"In fact," he says, casually catching me around the waist, "I'm inclined to think you'd rather I not even wear a shirt at all."

His flirtatious voice and suggestive words make my body drift towards his, but I force myself to stay focused. Two can play at that game.

"You know what, Syaoran." I bring my hands to take hold of his collar, push myself onto the tips of my toes, and whisper into his ear, "You might be on to something there."

Then I pull him down even farther until his lips find mine. He doesn't resist, and I know that I have him wrapped around me finger.

With the pleased and amused thought in my head, I manage to kiss Syaoran for a few seconds before I have to pull away so that I can get on with the laughing fit that's aching to be let out. As I step back and get to examine my work and Syaoran's dumbstruck look, it just leads to another wave of hysteria.

When Syaoran's expression morphs into a puppy dog look of sadness, betrayal, and rejection, I decide to take pity on him and point down to his shirt.

"Sorry, Syaoran. I couldn't help myself."

As soon as he sees the green stains from where my fingers gripped his collar, he curses. He snatches a paper towel in a fatal attempt to remove the smears, but to little success. Sighing, he tosses the towel into the trash.

"You clever little minx."

I take a humble bow. "Why thank you. I take pride in my work."

Still, when Syaoran gazes sadly down at the ruined white dress shirt, I take pity on him. "Syao..." I move in front of him and twine my fingers with his. "I'm sorry I ruined your shirt."

He just sighs and redirects his attention to me. "It doesn't really matter. I have another at home, and there's only a few days left that I have to wear it anyway. Besides," he leans down so that our foreheads rest against each other's, "you more than compensated for it."

A warm, fuzzy feeling rises within my chest. "I love you, Syaoran."

"And I love you, Sakura," he whispers, lips upturned.

I close the distance then, or maybe we both do. I'm not really sure, but suddenly his lips are moving against mine and as the seconds tick by, I feel a hand cup my cheek and another at the back of my waist.

Caged butterflies flutter around within my stomach and my head starts going fuzzy. Then...

Ring!

Syaoran and I jump apart at the sound of the bell.

"Crap." I cover my swollen lips, frantically going to grab my things.

"Totally forgot about that," Syaoran mumbles, snatching up his bag and pausing to wait for me at the door. I dart over to the door, grab Syaoran's hand, and pull us through.

"How long do we have?"

"At least four minutes. If we hurry, I doubt anyone will notice that we're the last in."

When we reach our classroom three minutes later and open the door, it's clear that we have been noticed. At least by Mr. Terada, who eyes Syaoran's shirt collar suspiciously, his eyes not missing the paint now dried to my hands. He raises an eyebrow, shakes his head, and gestures for us to go get cleaned up. I nod respectfully just before Syaoran guides me out the door. We spend the entire walk down the hall trying to contain our laughter, and when we return to class nearly ten minutes after the final bell, Terada remains silent, but the rest of our class, especially the people we know (Tomoyo), eye us warily. We take our seats without a word.

For the hour and a half that follows, I gaze out the window and think of all the thing that have changed since this time last year. I've made so many new friends and had so many experiences I never would have had without them. My father has sobered up and now holds a steady job. Touya and I have never been closer. Tomoyo has found the person she loves more than anyone else... And so have I. He's sitting right behind me at this very moment the same as he has been for the past twelve months.

To think none of this would have happened if it hadn't been for that fateful day a month before midterms when my homeroom teacher pulled me aside after class and told me that my arch enemy and former best friend was going to be tutoring me every morning. All because I got too caught up in a painting, and Syaoran coincidentally had trouble with his alarm clock the very same day.

The world works in tricky ways, but somehow it has gotten me here to this moment.

And that's how it ends. I tried to wrap most of the loose ends up and give it a feeling of closure. I hope that you all have enjoyed the story as well as the journey we went through to get here. Honestly, I don't have too many things to say. I would, however, like to officially thank each and every single person who took the time to read my work. And to everyone who reviewed, you guys are how I stay so motivated. Thank you for the support.

I will change the story's status to 'Complete' after I post this, and from there we will see how things go. I've talked a lot about doing an edit, and I still would like to, but I'm probably going to take some time off. If anyone out there is really interested in an edit, then let me know, and I'll factor it into my decision on what I want to do. Hopefully the site will let me change the status again... All so new to me.

Okay, well, I think that's about it. Each one of you now may have a virtual cupcake made by yours truly, and then you can go and continue in the wonderful world of fanfiction. May each and every one of you find as many great stories as you can. There's a lot of them, so have a blast.

Goodbye, Everyone!

MajesticPurpleCupCake