A Trapped Sakura

Chapter Fourteen:

AN: I'm sure you'd all like to sink your teeth into me. I know, I know, I'm a veteran reader, so BELIEVE me; I hate authors who never update. But I swear it's all the occasional reviews and wonderful feedback that makes me cry and feel guilty enough to write. That and the fact that you have my slightly neurotic/sex-fiend boyfriend to thank. After reading this, (he lives in Germany now) he express mailed me a pair of his boxers, white, with "UPDATE YOUR FICS, BECAUSE YOU NEVER FINISH WHAT YOU START, YOU WHORE!" scribed on them, so I figured I may as well get my lazy butt to work. Since school started, it's been hard, and after this it may be harder. But I'll work my buttentocks off for all of you! I love you all sooooo much, and I'm so happy you all think I have some grain of talent in a sea of talent so great on this site. So I thank you in the bottom of my heart. And the end is coming. Sadly! But I have a new fic lined up after this one that I think will take the cake in originality. I hope anyways. Oh yeah, and don't sue me kay? Cos you know, I'm a bum and I have nothing to offer but my soul. And the man-thong I'm going to mail back to my German Lover with "LOOK WHO'S THE WHORE NOW!" attached as a note :P

Heart and soul,

Kurai-Tenshi of Doom

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Sakura whirled around in her kimono as offered by Li. He re-entered the room and stopped upon seeing her. Sakura blushed timidly under his gaze, the only thing coming to her mind his strong lips and the smooth taste he'd given her. It was probably all she'd ever think about for the rest of the day. She shook her head and stuttered if it was okay. Li nodded like a puppet, then pulled himself together and the "General Li" (as she'd taken to calling his colder side) re-emerged. Sakura knew enough by now that this was only a façade he put up to hide any real emotions.

She wondered about it only for a second as Li murmured: "That was my mother's." Sakura sensed there was something she was supposed to say with this admission. Something like this was not easy for him to say, she knew that now after the short time spent with him. She wondered why he'd shared this with her. "I'm honoured to carry on her name." Sakura answered, quietly, not sure if it was the right thing to say. Apparently it was, for Li looked back to her and held out his hand for her to take.

Sakura, still not used to the small gestures of compassion he showed her this morning since their little mouth escapade just a few hours ago, felt the blood rushing to her face again, but she eagerly entwined her fingers in his with an odd feeling of comfort. It seemed to fit so perfectly. She once again felt like all the little things in her and the Chinese new-king matched. He should be her enemy. The small part in her mind that screamed this was loud and demanding, but that kept growing smaller each time she looked deep into his eyes. She still wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not.

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It was an odd ceremony. People gathered around the pyre of the king, who looked even more formidable in death, and in the front stood the prince dressed cleanly and sharply. Sakura and Tomoyo stood off to the side, hidden, but apparent. Eriol stood with them. He was watching everything around Li as he was entered into the graces of royalty. Many of the other nobles and subjects had whispered nasty little rumours upon seeing Tomoyo and Sakura brought in with Li and Eriol, dressed nicely at that, and sitting up front. It was Sakura who felt the disturbance. The chirping was her first sign. She turned slightly and saw perched on one of the high windows of the great hall a cardinal.

Warnings flashed in her mind and she whispered to Tomoyo who, in turn, relayed it to Eriol. Eriol's usual smile disappeared as he dragged his dagger from his belt, eyes narrowed and darting around the large hall as he was so well-trained to do. Tomoyo looked nervous, so she moved closer to Sakura hoping to offer some protection to the small girl. Sakura was watching Li.

His warrior senses told him something was amiss. He kept his eyes forward, using his years of training to his advantage. Then, it happened so fast, Sakura could barely even account for what had happened later.

There was a whistling noise like something cutting through air, and Eriol had grabbed Tomoyo, who had grabbed Sakura and they all tumbled off to the side as Eriol cried: "Li!" Li whipped around and snatched the dagger from mid-air. Eriol released Tomoyo telling her to stay down as shrieks and screams were heard from others' attending the ceremony.

Jumping up, the sorcerer released his magick. A flame-like whip curled from his fingers and shot at the great balcony where a shadowy form took the brunt of the blow. Then Li was calling out his own magick and the dagger, now coated in flame made its way back to the figure. But it embedded itself into the wall, hitting only shadows of perhaps what had once been there. The would-be assassin had vanished.

Eriol turned back to Li as his guards approached. But Li was only concerned with Sakura. He rushed to her side and demanded if she was safe. She nodded, still shaking as he helped her stand. "Thanks to Eriol." She whispered, strength of voice deserting her in her moment of shock. Li nodded and gave Eriol a look that showed his relief of his existence. So little people received that look, but Eriol accepted it with the grace of someone who truly understood the implications of it. Tomoyo cast her eyes towards him, seemingly, and uncomfortably, aware of the fact that his first reaction had been towards her and not his king, to whom he owed his allegiance on pain of death. Then his kiss came to her mind and she focused back onto Sakura.

Chaos surrounded them as the monk on the podium who had been initiating Li attempted to regain order. Nobles were crying out and two or three screams were heard. "Did we send someone after him?" Li asked Eriol, the "General" brimming in his eyes. Eriol motioned to the doors and took notice of the guards he had placed there. They had taken off as soon as the ominous shadow had disappeared, no doubt in search of the figure.

Sakura watched Li as he strode onto the platform, raised his hands over his head and boomed: "Silence!" The hall went deathly still. "Everyone will calmly exit and we will re-admission this occurrence and the proper burning of my father's body in just a few hours once my men have returned to me and informed me of the safety of another gathering." His eyes seemed to meet and pierce through everyone assembled in the hall and more then a few darted from the too-powerful gaze or squirmed under it. If they had doubted the power of their new king they did so no longer. The demonstration of magick and authority was enough to silence his pompous critics.

There were hushed mumbles and whispers as everyone filed out back through the castle. Li moved back to Sakura and Eriol's side. "Eriol, get them out of here." And he strode past. Sakura tried to ignore the pang in her chest at his dismissal, and she forced herself to remember that was the way he was. Then it hit her. He was a king now. No longer a general, but as king to be worshipped, as ordained by the Gods he ruled his people. She suddenly felt a million miles away from him, and at the pace he was pacing away from them without an acknowledgement towards her made her wonder how long that was going to remain figurative.

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"Please Sakura-chan; cheer up, Li-sama is just preoccupied." Tomoyo attempted to comfort her when they were back in Li's room. "Tomoyo…I'm in love with him. I'm in love with the man that destroyed my people; I'm in love with my should-be enemy. And just the thought of him being any of those things, him accepting responsibility as he did today, only serves to remind me that this won't work out. It's impossible." Tomoyo sucked in a breath through her pursed lips.

"All right Saku-chan, I'm sick of this!" Sakura's submissive eyes which had watched the sheets beneath her so intensely moved to a furious Tomoyo in surprise at her passionate outburst.

"You're in love with him? Then tell him! Don't let him get away from you! When he comes back here, when you see him again, let him know you're in love with him! Let him know you want to spend the rest of your life by his side! And let him know that you're strong enough to take the responsibility that comes along with being his wife! You're both baka! You don't see what's right in front of you!" Tomoyo's emblazoned eyes cooled slightly when she finished and after she saw Sakura's shock.

It was her turn to watch the sheets. "Sorry, it's just…you can't get anything, or get anywhere unless you speak up. You can only loose him if you allow yourself to." "And you are now a hypocrite Tomoyo-chan?" The raven-haired girl's eyes sharply focused on Sakura. "What are you saying?" Her voice was edgy. Sakura giggled. "Don't ask me, ask Eriol." She winked at Tomoyo's blush. Every time that bastard sorcerer's name was mentioned she flared up! Why!

"You'll pay for that Saku-chan!" Tomoyo cried and lunged at the girl, fingers deftly finding every spot that made her shriek in laughter. They continued on like this until they both fell onto the bed exhausted. "Tomoyo-chan, as long as I have you I can do anything. I realise what faces me now is rebuilding my country, and helping Li-sama rule his own. I have no idea how I'm going to do this, but if I have you and Syaoran-sama and Eriol-sama I think I can do it."

Her face hardened in determination and Tomoyo allowed herself momentary awe of her life-long friend. Such strength was in this small woman, who only a few short months ago, had been so docile and timid! "No, I can do it and I will. But I suppose I have to inform him he's going to spend the rest of his life with me, nya?" They burst into laughter.

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"She knows something Li. I think she's waking up bit by bit. The cardinal is an obvious sign of the crack in everything." Li cast his eyes to Eriol. He perched atop his royal war-horse majestically next to an intimidating Eriol, if not for his steed, but for the way he carried himself and the matching of the jet-black beast to darkness-envied master. Li absorbed his words.

Sakura. He wanted to say her name aloud, but feared breaking the spell his heart was under at the moment. "What should we do Li? You've been trying to break her spell for too-long. If we wait any longer this will become permanent. Then the Cards will never re-awaken and we will all be trapped forever. He will win." Li's eyes darted to Eriol, who, like him, kept his intense gaze on the line of trees just in the distance. They watched their men ransack the forest looking for any sign of the assassin.

"I've fallen in love with her Eriol. I know we were sent to do this because we share some of the Clow, and were ordered to redeem it from her, but now…" he trailed off. Surprisingly, Eriol did not reprimand him as he expected.

"Li, you have too long guarded that block of ice you call a heart. And I have given mine away as well. It seems the two were a do-in for us both." Li turned to look at him, not sure if he was hearing correctly. Tomoyo had managed to subdue the infamous play-boy Eriol Hirigizawa? Then again, he could see why. She was rather beautiful, seemed a little too-intelligent and dealt with Eriol's mischievous ways rather well. In fact, because they were such opposites, they seemed to pair. And yet, as he thought, he and Sakura were rather different as well.

She was shy and innocent, he was bold and fierce, she was sweet and kind, he cruel and uncompassionate. She was everything he wanted to be. But that wasn't why he'd fallen in love with her. It also wasn't the pretty bordering on beauty that she possessed, although that helped. There was something more about her, something that struck some odd place in his chest, and even soul, that he had never felt stricken before. Like whenever she was near this odd string in him was plucked.

He had felt it the first moment he had swept her into his arms on the battlefield. Then his thoughts and eyes darkened. Could she, would she, ever forgive his partaking in that? He had killed none, and made sure none of his men had done so either, no rapes had taken place, very few robberies, but the army and family had, supposedly, been slaughtered. His father and his father's army had killed her family.

He had never felt guilty for any of the blood on his hands, or the hands of those he controlled, but now, for the first time in his life, he wished with all his soul he could take it all back. "Go back to her Li. I've got this under control." Li almost started; he had forgotten Eriol was at his side. The darker man wasn't looking at him, but his face seemed to hold that all-powerful knowing look he demonstrated whenever he said something too-insightful about Li.

"Stop doing that you bastard." He said a sigh in his voice. Eriol smirked. "Never." "You know, the little fire-fox is waiting on you as well." Li called over his shoulder as he wheeled his powerful mount around and headed back towards his castle and the love of his life. Eriol's laughter followed him there.

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(WARNING! LEMON! ALL THOSE WHO DON'T WISH TO READ….WELL…DON'T!)

Sakura jumped when the knock sounded on the door. Li. She felt it resolutely. Tomoyo's earlier words echoed through her mind. Her face flushed involuntarily. "Come in!" she called. Her voice sounded high-pitched and nervous. Tomoyo had left just a few minutes prior, saying she needed to clean up Eriol's room a bit, but when Sakura had coyly suggested that she was just waiting for him to come back and dirty it up, she had flushed and swatted her indignantly.

Li seemed drawn and anxious. His face was a cold wall as usual, but Sakura was proud to say she saw right through it. He walked to her side, paces even, yet rushed. He stopped with his legs pressing against the edge of the bed and stared down at her. His gaze didn't intimidate her as it did others'. She kept his and suddenly launched herself into his arms. "Syaoran, I was so terrified!"

Then tears slipped through closed eyes and stuck to long, sooty eyelashes. He smiled and sat down, oddly pulling her onto his lap. She clung to him tightly, the nightgown she had changed into riding up slightly. The simple slip was ever-so-slightly revealing and yet, she had worn it, for once, so that he would notice it. This new odd feeling of self-awareness had frightened her slightly, but she had the vaguest feeling she would soon understand fully the odd burning in the pit of her stomach and lower when she thought of Li's sweet kiss.

He held her tightly, and of course she was completely unaware of how aware of her he was. He was trying very hard not to begin ravishing her mouth in the same way he wanted to ravish her body, but that damned night-gown made it very, very hard (AN: No pun intended ;) ).

"I love you."

Sakura gasped and Li pulled back to gaze into her eyes. They had both spoken when they had felt the time was right, and as a result the words had been whispered from both pairs of lips. Sakura looked bewildered, Li awed. For once his façade dropped for longer then a few moments and Sakura treasured it. "You do?" Again, synchronised. Then Li smiled and Sakura laughed. "Before we-" she started, but her words were cut off as Li's still-smiling lips pressed to hers' indignantly, this time the kiss filled with something more demanding then just a gentle sweetness.

Sakura was slightly taken-aback, but when Li's tongue traced her lips she gasped and he took this as an invitation. She wasn't aware his tongue was in her mouth until his hands slipped around her waist and pulled her even tighter against him. She tried responding back, timidly, her own tongue venturing out. Another growl, much like the one from earlier that morning met her lips and she smiled against his lips.

She felt his hands moving up her sides and almost giggled, but held it back. The heat radiating from his hands scorched her skin under the flimsy gown. His hands curled into the fabric. "This is in the way…" he growled, breaking the kiss. Sakura's mind was fogged, but she was aware of where this was going.

"Syaoran…will you marry me?"

She had shocked and awed him once again. His eyes met hers' in disbelief. He watched her for a moment, then his face changed. "Of course Sakura, I thought you'd never ask." And Sakura squealed and pelted his face with kisses. Li laughed, perhaps the first true laugh in such a long time, and grabbed hold of her around the waist, moving her from his lap to underneath him on the bed.

Sakura was smiling and crying at once, the tears barely formed from just moments ago now dripping down her face. Li kissed them away and ran his hands through her hair. "If I couldn't be near you for the rest of my life, I don't know what I'd do." He whispered and Sakura flushed. Her heart was thumping madly. The odd ache in her was getting stronger and stronger. His hands were moving up her again, and his lips moved to her neck. She gasped and craned her neck up so he could get better access.

She didn't know when she lost the night-gown but it happened at some point and then her hands were fumbling with the tight buttons on Li's jacket until it came off and his chest was open to her. He was staring down at her and her up at him. "You're so beautiful." His words were so sentimental and soulful she felt herself falling in love with him all over again. And she un-tensed slightly.

Her virginal shyness had acted up as his kisses moved to her collarbone and he bit his way along it, but soon she was too wrapped up in kissing his shoulders as he moved lower and lower. Finally he did something she didn't know was possible. His lips touched the top of her breast and lowered. She cried out when he took it into his mouth, but she was soon overcome with passion and her nails dug into his back.

Then her hands were fumbling with the bottoms. He had to help her slip them off and they were rather awkward for a moment before they came off and Sakura viewed him for the first time. Her eyes widened in fear for a moment before he whispered softly in her ear. His kisses soon calmed her down.

Until a finger slipped inside her. Then her eyes flew open in pain and she cried out. His other hand stroked her hair and he kissed her softly. Soon she moaned, and then another finger, then another and finally there was almost no pain. He positioned himself over her and asked huskily if she were ready. She bit her lip, but looked up to him with loving and trusting eyes.

He slid inside her ever-so-gently. She knew pain again, but only for a moment, then he moved in a bit deeper, and there was more pain, until he pushed inside of her all the way. She screamed. Li covered her mouth with his own and waited for her to adjust to him.

Soon she acknowledged the pain had turned to pleasure and she moaned to let him know. He pulled out, then in again. He had never felt such euphoria in his life. He knew, after this, he could have no other, for he would always be thinking about her.

Soon his patterns were shared between the two and they moved as one, until Sakura screamed and her back arched high above the sheets and her legs tightened around his waist. Li came with her, and as both slowly rode the waves of passion down from space and back to the bed they clung to each other in, Li acknowledged that he was finally, truly, happy.

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The sun woke her the next morning. As her eyes blinked open slowly, she stretched slightly, arms rising above her before the feeling of the sheets sliding over her bare skin brought back memories of the previous night. She turned tomato-red and looked to her side. Li was awake and watching her.

"Good morning." He whispered. "Good morning." She whispered back. It felt like if they spoke any louder their voice could break the wonderful peace that coated them. His arms rested on her side, hidden underneath the sheets. "Should we get married today?" he asked her, voice still low and quiet. Sakura shrugged. "When ever is fine with me." he kissed her softly.

"Maybe tomorrow. Today, let's rest. I haven't slept-in in forever." Sakura giggled. "Daisuke, Li-chan." He smiled and Sakura locked it away in her memory. "Daisuke Sakura-chan." And they fell back asleep, each tucked into the other.

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Eriol Hirigizawa snuck back into his room at dawn. Tomoyo was waiting for him. He jumped when she called his name softly. She was sitting on his bed, curled on her side. He sat down next to her. "Tomoyo-san, were you waiting for me?" he asked a tender note in his voice. Unconsciously he ran a hand through silk-resembling hair.

"No! You self-centred prick!" she was obviously lying. "Are you mad at me again?" he tried to sound exasperated, but her enticing dark eyes glaring up at him distracted him. She was far too beautiful for her own good. She "harrumph-ed" in answer. He smiled warmly.

"Will you feel better if I told you you're all I think about?" This shocked her. Then she flushed and punched him lightly in the stomach. "Stop messing with me jerk!" she yelled at him. He sighed, seemingly exasperated.

"Will you stop punching me if I ask you to marry me?" he asked.

She made to punch him again, but his hand, still tangled in her hair, caught her hand and held it. Her eyes flew to his and they widened in surprise when she saw he was serious. "N-Nani?" she gasped.

"Marry me Tomo-chan." He whispered.

Then he leaned over her and laid a quick kiss on her lips. He loved her taste. "Hai." she whispered, eyes closed in contentment. He grinned. "You've just made me the happiest man alive." And he kissed her again, this time gently and in a long, drawn-out fashion. "Iie, more like the luckiest." She giggled, sitting up and hugging him tightly. As the sun rose, Eriol eyed it and thought only one thing: 'It's a new day.'

TBC!

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AN2: Holy crud. That took forever. Sorry it's so short. But…I love you all so dearly. And I guess hope I get more underwear in the mail so I update faster (Derrick, not that I'm telling you to you German-Freak). Whew. So I deserved to be lynched, or stoned or spat on for taking soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo long. It's just, my writing matured so much from when I started writing this, and I felt like to finish it I would need to go back and revise it all, but now I just want to get something up for everyone. So yeah, when I started this I did not plan the lemon. It just came. It'll be my first girl/guy lemon. I'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry if it sucks, is basically what I'm saying. I'm really self-conscious about it, so if you're going to review me, about that in particular, don't flame me, please understand, it's the first I've written and posted. Cut me some slack, I'm begging you. Wow. I really suck for not updating. Really suck. I promise I won't let it go this long next time. I think there are only one or two more chapters in this anyways. We're winding down to the big secret! Dun-dun-dun!

This chapter goes out to: Sensei-sama. You've done so much to support me! And you've been so understanding that I've been an evil dictator and not updated in so long! Thank you eternally! I love you, dearly, not queerly. ;)

AND…..

To everyone else reading this. You are my inspiration, and I mean this with me soul. I only wish it were easier for me to show you how moved I am by you all. (Reviewers, readers, anybody who looks at this really) This has been a loooong project (mainly due to some little happenings called LIFE) and when it's finished I only hope it's more a beginning then an ending.

Love, peace, hope, and freedom to live,

Kurai-Tenshi of Doom ;)