"Dark hair…dark eyes…definitely a scoop! Check out the young hottie!" A blonde girl in braids stage-whispered to her friend. Using her nose, she pointed to a teenager described just like that, leaning on a lamppost.

"Ne, Arisa-chan, he does look cute but he seems to be…emitting off a dangerous aura…a very dangerous one." Her companion, replied, shirking away a bit. Apparently, the guy was not that far away for he heard them, and was glaring at their direction.

"Oh, don't you say that. You know I like a good challenge every now and then. Let's go talk to him, Komari-chan!" The one called Arisa said, her glasses glinting.

"Arisa-chan…I really don't think so."

"Oh come on. Just come with me, I'll be the one to talk to him." Half-dragging Komari, Arisa sauntered towards the guy leaning on the lamppost. And halted. And cursed under her breath.

An embarrassed Komari, who was studiously looking the other way, looked up. "What is it, Arisa-chan?"

"…"

"Louder, Arisa-chan."

"He has a girlfriend. Shit."

Komari looked at the guy's direction and stifled a chuckle. Yup, the guy has a girlfriend. Poor Arisa. She took her friend's elbow and led her away. "Come on, Arisa-chan. Do your guy hunting somewhere else. To a place where dates aren't held, so that you won't mistake a waiting boyfriend for a single dude waiting to be snatched up." She grinned at her friend, who was still gazing backward, forlornly.

"The girl's cute too. She has to have the most startling eye color I've ever seen on a Japanese. They look good together." Arisa sighed and looked forward, then raised a fist in the air. "Ganbatte, Komari-chan, let's go guy hunting in another place!" Then she proceeded to drag Komari to the other direction.

Komari sighed, regretting her suggestion.

----

It took all of Sakura's restraint to stop herself from sticking her tongue at the two girls, especially the blonde one. The nerve of them! Thinking about snatching my boyfriend away, when the girlfriend was right behind them! Good thing I walked faster than them. Hmmph!

But then they really didn't know that he has a girlfriend, and that I am the girlfriend. They…just wanted to check him out. I guess it's my fault because I'm late again? Sakura cringed at her thoughts. She heard a chuckle beside her and found her boyfriend grinning.

"What's so funny?" She asked him a bit crossly.

"You." He answered, a teasing glint in his eyes.

Now Sakura was cross. "What about me?"

He used his forefinger to touch her nose. "You look cute when you're jealous." The grin wouldn't go away.

Damn. He looks so cute when he's grinning and looking sideways at me like that. Sakura thought. Then she remembered that she was supposed to be cross. "I'm not jealous." She declared.

He nodded at her in mock belief. "Yeah, yeah, I know. That's what you said."

Sakura glared at him.

Syaoran burst out in laughter. "I'm sorry. It's just that you looked so cute while walking briskly so that you could get to me first, before those two girls did." He smiled at her, and Sakura found her anger melting away. He took her hand in his and interlaced their fingers. "And you were…glaring. You looked so determined. I feel honored."

Sakura rolled her eyes at him, but her smile was gentle. "Really."

"Yup. Really. But you didn't need to worry," he said, rubbing his thumb on her hand. "I could've just given them the quick cold brush off that is Li Syaoran's trademark." He paused for a while, before another teasing glint came into his eyes, and he added, "Or maybe not. It was fun seeing you get jealous."

Sakura smacked his arm using her other hand. "Syaoran! That was so not funny. You looked like prey to those predators over there."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?!" Sakura said frustrated at his attitude right now.

"Nothing."

Eh? What nothing? I am getting angry…

"…It's just that I don't see you like this often."

"Eh?" Sakura stopped her interior monologue and looked up at him, whose face was now serious.

He looked at her and explained, a small smile on his face. "It's just that usually you're the one who's being treated as prey by the many male predators in our school. And it felt as if I really had to wave that boyfriend flag. It was a bit of a pressure, too, seeing that if we were seen to have a few petty fights, I'm sure they would come rushing to your side trying to comfort you and get in your good favors."

Sakura stared at him, unblinking.

He expelled a breath and said, "Ah, that felt good. I finally told you my worries."

Sakura continued to stare.

"What?" Syaoran said, taken aback by the silence of his usually talkative girlfriend.

A smile slowly worked its way on Sakura's lips. "You know what?" She said, "I feel that way, too."

"No way," Syaoran said in disbelief.

"It's true." Sakura replied, squeezing his hand.

Syaoran smiled at her and felt reassured. They continued to walk, and after a moment Syaoran commented, "So I really am that popular."

Sakura smacked him again, this time on the head.

"That hurt!" He exclaimed, rubbing the spot on his head.

Sakura giggled and said, "Sorry."

Then Syaoran smiled. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For rescuing me from the predators who wanted to eat me before."

Sakura laughed. "Sure, anytime."

"Even if it was your fault, because you were late."

Sakura stuck out her tongue at him and replied, "You know I'm always late! You could have come later, you know."

"Yeah, right. But what if one day you decide to turn out early? By then you'll be the prey and I would have to rescue you. I think it's better if I be the 'damsel' in distress than you." Syaoran joked. He saw Sakura about to open her mouth to retort but he cut her off. "Really, I don't mind." He told her.

Sakura smiled inwardly. That was true. No matter how late I always am for dates, Syaoran doesn't seem to mind. He always patiently waits for me, on time. Even if he could come later, since I am always late, but…

There was silence for a minute before Syaoran noticed that Sakura was staring at him.

"You know, you can wait until we're alone, so that you can stare at me with your full attention. I know I'm handsome." Syaoran said blandly, and waited for his third smack.

It didn't come.

He looked at his girlfriend. She was still staring at him and there was a glint in her eyes that seemed to…unnerve him. He blinked.

"You don't really get this affectionate often." Sakura said, a smile playing on her lips. "I guess I'm glad." She turned the full force of her radiant smile on her boyfriend.

Still unnerved, and thrown off balance by the smile that still sent his whole body tingling all over, Syaoran blinked, and gave her a rather pained smile.

"What?" Sakura asked, confused at the look he was giving her.

He squeezed her shoulder and whispered at her ear, "I was just…surprised by that smile."

Sakuara cocked her head at him, still more confused.

"Your smile."

Sakura blinked, "Shouldn't you be used to me and them by now?"

Syaoran smiled gently, "Nope, I do not think I'll get used to them." He silenced Sakura, who was about to protest, with his forefinger. "Your smile always makes me…shiver. It sends my nerves on a frenzy when you smile your Sakura smile at me. I seem to lose my head around you, from the masked, shielded Syaoran into the carefree, smiling one. After two years of waiting, after four more years of dating, I'm still unused to that smile that leaves me in a shaky yet refreshing state afterwards. Sakura, you're my drug." He smiled at the slightly offended expression in her face but nevertheless continued. "I'm addicted to you. I don't know what will happen to me if I don't see you, if I don't hear your voice, if I can't be with you. I'm sure I'll be going back to the Syaoran before—devoid of anything but the strength and determination to fight, and not having any space in his heart to love." He took a deep breath and chanced a look at her. Her face was softening now. "It's as if you've given me a new life, because of this relationship I have been made into a new Syaoran, a hundred eighty degree turn from who I was before. And it's all because of you." He finished, cupping her face in his hands.

Sakura's eyes were closed, basking in his wonderful words. "That was the most beautiful speech I've ever heard." She murmured.

"It wasn't a speech."

She nodded, her eyes still closed. "I know." His hands left her face and she opened her eyes. They held hands and continued walking together.

"I guess I just love you too much." Syaoran added as an afterthought.

"You guess?" Sakura teased, an eyebrow raised.

Syaoran grinned at her. Sakura smiled back and tightened the grip on their hands.

"Nope, I don't guess. I do." Syaoran reiterated, his grin turning fond.

"Well now, that sounds like something to be said at a wedding altar. I do." Sakura said in a pretend muse.

"Been practicing it?" Syaoran grinned down at her wolfishly.

"Sure, why not, it's every young girl's dream. I do, I do, I do." Sakura said in a most subdued voice.

Syaoran blinked. He wasn't quite certain if Sakura was just joking or if she was indeed serious. They were just…eighteen, he reflected. Legal age, but then we're just kids, for goodness' sake! Is Sakura serious? He looked down at her face, which was looking ahead innocently. I guess I'll just let it slip this time, though how, I don't know.

In the end Syaoran decided that silence was the best course, and silent he remained. But he couldn't help but become wary and fearful of the small amused smile that kept playing at Sakura's lips every now and then, getting bigger and more frequent as the silence droned on. He had the suspicion that he was being played at by his girlfriend.

Sakura was having the best time of her life. Her boyfriend was unnerved at a small, seemingly innocent comment she had just thrown away. He kept casting covert looks at her, and it was all Sakura could do not to laugh aloud her heightening mirth.

They were nearing a secluded place in the park, where hardly anyone passed by. If a person looked closely there was an opening in a hedge that if entered resulted in a small grove made of three cherry trees planted closely together. This was one of Sakura and Syaoran's favorite spots—they could be alone and just bask in each other's company. They had stumbled upon it one bright Saturday afternoon while running away from Tomoyo and her camera, both armed with Spartan determination to record every date the two had. Tomoyo was still Tomoyo, no matter what the years did to her. They had put a mat in the small space between the three trees, and when it was time for them to bloom it was a pretty sight—three big, blooming cherry trees with cherry blossoms saying in the wind, the mat placed between them buried by the fallen blossoms themselves. But somehow, somehow, Sakura and Syaoran still managed to locate the mat, no matter how buried it was.

It was into this opening in the hedge that the boyfriend pulled the girlfriend into, fully determined to stop the wayward smiles of the said girlfriend, attempting to take some revenge, and well, some pleasure out of it, too.

Syaoran pulled Sakura down into the mat, not roughly, and said, "This is my revenge, you naughty girl," and kissed her. When Sakura heard what he said what ill suppressed mirth she possessed she let out full force, but Syaoran would not let her. She soon found herself melting into the kiss, as what she always did whenever Syaoran kissed her. They were together for years, but still she could not help herself whenever he was like this. She forgot her mirth accordingly.

Pulling away from her, Syaoran grinned triumphantly. But when Sakura saw the big grin she remembered what it was all about and collapsed into great gales and guffaws of laughter. Syaoran frowned at her and pulled her into his arms again but Sakura stopped him.

"Oh, Syaoran, let me have a good laugh first, please, and I'm really very sorry for picking on you earlier, but I can't help it! You're such an easy guy to tease." She said to him between laughs. Syaoran started to frown again but then shrugged and pulled the laughing girl against him anyway. He felt at home holding a girl shaking from laughter in his arms, and presently, he wouldn't trade places with anyone in the world.

When she calmed down she lifted her twinkling green eyes to his and said in a serious voice, but with a hidden impish tone beneath it, "I was just joking you earlier, Syaoran, even if what I said was true. It's far too early to be thinking of those things now."

Syaoran's relief was transparent.

"Oh, but it can be applicable in the years to come. Or should I replace 'can' with 'must' or 'should'? Hmm? What do you think?" She added in an offhanded tone, imploring him with big innocent eyes.

For the life of him Syaoran could not answer. He turned pale, pale white.

This caused Sakura to explode into laughter again. She kissed her agitated boyfriend on the lips and laughed and laughed and laughed.

Her laughter was so infectious that after a while Syaoran found himself joining in.

"I was just joking and teasing you again, okay?" Sakura grinned at him when their laughter died down.

Syaoran didn't answer. He looked pensive.

"Hey don't be mad." She poked him.

"I'm not. I was just thinking: you're right. It's either must or should. It will never be can, Sakura." He smiled at her. "Will you promise me? Will you marry me? Not today, but perhaps in the near future?"

He looked so serious, with his smile so soft, that Sakura could not help but become speechless. She nodded. After a while Syaoran said, "I'll hold you to that promise, okay?"

"Sure." Sakura smiled and laid her head on his chest. Syaoran shifted them so that she was sitting on his lap, and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head.

Life was good.