Business Arrangement
Written by Dknight02 This is an A/U fic of CCS. Also OOC. And as I've said before, please keep your predictions to yourself and do not leave them in the review. Read and review, please. No flames.
Disclaimer: Read previous chapter.
Chapter Seven
Syaoran's head snapped up at the familiar voice. He groaned, "Just what the hell do you want? I could have sworn mother said you were visiting your parents." He asked the questions, but was thinking of Sakura. He needed to talk to her. Somewhere in himself, he felt…funny.
Meilin leaned against the door, hand on hip, and rolled her eyes. "I'm hurt, Syaoran." She paused dramatically and laughed. "Right. Look, I came back to see how my cousin was doing with his fiancée. From the looks of it, I would say it's going down the toilet. Swooshy-swooshhhh."
"Shut up."
"Now really, look at the situation in my perspective. I come home and then I see you guys giving each other a jiffy lube and—"
"Meilin, shut up NOW." Syaoran glared at her venomously. "I already have enough to deal with and my head's about to burst. Where is mother? Damn, I need an aspirin."
She didn't answer, knowing the silence would annoy him further.
"Meilin…I am not in the mood right now."
"I thought you told me to shut up," Meilin asked with a twinkle in her eye. She caught him shooting daggers at her. "Okay okay, point taken. Goodness, what is wrong with you? Never mind, don't answer that. You'll end up telling me later anyway. Aunty Yelan will be back in another few weeks. I guess things were delayed. So tell me, when can I meet this lovely fiancée of yours?" Meilin hid a grin and yawned.
"How about never?" he asked, sarcasm dripping in his voice.
"Did I mention I'm staying at you place?" Meilin moved out of the doorway and looked at her suitcases.
"Why me?" Syaoran moaned. First Sakura and now Meilin. How was he going to deal with the both of them? A cunning idea came to his mind. 'Hm, if this works—I'll be damned after tonight.'
"Why you? That's one good question, but I'm afraid you'll need to go to counseling for those kind of answers. I'm just so restless right now." Meilin looked around and then looked back at her cousin.
'I never would have noticed,' he thought. "Meilin, I need your help."
"My help? Oh, what ever for?" she chirped. 'Get it out, punk.'
"I-I think I'm beginning to l-l-l…" He couldn't bring himself to say it.
"I'm waiting."
He'd start over. "I think I'm beginning to-to l-l-like her."
She sighed. 'Only LIKE? What about LOVE? Too soon.' "What do you need me for then?"
Syaoran looked at his shoes and avoided her face. "Did you not see how things went there? I admit it, I feel chemistry between us. A lot. Or at least, I feel it. We're getting married in a few weeks. She figures we're going to be married in name only and go our own separate ways. That's how I saw it too, but things kind of changed." Parts of it were lies but he tried not to let that get to him. Sakura was a challenge.
A challenge he couldn't resist.
'Oh boy. My cousin is in deep.' She stretched herself and looked him in the eye. "You have some explaining to do, mister."
Sakura looked in the mirror. She bit her lip at what she saw. Her hair was rumpled and her clothes were wrinkled. What exactly did she look like?
She looked like someone who had been thoroughly kissed. 'Oh yes,' she thought. 'Kissed by an expert.'
Slowly, she touched her swollen lips. His lips on hers were incredible. It made her forget everything but him. Her. Them. She sighed and turned on the faucet.
'How can I be so affected by this? By him?' She scrubbed her lips to get rid of…him. 'He started it. He…he knew what would've happened if he kissed me! That…that overbearing jackass! He probably had it all planned out. And I fell for it.'
"Great, and now I'm even talking to myself for the millionth time because of him. It can't get crazier than this." Sakura scrubbed at her lips even harder now. "That's it. I've had enough of him. I'm done."
She swung her door open and gasped. Sakura was staring at light amber eyes. And they were staring right back at her.
The first thought that raced through her was it was another of Syaoran's lovers. Once again, she wasn't prepared for the hurt and betrayal that she felt.
Except the amber eyes looked oddly familiar. They were identical to…Syaoran's.
"Hello." The dark haired woman tilted her head at Sakura. "Yes, you'll do."
"Do for what?" Sakura asked, feeling as if she were being measured up.
The stranger's laughter filled up the room. "For what? For Syaoran, of course!"
"I beg your pardon?" 'What is going on?' she asked with bewildered eyes.
"I see that Syaoran hasn't even told you the slightest bit about me. I'm Meilin, his cousin. I help around here except I was visiting my parents in Hong Kong. So here I am!" Meilin grinned at her.
Sakura smiled back. 'Great, now I have someone to talk to.'
"Oh don't worry—I know all about you already!"
"Well, hopefully all good things then. Uh, would you like to come into my room?" Sakura asked, hesitating.
"Oh my! This room is adorable! I love the way you changed it around. Personally, this room was always a bit stuffy to me." Meilin walked around, squinting and inspecting everything. "I always told Syaoran to do something about it. Except he never did. But if I stayed here, I would've. I love it."
Sakura stood there, not knowing what to do. "Will you be staying here?"
"Of course! I love your room. You even got rid of the dust! I'm very allergic to it all. Most of the rooms make me sneeze! I guess I'll be staying here." Meilin gave her best ditzy pose.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. You're staying in MY room? Why? Then where will I be staying?" Sakura was utterly confused.
"Oh, that's easy. I'll be staying here! You'll be staying in Syaoran's room." Meilin stated, looking at her like she was out of this world. 'I need one logical excuse to pull this silly charade off.'
"No, I'm not. That's silly. Why would you want to stay in my room, there are a ton of rooms here," Sakura pointed out. "This is nuts!"
"I told you, I'm allergic to them. I can't help but sneeze. You know, like ah-choo? And so far, I'm not sneezing in your room. Besides, you and Syaoran are going to be married. Go stay in his room." Meilin said exasperated. 'Come on, come on…stubborn woman. Just stop arguing with me.'
Sakura wasn't backing down without a fight. "No, I refuse to stay in his room, let alone any other room. This is my room." Her green eyes bored into Meilin's amber ones.
'I don't even know the woman and here I am already quarrelling with her. Why should I have to sacrifice my room to her?'
'Because you're too nice. She has a problem with the rest of the rooms. Let her have it.'
'I don't want to be nice. She can sneeze all she wants, it's not my problem. I'll give her a box of tissues. At least it'll help my conscience.'
'No, you don't want to be with Syaoran.'
'Fine, that too.'
'I win.'
'Sucker.'
'Shut up.'
"Sakura?" Meilin asked with a worried expression on her face. "I just wanted to be friends. I just thought that you're getting married to my cousin and we'd be good friends. You know, have occasional sleepovers and French braided our hair. I'm sorry if I got you mad." Tears began to glisten in her eyes and slowly slide onto her cheeks.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean—oh! If it'll make you happy, stay in my room then! I'll-I'll go to Syaoran's then! Please don't cry!" Sakura pleaded, guilt swallowing her up. She hugged Meilin tightly.
Meilin gave a cunning smile as Sakura hugged her. 'Easier than I thought it was. I always knew acting classes would benefit me one day.'
Sakura handed Meilin a tissue and quickly got out of her room.
"My—"
Meilin had shut it and locked the door.
"Stuff." She growled and resisted the urge to kick the door with all her might.
Meilin leaned against the door. "That was fast. I never thought this would be so easy. Sneezing, geez! What was I thinking when I said allergies!? Now what am I going to do? I'm going to die of boredom. Yes, I am. What has Syaoran talked me into?"
Syaoran wanted patiently. 'Five, four, three, two, one..' His door was swung open with a very pissed off Sakura. Her hair was loosened and her eyes gleamed.
"Just what do you think you're up to now?" she whispered furiously. She tried not to be so curious but she looked around. His room was orderly and clean. Dark colors for everything. Masculine looking. Just like Syaoran.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said innocently. "You're the one who came barging into my room, and now you're accusing me?"
Sakura gritted her teeth. "You know what you've done! If what happened downstairs wasn't enough, now I'm sleeping in your room!"
"You are?" He gave her a pleasant smile in return. "And here I thought I'd have to beg and grovel."
"Don't give me that angelic look. Nothing about you is angelic. You'd give Satan a run for his money." Sakura narrowed her eyes at what she saw. His dark hair and rough face was definitely not innocent looking. He was devastating. He had the kind of hair a woman would love to run her hands through and a gorgeous smile that could melt any woman. It was the way he looked at you. He looked at you like you were it, always.
Which Sakura knew wasn't true. He used women like towels. After he was done with it, he throw it onto the floor and walk out. The next day he'd get a new one. The rogue!
"You had your cousin come over and kick me out of my own room here! My room! You knew I'm too polite to kick her out and then she started crying! All over! Look at me!" she bristled. She didn't have a clue what she was yelling about but it felt good to yell at him. It gave her something to do aside from thinking about the previous events.
He wasn't going to be ashamed. Nope, not at all. His mouth watered at the sight of her fury. Her eyes were filled with fire and her body was all but under tight control. "I don't mind looking at you. You're something good to look at."
Just who did he think he was? To look at her like a piece of meat? Or a golden bimbo trophy to hang on the wall? She decided to punch him as hard as she could.
"Was I suppose to say 'ow'?" Syaoran looking rather amused at the thought of his little Sakura beating him up.
Sakura growled at him. Her hand began to sting from the punch.
Concern, which she didn't believe for a moment, filled his eyes. He started to reach for her arm, but she whisked it away before he could. "Honey, if it will make you feel better, I promise I'll fall over the next time you do that. Just warn me first."
Oh dear. He was determined to drive her crazy. "GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!"
"It's my room."
"I don't care!" She stomped her foot and threw her hands into the air, huffing. "I don't care if you go far far away or if you want to live in the damn bathroom, just get OUT!"
"My room, my territory, my rules." That wolfish grin made her shiver all the way to her toes. She wasn't sure if it was because she was cold…or if it was because of him.
"Look mister, I don't know what sneaky scheme you're cooking up, but keep me out of it!"
Syaoran smirked. "Are you done? You're always one to jump to conclusions. It's not like I have my name written up to tell you I've done such a thing. I would never."
She threw him a bitter look with her hand on hip. Unknown to her, he found it all the more sassy.
"I didn't ask Meilin to come over, she came over herself. And as for your room, don't ask me. I did nothing."
He moved closer to her before she put a hand up. "No, don't come any closer to me. I can't think when you're close. I don't know what you're up to, but I'm going to stay in the guest room until she leaves."
"You're staying here. And since this is my room, I guess that means we'll be sleeping together." Syaoran gave a knowing look and moved closer to her inch by inch.
"Then I am out of here." She got up and felt trapped. By him. He loomed over her and snickered.
"You're staying."
"Are not."
"Are too."
"Are not."
"I'm not going to argue like a three year old with you." He grimaced and nearly groaned when she stuck her pink tongue out at him. "You are staying here but we can draw up a contract. You can have half the room and I'll have the other half. Hell, if you don't—I'll personally lock you up here. The idea of you being my slave doesn't hurt."
"I never said I was staying here," she brought up. "Your room…doesn't work for me." It was a plausible excuse…right? She got it. "I forget, I have allergies." She even sniffled a bit.
"Fine. You can sleep in the guest room, but make sure it's the one next to mine," Syaoran said gruffly.
"Are you serious?" she asked with a stunned expression.
"Don't push your luck."
Tentatively, she began to walk over to the door. Right when she turned the knob, he pounced on her. He tossed her over his shoulder and walked to the middle of his room. She yelped and began to fight back.
"Ow! Sakura, stop it! That hurt!" he gritted his teeth. "Stop it!"
"Put me down! Right now!" She beat his back with her fists. "I'll scream!"
"Scream, go ahead. In fact, I like it when you scream. Just make sure it's my name you're screaming," Syaoran whispered suggestively.
Her face flamed red at his double entendre. "You pervert! Put me down!" Instead of putting her down, he tossed her onto the bed in a heap. She didn't expect his bed to be so soft and sunk in the middle.
"You want to do this the easy way or hard way?" Syaoran inquired, feeling the energy cackle in the air. "You know you don't have allergies, you sneaky imp."
"You know you win both ways. Cut the crap. I'm really irked right now." The fight left her and she found herself glancing at Syaoran's window. The window was enormous with a magnificent view.
Syaoran wanted to hold her and kiss away that look of impeccable resolve when he found her dreaming away. "I'm being civil here. I'm even letting you pick the side. See how nice I am?" He gave her a cheesy bone melting smile.
"One night. That's it. And then I'm moving into the guest room or I'm going to get my room back."
His intensive eyes gave her a speculative look. "Deal, I suppose. Now choose sides or would you rather let me have my way?"
She panicked and nearly shouted, "I choose that side! By the window!" Sakura didn't feel so safe near him and raced to her side.
The room was silence. Until he spoke, "Just know there is a consequence if you cross my side." He hadn't noticed but he had the side to the bathroom and out of the room. Poor Sakura stuck on her side of the bed.
"What?" she asked wearily now.
He gloated, "A kiss."
"WHAT!?" she choked out. "Tell me I didn't hear you correctly."
"You heard me," he said, looking away to hide his smile. 'Plan is definitely going well.'
"I will NOT kiss you, you pompous jerk!" Sakura yelled, not wanting to think about how he had kissed her before. How her body melted against his. How she didn't want it to end.
"That's the rules," he stated, already thinking about her lips on his. How they would come together. How it wouldn't end.
"Since when?"
"Since now since I've come up with them." He walked over to his "side" of the room and stood there.
"I don't like your rules or the way you play," she thrust her jaw out . "It's not fair, either way I lose!"
'I know,' he thought smugly. 'That, my sweet, would be the whole point. I'll have you one way or another.'
"Syaoran."
"What?" he asked in a distracted tone, thinking about mussing up that hair again.
"I have to go." She wanted to pull at her hair. This was so embarrassing for her to tell him. "Now."
"I'm trying to be nice. Honest. I already told you that you can't go. Besides, what would mother say if she saw us in two separate rooms? Why, she'd think something was up. And we can't have her know that."
"Since when did you care about what you mother thought?" she asked, raising a delicate eyebrow. "You certainly didn't have a problem bringing what's-her-face into your—"
"I said I was sorry about that." He closed his eyes and tried to think. Syaoran found he couldn't. Not where she was concerned. She was a headache sometimes. The only way to shut her up was to…
"I have to go really bad now." Then as if things couldn't get worse, she was hit with the urge to use the bathroom. Sakura looked at where his bathroom was.
It was on his side.
"Go where?"
"GO TO THE BATHROOM!" she shouted, pointing behind him. "Get it? Bathroom? Potty? Do I need to elaborate some more!?"
'Oh.'
"Hmmm…isn't this interesting? It would seem that you have to cross MY side to get to the bathroom." The corner of his lips tugged up. "Do you know what that means?"
"Yeah, I sure do. It means you'll get out of my way so I can go," Sakura closed her eyes and prayed. 'Just leave me alone.'
"Hey if you need to go, don't let me stand in your way."
Her eyes snapped open. "What?" It was as easy as that? She could…actually go? "Really?"
"Yes, really." He waited for her to walk over to his side. "I wouldn't want to have the maid clean up after your mess."
She took some steps cautiously and didn't realize that he was blocking the way to the bathroom.
"But not before you suffer the consequence," and grabbed her towards him. She struggled and he gripped her harder.
"That's not fair."
"Of course it is, I said you could go, didn't I? And so you did." He looked like he was on top of the world. With her on his shoulder.
"You think you're so smart, don't you?" Her back was facing towards him. He certainly liked the way she smelled. The subtle smell of cherries and old fashioned vanilla. He leaned towards her hair and inhaled.
"Are you SNIFFING me?" she asked bluntly, shocked.
He froze. "No! Do I look like a dog to you?" he protested.
"Yes, you were." Sakura gave a sly grin that he was caught red handed and still denied it. Stifling laughter, "Denial isn't just a riv—"
"You owe me a kiss," he interrupted. That ought to turn the wheels in her brain the other way around.
"Okay." She gave a haughty look, a queen to a peasant.
Looking down at her head, he gave a bemused smile. If he knew it was going to be this easy, he'd done it a long time ago. He was ready for her kiss.
Turning around in his arms, she kissed her index and middle finger. Then she tapped her two fingers against his cheek. "One kiss. Now let me go."
He growled and she stopped moving. "That was not a kiss. I demand a proper kiss. Or else you won't be going anywhere."
Why bother, she figured. Besides, she was an adult. She could handle a simple kiss.
Right? Of course!
Placing a hand on his cheek, she stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
'One you could barely feel,' he grumbled. 'Almost like the air kissed me instead.'
"Sakura…I am not playing. You crossed the line. I want the kiss. Or you can just stand here forever and go." He knew she understood his meaning.
'That's it! I've had it!' Sakura decided to make an exit. Her eyes scanned for a possible escape route. Oh! She could duck underneath his arms and then…
He tugged on a strand of her chestnut hair. "And don't even think about trying to outrun me. I'm bigger and stronger than you. And smarter."
"Who said I was going to try to outrun you?" she asked innocently.
"I can hear your brain ticking away," he answered with a seductive grin. "Who knew a brain could be so fascinating?"
Rising on her tiptoes again, she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned towards him until their foreheads were touching.
"I despise you," she hissed and pressed her lips against his. See? She could handle this.
His arms wove around her tiny waist and pulled her close. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she angled her head to deepen the kiss.
Simple easy kiss. Done and over with. Voila.
Syaoran couldn't think. She was pressing herself to him and he almost stopped breathing. Her body was humming with this need.
Sakura felt herself drowning in him. She wanted this. Whatever it was. She began to trace his bottom lip with her tongue and nipped it. She decided she liked hearing Syaoran groan. So she did it again.
Until he took over.
He sucked her earlobe softly and whispered words into her ears. Except Sakura could barely pay attention to what he was saying. Her knees nearly gave out and he laughed, holding her up.
How could one simple kiss get out of control like this? But neither of them were thinking, they were feeling.
'Open your mouth for me, Sakura,' he thought. She kept her mouth closed and refused. He persisted and squeezed her thigh gently. Heat shot through from his hand to her leg.
She didn't want to open her mouth. Sakura felt herself coming back to reality; she'd never kissed anyone as intimate until now. She almost felt scared.
"Please," he whispered, drawing a ragged breath.
He felt her hesitate and open her mouth. His tongue swept inside her mouth and began to tease. Slowly but surely. Syaoran felt her tongue shyly touch his and trembled. Her lips were soft and warm against his. She tasted exquisite. His tongue sank deeper inside her mouth.
"This is crazy," she breathed next to his cheek. "We should stop."
"Don't want to," he murmured and kissed her once more to shut her up. He tightened his hold on her and rested on arm on her hip.
A few minutes later, she pulled away from him. They were both gasping for air. Before Syaoran grabbed her once again, she made a run for the bathroom.
Shutting the door, Sakura leaned against it and closed her eyes. Her heart was pounding and she couldn't breath. Her breath came in choppy little gasps.
'Oh my Kami.'
Syaoran stood there, watching her leave. He was still facing the aftershocks of their kiss. His lips were burning and tingling. The sensation was different from what he normally felt. It was rather addicting.
The words 'mine' slid back into his mind. He wanted her in the most primitive way. He wanted her badly.
Besides, she couldn't resist his charms and good looks. He'd thought about those who'd dared to glimpse at her. There was no uncertainty men found her desirable. Doubt began to wade its way through him. Maybe charm, money, and looks weren't everything.
But he was Syaoran—the most wanted bachelor. Sakura should feel honored he was marrying her, even if it was a forced marriage.
She'd come to him.
Willing.
A/n: Does anyone know how to make it so that the document on here appears like how it is on a Word document? Not being able to indent is driving me insane. Thanks!