Syaoran was kneeling on the ground. His eyes were closed, sweat pouring down his face as his breaths came in haggard gasps.

"Syaoran!"

Sakura knelt, hands fliting around without touching, unsure how to help. Both mind and heart sped up tenfold, making it hard to think. Hard to help.

Except that was what had caused this. Her trying to help.

Oh, gosh Syaoran, this is my fault, I know it is.

"T-the clinic." Sakura sputtered out. "Let's get you to the clinic." Get him to someone that would help better than Sakura could.

Her hand wrapped around his bicep with the intent to help him to his feet.

"I-I'm fine Sakura," said Syaoran. He didn't sound fine. "I don't need the clinic."

His shaking had stopped, and Sakura found herself being pulled upward instead as he rose. His face was still ashen, sleek with sweat, but his amber eyes shone with strength. So focused on Syaoran's face, she didn't noticed she still clung to his arm. Not until he put a calming hand over hers.

"I'm fine." he repeated.

"Syaoran, you just collapsed in front of me. At the very least, can you please sit down?"

"I did not collapse," he grumbled, but complied with her request. He started walking toward the nearest classroom with Sakura still gripping his arm. She told herself it was for his sake she kept hold. In case he fell again. It had nothing to do with her desire to stay close.

Her paranoia proved useful as Syaoran staggered through the threshold of the empty room. Still too far from the nearest chair, Sakura did her best to help him slide to the floor, back against the wall.

Eyes closed, Syaoran gave a long sigh. He still looked so worn out, a feeling Sakura shared once she sat beside him. It crashed in on her at once, making her glad she hadn't been standing when it had hit.

"Shoot," Syaoran hissed through gritted teeth. "What was that?"

He stiffened, as if hit by a thought. He tugged his tie loose, pulling shirt and vest aside to expose the skin below his left collar bone.

As Sakura had suspected, a tattoo rested above Syaoran's heart. It resembled his lockheart, only with a few changes. The hexagonal shape of the key overlapped another layer, Chinese symbols lining the sides. The yin and yang symbol had shrunk down, now only large enough to encase the keyhole.

Syaoran released his collar, giving a relived sigh.

"It's gone," he said.

"What is?"

"The connection."

Syaoran methodically realigned his uniform, explaining as he went. "I can feel that it's finally gone. The partial connection that was made. I broke it off from my end a long time ago, but she hadn't. I almost made you tell your friend to break it off… luckily it didn't come to that."

Except it did. You told her Syaoran, and she respected your wishes.

Sakura rubbed her chest, the cage of her own keyheart. An emptiness was expanding there. It coiled in her stomach, poisoning her happiness.

"Sakura?"

Syaoran stopped her hand by encasing it with his. She didn't pull away, or any closer.

"I promise, I'm fine," he insisted. "So please, don't look so worried. You're starting to make me worry." He included just enough playful inflection to bring a smile to Sakura's lips. A weak one albeit, but it was there.

"You need to confess." Sakura heard herself saying. She summoned every drop of courage and will to finally turn. To face him with that weak smile. To look him in the eye as she said what she needed to.

His attention was focused solely on her. Concern tugged at his brows, as open a look of apprehension one could get from him. She loved it when he looked at her like this. As if she were someone important, and her distress caused him pain. Such a strange selfish happiness she carried within in.

It's time to change that.

No matter how heavy the words felt on Sakura's tongue, she forced them out.

"Your heart is under so much distress," she said. "If you want it to heal, you need to be true to it. Confess Syaoran. She deserves to hear your feelings, and your heart deserves a break."

Syaoran's eyes widened ever so slightly, opening his mouth to speak.

"Wait!" said Sakura quickly. "Before you protest or anything, I have something I need to say to you."

Something I should have said a long time ago.

Sakura pulled away from him, fists held before her in defense against the emotional hurt she was about to receive from his rejection.

"I love you Syaoran," she said. "So… so I want you to be happy. You need to confess."

There. She had said it, and nothing had felt so terrifying and yet so freeing. Those words that had been stuck at the tip of her tongue for years were finally spoken. Finally released.

Now all she had to fear was his response. He—

"What!?"

Syaoran turned so quickly that he spun too far, pushing back and forth on the ground until he was fully facing her. Heat rose into Sakura's face as he leaned forward and her eyes darted to the floor.

Hoe! He was so close!

"Are you serious?" said Syaoran. "You love me?"

Was he… was he teasing her?

The heat in Sakura's cheeks increased as now humiliation burned inside her. She poked the pads of her forefingers together in a nervous twitch.

"Erm, yeah," she said. "I just thought, even though you liked someone else I needed to be honest with my own feelings as well. Is… it a problem?"

She 'eeped' as Syaoran gripped her shoulders. Her first instinct was to look up, which proved to be an issue. She had no hope of escaping the close-up of his beaming expression. He looked ecstatic. Her stomach tightened in a strangely good way, electrifying her senses. Gosh he looked beautiful like this.

"No. It's not a problem," he was nearly laughing, alight with energy. "Not a problem at all."

He pulled her into a hug, eliciting another squeak from Sakura. His arms wrapped completely around her, different from any hug they had exchanged previously. Hugs that had always been casual, friendly. Not all encircling. Sakura had no idea what to make of this, her brain long gone at this point. It had fried from the amount of heat her face was producing.

"Umm, Syaoran. What are you… Why…?"

She felt his grip tightened ever so slightly, then relax. She leaned away, peering up at him beneath her fringe. He was still smiling, eyes soft as molten gold.

"Sakura. I love you as well."

Her mouth fell open.

He what!?

No sound came out as she mutely pointed to herself, to make absolutely sure he was talking about her, Sakura, that he was in love with.

He gave another chuckle. "Yes, Sakura. You are the one I'm in love with."

"T-then, the girl you'd rather be with than your lockmate…"

"Is you," he finished, eyes twinkling. "I'm in love with you."

She almost couldn't believe it.

And then she did.

He had confirmed it for her three times and he would never lie or tease her about something like this. Happiness welled up within her, completely filling the empty space in her heart.

Light flashed. It blinded her, originating right before her. She held a hand to her watering eyes, blinking the spots from her vision. She could just make out Syaoran doing the same.

A moment later, something heavy thumped into her chest. It pushed the breath from her lungs, then inflated them with something better. Something more vital than air.

She breathed in the fresh feeling of life into her nostrils, the scent clearing her head. It was her keyheart. It was back and oh, how wonderful it felt to be there. She relished in the feeling for a moment, thanking whatever power had brought it back.

"I don't believe it."

Sakura concentrated her attention onto Syaoran, whose hand was pressed his heart. With a smaller flash, his lockheart emerged.

It looked the same as the tattoo that had been on his chest, save the addition of a red tassel. It dangled from his hand as he held it up, incredulous.

"My lockheart is back," he said, pressing it back into him. "Thank goodness. I was afraid..."

His attention turned introspective, no doubt lost in the moment. Then his focus shifted to Sakura.

"It doesn't matter that we're not lockmates," he said. "I want to be with you, and some fairy-tale magic isn't going to tell me otherwise. I'll determine my own fate. Is that something… Can you believe that as well?"

Sakura nearly told him. She nearly said they were lockmates, and that the girl he had been trying to break his connection with was the girl he had just confessed to.

But then… she decided not to.

Because he posed a good question. If Syaoran wasn't her lockmate, could she be with him knowing there was someone else out there for him?

"Yes."

Her answer came without thought, her heart knowing the answer. Maybe it was because of their compatibility, or the love she already felt for him, but she didn't doubt her feelings. Not for a second.

His grin widened, pulling her into another hug. This time, Sakura returned it with enthusiasm, heart humming in perfect bliss.

Sakura's keyheart hadn't changed much. It was still pink with a star embedded into a round handle. The star had a few more points, but that was mostly it. The biggest change in her keyheart was the wings. They flanked the length of the entire handle, spreading out with greater detail. If she looked closely enough at the changes, she was sure to find some sort of symbolic meaning. As it was, she just enjoyed them. The wings looked pretty.

Sakura placed the key back inside her heart, unable to help a smile.

Her and Syaoran had officially become boyfriend and girlfriend.

It was embarrassingly cheesy how happy the thought made her. Like her life was some highschool romance story and the 'happily ever after' came once the couple got together. Had she any shame, she would have slapped herself a dozen times over for thinking this way.

Tomoyo had been ecstatic when she heard the news, giving Li-kun a hard time since she had apparently known about the crush. The. Whole. Time.

Rather than feeling betrayed by the secret, Sakura felt humiliated. Especially after she remembered all the hours Tomoyo had spent trying to convince her to go confess. How embarrassing.

And I still haven't told him.

Sakura pushed away from the wall, walking down the noisy corridor. The school festival was in the beginnings of its life, but there were already a fair amount of people present. She had to side step a few to slip into the corridor leading to the outside.

Syaoran still had no idea that they were lockmates, or at least had been. They might not be anymore. Not after the break they had created.

"I think turned out to be a good thing," Mizuki had said. "It's hard to repair anything with a broken foundation. Better to clear the path completely before starting to rebuild. You and Syaoran were tugging each other every different way while rebuilding your hearts. That sort of constant pressure is bound to cause problems."

"But it's also bound to promote strength," said Eriol. "Where you go from here is up to you Sakura-chan."

She turned the corner, spotting the class 3-C stand. A banister hung over the length of it, depicting a large key and lockheart embossed with the words: Lovers Scavenger Hunt.

Syaoran was situated under the banister, monitoring the stand along with a single classmate. It seemed fairly popular, a small group of uniformed students lining up to get their respective cards. One group at the front of Syaoran's was made of several girls. They were speaking with Syaoran, large gesticulations indicating their enthusiasm for the topic. As Sakura got closer, she could make out what they were saying.

"-saying. What is the truth? Did you get a girlfriend?"

"I did," said Syaoran.

"What? Is she your keymate then?"

Syaoran notice Sakura at that moment. His eyes met hers, a knowing twinkle shining through as he answered.

"Yes. She is."

The news sent the girls in a tizzy. They each gave their individual groans and protests at the news, but thankfully, left without making a scene. It was amazing how much power the idea of being keymates kept people from harassing them.

No one else save Tomoyo and their counselors knew it was a lie. A lie that they were lockmates. Or at least, that Syaoran thought it was a lie. He was mistaken. They really, probably, more-than-likely were still keymates, but Syaoran didn't know that, and Sakura hadn't found a good time to bring it up.

Sakura moved past the line and came around the back of the stand. She stepped up next to him, hands clasped behind her as she leaned closer.

"I'm your keymate now, am I?" she said.

He glanced at her, smiling. "Of course, did you not know?"

"It would have been nice to have been informed."

Syaoran chuckled, their conversation put on hold as the next person stepped up. Sakura watched silently as the boy drew from the box of lockheart cards. His face lit up once he saw the picture, sprinting off to find his matching 'keymate.' It was an endearing sight.

Syaoran put the box away, getting his classmates attention to pass the stand to them. The boy waved Syaoran away, telling him to 'spend time with his girlfriend.'

And that's what he did.

Syaoran held out a hand and Sakura stared at it a second longer than she should have, embarrassingly slow at figuring out what it was for. Then it clicked.

"Oh!"

She grabbed it harder than was necessary, and with both hands instead of one. There was a pause as her face reddened, a huge grin spreading across Syaoran's face.

"I, uh. I'm sorry, I'm just really nervous." Sakura wailed. She tried to pull her hands away, but they were already trapped between Syaoran's strong fingers.

"Let me keep one." he insisted.

Sakura swallowed, nodding.

He finally allowed one hand to slip away, lacing his fingers through the other. Sakura kept her head down for a moment as she collected herself. It was still hard to act normally around him, especially now they were dating. She knew it would take time to adjust. To stop doubting herself and feeling embarrassed every time their eyes met. But she was improving.

She raised her heard, meeting the patient expression of her boyfriend.

"You don't know how satisfying it is to see you act like this." he said.

Heat flared in Sakura's cheeks, her attention returning to the ground. At least... she'd improve until he did something like that.

"Stop that," she grumbled. "I don't know why I thought you'd tease me less when we were dating."

"You know me better than that."

Sakura mock punched him with her free hand, giggling.

"You ready to go?" he said.

"Yup."

With their hands still connected, Sakura walked together with Syaoran to the entrance of the festival, her heart full.

She wouldn't tell him they had been keymates. That was something for the future, if she ever did say anything. Because in the end, it didn't matter. Whether they were or weren't lockmates, it wasn't important. They were masters of their own hearts, and true love was something they could create together.

Thanks for reading!

And thank you for your patience as I took forever to finally finish this. Also, thank you to those wonderful souls that took the time to review. You have a huge impact on both my motivation and desire to give you the best that I can. So thank you for helping me enjoy the process of story telling!

I always meant for this story to be super short. I didn't want to drag out the 'idiot plotline.' (Where you are literally yelling at the main character "Just talk to them already idiot!" Skip Beat already has too much of that.) Also, one would think that Syaoran would put two and two together, realizing that Sakura had been his keymate and that was why the conveniently placed break happened. But… let's be honest. Some people don't over think things and miss the most obvious signs. Syaoran is one of those in my opinion. Otherwise he would have noticed Sakura's crush on him a long time ago… come to think of it, that includes Sakura. Dunderheads. They're true lockmates. (If you want an even worse display of obliviousness, watch Miraculous Ladybug. And don't you dare go off on the glamour effect. I don't think that's been confirmed in cannon)

Anyway, thank you guys again! If you're waiting for The Prince's Concubine, it's still being outlined. I finally got a break and have been running with it. I still have Life Force to finish and then I can concentrate fully on the story. See you all later!

-Blushweaver.