DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura or any of their labels and plushies, no matter how cute they are.
Summary: After two years apart, Sakura and Syaoran meet again. Has everything fallen past the brink of sanity? Or does their extinguished love still have a spark left?
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Chapter 1
Sakura looked out of her window, sighing in a tiny whisper, her vivid green eyes watching the trails of rain make their way out of sight. Kero-chan watched with her only momentarily before flopping onto her bed, jumping up and down, fighting imaginary video game villains in his plush toy form as Syaoran would have described it.
Sakura winced a little at his name, but not much anymore. The gaping hole in her chest was all but sealed. Soon, she'd be able to scream his full name out from her rooftop as many times as she pleased. The thought made her smile.
Changing into her pajamas, she threw Kero-chan back into his drawer with a cup of pudding and a good night. He sang and jumped around within his "room" for a while, then quieted down. Sakura was glad Toya hadn't come in to check on the loud noises Kero-chan often caused.
Even if he knew her secret, it was still annoying to be called a monster and lectured on the noise she didn't even make. At least tomorrow was Saturday. She planned on leaving Kero-chan home, walking through the park, then lounge in the grass for a few hours, letting the sun warm her up like a cat. It was the next to last thought she had before sleeping. The last one squeezed itself in and caused a fraction of a tear to wet her eye.
Syaoran smiled and wished her good night.
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"SAKURA! SAKURA! SAKURA! ……SAKURA!"
"WHAT IS IT!"
"Good morning!" Kero-chan smiled.
She flopped back down with a groan. The once warm spot was now splayed with sudden cold. Damn unpredictable Spring weather.
Kero-chan resumed flying around, out of intense boredom, singing some happy theme song she knew nothing of.
"Are you watching the clouds ring blue
Bells of the love you're looking for?
Grant what you please and never rest
I know you too well
The stars take their time shining on you
And it makes me see my love overjoyed.
It was hard to get in
And now I can't get out
But in here with you
I feel safe and at home
'Cause only you make me smile and only you
Make wishes in the reality with magic
I can't get a hold of just yet.
In--"
"SHUT UP, KERO-CHAN! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" she screamed, throwing a pillow over her ears.
Sakura cried silently, trying to sew up the ragged wound being opened unwillingly. The air she breathed in scorched and burned her lungs, making her tears fall more and more.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Sakura…" Toya began, opening it, "Is everything okay?"
"Get out." she responded.
"I heard you shouting and wanted to know who got the monster so riled up." he explained, shooting a glare at Kero-chan.
She flew up at his sentence, tears giving way to anger. His glare subsided.
"Stop calling me that, Toya!" she demanded, pounding the covers, deciding better and throwing them off. "I don't care if I bother you and I don't care if I make too much noise! Just get out and go to work! Or better yet--" she grabbed a bundle of clothes and shoved him out of her room with Kero-chan, adding: "--I'LL GO!"
Slamming it, she huffed and dressed into a green sweater, black jeans and a blue jacket. He knocked on her door.
"It's raining outside." Toya informed.
"All the better!" she grumbled crossly, shoving the window open and grabbing an umbrella.
"Are you actually going out there!" he caught on, opening the door hastily.
The curtains were silently whispering and the room was empty, rain already soaking the carpet.
"Nice one." Kero-chan commented.
"Shut up, you plushie." he shot back.
"What was that!" he growled.
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The rain pelted her weak sun-shielding umbrella. Why she didn't notice it was beyond her. The pallid colors were so obvious, now that they were unfolded. Her feet positioned themselves opposite to her intended course. She was unsure as to why, until her brain registered the irregular sounds coming from Penguin Park. Sakura let the wind blow the now useless umbrella away from her grasp. It tumbled freely with the unsettled wind.
Sakura let the empty hand drop to her side and shuffled forward, somehow intrigued by the noise. It was chains, rusted lightly, going back and forth. She stopped at the entrance to spy on the figure swinging at such an odd time.
The boy wore a black coat, opened, letting in rain. The wore jeans like her and from a distance she noticed his red shirt. His dark brown hair fell over his face, his head hanging down.
Wonder what happened to him? It doesn't seem fair he's so sad. She thought to herself.
Her "rational" voice answered: You were sad too. You didn't had anyone to help you out--why help some soaked idiot like him?
Sakura responded curtly. If I didn't have it and got along, who's to say he's the same?
Walking over to the boy, she stopped a good 10 meters away. He hadn't seen her yet, so he kept mumbling something she could finally hear as he swung.
"What I lost is better than what I gained.
It's all gone from here, hung out to dry in the rain.
How can it be
I was too stupid to see
The one good thing that saved me?"
Before he could continue, Sakura stepped over, bent down and put a finger to his lips. His wet amber eyes looked at her.
"You don't deserve to hurt yourself like this." she offered.
"I do, though." he replied.
"Why?" she questioned, sitting on the abandoned swing next him, chilled terribly, but determined to learn more.
He turned his head away. "I hurt her so bad."
"People do forgive, you know."
"I'm unforgivable."
"No, you aren't." she pushed.
Suddenly, he spun around and took both her hand tightly, once sad eyes blazing with unrestrained fury.
"You wouldn't know anything! You only came over because you--"
"I came because I wanted to!" she defended, standing up and yelling back. "Did you ever think we may not be so different? That I may have the same problems as you? I swear, you're just like--"
It clicked and she never finished, the words dying instantly.
The drenched and unforgivable boy in front of her was Li Syaoran.