Hearts Unsealed

By: pnaixrose

Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura or any of its characters. They all belong to CLAMP.

Summary: Because of that dark, fateful day nine years ago, he had been forced to give up the only thing that had ever made him happy, to resign himself to the guilt of not being able to protect her, to look into dull, distant emerald eyes and know that he had been forgotten forever and would never be remembered. As for her, she has been living with gaps in her memory – in her heart – that have just been waiting to be filled. And with trouble arising with the Cards, a string of circumstances might actually lead her to finally find what she's been missing.
(Note: Continuation of the anime if Void had been able to take what was precious to Sakura's heart)

Epilogue

Kinomoto Sakura hummed quietly to herself as she walked slowly along the sidewalk, swinging a briefcase in her hand. It was half-past six in the evening and she was insanely tired from a long day of work and class. But tonight she was ecstatic. And it wasn't just because her night class had ended early.

Syaoran had promised to video call her in just a few hours.

Yes, it was just a video. But she was grateful for even a short amount of time they would spend together through cyber space. The last time she had seen his face was their last video call an entire two weeks ago. Since that time he had sent her texts and had called her here and there. But she was dying to see his signature ruffled hair, gentle eyes, and the content smile that always appeared as soon as he spotted her on his own computer screen.

Unfortunately they were separated by hundreds of miles and busy schedules. But of course, even that didn't change how she felt about him.

It had been a little less than a year since she had first landed in Hong Kong, engaged to another man, intent on sorting out her lost memories, and seeking help from the Li clan leader in order to retrieve the Cards which were leaving her. Thinking back on it now…so much had changed since then.

The balance with the Cards had been maintained, thanks much in part to the nameless Card that Sakura had somehow created all those years ago. She couldn't thank the Cards enough in all that they had done for her. Not only had she found out that they were protecting her and sacrificing themselves for her so that she wouldn't be directly targeted by Void, they had also been leaving clues during that entire time trying to get her to remember Syaoran. The pattern in which Cards were taken was directly linked to past captures or instances in battle she had shared with Syaoran. She should have known that there was a reason behind the strange feeling of déjà vu she always experienced as she was trying to retrieve them.

And she was further thankful that they had protected Syaoran. When the nameless Card merged with Void and became the Hope, the balance that was needed for the Cards was restored, without having to sacrifice anyone or anything. The nameless Card had been harbored secretly in her heart all these years…leaving her feelings for him intact, allowing her to hold on to him, waiting for that decisive moment.

She couldn't thank the Cards – her lifelong friends – enough.

She had stayed in Hong Kong for several months after the Void had converted to Hope, after Syaoran and the Cards had been saved. They – obviously – had been inseparable in that time. It took Syaoran weeks to fully recover from that final battle with Void, giving Sakura plenty of excuses to look after him. In that time, they had reminisced about their childhood, had expressed their feelings of guilt and apology, had reiterated again and again how much they loved each other. They had focused on rebuilding a relationship that had nine years missing from it.

Sakura honestly didn't care about their somewhat complicated situation, of trying to sort out childhood feelings and feelings they had as adults, of trying to sort out the distant past and the recent months. She honestly thought all those things didn't matter. After all, she knew that she loved him – back then and now – and didn't care about the time lost in between. She had bickered long and hard about it with Syaoran, tried to tell him they didn't have to mind it all too much.

But he was stubborn, of course. He seemed to have ingrained in his mind that he wanted to do things "right." Take things slow.

Sakura sighed out loud at the thought.

If things couldn't be even more irritating, when they were blessed with even just a few moments of privacy (which were hard to come by considering the fact that not only were their nosy friends still present at the Li mansion, but Syaoran's family frequented especially after Syaoran was injured), Syaoran had been annoyingly reluctant and rigid in how far their physical actions would go. That being said, he refused to take things farther than what had happened prior to the battle with Void, leaving Sakura feeling utterly disgruntled when their kissing sessions were stopped short by him. He was probably thankful that his family and their friends were always around to interrupt.

…Though Sakura surely wasn't too fond of it. Hmph.

Oh well. She didn't mind too much. Having their friends, his mother, and his sisters around made it feel as lively as ever in the Li household. It seemed that even though they were all now adults, his sisters, Meiling, and especially Eriol never failed in teasing Syaoran about their new relationship, never failing in making both Sakura and Syaoran red in the face. It was even worse when they questioned and mentioned them being intimate…that surely sent Syaoran stuttering and Sakura squealing her signature "Hoeee!"

And the fact that Li Yelan often unabashedly pressured Syaoran to "tie the knot already" in front of all of them didn't help. She surely was still in the mindset that her only son needed to get married and now that he officially had a girlfriend, she pushed the idea more.

Sakura smiled at the memories of Hong Kong as she listened to her high heels clicking against the sidewalk. The fun times couldn't last forever though. Soon after Syaoran had recovered, the Li sisters returned to their respective homes, Yelan returned to the Shanghai branch, and even Tomoyo returned to Japan…with Eriol following her. Syaoran began working in the office again once he was fully capable, and even pulled longer hours than usual as the company needed some reorganizing with his long absence. It was around that time that Sakura's tourist visa expired…and now here she was, back in Tomoeda, Japan.

Syaoran had apologized again and again about their forced separation. He had been distraught at the thought of her leaving his side again. But she persuaded him to continue with work and with his life. After all, she did miss her father, Yukito, and even her annoying brother. Hong Kong had been the magical place where she finally found all her answers, where she had experienced a roller coaster worth of emotions. But it was time to go back to reality. It was time to go home.

She had felt refreshed when she returned to Tomoeda. She could finally leave her fragmented past, her frustration towards being incapable of protecting her Cards, and her endless search for her memories to rest. It was a new beginning. And she was ready to look forward.

As soon as she had returned she had took up a job as a substitute teacher at a nearby high school. She also began taking graduate classes at night in order to earn a master's degree in education. She planned on following her father's footsteps in becoming a teacher. Everyone else had continued on with their lives as usual as well. She had even spotted Shimizu Keiji once a few months ago while at a café…though he hadn't noticed her at all while he was having a sweet date with a girl she didn't recognize.

Everyone's lives seemed to be back in order the way they had been…except for Eriol's, that is. He had packed up his belongings in London, put Nakuru and Spinel Sun on a plane, and moved his entire life to Tomoeda. He had picked up odd jobs here and there for the past few months while living in a house situated not too far from a certain Daidouji residence. Actually, he had recently told Sakura that he had gotten a more stable job, though she had no idea what it was and he seemed strangely secretive about it.

Needless to say, he was serious about Daidouji Tomoyo...just as serious as Tomoyo was about him.

Sakura was ecstatic to know that her best friend and Eriol were dating. They were inseparable and often saw Sakura whenever she wasn't too busy with work or school. She was of course happy for them, but seeing them so in love made her the teensiest jealous.

Her relationship with Syaoran wasn't the easiest. Both of them were extremely busy all the time. A few times, Syaoran had been able to visit her (her brother grudgingly allowing him to step into the house provided they had constant supervision), on the guise of being on business trips. But these never lasted more than a weekend and to watch him leave again and again was difficult. And now that he was apparently working on some "big project," she saw and talked to him even less.

But it was an insignificant price to pay. She didn't care how many miles separated them.

She loved him. And the few moments with him – even through a lousy internet connection – would do more than suffice.

Touya was sputtering nonsense as he turned a very bright red. He looked and sounded like a raging fool at the moment, was unable to speak coherently as he babbled and tried to find his words.

"H-How damn selfish could you be, brat?!"

He grabbed the man in question by the collar, shaking him furiously. However, he only responded with a gasping grunt, surprisingly accepting of and used to Touya's irrational rage.

"Very."

Li Syaoran had accepted the fact he was a selfish man for quite a long time now in fact…when it came to a certain emerald eyed girl.

Yukito peeled Touya's claws off of the poor man, restraining and scolding him, as Syaoran turned to the other occupants in the room, specifically a tall, older man donning a wide pair of glasses. Kinomoto Fujitaka had taken a seat on the couch in his stupor at what was just proposed a few minutes ago.

Syaoran took a deep breath, feeling the sweat on his forehead. His heart was pumping in his ears. Stiffly, he went down on his knees in front of Sakura's father, fully prostrated so that his nose was touching the carpeted floor. He didn't care how weak he appearing. He was asking a lot from the father of two after all.

"P-Please, Kinomoto-san," Syaoran breathed, his eyes closed tightly in hope. "I-I promise you that I'll—"

"Ohhh no," Touya seethed from his restrained position. "Don't listen to him, Otou-san!"

"You're ruining the moment, Kinomoto-kun!" Tomoyo was wailing from standing behind the couch, a camera in front of her eye focused on the man kneeling on the floor. It was obvious even from where she was standing that poor Syaoran was nervously shaking out of his wits. But she seemed to be enjoying it actually.

Meanwhile, next to her Eriol was chuckling with his arms crossed in front of his chest, taking in the scene with glee. He couldn't help but think that this was all very predictable…but entertaining nonetheless.

"Good!" Touya was saying in spite. "I'm glad this moment is ruined!"

Kero rolled his beady eyes from where he was lying lazily on the couch. "Give it a rest," he was muttering, "it was going to happen eventually…"

The brother whipped over to Kero's direction and spat, "Not over my dead body!"

"Touya," Yukito said, trying to be soothing, "calm down a bit! Your father looks like he has something to say!"

And indeed, everyone looked to the quieted Fujitaka who had stood from his spot on the couch. A small smile was on his lips. It seems that he had gotten over his initial shock and was ready with a response.

Syaoran had peered up anxiously at him, knowing that the next few seconds would determine his future. He honestly was unsure how Sakura's father would respond. After all, until recently Syaoran wasn't a very well-liked person in this household (Touya still wasn't that fond of him…it would probably be exacerbated all the more after this particular visit) and Syaoran hadn't been able to visit Tomoeda and pay his respects to Fujitaka as much as he hoped but he–

Fujitaka didn't say a single word. He only gave a nod, grinning from ear to ear.

That nod was all Syaoran needed.

All at once the living room exploded with activity. Tomoyo was letting out a high pitched squeal of excitement while Eriol laughed and clapped heartily. Shouts of "Otou-san! What are you thinking?! How could you—" from a certain someone were being ignored. Kero had somehow retrieved a tiny noisemaker trumpet, had placed a party hat on his head, and was yelling an elated "Time for caaakkee!" Yukito was laughing and was joining in on the excitement as Fujitaka simply stood there beaming.

This was the craziness that Kinomoto Sakura had walked into.

Highly confused at the unannounced company, she stood at the door and stared at the boisterous scene, unaware of the man who was still prostrate on the floor (apparently frozen in shock). Why were Tomoyo and Eriol here? And usually her brother and Yukito would inform them if they planned on visiting.

…And why was everyone being so loud?

"Hoee? What on earth is happening here?"

At her sudden arrival, everyone seemed to have tensed and silenced their celebrations. Meanwhile, Sakura watched in surprise as a certain someone finally stood himself up, fixing his clothes anxiously as he turned to her.

Crap! He had almost been found out! Was this a bad omen for the rest of the night?

"S-S-S-Sakura! Y-Y-You're home early! I-I'm so sorry, I didn't know your class was—"

His words were cut short by the petite girl who was bum rushing into his chest, knocking him onto his back as she clung onto him, straddling him. Touya was not too happy with his sister's position on the brat but Yukito had finally clamped a hand over the retorting older brother.

"Syaoran-kun!" she gushed, her voice muffled as she buried her face into his chest. The weeks of not being able to be physically near him and the limited contact with him had come full force as tears of happiness were threatening to gush out of her eyes. He was here! He was really here! She took in all of him as she tightened her hold, childishly unwilling to let go. "Syaoran-kun!" She couldn't articulate anything but his name in her happiness.

Meanwhile, as he rubbed the back of his aching head with one hand, he pulled her closer with the other, not caring of the audience they had around them. He felt the front of his shirt get damp with her tears. He couldn't get his grin off of his face as his friends looked down at him knowingly.

"I've missed you, too," he whispered into her hair, "Sakura."

It was an amazing feeling to have her back in his arms, to feel complete once again.

And to add to his joy…was the fact that after tonight he won't have to miss her too much ever again.

Hopefully tonight would go as perfectly as he'd hoped.

…Okay so maybe his plans hadn't gone as perfectly as he'd hoped.

Syaoran was panting as he and Sakura caught their breaths, finally under the shade of the waiting area for the train. Their clothes were soaked by the sudden downpour and they were shivering slightly in the coolness of the otherwise fine spring night.

Syaoran looked down at Sakura apologetically. In all his planning, Syaoran hadn't taken the weather into consideration! They had no umbrella and they didn't even have jackets on! At this rate she was going to catch pneumonia! And he would be the one to blame! Her father would definitely regret his acceptance of him if Sakura became as sick as a dog because of tonight!

He sighed, feeling like a failure as he held her shuddering body against his, rubbing his hands against her bare arms and soaked back. "I'm so sorry, Sakura…" his voice echoing the melancholic sound of the rain.

She only giggled, finding it endearing how bummed he sounded. "I don't mind at all, Syaoran-kun!" she exclaimed, feeling droplets from his wet hair drip onto her shoulders. And in all honesty…she didn't. Not when she had an excuse to be pinned up against his warm, hard chest like this. She couldn't suppress a blush as she silently delighted in her happiness.

Sakura still couldn't believe that he had come to Japan for a surprise visit. It certainly was unexpected! Throughout the dinner they ended up having with her entire family and their friends, she couldn't help but beam, finding every excuse to accidentally touch him, hold his hand, brush up against him. She felt so incredibly drunk with joy she didn't even care that she was acting like a teenage girl!

After dinner, Syaoran had asked her on a walk and train ride with her into Tokyo, a twenty minute ride away. Syaoran thought that it would be sweet and romantic to spend time slowly wandering through the warm streets of Tomoeda and Tokyo together. When Syaoran had asked her, Touya (who had been intently and shamelessly listening in on their private conversation) had instantly refused, creating such unnecessary uproar that even Sakura noticed that something seemed amiss. Yukito had somehow convinced Touya to go back to their own apartment as they had an early day at work tomorrow (luckily for Syaoran). But not before Touya had roughly pulled Syaoran into the hallway to have a word with him where no one could hear them.

Syaoran secretly made a face as he sighed, feeling guilty as he looked at Sakura's soaked clothes. He hoped Touya was happy. This entire night with Sakura didn't seem to be going well at all so far.

Still enjoying the feeling of his hands against her skin, Sakura looked up at Syaoran inquiringly, with a slight frown on her lips. "Why was onii-chan being so weird today?…He was weirder than usual. I'm so sorry about that. What did he say to you before they left anyway?"

Syaoran chuckled nervously, avoiding her eyes. "Oh you know, the usual." he said vaguely. He paused a second before he added something under his breath, "…with a few additions…"

…Additions being reminders of getting castrated in his sleep or having pins pushed into his eyeball if he dared to lay a finger on Touya's little sister tonight.

"Hoee?"

"You've certainly been quiet all night, Kinomoto-san," Eriol was saying as he and his girlfriend helped Sakura's father by washing the dishes. Only he, Tomoyo, and Kero had been left in the house to clean up after the dinner that they and Syaoran have been planning for months.

Tomoyo looked worriedly at the older man as a thought came to mind. "Are you…alright with Li-kun and Sakura-chan…?"

He smiled, pushing his glasses up with a finger. The man put away some leftovers in the refrigerator before turning to her. "Of course I am. It seems that Li-kun has been planning this for a long time and I've always known that he was a good man. He'll treat Sakura-san right. And she's been happier than ever since coming home from Hong Kong. I'm relieved that she had him to turn her back to her old self."

And indeed Sakura had reverted back to her happy-go-lucky self these past few months. It was as if the turmoil and tension between her and her family members had disappeared. Fujitaka could tell that her heart felt lightened and that her soul felt satisfied for the first time in a very long while.

"Then why…" Eriol questioned, "do you seem somewhat…unhappy?"

Fujitaka smiled a bittersweet smile. "Because my dear Sakura-san no longer needs me or her brother to protect her anymore." He turned to Eriol who was looking at him in interest. "You'll understand someday, Hiiragazawa-kun. The day your future daughter finds a man to replace you." Fujitaka glanced between the couple who had turned red in the face before chuckling and leaving the room, intent on giving Keroberos some pudding.

The water still running, Tomoyo glanced up at Eriol who was grinning at her. "Maybe he's right," he said, ears red in slight embarrassment but eyes looking fondly at the amethyst eyed woman next to him. "I guess I might understand one day."

Smiling, she nudged him slightly with her elbow before continuing with the dishes.

What. The. Hell.

Syaoran was struggling with some keys, trying to get any of them to fit into the lock of a building's glass front doors. None! None of them were working! Damn it, he gave Eriol the one job of getting him the correct keys to the building and he failed in even that!

He glanced at Sakura whom he had instructed to close her eyes just a few seconds ago. Although they were under an awning now, they had to run through the streets of Tokyo in the pouring rain until they got to their destination. Although she still had a bright smile on her face as she closed her eyes, her hair was drenched and she was wrapping her arms around her body for warmth.

She seemed to feel his apprehension though. "Syaoran-kun? Are you okay?" she called, her eyes still closed.

Ugh. This night was just going terribly. Here he was, just trying to surprise her, trying to make tonight unforgettable. And it had been ruined probably from the beginning. "Y-Yeah, just fine," he lied still hopelessly trying to open the door with the keys. He ran a hand through his wet hair in frustration.

He…just…wanted to make things perfect for her…wanted everything to pan out to be something wonderful…something she deserved.

Ugh. It was hopeless.

Suddenly, they both felt a flash of magic and Syaoran was surprised to see Sakura's pocket lighting up. Lock had somehow activated itself, getting situated over the lock pad of the front door Syaoran was currently struggling with. Amber eyes widened as the door suddenly unlocked with ease, the Card promptly disappearing back into its Card form in moments.

"S-Syaoran-kun?" Sakura was saying in concern, flailing her arms around to try to find him. Her eyes had loyally remained shut despite feeling the aura of one of her own Cards' which she had obviously not summoned. "W-What happened?! I felt a Card!"

He grabbed onto her hand and held her, instantly calming her. Still in awe himself, he opened the door and quickly ushered her inside. Sakura hadn't summoned Lock at all…which obviously caused them both a bit of tension considering what they had gone through about a year ago. But this time…there was no accompanying aura of Void…and it seemed innocent enough.

Maybe the Cards had sensed his utter desperation? "I-I guess your Cards are trying to help me out," he muttered. "It's fine though. Don't worry."

Sakura nodded slowly as she was led to the middle of the large lobby, her eyes still closed.

Suddenly, she heard him yelp aloud as she felt more Cards simultaneously activate, their auras filling the air. Behind her closed lids, she saw their magical light emitting and yearned to see just what was going on. What in the world was happening? Suddenly, she heard Syaoran give a slight chuckle. "S-Syaoran-kun?" she asked anxiously.

"Open your eyes."

She slowly opened her emerald eyes to find that she was in a large room, filled with radiant flakes of soft green lights that were surrounding them, courtesy of the Glow Card. She also noted the floor, sofas, coffee tables, and reception desk being lightly covered with cherry blossom petals. She curiously looked at Syaoran who was standing in front of her, holding her hands in his. He was looking down at her carefully, watching her reaction.

She was slightly confused. Yes, it was such a pretty sight to have Glow and Flower bless them with this, but why? Although they didn't seem to mean any harm, why did they suddenly activate without her bidding? And…where were they? It seemed like some kind of…lobby?

And suddenly she spotted a large sign that was being illuminated by Glow's light and her eyes widened.

It read, 'Li Corporation.'

"Syaoran-kun," she said quietly, still trying to take in her surroundings. "Where…are we?"

"This is the newest branch of Li Corporation," he responded with a small smile. "Right here. In Tokyo, Japan."

She blinked. "Oh wow, I didn't know you opened a new branch!" This must have been the big project he had been working on all this time. As far as she knew, opening new branches – especially international ones – takes a lot of time and effort. No wonder he was so busy all the time.

"It will be fully operational by the end of the week."

Astonished, Sakura beamed at him. "Oh my goodness, that's amazing, Syaoran-kun! Congratulations!" she was exclaiming with pride as she hugged him.

"I…also purchased an apartment not too far from here."

At this she squealed in excitement. "Really?! That means I'll be able to see you a lot more since you'll be coming to this branch from time to time, right?!" She didn't even realize what this would mean for their relationship…she had simply been happy that he had taken such bold steps in expanding his company. But now that it had dawned on her that they would probably be able to see each other more often too…she was ecstatic! "Hoeeee!"

His smile widened, unfazed by her obliviousness. In fact, he thought it was charming. His hands tightened around hers. "Sakura-"

"I hope you won't be too busy when you're on business trips though," she was saying, "Well, no matter…I'm sure since you'll be coming to Japan more often I'll be bound to see you more! When do you go back home? Maybe you'll—"

"I'm already home."

At this, Sakura finally stopped her raving. "Hoee?"

He brought a hand to her cheek, relishing the feel of her smooth skin against his palm. She was too cute…being this oblivious even at twenty-two-years-old. It reminded him of all those years ago in elementary school when she would be endearingly unaware of everything around her. He would never get sick of it. Chuckling, he pulled in closer, placing a short kiss on her lips. "Wherever you are…is my home, Sakura."

And slowly, Sakura watched in shock as he gradually knelt down on one knee, still clasping her hand in his. Emerald eyes widened and her body went numb.

"I've loved you for about a decade now, Kinomoto Sakura. Granted, we weren't able to spend all those years together. But as I promised to you before…I swear that every moment will make up for that lost time," he started, amber eyes set in a serious expression. His hand grasped onto hers tightly. "I promise to protect you with everything I have and to ensure you will have all the happiness you deserve." He took a deep breath at this point before he continued, his eyes momentarily flickering to the ground. "I…I know you've been through a lot. I know that for years you've felt empty, felt like you needed to search for something to fill that emptiness. Well I promise you that even though your memories have returned…I will continue to fill your life with even more memories and love so that you'll be forever satiated, so that you won't ever feel lost and alone anymore." His amber eyes softened. "Honestly Sakura…I…I'm a selfish man. Please don't take this offensively…but…I'm so glad you took initiative in searching for something you had felt that you lost…I'm so glad because…you found me again. And…right now…I'll be asking a selfish request of you…but…"

With one hand, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a black velvet box. Opening it revealed an insanely beautiful diamond ring, glinting in Glow's soft light.

Amber eyes bore into emerald.

"Will you marry me, Kinomoto Sakura?"

Several silent seconds passed.

"You are selfish, Syaoran-kun." She saw that his heart momentarily dropped at this but she smiled gently. "You kept me in your heart all this time, despite shouldering pain on your own. You loved me even though I had no recollection of you, even though you were a stranger to me. You helped me with my Cards, saved me countless of times… You made me feel whole," she added a slight pause. "Honestly…I think I'm a little selfish too…because even if I had never regained my memories…I'm certain that my heart wouldn't want anyone else in this world but you." Her lips erupted in a final, big smile. "Of course I'll marry you, Li Syaoran."

She…She said…yes…!

He felt as if his heart was swelling so much it could burst.

Stammering stupidly and breaking out into grins, Syaoran slipped the ring on her finger and swept her up so that he could spin her in the air. She was laughing the entire time, and when her toes finally touched the floor, their lips finally met again, reveling in their newfound excitement. The kisses began as quick, passion-filled expressions of delight and love. But in between each kiss, their eyes would meet, glimmering with an understanding that their lives would be forever changed, forever entwined.

They would never have to settle for text messages, for phone calls, for video chatting. They would never have to feel as alone as they had felt in all those years they had been cruelly separated. Not anymore. Not for the rest of their lives.

It was at the look of her eyes that he began subconsciously deepening his kisses, subconsciously caressing her body with gentle touches. The realization dawned upon him that…finally…life was awarding him with the one thing he ever wanted. Happiness with Kinomoto Sakura…soon to be Li Sakura.

As for Sakura, as her fingers entwined within his damp hair and their kiss deepened further, her mind and heart were filled with the prospects of the future. For once, she was no longer looking for answers, looking towards the past. They all resided in the man standing in front of her. And nothing else mattered besides spending the rest of her life making memories with him.

Sakura felt his hands on her waist and back, clutching onto her soaked clothes. He groaned and held her closer, intent on sharing body warmth.

She was so happy…she couldn't even contain it anymore. Every touch of his sent her body over the edge. His warm breath against her damp skin enflamed her nerves. The way he kissed her exposed neck made her knees grow weak.

She was placing hot kisses on his collar bone when she asked him a seemingly innocent question.

"…You said you live nearby now right…?" She heard him respond with a grunt as her deft fingers untucked his shirt and played with the edge between the top of his pants and his warm skin. She pulled away from his body momentarily and looked up into his amber eyes, already darkened with passion.

He swallowed. He knew that look on her face.

The feel of her fingers caressing his abdomen didn't help.

Keep your cool, Li Syaoran. Keep your cool.

"S-Sakura…" he growled warningly.

She gave an innocent smile which irritated him. She was somehow relishing how sexually tense she was making him. Syaoran locked his jaw, trying to keep his mind from previewing what could be happening in the near future. But she was a persistent one. She already knew exactly how to break him. She was nibbling on his tensed jaw, slowly wrapping her warm hands around to his back to stroke his strained muscles under his soaked shirt. Everywhere her fingers touched his skin felt like it was on fire.

The sound of him groaning her first name was to die for. Sakura "innocently" continued with her request.

"…Maybe just to change out of our wet clothes?…Please, husband?"

…How the hell could he refuse when he loved hearing that word so much? Besides, it wasn't such a farfetched request considering they could get sick wearing soaked clothes…

He just…had to make sure she didn't break through his restraint…

Shit…why did he have the feeling that he wasn't as strong as he thought he was when it came to holding himself back when Sakura acted so…ugh.

Keep your cool, Li Syaoran. Keep your cool.

She awoke feeling undeniably…sore. Sore all over her entire body. Sore in places which she never thought could even be sore.

But despite that, contentedness and warmth overwhelmed her. Although the sunny rays and the birds chirping outside had woken her from her amazing dreamless slumber, she smiled as she stretched her lithe body, letting out a sigh of satisfaction as she slowly opened her sleep ridden eyes. Her nude body was buried in the gigantic sheets of Syaoran's new bed, contributing to her comfort. But she blinked as she realized that the owner of the bed wasn't present, knowing that if his warm, muscular body had been enveloping hers as it had been all night, she wouldn't have woken so easily.

Before she sat up to look for said owner, her eyes immediately drifted towards the glittering diamond on her left ring finger, noting how foreign yet comfortable it felt on her hand.

She was engaged to marry Li Syaoran.

She was going to be Li Sakura.

Happiness settled within her heart. She thought back to yesterday's events, from arriving home and finding Syaoran there, to being brought to the newest branch of Li Corporation in Tokyo, to…bedtime.

She cuddled into fetal position and brought her newly adorned hand against her chest, suddenly feeling her face grow warm with redness. She giggled aloud as she twirled the ring around her finger childishly, knowing that it would become a habit that would be hard to break. Flashes of arriving at Syaoran's new seemingly expensive penthouse apartment and what happened thereafter came to mind.

As soon as they had entered the apartment, she had immediately entrapped him on the couch, straddling him and settling kisses all over his neck. Their clothes had been dripping wet and clung to their bodies, feeling like a cumbersome second layer of skin. The rain had soaked them through and through, leaving them feeling cold and in desperate need of warmth. But their exchange of fervent kisses and hot breaths had provided them enough warmth to not even take notice of their clothes, the initial reason why Sakura had recommended they come to his apartment in the first place (albeit she had hidden intentions)…until that is, Sakura had started unbuttoning his shirt.

He had stopped her with a shaking hand and a ragged voice, their eyes meeting and knowing the potentiality of what could transpire in the following few seconds. His eyes were dark with hunger, but still tinged with his characteristic hesitant chivalry when it came to being intimate with her.

Finally, after a long staring match of silent wit, he had whispered,

"Sakura…your brother is going to skin me alive."

Needless to say…her brother was quickly forgotten.

She girlishly giggled again as she brought the comforter sheets over her unruly head of hair, wanting to hide from her endless blushing as thoughts of how the night continued filled her brain. As expected from their previous encounters of intimacy…Li Syaoran was gentle. Despite his built frame and his rough, calloused hands, she felt as if her entire body and being was carefully caressed.

Well, that is…at least at first.

After a certain point, she guessed she had tipped him over the edge of restraint. She had suddenly been shoved against the softness of the bed sheets and pillows as his feral nature took over. She remembered his growls of desire, the hurried, restless way he handled her, how he left bruises with both his teeth and his touches, his grunts of curse words in his native language, and most of all…those dark amber eyes deeply embedded with ferocity and passion…

He had been in such utter control over her. It was a side that she knew he had never shown to anyone. It was possibly a side to him that even he didn't realize he had. But his uninhibited wildness was just… She had never felt so…

…ugh.

And she didn't even want to think too much into detail about his naked body. Muscular and firm and simply…well-endowed – all aspects of it.

A shiver of delight went down her spine as she realized that this was the man she would spend the rest of her life with.

She was a lucky, lucky girl.

She couldn't take it anymore. She had to see him.

Jumping out of bed and quickly slipping on the immensely oversized shirt Syaoran had seemingly put aside for her on the dresser, she treaded quietly, allowing the aroma of breakfast lead her to the man who seemed to fill every corner of her mind…her future husband.

Dressed in only a pair of sweat pants, Syaoran stood over the stove, some bacon sizzling in the pan in front of him. Hair exceptionally disheveled after the night he had, he was in a complete daze despite the fact that he should be focusing on making breakfast.

A night with Sakura would do that to you.

Unable to push down the blushes that threatened to cover his face, he was still in utter awe what had happened last night. He finally revealed his big plans about his move to Japan. He had proposed. And she had said yes.

Kinomoto Sakura had said yes.

That alone would have sent him grinning from ear to ear. After all, he would be able to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loved. But then…

She was a little vixen, that one.

He should've known. After all, he had seen previews of what she was capable of when she…wanted something. But while she was in Hong Kong after the entire Void incident was settled, he hadn't wanted to rush things. Don't get him wrong, he definitely had thoughts. A lot of them. Especially after that first night after the annual Li ball when they had shared their first kiss that had threatened to become lots more. But he didn't want pressure their unique relationship into an end…not after everything they had gone through. Besides, with his mother and sisters and Meiling, Tomoyo, and Eriol staying at the Li mansion during that time…it was somewhat difficult to get some privacy.

But boy, when Sakura left Hong Kong…those thoughts came with a vengeance. He realized he was an idiot for always stopping her. And it became even more difficult to deal with those thoughts when they began living in two different countries and only saw each other for a few days every so often.

The duration of their relationship was now at a few months short of a year. He had definitely taken it slow enough when it came to their intimacy. In fact…he didn't know how he was able to manage stopping himself all this time. Because actually spending a night with her…was…well…it transcended all of his thoughts of how it would be. He had a feeling that it would become…an addiction.

He still remembered the feel of her soft, supple skin under his fingertips, her half-lidded emerald eyes dilated in passion, her slightly parted mouth, the way she groaned and uttered his name. Ugh. Everything about her was just so enticing. And it wasn't just her body, although he definitely hailed it as perfect in every way. But she was just so beautiful and angelic underneath all her layers. In fact, he didn't think she could look any more beautiful than how she did last night, looking up at him with all her vulnerability exposed.

Syaoran had tried to be conscious in how he acted, how he touched her, how he kissed her. He knew that it would be the first time for the both of them. He didn't want it to be a bad memory for her and he definitely didn't want to hurt her. Because holy crap, he knew that if he had lost all restraint…she might never want a repeat to ever happen again. And god knows he didn't want that.

He was doing so well…until Kinomoto Sakura exhibited what hidden abilities she could do with her mouth and tongue…

He ran a hand through his hair and his jaw tightened just at the thought.

He had gone wild after that.

Syaoran inwardly recoiled when he remembered how clumsy, rough, and reckless he had been. But everything about her had simply…intoxicated him. Her smell, her taste, her skin, her eyes. He had gone ballistic, unstoppable. And the way she was screaming his name throughout the night didn't help. Good thing he had gotten the penthouse suite and they had no adjoining adjacent neighbors.

Maybe it was all these years of having to love her from afar. Maybe it was the buildup of sexual tension from their unfinished sessions over the past year. It was probably a little of both.

And holy shit…it felt good. Too good.

But…had he made a fool of himself? Was she thinking how much of a hormonal pervert her fiancé was? Did she get hurt somehow? After all, he was essentially blinded by all the pleasure. Was she thinking that he was selfish in bed? Or that he was possibly bad or clumsy?

He groaned aloud to himself. It was too embarrassing…he couldn't face her…

These thoughts were partly the reason why he had decided to get up, wash their rain-soaked clothes that they had forgotten on the floor last night, and make breakfast for her instead of staying in the comfy bed watching her sleep this morning. Maybe if he could show that he would be a good husband in other ways she won't totally regret her decision to marry him…

"Syaoran-kun."

He jumped at the sound of her voice. He hadn't even noticed that she was standing next to him.

"Do you like your bacon that crispy?"

He looked down at the pan and realized with a start that the slices of bacon had burnt into shriveled, black undiscernible pieces of inedible food. He yelped and hurriedly turned off the stove and used the tongs to pick up the pieces, trying to see if he could salvage them.

"Crap," he muttered, "Sorry, I was trying to make breakfast for you to make up for last nigh—" Syaoran had turned to face Sakura and had lost his words. She was demurely looking up at him with a slight meek smile, twiddling her fingers with a slight blush on her cheeks. She was dressed in his plain, white shirt which was hopelessly large on her. In fact, it was so large that it had slipped off her shoulder, exposing a large area of skin where he noted a particularly large love bite mark. Aside from that, her lips still appeared bruised and her short honey-colored hair was unruly. The length of the shirt on her ended just above her mid-thigh, revealing the legs his hands remembered caressing.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he remembered that he had thrown her bra and underwear into the washing machine…so that meant underneath that shirt was…nothing.

How was it possible that Kinomoto Sakura could look incredibly beautiful and be sexually enticing him without even doing anything?!

And the thing that topped it all off was the ring on her left fourth finger which she was subconsciously thumbing at.

Oh god.

"Make up for last night?" she asked softly, tilting her head slightly in confusion. She noted his extremely skittish demeanor and the way he tried to avoid looking at her.

Completely red in the face, he shook his head. "I-It's nothing! Nevermind."

Sakura let out a giggle before it became a full-blown laugh. Syaoran, still unable to rid his face of the redness, frowned at her, unable to deny that he loved the sound of her laughter reverberating throughout his new apartment. He hoped that his new home would house a lot more episodes of her laughter. "W-What?"

Her lips melted into a beautiful grin and she stepped up to him, placing her palms on his cheeks. "You're never going to change are you?" She remembered a small and incredibly cute eleven-year-old Li Syaoran, blushing like a maniac whenever she turned to ask him an innocent question. If it was endearing back then…it was definitely endearing for the now twenty-two-year-old practically grown man.

His frown deepened, but much to his dismay, his blush didn't disappear. It must have to do with the fact that she was even closer to him now, her body up against his.

"Anyway," Sakura drawled innocently, "About last night…"

Syaoran braced himself for the blow to his ego. "I-I'm sorry…" he muttered.

Sakura blinked in confusion and laughed again at him. He was too cute.

She planted a deep kiss on his lips, holding herself up as her arms snaked around his neck. After a few seconds she felt his hands on the small of her back, supporting her. She pulled away from the kiss momentarily, leaning her forehead against his.

"I was just going to ask…" she whispered, her voice low. Her emerald eyes looked up at him shrewdly, mocking innocence. "…when's the next time we'll be doing that again?"

Dizzy from her kisses and realizing that Sakura was now roaming her fingers along his bare chest and abdomen, Syaoran felt his feral side threaten to emerge once again. After being unleashed last night he guessed it was easier to tip him over the edge now. "S-Sakura…" he muttered warningly, his voice low and full of want.

"…Right now?" she asked, her lips moving against his.

She didn't have to ask twice.

Abruptly, he grabbed the back of her supple thighs, easily hoisting her up so that she was seated on the granite countertop. Bodies melting into each other's once again, Syaoran cocked his head upwards to receive her kisses as she towered from above. His hands were dangerously roaming again, clutching at her small waist and grabbing at her thighs, itching to remove the thin shirt from her body. Her fingers were tangled in his hair, their breaths mixing with each other's once again.

"Ahem…Syaoran? Sakura-san?"

With a yelp, the pair immediately stopped all their actions and Sakura jumped down from the counter, hiding behind Syaoran's body in an effort to cover her scantily dressed self. They looked towards the voice and saw an amused Eriol and a starry-eyed Tomoyo emerging from the front door in the living room. Unfortunately for them, Tomoyo's horrid video camera was already situated in front of her, capturing the scene.

"T-T-Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura yelled in complete embarrassment, trying to hide her face. "P-Put that thing away!"

"Are you kidding, Sakura-chan?" her best friend gushed excitedly. "This is golden!"

"E-Eriol," Syaoran stuttered, half angry, half totally embarrassed. "H-How did you get in?! Don't you have the decency to knock?!"

"Why, you gave me the key yourself, boss," Eriol replied evenly with a smirk, twirling the key to the apartment around his finger. "You thought it would be helpful for your new secretary for the Tokyo branch of Li Corporation to have access to your home, remember?" Eriol didn't realize that taking over Meiling's job while she became the head of the Hong Kong branch would lead to awkward yet highly entertaining circumstances like this...

Syaoran scowled, remembering that the bastard was indeed telling the truth. He totally regretted his decision. "I can take back that job just as easily as you received it, Hiiragazawa," Syaoran retorted, still red in the face.

Eriol sighed and continued to grin as his girlfriend endlessly recorded a tomato-red Sakura. "And here we were thinking we were being good friends to come and warn you."

"Warn us?" Sakura squeaked.

"Your brother realized you didn't come home last night, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo replied, still gushing. They could tell that Tomoyo had been ecstatic when she had found out.

"And Keroberos accidentally let Syaoran's new address slip…" Eriol continued snidely.

Syaoran and Sakura immediately turned pale. They looked at each other momentarily.

Syaoran remembered that their clothes were still in the washing machine and instantly lost all feeling in his body…probably to prepare for the imminent death he was facing.

"H-HOEEEE!"

PHEW! Well I'm finally done with this fanfic! I've thoroughly enjoyed writing this. It allowed be to relive my love for CCS. Hope you enjoyed the epilogue! I wanted it to be really fluffy and sweet after all that angst I forced our favorite couple to go through in the last 15 chapters. I was teetering on rating it M, however I don't think it got to that point? Hopefully it didn't offend anyone.

Thank you for all the lovely reviews, whether encouraging or criticizing! I'm appreciative that anyone took time to read this as I've been out of the fanfiction game for quite a while. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to write more fics for quite some time as I'll be starting grad school...but maybe that will change if I spontaneously get inspiration? Maybe if a lovely reviewer recommends an extremely good fic and it motivates me to start writing again? Who knows. :)

For those of you who are reading Restraint, don't worry! I do plan on finishing it and am actually planning to complete it before May. That way I'll be able to wrap up all my ongoing fics before I go into total hibernation from fanfics.

Anyway, thanks again for giving this fanfic a chance! :D