Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Black Wings ❯ Chapter 15 ( Chapter 15 )

Black Wings

By: Aisaki Sumi

 

Chapter Fifteen

 

Sakura watched him disappear into the night. The streetlamps on the sidewalk made up for the lack of moonlight. The artificial light was silvery and slightly faint—faded and serene. It made him look somewhat lonely and Sakura swore the smile on his face was different.

 

It was more rueful than playful.

 

He wandered down the dimly lit street with the dark velvety sky stretched out above him. He reminded her of a lost soul.

 

He seemed less like his usual content self. Perhaps he was just like everyone else, or like her, with a secret of his own and a past he could not forget. His wings, at that moment, looked rather broken and delicate than strong and powerful.

 

The house was empty again, filled with tension and suspense and unforgiven pain. Sakura silently made across the hallway after she shut the door, and wandered towards the living room, but only to be halted into a stop half way through.

 

“Sakura,” she paused and listened carefully, not replying.

 

A soft sigh followed and she wondered how many times she had heard Fujitak heave out such a sigh since she moved back to Tomoeda.

 

“Li-kun seems really nice…and I'm glad you're already making friends here. I was a bit worried at first…” He trailed off unsurely, discreet with his choice of words. “Anyway, what I wanted to say is that don't be afraid to invite your friends over.”

 

Sakura could hear nervousness underlying his tone. Fujitaka was a wonderful father, loving and caring. But he didn't understand her, or at least she didn't think he did. But then again, he wasn't the one at fault. She was the one pushing him away, wanting to be alone and independent.

 

Before their family broke up into pieces, he was like her best friend. They could talk about anything. But things happen and life is constantly changing and ending; close friends can become strangers; family members can become distant. She had stopped trusting him the moment she saw the ugliness of the world.

 

She had stopped trusting everyone around her.

 

She didn't want to be too attached to anyone, or anything. She couldn't afford to face another blow on her own. She wouldn't be able to handle it.

 

Life was unfair to her, breaking up her family, taking away her bother and her brother. They were two of the most important people in her life. She had learned not to get too easily attached to things and people the hard way.

 

“He's not my friend.” She suddenly declared, a hint of irritation in her voice.

 

Fujitaka's eyes flickered with surprise. “I only invited him in because he got hurt. That's where the trail of blood came from.” Sakura pointed a hand at the faint trail of blood left on the white carpet, the stained rug and half filled water bucket.

 

“Oh…” Fujitaka acknowledged faintly.

 

“I'm almost done cleaning anyway.” She informed with a light shrug and continued down the hallway until she reached the living room.

 

Fujitaka could only watch his daughter slip away from him more and more as she strolled away. Sadness reflected in his dark eyes as a strand of silver hair fell into his eyes.

 

He could only hope that perhaps someday a nice young man would come along and show her that she was never alone. The image of Syaoran then appeared in his mind. Looking back, Sakura didn't seem to mind his presence all that much.

 

Perhaps Li-kun could change her and show her the side of life she had never seen before.

 

……

 

Syaoran quietly climbed over the fences and made safely across the garden without many security cameras spotting him. He would just have to get up a bit early in the morning tomorrow to destroy all the tapes they had of him before his mother gets her hands on them. With all the solid evidences gone, Yelan's accusations would only be unreasonable and unjustifiable.

 

Sighing in slight relief as he reached the side door, he unlocked it with the keys he stole from the sleeping security guy and opened it as quietly as possible. He gave the door a little push and tiptoed in. And now, all he had to do was to fumble across the living room without crashing into any of his mother's fine Qing Dynasty china. That shouldn't be too hard…right?

 

He slowly tiptoed across the living room, but only to be stopped by a stern voice.

 

“Syaoran.”

 

He froze on the spot, heart pounding frantically as if it was going to leap out of his throat. He breathed heavily and unevenly as he listened hard. His amber eyes quickly surveyed his surroundings, and only to find a dark figure sitting on the couch. Crap.

 

“Where were you today? I phoned your cellphone so many times and as well as Eriol's since your phone was turned off.” Syaoran could hear the implicit anger and irritation in that smooth voice. Furrowed his eyebrows in contemplation, he thought on the voice for a bit and realized that it was only Meiling.

 

He swore Meiling needed to learn and try to sound less like Yelan if she ever wanted to get herself a boyfriend.

 

Feeling he could breath a bit easier now, his tensed shoulder relaxed. “Meiling, don't scare me like that in the dark, I have a bad heart you know.” He folded his arms, expecting her to laugh a bit and forget about the whole thing. But she didn't.

 

Meiling was his mother's personal spy and nagger when Yelan wasn't around. And if his mother hears a word about him sneaking into the house late at night, he would be dead.

 

“No you don't.” Meiling denied defiantly. “Now tell me where you were, or else I'll tell auntie about this.” Syaoran twitched at the childish threat.

 

“I don't need to tell you anything. You don't have the right to stick your nose into my personal life anyway.” He retorted coolly, but remained cautious of what he was walking into.

 

“Auntie told me to keep a close eye on you when she's not around and I have the right to know where you went.”

 

Suppressing his lips into a line, Syaoran glared at her way. “I went to a girl's house, happy now?” Silence was the only reply he received.

 

A triumphant smile formed on his lips as he swerved around and headed for his bedroom. At least that went pretty well, shutting Meiling up for the night, he thought gleefully.

 

“Were you at that Kinomoto Sakura's house?” The cold demand made him pause on the way. He could hear the scornful emphasize on Sakura's name and this made him clench his hand into a fist.

 

“I'm not stupid Syaoran, I've seen you hang out with her at school.”

 

“And so I have.” He didn't bother denying it.

 

“You like her don't you?” She cried out hysterically and this made Syaoran jerk his head back with widened eyes. “You like her don't you?!” She hissed, voice turning horse and breaking into the sob.

 

“You're being ridiculous Meiling.” Syaoran said dismissively as he ran up the stairs, heart thudding loudly in his ribcage. Meiling's voice echoed endlessly in his head. You like her don't you?

Surely he had felt a strange attraction toward her, and surely he was intrigued by her. But that didn't mean he liked her…right?

 

But somehow, his heart disagreed.

 

……

 

The next morning, Syaoran woke up earlier than usual. He grabbed a toast on the way out with his school bang hanging from his shoulder loosely. His beloved motorcycle was probably in ruins right now, abandoned by that garbage dumpster where the Bloods attacked him. But thank god he had another one, exactly identical one.

 

“Syaoran,” Meiling called out from the behind and Syaoran almost winced at her voice. It sounded so much like his mother's voice and it was beginning to creep him out how Meiling might turn out like Yelan someday. “Can you give me a ride to school today?”

 

“I don't give rides Meiling, you know that.” He said lightly before leaving the kitchen like a gust of wind whirling by.

 

She blinked once and he was gone, like the lightest autumn breeze; he left without a trace. But his words resonated in the air, producing an endless echo in the silent house.

 

Sometimes she wondered if she ever meant anything to him.

 

……

 

Syaoran put out the engine as he waited patiently by the Kinomoto residence. He flickered a glance up at the nearby cherry blossom tree and watched the withered, auburn colored leaves drift weightlessly through the thin hair.

 

Another reason was about to end. He could feel it from the chills of the wind. It was harsher and colder now.

 

And the sky looked a lot gloomier than before. Sheets of wistful smogs captured the sunlight in a greedy act, leaving the ground without sun-kissed warmth. How depressing… He thought. It was then the clicks of shoes on the pavement brought him back to the real world.

 

A smile immediately bloomed on his face as he saw Sakura coming out of her house with her school bag and her big art binder.

 

“Ohayou Sakura!” He beamed at the sight of her. He waved a hand at her through the falling leaves and laughed lightly at her shocked expression. She was beginning to get used to him calling her Sakura now and to say this pleased him would be a great understatement.

 

Her movements now became slightly stiffened and awkward as she made her way through their small garden he noticed.

 

“What are you doing here?” was the first thing came out of her mouth.

 

“And it's nice to see you too.” He replied dryly. She didn't catch the humour in his sarcastic response, but only glared at him with those intensive emerald green eyes that tugged at his heart so relentlessly.

 

“I came to pick you up silly.” He patted his motorcycle and she gave him a somewhat skeptical look.

 

“Hop on already will ya? It's not like I'm going to kidnap you and see you to some strip club.” He passed a helmet to her, but she didn't take it.

 

Running a hand through his silky chestnut hair, he heaved out a sigh. “It's not safe for you to go to school on your own anymore. Not after what happened on Sunday.” He looked into her eyes and saw evident perplexity reflected in those glassy marble-like eyes.

 

“You interrupted a gang fight. Katou and the Bloods are not stupid. They'll find out sooner or later that you saved me, and then, they'll go after you and make you pay for it.” The last few words rolled off his tongue with bitterness.

 

Anger flashed in his eyes, in a moment too brief to be recognized, but Sakura caught a glimpse of it and it made her heart skip a beat.

 

“Look, I don't want anything to happen to you. And that's why I'm going to protect you from now on. I'll pick you up from your house and give you a ride after school too.”

 

She looked away and brushed aside the long auburn bangs that were falling into her eyes. “No thanks. I'll protect myself.” She turned down his offer and swerved around, starting to walk away.

 

She didn't need him in her life. She was independent. She could be responsible for herself. And if they wanted to go after her, she would just have to report it to the police.

 

“Don't take it so lightly Sakura.” He raised his volume slightly. This made Sakura stop on track and look over her shoulder. There, she saw a rare seriousness displaying in his eyes. “If something happens to you because of me, I'll never be able to forgive myself.”

 

Her throat tightened and her breath was hitched. She didn't know why but the integrity she saw from the windows of his soul and the underlying ruefulness in his tone caused her heartbeat to escalate. She had never seen this face of his. In her mind, he was always the content, teasing but charismatic gang leader.

 

Maybe this was his serious side.

 

She wanted to refuse, but found her tongue all tangled up. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

 

“If you don't get on, we're gonna be late for school and that wouldn't look so good on your perfect attendance list now would it?” He asked her teasingly, his eyes winkling a smile. All the seriousness was gone as soon as they surfaced.

 

She got onto the passenger seat reluctantly, looking around to see where she could put her bag and art binder. “You should hold onto your binder and bag and me or else you'll fall off the bike.” His muffled voice reached her ears. She looked up and saw him looking over his shoulder through the plastic shield.

 

There was no way she was going to hold onto him. Absolutely no way. Instead of responding to his advice, she stubbornly ignored him and gripped the seat as tightly as she could. He shrugged nonchalantly and started the bike. The roars of the engine were carried miles away on the careless wind.

 

Before she knew, the sudden acceleration already caused her head to slam against his back and her hands intuitively circled his waist. She squeezed her eyes tightly together and leaned against him for support as if he was the thread of her life. Wisps of his scent lingered still in the air between them, filling her nostrils with its pleasantness.

 

She hated guys who wear cologne, but strangely enough, she couldn't bring herself to hate his scent.

 

Lavender mixed with slight bits of spice, it was almost seductive. It reminded her of his personality; strong, charismatic, and wild, but caring and honest at the same time. The wind was blowing violently against her, its coldness seeping through the thin layer of her school uniform.

 

But for some unknown reason, she felt warm and safe around him, as if he was protecting her from the violent outside world—as if he was protecting her away from all the external forces that were trying to tear her apart.

 

He was her black winged guardian angel after all.

 

……

 

“Hey Meiling-chan, did you see the new Gucci bag? It's sooo cute!! We have to go shop for it!” The girl with short blonde hair squealed excitedly as she tugged at Meiling's sleeve like a little child.

 

“Sure Aiko-chan, if we don't have a lot of homework that is.” Meiling smiled in return, patting her friend on the head affectionately. Miyamoto Aiko was her best friend. She was always bright and enthusiastic. She was a friend Meiling could count on, and was always there to stand up for Meiling, or back her up in a fight.

 

“You know--” Before Aiko could finish her sentence, a loud roar was heard and soon afterwards arrived the flashy red motorcycle along with its rider…and a passenger? All eyes were focused on the two figures on the bike. Some were whispering to each other conspiratorially while others were simply too shock to even produce a coherent speech.

 

Meiling was no exception. She was beyond stunned and shocked beyond her mind's comprehension. A part of her felt betrayed when she recognized the figure ridding on the passenger seat of that bike. Her mouth twisted into a thin as she remembered what Syaoran said that morning.

 

I don't give rides, you know that Meiling.

 

Anger boiled in her veins as she saw Sakura holding tightly onto the person she figured could only be Syaoran. Her eyes were trained on them as she observed the two with hard and hateful ruby eyes. Syaoran helped Sakura get off the motorcycle and passed her bag and art binder to her.

 

He had such a rare, lighthearted smile on his lips. It was a smile that Meiling had never seen before, even though they grew up together. She had never seen him looking at anyone so lovingly before. Pain and bitterness settled in her heart permanently. It almost shattered when she saw him holding onto her hand.

 

“It's that new girl again. How dare she show her face here like that and making a scene with Li-kun when his fiancée is standing right here?!” Aiko gritted her teeth, a scornful look in her eyes.

 

Aiko's angry voice seemed so indistinctive. Everything around her seemed so faded and silent. She could only see Syaoran and Sakura, and hear Syaoran's faint laughter. It blended so ironically well with the heavy thumps of her bleeding heart.

 

……

 

The ringing of the bell resounded in the large school building, through the hallways and the quiet classrooms. Clamors from the morning were gone, left the school in the embrace of a pleasant tranquility. Sakura was pulled out of her Japanese literature class a few minutes ago by her Visual Arts teacher, Fuji Syuusuke.

 

Not that she minded missing that class. They were having a work period anyway. Sakura sat nervously on the edge of the chair in front of Fuji-sensei's desk and watched him pour her a cup of green tea.

 

“I'm very sorry for pulling you out of your Japanese Literature class, but there are some very important matters I would like to discuss with you.” Fuji-sensei placed the tea cup in front of her before going back to his own seat and folding his hands gracefully together.

 

Sakura nodded in response, indicating that she was listening attentively.

 

Fuji went on, explaining himself. “I saw a sketch of yours the other day by accident. And it blew me away. I've never seen such fine detailed and vivid drawing before. You certainly have a talent in detailing and shading.” She blushed faintly at the compliment and looked down, unable to meet Fuji's blue eyes.

 

“But what surprised me even more was that the black winged angel you drew was actually Li-Kun.” Sakura flickered up a surprised glance at the now smiling Fuji-sensei. She did not speak, she wasn't sure if she was afraid to speak or her voice had decided to betray her.

 

No one was supposed to see it, not even Fuji-sensei.

 

Fuji-sensei seemed to have sensed her nervousness and fast-increasing discomfort levels. The kind smile on his face widened.

 

“You don't have to be ashamed of your own drawing. It was very beautiful and extremely fascinating in a sense. Many have attempted to take on the subject of angels and devils in the past, but yours just struck me as hauntingly beautiful.”

 

“You have a true talent Kinomoto-san, and I would like to see you develop that potential of yours.” Fuji murmured, his voice soft and soothing and enchanting. Sakura almost felt a bit more relaxed than before.

 

“There's an art contest coming up, and this year's theme is: salvation. I think you should enter it.” He suggested, holding out a information brochure, gesturing her to take it.

 

Sakura thanked him quietly as she took the brochure.

 

“You should also speak to Li-kun about it and see if he'll model for you. The only flaw with your other sketch is the lack of fine details on the subject's face and eyes. Those two parts are the most attractive and compelling things about an angel, and you should definitely get it down. It'll add more believability and abstract realism to your work.”

 

Sakura was taken back by the abrupt suggestion. She stared at Fuji-sensei in disbelief, like a gold fish with its eyes wide open. But he simply chuckled at her reaction. “You and Li-kun seem pretty close, I'm sure he wouldn't mind being your model. In fact, I think he might be immensely flattered that you want to draw him.”

 

Warmth spread across her cheeks as she gazed down at the brochure in her hand. How was she going to ask him to model for her? And what if he says no?

 

Salvation… her eyes traced over the word and remembered those strong dark wings, and his unique scent. She had fallen in love with his beautiful wings, and the scent of his cologne, and soon enough, she would fall in love with him.

 

……

 

By the time she left Fuji-sensei's office, Japanese Literature class already ended. Sakura let out a small sigh and shoved the brochure into her art binder. She hadn't quite made up her mind yet, but Fuji-sensei had mentioned something about the prize being full scholarship to Tokyo University's Arts Faculty. It was a very tempting reward, and she could really use that money for college.

 

After all, her father's income was barely enough for them to pay off Touya's expensive medical bills and the mortgage and their living expenses. She didn't want to be a burden to him. She would just have to earn herself the money to continue her education at a post-secondary level.

 

While she was lost in her thoughts, she bumped into something soft. “Gomen (sorry).” She quickly apologized.

 

“Kinomoto Sakura, desu ne?” Sakura looked up and only to found herself cornered by three girls. She recognized two of them. One was Meiling, who had long beautiful ebony locks, and the other one was her best friend. She was also the same person who gave her a hard time on the first day of school.

 

Sakura swallowed hard.

 

Her gut instincts told her that she was in deep trouble.

 

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A/N: A very long chappie, doesn't it deserve a nice long review? XD I'll attach another chappie to this series if asked nicely. Keep in mind that Meiling isn't a bad person in this fic! I actually kinda like her. XD

 

Disregard all mistakes, it will be sent to my beta-reader soon.

 

Reviews appreciated. Flames ignored.