Disclaimer
CCS and anything related to it belongs to Clamp. I am merely a stressed-out person who enjoy writing fanfics, so...please don't sue. The lyrics is copyright of Selena. All rights
reserved.

Author's Notes
I was wrong. This story is going to be a trilogy. Hehe, oops! ^.^ Well, this is the second installment of it. =) Again, the lyrics you'll find here -- and the title -- is dedicated to my favorite
song, Dreaming of You. Hai, it's a really good song, so I made a midi link to it! d; But of course, that is only my opinion...
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Dreaming of You
Written by Rae

I just want to hold you close, but so far,
all I have are dreams of you
so I wait for the day...and the courage to say
how much I love you.

School was finally over.

Syaoran swung his bag over his shoulder. He closed his locker, and was about to walk away when a feminine hand grabbed hold of his. Slightly irritated, he turned, and was stupefied
when he saw that it was Sakura.

'Sakura...w-what?' he uttered her name. His throat closed when he saw her face grew from solemn to smiling, the radiance of her face momentarily knocking the air off him. He could stare
at her forever, and be happy doing so.

'Arigatou gozaimasu, Syaoran,' Sakura spoke with a smile.

He frowned. For what? Then he remembered the incident in math class, when she nearly had it with the sensei. 'It was no problem,' he said quietly. The green-eyed girl looked at him
closely, tilting her head to the side.

'Why did you help me, Syaoran?' she questioned. Syaoran stared at her for a moment, then looked away.

'I...didn't want you to get in trouble,' he murmured. What's this? His mind screamed. You can't even make a decent conversation. It's no wonder she hates you.

But he knew that that wasn't the only reason. Part of it was because he shunned her away...ignored her as soon they have finished capturing the Clow Cards and the Final Judgment had
ended. Turned away from her for the reason that he could uphold his rational thoughts...because being close to Sakura was about as far away from being rational as he could ever get.

Common sense may be over-ruled by his heart, and he might accidentally blurt out his feelings to her. Then what? He couldn't stand to see her mocking face, so appalled and dismayed
would she be that...

'Syaoran?' his mind snapped. He looked down at Sakura, and saw jade eyes looking at him in concern. 'Are you all right?' Syaoran nodded numbly, and she let out an all-too-familiar grin
of hers. 'I'm glad. Well...I better go or I'll be late for practice. Dewa mata!' Once again, Syaoran caught himself gazing, till her shape disappeared into the distance.

I'm glad... that was her last words, wasn't it? Maybe he had a chance, after all.

He shook his head vehemently. Fool. Anyone polite enough would say the same thing. Demo...if he had been a different person...a likeable being to her, maybe he'd have the guts to say
what he had been feeling for the past several years. To see if her reaction would be the sort he was hoping, and maybe...

Just maybe, it won't be a dream.

'Cause I'm dreaming of you tonight
'Till tomorrow I'll be holding you tight
And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be
Than here in my room, dreaming about you and me

Sakura got home, feeling drained. Cheerleading practices could only burn out so much. 'I'm home,' she called out, and as if responding to her call, a dark head popped out from the kitchen
door.

'Well if it isn't our little kaijuu,' Kinomoto Touya drawled. Sakura glared at him.

'Onii-chan! How many times do I have to say that I'm not a kaijuu? Stop calling me what you have called me when I was younger. I'm a teenager already, in high school!'

'Yea, I'm still wondering about that age of yours, considering the fact that you still behave like a ten-year old,' he snorted. Softly saying 'kaijuu' one more time, he closed the door, and a
second after that, one of Sakura's shoes had followed. Grumbling to herself, she nearly stomped her way upstairs to her room.

She pushed the door open, violently, its hinges creaking in protest. A fury yellow creature, who had been absorbed in his game, jumped from the sound, and a moment later let out a yelp.

''GAME OVER?' Kero-chan's tiny figure went berserk. 'IIE!! I didn't get to save it yet!' he wailed. 'I had never gotten to that level...this is unfair! Unfair!'

Despite Sakura's annoyance towards Touya, she smiled, amused at the scene going on before her. Kero-chan was as obsessed with videogames as Tomoyo was with her video camera.
The winged creature was trashing about the room, still sobbing dramatically about the loss. Leaning against the wall, Sakura raised an eyebrow. He could also be très dramatique.

Something caught her eye all of a sudden - it was lying carelessly underneath her study table, a rectangular and flat object - probably was there as a result from Keroberos's wild rampage.
Bending down to pick it up, she saw that it was a photograph, taken when she was ten, of herself, Tomoyo, Chiharu, Rika, Takashi, Naoko, and Syaoran. It was a class trip on the beach,
the same time she had caught The Erase card - when Syaoran nearly had gotten erased. She let out a slight smile, remembering the anguish she had felt, as seeing the boy - the only one
left of her friends who had previously disappeared - turn into a ghostly transparence.

It had been quite a day, all right. Before her and her friends had headed back, they took a group shot as a sort of reminiscence - cheerful and smiling...all except for Syaoran. He wasn't
even looking at the camera. Instead he was looking...looking...Sakura peered closer, and blushed.

Looking at her.

Maybe he was just distracted, She thought, brushing away the mere fact that it could be more than that. In any case, he was probably thinking of how bothersome she had been,
laughing loudly and grabbing his arm like she did.

Amidst all the racket Kero was making, she stood there, staring at the picture she held in her hands and, just like she did in a lot of nights, she turned her head up at the evening sky
studded now with dazzling stars...

And thought of him...of 'them', and of a bond that would never be...

***

Hands in the pocket of his khakis, Syaoran walked slowly, on his way home from instructing at the local martial arts center. Due to the fact that their previous instructor had been caught
in an accident, the center had requested him as a replacement, even offering money in the process.

Syaoran had no idea how they had found out about this particular skill of his, but nevertheless, he accepted to teach on weeknights, refusing to take the little money they had to offer him
along the way.

It was funny, though, that more and more females had joined ever since then...

The cold night breeze began to penetrate through his thin clothes, and he pushed the lapels of his jean jacket closer as an attempt to gain more warmth. He looked down at his feet, and
frowned.

The path he was now walking at looked different, in comparison to the route he usually took on his way home from the center. Different in terms of the place, the street...the houses.
Instinctively, Syaoran looked over to his left, and as expected, there stood Sakura's house. He looked down at the ground, then at the house, bewildered.

Kami-sama, how did he end up here?

His thoughts were disrupted by a noise. Syaoran looked up. A window was being opened, and someone leaned over. His heart thudded as he got a glimpse of a girl in a nightgown.
Sakura...

Silently, so as not to get caught, he stealthily took a few steps back, and stood behind a bush. There, with the cluster of leaves safely blocking him from where Sakura was, he watched
her freely.

She rested her chin on her arms, the gentle breeze softly blowing her auburn hair, the pale moon causing her skin to illuminate. Her green eyes shone like the brilliant stars at presence.

Never had he seen anyone so beautiful. She had taken his breath away the first time he saw her, and now...

He heaved a shaken sigh, the feelings residing in him making his heart wrench almost painfully.

He heard a twig snap all of a sudden. He spun his head around - someone was coming from behind another tall bush. Leaves rustled, and to Syaoran's chagrin, out came Sakura's older
brother.

Touya's gaze landed Syaoran, and his eyes narrowed. The two young men glared defiantly at each other for several seconds. Finally, Touya broke the staring competition. He looked to
where the younger male had been looking before, and realizing that the object of where Syaoran was staring was none other than his little sister, Sakura, he saw red. Striding over to the
other boy, he grabbed his shirt and stared angrily at him.

'Listen here, you little brat,' he spoke menacingly, 'you can fool around with any other girl, but that one over there is out of reach. Get in contact with her, and I'll crush you with my own
hands.'

Syaoran was taken aback. If he hadn't known Touya, he would've thought that he was being protective of his little 'kaijuu'. He was about to make a comeback, when he heard Sakura's
voice.

'Is someone out there?' They must've been noisy.

With one last threatening glare, Touya abruptly let go of Syaoran. 'Go,' he ordered, 'Don't come back here unless you want to come out looking funny.'

Syaoran glowered at this, but the realization of the fact that the situation was a fight that could only end if one backed down, and that Sakura was aware that they were there, had forced
him to turn and walk away.

***

'Guess this is another day, huh, Sakura?' Daidouji Tomoyo spoke in a cheerful tone. Beside her, an auburn-haired girl made a face.

'Don't remind me. I still have to finish up those bunch of math questions before school starts!'

'Yea, or else Tomoe-sensei will surely have your head,' Tomoyo quipped. Suddenly, something caught her eye. Turning her head slightly, she saw Syaoran walking towards the same
direction as they were heading. She turned back to Sakura.

'Hey, maybe Li-kun will be willing enough to give you all the solutions. He helped you yesterday, didn't he? Salvaging you from the wrath of Tomoe-sensei and everything.' She glanced
at Sakura knowingly. 'Wonder why.'

Sakura shrugged. 'Beats me,' she said casually. Too casually.

Tomoyo sighed.

'Sakura, I've known you ever since elementary. You should be aware of the fact that I can tell if something is going on. So why not just spill it out? I'll found out sooner or later, anyway.'
Hearing that, Sakura laughed nervously.

'There's nothing going on, Tomoyo. You must be spending your time with your video cameras too much, that's all.' The dark-haired girl looked at Sakura thoughtfully.

'It has something to do with Li-kun, doesn't it?'

Sakura nearly dropped the schoolbooks she was carrying. 'N-no. Of...of course not!' she protested, feeling flustered. Her best friend raised an eyebrow, not believing any word she said.
'It has nothing to do with him,' she insisted.

Tomoyo smirked. 'Yea right, Sakura. It's as plain as day that he is involved with this. You might as well have admitted to me your infatuation with the little wolf!'

'Huh? But I didn't...' Tomoyo interrupted her, pushing her towards the school entrance.

'Save your energy to get to the library. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you have less than ten minutes to finish up your problem sheets!' Hearing her, Sakura quickly bid the other girl
good-bye and ran towards the school building, leaving Tomoyo behind.

Seeing her best friend rush off, something appeared in Tomoyo's mind - a clear image of the last time she had seen Syaoran and Sakura looking at each other, discussing the Clow Cards.
She hadn't been paying attention to the conversation, important it might had been. She was too busy taking notice of the kawaii pair, of how, right then and there; they had looked
irrevocably and indescribably...right for each other.

***

Get your butt over to the library; get your butt over to the library, Sakura silently ordered herself, running at full speed and barely just avoiding the students that came her way. She
dodged another student who was walking across the hallway, sighing frustratingly as she did so.

Rushing to get to the school's library to be able to finish her question sheets on time wouldn't have to be so urgent had it not been for the subject - and the teacher that was teaching it.
Tomoe-sensei was not the sort to let off students who forget to finish their homework slip easily. She made sure that they serve the penalty - thoroughly and definite. As a result, the
student would never have to worry about forgetting homework again.

She gulped. Last she heard, the last student who forgot to bring in his homework had been made to do twenty sheets on the related topic while standing up...

The thought of it made Sakura sprint faster, but doing so had blinded her from anything else, therefore not catching a glimpse of the 'Wet Floor' sign placed on the landing of the
staircase, and the fact that the staircases were slippery wet.

The law of friction had soon caught up with her, and she slipped, tumbling down the last couple of steps, landing on her bottom and scraping her arm in the process. She gasped in pain
as she felt her arm burn against the banister, scraped badly against the steps and elbow collapsing hard against the floor later on.

For several seconds she just stayed there in her position. But thinking that someone might see her, she decided against staying any longer and stood up, gingerly placing a hand on her
injured arm. She made a move to walk, but a male voice behind her stopped her from doing so.

'If you're thinking of going into class early to seek help with your schoolwork, forget it. The room's closed.'

Sakura turned around, and saw Syaoran standing close by. She frowned slightly.

'That can't be. Class is starting soon.' The teenage boy looked at her quizzically.

'It's Tuesday, Sakura. We have a spare first period.' Hearing the statement, Sakura nearly slapped her forehead. Tomoyo must have mistaken the day when she informed Sakura to head
on to the library. But how could she have? And how could she have forgotten herself?

A sharp pain coming from her arm brought back her attention, and she gritted her teeth while smiling weakly at the Chinese teen in front of her.

'That was really stupid of me to forget. Arigatou for telling me.' She turned to leave, but a hand suddenly grabbed her good arm. Whirling her head around, she saw Syaoran looking
fixedly at her.

'You're hurt, aren't you?' he asked quietly. Sakura felt surprised at his question. She denied it by shaking her head.

'Iie...I'm not hurt,' she responded, 'you must have misunderstood.'

Syaoran obviously had not believed her, for he was already lifting off the hand from her other arm and inspecting the badly scuffed mark whose length took up three quarters of her lower
arm. Sakura tried to take her arm away, but he gripped it firmly, and probed it gently.

'You *are* hurt,' he murmured moments later, and letting go of her, switched his gaze once more to her. 'Come with me.'

Sakura blinked. 'Where?'

'To my locker. I keep an ointment in there...in case certain circumstances go wrong and I needed it.' He started to walk away, and Sakura had no other choice but to follow.

Soon they reached Syaoran's locker. Opening it, Syaoran rummaged through his locker to retrieve a small container. He turned to face her, and unscrewing the top of the container, told
her to lift her injured limb. Sakura obeyed. As she did, Syaoran delved in the tiny bottle. Placing it back in his locker, he took hold of Sakura's arm and gently applied the liniment.

Sakura watched as Syaoran continued smearing the remedy over her arm. The pain was fading, and she was acutely aware of the tall teen standing close to her, the firm grip and the way
he applied the soothing balm, lightly and gently. She looked up and stared at the handsome face that was creased with concentration, at the male features, the arresting eyebrows, and
the striking amber eyes.

With those features, it was of no wonder that the female population in the school was all after him - lessening the chance of her seizing him for herself.

Sakura frowned at this. He was never for you to seize, her mind derided, and Sakura unhappily agreed. Moreover, it appeared as if he was now considering her as a friend; certainly not a
chance everyone gets and certainly not something that she would simply disregard. Being his friend was what she wanted in the first place...wasn't it?

'There,' Syaoran spoke, and Sakura brushed off her thoughts to inspect her arm. The pain certainly had left, and the scrape didn't look as bad as it had been before.

Sakura slightly turn her head up to look at him. She smiled timidly. 'You've helped me again...thank you. If there is anything you would like me to do, just say the word. I certainly owe it to
you.'

Syaoran was loss of words as the auburn-haired female smiled up at him. He felt himself redden faintly, and frantically hoped that Sakura wouldn't notice. 'It's no problem,' he managed to
stumble out. He cleared his throat consciously. 'No need to owe me anything. That abrasion needed attention, that's all.'

Hearing that, Sakura stood there, not knowing what else to say and feeling foolish for it. Taking in a deep breath, she spoke diffidently. 'Well, if you have a problem with anything then,
you can talk to me and I'll lend a hand.' She looked at him steadily. 'Will you promise me that, Syaoran?' The brown-haired male looked at her for a moment. Then he spoke, and Sakura
was astonished.

'Agreed.' She had never that Syaoran could give in so easily.

She knew at that moment that this was a start to a new friendship. She was happy, and so she beamed.

But one look from her watch though, and she knew that she had to leave and cut everything short. Groaning inwardly, she scratched her head. 'I have to go. I'll see you in class, Syaoran,'
she murmured, and reluctantly walked away.

Seeing that Sakura had disappeared into a corner, Syaoran leaned his head against his locker, frowning at the thought of what he just did. He couldn't believe that he'd let someone in his
life, showed to her that he had allowed her in, and actually agreed to consult with her if things ever go wrong for him. As much as it delighted him that they were a tad closer than before,
this was still, the biggest mistake he ever did.

For he knew, that sooner or later, she would turn him away, and through everything that he had gone through, this would be what'll burn him the most.

***

The last bell for the day rang loudly, and the students quickly scurried out of the room. Usually, Sakura would've followed close, but today she stayed back to jot down some last notes
about the homework the teacher had written on the board.

'Hayaku, Sakura. I'll be erasing everything off the board soon,' her history teacher spoke.

'Yes.' Quickly writing down what was left, she then shoved all her belongings in her bag and made a move to leave. 'See you tomorrow, Terada-sensei!' The teacher smiled in response,
and as Sakura went round to head towards the door, she noticed an object lying on one of the desks - someone had forgotten to take his or her history book.

Knowing full well that there would be history the next day and that they had to finish reading a chapter before then, Sakura decided to do the good deed and return it to the person.
Picking it up, she inspected it, and saw a name neatly written at the side: Li Syaoran.

Her heart skipped, and wondered how, by just a look at a name, could she react like this.

Determined to return it, she walked out of the room.

***

15th floor. 16th floor. 17th floor.

The elevator door slid open, and Sakura stepped out, the schoolbook in her hand.

What was Syaoran's apartment number? She wondered.

1707, if I recall correctly.

The green-eyed girl headed to her right, till she reached the door of which the same number was engraved on. Moving closer, her eyes widened slightly. The door was ajar.

'H...hello?' she called out, cautiously walking inside. No one answered. Through her senses, she knew that no one else that might cause her harm was in the residence. That at least, she
should feel relieved at.

Placing the textbook down on a nearby table, she saw a piece of paper resting not far away from it. Unable to resist the curiosity that was becoming of her, she picked up the sheet, and
peered at the words, eyes widening as each word was read...

Xiaolang,

While you are in Japan, your wedding ceremony with Meiling here is being prepared. You will soon take over as the new head of the Li Clan.

Be here in a week's time. We wait for your arrival.

Sakura couldn't read anything else; it was written in deep Cantonese and alas, her knowledge with it was insufficient. There was a small note written at the bottom, however, that she
could read almost perfectly. It was less formal, and by the look from the handwriting, had been written by another person.

Hey there,

Reading my note way at the bottom of this paper, I assume that you've read the previous message...?

Anyway, I can't wait to see you here, Xiaolang! Had it been seven years since I've last seen of you? And...I know it sounds ridiculous, but I still have the picture you've given me, the
one that was attached to your last letter. You must've matured ever since then...

I am thrilled that they have announced our betrothal to turn into a traditional wedding ceremony. It's going to be splendid Xiaolang! This and what fate has fallen upon both of us.
After all, I am meant for you, as you are meant for me...
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JAPANESE VOCABULARY

Arigatou gozaimasu - thank you very much
Sensei - teacher
Dewa mata - see you
Demo - but
Kaijuu - monster
Onii-chan - term used for an older brother
Iie - no
Arigatou - thank you
Hayaku - hurry up

Gaah, gomen if the chapter's crappy. It's 3 am and my already malfunctioned brain is not functioning! -_- I might re-write it, but who knows. Be on the look-out for Chapter 3!