Punishment
By Rhapsody Moonschild
ƒ♪Rhapsody: Hallo, y'all! **Waves**
Starsong: Rhapsody-sama? **Raises eyebrows**
Rhapsody: Don't worry about me, Starsong. Just getting back to my country roots! Tell the nice reader my disclaimer before she or he decides that we're nutty and stops reading.
Starsong: Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. If my mistress owned CCS, she'd burn all Cardcaptors episodes. As long as there isn't a four—alarm fire in the WB offices, you may assume that Rhapsody-sama doesn't own CCS.
Rhapsody: Arigato, Starsong. Now, let's see… The technical stuff next.
Starsong: This is a songfic featuring "Punishment" from Shedaisy written from Syaoran's POV. Statements are in "quotes," the song in italics, and author's notes between those nifty little moon & music-note thingies. **frowns** Nifty? Who writes my dialogue?
Rhapsody: Why, I do, of course! Let us begin!ƒ♪
~*One*~
Our teacher droned on and on about the math assignment. I wasn't listening. I was focused on the girl who sat before me, Kinomoto Sakura.
All I could see of her was her honey—brown hair. She was listening to Miyugi-sensei, desperately hanging onto every word, in hopes that she would understand our work. Sakura does not have good math skills.
I wondered idly what would happen if I told her my biggest secret, the one I had kept faithfully since I realized it. I worried about this a lot. I think she would be rather surprised. She can be… well, rather dense sometimes. It was part of her charm.
♪I thought that this was 'sposed to
Feel good
And if you were really mine I
Guess it would
I didn't fall in love
'Cause it's the right thing to do
I just went ahead and
Fell for you♪
A bell rang somewhere far off but I was still lost in thought. That is, until someone tapped my shoulder. I shot back to the real world instantly, ready to attack if necessary.
It wasn't. In fact, it was her— Kinomoto Sakura. Her face was bare inches from mine, and that smile… How can I describe it?
If she asked me to jump off a cliff while wearing that smile, I'd be out the door in an instant, looking for the nearest gorge.
♪Somewhere down along the line
I guess that love became a crime
This contradiction makes no sense
This is punishment
I feel like this is Judgment Day
I'll raise my hand stand up and say
"I don't believe I'm innocent—
This is— punishment."♪
My face turned multiple shades of red, as usual, and (as usual) she took no notice.
"Syaoran-kun, class is over. Didn't you hear the bell?"
"No," I sputtered.
"His eyes were burning a hole in the back of your head," the amused voice of Hiiragizawa observed. I bristled.
"What were you thinking of, Li-kun?" Daidouji joined in.
I gave them both my best double—barreled glare, though it seemed to have no effect on them. Things just slide off of that pair.
"Syaoran-kun?" Sakura said, and I turned back to her.
"Yeah?"
"I was wondering… you see, I don't really get this math, and I thought you might… be able to help me?" she said quickly and hopefully, and smiled again.
For a moment I couldn't say anything. Me, tutor Sakura? Pinch me, I'm dreaming…
I managed a nod. She stood and clapped her hands together, pleased.
"Great! My place, then?"
I nodded again, still mute with shock. Then Daidouji opened her mouth, and my heart sank. Whatever she was going to say wasn't going to be good for me, I knew.
"What a wonderful idea! Mind if I come along?"
Her grin said that she knew what she was doing to me and enjoyed it (or I'm way too paranoid).
My heart finished sinking and took up residence in my shoes.
"I guess," I mumbled.
"There is no need to bother Li-kun," Hiiragizawa said smoothly. He was the last ally I would suspect, so I waited for him to finish his statement.
"I can help you, Miss Daidouji-san," he finished.
Sakura smiled.
"We'll have a study party!"
I sighed and resigned myself to an afternoon of the two most devious people in the world messing with my mind and being too close to the girl I loved but couldn't tell.
I was going to need about a cartload of aspirin. Yes, indeed. Punishment.
To Be Continued...