Ironic Irresistibility

Disclaimer ::burns disclaimer to flames:: What more do you want to know? I don't own a bloody thing. . .now leave me to cry in piece in the corner ::runs to dark corner and cries over-exaggerated::

Summary: Never resist temptation, when the first look is all you need. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. AU, S/S

A.N. :bows head in shame: The plot bunny has been eating my soul. . .thus this is what happened when I wanted to go squishy. :falls:

So. . .lets see. . .it's been a, uh, a couple of years now and. . .holy hell is it empty up in this joint! ::crickets:: Okay, well what else was I expecting? A fucking parade? . . .Maybe a little parade. . .You know what? I'll throw my own parade, FOR YOU! ::insta-party, just add noodles::

So here is to you, the people and reviewers who are still with me, and still telling me to get off my fat ass and continue. Just a quick note: Ikimono Gokuraku translates to Animal Paradise. . . A pet store.

Let's see if I remember how to do this. . .I hope that I will not let you down.

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Sakura was hallucinating.

She kept expecting Syaoran to just suddenly pop out and surprise her, but she hadn't seen him in about a week.

Correction, she made sure she didn't see him for a week. Instead, she kept herself busy with after-school activities, even though she wasn't really good at anything other than running, her newly acquired job over at Ikimono Gokuraku, which still brings back memories of Tomoyo hysterically laughing at her about, and doing more than her share of the house hold chores, not that Touya would ever open his mouth to complain.

And yet this morning at work, she could've sworn she saw him walk in.

Why she was hallucinating over Syaoran, she didn't know. She just couldn't get him out of her head.

It's even worse after he kissed her, and then stared at her with those unnerving amber eyes of his while he played doctor with a blonde.

She looked up when she heard someone clearing their throat. Half expecting it to be a disgruntled customer waiting for her to check them out, she was stunned. . .well. . .more like paralyzed to see that it was, indeed, Syaoran Li.

Syaoran Li. . .in Ikimono Gokuraku. . .grinning.

Now she was positive she was hallucinating.

'How the hell did he find out that I work here? I swear I will have Meiling's weaved head on a silver platter if I find out it was her. . .'

"Excuse me, Miss, can you help me with this please?" A little boy reaching up for some cat litter brought Sakura's thoughts back to her job.

She peeled her eyes away from Syaoran and walked from behind the counter, past the boy that had been plaguing her mind and taunting her senses, and to the little boy who was up on his toes.

"Which one did you want, sweetie?" Sakura smiled, looking at the boy.

"Um," his eyes darted to the counter, and then back to Sakura, "the purple one all the way up there," he mumbled cutely, pointing to the northern most bag.

Sakura's eye twitched. Of course it was. "Sure, no problem. Just wait here and I'll be right back."

Sakura's mind was racing. This was no coincidence. She didn't believe in that. She hadn't seen Syaoran in a week, and then suddenly he appears before her at work? Sakura wasn't very good at math, but even she began to think that something didn't entirely add up.

Getting a ladder from the back room, Sakura made her way to the front. Placing it close to the shelves, she climbed to the top of the ladder only to realize that she was still too short to reach the purple bag for the boy.

Sighing, she held onto the shelf, and stood on her toes, hoping that the little bit of lift would be enough for her to reach the bag, however a movement below her caused her to switch her attention, loose her balance, and fall.

Of course it also didn't help that the little brat kicked the ladder right from under Sakura.

She didn't bother closing her eyes.

"Well. . .I call finders' keepers' on this," Syaoran swooshed in, clearly wanting to play savior as he deftly caught Sakura before she had time to hit the ground. "I think I'll call you. . .ouka."

Sakura glared, failing to squirm away.

Syaoran smirked, tightening his hold.

"Although I'll probably have to give her a bath don't you think so. . .Rui?" Syaoran asked the little boy, casting a sly glance at Sakura, still in his arms.

Sakura could feel the blood rush to her face. Mouth agape and body suddenly numb, she stared at Syaoran and Rui.

"Well, she does look unhappy, Uncle Syao. No one who showers is unhappy."

Sakura fell to the floor with a thud and instantly felt a migraine creep in. Syaoran, who was shaking with laughter, dropped her after Rui made his innocent. . .or not so innocent comment.

Picking herself from the floor, Sakura gave a tight smile, "Cute, kid, maybe your Uncle here could help you get that dog food," she turned to Syaoran who was still chuckling, "Since he's the biggest tramp in the pound I'm sure he could suggest a fantastic flavor."

Syaoran quirked an eyebrow at her retreating figure. There was no denying that he missed the little spit-fire, that was for sure, and if that meant paying off his little cousin to do some dirty work for him so he could get his hands on her again, so be it.

"Thanks Rui," Syaoran said, crouching down to eye level with the boy, "and remember, don't tell your mother about this," he whispered, handing over a crumpled twenty.

Beaming, the child nodded his head, "Don't worry Uncle Syao!" he said, stuffing the bill into his pocket.

"Good, now get out of here and don't get run over by any trucks, you hear me? Your mother will have my head!" he yelled, but Rui was already out of the door and across the street. Syaoran smiled turning around, only to be met with amused emerald eyes.

"Hello," Syaoran said, as he positioned himself in front of Sakura's register. "How are you?"

"Apparently I'd be a lot better if I had a bath," She sarcastically grumbled.

"Do you maybe have a minute?" he asked.

"No."

"Ouka, you can't just avoid me for the rest of your life."

"Yes I can." She looked up at him sharply, hearing the pet name drip from his lips, "Seems like a pretty good plan to me."

"You have Yoshiyuki Terada for European History, right?" he asks.

Sakura nodded her head in affirmation. Where the hell did that come from?

"Right, so we're studying the Philosophers right now," he continues.

"I'm aware of that."

"Yeah. And the thing is, this guy Locke believes in what's called a. . ."

"Tabula Rasa," Sakura interjected. "I know all about John Locke, Li! What does that have to do with anything?"

"A blank slate," he simply said. "It's a pretty good idea. Maybe you could take a page out of Locke's book. . .so to speak. . .and grant me one of those Tabula Rasa's?"

Sakura slanted her eyes. Why the hell was he trying so hard?

He had basically told her, in not so many words, but he certainly implied it by trying to feel her up and then making out with someone else that she wasn't important to him. And the fact that she even thought that for a moment she could be was just laughable. She was giving him an easy way out, by not being around, and here he was trying to get a second chance?

"First of all, John Locke lived over a hundred years ago. His ideas are hardly relevant now. . .and especially to my life," Sakura began, an angry tangent already forming in her head. "Secondly, he said that human beings are born with a Tabula Rasa. . . meaning a blank slate. That means that they are born innocent and without faults. . .until society corrupts them. You don't just hand out Tabula Rasa's, Li. It isn't a 'get out of jail free' card."

"Okay. . .well. . ." Sakura gave a small smile just imagining the gears in Syaoran's head try to counter that.

"Right. So. . .that's it. Conversation over."

A customer comes up behind Syaoran with two ten-pound bags of cat food, and sighs impatiently.

"Now wait a minute, I have a whole bunch of arguments stored up here." He gestured to his head. "Just hear me out?"

"Would you just give it a rest?" Sakura snarled at him. She didn't feel like being made a fool of at her work.

"Not until you listen."

"Then buy something or get out," Sakura said through clenched teeth.

"Kinomoto. . ."

"Li! Buy something or get out!"

Syaoran gave a frustrated sigh and ran his hands through his hair. Then he raised that damned eyebrow of his, and smirked at her, shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, and took off down one of the aisles.

Sakura didn't even want to know what that look was for, or what the pang in her chest meant. Shaking her head to get rid of all thoughts of Syaoran, she turned to the man waiting in line.

"I see you around sometimes," he tells her, helping her scan the cat food.

"Really?" Sakura paused scanning and looked up at him curiously, "Like where?"

"Oh, just around town," he shrugged, getting flustered.

"I'm Sakura," she grinned, holding her hand out, "and you are?"

"Jiro." He extended his hand.

"Nice to meet you," She smiled at him. "So. . .how many cats do you have?" She pointed at the huge bags of cat food.

"It's for my Grandma," He pulled out his wallet. "she's got six."

"Wow, that's a. . .lot of cats," she winced.

They spent a few more moments making small talk since customers seemed scarce, and regardless of where the conversation turned to, Sakura's mind never failed to turn to Syaoran. Jiro was different from Syaoran. Nicer. He didn't seem as confident and secure as Syaoran was. And when he asked for her number, Syaoran emerged from one of the aisles.

Sakura made up her mind then to give Jiro her number. Out of genuine attraction, no; out of spite, absolutely.

Once Jiro left, Syaoran is the only one left in the store again, and again, he glued himself in front of her register, only this time, he placed a tiny, golden puppy on the scanner.

"You're getting a dog?" she asked in disbelief.

"Puppy," he corrected, grinning.

"You do know that this puppy is seventy five bucks, don't you?"

"Sure do," he replied smoothly, "You take debit cards?"

Sakura nodded her head tentatively. She was confused, Li, the Li Syaoran, certified crack pot was going to purchase a puppy? A seventy five dollar puppy. . .just so he would be able to talk to her?

She should be flattered.

She was suspicious.

"So, will you listen to me now?"

"Li, please just stop," she sighed as she handed him back his debit card. "Why are you making it so hard?"

"Because I'm intrigued. . .and attracted. . .and enchanted. . .and I want to see why you, of all people, have become someone to invade my dreams every night," he touched her hand sending waves of electricity through her.

"But you've made it perfectly clear that I wasn't anything to begin with," she pointed out and snatched her hand away from him, wondering if she should see a professional about the shock wave.

"Yeah, but I. . ." he tried to speak, but was interrupted by Sakura's manager calling her away. Thankful for the small distraction, Sakura briskly walked away from the man who kept playing ping pong with her thoughts. Five minutes ago she didn't want anything to do with him; five seconds ago she wanted nothing more than to see if his lips on hers would give her the same shock of electricity.

"Kinomoto-san, since business is kind of slow right now, do you want to take off early?" her manager asked.

"Um. . .are you sure?" Sakura asked, glancing over at Syaoran, who was now holding the golden brown puppy in his arms and stroking his fur.

"Yeah. Besides, looks like your mind is with someone else right now." Sakura stiffened as she saw her manager gesture to Syaoran. "So, count out your drawer and get out of here, okay?"

Sakura glanced over at Syaoran nervously. This could either be a really good, or really bad sign.

"Wait for me outside," she heard herself saying, "I'll be there in a few minutes."

Grabbing her purse and mumbling a word of thanks to her manager, she barely remembered to clock out before rushing through the store and out the front door. Sakura was sure that this was a feeling only Syaoran could give her.

The sight she walked into, made her stop and take a breath.

Syaoran was sitting on the curb, playing with the newly purchased pup.

Sure, it wasn't much, but it was a side that Sakura had never really had a chance to experience. She felt a sudden rush of jealousy towards the dog.

Taking a deep breath, she sat down next to him."Alright, I'm listening."

"Here," Syaoran thrust the dog at Sakura, "I bought him for you."

"For me?" Sakura choked, looking dumbly at him.

"Didn't you hear what Rui said, ouka? If you can't be happy bathing yourself, why don't you bathe this little guy?" He paused before whispering, "And for some godforsaken reason I want you to be happy. . ."

Sakura's eyes widened, then softened. She was going to kill him for what he was doing to her, and then bring him back to life and kill him again if he made her regret what she was going to do next. "Kero," she said, taking the pup out of his hands, smiling wide. "He's got gorgeous gold eyes, I hate to admit it, Li, but you have good taste."

Syaoran smirked, pulling out a cigarette and taking a drag. "Don't I know it," he said, staring at her intently. For a moment it seemed as if the winds themselves stopped moving. Even Sakura found herself holding her breathe, as if a single movement, a break in the gaze she held with him, would shatter the very ties of humanity, and the very ground would disappear from under her.

"Sakura. . .you're not going to go out with that. . .pin-prick are you?"

"What guy?"

"The one who you gave your number to," he grunted.

"Oh. . .Jiro?"

"I guess," he says through clenched teeth, flicking the cigarette to the ground.

Sakura tilted her head to stare at him, bemused. Li Syaoran was jealous.

"No," she said carefully, watching him.

Syaoran smirked and turned to face her, "No, I didn't think you fell off of ladders for just anyone."

Sakura laughed.

This day was beginning to feel more and more like a dream than actual reality, and she found herself praying to any deity above to let it be real. She didn't remember the last time she was happy. Really happy.

No, that wasn't true, the last time she was honestly happy was when Tomoyo still resided in Tomoeda, still living across from her, still having sleepovers over each other's houses. . .and yet when her mind traveled to the last time she truly smiled was whenever Syaoran happened to be around. . .

'It won't last though,' Sakura thought, holding Kero in her left hand, 'Something will happen and I'll be back to square one.'

Without a second thought, Sakura grabbed Syaoran by the collar of his shirt and kissed him hard on the mouth, heart pounding in her chest, head praying she wouldn't end up two steps back.

Just as she was about to disengage, Syaoran's hands found their way to cradle her face, and his tongue snaked its way into that sweet spot in her mouth that made her moan.

Kero's low barking went unnoticed.

To Be continued. . .

A.N. I admit that this has been a long time in the making, so I truly hope that I have made it worthwhile. . .or not worth it at all. . .Anyway, it is way too late, and I've got class at the most ungodliest of hours. A super special thank you to everyone who is still reading this, and who is still reviewing. I sincerely appreciate.