Disclaimer: Do I look like I'm rich enough to own CCS?

Black Wings
By: Aisaki Sumi

Summary: Syaoran is the leader of the school gang at Tomoeda heights, attractive yet untamed. His 18th birthday is coming up, and his guys decide to put an end to his non-existing love life by giving him the greatest gift of all… a girl. S&S

Chapter One

"I say the blonde one," argued a navy haired boy in his late teens, his eyes focused on the photo of a very attractive girl.

"Psh, she's too average and a bit slutty. Syaoran's gonna kill us if we get him that girl. Remember what he said about no strippers for his birthday?" the boy beside him scolded as he tossed that picture into the garbage can to demonstrate his point. He shoved another picture into his friend's hands. "I say the violet haired one. She's elegant and pretty and really classy too."

"Too classy, you mean, and don't even think about giving Tomoyo-chan to Syaoran! I had my eye on her first!" Eriol pushed his friend aside, grabbed onto the picture and held it close to his heart. "Don't even think about touching her, Hiro!" The comment was followed by a death glare.

"Possessive bastard," growled Hiro sulkily as he glared at Eriol, backing away nonetheless.

"Only a few have the privilege to experience my possessiveness you know," Eriol shot back, smirking at the sullen expression that swept across Hiro's face.

"Who would want to be possessed by you anyway… unless that person is insane or mentally challenged?" Hiro shuddered at the thought of anyone wanting to be possessed by Eriol. He would pity the person greatly and send her his best regards and wishes.

"Oh shut up!" Eriol snapped, giving Hiro a dangerous glare which translated to: shut up right now before you suffer a fate worse than death. "I've got no time to argue with you. Syaoran's birthday is coming up really soon, and we gotta pick out the perfect girl for him."

"Yah I know… but you know he shows no interest in girls or relationships… it's either because he's asexual, or he's just gay." Hiro put a hand under his chin, looking thoughtful as he drew out the conclusion.

"Don't be absurd! Syaoran is NOT gay, nor is he asexual… he just hasn't found the right person yet…" Eriol's sentence trailed off, revealing the underlying uncertainty in his voice. Hiro had a good point there, regardless of how idiotic his approach was. Syaoran had everything: good looks, an outgoing personality, and money. He was every girl in Tomoeda Heights' Prince Charming, but he was strangely cold to girls, and strayed away from them as much as possible. It was as if they were infectious beings or something… But nonetheless, Eriol wasn't about to give up. He was determined that as his friend turned 18, his non-existent love life would come to an end as well.

"Hey how about Meiling? She knows Syaoran and Syaoran knows her. It's perfect!" Hiro exclaimed, thrusting a finger into the air as his eyes sparkled. There were literally some glistening stars in his dark green eyes.

"You're joking, right?" Eriol groaned. "Syaoran hates that girl, and if she wasn't his cousin who lived under the same roof as him for so many years, he would've kicked her out already." Shaking his head at the hopeless Hiro, Eriol sighed heavily, slapping his forehead in despair.

They'll never be able to find the perfect gift for Syaoran at this rate. Irritated, he dumped the photos they gathered into the nearby garbage can and shuffled his hands into his jean pockets. It was like searching for the sapphire necklace the Titanic lady lost, or rather, tossed into the ocean. A search with no end: that was what this was.

"Hey! Wha d'you do that for?" Ignoring Hiro's angry protests, Eriol slouched his shoulders and started to walk away. The gentle summer breeze, moisture-laden and sweet, caressed his now sun-kissed skin. Rustling through his navy blue locks, he couldn't help but sigh again. His enigmatic sapphire eyes were now dull and filled with despair. His gaze shifted to the sky. It was pale blue and silky, enveloping the earth with its gentle embrace. The fleecy clouds chased after one another in a game of tag, so carefree and unfettered, while he was imprisoned by his own troubles.

Narrowing his eyes in a desperate attempt to forget about his worries, he uttered a curse under his breath. Just as he was feeling the urge to drop-kick a rock in the middle of the side walk, he saw a girl with short auburn hair sitting on the bench a few meters away under a beautiful cherry blossom tree.

The loosened petals drifted weightlessly in the air, carried by the gentle wind, surrounding her as if she was a princess. A few petals landed on her shoulder, some found an attachment in her soft hair, yet she minded none of it.

She had a sketchbook in her lap, and her pencil appeared to be busy with tracing down the contours of the object of her attention and shading the areas as needed. She gazed at the busy streets again, trying to capture the unfamiliar faces in the hurrying crowds -- their expressions at that fleeting moment.

The corners of her lips curved upward into a small, content smile, as she felt the feather-light touches of floating cherry blossom petals on her exposed skin. The sensations of such gentle touches lingered on. A few strands of silky auburn hair escaped from the hold of her hair clip and dangled around her porcelain visage, tinged slightly pink in certain areas.

The ends of her long white dress were fluttering upward, revealing the creamy white skin of her ankles and her delicate white shoes which matched her outfit perfectly. She was like an angel, like a beautiful art work, that was meant to be treated with the gentlest care.

Eriol was taken back by such innocent beauty. His leg movements had come into a stop, and he simply gawked at her.

"She looks rather… plain don't you think so?" Hiro's perplexed voice interrupted his thoughts, snapping him back to the present. He turned to face his friend, eyes slightly widened at the comment.

"Plain?"

"Well… she's not exactly pretty either. If I go easy on her, I would say she is only a 7 or 8 out of 10." Hiro crossed his arms, cocking his head to the right to take a better look at the girl on the bench.

"But she's different, very different from the other girls I've seen so far. She looks so content and serene, lost in her world of painting and drawing…" Eriol trailed off once again, feeling himself lost in such peacefulness and rare tranquility.

"Are you serious?" Shocked, Hiro widened his eyes, staring at his friend in disbelief. "Don't tell me you want to…"

"She's unique, classy, and different." It was neither a yes or no, just a simple statement that declared the commencement of a beautiful love story.

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TBC