A/N: I got this idea for a Christmas CCS fic from an ABC Family Original movie that came out this year. It was called Holiday in Handcuffs. It was cute and so it inspired me to write this. I guess it's loosely based on the movie and I mean loosely. It's pretty much completely different lol
Disclaimer: "I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura CLAMP does. Nor do I own Holiday in Handcuffs, ABC Family owns the rights to that."
Plot: Tired of disappointing her parents Sakura wants to bring them the one thing they really want for X-mas: to meet her boyfriend. Of course not having a boyfriend at the moment kind of puts a damper on the plan . . . However an interesting event leads to Syaoran going with her to pose as her boyfriend, just for Christmas. Syaoran is not into Christmas, but after getting the family Christmas he never had he starts to see things in a different light, including Sakura. The affluent, busy business man was never really Sakura's type but after spending Christmas with Syaoran she starts to have a change of heart.
" means spoken words
Italics means thoughts
() means insert A/N, etc.
Holiday Hoax
Chapter 1: A Crappy Start to Christmas
A handsome young man with chocolate brown hair turned around as he pocketed his slim, sliver cell phone. His sharp amber eyes widened in surprise when he saw a girl with crazy, frizzed-out honey auburn hair and bright green eyes in a charcoal colored pea coat and black knee boots standing a few feet away from him in the dimly lit hallway. She was nervously clutching a small black purse with gold and silver hearts all over it. He took a step back defensively almost tripping over the forest green duffle bag on the floor by his feet.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "How much did you just hear?"
"Uh, I . . . um . . ." Sakura stammered.
"Well?" he ordered, his voice echoing in the desolate hallway.
"All of it?" she squeaked.
He growled slightly, but more so at his own stupidity than at her. He shouldn't have been so careless as to hold a conversation like that in one of the university buildings where anyone could happen upon him like this strange looking girl just did. He pulled out a check book and pen.
Clicking the pen open he asked, "Alright how much will it cost to keep what you heard between the two of us?"
Sakura blinked, "Huh?"
"Go ahead, name your price," he said, ready to write her a check on the spot.
Unfortunately no amount of cash could buy her what she really wanted . . . Then a thought hit her. Cash couldn't get her what she wanted, but this guy could, well he could help a little anyway. He was good looking, rich, and obviously successful since he was on the board of directors for the Li Corporation and he wasn't even finished with college! He'd do perfectly for now.
Finally she said, "I don't want your money."
He looked up at her with puzzled eyes. Who in their right mind didn't want money?
"You don't?"
She shook her frizzed out head.
"Well then what?" he asked.
She smiled nervously. "I want you to come with me."
"Uh, where?" he asked confused.
"To spend Christmas with my family."
Okay I'm not usually this spontaneous or crazy I swear! Believe me I wouldn't normally ask some random guy that I've never met to spend the holidays with me and my family but I'm desperate! If you knew what kind of day I'd had up to this point you might understand . . .
8 hours earlier . . .
A pink cell phone sitting on the edge of a dark wooden nightstand continued to ring, begging to be answered. Finally, a girl emerged from the bathroom, her light honey-brown hair wrapped in curlers underneath a hairnet.
"I'm coming already, gosh," she grumbled.
Reaching the cell phone she yanked it off the nightstand and flipped it open in a flash.
"Hello?"
"Sakura dear? Is that you?" a lithe voice came from the other end.
"Yes mom, who else would it be?" she asked her tone slightly sarcastic. She was not having a good morning and she really didn't have time for this.
She had planned on getting up earlier than usual so she could finish packing for winter break, review one more time for her last final, and perm her hair before going to work. However she had woken up late as usual. Now she only had an hour until work forcing her to rush through her hair job and quickly toss her junk into a suitcase. She'd have to study for her final on her break.
"I don't know it could have been your roommate, she answers your phone sometimes when you're busy," her mother, Nadeshiko, replied innocently.
"Chiharu's already at work mom and I have to get moving or I'm going to be late to work myself."
"Okay, well I was just calling to let you know we made it to the cabin safely. Oh it's just gorgeous I can't wait until you get here! Now you do have the directions right?"
Sakura sighed. This was the third time her mother had asked her that in four days!
"Yes, I printed them off from the e-mail you sent me days ago."
"Well I just wanted to make sure. I don't want you getting lost. It's quite a drive, nothing around for miles," Nadashiko frowned.
"I'll be fine," Sakura reassured her.
"Now what time will you be leaving school?"
"My last final is at two o'clock. I'm already packed so as soon as I'm done taking the test I'm heading out," she answered as she tossed a few more things into her suitcase trying to multitask.
"Excellent! I know you're always running late but drinks are at six o'clock sharp so please try to be here on time Sakura," her mother said sternly.
"Okay, but I really have to go-"
"Is that Sakura?" she heard her father's voice in the phone.
"Yes it is dear," she heard her mother reply.
"Tell her I said hello and that I love her and miss her. Oh and that I can't wait to see her!" she heard his overly excited voice again.
"Sweetheart your dad says-"
"I know mom I heard him!" Sakura yelled in frustration cutting her mother off, "Tell him I love him too. . ."
"She loves you too dear!" Nadeshiko shouted over to her husband who was still bringing their bags into the log cabin.
"Oh, so you know," her mother continued despite Sakura's silent pleas to end the conversation, "Your brother will be bringing his girlfriend to spend Christmas with us. I'm so excited to meet her! They've been dating for quite some time now so it's probably pretty serious . . ."
"I know mom. Thanks for the heads up but I really have to go now," Sakura tried again.
"Oh alright dear. I just wish you would bring home that boy you've been seeing. What's his name? Something with an "S" I think . . . I mean you and him aren't as serious as Toya and his girlfriend but still-"
"Yeah okay mom I get it jeeze seriously though I really have to go, I have work," Sakura insisted.
"Alright, alright. Oh real quick!" her mom pleaded.
"What?!" Sakura snapped.
"Please wear that dress your Grandfather bought you."
Sakura blanched, "But mom that dress is awful! It's so frilly and old fashioned! It's so bad it almost makes me hate pink and that's my favorite color! That's how bad that dress is!" she whined.
"I know but he loves how you look in it and you know how depressed he's been since he lost your Grandmother. He won't be around forever either . . ." her mother trailed off trying to lay on the guilt, "Plus Sonomi is making Tomoyo wear hers so you won't be the only one."
"Fine," Sakura sighed. Tomoyo would be in far more pain than her being a fashion design major at her university.
"Thank you honey. Speaking of Tomoyo, she's also bringing her boyfriend to the cabin for Christmas," Nadeshiko added, again hinting at how she wanted to meet her own daughter's boyfriend.
Sakura groaned. It was like rubbing salt in an open wound. She'd be the only one there without a significant other and it wasn't even because she didn't want to bring her boyfriend, it was because she didn't have one to bring at this point. The fact that her parents were dying to see her in a serious relationship at her age just made it worse.
"Oh and one more thing, please do something with your hair it looks so frumpy and stringy just hanging there-"
Sakura's eyes widened in horror, her hair!! "Oh my gosh I have to go!" she cried slapping the hand phone shut and screaming as she ran back to the bathroom.
xXxXxXx
Sakura rushed into the Sunshine Café and grabbed an apron hoping her boss wouldn't notice that she was fifteen minutes late. The café was right next to campus making it a very popular hang out for the college students, especially since it was open 24/7. A girl with brown, braided pig tails and friendly hazel eyes wearing reindeer antlers and a red apron walked up to Sakura.
"You're late," the girl pointed out.
"I know," Sakura whined, "I'm sorry!"
The girl waved her off, "Don't worry about it, I covered your tables for you. Tsujiai didn't even notice you were missing."
Sakura sighed in relief.
"Thanks Chiharu."
Chiharu smiled warmly.
"No problem," she replied, then she crinkled her nose, "but what happened to your hair?"
Sakura self consciously touched the semi-curled, fizzy auburn mess atop her head. As soon as she hung up with her mother she jumped in the shower to wash the perm solution out but it was too late, it had already been in way too long and her hair was ruined.
"I was trying to perm it but my mom called and I left the solution in too long," Sakura finished with a disheartened sigh.
"Who perms their hair nowadays?" Chiharu asked with a distasteful look on her face.
"I don't know, my mom always complains that my hair is so limp and dull just hanging from my head so I thought if I put a perm in it she'd stop complaining about it," Sakura answered truthfully.
She took off her coat and Chiharu slapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle.
"Oh man, what are you wearing?!"
Sakura had on a light pink frilly dress that billowed around her knees and had more lace than a baby doll's dress. It was rather unflattering on her figure the way it hung from her body making her curves non-existent. It was quite the fashion statement. At least the black, knee high, laced up boots that she wore on her feet were from this century.
"You look like you just stepped out of the eighteen hundreds in Europe!" Chiharu laughed unable to hold it at bay anymore.
Sakura glared at her, "Knock it off will you? I'm only wearing this dress because my Grandpa gave it to me a few years ago and he loves to see me in it."
"Well why didn't you wait to put it on until you were ready to leave for break?"
"Because I won't have time to go back to our apartment even though it's on campus. All my stuff is already in the car so I can take off right after I finish my final," she replied.
Sakura slipped her red apron on then noticed the antlers on the crown of her friends head.
"What's with the reindeer antlers?" she asked while tying the apron strings across her back.
Chiharu rolled her eyes, "Tsujiai suddenly decided to go with a Christmas theme for the café."
Sakura raised her eye brows, "But he's way into Buddhism."
Shrugging Chiharu said, "Hey don't ask me, I don't know what goes on in his mind."
She picked a red Santa hat off the counter and plopped it over Sakura's messed up hair.
"At least if you wear the Santa hat it will hide most of your hairdo," she said jokingly.
"More like hair-don't," Sakura groaned.
Just then Tsujiai, their boss, came out from the back room and frowned at them.
"Ladies I do not pay you to stand here and chat! Get to work," he ordered, "we have plenty of customers to keep you busy!"
Sakura and Chiharu grumbled under their breath as they headed to the floor to wait on the customers. As they were taking orders, a young man with amber eyes walked in and took a seat at a small table in Sakura's station. After she was done taking another persons order she walked over to take his.
"Welcome to the Sunshine Café. What can I get for you?" she asked, ready to jot it down.
He glanced over the menu before saying, "I'll just have a club sandwich and a Coke."
Sakura scribbled on her mini notepad.
"Okay I'll bring that to you as soon as it's ready," she said before walking towards the kitchen to put in the order.
As she walked away his cell phone rang. Digging it out of his pocket he sighed when he saw the name on the front.
He flipped it open then said, "Hello?"
"Syaoran, where are you?" a shrill voice asked from the other end.
"I'm at the Sunshine Café getting some food," he replied in a bored tone.
"Oh, when's your last final?"
"I told you Meilin, two o'clock," he said slightly exasperated.
"Okay I just got done with mine so I'm ready to head home for break whenever you're done," she said sweetly.
"As soon as my final is over we can go," he said dully.
"Where do you want me to meet you?"
"Uh . . . just meet me here at the café so we can grab some food before hitting the road."
"But you're eating there now," she pointed out.
"I know so? I like the food and I won't be able to eat here for three weeks," he said defensively.
"Okay fine."
"Come around three o'clock."
"Alright I'll see you then sweetheart!" she cooed making a kissing noise into the phone receiver.
Syaoran cringed, he hated when she acted like that even if she was his fiancée.
"Yeah bye," he said quickly before hanging up and wedging his phone back into his pocket.
Sakura was picking up some orders near the kitchen when Chiharu came by to get some as well.
"So, you excited about bring Satoshi home for Christmas?" she asked with a bright smile.
Sakura bit her lip slightly. "Uh yeah, about that . . ."
Chiharu blinked, "What? He is going with you isn't he?"
Sakura shook her head.
"Why what happened?" her roommate inquired, eyes wide with surprise.
"Well, last night we were on the phone after you already went to bed and I asked him about it again since he still hadn't given me an answer. He said that he thought things were moving too fast since we'd only been dating on and off for three months and that it might be best if we just took a break from each other for now and see how things are when we come back next semester . . ." she trailed off with a sigh.
Chiharu frowned and put her hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Oh Sakura I'm so sorry! What an ass," she grunted.
"No don't worry about it it's not a big deal," Sakura tried to reassure her friend, "I just really wanted to bring a guy home to my parents this year. I mean I know they are dying to see me in a serious relationship. I just wanted to make them happy."
"Awww you do hon," Chiharu said, giving Sakura's shoulder a squeeze.
"Well it sure doesn't feel like it sometimes . . ."
Attempting to take the subject off her pathetic love life, Sakura asked, "What about you? You and Takashi are spending Christmas together right?"
"Yeah, we do every year but it's pretty easy since we live in the same home town," Chiharu said with a laugh.
Sakura smiled.
"You two are so adorable. I can't believe you've been together since high school and went away to the same college just so you could stay together. That is so romantic," she sighed dreamily, "I wish I could have what you have."
"Don't worry you will, ya just gotta find the right guy that's all."
"I'm starting to think there is no right guy for me," Sakura grumbled.
Before either of them could say another word the orders they were waiting on came up and they took the food to their customers.
xXxXxXx
Sprinting down the slick hallway of one of the many university buildings Sakura almost slid past her classroom due to the wet trails of melted snow others had tracked in before her. She rushed into the classroom just as the professor was handing out the last of the finals. She sighed in relief that she had made it on time. The professor handed her a test and she took a seat in the back, blushing at the barely audible snickers coming from the other students. She knew they had to be laughing at her frightful hair. Oh well, there wasn't a thing she could do about it now and besides she probably wouldn't see half the people in this room again anyway since the campus had so many students. She shoved her purse under her chair but left her coat on not wanting to earn an extra round of giggles. Even if she wasn't going to see these people again she didn't feel like giving them another thing to laugh at right now.
"Alright class, you may begin your test. When you are done, quietly gather your things and leave your test on my desk. Good luck and enjoy your break," the professor announced before taking a seat at the head desk to proctor the exam.
One hour later . . .
Sakura walked out of the building happy to finally be done for the semester. She was pretty sure all her grades would be good, although not as good as her brother Toya's always were . . . If she got As and Bs he got straight As. She was always second place. She stepped outside of the building and headed towards her car. Half way there she let out a gasp as she realized she had forgotten her purse in the classroom. Flinging the doors open she rushed back into the building praying her purse was still there. To her relief it was right where she had left it. She didn't know what she would have done if it had been gone. She wouldn't even be able to get into her car since her keys were in it. Snatching it off the ground she head out of the empty classroom again. As she neared the corner of the hallway she heard a male voice.
"But that's falsifying a legal document . . . severe legal action could be taken on the whole company if any one finds out! The press would have a field day . . ."
The conversation sounded pretty serious. She turned the corner and saw a handsome young man with chocolate brown hair standing in the deserted hallway, his back to her. Not realizing he was no longer alone he continued with the conversation.
"As a member of the board of directors for the Li Corporation I have a right to disagree with that decision!" he shouted clearly frustrated, "Yes I know we would lose money but it's the right thing to do . . . I know . . . but . . . no . . . but we knew the statistics were poor! Previous records showed a low rate of deployment in the event of . . . I still don't think . . ." he sighed, "Yes sir," he said seemingly giving up on the argument.
He pulled his slim, sliver cell phone away from his ear and snapped it shut turning around as he pocketed it. His sharp amber eyes widened in surprise when he saw a girl with crazy, frizzed-out honey auburn hair and bright green eyes in a charcoal colored pea coat and black knee boots standing a few feet away from him in the dimly lit hallway. She was nervously clutching a small black purse with gold and silver hearts all over it. He took a step back defensively almost tripping over the forest green duffle bag on the floor by his feet. Sakura subconsciously realized that the man in front of her was one of the customers she had waited on at The Sunshine Café earlier.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "How much did you just hear?"
"Uh, I . . . um . . ." Sakura stammered.
"Well?" he ordered, his voice echoing in the desolate hallway.
"All of it?" she squeaked.
He growled slightly, but more so at his own stupidity than at her. Even though two o'clock had been the last round of finals that didn't mean all the buildings were deserted. He shouldn't have been so careless as to hold a conversation like that in one of the university buildings where any one could happen upon him like this weird looking girl just did. He pulled out a check book and pen.
Clicking the pen open he asked, "Alright how much will it cost to keep what you heard between the two of us?"
Sakura blinked, "Huh?"
"Go ahead, name your price," he said, ready to write her a check on the spot.
Obviously he was trying to buy her off. Unfortunately no amount of cash could buy her what she really wanted . . . Then a thought struck her like a bolt of lightening. Cash couldn't get her what she wanted, but this guy could, well he could help a little anyway. He was good looking, rich, and obviously successful since he was on the board of directors for the Li Corporation and he wasn't even finished with college! He'd do perfectly for now.
Finally she said, "I don't want your money."
He looked up at her with puzzled eyes. Who in their right mind didn't want money?
"You don't?"
She shook her frizzed-out head.
"Well then what?" he asked.
She smiled nervously. "I want you to come with me."
"Uh, where?" he asked confused.
"To spend Christmas with my family."
Syaoran gawked at her not sure what to think. Finally he managed to say, "You can't be serious."
"No I am," she said with a shake of her head, her frizzy hair bouncing around slightly.
"Look I really don't have time for this so just tell me an amount and I'll-"
"No!" she shouted in an aggravated tone, "Money can't get me what I really want right now. What I want is to bring an impressive boyfriend home to my parents for Christmas."
Syaoran sweat dropped slightly, her hair didn't seem to be the only thing that was crazy . . .
"But I'm not your boyfriend," he said stating the obvious. "I don't even know you."
"So what? My parents don't need to know that. All they need to think is that I'm in a happy, semi-serious relationship for once. That will make their Christmas and help me be less of a disappointment to them."
Syaoran looked at her skeptically, so she continued, "It's this thing with my parents. Look it will only be for a few days. Today's the 20th and it will just be until the 25th. That's five full days, not even a week! And it won't cost you a thing."
"I'd rather give up the money . . ." Syaoran grumbled, rubbing his temples, "I'm sorry but-"
"Or," Sakura started, cutting him off, "if you'd rather I could march straight to the press starting with our very own school newspaper and tell them how I over heard from one of the members of the board of directors that the Li Corporation is involved in some sort of illegal scandal . . ."
It was blackmail plain and simple, she knew it. Normally Sakura would never think of blackmailing someone, it wasn't the kind of person she was. But under the circumstances she went with it despite the fact that it made her feel bad. Syaoran stared her straight in the eyes trying to call her bluff. She looked pretty determined to him. Finally she shrugged her shoulders and started for the doors.
"Fine, suit yourself, I guess I'm stopping by the journalism building before I head out," she said as she drifted past him.
"Wait!" he finally yelled when she reached the doors.
She turned to look at him expectantly.
He groaned as he said, "If I go with you for Christmas and pretend to be your boyfriend for your family, after Christmas we go our separate ways and you never breathe a word of what you heard to anyone, ever?"
Sakura made a face as if she was actually thinking his words over before she looked at him and said, "Yeah, that's it. It's as simple as that."
Letting out a deep breath Syaoran bent over and hoisted his enormous duffle bag onto his shoulder.
"So . . . does that mean we have a deal?" Sakura asked anxiously.
"Well, since you didn't leave me with any other choice, yes," he said grudgingly.
Sakura's face broke out into a bright smile, the first genuine smile she'd had all day.
"Oh thank you!" she cried even though she knew he was only doing it to save his own backside. "Do you need to get anything from your place?"
Syaoran jerked a thumb at the big bag on his back.
"No," he said flatly.
"Well okay then, let's hit the road! My car is in the parking garage across the street, come on."
She went to push on the door handle but stopped and glanced at him again.
"By the way, what's your name?"
"Li Syaoran," he stated simply.
"Okay well, I'm Kinomoto Sakura, it's nice to meet you," she said with a warm, friendly smile before pushing on the door and heading out onto the snow covered pavement.
Meilin's going to be so pissed, he thought before following after his new "girlfriend."
End chapter 1.
A/N: Well, that's chapter one. It's going to be a relatively short multi-chapter story, maybe only like 4 chapters, maybe 6, not sure yet. We'll see what I come up with as I write it lol I'm trying really hard to finish this before Christmas Day since it's a Christmas story so that's the plan as of now and it shouldn't be a problem unless something unexpected comes up. For the most part if you read this story you won't really know much of what happens in the ABC Family movie Holiday in Handcuffs since I changed so much of it but since it is what inspired this idea I'm giving credit to it anyway. Well, I hope you liked chapter one, please review and let me know what you thought! Trust me it will definitely push me to get the chapters done faster:) See you in chapter 2 I hope!
SakuraJade