YOU BROUGHT ME BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. . .

— ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE

Sakura was no innocent girl despite what you may think. Because of her graceful beauty, she has many admirers, so it may not come to a surprise that she's had a lover before. Because of her unique and breathtaking looks, boys and girls come falling at her feet as if she's the Queen.

And he wasn't anything special. Just another rascal that used her and broke her heart the next day, which was the reason why Sakura wasn't as expressive as she was before, and that anyone interested in her are rejected almost immediately.

She's learned to not let any other men inside her heart again, if they will just claw her heart out and tear the stitches ( she oh-so desperately tended ) apart. She became a bit more cold and uninterested in relationships.

Of course, until. . .

Yugi Tsukasa came to her life.

Sakura avoided relationship with men, but then again, Tsukasa is a boy. A young, capricious boy with an insatiable hunger for attention and . . . violence ( as Sakura had seen from his odd tendencies, aka the murderous glint that would flicker in his eyes whenever there's a boy a bit too close for comfort to Sakura ). He was just a first year, but he caught her attention. Or, well, forced her attention on him.

The first ever time they met was Tsukasa's eyes just landing on Sakura—pure coincidence, and if she never stared back, none of this would be happening—and then made a bee-line towards her, already talking away, leaving her no choice but to just listen. Sakura was flustered by the time because no one really approached her so boldly before, yet Tsukasa made it seem so natural.

Sakura can say . . . she kind of likes it. A boy that isn't too much into the topic of love, but hungry for affection—like a cute pet wagging his tail, following her around wherever she goes. He's cute. Sakura thinks Tsukasa is a brat, but he's cute.

Oh dear, this is problematic.

This never really happened before: Sakura catching feelings for someone. Her heart's been coated with ice carved from the heartbreaks and tears, she never allowed someone else in—or, at least, until now.

Sakura sighed to herself, staring at the ceiling of her fancy bedroom, specks of the light from the moon staining the confines like a painting worth hanging in a museum. Even in the dim light, she could picture a certain someone's face lit up, grinning ever so widely, eyes wide like an excited puppy, so, so bright that it almost blinded her—

Sakura buried her face on her pillow, muffling the exasperated groan of embarrassment. Why. Why is that of all the people Tsukasa could've chosen to pester non-stop it was Sakura? And why, just why did Sakura began to grow these feelings? She thought she learned her lesson.

And why is it that it has to be Tsukasa? He's a first year and she's a third year—it just doesn't appeal to most ( but somehow, the thought of them side-by-side, it fluttered butterflies in her stomach, wings grazing the insides and tickling her, leaving this warm, unbearable sensation ).

Is this really what it's like to like someone?

- - -

Sakura found herself hiding from the sight of the fanged boy, trying her best ( and I mean her real best ) to avoid and forget the visage of the person who stole her whole heart and wouldn't give it back! She tried to blend in the crowd of students, but without a big group of friends ( and only an annoying Natsuhiko flirting with her ), she had to be . . . creative.

Now hidden, seated on the very top of the staircase, Sakura couldn't bring herself to eat her lunch. She felt anxious the whole day, as if someone was watching her the whole time she's been trying to hide. So it was a wonder that Sakura was still surprised that Tsukasa popped in her vision after a few minutes of staring at her lunchbox.

"Were you hiding from me?" He asked in amusement, grinning all innocent-like. "You're doing a pretty bad job at it."

Sakura gasped in surprise, almost spilling the content of her food. She momentarily glared at Tsukasa before she closed her lunchbox and tucked it away, face burning because Tsukasa was watching her every move as if this was a show, and he's captivated by her simple movements.

"Sakura," he whined, pouting as he scrambled to sit down next to her, tugging her sleeve. ( Sakura wanted to give in, she really did, but she won't accept backing down without a fight ). "Why were you hiding from me?"

She pretended to seem as unperturbed as ever, but deep inside, her heart is beating so fast and loud she might have a heart attack. "Not now, Tsukasa," she said, frowning.

Tsukasa pouted, his eyes wobbling as he stared up at her—critical hit for Sakura, you can say. "Are you mad at me?" He asked, tone suddenly quiet and trembling. "Please don't be mad at me. I like you very much so I don't like it when you're mad at me."

Sakura's cheek glowed red, unable to look away from his puppy eyes. "I'm not mad. Don't worry. I'm just thinking about something and I need some time alone," she told him, worried that his frown still didn't go away.

"So you aren't mad at me, right?" He asked with pleading eyes. Sakura reluctantly nodded. "But I can't leave you alone! Do you not want me around?"

Sakura bit her lip for a second, before replying, "no, in fact, it's the opposite."

Tsukasa tilted his head in confusion, making Sakura regret the words that left her lips almost immediately. "What do you mean by that?" Then his eyes brightened, Sakura could easily imagine a light bulb going off beside his head as if he's figured something out. "Oh! You like me!"

Sakura flushed, staring at Tsukasa in bewilderment. "What? Where did you get that idea from?"

Tsukasa leaned closer, eyes twinkling as a smirk carved his lips. "I'm right, aren't I? You like me!" Then his face morphed again, back into this childish persona that he's known for. What a fickle heart, Sakura thought. "That's okay, Sakura! I like you, too! Why do you think I always go to you in the first place?"

Sakura hummed. "Maybe because you have nothing better to do and want to bother me?" It was a joke, really. But Sakura couldn't resist it when he pouted.

Tsukasa waved his hands dismissively. "Nope! Because I like you!"

The open window behind them allowed a flutter of wind to enter, cooling their backs and sending Sakura's strands of hair on her face. Swiftly, she placed it back with one hand, smiling to herself. Beside her, Tsukasa began to babble on about his day, then ask her about hers. There's never a dull day with Tsukasa, and she adored that fact. Tsukasa easily made his way to her heart and stitched it together easily with only his sweet words.

Being honest? She could get used to this.

- - -

Requested by: grapejuice_cos

Thank you for requesting !!! Hope you like it ❤️ their ship is very underrated lol.

ALSO AAAAA

I MADE A SWAP!AU BOOK THAT WILL PROBABLY BE MADE WHEN I FINISH THIS BOOK AND LULLABIES. I AM ALSO WRITING A SHORT SUMMARY FOR THE MITSUKOU FIC RN SO IF YOU WANT ,,,, MAYBE GO check it out ?? 👉🏼👈🏼

Thank you for reading !!