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rlm@2
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1 Learning to Fly Chapter Five
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rlm@2
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2 by
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rlm@2
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3 The Amazoness Duo
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rlm@2
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4 and
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5 G.P.
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6 amazonessduo@hotmail.com
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7 pearsong1954@yahoo.com
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8
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9
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10 "Just go with him, Meiling. He's the heir. We need someone to keep
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11 an eye on him so he doesn't do something completely stupid while he's
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12 in Japan. You're the only one he trusts."Walking down the crowded
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13 street, gazing at the merchandise for sale on all sides, Meiling's
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14 amber eyes narrowed. "Why the hell should I? If he wants to go across
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15 the sea to screw his girlfriend, that's his business. I don't see how
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16 that has anything to do with me."
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17
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18 A moment of silence came from Fanren. Syaoran's older sister was
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19 trying to approach the subject as diplomatically as possible.
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20 Unfortunately, Meiling was not always a logical being. It didn't help
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21 that the subject of Syaoran was rapidly becoming a minefield for her.
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22 Fanren couldn't remember the last time she'd pissed someone off
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23 simply by kissing them. In fact, her results were generally quite the
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24 opposite. She would have to give Syaoran some pointers. Her little
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25 brother must be doing something wrong. "Because he's about to become
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26 the head of the Li Clan and he's not always... as tactful as he could
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27 be."Meiling snorted. "That's for sure.""Anyway," Fanren continued,
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28 "Syaoran is a stubborn young man and if he's off in Japan visiting
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29 his girlfriend, he might do something stupid. Like if Sakura
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30 convinces him to stay in Japan so they can live together there.
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31 Mother doesn't mind if he marries the Cardmistress, but Syaoran is
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32 the next heir and we need him back home in Hong Kong to lead the
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33 family."Shrugging, Meiling feigned interest in some caged birds in
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34 the marketplace, brushing a pigtail over her shoulder. "Then send
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35 someone else to play your watchdog. I've spent enough time keeping an
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36 eye on him."An exasperated sigh escaped Fanren. "But you're the only
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37 one he'll listen to. If Sakura manages to convince him to stay, do
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38 you really think he'd listen to me? Or Shiefa? Maybe mother, but
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39 she's far too busy to go with him to Japan. But he listens to you,
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40 Meiling. He trusts you. You're the only one outside of mother who can
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41 actually make him do anything. You can make sure he comes back home
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42 when his little trip is over."
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43
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44 Fists clenched as Meiling stood up, her back to Fanren. "We all make
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45 our choices. And we all have to live with him. I can't make up
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46 Syaoran's mind for him. He'll make his choices whether or not I'm
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47 there."Fanren was quiet for a long moment as she watched her younger
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48 cousin. Was Meiling crying? She couldn't quite tell. "Meiling..." Her
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49 hand rested lightly on Meiling's shoulder, but the raven haired girl
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50 quickly pulled away."Syaoran's already made his choices. You give me
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51 way too much credit. In the end, he's already made his choices. We
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52 just need to wait and see what they are. I can't change them. I spent
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53 way too much of my life hoping I could." Syaoran's one time fiancee
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54 straighted as she began to walk again. "I'll go with him if it will
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55 make your mother feel better. But Syaoran's not as weak as you think
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56 he is. In the end, he'll decide his own destiny." "Thanks, Meiling.
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57 I'm sorry that..."Meiling cut her off, shaking her head. "Don't be.
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58 We all make choices. Maybe I made the wrong ones. But we all have to
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59 live with them." A few steps pulled her away from Fanren. "I'm going
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60 to pack for the trip. Tell Syaoran I'll see him then." And with that,
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61 the raven haired girl left.
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62
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63 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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64
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65 Naked and confused, Sakura decided to fix the only one of her two
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66 problems she currently had any control over. Slipping out of bed, the
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67 brunette padded over to her closet and hurriedly got dressed. Her
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68 head still ached, but the tea Tomoyo had sent with Kero had helped.
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69 The earthquake between her ears had settled into a dull throb.
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70 Finding this an acceptable if annoying state to start the day in,
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71 Sakura exited her room. After all, there were potentially much more
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72 important afteraffects of the last night than a hangover.
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73 Dressed in yet another beautiful dress, hair in pigtails, and in
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74 the middle of constructing a delicious smelling breakfast, Tomoyo
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75 seemed like the perfect wife. Is that what Sakura's father had woken
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76 up to for so many years? Was this what it felt like for him every
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77 morning, breath catching at the gorgeous sight before him? Mind
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78 rolling through those questions, Sakura stood in the doorway to the
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79 kitchen, her own breath catching as she watched her fair skinned
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80 roommate move gracefully about the kitchen. If she'd been a boy,
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81 would she have had any reservations at all of being with Tomoyo?
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82 Would there be anything stopping her from sweeping Tomoyo up in her
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83 strong, boyish arms and holding her forever?
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84 "Good morning, Sakura," Tomoyo greeted brightly without looking up
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85 from her current task of pouring batter onto a pan. "How did you
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86 sleep?"
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87 As usual, being able to tell what had happened the night before
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88 from Tomoyo's behavior was impossibe. The dark haired girl betrayed
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89 no clue of exactly what may have happened between them the night
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90 before. Puzzling this over, the Cardmistress dropped into a chair and
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91 watched her friend putting the finishing touches on breakfast. Had
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92 they slept together? The feeling of Tomoyo's lips pressing against
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93 her own brought a dark blush to her cheeks. Whatever had happened,
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94 that memory was still vividly clear. Brief images and feelings of
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95 hands sliding underneath clothing flittered through Sakura's mind,
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96 but they fled when she tried to grasp at them.
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97 It seemed like the only thing Sakura really knew at this point was
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98 that Tomoyo was a very different kisser than Syaoran. Much softer,
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99 much more receptive. Fists balled up and pressed against her thighs
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100 through her shorts in frustration and emarrassment. Why was the last
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101 night such a blur? Why wasn't Tomoyo saying anything? If Tomoyo had
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102 been naked in the kitchen, then that would've been a big enough clue
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103 that Sakura could appreciate. Sakura sat in silence for a long
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104 moment, listening to her friend sing softly as she prodded herself to
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105 ask Tomoyo what had happened. What if they had? What would happen
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106 after that? Infinity seemed to stretch out in front of the
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107 Cardmistress, boggling her mind. Pressing her knuckles into her
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108 thighs painfully, Sakura forced herself to speak. Unfortunately, her
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109 mind still wasn't responding entirely. She was still hesitant to ask.
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110 "Tomoyo, did... Umm... Last night, after.... Well, did you... I mean,
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111 we... Tomoyo, if I were a boy, I'd marry you," Sakura finished
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112 dumbly, her cheeks reddened. It wasn't exactly what she'd meant to
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113 say, but she'd wanted to say it anyway. "Would you?" Tomoyo countered
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114 softly, travelling to the table with their plates. "If you were a
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115 boy, lets say that Syaoran was a girl. Or he could still be a boy.
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116 Touya doesn't seem to mind that about Yukito. Then you two would
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117 still have ended up together because I would have noticed how much he
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118 or she liked you and helped you two end up together." "But you'd make
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119 a perfect girlfriend. If I were a boy, I'd notice that and we'd..."
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120 Sakura put her hands together, motioning, "be a couple. Or something
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121 like that." She looked down embarrassedly at the smile that brought
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122 to Tomoyo's lips. Those soft lips... Sakura tried to force the
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123 thought out of her head. "You're so sweet, Sakura. But I don't think
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124 you didn't notice me because you're a girl. When I was younger, I
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125 thought that was it, but I think it's more than that now. I've been
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126 your best friend since we were ten years old. I've been in love with
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127 you from the moment I saw you, and it's gotten stronger for me ever
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128 since. But to you, I've always been your best friend. That's how you
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129 see me. It's hard for you to see me as anything else. If you were a
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130 boy, we still would have been best friends. And you'd still think of
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131 me as that while other girls got your attention. Even if you think I
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132 would make a perfect girlfriend and even if you were a boy, I think
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133 you wouldn't see me as a possible lover because you'd still see me as
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134 your best friend. I love filling that role for you, but it would make
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135 it hard for you to see me as anything more than that." "But... But
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136 what if I could see through that? What if I could push past that and
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137 see that you could be more than my best friend?" Sakura argued.
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138 Tomoyo made sense, but Sakura didn't want to give up yet. It didn't
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139 seem fair that she could totally miss Tomoyo even if she were a boy.
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140 A smile spread over Tomoyo's pink lips. "Then it wouldn't matter if
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141 you were a boy or a girl." Blushing, Sakura's chestnut hair hid her
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142 face as she looked down, studying her hands intently. Were her
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143 feelings for Tomoyo really so unaffected by what body she had? If
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144 that was the case, what did she feel? Because she thought she'd want
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145 to be with Tomoyo if she were a boy. Did that mean she'd want to be
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146 with her now, as a girl?
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147 Looking up suddenly, an intense fire lit Sakura's eyes.
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148 Determination had finally overtaken her. She didn't want to squirm
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149 away from this again. Tomoyo was too important to her to just leave
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150 everything to the winds. "Did we sleep together?" Though the thought
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151 thoroughly embarrassed her, she wasn't afraid of it. The thought of
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152 sleeping with Tomoyo wasn't at all disturbing, which Sakura found a
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153 bit odd. It had been embarrassing the first time she'd slept with
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154 Syaoran as well. Despite the fact that she had previously slept with
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155 a boy, the thought of sleeping with a girl really didn't bother
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156 Sakura. She was much more concerned with what exactly it meant if she
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157 had. "Do you want us to have slept together?" Tomoyo asked, tilting
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158 her head to the side. One pigtail slid past her shoulder as her
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159 lavender eyes held onto Sakura's emerald gaze. She'd been curious
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160 about whether or not Sakura would ask about the night before. Sakura
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161 was curious, but she didn't always push things to their conclusion
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162 when she was embarrassed about them. She was surprised to see Sakura
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163 trying so hard to rationalize the events of the night before. If she
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164 weren't so intimately involved, it would be easier for her to help
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165 Sakura get things into perpective. But maybe Sakura wouldn't need her
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166 for this after all. It thrilled Tomoyo to see Sakura so determined
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167 about figuring things out. When Sakura was determined, nothing could
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168 stop her. Though she understood Sakura's feelings better than anyone,
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169 she couldn't untangle the web in Sakura's heart. Only Sakura could do
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170 that. Tomoyo's question hung in the air, stopping Sakura cold. Her
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171 own question had been about fishing for facts. It was a simple yes or
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172 no. But Tomoyo's question complicated things exponentially. The
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173 brunette's feelings didn't factor into whether or not they had slept
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174 together so she hadn't really thought about it. That seemed like a
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175 minor problem anyway. But the way Tomoyo spoke made her feelings
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176 sound like the single most important aspect of if they did or not.
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177 "I..." Sakura began.
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178 'Rrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiinnnnnnngggg....' the phone trilled. Watching
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179 Sakura for a long second, the dark haired girl slipped gently from
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180 the table to answer the phone. Sakura sat in confused silence until
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181 Tomoyo returned. "It's Syaoran. He said he'll be arriving in Tomoeda
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182 late tonight," Tomoyo explained, holding the phone out to
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183 Sakura. "Hoe..." Sakura's head fell to the table with a thump loud
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184 enough to make Tomoyo wonder if she should get the first aid kit.
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185 Sakura sighed despite the pain. Great. As if things weren't
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186 complicated enough. Now she'd have her boyfriend and her best friend
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187 that she may or may not have slept with all in the same place.
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188 Sometimes she wasn't so sure that Clow was done testing
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189 her.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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190
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191 Bags passed round and round, a carousel of black, of handles and
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192 wheels, of bags backed to the brim with necessary and worthless
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193 supplies for countless trips. Lifeless ponies, endlessly cirlcling in
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194 the hopes that someone would eventually take an interest and bring
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195 them home. Tired eyes from wary travellers dully watched the cycle as
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196 if in a trance. Now and then someone would yank one of the bags away
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197 and a new one would slide down the chute to replace it. People's eyes
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198 would briefly light up in hope that their bag had arrived, but they
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199 quickly became disenchanted. Hefting her bags up, Meiling pulled
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200 ahead of her cousin and one-time fiancee as he struggled to find a
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201 proper way to balance the weight of his own supplies. Ignoring his
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202 efforts to carry something for her, Meiling impatiently began making
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203 her way through the airport, Syaoran hurrying to keep up with her. "I
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204 don't know why you brought so much stuff. Sakura will probably have
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205 everything you need at her place." A moment of silence followed
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206 Meiling as Syaoran took a moment to interpret this. Feelings were not
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207 his strong point. And the feelings of overemotional girls had the
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208 same affect on him as a complex mathematical formula he couldn't hope
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209 to follow. On the one hand, at least Meiling was talking to him
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210 again. This was a relief in and of itself because she had been
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211 avoiding him since he had kissed her at the party some time before.
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212 But he still wasn't entirely sure how she felt about things. And this
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213 concerned him. Because if he had learned anything over the years, it
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214 was that Meiling could be frightfully scary when she was angry. His
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215 cousin must have gotten that from his mother's side of the family.
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216 How Meiling felt about being back in Japan with him, about to meet
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217 Sakura again, was a mystery to him. For the most part, Meiling seemed
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218 to be her normal self. Stubborn, irrational, and incredibly vocal
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219 about things. He decided that she must be fine and that he'd leave it
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220 at that. Trying to delve into Meiling's emotional state otherwise
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221 would be about as frustrating and problematic as figuring out
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222 Sakura's. He had enough of a headache from the plane ride that he
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223 figured it would be best to avoid aggravating it if at all possible.
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224 If Meiling's sudden mood swings had any predictible pattern, it was
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225 so complex that Syaoran was certain only mathematical theoreticians
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226 could understand it.
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227 "Sakura doesn't have everything I need. If I'm staying a while, I
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228 need to make sure I have everything with me," Syaoran replied matter-
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229 of-factly.
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230 "Like what? You want a manlier shampoo than whatever she uses?
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231 You'd be fine just borrowing her stuff." Arching an eyebrow, Meiling
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232 glanced over at her stoic cousin. "You probably didn't even need to
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233 bring clothes. She wears boyish enough outfits half the time that you
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234 could just borrow some of those." Smiling inwardly, she added, "You'd
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235 get used to the panties before too long." The flustered look that
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236 crossed Syaoran's face was worth it. He failed to respond and she
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237 continued forward.
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238 "Syaoran! Meiling-chan!" a familiar voice called out.
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239 Pulling to a halt, Syaoran began to scan the crowd for the voice's
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240 source. His amber eyes finally settled on his brightly smiling
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241 girlfriend and her seemingly everpresent friend. For a moment, the
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242 concern drained from Syaoran. Everything was fine now that he was
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243 with Sakura again. He was far away from family politics and back with
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244 the girl he loved.
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245 Sighing inwardly, Meiling readjusted her bags and continued in step
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246 with Syaoran to their welcoming party. It wasn't that she didn't like
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247 Sakura as a person. Someone as compassionate and goofy as Sakura was
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248 hard to hate. But Sakura as Syaoran's girlfriend was a different
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249 story. Meiling tried to adopt a resigned disposition to the whole
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250 thing. After all, she'd lost Syaoran to Sakura when they were only
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251 eleven. Logically, it made sense to just drop it. Unfortunately,
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252 Meiling was not a logical person. She hated knowing that Sakura was
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253 with Syaoran in the way she had wanted to be ever since she was a
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rlm@2
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254 child. Since she wasn't the type to spend a lot of time lying about
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rlm@2
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255 polite niceities, she simply waited alongside Syaoran rather than say
|
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rlm@2
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256 something she might regret if she were going to be staying with
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rlm@2
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257 Sakura for their stay in Japan.
|
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rlm@2
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258 Before Syaoran could think of what to say to his girlfriend now
|
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rlm@2
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259 that he was finally face to face with her once again, the brunette
|
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rlm@2
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260 practically pounced on him. Her arms wrapped tightly around him,
|
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rlm@2
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261 pulling him close. Holding onto her boyfriend warmly, Syaoran was
|
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rlm@2
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262 surprised at how strong Sakura had become over the years. She had
|
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rlm@2
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263 always been athletic, but it showed even more now. It took him a
|
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rlm@2
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264 moment to disengage himself enough to return the hug. Holding Sakura
|
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rlm@2
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265 felt nice. She was like an anchor to the way things were supposed to
|
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rlm@2
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266 be. Safe and warm. "It's good to see you again, Sakura," he said at
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rlm@2
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267 last. He felt like he should say more, but he was too stunned to be
|
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rlm@2
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268 with the Cardmistress once more to think clearly. Memories from a
|
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rlm@2
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269 lifetime ago exploded through his mind, of magic and school and
|
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rlm@2
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270 romance.
|
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rlm@2
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271 Moving to pick up one of the bags Syaoran had set down, Tomoyo
|
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rlm@2
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272 smiled and motioned for them to follow. "My mother let me take the
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rlm@2
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273 limo to pick you up. It'll be much easier to get you home that way."
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rlm@2
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274 The pale girl looked small and fragile holding the bag in front of
|
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rlm@2
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275 her, prompting Sakura to quickly take it from her, falling in step
|
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rlm@2
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276 alongside the heiress. Turning to face Syaoran, Sakura smiled
|
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rlm@2
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277 sheepishly. "I would have picked you up myself, but I don't think
|
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rlm@2
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278 we'd all fit on my bicycle."
|
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rlm@2
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279 For a moment, Sakura almost came out of focus in Syaoran's mind.
|
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rlm@2
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280 This goofy, energetic Japanese girl seemed so normal at first glance.
|
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rlm@2
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281 And yet she was the most powerful magic user on the planet. The
|
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rlm@2
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282 dissonance was astounding. Sakura had the power to rebuild the world
|
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rlm@2
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283 in her image, and yet she got from place to place on a plain bicycle.
|
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rlm@2
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284 It was hard to imagine that she was the correct successor to the
|
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rlm@2
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285 great Clow Reed. Syaoran was head of the powerful Li Clan and yet he
|
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rlm@2
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286 had been passed up for such a simple girl. He slowly managed to place
|
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rlm@2
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287 Sakura's twin identities of ordinary girl and extraordinary magician
|
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rlm@2
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288 back together. It could be a bit jarring at times. He hoped Clow
|
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rlm@2
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289 found the irony amusing. His eyes narrowed as he changed his mind.
|
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rlm@2
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290 Clow seemed to find everything immensely amusing.
|
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rlm@2
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291 Women dressed smartly in black opened the doors to the limo as the
|
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rlm@2
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292 group approached. One took the bags and began to place them in back.
|
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rlm@2
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293 Climbing into the vehicle, Tomoyo moved to one side to give Sakura
|
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rlm@2
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294 and Syaoran room together in the middle. Sitting quietly for a long
|
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rlm@2
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295 moment, Syaoran stared straight ahead. He wasn't a little boy
|
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rlm@2
|
296 anymore, so why was he feeling so nervous? He hated feeling shy and
|
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rlm@2
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297 nervous about things. Hadn't he gotten over that by now? Wrestling
|
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rlm@2
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298 his nervous mind back under control, he reached out and took Sakura's
|
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rlm@2
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299 hand. A small gesture, but he was happy for the victory. He didn't
|
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rlm@2
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300 want to let his nervousness control him. Sakura squeezed his hand and
|
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rlm@2
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301 smiled at him. Her offered a small, shy smile in return. It
|
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rlm@2
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302 disappeared as she rested her head on his shoulder for the car ride.
|
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rlm@2
|
303 Good. Things hadn't changed after all. Everything was just fine. He
|
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rlm@2
|
304 wrapped an arm around the athletic girl and let his chaotic mind come
|
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rlm@2
|
305 to a rest. Gazing out the window, Meiling wished she had fought with
|
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rlm@2
|
306 Fanren more strenuously about coming to Japan. Who was she kidding?
|
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rlm@2
|
307 She wasn't strong enough to handle this. She still loved Syaoran. How
|
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rlm@2
|
308 was she supposed to sit and watch him love someone else? She should
|
|
rlm@2
|
309 have stayed home, far away from this pain. Closing her amber eyes,
|
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rlm@2
|
310 she tried to pretend that the warm, wet drops sliding down her cheeks
|
|
rlm@2
|
311 were the cleansing rain.
|
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rlm@2
|
312
|
|
rlm@2
|
313 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
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rlm@2
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314
|
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rlm@2
|
315 As Tomoyo led the way up to the appartment they shared, Sakura
|
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rlm@2
|
316 helped Syaoran carry the bags. Meiling refused to let anyone help her
|
|
rlm@2
|
317 with her own, instead following closely behind the heiress. In many
|
|
rlm@2
|
318 ways, it was worse when Sakura was so kind and helpful to her. That
|
|
rlm@2
|
319 always robbed Meiling of a target for her anger, leaving all those
|
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rlm@2
|
320 terrible feelings with nowhere to escape. They boiled away inside,
|
|
rlm@2
|
321 eating her alive. She felt sick to her stomach as Sakura's bubbly
|
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rlm@2
|
322 voice mingled with Syaoran's behind her about all the things they
|
|
rlm@2
|
323 could do. God, did they really have to spend so long in Tomoeda? Her
|
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rlm@2
|
324 mind idly wondered if she could get on a plane back to Hong Kong
|
|
rlm@2
|
325 first thing in the morning. It might even be worth looking weak and
|
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rlm@2
|
326 shameful in front of Fanren just to get away from the pain that
|
|
rlm@2
|
327 surrounded her in Japan.
|
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rlm@2
|
328 Entering the cutely decorated appartment, the Chinese cousins were
|
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rlm@2
|
329 suitably impressed. Sonomi had made sure that the two girls were well
|
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rlm@2
|
330 taken care of. Their eyes wandered over the appartment as they
|
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rlm@2
|
331 entered, exhanging their shoes with the assortment of slippers by the
|
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rlm@2
|
332 door. The surroundings were an interesting mix of Sakura's taste in
|
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rlm@2
|
333 cute stuffed animals and decorations along with Tomoyo's more
|
|
rlm@2
|
334 eccentric tastes in clothing and design and electronics. Suffice it
|
|
rlm@2
|
335 to say, milky pink seemed the predominant color in the appartment.
|
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rlm@2
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336 "Hey, it's the brat! How ya doin'?"
|
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rlm@2
|
337 Wincing at the thickly accented voice, Syaoran was unsurprised to
|
|
rlm@2
|
338 find that he hadn't missed the Seal Beast in the slightest. "Better
|
|
rlm@2
|
339 than you, I'd suppose. Syaoran's been growing over the past few
|
|
rlm@2
|
340 years. You're still bite sized, as always," Meiling remarked. Old
|
|
rlm@2
|
341 habits died hard. Kero had always supported Sakura and she had always
|
|
rlm@2
|
342 supported Syaoran, quite exuberantly so. The Chinese girl and the
|
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rlm@2
|
343 Guardian of the Cards bickered like children over their chosen
|
|
rlm@2
|
344 champions. The fact that Kero had never liked Syaoran didn't really
|
|
rlm@2
|
345 help, either.
|
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rlm@2
|
346 Kero's mind went abuzz with Meiling's coment. They certainly
|
|
rlm@2
|
347 sounded like fighting words and he was more than up for the
|
|
rlm@2
|
348 challenge. Lifting up into the air, he smirked as a slurry of
|
|
rlm@2
|
349 remarks, each more stinging than the last, began to take shape.
|
|
rlm@2
|
350 Meiling shouldn't have opened the floodgate. She would regret
|
|
rlm@2
|
351 challanging him, the great and all powerful Seal Beast. He would
|
|
rlm@2
|
352 destroy her in this exchange. His mouth moved to launch his opening
|
|
rlm@2
|
353 salvo. "MMmmmhmmhhmmghhhh..." he mumbled around Sakura's
|
|
rlm@2
|
354 hand. Laughing nervously, Sakura dragged Kero back towards her room.
|
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rlm@2
|
355 "Go ahead and have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable," she offered.
|
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rlm@2
|
356 Pushing her door open, she tossed Syaoran's bags on her bed and
|
|
rlm@2
|
357 pushed Kero in. "Not tonight, Kero-chan," Sakura pleaded. Before Kero
|
|
rlm@2
|
358 could answer, the door shut quickly behind him. The Seal Beast
|
|
rlm@2
|
359 harumphed indignantly.
|
|
rlm@2
|
360 Clapping her hands together in completion, Sakura smiled at the
|
|
rlm@2
|
361 small group already sitting on her couch. At least that was out of
|
|
rlm@2
|
362 the way. If Syaoran and Meiling were staying with them, the last
|
|
rlm@2
|
363 thing she needed was Kero and Meiling arguing the whole time. At
|
|
rlm@2
|
364 least Tomoyo had handled things swiftly. The dark haired girl always
|
|
rlm@2
|
365 made a great hostess. Tomoyo already had Meiling and Syaoran well
|
|
rlm@2
|
366 taken care of and entertained. Syaoran's eyes were glued to the
|
|
rlm@2
|
367 screen. Curiosity nagged at Sakura as she approached the couch. What
|
|
rlm@2
|
368 were they watching? The sound hit her before she could see the
|
|
rlm@2
|
369 screen. That sounded suspiciously like her own voice. Plopping down
|
|
rlm@2
|
370 on the couch next to Syaoran, she was rewarded with images of herself
|
|
rlm@2
|
371 streaming on the television. "Tomoyo-chan..." she whimpered
|
|
rlm@2
|
372 embarrassedly.
|
|
rlm@2
|
373 Tomoyo merely smiled sweetly at her and went back to watching the
|
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rlm@2
|
374 video she'd made of Sakura. "I compiled this earlier today. Since you
|
|
rlm@2
|
375 haven't seen Sakura in so long, I thought you'd want to see what
|
|
rlm@2
|
376 types of things she's been up to," Tomoyo explained. A nod came as
|
|
rlm@2
|
377 the only reply from Syaoran as images of Sakura riding her bike and
|
|
rlm@2
|
378 wearing costumes and running track all played for them. The brunette
|
|
rlm@2
|
379 had gotten exceptionally fast since Syaoran had last seen her. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
380 moved like a blur across the screen. For all the magic she had, her
|
|
rlm@2
|
381 running was purely Sakura, her determination burning within her as
|
|
rlm@2
|
382 she threw herself forward like a shot.
|
|
rlm@2
|
383 Sighing to herself, Meiling busied herself with being bored. Bored
|
|
rlm@2
|
384 was better than lonely and bitter and hateful. Resting her chin in
|
|
rlm@2
|
385 her hands, she wondered what the big deal was with watching Sakura do
|
|
rlm@2
|
386 anything.
|
|
rlm@2
|
387 The screen switched to Sakura wearing a fairy costume in an
|
|
rlm@2
|
388 elevator. She shifted back and forth on her feet as she waited for
|
|
rlm@2
|
389 her stop. The camera swept over Sakura's body, highlighting all the
|
|
rlm@2
|
390 beautiful curves and lines that composed the Cardmistress. "Sakura-
|
|
rlm@2
|
391 chan has a great figure doesn't she, Li-kun?" Tomoyo asked playfully.
|
|
rlm@2
|
392 Sakura blushed hotly, followed shortly thereafter by Syaoran as he
|
|
rlm@2
|
393 mumbled an affirmative. Sakura was gorgeous. Her body had developed
|
|
rlm@2
|
394 nicely over the years. Her athletic frame was sleek and strong. Her
|
|
rlm@2
|
395 small breasts curved gently under her dress. Her hair was somewhat
|
|
rlm@2
|
396 longer than it had been as a child, hanging lower and framing her
|
|
rlm@2
|
397 beautiful face with it's shining emerald eyes.
|
|
rlm@2
|
398 Tomoyo sighed dreamily as she watched the part of Sakura she would
|
|
rlm@2
|
399 always have. Her images would always be hers, even if Sakura couldn't
|
|
rlm@2
|
400 be. They were only a small fraction of Sakura, but they were pieces
|
|
rlm@2
|
401 that were hers and hers alone. It was okay if Syaoran had the real
|
|
rlm@2
|
402 Sakura. She would always have those glittering shards of her one and
|
|
rlm@2
|
403 only. So she collected as many as she could. Disc after disc of
|
|
rlm@2
|
404 Sakura. Every single moment she could capture went on those discs. So
|
|
rlm@2
|
405 even after Sakura was gone and married, even when everything had
|
|
rlm@2
|
406 changed, she would still have those moments forever cast in video.
|
|
rlm@2
|
407 "Tomoyo-chan... Do you really need to show all this?" Sakura asked
|
|
rlm@2
|
408 hesitantly. She was still blushing in embarrassment. Her blush grew
|
|
rlm@2
|
409 deeper when she saw how intently Syaoran was watching the screen.
|
|
rlm@2
|
410 "Hoe..." "Of course! You're the prettiest thing we could be watching.
|
|
rlm@2
|
411 And there's so much to see. It's been a busy year. I need to make
|
|
rlm@2
|
412 sure I catalogue all the important things in your life. Speaking of
|
|
rlm@2
|
413 which..." The darked haired girl fished around in her bag, pulling
|
|
rlm@2
|
414 out her camcorder. "Now that Li-kun is here, I should be catching all
|
|
rlm@2
|
415 of the exciting moments the two of you have. Just pretend I'm not
|
|
rlm@2
|
416 even here." The pale girl grinned as she got the two of them in the
|
|
rlm@2
|
417 picture. "I don't have many images of Sakura-chan's passionate
|
|
rlm@2
|
418 romance. I don't think I even have any good scenes of you two
|
|
rlm@2
|
419 kissing."
|
|
rlm@2
|
420 The couple lit up red as the heiress filmed them. Tomoyo always had
|
|
rlm@2
|
421 been quirky, but she seemed even more so than she had been as a
|
|
rlm@2
|
422 child. Syaoran had once told Sakura that Tomoyo would videotape them
|
|
rlm@2
|
423 sleeping together if she had the chance. Sakura had been unable to
|
|
rlm@2
|
424 argue against that. It wouldn't surprise her at all. There didn't
|
|
rlm@2
|
425 seem to be anything that the dark haired girl didn't like recording
|
|
rlm@2
|
426 about her. And sometimes Tomoyo seemed more excited about Sakura's
|
|
rlm@2
|
427 relationship than Sakura was. "We were... umm... gonna talk. So...
|
|
rlm@2
|
428 We'll see you later." Syaoran knew his excuse was lame, but it was
|
|
rlm@2
|
429 the best he could do. Despite the fact that Sakura was obviously
|
|
rlm@2
|
430 embarrassed, he knew from experience that Sakura would never send
|
|
rlm@2
|
431 Tomoyo away from videotaping them. The heiress had videotaped most of
|
|
rlm@2
|
432 their date the last time he was in Japan. He had been halfway through
|
|
rlm@2
|
433 unbuttoning Sakura's shirt when he realized Tomoyo was still there
|
|
rlm@2
|
434 videotaping them. He had been shocked that Sakura hadn't sent Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@2
|
435 away after that, merely blushing and waiting. Sakura might not mind
|
|
rlm@2
|
436 for whatever reason, but Syaoran wasn't about to make out with Sakura
|
|
rlm@2
|
437 on videotape. So it looked like it was up to him to get Sakura and
|
|
rlm@2
|
438 leave so they could get some time to themselves. He wished Sakura
|
|
rlm@2
|
439 would want more privacy for the two of them, but she never seemed to
|
|
rlm@2
|
440 mind the Daidouji girl's presence.
|
|
rlm@2
|
441 "We were?" Sakura asked, blinking, turning to Syaoran. A
|
|
rlm@2
|
442 disappointed look crossed her face. She was glad Syaoran was here,
|
|
rlm@2
|
443 but she didn't want to leave yet. Tomoyo could be a bit embarrassing,
|
|
rlm@2
|
444 but in a sweet way. It made her feel more important. She was happy to
|
|
rlm@2
|
445 have Tomoyo there, even when she was with Syaoran. It made her feel
|
|
rlm@2
|
446 stronger and more confident, like she could handle anything. She was
|
|
rlm@2
|
447 shy about everything going on video, but if Tomoyo really wanted to
|
|
rlm@2
|
448 catch it all, she didn't mind. In a way, it made it something she and
|
|
rlm@2
|
449 Tomoyo could share. She couldn't really talk to Syaoran about
|
|
rlm@2
|
450 everything, but she could with Tomoyo. And when Tomoyo was an eye in
|
|
rlm@2
|
451 Sakura's life, videotaping it, it was like they shared the
|
|
rlm@2
|
452 experience. She could talk to Tomoyo about any of it and Tomoyo would
|
|
rlm@2
|
453 understand it all.
|
|
rlm@2
|
454 "Yes," Syaoran nodded, leading Sakura to the door. "Have a nice
|
|
rlm@2
|
455 night." He bowed quickly. "Don't wait up for us." He hoped they'd
|
|
rlm@2
|
456 listen and he could come home with Sakura to a quiet appartment that
|
|
rlm@2
|
457 they could be semi-alone in. But he knew Tomoyo would be there,
|
|
rlm@2
|
458 waiting for them as always. Sighing, he slid his slippers off. His
|
|
rlm@2
|
459 eyes caught on Meiling, who was making a concentrated effort not to
|
|
rlm@2
|
460 look his way. For a moment, he balked about leaving the house and
|
|
rlm@2
|
461 leaving her alone. Guilt crept up from the pit of his stomach. Gazing
|
|
rlm@2
|
462 over, he wished she would look up so he could meet her eyes, to show
|
|
rlm@2
|
463 her he was sorry about this, but she refused to look in his
|
|
rlm@2
|
464 direction. It was too late now. Sakura already had her shoes and was
|
|
rlm@2
|
465 unlocking the door. Syaoran looked apologetically at Meiling, but she
|
|
rlm@2
|
466 never saw it. The door closed behind them, leaving the room in
|
|
rlm@2
|
467 silence. The television turned off a moment later. "You knew they'd
|
|
rlm@2
|
468 leave if you started videotaping them getting frisky," Meiling
|
|
rlm@2
|
469 stated, finally turning to look at the heiress who was heading to the
|
|
rlm@2
|
470 small kitchen seperated from the living room by a half-wall.
|
|
rlm@2
|
471 Nodding thoughtfully, Tomoyo stood on her tiptoes, pulling down
|
|
rlm@2
|
472 some wine glasses. "I knew it was a distinct possibility." Turning in
|
|
rlm@2
|
473 place, she wandered to the back of the kitchen. Resting her arms on
|
|
rlm@2
|
474 the back of the couch, Meiling watched the heiress hurrying about the
|
|
rlm@2
|
475 kitchen. "Thanks," she said simply. Life was miserable enough without
|
|
rlm@2
|
476 having to sit next to the lovestruck couple. Being close enough to
|
|
rlm@2
|
477 get elbowed by the one you love while he makes out with another
|
|
rlm@2
|
478 wouldn't have done any favors for her state of mind.
|
|
rlm@2
|
479 Reentering the room, Tomoyo offered her a soft smile. Her graceful
|
|
rlm@2
|
480 form moved swiftly to the table, setting down the two wine glasses
|
|
rlm@2
|
481 and the bottle of wine she had retrieved from the kitchen. "My mother
|
|
rlm@2
|
482 left this for me. I think she was hoping it would help facilitate
|
|
rlm@2
|
483 some romantic moments with Sakura," she explained, filling up the two
|
|
rlm@2
|
484 glasses.
|
|
rlm@2
|
485 A bitter smile crossed Meiling's face. "Instead it gets to wash
|
|
rlm@2
|
486 away the lonely night while she's galavanting around with her
|
|
rlm@2
|
487 boyfriend. Not exactly the same thing." Reaching out, she took a long
|
|
rlm@2
|
488 gulp of the wine. It burned as it went down, but she didn't care. Her
|
|
rlm@2
|
489 eyes watered, but she blinked away the tears quickly. "How do you
|
|
rlm@2
|
490 deal with it? You love her, don't you? So how can you just sit there
|
|
rlm@2
|
491 and smile while she loves someone else?" "Of course I love her."
|
|
rlm@2
|
492 Tomoyo sat next to Meiling, sipping at her wine. "But if she loves
|
|
rlm@2
|
493 someone else, then what else can I do? I want her to be happy. If
|
|
rlm@2
|
494 Sakura would be happier with someone else, then that's what I want
|
|
rlm@2
|
495 for her. I want to see her happy and loved and cared for. I want to
|
|
rlm@2
|
496 be able to watch Sakura's wonderful life as it unfolds her
|
|
rlm@2
|
497 her." Meiling shook her head. "You hide behind that damn camcorder
|
|
rlm@2
|
498 too much. You figure as long as you're behind the camera, you're not
|
|
rlm@2
|
499 here. You're not a part of Sakura's life, so you can try to
|
|
rlm@2
|
500 orchestrate it so the girl you love will have a happy ending. Then
|
|
rlm@2
|
501 your movie will be perfect. You can just watch it all end happily and
|
|
rlm@2
|
502 not actually have to be part of it. But you aren't the director. This
|
|
rlm@2
|
503 isn't a movie. You -are- here. You are part of her life. You do love
|
|
rlm@2
|
504 her. And she's running off playing grab ass with my goddamn fiancee."
|
|
rlm@2
|
505 Slumping back against the couch, the raven haired woman pulled her
|
|
rlm@2
|
506 legs up like a sullen child.
|
|
rlm@2
|
507 Gazing at the large television that filled the front of the room,
|
|
rlm@2
|
508 Tomoyo sat in silence for a moment. "It's simpler that way, isn't it?
|
|
rlm@2
|
509 Sakura is my best friend. I love her. I want things to work out for
|
|
rlm@2
|
510 her. If I can make her life turn out happily, then that makes me
|
|
rlm@2
|
511 happy. I can watch my videos and I'll see her smile and it lights up
|
|
rlm@2
|
512 my heart. Because I know she'll be fine. I know her story will have
|
|
rlm@2
|
513 turned out perfectly. I can be her guardian angel. I can be a helping
|
|
rlm@2
|
514 hand. I can try to be the director to make sure that her life is
|
|
rlm@2
|
515 happy. She'll be happy the way my mother never was. Sakura deserves
|
|
rlm@2
|
516 her own fairytale and I want to watch it happen. I want to make it
|
|
rlm@2
|
517 happen," Tomoyo answered wistfully. Looking into her drink, she took
|
|
rlm@2
|
518 another sip. "But what's wrong with you being the one to make her
|
|
rlm@2
|
519 happy? You think Syaoran can make her happier, right? But what's
|
|
rlm@2
|
520 wrong if you can't make her as happy as he can? You'd try your
|
|
rlm@2
|
521 hardest to make her happy. And I know you'd do a good job. Then not
|
|
rlm@2
|
522 only would she be happy, but so would you." Meiling sighed. "Maybe
|
|
rlm@2
|
523 Sakura can make Syaoran happier than I could. But I love him, damn
|
|
rlm@2
|
524 it. And I know I'd do everything I could to make him happy. So maybe
|
|
rlm@2
|
525 I wouldn't be as good. But not as good does not mean not good enough.
|
|
rlm@2
|
526 I wouldn't just give up because he has a thing for Japanese tomboys."
|
|
rlm@2
|
527 Amber eyes followed the slender heiress in the dimly lit living room.
|
|
rlm@2
|
528 She could tell that Tomoyo was hesitant, as if she were unsure of
|
|
rlm@2
|
529 herself. This was an awkward sight for Meiling. Tomoyo had always
|
|
rlm@2
|
530 seemed so calm and controlled, no matter what the situation. She only
|
|
rlm@2
|
531 ever seemed out of sorts if Sakura was in danger.
|
|
rlm@2
|
532 Taking a longer drink of her wine, Tomoyo paused before answering.
|
|
rlm@2
|
533 "I want Sakura to be happy. And I would love to make her happy if I
|
|
rlm@2
|
534 could. But I've given up my chance with her. I gave it up years ago.
|
|
rlm@2
|
535 I was the one who tried to get Syaoran to tell her how he felt. I
|
|
rlm@2
|
536 tried to convince Sakura that she loved him. I was the one who pushed
|
|
rlm@2
|
537 them together. So I forfeited my chance with her a long time ago. I
|
|
rlm@2
|
538 can't interfere now. They're happy together. I can't threaten that."
|
|
rlm@2
|
539 "You were a little girl when you did that! You can't blame yourself
|
|
rlm@2
|
540 for something stupid you did years ago. Things have changed. Sakura
|
|
rlm@2
|
541 knows you love her now. She wouldn't have understood that back then."
|
|
rlm@2
|
542 Meiling waved her hands emphatically nearly spilling her half empty
|
|
rlm@2
|
543 drink. "Just because you played a hand in them getting together
|
|
rlm@2
|
544 doesn't mean you owe it to them to stay out of it. Life is not a
|
|
rlm@2
|
545 movie. It doesn't work out perfectly. You can't just sit back and
|
|
rlm@2
|
546 watch things play out for them. You need to live your own life."
|
|
rlm@2
|
547 Tomoyo laughed softly. "Sakura's life is much more interesting to
|
|
rlm@2
|
548 me. I'd rather just watch how it works out. But yes, I do need to
|
|
rlm@2
|
549 live my own life, too. And I do. My life is just very centered around
|
|
rlm@2
|
550 Sakura."
|
|
rlm@2
|
551 Sighing, Meiling finished off her glass, staring forward and
|
|
rlm@2
|
552 hugging her legs with one arm. "I never really did get why everyone's
|
|
rlm@2
|
553 so obsessed with her. I'm just as athletic. I'm outgoing, too. I'm
|
|
rlm@2
|
554 sure as hell prettier. And I'm a better singer," she finished
|
|
rlm@2
|
555 counting down. "So why always her? Why does everyone like her instead
|
|
rlm@2
|
556 of me?"
|
|
rlm@2
|
557 "Sometimes we're too close to things to see them clearly. Maybe
|
|
rlm@2
|
558 Syaoran was always too close to you to tell what he had right in
|
|
rlm@2
|
559 front of him." Tomoyo said gently, rubbing Meiling's shoulder.
|
|
rlm@2
|
560 Amber eyes suddenly looked up, locking Tomoyo's stormy blue orbs in
|
|
rlm@2
|
561 place. "And what about you?" Her voice had lost it's earlier
|
|
rlm@2
|
562 conviction. The Chinese martial artist sounded weak and desolate.
|
|
rlm@2
|
563 Sipping at her wine, Tomoyo swallowed slowly, tasting the tart
|
|
rlm@2
|
564 grapes washing over her tastebuds. For a long moment, she was unsure
|
|
rlm@2
|
565 of how to reply. Meiling's eyes shined wetly at her in the dim room.
|
|
rlm@2
|
566 "I fell in love with Sakura the first day I met her. And those
|
|
rlm@2
|
567 feelings have grown everyday since. It's hard for me to see anyone
|
|
rlm@2
|
568 else like that because my heart has belonged to her for so long,"
|
|
rlm@2
|
569 Tomoyo explained. Meiling nodded weakly, fat, hot tears rolling
|
|
rlm@2
|
570 slowly down her cheeks. The room disappeared in front of her,
|
|
rlm@2
|
571 replaced with a wet blur. "Yeah... I've loved Syaoran since I was a
|
|
rlm@2
|
572 little girl... I always..." She sniffled before continuing.
|
|
rlm@2
|
573 "...always just wanted to be with him... I just... just wanted to be
|
|
rlm@2
|
574 good enough...." Her chest heaved as she tried in vain to catch her
|
|
rlm@2
|
575 breath. She angrily held her legs tighter, angry at herself for being
|
|
rlm@2
|
576 so weak, for breaking down so completely. She bit the inside of her
|
|
rlm@2
|
577 cheek to keep her lips from trembling, the blood warm and coppery in
|
|
rlm@2
|
578 her mouth.
|
|
rlm@2
|
579 Tomoyo's soft arms wrapped around the shuddering girl, holding
|
|
rlm@2
|
580 Meiling close as she began to cry softly. Her nimble hands ran up and
|
|
rlm@2
|
581 down the raven haired girl's back comfortingly. They were the
|
|
rlm@2
|
582 casualties of love, those who were left on the wayside in the
|
|
rlm@2
|
583 process, forgotten and alone. It seemed a terrible price to pay.
|
|
rlm@2
|
584 Whereas Tomoyo had always been ready to sacrifice herself for
|
|
rlm@2
|
585 Sakura's happiness and love with another, Meiling had never consented
|
|
rlm@2
|
586 to that. Life had made that decision for her. Now both of their loves
|
|
rlm@2
|
587 were in the arms of each other while they sat in a dark appartment
|
|
rlm@2
|
588 drinking wine and reminiscing about their lost loves.
|
|
rlm@2
|
589 Shaking lightly as sobs tried to break free of her chest, Meiling's
|
|
rlm@2
|
590 chin rested on Tomoyo's shoulder. Her warm, wet tears slid down her
|
|
rlm@2
|
591 cheeks, soaking through the dress to Tomoyo's pale skin underneath.
|
|
rlm@2
|
592 "Sakura's an idiot for not being able to see what she could have had
|
|
rlm@2
|
593 in you," Meiling whispered softly, her voice weighed down by tears.
|
|
rlm@2
|
594 The arms that encircled Meiling were warm and sympathetic, cradling
|
|
rlm@2
|
595 her close. They held a pained understanding of the wounds in
|
|
rlm@2
|
596 Meiling's heart and just how deep they went. The heiress was soft and
|
|
rlm@2
|
597 comfortable, her gentle caresses soothing the Chinese girl's weary
|
|
rlm@2
|
598 spirits. Tomoyo understood her in ways that no one else could. They
|
|
rlm@2
|
599 were the same, after all. Always loving, but never loved. Always
|
|
rlm@2
|
600 supporting, but left with nothing to lean on when they were in need.
|
|
rlm@2
|
601 Maybe Meiling couldn't just wait to be loved. Maybe she had to find
|
|
rlm@2
|
602 it.
|
|
rlm@2
|
603 Hands resting on Tomoyo's shoulder to support herself, Meiling
|
|
rlm@2
|
604 slowly managed to sit up to look back at Tomoyo. Tear streaked amber
|
|
rlm@2
|
605 eyes pleaded with their stormy blue counterparts. Tomoyo's gaze
|
|
rlm@2
|
606 remained fixed on Meiling, compassionate and understanding and...
|
|
rlm@2
|
607 unsure. That was enough for Meiling. Leaning forward, her trembling
|
|
rlm@2
|
608 lips brushed Tomoyo's inexpertly, her fingers holding Tomoyo's
|
|
rlm@2
|
609 slender shoulders sharply as if she were afraid the heiress would
|
|
rlm@2
|
610 disappear if she let go. She'd never kissed a girl before. It felt
|
|
rlm@2
|
611 strange, but exhilerating. Freeing. All this time she had chased
|
|
rlm@2
|
612 after Syaoran and he had resisted. Tomoyo's petal soft lips felt
|
|
rlm@2
|
613 receptive, accepting of the quick, hesitant kisses she placed on
|
|
rlm@2
|
614 them. She grew more adventurous, her pain and loneliness eased by the
|
|
rlm@2
|
615 understanding inside of the heiress, the flames eating away inside of
|
|
rlm@2
|
616 her cooled by Tomoyo's gentle presence. Her kisses met Tomoyo's lips
|
|
rlm@2
|
617 for longer and longer, loving the way they gave against hers, how
|
|
rlm@2
|
618 they melded to her own lips. Her hands pulled the lavender haired
|
|
rlm@2
|
619 girl closer desperately, their dark hair mingling as the kisses
|
|
rlm@2
|
620 continued.
|
|
rlm@2
|
621 Meiling kissed her more hungrily as Tomoyo's fingers continued to
|
|
rlm@2
|
622 caress up and down her strong back. The Chinese girl's body was so
|
|
rlm@2
|
623 similar to Sakura's. So strong and lean and athletic. The way
|
|
rlm@2
|
624 Meiling's muscles felt under her hands reminded her of Sakura's. Even
|
|
rlm@2
|
625 Meiling's small breasts felt similar to Sakura's when they would hug.
|
|
rlm@2
|
626 If she couldn't have Sakura, then wasn't this the next best thing?
|
|
rlm@2
|
627 Tomoyo's mind wavered at the thought. It was so very tempting. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
628 wouldn't have to worry about ruining Sakura's relationship. And
|
|
rlm@2
|
629 Meiling felt so insistent. She felt a connection to the other girl
|
|
rlm@2
|
630 that could only be born of the flames of their shared suffering.
|
|
rlm@2
|
631 Meiling's tongue was playing inside of her mouth. It took Tomoyo a
|
|
rlm@2
|
632 moment to realize that her own tongue was responding. Her fingers
|
|
rlm@2
|
633 played through Meiling's silky pigtails, feeling herself held tightly
|
|
rlm@2
|
634 to Meiling's body. Meiling's tongue playing across her own, their
|
|
rlm@2
|
635 bodies pressed together, Tomoyo understood just how far the raven
|
|
rlm@2
|
636 haired girl was willing to go. Meiling never did like to do anything
|
|
rlm@2
|
637 halfway. But would that be so bad? To forget about Sakura for one
|
|
rlm@2
|
638 night... To lose herself in Meiling... Meiling obviously wanted that.
|
|
rlm@2
|
639 And she wanted to give that to her. But....
|
|
rlm@2
|
640 But she still loved Sakura. And Meiling still loved Syaoran. Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@2
|
641 slowly pulled away, Meiling's breath hot against her lips.
|
|
rlm@2
|
642 "Meiling..." the heiress whispered softly.
|
|
rlm@2
|
643 It felt as if Meiling had awoken from a trance as Tomoyo put an end
|
|
rlm@2
|
644 to the moment. Shame crashed down across Meiling. Here she was in
|
|
rlm@2
|
645 Sakura's appartment, making out with the girl's best friend. Her
|
|
rlm@2
|
646 weakness had been so open, so obvious. She had succumbed to it, right
|
|
rlm@2
|
647 in front of Tomoyo. She'd been so desperate for companionship, for
|
|
rlm@2
|
648 understanding, that she had been willing, no, eager, to kiss another
|
|
rlm@2
|
649 girl. No, even more than that. She would have gladly given her body
|
|
rlm@2
|
650 to Tomoyo, she knew. Her face burned and her anger with herself
|
|
rlm@2
|
651 returned. What the hell was wrong with her? Just how weak was she?
|
|
rlm@2
|
652 Sliding off the couch, Meiling bowed slightly as she excused
|
|
rlm@2
|
653 herself. "I need to get to sleep," she said curtly and turned to
|
|
rlm@2
|
654 leave. Her bags were in Tomoyo's room, she remembered with a pang.
|
|
rlm@2
|
655 She hoped she could fall asleep before she had to face the other girl
|
|
rlm@2
|
656 again. "Meiling, please..." Tomoyo pleaded. But if the Chinese girl
|
|
rlm@2
|
657 heard her, she made no sign, simply retreating to the back room.
|
|
rlm@2
|
658 Sighing heavily, the heiress hugged a pillow and curled up on the
|
|
rlm@2
|
659 couch. Couldn't she help anyone?
|
|
rlm@2
|
660
|
|
rlm@2
|
661 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@2
|
662
|
|
rlm@2
|
663 Sakura slipped quietly out of bed, careful not to awaken Syaoran's
|
|
rlm@2
|
664 sleeping form. Her pajama pants lay somewhere on the floor, a
|
|
rlm@2
|
665 testament to the time the two lovers had spent fooling around
|
|
rlm@2
|
666 earleir. It had felt so nice, but it had brought too many thoughts
|
|
rlm@2
|
667 unbidden to Sakura's mind, so she had stopped it short. It had indeed
|
|
rlm@2
|
668 felt wonderful, but so had her time with Tomoyo. What she could
|
|
rlm@2
|
669 remember of it, at any rate. As Syaoran's hands had traced patterns
|
|
rlm@2
|
670 over her bare skin, memories of Tomoyo's hands traveling similar
|
|
rlm@2
|
671 paths had grown stronger. Now she couldn't even sleep.
|
|
rlm@2
|
672 Leaving her pants somewhere in the darkness after a moment's
|
|
rlm@2
|
673 fruitless search, Sakura padded silently out to the living room. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
674 needed to clear her head. Why was an intimate moment with her
|
|
rlm@2
|
675 boyfriend competing with memories of being drunk and in the arms of
|
|
rlm@2
|
676 her best friend? Why was her heart so torn? She liked being with
|
|
rlm@2
|
677 Syaoran. But those half-remembered moments with Tomoyo refused to
|
|
rlm@2
|
678 leave her alone.
|
|
rlm@2
|
679 "You couldn't sleep either?" a soft voice asked through the
|
|
rlm@2
|
680 darkness. Tomoyo smiled at her startled friend. The heiress took a
|
|
rlm@2
|
681 moment to appreciate the gorgeous pair of legs she could see in
|
|
rlm@2
|
682 Sakura's current state of undress. "Would you like some tea? I made
|
|
rlm@2
|
683 it just a little while ago, so it should still be warm."
|
|
rlm@2
|
684 Taking a moment to regain her composure, Saura took a seat next to
|
|
rlm@2
|
685 her pale wraith of a friend. "Thanks, Tomoyo." Accepting the cup, her
|
|
rlm@2
|
686 thoughts continued their jumbled rounds through her head. Hot tea
|
|
rlm@2
|
687 washed away her sleepiness, leaving her thoughts crisp and clear in
|
|
rlm@2
|
688 the night. The tea cup nearly burned her hands, but she held it
|
|
rlm@2
|
689 tightly. The pain was real and present, not some memory of the past.
|
|
rlm@2
|
690 Tomoyo's love for her had been no secret for years now, but
|
|
rlm@2
|
691 Sakura's complex feelings for the heiress had always been explained
|
|
rlm@2
|
692 away as mere friendship. She had been intimate with Syaoran on
|
|
rlm@2
|
693 several occasions. He was her boyfriend, so that made perfect sense.
|
|
rlm@2
|
694 But now, she had also been intimate with her best friend. And had
|
|
rlm@2
|
695 loved it. Was it simply the alcohal mixed with her incredibly close
|
|
rlm@2
|
696 friendship to Tomoyo? Or was there more to it than that? Did she
|
|
rlm@2
|
697 honestly like being with Tomoyo in that way? Touya had told her of
|
|
rlm@2
|
698 plenty of stupid things he had seen people do while drunk. Where her
|
|
rlm@2
|
699 actions just another stupid, alcohal induced event? Another long sip
|
|
rlm@2
|
700 of the hot liquid helped burn away her reluctance like sunlight
|
|
rlm@2
|
701 through the morning fog. She was left with a strong sense of
|
|
rlm@2
|
702 determination where the confusion had been moments before. A need to
|
|
rlm@2
|
703 know, to understand if it had just been a mistake or not. Like Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@2
|
704 had said, did she want them to have slept together?
|
|
rlm@2
|
705 "What are you doing up?" Sakura asked at last.
|
|
rlm@2
|
706 Tomoyo's hands moved methodically through the darkness, dancing in
|
|
rlm@2
|
707 the shadows. The fact that she was sewing had, up till now, entirely
|
|
rlm@2
|
708 escaped Sakura. " I let Meiling use my room, so I've been out here
|
|
rlm@2
|
709 all night. I thought I'd get some sewing done while I was at it. I
|
|
rlm@2
|
710 was in the kitchen when you and Syaoran came in, but you seemed..."
|
|
rlm@2
|
711 she paused, searching for the right words, "like you would rather not
|
|
rlm@2
|
712 be disturbed, so I let you go back to your room without any
|
|
rlm@2
|
713 interruptions." A blush played across Sakura's cheeks. They had been
|
|
rlm@2
|
714 somewhat... frisky when they had gotten home. She'd thought no one
|
|
rlm@2
|
715 was awake when they'd entered the appartment. Her blush disappeared,
|
|
rlm@2
|
716 replaced with a frown. Tomoyo's tone was perfectly cheerful, but
|
|
rlm@2
|
717 Sakura had learned over the years that just because Tomoyo sounded
|
|
rlm@2
|
718 fine didn't always mean that the dark haired girl was. "You shouldn't
|
|
rlm@2
|
719 be up so late. Between classes, studying and working for your mother,
|
|
rlm@2
|
720 you need your sleep, Tomoyo. You're so..." The brunette trailed off.
|
|
rlm@2
|
721 Watching the pale girl in the darkness, she wanted to say frail,
|
|
rlm@2
|
722 fragile. Tomoyo was a delicate China doll and sometimes Sakura was
|
|
rlm@2
|
723 frightened that the slightest thing would shatter her best friend. "I
|
|
rlm@2
|
724 worry about you," she said instead.
|
|
rlm@2
|
725 A warm smile met Sakura's emerald eyes as Tomoyo placed a slender
|
|
rlm@2
|
726 hand atop Sakura's. Sakura's hand turned under Tomoyo's to take it
|
|
rlm@2
|
727 and hold it, to keep it safe and protected in her own. "I'm glad you
|
|
rlm@2
|
728 would worry about me. I'm happy you'd care so much. But I'll be fine,
|
|
rlm@2
|
729 Sakura." It always made her ecstatic to know she could be so
|
|
rlm@2
|
730 important to Sakura, but she didn't want to concern the other girl
|
|
rlm@2
|
731 too much. Her mother had spent too many sleepless nights worrying
|
|
rlm@2
|
732 about her, especially whenever she would get sick, and she didn't
|
|
rlm@2
|
733 want to do the same to Sakura. She would be fine no matter what
|
|
rlm@2
|
734 happened. She just wanted Sakura and her mother to be happy. Worrying
|
|
rlm@2
|
735 about her all the time wouldn't help that.
|
|
rlm@2
|
736 Once again, Sakura was reminded of how what Tomoyo said and how she
|
|
rlm@2
|
737 felt were not always one and the same. Reaching out tentatively, the
|
|
rlm@2
|
738 Cardmistress's fingertips began to stroke Tomoyo's soft, dark hair.
|
|
rlm@2
|
739 It felt so nice and silken against her fingers, sliding under her
|
|
rlm@2
|
740 touch. Tomoyo rested her head on Sakura's shoulder in response, her
|
|
rlm@2
|
741 long, lavender hair cascading down Sakura's back. The brunette's
|
|
rlm@2
|
742 breath caught for a moment, but her fingers continued stroking her
|
|
rlm@2
|
743 friend's long, curly hair. Tomoyo felt so soft and warm against her
|
|
rlm@2
|
744 side. It was as if Tomoyo was melting into her. Soft curves met
|
|
rlm@2
|
745 Sakura's own, the two merging into one.
|
|
rlm@2
|
746 Tomoyo breathed softly, her lavender eyes slipping shut. The night
|
|
rlm@2
|
747 had been a long, confusing one. She was glad to be with Sakura now,
|
|
rlm@2
|
748 away from the loneliness and confusion that had played out earlier.
|
|
rlm@2
|
749 Even if her love was an unrequited one, she was still happiest when
|
|
rlm@2
|
750 she was close to the girl she loved. She could lie there with
|
|
rlm@2
|
751 Sakura's fingers gently stroking her hair forever. Something that
|
|
rlm@2
|
752 felt like Sakura's nose pressed against her hair and her lips curved
|
|
rlm@2
|
753 in a soft smile. Sakura's warm breath tickled her through her hair.
|
|
rlm@2
|
754 Snuggling closer against Sakura's side, Tomoyo wished the night
|
|
rlm@2
|
755 wouldn't end. When the morning light spilt through the windows, this
|
|
rlm@2
|
756 dream would be forgotten without so much as a video to remember it
|
|
rlm@2
|
757 by. Syaoran would wake up and Sakura would remember that she loved
|
|
rlm@2
|
758 him and this would be nothing more than a moment that had slipped
|
|
rlm@2
|
759 away like a grain of sand. Why was it that the moments she loved most
|
|
rlm@2
|
760 with Sakura were always the ones she couldn't videotape? Fate was
|
|
rlm@2
|
761 cruel. Now if only...
|
|
rlm@2
|
762 Tomoyo's thoughts were quickly forgotten. A soft squeak escaped her
|
|
rlm@2
|
763 lips, a brief intake of air and a gasp of surpirse from her musical
|
|
rlm@2
|
764 voice. Sakura's strong, free hand had slid up over her stomach,
|
|
rlm@2
|
765 cupping one of the heiress's breasts through her nightgown. Sakura's
|
|
rlm@2
|
766 lips replaced her nose in Tomoyo's hair, kissing her head softly.
|
|
rlm@2
|
767 Confusion spun a web through the dark haired girl's mind, slowing her
|
|
rlm@2
|
768 thoughts down to a crawl. She usually understood Sakura better than
|
|
rlm@2
|
769 anyone, so the Mistress of the Cards' current behavior took her
|
|
rlm@2
|
770 completely by surprise. She was torn between her instincts to protect
|
|
rlm@2
|
771 Sakura's relationship with Syaoran and her own need for Sakura. Her
|
|
rlm@2
|
772 usual calm, collected nature in shambles, Tomoyo remained silent for
|
|
rlm@2
|
773 the moment, squirming slightly under her friend's questing hands.
|
|
rlm@2
|
774 Force of will pushed Sakura's embarrassment far away from her mind.
|
|
rlm@2
|
775 Tomoyo felt so wonderfu, so perfect, both against her and under her
|
|
rlm@2
|
776 fingertips. She squeezed Tomoyo's breast experimentally, marvelling
|
|
rlm@2
|
777 at how soft Tomoyo felt and how the skin melded to her palm. She
|
|
rlm@2
|
778 delighted in the gasp it ellicited from Tomoyo. Tomoyo's excited
|
|
rlm@2
|
779 gasps were so different from Syaoran's restrained groans. She loved
|
|
rlm@2
|
780 the way it sounded, how it let her know how much Tomoyo enjoyed what
|
|
rlm@2
|
781 she was doing to her. Sometimes so was so unsure of whether or not
|
|
rlm@2
|
782 she was doing the right thing with Syaoran. It was great to know how
|
|
rlm@2
|
783 Tomoyo felt about her ministrations. Her hand left Tomoyo's somewhat
|
|
rlm@2
|
784 larger chest and travelled back to the heiress's bare legs. Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@2
|
785 spread her legs invitingly making room for Sakura's hand. It caressed
|
|
rlm@2
|
786 up and down Tomoyo's right thigh, feeling the warmth under pale,
|
|
rlm@2
|
787 silky skin.
|
|
rlm@2
|
788 It hadn't been the alcohal, Sakura decided. Her heart sang at the
|
|
rlm@2
|
789 way Tomoyo shuddered when she suckled on her earlobe. She felt so...
|
|
rlm@2
|
790 alive. Like her body crackled with electricity. Tomoyo always made
|
|
rlm@2
|
791 her happy and being with her like this was no different. It was still
|
|
rlm@2
|
792 Tomoyo, but so much closer. So much warmer. So much more... hers. Her
|
|
rlm@2
|
793 kisses along Tomoyo's jawline caught the other girl's attention and
|
|
rlm@2
|
794 her best friend's lips quickly met her own. They were warm and wet
|
|
rlm@2
|
795 and delicious. They licked and kissed at her own passionately and
|
|
rlm@2
|
796 Sakura could do nothing but give into them.
|
|
rlm@2
|
797
|
|
rlm@2
|
798 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
rlm@2
|
799
|
|
rlm@2
|
800 Yawning sleepily, Syaoran wandered through his girlfriend's
|
|
rlm@2
|
801 apparment half awake. It had been strange to wake up in a place that
|
|
rlm@2
|
802 was so... cute. He'd been disoriented to wake up to such a heavy dose
|
|
rlm@2
|
803 of pink around the appartment. He hoped Sakura could refrain from
|
|
rlm@2
|
804 decking out their home like that when they got married. He couldn't
|
|
rlm@2
|
805 imagine waking up to milky pink every morning.
|
|
rlm@2
|
806 The shower was going, but he couldn't figure out who it was.
|
|
rlm@2
|
807 Probably Sakura, since she hadn't been in bed when he'd woken up. He
|
|
rlm@2
|
808 considered going in to join her. It had been a long day the day
|
|
rlm@2
|
809 before and the flight had been exhausting. And a shower with Sakura
|
|
rlm@2
|
810 would certainly wake him up this morning. A small smile crossed his
|
|
rlm@2
|
811 lips as he made up his mind. It was nice not to be a country away
|
|
rlm@2
|
812 from Sakura for the moment. He certainly couldn't be with her like
|
|
rlm@2
|
813 that from and ocean away.
|
|
rlm@2
|
814 The bathroom door opened quietly under Syaoran's hand. Beautiful
|
|
rlm@2
|
815 humming came from the shower, a syren's song drawing him ever closer.
|
|
rlm@2
|
816 His amber eyes went to the shower as he filled up the doorway.
|
|
rlm@2
|
817 "Sakura..." His voice trailed off as Tomoyo turned to look at him.
|
|
rlm@2
|
818 Her pale body was wet and entirely naked. His mind vaguely made note
|
|
rlm@2
|
819 that her breasts were a bit larger than Sakura's. Her body was soft
|
|
rlm@2
|
820 and curvy and slender, not like Sakura's athlete's body. Stormy blue
|
|
rlm@2
|
821 eyes met his and the humming stopped immediately. "I.. uhh..."
|
|
rlm@2
|
822 Syaoran stammered, his face going a deep shade of crimson.
|
|
rlm@2
|
823 Oddly enough, Tomoyo seemed hardly embarrassed, simply covering
|
|
rlm@2
|
824 herself with her hands and offering a sympathetic smile. "Sakura's
|
|
rlm@2
|
825 not here," she explained helpfully. "She was in the living room when
|
|
rlm@2
|
826 I came in here." For a moment, she wondered if Syaoran had understood
|
|
rlm@2
|
827 her. He finally nodded and gave her a mumbled thanks. Wondering idly
|
|
rlm@2
|
828 what Syaoran would have done if it had been Sakura in the shower,
|
|
rlm@2
|
829 Tomoyo resumed her humming.
|
|
rlm@2
|
830 Slamming the door quickly, Syaoran took a long moment to compose
|
|
rlm@2
|
831 himself. It took a while for the blood to drain from his face. Tomoyo
|
|
rlm@2
|
832 was certainly beautiful... He shook his head quickly to force the
|
|
rlm@2
|
833 idea out of his mind. Daidouji was the last person he wanted to be
|
|
rlm@2
|
834 thinking about. She'd always been that crazy friend of Sakura's.
|
|
rlm@2
|
835 Though she had always been helpful to him. If it hadn't been for her,
|
|
rlm@2
|
836 he never would have told Sakura how he felt about her.
|
|
rlm@2
|
837 Deciding it was best to pretend that hadn't happened, Syaoran
|
|
rlm@2
|
838 continued his search for Sakura. He made his way to the living room,
|
|
rlm@2
|
839 but Sakura was curiously missing. In her place sat Meiling, sitting
|
|
rlm@2
|
840 on the couch in front of the large television Tomoyo seemed so fond
|
|
rlm@2
|
841 of watching her videos on. "Meiling, have you seen Sakura?" he asked.
|
|
rlm@2
|
842 The murderous look Meiling gave him chilled his blood. He wondered if
|
|
rlm@2
|
843 perhaps he had said the wrong thing.
|
|
rlm@2
|
844 "She's in the kitchen. I think she's making breakfast or something.
|
|
rlm@2
|
845 I would've made something, but I don't know my way around the
|
|
rlm@2
|
846 kitchen." Her gaze went back to the television. Nothing was on, but
|
|
rlm@2
|
847 she seemed to be content to focus on it. Her thoughts were busy
|
|
rlm@2
|
848 elsewhere anyway. She was still ashamed of her actions the night
|
|
rlm@2
|
849 before. Crossing one leg on top of the other, she rested back on the
|
|
rlm@2
|
850 couch, trying to appear perfectly content. The affect on Syaoran was
|
|
rlm@2
|
851 more that he was afraid to bother her again. That worked just as well.
|
|
rlm@2
|
852 Entering the kitchen, Syaoran finally found his girlfriend. She,
|
|
rlm@2
|
853 too, was humming to herself. Her apron hugged her body cutely. Flour
|
|
rlm@2
|
854 and batter left her looking like she walked through a small cooking
|
|
rlm@2
|
855 warzone, but the smell coming from the oven was delicious. Sakura
|
|
rlm@2
|
856 could be flighty, but when she put her mind to something, she could
|
|
rlm@2
|
857 do an incredible job. "Good morning, Syaoran," Sakura said happily,
|
|
rlm@2
|
858 kissing his cheek as he entered the kitchen. She went back to
|
|
rlm@2
|
859 whisking something in a bowl, keeping an eye on a timer near the
|
|
rlm@2
|
860 oven.
|
|
rlm@2
|
861 Deciding that dark haired girls were merely crazy this early in the
|
|
rlm@2
|
862 morning, Syaoran was glad to see that Sakura was her usual energetic
|
|
rlm@2
|
863 self. It was good to be away from all the Li Clan business and back
|
|
rlm@2
|
864 with the girl he loved. He wrapped his arms around her from behind,
|
|
rlm@2
|
865 holding her body close to his. Kissing the back of her neck under her
|
|
rlm@2
|
866 short hair, he was glad to feel her snuggling back against him.
|
|
rlm@2
|
867 Sakura was happy. The confusion that had seemed to consume her life
|
|
rlm@2
|
868 lately had, for now, abated. She knew how she felt now. She loved
|
|
rlm@2
|
869 Syaoran. She loved Tomoyo. The night before had helped her to
|
|
rlm@2
|
870 understand that. She had stayed up with Tomoyo late into the night.
|
|
rlm@2
|
871 They had held each other and talked until they had finally fallen
|
|
rlm@2
|
872 asleep in each others arms. Syaoran and Tomoyo both made her happy.
|
|
rlm@2
|
873 Her feelings were no longer such a mystery to her, making even her
|
|
rlm@2
|
874 own actions indecipherable. At some time, it would be necessary for
|
|
rlm@2
|
875 her to figure out what to do about this revelation. But for now, she
|
|
rlm@2
|
876 was simply happy. And very, very much in love.
|
