Mercurial > moonlitnights
comparison old/stories/tomoyofirst.txt @ 2:fc00894c1d4a moonlitnights
[svn r3] moved all the bad stuff to 'old'
author | rlm |
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date | Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:53:12 -0500 |
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1 First Date | |
2 A Tomoyo and Sakura story | |
3 by G. P. | |
4 | |
5 Comments can be sent to the author at: treeandleaf2002@yahoo.com | |
6 | |
7 Note: This story is s part of a series, but does not have to be read | |
8 consecutively. The first story was, "Love is the Crooked Thing". | |
9 | |
10 | |
11 That first night Sakura only just barely got to sleep before the sun | |
12 rose. Thank goodness for Sundays with nothing to do! But sleep ended | |
13 early with pounding at the door and a terrible voice bellowing, | |
14 "Monster! Phone call!" | |
15 | |
16 "Ehhhhhh.....?" | |
17 | |
18 Sakura staggered out of bed, blinking blearily at the alarm clock. | |
19 | |
20 "Hoooeeeeee! I'm late!" In a mad dash, Sakura threw on her uniform | |
21 and rushed down the stairs to breakfast. Except, instead of a hot, | |
22 steaming meal, there was an empty table. There sat her dreadful | |
23 brother, calmly sipping coffee. Sakura shot a glance at the schedule | |
24 board, nervously thinking, | |
25 | |
26 "Was I supposed to make breakfast?" | |
27 | |
28 No, there was Oniichan's name, grrrrrrrr....in a furious windmill of | |
29 arms and fists, Sakura roared towards her brother, who kept her at | |
30 arm’s length while regarding her with amused detachment. | |
31 | |
32 "Where's my breakfast I'm late for school why didn't you wake me up | |
33 if only I was bigger than you...." | |
34 | |
35 Touya interrupted her with practiced ease, "Fridge, Sunday, you're | |
36 not, phone." Sakura froze in mid-flurry, staring at the phone. With a | |
37 sheepish look, she picked it up, | |
38 | |
39 "Sakura here". | |
40 | |
41 "Ohayo, Sakura-chan" The sweet, musical voice of her best friend. | |
42 | |
43 "Ohayo, Tomoyo-chan!" A pause, and then she remembered- remembered | |
44 it all: The fortune telling, the maze, the song, Tomoyo....the kiss. | |
45 Sakura felt a crimson blush on her neck and cheek, as she stood | |
46 dumbstruck with her mouth open. | |
47 | |
48 "I thought we might go on a picnic to the park today? Would you like | |
49 to go, or are you busy with schoolwork and chores?" Tomoyo's bright | |
50 and sunny voice only made the blush deepen. | |
51 | |
52 "H-h-h-h-hai", Sakura managed to stutter out. | |
53 | |
54 "I'll make o-bento. Shall I be there in an hour?" | |
55 | |
56 "H-h-h-h-hai" | |
57 | |
58 "Bye-bye, I'll see you soon!" | |
59 | |
60 "H-h-h-h-hai", replied Sakura to the dial tone. Slowly she put down | |
61 the phone, closed her mouth, and stared at the floor. Just what had | |
62 happened the night before? Was it a dream, or had she really *sweat | |
63 drop* confessed her love to Tomoyo-chan? She staggered back to the | |
64 bedroom, her mind all awhirl… | |
65 | |
66 Mechanically Sakura changed out of her uniform and into a yellow | |
67 blouse and a pleated, light brown skirt. Brushing her red-auburn | |
68 hair, she struggled to remember. Finally, she plopped on the bed with | |
69 a sigh and stared at the ceiling until she heard the knocking down | |
70 below. She rushed down the stairs, beating her brother to the | |
71 hallway. Nervously she reached for the handle, turned it, and opened | |
72 the door. There, smiling as always, stood Tomoyo. Dressed in a | |
73 beautiful, be-ribboned white dress with red trim, picnic basket in | |
74 hand, Tomoyo bowed and sang out, | |
75 | |
76 "Ohayo, Sakura-chan". | |
77 | |
78 "Ohayo, Tomoyo-chan. Oniichan, I'm going to the park with Tomoyo- | |
79 chan". | |
80 | |
81 "Don't forget you're cooking dinner tonight- something better than | |
82 last time, I hope", came the laconic reply. | |
83 | |
84 Tomoyo covered the giggle with a white glove as Sakura gritted her | |
85 teeth in impotent rage. Remembering Tomoyo, she suddenly put her hand | |
86 behind her neck and laughed, | |
87 | |
88 "Ha-ha-ha...um, should we go now?" | |
89 | |
90 Tomoyo nodded happily, and the two friends slipped out the door. | |
91 | |
92 Wordlessly the pair walked to the park, Tomoyo glancing up at the | |
93 occasional cloud and twittering bird, Sakura staring at the sidewalk, | |
94 deep in thought. The day was bright and alive, with a cool breeze | |
95 that whispered of the end of summer. At last they entered the park, | |
96 where Tomoyo broke the silence, | |
97 | |
98 "Would you like to eat by the lake? I know a quiet spot under the | |
99 trees" | |
100 | |
101 "Yes", nodded Sakura, a little too vigorously. | |
102 | |
103 Tomoyo opened one of the picnic basket lids and took out a | |
104 delicately folded orange and brown cloth, decorated with a maple leaf | |
105 and pumpkin print. With easy grace she spread the cloth on the grass, | |
106 placed the basket to one side, and sat, legs tucked demurely | |
107 underneath her. Sakura dropped down quickly, looking at her hands in | |
108 embarrassment, finally holding them tightly in her lap. She was aware | |
109 of Tomoyo's lavender eyes regarding her with measured care. Never had | |
110 Sakura felt so ill at ease with her best friend. Her mind continually | |
111 wandered to the previous night, or rather, to what she thought she | |
112 remembered of it. Tomoyo looked on in concern as she set the table | |
113 with beautiful little white China plates, and delicately filigreed | |
114 Western silverware. Finally, she smiled and whispered, | |
115 | |
116 "Sakura-chan, are you all right?" | |
117 | |
118 Sakura didn't know what to say, so she blushed instead. She had | |
119 always liked Tomoyo as her best, most special friend. The dark-haired | |
120 girl was always there for her, someone to talk to, to share | |
121 adventures with, and to ask for help and advice. For the past month, | |
122 since learning about Yue, Sakura had been battered by a storm of | |
123 emotions. Finally, after reading the Clow Cards, she had followed the | |
124 maze deep within her own heart and, to her surprise and joy, had | |
125 found Tomoyo within. And last night, they had shared a kiss- a | |
126 lover's kiss. Her heart burned and ached with the thought of it, her | |
127 very first. | |
128 | |
129 But what if it was not the same for Tomoyo? Had Sakura presumed too | |
130 much? Had she rushed in unbidden and unwelcome? Had she taken from | |
131 her friend what Tomoyo had been too startled or kind to refuse? She | |
132 knew now that her friend had professed love a year ago, though Sakura | |
133 was too dense to have known it then. Only in the past day had she | |
134 realized what Tomoyo had tried to tell her. And only now did she know | |
135 her own heart, overflowing with a fierce, ecstatic love for her | |
136 friend. | |
137 | |
138 But what if Tomoyo had changed? What if her love, unrequited for so | |
139 long, had grown old and faded? What if she loved someone else, still | |
140 treasuring Sakura as a friend, as someone she liked...but not like | |
141 that. The auburn-haired girl felt her stomach knot at the very | |
142 thought. Tomoyo, ever and always kind, would be loath to say that her | |
143 love was no more. Had she realized Tomoyo's feelings, and her own, | |
144 too late? Oh, what if she had missed her chance for Tomoyo's love, | |
145 forever? Sakura clenched her fists tightly, and felt her body tremble | |
146 with each halting sob. | |
147 | |
148 Tomoyo looked at her friend in silent agony. Sakura's pain tore at | |
149 her heart. Nothing was worth this, nothing. She was certain now that | |
150 Sakura had come to regret her words of last night, but did not know | |
151 how to take them back gracefully. Gently, Tomoyo took her friend's | |
152 hands in her own and spoke in an even voice, | |
153 | |
154 "Sakura-chan...Sakura-chan" | |
155 | |
156 The Mistress of the Cards turned her tear-stained face away, trying | |
157 to yank her hands from Tomoyo. But the dark-haired girl had strong, | |
158 nimble fingers from countless hours of sewing, and held on with a | |
159 vise-like grip. | |
160 | |
161 "Sakura-chan, please look at me". When the wet, shimmering green | |
162 eyes turned to her, Tomoyo nearly stumbled. It had taken hours of | |
163 torment to fashion the words, and now she hesitated. Had she lived a | |
164 hundred lifetimes, she never, ever would have thought she could say | |
165 this. How easy it would be to quietly live her life with Sakura's | |
166 sweet words ever in her ear, even if she no longer meant them. But | |
167 what she was going to say now was right, and Tomoyo knew it. | |
168 Composing herself with the greatest difficulty, she smiled and spoke | |
169 in a calm, even tone, | |
170 | |
171 "Sakura-chan, I wanted to speak with you today. I wanted to tell you | |
172 something, about what you said to me last night". Sakura sat | |
173 motionless, like a fragile crystal statue. Tomoyo took a deep breath, | |
174 and continued, | |
175 | |
176 "Sakura-chan, if you did not...really mean what you said last night, | |
177 it's all right. I will always like you as a friend, no matter what. I | |
178 want you to know that". | |
179 | |
180 Inside her, a voice screamed, "Liar!" It's all right? If Sakura | |
181 really did not mean what she had said, if she had said, "I love you" | |
182 out of pity, or kindness, or confusion, it was not "all right"- it | |
183 was a black agony that Tomoyo dared not face. But better that than | |
184 her friend, no, her one, true love, should be bound by words she did | |
185 not mean. Breathing deeply, unburdened by the words that were so hard | |
186 to speak, Tomoyo looked with a start at Sakura's reaction. Like some | |
187 terrified animal, Sakura was slowly shaking her head back and forth, | |
188 a look of utter terror upon her. | |
189 | |
190 Sakura's ashen face reflected her worst fear: that Tomoyo was gently | |
191 trying to untie the tangled knot that bound them. She was nearly | |
192 certain that Tomoyo no longer loved her, but was too kind to hurt her | |
193 by saying so. Never had she felt such a hopeless despair. She knew | |
194 she should let it all go, and walk away for Tomoyo's sake. But she | |
195 could not. Her overpowering love forced her to speak the words she | |
196 knew were wrong. Choking back a sob, Sakura blurted out, | |
197 | |
198 "Don't you...Tomoyo-chan, don't you love me?" | |
199 | |
200 Stunned, Tomoyo stared into Sakura's frantic eyes, felt hands | |
201 painfully gripping her own, nails digging into her palms. This was | |
202 not at all what she expected. Now, dancing on the precipice, she felt | |
203 a breathless, suspended hush, as though all the cosmos listened for | |
204 her reply. For the first time she sensed the presence of the Clow | |
205 Cards, watching her and waiting. Blinking back the tears, she gazed | |
206 into Sakura's emerald eyes and drew a deep, steady breath. She knew | |
207 she could never lie, even if it was the right thing, even if it was | |
208 for her beloved's sake. Carefully taking her hand away, she gently | |
209 brushed back the girl's auburn hair, and tenderly caressed the pale, | |
210 teary cheeks. With a sweet, soothing voice, Tomoyo spoke, | |
211 | |
212 "Sakura-chan, I loved you when I first saw you, love you now more | |
213 than words can tell, and will always love you, and only you, forever | |
214 and ever. I was never so happy as when you said you loved me, and | |
215 never so afraid as when I thought it might not be true. I was | |
216 worried that you might have regretted what you said last night. I | |
217 didn't want you to suffer for my sake, for the sake of my love for | |
218 you". | |
219 | |
220 Crying again, Sakura buried her face in Tomoyo's chest and sobbed on | |
221 the soft, white of her dress, | |
222 | |
223 “Tomoyo-chan, I love you! I..I didn’t think you loved me anymore…I | |
224 didn’t think…” She broke down, weeping incoherently. | |
225 | |
226 With soft, loving strokes, Tomoyo smoothed the girl's beautiful | |
227 hair, touched by fire from the afternoon sun. Nestled in Tomoyo's | |
228 black-gray tresses, Sakura remembered crying like this before, | |
229 remembered the comforting solace of her mother's bosom. She hugged | |
230 her friend fiercely at the memory, | |
231 | |
232 Looking down at the trembling, vulnerable girl, Tomoyo felt a sweet, | |
233 painful ache wash over her. She knew now that Sakura truly loved her, | |
234 and that her love was freely given. Tomoyo felt a deep, glowing | |
235 peace. Despite the terrible fear of losing Sakura's newly found love, | |
236 she had been honest and fair. It seemed odd that as the Cards had | |
237 tested their Mistress, so too was she tested by Sakura's love. Last | |
238 night was like a fairy tale, where her dearest wish had magically | |
239 come true. Today, like a story from long ago, she was tested by a | |
240 dark, terrible riddle: to take Sakura in silence, or speak, and risk | |
241 losing her forever. Tomoyo spoke, and now, in a miraculous, unlooked | |
242 for happy ending, she cradled the beautiful princess in her arms. Her | |
243 falling tears glistened in Sakura’s hair. | |
244 | |
245 Tomoyo softly sang her Mother's favorite lullaby, gently rocking her | |
246 exhausted friend to sleep. Sakura dreamed of lavender-eyed angels in | |
247 glowing robes, dark tresses swirling as they floated slowly to Earth. | |
248 Tomoyo too grew drowsy in the afternoon sun as the song worked its | |
249 maternal magic. Dark lashes fluttering, she closed her eyes and soon | |
250 fell asleep in Sakura's arms. | |
251 | |
252 There Sonomi found them, bathed in the orange-purple of the setting | |
253 sun. Hearing the song, her song, as she jogged through the park, she | |
254 came upon them, like two angels fallen to Earth. She stood and | |
255 stared, marveling at the fairy spirits entwinned in sleep. The | |
256 evening wind seemed to whisper the voice of Nadesico, soft and sweet | |
257 and approving. Finally she roused them from blissful slumber, | |
258 giggling to herself as they stretched and smiled and blinked | |
259 themselves awake. Laughing and singing, her loneliness forgotten, | |
260 Sonomi led the two girls home. |