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     1.2 +++ b/stories/tomoyofirst.txt	Fri Feb 19 06:24:59 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,260 @@
     1.4 +First Date
     1.5 +A Tomoyo and Sakura story
     1.6 +by G. P.
     1.7 +
     1.8 +Comments can be sent to the author at: treeandleaf2002@yahoo.com
     1.9 +
    1.10 +Note: This story is s part of a series, but does not have to be read
    1.11 +consecutively. The first story was, "Love is the Crooked Thing".
    1.12 +
    1.13 +
    1.14 +That first night Sakura only just barely got to sleep before the sun
    1.15 +rose. Thank goodness for Sundays with nothing to do! But sleep ended
    1.16 +early with pounding at the door and a terrible voice bellowing,
    1.17 +"Monster! Phone call!"
    1.18 +
    1.19 +"Ehhhhhh.....?"
    1.20 +
    1.21 +Sakura staggered out of bed, blinking blearily at the alarm clock. 
    1.22 +
    1.23 +"Hoooeeeeee! I'm late!" In a mad dash, Sakura threw on her uniform
    1.24 +and rushed down the stairs to breakfast. Except, instead of a hot,
    1.25 +steaming meal, there was an empty table. There sat her dreadful
    1.26 +brother, calmly sipping coffee. Sakura shot a glance at the schedule
    1.27 +board, nervously thinking,
    1.28 +
    1.29 +"Was I supposed to make breakfast?"
    1.30 +
    1.31 +No, there was Oniichan's name, grrrrrrrr....in a furious windmill of
    1.32 +arms and fists, Sakura roared towards her brother, who kept her at
    1.33 +arm’s length while regarding her with amused detachment.
    1.34 +
    1.35 +"Where's my breakfast I'm late for school why didn't you wake me up
    1.36 +if only I was bigger than you...."
    1.37 +
    1.38 +Touya interrupted her with practiced ease, "Fridge, Sunday, you're
    1.39 +not, phone." Sakura froze in mid-flurry, staring at the phone. With a
    1.40 +sheepish look, she picked it up,
    1.41 +
    1.42 +"Sakura here".
    1.43 +
    1.44 +"Ohayo, Sakura-chan" The sweet, musical voice of her best friend.
    1.45 +
    1.46 +"Ohayo, Tomoyo-chan!" A pause, and then she remembered- remembered
    1.47 +it all: The fortune telling, the maze, the song, Tomoyo....the kiss.
    1.48 +Sakura felt a crimson blush on her neck and cheek, as she stood
    1.49 +dumbstruck with her mouth open.
    1.50 +
    1.51 +"I thought we might go on a picnic to the park today? Would you like
    1.52 +to go, or are you busy with schoolwork and chores?" Tomoyo's bright
    1.53 +and sunny voice only made the blush deepen.
    1.54 +
    1.55 +"H-h-h-h-hai", Sakura managed to stutter out.
    1.56 +
    1.57 +"I'll make o-bento. Shall I be there in an hour?"
    1.58 +
    1.59 +"H-h-h-h-hai"
    1.60 +
    1.61 +"Bye-bye, I'll see you soon!"
    1.62 +
    1.63 +"H-h-h-h-hai", replied Sakura to the dial tone. Slowly she put down
    1.64 +the phone, closed her mouth, and stared at the floor. Just what had
    1.65 +happened the night before? Was it a dream, or had she really *sweat
    1.66 +drop* confessed her love to Tomoyo-chan? She staggered back to the
    1.67 +bedroom, her mind all awhirl…
    1.68 +
    1.69 +Mechanically Sakura changed out of her uniform and into a yellow
    1.70 +blouse and a pleated, light brown skirt. Brushing her red-auburn
    1.71 +hair, she struggled to remember. Finally, she plopped on the bed with
    1.72 +a sigh and stared at the ceiling until she heard the knocking down
    1.73 +below. She rushed down the stairs, beating her brother to the
    1.74 +hallway. Nervously she reached for the handle, turned it, and opened
    1.75 +the door. There, smiling as always, stood Tomoyo. Dressed in a
    1.76 +beautiful, be-ribboned white dress with red trim, picnic basket in
    1.77 +hand, Tomoyo bowed and sang out, 
    1.78 +
    1.79 +"Ohayo, Sakura-chan".
    1.80 +
    1.81 +"Ohayo, Tomoyo-chan. Oniichan, I'm going to the park with Tomoyo-
    1.82 +chan".
    1.83 +
    1.84 +"Don't forget you're cooking dinner tonight- something better than
    1.85 +last time, I hope", came the laconic reply.
    1.86 +
    1.87 +Tomoyo covered the giggle with a white glove as Sakura gritted her
    1.88 +teeth in impotent rage. Remembering Tomoyo, she suddenly put her hand
    1.89 +behind her neck and laughed,
    1.90 +
    1.91 +"Ha-ha-ha...um, should we go now?"
    1.92 +
    1.93 +Tomoyo nodded happily, and the two friends slipped out the door.
    1.94 +
    1.95 +Wordlessly the pair walked to the park, Tomoyo glancing up at the
    1.96 +occasional cloud and twittering bird, Sakura staring at the sidewalk,
    1.97 +deep in thought. The day was bright and alive, with a cool breeze
    1.98 +that whispered of the end of summer. At last they entered the park,
    1.99 +where Tomoyo broke the silence,
   1.100 +
   1.101 +"Would you like to eat by the lake? I know a quiet spot under the
   1.102 +trees"
   1.103 +
   1.104 +"Yes", nodded Sakura, a little too vigorously.
   1.105 +
   1.106 +Tomoyo opened one of the picnic basket lids and took out a
   1.107 +delicately folded orange and brown cloth, decorated with a maple leaf
   1.108 +and pumpkin print. With easy grace she spread the cloth on the grass,
   1.109 +placed the basket to one side, and sat, legs tucked demurely
   1.110 +underneath her. Sakura dropped down quickly, looking at her hands in
   1.111 +embarrassment, finally holding them tightly in her lap. She was aware
   1.112 +of Tomoyo's lavender eyes regarding her with measured care. Never had
   1.113 +Sakura felt so ill at ease with her best friend. Her mind continually
   1.114 +wandered to the previous night, or rather, to what she thought she
   1.115 +remembered of it. Tomoyo looked on in concern as she set the table
   1.116 +with beautiful little white China plates, and delicately filigreed
   1.117 +Western silverware. Finally, she smiled and whispered,
   1.118 +
   1.119 +"Sakura-chan, are you all right?"
   1.120 +
   1.121 +Sakura didn't know what to say, so she blushed instead. She had
   1.122 +always liked Tomoyo as her best, most special friend. The dark-haired
   1.123 +girl was always there for her, someone to talk to, to share
   1.124 +adventures with, and to ask for help and advice. For the past month,
   1.125 +since learning about Yue, Sakura had been battered by a storm of
   1.126 +emotions. Finally, after reading the Clow Cards, she had followed the
   1.127 +maze deep within her own heart and, to her surprise and joy, had
   1.128 +found Tomoyo within. And last night, they had shared a kiss- a
   1.129 +lover's kiss. Her heart burned and ached with the thought of it, her
   1.130 +very first. 
   1.131 +
   1.132 +But what if it was not the same for Tomoyo? Had Sakura presumed too
   1.133 +much? Had she rushed in unbidden and unwelcome? Had she taken from
   1.134 +her friend what Tomoyo had been too startled or kind to refuse? She
   1.135 +knew now that her friend had professed love a year ago, though Sakura
   1.136 +was too dense to have known it then. Only in the past day had she
   1.137 +realized what Tomoyo had tried to tell her. And only now did she know
   1.138 +her own heart, overflowing with a fierce, ecstatic love for her
   1.139 +friend. 
   1.140 +
   1.141 +But what if Tomoyo had changed? What if her love, unrequited for so
   1.142 +long, had grown old and faded? What if she loved someone else, still
   1.143 +treasuring Sakura as a friend, as someone she liked...but not like
   1.144 +that. The auburn-haired girl felt her stomach knot at the very
   1.145 +thought. Tomoyo, ever and always kind, would be loath to say that her
   1.146 +love was no more. Had she realized Tomoyo's feelings, and her own,
   1.147 +too late? Oh, what if she had missed her chance for Tomoyo's love,
   1.148 +forever? Sakura clenched her fists tightly, and felt her body tremble
   1.149 +with each halting sob.
   1.150 +
   1.151 +Tomoyo looked at her friend in silent agony. Sakura's pain tore at
   1.152 +her heart. Nothing was worth this, nothing. She was certain now that
   1.153 +Sakura had come to regret her words of last night, but did not know
   1.154 +how to take them back gracefully. Gently, Tomoyo took her friend's
   1.155 +hands in her own and spoke in an even voice,
   1.156 +
   1.157 +"Sakura-chan...Sakura-chan" 
   1.158 +
   1.159 +The Mistress of the Cards turned her tear-stained face away, trying
   1.160 +to yank her hands from Tomoyo. But the dark-haired girl had strong,
   1.161 +nimble fingers from countless hours of sewing, and held on with a
   1.162 +vise-like grip.
   1.163 +
   1.164 +"Sakura-chan, please look at me". When the wet, shimmering green
   1.165 +eyes turned to her, Tomoyo nearly stumbled. It had taken hours of
   1.166 +torment to fashion the words, and now she hesitated. Had she lived a
   1.167 +hundred lifetimes, she never, ever would have thought she could say
   1.168 +this. How easy it would be to quietly live her life with Sakura's
   1.169 +sweet words ever in her ear, even if she no longer meant them. But
   1.170 +what she was going to say now was right, and Tomoyo knew it.
   1.171 +Composing herself with the greatest difficulty, she smiled and spoke
   1.172 +in a calm, even tone,
   1.173 +
   1.174 +"Sakura-chan, I wanted to speak with you today. I wanted to tell you
   1.175 +something, about what you said to me last night". Sakura sat
   1.176 +motionless, like a fragile crystal statue. Tomoyo took a deep breath,
   1.177 +and continued,
   1.178 +
   1.179 +"Sakura-chan, if you did not...really mean what you said last night,
   1.180 +it's all right. I will always like you as a friend, no matter what. I
   1.181 +want you to know that". 
   1.182 +
   1.183 +Inside her, a voice screamed, "Liar!" It's all right? If Sakura
   1.184 +really did not mean what she had said, if she had said, "I love you"
   1.185 +out of pity, or kindness, or confusion, it was not "all right"- it
   1.186 +was a black agony that Tomoyo dared not face. But better that than
   1.187 +her friend, no, her one, true love, should be bound by words she did
   1.188 +not mean. Breathing deeply, unburdened by the words that were so hard
   1.189 +to speak, Tomoyo looked with a start at Sakura's reaction. Like some
   1.190 +terrified animal, Sakura was slowly shaking her head back and forth,
   1.191 +a look of utter terror upon her.
   1.192 +
   1.193 +Sakura's ashen face reflected her worst fear: that Tomoyo was gently
   1.194 +trying to untie the tangled knot that bound them. She was nearly
   1.195 +certain that Tomoyo no longer loved her, but was too kind to hurt her
   1.196 +by saying so. Never had she felt such a hopeless despair. She knew
   1.197 +she should let it all go, and walk away for Tomoyo's sake. But she
   1.198 +could not. Her overpowering love forced her to speak the words she
   1.199 +knew were wrong. Choking back a sob, Sakura blurted out,
   1.200 +
   1.201 +"Don't you...Tomoyo-chan, don't you love me?"
   1.202 +
   1.203 +Stunned, Tomoyo stared into Sakura's frantic eyes, felt hands
   1.204 +painfully gripping her own, nails digging into her palms. This was
   1.205 +not at all what she expected. Now, dancing on the precipice, she felt
   1.206 +a breathless, suspended hush, as though all the cosmos listened for
   1.207 +her reply. For the first time she sensed the presence of the Clow
   1.208 +Cards, watching her and waiting. Blinking back the tears, she gazed
   1.209 +into Sakura's emerald eyes and drew a deep, steady breath. She knew
   1.210 +she could never lie, even if it was the right thing, even if it was
   1.211 +for her beloved's sake. Carefully taking her hand away, she gently
   1.212 +brushed back the girl's auburn hair, and tenderly caressed the pale,
   1.213 +teary cheeks. With a sweet, soothing voice, Tomoyo spoke,
   1.214 +
   1.215 +"Sakura-chan, I loved you when I first saw you, love you now more
   1.216 +than words can tell, and will always love you, and only you, forever
   1.217 +and ever. I was never so happy as when you said you loved me, and
   1.218 +never so afraid as when I thought it might not be true.  I was
   1.219 +worried that you might have regretted what you said last night. I
   1.220 +didn't want you to suffer for my sake, for the sake of my love for
   1.221 +you".
   1.222 +
   1.223 +Crying again, Sakura buried her face in Tomoyo's chest and sobbed on
   1.224 +the soft, white of her dress,
   1.225 +
   1.226 +“Tomoyo-chan, I love you! I..I didn’t think you loved me anymore…I
   1.227 +didn’t think…” She broke down, weeping incoherently.
   1.228 + 
   1.229 +With soft, loving strokes, Tomoyo smoothed the girl's beautiful
   1.230 +hair, touched by fire from the afternoon sun. Nestled in Tomoyo's
   1.231 +black-gray tresses, Sakura remembered crying like this before,
   1.232 +remembered the comforting solace of her mother's bosom. She hugged
   1.233 +her friend fiercely at the memory, 
   1.234 +
   1.235 +Looking down at the trembling, vulnerable girl, Tomoyo felt a sweet,
   1.236 +painful ache wash over her. She knew now that Sakura truly loved her,
   1.237 +and that her love was freely given. Tomoyo felt a deep, glowing
   1.238 +peace. Despite the terrible fear of losing Sakura's newly found love,
   1.239 +she had been honest and fair. It seemed odd that as the Cards had
   1.240 +tested their Mistress, so too was she tested by Sakura's love. Last
   1.241 +night was like a fairy tale, where her dearest wish had magically
   1.242 +come true. Today, like a story from long ago, she was tested by a
   1.243 +dark, terrible riddle: to take Sakura in silence, or speak, and risk
   1.244 +losing her forever. Tomoyo spoke, and now, in a miraculous, unlooked
   1.245 +for happy ending, she cradled the beautiful princess in her arms. Her
   1.246 +falling tears glistened in Sakura’s hair.
   1.247 +
   1.248 +Tomoyo softly sang her Mother's favorite lullaby, gently rocking her
   1.249 +exhausted friend to sleep. Sakura dreamed of lavender-eyed angels in
   1.250 +glowing robes, dark tresses swirling as they floated slowly to Earth.
   1.251 +Tomoyo too grew drowsy in the afternoon sun as the song worked its
   1.252 +maternal magic. Dark lashes fluttering, she closed her eyes and soon
   1.253 +fell asleep in Sakura's arms. 
   1.254 +
   1.255 +There Sonomi found them, bathed in the orange-purple of the setting
   1.256 +sun. Hearing the song, her song, as she jogged through the park, she
   1.257 +came upon them, like two angels fallen to Earth. She stood and
   1.258 +stared, marveling at the fairy spirits entwinned in sleep. The
   1.259 +evening wind seemed to whisper the voice of Nadesico, soft and sweet
   1.260 +and approving. Finally she roused them from blissful slumber,
   1.261 +giggling to herself as they stretched and smiled and blinked
   1.262 +themselves awake. Laughing and singing, her loneliness forgotten,
   1.263 +Sonomi led the two girls home. 
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