1.1 --- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
     1.2 +++ b/old/stories/CCScharity_3.txt	Fri Feb 19 20:53:12 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,994 @@
     1.4 +Learning To Fly: Chapter 3
     1.5 +
     1.6 +by:
     1.7 +The Amazoness Duo 
     1.8 +amazonessduo@hotmail.com
     1.9 +
    1.10 +G.P. 
    1.11 +pearsong1954@yahoo.com
    1.12 +
    1.13 +=====
    1.14 +
    1.15 +A soft, gentle knock resounded throughout Sakura's moderately
    1.16 +spacious room. Already blushing a shade of crimson, the Cardmistress
    1.17 +sunk lower on her bed. Her clothes laid in a hesitant pile near her
    1.18 +knees on her bed. Heart pounding, she covered it with a satiny glone,
    1.19 +one of the few articles of cloth that adorn her. She was clad in a
    1.20 +pink, lacey bra that teases at what it holds undernearth and matching
    1.21 +panties. The gloves trailed ribbons at her wrists. The stockings
    1.22 +ended at her thighs, again with a generous use of lace. Kicking
    1.23 +against the bed, the half clothed Cardmistress let out a whine.
    1.24 +"Hoe... Tomoyo-chan, I'm not coming out in this," she said, her voice
    1.25 +infused with embarrassment.
    1.26 +
    1.27 +"But I need to see if it fits properly. It needs to be perfect
    1.28 +before Li-kun sees Sakura-chan prancing about in it," came Tomoyo's
    1.29 +reply, her voice as sweet as always. Pulling her silk hair back, the
    1.30 +heiress placed her head against the door, listening for the tell-tale
    1.31 +signs of her roommate's fidgeting. 
    1.32 +
    1.33 +"That isn't why you want to see it," Sakura whined, her hands
    1.34 +slipping to the edge of the bed. Looking down, she swished her toes
    1.35 +around in the stockings, feeling the cloth move over them. She wasn't
    1.36 +used to anything this dressy. Normal undergarments usually did the
    1.37 +trick for her. Okay, she was used to things this dressy. Tomoyo's
    1.38 +costumes. But those she could wear without most of her body showing.
    1.39 +Well, most of them. 
    1.40 +
    1.41 +"All right, that isn't why. -I- want to see Sakura-chan prancing
    1.42 +around in it," Tomoyo admitted after a moment's pause. Her head still
    1.43 +pressed against the door, the sounds came to her of Sakura shifting,
    1.44 +her embarrassment audible.Blushing intensely, Sakura hugged her legs
    1.45 +to her chest, her chin resting on the soft fabric that covered her
    1.46 +legs. How was she supposed to reply to that? Even after having known
    1.47 +of Tomoyo's feelings for the past few years, she still wasn't
    1.48 +entirely sure how to react. So her body tended to react with a huge
    1.49 +amount of blushes and embarrassed stammers. Her heart was pounding
    1.50 +faster now and her voice had left her. "Tomoyo-chan..." was all she
    1.51 +could get out, coming out as little more than a whimper. Trying to go
    1.52 +to someone for help, she had gone to her older brother. Tomoyo would
    1.53 +have been her first choice, but seeing as how the other girl was
    1.54 +involved, it seemed in bad taste to ask Tomoyo what she should do
    1.55 +about it. Since Touya had been through the same thing, she had
    1.56 +thought he would have excellent voice. His advice: "You take him out
    1.57 +to ice cream, then get him back home and leave your clothes at the
    1.58 +door." Yukito had simply smiled the whole time. Blushing fiercely, as
    1.59 +she was blushing now, Sakura had quickly excused herself. 
    1.60 +
    1.61 +"I bet it looks gorgeous on you, Sakura-chan. I made it for you so
    1.62 +you could show off your beautiful body the next time you see Li-kun.
    1.63 +It would be a shame if you had it and no one ever got to see how
    1.64 +gorgeous you were in it," Tomoyo prodded, still listening for any
    1.65 +reaction on her friend's part. Testing gently, she realized the door
    1.66 +wasn't locked. Sakura very seldom locked any doors. Which had caused
    1.67 +the Cardmistress no end of trouble back when she had lived with her
    1.68 +father and brother. There had been plenty of close calls with Sakura
    1.69 +talking to her supposedly stuffed doll, Kero. But now, Tomoyo found
    1.70 +that it worked to her advantage. "Sakura-chan," Tomoyo began again,
    1.71 +"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. I've been helping you dress
    1.72 +in your outfits since we were ten years old. I've seen more of you
    1.73 +than Li-kun has. And I've probably named every little part by
    1.74 +now.""You've what?" Sakura blinked, looking up, confused. Confusion
    1.75 +gave way to even more embarrassment. All those times she had changed
    1.76 +in front of Tomoyo, not realizing the other girl actually enjoyed
    1.77 +what she saw came back to her. Tomoyo had helped her dress into many
    1.78 +of her more elaborate costumes. And Tomoyo had named her body parts?
    1.79 +Her cheeks flushed as a morbid curiosity burned inside of her. What
    1.80 +had she named? What names had she picked? Sakura had to shake her
    1.81 +head and force the thought away, too shy to ask her questions. "But..
    1.82 +No! That was different. You helped me into your costumes and with the
    1.83 +dresses you made for me. Not something... sexy..." The last word came
    1.84 +out lower than the rest, as if she had to force it out. Seeing
    1.85 +herself in the mirror, Sakura shrunk down even more. 
    1.86 +
    1.87 +"Sakura-chan has worn lots of sexy clothes. You must not remember
    1.88 +half of the costumes you've worn for the past five years. I'll have
    1.89 +to get out the videotapes and show you again. The lingerie probably
    1.90 +has more cloth in total than the hummingbird outfit had," Tomoyo said
    1.91 +thoughtfully, a finger going to her chin. 
    1.92 +
    1.93 +"You told me that was a swimsuit!" Sakura responded, letting her
    1.94 +legs fall back to the bed and her fists resting near her sides. 
    1.95 +
    1.96 +Perfect. Tomoyo smiled, hearing Sakura's position change. "No, I
    1.97 +said it was waterproof, not that it was a swimsuit," she corrected.
    1.98 +The door slid open in one swift movement. For several seconds, Tomoyo
    1.99 +got a wonderful glimpse of her startled Sakura. For the first second
   1.100 +and a half, the brunette didn't even have the chance to be
   1.101 +embarrassed. Sakura truly looked beautiful in the lingerie, looking
   1.102 +both cute and sexy all at once, something Tomoyo had always loved
   1.103 +about her energetic friend. Those moments were burned forever into
   1.104 +memory thanks to the wonderful technology of camcorders. Thanks to
   1.105 +years and years of videotaping her flighty friend, the dark haired
   1.106 +girl had become an expert and bringing the camcorder to bear in the
   1.107 +most crucial of seconds. And then, like a groundhog popping back into
   1.108 +his hole, Sakura was gone. The girl had rolled off the bed, hiding
   1.109 +behind the side opposite Tomoyo. 
   1.110 +
   1.111 +"Tomoyo-chan!!" Sakura whined again, her heart pounding and her face
   1.112 +burning as she lay hunched over behind her bed. She hadn't expected
   1.113 +the other girl to come in. Now what was she supposed to do? Her hand
   1.114 +darted up to the bed, searching for her clothes. Her questing fingers
   1.115 +encountered nothing but the top of her bed. 
   1.116 +
   1.117 +"Sakura-chan needs to fold her clothes more often or they'll get
   1.118 +wrinkled," Tomoyo chided playfully, having pulled Sakura's clothes
   1.119 +away from her reach. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she could
   1.120 +only make out her friend's hunched back. Good enough. Bringing the
   1.121 +camcorder up, she began to record. 
   1.122 +
   1.123 +"Why are you recording this?" Sakura asked, trying to curl up into
   1.124 +herself. It wasn't working. The camcorder and Tomoyo's eyes stayed
   1.125 +fixed on her. Her position didn't offer her much comfort or security.
   1.126 +"For posterity," Tomoyo chimed in, smiling brightly. "Maybe I should
   1.127 +make a copy for Li-kun. He must get lonely being so far away from
   1.128 +you."
   1.129 +
   1.130 +"No! No copies for Syaoran," Sakura said quickly, looking up. It
   1.131 +took her a moment to see the camcorder dip, looking down her front.
   1.132 +Squeaking, the Cardmistress hugged herself tightly. 
   1.133 +
   1.134 +"But it seems unfair for me to get to see this while your boyfriend
   1.135 +doesn't get to," Tomoyo reasoned, panning over Sakura's strong
   1.136 +shoulders and down her pack to where the panties hugged her before
   1.137 +continuing down her beautiful, runner's legs. Sighing dreamily, the
   1.138 +heiress held a hand to her face. "You're very sexy, Sakura-
   1.139 +chan.""Th..Thanks, Tomoyo-chan." Blushing deeply, the Cardmistress
   1.140 +gazed back down at the floor. She couldn't say she minded Tomoyo's
   1.141 +compliments. They always made her feel wonderful. Tomoyo made her
   1.142 +feel like she could really do anything. Like she was something
   1.143 +special. So even the embarrassing things weren't all that bad. Just,
   1.144 +well, embarrassing. 
   1.145 +
   1.146 +"Please, Sakura-chan? Just for me and my camcorder. You can decide
   1.147 +later on if Li-kun sees. But I don't want to see my one chance at
   1.148 +seeing my super sexy Sakura-chan in the lingerie I made her. I love
   1.149 +seeing you in the clothes I make. Knowing you're wearing them, that
   1.150 +they're mixing together with you to make a beautiful picture. Without
   1.151 +you, they're just clothes. I've see what these look like under my
   1.152 +fingers. Now I want to see what they look like with you living and
   1.153 +breathing in them," Tomoyo pleaded, pulling down her camcorder for a
   1.154 +moment to look down at her best friend.
   1.155 +
   1.156 +Emerald eyes gazed up for just a moment, but they were immediately
   1.157 +caught by the beautiful, pleading stormy blue ones of her friend.
   1.158 +Giving an imperceptible nod, Sakura sighed. "You know you always win
   1.159 +these things, right? Why do we even bother debating it anymore? I
   1.160 +should just give up and do what you want in the first place. Then we
   1.161 +can save ourselves the trouble." Blushing, hands slowly let go of her
   1.162 +body. Moving slowly, the Cardmistress stood up, shifting shyly from
   1.163 +foot to foot as Tomoyo's eyes roamed over her. A twinge of excitement
   1.164 +ran through her. Someone was actually seeing her like this, someone
   1.165 +who thought she was sexy. Sakura liked the thought, that she could be
   1.166 +sexy, that Tomoyo would want to see her like this. She blushed deeper
   1.167 +at the realization. Was it just that her boyfriend had been gone so
   1.168 +long? That she wanted someone to appreciate her like that? But she'd
   1.169 +always liked when Tomoyo fawned over her, even when she didn't know
   1.170 +that Tomoyo was in love with her. Confused and embarrassed, Sakura
   1.171 +stood for Tomoyo's approval.A sudden intake of breath. An excited
   1.172 +gasp. "Sakura-chan, you're so sexy!" Tomoyo crooned, standing up to
   1.173 +travel around Sakura with her camcorder, wanting every available
   1.174 +angle of her semi-nude friend. A light giggle escaped her when she
   1.175 +was behind Sakura. "No, you should keep debating. If you did whatever
   1.176 +I wanted in the first place, then you wouldn't be wearing anything at
   1.177 +all."
   1.178 +
   1.179 +For Sakura, who had just started to regain her composure, the
   1.180 +comment was like a bag had dropped on her stomach. She was blushing
   1.181 +darkly again and at a loss for words instantly. "T..Tomoyo-chan!" The
   1.182 +tone of her voice was supposed to be chiding, but it sounded more
   1.183 +like a shy refutal. A soft hand on her back, just above the bra, made
   1.184 +Sakura start. Tomoyo's hand, silky and warm against her skin. Letting
   1.185 +her eyes fall closed, the Cardmistress felt each delicate finger
   1.186 +caress in a pattern on her bare skin, her breath nearly catching
   1.187 +before she remembered to keep breathing. 
   1.188 +
   1.189 +"Sakura-chan, you aren't such a shy girl most of the time. I bet
   1.190 +when you get used to being with Li-kun, you'll be a tiger in the
   1.191 +bedroom. You shouldn't act all shy for the camera. Then I won't get
   1.192 +to see what you'd really be like in the lingerie. Don't focus on the
   1.193 +clothes. Focus on Sakura-chan. Be Sakura-chan in the clothes." 
   1.194 +
   1.195 +
   1.196 +Tomoyo's voice had it's cheering quality that came to her whenever
   1.197 +she was rooting for Sakura, no matter what the situation may be.
   1.198 +Sakura found it highly effective, even now. Her blush subsiding
   1.199 +somewhat, she stepped away, moving again. This time, she moved more
   1.200 +quickly, more sure of herself, keeping her embarrassment in the back
   1.201 +of her mind. Putting on her brightest smile, she spun to face the
   1.202 +camera, moving as if she wasn't the least bit shy about what she was
   1.203 +in. Her eyes caught Tomoyo returning her smile. That made Sakura even
   1.204 +happier. Ribbons and lace swished as she moved about the room, posing
   1.205 +with all her athletic body was worth.
   1.206 +
   1.207 +For her part, Tomoyo hurried to keep track of Sakura, wanting to get
   1.208 +every shot she could of her beautiful friend. The way she moved...
   1.209 +The way she smiled... The sparkle in her eyes... The way the cloth
   1.210 +rustled against her skin... If there was any place closer to Heaven,
   1.211 +Tomoyo had not visited there yet. Sighing dreamily, she tried her
   1.212 +hardest to keep up with her athletic friend, barely noticing as her
   1.213 +pale cheeks flushed and her breath quickened. She stepped lithely up
   1.214 +onto the bed and back onto the other side like a sprite, never taking
   1.215 +the camcorder away from Sakura's gorgeous, sensuous form. How Sakura
   1.216 +could not notice how incredibly beautiful she had become was beyond
   1.217 +the heiress. The task of making sure Sakura was told, and quite
   1.218 +often, had fallen into her able hands. 
   1.219 +
   1.220 +"Tsubasa," Tomoyo said at last, as Sakura had twirled in front of
   1.221 +the bed. 
   1.222 +
   1.223 +"Hmmm?" The Cardmistress looked over as if broken from a trance.
   1.224 +Quizzical, she tilted her head as she stood near the foot of the bed.
   1.225 +"I named your butt Tsubasa. You were wondering what I named the
   1.226 +pieces of you. That's what I named it. Because it's cute and soft
   1.227 +like the feathers on a wing and because it looks like it's been
   1.228 +lifted up by beautiful wings." Tomoyo smiled brightly as she
   1.229 +explained. Chewing on her lip thoughtfully, she added. "And I saw a
   1.230 +lot of it when you used to fly on your staff. So I guess the wing
   1.231 +motif just followed easily from there, since it was framed by the two
   1.232 +wings on your staff."
   1.233 +
   1.234 +Another blush spread quickly. But this blush was a little different.
   1.235 +It was tempered with a playful frustration. Growling, Sakura grabbed
   1.236 +her pillow. "Tomoyo-chan! Stop embarrassing me!" Before Tomoyo could
   1.237 +react, the athletic girl pounced, hitting her friend again and again
   1.238 +with the soft pillow. That heart melting giggle of Tomoyo's
   1.239 +accompanied Sakura's feather soft blows as Sakura bopped her on the
   1.240 +head again and again, watching Tomoyo's long hair fly wild about them
   1.241 +in their one-sided battle. 
   1.242 +
   1.243 +And as soon as it had begun, it was over. The two lay on the bed,
   1.244 +panting heavily. Tomoyo's pale cheeks were flushed darkly, her
   1.245 +fragile body exerted from all of the hopping and running and playing
   1.246 +they had done. Sakura lay on her side, facing the other girl, her
   1.247 +heart pounding from the exertion. Or maybe it was pounding from the
   1.248 +way Tomoyo's stormy blue eyes gazed so lovingly into her own. Or the
   1.249 +way Tomoyo's tender fingers trailed delicately up and down her side.
   1.250 +Or the way Tomoyo's bare foot felt against her own through the cloth
   1.251 +of her stockings. Or the way Tomoyo's now messy lavender hair framed
   1.252 +her so beautifully on the bed. 
   1.253 +
   1.254 +Fingers slid up to Sakura's bra, tracing over the fabric for just a
   1.255 +moment before beginning their downward spiral back to the brunette's
   1.256 +hips. Tomoyo gazed into Sakura's eyes, so glad to have them looking
   1.257 +back at her. Those emerald orbs had always fascinated her. Some
   1.258 +nights when she couldn't sleep, she would take a look into those eyes
   1.259 +in one of her pictures or videotapes and fall asleep imagining she
   1.260 +were safe in Sakura's arms. Now, lying so close to her, almost like
   1.261 +lovers, Tomoyo felt that delicious feeling that accompanies our
   1.262 +longing for the person we love without the bad aftertaste of knowing
   1.263 +they are out of our reach. Maybe they weren't locked in a lover's
   1.264 +embrace, but Sakura was so close, so soft, so lovely. And that was
   1.265 +enough for Tomoyo.A small pink tongue darted over dry lips, trying
   1.266 +desperately to wet them. Whether it was in case Tomoyo should happen
   1.267 +to kiss her or just because they were dry, Sakura couldn't really
   1.268 +tell. Her heart was thundering now, her eyes enthralled to Tomoyo.
   1.269 +She couldn't pull her gaze away if she tried. A delightful shiver
   1.270 +passed through her body as her friend's fingers traced over her hip
   1.271 +and back up again. This was a position she had thought she'd end up
   1.272 +with Syaoran in, facing in each other, blushing and waiting for him
   1.273 +to kiss her. Would Tomoyo kiss her? Did Tomoyo want to kiss her? What
   1.274 +would she do if Tomoyo did kiss her? Her breath slipped out and she
   1.275 +prayed that Tomoyo didn't notice how anxious she was. About what? Was
   1.276 +she scared that Tomoyo would kiss her? Or rather, was she scared that
   1.277 +Tomoyo wouldn't kiss her? And all the while, those incredibly deep
   1.278 +stormy blue eyes, the color of the beautiful yet sad stormclouds that
   1.279 +greet us on spring days, gazed longingly back at her. She didn't want
   1.280 +to move, didn't want to breathe. Her foot pushed experimentally
   1.281 +against Tomoyo's and was delighted to find Tomoyo's petite foot push
   1.282 +back, Tomoyo's small toes playing with her own.
   1.283 +
   1.284 +Sakura knew Tomoyo could see her, could see almost all of her in the
   1.285 +lingerie she wore. And yet, she couldn't get herself to do anything
   1.286 +about it. Why would she want to? Tomoyo liked her in it. The heiress
   1.287 +had said as much. And now... Now she didn't want to move. But she
   1.288 +wanted to do -something-. Anything. But no actions came to mind. No
   1.289 +words came to her rescue. It was only her and Tomoyo and those
   1.290 +deliciously confusing feelings that slid over her like cool water on
   1.291 +a hot day. 
   1.292 +
   1.293 +Tomoyo, meanwhile, was getting more adventurous. Sakura hadn't so
   1.294 +much as eeked in embarrassment since they had found themselves facing
   1.295 +each other on the bed. Her hand was going alternatingly higher and
   1.296 +lower. Up past Sakura's bra. Down past Sakura's pantied. Feeling the
   1.297 +brunette's athletic body under her fingertips. The cute, confused
   1.298 +look in Sakura's eyes made her want to be with the Cardmistress even
   1.299 +more. She wanted to help Sakura make up her mind, to end up doing
   1.300 +something she'd wanted to do for years. And right now, would Sakura
   1.301 +stop her? Would Sakura even want her to stop? Her mind played over
   1.302 +the thoughts carefully, trying to unravel them. In the meantime, her
   1.303 +foot continued to play more and more with Sakura's, neither girl
   1.304 +gaining ground, but neither wanting to, content to continue their
   1.305 +game. On this turn up Sakura's side, Tomoyo stopped at Sakura's bra,
   1.306 +just under her arm. Fingers caressed the skin underneath the cloth
   1.307 +for a long moment. Almost imperceptibly, the fingers moved across the
   1.308 +cloth. Forward. Slowly, slowly. The fingertips moved as if in slow
   1.309 +motion to the front of Sakura's bra, tracing Sakura's slightly larger
   1.310 +breasts as they went. They continued to play their designs over
   1.311 +Sakura's skin, Tomoyo's eyes ever ready for any flicker of Sakura's
   1.312 +face. The brunette simply blushed more but did nothing to stop her.
   1.313 +Moving apart and together again, her fingertips played across the
   1.314 +thin fabric over Sakura's skin. To Tomoyo's delight, she could feel
   1.315 +Sakura reacting, her fingers rubbing over the slowly hardening nub of
   1.316 +Sakura's nipple under the bra. She continued to play with it, pushing
   1.317 +and circling and rubbing through the cloth, watching as Sakura gazed
   1.318 +back, their feet still locked in their battle. Just as slowly as she
   1.319 +had done with her fingers, Tomoyo's head inched closer. Perhaps...
   1.320 +just a kiss? A delicious, Sakura tasting kiss? It couldn't do any
   1.321 +harm, could it? Not if part of Sakura wanted her to, right? And dear
   1.322 +god did she hope that's what she saw in Sakura's eyes. Her nose slid
   1.323 +past Sakura's now, their eyes still locked. Warm breath played
   1.324 +against her lips. Just another moment. Tomoyo was incredibly patient.
   1.325 +She could wait a lifetime if she had to. She could almost feel
   1.326 +Sakura's lips against her own. Just a little
   1.327 +closer....Trrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiillll..... 
   1.328 +
   1.329 +Sakura blinked dumbly. Trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiilllllll..........
   1.330 +
   1.331 +Bolting up, a new wave of embarrassment coursing through her, Sakura
   1.332 +searched quickly for her cell phone. Where had she put it? Sliding
   1.333 +off the bed, stocking clad feet padded across the floor. Heart
   1.334 +pounding in her chest, Sakura couldn't think of what to say, only to
   1.335 +keep looking for the damn phone. And to tell them she'd call them
   1.336 +back. She had more important things to think about right
   1.337 +now."Goodnight, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo whispered as Sakura grabbed the
   1.338 +cell phone so as not to disturb whoever was on the line. Her lips
   1.339 +brushed against Sakura's cheek, kissing softly. Sakura's cheek warmed
   1.340 +under her lips. Smoothing out her skirt, the dark haired girl
   1.341 +disappeared from the room like an elegant Cinderella from her ball.
   1.342 +And no less anxious and confused as Cinderella's prince sat Sakura.
   1.343 +She reached out, wanting to call Tomoyo back, but the phone was
   1.344 +already answering. Her voice echoed shakily on the line, her mind
   1.345 +elsewhere. What had been about to happen? And why did she feel so
   1.346 +disappointed that it didn't?
   1.347 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.348 +
   1.349 +The soft vibration of a sweet hum reached the door to the appartment
   1.350 +Sakura shared with Tomoyo before the brunette reached it herself. Her
   1.351 +exaltant hum was the product of her classes finally coming to an end
   1.352 +for another week as well as the generally positive upswing her life
   1.353 +had taken in general. Living with her best friend was more fun than
   1.354 +she had imagined. They shared a wonderfully cute and eccentric
   1.355 +(thanks in no small part to Tomoyo) appartment. And now Sakura even
   1.356 +had a job that she could pour herself into. To celebrate her good
   1.357 +fortune, she had deigned it a worthy cause to stop by the grocery
   1.358 +store on the way home and get supplies for a feast. When Tomoyo got
   1.359 +home that night, there would be a wonderful meal waiting for her.
   1.360 +'Hanyaa...' Sakura thought happily, her smile broadening as she
   1.361 +slipped her keys into the door. Everything felt so amazing. It almost
   1.362 +felt like she was dreaming. And wouldn't Tomoyo be excited to come
   1.363 +home to a meal she cooked for her! A small giggle escaped the
   1.364 +brunette as she pushed the door open.
   1.365 +
   1.366 +"Can I start on the strawberries?" Kero's voice carried from the
   1.367 +grocery bag. A small rustling noise preceded his appearance, his
   1.368 +small head popping up out of the bag. "They look soooooo good..." His
   1.369 +tiny eyes looked up to Sakura, pleading. They searched for mercy.
   1.370 +They found none.
   1.371 +
   1.372 +"Kero-chan!! Out! Those things are all for the meal tonight! The
   1.373 +strawberries are for desert. I'll make some for you, too, I promise.
   1.374 +But you better not be eating any of my ingredients!" Sakura harumphed
   1.375 +when Kero pouted. Plans for her dinner with Tomoyo wouldn't be ruined
   1.376 +because Kero had an endless stomach. Her moods immediately lightened
   1.377 +at the thought, she nearly twirled into the appartment.
   1.378 +
   1.379 +"Tomoyo-chan?"
   1.380 +
   1.381 +The twirling ceased immidiately. Blink blink. Someone was inside?
   1.382 +Someone who sounded awfully familiar. "Sakura-chan! It's you. I
   1.383 +thought Tomoyo said something about you coming home earlier than she
   1.384 +did on these days." Sonomi smiled brilliantly, still in her dashing
   1.385 +business suit and skirt. Her prowess as a businesswoman hid her years
   1.386 +as an athlete. The hug she gave Sakura certainly didn't hide that
   1.387 +aspect, nearly pulling Sakura off her feet. "You're always so cute,
   1.388 +Sakura-chan. Tomoyo's rants about you almost don't do you justice.
   1.389 +Almost." Grinning with what could only be the Daidouji family smile,
   1.390 +something that both generations of Daidouji women did an incredible
   1.391 +amount of around Sakura, she placed her hands on the younger woman's
   1.392 +shoulders. "Is Tomoyo-chan with you? I thought I heard you talking
   1.393 +when you came in."Sakura was still in a state of confusion. Slowly,
   1.394 +bit by bit, it was being processed into usable information in her
   1.395 +brain. Sonomi had a key to the appartment. Tomoyo had told her when
   1.396 +they'd come home the second night and found roses left for them by
   1.397 +Sonomi. Now onto the more immediate, pressing matters. Sweatdropping
   1.398 +and stammering profusely, Sakura said the first thing that came to
   1.399 +mind. "C...Cell phone... I was on the cell phone when I came in..."
   1.400 +Laughing nervously, she hoped that would be enough for Tomoyo's
   1.401 +mother."You brought groceries home," Sonomi observed. "How cute!" She
   1.402 +clasped her hands together.
   1.403 +
   1.404 +"Well, yeah..." Sakura blushed and walked to the kitchen. "I was
   1.405 +going to make dinner for me and Tomoyo-chan." A muffled 'And me' came
   1.406 +from the grocery bag, but Sakura coughed and nudged the bag as she
   1.407 +set it down on the counter. 
   1.408 +
   1.409 +"That's wonderful! Tomoyo-chan will be so happy when she gets home.
   1.410 +I'll help you with it. I'll go when Tomoyo-chan gets home so I won't
   1.411 +get in the way of your dinner," Sonomi decided, starting to unpack
   1.412 +one of the bags."You will?" Sakura asked excitedly. Though her own
   1.413 +cooking skills were good, she had more faith in those of Sonomi.
   1.414 +Working with Tomoyo's mother, she knew they could make something
   1.415 +delicious. "Thanks, Sonomi-san!" she said happily. Her eyes shot open
   1.416 +when she saw Sonomi's hand snake into the bag, searching for that
   1.417 +last object in the bag. Kero-chan!
   1.418 +
   1.419 +Sonomi's lithe hand withdrew from the bag holding onto Kero's small,
   1.420 +plush body. The businesswoman inspected the figure for a long moment.
   1.421 +A sad, nostalgic smile played across her lips. "You really are a lot
   1.422 +like your mother sometimes, Sakura-chan." A finger gently traced over
   1.423 +Kero's face. "She used to drag some of her dolls around with her
   1.424 +everywhere. I used to tell her she'd be dragging them around even
   1.425 +when she was an adult. She laughed and asked why she'd do anything
   1.426 +but." The older brunette shook her head, still smiling as she set
   1.427 +down the Seal Beast. 
   1.428 +
   1.429 +"Then Tomoyo-chan must have gotten a lot from you, too, Sonomi-san.
   1.430 +She's beautiful, talented, and elegant. Just like you," Sakura
   1.431 +offered, returning the older woman's smile as she got out the
   1.432 +utensils for the night's meal. There was another thing that Sonomi
   1.433 +shared with her daughter. When Sakura heard Sonomi speak of her
   1.434 +mother, Nadeshiko, it came with that same loving tone that Tomoyo's
   1.435 +held when the dark haired girl spoke of Sakura. There was something
   1.436 +almost sad in it, something that always made the Cardmistress miss
   1.437 +her mother even more. 
   1.438 +
   1.439 +A laugh escaped Sonomi as she searched for the aprons. "Sometimes I
   1.440 +think Tomoyo-chan got more from your mother than she got from me.
   1.441 +She's very, very loving. And so... ethereal. It's almost like she's
   1.442 +an angel. Just like your mother." Her quest came up triumphant as she
   1.443 +pulled out two aprons, handing one to her daughter's friend.Sakura
   1.444 +nodded in wholehearted agreement as she tied the apron on tight.
   1.445 +"Tomoyo-chan is very much like an angel. Sometimes I'm surprised that
   1.446 +she's not the one with wings." A nervous laugh quickly followed.
   1.447 +Sonomi wouldn't get the part about the fact that she could have wings
   1.448 +herself when she wanted. Though Tomoyo seemed far more deserving of
   1.449 +them in Sakura's mind. The dark haired girl really did seem like an
   1.450 +angel, Sakura's guardian angel. Sighing dreamily, Sakura got to work
   1.451 +on preparing the food. 
   1.452 +
   1.453 +Brushing her brunette hair out of her eyes with her free hand,
   1.454 +Sonomi watched Sakura chopping the vegetables. A smile tugged at the
   1.455 +corners of her mouth. It was easy to see what her daughter loved
   1.456 +about the younger woman. Being around Sakura always brought back
   1.457 +memories of the girl's mother.  And Tomoyo lit up like the moon
   1.458 +lights up from the sun's rays when she was around Sakura. The
   1.459 +businesswoman was happy to have Sakura as part of her life, as very
   1.460 +nearly a part of her family. When she saw Sakura's emerald eyes
   1.461 +shimmering at her, it was hard for her to tell that she wasn't
   1.462 +looking into Nadeshiko's eyes. "If you're very lucky in this life,
   1.463 +you'll fall in love, truly in love, once. You'll find your one, true
   1.464 +love. I'm not talking about all the crushes, all the people who take
   1.465 +a place in your heart. Just the one who you can't help loving, who
   1.466 +warms your heart, who makes you better just by being around." Sonomi
   1.467 +smiled softly, her stormy blue eyes distant. "I found mine, a long
   1.468 +time ago. She was... the most beautiful, wonderful thing in my life.
   1.469 +I was always so happy when I was with her. When I lost her... I
   1.470 +didn't think I could go on. If I hadn't had Tomoyo, I might not have
   1.471 +been able to." She shook her head, her stormy blue eyes a little
   1.472 +darker now, the color of clouds about to storm. Smiling at Sakura,
   1.473 +she tilts her head to the side ever so slightly. "I think Tomoyo
   1.474 +found hers, too. I hope that you find yours.""I... did..." Sakura's
   1.475 +voice trailed off. She had found her one, true love, right? Syaoran
   1.476 +had been her boyfriend for years now. They'd been together through a
   1.477 +lot. They loved each other. But did she really love him more than
   1.478 +she'd loved Yukito? Or even the feelings she had gotten from Mizuki-
   1.479 +sensei? When she thought about him, warm thoughts surfaced. But did
   1.480 +she feel that she was better around him? Did he ensnare her the way
   1.481 +Sonomi's heart had so obviously been caught so long ago? She loved
   1.482 +him, of course, she reminded herself. They'd been together all these
   1.483 +years. But those feelings... They did sound familiar. Someone who
   1.484 +mader her better... Someone who always made her feel all hanyaan...
   1.485 +Sakura's hand slipped, cutting a jagged slice out of the vegetable
   1.486 +she was working on as the image turned in her mind. Tomoyo. Her heart
   1.487 +beat a confused, staccatto rhythm in her chest. That was different.
   1.488 +Tomoyo was her best friend. Of course the dark haired girl made her
   1.489 +happy and embarrassed and warm and strong. It was... Yeah.... Sakura
   1.490 +nodded slightly to herself, trying to keep her thoughts straight.
   1.491 +"That's great, Sakura-chan," Sonomi replied, forcing a smile. Truth
   1.492 +be told, she couldn't stand the boy who had taken away Sakura from
   1.493 +her daughter. Granted, Tomoyo tried to convince her that he was the
   1.494 +one that made Sakura happy. But Sonomi knew beyond the shadow of a
   1.495 +doubt that her daughter could make Sakura just as happy, if not much,
   1.496 +much more so. But, alas, that didn't seem to be in the cards. Again.
   1.497 +Just like with Nadeshiko. She sighed inwardly. Well, she wouldn't let
   1.498 +it happen that way again. She wasn't about to see her little girl end
   1.499 +up all alone like she did. Fishing around in her purse, she pulled
   1.500 +out a large photo of a beautiful woman. Holding it out in her strong
   1.501 +yet gentle hands, Sonomi smiled. "That's Sugaru Kurumiya. She does
   1.502 +some modelling, like your mother used to. Her mother and I are
   1.503 +friends. I kept saying we should get her together with Tomoyo. Sugaru
   1.504 +is great in front of the camera and Tomoyo is a wizard behind the
   1.505 +camera. I finally convinced Tomoyo-chan to go out on a date with her.
   1.506 +Isn't that great?" Sonomi sighed, putting the picture away. "My baby
   1.507 +is going on her first date. How cute... It's too bad she won't be
   1.508 +able to record it. I'd love to see the video."The knife slid off the
   1.509 +carrot Sakura was cutting. "Wh...what?" Her eyes blinked in
   1.510 +disbelief. It should have been an obvious eventuality, but like all
   1.511 +things we don't want to think of, Sakura had stored it away as
   1.512 +something that would happen 'later', in that indeterminate future we
   1.513 +hope will never come. And now it had. "Tomoyo-chan's going on a date?
   1.514 +But..." Her mind raced to find a good reason to call off the date,
   1.515 +but she found none. Her heart sank at the thought of Tomoyo
   1.516 +videotaping some other girl, a model at that. Didn't Tomoyo say she
   1.517 +was the most amazing thing to videotape? And going out on a date...
   1.518 +'I love you, Sakura-chan.'. Sakura had heard that phrase over and
   1.519 +over for the past six years. And every time, she knew Tomoyo meant
   1.520 +it. Would this other girl take her place? Would she be the one to
   1.521 +make Tomoyo smile? Would Tomoyo make the other woman costumes and
   1.522 +make her blush and tell her how wonderful she was? Would she make her
   1.523 +feel like she could do anything? Would Tomoyo make her feel warm and
   1.524 +loved? The way she made Sakura feel?
   1.525 +
   1.526 +Sakura wanted to drop to her knees. They suddenly felt weak and
   1.527 +watery. It seemed appropriate to say something nice about Tomoyo's
   1.528 +plan in perspective mates for her best friend, but she couldn't get
   1.529 +herself to compliment it. Instead, words came to her mouth that
   1.530 +ignored that line of thought altogether. "But Tomoyo-chan loves me. I
   1.531 +make her happy.""True," Sonomi conceded. "But you love Syaoran. And
   1.532 +Tomoyo's my baby. I want what's best for her. I want her to be happy
   1.533 +and loved and to be able to curl up in someone's arms when the day is
   1.534 +through. So I told her as much until she agreed to go on this date. I
   1.535 +think it will be good for her. The whole time you've been dating,
   1.536 +Tomoyo-chan has been all alone. Maybe you can give her some dating
   1.537 +tips."Sakura could only nod weakly. "Yeah... dating tips..." She
   1.538 +suddenly didn't feel like making dinner. With a heavy heart, she went
   1.539 +back to preparing for her now less than anticipated celebration
   1.540 +dinner. 
   1.541 +
   1.542 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.543 +
   1.544 +"And that concludes today's lecture. Please remember to do the
   1.545 +reading for next class." Professor Fujitaka Kinomoto smiled
   1.546 +pleasantly at his students as they passed, busying himself with
   1.547 +putting his papers neatly back in his briefcase. Out of the corner of
   1.548 +his eye, he could see the pale figure and dark hair of a woman that
   1.549 +always reminded him of his wife. Sonomi couldn't have done a better
   1.550 +job with a tribute to Nadeshiko. He shook off the thought and smiled
   1.551 +over at his daughter's best friend. 
   1.552 +
   1.553 +"Hello, Kinomoto-sensei. You said you wanted to see me after class?"
   1.554 +The darkhaired girl tilted her head to the side curiously.  Her hair
   1.555 +swayed with the small motion, the dark silk a stark contrast with her
   1.556 +pale skin. Leaning down, Fujitaka produced a large box, setting it on
   1.557 +the table. "I made a chocolate cake yesterday night and I realized I
   1.558 +couldn't eat it all by myself. I was hoping you and Sakura would have
   1.559 +it." It was an excuse, of course. He used to cook for his children
   1.560 +when he would have the chance, but now that his youngest child had
   1.561 +moved away, he had found himself missing them. Deciding to make the
   1.562 +cake for Sakura was a way of remembering times gone by. 
   1.563 +
   1.564 +Tomoyo bowed politely before gingerly picking up the box. "I know
   1.565 +Sakura-chan will love it. She always loved your food. I'm sure it's
   1.566 +delicious," the lavender haired girl insisted. 
   1.567 +
   1.568 +Smiling wistfully, the professor shook his head. "I never would have
   1.569 +thought you'd be interested in archeology, Tomoyo-chan."Tomoyo
   1.570 +giggled softly. "I have very broad interests, Kinomoto-sensei. I
   1.571 +think it's a very interesting course."
   1.572 +The rest of Fujitaka's papers slowly found their way into his
   1.573 +briefcase. Standing, he motioned for Tomoyo to follow him. "Your
   1.574 +mother must not have been pleased with you taking my course. She
   1.575 +still hasn't forgiven me about... things." He knew that Tomoyo had
   1.576 +probably grown up hearing her mother's anger with him, that he had
   1.577 +stolen what was most precious to her. Caution dictated that he be
   1.578 +careful with this subject. "On the contrary. When I told her, she
   1.579 +frowned for a moment and then said that if I had to take archeology,
   1.580 +it might as well be from you. She said you had been a very good
   1.581 +teacher when she was younger and that you'd be good to learn it
   1.582 +from," Tomoyo explained, her heels clicking as they walked down the
   1.583 +hallway of the university. A small, grateful smile crossed Fujitaka's
   1.584 +lips. It was nice to know that even if Sonomi hated him for 'taking
   1.585 +away' Nadeshiko, she still had some nice things to say about him.
   1.586 +Sonomi had always been a strong willed woman with the proud soul of a
   1.587 +warrior. Despite her hatred of him, her rival, she still respected
   1.588 +him. It was nice to hear that from her daughter, because he doubted
   1.589 +he'd ever hear it from Sonomi herself. And he knew Sonomi would never
   1.590 +accept his praise for her, no matter how heartfelt it may be. 
   1.591 +
   1.592 +He still remembered how devestated Nadeshiko had been when Sonomi
   1.593 +hadn't come to the wedding. Nadeshiko kept running out to see if her
   1.594 +best friend had arrived, thinking that she was only late. But Sonomi
   1.595 +never came. And until Nadeshiko got sick the final time, that was the
   1.596 +last time the two had seen each other. Nadeshiko had smiled brightly
   1.597 +and gone on with the wedding, but he had seen how hurt she was not to
   1.598 +have her cousin share in it with her. Nadeshiko had been such a
   1.599 +charming, lovely, happy woman for the time she had spent with her
   1.600 +family. But the one shadow that had stayed with her was losing
   1.601 +Sonomi. It didn't go away until the end, when Sonomi came to visit
   1.602 +her in the hospital. She had told him late at night in her hospital
   1.603 +bed that she was happy now. 'I have you, Touya-chan, and Sakura-chan.
   1.604 +And now I have Sonomi-chan again. I'm happy now. I'm happy with how
   1.605 +things turned out. Please don't cry for me, Fujitaka." And she had
   1.606 +smiled, a smile devoid of that haunted shadow. So he had never cried
   1.607 +for her, just as she had asked. 
   1.608 +The girl that could be a young copy of his wife was watching him as
   1.609 +they walked in silence for a moment. Offering another smile, he
   1.610 +pushed his glasses up. "I'm very glad Sonomi-san would think so." His
   1.611 +eyes looked just a trifle concerned as he looked over at his student.
   1.612 +"How is Sakura?" It was impossible to keep concern completely out of
   1.613 +his voice. Sakura was his little girl, after all. "Sakura-chan is
   1.614 +wonderful as always," Tomoyo replied, a soft sigh escaping her lips.
   1.615 +It never took much work to get her mind on Sakura, if indeed her mind
   1.616 +ever left that line of thought in the first place. Being so near the
   1.617 +brunette as of late had been like a dream, her heart overflowing with
   1.618 +happiness at the prospect of so very much Sakura in her life.
   1.619 +Fujitaka laughed at the dreamy look on Tomoyo's face as well as the
   1.620 +pale girl's reply. "I meant to ask how she was doing," he corrected
   1.621 +himself.
   1.622 +
   1.623 +Demurely holding her bag in front of her, Tomoyo giggled as well.
   1.624 +"Sakura-chan has been doing well lately. She misses you and Touya-
   1.625 +san, but it's wonderful seeing her on her own. She's so strong
   1.626 +willed. You should really see her. She's giving it her all. I know
   1.627 +that she likes working for mother. The two of them get along very
   1.628 +well. They're similar in a lot of ways. And Sakura-chan is doing well
   1.629 +in her classes. She was always a good student and we study together
   1.630 +some nights.""She's not on her own. She has you, Tomoyo-chan,"
   1.631 +Fujitaka replied. "You've always helped her so much. I really have to
   1.632 +thank you for all you've done for her.""It's all my pleasure. I love
   1.633 +being near Sakura-chan. I want her to be happy. I'd do anything for
   1.634 +her. If I can be near her, if I can help her from time to time,
   1.635 +that's enough for me." The pale heiress tucked some hair behind her
   1.636 +ear, looking forward.
   1.637 +
   1.638 +"I think you make her very happy," Fujitaka offered. "She's always
   1.639 +so happy when she's with you." Stopping in front of his office, he
   1.640 +turns to the small woman. "I want you to know I'd have been happy to
   1.641 +have you as a daughter-in-law." It was small consolation, he knew,
   1.642 +but it was true. Tomoyo was so much like Nadeshiko, an angel in
   1.643 +anyone's life. He would have been happy to see Sonomi's daughter with
   1.644 +his own. But because it hadn't worked out that way, he could only
   1.645 +offer that.
   1.646 +
   1.647 +"Thank you," Tomoyo said wholeheartedly. "I'm glad you'd think so. I
   1.648 +know mother would have loved having Sakura-chan as part of the
   1.649 +family, too," she replied, grinning. Her lithe frame bowed. "Thank
   1.650 +you for the cake, Sensei. Sakura-chan and I will share it tonight."
   1.651 +Turning, she swished softly towards the exit. 
   1.652 +
   1.653 +"I can't believe Sonomi-chan had her wear her hair like mine," a
   1.654 +soft voice said behind Fujitaka, almost poutily. "I didn't know she
   1.655 +missed me so much."Fujitaka smiled softly, turning to the source of
   1.656 +the voice, the ghostly form of his wife. "You always cute Sakura-
   1.657 +chan's hair short like Sonomi-san."The woman tilted her hair to the
   1.658 +side, giving a puzzled look. Her angel wings blazed with an inner
   1.659 +light. "Yeah, but I knew how much I missed Sonomi-chan. I didn't know
   1.660 +she missed me as much as I missed her." Her emerald green eyes
   1.661 +sparkled as she nearly floated about his office. "I need to see her
   1.662 +again," she whispered. Fujitaka nodded. "I know." He had never owned
   1.663 +Nadeshiko's heart. He doubted anyone ever could. He was blessed with
   1.664 +Nadeshiko's love. But so was Sonomi. It was the way of things. Was
   1.665 +Sakura the same way, he wondered? Would Sakura get hurt just as
   1.666 +Nadeshiko had because her heart was too open, too loving? Did Sakura
   1.667 +love her boyfriend as well as her best friend? He hoped that whatever
   1.668 +happened, Sakura wouldn't have the same haunted look as his wife when
   1.669 +Sonomi had left her side all those years ago when they had announced
   1.670 +their wedding. 
   1.671 +
   1.672 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.673 +
   1.674 +The appartment was quiet when Tomoyo finally got home. Her head
   1.675 +tilted to the side, listening for the familiar noises of Kero playing
   1.676 +videogames or Sakura making any of a hanful of noises Tomoyo could
   1.677 +name instantly. Leaving her shoes by the door, the pale girl treaded
   1.678 +softly across the floor. "Sakura-chan? Kero-chan?" Her voice carried
   1.679 +in the appartment. Her stormy blue eyes glanced to their living room,
   1.680 +seeing the table where Sakura had tossed her backpack and the DVDs of
   1.681 +Sakura lying on top of the large television. Sakura was home, at any
   1.682 +rate. And something certainly smelled delicious. 
   1.683 +
   1.684 +"Tomoyo-chan!" In a flurry of feathers, Sakura had crashed into
   1.685 +Tomoyo, hurtling into her like a small, Sakura-sized freight train.
   1.686 +Her small wings wrapped around the dark haired girl along with her
   1.687 +arms. The two almost fell over, but Sakura's wings opened up and gave
   1.688 +a quick flap, sending them back to their feet. Sakura's bare feet
   1.689 +were nearly on top of Tomoyo's socks. A soft giggle escaped the
   1.690 +heiress. "I missed you, too, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo's hands rested on
   1.691 +Sakura's hips as they stood that way for a moment. Leaning forward,
   1.692 +she nuzzled Sakura's chestnut hair, enjoying the smell that permeated
   1.693 +her noise. She always loved Sakura's hair. It made her want to be
   1.694 +there to wash it for the other girl. To run her hands through
   1.695 +Sakura's hair... She pushed away from the tempting thoughts. "You've
   1.696 +been out flying?"Pulling away, slightly embarrassed, Sakura nodded.
   1.697 +"I needed... Well, I wanted to see the view," the Cardmistress nodded
   1.698 +quickly. Truthfully, she had flown off after Sonomi had left to try
   1.699 +and clear her mind. It hadn't worked. The idea of Tomoyo finally
   1.700 +going on a date still left her with a bad taste in her mouth. But how
   1.701 +could she tell Tomoyo that? 'Don't date. I want you to love me and
   1.702 +only me. But I'll still be loving Syaoran, so you don't get anything
   1.703 +that you want.' Sakura felt ashamed of even thinking such a thing.
   1.704 +How good a friend was she if she would feel jealous of Tomoyo dating?
   1.705 +But still, she couldn't help it. And she knew she needed to change
   1.706 +the subject before Tomoyo's almost magical powers of perception found
   1.707 +her out. "I made you dinner. Well, Sonomi-san helped. She was by
   1.708 +earlier. So we made dinner for you. It's a celebration. For our new
   1.709 +job and our new appartment and... and everything!" Smiling, Sakura
   1.710 +took Tomoyo's hands, leading her to the kitchen where any number of
   1.711 +treats awaited. It had taken all of her strength to drag Kero out
   1.712 +after Sonomi had left. Her genuine smile and the excitement that
   1.713 +coursed threw her at the idea of showing Tomoyo the meal she'd cooked
   1.714 +for her helped keep Tomoyo from digging deeper into her concerns. "It
   1.715 +looks delicious, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said, amazed. Turning to
   1.716 +Sakura, the brunette's eyes sparkled happily. "It all looks
   1.717 +wonderful. It's a perfect dinner. Even more perfect because it was
   1.718 +made by Sakura-chan." The dark haired girl sighed dreamily, imagining
   1.719 +Sakura in an apron, laboring over the stove for her sake. How sweet!
   1.720 +Taking Sakura's hands, she squeezed them, pulling them to her heart.
   1.721 +"I'm so lucky to have you for a roommate."Blushing, Sakura looked
   1.722 +down. That simply gave her a good look of Tomoyo's beautiful form,
   1.723 +clad as it was in a cute white dress. Her eyes shot up only to get
   1.724 +anchored to Tomoyo's stormy blue eyes gazing affectionately into her
   1.725 +own. "I'm lucky to have you for a roommate, too, Tomoyo-chan. I just
   1.726 +wanted to show you how much," she said after a moment's silence. It
   1.727 +was the wrong thing to say if she was trying to extricate herself
   1.728 +from an embarrassing situation. Tomoyo let out a delighted sigh and
   1.729 +practically melted into her arms, hugging Sakura tightly. 
   1.730 +
   1.731 +"Thank you, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said blissfully. "Ummm... Tomoyo-
   1.732 +chan, I think we better eat before it gets cold." Sakura hurried over
   1.733 +to the dishes after Tomoyo finally let her go, her cheeks still
   1.734 +flushed pink. She had hoped it would go over well, but this went over
   1.735 +much better than she'd expected. Tomoyo followed her to the counter,
   1.736 +watching her prepare the plates. Picking up a bite of the food with
   1.737 +her chopsticks, she turned and offered the bite to Tomoyo. Leaning
   1.738 +forward, the other girl took the bite, eating it from Sakura's
   1.739 +chopsticks. 'Hanyaan...' Sakura thought, smiling brightly. She felt
   1.740 +warm and fuzzy inside, glad to be with her friend. Her worries took a
   1.741 +small vacation, overcome by her currently shining emotional state.
   1.742 +The two decided to forgo eating at the table and finished up dinner
   1.743 +like that, Sakura feeding Tomoyo bite after bite with her chopsticks. 
   1.744 +
   1.745 +"You're such a good cook, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said between bites.
   1.746 +They were both leaning against the counter, and her eyes traced over
   1.747 +the other woman, delighting in Sakura's smile. Leaning forward, she
   1.748 +took another bite. Her mother felt bad for her that Sakura was in
   1.749 +love with another, but Tomoyo was incredibly grateful to be Sakura's
   1.750 +best friend. And moments like this were worth just about anything.
   1.751 +Having Sakura feed her, seeing the brunette smile and lift the food
   1.752 +to her lips, it made her heart swell. Her love for the Cardmistress
   1.753 +was almost overwhelming at times like this. Oh, how she wanted to
   1.754 +reach out and embrace her. These moments were glimpses of her dreams,
   1.755 +little bits of her fantasies of being with Sakura. Even if she
   1.756 +couldn't have Sakura's love, she was more than happy for the little
   1.757 +pieces she could collect. And for a moment, she could forget that
   1.758 +Sakura's heart belonged to another and simply revel in the here and
   1.759 +now. She 'mmm'ed as Sakura pulled the chopsticks away. 
   1.760 +
   1.761 +"Thanks, Tomoyo-chan. I was hoping you'd like it." Sakura took
   1.762 +another morsel up to Tomoyo's lips, waiting for it to disappear
   1.763 +between Tomoyo's soft, cute lips. Her heart pounded as it indeed
   1.764 +disappeared, the slight tug on the chopstickes signalling the end of
   1.765 +that bite. She had faint memories of wanting to feed Yukito
   1.766 +strawberries when she was younger. This was the feeling she'd
   1.767 +imagined along with it, that warm throbbing of her heart and the
   1.768 +utterly perfect feeling of it all. Tomoyo smiled at her openly and
   1.769 +lovingly, accepting each bite graciously, almost as if starved for a
   1.770 +piece of Sakura's creation, the love Sakura had peppered throughout
   1.771 +the meal. "Of course I'd like it," Tomoyo assured her. "I like
   1.772 +anything Sakura-chan." With Sakura pausing before getting more food,
   1.773 +the heiress took the time to give one of her patented smiles. "Tomoyo-
   1.774 +chan..." Sakura sighed, mock chiding. "What am I going to do with
   1.775 +you?"Placing her finger on her chin, Tomoyo looked deep in thought.
   1.776 +"I can think of another things, but I think we'd need to make sure
   1.777 +Kero-chan was in another room." Her eyes travelled over Sakura's
   1.778 +graceful form, her smile growing. "We'll have to tell him to turn up
   1.779 +the television, too. How loudly do you moan?""T...Tomoyo-chan...."
   1.780 +Her face darkening, Sakura quickly grabbed another bite, popping it
   1.781 +into Tomoyo's mouth to keep her quiet for a moment while a very
   1.782 +embarrassed Sakura regained her composure. Tomoyo smiled at her,
   1.783 +undaunted, and chewed the bite away. "You're so terrible. You
   1.784 +shouldn't tease me like that." Her heart was racing and she couldn't
   1.785 +tear her eyes away from the beautiful heiress before her.Finishing
   1.786 +the bite, Tomoyo finally spoke again. "It isn't teasing if you mean
   1.787 +what you're saying," the lavender haired girl corrected. "It's more
   1.788 +of an offer." She nodded after a moment, affirming that it was indeed
   1.789 +an offer. Resting her hands on Tomoyo's shoulders, Sakura giggled,
   1.790 +her cheeks still slightly red. Her forehead came to rest against
   1.791 +Tomoyo's. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Tomoyo-chan."Letting
   1.792 +her eyes fall closed, Tomoyo felt her heartbeat quicken. Did Sakura
   1.793 +know what a huge affect she had on her? How her heart would get so
   1.794 +wild when she was near like this? Oh, Sakura... "I'm sure Sakura-chan
   1.795 +would be fine without me. I just try to help when I can," she got
   1.796 +out, her voice a little too soft. It was almost hard to think,
   1.797 +feeling Sakura against her, knowing she was so close. 'Can we please
   1.798 +stay like this?' Tomoyo wanted to ask, but she feared she was too
   1.799 +breathless to get it out. Sakura had no idea of her true power, the
   1.800 +way she held Tomoyo's heart enthralled to her. 
   1.801 +
   1.802 +Sakura shook her head, her hair rustling against Tomoyo's. "You're
   1.803 +my strength, Tomoyo-chan. I was talking to Sonomi-san earlier. She
   1.804 +made me think of how lucky I am to have you. You make me stronger. I
   1.805 +wouldn't have been able to have done it all without you. Syaoran
   1.806 +helped me a lot, but you made me strong enough to get through it
   1.807 +all." Her voice was starting to choke up. The thought of anyone
   1.808 +taking Tomoyo away was like the thought of getting her oxygen taken
   1.809 +away, something incredibly important. She would be so empty without
   1.810 +Tomoyo. Her strength would flee her without Tomoyo to hold her up.
   1.811 +"With you..." her eyes sparkled with unshed tears when she looked
   1.812 +into Tomoyo's eyes. "With you, everything will always be all right."
   1.813 +
   1.814 +"Sakura-chan..." Tomoyo's fingers reached up, gently stroking
   1.815 +Sakura's cheek. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here. I'll always
   1.816 +be here for you. I'll always love you. Whether you love me or not, my
   1.817 +heart will always be yours. I'll always be there to help you go
   1.818 +forward, to help show you how strong and beautiful and wonderful you
   1.819 +are. You make sure that everything will always be all right, Sakura-
   1.820 +chan. That's your magic. I just make sure that you remember it and
   1.821 +pour your heart into it." Her hand trailed to Sakura's heart. "You
   1.822 +have to believe it with all your heart. And I'm here to make sure you
   1.823 +know how true it is, how you can accomplish anything." Sakura's
   1.824 +heartbeat was quick under her palm. She left her palm there, counting
   1.825 +the beats in her mind. Sakura's heart, kissing her palm. The heiress
   1.826 +smiled softly. "Let's have cake, Sakura-chan. Your father made you
   1.827 +some. We'll have that and watch a movie. And I'll be right here with
   1.828 +you." Sakura's heart slowly calmed against her palm.The brunette
   1.829 +nodded almost imperceptibly at first, but more assuredly a second
   1.830 +time. "That sounds nice, Tomoyo-chan. I'd like that." She held
   1.831 +Tomoyo's hand to her heart, interlacing her fingers with Tomoyo's own
   1.832 +delicate fingers. She smiled when she opened her eyes, the tears
   1.833 +fading. They were a team, after all. Whatever happened. 
   1.834 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.835 +
   1.836 +Syaoran was so tired of talking to self-important people. How did
   1.837 +his mother handle all the meaningless blather? Yes, it was to keep
   1.838 +important ties between the Li Clan and other influential families and
   1.839 +people throughout Hong Kong. But it was so frustrating. Small talk
   1.840 +wasn't his forte. Everyone wanted to speak to the new heir to the Li
   1.841 +Clan and his mother, Ieran, made sure they were all directed neatly
   1.842 +to him. He had to make so many assurances and he had to discuss the
   1.843 +most inane things. It almost seemed like a better option to just walk
   1.844 +out of the damn thing. His sisters were much, much better with people
   1.845 +than he was, chatting away with the different guests they had.
   1.846 +Syaoran would have been happier practicing his magic out in the
   1.847 +gathering storm. It felt so crowded. He just wanted to get away for a
   1.848 +moment, but he knew he couldn't. This was his job now, his place as
   1.849 +the heir to the Li Clan. 
   1.850 +
   1.851 +A hand on his shoulder almost made him jump. Not another person to
   1.852 +talk to. His sister, Sheifa, had told him to try smiling more, but he
   1.853 +didn't feel like smiling for these people. Sighing inwardly, the
   1.854 +young magician turned to start some more worthless rambling about
   1.855 +things he didn't care for. Blink blink. A halfgrin and amber eyes met
   1.856 +his gaze. 
   1.857 +
   1.858 +Meiling smiled at him, arching a raven eyebrow. "Surprised to see
   1.859 +me? I just got here. I had to take care of some things for my
   1.860 +mother." Stepping closer, her voice dropped to a whisper. "Dance with
   1.861 +me. They'll leave you alone while you're dancing." Seeing the boy
   1.862 +hesitate for a moment, Meiling placed his hands on her body and began
   1.863 +to dance with him, moving towards the other couples who were dancing.
   1.864 +"See? That's not so bad. And no more stupid conversations you have to
   1.865 +pretend to be interested in."Syaoran let out a light sigh, giving
   1.866 +Meiling a nod as they moved. "Thanks, Meiling. I owe you one." He let
   1.867 +himself relax a bit, moving in tandem with Meiling. After years of
   1.868 +practicing martial arts with his cousin, they had very good rhythm
   1.869 +together. A few people looked on as they danced, surprised by how
   1.870 +good the two were. They knew where the other's movement would lead
   1.871 +them. It wasn't a problem of having to guess. They simply knew. So
   1.872 +for the time being, at least, Syaoran didn't have to worry about the
   1.873 +world around him. Meiling felt like an extension of himself, moving
   1.874 +with the same step as he did. 
   1.875 +
   1.876 +"Don't say that," Meiling whispered. "Or I'll hold you to it. And
   1.877 +you wouldn't like what I had you do to repay me," she warned, her
   1.878 +breath warm in his ear. She laughed softly as she saw him try to
   1.879 +scowl and fail, his cheeks just the lightest shade of red. "Your
   1.880 +sisters seem more well versed in the art of small talk." The raven
   1.881 +haired girl glanced across at one of Syaoran's sisters talking to an
   1.882 +important banker as they danced. "But I understand why you wouldn't
   1.883 +like it. I hate having to kiss up to these people. Sometimes I hate
   1.884 +family politics. Makes you just want to run off and scream." She
   1.885 +scrunched up her face and even Syaoran had to grin.
   1.886 +
   1.887 +"Yeah, I know," Syaoran replied, sighing.  "But there's nothing I
   1.888 +can do about it. This is my place now. I need to do what's best for
   1.889 +the Clan." He had been preparing for this postion his whole life. He
   1.890 +knew he was prepared for it. But that didn't make it any less
   1.891 +frustrating at times. It simply made him determined to push past it
   1.892 +all. He would prove he was a worthy successor. He would make his
   1.893 +mother proud even if it killed him.Meiling closed her eyes as they
   1.894 +danced, holding on tighter to her cousin. "I know what you mean. We
   1.895 +all have our roles to play in the family. It's bigger and more
   1.896 +important than what we want. But sometimes... Sometimes you just want
   1.897 +to go do something stupid, something just for you."
   1.898 +
   1.899 +Nodding slowly, the brunette boy felt Meiling's long pigtail swish
   1.900 +over his hand, feeling her heart beating against his chest as they
   1.901 +danced. His arms pulled her closer almost without his noticing.
   1.902 +Sometimes Meiling could seem so fragile, so delicate. It was such a
   1.903 +departure from her normally strong, confident self. He always wanted
   1.904 +to protect her when she was like that, just as he had when they had
   1.905 +been children together. He wanted to make her feel warm and safe
   1.906 +again. He held her even closer, her breath caressing his neck. She
   1.907 +did so much for him. She had been his support this whole time,
   1.908 +helping him through all the trials that faced him. He felt useless
   1.909 +for not being able to return the favor. She didn't need his
   1.910 +protection anymore. She was a big girl, a strong woman. When they had
   1.911 +been children, she had needed him. But now, it was reversed. Now he
   1.912 +needed... With a curt nod of his head, he tried to slice the thought
   1.913 +off, but it didn't entirely go away. 
   1.914 +
   1.915 +Syaoran tried to send his mind elsewhere, turning slowly with her as
   1.916 +the music and chatter of voices surrounded them. Meiling was getting
   1.917 +married soon, sacrificed as another offering for the family. He could
   1.918 +go out on a limb and try to stop the marriage, but she didn't care.
   1.919 +He felt as if he had failed her somehow. Did she love him? No, of
   1.920 +course not. But she wasn't fighting the marriage, even with her fiery
   1.921 +spirit. Had he crushed her spirits? All those years, endlessly loving
   1.922 +him, without anything in return. Had she finally just given up? He
   1.923 +wanted to make it up to her somehow, to make things better for her.
   1.924 +She'd sacrificed so much to him. 'Meiling, you were never a bother,'
   1.925 +he thought. He had told her that long ago when she'd been forced to
   1.926 +go home during his time capturing the Clow Cards. And it was true.
   1.927 +Meiling had never been a bother. She'd always been his safety net,
   1.928 +helping to keep him going. And what had he given her in return? A
   1.929 +broken heart. And here Meiling was, again trying to save him from the
   1.930 +boredom of this stupid event. She was always there for him. 
   1.931 +
   1.932 +The two continued twirling under the stars that were the lights
   1.933 +above them. Meiling's body was warm and comfortable against Syaoran's
   1.934 +strong, thin body. Her soft breathing kept a steady rhythm on his
   1.935 +shoulder, her hair swishing now and then against his hands. He
   1.936 +swallowed nervously, still moving in tandem with her. A soft sigh
   1.937 +escaped his cousin, muffled by his shoulder. 
   1.938 +
   1.939 +"I've never been good at being patient. 'I'll be your fiancee until
   1.940 +you find the one you love most.' I remember making you promise that
   1.941 +when we were little." Meiling laughed softly, her voice strained.
   1.942 +Syaoran couldn't tell if there was a sob in her voice or not. "I wish
   1.943 +you hadn't found her."
   1.944 +"Meiling..." Syaoran didn't know what to say. He never wanted to
   1.945 +break her heart. The only girl who had always cared for him. Even
   1.946 +moreso than disappointing his mother, he hated hurting Meiling. But
   1.947 +what could he say to that? It wasn't like he could just take it back.
   1.948 +His mind raced in frustrating circles, mocking him. 
   1.949 +
   1.950 +Cupping Meiling's chin, his heart pounding, he pulled her lips
   1.951 +against his own. Meiling's lips felt altogether different from
   1.952 +Sakura's, but no less as wonderful. They were frozen against his own
   1.953 +for a moment before they seemed to melt, springing to life against
   1.954 +his own. His heart beat faster as Meiling's fingers dug into him, his
   1.955 +cousin slowly kissing back.  Her lips felt so wonderful against his
   1.956 +own. They were so soft and warm and full of like. Meiling shifted,
   1.957 +her lips pushing further against his own. If he could just hold her
   1.958 +like this... Maybe he could make things better. He could finally heal
   1.959 +Meiling's broken heart. It took all of Meiling's strength to finally
   1.960 +pull away from the kiss. It was a kiss she had waited over a decade
   1.961 +for and part at her screamed that she must be mad to give up on it.
   1.962 +But she clamped down on the feelings, balling her fists and pulling
   1.963 +away from Syaoran. Her eyes narrowed to keep from betraying the
   1.964 +cacophony of the emotions inside of her. "I have to go." Her voice
   1.965 +was weaker than she would have liked, but she didn't have time to be
   1.966 +picky. As she turned to leave, his hand reached out for her. Her hand
   1.967 +launched out and caught his wrist. Her eyes shot him a glance. "You
   1.968 +have a girlfriend and I'm getting married. Great time to decide to
   1.969 +seduce me. You finally take a shot when I'm unavailable. Not very
   1.970 +sporting. I love you, Syaoran. But I will never be second best to
   1.971 +you. I'd be yours if I were your first choice. I'm not going to play
   1.972 +for you because Sakura's too far away at the moment." Turning on her
   1.973 +heal, the raven haired girl hurried out into the gathering storm, her
   1.974 +emotions mirrored in the heavens. She was disappointed and hurt and
   1.975 +apologetic all at the same time. She was angry with him and angry at
   1.976 +herself. Syaoran could only watch for a long moment, seeing Meiling
   1.977 +run out the door, tears glistening in her eyes. "Meiling!!" But it
   1.978 +was too late. She was already gone. He had thought it was what she
   1.979 +wanted. It felt so nice to finally be able to kiss her. What had gone
   1.980 +wrong? Had he been wrong? Did her heart really belong to another now?
   1.981 +"Good job, Syaoran," a voice said behind him. Fanren held her arms
   1.982 +behind her back, a bemused look on her face. "Leave me the hell
   1.983 +alone," Syaoran growled quietly, his eyes shooting daggers. "She left
   1.984 +herself open for you all these years. She kept pining after you even
   1.985 +after you started dating Sakura. But Meiling is a very proud girl.
   1.986 +She wants to be the one you love the most. She can't stand to be
   1.987 +second best. And now you're picking her because you're lonely and
   1.988 +she's getting married. You insulted her. Now she feels like she isn't
   1.989 +good enough," Fanren explained."I didn't... I never meant..." Syaoran
   1.990 +trailed off. What had he meant by it? He still loved Sakura, didn't
   1.991 +he? But what about Meiling? He hadn't meant that she was second best,
   1.992 +only that... His emotions felt so indecipherable sometimes. He closed
   1.993 +his eyes, clenching his jaw. Damn it.... He wanted to go after
   1.994 +Meiling, but he didn't know what to say. This was another time that
   1.995 +he couldn't save her.
   1.996 +
   1.997 +