1.1 --- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
     1.2 +++ b/old/stories/CCScharity_5.txt	Fri Feb 19 20:53:12 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,876 @@
     1.4 +Learning to Fly Chapter Five
     1.5 +by 
     1.6 +The Amazoness Duo 
     1.7 +and
     1.8 +G.P. 
     1.9 +amazonessduo@hotmail.com
    1.10 +pearsong1954@yahoo.com
    1.11 +
    1.12 +
    1.13 +"Just go with him, Meiling. He's the heir. We need someone to keep
    1.14 +an eye on him so he doesn't do something completely stupid while he's
    1.15 +in Japan. You're the only one he trusts."Walking down the crowded
    1.16 +street, gazing at the merchandise for sale on all sides, Meiling's
    1.17 +amber eyes narrowed. "Why the hell should I? If he wants to go across
    1.18 +the sea to screw his girlfriend, that's his business. I don't see how
    1.19 +that has anything to do with me." 
    1.20 +
    1.21 +A moment of silence came from Fanren. Syaoran's older sister was
    1.22 +trying to approach the subject as diplomatically as possible.
    1.23 +Unfortunately, Meiling was not always a logical being. It didn't help
    1.24 +that the subject of Syaoran was rapidly becoming a minefield for her.
    1.25 +Fanren couldn't remember the last time she'd pissed someone off
    1.26 +simply by kissing them. In fact, her results were generally quite the
    1.27 +opposite. She would have to give Syaoran some pointers. Her little
    1.28 +brother must be doing something wrong. "Because he's about to become
    1.29 +the head of the Li Clan and he's not always... as tactful as he could
    1.30 +be."Meiling snorted. "That's for sure.""Anyway," Fanren continued,
    1.31 +"Syaoran is a stubborn young man and if he's off in Japan visiting
    1.32 +his girlfriend, he might do something stupid. Like if Sakura
    1.33 +convinces him to stay in Japan so they can live together there.
    1.34 +Mother doesn't mind if he marries the Cardmistress, but Syaoran is
    1.35 +the next heir and we need him back home in Hong Kong to lead the
    1.36 +family."Shrugging, Meiling feigned interest in some caged birds in
    1.37 +the marketplace, brushing a pigtail over her shoulder. "Then send
    1.38 +someone else to play your watchdog. I've spent enough time keeping an
    1.39 +eye on him."An exasperated sigh escaped Fanren. "But you're the only
    1.40 +one he'll listen to. If Sakura manages to convince him to stay, do
    1.41 +you really think he'd listen to me? Or Shiefa? Maybe mother, but
    1.42 +she's far too busy to go with him to Japan. But he listens to you,
    1.43 +Meiling. He trusts you. You're the only one outside of mother who can
    1.44 +actually make him do anything. You can make sure he comes back home
    1.45 +when his little trip is over."
    1.46 +
    1.47 +Fists clenched as Meiling stood up, her back to Fanren. "We all make
    1.48 +our choices. And we all have to live with him. I can't make up
    1.49 +Syaoran's mind for him. He'll make his choices whether or not I'm
    1.50 +there."Fanren was quiet for a long moment as she watched her younger
    1.51 +cousin. Was Meiling crying? She couldn't quite tell. "Meiling..." Her
    1.52 +hand rested lightly on Meiling's shoulder, but the raven haired girl
    1.53 +quickly pulled away."Syaoran's already made his choices. You give me
    1.54 +way too much credit. In the end, he's already made his choices. We
    1.55 +just need to wait and see what they are. I can't change them. I spent
    1.56 +way too much of my life hoping I could." Syaoran's one time fiancee
    1.57 +straighted as she began to walk again. "I'll go with him if it will
    1.58 +make your mother feel better. But Syaoran's not as weak as you think
    1.59 +he is. In the end, he'll decide his own destiny." "Thanks, Meiling.
    1.60 +I'm sorry that..."Meiling cut her off, shaking her head. "Don't be.
    1.61 +We all make choices. Maybe I made the wrong ones. But we all have to
    1.62 +live with them." A few steps pulled her away from Fanren. "I'm going
    1.63 +to pack for the trip. Tell Syaoran I'll see him then." And with that,
    1.64 +the raven haired girl left.
    1.65 +
    1.66 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    1.67 +
    1.68 +	Naked and confused, Sakura decided to fix the only one of her two
    1.69 +problems she currently had any control over. Slipping out of bed, the
    1.70 +brunette padded over to her closet and hurriedly got dressed. Her
    1.71 +head still ached, but the tea Tomoyo had sent with Kero had helped.
    1.72 +The earthquake between her ears had settled into a dull throb.
    1.73 +Finding this an acceptable if annoying state to start the day in,
    1.74 +Sakura exited her room. After all, there were potentially much more
    1.75 +important afteraffects of the last night than a hangover. 
    1.76 +	Dressed in yet another beautiful dress, hair in pigtails, and in
    1.77 +the middle of constructing a delicious smelling breakfast, Tomoyo
    1.78 +seemed like the perfect wife. Is that what Sakura's father had woken
    1.79 +up to for so many years? Was this what it felt like for him every
    1.80 +morning, breath catching at the gorgeous sight before him? Mind
    1.81 +rolling through those questions, Sakura stood in the doorway to the
    1.82 +kitchen, her own breath catching as she watched her fair skinned
    1.83 +roommate move gracefully about the kitchen. If she'd been a boy,
    1.84 +would she have had any reservations at all of being with Tomoyo?
    1.85 +Would there be anything stopping her from sweeping Tomoyo up in her
    1.86 +strong, boyish arms and holding her forever?
    1.87 +	"Good morning, Sakura," Tomoyo greeted brightly without looking up
    1.88 +from her current task of pouring batter onto a pan. "How did you
    1.89 +sleep?" 
    1.90 +	As usual, being able to tell what had happened the night before
    1.91 +from Tomoyo's behavior was impossibe. The dark haired girl betrayed
    1.92 +no clue of exactly what may have happened between them the night
    1.93 +before. Puzzling this over, the Cardmistress dropped into a chair and
    1.94 +watched her friend putting the finishing touches on breakfast. Had
    1.95 +they slept together? The feeling of Tomoyo's lips pressing against
    1.96 +her own brought a dark blush to her cheeks. Whatever had happened,
    1.97 +that memory was still vividly clear. Brief images and feelings of
    1.98 +hands sliding underneath clothing flittered through Sakura's mind,
    1.99 +but they fled when she tried to grasp at them. 
   1.100 +	It seemed like the only thing Sakura really knew at this point was
   1.101 +that Tomoyo was a very different kisser than Syaoran. Much softer,
   1.102 +much more receptive. Fists balled up and pressed against her thighs
   1.103 +through her shorts in frustration and emarrassment. Why was the last
   1.104 +night such a blur? Why wasn't Tomoyo saying anything? If Tomoyo had
   1.105 +been naked in the kitchen, then that would've been a big enough clue
   1.106 +that Sakura could appreciate. Sakura sat in silence for a long
   1.107 +moment, listening to her friend sing softly as she prodded herself to
   1.108 +ask Tomoyo what had happened. What if they had? What would happen
   1.109 +after that? Infinity seemed to stretch out in front of the
   1.110 +Cardmistress, boggling her mind. 	Pressing her knuckles into her
   1.111 +thighs painfully, Sakura forced herself to speak. Unfortunately, her
   1.112 +mind still wasn't responding entirely. She was still hesitant to ask.
   1.113 +"Tomoyo, did... Umm... Last night, after.... Well, did you... I mean,
   1.114 +we... Tomoyo, if I were a boy, I'd marry you," Sakura finished
   1.115 +dumbly, her cheeks reddened. It wasn't exactly what she'd meant to
   1.116 +say, but she'd wanted to say it anyway.	"Would you?" Tomoyo countered
   1.117 +softly, travelling to the table with their plates. "If you were a
   1.118 +boy, lets say that Syaoran was a girl. Or he could still be a boy.
   1.119 +Touya doesn't seem to mind that about Yukito. Then you two would
   1.120 +still have ended up together because I would have noticed how much he
   1.121 +or she liked you and helped you two end up together."	"But you'd make
   1.122 +a perfect girlfriend. If I were a boy, I'd notice that and we'd..."
   1.123 +Sakura put her hands together, motioning, "be a couple. Or something
   1.124 +like that." She looked down embarrassedly at the smile that brought
   1.125 +to Tomoyo's lips. Those soft lips... Sakura tried to force the
   1.126 +thought out of her head. 	"You're so sweet, Sakura. But I don't think
   1.127 +you didn't notice me because you're a girl. When I was younger, I
   1.128 +thought that was it, but I think it's more than that now. I've been
   1.129 +your best friend since we were ten years old. I've been in love with
   1.130 +you from the moment I saw you, and it's gotten stronger for me ever
   1.131 +since. But to you, I've always been your best friend. That's how you
   1.132 +see me. It's hard for you to see me as anything else. If you were a
   1.133 +boy, we still would have been best friends. And you'd still think of
   1.134 +me as that while other girls got your attention. Even if you think I
   1.135 +would make a perfect girlfriend and even if you were a boy, I think
   1.136 +you wouldn't see me as a possible lover because you'd still see me as
   1.137 +your best friend. I love filling that role for you, but it would make
   1.138 +it hard for you to see me as anything more than that."	"But... But
   1.139 +what if I could see through that? What if I could push past that and
   1.140 +see that you could be more than my best friend?" Sakura argued.
   1.141 +Tomoyo made sense, but Sakura didn't want to give up yet. It didn't
   1.142 +seem fair that she could totally miss Tomoyo even if she were a boy.
   1.143 +	A smile spread over Tomoyo's pink lips. "Then it wouldn't matter if
   1.144 +you were a boy or a girl."	Blushing, Sakura's chestnut hair hid her
   1.145 +face as she looked down, studying her hands intently. Were her
   1.146 +feelings for Tomoyo really so unaffected by what body she had? If
   1.147 +that was the case, what did she feel? Because she thought she'd want
   1.148 +to be with Tomoyo if she were a boy. Did that mean she'd want to be
   1.149 +with her now, as a girl?
   1.150 +	Looking up suddenly, an intense fire lit Sakura's eyes.
   1.151 +Determination had finally overtaken her. She didn't want to squirm
   1.152 +away from this again. Tomoyo was too important to her to just leave
   1.153 +everything to the winds. "Did we sleep together?" Though the thought
   1.154 +thoroughly embarrassed her, she wasn't afraid of it. The thought of
   1.155 +sleeping with Tomoyo wasn't at all disturbing, which Sakura found a
   1.156 +bit odd. It had been embarrassing the first time she'd slept with
   1.157 +Syaoran as well. Despite the fact that she had previously slept with
   1.158 +a boy, the thought of sleeping with a girl really didn't bother
   1.159 +Sakura. She was much more concerned with what exactly it meant if she
   1.160 +had. 	"Do you want us to have slept together?" Tomoyo asked, tilting
   1.161 +her head to the side. One pigtail slid past her shoulder as her
   1.162 +lavender eyes held onto Sakura's emerald gaze. She'd been curious
   1.163 +about whether or not Sakura would ask about the night before. Sakura
   1.164 +was curious, but she didn't always push things to their conclusion
   1.165 +when she was embarrassed about them. She was surprised to see Sakura
   1.166 +trying so hard to rationalize the events of the night before. If she
   1.167 +weren't so intimately involved, it would be easier for her to help
   1.168 +Sakura get things into perpective. But maybe Sakura wouldn't need her
   1.169 +for this after all. It thrilled Tomoyo to see Sakura so determined
   1.170 +about figuring things out. When Sakura was determined, nothing could
   1.171 +stop her. Though she understood Sakura's feelings better than anyone,
   1.172 +she couldn't untangle the web in Sakura's heart. Only Sakura could do
   1.173 +that. 	Tomoyo's question hung in the air, stopping Sakura cold. Her
   1.174 +own question had been about fishing for facts. It was a simple yes or
   1.175 +no. But Tomoyo's question complicated things exponentially. The
   1.176 +brunette's feelings didn't factor into whether or not they had slept
   1.177 +together so she hadn't really thought about it. That seemed like a
   1.178 +minor problem anyway. But the way Tomoyo spoke made her feelings
   1.179 +sound like the single most important aspect of if they did or not.
   1.180 +"I..." Sakura began. 
   1.181 +	'Rrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiinnnnnnngggg....' the phone trilled. 	Watching
   1.182 +Sakura for a long second, the dark haired girl slipped gently from
   1.183 +the table to answer the phone. Sakura sat in confused silence until
   1.184 +Tomoyo returned.	"It's Syaoran. He said he'll be arriving in Tomoeda
   1.185 +late tonight," Tomoyo explained, holding the phone out to
   1.186 +Sakura.	"Hoe..." Sakura's head fell to the table with a thump loud
   1.187 +enough to make Tomoyo wonder if she should get the first aid kit.
   1.188 +Sakura sighed despite the pain. Great. As if things weren't
   1.189 +complicated enough. Now she'd have her boyfriend and her best friend
   1.190 +that she may or may not have slept with all in the same place.
   1.191 +Sometimes she wasn't so sure that Clow was done testing
   1.192 +her.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.193 +
   1.194 +	Bags passed round and round, a carousel of black, of handles and
   1.195 +wheels, of bags backed to the brim with necessary and worthless
   1.196 +supplies for countless trips. Lifeless ponies, endlessly cirlcling in
   1.197 +the hopes that someone would eventually take an interest and bring
   1.198 +them home. Tired eyes from wary travellers dully watched the cycle as
   1.199 +if in a trance. Now and then someone would yank one of the bags away
   1.200 +and a new one would slide down the chute to replace it. People's eyes
   1.201 +would briefly light up in hope that their bag had arrived, but they
   1.202 +quickly became disenchanted.	Hefting her bags up, Meiling pulled
   1.203 +ahead of her cousin and one-time fiancee as he struggled to find a
   1.204 +proper way to balance the weight of his own supplies. Ignoring his
   1.205 +efforts to carry something for her, Meiling impatiently began making
   1.206 +her way through the airport, Syaoran hurrying to keep up with her. "I
   1.207 +don't know why you brought so much stuff. Sakura will probably have
   1.208 +everything you need at her place."	A moment of silence followed
   1.209 +Meiling as Syaoran took a moment to interpret this. Feelings were not
   1.210 +his strong point. And the feelings of overemotional girls had the
   1.211 +same affect on him as a complex mathematical formula he couldn't hope
   1.212 +to follow. On the one hand, at least Meiling was talking to him
   1.213 +again. This was a relief in and of itself because she had been
   1.214 +avoiding him since he had kissed her at the party some time before.
   1.215 +But he still wasn't entirely sure how she felt about things. And this
   1.216 +concerned him. Because if he had learned anything over the years, it
   1.217 +was that Meiling could be frightfully scary when she was angry. His
   1.218 +cousin must have gotten that from his mother's side of the family.
   1.219 +How Meiling felt about being back in Japan with him, about to meet
   1.220 +Sakura again, was a mystery to him. For the most part, Meiling seemed
   1.221 +to be her normal self. Stubborn, irrational, and incredibly vocal
   1.222 +about things. He decided that she must be fine and that he'd leave it
   1.223 +at that. Trying to delve into Meiling's emotional state otherwise
   1.224 +would be about as frustrating and problematic as figuring out
   1.225 +Sakura's. He had enough of a headache from the plane ride that he
   1.226 +figured it would be best to avoid aggravating it if at all possible.
   1.227 +If Meiling's sudden mood swings had any predictible pattern, it was
   1.228 +so complex that Syaoran was certain only mathematical theoreticians
   1.229 +could understand it.
   1.230 +	"Sakura doesn't have everything I need. If I'm staying a while, I
   1.231 +need to make sure I have everything with me," Syaoran replied matter-
   1.232 +of-factly. 
   1.233 +	"Like what? You want a manlier shampoo than whatever she uses?
   1.234 +You'd be fine just borrowing her stuff." Arching an eyebrow, Meiling
   1.235 +glanced over at her stoic cousin. "You probably didn't even need to
   1.236 +bring clothes. She wears boyish enough outfits half the time that you
   1.237 +could just borrow some of those." Smiling inwardly, she added, "You'd
   1.238 +get used to the panties before too long." The flustered look that
   1.239 +crossed Syaoran's face was worth it. He failed to respond and she
   1.240 +continued forward. 
   1.241 +	"Syaoran! Meiling-chan!" a familiar voice called out. 
   1.242 +	Pulling to a halt, Syaoran began to scan the crowd for the voice's
   1.243 +source. His amber eyes finally settled on his brightly smiling
   1.244 +girlfriend and her seemingly everpresent friend. For a moment, the
   1.245 +concern drained from Syaoran. Everything was fine now that he was
   1.246 +with Sakura again. He was far away from family politics and back with
   1.247 +the girl he loved.  
   1.248 +	Sighing inwardly, Meiling readjusted her bags and continued in step
   1.249 +with Syaoran to their welcoming party. It wasn't that she didn't like
   1.250 +Sakura as a person. Someone as compassionate and goofy as Sakura was
   1.251 +hard to hate. But Sakura as Syaoran's girlfriend was a different
   1.252 +story. Meiling tried to adopt a resigned disposition to the whole
   1.253 +thing. After all, she'd lost Syaoran to Sakura when they were only
   1.254 +eleven. Logically, it made sense to just drop it. Unfortunately,
   1.255 +Meiling was not a logical person. She hated knowing that Sakura was
   1.256 +with Syaoran in the way she had wanted to be ever since she was a
   1.257 +child. Since she wasn't the type to spend a lot of time lying about
   1.258 +polite niceities, she simply waited alongside Syaoran rather than say
   1.259 +something she might regret if she were going to be staying with
   1.260 +Sakura for their stay in Japan.
   1.261 +	Before Syaoran could think of what to say to his girlfriend now
   1.262 +that he was finally face to face with her once again, the brunette
   1.263 +practically pounced on him. Her arms wrapped tightly around him,
   1.264 +pulling him close. Holding onto her boyfriend warmly, Syaoran was
   1.265 +surprised at how strong Sakura had become over the years. She had
   1.266 +always been athletic, but it showed even more now. It took him a
   1.267 +moment to disengage himself enough to return the hug. Holding Sakura
   1.268 +felt nice. She was like an anchor to the way things were supposed to
   1.269 +be. Safe and warm. "It's good to see you again, Sakura," he said at
   1.270 +last. He felt like he should say more, but he was too stunned to be
   1.271 +with the Cardmistress once more to think clearly. Memories from a
   1.272 +lifetime ago exploded through his mind, of magic and school and
   1.273 +romance. 
   1.274 +	Moving to pick up one of the bags Syaoran had set down, Tomoyo
   1.275 +smiled and motioned for them to follow. "My mother let me take the
   1.276 +limo to pick you up. It'll be much easier to get you home that way." 
   1.277 +	The pale girl looked small and fragile holding the bag in front of
   1.278 +her, prompting Sakura to quickly take it from her, falling in step
   1.279 +alongside the heiress. Turning to face Syaoran, Sakura smiled
   1.280 +sheepishly. "I would have picked you up myself, but I don't think
   1.281 +we'd all fit on my bicycle."
   1.282 +	For a moment, Sakura almost came out of focus in Syaoran's mind.
   1.283 +This goofy, energetic Japanese girl seemed so normal at first glance.
   1.284 +And yet she was the most powerful magic user on the planet. The
   1.285 +dissonance was astounding. Sakura had the power to rebuild the world
   1.286 +in her image, and yet she got from place to place on a plain bicycle.
   1.287 +It was hard to imagine that she was the correct successor to the
   1.288 +great Clow Reed. Syaoran was head of the powerful Li Clan and yet he
   1.289 +had been passed up for such a simple girl. He slowly managed to place
   1.290 +Sakura's twin identities of ordinary girl and extraordinary magician
   1.291 +back together. It could be a bit jarring at times. He hoped Clow
   1.292 +found the irony amusing. His eyes narrowed as he changed his mind.
   1.293 +Clow seemed to find everything immensely amusing. 
   1.294 +	Women dressed smartly in black opened the doors to the limo as the
   1.295 +group approached. One took the bags and began to place them in back.
   1.296 +Climbing into the vehicle, Tomoyo moved to one side to give Sakura
   1.297 +and Syaoran room together in the middle. Sitting quietly for a long
   1.298 +moment, Syaoran stared straight ahead. He wasn't a little boy
   1.299 +anymore, so why was he feeling so nervous? He hated feeling shy and
   1.300 +nervous about things. Hadn't he gotten over that by now? Wrestling
   1.301 +his nervous mind back under control, he reached out and took Sakura's
   1.302 +hand. A small gesture, but he was happy for the victory. He didn't
   1.303 +want to let his nervousness control him. Sakura squeezed his hand and
   1.304 +smiled at him. Her offered a small, shy smile in return. It
   1.305 +disappeared as she rested her head on his shoulder for the car ride.
   1.306 +Good. Things hadn't changed after all. Everything was just fine. He
   1.307 +wrapped an arm around the athletic girl and let his chaotic mind come
   1.308 +to a rest. 	Gazing out the window, Meiling wished she had fought with
   1.309 +Fanren more strenuously about coming to Japan. Who was she kidding?
   1.310 +She wasn't strong enough to handle this. She still loved Syaoran. How
   1.311 +was she supposed to sit and watch him love someone else? She should
   1.312 +have stayed home, far away from this pain. Closing her amber eyes,
   1.313 +she tried to pretend that the warm, wet drops sliding down her cheeks
   1.314 +were the cleansing rain. 
   1.315 +
   1.316 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   1.317 +
   1.318 +	As Tomoyo led the way up to the appartment they shared, Sakura
   1.319 +helped Syaoran carry the bags. Meiling refused to let anyone help her
   1.320 +with her own, instead following closely behind the heiress. In many
   1.321 +ways, it was worse when Sakura was so kind and helpful to her. That
   1.322 +always robbed Meiling of a target for her anger, leaving all those
   1.323 +terrible feelings with nowhere to escape. They boiled away inside,
   1.324 +eating her alive. She felt sick to her stomach as Sakura's bubbly
   1.325 +voice mingled with Syaoran's behind her about all the things they
   1.326 +could do. God, did they really have to spend so long in Tomoeda? Her
   1.327 +mind idly wondered if she could get on a plane back to Hong Kong
   1.328 +first thing in the morning. It might even be worth looking weak and
   1.329 +shameful in front of Fanren just to get away from the pain that
   1.330 +surrounded her in Japan.
   1.331 +	Entering the cutely decorated appartment, the Chinese cousins were
   1.332 +suitably impressed. Sonomi had made sure that the two girls were well
   1.333 +taken care of. Their eyes wandered over the appartment as they
   1.334 +entered, exhanging their shoes with the assortment of slippers by the
   1.335 +door. The surroundings were an interesting mix of Sakura's taste in
   1.336 +cute stuffed animals and decorations along with Tomoyo's more
   1.337 +eccentric tastes in clothing and design and electronics. Suffice it
   1.338 +to say, milky pink seemed the predominant color in the appartment.
   1.339 +	"Hey, it's the brat! How ya doin'?" 
   1.340 +	Wincing at the thickly accented voice, Syaoran was unsurprised to
   1.341 +find that he hadn't missed the Seal Beast in the slightest.	"Better
   1.342 +than you, I'd suppose. Syaoran's been growing over the past few
   1.343 +years. You're still bite sized, as always," Meiling remarked. Old
   1.344 +habits died hard. Kero had always supported Sakura and she had always
   1.345 +supported Syaoran, quite exuberantly so. The Chinese girl and the
   1.346 +Guardian of the Cards bickered like children over their chosen
   1.347 +champions. The fact that Kero had never liked Syaoran didn't really
   1.348 +help, either. 
   1.349 +	Kero's mind went abuzz with Meiling's coment. They certainly
   1.350 +sounded like fighting words and he was more than up for the
   1.351 +challenge. Lifting up into the air, he smirked as a slurry of
   1.352 +remarks, each more stinging than the last, began to take shape.
   1.353 +Meiling shouldn't have opened the floodgate. She would regret
   1.354 +challanging him, the great and all powerful Seal Beast. He would
   1.355 +destroy her in this exchange. His mouth moved to launch his opening
   1.356 +salvo. "MMmmmhmmhhmmghhhh..." he mumbled around Sakura's
   1.357 +hand.	Laughing nervously, Sakura dragged Kero back towards her room.
   1.358 +"Go ahead and have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable," she offered.
   1.359 +Pushing her door open, she tossed Syaoran's bags on her bed and
   1.360 +pushed Kero in. "Not tonight, Kero-chan," Sakura pleaded. Before Kero
   1.361 +could answer, the door shut quickly behind him. The Seal Beast
   1.362 +harumphed indignantly.
   1.363 +	Clapping her hands together in completion, Sakura smiled at the
   1.364 +small group already sitting on her couch. At least that was out of
   1.365 +the way. If Syaoran and Meiling were staying with them, the last
   1.366 +thing she needed was Kero and Meiling arguing the whole time. At
   1.367 +least Tomoyo had handled things swiftly. The dark haired girl always
   1.368 +made a great hostess. Tomoyo already had Meiling and Syaoran well
   1.369 +taken care of and entertained. Syaoran's eyes were glued to the
   1.370 +screen. Curiosity nagged at Sakura as she approached the couch. What
   1.371 +were they watching? The sound hit her before she could see the
   1.372 +screen. That sounded suspiciously like her own voice. Plopping down
   1.373 +on the couch next to Syaoran, she was rewarded with images of herself
   1.374 +streaming on the television. "Tomoyo-chan..." she whimpered
   1.375 +embarrassedly. 
   1.376 +	Tomoyo merely smiled sweetly at her and went back to watching the
   1.377 +video she'd made of Sakura. "I compiled this earlier today. Since you
   1.378 +haven't seen Sakura in so long, I thought you'd want to see what
   1.379 +types of things she's been up to," Tomoyo explained. A nod came as
   1.380 +the only reply from Syaoran as images of Sakura riding her bike and
   1.381 +wearing costumes and running track all played for them. The brunette
   1.382 +had gotten exceptionally fast since Syaoran had last seen her. She
   1.383 +moved like a blur across the screen. For all the magic she had, her
   1.384 +running was purely Sakura, her determination burning within her as
   1.385 +she threw herself forward like a shot.
   1.386 +	Sighing to herself, Meiling busied herself with being bored. Bored
   1.387 +was better than lonely and bitter and hateful. Resting her chin in
   1.388 +her hands, she wondered what the big deal was with watching Sakura do
   1.389 +anything.
   1.390 +	The screen switched to Sakura wearing a fairy costume in an
   1.391 +elevator. She shifted back and forth on her feet as she waited for
   1.392 +her stop. The camera swept over Sakura's body, highlighting all the
   1.393 +beautiful curves and lines that composed the Cardmistress. "Sakura-
   1.394 +chan has a great figure doesn't she, Li-kun?" Tomoyo asked playfully.
   1.395 +Sakura blushed hotly, followed shortly thereafter by Syaoran as he
   1.396 +mumbled an affirmative. Sakura was gorgeous. Her body had developed
   1.397 +nicely over the years. Her athletic frame was sleek and strong. Her
   1.398 +small breasts curved gently under her dress. Her hair was somewhat
   1.399 +longer than it had been as a child, hanging lower and framing her
   1.400 +beautiful face with it's shining emerald eyes. 
   1.401 +	Tomoyo sighed dreamily as she watched the part of Sakura she would
   1.402 +always have. Her images would always be hers, even if Sakura couldn't
   1.403 +be. They were only a small fraction of Sakura, but they were pieces
   1.404 +that were hers and hers alone. It was okay if Syaoran had the real
   1.405 +Sakura. She would always have those glittering shards of her one and
   1.406 +only. So she collected as many as she could. Disc after disc of
   1.407 +Sakura. Every single moment she could capture went on those discs. So
   1.408 +even after Sakura was gone and married, even when everything had
   1.409 +changed, she would still have those moments forever cast in video. 
   1.410 +	"Tomoyo-chan... Do you really need to show all this?" Sakura asked
   1.411 +hesitantly. She was still blushing in embarrassment. Her blush grew
   1.412 +deeper when she saw how intently Syaoran was watching the screen.
   1.413 +"Hoe..."	"Of course! You're the prettiest thing we could be watching.
   1.414 +And there's so much to see. It's been a busy year. I need to make
   1.415 +sure I catalogue all the important things in your life. Speaking of
   1.416 +which..." The darked haired girl fished around in her bag, pulling
   1.417 +out her camcorder. "Now that Li-kun is here, I should be catching all
   1.418 +of the exciting moments the two of you have. Just pretend I'm not
   1.419 +even here." The pale girl grinned as she got the two of them in the
   1.420 +picture. "I don't have many images of Sakura-chan's passionate
   1.421 +romance. I don't think I even have any good scenes of you two
   1.422 +kissing." 
   1.423 +	The couple lit up red as the heiress filmed them. Tomoyo always had
   1.424 +been quirky, but she seemed even more so than she had been as a
   1.425 +child. Syaoran had once told Sakura that Tomoyo would videotape them
   1.426 +sleeping together if she had the chance. Sakura had been unable to
   1.427 +argue against that. It wouldn't surprise her at all. There didn't
   1.428 +seem to be anything that the dark haired girl didn't like recording
   1.429 +about her. And sometimes Tomoyo seemed more excited about Sakura's
   1.430 +relationship than Sakura was. 	"We were... umm... gonna talk. So...
   1.431 +We'll see you later." Syaoran knew his excuse was lame, but it was
   1.432 +the best he could do. Despite the fact that Sakura was obviously
   1.433 +embarrassed, he knew from experience that Sakura would never send
   1.434 +Tomoyo away from videotaping them. The heiress had videotaped most of
   1.435 +their date the last time he was in Japan. He had been halfway through
   1.436 +unbuttoning Sakura's shirt when he realized Tomoyo was still there
   1.437 +videotaping them. He had been shocked that Sakura hadn't sent Tomoyo
   1.438 +away after that, merely blushing and waiting. Sakura might not mind
   1.439 +for whatever reason, but Syaoran wasn't about to make out with Sakura
   1.440 +on videotape. So it looked like it was up to him to get Sakura and
   1.441 +leave so they could get some time to themselves. He wished Sakura
   1.442 +would want more privacy for the two of them, but she never seemed to
   1.443 +mind the Daidouji girl's presence.
   1.444 +	"We were?" Sakura asked, blinking, turning to Syaoran. A
   1.445 +disappointed look crossed her face. She was glad Syaoran was here,
   1.446 +but she didn't want to leave yet. Tomoyo could be a bit embarrassing,
   1.447 +but in a sweet way. It made her feel more important. She was happy to
   1.448 +have Tomoyo there, even when she was with Syaoran. It made her feel
   1.449 +stronger and more confident, like she could handle anything. She was
   1.450 +shy about everything going on video, but if Tomoyo really wanted to
   1.451 +catch it all, she didn't mind. In a way, it made it something she and
   1.452 +Tomoyo could share. She couldn't really talk to Syaoran about
   1.453 +everything, but she could with Tomoyo. And when Tomoyo was an eye in
   1.454 +Sakura's life, videotaping it, it was like they shared the
   1.455 +experience. She could talk to Tomoyo about any of it and Tomoyo would
   1.456 +understand it all. 
   1.457 +	"Yes," Syaoran nodded, leading Sakura to the door. "Have a nice
   1.458 +night." He bowed quickly. "Don't wait up for us." He hoped they'd
   1.459 +listen and he could come home with Sakura to a quiet appartment that
   1.460 +they could be semi-alone in. But he knew Tomoyo would be there,
   1.461 +waiting for them as always. Sighing, he slid his slippers off. His
   1.462 +eyes caught on Meiling, who was making a concentrated effort not to
   1.463 +look his way. For a moment, he balked about leaving the house and
   1.464 +leaving her alone. Guilt crept up from the pit of his stomach. Gazing
   1.465 +over, he wished she would look up so he could meet her eyes, to show
   1.466 +her he was sorry about this, but she refused to look in his
   1.467 +direction. It was too late now. Sakura already had her shoes and was
   1.468 +unlocking the door. Syaoran looked apologetically at Meiling, but she
   1.469 +never saw it. 	The door closed behind them, leaving the room in
   1.470 +silence. The television turned off a moment later. 	"You knew they'd
   1.471 +leave if you started videotaping them getting frisky," Meiling
   1.472 +stated, finally turning to look at the heiress who was heading to the
   1.473 +small kitchen seperated from the living room by a half-wall. 
   1.474 +	Nodding thoughtfully, Tomoyo stood on her tiptoes, pulling down
   1.475 +some wine glasses. "I knew it was a distinct possibility." Turning in
   1.476 +place, she wandered to the back of the kitchen.	Resting her arms on
   1.477 +the back of the couch, Meiling watched the heiress hurrying about the
   1.478 +kitchen. "Thanks," she said simply. Life was miserable enough without
   1.479 +having to sit next to the lovestruck couple. Being close enough to
   1.480 +get elbowed by the one you love while he makes out with another
   1.481 +wouldn't have done any favors for her state of mind. 
   1.482 +	Reentering the room, Tomoyo offered her a soft smile. Her graceful
   1.483 +form moved swiftly to the table, setting down the two wine glasses
   1.484 +and the bottle of wine she had retrieved from the kitchen. "My mother
   1.485 +left this for me. I think she was hoping it would help facilitate
   1.486 +some romantic moments with Sakura," she explained, filling up the two
   1.487 +glasses.
   1.488 +	A bitter smile crossed Meiling's face. "Instead it gets to wash
   1.489 +away the lonely night while she's galavanting around with her
   1.490 +boyfriend. Not exactly the same thing." Reaching out, she took a long
   1.491 +gulp of the wine. It burned as it went down, but she didn't care. Her
   1.492 +eyes watered, but she blinked away the tears quickly. "How do you
   1.493 +deal with it? You love her, don't you? So how can you just sit there
   1.494 +and smile while she loves someone else?"	"Of course I love her."
   1.495 +Tomoyo sat next to Meiling, sipping at her wine. "But if she loves
   1.496 +someone else, then what else can I do? I want her to be happy. If
   1.497 +Sakura would be happier with someone else, then that's what I want
   1.498 +for her. I want to see her happy and loved and cared for. I want to
   1.499 +be able to watch Sakura's wonderful life as it unfolds her
   1.500 +her."	Meiling shook her head. "You hide behind that damn camcorder
   1.501 +too much. You figure as long as you're behind the camera, you're not
   1.502 +here. You're not a part of Sakura's life, so you can try to
   1.503 +orchestrate it so the girl you love will have a happy ending. Then
   1.504 +your movie will be perfect. You can just watch it all end happily and
   1.505 +not actually have to be part of it. But you aren't the director. This
   1.506 +isn't a movie. You -are- here. You are part of her life. You do love
   1.507 +her. And she's running off playing grab ass with my goddamn fiancee."
   1.508 +Slumping back against the couch, the raven haired woman pulled her
   1.509 +legs up like a sullen child. 
   1.510 +	Gazing at the large television that filled the front of the room,
   1.511 +Tomoyo sat in silence for a moment. "It's simpler that way, isn't it?
   1.512 +Sakura is my best friend. I love her. I want things to work out for
   1.513 +her. If I can make her life turn out happily, then that makes me
   1.514 +happy. I can watch my videos and I'll see her smile and it lights up
   1.515 +my heart. Because I know she'll be fine. I know her story will have
   1.516 +turned out perfectly. I can be her guardian angel. I can be a helping
   1.517 +hand. I can try to be the director to make sure that her life is
   1.518 +happy. She'll be happy the way my mother never was. Sakura deserves
   1.519 +her own fairytale and I want to watch it happen. I want to make it
   1.520 +happen," Tomoyo answered wistfully. Looking into her drink, she took
   1.521 +another sip. 	"But what's wrong with you being the one to make her
   1.522 +happy? You think Syaoran can make her happier, right? But what's
   1.523 +wrong if you can't make her as happy as he can? You'd try your
   1.524 +hardest to make her happy. And I know you'd do a good job. Then not
   1.525 +only would she be happy, but so would you." Meiling sighed. "Maybe
   1.526 +Sakura can make Syaoran happier than I could. But I love him, damn
   1.527 +it. And I know I'd do everything I could to make him happy. So maybe
   1.528 +I wouldn't be as good. But not as good does not mean not good enough.
   1.529 +I wouldn't just give up because he has a thing for Japanese tomboys."
   1.530 +Amber eyes followed the slender heiress in the dimly lit living room.
   1.531 +She could tell that Tomoyo was hesitant, as if she were unsure of
   1.532 +herself. This was an awkward sight for Meiling. Tomoyo had always
   1.533 +seemed so calm and controlled, no matter what the situation. She only
   1.534 +ever seemed out of sorts if Sakura was in danger.
   1.535 +	Taking a longer drink of her wine, Tomoyo paused before answering.
   1.536 +"I want Sakura to be happy. And I would love to make her happy if I
   1.537 +could. But I've given up my chance with her. I gave it up years ago.
   1.538 +I was the one who tried to get Syaoran to tell her how he felt. I
   1.539 +tried to convince Sakura that she loved him. I was the one who pushed
   1.540 +them together. So I forfeited my chance with her a long time ago. I
   1.541 +can't interfere now. They're happy together. I can't threaten that."
   1.542 +	"You were a little girl when you did that! You can't blame yourself
   1.543 +for something stupid you did years ago. Things have changed. Sakura
   1.544 +knows you love her now. She wouldn't have understood that back then."
   1.545 +Meiling waved her hands emphatically nearly spilling her half empty
   1.546 +drink. "Just because you played a hand in them getting together
   1.547 +doesn't mean you owe it to them to stay out of it. Life is not a
   1.548 +movie. It doesn't work out perfectly. You can't just sit back and
   1.549 +watch things play out for them. You need to live your own life."
   1.550 +	Tomoyo laughed softly. "Sakura's life is much more interesting to
   1.551 +me. I'd rather just watch how it works out. But yes, I do need to
   1.552 +live my own life, too. And I do. My life is just very centered around
   1.553 +Sakura."
   1.554 +	Sighing, Meiling finished off her glass, staring forward and
   1.555 +hugging her legs with one arm. "I never really did get why everyone's
   1.556 +so obsessed with her. I'm just as athletic. I'm outgoing, too. I'm
   1.557 +sure as hell prettier. And I'm a better singer," she finished
   1.558 +counting down. "So why always her? Why does everyone like her instead
   1.559 +of me?"
   1.560 +	"Sometimes we're too close to things to see them clearly. Maybe
   1.561 +Syaoran was always too close to you to tell what he had right in
   1.562 +front of him." Tomoyo said gently, rubbing Meiling's shoulder.
   1.563 +	Amber eyes suddenly looked up, locking Tomoyo's stormy blue orbs in
   1.564 +place. "And what about you?" Her voice had lost it's earlier
   1.565 +conviction. The Chinese martial artist sounded weak and desolate.
   1.566 +	Sipping at her wine, Tomoyo swallowed slowly, tasting the tart
   1.567 +grapes washing over her tastebuds. For a long moment, she was unsure
   1.568 +of how to reply. Meiling's eyes shined wetly at her in the dim room.
   1.569 +"I fell in love with Sakura the first day I met her. And those
   1.570 +feelings have grown everyday since. It's hard for me to see anyone
   1.571 +else like that because my heart has belonged to her for so long,"
   1.572 +Tomoyo explained. 	Meiling nodded weakly, fat, hot tears rolling
   1.573 +slowly down her cheeks. The room disappeared in front of her,
   1.574 +replaced with a wet blur. "Yeah... I've loved Syaoran since I was a
   1.575 +little girl... I always..." She sniffled before continuing.
   1.576 +"...always just wanted to be with him... I just... just wanted to be
   1.577 +good enough...." Her chest heaved as she tried in vain to catch her
   1.578 +breath. She angrily held her legs tighter, angry at herself for being
   1.579 +so weak, for breaking down so completely. She bit the inside of her
   1.580 +cheek to keep her lips from trembling, the blood warm and coppery in
   1.581 +her mouth.
   1.582 +	Tomoyo's soft arms wrapped around the shuddering girl, holding
   1.583 +Meiling close as she began to cry softly. Her nimble hands ran up and
   1.584 +down the raven haired girl's back comfortingly. They were the
   1.585 +casualties of love, those who were left on the wayside in the
   1.586 +process, forgotten and alone. It seemed a terrible price to pay.
   1.587 +Whereas Tomoyo had always been ready to sacrifice herself for
   1.588 +Sakura's happiness and love with another, Meiling had never consented
   1.589 +to that. Life had made that decision for her. Now both of their loves
   1.590 +were in the arms of each other while they sat in a dark appartment
   1.591 +drinking wine and reminiscing about their lost loves.
   1.592 +	Shaking lightly as sobs tried to break free of her chest, Meiling's
   1.593 +chin rested on Tomoyo's shoulder. Her warm, wet tears slid down her
   1.594 +cheeks, soaking through the dress to Tomoyo's pale skin underneath.
   1.595 +"Sakura's an idiot for not being able to see what she could have had
   1.596 +in you," Meiling whispered softly, her voice weighed down by tears.
   1.597 +The arms that encircled Meiling were warm and sympathetic, cradling
   1.598 +her close. They held a pained understanding of the wounds in
   1.599 +Meiling's heart and just how deep they went. The heiress was soft and
   1.600 +comfortable, her gentle caresses soothing the Chinese girl's weary
   1.601 +spirits. Tomoyo understood her in ways that no one else could. They
   1.602 +were the same, after all. Always loving, but never loved. Always
   1.603 +supporting, but left with nothing to lean on when they were in need.
   1.604 +Maybe Meiling couldn't just wait to be loved. Maybe she had to find
   1.605 +it.
   1.606 +	Hands resting on Tomoyo's shoulder to support herself, Meiling
   1.607 +slowly managed to sit up to look back at Tomoyo. Tear streaked amber
   1.608 +eyes pleaded with their stormy blue counterparts. Tomoyo's gaze
   1.609 +remained fixed on Meiling, compassionate and understanding and...
   1.610 +unsure. That was enough for Meiling. Leaning forward, her trembling
   1.611 +lips brushed Tomoyo's inexpertly, her fingers holding Tomoyo's
   1.612 +slender shoulders sharply as if she were afraid the heiress would
   1.613 +disappear if she let go. She'd never kissed a girl before. It felt
   1.614 +strange, but exhilerating. Freeing. All this time she had chased
   1.615 +after Syaoran and he had resisted. Tomoyo's petal soft lips felt
   1.616 +receptive, accepting of the quick, hesitant kisses she placed on
   1.617 +them. She grew more adventurous, her pain and loneliness eased by the
   1.618 +understanding inside of the heiress, the flames eating away inside of
   1.619 +her cooled by Tomoyo's gentle presence. Her kisses met Tomoyo's lips
   1.620 +for longer and longer, loving the way they gave against hers, how
   1.621 +they melded to her own lips. Her hands pulled the lavender haired
   1.622 +girl closer desperately, their dark hair mingling as the kisses
   1.623 +continued. 
   1.624 +	Meiling kissed her more hungrily as Tomoyo's fingers continued to
   1.625 +caress up and down her strong back. The Chinese girl's body was so
   1.626 +similar to Sakura's. So strong and lean and athletic. The way
   1.627 +Meiling's muscles felt under her hands reminded her of Sakura's. Even
   1.628 +Meiling's small breasts felt similar to Sakura's when they would hug.
   1.629 +If she couldn't have Sakura, then wasn't this the next best thing?
   1.630 +Tomoyo's mind wavered at the thought. It was so very tempting. She
   1.631 +wouldn't have to worry about ruining Sakura's relationship. And
   1.632 +Meiling felt so insistent. She felt a connection to the other girl
   1.633 +that could only be born of the flames of their shared suffering.
   1.634 +Meiling's tongue was playing inside of her mouth. It took Tomoyo a
   1.635 +moment to realize that her own tongue was responding. Her fingers
   1.636 +played through Meiling's silky pigtails, feeling herself held tightly
   1.637 +to Meiling's body. Meiling's tongue playing across her own, their
   1.638 +bodies pressed together, Tomoyo understood just how far the raven
   1.639 +haired girl was willing to go. Meiling never did like to do anything
   1.640 +halfway. But would that be so bad? To forget about Sakura for one
   1.641 +night... To lose herself in Meiling... Meiling obviously wanted that.
   1.642 +And she wanted to give that to her. But....
   1.643 +	But she still loved Sakura. And Meiling still loved Syaoran. Tomoyo
   1.644 +slowly pulled away, Meiling's breath hot against her lips.
   1.645 +"Meiling..." the heiress whispered softly. 
   1.646 +	It felt as if Meiling had awoken from a trance as Tomoyo put an end
   1.647 +to the moment. Shame crashed down across Meiling. Here she was in
   1.648 +Sakura's appartment, making out with the girl's best friend. Her
   1.649 +weakness had been so open, so obvious. She had succumbed to it, right
   1.650 +in front of Tomoyo. She'd been so desperate for companionship, for
   1.651 +understanding, that she had been willing, no, eager, to kiss another
   1.652 +girl. No, even more than that. She would have gladly given her body
   1.653 +to Tomoyo, she knew. Her face burned and her anger with herself
   1.654 +returned. What the hell was wrong with her?  Just how weak was she? 
   1.655 +	Sliding off the couch, Meiling bowed slightly as she excused
   1.656 +herself. "I need to get to sleep," she said curtly and turned to
   1.657 +leave. Her bags were in Tomoyo's room, she remembered with a pang.
   1.658 +She hoped she could fall asleep before she had to face the other girl
   1.659 +again. 	"Meiling, please..." Tomoyo pleaded. But if the Chinese girl
   1.660 +heard her, she made no sign, simply retreating to the back room.
   1.661 +Sighing heavily, the heiress hugged a pillow and curled up on the
   1.662 +couch. Couldn't she help anyone?
   1.663 +	
   1.664 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.665 +
   1.666 +	Sakura slipped quietly out of bed, careful not to awaken Syaoran's
   1.667 +sleeping form. Her pajama pants lay somewhere on the floor, a
   1.668 +testament to the time the two lovers had spent fooling around
   1.669 +earleir. It had felt so nice, but it had brought too many thoughts
   1.670 +unbidden to Sakura's mind, so she had stopped it short. It had indeed
   1.671 +felt wonderful, but so had her time with Tomoyo. What she could
   1.672 +remember of it, at any rate. As Syaoran's hands had traced patterns
   1.673 +over her bare skin, memories of Tomoyo's hands traveling similar
   1.674 +paths had grown stronger. Now she couldn't even sleep. 
   1.675 +	Leaving her pants somewhere in the darkness after a moment's
   1.676 +fruitless search, Sakura padded silently out to the living room. She
   1.677 +needed to clear her head. Why was an intimate moment with her
   1.678 +boyfriend competing with memories of being drunk and in the arms of
   1.679 +her best friend? Why was her heart so torn? She liked being with
   1.680 +Syaoran. But those half-remembered moments with Tomoyo refused to
   1.681 +leave her alone. 
   1.682 +	"You couldn't sleep either?" a soft voice asked through the
   1.683 +darkness. Tomoyo smiled at her startled friend. The heiress took a
   1.684 +moment to appreciate the gorgeous pair of legs she could see in
   1.685 +Sakura's current state of undress. "Would you like some tea? I made
   1.686 +it just a little while ago, so it should still be warm." 
   1.687 +	Taking a moment to regain her composure, Saura took a seat next to
   1.688 +her pale wraith of a friend. "Thanks, Tomoyo." Accepting the cup, her
   1.689 +thoughts continued their jumbled rounds through her head. Hot tea
   1.690 +washed away her sleepiness, leaving her thoughts crisp and clear in
   1.691 +the night. The tea cup nearly burned her hands, but she held it
   1.692 +tightly. The pain was real and present, not some memory of the past.
   1.693 +	Tomoyo's love for her had been no secret for years now, but
   1.694 +Sakura's complex feelings for the heiress had always been explained
   1.695 +away as mere friendship. She had been intimate with Syaoran on
   1.696 +several occasions. He was her boyfriend, so that made perfect sense.
   1.697 +But now, she had also been intimate with her best friend. And had
   1.698 +loved it. Was it simply the alcohal mixed with her incredibly close
   1.699 +friendship to Tomoyo? Or was there more to it than that? Did she
   1.700 +honestly like being with Tomoyo in that way? Touya had told her of
   1.701 +plenty of stupid things he had seen people do while drunk. Where her
   1.702 +actions just another stupid, alcohal induced event? Another long sip
   1.703 +of the hot liquid helped burn away her reluctance like sunlight
   1.704 +through the morning fog. She was left with a strong sense of
   1.705 +determination where the confusion had been moments before. A need to
   1.706 +know, to understand if it had just been a mistake or not. Like Tomoyo
   1.707 +had said, did she want them to have slept together? 
   1.708 +	"What are you doing up?" Sakura asked at last. 
   1.709 +	Tomoyo's hands moved methodically through the darkness, dancing in
   1.710 +the shadows. The fact that she was sewing had, up till now, entirely
   1.711 +escaped Sakura. " I let Meiling use my room, so I've been out here
   1.712 +all night. I thought I'd get some sewing done while I was at it. I
   1.713 +was in the kitchen when you and Syaoran came in, but you seemed..."
   1.714 +she paused, searching for the right words, "like you would rather not
   1.715 +be disturbed, so I let you go back to your room without any
   1.716 +interruptions."	A blush played across Sakura's cheeks. They had been
   1.717 +somewhat... frisky when they had gotten home. She'd thought no one
   1.718 +was awake when they'd entered the appartment. Her blush disappeared,
   1.719 +replaced with a frown. Tomoyo's tone was perfectly cheerful, but
   1.720 +Sakura had learned over the years that just because Tomoyo sounded
   1.721 +fine didn't always mean that the dark haired girl was. "You shouldn't
   1.722 +be up so late. Between classes, studying and working for your mother,
   1.723 +you need your sleep, Tomoyo. You're so..." The brunette trailed off.
   1.724 +Watching the pale girl in the darkness, she wanted to say frail,
   1.725 +fragile. Tomoyo was a delicate China doll and sometimes Sakura was
   1.726 +frightened that the slightest thing would shatter her best friend. "I
   1.727 +worry about you," she said instead. 
   1.728 +	A warm smile met Sakura's emerald eyes as Tomoyo placed a slender
   1.729 +hand atop Sakura's. Sakura's hand turned under Tomoyo's to take it
   1.730 +and hold it, to keep it safe and protected in her own. "I'm glad you
   1.731 +would worry about me. I'm happy you'd care so much. But I'll be fine,
   1.732 +Sakura." It always made her ecstatic to know she could be so
   1.733 +important to Sakura, but she didn't want to concern the other girl
   1.734 +too much. Her mother had spent too many sleepless nights worrying
   1.735 +about her, especially whenever she would get sick, and she didn't
   1.736 +want to do the same to Sakura. She would be fine no matter what
   1.737 +happened. She just wanted Sakura and her mother to be happy. Worrying
   1.738 +about her all the time wouldn't help that. 
   1.739 +	Once again, Sakura was reminded of how what Tomoyo said and how she
   1.740 +felt were not always one and the same. Reaching out tentatively, the
   1.741 +Cardmistress's fingertips began to stroke Tomoyo's soft, dark hair.
   1.742 +It felt so nice and silken against her fingers, sliding under her
   1.743 +touch. Tomoyo rested her head on Sakura's shoulder in response, her
   1.744 +long, lavender hair cascading down Sakura's back. The brunette's
   1.745 +breath caught for a moment, but her fingers continued stroking her
   1.746 +friend's long, curly hair. Tomoyo felt so soft and warm against her
   1.747 +side. It was as if Tomoyo was melting into her. Soft curves met
   1.748 +Sakura's own, the two merging into one.
   1.749 +	Tomoyo breathed softly, her lavender eyes slipping shut. The night
   1.750 +had been a long, confusing one. She was glad to be with Sakura now,
   1.751 +away from the loneliness and confusion that had played out earlier.
   1.752 +Even if her love was an unrequited one, she was still happiest when
   1.753 +she was close to the girl she loved. She could lie there with
   1.754 +Sakura's fingers gently stroking her hair forever. Something that
   1.755 +felt like Sakura's nose pressed against her hair and her lips curved
   1.756 +in a soft smile. Sakura's warm breath tickled her through her hair.
   1.757 +Snuggling closer against Sakura's side, Tomoyo wished the night
   1.758 +wouldn't end. When the morning light spilt through the windows, this
   1.759 +dream would be forgotten without so much as a video to remember it
   1.760 +by. Syaoran would wake up and Sakura would remember that she loved
   1.761 +him and this would be nothing more than a moment that had slipped
   1.762 +away like a grain of sand. Why was it that the moments she loved most
   1.763 +with Sakura were always the ones she couldn't videotape? Fate was
   1.764 +cruel. Now if only... 
   1.765 +	Tomoyo's thoughts were quickly forgotten. A soft squeak escaped her
   1.766 +lips, a brief intake of air and a gasp of surpirse from her musical
   1.767 +voice. Sakura's strong, free hand had slid up over her stomach,
   1.768 +cupping one of the heiress's breasts through her nightgown. Sakura's
   1.769 +lips replaced her nose in Tomoyo's hair, kissing her head softly.
   1.770 +Confusion spun a web through the dark haired girl's mind, slowing her
   1.771 +thoughts down to a crawl. She usually understood Sakura better than
   1.772 +anyone, so the Mistress of the Cards' current behavior took her
   1.773 +completely by surprise. She was torn between her instincts to protect
   1.774 +Sakura's relationship with Syaoran and her own need for Sakura. Her
   1.775 +usual calm, collected nature in shambles, Tomoyo remained silent for
   1.776 +the moment, squirming slightly under her friend's questing hands. 
   1.777 +	Force of will pushed Sakura's embarrassment far away from her mind.
   1.778 +Tomoyo felt so wonderfu, so perfect, both against her and under her
   1.779 +fingertips. She squeezed Tomoyo's breast experimentally, marvelling
   1.780 +at how soft Tomoyo felt and how the skin melded to her palm. She
   1.781 +delighted in the gasp it ellicited from Tomoyo. Tomoyo's excited
   1.782 +gasps were so different from Syaoran's restrained groans. She loved
   1.783 +the way it sounded, how it let her know how much Tomoyo enjoyed what
   1.784 +she was doing to her. Sometimes so was so unsure of whether or not
   1.785 +she was doing the right thing with Syaoran. It was great to know how
   1.786 +Tomoyo felt about her ministrations. Her hand left Tomoyo's somewhat
   1.787 +larger chest and travelled back to the heiress's bare legs. Tomoyo
   1.788 +spread her legs invitingly making room for Sakura's hand. It caressed
   1.789 +up and down Tomoyo's right thigh, feeling the warmth under pale,
   1.790 +silky skin. 
   1.791 +	It hadn't been the alcohal, Sakura decided. Her heart sang at the
   1.792 +way Tomoyo shuddered when she suckled on her earlobe. She felt so...
   1.793 +alive. Like her body crackled with electricity. Tomoyo always made
   1.794 +her happy and being with her like this was no different. It was still
   1.795 +Tomoyo, but so much closer. So much warmer. So much more... hers. Her
   1.796 +kisses along Tomoyo's jawline caught the other girl's attention and
   1.797 +her best friend's lips quickly met her own. They were warm and wet
   1.798 +and delicious. They licked and kissed at her own passionately and
   1.799 +Sakura could do nothing but give into them. 
   1.800 +
   1.801 +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   1.802 +
   1.803 +	Yawning sleepily, Syaoran wandered through his girlfriend's
   1.804 +apparment half awake. It had been strange to wake up in a place that
   1.805 +was so... cute. He'd been disoriented to wake up to such a heavy dose
   1.806 +of pink around the appartment. He hoped Sakura could refrain from
   1.807 +decking out their home like that when they got married. He couldn't
   1.808 +imagine waking up to milky pink every morning. 
   1.809 +	The shower was going, but he couldn't figure out who it was.
   1.810 +Probably Sakura, since she hadn't been in bed when he'd woken up. He
   1.811 +considered going in to join her. It had been a long day the day
   1.812 +before and the flight had been exhausting. And a shower with Sakura
   1.813 +would certainly wake him up this morning. A small smile crossed his
   1.814 +lips as he made up his mind. It was nice not to be a country away
   1.815 +from Sakura for the moment. He certainly couldn't be with her like
   1.816 +that from and ocean away. 
   1.817 +	The bathroom door opened quietly under Syaoran's hand. Beautiful
   1.818 +humming came from the shower, a syren's song drawing him ever closer.
   1.819 +His amber eyes went to the shower as he filled up the doorway.
   1.820 +"Sakura..." His voice trailed off as Tomoyo turned to look at him.
   1.821 +Her pale body was wet and entirely naked. His mind vaguely made note
   1.822 +that her breasts were a bit larger than Sakura's. Her body was soft
   1.823 +and curvy and slender, not like Sakura's athlete's body. Stormy blue
   1.824 +eyes met his and the humming stopped immediately. "I.. uhh..."
   1.825 +Syaoran stammered, his face going a deep shade of crimson. 
   1.826 +	Oddly enough, Tomoyo seemed hardly embarrassed, simply covering
   1.827 +herself with her hands and offering a sympathetic smile. "Sakura's
   1.828 +not here," she explained helpfully. "She was in the living room when
   1.829 +I came in here." For a moment, she wondered if Syaoran had understood
   1.830 +her. He finally nodded and gave her a mumbled thanks. Wondering idly
   1.831 +what Syaoran would have done if it had been Sakura in the shower,
   1.832 +Tomoyo resumed her humming.
   1.833 +	Slamming the door quickly, Syaoran took a long moment to compose
   1.834 +himself. It took a while for the blood to drain from his face. Tomoyo
   1.835 +was certainly beautiful... He shook his head quickly to force the
   1.836 +idea out of his mind. Daidouji was the last person he wanted to be
   1.837 +thinking about. She'd always been that crazy friend of Sakura's.
   1.838 +Though she had always been helpful to him. If it hadn't been for her,
   1.839 +he never would have told Sakura how he felt about her. 
   1.840 +	Deciding it was best to pretend that hadn't happened, Syaoran
   1.841 +continued his search for Sakura. He made his way to the living room,
   1.842 +but Sakura was curiously missing. In her place sat Meiling, sitting
   1.843 +on the couch in front of the large television Tomoyo seemed so fond
   1.844 +of watching her videos on. "Meiling, have you seen Sakura?" he asked.
   1.845 +The murderous look Meiling gave him chilled his blood. He wondered if
   1.846 +perhaps he had said the wrong thing. 
   1.847 +	"She's in the kitchen. I think she's making breakfast or something.
   1.848 +I would've made something, but I don't know my way around the
   1.849 +kitchen." Her gaze went back to the television. Nothing was on, but
   1.850 +she seemed to be content to focus on it. Her thoughts were busy
   1.851 +elsewhere anyway. She was still ashamed of her actions the night
   1.852 +before. Crossing one leg on top of the other, she rested back on the
   1.853 +couch, trying to appear perfectly content. The affect on Syaoran was
   1.854 +more that he was afraid to bother her again. That worked just as well.
   1.855 +	Entering the kitchen, Syaoran finally found his girlfriend. She,
   1.856 +too, was humming to herself. Her apron hugged her body cutely. Flour
   1.857 +and batter left her looking like she walked through a small cooking
   1.858 +warzone, but the smell coming from the oven was delicious. Sakura
   1.859 +could be flighty, but when she put her mind to something, she could
   1.860 +do an incredible job. "Good morning, Syaoran," Sakura said happily,
   1.861 +kissing his cheek as he entered the kitchen. She went back to
   1.862 +whisking something in a bowl, keeping an eye on a timer near the
   1.863 +oven. 
   1.864 +	Deciding that dark haired girls were merely crazy this early in the
   1.865 +morning, Syaoran was glad to see that Sakura was her usual energetic
   1.866 +self. It was good to be away from all the Li Clan business and back
   1.867 +with the girl he loved. He wrapped his arms around her from behind,
   1.868 +holding her body close to his. Kissing the back of her neck under her
   1.869 +short hair, he was glad to feel her snuggling back against him. 
   1.870 +	Sakura was happy. The confusion that had seemed to consume her life
   1.871 +lately had, for now, abated. She knew how she felt now. She loved
   1.872 +Syaoran. She loved Tomoyo. The night before had helped her to
   1.873 +understand that. She had stayed up with Tomoyo late into the night.
   1.874 +They had held each other and talked until they had finally fallen
   1.875 +asleep in each others arms. Syaoran and Tomoyo both made her happy.
   1.876 +Her feelings were no longer such a mystery to her, making even her
   1.877 +own actions indecipherable. At some time, it would be necessary for
   1.878 +her to figure out what to do about this revelation. But for now, she
   1.879 +was simply happy. And very, very much in love.