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