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author Robert McIntyre <rlm@mit.edu>
date Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:42:35 -0400
parents fc00894c1d4a
children
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1 First Date
2 A Tomoyo and Sakura story
3 by G. P.
5 Comments can be sent to the author at: treeandleaf2002@yahoo.com
7 Note: This story is s part of a series, but does not have to be read
8 consecutively. The first story was, "Love is the Crooked Thing".
11 That first night Sakura only just barely got to sleep before the sun
12 rose. Thank goodness for Sundays with nothing to do! But sleep ended
13 early with pounding at the door and a terrible voice bellowing,
14 "Monster! Phone call!"
16 "Ehhhhhh.....?"
18 Sakura staggered out of bed, blinking blearily at the alarm clock.
20 "Hoooeeeeee! I'm late!" In a mad dash, Sakura threw on her uniform
21 and rushed down the stairs to breakfast. Except, instead of a hot,
22 steaming meal, there was an empty table. There sat her dreadful
23 brother, calmly sipping coffee. Sakura shot a glance at the schedule
24 board, nervously thinking,
26 "Was I supposed to make breakfast?"
28 No, there was Oniichan's name, grrrrrrrr....in a furious windmill of
29 arms and fists, Sakura roared towards her brother, who kept her at
30 arm’s length while regarding her with amused detachment.
32 "Where's my breakfast I'm late for school why didn't you wake me up
33 if only I was bigger than you...."
35 Touya interrupted her with practiced ease, "Fridge, Sunday, you're
36 not, phone." Sakura froze in mid-flurry, staring at the phone. With a
37 sheepish look, she picked it up,
39 "Sakura here".
41 "Ohayo, Sakura-chan" The sweet, musical voice of her best friend.
43 "Ohayo, Tomoyo-chan!" A pause, and then she remembered- remembered
44 it all: The fortune telling, the maze, the song, Tomoyo....the kiss.
45 Sakura felt a crimson blush on her neck and cheek, as she stood
46 dumbstruck with her mouth open.
48 "I thought we might go on a picnic to the park today? Would you like
49 to go, or are you busy with schoolwork and chores?" Tomoyo's bright
50 and sunny voice only made the blush deepen.
52 "H-h-h-h-hai", Sakura managed to stutter out.
54 "I'll make o-bento. Shall I be there in an hour?"
56 "H-h-h-h-hai"
58 "Bye-bye, I'll see you soon!"
60 "H-h-h-h-hai", replied Sakura to the dial tone. Slowly she put down
61 the phone, closed her mouth, and stared at the floor. Just what had
62 happened the night before? Was it a dream, or had she really *sweat
63 drop* confessed her love to Tomoyo-chan? She staggered back to the
64 bedroom, her mind all awhirl…
66 Mechanically Sakura changed out of her uniform and into a yellow
67 blouse and a pleated, light brown skirt. Brushing her red-auburn
68 hair, she struggled to remember. Finally, she plopped on the bed with
69 a sigh and stared at the ceiling until she heard the knocking down
70 below. She rushed down the stairs, beating her brother to the
71 hallway. Nervously she reached for the handle, turned it, and opened
72 the door. There, smiling as always, stood Tomoyo. Dressed in a
73 beautiful, be-ribboned white dress with red trim, picnic basket in
74 hand, Tomoyo bowed and sang out,
76 "Ohayo, Sakura-chan".
78 "Ohayo, Tomoyo-chan. Oniichan, I'm going to the park with Tomoyo-
79 chan".
81 "Don't forget you're cooking dinner tonight- something better than
82 last time, I hope", came the laconic reply.
84 Tomoyo covered the giggle with a white glove as Sakura gritted her
85 teeth in impotent rage. Remembering Tomoyo, she suddenly put her hand
86 behind her neck and laughed,
88 "Ha-ha-ha...um, should we go now?"
90 Tomoyo nodded happily, and the two friends slipped out the door.
92 Wordlessly the pair walked to the park, Tomoyo glancing up at the
93 occasional cloud and twittering bird, Sakura staring at the sidewalk,
94 deep in thought. The day was bright and alive, with a cool breeze
95 that whispered of the end of summer. At last they entered the park,
96 where Tomoyo broke the silence,
98 "Would you like to eat by the lake? I know a quiet spot under the
99 trees"
101 "Yes", nodded Sakura, a little too vigorously.
103 Tomoyo opened one of the picnic basket lids and took out a
104 delicately folded orange and brown cloth, decorated with a maple leaf
105 and pumpkin print. With easy grace she spread the cloth on the grass,
106 placed the basket to one side, and sat, legs tucked demurely
107 underneath her. Sakura dropped down quickly, looking at her hands in
108 embarrassment, finally holding them tightly in her lap. She was aware
109 of Tomoyo's lavender eyes regarding her with measured care. Never had
110 Sakura felt so ill at ease with her best friend. Her mind continually
111 wandered to the previous night, or rather, to what she thought she
112 remembered of it. Tomoyo looked on in concern as she set the table
113 with beautiful little white China plates, and delicately filigreed
114 Western silverware. Finally, she smiled and whispered,
116 "Sakura-chan, are you all right?"
118 Sakura didn't know what to say, so she blushed instead. She had
119 always liked Tomoyo as her best, most special friend. The dark-haired
120 girl was always there for her, someone to talk to, to share
121 adventures with, and to ask for help and advice. For the past month,
122 since learning about Yue, Sakura had been battered by a storm of
123 emotions. Finally, after reading the Clow Cards, she had followed the
124 maze deep within her own heart and, to her surprise and joy, had
125 found Tomoyo within. And last night, they had shared a kiss- a
126 lover's kiss. Her heart burned and ached with the thought of it, her
127 very first.
129 But what if it was not the same for Tomoyo? Had Sakura presumed too
130 much? Had she rushed in unbidden and unwelcome? Had she taken from
131 her friend what Tomoyo had been too startled or kind to refuse? She
132 knew now that her friend had professed love a year ago, though Sakura
133 was too dense to have known it then. Only in the past day had she
134 realized what Tomoyo had tried to tell her. And only now did she know
135 her own heart, overflowing with a fierce, ecstatic love for her
136 friend.
138 But what if Tomoyo had changed? What if her love, unrequited for so
139 long, had grown old and faded? What if she loved someone else, still
140 treasuring Sakura as a friend, as someone she liked...but not like
141 that. The auburn-haired girl felt her stomach knot at the very
142 thought. Tomoyo, ever and always kind, would be loath to say that her
143 love was no more. Had she realized Tomoyo's feelings, and her own,
144 too late? Oh, what if she had missed her chance for Tomoyo's love,
145 forever? Sakura clenched her fists tightly, and felt her body tremble
146 with each halting sob.
148 Tomoyo looked at her friend in silent agony. Sakura's pain tore at
149 her heart. Nothing was worth this, nothing. She was certain now that
150 Sakura had come to regret her words of last night, but did not know
151 how to take them back gracefully. Gently, Tomoyo took her friend's
152 hands in her own and spoke in an even voice,
154 "Sakura-chan...Sakura-chan"
156 The Mistress of the Cards turned her tear-stained face away, trying
157 to yank her hands from Tomoyo. But the dark-haired girl had strong,
158 nimble fingers from countless hours of sewing, and held on with a
159 vise-like grip.
161 "Sakura-chan, please look at me". When the wet, shimmering green
162 eyes turned to her, Tomoyo nearly stumbled. It had taken hours of
163 torment to fashion the words, and now she hesitated. Had she lived a
164 hundred lifetimes, she never, ever would have thought she could say
165 this. How easy it would be to quietly live her life with Sakura's
166 sweet words ever in her ear, even if she no longer meant them. But
167 what she was going to say now was right, and Tomoyo knew it.
168 Composing herself with the greatest difficulty, she smiled and spoke
169 in a calm, even tone,
171 "Sakura-chan, I wanted to speak with you today. I wanted to tell you
172 something, about what you said to me last night". Sakura sat
173 motionless, like a fragile crystal statue. Tomoyo took a deep breath,
174 and continued,
176 "Sakura-chan, if you did not...really mean what you said last night,
177 it's all right. I will always like you as a friend, no matter what. I
178 want you to know that".
180 Inside her, a voice screamed, "Liar!" It's all right? If Sakura
181 really did not mean what she had said, if she had said, "I love you"
182 out of pity, or kindness, or confusion, it was not "all right"- it
183 was a black agony that Tomoyo dared not face. But better that than
184 her friend, no, her one, true love, should be bound by words she did
185 not mean. Breathing deeply, unburdened by the words that were so hard
186 to speak, Tomoyo looked with a start at Sakura's reaction. Like some
187 terrified animal, Sakura was slowly shaking her head back and forth,
188 a look of utter terror upon her.
190 Sakura's ashen face reflected her worst fear: that Tomoyo was gently
191 trying to untie the tangled knot that bound them. She was nearly
192 certain that Tomoyo no longer loved her, but was too kind to hurt her
193 by saying so. Never had she felt such a hopeless despair. She knew
194 she should let it all go, and walk away for Tomoyo's sake. But she
195 could not. Her overpowering love forced her to speak the words she
196 knew were wrong. Choking back a sob, Sakura blurted out,
198 "Don't you...Tomoyo-chan, don't you love me?"
200 Stunned, Tomoyo stared into Sakura's frantic eyes, felt hands
201 painfully gripping her own, nails digging into her palms. This was
202 not at all what she expected. Now, dancing on the precipice, she felt
203 a breathless, suspended hush, as though all the cosmos listened for
204 her reply. For the first time she sensed the presence of the Clow
205 Cards, watching her and waiting. Blinking back the tears, she gazed
206 into Sakura's emerald eyes and drew a deep, steady breath. She knew
207 she could never lie, even if it was the right thing, even if it was
208 for her beloved's sake. Carefully taking her hand away, she gently
209 brushed back the girl's auburn hair, and tenderly caressed the pale,
210 teary cheeks. With a sweet, soothing voice, Tomoyo spoke,
212 "Sakura-chan, I loved you when I first saw you, love you now more
213 than words can tell, and will always love you, and only you, forever
214 and ever. I was never so happy as when you said you loved me, and
215 never so afraid as when I thought it might not be true. I was
216 worried that you might have regretted what you said last night. I
217 didn't want you to suffer for my sake, for the sake of my love for
218 you".
220 Crying again, Sakura buried her face in Tomoyo's chest and sobbed on
221 the soft, white of her dress,
223 “Tomoyo-chan, I love you! I..I didn’t think you loved me anymore…I
224 didn’t think…” She broke down, weeping incoherently.
226 With soft, loving strokes, Tomoyo smoothed the girl's beautiful
227 hair, touched by fire from the afternoon sun. Nestled in Tomoyo's
228 black-gray tresses, Sakura remembered crying like this before,
229 remembered the comforting solace of her mother's bosom. She hugged
230 her friend fiercely at the memory,
232 Looking down at the trembling, vulnerable girl, Tomoyo felt a sweet,
233 painful ache wash over her. She knew now that Sakura truly loved her,
234 and that her love was freely given. Tomoyo felt a deep, glowing
235 peace. Despite the terrible fear of losing Sakura's newly found love,
236 she had been honest and fair. It seemed odd that as the Cards had
237 tested their Mistress, so too was she tested by Sakura's love. Last
238 night was like a fairy tale, where her dearest wish had magically
239 come true. Today, like a story from long ago, she was tested by a
240 dark, terrible riddle: to take Sakura in silence, or speak, and risk
241 losing her forever. Tomoyo spoke, and now, in a miraculous, unlooked
242 for happy ending, she cradled the beautiful princess in her arms. Her
243 falling tears glistened in Sakura’s hair.
245 Tomoyo softly sang her Mother's favorite lullaby, gently rocking her
246 exhausted friend to sleep. Sakura dreamed of lavender-eyed angels in
247 glowing robes, dark tresses swirling as they floated slowly to Earth.
248 Tomoyo too grew drowsy in the afternoon sun as the song worked its
249 maternal magic. Dark lashes fluttering, she closed her eyes and soon
250 fell asleep in Sakura's arms.
252 There Sonomi found them, bathed in the orange-purple of the setting
253 sun. Hearing the song, her song, as she jogged through the park, she
254 came upon them, like two angels fallen to Earth. She stood and
255 stared, marveling at the fairy spirits entwinned in sleep. The
256 evening wind seemed to whisper the voice of Nadesico, soft and sweet
257 and approving. Finally she roused them from blissful slumber,
258 giggling to herself as they stretched and smiled and blinked
259 themselves awake. Laughing and singing, her loneliness forgotten,
260 Sonomi led the two girls home.