Disclaimer: I don't own CCS (doesn't this get a bit tedious?)

AU: I am still an E+T supporter, this is just a little trial. Hey, it's a one shot! And plus, I think the couple's not that bad, don't you? Also, I kind of rushed the ending so I apologize if you feel like you've been cheated of something.

Always Been You



"You are NOT going out with that brat again!" Touya screamed from the other side of the door. Usually, Yukito's voice could be heard in the background, trying desperately to get Touya to calm down. But he's off to a college trip this semester. He's not expected to be back until Spring.

"Watch me," Sakura simply stated. She promised herself that tonight she wouldn't get angry. Tonight was her and Syaoran's special night. It's their eight year anniversary and that sorry excuse for a brother of hers is definitely not going to ruin her mood. "Why doesn't he just go off and live in a dorm like everyone else…" she muttered under her breath.

Her friend giggled as she listened to the siblings quarrel. Being Sakura's best friend, she grew up around those two. She'd always found it amusing how they could get on each other's nerves so much when they are both great people. The answer she knew though. They both cared for each other so much. Touya is just nervous about his little sister dating. It's kind of cute, actually. "Because the university is right there?"

"You are so lucky you're an only child, Tomoyo-chan. Onee-san is a pain," Sakura said as she sat down obediently so Tomoyo could do her hair.

She began braiding it gently, but then decided against it. Her auburn hair had grown much longer over the years. It's about two inches off her shoulder and you could do much more with it. "But isn't it nice to have someone protecting you? Oh yes, I forgot, you already have Syaoran-kun for that job."

Playfully, Sakura hit her on the arm. "I don't know what you're talking about, Tomoyo-chan. You know that Oni-san treats you like his own sister. You may as well be one. Just remember, if you have a problem, don't hesitate to ask. We're always glad to help out."

"Thanks for the offer, Sakura-chan. But right now all I need for you to do is to hold still," Tomoyo-chan said as she twisted a mass of hair into a bun.

"So, I was thinking, Tomoyo-chan. We're 16, isn't it time for you to get a boyfriend. I mean, I have Syaoran-kun. You really should find someone you like. Do you have your eye set on anyone?" Sakura asked mischievously. She really wanted to help out her friend though. The whole school practically worships her, but she just wasn't interested.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I just don't like anyone in our school," Tomoyo-chan said with a sigh. She twisted some hair on the other side into a bun also.

"Well, that's true. You're too mature for most of them. Most of them hasn't even grown up yet. I just want you to be happy, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said with a sigh.

"I know, I just need some time… There, perfect!" Sakura's hair was in an odd style, yet it worked on her. She had two buns on either side of her head and half of her hair was let down.

"Do you think I should put some makeup on?" Sakura asked. She wanted to impress Syaoran as best as she could.

"Don't even think about it, kaijuu!" Touya screamed through the door.

"Stop eavesdropping on us, Touya!" Sakura yelled right back.

"Look, Sakura-chan. You look beautiful already. You know that Syaoran- kun doesn't like girls who try too hard to look good just to impress someone. You look fine," Tomoyo said as she placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. She placed her face next to Sakura's and stared at their reflection and smiled, reassuring her friend.

"Listen to your friend!" Touya yelled again, spoiling the moment. Not being able to stand it anymore, Sakura stomped out of the room and found herself face to face with her brother. Before marching forward to the living room, she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Let's go, Tomoyo-chan, Syaoran is going to be here any second," Sakura said as she passed by him.

There was suddenly a silence on the upper floor. Touya just glared after Sakura. Then, he heard a giggle and it surprised him. He finally noticed the dark-haired girl staring at the scene. Before passing by him to his sister, she bowed respectively at him.

He stared after her for quite a while, still smelling the vanilla scent that she left behind. He then shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking of this now. He had other things to worry about.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and he jetted towards the door to answer it before Sakura. They battled for the opportunity at the door that leads to the main door. They shoved and pushed while the other struggled to reach the door knob. In the midst of the fight, Tomoyo calmly found a way through their quarrel and answered the door.

"Hi, Syaoran-kun. You're just in time," Tomoyo said with a smile. Immediately, the battle in the doorway ceased, and Sakura occupied herself with straightening her skirt.

"Hi, Syaoran!" She said excitedly when he showed up in the room. His jaw dropped at her shining beauty and he suddenly closed it when he felt a glare coming from the corner of the room. There stood Touya with his arms folded, glaring at the two. You could practically see the fire around him.

"Hi, Sakura. Should we go?" he said as he offered his arm. Sakura gladly took it and they walked towards the door.

Just then, Touya was going to say something, but then he felt a soft hand on his forearm. He turned sideways and saw Tomoyo smiling gently at him. Tilting her head, she stared at him understandingly. Then she got on her tiptoes so she could reach his ear. Then she whispered, "just give them tonight. It's special to both of them." He felt his face grow warm, being so close to the girl. He'd always seen her as a little sister, but he'd never seen her this way. She was still her understanding self, but she has grown. She has grown into a woman. That could be easily told by her curves that she unintentionally shown off. Her long, slender legs were shown off by her red plaid mini-skirt, matched with black, knee-height boots. She had a red beret on her head with a black sweater. Although somehow he thought that she'd always been a woman emotionally.

Without even noticing it, Touya just stared and nodded. She had that affect on people, making it impossible to disagree with her. He woke from his trance with the slam of the door. The eye lock broke and they stared at the door. The silence was almost deafening.

"Well, I'm going to go now, bye," Tomoyo said as she grabbed her black coat off the couch.

Something in Touya wanted her to stay with him, but he pushed the thought aside. He did, however, decide to walk her to the door. She was just about to leave when he offered her a ride on his motorcycle. He lied and said that he's going out anyway. Without a reason to reject the offer, she simply nodded with one of her winning smiles.

All during the ride, she pressed herself against him. She became very nervous. She wasn't even sure why she accepted the ride anyway. Motorcycles always gave her the chills. He enjoyed the feeling of having her lean on him, seeking support and protection from him. He loved how her fragrance surrounded him and how her warm, gentle arms encircled his waist. He had no idea what this feeling was, all he knew was that it's a good thing.

She, on the other hand, was confused herself. She'd found him attractive all of a sudden. It's as if a light just dawned on him .Out of all the time that she'd spent with him, this had to be the oddest. She began to loosen her hold a little bit, feeling safer. The safety, she knew, sprouted from him. The warmth and protection radiating from him was impossible to hide. In the cold winter night, he was like a warm hearth, radiating for the world, at least her world.

"Well, here we are," Touya said as he came to a halt by the sidewalk. Slowly, Tomoyo got onto the sidewalk with Touya's help. "Do you want me to walk you to the door?" he asked.

"No," she answered immediately. She was too confused for him to be near her anymore. "No, thank you. I'll be fine from here. Thanks for the ride!" She practically ran to her front door, not looking back. She could feel his gaze on her back though. After getting in the door, Touya stayed and stared for a few seconds before driving off. All this time, Tomoyo watched him through her window.

For Sakura's next two dates, she made Tomoyo come over again. She realized that Tomoyo could stop Touya's yelling. She should've thought of it earlier. On her third date, Syaoran came early and Tomoyo was left at the Kinomoto house alone with Touya. "So, are you going home?" he asked nervously.

"No, Sakura-chan wanted me to wait for her to get home because she has something to tell me," she said quietly.

"Oh," Touya said. He almost kicked himself for not coming up with a more intelligent response. The silence that followed was uncomfortable for both of them. They stood in silence for about five minutes until one of them finally spoke up. "Well, I'm gonna go study. Major biology test tomorrow. I'll be in my room if you need anything," Touya said, barely able to walk away. But he did, and Tomoyo stared after him as he jogged up the stares.

She let out a sigh and collapsed on the couch. She'd been so tense around him lately. "What is wrong with me?" she asked herself quietly. Then slowly, she trotted back up to Sakura's room.

*Touya's room*

Touya was in the middle of intense studying… Actually, he could barely get through the third page. He'd written his notes so small that it took his full concentration just to make out the characters. And how could he give his full attention when the girl of his dreams was on the other side of that wall? Yes, girl of his dreams… He'd finally admit it. He loved her. "But just as a sister," he kept reminding himself. Yet, there's this voice in the back of his head that told him that there's more. The voice was shut out as a wonderful aroma filled the room.

Then, surprisingly, a pale hand set down a mug of coffee. He looked over and found Tomoyo bent forward and leaning over his shoulder as she read her notes. Her face was so close to his that he could smell the dainty fragrance radiating from her. "Wow, college level. I get dizzy just looking at it," she said softly next to his ear, still concentrating on the paper.

"Well then don't look at it," he said softly himself as he finally turned his head to face her. Noticing his action, she turned her face towards his also. The tip of her soft nose brushed against his and without noticing it, they stared into each other eyes for several seconds before both of them looked away.

"Well, I'm gonna leave you to your studying now," she said as she rushed out of the room. He quickly pretended to go back to his work also, but he couldn't ignore that tingly feeling inside…

*Sakura's room*

"So, was Oni-chan awful to you last night? I apologize for him if he did anything stupid," Sakura said as she put her book bag down and sat at her desk.

"Well, I wouldn't say… awful," Tomoyo said, almost dreamily. She noticed her tone and quickly tried to hide it. Thank goodness Sakura doesn't pick these things up that well. "In fact, we barely talked. He stayed in his room and studied most of the time," she said quickly as she fell backwards onto the bed, legs hanging from the end board. She stared at the white ceiling and began seeing the illusion of his face form out of thing air. She smiled.

"What are you so happy about, Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura asked, letting down her hair.

"Oh, nothing," she said quietly. "Sakura-chan?"

"Hm?" Sakura responded, holding pins between her lips.

"Does Touya-kun really see me as a younger sister?" Tomoyo asked. Silently, she added the word only.

"Yea, why? Do you need help or something? I told you, Tomoyo-chan. You can always just ask," Sakura said, turning to her friend. She was beginning to be worried about her. She'd been acting strange all night.

"No, nothing's... wrong," Tomoyo said softly. 'So he only sees me as a sister, huh? Well, what more could I have expected? The guy's only known me since I was 3.' She let out a heavy sigh.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong? Don't be afraid to say it," Sakura said with her brows knitted.

Just then, a knock came from the door. "Eh, Kaijuu," the dull words came out as the door opened.

"Oni-san!! You're supposed to knock when you come into a girl's room!" Sakura exclaimed.

"I did knock," he said plainly. Immediately, he noticed Tomoyo spread out on the bed. He thought she looked beautiful and flashed her a smile and a nod.

Noticing him, she immediately sat up. She was flushed, thinking how she must've looked so unladylike. Noticing his smile, she returned one herself.

"And then WAIT for me to say come in! Now is there something you'd like?" Sakura's question interrupted.

"I just uh... thought you might've wanted... something to... eat, that's all. I got some extra cake from the store. Would you like some also, Daidouji-san?" he asked carefully, trying not to let any emotions slip out. He knew how good her observation skills are.

She could almost feel her heart jump out of her chest. She had to get out of there. "Actually, I have to leave. Sorry, maybe next time, bye." Tomoyo said as she rushed out the door of the house. Sakura stared oddly, she'd never seen her best friend like this before.

"All right, what did you do to Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura asked her brother with her arms crossed. However, she never got a reply, only a love-sick college student staring after the girl he adores. "Has everyone around here lost it?" She whispered as she slammed the door in his face.

-Tomoyo's Room-

"That… was odd," Tomoyo said as she turned to her psychologist for the moment: Li Syaoran. "This is crazy. What is going on in my head, Li- kun?! I mean, nothing like this has ever happened to me before. Ever!"

"Well, if you're turning to me, you must be desperate," he muttered. He immediately received a glare from Tomoyo. "Look, just calm down, all right? You should've gotten one of the girls to do it. Maybe even Hiiragizawa! But I'm not exactly an expert at this."

Tomoyo's glare sharpened again. "Hey, Mr. Thanks-for-hooking-me-up- with-Sakura-and-I'm-forever-in-debt-to-you! Just answer my question!"

Li cowered a little. 'Note to self: Never piss Daidouji off.' "Look, I'm not an expert, but I'd say that you've developed a crush on that… that… thing."

"Hey, don't call him that. It's not very nice! And plus, he's only mean to you because he's protective of Sakura-chan," she said with a sigh. After hearing it from Li, she's even more sure of the blossoming feeling for his best friend's brother.

"Well, aren't we getting defensive?" Li said with a mischievous smile.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Li Syaoran," Tomoyo said in a low voice. As harmless as Li can seem, he's a wolf at heart. "As you said, it's just a crush. It'll go away. And plus, he only sees me as a little sister. Sakura-chan said so…" her voice trailed off.

"I think you should go for it. You told me yourself a long time ago. And plus, even if Sakura-chan is his sister, only he knows how he feels about you," Li said with a genuine smile (AU: You don't get a lot of THAT, do you?)

"Thanks Li-kun. You know, if I knew you were so good at this, I should've just let you figure things out on your own back then," Tomoyo said with a hug.

-The Kinomoto house-

"Just go, Sakura-chan! Please, for me?" whispered Tomoyo as she pretended to beg on her knees.

"But…but…" Sakura was just about to object when she looked into her friend's puppy eyes. "All right, all right. Get up," she whispered back as she lend the dark haired girl a hand. Immediately, Tomoyo threw her arms around Sakura's neck.

"You're the best, you're the best," she whispered happily. She's finally going to know what Kinomoto Touya thought about her. As Sakura entered his room, Tomoyo leaned her ear onto the door. Vaguely, she heard their conversation.

"Onee-san," Sakura addressed him. Tomoyo heard the wheels on his chair squeak, noting that he'd turned around to face her. "I have a question to ask you," the soft voice echoed through the room.

"With what, physics? Math? Biology?" Touya trailed off with a list of subjects.

"No, it's about Tomoyo-chan…" Sakura said softly.

This immediately grabbed his attention and he became alert and concern. "What about Daidouji-san? I-is she in trouble? Or…" his mind went off with a number of possibilities, which panic struck his heart. Seeing how he was so nervous, Sakura thought it was a good sign.

However, Tomoyo only noticed how he'd called her so formally. Didn't they know each other well enough to use first names? That was strike one for Tomoyo. "Well, we were just wondering… do you care for her as a younger sister?" the soft voice came from the other side of the door.

Touya hesitated for a second, wondering whether or not he should tell his sister the truth. However, this seemed pretty urgent, so he should think of something quick. "Of course, what is it? Is she hurt?"

'Strike two,' Tomoyo thought as she got teary-eyed. She'd hoped that he didn't think of her as a younger sister, because no older brother would fall in love with their sister. 'God, please let him get the right answer for the next question,' she silently prayed, hoping desperately that God would hear her pleas.

"Well, do you like 'like' anyone right now, Oni-san? Just answer the question, it's really important," Sakura asked. Tomoyo pressed her ear hard against the door for the answer. It was as if her whole life depended on the answer.

"Actually… there is someone I have my eye on," was the reply.

'Strike three and you're out,' Tomoyo thought as tears stung her eyes. Knowing that she can't hold it in, she covered her mouth and ran back to Sakura's room to get her things.

Hearing the noise coming from outside the room, the two siblings peeked out the door. They were just in time to see Tomoyo run down the stairs frantically. "Tomoyo-chan! Where are you going? It's pouring outside!" Sakura called after her best friend.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I just… I just really need to leave right now!" She replied. Touya felt heartbroken when he heard the sobs in her voice. He stood there in awe for a second as he stared after her. Suddenly, he felt a hand hit his chest.

"Well, what in the world are you waiting for?" Sakura asked. "Go after her!"

"Right, that," immediately, he grabbed an umbrella and a jacket and sprinted after Tomoyo.

"Thank God for soccer practices," he muttered as he ran down the slippery streets. After about half an hour of searching, he found her sitting on the steps leading up to the temple. His heart nearly broke into two when he saw her with her knees bent up, arms crossed, and head down. Even though he couldn't see her face, he could tell she's crying by the shaking of her shoulders. "Daidouji-san?"

"Go away," she wailed. "Just leave me alone." In all his memories of the sweet, quiet girl, he'd never seen her like this. Concern swept over him and instead of following her command, he stepped even closer and sat down next to her.

"Silly girl, you know you can get sick, being soaked in the rain like that? Now tell me what's wrong?" He asked tenderly as he wrapped his arms around the soaked girl, providing warmth. He noticed that the umbrella wasn't big enough to provide shelter for both of them, so he moved it directly over her. When Tomoyo remained silent, he said in a more stern voice. "Daidouji-san?"

"You want to know what's wrong?" She screamed as she suddenly stood up and the umbrella hit the ground. He's still staring at her, amazed. The Tomoyo he knew would never have outbursts like that. "The problem with me is that I love you! There, I said it, all right? I'll just tell you straight out instead of telling Sakura-chan to run these errands for me! I love you, I love you, I love you! But you only see me as a younger sister! You… you'll never feel the same way about me…" she screamed as she ran down the stairs, trying to escape one more time.

However, this time, he didn't just stand there. He'd absorbed the material quickly, because he'd heard it over and over in his dreams. Immediately, he ran after her and grabbed her arm. She nearly tripped, but instead he pulled her back and held her in a tight hug. "Please say that again. Tell me how you feel about me again," he whispered in her ear.

"God, Kinomoto Touya. I already said it four times. I love you, all right? Is that all right with you? I know you love someone already, but—"

"The one I love, Daidouji Tomoyo, is you," he said softly as he slowly descended to meet her lips. It was a very light kiss, but it was enough to awaken all the warm and soft emotions within them like a whirlwind. Still amazed, Tomoyo could only gawk at him. "It's always been you." It felt so good to just let it out. So in the pouring rain, they stood for hours in their warm embrace. While the rest of the world was in the melancholy black and white, their world was filled with color and warmth.