Title: Watching Over

Author: Tressa

Rating: K

Summary: Yue reflects on his duty to protect Sakura as he watches over her as she sleeps.

Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura or any of the characters or ideas associated with it. They are owned by CLAMP. This is for the enjoyment and love of the series. No money is being made from this.

A/N: Aughh! Yue is so difficult to write! I did my best, so I apologize if he isn't IC.

CCS

If anyone had looked at Kinomoto Sakura, they would've seen a normal, cheerful and friendly girl. He half wondered if everyone's attraction to her was of supernatural origin or simply her joyful and friendly nature. Either way, there were many people who were delighted to make her acquaintance.

It had been several years since she had become his Mistress and despite the hole left by Clow Reed, he had agreed to her position.

He stood there in the moonlight, watching the stead rising and falling of her chest as she slept, a few strands of hair fluttering as she exhaled softly. For Yue, it was a duty that he had eventually come to honor - the duty of being her guardian.

Silently walking toward the bed, he knelt down beside it, careful to not disturb the sleeping girl who occupied it. The past few weeks had been plagued with nightmares and it was all he could do to help her sleep, albeit fitfully. Sometimes, she would have to be waken, other times it was better to let her sleep through it. As her breathing sped up, though, and became erratic, though, it appeared that it was going to be another night when she would have to be woken. He jerked back, not use to being so close when the nightmarish images invaded her sleep. Her eyes squeezed tighter and her hands gripped the blankets, shaking.

Cautiously, he reached out toward her, only to pull his hand back as she let out a strangled cry.

"Sakura!"

A voice and small figure appeared in his peripheral vision and Yue silently thanked his creator that he had someone else to help with his Mistress' troubles. Sometimes, Cerberos was all she needed to calm her down. The smaller guardian fluttered his wings anxiously before landing tentatively on the bed, near her head. Yue watched as he began to shake her, though with little success due to his small arms. "Sakura! Wake up, Sakura!"

She began to trash around, kicking the stuffed bear that was her constant companion off the bed. Cerberus took flight again as her head jerked side to side, her sobs and tears making the scene surreal.

"Yue!" Cerberus whispered loudly.

Without further hesitation, he reached out with his hand and touched her forehead, hoping to calm her mind and spirit. It was his job to protect her; his sworn duty to guard her. He could protect her from evil and from harm, from those that outwardly threatened her. And yet, it seemed as though his most difficult task was protecting her from herself and her nightmares. Her fear radiated in waves from her and he could feel her struggling to break free.

"Mistress," he prodded gently. "Sakura-san. You need to wake up."

"Sakura!" Cerberus continued to flutter anxiously above her. "Sakura! Wake up!"

To both their surprise, her eyes flew open and shifted nervously as though she was reaffirming where she was. Then, just as suddenly, she reached up, plucking Cerberus from the air and launched herself at Yue.

Hands grabbed desperately at his robes, tears falling freely. This particular reaction had only happened once before, and he still wasn't sure exactly how to react to this. "Yue-san," she sobbed, burying her face in his clothes, Cerberus still clutched in her hand.

If anyone of the aforementioned people associated with his Mistress had seen her like this, it would've been cause for extreme worry. Happy, cheerful, energetic - these were all words used to describe her. He felt her shaking body against his as she continued to sob.

Ever so cautiously, he laid a hand on her head. His touch seem to encourage her as her tears multiplied.

Maintaining contact, he slowly stood up and shifted himself to the side of the bed. She still wasn't awake, at least not fully; the only sounds coming from her were whimpers.

"She's still not awake completely," Cerberus gasped in the tight grasp of their Mistress before he was able to free himself. "And I don't want her brother to wake up. He's sure to notice something with the way she's crying."

"Mistress." Grasping her shoulders, he pushed he back gently. "Wake up."

He didn't know what it was, if it was his voice or the sudden realization that she was no longer crying into his robes, but she seemed to waken.

"It was horrible," she managed. "Horrible."

"I'm here to protect you, Mistress," Yue replied. Offering comfort was not one of his strong points. He never had to do this when Clow Reed was around.

She sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "This always happens, doesn't it."

"It's fine," he said as he waited for her to calm down. "Is everything okay?"

She nodded, still sniffling. "I'm fine." She then smiled at him. It was a strained smile, but a smile none the less. "Thank you. For waking me up."

"You don't have to thank us, Sakura," Cerberus broke in. "We were worried about you."

"I know," she said, the smile on her face still strained. "I can still thank you, though."

She still looked frightened, in Yue's eyes. But as usual, she was putting up a brave front, despite it not being the first time this situation had occurred. Sliding off the bed, he lifted the covers and gestured for her to lie down. "Do not worry," he said. "Go to sleep." As if verifying his assurances, Cerberus fluttered down on her pillow and lay next to her. The tiny guardian made a production of making himself comfortable before winking at both of them. "Good night, Sakura. Yue."

Heaving a sigh of patience, he managed a smile at the giggle that escaped his Mistress' lips before she closed her eyes and slept peacefully. Standing up, he leaned against the wall and watched. The next morning she would arise, a bit tired, shadows under her eyes. But her personality would be energetic and the dreams that plagued her that night would be set aside as she went through out her day.

The moonlight filtered through her curtains and illuminated her peaceful expression. And Yue stood watch, continuing the stewardship given to him.