She looked out at the ocean, sparkling under the warmth of the sun. Her gaze remained steady, never wavering. How long had she been standing there?
In that very spot?
Day after day?
Month after month?
Year after year?
No one knew. Everyone else in the town had essentially lost track of time.
But she knew.
Ten years. Seven months. Eighteen days. If she really wanted to, she could probably count it down to the very second. People going about their daily routine at the dock were no longer fazed by her presence. She had long become a part of the typical scenery that involved the scent of the ocean, the heat of the sun, and the lively chatter of the fishermen selling their daily catch. They all knew after all, that there was reason for her being there every day.
She was waiting for someone.
He left on a ship many years ago for battle. During that time the war was about to come to a close but men were still needed. His sense of loyalty led him to the ship that was leaving the small island. However, before leaving, he left her with a request and a promise.
"Please, wait for me. I promise you, I will meet you again in this exact place. I will be back again. And when I return, there is something I must tell you."
She gazed at him with patient, yet sad and passionate eyes. "I will be here."
And she did just that. Winters came and passed. Storms blew through the island. Yet there was rarely a day the young lady did not stand on the shore.
Potential suitors appeared during this time as well. Many were enamored by her beauty and her pure heart. Many tried to win that heart over with the goal of becoming her life partner. But every male that tried saw the faraway gaze in her gentle eyes and that wistful smile and realized that they never stood a chance…for her heart had been won over long ago. So they all gave up and silently, and reluctantly, cheered her on from afar.
Of course she didn't escape the criticism of the islanders completely. Many of them believed she should have moved on.
"Why are you still waiting? There's no way he could still be alive!"
"The war ended three years ago and he has yet to return. He's probably started a life somewhere and has completely forgotten about you…or died."
"I actually heard that the ship he boarded sunk during the war. He really might be dead by now. You really shouldn't wait on a hopeless chance like that one."
"Why don't you date one of those nice gentlemen that spoke to you a few times? I'm sure you'd be happy with one of them…"
Their words fell on deaf ears. She had made up her mind long ago and nothing was going to change that.
And so it was on that day ten years, seven months, and eighteen days later…a cheer could be heard from a distance. The fishermen paused their actions. The merchants stopped trying to sell their products. The people all listened to the cheer coming from the sea. For the first time in years, the daily routine had come to a complete halt.
The young lady's eyes grew large with excitement. Her heart began to pound violently in her chest as the ship came closer and closer. The roaring in her ears grew louder with every second. She questioned what she should do until she saw him waving to her from the ship. She stared a moment longer to make sure that she really was not seeing things. It was at that moment the young woman decided to simply follow her instincts.
She ran and jumped into the ocean.
And as she swam towards the ship, the shouts of the people on land meant nothing to her. All she could see was that ship and the one person on it that she had waited years to see again.
As she swam, she suddenly felt a pair of arms surround her and she gasped in surprise and looked up. Emerald eyes locked onto amber ones. A small hand reached up to touch the man's face almost disbelievingly. He looked older than she had recalled ten years ago. She felt the scar that ran across his right eye, telling her that he had lost sight in that one. She felt his cheeks, nose, lips…and then gazed into those amber eyes once again only to realize he was smiling. Yes, he might not look exactly the same as she remembered, but none of that mattered. She could tell that the love they had for each other from all those years ago had not changed, even a little.
"Sakura…I'm home."
The young lady called Sakura kissed him passionately and in between those kisses she smiled, and laughed, and cried. "Welcome home Syaoran."
Syaoran stroked her drenched hair and kissed her tear-stained face and laughed and cried along with her. And as they floated along in the ocean, and a small boat from the ship came after them, the two remained just like that in their own world. Nothing else mattered at this moment in time. Because after ten years, seven months, and eighteen days, time had finally begun once more.
And they were not about to allow it to stop ever again.
"It's been years since we last saw each other. We're no longer the same two people but what hasn't changed is... How you make my heart melt when I see you."
~ Simba Maliki
A/N: Greetings everyone! Just wanted to present a new oneshot story after being away for so long. I hope you all enjoy it. As I mentioned on my profile, a lot has been going on and it has affected my writing in so many ways. But I'm slowly working my way back into this. I am so sorry for leaving all of you who have been reading my works hanging. It will take me some time but I do intend on completing my current stories (and hopefully start some new ones as well). That's it for now though. If you enjoyed this story or have constructive criticism to give me, I'd really appreciate it if you reviewed. Otherwise, that's it for now until next time. TTFN! :)