A/N: Gah, this was supposed to be out on Valentine's Day, but my river of inspiration dried up and delayed it by a day. I sincerely apologise to all you lovebirds out there, and especially you, Possk!

Wow, the more I read this, the more pointless and boring it seems... But I suppose we're all our own worst critic, and I'm no exception. Hope the rest of you enjoy!

...

"Sakura, it's too dangerous! Come down, I'll do it!"

"Syaoran-kun, you worry too much!" the girl called down from where she was straining precariously on a tree branch, attempting to return a fuzzy baby bird to its nest. "It's not that high, and he hopped up to me!"

"Well it'd be one thing if you still had your staff, but even that's gone now," he protested further, his arms twitching as though poised to catch her at any moment.

"We're at school," she explained good-naturedly, "I wouldn't use the Cards even if I could – ah! There, you're safe now," she cooed, gently stroking the chick's head before looking down at Syaoran with a triumphant grin.

"You have your wind summon magic, don't you? Doesn't that make you feel better?" she snickered, apparently finding it amusing that she could turn the mighty Syaoran into such a nervous mess.

"I'll feel better when you're down," he groaned in exasperation.

She moved away from the nest, and he thought she was going to come down at last, but she paused, much to his consternation.

"… Syaoran-kun?"

"Yeah?"

She blushed, "Could you help me, please? My skirt…"

Matching her shade of red, he nodded before climbing up – not sure whether he was elated or unhappy about having to rescue her after all.

Moments later, both were safely on the ground and relatively unscathed, minus a few scratches from the bark. Syaoran was reluctant to let go of her, somehow convinced she was grievously wounded or something, she figured.

Ignoring his incessant attentions, Sakura stretched her arms above her head – to which he responded by flicking his eyes over the exposed skin for injury – and sighed.

"That was fun," she remarked playfully, making him glare. "Almost like the old days."

Syaoran brushed the loose debris from his uniform and snorted, "Yeah, well… I think that's enough adventuring for one day. Time to go home and live our now-normal lives."

Grinning, Sakura held out her hand in invitation, which he accepted after he was sure both of them were sufficiently dusted off.

It was early August and the air was humid and heavy, causing moist droplets to cling to the pair of twelfth graders as they made their way down the street and away from school. Despite the sun beating down on them, their hands were firmly clasped, and both wore matching smiles of contentment.

"Syaoran-kun, this heat doesn't bother you much, does it?" the girl asked, noticing his lack of usual complaints concerning Japanese climate at one of its extremes.

Syaoran shrugged, "Nah, Hong Kong is near the equator, so I'm used to this kind of weather. And you? You like crisp summers, don't you?"

She giggled, "I do, but… I think I can make an exception this time, because it means it's not likely to rain tomorrow night."

"Rain? Why?"

Sakura looked a little put out by his confusion, but squeezed his hand patiently.

"It's the Tanabata festival, remember? We go every year?"

His eyes widened in understanding, before his smile was back, though a little sheepish this time.

"That's right, the story's a little different in Japan, isn't it? I'd forgotten it was already almost the 7th."

"Do you have your wishes ready?"

He stopped, causing Sakura to pause as well, and turned her towards him. He fingered the promise ring adorning her left hand absentmindedly, and sighed happily before meeting her jade green eyes with his own.

"With us in our last year of high school, there's only one thing I want."

Blushing, Sakura couldn't help but nod, smiling shyly but brightly.

"Yeah… Me too."

Before she could say anything further, Syaoran was closing the distance between them, and in the space it took her to breathe she was in his arms, cradled protectively as their lips met. The ground seemed to dip and drop out from under her, and she pressed herself closer to him in bliss, curling her fingers around the fabric covering his chest, making him smile against her.

A mechanical 'click' and very distinct chortling brought their attention away from each other and to the beaming face of a dark haired girl.

"T-Tomoyo-chan… How long have you been there?" Sakura's face was a lovely shade of red, and she could only assume Syaoran's was of a similar color, as she was too embarrassed to look at him.

"Pardon the intrusion you two, but I just had to capture Sakura's ultra-cute "lovey" face on tape this time!"

Sakura drooped, as if exhausted from sheer awkwardness, "Th-This time…?"

Syaoran cleared his throat, though it took him two tries, "Daidouji, have you been waiting for us this whole time?"

Tomoyo laughed again, covering her mouth with a coy hand.

"Of course not, Li-kun, that would just be creepy. I merely forgot something at school and was on my way back when I saw you two being so adorable."

Sakura and Syaoran finally looked at each other, pink dusting both of their cheeks. Some things never changed, no matter how old they all got.

For a while, nothing but the chirping of the cicadas buzzed in their ears, before Tomoyo finally broke the silence.

"Well, I've bothered you lovebirds for long enough. I really did forget something rather important."

"Tomoyo-chan, will you be at the festival tomorrow?"

The girl looked suddenly distraught.

"I'm extremely sorry, but I have something I must finish. Alas, it seems I won't be capturing "Beautiful Festival Sakura-chan" on film this year."

"T-Tomoyo-chan…" Sakura didn't think her embarrassment could escalate any higher, despite being used to her friends' antics. Somehow it was different with Syaoran right there; even if he was used to them, too.

"Well then, until tomorrow," the dark haired girl dipped her head politely.

"See you tomorrow."

"Yeah…"

Sakura was the first to start giggling once they were alone. At first Syaoran just looked at her like she was making fun of him, which only made her laugh harder until he relented and joined her.

Holding out her hand again, Sakura's giggling fit slowly subsided as she said, "Let's go, Syaoran-kun. Onii-chan and dad aren't home and we need to get there before Kero-chan eats all the snacks."

…

"Of course I didn't eat them all!" the little creature protested huffily.

"Is that true? You left some for us to study with?" she questioned in a dry voice.

"Sakura…" Kero was suddenly very serious, "Would I jeopardize my chance at festival sweets?" His dotted eyes somehow managed to look wide and innocent.

Sakura couldn't take it and broke out in giggles.

"Okay, Kero-chan, that's enough. I believe you," she waved him off. "You left some of Syaoran-kun's favorite, right?"

"If I didn't, you'd really be mad at me," he was pouting, now.

"Great!" Sakura clapped her hands together in triumph and gave Syaoran a determined look. "I'll get tea and snacks and then we can finish our homework!"

"Can I help with something?" the boy asked.

"That's all right, I'll be done in a second. Make yourself at home in the meantime."

With that, she was gone; disappearing into the kitchen leaving nothing but happy humming in her wake. With nothing better to do than wait for his beloved, Syaoran took a seat on the living room sofa, eyeing the lion-like beast as he hovered close by.

"Aah… I wanted some dango, too."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow.

"With all the snacks you've likely already eaten? Glutton…"

Without a word, Kero turned, leaving the boy to yelp as little fangs sunk deeply into his hand. Shaking the appendage wildly, Syaoran tried to dislodge the creature, but only succeeded when he let go willingly as Sakura came storming back into the room after apparently hearing the ruckus and inferring what had happened.

"Kero-chan, knock it off! It's not his fault you ate all the sweets I left for you, already," she scolded, slamming down the tray containing their tea and dango so that even Syaoran shrunk down into his seat a little.

"Hmph, you're always taking the brat's side now that you guys are getting married," Kero pouted, making both teens faces color exponentially. "But I guess I'll let it go for today."

Trying to tamp down her blush proved futile, so Sakura settled for clearing her throat awkwardly, "Anyway Kero-chan, we have to study in my room, so if you're going to play games, move them down here. Onii-chan and dad won't be home until late, so just don't leave them out, okay?"

"Right!" Kero's energy was back in full swing. "Today I'm going to break my record and make Suppie cry tears of envy!"

His prattling continued as they followed him upstairs, where he swiftly unhooked the array of cords and hefted the gaming device above his head with surprising strength, then fluttered back downstairs with a victorious cry.

Syaoran sighed while Sakura giggled.

"What subjects do you have?" he asked, smiling a little due to her laughs.

"Just math," she looked sheepish, "And you know how bad I am at that."

"I have that too, so we can work on it together."

For an hour the only sounds were the ones coming in from the open window, Kero's occasional voicing of defeat, or one of them quietly asking about or explaining a problem. Syaoran was the better mathematician and finished before her, but he was patiently helpful and it wasn't long before she was letting out a triumphant shout of completion and throwing her hands up in the air.

"Finally done!"

His heart almost stopped when she looked at him, gratitude shining in her green orbs. After all these years, she still had that power over him, and he relished in it. This was the girl that was going to be his wife, after all, and he felt he couldn't be happier about that fact.

…

Dusk found the duo curled around each other on the floor, propped up by cushions and the tray of empty teacups and eaten dango pushed to the side. The weather forecast buzzed quietly through the room from her TV, both wanting to know if they could expect rain on the festival. They'd dozed lightly for a few hours, before conversing about trivial things and generally enjoying each other's company.

"Syaoran-kun?"

"Hmm?" he hummed contentedly.

"Are you… nervous about getting married?"

He sighed while brushing her bangs out of her face affectionately.

"Are you?"

Sakura fingered her promise ring and smiled.

"No… and yes. It's scary, but at the same time I'm so, so happy."

"Me too. I know it's a huge step for anyone, but it's one I want to take with you. I just can't help worrying about the little things."

"You've always been like that," she nodded from where her head was tucked under his chin.

He laughed nervously, "Just thinking about it makes me terrified and ecstatic all at the same time…"

"I feel the same," she giggled. "It's like someone's filling my head and heart with warm cotton so that I just want to glow, all while my stomach chokes itself and tells me it's all too much."

"Yeah…"

"You still want to be an archeologist eventually, don't you?"

"I do if I can get into a good college and still support us."

She nodded in understanding, before a blush bloomed across her face and she bit her lip.

"Tomoyo-chan still wants me to become the model for her fashion company when it opens… But that's so embarrassing, I'm not sure what to do."

He chuckled openly at her expense, until she finally scolded him, enunciating her point with a sharp poke to his chest.

"Sorry, it's just kind of funny to hear the powerful and headstrong Mistress of the Sakura Cards worrying over what other people want her to be."

"It's not funny," she insisted, though his amusement did make her smile a little. "I can divine the future if I choose, yet I can't decide on the age-old question of what I want to be when I grow up."

"Sakura, you'll be fine. The troubles caused by the Cards and Hiiragizawa are over and you don't have to become what Clow was, anymore. Just live your life the way you want. 'You're sure to be all right,' right?"

She laughed outright.

"Everyone's always using those words against me, now. I swear, I never should have taken on that spell."

His thumbs stroked over her back, showing he was serious.

"Thank you, Syaoran-kun. You're right, I don't have to be Clow-san for anyone, anymore, and I have plenty of time to decide what I want to do long-term."

Syaoran pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead and wrapped his arms tighter around her. "You don't have to get a job if you don't want to, you know."

She shook her head and reciprocated the tightening of arms.

"No, if we're getting married, then I want it to be a partnership. With one or both of us taking college classes, there's no reason for you to support us by yourself."

He nodded his understanding, though she suspected he'd already known her answer from the start.

"No matter what either of us chooses, I love you, Sakura. That won't ever change."

She hugged him close to her in happiness, pushing her cheek against the flat expanse of his chest.

"I love you, too. No matter what."

…

The next day at school passed quickly and uneventfully for the young couple. The festival held in Tomoeda that night promised to be warm and rain-free, and Sakura was prattling on about how happy she was that the lovers would be able to meet while they walked home.

"Hey, Syaoran-kun, what yukata do you think I should wear tonight?" her excitement was a tangible thing.

He shrugged, though his amusement showed in his small smile.

"What about the one you wore last year? You looked really pretty and it matched your ring."

Sakura giggled. The year prior, she'd come across some emerald fabric that matched her eyes perfectly, adorned with pink cherry blossoms just like her promise ring, and sewn it into a rather stunning summer kimono.

"I suppose there's no need to fix what isn't broken," she tittered, "I'll get it ready when I get home."

…

That night, Kero kept well out of the way as Hurricane Sakura swept through the room to prepare for Syaoran picking her up. Her hair was down, with a forgotten decorative pin still clenched between her teeth, as she tied and re-tied her obi compulsively.

Timidly, her guardian fluttered up to take the hair pin – a modest cherry blossom piece – and place it in her short locks.

"Two lovers that were punished for being together and cursed to be stars separated by the Heavenly River, huh?" he sighed. "But it's not raining tonight, so the magpies can fly up and form a bridge for them, right?"

"Syaoran-kun says the story about that's a little different in China, but yes; that's why I'm in such a good mood!"

"I'm happy about that, but why make a festival for lovers?"

"Hoe?"

Kero's eyes took on a heavenly shine.

"Festivals should be about the food!"

Sakura snickered a little before finally deciding the pink obi holding her yukata together was satisfactory, and grabbing the orange creature to swing him around happily.

"Kero-chan, if you're good, I'll be sure to bring back some treats for you!" she lilted in a sing-song voice, heedless of his increasing dizziness.

Breaking away before he was sick, Kero vigorously belted out his approval, "Right! I want modanyaki and the dango I didn't get yesterday!"

She giggled before nodding exuberantly, her good mood blossoming even further.

Just then there was the ring of the doorbell, and Sakura sped down the stairs before her brother could answer, grabbing her coin purse and a small package before leaving her drooling guardian behind.

…

Even with such a clear night, it wasn't very crowded and there was plenty of room on the handful of carnival rides available. They partook in some of the more leisurely ones, enjoying the warm night air and each other's company. He won her a few plushies at the games; they ate takoyaki and sampled different types of wagashi, making a game out of picking the best ones to bring home for Kero.

"Syaoran-kun, do you want to get our tanzaku, now?" her voice was still chipper, and made him smile.

"Sure, then we can get our lotus lantern, too."

"Do you only have the one wish?" Sakura asked, blushing as she brought it up again.

Syaoran pondered that, looking up at the sky as they walked. Shadows played on his simple blue-grey yukata.

"No, I'll probably pray I get into a good college soon, too. For us both to have good health… the usual."

"Me too. Maybe I'll pray to find a good career choice in life, soon."

She looked at him with such dazzling happiness that he forgot to breathe for the second time in two days, staring with a simultaneous blush and smile. However, she remained oblivious to his silent adoration and merely continued beaming.

'Some things never change,' he mused, taking her hand as they arrived at the kiosk.

Lantern and several tanzaku papers in hand, the couple sat in a quiet location to write their wishes together. Sakura chewed on the end of her brush, and Syaoran forwent finishing his last wish to watch her think. The yukata really did bring out her eyes and make her look beautiful, with pink patterns of her namesake embroidered on the garment. Unbidden, an image of her in a wedding dress popped into his mind, and he smiled whimsically.

The sound of her voice calling his name broke him out of his musings not a moment later. "Syaoran-kun?"

He just looked at her dumbly.

"… Huh?

She smiled good-naturedly and repeated herself, "Did you need help with any kanji?"

To be honest, after several years in Japan, he rarely found himself struggling with the differences in kanji anymore, but occasionally he would pretend… If only to have an excuse for her to sit close to him; sometimes getting her to gently guide his hand with hers. It was a childish secret that he'd likely never admit to anyone, but he indulged himself, now.

"Yeah… I'm not sure about the Japanese reading for this one I want to write."

Muttering a soft apology for intruding upon his wish, to which he snorted and waved off her concern, Sakura scooted closer until she was pressed against his side, and he leaned into her, inhaling her gentle scent. She smelled of cherry blossoms and something wholly her that could never be imitated by anyone or anything.

"See, you use this kanji here, in Japanese," she explained, taking his hand to draw it out with him. He let her, keeping her unaware of his struggle to resist nuzzling his nose into her throat to get a better smell. He settled for nodding diligently until she pulled her hand and body away, breaking him out of his trance.

"Understand?" his favorite girl was all smiles.

Syaoran's face colored as he stared; still reeling in how she could affect him like this.

"Uh… Yeah. Thanks."

"Are you done with your wishes?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"Great!" she sat up, tugging on his hand a little to get him to follow her, "Then we can set them adrift!"

"Sure…"

Dozens of lights dotted the water's surface when they reached the river, most couples having gathered to pray to the twin star lovers.

"It's so pretty! Isn't it pretty, Syaoran-kun?"

He was staring at her again when he answered, transfixed by the way the soft glowing lantern lights reflected off her jade eyes.

"Yeah…"

She giggled at his consistently blunt answers, before tugging him over to the water's edge. Finding a strong point of the current, Sakura filled the petals of their paper lotus with the colored slips of paper containing the written wishes, and placed it reverently atop the water. It drifted languidly downstream until it joined the other lights and was no longer distinguishable from its brethren. They both watched it go contentedly, before Syaoran looked at Sakura again, noticing she seemed deep in thought.

Sakura finally tore her eyes away from the sea of lanterns to fix her gaze on the similarly glimmering mass of stars, where two bright sapphires shone from separate sides of the Milky Way.

'Thank you for letting me stay beside Syaoran-kun, and not keeping us separated like you were forced to be.'

"Is something bothering you?" his concerned voice broke her out of her thoughts.

Shaking her head slowly, she smiled warmly.

"No, just thinking about them."

Lifting his eyes to the two stars she'd just been looking at, he caught her meaning.

"I guess it's a sad story," he agreed, "But it teaches couples not to take each other for granted and live every day together to the fullest."

"It's not just that… I'm glad we didn't end up like them," she stated somberly.

His hand was suddenly on her shoulder, prompting her to look up at him.

"I never would have told you I loved you if I'd planned to just leave you, Sakura. Even if my family was against it, I would have found a way to come back to you."

"Syaoran-kun…"

Blushing a little at the utter adoration in her eyes, he cleared his throat and stroked his thumb over the shoulder he rested his hand on.

"Anyway, you've been carrying that little package around since we left your house. Are you planning to tell me what it is?"

It was her turn to blush this time, as she looked between him and the parcel like she'd forgotten she had it.

"Uh, here!" she stammered, and offered it to him awkwardly.

"For me?" he sounded surprised, "Thank you… Can I open it?"

She nodded stiffly.

"I know it's off-season, but last time I was at your apartment I noticed yours was so worn out… You've had it about eight years, after all."

He pulled away the carefully wrapped paper, revealing a dark green scarf. Running his fingers over the knitted kanji for his name, he smiled.

"I-If you don't like it, I can make you something else. You just seemed to use the last one I made you so much that I-"

He leaned in to capture her lips with his own, effectively silencing her. When he pulled away, she was positively crimson. "I like it. And you're right, I did need another one. This is perfect, Sakura."

If she could glow any brighter – both in color and figuratively – he didn't know, but he held on to the image, embracing her tightly and kissing her forehead. He hoped she would look like this on their wedding day.

The stars sparkled down at them.

…

School the next day passed by in another blur, students flocking out the door to try and beat the heat on their respective ways home. Sakura and Syaoran proceeded to his apartment, since Sakura didn't have any chores to do with her brother at home.

"You were right, Syaoran-kun. Kero-chan didn't leave a single bite to get him through today," the girl giggled.

"Cerberus is a glutton; yet somehow you're always surprised," he responded, rolling his eyes at the mental image of an overstuffed winged lion. "Bet he really looks like a stuffed animal, now."

Sakura laughed and was about to reply, when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," he said, pushing her down with a gentle hand on her shoulder when she started to rise, "You just relax."

Hearing the door open in the other room, Syaoran spoke only one word after the soft 'click':

"Daidouji?"

Getting up regardless of what he'd said, Sakura made her way to the door, surprised to find her best friend indeed waiting there.

"Tomoyo-chan? What are you doing here?"

"I'm glad you're both here! I'm terribly sorry for the intrusion, but I was so excited that I felt this couldn't wait," the dark haired girl was positively aglow, radiant smile in place.

"Wh-What couldn't wait?" Syaoran sounded rightfully nervous, considering what Tomoyo usually got excited for.

She didn't disappoint, whipping out a colorful bag and handing it to the both of them.

"M-More clothes? My Card days are over, you know, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura sounded a little guilty about that fact in the face of her friend's enthusiasm.

"Yes, I know. But these are not just any clothes, Sakura-chan."

Pulling out the white material, Sakura gasped and nearly dropped the garment. It had of course already been decided that Tomoyo would custom make their wedding clothes – provided she kept to a more modest design than usual – but the white creation was a beautiful style of shiromuku; the embroidered phoenix that blazed across the front of it nearly took her breathe away with the sheer skill that made it almost look alive.

Syaoran noticed the phoenix as well.

"That's-"

Sakura looked at him in confusion, but Tomoyo just smiled warmly.

"There's one more in there."

Syaoran carefully lifted the silk black tangzhuang, and wasn't surprised to see a dragon coiling its way over the front of that as well.

"I did some research, and found what suited you both best. I hope they're to your liking."

"Tomoyo-chan, they're beautiful! What do the dragon and phoenix symbolize?"

To her surprise it was Syaoran who answered.

"They're wedding symbols from China. They represent yin and yang, balance, and eternal love."

Cradling the dress to her at that, Sakura felt tears well up in her eyes as she looked at the friend who had always been there for her through thick and thin, and was now bestowing her with the best wedding blessing she could have given.

Pulling Tomoyo into a fierce hug, Sakura thanked her quietly, Syaoran voicing his gratitude as well, still a little in awe at the gift, himself.

"No matter what happened, even in the past, you two were always able to get through it because you were together," Tomoyo stated softly, smoothing her hands over Sakura's back. "I fully believe in you both, and I know you'll make it through any future hurdles as well. I wish you all the best in your life together."

The tears overflowed and poured down Sakura's cheeks as she and Syaoran looked at each other. Tomoyo was right; no matter what awaited them in this new adventure, at least they would always be together. And if anything ever tried to separate them, well… They still had magic to take care of that.

...

A/N: Okay, okay, so it's not really a Valentine's fic. But the Tanabata Festival is based off the Chinese Qi Xi Festival, which is occassionally referred to as "Chinese Valentine's Day" so I felt it appropriate. It's a bigger deal than Valentine's Day in Japan, anyway.

(Lost in) translation notes:

- What happened to Sakura's staff: For those of you not reading CLAMP's newest story "Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles," Sakura gave her staff away to a version of herself from another universe, in order to pay a witch for a world-saving service. Confused yet? Syaoran's interest in archeology is another nod to Tsubasa.

- Tanabata: Based off the Chinese Qi Xi Festival, it literally reads "Evening of the Seventh" and takes place on August 7th. The version of the story that I'm going with is that the fairy who lived in heaven fell in love with the mortal cow herder during her trip to earth and decided to lead an ordinary life with him there. However since love between a fairy and mortal is forbidden, they were punished by the Gods and turned into stars (Altair and Vega), separated by the heavenly river (aka Milky Way). On the seventh day of the seventh month, out of pity for them, the magpies of the world fly up to heaven and make a bridge across the river so that they can meet. (More influenced by the Chinese version, but vague enough to fit both.) In Japan it is said that if it is raining, the magpies can't fly up to heaven and the lovers have to wait another year, whereas in China it is said that it will rain on this night due to the tears shed by them when they meet.

- Dango: A Japanese dumpling made from rice flour dough, usually covered in sweet sauce and served on a skewer to be eaten with tea.

- Yukata: A casual summer kimono usually made from cotton. Tied together with an obi (sash) that is tied in a bow in the back.

- Modanyaki: Okonomiyaki (a dish made of batter, cabbage, and a variety of other ingredients that vary from region to region) with fried noodles on top.

- Takoyaki: Dumpling cooked with a sauce similar to Worcestershire and typically filled with octopus bits, pickled ginger, and green onion.

- Wagashi: Traditional Japanese confections made for serving with tea. They are usually made with mochi (rice flour), adzuki beans (sweet red beans), or fruit.

- Tanzaku: A long, narrow card or strip of paper on which Japanese poems (or in the case of Tanabata; wishes) are written.

- Differences in kanji: Kanji (logographic writing system) was originally from China, and later adopted by Japan. While they use most of the same characters, the readings and pronounciations are very different, hence why Syaoran often had trouble in the anime.

- The scarf: Tanabata and Qi Xi were originally for women to pray to become better at craftsmanship, back when that was more relevent, and so Sakura knitting Syaoran a new scarf was only natural, in a traditional way.

- Shiromuku: A traditional Shinto (the dominant religion in Japan) wedding kimono. Google can show you far better than I can explain.

- Tangzhuang: A traditional Chinese jacket typically worn by men. Again, Google can show you far better than I can explain it.

- The dragon and the phoenix: In Chinese Taoism, the phoenix is typically seen as a female symbol of fire, while the dragon is its' counterpart of water, so just as Syaoran said: as wedding symbols they represent yin/yang, balance and harmony, and thus, eternal love. They are often seen on wedding invitations and sometimes the garments or cake.