Christmas Kiss

Author Note: This is a Secret Santa gift for RaikageAlex in DeviantArt.

Disclaimer: The characters of this fic belong to CLAMP, I claim no rights. Only the idea for this fanfic are my own.

Syaoran took a step back for a full view of the table and nodded his approval; it was set for two with the Christmas cake that he made that afternoon placed in the middle. When the doorbell rang he took a quick look around his apartment before moving to answer the door. He knew who it was without a doubt, and had been awaiting her arrival.

Sakura gave him a bright smile when the door was opened and held out a bucket for him to accept. "Dinner has arrived!" It was chicken from KFC – the traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Japan. Syaoran took the container and stepped aside for Sakura to enter.

Syaoran's apartment was in one of the newer buildings built in Tomoeda and had all of the most modern, futuristic furnishings; including a neo-modern Franklin stove fireplace. Sakura gasp at the sight before her. The light from the fire and the votive candles in the center of the kotatsu coffee table gave a romantic glow to the living room.

"Oh, Syaoran; it's so pretty!"

Syaoran led her forward and set their dinner on the table.

It was their first Christmas Eve together since Syaoran's return from China. It was also Sakura's first time alone with him in his apartment. Usually Tomoyo and their other school friends were also there for study group.

Sakura knelt at the Kotatsu, Syaoran knelt across from her; his close proximity and the atmosphere warmed her cheeks. In the attempt to start a conversation, she took special interest in the cake. "It looks so good. Did you really make it yourself?"

Syaoran vocalized his answer and nodded. He was transfixed by the way the reflection of the firelight danced around her.

"Sugoi! Syaoran is so amazing!" Sakura exclaimed and glanced up to find him staring at her. "Wh… What is it?" Self conscious of her appearance, she smoothed her hair away from her face.

"Huh?" Syaoran blinked out of his daze. "Oh, it's nothing." He hid his nervousness by turning his attention to the food. "Let's eat! I'm starved!"

Sakura giggled and moved to serve the chicken; lately he always seemed to be hungry. She blamed it on all of the training that he still did, and the fact that he had grown another two and a half centimeters since summer vacation.

They were half way through dinner when the doorbell rang again. After exchanging a wide-eyed look of confusion Syaoran stood to answer the door. "Who in the world is it at a time like this?"

Sakura jumped up to follow after him. She caught his arm and pulled him to a stop. "What if it's Onii-chan?" she whispered in worry. Though Touya now shared an apartment with Yukito in Tokyo, there was still the possibility that he had called home and that Otousan had told him that she wasn't there. Touya still did his best to keep her and Syaoran apart whenever possible; if it wasn't for Yukito, his complex would get out of hand.

Syaoran looked down at her from over his shoulder. There was a glint in his eye at the mention of her brother. "Don't worry about it, I can handle him." The doorbell rang again. Refusing to let go of his arm, Sakura walked with him to the door. After looking through the peep hole, Syaoran let out a sigh of exasperation and smacked his forehead. He moaned in frustration as he slid his hand down over his face. Sakura looked up at him with concern.

"What's wrong? Who is it?"

Syaoran opened the door to reveal who was on the other side. "Hello, Tomoyo."

"Tomoyo?" Sakura repeat the name and peeked around Syaoran at her best friend. "What are you doing here?"

Tomoyo pushed under Syaoran's arm and entered the apartment. "To record your Christmas Eve together, of course!" She produced her video camera from out of nowhere and spun around to face them. "Syaoran wouldn't let me wire the apartment, so this is the only other way."

Syaoran's reason for not letting her wire the apartment was because he had been secretly planning to kiss Sakura for the first time, after giving her his gift.

"I need footage for the movie that I'm working on," Tomoyo continued to explain through Syaoran's thoughts. "Oh, good! You haven't had the Christmas cake yet," she exclaimed when they returned to the Kokatsu. She zoomed the camera in on the table. "That gives me a great idea!" She was bouncing in excitement, "I can record you feeding one another!"

"Hoe…" Sakura breathed out in disbelief. As much as she loved Tomoyo as a friend, now wasn't the time that Sakura wanted her to be around. As part of Syaoran's Christmas present, she planned to kiss him, but she feared that she wouldn't have the nerve if someone was watching.

Tomoyo set herself in the best position for recording. "Just pretend like I'm not here."

Syaoran reached for Sakura's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. They exchanged a look that said – as clearly as if they had actually spoken it out loud – "Let's get this over with." They were used to playing the roles that Tomoyo directed – everything would work out in the end.

Sakura cut and served the Christmas cake and, as Tomoyo had suggested, fed a piece to Syaoran. He took the bite and returned the favor.

"Perfect!" Tomoyo squealed. "Now, try it again, but at the same time!"

They complied with her wishes, both feeding each other a bite of cake at the same time. Tomoyo let out a sigh of contentment. When they froze, as if waiting for further instructions, Tomoyo encouraged them forward. "Well go on, do what you would have done if I didn't stop by." Her comment made them both blush; they ate the rest of their cake in silence, both lost in their thoughts – wondering whether or not they should go through with their original idea, but neither knowing that their plans were the same. Once they were finished, Syaoran gathered their plates together and stood to take them to the kitchen.

"Let me help," Sakura offered, thinking that maybe she could give him his present out of Tomoyo's sight.

"It's okay, I've got it." Syaoran had a plan, and it would require that Sakura keep Tomoyo busy for a short while. After dropping the dishes in the Kitchen, Syaoran disappeared to his room – where he opened Sakura's present, wrote a brief message on the inside of the box, and rewrapped it. He made his was back out to the girls with the gift clearly visible; making it appear as if he had went to retrieve the gift.

Syaoran returned to his seat and gave the gift to Sakura. "It's just a little something that made me think of you," he explained when Sakura stared at him with wide eyes as she accepted the small square box.

Sakura's heart raced at the sight of the present. Could it possibly be what she thought it might be? "May I open it?" she asked in a whisper – fully aware of Tomoyo's presence.

"Of course," Syaoran nodded.

She fumbled to unwrap and open the box to see what was inside – a small golden, star shaped ring; but the ring wasn't what caught her attention. Rather, she was most curious about what was written on the inside of the lid. "Make it snow." She looked up at him and he nodded.

Thankful that she had continued to develop her magical abilities over the years and that she didn't need to release her star wand so long as she wore it around her neck and what she wanted the card to do wasn't too complicated, she stared past Syaoran, out the window behind him. She grabbed at her heart, where her star key just happened to lay, and gasped. "It's snowing!"

"Really?" Tomoyo asked and turned to look in the same direction.

Syaoran was satisfied that the distraction worked and moved in one quick, fluid motion - leaning across the table and kiss Sakura's lips. To his surprise she gave him one in return. As they stared at one another with mixed feelings of delight and embarrassment, Tomoyo realized that she had been tricked and missed out on recording their first kiss.

"No Fair!" Tomoyo whined. "Do it again!"