A/N: Title fail. Anyway, this plot follows the end of the manga, which differs slightly from the anime's ending, and foregoes the second movie altogether. Though I did keep in some aspects from the anime as well, I'm sure (it's been so long I can't remember all the differences). It was written for my good friend Possk, who has given me lovely feedback on most of what I write, and requested some CCS fluff. A shoutout does go to my other friend Danie, for helping me whenever I was lacking inspiration for a paricular scene - most of the flashbacks were her idea; and for being an honest judge, as well as helping with editing. I love you both!
...
How long had it been, since that day so many years ago?
"I love you. You're the one I love most," he'd told her, so softly.
Then only a day later, she'd made a shocking revelation that he was leaving, and returned his words, after staying up all night sewing together a teddy bear to give in return for the one he'd left her.
"Can I call it 'Sakura?'"
"Then, can I call mine 'Syaoran?'"
The now-high school girl put a hand to her face and blushed at the memory. Running after his bus as it pulled away like some kind of madwoman may not have been the most romantic course of parting ways, but she'd been so happy at the time.
Now, on her way to school, where he'd surely be waiting like always, her thoughts took a darker turn. Once he'd returned from his business in Hong Kong, they'd been practically inseparable, and that hadn't changed all that much - until this past year. Now, the boy that had once been amiable and always by her side was distracted and distant. She didn't know what was causing it, but feared it was something she'd done that he was simply too nice to tell her.
She was stopped by his voice, "Sakura."
Well… Think of someone and they shall appear, as the saying went.
She turned, plastering a smile on her face that she was sure he'd see through if he was paying any attention.
"Syaoran-kun," she started, tentatively. She really hadn't expected him to sneak up on her like that – she could usually feel his presence, but even now his aura was a little diluted to her senses. 'Hoe?'
"Y-you startled me, Syaoran-kun."
His eyes were looking everywhere but her.
"I always meet you here," he stated simply, and she looked around, realizing he was right. She'd been off in her own little world longer than she'd originally thought.
Her smile was sheepish this time, "I-I guess you do." He stuffed his hands in his uniform pockets and started towards her. Beaming, Sakura held out her hand expectantly; ever since they'd gotten over their initial shyness involving public displays of affection, they almost never missed a chance to hold hands. However, Syaoran merely continued past her, eyes on the ground like he hadn't seen her gesture at all. Again.
Face falling, Sakura bit her lip. The previously-offered hand clenched into a fist at her side as she echoed his downward gaze, heaving a shaky sigh before following him towards the gates of their school.
…
The day progressed slowly, to say the least. In homeroom class she couldn't focus because Syaoran was distractedly tapping his pencil from his seat next to her, and in the courses she didn't have with him, she was too busy thinking about his strange behavior to pay much attention.
Having just squeaked by in English, Sakura let out a long-suffering sigh as she opened the doors to homeroom once again, to at least try and get some homework done before the day was over. Her head was feeling progressively fuzzy, and it was getting hard to stay awake. She briefly had time to wonder if she was catching some bug, before a familiar figure approached her.
"Tomoyo-chan," she greeted warmly, giving her friend a tired – but sincere – smile.
"You'd better do something, Sakura-chan," her friend giggled, gesturing to the group of boys gathering around Syaoran and someone she couldn't see. "Yamazaki-kun is teasing your boyfriend again, and Chiharu-chan is in her math class."
"Teasing?"
"About deodorant, you know it smells pleasant to us, but it was originally invented as a means to keep the human-faced dogs away. It smells quite awful to them."
"Human-faced dogs? They have such an animal in Japan?"
Several boys snickered amongst themselves at the boy's gullibility, but said nothing to make him any the wiser. A few girls took pity on him, however, and sighed before leaving; presumably to get the only person who could stop the compulsive storyteller once he'd started.
"Oh yes," Takashi continued, "they are, of course, the chosen pet of ghosts, demons, and other oni, but they will occasionally take an interest in people. Once this happens, their apparition master will go into a jealous rage and kill the man or woman their beloved familiar has chosen over them. To prevent this, we created-…"
"Yes, with the usual lies, of course," Tomoyo stated brightly, but Sakura was busy clinging to her friend's waist in fear.
"Hoeeeee! It's a lie! It's a lie, right?!"
The dark-haired girl only smiled warmly, unperturbed by Sakura's predictable fear of ghosts. "Yes, yes," she patted the teen's head absentmindedly.
Syaoran was nodding his head in understanding, seemingly as taken into the story as Sakura had been. Takashi didn't have the chance to continue, however, as Chiharu suddenly burst in to come to the hapless pair's rescue. "More lies?" she demanded, clonking the boy on the head before literally dragging him – still rambling – out of the room.
The bell chose that moment to ring, signaling their freedom, and Tomoyo approached the amber-haired boy with her smile still firmly in place, Sakura trailing listlessly after her. He looked confused.
"It was a lie?"
Tomoyo hid her chortle behind a careful hand, and Sakura just looked miserable after all this talk of spirits. She was almost certain she had a fever, now, too, and could feel her body wilting by the minute.
Ever the vigilant one, Tomoyo noticed the change in her energy immediately and placed a cool hand to her forehead that felt like it was on fire.
"Oh my, you seem a little warm, Sakura-chan. The limousine will be waiting for me, shall I have them take you home as well?"
Putting on her best rendition of a smile, Sakura pumped her fists in front of her exuberantly, "Don't worry, I'm fine!" The last thing she wanted to do was put her friend out, but she also secretly wanted some more time alone with Syaoran, in the hopes of working up the courage to ask him about his odd behavior towards her, lately.
"Besides, Syaoran-kun always walks me home. I won't collapse," she said determinedly, jade eyes sparkling and cat-like smile firmly in place. However, that last 'reassuring' statement only succeeded in bringing up twin looks of alarm from her companions.
Syaoran nodded, getting up and putting his hand on her shoulder, and she relished in the now-rare physical contact as his thumb stroked over her skin affectionately.
"Yeah. Let's get you home."
The skies over Tomoeda were darkening when the couple started on the pathway home, the clouds heavy and swollen with impending rain. Sakura hated this kind of weather; thunderstorms had scared her ever since she was a little girl and her mother had passed away in the hospital during one.
The day buzzed around in her mind sluggishly as she lagged behind Syaoran, who seemed too distracted to notice, yet again.
'Chiharu-chan and Yamazaki-kun still seem so close, even after all these years,' she contemplated quietly, 'But Naoko-chan, and even Rika-chan have drifted away from their first boyfriends.' Her crawling walk slowed, until her feet stopped moving altogether as a horrible notion occurred to her.
'Is that what's happening to us...? Are Syaoran-kun and I… drifting apart?'
A knot twisted itself in her heart even thinking about it, as she stared at his retreating back with suddenly-glassy eyes. She loved him... She loved him so much that she'd waited two and a half years for him to come back and be with her. She loved him so much, she felt she could very well breath fire, if only to free some of the overwhelming passion inside her. So much that she would expire all her magic in his name, even her life, if he was there to hold her when it was over. This was the worst; that they may be slipping even a little bit tore up her insides and churned them into a sour squelchy mess. It was too terrible to even consider, but she couldn't deny the way he'd been acting, anymore…
Finally seeming to realize that Sakura was no longer behind him, the boy turned towards her with concern etched on his face. "What's wrong?"
All thoughts of asking him went out the window as her courage failed her upon looking into his eyes. So she merely flashed him a phantom of a smile, valiantly holding back her tears, and clasped her hands behind her back as he waited for her answer.
"Mm-mm… It's nothing," she lied.
Her body trembled with the starting of the tell-tale hum of electricity in the air, but she did not reach out to take his hand. Not even when the first clap of thunder sounded.
…
Soaking wet by the time they'd reached her house, Sakura collapsed despondently, face-first into her bed. Syaoran had indeed noticed after that, that she was having trouble with the booming peals, and walked her home holding hands. However, after that initial affection he'd slipped back into his funk and the entire journey had remained awkwardly silent.
She heard the familiar fluttering of tiny wings, and orange invaded the periphery of her vision.
"Hey, hey, you're all wet! You all right, kiddo?" her guardian asked, hovering over her worriedly, "Did you walk home in this storm? Why didn't you take the bus?"
Her response was muffled by her pillow, "It's not that far, and I wanted to walk with Syaoran-kun…"
Cerberus crossed his arms, exasperated, "For cryin' out loud… That brat still givin' you trouble?"
She moved her face to the side to fix him with a glare. "He's not a brat, and I never said he was giving me trouble. I just said he seemed distracted lately."
The little creature shrugged, "But you've seemed upset about it, so whether he wants to or not, he's giving you trouble. Well, not like I'd expect anything less from a kid like that." His smile was smug as he sat cross-legged in the air.
She groaned and shoved her face into the cushion again, not in the mood to deal with this. "Kero-chan, you can play video games if you want, I'm going to take a nap. It was hard getting through today."
"The Cards have been acting a little funny today," he agreed, slowly, "You sure you're all right, Sakura? You're getting enough sleep, right?"
"I'm fine."
Used to her excuses of wellness, Cerberus flitted over to her side to lay a tiny paw on her cheek.
"That's some fever you got, kiddo. Should I contact Yue?"
Her answers were slowly losing their steam, as she fought sleep, "No, Yukito-san has college with onii-chan today. Don't bother them."
The lion-like beast sighed before posing his next suggestion, "Do you at least want a hot bath and some of your dad's soup from last night?"
"Bath, no, I just want to stay in bed… I could eat a little soup, though."
He nodded before heading for the door. "Get changed and I'll bring some up, then. If there's some pudding left in the fridge, can I have it?"
She weakly dipped her head in the affirmative.
Kero cheered, and she could hear the faint echoes of "yay! Pudding, pudding!" fading quickly down the stairs and into the kitchen.
Exhaling heavily, Sakura stood, a little concerned when her legs wobbled on her. However, she decided to fight it rather than give in, and braced her weight against the bed to undress weakly.
She was just finishing buttoning up her pajama top when Kero came back into the room, haphazardly balancing a small cup of pudding with the bigger mug of soup. He slammed the door behind him with his back foot and set his cargo down on her desk. She noticed the stew wasn't steaming and looked at him suspiciously.
"Kero-chan, you didn't just grab things and forget to heat up the soup, did you?"
He beamed reassuringly and waved her off, "I wouldn't forget something like that, Sakura!"
An ominous premonition came over her, seconds before his little body inhaled deeply.
"Ker-" her exclamation came too late, as he exhaled, bringing a stream of scarlet fire from his mouth to envelop the mug holding her meal. He was careful, and it was weak, but it still scorched the mixture and singed the polished lacquer of her writing table.
"Kero-chan!" she screeched, rushing over despite her body's protests. The desk would live, but with a serious black mark burned into it. She was just grateful she didn't have any actual papers on it at the moment.
Turning livid eyes on the sheepish creature, she demanded an explanation.
"Well, see, you told me not to use the household electronics anymore, after what happened last time… So I thought this was better. Look, it worked, didn't it?" he gestured to the happily bubbling soup.
"It's hot," she agreed, "but what are these weird floating black chunks?"
He hovered closer to take a look, "Oh, that's the beef," he stated cheerfully, as though it was supposed to look that way.
The substance actually proved to be edible, so long as she avoided the charred meat, so she'd forgiven her hopeless guardian, before crawling into bed and slipping off into sleep.
…
Sakura was awoken not two hours later, by the beeping of a thermometer. Opening her eyes with difficulty, she was met with the concerned ones of her brother.
"Onii-chan…? What are you doing home? I thought you had evening and night classes, today with-" her inquiry was cut off by a spasm of violent coughing. When had that started?
"Yuki sent me home early. He said his other self was feeling odd, so I should check up on you," Tōya glanced at the thermometer he'd taken from her. "Good thing, too. Looks like even monsters can catch the flu, huh?"
Blushing at the notion of Yue and Yukito knowing she wasn't feeling well without even being there, she pulled the covers over her face to hide it. "'M not a monster…" she insisted distractedly, lacking its usual heat.
"Sakura," Kero drawled miserably, floating up beside her brother, "I feel really weak, too. This punk called me a stuffed animal, so I tried to show him my true form and shut his mouth, but I couldn't change!"
"Is there something wrong with my magic?" she glanced worriedly towards the book housing the Sakura Cards.
"Hmmm… It's true that the Cards, and Yue and I need your magic to sustain ours…"
Her look was horrified, so Tōya interrupted, "It's just because you're sick, right? The flu this season is really bad. Your body is likely just too worn out to maintain the powers needed," he shrugged and looked away, "Maybe."
Kero was quick with his two cents, "That's right! The Cards and I will be fine for a while, and Yue still has your brother's magic to get by. Cheer up!"
She hummed in acknowledgment, but sounded unconvinced. Another coughing fit wracked her frame, and Tōya and Kero looked at each other in concern. The winged creature fluttered over to where the little green teddy bear Syaoran had made her lie on the headboard, lifting it carefully to set it beside her on the pillow. Tōya glared at the object, but made no protest.
"Get some rest, okay, kiddo?" Kero told her with a pat to the head.
She could only hold the bear to her and smile gratefully.
…
"You pinch the dough at the top and pull gently. Just like that, yeah. Don't be afraid to push a little, it'll help form the shape."
Sakura stuck her tongue out in concentration as she did as instructed. Syaoran was watching her progress while his hands were skillfully preoccupied with painting food coloring on the finished batch of Sou Tao for New Years.
Having molded the dough successfully into the shape of a peach, she looked to him for approval, to which he smiled and nodded.
"Good, now you take the blunt end of a knife and make the peach's seam, from top to bottom. Then we can steam them."
"Syaoran-kun, you're good at this kind of thing, huh?"
He blushed and turned back to his work, small smile still in place.
"I guess… My mother isn't much of a cook, and you know how siblings are. So I usually have to do this stuff, myself."
If she was anyone else, she may not have seen the brief flash of homesickness in his eyes when he said that. But she wasn't anyone else to him, and he wasn't just anyone to her, and so she reached for his hand and squeezed.
"You know… I'm really glad you're here, Syaoran-kun… And I'm especially happy that I get to spend New Years with you."
His face flushed red again, but his smile reached his eyes when he turned back to her, squeezing her hand back.
"I'm glad, too, Sakura. There's no one else I'd rather spend it with," slowly, giving her time to meet him half-way, he pulled her into his arms, resting his cheek against her hair.
"Because you're my most important person."
…
Sakura's lids were heavy as she came into wakefulness, the memory still swimming around in her head. The phantom remembrance of his warmth still blanketed her, and she briefly nuzzled into the comfort of her Syaoran-bear, suddenly missing him very much. After walking her home, she'd insisted she was fine and sent him back to his own, but he'd really looked like he wanted to stay. Maybe she should have let him…
Before she could ponder it further, her body suddenly reminded her again of just what had woken her up; she desperately had to go to the bathroom.
Noticing her movement, Kero briefly looked up from his game and flicked his tail in greeting, "Yo kiddo, have a nice nap? It's already after dark."
She gave a non-committal grunt as she glanced at the clock, seeing she'd been asleep for about three and a half hours. Rubbing her eyes, she shifted to move off the bed.
"Hey now, are you sure you should be getting up? Your brother will bring your dinner up, ya know." Kero had paused the game and was fluttering around her head in concern.
"Bathroom," she answered simply, taking slow steps towards the door between coughs.
There was a flash of light from behind her, and she turned back to see her guardian's wings extend, only to enclose him in a beautiful film of feathers. When the white-plumed appendages pulled back, Cerberus was in his true form – a great helmed lion.
The beast of the seal sighed, before crouching down, "Here, get on. You're not fit to walk, with those wobbly legs of yours."
"Kero-chan, you changed! I thought you said you couldn't, earlier?"
"I've been feeling up and down," he responded with a shrug of his broad shoulders, "At any rate, just get on."
She obliged slowly, leaning forward to bury her face in his golden neck when she couldn't support her weight.
"Don't fly in the house in that form," she warned, muffled by his fur.
"Like I'd do something like that!"
Moments later, Sakura had relieved herself, but getting up even just to go to the bathroom had worn her out beyond belief, and all she wanted to do was eat her dinner and go back to sleep. Mounting Kero again took all her reservoirs of energy, and they were both panting by the time they arrived in her room.
"Kero-chan, what's wrong? You're breathing so hard," she managed to ask before yet another fit of coughing snatched her voice away from her.
As soon as she was in bed again, the great cat nearly collapsed, his sides heaving as he answered her, "Your magic is receding again… I can't keep my true form."
Then, as if in direct response to his words, his body began to glow and recede back into his smaller self, though she could tell he'd tried to fight it. Picking up his reverted form, Sakura thanked him quietly before setting him on her pillow next to her, to rest.
Truth be told, she was scared witless that this was happening. She'd been sick before, of course, but not this bad since she'd become the new master and had to sustain everyone on her own power.
Kero chose that moment to speak up, "It seems like your body and magic aren't on the same page anymore, now that your body's weakened. Your powers will probably fluctuate."
"Fluctuate?"
"Right. You're probably one of the most powerful magic-users in existence now, with Clow having split his in half. That means when your body can't keep up, that huge amount of magic might go a little wild without the vessel to control it."
She bit her lip and once again looked at the Sakura Cards in concern, "What do I do?"
Obviously having recovered a little, the orange creature sat up, crossing his arms in thought, "The fluctuations themselves aren't the problem, aside from being uncomfortable – as long as they don't last for an extended period, we and the Cards should be fine if we rest. The only thing is that your body will just continue to wear itself out until the magic stops, and that's not good for your recovery. At this rate, you could be sick for a long time."
Sakura pulled the covers up over her nose. She'd thought her problems with magic-related things were over once she'd captured and changed all the Cards... Situations like this hadn't even popped into her head, and now more than ever, she wanted someone who might understand the looming prospect of what she was facing. She wanted Syaoran.
A knock at the door signaled Tōya's arrival with her dinner, which she gratefully accepted after he helped her sit up. Her brother finally seemed to notice the black stain on her desk, and gave her a long, significant stare. She only blinked at him, chewing on the end of her chopsticks, the food already making her feel more energetic.
"What?"
"We have a stove, you know," he stated blandly, before exiting the room with one last mutter of, "Monster…"
"I'm not a monster!" she declared angrily, grabbing her pillow and chucking it at the door just as he closed it, though it lacked her usual vehemence, "And it was Kero-chan, not me!" she huffed, settling back down to eat and casting a quick glare at the animal in question, making him sweat.
After she was full, Sakura quickly found herself growing sleepy again. Her strength was failing her and her cough was back, along with some new chills and a cold sweat. Kero pulled the covers around her as she lay down and quickly slipped back into sleep.
…
It was their two-year anniversary, and instead of a quiet evening alone like their first one, Sakura and Syaoran found themselves in a rather rambunctious mood. Aimlessly walking around Tomoeda soothed their restless disposition – hands tightly clasped together – but when they passed an arcade, Sakura found herself unable to resist, and grinned impishly before dragging him inside.
It wasn't as hard as she'd thought to coax him into playing with her, and though he gave off the impression of only doing it for her, she could tell he was interested. Hoping to feed that interest, they started with some classic fighting games, which were more his style, and he claimed he was familiar with them, though she couldn't tell if he was teasing or not.
They ended up having to move on when he got a little too pumped up, body twitching and muscles bunching every time he pulled a takedown move, as though he were about to perform it himself. His face had exploded in color when she'd asked him about it, and he confessed he missed his martial arts lessons, making her laugh. He'd joined her after a moment of looking sheepish.
"Ah, Syaoran-kun, that's the game Kero-chan has been wanting to play!" she gestured to several machines that people were dancing on, their steps lighting up in time with the beat.
"Cerberus? Hmph, pretty big ambition for a stuffed animal that wouldn't even be able to reach the arrows."
She allowed herself to giggle at her friends' expense while he was gone, before pulling her favorite boy towards the contraptions.
"C'mon, I should at least tell him about it," she grinned, causing him to smile back.
It was a weekday and the building was fairly empty, but there was at least one or two people playing at a time for them to watch. Syaoran surprised her by how much he talked, giving away his curiosity. He was seemingly impressed by the reflexes and concentration involved, and the more he chattered the bigger her wicked smile became.
"Sakura?" he asked, as she tugged on his hand and headed towards the platforms. Her eyes were sparkling with mischief when she looked back at him.
"Well I can't very well give Kero-chan a detailed story without trying it for myself," she stated simply, giving his hand another tug.
Though she hadn't directly asked him to join, he blushed and looked around self-consciously before nodding and stepping onto the machine beside hers. It took a minute to find a song they were both familiar with, but luckily that one was a fairly simple exercise. They started tentatively, awkwardly getting used to where the steps were, before they were both absorbed in the trance.
Syaoran turned out to be surprisingly good at it; his muscles limber and his reflexes honed from a lifetime of fighting practice, and she found herself glancing at him repeatedly. At first it was just for reference, then in innocent admiration. But as she watched his wiry frame bunch and contort, she slowly found her thoughts going down a far less modest path, much to her eternal embarrassment. However, she couldn't bring herself to look away, the game forgotten – though her feet still moved feebly. Face aflame, she could only internally scream at her eyes to stop their downward descent, towards his bewitchingly curved-
It took almost an entire two seconds to realize she was falling. Presumably after having mis-stepped and tripped over her own feet in her distraction. She barely had time to let out a "hoe!" of alarm before she came crashing down, the back of her head making contact with the support bar.
"Sakura!" his voice was frantic as he practically leapt off the automaton and to her rescue, "Are you okay?!"
"Ouch…" she whimpered quietly, rubbing the back of her head, both of them heaving dual sighs of relief when her hand came away blood-less.
A small crowd was gathering, having heard the commotion, and her face exploded in color, giggling nervously as she waved them off.
"I-it's nothing, really!"
A series of concerned mutters arose, but most of them moved on. Syaoran brought her attention back to him by gently brushing her bangs out of her face.
"You're sure you're not hurt?" his expression was so adorably concerned it nearly broke her heart.
Still blushing at her misadventure and blinking back the stars from her vision, she smiled sweetly for him before nodding her head and pulling him down to meet her lips in reassurance. They both saw stars that night.
…
Hot. It was just hot, and stifling. She groaned miserably and shoved the covers from her person, but that only proved to make her freezing. Shivering, she curled up in a little ball to ward off the chill; her sweat transforming into a million icicles on her flesh. Something scorched her insides, pushing against her skin as if trying to escape it and sending electric-like tingles through her that set her nerves on high alert. After a moment's contemplation she realized it felt similar to magic, only much more intense. When she used her powers, it felt like a light when on in her chest, emitting a gentle glow that almost felt good – but now was different. This magic was hers, but it was not gentle at all, rising sharply until she was sure she'd burst when it reached its peak. She held her breath as the sensation climbed. Kero snored and scratched himself beside her.
Gripping her Syaoran-bear tighter, she felt tears leak out from behind her tightly closed eyelids while the burning sensation grew, threatening to spill down her cheeks. She was scared. She didn't know how to handle this. Then, suddenly, it just drew back as though it had never been there at all, leaving her dizzy, confused, and too tired to even think. Body slowly drooping as it worked itself down from the mess of nerves and tensed muscles it had become, she didn't fight it one bit when she practically dropped like a rock back into blissful unconsciousness.
…
Night fell early that Christmas, leaving them with only the colored electric glow in the park, made softer by the slight fog. They'd spent the evening at the amusement park, talking and laughing and filling themselves with sugar. Syaoran leaned over to take a bite of the crepe she held in her hands. He'd gotten so tall. She moved the sweet at the last second, painting his nose with whipped cream and flavored syrup. He jerked back in surprise, both of them laughing as he tried to wipe it off. Sakura was still giggling when they were seated on the Ferris wheel.
The ascent was slow, leisurely. Her giggle fit subsiding, Sakura snuggled under her beloved's arm and watched as their enclosed gondola climbed higher, the city and the horizon disappearing before her eyes.
She turned to tell him something, or ask him something – she couldn't remember what when she looked at him. The lights from below softened his features, turned his eyes the color of honey. She felt as if the world had dropped from beneath her; his expression so warm, his smile so gentle. Yet there was an intensity and a gravity in his gaze, almost a hunger that drew her in, made her want to wrap herself in him and his presence.
In that moment, she was near full to bursting with love for him, and he for her. She could almost feel it like a physical force, a change in the air pressure, making the gondola close and cozy and perfect.
They went over the apex of the Ferris wheel at the same time their lips met, his soft and inviting against hers, so familiar to her now. Her heart skipped a beat when gravity let go of them for half a second. Pressed close to Syaoran, they could have been flying.
…
She almost cried when she woke up this time. The memory in her dream had been so real, and she would have given anything at that moment to fall back asleep. But she had been slammed back into reality by the return of the swell of fire that was her magic, pushing against her chest and belly until she was panting and turning her face to dry-heave into the pillow. Sunlight streamed in through the window, making her eyes ache.
Kero hovered over her worriedly, "You all right, Sakura?"
She didn't answer.
Sighing in concern, Cerberus spoke again, "I've been thinking… Much as I hate to leave you like this, it'd probably be best if I lay low for a while. I can enter a magical sleep that will minimize my draw on your powers and possibly help you recover faster."
She finally turned her head towards him, the intensity having lowered. "How do I wake you up if you do that? Didn't you sleep for thirty years last time?"
He coughed indignantly. "Well I'm sensitive to your magic now, so I'll probably become aware of when it stabilizes. As my master, you can wake me up whenever you will it."
"Really? Will you really be okay, Kero-chan?"
"Hey, no sweat! I'm the guardian beast of the seal – Cerberus-sama – remember?" he hit his chest with a confident paw.
She still looked unconvinced.
"Now what's that face for? You have your invincible spell, don't you?"
Smiling slightly, she nodded, and repeated it softly, "I'm sure I'll be all right."
"That's my girl! I'll take good care of the Cards, so you just focus on getting better, okay?" he patted her head with conviction.
Backing away, a light shined forth from Kero's body and the book housing the Cards. Sakura's familiar magic circle appeared beneath them both and a swirl of power erupted from the book, enveloping his body and twining back towards its source. In one last flash of brilliance, Kero was gone and the winged lion that had once adorned the cover of the book was back in place.
A hush fell over the room and it suddenly felt very lonely. She wanted to go check on the Cards, but lacked the ability to get up without assistance. Heaving a soft sigh, the girl turned over and attempted to get some more rest while her body permitted it, despite the raw anxiety swimming around in her brain.
…
"Congratulations on your birthday!"
She watched expectantly as Syaoran surveyed the abundant feast of home-made food – most of it of Chinese origins.
"You did all this for me?"
Sakura blushed and nodded, twisting her hands in her apron nervously. "Um… I did some research on onii-chan's computer and found out how they celebrate in China, because I know you've missed it. I hope I did okay…"
When he turned to face her, his eyes were soft and warm, and a gentle smile lit up his face. Reaching for her hand, he tenderly pulled her into his arms, resting his cheek against hers.
"Thank you. Can I have some?"
She nodded happily against him, and they pulled apart to be seated. She'd left one uncut noodle in his Sau Mein, and he slurped it down in one big gulp, symbolizing a wish for longevity and good fortune. She giggled a little when some of the broth flicked off the end of the golden noodle and landed on his nose, and he joined her with his own deep chuckle.
"Sun yat fai lok, Syaoran-kun," she repeated the Cantonese birthday wish she'd memorized, beaming at him.
"Do ze sai nei, Sakura," he responded in kind, and she blushed under his intense gaze.
"What's that mean?"
"It means 'thank you for everything,'" he reached out to grasp her hand again from across the table, stroking his thumb over her knuckles, "And I really do mean it. Everything."
…
Sakura couldn't even fully wake up this time. While it was true that Cerberus sealing himself into the cover of the book had lessened the force of the magic dwelling inside her, her fever and other symptoms were getting worse by the hour. Tōya came in every three hours or so to administer her medicine, but her body was compensating for a lot, working against her own innate powers.
The clock ticked away the minutes of her agony as she fell in and out of fitful slumber. From the doorway, Tōya sighed before heading downstairs. Donning his shoes, he slipped quietly outside to where his bike waited, intent on his mission – no matter how much he may hate it.
…
Syaoran kicked someone's discarded soda can absentmindedly, narrowing his eyes at the pavement. Sakura wasn't in their usual meeting spot. He'd expected she was getting sick, of course, but she wasn't one to miss school, regardless. He knew he hadn't been paying as much attention to her as he should; his mind was almost fully preoccupied with the rather pressing matter presented to him by his family recently.
A bike bell chimed from behind him, but he paid it no mind, simply moving to the side so that it could pass. However he was stopped by a familiar, yet wholly unwelcome voice.
"Yo, brat."
Scowling, Syaoran turned to face his love's brother grudgingly. What was he even doing here? He had a different campus, now.
"What?" he asked point blank, not willing to waste time mincing words when it wouldn't win him any approval points.
The older boy was still taller, but Syaoran was quickly catching up and they were practically eye level when they glowered at each other.
"My little sister's sick."
Syaoran's glare softened at the mention of Sakura, and he broke eye contact.
"I know," he admitted, "Is she… okay?"
Tōya's stare was stern, but belied his concern for his sister, "She's not doing too well. Her body's gotten so weak it can't support her magic and it's putting her through a lot of strain." He looked away as well, "So you should hurry up and– hey!"
The boy was already running back the other way, away from school and towards the very place Tōya had come from. The man shook his head and glared at the previously kicked can.
"Tch, why did I have to tell the stupid brat, anyway?"
…
Sakura's head felt like it was made of lead. She couldn't even tilt it to change its position and get the knots out of her neck. Her stomach felt hot and twisted with nausea, made worse by the now almost constant pressure of her magic humming dangerously against her insides. It was so painful and scary, and she just wanted to curl up in a ball and make it go away, but her weak limbs wouldn't even let her do that much.
'Hurts…'
Then, softly, blessedly, a hand made contact with her clammy skin, smoothing back her bangs and leaving a trail of refreshing coolness in its wake.
'Onii-chan?'
She wanted to open her eyes and find out, but she may as well have tried to move twin slabs of stone. So she gave up and merely relaxed into the touch, feeling the bed shift as whoever it was sat down beside her. Next thing she knew, she was in heaven when a chilled washcloth was dragged across her face and neck, soothing away the heavy beads of sweat. Despite the fatigue, she felt herself sigh softly, and her lips turn upward. The presence beside her shifted to lie down, and strong arms wrapped around her, bringing with them a familiar scent and aura.
'Is this another dream?' she wondered fuzzily, but found she couldn't really bring herself to care at the moment, enveloped in warmth and comfort.
Suddenly, the arms brought another sensation, and she nearly gasped as the pressure of excess magic was removed, pulled away from her gently and taken into the body next to her.
…
Tōya may have lost his sixth sense when he'd given his powers to Yukito and his other self, but he wasn't stupid. He knew something more than what met the naked eye was going on between the brat and his sister. Syaoran was wrapped around her, with a look of concentration on his face, and a little color was slowly seeping back into Sakura's face.
"What are you doing?" he demanded. He knew he could trust the kid when it came to Sakura, but he didn't have to like it.
Syaoran didn't open his eyes or even turn towards him.
"Her magic has built up too much and it's causing her body a lot of stress, like you said."
Tōya nodded, leaning back against the wall, "So, what are you doing?"
Syaoran was silent for a moment, making him want to strangle him even more, before he finally answered, "I'm taking the excess magic into myself temporarily, so she can recover easier."
The man 'humph'ed before reluctantly nodding in acceptance, but not without punching his fist into his open palm with the threat of, "I'll get you for hugging my sister, later, brat."
Syaoran finally opened his eyes when he heard the door click shut. He had taken in a considerable amount, but he feared taking it all at once would only prove bad for both their bodies. He'd have to move slowly.
Breath fanning against her forehead, he allowed himself a moment to relax after expending so much energy, before he dipped the cloth in the cool basin of water he'd brought up, again. She was still warm with fever, after all. Smoothing the material over her cheeks and under her eyes, where the most sweat was gathering, he pressed a kiss to the newly cleaned skin.
'Open your beautiful eyes for me soon, Sakura…'
…
Swimming through the fog in her head was no easy task, but Sakura soon found herself breaking the surface. Her senses were a little less dull and she was clearly able to feel his aura wrapped around hers, before she even opened her eyes to see him for herself.
Her room was dark, signifying that the sun had set some time ago, but she could still make out the faint outline of his face when she turned her head. As her eyes adjusted, she could tell he was in his school uniform, as well. How long had he been here?
She didn't have time to think about it as Syaoran shifted closer, holding her tighter against him, and then she felt that gentle tug and pull on her magic again. As he took it into himself, she felt her senses clear even further and she was feeling worlds better than she had been.
"Syaoran-kun…" she said in wonder.
He jumped slightly, obviously not having expected to hear her voice.
"You're awake," he breathed, "I'm glad. How are you feeling?"
Sakura moved her limbs experimentally, finding she was strong enough to roll over to face him.
"Still a little weak, and my head is hot and fuzzy, but much better," she paused, as if suddenly remembering they were on awkward ground, lately, before continuing cautiously, "Thanks to you, Syaoran-kun."
She couldn't see it in the dark, but she knew him well enough to know he was probably blushing, and next would come…
He tucked his head under her chin to hide his face before clumsily responding, "It's nothing…"
Yep. She giggled under her breath, causing him to relax and move his head back up to face her, likely with a cautious smile in place. He never was one for being on the receiving end of gratitude.
There, together in the close embrace of darkness, she wanted so badly to just pretend all their problems didn't exist; that it was just the two of them and they could go back to normal. However, she knew she had to ask him about his strange behavior, now, while she had his full attention. But before that…
"Syaoran-kun?"
He hummed in acknowledgement.
"I need to check on the Cards… Would you mind?" she blushed a little at her own temporary helplessness.
He nodded, before sitting up and helping her do the same. Once he was sure she wasn't going to buckle under the fever, Syaoran strode over to her desk – hesitating a minute as he examined the black mark Kero had left – before he shook his head to dismiss it and picked up the book containing the Sakura Cards.
Thanking him quietly when he handed it to her, she ran her hand over the cover, feeling Cerberus's warmth and knowing he was doing much better as well. She'd wake him up once she was sure she was over her fever. Undoing the binding with a careful hand, the worried Cards immediately floated out to hang in the air around her. Looking them all over, she noticed all their auras were glowing with an acceptable amount of health, though she wouldn't dare use any of them until they – and her – were feeling better.
"Everyone seems to be doing well," she breathed in relief, holding out her hands, to which the Cards eagerly gravitated, arranging themselves into a neat pile once again. She held them to her chest protectively, "I'm glad."
Syaoran watched this exchange without taking his eyes off her face.
"Of course they are. They have a strong master," he said it like it were the simplest thing in the world.
She giggled good-naturedly, as though he were merely joking with her.
"I'm nowhere near as amazing as you, Syaoran-kun. That thing you did for me earlier… I can't do that."
He looked at her intensely, until she turned to meet his gaze.
"You could," he said with conviction.
"Hoe?"
"You could do it," he repeated, "Because you love me."
"I don't understand…"
He sighed, running his fingers through his bangs as he looked away from her.
"Sakura, that isn't some magic trick you can do with just anyone. Mother taught it to me when I went back to Hong Kong for my coming-of-age ceremony, after I told her I'd found the one I loved more than anyone."
Sakura pondered what he'd said for a moment before speaking, "Meaning it can only be done with the person you…"
"Love," he finished for her.
Slowly, deliberately as she considered his words, she put the Cards back in their holder and set them aside. Tears stung at the back of her eyelids, begging to be released, and she really did try to hold them back. However, emotion and exhaustion won out and they fell nonetheless. Bringing her knees up to her chest, Sakura buried her face in them and shook.
"Sakura? What's wrong?" he moved to put a hand on her shoulder.
"Are we drifting apart?"
The hand on her shoulder clenched in surprise, before pushing softly, his other arm coming up to her other shoulder to turn her to face him. She didn't look at him as his thumb came up to brush away a salty droplet.
"What would make you even think something like that?"
She sniffed, wiping away the rest of her tears before finally looking at him.
"You say you love me, but at other times you're so distracted I may as well not even exist," her voice remained level, but she could feel the hurt and anger that had built up over the weeks bubbling in her chest.
Syaoran looked shocked, and pursed his lips as his eyes searched hers, obviously deeply considering what she'd said. She let him think. Syaoran was not stupid, but apparently hadn't quite realized the extent of his negligence. Then all of a sudden she was in his arms and it was her turn to be confused as his hand moved reverently through her short hair.
"I'm sorry," he sounded desperate, "I… I never meant to make you feel like that. There's just… something important has been on my mind, and I've been so out of it. Dammit, that sounds like an excuse, doesn't it?"
She pulled away to look at his contrite face, taking note of the love she could see shining from his eyes at that moment and committing it to memory.
"This thing that's been on your mind… It's something you can't tell me?"
He sighed deeply, in defeat, before grabbing her hand in his own and staring down at her fingers.
"I'm not ready tonight, but… I'll be back tomorrow, and I promise to tell you, then."
She could only nod as he kissed her forehead.
…
Her fever had gone down the next day, though she was still coughing, and expected to be sick for a while. Syaoran had rushed over almost directly after school, just as he promised, and was now holding her as he slowly took some more power into himself. When he finally let go of her, it was only to hand her his Sakura-bear that he'd brought from home.
"I'll lend her to you," he said as though he was putting himself out, but with a smile that made it obvious he was only joking, "But she's very important to me, so make sure you get better soon, so that you can give her back."
Sakura just nodded gratefully, burying her nose in the pink, winged bear. It smelled like him.
He fidgeted, then, "And there's… one more thing. That thing I promised to tell you."
She made a sound of acknowledgment and set the stuffed animal down carefully to give him her full attention.
"I… That is…" he cursed under his breath and looked away.
"Ever since I had my ceremony at fifteen, my mother and sisters have been trying to convince me to do something, and I've hesitated because I'm not entirely sure it's what you want… but… I do."
He faced her again, "I want it more than anything, Sakura."
Pulling her hand into his lap, he stroked his thumb over her knuckles and produced something from his shirt pocket. Sakura looked at his hand, closed around the object and obstructing it from view. Now, while she may be naïve, that definitely did not mean dumb, and she felt her face flush crimson in a way that had nothing to do with her fever as a hopeful suspicion bloomed in her chest.
"Sakura…" he took her fourth finger slowly, gently, and she felt cool metal slip over it before his fingers moved back, revealing a beautiful green ring, decorated with pink cherry blossoms.
Her breath caught almost violently, and she looked up at him in wonder, her eyes begging for an explanation.
"With this promise ring comes my vow," his eyes were intense and fiery with the oath, "That I'm in this for real, if you are."
"Oh, Syaoran-kun…"
All words seemed to escape her at that moment; the only thing running through her mind was his name, so she repeated it, throwing herself into his arms and feeling the telltale prick of tears squeeze out from behind her lashes.
He understood what she couldn't say, and held her tightly to him, "I promise to get you a real one once we graduate high school," he whispered in her ear.
She nodded vigorously against his cheek, content to merely hold him.
"I hope it wasn't too much, too soon," he confessed, pulling away to wipe away her tear tracks, "I never meant to treat you the way I did. The closer we got to graduation, the more I started thinking about if we were really ready, when to tell you, what kind of job to get to afford the real ring… Damn it all, see, I'm going in circles," he chuckled sheepishly, and she joined in happily.
"I'm sorry, Sakura. But I'll always be there for you from now on. Because you're the person I love most."
She smiled through her tears until she was sure must be physically glowing, she was so happy, "You're the person I love most, too. You're my most precious person, Syaoran-kun."
His smile matched her own, lighting up his eyes until they were the brightest she'd ever seen them.
"We'll think about it together, from now on," he stated adoringly.
Sakura gave an exuberant nod, before laughing outright in happiness and embracing him again.
"Because we have our whole lives to be together, now!"
...
A/N: I realize Cerberus says at one point that because his symbol is the sun, he can shine on his own, but that was before Sakura had transformed all the Cards governed by the sun. So I figured once all the Cards became ruled by Sakura's power of the stars, so too did Cerberus and Yue. After all, Kero lost most of his powers when those Cards went missing, so it stands to reason that he is connected to them, too. It's just a guess, but I decided to stick with it for the sake of this fic. I hope it was fluffy enough for you, my dear Possk!
(Lost in) translation notes:
- Human-faced dogs = This is a real Japanese urban legend, called Jinmenka. They are thought to be spirits of road accident victims or escaped science experiments, though people think it likely the legend spawned from Japanese macaques. Everything else mentioned about them is made-up by Takashi.
- Oni = Creatures from Japanese folklore that usually take the form of what we'd call demons, goblins, or ogres.
- Sou Tao = Also known as longevity buns, these are steamed dumplings made in the shape of a peach, and filled with either lotus seed paste, or adzuki (red bean) paste. They are usually eaten on New Years and birthdays.
- Sau Mein = Literally translates to "birthday noodles" but is really just Yi Mein - a Cantonese egg noodle made from wheat flour and soda water. Also called longevity noodles.
- Sun yat fai lok = This simply means "happy birthday" in Cantonese (the language spoken by about 97% of Hong Kong residents).
- Do ze sai nei = This one took me forever to find, but according to my research, "sai" and "nei" both emphasize the "do ze" (which is the version of "thank you" used when receiving a gift or great service). So it would translate roughly to "it's all thanks to you" or "thanks for everything."
- Coming-of-age-ceremony = This exists in both China and Japan, for the ages of 5, 10, and 15. 5 and 10 are performed with family, while 15 is performed alone. For the sake of this fic, I made up the fact that Syaoran may have just turned 10 before going to Tomoeda and his coming-of-age ceremony was delayed for the sake of the Cards, ultimately leading up to him having to go back to finish his formalities with his family. This is my headcanon and no one can take it from me.