Title: When She Grows Up in Beauty
Author: Tsubame Ongaku
Fandom: Cardcaptor Sakura
Pairing: Touya Kinomoto and Tomoyo Daidouji
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Characters belong to CLAMP.
Summary: Touya Kinomoto had the qualities of the legendary samurais. That is because he was a warrior. A fighter. From the tender age of 10, Tomoyo Daidouji understood and admired that about him. It was not difficult for that admiration to become like. But, he was a man. She was a girl. He didn't want to take advantage of a young girl. His honor wouldn't allow him. She was going to have to prove to him that she wasn't just a little girl. But, it is going to have to take time.
Notes: Another Tomoyo story. She has forever been my favorite character. I had first read about her in Wikipedia and I just thought she was adorable. I hadn't even seen the show yet. I was amazed by the coincidence that we both had the same birthday. September 3. This is not going to be very long most likely. I really don't have much free time for long stories anymore. The only long stories I will be continuing are those I started a long time ago. I hope you guys enjoy this though this really is an unusual fandom and pairing for me to write. This pairing was a request by someone who PMed me. I thought it would be interesting to try. Hahaha…
I have read a lot of CLAMP's works. And here, I am trying to make this sound CLAMP-like again. I have read 'Suki.' I am trying to get the same feel because I really do love the story. It is very simple and cute!
When She Grows Up in Beauty
By Tsubame Ongaku
:Chapter I:
Eleven Years Old: Scarlet
Touya Kinomoto had always believed that he was born in the wrong Era. He belonged in an Era that has long since died: The Era of the Great Samurais. At least that was what he had always been told. People can see that invisible armor that he wears as visible as daylight. He had been that way since he was a child.
A patient soul. Unwavering loyalty. Strong will. Natural charisma. Unnerving potential.
Everyone around him knew that he wouldn't grow up to be an ordinary man. Looking into his eyes, you'd know that he had the heart of a warrior. All he had to do was give you a look and men would freeze in their tracks. Of course, he would tell his friends and family that they were being ridiculous. He was just a little different from his peers, that didn't make him the warrior they seem to think he was.
So, he didn't smoke, drink, didn't like playing games with girls, a little protective of his little sister, want to earn a living for himself and can fight a little better than most? They are surely overestimating him.
"I don't understand why you people think I am some kind of knight," muttered Touya, one Sunday morning at breakfast with his sister's bestfriend. She had a sleepover with his sister, but at usual, his little sister, Sakura was still sleeping. Apparently, her friend had always been an early riser like him. She helped him make breakfast even though he insisted that it was his turn, but she was terribly insistent.
He hadn't known Tomoyo Daidouji for long. In fact, he had only met her a year ago.
But, from what he could make of her she was incredibly mature and intelligent for her age. Those books he saw her bring the other night were not normal light-reading books. Even college students wouldn't read those. He could also see that she is going to grow up to be an incredible beauty. Probably going to need those bodyguards of hers to keep the boys away. At that thought, he chuckled.
That wasn't all that was scary about her. The girl was perceptive. All she had to do was look at you with those big, dark eyes of hers and you'd know that she'd really looking.
Standing beside him, mixing the batter for the pancakes. They were making blueberry pancakes that morning. It was Tomoyo's favorite, according to Sakura so he had planned to make their guest feel welcome by having them.
"No, you aren't a knight at all," agreed the young girl, then looking up from what she was doing. "I can't imagine you as a gallant, flamboyant knight at all. You are more like a samurai. A brooding and silent fighter."
At that, Touya was caught off guard and didn't know how to reply to that. "Tch, not you too," groaned Touya. "Where do you get these ideas? Reading one too many fairytales?"
Tomoyo giggled and continued mixing her batter. For some reason, she was not surprised by that answer. It was apparent to her that he just didn't see what other people saw, or just simply stubbornly refuses to see himself as anything more than an ordinary man.
For a few minutes, they walked in silence. It was a peaceful moment and Tomoyo liked it very much. Cooking breakfast for herself was nothing unusual for her. She often did it back home, but she didn't feel lonely now. It wasn't because Touya was an avid conversationalist. In fact, he barely said anything at all.
All he had to do was be there. It felt strange how comfortable she felt with him. He had quietly helped her around their kitchen. Helping her reach for things she couldn't reach, hand her the things she could not find and do the dangerous parts of cooking, like the slicing and cutting. He really didn't need to worry though, because Tomoyo knew how to cook very well… but his concern was really endearing. His concern for her was very touching.
"Do you have soccer practice this morning?" Finally asking after a long silence. She had finished mixing the batter and was now getting ready to cook them over the fire. She tried reaching for the spatula, but when she couldn't Touya easily took it and placed it closer to her reach.
He guessed that meant that Sakura mentioned to her that he was on the soccer team.
Shaking his head and then took off his apron. The pancakes were cooking, the juice was in the freezer, his and his father's bento were ready. It was now time to set the table for four of them. Opening the cupboards, he took out the plates, glasses and utensils. He didn't have soccer practice but he did have a job at the Aquarium in a few hours.
Seeing Tomoyo by the stove, he asked, "Why don't you let me do that instead?" He meant cooking the pancakes.
But, Tomoyo was adamant. She insisted that she wanted to do it. She could make it very well because it was her favorite. It was a recipe she had learned from grandfather and she wanted to make it for them. Touya had no choice but to let her, she seemed determined to have her way… and if she was anything like her mother, she always did have her way.
He sighed and shrugged his broad shoulders. It didn't take him very long to set the table, and when he was done he went over to choose a picture of his mother from their very big collection. He chose one of his favorites, the picture where she was happily holding a bouquet of Nadeshiko flowers.
"Good morning, mom," said he as he carefully placed the photo on the center of the table.
Tomoyo joined him a few seconds later, also taking off her apron. "Aunt Nadeshiko?" She couldn't help but ask. He nodded, but she already knew… because the lady looked very much like Sakura.
There were many times she wished that she had met Nadeshiko. Her mother was so fond of her. She even kept her hair long for her mother because it reminded her of Nadeshiko.
Touya nodded. He wasn't really much of a conversationalist. Now that breakfast was finished, he didn't know what else there was to do. They were going to have to wait for Sakura and their father to get up. It might take a while though because Fujitaka had stayed up late to work on his presentation at the University and Sakura always slept in on Sundays.
Tomoyo sat demurely in front of the photo. They could nothing but wait.
He decided to get his things ready while they were waiting. To be honest, he didn't know how it happened. One second he saw her staring at the photo of his mother on the table and the next second she was watching him carefully getting his things together. When she saw him looking back at her, she turned away, her cheeks turning into a light shade of pink.
Touya noticed, but he shrugged it off as Tomoyo merely being embarrassed that she got caught looking at him. Plenty of girls at school did the same thing.
"What time is your mother going to pick you up?"
"She isn't. My bodyguards will. Mother is in England at the moment." There wasn't any sign of remorse at all. He noticed that as well. From what he heard from Sakura, Tomoyo saw her mother only a few times in a month. It couldn't be easy to grow up barely seeing her mother. It was no wonder she grew up to be as mature as she is.
She could cook, sew and wash clothes even though she was the Daidouji princess.
Since she spent so much time alone, she had to learn to do a lot of things on her own.
Her eyes darted to Touya, no longer looking shy. Now, looking merely curious. "Why do you work so many jobs? I thought I saw you working at the crepe stand a few days ago."
"I am saving up to pay for college. My dad is a great guy, but I don't want to depend on him my whole life," muttered Touya, wondering what was taking his father and sister so long. "Do you want to eat ahead? Those pancakes would taste better hot."
Saving for his own College tuition? Why didn't she seem very surprised? As a child, she had heard that samurais were very proud warriors. The true warrior was especially stubborn about accepting too much kindness from their liege.
Again, she could not help but think that maybe Touya belonged in a different age.
Tomoyo paused for a moment and replied that maybe she'll just get a bite. Picking up the fork and knife, he cut a small piece and took a bite. The taste was wonderful, just as she thought. She really did love her great grandfather's recipe.
"That looks good."
"It is!"
Touya smiled at her pleased expression. "Can I get a bite?"
Without hesitation, Tomoyo sliced a slightly bigger piece than the one she got and offered it to him. He was used to this kind of exchange with Yukito and Sakura, so he didn't even think of it as anything unusual. Bending a bit, he took a bite of the pancake and nodded. It really did taste good.
Tomoyo was delighted at his very simple praise. A praise from Touya was always heartfelt.
"Thank you," whispered the girl, almost too quietly.
But he heard her. "You're welcome."
The few minutes after he said that, he didn't even notice that they were staring at each other. It was when Sakura finally entered the kitchen did they broke the connection.
"Brother? Tomoyo-chan?" yawned Sakura, not noticing the strange atmosphere she walked into. Sakura was much too tired to notice anything really different that morning. Though, she was immediately excited at the sight of pancakes on the table. "Are those pancakes? Those look delicious! Who made them?"
"I did," admitted Tomoyo very shyly at first. "Great- grandfather's recipe."
"Tomoyo-chan! It's just delicious!"
Touya watched his little sister eat so heartily, he chuckled and joined them at the table. "We could hear you from a mile away… monster."
"I'm not a monster!"
Touya gave a sly grin and smirked. "You stomp around and scream like one."
Tomoyo giggled. They both knew that Sakura wasn't screaming at all. Neither of them even notice Sakura get up. It was really a wonderful sight to see the two siblings argue. There were many times she had wondered what it was like to have siblings.
Touya noticed the dreamy expression on his cousin's face. Before he could wonder what she was thinking, a voice interrupted him.
"She wishes for siblings," said a faint voice.
He looked up and saw his mother, her wings beautifully enveloping her. Nadeshiko smiled down at him with a very knowing expression. She knew what he was thinking.
"I was an only child as well, like Tomoyo," continued Nadeshiko, putting one hand on his shoulder. "Sonomi always said that I gave the same expression when I saw our friends with their siblings."
Touya knew all those. It wasn't very hard for him to notice her loneliness. As a child, she must have often had to play by herself… alone in that big house of theirs. But, she didn't want to worry her mother, so she developed an early maturity. Cursing to himself, he berated himself for admiring the girl too much. After all, she is only eleven years old.
He couldn't reply to his mother, not if he didn't want to frighten the girls. Ghost stories had always frightened Sakura. He didn't know much about Tomoyo, but he wasn't sure she believed in ghosts.
Nadeshiko knew that she couldn't stay long on Earth. Floating towards Sakura, she gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek before she left to go to heaven. Before she left, she asked him to take care of Sakura. He nodded in reply. Satisfied, her great wings spread white and as quickly as she appeared, she was gone.
"Sakura makes a very cute sleeping face," teased Tomoyo, closing her eyes and speaking in a dreamy voice. "I am so glad that I decided to bring my video camera after all!"
At that, Sakura started blushing and flailing. After all this time, she still felt shy whenever Tomoyo talked about videotaping her. Last night, she had video taped her and Kero-chan fighting over a piece of cake, her brother calling her, 'Monster' and her father giving her a very affectionate kiss on the forehead before bed without noticing.
Nobody noticed her putting her camera away after that… nobody, except maybe Touya…
Out of respect and understanding, he never said anything. It is none of his business and he didn't think she wanted anybody to notice, so he pretended he didn't. Neither she nor Sakura ever spoke about her father. He had no idea what happened to him or if he was even still alive… but like Sakura, he knew better than to pry on very sensitive topics especially when he had really no business to.
He had finished much faster than the girls and he had to leave for work anyway. As he was putting on his shoes, he sensed someone coming towards him. It was Tomoyo and she was carrying his bento. Much to his surprise because it was usually Sakura who did this for him.
"Where's Sakura?"
Packing his bento into his bag herself, she explained to him that Sakura thought it was only fair if she did the clean up since they made breakfast. Touya sighed and nodded. If Tomoyo was older and people didn't know them, they would resemble a married couple. But, to Tomoyo and Touya she was merely doing what Sakura could not do for herself at the moment.
"I'll be going ahead," sad Touya, picking up his bag and stepping out the door. He looked back in time to see Tomoyo smile ever so sweetly and saying, "Please take care of yourself."
Hearing that, he found himself like the sound of it.
Once the door was closed and she was alone, her hand moved up to where her heart is and closed her eyes. Sakura stepped into the hall some time later, seeing her bestfriend still standing there with her eyes closed and her hand on her heart. Curious, but knowing better than to pry… she slinked off to finish her work in the kitchen.
Outside, He got his bike out from the backyard and was off. It wasn't long before, he met Yukito on the way. This is clearly routine for them. His sister's guardian had started working there with him as well. Yukito waved in greeting. Touya didn't return the gesture, but slowed down just a bit for his bestfriend to catch up.
"You seem to be in a very good mood this morning," commented Yukito, pedaling beside him. To most people, Touya didn't look very different, but Yukito was his bestfriend and he knew him too well.
"Shut up, you're imagining it."
Yukito laughed and didn't say anything else because he had already expected this kind of reply from him, but he had an idea what his mood was about. He called their house last night, and he knew that they had a visitor... is she the reason for this strange mood of his?
If it is, then he could guess what is going on in his head at the moment.
She is only eleven years old.
~~00~~
Tomoyo Daidouji is everything a little girl wants to be. The girl promises to be a true Japanese beauty, rich, graceful, talented and intelligent beyond her years. One didn't need an IQ to realize that. But, she is more innocent than people believed.
The next morning, Monday at school, the girls were talking about 'Like' and the different kinds of 'Like.' Nobody can remember who opened it. Maybe it was Chiharu. She was complaining that Yamazaki again was telling an outrageous lie that putting pigtails on mummies in Ancient Egypt is a form of cursing the person in the Afterlife.
Then… they arrived to the question… how do you know when you like?
Chiharu was talking about Yamazaki.
She liked him and she liked her teddy bear. Her teddy bear didn't drive her crazy like Yamazaki always did, but strangely Chiharu admitted that she liked him that way. A lie by any other person just didn't feel the same.
Naoko was talking about a penpal of hers.
She liked getting letters. Letters from her mother, father, grandparents and cousins. But when she got a letter with his name on it, her heart feels aflutter. Like it had grown butterfly wings. Even though they are so far away, she could still feel he is near in his letters.
Rika was quieter, but from the lost look on her eyes and a faint blush on her cheeks, Tomoyo could tell that she was thinking about her boyfriend. She liked her boyfriend. It didn't matter that he was a lot older than they were. They were very careful with their relationship because they understood that they did not have the conventional sort of relationship. But, she promised them that she would introduce him someday.
Tomoyo already knew who he is.
Even dear Sakura spoke of Syaoran… and his last letter from Hong Kong.
Sakura liked Syaoran. Everytime she hears his voice and reads about his stories in Hong Kong, her heart beats so fast that she couldn't breathe. It saddens her when she could not hear from him for long lengths of time. It lightens her when she finally does. She liked her father, her brother, Tomoyo and everyone… but no other person but Syaoran made her feel as strange as this.
That is how she knew that it is a strange kind of like.
Unlike her peers, she could not be as confident to say that she is in like. Tomoyo excused herself and walked down the path of Sakura trees and made sure not to go beyond the sight of the group, then taking a seat on the biggest tree.
It is true that she loved and adored Sakura. Her happiness is Tomoyo's happiness. But, her heart doesn't beat fast when she is near. No. It beats fast when one other particular person is near. Her heart didn't ache every time she sees her back towards her. She often congratulated herself for hiding it so well for so long.
What is like?
Why are her feelings and her heart telling her two different things?
"Tomoyo? Are you alright?"
Rika had separated herself from Sakura and the others to go to her. In response, she gave a gentle and reassuring smile. "I'm alright," reassuring her friend, making sure that she sounded as convincing as possible.
"Sakura told me that you might need me." Taking a seat beside her. Rika is the only other girl in their class that is quite possibly more mature than she is. "I don't think she understands… but I believe she sensed something is wrong. That may be why she asked me to talk to you. Sakura is very sensitive."
Tomoyo didn't know if it is possible to love Sakura more than she did that moment, but she did. It also filled her with guilt to have worried her so much. Had she sensed her problem? Is that why she asked Rika to talk to her? If Sakura was able to sense her heart, then it is true that she is indeed growing more powerful.
Unfortunately, even she did not know what to say or how to approach this.
Glancing towards Sakura, she seemed to be animatedly talking with Naoko and Chiharu. She really did feel guilty for worrying her. If she had more answers, maybe she would have been able to tell her.
"I apologize if I caused you all to worry so much. I didn't know I was thinking so deeply," sighed Tomoyo, then gave her best bright smile. There was no reason to cause alarm for her friends. When Sakura turned to check on her, Tomoyo gave a smile and she smiled back before her attention was taken again by Naoko who wished to tell a joke. "Rika-chan, liking him…it seems very hard."
It is a vague statement, but Rika understood what she meant. "It is," admitted Rika. "But, if it was very easy… it wouldn't really be liking, would it? For it to be real, you have to know if it is strong enough to bear anything."
Liking that person must have been very hard for Rika, yet she could sit beside her and smile like it isn't anymore difficult than tying a hair ribbon. This person is strong, Tomoyo realized. Reaching for Rika's hand, she then gave it a light squeeze.
"Was it difficult?" Tomoyo asked, finally showing signs of worry for the first time. "Was it difficult getting him to like you… I fear- I fear that he can only see me as a child."
Giggling, pleased to finally see the vulnerable Tomoyo. She had known her for years, but she had never seen Tomoyo show vulnerability. "I had the same problem as well." After a few seconds of pause, thinking of how she can explain it best to her. "Show him in little ways. Not all at once… that you will not always be a child. It will take time… it varies depending on how stubborn they are."
And, Touya is an incredibly stubborn person.
Nodding, she told her, "Thank you, Rika. You are really strong. I wish I were as strong as you."
"But, Tomoyo-chan, you are strong." Rika took her other hand and held both Tomoyo's hands gently. "You don't see it now, but you might very soon…"
All Tomoyo could do was hope that Rika was right.
Minutes later, the bell rang and knew that they had to return for class. Rika and Tomoyo rushed to join their friends. Sakura must have sensed Tomoyo's change of mood, because she looked very relieved when they returned.
"Are you alright now, Tomoyo-chan?" asked the young Cardcaptor Mistress.
"I am now… thank you, Sakura-chan. For caring so much."
"Don't be silly! We're friends!" reminding her as they began walking to their classroom. "What's our next class?"
"Math… I think," answered Chiharu.
When Sakura heard that she exclaimed and gave an adorably cute, scared face. Math, will always remain the bane of her life. Like always, Tomoyo gave her cousin an encouraging smile and told her to give her best. Like always, Sakura gave a forlorn expression but said that she would.
In class, Tomoyo could only think of what Rika told her. However, solving those Mathematical problems seem easier than solving problems of the heart.
Playing with her pencil, she stared at the blank page in her notebook, thinking, "There are some things in this world… where understanding simply isn't enough anymore." What can she do with knowing? What can she do when there is nothing she can do about it?
Sakura was watching her. Since the morning she saw Tomoyo standing by the door, she could not help but feel worried. The Tomoyo-chan she saw that returned to the kitchen that time seemed like the normal Tomoyo, but lately Sakura is beginning to notice subtle things. Her cousin sometimes would stare into space and sigh, and when she catches Sakura looking at her she would smile reassuringly.
It is true that she didn't know exactly what Tomoyo is thinking about.
It is true that she didn't know what is wrong, but she didn't want Tomoyo to think that she was alone, even if she didn't think she can tell her.
Her big brother looked like he's been thinking a lot lately. She understood that it may be because he's stressed about getting into the University soon, but sometimes she wondered if that was it. No matter how much she thought, she just couldn't understand. Tomoyo is too kind, she won't tell her anything that will worry her. Her brother tells her that she didn't have to worry about him. He is a big boy.
Why were two people she loved being this way?
When the final bell finally rang for the day, she took a deep breath and skipped over to where Tomoyo was carefully putting away her things into her bag. "Tomoyo-chan! Let's walk home together!"
In reply, her friend giggled and told her that it is her pleasure. Putting away her last notebook, she puts on her back pack and took her bestfriend's hand. "Let's go?"
They said their goodbyes to Rika, Naoko and Chiharu before leaving. As they walked, they giggled and talked about the lessons that day, the strange lie that Yamazaki told and their teacher tripping over his own chair. Smartly, Sakura avoided the topic about the conversation she had with the others that morning, not wanting her friend to feel uncomfortable.
"Where is your brother going for University?"
Sakura sighed and replied, "He doesn't want to go in the same University daddy teaches. He says that he didn't want people to think that he is getting by with daddy's influence." Her expression became a little sad as she continued. "He says he is also leaving home next year and live by himself."
The songstress felt like something akin to crushing her heart when she heard that. It shouldn't be a surprise, but- Touya really is someone with a heart of a fighter… a samurai. He wants to become a man fast. But, she is still a girl. Does she really have the time and-
"How about Yukito-san?"
She shook her head. "Yukito-san says that Yue-san said that he wants to be near me."
"I see. How do you feel… about your brother deciding to leave?"
They walked quietly for a few minutes. How did she feel about it? For all their fighting, she really loved her brother. It is hard to imagine waking up in the morning and not find her brother cooking breakfast or make fun of her cooking. "I feel… a bit sad. I never really thought of my brother leaving before he telling daddy that."
"Did you expect things never to change?"
"No! It- it isn't… that." Biting her lip, she felt the confusion again. "I…I'm just going to miss him."
Tomoyo gave her a soft look as if to say, 'I am going to miss him too.'
Sakura blinked. It couldn't be that. She must be imagining it.
There is no way she could be completely blind to it, though. Things are changing. She understood that. But-
Arriving at the park, they went immediately to the swings… they stayed on their swing in comfortable silence for a while.
"Is Syaoran-kun doing fine?"
She began to tell Tomoyo about his letters. Apparently, Syaoran doing his best in Hong Kong. Aside from school, he is also learning how to be the Head of the Li family. He made a deal with his family. If he can impress the family, he can return to Japan… but only if he impresses every single person. He must do all this before he turns sixteen. Syaoran never even mentioned what would happen if he failed.
"He's trying his best. But, I can do nothing but wait…"
"Knowing that you're waiting for him, Sakura, is probably enough for him to try his best," assured Tomoyo. It sounded that Syaoran is really going through tough times for Sakura as well.
From what she understood about the Li Clan, it is one of the most influential family in Asia. It is also famous for its great size. To win the favor of every single person in the family, it is going to be a very tough fight.
But, he had made up his mind. He wanted Sakura and no other girl would do. Tomoyo wrote to Syaoran as well… and his resolve is clear. He planned to win the wager… and he didn't care if he had to walk through hell to so that.
Quickly, she changed the subject and they began to talk about another outrageous lie Yamazaki told earlier. Yamazaki told then a story about how the how dentists in other countries use chisels to fix people's teeth. Sakura is convinced it had to be a lie. It would hurt very much.
Tomoyo didn't have the heart to tell her that it is actually true.
Some time later, Tomoyo checked her watch and realized how late it was. And, it was Sakura's turn to make dinner so she had to be home early. They gave each other a hug and went home. At the corner, Tomoyo's bodyguards were there waiting for her to take her home. They were nice to offer her a ride home, but Sakura answered that it was much too beautiful of a afternoon to ride in a car.
When Sakura reached home, she found her brother sifting through a newspaper on the dinner table. Climbing up a chair to take a peek at what he was looking for, she sees that he was looking at apartment ads. Her face dropped. It was really happening. Her mean brother was really leaving.
"Hey, monster. Hasn't anyone ever told you that it is rude to look over someone's shoulder?" said Touya, not even turning to look at her.
It was really happening. Her mean brother was really going to leave too. First, Syaoran and now her brother. Feeling a bit of the melancholy in her heart, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him from behind. The action surprised Touya but didn't say a word. He understood completely. There was plenty of guilt in his heart for making this decision.
"It isn't like I am leaving the country all together. I will be coming over to check up on you once in a while and you could visit me at the University," reminded Touya. All their lives, Touya had been protecting his sister. He can trust Yue to do a good job for him, but it really is a kind of change that will need getting used to.
"It… just won't be the same."
Prying her fingers apart, he removed himself from her hug and gathered his sister in his arms and sat her on his lap. He hadn't done that since they were kids. The first and last time he did that, Touya remembered, was when he promised her that he would always protect her. That was after their mother died.
He tucked her head under his chin. "I know. On the bright side, it might be better. Now you wouldn't have to listen to me grumble when that brat is on the phone for you."
Giggling, she shook her head at him. "You're being mean again, brother."
In reply to that, he shrugged and gave one of his very rare grins. "I know. But for me, once a brat is always a brat."
She laughed again at that, but then realized that it was her turn to cook dinner. "Ah! It is my turn tonight, right?" Leaping out of his arms, she went to the kitchen. Touya smirked and went back to sifting through the newspapers. He already knew that that she was going to be making pasta for dinner.
As she began gathering what she would need to make pasta, she began talking about her day in at school. She talked of Yamazaki's lies, the scary Math teacher, cheerleading practice and her worries about her friend, but making sure to avoid talking about Syaoran.
"I think something is the matter with Tomoyo-chan…"
His head didn't move from the paper, but if you look closely enough, it didn't appear like he is reading anymore. "You don't say? Why do you think that?"
Sakura paused in the middle of pouring the tomato sauce into the sauce pan. Why did she think that? The scene from the morning after the sleepover came back to her. "I have this feeling… and Tomoyo-chan has been acting strange lately."
Touya didn't answer. He had a feeling what it might be about. Before he gave his powers to Yukito and Yue, he had sensed something about Tomoyo. Her love for his sister was very strong. How strong he did not know. Could it have something to do with that?
"I don't really know much about girls," admitted her brother, shrugging. Yukito is much better at handling these things. Unfortunately, he was asked by the basketball team to help them out in a game. After that, he had practice for an archery tournament soon. "But, things like these usually just needs time. The kid probably just needs time to iron something things out. Things like that happens a lot when you are growing up."
"But-"
She stopped herself. Touya might be right…and maybe it is a bit selfish that she wants so much to know what was bothering her. Maybe she will tell her when she is ready. They have been bestfriends for a long time and Tomoyo had told her countless times and in countless ways how much she loved her. Her friend is mature and used to doing things at her own pace. Sakura can't fault her for that. In fact, those qualities are a few of that things she admired about her. All she had to do is wait. However, the thought of just standing back and waiting only worried her more.
All she ever does, it seems, is wait. Syaoran and Tomoyo.
And if she waited more, it will be a matter of time before her brother would he leaving too.
A few seconds later, she noticed that her brother was now standing beside her, reaching up the cupboards and got the other ingredients. To her surprise, he began helping her. It was her turn, right. As if reading her mind, he replied, "I need a break." Did he mean from reading the paper? Or from- She smiled and nodded happily. Her brother had always been better at making pasta anyway.
Was this his way of making her feel better?
Smiling as she stirred the sauce, she thought, "Thank you, brother…"
~~00~~
Tomoyo Daidouji had her hands held together, in a position of prayer. Which is not too far off since she is silently praying. A few months past since that talk she had with Rika and Sakura. A few days ago, Eriol, Spinel Sun, Nakuru Azuki and Ms. Mizuki returned to England. Sakura was now the Mistress of all the cards.
On the outside, she seemed to have completely recovered from whatever was bothering her. It helped Sakura feel a bit more relaxed, though for some reason… something felt off.
At the moment, she was in the bleachers, watching Yukito's archery contest.
Sakura had invited her to watch Yukito's competition with her, but a half an hour ago she received a phone call from her cousin. Apparently, she and Touya were at the University where her father worked. Kero-chan had began playing with some chemicals in the Chemistry lab and blew it up. No one was hurt but the explosion was big. She and Touya are now helping their father calm the panicking students. It is going to take some time because some of the students seem convinced that it is a terrorist attack.
She had apologized so sincerely and profusely; plus she sounded so disappointed already for missing it, that Tomoyo forgave her instantly. It is clear that Sakura felt responsible for what happened. Kero-chan is, after all, her guardian. Before the competition started, she also let Yukito know. For a brief moment he looked sad, but being the kind person he is, Yukito smiled and told her he understood. As he left, he gave her a wink. Despite their absence, he still planned on winning. At that, Tomoyo grinned. She had expected nothing less from Yukito.
When it was Yukito's turn again, she picked up her video camera and began shooting. She smiled as she searched for the perfect angle. There was no doubt in her mind that Yukito, her dear Sakura's guardian will win. From behind the camera lens, Tomoyo could see the calm determination on the moon guardian's face. It is in moments like this that the gentle Yukito resembled his other self so much despite the fact that Yue refuses to acknowledge it.
That determination made Yukito so beautiful to Tomoyo. His will to win made him stand out from all the competitors. There is silence among the competitors and the audience as Yukito got into position.
The wind is blowing calmly and softly. The soft, fair hair on his face danced with the wind.
He pulled the bowstrings back and positioned his arrow to shoot, knowing full well that if he made this shot… he is going to win. Tomoyo wondered if Yukito was feeling any tension at all. Whenever she had a performance, she always felt those brief few seconds of nervousness. If he did, he was hiding it well. A few seconds felt like an eternity and then he lets go-
Her camera followed the arrow as it pierced the target in a perfect bull's eye.
The crowd cheered. It is no surprise that Yukito is a favorite among the spectators. There is no mistaking the screams and sighs of his fans in the background either… calling out his name. With the competition finally over, Yukito is back to being the regular Yukito. After accepting his trophy, he turned towards Tomoyo's direction and waved. Her eyes still on the camera lens, capturing this memorable moment, she waved back.
Later, when the fans were content with their autographs and the audience began dwindling down did the two feel like they could finally breathe. Little by little, the people left and only Tomoyo and Yukito seem to be left. They were still waiting for Sakura and Touya who promised that they would be arriving very soon. The situation in the University had calmed down now somewhat and they swore that they could leave very soon.
They agreed to wait for them. It is a very peaceful afternoon and the perfect time to just sit on the grass and watch the clouds as they moved into shape and scattered again, then having the cycle all over again.
Yukito and Tomoyo had never been what people could call close, but they were civil and friendly with each other. And because of Yukito's kindness, Tomoyo did like him well enough. For a while, Tomoyo thought that they would stay that way in friendly silence as they always did but to her surprise Yukito chose to speak.
"I heard from Touya. You think of him as a knight?"
He had this conversation with Touya a few days ago at work. It is very unusual for Touya to talk about a girl… or even what a girl said about him. Yukito knew that his friend probably didn't notice what he was doing. It was fun though.
Tomoyo shook her head. "Not a knight. A samurai. The picture of a knight clearly doesn't suit him." She closed her eyes and smiled, as she continued. "A knight is flamboyant and a bit frivolous, but samurais… they have a unique, quiet strength." Opening her eyes and turning to him, she asked, "Don't you think he is?"
Yes, he did think so. And, once again this girl is impressed him with her sharp, perceptive eyes. Despite knowing very little about Touya, she was already able to read him well. He did think of Touya that way as well. Most people just think that Touya is not normal. But, frankly… even with or without powers Touya would have still been the same. He would fight and earn for the things he want. It was even safe for Yukito to admit that it is those abnormal qualities that made loving Touya quite easy.
There is no hiding it and Tomoyo probably already noticed it too.
"I happen to agree with you," admitted Yukito, his eyes still on the clouds and admiring the magic. It always seemed like magic to him every time the clouds gather together forming a shape. He chuckled when he saw a manjuu shaped one. "He is more of a samurai than a knight in shining armor."
Suddenly, there was the sound of growling. They froze for a second and then suddenly laughed. Yukito apologized for his stomach. When the laughter was finally done, he invited her to a nearby café to eat. They can come back later after they ate. Tomoyo nodded and accepted the invitation. Now that he mentioned food, she was a little hungry.
The café was quaint and sweet. It was really like the kind of café that Tomoyo herself would choose to try. It was called, "Treasure Box Café." They were wearing cute uniforms. The males wore black butler uniforms, while the females wore the female version of those uniforms. Looking the same, except for their pleated skirts. The waitresses were very nice and they seemed to be already very familiar with Yukito. Once they gave their orders, with Yukito practically ordering everything on the menu, and the everyone went back to work, he explained it was because he came here all the time after practice and used to work there with Touya.
The café reminded her of one of those small and comfortable cafés in Paris. She often visited them when she went to Paris with her mother on the occasional times she could accompany her in meetings. To her, they were always the best part of Paris.
"You and Touya seem to work everywhere."
Yukito laughed and agreed that it did seem to sound that way. His attention then went to the camera that she kept protectively inside her bag. "Did you get any good shots of me?" teased the young archer.
She responded to his teasing with a sigh and pretended to feel disappointed. "Unfortunately, I could not. Your fans kept screaming and it was quite difficult to hear anything amidst their screams."
Knowing very well that she was teasing, Yukito laughed and asked if he could borrow the camera. She nodded and handed it to him, asking him very nicely to be careful with it. She still had some new shots of Sakura that she had not uploaded into her computer yet. Promising to be careful, he began scanning the videos inside. As he thought, she had taken a lot of good shots of him in the competition. Even with his untrained eye when it came to cinematography, he could tell that they were good.
Unsurprisingly, he saw a lot of pictures of Sakura as well. There were shots of her practicing her cheerleading at the field, running during PE class and looking very nervous while she tried to answer her Math homework. Yukito couldn't stop giggling. Sakura-chan really is very cute.
As he went on, he noticed that the next few shots were of Sakura in her home. It showed the charming Sakura when she is unguarded in her own home. Sakura with her father, with Kero-chan and Sakura struggling with her English essay. Still very cute.
It was then that Yukito began noticing something. He noticed Touya was in the background in most of the shots. It was either he was in the kitchen making dinner, helping Sakura with her homework, talking with his dad or making fun of Sakura. It seemed he is always around. Sure, Sakura was in all of the shots but in some shots Touya seemed unnecessarily there. Tomoyo is a great director. She should have noticed it.
"What's wrong, Yukito-san?"
"Eh?" He looked up, finally remembering where he was. His companion was now watching him with a very curious and worried expression. And, at that moment, he realized how much he really cared for her in his own way. To reassure her, he gave a gentle smile. "Nothing at all. I was just thinking. You are very talented, Daidouji-san."
She smiled back with pleasure to be complimented. "Thank you, Yukito-san. I still have a lot to learn, but I thank you."
"Do you still sing? We watched you at the cultural festival and you were wonderful."
"I do. My music teacher practices with me three times a week after school. Teacher is very strict, but I enjoy it immensely. I even have another solo in a competition soon. I am very excited."
"Maybe we can come and watch you."
At the offer, she looked surprised. He never offered that before. It did please her though. "I would like that, but unfortunately it isn't in Tomoeda. We will be competing with other schools all over the country."
"That does sound exciting! Your mother must be proud."
"She is! She can't go, but she asked one of my bodyguards to film my performance. It would be like she is there as well."
Yukito couldn't help thinking that it must be difficult to have a mother that had to work all the time.
"You're a really nice girl, Tomoyo-chan."
Before she could reply, their orders arrived. Tomoyo daintily bit into her strawberry cake and Yukito began eating his whole apple pie. It didn't surprise her anymore that Yukito ate so much. She even believed it is one of the qualities that is so charming about him.
There was silence as they ate. The girl loved the cake. It is truly delicious. Yukito smiled, looking very pleased that she seemed very happy with the cake. Later, he ordered a glass of ice tea and a pitcher for him. Soon, they knew that they had to return. Sakura and Touya will be arriving at the meeting place soon.
"Tomoyo-chan?"
"Yukito-san? Yes?"
With his one hand carrying the cake box with the cake they were going to bring to Sakura and Touya, his other hand went to pat her gently on the head affectionately. Much to the confusion of the girl. "Don't be afraid."
"Afraid?"
There was no reply after that. He signaled for the check. They argued over who was to pay the bill for a few minutes, but despite Tomoyo's insistence Yukito paid the bill. A man should never allow a lady to pay for a meal. When the waitresses found out they were leaving, they gathered around Yukito asking about how Touya was. It wasn't difficult to see that Touya had been very popular in the café while he was there. The questions and the giggling made it quite difficult to leave, but the heiress was quite patient… even answering questions herself. They had wanted to know about Touya's little sister. According to them, Sakura had visited a few times with Yukito or Touya.
"So, you are the bestfriend Sakura-chan was talking about?" One girl asked.
"Eh? How did you-"
The girls giggled and pointed to the video camera. "The video camera. Sakura-chan said that you love to video her. We also heard that you have a very pretty voice!"
At the last part, she smiled. "Pretty voice? Did Sakura-chan really say that?"
"Eh? No." They collectively shook their heads. "It was Touya-kun who told us."
That surprised her. She never thought her bestfriend's older brother ever paid attention to her singing. Also, he couldn't really imagine him complimenting anyone. The waitresses must've noticed her surprised look because they began giggling again. It is a bit of a shock to even hear Touya Kinomoto compliment anyone. Except for his sister, Sakura, they had never really seen Touya really watch another girl. So, they explained what happened…
It was a typical day at the Treasure Box café. There weren't many customers, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the radio that one of the employees brought to work. Bored, the employees did many things to distract themselves. Some of them would play with the register, one guy was dancing with a broom, another was talking with her boyfriend on the cell phone, another guy was pacing by the door, but Touya… Touya was busy with his homework. With his jobs and school, he often did his homework in the café. It wasn't an unusual thing.
Getting bored with the cute pop music, another employee changed the dial to look for another station. She came to a station that was playing a soft and pretty ballad. After a few lines, Touya looked up from his homework and stared at the radio with a rather curious look on his face.
"That song… it sounds familiar."
"You mean this? It's called, Scarlet, I think It was a pretty popular song before. Are you a fan of the artist? Isn't she great? I am a fan myself!"
Touya looked away, as if trying to remember something. It is a sure thing that he wasn't a fan of the artist. In fact, he wasn't really fond of ballads. It wasn't his type. But, he had heard the song before. Seconds later, his eyes widened as if finally remembering. "I think I remember where I heard it before. That girl sang it before."
"That girl?" the female waitresses chorused. Even the one talking with her boyfriend joined it. They were all asking the same thing in their heads. Who was the girl? Touya Kinomoto never talked about girls other than his sister before. Was she Touya's girlfriend? Did this mean they don't have a chance anymore?
"Is she pretty?" A girl demanded to know.
Touya gave a strange look, not understanding why they seemed so interested. Now he wished he didn't say anything and continued to do his homework. "Yeah, I guess she is."
This caused a panic. Touya thought the girl was pretty. That was not a good sign. The girl really had to be something if Touya would say that. He didn't even really comment much on popular idols.
"Did… did she sing it… well?"
This time Touya paused and closed his eyes, listening to the song still playing on the radio. These girls were, to say the least, confusing the hell out of him but it looked like they weren't going to leave him alone until he answered their questions. The girls waited patiently for his answer, their hearts beating at abnormal rates.
When he opened his eyes, he nodded. "Yeah. I think she did. Honestly, I think I even like her version better." Maybe he was wrong because he wasn't really an expert on music. Somehow, when he heard Tomoyo sing it… he could sense her feelings much more strongly than the artist now singing on the radio.
"What!" came another chorus. They couldn't take it anymore… they just had to find out who this mystery girl was. "Who is she, Touya-kun? Is she your girlfriend?"
"What are you talking about?"
Whenever he got caught up in these kind of situations, he really didn't know what to do. Why do they want to know? AT times like these, he thought that it would probably be better to stay silent.
"The girl! The pretty girl that can sing better than Aya Kago!"
He raised his eyebrow and gave a look as if saying, 'Are-you-all-alright?' They really were acting weirder than usual. "She's my little sister's bestfriend. I watched her sing it at their last festival."
"Little sister's… bestfriend?" From what they know, Sakura-chan was only about eleven years old. If the girl is her bestfriend, that means the girl was still a kid… therefore, not a competition. They laughed together, much to the confusion of Touya, they felt better now.
"We can't wait to meet her then!"
After that incident, Touya never talked about music again in work.
After telling the story, Tomoyo laughed. These people were all very interesting. It was funny to believe that these pretty girls, in their pretty uniforms, were jealous of her. All of them looked very embarrassed when Tomoyo laughed but then began laughing with her at their own silliness. Yukito joined their laughter. Touya had told him about the incident too, but his version was a bit different from theirs… but still as funny. Touya was really such a dense guy.
"There you two are!"
Tomoyo recognized Sakura's voice immediately. They all looked towards the direction of the voice and saw Sakura running towards them, with Touya walking a few steps behind her his hands in his pockets.
At their arrival, the girls squealed excitedly again. Not wanting to look bad in front of Touya, they went back to work. Yukito and Tomoyo simply had to laugh.
Sakura didn't understand their laughter, but decided to seat down on the empty seat anyway. Tempted to ask, but deciding it was probably a secret joke between them. "When we couldn't find you at the Archery club, we thought you might come here! Tomoyo-chan should really try their strawberry shortcake!"
"I did and it was delicious," replied Tomoyo as she scooted over to give Touya room to sit. "Is everything alright in the University now-?" Her eyes were suddenly on Touya's hands that didn't move from his pockets. It was strange. His hands-
"Yeah, everything is fine now… we dropped Kero-chan home before coming here. He made me promise to bring him home some cake," answered Sakura, looking a bit annoyed by her guardian's demands.
One of the waitresses, the one that asked if she was Sakura's bestfriend, came to get their orders. Sakura ordered Chocolate Parfait and Touya ordered a soda and Tuna sandwich.
Since he arrived, he had been quiet. It was like he was doing everything in his power not to be noticed. Unfortunately, it wasn't working.
He excused himself to go wash his hands. In the bathroom, he removed his hands from his pockets. His right hand was injured when he tried to rescue a girl during the blast. He had protected the girl from the glass shards flying around them. After the danger was gone, all he had to do was take off his jacket, so that Sakura wouldn't notice it was in shreds. He had protected the girl's head during landing with his right hand though, and that was how he injured it. Not wanting to worry his sister, he hid his hands. It wasn't as bad as he thought. Just a few scratches and a sprain.
After washing his hands, he exited the bathroom… only to find Tomoyo waiting for him outside and she was carrying a first aid kit that she had borrowed from the café.
"May I see it?"
He didn't move, pretending not to know what she was talking about. However, she wasn't buying it.
"Your hand… may I see it?"
Knowing that it was futile to hide it from her, he shrugged and pulled out his hand and showed it to her. "It's not that bad."
Tomoyo thought he would say something like that and smiled. Touya really is a stubborn Samurai, choosing to suffer in silence and fix wrongs himself. "That might be true, but please… let me do this at least. I understand that you don't want to worry Sakura. That is why I didn't say anything either, but please… let me do this?"
Nodding in reply, he sat down… waiting for her to begin tending to his hand. With a small smile, she did and to Touya's surprise her tending to his hand was not awkward or untrained.
As if reading his mind, she smiled and answered. "I often visit the Children's Hospital near my home. It is one of my mother's favorite Charity projects. I help sometimes."
He smiled back. She never ceased to surprise him.
When she was done, he puts his hand back in his pocket and walked back to their table together.
"Brother? Tomoyo-chan? You two took a long time…"
"I had to make a call," muttered Touya.
"I had to make a call too." Tomoyo didn't really like lying to Sakura, but if she didn't it would upset Sakura. It would worry her too and blame herself if she found out her brother got hurt in the blast.
"I see…"
She wasn't sure exactly yet, but there really was something odd going on with Tomoyo and her brother. For some reason, they were acting strange and looked like they were trying to hide something. Before she could ask anything more, their orders arrived and everyone in the café began gathering around them… asking questions and telling stories…
"H-Hoee~!"
~~00~~
That night, Tomoyo began working on editing a new movie about Sakura from the clips she gathered from their sleepover. As usual, she couldn't help but smile at Sakura's natural and artless charm. None of her actions were calculated or planned… everything… from tripping over Kero-chan to arguing with Touya were spontaneous. That was what she loved about her.
A few hours later, she realized how late it was. With a yawn, she decided to continue editing in the morning.
"Oi, Monster. Stop stomping your big feet."
Tomoyo looked up to the screen. To her surprise, the focus seemed to be on Touya. She didn't remember filming this scene. The camera kept moving around. It was obviously a bit too heavy for the small plushie.
Touya was cooking dinner. It was steak, if she remembered correctly. He was chuckling as he was chopping the herbs. For some reason, she found herself staring at his smile longer than she intended to.
"Kero-chan! Where are you? Stop playing with Tomoyo-chan's camera! And Sakura is not a monster!"
There was a familiar laugh in the background. It was the Sun Guardian, up to his usual tricks. "The great and talented Cerberus is now putting his talents into being a director! It is called, Sakura Monster!" Tomoyo then remembered that Kero had asked to borrow her camera that night while she was taking a bath before dinner.
"Kero-chan! When I get my hands on you-"
By the sound of it, Sakura was running upstairs to her room, looking for him.
"She is going to find you eventually, you know," said Touya as he began stirring the sauce in the sauce pan. He knew exactly where the plushie was, but since he amused him he let him hide a little longer.
"She's still going to have to catch me!"
Touya threw the plushie and the camera an amused smile that made even Tomoyo start blushing. "Good luck with that."
The next second, Sakura bursts into the kitchen and began chasing after Kero. The plushie left the camera on the dining table. It was much too heavy to carry around. Once they were out of the room, he turned off the stove and walked towards the camera. Picking up the camera, he fumbled with it until he finally found the off switch.
Tomoyo remained silent after watching that, before she began putting back the tapes into their cases and shutting down her computer. Closing the door to her video editing room, she decided that a bath would be nice after such a long day.
With her feet soaking in the tub, she stared at the water filling it up.
Admittedly, for some time, she had been very confused why she was watching Touya so carefully. Maybe it was because he reminded her so much of Sakura? Because she loved Sakura.
Her feelings are telling her that she loves Sakura very much, but her heart sometimes feels happy or feels hurt when she sees Touya. Hidden very well, but it is there.
When the waitresses told her that he commented that her voice is beautiful, she was both surprised and happy. When he left to 'wash his hands,' she was worried. When she thinks of him inevitably leaving… she was… very, very sad.
It is all very confusing.
She knows of his noble heart.
She knows of his loyalty for those he cares for.
She knows of protective spirit.
She knows he is a fighter.
And… she still wants to know more about him. There are still so many things she has yet to discover about him.
Tomoyo began to remember his hand. From the looks of it, it had been crushed against something. He didn't even wince as she had carefully bandaged it. He wanted her to believe that it did not hurt as much as it looked. But, she knew. She knew that it had to be painful because she had seem other people cry over wounds that looked only half as bad as his.
Sighing, she began to remember her strange talk with Yukito. What did he mean by, Don't be afraid? Afraid of what?
Did he… know?
Did he know how she is feeling?
Wrapping her arms around herself, she knew that she was afraid. Because, she is a very smart girl and she suspected where her heart is going… and it made her feel very uncertain and worried. She had to let go of Sakura. Her place is with Syaoran and she knew that.
Before her heart went any further, she had to stop… because she knew that would have to let go again too. She will only hurt herself… because Touya Kinomoto's place was not with her, but with Yukito.
If she really did care for Touya… she would leave them alone.
And, that is exactly what she will do.
Love means to not be selfish.
Being happy for them even if they're place is not with you… isn't it?
It was the sound of the tub overflowing that woke Tomoyo up from her thoughts. Turning the water off, she wanted nothing more but to have her bath and just rest. She was not acting like herself at all. And because of that she is worrying Sakura.
It wasn't like her to be so troubled by things like love. She is someone that should know…
It was easy to say not to be afraid, but so difficult to do. There is a reassurance in knowing and uncertainty in not. She cannot help but feel afraid… And when she does begin to know, must she break her own heart again?
Yes.
Apparently, she has to. Thinking of the, she almost laughed. She really needs to take lessons on how to stop falling for someone you shouldn't.
Tomoyo wasn't the only one up at such a late hour. Touya couldn't sleep either. At that moment, he was downstairs in the kitchen… drinking warm milk and hoping that it would be enough to help him sleep.
It wasn't working though.
He just didn't feel sleepy at all. There were simply too many things bothering him that day. It wasn't like him to have insomnia. He knew it was important for him to get plenty of rest. His stamina wasn't as strong as when he still had his powers. Without them, he tires easily and was an ordinary man.
According to the clock, it was 10:49pm.
Was his dad still up working at this hour? He was pretty sure that he mentioned that he had an important presentation coming up soon. Something about a talk on Mesopotamia. Touya wasn't really sure if he wanted to talk with his dad. It wasn't really something he could casually talk about.
Pulling out his bandaged hand, he ended up staring at it.
"She's only eleven years old," he reminded himself, because sometimes he tended to forget that.
For months he kept telling himself not to forget that she is his little sister's bestfriend. Hurting her would mean hurting Sakura… and even though he liked teasing her, he would never point blank hurt her. Besides, he'd watched her enough times now to know… that she is in love with someone else.
…and what about Yukito?
They had talked that morning, after the girls had left. Lately, he's been acting very strange and it worries him. He's been getting very distracted with something. Touya even caught him on more than one occasion staring into space.
He said that he loved Him.
And, Touya cared for him too… which is why he didn't regret giving his powers to him.
He had always known that Yukito wasn't human. From the very beginning of their acquaintance, he could sense that he was different. At first he had been wary, but he slowly began to accept him.
In a way, Touya did love him too. But, he isn't sure what kind of love yet. All he can be sure of is that he wouldn't like it if anything happened to him and he couldn't prevent it. There was something he wasn't saying, probably trying to hide it as long as possible, not wanting to worry him. Sometimes, Yukito was too predictable.
Of course he'd worry.
There were times when he thought he wasn't looking, he'd throw him looks that looked like he was trying to decide how to say goodbye. He hated those looks… that morning he confronted him about them. It was obvious that he didn't wish to talk about it yet.
"Touya, when it's time… I'll tell you. For now, please don't worry yourself over it."
It was so like him to say something like that.
Without realizing it, he found himself staring at the bandage on his hand. In looks, Tomoyo resembled his mother very much, with the exception of eye color. As she had bandaged his hand earlier, he could almost see his mother again.
"Touya? What are you doing up?"
"Dad? You're still working?"
Fujitaka Kinomoto gave his son a tired smile and sat down across the table from him. Finding Touya downstairs was a surprise but certainly not unwelcomed. Maybe a chat would keep him from feeling so tired. "Yes, I am still a long way from finished, unfortunately. Is Sakura-chan sleeping?"
"Mnmm… she is. I'll make you some coffee."
"I am glad and… I appreciate it. Thank you, Touya."
His son shrugged and stood up from the table. He left his empty mug on the sink; took clean mug and a kettle from the cupboard to begin making the coffee.
"You still haven't answered my question."
Without looking behind him, Touya asked what he meant… though he knew perfectly well what. His father is sharp, which is why he had hoped he was sleeping already. Part of him though, believed that this might be what he needed.
"Why are you up so late?"
Waiting for the water to boil, he sighed and turned around to face his father; leaning against the sink. "I couldn't sleep." He frowned, giving his father a look that asked him without words to cease asking questions.
Fujitaka, being an understanding father, decided to go along with his wishes.
Staring blankly at the papers in his hands, he couldn't help but sink into his own deep thoughts as well. He knew that he wasn't the perfect father. There were a lot of things that he couldn't understand about his son. Because of his busy schedule, Touya grew up to be oddly reliable and independent at such an early age. That was why whenever his son was in this sort of mood, he can trust him to settle it on his own.
Whether it was about his first girlfriend, his first love, his worries and his musings, Touya would silently find his own path and answer his own questions.
Of course he'd still grow worried. After all, he is still a father. But, sometimes… he really wished that he could still find a place in his life for his busy father. Looking at his son proudly, their child grew up to be a fine man. He knew that his wife must be very proud.
They stayed quiet that way in companionable silence for a few minutes, until Touya finished making the coffee. Looking at the clock again, he finds that he was still not tired, much to his annoyance.
Touya wasn't blind. He knew that his father was worried and curious. Both siblings were familiar of Fujitaka's 'I'm-worried-but-I-trust-you' face. He wasn't sure if their father is aware with it. As far as father's go, Touya thought that theirs is the best. He was busy, but still tried to be a part of his children's everyday lives.
Not being able to take the silence, he sighed, "I know what you're thinking. Don't worry about it."
His father answered with another gentle smile. "I can never understand why children always insist to their parents that they shouldn't worry about them." Putting the coffee mug down before continuing, "Parents will continue to worry even if you tell them not to. They wouldn't truly be parents if they didn't."
Touya had no retort for that, because his father was right. It would be ridiculous to try insisting. Noticing his hesitation to talk more about it, he decided to change the subject. "Did you find an apartment?"
Grateful for the change in the conversation's direction, he shook his head. "No. But, I'll find one by next year."
"Sakura-chan isn't saying anything, but this decision is a painful one for her."
There was no need for a reminder. He knew. "Yukito will take care of her while I am gone… and soon, the brat will be back." He ground his teeth with the last part. How he hated being reminded of her sister's relationship with that Chinese boy. The boy left nothing but a promise, but for some reason… he knew he could trust him to keep it.
"Be careful, and make sure to visit us from time to time." It is a sad and lonely thing when you begin to see your children are growing up. Touya was not at all like him or Nadishiko. Every since he was a child, he reminded him of Sonomi Daidouji. Protective, stubborn and wouldn't accept that anybody else but themselves could protect those under their wing.
"You know I will."
After that, he excused himself to return to his room. He was still not at all tired, but he figured that he would probably feel tired eventually. He passed by Sakura's room, remembering their talk that morning she found him looking for apartments. Guilt was biting him. She was not his to protect anymore soon.
What now?
He shook his head trying to clear it. Sakura may not need him to protect her, but he was still her brother and would always be a part of her life. Yukito was a protector as well, he didn't need his protection.
Out of habit, he opened the door and peeked inside through the small crack. He smiled seeing his pretty sister sleeping so peacefully on her bed. Who would have thought that such a small person is now the most powerful magician in the world? Kero-chan was sleeping peacefully in his makeshift room, he knew. Stepping inside, making sure not to wake her. It was so late.
Boys… and the future…
"Soon, the little monster will become a big monster," he muttered teasingly, not really caring that no one was listening. He pushed her bangs away from her face affectionately and stood up. It was time to go to bed.
He didn't know how… but he might as well try counting sheep.
As he was about to leave, he noticed something on his sister's desk. It was a CD. Curious, he picked it up and tried to read the label in the dark room. It was a compilation of Tomoyo's song recordings. Apparently, she was going to send it to her friend in England. He didn't know why… but he brought it with him when he went out. What did he have to lose? He tried everything else.
Once inside his room, he slipped the CD into his CD player and sat on his bed. The CD began with a short introduction from Tomoyo:
"I hope this reached you with no problems, Hiirgizawa-kun. I wanted to send you something special for all your help at the Cultural Festival…"
Help? Didn't he hear that he was in England?
Then the music began with a beautiful piano instrumental. It piqued his interest. The song was definitely familiar. He had heard of it before. But where-?
Moments later, Tomoyo's melodious voice began… and he could only smile. Yes, he knew this song. He knew this song very well.
Finally feeling relaxed, Touya laid down on his bed and closed his eyes, losing himself to her beautiful song. As he thought, she captured the song in a way the original artist could only dream about.
What was the name again?
Then, he smiled before muttering, "Scarlet."
Tsubame: I started this story the same time as, "Nightingale and the Phantom of Red Moon." In the end, I found it difficult to do two stories at the same time. After I finished Nightingale, I had planned to start on this. Hahaha… but I haven't really finished it, though. I hope you like it. I really love Tomoyo and Touya very much. But, this is an experiment just like all the others. I don't know why I am so fond of experimenting.
Notes:
Aya Kago- A fictional Idol and based her from Ai Kago. Those who are big fans of Morning Musume should know who she is. She was very cute and bubbly. She was very a popular idol before leaving Hello!Project because of her numerous scandals. Personally, I did like her before. Now, my tastes are a little different. Even now, she is still a favorite among Morning Musume fans.
Scarlet- The real artist of this song is the voice actress of Tomoyo, Iwao Junko, I do know. But, it would have been funny if I used the real artist… it would be like she sounded better than herself. Maybe I am silly for thinking like that, but please bear with me.
Treasure Box Café- Treasure Box is the name of the blog of a good friend of mine, Trudy. We both like CLAMP very much. She is an excellent artist and I can't even believe that her parents used to be against her being an artist. Her blog is in Korean, but she has an English one, Daffodytreasury . blogspot . com . I came up with the name because of her and we both are fond of cute cafes.
Listening to:
Scarlet and Cross My Heart (Ayashi no Ceres) - I was thinking of Tomoyo's personality when I listened to Scarlet. Cross My Heart made me think of Touya's. I am not really a fan of the Ayashi no Ceres series, but I did like the songs.
Chijyou no Seiza (Fuushigi Yuugi Eikoden)- I was listening to this while writing the first scene. The scene in the kitchen. It also came up during the scene with Sakura and Touya when she had discovered him looking for apartments.
Change (Hanasakeru Seishounen)- The second scene talked a lot about change. Sakura is slowly beginning to see and understand those changes. All of them are growing up and learning to accept the changes or wanting the changes.
Mood: Tired. Anxious.
Working on: Nightingale and the Phantom of Red Moon, Summer School, Birthday gift for my friend and Artemis Fowl: Alice Academy.
Spoiler:
:Chapter 2:
~Twelve Years Old: Tears and Rainbows