"Hi, Tomoyo-chan. Thank you for seeing me"
"Come in Li-kun." As soon as Shoaoran had his shoes off and slippers on she led him upstairs to her room. Okay, this is completely private. Now what did you want to talk to me about?"
"Well. It's about Sakura mostly, and you, and I guess, me too." When Shoaoran seemed stalled she tried to encourage him.
"So? Is everything okay between you and Sakura?"
"Yes. Well, mostly yes. What I wanted to talk about is, well we have invited you to come with us three times now and you have been busy each time. And I was wondering if maybe you were just trying to be polite by not coming with us? Is that it?"
"Well, usually when a girl and her boyfriend go out together they really want to be alone. I don't want to get between you and Sakura."
"That's what I thought. But it isn't like that. I've been watching Sakura very closely. She IS kind of my favorite subject. Anyway, she doesn't smile as much, or laugh as much when you aren't there. She is happier and more self confident and like more alive, when you are with her. It's like she isn't complete without you." Tomoyo was stunned by Shoaoran's words and hesitated before answering.
"I'm sure you are exaggerating. Sakura doesn't need me..." She finished with a sad note in her voice.
"You're wrong. She does need you. And so do I. Sakura's happiness is the most important thing in the world to me. And to be really happy she needs you to be there with her."
"But Sakura loves you." Tomoyo insisted.
"I believe so. And I am really happy about that. But she loves you too. And it's obvious that you love her a whole lot." Tomoyo looked down and blushed but didn't say anything to that. "It must be really hard for you to be helping me take Sakura away from you." Tomoyo glanced at Shoaoran for a moment before looking back at the floor and speaking.
"I have to. Her happiness is the most important thing in the world to me. And she loves you and needs you. And you are the best... And I can't give her what you can." Tomoyo finished in a choked voice.
"I hope she needs me. I certainly need her. But she needs you too, Tomoyo. Don't dump her just because she has me. Because I can't give her what you can either. I think maybe she needs both of us. So, how about spending more time with us?"
"Are you sure she really needs me?"
"I'm very sure. I wouldn't be here if I didn't think that Sakura needed you.
"Alright. The next time she invites me out with or without you, I will go."
"Great! I'm glad you understand." Shoaoran said in a relieved voice.
"I'm not sure I do understand. But it's not real hard to convince me to spend more time with Sakura." Tomoyo finished with a smile.
---
It was obvious to Shoaoran that Sakura was happier when Tomoyo was with them. And this made him happy. The down side was that he didn't like losing part of Sakura's attention. Or very often, most of Sakura's attention.
Sakura, as usual, had no clue, but Tomoyo noticed that Shoaoran was a little strained and began watching him and Sakura closely. By the third time out, There was no question that Sakura preferred her company to Shoaoran's. And she couldn't help feeling happy about this. But she also felt sorry for Shoaoran who had talked her into coming with them. And he kept insisting even when Tomoyo tried to back out. So one night she had an idea. Instead of sticking close to Sakura as she normally did she started staying close to Shoaoran, with the idea that Sakura would stay close to her and this would keep Shoaoran from being left out. She also made a point of including Shoaoran in all her conversations.
The result was a strange one. To anyone watching it would look like Shoaoran and Tomoyo were out together and Sakura was just tagging along.
Shoaoran thought Tomoyo's behavior was strange at first, but after a bit he decided he liked the way things were working. He no longer felt left out, Sakura was her usual cheerful active self, and he didn't really mind having the very beautiful Tomoyo paying so much attention to him.
He did start hearing about it at school though. But he didn't care that boys were angry with him hogging the two best looking girls in their class all to himself. He would just smile at them and shrug.
As the months passed he began feeling very close to Tomoyo. She was quiet and thoughtful like he was. And she admired him for his magic power. Which felt good. While Sakura was a bundle of energy and chatter who actually had more magic power than he did. And she had won the Clow cards. And that fact still hurt a bit. He still loved Sakura, he assured himself, but perhaps he loved Tomoyo too. And it didn't help his confusion any when it was Tomoyo who insisted the hardest that he go along with them, even when he felt down and just wanted to be alone.
He didn't know why he kept feeling down, but it was Tomoyo who noticed and talked to him about it, and helped him figure it out. They decided that his problem was that he felt like neither of his "girlfriends" really needed him. They had each other.
"Do you need me, Tomoyo?"
"I like having you around as a friend." She replied in an upbeat voice. Shoaoran nodded before he spoke.
"I thought not. You don't need anyone but Sakura."
---
A few days later, the three of them were in Tomoyo's room where Sakura was modeling a new costume Tomoyo had made. Just in case it was needed.
"Okay, this is as good a place as any. I'd like to do a little test." With this he walked over to Sakura, took her in his arms and kissed her as lovingly as he could for about five seconds.
"That was nice, Shoaoran. Now what's this about a test?"
"That was the first part of the test. Now for the second part I'd like Tomoyo to kiss you like I did." This caused both Sakura's and Tomoyo's eyebrows to shoot up.
"What?" Sakura was the first to react. "She doesn't want to kiss me like that, she's a girl!"
"Yes she is a girl." Shoaoran said, "But she would still love to kiss you like I did. Wouldn't you Tomoyo?" But Tomoyo didn't answer, she just blushed and looked at the floor.
"Tomoyo? Do you really want to kiss me like that?" After a moment, Tomoyo looked up at Sakura took a deep breath and nodded her head.
"Oh. Okay. I don't mind of you kiss me, Tomoyo."
"You don't!" Tomoyo sounded astonished.
"Nope. Go ahead." Tomoyo only hesitated a moment before she had her arms around Sakura and was kissing her very lovingly. It looked to Shoaoran like Tomoyo started to pull away after about ten seconds, but Sakura wouldn't let her end the kiss. She held on and kept kissing.
"Well, I think that's clear. It's obvious that I'm not needed here." With this comment the girls broke up, both looking flushed and gasping for air. "I'm going back to Hong Kong. There is a girl there who used to really love me. I'm going to see if she still does. I really do care about both of you. And I hope you two are happy together."
Sakura tried to talk him out of leaving, but he could see her heart wasn't really in it. So he left anyway.
And Meilin was delighted to see him.