To The Brink of Love
Chapter Two
~*~Tomoyo's POV~*~
I looked out my window just in time to see Shinji arrive. "I'll be right down!" I called to him. He nodded. I hastily
latched the window shut and sped downstairs to let him in.
"Could we talk about Li?" was how he greeted me. I didn't notice his lack of manners. After all, Sakura had just fainted
because of Li.
"How's Sakura?" I asked. Shinji had insisted on carrying her himself the last few blocks - he hadn't wanted me to have to
go past my house and back.
"She's fine," he said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Kept muttering she loved me, no matter what... Touya has her in bed, he's
taking care of her."
"Good." Tomoyo led the way to the sitting room. "Now, about Li-"
She never got to finish, as a scream of anguish echoed around the neighbourhood.
~*~Eriol's POV~*~
I had finally reached him, had finally reached my little wolf, and he was dying.
I bent over him, cradling his body close, weeping.
Two slashes to his wrist. His sword, that great family heirloom, lay beside him, bloodied. His blood ran in rivulets down
his arm and stained my shirt.
~Slashed wrists. It's not too late, Eriol,~ I told myself firmly. I pulled my shattered self together and began the incantation.
~*~Syaoran's POV~*~
At first, everything was dark. And that was good. I mean, when you kill yourself, when you're dying, things are supposed
to be dark, right? Although I don't think many people would be able to give conclusive evidence.
But then, things started getting brighter. Unless I was seeing the light of the Pearly Gates, or the fires of Hell, the
only explanation was that Eriol was bringing me back. Only he had that kind of power.
I opened my eyes and found him bent over me. Tears leaked out of the sides of his closed eyes, tears which I noted with
astonishment. I never expected anyone to actually cry for me. We were still in the sakura tree, I noted. He hadn't bothered
to bring me down. Or perhaps he couldn't. The magic he was performing was making our bodies glow, swirling shades of
green and blue. Our auras mingled, and it was then that I realized what he was doing.
The BAKA! He was giving me his own life energy!
I grabbed his shoulders, snapping him out of the trance. The magic stopped abruptly, and he looked at me wonderingly.
"Enough. You don't have to give me ALL your blasted life," I muttered. Hurt flashed in his eyes, but was quickly replaced
by relief.
I looked up from massaging my sore wrists. "Why did you have to bring me back, Hiiragizawa? It's not like-" I never got a
chance to finish my sentence as his lips locked around mine.
For a moment, I felt nothing but shock. I mean, Hiiragizawa was kissing me. Kissing ME. KISSING me. The thought
should have repulsed me. Not that I'm homophobic. More of... this was supposed to be my sworn enemy! Even though I
didn't get Sakura, he had been trying to steal her...
No, I realized. He's gay. Why would he try to steal her? Unless... unless he was trying to make you jealous. Attract your
attention.
My arms moved up hesitantly and clasped around his shoulders. He stiffened in surprise and pulled away. The tears falling
from his eyes were ones of happiness this time.
"Xiao-Lang?" he whispered in a voice that broke with emotion. I just smiled at him.
This time, I was the one who kissed him.
~*~Next day~*~
~*~Eriol's POV~*~
I rolled over. Strangely enough, I rolled onto someone.
Everything flooded back to me. Somehow, Xiao-Lang and I had managed to stagger back to his house without looking too
desperately in love. And once we had gotten back to his empty house - Wei was on a two-day vacation - we had
collapsed into bed. And we'd fallen straight asleep.
Well, what were you expecting? I was exhausted from draining my life energy like that, and Xiao-Lang HAD just tried to
kill himself, after all.
I smiled and stroked Xiao-Lang's sleeping face. He stirred slightly, turning to press his face into my chest. I glanced at the
calendar.
"SHIIITTTT!!!!!"
~*~
~*~Third person view~*~
Li snapped awake at the loud curse, expecting some form of trouble. Instead, he found Eriol, jumping off the bed.
"Xiao-Lang! We have school today! And we're late!" he screamed. Li's eyes widened and he jumped up as well. "You can
have one of my uniforms, we're the same size. And I'll get breakfast, you shower. Hurry!"
The boys were ready in record time and flying down the street. If they hurried, they wouldn't be late...
They arrived and were seated just as the bell rang.
"Sure is a coincidence you guys came in at the same time!" Tomoyo said cheerfully. She and Shinji had both decided not to
hold anything against Li. Sakura was fully aware of and supported their decision. Personally, she wasn't sure there WAS
anything to hold against Li - since when was loving someone a crime? But if it helped bring them together again...
"And you were almost late!" Shinji continued with a smile. "You didn't spend the night together, I hope?" he winked. "But
honestly, homosexuals are so unnatural! They shouldn't be allowed..." he sighed. "But whatever. About last night, Li..."
"Forgiven, forgotten. And I'm sorry, too."
"Great." There were handshakes all around, before Terada-sensei interrupted to take attendence.
~*~At Night~*~
"So Shinji's a raging homophobic. Never knew that about him," murmured Li. Eriol wriggled into a more comfortable position
beside him, not saying anything. "Eriol-koi? What's wrong?"
Eriol closed his eyes. "You know how Sakura very often blindly follows Shinji in things that she's not sure about, and
Daidouji-san follows Sakura..."
"Hai, Sakura's her best friend."
"Well, it all comes down to Shinji leading them. We ought to tell them about us. Demo... after what he said today..."
Eriol's voice trailed off.
"You don't think we should," stated Li. Eriol shivered in his arms. "It's all right, koi, I'm not angry. I think you're
right. Their friendship means a lot to both of us, even if Shinji doesn't know about the cards."
"Hai." Eriol smiled up at him. "I'm glad you understand, Xiao-Lang."
Li closed his eyes as a delicious thrill ran up his spine when Eriol spoke his given name. "Aishiteru, koi," he whispered,
just before they both drifted off to sleep.
~*~Three Days Later~*~
"Hey, guys!" Tomoyo greeted them brightly. "You'll never guess what news I have!"
"What is it, Tomoyo?" asked Shinji, looking up from his sushi.
"Well, I've set up our resident bachelors," she said, indicating Eriol and Li with a wave of her hand, "on a blind date!"
Twin screams of horror echoed through the courtyard.
Chapter Two
~*~Tomoyo's POV~*~
I looked out my window just in time to see Shinji arrive. "I'll be right down!" I called to him. He nodded. I hastily
latched the window shut and sped downstairs to let him in.
"Could we talk about Li?" was how he greeted me. I didn't notice his lack of manners. After all, Sakura had just fainted
because of Li.
"How's Sakura?" I asked. Shinji had insisted on carrying her himself the last few blocks - he hadn't wanted me to have to
go past my house and back.
"She's fine," he said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Kept muttering she loved me, no matter what... Touya has her in bed, he's
taking care of her."
"Good." Tomoyo led the way to the sitting room. "Now, about Li-"
She never got to finish, as a scream of anguish echoed around the neighbourhood.
~*~Eriol's POV~*~
I had finally reached him, had finally reached my little wolf, and he was dying.
I bent over him, cradling his body close, weeping.
Two slashes to his wrist. His sword, that great family heirloom, lay beside him, bloodied. His blood ran in rivulets down
his arm and stained my shirt.
~Slashed wrists. It's not too late, Eriol,~ I told myself firmly. I pulled my shattered self together and began the incantation.
~*~Syaoran's POV~*~
At first, everything was dark. And that was good. I mean, when you kill yourself, when you're dying, things are supposed
to be dark, right? Although I don't think many people would be able to give conclusive evidence.
But then, things started getting brighter. Unless I was seeing the light of the Pearly Gates, or the fires of Hell, the
only explanation was that Eriol was bringing me back. Only he had that kind of power.
I opened my eyes and found him bent over me. Tears leaked out of the sides of his closed eyes, tears which I noted with
astonishment. I never expected anyone to actually cry for me. We were still in the sakura tree, I noted. He hadn't bothered
to bring me down. Or perhaps he couldn't. The magic he was performing was making our bodies glow, swirling shades of
green and blue. Our auras mingled, and it was then that I realized what he was doing.
The BAKA! He was giving me his own life energy!
I grabbed his shoulders, snapping him out of the trance. The magic stopped abruptly, and he looked at me wonderingly.
"Enough. You don't have to give me ALL your blasted life," I muttered. Hurt flashed in his eyes, but was quickly replaced
by relief.
I looked up from massaging my sore wrists. "Why did you have to bring me back, Hiiragizawa? It's not like-" I never got a
chance to finish my sentence as his lips locked around mine.
For a moment, I felt nothing but shock. I mean, Hiiragizawa was kissing me. Kissing ME. KISSING me. The thought
should have repulsed me. Not that I'm homophobic. More of... this was supposed to be my sworn enemy! Even though I
didn't get Sakura, he had been trying to steal her...
No, I realized. He's gay. Why would he try to steal her? Unless... unless he was trying to make you jealous. Attract your
attention.
My arms moved up hesitantly and clasped around his shoulders. He stiffened in surprise and pulled away. The tears falling
from his eyes were ones of happiness this time.
"Xiao-Lang?" he whispered in a voice that broke with emotion. I just smiled at him.
This time, I was the one who kissed him.
~*~Next day~*~
~*~Eriol's POV~*~
I rolled over. Strangely enough, I rolled onto someone.
Everything flooded back to me. Somehow, Xiao-Lang and I had managed to stagger back to his house without looking too
desperately in love. And once we had gotten back to his empty house - Wei was on a two-day vacation - we had
collapsed into bed. And we'd fallen straight asleep.
Well, what were you expecting? I was exhausted from draining my life energy like that, and Xiao-Lang HAD just tried to
kill himself, after all.
I smiled and stroked Xiao-Lang's sleeping face. He stirred slightly, turning to press his face into my chest. I glanced at the
calendar.
"SHIIITTTT!!!!!"
~*~
~*~Third person view~*~
Li snapped awake at the loud curse, expecting some form of trouble. Instead, he found Eriol, jumping off the bed.
"Xiao-Lang! We have school today! And we're late!" he screamed. Li's eyes widened and he jumped up as well. "You can
have one of my uniforms, we're the same size. And I'll get breakfast, you shower. Hurry!"
The boys were ready in record time and flying down the street. If they hurried, they wouldn't be late...
They arrived and were seated just as the bell rang.
"Sure is a coincidence you guys came in at the same time!" Tomoyo said cheerfully. She and Shinji had both decided not to
hold anything against Li. Sakura was fully aware of and supported their decision. Personally, she wasn't sure there WAS
anything to hold against Li - since when was loving someone a crime? But if it helped bring them together again...
"And you were almost late!" Shinji continued with a smile. "You didn't spend the night together, I hope?" he winked. "But
honestly, homosexuals are so unnatural! They shouldn't be allowed..." he sighed. "But whatever. About last night, Li..."
"Forgiven, forgotten. And I'm sorry, too."
"Great." There were handshakes all around, before Terada-sensei interrupted to take attendence.
~*~At Night~*~
"So Shinji's a raging homophobic. Never knew that about him," murmured Li. Eriol wriggled into a more comfortable position
beside him, not saying anything. "Eriol-koi? What's wrong?"
Eriol closed his eyes. "You know how Sakura very often blindly follows Shinji in things that she's not sure about, and
Daidouji-san follows Sakura..."
"Hai, Sakura's her best friend."
"Well, it all comes down to Shinji leading them. We ought to tell them about us. Demo... after what he said today..."
Eriol's voice trailed off.
"You don't think we should," stated Li. Eriol shivered in his arms. "It's all right, koi, I'm not angry. I think you're
right. Their friendship means a lot to both of us, even if Shinji doesn't know about the cards."
"Hai." Eriol smiled up at him. "I'm glad you understand, Xiao-Lang."
Li closed his eyes as a delicious thrill ran up his spine when Eriol spoke his given name. "Aishiteru, koi," he whispered,
just before they both drifted off to sleep.
~*~Three Days Later~*~
"Hey, guys!" Tomoyo greeted them brightly. "You'll never guess what news I have!"
"What is it, Tomoyo?" asked Shinji, looking up from his sushi.
"Well, I've set up our resident bachelors," she said, indicating Eriol and Li with a wave of her hand, "on a blind date!"
Twin screams of horror echoed through the courtyard.