Homecoming

Genre: Humor, Romance
Rating: K
Pairing: Syaoran Li & Sakura Kinomoto

For authors notes, copyright notes, and answers to a couple questions you might have, check the end of this story. If it's not answered there, you can check my profile or ask in a review. Gomen nasai!

"I will wait for you because I love you!"

Those words had echoed loudly through Syaorans mind for three years. Three years ago he had told Sakura how he really felt, and three years ago she had just barely been able to give him an answer. He couldn't complain about this, though, because he was just glad to have ever gotten an answer. He didn't mind having to wait, and during his wait his mother had kept him plenty busy - knee deep in training and school work.

Today, though, I love you where the words residing in Syaorans mind. Today, in particular, because he was about to see the only girl he had ever been in love with. While he might have been portrayed in the past as rude, mean, and arrogant in his younger years... Sakura had changed him a lot over the two years in Tomoeda and his three year leave. His two years in Tomoeda where spent almost in waste, as he never realized just how much he cared about her. He had spent too much of that time over another crush. The three years he was away, though, gave him the chance to realize just how much he really did love her.

There where phone calls, letters, and e-mails. After the first few letters, they decided to stick mainly to phone calls. Syaoran still needed a book to help him translate the Japanese characters he didn't remember. At one point, he had sent her a letter where he made a huge mistake. Instead of writing a sweet pet name like he had intended, he wrote something a little less than sweet.

"Li Syaoran," he knew she was mad with just that statement, because she always used his full name to show just how angry she was, "What is this suppose to mean!" Sakura had called him over the phone crying and screaming all at the same time.

"I swear that's not what I meant!!"

They had sent cards and gifts on holidays and special occasions. One year she had sent Syaoran a box of home made cookies - they where suppose to be chocolate, his favorite. Unfortunately, Kero had managed to unwrap the box, eat the contents, and re-wrap it right before they where sent off.

During a dinner with his family, he had almost bursted out laughing when he thought about the picture Sakura had sent of Kero sick, with a stomach three times it's normal size. His mother had worried he was choking, not laughing, but he very well couldn't explain that the guardian beast of the seal was a cookie monster - as that was the caption Sakura had wrote on the Polariod.

There where also times over the years that Syaoran and Sakura would butt heads and refuse to talk. Two people so alike are always going to find one thing or another to fight about, and after every fight they came to a new understanding.

Three years - it was a pretty long wait, but he had already decided on something only a month after he had left Tomoeda - and this week, he was going to go through with his plans.

Syaoran stood, dressed in Seijou High Schools' uniform, the standard light blue suit with a navy blue tie. He was waiting just around the corner of the school, down a path he had been informed Sakura usually took. He turned and faced the bushes behind him, then bent over and whispered into them, "Daidouji... Are you sure about this?"

"Hohohoho!" That laugh was unmistakable. Tomoyo was hiding in the bushes with her camera, ready to film Sakuras reaction to Syaorans return to Tomoeda. She had told Syaoran she hoped and planned the video since his leave, and was relieved when he had called her and asked how he should approach seeing Sakura for the first time in so long.

Some other students passing by had started to stare, as it did look just a little odd for a high school student to be talking to a maniacally-laughing bush.

"Of course, Syaoran-kun. Sakura will love this," Tomoyo informed him, shooing him back into his position waiting for Sakura. "As I will love getting to film one of Sakura's happiest moments." she whispered to herself while holding the camera close to her heart, starry-eyed and lost in thought. Her unmistakable laugh came bubbling out of the bushes once again - causing even more stares into Syaorans direction.

"Oh! Don't worry," he told the people passing as he struggled to come up with an excuse, "I, uh... Dropped my phone into them! I know, it's an odd laughing ring tone - but everybody in Hong Kong has it now."

"Well, why don't you answer?" someone had asked. Syaoran struggled to come up with an answer...

"It's my, uh, pet cat calling," he said with a nervous laugh, "She learned to hit the speed dial button and just won't stop calling."

Apparently, that was a good enough story to make people think he was completely crazy - so they kept walking. After the interruption, Syaoran had noticed a girl walking by that looked familiar, yet different... Then he realized, the girl was Sakura. Her hair had grown to her shoulders, but it was still cut nearly the same. Instead of putting ties in her hair, which had pulled her hair out and permanently caused a very small crease in it, she was letting it down. She didn't seem to get much taller. He had noticed she wasn't on roller blades anymore. He remembered her calling and telling him the story about how she had stopped using her roller blades after she sprained an ankle. She decided that, having to do cheerleading among other things, she didn't want to risk a more serious injury.

Syaoran had dropped his backpack, and was now dumbstruck... Sakura... He was afraid he was about to lose all control of his legs, as they started to wobble and sway. His heart was racing, his mind was blank, and he couldn't blink. Had it not been for the rock that came out of the bushes behind him and knocked him straight in the head, he probably still would have been too dumbstruck to realize Sakura was headed his way - and had caught eye contact with him.

"Syao.. Syaoran?" her voice was rasp, shaky, and still very childlike. Her eyes where swelling up and watery, but her body was continually moving closer - slowly at first, but then she broke into a full on run until she was hugging and crying into Syaorans shoulder, "Is it you? It has to be you, of course it is!"

"I finished what I had to do in Hong Kong," he began, while pulling away from her embrace. He reached a hand up and placed it on her cheek, brushing away a tear with his thumb, "I told you I would be back."

"Then, we don't have to rely on letters or phone calls anymore?"

"Yeah," he whispered with a very gentle nod, pulling her closer and hugging her even tighter, "From now on, we will always be together."

Why Sakura had waited so long was not a mystery in the least. Syaoran had many amazing quality, and one of his greatest was that he was always true to his word. She realized this, and cracked into a big smile.

"From now on, we will always be together," she repeated, and leaned forward to kiss him - before she heard the bushes squeal out, "Kawaii!"

Authors Notes : Thank you for reading! This is my first story in almost three years, and I am pleased with how it's turned out. If you enjoyed reading it, please remember to review. :)

Answers to Your Possible Questions: I have not read the manga yet, I only know how it ends. I try keep my characters acting as close to themselves as possible. If it varies from the anime and manga, I am sorry.

Copyright Notice: This story is for nonprofit purposes, mainly to spread word about the series. Cardcaptor Sakura is created and copyright the artist team CLAMP since June 1996. The story, Homecoming, is copyright Coco Glorio in 2008. Please do not redistribute this story without prior permission from me.