Number One Person
Meiling smiled. This was going to work. There was no way Syaoran could avoid it. Or Miss Kinomoto, for that matter. Yet, what Meiling did not know, was that she would get more than she bargained for on this trip back to Tomoeda.
Miss Daidouji had invited her; it was all part of the plan. The plan to get Syaoran and Kinomoto together. Daidouji and Meiling had been emailing each other ever since she had left, ever since that night that Syaoran had broken off their engagement.
At first, she had been devastated. She had loved Syaoran. Yet she could not bring herself to hate him. Or Kinomoto. They were both such good people. She had now resolved to make it her mission to get Syaoran and Kinomoto together; she still loved Syaoran, and wanted him to be happy, even if it wasn't with her. Meiling wouldn't have been happy staying with Syaoran if he cared for Kinomoto, she needed to be someone's number one or she could not be with them.
She had gone to Daidouji's house that night for comfort, and since then, she considered Daidouji to be a good friend of hers. She had comforted Meiling, and listened to her cries. She did not even mind that Meiling had soaked her dress with her tears. On the contrary, she seemed pleased to help someone. Although the reason for coming for coming back to Japan was different, Meiling could not wait to see Daidouji again.
She had thought of Daidouji often; the way she smiled, the way she always smelt so lovely. She had always been so nice to Meiling, even when she was at her worst. She often thought of the night she spent crying into her lap, without the slightest complaint. The way she had taken her hand and held it, told her she liked her and requested that Meiling thought of her if…when…something happened. And that something had turned out to be Syaoran's confession. She did not blame Daidouji for keeping it from her, the confession needed to come from Syaoran.
With Daidouji, there was no way that their plan would fail. Leave Kinomoto and Syaoran alone at as many times as possible, forcing them to be alone together. She smiled. This was going to work.
Meiling was mildly disappointed when Syaoran and Kinomoto did not immediately run to each other with open arms when they first saw each other, yet she had not expected them too. This was Syaoran and Kinomoto. It would take a lot more time than that. Meiling wasn't even sure yet if Kinomoto knew whether she liked Syaoran or not, in that way.
When she saw Daidouji for the first time in four months, Meiling was elated. This was the girl who had saved her; who had shown her that you could be happy simply if the one you loved was happy, even if it wasn't with you. She did not immediately embrace her, she restrained herself. Yet she could keep the huge smile off her face.
As Meiling walked with Kinomoto, she could not help herself as she often glanced over her shoulder as Daidouji walked with Syaoran. She was so graceful, it left Meiling in awe. Yet she focused on the situation at hand. She had tried to get Syaoran to walk with Kinomoto, yet he had hung behind with Daidouji. This was going to be harder than she thought.
The four of them went to an amusement park, and the rides were fantastic. The rides were not the only reason for coming here; it was part of the plan.
"What do you to go on next, Meiling?" She had thought, and smiled inwardly. She had an idea.
"That one." She pointed at a Ferris wheel. She heard Daidouji laugh behind her; she was quick at catching on. She then exclaimed, "I want to go with Daidouji-san! Syaoran, you go with Kinomoto." She raced over to the ride with the other three in tow.
She and Daidouji laughed as they looked over into Syaoran and Kinomoto's carriage. There was no way that they could avoid confessing now. Meiling sighed as Daidouji held her video camera up to the window of the carriage, watching the couple's every move.
"Daidouji-san, will you put down the camera for a while?" Meiling sighed. Daidouji considered this.
"Let's have a compromise." She finally decided. "I'll put the camera down against the window, so it still records Sakura-chan, if you call me Tomoyo-chan instead of Daidouji-san." Meiling laughed. Daidouji had asked this of her before. She guessed it was a Japanese thing.
"Okay," Meiling agreed. "Tomoyo-chan." Tomoyo kept to her side of the bargain, she placed the camera on the top of Meiling's seat, facing outwards.
"So, Meiling-chan. How are you liking being back in Tomoeda?" Tomoyo asked, settling into her seat in the carriage.
"It's good seeing everyone again. I hope to go back into school and see the others soon. I've missed everyone." Meiling smiled. "Especially you and Kinomoto-san."
"I've missed you too, Meiling-chan. It's been a lot quieter without you." Tomoyo smiled back at her. "Yet, I must admit, it has been interesting with Li-kun and Sakura-chan."
"No doubt." Meiling laughed.
Yet, Meiling stopped almost instantly and blushed, as she looked down. Hers and Tomoyo's knees were touching. She had not immediately noticed, but now she could feel the warmth coming from Tomoyo, and it felt as if the touch of her knee was scolding Meiling's skin. She pulled her knee back and blushed. Why was she blushing? Meiling did not know herself. This small act would not normally embarrass her, or even register in her mind as abnormal. So why did the touch of Tomoyo affect her in this way?
"Meiling-chan?" Meiling looked up and saw Tomoyo's face inches from hers. She jumped, and recoiled. "Are you alright?"
Meiling nodded, and blushed harder. Change the conversation. Quick.
"What's going on with Syaoran and Kinomoto-san?" She turned to the window, and to her relief, so did Tomoyo, who instantly picked up her camera again for a quick looked. Meiling supposed the camera did have the zoom function so Tomoyo could see the scene better. Yet that did not distract Meiling's thoughts. What had just happened to her?
As Meiling and Daidouji left Syaoran and Kinomoto alone at Kinomoto's house for dinner, Meiling grinned in triumph. Syaoran had to tell her now. Kinomoto had to tell him now. This had to work. Even though the last attempt, at the amusement park, had failed, Meiling was certain that this would work.
However, her triumph was interrupted as Tomoyo put her hand in Meiling's as the walked away from the house. She blushed, and scolded herself. Not again. Although Tomoyo's touch burned the palm of her hand in the same way that her knee had, Meiling could not bring herself to let go. She did the opposite, and held onto Tomoyo's hand tighter. Tomoyo smiled, and Meiling relaxed a little, although the blush in her cheeks was still evident.
She and Tomoyo held hands all the way back to the Daidouji mansion, and spoke happily to each other. Meiling was glad of the easiness of the talking with Tomoyo; it helped distract her from the fact that this was the second time that Meiling had blushed at contact with Tomoyo.
By the time they reached Tomoyo's room, Meiling's face was almost back to its normal complexion. They both sat together, still talking about Syaoran and Kinomoto.
"Well, if this doesn't work, then they're both incredibly dense." Meiling joked, as she wriggled on Tomoyo's small sofa to make herself more comfortable. Tomoyo giggled in response. Meiling took a sip of the tea that Tomoyo's maid had made them, and sighed.
"I wish, sometimes, that Syaoran felt that way for me." Meiling placed her tea down and leant back in the sofa. She did wish it, many times. She loved him dearly, yet she knew that it would never happen. She had accepted that fact, yet she still allowed herself to dream.
Meiling suddenly became aware of the close proximity between her and Tomoyo, as Tomoyo rested her hand on her arm. Once again, it burned her so that she was sure that there would forever be a scar on her arm where Tomoyo's hand now rested. She blushed furiously, yet did not move away, she merely directed her line of vision towards the window on the wall next to her.
"You'll find someone, Meiling-chan. You're a good person." Meiling turned to look at Tomoyo. She had often spoken those words to Meiling, yet the effect they now had was much greater. "Anyone would be lucky to have you." Tomoyo said softly, so soft it could have been mistaken for a sigh. Meiling now stared into Tomoyo's eyes. Their colour was so unique, they sparkled beautifully, and they were so enchanting.
For a reason she could not yet explain, Meiling slowly moved out of her position on the sofa, and moved closer to Tomoyo. When Tomoyo did not protest, Meiling moved their knees together, as they had been on the Ferris wheel. Meiling never took her eyes away from Tomoyo's, and Tomoyo did not look away either. Yet, Meiling noticed, a smile played on Tomoyo's lips, and as their knees touched, it became a fully formed smile.
Without thinking, Meiling moved her lips towards Tomoyo's very quickly. Before either of them knew what was happening, Meiling was forcing a pressure onto Tomoyo's lips that she was not used to. Meiling closed her eyes, afraid of what was happening, yet she did not take her lips away, rather increased the pressure. Tomoyo's eyes were wide with surprise at first, but after a few moments, she closed her eyes too and fell into the kiss.
Meiling, nervous, pulled away from Tomoyo. She had felt herself shaking against Tomoyo's lips. She had just…kissed Tomoyo? She should be shocked, she should apologise, yet she found she did not want to do either. She actually felt happy. She looked at Tomoyo. The girl was still for a moment, and then she smiled. Tomoyo wrapped her hands around Meiling's.
"I think," She began. Meiling drew in a deep breath in anticipation. "You've found that someone."
"And I think," Meiling replied, squeezing Tomoyo's hands. "You are right."
With that, Tomoyo and Meiling each leaned in to each other, and kissed each other gently. They could each feel the smile on the other's lips as they kissed. For the first time in quite a while, Meiling was truly happy. It turned out that each of Tomoyo's and Meiling's number one person was not who they expected it be. Yet they were both happier than they could have believed possible.