CHAPTER 7
A woman woke up, her eyes snapping open.
Complete darkness surrounded her, the soft glow of the moon bidding her welcome. She stared at the ceiling silently, trying to recall where she was and what had happened. Her body felt heavy and tired, her muscles sore, filled with lactic acid. She did not know how long she had been sleeping, or since when. Sitting up slowly and painstakingly, she looked around the room.
The bedroom was messy, still filled with books, and now also a heap of sheets and silk pyjamas sporting unknown stains, water filled bowls and washcloths. With further inspection, she noticed a lone figure sitting in the corner of the room, hidden in the shadows. The amethyst-eyed woman brought her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up carefully, her legs nearly bucking underneath her own weight.
Silently, she painstakingly made her way to her guardin, watching him with tenderness. The sorcerer sat, asleep on the chair, glasses forgotten on the ground. His chin rested on his chest, hiding his features from her view. She kneeled before him, unable to support her weight anymore, and took his hand in her own delicately. Tomoyo turned it over and, with a shaking pale finger, traced each plane of it, never looking away from the appendage.
When she finally looked up, she met two vibrant pools of blue, gazing at her intently. The young woman held his stare, detailing his features. The moon shone down on them, casting deep shadows on his handsome face, creating a further aura of mystery and sensuality around him.
Holding into the arm of the chair tightly, she forced herself to stand up, pale limbs shaking with the strain. The man in said chair moved forwards to assist her, holding onto her waist delicately and standing up with her. She let her body slump against his tiredly, pressing her cheek against his shoulder and closing her eyes.
The young heiress took a deep breath, smelling his comforting scent and allowing herself to relax further. She felt her companion wrap his arms loosely around her, one around her waist and the other across her upper back to cup the back of her head. Clow ran his fingers through her hair lightly, rocking her gently in his embrace, not saying a word, just holding onto her tighter and tighter.
No game.
No sensuality.
No wise words.
Just him holding her, being there for her, showing her she's in security, that everything will be okay.
"Nathan…" She whispered lowly, afraid to break the moment, but needing to know. The man tightened his arms around her, tensing slightly as she spoke the name of her attacker. Yet he did not reply. Relief flood her quickly as she understood, as she now knew that it was over.
It was all over.
He would never hurt her or someone else ever again. Her eyes started burning and wetness made them acquire a new sheen until, as she blinked, they fell down her cheeks in small rivulets. She pressed her face in his shoulder, curving her own inwards. The young woman bit back sobs, wishing she could crawl inside the man holding her, disappear into his warm and secure embrace forever.
He moved his arms to hug her tighter to his body, the folds of his robes covering her body, hiding her from the world. Her shoulders started shaking as she cried silently, wrapping her arms around his waist underneath the long robe. Her fingers dug in his lower back, until she stood pressed against him, secure in the knowledge he would not push her away, that he would hold her and that everything would be okay.
Safe.
He dropped a soft kiss at the crown of her head, standing with her silently, allowing her to let go, to let it all out, to fall. Her form relaxed against his, her tears now down to a few sniffles. Her hold on him relaxed gradually. She found herself embarrassed and hesitant to look at him, to allow him to see her in such a vulnerable position, no matter how much she trusted him. He took the choice away from her, cupping her face in his hands and tilting her head back. She kept her eyes closed as he brushed the tears off on her cheeks with his thumbs.
"Look at me, Tomoyo." The words were spoken softly, so low that she barely heard them. Her eyes fluttered open and met his. She swallowed thickly, finding his face to be now so much closer to her own. Her chest squeezed painfully at the closeness, at the setting, at what she knew could not be.
And thus, she gave him a small smile, to show that she was okay, that he did not need to worry, and moved one of her hands to cover his. Unable to resist, she brushed her cheek lightly against his palm. He licked his lips, watching her. Immediately, her eyes were drawn to his mouth, to pale thin but plush looking lips. He leaned forwards, and with a slight tilt of his head, moved his lips over hers in a vertical brush, as light as butterfly wings. She gasped in a shaky breath, her eyes becoming shiny with tears once more. The sorcerer caught her eyes and leaned forwards once more, catching her lips in a tender kiss. He parted his lips lightly against hers, catching her upper lip between his gently and pulling back. Her heart went up to her throat, the sensation pleasurable beyond measure and her eyes fluttered closed. She leaned into the kiss, parting her lips lightly under his. He caught her lower lip between his and closed them lightly before pulling back in a brush, letting her lower lip slide out, but not before she felt the touch of warm wetness against the sensitive skin. She swallowed thickly, looking at the man standing in front of her. Her body and heart screamed at her to follow him, to go after the sensations induced by the man she loved, but her mind held her back, doubts and fear prickling at her awareness and leaving her staring at him with confusion. She dug her fingers in his side, her other hand sliding down to hold into his wrist lightly.
"Clow..." she breathed out. His eyes darkened as she whispered his name, his form tensing against her. Letting out a deep slow breath he relaxed. Curling an arm against her back, he bent down slowly and picked her up effortlessly. Tomoyo looked at him questioningly as he carried her to bed and gently set her down. She stared up at him in wonder and askance, but he merely smiled and moved the comforter over her. The young woman caught his wrist gently, biting her lower lip as she wondered whether or not to ask for his presence.
"Hold me... please?" He looked at her for a long moment, his expression inscrutable, and finally nodded. She pushed away from the edge of the bed to give him some space. Clow took off his outer robes, revealing a white man shirt and wide black pants. He sat on the bed, his back facing her, slipping off his shoes and glasses before moving under the cover and turning towards her. She watched him intently, detailing his features in the dark, her mind too tired for her to try to understand the implications, to help her reduce her confusion. He smiled tenderly and opened his arms to her. She moved closer without hesitation, putting her head over his shoulder. He curled his arm over her back and draped the other one around her waist, holding her lithe form against his. She sighed, relaxing against him. His presence and warmth soothed the pain and fear still buried in her heart.
"Thank you, Clow."
"I was worried that you would not be able to find your way." He whispered softly, closing his eyes against the emotions surging inside his chest at the thought and squeezed her in a gentle hug.
"The wounds are still open but… maybe I'll heal with time." She breathed out tiredly against his neck. He ignored the sensation, forcing himself to relax.
She had scared him, made him feel things that he hadn't felt in a long time, as he watched her lying pale and weak in her bed, watch her fight to heal her body and mind against the brutality of the attack. Unable to see the future, unable to know of her fate, he had experienced fear of the unknown for the first time.
He kissed her forehead, brushing her hair away from her face with his free hand. To his surprise, she tilted her head up, giving him a heavy lidded stare and parted her lips invitingly. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers before leaning back, watching as her eyes closed. Her legs gave small jerks and her breathing gradually deepened, her form becoming limp. He watched her, eyes roaming over her beautiful features. With a light touch, he traced the slope of her nose, her cheekbones and her lips, his fingertips tingling at the sensation of the soft skin. He brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead and touched the bandage over her shoulder lightly, concern shinning in his eyes. With a sigh, the dark-haired man closed his eyes.
"Sweet dreams, my love." The whisper died into silence.
DREAM SEQUENCE
She stood alone in a dark room. The darkness was thick and heavy, to a point where nothing but it existed.
No floor.
No ceiling.
Nothing.
Only a purple light surrounding her created some sort of light, allowing her to see her own body. Whispers created a steady buzzing noise, the voices blending together to create a jumbled mass of words.
"...Fate played ..." she heard in her ear, the voice low and soothing, yet cutting into the whispers.
"....Child.... You did as asked and more...." Hearing a second whisper in her other ear, Tomyo shivered, looking around for the origin of the voices.
She brought her arms to hug her own body, turning and twisting in the darkness, trying to listen, to decipher the whispers.
"...destroying..."
"...healing..."
"...giving..."
A throbbing headaches formed behind her eyes and she pressed the palm of her hands to her temple, grounding her teeth together, bending at the waist because of the pain.
"Tomoyo! Tomoyo!" A sweet but desperate voice rang out in the darkness, drowning the sound of the whisper, which died down instantly.
"Sakura?" The young woman whispered, her eyes snapping open at the sound of her long waited for friend's voice.
"Sakura?"
A sudden gust of wind blew her hair in her face and she fell on her knees, head bowed.
END DREAM SEQUENCE
When she woke up in the morning, she was alone.
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She sat, alone, watching the flames dancing, listening to the pops and crackles produced by the fire, feeling its warmth on her skin.
The dream.
She could not stop thinking about the dream, about what it meant. Was it true? Was it over? Would she be rescued? Could it be? The thought sent bittersweet feelings through her body. She would, after a month, be able to go back to her own time, to her home. Yet, she would leave another home behind. They said home was where the heart is. What then, if her heart was torn between two places, two times? Sorrow hung around her form like a thick blanket.
But then, could she really say this was her home? When she had woken up, she had been alone, alone in a cold empty bed. He had left her, for reasons she ignored. Had he simply meant to comfort her? She knew he would not be so cruel as to have been playing a game, but she couldn't either simply conclude that he meant to show her that his affection ran deeper than that of a friend. To be wrong would be too painful.
She felt two hands come to her shoulders, squeezing gently. The young woman closed her eyes at the sensation, head falling forwards until her hair formed a curtain around her face. Her surprise at his presence did not show, and she did not wish to let the man know how unsure she felt. Thus, she hid from him, from his all too perceptive eyes. He came around the chair to kneel in front of her. She could feel his stare on her, the thought making inexistent warmth spread over her body. After a moment, she looked up at said man, questioning him with a single look. He smiled at her, as always and tugged at her hands, bringing her towards his body. She simply followed his lead, anxious to know where they stood, whether the night before had been a mistake, a simple loss of control that meant nothing. To know it were the case would be painful, but to always wonder would be even more so.
He stood up and gently pulled her up with him. He held her hand lightly, moving towards a corner of the room nearer to the fire. She followed him to cushions laid on the floor near the fire, not saying one word. He sat down and arched an eyebrow at her as she stood up next to him.
"Come, To-mo-yo" The command was whispered with the same teasing tone he had always used when teasing her. She bit her lower lip, frustration welling in her chest. She could not figure out the man still, for all the time spent together.
The young heiress sat in front of him and felt him pull her back against his chest. First surprised, she quickly relaxed and closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the fire and the man behind her seep into her. She felt a ticklish sensation and her hair moving away from her neck, but paid no mind.
A sudden intake of breath.
Soft lips pressed against her neck surprised her. Any words she could have spoken died in her throat as chills ran up and down her body. Soft lingering kisses were planted on her neck, from her earlobe to the juncture of her shoulder and neck. Each exhale sent warm air teasing the skin, contrasting against the slight chill of the room and brought more shivers out of her. She curled her hands together in her lap, staying very still. The sensations overwhelmed all her senses and blurred her mind, until no other thought but that of the sorcerer and his touches registered.
"Clow…" She breathed out with a small moan, feeling her insides tighten as his tongue touched the back of her neck near her hairline. A tingling sensation replaced every touch of his lips against her skin. Her heart moved up to her throat, each gentle touch making the muscle beat faster and harder, until she felt her whole body would lurch forwards with each beat. The kisses quickened at her soft moan, parted lips allowing a warm wet tongue to taste the silky white skin and tease her senses further. His arm tightened around her waist and she covered it with her own, lacing her fingers with his.
"Clow…" She whispered once more, this time pleadingly.
"Tomoyo…" The whisper was pure unadulterated desire and longing, and brought another shudder out of her. Heat coiled low in her stomach, pulsing and growing stronger with each minute. She pressed her body back against the older man, letting her head fall to the side. She felt his breathing against her neck, moist, hot and now quickened with desire.
He pushed against her mind suddenly, shoving himself at her mental barriers with the strength of a mastodon, each hit making her natural defenses crumble. She cried out in the night with each hits and found herself dimly aware of the excited panting in her ear, the feeling of a tongue licking up along her neck and down towards her chest.
The flash of the memory made her tense up against him, her body becoming rigid and cold in his arms.
"Tomoyo…" the whisper was now more concern than desire, feeling the change in her attitude. She hung her head, feeling embarrassed for thinking of such a thing when with a man she knew she could trust. But the fear that had seized her body, washing away all pleasurable feelings like a cold shower washes away sleep, had been too real, too close to home. The memory had left a bitter taste in her mouth, that of acrid fear. Suddenly, she had been in the cold forest, she could smell the smoke, hear his heavy breathing and could only wait for her end to come. She had not been able to ignore the sensations, to ignore the fear.
He forced her shoulders to turn carefully, until he could look at her and moved his head lower to catch her eyes. She raised her lavender eyes to his hesitantly. Tears were held back forcibly, but the ever perceptive sorcerer noticed her struggle.
"Oh, little one..." He muttered seemingly to himself, his eyes holding such affection, the likes of which she had never thought she'd see. She pressed her smaller frame against his now without hesitation, reassured by the glints of affection that she had seen.
"I am sorry." He did not answer, but shushed her, hugging her to his body tightly, letting her know by the simple action that everything would be okay. She stayed pressed against him for a moment, enjoying the feel of his body next to hers and breathing in his masculine scent. A peaceful feeling settled over her slowly, like a warm blanket being drawn over a sleeping child, further appeasing her heart and mind. No thought came to her, so busy enjoying the sensation was she. Her eyes grew heavy, as did her body, heavy with some kind of blissful tiredness, soothed by the man holding her. His arms tightened minutely around her small form, startling her from a light sleep. She gave a small jerk and sat up, blinking tiredly and trying to disguise the fact she had fallen asleep for a second. Her host simply regarded her, amusement shining in his eyes at her antics. A warm feeling spread in her body as she watched him staring at her.
How had she fallen for such a man?
His smile widened, becoming that of a cat that ate the canary. He stood up quickly, startling her. She nearly toppled over but quickly regained her balance, looking up to the man standing in front of her. He offered one hand to her, blue eyes smiling down at her with mischief. Her brow furrowed as she wondered what the sorcerer had in mind.
"Come, To-mo-yo." The way he said her name sent chills up and down her spine. Each syllable was pronounced slowly, dripping with honey and promises of delicacies. But more importantly, it always signified some kind of game, or flirtation, to which she mostly didn't come out the winner. She was known to be cunning in her own way, often hiding the fact behind an innocent smile, and using her skills in order to obtain what she wants, or influence people in certain ways. However, he was at an all too different level, using his powers, charm and intelligence in such a way that even she could not decipher his intentions. Perhaps it had to do with his ability to see the future. Either way, their game of cat and mouse was never an easy one to win.
Nevertheless, she put her own hand in his and stood up gracefully, allowing him to lead her wherever he wished them to be. To her astonishment, he brought them out to the garden. The night temperature was rather cool, one closer to a fall night. She shivered faintly as a light breeze made her hair dance around her body, brushing her neck lightly. The sorcerer leading her suddenly stopped and turned to look at her. His eyes twinkled, a small mysterious smile drawn on his face, one she was by now used to. Never letting go of her hand, the bespectacled man stepped closer to her and put one arm around her waist, pulling her gently towards him. With a sigh of contentment, she leaned against his form and put her head in the crook of his neck. No matter how many times she came to be close to him, the new feelings never lessened.
Tomoyo closed her eyes and burrowed herself deeper into Clow's chest, trying to obtain more of his warmth as a protection from the cool air. The sorcerer, seemingly noticing her shivers, wrapped both of his arms around her, the folds of his robes covering her torso and protecting her from the cold.
"Clow…" She whispered softly and raised her head to look at the man holding her. He brushed his lips against hers in a light kiss, waiting to see her reaction. She stood up on tiptoes as he moved away from the kiss, grabbing into his robes to keep him close and pursued his lips with her own. Feeling bolder, the young woman raised one hand and brushed the wisps of hair falling near his temple away, tucking it into his bound hair gently with a swipe of her fingers. To her surprise, the dark-blue strands were silky, as soft to the touch as hers. She observed her fingers as they moved, admiring the contrast between her pale skin and the blue-toned strands.
Her eyes fell back to his. She fought the urge to draw in a deep breath, fought against her beating heart and leaned forwards, pressing her lips gently to his. He parted his lips for her, tracing the contour of her mouth with his tongue as he ran his hands in her hair and over her back, the touch gentle but firm, keeping her lithe body pressed against his. She reached out with her own tongue to touch his tentatively and immediately drew in a sharp breath. Dark circles danced at the edge of her vision as she followed his tongue and massaged it lightly with hers, keeping the kiss slow and tentative, allowing her to pull away whenever she wished. Her hands moved underneath his robes to better allow her to explore his back, raking her nails lightly on the thin shirt separating her from his warm skin.
His hands didn't stay idle either, bunching the man shirt she was wearing around her waist to allow him to brush the tips of his fingers along her spine lightly. The touch sent an instinctive arch through her body, pressing her chest against his with a small brush as she struggled between moving away from the tickling touch, or further into it. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he noticed her reaction, prompting him to reiterate the gesture.
Once more, she arched into him, letting out a sound between a whine and a moan. Hearing herself produce such sounds embarrassed her, but the look of adoration and openness on the blue-eyed man's face quickly made her dismiss such feelings. He made a move to repeat the ticklish touch, prompting her to press herself against him to avoid his questing fingertips. The action sent their lower halves brushing, making unknown heat coil in her stomach. She bit her lower lip, evading the all too knowing eyes of her partner. He reluctantly untangled himself from her, noting her hesitation.
She shivered at the loss of the sensations. He took such action mistakenly as a shiver from the loss of warmth and took off his outer robes, dropping them on her shoulders carefully. The cloth felt warm, very warm, and smelled like him.
"Glow."
A gasp escaped her parted lips as she saw small balls of light appear, floating around them, shining like dimmed stars, illuminating the garden and those who stood in it. Tomoyo turned around, watching the small lights with fascination. She wished she had her camera on her at that instant, to be able to film the strange but beautiful phenomenon, and maybe, a part of her whispered, to be able to remember this moment later.
The thought quickly replaced wonder with sadness. To remember, yes, to remember, for she would lose everything she had gained in this time and place. She would lose the man she loved. She turned around to stare at the man who stood behind her, watching her with an inscrutable look on his face. Tomoyo smiled sadly, bittersweet feelings welling up inside of her at the sight of him.
"Clow…" He shook his head at her, silencing any further words.
"Do not say anything. Just enjoy…" She nodded hesitantly, questions stuck in her throat, questions that tore at her heart and made her feel like she could not breath anymore, like she was drowning, and would never break to the surface to breath once more. She watched him as he stepped closer, burrowing herself more into his robes. He smiled at her, his own expression bittersweet, and brushed her hair away from her face, his touch lingering on her cheek.
Long after he had gone back inside, she stood in the garden, watching the last light from the glow fading away into the night. She looked at the stars, arms wrapped around her own body to keep warm. Having his robes around her, his scent lingering on them made her chest tightened painfully with longing and fear.
She could now see what she was losing, could see how much she would be leaving behind. But there was no solution. No way to stop this.
The guardian came out of the shadow and sat down next to her, looking with her at the stars.
"I will be leaving soon." The guardian nodded, not saying a word. They simply watched the night sky together
"You know, don't you?" She whispered to the lion, finally looking down at him. He turned his head to look at her, nodding seriously. His golden eyes stared right through her to her soul. The look startled her. She had never seen the guardian look so serious.
"Clow?" She whispered questioningly, hugging herself tighter to ward off chills, but also to protect herself from the words being spoken. Saying it made it all too real. If she didn't say the word, if they pretended, then she didn't have to think about it, she could pretend somewhat that it would be okay, that there would be a fairy tale ending.
"Clow saw this future." She did not ask him which future he saw, whether it was them coming together or her returning to her time. It did not matter.
"What will happen when I go back there? Will I still have my memories? Will you and Yue have theirs? Or will this just be erased? Will I come back at the same time I left or will time have passed?" She asked lowly, nearly muttering and staring at the sky once more. The questions were not clearly directed towards him, but were simply the product of her thinking out loud, questioning herself as to what was to come. The guardian answered nonetheless.
"Your memories will be very clear. As for Yue and I, it will be like memories from another lifetime." He paused. "Some time will have passed, but how much is impossible to know." By then, they would have forgotten, forgotten her and everything that happened, while everything would be so fresh in her mind. She would not have the luxury of having time spent its course without her knowledge. Every wound would be fresh, every loss all the more palpable.
"What will happen to Clow?" Instead of answering her, he kept silent staring at the ground. Her brows furrowed as she watched him. He finally looked at her, giving her the response with his eyes.
"No! It can't be! It's not...." She fell on her knees, head bowed, her legs unable to support her weight any longer. The guardian immediately curled his body around hers, trying to comfort her to the best of his abilities. She shivered, sudden nausea making the content of her stomach lurch into her throat. She swallowed dryly, clutching his robes tighter around her.
"Clow won't die before a good amount of time, but it will happen. He had a vision and is preparing for the next card mistress." He volunteered, looking down at the grass intently. She turned her bowed head to watch the guardian. He had always been a vibrant character, slightly narcissistic but also very energetic. It was not like him to be so quiet. Her chest squeezed painfully once more as she finally understood how much the thought also upset him. She turned her body and circled her arms around his neck, hugging the winged lion tightly.
"I don't want to go, not when I just found him. I miss them but..." She whispered in his fur. The guardian nodded, squeezing his own eyes shut.
Looking back at the twinkling stars in the sky, she finally closed her eyes thinking about what the future held for her.
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The sorcerer watched his creation sitting with the young woman he had come to affectionate, both looking at the sky, now silent, holding into each other. A sad smile appeared on his lips as he traced her form on the windowpane with a finger. Even now, he could feel the power of the card mistress and of his descendant questing for her, the magical power of his descendant guided by that of the card mistress towards their target. Soon, she would leave, would be gone from his life.
It was time for her to return to her time
There would be no more.
No more laughter.
No more teasing.
No more gentle smiles.
There would be nothing, simply a void, the void left by her absence. He could feel even now his magic reaching out to her, brushing against her form. The Clow cards whispered to him gently, asking that he does not let her go, that he kept the one having allowed them to know what love felt like. He ignored them, turning away from the window and from the sight of the one he loved.
End chapter 7
Hello everyone! Chapter 7 is done! Woot woot! Now, the only one left is chapter 8, the conclusion to this story.
Thank you to everyone who have reviewed this new version so far; Esme, Sheelos-Wolf, JinxyInvincible, Atashi3 and burgundy eyes. Your words are what have kept me wanting to finish this story, most likely my last one in CCS universe, apart from Letting go, which I have yet to finish.
See you soon with chapter 8!
