Right Here Waiting
by brokenshadow23
Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to Clamp.
Chapter 12
When feelings collide
Syaoran tapped his fingers on his study table, unsure of what to do. He had been staring at the phone for a while now, but he still could not have the courage to pick it up and talk to her. There were so many arguments running in his mind. He looked at his clock and frowned. It was almost ten in the evening. He was not sure if she would still be up yet, but there was no use. He needed her help. With a sigh, he grabbed the phone and waited.
"Hello? Daidouji residence."
Syaoran paused for a moment, still struggling to proceed or not. Being stubborn in nature, he always had a plan in mind and would always be sure in everything that he has to do. He was trained that way and if his mother Yelan Li was watching him right that moment, he was sure that he would be receiving a long discussion with her once again. He cleared his voice and, "Good evening. Can I talk to Ms. Daidouji? This is Li Syaoran."
"Just a moment please." The maid said in the other line.
Hearing soft footsteps from the phone, Syaoran tried his best to even his breathing. There was no turning back that moment so he needed to at least compose himself and his thoughts before talking to Tomoyo.
"Syaoran." Tomoyo said softly to catch him attention.
Syaoran straightened, then tried to relax. "Tomoyo."
"What's with this sudden call?"
Usually, he would not care what other people would think, much more asking them for help. Being a Li, he was used to deal on things with his own hands. However, this time, he knew he must get out of that zone. "I need your help." He said, imagining the young heiress of Daidouji Corp raise her eyebrow.
"About?"
"Tomorrow is Sakura's birthday." Syaoran said. "I was hoping if you could help me with some things. I don't normally do this so—"
"A surprise party? That would be nice!" Tomoyo exclaimed in excitement.
Syaoran did not expect Tomoyo to have that idea, but he smiled at the thought. With that, he took a deep breath and sighed in relief. He started to talk, sorting out ideas with the girl who knew Sakura very well.
Few minutes went along and both said their good nights. Syaoran put the phone back into its place then dropped his body to the bed. He could not believe that there would come a time that he would think of doing something for her. 'Tomorrow is going to be a long day.'
"Sakura!"
Syaoran watched Touya shout at the bottom of the stairs as he sat down the couch. He knew Sakura would not be expecting him that day so he took the chance to talk to Touya for a moment before he decided to ask her out.
"I'm coming!" Sakura answered in a cheerful voice. Hurriedly, she went downstairs and found her brother holding his usual workbag. She frowned. "You have work?" She asked, disappointment dripping in her voice. It was her special day and both her dad and brother would be busy.
Touya nodded. He raised his hand to her head. "I'll be back earlier. In the mean time, that brat and another friend of yours are here."
"Who?" She asked Touya then gazed at the living room. She saw Syaoran then beside him was Tomoyo. "What are you guys doing here?"
Syaoran remained silent as he gave Tomoyo a quick glance.
Tomoyo gave a small nod at Syaoran and smiled at Sakura. "Sorry for this sudden visit. However, I found out that you were fond of teddy bears and there is an exhibit in town today. I wonder if you want to come?"
Sakura smiled brightly and looked at Touya for consent. There was no way she would be missing the opening of the shop today so Touya gave his yes and handed her a little money to buy her own bear. With a kiss on Touya's cheek, Sakura rushed back to her room.
Syaoran smiled at this.
"When will we be going back?"
Turning his eyes on Tomoyo, he answered. "Eriol told me that everything will be set after lunch. I am sure we will take that long since you girls will take time looking at things."
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
Syaoran shrugged. "As if I have a choice."
Tomoyo dragged Sakura and Syaoran to the exhibit first then to the different stores. The girls spent their time adoring the different shapes and sized of teddy bears, while Syaoran simply followed. Well, he was kind of enjoying himself too. However, it was her smile that he was fascinated off.
"Hey," Tomoyo said as she picked up a box of make-your-own teddy bear. "Did you know that the birthday of a teddy bear is the time you put a ribbon on him?"
Sakura paused, remembering that fact. She looked at Tomoyo. "And when you give a teddy bear to someone, and he or she will name it to you, you will stay with them forever?"
Tomoyo nodded and smiled. "How did you know that?" she asked, knowing that there were only few people who knew that fact. She was only fortunate to know that since there was one time that her mother brought her for a business convention and one CEO of a Teddy bear company told her that fact.
"I heard it somewhere." Sakura said, though slightly unsure.
Syaoran just listened, trying also to remember where or when he heard that piece of information. He was not into cute stuff, so he was a bit confused to know that fact.
"Oh look! They have dresses for bears too!" Tomoyo said, shifting her attention to a far away shelf.
Sakura was about to follow when she felt a strong hand grabbed hers. She looked back at Syaoran. "Is there something wrong?"
Shaking his head, Syaoran smiled. He then lifted his other arm and gave her a box with a make your own bear set. "Happy Birthday, Sakura."
With those simple words, Sakura beamed. "I thought you forgot."
"You would kill me if I do." Syaoran teased her, but to his surprise, he saw a blush on Sakura's cheeks. He shook his head, trying to brush it off his thoughts. He did not want to be confused, for without knowing Sakura's feelings, he could not risk breaking off his barrier totally.
On the other hand, a pair of amethyst eyes was watching from the counter. Tomoyo stiffened as she stared at the scene. She knew it was perfect; however there was a part of her that wanted to believe it was only a lie.
"Are you hungry?" Sakura asked as she opened the gate of her home. It was already past lunch, but her two companions suggested for them to go home. "I told you we should have eaten first."
Syaoran simply smirked and glanced at Tomoyo, who was also smiling back. They were right on time. Their plan was moving perfectly and this was their last stop. Following Sakura, they let her in first to see the surprise.
Sakura went in then removed her shoes before happily entering the living room and…
BANG!
"Hoe!" She shrieked in surprise, but then saw balloons, confetti and party hats in their small living room. Eyes widening, she looked at the people who were smiling down at her. Touya was there, along with Yukito and her father. Eriol was there too plus Yamazaki, Chiharu, Naoko and some of her close friends from school. She did not expect this to happen—not with Touya telling him that he has work and her father was busy for his responsibilities at the university.
They greeted her.
Still shocked, Sakura managed to say thanks but began to wonder. "Who planned this?"
"Everyone." Syaoran answered from behind. He walked near her, wanting to see her smile as his reward. He had not slept well last night because he needed to contact Sakura's friends and plan, but it was definitely worth it.
"Lies." Eriol smiled at the two. "Li started it. We just tagged along."
Sakura's smile widened as she turned to look at her best friend. "How can I ever repay you?" She asked softly.
"You don't need to. Your delight is already my reward, Sakura."
"You know, it's a surprise for me to see a lady like you to spend the night alone."
Tomoyo jumped as she heard a familiar voice. She was sitting on the stairs on the doorstep while watching the moon when the last person she wanted to see interrupted. "There are too much people inside."
Syaoran chuckled as he sat down next to her. "You made it sound that you are not used to parties or gatherings." He commented then looked at her.
Tomoyo just sighed and continued to look at the moon. "What are you doing here anyway? Sakura might be searching for you."
"She's not." Syaoran answered. "She's busy talking to Eriol and the others so I took time to escape and have silence for a moment. Also, I was looking for you."
With that, her amethyst eyes turned to look at intense amber orbs. He did not notice, did he? Tomoyo gulped inwardly, not knowing what to do. She was not okay since she saw that little incident earlier, but like always, she tried her best to mask her emotions. "What is it?"
Syaoran studied her, seeing her became uneasy. However, he had no intention to ask why since he knew that she would simply lie. "I want to thank you for helping me today. You don't know how much it meant to Sakura and of course, me."
Tomoyo sighed in relief. She relaxed for a moment until she realized what his words meant. Since the day she first met him in the classroom, Tomoyo knew that Li Syaoran was not an affectionate man. He was stiff, hard to predict, aloof and all-out stubborn. That was why when she received his call the night before, she was surprised that he was actually going out of his way. Then it hit her. "Hey, Li?" she called out softly. "I'm just wondering… what's with this sudden idea?"
"I want to make her smile." Syaoran answered, truthfully.
Tomoyo listened. She wanted to stop the conversation and let things be, but her lips betrayed her. "Because?"
Instead of giving her a confused look, Syaoran smiled at the question. After how many weeks of thinking about Sakura, he finally realized the reason for his actions. It scared him, but after today, after seeing her so happy, he decided to surrender. "Because I love her."
It took few moments for Tomoyo to comprehend his words. When she did, she shivered inwardly and gave him a small smile. She closed her eyes, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall.
"Hey Li!"
To Tomoyo's relief, Eriol entered to summon Syaoran back. She looked away, but heard him respond to the call. Syaoran stood up. "Thank you again for everything. And please don't tell her what you know. I'll tell her soon."
Giving a nod, she heard the door closing behind her. She could not do this. She could not stay any longer. Composing herself, Tomoyo stood up and went back inside. She spotted Sakura along side with Syaoran. "I need to go."
Sakura stared at her and wondered. "Is everything okay?"
"Perfectly." Tomoyo answered in a soft voice. She needed to pipe down for she did not trust her voice that moment. She knew that it might break, sooner or later. "I received a call for my mom and she wanted me back home. Plus, I am sleepy already."
Syaoran threw her a concerned look. From moments ago, he saw her smiling and all. Then he frowned at her last statement and knew she was lying. "I'll come with you."
"No." Tomoyo muttered. It surprised Syaoran, Sakura and even Eriol, who had just joined the group. Her answer was definite so no one dared to argue. Satisfied, Tomoyo gave a small smile at Sakura. "Happy Birthday once again Sakura."
Without any other word, she turned back and left the Kinomoto residence.
She lied and Syaoran noticed it. It did not matter now, for he could not do anything. Syaoran should not do anything. She wanted to be alone, to try to regain her wits. It was all her fault. From the moment she first Syaoran with Sakura, she saw that there was something special. She saw that coming, yet she still threw herself in a rough road.
So she walked, trying to hold herself together. However, the silence and thoughts were eating her. So she ran. That was all she could do now—to run. To hide. She did not care where she went, where she turned. For the first time in her life, she decided to let her emotions rule over.
Few minutes went by and she decided to stop. Tomoyo found herself sitting at the entrance of Tsukimine shrine, sitting on the stairs. It was dark, the guard of the shrine might have retired for the night. She needed that too, but perhaps later. She needed to hold herself together before she call her bodyguards and face her mother. She took a deep breath, deciding to sing to calm her nerves.
Don't speak.
Seal your lips.
Please don't' say a word.
Maybe I won't remember the words I have not heard.
I see that you're in love I know it is not with me.
But I don''t want the truth to hunt my memory.
It is never to late to relight the fire
That start burning from me
Flame that never die inside of—
"Tomoyo…"
Tomoyo stopped, hearing a soft and comforting voice. She thought she was alone. "Who's there?" she asked, rising from her sit. She turned around and took a step.
"Tomoyo…" the same voice called her once again.
Tomoyo continued to walk, following the echo of the voice. It was vague at first, but as she came closer to the shrine, she recognized the voice of a woman. Her amethyst eyes adjusted to the darkness as it scanned the area. "Who are you?" she asked, halting.
"What did they do?"
Eyes widening, Tomoyo felt her world crashing. Memories of this evening came flowing once again. It made her knees weak. "He loved her. Syaoran loved her all along."
"Do you want to have revenge?"
Tomoyo bit her lip, hesitating. "I cannot do that. I mean, Sakura—"
"Yes, you can." The voice told her. "You can do whatever you may please."
"But, how?" Tomoyo asked, doubt battling inside her. She was hurt, but she knew she could never harm anyone. Especially not Sakura or Syaoran."
"I'll help you. Just trust me…trust me… TRUST ME!"
"Ugh…" Tomoyo groaned as she tossed her body in the bed. She felt so heavy, but the sunlight that was peeking on her windows were preventing her to continue sleeping. Slowly, she opened her eyes. She did not know how it happened, but she was already in her room and was still wearing the same dress the night before.
Pondering on what happened, she realized that the last thing she could remember was talking to a certain woman in the shrine. She frowned. 'It must only be a dream.'
With a sigh, she pushed the heavy blankets away from her body and—
"Ouch." She winced, feeling a sharp pain at the back of her hand. Turning to look at it, her eyes widened as she saw a small burn, laying at the bottom her thumb. She looked at it closely, seeing a form of a half wing of an angel.
'Where did I get this? Who did this?' She asked herself then a thought struck her. 'Can it be… the one in my dream?'
