Destined
Author's Note: Wow. I knew I can count on you guys, but just... wow. Thank you so much. Thanks for all the support and the encouragement. It really made things easier. You guys are the best! :)
So yeah... the conflict is over now. The plagiarized work was taken down. I would just like to share some details to clarify things. I got told over there that I should get my facts straight and that the one who posted the story is the same person here in FF. I have no idea what was said or done to make others believe that, but I did not post this story anywhere else. If you see Deeper's chapters or summary (or uh, Author's Note? Yeah, even my AN was copied) outside of FF, please know that it wasn't from me. I tried to talk to the plagiarist during my time there, but she wasn't replying to me. However, until the end, she was still claiming and telling others that she did not plagiarize anything. People there were nice, though. They were willing to keep an open mind and hear my side.
Disclaimer: I don't own CCS.
Chapter 14
Tomoyo crumpled another piece of paper. She had been working on the next season's collection, but so far, all she had to show for it were mediocre designs. She picked up her pencil again to draw a new silhouette, but not even a minute later, she groaned. It wasn't coming together. On impulse, her head turned towards the seat near the wall.
It was empty. Eriol wasn't there. He wasn't there to keep her company, to make her laugh or to tell her inconsequential stories about this and that. Tomoyo knew Eriol wasn't busy. She also knew that he knew she was locked up in here... yet he didn't come.
Before Tomoyo knew what she was doing, she was already standing in front of Eriol's usual seat. Things were changing between them, and she couldn't catch up. She could easily put the blame on Sakura since it all began when she came into the picture. However, deep down, Tomoyo knew it wasn't true. There was something in there all along, but she was too caught up in her own issue to understand. Sakura's presence just pushed it out on the surface.
'Why?'
Why did it have to change? Why now? Things were finally going the way she always wanted it to.
... But was it really?
When the high brought about by Syaoran's proposal faded, Tomoyo came to realize that the relationship between them was the same. There was still a part of him she couldn't reach and it wasn't easy to deal with, especially now that she had no one to talk to about it. Without Eriol's assurance, things were worse. She had no idea how much he made it lighter until he was gone. Maybe it was one reason why Eriol was drifting away. Maybe he was fed up with her. Maybe he had enough and got tired of always having to comfort her.
She knew, at some level, that her relationship with Eriol wasn't fair. He gave more than she did. It wasn't fair that while she was trying to chase Syaoran, she still expected Eriol to be behind her. And now that he wasn't...
Tomoyo sat down in defeat. She buried her face in her hands as different emotions tried to overwhelm her. She was sad and angry and bitter, but most of all, she was alone.
She wanted to make up with Eriol. She wanted to fix things between them, but he wasn't giving her a chance. Would she always feel like this – like she needed to go after the two very important men in her life? Would she always feel the need to get their approval?
Tomoyo's shoulder shook. Why was it so hard? It still didn't feel like she had Syaoran completely, and now she was losing Eriol, too. What did she do wrong? She was only trying to be happy. Was that so bad now?
She curled up on the seat. Tomoyo stayed there and didn't pick up her pencil again.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Meiling bellowed. She barged past Eriol and entered his condo.
Eriol grinned wryly after closing the door. "Heard you were in town."
"You heard? But you didn't visit me?" She narrowed her eyes. "What is wrong with you?"
"So preferring a quieter time is wrong now?"
"Har har."
"Besides, I knew you would come." Eriol led her to the kitchen and offered her a drink.
"You really are a bunch of unwelcoming ass," Meiling grumbled and took a seat. "Anyway, we're going to party on Saturday night so if you have plans, feel free to cancel them now."
"Nope. No plans." Eriol was already expecting this after getting a warning from Syaoran about her arrival a couple of days ago.
"Oh, how sweet." Meiling mockingly batted her eyelashes. "So you'll call Tomoyo?" She asked nonchalantly. "Although why you bother is beyond me. She never comes. She doesn't like this type of thing."
"Um," Eriol paused before shutting the refrigerator door. "You can ask her."
She looked up sharply. That was new. Usually, Eriol would suggest that they bring Tomoyo. She had nothing against that, to be honest. She just didn't see the point of asking when she already knew the answer. "What's wrong?" She asked once he was seated across from her.
Eriol shrugged. "You already said so yourself. She never comes."
Meiling stared at him. They were all friends. She just didn't agree on something so things were strained between them sometimes. There were topics that weren't up for discussion, and Tomoyo happened to take it more personally than the two guys. However, that didn't mean that Meiling would intentionally exclude her from something. "Okay. I'll ask her."
He stayed silent, prompting another questioning look from Meiling.
"Okay, something is up." She couldn't figure out what, though. "Tell me." She saw Syaoran twice already yet nothing seemed off.
"It's nothing." Eriol effectively changed the topic by asking about her boyfriend, "So how's Ryu?"
"Oh. He's still wonderful as always." She grinned. "He couldn't come because of his schedule, but he took me to a short trip before I left to make up for it." Meiling's smile turned mischievous. "The place was nice, but we didn't get the chance to appreciate it. I mean, it's not like we left the room much –"
"Oh, geez." Eriol groaned, already regretting asking the question. "There are some things I'd rather not know." How could it slip his mind that Meiling had the habit of over sharing?
"What? You asked!"
"Yeah, but you could have said that he was busy and left it at that."
"Where's the fun in that?" Meiling huffed. "So there's no one I can talk to about it? Sakura was really interested when I told her the story about how I met Ryu, how we fell for each other and all that stuff."
"You've met Sakura?"
"Yeah. Feisty one, but underneath all that fire is a mushy girl who's a sucker for love stories."
He nodded. Yeah, that described Sakura. For a moment, Eriol wondered if their screwed up affairs were messing up with her innocent and optimistic view.
"As I was saying, she was engrossed until I got in to a more detailed aspect of my relationship." Sakura started blushing and she was forced to shut up because Syaoran was in the same room and he was threatening to throw her out.
Eriol just leaned back. "Don't you have other friends to talk to? Why scare a girl you've just met?"
She ignored him and continued her rant, "And I get it why Syaoran doesn't want to hear it. We're related so it's just disturbing." Meiling visibly shivered. "Tomoyo's out of the question, too. I feel like I'm rubbing it in her face that I'm getting some while her fiancée decided to take a celibacy vow –"
He groaned again. Eriol absolutely didn't want to think about that.
"And now I can't talk to you about it, too?" She gestured at him. "What happened to the Eriol I knew? You love the ladies and the ladies love you. They come and go as you please."
"Won't your own gender be mad at you? You're practically objectifying them."
"I am not." Meiling suddenly straightened. "Wait, don't tell me..."
Eriol raised a brow. "What?"
"You've changed, haven't you?" She leaned forward and smiled widely. "You met someone!"
"I did not."
"Yes, you did!" Meiling insisted. "What's her name?"
"I did not meet anyone, Meiling."
"Ooh. It's Sakura, right?"
Eriol was taken aback. Where did that come from? Were people getting that impression?
"Nah." She shot down the idea casually. Meiling couldn't see them together.
Eriol realized that he needed to rein Meiling in before she started planning something. "If you're thinking of setting us up, Tomoyo already tried. It fell apart quickly."
"No, I'm not thinking that." Meiling frowned. "You and Sakura..." She considered the possibilities and her frown deepened. "Nope. Not happening."
"Good." He sighed. Sakura was good to him and another misguided attempt was the last thing they needed.
"Besides, she has someone, right? Yat – um, Yuu –"
"Yukito."
"Yeah, that sounds right. And speaking of..." Meiling stood up and glanced at her watch. "I have to get going. Sakura is going to introduce me to him."
Eriol followed her out. Before he could welcome some quiet time again, Meiling turned and gave him a determined look.
"I will find out who she is."
"I'd rather you didn't," Eriol muttered under his breath. He was positive that Meiling wasn't aware of his hidden feelings. She wasn't always there so she couldn't have taken notice. In a louder voice, he replied, "You're going to waste your time."
"Psh. I will find out."
"See you Saturday."
"Or you could just tell me."
"Goodbye, Meiling."
Meiling went inside the coffee shop with a reluctant Syaoran in tow. When they got there, Sakura was already buried in a book in the attached quaint bookstore.
"I still don't understand why I have to be here," Syaoran complained.
"You're my ride." Meiling fell in line and studied the menu.
"And I've already brought you here, which brings me back to the question."
"I don't know what time I'll be done. I don't want to wait for you to pick me up." She glared at him. "No whining. You're making up for missing my birthday."
Syaoran shot her an incredulous look. "Your birthday was five months ago."
"You're still making up. Now hush." Meiling moved forward. "Shoot. I don't what Sakura likes." She thought out loud, "How does Sakura take her coffee?"
"Half," Syaoran replied absentmindedly.
"Half milk, half cream?"
"No, as in she can't finish the other half. Just get her a tea or something." He glanced at the display. "And maybe a cake, too. That's enough to satisfy her."
Meiling shrugged and listened to his advice. They soon found themselves at the table.
"Oh no, you didn't have to." Sakura didn't notice their arrival. "I was just waiting for someone to come before I order." She smiled widely at the sweet treat. "Thanks, though."
"No big." Meiling sat down and Syaoran followed. He met Sakura's puzzled gaze and he rolled his eyes in return, indicating that it wasn't his choice to be there. Before they could talk, Yukito arrived and Sakura did the introductions. Syaoran just nodded when the other man greeted him. He quickly realized that this was their first meeting.
"I met your fiancée last week. She's lovely." Yukito smiled. "I know it's late, but congratulations on the engagement."
Syaoran just gave him a blank look. Was he that determined to dig his way down Syaoran's list? Sakura, already sensing the tension from him, was swift to redirect the topic. He tried to tune them out but bits and pieces of the conversation still registered. Thankfully, Meiling wasn't the over-sentimental type so there weren't much talk about sappy details. Syaoran wasn't in the mood to listen to rainbows and butterflies.
"So what's the wildest thing you've ever done?" Nobody said that Meiling's idea of an ice breaker was conventional.
"Oh, um..." Yukito trailed off, unsure how to reply. She was bolder compared to Sakura's other friends, who he met last time.
"It's okay, I'll start. The wildest thing, hmm..." She tapped her fingers on the table, trying to think of an answer.
"Are you sure you can just pick one?" Syaoran asked sarcastically. "Just trying to choose might take you all day."
"You think you're funny, don't you?" Meiling glared at him before leaning closer to the table. "Okay, I've got one." After sharing a shortened version, Sakura was bright red, Yukito was shocked, and Syaoran was downright revolted.
"Uh..." Sakura laughed nervously. "I haven't done anything like that, or even close to that. Maybe some weird crazy stunt, but... wild... like that, uh no."
"Me neither," Yukito said. "I was actually thinking of something along the lines of breaking traffic laws as my answer."
There was a moment of awkward silence until Yukito spoke up and started a topic about a show that was currently on TV. The conversation stayed neutral after that. Sakura participated and gave her input now and then. From the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of Syaoran's reactions. He no longer looked offended but he was quiet. Something seemed to hold his complete attention. At one point, she saw him shake his head and smirk. His smile was growing wider and the fact that he was trying to hide it just made her curious.
Meiling excused herself to go to the ladies' room after Yukito stood up to take a phone call. Syaoran remained impassive, scratching his jaw and focusing on his cup.
"Okay. What?"
"Huh?" He looked up.
"What is it?" Sakura waved at his face. "You've been making this expression like... like something is funny."
"Oh. That."
"Yes. That." She stared at him impatiently. "So?"
"It's nothing."
Sakura knew she was going to regret pushing, but his hidden joke was starting to get under her skin. "What?"
"Well..." He drawled out after taking a leisurely sip. "I'm just surprised."
"Surprised?" She told herself to drop it, but she couldn't let go.
"That's your idea of the perfect man?"
"What? There's nothing wrong with him," Sakura hissed, instantly on the offense. "He's really sweet and gentle and well-mannered and –"
"Boring."
Her mouth dropped open. It took a second for his comment to sink in, and when it did, she gave him the evil eye. "He's not boring! You don't know him!"
Still smirking, much to Sakura's irritation, Syaoran replied, "And from what I saw, I'm pretty sure I don't even want to."
She continued gaping at him. How dare he!
"Bo-ring." He emphasized the syllables. "The guy was even talking about his pet."
"So?" Sakura shot back, "You talk about your car all the damn time."
"That's different. And besides," Syaoran gave her a pointed look. "What up with the change in demeanor? You're almost... nice. It's creeping me the fuck out."
"I am nice!" Sakura stated. She may be frank but she was never this assertive to her other friends. "Did it ever occur to you that I'm only this way around you?" Syaoran, from the get-go, simply had this effect on her.
He snorted. "I'm receiving the special treatment then? Should I be honored?"
Sakura growled but did not dignify his question with a response. Instead, she went back to the previous subject. She couldn't let his remark go. "He's not boring!"
He grinned, taunting her. "He is. I bet you guys talk about the weather."
"I, we –" She spluttered. They made a passing comment about the weather when they went out before, but it wasn't a conversation. "We do not! God, you're so infuriating! If you were my boyfriend, I'd stab myself."
"If you were my girlfriend, I'd hand you the knife."
"You, you –" Sakura kept glaring at him until Yukito returned.
"Are you okay?" Yukito asked concernedly when he saw Sakura's pink face.
She forced a smile. "I'm good." Her noticeable lower tone earned a cough from Syaoran. She kicked him under the table. "How about you?" Sakura asked gesturing to Yukito's phone. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah. That was just my Aunt. She was asking if I can visit over the weekend."
"Oh, okay." Sakura then went on to ask about his family. She couldn't concentrate, however, since Syaoran's words were still bugging her. 'So arrogant and obnoxious as ever. What does he know? Pft.'
When Meiling returned to the table, she announced that she was ready to leave. She bid them a quick goodbye while Syaoran gave Sakura a conceited smile. Hah. That would surely leave her agitated.
Sakura adjusted her dark blue one-shoulder dress. It ended just above her knees and the strategically placed drapes made it looked flattering and formal at the same time.
"Our table is over there."
"Okay." Sakura followed. When Meiling asked her for a favor, she was not expecting this. Her friend had convinced her to attend some charity event she had no idea about. Though Meiling insisted that it was low-key, Sakura still felt conscious.
"Finally," Meiling muttered and took a seat. She really didn't want to be here, but her parents were big benefactors. They couldn't be present so she was forced to represent them. At least she had company and didn't have to suffer alone.
As the night progressed, Meiling became increasingly stiff. Sakura, however, surprisingly found it interesting. Though parts of the speeches were mind-numbing, she felt pleased about the support that was continuously pouring in to help improve the local children's hospital.
When there was a break, Meiling stood up to get a drink from the bar. Sakura took this time to observe the people who were mingling casually. Some seemed like they genuinely care for the cause, but there were some people who looked like they were only there to show off.
A few minutes later, Sakura realized that Meiling hadn't returned. She waited a couple more before she stood up. She checked the bar, but Meiling wasn't there. She wasn't in the ladies' room, either. She wandered around the room until she returned to her starting point. 'Where are you?' Sakura opened her bag to check her phone, only to realize that after all this time, they hadn't exchanged numbers. 'I'll check the bar again.'
"Miss."
Sakura paused but shrugged it off and continued walking.
"Hey, Miss!"
She stopped again. This time, she turned around and saw a man in a security uniform heading her direction. She glanced right, then left, and then realized that he was walking towards her.
"Yes?"
"How did you get in?"
"Uh..." Sakura looked at him oddly. "I came here with a friend. She's –"
"Are you sneaking around again?"
"Huh?" She scrunched up her brow. Sneaking around? The man looked familiar but she couldn't place him. "I don't understand. I told you –"
"Right. Then if you're really one of the guests, I ask that you come with me and let's check your name."
"What?" Sakura knew her name wasn't on the guest list. She was Meiling's plus one. "I'm here with a friend. Her name is Li Meiling." Her eyes scanned the area but Meiling was still nowhere to be found.
"Come with me, please."
"How many times do I have to tell you –"
"I will not allow you to do this again."
Again? Why did he keep saying again? Then it all clicked. 'Ohh.' This was same man from that church. He was the security guy she lied to so she could get in. 'Oh no.' Sakura knew, without a doubt, that he would not believe her even though she was telling the truth this time. "I don't know what you're talking about." She laughed anxiously and took a step back. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." Then she bolted.
Sakura walked away briskly but made sure not to catch any unwanted attention. She darted around the tables and tried to lose herself in the crowd. She looked back and saw the top of his head just a few feet away.
'Crap! Think, Sakura, think!' Where could Meiling be? At the last second, she hid behind a pillar and leaned hastily against it. "Please don't let him see me, don't let him..." She chanted repeatedly under her breath. With extreme caution, Sakura moved her head to the side and tried to look over her shoulder. "Oh, crap!" He almost saw her. She returned to her previous position, only to come face to face with someone else. "Shit!"
Syaoran was looking down at her in amusement. "Aren't you a little too old for hide and seek? Then again –"
"Ssh!" Without thinking about it, Sakura grabbed the front of his suit and forced him to hide next to her.
"What the hell did you do this time?"
"Be quiet!" She hissed and clutched him tighter. Her only concern was not to be found.
"Miss." Too late. The security guy was standing next to her. "Please come with me quietly."
"But I'm telling the truth!" Sakura protested.
"What's going on here?" Syaoran stepped in, fixing the front of his vest.
The man instantly recognized him and bowed his head. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Sir. The lady here trespassed and I was trying to escort her out of the area."
Sakura saw the side of Syaoran's lip curl up. He was finding this funny.
"Miss."
"I'm not, I swear!"
"It's okay." Syaoran waved at him dismissively. "She's with me."
The guard wavered. The lady claimed earlier that she was with a friend and that person was supposed to be a woman. Nonetheless, he couldn't question Mr. Li's statement. "Sir..."
"Do we have a problem?"
"No, Sir." With one last doubtful look, he left.
Sakura slumped back while Syaoran stared at her. "You really do know how to find trouble, don't you?"
"But it wasn't my fault." Sakura groaned. "I'm here with Meiling." Her eyes darted around again. "She took me here. When she showed up with a dress, I was left without a choice."
Syaoran contemplated. Yup, that sounded like Meiling. "I'll help you look." He already had an inkling of what was going on. They emerged from behind the pillar and scanned the crowd. After minutes of fruitless search, Syaoran sighed and declared, "She left."
"What?"
"She left."
"I heard you, but what do you mean?" Sakura was already on her tip toes.
"Exactly just that."
"She ditched me?" She asked in disbelief as she turned to him. "She wouldn't ditch me."
Syaoran snorted. "Believe me, she left. She does it to me all the time." Meiling usually leaves him at family gatherings. He pursed his lips. "I guess that shows that she already considers you a close friend."
In the same incredulous tone, Sakura repeated, "By ditching me?"
"In her world, that means she trusts you." Syaoran shrugged. "She knows that you can take care of yourself... or maybe she knows I'm here." He paused. "I don't really know, to be honest. Her reasoning doesn't make much sense."
"Great. Now I'm stuck with you."
He raised a brow at her. "Should I leave you here?"
Sakura faltered. He was the only person she knew and she really didn't want to see that security personnel again. He was most likely keeping an eye on her. Finally, she shook her head. "Fresh air?"
He nodded his agreement and led her out towards the balcony. Sakura rested her elbows on the high railings while Syaoran leaned his back against it, still watching what was taking place inside. He was actually envious of the fact that Meiling got away.
"Meiling really didn't want to come, huh?" Sakura asked for confirmation.
"Yeah. She was never fond of these things." He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "She probably chose to drag you along because she enjoyed your company. Maybe she didn't mean to leave you, but when the opportunity presented itself, she grabbed it." He wasn't making excuses for her behavior. It was inconsiderate that she bailed, but that was just how she worked. Syaoran could barely understand his cousin's logic most of the time.
"I see." If truth be told, Sakura wasn't mad. She would have appreciated a little warning, but she wasn't necessarily angry at her for leaving. "She didn't grow up with you, right?"
Syaoran snorted. "No. Fate isn't that cruel." He loved Meiling, but he really couldn't imagine living with her. "Her family doesn't live here. She visits a lot, though."
"So she's sort of a free-spirit?"
"You could say that." He ran his hand through his hair. "Meiling is selfish."
Sakura turned to look at him with wide eyes.
"It's true. She's brash. She tends to think about herself first. Even if her action will hurt someone, as long as it isn't some permanent damage, then she'll do it." His tone wasn't unkind. He was just stating facts. "When the situation doesn't suit her tastes, she doesn't force herself to tolerate it."
"The wedding..." The words were out of Sakura's mouth before she could stop it.
Syaoran just gave her a long look before asking, "Did she say anything?"
She thought back to their first meeting. "Nothing, really. It just wasn't hard to guess."
"I'm not surprised." He breathed deep. "She wasn't particularly supportive of this whole..." He ended the sentence with an insignificant sweep of his hand.
"Does that bother you? You two are close." She frowned as she thought about it. "If it were me... I think I will be. If I have someone who's close to me like that and, I don't know... knowing that she doesn't approve... it's just, it seems hard to accept." For a second, Sakura wondered where the honesty came from. Then again, they were always forward with their approach to each other. Holding back words weren't typical for them so it was only a matter of time until it reached the issue, too.
"I'm used to it." He shrugged. "Like I said, if she doesn't like something, she doesn't hide it. Besides," Syaoran leveled her with a look, "The situation isn't exactly simple."
"Yeah..." Sakura shifted her eyes back to the night sky. "Did she tell you her reason?"
"Meiling doesn't think I'm – that we're..." Syaoran's forehead creased as he struggled to find words. "She doesn't believe, I mean... damn. She just said we're screwing things up." He huffed in annoyance. "Just because she acts the way she does doesn't mean she should expect us, too. She doesn't get it."
She nodded before resting her head over her folded elbows. "Syaoran?"
"Yeah?"
"What happens now?" Sakura asked in a quiet voice. She grasped in the fact that other people, who were not directly involved, were also affected by the mess. What would happen in the long run? "I've said before that you should just put effort for the wedding, but that seems stupid now..." She mumbled. It didn't solve anything; it just stalled the pain. "What are you going to do?"
"I..." He clenched his eyes shut. "I have no fucking idea."
"That's not good enough."
"Kitten?"
"Yeah?"
"I still think this isn't any of your business."
She smiled. That might have been true before. "But you don't believe that now." Sakura inhaled deep before standing up straight and facing him. "I'm here."
"What?"
"I'm here," Sakura repeated. "And I'm sorry." It took a while but she realized now that it was wrong of her to force him to do what she thought was right. She had taken into account Tomoyo's feelings, Eriol's feelings, even Meiling's, but what about his? He was the one she was constantly pushing, yet she never gave him an equal chance. She unconsciously placed all the responsibility on him yet she didn't stop long enough to consider his like she did others. He was having a hard time, too. Just because he wasn't saying anything or showing signs didn't mean that he wasn't. He was just as hurt. "And I'm just here, Syaoran."
AN: I would have updated sooner but I changed some parts... and then it keeps getting longer. It took some time for me to shorten/cut some scenes. I should have posted it as it was. I don't know what I was thinking. :| Anyway, thanks again everyone. And you know who you are, thanks for helping me out there.
I'm already working on the next chapter. Review, review! :)