The Ever Patient Love - 3

A/N: This chapter is particularly dedicated to Fabi-chan, who gave me the idea that led to…well, read her review and this chapter and you'll find out! This whole fic is also dedicated to all my reviewers…I hope to get the next and maybe last chapter by the end of next week. So check it out!

Sakura walked home from school with tears in her eyes. She heard the gossip in school about the reason she was acting like this. People were still staring at her, too. In all, going to school just gave her a huge migraine that wouldn't go away.

Sighing, she walked up the driveway and opened her front door. Inside, she headed up to her room as silent as a ghost. Touya, she knew, would be sleeping before he had to go to work. He was always working, now, trying to pay all the bills. She knew that he worried about her, but just had no time to do anything but worry.

Upon entering the room, she threw her backpack onto the floor and jumped onto her bed. Sakura's eyes were getting heavy, so she closed them, needing all the sleep she can get.

She was talking and laughing with her father. Her father was driving and she was fiddling around with the radio. They always went somewhere together once a month, it was a way to always be close. They never got tired of the age-old tradition.

As she turned to a station playing a sad tune, she heard her father yell. Looking up, she saw another car heading straight towards them, obviously out of control. Her father turned the steering wheel fast and then…

CRASH!

Sakura could hear the scraping of metal against metal. She saw the sparks as the two cars met. She could smell the gasoline as it leaked out of the car. And then came the darkness…

When she woke up, she heard people yelling. "Are you alright in there?"

Groggily, she looked around and gasped. The car was upside down and the front part was partly smashed in. It wasn't that, though, that surprised her. It was her father. His hair was matted with dark red blood. The front steering wheel was smashed into his chest and she saw his door was smashed in, too.

Again, the yell came, "Hello! Are you alright in there?"

Sakura just stared in horror at her dad and screamed…

Bolting upward and breathing heavily, Sakura woke up from her dream. She had just replayed the car crash and her father's death. It was horrible. Why did he have to die! Sobbing, she headed to her bathroom to take a shower. Taking a shower helped a bit to shake off a dream like that.

Daijouji Tomoyo heard the doorbell resonate throughout her house. It was just getting dark and she wondered whom it was. All of the help had the day off and her mother was still at work, so she had to answer the door herself. Walking down the hallway, she saw the front door and heard the doorbell ring again.

Opening the door, she was surprised at what she saw. There stood Hiragizawa Eriol, tired and disheveled. She was shocked at his appearance for he was always in control, but now, he had tears crawling down his face.

"Tomoyo," he croaked and stumbled into her arms.

She held him there as he cried and cried. Finally, he managed to compose himself a bit and pulled away. "What's the matter, Eriol?" she asked gently.

"I saw…I saw…" he took a huge breath and said slowly, "I saw my other half's death…I saw how he died, I felt his pain. I heard him making Syaoran promise to protect Sakura…and to tell her his feelings soon."

Tomoyo was silent, but tears were making their way down her face. She felt the grief and sadness of her second father's death. He had always been kind to her and loved her as a daughter. She loved him as if he was her real father.

Eriol saw Tomoyo's tears coming down and moved into hug her. He wanted to comfort her like she just did to him. It had been horrible, the sudden memory of what had happened to Kinomoto-san. It was just…fate, though. Fate. It never was fair, taking all the good people and ignoring the bad.

Eriol felt regret and telling Tomoyo about his memory. For he had made her cry and that was the last thing he had wanted to do. Holding her tight, he spoke softly, "I'm sorry for coming here. I shouldn't have…I shouldn't have told you, I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm so sorry."

Tomoyo drew back and looked at him with fierce violet eyes, "Silly boy, I don't want you to hide yourself from me. I want you to tell me what happens to you. I want you to tell me things. I most certainly do not want you to hide behind some kind of wall just because you made me cry. I need you, Eriol."

Eriol drew her close, "I need you, too, Tomoyo." And still staring into her eyes, he slowly leaned his head down.

Tomoyo saw his face coming towards her and froze. He wasn't going to…I mean she couldn't…could she?

Then his lips met hers, moving slightly against her lips. She felt him pull her closer to his body. She felt his body as it was tightly pulled up against hers; his body was firm and lanky. Meanwhile, his lips moved against hers, letting out passion and love that he had been holding back. Recovering from her shock, Tomoyo kissed him back.

His lips were warm and she heard him groan in response to her heated attack. Her arms were around his neck and his around her waist. It was perfect.

Eriol felt her supple body move against his slightly and his heart thumped faster. Her lips were warm and tasted like forbidden strawberries. She moved her lips against his with passion and love that rivaled his own. He never thought that kissing someone could feel so…perfect. This definitely was heaven.

He knew that he had to draw back, though, because they were human and needed air. Pulling back, he drew in ragged breaths and placed his forehead against hers.

Tomoyo's eyes were the deepest violet shade and they twinkled in the soft glow of the moonlight. Her profile showed the signs of a beautiful, graceful woman. Her face held the softness and gentleness of a kind, warm-hearted person. Yet, there was an intelligent and evil mind behind that he knew. Oh, how he knew.

Right now, though, he was totally concentrated on getting three words out. And in a deep, hoarse voice filled with overwhelming love, he spoke, "I-I love you."

Tomoyo drew in a deep breath at his heart-filled words. I love you, I love you, I love you, seemed to resonate throughout her head. And softly in her musical voice, she replied honestly, "I love you, too."

And the two lovers shared another love-filled kiss under the stars. The light of the house glared through the doorway and poured out onto the steps leading up to the door. In the doorway, they stood, with the light shining against them. The two lovers held onto each other, each the other's lifeline, each the other's soulmate and one true love.