"Kinomoto-san." Daisuke said as he stood by the bench. "Waiting for
Hasegawa- san?"
"I was." she said. "But I think she's ditched me today."
"Tut tut, what a friend."
Sakura turned to Daisuke, "I think she went to class for once."
"Ouch." Daisuke said as he sat down.
"Niwa-san." Sakura said.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Just so you know... in case Yuri-san hasn't told you yet, I'm not
interested." she sighed, "No matter what Kimi-chan wants to have you
believe."
Daisuke laughed, "I kind of guessed that." he said.
"Oh." she said.
"I just want to be your friend." he said.
"Oh."
"If you don't want-"
"No." she said, "Sorry, its just that I've been through a lot."
"Want to talk about it?" he asked.
"Its hard to." she said.
"Death?" he asked.
Sakura paused, "You could say." she said.
"Oh." he said, "So you like ice cream?"
"Yes. What?" she asked surprised.
"No its a bit cold for ice cream, crepes perhaps?"
"Crepes are good." she said confused.
"Good, I know a good place." he said, "Let's go." he got up from the
bench and started to walk.
"Uh..."
"Oh, silly me, you have a class?" he asked as he turned around.
"Not one I can't miss..." she said unsure.
"Perfect. Let's go." he said.
Sakura followed him curious.
As they waked to the crepe place the curiosity ate at her.
"So why aren't you going to ask me?"
"Things like that should stay inside until its ready to come out." he
said.
Sakura nodded, "True."
He shoved his hands into his pockets. "So what else do you like
besides cutting class and crepes?"
Sakura tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, "I like
sleeping." she said.
"I could tell." he said, "Not a morning person are you?"
She shook her head, "Not really. What about you?"
He shrugged, "I get up in the morning."
"Ah." she said.
"Is that 'ah' as in 'ah he's weird' or 'ah' as in 'ah okay'?" he
asked.
"Uh... ah okay?" she asked back.
He laughed, "All right I'll buy it." He pulled the door open. "We're
here."
Sakura smiled at the cute little shop. "Thank you."
Daisuke smiled at her, "You're welcome."
+++++
Sakura sighed as she walked into the apartment. She had spent another
day with Daisuke, he ran into her and convinced her to go wander
around the campus with him. He insisted on paying for lunch. Later
that day Sakura insisted that she pay for tea at the cafe. Daisuke
laughed and said, 'All right but just for that you have to come with
me to...' which resulted in spending a day wandering around the
university galleries. Sakura enjoyed running around the galleries and
looking at paintings. She found that they both had the same taste in
art (or the lack of taste as Daisuke insisted).
Never the less it was a nice day and it was well spent. They spent
some time in front of a painting that was painted by a former
graduate years ago.
'You like it?' he asked.
'Yes.' Sakura said as she looked up at the painting.
'I like it too, my family loves this style of art.' he said as he
admired the painting. It had a person hidden by the fall of feathers
and wings. His hair could be seen amongst the feathers.
'What's your family like?' she asked.
'Well...' Daisuke said as he looked at the painting, 'I have a
grandfather, a father, and a mother.'
'No brothers or sisters?'
'None.' he said. 'You?' he asked.
'I have a father and a brother.' /and an ancestor.../ she mentally
added.
'Older brother?' he asked.
'Yes.' Sakura said.
'Lucky guess.' Daisuke said as he turned to smile at her, 'Let's go?'
-----
"Sakura-chan!" Kimiko said as she bounced towards her breaking her
thoughts.
"Hi Kimi-chan." Sakura said as she walked towards her room.
"We got invited to dinner!"
"With who?" Sakura asked half afraid that it was Daisuke. She
stopped, /Why should I be afraid?/ she thought, /He's not as bad as I
thought./
"Yuri-chan!" Kimiko said.
Sakura smiled with relief.
Behind Kimiko Yuri smiled as she popped her head out of the other
room. She gave Sakura a 'please come with me' look.
"My homework can wait I guess." Sakura said.
"Waiii!" Kimiko said as she clapped.
Behind Kimiko Yuri put her hands together in prayer and mouthed the
word, 'Thank you...'
"Where are we going?" Sakura asked.
"French!" Kimiko exclaimed.
"Need I remind you who's paying?" Yuri smiled as she stepped out of
the room. Sakura smiled at her old roommate.
Kimiko turned to Yuri, "Oh."
Yuri smiled, "Of course we'll go."
Sakura smiled, she understood the signs of a special friendship. In
many ways Yuri reminded her of Tomoyo.
They walked to the restaurant, Kimiko walking ahead of them. "Yuri!
I'm going to get the table alright?"
Yuri nodded.
Sakura smiled as she turned to Yuri, "One of those days?"
Yuri nodded some more.
Sakura smiled, "No wonder you asked me to come along."
Yuri sighed as she looked at Kimiko who had just opened the door. "I
swear she's so blind."
"Sometimes its like that, especially since you refuse to let on any
feelings." Sakura said.
Yuri nodded, "I just don't think she's even able to deal with the
concept, but I love seeing her so happy. It makes me happy enough to
know that I can make her happy."
Sakura smiled.
"So what about you and Daisuke?" Yuri asked.
"What about me and Daisuke." Sakura asked back.
"I saw you walking home with him."
"We were talking." Sakura said. "He's not that bad. We've both been
through some stuff." she said.
"Like death?" Yuri asked.
"Alright." Sakura said, "I lied a bit, but I do feel that way."
They stood outside of the restaurant. "Sakura." Yuri said, "I usually
don't say anything, but when are you going to realize that sometimes
you have to let go?"
"Fine words coming from someone that secretly pines for her
roommate." Sakura said.
Yuri laughed.
"Hey!" Kimiko said as she popped her head out, her brown hair
swinging from its ponytail, "Are you coming in? The table is ready."
+++++
Daisuke smiled as he returned back to his dorm and tossed his keys
onto his desk. Kentaro was out, probably with his girlfriend. He sat
down in his desk chair and leaned back his arms behind his head.
Sakura was slowly opening up, which was good.
"Riku..." he said, "She's like me, she had a death in her life. I
wonder if it was her mother..."
"Why do I want to get to know her so much?" he asked himself as he
flipped on his computer.
They had spent a nice day together. Sakura was slowly letting him see
more than just her thorny side. And he had someone that appreciated
art as much as he did. She admitted that her art choice was more
music but she agreed to go along and look at paintings. She was even
patient enough to let him stop and look at certain paintings.
Especially one that hung in the back of the gallery.
/That painting./
Daisuke was startled.
/That's a Hikari painting./ the voice went on.
"No." Daisuke said.
/I want that painting./
/Just when I thought I had a normal life.../ Daisuke thought.
/You should have learned by now that Niwa lives are hardly normal./
Dark said with a chuckle.
+++++
"Sakura-chan!"
"To-Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura exclaimed.
Tomoyo hugged Sakura around the neck.
"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked.
"I wanted to surprise you, we have a small break between semesters."
Tomoyo said.
"Sakura?" Ran called as she left the apartment.
"Ran! This is Tomoyo." she turned to Tomoyo, "This is Ran."
Ran smiled and bowed, "Shinohara Ran." she said. "Sakura has told me
much about you."
"Daidouji Tomoyo." Tomoyo said. "I'm afraid Sakura doesn't tell me
much about her current life. Oh! I brought someone along with me."
she said as she turned to Sakura, "He's waiting patiently in the car."
"Oh really?" Sakura said weakly.
Tomoyo smiled, "Yes, we'll go get some dinner and meet him."
"If you want to cancel tonight's plans-" Ran said.
"No!" Sakura exclaimed, she quickly lowered her voice and turned to
Tomoyo, "I'm sorry but this is such short notice."
Tomoyo nodded, "I know... we'll see you tomorrow? Is that okay?"
Sakura nodded. "Thank you."
Tomoyo hugged Sakura, "I missed you." she whispered and climbed back
into the car that waited for her.
Ran watched as Tomoyo left and whistled. "So that's the daughter of
the toy company."
Sakura nodded. "I'm sorry if I didn't tell her much about you. I-"
"Its alright." Ran said, "Though I do feel jealous." she said. "She's
your closest, oldest friend."
Sakura smiled at Ran, "But you understand me better than her now."
Ran nodded. "Let's go eat shall we?"
+++++
"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo called as Sakura made her way across the hotel
lobby.
"Tomoyo-chan." Sakura said with a smile.
"Come up to the room with me." she said as she pulled out her key
from her purse. "Your father sends his love and some things as
usual." she pushed the elevator button open.
"You didn't-"
"Oh but I wanted to." Tomoyo said as the doors opened.
"Ahhh." Sakura said as they stepped on.
The doors closed. Tomoyo turned to Sakura, "Your brother threatens to
drag you home again."
Sakura looked down at the ground and began to trace the pattern in
the carpet.
"But he understands that you need your time and space." she said.
"That's good." Sakura said with a sigh.
The doors opened again and Tomoyo stepped off, Sakura followed
her, "My mother sends her love as usual."
"As usual." Sakura repeated remembering Sonomi Daidouji's love for
Nadeshiko's little daughter.
"And he insisted on coming." Tomoyo said as she opened the door and
let Sakura through first.
"Sakura!" Kerochan exclaimed as he launched himself at her.
"Kerochan!" Sakura exclaimed as she hugged her guardian.
"Your father sent food!"
"Which you ate I bet." Sakura said as she sat down at the table. As
usual Tomoyo had thought ahead and ordered room service.
"Well..."
Sakura smiled, "Was it good?"
"Of course!"
"A ha!" Sakura exclaimed. "I knew you ate oto-san's food."
"Hey!" Kerochan exclaimed, "No fair! I was tricked."
Tomoyo laughed.
A few minutes later they were eating in happy silence.
"Ne... Sakura-chan." Tomoyo said.
"Hmmm?" Sakura asked as she sipped some tea.
"Hasegawa-san..."
"Ran?" Sakura said.
"She's not your..." Tomoyo let it trail off.
"My..." Sakura said suddenly her eyes widened, "She's my friend." she
said.
"Ah," Tomoyo said with a nod.
"What about you?" Sakura said.
"I met someone." Tomoyo said, "She's quite nice. She's quite
talented, rumor has it she made the head of Clamp Campus search
everywhere for a Valentines gift when they were in elementary
school." Tomoyo said.
Sakura wondered once again what went on for normal at Clamp Campus.
How could someone do that to the head of Clamp Campus?
"Can I meet Hasegawa-san?" Tomoyo asked. "You rarely talk about your
life here... I want to meet her and see Yuri again."
Sakura nodded. "I'll ask her."
+++++
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Sakura looked up to see Daisuke standing at the bench again. She
wondered if he tracked her habits but brushed the thought aside.
"What?" she asked confused.
"Its an American expression, I don't know what significance it means,
but I see it on tv sometimes and the other person always replies with
what's on their mind." Daisuke said as he sat down. "Something
bothering you?"
"Sort of." she said. She turned to him, "My best friend came by for a
visit and she wants to meet Ran."
"Ahhh the old friend meets the new friend." Daisuke said.
Sakura nodded. "My life has changed so much since Sh- well since
three years ago." she said, "Tomoyo-chan has been kept in the dark
about some things."
"Things that Ran knows."
Sakura nodded.
He laughed, "Oh man I can see it now." he said.
"Its not funny!" Sakura exclaimed.
Daisuke kept laughing, "But it is." he said. "I wouldn't want to be
in your shoes when it happens."
Sakura turned back to the lake and crossed her arms, "Some friend you
make."
"Am I really?" he asked suddenly the laughter was gone.
She turned to him, "Well I think we are. Is that all right?"
He smiled, "Of course it is." he gave her a pat on the shoulder, "I
really feel for you." he said, "If my friends back home saw my life
now they'd be very surprised."
"You changed too?"
He nodded, "Well I wanted to restart my life you could say, friends
back home remind me of the crazy life I used to have. Having them
come to visit me would be like re-living the past."
"I understand." she said. /A normal life./
/A normal life./ Daisuke thought with a mental sigh.
/I thought you liked having me around./ Dark said.
/Not when I think I'm a normal person./ Daisuke said.
/Really Daisuke, I'm so hurt./ Dark said with a chuckle. /Need I
remind you once again that Niwa lives are anything but normal?/
"Niwa-san?" Sakura asked.
He smiled at her, "Do you think we can call each other less formal
names?"
She hesitated.
"Sakura-chan?" he asked, "That's too Kimi-chan."
Sakura smiled.
"Sakura-san." she said. "A friend used to call me that."
He nodded, "Sakura-san it is then. Call me Daisuke-san at least, I
don't feel old enough for Niwa-san."
Sakura chuckled.
Daisuke smiled at her laugh. Things were looking up.
============
notes:
1) Not much action, just prodding the plot along ^_^;;
2) Dark appears! yay! ^^ Tomoyo and Kerochan appears! yay!
3) Um I don't know if the characters (esp Daisuke) are staying with
in character, comments about this would be nice, oh well...
4) yes there's a bit of a shoujo ai! It just happened that way, the
story seems to write itself these days. ^^;;
5) links to the series and to previous chapters can be found here:
http://doki-doki.org/fanfic/ccs/shape/ (incl. links and what not
about the characters)
