Well, hello! And Welcome to My Little World of Weirdness!
I state for the record that, despite the fact I really, really wish I did, I don't own any of the characters that will grace this story; it's all CLAMP's! Always has been, always will be!
Also I don't pretend to have any Mastery over the language of Japanese or any clue as to correct grammatical structure. I put it in and hope it gets across the point I'm trying to make!
"Speaking"
*Stress/emphasis*
//Thinking//
Guardian Beast of the Seal, Wimpy, Scaredy Cat.
By Dr Megalomania.
Part Eleven: What did the tree ever do to you?!
He was bored.
Really, really bored.
Again.
It had been the grand total of two weeks, and five days since he had fallen ill, and now . . . he was sick of it. Sick of Yue alternatively being worried when Keroberos was too tired to keep awake and snappy when Keroberos was awake enough to play pranks on him. He was sick of making Sakura so worried. Defiantly sick of Tomoyo, and her knowing everything, whenever anyone consulted her about what to feed him, her answer was always a hot soup, or dry toast, or a very *tiny* amount of ice cream. He frowned, it wasn't his fault that he'd thrown up the last time they indulged his request from a huge plate of brownies and chocolate. Now he wasn't allowed anything with an inch of taste, in case that might make him sick. "Oh, no! We can't give him anything decent to eat, no, in case it might make him sick!" Kero sarcastically muttered to himself in his best Tomoyo-voice.
He sighed and looked over at Sakura's alarm. It was Two A.M. in the morning, his nurses . . . Touya and The Mirror, were both fast asleep. She had volunteered to do the night shift with him again, when asked why she hadn't really given any answer, but when she had gone to tell the other cards, Firey and Watery's voices could be quite plainly heard from below. "YOU'VE VOLUNTEERED TO DO *WHAT*?! OOOH GREAT! THIS MEANS YOU'LL BE BLOODY WELL HAAYYYYYAAAANNNN-ING FOR THE REST OF FECKING ETERNITY!!"
So now, Kero was alone, staring into the darkness, listening to their snores for amusement.
He looked over at the shelf that had become his bedside table. A small basket of strawberries sat promisingly on it, just out of his reach. Yue had got them for him. During one of Yue's shifts, Kero had muttered that he wanted strawberries; and the second his shift was over, Yue had taken off. About fifteen hours later, Yue had returned with this small basket of strawberries. Not just any basket of berries, they had come all the way from England, from Keroberos' favourite strawberry patch. Yue brought them into the room without a word, put them on the shelf and transformed away, leaving an exhausted Yukito in his place. Yukito looked particularly dazed, and just before he past out he cried in dismay, "What do you mean the hippie movement died out?! . . . I loved all the groovy people, baby!" He staggered against To-ya, "Oh, look! Totally psychedelic colours, man! Power to the people!"
Keroberos sighed again, as much as he had wanted to take advantage of the situation, he just . . . couldn't; his illness had prevented him from doing too much. He couldn't eat all the luscious treats he *knew* Tomoyo could create, not that she would because "Oh *NO* that might make him sick!" Keroberos groused high-pitched again. He couldn't annoy Ruby or Spinel because they'd just grin and bear it. Even when he had said it might make him feel better if Ruby didn't open her mouth or better yet didn't come out of her other form she just nodded and complied. Even when he had made Spinel watch the Disney version of Alice in wonderland over and over again, knowing quite full well that Spinel couldn't stand Disney because they always change the storyline of every fairytale to fit what they thought was 'good' for the audience, Spinel would just fold his arms and glower at the screen until it ended and when Keroberos clapped his paws happily and said, "Again! Again!"
Spinel just smiled and replied, "Eh heeeh. . . of course. . .", they didn't seem to want to leave because Eriol wanted to stay. Meilin and Syaoran were the main cooks so he didn't annoy them, besides every so often Meilin would slip him a nice treat. Sakura and Eriol sat with him for hours, Sakura would talk away while Eriol would bring out a book, a fairytale or a book of fables, and read to him. And as for Touya . . . there wasn't one thing Keroberos could do to annoy him, not because he did anything particularly nice [the meanie would mock him every chance he got, and repeatedly told Kero that the instant he was well again he was going on a diet!] but because Touya was the one that would carry Kero up and down the stairs and Kero didn't think he'd get better if Touya 'accidentally' dropped him.
He sighed and picked up the ruler that he kept beside him. He tapped the small lamp on, and then flicked the switch of the fan on. Both objects were well out of his reach, simply because their power cables weren't long enough. It had taken him most of the day before yesterday, yesterday and then a bit of last night to figure out that instead of constantly asking for help to switch the damned things on, he could just use a ruler and flick them on and off at his command. He felt a little silly for not figuring this out earlier.
He was staring at the lamp, trying to stretch his left paw at it when he had suddenly thought, //I wish my arm was longer// then it occurred to him that when monkeys need to get at ants that were out of their reach, they used a stick. By some fuzzy logic, this resulted in the idea of using a ruler, to compensate for the stretch. As he rested back into his pillow, he looked at the ruler again. He sighed as he thought, //a monkey would have figured this out ages ago . . . a *monkey* would have been bathing in the soft glow of the lamp, enjoying a cool breeze and probably sipping a dry martini by the time it took me to realise that I could use a ruler as a handy-switch-flicker-on-and-off-er . . .//
Keroberos sighed again. He was sick of being sick. He couldn't sleep because he'd slept so much; it had disrupted his normal sleep patterns. He hated it even more because it meant when he wanted to be awake, like when Sakura or Yue was around, he'd fall asleep. Kero closed his eyes, and tried to sleep. He wanted to be better now. Not in a few days, like Tomoyo suggest when he had asked, now.
He peered at the clock again, two twenty. He growled softly. "Go to sleep," he quietly commanded himself. But his body refused to comply. He turned over again, his fur was sweaty, he knew he still had a bit of a temperature, but he didn't feel so bad that he had to be confined to bed all the time. But Sakura insisted, and then Yue did, and so did Eriol, so he couldn't leave the bed, even though he was really bored with staring at Sakura's walls. He couldn't even play video games, when he had tried, he had become woozy and they had taken away the console. He groaned and turned the light and fan back off. He was getting increasingly annoyed at not being able to sleep. He closed his eyes and didn't open them; despite the fact he knew this wouldn't get him to fall asleep.
A few hours later, he felt a cool breeze over him. His eyes flicked open as he glanced over at the fan to check if he had left it on. The blades were completely still, he looked up at the ceiling . . . and came face to face with Yue.
"GAH!" He yelped in surprise. Yue landed softly, as Kero growled at him, "Oh yeah I'm sick of the flu and you give me a heart-attack!!" he made a half-hearted swipe at Yue, "Don't do that!"
Yue didn't respond as he settled down beside his ill brother. Once his wings had faded away, and he had arranged his robes and his hair to his liking, he looked at Keroberos, "How are you feeling now?"
Kero looked at the clock before answering, it was five thirty. "I can't sleep, and I'm sick of this, I want to be better now."
Yue smiled slightly as he reached over to the water bowl. He lifted a damp towel out of it, and squeezed the excess water from it. He hummed slightly as he pressed it against Kero's forehead. Golden eyes slid shut, and Kero purred. "You never had any patience." Yue murmured, and dipped the cloth in the water again. He repeated the motion, as he continued, "You will be fine soon . . ." he paused, and pulled Kero's chin toward him, "I was so worried about you."
"I was worried about you too . . ." Kero looked at him briefly, and then glanced down. "I could hear you . . . when you came in that night and sang. You don't know how much I wanted to open my eyes and tell you that you were singing in the wrong key."
Yue didn't answer, and they sat in companionable silence for about half an hour before Yue sighed. "You told her, didn't you?"
"Told whom what?"
"You told the mistress about my . . ." Yue blushed and looked down.
"Twitch?" Kero grinned, "No, I didn't . . . I just warned her not to let you near books." He giggled and peered at Yue intently, "Why?"
"I was about to go into Fujitaka's library the other day, and she stopped me."
"What were you going to do in Fujitaka's library?" Kero teased.
Yue frowned with annoyance; "I was going to get a book!"
"Why?" Kero fought back a giggle.
"I was going to *peruse* it!" Yue said surly.
Kero snickered, and murmured, "Sure, just like you *perused* the books at home . . ."
Yue's eyes widened, as he gasped. "That was a one-time thing!"
Kero giggled again as he lifted his paws and counted, "Oh really? Just like it was a one-time thing after I hid so well during a game of 'hide and go seek' that you honestly thought you had lost me, a one-time thing after I burnt your hair," he flicked at Yue's fringe and continued, "A one-time thing after I told you Clow was going to *spa-ann-nk* you for using my tail as a paint brush," Yue giggled as his brother continued, "A one-time thing after Clow told us that he was going to back in a hour's time and was then only *five* minutes late getting back, a one-time thing after I accidentally got green paint on your wings, a one-time thing after you caught your hair in a tree and Clow threatened to cut your hair off at your shoulders when you *blew* the tree up . . ." Keroberos sniggered after the last one.
The memory was humorous for both of them, Yue had been flying particularly low one day and his long hair became caught in some branches. He didn't realise until he was yanked back, when the slack pulled up. Yue, after spending an hour trying to pull his hair loose, settled for blew the tree sky high. Clow had stood by the smoking crater, scratching his head, bits of ex-tree falling down all around him. He didn't know why he was laughing but he was. Keroberos and Yue stood near-by as Clow pointed from Yue to the crater, and then back again in amazement. "Why?" Was all he could ask, "Why? What possible justification . . .? *Why*?!" He shook his hands at the smoking hole, "What did the tree ever do to *you*?!" He had chortled.
The pair were laughing too much to notice that they had woken Touya. He cleared his throat loudly, to catch their attention. Good morning he said quietly, as he joined them. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you talking about?"
"Nothing!" Yue snapped.
Kero grinned, "Yue's twitch."
"What kind of twitch?"
"It's not a twitch!" Yue blushed and looked away as Keroberos sniggered.
Kero sighed happily as he explained, "Did you know that there was a Move card?"
Touya thought for a bit before answering, "Yes I did, but Sakura told me it doesn't actually do that much."
Kero nodded sagely, "Aaaah, yes . . . it does seem useless at first . . . unless you take into account Yue's twitch." He giggled; "Yue has the rather annoying habit of moving small things around when he's nervous, upset or scared . . ."
"I've noticed that . . . he was moving bottles and folding towels the first night you were ill."
Kero nodded, "That's Stage One . . . that's why the move card was created. Clow got tired of constantly having to move things back, so he created a card that could follow Yue around during one of his phases . . ."
"You said Stage One . . ." he glanced at Yue speculatively; "There's a Stage Two?"
"Oh, yeah . . . the books. He moves books around, re-organising them; sometimes it would be by title, other times it would be by subject. He did it to Clow's library once, every book by number of pages. "
Yue rolled his eyes and shook his head silently, as Touya spoke, "That doesn't sound too bad . . ."
"Yep, that's what Clow said when I told him . . ." Kero nodded quite seriously, ". . . Until he remembered that his library was three floors high, stacked full of books wall-to-wall . . ." Touya's eyes widened, as Yue pressed his hands over his eyes, ". . .And that's *not* including the isles."
Elsewhere in the house . . .
"You're up kinda early."
Syaoran turned to find Sakura leant against the kitchen doorway. "I know," he turned back to his tea making. "Do you want some?"
"What are you making?" Sakura shuffled over to the table and sat down.
"Just some tea, I'll make you breakfast if you like."
Sakura yawned widely, and stared at him sleepily, "No, thank you, just some tea will be fine."
He nodded and handed her a cup, she yawned again. "You should go back to bed." He noted, he rubbed her shoulders and massaged her neck briefly as he passed her.
She blinked at him as he sat down. He was fully dressed, in his ceremonial robes. "Did you go training?"
He paused before sipping his tea, "No, not yet."
She glanced at his sword; it lay on the table still in its sheaf. "Would you like some company? Tomoyo left one of my old costumes here, I could put it on and we could get back into some practice."
"What's this about we? I *am* still in practice." She laughed softly, and he smiled. "It's still dark out if you'd rather wait until daylight . . ." he grabbed one of her small hands and leant forward.
"I can handle training in the dark!" She squeezed his hand and pressed her nose against his.
"We shall see about that . . ." he smiled, brown eyes darker in the shadows of the kitchen.
"We shall. . ." said Sakura, as she brushed a faint kiss over his lips.
The air was very cool as they faced each other; she was wearing the first costume Tomoyo had ever made her wear. The large red cloak was just a few centimetres shorter, and the dark blue shorts were just a little tighter, but the red hat with it's shiny gold buckles on the leather blue straps, and the brilliant white undercoat still fit perfectly. Sakura tugged the black thigh high boots up a tiny bit as she called forth the sword card. Sakura shivered as she waved her sword in front of her, getting used to the weight again. She glanced up to see Syaoran studying her intently.
"Too cold for the little Cherry Blossom?" He softly mocked.
She raised an eyebrow as she took her stance. "Maybe I should warn you that the Sword makes anyone who handles it into a master swordsman."
"Ooooh! I'm scared!"
"So you should be!!" cried Sakura as she swung the blade at him, their game beginning. He jumped and rolled out of the way. Her blade struck the ground as he quickly ran around her. Syaoran grabbed the back of her long red cloak and threw it over her head. "Hey!" Sakura cried indignantly. "I'm gonna make you regret that!"
She uncovered herself in time to see Syaoran jump up and stand, perfectly balanced on the garden wall. "Oh? Really? Is that a promise Cherry Blossom?" He whirled his sword around his wrist once more before jumping down. "I doubt you be able to make me say you're my better. . . ever!" Sakura ducked as he swung the blade once over her head, jumped as it swiped under her feet.
"Is that a challenge Little Wolf?" Sakura started to pant slightly, she *was* a bit out of practice.
He grinned as she fought back, trying to do the same moves, but he blocked them all. "If you'd like it to be, Cheery Blossom!" After allowing her a few swings, he pushed her back. She stumbled, rolled and came up panting. "Awww. . . the little Cherry Blossom tired now?"
She grinned, and pulled out a card. She whispered a few incarnations as a bright light enveloped her. Once the light faded, Sakura smiled and nodded to Sakura, who nodded back. They raised their swords together, mirroring each other's stances. "Now there are two little Cherry Blossoms, and YOU will be begging for mercy!"
Syaoran glanced back at the house, "But the Mirror card's . . . of, course Twin card! Oh, well, that's okay;" he raised his hand and beckoned them forward, "I can handle both of you!"
The Sakuras roared as they rushed forward.
Perhaps it was too early in the morning, or maybe it was because she hadn't woken up yet, but one thing Meilin *wasn't* sure of was the fact that she was seeing *two* Sakuras. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. Tomoyo quietly entered the kitchen as well, "Meilin?"
"Tomoyo!" Meilin jumped. "I just came to get a glass of water. Do you want one?"
Tomoyo smiled, and nodded. While they were sipping their drinks, Meilin glanced out the window; the two Sakuras were now running after Syaoran. "Tomoyo. . .?" The three ran out of the window's frame, to the right side, as Tomoyo turned.
"Hai?"
"Do you see two Sakuras?"
Tomoyo peered out the window as Syaoran ran into sight followed by one Sakura, "I see one Sakura, Meilin." She answered softly and turned away to sit down.
"Oh . . ." Meilin sighed and looked out the window once more. Syaoran had stopped and was fending off Sakura. A second Sakura appeared from behind him and started to tickle him. "Tomoyo!"
"Hai?"
"See! There are two!" Meilin spun around to look at Tomoyo and pointed out the window. Tomoyo just missed Syaoran pushing the Sakura that was fighting him with her sword away from him hard. The purple haired girl could only see Syaoran laughing hard as the tickling Sakura force him to the ground. She turned away from the window to face Meilin, whose mouth hung open. "Meilin . . . I think you should go back to bed . . ." Meilin frowned as the second Sakura came back, and joined her identical twin in their tickle attack on her cousin.
She pointed again, "But look! There are two of them!"
Syaoran struggled and managed to kick one of the Sakuras away, before Tomoyo turned. Tomoyo sighed and rolled her eyes, again there was only one Sakura in the garden. "Li Meilin," Tomoyo sighed again, and turned around, the red-eyed Chinese girl was still staring out the window. "I see one Sakura, and she's giving Syaoran the noogie of a lifetime . . ."
Meilin cried out, "Look now!" The second Sakura pounced on Syaoran and peeled off his slippers, she began a vicious tickle attack on Syaoran's feet. He bucked so hard with laughter the other Sakura was thrown off and rolled away. Tomoyo shook her head and looked out the window again, "All right I was wrong."
"See! I knew you'd realise there were two."
"No, I mean I was wrong she's tickling his feet *not* giving him the noogie of a lifetime." As Meilin started to protest Tomoyo pushed her out of the kitchen, "Come on you are going back to bed."
"By the Ancestors!!" Syaoran cried out breathlessly, "Stop! STOP!!"
One of them was sitting on his legs and the other was cradling his head in her lap. Both were tickling him and he almost couldn't breathe because he was laughing so hard. "I can't breathe!" he gasped, "Stop!"
"But you said you could handle us both!"
"I can but this is cheating," he ground out before another bout of laughter over came him, his back arched as he tried to kick the Sakura on his legs off. However that Sakura easily stayed on and increased her attack. The one that was holding him down by the shoulders laughed, "Say it!"
His eyes snapped open as he stared at the emerald eyed card mistress, "Never!" he growled.
"If you don't say it," the one on his legs called over her shoulder, "We won't stop!"
He bucked again, "Never! Never! NEVER!"
The two Sakuras giggled again. "Fine! We can keep this up for ages if necessary!!"
After Meilin finally agreed that it was probably better for her to go to sleep and forget about the two scary Sakuras, Tomoyo sighed and returned to her own sleeping bag. She managed not to gasp as an arm sneaked around her waist. "What was that all about?" A sleepy voice murmured into her ear.
"Meilin thinks that there's two Sakuras."
"The girl's crazy anyway." Eriol chuckled and pulled Tomoyo closer, "Mmmmm. . ." he hummed, "You're warm."
Tomoyo chuckled lightly, "I know I am but you have cold hands. And you'd better get them off my butt before I break your arms off." When he didn't answer, she peered over her shoulder. Eriol had fallen fast asleep again.
Once Keroberos had fallen asleep again, Yue rose to leave.
"Yue . . .?" Yue fiddled with his cuffs, and eyed Touya silently; he hadn't said a word to him unless others were around. "Yue . . ." Touya sighed and slipped his arms around the moon guardian's waist. He rested his chin on the guardian's shoulder, "Yue?" He hummed musically into the angel's ear. Yue sighed and turned his head slightly.
He raise an eyebrow, "What?"
Touya smiled faintly, "I said I was sorry." The eyebrow rose a little more, Touya rolled his eyes as he understood the movement, "And I was wrong. I should pay a little more attention to the transformation . . ."
Yue stared at him for a bit, then pulled his arms off. Touya looked in confusion at the angel as he walked away slightly; Yue had his back turned to Touya as he spoke softly. "That's not why I got so angry."
Touya had to strain somewhat to hear what he was saying, "Then what made you mad?"
Yue glanced at him quickly, and moved over to Sakura's shelf, he wrapped his arms around himself. His eyes glowed dimly as the books started to rearrange themselves, slowly and one by one. There was a short silence before Touya wrapped his arms around Yue again. He rested his chin again and watched the books as Yue rearranged them according to the name of the author. Touya looked at Yue's face, he seemed sad about something, "What is it?"
Yue sucked in his bottom lip before he blurted quickly, "Which of us do you prefer?"
"What do you mean?"
"You seemed so disappointed when I transformed in, and yet . . . you're never unhappy when Tsukishiro returns." Yue looked at him, "You love him . . . don't you?"
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't." Touya answered honestly. Yue looked away and the books began to shuffle quicker, this time assorting themselves by number. There was a cough from behind them, and Keroberos was peering up at them, "Uh . . . hate to interrupt, but uh . . . lion's gotta do what a enchanted lion's gotta do, ya know . . ."
Yue shrugged, slipping Touya's arms off, and sat by the shelf. He didn't looked at Touya or Keroberos as he pulled the books off the shelf and started to rearrange them again, "Don't mind me . . ." he murmured, over his shoulder, "I'll just do this and then I'm leaving."
Touya stared at him, wishing he'd turn, but Keroberos nudged at him out the door. Touya looked down at him irritated, "Couldn't you have held it in for a bit longer."
Kero sat and glanced at Sakura's room, he spoke in a low tone, "Keep your voice down . . . Yue might not have as great hearing as I do but he still picks up on nearly everything you say . . ."
Touya crouched down, "What is it?"
"Baka!" Kero took a swipe at him, "That's my brother in there! And I'm not gonna let you hurt him!"
"I'm not!"
"You are! Yue's always was nervous 'bout Yukito." Keroberos growled, his Osaka accent growing deeper, "And there you go tell him you like the snow rabbit . . . his own false form . . . *better* than him!"
"I don't like Yuki better than Yue . . ." Touya struggled to keep his voice down, "I was just about to tell him that! They are the same person; even Sakura can see that was Clow's original intention!"
Kero glanced at the door again, "Fine! Be sure you tell him that."
"Or what? You'll sneeze on me? Eat all my pudding like you always do?"
"Eriol isn't the only one that can charm bikes to attract the Dash card . . ." he rose and padded back to the door, he sent one more warning glance at Touya, "Be sure to remember that if you hurt my brother."
Touya followed the lion back into his sister's room; Keroberos purred and rubbed himself against Yue's back before settling back in bed. Yue slid the last book onto the shelf; he looked at Kero then stood. He walked towards Touya to exit the room but Touya grabbed his arm, they exchange a silent glance as Touya tried to find the words to tell Yue. But before he could speak, Yue looked away. The transformation was swift, and quiet. "Eh . . .?" Yukito looked around disorientated. "To-ya? Weren't we at the dinner table just now?"
Touya smiled a little, "Yue."
"Oh. . ." Yukito nodded in understanding. Touya glanced at the mirror and Keroberos, and seemed to come to some sort of internal decision, "Yuki . . . I need to talk to you."
"Nani?" Yuki questioned as the taller boy dragged him to his bedroom.
Yuki sat quietly on the bed as Touya. His stomach was growling insistently, but he ignored it as he watch Touya pace back and forth. Touya seemed very thoughtful; he would often pause and then glance at Yukito. Then he would shake his head and resume his pacing. After a few minutes, Yukito sighed, "Is it about Yue?"
Touya looked at him. "Yes."
Yukito adjusted his glasses, and peered at Touya, "Has he done something to upset Sakura?"
"No. . . I think I've upset Yue."
Yukito blinked, although he had never met the guardian himself, they had talked on a few occasions, and from the impression he got Yue didn't seem like one to get easily upset. "How could you have achieved that?"
Touya turned away from Yukito and resumed his pacing, as he explained. "He thinks I love you more than I do him."
"You love him as well?"
Touya turned quickly as Yuki's shoulders drooped, he sighed and moved towards his koi. He knelt, sitting on his heels and took the smaller boy's hands, "Yes I do . . . but what neither of you don't seem to understand is that to me you're just the same person . . . it's just like . . ." he looked out the window as he tried to think of something to explain his feelings, "It's like you're the day and he's the night, you have to love both because you can't have one by itself. There are aspects of the day, like it's warmth, openness and light that you just adore, but the night is . . . mysterious, but beautiful. And when I'm with one of you, I can still see the other just as easily. I can't love one of you, I have to love both of you or I'd lose you and Yue . . ." he squeezed the pale hands, still staring out the window. "He doesn't understand that I can't possibly *not* love him as deeply as I love you. I just don't know why you and Yue . . . why you two don't get the fact that everyone thinks about you as the same person . . . why I love the both of you . . ."
"You never told me." Touya's head snapped back, and found Yue in Yuki's place. Yue blushed, to the amazement of Touya; he looked down at their clasped hands, "Sorry . . ."
Touya moved up, kneeling in front of the cool angel. "Don't be . . . I love you too." He lifted a hand and stroked the side of his face. "If you had been awake when I had been trying to tell Yuki that I wanted to be more than friends . . . you would have known I don't have a very good way with words."
He moved forward and wrapped his arms around Yue's slender waist again, he felt Yue move his legs around his body. He smiled openly as he gazed up at Yue, and Yue rested his arms around Touya's neck. In the darkened bedroom, they stared into each other's eyes, the world around the pair fading away. "What about me?" Yue murmured. "Do you want to ask me if you can be more than friends with me?"
Touya smiled as Yue's head dipped, the dark haired boy tightened his grip on the pale being's thighs as he felt the angel's perfect little teeth bite slightly on his ear. "Yue . . . Yue, Yue, Yue . . ." Touya growled in a low tone, he, of course, knew that Yuki always did that to his ear just before a wild night, ". . .oooh . . ." he moaned. "Yue. . . I . . . you . . ."
"Mmm . . .?" The moon angel hummed back.
The smile on Touya's face grew, as he ran his hands up and down Yue's thighs slowly, "Would you like to be more than friends now?"
Yue moved his head so Touya could see his rapidly darkening eyes again. "I thought I'd have to wait until the next Cardcaptor released the Sakura cards before you'd ever ask . . ." Touya shivered slightly at the deep rumbling purr in Yue's voice. Yue felt more than a little breathless as Touya pushed himself up towards to meet Yue's lips. He didn't feel like a cool-headed Judgement Maker as Touya's deep sapphire eyes slid shut, even less so when he felt Touya's fingers begin to tug as the clasp that held his sash on. He giggled slightly, and thought for a moment, //Whoa . . . I sound like Yuki . . .// but then he couldn't think anymore . . . but that was okay because Touya was just a breath away. His darkening amethyst eyes slid shut as he prepared to feel the practiced lips of Kinomoto Touya . . .
"Uh . . . 'scuse me?"
Yue gasped and Touya moved back, as the interruption pieced both their frazzled brains, Yue scowled at the door as his brother sat rather sheepishly in the door. He shook his hands at Touya, hoping to communicate his point. "Nani?!" He growled though his teeth.
"Eh heh . . . I um, I . . ." Keroberos put a paw behind his head guiltily, "I really . . . really . . . really, really, *really* hate to interrupt this . . . this . . ." he waved a paw at them in a attempt to find the word he was looking for, ". . . this purely Shounen Ai moment but ummm . . ." he sucked on a tooth, as he squinted at them, "I. Really. *Need*. To. Go."
Touya rolled his eyes, as Yue squinted incredulously at Keroberos, "You only just went!" Touya was discreetly doing the clasp back up, hoping Kero wouldn't notice and, for that matter, Yue, because the guardian looked flushed and ready to kill.
Keroberos smiled falsely as he tried to come up with an excuse, "I've . . . been drinking . . . a lot of . . . fluids . . . it's good for you I'm told . . ."
Touya sighed and pushed himself up; he glanced promisingly at Yue before slipping out the door. Yue threw himself back against the bed, his large wings and long hair spreading gently over the soft sheets and groaned, "Stupid Touya!"
-----------------------
And Now It's Time For LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!!
DrM: Konnichiwa!! I'M BAAACK!!!
Yue: You took your dear, sweet time, didn't you?!
Writer's Block: [Smug] Uh, yeah, that would be my fault . . . [Puts feet on desk and folds arms behind head] damn . . . I'm good at this . . .
Real Life: [Indignant] Damnit! I had a part to play in it too!
DrM: Damn you both!!! [Falls to knees, much like dude at the end of 'Planet Of The Apes'] Damn you! Damn you all to hell!!! You blew it up! [starts to beat the ground with her fists] Damn you!!
Yue: [Turns to readers] I dunno about you . . . but she scares me . . . not just a little, but a helleva lot.
Clow: Scares me too . . . just wait until she realises that 'The Magical, Mythical, Mischievous, Master Clow' is stuck on [Whispers] *59* reviews . . .
Yue: [Winces] Someone better cover that up before she blows a casket . . .
Hei-ying: [Popping out of nowhere] I agree . . .
Yue: [jumps up and points] WHO THE FECK ARE YOU?!
Hei-ying: I'm an evil, psychotic, homicidal maniac with a obsessive and obscene abnormal fixation on Clow and bent on your slow and preferably pain filled destruction . . . [Grins] Nice to meet you!
Yue: [Understanding] Oooohh. . . You're the dude from 'In This Tainted Soul . . .' [gasps] So it's YOU'RE fault DrM got writer's block on this story!!!
Hei-ying: [still grinning] Yep, and remember . . . [Points at reader, and grins cheesily] Don't ask what this fanfic can do for you . . . Ask what YOU can write in your review . . . [sticks up thumb] Please R&R!!
DrM: [Points at Hei-ying then at self, looks at Yue] And I scare you? He's misquoting American war slogans!
Yue: [Reads last passage] At least he doesn't write such utter mush about *MY* love life . . . [Gets into it with DrM]
Hei-ying: [Grins even more cheesily] Please recite after me: Every Fanfic Writer Has The Right To Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Reviews . . .
Touya: Wow . . . [stands back, impressed] That was just one huge, giant, colossal, massive, *SHAMELESS* story plug . . .
I state for the record that, despite the fact I really, really wish I did, I don't own any of the characters that will grace this story; it's all CLAMP's! Always has been, always will be!
Also I don't pretend to have any Mastery over the language of Japanese or any clue as to correct grammatical structure. I put it in and hope it gets across the point I'm trying to make!
"Speaking"
*Stress/emphasis*
//Thinking//
Guardian Beast of the Seal, Wimpy, Scaredy Cat.
By Dr Megalomania.
Part Eleven: What did the tree ever do to you?!
He was bored.
Really, really bored.
Again.
It had been the grand total of two weeks, and five days since he had fallen ill, and now . . . he was sick of it. Sick of Yue alternatively being worried when Keroberos was too tired to keep awake and snappy when Keroberos was awake enough to play pranks on him. He was sick of making Sakura so worried. Defiantly sick of Tomoyo, and her knowing everything, whenever anyone consulted her about what to feed him, her answer was always a hot soup, or dry toast, or a very *tiny* amount of ice cream. He frowned, it wasn't his fault that he'd thrown up the last time they indulged his request from a huge plate of brownies and chocolate. Now he wasn't allowed anything with an inch of taste, in case that might make him sick. "Oh, no! We can't give him anything decent to eat, no, in case it might make him sick!" Kero sarcastically muttered to himself in his best Tomoyo-voice.
He sighed and looked over at Sakura's alarm. It was Two A.M. in the morning, his nurses . . . Touya and The Mirror, were both fast asleep. She had volunteered to do the night shift with him again, when asked why she hadn't really given any answer, but when she had gone to tell the other cards, Firey and Watery's voices could be quite plainly heard from below. "YOU'VE VOLUNTEERED TO DO *WHAT*?! OOOH GREAT! THIS MEANS YOU'LL BE BLOODY WELL HAAYYYYYAAAANNNN-ING FOR THE REST OF FECKING ETERNITY!!"
So now, Kero was alone, staring into the darkness, listening to their snores for amusement.
He looked over at the shelf that had become his bedside table. A small basket of strawberries sat promisingly on it, just out of his reach. Yue had got them for him. During one of Yue's shifts, Kero had muttered that he wanted strawberries; and the second his shift was over, Yue had taken off. About fifteen hours later, Yue had returned with this small basket of strawberries. Not just any basket of berries, they had come all the way from England, from Keroberos' favourite strawberry patch. Yue brought them into the room without a word, put them on the shelf and transformed away, leaving an exhausted Yukito in his place. Yukito looked particularly dazed, and just before he past out he cried in dismay, "What do you mean the hippie movement died out?! . . . I loved all the groovy people, baby!" He staggered against To-ya, "Oh, look! Totally psychedelic colours, man! Power to the people!"
Keroberos sighed again, as much as he had wanted to take advantage of the situation, he just . . . couldn't; his illness had prevented him from doing too much. He couldn't eat all the luscious treats he *knew* Tomoyo could create, not that she would because "Oh *NO* that might make him sick!" Keroberos groused high-pitched again. He couldn't annoy Ruby or Spinel because they'd just grin and bear it. Even when he had said it might make him feel better if Ruby didn't open her mouth or better yet didn't come out of her other form she just nodded and complied. Even when he had made Spinel watch the Disney version of Alice in wonderland over and over again, knowing quite full well that Spinel couldn't stand Disney because they always change the storyline of every fairytale to fit what they thought was 'good' for the audience, Spinel would just fold his arms and glower at the screen until it ended and when Keroberos clapped his paws happily and said, "Again! Again!"
Spinel just smiled and replied, "Eh heeeh. . . of course. . .", they didn't seem to want to leave because Eriol wanted to stay. Meilin and Syaoran were the main cooks so he didn't annoy them, besides every so often Meilin would slip him a nice treat. Sakura and Eriol sat with him for hours, Sakura would talk away while Eriol would bring out a book, a fairytale or a book of fables, and read to him. And as for Touya . . . there wasn't one thing Keroberos could do to annoy him, not because he did anything particularly nice [the meanie would mock him every chance he got, and repeatedly told Kero that the instant he was well again he was going on a diet!] but because Touya was the one that would carry Kero up and down the stairs and Kero didn't think he'd get better if Touya 'accidentally' dropped him.
He sighed and picked up the ruler that he kept beside him. He tapped the small lamp on, and then flicked the switch of the fan on. Both objects were well out of his reach, simply because their power cables weren't long enough. It had taken him most of the day before yesterday, yesterday and then a bit of last night to figure out that instead of constantly asking for help to switch the damned things on, he could just use a ruler and flick them on and off at his command. He felt a little silly for not figuring this out earlier.
He was staring at the lamp, trying to stretch his left paw at it when he had suddenly thought, //I wish my arm was longer// then it occurred to him that when monkeys need to get at ants that were out of their reach, they used a stick. By some fuzzy logic, this resulted in the idea of using a ruler, to compensate for the stretch. As he rested back into his pillow, he looked at the ruler again. He sighed as he thought, //a monkey would have figured this out ages ago . . . a *monkey* would have been bathing in the soft glow of the lamp, enjoying a cool breeze and probably sipping a dry martini by the time it took me to realise that I could use a ruler as a handy-switch-flicker-on-and-off-er . . .//
Keroberos sighed again. He was sick of being sick. He couldn't sleep because he'd slept so much; it had disrupted his normal sleep patterns. He hated it even more because it meant when he wanted to be awake, like when Sakura or Yue was around, he'd fall asleep. Kero closed his eyes, and tried to sleep. He wanted to be better now. Not in a few days, like Tomoyo suggest when he had asked, now.
He peered at the clock again, two twenty. He growled softly. "Go to sleep," he quietly commanded himself. But his body refused to comply. He turned over again, his fur was sweaty, he knew he still had a bit of a temperature, but he didn't feel so bad that he had to be confined to bed all the time. But Sakura insisted, and then Yue did, and so did Eriol, so he couldn't leave the bed, even though he was really bored with staring at Sakura's walls. He couldn't even play video games, when he had tried, he had become woozy and they had taken away the console. He groaned and turned the light and fan back off. He was getting increasingly annoyed at not being able to sleep. He closed his eyes and didn't open them; despite the fact he knew this wouldn't get him to fall asleep.
A few hours later, he felt a cool breeze over him. His eyes flicked open as he glanced over at the fan to check if he had left it on. The blades were completely still, he looked up at the ceiling . . . and came face to face with Yue.
"GAH!" He yelped in surprise. Yue landed softly, as Kero growled at him, "Oh yeah I'm sick of the flu and you give me a heart-attack!!" he made a half-hearted swipe at Yue, "Don't do that!"
Yue didn't respond as he settled down beside his ill brother. Once his wings had faded away, and he had arranged his robes and his hair to his liking, he looked at Keroberos, "How are you feeling now?"
Kero looked at the clock before answering, it was five thirty. "I can't sleep, and I'm sick of this, I want to be better now."
Yue smiled slightly as he reached over to the water bowl. He lifted a damp towel out of it, and squeezed the excess water from it. He hummed slightly as he pressed it against Kero's forehead. Golden eyes slid shut, and Kero purred. "You never had any patience." Yue murmured, and dipped the cloth in the water again. He repeated the motion, as he continued, "You will be fine soon . . ." he paused, and pulled Kero's chin toward him, "I was so worried about you."
"I was worried about you too . . ." Kero looked at him briefly, and then glanced down. "I could hear you . . . when you came in that night and sang. You don't know how much I wanted to open my eyes and tell you that you were singing in the wrong key."
Yue didn't answer, and they sat in companionable silence for about half an hour before Yue sighed. "You told her, didn't you?"
"Told whom what?"
"You told the mistress about my . . ." Yue blushed and looked down.
"Twitch?" Kero grinned, "No, I didn't . . . I just warned her not to let you near books." He giggled and peered at Yue intently, "Why?"
"I was about to go into Fujitaka's library the other day, and she stopped me."
"What were you going to do in Fujitaka's library?" Kero teased.
Yue frowned with annoyance; "I was going to get a book!"
"Why?" Kero fought back a giggle.
"I was going to *peruse* it!" Yue said surly.
Kero snickered, and murmured, "Sure, just like you *perused* the books at home . . ."
Yue's eyes widened, as he gasped. "That was a one-time thing!"
Kero giggled again as he lifted his paws and counted, "Oh really? Just like it was a one-time thing after I hid so well during a game of 'hide and go seek' that you honestly thought you had lost me, a one-time thing after I burnt your hair," he flicked at Yue's fringe and continued, "A one-time thing after I told you Clow was going to *spa-ann-nk* you for using my tail as a paint brush," Yue giggled as his brother continued, "A one-time thing after Clow told us that he was going to back in a hour's time and was then only *five* minutes late getting back, a one-time thing after I accidentally got green paint on your wings, a one-time thing after you caught your hair in a tree and Clow threatened to cut your hair off at your shoulders when you *blew* the tree up . . ." Keroberos sniggered after the last one.
The memory was humorous for both of them, Yue had been flying particularly low one day and his long hair became caught in some branches. He didn't realise until he was yanked back, when the slack pulled up. Yue, after spending an hour trying to pull his hair loose, settled for blew the tree sky high. Clow had stood by the smoking crater, scratching his head, bits of ex-tree falling down all around him. He didn't know why he was laughing but he was. Keroberos and Yue stood near-by as Clow pointed from Yue to the crater, and then back again in amazement. "Why?" Was all he could ask, "Why? What possible justification . . .? *Why*?!" He shook his hands at the smoking hole, "What did the tree ever do to *you*?!" He had chortled.
The pair were laughing too much to notice that they had woken Touya. He cleared his throat loudly, to catch their attention. Good morning he said quietly, as he joined them. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you talking about?"
"Nothing!" Yue snapped.
Kero grinned, "Yue's twitch."
"What kind of twitch?"
"It's not a twitch!" Yue blushed and looked away as Keroberos sniggered.
Kero sighed happily as he explained, "Did you know that there was a Move card?"
Touya thought for a bit before answering, "Yes I did, but Sakura told me it doesn't actually do that much."
Kero nodded sagely, "Aaaah, yes . . . it does seem useless at first . . . unless you take into account Yue's twitch." He giggled; "Yue has the rather annoying habit of moving small things around when he's nervous, upset or scared . . ."
"I've noticed that . . . he was moving bottles and folding towels the first night you were ill."
Kero nodded, "That's Stage One . . . that's why the move card was created. Clow got tired of constantly having to move things back, so he created a card that could follow Yue around during one of his phases . . ."
"You said Stage One . . ." he glanced at Yue speculatively; "There's a Stage Two?"
"Oh, yeah . . . the books. He moves books around, re-organising them; sometimes it would be by title, other times it would be by subject. He did it to Clow's library once, every book by number of pages. "
Yue rolled his eyes and shook his head silently, as Touya spoke, "That doesn't sound too bad . . ."
"Yep, that's what Clow said when I told him . . ." Kero nodded quite seriously, ". . . Until he remembered that his library was three floors high, stacked full of books wall-to-wall . . ." Touya's eyes widened, as Yue pressed his hands over his eyes, ". . .And that's *not* including the isles."
Elsewhere in the house . . .
"You're up kinda early."
Syaoran turned to find Sakura leant against the kitchen doorway. "I know," he turned back to his tea making. "Do you want some?"
"What are you making?" Sakura shuffled over to the table and sat down.
"Just some tea, I'll make you breakfast if you like."
Sakura yawned widely, and stared at him sleepily, "No, thank you, just some tea will be fine."
He nodded and handed her a cup, she yawned again. "You should go back to bed." He noted, he rubbed her shoulders and massaged her neck briefly as he passed her.
She blinked at him as he sat down. He was fully dressed, in his ceremonial robes. "Did you go training?"
He paused before sipping his tea, "No, not yet."
She glanced at his sword; it lay on the table still in its sheaf. "Would you like some company? Tomoyo left one of my old costumes here, I could put it on and we could get back into some practice."
"What's this about we? I *am* still in practice." She laughed softly, and he smiled. "It's still dark out if you'd rather wait until daylight . . ." he grabbed one of her small hands and leant forward.
"I can handle training in the dark!" She squeezed his hand and pressed her nose against his.
"We shall see about that . . ." he smiled, brown eyes darker in the shadows of the kitchen.
"We shall. . ." said Sakura, as she brushed a faint kiss over his lips.
The air was very cool as they faced each other; she was wearing the first costume Tomoyo had ever made her wear. The large red cloak was just a few centimetres shorter, and the dark blue shorts were just a little tighter, but the red hat with it's shiny gold buckles on the leather blue straps, and the brilliant white undercoat still fit perfectly. Sakura tugged the black thigh high boots up a tiny bit as she called forth the sword card. Sakura shivered as she waved her sword in front of her, getting used to the weight again. She glanced up to see Syaoran studying her intently.
"Too cold for the little Cherry Blossom?" He softly mocked.
She raised an eyebrow as she took her stance. "Maybe I should warn you that the Sword makes anyone who handles it into a master swordsman."
"Ooooh! I'm scared!"
"So you should be!!" cried Sakura as she swung the blade at him, their game beginning. He jumped and rolled out of the way. Her blade struck the ground as he quickly ran around her. Syaoran grabbed the back of her long red cloak and threw it over her head. "Hey!" Sakura cried indignantly. "I'm gonna make you regret that!"
She uncovered herself in time to see Syaoran jump up and stand, perfectly balanced on the garden wall. "Oh? Really? Is that a promise Cherry Blossom?" He whirled his sword around his wrist once more before jumping down. "I doubt you be able to make me say you're my better. . . ever!" Sakura ducked as he swung the blade once over her head, jumped as it swiped under her feet.
"Is that a challenge Little Wolf?" Sakura started to pant slightly, she *was* a bit out of practice.
He grinned as she fought back, trying to do the same moves, but he blocked them all. "If you'd like it to be, Cheery Blossom!" After allowing her a few swings, he pushed her back. She stumbled, rolled and came up panting. "Awww. . . the little Cherry Blossom tired now?"
She grinned, and pulled out a card. She whispered a few incarnations as a bright light enveloped her. Once the light faded, Sakura smiled and nodded to Sakura, who nodded back. They raised their swords together, mirroring each other's stances. "Now there are two little Cherry Blossoms, and YOU will be begging for mercy!"
Syaoran glanced back at the house, "But the Mirror card's . . . of, course Twin card! Oh, well, that's okay;" he raised his hand and beckoned them forward, "I can handle both of you!"
The Sakuras roared as they rushed forward.
Perhaps it was too early in the morning, or maybe it was because she hadn't woken up yet, but one thing Meilin *wasn't* sure of was the fact that she was seeing *two* Sakuras. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. Tomoyo quietly entered the kitchen as well, "Meilin?"
"Tomoyo!" Meilin jumped. "I just came to get a glass of water. Do you want one?"
Tomoyo smiled, and nodded. While they were sipping their drinks, Meilin glanced out the window; the two Sakuras were now running after Syaoran. "Tomoyo. . .?" The three ran out of the window's frame, to the right side, as Tomoyo turned.
"Hai?"
"Do you see two Sakuras?"
Tomoyo peered out the window as Syaoran ran into sight followed by one Sakura, "I see one Sakura, Meilin." She answered softly and turned away to sit down.
"Oh . . ." Meilin sighed and looked out the window once more. Syaoran had stopped and was fending off Sakura. A second Sakura appeared from behind him and started to tickle him. "Tomoyo!"
"Hai?"
"See! There are two!" Meilin spun around to look at Tomoyo and pointed out the window. Tomoyo just missed Syaoran pushing the Sakura that was fighting him with her sword away from him hard. The purple haired girl could only see Syaoran laughing hard as the tickling Sakura force him to the ground. She turned away from the window to face Meilin, whose mouth hung open. "Meilin . . . I think you should go back to bed . . ." Meilin frowned as the second Sakura came back, and joined her identical twin in their tickle attack on her cousin.
She pointed again, "But look! There are two of them!"
Syaoran struggled and managed to kick one of the Sakuras away, before Tomoyo turned. Tomoyo sighed and rolled her eyes, again there was only one Sakura in the garden. "Li Meilin," Tomoyo sighed again, and turned around, the red-eyed Chinese girl was still staring out the window. "I see one Sakura, and she's giving Syaoran the noogie of a lifetime . . ."
Meilin cried out, "Look now!" The second Sakura pounced on Syaoran and peeled off his slippers, she began a vicious tickle attack on Syaoran's feet. He bucked so hard with laughter the other Sakura was thrown off and rolled away. Tomoyo shook her head and looked out the window again, "All right I was wrong."
"See! I knew you'd realise there were two."
"No, I mean I was wrong she's tickling his feet *not* giving him the noogie of a lifetime." As Meilin started to protest Tomoyo pushed her out of the kitchen, "Come on you are going back to bed."
"By the Ancestors!!" Syaoran cried out breathlessly, "Stop! STOP!!"
One of them was sitting on his legs and the other was cradling his head in her lap. Both were tickling him and he almost couldn't breathe because he was laughing so hard. "I can't breathe!" he gasped, "Stop!"
"But you said you could handle us both!"
"I can but this is cheating," he ground out before another bout of laughter over came him, his back arched as he tried to kick the Sakura on his legs off. However that Sakura easily stayed on and increased her attack. The one that was holding him down by the shoulders laughed, "Say it!"
His eyes snapped open as he stared at the emerald eyed card mistress, "Never!" he growled.
"If you don't say it," the one on his legs called over her shoulder, "We won't stop!"
He bucked again, "Never! Never! NEVER!"
The two Sakuras giggled again. "Fine! We can keep this up for ages if necessary!!"
After Meilin finally agreed that it was probably better for her to go to sleep and forget about the two scary Sakuras, Tomoyo sighed and returned to her own sleeping bag. She managed not to gasp as an arm sneaked around her waist. "What was that all about?" A sleepy voice murmured into her ear.
"Meilin thinks that there's two Sakuras."
"The girl's crazy anyway." Eriol chuckled and pulled Tomoyo closer, "Mmmmm. . ." he hummed, "You're warm."
Tomoyo chuckled lightly, "I know I am but you have cold hands. And you'd better get them off my butt before I break your arms off." When he didn't answer, she peered over her shoulder. Eriol had fallen fast asleep again.
Once Keroberos had fallen asleep again, Yue rose to leave.
"Yue . . .?" Yue fiddled with his cuffs, and eyed Touya silently; he hadn't said a word to him unless others were around. "Yue . . ." Touya sighed and slipped his arms around the moon guardian's waist. He rested his chin on the guardian's shoulder, "Yue?" He hummed musically into the angel's ear. Yue sighed and turned his head slightly.
He raise an eyebrow, "What?"
Touya smiled faintly, "I said I was sorry." The eyebrow rose a little more, Touya rolled his eyes as he understood the movement, "And I was wrong. I should pay a little more attention to the transformation . . ."
Yue stared at him for a bit, then pulled his arms off. Touya looked in confusion at the angel as he walked away slightly; Yue had his back turned to Touya as he spoke softly. "That's not why I got so angry."
Touya had to strain somewhat to hear what he was saying, "Then what made you mad?"
Yue glanced at him quickly, and moved over to Sakura's shelf, he wrapped his arms around himself. His eyes glowed dimly as the books started to rearrange themselves, slowly and one by one. There was a short silence before Touya wrapped his arms around Yue again. He rested his chin again and watched the books as Yue rearranged them according to the name of the author. Touya looked at Yue's face, he seemed sad about something, "What is it?"
Yue sucked in his bottom lip before he blurted quickly, "Which of us do you prefer?"
"What do you mean?"
"You seemed so disappointed when I transformed in, and yet . . . you're never unhappy when Tsukishiro returns." Yue looked at him, "You love him . . . don't you?"
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't." Touya answered honestly. Yue looked away and the books began to shuffle quicker, this time assorting themselves by number. There was a cough from behind them, and Keroberos was peering up at them, "Uh . . . hate to interrupt, but uh . . . lion's gotta do what a enchanted lion's gotta do, ya know . . ."
Yue shrugged, slipping Touya's arms off, and sat by the shelf. He didn't looked at Touya or Keroberos as he pulled the books off the shelf and started to rearrange them again, "Don't mind me . . ." he murmured, over his shoulder, "I'll just do this and then I'm leaving."
Touya stared at him, wishing he'd turn, but Keroberos nudged at him out the door. Touya looked down at him irritated, "Couldn't you have held it in for a bit longer."
Kero sat and glanced at Sakura's room, he spoke in a low tone, "Keep your voice down . . . Yue might not have as great hearing as I do but he still picks up on nearly everything you say . . ."
Touya crouched down, "What is it?"
"Baka!" Kero took a swipe at him, "That's my brother in there! And I'm not gonna let you hurt him!"
"I'm not!"
"You are! Yue's always was nervous 'bout Yukito." Keroberos growled, his Osaka accent growing deeper, "And there you go tell him you like the snow rabbit . . . his own false form . . . *better* than him!"
"I don't like Yuki better than Yue . . ." Touya struggled to keep his voice down, "I was just about to tell him that! They are the same person; even Sakura can see that was Clow's original intention!"
Kero glanced at the door again, "Fine! Be sure you tell him that."
"Or what? You'll sneeze on me? Eat all my pudding like you always do?"
"Eriol isn't the only one that can charm bikes to attract the Dash card . . ." he rose and padded back to the door, he sent one more warning glance at Touya, "Be sure to remember that if you hurt my brother."
Touya followed the lion back into his sister's room; Keroberos purred and rubbed himself against Yue's back before settling back in bed. Yue slid the last book onto the shelf; he looked at Kero then stood. He walked towards Touya to exit the room but Touya grabbed his arm, they exchange a silent glance as Touya tried to find the words to tell Yue. But before he could speak, Yue looked away. The transformation was swift, and quiet. "Eh . . .?" Yukito looked around disorientated. "To-ya? Weren't we at the dinner table just now?"
Touya smiled a little, "Yue."
"Oh. . ." Yukito nodded in understanding. Touya glanced at the mirror and Keroberos, and seemed to come to some sort of internal decision, "Yuki . . . I need to talk to you."
"Nani?" Yuki questioned as the taller boy dragged him to his bedroom.
Yuki sat quietly on the bed as Touya. His stomach was growling insistently, but he ignored it as he watch Touya pace back and forth. Touya seemed very thoughtful; he would often pause and then glance at Yukito. Then he would shake his head and resume his pacing. After a few minutes, Yukito sighed, "Is it about Yue?"
Touya looked at him. "Yes."
Yukito adjusted his glasses, and peered at Touya, "Has he done something to upset Sakura?"
"No. . . I think I've upset Yue."
Yukito blinked, although he had never met the guardian himself, they had talked on a few occasions, and from the impression he got Yue didn't seem like one to get easily upset. "How could you have achieved that?"
Touya turned away from Yukito and resumed his pacing, as he explained. "He thinks I love you more than I do him."
"You love him as well?"
Touya turned quickly as Yuki's shoulders drooped, he sighed and moved towards his koi. He knelt, sitting on his heels and took the smaller boy's hands, "Yes I do . . . but what neither of you don't seem to understand is that to me you're just the same person . . . it's just like . . ." he looked out the window as he tried to think of something to explain his feelings, "It's like you're the day and he's the night, you have to love both because you can't have one by itself. There are aspects of the day, like it's warmth, openness and light that you just adore, but the night is . . . mysterious, but beautiful. And when I'm with one of you, I can still see the other just as easily. I can't love one of you, I have to love both of you or I'd lose you and Yue . . ." he squeezed the pale hands, still staring out the window. "He doesn't understand that I can't possibly *not* love him as deeply as I love you. I just don't know why you and Yue . . . why you two don't get the fact that everyone thinks about you as the same person . . . why I love the both of you . . ."
"You never told me." Touya's head snapped back, and found Yue in Yuki's place. Yue blushed, to the amazement of Touya; he looked down at their clasped hands, "Sorry . . ."
Touya moved up, kneeling in front of the cool angel. "Don't be . . . I love you too." He lifted a hand and stroked the side of his face. "If you had been awake when I had been trying to tell Yuki that I wanted to be more than friends . . . you would have known I don't have a very good way with words."
He moved forward and wrapped his arms around Yue's slender waist again, he felt Yue move his legs around his body. He smiled openly as he gazed up at Yue, and Yue rested his arms around Touya's neck. In the darkened bedroom, they stared into each other's eyes, the world around the pair fading away. "What about me?" Yue murmured. "Do you want to ask me if you can be more than friends with me?"
Touya smiled as Yue's head dipped, the dark haired boy tightened his grip on the pale being's thighs as he felt the angel's perfect little teeth bite slightly on his ear. "Yue . . . Yue, Yue, Yue . . ." Touya growled in a low tone, he, of course, knew that Yuki always did that to his ear just before a wild night, ". . .oooh . . ." he moaned. "Yue. . . I . . . you . . ."
"Mmm . . .?" The moon angel hummed back.
The smile on Touya's face grew, as he ran his hands up and down Yue's thighs slowly, "Would you like to be more than friends now?"
Yue moved his head so Touya could see his rapidly darkening eyes again. "I thought I'd have to wait until the next Cardcaptor released the Sakura cards before you'd ever ask . . ." Touya shivered slightly at the deep rumbling purr in Yue's voice. Yue felt more than a little breathless as Touya pushed himself up towards to meet Yue's lips. He didn't feel like a cool-headed Judgement Maker as Touya's deep sapphire eyes slid shut, even less so when he felt Touya's fingers begin to tug as the clasp that held his sash on. He giggled slightly, and thought for a moment, //Whoa . . . I sound like Yuki . . .// but then he couldn't think anymore . . . but that was okay because Touya was just a breath away. His darkening amethyst eyes slid shut as he prepared to feel the practiced lips of Kinomoto Touya . . .
"Uh . . . 'scuse me?"
Yue gasped and Touya moved back, as the interruption pieced both their frazzled brains, Yue scowled at the door as his brother sat rather sheepishly in the door. He shook his hands at Touya, hoping to communicate his point. "Nani?!" He growled though his teeth.
"Eh heh . . . I um, I . . ." Keroberos put a paw behind his head guiltily, "I really . . . really . . . really, really, *really* hate to interrupt this . . . this . . ." he waved a paw at them in a attempt to find the word he was looking for, ". . . this purely Shounen Ai moment but ummm . . ." he sucked on a tooth, as he squinted at them, "I. Really. *Need*. To. Go."
Touya rolled his eyes, as Yue squinted incredulously at Keroberos, "You only just went!" Touya was discreetly doing the clasp back up, hoping Kero wouldn't notice and, for that matter, Yue, because the guardian looked flushed and ready to kill.
Keroberos smiled falsely as he tried to come up with an excuse, "I've . . . been drinking . . . a lot of . . . fluids . . . it's good for you I'm told . . ."
Touya sighed and pushed himself up; he glanced promisingly at Yue before slipping out the door. Yue threw himself back against the bed, his large wings and long hair spreading gently over the soft sheets and groaned, "Stupid Touya!"
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And Now It's Time For LEAVE IT TO DOCTOR MEGALOMANIA!!!
DrM: Konnichiwa!! I'M BAAACK!!!
Yue: You took your dear, sweet time, didn't you?!
Writer's Block: [Smug] Uh, yeah, that would be my fault . . . [Puts feet on desk and folds arms behind head] damn . . . I'm good at this . . .
Real Life: [Indignant] Damnit! I had a part to play in it too!
DrM: Damn you both!!! [Falls to knees, much like dude at the end of 'Planet Of The Apes'] Damn you! Damn you all to hell!!! You blew it up! [starts to beat the ground with her fists] Damn you!!
Yue: [Turns to readers] I dunno about you . . . but she scares me . . . not just a little, but a helleva lot.
Clow: Scares me too . . . just wait until she realises that 'The Magical, Mythical, Mischievous, Master Clow' is stuck on [Whispers] *59* reviews . . .
Yue: [Winces] Someone better cover that up before she blows a casket . . .
Hei-ying: [Popping out of nowhere] I agree . . .
Yue: [jumps up and points] WHO THE FECK ARE YOU?!
Hei-ying: I'm an evil, psychotic, homicidal maniac with a obsessive and obscene abnormal fixation on Clow and bent on your slow and preferably pain filled destruction . . . [Grins] Nice to meet you!
Yue: [Understanding] Oooohh. . . You're the dude from 'In This Tainted Soul . . .' [gasps] So it's YOU'RE fault DrM got writer's block on this story!!!
Hei-ying: [still grinning] Yep, and remember . . . [Points at reader, and grins cheesily] Don't ask what this fanfic can do for you . . . Ask what YOU can write in your review . . . [sticks up thumb] Please R&R!!
DrM: [Points at Hei-ying then at self, looks at Yue] And I scare you? He's misquoting American war slogans!
Yue: [Reads last passage] At least he doesn't write such utter mush about *MY* love life . . . [Gets into it with DrM]
Hei-ying: [Grins even more cheesily] Please recite after me: Every Fanfic Writer Has The Right To Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Reviews . . .
Touya: Wow . . . [stands back, impressed] That was just one huge, giant, colossal, massive, *SHAMELESS* story plug . . .