Disclaimer: You know the drill, they're not mine. And if they were, I would throw out Kaho and pair Tomoyo with Eriol in a second. ^^
Somewhere in here, I've taken some lyrics from Jewel. Again, not mine.
"Tomoyo-chan!" Tomoyo turned at the sound of her name and her face lit up as Li Sakura's arms were hugging her. "I've missed you so much!"
"I've missed you too, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo smiled. It had been a long time since she'd seen her best friend and she'd missed her dearly.
"Ni hao, Daidouji-san." Behind Sakura, Syaoran was standing, smiling very brightly at his friend and wife. Tomoyo smiled back. "It's good to see you two again. How's Meiling-san?"
Sakura released Tomoyo and almost jumped up and down of joy to see her best friend after such a long time. "She insisted on coming to get you too! She's parking the car." And as if on cue, Tomoyo's name was called and she was glomped yet again, this time by an over-exited Li Meiling. Behind Meiling, a tall man with dark hair followed, looking a bit awkward.
"Hello." He greeted. "I'm-" But Meiling caught him to it. "This is Rae Fei, my fianceƩ."
Tomoyo squealed and congratulated Meiling, who was beaming. Everyone is in love, Tomoyo noted with sadness and yet with satisfaction. So good for them.
"Tomoyo-chan," Sakura drew her attention again, while Fei and Syaoran tried stuffing Tomoyo's luggage into the back of the car. "How was Eriol-kun?"
Tomoyo blushed slightly. "He was fine. He sends his best to you and Syaoran-kun." She smiled at Sakura. "I had a great time in London, don't worry." Yes, a great time... But it all had seemed to fall apart for her when Nakuru had told her that Eriol weren't coming to the airport.
She'd almost started crying, but had been able to reply with a weak "Tell him my best" before boarding her plane. And now, she probably wouldn't see him for years. She wondered if it had been better if she had told him her feelings for him, if he would've come after her. There was nothing she could do about that now. She was in Hong Kong, with Sakura after so many months and she was going to enjoy herself. Eriol wasn't going to be in her mind these weeks. She would just get down if he was.
You need to forget about him, Tomoyo. He was just saying those things. He doesn't really care about you that way.
"TOMOYO-CHAN!!!!" Four pairs of arms were embracing her at once and Tomoyo sweatdropped. Syaoran's sisters hadn't changed much..
"Sakura-chan has missed you soooooooooooo much!", "How's your mother?", "What have you been doing?" and "Got a boyfriend yet?" were questions launched at her at the same time.
Nope, they definitly hadn't changed much.
Tomoyo was able to detach herself from their grasp just as Li Yelan entered the room. "Daidouji-san." The tall, raven-haired lady smiled at her and it once again struck Tomoyo how much she reminded her of her mother, when she wasn't all lovey-dovey-remembering-Nadeshiko, that is.
"Li-sama." Tomoyo smiled back. Yelan seemed older somehow. Of course, she had aged since the last time they'd spoken, but she didn't particulary strike Tomoyo as the one who would grow old. Yelan was always so impassive, an ice-queen, yet with deep feelings and compassion for those that crossed her path. There was an air of royalty around her, for it wasn't for anything the Li clan were one of the most respected in Hong Kong.
"As my daughter so enthusiasticly informed you, my daughter-in-law has missed you. And if I'm not mistaken, so has my son. And niece." She added, glancing at Meiling. The girl grinned at Tomoyo and gave her thumbs-up. "I would like to speak further with you, but for now, we'll let Sakura and Xiao Lang lead you to your room. Is that fine with you?"
Tomoyo nodded, her curly hair bouncing slightly off her back. Sakura took her hand and practicly dragged her out of the room and down a hall. Syaoran followed after them, a smile playing across his lips at his wife's actions. It was like they were eleven again and back in Tomoeda. Sakura was really glad Tomoyo had visited and Syaoran was relieved. She had been feeling quite down lately, but he hadn't been able to tell why.
"Tomoyo, where do you want to sleep? Yelan suggested a room in the east wing. It's very cosy and cute."
"Anywhere would be fine, Sakura." Tomoyo smiled at Syaoran, who smiled back. They watched Sakura bounce down the hallway, beckoning for them to follow. Smiling, they did. Sakura would never change. "So, how's the sexlife going for you?" Tomoyo grinned as Syaoran flushed a deep crimson. "T-Tomoyo-chan!"
"What, what? Just asking." She winked at him. "But you are both 27, going on 28, Syaoran, isn't it time to think about things like that?" He shrugged and gave a slight nod. "I guess."
Tomoyo giggled. "You've been married for 2 years, been together for over 10, and you're STILL embaressed about sex with your own wife?"
Syaoran stuck his tounge out at her. "I'm not, it's just that... I don't like discussing it." Tomoyo burst out laughing. "You're 27! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh, it's just that... My god, Syaoran, I wasn't expecting this from you."
"You brought it up!" He said offensivly.
"Hai hai.." She let it drop, but still wore an amused grin.
"This is your room!" Sakura had stopped in front of a huge door that covered most of the wall in front of them. She beamed and opened the doors, revealing the most magnificent room Tomoyo had ever laid eyes on. Well, maybe except Hiiragizawa's library.
Even though it was so enourmous, Tomoyo had to agree with Sakura, her new residence was rather cosy and cute. The large bed standing in the middle of the room had soft, transparent drapes hanging from the frame surrounding it, there were a lot of pillows, so fluffy and white-looking that Tomoyo just wanted to bury her face into them and stay there.
She didn't. But she did fling herself down on the soft mattrasses and sighed of contentment.
"Like it?" Sakura said, even though she knew what she would get for an answer.
"Love it." Came the slightly muffled answer of Tomoyo, banishing Sakura's concern.
"I'm glad."
Syaoran embraced Sakura and smiled at their friend. Tomoyo grinned back. "It's truly very nice to see you two again."
The couple exited the room, leaving Tomoyo alone, something she was truly grateful for. She was tired after her long flight and fell asleep almost immediately.
Out in the hallway, Syaoran slipped his hand into Sakura's. "She seemed sad somehow."
"Mh." Sakura nodded. "I know. I keep wondering if it has anything to do with her trip to England and Eriol-kun."
Meanwhile, still out on sea, Eriol stirred in his sleep.
Because we can overcome any wall that stands in our way.
"Daidouji-san, could we speak for a while?" Tomoyo was tapped on the shoulder by Yelan, who smiled softly at her. Tomoyo nodded and excused herself from talking with Touya and Yukito. They had been so happy to see her again, something she found surprising, for she had rarely talked intimatly with Touya or Yuki.
Yelan led her down some halls and out on a veranda. The head of the Li clan motioned for Tomoyo to sit down in one of the chairs sat out for them. She did so, folding her arms in her lap.
"Sakura informed me you went to England and saw our ancestor?" Tomoyo nodded, she wasn't surprised that Yelan knew. It was Yelan after all, the queen of perceptance.
"I can see he is troubling your mind." This, however, did surprise Tomoyo and she started slightly before replying with a soft "Hai". She could feel a blush coming on and tried brushing it off, but Yelan noticed.
The older woman smiled. "I'm going to tell you something even my son does not know. I presume Hiiragizawa-kun knows of course, but that would be because the Bell told him." Tomoyo looked up puzzled and questiongly. The Bell..?
Yelan continued. "There was one woman that Clow Reed treasured in his life-time. Only one. Her name was Murasaki Kasai. They were very close. So close that Clow asked her to marry him. She accepted, because she loved him too." The woman paused and smiled sadly. "But they never got married. Kasai fell ill after being wounded in a battle with Clow's enemies. She died. Clow was heartbroken and swore never to love again. But, she made sure they would meet in an afterlife." Yelan sat down, looking intently at Tomoyo.
"Have you ever wondered how it must be like for Hiiragizawa-san to just have half a soul?" Tomoyo nodded. "Do you know who has the other part?" Again, she had to confirm. Sakura had told her. It was Kinomoto Fujitaka, Sakura's father.
Yelan smiled. "And have you ever felt that you weren't complete? That you were missing something in your spirit?"
"Yes, I have." Tomoyo was getting confused. Yelan was speaking in riddles. The head of the Li clan were known for it, but had always a point. Tomoyo was just hoping she would get there soon.
"Kasai has also been reborn in this time. Split, like Clow. One half of her soul belonged to Amamiya Nadeshiko, who fell in love and married Kinomoto Fujitaka and the other... was transferred into you, Daidouji-san." Tomoyo gaped. "Wait wait wait. Me?"
"Yes."
The younger woman fell silent. It was true, she had felt like she wasn't complete, but... That she only had half a soul? That couldn't be it. Tomoyo gasped. "Then... What I loved in Sakura was... Was I only attracted to her magic, to her relations with Clow?"
Yelan shook her head. "No. That was your own choice."
"But then... Why didn't I feel anything for Eriol-kun when he first arrived in Tomoeda, if we were destined to be?"
At this, Yelan smiled. "You see, Clow didn't believe what Kasai had said on her deathbed. That they would meet again. So he set up a plot. He had to send half his soul to Kinomoto Fujitaka and the other half to Hiiragizawa Eriol. One of them should meet Murasaki Kasai's first half and they would fall in love at first sight. The other had to go through heartbreak, befriend Kasai's ancestor and then realize she was it. This, Kasai's other half had to go through too."
It dawned on Tomoyo. Mizuki Kaho was the first woman Eriol had loved and the first to splinter his heart into million pieces. Sakura had been the first Tomoyo loved and the first to crush her heart. Then, Eriol and her had become friends and she'd fallen in love with him.
"You see? It was all meant to be."
Eriol's taxi drove up to the Li clan's manor. He was trembling as he paid the driver and sent the car off. He didn't know if she would have him. What if she didn't believe him? What if she said she didn't want to see him again? What if she said she hated him...? He didn't know if he could take that. Then again, if it was truly meant to be, she wouldn't do that. Would she?
He shook off the thoughts and rang the bell in front of the gate. Minutes later, he was standing in the hallway, being greeted by Xiao Lang's sisters and Meiling.
Meiling smiled at him and whispered. "She's upstairs, want me to get her?"
Eriol nodded, a blush creeping up his face. "My my, Hiiragizawa, you've really come ouf of the left field." Said Meiling, grinning. "You were never this cautious about a girl." Then she bounced up the stairs to get Tomoyo.
Meiling knocked on Tomoyo's door and waited for the "Come in" before entering. Sakura was inside with her friend and the whole bed was covered in chocolate wrappings. Meiling gaped. "What's going on?"
"I'm pregnant!" Sakura burst out before hugging the girl, tears of joy running down her cheeks. Meiling looked bewildered at Tomoyo, who nodded confirmingly, smiling at her. 'It's truel.' She mouthed. Meiling squealed and congratulated Sakura.
"Does Syaoran know? Can I tell him!? Did you just find out?!"
"No, no and yes." Sakura laughed. "I want to tell him myself." Tomoyo smiled at the two and opened the door. "I'll go get him."
"Thank you Tomoyo."
"Tomoyo-chan, wait! You have a guest! Go see him afterwards! I believe my cousins are asking him to stay for dinner." Tomoyo nodded and exited the room. She made her way to Syaoran and Sakura's bedroom. The door was open, but there was no one there. Shrugging, Tomoyo descended the stairs, in search of Syaoran. At the bottom, she could hear excited voices speaking in the living room, one of them being Syaoran's. She smiled and entered. Then, as she laid her eyes on a dark haired man, her smile faltered.
"Syaoran-kun, Sakura-chan wants to see you."
The two men spun around to face her and Syaoran smiled and excused himself before leaving for Tomoyo's bedroom. Eriol and Tomoyo was left in silence.
"You came after me." Tomoyo stated after a while. He nodded. "Why?"
"Because..." Eriol took a step towards her and paused. "Because..."
"Because what?"
"Because I had to see if it was true." He smiled. Rather boyishly, Tomoyo thought and she saw he was nervous. He was fidgeting with the buttons of his jacket and not looking at her. "If what Kaho told me when she left was true."
"And what was that?" Tomoyo was getting nervous herself now, because he was getting closer, taking steps towards her. At that moment, a thud was heard from upstairs and they both turned their attention to the upper level.
"What was that?" Eriol asked.
"Probably Sakura telling Syaoran that she's pregnant." Eriol went wideeyed and grabbed Tomoyo's hand, running with her up to Tomoyo's bedroom and tearing the door open. There lay Syaoran on the floor, swirly eyed and muttering to himself "I'm gonna be a father, I'm gonna be a father" over and over again, while Meiling was lying on Tomoyo's bed, laughing her head off. Sakura herself was giggling, confirming Syaoran's rants.
And despite her confusing of Eriol's arrival, despite the bottomless feeling in her heart, Tomoyo smiled.
Don't say you can find them, your words are dancing in space.
The further apart you go, the more it hurts the person you love
The more I chase them, the more my heart feels the cruel distance
"Eriol-kun, are you staying long?" Sakura looked at him over her tea cup, curled up in a couch besides Syaoran, holding her and smiling lovingly. Eriol almost snorted at the sight.
"I don't know. I've booked a hotel room, but I never gave them any dates." He glanced at Tomoyo as she entered the room with Meiling and Fei, but she just sat down next to Sakura. "A short visit, I'm thinking." The raven haired beauty looked up and watched him with narrow eyes.
"But you should stay here!!" Sakura burst out, almost spilling her green tea over Syaoran. He yelped. "Be a bit more careful, koishii!"
"Hai hai." Sakura brushed him off. "Will you stay here?"
"If nobody would mind..." Eriol started and stole another quick look at Tomoyo. She looked like she did mind, biting her lip, and at the sight, his heart sank. Sakura clapped her hands together and smiled. "Great! You can have the room next to Tomoyo-chan's!"
Tomoyo flinched, but the auburn haired girl didn't notice. Eriol, however, did, and immediately felt bad. He should've gone with her to the airport in the first place and avoided all this, but it was too late now.
"Tomoyo-chan, can you show him the room?" The addressed woman nodded and stood up with Eriol. She showed him out of the room and as soon as Syaoran could no longer see them walking up the stairs, he turned to his wife. "Koishii, are you mad?"
"I don't know what you mean." Sakura replied, innocently.
"You know what happened between them in England! You must have sensed it too! Giving them rooms next to eachother... Sakura!" Sakura stood up, putting the tea cup down on the table with a clatter. "Will you really just stand by and watch them come further apart?!" She huffed and started making her way to the kitchen. "I'm not. At least I can try helping them." And with that, she left the room, carrying the tray of biscuits. Syaoran flew after her, apoligising the best he could.
Meiling leaned on her fianceƩ and smiled. "You don't think we'll ever be like that, do you?"
"What, like Sakura and Syaoran?" Meiling nodded. Fei grinned and lowered his head to whisper in her ear. "I'll think we'll be worse." And he was slapped playfully over the head.
Tomoyo walked in silence with Eriol down the hall to his room. She didn't really know what to say. What Yelan had said... That they were meant to be. She didn't know if she believed that. But... she knew she was lost to him. "This is your room."
They stopped and Tomoyo opened the door, letting him in. The room was quite similar to hers, but more... Eriol. It was blue, the drapes around the bed being of heavy velvet, deep ocean blue and soft to the touch. He had a spectacular view and a balcony, like she did. "It's pretty." She commented. "Yelan knows how to decorate."
Eriol nodded and put down his suitcase. "It's a lot like my bedroom." Tomoyo started, but didn't say anything. Eriol sat down on the couch, removed his glasses and closed his eyes. She watched him in interest, taking in his beautiful features. He was... handsome, yet, pretty, to the extent men could be pretty of course. And without his glasses, he looked vulnerable, as a child.
"Eriol-kun..." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "What were you going to tell me before? About what Mizuki-sensei told you when she left."
He closed his eyes again and didn't speak for a long time. She'd known it. He couldn't let go of her. "She told me.." He began and Tomoyo nearly jumped, for they had sat in silence for a while. "She told me that she and I weren't meant to be. That I was meant for someone else. She'd seen it in her dreams, she said, that there would come a Voice to me and befriend me and I'd fall in love with that Voice. She said she had only been the Bell to announce the Voice's arrival. That I was meant to be with that Voice." Eriol paused. "I didn't understand it until two days ago, after you left. 'The Bell' that she mentioned was refering to her and the heirloom Clow Reed left in her family to give to Sakura. 'The Voice'..." Then he stopped.
Tomoyo sat down on the table right opposite him. "The Voice...?" She asked carefully, but he didn't reply. She reached out and touched his cheek, and he opened his eyes, gazing at her. "The Voice.." He continued then. ".. was refering to you and your singing." Silent tears ran down her cheeks and she smiled through her tears. "I love you." And he kissed her.
They broke apart and Tomoyo partly whispered, partly sang to him. "You could hurt me with your bare hands. You could hurt me using the sharp end of what you say. But I'm lost to you now and there's no amount of reason that could save me. So break me."
Give me a smile and nice days,
If only we could meet in an embrace...
Whoever you love, these images will reach them, right?
If only you had said so in your dreams
"Did you know?" She asked him as they lay together on the couch, flipping through the channels.
"Know what?" He replied lazily, turning off the tv and focusing his attention on her. "About Murasaki Kasai?" She nodded. "No, I didn't. Not until Kaho told me." She stuck her tounge out at him. "Kaho told you everything, didn't she?"
"Well, yes. But I didn't believe it until I fell for you." He smirked.
"You charmer."
"You like that."
"So?"
"Well, I know more that you like..." He kissed her. "You like it when you kiss you."
She smiled.
"You like it when I stroke your back."
She shivered as his hand ran down her spine and up again.
"And you like it when I... do this." And he whispered in her ear. "I love you."
"And don't you forget it."
"There's things I like too." She smirked slightly, as if knowing what he was up too. "And what is that at the moment?"
He leered and slipped his right arm around her back and the other beneath her knees. She kissed him, sneaking her hands around his neck and into his hair. As he carried her to the bedroom, she whispered to him, making him smile.
"I like that too."
My true feelings are just spinning in the air, I can't even get my heart to say
"I love you"
A/N: Just for the information, "Murasaki" translates to Violet and "Kasai" would be Fire. Since they read the name with the lastname first in Japan, the phrase "Murasaki Kasai" becomes Violet Fire. If you read it the western way, it's Fire Violet, something that doesn't make that much sense... Anyway.
And for the one who corrected gratefull to greatfull(can't bother to go check, I'm lazy.. ^^), I just held down the 'l' button to long. It's supposed to be "grateful" as in she's happy he did that. :)
Nyaaaaa, I liked the ending! ^^ What? It's not like I'm actually gonna write what happens next. We have to maintain the PG-13 rating. *grin* Anyway, feedback would be much appriciated!
