Author's Note: ~gasps~ Look at all the reviews! I wasn't going to do anything with this after the first part. I thought it stood alone. I was wrong. As soon as everyone started calling for more I felt a tap on my shoulder. Eriol-san looked at me with those knowing eyes and said simply, "You don't think we lived happily ever after as soon as we held hands? They're right, that's just where the story begins."

Then Sakura-chan looked up at me with her huge green eyes, crying, and said, "I didn't do it to be mean! What about my side of the story? The last thing I wanted to do is hurt him."

Finally Syaoran gave me that small, ultra-rare smile and said, "Here, we have a lot to write about still. This is what happened."

So, to my reviewers Six Underground, Lady Kazune Kikenshi, Naomi Hunter, Emily-chan, Pink Cherry Blossom, and my best friend CoraJoy, thank you. This is what happened.

Solace 2

Escape

~~~~~@~~~~~

Eriol smiled sadly. He knew it had been too good to be true. He let the phone ring for a full five minutes before hanging up and walking away. He had been Syaoran's port in the storm, but morning light had chased the clouds away and Eriol was alone again. He had been calling all morning, feeling that something was troubling his "cute little descendent". He didn't know for sure why he was so aware of Syaoran's emotional state, but the feelings were unmistakable.

And since Syaoran wasn't returning Eriol's calls, he was positive the feelings were about him.

"Ruby Moon, Spinel Sun, our work here is done. It's time to pack up and return to England for a while since the wedding won't be happening. I just hope Sakura can find her happiness somewhere."

"Ne? What about your happiness? I thought that you and Syaoran-kun--" Ruby broke off suddenly, confused why Eriol was so mad at her.

"You know what? Forget it. We'll go shopping when we get home. I want to take the next plane away from here, no matter where it's headed. If we're plane hopping for a week to get back home, then we obviously needed the vacation." Eriol grabbed a few things he would need quickly, then left without a second glance. He could hire movers for everything later, or he could keep this place for a second home the way he had been. He would just make sure to never be here the same time Syaoran was. The magic items were all that mattered, and the magic items were all he grabbed in his hurry.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Syaoran was trying very hard not to be disturbed. Or, for a more accurate description, disgusted. He really had no right to after last night, but for some reason the situation before him was a lot harder to accept.

"So you--you rejected my proposal so you could be with Daidouji-san?"

"No! I mean, I know that's how it looks, but Syaoran--"

"What?"

Sakura was immediately cowed by his look. "Gomen nasai, Li-san. I thought we could still be friends, but I guess that's not an option and I'm so sorry because I really do love you, just not like that anymore."

A moment of guilt washed over him as the tears started falling down her face. It wasn't as if they had meant to flaunt their relationship in front of him, he had just run into them when he had decided to buy Eriol a present. He was about to apologize and offer a handkerchief to Sakura to wipe away her tears when Tomoyo hugged her girlfriend and rounded on Syaoran fiercely.

"She's been agonizing over how to let you go without hurting you for weeks and then you spring this on her at her father's birthday and make a huge scene! Now you can't let her find some little bit of solace? Let me tell you, gaki, Sakura doesn't deserve you taking the high and mighty path with her anymore. So, you can just take back that little teddy bear you were going to use to win her back, and leave us alone!"

Syaoran glared. "I'm more than done giving teddy bears to her. This was for someone--else..." He finished lamely as the two girls stared at him in horror.

"Oh! So Sakura-chan can't move on, but you can? Is that what this is about?"

Tomoyo was working herself into a rage, and it was Sakura who saved him at the last minute. Sakura cupped Tomoyo's face and gave her a sweet kiss, silencing and stunning the other girl. Syaoran stared, feeling his heart being torn in two all over again despite the words he had spoken to Eriol yesterday. Sakura finally broke off the kiss and ripped his heart further by smiling at him from around her new girlfriend. "Run, silly. She'll skin you alive if you don't get out of here."

He sighed heavily, walking away. He paid for the teddy bear quickly, still troubled by what he had seen and his own reaction to it. Why should it matter so much? He should be happy for Sakura for finding love so fast and he should see that he was totally free to follow the new pullings of his heart. Still, there was pain and there was regret. And there was still love for his Sakura who would always be the first one he had loved with all his heart.

As he walked he noticed that the world was being coated in a pepper of snow. He hadn't expected it since there had been no hint of a warning, but he enjoyed it as he walked. He smiled, remembering the warmth of the fireplace last night and the even more effective warmth of Eriol's smile. He had a lot of healing to do before he would be a good enough boyfriend for someone as special as Eriol, but he had grown patient over the years, especially in matters of the heart. It was with pure joy in his heart that he rounded the corner to Eriol's house, but even without using his magic he knew it had been abandoned. It looked the same, but there were no signs of life at all.

He quickly pulled out his cell phone, cursing himself for keeping it off all the time as he fumbled with his gloves on to depress the on button hard enough. Eriol's phone number had been disconnected. He panicked and called the next number he knew by heart. "Sakura-san! You have to help me! Something's happened to Eriol. He's gone without a trace, no warning, nothing! Something bad must have happened."

He listened for a moment, the panic rising higher as Sakura tried to calm him down.

"No! There's no feeling of magic at all around here, not even his. You have to help me!"

He heard more words through the speaker, but none of them were reassuring. He shook his head a few times, but silently listened to her words, unsure of his voice.

"Of course. You're right. It's not like he's never left without warning before. No, there's no special reason, I just expected to see him today, but we didn't make any plans, so it must be nothing. I didn't mean to worry you. Yes, I'll talk to you later." When he hung up he turned glassy eyes to the house before him. The front gate had been chained with care. That was an obvious sign that Eriol had left deliberately and didn't plan on being back soon.

Syaoran realized that there could be only one reason Eriol had run like that. To avoid Syaoran and the things they had talked about last night. He must have had second thoughts, or had been too polite to laugh in Syaoran's face at his silly suggestion of loving a man like that. If it had been only Clow that was interested in men, but Eriol hadn't thought it through, that might explain everything.

No. He was searching for excuses. He was hunting for reasons why Eriol would abandon him. Trying to excuse the other man's behavior. That much shouldn't matter right now. What mattered was that in less than twenty-four hours he had been rejected twice by the two people he thought he could count on most. Syaoran and Eriol had been friends for years, almost like brothers including the friendly rivalry and occasional fighting. He had never admitted to anyone that he felt so strongly for the other man, but over time that had become immaterial until...until last night.

His feet carried him back home automatically. He called his mother and arranged to return home within the week. He called the few friends he still had left in Tomoeda next, wishing them full and happy lives and assuring them that he'd call and write. Emptiness settled in the pit of his stomach. He was going home, a shattered shell of who he thought he had been only a day before.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Eriol wandered around his old home with a blank stare on his face. Everything was just the way he left it, the way he thought of as home, but it was just as cold and uninviting as it had been a year before when Kaho had finally left. That empty feeling had driven him away to Tomoeda where he had been so happy before. He wondered if he'd ever feel at home anywhere ever again.

Ruby came up to him and placed a reassuring arm around her master's shoulders. "You ready to talk about it yet?"

"Not really, no."

"You'll tell me when you are though, right?"

He sighed heavily. "Maybe." He offered her a weak smile.

"I was listening, master." She admitted it hesitantly, afraid of his reaction.

"I'm not too surprised. Wait, I take that back. I am surprised that you didn't burst in and shout for joy, and right now I'm very glad you didn't."

Her usual enthusiasm returned. "It was so hard not to! He's a total baka for not letting you call him. If you weren't my master, and if we hadn't already had this talk, I would adore you for eternity."

Eriol winced, but kept in mind that her heart was in the right place. "No, I would never want to hurt you like Clow hurt Yue. Thank you though. That's very sweet of you."

She embraced him tightly, then released him with a smile. "I'll be here when you need me. Unless I've gone shopping that is. Then I'll be here a few hours after you need me." She gave him a wink before walking off and leaving him to his thoughts.

He would survive this just like he had survived everything else. It was only an old crush resurfaced for a night after all, nothing to get worked up about. He should be thankful that things hadn't gone further actually. It was better that the possibility had been set aside so soon, otherwise when things fell apart it would hurt a lot more.

But, if he really believed that, why had he run to England rather than face Syaoran's rejection directly? Why had he left so quickly without leaving word or saying goodbye?

He turned his back on those thoughts and walked up to his room. Surely, if he could sleep, he could spend at least a few hours of the day without so much pain.

~~~~~@~~~~~

The first thing Syaoran did when he returned home was invite Meilin to his house. They had become such close friends over the years that he couldn't think of anyone else he wanted to see. She had already heard about what happened with Sakura, and came over ready to say horrible things about her old childhood friend if it would get him to feel better.

"I swear, I'll never speak to her again for breaking your heart like this, Syaoran. I can't believe she would be such a fool to let you go! She wasn't this stupid before, but now!"

Syaoran smiled and shook his head. "It's okay Meilin. I'm not so hurt about Sakura anymore. She was right. It hurts, but I can get over it...even if I did have to see her and Tomoyo kissing." He sighed.

"Well, that was rude at least. But Syaoran, you're still broken hearted! I can tell! If it's not Sakura, then who?"

He scowled. "It's nothing."

"You can't lie to me! I've known you longer than anybody, and something is very wrong, and you need to tell me!"

He considered that enough persuasion to unburden his soul. "Meilin, I did fall in love with someone else. With--a guy."

"Oooh! Your mother is going to throw a fit! I never thought you'd be so daring!"

"You're not shocked? Disgusted? You don't hate me?"

She giggled and gave him a triumphant look. "Why should I? When I found out about Sakura's brother and his boyfriend I was shocked, but when I visited and saw them together they were so cute! I thought about it, seriously, and decided that I wouldn't be shocked by anything like that. And...when Sakura called earlier today with her news I was happy for her and Tomoyo too. I would never think less of you for that, even if your mom will disown you. I think she's only worried about bringing more magic into the family, and you can't have children to pass your magic on to if you don't have a woman. That's her problem though, love is much more important."

"But...he didn't love me back."

"Oh no! He said that? That's terrible!"

"No, he said he liked me back. We held hands for hours and talked, but when I went back the next day to give him a teddy bear he was gone. He had left the country without telling anybody."

At this Meilin gasped. She wrapped him up in one of her bone-crushing hugs and held him close. "Who was it Syaoran?"

He hesitated a moment, then leaned his head into his shoulder. He felt the tears begin as he spoke the name. "Hiiragizawa Eriol."

"I knew he could be cold and calculating, but I didn't think he'd be this cruel. He's an idiot for even thinking about not loving you."

"Thanks Meilin." They held each other for a while longer before they calmed down enough to talk about the more boring aspects of Tomoeda. She wanted to hear everything! Talking about it all reminded him that there were still good things in life. The pain wasn't everything, and there were still reasons for him to visit the place that made him happy.

Really, why should it hurt? So he had admitted to having a crush on a guy he used to hate. That's it. Some day, if they ever spoke to each other, they would laugh about the foolishness of it all.

Right?