DISCLAIMER: NO OWN CCS. DEMO...I own the songs and the story. ^_~
Sing for Me: Chapter Twelve: Love's Confusion and Deception
Sakura woke up; it was five days until her last concert in Tokyo. Sunlight streamed down on her through her lightly curtained window and she smiled at its warmth. Reluctantly getting out of her bed, she stretched and walked sleepily to the door to retrieve the newspaper. Well, she found the newspaper...
And a dozen long-stemmed crimson roses.
"HOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" She woke up a fair number of cranky neighbors who were elderly enough not to care she was the rising pop idol and told her to kindly keep it quiet, thanks very much. Nervously laughing, Sakura complied and carried the vase of red roses in with the newspaper, shutting the door with her foot.
"Eh, there's a card..." she said thoughtfully as she picked it out carefully from the embrace of the green leaves and opened it. In flawless calligraphy it read: Love from a blind wolf.
And Sakura knew what heaven must be like.
Just then there was a terse knock on her door and then Toya and Yukito came in.
"Ohayo Sakura-chan!" Yukito greeted.
"O-ohayo," Sakura said, dazed.
"Ohayo kaiju," Toya grinned and then lost his smirk, "Where'd those come from?" he pointed at the roses.
"Sakura?"
"Sakura?"
"SAKURA?" Toya finally yelled. Sakura leaped in the air, startled out of her gleeful daze.
"H-hoe?" she smiled.
"Who's the lucky man?" Yukito asked, winking kindly. Sakura smiled even brighter if that was possible.
"Syaoran Li!" she said shyly.
"Th-that womanizer?" Toya stuttered. He had heard all the rumors, seen all the tabloids, all the articles about the most wanted bachelor in Japan, originally from Hong Kong and the impression was...not preferable.
"Iie, he's not!" Sakura frowned.
"Demo, Sakura, I'll not let that...that gaki hurt you!" Toya insisted, crossing his arms decisively.
"He's not a gaki!" Sakura argued, kicking Toya's shin as she always did whenever she felt he got out of line...which was often.
"D-demo..." Toya trailed off as Yuki put a hand on Toya's shoulder and shook his head, smiling The smile at Sakura. [You know, the genki Yuki one, like when he has a lot of food? ^_^]
"Sakura-chan, you trust him, ne?" Yukito asked smiling still, but with a serious undertone in his bright eyes.
"Hai, hai!" Sakura affirmed, using her conveniently selective memory to block out any remembrances of Koi and him together...and then perhaps to reaffirm with herself another, "Hai, I do."
And that was that.
The week passed with him not stopping by, but sending other gifts, more flowers, chocolate, et cetera. Sakura was in hanyan mode mostly 24/7. Toya was in 'I'm going to maim that gaki if he lays a single microcosm of a finger on my imouto' mode. Yukito was in 'Let's all subdue Toya before he does something regrettably ill-sighted' mode. And Tomoyo...
"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"
Well, she was Tomoyo, with her video camera and a lot of spare time off of work.
All seemed to be going well.
Eriol was taking care of the shop however and it was he who first spotted the signs of misfortune. Before that though, a riddle had to be cleared up and that riddle, happened to walk in at that moment, wearing 'his' black floppy hat, green eyes sparkling.
"Hisui-kun, ohayo!" Eriol greeted, smiling.
"Ohayo Eriol-kun," Sakura greeted in her guise of 'Hisui'. She had gotten up early so she could do this before going to the studio to prepare for her concert the next night. She had to tell him before she left. It was only fair and besides, he would understand.
"What's the visit for?" Eriol asked.
"Um, well, I have something to tell you Eriol, I, well," Sakura was stuttering and she knew it and could feel Eriol's questioning gaze upon her. She was about to blurt it out when...the bell on the door jangled and someone walked in.
"Eriol," came a sultry voice. Eriol's visage was a mixture of disbelief and irritation.
"Taoski-san," Eriol greeted curtly. Sakura's face was impassive; she recognized Koi but refused to reveal herself in front of her. It would only cause trouble.
"So cold my darling tycoon, why the glower? It doesn't suit you," she purred. Sakura shivered and Eriol glared even more if it were possible.
"I am not yours and as I last recalled, Syaoran dumped you like last week's bad news so why are you here?" Eriol spoke bluntly and was pleased to see a spark of anger rise in Koi's deceptive eyes.
"My, my and rude too? The Eriol that was, would never have been so crude," she said snidely as she sauntered over, completely ignoring Sakura who as it was, simply stood there like she was apart of the background anyway. "What has happened to you? Upset that you didn't win the little cherry blossom's heart?"
Sakura choked...nearly. Eriol had liked her? Curse my oblivious state of mind, Sakura thought grimly, hoping she hadn't hurt him.
Eriol too was caught off guard...was he upset? He had told Tomoyo he didn't like Sakura that way, but that he felt close to her...had he been lying, was he in love with Cherry, with Sakura? He looked at 'Hisui' who so reminded him of Sakura [gee and I wonder why] and thought, is that why I like being with him so much? Is it because he reminds me of Sakura? Koi apparently had taken his momentary silent lapse as an answer.
"Hai, I see. Well, jealousy isn't pretty is it?" Koi sneered. Eriol, still trying to gather his fast splitting wits about him, came back at her, only partially paying attention to what he was saying and therefore not realizing that he was confirming it all over again...
"Well, you would know wouldn't you Taoski-san?" Eriol glared, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose slightly, flicking a stray piece of hair out of his eyes, upset and harried by the sudden questions in his emotions Koi had stirred up with him for Sakura.
"Iie, I never have to be jealous. I always get what I want," she replied cockily and sauntered out of the coffee shop, as though she had no real purpose in there other than to stir up trouble...which she might have.
"That woman..." Eriol glowered, clenching his fists. Sighing suddenly, he rubbed his temples and shut his eyes. What was he feeling? He had thought he'd cleared this up earlier, with himself especially...apparently he had not.
"Uh, Eriol-kun?" His eyes snapped open as he looked at a confused and worried Hisui before him and in him for a moment, he saw Sakura and lost his balance in surprise.
Lucky him, 'Hisui' caught him. Feeling a confusing heat rise to his cheeks, Eriol thanked 'Hisui' and stood up, wondering: what the Hell is going on? I don't like men, I know, demo, why do I keep thinking of Sakura when I look at Hisui? [And if only you knew! ~_~]
"Daijoubu?" Sakura/ Hisui asked Eriol who nodded absently.
"Let's take a walk," he said suddenly and grabbed his coat and started for the door.
"Demo, what about the shop?" Sakura frowned.
"People can live without coffee for an hour; let's go," and Eriol was walking, his heart troubled and brimming with uncertainty, and Sakura, with her heart saddened questionably by Eriol's sudden mood behavior change, was following and in that same time frame, an amber eyed wolf was across town, thinking of the green eyed one, heart full.
They walked in the park, cold air whistling about them like a sprightly being of invisible proportions.
"Mou, what is it Eriol?" Sakura asked, completely forgetting that she hadn't told him who she really was yet.
"It's, it's, I don't know, it's complicated I suppose," Eriol laughed hollowly.
"Can I help?" Sakura asked sincerely.
"I don't know, but maybe..." Eriol paused as they neared the end of the park and began the trek back to the coffee shop...most of the previous moments having been spent in an uneasy and yet unbreakable silence of strangeness.
"What can I do?" Sakura asked as they walked.
"How would Sakura feel if I told her I loved her as well?" he asked sadly, not even sure of what he was saying.
"Nani!?" Sakura cried out in surprise at his reiteration of the earlier statement.
"What might she say? As her cousin, I though perhaps you'd know," Eriol smiled slightly.
"W-wait, what makes you think you're in love wi-with S-sakura?" Sakura asked, her heart wrenching at the thought of hurting Eriol, even though she knew that was what would happen if this continued; she loved Syaoran and no one else, this she knew.
"Well," Eriol scratched his head thoughtfully, "I guess I should tell you it all. I thought I loved her the moment I saw her, met her, danced with her, and then I thought perhaps I didn't, that it was all an artist bond, friendship love, and that was after I had met her friend, Daidouji-san, who I also felt somewhat attracted to. Still, I convinced myself it was all friendship, demo...then Syaoran did...well, he did what he did to her and I felt angrier than ever before, and thought perhaps, I did love her. Every time I talked to Daidouji-san, or thought to myself, I'd convince myself, it is friendship, and nothing more. But then as I saw more of Sakura, I began to see her whenever..." Eriol's soliloquy trailed off and Sakura, on the verge of internal tears, asked,
"Nani Eriol? Whenever you what?" she prompted softly.
"Whenever I look at you," he whispered. They were in front of Destiny again and Eriol had his hand on the door as if to go in, but Sakura's hand stopped his as she placed it upon his.
"I think I know why, and if I know why, it must be true, because I'm famous for being oblivious to everything. Anything I notice, must be true," Sakura began quietly, smiling at Eriol, her heart lighter, "You don't love Sakura- chan, you love Tomoyo." It was Eriol's turn to be totally flabbergasted.
"E-eh? What do you mean?" Eriol asked, startled.
"Every time the feelings toward Sakura lessened, it was because of Tomoyo, ne? So then, it must be her you love, because only true love can stand in the way of something as strong as you seemed to have felt for, for," for me, Sakura thought kindly, but said instead, "for my cousin, Sakura."
"How though?" His hands were at his sides now, as he tried to piece together the puzzle. "Why then do I keep seeing her face in yours?" At this Sakura smiled slightly. This was the perfect time to reveal her little secret.
"Because, because I am Sakura-chan," she smiled sheepishly now, and released her honey colored hair from the black floppy hat, letting it spring forth lightly, framing her beautiful and now that Eriol thought about it, truly femininely defined face. How could he have missed it?
"S-sakura-chan?" he stammered.
"Hai, gomen for deceiving you, it wasn't meant to go this far, demo..." she was cut off by Eriol lifting her in the air and swinging her around, hugging her.
"H-hoe?"
"Don't apologize Sakura-chan, you've cleared so much up for me! This explains the feelings I had inside when I am around Tomoyo..." and Sakura smiled at the faint blush she saw stain ever suave and collected Eriol's cheeks. Without thinking really, she brought one of her hands up to his face and kissed him on the cheek.
"I hope you tell her soon," Sakura whispered as she stepped out of his embrace and turned to run to the studio where she was sure she would be yelled at for being late, as always.
And there was Syaoran Li.
And Sakura had a sinking feeling.
Kind of like that type before riding an immensely twisty roller coaster.
Sakura didn't like roller coasters.
"Why?" Syaoran's eyes radiated hurt.
"Wait, Syaoran, it's nothing," Eriol began, stepping forward but Syaoran backed away, glaring.
"Koi told me...but I didn't believe her...but you...and..." he turned away and stalked off at a rapid pace. Sakura stared for a moment and then ran after him.
[AN: and you didn't think I'd just let her stand there staring blankly like in all those infuriating anime moments, did you? Nah! -_-]
"Syaoran, wait!" she called, her voice breaking. How could he ever think she would do that to him? She loved him. Well, he did stop, but his face was shadowed as he turned to face her.
"I thought, I thought you really, felt something for me," he paused, haltingly, obviously this taking a lot out of him.
"Demo, I do. Syaoran I love you," she whispered, eyes wide at his cold tone.
"Don't lie to me Kinomoto." Syaoran glared, his eyes suspiciously glassy, like unshed tears were in them. Sakura cringed and lifted a hand to her chest; it hurt, badly but she hinted no more at this...she had to hear him out.
"Iie, I am not lying," she nearly cried then and there.
"Never would I have trusted Koi over you, demo now, she said you two were there together, meeting, and I told her, that couldn't be, that it was Hisui, your so-called cousin who was meeting Hiiragizawa. But she told me that Hisui was you, and when I didn't believe her, she told me to go to the coffee shop," he paused and turned his gaze from hers, so now only Sakura could see his handsome and icy profile, emotionless.
He continued: "Normally I wouldn't have even bothered, because..." his voice almost lost its monotone and broke, but he maintained his stride, "because I trusted you. But she goaded me on and it was the only way she would let me be...and then I saw you."
"It's not what she says Syaoran," Sakura said tearfully, holding out her hand to him, the other still resting tentatively over the pain in her chest.
"Then," a spark of hope in Syaoran's eyes was seen, "you're not Hisui or," he paused as Sakura shook her head furiously.
"Iie, I was masquerading as Hisui, but," as Syaoran turned hard on his heel, she called out, "Not for those reasons! Syaoran, please! I lo-" he turned again to face her and her words died on her lips.
"I said it before Kinomoto, do not lie to me again. You've done it thrice, a fourth time is shameful for both of us. I'll not be deceived any longer by women. All they know is hurt and deceit," he glared, his teeth gritted as he said these words, sounding harsh even to himself. But he was a Li and the stubborn pride and grudge holding and honor was everything he was raised upon, everything he knew and was. So he continued.
"Save your 'love' for Hiiragizawa. Usually I wouldn't want my best friend in the arms of someone like you, but as it seems Koi was right for once," Syaoran spat venomously, "you deserve each other."
"But..." she began.
"You KISSED him," Syaoran yelled nearly, cutting her off, finally losing his cool, "and he had you in his arms, Kinomoto, do you know the slightest bit of what you've done to me? You have no right," he glowered.
And he walked away.
And this time she could not move. Sakura's tears were warm and cold, the new ones warmly trickling down her porcelain face, the cold ones staining her pale cheeks.
"Aishiteru..." she whispered, her lips moving barely visibly. Then the pain ripped through her again as Syaoran's figure disappeared completely in the falling snow...the beginning of a cold winter. Her hands pressed against the area where her heart was as the pain seared, and she slid to the ground, soft sobs racking her small frame.
Was it over?
She wondered as warm arms encircled her and she blacked out, happy for once, not to be able to see the sun, which for once, she thought was too bright for the world she lived in.
"This is a bloody mess. I don't know who I want to kill more, him or that Koi woman," Tomoyo seethed quietly, tucking the blankets in more firmly around Sakura's sleeping form. Eriol nodded his agreement.
"Hai, I think it might do well to give my best friend a brain transplant. The one he has now obviously isn't doing him any good. As for Koi, well, I would really like to know how she knew everything she did in the first place. Is the maniac spying on us? I mean, that has to be it, ne?" he asked Tomoyo as they walked out of Sakura's room and shut the door.
"Maybe, but as I find it, this is may have just been a bad stroke of luck, I mean, Sakura's disguise wasn't exactly undetectable. If Koi wanted some way to sabotage things badly enough, then surely she would have had the added incentive to notice that Hisui was really Sakura-chan. And then she set this whole thing up...deceitful and evil, Syaoran's very idea of the most horrendous creature on earth, all in the woman he has as his personal..." Tomoyo huffed and puffed a bit here.
"And just wait until her brother comes back and finds out...good thing he and Yuki went out today or he would be...worse than I am," Tomoyo smiled slightly wistfully.
Eriol pondered on that and agreed silently. The last thing they needed right now was a...a rampaging Toya. And, he had the suspicion that Yukito wouldn't be happy either. He had never seen the silver haired snow rabbit get angry but he felt this might be the trigger for an unpleasant sight. His thoughts would have continued in this way but...
Tomoyo then crossed her arms.
"Look, her concert is tomorrow night. Do you think he's coming?" Tomoyo asked. Eriol nodded.
"He looked really hurt, but he also looked like he still cared for her, like he only wanted to forget about her, but couldn't. He'll come."
"Oh, well, we'll see about this whole escapade. And I'm going to have a personal talk with Ms. Taoski Koi. She deserves exactly what's coming to her," Tomoyo smiled evilly.
"What are you scheming in that pretty head of yours?" Eriol smiled, despite the tumultuously emotional situation things were in, at the violet-eyed beauty before him.
"A re-match with Syao-baka and a historically phenomenal make-up for those two. They belong together, though I say Sakura could do a lot better than him." Tomoyo paused and glared at an invisible speck of dust on the table before her and then continued, "as well as a historically unforgettable humiliation for a certain bane of my existence and the cause of all our problems."
Eriol nodded his assent and support, The smile [you know, you know!] gracing his lips.
"May I be of assistance my princess?" he asked, taking Tomoyo's hand as they walked quietly out the door of Sakura's apartment, mission at hand, dragon to slay, et cetera, et cetera.
"Why of course, my knight, demo..." she paused and he nodded, "I get to slay the dragon."
"I wouldn't dream of it any other way. I'll take on the twice blinded wolf then I suppose," Eriol sighed. This wouldn't be pretty, but if it all worked out according to Tomoyo's plan then...
"OHOHOHOHOHOHO...KOI IS GOING DOWN!" Tomoyo laughed giddily as a five-year old, waving an imaginary sword around and jabbing the air as they stepped outside the complex, into the snowy weather, neither noticing the chill because of two things:
1) Their excitement with the plans and
2) Their nearness to one another
And it might be noted that, neither objected to the close proximity to the other; in fact, it might also be noted that, ahem, they moved closer as they plotted.
Meanwhile, Sakura slept and that was all good and well because she'd need to be awake for her concert the next night, before she left Tokyo for a long time.
The only question left was, all things considered, in the end, how would it all turn out?
Would the little wolf actually let her leave him?
Would he even say good-bye?
Would he even care?
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Sorry for all the sadness in this chapter however...there are plans ahead as Tomoyo and Eriol have so kindly foreshadowed...what kind of evil plans do they have in store you ask?
^_~ Find out next chapter what happens.
If you like this fic, please
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If you want the next chapter, otherwise I am seriously thinking of moving on to another fic...
-Kaji Hikage
Sing for Me: Chapter Twelve: Love's Confusion and Deception
Sakura woke up; it was five days until her last concert in Tokyo. Sunlight streamed down on her through her lightly curtained window and she smiled at its warmth. Reluctantly getting out of her bed, she stretched and walked sleepily to the door to retrieve the newspaper. Well, she found the newspaper...
And a dozen long-stemmed crimson roses.
"HOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" She woke up a fair number of cranky neighbors who were elderly enough not to care she was the rising pop idol and told her to kindly keep it quiet, thanks very much. Nervously laughing, Sakura complied and carried the vase of red roses in with the newspaper, shutting the door with her foot.
"Eh, there's a card..." she said thoughtfully as she picked it out carefully from the embrace of the green leaves and opened it. In flawless calligraphy it read: Love from a blind wolf.
And Sakura knew what heaven must be like.
Just then there was a terse knock on her door and then Toya and Yukito came in.
"Ohayo Sakura-chan!" Yukito greeted.
"O-ohayo," Sakura said, dazed.
"Ohayo kaiju," Toya grinned and then lost his smirk, "Where'd those come from?" he pointed at the roses.
"Sakura?"
"Sakura?"
"SAKURA?" Toya finally yelled. Sakura leaped in the air, startled out of her gleeful daze.
"H-hoe?" she smiled.
"Who's the lucky man?" Yukito asked, winking kindly. Sakura smiled even brighter if that was possible.
"Syaoran Li!" she said shyly.
"Th-that womanizer?" Toya stuttered. He had heard all the rumors, seen all the tabloids, all the articles about the most wanted bachelor in Japan, originally from Hong Kong and the impression was...not preferable.
"Iie, he's not!" Sakura frowned.
"Demo, Sakura, I'll not let that...that gaki hurt you!" Toya insisted, crossing his arms decisively.
"He's not a gaki!" Sakura argued, kicking Toya's shin as she always did whenever she felt he got out of line...which was often.
"D-demo..." Toya trailed off as Yuki put a hand on Toya's shoulder and shook his head, smiling The smile at Sakura. [You know, the genki Yuki one, like when he has a lot of food? ^_^]
"Sakura-chan, you trust him, ne?" Yukito asked smiling still, but with a serious undertone in his bright eyes.
"Hai, hai!" Sakura affirmed, using her conveniently selective memory to block out any remembrances of Koi and him together...and then perhaps to reaffirm with herself another, "Hai, I do."
And that was that.
The week passed with him not stopping by, but sending other gifts, more flowers, chocolate, et cetera. Sakura was in hanyan mode mostly 24/7. Toya was in 'I'm going to maim that gaki if he lays a single microcosm of a finger on my imouto' mode. Yukito was in 'Let's all subdue Toya before he does something regrettably ill-sighted' mode. And Tomoyo...
"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!"
Well, she was Tomoyo, with her video camera and a lot of spare time off of work.
All seemed to be going well.
Eriol was taking care of the shop however and it was he who first spotted the signs of misfortune. Before that though, a riddle had to be cleared up and that riddle, happened to walk in at that moment, wearing 'his' black floppy hat, green eyes sparkling.
"Hisui-kun, ohayo!" Eriol greeted, smiling.
"Ohayo Eriol-kun," Sakura greeted in her guise of 'Hisui'. She had gotten up early so she could do this before going to the studio to prepare for her concert the next night. She had to tell him before she left. It was only fair and besides, he would understand.
"What's the visit for?" Eriol asked.
"Um, well, I have something to tell you Eriol, I, well," Sakura was stuttering and she knew it and could feel Eriol's questioning gaze upon her. She was about to blurt it out when...the bell on the door jangled and someone walked in.
"Eriol," came a sultry voice. Eriol's visage was a mixture of disbelief and irritation.
"Taoski-san," Eriol greeted curtly. Sakura's face was impassive; she recognized Koi but refused to reveal herself in front of her. It would only cause trouble.
"So cold my darling tycoon, why the glower? It doesn't suit you," she purred. Sakura shivered and Eriol glared even more if it were possible.
"I am not yours and as I last recalled, Syaoran dumped you like last week's bad news so why are you here?" Eriol spoke bluntly and was pleased to see a spark of anger rise in Koi's deceptive eyes.
"My, my and rude too? The Eriol that was, would never have been so crude," she said snidely as she sauntered over, completely ignoring Sakura who as it was, simply stood there like she was apart of the background anyway. "What has happened to you? Upset that you didn't win the little cherry blossom's heart?"
Sakura choked...nearly. Eriol had liked her? Curse my oblivious state of mind, Sakura thought grimly, hoping she hadn't hurt him.
Eriol too was caught off guard...was he upset? He had told Tomoyo he didn't like Sakura that way, but that he felt close to her...had he been lying, was he in love with Cherry, with Sakura? He looked at 'Hisui' who so reminded him of Sakura [gee and I wonder why] and thought, is that why I like being with him so much? Is it because he reminds me of Sakura? Koi apparently had taken his momentary silent lapse as an answer.
"Hai, I see. Well, jealousy isn't pretty is it?" Koi sneered. Eriol, still trying to gather his fast splitting wits about him, came back at her, only partially paying attention to what he was saying and therefore not realizing that he was confirming it all over again...
"Well, you would know wouldn't you Taoski-san?" Eriol glared, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose slightly, flicking a stray piece of hair out of his eyes, upset and harried by the sudden questions in his emotions Koi had stirred up with him for Sakura.
"Iie, I never have to be jealous. I always get what I want," she replied cockily and sauntered out of the coffee shop, as though she had no real purpose in there other than to stir up trouble...which she might have.
"That woman..." Eriol glowered, clenching his fists. Sighing suddenly, he rubbed his temples and shut his eyes. What was he feeling? He had thought he'd cleared this up earlier, with himself especially...apparently he had not.
"Uh, Eriol-kun?" His eyes snapped open as he looked at a confused and worried Hisui before him and in him for a moment, he saw Sakura and lost his balance in surprise.
Lucky him, 'Hisui' caught him. Feeling a confusing heat rise to his cheeks, Eriol thanked 'Hisui' and stood up, wondering: what the Hell is going on? I don't like men, I know, demo, why do I keep thinking of Sakura when I look at Hisui? [And if only you knew! ~_~]
"Daijoubu?" Sakura/ Hisui asked Eriol who nodded absently.
"Let's take a walk," he said suddenly and grabbed his coat and started for the door.
"Demo, what about the shop?" Sakura frowned.
"People can live without coffee for an hour; let's go," and Eriol was walking, his heart troubled and brimming with uncertainty, and Sakura, with her heart saddened questionably by Eriol's sudden mood behavior change, was following and in that same time frame, an amber eyed wolf was across town, thinking of the green eyed one, heart full.
They walked in the park, cold air whistling about them like a sprightly being of invisible proportions.
"Mou, what is it Eriol?" Sakura asked, completely forgetting that she hadn't told him who she really was yet.
"It's, it's, I don't know, it's complicated I suppose," Eriol laughed hollowly.
"Can I help?" Sakura asked sincerely.
"I don't know, but maybe..." Eriol paused as they neared the end of the park and began the trek back to the coffee shop...most of the previous moments having been spent in an uneasy and yet unbreakable silence of strangeness.
"What can I do?" Sakura asked as they walked.
"How would Sakura feel if I told her I loved her as well?" he asked sadly, not even sure of what he was saying.
"Nani!?" Sakura cried out in surprise at his reiteration of the earlier statement.
"What might she say? As her cousin, I though perhaps you'd know," Eriol smiled slightly.
"W-wait, what makes you think you're in love wi-with S-sakura?" Sakura asked, her heart wrenching at the thought of hurting Eriol, even though she knew that was what would happen if this continued; she loved Syaoran and no one else, this she knew.
"Well," Eriol scratched his head thoughtfully, "I guess I should tell you it all. I thought I loved her the moment I saw her, met her, danced with her, and then I thought perhaps I didn't, that it was all an artist bond, friendship love, and that was after I had met her friend, Daidouji-san, who I also felt somewhat attracted to. Still, I convinced myself it was all friendship, demo...then Syaoran did...well, he did what he did to her and I felt angrier than ever before, and thought perhaps, I did love her. Every time I talked to Daidouji-san, or thought to myself, I'd convince myself, it is friendship, and nothing more. But then as I saw more of Sakura, I began to see her whenever..." Eriol's soliloquy trailed off and Sakura, on the verge of internal tears, asked,
"Nani Eriol? Whenever you what?" she prompted softly.
"Whenever I look at you," he whispered. They were in front of Destiny again and Eriol had his hand on the door as if to go in, but Sakura's hand stopped his as she placed it upon his.
"I think I know why, and if I know why, it must be true, because I'm famous for being oblivious to everything. Anything I notice, must be true," Sakura began quietly, smiling at Eriol, her heart lighter, "You don't love Sakura- chan, you love Tomoyo." It was Eriol's turn to be totally flabbergasted.
"E-eh? What do you mean?" Eriol asked, startled.
"Every time the feelings toward Sakura lessened, it was because of Tomoyo, ne? So then, it must be her you love, because only true love can stand in the way of something as strong as you seemed to have felt for, for," for me, Sakura thought kindly, but said instead, "for my cousin, Sakura."
"How though?" His hands were at his sides now, as he tried to piece together the puzzle. "Why then do I keep seeing her face in yours?" At this Sakura smiled slightly. This was the perfect time to reveal her little secret.
"Because, because I am Sakura-chan," she smiled sheepishly now, and released her honey colored hair from the black floppy hat, letting it spring forth lightly, framing her beautiful and now that Eriol thought about it, truly femininely defined face. How could he have missed it?
"S-sakura-chan?" he stammered.
"Hai, gomen for deceiving you, it wasn't meant to go this far, demo..." she was cut off by Eriol lifting her in the air and swinging her around, hugging her.
"H-hoe?"
"Don't apologize Sakura-chan, you've cleared so much up for me! This explains the feelings I had inside when I am around Tomoyo..." and Sakura smiled at the faint blush she saw stain ever suave and collected Eriol's cheeks. Without thinking really, she brought one of her hands up to his face and kissed him on the cheek.
"I hope you tell her soon," Sakura whispered as she stepped out of his embrace and turned to run to the studio where she was sure she would be yelled at for being late, as always.
And there was Syaoran Li.
And Sakura had a sinking feeling.
Kind of like that type before riding an immensely twisty roller coaster.
Sakura didn't like roller coasters.
"Why?" Syaoran's eyes radiated hurt.
"Wait, Syaoran, it's nothing," Eriol began, stepping forward but Syaoran backed away, glaring.
"Koi told me...but I didn't believe her...but you...and..." he turned away and stalked off at a rapid pace. Sakura stared for a moment and then ran after him.
[AN: and you didn't think I'd just let her stand there staring blankly like in all those infuriating anime moments, did you? Nah! -_-]
"Syaoran, wait!" she called, her voice breaking. How could he ever think she would do that to him? She loved him. Well, he did stop, but his face was shadowed as he turned to face her.
"I thought, I thought you really, felt something for me," he paused, haltingly, obviously this taking a lot out of him.
"Demo, I do. Syaoran I love you," she whispered, eyes wide at his cold tone.
"Don't lie to me Kinomoto." Syaoran glared, his eyes suspiciously glassy, like unshed tears were in them. Sakura cringed and lifted a hand to her chest; it hurt, badly but she hinted no more at this...she had to hear him out.
"Iie, I am not lying," she nearly cried then and there.
"Never would I have trusted Koi over you, demo now, she said you two were there together, meeting, and I told her, that couldn't be, that it was Hisui, your so-called cousin who was meeting Hiiragizawa. But she told me that Hisui was you, and when I didn't believe her, she told me to go to the coffee shop," he paused and turned his gaze from hers, so now only Sakura could see his handsome and icy profile, emotionless.
He continued: "Normally I wouldn't have even bothered, because..." his voice almost lost its monotone and broke, but he maintained his stride, "because I trusted you. But she goaded me on and it was the only way she would let me be...and then I saw you."
"It's not what she says Syaoran," Sakura said tearfully, holding out her hand to him, the other still resting tentatively over the pain in her chest.
"Then," a spark of hope in Syaoran's eyes was seen, "you're not Hisui or," he paused as Sakura shook her head furiously.
"Iie, I was masquerading as Hisui, but," as Syaoran turned hard on his heel, she called out, "Not for those reasons! Syaoran, please! I lo-" he turned again to face her and her words died on her lips.
"I said it before Kinomoto, do not lie to me again. You've done it thrice, a fourth time is shameful for both of us. I'll not be deceived any longer by women. All they know is hurt and deceit," he glared, his teeth gritted as he said these words, sounding harsh even to himself. But he was a Li and the stubborn pride and grudge holding and honor was everything he was raised upon, everything he knew and was. So he continued.
"Save your 'love' for Hiiragizawa. Usually I wouldn't want my best friend in the arms of someone like you, but as it seems Koi was right for once," Syaoran spat venomously, "you deserve each other."
"But..." she began.
"You KISSED him," Syaoran yelled nearly, cutting her off, finally losing his cool, "and he had you in his arms, Kinomoto, do you know the slightest bit of what you've done to me? You have no right," he glowered.
And he walked away.
And this time she could not move. Sakura's tears were warm and cold, the new ones warmly trickling down her porcelain face, the cold ones staining her pale cheeks.
"Aishiteru..." she whispered, her lips moving barely visibly. Then the pain ripped through her again as Syaoran's figure disappeared completely in the falling snow...the beginning of a cold winter. Her hands pressed against the area where her heart was as the pain seared, and she slid to the ground, soft sobs racking her small frame.
Was it over?
She wondered as warm arms encircled her and she blacked out, happy for once, not to be able to see the sun, which for once, she thought was too bright for the world she lived in.
"This is a bloody mess. I don't know who I want to kill more, him or that Koi woman," Tomoyo seethed quietly, tucking the blankets in more firmly around Sakura's sleeping form. Eriol nodded his agreement.
"Hai, I think it might do well to give my best friend a brain transplant. The one he has now obviously isn't doing him any good. As for Koi, well, I would really like to know how she knew everything she did in the first place. Is the maniac spying on us? I mean, that has to be it, ne?" he asked Tomoyo as they walked out of Sakura's room and shut the door.
"Maybe, but as I find it, this is may have just been a bad stroke of luck, I mean, Sakura's disguise wasn't exactly undetectable. If Koi wanted some way to sabotage things badly enough, then surely she would have had the added incentive to notice that Hisui was really Sakura-chan. And then she set this whole thing up...deceitful and evil, Syaoran's very idea of the most horrendous creature on earth, all in the woman he has as his personal..." Tomoyo huffed and puffed a bit here.
"And just wait until her brother comes back and finds out...good thing he and Yuki went out today or he would be...worse than I am," Tomoyo smiled slightly wistfully.
Eriol pondered on that and agreed silently. The last thing they needed right now was a...a rampaging Toya. And, he had the suspicion that Yukito wouldn't be happy either. He had never seen the silver haired snow rabbit get angry but he felt this might be the trigger for an unpleasant sight. His thoughts would have continued in this way but...
Tomoyo then crossed her arms.
"Look, her concert is tomorrow night. Do you think he's coming?" Tomoyo asked. Eriol nodded.
"He looked really hurt, but he also looked like he still cared for her, like he only wanted to forget about her, but couldn't. He'll come."
"Oh, well, we'll see about this whole escapade. And I'm going to have a personal talk with Ms. Taoski Koi. She deserves exactly what's coming to her," Tomoyo smiled evilly.
"What are you scheming in that pretty head of yours?" Eriol smiled, despite the tumultuously emotional situation things were in, at the violet-eyed beauty before him.
"A re-match with Syao-baka and a historically phenomenal make-up for those two. They belong together, though I say Sakura could do a lot better than him." Tomoyo paused and glared at an invisible speck of dust on the table before her and then continued, "as well as a historically unforgettable humiliation for a certain bane of my existence and the cause of all our problems."
Eriol nodded his assent and support, The smile [you know, you know!] gracing his lips.
"May I be of assistance my princess?" he asked, taking Tomoyo's hand as they walked quietly out the door of Sakura's apartment, mission at hand, dragon to slay, et cetera, et cetera.
"Why of course, my knight, demo..." she paused and he nodded, "I get to slay the dragon."
"I wouldn't dream of it any other way. I'll take on the twice blinded wolf then I suppose," Eriol sighed. This wouldn't be pretty, but if it all worked out according to Tomoyo's plan then...
"OHOHOHOHOHOHO...KOI IS GOING DOWN!" Tomoyo laughed giddily as a five-year old, waving an imaginary sword around and jabbing the air as they stepped outside the complex, into the snowy weather, neither noticing the chill because of two things:
1) Their excitement with the plans and
2) Their nearness to one another
And it might be noted that, neither objected to the close proximity to the other; in fact, it might also be noted that, ahem, they moved closer as they plotted.
Meanwhile, Sakura slept and that was all good and well because she'd need to be awake for her concert the next night, before she left Tokyo for a long time.
The only question left was, all things considered, in the end, how would it all turn out?
Would the little wolf actually let her leave him?
Would he even say good-bye?
Would he even care?
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Sorry for all the sadness in this chapter however...there are plans ahead as Tomoyo and Eriol have so kindly foreshadowed...what kind of evil plans do they have in store you ask?
^_~ Find out next chapter what happens.
If you like this fic, please
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If you want the next chapter, otherwise I am seriously thinking of moving on to another fic...
-Kaji Hikage