THE MAGICIAN

A/N: See this? The author's note? It's not placed here to make the text look larger, you know? I wonder if people read it...

Anyway, in this chapter nothing really happens, but it's absolutely necessary to understand the next. I'll give a piece of strawberry cake to those who guess why I chose this card as the title. And since no one answered to my 'pairing' poll, I'm gonna mess around like crazy! Yay! A CCS orgy!

BTW, no one wished me luck for my interview. I didn't get it and I'm placing all the responsibility on you. glares (j/k)

The promised pinky hearts to Alicia and Avelyn. Avelyn, dear, I hope you really guessed the plot, because last thing I want is to make you realise you had it all wrong and hate the story. I'm not as predictable as everyone assumes I am. I'm not! cries

NipponGirl says "Read on!"

CHAPTER FOUR

THE LIBRA

The morning light begun streaming through the windows of the bedroom and Yukito stirred in his sleep.

Before he was fully awake he'd known what to expect. He slowly opened his eyes and stared lovingly at the sleeping girl in his arms. Tucking a few strand hairs behind her ear, he sighed. Every morning he'd wake up by her side, dreading to know how he'd gotten there. Ever since Fujitaka's death, he'd felt tremendously drawn to her in a way he couldn't explain and, after Touya's leaving, he'd have to admit he'd become even more attached to the girl, who seemed more than willing to return his attentions. When Sakura stopped being a girl and turned into a woman, Yukito found it very hard not to give in to his impulses, that grew harder to control every day. But he hadn't. The love and respect he had for her had prevented him of using her that way and he felt disgusted by those thoughts. He wasn't so sure his alter had restrained himself though..

He slowly begun dressing himself for work, making sure not to wake Sakura. He didn't want to think about the fact that he shared a room with her; didn't want to think about how he hadn't spoken to Yue in three years, but still knew his alter had changed so much he'd be horrified if he could talk to him. Everything had changed.

He wished he could leave, move on with his life. Sakura didn't need him anymore and he was tired of living in fear and dwelling in the past. But he couldn't. His life wasn't really his; Sakura wanted him there and there was nothing he could do about it. He'd wanted to go after Touya as soon as he realised he wasn't coming back on his own as he'd expected; as soon as he'd realised things were going to hell. But Sakura didn't let him. And even with everything that was going on; the secrets, the changes, the manipulation, he still cared for her.

That was the worst part; he could no longer tell if his feelings were his own or another one of her tricks.

Two steps at a time, Yukito rushed down the stairs, trying to lift up his mood. Wasting time getting depressed about the hell that was his life would only make his day at work hellish-er.

He was still working on the knot of his tie when he walked through the kitchen threshold and found the black plushie waiting for him with a smile. He smiled back.

"Ohayou, Kero-chan. Rare for you to be up so early. Couldn't wait for breakfast, ne?" he said playfully.

It was funny, ridiculous even, that this guardian he'd barely known a few years ago, this...stuffed animal, had become his anchor; his one true friend. Kero understood him, he knew what it was like to be in his place. Not only that, but for what he'd learned, Kero was a sort of brother to him, which immediately turned him into the one thing that proved him he was still real. He'd started questioning his existence and purpose as soon as the only person that gave meaning to his life had abandoned him, but Kero had been there for him, and they'd built a bond such as that of two siblings.

Kero smiled wickedly and bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"Ohayou, Yukito-kun. So, are you cooking breakfast or what?" he mock-demanded.

With one final tug of his tie, he waved the plushie off.

"Why, of course. You don't expect me to go on until lunch on a cup of coffee and a bagel, do you?"

Of course it had helped that they seemed to have one passion in common. If someone could understand Kero's eating habits that, my friends, was Yukito Tsukishiro.

Inevitably, a few minutes later the kitchen table was covered with an enormous variety of plates, filled with all kinds of food.

"Sakura doesn't have to find out." Yukito said seriously in the middle of their conversation, with a conspirational tone. Kero nodded, a hopeful look on his eyes.

"Will you really do that for me?"

Yukito lowered his face to meet Kero's gaze and whispered.

"You just have to remember to play it when Sakura is in school and I'm working. You don't want Yue catching you." He sat straight then, and fixed his glasses expertly with one finger. "I've heard that game is really something else. One of the kids came to my office the other day because he had taken it to school and was playing it during the math hour. He said it's the best on video games this year, I'm sure you'll like it."

"I see..." Kero got a mischievous look in his eyes and smiled. "Death Strike II, you say. Well, I'm a bit rusty, I hope I still have the gift."

Yukito patted his head.

"I'm sure you do. I don't see why you can't indulge on your video game addiction a little bit. You sure need the distraction." he rose form his seat, munching the last of his muffin and was just picking up his briefcase to leave when Kero sobered up and cleared his throat. "What?" he asked, puzzled.

"Yuki...Yue doesn't, I mean...are you sure he doesn't see what you do anymore?"

Yukito smiled reassuringly.

"I told you, if he knew what I do or think, we would have been in trouble a long time ago. You'll have your game." His smile slipped away from his face as he realised the game wasn't what was bothering Kero. "That's not it, is it?"

His brother shook his head no, and looked pensive into the void for a few moments. Yukito gloomily waited for the proverbial hammer to fall.

"Sakura... she mentioned yesterday that Li-kun and Eriol-kun were back. I...tried to talk to her into seeing them but...You know what's going on and..."

Yuikito shook his head in frustration.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Kero sighed.

"I wasn't sure I was going to tell you at all. After all, there's so much either of us can do about it, really. Worrying you for nothing is just..."

The grey haired man slammed his fist into the table angrily. Kero stared at him wide eyed. Yukito hardly lost his temper, specially at him.

"I don't care! You should have told me! I'm not a kid and I deserve to know what's going on as much as anyone in this house!"

"Yuki..."

Yukito took a deep breath, seeing he'd upset Kero and feeling terrible for doing so. It wasn't Kero he was angry at.

"Look, I may not be of any help regarding what she is doing, but I'm not going to cross my arms and let this opportunity slip away. Someone has to talk some sense into that girl. I'm going to talk to them."

"Yuki, you can't tell them! Sakura, she'd go mad if you did!"

It was fear now that his brother's gaze was reflecting, and Yukito smirked humourlessly.

"It's a bit late for that." he hissed. "But don't worry, I'm not telling them yet. I am still going to see them. If only to remember what a normal person looks like."

Now Kero laughed a little.

"I thought I mentioned it was Eriol who came back?"

Yukito rubbed the back of his head and smiled.

"Things must be really crazy around here for me to want to see him, ne?"

"Crazy it's the world I was looking for." Kero smiled, the tension between them dying immediately, as it always did. "Now hurry or you'll be late for work." As Yukito left the kitchen, Kero remembered something and called after him.

"Remember to bring the strawberry cake!"


Akizuki had really outdone herself, Touya mused; the breakfast table was a step away from being a feast. Of course there were enough people sitting around the dinner table to make that amount of food necessary. Maybe it really had been a good idea to accept his cousin's invitation to dump that horrid hotel room for one at the mansion. Not that it really took that much convincing, but the reasons for her asking would have convinced him if he'd been reluctant to accept in the first place. Apparently, the house was protected by some sort of shield; a kekkai, Shaoran had said, that both the brown haired boy and Eriol had built in order to keep whatever spell was affecting people out of the Mansion's grounds.

He still couldn't believe how kind Tomoyo had been to him; not more so than in the past, she just treated him like she'd always had and he was forever thankful to her because of that.

He diverted his gaze from his plate and tried to subtly study the faces around him. He still couldn't get over the shock of some of the changes he'd seen in those people. It wasn't just the faces that had changed, but also their relationships with the others, he noted.

To his right sat Tomoyo. She'd grown a beautiful woman; one that reminded him too much of his mother to be comfortable around her. He wondered how Sonomi managed. Next to her was a girl he couldn't quite place. She was most definitively chinese, and her beautiful black hair, tied in a long plait almost reached her ancles. She seemed particularly friendly with Tomoyo, as well as awfully familiar to Shaoran. The boy in question sat next to her. He'd had more time to study him; the only thing that called out to his attention was Shaoran's entire demeanour towards Eriol. There wasn't nothing suspicious in the way they treated each other, just overly friendly and rather... intimate. Not entirely too different to the way Yuki and him had been with each other before they were a couple. The idea of the two being more than friends made him very uncomfortable and Touya couldn't figure out why. Surely it wasn't any of his business; Shaoran wasn't Sakura's... anything anymore and he didn't mind one bit the idea of Kaho being dumped for once. And it was when he placed Kaho back into the equation that his deductions about Shaoran and Eriol seemed rather ludicrous.

Eriol, who was sitting in between Shaoran and Kaho, had changed a lot too. Far from being the creepy little kid that had sent shivers down his spine whenever he'd see him, now he was a very dignified young man, with a royal air about him. A very handsome young man too, a part of him he tried to keep dormant told him. There was still the same playful gaze and mysteriousness about his eyes that made him look like he knew more than he should about something. Those same deep blue eyes that would direct kind glances filled with friendly affection torth Shaoran's way, would look at Kaho with such love and passion that it was obvious with whom he wanted to be.

To Touya's amazement, Kaho seemed to return Eriol's feelings in an equal way. He would ask her later, how'd she'd managed to stay with someone over fifteen. Kaho had been the one to change less. He figured he shouldn't have changed that much either, once you reach a certain age the changes from one year to the other are less obvious.

He almost laughs out loud. He wondered if Kaho had seen it in his future; him deserting the ones he loved when things got a bit rough. He found himself envying her, because now he wasn't pinning after her and thinking about what they'd had. No, he had another person in his life to do that with, and this time it had been his fault. Of course Kaho shouldn't care about the hole in his chest, she still had that person she'd fell in love with after dumping him.

Without a word, he left the dinner table and proceeded to ready himself for work. He was startled when he left his room again, briefcase in hand, to find that Tomoyo had followed him and was now looking at him with a concerned look on her face.

"Are you ok?"

Touya shrugged; he could lie, but he wouldn't. not to this girl who had overlooked the fact that he'd hurt the person she loved most and welcomed him into her home.

"I don't know."

"If you want to talk..." she trailed off. he gave her a warm smile and shook his head.

"Thank you, for the offer as well as the room." He motioned to the door with a wave of his hand and lowered his gaze.

Tomoyo placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"There's nothing to be thankful for. You're more than welcome here, Touya-kun. It was so nice seeing you again."

He simply nodded to her and turned around to leave. On his way out he couldn't help but whisper one more 'thank you'.

TBC