Picture Perfect
It was a dark and stormy night . . . actually, it was mid-afternoon, and really bright. It was Saturday, and both Sakura and Touya were out. I was sitting in the living room, trying to get some work done. But for some reason, my dream from the previous night kept coming back, eating away at the edges of my mind. I couldn't remember what it was about, exactly, I just knew that it was important.
Sighing, I leaned back and closed my eyes, and tried to relax. When I opened them again, I caught sight of a picture hanging on the wall. Smiling, I thought back to the day it was taken.
It had been another beautiful day, a Tuesday, this time. I couldn't recall the reason, but I'd had to go into Sakura's class that day. I believe I was the only person available as a substitute teacher.
It doesn't matter why.
While I was there, I was able to observe the going-ons at her school. Everyone seemed so happy, always laughing, always smiling.
At least, that's how it seemed. I see a lot more than many people give me credit for. I've always found that watching quietly from the sidelines is extremely effective in protecting something that can, if it wants to, run.
That day I spent in Sakura's class just made it easier for me to make sure she was really okay. Despite what everyone thinks, I worry more about her than her brother. Touya may be moody, and able to remember his mother's death. He may come across as a trouble child, but the truth is, he's not. He's stronger than anyone in our family. He can handle more.
He's feeling bad, and he'll be a crab for a while, but as soon as he feels better, he'll go about his life, much better off from the healing time that he went through.
Sakura I'm not sure about. She's always smiling, always making someone else feel better. But what about her? What if she helps everyone out, just so she can hide her pain, just so no one can see her suffering?
I know she can't remember much of her mother. I know it pains her. I know she wouldn't want anyone worrying about her, if she could help it. She cares so much about everyone else, sometimes I wonder if she has time for herself.
I see more than she thinks. I know that something's going on that she's not telling me, something that's made her stronger, better, more vulnerable. I know she sneaks away at night sometimes. She probably has something to with everything strange that's going on. Maybe it has something to do with that book I can't seem to find anymore. I'm not sure.
That day in class, I decided that Tomoyo and the two Chinese kids must know something I didn't. Tomoyo and Sakura have always been close, but something was different . . . and the two Chinese children . . . Sakura has always been one for making friends, but they were never anything more than people to talk to in the halls. I worried about that, too.
But, she seemed to be especially close to them, Meiling and Syaoran. Not a particularly friendly relationship, I noticed, but they were connected.
A chirping bird brought me back to the moment, still staring at that picture. Smiling, I thought about all the people in her class. A little unconsciously, I'll admit, I went back to my old game of matchmaking.
I allowed a moment of reminiscing as I remembered that Nadeshiko had been the only one in my class that year I had been unable to find the perfect match for. Everyone that I put together in my mind got together at some point, thanks to my subtle nudging.
That girl, Chiharu, was so funny. Every time that boy, what was his name again?, Yamazaki , told a lie, she would get so angry. I nearly laughed at the many times I saw her slugging the poor boy. Yes, they would make a good couple later.
Naoko, now she would be tricky. I studied the class picture for a moment, trying to decide, but it was difficult. She was a definite bookworm, there was no doubt about it, but she was also a cheerleader. An unusual combination . . . what about . . . no . . . my eyes were drawn to a boy standing slightly off to the side. If I remembered correctly, he had ben fairly quiet, almost an introvert, but he had plenty of friends. He wasn't extraordinary at anything in particular, just seemed to do fairly well at everything. Takeru. Perfect.
Rika I wondered about. When she passed a teacher in the hallway, I thought I could see a faint blush on her cheeks, like a crush she hadn't quite gotten over. I had no problem with a teacher-student relationship, but the age difference in this case was disturbing. I had no time to dwell on it, though, because it suddenly hit me who would work out well for her. Miyoko's loud personality would work perfectly with Rika's quiet one. I could tell he could be a little overbearing sometimes, but I knew that Rika's unwavering sweetness would be able to over come it.
Slowly, I went through everyone in my daughter's class. Some people I decided were waiting for someone out of that room, but I knew exactly what kind of person they would be.
Tomoyo was one of them. It still took me a while, though, trying to figure out what kind of person would work for her. At first, I thought that maybe someone slightly the opposite of her would fit, after all, she was best friends with my daughter. But I decided that it wouldn't work out. She needed someone with the perception she had, someone that could conceal things as easily, someone that could present a challenge to her. But he also had to have a 'mature aura' about him. He needed to be able to understand her, maybe even without her speaking.
Suddenly, an image of a young boy flashed in my mind. I felt connected to him somehow. . . but it was impossible that he was a relation. Blue-black hair, blue eyes, there was no way, right? But he seemed to fit. I didn't even know who he was, and here I was, deciding that he was the man for Tomoyo.
Meiling. I wasn't really sure about her. She was extremely headstrong, I could tell. It would take someone extremely strong to keep her down. In fact, I had a feeling that this time I wouldn't be able use the 'opposites attract' theory. I could almost see them together, fighting half the time, totally committed to each other the rest. They would have a very interesting relationship.
And last but not least, Sakura. Of course, being her father, I already had an idea of whom she should marry, but unfortunately, no one like that exists. I thought hard about it, this time not limiting myself to the boys in her class. I thought about what kind of a personality would work. Sakura, I knew, would marry anyone thinking she loved them, but she was fragile. She needed looking after. Or maybe she didn't. It was so much harder to think about my own daughter, that I shook my head and was about to resume my work, when I realized there was someone I had forgotten to include. Syaoran.
He was so hard to figure out. He seems so . . . serious. It looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. I can tell he cares about others, though, even if he won't admit it to himself. He's probably the type of guy that'll jump right into danger and risk his life for someone he doesn't know. If he made a promise, he would keep it. It would be hard to find someone that would be able to find someone that would put up with him, maybe even change him.
Of course. Sakura needed someone to watch over her, someone that wasn't so dense, something to keep her kite tied down. Syaoran needed to learn how to love, needed someone that would accept him unconditionally, someone to be the rainbow after the rain. It was perfect.
I chuckled. They way they acted in class, the most I could hope for was probably a good friendship, but you never know. It might just work out.
*~*~*~*~*~
I think back a lot to that day. It seems to stick out in my mind, so here I am again, looking at the same wall, the same picture, but this time, something is different. It's surrounded by many more pictures, all of them wedding photos.
Chiharu and Yamazaki. Naoko and Takero. Rika and Miyoko. Tomoyo and a blue-haired Eriol. Meiling and Kenji. And many, many others. The most recent of them was . . . Sakura and Syaoran. They have gone through a lot together. I know she will be safe with him, but more importantly, she will be happy. They look so good together, a picture perfect couple. But then again, what couple can look bad if they're truly happy?
A/N: So, what'd y'all think? This was just something that popped into my head. My thought is that Fujitaka probably saw a lot more than anyone gives him credit for. I thought it'd be fun if I did a one-shot on the coupling.
Just in case anyone was confused, the whole part where Fujitaka has that flash of Eriol, I thought it would be interesting to put that little twist in, because of the half reincarnation thing.
