Sakura stopped, running in front of them to open the door. "Who wouldn't be happy? After exams," she paused, "Chiharu's getting married!"
There was a collective *THUD* as three bodies fell to the ground…no, wait…five bodies…
~*~
"Free! Free! Kami-sama, we are FREE!" Gemmei spun around in circles, ecstatic.
"Hai, hai, we know. Exams were so difficult!" Sakura was laying flat on her back, just… breathing.
"No, Sakura, you made them difficult."
"Ume's totally right, you know. The both of us didn't work nearly as hard as you did, and we're both going to get a yu. I think. Um, if there were two hundred points on that last essay, and if yu is up to an eighty, then…" she stared hopelessly at her hands.
"Calm down, will you."
"Easy for you to say, you've done nothing but study the past week."
"Both of you need to relax. There's a huge margin for passing with a yu, you both know that. One hundred to eighty is twenty percent and that means you could have gotten forty points off, Gemmei." Ume lay back, eager to shift the topic off school. "Any plans for summer vacation?"
"Chiharu's wedding!"
Gemmei and Ume sweat dropped. Gemmei spoke up, "Well, we hope you feel better."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well… Syaoran's doing med, so he won't be out for another, what month and a half-ish?"
Sakura looked away, quiet. "I don't get your point."
Ume sat next to her, talking softly. "Sakura, I'm sure that whatever happened, he feels just as bad as you do. Please don't waste your vacation worrying about him; you really need this break."
Sakura took a deep breath, closing her eyes. When she opened them, she turned to her friends and raised one eyebrow.
"Do you know what happened?"
"Well, you wore the Li clan quai boi on your not-date with Li, if that's what you mean. Oh, shoot, let me guess. You didn't know that, did you?"
Sakura glanced, horrified, as Gemmei started smacking herself on her head and muttering. Ume continued in her vein, saying with a maturity that was her symbol, "Sakura, it's not as bad as it looks."
"Oh, it's not like I wore a wedding dress to a not-date. Oh wait, it is!" Sakura smiled superficially, then scowled at the ground.
"If you think about it that way, then it is… but do you really think he took it that badly? I mean, come off it, you don't know, he probably likes you and you're making a fool of yourself."
Sakura jumped as if electrocuted, looking at Ume as if seeing her for the first time. "What do you mean, he likes me? He likes someone else, I know he does, and it's not me, I can say for sure. Really, I know." She looked at Ume, calming down. "Well, although I can't say I agree, you are totally right. I really need this vacation, and you two do too. Oh!" Sakura glanced at her watch, wanting to smack herself. "Either of you feel up to a visit to my hometown? We'd have to leave soon to catch the jet, but I'm sure Tomoyo could host you… pretty please? You could always come back…"
Gemmei laughed. "Sakura. I have nothing to do for two months, and you're offering me a ride on a first-class jet, and a stay at a house that you've described as 'bigger then bigger than big'. What do you think, I'd say no?"
"No, but you might say, 'Oh, I'd be a bother'."
"Iie, Ume. I assure you Tomoyo has enough space to host all of you. I don't even want to count the number of times I've showed up there because onii-chan mysteriously locked me out."
The three girls quickly packed up their bags, meeting up afterwards and running towards the bus station located right outside campus. And from a window high up, a pair of brown eyes followed one figure all the way.
~*~
"Kaijuu!"
"Onii-chan?! Hoeee!" Sakura squealed as she spotted her brother in the airport.
"What are you doing here?"
"Going back home… Chiharu's wedding! You?"
If she wasn't mistaken, her brother looked away slightly before responding. "Oh, I just felt like visiting. What flight are you on?"
"Tomoyo's jet. Oh, gomen. Onii-chan, these are my two friends, Ohka Gemmei and Ii Ume. I'm sure I've told you about them…"
Touya smiled at them. "Konban wa. I'm supposing you're accompanying her because… Well, you'll love Tomoeda. Sakura, you should check Tskumine out. Kaho and little Kaho-chan have some wonderful ideas for Tanabata festival, but they need some help with the floating stars, um, special effects portion of it… Oh look, my flight's come in. It was very nice meeting you, and I hope to see you in Tomoeda."
"Oh, Onii-chan?"
"Hai?"
Sakura took a few steps towards her brother, enveloping him in a tight hug. Just before she released him, she stomped on his foot. Hard.
"Ouch! What was that for?"
Sakura smiled. "That's for calling me a kaijuu."
~*~
"Tomoyo! Finally!"
Tomoyo whipped around upon hearing her friend's voice. "Sakura! You came…oh, konban wa, Ii, Ohka."
"Call me Gemmei. Ano… Sakura said…" Tomoyo watched as she became flustered, looking at Ume for help.
"What Gemmei means – oh, call me Ume – is that Sakura invited us to her hometown for the wedding and for vacation, and although we don't mind staying in a hotel, we'd be very gracious if you could room us." She smiled slightly.
Tomoyo laughed. "And I'm sure Sakura entertained you with stories about my big, cavernous house with more rooms than I know what to do with, right? Sure, I don't mind. Knowing Sakura, she probably made you run off half-packed… Come on, Chiharu is going nuts. Sakura, remind me to never try planning a wedding even partially by myself. Oh, Ume," she walked closer to her, whispering in her ear, "everything's ready. Did you manage to pack…?"
"Yes, Gem and I managed to distract her long enough."
"Good. I can't believe I was that clumsy… but I needed to start working in my own lab, because the school one is shared…"
"I-we understand, Tomoyo."
"Arigato. Sakura," she raised her voice, "I made your half-kimono for the wedding, come see it!"
~*~
Between arranging flowers ("Chiharu, it's okay, I know…someone…who can get your flowers to you by this evening, if you wanted"), fixing catering ("What do you mean, she's allergic to lobster? Damn, Yamazaki, why can't you just flat-out lie for a change?"), items of clothing ("Are we all hiding in this closet because of Tomoyo and her *$^%& tape measure?"), and various mishaps ("The little bride and groom have disappeared! Help! Call the police!"), time flew by very fast.
"Tomoyo… can't… breathe…"
Sakura walked over and pulled at the lacing around Chiharu's waist, snickering. "Believe me, I know the feeling. Remind yourself next time to get fitted after dinner."
"Arigato…"
"Sakura! We have to get you fitted up!"
Sakura made to run, but stopped abruptly when she came face to face with a solid wall of black.
"Sata-san… please…"
"No can do, Kinomoto."
Sakura could almost swear that she smiled as Tomoyo came and dragged her to the pedestal.
"Now, for the bridesmaids, we have basically the opposite of the bride's dress. As you know, her dress is white with red decorations, so yours is red with white. And while hers is more of a western kimono, yours is more of a kimono, without a train." Sakura watched as she said all of this while shoving and pinning and sewing, and stepped back after a few moments. "Lovely."
"Really?"
"Yup! Now get out of it, you have to go pick up some more guests…"
Sakura groaned good-naturedly as she made her way out the door, grabbing her keys from the table. She turned around, opening the door and smacking solidly into someone.
"And good evening to you too."
Sakura looked up, and gulped. "Gomen, Syaoran."
"It's okay. Where are you off to?" He pointed at the keys.
"Oh, I have to pick up guests. I should really be going…"
"Could I come?"
Sakura looked up in surprise. "Why… Well, hai, I guess…" She started walking to the garage, acutely aware that he was walking behind her, watching her every move. Damn, why can't you just leave me alone?
The car ride passed in uncomfortable silence. Sakura glanced out of the corner of her eye every now and then at her passenger, and nearly always caught him staring at her. Finally mustering the courage to speak up, she cleared her throat.
"Look-"
"Listen-"
"Oh, you can go first." Sakura clenched the steering wheel in semi-relief.
"That's okay, you can."
"No, you can."
"I insist. You go."
"Just go!"
"Mou, Syaoran, you make life easy. I feel for your sisters."
"Hey! Don't bring them into this!" He smiled at her good naturedly, and Sakura found herself missing his company. Nothing is worth losing his friendship.
"Fine. We'll go at the same time."
"Effectively confusing us both."
"Shaddup."
"Don't get all touchy and moody with me! Please!"
Sakura made a noise of protest and batted him, swerving the car. "I resent that. Okay… one… two… three…"
She took a deep breath, felt him do the same, and-
"I'm sorry."
Sakura nearly crashed the car. Sorry? What did that mean? He liked the dress? He liked the symbolism? Don't get too far ahead of yourself. "It's okay."
"I should have told you immediately, about the dress. It would've been terrible if some reporter had been there, and then it would have been entirely my fault… Of course, I don't think your brother would let me live long enough to apologize."
"Would it have been such a bad thing?" Sakura nearly choked herself laughing at the look on his face. "Relax, I'm joking. But honestly, you'd have to enter some sort of protection agency. Or change your gender."
There was a pause, then both of them burst out laughing and the ice was officially broken and melted. The rest of the car ride passed smoothly.
~*~
"The flight should have already come a while ago… ouch… okay, just an hour." Sakura paid for the parking ticket and parked, shaking Syaoran awake.
"Wei-san… I don't have school… go away…"
Sakura rolled her eyes and dumped the rest of her water bottle on his head, smirking as he bounced up and started Kung Fu-ing the seatbelt. "Wake up, Syaoran, we're at the airport. And we're late."
"How late?"
Sakura grimaced. "Well, the flight came two hours ago… it had already landed when we left."
"Really? You should have called me, I could have brought them-no, I couldn't have."
"Why?"
"I teleported to my apartment, then drove to the Central Wedding Insane-ator. Wei's not there right now, or I would have had a ride and wouldn't be so sleepy…"
"Well, you got a nap."
"Very true."
"Chiharu said that all guests were instructed to go and wait at the domestic waiting room… Any idea where that is?"
Syaoran sweat dropped. "Well, I think the large neon sign in front of us is telling us that it's that big room to our right…"
"Shaddup." Sakura walked into the room, plopping down in one of the comfy sofas. "Oh… I'm so sleepy now, and it's barely ten."
Syaoran finished talking to a lady at the desk, sat next to her, and patted his shoulder. "Sleep on me, I've told the lady that we're waiting for any guests for the Mihara-Takashi nuptial, so we should be all set."
"You're so… organized… and," she yawned, "so…" Sakura felt herself falling, but just closed her eyes and put her feet up.
~*~
Syaoran jumped when Sakura's head fell into his lap and she grabbed his hand, putting it under her cheek. After a moment, he took his other hand and gently brushed a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. She looked so… peaceful and relaxed, clutching his arm and sleeping.
He gazed at her, and realised with a jolt that he wasn't only sleepy because of his teleport, but because there hadn't really been anyone to interrupt him while he had been working the last month. Life was really boring without her around, he mused, watching her side rise and fall slowly.
Rise… fall… rise… fall… rise… fall… rise…
Syaoran awoke with a jolt, staring around wildly and automatically assessing the situation. Signs of danger? None. Freedom of movement? Yes. Surroundings? Sofas, shops, indoor, lighting, one person sleeping in my lap. Signs of amne- wait, someone sleeping? Syaoran jumped once, then jumped again when he realised that he shouldn't be jumping with someone in his lap. A few panicked heartbeats later, he remembered why he was here with a sleeping Kinomoto Sakura in his lap.
"Sakura? Sakura?"
"G'away, Kero."
Syaoran moved back as she blindly swept the air around her. "Oi, Sakura, it's me, Syaoran. We're at the airport, remember?"
He watched as she turned, facing upwards, and eyed his face still half-sleeping.
"Syaoran, I love you, but I don't want to elope, I want otou-san to give his blessings." She turned back over, asleep once more.
Syaoran blinked furiously, trying to process what had just happened. Just half-asleep. Just half-asleep. "Sakura, we are at the airport trying to pick up guests for Yamazaki's wedding-" (He was about to add 'not ours', but decided that was too mean) "-and I have no idea how long I've been sleeping."
Sakura moaned and stretched a little, springing into a sitting position so fast that she nearly hit his head. "What do you mean, how long? What time is it?" She crossed her eyes, trying to read the watch on his hand.
"It's after ten thirty. Why?"
Sakura hit her head. "Damn, they'll have towed my car by now then. I really didn't want to have to pay fines for a while…" she stood up, digging into her back pocket, then the other. "Shoot… wallet."
"Here, I'll pay, you can pay me when we get back."
Sakura began to nod when her eyes opened wide. "No! Kuso! We can't… my license is in it! They won't let me take it, I don't have my insurance card or my license and they'll arrest me…"
"Calm down, let me try and bring the wallet here. It's that Tare Panda one, right? Where is it?"
"No idea… somewhere in my luggage."
"Can't hurt to try…" He put his hands together, closing his eyes and concentrating. "Wallet."
"Nothing happened. We're stuck here."
"No, we are not." He glared at his hands, bringing them together with a clap. "Wallet!"
Sakura waited with bated breath, then frowned and blinked hard as the world began to wobble… No wait, Syaoran was wobbling… She gasped as he fell backwards onto the couch.
"Daijoubu?! Syaoran?"
He moaned, shifting a little. "Hai… oh, I'm burnt out. I should have just waited for Yamazaki's ride."
Sakura was about to say something when a sudden idea struck her. "Syaoran… Chiharu offered you a ride?"
"Yes, but I told Yamazaki when I hit the airport that I didn't need it. Why? Oi, careful!"
Sakura stopped in the middle of smashing her head against a small table. "Yamazaki spent all day with his grandparents. None of us has heard from him. Tomoyo sent me because she had a master schedule of everything… get my drift?"
Syaoran groaned. "So you're telling me that I went with you to pick myself up?"
"Pretty much."
"And now we're stuck here without a car? Any taxis available?"
Sakura walked over to the desk and came back shaking her head. "Taxis after ten thirty are only available to people actually on flights. And since you already checked out, you don't count."
"…We're stuck here?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, let's go then."
"…Where?"
"To get a room. I need to sleep, or I'll faint again. My wallet's in the back pocket."
"Come along then…" Sakura levitated him slightly, smiling widely at the lady at the front desk, "Ano, I need a room for tonight."
"All we have is a Spartan room: one bed, bathroom with shower, table with one chair. Will you take it?"
"Hai, hai, here." Sakura shoved some money towards the lady and grabbed the key, frog-marching Syaoran to the room. Plopping him onto the bed, she leant against the wall. "Mou, you're heavy."
"…" (Sound someone can make when a shirt is muffling their head)
"What are you doing?"
"You aren't going to sleep in that, take my shirt." He flopped back, grabbing a pillow and a set of spare sheets.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Sleep."
"The bed's the other way."
"Where are you going to sleep?"
"I know where this is going. Absolutely no way. You are at almost zero magic, and you need the bed. I'll take the chair," she eyed the metal spindly thing, "or I'll sleep on the floor."
"Over my dead body."
Sakura raised a glowing hand. "We can arrange that."
Syaoran raised an amulet she knew all too well. "I highly doubt that."
"Syaoran, please…"
"Sakura, please…"
The two of them stared at each other, knowing that this would never lead anywhere conclusive. Then, to Sakura's surprise, Syaoran looked away and sighed.
"Fine, we'll sleep together."
"…Nani?"
Syaoran smiled wickedly. "I believe that I have you there…unless I'm mistaken, I doubt you can sleep on the floor comfortably without practice…so I take the bed, and you have to join me." Smiling, he fell back and burrowed under the comforter.
Sakura just stood there, blinking hard. Then, she turned and walked into the bathroom, coming back out wearing his shirt and taking the second pillow and sheets. She spread them out, eyeing the bed. "Can't sleep on the floor, he says. Well, I'll show him."
She sat down slowly, wincing as her body complained about relaxing on the hard floor. She shifted once, twice, thrice… Finally giving up, she sat up. Well, if he was right, she wasn't giving him the satisfaction of saying 'I told you so'. At least not right now. Making sure his eyes were closed, she slid beside him, facing the opposite direction.
"I told you so."
Sakura jumped, turning around to see him propping himself up on one arm and smirking. She tried to come up with some smart comeback, but was promptly distracted by the fact that he had, indeed, taken off his shirt and… damn… Pouting, she punched him weakly.
"Shaddup." She closed her eyes, turning away. A little while later, just before she fell asleep, she felt arms pull her backwards, surrounding her. She leant her head slightly backwards, snuggling closer to him. Relaxing, she drifted off.
~*~
Sakura knew she was awake, but refused to open her eyes. It was really too comfortable to wake up; her bed was warm and breathing as it held her in its arms… Wait, breathing? She started, and her bed went stiff.
"Ouch."
Sakura nearly screamed, jumping up. "Syaoran! What… where am I?"
"It's the airport room. Remember?"
"Oh. Yeah. What time is it?"
"It's around nine thirty."
"W-we should call Tomoyo. She's bound to be worried."
"Good point."
Sakura watched as he meandered into the bathroom, guilt running through her body. She had slept in the same bed as Syaoran. She had slept in the same bed as Syaoran. She had slept in the same bed as Syaoran.
Boy, I'm a great friend. Hi Ume, I slept in the same bed as your man. Hope you don't mind.
"Blah blah blah, dial 0 for operator… Yes, hello, I'd like to speak to Tomoyo please. Kinomoto Sakura. That's weird-" she looked at him as he came out of the bathroom, "-the lady seemed really rushed. Oh, Tomoyo! Hi!"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HI?! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WE HAVE BEEN OUT OF OUR HEADS WITH WORRY! YOUR BROTHER IS READY TO GO MURDER SOMEONE, AS ARE BOTH OF YOUR GUARDIANS, WHO ARE LYING SEDATED IN THE CELLAR! MY MOTHER HAS CHARTERED EVERY TV STATION, AND WORST OF ALL, I THOUGHT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE OUR PRINCIPLE BRIDESMAID!"
Sakura pulled the phone away from her ear, glancing at the television, and flinched as a small picture of her and Syaoran appeared at the bottom of every channel, along with a small scrolling marquee offering obscene amounts of money for a safe return.
"Tomoyo, we're okay. If you had checked your schedule, you might have realized that you sent me to pick up Syaoran, who teleported himself to your house, so I basically didn't do anything useful, and then I didn't have my wallet so I couldn't get my car back after it got towed and Syaoran burnt himself out trying to get it so we had to rent a small airport hotel room for the night. We. Are. Okay."
There was a sharp exhale from the line. "Good. Why didn't you call my security offices? Oh, never mind. I convinced Sata to go pick you up, so hurry and find her before she decides that she's been away from me for too long and come hurtling back. And don't worry about the car; someone will bring it. You do realise that the wedding is in three days, right? And today all of us are going to our bachelorette party?"
"Yes, Tomoyo."
"THEN HURRY UP!"
Sakura flinched as the phone slammed down with enough force to shatter cement. "I think that means we go. Now."
A mute nod was her only reply.
~*~
One bachelorette party later (or A Way to Financially Secure Yourself: Take Incriminating Pictures of Rich Heiresses Doing Strange Thing While Drunk), the wedding day had arrived. Or, All Hell Had Broken Loose. Or Some Sort of Mad Traffic Jam with Tomoyo as the Police From Hell.
"We are behind schedule, people! Let's MOVE! Flowers have arrived, Chiharu. Yes, I'm quite sure, for the TWENTY-THIRD time. No, I don't remember where from, but we have flowers, and they have been already placed. Shoo! The speech? How's the speech coming along?"
Sakura rushed forward, harassed. "Everyone has gone over their parts, but we need your part too! We can't practice without your middle section!"
"It'll be okay, just practice without me. What? What do you mean, we only have one hundred twenty-nine trays of appetizers? I asked for one hundred THIRTY! Where is the chef? Oh, it's you? Where's my last tray? Hmm? HMM?"
Sakura backed away slowly…
"SAKURA, YOUR HAIR! HAS IT BEEN BRUSHED FIFTY TIMES? IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE IT! IT ONLY LOOKS LIKE FORTY-THREE! WHERE IS THAT HAIRDRESSER?!"
"Tomoyo, it's okay. No one can tell the difference between forty-three and fifty, and everything will be ready on time. Zettai daijoubu." Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as the area around Tomoyo glowed for a second, calming her down. Then she glanced at her watch, and exploded again.
"All bridesmaids should be applying foundation in three minutes, and the principle one is standing around, after her hair has only been combed FORTY-THREE TIMES! Come on, people, we have to MOVE! ALLEZ!"
Sakura walked willingly into the official makeup stand, willing to take her chances with the semi-high make up artist… Tomoyo had broken down and started talking in rapid fire French.
"Ma cherie madamoiselle, it gives me great pleasure to work on your exquisite face! Now, I was thinking maybe a light pastel background, with multi-tone faceted eye crème with touches of gold eye shadow to contrast the lovely shade of your dress. Then we'll move to your eyelashes, and there we'll be dealing with singular, triplet, and full sets of fake eyelashes, each of which gives a separate overall finish. Then I'll brief you on eyebrows, cheeks, lips, shine control, toning, before we send your off to that irresponsible hairdresser to finish your strokes and start with the up curling." The man smiled at her, and Sakura couldn't take it anymore.
"HOOOOEEEEEEEEEE!"
~*~
All in all, it hadn't been bad. After all, she had spent nearly six years of her adolescent life ignoring the fact that some people spent time and money to make themselves look good. So, technically, she deserved it. And it had only been the third time in two months that someone had forced her to endure countless horrors and smeary things on her face.
Actually, it had been disastrous, ghastly, unnerving, flat-out horrid and a whole list of words she'd rather not say in public any time soon. At one point, Tomoyo had threatened to bring in the bodyguard ladies to forcibly restrain her to her seat after the poor hairdresser messed up the fifty steady combings for the seventh time. And then she had sat back, flattening the precariously perched mound of hair on her head and forcing her to endure torture all over again.
Sakura sighed. In the end, anything and everything became trivial and worth it as the wedding ceremony commenced. She probably would never be able to accomplish all that Tomoyo had done to give Chiharu her dream wedding, and made a mental note to get Tomoyo as her wedding planner.
Despite Tomoyo's panicking, everything went off without a hitch. The flower girls, Chiharu's two nieces, had paraded down the aisle, forgetting to throw flowers, then turned around, nearly sent the ring flying, and went down again. The procession of the bridesmaids and best men was uneventful, besides Eriol holding his not-quite daughter up as she repeatedly fell on her stilettos, despite numerous balancing charms. And then the bride herself… accompanied by the changing of the Escort of the Bride, since no one had been able to determine which of the three Mihara brothers was to accompany their sister.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, we would like to present a speech prepared by the original students from Tomoeda Elementary School for the Gifted! Please give them a hand, Kinomoto Sakura, Li Syaoran, Hiiragizawa Eriol, Yanagizawa Naoko, Daidouji Tomoyo, and Sasaki-Terada Rika! Chiharu? Why are you going up there?"
Sakura smiled from the stand, clenching her sweaty palms. So many people… She smiled as Eriol started. Wait…
Eriol wasn't supposed to start.
"Yamazaki, I've been your friend for a long time. Tomoyo, I've been Chiharu's friend too. And I-we don't think it's fair if all of us continue living this lie. Yamazaki, Tomoyo, I love Chiharu, and she loves me." He turned and put a protective arm around Chiharu.
Sakura covered her mouth with her hand, trying to process what had just happened. Sakura gasped with the audience as Yamazaki stormed up to the front of the stage and punched Eriol in the jaw, and then as Tomoyo turned to Chiharu and just stared, out of words for the first time in her life.
"Kami-sama, could this be true? Naoko…" Sakura turned to her friend, bewilderment written on every one of her features.
"Sakura… I think so…"
Sakura turned to the audience, her face in an expression of horror. The three Mihara brothers were about to storm down the aisle, Yamazaki's grandparents had fainted, Nakuru was blinking furiously, and Spinel had popped out of Nakuru's purse. The only person who didn't seem ruffled was Terada-sensei, who just shook his head, laughing.
Matte matte matte matte… is this…
Rika stepped up to the microphone, smiling. "I'd like to say right now that you've all just witnessed the last official lie by the Tomoeda Elementary class. It was Hiiragizawa and Takashi's idea, or course, so don't be worried by that punch…"
Sakura sweat dropped. "Mou, was I the only one not clued in about this?"
Eriol turned to her, trying hard not to smile. "My dearest Sakura-san, we don't clue you into many things, simply because it will be… better this way. Now, if we can actually give our speech…"
Rika nodded. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin, so if you could start reviving yourselves and blinking at normal rates, that would be nice… Okay.
"I've known Chiharu and Yamazaki most of my life. I can honestly say that I have never met a more different couple. They are the perfect example for the age-old saying 'opposites attract'. Well, in this case, opposites attracted for eighteen years as we looked on. For eighteen years, us girls listened to Chiharu moan about Yamazaki, and I'm willing to bet that Yamazaki complained about as much. Or maybe not, he probably was extremely frank, since it took us years and years to get Chiharu to admit her feelings. However, I would put forth all that effort for a second time in a heartbeat. It was worth every second as I see the newlyweds sitting there, in martial bliss. Congratulations."
Syaoran walked up next, nervously unfolding a well-worn piece of paper.
"I can't say that I've known either of these two wonderful people all my life, but I can say that the minute I came in, that day so long ago, both of them took me in as their own immediately. Even though I might not have given the perfect first impression, it didn't matter. Mihara and Yamazaki are both kind, loving people, and I envy their children for being born into such luxury. I," he frowned, looking at his script, "am hardly the master when it comes to relationships, but even I can tell that they will live very happily ever after. Congratulations."
"That was really good." Sakura smiled at him as he came off the platform, shaking.
"Someone changed my script…"
Sakura peeked over, noting the slender, tilted handwriting. "I know that handwriting! That's Tomoyo's!"
"What's she doing, changing my script?"
Sakura shrugged, putting a finger to her lips as Tomoyo took the stage.
"Originally, I had a beautiful and original speech all planned out for this moment, but instead, I decided to do what I do best. Show you one of my videotapes." She made a signal with her hand, and the lights dimmed as a video with TD™ camera angles and TD™ background music started playing.
Sakura smiled as the camera panned and recorded a scene of Chiharu and Yamazaki sitting around a small table shaped like a quarter-circle, a scene of them talking, eating ice cream together… Sakura sighed. It was so obvious that they were made for each other. Their carefree demeanour, endless flirting…
Mou, I'm getting all sappy like Ume. All too soon, the video ended and Sakura found herself clapping with the audience.
"Wasn't that so sweet? It's so obvious that they're in love, isn't it Sakura?" Tomoyo smiled at her, and Sakura deadpanned,
"O-of course. Any blind fool could see that these two are made for each other, and the video just proves it. Doesn't it, Syaoran?" Sakura turned to him, smiling, and noted with shock the horrified look on his face. "Nani?" she mouthed, and he just shook his head silently, pointing to the screen again. Sakura turned back, confused. It was just a normal scene of Chiharu and Yamazaki dancing, with Yamazaki dipping Chiharu… although it did look somewhat familiar, like déjà vu.
"It's pretty obvious that both of them," Chiharu walked up onto the platform again, "are absolutely right. Marital bliss, ecstatic, these words barely break the tip of the iceberg. Come to think of it, I have absolutely no clue why these speeches even exist. It's simply not possible to describe the feeling of complete happiness that a bride feels on her wedding day," she smiled, and Sakura noted that the speech seemed somewhat planned, and that wasn't right… Tomoyo had sprang the video on them at the last second…
What was going on?
"But no, wait. This isn't complete happiness, because I have one thing weighing heavily on my mind. Besides the cliché that I can't be happy unless all of my friends are happy, the fact is that…" She looked out at the audience, her chest rising and falling almost comically, as she said:
"I despise sukiyaki."
Sakura's mouth fell open. What the...?
"So the simple fact is, why would I be in a restaurant that specialises in sukiyaki?"
Sakura watched as Chiharu's hand moved in slow motion to the screen, where Chiharu and Yamazaki were morphing right in front of her eyes. Yamazaki was becoming taller, his black hair lengthening and turning brown as his eyes changed from a dark brown to an amber hue… Chiharu's hair was coming out of its curls and falling around her shoulders, lightening as her eyes grew hazel, then green…
And then, right in front of her, Sakura was watching a video of Syaoran and her dancing at Imari.
She shook her head slowly, not looking at Syaoran as the feeling of déjà vu intensified until she realized that the video of 'Chiharu and Yamazaki' she had just watched, just praised and talked about, was footage of her and Syaoran all throughout the last weekend. And then the video shifted to a scene she knew well.
Syaoran was reassuring her that he'd always be there for her-
(How did she do this?)
He had her hand in his-
(And we look so good together…)
And they were leaning closer to each other-
(I was so close, I could have still been his friend after all that happened)
…In the corner of her eye, she could see him slowly stand.
And then she couldn't take it anymore.
She ran out of the hall.
~*~
Sakura sat on her bed, openly sobbing. She heard a knock on the door, and wiped the tears away.
"Go away, I don't want to talk to you, whoever you are." Her voice cracked, wavering between defensive and completely destroyed.
"Sakura, please just let me come inside and talk to you. I can explain everything-"
"Go away, Tomoyo! Haven't you done enough damage for the rest of my life?"
Sakura immediately felt sorry, but still refused to open the door. She heard a sharp exhale from outside.
"If you honestly feel that way, I won't stop you. I'll be downstairs if…if you need me."
Sakura cringed at the obvious hurt in her voice, but forgot it in a moment. Does she not get what she's done? It's my worst nightmare brought to life, only two years ahead of time. Flinging herself onto her pillow, Sakura continued bawling her heart out.
A soft light filled the room, reaching her sore eyes. Sniffling, she sat up, looking around.
"What the…?"
"Sakura-chan…"
Sakura whirled around and nearly fainted as Kinomoto Nadeshiko smiled at her. "'Kaa-san… what are you doing here? And why can I see you?"
"Because I'm on duty for broken hearts, and I simply received you as a charge."
"Well, I'm sorry if you expected me to be all happy to see you, but now's really not the best time to come and tell me that I'll be able to move on. Maybe in an hour?" Sakura hiccoughed, half-horrified that she was speaking like this to her mother and half-irritated that her mother would choose now to visit her.
Nadeshiko smiled at her, and came forward, enveloping her daughter in what felt like jumping into a pile of warm laundry. Sakura cried a little longer, feeling better already, until she could sit and talk to her mother without breaking into tears every few seconds. In a little while, they were in a heated discussion of the world after death.
"Then what did grandmother do?" Sakura sat back, interested in this person who had somehow raised her mother. She'd never knew, but her mother was quite the floor performer.
"Well, 'kaa-san was all extremely angry because she couldn't visit you like I could, and I told her that if she did, Touya-kun would probably find some way of banishing her. He never liked her much… after all, she was the only one who openly disliked him, and he just, well, bounced it back." Nadeshiko smiled at her daughter, who looked confused.
"How can you be so nice to her, after all she did? I mean, respect for the dead aside – you're dead too – she was so mean!"
"Sakura-chan, have you not understood even this by now? Anger and grudges aren't worth the pain that they give the one who holds them. Mou," she glanced at the sky, looking like her daughter, "all those good angel lessons are washing off onto me after all these years. You know very well that no man will come between you and Tomoyo, not even the one that you love."
Sakura looked away before she spoke. "Please, not you too. I don't like him. He likes someone else, and I've levelled with myself."
"You can fool your mind, but never your heart."
"I. Will. Not. Like. Li. Syaoran."
"Just admit it for me."
"Admit what?"
"Please, Sakura?"
Sakura looked at her mother. "What good will that do?"
"You need him, admit it. He's your best friend in an entirely different way than Tomoyo, and you need him. Matters of the heart should not be kept a secret, least of all to an otomodachi."
Sakura stared at her mother for a long, hard second. Then, she exhaled and said, "Fine. Fine to all of you. Yes, I know that great-grandfather and the rest of you are staring at me. I love Li Syaoran, I've loved him ever since… Well, I suppose ever since he accepted me as his friend, all those years ago. I love him. And I suppose I always will. Is that good enough?" Sakura turned to her mother.
"It will be," she replied, waving her hand and disappearing as Sakura heard a small *click* behind her. Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned around, knowing what she'd find behind her. Clamping her lips shut, she made a weak motion with her hand to come in.
She knew he was there, right behind her, and she found herself counting blinks to keep composed.
One…
Two…
Three…
Interesting, the minute you concentrated on your blinking, you became complete master of the frequency.
"Ano-"
"I want-"
Sakura stopped, still facing the other direction. "Iie, you go first."
Please don't ask me, please don't ask me...
"Sakura, I… actually, I wanted to… didyoumeanwhatyoujustsaid?"
"Nani?" It was all she could do to stay in one piece.
"Did… did you mean what you just said?"
Sakura looked down, unable to meet the question in his eyes.
"…Worst of all Syaoran still not knowing exactly where he'll continue med school… I'm scared, Kero, I can't work alone…"
"Sakura, get over it and admit Li likes you, and you like him… and that you've liked each other since sixth grade!"
Syaoran, shaking his head silently and watching the screen in horror.
"Matters of the heart should not be kept secret, least of all to an otomodachi."
Otomodachi…
Otomodachi…
"Otomodachi," Sakura began, her voice picking up volume and strength, "you are my otomodachi. And I can't keep lying to you or myself any longer. Li Syaoran, I love you. Always have, and… maybe even always will. I don't want you to think that you have to love me back, because I know you don't, and I know you like Ume, but I need to tell you. And… now I have." Sakura stood up and made her way to the door when Syaoran spoke up.
"You're bloody dumb."
Sakura spun around, tears filling her eyes. After all this that…after I just honestly told him how I feel…how could he? How could he?
"You absolute thick moron. How could you think, for even a split second, that I could ever, in this or any other lifetime," he stood up, the expression on his face unreadable, "how could you ever think I could like Ume?"
Sakura felt as if the world were handing her a chance, and it was just there, right beyond her reach… If she could just grab it… "You stayed by her side all the time when she got hurt, even though you knew I was injured more." She felt silly, as if she were accusing him of taking the last piece of cake.
"Well, excuse me. Not only was she the first person I saw fall, but also she doesn't have an auto-healing mechanism like you do. And… how do you know I was watching her? Ask Tomoyo or Eriol, I was… well, it sounds stupid now."
Sakura gulped and shook her head. "You like Ume. You said the girl you liked had brown hair and expressive eyes and a nice personality and-"
And what, she didn't know, because all she knew right now was that he had bent down and his lips were on hers, and she was actually kissing him, and he was kissing her back… Damn to whatever Dear Koi-chan had thought, this was heaven…
She broke away with a slight shudder, her eyes still closed. "I'm…I'm dreaming. Pinch me. Ow! I'm not dreaming." Sakura smiled, a true smile, for the first time in a while.
"Sakura… I love you too. I always have. And I suppose I always will." He smiled, bending down again when he was interrupted by a huge whoop from outside. Frowning, he waved at the door, which opened, spilling a whole crowd of people onto the floor. "What the hell…?"
Tomoyo looked up from the bottom of the heap, grinning weakly as she held up her camera. "Ano… congrats?" She might have continued, if someone hadn't exploded.
"Onii-chan! Yukito! Even Terada-sensei! Chiharu, Yamazaki, Rika – be careful of the baby –, Nakuru, Naoko, 'tou-san," she eyed two stuffed toys hanging out of her father's pockets, "Tomoyo, Eriol, and the rest of you… get out! Out! Out! All of you! NOW!"
With surprising meekness and speed, every single one of them managed to untangle him/herself and scramble down the stairs, until the hallway was clear and Sakura had stopped seething. When the door had closed to blissful peace, she spun around, smiling.
"Now where were we?"
~*~ Epilogue ~*~
(*a few hours later*)
"So… so… so… I dare any of you to say what."
Sakura paced in front of a gathering of people, spinning a small chain with a pendent that was making half of them very nervous, and the other half nervous because the other half was nervous.
"We're very sorry, Sakura-chan." Rika was the only one that seemed mildly calm.
"Oh, it's okay for you, you have your little one…" She glared at the rest of them, "but you are not getting let off."
"But Sakura-sama-"
"Don't 'Sakura-sama' me. Why were you all here? Let me guess… Tomoyo came up with this idea, made all of you agree to come, and videotaped me all throughout my first term of junior year."
*Mute nods*
"And then you all were basically here to see me embarrass myself?"
*Slower mute nods*
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
*Nods accompanied by smiles*
Sakura watched them suspiciously. She knew Tomoyo and Eriol too well; they had probably anticipated this and arranged something…
"Well then, say it…"
"Nyahh! It worked!"
The whole lot of them laughed, gradually dispersing as Sakura started to stamp her feet in irritation.
"They always get the better of me, no matter what I do… I will get them-mmm." She stopped, as Syaoran came behind her and grabbed her by the waist, put his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "Oh, let it be. We do owe them a favour, you know. In the meanwhile, there's a nice spot in the park where you can watch the sun set…"
She was about to agree when a very loud voice interrupted.
"OI, GAKI, GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF MY IMOUTO!" Touya strode forward and picked up Syaoran by his collar, showing off his seven extra years of working out. That was, until, "Itai! Why'd you do that?"
"'Nii-chan, get a life." Smirking, she grabbed a stunned Syaoran by the arm and dragged him off.
~*~
Sakura sat in front of her computer, answering her letters for a change as the hands played ping-pong with each other. She scrolled through her inbox, searching, searching, searching…
"Ah-hah! The last one!" Sitting back, she started reading Syaoran's last letter to Tomoyo, who was sitting in a corner reading.
"'Dear Koi-chan. Success! Well, actually I didn't do anything, it was all my friends… Still, I finally told her, and that's the important thing. You were absolutely right; she did think I liked someone else. I have to admit, the evidence against me was incriminating since I never talked to her.' Oh, Tomoyo, that reminds me. Syaoran said something about that night that I got attacked? He was doing or not doing something?"
Her friend chuckled, still reading. "Sakura, although you saw differently, Syaoran actually stayed up most of the whole night by your side, giving you bursts of magic every now and then, even though it was clear – even to me – that you didn't need it. I suppose the first time he left your side was just before the both of you got up, because I called him to make sure he went to bed at some point. There, I bet you feel like a right idiot now, don't you? Always glad I could help."
Sakura scowled at her friend, then continued reading. "'You're a gem, Koi-chan, and I don't know how to thank you. Maybe I could take you out for dinner, or mail you something ridiculously expensive? I can't thank you enough'. And then about a paragraph of differently worded 'thank yous'."
"Oh, get the ridiculously expensive thing."
"Tomoyo! No, hear this. Ano… 'I'm glad to hear about your gain, and I'm happy to have helped…' some cheesy advice on birthdays and anniversaries-"
"-Make sure to put in that expensive gifts are nice-"
"What is it with you and expensive gifts? Never mind, just feel the sap on this one: 'I don't want anything, it's enough for me that you've found true love'."
"Sakura, you are becoming dangerously romantic."
"Speaking of romantic, I have a dinner date…" She turned off the PC and twirled out of the room, humming to herself.
"Dinner date? Did I hear you correctly?"
Sakura groaned, knowing what would come next.
"Clothes!"
*THUD*
~* The End *~
A/N: Wow…it's finished. Don't blame my beta, this has been finished almost a week, I just kept forgetting to update it. But now it's up, and I want some reviews.
Thank yous:
SweetCherryBlossom – thank you for your review! Nice to know someone appreciates the plot as much as the characters!
KawaiinessPnay – I'd love to know what your name means at some point. Yay, you reviewed a lot! I hope you understood about the dress…
Amazonian Anime Queen – my betaed. Keep writing!
Naima – you even have me on your favourite author's list! I'm so touched!
Semmerie – you too! Continue writing, I want to see which one (of Firey and Watery) wins!
lonewolf 00 – you don't have a ff.net profile, so I can't review you back! Thanks for reading anyhoos.
-AND-
My beta, Chen Marie Derige, who has been awesome all through this. My writing is a hundredfold better for her advice and patient beta-ing, and I am eternally grateful. Oh, and for convincing me that everyone needs a beta. That quote is sheer brilliance; I think I'm going to steal it.
Thanks again to anyone who reviewed! Until next time (which will be soon),
wicherwill ^_^