Eyes of Mist

Card Captor Sakura

Chapter Twenty

*starjade*

The Photoshop

1 1/2 Years Later...

Syaoran bent down and inspected his work carefully. The picture was perfect, he thought faintly as he scrutinized the photo.

After many, many takes he had finally captured the innocence of the model. She was standing near a lake, a simple white dress, only reaching to her knees but adding purity to the scene. She was looking back at them at an angle that was almost impossible to manage, and holding a single cherry blossom, however the bushes around her flowed with roses.


It had been a year and a half since he had left Hong Kong. Probably more, but he hardly kept up with dates these days. He lived in London, of course still a photographer. But his job was now more intricate, more skilled than those silly years he had spent in Japan and Hong Kong.

Every picture had to be perfect. Every picture had to radiate some sort of meaning.

He didn't contemplate what that meaning was.

He made a lot of money, but he stayed at a small apartment. He pretty much lived for his job. He was sent all over the world, but he never took jobs in Japan or Hong Kong. It was an old fear, that he tried to overcome, but he knew it was there, lurking behind his heart.

Sakura...that name seemed to be imprinted in his mind. Eriol and Sakura must be happily married by now, he thought. He didn't know how to control himself around her...so he had left. He had left for good.

He had gotten the marriage invitation of course. His butler had sent it to him, the only man who knew where he was. Wei was a trustworthy fellow and had told him that Eriol had questioned him more than once about Syaoran's whereabouts, but not once had Wei told Eriol.

Yet he didn't go. He sent a message of his own telling them he couldn't make it and asking for forgiveness. He had sent a present, a vase. It was filled with roses, but the design was a cherry blossom all over the vase.

It was his sign. His message. His meaning. Roses and Cherry Blossoms.

He painfully missed Eriol, but he knew this was for Eriol's own good. Once their marriage was even more established, he'd come back. Then he wouldn't be any trouble for Eriol and Sakura.

Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and remembered a familiar scene.

******

" Syaoran , are you ok?"

Syaoran swallowed. " Y-yah..."

Sakura smiled. "It seems like you were deep in thought...it took me a long time to get through to you.."

Syaoran coughed. " Wh-what are you doing here?"

Sakura chuckled. " I wanted to see what picture you chose for the cover. I heard it was a really good one , but Tomoyo never told me which model you chose."

You, Syaoran thought. I chose you..

Syaoran stared at Sakura and then looked away. " Look , I'm really sorry...for putting you in this mess..."

Sakura stared at Syaoran and smiled cheerfully. " Oh , don't worry about that , Syaoran. I forgave you a long time ago."

Syaoran looked down. " I still feel so guilty..."

Sakura leaned down in front of him and put her hand on his chin. " Don't feel guilty about it. Your a good friend to me, Syaoran and I'd never want to risk our friendship."

Syaoran felt a shock tremble through him at her touch and stared into Sakura's eyes. An emotion , unlike any before trickled down his spine as he felt his own , shaking hand rise to put it against her cheek. Sakura's eyes changed at the touch and her face seemed to be coming closer.

Uh oh...was the first thought that raced through his head as her lips touched his.

It was a gentle, soft kiss , but boy was it spectacular! It was a kiss that none of them ever experienced before , something that completed their body , mind and soul. Both of them didn't know what they were doing as the kiss grew deeper and deeper. Their lips knew each other and a warmth shot through Syaoran's body hitting his heart and filling that empty void. Softly , his tongue touched her lips and she opened her mouth accepting him....

But that was when reality shook them both out of their stupor.

Syaoran broke away from Sakura and stared at her , horrified. Sakura stared back at him and her eyes filled with tears.

" Oh my god...Syaoran , I am so sorry , I didn't mean to , I was just caught up in the moment , and oh..."

She got up quickly and whispered , " Please forgive me.."

Please forgive me..

Syaoran jerked out of his stupor as a person ran the front desk repeatedly. He had his own store, and it was annoying as ever when someone interrupted his work or his thoughts. He made his way to the desk and said coldly, " What do you want?"

The man asked, " How much for that photo over there?"

The man was pointing to one of the framed photos all over the store. Yet it wasn't just any other photo. It was the one of Sakura, holding the roses. She was on the cover of Tomoyo's magazine of course, but he had secretly taken one of the other photos he had taken of her.

" It's not for sale," Syaoran growled. " Anything else?"

The man pleaded, " Come on! I really need that picture! My friend was in here and he told me that he loved that picture and I wanted to buy it as a present. He's married and his wife just had her first child. Come on, please?"

Syaoran's resolve was slowly weakening, but he wouldn't show the man that. " I'm sorry, I will repeat, that picture is not for sale."

" I'll pay anything you ask for," The man said once more, not giving up. " He really wants that picture."

Syaoran eyes strayed to that picture. He knew why the man would want it. Sakura was so beautiful. It one shot, she showed everything that his models took twenty, thirty shots to show. A ray of innocence, a purity and a happiness that could not be seen anywhere else.

It was the only thing he had left of Sakura.

And the only way he could get over her was to give it away.

" A-Alright. You can have it," Syaoran finally said.

The man grinned and shook Syaoran's head gratefully. " Thank you so much mister." He paid quickly and then left, taking that framed picture with him. The empty spot on the wall hit Syaoran hard and he had to sit down quickly.

Sakura was gone, he reminded himself. Married. Probably expecting.

Stop thinking about her!

He rubbed his temples and groaned. Damn women. They always made life so hard!! He got up with a sigh and moved back to the dark room. Might as well get some more pictures developed. It'd take his mind of things...and a certain someone.

***************

" Where did you get this??" Eriol burst out, surprise clear in his face.

Levon surprised, said, " From a nearby photo shop. It's a pretty famous place, a lot of big people go there to hire the photographer. He's really good. He had that photo hanging on the wall. I know that your wife would appreciate it, so I bought it."

Eriol shook his head slowly in wonderment. " How did you get it? When a photo is hanging on the wall, that means its not for sale!!"

Levon grinned. " I told him that you saw it yourself and that you loved it and you really wanted the picture. He first said no, but he gave in eventually."

Eriol said under his breath, " What would this picture be doing in London? Sakura isn't a model and this picture was taken a long time ago..."

Levon shrugged. Levon knew very little of Eriol's life in Hong Kong. He knew that Eriol was adopted into a huge family and that he got married to a really nice lady. They had come to London for a vacation and his wife had just given birth to a kid.

They also had this catalogue from a year ago. When Levon saw a similar photo in that Photoshop, he knew that he needed to buy it for Eriol.

" So do you like it?" Levon asked.

Eriol shook his head, and laughed. " I love it! But you have to tell me where this photo shop is. I need to know."

Levon rose an eyebrow. " Okay...It's on the corner besides that foreign flower shop where you bought those cherry blossoms for your wife. Remember?"

Eriol thought for a moment and then grinned. " Okay! Tomorrow, my wife and I will go and see this person...the person who owns this photo shop. I need to know how he got that picture."

Levon's eyes widened. It was like some mystery or something. Why did Eriol need to see that cold person who owned that store? Really, he personally would have nothing to do with that guy. Eriol, however, seemed hell bent on seeing the owner and his wife seemed eager to see this man too, so it didn't really matter. He just hoped they would find what they were looking for.

********

Syaoran wiped the counter and laid out all the pick ups for the day on the desk. Trying not to look at the empty spot on the wall, he looked around the photo shop for something to do.

Everything was spotless. His photos were all done, he hardly had any sleep last night, for he had concentrated his whole night on finishing all of his jobs. He was done early and he had nothing else to do.

Suddenly the phone rang and he nearly leapt for the receiver. Almost breathlessly, he answered, " Hello, this is Little Wolf Photoshop, can I help you?"

" Hello!" said a girl's voice.

Syaoran sat down on his chair and said formally, " Would you like to order a photo job, or pick up some photos?"

The girl said, " Actually, I would like to order a photo job. My friend is having a birthday party soon and I'd love to have a professional come and take photos."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. A birthday. For goodness sakes. " Sure, where do you live?"

" I heard you do overseas," The girl said. " I live in Japan. Tomoeda, to be exact."

Syaoran froze. " Uh...can I get back to you?" He said, uncomfortably.

" Sure! I'll leave you my number!" The girl said cheerfully and rattled off her number before hanging up. Syaoran put the receiver down slowly. Japan? Tomoeda? God, he couldn't do this job!!

He went to the back room and picked up the rest of the photos, trying to busy himself. Tomoeda...the city seemed to haunt him and he groaned as he picked up the photos and laid them on the table. When he got out of the room, a baby carriage was in the middle of the room, a man staring at the photos on the wall.


Syaoran stared at the baby, who had dropped his rattle. The baby had blue eyes...really familiar blue eyes. Syoaran picked up the rattle for the baby and gave it to him. " Here." He said, trying to gentle out his gruff voice.


The baby giggled and the man turned around. Instantly, Syaoran and his eyes met. Syaoran's jaw dropped and so did the man's.

" Syaoran?" The man whispered.

Syaoran stared at him in shock. " Eriol??"

The man seemed to goggle at him for an hour before he strode across the room and hugged Syaoran quickly, thumping him on his back. " Syaoran!! God!! You were here all that time?? You bastard?? Why did you leave?? Everyone was all worried and crying and-"

Syaoran felt his eyes burn. His best friend..." God, Eriol, I missed you." Syaoran said, the sentimental words sounding strange on his tongue.

Eriol's eyes softened. " I knew it was you! When Levon, a guy I met here, bought me Sakura's picture, I knew that you must own this photo-shop! It's been, what, a year and a half?? Why did you leave?"

Syaoran shrugged. " I guess I needed some space to breathe. I wanted to go overseas, get some new customers, new jobs."

Eriol looked around himself, in awe. " You know, you are a wicked photographer. You really capture emotion in your pictures."

Syaoran shrugged, uncomfortably. " Yah, I guess."

Eriol looked back at him and then suddenly grinned. " Wait, I want to show you my kid. Look! His name is Kesijo. Kesi, for short."

Syaoran's eyes went back to the child, who was sucking on the rattle. Sakura's baby, he thought. " The kids beautiful.." Syaoran murmured and bent down, holding out a finger. The baby grasped his finger and smiled at him, those blue eyes twinkling.

" See, Kesi already likes you!" Eriol said happily. " This is your Uncle, Kesi. Uncle Syaoran!"

Syaoran grinned at the name but no matter what he could do, that heart of his had shattered even more. There was nothing left to break.

But this was okay. Sakura had Eriol and Syaoran trusted Eriol more than anything in the world.

" Sorry...sorry I couldn't come to the wedding," Syaoran said, looking down.

Eriol grinned. " It's alright. Besides- Oh, look, my wife is here!"

Syaoran's heart nearly stopped and he choked. " She's... She's here??" He stuttered.

Eriol grinned. " Yah, she just went to go get something from the flower shop next door. Hey, darling!" He cried as a woman entered the Photoshop.

Syaoran's eyes widened at the sight of the woman and the woman's eyes widened too.

" Syaoran?" She whispered. " Is it really you?"

a/n: HAAAY! The ficcy is ALMOST DONE! *dances* I lub all my reviewers, review this chappy too, aight? Tell me wat ya think of it!

see ya latez,

*starjade*