A/n: I'm alive! And I have finished this story! I am so sorry for the length of time in between updates. I've had writer's block, computer problems, papers for school, work, and life in general to deal with. Plus I haven't felt much like writing lately. But I have finally finished the story. It's been nearly two years since I started 'Remembrance' and it's done. I'm kinda sad but happy, seeing as this is the first story I've ever finished. 2 years and 48 pages later, and it's done. Okay, enough of my rambling. Once again I am so sorry for how long it has taken me to update. Please forgive me! bows and grovels at readers feet I hope I still have some readers left. Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed. Every time I saw I new review I was so happy! So thank you all so much. Thanks to everyone who stuck with me through this story, even though it was updated so irregularly. Thank you all so much!!! Please read and review and enjoy!!
Warnings: shonen-ai, mild lime (hence the increase in the rating), swearing, and some sappy moments.
A/N 2: I hope the mild lime scene in here isn't too bad. It's my first attempt at writing anything like it!
Last Chapter...After an hour or so of fitful sleep, Eriol forced himself to get out of bed and carefully made his way downstairs to see if Syaoran had left. Entering the living room, Eriol spotted Syaoran asleep on the couch and slowly made his way to him. Eriol carefully maneuvered himself onto the couch and into Syaoran's arms, where he fell asleep with in minutes.
Chapter 8 (or Chapter 7b)
When Syaoran woke up a couple of hours later, he was laying on his back with Eriol curled up next to him, his head tucked under Syaoran's chin. Syaoran sighed and gently stroked Eriol's hair. "I always manage to hurt you, don't I angel?" Syaoran murmured softly. "I don't know why you put up with me."
"Because I love you, even if you are stupid at times," Eriol said sleepily as he blinked up at Syaoran and smiled softly.
"I'm sorry Eriol. I shouldn't have said what I did," Syaoran apologized.
"I know," Eriol replied. "I forgive you. Just don't do it again.
Syaoran nodded and leaned down to kiss his boyfriend. "Ai shiteru tenshi," he said when the kiss broke.
"Love you too, koi," Eriol said in reply, snuggling close to his boyfriend and lifting his face up for another kiss.
Syaoran pressed his lips to Eriol's and held him tightly. He broke the kiss after a few moments to trail kisses across Eriol's jaw and down his neck.
Eriol tilted his head back to give Syaoran better access to his neck. "Mmm... Syaoran...feels good," he mumbled as Syaoran nipped and kissed a trail down his neck.
Syaoran kissed his way back up Eriol's neck and pressed his lips to his boyfriend's again. Eriol sighed into the kiss and parted his lips under Syaoran's. Syaoran pushed his tongue into Eriol's mouth and a brief battle for dominance, which Syaoran won, began.
Eriol moaned as Syaoran's tongue mapped the inside of his mouth and he reached up to tangle his hands in Syaoran's soft brown hair.
Eriol broke the kiss a few minutes later when Syaoran's hands slid under his shirt and up his chest to tease his nipples. "Nnnnhh...Oh God...Syaoran..."
Syaoran pulled away long enough to divest himself and his boyfriend of their shirts. After he had rid them of their shirts, Syaoran pressed himself against his lover and kissed him again. As their tongues dueled, Syaoran slid his hands down Eriol's chest, gently caressing the sensitive flesh and causing Eriol to moan into the kiss.
Eriol suddenly broke the kiss and pushed Syaoran off of him. "Wha-" Syaoran started to say but was cut of as Eriol pushed him back onto the couch and straddled his hips. He pressed a gentle kiss to Syaoran's lips before he pulled away and began to kiss a trail down Syaoran's chest.
Syaoran moaned and arched up, tangling his fingers in Eriol's long hair, when his boyfriend closed his lips around his nipple. He bathed the nub of flesh with his tongue and nipped at it gently with his teeth. Eriol carried on like that for a few minutes before moving to give Syaoran's other nipple the same treatment before he kissed and licked and nipped his way down Syaoran's chest and stomach, down to the top of his jeans. Eriol looked up at Syaoran and smirked before unbuttoning and unzipping his boyfriend's jeans and pulling them, along with his boxers, down his legs. Once Syaoran's jeans and boxers were off, Eriol looked up at his boyfriend, eyes glowing with lust and love, and then buried his face between Syaoran's thighs.
Sakura and Tomoyo...
After getting something to eat the two girls went back to Sakura's house, instead of Tomoyo's, and collapsed on Sakura's bed. "You know," Sakura said after a few minutes, "Syaoran's a complete and utter idiot sometimes."
Tomoyo sighed. "You're right," she agreed. "Hopefully he can figure out a way to make it up to Eriol."
"Yeah," Sakura said. "I really hope this doesn't get out of hand. I don't want them to break up over something like this."
"Me either," Tomoyo agreed. The two girls sighed and went back to staring at the ceiling.
After an uneventful twenty minutes, Sakura sat up. "Let's go downstairs and watch a movie or something," she suggested. "We can go over Eriol's after it's over."
"Okay," Tomoyo agreed.
The two girls went downstairs and made some popcorn and got some drinks and the settled down on the couch. Sakura grabbed the TV remote and began flipping through the channels, trying to find something to watch. She stumbled across a Fruits Basket marathon and the two girls became so engrossed in the show, they didn't even notice Kero and Yue joining them, or Sakura's dad returning home.
"I love Fruits Basket!" Sakura sighed happily when the last episode ended.
"Me too," Tomoyo agreed. "Shigure and Ayame would make such a cute couple!"
"Hai!" Sakura squealed excitedly, "and Yuki and Haru, too!"
"Ah, I see you've finally returned to the land of the living," Kinomoto Fujitaka said, smiling at his daughter and her best friend.
"Tousan!" Sakura cried, jumping up from the couch and hugging her father. "I didn't know you were coming home today."
"I got back about an hour ago, but I've got to run to the University for a little bit. I'll be home in a couple of hours though," Fujitaka said.
Sakura grinned up at her dad. "Okay! Tomoyo and I are going to go over Eriol's for a little while," she said.
"Alright. I'll see you when you get home then," Fujitaka said, smiling at his daughter.
"Ja Tousan!"
"Sayonara, Kinimoto-san"
"Ja ne Sakura, Tomoyo."
Sakura grabbed her keys and the two girls headed for Sakura's car. "I hope they've made up by the time we get there," Sakura said as she started the car.
"Me too," Tomoyo agreed.
"If not, I'm gonna hurt Syaoran for being so stupid!"
Tomoyo laughed and shook her head at her best friend's antics.
The ride to Eriol's house was uneventful and the two girls arrived at Eriol's quickly.
"Well, we're here. Hopefully they won't be at each others throats," Sakura said as she pulled into Eriol's driveway.
"Yes, me too," Tomoyo agreed as they got out of the car. "I wonder if perhaps we should have brought Yue and Kero for backup, or maybe the Sakura Cards."
"I hope it won't come to that," Sakura said. "If we have to we could hit them over the head with a couple of those big vases Eriol has."
Tomoyo laughed. "Yes that would knock some sense into them, after they woke up, that is."
Sakura grinned and rang the doorbell. The two girls waited for a few minutes and when no one answered Sakura shrugged and tried the door. It was unlocked so the two girls let themselves in.
"I wonder where they are," Sakura murmured as she and Tomoyo walked into the kitchen. Sakura set her keys on the counter and the two girls walked down the hall and into the living room, only to stop dead in their tracks in the doorway.
"Oh my," Tomoyo murmured.
Sakura just blinked.
They had just walked in on a very...ahem...intimate moment between their friends.
A moan from one of the boys snapped them out of their shock and the two girls quickly made their way back to the kitchen.
"I think I've been scarred for life," Sakura announced as she collapsed into a chair. "That was way too much information about their sex life. Ugh...that was almost as bad as that time I accidentally walked in on Toya and Yuki." Sakura shuddered at the memory.
Tomoyo sighed. "I wish I had my camera."
Sakura just looked at Tomoyo as if she had gone insane.
"What? Just think of all of the blackmailing we could do with that kind of information."
Sakura looked at Tomoyo for another moment before the two girls dissolved into giggles.
"I wonder how much longer they're gonna be," Sakura said after her and Tomoyo had calmed down.
"Hopefully not much longer," Tomoyo started to say but was interrupted by Eriol suddenly calling out Syaoran's name, very loudly, followed shortly by Syaoran calling out Eriol's name.
The two girls looked at each other. "Well I've got my answer," Sakura said.
"Do you think we should sneak out and make it seem like we just got here?" Tomoyo asked.
Sakura nodded and grabbed her keys and the two slipped outside quietly.
Eriol lay snuggled up against Syaoran, trying to catch his breath.
Syaoran was gently stroking Eriol's damp hair. "You okay, angel?" he murmured looking down at Eriol.
"Mmhmm," Eriol mumbled in response. "Just sticky and sweaty."
Syaoran grinned. He opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by two car doors slamming and the sound of Sakura and Tomoyo talking.
"K'so," Syaoran said. "We don't have time to clean up!"
Eriol grinned. "Why my dear Syaoran, you forget who I am." With a few quick spells, Eriol had the two of them cleaned up and dressed, and had the couched cleaned up by the time Tomoyo and Sakura rang the doorbell.
Sakura and Tomoyo had to exercise a lot of self-control to keep themselves from collapsing into fits of laughter when Eriol and Syaoran opened the door.
"Sakura, Tomoyo, come in," Eriol said, stepping aside to let the two girls inside.
"You two did make up right?" Sakura said, looking from Eriol to Syaoran expectantly as they walked to the kitchen.
"Yeah, we did," Syaoran said, sitting down and pulling Eriol onto his lap.
"Good," Tomoyo said. "We were worried about the two of you."
"Yeah! We were really worried!" Sakura agreed, nodding emphatically.
"Gomen Sakura, Tomoyo. It's my fault. I need to think before I speak sometimes," Syaoran apologized.
"As long as the two of you have made up, your forgiven," Sakura said and Tomoyo nodded in agreement.
Tomoyo and Sakura stayed for a few hours before leaving so that Eriol and Syaoran could be alone.
They went back to Sakura's so that Tomoyo could pick up her stuff and her car. After Tomoyo left, Sakura and her dad sat and talked for awhile before going to bed.
The rest of the summer flew by for the four teens. Before they knew it, it was the night before they were leaving. The group was staying at Sakura's for one last sleep over before college. Toya and Yukito had come over to spend some time with the teens as well. They had spent the day having a cook out and reminiscing about old times and just hanging out. Now, as night began to fall, the group was scattered around the living room under the pretense of watching a movie. In reality, everyone was concentrating more on their thoughts than on the movie.
Sakura once again found herself looking around the room at her friends. Eriol was curled up in Syaoran's arms in one of the chairs, Toya and Yuki were snuggled up together on one end of the couch, Tomoyo was stretched out on the floor, using Cerberus as a pillow, and she, Sakura, was curled up with Yue on the other end of the couch. 'I can't believe we're leaving tomorrow. It seems like just yesterday we were capturing the cards and worrying about whether or not we'd been in the same class when school started. Now we're all leaving for college. It's going to be weird that we're not all together. I'm scared to be all by myself. I wish I were going to school with Tomoyo or Eriol and Syaoran.'
"Sakura?" Eriol called, noticing that his friend looked kind of depressed. "Sakura? Are you all right?"
Sakura pulled herself from her thoughts and looked up at Eriol. "Hai. I was just thinking, that's all," she said with a bright smile.
"Are you still scared of going to college alone?" Eriol asked, his concern for Sakura written all over his face.
Sakura nodded. "Yeah. I just can't help it. We've been together, at one time or another, all through elementary, junior high and high school. It's going to be so different now that we aren't going to be together. It's just going to take some getting used to I guess."
"I have an idea," Tomoyo said, "let's all make plans once a week to get together and go out for the day. We can plan week by week and work around each other's schedules so that nobody has to miss out. What do you guys think?"
"Sounds good to me," Syaoran said and Eriol sleepily nodded his agreement.
"I think it's a great idea!" Sakura said happily.
"We'll also be able to see each other on weekends and vacations too." Syaoran pointed out.
"He's right," Tomoyo agreed. "We'll have to call each other when we come home and whoever's home can get together."
"See Sakura, we'll still be together. And don't forget, there's always e-mail, phones, and letters," Eriol reassured his friend before snuggling closer to Syaoran and falling asleep.
"You guys are right. We'll still be able to talk and hang out. Thanks you guys," Sakura said. "Now, how about going to sleep? Eriol's out already.
"Good idea, squirt," Toya said as he and Yuki got up.
"Don't call me squirt!" Sakura yelled at Toya as he Yuki started up the stairs.
Toya grinned at his sister. "Oyasumi minna," he and Yuki called before disappearing upstairs.
Syaoran carried Eriol over to the couch and carefully settled his sleeping boyfriend on it.
"I'll go get you guys some pillows and blankets," Sakura said and went upstairs.
Tomoyo sat up and yawned. "Wow, it's already after midnight. I didn't realize that it was so late."
"I know. Today really flew by." Syaoran said as he absently stroked Eriol's hair.
"Here you go," Sakura said, walking back into the living room with some pillows and blankets and setting them down next to the couch.
"Thanks Sakura," Syaoran said.
"You're welcome," Sakura said and yawned. "I'm ready for bed."
"Me too," Tomoyo agreed and stood up.
Yue and Cerberus stood up and waited for the girls to go upstairs. "Oyasumi," the four chorused before starting upstairs.
"Oyasumi," Syaoran replied, "Oh, Sakura, don't sleep in tomorrow. You wouldn't want to be late for orientation."
Sakura stuck her tongue out at Syaoran before she was out of sight.
Syaoran grinned and looked over at his boyfriend. "Did we wake you up angel?" he murmured when Eriol's blue-violet eyes blinked at him sleepily.
"Yeah, but it's okay," Eriol mumbled sleepily and sat up.
Syaoran sat down next to Eriol and wrapped his arms around him. "Love you," he murmured.
Eriol sighed in contentment and snuggled closer to Syaoran. "Love you too."
They stayed like that for a few minutes before Syaoran sighed. "We need to get ready for bed."
Eriol nodded and reluctantly stood up. Syaoran stood up as well and they made the couch into some semblance of a bed.
Syaoran pulled Eriol to him after they finished getting their blankets situated. He just held the blue-haired teen for a moment before kissing him tenderly. "Let's get some sleep," Syaoran murmured after the kiss broke.
Eriol nodded and the two lay down on the couch. Syaoran lay on his side, up against the back of the couch and Eriol lay with his back pressed against Syaoran chest and his head tucked under Syaoran's chin. Syaoran wrapped his arms around Eriol's waist and pulled him close. "Oyasumi angel," Syaoran whispered, kissing the back of Eriol's head.
"Oyasumi koi," Eriol mumbled in response, almost asleep.
The two settled down and drifted off to sleep.
"Syaoran! Eriol! Wake up! We overslept! It's already after nine! You have to get up!" Sakura said urgently as she shook the two sleeping teens. "Come on up!"
"What!?" Syaoran yelled as he sat up.
"Yeah, what do you mean, it's already after nine! How could we have overslept?" Eriol asked worriedly.
"You didn't," Toya said as he walked into the room. "Sakura's just teasing you."
"Mou Nii-chan! What'd you do that for?" Sakura pouted.
Toya shrugged. "My own personal amusement."
Sakura glared at her brother and stuck her tongue out at him. "Meanie!!"
Toya just grinned and disappeared into the kitchen.
"You know Sakura, it's not nice to scare people like that," Syaoran said.
"Yeah," Eriol agreed, "it's bad for our health and yours."
"Are you threatening me Eriol?" Sakura questioned.
"Of course not. I don't make threats," Eriol replied innocently.
"Only promises, right Eriol?" Tomoyo said as she joined her friends.
"Correct," Eriol replied with a grin.
"Syaoran, Eriol, you two need to get dressed. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes," Sakura's dad said, poking his out from the kitchen.
"Hai, Kinomoto-san," the two boys replied before going upstairs to get ready.
By the time they came downstairs breakfast was ready and everyone, including Tomoyo's mom, sat down for breakfast. Breakfast passed quickly with everyone talking and reminiscing about old times. After breakfast there was chaos as everyone made sure that they had everything. After all last minute checks had been made and everything was cleaned up and everyone was sure they had everything, the group headed outside.
"Well, I guess this is good bye," Sakura said.
"No," Tomoyo said. "It's not good bye. It's just an I'll see you soon. A temporary parting. Don't look at as saying good bye, that way it doesn't seem so final."
"Tomoyo is right. We'll see each other soon. It's not good bye," Eriol said.
"You guys are right," Sakura said. "I'm going to miss you all so much!"
"Me too," Tomoyo said.
"So will I," Eriol agreed.
"Yeah, me too. It won't be the same without us all together," Syaoran said.
"Sorry to cut this short, but we're going to be late if we don't leave," Mr. Kinomoto said with an apologetic smile.
"Okay, we'll be there in a minute," Sakura said before turning back to her friends and holding her arms open. "Hug?" she asked.
The four teens hugged for a few moments before breaking apart and going to their respective cars.
"Good luck everyone," Sakura said before everyone got into their cars. "Call me once you're settled in!"
"We will, Sakura," Tomoyo promised and Syaoran and Eriol nodded in agreement.
"Good luck to you too," the three teens chorused before they climbed into their cars and drove away.
Sakura kept watching and waving until the cars were out of sight.
"Well Sakura, are you ready?" Fujitaka asked his daughter.
Sakura turned to face her family: her dad, Toya, Yuki, and Kero and Yue (they had insisted on coming. Kero was in his stuffed animal form and Yue had borrowed some of Yuki's clothes), and smiled. "Yes. I'm ready. Let's go." And with one last look at her house she climbed into her car along with Yue and Kero, and pulled out of the driveway, following her dad.
Yes she was ready. College was a new adventure, a new chapter in her life. She was ready, She would be all right. She always was.
OwariI had said before that I was planning on writing a prequel and sequel to 'Remembrance' and I still am. I don't know when they'll be posted, but keep an eye out for them. I do have some ideas, so maybe I'll get one of them out soon. Maybe. I'm not making any promises. Oh...and for a bit of self-advertising, I have an original story (Slash of course) posted on under the pen name Fallen Angel 229. I would be very happy if some of you would read and review it!! Anyways, thanks again to all my readers who have stuck with me through this story and to any new readers who stumbled onto my story after I was almost done. Thank you to all of my reviewers. Thanks everyone!!
Angelic Rhapsody