By SibylSofiana
A couple more chapters to go. Thanks for your patience :)
Sofiana: This chapter contains spoilers for the "Confessions to Yuki" and "Festival" episodes. I posted an excerpt of this for a Tsukimine Livejournal challenge a month ago, but I expanded it a little here.
Chapter Twelve
Just A Little Hope"I'll walk you home."
She looked at him, surprised. "But Syaoran-kun, your house is in the opposite direction!"
It was already late in the afternoon and Daidouji had just left them.
He shrugged, hands stuck deep in his pockets. "It's okay," he said firmly.
He was worried about her. She was smiling at him – but her smile didn't reach her eyes. Something was bothering her, bothered her since leaving Seijou High. He sensed that this time it was not about Clow Reed. To his surprise, she asked if they could pass by the park first. And he only nodded.
000
She was walking a couple of steps behind him, just a little to his right. He could hear the soft patter of her feet on the pavement. Her steps were faint, hesitant. At times, he could hear them falling off, but when he turned his head, she would quicken her steps to catch up. And she would be two quiet steps behind again.
The thing about Sakura's footsteps was that they were never quiet. He once heard her brother calling her a kaijuu – because of the way she stomps down the stairs, laughingly explained Daidouji. Even when his back was turned, he'd know those running footsteps anywhere. She would be late for class again, or she'd be running up to Sasaki and Yanagizawa or excitedly calling after Daidouji.
But it wasn't alright with her right now. They walked together – Syaoran making quick, firm strides -- but the footfalls behind him were unnaturally quiet.
000
When they got to the park, she sat down on a swing as he followed wordlessly. Sakura pushed her feet off the ground slightly, wrapping her fingers round the links. He sat on the swing beside her, but did not move. He just sat there. Waiting.
And then she spoke.
"I told Yukito-san how I felt..."
He quickly looked up at her, but her hair was covering her face.
Sou ka. He was stunned at her confession, but he should have expected it. Ah, stupid Syaoran! He could almost hear Meiling's voice berating him. "You're too slow!"
He hung his head, and his grip on the chains tightened imperceptibly.
Then Sakura spoke again, looking at the ground while she pushed at her heels. "...But he said I didn't really like him that way – "
Eh --? Confused, he lifted his eyes and looked at the wistful expression on her face.
"He told me that what I felt for him was also the same feeling I have for Otousan. And I've thought about it, and what he said might be true – " At this point, her voice quivered a little.
"But Yukito-san has someone he loves most, and I love that person too, and I'm sure that that person loves Yukito-san too."
She suddenly forced a cheerful tone to her voice. "The fact that Yukito-san doesn't love me most is okay. Tomoyo-san said before that it's more important that the one I love is happy than if they return my feelings." Sakura stopped swinging, and lowered her head. "I'm happy, but I... don't understand...why I'm crying..."
0000
Sakura.
If he were some other boy, he would have been uncomfortable with her tears and just mumble and look away.
But he was Syaoran. The Syaoran who had four sisters who tried to terrorize every aspect of his life. But those sisters had also opened him up to a world that would have been totally alien to him -- a world of soft feelings and broken hearts.
He had seen them through all their bad dates, break-ups and had even punched a boy or two in their defense. He had been their shoulder to cry on, an embrace they could rely on when they were hurting.
And so he knew what to do. Before Sakura could even finish what she was trying to say, he was there in front of her, holding out his handkerchief.
"I understand."
And he did. His own feelings could wait – hers could not.
As she looked at him teary-eyed, he smiled. "Here," offering his handkerchief once more, and she took it.
"A-arigatou, Li-kun." She wiped some of her tears, her hand trembling visibly.
Sakura stood up slowly, then laid her forehead against his chest, a small sob making its way from her throat as she spoke.
"Y-Yukito-san said that someday I will find the person I love most, and that person would love me back..."
Gently taking hold of her shoulders, Syaoran smiled and said comfortingly, "I know you'll find him someday."
"Come on," he said after a while. "I'll take you home."
"What's wrong with you?!?" he finally demanded.
Sakura had been nodding off in class for the past few days, and today she had practically slept the whole time. Frankly he was worried about her.
"You're worse than before when you were changing the Cards!" And then he looked at her, hurt more than he could have ever thought. "Or is it something you can't tell me?" he asked quietly.
Before Sakura could answer, Daidouji interrupted, "Sakura-chan, you promised to go on a shopping trip with me, remember?"
Syaoran was very much frustrated, but couldn't do anything as Sakura staggered after her friend. But Sakura gave him an apologetic look.
"Gomen, Syaoran-kun. I'll still see tomorrow at the festival, okay?"
And he had to be content with that.
0000
Saying goodbye to Wei, he went out of the apartment. After some thought, he headed in the direction of the Kinomoto residence instead of going straight to the shrine.
Sakura was surprised to see him.
"Syaoran-kun! Weren't we supposed to meet at the Shrine?"
He shrugged, trying to act casual. "Well, you've been kinda tired for the last few days, and I thought I'd come here instead."
Her beautiful green eyes softened. "You were worried about me. Arigatou, Syaoran-kun. I'll just get something from my room then we can go." As she turned away from the door, she missed seeing how much reddened he got.
000
She was walking a couple of steps behind him, just a little to his right. He could hear the soft patter of her feet on the pavement.
But unlike the last time, where her steps had been faint and hesitant, now it was still quiet but firm. And yes, tired. But he could hear that undertone of cheerfulness that was so Sakura. It scared him that he knew all this about her, just by listening to her footsteps!
He cleared his throat. "Um, have you finished what you were doing?"
"Hai!" At her cheerful reply, he looked back at her, confused, as Sakura pulled out something from the paper bag she brought.
"Here, Syaoran-kun! I made this for you – it's not very good, it's my first time to make one – but I hope you like it..." her eyes were on his face, eager and excited.
As he looked at her what she held in her hands, he recognized the handkerchief he had lent her that night at the park. But he paid scant attention to it as he stared at the other thing she held out to him.
It was a green scarf, with red trimmings – obviously handmade, as some of the stitching was crooked. And he suddenly knew why she had been so tired all this time.
"U-um, I guess you don't like it..." her voice held a trace of disappointment as she pulled back her hands.
"N-no!" He grabbed it from her hands before she could pull it back, then put it around his shoulders and turned away from her, assuming an unaffected bearing even as he felt the rough weave of the fabric beneath his fingers. "I like it!!!"
She stayed up late to make this for me?
000
"You should tell her how you feel Li-kun."
Tomoyo looked at him with concern in her eyes, as they followed Yukito and Sakura. The festival was in full swing, and Sakura had grabbed Yukito's hand, urging him forward. It was a sign that all had been forgiven and forgotten.
Syaoran walked with Tomoyo, a muttering Touya right behind them as they trailed after Sakura and Yukito. His hand surreptitiously caressed the scarf around his neck. The scarf she had made for him. He smiled.
"No." He looked at Tomoyo, then lowered his voice.
"She knows how it feels to be rejected. I don't want to be confuse her," Syaoran said simply. "I'll say the words when she's ready."
Tomoyo could only look at him in admiration. "You are so kindhearted, Li-kun."
And the future Li smiled as he forgot all the admonishings and hard lessons by Aunt Zhang -- that everything he did should be for the pride of the Lis.
He would still do his duty and fulfill his responsibilities to his house. He would still fulfill his Father and Mother's dream. But now he had his own dream – one he knew he would do his best to obtain.
The girl in his childhood dreams, the girl with green eyes. The girl with the cheerful smile and the giving heart. Sakura.
He would be patient – his heart could wait. And then –
Everything will surely be alright.