Summer Essence
By Riyukku Sayuri
Summary/Plot: Sakura, Tomoyo, and Syaoran are all good childhood friends, however Sakura is having a major crush on Syaoran, but he likes Tomoyo and Tomoyo likes him back, however there is something just dying in Sakura, and Syaoran can't help but notice it. As they grow older, Tomoyo and Syaoran's feelings begin to part, yet something is holding firm and Sakura is left in the dust behind her two best friends. What if something more happens... not between Tomoyo and Syaoran, but between another set? Thus creating the lovable and cute couple S&S. Please read and review! Arigato!
Disclaimer: None of the Cardcaptor Sakura characters belong to me. As you should know as a fan, they belong to CLAMP. However, all of the OC characters are mine; I made them up and copyright them. (Hah, not exactly copyrighted.)
Author's Note: As you know... it is quite strange that Tomoyo and Syaoran have 'feelings' for each other, and that has been used in a couple of other fanfictions you may have read, but anyways, that 'pair' may be a bit common, but the storyline is SO not! You'll just see. My summary isn't completely accurate.
Summer Essence
Chapter 1: Childhood
Sakura Kinomoto giddily jumped up and down, her heart beating. Today was the day Syaoran was to announce something, yet she knew not what. She knew that in her heart, she loved Syaoran. She knew that in his heart he loved... he loved... Tomoyo. Tomoyo Daidouji, always sweet and kind. She also knew that in Tomoyo's heart... she loved... she loved Syaoran. They made the perfect couple, she knew that, but she wished Syaoran would have feelings for her. She could imagine their wedding together. She had been dreaming of it since she was six, and now that she was eight, she knew she loved him.
"Sakura-chan, I have... I have something to ask you that I know only you can fulfill," Syaoran said, looking deep into her eyes.
"What is Syao-kun?" Sakura asked, peering into his beautiful amber eyes, so full of emotion and looked so smooth and glossy. She always called him "Syao" since it was a new nickname she developed for him.
"Saku," he said. He usually called Sakura "Saku" except it was a bit foolish for him, so he maintained that to an occasionally calling.
"Saku," he began again. "I... I'm leaving for Hong Kong again... and... I probably won't be back for a long time and... and Tomoyo told me that you've been waiting for me. I want you to write me everyday. Got that? Everyday or else I'll die!"
"But... why me? You love Tomoyo-chan, don't you?" Sakura asked, her heart melting.
"Hai, but... but there it would be so imperfect if I knew you weren't going to keep in touch with me. I mean, Tomoyo could just say hi in the e-mails. It is you I want to write to," he said, his amber eyes glowing brilliantly and his messy – yet cute – chestnut hair ruffling about in the chilly autumn breeze.
"Syao-kun, I just want to know why you want me to write to you. I just don't feel comfy knowing that you love Tomoyo yet want to write to me," Sakura said.
"Sakura, look, I want to write to you because I'm going to miss you. And uh... I... Ijustcan'tstandbeingapartfromyou!" he yelled out.
"What?" she asked, looking at him oddly.
"I... I just can't stand being apart from you!" he groaned.
"M... me? Or... or did you mean Tomoyo?" she gasped.
"You," he replied.
"What? But you love –" she said logically in confusion.
"Tomoyo, Tomoyo. Why do you question me? Be flattered I'm even asking you this, begging you to do this," he grumbled under his breath.
"What did you say? Nani?" she asked.
"Nothing. Maybe I like Tomoyo, but what would we talk about? You're the one that share my interests, the one that does so much with me," he said gruffly.
"Well, then Syao-kun, I am happier than ever! I love you!" Sakura squealed, smiling. Suddenly she realized she had let out too much. The "I love you" never should have been there.
"Nani? Did you just say..." he began, but Sakura cut him off.
"No! No! I didn't! That was... nothing! I didn't say anything! Forget what I said, I'm just happy, okay Syaoran?" Sakura said. It was the first time he heard her say his full name since they came up with those nicknames. He was shocked and surprised and he saw those once-sparkling emerald eyes cloud into darkness.
"Oh. Gomen, I guess I misheard," he apologized.
Sakura's emerald eyes clouded with grief. Syaoran would be leaving soon and she suddenly felt angry. How could he love Tomoyo yet want her to write to him and not Tomoyo? It was a blurry sight for her to see. Him loving two? Bah, Syaoran would never love her, and she was so darn sure.
"Oh Fujitaka, Sonomi, I'm going to miss you guys so much!" Yelan sighed sadly, hugging her two friends.
"Ah, Yelan, don't worry. Sonomi and I will always be staying here in Tomoeda. We'll just be awaiting for you and Syaoran once again," Fujitaka sighed.
"Hai. True. But... I think there will be a major meltdown when Sakura finds out," Sonomi said grimly, looking towards the three friends.
"It will crush Sakura's childhood feelings, but... apparently Syaoran must leave, and of course she has Tomoyo, right?" Yelan pointed out.
"So true. Tomoyo and Sakura are inseparable. I hope that they'll make it through. Sakura especially. She's been following Syaoran around everywhere, and plus we have video tapes to prove it!" Sonomi laughed, trying to shoo their troubles away.
"Fujitaka, if Syaoran ever falls in love with Sakura, might we make a promise for their adulthood?" Yelan began.
"Promise for their adulthood?" he questioned.
"Yup! If they ever fall in love, shall we arrange a wedding? Please?" Yelan begged.
"A wedding?! Why, of course Tomoyo and I are invited, aren't we?" Sonomi laughed.
"Wedding? Oh, gee, I think Sakura would love that! But... it looks like Syaoran's in love with Tomoyo right now. And I think that leaves Sakura heartbroken," Fujitaka sighed.
"Who cares? They still have years to come! This is just a silly promise if they fall in love, of course. If they don't, then so be it. If they fall in love with someone else, then the promise is off, but if both are left single and fall in love, then they shall be one!" Yelan squealed.
"Hey, hey, you never answered my question! Tomoyo and I are invited, aren't we?" Sonomi laughed.
"Well of course! We couldn't celebrate a wedding without you both! And I'm sure Sakura will call on Tomoyo to be her maid of honor!" Yelan laughed.
"Too bad Nadeshiko isn't here to learn of this promise. I wish she was here... I just wish she was," Fujitaka sighed, a reminder of his wife came to him and he longed for her in his aching heart.
"Gomen for accusing you that you were the falter in her life... the cause of her death," Sonomi said guiltily.
"Ah, that was a long while ago. I think I've forgiven you for that by now. We should just treasure these moments, the moments where they are innocent and vulnerable. Where their true colors reflect more than we will ever know as they age," Fujitaka said solemnly, thinking of his lovely past, where his wife was still alive and newborn Sakura was born.
"Bah. You act like such a hopeless romantic. Weren't we talking about Sakura and Syaoran's wedding arrangements?" Sonomi said, playfully slapping his right arm.
While the adults chatted and laughed of their old times of the year and a half that had just passed since Yelan and Syaoran came to Tomoeda, Japan, Sakura, Tomoyo, and Syaoran were talking to each other on how to keep in contact.
"Okay, Sakura, you write to me, got that?"
"Okay!"
"Tomoyo, you add your own 'personal' junk to them if you want, okay?"
"Okay!"
"And I'll write to you both!"
"Okay!" both of them yelled at the same time.
"Syaoran! Syaoran!" they heard Yelan call.
"Oh Syaoran, we're going to miss you so much!" Tomoyo sniffled, giving him a hug.
"I'm going to miss you too. Ja, Tomoyo," he sighed, returning the hug.
"Ja... Sakura," he stammered.
"J... ja," Sakura sniffled, trying to hide away the burning tears in her eyes.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, noticing her tiny, forlorn sobs.
"N... no," she lied, but he saw right past it.
"Here," he said, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.
Suddenly she looked up into his glossy amber eyes, shocked. She lifted a hand to her cheek while staring at him. He was grinning and flushing at the same time, Tomoyo giggling like a little schoolgirl. Sakura smiled and their eyes connected.
Emerald-eyed angel. You'll have an emerald-eyed angel, my son.
The words hit him critically. They were the words his mother sang in his lullaby. The words she whispered to him as he was drifting off to sleep. Emerald-eyed angel. Why did she always repeat those words? Only one thing came to view, Sakura. He shook his head from the thought, she should have sung him a lullaby about an amethyst-eyed angel instead.
"Syaoran..." Sakura said, her voice serious.
"Hm?"
"Why did you kiss me if you love Tomoyo?" she questioned without hesitating.
"Because you love me, right? And you're a pretty bad liar, you know. I could hear you crying," he replied with a smile embedded on his cute face.
"He's right, you know," Tomoyo giggled girlishly.
Sakura flushed deeply, knowing that what they had said was true, but how could she keep her feelings inside? Be hardcore? She was merely eight and she was glad she wasn't being teased about it. She only saw Syaoran in all her life. The only one she ever loved. She couldn't wait till Syaoran came back, then maybe he'd love her... love her and not Tomoyo. She was rarely truly happy. She was usually forlorn and brokenhearted on the inside whenever she saw Syaoran doing things for Tomoyo that he never did for her.
"Syaoran! Syaoran! We're going to be late! Let's go!" they heard Yelan call.
"Oh Syao-kun, I'm going to miss you," she cried, hugging Syaoran. He returned her hug and whispered silently to her ear, "I've never told Tomoyo a secret, but I'll tell you one. And that is, I love you andTomoyo. No matter what, my best friend, you will always have a special place in my heart, ya know."
"Oh Syaoran!" she squealed, jumping onto him. Tomoyo could only laugh harder. "Arigato," she whispered, kissing his cheek ever so slightly.
"Ja ne, Tomoyo," Syaoran said, looking deep into her eyes. "Ja," Tomoyo said, her amethyst eyes blending with his. For that split second, Sakura could finally see that through those innocent kisses, he still loved Tomoyo – still.
"SYAORAN!" they called, and Syaoran and his two best friends came tagging along to their parents.
"Otou-san!" Sakura squealed, running into his arms.
"Ah, Sakura. Say goodbye to Syaoran-kun," he said.
"We all said goodbye," Syaoran piped up.
"Ja Syao-kun," Sakura said sadly.
"Ja to you too! I'm going to miss you and Tomoyo lots. Write to me!" Syaoran yelled, waving as Yelan was walking away.
"Ja ne you all!" Yelan called.
"Ja ne Syaoran, Yelan!" Sonomi and Tomoyo yelled back, and they were gone.
"So, are you okay?" Fujitaka whispered to Sakura.
"Nani?"
"You're going to miss Syaoran, huh?"
"How... Otou-san, how did you know?"
"Well, we all are aware of your little crush on him," Fujitaka winked.
"So true," Sonomi said, holding Tomoyo by her left hand.
And so this finally concluded their young and innocent childhoods, the day that Sakura would never forget. The day Syaoran planted that kiss before her and said bravely that he loved them both. She was cheery on the outside, but on the inside, her heart was shattering and bleeding in mystery. How could she ever make Syaoran see her and not Tomoyo or any other girl? Make him love her.
Oh Syaoran, someday I will be the one you'll truly love. Not Tomoyo, not some girl you once knew, and not a girl you simply crushed on. It will be I you see. It will be I you marry. It will be I you love.
a/n: Uh oh, Sakura's feelings are more than just an innocent little crush. I hope you liked this chapter! Yes, it is a lot like some other stories you may have read, but I assure you things are different in this fanfiction. I assure you on that!