Previously…
I've known you all my life
You are a friend of mine…
I know this is how it's gonna be…
I've loved you then and I love you still
You're a friend of mine…
Now I know friends
Are all we ever could be…
But then again, then again
Then again I'm glad…
"That song has quite an irony to it, don't you think?" Eriol said softly…eyeing her with pure affection…
"It does…but it is a beautiful song…" Tomoyo stated softly…
Eriol thought of saying something, but he stopped himself…He knew that whatever he had to say to her, nothing would change…She didn't say anything after that either…So he abandoned all else and just let the silence consume them…But it wasn't that silence of awkwardness…
None of that anymore existed between them…
Each knew that the silences between them were of contentment and forgiveness…
+0+
Reacquainted
"So long, Tomoyo…thank you for seeing me…and thank you for everything…"
"Goodbye…Eriol." Tomoyo gave him a small smile as she waved farewell…Eriol just smiled back, equal to hers…
She lingered and watched as the cab sped off towards the airport…and out of sight…She closed her eyes and breathed slowly…She turned and stared at the massive gates to her estate…She pondered upon whether to go in and return like nothing happened…like it was all just a dream…
She felt like something was torn away from her being…
…lost…what was left for her to hold on to now…?
"Daidouji…?" she heard a masculine voice call out her name…She turned…and amethyst clashed with familiar chocolate brown colored eyes…Her eyes widened in surprise…Something in her ignited, spreading the warmth throughout her being…bringing her back to life…
"Kinomoto-san…"
+0+
He couldn't seem to read through her…Just a while ago…
He was just strolling around when he saw her standing before the enormous gates to the Daidouji Estate…He couldn't even remember straying in that part of the area…nevertheless, he recalled approaching her, quite relieved that not all that he knew left Tomoeda…But as he did went closer…he stopped dead in his tracks…he wasn't expecting the scene before him…he saw clearly the sadness and emptiness in her face as she stared at her home…Why…He didn't want to startle her with his presence, so he thought of a discreet approach…
"Daidouji…?"
She turned and a shocked expression was etched on her face…and the whisper of his name seemed somewhat…lost…and sad…
Now, she sat opposite him, at the table in a café not too far from where he found her…
He eyed her…scrutinized her…trying to decipher what has made her upset so…Recalling her lost expression made him frown a bit…so unlike the Daidouji Tomoyo he used to know back then…What happened during his leave?...He wasn't expecting this at all…Did something happen back then?...He wanted to question her, but he clamped his mouth shut…It wasn't in his business to nose about other people's personal life…That would be too rude…
She stared at her reflection in her tea cup, or rather at the dark liquid…Only did her eyes look up when cherry blossom petals floated around…and that's when her eyes caught chocolate brown eyes regarding her…
"It's a good thing I bumped into you a while ago…I thought everyone left Tomoeda already…"
She grinned apologetically as she took her cup and sipped her tea gracefully…She placed her cup back on the table…What to say, what to say…"How is Italy, Kinomoto-san?" she asked rather uncertainly…After a few years of not seeing him, it just felt rather awkward to call him by his first name…
"Just fair…" came his short reply…He regarded her still…She wasn't the twelve-year-old girl he remembered nor the sixteen-year-old whom he and Sakura comforted when the formidable Daidouji Sonomi left the living…The one before him was a young woman whose beauty surpassed that of a goddess…She still had the same long, dark hair…the same as his mother…But something had changed…
"How long will you be staying here?" she asked him…He blinked away his thoughts…He cleared his throat and casually sipped his tea…"A few weeks or so…"
"I see…" she murmured softly…She went quiet as she went back to staring at her tea again…Thinking of breaking the uncomfortable silence between them, he cleared his throat again…"What about you? How have you been?" snapping her out of her world…She averted her eyes towards his face and gave him a small smile…
"Just fair…" came her reply…He arched one brow at her, thinking that she was teasing…He heard her giggle…"What's so funny…?" he asked, amused and curious…
"It's just that, I've known you since grade school with Sakura…and out of the blue, its as if we are strangers meeting for the first time…It feels awkward to think so…" she explained sincerely…giving him an apologetic stare…He grinned…"Fair enough…I thought it was just me…I guess we both need to catch up with things…" he said…
"I guess…So…how are they doing, Kinomoto-san?" she asked…
"Who? The kaiju, the brat and the weirdo? They're fine I guess…" he said in jest…
"Kinomoto-san! That's mean." She laughed, thinking that he was just jesting…He winked at her, telling her he was…"Do you mind if you just call me by my first name, Daidouji?...like you used to… It's as if I am someone ancient." He chuckled mildly…
"Oh! Gomenasai, TOUYA-SAN! Then please call me by my first name, Touya-san…like you used too…" she scolded but rather teasingly…she giggled at his smug expression…
"At least I made you laugh. You looked as if you seemed to had lost something important when I saw you at your gates…up until a moment ago…" he stated clearly…eyeing her with a little bit of concern…Her laughter died down upon hearing that…but she didn't lose the smile…
"I…had a few…things in mind." She said in earnest…He just nodded and didn't question her further…
Suddenly…they heard a strange loud crack…They both looked at each other confused, then looked up to the heavens…A second later, small drops of water began pounding the earth as the great heavens poured its blessings upon it… In an instant, they made a mad dash towards the shade of the café they were drinking tea at…
"Spring rain…what a bummer…and to think I had the day planned…" Touya muttered and chuckled…He ruffled his hair to remove excess water…Tomoyo had her hands full with her hair as she squeezed off excess water as well…She felt something placed upon her shoulders…it was a dark blazer-top…she looked up questioningly…Touya held out his hand to the young woman…
"I guess strolling around in this weather isn't a good idea…C'mon. I'll take you home." He offered…smiling down at her…She hesitated a moment, then placed her porcelain hand in his…"Wait! You can't be serious…!" she suddenly blurted out, realizing what her companion was intending to do…
"My car's parked a few feet away from here…And since we didn't bring an umbrella, we don't have any other choice now do we…?" he argued…Tomoyo sighed, defeated…
"Well…a little rain won't hurt then…" she stated and pulled Touya out in the open, laughing all the while at his surprised face…They both made their way towards the open space, now drenched from the spring rain…Tomoyo thought, that maybe…just maybe, things would be alright…She closed her eyes for a brief moment as she raised her face towards the sky, letting the rain cleanse her…
It's time…
A genuine smile crept upon her lips as she and Touya ran down the wet path…
+0+
Phone rings at the Kinomoto Residence…The older Kinomoto answered the phone…
"Hello? Kinomoto Residence…Fujitaka speaking…"
"Dad..!" a female voice resonated from the other line…
"Sakura!" Fujitaka exclaimed…surprised to have heard his daughter's voice on the other line…
"Hi Dad! How is it going?" she asked with glee…
"I'm doing ok, Sakura…What about you? How is England?" Fujitaka inquired…
"We're not in England, Dad…We're at the Tomoeda airport now. We've just arrived from England!" Sakura informed excitedly…"Nani! You should've called me earlier! Do you want me to pick you up?" Fujitaka stated in surprise…
"No need, dad…Yuki-kun will be getting us…Syao-kun and Nakuru are with me as well." Sakura informed her dad…
"Sakura…please call me before hand next time…have a safe trip." Fujitaka sighed warily, but was rather happy that his daughter was coming home…finally. He heard a rumbling sound and looked out the window…"You'd better get an umbrella before you leave the airport; I think it will rain today."
"Sure dad! Oh yeah, please don't tell Onii-san and Kero! I want it to be a surprise! Be seeing you in a couple of hours!" Sakura bade farewell and the phone line went bleep. Fujitaka put the phone back on the receiver…
"Who was that on the phone, Kinomoto-san?"
"Ah, Kero-sama…well…I think we're gonna have visitors today." Was all Fujitaka said…giving the yellow plush a knowing smile before retreating to the kitchen…
"Nani…..?" Kero muttered, scratching its plush head in confusion…as it followed Fujitaka to the kitchen…
+0+
"You're sure its okay, Touya-san?"
"Of course its okay! C'mon in, let's get you out of those wet clothes before you catch a sneeze…"
"I hope Sakura has some spare clothes that I could wear for the time being…"
Touya fumbled in his pocket the keys to the Kinomoto Residence…When he got it opened…"Dad, I'm home!" Touya hollered…
"At the kitchen! Hope you weren't caught in the downpour!" Fujitaka hollered back…
"Too late for that…" Touya muttered…his companion just giggled…Shortly, a yellow plushed looking stuff toy appeared from the living room doorway…"Welcome back, Touya! Eh….? Tomoyo!"
"Hi Kero!" Tomoyo greeted the small yellow plush…Kero flew straight towards Tomoyo's arms and began hugging the young woman…
"Tomoyo! It's good to see you again!" Kero sobbed with glee…Tomoyo laughed happily upon seeing the guardian again…"Aaaw Kero, I missed you too!" she said to it…
"Tomoyo?"
"Good afternoon, Kinomoto-san! It's good to see you again." Tomoyo greeted Fujitaka who had his head stuck out from the kitchen doorway…
"Ah! It's good to see you as well! Nani…? You're both wet!" Fujitaka exclaimed…
"Hehehe…yeah dad…we got caught by that down pour…" Touya ruffled his hair, splaying the excess water around…
"Then get changed…As for Tomoyo, I think Sakura has some spare clothes in her closet…you can wear them, Tomoyo…" he informed the two…
"Thanks, Kinomoto-san." Tomoyo bowed and proceeded to follow Touya up the stairs…
+0+
"Yuki-chan! Over here!" a melodious voice hollered at the young silver-haired man who stood beside a waiting Volvo…He smiled as he waved at the familiar woman who owns that voice…"Akizuki-san!" he chuckled at the perky woman and welcomed her with an embrace…
"Hey, Yuki-kun!" another female hollered at him…He averted his gaze towards a young woman with auburn hair and that sweet, sweet smile that he so remembered…
"Sakura…" he murmured to himself…He smiled at the approaching girl and spread his arms in welcome too…Sakura eagerly ran towards his waiting embrace and gave him the biggest hug…"I missed you, Yuki-kun!" Sakura stated happily…
"Why, I missed you too, Sakura!" Yukito told her happily and let go…
"Nice to see you again, Tsukishiro-san." A young masculine voice uttered…
"Li-san…wow…you're all here, huh?" Yukito stated…
"Hey Yuki-chan! Could you get these bags for me?" Nakuru began handing Yuki a few huge luggages which practically almost toppled Yuki over…Sweat drops formed over Sakura's and Syaoran's heads as they watched the two moon guardians go about their routine…
After the luggage routine…
"I can't wait to see dad and onii-san! Kero and Tomoyo-chan too!" Sakura went ecstatic…
"Oh, so your brother is here?" Yukito asked, surprised by the news…He slightly frowned, but disappeared as quickly as it appeared…
"Oh yes…It's his spring break…He didn't tell you, Yuki-kun?" Sakura asked in wonder…Yukito just shook his head…his grip on one of the luggage was slowly tightening…
"Oh…I guess he forgot…well, you'll be able to see him now!" Sakura chirped…unaware of the growing tension that was raging within her dear friend…
"Hey, Sakura-chan! Look what gifts I'll be giving to Touya-chan!" Nakuru began ranting about the things she bought for Touya…Nakuru sure had timing…
Syaoran stared at Yukito for a long time…regarding him…
"C'mon Syao-kun! We're leaving!" Sakura informed him, snapping out of his thoughts…Perhaps he'll find out soon enough what the hell was going on…
Yukito got in the car, the others follower suit…He sat for a moment, silent and deep in thought…He was to see him again…so it is this soon, huh…touya…
"Yuki-chan? Something wrong?"
"Nani..! Anou, nothing's wrong Sakura…nothing's wrong. Shall we go then?" Yukito brushed his thoughts aside as he started the engine…"Yeah!" both Nakuru and Sakura answered in unison at the back sit…Syaoran on the other hand, looked at Yukito with concern…but decided to leave it as it was and averted his eyes towards the road home…home…
WAAHH! sorry guys for this very late update! whew...i kinda had writer's block and i had important things to do...but here it is! hope you like it! thanks for waiting minna-san! nn