I Think I'm In Love with My Bestfriend's Boyfriend

Author's Notes: I'm very sorry I couldn't have made it longer, but I felt that going on further than what I had at the end would cut the emotion…endings leave impressions…

Thank you to all the reviewers…please do keep on leaving your notes, as they will help me in the next chapters to come…

Enjoy this installment and kindly leave a review!

Disclaimer: All characters and places are property of the manga-ka CLAMP and companies related to it. Only the plot and story is my intellectual product.

Summary: While Syaoran and Tomoyo are out checking out the latest flick, Sakura is dealing with the rain, the problems, the rain, the ponderings, the rain, the love, the hurt and still the rain.

Chapter Three: Rain

Rain, rain, go away.

Sakura didn't know what she was doing.

What she did know was that the past was coming back to haunt -- no, has come back to haunt her. When she thought that she locked that dull memory of Li Syaoran away in the deepest dungeons of her mind, he had devised a plan to taunt her in the same way again.

Come again another day.

What she did know was that somewhere in the same Tomoeda as she, Tomoyo was busy getting ready for her date; so busy that she couldn't even make time to call her less fortunate best friend to tell her about her recording devices.

What she did know was that it was raining, very, very hard.

So, did Sakura know what she was doing?

--yes, in a way.

--no, in a way.

--Yes, in a way, she had every intention of attempting to block out her sadness.

--No, in a way, she was at least the tiniest bit insane to go out into the rain.

Rain, rain, rain…

Fujitaka and Touya didn't hear the creak of the entrance door, or the metal noise that a gate always makes. No one was on the slippery, tormented street to see her, and neither could those inside their homes who peer outside fogged windows could.

The only one who saw her leave was Nadeshiko's portrait on the kitchen table.

She didn't even bother changing into rain clothes, didn't care that she got her warm houseclothes entirely wet. There was no umbrella above her already dripping-wet head, and no boots to brave the temporary rivers that formed in the sidewalks.

There was only one thing she thought of; the park.

Sakura Kinomoto found her comfort in the familiar setting: the same marble fountain, the same wooden benches, the same leafy trees, the same green-green grass, the same…

The same park.

Her already weary feet struggled to keep balanced as she headed towards a three-seater in the misted distance. Moisture covered her chilled face like a second skin and she felt like she was already swimming.

All went nearly numb and there was only the slight extra pressure from the cast iron arm that told her that she had made it. One deep breath was what she took, before she collapsed into the bench with the grace of a disabled senior citizen.

Sakura didn't know at all how she could go from her normal bright and cheery self to such a nostalgic, soaking mess…except, she thought, it was probably Syaoran's fault. His fault for showing up out of the foggy blue.

No one even passed by. No one was out in the unforgiving rain. Of course, no one with the exception of a grieving soul…

And a glimmer of hope. A glimmer of hope? What - or who - could it be?

………………………………………

A young man was calmly strolling with his umbrella, not seeming to mind neither the rain nor the cold. After all, he was quite used to this kind of weather back at home.

He was simply observing his misty surroundings when a streak of dark pink caught his eyes. Raising an eyebrow, his curiosity pulled him towards the smear of bright color.

As he approached, he recognized that the object of his interest was human.

Sakura Kinomoto didn't even know that she had nearly fallen asleep when a shadow fell over her. Opening her drooping emerald eyes wide, she was shocked to see a pair of deep blue ones gazing straight at her.

"Hello there."

The voice was unfamiliar and yet…comforting. She tried to return the greeting but this only caused her to choke on rainwater and dry, icy air.

The stranger looked worried by this, and put his light arms around her to help her sit upright. Instead of trying to talk any further, she offered the warmest smile she could.

"Seems you've gotten yourself into a little mess there. I'm Eriol Hiiragizawa."

…………………………………………………………

The lights dimmed to a close, causing the murmurs and light conversations to subside. The faint aroma of the staple movie snacks: buttered popcorn, carbonated beverages and chocolates to name a few - hung in the air as the film began to roll.

All of the people here, which included a certain Tomoyo and Syaoran, were oblivious to the fact that it was raining cats and dogs in the outside world. Tomoyo was thrilled with her very first date, but as for Syaoran…

Syaoran was…fine.

"Daidouji-san, thank you again for paying everything…I probably should compensate for everything when I get home-"

The black haired girl laughed, saying "Oh, Li-kun, you worry too much. All's alright, really."

Syaoran kept his silence.

…………………………………………………………

Three loud knocks of the golden bar on the finely crafted mahogany door were the signal. A woman with medium brown hair and bright eyes appeared, wearing a servant's dress and holding a broom tightly in one hand. Smiling cheerfully, she stepped aside and welcomed her master and this unknown girl, both of which were soaking wet.

"Sir Eriol, would you rather have a fire in the kitchen or one in your library after I fetch the towels?" she asked rather casually, seeming to be more like a sister or cousin than a maid.

It was the same tone in Eriol's polite yet friendly response. "Please, set one in the library, and thank you for your help." Sakura was quite surprised…this mansion didn't appear to be much of Japanese, and her new acquaintance Eriol probably wasn't either.

In less than a minute's time she had come back with some thick towels, a set of dark-colored clothes and a long light-rose dress. Taking the items with one hand and offering Sakura the pale pink piece, Eriol replied, "Thank you Nakuru." She, in turn, grinned.

As for Sakura, she didn't know what to do. 'Was Eriol telling me to take this dress?' questioned Sakura in her mind. That was before the blue-haired man turned fully to her and commented, "I don't think those clothes would be much comfortable, yes? There is a powder room there near the library…Nakuru here can show you the way, Kinomoto-san."

Nodding her gratitude, Sakura took hold of the smooth silk and hurried to follow after Nakuru.

"Oh, there you are Miss…Kinoto, is it?" attempted the enthusiastic woman, having an expression of apology on her face. Sakura just smiled back, and gave her accurate name. Nakuru continued, "Kinomoto, thank you yes. I take it that you aren't used to this kind of rain, are you Kinomoto-san?"

Sakura gave a sheepish yet glad look. "No…that doesn't happen too much. Just drizzles and random showers. I just got caught in the rain and all, and Hiiragizawa-san was there-"

There was the sound of laughter. "Oh, that's Eriol-san for you, always helping out…though he can be quite childish at times." Nakuru said.

By the time that Sakura entered the library after changing into warmer clothes, Eriol was already comfortable on his armchair beside the flames. Sakura could see as early as now that this young man had a penchant for the color black, as well as many different kinds of books.

The two remained in silence until the same brown-haired girl reentered with a tray seemingly full of food. Sakura's senses sharpened as she smelled the sweet scent of cake drifting from the aforementioned serving dish.

She unknowingly straightened her back when the pastry-laden tray was set on the coffee table. True to its' name there were two porcelain cups filled fully with smooth, aromatic brown liquid. Still, she was beginning to wonder exactly where this Hiiragizawa Eriol came from. Nothing was too Oriental.

After each took a sip of their drink, Eriol was quick to start a conversation. "I see you're looking around the room. Doesn't seem Japanese, does it?" Eriol asked lightly.

Sakura simply shook her head, unable to utter intelligible words in her momentary shock.

"You see, I come from England…quite far off from here, obviously. It was just coincidental that I was given a scholarship for my last high school years at Tokyo while my grandfather Clow Reed owned an estate here in Tomoeda. Afterwards I gained another scholarship for college here in Tomoeda, which I've completed inbetween my trips all around Japan…" the blue-haired man narrated, giving off a faintly nostalgic appearance. This soon disappeared as he asked in return, "How about you, Kinomoto-san?"

Feeling a bit more comfortable (but mostly fascinated), Sakura opened up a little. "I've lived in Tomoeda all my life. I've been to some places around Japan sometimes, but otherwise I lead a normal life, that's all." she presented, finding herself uninteresting beside such an exciting person.

Despite this she was quite content to rest in that strange yet welcoming mansion, having a small snack of vanilla-and-chocolate flavor.

…………………………………………………………

"Ah, Li-kun, the last time I've been to a movie with anyone besides Sakura was so long ago…say, four, five years ago…" Tomoyo reminisced, keeping a dreamy look in her eyes - for a moment there she was lost in the sandstorm of fading memory until a small chuckle from Syaoran brought her back to their darkened-room reality.

"I haven't been to a movie with anyone at all in a long time as well." Syaoran informed her in a friendly, sharing manner. They might have gone on to describe their long-gone happy times, except that their neighbors began shushing them hurriedly.

They bothed laughed, then shut up much to the content of other movie-goers.

…………………………………………………………

"I see…" said Eriol in a knowing manner, attempting to hide the smirk in his voice and face. "You didn't feel like yourself, and so ventured out in the rain…"

"That's what I did, I guess." Sakura replied straightforwardly. "I shouldn't have done that, the rain being so hard."

The other laughed softly. "All the people I've met in Japan so far say so…"

Sakura suddenly looked surprised. "Of course! Number one, no one was there on the street; number two, the water soaked us both to the skin - even with an umbrella-"

Before she could add another word, Eriol intervened (nevertheless in a polite manner), "If I could say, the weather here in Japan is mild. Sunny days, really, the sky usually going as far as cloudy at the most."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, stunned.

"What the average one says here in Japan as 'downpour' would be no more than a regular rain in England. Surely, it rains hard, but we've gotten used to such things on a weekly, sometimes daily basis."

Eriol seemed pleased that he kept his guest absorbed by his tales and stories.

"Of course, I wouldn't blame you for thinking so, yet I wish you could see my land…such a nice place. Japan, of course, is splendid - but it's not home."

Sakura nodded.

"Japan - it's not home - but surely, I've had my share of wonderful times here…" he continued, sporting that same faraway glimmer in his eyes for just a second.

…………………………………………………………

"You know Li-kun," Tomoyo began after stretching out her arms and legs, "I had such a good time."

"Me too."

"Well," the black-haired teen said, "I know this isn't too special compared to something like a picnic or a trip by the bay…but it felt so great to be on terms with someone like this."

Syaoran appeared puzzled after that statement; Tomoyo appeared amused.

"You know…like a first date. With someone new." she offered, hoping that her explanation would help clear things up.

"Oh…okay." he answered, not entirely clear on everything. "I think I feel like that too." In truth though, he wasn't sure. Then again, he wasn't sure about mostly everything.

The two walked around for a while, looking perfect in the eyes of many passers-by, sometimes brushing fingers along the way. As they sat down in a free bench to wait out the rain, they couldn't help but have that sensation of…

…specialness?

…………………………………………………………

"Rain…" Eriol remarked out of nowhere. They had fallen back into silence for a few minutes already, seeming to be lost in their own personal thoughts, "…is said to help bring back memories."

Sakura snapped out of her trance, in which she found herself face to face with her diary entries of revelation.

"Its sound of silence is said to let one remember…both good and bad. Some interpret the drops as cascading crystals…some imagine them to be the sorrows of heaven." he went on, gazing off into the distance that the curtains exposed. His hand rose to his forehead to lend support, and that pleasant smile was missing from sight.

"To me - they're just raindrops. They used to mean something-"

Sakura observed his features darkening to sadness.

"-but not anymore."

Rain, rain…