I forgot to mention last chapter that I am so over alliterations, so no more alliterations. Again, please let me know if you want an epilogue - if you do it shouldn't take me too much to pump one out (I do have something in mind if you want it). Thanks to everyone who reviewed. There isn't a thingee in this one cos I'm saving Yamazaki's for later.

Discliamer: I think you already know how this goes by now . . .

Not What You Think - Revelations of Sorts

"Sakura!" Tomoyo yelled happily as she wrapped her best friend in a hug. "Oh Sakura I've missed you so much. Boys are such bad company sometimes."

Sakura giggled as she hugged her best friend back, glad to see her almost sister once again. It seemed like ages since she had last seen the pair (for Eriol was there as well). It was almost 4 months since she last saw Tomoyo. Two and half months since that first fateful email, but of course, this is only tangentially relevant.

"Sakura, you look amazing," Tomoyo commented, holding Sakura at arms length so she could get a good look at her.

Sakura fingered her hair gingerly, explaining to Tomoyo that she had just got a new hair cut, but Tomoyo was not convinced. "No, it's not," Tomoyo replied, eyeing her almost suspiciously. "There's something else."

Tomoyo walked a slow circle around Sakura, sizing her up from every possible angle. There was something, there was definitely something . . . but what? It was something big, but it couldn't be . . . could it?

"It's a boy," Tomoyo said suddenly, coming to a halt right in front of Sakura. "You're . . ." she began trying to find the right words to explain the difference, "you're glowing."

"No," Sakura said quickly the look on her face betraying her words. She looked like a child who had just been found with their hand in the cookie jar. "That's just . . . incongruous . . . it's just . . . no," she stuttered ineloquently gesturing frantically.

"It's a boy," Tomoyo said again, happier this time and more sure of it. At first she hadn't really known what she thought but now she was sure of it. The way Sakura was getting so flustered and the look on her face and had clinched. There was a boy and clearly not just any boy.

"Come," she said handing her jacket which she had had folded over her arm off to Eriol as she dragged Sakura away. "We have to go get manicures and you have to tell me everything."

"You're gonna think I'm stupid or something," Sakura said as they sat side by side at the manicurist. "I think I'm stupid. Actually forget it. I don't want to hear you tell me its stupid because then it really will be stupid and then it will all be over, because it will have to be over and . . ."

Tomoyo cut her off quickly before she forgot to breathe. "Sakura whatever it is it can't be stupid," she said reassuringly, putting her hand softly on top of Sakura's. "You know you can tell me anything."

"I know," Sakura said with a sigh, readjusting her position on her seat, "but you have to promise not to say its stupid even if it is because I don't want it to be over, not if I can help it. Just promise not to ruin this for me."

"Promise."

"Ok," Sakura began, taking a deep reassuring breath, "but I'm not sure you're going to like it . . . you see, there's this guy and we write each other emails and he writes like a poet. We tell each other everything . . . he knows everything there is to know about me and I feel as though I know his very soul," she continued, shaking her head because she knew that she wasn't making a word of sense.

"The thing is," she said finally, drawing out the moment because here was the stupid part, "I don't know what he looks like or where he lives or even his full name but I feel as though I've known him my whole life and . . ."

She paused, not wanting to say it aloud – not wanting to make it real.

Tomoyo sat there staring at her, mouth ajar. For once she was speechless.

"And what?" the manicurist asked she too staring at Sakura, enraptured by the story.

Sakura sighed bowing her head. "I think I'm falling in love with him," she said quietly not looking up to meet either of their eyes.

Tomoyo let out a breath she had subconsciously been holding.

"Well?" Sakura asked after Tomoyo had been silent for quite some time.

"Well what?" Tomoyo asked in reply with a soft shrug.

"Well don't you have anything to say?" Sakura replied, looking at her best friend imploringly.

"I'm not really sure what I can say," Tomoyo replied, still quite shocked. "I mean, I know I said it was a boy but I wasn't expecting . . ." she trailed of as she saw the look of sadness on her friends face. "Oh no Sakura, I didn't mean that in a bad way. This is good, not ideal, but still very good. And there is nothing stupid about it. And I'm so happy for you."

"Are you sure?" she asked uncertainly, "because I just don't know. I feel wretched thinking about it and how awkward this whole situation is, but when I'm sitting there reading his emails or chatting on line all I can think about is him and as stupid as it is, it seems perfect.

"But now I have no idea what to do."

"Well there's only one thing for it," Tomoyo told her which received rather quizzical glance from Sakura. "Well you guys have to meet and once he sees how gorgeous you are he'll have no choice but to fall head over heals in love with our Sakura-chan, I mean, if he isn't already."

"Oh no, I couldn't," Sakura stuttered, her eyes filling with fear. "What if he doesn't? What if he doesn't feel the same?"

"What if he does?" Tomoyo replied giving her a knowing looking.

Sakura stopped for an instant her voice and manner getting very faraway.

"I think that scares me even more."

~ to be continued ~

Sorry if this is a bit short but I wanted to spread things out a little in sort of a real time kind of way. Next chapter is one of my favourites. Only 5 chapters to go (6 if you want that epilogue) which is actually more than I expected this story to get to. Please review because it keeps my spirits up in these tough times ahead. For some bizaar reason I've had the urge to start a new fic (two in fact, but I think there are enough S+S fics out there without my throwing another in - if anyone is interested, there's a movie called 'This Could be the Night' which would make an excellent AU fic) and so begins the long ordeal again.