T minus 42 days
A round of "hello"s and "hey"s circulated as the each member of the group congregated at the coffee shop. By group, I mean, Meiling, Chiharu, Takashi, Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, and Eriol.
"So," Tomoyo leaned forward to glance between Syaoran and Sakura, who were both sniffling as they sat next to each other. "You two are still sick, huh?"
Eriol glanced up, "hasn't it been two weeks already, Syaoran?"
"This is what you get for having a water fight in the middle of winter." Tomoyo stated in a tone that would have usually been accompanied with a flip of the hair.
"You did WHAT?" the rest of the group perked up - especially, Eriol.
"With what?" Eriol was suddenly incredibly interested, and the pair was suddenly incredibly nervous.
"Oh, you know…" Sakura laughed in a strangely high pitched tone, looking up at Syaoran.
"A water gun." Syaoran shrugged, avoiding eye contact. "What else?"
"Whose?" Eriol interrogated.
"Uhm - a- we found it at - uh- on the sidewalk! Yeah!" Leave it up to Sakura to be a horrible liar.
"Uh huh…"
The pair found the wall and the ceiling incredibly interesting, and though the conversation was suspicious, the rest of the group moved on to something else.
Such as Tomoyo and Eriol's project.
"So whose idea was it to use fiber optics?" Takashi leaned forward interestingly. "Sorry I saw a shipment of it at your area and I was like, 'genius!'"
Eriol looked to Tomoyo, who grinned sheepishly. "Well," she shrugged, "I thought it would be cute."
"And Eriol obviously went along because he's whipped." Meiling commented smartly.
Eriol didn't protest, only playfully glaring at the woman.
"That is smart, actually." Chiharu stated thoughtfully. "Why didn't I think of that?"
"Because you're not an amazing architect like Tomoyo?" Syaoran offered up teasingly.
Chiharu made a face at him.
But it was Tomoyo who responded. "Kissing ass will get you nowhere honey." Tomoyo smiled sweetly.
Syaoran frowned. He glanced at Sakura, who had sent him a questionable look. He shrugged, feigning ignorance of Tomoyo's dislike of him.
And that was how they spent the rest of the afternoon; hanging out, teasing each other, having delightful conversations, and relaxing.
After they had all dispersed, Eriol walked leisurely to keep up with Sakura's pace as they headed for the exit. "man, Sakura, you have some really effective persuading prowess." Eriol commented lightly, though he was trying to make a serious point.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," Eriol paused to think of the right way to say things. "Syaoran's not a big gathering type of guy."
"Yeah, I know." Sakura nodded, still unsure where this was heading. "But he came today."
"Because you invited him."
"I'm sure he would've came if you did, too." Sakura shrugged.
Eriol laughed, "you know why you and Syaoran weren't really friends until that project? Didn't it ever occur to you that was kind of odd? I mean, me and him, we're best friends. I'm -" he paused, because he couldn't say friends and he couldn't say they were in a relationship, so he went with, "you know - with Tomoyo and through her, friends with all of you guys. But you guys aren't really friends with Syaoran."
"Yeah, now that I think about it." Sakura frowned, "So?"
"So, I have actually been inviting Syaoran to join us in our social gatherings, but being Syaoran and an introvert, he doesn't come."
"What are you saying?"
"You guys didn't really get to know Syaoran as well because he doesn't come to these big gatherings and doesn't bother getting to know everybody. But once you invited him, bam, he starts coming."
"I wouldn't say start," Sakura smiled sheepishly, "this is only the first time."
"There's a first for everything." Eriol grinned.
Meanwhile, back in the library, Syaoran unexpectedly discovered another piece of the puzzle surrounding Sakura.
Chiharu lingered behind, still seated, as Syaoran packed up his various books into his backpack.
"You know what you said about Tomoyo being good at architecture?" Chiharu finally voiced the thought that's been bugging her all this time, "She hadn't always been."
Syaoran looked up, surprise and curiosity lacing his features. He stopped packing, straightening.
"She really struggled," Chiharu continued, with a resigned sigh, "the first two years. It's still art and design...but architecture was just so different from fashion design."
"Fashion design?" Syaoran voiced cluelessly.
"She made clothes, did you know that?" Chiharu answered, "she still makes clothes - I think her entire wardrobe and half of Sakura's is handmade by now. She also sketches, paint, you know, fashion illustration...but it's just," With a roll of her eyes, she said the next word, "a hobby, she says."
"She sounds like she's good at that stuff," Syaoran frowned, sitting back down across from Chiharu. "Why didn't she major in that instead?"
Chiharu leaned forward in annoyance, "That's what I said! I keep telling her she could've done so well in fashion design, she could've went so far." Leaning back, she continued disapprovingly, "and she keeps telling me, she's interested in architecture, it's all just a hobby. Yeah, right. She wouldn't have struggled so hard freshman year - you know, I think she regretted it once. For an entire week, she just stopped going to classes, I think she got sick of it, and she just - she retreated into her room and all she did was make clothes the entire week."
"The whole week." Syaoran repeated disbelievingly.
"Yeah, and you know what's weird? All of them were made for Sakura." Chiharu disclosed, as if it was a scandalous secret. "I mean, it isn't that weird, since I heard she and Sakura had a fight that week, or maybe the week earlier, I don't know. It was sophomore year."
Syaoran sat back, frowning at the revelation of events.
Chiharu began to gather her things, "anyway, that was just once. Tomoyo caught up, after that, she succeeded - I mean, other than feeling like she was trying to prove herself, Tomoyo got better. Now, we can all tell, she's gonna be a great architect." Hoisting her backpack up, Chiharu said one last word before leaving, "but she could've been a phenomenal fashion designer." She turned, shaking her head, dismissively she waved a hand, "See ya, Syaoran."
"Yeah." Syaoran nodded, waving in goodbye distractedly as he thought about her words.
Syaoran remembered more than two weeks ago when he fought with Tomoyo, that both Tomoyo and Sakura had said how Tomoyo had given up so much for Sakura.
Syaoran was starting to figure out just how much.
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Before he could confront his partner's best friend, he met up with his partner for lunch...carrying a bouquet in his arms.
Sakura's smile brightened at the sight of him with flowers in his hands. Needless to say, it was adorable.
"Hi, Syaoran." She greeted, a slight furrow of her eyebrows showing her confusion, "is there an anniversary I'm not aware of?"
"I hope not." Syaoran spoke seriously, "c'mon I'll show you."
By the time they had gotten off the bus stop at the graveyard, Sakura caught on to Syaoran's train of thoughts. At the ominous dark black gates, she had turned to him with wide eyes and gasp, "How did you know?"
Syaoran shrugged, "I saw it last time." With a tilt of his head, it was he who, this time, led Sakura to her father's grave stone. Along with her brother's and her mother's surrounding it.
TOUYA KINOMOTO
beloved brother and student
December 1, 1985 - August 21, 2007
FUJITAKA KINOMOTO
Beloved husband, father, and world-famous archeologist.
February 5, 1958 - December 12, 2003
NADESHIKO AMAMIYA KINOMOTO
Beloved wife, mother, and model.
June 20, 1968 - April 1,1992
Seemingly out of nowhere, he produced a lunch box big enough to have food for the both of them. With a rare, kind smile, he met Sakura's awed gaze. "How about we have lunch with your family today?"
Sakura grinned brilliantly.
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There was something that stayed steadfastly in Syaoran's mind that day.
He approached Tomoyo quietly as she ventured out of her class. With neither greeting nor introduction, Syaoran went straight to the point. "You gave up fashion design to major in architecture with Sakura?"
Tomoyo neither agree nor disagreed, "it's still art, it still interests me." Quietly, and almost to herself, she said, "in the future...maybe we will take the same career path."
"Why? You've been best friends since…" Syaoran frowned. "a long time ago. You two will stay friends, just different classes, right?"
"Fifth grade." Tomoyo correctly sharply. "I have to protect her." Tomoyo didn't look at him as she walked along the sidewalk. "Her mother was taken from her before she could even comprehend the world. And just when she was starting to understand the world, her father was taken from her. After she decided she wouldn't ask too much of the world, her brother was taken from her. I don't want to leave her, Syaoran." Tomoyo looked to him, and suddenly the college student understood. Tomoyo was fiercely protective of Sakura. She'd want to be there for her all the time - and she can't do that with such an intense major as fashion design.
Syaoran had one more question. "If you're going to keep putting Sakura first, why don't you stop causing Eriol heartache? Why do keep him hanging on by a string?"
"I love Sakura." Tomoyo looked at him with deeply pained eyes. After a moment, her eyes cleared and there was a certain softness in them as she spoke the next sentence, "But I'm in love with Eriol."
Syaoran was floored by Tomoyo's confident proclamation.
Tomoyo looked to the sky as they moved forward. "It's just I've been with Sakura all this time…I don't know…"
The pieces were starting to come together. "You basically dedicated your whole life to Sakura." Syaoran stated, "so that's why you're having such a hard time having another person to revolve your life around."
She remained silent.
"Most of your fights are either about you blowing him off for Sakura or him undermining you and Sakura in some way, aren't they?"
Tomoyo's impending silence confirmed Syaoran's statement.
"He could deal with that." Syaoran spoke up brightly, confidently. "Even if you just pick up and leave for another country, Eriol would sit here and wait if you had told him to. He would do that for you. He just doesn't know, he's having a hard time because he doesn't understand - because you don't let him."
Tomoyo still hadn't responded. Instead, she avoided eye contact and continued on their path. Finally, she sighed, and spoke up. "I know. That's the problem. I know he will, and I just - what if he finds someone else? Someone more suited for him? But I told him to wait and I have him - "
"You don't know how to be selfish." Syaoran translated. He should've majored in psychology.
And just when Syaoran was starting to deeply respect Tomoyo, she had to act as his adversary.
She turned to him with a slight glare, a little miffed that he solved her like some kind of math problem. "But I still hate your guts." She randomly blurted out.
Unsure of how he should take that, Syaoran only responded with, "you need to work on your social skills."
"Says the guy who's never been in a relationship."
"I'm waiting for the right girl." Syaoran defended, feeling a sense of deja vu.
"That's what they all say!"
What is up with these women and arguing about his lack of love life? Syaoran voiced his thoughts, "What's your point?"
"You don't have experience." Tomoyo flipped her hair condescendingly.
"Isn't that kind of a personal problem?"
Seeing that she really had nowhere to go from that line of argument, she changed tactics. "Bottom line is, you haven't gained my blessing yet."
With a long-suffering sigh, Syaoran went along with her course of conversation. "And why would I need your blessing?"
She spared him a glance of exasperation. "Can't you see? You're starting to replace me in her life."
Syaoran's eyebrows furrowed, "As her best friend?"
"No," Tomoyo scoffed lightly. "Her guardian angel."
As Syaoran returned back to his apartment that night, a single phrase stubbornly repeated itself in his mind. Her guardian angel.
He didn't know why that title just felt so right.
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A/N: Anyone else thought Tomoyo could've been socially awkward in the original series? I mean, all she did was follow Sakura around mostly behind a camera, laugh, and observe people - oh and stay home and make clothes. I guess she was in the school choir and stuff, but that's it. If you disagree, please argue, I'm not gonna get mad 'cause I haven't re-read the original manga in forever and a decade.
I just realized that Tomoyo is just in conflict all the time - I really don't mean to make her a whiny, argumentative character. Really.
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T minus 29 days
Syaoran was peacefully studying in the library. Until someone plopped down next to him and he had to listen to his friend's jabber.
"You know, I asked to be her partner first." Takashi spoke quietly.
Syaoran turned to him in surprise, "What?"
"I was sitting next to Sakura remember?" Takashi smiled knowingly. "I asked her first and she said sure, why not? I came back, and I knew the reason she told me to talk to Chiharu was because she felt bad. She chose you, Syaoran."
"She was - she wanted you two to-" He stammered Sakura's excuses back then.
"You could say she killed two birds with one stone." Takashi calmly responded.
One question plagued Syaoran's mind as he processed the information, "Why?"
"She's always admired you and your work. You were brilliant - you are brilliant, Syaoran. She's wanted to partner with you, but you have so many friends and options, she doesn't know if you'll want to work with her." At this point, Syaoran scoffed. Takashi continued, "She would sometimes bring up your ingenious projects. I'd have to remind her sometimes that I was there, I've seen it, and I'm just as amazed. Once, I don't think she meant to say it out loud - but she did - she said she wonders what'll happen if you were by her side for a project. What you two could've made out of it."
The last part of Takashi's statement struck a chord in Syaoran.
"She wanted to be my partner?" Syaoran voiced, almost in disbelief.
Takashi chuckled, "yeah, we teased her about it. Not in front of Josh, of course. As Chiharu says, 'she gushes about you.'"
Syaoran couldn't help a small smile lighting up his face, a warm feeling spreading over his chest.
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Eriol and Tomoyo, arm in arm, sauntered up to Syaoran together. "Hey."
"Have you decided to get together yet?" He asked directly, skipping the polite greetings.
"Have you decided to get out of other people's businesses yet?" Tomoyo retorted sharply.
"So no…" Syaoran responded slowly.
Eriol laughed at Syaoran's expression, "don't worry, she hates you a little less with each nice thing you do for Sakura - especially taking her to her father's grave? That should be in 500 Ways to Woo a Woman."
"It was my job to do nice things for Sakura." Tomoyo grumbles. She brightened up, "but however much you try, you're not gonna get on my level as her best best friend for the rest of her life."
Syaoran frowned, "don't worry, I'm not trying."
Tomoyo scoffed, "well you sure are doing something, 'cause Sakura-" she shook her head, as if to say 'nevermind'.
With that, the pair just walked away, leaving Syaoran wondering, his gaze flitting to the blonde-brunette laughing cheerfully at the other end of the party. Her eyes caught his, and she turned, sending him a wave.
Blushing at the thought that he was caught, he inclined his head slightly with a small smile, quickly turning away.
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And if one of their friends was going to give Syaoran a little push, another is going to give Sakura a big one, as dense as she is.
Eriol sighed, "He's always wanted to ask you to be his partner on a lot of the projects. But he asked his friends instead. Remember when I told him he had no right to say 'you never know til you try'?"
"But we were like, friendly strangers."
"Yeah, but he...was scared."
"Scared of me?" Sakura asked incredulously. "I wouldn't hurt a fly!"
"He's not scared of you hurting him physically." Eriol replied mystically. "He knows it won't be your fault but he's scared to end up hurt...emotionally."
Sakura cocked her head, "what? Like, bullying?"
"Quite the opposite," Eriol responded patiently.
Sakura only stared at him blankly.
Eriol sighed, taking a different approach, "Syaoran may act polite and nice but he's also reserved because he's shy."
"he's not socially awkward though."
"shy and socially awkward does not always mean the same thing." Eriol pushed on, "on the emotional stuff, Syaoran's really shy. Think of how long he built up the nerve to ask you to be his partner on a project."
"I...don't understand." Sakura frowned, wondering how in the world does shyness and being afraid of her connect in any way.
At this point, Eriol gave up - hoping that Takashi will get to Syaoran - he moved on to a different topic. "So how's your project coming along?"
Sakura let out a noncommittal grunt.
"Working late nights?"
Sakura rolled her eyes, "who isn't?"
Eriol couldn't agree more.
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A/N:
I want to address a response I've received that is starting to annoy me:
I got messages that run along the lines of "this fic is really boring" or "this fic sucks"
Okay, I am sorry that this story is boring for some of my readers, and I am sorry for expressing my creative writing in the way that I like, and I am sorry for not giving a single fuck about your opinion.
This story is based on real life, so if you were looking for car crashes followed by unexplainable amnesia, love at first sight, making love, ten random suitors to be jealous of, or a horrible traumatic experience to change the course of one's life, you will be sorely disappointed.
As I understand it, most of you are well aware of your freedom of speech. Might I kindly remind any haters that you also have the freedom to read any of the other 26,000 fanfiction in the CCS database. Thank you.