Apologies for the late in posting this. Hope the longer chapter makes up for the long delay to some extent. To all those who are still reading, thank you. I promise to finish this fiction. Perhaps it will be take two more chapters to finish the story.
Wonderbabe: thank you so much for understanding the delay and being patient with my slow pace of updates. I hope you would continue to read the story till the end.
Adrena Bui: sorry for the delay in updating. I am trying my best to give them a happy ending, but there will still be some angst in later chapters. It is usually unavoidable when a mortal and an immortal have such a bond.
When Tomoyo opened her eyes, the first thought that hit her was that she had never started her morning with a better sight till that day. The sight that her eyes eagerly took in was that of long flowy silver hair, flawless pale skin, and long eyelashes. It seemed that Yue-san had fallen asleep as he watched over her. He was still seated on the floor beside the small bed in Sakura's room, but his head, resting on his forearm was on the bed right next to Tomoyo's. The two usual inhabitants of the room were nowhere in sight.
Tomoyo tried to move her limbs, which still felt heavy. At least she could keep her eyes open, unlike last night. She dragged her arm on the bed, wrinkling the sheets a bit, until her fingers were close enough to reach Yue's face. She placed two fingers on his jaw very lightly, and then slowly started to move them upward, tracing his cheekbone. "Ohayo, my sleeping angel," she said softly, as the serene expression on her angel's face brought a smile to her lips.
Yue's eyes opened slowly, and focused on Tomoyo's face. The shade of blue in those eyes looked softer in the morning light, and Tomoyo realized how badly she wanted to wake up everyday, and see the free blue sky right in the eyes of the man she loved. Only a day earlier, Tomoyo would not have even dared to indulge herself with such thoughts, scared that her lovesick heart would be left broken and devastated, once the delusion of impossible dreams faded away. But today, such fanciful dreams were within her reach; Yue-san was within her reach.
"How are you feeling?" the smooth voice of the moon guardian pulled Tomoyo out of her thoughts.
"I still feel somewhat lightheaded, and my limbs feel like they are made of lead when I try to move, but I am already a lot better than last night," she replied.
Yue lifted his hand to cover Tomoyo's which was still hovering over his face, fingers barely brushing his skin. He closed his eyes again. The residual fatigue that still remained in Tomoyo begged her to do the same, but her mind tempted her to keep her eyes open, and keep them fixed on Yue-san's beautiful face. She lay her palm flat against Yue's cheek, taking in the softness of his smooth skin and the warmth that seeped into her skin from his hand atop hers, as well as his face beneath her fingers. Tomoyo blinked her eyes a few times, as if to assure that this was real; that she had really made it back to her time, and to her Yue-san. Finally, she moved her head closer so that their foreheads touched, before closing her eyes again.
The two fell into a peaceful trance until an excited squeal in a girl's voice that came from outside made Yue leave Tomoyo's side and go to the door. "Has a fire broken out in the house?" he asked coolly.
"Yue-san, onii-san gave a ring to Yukito-san this morning, can you believe it?" Sakura almost ran up the stairs. Yukito followed close behind.
"It would be harder to believe if he had waited until afternoon, considering how your brother pined for him," Yue remarked flatly.
"Lke the way Tomoyo-chan was pining for you?" Yukito said in a teasing voice following Sakura up the stairs, grinning widely. Yue simply looked away.
"Tsukishiro-san," Tomoyo said as she slowly raised her head from the pillow at the sound of the voices at the door. "Is that you?" she questioned as she saw the young man's bespectacled face peering from the door. "Wait, but Yue-san is here, how–,"
"Tomoyo-san," Yukito entered the room and gently took Tomoyo's hand in his as the girl slowly sat up and leaned against the headboard. "From now on, you don't have to wait until Saturday to see Yue-san. Isn't that what you wanted?" he asked gently.
Tomoyo's eyes sparkled as she took in the information. "The card worked! It really worked," her voice almost choked as beads of clear water began to gather in the corner of her eyes.
"Hai. I am so sorry I could not give you more of Yue-san's time earlier. I would expect Yue-san would make it up to you for that," he turned his attention to the moon guardian with a playful smile. The other man looked away again with an annoyed expression on his young face.
As Tomoyo held Yukito's hand and thanked him, her mind finally registered the brush of the metal against her fingers. She looked down and inspected. "A ring?" she said, as a large grin appeared on her face.
"An engagement ring. From my idiot onii-chan," Sakura clarified with a grin that matched that on her friend's face.
"Omedetou," Tomoyo bowed her head immediately and offered her congratulations. "I couldn't be happier for you and Touya onii-san," she said. "Where is onii-san, by the way?"
"He's working at the university. He will be home by evening," Yukito replied. "Sakura-chan, Fujitaka-san is returning home today isn't it?" he asked, turning to the short haired girl.
"Hai. Otou-san will be so happy when he hears that you two are finally together for good. I can't wait to tell him," Sakura continued to smile brightly.
"Sakura-chan, maybe you should let Touya and I talk to him first. It's not just about our engagement, but also about our past; and our future. We have decided that I have to tell Fujitaka-san everything about who I am before I can ask him to accept me as part of his family," Yukito said.
"You are already family," Sakura came and gave Yukito a reassuring hug. "I am sure otou-san would understand."
"Ano," Tomoyo seemed a little troubled. "Since your history is linked to Yue-san, could you please tell Fujitaka-san to not talk about it to my okaa-san?" she said.
Yukito smiled. "Of course. Sonomi-san would not know a thing until you are ready. I will tell that to Fujitaka-san," he gently patted Tomoyo's head.
"Onii-chan and Yukito-san are moving abroad soon,," Sakura said with a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"We wanted to stay here, actually," Yukito looked thoughtful. "I don't want to complain but as the laws are right now, we won't be able to get married in this country. It would break my heart to call him anything but my husband after all that he has been through for my sake"
The cheerful atmosphere that pervaded the room shifted at those words. Tomoyo sighed discreetly. Sakura muttered that it is not fair under her breath.
"You should be thankful that you belong to an era which at least allows you to fly to several countries that would give recognition to your relationship in the form of matrimony," Yue remarked from where he stood leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed on his chest in his signature pose.
"Yue-san, that's not the kind of thing Tsukishiro-san wanted to hear right now. You are as mean as ever," Tomoyo chided the silver haired man, who only scoffed and looked away again.
"It's alright, Tomoyo-chan. The truth is not always pleasant, and we have to live with it, while trying our best to make the world a better place for people who will come to dwell here after us. I am sure the people who lived during the time Yue-san had lived through, felt that way too. That's why now, we are at a better place, right?" Yukito smiled with his usual optimism. "In any case, Touya and I were lucky to get offers in the same university. It seems the best choice for both our careers and our lives," he added,
After exchanging some more words, Yukito and Sakura left the room, with Yukito offering to make lunch for Tomoyo and bring it up as soon as it was ready. Left alone in the room with the moon guardian, Tomoyo turned her attention to the man. "Yue-san, can I see your true form?" she asked.
Yue looked slightly confused. "This is my true form," he replied.
"I mean your complete form. The one that you take when you fly," Tomoyo clarified.
Yue closed his eyes, as the pair of white wings appeared on either side of his back. He walked towards Tomoyo, and sat down on the edge of the bed gracefully. "Were you scared that I would lose my wings somehow because of the magic that separated me from Yukito?" he asked.
"I don't know," Tomoyo shrugged. "Maybe, I just wanted to see them for some reason. They are so pretty," she extended her hand towards him but held back. "May I?" She waited for his approval.
When the silver head nodded ever so slightly in assent, Tomoyo's fingers made contact with the feathery softness of the angel's wings. This was the first time Tomoyo touched those delicate ethereal set of feathers that cut the wind with such powerful force when their owner took to the sky. "Utsukushi," the word came out in a sigh from Tomoyo's lips as her fingers gently caressed Yue-san's wings.
"You seem to have taken a fancy to my wings," Yue said.
"Wrong! I have taken a fancy to you," Tomoyo corrected.
The tips of Yue's nose and ears reddened, but at the same time he pulled Tomoyo close to himself. "You are being quite generous today, Yue-san," Tomoyo said with a happy giggle as she settled down in his arms, with her head resting on his chest.
"Be quiet. You don't know how I felt yesterday when I held your unconscious form in my arms. I am simply getting rid of that unpleasant feeling," Yue said.
"Unpleasant feeling? As in feeling that your heart is being ripped out of your chest, and that your lungs are full of water, while your eyes are on fire? Yue-san, I think I might have experienced something akin to that unpleasant feeling that you refer to; during that long flight from Vancouver to Tokyo that seemed endless. Unlike you, at least I told you before going to find Clow-san on the other side of time," Tomoyo's voice died down to a bare whisper at the end.
"It was not my intention to make you undergo such a miserable experience, Daidouji-san" Yue regarded the girl's face as he spoke. Then he drew her face closer and proceeded to press his lips against her forehead gently. Tomoyo's eyes fluttered shut at the contact. Never had she imagined that a man's lips could be so impossibly soft. No, that was not quite right. She had actually never imagined the feel of a man's lips at all, until it came to this beautiful man, who she thought was created from moonlight and dreams and a hell lot of cynicism, who managed to change Tomoyo's heart along with all the convictions she had about herself.
"If that is supposed to be an apology for that day, then you might have to repeat this kiss everyday," she said. "And I would like to be just Tomoyo-san to you, if you don't mind," she told him.
"I don't," Yue said softly.
"Which one? The kisses or the first name?" Tomoyo continued to tease him.
"Both, but only if you stop acting so brash," Yue responded.
Yuna D. Kaito visited Sakura's place in the afternoon. The man was headed to the airport to fly back to Montreal. He explained it was Akiho's wish that he ascertained for himself that her friend had reasonably recovered. So, basically, Yuna had come to check on Tomoyo. By that time Tomoyo had regained most of her energy, and was ready to head back home. Although his formal etiquette was perfectly upheld, the young man did not quite seem to be in high spirits.
"You are worried about Akiho-chan aren't you?" Sakura asked, noting his gloomy demeanor.
"About her health, to be specific," Yuna took the last sip of the tea he was served and set the cup down elegantly.
"I am sure she will feel better once you are back at her side," Sakura tried to cheer him up kindly. "She must be waiting for you." she added.
"Actually, Akiho-chan has been waiting for you for a long time, you know. It has been years already, as far as I know," Tomoyo said.
"I am not sure that I quite follow," Yuna responded in a quiet voice.
"You don't or you don't want to, Kaito-san?" Tomoyo tried to press further, ignoring the disapproving frown she received from Yue who sat across from her in Sakura's living room.
"I am just her caretaker," Yuna said after a long silence, avoiding the direct question Tomoyo had thrown at him. A quiet breath left his lips as he spoke the words.
"Akiho-chan has grown up. I don't think she needs a caretaker anymore. If she tells you as much tomorrow, then what will you do Kaito-san? Would you just bid her farewell and move out of her life, never to see her again?" Tomoyo questioned.
"Daidouji-san, that's enough," Yue said sharply.
"If that's necessary for her happiness, then sure, I'll do that without a moment's hesitation," Yuna stood up abruptly. I should take my leave now, "I wish you well, Daidouji-san, Yue-san, Kinomoto-san," with a polite bow, he wheeled his small luggage out of the room and towards the exit. Tomoyo let out a disappointed sigh.
"You cannot fix everyone's lives, Daido–, Tomoyo-san," Yue said sternly. "It is not your place to comment on such matters."
"Actually, so far, my performance at fixing these kinds of things have been very good. Ask Tsukishiro-san and Syaoran-kun," Tomoyo gave a small smile. "And yourself too perhaps. You men are such stubborn idiots at times. Akiho-chan is a dear friend, and I wish to see her happy."
"You are the stubborn one here," Yue shook his head. "I hope it turns out well this time," he said.
The next day, when Tomoyo arrived at the spot where she was supposed to see Yue, she found that the man was already there, calmly sitting with a paperback on his knee and two geese on either side who were trying to snuggle up to him, repeatedly brushing their slender necks against his legs, and bumping his knees with their heads.
"I see that you have got company," Tomoyo said, as she stood before the handsome man.
"You are exactly eight minutes and seventeen seconds late," the man replied, taking a peek and the watch on his wrist, and going back to indifferently flipping the page of his book, and stroking the head of one of the large birds lightly with his finger tips.
Tomoyo blinked a few times. "An old lady asked me for directions to a particular shop, so I stopped to help her out, OK? Not everyone in the world is a mean perfectionist like you. And now these geese are stealing your attention," she huffed, and sat down at the other end of the bench. Although she pretended to be annoyed, actually, it made her a little giddy to think that her Yue-san's angelic aura attracted all sorts of innocent animals to himself. She knew that dating such a dashing man would come with a set of challenges, but at that moment she decided if she had to share his affection with books and animals only, she did not really mind.
Yue took his wallet from his pocket, and pulled out some currency notes. He extended them towards Tomoyo. "Go buy some food for them," he calmly instructed
"Why don't you go? They are your guests after all," Tomoyo said.
"I'll let you buy an ice cream with the change for your effort," Yue replied, his eyes stuck to the pages of his book, clearly disinterested in the suggestion.
"Yue-san! I am not a kid!" Tomoyo rolled her eyes at the man. She snatched the currency notes from Yue's fingers anyway, and walked away.
The girl returned with a plate of boiled corn and a strawberry cheesecake flavored ice cream. Some mobile food carts came to the park during the afternoons to sell various treats for the birds and small critters who inhabited the park, as well as for the kind folks, both kids and adults who enjoyed feeding them. The geese were enticed by the treat that they were offered and Tomoyo led them away a little further to a shady spot where a bird feeder was stationed for the geese. She emptied the contents of the plate in the feeder before trashing it, and returned to Yue. For a while, the two just sat beside each other, with Yue reading his book and Tomoyo enjoying her ice cream. Finally, when she finished the treat and delicately wiped her lips with a tissue, Yue shut the book and looked up.
"Tomoyo-san, did Clow say something hurtful to you that day?" he questioned.
Tomoyo seemed a little startled as the question came from nowhere. She vigorously shook her head. "No! Not at all. Why would you think that? Touya onii-san was very livid with him though. But Clow-san didn't seem to mind," she said.
"You were crying," Yue simply stated.
Tomoyo closed her eyes and the image of Yue lying broken at Clow Reed's grave flashed in her mind. It was almost enough to make her cry again. "It's just that I was feeling so helpless when we could not find the object Clow san wanted us to find, and I thought I would never return back to my time," Tomoyo said. She knew that she was lying, but the last thing she wanted to do was to remind Yue-san about that unspeakable pain he went through after Clow Reed had passed away, leaving him alone and broken.
Yue simply nodded. It seemed that the response was convincing enough for him to not question her further. "You and Clow-san seemed really close," Tomoyo said after a few heavy moments of silence.
"We were," Yue responded brusquely.
"I could tell how much you loved him even before I really got to know you back then," Tomoyo said in a quiet voice. Immediately afterwards though, she felt like punching herself for the insensitive comment she made even after knowing everything. Why did you raise that sore topic? Do you want to hurt him so bad? Her mind screamed at her.
"It would be insincere of me to deny the love that I had for my former master," Yue angled his perfect face to look at Tomoyo, and she found those intense blue eyes looking straight into hers as soon as he raised her head. "But Clow was not my lover," he clarified.
"Oh no! I didn't mean –, and I don't care actually," Tomoyo waved her hands rapidly, as she tried to dismiss the topic.
Yue extended his own hand and caught hers. "I would like you to listen regardless," there was a hint of plea in his sharp gaze. Tomoyo's shoulders slumped and she nodded for him to continue.
"Clow never wanted me that way, though I feel obliged to tell you that I would not have refused him if he did," he told her.
"Does that bother you, Yue-san?" Tomoyo asked, ignoring the tightness in her own chest.
"Not really," Yue took a deep breath. "As long as I could stay by Clow's side, it did not matter if he wanted me to be his friend, brother, or lover. But Clow never wanted me to be any of these things to him," he paused briefly. "I suppose neither of us nor anyone else could define the relationship that we shared. I never thought that I would continue to exist in a world without Clow Reed. That was all I knew back then," he lowered his gaze to the ground.
"Yue-san, do you feel the same way about me? I mean are you indifferent to the nature of our relationship too?" Tomoyo dared herself to ask the question. A strange dread crept into her heart as she awaited his answer.
"It's similar. As far as my feelings for you go, there's nothing that I wish for more than to see you happy and safe. I suppose that such a feeling for another person is termed as love by humans,," Yue said in an even tone. "This is what I wanted to tell you that day, before you left to see Clow Reed on the other side of time."
Tomoyo considered the words carefully. From all the silver haired young man beside her had told her, it seemed that the type of love did not matter much to him. "I'll never be able to love you like a brother though," she finally said. "I mean, I get what you are saying, I also love you as a friend, but that's not –," Tomoyo abruptly stopped at that point.
"That's not the only way you love me, being friends is not the only way you want to see our relationshp," Yue completed the sentence for her.
Tomoyo lifted her eyes to the face of the most beautiful person she has ever known, seemingly surprised by the directness of his words. She tried to look away immediately, but Yue caught her chin between his deft fingers. "Am I wrong?" he asked.
Tomoyo shook her head slowly. "Humans are selfish, Yue-san. I'm sorry that–,"
"You have nothing to apologize for, especially never be sorry for how you feel. And, did they not teach you the difference between the same and similar in school?" Yue retorted, removing his fingers from her face.
"Yue-san, please don't confuse me like this," Tomoyo said, somewhat annoyed at that point.
"You told me that I'm the most important person to you. It would be a lie to say that I would remain completely unaffected if someone else becomes more important to you than I am. I also bear this unreasonable hope that you would always let me be the one to protect you. I never felt that way towards anyone else. Not towards my current master, not even towards Clow, my former master. That's why I specifically said that my feelings are similar, not same," there was a faint blush on the pale cheeks that made the young man look even prettier than he already was. A bright smile appeared on Tomoyo's face as she heard the words. She was about to say something, but Yue continued. "It's up to you to decide and tell me what you want me to be in your life from now on," he said.
"Yue-san, you want me to propose again, don't you?" Tomoyo hugged his arm and gave him a playful smile.
"What do you mean by again?" Yue asked in an indignant voice.
"Ahh, my bad. I thought I confessed to a certain moon angel. But, being the deity of propriety, he requires a formal proposal," Tomoyo smile turned into a soft giggle.
"Don't be ridiculous," it might be just the last orange rays of the day's last bit of sunshine, but Tomoyo thought that the color on her beloved moon angel's face had deepened as he looked away from her.
Tomoyo rose from her seat and stood before the man she loved. "Yue-san, please look at me," she urged him in a sweet voice. His eyes automatically found their way back to her lovely face, on which his calm gaze rested.
"Yue-san, please take care of me from now on. And please allow me to do the same for you," Tomoyo kept it short and simple, as she gave him a courteous bow.
Yue took Tomoyo's right hand, still wrapped in gauze and slowly lifted it to his lips. "I shall do my best to honor your request," his thin lips brushed against her hand as if to seal the potent promise carried by the few words he gave her.
At that moment, bathed in the last sunlight of the day, with a light breeze blowing through her hair and with the cool grass beneath her feet, Tomoyo felt that life has given her more than she ever deserved. With a quiet mutter of thanks, she sat beside Yue, interlocking their fingers together.
"When are you going back?" Yue was the first to break the silence that had descended upon them.
The expression of contentment on Tomoyo's face shifted. "I don't want to," she pouted like a schoolgirl.
"As a student, I would expect you to uphold your end of the commitment as an exchange student this year," Yue remained serious.
"You are sending me away?" Tomoyo pulled her hand away from Yue's.
"To fulfill your commitment, yes." Yue said in an emotionless voice.
"You said that we would watch the first sakura blossoms together," the hurt in Tomoyo's voice was evident.
"I never said that it has to be this year," Yue told her.
"You are still the same heartless Yue-san," Tomoyo complained.
With a soft sigh, Yue extended his hand and placed it on Tomoyo's head. "Tomoyo-san, I don't want you to have regrets."
"I would never regret choosing to be with you over anything else." Tomoyo said stubbornly.
"That's easy to say when you are young and naive," with gentle pressure of his hand, Yue slowly turned the young girl to face himself. "Don't let me be your weakness, Tomoyo-san."
This time, Tomoyo understood. Yue-san felt guilty for a lot of things. He would blame himself if she had to choose between him and her academics, and ended up with a break of a year in her studies. Even though it was painful for her to be away from her love for a full year, it would be the kinder thing to do for Yue-san's sake. One year was probably not a significant time to a being like him anyway. "Fine, I will complete my exchange year and return to you. And then, we shall see the cherry blossoms together." she told him. She leaned closer to rest his head against his shoulder. A few moments later she looked up feeling his soft breath on her face. Yue-san's face was very close. It seemed that he was searching for something in her face, and his lips almost brushed the tip of her nose. He held her gaze for a moment before tilting his head back which moved his face away from her immediate proximity.
So, five days later, Tomoyo was at the airport to catch the early morning flight to Vancouver, to resume her exchange program. A part of Yue was almost scared to bid Tomoyo farewell at the airport. The girl was a bit upset and if Yue was correct she was crying to herself when he called to check on her the night before. But Sakura persuaded him to go and see her off anyway. Sakura pulled Sonomi aside strategically to allow Yue and Tomoyo to speak. Tomoyo did not speak much. "You look awful today," Yue finally said.
"Thanks for the compliment, A lady couldn't be more flattered," Tomoyo responded sarcastically.
"It is the truth. You shouldn't have exhausted yourself by crying last night," Yue said.
Tomoyo sighed. Of course Yue-san could tell. "Forgive me if I am not overjoyed about leaving the only place I knew in my life, for leaving the only people I know… and love," she said.
With a quiet sigh, Yue rested his hand on her head. "I will be right here. Call me if you want," he told her.
That seemed to cheer Tomoyo up a bit as a small smile appeared on her lips.
Sonomi turned to Yue once Tomoyo had walked past the security checkpoint. "May I know your intentions with my daughter?" she asked directly.
"Would my answer change your opinion of me?" Yue replied coolly, as if he had expected the question. He did not even turn to look at Sonomi.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sonomi furrowed her brows.
"That means that if I tell you that I have no interest in the rich heiress's fortune, you would still find it hard to believe me anyway, and I get it," Yue said.
"Yue-san, that's not what Sonomi-san asked," Sakura tried to intervene, sensing that the conversation was heading in an unpleasant direction.
"I have made my intentions clear to Tomoyo-san. Ja ne," with that the silver haired man walked away leaving a bewildered girl and her annoyed aunt at the terminal.
"I can't believe that Tomoyo would fall for such an insolent boy," Sonomi remarked at the somewhat rude dismissal.
"Yue-san might not always be polite with his words. But he cares about Tomoyo-chan. A lot," Sakura tried to defend the moon guardian. "He's also very responsible. Yue-san's the one who persuaded Tomoyo-chan to continue her exchange program this year," Sakura informed quietly.
Shortly after Tomoyo's arrival at Vancouver, the cherry blossoms started blooming. There was a large tree right on the side of the path that led to the small apartment that she was leasing for the duration of her stay. Tomoyo's longing gaze lingered upon it for a few extra moments each time she passed by it. Her days were busy, but Tomoyo never fell asleep on a single night without thinking of her Yue-san.
One such night, Tomoyo had a dream. In that dream, she was standing beneath that cherry tree, laden with pink blooms. Someone stood underneath that tree - someone who had pale skin and long silver hair. Sharp blue eyes met hers as an elegant hand reached out for her own. Her dream self eagerly accepted it as she stood before the young man who was then literally in her dream. He seemed to be asking her something, she was not sure what it was, but she herself nodded slowly. The handsome man leaned closer, and all she could do was to stare at the perfection that was his face.
When Tomoyo opened her eyes, they were damp. Her hand was over her heart, which was racing wildly. She lifted her fingers and rubbed away the warm, wet trail that ran down her cheeks, before slowly sitting up on her bed. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and looked at the time. It was late evening in Japan. Yue-san, I want to see you, onegai. She texted.
The wait after that seemed endless, but finally her phone rang. It was a video call, from Yue-san who usually preferred to communicate via short text messages. Tomoyo answered the call and positioned the phone close to her face. On the other end of the line, Yue-san seemed to be sitting before his laptop, wearing a Yukata and running a blow dryer through his long silver hair. Well, that explained the delay. "Why are you not asleep at this time of the night?" He started the conversation with his usual chide.
"Yue-san," Tomoyo just called his name, shifting a bit to lie on her side, while still facing the moon guardian on her phone screen.
Thin silver brows furrowed ever so slightly. "You have been crying," Yue said. Tomoyo sighed. Yue-san always knew. He knew it from the almost unnoticeable quiver of her voice and from the slight puffiness of her eyes. Even when he was thousands of miles away and could only watch her through an electronic screen in a room lit only by her bedside lamp, he knew.
"I had a dream," Tomoyo snapped. "About a certain mean guy," she added.
"And what did that odious individual do to make you cry?" Yue questioned.
Tomoyo felt her face heat up a bit at the memory of the dream. "We were standing under a big cherry tree, and –," she paused abruptly, searching for the right words.
"Finish your account," Yue said at the long drawn pause.
Tomoyo did not speak immediately. Yue gave her an annoyed glare and shifted his attention back to drying his long hair. The setting felt almost intimate; as if they were in the same room going through their daily evening routine, even though they were on two different sides of the world. "Yue-san, you didn't even kiss me before I left Japan," Tomoyo finally said.
Contrary to Tomoyo's expectation, Yue did not appear surprised or shocked. "Is that what happened in the dream?" he asked in an even tone, running his long fingers through his hair. Tomoyo nodded, burying her hot face halfway into her pillow.
"And you are sulking because it's not real," Yue commented. "Such childish silliness."
"If only you learned to put your great wisdom into some practice," Tomoyo said bitterly.
Yue set aside the blow dryer and focused his attention on Tomoyo's face on the screen. She heard him sigh once before he spoke. "It is not that the thought did not cross my mind," he told her.
Now that was something Tomoyo didn't expect. She opened and closed her mouth, visibly shocked. "You mean back then you had wanted to kiss me, but held back?" he questioned the silver haired man, who quietly nodded in response. "Why?" she asked again.
"I did not want to make it more difficult," he said softly.
"Difficult for whom?" a wave of fresh tears threatened to choke Tomoyo's voice.
"For you," Yue responded without hesitation. "Perhaps for the both of us, but my particular concern was for you," he added after a moment.
Tomoyo allowed her tears to fall freely as the actual wisdom Yue had shown in this particular matter finally became evident to her. The memory of a stray kiss or two with Yue-san would have made this distance from him more unbearable than it already was to her. Perhaps, she would not even be able to leave his side in the first place. And being a responsible person, Yue-san had made it clear that he did not want their relationship to hinder her progress as a student. At least now, there was something that she could look forward to.
"Tomoyo-san, You need to be patient. When we meet again, I will ensure that this particular dream of yours comes true," the moon guardian assured her.
Tomoyo wiped her tears. "I don't think you can do that," she said. "I will be visiting during the winter holidays, there won't be any cherry blossoms then," she told him with a smile.
"You should get back to sleep rather than fretting over trifles, Tomoyo-san," Yue chided.
"I don't think I can do that just yet," Tomoyo said. She slowly sat up on her bed. "Can you stay with me for a while longer?" She asked.
"Is there something else that you wish to tell me?" Yue questioned
"Not really. But there's a new song that I have learned to sing recently.I wanted Yue-san to hear it," she said softly.
"Do as you please," Yue pretended to indulge her. If he were truthful to himself, he had to admit that if there was something that he missed most about Tomoyo, it was the melody of her voice that had brought solace to his soul every time he was treated with one of her songs.
Tomoyo took the pillow from her bed and placed it on her lap, folded her hands together, and began:
You will quietly reside in my heart
Like the silent, secluded full moon night.
My youth and my life, my entire world
Will be illuminated with glory by your presence
Much like midnight is by the moon.
Your kind eyes will stay awake to watch over me
The shadow of your cape will always drape me
My sorrow and pain, my fulfilled dreams
Will be fragrant by your essence
Much like midnight is by the moon.
Touya and Yukito's wedding involved a quiet celebration at the small apartment they had rented in Chicago, once they moved to the United States that summer to take up their roles as researchers at the university there. Sakura and Fujitaka had arrived about a week ago, and Tomoyo considered herself fortunate enough to be able to fly out on a Friday evening. Sonomi had also promised to do her best to attend, and indeed she arrived on Saturday evening, just in time for the wedding on Sunday. Ruby Moon had also flown from London, not wanting to miss a once in a lifetime opportunity for pestering the new couple.
The affairs for the day were quite simple. The couple went and registered their marriage, followed by a quiet celebration and dinner with the friends and family who had gathered for the occasion. Any religious officiation was still out of the question in almost every part of the world when the couple in question was two men or two women, but in this case, Touya was more than happy to skip that part. Of course, Ruby still ensured that the two got to exchange their vows, and Tomoyo ensured that she captured the best shots of them with her expensive video camera. Yukito became emotional and forgot most of the lines he prepared, and at the end could only sniffle on Touya's shoulder, quietly expressing his gratitude and declaring that he would stay by his side as long as Touya wanted him to. Touya quietly chastised him saying that he should know that as long as meant forever in their case, as he passed him a tissue to wipe his teary eyes. Tomoyo and Sakura had also teamed up to bake a wedding cake for the couple, while Fujitaka and Sonomi teamed up to cook a few traditional Japanese recipes. Yukito was extremely flustered and kept offering to help everyone with these tasks, but he was quickly pulled aside by Ruby, who was trying to persuade Touya to include some cute couple poses in the photoshoot. "I am not doing any of those," Touya said grumpily.
"Not even if your precious husband wants you to?" Ruby Moon winked at Yukito.
"He doesn't want that either," Touya claimed.
"But I do want to take some nice photos with my husband on our wedding day," Yukito looked at Touya with a pleading smile. Seeing the helpless expression on the taller man's face, Ruby did a small jump in glee, and rushed out to get Tomoyo to film them.
"You really want us to be like those sappy couples?" Touya raised an eyebrow at the man he married that day.
"To-ya, I just want everyone to be happy on our wedding day. I did not want to disappoint Ruby-san. She came all the way from London just for us," Yukito again smiled that innocent smile that he knew Touya was unable to resist.
"It was your idea to invite her. And You are kind to everyone but me," Touya complained.
Yukito touched his hand briefly. "Daijoubu, To-ya. I will take the lead since I agreed to her. We will not do anything that makes either one of us feel uncomfortable," he said.
Tomoyo and Sakura soon joined them with Ruby. Tomoyo suggested a few simple things that they could do as she checked the camera. Touya looked extremely bashful as he sat down, letting his husband hug him from the back while standing. "You look even more handsome when you blush, To-ya," Yuki giggled next to his ears.
"Shut up now, or I'll divorce you," Touya said.
"I will tell Sakura-chan that onii-chan is being mean," his husband replied.
Tomoyo recorded a video of the candid conversation between the couple with a smile, though they were speaking too softly for the words to be actually recorded, their expressions were still priceless. She then asked them to look at the camera for a still shot. After a few more shots that involved casual hugs and holding hands were taken, Ruby whined. "What's a wedding without a proper kiss?" she said.
"I am leaving," Touya got up immediately.
"Onii-chan is too shy," Sakura laughed.
This time, Yukito did not agree with Ruby either, but he simply held Touya's arm to stop him from leaving. "Ruby-san is just joking, To-ya. Don't take her seriously," he told him.
"Ruby-san has spent most of her days in the UK where such a custom is indeed prevalent. It is not usual for Japanese weddings though," Tomoyo tried to subtly convey the cultural difference to end the matter there. "I have got some beautiful pictures of the two of them," she smiled. Fortunately, Ruby seemed to understand and did not push the matter further.
"Their height difference looks so good, ne?" Sakura said with sparkly eyes as she looked at the screen of the video camera, which showed Touya standing behind Yukito with a loose arm around the shorter man's frame.
"It's so cute," Ruby agreed spontaneously. "Someone else is going to have the same height difference with their husband one day," she clapped Tomoyo's back suggestively. "That idiot is so lucky," she gave her a mischievous grin.
"I would be the lucky one if that happens. We have not been together for so long as Touya onii-san and Tsukishiro-san, or Sakura-chan and Li-kun. Who knows if Yue-san would even want us to –," Tomoyo sat down, not wanting to articulate her concern further.
"I can assure you about that," Yukito said, leaving his husband's side to walk over to them. "Tomoyo-san, I could feel Yue-san's heart for years, so you must believe me when I say that Yue-san would not hesitate to do something that would make you truly happy," he smiled.
"Arigatou, Tsukishiro-san. I would be the happiest one in that case," although Tomoyo's cheeks were dusted with a faint shade of pink, she smiled openly.
After dinner was done, Tomoyo stood at their small balcony, looking out on the softly-lit street, which was quiet at that time of the evening, except the sounds of the cars passing by intermittently. Inside, Touya and Sakura's voices could be heard. The siblings were once again bickering about something. Yukito stepped out onto the balcony to stand beside Tomoyo. "Arigatou, Tomoyo-chan. You worked so hard today for us, to take all those pictures and videos," he thanked sincerely.
"No problem. I sent a few photos to Yue-san, he has sent his best wishes, see?" Tomoyo held up her phone.
"Yue-san could have attended if we had got married in Tomoeda," Yukito sighed softly.
Tomoyo kept silent not knowing what would be the correct thing to say. "Touya had to leave so much behind to be with me," Yukito spoke again
"Yukito-san, Touya onii-san is happy to be here with you. Isn't this what you both always wanted?" Tomoyo asked.
"Gomen, Tomoyo-chan, I suppose I should not complain. I am so lucky that Touya wanted me to be his husband," the gray haired young man smiled, as he heard the noisy footsteps of his sister-in-law and her loud voice calling for Yukito-san.
Yukito was putting away the dishes in the dishwasher after their guests had retired for the night to a vacation home, which housed them for their short stay in Chicago. Touya walked into the kitchen, and perched himself on the countertop. Yukito quietly told him to go and rest and that he would be done with his chore shortly. However, the taller man did not make any effort to leave. As Yukito finished loading the dishwasher, Touya extended his hand to grab his arm and pulled him closer, even before the other man had time to wipe the water off his hands. "Touya, I told you to wait," Yukito chastised.
"I couldn't. Not when you are like this," the dark haired man responded.
"Like what?" Yukito gave him a puzzled look, his hands landing on his husband's shoulder, leaving damp spots on the dress shirt that he was wearing beneath his dark suit jacket for their wedding reception.
"Yuki, I never thought I would see sadness in your eyes on our wedding day," Touya lifted his fingers to brush fringes of gray hair from Yukito's forehead.
"What are you talking about Touya?" Yukito chuckled. "How could I be sad after marrying the most handsome, most caring, and the second most grouchy man I have ever known?" he said, gently taking the hand that caressed his face, and placing his lips on the center of his husband's palm.
"Then I must have married an imposter, for the Yuki I know would always hum stupid tunes to himself while doing the dishes after living through a good day," Touya remarked.
Yukito's expression changed. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his husband's broad shoulder. "I meant everything I said earlier, To-ya. You have fulfilled a dream for me. A dream that neither of us even dared to see at one time. But to chase this dream, you had to come so far away from your country, from your family that loves you. Here we have no one but each other, and we have to wait till our next trip to Japan to go and see your okaa-san," Yukito became emotional, recalling the request Fujitaka made of his son and son-in-law, asking them both to remember visiting Nadeshiko's tomb as a married couple when they visited Japan.
"They are your family too, Yuki. Don't tell me that you are not more attached to Sakura and dad than even I am," Touya put his arms around his husband's torso. "Yuki, if I could change the world to make it a better place for you, I would not hesitate to do it. But in this case, we would probably be gone from this world before the system changes in our own country. Even if I am born in this same world a million times, I would do the same thing to be with you, without a shred of regret," he declared.
"We were together even before we confessed. We were always together, To-ya. We could just have an informal wedding there. You would eventually feel lonely here, you know" Touya could not see his husband's face but from the way his voice cracked he knew that his eyes must be full of tears. His Yuki was still as soft and sentimental as he used to be in high school. He was suffering because he missed his land and the people , a land which would not accept him for who he was.
"You know very well that an informal wedding does not give us any rights. Our relationship is no different than what a man and a woman have when they get married. I refuse to belong to a place which refuses to treat us equally," Touya told his husband. "I felt lonely when I was so much in love with you but had to think twice to even hold your hand, fearing that it would make Yue feel uncomfortable. I felt lonely whenever we were out on dates together, we were seen more as best friends and less as a couple. Today, I don't feel lonely at all, as I can hold you in my arms and call you mine, while walking on a street where nobody knows us." he breathed deeply.
"You are so brave, To-ya. You are still fighting for us," Yukito raised his head. "Maybe, one day the laws will change, and we can return," he said hopefully.
Now that he could finally see the adorable face he loved so well, Touya cupped it with his hands and brushed away the tears that had fallen. "You just miss everyone,," he teased a bit, pinching his husban's cheek between his fingers. "Don't worry, we do not live in the Edo period anymore. Everyone is just a phone call away. I promise to take my homesick Yuki to visit Japan often," he assured.
"Thanks for taking care of me, To-ya," Yukito finally gave him a genuine smile. Touya leaned forward and brushed their lips together.
"You can thank me later; after I finish taking care of you," the taller man kissed the corner of his husband's lip again playfully.
"To-ya," Yukito blushed immediately and turned his face to the side causing the next kiss to land on his cheek. He let the other man softly kiss his face and his neck for a while before he turned his face again, and pushed Touya's face up to seal their lips together.
Sensing that Yukito was serious this time, Touya deepened the kiss, encircling Yukito's waist with both arms and pulling him close against himself. His heart was filled with nothing but happiness and gratitude for a fulfillment of a long cherished dream.
Just as a sigh escaped Yukito's parted lips, the phone placed in Touya's pocket rang, causing the couple to reluctantly separate from each other. "Who's it?" Yukito asked, brushing his fingers over his lips.
"If it is not the most grouchy man you have ever met interrupting us again," Touya groaned in frustration.
Yukito snatched the phone from his fingers and rolled his eyes at his husband. "To-ya, I demand that you be civil while speaking to Yue-san. He answered the phone. "It's not like he's our ojisan even if he sometimes acts like one, you know," he whined.
"Tomoyo-san insisted that I should call to congratulate," Yue said flatly when Yukito answered the phone. "Take care of each other," he said.
As fate would have it, the anticipated reunion over winter holidays never came for Tomoyo and Yue. A couple of days before Tomoyo was scheduled to board the plane for Tokyo, she came down with a flu. "You cannot travel like this," Yue told her on the phone when her raspy voice and sniffles gave away her sickness.
"Yue-san, that's not fair," Tomoyo sounded upset and broken. "I would give anything to see you again."
"Don't be unreasonable. You are indisposed to travel at the moment," Yue told her firmly. He was able to convince Tomoyo to take her medication and rest, forgoing her homecoming plan. However, after he hung up the call, a strange feeling of helplessness mixed with longing washed over Yue. Regardless of how indifferent he acted with her, he had to admit he wanted to see her as much as she wanted to see him. Besides, his own feelings were secondary. Tomoyo was sick and all alone in a faraway land. He wanted to be able to take care of her, but there was only so much that he could do from the other side of the world. Yue held his temples against his hands as he willed himself to calm down and assess the situation objectively. Perhaps, there was another person who could help Tomoyo at this point more than himself, and as her friend, the best Yue could do was facilitate that. He picked up his phone and texted Sakura, asking for someone's contact details.
Sonomi was quite surprised to receive a call from Yue telling her that she needed to visit her daughter who had apparently fallen quite sick. So, she canceled several meetings and appointments and booked the next available flight to Vancouver. Yue was at Narita International airport when Sonomi got there. "Daidouji-san," the young man greeted her formally. "I have a request," he added.
Sonomi regarded Yue for a second. She had her reservations about her daughter's relationship with this strange and mysterious man who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere in her daughter's life. Nevertheless, her astute observation told her that this young man was worried about Tomoyo, and was responsible enough to inform her of her sickness. "You walked out on me last time we met. Now, what do you expect me to do for you?" she asked, not wanting to let down her guard yet.
"I have something for Tomoyo-san," she saw Yue take out a small package from the messenger bag he carried. Sonomi chuckled.
"Quite bold of you to assume that I approve of your relationship with my daughter to courier your gift to her. What makes you think that I won't toss it away?" she asked.
"You care for her happiness," the blue-eyed man did not flinch at the challenge.
Sonomi exhaled. "Fine," she said as she took the package wrapped in pristine white paper and tied with a blue ribbon from Yue's hands. Anything else that you would like to deliver to her? "Flowers, letters, hugs?" she said playfully, and watched the light blush that crept up Yue's handsome face showing her a glimpse of the shy boy that hid beneath the facade of indifference.
"That would be all," Yue forced his voice to remain composed. "Have a pleasant flight," he was about to turn away from the lady, not wanting to give her a chance to tease him again, but she called after him.
"Yue-kun," Sonomi paused. She seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Why don't you come with me? That is something that would make Tomoyo-chan truly happy," she mused. Actually, it was not a completely generous or selfless offer. Sonomi initially thought that her young girl had a crush which would fade with time, but it turned out that she was closer to him than ever before even after months of being away from him. He knew that Tomoyo had fallen ill, when her own mother did not. So, Sonomi had realized that Tomoyo could not be convinced to let go of this person. So, she wanted to take the opportunity to learn more about him, and possibly observe how he interacted with Tomoyo.
"I cannot do that," Yue said simply.
"Oh," Sonomi seemed to realize something. "Of course, you have not packed any luggage. I can book you on tomorrow's flight then," she said hopefully.
"Tomoyo-san knows that I would not be able to travel. She understands the situation," Yue turned away and started walking off. The last thing that he needed today was having to make up a convincing reason for him not being able to take the flight that would take him to Tomoyo. He could tell that Sonomi was an astute person and would most likely be skeptical of any story that he might try to sell her. There was just a tiny bit of regret in him for coming to meet Sonomi that day, but he really wanted to make Tomoyo feel a little better and miss him a little less.
"Did he just brush me off again?" Sonomi asked Akane, who had accompanied her till the airport, and had witnessed the exchange from the sidelines.
"I am sorry, but that's what it seemed like ma'am," her chief bodyguard responded.
Tomoyo-chan, why would someone so sweet like you fall for such a haughty and impertinent young fellow? Sonomi sighed as she walked in to check-in for her flight that day.
The arrival of her mother cheered up Tomoyo quite a bit. "Okaa-san, I am so sorry that you had to miss work on my account," Tomoyo said between rugged breaths as Sonomi sat with her sick daughter.
"Tomoyo-chan, you know that to your mother, you would always come before work, right? I am sorry if I ever made you feel that you have to apologize to your own okaa-san for being sick," Sonomi told her daughter as she pulled her into a hug.
"I am so happy that you came to see me okaa-san," Tomoyo sighed in her mother's embrace. "I wish I could see everyone else too," she admitted.
"Particularly a certain silver-haired boy, ne?" Sonomi nudged her playfully.
Tomoyo did not seem much flustered at the comment. She lifted her face to stare at her mother's face for a few moments and nodded silently.
"Then, I have something for you," Sonomi released her daughter and reached for her handbag. She produced a small white box, neatly held together with a blue ribbon. "That brazen boy just came to the airport, handed me this damn package and disappeared."
Tomoyo panicked a little. "Did you have an argument with Yue-san?" she asked.
"I asked him if he could come to visit you. He refused and when I asked why he just ignored me and left." Sonomi seemed disgruntled.
"I see," Tomoyo said quietly. "He is unable to travel at the moment," she said apologetically.
"He did say that you are aware of the situation. Is he on a no-fly list or something?" her mother still seemed skeptical.
"Of course not!" Tomoyo protested instantly. "His passport had expired and he had forgotten to renew it since he is not used to traveling much," Tomoyo said, hoping her instant excuse sounded convincing enough.
"Young people are so careless these days," Sonomi voiced the classic complaint that parents loved to make.. "He should have just told me so."
Tomoyo waited until her mother had left the room to open the package. Inside was small, fluffy white teddy bear with blue beady eyes that were the color of the sky, and a note that said: I still do not believe the silly bear myth from your childhood. I would not mind if it were true though. Get well soon.
The following months rolled by eventlessly. Tomoyo attended her classes dutifully, earned great grades, managed to upkeep her household by herself and spoke to her Yue-san, her mother and her friends whenever she could spare the time in her busy day-to-day schedule. When it came to Yue-san, it was she who did most of the talking on their phone-calls though, telling Yue all about her classes, all the international students from different corners of the world that she got acquainted with at the university, and complained about the gloomy weather of Vancouver. Yue kept his responses short, which mostly consisted of reminding her to get enough sleep and take care of her health. He texted her once each day though even if she was too busy for an extended phone conversation. Tomoyo continued to terribly miss him and her little hometown and the friends and family who lived there. But there was a silver lining. On the other side of the world, in this big city, at her university, no one knew her to be the daughter of the owner of the top toy company of Japan. Here, people simply knew her to be the sweet and kind foreign exchange student who was there for only a year and who always tried to help everyone, rather than as the rich girl who always got everything she wanted. Far away from the shadow of her rich and powerful mother, Tomoyo felt free for the first time in her life.
One late spring afternoon, Tomoyo's classes had ended for the day and she was on her way back to her apartment, which was tucked away in a quieter part of the city. She had to take the right from the main street, where she had got off the bus and walk a couple of blocks to reach her place. As she was about to enter the building, she turned her head to the side to steal a glance at the majestic sakura tree that had bloomed for the season just a few days back. It had been almost a year of her stay in Vancouver. However, it was not the sight of pink blossoms that made her heart stop for a beat in her chest. Rather it was the sight of long silver hair, which was being ruffled by the gentle spring breeze, pale skin and eyes that were blue and calm like the sky.
"Yue-san," his name fell from her lips in a whisper, as her legs automatically moved to approach the young man who stood leaning against the tree.
"You look like you have just seen a ghost," Yue remarked off-handedly.
Just an angel, Tomoyo thought, but remained silent regardless. Tomoyo had imagined her reunion with Yue-san countless times, and in those fantasies, she most often imagined that it would be hard to stop herself from rushing into his arms the moment their eyes met. Yet, when the moment was finally here, she found herself stupefied, unable to move or speak, as if afraid that the beautiful illusion would vanish from her eyesight with the slightest movement.
Yue reached out and held her hand. He slowly lifted it, a bit hesitant, his eyes tracing her skin. His thumb brushed lightly over the scar that ran diagonally from the base of her thumb to the base of the little finger. The scar was faint, barely noticeable at first glance, but it did not disappear completely.
"Yue-san, it has healed completely," Tomoyo said softly, noticing the look of regret on Yue's face.
"You are left with a scar," Yue slowly released her hand.
"I don't mind it," Tomoyo said. "But you being here – it seems like a dream,"
"Speaking of dreams, do you remember the one you had told me about last year?" Yue asked.
Tomoyo took a moment to process the question. Oh that dream. "Of course," she mumbled in a barely audible voice, a little embarrassed at herself for telling him about it earlier.
Yue gazed upwards, regarding the pink blossoms that hung overhead, and seemed to consider something for a moment. His eyes shifted back to her face. "Do you still wish that dream to come true?" he questioned her again.
"Hai!" Tomoyo responded, not daring to say more than a single word.
Slightly cool fingers brushed against her face, as Yue stepped closer. There was a tenderness in his blue eyes that reminded Tomoyo of the caress of moonlight on a quiet night. As his beautiful face drew closer to hers, their eyes locked together, and for the first time Tomoyo really regarded Yue-san's impressive height and the fact that though she was not short for a woman by any means, and she noticed that her forehead was aligned with his lips when they stood face to face. Perhaps it was a weird time to think about it, but Ruby-san had called their height difference perfectly cute. Yue dipped his face towards her, allowing Tomoyo to read the silent question in his eyes as the moon guardian stopped at the point where their lips were just an inch apart. With a silent nod, Tomoyo gave her consent, just like she had in her dream, and in the next moment, her Yue-san was kissing her with lips that were as soft and delicate as the petals that hung from the branches overhead. It was a simple and decisive action, though fleeting, as Yue drew back only an instant after his lips touched Tomoyo's. However, the brush of his lips on her own seemed to break the spell that kept Tomoyo bound to her spot, and at the same instant, Tomoyo literally crashed against her Yue-san, who probably did not see that coming as he stumbled back, his back hitting the hard trunk of the tree behind him .
"Yue-san, how,-" Tomoyo circled her arms around his torso tightly, breathing shakily. "Are you here?"
"Last time I checked there were flight services from Tokyo to Vancouver," Yue replied, steadying them both with firm hands.
"But for immigration you would have needed, –"
"A passport, yes. I have a perfectly authentic one now, and rest assured that I entered the country legally." Yue replied, placing a hand over her head and patting it gently. "Although I must acknowledge that acquiring the passport involved the use of some magic. I had asked Eriol to take care of it," he told her further.
Tomoyo took a deep breath realizing how much she had missed the soothing scent of vanilla snow cone that characterized her Yue-san, the softness of his touch, the rich texture of his voice, and all such things that technology was unable to convey through video calls. "Ureshii, desu," she sighed, smiling in his arms. However, she released him a moment later, as she seemed to remember that her very formal Yue-san might have gone a bit out of his way to make her dream come true as far as their first kiss was concerned, but he certainly would not appreciate being held in a long embrace in a public place, although there was no one but themselves there at that moment.
"Yue-san, come," she tugged his hand instead and entered the building. Her apartment was at the top floor of the four storeyed building. Once she entered the passcode and opened the door of her apartment, she again took the moon guardian's hand and ushered him inside. "Irasshaimase, Yue-sama, welcome to my humble abode," she bowed dramatically. Yue shot her with his signature annoyed glare, but proceeded to remove his shoes, and the light formal jacket that he wore over his collared shirt. Tomoyo walked into the kitchen area, filled a glass of water and drank it quickly. She felt just a bit lightheaded. She walked back to the living room, sat down on the sofa with her hands folded on her laps and her head tilted back. She bit her bottom lip as if trying to keep some sort of emotion in check. Blue eyes watched her with concern. Slowly, the owner of those eyes walked towards her and seated himself beside her.
"Is everything all right?" he said in a smooth voice.
Tomoyo made one final attempt to hold herself back. Yue placed his hand on her forearm, silently pleading her to let go of whatever she was trying to hold back. "Tomoyo-san,"
Tomoyo's resolve broke at that point, and she doubled over as a sudden sob escaped her throat, her head falling on Yue's lap. "Please forgive me for reacting like this. I wish I could have borne our separation better. But I was miserable every day as I am not a stoic like you, Yue-san," she confessed.
"You don't have to be a stoic," slender fingers brushed away a few loose strands of hair from Tomoyo's forehead as Yue spoke. "You have been very strong," he assured.
A few tears fell from Tomoyo's eyes. "I wanted to see the moon every evening that I spent away from you. Somehow, I felt that it was the only thing that connected me to you while we were apart. But Yue-san, the sky is overcast so often in this part of the world. It just rained and rained since Christmas. It was so damp and cold, and I just hated living here," Tomoyo raised her hand to wipe away the tears that had escaped from her eyes as she spoke, but Yue caught her wrist, and pulled his poor songbird into his arms. He knew that Tomoyo would not admit that she hated anything to anyone else. She was the kind of person who was used to bearing everything in silence."I haven't seen the full moon in three months," she said in a muffled voice. Yue held her silently, allowing her to unburden her heart of the agony she experienced at the almost year long separation from her homeland and everyone she loved.
"I have been careless," the moon guardian said slowly, when Tomoyo lifted her head from his shoulder, and wiped her eyes. "I thought that I was acting in your best interest when I persuaded you to continue your exchange program. I had even entertained the possibility that being away from me might change your heart." he told her. "I was wrong," he admitted.
Tomoyo blinked a few times. "Change my heart?" She questioned. "Sending me away was a test then?" She held Yue's gaze with wide eyes.
"Of course not. But people's feelings do change Tomoyo-san. Perhaps there was a time when you had felt different about Sakura-san than you do now. Please correct me if I am wrong," Yue reasoned.
"You knew?" Tomoyo lowered her gaze.
"I was not blind, unlike the simpleton named Keroberos, and my master herself who was oblivious," Yue said.
"I was a kid back then, Yue-san," Tomoyo raised her voice uncharacteristically. "A kid who did not know what she wanted. I am a woman now. I was a woman when I told you how much I loved –," Tomoyo could not complete it as she choked on a sob, and left Yue's side to go and stand by the window.
"I believed in the truth of your words," Yue said as he approached the angry girl. "All I wanted was to give you a chance to avoid the possible hardships of loving someone who is not a human; someone who cannot give you the same –, "
"That's enough Yue-san," Tomoyo said sharply. She turned away from him and threw herself on the sofa, burying her face into a cushion. "I don't want to talk," she closed her eyes. She felt determined to not look at him or speak with him until he realized what a fool he was for hurting her like that. She heard his soft footsteps as he moved to the other end of the room. She thought she heard a soft rustle at some point, but after that all was silent. When Tomoyo could not bear it any longer, she opened her eyes and looked around. The sun had set, and the faint glow of the twilight could illuminate the room just enough for her to tell that it's only occupant was herself. Forgetting her earlier resolve she called out Yue's name, but no one answered her. For a split second she wondered if the young moon guardian had been there at all or everything that happened before was just a foolish fantasy of her lovesick heart as she dreamt. When she finally turned on the light, a neatly folded piece of paper on the centerpiece told her otherwise. The elegant penmanship displayed on the paper conveyed her the following message.
Tomoyo-san, I wished to say this in person but you seemed determined to not let me speak with you. I regret that my words have caused you pain. But I will rather earn your ire by my truth than earn your grace by my lie. And you did not let me tell you the whole truth, which is this: while my rational mind entertained the possibility that your feelings might change, everyday, I woke up with the hope that they never will.
"Baka mono Yue-san," Tomoyo muttered, wiping away the tears that fell from her eyes. She hastily went to the door, put on a pair of slippers and slammed the door shut on the way out. She almost rushed to the elevators and pressed the button for going down. Internally, she was panicking really bad realizing that she had no way to contact Yue-san as his regular phone number would not be working abroad. When the elevator arrived on her floor with a ding, two of her acquaintances who went to the same university as herself and lived on the same floor stepped out of it.
"Have you seen Yue-san while entering the building?" Tomoyo asked them in a haste. "I mean did you see a tall, silver-haired man leave as you entered?" she felt the panic rising within her. She had no clue where Yue-san was staying even. The girls looked at each other, and then one of them told her that a man who matched that description passed by them in the lobby. Tomoyo thanked them curtly and wasted no time in stepping inside the elevator and hitting the button for the bottom floor. The elevator door closed at the faces of her bewildered neighbors.
As soon as the doors of the elevator parted, she came face to face with a handsome young man with long silver hair. He was holding something in his hands, but Tomoyo hardly paid attention to that. Instead she pulled him inside and pressed the button for her floor. The doors of the elevator had barely snapped shut when Tomoyo stood on her toes, with her arms around the tall man's neck and pressed her lips to her Yue-san's mouth, with her hand firmly planted on the left side of his chest, relishing in the way his heart sped up at the contact of their lips. Blue eyes widened for a split second, before closing completely. Yue placed a loose arm around the girl's shoulder, and stayed very still, letting her kiss him the way she wanted. The only movement that Tomoyo could perceive was the slight quiver of his thin lips beneath her own, as he returned the kiss with a softness that made her heart ache. Tomoyo's senses had completely left her, but her Yue-san seemed to be alert as with gentle pressure on her arm he motioned her to let go of him as a robotic female voice inside the elevator announced that the elevator had reached the top floor.
When the doors of the elevator parted again, the two girls from before were still there, scanning them with curious eyes, as Yue stepped out, followed by a somewhat flustered Tomoyo. "Ah Daidouji-san, glad you found your runaway boyfriend," one of them cheered.
Tomoyo did not miss the subtle look of irritation that crossed Yue's perfect features at the nosy remark from her neighbors. However, Tomoyo approached them and politely bowed. "Good evening. Yue-san just stepped out to get ,-," she eyed the paper bag he held in his hand.
"Dinner," Yue supplied.
"Ah, yes, to get takeout for our dinner, without telling me," She smiled.
"So, Yue-san is really your –,,"
"We are together," Tomoyo said quickly to assuage the girl's curiosity before she could ask again if he was her boyfriend. Actually, she was not wrong, but somehow, Tomoyo felt that the word boyfriend did not do justice to express what exactly Yue-san was to her.
"That's cool. Is Yue-san an actor or model perhaps?" The second girl questioned, stealing a quick gaze at his handsome face.
"Neither. Yue-san is an angel," Tomoyo said innocently. "He even has wings that you can't see but I can."
"Aww, isn't that sweet," one of them cooed at her remark. "You are very lucky that Daidouji-san likes you so much," she added.
After the exchange of some more pleasantries, throughout which Yue remained silent, Tomoyo and Yue made their way back to her apartment. "Sorry about them. They were just curious," Tomoyo apologized for her prying neighbors once they were both inside.
"I am accustomed to such comments and assumptions. It is you who would continuously be troubled by such unpleasant remarks," Yue said calmly.
"I don't care, alright. Those people are not important to me, Yue-san! You are! What could I do to make you understand," Tomoyo sounded helpless. "I thought you had just left. It scared me," she said.
"I left you a note," Yue said.
"I will accept your apology if you promise me something," Tomoyo said.
"What is it?" the silver haired man asked.
Tomoyo stepped closer and laid her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around his torso.
"Never send me away from you ever again," she said, in a tired voice.
"After today, I dare not," Yue replied, resting his chin on the crown of her head. "I had barely left the apartment for ten minutes to receive the food delivery. Apparently, that was enough to drive you to such a desperate state. After all, that could be the only justification for your impulsive action at the elevator," Yue said in a stern voice, as Tomoyo felt his strong arms lift her effortlessly and carry her to the sofa.
Tomoyo braced herself to be further scolded. Yue-san was not wrong. It was indeed an impulsive action driven by her desperation to ensure that Yue-san did not disappear on her again. When Yue-san had kissed her earlier that afternoon, he had explicitly sought her consent first. When he actually kissed her, he did not do it to gratify himself but to fulfill the silly dream she had told him of earlier. She knew that in return Yue-san would want his own personal boundaries to be respected, and he would feel it strange at best and repulsed at worst to be pulled into a spontaneous kiss like that, at a public place no less. They were extremely lucky that no one had entered the elevator. Although in a western country like Canada, it would hardly be considered a big deal if they were seen, Tomoyo's traditional Japanese upbringing made her repent her rash action nonetheless.
"Gomen-ne Yue-san. I should have asked you first. I am really sorry," Tomoyo folded her hands and bowed her head.
"Asked me what?" Yue raised a silver brow by a fraction of an inch.
Tomoyo raised her head and rolled her eyes at him. "I already apologized. Scold me if you want, but you cannot tease me about it later," she circled the neck of the tall man seated beside her with her arms.
"Tell me, Tomoyo-san, did it make you happy?" Yue asked. Tomoyo did not miss the twinkle of amusement in his blue eyes. Fine, if you decide to play this game, then I will not hold back.
"Umm? I suppose I don't remember," she replied, putting on her best innocent face.
Yue-san's handsome face drew closer. "Shall I make you remember then?" he said softly, placing his mouth right next to her ear, after pushing back a stray lock of hair behind it.
"Hai, I suppose you can try," Tomoyo whispered back. At the next moment, gentle lips brushed against the outer shell of her ear. Then those lips were on her forehead.
"Do you remember now?" Tomoyo listened to her companion's baritone.
"Not yet I suppose," she said, trying her best to hide a grin.
The soft lips moved to her cheek and lingered there. "Now?"
This time Tomoyo shook her head. When the perfect pair of lips settled on her neck, capturing the pulse point there, Tomoyo gasped and tilted her neck backwards. Her own hand spontaneously moved to rest on the back of the silver head of the moon guardian. "Does this help you to remember?" Yue-san's voice was like silk against her ears.
A sign escaped the girl's lips but she refused to relent yet. "I think I am starting to recall how I had felt," she said playfully.
"Very well then," Yue used his thumb and index finger to hold Tomoyo's chin and gently pull her face down once again. Their lips touched and the contact continued as a slow, sweet kiss, during which Yue held Tomoyo by her shoulders protectively, while the girl's fingers were still tangled in his long hair. When they broke apart, Tomoyo looked at her Yue-san and felt that she was the luckiest person on earth, judging by the tenderness with which Yue-san was regarding her. It was then that she knew that there was no trace of repulsion in him for her earlier impetuousness. It would be harder for her to believe this had he tried to tell her. So, under the guise of teasing her, he showed her firsthand, as his eyes showered her with the purest form of affection that she had yet experienced in her short life.
"Well?" he questioned, softly stroking her cheek with the large palm of his hand.
"I just remembered how amazing it was to kiss Yue-san." Tomoyo giggled and fell on his chest with a big smile this time
"If kissing me makes you happy, then you need not ask me every time. However, I do not approve of you being reckless in your display of affection for me in places such as in an elevator or out on a public street," Yue said.
"Yue-san, I am not like that, you know," Tomoyo said. "I just got overwhelmed."
"By foolish emotions and fears," Yue added.
"I'll be careful. Promise!" Tomoyo craned her neck to peck him lightly on his cheek. "And thanks for buying me dinner," she added.
"I did not send you here to eat instant ramen on my back," Yue crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at an empty cup of the offending item that sat on the coffee table before them. It had been Tomoyo's quick fix for breakfast.
Tomoyo blinked at him. She had never heard of such a weird accusation in her entire life. I know that he worries about me, but is he for real? She thought.
After Tomoyo had eaten the dinner Yue bought for her, the silver haired man left for the night. Tomoyo felt a bit disappointed that Yue had to stay at a nearby hotel, but there was not much she could do considering that her apartment had a single bedroom. It's not like I could have asked him to sleep on the futon here. Tomoyo grumbled a bit before going to bed looking at the rolled up futon at the corner of the room that Sonomi had used when she had visited her the prior winter. Why am I so selfish when it comes to him? I saw him today, and I will see him again tomorrow. Tomoyo said, taking a moment to caress the faded scar on her right hand that Yue's lips had touched before he took his leave. She threw the comforter over her head and closed her eyes, dragging the bear that Yue-san had given her to herself and squeezing it rather forcefully.
So, TouYuki are finally married, YAY! Most Asian countries do not allow gay marriages to this date, with the only exceptions being Nepal, Taiwan and Thailand. Even though this is a fairytale fiction, and I could have easily bend the rules, I wanted it to be as realistic as possible and did not want to pretend that everything is fine in the world. I really hope that no one has to leave their country to marry the person they love. Besides, not everyone has the means or opportunity to do that.
I saw Yue's relationship with Clow as queer-platonic, which I tried to express in this chapter. Yue does not know how to be in a relationship yet, so his straightforwardness is very sweet at times and quite aggravating at other times from Tomoyo's point of view. But he is trying to learn and improvise to some extent. However, he always tries to care for her in his own strange ways. Also, if Tomoyo seems more smitten than Yue at this point, there is a nuance which would explain that too in later chapters.
I hope you enjoyed and would be happy to receive your feedback.