Learning to Fly Chapter Four by The Amazoness Duo and G.P. amazonessduo@hotmail.com pearsong1954@yahoo.com "Where is he?" Sakura whined, hugging herself in an attempt to fight off the cold evening that was settling in. "He's always late. It's because he works so much. How does Yukito put up with him?" the brunette asked, turning to her elegantly dressed friend. As usual, Sakura thought Tomoyo put her to shame. Though they'd both dressed up for dinner, Tomoyo's lavender ensemble seemed more refined than Sakura's more simple green dress. Her pale friend was absolutely gorgeous. Sakura's heart raced at the memory of helping Tomoyo braid her beautiful dark tresses before they left. Momentarily forgetting her complaints, the Cardmistress could only stop and stare. She shot an angry look at two older boys who were gawking at Tomoyo, stepping closer to the shorter girl protectively. Ignoring most of the stares that came her way, with the obvious exception of Sakura's glances, Tomoyo smiled. "Yukito-san must have boundless patience, then." The occasion for the night's outing was a dinner with Sakura's brother and his boyfriend, the object of Sakura's childhood affection. Now that Sakura no longer lived with her brother, his busy lifestyle made it hard to stay in touch with him. Little things like going out for dinner helped keep them close. "You must be even more patient than Yuki if you can somehow put up with the monster," Touya deadpanned from behind the two girls, his white haired lover in tow. "I'm not a little girl! You can't call me a monster anymore!" Sakura argued, clenching her fists and shaking them at the imposing image of her tall, dark haired brother. The tall man shrugged. "If it looks like a monster and acts like a monster...""It's good to see you both again," Yukito cut in, smiling pleasantly at the younger girls. Lightening up visibly, Sakura smiled and nodded in agreement. "It's good to see you, too.""Now she's calm. Let's get something to eat before she snaps again," Touya suggested, pushing the restaurant door open. Harumphing, Sakura led Tomoyo past Touya and into the warmth of the restaurant beyond. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The restaurant was spacious but crowded. The group of four sat in a back corner, a myriad sampling of food spread out before them. "Too bad Kero-chan's not here. He'd love this," Sakura mused, reaching over with her chopsticks indecisively. So much food. It was difficult to decide where to begin."Yuki will be sure to eat enough for him, too," Touya promised, watching some of the food before him disappear thanks to his ever hungry boyfriend. "What have you been doing lately, onii-chan?" Chestnut hair fell to one side as Sakura tilted her head curiously. "I haven't seen you on campus much. I hoped I'd get to see more of you.""He's been working mostly. When he's not in class, he's at work. You know Touya. He has to keep busy or he's not happy," Yukito replied between mouthfuls. "Onii-chan is ever happy?" Sakura asked, blinking incredulously. "I thought that was impossible." She couldn't help but smile as Tomoyo giggled beside her. "You always look so grumpy.""I'm plenty happy. It's better than being so excitable. You end up crying over the simplest things or you're excited over the tiniest details. I'd rather just sail smoothly through everything," Touya countered."But it's cute that Sakura-chan's so excitable! It means everything she encounters affects her in some way. She's so emotive. That's why it's so much fun to watch her." Sighing dreamily, Tomoyo cast her eyes on Sakura, watching her friend blush and fumble with her napkin. Sakura was always so cute when she was embarrassed. And if Syaoran wasn't going to be around to embarrass her, then it was Tomoyo's duty to get a blush on Sakura's cheeks whenever possible. Hoping to change the subject, Sakura looked up at her brother. "So... ummm... What jobs are you working this week? You're not going ot have to run off to wait tables in a minute, are you?" Touya shook his head, sipping some tea before replying. "No, I don't work here. It's just a nice restaurant. Yuki and I came here to celebrate some things a while back. I'm working at a bar now.""A bar?" Sakura repeated. "He's a bartender there. He's getting pretty good at it, too," Yukito answered. "I'll go just to watch him make the drinks. He has very nimble hands.""So does Sakura-chan." Taking one of Sakura's hands in her own, Tomoyo let her fingers trace over Sakura's creamy skin. She could tell Sakura's blush worsened, but the other girl didn't pull her hand away. Smiling, Tomoyo continued to caress Sakura's hand. To the heiress's surprise, Sakura's fingers curled around her own, holding on warmly. Her heart swooned at the feeling.Raising an eyebrow, Touya watched the two girls for a moment. "I'm so glad you finally started dating Tomoyo. She's much better for you than the brat ever was. I've been waiting for you two to get together since you were kids. It was so obvious."Sakura's faint blush escalated to near crimson. "Obvious? But..."Touya nodded, interrupting. "Very obvious. How you were always blushing around her and getting moony about things. I'm surprised it took you so long."Simply watching the exchange, Tomoyo continued to nibble on her food. This was certainly interesting. "But we're not dating..." Sakura got out at last, her heart pounding. Why did the mention of them dating get her so excited? Why was her heart beating so fast? Hoe... Why was this all so confusing? Touya's eyes were still staring in her direction. She followed his gaze to her hand, still interlocked with Tomoyo's. Pulling her hand away in a hurry, she placed both hands on her lap, staring at her plate. Stupid Touya. Why did he have to mention anything? It felt so nice to hold Tomoyo's hand like that. "Oh..." Touya rolled this news over for a moment in his head before continuing. "So you are still dating the brat?""Yeah..." Sakura responded, still staring at the table. Why was that answer so dissatisfying to say? It didn't hold the magic it once did, and none of the excitement that even her denial of a relationship with Tomoyo had held. Syaoran was overseas. He was her boyfriend. She felt safe with him. But Tomoyo... A surge of emotions came at the thought of her friend, the thoughts exciting and delicious and terrifying all at once. Tomoyo made her feel so alive. So warm. So loved. It was such a completely different feeling from the relative safety that Syaoran offered. Tomoyo was her best friend. Syaoran was her boyfriend. So why couldn't she be happy with the way things were? That question haunted her throughout the rest of the dinner. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The cold night air blanketed the dark haired pair, a stark contrast to the warmth held inside the restaurant. Keeping an eye on the fragile seeming heiress, Touya offered his jacket. Smiling, she accepted gratefully, sliding her arms into the protective warmth of the much too large coat. She was absolutely stunning, a beautiful princess shimmering under the glow of the moonlight. The years had been kind on the Daidouji girl. At one time Touya had considered her a cute kid, but now he had to admit that she was gorgeous. It was a similar beauty to what he had seen when his mother's ghost had visited him, ethereal and angelic. He wondered if Sakura was as blinded to the angel that never left her side as she had been to her mother's ghost when she was a child. "I wonder why Sakura-chan wanted to speak with Yuki," Touya stated after a moment's silence. Her eyes cast skyward at the glittering jewels that were the stars, Tomoyo spoke, her soft voice carrying on the crisp night air. "Sakura- chan is full of mysteries."This caused Touya to furrow an eyebrow. "I don't think the monster could be mysterious if she tried." He nearly smiled at the giggle his comment drew forth from the heiress. He always enjoyed Tomoyo's company. If he'd been Sakura's age, they would have made great friends. "I think Sakura-chan's asking for advice about something," Tomoyo ammended her previous statement, her hands disappearing inside the long jacket sleeves. A shake of her head freed her face from her long dark hair, letting the breeze caress her cheeks. "She's asking Yuki's advice?" Touya glanced questioningly at the short girl. Her silence told him all he needed to know. "Yue's advice." Nodding, he returned his gaze to the late traffic. "I wonder what she wants from Yue. Unless she just wants to see how cute he is one last time before she runs off and gets married to the brat.""I don't think you have to worry about that," Tomoyo assured the dark haired man. "Yue-san is very beautiful, but I think Sakura-chan just wants help figuring something out." Her mind was drifting elsewhere, back to the dinner. Sakura had been somewhat distracted. Hopefully Sakura's chat with Yue would fix things, though Tomoyo doubted it. What was bothering Sakura was more complex than something she could simply ask the answer to. Some answers only come to us when we have exhausted all other possibilities. Some wait til we have nowhere left to turn but inward. And Sakura's inner world was something that the brunette had always had trouble understanding.Touya slipped his hands into his pockets, shaking his head. "Then why isn't Sakura-chan going to you? She's always run to you whenever she has a problem. Especially when she needs help figuring things out." Turning to look at the heiress, he could see that her pale features were set in a serious, somewhat sad look. "Because I can't help her this time," Tomoyo said simply. Licking her lips, she busied herself with trying to spot where her bodyguards had hidden themselves away this time. A helpless feeling bubbled up, encasing her heart. It was the same feeling she'd always had whenever Sakura had been in physical danger, the knowledge that she was helpless to protect Sakura. It was icy cold and devestating. That feeling was one of the primary reasons she had pushed Sakura towards Syaoran. Syaoran could protect her from whatever magical dangers came her way, something Tomoyo couldn't do. But with matters of the heart, Tomoyo had always been able to comfort Sakura in some way. Not this time. That thought left her feeling useless to the girl she loved. Sakura needed her and yet she couldn't lift a finger to help. "Why not? You've always steered Sakura well so far. I swear she would've ended up running into a wall without you there. You've made my duties as a big brother a lot easier. I can actually get some sleep when I know you're around to keep her out of trouble." Touya was grateful for all Tomoyo had done for his sister. Though he teased her, he was intensely protective of Sakura. Tomoyo had been Sakura's safety net from almost the day they met. It relieved him to know that Tomoyo was there for Sakura when he couldn't be. "Because I think I'm involved." A breeze played with the jacket, making it sway around the delicate heiress, her long, dark hair following suit. Her pale fingers peaked out of the sleeves as she held the jacket closer. "I can't give Sakura any advice on this if it's about me. I have to let her decide. I can't tell her what's in her heart. Not this time. Because I'm too close. I made a mistake last time. I won't do that again. I have to let Sakura find out for herself what's in her heart.""You were only looking out for her. Few people would have done what you did, trying to get her with someone else so she'd be happy." Placing a hand on her shoulder, he looked down into her stormy blue eyes. "You've always been looking out for her. You've always been working for her best interests, even when she didn't see that. You've sacrificed so that she'd be happy. If that doesn't make you worthy of her love, I don't know what does." Squeezing her shoulder lightly for emphasis, he continued. "If I'd been the one trying to push her in anyone's direction, I'd have wanted her with you over the brat anyday. Don't scare yourself with thoughts of whether or not you're good enough for her, Tomoyo-chan. Because I know you are. You'd be my first choice for her."Slowly, a smile spread across Tomoyo's face. Looking up, she brushed back her hair. "Thank you, Touya-san.""Don't mention it. I should thank you for trying to take the monster off my hands." Touya let go, glancing once again around the parking lot. "Now where are those two? Some lovers they turn out to be, making us wait in the cold like this."Smiling, Tomoyo cast her eyes to the stars once more. Touya was right. It was up to Sakura now. And whatever Sakura decided, she would always be by her side. Doubts would only hold her back.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sakura walked nervously alongside her onetime crush and protector, Yukito. The older man smiled at her, but this only served to make the young Cardmistress fidget even more. Snow the color of Yukito's hair began to dance around them, swirling lazily about the two. Hugging her jacket closer, the athletic girl struggled to make sense of the maelstrom in her head. She couldn't talk to Tomoyo about this because Tomoyo was the whole reason her heart was flittering so wildly. She surely couldn't ask Syaoran. How would the proud future leader of the Li Clan react to his girlfriend asking him about her feelings towards another girl? Kero's advice was suspect at best. Her brother's preferences over the two closest to Sakura's heart was obvious. That left her stoic guardian, the Judgement himself. "Yukito-san," Sakura finally got out through numb lips. "I need to speak to Yue." In a dazzling display of cool light and wings, the man who had stood next to her was replaced by his counterpart, the long haired guardian, Yue. "Yes, Sakura-sama." That title always made Sakura want to squirm. It felt too heavy resting on her shoulders. She didn't like the thought of being in charge. She just wanted to be friends with her 'subjects'. But now wasn't the time for her discomfort over titles. How was she supposed to begin? She'd never been good at talking about love. It left her feeling confused and tongue-tied. The words finally escaped her in a rush. "How do you know you're in love?"Silence surrounded the ethereal pair for a long moment. When Yue spoke, he arched an eyebrow curiously. "Isn't this better asked of Tomoyo? Or perhaps Dark and Light? Love has never really been my strong point.""But you and Touya seem so happy. You look like you belong together. When I'm with Syaoran..." Sakura trailed off, looking down at the gathering snow for a moment. "It doesn't feel that way. And I can't ask Tomoyo. She's... I..." The Carmistress blushed and held her hands to her heart. "Tomoyo's in love with me. But I don't know how I feel. I thought I was in love with Syaoran. But now I don't know anymore. Tomoyo makes me feel so... hanyan... When I'm with her, my heart starts pounding. It's like I'm short of breath. And the things she says... The thought of her finding someone else, of someone else getting Tomoyo's love, it makes me feel miserable. I don't know what I'd do without her."Yue smirked, crossing his arms regally. "It sounds to me like you've answered your own questions, Sakura-sama. Perhaps you just needed someone to listen.""What? No, I..." Sakura's blush deepened as she shook her head. "That wasn't what I meant. I..." But her words did ring with a certain truth, didn't they? The way Tomoyo made her feel was something she had taken for granted as a child. But now that she understood how her friend felt, it made Sakura wonder about her own feelings. Were they the same? "Yuki, we need to get going or I'll be late for work." Turning at the sound of her brother's voice, Sakura saw Touya and Tomoyo walking towards them. Yukito walked past to join Touya, already having reverted back from his true form. Questions still lingered in the Cardmistress's mind even as Tomoyo approached her. A smile spread across her lips nonetheless as she took the few steps to reach her beautiful friend. Even if questions lingered, she still loved being with her friend. And that was enough for now. "Touya wanted to know if we wanted to go to the bar he worked at with them," Tomoyo explained, brushing back her dark hair from her pale face. She felt better after talking to Touya and could only hope that Sakura felt the same way after her conversation with Yukito. She couldn't help but return the smile Sakura gave her, falling alongside her athletic friend. "Unless the monster is too little," Touya added, slipping an arm around Yukito as they walked. Sakura's fists balled up as she followed her elder brother. "I am not! I'm plenty old enough to go to the bar." Her dreams of one day growing up and being taller than him were hampered by the fact that he was still incredibly taller than her. Sakura could only claim to be taller than Tomoyo, and even then it was only by a few inches. "Come on, Tomoyo- chan. We don't have work tomorrow. It'll be fun." Whether she really thought it would be fun or she was just trying to prove her brother wrong, Sakura couldn't rightly say. The two thoughts bled together until they were practically the same thing. Still, seeing her brother with his arm around the slender white haired man made her own heart years. Her fists unclenched as she found herself gazing sidelong at her friend. It would feel so nice to hold Tomoyo like that, to feel the soft, frail girl in her arm, moving against her as they walked. The heiress was so elegent, so gorgeous. Her steps seemed almost perfect, making her seem to glide along barely touching the floor. How would it feel to hold onto her, to feel Tomoyo melt against her side? "Are you coming with us or are you going to walk the whole way?" Touya asked, shattering Sakura's thoughts. "What?" Embarrassment colored the brunette's cheeks as she saw Touya and Yukito getting on their bikes. Tomoyo slid up behind her brother, her arms going around his waist to hold on. "Oh... Yeah, I'm coming." Sakura climbed up behind Yukito, holding on as the taller boy pushed the bike into motion. For some reason this didn't hold the excitement it once had. Her eyes found their way back to Tomoyo, the heiress sitting demurely on the back of Touya's bike just as she had once sat on the back of Sakura's staff when they would fly through the night. A pang of loss struck Sakura as those memories resurfaced. She missed gliding through the air with Tomoyo so close to her. When she flew with her wings, it could feel so lonely. But when she had flown on her staff with Tomoyo, they were sharing the night sky together. But now that seemed so long ago. They weren't children anymore. That magic seemed far away. She longed to be on the bike near Tomoyo, the two of them free as the wind. Catching Sakura's gaze, Tomoyo smiled at her friend. Sakura's nostalgic look was replaced by a smile of her own. They watched each other for a long time as the snow and lit up streets zipped past around them. The beauty around them couldn't compare with the beauty of her best friend, the wind and snow playing through her hair. For a moment, Tomoyo wished that she had her camcorder with her. But Sakura was always a beautiful sight. For now she was content to simply watch, their eyes never breaking for more than a few seconds. Did Sakura have any idea how she affected her? How her heart would swell just by being near the brunette? Even the Cardmistress couldn't know just how strong her spells could be. "I love you, Sakura," she whispered to her friend, knowing Sakura couldn't hear her as they sped along on the bikes. She thought she saw Sakura's mouth move shortly afterwards. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I think you've just been around your sisters so long that you don't know how to treat a girl's heart," Fanren explained, sitting on an ornamental stone as Syaoran continued practicing, his limbs moving nimbly about in the different poses. "And what makes you think that?" Syaoran asked dryly, switching his balance as he moved. Martial arts was one thing he could count on. Overemotional girlfriends and pissed off cousins were far away when he was training. Unfortunately, his big sister wasn't about to let him escape completely."Because Meiling hasn't been here in days." She leaned forward and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. "I heard she punched a whole in her wall." Sweatdropping, Syaoran tried not to lose his balance. "That's just a rumor. So what can't I figure out a girl's heart if I grew up with so many girls, huh?"Fanren grinned, watching her intent little brother. "Because you think like a girl, silly." Syaoran nearly stumbled at this bit of news. Whirling about, his eyes narrowed. "I what?""You think like a girl. You've grown up with all your big sisters and mom. You don't think like a boy. A boy would be expected to try to figure out a girl's heart so they could one day marry so you'd have someone to help you with the Li Clan. But you practically grew up as a girl. Boy's hearts are easier for you to understand because they're simpler. Like that boy you had a crush on who ate all the time."Syaoran's cheeks flushed as he went back to his training. Let Fanren air her crazy theory if it would make her feel better. She was his big sister, so he was obligated to at least listen. "That was different. I liked him because his magic attracted mine."Laughing, Fanren shook her head. "You keep telling yourself that, Syaoran. Anyway, it's the same way the rest of your sisters think. They don't have to deal with the subtleties of a girl's heart. They can work their feminine wiles on a boy and more often than not, he'll be theirs. You can't expect the same tricks to work on girls as boys.""And just how did you get to be so insightful?" Syaoran asked, shooting her a glance. A smirk crossed the elder siblings lips as she shrugged. "I like boys and girls, so I needed to learn the rules for both." Syaoran didn't know how to answer, his cheeks flushing."So I think I'm in a unique position to understand how difficult things must be for my little brother. You're having the same problems I did when I was first trying to figure out how to go about winning a girl's heart. You're still too used to falling for boys, so it's confusing you. Meiling doesn't work the way you're used to.""I'm dating Sakura!" Syaoran finally shot back. "She's a girl, or did you just forget that?" His pride was wounded and he only knew to fight back. His sister thought he had grown up as a girl, that he didn't know how to figure out a girl's heart. Of course he did. He was dating the Cardmistress. "No offense, Syaoran, but that hardly counts. Sakura's more tomboyish than you are." She saw him wince at that and quickly moved to reassure him. "It's not a problem. It's not like you're any less a person for it. You're my wonderful little brother. It's just that you grew up more like a little sister, so these things that boys have to deal with end up being confusing. But that isn't your fault. Who was supposed to explain them to you? One of your sisters? Mom? And Wei's too old for that sort of thing." "So you're supposed to teach me how to be a man?" Syaoran asked incredulously. What would she know about being a man? And having the nerve to call him, the heir to the Li Clan, her little sister. But he couldn't get himself to just leave or to quit listening to her. Maybe it was that he felt so off balance with Meiling angry at him. Or maybe he sensed some truth in her words. Yukito had been so much easier to have a crush on. That had made sense to him. Sakura was a little more confusing and it always felt like he was doing the wrong things with Meiling. "Well, I can't teach you how to be a man. I think you're fine the way you are. Though you could smile a bit more." The older girl winked at her brother. "I can, on the other hand, help you figure out how to understand a girl's heart. Which might help patch things up with Meiling. And if you're going to stop her from getting married...""That isn't my problem. If she's going to get married, that's her business," Syaoran said frostily. "It's not her choice, Syaoran," Fanren reminded him gently."She could fight it. I know Meiling. She's a fighter. So why would she just give up?" Anger fueled his motions as he kicked and punched at the air in front of him."Because she doesn't feel like she has anything to fight for. Why keep fighting if she has no reason? What good would arguing the wedding be? I think she's tired of fighting it." A small smile passed across Fanren's lips. "But I'm sure we could change that.Syaoran couldn't help himself. He turned quickly, his eyes burning with intensity. "How?"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Though Tomoyo was fairly certain her mother had ended up in bars several times for various reasons, either while talking to business associates or lamenting her beloved Nadeshiko, Tomoyo herself had never been to one. It was a bit exciting to be in such a different atmosphere. She somehow didn't think it would be nearly as exciting without Sakura so near. Staying close to the other girl, Tomoyo followed right behind Sakura. Touya, meanwhile, took his blace behind the bar dressed in his uniform, relieving a fellow employee. He wasted no time in getting to work. Sakura slid up onto a stool near the bar, followed closely by Tomoyo. Emerald eyes looked all about the nicely decorated yet dimly lit bar. People mingled about all over. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves. "You have to order something if you're going to sit there," Touya cautioned, cleaning out some of the glasses.Nibbling on her lower lips, Sakura nodded after a moment. "Okay. Get me whatever the usual is.""I'll have one, too," Tomoyo followed. One certainly couldn't hurt. And she could call her bodyguards to drive them home. "Are you sure?" Touya asked, raising an eyebrow. When the two girls nodded, he went about getting them their drinks. Seeing his sister drunk was an awkward thought, but if she did anything stupid, at least he'd have stories to hold over her for the rest of her life. And if she was going to try it, he felt a lot better about it being when he could keep an eye on her rather than somewhere else. "Here you are, ladies." He produced the two glasses, sliding them to his sister and her friend. Taking her glass, Sakura examined the amber liquid for a long moment. Catching sight of her brother watching her even as he helped another customer, the Cardmistress decided to throw caution to the wind. She wasn't going to look like a stupid little kid in front of him. Raising the glass, she took a long drink. And almost coughed it back up. The liquid tasted vile, almost burning her throat as it went down. She swore she saw Touya smirk as he walked past. Harumphing, she tried again, closing her eyes this time as the liquid burned down into her belly. Having accomplished that much, she made she he was watching the next time she took a drink. 'I'm not a little kid anymore, Onii-chan,' she thought triumphantly. Tomoyo watched her friend take her first few drinks before trying her own. Sakura was so cute even while trying to prove that she was a big girl. The heiress took a sip of her own drink. So that's why Sakura was having a hard time with it. She could see why businessmen would talk business over such hearty drinks. It must show how intent they were to drink such strong things. And if it helped them loosen up while they were at it, they probably wouldn't complain. Tomoyo decided on the slow and steady approach to finishing her own drink, rather than the occasional gulps that Sakura seemed to favor. The two stayed that way for some time. Tomoyo kept sipping at her drink while Sakura would take big gulps of hers when Touya would come past. Touya would occasionally refill Sakura's glass when it would near the bottom. The music played around them, enveloping them in the almost mysterious atmosphere around them. Tomoyo kept watching Sakura as she absentmindedly nursed her drink. Watching Sakura was, after all, her favorite hobby.Meanwhile, Sakura was getting a bit tipsy. She hadn't quite gotten used to the taste of the stuff, but it had stopped being so difficult to drink. By now Touya surely wasn't thinking of her as a kid. She grinned at the thought. Good. That would show him to treat her like a child. Her head moved slightly in tune to the music surrounding her, letting her mind wander. She forgot all about Touya and trying to prove anything to him. Stormy blue eyes caught her own emerald eyes like a magnet, reeling her in. She smiled brightly at Tomoyo, swiveling to look at her friend. It felt so nice to have Tomoyo's eyes on her, to have all of Tomoyo's attention like that. It made her feel special. And not special because of any magic or power she had, but special simply for who she was in the eyes of her best friend. Tomoyo was so sweet. Her foot swept out, gently pushing against Tomoyo's sandal-clad feet under the stools. The heiress looked only momentarily puzzled before her foot pushed back lightly. Giggling, Sakura continued playing with Tomoyo's foot. Leaning over, she had to speak in a loud whisper to be heard. "Ne, Tomoyo-chan, do you want to dance?" Everyone else was dancing and it seemed a shame to just sit there all night. Besides, it would be so nice to feel Tomoyo so close, to move across the floor holding onto her. "I'd love to, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo replied, sliding gingerly off of her seat and taking Sakura's hand. Her heartbeat quickened as she felt Sakura's warm hand holding onto her own, pulling her inexorably towards the dance floor. She had learned to dance with her mother when she was young, danding at first on the tall woman's feet to the music her mother would put on. Being able to dance with Sakura had a dreamlike quality to it. She almost couldn't believe it was happening. Little moments like that gave her a taste of what it must feel like for Syaoran to be dating the beautiful tomboy. She found those little tastes delicious and treasured them deep within her heart. A warm smile lit up her face even as her heart played a staccato beat in her heart while Sakura's arms went around her, pulling her close. Her mind whirled but she made no attempt to stop it. Though she hadn't expected to be dancing so very close to Sakura, she was thankful for the chance to. The music danced around them like The Flower Card as Sakura held her dark haired friend close. Their bodies moved together under the the dim lights. Tomoyo's soft figure felt wonderful up close in Sakura's arms. Tomoyo was just as elegant dancing as she was walking, her skirt twirling about as they danced. Sakura's own athleticism helped, though her state of mind made her slip up now and then. Tomoyo hardly seemed to notice the few mistakes. Had dancing ever felt this good with Syaoran? When they danced, Syaoran always felt so guarded, as if he were simply trying to prove his capabilities in the situation. It never felt like he was simply there, dancing alone with her. But the people seemed to melt away as she danced with Tomoyo. The heiress's hands found their way to her back, holding onto her there as they danced, Tomoyo's body unabashedly hers as she led it this way and that in their dance. It was a glorious feeling. Tomoyo trusted her wholeheartedly, adrift in her arms. And Sakura pulled her along, never letting go. An eternity later, the two pulled themselves away from the dance floor, finding a nice spot to catch their collective breath. Tomoyo leaned against the wall, her heart still pounding from the whirlwind ride it had been on during their dance. Oh, to be able to dance with Sakura like that whenever. Syaoran was the luckiest boy under the heavens. Slumping against the wall next to Tomoyo, Sakura's green eyes refused to leave the flushed heiress. "You're so beautiful, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura found herself whispering, her fingers stroking through Tomoyo's luxurious hair. Her worries from earlier that night felt like that had melted away, evaporating into nothing. She felt free in that way she'd wished to reclaim with Tomoyo up in the sky. Tomoyo blushed faintly, unable to pull away from Sakura's emerald orbs. "Thank you, Sakura-chan. But you're the beautiful one. Even when you aren't there, your beauty is still burnt into my mind." Reaching out, her lithe fingers brushed past Sakura's cheek softly. "You're so gorgeous. It's no wonder everyone loves you. I can't imagine anyone being able to resist your charms. I know I never could."Giggling, Sakura slid closer to her friend, twirling Tomoyo's hair around her fingers. "But you never tried. I'm sure you could if you wanted to. You're the prettiest, smartest, most talented girl I know. I'm still surprised you haven't found someone better yet.""There can't be anyone better than you. You're the one I love. Everything about you..." Tomoyo kicked herself after the words had escaped. Yeah, good job. How was Sakura supposed to believe that Tomoyo would be okay when Sakura married Syaoran if Tomoyo still believed Sakura was her perfect person? Well, it was out now. Sakura already knew that she loved her. But Tomoyo didn't want Sakura to think she could never fall in love with someone else. She didn't want to make Sakura feel guilty. "Hoe... Tomoyo-chan, you always say the sweetest things," Sakura crooned, burying her nose in Tomoyo's hair. Tomoyo's eyes closed while she nuzzled the wonderfully soft hair, enhaling Tomoyo's wonderful scent. Tomoyo shuddered almost imperceptibly against her. The Cardmistress loved hearing that, even if she felt guilty about having Tomoyo's love so completely. But it was such a wonderful sensation knowing that the other girl loved her so much, that Tomoyo would see her as an angel. Tomoyo was the most amazing girl she knew. Having Tomoyo see her like that always made her feel like she could move mountains. "We should get home, Sakura- chan," Tomoyo said after taking a moment to compose herself. "It's getting late." Gracing Sakura with her patented smile, she dug in her purse to pull out her cellphone, quickly dialing her bodyguards. Even as she spoke into it, she could feel Sakura's gaze caressing her skin and her hair being twirled around Sakura's nimble fingers. It took some effort to keep her voice steady on the phone. "They'll be here in a few moments," she said at last, turning her eyes once more to the pretty brunette against her side. Her heart nearly stopped when Sakura slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. "We should probably go wait outside for them," she suggested. 'Because if we stay in here, I don't know what will happen. If I can get you home and in bed, then everything will be fine. You're dating Syaoran. I will not damage that. I love you too much to damage that,' Tomoyo thought, even as Sakura walked her to the door. It felt so very good to be in Sakura's strong arms, held against her side. Tomoyo let herself give in for the time being, resting her head on Sakura's shoulder. Sakura smiled happily as she felt Tomoyo's long hair spill down across her back. The warm breath from the heiress felt so good on her shoulder. She couldn't resist nuzzling Tomoyo's hair one more time, enjoying the way it tickled her nose. Stepping out into the now frigid outdoors, the Cardmistress protectively pulled Tomoyo closer. Melting into her grasp, the heirss placed a hand against her heart, standing neslted in Sakura's arms as the snow fell like pieces of clouds from the heavens. The two stayed that way until the limo finally arrived, Tomoyo enraptured by the feel of Sakura's heartbeat against her palm. Climbing in, Tomoyo leaned back against the seat, trying to will her heart to regain some sense of normalcy. That night had been like a surreal dream, taking her on a tour of a heaven that could not be. If only she could have taped it! She sighed, slipping her sandals off her aching feet. At least there would always be the memories, though CDs last twice as long and are ten times clearer. She needed to hire someone to follow them around constantly to get everything on tape. The best things always happened when she just happened to be away from her trusty camcorder. Whatever god lived in the heavens above, he certainly loved irony. Tomoyo was yanked out of her daydream as her bare foot was pulled up onto Sakura's lap. Staring blankly for a moment, Tomoyo could only watch as the brunette began to rub her foot and ankle. Her toes wiggled absentmindedly as she watched Sakura. First priority: Hire someone to bring her camcorder along at all times so when dreamy things like this happened, she'd have proof they weren't just a wonderful dream she was having. "Do your feet hurt?" Sakura asked. Tomoyo nodded weakly. The brunette rubbed more intently, trying to massage the tenseness out of them. "Mine would get like that after lots and lots of track. And yours are so much more delicate. It must hurt a lot more for you." "It was worth it. I got to dance with you for so long. I'd do it again even if they'd fall off," Tomoyo promised, watching the curious Cardmistress. Sakura made a face, working on Tomoyo's delicate foot with both hands, caressing over the soft skin and rubbing wherever she could get. "I hope not. You have such cute feet. I'd hate to see anything happen to them." Tomoyo stared at the roof of the limo for a moment, borrowing from Sakura's library a word she thought expressed the situation perfectly. "Hoe..." Sakura giggled and continued caressing Tomoyo's foot. Her fingers slowly began making their way upward, over her ankle and up the back of her leg. "Your skin's so soft, Tomoyo-chan. You feel so nice. It's not like this when I'm with Syaoran." Sakura giggled, shaking her head. "I mean, he feels different than you. Well, his legs, anyway." Her hands continued to climb higher until they were rubbing the sides of Tomoyo's thighs under the dark haired girl's lavender skirt, Sakura's body pressed nicely against Tomoyo's. "Everything feels different with you.""That could be because I'm a girl. I hear boys and girls do feel a bit different," Tomoyo reasoned, trying to look as composed as possible under the situation. Sakura's hands felt deliciously good against her bare skin, warm and strong against her soft thighs. Little flitters of reason struggled to take hold, telling her to stop Sakura from doing anything else, that Sakura was drunk and shouldn't be this close. But it felt so wonderful. And she hardly had the heart to deny Sakura anything. "You feel so much better. You make me so hanyaan, Tomoyo-chan. 'Everything will always be all right.' But it only feels all right when I'm with you," Sakura explained, her weight holding Tomoyo's slender form underneath her. That swirl of feelings that she felt when Tomoyo was close to her felt like a hurricane now, something powerful and unstoppable. There was some magic about the heiress that sparked something deep inside of her that no one else could touch. In her current state, Sakura's thoughts were a swirl of emotions and feelings, logic lost somewhere along the way. There was only the fragile, pale girl undernearth her and the storm of feelings she sent through her. Tomoyo looked up at her, pink lips and stormy blue eyes framed by her raven hair. Sakura pressed further into the smaller girl, her lips finding Tomoyo's. She kissed her friend softly, loving the way Tomoyo's feathery lips felt under her own. Tomoyo was still mildly out of it because of her own drink at the bar, but she knew she was much more lucid than Sakura. Or, rather, she had been before Sakura had kissed her. Tomoyo was rapidly becoming drunk off of Sakura, off the taste of Sakura's lips against hers and the feeling of Sakura's body pressing against hers through their clothes. So she wasn't overly surprised to find herself kissing back shortly, her hands climbling up Sakura's back even as Sakura's hands began questing over her own body. Sakura was kissing her. Sakura was loving her. And it felt so wonderful. Her body squirmed as the brunette's hands quested over her thighs, caressing over her panty-clad lower half. Her own deft fingers were busying themselves with Sakura's top, sliding it down and exposing the Cardmistress's bra. Tomoyo's eyes drew in the whole picture before her, her heart jumping with joy at the sight. Kissing Tomoyo quickly escalated to much more, Sakura was pleased to see. Though the logic that may have stopped her from all this was curiously absent, the emotions and feelings that surrounded her spurred her on further. She blushed slightly as she felt Tomoyo unclasp her bra, letting it slide forward and out of the way. Her blush grew as she watched Tomoyo's gaze move over her bare chest. Her embarrassment was shortlived, however, as Tomoyo's hands swiftly made their way to Sakura's chest, fingertips caressing over the soft skin. Sakura purred as she pressed closer to Tomoyo, kissing her pale friend deeper. She wanted to pull Tomoyo closer, to kiss her more, to make love to her. She wanted to never let her go. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Owwwww..." Sakura awoke the next morning to an angry headache. Moving made her feel even worse. Her feet ached and the sheets felt odd against her. Blinking groggily, the Cardmistress forced herself to sit up. She immediately wished she hadn't. Her head swam and for a moment she thought she would pass out. It slowly passed, but her headache returned with a vengence. The sheets rustled against her bare skin, a strange feeling for her. The only time she'd been in bed naked, she'd been sleeping with Syaoran. Her eyes slowly widened, the headache that had been impeding her thinking now being pushed forcefully to the side. The night before... Tomoyo... in the car... Kero didn't bat an eyebrow as he floated in, carrying a mug of steaming tea. He'd seen Sakura get dressed enough growing up that seeing her in just a sheet wasn't particularly bothersome. "Tomoyo- chan says to drink this. She says it'll make ya feel better." Taking the cup, Sakura held it close in her hands. Did she...? Had she...? With Tomoyo? The sheets slipped down as she took her first sip. "Hoe..."