a story of 

Tomoyo's Love

by that that walrusy guy you all know and love[tehwalrus@gmail.com]

It started off with a dove and the expression that it made on the face of 
Tomoyo's love. Sakura smiled brightly as she watched the bird with happiness 
plain writ upon her cheeks, a picturesque moment Tomoyo would cherish for 
weeks. And yet there was sadness there, not in Sakura's but Tomoyo's own. Both 
the girls have grown from the small children you have known, but as far as 
Time's wings have flown they have done naught to heal pains in hearts depths 
unknown.

The day is black and white in Tomoyo's eyes, with a spray of pink surprise, a 
feeling of love she feared was all lies, but if Sakura knew, if she would only 
realize... but where would Tomoyo then be? In Sakura's arms or thrown out the 
door? Nay, such insecurity she needs must ignore, she must play it safe with 
her love, hide, cage it safely inside so Sakura could not see accidentally. And 
that was hard. Sakura brought it welling forth with a single word or look, even 
the most simple sight. And thus Tomoyo swayed back and forth, heaving sighs of 
delight or sitting silently in Sakura's light, fearing she might put it out and 
be alone in the night... her heart, the site of many a battle, her Reasoning a 
stalwart knight to push back the overwhelming tide of uncertainties and doubts 
that comes blazing forth to try and open the cage's door, to make certain she 
could hide her love no more, to push her feelings to the fore, for good or ill, 
and then wait and see if her heart was beating still or dashed upon the cold 
hard floor.

To put a word of her loving forth... it is more than Tomoyo's life is worth. To 
say those simple words, a task more monumental than all else for she must fight 
herself and Tomoyo did not even know which side of the battle she cheered.

"Tomoyo-chan? Are you okay? You haven't said much since we've come, and it was 
your idea to watch the birds in the park."

She had invited Sakura here indeed, for she knew she must soon decide, step 
over that great divide, she must choose the winning side. For she had not 
forever, that hope had died, she must either take to Sakura's side or be 
roughly shoved aside and be left behind. Syaoran Li and a few like him chased 
after Sakura's magic, and while the mess it made of thier lives was tragic 
[poor Meilin, to have told and been given such a shoulder cold, though I'm sure 
she still expects to be the one beside him when they are old] and while they 
were better than the new crowd who wished only to have the beauty who broke the 
mold, none sought her heart to cherish and hold, so perhaps it is a must for 
Tomoyo to be bold and do just that, to keep it warm from cold, to love forever, 
Sakura close to hold...

Sakura was one who loved foremost, and she gave it to all unknowning and 
misunderstanding, misrepresenting her emotions to those most dear to her, 
strength as fear, respect as love... How could Tomoyo know where she stands? 
And so.

"Sakura-chan... I love you."

And so the dove, in it's simple flight unfolds the complexities of love. But of 
course it is not finished yet, not the end but not even the start, Sakura's 
understanding does not fly straight as the dart. So the waiting is even more 
painful for the one most heavily involved as what she had resolved turned out 
not so easily solved.

"Of course Tomoyo-chan, I love you too. You're my best friend."

A shake of the head... Tomoyo despairs at how this will end.

"I love you Sakura. I fall asleep thinking of you, spend the night dreaming of 
you and wake, eager to go and see you. I meet you and I am lost in you, I 
follow you, the wonderful girl Sakura, for the day until I must dreadfully part 
with you for another night, to dream of you again. I love you."

Sakura was not stupid, her sight merely didn't detect certain things, those 
lines of string that connect people to each other. But to have them spelt out 
was to have them revealed, and a haze from her sight was peeled. Tomoyo's 
eccentricity was removed... it was a love, intense and burning inside the pale 
girl. She had hoisted that love as a sail and let it unfurl, that even Sakura 
might see it.

Sakura searched for a sail of her own, examining things she had left alone, 
never truly dwelling on these thoughts. And yet, just as Tomoyo had explained 
she had thoughts the same of her friend.

"Is this love? Tomoyo-chan... I feel the same for you. You are the anchor of my 
life, the thing that it centers around. I see a beautiful bird, and I think 'I 
wish Tomoyo was here to see this with me' or a hundred similar things..."

And so Sakura told herself true to Tomoyo, fighting back all those insecurities 
and letting the love shine through. And yet Sakura was unsure and did not 
understand what she thought, or what was thought of her... was that love? She 
didn't know, she never knew... Tomoyo always helps her though, with such 
things, and Tomoyo is here, saying this is love.

They lived, mostly happy much of the time, for a while, together, their spirits 
mingled for ever and ever.