Author’s notes: Hello! ^-^ I’m sorry this took so long. ^^;; I’d wanted to write this for a while, so I’m glad to have finally written it. ^-^ It’s basically a chance for me to show two ideas that have been on my mind a lot lately. The first is that Tomoyo would love Sakura no matter what, because her love is so sweet and pure. I think she’s a lesbian, yes, but I think she would love Sakura even if Sakura were a boy. Her love isn’t just a trivial thing. And the second thing is that I think most of Sakura’s denseness about Tomoyo lies in the fact that she plays into her gender role. Sakura can be incredibly naïve about things, especially Tomoyo’s feelings for her. For Sakura, she knows that boys get with girls and girls get with boys. Because it’s just the way things work. She has no problem with it when it doesn’t work that way like with Yukito and Touya, but she doesn’t realize that she could love a girl, hence why she never realizes Tomoyo’s perfect for her. ^^;; But anyway, I think that would be different if she were a boy because she would see very early on that Tomoyo was a potential love interest. Anyway, that’s enough of my rambling. ^-^;; I’ve been having a lot of trouble lately, so I’ve been writing this in the meantime. If you have any comments, I would love to hear them. ^-^ Thank you! Oh, and I modeled the end after the episodes of the series, right down to the Kero-chan’s Corner and the Next Episode spot. ^-^;;; I just thought it would be fun to add. ^-^ What is Love by the Amazoness Duo amazonessduo@hotmail.com Cherry blossoms swirled about above the ground as if dancing to a tune that only they could hear. A single auburn haired boy moved along to the silent music as he made his way to school, skating along gracefully. Skidding in a slow circle, he continued backwards for a moment. There was something about the morning that made him feel peaceful inside. School couldn’t dampen his spirits any. How could it when it meant he’d get to see his friends and play soccer that afternoon? And, of course, she would be there. A light blush crossed his cheeks at the thought. He tried to force it away but he couldn’t help it. “Hanyaan...” he sighed happily to himself. She always made school worthwhile. She made everything seem worthwhile. Even the crazy costumes she made him wear. But if it made her happy, he’d gladly wear whatever she wanted. Smiling to himself, Sakura hurried with renewed determination to reach school, ignoring his dancing namesake along the way. School was a much more pleasant experience when a pretty girl was waiting for you. His hands on the straps of his backpack, Sakura skidded towards the large gates. “Ohayo, Tomoyo-chan!” Sakura called brightly, slowing to a stop near his friend. “Ohayo, Sakura-chan!” Tomoyo replied, smiling her trademark smile. “A perfect arrival, as usual. The girls must all be thrilled with Sakura-chan’s cute and cool arrival.” “Tomoyo-chan...” Sakura blushed and rubbed the back of his head, averting his gaze. Why did she have to say so many embarrassing things all the time? He should get used to it, but she always managed to embarrass him anyway. Ignoring that for the moment, he glanced back at the pale girl to see what hairstyle she had for the day. Her hair was done up in two highly decorated pigtails, blue ribbons adorning them. One pigtail fell in front of her while the other lay draped over her backpack. Absolutely beautiful. Smiling and blushing faintly, Sakura slowly skated alongside his friend towards the front doors. “Sakura-chan looks so cute like that,” Tomoyo said with a sigh, a hand resting on her cheek. “I got some more videotape last night. Would you mind letting me videotape you some more later?” she asked eagerly. Sakura sweatdropped at his eccentric friend’s enthusiasm. “Sure, I guess. But I don’t know why you’d want to videotape me. You should really videotape something a little more interesting.” “But there isn’t anything more interesting or more handsome than Sakura-chan!” Tomoyo smiled brightly, a slight blush on her cheeks as she looked off distantly. She could see Sakura looking around in embarrassment, but that only served to spur her on. He looked so cute when he was embarrassed. If only she could catch that on video. Oh well, there was always next time. “I have the cutest costume for you, too. I can’t wait to see you try it on. My inspiration for this one was seeing you waving at those penguins at the zoo.” Seeing Sakura blink in response, Tomoyo continued. “Sakura-chan will make the cutest penguin.” ‘There,’ the pale girl thought to herself happily as Sakura shook his arms, his embarrassment growing. Tomoyo simply sighed delightedly as she continued towards her locker. “Hoe... A penguin?” Sakura sighed in defeat. He had learned long ago that it was pointless to argue about the costumes. Tomoyo knew him far too well. The pale girl easily got him to wear whatever she wanted him to. Besides, he’d worn worse than a penguin costume before. And at least he wouldn’t be capturing Cards in this one. And Tomoyo would be the only one to see it, so it wouldn’t be that big a deal. “When do you want me to come over?” he asked, getting over his initial shock swiftly. “After soccer practice would be nice. You’ll probably be tired after that, so I’ll call and make sure the limousine’s ready. I already brought a fresh videotape to catch your soccer game today, so I’ll record everything on the new tape. From Sakura-chan darting across the field in his handsome soccer uniform to Sakura playing by the poolside in his cute penguin costume, I will catch every precious moment on videotape, and seal it all forever in my heart.” Tomoyo tilted her head to the side, starry eyed. Today was already turning out to be a wonderful day. She always loved going to Sakura’s soccer games. She never really cared what was happening in the game itself. Her eyes never left the auburn haired boy on the field anyway. It was just fun to watch him with such determination, running all about. It was much the same when she got to watch him capture Cards, though that was even more fun because Sakura got to double as a life-sized doll to dress up as well. But not only did she get to record his soccer game, but she would also get to dress him up in her newest costume. Tomoyo got out her books in a state of bliss. “If you say so, Tomoyo-chan,” Sakura said quickly, a hand behind his head. Tomoyo had him wrapped around her little finger and he knew it. But what could he do about it? Not that he wanted to do anything about it anyway. He was very comfortable this way. Even if Tomoyo did delight in making him blush. “Oh, good morning, Li-kun!” Sakura waved brightly to his perpetually scowling rival. He was happy to be friends with the other boy now, though Syaoran was very difficult to get close to. The other boy blushed and went the other way in a hurry. “Hmm... I wonder what’s wrong with Li-kun. I hope he’s not sick.” Giggling next to her naïve friend, Tomoyo smiled sweetly. “Sakura- chan’s so handsome and cool that even the boys like him,” she explained, watching her cute friend intently with her lavender eyes. Sakura simply blinked in confusion at her statement. “Maybe I’ll tell Sakura-chan when he’s older,” she said reassuringly as she hoisted up her backpack. “Let me get that for you, Tomoyo-chan!” Sakura said quickly after shaking off his confusion. He took Tomoyo’s backpack, following her to class. The dark haired girl always looked so fragile, so petite. So Sakura was happy to carry her bags for her. Tomoyo was like a beautiful princess, kind and sweet to everyone, especially Sakura. And princesses shouldn’t have to worry about things like bookbags. “Thank you, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo said in her pretty, singsong voice. Walking slowly, she made her way to class. If the athletic boy noticed her slowed pace, he didn’t say anything. She didn’t want to miss a moment of his presence. Pulling on the shirt of his soccer uniform, Sakura looked down at the gym bag next to him. Inside was a beautifully crafted pink and violet teddy bear. It was Sakura’s good luck charm. He picked up the small teddy bear and held it close. It still smelled of lavenders, just like Tomoyo. Sighing softly, the Master of the Cards closed his eyes. Tomoyo had given him this lovely gift several weeks ago. He had taken it with him to every one of his games sense, and kept it with him in bed every night. He was almost worried that it would start to get frayed if he kept that up. But he wanted it there with him wherever he went. It was his most precious gift, something that was very dear to him. He had treasured it from the instant Tomoyo had given it to him. The myth of the teddy bears kept coming back to Sakura when he would think about the little teddy bear. He had heard that if you made a teddy bear and gave it to the person you liked, then if they named it after you, you would both fall in love. It was a very cute myth, and something he had heard Tomoyo explain before. So did that mean this was for that purpose? Just in case, Sakura had immediately named it after the pale girl. So her little teddy bear, Tomoyo, was with her whenever her best friend, Tomoyo, couldn’t be. But was their truth to the myth? Sakura had been trying to ask Tomoyo out for the past week. But every time he wanted to, he lost the nerve. He could talk to Tomoyo about anything, but seeing her smile so prettily and asking what he wanted to talk about always made him nervous when he was about to ask her. What would she say? Did she like him? Well, that one kind of seemed a given with how she talked about him. Actually, he was pretty sure of that. And that gave him some courage to ask Tomoyo, but he still couldn’t quite figure out what to say. She always had such faith in him. What if it sounded stupid? Or worse, what if he couldn’t get it out at all? He wanted to tell her how he felt before someone else did, but he didn’t know how. Sighing, Sakura placed his teddy bear back in his gym bag. Emerald eyes sparkling determinedly, Sakura hurried towards the field. Tomoyo would be watching, so he had to try his hardest for her. And then, tonight, maybe he could tell her that he liked her. Besides, Tomoyo was always there supporting him. She would help him through it, no matter how nervous he could get looking into those stormy blue eyes. Vowing to himself that he would tell Tomoyo that night, he ran the rest of the way to the soccer field. “Sakura-chan looks so cute!!” Tomoyo squealed delightedly as she zoomed in on her best friend. Before her stood a forlorn looking penguin, it’s arms hanging at its sides. Sakura was looking back at the camcorder, his face a mask of embarrassment. Tomoyo took a few steps to the side to get another viewpoint. Reaching forward, she put a finger on Sakura’s lips, drawing them up into a smile. “Much better!” “Tomoyo-chan...” Sakura mumbled as Tomoyo’s finger pressed near his lips. How did he let himself get talked into this? Oh yeah, Tomoyo thought it was a good idea. That was generally all it took for Sakura to do what Tomoyo wanted. Tomoyo was so nice and sweet that it was hard not to do what she wanted. And the pale girl’s beautiful smile more than made up for the discomfort of wearing a penguin costume. As long as no one at school ever saw this videotape. “Mr. Penguin sure has come a long way from the south pole. But I hope he never has to leave.” Stepping around the embarrassed Sakura, Tomoyo continued to videotape her friend. “Sakura-chan is such a shy boy, isn’t he? But I don’t mind. It means he gets to be my model alone.” “Ano.. Tomoyo-chan, was there anything else you wanted me to try on while I’m here?” Sakura interrupted. Though he wouldn’t admit it unless Tomoyo prodded him, he did enjoy being Tomoyo’s model. His mother had been a model for many years. Though he was a lot shyer than his mother, he did enjoy modeling the pale girl’s outfits for her. Especially with how thrilled Tomoyo always was to videotape him in new things. It made him feel special to hear her in such delight. Tomoyo made him feel special with everything she said and did. Her hand on her chin, Tomoyo stood in thought for a moment. “Well, there is one more costume that I’ve nearly finished. It wouldn’t take more than a few minutes to sew on the last bit.” She continued to scratch her chin thoughtfully as she recorded her cute penguin attired best friend. “That sounds great. I’ll just change out of this while I wait for you to finish, Tomoyo-chan,” Sakura said energetically. It would be a little awkward, he was sure, but it couldn’t be worse than the penguin costume, adorable as it was. And if it made Tomoyo happy, so much the better. Besides, he just wanted to do everything he could for his eccentric friend. His heart swelled as he replayed the words again and again in his head. ‘Tomoyo-chan, I have something I want to tell you..’ he began again. “All right. Thank you so much, Sakura-chan. I can’t wait to see you in it! You’ll be so cute, I know it.” Bowing to Sakura, the pale girl turned and led Sakura back into the house before disappearing into her room. She was eager to see Sakura in her new costume. It was a little different from the other ones she had made over the years, but she had no doubt that Sakura would pull it off perfectly. Sakura headed to the bathroom where his school uniform was still waiting. He pulled the shorts on first, glad to be out of the goofy albeit extremely cute penguin costume. It was nice to be a normal boy again and not a lost penguin. Smiling, he pulled on his shirt as he wondered what exotic design Tomoyo’s new design would be. “Kawaii!! Sakura-chan is so pretty! You put all the girls to shame, Sakura-chan!” Sakura stared at the videocamera with a mortified look on his face. He was in a beautiful blue dress with a long white apron, a la Alice in Wonderland. Long, white stocking ran up his legs, disappearing under the frilly skirt. He had cute pink ribbons in his hair and small, pale blue gloves. “To..To..moyo-chan...” he got out weakly, his face crimson as he finally worked up enough thought to try and cover himself from the relentless camcorder. Tomoyo simply sidestepped, getting a good look at his side. “I knew you’d make a beautiful girl, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo said excitedly, a hand resting on her cheek. “You’re even prettier than all of the girls at school.” Sighing happily to herself, Tomoyo reached down and smoothed out the skirt a little more. Her darling Sakura made a very handsome boy, but he also made a gorgeous girl. Blushing, Tomoyo stood back up to videotape some more. She wanted to have plenty of this for later. Sakura was just too cute not to capture every instant. “Do.. Do you really think so?” Sakura asked curiously, turning his face to watch the pale girl. He blushed deeper when he saw her nod. It was bizarre, certainly, but he found himself very happy to hear that she thought he was prettier than the girls at school. It wasn’t something he had ever thought about before, but it was nice to know all the same. Especially if Tomoyo thought so. The lavender haired girl disappeared out of his line of sight after a moment and he whirled to catch sight of her, the long skirt flowing around him. He blushed and held it down tightly, not wanting anything to get caught on videotape. Tomoyo had given him a pair of panties to wear as well, saying that it was to keep everything authentic. He blushed deeper as he wondered if they were Tomoyo’s. He shook his head quickly, trying to concentrate on the moment. But that wasn’t helping either. He was currently dressed up in girls’ clothes, so thinking about the moment probably wasn’t the way to go. “Of course I do. You’re so beautiful, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo whispered gently, brushing Sakura’s bangs away from his eyes. She smiled at him, no more than a few inches away. He really did look like a girl. If Tomoyo didn’t know better, she would have been sure he was. Her mind was already fast at work on other cute designs for her friend. This little experiment had proven a brilliant success. Sakura was cute in boys’ clothes and girls’ clothes. It opened up Tomoyo’s costume designs to as of yet unknown heights. She was already excited with the possibilities. “You’ll have to let me videotape you wearing one of my school uniforms sometime,” Tomoyo stated simply, drawing another dark blush from the boy she loved. He was just so cute. “Tomoyo-chan...” Sakura whined, unable to look away from Tomoyo’s pretty lavender eyes. There was a small thrill about the whole thing. Tomoyo obviously seemed to like it. Besides, wasn’t this the whole reason he dressed up in Tomoyo’s designs anyway, because the dark haired girl wanted him to? So how was this different from dressing up as a penguin? Because he wasn’t crossdressing as the penguin! “This isn’t much like dressing up as a penguin, Tomoyo-chan,” he said weakly. The heiress looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling. “I never said if you were a boy penguin or a girl penguin. You could have been dressed as a girl penguin. In which case, it’s exactly the same thing, Tomoyo surmised. Sakura simply sweatdropped as her reply. Tomoyo sighed exquisitely at the beautiful sight before her. “I always knew you were handsome, Sakura-chan. But you’re also gorgeous.” Sakura could only blush deeper in response, finally pulling his eyes away from Tomoyo as he stared down at stocking clad legs and cute buckled shoes. He could hear Tomoyo walking around him, videotaping this whole disturbing event for later viewing. “Could you lay down on your stomach? If you could lift a leg into the air and place your chin in your hands when you do, that would be so cute!” she heard Tomoyo say. Sighing deeply, Sakura went to comply with his best friend’s request. At least no one would ever see this. His brother would never let him hear the end of it if he only knew. Finally back in his school uniform, Sakura sat on Tomoyo’s bed while the lavender haired girl busily set about labeling her tape and finding a spot for it amongst her huge collection of Sakura tapes. Sakura was a little surprised to see himself all over his friend’s room. This wasn’t his first time there, but he always found himself surprised to see more and more of himself up whenever he went. There were pictures of him all over as well as Tomoyo’s expansive videotape collection. Her otherwise pristine desk was cluttered in only one place, on Tomoyo desk with all of her costume designs. And even that was an organized chaos. Everything seemed in place even as design after design got stacked up on her desk. Sakura smiled as he saw a picture of himself and Tomoyo in kimonos next to Tomoyo’s bed. Tomoyo’s mother, Sonomi, had taken that picture a while back. Sakura had been worried about how it would turn out, but Tomoyo had told him that he was always cute so he shouldn’t worry about it. Turning to look for his eccentric best friend, he could spy her kneeling before her videotape collection, looking for the spot for her newest tape. Tomoyo really was beautiful. Everything about her was so graceful, almost as if it were all planned out. The pale girl looked so delicate, her long lavender hair flowing behind her in those beautiful pigtails. Sakura felt happy to be able to spend this time with his friend. “When do you have to be home, Sakura-chan?” Tomoyo asked curiously as she stood up and walked back towards the auburn haired boy. She had known he was watching her, but hadn’t wanted to embarrass him about it. And she was thrilled to have his eyes on her. She was always happy to have his attention. “Probably pretty soon. It’s my night to cook because onii-chan has to work.” Sakura sighed, his hands behind his head. He didn’t want to go home. Staying with Tomoyo sounded infinitely better than making dinner. “I’ll make sure the limousine can take you back home, then. You ran so hard at soccer that I’m surprised you can move at all anymore.” Tomoyo smiled at her weary best friend, rubbing his shoulders gently. Sakura blushed at Tomoyo’s touch, looking around the large room. “Un, but I wanted to play my best because you were watching me. I wanted it to be a good game for you.” Fidgeting a bit, Sakura looked down at his shoe, trying to concentrate on anything other than the girl behind him. “You played really well, Sakura-chan. But I like watching all of your games, even when you’re distracted,” Tomoyo chirped up brightly. “You’re always so cute out there on the field, kicking the ball around everywhere. I love watching you.” A soft sigh drifted to the auburn haired boy’s ear as Tomoyo continued rubbing his shoulders. “Tomoyo-chan, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say for a while,” Sakura got out nervously, finally getting himself to look up. He turned to face Tomoyo, looking into her sparkling blue eyes. “I.. You’ve always been my best friend and.. It’s always so nice when you..” Sakura bit his lip, trying to decide what to say. It had all sounded so much easier in his thoughts on the drive up. Tomoyo tilted her head to the side thoughtfully as she watched Sakura struggling. Her heart fluttered in her chest like a cloud of butterflies as she slowly realized what Sakura was trying to say. “Yes, Sakura-chan?” she asked helpfully. “You know you can tell me anything.” ‘And if you want to tell me what I think you do, then there is absolutely nothing for you to fear because I love you with all of my heart.’ “I really, really like you, Tomoyo-chan,” Sakura got out at last, his cheeks flushing as he looked at her. It took all of his will to keep from averting his gaze. “More than anything or anyone. I’m just so happy when I’m with you. I always feel so.. hanyaan. And I’ve been thinking a lot since you gave me the teddy bear and all and I was hoping that you might feel the same way and..” Sakura finally paused to take a breath. “Will you go out with me, Tomoyo-chan?” His heart froze as he waited for a reply. His reply came in the form of Tomoyo’s arms wrapping tightly around him. A slow smile spread across his face as he relaxed against the lavender haired girl. “I would love to go out with you, Sakura-chan! More than anything else in the world. Of course I like you. I always have. I’ve always loved you, Sakura-chan.” Tomoyo’s heart nearly burst with the love that wanted to escape to Sakura at the auburn haired boy’s lovely words. She hugged him tightly, sighing. It was like the most beautiful dream imaginable come true. She had hoped that she might be Sakura’s special someone, that she might be the one to make him happy. And now that he had spoken it, she felt deliriously happy, as if she had been placed directly in the path of a tornado. It swept her up with rapid and intense force, throwing her around in its strength and ferocity. “Oh, Sakura-chan..” Tomoyo whispered delightedly. “Tomoyo-chan.. Arigato gozimasu!” Sakura stood up quickly, smiling brightly. “I’ll try to come up with some place nice to take you, I promise,” he said, bowing. “I’ll be happy to go anywhere with you,” Tomoyo responded with her trademark smile. Sakura blushed and nodded quickly. “Un.. I’ll see you tomorrow, Tomoyo-chan! Thank you!!” He hugged the pale girl again, fighting the urge to stay that way when Tomoyo’s hands began stroking his back warmly. But he knew if he stayed he would never be home in time to finish dinner. And he was had to find the perfect place to take Tomoyo on their date. Determination glinting in his eyes, he smiled to Tomoyo before heading to the door. “Bye, Tomoyo-chan!!” “Goodnight, Sakura-chan!” Tomoyo waved to the athletic boy as he hurried out her door. Sighing deliciously, Tomoyo collapsed on her bed. Sakura had asked her out. He had finally asked her out. Her one, true love liked her. Life was, indeed, full of very pleasant surprises, especially when Sakura was involved. “Hanyaan,” she whispered, taking a cue from Sakura. “He really is cute in a dress,” Sonomi admitted, tilting her head to the side. “He doesn’t look much like Nadeshiko-chan, but those eyes are so much like hers. You can tell he’s her daughter. I mean, her son.” The elder Daidouji woman shook her head as she sat with her daughter, watching the younger girl’s latest tape. Sonomi often enjoyed watching them with Tomoyo, thrilled to get a glimpse of Nadeshiko’s youngest son. Nadeshiko’s curious eccentricities even showed through in her son’s strange name. And aside from getting glimpses of Nadeshiko’s child, it was the perfect time to spend together with her own daughter. “Hai, very cute. I want to see if he’ll let me videotape him in my school uniform,” Tomoyo commented, brushing back some dark hair from her eyes. She was still in a daze about earlier, but she had been eager to show her latest video to her mother. She was certain Sonomi would enjoy it the same way she did. “He makes a very cute girl.” Her hand went to her chin thoughtfully. “He makes a very cute girl and a very cute boy. Sakura-chan is cute no matter which gender he is.” Sonomi laughed softly as she watched the camera angle change. “I’d have to say he’s a little cuter as a girl. If he wasn’t standing so awkwardly it would be impossible to tell. Maybe you can make him dress that way after you start dating. And I think it would be adorable if you can videotape him in your school uniform. You’ll have to show me that tape as soon as you get it.” “Hai, okaa-sama. I hope I can get it soon myself. And it would be cute if he’d let me dress him like that on our dates. But I’ll probably have to wait a little while before he will. Sakura-chan can be so shy, so I want to wait a little while. I’m just so happy to be dating him in the first place. He’s so perfect. I love him so much.” Watching her lovesick daughter, Sonomi smiled. She was happy to see Tomoyo in love. It reminded her so much of when she had been younger with her cousin, Sakura’s mother, Nadeshiko. And seeing her daughter so excited did her heart good. Her daughter’s happiness was one of the most important things to her. It was so nice to see her about to start dating. And Nadeshiko’s son, no less. It was almost like Fate had arranged the whole thing. So maybe Sonomi could stop hating Fate so much. Maybe just a little bit. “I know, dear. I know.” Sonomi pulled Tomoyo to her side, feeling Tomoyo’s heart beating swiftly. Bending down, she kissed her daughter’s forehead, resting her head on Tomoyo’s as she went back to watching the tape. “Hoe...” Pacing the length of his room, Sakura nearly walked directly into the wall. Reeling back, the startled boy’s shoulders slumped and a sigh escaped him. His thoughts were moving along the same lines as his body, moving all around but getting nowhere but dead ends. Flopping down on his bed, the auburn haired boy stared up at the rood. He’d been struggling with his thoughts for the past two hours. Giddiness still burst through him whenever he thought back to the fact that his angelic best friend had agreed to go out with him. But that only strengthened his determination to find the perfect place to take her. But where? What could be perfect for a date with such a perfect girl? ‘I’ll be happy to go anywhere with you,’ Tomoyo had said. And Sakura didn’t doubt the eccentric heiress for a moment. But he couldn’t let that stop him from finding out where to take his new girlfriend. Clenching his fists and narrowing his vision, Sakura got back to work. “This is too hard! I can’t think of anything. Tomoyo-chan is so much better at these things than I am,” Sakura lamented just a short time later. And it was true. Tomoyo was usually the one to invite him places or the one who could figure out difficult details such as the one Sakura found himself pondering. He knew that she could think up someplace for the two of them to go. But that was his job, wasn’t it? Or was it? The lavender haired girl always did such a better job at figuring these kinds of things out, even if it did get him in some awkward situations like the penguin fiasco earlier. But still... He had asked her out. He should come up with where he was going to take her. He couldn’t exactly call her up and ask her to decide for him. Rolling onto his stomach, Sakura hugged his pillow, his legs moving absentmindedly in the air. A movie? No, that didn’t sound good. How often did they really go to movies anyway? Dinner? Where would they go? Touya might know a few good places with how often he worked at restaurants, but Sakura doubted he had the money to afford anything really nice. A picnic in the park? But they already did that all the time. What would be special about that? Only... It always felt special when they would go together, just the two of them. They would sit and talk for hours, watching the beautiful world around them and just enjoying each other’s company. And Tomoyo was so sweet and gentle. She would listen carefully to everything Sakura had to say, always helpful with whatever was on his mind. And she always said the nicest things, even if they were embarrassing. “I said, ‘What’s too hard?’. You know I can figure it out, whatever it is. I’m good at these things,” Kero stated confidently as he floated down onto Sakura’s bed, his arms crossed. “C’mon, Sakura- chan. You can tell me.” Sweatdropping, Sakura looked back at the Seal Beast curiously. Is help generally wasn’t as helpful as Tomoyo’s. What he lacked in genuine helpfulness, he sure made up for with self-confidence. “I’m trying to decide where to take Tomoyo-chan on our date,” he said quickly, his cheeks reddening as he buried his face into her pillow. “Huh? I have no idea how you can make Tomoyo-chan late. Hmm...” The Seal Beast contemplated Sakura’s muffled concerns, scratching his chin with one tiny paw. “You could always steal her shoes. Or lock her in a broom closet. Or I could distract her. Depends what you need her late for.” “Date! Date!! I need to decide where to take Tomoyo-chan on our date!” Sakura repeated, sitting up and hoisting the pillow above his head in case the floating teddy bear decided to joke about the situation. His cheeks darkened considerably as he saw the sly grin spread across Kero’s face. “Date, you say? Well, if there’s one thing the mighty Cereberus knows, it’s a thing or two about love. Just listen to me and you’ll be reaching first, second, and third base in no time! Hell, with my advice, you’ll be hitting field goals and scoring bogeys!” Kero grinned as he walked up to Sakura, nudging him in the side. The Cardmaster had no idea what Kero was talking about, but his blush worsened nonetheless. “Boy, have you come to the right place. Because I’m not only the Beast of the Seal, I’m the Beast of Love.” His tiny eyebrows raised up and down suggestively as he looked up at the green eyed boy. Before Sakura could respond to Kero’s delusions of grandeur, the door burst open. Touya looked into the room, spotting Sakura on the bed. Kero collapsed by Sakura’s side, lying lifeless in the hopes that Sakura’s older brother hadn’t heard them talking. “Umm... Hi, onii-chan. What’s wrong? If this is about the dishes, it’s your day. I checked.” He smiled, pulling Kero onto his lap as he waited for his older brother to either agree or make some outrageous claim about it being Sakura’s day for the dishes. But he’d glanced at the schedule and he was sure. Reasonably sure, at any rate. Touya closed the door behind him after he entered the room. He paced back and forth for a moment as if trying to decide what to say. He finally sat on the bed and stared at his younger brother fixedly for a long moment. Sakura returned his gaze uneasily for a bit before looking away. “So you’re going on a date?” Sakura’s face immediately darkened once more at Touya’s question. It sounded more like an accusation than a question at the moment. He looked around, his cheeks flushed as he tried to think of a suitable answer. Finally giving up that venue, Sakura nodded in agreement. He needed to remember not to talk so loud with Kero when Touya was home. “With Tomoyo-chan?” Again Sakura nodded, feeling more and more embarrassed as time went by. What did Touya want? Was he there to tease him about it? Why did he care who his younger brother was dating? “I thought so. It’s obvious she likes you. I was waiting for you to get the hint,” Touya said matter-of-factly. He watched in amusement as Sakura’s embarrassment quickly changed to a frown, his younger brother squeezing the stuffed animal in his arms tightly. “I’m not that dense. I’ve known it for a while. She did give me that teddy bear and all,” Sakura argued, squeezing poor Kero in his frustration. His brother always got him riled up like this. Oh, if he was only taller than him... “Sure...” Touya said unconvincingly, raising an eyebrow. He knew how dense his little brother could be at times. It was a surprise that he ever figured it out. But that wasn’t the point at the moment. “Doesn’t matter. You finally figured it out. I’m proud of you, monsters. And you asked her out at that? So you’re ready to go on your first date?” Despite his usual arguments with Sakura, he really did care for his little brother’s well being. He just showed it in an odd way at times. And since his father wasn’t here to offer Sakura some friendly dating advice, he would have to fill in. At Sakura’s quick nods, Touya continued. “So you don’t know where to take her?” Again, a nod. “Here.” The older boy tossed a paper to Sakura, the auburn haired boy immediately picking it up. “It’s a festival. Tomoyo- chan probably would’ve invited you there in a few days anyway. She always does. Why not make it a date? Besides, she’ll look cute all dressed up in a yukata, so you might as well have an excuse for whatever you wind up doing with her behind the trees.” Touya smirked before pain shot through his leg. Sakura’s foot remained planted against his leg where he had kicked him. “Onii-chan...” Sakura growled, his eyes narrowed. Touya’s eyes narrowed as well as the two brothers stared each other down, one being considerably taller than the other. But Sakura either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Just as quickly as his ire had appeared, it faded away as Sakura took another glance at the flier. “That might be a good idea. It would be fun. And it would be a nice place to take Tomoyo-chan. Maybe I can win her a prize or something, too.” “Yeah, you never know. Yuki and I already planned on going, so I figured the two of you would probably be there as well. And it works well enough. Maybe if you’re busy making eyes at Tomoyo, you’ll stop making them at Yuki,” Touya reasoned, his head tilted to the side for a moment. He grinned as Sakura crossed his arms, fuming. “It’s not like that! Yukito-san’s just... Ohhh!! Onii-chan!!” Sakura humphed and stared at his older brother again. He didn’t know why his older brother always teased him about Yukito. The older boy was very nice, much nicer than his older brother, and it was fun to be around him. Not unlike Tomoyo, in fact. But it wasn’t the exact same thing. Aside from Yukito being a boy, he didn’t have that same feeling of love and warmth that encompassed Sakura whenever he was with Tomoyo. But it was pointless explaining it all to Touya, especially when he was too embarrassed about the whole thing to come up with a good argument. Putting an arm around his younger brother, Touya drew the younger boy closer. “All right, you better listen up, Sakura-chan. There are some things you need to know before your date.” Sweatdropping, Sakura wondered if he would’ve been better off with Kero’s talk. Licking his dry lips, Sakura slowly reached out for the doorknob. His hand shook lightly as he grasped the doorknob, his palms sweaty. His brows furrowed as he tried to concentrate, to push off the nervousness that toyed with him. This was his first date. He was about to go out with his best friend. What would change after this? What would happen? Well, only one way to find out, right? Steeling himself, Sakura opened the door. The sight that awaited him took his breath away. “Tomoyo-chan...” he whispered, catching eye of the pale beauty before him. “You’re... gorgeous...” Emerald eyes studied the stunning figure before him. Beautiful pale skin looked to have an ethereal glow all it’s own wherever it peaked out of the yukata, both at Tomoyo’s arms and her pretty face. Her long, lavender hair was done up in elegant braids, spilling down her back. Shimmering stormy blue eyes shined luminously. Her small body shifted gracefully as the angelic girl bowed before Sakura. Her long hair pooled to one side before she stood back up, the precious silken strands falling back into place. “Thank you very much, Sakura-chan. You look very handsome. I wish I had my camcorder with me.” One of Tomoyo’s pale hands went to her flushed cheeks as she sighed, watching Sakura intently. She had struggled with the decision of whether or not to take the camcorder with her for the past few days but had finally decided against it. She immediately regretted it upon seeing her prince all dressed up in a yukata. What a darling picture it would have made! “You look just like mother,” Touya said after a moment’s pause. He had come to the door to wish the two a goodnight as he waited for Yukito to arrive, but had been astonished by the figure at the door. It was like one of the pictures of his mother from long ago brought to life. He had originally thought it was his mother’s spirit visiting them again, but only the stormy blue eyes had given away the figure’s true identity. Sakura was about to protest his brother’s statement, but he had to admit that Tomoyo certainly looked similar to the photos he had seen. He couldn’t remember his mother well, as she had died when he had only been three years old, but Tomoyo had the same captivating appeal, the same delicate beauty. “Hai...” Sakura shook himself out of his trance quickly, noticing the odd way Touya was staring at Tomoyo. Taking Tomoyo’s hand quickly, Sakura stared at her brother before stepping outside with her. “Bye, onii-chan!” he said quickly. He didn’t want to share Tomoyo with anyone tonight, not even for glimpses of their mother. He wanted to be alone with her on this special night of theirs. He smiled softly at the beautiful girl in front of him, nearly melting at the pretty smile she granted him in return. “Tomoyo-chan.” It took him a long moment to realize he was staring again. Looking down sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his head. “We should probably get going now, huh?” “If that’s what Sakura-chan wants to do,” Tomoyo replied, soft fingers entwining with the auburn haired boy’s. He was so cute. And the way he had looked at her sent a trill through Tomoyo’s heart. A date with Sakura. It was finally happening. The heiress had to struggle to remain in the here and now, already thinking about things like marriage and children and mountain sized piles of videotape. But even with the sweet little secrets the future hinted at, the present was a very pleasant place to be. It was right with Sakura, right where she always wanted to be. Sakura nodded quickly, his cheeks still tinted pink. “Yeah, we’ll just go.” He laughed a little nervously, but it slowly began to fade away as Tomoyo nodded her agreement, still holding his hand. He smiled happily at his best friend, for once feeling the genuine elation of the night in full without the worrisome nervousness that had accompanied so much of the past several days. The two slowly began walking, leaving the limousine that had dropped Tomoyo off at Sakura’s house as well as Tomoyo’s bodyguards far behind. Sakura was surprised at how easy this all felt. He had thought that this would be such a difficult thing, being on a date with Tomoyo. But it was still Tomoyo. He still felt comfortable with her, happy and warm. Things had changed only subtly. He saw Tomoyo in a new light, not just as his kindly best friend, but as his beautiful angel. Yes, they were on a date. But that really wasn’t all that different from what they had been doing all of these years. The only difference was that now Sakura knew where his heart lay. And it was an intoxicating experience. He could feel Tomoyo’s love for what it was rather than the curious thing he had wondered about for so long. And his own heart reveled under the attention, blooming like a lovely flower under its tender yet deep touch. It all gave so many new layers to just being with Tomoyo, all of them exciting for the master of the Cards. Tomoyo once again bemoaned her lack of a camcorder as she watched Sakura out of the corner of her eye. Her free hand rested on her cheek as she sighed joyously. Had she died? Was she dreaming? Or was this a taste of heaven? If it was, Tomoyo could think of no better way to spend eternity than with the boy who had so effortlessly captured her heart. She would have to personally thank whatever God or Goddess reigned over this world for crafting such a lovely soul as her darling Sakura. Usually content simply with recording Sakura’s life, Tomoyo found herself exhilarated at the prospect of actually sharing in it, tasting it so closely rather than from behind the camera. It was new and uncharted territory, something that existed only in her dreams up till now. But with Sakura gently leading her, she had no fear as she stepped out hand in hand with her love into the movie of Sakura’s life. Not being born with magic, the lavender haired girl couldn’t sense it the way her best friend could. But she felt a different magic as they continued along, one that immersed her heart and soul deeper than any other form of magic ever could. Like an entire ocean, it swelled and encompassed her, holding her tightly in its depths. It was almost too much, an emotional overload of pure, unadulterated joy. Tomoyo felt as if she were drowning in it, her heart nearly ready to burst. Smiling a sparkling, genuine smile, Tomoyo rested her head on Sakura’s shoulder, her long braids draping down across the two of them. Blushing faintly, Sakura continued along towards the festival, his mind going blank. Tomoyo’s long, dark hair lay across his shoulder and down the left side of his back, swaying gently as they moved. The heiress’s cute head was resting pleasantly on his shoulder, distracting him. The two walked along, hand in hand in a much closer proximity that they usually did. The poor auburn hair kept blushing as he tried to get a handle on his thoughts. It certainly felt nice to have Tomoyo so close, to have his best friend so near. He could hear his heartbeat ringing in his ears, almost frightening him that it would give away his nervousness. But even faced with such a new and potentially terrifying situation, Sakura could still feel Tomoyo’s effusive love wrapping like silk ribbons around his heart, binding his soul as thoroughly as he himself bound the Cards. It was... wonderful. Having Tomoyo so close was a new experience, but it was a beautiful one. The heiress felt so soft and delicate next to him. ‘I knew Sakura-chan would come and save me,’ Tomoyo had once said. ‘Of course I would. I’d always have to save my Tomoyo-chan. I can’t ever let anything bad happen to her,’ Sakura thought to himself. ‘Besides, if I didn’t, Sonomi-sama would kill me.’ He sweatdropped at the latter, remembering Tomoyo’s mother’s phone call the night before. Sakura had lost track of how many times he had promised to look after Tomoyo for the elder of the Daidouji women. Almost too soon, the young lovers finally came across the festival. Lights sparkled brightly against the dark backdrop of the darkening night as elegantly dressed boys and girls hurried about, playing games and enjoying themselves about the festival grounds. It was something the two had gone to often enough before, but never under the context of a date. It left Sakura with a puzzled feeling of where to begin and what to do. Tomoyo simply smiled at Sakura’s curious look, squeezing his hand gently with her soft fingers. That lessened the genki boy’s nerves as he returned her smile. People moved past the cute couple like a busy stream, flowing past them on all sides. Sakura pulled Tomoyo closer as people swept past, trying not to get pulled along in the current. Still trying to decide where to go, Sakura’s jade eyes fell upon a booth selling food. His stomach seemed to think it was a great idea. While nowhere near as bad as the perpetually hungry Kero and Yukito, Sakura had forsaken eating earlier when his nervous stomach had refused to hold anything. But now that he was finally with Tomoyo, his stomach reawakened. “Would you like something to eat?” Sakura asked, turning to the dark haired girl. The petite girl shook her head prettily, her dark hair moving back and forth as she did. She wasn’t hungry herself, but she could practically hear Sakura’s stomach even above the cacophony of the festival. “No, that’s all right, Sakura-chan. I’m not very hungry. What would you like to eat?” She followed emerald eyes to one of the stands and slowly began towards it when a small gap in the large crowd formed. The two waited, pressed tightly together as other people continued to line up at the delicious smell wafting out from the stand. Tomoyo brushed back lavender hair from her eyes with her free hand to get a better look of her companion. Stormy blue eyes watched the energetic auburn haired boy as he looked around curiously. The heiress sighed happily, taking Sakura’s hand with both of her own. Her fingers trailed over their entwined fingers, enjoying the soft skin under her touch. He was so cute. There was something almost feminine about him, which the heiress found very adorable. Tomoyo loved to watch him, as evidenced by her collection of videotape. She loved everything about the overemotional boy and wanted to capture it all on film. As Sakura finally got the food he’d been waiting for, the two began to move along through the beautiful festival grounds. Sakura looked around at the well decorated surroundings while Tomoyo’s attention remained solely captive of the green eyed boy. After all, she thought to herself, he was far more fascinating than the most amazing festival. Nibbling on the meat bun he had bought, Sakura walked hand in hand with Tomoyo past the different festivities. His mind wandered as they walked. He could remember some exciting things that had happened at festivals in his life, but this was completely different. It seemed that important things often happened at them, several Clow Cards having shown up nearby over the time he had been capturing them. Throughout it all, Tomoyo had been his constant companion and confidante, helping him and videotaping him and outfitting him with the cutest and most ridiculous looking costumes imaginable. And here they were once more. But this wasn’t exactly the same thing as it had once been. He felt a warm glow inside of himself at the thought. No, this wasn’t the same old thing at all. He felt overwhelmed by the moment, by his beautiful best friend holding his hand. He felt energy welling up inside with nowhere to go. He felt so happy to be there with her. Squeezing Tomoyo’s hand tightly, Sakura grinned at the pale girl. All of the concern he’d had about this night felt completely worth it if only for that single moment. “Tomoyo-chan, I...” Sakura began, unsure of exactly what he wanted to say, but knowing he needed to do something before his heart burst. “Hi, Sakura-chan! Tomoyo-chan!” Chiharu called out to the two, Yamazaki in tow. She waved to the two as she approached, glad to see someone that she recognized amongst the sea of people. “How are you doing?” she asked as they came to a stop in front of them. “Hi, Chiharu-chan!” Sakura intoned happily. “We’re fine. We’re just trying to decide what to do now.” Finishing off his meat bun, he licked his fingers clean before smiling at the two. “Sakura-chan’s never been on a date before and neither have I, so we’re both trying to figure things out. Do you have any suggestions, Chiharu-chan?” Tomoyo’s melodious voice sang amidst the banter of the crowd. Smiling politely, the pale girl tilted her head to the side. Even with her eyes close, she could tell that Sakura was blushing deeply. Yes, life was good indeed. “Oh, so Sakura-chan finally asked you out? What a shame. I heard that Li-kun was going to ask you. But that’s not a problem. In Antarctica, women can have as many as ten husbands at a time. So you just have to move there, Tomoyo-chan.” Yamazaki nodded, his ever- present smile plastered on his face despite the look that Chiharu shot him. He hugged a pink rabbit tightly and grinned more, waiting for Chiharu to either correct him or hit him in the arm. He was used to it by now. She’d been doing it since they were little kids anyway. Besides, it was cute. “Really? That’s all right, though. Sakura-chan’s the only husband I want, so I think I’ll stay here in Japan,” Tomoyo replied, her stormy blue eyes blinking open as she continued smiling her trademark smile. She turned to Sakura, delighting at his ever darker blush. “So you’re finally dating? Darn. Rika-chan wins the pool, then. We were wondering when you finally would.” Chiharu frowned for a moment, staring at Yamazaki before turning back to the other couple. “I don’t think I can give any advice. Things just kinda happen. That’s how relationships go, I suppose. Even if it would be nice if they made more sense sometimes.” Sighing, she brushed back some curly hair. Watching the pink bunny in Yamazaki’s arms, Sakura felt his curiosity gnawing at him. “Where did you get that, Yamazaki-kun?” “This? His name is ‘Elephant’. Chiharu-chan won it for me at that booth over there. Chiharu-chan is very good at hitting things.” Chiharu sweatdropped. Yamazaki was very often a pathological liar, but for once she didn’t need to correct him. Of course, she could detect a hint of humor in his voice about the last part of it. “Yeah, it’s not that hard. They have some nice prizes back there. I collect stuffed animals, so I like to pick up some things whenever I go to places like this.” “Sugoi! Thanks!” Sakura smiled as he waved to the two, hurrying with Tomoyo close behind. It sounded perfect. What better way to remember their first date than a cute little stuffed animal? It did sound romantic. All he had to do was win something cute for the pale heiress. His emerald eyes burned with an enthusiastic determination as they hurried towards the booth. Unfortunately, someone was already there, a large pile of stuffed animals next to him. “I want that one next, Syaoran!” A Chinese girl pointed excitedly towards a large bear in the back of the booth. Meiling stood guard over the large pile of stuffed animals at her feet. She didn’t notice the approaching couple, nor did she care. She was on a date with Syaoran. That was all that mattered to her at the moment. And woe to anyone who decided to get in her way. But for the moment, her attention was focussed specifically on her fiance winning another prize for her. She could easily win them herself, but what was the point in that? She wanted them to come from Syaoran. Then they would be fit to decorate her room because they would come from the boy she loved. “Great job, Syaoran!” she cried out as the bear quickly joined the rest of the captive stuffed animals. She hugged the boy from behind, squeezing him tightly. Syaoran sighed as he pulled up a handful of rings again. “Which one do you want this time, Meiling?” He didn’t like being out here with all these people. He wasn’t an overly social person. Staying home would have been a perfectly fine night for him, but Meiling had insisted they go to the festival. She did seem to be enjoying herself. And she did look cute in the small, blue Chinese dress she wore. So maybe it wasn’t all bad. But Syaoran found himself pouring himself into the games rather than bothering with the social part of the whole setting. It was much easier to focus on the competition than the people. “Hello, Li-kun!” a voice piped up cheerfully near his ear. Turning to spy the owner of the voice, Syaoran frowned in irritation. Who was trying to distract him? He didn’t feel like dealing with whoever it was at the moment. He turned to glare at the intruder, but his cheeks flushed as he saw Sakura’s smiling face. He quickly looked away, back towards the booth. Sakura was one of his only friends at the school. Meiling was his best friend, of course, but Sakura was one of his only male friends. Sure, there was Yamazaki, but they were more acquaintances than friends. But Sakura was nice to him. Even after he had been such an asshole to the naïve Cardcaptor at first. And his increase in magical power had attracted him the same way Yukito’s magic had. Tomoyo must have noticed, because she had mentioned it every now and then. It embarrassed him greatly, though not quite as much as some of what Meiling did at school. “Wow!! You’ve done a great job, Li-kun!” Sakura looked at the huge pile of prizes Syaoran had won and the nearly bare walls of the booth he was playing at. “Could I try? I want to win something for Tomoyo- chan.” He smiled happily at the Chinese boy, Tomoyo by her side. He finally had some idea of where all that energy could go, of what to do about the building feelings inside of himself. And he could get something for Tomoyo on top of all that. Apparently Syaoran had thought the same thing. And Meiling looked very happy about it all. Sakura could see a superdeformed Tomoyo in his mind, hugging some cute stuffed animal tightly. Smiling determinedly, Sakura tried to spot something to aim for. Syaoran nodded dumbly, handing the rings over to Sakura. He thought about trying to win a prize to give to the other boy, but with Meiling present, he estimated that he would only live approximately two seconds after giving it to Sakura. Hardly enough time to see how the other boy would react. Sighing, he let his fiance drag him back from the booth and into a tight embrace. Feeling his frown disappear as Meiling rested against him, Syaoran watched the auburn haired boy getting ready to try. He would move to the next booth himself, but he didn’t know if Meiling was done with this one or not. Focusing on the task at hand, Sakura gripped onto one of the rings in front of him. Being pretty athletic, he was pretty good with most physical things. Tomoyo had once said that he could have even made the cheerleading team had he wanted to. Sakura was happy on the track team, though, so he had blushingly told the eccentric girl that he wouldn’t be switching anytime soon. But all of that didn’t make him any less nervous. He wasn’t just playing around with this. It wasn’t simply a diversion. It was for Tomoyo. That spurred him forward, as well as seeing the heiress watching from his right. Feeling the bubbling energy inside of him, Sakura tossed the ring. The small area around him went silent as it flew into the wall, bouncing off speedily. “Gomen nasai!” he apologized quickly, bowing. He wanted to use this as a chance to use all of those energetic feelings inside, but that had been a little too much. “That was amazing, Sakura-chan. I’m sure that would have made it all the way back home if the wall hadn’t stopped it,” Tomoyo said helpfully, as Sakura stood in embarrassment for a moment. She knew that Sakura was shy and easily embarrassed, despite his outgoing nature. She tried to give him all the support and love she could throughout everything he went through. It helped bolster that endless determination that welled up within the cute bishounen. Concentrating once more on the game in front of him, Sakura pulled up another ring. This time he would win Tomoyo a cute prize, just like Syaoran had for his girlfriend and Chiharu had for her boyfriend. He just had to concentrate. Again he saw the cute image of Tomoyo holding onto a stuffed animal in his mind, smiling warmly at him. His cheeks warm at the thought, Sakura let the ring fly off of his fingertips. He remembered the bear that Tomoyo had painstakingly crafted for him, that he held onto every night when he went to sleep, that went with him to all of his games. He wanted to give Tomoyo a cute stuffed animal to keep nearby as well. Something a little softer than an eraser. He watched anxiously as the ring appeared to fly in slow motion, spinning in the air like some magical disk. Though it had left his fingers, his mind and heart never left it as it skimmed through the air, begging the disk to make it, to land where it needed to. With a clang, it ricocheted past the poor booth owner. “Thank you again, Sakura-chan. It’s so lovely. I think it looks a bit like you,” Tomoyo stated thoughtfully, holding up the stuffed kangaroo next to Sakura’s embarrassed face. True enough, it did look a bit like the auburn haired boy. They stood next to Tomoyo’s limousine, her bodyguards waiting to take her back home. She didn't want to leave her darling Sakura yet, or ever for that matter. But at the same time, she couldn’t wait to recount the night’s wonders to her mother who was undoubtedly waiting for her only daughter’s return despite the fact that she had work the next day. It was a comforting thought to know that she had someone waiting for her to hear of what had happened and one of the only things that made the night ending bearable. Especially with no videotape to show for it. Tomoyo vowed to tape their second date. She would have to keep a record of such things. After all, what was more important than Sakura’s love life? “You’re welcome, Tomoyo-chan. I should have just bought you something instead. I can’t believe it took me seventeen tries. And for just a tiny kangaroo.” Sakura stared at the ground sheepishly. He was normally good at such things, but he just couldn’t focus while he had been playing the game. His mind kept going back to Tomoyo. Despite all of the energy swirling within him and his need to win something for the beautiful pale girl, he had kept missing. But that had always been a problem for him. He was very good at most athletic things he tried, but whenever he was distracted he would make a lot of mistakes. Tomoyo had told him it was cute, that she enjoyed that as much as she enjoyed when he was doing well. She had said she had a tape full of just his cute little mishaps. Somehow he didn’t find that very comforting. Tomoyo had a very strange idea of ‘cute’. But other than the trouble he’d had getting a hold of the stuffed animal, the night had been magical. He and Tomoyo had spent the whole night at the festival, simply enjoying each others company. In retrospect, Sakura could hardly remember who else had been there. It hardly seemed to matter. After a while, the huge crowds had just faded away, leaving the two of them amidst the beautiful night. There had been several embarrassing moments, but it had been a wonderful first date. Tomoyo had helped him through it all, getting rid of the nervousness that went along with a first date, taking that away and leaving him with a gloriously warm excitement. Now he again found himself unsure of what to say or what to do. He didn’t want Tomoyo to go. He didn’t want the night to end, for their date to have to come to a close. It was the most spectacular thing that had ever occurred in his life. It had a magic that his Cards couldn’t begin to contend with. “Tomoyo-chan,” he whispered at last. “I don’t want you to go.” “Neither do I, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo replied, hugging the stuffed animal in her arms gingerly. “I don’t ever want to be away from Sakura-chan. I want to stay with you forever. But if I have to leave tonight, it’s only so the next night can come even quicker. Tonight was lovelier than anything I could ever have dreamed. I’m sure that hundreds of beautiful nights await you, Sakura-chan. I hope they’ll all come quickly.” Brushing Sakura’s cheek, Tomoyo smiled at the pretty boy, stormy blue eyes meeting emerald orbs. Her heart fought the idea of leaving her dearest Sakura for any reason whatsoever. She had to go home, she knew that. But logic didn’t often understand love. “The sooner I wake up, the sooner I can see you again. It’s like dreaming. The sooner you fall asleep, the sooner you can join your shining dreams.” “But I don’t want to dream.” Sakura sighed, placing his hand on top of Tomoyo’s pale one. He felt Tomoyo’s fingers trailing across his cheek. He smiled slowly. He felt bittersweet about the night ending. He didn’t want Tomoyo to go, but he couldn’t wait to collapse in bed and run it all over in his mind. Maybe he would tell Kero about it. And like Tomoyo had said, the sooner he went to sleep, the sooner they would be together again. “Arigato, Tomoyo-chan. For everything.” “You don’t have to thank me for anything, Sakura-chan. I love you. I only want to see you happy. If I can see you happy with me, then I can’t think of a sweeter gift. But this kangaroo comes close.” Tomoyo giggled softly as she held the kangaroo up in her other arm. She regretted not having such a lovely night on videotape, but it was something that she would always have burned into her mind’s eye. She wouldn’t be able to play it back on videotape, but that wasn’t so bad. It would be in her heart when she needed it. Her fingers slowly pulled away from Sakura’s cheek. “You’re so cute, Sakura-chan.” Blushing at Tomoyo’s compliment, the auburn haired boy stared at his sandal clad feet for a moment. Looking up again, he smiled at the pale girl before him. She was always telling him how cute he was, how handsome he looked. But she was easily the most gorgeous girl in school, or of anyone Sakura had ever seen. She was exquisitely beautiful, like a terribly delicate flower. He wanted to say something, to put a nice spin on the end of the night, but words stumbled in his mind. Finally, impulsively, he leaned forward and kissed the pale girl before him. If Tomoyo was startled, she didn’t show it. Sakura felt Tomoyo’s petal soft lips against his own, blushing intently at the feel of their kiss. Before he could pull away, he felt Tomoyo kiss him back. It was incredibly slow and rapturously sweet, taking the genki boy by surprise. His arms went around the petite heiress, pulling her closer as he kissed. Long, dark tresses brushed past him as Tomoyo’s hair came loose from some of the intricate braids. Warm lips kissed for what felt like a painfully short eternity before they finally pulled away. Sakura blinked as he watched the heiress before him, a red blush on her pale cheeks. “I love you, Tomoyo-chan,” he whispered. “I love you, too, Sakura-chan. I always have,” Tomoyo replied, giving Sakura a soft kiss once more before crawling back into the limousine. Smiling brightly, the overjoyed girl waved to Sakura. “Goodnight, Sakura-chan!” And with that, the long black car drove away. Sakura watched for a long time, his hand on his lips. “Hanyaan!” He smiled happily, his hands held tightly before him. What a perfect night! Of course, he doubted he would be able to get to sleep now. Especially after that kiss. It had been so... so... Sakura couldn’t begin to describe it as anything other than delicious. It had drawn him in, wrapping him up in those ribbons from Tomoyo’s heart. He had once heard that kissing was how two souls touched and now he was sure of it. “It sure looks like you had fun,” a voice said next to Sakura. “Onii-chan...!” Sakura turned quickly, his fists balled up, ready to explode at his older brother for watching. He immediately stopped when he looked. Where Touya should have been stood a large, white rabbit. It stared at him for a moment, it’s whiskers shifting as it tilted its head to the side. “I still think she looks like mom,” the rabbit was saying as Sakura fainted dead away. “... And then we kissed in the dream,” Sakura finished up, her hair a mess and her rollerskating a little off as she and Tomoyo headed for school. She shook her head in confusion. It had all felt so real, even the slow, soul warming kiss. Blushing, Sakura put a hand to her lips as she skated alongside her perceptive best friend. She had woken up in a daze, the dream lingering in her mind as she had struggled to get dressed. She had almost expected to find the boys’ school uniform waiting for her. Dressing quickly and ignoring Touya’s usual morning taunts, she had hurried to meet with Tomoyo on the way to school, eager to tell her friend about the bizarre dream. The patient heiress was always the first one she came to with her troubles, real or imagined. Like a loving mother or a gentle sister, Tomoyo would always help Sakura through whatever it was that had gotten to her. She was extremely important to Sakura, probably the most important person in her life. Tomoyo considered the dream for a long moment, holding her bookbag in front of her. Her long, high ponytail waved behind her as she walked. A pale hand rested on her chin as she thought. Sakura had come to her with strange dreams before, but none quite so bizarre as this one. “Did you like the kiss?” she asked at last, tilting her head to the side. “Tomoyo-chan!!” Sakura’s face went crimson at Tomoyo’s words. She stared down at the street below, watching her rollerblades. How was she supposed to answer that? She had certainly liked the kiss. It had been a perfect end to a perfect night. But it had been with Tomoyo. And that was part of why it had been so perfect. But how was she supposed to put all of that into words? If only she were a boy things would make so much more sense. Especially things with Tomoyo. Just like her dream had shown her. It would be wonderful to be able to date Tomoyo, to spend all of her time with the pale girl. Too bad the dream hadn’t been real. Well, except the rabbit part. Sakura sighed as she continued skating. “Un, I liked the kiss. It was very nice,” she said quietly, blushing. “You were a really good kisser in the dream. It felt all.. hanyaan.” Sakura shuddered as she skated, remembering the kiss as best she could. Nodding thoughtfully, Tomoyo followed alongside Sakura. Now whereas kissing Sakura wasn’t an uncommon dream for Tomoyo, she was surprised to hear that Sakura had dreamt about it. Of course, dreams often made little sense, so it could be just about anything. But still... “Sakura-chan would make a very cute boy. You made a very good prince in the play last year. But I like you better as a girl. I think it’s much cuter that way. Besides, I’m not as good at designing boys’ clothes, so it’s easier for me this way. Of course, if Sakura-chan were a boy, I would just have to try harder with the costumes.” Tomoyo tilted her head to the side curiously, running the whole scenario over in her mind. It certainly was an interesting one. She sighed at last. “It’s too bad I can’t videotape Sakura-chan’s dreams. That sounds so cute!” Sakura sweatdropped as she watched her friend’s reaction. Why should she have guessed that Tomoyo would react that way? But then, the brunette didn’t think she would ever fully get used to the weird things Tomoyo said about her. “Even though we were dating? You would still want to watch that?” Sakura asked curiously. “Especially if we were dating. I haven’t gotten to record any of Sakura-chan’s love life other than her crushes. It would be so cute to record her actually dating and to see what happened. I would love to record every second of our dates if you asked me out,” Tomoyo explained, smiling her trademark smile. It sounded like such a lovely dream. Now why couldn’t she have more like that? It had everything, especially a cute romance with Sakura with the added allure of a kiss at the end. She sighed dreamily, gazing at her brunette friend. Shaking her head, Sakura looked ahead. Cherry blossoms danced and swirled ahead of them, oddly reminiscent of the dream she had had. It felt strange to hear that Tomoyo would agree to go out with her. But she was thrilled to hear it for some reason. Her mind wandered back to the dream again, to the date. She felt saddened that it had all been a dream, that they hadn’t shared that time together, that she couldn’t be with Tomoyo. It felt so empty. “If I were a boy, I would definitely ask you out, Tomoyo-chan. You’re so smart and pretty and fun. Whoever you date will be very lucky.” Sakura blinked rapidly, rubbing at her eyes. She didn’t know why she felt so desolate after that dream. But now that it was all over, she felt like she had lost something of vital importance and she couldn’t get it back. If only she were a boy, then she would ask Tomoyo out and they could relive all of that beautiful dream and what would have surely been to come. Tomoyo watched Sakura, stopping along underneath the trees. Sakura slowly came to a halt as well. Her emerald eyes shimmered with unspent tears. Tomoyo held Sakura’s hand in her own, looking up at the girl on rollerblades. “I wouldn’t want to date another boy. Or another girl. I wouldn’t want to date anyone who isn’t Sakura-chan.” She smiled sweetly up at the other girl, placing a hand on her cheek. She could feel a wet trail of a teardrop against her palm. Sakura sniffled again, another tear sliding down her other cheek. Tomoyo’s heart nearly snapped in two as she watched the lost and lonely look on Sakura’s face. She doubted that Sakura even understood why she was feeling the way she was. It still amazed the pale girl after what she had heard. It was a dream come true, but it felt unbearably painful to see it hurting her unknowing Sakura. Leaning forward, Tomoyo decided to show Sakura what she meant. After all, Sakura could be a little dense sometimes, but maybe she could find a way to explain things. She had promised to tell Sakura when they were older. Tomoyo’s lips kissed Sakura’s softly, her entire body tingling from the small touch. She slowly kissed the quietly crying girl, brushing away Sakura’s tears with her fingertips. The brunette’s lips quivered against her own as Sakura stood on the verge of sobbing openly. Pulling away after the short kiss, Tomoyo smiled at the brunette, both hands going to her wet cheeks. “I love you, Sakura-chan.” “Tomoyo-chan...” Sakura whispered quietly. Her voice almost caught in her throat, coming out painfully. It wasn’t until then that she realized she was crying. Warm tears spilt past her cheeks, dripping down her chin. She sniffled weakly. “Tomoyo-chan!” She cried out, grasping onto the pale girl. She hung tightly onto her best friend, shaking in her grasp. She felt her body begin to relax as Tomoyo began to rub her back gently. Letting out a choked breath, Sakura hiccuped, her sobbing slowly trailing off. Hiccuping again, Sakura stood at arms length from Tomoyo, wiping at her eyes. She smiled warmly after wiping away her tears. “I.. I love you, too, Tomoyo- chan.” Tomoyo’s demeanor shifted in those few seconds. Sakura couldn’t quite tell what had changed about Tomoyo, but the pale girl seemed to glow with the light of an angel, a radiant joy cascading off of her. She looked simply gorgeous. Sakura stood in stunned silence for a moment before shaking her head. Something seemed wrong. Like she hadn’t quite finished everything. But what...? Oh! “Tomoyo- chan, I.. umm.. I was wondering..” Sakura took a deep breath. She had already done this once, even if it had only been a dream. Seeing those shining stormy blue orbs, Sakura pushed forward. “Tomoyo-chan, will you go out with me?” she asked quickly. Tomoyo didn’t miss a beat, though she was wondering how easy it would be to have a heart attack from what had happened in just the last few minutes. At least she’d die happy. “I would love to go out with you, Sakura-chan,” the heiress sang joyously. The look of relief that spread across Sakura’s face made her heart melt. She would have been happy to help Sakura throughout her life no matter what happened, but it seemed infinitely better to be there with Sakura for it. She wasn’t thinking about where the date would take place or when. Such things were trivial. It was that Sakura had asked that mattered. It was that they would. Smiling delightedly, Sakura once again began for school, skating alongside Tomoyo, hand in hand. “Hanyaan..” she whispered. The dream seemed incredibly far away now, only a distant shadow. Life could be endlessly more fascinating than even the most beautiful dreams. Kero: Now it’s time for Kero-chan’s Corner!! Hi, everybody! Did you have fun? Did you all follow the adventures of boy Sakura and his date with Tomoyo? We all know it would have been better if I had been able to give Sakura-chan that advice I was talking about earlier. But maybe this time she’ll ask me about it, ne? Anyway, for today, we’ll check out Sakura’s clothes. Basically, they were just the boys’ school uniform and a cute shirt and shorts. She also wore her yukata, but I wasn’t in that scene, so does it even matter? Remember what happened to the girl who got everything she ever wanted. She lived happily ever after. Bai bai!! Next Episode: Sakura: Syaoran’s lost the engagement ring he was going to give Meiling. Can I help him find it before Meiling finds out? Also, Kero eats cake. And lots of it. And will all of this talk of marriage get Tomoyo thinking? Hoe.. I’m too young to get married! Next on Cardcaptor Sakura: ‘Sakura and the Engagement Ring’. Let’s watch it together. Release!! .