Hello, everyone! ^-^ I’d like to dedicate this story to Reisz Fenrir, without whom I would never have written this story. ^-^ Remember to never stop dreaming. ^-^ This story has two girls in love and some adult situations, so please read responsibly. CCS and its beautiful characters were created by CLAMP. I Love You, I love You Not by Amazoness Duo amazonessduo@hotmail.com “Everything will always be all right,” Tomoyo whispered, imagining Sakura’s voice giving life to the dead words. But even that couldn’t bring back the magic to them. Like a magician’s chant, it only worked for those with the power. What power? That fiery determination that burned in beautiful emerald green eyes within the girl known as Sakura. Tomoyo had tried to make Sakura believe in them, to put forth her determination into making those words a reality. But for Tomoyo, the words were meaningless, hollow. They carried with them no magic, no sparkle. They were simply what they were. A messy collection of words. They alone had no magic power, no abilities. It was Sakura that unlocked their magic. Because the magic was within her, not within any saying. And so they hung in the air painfully, sounding brittle in the cold air. Hugging her dark blue jacket closer, Tomoyo continued walking along the nearly frosty sidewalk. Her long dark hair trailed behind her like a shadow. Her pale skin glistened like the falling snow, making her look like a snow angel that had been brought magically to life to all who crossed her path. She wore long, thick black stockings and large boots. Her dark skirt shifting as she continued walking, lost in her own thoughts. Despite her warm apparel, she felt frigid inside, as if an arctic wind had blown bitingly across her soul. Shuddering, the dark haired girl hugged herself tightly. It offered little warmth. She had the sudden thought that Sakura’s arms would warm her instantly, much stronger than her own self-embrace. She tried not to let the thought linger, knowing it would only be painful. Thinking like that was selfish. Sakura’s happiness was the important thing. Much more important than her own happiness. Sakura was her best friend. She should be happy with that. Thinking of Sakura in such ways was painful, taunting. Sakura didn’t belong with her, but with another. Someone else, probably Syaoran, would be the one to make Sakura happy. That thought was so much easier to deal with as a child. Back then it had seemed so much easier. Sakura would fall in love with someone and she would be happy to watch after her beautiful Sakura. But as she grew older, her feelings grew as well. Her love for Sakura only became stronger as the years went by. And the thought of watching Sakura with another cut into her like a jagged icicle. Telling Sakura of her feelings would only be selfish. Tomoyo knew Sakura better than anyone. Sakura could never bear to hurt her. She would never be able to simply reject her. It would only confuse Sakura, hurting the one Tomoyo loved more than life itself. And hurting Sakura was the last thing the young heiress wanted. Better she suffer than Sakura. Yes, that was right. She could handle it. For Sakura. But sometimes the love in her heart wanted so badly to get out, to touch Sakura’s heart. She wanted to feel loved, to feel the love in her heart returned. But it was an empty dream. One she had given up on as a child, as a sacrifice so that her beloved Sakura would find her own happiness. Sometimes it just felt too lonely. Knowing she would have to give up Sakura was the most painful thought imaginable for the dark haired girl. She had seen what losing one’s love had done to her mother. Sometimes she wondered if she could survive it. Her mother was so much stronger than she was and it had crushed her. Sonomi still hadn’t recovered, and she probably never would. Tomoyo knew that she had to. For Sakura’s sake. But sometimes that was all that kept her going. As her heart inside wept, she smiled serenely at the brunette, never letting her know the pain that was growing inside of her. She knew what was awaiting her. Forever alone. She would have her love for Sakura, but no Sakura. And sometimes that just didn’t feel like it was enough. She knew she would never give up that love, but it was so deliciously painful that it nearly consumed her. She was starting to worry that cracks might begin to show through her masks. She could only smile so much. It was beginning to hurt now, smiling for Sakura when she just wanted so badly to cry. But she couldn’t let Sakura see her pain. Sakura had to be happy. Sakura needed to smile. Sakura needed to fall in love. She couldn’t be held back by her best friend. Tomoyo had been crying herself to sleep more often lately. She tried to be quiet, so as not to let her mother hear. She didn’t want her mother to worry about her. She was always so busy with work as it was. So she would cry quietly at night, watching her videos of Sakura through a haze of tears. And during the day, she was all smiles. It was what everyone expected of her, so no one questioned that the smile was anything but real. She was eccentric. Everyone thought so, even Sakura. So no one noticed that her smile never disappeared. Until she was alone. Then it would leave her, replaced by the emptiness that spread throughout her. It was cold and desolate, a taste of the life that awaited her. The few times that she had tried to envision her future, she had quit soon after. There was nothing in her future. She could take over her mother’s business. She could grow old, alone, always loving Sakura from a distance. That was all that awaited her. Much better to imagine Sakura’s future, to hope for the very best for her dearest Cardmistress. That was what had kept her going over the past few years, the thoughts of Sakura’s beautiful wedding, her many children, and her bright smile. That was the future she was working for, not her own. She always had to keep that beautiful vision in her mind. She loved Sakura with all her heart. She would do anything for the athletic brunette, even if she would never know of the feelings Tomoyo had for her. Stormy blue eyes blinked rapidly as tears threatened to spill from them. Tomoyo wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. She would have plenty of time for tears later. She just had to hold on a little longer for Sakura. Once Syaoran got back from Hong Kong, Sakura wouldn’t need her anymore. Syaoran would be able to help Sakura through all of life’s intricacies. But for now, Sakura still needed her. That was a bitter relief. It would be over all too soon, but at least there was still a place for her in the brunette’s life. With what precious little time she had left, she would do all she could for Sakura, to ensure her gloriously beautiful future. It was the least she could do for the girl who had so easily stolen her heart. A faint smile crossed Tomoyo’s lips as she watched two young girls run past. Her mind busied itself with other things, trying not to dwell on the pain. Cupping her hands, she caught a gently falling snowflake in her palms. The beautiful crystal lingered for a brief moment before it began to melt and fade away. It reminded her of something her mother had told her long ago. ‘The most beautiful things in this life are gone before we know it, Tomoyo-chan. We have to cherish them while we can.’ Her mother had been talking about Nadeshiko then. As she often did. Tomoyo’s smile brightened slightly. ‘Mother still loves Nadeshiko-san even after all this time. I’ll always love Sakura-chan. I’ll always cherish her,’ she thought to herself. And the snowflake was gone. Tomoyo silently thanked it for it’s swift moment of beauty before gingerly closing her hands. Her mind was already planning out a snowflake costume for Sakura, one just as pretty as any snowflake out in the skies. Her heart still hung heavy in her chest, but her thoughts helped her to focus elsewhere, to things she had always enjoyed. And these invariably led back to Sakura. Who led back to her lonely thoughts. It was a vicious cycle, but one she found herself caught in. A thought struck the pale girl as more snowflakes fell around her. Pulling her camcorder out of its carrying case, she began to videotape the slow descent of the glittering snowflakes. The footage would help when she finally started on Sakura’s new costume. Sakura would look gorgeous in it, like a Snow Princess who had fallen from her home in the sky above. Tomoyo sighed dreamily at the thought, a hand going to her cheek, playing the lovely image of Sakura over and over in her head even as she videotaped the falling snow. Her hand felt cold against her warm cheek, sending a chill through her. Shuddering visibly, she went back to her camera work. Each lonely, frozen teardrop from heaven slowly made its way to the earth around the pale girl, all alone despite the people passing by. “Tomoyo-chan!” a voice called from across the street. Pulling her camcorder down for a moment, Tomoyo quickly spotted the source of the voice. A bright smile lit up her face, her earlier thoughts quickly forgotten as Sakura waved to her. Her heart brightened at the sight. Sakura made her happy. The brunette lit up her heart. She waved back warmly. “I love you, Sakura-chan,” she said quietly. Yes, this was exactly why she would never be able to shake Sakura’s spell. Even if it was painful at times, she could never give it up. Her heartbeat quickened as she saw Sakura smile at her. She was so absolutely perfect. A dreamy sigh escaped Tomoyo. There was nothing more painful than love. But there was also nothing more beautiful. Taking a quick glimpse in either direction, Tomoyo hurried to be with her beloved. No one saw the car. It closed on the small girl like a terrible beast stalking its prey, a dragon snatching away a princess. It was all a blur for Sakura. One moment, Tomoyo was hurrying to her side, smiling sweetly. The next, Tomoyo was nowhere to be seen, a car screeching to a halt where the heiress had been moments before. There was a sickening thump and then silence. Tomoyo’s cracked camcorder lay at Sakura’s feet, staring up into the sky like a curious eye. With shaky fingers, Sakura reached down and picked up the broken camcorder. This was wrong. Tomoyo was supposed to be holding it. Still in shock, Sakura looked up from the item, glancing around for her best friend. The woman who had gotten out of her car was frightened about something. Sakura followed her towards something crumpled in the snow. It was deathly pale, almost the same color as the snow itself. But there was something else in the snow, sparkling and red. Blood. Sakura collapsed in the snow next to the crumpled figure, her heart beating furiously in her chest. Her cold fingers clutched the camcorder like a lifeline, her emerald eyes watching the tiny shape unmoving in the snow. “Tomoyo-chan..? Tomoyo-chan? Tomoyo- chan!?!” Sakura burst out into tears, huddling over her broken friend. Tomoyo didn’t reply, only lying there like a shattered China doll in the street. “Tomoyo-chan!!” Sakura cried, trying to hold onto her battered friend. Her bitter tears fell onto Tomoyo’s pale skin, Sakura’s body shaking painfully as she was wracked with sobs. “I... I didn’t see her there,” the driver said quickly, as if it would somehow magically fix the shattered girl. Sakura didn’t hear anything. She held Tomoyo’s hand, crying anguished tears. She didn’t even notice the blood beginning to stain her own dress as she held onto her broken friend. “Tomoyo-chan, please wake up. It’s okay. It’ll be okay. Just please wake up. Please? Please, Tomoyo-chan?” Her only answer was the wail of sirens in the distance. “Please..?” Standing in front of the large, imposing gate, Sakura felt her heart falter in her chest. She took a heavy breath, blinking away the tears that threatened. The image of the accident was still vivid in her mind, even though it had been more than a week before. Whenever she was in the shower, she could still see the blood on her hands, even though there wasn’t anything there. She shuddered at the thought. She still felt exhausted from that day, her soul feeling drained from it all. She had never cried so much, not even when her mother had died back when she was a small child. The thought of being without Tomoyo, of losing her very best friend, was just too much for her. She couldn’t think of life without the dark haired girl. Sakura managed a weak smile when she saw Sonomi herself coming out to fetch her. Tomoyo’s mother was eccentric, much like her daughter. The older woman always made Sakura feel special. She was always so warm and affectionate to Sakura, treating her like a visiting princess. She knew that part of the reason was because their mothers had been close when they were younger, but didn’t know exactly what had happened. Whatever the case, she always felt nice around Sonomi. And with Tomoyo’s normal loving care, Sakura felt very happy at the Daidouji home. Her smile faded as Sonomi drew closer. Did Tomoyo’s mother blame her? Did she think it was her fault that Tomoyo had been hurt? That thought frightened her. What if Sonomi hated her now? Could she blame her? If Tomoyo hadn’t been coming to see her, then... More tears glistened in Sakura’s eyes. She rubbed the away insistently. She felt like a little girl again, hoping that Tomoyo’s mother wasn’t mad at her. She never knew her own mother. Sonomi was like the one she never had. She felt like she had disappointed the older woman, failing to protect her daughter. Sonomi sighed with relief as she opened the gate, ushering Sakura in. “I’m so glad you’re here, Sakura-chan.” Hugging the younger girl tightly, Sonomi smiled before leading Sakura further inside. A sigh escaped Sakura. At least Sonomi wasn’t mad at her. That was something. She felt a little better at that. But the pit in her stomach still remained. She still felt awful, the blur of the accident burnt into her soul. She shuddered as a maid took her coat. “How’s Tomoyo-chan?” Sakura asked quickly, turning her earnest eyes to Sonomi. She could feel her anxious heart fluttering in her chest like a caged bird. Shaking her head, Sonomi gazed towards the stairs. “She hasn’t been doing well, Sakura-chan. She doesn’t want to come out of her room anymore. She barely eats anything unless I’m there. And even then I know she’s only doing it so I won’t worry. Her eyes don’t sparkle like they used to. She’s broken, Sakura-chan. Not just her body, but her soul. And I don’t know how to help her. Maybe you can cheer her up. Tomoyo-chan always loves to see you. You mean the world to her. I’m so glad you could come on such short notice.” The weary mother looked back to her daughter’s friend and smiled. “I’m sure she’ll get better now that you’re here.” Sakura sweatdropped, placing a hand behind her head. “I’m not sure what I can do.” She looked back into Sonomi’s stormy blue eyes and nodded determinedly. “But I’ll do whatever I can to help Tomoyo-chan. She’s my best friend. I want her to feel better.” Sonomi grinned, watching Sakura for a long moment. “You’re so sweet. Just like your mother. I know you’ll be able to help Tomoyo-chan.” Sakura was her last hope. She didn’t know how else to bring the life back to her beloved daughter. Tomoyo had survived, but the life had disappeared from her. Sakura was the only one that could re-ignite the sparkle within her. Sonomi would do anything for her daughter, but there was only so much she could do. The rest was up to Sakura. Sakura bowed to the older woman before hurrying up the stairs. She had to make it up to Tomoyo. It was her fault Tomoyo had gotten hurt in the first place. All because Tomoyo had been coming to see her. There had to be something she could do to help the heiress, to make things better. It wasn’t right for Tomoyo to be so hurt. She had to do something. Sonomi watched as Sakura slowly disappeared up the stairs. Making her way into the living room, the older woman collapsed into a chair, closing her eyes. This whole incident had left her feeling weak and helpless. She had always been overprotective of her lovely daughter, but it had all been for nothing. In an eye blink, she had almost lost her dearest treasure. In some ways, Tomoyo was too much like Nadeshiko. It was part of why Sonomi was so worried about her. Nadeshiko had always wound up getting hurt. And she had died a young death. Sonomi didn’t want the same thing to happen to her daughter. She had already lost Nadeshiko. She couldn’t stand to lose Tomoyo. Waiting there at the hospital while Tomoyo was in surgery, the auburn haired businesswoman would have given away her entire company if she could know that her daughter would be all right. She had stayed by Tomoyo’s side through the next few days, even though Tomoyo hadn’t been conscious for much of it. Somehow she had pulled through. Sonomi could only believe that it was because Nadeshiko had been looking out for her daughter. As soon as Tomoyo had recovered enough to be moved, she had taken her daughter back home and hired a nurse to keep an eye on her. The doctors had suggested keeping Tomoyo in the hospital, but Sonomi didn’t trust hospitals. Nadeshiko had been there for her final days and they hadn’t been able to save her. She didn’t want to leave Tomoyo there either. She had hoped Tomoyo would feel more comfortable at home. But now Tomoyo was still empty, her body mending while her heart remained splintered. Now Sonomi had to hope that Nadeshiko daughter would fix her own daughter’s soul. “Get better soon, Tomoyo-chan,” Sonomi whispered. It was snowing outside again. Tomoyo watched out her window as white snowflakes drifted past. Her room was silent, the only noise coming from the restless wind outside. She was still bedridden from her injuries. She couldn’t even get up to put on one of her Sakura videos. Not that she was in the mood to. It would only remind her of her darling Sakura, of the lonely love in her heart. So she simply watched out her window. There would be no snowflake costume, after all. It had seemed like such a pretty idea, too. But like most beautiful things, it lasted for but an instant. Except Sakura. Sakura was timeless. No matter what happened, she would always be beautiful. Tomoyo had little captured moments of Sakura’s life frozen forever on videotape, always a testament to the beauty that was Sakura, as if it all existed simply to state that Sakura had been there, that she wasn’t just a dream. Part of her wondered why she hadn’t died. Wouldn’t it have been easier that way? Then she could watch over Sakura as her guardian angel. She wouldn’t have to slip away when Sakura fell in love. She wouldn’t have to watch from afar. She could be right there, right along with Sakura, could stay close to her forever. She found herself disappointed that that wasn’t the case. Instead she was still here. And sooner or later, Sakura would be gone, off with the one she loved. And Tomoyo wouldn’t be a part of her life anymore. Instead of watching all of Sakura’s life as her angel, she would simply have to hope for the best, trusting that it would all work out. It didn’t seem fair. She had lost even her last hope. She wouldn’t even be able to watch Sakura’s beautiful future as her guardian angel. Dying in Sakura’s arms, it had almost been blissful. It was terrible to see Sakura so sad, but Tomoyo had wanted her to know that she would always watch over her, that everything truly would always be all right. Everyone has to die. So if she couldn’t be with the one she loved, why couldn’t she at least die in the arms of the one she loved? Then they could be together forever, even if Sakura forgot about her. Because Tomoyo would never leave her side again. But someone had kept her from dying. Someone with long, liquid silver hair and the same emerald green eyes as her Sakura. She could only vaguely remember the woman now, as if it were all little more than a dream. ‘You can’t go yet,’ she had said. ‘Sonomi-chan needs you. And so does my little Sakura-chan. She’d be lost without you.’ She seemed so kind, so loving. But Tomoyo still didn’t understand. Sakura was a big girl. She didn’t need her anymore. Especially when she fell in love, which was only a matter of time now. Syaoran would be returning soon. He would take Tomoyo’s place at Sakura’s side. Tomoyo couldn’t help but feel that the angel had been wrong, that she should have died then, broken in Sakura’s arms. Better to have died then than years later when she was all alone. At least she could have died happily. A knock on the door pulled Tomoyo from her thoughts. She slowly looked to the door, trying to focus on it. “Hello?” she asked curiously, her soft musical voice even quieter than usual. The door slowly opened, exposing a nervous looking brunette. Tomoyo brightened visibly, smiling at the welcome visitor. She really didn’t see anyone besides her mother and the maids. It was so nice to see Sakura again. “Sakura-chan, please come in. I’m so happy to see you.” The pale girl struggled to sit up, her body aching as she did. “Tomoyo-chan...” Sakura held back a gasp. She watched Tomoyo for a long moment, guilt eating at her with each passing second. Tomoyo was lying in bed in a pink nightgown. She had bandages all down both of her legs, disappearing up under her nightgown. She had a cast on one arm. Bandages wrapped around the back of her head. Another square cloth of bandage was taped over her right eye. She had always known that Tomoyo was fragile, but seeing Tomoyo like this struck the point home. But even then, a beautiful smile lay across Tomoyo’s lips as she entered. Sakura managed to return the smile herself after a pause, closing the door behind her. “Are you okay? How do you feel?” The brunette hurried to her friend’s side, looking down at her from the side of the bed. “I’m all right, Sakura-chan. It still hurts a little bit. But I’m feeling a lot better.” Which was remotely true. She still hurt a lot and she was only feeling a little better. And she was only feeling better because Sakura was there. But it was best not to worry Sakura. It wouldn’t do to have Sakura crying for her. That would just make her want to cry as well. If Sakura was happy, she felt much better about life in general. “I’m just glad to see you,” she said softly, looking at Sakura with the one uncovered stormy blue orb. She felt her heart skip a beat as Sakura took her free hand in both of her own. She squeezed softly to reassure her friend, smiling gently up at her. Sakura seemed deep in thought about something. Tomoyo tilted her head to the side quizzically, but stopped that when an icy pain shot down her back. She simply watched, deciding it was best not to disturb Sakura while she was busy with her thoughts. A slow smile crossed Sakura’s lips, a determined look glowing in her eyes. It all managed to set Tomoyo’s heart a flutter, though Sakura didn’t know it. All she knew was that Tomoyo held onto her hands more warmly, watched her even more intently. But none of that seemed important. She knew what she was going to do. “I’ve got it! Tomoyo- chan, I’m going to make up for this, I promise!” Sakura smiled happily, squeezing Tomoyo’s soft hand with both of her own. “I’m going to make you feel better. I finally know how.” Tomoyo blinked in surprise. What was Sakura thinking? If she wasn’t so lost in Sakura’s greatness, she might be able to piece it together. Okay, Sakura was excited and determined. She wanted to make Tomoyo feel better. Hmm... So she had some idea on what she wanted to do. Something that she thought would make things better. Probably something to do with the Cards. The pieces slowly fell into place as Tomoyo kept watching Sakura. She found it ironic that Sakura was trying so hard to fix things for her when all she wanted was to be there with Sakura. That alone was enough for her. Sakura didn’t have to do anything. She just had to be there. That was more than enough. But it was so sweet of Sakura to want to help her. “But Sakura-chan, you really don’t need to do anything. I’ll be fine,” Tomoyo promised. Sakura shook her head, dismissing the silly idea that she didn’t have to. She still felt like it had been her fault that Tomoyo had been hurt in the first place. And even if that wasn’t the case, Tomoyo was her best friend. She couldn’t simply sit by while Tomoyo was hurting. And Sonomi had seemed so worried. So she had to fix things. Giving Tomoyo’s hand a last squeeze, she rested it back on Tomoyo’s stomach. Invoking her staff, Sakura took a step back. “I’m the world’s most powerful mage now, right?” Tomoyo nodded, smiling. “Hai, no one’s stronger than Sakura-chan! You can do anything if you put your heart to it!” Normally one to be embarrassed by Tomoyo’s statements, Sakura was too excited to be embarrassed at the moment. “And right now, there’s nothing more my heart wants to do than to make you feel better. So I’m going to use all my magic for that. To make you happy.” “To make.. me happy?” Tomoyo repeated. Her heart spun at the thought. Those words were so beautiful. Even if Sakura was attempting to make her happy through magic, it was simply that she wanted to make her happy. Tomoyo felt her heart soar. “Arigato, Sakura-chan. But you do make me happy. You always make me happy.” This time, Sakura did blush faintly, but she was glad to hear Tomoyo’s words nonetheless. “But I want to do something special for you. To make you feel better about all this. I want to help. So I’ll use all my magic to grant your one strongest wish for one week. I don’t know if I could keep it up any longer than that anyway. But I know that I can make your wish come true for a little while at least.” Magic was a tricky thing, and though Sakura had grown rather proficient with the Sakura Cards, she was still having trouble getting used to being the strongest magician alive. But that wouldn’t stop her from making Tomoyo’s dream come true. She had to try. Tomoyo blinked, slowly shaking her head. “Ano... I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Sakura-chan,” she warned, sweatdropping. She could see where this was going and she was already worried. Sakura was the strongest mage on the planet. She could only imagine what this would do. Sakura didn’t know that she was what Tomoyo wanted most of all. It didn’t seem like a good idea to rush into this without knowing how it would work. Sakura still didn’t even know about Tomoyo’s love for her. She had a bad feeling about this. “Please don’t worry, Tomoyo-chan. You always help me so much. I want to help you this time.” Sakura smiled brightly at her bedridden friend, pulling up her staff as she summoned her magic. “What’s the one thing you wish for more than anything else, Tomoyo-chan?” “For Sakura-chan to be happy,” Tomoyo responded simply. “Tomoyo-chan...” Sakura shook her head. That couldn’t be it. But she should have known Tomoyo would say something like that. Oh well. She’d just have to grant Tomoyo’s one wish even if Tomoyo wouldn’t tell her exactly what it was. So she would use all the Cards and all of her power. Surely that could handle her wish for one week. “Sakura Cards! Please hear me! Make Tomoyo-chan’s most heartfelt wish come true for this next week!” The pink Cards swirled around Sakura like a cyclone, magic lighting the dark room with burning intensity. All of the Cards lent their magic to Sakura’s command, each adding to the final spell. And with a last flash of light, it was over. The Sakura Book clattered to the floor, the Cards tumbling down to Sakura’s feet. Sakura herself nearly stumbled at first, her magic drained from the spell and the use of all the Cards at once. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She felt... strange. What had just happened? She felt so dizzy. The brunette quickly took a seat on the edge of Tomoyo’s bed, trying to get her bearings. She’d been working some kind of magic spell... But what had happened? She glanced around the room, but she couldn’t tell any noticeable difference. Something soft rested on her hand, drawing her attention back to the bed. Tomoyo held her hand, looking up at her concernedly. Nope, Tomoyo wasn’t any different. She was still just as pretty as always. Even if she was injured. Sakura smiled brightly at her friend. For some reason, she just felt... happy. Everything seemed perfect. Her emerald eyes sparkled as she looked deeply into Tomoyo’s stormy blue orb. Tomoyo always did have such lovely eyes. Even if she could only see one of them. And Tomoyo was always so sweet and gentle and loving. And she always made Sakura feel so wonderful. And she was always there to help her when she needed her. And she always said such sweet thing to her, even if it was embarrassing sometimes. And... “Hanyaan...” Sakura said at last, sighing happily. Tomoyo could only watch for a moment, trying to work out just what had happened herself. There didn’t seem to be any noticeable difference except for Sakura herself. She was just staring into her eyes with a dreamy look and a faint blush on her cheeks. Tomoyo’s eyes went wide in sudden realization. “Sakura-chan...” It suddenly made sense. The wish... Tomoyo had been so lonely lately. She loved Sakura so much. Did this mean... Things were slowly beginning to make sense for Sakura as well. Bits and pieces of a puzzle that she hadn’t even known was there began to fit together. It all made a whole picture that she had missed for so long. Sakura leaned closer, holding tightly onto Tomoyo’s hand as it became crystal clear. “Tomoyo-chan... I understand now! You said you’d explain when I was older, but I never understood. All this time, you’ve been trying to tell me, but I never knew.” A faint blush colored Sakura’s cheeks as her heart lifted up. Swooping forward, Sakura hugged her best friend tightly, almost forgetting that she was still hurt. “I love you, too!” Sakura giggled happily, relishing the newfound freedom her realization gave her. It was true. She knew that. And it made sense as she played it over in her mind. Tomoyo had loved her all this time, and she had never known. But she had loved Tomoyo as well, only she hadn’t understood her feelings. But now they were open to her. She felt excited and tranquil and loved all at the same time. She felt Tomoyo’s good arm rubbing up and down her back peacefully. Making a small happy sound, Sakura hugged Tomoyo closer. How could she have missed it for so long? But it didn’t matter. She knew now. That was the important thing. Tomoyo quickly tried to figure out the situation as she found herself in Sakura’s arms. Was Sakura in love with her for the next week? She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. What an exquisite form of torture. To have Sakura’s love, albeit magically induced, for one week. And then she would have to give it up again. But she had to admit, it felt so wonderful in Sakura’s arms, to hear those words, even if they were only caused by magic. She sighed softly, resting her head against Sakura’s shoulder. It felt magical, so soft and relaxing. Sakura smelled wonderful. But everything about Sakura was wonderful. She nestled into the crook of Sakura’s neck, her soul lost in Sakura. “I love you, Sakura-chan.” This would be one tough week. “Is it done yet?” Kero asked impatiently, his face hovering near the oven. “I’m so hungry,” he pouted, trying to emphasize his point. “It’s not for you anyway,” Sakura said absently, checking over the directions once more. She wasn’t the best cook in the world and she knew it, which is why she was trying so hard to follow the directions precisely. Because although she wasn’t a wonderful cook, Sonomi was, and the older woman had given her the recipe. And on top of that, she wanted it to be perfect. And Sonomi has said that Tomoyo hadn’t been eating much lately, so Sakura had decided to bake something for her. With Tomoyo stuck in bed, it seemed like the perfect time to bring her a treat. Tomoyo always brought over such tasty things, obviously inheriting her mother’s cooking abilities. Sakura paused for a moment, wondering whether or not her own mother had been good at cooking. Probably not, she decided. Why would she need to be when Sonomi made such great things? “But I’m HUNGRY,” Kero reiterated, working up some tears for good measure. “And it smells so good. Just like one of Tomoyo’s mom’s cakes.” He grinned hungrily, delving back into memories of the different treats he had tried over the years. But that just made him hungrier. “You aren’t getting any of it. It’s for Tomoyo-chan,” Sakura said, holding up a wooden spoon as if to ward Kero away from her precious cake. Satisfied that she had followed the recipe exactly, Sakura stepped away from the counter, wiping her hands off on her apron. “It is one of Sonomi-sama’s cakes. She gave me the recipe yesterday when I asked what Tomoyo might like to eat.” Smiling happily, she took a quick glance at the timer and nodded to herself. So far so good. As soon as she was finished, she could go take it to Tomoyo-chan. She sighed, placing both hands on her cheeks. She felt so warm inside, and it had nothing to do with spending so much time in the kitchen. Finding out how Tomoyo felt about her had brightened every aspect of her life. She was no longer so confused about her feelings and her own heart. Before, she had listened to others about what her heart wanted, unsure of what she wanted herself. But now it all made sense. She just wanted to be with Tomoyo. More than anything. “Hanyaan...” she whispered joyously. Everything just made so much more sense now. She had always felt so good around Tomoyo, but now she knew what it all meant. And the thought that she’d been so close to the one she loved all this time left her heart spinning. She wanted to be with the dark haired girl all the time. She never wanted to leave her side. When she would lie in bed at night, her last thoughts would be of Tomoyo before she slipped into a peaceful sleep. Tomoyo was the first thing she thought about when she got up, usually while hugging her pillow. It was a poor substitute for her best friend, though. But she had to hug something, to imagine Tomoyo was with her. And she certainly wasn’t about to hug her mean older brother. It was amazing how things had changed so quickly. But at the same time, it didn’t feel like much had changed at all. Tomoyo was just as warm and loving as she had always been, because she had always loved her, which Sakura now realized. And Sakura’s feelings were still the same. She just understood them now. Tomoyo always brought a blush to her cheeks with some of what she would say. She always made her feel good inside. She’d always been the most important person in Sakura’s life. So in many ways, it just felt natural. As if things had finally taken their proper course. “How long do you plan on letting that thing burn?” Touya asked curiously, his arms crossed. He watched his little sister blush furiously and hurry to the oven, nearly dropping the cake as she pulled it out. Embarrassed, Sakura tried to salvage her slightly burnt cake. Just how long had she been out of it? Things like this always happened when she was distracted. But it was so easy to get lost in the different thoughts and feelings that swept through her heart! At least Tomoyo understood. And she thought it was cute when Sakura would daydream like that. Shaking her head, Sakura fought back her blush as she concentrated on the cake. Of course Tomoyo thought it was cute. Tomoyo thought everything she did was cute. Her blush darkened as she realized that line of thought wasn’t helping. She just hoped Touya would leave the kitchen soon. Being embarrassed was so much worse when people were around. “Hoe... Now it’s ruined.” Stepping up to the cake dutifully, Kero took a nice long sniff. He looked at it thoughtfully for a moment before shaking his head. “No, it’s not ruined. It’s just a little burnt. Put some extra topping on it and it’ll be fine. It won’t be as good as Tomoyo’s mama’s cakes, but I still won’t mind having a nice big slice or two,” the Seal Beast said hopefully. Sakura pulled the cake away from Kero, shielding it with her body. “You still can’t have any of it. I already told you I’d make you something later.” “Then who is it for?” Touya asked, raising an eyebrow. Shaking her head quickly, Sakura sweatdropped. “No one,” she said quickly, busying herself with lathering on a thick layer of icing on top of the cake. She shot Kero a glare when she saw half of the strawberries already eaten. Sighing, she started placing the remaining ones on the cake. “It’s for Yuki, isn’t it?” Touya asked, grinning. Though he’d been dating Yukito for some time now, he still teased his younger sister about him. Besides, he thought, it’s better she have a crush on him than on the brat. It was easier for him to keep an eye on her that way. “No, it’s not for Yukito-san,” Sakura said, raising her head as she continued to place the strawberries in a pattern across the cake. She felt a happy trill resonate through her heart. She didn’t just have a crush on somebody. This wasn’t some schoolgirl crush. It wasn’t her going after someone she couldn’t have. She was making a cake for her girlfriend. This was for her special someone. And she really, really wanted to tell Touya that, to wipe that smirk off his face, to show him that she was dating, too. She bit her lip before she could say anything, trying to focus on the cake. “It’s for someone very, very special,” she said, smiling. “It’s to show much I like them,” she added, her cheeks warming. “It’s not for the brat, is it? Is he back in town?” Touya asked, trying to mask his concern. “No, it’s not for Syaoran,” Sakura replied, putting the finishing touches on her cake. “There,” she said proudly, taking a step back to admire her handiwork. It wasn’t perfect, but it looked pretty. And maybe Tomoyo wouldn’t taste the burnt part with all the icing she put on it. She wanted to get it to Tomoyo as soon as possible. Then she could try to get her to eat. But that was just her ulterior motive. She just wanted to be with Tomoyo again. Giving her the cake was just a happy plus. “Sugoi!” Kero said excitedly, his beady eyes growing as he looked at the cake. “It looks so good!” His paw went forward to touch the icing, but before he could get a hold of it Sakura had pulled it away. “Kero-chan, you can’t have any of Tomoyo-chan’s cake,” Sakura scolded. She held the cake, ignoring the Seal Beast and his pleading eyes. It took her a moment to realize two other sets of eyes were on her as well. She turned slowly, noticing her brother and Yukito staring at her. Yukito must have entered while they were talking. He did spend a lot of time over with Touya. Her cheeks darkened quickly as the sudden realization hit her. She hadn’t meant to say that. She stared back down at the cake, blushing a deep scarlet. “That’s great!” Yukito exclaimed. “Isn’t that cute, To-ya? I knew you’d find someone special, Sakura-chan. It looks like To-ya had been right all along. I’m still a little surprised. I didn’t know you liked girls.” He tilted his head to the side, still smiling. “Thank God,” Touya said in relief, his hands on his face. “I was so sure you were going to marry the brat. Then I’d always be worrying about you. I don’t have to worry about Tomoyo-chan. I know she’ll actually take care of you.” Blushing even deeper, Sakura began making her way to the door. It would’ve been easier if they hadn’t said anything at all. But then, she had accidentally blurted it out. She hadn’t quite expected Touya to be so thrilled by the whole thing. But it’s better to have your family like the one you love, she decided. Whatever the case, she just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. “I’m gonna go take Tomoyo-chan her cake,” she said quickly, heading for her roller blades near the front door. She ignored the rest of their comments as she slipped them on and hurried outside. “I guess I won’t have to worry about her giving me a heart attack after all,” Touya said thoughtfully. It wasn’t what he’d been expecting, although he had known Tomoyo was in love with his sister. And though Yukito thought Syaoran was good for Sakura, he didn’t. He had always thought Tomoyo would make a much better significant other for his overemotional younger sister. He looked at the other two in the kitchen when he got no response. Both Kero and Yukito were staring at him. “I’m hungry,” Kero whined. “That cake really did look good,” Yukito added, nodding his agreement. Touya sighed as the two continued to stare at him. Preheating the oven, he wished Sakura had picked something less edible as a gift for her sweetheart. “Hi, Tomo...” Sakura cut herself off, a hand going to her mouth as she watched Tomoyo’s sleeping form in bed. She quietly closed the door behind her as she stepped into the room. One of the maids had let her enter. She had been disappointed to find out that Sonomi was still at work. She had hoped that she could thank her for the recipe. But there would always be time for that later. She smiled as she walked to the side of the bed, watching Tomoyo. The pale girl was beautiful, even in her sleep. Long lavender hair lay spilt about her pale frame. Bandages still adorned much of her injured body. The large blankets were pulled up around her, either by a worried mother or an attentive maid. Setting the cake down on an empty spot on Tomoyo’s desk, Sakura sat down. The desk was cluttered with all sorts of costume designs and several sheets of music. But even then, it was organized chaos. Everything was placed somewhere for a reason. Tomoyo always did have a good eye for details. It looked like the objects on her desk hadn’t been touched since the accident. Which made sense because the heiress couldn’t even get to her desk at the moment. Sitting at the desk, Sakura tried to lay out her options. She could wake Tomoyo up, but the other girl probably needed her sleep. She could always go home, but that thought was instantly rejected. Leaving Tomoyo’s side wasn’t an option she wanted to consider. She could always just wait for her to wake up. Deciding that was the best course of action, the brunette looked back to the sleeping girl, smiling. Tomoyo looked so peaceful now, lost in her own beautiful dreams. Not at all like the scared, distant look her sleeping face had held during her stay at the hospital. Shuddering, Sakura rubbed her shoulders. Tomoyo was better now. That was the important thing. Turning back to the desk, Sakura glanced through some of the sheets of paper on top of it. Emerald eyes skimmed over some lyrics to a song Tomoyo was practicing for choir. She probably wouldn’t have the chance to sing it with the rest of the choir now, though. But maybe she could still sing it sometime. Sakura always loved to listen to Tomoyo singing. It was so entrancing to listen to her best friend’s ethereal voice. She would be the pale girl’s audience. That thought lifted her mood considerably. Tomoyo had such a gorgeous voice. Setting the music sheet aside, Sakura began to look through Tomoyo’s costume designs. It was strange looking at pictures of herself in different costumes. Tomoyo really was a good artist. Each picture looked just like herself, decked out in some imaginary outfit that Tomoyo would bring into existence with her own form of magic. Occasionally she would see Kero in the picture as well, with little matching outfits to go along with Sakura’s. The brunette was surprised that Tomoyo could make so many varied costumes. And even though Sakura had caught the last of the Cards years ago, she still found herself modeling the costumes for Tomoyo. Which always sent a certain thrill through her, being Tomoyo’s very special model. She couldn’t model the way her mother did. She was too embarrassed for that. But if it was for Tomoyo, then it was okay. Because she felt safe with Tomoyo. Because she knew that Tomoyo enjoyed it so much. Because she liked being the center of Tomoyo’s attention. ‘Kawaii!’ Sakura thought, pulling up one of the costume designs. It looked like some sort of living rainbow, something belonging up near the clouds. She would gladly wear it for the heiress when she finished it, twirling about it in just as she always did. She could already imagine Tomoyo’s voice praising her as she hurried to get shots from different angles. Sweatdropping at the thought, Sakura continued. The next one was of some kind of fairy. She saw herself in a small, cute sleeveless dress, with tiny little shoes on and beautiful butterfly wings. Two little antenna hung from a hair band. Her ears were a little longer and pointed, giving her an elven appearance. Now that she looked at it more closely, the antenna weren’t part of the hair band after all. So maybe not all of Tomoyo’s costume designs were based in reality. Glancing over to the dark haired girl’s bed again, Sakura smiled at her. It was sweet to think the other girl would draw her as a sprite. Flipping to the next one, Sakura could see that it wasn’t quite finished yet. Parts of the costume were missing. There was only one thigh high stocking, with plenty of lace at the end. Her other leg was bare. The skirt was short and looked like it was made of several layers. Ribbons raced up from the skirt over her bare stomach, leading up to a large bow at her neck. She had long, frilled gloves leading up past her elbows. Beautiful ribbons hung from her hair. There didn’t seem to be any blouse except for the ribbons, and they didn’t even cover up anything. Sakura blushed at how... detailed it was. It took her a moment to realize the costume wasn’t half-finished at all. This was exactly how Tomoyo had planned the costume. She certainly hadn’t ever worn anything like _that_ before. At first she didn’t know what to think. It was a surprise to know that Tomoyo thought about that. About her like that. It gave the thought of modeling for Tomoyo a new twist. Sakura’s cheeks darkened considerably. ‘Don’t think like that!’ she chided herself. ‘Tomoyo- chan probably just... just...’ Her thoughts trailed off. Even if she could be rather naïve about things, this was rather self-evident. It really was flattering, in an embarrassing sort of way. And that really wasn’t new at all, coming from Tomoyo. That helped Sakura get some sort of grip on the situation. What would it be like to actually wear that for Tomoyo? Somehow she didn’t think it would be all that different from when she modeled other costumes for Tomoyo. The heiress would want to take pictures from every angle, sighing happily and telling Sakura how great she was the whole time. It was what happened afterwards that would probably be different. Blushing a cherry red, Sakura pushed the thought aside. This was no time to be thinking about such things, while poor Tomoyo was stuck in bed. Or maybe that was the perfect time to be thinking about it. Sakura shook her head quickly. “Hoe...” Besides, Tomoyo had been the one to draw it, so it wasn’t like she was completely innocent there. Glancing back at the bed, Sakura looked right into a silent, stormy blue orb. Bolting upright, Sakura stumbled backwards, her ankle catching on the chair leg. Her arms pinwheeled as she tried to maintain her balance, her heart beating rapidly in shock. The paper fluttered out of her hand, landing slowly on the floor between the two of them. Sakura barely managed to keep her balance, grasping onto the chair. “Tomoyo-chan!” she said quickly, her eyes wide. The other girl had been completely silent, leaving Sakura completely unaware to her presence. “You’re awake!” she stated obviously. Laughing nervously, she put a hand behind her head. “Why didn’t you say anything?” The dark haired girl bent down, wincing slightly as her injured body moved. Reaching down, she picked up the piece of paper, being careful not to crumple it. She still wanted to finish it one of those days. Sitting back in bed with the paper, she simply smiled at the Cardmistress. “I like watching Sakura-chan,” she said matter-of- factly. “When I woke up, I saw that you were here. I was so happy to see you. I just wanted to lie there and watch you for as long as I could. You’re much better to watch in person than in any of my videos. I can only capture your image and your sound. I can’t capture that wonderfully genki spark that is Sakura-chan.” “Arigato, Tomoyo-chan,” Sakura said, blushing from the praise. She cast her eyes down for a moment, standing in silence. Her eyes slowly returned to the paper that Tomoyo had on her lap. “Ano...” she began nervously. “What’s that costume for?” “This one? I have a cat one that I’m working on, too. It’s from the ‘Sekushi Sakura-chan Collection’ I’m working on,” Tomoyo replied excitedly, as she always did when talking about her Sakura costumes. “But why?” Sakura asked, sweatdropping. Tomoyo smiled happily. “Because Sakura-chan’s getting older. So someday she’s going to want to do more adult things. And when you do, I want to have costumes ready for you to use. Costumes are for special occasions. Catching Cards aren’t the only good occasions for them,” the heiress explained, watching Sakura’s growing blush. “That sounds like you’d need to take videotape, too,” Sakura replied, her cheeks red. “Lots of videotape,” Tomoyo agreed, nodding. “Oh, I almost forgot!” Sakura turned, grabbing the cake. Whether she was just changing the subject or if she’d honestly gotten caught up in something else wasn’t certain. “I made this for you. It’s from Sonomi-sama’s recipe.” She held out the cake for the dark haired girl to see, walking closer to the bed. “I left it in the oven a little too long, though. I hope it still tastes all right.” She sighed, still a little disappointed that she had made that mistake. She had so wanted it to come out perfectly for Tomoyo. “It’s lovely, Sakura-chan!” Tomoyo stated happily, taking a long look at the cake before looking up to the even more lovely cake bearer. She smiled sweetly. “I’m sure it will be great. Even if it isn’t perfect, I wouldn’t trade it for a cake made by the world’s best pastry chef. Because it doesn’t matter if things are perfect. What matters is that you made it. Even those little imperfections are filled with your love and care. That’s what makes it so delicious.” She could see that Sakura didn’t completely believe her yet, so she continued. “It’s like when you made that yukata for Li-kun. You didn’t know how to sew very well, but you tried your hardest anyway. Even though it wasn’t perfect, it didn’t matter. Because you had gone through all that trouble to make it. Everything we do, we leave a piece of our hearts in. Everything we touch has a little bit of us. So something that you put your heart into means the world to me. Because it has little bits of Sakura-chan’s soul mixed in.” Sakura thought this over for a moment before nodding. “Like your costumes,” she said at last. Tomoyo had always put so much loving care into her costumes, making each and every one for Sakura to wear. But the costumes weren’t important alone. It was that Tomoyo had made them specifically for her, that she had spent all that time on them, just so she could wear them. That made Sakura feel a lot better about the cake, even with the imperfections. It suddenly didn’t matter so much that she had made the mistake. She smiled brightly as she set the cake back down. “Let me go get some plates.” The two girls sat together on Tomoyo’s bed, eating slices of Sakura’s cake. They had decided to leave a slice for Sonomi to try later, as a thank you for the recipe. To Sakura’s delight, it had turned out pretty well, the frosting masking the slightly burnt parts. She was glad to see Tomoyo eating. Sonomi had been very worried about her daughter not eating, so Sakura was glad to do her part to get something in Tomoyo’s stomach. The pale girl took a small bite of Sakura’s beautiful cake, her eyes never wandering far from the girl she loved. She let the sweet flavor roll across her tongue. She hadn’t been very hungry lately, but she couldn’t resist having a piece of Sakura’s cake, especially if Sakura was right there with her. She sighed happily, taking a small bite of one of the strawberries. The knowledge that it was made for her by Sakura followed every delicious bite. Sakura scooted closer to her on the bed, eating her own slice of cake. She could tell that Sakura was watching her. It was like a beautiful dream to have Sakura’s eyes on her. “It’s very good, Sakura-chan.” Sakura smiled at Tomoyo’s comment. Finally seeing Tomoyo eating the cake, hearing that she liked it, it made the whole process of making it worthwhile. It had all led up to this point. Just like her life had led up to this point, as if everything had built up to this moment in time with Tomoyo. Sure, it had taken a few twists to get there, but everything had worked out in the end. And she could have her fairy tale ending. They both could. She took another bite of her cake, feeling excited about the future, the possibilities, and most importantly, the here and now. ‘Please don’t look at me that way. Please don’t taunt me like this, Sakura-chan. Because I don’t know if I could ever resist you. And when this is all over, when that look fades from your eyes, the sun will stop shining on my world,’ Tomoyo thought desperately. Sakura was looking at her with such love and adoration in her eyes, an unbridled passion that she had never seen before in those emerald gems. It was exactly what she had always wished to see, a love as deep and endless as her own. But now it was frightening. It would be gone before she could ever fully taste their depths. It would be taken from her in the blink of an eye. Which left Tomoyo with a very difficult decision. How should she take this? Sakura had given her the most precious gift she could imagine, her warm and beautiful heart. But soon she would have to give it back, to part from it. And that seemed unbearable. But she would have to. She understood that. But in the meantime, Sakura loved her. For now, she had the love she had always longed for. Could she give in to it? Was it right to? Sakura’s love was only magic, a work of Sakura’s Cards. Would she be taking advantage of Sakura if she allowed herself to get closer to the Cardmistress while she had this chance? Or should she just wait it out, not allowing anything to happen in the next week for Sakura’s sake? It was a maddening question. Her heart and mind were torn in completely different directions. She didn’t want to give in to Sakura’s love only to have it taken away. She didn’t want to use Sakura’s well intentioned wish to fill her own lonely heart. It didn’t seem right to be in a relationship with Sakura when it was all simply done by Sakura’s magic. On the other hand, the brunette had given this gift to her, wanting her to be happy. It would be a shame to not accept Sakura’s gift. She had always known that one day Sakura would fall in love with another. At least she could have a week full of memories of their time together, memories of being loved by Sakura, right? And so her heart continued its tug of war as she finished her slice of cake. It had been delicious, but now it was all gone. Just like this would be. She set the plate to the side, folding her hands on her lap. Unaware of Tomoyo’s troubled thoughts, Sakura finished her own slice of cake. She went back to watching Tomoyo, trying to decide what to say. Her heart moved this way and that, swaying about. There were so many feelings inside of her, all meshing and struggling to come forth. She wanted to tell Tomoyo, to explain them all, to hold them out to her, but she couldn’t find the words. After a moment of hesitation, she leant forward swiftly, hugging the pale girl tightly. Tomoyo seemed surprised by Sakura’s sudden move, but Sakura just continued to hold onto her. “Tomoyo-chan!” She could feel Tomoyo’s soft lavender hair brushing past her cheek, tickling her. “I love you so much!” She closed her eyes tightly, blushing a bit as she held onto the heiress. It was the best way she could think of to express the feelings surging through her heart. Tomoyo felt a thundering heartbeat against her breast, but she couldn’t tell if it was Sakura’s heartbeat or her own. She could feel Sakura’s arms holding her tightly, encircling her in their warmth. This was where she had wanted to be for so long, in Sakura’s arms. She closed her eyes, giving in, at least for the moment. It was too much to fight off both her own love and Sakura’s, no matter how magically induced the latter may be. Leaning into the brunette, Tomoyo curled up against her beloved. Her head slid down against Sakura’s chest, her hands resting against Sakura’s stomach. She listened intently to the beat of the Cardmistress’s heart, her stormy blue eyes closing. Her concerns faded away like a child’s bad dream when in her mother’s arms. “Please don’t ever let me go,” Tomoyo pleaded quietly. Resting her chin on the top of Tomoyo’s head, Sakura sighed softly. All the chaotic feelings in her heart were still there, but Tomoyo soothed them, calming them, bringing them all together. She suddenly wasn’t so worried about trying to describe them to Tomoyo. Tomoyo was always so good about understanding her heart. She felt that she didn’t need to say it all out loud. It was there. They could both feel it. “I won’t,” Sakura promised, wishing with all her heart that she could prove it, prove that she would hold onto her forever and ever. “It’s so beautiful,” Tomoyo whispered. It was snowing lightly, small white crystals dancing their way through the air around her. Some settled in her long, lavender hair, others dropping gingerly onto her lap. She felt Sakura’s hands on her shoulders from behind and turned to smile at the Cardmistress. Sakura had come over earlier that day and Sonomi had suggested that Sakura take Tomoyo outside for a bit. Tomoyo still couldn’t get very far on her own, so Sakura was pushing her in a wheelchair. The heiress didn’t mind relying on Sakura for her mobility. It meant she couldn’t be far from the girl she loved. And that was perfectly fine by her. Returning Tomoyo’s smile, Sakura watched the snowflakes falling about her dark haired friend. ‘She’s so beautiful,’ Sakura thought to herself, her fingers trailing through some lavender curls. She sighed happily her arms wrapping around Tomoyo’s shoulders. Tomoyo blushed faintly, her heartbeat quickening in her chest. Having Sakura so close, holding her so lovingly, it was a dream come true. Despite the snow surrounding them, the heiress felt warm inside. Reaching up with her good hand, she rested it on one of Sakura’s arms. She held onto it as if to keep Sakura from ever releasing her hold on her. She felt so peaceful like this, alone with Sakura. If only it could always be this was... She closed her eyes, ceasing that thought. There was only now. There was only Sakura. She rested back into the brunette’s loving embrace. “Tomoyo-chan, when you get better, let’s go rollerblading together, okay?” Sakura asked suddenly, her eyes lighting up. She shifted against Tomoyo, leaning over enough to see the other girl’s pale face. It seemed like such a good idea. She wanted to do everything with Tomoyo, to spend every moment with her, to share everything with her. Rollerblading had always been fun for her and it seemed even better with Tomoyo. And why not? Yukito and Touya were always off on long bike rides together. Or so Touya said. Tomoyo’s stormy blue eyes met Sakura’s shining emeralds. A sad smile crossed her lips. That was so sweet of Sakura to want to share that with her. But by then, it would be too late. They wouldn’t be going together as a couple. They would just be two friends again by the time Tomoyo was better. But nonetheless, she found herself nodding. She couldn’t bear to disappoint Sakura. And it would still be fun to skate with her, even if it wouldn’t be the same. “Hai, I’d like that, Sakura-chan,” the dark haired girl replied softly. Sakura smiled brightly at Tomoyo’s response. “Sugoi!” She hugged the wheelchair bound girl even tighter. “That will be fun! I’ll teach you how to rollerblade. It’s really not that hard. And you’re always so good at everything, so you’ll pick it up in no time.” “But now I have incentive not to learn how. If I don’t learn to skate on my own, I have to keep holding onto Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo reasoned thoughtfully, her bandaged head tilted to the side. Why would she want to learn how to skate when it was so much more fun to have Sakura skate around with her? It was like learning how to dance on your own. Why let go of your partner? Blushing profusely at Tomoyo’s words, Sakura looked down. That didn’t help avert her gaze from the dark haired girl, though, as the heiress was so close to her, taking up all of her attention. Still blushing, she rested her head against Tomoyo’s soft shoulder. “Ano... We.. we can still hold hands... Even if you do learn.” Resting her head against Sakura’s, Tomoyo nodded slowly. “Learning to skate, with Sakura-chan as my beautiful teacher... Watching you move about so gracefully in your rollerblades, trying to help me learn how to use them, it sounds so cute!” The heiress sighed dreamily, already imagining it. Of course, the idea of rollerblading was far from her mind. It was simply doing anything with Sakura hand in hand that left her breathless. She could feel Sakura’s heart beating against her back. Listening to its lovely rhythm, Tomoyo began to breathe slowly along with it, their hearts beating in tandem. Tomoyo’s heart called out to Sakura’s with each staccato beat. She could feel Sakura’s warm cheek against her neck as Sakura blushed. That only managed to lift her spirits even higher. Sakura’s blush felt as cute as it looked. She rested into it, blushing herself. The hot skin against her neck sent a shiver through her body. She held her breath, almost afraid the moment would end if she made any sudden moves. She wanted to hold onto it as long as possible. Still a little embarrassed, Sakura finally pulled away. She didn’t notice Tomoyo’s soft sigh as she stood back up, brushing away her auburn hair. Smiling enthusiastically, she stepped in front of Tomoyo’s wheelchair. “Do we have all the things for our snowman?” she asked curiously. “Hai!” Tomoyo responded, lifting up the small bundle she had with her. “But we could always just dress up Sakura-chan instead. You’re much cuter than anything made of snow.” She simply smiled as the blush returned to Sakura's cheeks. How could she possibly not love the auburn haired girl? She was just so perfect. “Tomoyo-chan...” Sakura got out nervously, a hand resting behind her head. She didn’t know if it was more embarrassing that Tomoyo said such things or that she honestly meant them. But it was way too cold out to let Tomoyo dress her up instead of a snowman. Not that she would choose that option anyway, right. ‘Hoe...’ Sakura shook her head, closing her eyes as she tried to clear her thoughts. When she opened her eyes, she saw Tomoyo still smiling at her, watching her with that loving gaze she always had. And Sakura wasn’t so worried anymore. “We’ll make the cutest snowman we can.” Nodding her agreement, Tomoyo began to shift through the small bag, pulling out little articles for their snowman. She sighed sadly, placing a hand on her cheek. “Our poor little snowman won’t be able to be on video with Sakura-chan. And worse yet, I can’t record Sakura- chan making a snowman in the first place.” Sakura laughed nervously. “It’s all right, Tomoyo-chan. I don’t think the snowman will mind,” she said reassuringly. “But you look so cute playing in the snow!” Tomoyo insisted, watching her friend kneeling in the snow in front of her. That would make such a cute image on videotape, something to play over and over again. What sweet torture this was! She had Sakura’s love for a whole week, but she couldn’t record a single second of it because she had yet to replace her camcorder. In the end, it would be like one long, beautiful dream. It was probably better that she couldn’t have videotape of it. It was brought about by magic. It wasn’t really her Sakura to have. So it would only be recording a charade. But if it was just a charade, it would be so much easier to ignore Sakura’s affections. It didn’t feel like that. Sakura felt so genuine, as if it was really her and not some magic spell causing this. ‘So this is what it would be like to have her love? It’s better than I could have ever imagined,’ Tomoyo thought to herself. ‘Sakura’s love is magical.’ Sakura, meanwhile, was getting over her embarrassment by starting the snowman, scooping the snow together into some vague shape. She looked up to see Tomoyo still watching her from her wheelchair. This didn’t seem right. She knew that Tomoyo liked to watch her, but she wanted to do this together. Looking from the beginnings of her snowman and back to Tomoyo, she thought for a moment. Standing up, the auburn haired girl wiped her hands off on her skirt. The snow continued to drift around them, beautiful pieces of clouds falling from above. Sakura took a step forward before pausing, trying to decide exactly what to do. She reached forward and paused again, still unsure of herself. Tomoyo’s eye caught her own, looking at her with a look of complete faith. That strengthened her resolve. Reaching forward, Sakura gently wrapped her arms around Tomoyo’s waist. She could feel Tomoyo so close to her, could feel her breath against her cheek. Tomoyo felt so soft, so fragile. Sakura was almost afraid she would break the heiress if she moved wrong. Getting a better grip, the Cardmistress lifeted her best friend, walking back to the start of her snowman. Tomoyo’s breath caught in her chest as she felt Sakura holding her tightly, carrying her. Her cheeks flushed as she rested in Sakura’s arms. For a moment, she worried that Sakura would feel the frenzied beating of her heart. But then it dawned on her that Sakura’s heart was beating just as rapidly against her. Sakura’s arms protected her from everything in life, shielding her from everything but the warmth of her heart. She held on as well as she could with her working arm, feeling dizzy with the joy bubbling over in her heart. She didn’t want it to stop ever, to ever be anywhere else but Sakura’s warm embrace. There was no place sweeter in Heaven or on earth than that wonderful spot nestled between Sakura’s outstretched arms. Sakura paused for a long moment, Tomoyo held tightly in her arms. She pulled her closer, her eyes falling closed. The heiress’s long, beautiful hair fluttered around her like a cloak. “Tomoyo-chan,” Sakura thought she whispered. She slowly sat down in the snow with Tomoyo, not letting go of the pale girl in her grasp. She couldn’t bring herself to pull away. It felt so nice to be so close to Tomoyo. To know that Tomoyo was right there with her, that their hearts were beating together. She didn’t want that to stop. Blushing, she brushed back some of Tomoyo’s silky hair so that she could see her face better. Tomoyo looked back at her, little strands of lavender framing her pretty face as their eyes met. Sakura brushed more hair away, Tomoyo still cradled against her. This time, her fingers lingered on Tomoyo’s soft cheek. They stayed there for a long time, reveling in the feel of her friend’s warm skin. She swallowed, trying to stop the spinning of her heart. It did little to help. She was drawn in my Tomoyo’s beautiful features, by the feelings in her heart. Tomoyo gazed into Sakura’s eyes, her cheeks scarlet under Sakura’s touch. She breathed slowly, simply watching her green eyed goddess. Her soul swirled inside of her in a cacophony of emotions, wanting to entwine with Sakura’s beautiful soul. Was she really awake? Was she dreaming? Did it matter? For so long, she had dreamt of this moment, of being this close to Sakura, of being together. This single moment made those dreams feel like nothing. She could feel Sakura’s warm breath against her skin, her fingers still pressed against her cheek. Her heart cried out in joy. This was it. This was her what she had been wishing for through the years of their friendship. Sakura was almost upon her, their lips inches apart, their bodies together in the snow. Tomoyo could barely move, though whether that was from her injured body or the spell Sakura held on her, she couldn’t say. Her cheeks darkened as Sakura finally cupped her cheek, leaning in. Sakura leant in, her heart pounding inside of her as she kissed Tomoyo. She felt lush hair under her lips, shifting against her. She blinked curiously, pulling back slightly. Tomoyo was looking to the side, her cheeks crimson and her hair shifting around her. “Tomoyo- chan?” Sakura asked sheepishly. She had been about to kiss her best friend. But she loved Tomoyo. She did want to kiss her. She felt disappointed that she hadn’t been able to. She wanted to feel Tomoyo’s lips, to pull her close again. ‘Hanyaa...’ she thought, blushing. “So shall we get started?” Tomoyo asked her friend, smiling sweetly. But inside, she felt very different. Her thoughts spun around in circles, relief mixing with deep regret. She had missed out on a dream she had carried with her for years, to kiss her beloved Sakura. But she just couldn’t bring herself to take advantage of Sakura like that. The auburn haired girl had wanted to make her feel better. She hadn’t known that she would fall in love with Tomoyo because of it. Tomoyo didn’t feel right taking a kiss from Sakura if the brunette was a victim of her own magic. But still, her heart longed for that sweet kiss, the feel of Sakura near her again. As it is, she could barely move away at all anyway. So she was stuck right next to a very loving Sakura. That wasn’t fair. It was so tempting to just give in, to immerse herself in Sakura’s love for the week. But she just couldn’t do that to Sakura. She sighed inwardly. The Cardmistress slowly nodded in agreement, still confused. Hadn’t they been about to kiss? What happened? Sakura felt as if she was missing some vital link,. It was like she had seen some pictures out of order. It didn’t make sense. Maybe it was just Tomoyo being eccentric again. But that didn’t really fit. Tomoyo’s eccentricity always had to do with being closer to her in some way, especially in loving ways. Like kissing. Sakura came back to the present as she felt Tomoyo shifting on her lap. Sweatdropping, she slowly helped the other girl to her side. “Un!” she responded, nodding. Trying to ignore the past few moments, which was incredibly hard to forget, she began to shovel more snow onto the snowman with her gloved hands. Tomoyo slowly began to help her with her free hand, adding to their snowman. The two worked together quietly on their snowman, both girls concentrating on it. Every once in a while, their hands would touch and linger before one or the other would slowly pull away. They shared warm smiles and long glances, soft giggles and comments on their snowman as it progressed. The snow slowly began to take shape under their collective hands, forming into a cute little snowman before them. Looking through the little bag next to her, Tomoyo began to cloth their little snowman. She wrapped a shawl around it, tying red ribbons around the arms. Sakura busied herself with the shiny buttons Tomoyo had decided on for the eyes. Finally satisfied with their work, Tomoyo sat back in the snow, smiling. She gazed over at Sakura, brushing some dark hair from her eyes. “It’s so kawaii. Our little snowman, formed from our hearts coming together. It’s like having a baby with Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo said delightedly. “Tomoyo-chan!” Sakura blushed a deep crimson, both hands going to her cheeks. A baby? She wasn’t ready to think about babies yet. She looked down, blushing. A weight rested against her side, something long draping across her back. Forgetting all about her embarrassment, she looked over to find Tomoyo leaning against her side. Smiling softly, Sakura’s arm went around the pale girl, pulling her closer. She felt Tomoyo sigh happily against her, sending a trill through her soul. Together they sat there, watching their snowbaby, holding onto each other. Snowflakes fell around the two, showering them with beautiful crystal gifts for their baby shower. Sakura sighed softly as she slid into the warm water of the bath. She nearly started at the nearly unbearable heat scorching her skin, but slowly relaxed into it. “I was out in the snow longer than I thought,” she said aloud to no one in particular, her voice echoing through the otherwise empty bathroom. Closing her eyes, she slipped deeper into the water, its soft caress lapping over her shoulders. She would be lucky if she didn’t catch a cold from all the time she spent in the snow. But it had been worth every moment. Her cheeks darkened slightly at the thought. She had lost track of time with Tomoyo by her side. Just how long had they sat out there together, anyway? It could only have been hours, but it had felt like it stretched on for days. Even then, it still wasn’t enough time for the Cardmistress. She pouted, resting her head back. “Tomoyo-chan...” Sakura whispered longingly. Whenever they were apart, Tomoyo was all that she could think about. But then, Tomoyo was all she could think about when she was with the heiress, too. It was like Tomoyo’s touch had been imprinted on her soul, leaving its mark in everything Sakura did. How she could have missed these feelings for so long, she didn’t know. But now that she had uncovered them, they were almost overpowering. As she lay there, immersed in the warm water, she could see Tomoyo in her mind’s eye. The sweet, angelic girl so close, her stormy blue eyes sparkling, her pale skin so soft, her dark hair framing her beautifully. Without realizing it, Sakura leant forward, her lips puckered as if to kiss her pretty best friend. Blushing and blinking rapidly, the auburn haired girl gave up her attempt. A sigh escaped her as she sunk lower in the water. They had been so close! Just a few more inches and she would know what those cute lips felt like against her own, what it felt like to kiss Tomoyo. If only she could go back in time and get those extra few inches... The love in her heart was glowing with a singular intensity, nearly ready to burst. She felt like that love had nowhere else to go but through her lips, right into Tomoyo, as if she could use that to show the other girl the raging feelings inside of her. Well, there would always be other times. But she didn’t want to wait for some other time! Patience wasn’t Sakura’s strong point. Her mind delighted in the sweet torture of imagining kissing a slightly surprised Tomoyo over and over again. She sighed again. So close, yet so far away. Those inches might well have been miles. All she wanted to do was to hold Tomoyo close, to kiss her repeatedly, to feel the pale girl against her again, to experience every unique little thing about her, to take it all in and immerse herself in it all. The only thing troubling her was that she still couldn’t understand why Tomoyo had withdrawn from her when she had been about to kiss the heiress. Tomoyo was usually so warm and affectionate with her. She’d almost expected the pale girl to kiss her instead. So what had gone wrong? Maybe Tomoyo had just been too shy. But that didn’t seem like the other girl at all. Tomoyo certainly didn’t shy away from showing her love in any number of other ways. Sakura couldn’t get her mind off of the thought. Her mind spun with possibilities. But none of them adequately explained why Tomoyo would have turned away from her. None of them seemed quite right. None of them really fit Tomoyo. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be anything she could do about it from where she was. But maybe if she tried again, whatever had gone wrong the last time wouldn’t be present. Or maybe it would and Sakura could actually figure out what it was. It felt like some complicated puzzle, but the answer shone brightly in her mind. She would kiss Tomoyo soon, sealing their love with a soul binding kiss. “Hanyaan...” she said aloud at the thought. The reason that it was getting to her the most was that she truly did want to kiss her dark haired friend, to be next to her, holding her, feeling her delicate skin against her own. She wanted to hold onto Tomoyo and to never let go again. To experience every little bit of her eccentric best friend. Her eyes closed, Sakura slid deeper into the water. A hand slid down her leg, hesitant. But her insistent thoughts were getting the better of her. She could already see herself kissing Tomoyo in her mind, could practically feel the pale girl next to her. She could see Tomoyo’s pale skin as clothes seemed to melt away, their lips meeting again and again. Tomoyo’s costume design returned to mind, her cheeks warming at the thought. She could see Tomoyo watching her excitedly, videotaping her, telling her how cute she was. And she could see Tomoyo coming closer, setting the camcorder down, kissing her again, her hands going across Sakura’s barely clothed body. Sakura made a small sound, shifting in the water. Her legs spread apart, water splashing about her. Her hands were moving in time with her thoughts, making it almost like Tomoyo was actually with her for a split second. She could almost feel Tomoyo's hands caressing her skin, Tomoyo’s soft voice echoing in her ears as the heiress became more insistent. She held herself open for a moment, almost expecting Tomoyo to accept the invitation. And the Tomoyo in her thoughts did just that, Sakura’s fingers mimicking her friend’s imaginary movements. Hunched over in the bath, Sakura took a quick breath, still lost in her fantasy. The water lapped around her body, but she could hardly notice it. All she could think about was Tomoyo. Everywhere. Always. Tomoyo. Her eyes were clenched tightly, painfully. She shook slightly and then slumped in the water, breathing heavily. Her cheek lay against the surface of the water, wet and warm. She tried to catch her breath, feeling almost feverish in the bath. The Cardmistress tried to collect her thoughts, but they were distant, fragmented. All she knew was that Tomoyo smiled back at her from every one of them. “Tomoyo-chan...” she whispered. She felt like she had been caught in a tsunami, torrents of emotion buffeting against her soul again and again. But she was slowly releasing their was no release from that feeling. It was still wrapped tightly around her heart. And Tomoyo was at the center of it. “Kawaii!” Tomoyo watched excitedly as Sakura stood before her in one of her costumes. The Cardmistress had visited again a short time ago and had agreed to try out several of Tomoyo’s costumes while she was there. This was the fourth costume she had worn. Only three more to go and Tomoyo would be all out of new costumes for Sakura to wear. She wanted to slow down time and speed it up at the same time. If she could slow it down, she could have even more time watching Sakura model her costumes. But she wanted to see what Sakura looked like in the others as well. One of the reasons she had so many costumes was that there simply wasn’t as much a reason for Sakura to wear her costumes anymore. Before when Sakura had been catching the Cards, she had needed a new costume for each of her adventures. Now that it was over, Tomoyo had to find a good time for her friend to come and model for her. So the costumes weren’t as necessary anymore, but Tomoyo did like being able to have Sakura wear them personally for her. And Sakura was sweet enough to do just that for her. Sakura still looked a little embarrassed, but she was starting to forget her nervousness. Everything affected her easily, but she moved on to other thoughts just as quickly. And it was hard not to get caught up in Tomoyo’s exuberance. The pale girl was usually so quiet and thoughtful, but when she was interested in something, like Sakura herself for interest, she made it abundantly clear. The Cardmistress wondered how she ever could have missed it before. Twirling in the long, multi-layered skirt she was currently in, Sakura could hear Tomoyo clapping. A smile lit up Sakura’s lips as she turned to face the heiress again. Taking the long skirt in her hands, Sakura curtsied to her audience of one. Back when Tomoyo had first made costumes for her, she had always worn them when she was busy with the Cards. She hadn’t had time to really appreciate them. Or the attention Tomoyo gave her when she was wearing them. After the whole debacle with the Cards was finally over, she had thought it would be the end of silly things like costumes. But Tomoyo kept making them regardless. Sakura had been a little baffled at first, but if her eccentric friend wanted to see her in them, she couldn’t refuse. If Tomoyo spent so much time on the costumes, it seemed only right to wear them. So she had begun modeling them for Tomoyo back then. It had been embarrassing at first, and still was to some extent, because she wasn’t busy with other things while wearing the costumes. It made her self-conscious knowing that she was being videotaped in the many different designs like that. But Tomoyo’s obvious excitement when she would wear them for her began to make her worry less. Tomoyo loved it so much when she would. And there was something about that that Sakura liked. Just knowing she had all of her friend’s attention, that Tomoyo’s eyes were on her and only her then. Though she had trouble admitting it, she did enjoy modeling for Tomoyo. In a way, it made her feel closer to her mother. But unlike her mother, she only wanted to model for Tomoyo. She was too shy to do that for anyone else. And she knew how happy it made the heiress. So slowly she began to do more in the costumes, actually modeling them, letting Tomoyo direct her where she would, taking snapshots and videotape of her in whatever costume came out next. It became a fun little thing they did together, an excuse to stay over for the weekend or to stop by after school. ‘Sakura, I have a new costume finished. Could you wear it for me?’ ‘Sure, Tomoyo-chan! Just let me drop off my things at home.’ And so it went. Days and weeks and months and finally years of lace and ribbons and videotape. Sakura looked forward to it more than the soccer practice she had been taking lately. Part of that was just seeing the smile and starry eyed looks Tomoyo gave her. But it was just fun. She loved being with her best friend, and dressing up for her was exciting. Slipping into a new outfit, anxious to see what Tomoyo thought, to hear her words on it, to see what poses she would want to see her in. It was exhilarating. And now it seemed to make more sense. Of course she liked Tomoyo watching her. Of course she wanted to model for her. Because Tomoyo’s never wavering love and attention meant everything to her. And she wasn’t taking it for granted anymore. And she could feel it so strongly when she would dress up for her. Her cheeks a little red, Sakura put a hand behind her head. “So what do you think?” “I think you look gorgeous in it, Sakura-chan. Like a beautiful dancer who wants to let go of everything and dance the night away,” Tomoyo stated dreamily, a hand on her cheek. Sighing contentedly, the heiress was in Heaven. What could possibly be more wonderful than Sakura modeling specifically for her? The athletic young girl was already so beautiful. Seeing her all dressed up in the costumes she made for her was stunning. And watching her pose and move about for her eyes only... Tomoyo sighed again, her stormy blue eye never leaving Sakura. The Cardmistress blushed at Tomoyo comment. Tomoyo always said rather complimentary things to her, but she always accepted them shyly. Part of her just couldn’t understand how Tomoyo thought so. The other part was just flattered to hear the other girl say it. Nonetheless, she always loved hearing her. It was like a puppy doing tricks for its mistress to hear loving words of praise. But with Tomoyo she never even had to do anything, or at least not knowingly. The dark haired girl seemed to find everything about her wonderful. “Which one should I wear next?” Tomoyo looked towards her desk where the other costumes were waiting. Placing her hand on her chin, she thought carefully. She would eventually see Sakura in all of them, but she still treated it like an important decision. It was all a matter of what would look best after the one Sakura was currently wearing. “I think you would look very pretty in the red one with the ribbons,” she said at last, indicating one near the bottom of the small pile of clothes. She watched Sakura walk over to claim the costume. “You are so cute in that,” she breathed happily, gazing at Sakura. The girl in question blushed again at hearing Tomoyo’s soft voice. It made her happy to know Tomoyo thought so. It sent warm waves lapping all across her soul. Quickly sifting through the costumes, she came about the red one in question. Turning to Tomoyo, she held it closely to her chest. “I’ll be right back, Tomoyo-chan!” she promised. The thought of being gone for too long was something she didn’t want to deal with. More than anything, she just wanted to be there with her dark haired girlfriend. Tomoyo merely smiled at her promise as she hurried out the door to change. Standing in the rather luxurious bathroom, Sakura began to pull off the costume she was wearing. She wanted to hurry up and return to Tomoyo, but she was afraid of ruining Tomoyo’s costume. ‘Each costume is stitched with love,’ she could remember Tomoyo saying. So she was always very wary about getting a stitch out of place. She didn’t want to ruin anything Tomoyo worked so hard on. Finally slipping out of the long skirts of her previous costume, Sakura examined the new one. It did look cute, like everything Tomoyo designed. It was very soft to the touch, and very pretty. It looked almost like something she would wear out on a date. Well, nothing she could afford to have in her own wardrobe, but something she could see herself dating in. She shifted around on her feet as if she were dancing, holding the dress tightly. Yes, it would be beautiful to wear out on a date with Tomoyo. It was a beautiful red dress with a large red ribbon in the back. It had black stockings and black gloves that went along with it as well as a red ribbon for her hair. The small red shoes had small ribbons on them as well. She smiled at the details. Tomoyo and her ribbon fetish. But it was very cute. She couldn’t wait to wear it for her. Tomoyo waited patiently in her room, staring at the spot where Sakura had been moments before, swishing about in the twirling skirts she had made for her. It wasn’t fair that her camcorder had been broken. This little fashion show would have made such a lovely tape! The type of thing she would watch again and again late at night and with her mother when she had some time away from work. But all she could do was try to remember every beautiful detail. Closing her eyes, she could imagine Sakura posing for her again, right there in front of her. This was her last night with Sakura. The next day was the end of their week together and her wish would be over. A bittersweet smile crossed her lips. She may not be able to have Sakura for forever, but she did have one beautiful week together with her. Even if she couldn’t be with Sakura, she got to experience her love, got to have a taste of the heavens. And she would never allow herself to forget that taste. Tomoyo had to admit that if she had to decide on an ending for their short-lived relationship, this was certainly a good one. A sparkling all-Sakura fashion show all for her. It was much better than watching Sakura on her videotapes. It was Sakura Live! It was the brunette in all of her amazing glory, right there for her to behold. The pale girl sighed, resting back in her bed. Soon this would all be over. Nothing but memories and dreams. But what was life without dreams? The heart can’t live without beautiful dreams to sustain it. She would miss this terribly. It would be unbearably difficult to just let go of Sakura’s love. But she would have to. And it would hurt. But she would always have these memories to fall back on. It wasn’t just a dream anymore. She now knew what it was like to have Sakura’s love. And it was more amazing than she had dared to imagine. Now when she saw Sakura married and in love, she would know exactly how lucky that other person was. And she would still have that little sliver of when Sakura had loved her that way. That would sustain her soul. It had to. The door opened, pulling Tomoyo’s attention away from her thoughts. In the doorway stood the athletic Cardmistress, resplendent in the red dress. It fit her perfectly, the ribbons making her look like a beautiful present. The heiress couldn’t say anything, transfixed by the image of her love. “You look lovely, Sakura-chan,” she said at last. Sakura blushed, stepping further into the room. She looked down, getting a different look at the outfit now that she was wearing it. “Thank you, Tomoyo-chan.” Looking up again, emerald green eyes met intense stormy blue. She was suddenly very glad Tomoyo picked this dress. It really was pretty and the heiress seemed to like it quite a bit. She turned to her side, posing for her friend. If Tomoyo still had her camcorder and wasn’t bedridden, now would be the time that the dark haired girl would be directing her, coming up with different positions for her and what she should be doing. So for now she just posed as best she could, wanting to do the best she could for her friend. Tomoyo wished more than ever that she still had her camcorder as she watched the Mistress of the Cards before her. She could always get Sakura to wear them again after her wish, but that just wouldn’t be the same. Sakura wouldn’t be wearing it the same way, with the same loving look in her eyes. It would just be disappointing. No, she would just have to remember this one. So her eye never wavered for a second, wanting to imprint the image forever in her mind. As if drawn by Tomoyo’s deep gaze, Sakura found herself nearing Tomoyo’s bed. Her heart was pounding in her chest more fiercely than during any of the trials she had faced. It took her a moment to realize that she had already come to a decision. It was that decision that had her so nervous. But it held her bound like a magic spell, pulling her forward. She couldn’t stop now if she wanted to. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she looked down at her bedridden friend, the injured girl staring back up at her. Slowly, she reached out and took Tomoyo’s hand where it stuck out from her cast. Watching Sakura, Tomoyo felt her cheeks flushing. Sakura was so close to her, gazing down into her eye. There was something there in those emerald orbs, something she was struggling to make out. They were warm, passionate. She could see a hint of nervousness in them as well. She squeezed Sakura’s hand with her own, trying to assuage the brunette’s worries. She always wanted to support Sakura, to be there for her. Even right now. Especially right now. Her fingers laced with Sakura’s, holding the gloved fingers tightly to her stomach. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt Sakura’s grip on her hand tighten. “Sakura-chan...” she whispered. The Cardmistress hesitated for a moment, a hurricane of thoughts swirling through her, all struggling for dominance. Should she? Could she? And then, a moment of calm. The eye of the storm. Everything was suddenly clear. Leaning down slowly, she held tightly onto Tomoyo’s hand, ready to kiss the dark haired girl. None of her thoughts mattered. This was what she wanted. Her shimmering first kiss with her one, true love. She could feel Tomoyo’s breath against her lips as she drew near, their hair teasing each other. She could only see into one of Tomoyo’s eyes, but it was a deep pool of adoration. That only spurred her on. Their noses touched ever so briefly, sliding across as she sought out Tomoyo’s lips. Her heart pounded in her chest as she rested half on top of Tomoyo, trying not to place too much weight on the injured girl. Their lips brushed lightly. Sakura felt sparks tingle through her, the feeling of petal soft lips blanketing her thoughts in a warm bliss. Tomoyo shuddered at the feeling of Sakura’s lips brushing against her own. Even that brief contact went straight to her heart. It felt so nice, so enticing. She pursed her lips, watching Sakura above her, her heart beating against Sakura’s chest. Feeling Sakura so close to her, against her, smelling her hair, seeing those large emerald orbs, it all coalesced around her into a real life fairy tale. But this wasn’t her fairy tale. No matter how much she wanted it to be. Closing her eyes, she sighed. Every bit of her wanted so much to give in, to let this kiss happen. But that wouldn’t be fair to Sakura. She could feel Sakura’s breath against her cheek and her resolve faltered. She already had a taste of Sakura’s love. Why couldn’t she have this? Why? Just this little bit of Sakura... In her love clouded mind, it all made so much sense. Just a kiss. Their first and last kiss. No one would ever have to know. Not even Sakura. So it wouldn’t be betraying Sakura. It would just be one, soft, lovely kiss... “Sakura-chan, please don’t,” Tomoyo whispered softly, reluctantly. She prayed that Sakura would stop in time. She prayed that Sakura wouldn’t listen to her and wouldn’t stop at all. She simply prayed with all her heart. “Tomoyo-chan?” Sakura asked, blinking slowly as if fighting off a haze. Why didn’t Tomoyo want to kiss her? Why didn’t she want to be close like that? Why didn’t she want to share their first kiss? Was something wrong? Sakura slowly sat up, disentangling herself from Tomoyo. “Tomoyo-chan, what’s wrong? Are you... not ready?” It was a silly question. Tomoyo didn’t seem to mind anything as long as it involved Sakura in some way, shape or form. Sakura couldn’t imagine her best friend not being ready to kiss. Tomoyo was already more mature than she was as it was. And if Sakura herself was ready... “No, it isn’t that, Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo replied, her eye slowly opening. She sighed softly, not wanting to continue. There went her chance. And it was her own fault for it. “It’s that I don’t want to take advantage of you.” Explaining things was the only way out now. If she didn’t, it would only hurt Sakura’s feelings. She wanted Sakura to know that she wasn’t rejecting her. “Take advantage of me? No, it’s not like that at all. I want this, too, Tomoyo-chan! I do. With all my heart.” Sakura took Tomoyo’s hand in both of her own, holding it tightly. “I thought about this for a long time. It’s what I want. I want you to be my first kiss.” A blush crossed her cheeks when she finished. Tomoyo smiled sadly, looking up at the mistress of her heart. “And I would love to be able to do that for you, Sakura-chan. I want you to be my first kiss, too. But I can’t do that. I can’t take that away from you. I want your first kiss to be special. I want it to be with the one you really love.” “But I love you,” Sakura argued, not understanding. What was Tomoyo saying? Her heart began to beat in fright. She didn’t like where this was going at all. She held onto Tomoyo’s hand tighter, holding it like a lifeline. Squeezing Sakura’s hands back, Tomoyo felt her heart shiver within her. She didn’t want this to end. But she couldn’t hurt Sakura. She could never allow that of herself. “You don’t really love me, Sakura- chan. You granted me a wish last week. You didn’t know what it was. It made you fall in love with me,” Tomoyo explained quietly.” “No, that wasn’t it. It was...” Sakura blinked, trying to think back to that day. She had granted a wish for Tomoyo. She had forgotten what the wish was. And then she had realized her love for Tomoyo. A sudden pain shot through her heart. “No!! That’s not it! I do love you! It wasn’t a wish. It wasn’t...” Sakura sobbed weakly, tears falling onto the injured girl below her. The world had been pulled out from underneath her. She was falling, unable to grasp onto anything to slow her descent. This past week had been the best week of her life. This newfound love had meant everything to her. How could it only be a wish? Her hands clenched tightly onto Tomoyo’s, not letting go. Tomoyo held onto the other girl with her free arm, rubbing her back. “Please don’t cry, Sakura-chan. It makes me sad to see you cry,” she said softly. “You made my fondest wish come true. For this past week, you have given me the greatest happiness I could imagine. I would never want to give that up for anything.” “But I do love you!” Sakura insisted, sniffling. “It’s not just a spell. I never knew how I felt. But I do now. I love you, Tomoyo- chan. I love you so much. It’s not just magic. It can’t be. I love you too much for it to be. I don’t want it to go away. Ever.” “I love you, too, Sakura-chan. With all of my heart. That’s why I can’t go through with this. It’s only a charade. It was a beautiful charade, but I can’t betray you with it. Because it’s not what you’d really want. It’s only my selfish spell that made you love me. And it’s over tomorrow. Then you’ll be free to fall in love for real with someone else,” Tomoyo explained, trying desperately to smile for Sakura. Tears threatened to overcome her, but she couldn’t stand to cry in front of Sakura, not when the auburn haired girl needed her. “Then I’ll fall in love with you as soon as the spell wears off,” Sakura replied, wiping angrily at her eyes to get the tears away. Frustration and helplessness surrounded her, leaving her feeling lost and lonely. “You aren’t selfish for wanting someone to love you. We all want that Tomoyo-chan. And you deserve it more than anyone I know. I want you to have it.” Her voice broke, more tears spilling down her cheeks. “I want you to have it with me. I love you.” She held onto the pale girl tightly, not daring to let go. Closing her eyes tightly, Tomoyo kept rubbing Sakura’s back. Her own tears were silent, a quiet backdrop to Sakura’s sobs. ‘I’m so sorry, Sakura-chan. I want it to be with you, too. More than anything,’ she thought sadly. “But I do love her, Kero-chan! She just doesn’t believe me. She thinks it’s all some spell. But it can’t be. I know it can’t. I really do love her.” Sakura squeezed her pillow tightly, wishing it was Tomoyo. She hated this. She felt sick. Ever since she had heard that her love might all be a dream she might wake up from, she had felt weak and brittle. If something so strong could be fake, then she had no idea what was real. But she couldn’t believe that. She couldn’t allow herself to. “...” Came Kero’s reply. He didn’t know what to say. It could very well be a spell for all he knew. Clow Reed had been rather unscrupulous with some of the spells he had worked in his day. And Sakura was even more powerful than he was. It sounded likely. But telling Sakura that didn’t sound like a good idea. He wanted to help his Mistress, but he didn’t know how. “I just have to prove it to her,” Sakura went on, ignoring her plush sidekick. “If I can make it past tomorrow afternoon, she’ll have to believe me. Because the deadline was only one week. And I know I love her. Because this wouldn’t hurt so much if I didn’t.” Resting her head against the pillow, she felt her tears soaking into it. She had thought that she had shed all of her tears at Tomoyo’s house, but they just kept coming. She sighed shakily. “I do love her. It’s not some stupid spell. Because she means everything to me. Because she makes me happy. I want to be with her forever. I want to hold her forever, just like I promised. When I close my eyes, I see her. I can hear her singing to me when I listen closely enough. When I’m with her, I’m the happiest girl in the world. When I’m away from her, I just want her to be there again.” Sakura held the pillow in a death grip, slumping onto her side in bed. “I’ve never felt this way before. Not even about Yukito. And not about Syaoran. She makes me feel better than I am. She makes me stronger, better, braver... I need her...” Her voice cracked again, her eyes shutting tightly. Sitting up, she clenched her fists tightly, blinking away her tears. Determination burned in her eyes. “I’m gonna prove it to her, Kero-chan. I don’t care if it was a wish or not. I love Tomoyo-chan. And I’ll love her even after tomorrow. I’ll love her forever.” Sleep would be long in coming that night, but Sakura focussed completely on her thoughts, on Tomoyo, on the feelings inside of her. She would overcome any spell. She wouldn’t let her love die the next day. “Please, Tomoyo-chan, you need to eat,” Sonomi said worriedly, holding out a bit to her daughter. The girl in question simply lay in bed, the life once again faded from her eyes. What had happened to her precious daughter? She had been so vibrant for the past week, so alive. Even if her body was having trouble recovering, Sonomi had been thrilled to see the sparkle in her daughter when they would talk. And now it was all gone again, as if it had never been there at all. “I’m sorry, okaa-sama,” Tomoyo said quietly. “I can’t. It hurts too much.” She closed her eyes tightly, trying to hold back the tears inside. She wanted to eat to appease her mother, but it was too difficult to work up the strength to eat. The last she had seen of Sakura was her wiping at her tear streaked cheeks before leaving. That image, her sad and lonely Sakura, remained with her. She would lose her the next day and it would all be over. And now Sakura was hurting because it. All because she wouldn’t kiss her. Tomoyo sniffled, closing her eyes tighter until they hurt. It was all her fault. Now she would be alone forever and her last memories of her time with Sakura would be that she ruined it. “What’s wrong?” Sonomi asked, suddenly concerned. “Where does it hurt, my little girl?” She set the plate aside, scooting closer to her daughter. Her heart cried out for Tomoyo, wanting some way to take away her pain, to wipe away those tears. “Everywhere,” Tomoyo replied, trying with all her heart not to cry, not to worry her mother. But it was no use. She felt herself being cradled in her mother’s arms, could hear her mother’s soft reassurances. Giving up, she burst into tears against Sonomi, crying in her arms. Those arms were her only solace. Sakura would soon be taken away from her and her memories would be marred with the pain she inadvertently caused. She cried against her mother until all her tears were gone. Sonomi would not leave her that night. Eventually, she fell asleep in her mother’s arms. Tomoyo lay in bed silently, staring up at her ceiling once more. She felt drained. Her whole body felt weak, empty. Her mother had finally gone to work only after Tomoyo had promised her that she was feeling better and that she would try to eat. And it was true. She was feeling a little better. The night before she had felt hopeless. Now she could at least be thankful that Sakura would probably forget all about her pain in just a few short hours and would be back to her normal, genki self. And her love would be gone forever. She closed her eyes, not wanting to think about that. A knock at her door drew her attention. At first she thought it was a maid, but she quickly changed her mind. The knock was soft and shy. “Sakura-chan,” Tomoyo whispered. “Come on in, Sakura-chan,” she said louder. The door opened to reveal her friend. Sakura gazed over at Tomoyo for a long minute, feeling a little awkward. After the day before, she wasn’t quite sure what to say. She entered the room, closing the door behind her. Walking over to the bed, she sat next to Tomoyo. Her thoughts swirled around her, but they weren’t the same pleasant thoughts that had assailed her the day before when they had almost kissed. But she was here for a reason. She didn’t have much time left before the wish ran out. She took a deep breath, mustering up her motivation. It wasn’t over yet. “I have something for you,” she said at last. “You didn’t have to get me anything,” Tomoyo said quickly. She offered a small smile. “You’re all I ever really wanted. I’m glad you’re here.” She reached over, taking one of Sakura’s hands in her own. Sakura returned the smile briefly, making her feel a little better. Digging around in the bag she had brought with her, Sakura pulled out a new camcorder. She looked at it for a moment before handing it out to Tomoyo. “I got it with the money I have saved up. Well, and I’ll be doing onii-chan’s chores from now until I move out because he helped with it. But I wanted to get you something.” Tomoyo put a hand on the camcorder, running her fingers over it. Her old one was gone now, but Sakura had gone to get her a new one. That meant so much to her. She looked up quickly, meeting Sakura’s anxious gaze. “Thank you so much, Sakura-chan. It’s wonderful!” Sakura smiled back, obviously pleased. “I know you could buy another one, but I wanted to get it for you.” She reached out, taking Tomoyo’s hands. “When you get better... Please use it a lot. To make up for all the time you’ve been stuck in bed. Whenever you videotape me, I feel so special. I feel like I’m your movie star. And that.. it really makes me feel happy. Seeing you smile when you’re watching me, it makes me want to do everything I can for you in front of the camera.” Nodding solemnly, Tomoyo looks up at Sakura. “I will. I’ll videotape as much as I can of you. So I can capture all of the beautiful moments in your life.” “In our life,” Sakura corrects, squeezing Tomoyo’s hands. “I’m not going anywhere. I love you. I’ll always love you. This isn’t going to change anything. I want you to videotape all of the wonderful things in our life. Our first real date. Our first baby. Our wedding. Everything. I want to sit with you when we’re all grown up and watch these tapes together. I want to be able to look back and blush at seeing us together through all the years. And I want to say, ‘See, Tomoyo-chan? I told you I’d hold you forever.’ And I want you to smile and..” Sakura closed her eyes, trailing off as tears fell down her cheeks. Tomoyo gently brushed Sakura’s tears away with her fingertips. “I love you so much,” she whispered. “And I will always love you. Exactly because of things like this. Because Sakura-chan has the biggest heart I know. And I know I’ll always have an important place in your heart, even if it’s just as your best friend.” Her heart sung at Sakura’s devotion, at the hopes and dreams Sakura held for them. She wished those dreams could come true, that they could spend an eternity together. “I will love you!” Sakura shook her head, tears flinging from her cheeks. “Even if I have to use another magic spell. I’ll always love you. I need you. I don’t want to lose you after all this.” Smiling softly, Tomoyo trailed her fingers through Sakura’s hair. “But then you wouldn’t be the Sakura-chan that I’m in love with. You wouldn’t be able to shine. Because you would be lying to your heart. And I want your heart to be free. I want you to fall in love with the person who can make you happiest, whoever that may be. Because I love you.” “How can you say that? How can you let that happen? Because I don’t ever want you being in love with someone else. I love you so much. I couldn’t let you go. You do make me happy. You make me more than I am. That’s why I don’t want to ever let you go,” Sakura argued, tears still falling past her chin. Tomoyo sighed, her eyes closing for a moment. She felt so tired. If only they could live happily ever after... “If Sakura-chan couldn’t let me go... That would make me very happy. And I’ll always love you. I’ll always be yours, Sakura-chan. Whether or not you know that.” It was hard for her to keep seeing this as magic. Sakura genuinely seemed to be in love. With her. She really seemed to want to spend forever with her. It was hard to write it off as just the spell. Because she knew Sakura. And Sakura was fighting desperately to hold onto her right now. And she didn’t want to fight against Sakura. Maybe Sakura really did love her. Her heart skipped a beat at that thought. Maybe she had been wrong all along. “I love you, too, Tomoyo-chan. And I always will. No matter what some stupid spell says. I love you,” Sakura insisted. As if to prove her point, she leant forward. Her tear-filled eyes closed as she leant over her best friend. Her hands held onto Tomoyo’s sides as she came closer. ‘I love you!’ she wanted to scream with every fiber of her being. She wasn’t going to let that die. Nothing would kill that. It may have just been a spell at first, but it was more than that now. She did love Tomoyo. And nothing would ever take that away from her. Tomoyo could feel Sakura against her, the Cardmistress’s chest shaking slightly as her body shook from crying too much. The heiress held onto the auburn haired girl as best she could, wanting to take that all away. Her dearest Sakura should never have to be marred by tears. Her own heart swelled as she saw Sakura leaning towards her. She didn’t want to betray Sakura. But she wasn’t betraying Sakura. This really was Sakura. These were her feelings, her hopes and dreams. Tomoyo met Sakura’s lips as they reached hers. That silky soft feeling melted against her lips, drawing away her breath in a sensuous kiss. She kissed Sakura back, her working arm going around Sakura’s waist as they did. Each kiss was like a declaration of love, a prayer that things would work out, that this wasn’t the end. Sakura finally felt Tomoyo lips against her own. This time there was no resistance. Tomoyo was kissing her back softly, sending a shiver through her body. It felt so nice. ‘I do love you,’ Sakura thought again, kissing back with all the strength she could muster. Tomoyo seemed a bit surprised at first, but quickly matched her. Sakura never wanted their lips to part. It felt intoxicating, like being bathed in pure love. She snuggled closer to Tomoyo, embracing her as they kissed again. If only she could keep kissing her until the deadline, until it was all over. She felt safe with Tomoyo, in her arms. She felt a dizzying mix of warmth and wonder at each additional kiss. She would prove to Tomoyo that she would hold her forever. That they would be together forever. She would make Tomoyo happy. They would always.. always... They would always what? Their lips met in kiss after kiss, turning Tomoyo’s world into a sea of cherry blossoms. Each lingering kiss felt like a brush of angel wings against her soul. For once, Tomoyo could fully express her love for the brunette, and she did so as best she could. She kissed back with all the love in her heart, trying not to think about tomorrow. There was only now. And now would last forever. She could slowly feel Sakura lessening the kisses, could feel less coming from the other girl. Sakura seemed bewildered, out of place. Tomoyo stopped immediately. Looking up at her friend. Her heart cried out, a sharp blade slicing through it. She wanted to deny it, to believe that it wasn’t true. But Sakura just looked at her in confusion. It was over. Her blissful week was gone. Sakura’s love was gone. Her most treasured gift was now no more than a memory. “Tomoyo-chan? What happened? I can’t remember anything. It’s all blurry. Hoe...” Sakura shook her head, trying to focus. But the harder she focussed, the further away it all got. Like a dream upon awakening, it all began to fade from her mind as if it had never been. She shook her head, sitting up. Had she fallen asleep on Tomoyo or something? “Did I make your wish come true?” she asked hopefully. That was the last thing she could remember, trying to make Tomoyo’s wish come true. Tomoyo forced a smile, blinking quickly. “Yes, you did, Sakura- chan. You did it wonderfully. It was the most beautiful wish I could ever hope for. Thank you so much for this week,” she said with all her heart. All her broken heart. Sakura’s love was gone forever now. Only her memory remained of it. She didn’t even have videos of it to relive it all. Only the time they shared. Now she would have to give it all up. And for Sakura, she could. At least Sakura wasn’t scared about losing her love anymore. Because for her, it had never been. But for Tomoyo, it would always live on in her heart. “Tomoyo-chan, are you crying?” Sakura asked worriedly. “Everything will always be all right,” Tomoyo whispered. Several Years Later: Tomoyo knelt before Sakura, sewing up a few last modifications on her best friend’s wedding dress. The wedding was only a day away and Tomoyo wanted everything to be perfect for her dearest Sakura. She had tried her hardest to help Sakura and Syaoran get together. They really did make such a cute couple. And seeing Sakura about to get married gave Tomoyo something to latch onto, to pour all of her heart and soul into. Sakura had given her practically a free reign over the wedding to do with as she pleased. So the heiress was putting her all into making sure it was the best wedding ever. She wanted it to be something Sakura would never forget. It was supposed to be the happiest moment in Sakura’s life, so it had to be absolutely perfect. Suppressing a yawn, Tomoyo went back to work on Sakura’s dress. She had barely gotten any sleep at all in the past week and a half. There was so much to do and she wanted to finish all of it in time for the wedding. Her life had been dedicated completely to the wedding, to the realization of her most cherished wish for Sakura to be happy. There would be no sleep that night either. She still had to make the wedding cake and finish the last few modifications on the wedding dress, which she was doing now. Sleep didn’t matter. Sakura’s wedding did. There would be plenty of time for sleep when Sakura was off on her honeymoon. And plenty of time for crying. But that was all for later. For now she had Sakura’s wedding to look forward to. In many ways, she had been hoping for it even more than Sakura. Because it had always been something she fantasized about, Sakura’s gorgeous wedding. So she had to strive to make that dream a reality. “Tomoyo-chan, are you okay?” Sakura asked concernedly. “You don’t look so well. You look sick.” She held her hands together in front of her as she waited for Tomoyo to finish. She felt so nervous. Smiling weakly, the young businesswoman shook her head. “I’m fine, Sakura-chan. I’ve just been very busy lately. It will be better after the wedding. Then I can watch my tape of Sakura-chan’s Happy Wedding over and over and over again.” Tomoyo sighed dreamily, returning to the task at hand. “But.. Tomoyo-chan, aren’t you lonely?” Sakura asked curiously, looking down at the beautiful heiress kneeling before her. “The best happiness is knowing that the one you love is happy. If they’re happy, that’s all that truly matters,” Tomoyo replied, not looking up. Of course she was lonely. But that was all right. Because Sakura wouldn’t be. Sweatdropping, Sakura continued to stare down at her friend. “I must be selfish, then. Because I want to be happy, too.” She sighed, waiting patiently for her friend to finish. She was used to being Tomoyo’s model for dresses by now, but the fact that this wasn’t just some normal costume sent a fresh wave of butterflies through her stomach. Tomoyo stopped her work, looking up at last. “You deserve to be happy, Sakura-chan. That’s not selfish at all. You want to be loved, to be happy. And that’s what I want for you, too.” “I hope so.” Sakura sighed, her eyes closing for a moment as she tried to relax. Kneeling down, she looked over at Tomoyo. Reaching into midair, she summoned a small ring with her magic. Looking into Tomoyo’s eyes, she took another nervous breath. “Tomoyo-chan, will you marry me?” she asked, holding out the ring in her hands. Tomoyo could only stare in shock for a frozen moment. This didn’t make sense. It didn’t compute for Tomoyo. Sakura plus Syaoran equals happiness. This wasn’t anything that she had planned. “But.. what about Syaoran?” she asked desperately, trying to make sense out of the situation. Her heart was thundering in her chest as she met Sakura’s gaze. Watching Sakura in her wedding dress, hearing her propose, she felt weak. Sakura looks down before answering. “I called it off a few nights ago. He’s already back in Hong Kong. My heart just wasn’t in it. You wanted this wedding more than I did. That’s why I couldn’t tell you. I didn’t want to break your heart. I didn’t want this wedding dress you worked so hard on to go to waste.” She pulled at the dress in emphasis. “I couldn’t let you do all that for the wedding and then just call it off. But my heart didn’t belong to him. I didn’t love him. I’ve been feeling more and more lately like I was just going to marry him because everyone wanted me to. Like I didn’t have a choice in the matter, that it was all expected of me. And more and more...” she sighs, looking back up into Tomoyo’s eyes. “I’ve been missing you. You’ve always been there for me, Tomoyo-chan. But sometimes I forget that I need to be there for you, too. And I want to be there for you. Through everything. Because I love you. I finally realized that. You’re the one who always makes me happy. Not him. Not anyone else. You do. Making this dress for me, working on my wedding, you were trying to give me something beautiful. You were trying to make me happy. I love you, Tomoyo-chan. I want to have this wedding. With you. It’s just as much your wedding as it is mine. You spent so much time on it. You deserve a little happiness, too.” “Sakura-chan...” Tomoyo was taken aback by the sudden turn of events. Sakura’s words had her heart melting. She swallowed back tears, holding her hands to her chest. Her eyes were lost in emerald pools. It wasn’t even a question. “Of course I’ll marry you, Sakura- chan!” Tomoyo watched as Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and giggled herself, the tension draining from her weary body. Sakura reached out and took her hand, sliding the small ring on her finger. Such a delicate act sent ripples through Tomoyo’s heart and soul. Sakura’s hand didn’t leave hers when it was done, instead settling on her palm. She gazed at Sakura adoringly. This wedding had been all about Sakura’s happiness. It had been the goal she had striven for. And now Sakura was sharing that with her. “I’ll need to have someone use my camcorder to record it all,” she said thoughtfully. “I’m sure we’ll always remember it, even if it’s not on tape,” Sakura reassured her eccentric fiance. Tomoyo smiled at the other woman. “I made a promise a long time ago that I would. And years from now, we’ll sit together and watch it, those beautiful times we’ve spent together.” Returning the smile, Sakura nodded. “Un! And we’ll always be making plenty of new memories together, too.” She leant forward, a little shyly. Tomoyo met her halfway, kissing her. Sakura relaxed into the kiss, her fingers entwining with Tomoyo. The wedding seemed far off, like a distant happening. This was what she really wanted. Her fingers gently brushed through Tomoyo’s beautiful hair, feeling the strands between her fingers. She could feel Tomoyo’s warm hand on her cheek. She sighed happily as she sat back. Tomoyo watched Sakura, entranced. Her head was still swimming from their kiss. The wedding she longed for, the girl she loved, the happiness she didn’t think she could have had all managed to find their way onto her lap. It was almost too much to bear. Sakura hugged her tightly, the wedding dress clad woman snuggling against her. Tomoyo sighed deliciously, melting against the auburn haired girl. “I’ll never let go, Tomoyo-chan, I promise,” Sakura whispered, her eyes closed. Her fingers trailed absentmindedly through Tomoyo’s silky hair. For the first time in months, she wasn’t worried about her wedding. Now she couldn’t wait. She didn’t know how she would explain the change of plans to everyone, but it didn’t seem to matter. Tomoyo would be there with her. She could do anything with Tomoyo by her side. “That’s all I could ever wish for,” Tomoyo replied, resting her head on Sakura’s shoulder. There was still much to be done for the wedding. She still needed to finish Sakura’s dress. And she hadn’t even started on the cake. But all of that paled in comparison to Sakura herself. Tomoyo finally had her wish. Sakura was happy. And in a beautiful miracle, she got to be the one to make Sakura happy. There would be time for a big, noisy wedding soon. For now, she just wanted to be with Sakura. And Sakura felt the same. Sighing happily, Tomoyo nuzzled Sakura’s neck, her eyes falling shut. “I love you,” she whispered, her voice muffled in Sakura’s dress. She had finally found the magic. It was there. Everything really would be all right. Because Sakura brought out that magic. And she could believe that with Sakura. Because their happiness was intertwined, two beautiful red ribbons tied together into a bow. “So what do we name our baby?” Tomoyo asked curiously. “Tomoyo-chan..” Sakura sweatdropped. “Don’t you think you’re looking a little too far forward?” “I’ve been planning Sakura-chan’s wedding since I was ten years old. I like to have everything nice and worked out so that it can go smoothly,” Tomoyo explains. “And you’ve already granted one of my wishes. And wishes usually come in threes. My next was to see Sakura- chan with a beautiful baby.” Sakura giggled softly, nodding. “Hai, I’ll see what I can do about that one. But later. And what’s your third wish? It has something to do with ribbons, right?” Tomoyo blinked. “How did you guess?” Sakura blushed, holding closer to Tomoyo. “I should have known. I think I can make that one come true on the honeymoon.” “See? It’s fun to plan things ahead. And I think Sakura-chan’s getting good at it.” The pale girl giggled, resting against Sakura. Their hearts beat in tandem. And the two held each other, listening to their very own melody.