‘prologue’
Sakura sighed blissfully as she nestled up to Li, and yawned.
"Tired?"
"Maybe just a bit. That was some party." Li grinned. Then, delighting in the fact that he now could, he traced his fingertip down her jawline and kissed the top of her head. It hadn’t been too long since he’d returned to Japan, after all, and it was still so strange being a boyfriend. Strange, but nice.
Sakura took his hand in hers and lipped the tip of his finger gently.
Very nice.
"Now, now, you two," Eriol remonstrated. "Is my descendent actually being anything less than a gentleman with my favorite person?"
Li was tired too, but he was never too tired to glower at the blue-eyed boy lounging on a chair across the room. He did so then, and the teenager who was in fact his ancestor chuckled.
Tomoyo, reemerging in the doorway, joined in with a giggle of her own.
"Oh but, Eriol-kun, you know Li-kun is nothing but a perfect gentleman. And a gentleman never brags, does he?"
Sakura laughed.
"Good for me, I guess." She yawned again. "It’s late. I suppose we should get going. You-know-who will be up and watching the clock." Li groaned slightly, then stood. At this hour, the last thing he needed was a face-off against Touya.
"Then we’re gone. Goodnight, Tomoyo. Great party."
"Thank you, Li-kun. Good night, Sakura. Happy birthday."
"Thanks, Tomoyo. For the party, and everything." She beamed at her best friend, who responded with a nonchalant shrug like always. "And you, Eriol-kun. Thanks so much for coming to be with me tonight. I guess I won’t see you again for a while?"
"No. I leave extremely early tomorrow morning."
"And I suppose it’s no good asking when you’ll be back?"
She could see her reflection in his glasses as he smiled and gave a tiny shake of the head.
"No good at all, I’m afraid. A year perhaps. Maybe two. Only time will tell."
He raised her hand to his lips, and Li bristled just a little.
"Happy birthday, Sakura. Good wishes for your fourteenth year."
"Bye, Eriol-kun." She withdrew her hand from his to hug him. "Come back real soon."
He made no reply to that, and simply hugged her. Tomoyo had to bite back a smile when she saw Li fidget. Finally he cleared his throat, and Sakura pulled away.
Li took her hand. He was a little more succinct in his farewell.
"Bye."
"Goodbye, Li-kun."
"I’ll just see you two out," Tomoyo offered. They left Eriol smirking in the room and headed for the front door of the Daidouji mansion.
Though a little sad about Eriol’s departure, the birthday girl was glowing with happiness that evening. Tomoyo cast an approving eye over her green silk flowered dress, one of her creations, and smiled.
"You looked so adorable tonight, Sakura. That dress is one of my best yet."
"I couldn’t agree more," Li added, and draped his arm around a blushing Sakura.
"Oh Tomoyo, you shouldn’t fuss so. You’re the one that made the dress. You’re the one that threw the party." Tomoyo brushed her words away as she opened the door.
"Enjoyed every minute of it. Now goodnight you two."
"Goodnight," they both chorused. As late as it was, the April night was chilly, and Sakura snuggled even closer to Li as they left the porch.
She looks so beautiful tonight. They look so beautiful together.
Tomoyo allowed herself a moment of pained pleasure as she rested her head against the wooden door, and watched them walk down the drive.
But the night was cold, and she still had one more guest to take care of. Tomoyo shut the door and retraced her steps down the hallway.
Eriol was standing by the window when she returned, gazing out at the starry sky.
"Pretty view, out over this estate," he commented.
"It’s nice, I suppose." She was exhausted, and swallowed a yawn. "You have an early flight. Shouldn’t you get to bed?"
"In a minute." He turned around and focused on her. "That was a truly wonderful party you threw tonight, Tomoyo-san."
"So everybody said."
"You’re very good at those sorts of things, aren’t you?"
"I guess." She flushed a little. Was it her imagination, or was he staring at her? "You’re too kind." Looking for an excuse to put her eyes somewhere else, she bent over and straightened the cushions that Sakura had rumpled.
The room was quiet.
What just happened? The atmosphere feels a little…strange. Different. I wasn’t expecting this.
She straightened, and found herself looking right into Eriol’s calm blue eyes. Her breath caught in her throat and she tried to back away, but she was already pressed up against the couch. How had he crossed the room so fast?
"Well."
"Well."
"Congratulations. On your successful party."
"Thank you," she squeaked.
What’s going on here? Why is he looking at me like this? Stop looking at me…please stop.
He wasn’t just looking at her now. He was running her palms lightly up her bare arms, then resting them on her shoulders. Tomoyo’s breath was coming in little, quick gasps now.
This is new. This is scary. I…don’t know what to do. He’s going to kiss me, and I don’t know what to do.
Indeed, he was holding her firmly in place as he leaned forward. And then he was kissing her.
Her lips were so soft and virginal. She was scared, he knew, scared and unsure. So unlike her normal self. Eriol found that to be rather interesting, and pushed a little harder, parting those lips with his tongue. She wasn’t pushing him off, but she wasn’t really responding either.
After allowing himself another second of pained pleasure, he pulled away.
She was frozen, staring at him in total shock.
"I’m going to go to bed now. You will do the same. I’ll be up early to catch my flight to England. You’ll be up too, since you’re not going to get any sleep tonight anyway, but you won’t come out of your room to say goodbye. So I’ll say it right now. Goodbye, Tomoyo-san. Nice party."
He smiled and stepped around her to leave the room, his hand drawing across her chest as he did so. Her sudden intake of breath was clearly audible, and he almost chuckled. But a chuckle would be most un-gentlemanly, and he remained silent as he left the room.
Tomoyo sank onto couch, grateful that he was finally gone.
What…what just happened? Why? How? I…don’t know. I’m not used to not knowing. It was just so unexpected.
She touched her fingers to her lips. They tingled still.
I don’t know if I liked it or not. It was exciting. I don’t know if that makes it nice.
Why?
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
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