She Writes His Heart Chapter 8: Discoveries
Notes and preview at end of chapter! I heart you all!
Eriol covered his ears as Tomoyo let out a loud "KAWAII!" She was reviewing the footage she'd shot of Sakura and Syaoran fighting Shadow in the park.
"Look at how they move! Syaoran is so sexy, protecting Sakura, my graceful sweet angel of light!" she squealed.
"And how are you going to explain your presence in the park in the dead of night with a low-light sensitive camera?" Eriol asked, one brow raised.
"Do you really think Sakura is going to ask?" Tomoyo shot back. "I'll just show her this and she'll have to let me join her during her outings to film card captures!"
"I'm not worrying about Sakura," Eriol said quietly.
Tomoyo looked at him, then turned away. She knew he meant Syaoran, so she blithely said, "Syaoran won't ask too many questions, yay!"
"Look," and Eriol sat beside her. "Why are you so obsessed with this? And don't try changing the subject because I'm not going to let it go this time."
A long silence stretched between them. Tomoyo fidgeting, and Eriol calmly looking at her.
"How long does it take for you to trust me and open up to me?" Eriol asked gently. "And don't change the topic…"
"You already said that," Tomoyo said, a small smile on her lips.
"Fine. Let me speculate then. Could it be that you wish you were Sakura?"
Again an awkward silence, then, "I just want her to be happy."
"I imagine that she would prefer to be able to talk to her best friend about her heartache over Yukito Tsukishiro, yes?" Eriol figured this would hit a sore spot, since he knew Sakura's calls to Tomoyo were being routed to voice mail, and her messages were receiving "K n prb" answers from Tomoyo.
Tomoyo looked at Eriol. "You wouldn't understand."
"Try me," he challenged.
Just as Eriol expected, she smiled a big fake smile then asked him, "Do you want cookies? It's the first time you're staying over at my place. We should celebrate!"
He stood up to move closer to her. "Tomoyo-san…"
She stood up and sailed to the kitchen. "Chocolate chip! Coming up with milk!"
Eriol sighed and sat down again. This wasn't easy for him, being caught up in the whirlwind that was Tomoyo. But patience was the key. She was acting differently from her normal self-possessed countenance for a reason, and he wanted to help her.
Perhaps it's time to let some of our plans go wrong? He thought.
A mischievous smile lit up his face. He closed his eyes and began to work some complex magic, involving the latest issue of Kawaii, email alerts for subscribers and buyers of Kawaii, Yukito Tsukishiro's stove (don't ask), and Sakura's alarm clock.
It was time for surprises… and if anything, surprises were what Eriol loved most in the world.
Sakura walked to the office, a bounce in her step after she'd been woken up too early. She could have sworn she had set her alarm for 7:30 a.m., but it went off at 6:45. Unable to go back to sleep, Sakura decided to prepare for the day. Since it was such a nice day, she went to work early, walking through the cool streets of Tokyo to her office. She greeted shopkeepers as she passed, getting happy "Good morning!"s in return.
To her surprise she'd gotten a call that morning from Yukito. He'd not offered an apology for what happened several days earlier; instead he had cheerfully informed her that he had planned to bring her cookies as a surprise that morning, but since his oven had mysteriously burned them all, he would drop by her office tomorrow instead. "Share them with Li-kun," he said. "Fudge cookies, I know you like them!"
Sakura had been too stunned to say anything except "Okay," and Yukito had hung up after a carefree goodbye.
Even though she still felt a little hurt over what happened with Yukito, Sakura realized that she needed to grow up a bit more. She'd realized Touya and Yukito were lovers; it stung a bit, to be honest, to know that both had been lying to her all that time. But in a way Sakura also realized, on her own, that she had been lucky; she'd seen her friend Naoko in the throes of heartbreak in the past, and had hoped it would never happen to her.
Plus, Yukito was, after all, the false form of Syaoran's guardian Yue. Sakura understood that she had a duty to perform. What was that Kero had said, after all? That gathering the Cards and mastering them meant preventing the disaster of the world? I may not have asked for it, she thought, but it is my duty to see things through.
Besides, she was happy to have her good friend Syaoran be there for her. He'd forgiven her for what happened the other night, and she felt happy and safe with him. I am so lucky, Sakura thought cheerfully. I have good friends, a good life, and things will turn out well, I'm sure! It would be ungrateful of me not to appreciate my blessings!
Of course in the classic tradition of clueless denial, Sakura had taken the kissing incident with Syaoran in stride. Tomoyo would have been livid to see that particular development. But Sakura's mind refused to handle more than one emotional crisis at a time, and she did not want to dwell on her confused feelings for Syaoran.
Speaking of which, she could see him looking furtive as he stood under the awning before Kinokuiya, a comics, newspaper, book, and magazine store.
"Syaoraaaan-kun! Ohayo!" she called cheerily.
Syaoran stiffened, turned thirty shades of red, and dropped the paper bag he was holding. "Ah… ohayo… um…" he stammered.
Sakura grinned as she looked down. "Ne, Syaoran, is that a dirty magazine?" she teased him.
He practically prickled up and began backing up against the wall. "N-no! I… ah, um…"
She bent down to pick up the package. "May I?"
Syaoran looked positively terrified, and Sakura cocked her head curiously. "Um, I was just kidding. Are you okay?"
His jaws were working but no sound was coming out, and Sakura was afraid he would pass out. "Here," she said softly as she handed the package back to him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tease you."
He relaxed, but Sakura couldn't help but think of how cute he was when he got flustered.
"No, I… it's not…" With a look of defeat he bowed his head, took out the magazine, and handed it to her with the air of one making a sacrifice. "I don't know if you'll believe me but I was doing research. I got the alert that this issue was coming out early, so… er…"
"Kawaii?" Sakura took the magazine. "May I?" She indicated the thin plastic film covering it.
"S-sure," Syaoran said.
She ripped it open, stuffing the mess into a nearby trashcan, then saw that there was a cartoon boy on the cover… who looked exactly like Syaoran. "Xiao Long: What will happen to him now? Find out in this month's chapter of 'Captors' by the super amazing four woman comic team Lamplight!"
The drawing of the boy captured Syaoran's features perfectly, like he'd actually sat for it. In it his brown eyes were fierce but there was something kind and gentle in them somehow.
"Oh, wow," Sakura breathed. "Is this your secret?" She turned sparkling eyes on him. "You model for him, don't you? You know the Lamplight people? So cool!"
"I…" Of all the reactions she could have, this was the last one Syaoran would have thought she'd have. "No, I don't," he said after taking a deep breath. "I don't even know where the Lamplight office is… although I might visit them soon enough."
"So this is coincidence?" Sakura asked.
"I… I don't know. I wanted to know what happened next," Syaoran said.
Seeing the look on his face, Sakura said, "I get the feeling there's more to this."
"There is." Syaoran quickly summarized the SkyPhenomenon fanfic—even though he'd already told her about it before, she seemed to have forgotten. "The fanfic follows the manga faithfully, so I thought that maybe I could find out what might happen to us next."
"So why were you hiding it?" Sakura asked curiously as Syaoran stuffed the magazine back into the bag and they began to walk to work.
"People will laugh," Syaoran said ruefully. "You don't expect a guy my age to be into this kind of thing." After some hesitation he told her what had happened when he'd accidentally bought a porn magazine to cover "Kawaii."
Sakura laughed heartily. "Sorry, sorry," she gasped, holding up a hand. "It was funny. I'm not making fun of you."
As if I could take offense where you're involved, Syaoran thought, and he smiled a bit. "It's okay. It was stupid. But I feel like I have to keep an eye on it, so that I don't end up feeling like someone's controlling me, you know?"
"But it's you!" Sakura declared. "It makes sense. Magic is what's at work here, with you, me, the Cards, our Guardians… My brother once said there is no such thing as coincidence… um…" She looked at him sheepishly; she'd forgotten what came next.
"There is no such thing as coincidence… only destiny." Syaoran finished softly.
"Hoe, how do you know that?" Sakura asked.
"Because that's what Fa Ying's brother Yoya always says," Syaoran said. "Now if he has an ex-girlfriend named Misaki Kaho who was his middle school teacher, I will be seriously afraid…"
The look in Sakura's eyes stopped him. "Oh no."
"Her name was Kaho Mizuki," Sakura said softly. "I didn't know about that until I entered college and Yukito-san mentioned it. But yes, they met and fell in love when he was fifteen, then she left."
"She said she was going to study abroad, didn't she?" Syaoran said very softly. "And she was his student teacher, not a full teacher. She taught math. Did she have long reddish-brown hair and light brown eyes?"
"Yes on all counts, and she was beautiful; she substituted for one of my math classes once."
"She went to England," Syaoran continued.
Sakura nodded.
"Is your father an archaeologist who teaches at Tokyo University? Was your mother's name Nadeshiko, and did she die when you were three years old? Does your best friend's mother run a toy and electronics factory?"
Sakura, who suddenly looked a bit afraid and lost, nodded at Syaoran. "Was that all in the manga as well?"
Syaoran nodded. "Are you sure you don't have relatives who are writers for Lamplight?"
"No, my only living relatives are on my mother's side."
"Because your dad was raised in an orphanage," Syaoran said.
"Why is that story so… so real?" Sakura asked softly. Her hand crept into his, and he held it reassuringly.
"Well so far the story hasn't delved into my background yet. If Xiao Long has four sisters and a scary mom, and he lives on Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, well, I'll be worried," Syaoran tried for a little humor, but it didn't make Sakura smile; she opened her eyes wider, looking apprehensive.
"Hey… it's all right," he said quietly. "We'll figure this out. I promise."
She set her chin then asked, "Do you have the rest of the Captors manga? In tankoubon form?"
"I do, why?"
"Can I read them? As soon as work lets out?"
"Sure, but I have to go home to get them…"
"I'll go with you." A determined look was in Sakura's eyes.
"S-sure," Syaoran said, although he could feel a bit of a blush creeping towards his ears. The thought of Sakura at his place gave him a thrill, but also scared him.
Suddenly Sakura hugged him; Syaoran realized he looked silly, all stiff and unresponsive as a beautiful girl hugged him. He slowly placed his arms around her as well, then tentatively, he hugged back.
"S-Sakura?"
She looked up at him. "I'm so confused. I don't really know where this is going and what's happening and why it's happening to us. But with you around, I… I feel better."
"Don't worry," Syaoran placed a hand on her head. "I'm here."
"Thank you, so much," she said fervently. "You don't even have to do this for me…"
He shook his head. "I do," he said firmly, then he smiled. "Don't worry about it."
Sakura's sunny smile came back, and Syaoran smiled as well. Hand in hand they walked to the office, both feeling better about their strange lives.
"Team-building? We have a budget for that?" Sakura asked curiously. She and Syaoran had been swept into a meeting as soon as they arrived at the office, leaving her and Syaoran no time to confer further about the SkyPhenomena fanfic.
The meeting, which included her, Syaoran, Eriol, Tomoyo, Chiharu Mihara, and Yamazaki Takashi, had been about the audit strategies they were going to use on the wellness centers their company supplied and oversaw. Now her best friend Tomoyo stood up, and made her announcement: since they were a new team, and it was summer, they had been given a seaside trip to work on team bonding and to plan the audit strategies for the fiscal year.
"Indeed we do, Sakura-chan," Syaoran's friend—well, it was the closest term, since the strangely antagonistic Syaoran and the playfully mysterious and mischievous Eriol seemed to get along nonetheless—Eriol said. "Okinawa is famous for its beaches, and we've got a company discount for the flight to Ishigaki, from which we proceed to the island that's been reserved for us by our supervisor Meilin."
"Ooh, I like the beach," Takashi Yamazaki enthused. "Did you guys know that on beaches you can have locked door murder mysteries? And there are many ghosts as a result of those mysteries?"
"No… way," Sakura breathed. Her eyes were wide and fearful, Syaoran noted.
"Oh but it is perfect for mysteries and ghosts and spirits. The isolation, the remoteness, the… OW!"
Yamazaki's girlfriend Chiharu Mihara had smacked him on the side of his head.
"Stop the lies," she said with the air of someone who's heard it a hundred times too often.
"But it's true," Yamazaki grinned.
Sakura, sitting next to Syaoran, gripped the edge of her seat. He looked at her sympathetically, then changed the topic.
"How many days? What activities do we have planned, so we can prepare materials?" Syaoran asked. "What's the expected output?"
Eriol, with a tiny glance and grin at Tomoyo, brought out the agenda for the three days of team building, with a bonus day for them to do whatever they liked. "We leave Friday morning at the Narita airport…"
"This Friday? But it's Wednesday!" Sakura gasped, as she glanced at Syaoran.
"The sooner, the better," Tomoyo twittered. "I can help you pack, if you like!"
"Uh… Thursday night? Sure," Sakura said slowly.
"Don't forget to pack a jacket," Yamazaki said innocently.
"Why?" Sakura asked.
"Because if you're alone in your cabin, it sometimes suddenly gets cold… and fingers of ice can touch you," he said in a low voice.
Chiharu smacked him, Sakura breathed a small "hoe!" and Eriol stifled his laughter. Syaoran rolled his eyes, and as the meeting progressed, he deflected all talk of ghosts by sticking to the agenda like glue.
"So do we meet at the airport?" Syaoran asked.
"No we assemble in front of the office at 6 a.m.," Eriol said, and Sakura gave a tiny groan. So early!
"We'll be taking a van, and I have a driver, so nobody worry," Tomoyo said. To Sakura she said, "You can sleep over the night before, so you won't be late."
"Oh, thanks!" Sakura smiled. Then softly, "I miss you, Tomoyo-chan."
A brief pang of guilt shot through Tomoyo but she pushed it aside and grinned at her cousin and best friend. "Me too! We have lots to talk about!"
The meeting progressed sort of smoothly. If Yamazaki so much as began with "I hear that in the resort…" Syaoran would leap into the conversation with "… ah yes, you're right, Yamazaki, resorts are conducive to creativity. Like in agenda item 6, in which we are supposed to create a system of overlaps for reviews. Why not make teams of two which rotate with each outlet, thereby providing backup and a system of double checks?"
Tomoyo, with a big smile on her face, said, "I couldn't agree more, Li-kun. That's why teams will room together."
"Oh brother," Syaoran cast a glance at Yamazaki, then at Eriol. "Either way I register my protest…"
"But Li-kun, there are six of us. Surely you see the advantage of doing audits in unisex pairs?"
Syaoran had the feeling he was being trapped, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out how. "Yeeesss," he drew out the word. "Women are better at getting positive responses and cooperation from both sexes, especially during investigation, and we guys are better at getting obedience…"
"Exactly. So here's the list of partners, and to speed up the bonding process, you and your partner will be roommates on the island!"
Syaoran looked at the list, then turned red. It read:
Partners/Assigned Room
Daidouji – Hiiragizawa / Cabin A
Kinomoto – Li / Cabin B
Mihara – Takashi / Cabin C
Tomoyo barely avoided casting a triumphant look at Eriol; she could hear him sighing in exasperation behind her. She had discussed this with Meilin earlier, and Meilin had given her full permission… without Eriol's knowledge.
"Is everyone OK with their partner?" Tomoyo asked innocently.
Syaoran and Sakura had turned red, but then Sakura realized, if any Cards showed up, it meant she and Syaoran wouldn't have to excuse themselves or lie to someone else. Quickly, she piped up, "Yeah, no problem!"
Syaoran didn't know whether to faint for joy or to have a nosebleed. To be in such intimate contact with Sakura for five days and four nights… it could be heaven or it could be hell. But when Sakura gave him a "you know why!" look, he nodded. "Okay by me," he said faintly.
To cover up his awkwardness, he harried the meeting along, and soon they were finished. As the others drifted back to their parts of the office, Syaoran felt a small tug on his sleeve. It was Sakura.
"Thanks for not letting Yamazaki-kun scare me," she said.
"It was nothing," he said gruffly, but when Sakura giggled, he let the corners of his lips turn up into a smile. Only Sakura could bring that out in him.
"You're a really nice guy," she said. "I don't mind rooming with you 'cause I know you won't be mean or say I look fat in my bathing suit. Let's just keep the toilet clean and we're good. Ne?"
"Uh, sure," Syaoran said. "I won't be a pig, I promise."
Sakura giggled. "It's impossible to imagine you as a pig. So, about that fanfic thing? It's lunchtime, so we can talk about it in private."
Syaoran then printed out the fanfic and showed it to Sakura, who read through it as fast as she could (which was slower than Syaoran's pace, he was amused to note).
"Hoe…" she breathed as she stored the pages under her desk after a quick lunch of cold noodles and tuna sashimi. "It's everything that's happened to us," she whispered.
"I know. And if you click on the profile," he reached over to Sakura's mouse to move it, "you'll see that there's no way to contact the author."
"I see." Sakura looked thoughtful, then before she could say anything else, Meilin's voice pierced the air.
"Kinomoto! Li! Get your butts over to my area!" she barked.
Sakura rolled her eyes at Syaoran, who smiled back, and they headed for their boss' table. She gave them assignments that took them to opposite ends of the building for the rest of the day, then once they were gone, summoned Tomoyo and Eriol.
"So, are your beach plans complete?"
"Yep," Tomoyo proudly grinned.
"Ah but a cute complication." Meilin drew up an image on her screen. "Look at this."
"Oh wow," Tomoyo breathed. Eriol grinned; obviously his way was working. Tomoyo's way had little of the subtlety he liked.
On screen was a frame from a security camera in the lobby, showing Sakura and Syaoran walking into the building together hand in hand.
"But they're walking like children holding hands, not like lovers," Eriol needled Meilin and Tomoyo.
"Nonetheless it is a start," Meilin declared.
"It takes too long. Make Eriol agree with my plans," Tomoyo wheedled Meilin.
"And what are they?"
"I just release Watery while they're alone," Eriol said.
"Yours?" Meilin looked at Tomoyo.
"Watery steals Sakura's bikini, all of it, so Syaoran must come and cover her naked body with his own. He feels the growing heat, and is unable to resist the urge to kiss her in the water… and right there, our Card Mistress discovers the flush of first love, her first kiss, and the first time to make love in the arms of the man destined to be her lover and protector," Tomoyo said dreamily.
"Hell no," Eriol crossed his arms.
A dangerous gleam appeared in Meilin's eyes. "Whatever happens, I don't care as long as they get the Cards. Now make sure I get footage of your pervy plans on the island either way!"
Continues in Chapter 9, up in a week or so!
Notes:
"Kawaii" means "cute". The manga version of SxS fighting Shadow was the first time he showed protectiveness towards her, and he blushed when she was bandaging his arm. I know Tomoyo first caught Sakura on camera as early as Fly in the series, but well, excuse some leeway here.
I know the Eriol/Tomoyo relationship is slooooooow as molasses here, but there WILL be ExT (using, unfortunately, the tired old cliché of Kaho breaking up with him. Sorry).
Sakura may be dense but in both the manga and anime, when Yukito tells her he has someone else she loves, she quickly figures out who it is.
Ohayo: good morning/good day
Tankoubon: Pocket sized editions of manga that collect several chapters. Do you know that when people sell off their used manga in Tokyo, it often fetches only 10-100 yen at best? They sell their collections off due to lack of space at home; real estate is very expensive!
I want to thank you all for the wonderful reviews and words of encouragement. I'm sorry if I scared some of you, but the reason why I hesitated was because I've seen people complain in their stories of "so many hits, so few reviews," and a reviewer pointed out, "It might simply mean they read your chapter and think it's not good enough." She had a point, and that's why I was so scared I was doing badly.
I'd like to ask for a new beta, please? My old beta is busy with two jobs (good luck, Twilight Kisses!). I need someone who knows the series well, who isn't afraid to tell me I'm rushing the story or am being corny or whatever, and can read fast? Please do PM me if you can do this? I intend to make updates regularly so I know I'm asking for a commitment, but if anyone wants to help, please let me know, thanks!
Preview of Chapter 9 (in which Syaoran finally gets to read the SkyPhenomena chapter he got scared over a few chapters back):
"Would you like some tea?" Syaoran was proud that his voice didn't quiver.
Sakura was examining what he had hung on the wall. "Yes, please, thanks so much!" She pointed at one family portrait. In it was a tall, regal looking woman with jet-black hair, porcelain skin, and rosy cheeks. She was in traditional costume, as were the four girls with different hairstyles who sat in front of her. A tiny Syaoran wearing a green kung fu outfit stared out of the photo.
"Oh! You were so cute!" Sakura squealed. Syaoran thanked the gods he was in the kitchen and couldn't see him blush.
"Ne, Syaoran, where's your dad?" she asked when he returned with the tea tray.
"He died when I was seven," Syaoran said as he poured tea into white cups. "Here," and he pointed to another photograph which had been hidden in a cabinet. "That's my father, Xing Bao Li."
Xing Bao was a well-muscled version of Syaoran, Sakura noted. He stood tall, and his arm was draped over Syaoran's mother's shoulders. His eyes were black, though, and his hair was shorter than Syaoran's.
"He's just as handsome as you," Sakura said wonderingly. "And your mom is absolutely beautiful."
She says I'm handsome.
"N-what do you mean?"
Sakura smiled. "You're very handsome, you know?"
To cover his embarrassment, Syaoran marched into the kitchen and asked, "Do you like custard cake?"