A/N: Inspired by the conversation between Syaoran and Mokona in chapter 129. Contains reference to some pretty damn big spoilers for recent events - if you're not up to date with the manga you've been warned.
Syaoran's good at waiting. The myriad worlds have gods and kings who'd have gone mad in half the time he's waited here with only the sounds of rising bubbles, the ripple of the binding spell against his skin to mark the passing seconds. But he has that eye to give him a window on a world unbounded by glass walls – the price that he received in exchange for half his imprisoned heart. More than that, because no seal holds forever. Because every passing minute is a minute less until that day, and he's never once loosened his hold on that, not even for an instant.
It's not just anticipation. Even if everything he's counted on comes to pass and by the time they meet his clone has no need for half a borrowed heart, he still has to be there the moment the seal breaks. To reclaim what he loaned – and just in case his gamble doesn't pay.
When he has dreams that are his own, it's easier to see past that day to the time when there'll be five of them and two of him. When his otherself will be more than just his own reflection distorted in the glass, and when he watches over them, they'll look back and he'll be visible at last, and maybe they'll even smile. But that's all too far into the future, too much time and too many worlds away, and too many things to happen first.
There's no helping it, the truth is going to hurt.
The ninja won't like or trust him, but he'll come around eventually; and the magician will laugh and come up with a thousand silly names they'll use to tell them both apart, with Mokona chiming in with unhelpful suggestions; and the princess – poor Sakura, who doesn't know how to remember even one of them, she won't know what to do with it all. And he and the other him will both feel a little like they're intruding on something that isn't truly theirs, but no-one will really try to tell him he doesn't belong. He knows he can help them, it's what he wants as well.
All this time he's been their shadow companion, they're all that keeps him from going crazy here, and he owes them something back. Yuuko was far too wise to tell them everything they're up against, but soon they're going to need to know.
One of him has a borrowed heart, and one of him a borrowed life, but there's still hope that between them, they'll add up to two entire lives.
Syaoran can wait a little longer.