Intersections: A Story of Three Feathers

Disclaimer: I do not own the CCS or TRC characters!

(Corrected summary; sorry about that. Also, "Body Memories" will be on hold for a while until I can resolve several crucial errors.)

Takes place after all the cards have been captured in CCS, and Sakura and Syaoran are in high school. As for the TRC group, they have not encountered the Real Syaoran yet; assume this happens after the Piffle World races.

With special thanks to Pipi-chan for letting me use her idea : ) and to Lord Archive for pointing out several crucial errors. Thank you!

Chapter 1: The Sweet Calm before the Storm

Sakura rolled over and sighed. She was having a wonderful dream. In it, she and Syaoran were indulging in their favorite pastime: kissing. She giggled as he tickled her nose in the dream.

BUZZ!!!

"Hoeee!" Sakura yelled as the alarms in her room went off. It generally took two or more alarms--plus, whenever he was home from Tokyo, where he and Yukito now owned a restaurant, the yells of "Kaijuu! Wake up!" from her elder brother Touya--to wake her up. She kicked the bedcovers off, and began scrambling around her bedroom. Kero-chan sat up, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"You're eighteen years old and you still say that?" he growled.

Sakura ignored him and kept running around pointlessly, grabbing clothes and books, stuffing some clothes in her school bag and trying to put on some books. She heard a shout of laughter from outside her bedroom window, and turned.

"Sakura, sweetheart, you really haven't changed," a laughing Syaoran said. Sakura smiled, and Syaoran swung off the branch, leaped nimbly onto the roof outside, then jumped into her room in one smooth motion, landing lightly on his feet like a cat. Sakura sighed; the cute little boy she had fallen in love with at twelve had grown into a very handsome young man, with messy dark brown hair no comb could tame, a strong jaw, a deep yet gentle voice that sent shivers up and down her spine, large copper eyes she loved to lose herself in, and a leanly muscled body. He looked very crush-worthy in his blue jacket, school tie, and dark slacks.

But Sakura was a perfect match for him. Laughing green eyes like jade were the first things people noticed on her heart-shaped face, which was framed with shoulder-length golden brown hair. She no longer wore her hair in the little ponytails Syaoran once loved to tug on to get her attention when they first became a couple, but in a flattering pageboy. Her small frame was slim but curved in the right places. Her smooth cheeks were flushed faintly pink from perfect health, and her delicate lips...ah those lips...

Syaoran drew Sakura close and put his arms around her, then he touched her nose with his. "Good morning, Sakura," he said softly, his eyes smiling and dark with love for her. Then he bent down--he was a head taller than his petite girlfriend--and captured her lips with his.

Sakura sighed against Syaoran's lips. This was what she loved the most--being in Syaoran's warm embrace. What a wonderful way to start the morning!

Morning...morning...Sakura then remembered that she was fresh out of bed, unbathed, with messy hair, and...

"Hoeee!" Sakura pushed Syaoran backwards and her cheeks began to burn. "Syaoran...I haven't brushed my teeth yet! Gross!" She dashed into the bathroom, and Syaoran smiled.

"You've been doing that a lot since you two started dating," Kero-chan rolled his eyes. "Smiling, I mean."

"I love her," Syaoran said simply. "She makes every day special," he added, his eyes going soft, and again, he smiled.

"Ugh, you're getting sappy. I preferred it when you were cranky and snotty," Kero-chan grumbled.

Syaoran laughed, and pulled out a chocolate bar from his pocket. "Oh, the Guardian beast is out of sorts," he said in a singsong voice. "Maybe I should leave...too bad I have this chocolate, and I don't like chocolate much. I think I'll throw it away."

And with a swift movement born from muscles he had trained for over ten years and worked out with every morning, he leaped out of Sakura's window and back on the branch outside. He intended to ring Sakura's doorbell and enter her house the normal way; he didn't want to offend her father by being caught in her bedroom, and he certainly didn't want her brother Touya—just in case he was home—to make some snide comment to rile his beloved. Plus, he wanted to tease Keroberos a bit.

Good God, Syaoran thought. Since when have I begun joking and playing pranks?

As he went for the front door, Syaoran reflected on how much Sakura had changed his life, and him. When he first came to Tomoeda, all he cared about was getting stronger, and getting the cards away from the girl the Guardian Beast had chosen. He had certainly been surprised to see that the girl was quite cute, but he kept his feelings at bay by treating her caustically. He winced as he remembered telling her she was too weak and inexperienced to collect the Clow cards.

He had been such a ridiculous child...he was always serious, always focused. Since becoming Sakura's boyfriend, he had learned to enjoy just being with her, to appreciate small delights, and to smile. And to his own surprise, Syaoran found himself becoming a more cheerful soul, able to tolerate his sisters' frequent muggings of him (with cries of "Kawaii!" and much cheek-pinching), Sakura's little silly antics, and the world in general.

Sakura is my world, and I am a lucky guy, Syaoran thought. He put his arms behind his head and turned his face up to the warm sunlight, his even white teeth sparkling.

"WAIT!" Keroberos had followed him out, and was drooling at his elbow. "Gimmegimmegimmegimmechocolate!"

"Now that hasn't changed," Syaoran said then he made a mock bow and assumed a pompous, formal tone. "What about your status as the Guardian, the one with power, nobility, and dignity? Should such an august personality be begging a peasant like me for such a mediocre thing like chocolate?"

"Give it to me or I'm going to burn your pants off," Kero-chan snarled. "And when did YOU learn how to make jokes?"

"Okay, okay," Syaoran laughed. "I was just teasing. Here," and he flicked the chocolate to Kero-chan, who caught it happily and devoured it without even bothering to remove the wrapper. Syaoran rang the doorbell, and smiled when Fujitaka-san opened the door. "Good morning, sir. I'm here to walk Sakura to school."

"Come in, and have breakfast with us, Syaoran," Fujitaka-san invited.

"I would be delighted, sir," Syaoran said gratefully.

Sakura came down the stairs, freshly bathed and dressed in a school uniform with a short black skirt and blue blazer. As always, Syaoran felt his breath catch at the sight of her--six years together had not changed how he responded to her, and he doubted he ever would change how he reacted to her.

"Good morning, Dad, good morning, Syaoran!" she greeted them cheerfully. "Oooh, fried fish! Come on, Syaoran!" She kissed her father on the cheek, grabbed her boyfriend's hand, and skipped into the kitchen. Fujitaka watched the pair as they sat down, happy that his daughter had made a match with such a good boy. Syaoran sprang up as he entered, and asked, "Can I help you with anything, sir?"

"No, no, please do sit down." Fujitaka-san smiled. "You two have a good day; I must go now."

"Have a good day and take care to return safely!" the two chorused as he left.

When the door closed behind him, Sakura turned to Syaoran with a mock frown on her lips. "You kissed me when I was still sleepy. Ugh!"

"I don't care," Syaoran said. "Even if you were covered in...hmm…Kerobero's snot, I would still kiss you."

"Eew!" Sakura began laughing, and so did Syaoran.

Kero-chan drifted into the kitchen. "I think today will be a day of surprises."

"What makes you say that?" Sakura asked, her eyes wide.

"A premonition."

"I didn't have any premonitions in my dreams last night," Sakura said. "How about you, Syaoran-kun?"

"I slept well. I always sleep well," he smiled at her, "because I dream of you."

Sakura blushed, and smiled back.

"Now don't go sappy on me, you two! Not now!" said Kero-chan. "Just be on guard today, all right?"

"We will. Now stop being an old grandfather," Sakura ruffled Kero-chan's head.

"Shall we head for school? It's a nice day outside," Syaoran said.

"Only if you hold my hand all the way," Sakura smiled.

"What makes you think I'm letting go?" And with that, Syaoran took her hand, lacing her fingers with his, then raising it to kiss the back of her hand.

"You've changed too, you know," Sakura smiled up at him. "You're happier, you're more easygoing, and you're so affectionate."

Syaoran smiled, and nudged her nose with his; it was their special gesture, and he felt his heart warm as she giggled.

That was what he loved most about her- that small things were enough to make her happy. And that was why he kept falling in love with her again every day—just as he had promised her long ago.

"Well, let's not be late," he said, and pulled her out the door.