|
~*<Melody>*~ This fan-fiction is dedicated to Hau-yu nee-chan! AN: Konnichi wa minna-chan! I'm back again~ ^-^ Ficcing was on hold for a while…but I really had a urge to do a multi song-fic…so I couldn't resist… ^^;; Finally, the second story to the dedication collection! Demo…it might not be very good…I was sick with a cold when I wrote this…do in my periods of delirium, I might have done something weird…heh heh…~_~;;; And now, for the arigatous! First off, Thanks to all the people who wrote fan mail to
me! Honto ne, I felt so happy that CCS fans actually enjoyed
my fics! Arigatou! =D (Special thanks to Yumi-chan for being
such a kakkoii friend! ^-~) Thanks to Moogle-kun! Cherry is now the proud proofreader
of 'Anime Stew', the best MST fic I've ever read! Riffing SM
fan-fics have never been this funny before! ^-^
Key:
"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature. To stop
speech when words become superfluous."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The doors of Tomoeda High School flung open at the sound of the bell signaling the end of the school day. Students filled up the hallway and laughter and chatter echoed off the walls. Though, above the din of loud shouting and talking, a beautiful song could be heard. It was faint, but still clear. "…Dancing bears. Painted wings. Things I almost remember…and a song, someone sings. Once upon a December…" Several heads turned to see where the tune was coming from. The source was behind the closed door of the music-room. Listening attentively outside that door was a couple of schoolgirls. One teen clasped her hands and sighed; "What a beautiful voice!" But she was immediately silenced by her friend, "Shh! Listen!" she hissed holding a finger up to her lips. The first speaker pouted a bit, but subsided as she leaned in further towards the door to hear better. "…Someone holds me safe and warm. Horses prance through a silver storm, figures dancing gracefully, across my memory…" After a minute of silent listening, the pair couldn't stand at entrance of the music room for a while longer, for there were too many student who were eager to get home. "All right, all right. We're going!" they grumbled at the people jostling and pushing them on. Resuming their walking, they started to converse. "I've heard that voice before, it was senpai Daidouji! She's in the school chorus, but she's so talented, she often goes up for solo parts." Her companion nodded and added "Yeah! And I heard that she's really rich too! But she's so kind and soft-spoken, no one could ever tell!" Shooting another wistful glance at the still-closed door now a good distance away they continued walking down the jammed corridor. The two girls weren't the only ones to heed Tomoyo's singing. An auburn head whipped around as it heard the music. The couple of strands of hair on top of the head bounced, almost as if they were excited. The head started to make its way through the hall, following the calm singing. "…Far away, long ago. Growing dim as an ember. Things my heart, used to know. Once upon a December…" When the golden-brown head was finished maneuvering through the sea of blue and white uniforms, it burst out of the crowd. A girl, slightly disheveled, dusted her skirt and blouse off while mumbling "Whew! Finally got out of the crowd!" She pushed her bangs away from her jade-green eyes, which were sparkling animatedly. As she drew nearer to the music room, shouts of: "Hey Sakura-chan!" and "Oi! Sakura-chan! See ya tomorrow!" came from anywhere and everywhere. Kinomoto Sakura waved and grinned, and some of the boys blushed slightly and shyly waved back. All of them threw admiring gazes at the medium-height beauty. They had good reason to. With a slender form accentuated with soft curves, long arms and legs that seemed to go on forever, Sakura was quite pretty. She had straight light brown hair cascading in long waves down her back, all except for two strands on each side of her hair, which curled delicately by her slender neck and framed her oval face. Some of the snobby girls who were jealous of Sakura 'hmmphed' as she passed by. They commented to their equally shallow friends about how 'that-Kinomoto girl' always _had_ to be in the center of attention. However, Sakura's real friends knew that she was popular for her sweet characteristics and wonderfully lovable personality. Listening intently, Sakura followed her ears and stopped in front of the music room to listen quietly. "…Someone holds me safe and warm. Horses prance through a silver storm. Figures dancing gracefully, across my memory…" Silently, Sakura opened the door slowly to let herself in. Leaning against the doorframe, she settled herself to watch. "…Far away, long ago. Glowing dim as an ember. Things my heart used to know. Things it yearns to remember…" Sakura slowly lost herself in the music of the marvelous song.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"…And a song, someone sings…" The singer paused and drew in a breath. "Once…upon…a December." She slowly finished, controlling her voice to die away gradually. Daidouji Tomoyo almost dropped her sheet music as clapping filled the music-room. "Tomoyo-chan no sugoi!" Sakura cried, still clapping. She had jumped out of chair the moment the song was over to give her friend a standing ovation. Tomoyo smiled serenely "Sakura-chan, what are you doing here?" she asked. Sakura shrugged off-handedly, still grinning, "Oh, I just dropped in to see if you wanted to walk home together. You're done practicing for today right?" Tomoyo clasped her hands together happily. "Un, you came right on time Sakura-chan." She tucked her folder in her book bag and walked towards the doorway where Sakura was waiting patiently. Sakura grabbed her bag that she had set on the floor. "Sa, ikimashou?" she called. Linking her arm through her best friend's, Sakura opened the door and merrily skipped out into the bustling hallway. The two friends quickly disappeared into the crowd.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As they were making their way to the front door, they reached the bulletin board. Hoping to find the latest news out, the two friends looked at the many colorful posters and located the most recent on top. "Hey, Tomoyo-chan! Take a look at this!" Sakura pointed to a large flyer decorated with tiny snowflakes and glitter. "The Annual Winter Festival is on December 23! Come see the talent show, then join us for the Winter Wonderland Dance!" The girls read aloud together. "Tomoyo-chan!! That's when you'll be performing!!" Tomoyo smiled at her friend's antics. "Hai, Sakura-chan, I'll be in the Talent Show." She answered, laughter in her voice. Sakura grinned, "You'll be the star of the entire festival Tomoyo-chan! Your singing is marvelous!" she said excitedly. "Domo arigatou." Tomoyo said, slightly blushing at the compliment. Then, inspiration struck. "Sakura-chan! Why don't you enter also? There's a lot of openings for the Talent Show, since everyone is already have their own projects planned." Sakura blanched immediately "Y…Yada! I can't do that!" she stammered. "Why not Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked. "Ano…eeto…I'm scared of crowds and I have stage-fright!!" Sakura blushed. "Oh hohoho! Is that all?" Tomoyo thrilled. "It's not that bad Sakura-chan! You'd be so kawaii up there in the spot-light…" Tomoyo trailed off as she imagined a Sakura up on stage with a beautiful dress complete with tons of lace and frills. Immediately Tomoyo's face lit up and her eyes began sparkling. "Hooooeeeee…" Sakura sweat-dropped. Tomoyo-chan was definitely weird. "Oh Sakura-chan! Wouldn't it be _kakkoii_ if I was to make your costume for the occasion!!" Tomoyo said dreamily. "Remember how wonderful you are in plays!" she chuckled as she remembered a "Bishounen Sakura-chan" back in grade school. The two still went to Tomoeda, but high-school now. Nonetheless, that had been the best and only acting role Sakura-chan had ever taken on. Sakura looked suspiciously at Tomoyo's glittering eyes, but started to waver. She had never turned down Tomoyo's request before… Seeing the faltering resolve, Tomoyo added. "You'll be radiant! With the entire school looking at you while you perform…" That made the decision for Sakura right then and there. "Masaka, Tomoyo-chan!!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sakura walked through the streets with a dejected looking friend. "Oh come on Tomoyo-chan… Cheer up!" Tomoyo sniffed a little, "Oh…a chance to dress Sakura-chan up in months…and…and…" she trailed off, placing a hand to her cheek in a pose of disappointment. Sakura sweat-dropped "T…Tomoyo-chan! It's not that big a deal! It's only a school festival, ne?" Sakura said, trying to get Tomoyo out from her depression. It wasn't working. "Any chance to dress you in my own design is important Sakura-chan…" Tomoyo sighed. Sakura furrowed her brow. "Oh Tomoyo-chan…" she sighed at her hopeless friend. After a moment of silence, Tomoyo got worried. Maybe she over-did the dramatics this time…she looked at her friend, searching her eyes. Sakura abruptly sprang up in place. "O-kay! I'll do it!" she cried, clenching her fist and determination written on her face. Tomoyo immediately brightened. "Desu wa! What will I make? Dress? Skirt? Pantsuit? Oh, the fabric! What'll I use for that? Maybe I'll work on a theme! Hmm, colors, colors…green to bring out your eyes? Pastels…?" Tomoyo rambled on and on. Sakura face-faulted. "Hooeeeee….." She was starting to regret this decision already… Her thoughts were cut off as Tomoyo bolted into the nearest fabric shop, dragging her along. The annual Winter Arts Festival was about to take place in a week, and the entire school was in an uproar, trying to get their talents acts lined up. Sakura had decided on singing, for that was what Tomoyo was planning to do. Sakura was only modest in art, she never really tried acting, she doesn't know how to play an instrument, and so singing was the best way to go. "Honto? Why, I think that's a wonderful choice Sakura." Commented a smiling Tomoyo. Sakura beamed, "Domo, Tomoyo-chan! I really hope I can do this…" she smiled nervously. Tomoyo was still rambling though, "Of course our kawaii Sakura-chan would be wonderful doing _anything_…" she sighed dreamily. Sakura sweatdropped. "Ano…Tomoyo-chan, I'll have to practice with you to prepare for the show…would you mind?" Tomoyo smiled, "Of course not! I was looking forward to helping you! Do you have a particular songs in mind though?" Sakura thought. "Um…Anything that's not too difficult…" Tomoyo cocked her head, "Well, there a lot of songs you could do…How about something from the same soundtrack as mine?" Sakura clapped her hands, "Un! I'd love to!" Whipping out the CD case from her bag, Tomoyo presented it to Sakura. "Sa…" Sakura mumbled while scanning the back. "…All the songs are very nice…which one…?" she ran her eyes to the ending song. "At the Beginning…? That sounds good!" Tomoyo grinned, "I thought you might like that one, it's a very pretty song…although…" she paused. "What?" Sakura asked. "It's a duet." Sakura sweatdropped. "Ano, I guess that's out of my choices…" Tomoyo looked thoughtful, "…Well…maybe not…" Sakura's eyes widened. "If you're going to suggest something weird Tomoyo-chan…" she said, edging away nervously. Tomoyo suddenly broke into a smile and stuffed the CD back into her pack. "Dewa matte Sakura-chan! I just remembered something important I needed to do!" she called, while already making her way to the school exit. "Hoe…?" A baffled Sakura stared after her running friend.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Iie! Masaka!" Syaoran sputtered, face turning crimson.
Tomoyo pleaded once again. "Onegai, Li-kun! It'll be so
fun! I know you're pretty modest at singing…" Syaoran
scowled even harder than usual. "No power on earth will
EVER convince me to sing in front of the entire school!"
he deadpanned. "It's going to be a duet…" Tomoyo
started. "Hah! And that makes the situation a whole lot
better!" Syaoran scoffed. "…With Sakura-chan…"
Tomoyo finished, smiling serenely. "Please think it over
Li-kun, if you decide that you'll do it after all, come to the
karaoke by the Sunset café at 3:40 tomorrow!" she
sing-songed, leaving behind a gaping Syaoran. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Tomoyo-chan! Tell me who it is! I should at least know who I'd be singing with!" Sakura begged, while walking along Tarou Street with Tomoyo. "Oh hohoho~! You'll find out soon enough! In fact there he is!" She answered, indicating a skulking tall figure with hunched shoulders from the cold. "Honto ne? Dare…? Oh, Kami-sama…!" Sakura's eyes widened as the lean figure a few feet away from them transformed into the handsome friend she knew since 4th grade. Tomoyo giggled under her breath, for Sakura continued to stare and Syaoran continued to blush furiously. "Um…H…hi…" Syaoran muttered gruffly, while turning all sorts of interesting shades of red. "Konnichi wa, Syaoran-kun!" Sakura answered warmly. "Let's get inside, shall we?" Tomoyo intervened. She pointing at the heated karaoke center, and the trio entered. "I'm so relieved you're my partner Syaoran-kun!" Sakura grinned happily as they entered their reserved room. "You…you are?" Syaoran said incredulously. "Un!" the girl nodded, "I'm so happy that I'll be singing with a friend, instead of some stranger. It'll be more comfortable performing with you, Syaoran-kun." She explained. Syaoran gulped at the word 'performing' but nonetheless, looked a bit happier than he did a few minutes before. Tomoyo jumped up from her bent over position in front of the TV screen. "All right! Now we can practice!" Picking up one of the microphones, she handed it over to Sakura. Who held it with a nervous death-grip, as if she was performing instead of practicing. Punching in a few numbers, Tomoyo instructed, "All right Sakura-chan, show me how well you can sing, if you please." Music flowed out from the side speakers on the walls, as the words 'My Only Love' blazed across the screen. Sakura took a deep breath and held it through the intro. At the cue, she released it along with a gentle melody. Deep in my soul, the love's so strong, it takes control.
There will come a day, somewhere far away, Sakura trailed off, then released a breath. Turning away from the screen, on which the last words were fading, she looked to her friend's approval. Tomoyo was staring dreamily at her with sparkling eyes, and Syaoran…Syaoran was gaping at her in wonder. "…So…was it all right?" Sakura asked quietly. Tomoyo immediately reacted. "KAWAII!!" she sighed happily. Sakura thanked her, looking relieved. She looked towards Syaoran again, who was now out of his daze, and looking expressionless again. Sakura curiously looked at him, and he blushed hotly again, "…I…You were really good Sakura-chan. Maybe…you should find a better singer to do this duet with you…I'd probably just mess it up…" He stood up as if to leave, and he started to pick up his coat, when he felt something on his arm. He turned around to see a frowning Sakura. "Doushita, Syaoran-kun? You didn't even try yet! You won't know if you're good at something until you try! That's what my otou always tells me." Looking into her upset green eyes, Syaoran sighed in defeat. "But I…Well, all right, I'll try it." Sakura jumped up in her happiness. "Yatta! Thank you Syaoran-kun!" Tomoyo looked on with a small smile, "Well, would you like to let me hear what you've got Li-kun?" Syaoran swallowed hard, "I guess so…" he managed. "Don't worry Syaoran-kun!" Sakura brightly said, "Worse comes to worse, I'll use the 'Voice' card to help you out! So stop being so nervous!" The tension broke, as Tomoyo, Sakura, and Syaoran laughed. Tomoyo punched in some numbers into the remote, and tossed a microphone to Syaoran as the title 'Promise' appeared on the screen. *I have no idea how much horrible I'm gonna be, but I'm gonna try my best!* Syaoran thought determinedly. He was going to be the best he could be, for her, if no one else. I stand, in the moonlight. My promise of love, it is nothing, Soft whispers in the starlight, I want to tell you. Whenever I try to say 'I love you', you turn away. My promise of love, it is nothing, I put my heart and soul into your hands, and wait. With a sigh, Syaoran turned away from the screen. He met Tomoyo's violet orbs, "That was wonderful Li-kun, beautifully sung." She said, with an understanding look in her eyes. Syaoran nodded his thanks, blushing. *Of all songs…why did Tomoyo have to pick that one?* he thought, then turned to look at Sakura. Her hair was spread out on the couch behind her, and her eyes were closed. As if she could fell his gaze on her, she started and awoke. "Oh! I'm so sorry Syaoran-kun! I…the song was so soft and quiet, I fell asleep. Gomen nasai…" She looked down at her lap. "That's all right Sakura-chan." Syaoran answered with a sad smile. *Does she know I was singing that song for her…?* Syaoran thought wistfully. Tomoyo arose and asked Syaoran to join her outside the room. Looking back at Sakura, who was still rubbing sleep out of her eyes, he followed the girl.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"When are you going to tell her?" Tomoyo asked matter-of-factly. "Tell her what?" Syaoran returned, just as emotionless. Tomoyo shook her head. "Don't you see Li-kun?" she sighed. "Sakura-chan is just too naïve to notice it herself!" Li flared up in his frustration, "Well, what do you want me to do?! Say, 'Hey Sakura-chan, I've liked you for the past five years, wanna go out with me?' " he growled back. Tomoyo answered, "Not quite what I had in mind, but that'll still work better than the subtle messages that you come up with!" Syaoran had no answer to that. "She'll never know until you _tell_ her." Tomoyo went on. Syaoran thought over this for a moment. *I know Tomoyo is right… Sakura will never know what I feel for her this way…* But to Tomoyo he said, "Why do I need to tell her though? I only want her happiness, it doesn't matter _how_ I feel about her if she doesn't feel that way too." Tomoyo looked upset. "And you won't know if she _does_ feel the same about you if you never ask her!" Syaoran didn't answer. He only shot one more look at the door behind which Sakura sat in, and ran out of the building. "Chotto matte!" But he was already gone. Tomoyo sadly shook her head. "I wish he'd just tell her…" She sighed, and walked back into the room alone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*Ding-dong!!* Syaoran looked up from his textbook to look at his ringing intercom. *Who could that be?* he wondered, and picked up the phone. Immediately, the screen showed a smiling Sakura. *Wha…What?!* Syaoran gaped at the screen before finally croaking out, "Sa…Sakura-chan?! What are you doing here?" Sakura answered, "Yosha! You're home Syaoran-kun! I came to return your coat, you left it yesterday." Syaoran smacked his hand on his forehead. *Shimatta! I walked out without my coat…* "C…Come in." he stammered, and buzzed the button to let Sakura in. Hanging up the phone, he walked towards the door and kept it open, waiting for Sakura. He heard the 'ding' indicating the arrival the elevator, and next thing he knew, his black coat was in front of him. "Arigatou." He said, and removed the big overcoat from Sakura's slim arms. "Daijoubu, I forget my things everywhere all the time." She replied with a laugh. Syaoran chuckled and moved aside to let her through. "Come in, I'll get some tho tea for you." Sakura smiled her thanks and stepped into his living room, taking off her shoes. Taking a seat on the couch, she exclaimed, "Your home is so neat all the time Syaoran! I don't know how you do it!" Balancing a tray with two teacups arranged on it, Syaoran walked out of the kitchen. "It's just like any other home…" he said. Taking a cup, Sakura grinned, "You always say that…". Taking a sip, she complimented his jasmine tea. "Oh! I just remembered, Tomoyo-chan told me to tell you that we'd be having practices on Fridays after school for about 2 hours. Is that okay with you?" she asked. Syaoran crinkled his brows in thought. *Should I really do this? I guess it…could be worth it for Sakura-chan…but…* "All right, I'll be there." He confirmed. "Honto?" Sakura's face broke out into a bright smile. *What am I getting myself into?* Syaoran thought, before replying, "Honto."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~*<Monday>*~ "Come on Sakura-chan, Li-kun! You can go higher than just G! push your voices a bit harder!" "Can we _please_ take a rest Tomoyo-chan?!" ~*<Tuesday>*~ "How many times do I have to tell you Li-kun? Your voice comes from the your stomach, NOT your throat!" "Well, how am I supposed to do _that_ when my stomach's so far away from my mouth?!" "Oh for heaven's sake Li-kun…" ~*<Wednesday>*~ "Remember, You have to feel your own voice vibrating in your diaphragm Sakura-chan!" "Dia…what Tomoyo-chan…?" ~*<Thursday>*~ "Listen hard at this part of the song, the notes get a little tricky…um…Li-kun…? what are you doing?" "Collapsing…and I won't be getting back up anytime soon." ~*<Friday>*~ "All right, the day is tomorrow, anything you want to review?" "Nothing! Absolutely nothing at all! Can we go home now?" "What's that you say? You want to go over the song a few more times to make sure you've got it right? Suteki desu wa!" "*groan* Tomoyo-chan!!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Matte ashita ne Tomoyo-chan!" After the last practice was over, Syaoran and Sakura both left the school building, Tomoyo stayed behind to practice her own piece. "Oh! It's snowing!" Sakura squealed happily, upon seeing the white sprinkling from the sky. Despite his throbbing throat and parched lips, Syaoran had to grin at the sight of Sakura running around in circles happily. Looking up at the sky, Sakura blinked as the snow settled on her eyelashes and giggled. Remembering something, Syaoran reached into his pockets and retrieved a red and white candy cane. He walked over to Sakura, and held it out for her to take. "For…me?" she asked, cocking her head a bit. Syaoran nodded, blushing. Sakura took the candy and thanked him sweetly. "It's…nothing…" Syaoran muttered, and headed off in the direction of Sakura's house. "Wait! Syaoran!" Sakura hurried to catch up with him. "Hm?" Syaoran said, looking back over his shoulders. "You're house is in the other direction…" Sakura pointed. "I…I know…" Syaoran replied, blushing. "So why… are you walking this way?" Sakura asked quizzically. "I'm walking you home… If you don't mind, that is…" he said gruffly, and walked on ahead, face an ugly shade of red. Sakura, still standing stock still, could only stare after him. Then, after a moment looking down at the candy cane in her hand and looking back up at Syaoran, she smiled gratefully and ran after him. "Chotto matte! Syaoran-kun!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Finally, after a night of fitful sleeping for both Sakura and Syaoran, the Winter Festival was upon them. They had until 7:00pm to prepare themselves individually. Tomoyo had to go a few hours earlier to the school. She had volunteered to help set up the theater for the show and the gym for the dance.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* <At Sakura's house> "Wait…ah…this is…a D note….or is
it a E? Uh oh…ONII-CHAN!!" "Nii-chan, be a little bit nicer for today? I'm nervous!" "Why's that? Whether you're a good singer or not, you'll be a hit either way!" "How's that?" "It _must_ be natural phenomenon to see a singing monster!" *STOMP* "YAMATTE, NII-CHAN!!" "Owww! Stop that kajiuu…Who are you singing with tonight anyway?" "Ano…D…doushite? You can't attend because of your part-time job, ne…?" "Hai…I'm sorry about that…but still, who're are you singing with? Oi! It…It can't be with that _gaki_ can it?" "Ahh…If it _was_ Syaoran-kun I was singing with…why is he any different than anyone else?" "SAKURA!!" "Oh, just please tell me if this is a D or a E note…"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Hmm…I hope everything will go well tonight…Well… what's the worst that'll happen? Ano…maybe Touya-san will show up! Uh oh…that's not good…once he sees me up there with Sakura…Kami knows what he'll do to me! But singing with Sakura and only her…I guess Touya's wrath is a fair enough price for that…Singing with Sakura…That's good…Touya's wrath…That's not good…Singing with Sakura…That's good…Touya's wrath… This went on for quite a while.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Sugoi! You showed up early, just like I asked you to!" Tomoyo thrilled happily. She immediately shoved a wind-blown Syaoran into the changing room to put on his outfit. Syaoran fumbled, a bit confused with the three-piece outfit, but managed to put it on in the right order on the right body parts. "This is…I feel like a clown…" he muttered. "Oh hohohoho! You look dashing and handsome! Nothing less than perfect for the partner of Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo laughed, while making him step onto a small platform to fix the minute details. "Speaking of…Where is…Itai! Sakura-chan?" Syaoran asked, rubbing his arm where he'd been pricked none too gently. Tomoyo apologized around a mouthful of pins. "Gomen nasai. Oh, Sakura-chan is getting something from the back. I didn't need to fix anything from her costume, after all those years of practice, I could make her a evening gown in my sleep!" she mumbled, looking as proud as one could with needles held between her teeth. After another moment of stitching and sewing, Tomoyo finally exclaimed, "Yosha! It's done!". Syaoran lightly jumped off the platform and looked at himself in the mirror in front of him. He had to admit, Tomoyo could work wonders with her thread and needle. But all he saw in the mirror was not a sophisticated gentleman, but a very out of place looking young boy in a tuxedo. His bangs still fell in front of his eyes a bit, making him look terribly young. Though he heard from his guy friends that the 'ladies' go crazy for that look, he really didn't care, unless Sakura liked him that way. He was trying to brush his auburn strands away from his forehead, when he heard Sakura's voice calling, "Tomoyo-chan! Is Syaoran-kun here yet?". He turned around to greet her, and felt his jaw drop. She was glowing with beauty. In a midnight blue dress, she
couldn't look more sophisticated. It wasn't frilly or outrageously
fancy as some of the other girls' (For Tomoyo had relented to
Sakura's insistent begging to tone down on the extravagant 10
layer dress.) but she looked better in the simple attire then
any of them ever could. The overhead lights caused her gold-brown hair to shine, giving her an almost ethereal look. Her face was flushed, Syaoran could see it from where he was standing. Her eyes were bright, her lips lush and full. Then the lips opened and spoke, "Syaoran-kun no sugoi! You're so handsome in a tuxedo!" She flushed a bit and asked, "How do I look? Tomoyo-chan really worked hard on this dress!" Meanwhile, Tomoyo was doing…the sparkly thing. "Ohhhhh…the
five sleepless nights were all worth it…Your kawaiiness
reaches the skies Sakura-chan!!" she choked out, while wiping
away some stray tears of emotion. Syaoran finally got his jaws
to work again. "I…I…" (AN: Um…Okay,
let's try this one more time.) "Hayaku, Tomoyo-chan, Syaoran-kun!" Let's not have our first-row seats go to a waste!" Sakura grabbed each of their hands and pulled them off the stage back door and led them to their seats.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Welcome, one and all minna-chan! The Winter Arts Festival will now begin!" The announcement blared on the loudspeaker to announce each of the acts. "Up first it's the marvelous dancers of our very own Tomoeda High!" One by one, the students performed, some solo, some couples, and some groups. Tomoyo was up as the 9th performer, and she did so wonderfully, everyone didn't stop clapping for a full minute. Sakura and Syaoran clapped just as hard as anyone, as their friend stepped off the stage and calmly took her seat again, smiling radiantly. "You were so wonderful Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura whispered, as the curtains rose again to reveal a gymnast. "Hai, you were superb." Syaoran agreed. Tomoyo beamed again and thanked them both. "By the way Sakura-chan, you should be getting ready, you're going up after the next performance." Tomoyo added, with an encouraging grin. "Mou…Don't remind me…" Sakura wailed quietly. All too soon, the gymnast had finished performing her somersaults and flips, and Tanikawa Koharu was up with her acting class to perform a bit of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' "Oh…I'm scared…" Sakura moaned softly, so no one but Syaoran heard her. She had tore up her booklet into tiny pieces on her lap. Syaoran shook his head smiling slightly, and brushed them off her lap gently. "You'll be fine Sakura." And he grasped her hand in his, as not to let her demolish another program booklet. Sakura's eyes were closed, and her breathing came in sharp hisses between clenched teeth. "I can do this, I've practiced all these days for tonight…I have to be good, I can't fail Tomoyo-chan…" Syaoran just stayed silent. He didn't know what to say. He just gripped her hand a bit tighter and trying to channel his comfort through his hold. Syaoran murmured, "Don't be scared Sakura-chan, remember, I'm gonna be up there with you." Sakura looked up and smiled weakly "Hai, that's right…arigatou Syaoran-kun…" she whispered, sounding more like herself again. Syaoran smiled back, "Glad I could help." Breaking the tender moment, another announcement blared through the auditorium. "Now, minna-chan! Kinomoto Sakura and Li Syaoran will be performing a duet; 'At the Beginning'!!" Applause broke out and settled again as the two stepped onto the stage. The spot light focused on Sakura and Syaoran in the center of the dimmed room. After a deep breath, Sakura nodded a cue to Tomoyo who was seated at the piano. Tomoyo mouthed, 'Gambatte kudasai!' and started the intro.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
In the silence, Sakura started the song alone in her soft voice. "We were strangers…starting out on a journey… Never dreaming, what we'd have to go through." She closed her eyes and let her voice ring out strong. "Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing…" Sakura paused for a breath. "…At the beginning with you…" Syaoran stepped up next to her and began his singing in his low, quiet tone. "No one told me I was going to find you…" He looked at Sakura, and found she was looking back at him with bright eyes. "Unexpected, what you did to my heart…" Syaoran's voice dropped to a whisper, putting all his emotion into the words he was singing. "When I lost hope. You were there to remind me…" Sakura joined his deep voice with her tinkling soprano. "…This is the start~" Together, they sang under the dazzling glare of the spotlight. Somehow, they both knew, it wasn't just lyrics, it was what they had gone through, together. "Life is a road, and I wanna keep going. Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing. Life is a road. Now and forever, wonderful journey…" Without any words exchanged, they turned to each other as if instructed to. "I'll be there when the world stops turning. I'll be
there when the storm is through. Syaoran's voice trembled slightly with emotion and Sakura's eyes shone brighter than it ever had before. As if the two was truly speaking to another. Sakura took up the next line alone; "We were strangers on a crazy adventure…" Both smiled, for they knew the other was thinking about the same thing; their adventures with Clow Cards. "Never dreaming, how our dreams would come true. Now here we stand unafraid of the future. At the beginning with you…" With fiercely sparkling eyes, both leaned in closer to start the refrain again. "Life is a road, and I wanna keep going. Love is a river I wanna keep flowing. Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey…" They looked at each other again, their gaze never leaving the other. "I'll be there when the world stops turning. I'll be there when the storm is through. In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you…" Their voices grew stronger, rising together. "I knew there was somebody somewhere like me alone in the dark. Now I know my dream will live on, I've been waiting so long. Nothing's gonna tear us apart…" With unwavering voices, they continued. "Life is a road and I wanna keep going. Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing. Life is a road, now and forever-wonderful journey… I'll be there when the world stops turning, I'll be there when the storm is through. In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you…" One last time, they faced the audience and went on, now at a slower tempo towards the finale. "Life is a road and I wanna keep going, love is a river,
I wanna keep flowing. They paused for a breath with pounding hearts. "Life is a road and I wanna keep going, love is a river I wanna keep flowing… In the end I wanna be standing, at the beginning…" Both paused and inhaled deeply. Soft brown met emerald green. "…With…you…………" When they finished, both were breathless. Panting slightly, they turned to one another again. As the soft melody faded away in the background, Syaoran reached over behind their backs and squeezed Sakura's hand. Sakura beamed back in their victory. There was an awe-struck silence in the auditorium. And the two singers realized that through out the entire song, there had been no other sounds except for their voices. With hammering hearts, both from nerves and the closeness of the other, Sakura and Syaoran waited for the spectators' reactions. The hush was broken with the sharp sound of clapping from Tomoyo, who was smiling triumphantly. Then, one by one, as if they were being woken up from a deep trance, the clapping grew into thunderous applause. Which grew into a deafening roar of clapping and whistles. The newfound celebrities walked off the stage blushing furiously to a standing ovation.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The rest of the show was like a blur. Sakura tried to watch and clap for her friends, but she felt too dizzy with relief to concentrate. Soon, the talent festival was over, and it was time for the dance. A huge crowd of people surrounded Sakura-gumi, to hand them flowers, compliments, etc. Syaoran, looking a bit detached, looked on from the sidelines, like a bodyguard. *Oh God, look at all those…those _vultures_ gawking over at _my_ Sakura!* Syaoran thought angrily. *Those perverts had better stop staring or they are gonna get their sorry butts kicked!* Syaoran decide to take some action. He stepped in front of Sakura, and didn't even _think_ of leaving 20 inches from her side. The guys still weren't discouraged by Syaoran's killer scowl, and _still_ sent longing glances at the untouchable goddess. However, the "vultures" kept their distance from the snarling, not-so-little-wolf. But soon, Syaoran was faced with an enemy that even he couldn't keep Sakura from. Her girl friends. "Waiiiii!! Sakura-chan!! You were the best part of the entire talent show!!" "Where did you learn to sing like that?!" "Tomoyo-chan personally taught you, didn't she?" Soon, Syaoran had lost sight of Sakura, gone in a swirl of perfume, dresses and makeup. Giving one last glare at the hovering vultures, Syaoran slipped off for a while to himself. Sakura was pulled towards the decorated gym, urged on by her friends and admirers, she tried to turn back to Syaoran and to call him, but her voice was jumbled with the other sounds in the room. She couldn't even see Syaoran anymore, who was standing at the entrance, watching her go. He slipped the rose out of his pocket and stared hard at it, as if it would show what the future held for him. He blinked and quickly put it deep into his pockets. He looked at Sakura again in the distance. In a totally different world from him. It hurt. Gods, it hurt. He kissed the tips of his fingers and reached the hand out, as if offering the kiss to her. If it ever reached her, he didn't know. All he knew was that Sakura was getting further and further away from him. One of Sakura's close friends squealed, "You were so excellent! I never knew you could sing like that Sakura-chan!" Someone else chimed in, "Yeah! You made a great combo with Li-san! He was amazing!" Sakura smiled and answered, "Hai… he really is." She said softly, "Amazing."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The rest of the hour was just spent partying, Sakura danced with her friends and had fun, but she still couldn't find Syaoran. *I hope he didn't leave yet…* Sakura worried. *I didn't even get to dance with him yet…or to thank him…* Silently sipping at her cup of punch, Sakura stared blankly ahead of her, thinking. *Syaoran-kun was so nice…if it wasn't for him, I don't think I could have gone up there…* A gloved hand appeared in front of her surprised eyes. "Koban
wa, may I have the honor of this dance fair maiden?" A voice
asked. Sakura eyes followed the arm up to… Syaoran's smiling
face. "Of course!" Sakura happily agreed, and grasped
the hand that picked her up from her seat. They glanced towards
the dance floor, which was packed with sweaty people, some even
drunk. Syaoran glared distastefully at the crowd, and wordlessly
lead Sakura out into the school garden. "Mm! It feels so
good to be away from all that heat and noise!" Sakura sighed
once outside. Syaoran smiled at her, then asked, "So how
about that dance?" Sakura laughed and took her place in
front of him, grasping a hand to his and another on his broad
shoulder. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
They danced, as if they were the only ones in the world. The stars seemed to burn brighter, and the moon seemed to shine even more radiantly. This was all lost on Syaoran, who was spinning a giggling Sakura on his arms contentedly. Sakura's cheeks were flushed with excitement and laughter. The couple danced in wide arcs on the cobblestones, their heels clacking in time to a sweet song only the two could hear. The circles slowed then came to a complete halt, and Sakura's dress settled around her once more. Syaoran pulled her in close to his body, unconsciously. Her soft curves against his firm abdomen drove him crazy. *Gods…I can't hold back anymore…Chotto…* Syaoran thought as he helplessly ducked his head down and brought his aching lips to meet hers in a kiss so chaste, so sweet that he felt weak. He pulled her body even closer to his. With a moment's hesitation, Sakura's thin arms wrapped around Syaoran's neck. *What's this feeling? What's…happening…?* Sakura thought. Meanwhile, Syaoran was lost in a jumbled mess of thoughts. *Kuso! I shouldn't have kissed her…if she turns away from me now…I won't even have her friendship anymore…God dammit! Why did I have to kiss her…? I shouldn't have…* Syaoran tried to continue the dance casually, as if they hadn't stopped at all. He dipped her backwards so Sakura was solely dependant on Syaoran to hold the both of them up. Sakura felt his warm breath tickling her lips, his arms holding her as if she were lying on the air, only the toes of her shoes brushing the ground. His strong arms were wrapped around her tightly, possessively, and yet with such a gentleness, as if she were made of glass. With one hand on her lower back and the other nestled in the crook between shoulder blade and neck, it was as if he were claiming her for his, always and forever. He brought her back up and twirled her with quick turns. The warm puffs of her breath against his neck. The soft slide of her chest against his as it rose and fell with her breathing. The warmth of her body pressing against him. The combination was almost more than he could bear. They came to a halt again. *She's too close…I can't even think straight…* If this was the last chance Syaoran had to hold Sakura like this, he wasn't about to waste something so precious. He kissed her again, heart-achingly softly. Sakura then realized something. His kisses were frightened. He was afraid. She didn't know why, but he was. Sakura couldn't think of another time when she had felt as lightheaded. His kisses…they were the softest and sweetest things imaginable, like the gentle breath of a spring breeze. They were there, but she could hardly feel them. Sakura felt like they had to be returned. Leaning in closer, she kissed him back just as tenderly as he had. Syaoran's eyes snapped open and widened. He could feel his heart quickening even more as he felt Sakura's lips press against his. When she pulled back, Syaoran found himself staring at her. When Sakura blushed under his intense gaze, Syaoran reached out and held her closely again. He hugged her tightly, making sure she wasn't just a hallucination of his mind. His breath sobbed out of his throat in relief. "Ore…ore wa omae ga…suki desu…" he whispered into her hair. And he didn't let her go for a long time afterwards. He didn't want to let go of his moment. Sakura broke the silence. "…I…" immediately she felt the press of Syaoran's finger against her lips. "Hai…I know…" he pulled back a bit to look into her eyes earnestly. "Shikashi…I was going to apologize, for kissing you without even asking…" He paused a bit, still caressing Sakura's lips with his fingers as he spoke. "Shikashi…I won't." he gripped her figure even closer against his body. "I won't apologize…because I don't regret it…not a bit." Sakura reached up and grasped the hand, pulling it away from her lips and linking the fingers through hers. She and Syaoran smiled, and both were content. They both knew what they felt for each other. *Finally…* a voice whispered in Syaoran's mind. The relief that washed through him was so tangible he almost collapsed on the spot. Instead, he whispered, "Arigatou…" in Sakura's ear. "For…what?" Sakura asked, with a confused look on her face. "For…just being you." He replied smiling gently again. "Oh…" Sakura still looked a bit baffled. Syaoran chuckled, and preceded to lift her into his arms, bridal-style. Still laughing at her surprised gasp, he carried Sakura, the one and only beautiful melody of his heart back into the building.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* AN: Yokatta!! I'm done! How did everyone like this fic? I really enjoyed writing it ^^ I just hope it was worth reading. Hmm…maybe some background information is in order here… 1) The song Tomoyo is singing in the beginning of the fic, and the duet Sakura and Syaoran sing in the school festival are both from "Anastasia" from Fox Family entertainment or something of the sort…I do not claim ownership of neither songs! The fic itself was inspired from the movie…which has a great soundtrack! ^^ Though, not as great as the Fushigi Yugi OST Hau yu nee-chan got me for my birthday present! -^^- 2) The song Sakura sings in the karaoke room is "My Only Love" from the DiC subbed episodes of Sailor Moon. I don't own that one either… ^^;;; I just thought the lyrics would be nice to use! 3) The song that Syaoran sings in the karaoke room is my own creation…I know it sucks…but I had no other song to fit the darn fic! @_@ so I had to make it up myself…^^ 4) I hope no one hates me for making Syaoran a bit…er…forward in the end of this fic…thought it'd be romantic…if he doesn't make the first move, who will? ^o^ But I love the shy and ultimately-kawaii-blushing Syaoran-kun as much as the next CCS fan! 5) Mail…? Onegai? *looks pleadingly into reader's eyes* I'm desperate for comments and criticism minna-chan! My E-mail addy is CardCptorCherry@hotmail.com! Please feel free to drop me a line and tell me what you thought of the fic anytime! ^-~ Letter to Hau-yu nee-chan! Nee-chan! How did you like the fic? Hehe…It's not as
good as what you write…but I tried…^^ First of all,
I wanna say how glad I am that I got to meet you! To meet a anime
fan in real life, not just on the internet is extra-special!
^o^ I'm grateful to you for many things; Helping me meet with
Angel-chan for the first time, being a wonderful companion anywhere,
anyplace, giving me yummy cookies on book buddy day(^-~), letting
me proof-read your first attempt at a CCS fic (which is coming
along wonderfully! ^_^), being so patient with a over-hyperactive
person like me, letting me borrow your Fushigi Yugi videos, letting
me borrow your CCS videos, for hanging out with me whenever I
feel the urge to be with an otaku buddy, for giving me useful
info on animes and mangas, and just for being the anime-loving,
sugoi nee-chan you are! ^o^ Hau-yu nee-chan, you're the ultimate
best friend I could have, cause you're perfect! You never get
mad, never get fed up with me (no matter _how_ annoying I can
be…~_~), and always ready with a happy smile for me (even
when you were struggling through mid-terms or after getting painful
braces! @_@) I feel really lucky to have such a nearby friend
that I could take out my obsession with, knowing she won't be
scared out of her wits…(mostly because she's the same way…^o^;;;)
I knew you'd be really nice even before I met you, knowing that
you were Angel nee-chan's friend, but you're even better a person
than I could have imagined! I hope that as long as we live in
Bayside and visit the same library (hehe…^-^) we could always
have as much fun as we're having now! "Sakura and Syaoran are two lovers whose lives were intertwined by the Clow Cards to become the greatest romance of all time…"
|