Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The vines grew tighter around Sakura, pulling her upwards and into the air.

“SAKURA!” Syaoran yelled, summoning his sword from his palm. His mind was racing as he considered his options. His go-to lightning spell, Raitei Shourai, would do no good in this situation. Kashin Shourai ran a high risk of burning Sakura. Would using a Clow Card be better?

Before he could decide, Sakura yelled “BLAZE!”, calling forth the flaming phoenix. With a screech the phoenix clawed and tore at the vines that trapped its master. Sakura, now released from the vines, began plummeting to the ground.

With a burst of speed, Syaoran dashed over to where she was falling, catching her easily.

“Syaoran!” Sakura cried, filled with relief.  

Syaoran gave her a warm smile.

And that was when it hit them both. He was holding her.

He was holding her, and they weren’t feeling the usual zap that erupted between them every time they touched. The spell that an unknown source had placed on them. It had been months since Syaoran had leaned across his living room table to take Sakura in his arms. Months of no hugs, no hand holding, and no pinky swears.

They looked at each other with wide eyes. Syaoran gently dropped her legs so that she could stand, but had not released her torso. Sakura threw her arms around his neck, breathing in a sigh of contentment. So happy that they could hug again.

Blaze’s screech interrupted their happy reunion.

They jerked apart, Sakura quickly directing her gaze upwards to where Blaze was breathing fire at the quick-moving vines. Her mind raced as she considered the options available to her.

“REWIND!” she cried, causing the massive Jack-And-The-Beanstalk-esque vines to slowly shrink down until they were nothing more than a few sprouts.

“Force without master, heed the call of my staff of dreams, and become my power. Secure!” With one final flourish of her wand, the vine became a clear card floating in front of her. She plucked it out of the air, looking at the card.

“What is it?” Syaoran asked.

“RESTRAIN.” Sakura replied, turning it around so he could see the illustration.

“Is that…?”

“My great-grandfather.”

They were quiet for a moment as they looked at this new card, the first earth element to become part of her new cards. Then they locked eyes, finally coming down from the adrenaline of their battle to the new realization that they could touch again. Both of their faces were burning red, and their hearts were pounding with anticipation.

Sakura had thought a lot about what she would do once this spell was lifted. She envisioned a meaningful hug, a lingering handhold, and maybe… a kiss.

Syaoran had also thought about what he would do once this spell was lifted. He couldn’t wait to take her into his arms again, to kiss the top of her head, to stay close to her.

As they looked at each other, they found themselves stepping forward to be closer to one another. Just a little more, and they would be-

Interrupted. Tomoyo hurried to them from across the street where she had taken shelter behind a garbage can, her trusty video camera in hand. Kero had been sent flying by one of the vines, and had spent the remainder of the battle in dazed confusion. Once he had shaken it off, he zipped over to where the group was standing.

“Hey, Tomoyo! Did you catch me takin’ out one of those vines??” Kero asked excitedly.

“Taking out?” Syaoran asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Of course, Kero-chan.” Tomoyo replied with a giggle. “I did manage to capture the heroic way you fought against those vines!” She said, her eyes twinkling. “But most importantly I was able to get footage Sakura-chan’s inventive capture of this most recent card! And, I noticed that Li-kun was able to rescue Sakura-chan from a nasty fall, without the usual sparks flying! What a wonderful evening this was!”

“Tomoyo-chan…” Sakura trailed off, looking down and smoothing the poofy costume skirt beneath her fingertips.

“Eh, what’s so important about that? The brat catches her all the time!” Kero said. “Oh wait, there was that spell! Ya couldn’t touch? Now ya can?”

“Yes, we haven’t been able to touch for…” Sakura looked to Syaoran.

“Months.” Syaoran said with a grim smile.

“You two should celebrate!” Tomoyo said, clasping her hands together. “Perhaps a date is in order!”

“Thanks, Daidouji.” Syaoran said, blushing. “We already have plans for this Sunday.”

“That’s so far from now…” Tomoyo said thoughtfully, placing a finger to her chin. “Well, Kero-chan, we’d best be on our way.”

“Eh? What’s going on?” Sakura asked.

“Kero-chan is going to stay the night at my house tonight, he can go back home with you tomorrow.” Tomoyo said matter-of-factly.

Kero didn’t look convinced, crossing his arms. “I think I should stay with Sakura, there’s a lot of strange magic afoot. She could use a strong and smart beast like me.”  

“That’s a shame. I had a delightful chocolate mousse that I had been wanting to share with you.” Tomoyo said, looking away.

“Well, I guess one night wouldn’t hurt!” Kero said cheerfully, zooming over to hover beside Tomoyo.

“Wonderful. Well, we’ll be off. Enjoy your walk home together.” Tomoyo said, winking at Sakura over her shoulder.

Sakura flushed bright red, barely able to meet Syaoran’s eye. They were quiet for a moment as Syaoran reached out and tentatively took her hand.

“Shall I walk you home?” he asked, a warm smile on his face.

“Yes!” she replied with a smile, squeezing his hand.

They began their leisurely stroll back home, the stars and moon twinkling above them. The night was cool, but not cold, and a gentle breeze shook the trees gently on their walk.

Syaoran ran his thumb over hers, enjoying the way their entwined hands felt. Sakura brought her other hand up to grasp his arm, snuggling into his side as they walked. It was the closest they had ever stood together outside of the context of battle. If the time or the setting had been different, she would have felt embarrassed. But here, beneath their moon and stars, it just felt right.

“We haven’t decided where we’re going on Sunday.” Sakura said, looking up at him.

“Anywhere but the Tomoeda Botanical Gardens.” Syaoran said with a chuckle.

Sakura laughed. “We haven’t had the best luck there, that’s for sure.”

“I want to go somewhere where we won’t be interrupted. Someplace quiet. Where we can actually enjoy each other’s company.” He said wistfully, trying to think of such a place.

Sakura thought for a moment, then she turned to Syaoran excitedly.

“No magic!” he said mock-sternly, squeezing her hand.

She puffed out her cheeks. “Why not? We could just make a pretty place where we won’t be interrupted. Maybe with SIEGE and FLOWERY?” she mused.

“I don’t want to spend our whole date worrying about you overexerting yourself. And we still don’t know what that Yuna D. Kaito is up to.”

Sakura frowned, then sighed. It was probably reckless of her to use her magic in this way when she still didn’t have much control over it. And it was sweet of him to worry.

They walked in silence for a little while, each thinking about where they could go for a little peace and quiet.

“That’s it!” Sakura exclaimed, clasping her hands together. “Syaoran-kun, have you ever been to the Tomoeda Art Gallery?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Syaoran said, shaking his head.

“We went there on a school field trip just before you came to Tomoeda. I captured THE SILENT there, which is what made me think of it!”

“SILENT does love the quiet.” He agreed with a smile.

Sakura nodded enthusiastically, her eyes shining.

Syaoran had to laugh at her earnest expression. “Okay, so we will start our day there. Should I pick you up at 10:30?”

“That works great! But the museum isn’t very large, it probably won’t take more than a couple of hours to look at everything.” Sakura trailed off thoughtfully.

“Don’t worry, we’ll still spend the whole day together.”

“But what will we do for the rest of the day?”

“Leave that to me.”

They had then arrived at the gate to the Kinomoto’s front walk. Sakura pouted, swinging Syaoran’s hand. “That walk went by too quickly.”

“I know what you mean.” Syaoran said with a smile, wrapping his arms around her waist for a tight hug. Sakura wound her arms around his neck, resting her head on his chest contentedly. They stayed like that for a moment, holding each other. The night was quiet and still. Sakura couldn’t help but hope this moment would never end.

Syaoran finally released her, running his hands down her arms to grasp her hands. “It’s getting late, Sakura. We have school tomorrow and you need your sleep.”

Sakura looked up at him with a soft smile. “You’re right. Goodnight, Syaoran-kun.”

“Goodnight, Sakura.”

He squeezed her hands to indicate that he was going to let go, but Sakura held on tight. In a flash, she took a step towards him, reached up on her tiptoes, and kissed him swiftly on the cheek. She gave his hands a final squeeze and one last shy smile, before flinging open the gate and running up the path to the front door. She took a moment before finally feeling brave enough to turn around and look at him.

He looked slightly stunned but very happy. He was smiling and blushing, his fingers held up to the cheek she had kissed. He waved to her, slightly dazed.

She giggled, waving back once more before turning and silently unlocking her front door and slipping inside.

Sakura was giddy as she carefully climbed the steps to her room. She knew exactly which steps to take and how hard she could step without making any noise at all. Once she arrived at her bedroom, she flopped onto the bed. She was full of excited, frenetic energy. She was torn – on one hand, it was nice to have her room to herself, free from Kero’s grumblings and opinions on her love life. On the other hand, she missed her guardian. She quietly went about her bedtime routine. She blushed as she thought about how bold she had been. The kiss had been brief, but in it she had gotten to feel the smooth skin of his cheek beneath her lips and breathe in the scent of his hair. She was so over-the-moon happy that she thought she might explode. She snuggled into bed, plugging her phone in to charge for the night. She had one final text message to send: “❤️”. She clutched her phone to her chest and stared up at the ceiling, too wired to fall asleep.

-

Syaoran floated back home with a smile on his face. What a fantastic evening. Sakura created another card, yes, but was ultimately unharmed. And whatever curse had been laid on the two of them had been lifted. They could touch again. And she had kissed him. It still didn’t explain who had cast the spell or why they had cast the spell, which was still a point of concern. He muttered to himself in Cantonese, wondering aloud at who could have been behind this. He shook his head, trying to push the thought out of his mind for now. The girl he had loved for the last three years had just kissed him on the cheek, and worrying excessively wouldn’t solve anything.

He briefly fiddled with his keys before unlocking the front door and making his way inside. He went about his nighttime routine: preparing his school bag for the next day, brushing his teeth, splashing his face with water. When he went to plug in his phone by his desk, he noticed that he had a text message from Sakura. He smiled at the heart emoji dancing across his screen. He texted two quick replies, then flipped his phone over and got into bed.

Two soft “dings” alerted Sakura to the incoming messages. The first said, “You make me really happy.” Sakura’s heart soared. She looked at her phone again for the second message, which read: “But seriously, go to sleep. Goodnight.❤️” She smiled at her phone, debating whether or not to send a teasing reply. She decided not to, instead placing her phone on the shelf by her headboard. Sakura then rolled over to make an attempt at falling asleep. She knew she would have sweet dreams that night.

Chapter Text

The rest of the week went by so slowly it was agonizing, helped only by the fact that at the end of each school day Sakura and Syaoran would hold hands on the way home. Sometimes she walked him home, sometimes he walked her home. They were starting to become more comfortable with holding hands, no longer suffering through sweaty palms. Sakura was pretty sure she wouldn’t even mind accidentally running into her big brother – she felt so comfortable that she didn’t care who saw! Syaoran felt similarly, but still silently prayed they wouldn’t run into Toya.

On Saturday night, Sakura went to bed early. She wanted to make sure she got plenty of sleep so that she would wake up on time the next morning. Instead she spent hours staring at the ceiling, her thoughts racing. Her thoughts were on a loop – first she would think about Syaoran, his kind smile and the way his eyebrows would furrow when he was focused. Then she would think about the unusual magical circumstances that had befallen her this year. She would try not to think too hard about what creating original magic was doing to her, so then would try to turn her thoughts to school projects and things she wanted to do with her friends. Eventually her thoughts would loop back around to Syaoran. In the end she didn’t fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning.

Unsurprisingly, this also meant that she did not wake up when she intended to.

“I tried to help ya, I really did.” Kero said, his arms crossed as he floated in the air, Sakura whirling around him like a hurricane.

“Kero-chan!” Sakura grumbled as she struggled to get ready for her date. Thank goodness that she had already decided what she was going to wear today otherwise this morning would prove to be even more impossible.

She had settled on a green turtleneck tucked into a camel-colored pleated skirt. She paired these with black thigh highs, throwing her cream mini-backpack over her shoulders before heading downstairs.

“Good morning, Sakura!” said Fujitaka, looking at her over the top of his newspaper. “Going out somewhere today?”

Before Sakura could respond, Touya smirked at her over his cup of tea. “Yup. The monster has a date.”

“I’m not a monster!” she replied angrily, puffing out her cheeks. She was about to aim a kick at Touya’s shin when the doorbell rang.

Sakura ran to answer it, flinging the door open enthusiastically. “Syaoran-kun!”

“Good morning, Sakura.” He said with a smile, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

“Sakura!” Fujitaka called from the dining room. “You should really eat something before you go out!”

Sakura blushed with embarrassment as she put on her copper loafers by the front door. “It’s fine, Dad, I don’t want to make us late!”

“Here.” Syaoran said, indicating to the two to-go coffee cups he held in each hand. “I was thinking we could stop for a pastry on the way to the museum. There is a really great taiyaki stand close by.”

“Thank you.” Sakura said, gratefully taking the coffee cup. “I, uh, overslept.”

“I had a feeling you might.” He said with a smile, then waved at someone behind her.

Sakura turned around to see Fujitaka standing in the kitchen doorway. “Dad, Syaoran-kun and I are going to grab a bite to eat on our way to the museum. Okay?”

“Okay.” Fujitaka replied with a smile.

“We’re off” Sakura said, taking Syaoran by the hand and leading him down the porch steps.

“Take care!” Fujitaka replied, closing the door behind them with a wave.

And with that, they were off. They held hands, enjoying each other’s company and taking sips of their coffee along the way.

Sakura could see the art museum across the street. She pointed excitedly, “Look, Syaoran-kun! There it is.”

She began to hurry towards the cross walk, but Syaoran quickly tugged on her hand, inadvertently pulling her around and back into him. Sakura only narrowly avoided spilling her coffee and bumping her head on his chin.

“Sorry!” Syaoran exclaimed.

“It’s okay!” Sakura said, waving her hands. “I shouldn’t have been rushing to cross the street-“

“No, I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to miss the taiyaki.” He said, indicating to the stand on the corner.

Then they realized that they were still standing very close together, mere inches between them.

Syaoran swallowed. “Uh, why don’t we grab some and then go sit somewhere in the museum grounds with our coffee?”

“Yes! That sounds great!” Sakura replied quickly, taking a quick step back and blushing.

They collected their pastries, crossing the street to sit on a bench just inside the museum’s grounds. The weather was cool but not cold, and they enjoyed the gentle sunshine and breeze. It was fun to observe the people coming and going from the museum. There were other teenagers there on dates, grandparents with grandchildren, and young mothers pushing strollers together.

Sakura sighed with contentment. Just being able to be together like this was so nice. One week ago holding hands on their date would have been out of the question. After one week of this closeness, she could hardly remember life before.

It hadn’t been fun, that was for sure. No hugs and no pinky swears were bad enough – but having to be careful not to bump into each other was difficult as well. Their non-magical friends had certainly noticed the lack of contact, and it had been hard to explain why they weren’t touching all of a sudden.

But none of that mattered anymore. She stole a sideways glance at Syaoran who was quietly munching on his taiyaki pastry and looking thoughtfully at the museum building. He was wearing a cream-colored button-down shirt with a navy v-neck sweater on top, with the sleeves rolled up. Sakura couldn’t help but admire the steadiness of his gaze. She had always loved his eyes – where his words failed his eyes were quite expressive, and she had spent the years working to learn what they were saying. She smiled to herself as she returned to her coffee and pastry.

Syaoran had been thinking about the museum’s architecture and wondering when it had been built. It seemed to be the same age as Tomoeda Middle School, standing in contrast to the other more modern buildings that populated the area. He turned to Sakura to ask if she knew anything about it but was distracted instead by how cute she was. Rather than looking around she had her head faced towards the sky, looking at some birds flitting about one of the overhead trees. He noticed a bit of the taiyaki’s powdered sugar on the corner of her mouth.

He was overwhelmed by a sudden urge to remove it with his mouth, and then felt immediately ashamed. The previous week she had kissed him on the cheek, but that didn’t mean that she wanted him to be that close to her mouth!

He settled instead on saying her name softly, leaning over to wipe the sugar away with his thumb. She turned when he said her name, and blushed as she saw him leaning closer to her. She blushed deeper when she felt his hand gently cup her chin, his thumb making a slight stroke somewhere near her mouth.

In an instant, it was over. He had leaned back on the bench, a light blush dusting his cheeks and a smile on his face.

“Did I have something on my face?” Sakura asked, anxiously pointing at herself.

“Just a little powdered sugar.” Syaoran said with a shrug.

“Hoeee, I’m so embarrassed!” Sakura said, looking away.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Syaoran said with the sympathetic smile he reserved just for her when she was being silly. Sakura looked back at him doubtfully. “It was actually pretty cute.” He looked away quickly, his blush deepening.

“C-cute?” Sakura stammered, also looking away. Then she giggled. “I’m glad that you think I’m cute, Syaoran-kun.” She said, staring at her feet.

“W-well. I do. Very cute. Beautiful, even.” Syaoran said, inwardly kicking himself for how smooth he was not being.

“Thank you, Syaoran-kun.” Sakura said, sure that she could not blush any deeper. She dared a sideways glance at him. “You’re very handsome too. I really like that sweater on you.”

She was pleased to see he was blushing just as deeply as she was.

“Thank you.” He said, standing up quickly. “Can I take your cup?” he asked, indicating to her empty to-go coffee cup.

“Oh! Sure.” Sakura said, handing it over.

Within a few strides, Syaoran had crossed the pathway to the trash can, thrown their cups away, collected himself, and returned to Sakura’s side.

“Ready to see the museum?” he asked, extending his hand to her.

“Yes!” Sakura said excitedly, taking his hand.

They walked through the museum grounds down a pathway surrounded by large trees on either side. There were several beautiful topiaries and large sculptures scattered, so there was plenty to look at and comment on along the way.

When they arrived to the entryway, Syaoran began heading over towards the ticketing window, but Sakura stopped him with the squeeze of her hand.

“Dad happened to have two tickets that he got from the university.” Sakura said with a smile.

“Your dad’s university seems to end up with a lot of pairs of tickets to things around Tomoeda.” Syaoran replied with a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t really understand it myself. Toya says the same thing happens with his part-time jobs. Around the holidays they will exchange tickets and gift cards with each other to maintain the relationship.”

“Hmm, that’s interesting. I’ll have to thank Kinomoto-san for letting us use these.”

They entered the large atrium and came face-to-face with the hallmark of the museum’s collection, the multicolored abstract sculpture made up of various shapes and metal accents.

“Tomoyo-chan and I used these as the subject of our still life drawings.” Sakura said, pointing to the large sculpture.

“It certainly makes an interesting subject!” Syaoran commented diplomatically.

“I don’t like it much myself, but it was kind of fun to draw!”

They made their way across the atrium, standing to look at the museum’s directory before deciding where to head next.

“I’d like to see the portrait that SILENT was occupying. Would you point it out to me?” Syaoran asked.

“Of course! It was this way!” Sakura said, tugging Syaoran toward the first room of portraits. Along the way she recounted the story of how she captured SILENT. Having to sneak into the museum after dark, nearly being thwarted by the artist’s child, and how SILENT repeatedly sent them away for making even the slightest noise.

“The way you chose to capture it was very inventive, Sakura. Especially considering how early in your magical training this was. Back then you didn’t even know which cards belonged to which element!” he said with a light chuckle.

“I remember being really frustrated at the time that I couldn’t just use the wand without speaking.” Sakura said, laughing lightly.

Syaoran frowned. “Sakura, using magic without incantations is very advanced magic. I’m sure you’re capable of growing that ability, but it isn’t something-“

“Syaoran-kun, you are being far too serious for our date.” Sakura said, frowning. She reached a hand up to his cheek. “I. Am. Being. Careful. Now that I understand the dangers, I am taking things slowly. You have to trust me.” She continued, the last sentence barely above a whisper. 

Syaoran looked away, a little ashamed. “I know.” He replied, his hand coming up to clasp the one she had left on his cheek. “I know. I just… care for you.”

Sakura smiled, blushing slightly. “I care for you too.”

They looked at each other for a moment, both feeling very much in love and wanting to express it. It was at that moment that a couple of mothers pushing their babies in strollers passed by, looking at them with a mixture of amusement, curiosity, and disapproval. They awkwardly increased the distance between them, dropping their held hands and continuing on into the portrait gallery.

They admired the series of portraits – enjoying the works of artists from around the world and right there in Japan.

“This one is really stunning.” Syaoran said, pointing to a portrait of a young girl smiling through a window.

“That’s Yuuki-san, she’s the daughter of the artist, Tenkai Tachibana.” Sakura said. “This is where SILENT was hiding in plain sight.”

Syaoran looked around the gallery at the other portraits. “It seems like an odd one to choose, since there are others here that she could have blended into with more ease.”

“Looking back, I think so too. Especially since Yuuki-san was so determined to remove her from the painting, she hardly got any peace and quiet!” Sakura said with a little laugh. “I wonder how Yuuki-san is doing. She’s probably almost finished with elementary school by now!”

“Well, since you made sure her father’s legacy was restored, I’m sure she’s well.” Syaoran said, squeezing Sakura’s hand.

They continued through the rest of the museum, hand in hand. It was interesting to see which pieces were new to the museum or being loaned to the museum from other collections in Japan. Finally they had reached the end of their visit – they had examined all of the artwork, watched an informative film on art from the Edo period, and thoroughly explored all of the gardens.

As they made their way back down the path to continue to the next part of their date, Syaoran sighed.

“Sakura, I have a confession to make.”

“Eh? What is it?” Sakura asked.

“I have been to the Tomoeda Art Museum before.” He said sheepishly.

“When?” she exclaimed.

“My first night in Tomoeda. I sensed a Clow Card, so came to the museum just in time to see you, Tomoyo, and Cerberus leaving.”

“No way!” Sakura exclaimed. “We didn’t see you! Where were you?”

“Uh… standing on the roof.” Syaoran confessed.

Sakura laughed at his sheepish expression. “Syaoran-kun, you really do thrive in high places.”

They reached the edge of the museum grounds, heading under the archway and back to the sidewalk. Sakura looked at her watch. “It’s only 1:00 now. What should we do next?”

Syaoran smiled at her. “I told you, I have a few places in mind.” He began guiding them down the sidewalk in the opposite direction from where they came.

“Where are we going?” Sakura asked, feeling giddy.

“Be patient.” Syaoran playfully admonished.

They continued down the sidewalk, Sakura repeatedly finding different ways of asking where they were going. She was surprised when they turned into the train station.

“Eh?? We can’t get there by walking?” Sakura asked.

“Maybe we could.” Syaoran said thoughtfully. “But it would eat into more of our day than I would like. We still have a couple more places to visit.”

“We’re not going into Tokyo are we?” Sakura pressed, still feeling puzzled.

“Not all the way in, just to the outskirts. You’ve been there before.” Syaoran hinted.

They made their way onto the platform, waiting for their train. Sakura was silent as she tried to think of all the places they could possibly be going. The train arrived, the car completely empty. The trains between Tomoeda and Tokyo were primarily for commuters, so they were very quiet on the weekends. Syaoran was grateful for this as he and Sakura chose their seats and sat down for the ride. Sakura remained quiet, deep in thought. He smiled, it was so cute to watch her think. For all that she was very smart, quick thinking, and capable she could overthink things pretty easily.

The silence between them was comfortable. Syaoran watched the different neighborhoods of the city zip by as they rode along. Suddenly, Sakura gasped and turned to him excitedly.

“Did you figure it out?” Syaoran asked with a smile.

“Maybe! I mean, yes! Yes, I did.” Sakura said. She opened her mouth to reveal the answer, and then closed it. “Nevermind, that would be silly. The teddy bear exhibit was temporary.”

“You are right on both accounts.” Syaoran said, squeezing her hand. “The teddy bear exhibit was temporary, but there is something exciting in its place.”

“That department store is having another exhibition?” Sakura asked, her excitement mounting. She was thankful that they were the only people on the train car, so she was free to let the volume of her voice match her excitement.

“Yes.” Syaoran said, nodding. “Apparently they hold them regularly, several times a year. We’ll have to keep an eye on their website in the future to see if there are any others we would like to go to.”

“Let’s! That sounds fun!” Sakura said. “What’s the exhibit today?”

“I guess you will just have to wait and see.” Syaoran said, his tone teasing.

Sakura groaned, sliding down into her train seat to pout.

“Don’t worry, we’re almost there.” Syaoran said, squeezing her hand.

The train pulled into the station moments later, and Syaoran and Sakura were headed down a different sidewalk toward the department store. When they got closer, Sakura realized that there was a sign outside advertising whatever the exhibition was. Upon further inspection, she could see that the exhibition was for a unique flower viewing experience.

“Flower viewing? But the flowers won’t be blooming for months!” Sakura said, picking up her speed to the point that she was almost dragging Syaoran along.

“It’s a combination of real and virtual flowers. I thought this would be nice to do while we wait until our next real flower viewing party.” Syaoran said with a smile.

When they first entered, the main hall looked the same as it had for the teddy bear exhibit. But as they made their way toward the café and exhibit hall, Sakura could see that the building had been themed to look almost like a fairy’s grotto. There were stacks of bamboo with green lights projected onto them, giving them a magical-looking effect.

“I can hardly imagine this is the same building the teddy bear exhibit was in.” Syaoran remarked.

“Mhmm, I didn’t think they would transform the building to match!” Sakura agreed.

They soon reached the exhibit hall doors. Taking a deep breath, they stepped inside. Behind the doors was a giant white story book covered in pink blossoms with the title of the exhibit stretched across its pages.

Sakura looked up at the story book, her eyes wide. “This is so pretty.”

“Yeah. It is.” Syaoran agreed.

They made their way through the exhibit, soaking up each of the beautiful scenes and taking lots of photos along the way (“Sorry, Daidouji made me promise I would.”). They followed a trail of virtual flowers, went through a tunnel carpeted in real blossoms, scooped up flower petals in a virtual tsukubai, crept through a room of dandelion clocks, and watched a cherry blossom kaleidoscope dance around them. The exhibit was stunning, and by the end of it they were thoroughly enchanted.

It didn’t take them long to experience all of the different art installations, and afterwards they found themselves sitting in the same café from the teddy bear exhibit. Only this time, the whole room had been outfitted to match the exhibit’s installation. There were beautiful cherry blossom branches hung from the ceiling combined with a series of projections that made the room feel like it was sparkling. The café had an assortment of floral teas available and some of the prettiest sandwiches and desserts that Sakura had ever seen.  

“It was here that you used my first name for the first time.” Sakura remarked, her expression soft as she looked at Syaoran across the table.

Syaoran blushed. “It just sort of… slipped out.” Sakura giggled at his expression. “I was really worried!” he said defensively.

Sakura cocked her head to the side. “I know it must have been a little worrying, but I floated back up just a few seconds later.”

“By then-“ Syaoran paused. “By then I knew that I loved you. It was… a different worry than the kind you have for a friend.”

“Syaoran-kun…” Sakura said softly, her eyes shining.

“Anyway, that’s one of the reasons I wanted to come back here. Besides the fact that the exhibit looked fun. Even though I was so scared at the time… I guess it feels like we became closer that day?” Syaoran said, running his hand through his hair.

“You’re right!” Sakura said, her gaze intensifying. “You’re right. I was so happy when you used my name. It made me brave enough to ask you if I could use yours!”

“It made me really happy when you called me later that night.”

“Really? All you said was ‘do as you like’! I hardly knew if that meant I was allowed to!”

As they finished their meal, the two playfully argued over the proper times to use the phrase “do as you like.” Then it was time to make their way back to the train to Tomoeda.

As they waited for their train, Sakura looked up at Syaoran with a smile. “I had a really fun time today, Syaoran-kun.”

“Me too.” He replied with a smile. Then his expression turned serious. “I actually have a few more things planned, if that’s okay.” Then his expression turned panicky. “Although if you’re tired or just want to go home, I can take you home. It’s no trouble at all, really!”

“Oh no!” Sakura reassured him quickly. “I just didn’t want to assume that there was more for us to do today, it’s already been such a wonderful day. If you’re tired or you want me to go home, I can go home!”

“No!” Syaoran said quickly. “No, I really want to spend more time with you. I had actually planned for us to have dinner together tonight too, if that’s alright.”

“Mmhmm! Of course! I would love that.”

Chapter Text

They were both blushing furiously when the train arrived, and they both watched it pull into the station with intense focus. When they stepped onboard, they realized they weren’t the only people on the train. They chose their seats and quietly sat together, hand in hand.

Sakura had anticipated that they would get off the train at the station closest to their middle school, as that was their usual stop. She was surprised when Syaoran squeezed her hand and whispered “This is our stop,” for the station closer to the Tomoeda Town Square. She obediently followed him off of the train, wondering where they could be headed.

They shared a comfortable silence along their walk. The weather had started to cool down, but they were both comfortable in their sweaters. The sun was beginning to set, casting shadows across the square. Sakura noticed something across the square out of the corner of her eye.

“Look, Syaoran-kun! The gazebo!” Sakura said excitedly. The gazebo was a permanent structure in the Tomoeda Town Square. A few years prior, Sakura and Syaoran’s class had performed a play for the annual Nadeshiko Festival. When they were loading in their sets and costumes for the performance, they found out that the gazebo couldn’t be moved, and would in fact block a portion of the stage. Naoko, their student director and friend, had simply rolled with it, choosing to incorporate the gazebo as a portion of the set.

“Yes. We never did get to finish the play.” Syaoran said, looking over at the structure. “I think our last scene was in there, before the “earthquake.”” He put the last word in air quotes.

“Mhmmm.” Sakura said, nodding sadly. “Hey, Syaoran-kun, are you looking forward to The Twin Alices?”

“Looking forward? Not exactly.” Syaoran said with a sigh. “But, everyone’s working so hard. I’m happy to do it.”

“Yeah, that’s how I feel.” Sakura said wistfully. “Naoko-chan has a vision.”

“That she does. She’s really talented.” Syaoran said seriously. “But hopefully this will be my last time as an actor.”

Sakura giggled at that. “As long as Naoko is writing plays, I think both of us have quite a bit of acting in our future.”

It was then that Sakura realized where they were.

She looked up at the tall, stone clock tower. She could hardly believe it had been two years since she and FLY had raced up the inside, chasing after NOTHING with everything they had. Two years since she had tearfully confessed to Syaoran that she returned his love, even though he might not love her back anymore. Two years since he replied that he still did; two years since the HOPE card was born.

Sakura walked up the stone wall, running her fingers over its rough texture. Syaoran appeared at her side, placing his hand on the wall as well.

They didn’t have to say anything, they both knew they were thinking about that day.

After a pause, Syaoran broke the silence. “I haven’t really had a chance to come over here, since I’ve been back. And I thought it might be nice to come see it.”

“This wasn’t the beginning, not exactly.” Sakura said softly. “But it was… important.”

“Yeah… important.”

They looked at each other, faces flushed and eyes shining.

“I still can’t believe you made that jump.” Syaoran said in a teasing tone.

Sakura laughed, running her hand through her hair awkwardly. “Me neither. I don’t think I’ve ever been so impatient.” It was at that moment that her stomach growled loudly and she was sure that she would die of embarrassment.

“Hoeeee! I’m so sorry, that’s so embarrassing!” Sakura exclaimed, covering her face with her hands.

Syaoran chuckled. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, but it’s good to know you’re ready for dinner. Let’s get going.”

Sakura laughed awkwardly, staring at her feet as they walked back through the square and down to the main road.

“Um… Syaoran-kun? Where are we eating?”

“Oh! I thought we could eat dinner at my place.”

“Syaoran-kun!” Sakura said excitedly.

“Don’t worry! I’ve already prepped everything, so it just needs to be assembled and it won’t take long to cook. Plus, I have some appetizers we can start with, so you won’t be hungry for much longer!” he said apologetically.

“No, Syaoran-kun, I’m not worried about that. I’m just really happy that you are cooking for me.” Sakura said, looking away with a blush.

“Well, you have made me several amazing bentos. I think I owe you quite a few more meals.” Syaoran said affectionately, squeezing her hand.

“No! I love getting to cook for you.” Sakura said quickly, blushing even deeper.

“And I love getting to eat the things you make.” Syaoran replied.

They chatted about cooking along their walk, discussing the different ways you could roll an omelet. Sakura’s cooking education was pretty structured, since she had learned to cook with her father and brother. Each new technique or appliance was part of a tiered system. Once she was proficient enough to use one technique safely, she could learn something new. Syaoran’s was a bit more lax. The Li family was very structured when it came to magical education, but cooking? Wei had shown him and Meiling a few dishes when they first lived in Tomoeda. When Wei found out that Syaoran was going to be living on his own this time, he made sure to give Syaoran a crash course on Cantonese cooking. It had taken some time (and a few failed attempts), but Syaoran was now able to cook for himself and cook well.

They arrived at Syaoran’s apartment, which was as neat and tidy as ever. They changed into their slippers before heading into the living room.

“You sit down, and I’ll bring you some tea and bao.” Syaoran instructed.

Sakura protested immediately. “I would much rather help you in the kitchen!”

Syaoran thought about arguing but softened when he remembered how strange it can feel to be sitting alone in someone’s living room. “Okay, you can make the tea.” He conceded, and they headed into the kitchen together.

“What kind of tea should we have?” Sakura asked, clapping her hands together.

“Well, I know you want matcha. The powder and the whisk are in that cabinet, along with the tea pot.” Syaoran pointed. “I would prefer a Ceylon, if you don’t mind. That’s on the countertop, in that jar.”

“On it!” Sakura said, cheerfully busying herself with the kettle.

Syaoran worked steadily around the kitchen, steaming the bao he had prepared earlier. They were finished around the same time Sakura had finished setting the tea tray, so the pair brought everything out to the table and sat on the floor to enjoy it. They chatted easily, Sakura commenting on how good the bao were and how impressed she was with their quality. Syaoran modestly critiqued their structural integrity but was pleased all the same that she liked them.

When they had finished their bao, Syaoran stood up to prepare dinner. Sakura padded softly into the kitchen behind him, asking if she could help. Syaoran was adamant that he was fine, but Sakura insisted on making some more tea anyway. When she was finished, Syaoran sent her back out to the table to wait.

When Syaoran emerged from the kitchen a few minutes later, Sakura was floored.

“It’s hǎi xiān qiǎo cháo, or sometimes it’s called a seafood bird’s nest.”

“It looks amazing!” Sakura praised. Syaoran set the plate down in front of her. “Is the basket…”

“It’s edible.” Syaoran said proudly. “It’s weaved out of a combination of taro and noodles, then fried.”

“Syaoran-kun, that must have taken so much time! You didn’t need to go to so much trouble.” Sakura admonished.

“I wanted to! This is one of my favorite dishes from back home, and I really wanted you to try it.”

Sakura looked inside the basket to see a combination of scallops, calamari, shrimp, pea pods, celery, and mushrooms. They were all things that she liked. But knowing that Syaoran had made them for her, and that he really wanted her to like them… it was almost too much.

“I humbly receive!” the two chanted, picking up their chopsticks. Syaoran watched anxiously as Sakura took her first bite.

“It’s delicious!” she exclaimed, breaking off a small piece of the bowl with her chopsticks.

Syaoran sighed in relief. “Thank goodness. I was so worried you wouldn’t like it.”

“How could I not? You made it, Syaoran-kun!” she replied with a huge smile.

Syaoran could have melted, he loved her smile so much. “Well, I hope that you’ll be honest with me about the things I cook for you. I would hate it if I kept serving you things you don’t like!”

Sakura laughed lightly. “As long as you don’t make konyakku, I think I’ll be okay. Although, I have to say, I am relieved that you don’t like konyakku either.” She said, making a face. Syaoran chuckled at her expression.

Dinner continued without event. They talked about school, the play, their friends, their families. They weren’t avoiding talking about magic per se, but since magic was the main topic for many of their conversations, they decided to enjoy some time away from it. When they were finished with their bird’s nests, Syaoran brought out two bowls of black sesame soup, a sweet soup served after dinner as a dessert. Sakura had never had anything like it, but she really liked the unique texture.

They both glanced at the clock at the same time, looking at each other sadly. It was time to go.

Syaoran walked to his coat closet, selecting a brown leather jacket for himself and also grabbing a slightly thicker brown peacoat. Sakura immediately began to wave her hands in protest (“I’ll be okay!”) but Syaoran insisted. It had gotten colder out, now that the sun was down, and the walk back to the Kinomoto house was not insignificant. Sakura finally conceded, and Syaoran held the coat out for her to slide her arms into. The jacket was loose on her, particularly in the shoulders, but Sakura didn’t mind. It was warm, cozy, and smelled like Syaoran. She was in heaven.

They made their way down the stairs and out into the night, hand in hand.

“Do you have to be home at a specific time?” Syaoran asked.

“No, I don’t think so.” Sakura said, shaking her head as she glanced at her watch. “Onii-chan is staying at Yukito-san’s house tonight and Oto-san won’t mind.”

“Well, do you want to take the long way back, then?” Syaoran asked.

“What’s the long way?” Sakura asked.

“Walking through King Penguin Park. I haven’t been there in a long time, and it might be nice to visit it when there are no kids around.”

“Of course! Let’s go.”

They crossed over the familiar wooden bridge to the park. The moon and the stars shone bright over the park. It was quiet, save for the sound of the cool wind and the lapping waves of the nearby pond.

Sakura automatically went towards the swing set, choosing the same swing she always did. Syaoran chose the one next to her. They sat in their swings, looking up at the stars.

“What are you thinking about?” Sakura asked, leaning forward to look at Syaoran.

“About the first time I told you I loved you.” Syaoran said softly, smiling back at her.

Sakura felt her face turn bright red, then she smiled. “I was so surprised.”

“I could tell.” Syaoran said, smiling grimly at the memory of running away from the stunned Sakura. He opened his mouth to speak, then paused. This was something that he had wondered about for a while, but was afraid to ask.

Sakura looked at him, her face filled with concern. “Syaoran-kun? What is it?”

“I just… I’ve always wondered. If I hadn’t… confessed… to you that day, would you still have feelings for me?”

Sakura got off the swings quickly, standing in front of him. “Of course! Of course I would have.”

“But we don’t know that for sure.” He said, looking down.

“Syaoran!” Sakura said sharply, causing him to look up. “Finding out that you were going back to Hong Kong was one of the loneliest days of my life. I hated-“ her eyes began to fill with tears, “I hated being apart from you.” The tears began to roll down her cheeks.

“We were so young. I have always admired that you know your heart so well – and that you knew your heart so well when we were so young.” She continued, the tears coming hot and fast. “My crush on Yukito-san was childish, it was that of a little girl. Finding out that you were going back to Hong Kong was also finding out that I was in love.”

Syaoran stood up and put his hands on her shoulders.

“And maybe if you hadn’t gone back to Hong Kong it would have taken me a little more time to discover my feelings. Maybe I wouldn’t have told you until middle school, or even high school. But I know I would have. I know that I don’t just love you because you love me. I would love you no matter who we were.”

Syaoran pulled her into his chest, resting his head on top of hers. He gently pressed his lips onto the top if her head.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. “I never should have doubted you.”

Sakura sniffled, then pulled back to wipe the tears away with her finger. “It’s okay. I guess I can understand why you would have wondered.”

Syaoran pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, and handed it to her. Sakura gratefully wiped her eyes with it. Syaoran had always found Sakura cute, but that evening it was her beauty that he noticed. Her cheeks were flushed from her heightened emotions, her green eyes sparkled as they looked up at him. He could feel his heart slamming against his chest.

“I hated being apart from you too.” He said, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “Every letter from you was like a blanket… tucking me in when things were cold and dark.”

“I’d write one thousand more if you asked me to. Even when you weren’t here by my side, I felt like you were holding me up.” Sakura said, smiling up at him.

They looked at each other, auburn meeting emerald. Their moon and their stars shone down around them. Sakura’s heart was beating so fast that she thought she might burst. Sakura took a step towards Syaoran, placing her hands squarely on his chest. She could feel his heart beating fast beneath her fingertips. Syaoran brought his hands up to cup her face, searching her eyes to make sure she was thinking what he was. He got his answer when Sakura closed her eyes, and began to stand on tip toe to reach him.

Their lips met in a sweet and pure first kiss. Brief, chaste, and beautiful. When they broke apart they were both blushing furiously with goofy grins on their faces. They both giggled, feeling a little silly for feeling so awkward.

“I love you.” Sakura said, squeezing his hand.

“I love you too.” Syaoran said, squeezing hers back.

They made their way back to the Kinomoto’s home, both feeling content from their perfect day. When they reached the front porch, Syaoran pulled Sakura in for a long hug. When they broke apart, he kissed her on the cheek, then, with a squeeze of her hand, dashed down the front path to the gate. When he turned back to look at her, she had brought her fingers up to her cheek and was looking at him in a dazed but happy way.

He waved goodbye, then began to make his way back home, unable to wipe the smile off of his face.

He had barely made it to the corner when he felt his cell phone buzz in his pocket. He looked at it to see a text message from Sakura that read, simply:

“You’re my shining star ⭐️”