Winter Flowers 1: Road [Tomoyo&Eriol drabble fic]

[aileth]

 Hi there! 

This is a set of short fics that form a story. It was originally entered in a contest over at a_love_stories in 2008 where it actually won some nominations. Over that year, I managed to translate all of the drabbles that compose the fic but I also manage to forget to post them. I need to improve my management priorities. 

This is the first of the drabbles. I'm posting them separately instead of as one post so as to give each a heading (Note: a drabble is a text of not more than 100 words. In this community, however, they had a very loose definition of it and works reached over 1000 words, so they may be best refered to as short fics). 

Title: Road 
Fandom: CCS 
Characters/Pairing: Sakura, Tomoyo, Eriol, Syaoran. 
Rate: G 
Notes: The first of ten. Takes place in Japan. 

"Let's go, hurry up!" Sakura was shouting and waving her hand, calling them while she ran excitedly. It was the first time they were all reunited after two years and she wanted to enjoy it to the fullest. That's why she had invited everyone to the amusement park. In a little while everyone would return to their own lives and only the two of them would remain. Better enjoy the most of it. 

 

"Don't run like that or you'll fall!" Syaoran worried as usual. And he had reason to! Sakura never made it through a day without tripping and falling. He had learned that when they were in elementary school, and now that they were going to high school that hadn't changed at all. 

 

"I see Sakura-chan is just as energetic and cheerful as ever." Tomoyo was smiling and watching her best friend running. 

 

When she had started high school, her mother had sent her to a boarding school in France to get the degree in Administration and Management she wished for to run the company once her mother retired and she took over as CEO. She had also been offered a scholarship and admittance to the Choir of Paris. It was a very good chance for her. What had been really hard for her was to separate from her dear Sakura-chan, but she could still come to visit often. And she could also go and visit Eriol and get more news with just a ferry trip. He also visited her whenever his schedule allowed it. It was also fun to receive separate news from Sakura and Syaoran and read two times how they felt for each other. But the best were always these encounters. 

 

"Yes, but today she's even more excited because you two visited. I don't think she can go through the day without falling." Syaoran's face was so dejected it was hilarious. Tomoyo just kept looking to the front, to where the girl's figure was dissapearing far ahead of them and grined. 

 

"Nothing will happen to her because you're always protecting her." Eriol smiled with that playful look on his eyes Syaoran distrusted. Was he going to play some trick on them, just like he used to do? "Don't worry. I don't plan to play any tricks." Again, he had read in his thoughts as easily as before. it made him uneasy and it also bothered him, but Sakura never seemed to be bothered by it. That might be because she didn't even notice her surroundings normally. 

 

Eriol just kept on walking as if he didn't notice Syaoran's train of thoughts and grinned. 

 

They reached the place where Sakura had stopped to look at an exhibition of stuffed dolls that were the prizes in a game. She was staring at an enormous bear sitting on the top shelf. Syaoran bought tickets for the game and began shooting, aiming for the first prize. Sakura looked at him with the most tender look on her eyes. 

 

Eriol and Tomoyo watched them, then looked at each other and smiled happily. 

 

"Where would you like to go afterwards?" Eriol asked her. 

 

"We'll go to the ferris wheel. Sakura-chan likes the view from there." 

 

"That's true. That will be our next stop, after Syaoran-kun wins the bear for her." He looked at her. "You don't have magical powers but you know where we'll go next." 

 

With a big smile, Tomoyo answered. "That's because I know Sakura-chan inside out." 

 

Eriol smiles back, but differently. 

 

They heard a shout of joy from Sakura. She was jumping up and down from joy while the man in charge of the game handed Syaoran the bear. Syaoran gave the bear to Sakura, who hugged it tightly and gave him a huge grin. 

 

"Let's go to the ferris wheel now!" She announced after some moments. 

 

"Alright, but I'll go with Hiragizawa-kun." Tomoyo said. Sakura was about to object when she came close and told her in a low voice. "This will give you a chance to thank Li-kun for the present he just gave you." Sakura blushed and Tomoyo smiled. Syaoran was looking somewhere else, suddenly becoming interested in some specks of dust floating in the sunrays. 

 

 

Once they reached the end of the line and each of them got into their cabins, Tomoyo took the camera out of her bag and, positioning herself facing Sakura and Syaoran's cabin, began filming. Sakura seemed in a state of bliss, with the bear Syaoran gave her tightly held in her arms. Syaoran was looking at her tenderly. 

 

"I can see you care for Sakura-san very much." Eriol was looking at her. 

 

"Of course, she's my best friend and her happiness is very important to me. Every moment I can spend with her is a very important moment and I don't want to miss any of them." She answered, never taking her eyes from the viewfinder of her camera to capture any change in her friend's demeanour, which could be told by Syaoran's face, who was facing her. 

 

"I heard that the choir performed in Viena this week. I'm sorry I wasn't able to go. I had some appointments." 

 

Tomoyo lowered her camera to speak to him. 

 

"It's alright. There's a trip to London announced for next month to perform at mass in Buckminster. If you wish you can go." 

 

"I'd love to." Eriol smiled. "By the way, there was something I meant to tell you." He came close to her as if to tell her something to her ear. When he leaned, he rested his hand on top of hers for balance. Tomoyo looked him in the eyes completely still. 

 

 

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked seeing that Syaoran looked somewhat uneasy. 

 

"It's... Daidouji had her camera with her, didn't you notice?" Sakura shook her head. "She's probably filming everything right now as usual." 

 

Sakura blushes instantly. "No, I don't think she can do that." She laughed nervously, but immediately looked back to see her friend. She turned her head sideways, confused, and then looked back at Syaoran. "No, she isn't filming. Her camera is by her side and she's whispering something to Eriol-kun." 

 

"What? Whispering?" 

 

"Yes. Eriol is leaning over her, like he's telling her a secret." Sakura said, still looking. 

 

Syaoran jumped from his seat to look and Sakura had to move to make room for him. When he looked, Eriol was moving on his seat and Tomoyo had her camera on her lap and was looking placidly to the front. Confused, he went back to his seat. 

 

 

After they got out, they walked a little in silence before Sakura stretched and announced. 

 

"I'm thirsty. How about some juice? I'll invite! Tell me what do you want." 

 

"Don't bother yourself Sakura-san. I can invite you if you want." 

 

"No! I invited you here and I want to invite you the drinks. What would you like to have?" 

 

"Thank you very much, Sakura-san. A lemmonade would be fine." 

 

"I'd like a strawberry one, please." 

 

"What about you, Syaoran?" 

 

"Orange. But don't bother about me." 

 

"It's no bother, I want to do it. Come on!" Sakura rushes forward. 

 

"Don't run!" Syaoran shouted behind her. Too late. Syaoran was right, the day couldn't end without accidents. Syaoran ran to help her up while she laughed. 

 

"You didn't record anything in the end." Eriol told Tomoyo. 

 

"Hm? Oh, it's true. Well, maybe next time." She said looking calmly to the front. 

 

"You weren't surprised." A faint hint of intrigue in his voice as they walked slowly towards the other two. 

 

"Should I have been surprised?" Tomoyo answered, also looking at the couple far away. 

 

"You truly are too perceptive." He said, now looking at Tomoyo with a significant look in his eyes. She smiled happily and returned him the look. 

 

"Let's go, hurry up!" Sakura shouted while still rushing forward, but this time Syaoran is holding her arm so she won't run away. 

 

Tomoyo and Eriol walked behind quietly. They walked without rush. They walked holding hands. They walked on their own path, a path beginning to open in front of them. A road to a new experience.