Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Poison ❯ Chapter 5: Mystic ( Chapter 5 )

Poison
Author: Nekocin
Genres: Drama/Romance/General
Warnings: Major OoC
Pairings: mainly Touya+Yukito, other (implied) pairings like Sakura+Syaoran
Rated: PG13 
Disclaimer: CCS doesn't belong to me. It belongs to CLAMP. Only this fic belongs to me.

Chapter 5: Mystic

"Welcome, Kinomoto-san,"

Touya straightens himself effortlessly and enters Yukito's apartment. 

Someone in foreign clothes is sitting in a red chair with a high backside, smiling strangely at him. The man neither looks too old nor too young for his age--whatever his age might be. 

The cryptic smile, however, has surprised Touya the most. This man looks like otou-san!

"I'm Clow Reed. I'm sure Yukito has told you something vague about me,"

Touya nods mutely. 

"As you can see, I'm neither old nor young but am still a parent. If your child suddenly talks about some stranger religiously, a parent gets worried,"

Does that mean Yukito's so-called master is also over-protective of Yukito? Or does it mean he doesn't like Touya hanging around with his 'son' one bit? Touya hopes it's the former one. 

Clow pauses. "Please take a seat, Kinomoto-san. I apologize for not having invited you sooner,"

Touya could feel strange vibes coming from the man sitting across him. Or is he really getting them from Reed-san? Maybe it's because Reed-san resembles otou-san a lot--

"I'm fine, thank you. What is it you wanted to meet me for?" He adds the last part out of curiosity. 

Mr. Reed smiles cryptically again. Unlike Daidouji-san, Touya has really no idea what the other's implying with that smile.

"I'm sure you'll watch over him just like how you've watched over your sister,"

Touya stares at the smiling, mysterious man. Mr. Reed is really trying to imply something. But he doesn't know what that -something- is.

"We're just going to my sister's wedding. There's no need to worry about Yuki--," he manages to say it out loud, looking up seriously at Mr. Reed. What could possibly go wrong on a happy day like today?

"I'm not talking about the wedding, Touya-kun," 

At hearing his name coming from Mr. Reed's lips, he's gasped unconsciously as he sits up rigidly. It sounds almost like otou-san's voice--but what does Mr. Reed mean?

"You're a kind person, deep down inside--Yukito has told me. But are you good enough to be his friend?" Mr. Reed's looks as if he's calculating something even when his eyes are closed.

Touya frowns lightly. It's a very uneasy question.

"As I thought--Your friend is still sleeping, but he's awake as well," Mr. Reed stands up, both abruptly and gracefully. Long drapes of robes billows behind him, lovingly passing by as Mr. Reed walks to the front door. 

Touya immediately stands up to--only to meet Mr. Reed's dismissive wave. 

"Your friend is waiting," He smiles non-committal--which still reminds Touya of his father. The smile looks almost distant, almost sad. Touya doesn't know what's really going on. He's confused about his friend's -parent's- behaviour. Fortunately, that's the a difference between Mr. Reed and otou-san. Mr. Reed was mysterious, secretive, whereas otou-san doesn't keep things to himself--at least that's what Touya thought. 

His stomach suddenly feels empty and starts making flip-flops. He knows that it has nothing to do with him not having eaten breakfast--
Mr. Reed has left and he automatically sighs in relief. It's by then he notices how breathable the air has become and that the heaviness has disappeared.

"Yuki-," He turns to the bedroom doors. Yukito's apartment, once warm and peaceful, has turned into some place cold, distant and lonely. Touya's afraid both he and Yukito were drifting apart even if they'd some fun last night.

Is he just a good friend? Is that what Mr. Reed mean?

He's watched how Sakura's wedding unfold like a movie without any sounds effects--just the beating of his heart that's slowly breaking. Of course, both wedding ceremonies (Chinese and Japanese one) have come out very outstanding, and still Touya finds himself deaf to the whole world. 

He watches on as Sakura appears in a Chinese wedding dress: a long, red satin dress, with short, yellow-rimmed sleeves--she's clearly beautiful in red, he muses sadly. 

Tomoyo, Daidouji-sama's only daughter and Sakura's best friend (and also his second cousin), has done a wonderful job on sewing that wedding dress. Perfectly embroidered golden lines that form flowers, dragons, phoenixes and 'Luck' on the red satin. So breath-taking, he muses sadly yet again.

As for the husband-to-be, Li's dressed in a robe--similar to Mr. Reed's foreign clothes--which is clearly made of satin instead of the usual cotton. He's wearing a sort of buttoned-up, red satin shirt with long sleeves that reach over his wrists, while his pants are pointedly black. 

The couple exchanges some Chinese bonding ritual, thanking Li's ancestors and then drinking a cup of the Holy Wine from each other's cup. After such a long time for sacred bondage, the Chinese wedding has finally ended. There's a short pause for everyone to rest a bit, before the time-consuming task of the other ceremony could take place.

The guests are then led to a temple nearby and kneel respectfully on the wooden floor farther away from the alter. They have sat so accurately that they've formed a path for the bride.

Sakura appears in a tightly-tucked, heavily decorated kimono with longer sleeves, that traces the floor as she enters the temple with carefully-balanced small steps. With utmost concentration on her straight back and small gentle steps, Sakura finally makes it to the altar and kneels carefully beside Li, who's now clad in the traditional dark hakama. 

The rituals are spoken quite rapidly in a strange tongue as he looks at her straight back. How strange it was to see her so careful and so--unhurt for the first time when she's doing something quite important. Usually, she would trip over long robes she's supposed to wear, however, only on this day she has managed to keep her steps within the small space she's allowed to walk and succeeded. A small warmth spreads over his chest as he finds himself slightly proud of her accomplishment.

The last part of the ceremony has finally come, after the long chanting of the priest. Small cups are, yet again, filled with Holy Wine and the young married couple has sealed their bond together, at last. They down the cups of Holy Wine immediately. 

Kinomoto Sakura is now officially Li-Kinomoto Sakura. 

X X

"Onii-chan!" Sakura calls out, clearly excited and happy as she makes her way to him, while struggling in the 3rd dress she's supposed to wear for the after party; a long silky-white dress that hung loosely down from her shoulders, with long sleeves that have long beige ribbons entwined together on the sides.

She looks the happiest now...

"I thought you wouldn't come-," Sakura's bright smile slowly dim as she hesitates just a few centimeters away from Touya and stares at something behind him. That's when Touya notices he's forgotten something--or rather someone. 

Touya looks over his shoulder, knowing fully well whom he's forgotten. Apologetically he tries to catch his friend's eyes for a moment, however, Yukito has dropped his eyes already before his met the others.

Hurt-

"--You--" Sakura takes the first step to react and peers curiously at the taller guy.

Yukito looks a bit glassy-eyed at Touya's sister and smiles nonetheless--even if it looks a bit nervous. 

"Tsukishiro Yukito. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," As polite as he could get, Yukito bows in greeting. 

Sakura returns the bow, just as politely. "I'm pleased to meet you too, Tsukishiro-san,"

"Congratulations on your successful wedding ceremonies. You're simply gorgeous," Yukito finally meets Touya's eyes, daringly for some strange reason. "I guess I should have believed you sooner when you said your sister resembles your mother, ne To-ya?,"

Touya grunts something incoherently under his breath and takes his leave abruptly for a snack, feeling hurt. 

"Hoe?" Sakura's beautiful green eyes blink a few times uncomprehendingly when her brother's back is turned to her. 

"Saa, I'm sure he's mad at me for that comment," Yukito sighs under his breath. He's disappointed. Touya has been acting a bit off--or maybe way off--today; he's even forgotten his presence. 

"Are you two friends? As far as I can remember onii-chan has never really hung around with people his age,"

"Madam Butterfly--that's where we met. At first, we didn't really see each other sitting since I'd been busy and then-," Yukito explains patiently as he smiles.

"Madam Butterfly?--That bar?" Sakura gives one of her best smiles away freely. "That's where I'd met Syaoran!" 

Yukito's interest is instantly piqued. They start talking and talking--about everything--while giving each other genuine smiles for no reason...

X X

From across the yard, Touya's having his 2nd glass of white wine while sitting on one of those plastic chairs for outdoor use only. He has left his friend (Yuki) by Sakura's side abruptly, just to get something to snack on--he's having a nervous breakdown or did his hands itch for spontaneous actions (whatever those might be)? 

He knows he has hurt Yukito by ignoring the whole way, while they were heading to Sakura's wedding. The action has been unconsciously done, that's for sure. He didn't mean to keep Yukito outside and lost--

His eyes trail to his smiling sister. And then to Yukito. There's something about seeing both of them getting along. Touya finds himself downing some reachable drinks. He's feeling awkward watching them smiling and laughing from across the yard. 

It doesn't take long before Touya has identified the strangeness in watching his sister and his friend together: Loneliness. He feels lonely. For the first time after befriending Yuki, he's truly acknowledged the feeling of loneliness in his life.

~He knocks lightly on Yukito's bedroom door. 
No one answers. Reed-san did say Yukito's asleep--and awake. 

How's that possible?

"Yuki?" He grabs the door handle and twists it down. 

He's never seen Yukito sleeping before--his friend is sleeping without the duvets. And Yukito suddenly looks so different. Silver, White and Indigo flashes in front of his very own eyes without having noticed the abrupt change. 

Then blackness.

He then suddenly finds himself standing in front of Sakura's future family house. The wedding's about to begin.~

Yukito's getting acquainted with everyone present at the party and participates in almost every game the guests are making up from playing basket ball to playing cards. Basket ball has been easy even if Mr. Li's a worthy opponent. Playing cards--Black Jack and 21 are quite friendly games even if it gets weirder by the minute as he keeps winning.

One wonders what kind of wedding this is; so chaotic. He doesn't care. 

It's strange how well he's getting along with the other people even if most of them are younger than him. But he's missing something--and the awkward thing was, he doesn't know what that something actually is.

"Yukito-san! Let's take some pictures together!" Sakura suddenly appears in front of his line of view as she tugs on his sleeve to follow her.

His smile immediately adorns his face. "Sure, Sakura-chan. Whatever you want,"

They head to the backyard, where a photographer is at work. In the last few minutes the both of Yukito and Sakura, are already on first name basis. Sakura is just too cute and too sweet to resist, Yukito has reasoned mentally. 
Touya has never mentioned that to him- Touya--TO-YA! He's not seen To-ya anywhere! He's whom he has been missing. Did he leave the after party abruptly too?

"Yukito-san, have you seen my brother?" Sakura's green eyes look up at him, hurt--probably thinking that her big brother has left already too. 

"No. I've been wondering about that myself," He answers truthfully and looks around in search for his taller friend. 

"He's probably mad now," Sakura drops her eyes and Yukito looks inquiringly back at her. 

"Why would he be mad?"

"Onii-chan has been alone for quite a long time. Maybe ever since he's been taking care of me on his own. In all those years I've been living with him, I'd been watching him out of childish curiosity at that time, he's always on his own. If I'm with my friends, Onii-chan would be always alone either at home or somewhere at work. And now I'm married--that's why he's mad," 

Yukito is at a loss. He hasn't thought about why Touya's so secretive about his personal life, always being a bit vague about personal things. As a matter of fact, Yukito is not sure if he knows Touya quite well--maybe Touya doesn't trust him with his life even if they're friends. 

Yukito's understood instantly. He places a comforting hand on Sakura's slim shoulder and gives her a kind smile. 

"I'm sure To-ya is not mad. I'll go look for him,"

"Hoe?"

Yukito gives her one last smile for the night and lets go of her shoulder. He runs off in search of his friend. It hasn't taken long before Yukito thinks about Touya's predictable trait: drinking. Usually people start drinking because they're depressed--

"To-ya!" He spots his friend at the champagne table, drinking and hugging the table. His friend is drinking himself silly!

Yukito's alarmed when he notices the trails of empty glasses on the table, next to Touya's hand. He immediately runs forward just in time to pick the same glass Touya's about to take in.

"I think you have enough for tonight, To-ya," Yukito steals the glass from Touya's possession. His friend growls in protest and starts sloppily reaching for the drink.

"Give me!" 

Yukito tries to lock his friend's wrists in his hand as he carefully places the glass back on the table with the other hand, But he only manages to catch Touya's left wrist--the so-called weaker hand for a right-handed person.

Touya is desperately trying to reach the glass, almost knocking Yukito over if his friend hasn't been trying to fight his hands away. 

"Please, To-ya. It's enough," he starts patiently.

"You're being mean!" Touya bursts out suddenly, slurring his words and struggling within Yukito's strong grip.

"Please don't do this. Once we get you home I'll give you anything you want, all right? So please stop drinking yourself stupid like last time," Yukito tries to approach gently as he carefully grabs Touya's other arm and pushes him away from the champagne table.

Touya's face is scrunched in anger, confusion, vain, desperation and exhaustion. He's slowly swaying in his steps, but with some assistance he didn't trip over his shoes or imaginary stones on the way. 
It's a surprise when Touya hasn't fought back any further, which relieves Yukito from having to knock some real sense into his friend's head, literally.

"I can't take this anymore! I'm falling apart! I'm losing-," Touya slurs out, drops his eyes and clenches his fists. "You have no right over me!" He rages suddenly, surprising Yukito. "You have no right to stop me!"

Somehow those words hurt Yukito like a splinter going through his eyes, or maybe like a dart through his chest. Yukito lets out an unconscious gasp. His friend really doesn't trust him with his life.

~"...He's always been on his own...," Sakura has said sadly.~ 

No! This is not right! His friend is truly drunk, saying stupid stuff. What will Sakura-chan think? She'll feel betrayed. Her brother misbehaving on her wedding day...it's sad how low his friend has sunk even if Touya could make him smile.

"Let's go home, To-ya," Yukito gets a hold on Touya's unstable stance by letting the other lean on him. It's awkward to have the other lean on him; because Touya is so tall! 

"-Don't touch me!--Get away!--You've no right!--," Yukito hears his friend silently protesting somewhere above his head as Touya's hand instantly grabs for Yukito's shirt up front. 

"Let's go home," Yukito repeats gently and starts half-carrying his friend out of Sakura's new territory. 

"--You're mean--why are you doing this?--why can't I just beat you up?--Why is Sakura getting married?--" Touya mumbles half angry and half asleep, under his breath. 

Touya's an over-emotional drunk, Yukito concludes silently. Just like the first time when Touya has blurted out about everyone leaving him. Maybe he shouldn't be letting Touya drink--but that will mean he couldn't come to Madam Butterfly... to see him.

~He feels like floating--or is he drowning? Where's everyone? Shouldn't he be at Sakura's wedding? How strange--he feels the wind--no, someone's holding him. and he's holding that someone. Something vague passes between him and that someone like bees buzzing inside his head.

His companion is talking to him, buzzing yet gently. The vague voice lulls his drunken mind half to sleep and half to staying awake. 

More water, he's sinking deeper--into the still water. He panics instantly. Why can't he swim? He keeps sinking--he flails his arms around, futilely trying to grab hold of something to make him float. 

He's still sinking! He's still drowning--but why is he still--breathing?~

He feels content when watching Touya sleep. His rhythmic breathing going up and down, short and slowly. Whatever Touya's dreaming about, it doesn't look like a happy one. 

His friend's face is scrunched in worry, desperation--it doesn't matter. 

Yukito couldn't help but widen his smile as he leans over to his friend's sleeping face. Touya's warm breath tickles his cheeks as he studies the face of his friend.
He absently runs his fingers through Touya's hair.

No wonder why a lot of ladies fall for his friend--or at least his type. Touya is the tall, mysterious guy with the searching, penetrating look that could probably set any girl's heart afire. 

Yukito chuckles to himself and pulls away. He couldn't believe this. Clow has warned him about his naivety. He cares about his friend more than he's ever care about anyone before except Clow. Yukito turns on his heels to leave the room, oblivious to his friend's condition

X X X X this is where I'm a coward X X X X (4) 

END Chapter 5

1. I think this chapter is the worst of all the others. Hmph. Gah!
2. I tried to keep everything at least a bit closer to the original series. I guess I failed. :sighs:
3. Both weddings are sadly not really well-explained. The only wedding I haven't attended before is a Japanese one. How I'd come up with that part, was because of the fact that I've watched "Para Para Sakura" a few years ago in which there's a scene of a quiet, small Japanese wedding of the main female actress. I apologize if there are any inaccuracies.
It's wonderful to be at weddings by the way :heart heart: I'm not sure what you all think of weddings, but the after party is always cool... :heart: because they're food. :sweatdrops: LOL n.n;;
4. Sorry, here's supposed to be the part where I'd cut. I'll type it next time when I'm not feeling too chicken... :sweatdrops:

TheNekoTalks: 

I'm sorry for not updating this sooner. I had some--inner conflicts when I re-read this chapter. Most of the scenes are edited, but nothing much has changed except--perhaps the cut scene. :blushes: That scene has been a bit--uh--inappropriate. I just hope this edited version didn't make anyone more disinterested :twiddles fingers hopefully and then sighs: I guess I shouldn't be expecting too much from fanfiction writing about an anime which has been known since 1999. :perks up: At least I have finished this story!! ~<3333

I like to thank those who'd reviewed the previous chapter <33 :
-heheangel kisses
-yaoishoujo

Thank you for reading!! Happy belated Valentine! Sorry for the long notes.

:smiley face:cin