Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Wish Unbroken, Dream Unspoken ❯ Chapter 5

Wish Unspoken, Dream Unbroken

Five

Fujitaka was trying his hardest to maintain a grasp on reality through all of this, but his mental fingers were grasping for purchase against too slippery a surface. It was so easy to smile, encourage Sakura as if this was any other normal situation, and try not to think about the fact that he had walked in on his son kissing an angel. Reality was now slippery indeed.

He had nearly fainted when he had come home to grab some forgotten papers for a presentation he had. All thought of work had flown from his mind though at that moment. Even picking up the scattered papers and books from the floor hadn't been enough to remind him of his impending duties. There were too many shocks to deal with. Yet, when his wife had died so many years ago, he had schooled himself to meet adversity and shock with a calm smile and even temper. He was shocked, but he would not let this throw him too far off balance.

He completely forgot about the impending presentation as he struggled for mental ground though.

Finally, finally, the angelic being who had introduced himself simply as "Yue" (and hadn't said much else besides) was asking his daughter's permission to "change". Fujitaka smiled once again, but the bewilderment was increasing. He could not prepare for what came next, though he realized he should have taken the hints from what had been said before.

Yue wrapped himself in a cocoon of wings and there was a bright glow. When the wings opened again Yukito was looking around, appearing slightly lost at first. While he was still in a state of confusion he looked around the room and grew more puzzled from his expression. Fujitaka sympathized with the boy, but--

"Oh...what's going on? How long was he--oh." Yukito's eyes had alighted on a clock. "I see, not as much time as I thought. So, why is everyone here? I thought Kinomoto-san had somewhere to be."

Day to day functioning became important to him once again with this reminder. "Ah! I'm late! I'm sorry that I have to leave like this. I'll be back later tonight!" He grabbed all the papers and books he needed, making sure to dash to his study and retrieve what he had forgotten before, and then he dashed out the door.

He slid behind the wheel of the car and let himself start to think about all that had been revealed. Well, it did make sense with everything that had been happening lately. In some strange way it was perfectly logical that his daughter was some sort of sorceress.

His mind slipped gears again when he thought those words. Just because it made some sort of sense, just because it made all the puzzle pieces fit together, didn't mean it was easy to accept.

This morning I didn't even believe in magic except as an abstract concept. Well, I can't deny the proof shown to me. Belief or no, I will accept the truth. For Sakura's sake.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Yukito was still confused half an hour later when he and Touya were finally left alone again. "I still don't understand, why didn't Yue withdraw as soon as the front door opened?"

They were standing side-by-side in the kitchen and Touya was chopping vegetables with vigor. He didn't look up as he replied. "Neither of us heard it. We were a little preoccupied."

There was a hint of a telltale flush on Touya's cheeks and his eyes...his eyes simply gave everything away to Yukito. He was looking for the subtle hints as if through a microscope, and he found exactly what he had expected. He swallowed hard, feeling his heart break a little more, but he gave his best smile and teased good-naturedly. "Preoccupied? Were you kissing again, or did things get--"

The knife Touya was using gave a huge thud against the cutting board, and then quivered a little, still in place, when Touya let go. Yukito's words died instantly as he stared at how deeply imbedded the blade was in the wood. Touya was gripping the edge of the counter, breathing deeply for a moment, and then he calmly started working the knife free of the wood.

Finally Touya spoke again, softly. "Yuki, I wish you wouldn't do this."

Yukito bowed his head, refusing to look up at his friend. "I don't understand. I just wanted to be happy for you, to be a good friend. Why are you upset?"

He knew, as soon as he said the words that his tone had given him away. He felt betrayed by his voice, betrayed by his very nature that made him so emotional. He could usually hide it so easily, but this time that skill eluded him.

"Probably for the same reason you're upset. There's a huge misunderstanding going on."

Hope stabbed his heart as he listened to Touya's words, but he squashed the feeling immediately. "What do you mean?"

This time Touya set the knife down carefully, turning away from the cooking with deliberate motions. Yukito was frozen as arms closed around him, holding and comforting. That's when he realized he had been on the verge of tears this whole time, and he wanted to pull away, now, to keep Touya from seeing those tears, but he didn't want to move either. He wanted to stay right where he was forever.

It was easy for Touya to simply rest his chin on the top of Yukito's head in this position, and it gave the smaller boy a sense of security as well as a touch of privacy for those tears that managed to slip past. "You're going to make me actually say it out loud, aren't you," Mused Touya with a mingling of kindness and frustration. Yukito startled a little at the words, but his best friend was still holding him tightly and wasn't about to let go. "That's fine," Touya went on, this time sounding amused. "I suppose it's overdue. Yuki, I don't know how you missed it all this time, but I love you."

This time Touya's arms slackened slightly, allowing Yukito to look him in the eyes. "But, you kissed Yue. Twice. You liked it, you said so about the first time, and I can't imagine you hating it the second time. I don't...I can't--" His voice caught as conflicting emotions caught in his throat, making his chest constrict tightly.

Why did he have to tell me this now? Why not a week ago? What am I supposed to say about this, after all that has happened?

"Yuki, I love you," he repeated intently.

"What about Yue?" As soon as the words came out he wanted to take them back. They hurt to say, they hurt to think about, and they clearly cut Touya to the core. Why did I say that? Why can't I just let this happen? What's wrong with me?

Touya stared at Yukito as if he couldn't believe what he had heard. His mouth was working, words were mouthed, but there was no sound. "That's not--that's not fair," Touya finally managed to whisper.

Yukito's voice was deep and choked by the overwhelming emotion he tried to contain. "No, it's not fair. None of this is fair. I--"

He broke off, at a loss again. He pulled away from Touya's arms, pulled back until he felt the counter behind him, then he turned and ran from the kitchen. He sat to put his shoes on, and suddenly all will drained from him. He didn't want to move, he didn't want to run away from the only hope he had, but he couldn't force himself to turn back. He brought his hands up to his face, wishing that he could cry, but the tears and the release simply wouldn't come. He went numb as he tried to figure out how to make this all right somehow, to try to turn this into some semblance of a "happily ever after" where he wouldn't suffer for the rest of his life--however long that was. He turned it over in his mind, again and again, trying to make the pieces fit, but he couldn't work it out.

Touya was suddenly there behind him, on his knees, cautiously touching his love's shoulders as if afraid he would break the gray haired boy. When Yukito didn't pull away his touch became more solid, more comforting, more real. Touya finally moved to sit beside him, holding him, and Yukito allowed himself to rest his head on his friend's broad chest. He was suddenly tired; weary in a way he hadn't felt in months. This was the feeling he had felt every time Akizuki-san had pulled Touya away, every time she had looked at him with that triumphant gleam in her eye. It was the feeling that he had lost, and he couldn't win no matter what he tried.

"What do we do now?" Touya's murmured question hung in the air like a soap bubble.

With a bowed head Yukito popped that bubble, answering in the only way he could. "I don't know."

~~~~~@~~~~~

Eriol's eyes clamped shut as he tried to erase the scene, but it only served to intensify the vision. "Don't do this," he said under his breath. "Don't do this to him, don't do this to yourself." His eyebrows pulled closer together with concern and a frown graced his usually placid countenance.

A small voice called to him across the room. "Something troubling you, Clow?"

A more typical, bemused grin fell into place as Eriol opened his eyes and looked at the diminutive form of his sun guardian. Only that one, of all the people he had met, could make the distinction. If it was Eriol's problem, Spinel Sun would call him by his current name, but if it was a problem that concerned his prior incarnation-- "Yes. There doesn't seem to be any help for it either, so I will be gone for a few days."

The kitten-like creation frowned for a moment. "You're going by yourself?"

"It's a simple task, no need to make a large production of it."

The frown deepened, and a shriek was heard from the hallway. His moon guardian's false form rushed in, a look of shock and hurt on her face. "I heard that! Eriol, we're your guardians! You can't go without us."

Eriol traced patterns on the arm of his chair as he thought, the familiar red leather soft beneath his fingertip. "No, I want the two of you here. It will be a simple task, if all goes right."

Ruby Moon, in her false form of Nakuru, pouted prettily for effect. "Oh, you're so cruel, keeping us locked up here while you go and have fun," she lamented dramatically. Her bright demeanor returned quickly though. "So, where are you going?"

That's when he knew he had lost, and they'd all be going together. Oh, he could command them to stay, but then he'd have a sulky butterfly-girl moping around the place. Eriol stood, caving in to the inevitable with grace. "We are going to Tomoeda," he said with a sigh. "Pack lightly, we'll only be there a few days. Oh yes, Ruby Moon, don't harass Touya and Yukito while we're there." He was speaking to her retreating back as she dashed from the room with sudden and complete glee.

A wistful smile replaced his harried look when he was sure she was out of sight.

"You're going to spoil her rotten," Spinel Sun said with gentle reprimand.

"I've always had a weakness for the influence of the moon," he admitted softly. "And I like to make sure my creations are happy."

"Then you don't mind that I'll stay here? No point in me going if there won't be any danger."

"Are you sure it has nothing to do with the fact that we moved Clow's old library when we returned?"

The sedate creation smiled, returning to the book he had been reading. "That might have something to do with it."

Eriol's smile grew gentle as he walked from the room. "I do like to make sure my children are happy," he reiterated to himself. "All of them."