Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ ignorance was bliss ❯ Chapter 4

Author's Notes: Again, another chapter that has yet to be beta-tested. Alterations pending.

Sakura glanced behind her, as though there must've been something that just beamed down that everyone was staring at. But her father's calm voice broke through the odd momentary discomfort she had been feeling, as he gently motioned her to the table.
"C'mon Sakura... I know you can't resist some cookies..." His smile seemed to make everything just a little better. She moved to her seat, somehow managing to avoid making eye contact with anyone else at the table. When Fujitaka sat down as well, he poured himself a cup of tea, and smiled, cup in hand.
"So Touya, how was your day at school?" His father took a sip. This man new that his baby girl wasn't in a position to tell him what was going on, or at least give him some hints. It obviously had to do with someone at this table...
"... soccer practice was cancelled," Touya said lowly, in an almost menacing tone. "... and *imagine* my surprise when on the way home, I run into these two - TOGETHER..." His tea cup never stood a fighting chance of a snowball in hell.

*-*-*-*
Syaoran watched the cup shatter in the palm of Touya's hand, and was slightly unnerved. Sitting next to the girl who made his heart pound, and across from a guy who wanted to pound him. 'Not good. Not good. Not good --'
"They were on the way to go get some ice cream with their friends," Yukito said matter-of-factly, breaking the awkward silence that loomed over them.
"Y-yeah. It was fun," Sakura managed, through a plastic smile, she nudge Syaoran with her elbow, "... ne?"
'Well since I've been playing along all day, I might as well...' "Yes, Kinomoto-san, we met up with Daidouji... I had a cherry vanilla swirl, and Sakura had mint chocolate chip--"
"AHA! SAKURA HATES MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP!" Touya stood up from his chair so suddenly, it propelled his chair at least four feet behind him. His finger was an inch away from Syaoran's nose, as he leaned across the table. Turning his head to his father, he continued, "They're lying, see?! He probably took her some place... and they - and he - with her - and THEY!"

*-*-*-*
Yukito had seen this before. As Touya's hands raked back and forth in his hair, and his back arched back as he stared at the unforgiving heavens... his dearest friend had an awful habit of thinking ahead of his mouth. Touya's imagination had gone into overdrive, and it wasn't coming back.
Syaoran looked over to Sakura, with an apology in his eyes, which she couldn't help but accept with a very subtle smile. He'd only been trying to help her, as he had so many ... '... many times before.' Sakura sighed, and opened her mouth, "Well --"
"YOU'VE TURNED THIS INTO A HOUSE FULL OF LIES! LIES!" Touya raved on, most everyone at the table, pinned to the back of their chairs. Strangely... except Sakura, who was staring at him plainly.
"... but what about you 'niisan?"

*-*-*-*
Touya deflated back into his seat... rather, where his seat had been... and was replaced the boy beside him. Had he been on the same planet at that moment, he might've said thank you to Yukito.
Sakura wasn't shaken, not like the others. Her gaze was clear, and the statement had been sharpened to a point, or so it seemed to him. It stabbed and pierced every ounce of his being.
"Now Sakura, Touya, you two... we have guests, no more of that tonight, alright?" Fujitaka was taking notes subconsciously, that he could piece together later. Like how Touya's faced had blanced, and his muscles seemed to carry no weight whatsoever... or the plain and indifferent expression on Sakura's usually "genki genki" face. Another uncomfortable silence ensued... and then there was the nearly inaudible sound of two muffled apologies from either side of the table.
"Oh it's quite alright..." Yukito smiled, as a sweatdrop rolled down the side of his head. He glanced at the clock on the wall, "... but Syaoran-kun..." The boy snapped to attention, as he too, was busy taking notes. A soft rouge came over his cheeks, and he looked over at the elder boy. "Isn't it getting a little late?"
"I could walk you home--"
"... no you won't, Sakura," Touya hadn't yet fully recovered, but his hands curled under the seat of his chair... revealing some signs of life in his limbs once again.
"I'm afraid Touya is right dear... That would leave you walking back home alone... and then Syaoran-kun would offer to walk you home... and then this whole messy business would start again," Fujitaka laughed a bit at his dry humor.
"Kinomoto-san, I can walk myself--"
"... y'see. The gaki can walk himself," Touya stated flatly. Sakura looked at him with a spark of anger in her eyes, and he looked back to her... trying to hide the turmoil running through his mind.
"I could walk him... on my way home," Yukito offered with a smile. Who knew *what* he was thinking. Touya's eyes seemed to awaken, to a widened state at his friend, "... it's alright. I don't mind."
Syaoran sat staring at the floor, scratching at his temple with a single digit, as his face was still that light shade of pink. He was rubbing his toe into the floor and shrugged as though it made no difference to him, either way. 'Now Touya's going to really want to kill me... first about Sakura and now...' His face grew a few shades redder, as he tried to go over what Sakura had told him earlier. '... found them... together?...' At the moment he wasn't quite sure what that meant, but he was prepared to find out... when the time was right for Sakura to tell him, that is.
Before Touya could openly object, his father smiled and nodded, "That is very generous of you, Yukito-kun..." He slowly stood up from the table, "Touya. Help me gather the wares."
"B-but Dad!!"... Touya got the look again. He did as he was told, reluctantly, and with teeth grinding all the way. He even had to pick up the stuff he'd thrown across the room with his outbursts. 'Grr...' His eyes rarely if ever left Syaoran.

*-*-*-*
Something about the way the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, alerted Syaoran of clear and present danger. Sakura's voice carried over him to her father, slowly easing all of his troubles. Not many people could do that to him... 'No one else but her.' Even his own mother sent shivers down his spine.
"'tousan? Shouldn't I be doing that?" She recalled him reminding her about the dishes.
"How about you walk our guests to the door, if you could fit it into your busy schedule, of course..." He chuckled at his own joke again. Sakura just smiled.
'Silly daddy,' she felt more at ease as Touya wasn't threatening anybody's life. Although she was sure she could "look forward" to it in the immediate future.

*-*-*-*
Sakura had gotten up first, and then the two boys followed, each picking up their books and things and stood in the doorway of the Kinomoto home. Bowing politely, she smiled at Syaoran, and briefly looked up at Yukito. "... thank you for coming." Looking to Syaoran again, she smiled a secret smile, "... thank you."
Syaoran, dumb-struck, just scratched the back of his head, and bowed as well. He sensed the boy beside him had done the same, as he had begun to turn around already.
"Goodnight, Sakura-chan..." Yukito said, in a soft apologetic tone.

"Oyasumi, Sakura-chan."

She toppled to the door for support, and tried to smile, and justb nodded her head like an idiot, "Buh-bye, yeah good night! Bye!" And the waving like an idiot commenced.

*-*-*-*
The door closed, and Syaoran and Yukito were walking along, side by side, in an almost uncomfortable silence. Swinging his backpack over his shoulders, Syaoran stuffed his hands into his pockets. But besides that... you could hear a pin drop.
"Anno, Syaoran-kun..."
Syaoran near broke his nose on the pavement, but luckily Yukito had caught his shoulder, and stood him back up. He was face to face with a gentle smile. The brunette recovered as fast as he could, standing erect, and coughing into his fist. Although, his voice betrayed him as he could only muster a soprano, "...h-hai?" He cleared his throat a couple of times, patting his fist into his chest.
The boys had stopped and were now facing each other underneath a street light on a lonely road, on the pathway to their respective homes.
"... how is Sakura-chan?" Syaoran looked at Yukito as if he'd said chocolate bunnies were about to overrun the earth. But then he saw... concern. And it was etched into all of Yukito's features. The elder boy had his head bent down towards the ground, and the glare from the light on his glasses made it impossible to see his eyes.
Syaoran wasn't quite sure how to answer. Several possibilities arose... but any of them could be misconstrued as being rude or inappropriate. The boy kicked at the floor, raking a hand through his hair... which almost gave it the illusion of looking somewhat combed. Almost.
"... Syaoran-kun?" This almost sounded urgent. Yukito had a hand in his pocket, and his hand gently grasped at his briefcase a little tighter.
"She's trying," was all Syaoran could come up with. Trying to understand, trying to cope... trying to figure things out. He didn't seem to have to say anymore, and Yukito nodded, and put his smile in place again.
"... c'mon. I'll walk you home," He got a couple paces ahead, and Syaoran scurried to catch up, and the silence returned.

*-*-*-*
The same could not be said for the Kinomoto household. Sakura tried to make as much noise scrubbing as she possibly could, so she could drown out Touya's banter. He'd returned to his old self, but everyone at that table saw how he clammed up at what she said.
'... gomen nasai, oniisan...' Sakura thought solemnly. She felt she'd crossed some line. It wasn't her brother's fault... or Yukito's... she should've knocked, she should've said something, she should've... she should've...
"Anno, Sakura-chan, you're flooding the sink," Her father gently tapped her shoulder, as the water had dripped down the counter onto the floor, and started soaking her slippers.
"HOEEE...!"

*-*-*-*
Touya stood in the hallway looking at Sakura's door. He had changed out of his uniform, and was in some sweats and just a plain t-shirt. His fingers curled into fists in his pockets, as he raged on with himself on what to do.
'The birds and the bees doesn't quite work in this scenario, now does it,' he thought, almost bitterly. Men have fallen in love with men before, so how come they didn't make up some little story for that? 'Geez. Leave it to the twenty-first century to think up this crap.' He really had the urge to hurt something right now. And the gaki was being walked home... by his Yukito.
Touya steamed and paced back and forth in front of Sakura's door, his socks making no noise against the carpetted floor. 'Swift. And direct.'

"Look, Sakura. This is just how it is. Some guys do stuff. Some guys don't. Yukito and me - we do stuff."
"... You see, what you saw was... something you and that gaki shouldn't be caught DEAD doing, UNDERSTAND?!"
"When you get older--"

"Touya, what are you doing in the hallway?" Something had happened while he was out last night. He didn't have to ask directly, his eyes asked his son on their own. Touya froze, and fell onto his hand on the wall. The two men, young and old, stared at each other, one filled with questions unsaid, and the other with buried answers.