Five Things I Would Change About CCS (various pairings)

[storypaint]

Title: Five Things I Would Change About CCS
Length: 540 words
Prompt: see title
Pairing: 1. gen; 2. Tomoyo/Sakura; Meiling/Tomoyo; 3. gen; 4. Fujitaka/Nadeshiko; 5. Nakuru/Touya; Touya/Yukito
Other: n/a
Excerpt: When the boys came in and both of their gazes fastened on Sakura, Tomoyo laughed quietly. Fourth grade would prove to be an interesting year...

1.

"Students, we will have two new students joining us today from across the world," Terada-sensei said. "Please welcome Li Syaoran... and Hiiragizawa Eriol."

When the boys came in and both of their gazes fastened on Sakura, Tomoyo laughed quietly. Fourth grade would prove to be an interesting year...

When Syaoran noticed Eriol glaring in the same direction he was, he turned and glared at Eriol instead. What did he know? Eriol smiled and waved a little at Syaoran, even though they were standing next to each other.

Syaoran sweatdropped. This would be a long year....

2.

"Are you going to get a bear too, Tomoyo-chan?"

Sakura smiled and before Tomoyo could ponder it they were walking out of the store and she had a teddy bear kit in a bag weighing down her right side. The bag was much heavier than it should have been, filled with the weight of unrequited love and learned helplessness.

Two weeks later Tomoyo stood on Sakura's doorstep dressed in an outfit she had made herself. She took a deep breath and looked at the pink bear in her hand. Then she knocked on the door.

Three months later when Meiling was crying in her arms, Tomoyo stopped saying, "It's okay, it's okay, it will be all right," and instead took Meiling's chin in her fingers and bent her head up and kissed her.

Her happiness did not have to be Sakura's happiness, she decided.

3.

"Now, I have someone I would like you all to meet," Eriol said, and when the door opened they were all shocked to see Mizuki-sensei.

"Kaho is my guardian," Eriol said. "So that no one would be suspicious that I lived on my own."

He smiled at her as she came into the room and rose to get her chair. Tomoyo watched them for a moment.

"Not that you really needed a mother," Kaho said with a laugh, but her look was also kind.

Perhaps he did, Tomoyo thought, but said nothing.

4.

On the drive home from Eriol's, Fujitaka peppered Sakura with questions until he finally got the whole story from her.

He wondered how he had been so blind, with all of this going on practically in front of his eyes. Even Touya had known.

When he pulled into the driveway he felt a strange tug at his consciousness, but decided not to mention it to Sakura. How was he to know what came from his newfound magic and what did not?

But he couldn't help his reaction when he walked into the house and saw her standing in the hallway. He dropped his briefcase, his shoes, and Sakura's hand, and ran to meet her.

Touya and Sakura exchanged a confused look, and then Touya smiled.

"I think Mother has stopped by to say hello," he said, and without another word the two agreed to leave their parents alone for a while.

5.

"I'm leaving soon!" Nakuru squealed as she ran up to Touya. He sweatdropped, anticipating her bone-crushing hug, but Yuki looked at Nakuru coolly for a long moment and then reached out and took Touya's hand.

A blush spread across Yuki's face and he looked away from Touya, afraid of his reaction. He was unaware of the grin that was slowly overtaking Touya.

Nakuru stomped away.