Stalemate (Meiling/Syaoran)

[storypaint]

Title: Stalemate
Day/Theme: 26 // in 'rocky iv,' does rocky win?
Series: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles
Character/Pairing: TRC alternateworld!Meiling
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles belongs to CLAMP.

Summary: In this alternate world, Meiling is Syaoran's fiancee, which could explain why she mistook Clow Country Syaoran for him, but she knows-- and he knows-- that her love is a hollow victory. (This seems to be the theme of Rocky IV, a hollow victory because one's friend is dead, so this seemed appropriate.)

They've only been in this world for ten minutes before the petite Chinese girl catches up with Syaoran and grabs his arm, whining something about his habit to slip off when she isn't looking. He meets her eyes with incredulity and innocence; she answers, annoyed, using only his first name, no honorifics.

"Excuse me?" he says politely (Fujitaka taught him that politeness was important above everything, especially when he didn't understand what was going on).

Her face falls and for a moment he is troubled by her expression; something calls to his blood. Memories that aren't his, exactly, but then they are, and he doesn't want to hurt her.

She is Meiling, and the fiancee of the Syaoran who lives in this world, whom he doesn't dare to meet (for it would be too hard to meet the eyes of another Syaoran bereft of his Sakura). She is loud and funny and he finds himself falling in love with her laughter, but not with her of course. She gives him glances while they have tea (her Syaoran hastily sent home with a cell phone call). Her eyes are sad when she sees the way that Sakura clings to his arm, weary from the trip and confused by Meiling's familiarity. She whispers something under her breath and he wouldn't have caught what it was except for that eye, it made his other senses stronger.

"Of course, of course..." she whispers, and then louder, she says, "Of course you're from another world! I could tell as soon as I saw you, Syaoran. Or would you rather I call you Li-kun?" she asks, politely allowing him his distance.

It would be Kinomoto-kun, actually, he supposed, but, "Call me Syaoran," he finds himself saying, and he listens to her , deja vu pricking at his senses as she talks about people he knows worlds away with the same faces and different lives. He likes her laugh and he wishes it didn't have to sound so wounded.

When Mokona senses a feather Kurogane strikes out immediately. Syaorna starts to follow, but after a few steps he stops. Sakura looks confused again, but Fai meets his eyes and then leads her on ahead.

"Thanks for your hospitality," Syaoran says, feeling the gulf between himself and Meiling.

"You know," she says after a long moment, sighing, "in this world, there is no Sakura. Not anymore. And my Syaoran watches over me instead. I'm glad... she has you to take care of her."

She smiles and he thanks her using just her name, no honorifics, as if they are two cousins who have known each other all their lives, engaged to be married. He turns and walks away quickly after the rest of the crew, so that he doesn't see her cry. He knows she wouldn't want to see her shoulders shake and her weary body slump and her slow turn to go home.

He's sorry, but some part of him wonders where his Meiling was, the cousin/sister/friend who knows him better than anyone.