Good Morning, Darling (Eriol/Meiling) *repost*

[storypaint]

Comm: 31_days
Words: 665
Title: Good Morning Darling
Day/Theme: Oct 1 // coffee and a kick in the pants
Series: Cardcaptor Sakura
Character/Pairing: Hiiragizawa Eriol/Li Meiling primarily; mentions of Syaoran/Sakura, past Meiling/Syaoran, past Eriol/Kaho
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. All fanfiction archived here is a derivative of canon material that is not my property. I do not profit from these writings. The opinions and actions expressed in these stories are not necessarily the views and beliefs of the original author or me.

Excerpt: A face contorted in supposed bitterness melted into contented smile as she looked down at the plain golden band on her finger, twin to Eriol's. Her first true love seemed so far away from this day. She was getting... domestic... with the magician.

"Good morning, darling," Eriol said, and Meiling's hand rose up to cover his face.

"Don't call me that," she mumbled, taking her hand away and throwing the covers over her head. He smiled indulgently.

"I put the coffee on," he said, and walked away quietly. If he hadn't, she would have pulled an arm free of the blanket and found something small and heavy to throw at him. She kept a small round rock on the bedside table for such a purpose. He always put it back the next night, finding it amusing to dodge.

Finally she crawled out of bed and into the shower. The icy water brought her to her senses in a fit of coughing and loud Chinese curses. She knew he was laughing from the kitchen where he was running the sink on hot, in order to make her shower cold, but after a moment he turned the faucet off and she enjoyed the warmer water.

When she stumbled down stairs, slightly more aware, there was toast with strawberry jam at her seat, and a cup of coffee. She blew a kiss in his direction and sat down to eat. He smiled.

"See, you just needed some coffee," he said.

She mumbled something about him "needing a kick in the pants" which he cheerfully ignored.

"Nadeshiko-chan's birthday party is tonight," he said. She looked up from her meal and glared.

"Need you remind me that the child of my first true love and sworn rival is celebrating a special occasion?" she said. He continued to smile and after a moment she said, "Of course I remember."

A face contorted in supposed bitterness melted into contented smile as she looked down at the plain golden band on her finger, twin to Eriol's. Her first true love seemed so far away from this day. She was getting... domestic... with the magician. How could it be, when he infuriated her so?

Perhaps it was that he held her after Sakura and Syaoran's wedding, and understood heartbreak. All she knew about Kaho was secondhand, from Sakura and Syaoran, but apparently she had been quite flighty. When Touya had refused a renewal of her suit she had melted away from Japan and no one quite knew where she had gone. She had even hidden herself from Eriol, not that he went looking after she left him.

Meiling wasn't good at hiding. She'd stuck out like a sore thumb crying at the wedding. Eriol had taken her away from the reception and said nice things to her, and she had hated him for making her problem seem so small, though later she realized that maybe it was. There were other things in life besides Syaoran. Maybe.

They had gone back to the reception and he'd asked her to dance, but it was awkward because they both tried to lead. They'd stepped on each other's toes a few times but had to laugh at the silliness of it. Most people just raised an eyebrow to see them together, but before the night was out the busy groom found time to threaten Eriol's life if he should hurt Meiling, though Eriol took it in good temper.

Time passed and strange things happened and here they were. He might be infuriating, but he loved her, somehow. He might not be Syaoran, but he had done his best to sweep her off her feet. No, it wasn't perfect, but what was?

"Six o'clock tonight?" she asked, even though she knew the time. She'd been planning for Nadeshiko's birthday for a few months. Her favorite second cousin turned five this year, and every year she looked more like her father, with his bright amber eyes, though she had the disconcerting cheerfulness of Sakura. Meiling loved her like a daughter.

"Yes. Now it's off to work for me, darling," Eriol said, and kissed the top of her head, and though she complained about the kiss and the "darling," she smiled as he left.