Erased (gen) *repost*

[storypaint]

Comm: 30_friends
Words: 441
Title: Erased
Fandom: Cardcaptor Sakura
Subject: Li Syaoran and Daidouji Tomoyo
Theme(s): 5. Hidden treasures
Warning: main character death
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: Last week, Syaoran had called Tomoyo and in a dead voice, he said, "I have almost forgotten her face."

Tomoyo and Syaoran liked to share memories. She called him at least once a week and they talked for hours. They thought it was the best way to keep her alive, in their hearts, but the year had been very long.

Last week, Syaoran had called Tomoyo and in a dead voice, he said, "I have almost forgotten her face."

"Come here," Tomoyo said, "and watch the videos with me."

So Syaoran was back in Tomoeda for the first time since Sakura's funeral, sitting on Tomoyo's floor watching Sakura battle Clow Cards. He had the Clow Book on his lap and he stroked it once in a while; they could hear the voice of their last master and it always made them restless.

Tomoyo had the tapes memorized. He could tell from the way her eyes flitted across the screen. Nothing surprised her.

After a while she turned the VCR off and they sat there in the silent dark. The cards pressed their magic against Syaoran's hands (he had to be very careful with them; much of the time after Sakura's death when he should have been mourning, he was learning how to keep them in check, and increase his own powers).

"How many cards did she have before I came?" Syaoran asked, hungry for knowledge, almost jealous of the things that Tomoyo knew of her that he didn't.

"Not very many," Tomoyo mourned. If only they'd had more time, just the two of them. She was jealous a little of the connection Syaoran had had with Sakura.

"There was the Flower, and the Lock..." she said, naming them off, and he interrupted, "The Lock?"

"Yes," Tomoyo nodded. "It was in this very house, actually."

She rose and left, and when she came back she held a small wooden box. Her gaze was very sad upon it. She set it down on the floor between them and told the story.

"So it was keeping something safe for you," Syaoran said.

"Yes," Tomoyo said, opening the box, and revealing to him a small, clean, animal-shaped eraser.

"She gave it to me," Tomoyo said dreamily, "the day we met."

Syaoran looked at the eraser, knowing that he was probably the only person besides Tomoyowho'd seen it in years. He accepted her trust as a gift.

"It's hard to believe she won't be smiling at us at school tomorrow," he said.

"After nearly being late again," Tomoyo agreed.

It was still dark from the movie, and good friends keep secrets. Neither one of them would ever tell anyone that the other cried.

Neither one of them would tell, but both of them did.