CardCaptor Sakura: Sakura and the Birthday Present
For those only familiar with the English dub:
Sakura Kinomoto=Sakura Avalon Tomoyo=Madison Shaoran=Lee Touya=Tory Yukito=Julian Rika=Rita Naoko=Nikki Chihara=Chelsea Yamazaki=Zachary
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Tomoyo finished arranging the flowers in the classroom. She turned and surveyed the room. Everything was perfect for the start of class. The girl glanced at the clock and noted that it would probably be another fifteen minutes until anyone else was due in. She smiled to herself and headed for her seat. This was the price of industriousness. Sitting at her desk, the young girl began to study the sheet music for choir practice. This new song was giving her some trouble and Tomoyo wanted to get it just right. She began going over the song in her head, since it wouldn't do to practice out loud anywhere but the music room.
But her thoughts began to drift.
It would be her fourteenth birthday in two days. Even if, by some miracle, Tomoyo wasn't aware of that fact, she'd just have to look over to the person who regularly sat in the seat next to her to realize it. Sakura had been a veritable buzz of very secretive behavior for the past two weeks, not that it was any great secret. Her friend was planning her gift to Tomoyo
The mere thought of Sakura's herculean efforts on her behalf brought a smile to the young dark-haired girl. With Sakura, you couldn't help knowing you were her friend. She never let you forget it. Tomoyo already knew she'd love whatever Sakura bought her or made for her, because it was from her. That meant it was guaranteed to be from the heart. Tomoyo thought of the expectant look she'd see on Sakura's face, all the girl's hopes pinned on whether she liked that one gift, that single gesture of affection. It brought a deeper smile to her face. Knowing Sakura cared was just as important as the gift itself.
If only Sakura could give her what she really wanted, though.
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"Flying?" Tomoyo gasped.
"Sure," Sakura smiled, her wide-eyed, energetic expression exciting Tomoyo. "It's lots of fun. You'll love it! And I guarantee you'll be safe!"
"I didn't doubt that, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo smiled coyly. "I just don't want you to strain yourself. Are you sure you can lift someone as heavy as me?"
"You're not that heavy," Sakura smiled. "And I've gotten very good at flying! Really I have! My wings are very strong now!"
"Only if you're sure," Tomoyo said.
Sakura nodded and summoned the Star Wand. She produced the Sakura Card seemingly from nowhere, such was her magic, and tossed it in the air.
"FLY!" she commanded as she struck the card with the wand. A set of pristine white wings grew from her back.
Sakura came up behind Tomoyo and snaked her arms around the girl's ribs. Tomoyo tried to keep herself from shuddering. She didn't want to betray the thrill of feeling Sakura's arms around her or the proximity of the girl's body to hers. It might scare her friend off. And why did Sakura have to be dressed in cut-off shorts and a thin knit tank top? Tomoyo swallowed nervously, trying to enjoy every moment of it without letting on how much she was enjoying it.
"Relax," chuckled Sakura. "Don't worry. I've got you."
"You've always had me," thought Tomoyo. "And you always will."
The great wings pushed and Tomoyo found herself up in the air. Once free from the ground, Sakura's wings effortlessly sent them up into the sky. Tomoyo felt her breath catch in her throat. The view was dizzying. The ground seemed to whirl around beneath her as she and Sakura spun up into the sky. Tomoyo clutched onto Sakura's arms as her legs dangled beneath them.
"I'm not too heavy, am I?" Tomoyo asked. She felt Sakura's lips nuzzle her ear.
"You're light as a feather," Sakura whispered and Tomoyo felt a charge skitter down her spine to her hips.
The pair soared out over the neighborhood. The rush of wind made her heart beat faster, though not as much as Sakura's touch did. Sakura's wings beat faster and they picked up speed. The topography rushed past them below. Sakura would dodge in and out, arcing over trees and dipping below power lines with the skill and speed of an eagle. It was a little scary, but tremendously exhilarating.
Dipping past King Penguin, Sakura and Tomoyo soared up into the air. It was like gravity had no effect on them. The pair rose up over the city until they seemed to touch the clouds themselves. When the flight peaked, Sakura just hung there, her front molded to Tomoyo's back. For herself, Tomoyo closed her eyes. The air around them was cold, but Sakura's embrace was warm and protective. She wanted more than anything to turn around and kiss her, but she didn't dare move. Instead, Tomoyo focused on the feel of Sakura's arms around her chest, Sakura's chin resting on her shoulder and the warm feeling that was generating below her waist.
Gently allowing gravity to retake them, Sakura glided back down to Earth in a spiral pattern with Tomoyo in tow. The rushing air whipped across their faces and through their hair so fast it was almost hard to breathe. Tomoyo was barely conscious of it. Her focus was solely on her friend. The balcony to her bedroom came into view. Sakura angled for it and landed ever so softly. Tomoyo expelled a deep breath. Her whole body was wrung out from excitement.
"Sakura-chan," she gasped. "That was wonderful! It was a fantastic birthday present!"
"That wasn't your present," Sakura said, smiling knowingly as her wings disappeared. She took Tomoyo by the hand and led her into the bedroom. "I still have to give you your present."
Suddenly there wasn't enough air for Tomoyo to breathe. She willed herself calm and allowed herself to be led into the room. The last soft light of dusk was coloring the furnishings. Sakura led her to the center of the room and released her hand.
"Now close your eyes," Sakura said. Tomoyo gave her an indulgent smirk and complied. "Now this may take a few minutes. Please be patient with me. And don't peek!"
"I promise, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo replied.
She heard Sakura scamper out of the room. Time passed. Tomoyo could hear her friend doing something downstairs, but couldn't figure out what, due to the superior construction of the mansion. It puzzled her and she was tempted to peek, but stayed true to her promise. Minutes began to pile up on each other and Tomoyo began to grow concerned. What was Sakura planning? How elaborate could it be? Or had she suddenly lost her nerve and fled?
"All right, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said finally. "You can open your eyes now."
Tomoyo complied. Her breath caught. Standing before her in the dim light of dusk was her friend Sakura. She was completely, utterly, beautifully naked, save for a shiny blue ribbon tied in a bow around her throat. Her hands were clasped modestly before her and she gazed at her friend with earnest, hopeful eyes.
"Happy birthday, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said. "I figured - - well, that it's time I gave you what you've always wanted."
"But," Tomoyo whispered, barely audible, "Sakura-chan. What if Mother saw . . .?"
"I used the Sleep Card," Sakura smiled gently. "No one will disturb us." A card appeared from nowhere, as did her Star Wand. It floated up into the air and the wand struck it. "Song!" called Sakura.
The sprite of the Song Card appeared and for a moment Tomoyo tensed. She still remembered the time it had stolen her voice. But the sprite smiled and nodded to her, silently reassuring Tomoyo it meant no harm.
"Something soft and romantic, please," requested Sakura. The Song Card sprite bowed reverently to its mistress, then clasped its hands before its chest. A melody emerged from the tiny mouth, a soft whisper of a song that was barely noticeable and at the same time relaxing. Tomoyo closed her eyes for a moment to take in the beauty of the song and noticed the arousing effect it had on her. She opened her eyes again and saw Sakura looking directly at her.
Tomoyo didn't move. She didn't breathe. She just stared at her friend, the object of her desire for so very, very long, scarcely able to believe it. She was suddenly terrified that she would make an aggressive move toward her friend before Sakura had a chance to say she was joking and ruin everything.
So Sakura moved for her. The girl, her brown bangs dangling across her wide pool eyes, softly padded up to her friend. She gently put her hands on Tomoyo's shoulders, leaned in, and touched lips to her. Tomoyo's eyes shut and she focused her entire essence onto her lips. Sakura's mouth was soft and warm. Her lips began to press with more passion and Tomoyo responded. She felt their breath mingle. She felt their hearts mingle.
Gently Sakura eased away and Tomoyo let her eyes inch open. She looked at her friend - - her present - - and saw Sakura gazing back with that timid unease she always had, like she was certain Tomoyo was disappointed. How utterly cute Tomoyo always thought that look was. She smiled and Sakura seemed reassured.
"I don't think you're going to need these for a while," Sakura whispered.
Her hands began playing with the buttons on Tomoyo's white blouse. She'd fiddle with one until it came off, then drop down to the one below. She had them undone all the way down to the waistband of Tomoyo's navy skirt. Playfully she stuck her hand inside the blouse and began lightly running her hand up and down Tomoyo's front. Her fingers wafted from Tomoyo's navel to the top of her sternum and the girl didn't know whether to giggle or moan. It was a teasing sensation, light enough to be pleasant, but not quite enough to satisfy.
The hands reached up and under the blouse, easing it away from Tomoyo's soft shoulders. Sakura glided behind her as she did, guiding the blouse down her friend's arms and off. She planted a kiss directly between Tomoyo's shoulder blades and the dark-haired girl shivered with delight. She'd only recently linked the sensations of "feel good" and "sexual pleasure" in her mind and realized she was already growing quite excited. She wanted to turn on Sakura and begin exploring her friend's body, to give Sakura the pleasure Sakura was giving her. But Sakura gently yet forcefully held her in place and wagged her finger. Smothering a smile, Tomoyo gave herself over to her "present".
She felt Sakura reach around her waist from behind. As dainty hands closed on the waistband of Tomoyo's skirt, she felt Sakura's front press into her back again. Sakura's timid young peaks caressed Tomoyo's bare shoulder blades and the girl suppressed a sigh. Tomoyo let her head loll back onto Sakura's shoulder as the girl eased the skirt down.
As the skirt fell to the floor, leaving Tomoyo clad only in white panties with little yellow flowers printed on them, Sakura began to sway back and forth like a palm tree in the breeze. With Sakura's arms around her waist, Tomoyo felt encouraged to follow and for a time the pair simply danced back to front to Song's exotic melody wafting through the dimly lit dusk. Sakura leaned her head on Tomoyo's shoulder; Tomoyo still had claim to Sakura's.
"Happy, Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura whispered in her ear.
"Ever so happy, Sakura-chan," sighed Tomoyo. "Thank you so very much."
"The best is yet to come," Sakura told her.
As they danced, Sakura's hand gently massaged up and down along Tomoyo's belly. She began kissing along her friend's neck and shoulder. Tomoyo again felt something building within her. It was not very familiar, something she'd achieved only once in experimenting with herself, but it was a sensation she seemed to know intuitively that she'd like.
She felt Sakura hook thumbs into the waistband of her panties. They slid down along Tomoyo's hips and the feel of the cotton running along the skin, revealing it to the world, was delightful. There was a gentle breeze from the balcony and it passed along her bare skin with a playful tickle. Sakura and Tomoyo swayed a few more times as the panties dropped to the floor, then they stopped. Sakura guided Tomoyo around until they were face to face. In the background, Song continued to gently serenade them. It was too dark to see what was in her eyes, but Tomoyo saw her friend - - her lover's - - lips lean in again and followed suit. Their mouths met again, and their arms wrapped around each other's torso to make sure it lasted.
As they kissed, Tomoyo felt herself guided toward the bed by Sakura. She was very easily led. It was hazy in her mind, too, because she was concentrating on how good Sakura's kisses tasted. A misstep sent them both tumbling into the bed amid startled squeals from both girls. As they bounced onto the mattress, the squeals turned to fits of giggles.
"Oh, we're not very nimble, are we?" grinned Tomoyo.
"I don't know," Sakura chuckled. "We ended up where we were going and it was a pretty soft landing."
Tomoyo gazed deep into Sakura's eyes.
"I love you, Sakura-chan," she whispered, her hand caressing Sakura's cheek.
"I know, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said. She leaned in and their mouths locked again.
Tomoyo arched her body to her love, compelled to feel as much of Sakura on as much of her as she could manage. Sakura's lips parted from hers and began kissing the girl's throat. A whimper escaped Tomoyo, a signal of what was still building within her. A hand, small and dainty, drifted down and began caressing the bud on Tomoyo's chest. It was a sensitive place she had just recently discovered herself and to feel Sakura's soft hand touching it and rubbing it made it even more pleasurable. She brought her hands to rest atop Sakura's mop of brown hair and felt the head working its way down her chest to the bud. Her breath shuddered out as a wet tongue passed over it.
So lost in this pleasure, Tomoyo didn't notice a hand creeping down. When it slid unchallenged between the girl's legs, Tomoyo's breath caught.
"Oh!" she gasped. "Oh, Sakura-chan!"
Undaunted, Sakura's hand began caressing the sensitive strip while her tongue lapped at Tomoyo's tiny pink n****e. Driven by a primitive new sensation that could only be lust, Tomoyo gripped Sakura's head tighter, hugging the girl to her. Sakura didn't seem to mind. She playfully continued to lick and rub, rub and lick until Tomoyo was squirming and gasping out timid little cries.
Though she'd never been surfing, Tomoyo had seen films. The image suddenly popped in her mind. Her spirit seemed to ride a crest for the longest time, then the wave crashed and engulfed her. When it subsided, she was laying on the bed, panting. Sakura had her chin on her arms and her arms on Tomoyo's chest. She looked up at her friend with a tender smile of accomplishment.
"Something tells me you enjoyed your present," Sakura jested.
"I did," Tomoyo beamed, nearly moved to tears. "I wish it could be like this forever."
"Who says it can't?" Sakura asked, snuggling up against Tomoyo until they were arm in arm and face to face. "You don't rent a birthday present. It's yours to keep."
"Sakura-chan?" gasped Tomoyo. "Do you mean . . .?"
"This isn't the place to take a nap," Sakura said.
Tomoyo looked at her, puzzled.
"Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura asked.
And reality lurched back into focus. Tomoyo was in her classroom, in her chair, staring off into space. She refocused and saw Sakura bending over her, looking quite concerned. Shaoran was in the desk behind them, giving them both a wary eye.
"Are you all right?" Sakura asked.
"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo said with an embarrassed grin. "I guess I got lost in thought for a few minutes. What were you saying?"
"Well all I said was 'hello'," Sakura said. She pulled a gift-wrapped box from her backpack. "Happy birthday, Tomoyo-chan! I hope you like it."
"If you got it, I'm sure I'll like it," Tomoyo said, opening the box.
"You always say that. Tomoyo-chan, I want you to be honest. Don't say you like it unless you really do. I want to give you something you'll really like and I can't do that if you keep telling me everything I do or say or get you is 'cute and wonderful'."
Tomoyo grinned sheepishly. "I guess I do that a lot, don't I? But just because your present may not be what I've always dreamed of, that doesn't mean I won't like it. I know you might not be able to get me my dream present because - - well, because it's not within your means to do so."
"Well, maybe if I hadn't spent my allowance on those cream sodas," Sakura said with a guilty look.
"But that doesn't mean I won't like what you do give me. And if you give it to me, that makes it special."
"Oh, you're hopeless," Sakura fumed, although she really wasn't mad.
Tomoyo opened the box. Inside was a pair of plush dolls. One was adorned with a handmade outfit that resembled one of Tomoyo's favorite outfits. The doll had long black hair and bangs, and a very cute angelic face. In her right hand, the doll held a little box painted to look like a camcorder. Holding its other hand was the other plush doll. It wore a handmade outfit that resembled the 'cat-girl' uniform Sakura had worn to capture the Thunder Card. She had brown hair cut to Sakura's style and held a little replica of the Cardcaptor wand. Tomoyo stared.
"The dolls were kits, but I made the clothes myself. At least now we'll always be together," Sakura said hopefully, "even if we're not always together in the future."
A tear dribbled down Tomoyo's cheek. It was deflected from its course by the widening grin on her face.
"Sakura-chan," Tomoyo mumbled, her voice choked with emotion, "it's wonderful."
Sakura gave her a skeptical look.
"I really mean it," chuckled Tomoyo. "If you couldn't get me what I always wanted, this is the next best thing."
The girls hugged affectionately. Rika, Naoko and Chihara turned and smiled. Even Shaoran had to admit it made him feel a little warm and fuzzy.
Just a little.
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