Author's Note: This story is a "satellite" story of Solace, a Syaoran/Eriol story I completed already. There are also other stories in that series, but they all stand alone rather well. Yes, sure, they are intertwined, but you don't have to read any of them to appreciate this one. Likewise, you don't have to read this one to appreciate the others. Still, if you like this, you might also like one of the others in the series. Also, because of those other stories in the series, this one will probably be updated more slowly. Sumimasen. I update as inspiration hits me, and I've been working on the first chapter of this for months. I don't know if that will change just because I posted the first chapter.

I don't own any characters contained herein. I swear. I just play with 'em in their off-hours and send 'em back to work when they need to leave. Don't sue me, I assure you that they love it here just as much as I do.

This story contains shoujo ai, two girls in love. It talks about shounen ai also, two guys in love, though they aren't the main focus. If this isn't your thing, well, what the heck are you reading *MY* stories for? lol That's all I've written since my world was revolutionized by the beauty of CCS. So please, do us a favor, and don't read my story if anything "gay" bothers you. We'll both be happier. =)

Wanting

A Distance

"Daidouji-san is away from the desk right now, may I take a message?" Those too-polite words assaulted Sakura's ears again, bringing a frown to her normally cheerful face. Messages and messages, but no real calls anymore. Before Tomoyo had started working with her mother they had been best friends and talked so often they knew everything. Now--?

"No, that's okay. I'll call again some other time or see her or--something." Sakura hung up, realizing that she had heard the secretary's voice more often than Tomoyo's in the last few months. Tomoyo-chan, what's happened to us?

The pit of loneliness grew within her day by day. At least each time Syaoran had to return home, she had had Tomoyo there to talk to and be friends with. Now she wasn't sure who to turn to. Chiharu was studying abroad. Naoko and Yamazaki were wrapped up in each other, newlyweds. Rika was in that mysterious motherhood-world that only other mothers seemed to understand, and she was pregnant again also. None of them understood all of what Sakura would want to talk about anyway. They didn't know about the magic. They didn't understand so many of the things that were most important in her life, even though there were no more magical emergencies going on. It was still important, still set her apart, and still gave her a twinge of loneliness when she realized that there was a part of her life that almost everyone in the world just wouldn't understand.

Sakura went through the list of people she could talk to who knew her secret. Otou-san--wasn't really a friend. He was too much of an authority figure for her to pour her heart out to. Onii-chan--was perfectly beastly to deal with, and still teased her like she was a little kid, even though she was twenty now. Yukito-san. Or Yue-san. They were one now. Sakura frowned. She didn't want to burden him with her petty problems right now. He had seemed a bit withdrawn lately, ever since Eriol-san had moved back from England six months ago. And, of course, there was Eriol-san. He was dealing with his own problems. He and Mizuki-sensei had broken up, and there was something very different about him now. Something Sakura had no idea how to deal with. She just knew she couldn't put her own problems on his shoulders now.

That left Tomoyo. Only, Tomoyo was also too busy.

Or Kero-chan.

Sakura heaved a huge sigh, returning to her bedroom again to talk to her sun guardian. He was wonderful, he was kind, he was even wise at times, but Kero-chan knew NOTHING about relationships. Well, talking to him was better than not talking at all.

~~~~~@~~~~~

Tomoyo came home from work late again. Her purse landed unceremoniously on a chair, then her coat was draped over it with weary hands. She went to the fridge right away, opened a bottled water, then returned to the living room and collapsed on the sofa. It took a few minutes of sitting there before she began to feel remotely human again.

These days she felt more like her mother's shadow than anything else.

She finally sat up with a sigh, thankful that she wasn't living with her mother anymore. She had privacy and a place to be herself for those precious hours she didn't have to dedicate to the company.

Tomoyo finally looked at the clock. So late. Would Sakura even be awake? She still lived at home with her father while she went to college, so it wouldn't be polite to call so late. If one wasn't asleep the other would be.

Loneliness had become such a part of her life that it took her a while to realize that the feeling of something missing was her friends. Can I still call them friends after all this time? She walked over to the piano in the corner and began picking out a lonely tune. Tomoyo had picked up enough of the piano to teach herself new songs back in high school. Soon the lonely melody broke way into scales as she warmed up her voice. She smiled wistfully as she remembered her dreams of standing on a stage and becoming famous for her voice. Then her voice broke before she reached the high A.

And when her voice broke, so did her spirits.

She abandoned the piano, seeking the haven of her bedroom, reminding herself that this was the only place dreams belonged. Dreams were just dreams after all. She could wish and hope and dream all she wanted, but when reality crashed over her she was still alone in her spacious apartment and spent her days behind a desk. She was proud of the company, and she wasn't about to give it up, but every night her regrets caught up with her.

As she sobbed into her pillow she tried to remember when the last time she hadn't cried herself to sleep was. More importantly though, she wondered when she would stop.

~~~~~@~~~~~

"Let me get this straight...you are talking to me because Tomoyo is too busy for you and you miss her?"

Sakura frowned. That's what the conversation had become, but that wasn't what she had come upstairs to talk to him about. "No, I'm talking to you because Syaoran is coming back and he's been away longer than ever this time and--"

"He's coming back? Why didn't you say so in the first place?"

The frown grew. "I thought I did...."

"Nope, this is the first time I'm hearing about it." Kero looked amused.

"Well...you and Syaoran never got along that well anyway...and you're a great friend but you don't know as much as Tomoyo does about relationships...so I guess I just started talking about her because I wish I could talk to her right now."

"So, why don't you just call her?"

Sakura frowned. "I don't know, she seems to be too busy for me lately."

"Call her now, she's bound to be home from work by now."

"She's probably asleep. She gets to work very early in the morning most of the time."

Kero's eyes gleamed suddenly and a small smile slipped across his face. "I have an idea."

It was insane. There was no way it would work. But, as Sakura listened, then thought it over, she started smiling as well.

"Do you think it would really work?"

"You never know until you try, do you?"

"Kero, would you please return to your true form?"

The plushie-sized guardian blinked in surprise. "Wh-what for?"

"So I can give you a huge hug!"

He happily complied with his Mistress's command.

~~~~~@~~~~~

"Kinomoto Sakura is here to see you, Daidouji-san."

Tomoyo looked at the intercom with wide eyes for a moment before the words could sink in. "Send her in, please."

She jumped up from her chair behind the gigantic desk with girlish enthusiasm and met Sakura with a hug before the door was more than simply opened. "Sakura-chan! I haven't seen you in...in...."

"It's been three months," Sakura said gently.

"Has it really? That long? No wonder I've missed you so much."

They walked into the office, sitting down on a couch that rested off to the side. Sakura seemed to look startled at how comfortable it was, but Tomoyo was used to it. She had made sure it was comfortable--she'd had to take plenty of naps on it over the last couple of years. A few occasions had even prompted her to spend the night on that couch, though that was rare.

"So, Sakura-chan, what brings you here today?"

"You're my best friend, do I need a reason?"

Tomoyo smiled, though her heart gave a little pang. "Of course not. It's only that, well, I have a lot of paperwork to do today, and some--"

"No."

Tomoyo blinked. "Sumimasen, Sakura-chan, demo--"

"I said no. No paperwork, no meetings, no employee reviews, or interviews, or anything else you can think of to put this off. I'm sorry, but I'm kidnapping you."

"You're...you're joking, right?"

Sakura reached into her purse and pulled out a pink book that Tomoyo recognized immediately. "I'm not joking," she said sadly, opening the book and pulling out a few cards.

"You're threatening me?" Tomoyo's voice was suddenly chill, a tone she'd never used around her friends, but a tone that had become more and more necessary as she found herself wrapped up in the business world.

"Tomoyo-chan, I already spoke to your mother. She said--"

"She has no idea how much work I put into the company, and I do it all for her sake. She should not have said anything, she doesn't know what I have to do today, and I'm falling behind just from talking to you this long. I'm sorry, Sakura-chan, but I have to get back to work."

"No."

Tomoyo was already walking back to her desk, swallowing the pain in her heart. How could she explain to Sakura--?

No.

"I must ask you to leave now. Today is a busy day. I can set aside a few hours next Sunday, but I have so much to do that--"

"Tomoyo, for the sake of the friendship we used to have, please forgive me."

Forgive her? Tomoyo turned around with a puzzled frown. That didn't sound like Sakura was about to just leave, or even try to persuade her more. She may have allowed herself to be persuaded--until Sakura mentioned her mother.

That was neither here nor there.

Sakura was holding out three cards. Mirror. Fly. And Sleep.

Tomoyo's eyes went wide in shock as she realized what was about to happen. The familiar chanting began, invoking the sealing staff and then the Sleep card, while Tomoyo was frozen.

I can't believe she's doing this, Tomoyo thought, and then darkness fell over her.