His Best Friend

AN: I do not own Card Captor Sakura

Xiao-lang Li hesitated, his hand hanging in the air in front of the modest wooden door. His dark eyes burned with confusion as he searched the familiar patterns of the wood. He wanted to, he wanted to talk to her so much, but he did not know if he would be able to face her. Not in the state he is in currently. He didn't think he could face anyone, never mind his best friend.

Sighing he lowered his hand and turned his back on the door. There was no use in knocking when you don't even want to talk. All he felt like doing, all he really wanted to do… He couldn't do it in front of her. He couldn't break her spirit, her smiles.

The door opened and light flooded the dark front porch. Afraid the teenager watched his shadow, dark and frightened against the revealing light. "Li?"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come." He cursed his voice, it gave too much away. She knew something was wrong. She always knew when something was bothering him, even when he did not say anything. And he knew that she suspected that something was amiss, because he could see her shadow coming closer to his.

"Li, what is wrong?" her hand touched his shoulder gently. "Please, you can tell me. That's what friends are for."

"Friends… You don't need to… It's just… I can't Sakura, I can't." He turned around to face the girl. Through his tears her pretty face seemed blurred and he cursed them for giving more away than what his voice did.

Without any words she wrapped her arms around him and he buried his face in her hair. Tears burned his skin as they fell from his eyes, but the pain seemed eased by her presence. The pain seemed to disappear, no, it did not disappear; it drifted away, just for a little while. She could do that, she had the ability, the magic of comfort without words.

"Come inside." Her voice was soft, distant, but caring. "I'll make us something to drink."

"Is Toya here?"

"No, neither is papa. They are out for the evening." She smiled gently at him as she pulled him through the house by his hand to the kitchen. She asked no questions while the kettle boiled, nor while they drank their tea. Her presence was his comfort, his link to sanity. For the moment.

He did not move when she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer to her, he did not care when she pressed her face in his neck and whispered the words they would say to each other when the one was upset. It was their way of showing they cared for each other, their friendship tie. "The angel smiled at him and said everything would be alright."

It was silly really, he thought when she said those words. They read it somewhere when they have just met and they adopted it. He was the first to say it to her and she said it to him more than once. It brought comfort in some form, he did not know in which form.

"They won't stop."

"Fighting?"

"Yes." She knew of course, she was the only one he told. He trusted her. "They won't stop yelling at each other, accusing each other of things. Some of the fights are about things before I was born, before my sisters were born. Nonsense, all of it. It is nothing to fight about. Who cares about a vase that broke eight years ago?"

Sakura didn't say a word, she just listened. She held him and listened. It is all she could do, but it was all he needed. Someone who cared, someone who showed they cared and someone who would listen. She always listened. And he would listen in return, but tonight he needed to talk and she listened.

"I just want them to work it out. They were happy…"

"They are happy." Li blinked confused at her. "They are happy, mostly. There is just something that is bothering them and they don't know what it is, nor how to tell each other. They might be scared."

"Scared?"

"Yes. You are the last of their children in the house, soon you and I will go off to collage and who will they have left? Only each other. That's what I think, but I could be wrong."

"Have you ever been wrong?"

"The ice cream incident?"

"That was a mistake."

"No one is prefect Xiao-lang. Your mom and dad just need to find what is making them unhappy and try to change it into something positive. And, worse case scenario, if they don't they won't love you less."

"But they won't be together anymore."

"Sometimes it is for the best, sometimes it's not. We can never know. What ever happens I will be here for you."

"You always are."

"That's what best friends are for."

"Best friends... Maybe I should marry you one day. You'll tell me when you are unhappy and I can tell you when I am unhappy, and then we wouldn't have to fight about broken vases."

"Maybe." She smiled gently at him and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Do you want to stay over?"

"Please." Grinning she pulled a blanket from under the couch and pulled it over both of them as she lay down in his arms tightly wrapped around her. "Why did we have to grow up?"

"I don't know, but I don't mind it." Sakura laid her head on his chest and listened to his steady beating heart. Inside she knew it ached, but still went on strong, steady with each rhythmic beat. "I've come to know you better."

"And I you."

"That's what best friends do."

"They grow up together."

"They are there for each other, no matter what."

"No matter what."

"I'll always be there for you Li, always." Li smiled at the girl even though she could not see his face. His parents will fight and maybe they will work it out and maybe they won't. It was up to them to decide. All he needed at the moment was someone who understood him, someone who cared for him and she was there in his arms.

His best friend.

AN: Hey! This one shot is dedicated to one of my best friends, Lizaan (Kayapride), who is going through a difficult time at the moment. The purpose of the fic is to show that best friends are always there for each other, no matter what is happening in your life. So to all my friends, I am here for you guys!

Lovies

Tella