Second Look
Written for the prompt "Sonomi/Fujitaka, Christmas Eve Plans".
Title: Second Look
Series: Cardcaptor Sakura
Length: 1100 words
Genre: Romance, Fluff
Pairing: Sonomi/Fujitaka
Summary: Sometimes you need to take a second look at what's in front of you.
Sonomi was in mid-sentence when Fujitaka took the phone from her hand and spoke into the mouthpiece. “She’ll talk to you on Monday. Have a lovely holiday.”
She watched agape as he returned the receiver to its cradle. “That was important!”
“It’s Christmas Eve. As of right now, you are off the clock, Madam President.”
Folding her arms, she huffed. “It’s only five. Our reservations aren’t until eight.” And they could reach the restaurant in twenty minutes. There was a lot of work she could do in the next two hours and forty minutes.
“Then why don’t we go for a nice walk through town?”
“I have a car.”
“I know you do,” he answered with his insufferable affability. “But you’d spend the entire ride tapping away at your Blackberry. When was the last time you looked out the window at the world passing by? Because it will pass you by if you don’t look.”
The only thing more annoying than someone who thought he knew you well was someone who actually did. Did he always have to be right? “Fine, let’s go for a winter’s walk in my expensive Italian leather shoes.”
Down on the pavement, he pulled her arm through his. “In case it’s slippery,” he said when she glared at him. “Wouldn’t want you to fall.”
She was already in danger of falling. Damn him.
The street was crowded with other walkers, holiday shoppers, sightseers, and merrymakers. Young couples strolled arm-in-arm with their heads close together in cozy intimacy. A group of schoolchildren were singing “Jingle Bells” next to an elaborately decorated tree. Lights were strung on storefronts and lampposts, blinking in colorful chaos.
Some of the decorations were peculiar or even tacky, but all together, with the music and lights and tinsel and smiling faces, there was something special and magical about this ordinary street. “How long has it been like this?” she asked, her eyes roving about to take it all in. “I never noticed.”
“Well, you noticed now. That’s the important thing.”
Yes, in its way, the street was beautiful, and even though she rode through town every day, she had been missing it. She missed a lot of things, she realized, and he was always there to show her. “I suppose I should say ‘thank you’.”
“If you like.”
She didn’t like, but she did so anyway. And she said the words again with the same reluctant gratitude when he bought her a hot chocolate from a nearby stand.
It was so unfair how he always knew everything, how he attended to her needs before she even knew she needed something, even something as simple as a cup of cocoa to sweeten her tongue and warm her stomach.
They stopped in front of the toy shop, where a model train display had been set up in the window.
“That’s one of ours,” Sonomi said as the train rounded the track again. “A total logistical nightmare in trying to get it out for Christmas. We had problem after problem with the stupid desi--”
“Stop,” he said. His voice was quiet and gentle, not demanding, but she stopped all the same. “Just look.”
Several children had gathered in front of the display. They pressed their hands and noses to the glass, entranced as the train traveled its circle. A certain sensor in the track activated the train’s whistle, and the children clapped with glee when it sounded. They were laughing, smiling, completely captivated by something she’d thought of as just another product.
“You know,” she said quietly, “I forget sometimes that this is the result of all our hard work.” It was true. Getting caught up in day-to-day operations and problems, she often forgot what her job was all about. It wasn’t cost projections and marketing campaigns. It wasn’t production timetables and profit margins.
It was the delighted smile on the face of little boy. It was the curious sparkle in the eyes of a little girl. It was the joy in that child’s heart to see that train circling the trunk of a Christmas tree.
This was what made everything she did worth it. She found herself smiling, too. “Thank you.” The words were easier this time.
“You’re welcome.” For once it didn’t bother her to see him smiling back. This must be that Christmas spirit she was always hearing about. “Now, wait here.”
She was left standing on the pavement with her cup of chocolate as he went into the toy store. Moments later, he returned with a small bag.
“Merry Christmas,” he said.
Inside the bag was a teddy bear. “This isn’t one of ours.” Just because her job wasn’t only about profits didn’t mean profits weren’t incredibly important.
“Well, why would I give you something you can get for yourself?” he replied. “No, this is a German bear. Germany makes the best teddy bears.”
“Hmm, I wonder.”
“He’s cute, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he’s very cute.” She had to admit it. It was a very nicely made bear, with soft napped fur and dark button eyes. “Very cute,” she said again. Oh, no, she looked at him when she said that. He wouldn’t think she was flirting, would he? Bad enough that this was practically a date.
Who was she kidding? Dinner out on Christmas Eve? This was a date.
And still she was looking at him. She couldn’t seem to not. Someone must have put an extra shot of holiday cheer in that cocoa.
The blinking colored Christmas lights were reflected in his glasses and his eyes. Red, green, white, blue, yellow. She watched the pattern repeat, mesmerized. “And look,” he said, still with that quiet, intimate gentleness from before. It should have annoyed her, but who could be annoyed on Christmas Eve? She’d be annoyed tomorrow instead. Or Monday. “He’s even holding a little sprig of holly.”
“I believe that’s mistletoe.”
“Is it?” He pretended to examine the bear’s bouquet.
If she’d thought he had it in him to be so forward, she might have seen it coming. She might have moved away.
Or… she might not have.
He held the bear over her head, and as she opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, he kissed her. It was brief, nearly imperceptible, but her whole body reacted with surprise and maybe pleasure at such a fleeting touch.
Did he really just do that? Here, in the middle of the street?
Bringing the bear back to eye level, he regarded it with something other than Christmas lights twinkling in his eyes. “What do you know? You were right.”
Title: Second Look
Series: Cardcaptor Sakura
Length: 1100 words
Genre: Romance, Fluff
Pairing: Sonomi/Fujitaka
Summary: Sometimes you need to take a second look at what's in front of you.
Sonomi was in mid-sentence when Fujitaka took the phone from her hand and spoke into the mouthpiece. “She’ll talk to you on Monday. Have a lovely holiday.”
She watched agape as he returned the receiver to its cradle. “That was important!”
“It’s Christmas Eve. As of right now, you are off the clock, Madam President.”
Folding her arms, she huffed. “It’s only five. Our reservations aren’t until eight.” And they could reach the restaurant in twenty minutes. There was a lot of work she could do in the next two hours and forty minutes.
“Then why don’t we go for a nice walk through town?”
“I have a car.”
“I know you do,” he answered with his insufferable affability. “But you’d spend the entire ride tapping away at your Blackberry. When was the last time you looked out the window at the world passing by? Because it will pass you by if you don’t look.”
The only thing more annoying than someone who thought he knew you well was someone who actually did. Did he always have to be right? “Fine, let’s go for a winter’s walk in my expensive Italian leather shoes.”
Down on the pavement, he pulled her arm through his. “In case it’s slippery,” he said when she glared at him. “Wouldn’t want you to fall.”
She was already in danger of falling. Damn him.
The street was crowded with other walkers, holiday shoppers, sightseers, and merrymakers. Young couples strolled arm-in-arm with their heads close together in cozy intimacy. A group of schoolchildren were singing “Jingle Bells” next to an elaborately decorated tree. Lights were strung on storefronts and lampposts, blinking in colorful chaos.
Some of the decorations were peculiar or even tacky, but all together, with the music and lights and tinsel and smiling faces, there was something special and magical about this ordinary street. “How long has it been like this?” she asked, her eyes roving about to take it all in. “I never noticed.”
“Well, you noticed now. That’s the important thing.”
Yes, in its way, the street was beautiful, and even though she rode through town every day, she had been missing it. She missed a lot of things, she realized, and he was always there to show her. “I suppose I should say ‘thank you’.”
“If you like.”
She didn’t like, but she did so anyway. And she said the words again with the same reluctant gratitude when he bought her a hot chocolate from a nearby stand.
It was so unfair how he always knew everything, how he attended to her needs before she even knew she needed something, even something as simple as a cup of cocoa to sweeten her tongue and warm her stomach.
They stopped in front of the toy shop, where a model train display had been set up in the window.
“That’s one of ours,” Sonomi said as the train rounded the track again. “A total logistical nightmare in trying to get it out for Christmas. We had problem after problem with the stupid desi--”
“Stop,” he said. His voice was quiet and gentle, not demanding, but she stopped all the same. “Just look.”
Several children had gathered in front of the display. They pressed their hands and noses to the glass, entranced as the train traveled its circle. A certain sensor in the track activated the train’s whistle, and the children clapped with glee when it sounded. They were laughing, smiling, completely captivated by something she’d thought of as just another product.
“You know,” she said quietly, “I forget sometimes that this is the result of all our hard work.” It was true. Getting caught up in day-to-day operations and problems, she often forgot what her job was all about. It wasn’t cost projections and marketing campaigns. It wasn’t production timetables and profit margins.
It was the delighted smile on the face of little boy. It was the curious sparkle in the eyes of a little girl. It was the joy in that child’s heart to see that train circling the trunk of a Christmas tree.
This was what made everything she did worth it. She found herself smiling, too. “Thank you.” The words were easier this time.
“You’re welcome.” For once it didn’t bother her to see him smiling back. This must be that Christmas spirit she was always hearing about. “Now, wait here.”
She was left standing on the pavement with her cup of chocolate as he went into the toy store. Moments later, he returned with a small bag.
“Merry Christmas,” he said.
Inside the bag was a teddy bear. “This isn’t one of ours.” Just because her job wasn’t only about profits didn’t mean profits weren’t incredibly important.
“Well, why would I give you something you can get for yourself?” he replied. “No, this is a German bear. Germany makes the best teddy bears.”
“Hmm, I wonder.”
“He’s cute, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he’s very cute.” She had to admit it. It was a very nicely made bear, with soft napped fur and dark button eyes. “Very cute,” she said again. Oh, no, she looked at him when she said that. He wouldn’t think she was flirting, would he? Bad enough that this was practically a date.
Who was she kidding? Dinner out on Christmas Eve? This was a date.
And still she was looking at him. She couldn’t seem to not. Someone must have put an extra shot of holiday cheer in that cocoa.
The blinking colored Christmas lights were reflected in his glasses and his eyes. Red, green, white, blue, yellow. She watched the pattern repeat, mesmerized. “And look,” he said, still with that quiet, intimate gentleness from before. It should have annoyed her, but who could be annoyed on Christmas Eve? She’d be annoyed tomorrow instead. Or Monday. “He’s even holding a little sprig of holly.”
“I believe that’s mistletoe.”
“Is it?” He pretended to examine the bear’s bouquet.
If she’d thought he had it in him to be so forward, she might have seen it coming. She might have moved away.
Or… she might not have.
He held the bear over her head, and as she opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, he kissed her. It was brief, nearly imperceptible, but her whole body reacted with surprise and maybe pleasure at such a fleeting touch.
Did he really just do that? Here, in the middle of the street?
Bringing the bear back to eye level, he regarded it with something other than Christmas lights twinkling in his eyes. “What do you know? You were right.”