Point of Presence
Chapter 3: I believe I've drowned
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"Oy! Yuki!"
"Konichiwa, Touya!" I called out, loudly enough that I could be heard over the sounds of the rain pelting the earth. Touya pulled up to me, a slight smile gracing his face.
"Jump in, stranger. Kaijuu, let Yuki in the front and get him the towel."
"I'm not a monster," she replied, climbing over the seat to let me in. I closed the door, sitting back against the plush seat as Touya continued on.
"Thanks, Sakura," I said as she handed me a medium blue towel. It was still warm in my hands, and I pressed it, still folded, to my face, inhaling quietly. There was a scent there that I recognized, but it eluded my mind at the moment.
"How long were you standing out there, Yuki? You're soaked through."
"I was only out there for a few minutes," I assured him. "I've got a change in my locker at school." I rubbed my glasses dry with the towel before attacking my face and neck with it. It'd obviously just been pulled from the laundry. That light fragrance still tickled at my thoughts, and I discreetly pressed it to my face again, trying to figure out where I knew that smell from.
Touya, I realized suddenly. The towel smelled like he did. I dropped both hands into my lap, leaning back against the seat, more than slightly stunned at my epiphany. He must've washed it last night when he was washing the rest of his clothes. I looked over at him, but he never did look right back at me. He was watching with a smile out of the corner of his eye. The smile I saw was a real one.
"I would've been there earlier," he said a moment later, " but the Kaijuu woke up late." I heard Sakura growl from somewhere behind and to the left of me.
"Go easy on her, To-ya," I said with a good-natured smile. "Maybe she couldn't sleep last night." I knew the real reason she'd slept in. Touya did, too, but he didn't want her knowing about that just yet.
She smiled, 'Hanyaan' written across her entire face. "I don't know why you put up with him, Yukito-san. Onichan is a baka sometimes. You're way too nice to be friends with him."
"You're right, Sakura." I said, a hint of mischief making it's way into my voice. "He is an idiot sometimes." An indignant 'Hey!' came from a smiling Touya before I could continue. "But he's got his better points, ne? You'd miss him if he was gone."
Sakura thought for a moment. She sighed. "You're right, Yukito-san. Gomen nasai, Touya."
Touya's response came with a grin. "It's okay, Squirt. You've got dishes tonight."
"Hoe..." she said, slumping back, looking annoyed, possibly even dejected. But she didn't complain.
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Touya dropped Sakura off in front of her school's entrance. She kind of stood there for a moment before running around to his side of the car, opening up the door, and giving him a hug. I saw the proud brother look show itself before he hugged her back. "You need a ride home, Kaijuu?"
"No, I'm going over to Tomoyo's house after school today. Sayonara, Touya!" she called, bounding off to meet her friends who were currently huddled into a group, the main focus being Tomoyo's camera. She waved Sakura down, beckoning her to come and look.
Touya smiled when he saw this and drove on. "She was out late last night, wasn't she?" I nodded.
"We all were. She sensed something in the park."
"What was it?"
"It was Li Shaoran. He was practicing there. Had been for an entire week. She's getting stronger, you know. She can sense more magic now. It's just since she'd never felt Li's magic before, she couldn't recognize it." I laughed. "You should've seen the look on their faces when she realized who it was that she could feel. I don't think I've ever seen them turn redder. Not even when I walk into the room and they start competing."
Touya chuckled as he parked the car, turning it off. We'd gotten to school incredibly early. Nearly a half-hour. Ah, the evils of motor vehicles versus bicycles. "Leave it to the gaki to gyp everyone out of their sleep. I take it you didn't get much sleep last night either."
"No, I didn't. When I got back, I ended up falling asleep as Yue. Even then, I didn't sleep for more than an hour. Dreams woke me."
"I thought you looked a bit under the weather. And considering the current status of the weather, that's saying something." He was still smiling as he grabbed the towel from my lap, rubbing my hair with it. "At least from what I can tell. That wet silver mop of yours is obstructing the view."
I chuckled, grabbing at the towel. I rubbed at it for a while longer before running my fingers through it, combing it through.
"He's going to end up getting Sakura," Touya said quietly after a while. I looked up at him, the puzzlement evident on my face.
"To-ya?"
"Shaoran."
"How do you know?"
"That was one of the last things my mother told me. I can't protect her anymore, Yuki. God knows I've tried." He winced, and I wondered why. "It's like nothing I do has any bearing anymore. Like I've already served my purpose." He winced again, and it looked like he was in pain.
"To-ya? Are you okay?" He shook his head. "What's wrong?" He shook it again.
"I promise I'll tell you later, Yuki. Just..." His eyes slid closed, and he relaxed against the seat. "Just give me a minute."