Cardcaptor Sakura: Sonomi/Fujitaka, five changes - Beginning
Title: Softening
Author: aoife_hime
Theme: Five changes (Beginning)
Rating: G
Softening
It was that time of year again. Spring. For the first time in decades, Sonomi’s heart clenched at the thought. Spring meant school, and school meant she would see him again…
Sure enough, he was there, standing out of the crowd of mothers and children like an island mountain jutting out of the center of a lake. She could feel anger and resentment rising in her chest at the mere sight of him, and it took all her willpower not to clench her hands into tight fists, for if she did that she just might crush her daughter’s small hand as well.
“Mama, are you alright?” her daughter asked, wide, innocent eyes gazing up at her with a depth she found startling.
“Fine, sweetie. Are you ready?” The little girl nodded emphatically, clutching her bag close to her chest. “Good. Now go show them what us Daidoujis are made of.”
With that, she sent her daughter off into the crowd of other children all flowing in through the school gates for the first time. Sonomi was set to leave when out of the corner of her eye she saw him again. This time, his daughter was clinging to his neck. She had to stifle a laugh as she saw his glasses nearly fall off as his daughter refused to detach herself from him.
“But I wanna stay at home with you, daddy!” she wailed above the chatter of the crowd of mothers. Several threw him glances that clearly questioned his handling of the situation, but he was oblivious to them.
Some things don’t change... Sonomi thought. She kept watching him, never moving to help him. She was the omnipresent judge and he was the unknowing petitioner, just as it had been all those years ago.
“Sakura, it’s time for you to go to school. You’ll be a big kid now, just like your brother.”
“But I don’t wanna be a big kid. I wanna be with you!” the girl cried into his shoulder.
“You still will be with me, Sakura. I’m not going anywhere just because you’ll be in school. I’ll be the same old dad you’re used to.”
“Promise?” she managed through tears and sniffles.
“I promise. Now go before you’re late to your first day!” Fujitaka gently set his daughter down and gave her a nudge in the direction of the school doors. Only when the bell rang did the little girl take off running towards the doors, crying out a panicked “Hoe!” along the way.
It was only on her way to her meeting later that afternoon that Sonomi realized that, for the first time since her cousin’s death, she no longer blamed him. For, in her mind, no one who could show as much love and tenderness to his child as Kinomoto Fujitaka had that morning could ever be held responsible for a death as senseless as Nadeshiko’s.
She held in her revelation, though, not wanting anyone to get the idea that Daidouji Sonomi was suddenly going soft.
Author: aoife_hime
Theme: Five changes (Beginning)
Rating: G
Softening
It was that time of year again. Spring. For the first time in decades, Sonomi’s heart clenched at the thought. Spring meant school, and school meant she would see him again…
Sure enough, he was there, standing out of the crowd of mothers and children like an island mountain jutting out of the center of a lake. She could feel anger and resentment rising in her chest at the mere sight of him, and it took all her willpower not to clench her hands into tight fists, for if she did that she just might crush her daughter’s small hand as well.
“Mama, are you alright?” her daughter asked, wide, innocent eyes gazing up at her with a depth she found startling.
“Fine, sweetie. Are you ready?” The little girl nodded emphatically, clutching her bag close to her chest. “Good. Now go show them what us Daidoujis are made of.”
With that, she sent her daughter off into the crowd of other children all flowing in through the school gates for the first time. Sonomi was set to leave when out of the corner of her eye she saw him again. This time, his daughter was clinging to his neck. She had to stifle a laugh as she saw his glasses nearly fall off as his daughter refused to detach herself from him.
“But I wanna stay at home with you, daddy!” she wailed above the chatter of the crowd of mothers. Several threw him glances that clearly questioned his handling of the situation, but he was oblivious to them.
Some things don’t change... Sonomi thought. She kept watching him, never moving to help him. She was the omnipresent judge and he was the unknowing petitioner, just as it had been all those years ago.
“Sakura, it’s time for you to go to school. You’ll be a big kid now, just like your brother.”
“But I don’t wanna be a big kid. I wanna be with you!” the girl cried into his shoulder.
“You still will be with me, Sakura. I’m not going anywhere just because you’ll be in school. I’ll be the same old dad you’re used to.”
“Promise?” she managed through tears and sniffles.
“I promise. Now go before you’re late to your first day!” Fujitaka gently set his daughter down and gave her a nudge in the direction of the school doors. Only when the bell rang did the little girl take off running towards the doors, crying out a panicked “Hoe!” along the way.
It was only on her way to her meeting later that afternoon that Sonomi realized that, for the first time since her cousin’s death, she no longer blamed him. For, in her mind, no one who could show as much love and tenderness to his child as Kinomoto Fujitaka had that morning could ever be held responsible for a death as senseless as Nadeshiko’s.
She held in her revelation, though, not wanting anyone to get the idea that Daidouji Sonomi was suddenly going soft.