Sunkissed

~Chapter 1: A Reluctant House Guest~

"Why can't I stay?" The huge feline looked at her with mournful eyes and drooping wings, hoping to convince her to change her mind.

Sakura was having none of it. "Because you and Syaoran-kun fight constantly when he comes over, and I want some peace this time, and that's hard enough with onii-chan around!" she stamped her foot in frustration.

Kero looked insulted. "But, but- The kid always starts it!" It was out before he could stop himself, and he cringed, knowing what was coming.

"Stop calling him that!" she shouted, green eyes flashing angrily. "His name is Syaoran!"

"Kid is still good enough for him!"

"KERO-CHAN!"

"Fine, fine!" He rolled his eyes.

"This is why you're going over to Tomoyo-chan's for the night. You can't quit doing stuff like that!" The sixteen-year-old brushed her shoulder-length brown hair and checked it in the mirror. Apparently satisfied, she turned to Kero and put her hands on her hips.

"Alright already, I get it, I'll go. Sheesh." He stood up to transform.

"Hurry, Kero-chan!" She fussed impatiently with her clothes.

"I can only do this so fast," he groused as his wings closed in. A flash of light later, the small, plush-like form floated in front of her. She opened the window for him, and he fluttered out. "See you tomorrow," he grumbled.

"Bye Kero-chan." She shut the window behind him, and without another glance rushed out of the room.

Kero sighed. Ever since Sakura had started Senior High, and Li had come back from Hong Kong, his nights at Tomoyo's were becoming increasingly frequent as the kid spent more time at the Kinomoto home. The usual excuse was studying. Yeah, because that's all they do. Although the nii-chan sure did what he could to make sure that was the case, and mostly succeeded. He had become even more obsessively overprotective since they had lost their father the previous year in an accident at a dig site. Even Kero thought it was scary sometimes. Sakura, an active and social teenager, mostly just found it aggravating.

He flew off high over the neighborhood, the beauty of the warm late-spring evening lost on him in his foul mood. It wasn't that he minded Tomoyo's company; on the contrary, they had great fun together and she always had a sweet treat for him. I'm just tired of feeling like I'm only in the way. He was Sakura's Guardian, after all; it was his duty to stay by his mistress' side and protect her. How was he supposed to do that if she kept sending him away? Was he just supposed to leave it to the kid? That thought had him growling under his breath.

Grouchy and preoccupied, he barely noticed when he almost flew right past the Daidouji mansion. He backtracked, and after making sure the coast was clear he knocked on Tomoyo's balcony door. The room looked empty, but she could be in the movie room which was out of sight of the balcony. He waited, then knocked again in case she hadn't heard him.

Tomoyo finally appeared and opened the door enough for him to slip through before sliding it shut again. "Hello, Kero-chan," she greeted him cheerfully. "I'm sorry, I hope you weren't waiting long; I could barely hear you knocking." Unsurprisingly, one of her films of Sakura's card-catching adventures was playing on the giant screen at the far end of her spacious room.

Too depressed to be his usual witty self, he just waved a paw absently at her, "No, no, it was fine." He flew over and sank down onto one of the plush seats of her home theater, sulking.

Tomoyo sat down lightly beside him, eyes on the screen and a box of chocolates in one hand. "Poor Kero-chan; Li-kun is visiting, and you got kicked out again. It certainly doesn't seem fair." Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she handed him a chocolate.

"No, it'sh nof!" he yelled around a mouthful of truffle. Kero swallowed hard. "Why do I always have to leave whenever that kid comes around? Just because he always starts a fight-" she passed him another chocolate which he shoved in his mouth, "-I'm tshe one -gulp- who has to go! I'm her Guardian! I live there! Why can't she make him stop coming over instead?"

Tomoyo could think of several reasons, but she wisely chose not to share them with Kero. Instead, she gave him a sympathetic look and the half-empty box of chocolates. "I know it's tough. I don't get to spend as much time with Sakura-chan anymore either," she commiserated. So many lost filming opportunities, Tomoyo mused sadly.

"But you know, Kero-chan, there is a bright side for you," she added with a knowing look.

"Wha shzat?"

"Well, after school today, Sakura-chan mentioned that Li-kun was coming by this evening, so I was expecting you to be visiting me." She rose and walked out of sight as she spoke. "And when I came home," she continued, coming back into view carrying a squat cylindrical container, "I just had a sudden urge," she set the container next to the projector on the low table in front of them, eyes sparkling mischievously, "to bake a cake," she finished, winking at him and removing the cover with a flourish to reveal a beautiful white frosted cake covered in orange and yellow icing roses.

It certainly had the intended effect. Kero stopped inhaling chocolates, his small eyes growing wide, and he jumped into the air shouting, "Woohoo, CAKE!"

Tomoyo smiled to herself. It never takes much to cheer up Kero-chan. She enjoyed treating him with sweets; it always made him so happy. After cutting a thin piece for herself, she set a fork down on the table next to the cake.

"Wait a minute, where’s my plate?" he asked, eyeing hers and the small slice it held suspiciously.

She giggled and pointed at the remainder of the cake. "It’s right there, silly."

He looked at her in disbelief. "The whole thing? Really?" When she nodded, he resumed his excited aerobatics, shouting "Yay, a whole cake! Hurray for Tomoyo, yay!" Then he swooped down and attacked the cake.

Minutes later, the table held an empty platter with sparse chocolate crumbs, and a very round-bellied Kero. "Feeling better, Kero-chan?" His only response was a groan of contentment. She cleared the table around him, giving him a few minutes to recover before springing her next surprise on him. When she returned, he hadn't moved; he just lay on the table with a large smile. "Why don't we put you somewhere more comfortable?" she suggested in a quiet voice. Her hands gently scooped him up; she carried him to the other side of the room and set him in the center of a very large, plush cushion that was on the floor at the foot of her bed. It was a bold red trimmed in sliver, and velvety soft.

The change roused Kero from his stupor. "Huh? What's this?" He sat up and looked around at the giant pillow in bewilderment. "I don't remember seeing this before."

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's great! Sooo soft..." he snuggled into the cushion.

"Oh, wonderful!" Tomoyo exclaimed, clapping her hands. "I'm so glad you like it. Since you stay the night so often now, I thought I'd make you someplace to sleep that was all your own. I made it big enough for you to use it in your true form, and I picked the colors to match your armor."

He sat up again and gaped at her in astonishment. She made this...for me? He was touched. At a very rare loss for words, Kero did the first thing he thought of: he transformed and wrapped his wings around her, puling her into a hug. "Thank you," he said simply.

"I was happy to do it," she said, hugging him back. "I know you're not happy about having to come here so often, but I at least want you to be comfortable."

It was a simple statement, with nothing else behind it, but it blindsided Kero. I haven't been very grateful to Tomoyo for letting me come here all the time, have I? After all, I am imposing on her. He thought of all the times he came over, and how she was always welcoming, and always had a treat waiting for him. Remembering his behavior earlier that evening, he suddenly felt ashamed of himself. He hung his head. "Tomoyo, I'm sorry, for imposing on you all the time and being a burden. Thank you for having me, and for treating me so well."

She gently lifted his head back up to look at her, giving him a smile full of understanding. "Kero-chan, you are never a burden. I enjoy having you over and making you sweet treats and playing video games and watching your dashing self in my films." She pressed a finger to his nose. "Now stop being silly. If you go pick out a book, I'll read to you."

He brightened immediately. "I am dashing, aren't I?" he said as he rose to go browse the bookshelf. She just shook her head and smiled as she watched him go.

~*~