Snow falling over sorrow
Note to Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Card Captor Sakura because if I did, Tomoyo (Madison) and Eriol (Eli) would be together! Anyway, this is not for profit so please don't sue me! Thank you! I hope you enjoy the fic!
AN: This is the coding ok?
' This means thought ok? '
" This means speaking ok? "
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It was a normal day In Tomoeda. The sun shone brightly, while clouds played tag across the baby blue sky. Sakura blossoms floated in the breeze of the sweet fall. But, somewhere in the classrooms of Tomoeda High, students were tending to their chemistry labs. School had started a couple days before and teacher wasted no time in setting their students to work. Somewhere in the Science building, Sakura Kinomoto apologized with shock. "Daijoubu ka, Eriol-kun?"
"Sakura-chan, you could have injured me severely!" Eriol replied as he sat up straight.
A soft grunt was heard from across the room as Syaoran glared. Tomoyo gently patted his head and smiled. "It is all right Syaoran-kun. It is not Sakura-chan's fault that Terada-sensai picked our lab partners."
"Don't remind me Tomoyo-chan." He answered gruffly. "I'll kill Hiiragizawa if he even tries anything!"
Tomoyo laughed wholeheartedly and shook her head. "I'm sure he will try nothing. You've both been friends since the fourth grade. Is that not enough proof?"
Syaoran frowned stubbornly. His eyes narrowed as he watched Eriol leave. He had to admit, Sakura was a little crazy when it came to lab experiments. He started to turn around when he came face to face with the chestnut haired girl. His face turned as red as a tomato. "Syaoran-kun, daijoubu ka?"
"I'll be right back!" He shouted as he ran out the door.
"LI SYAORAN! GET BACK IN HERE!" Their teacher yelled from his desk.
Tomoyo turned around and flashed him a smile. "Please excuse Syaoran-kun sir, he had to go to the bathroom; it was urgent."
The teacher nodded. Tomoyo flipped her hair; the silk strands cascaded over her shoulders just as Eriol walked in. He stopped dead in his tracks as silence overtook him. He watched her in awe. He would have stared longer had Syaoran not burst through the door just then. Syaoran looked at Eriol and sniggered loudly. "Something you're looking at Hiiragizawa?"
Immediately Tomoyo's head twisted around, her purple eyes landing on the blue haired boy with curiosity. Since he was caught, Eriol attempted to get out of it. "No. What would I be staring at?"
"Oh, I don't know. But does that explain why you've been standing here for five minutes?" Syaoran said. He leaned in closer and shot Eriol a sly look. "Nice going Hiiragizawa…I'm sure Tomoyo-chan is catching on."
Eriol's eyes flashed with warning while his cheeks deceived him. They were a brilliant shade of red from embarrassment. Tomoyo noticed and in a concerned voice asked, "Is everything all right Eriol-kun?"
His embarrassment was quickly replaced with a calm attitude and a suave smile. "Everything is quite fine Tomoyo-chan. Thank you for your concern."
A slight pink blush formed on her cheeks. Averting her eyes, she nodded and continued on her chemical compounds. Sakura sat next to her with bright features, her emerald eyes sparkling. 'Am I insane? Why am I doing this to myself?' Tomoyo thought sullenly. Although her thoughts were jumbled, she showed no outward sign that she was affected. 'Eriol-kun…' Silence dawned for what seemed like an eternity before Sakura's cheery voice interrupted everything. When Tomoyo looked to the side, the scene that greeted her was most unexpected. Syaoran was trying to pour sulfuric acid into the cup labeled ethanol. Tomoyo practically jumped out of her chair when Sakura grabbed hold of Syaoran's hand and threw the glass beaker across the tiled floor.
"SAKURA KINOMOTO! SYAORAN LI! DETENTION!" Terada sensai yelled and stood up in fury. Tomoyo had only but giggled, while Eriol let a smile place his lips when Terada caught sight of them. He must have been in a foul mood for he punished them as well. "ERIOL HIIRAGIZAWA, TOMOYO DAIDOUJI! DETENTION!"
"But sir," Tomoyo protested, "Eriol-kun and I have done nothing!"
"The more the merrier!" Sakura said happily. "Isn't that right?"
"BE QUIET! Class dismissed, except for you four." The angry instructor said. "I'll be right back."
Everyone happily filed out of the classroom, embracing freedom. Tomoyo sighed in an annoyed fashion. 'Of all days to be stuck in detention, why did it have to be today? What am I going to tell my mother?' She was vaguely aware of someone tapping her shoulder. "Huh? What?"
"Tomoyo-chan, Terada-sensai is going to be back soon. Maybe you should take your seat." He said. His blue eyes flashed with mystery.
"Arigato." She said graciously. Each time he glanced her way, smiled at her, waved to her, it drove her insane. She was head over heels for him and he knew nothing. Sometimes it ached to care for him like she did. Recently, Tomoyo noticed that it had become more of a pain that did not allow her to function properly. 'I've never been like this over a young man.' Sneaking a glance at him, she took in his face. His eyes were concentrating on his book, his brows arched with interest. His mouth was in a slight smirk while his hands were resting on the desk. What drove her mad was his hair and how it fell over his eyes in a sensual manner. 'What the hell am I thinking?' Mentally, she scolded herself. Suddenly she felt the burn in her cheeks and strained her head in the opposite direction.
To her side, Sakura was flirting crazily with Syaoran. Of course, they still were not a couple and neither was aware of their flirting. Tomoyo remembered working all her junior year to get them together, but as always, they never received the hint. Nowadays, she had problems of her own. She was beginning to think deeper when the bell rang. She looked up. Sakura and Syaoran were exiting the doors. 'I guess I should gather my things.' When she looked up again, Eriol was standing at the door. On his face was an expectant but patient look. He smiled at her. "Tomoyo-chan, are you coming? We were dismissed three minutes ago." Eriol nodded toward the door. "Perhaps I can walk with you?"
"Hai." She said as she gathered her things. "I would really appreciate it if you did."
"It would be my pleasure." He gave her a coy smile.
On their walk home, Tomoyo seemed distant and distracted. She knew the reason for her inner conflict. The fact that she was standing next to Eriol Hiiragizawa was torment enough. She wanted to tell him that she wished for a relationship more than friendly, but her fear of no relationship at all was stronger than her desire to be more. She kept quiet, her eyes avoiding contact with Eriol's. He seemed to be unaware of this, for he continued walking, his smile never leaving his pale face. She sighed inwardly. 'I'll always be invisible to you, won't I?'
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Tomoyo awoke to a throbbing in her head. Sitting up in her bed, she slowly realized that she was at her house, in her very own bed, too. She looked around. 'When did I get home?' She vaguely remembered arriving at her house. Then, it struck her. 'Eriol walked me home!' She grinned goofily, her eyes twinkling brightly. She reached for her ponytail and pinned her hair up in a high bun. Some tendrils fell out, but Tomoyo didn't care. She grabbed her notebook, her pencil, and began to sketch herself a dress design. 'I always have to be prepared.' After she was done, she went downstairs in search of her mother. "Mother, where are you?"
"I'm in the kitchen dear!" Sonomi answered. "Is there something you need?"
"Well, I was wondering if I could go out for a bit? I want to take a walk before I go out with Sakura later." Tomoyo slung her sweater over her arms. "Would that be all right?"
"That seems fine to me. But, I would like it very much for you to be home by 1:30 am." Sonomi said. "I am extending your curfew for tonight since you and Sakura did mention something about going dancing. Well, go on Tomoyo. I'll be here when you get home."
"Thanks mother! I'll see you later!" Tomoyo
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Tomoyo yawned loudly. She and Sakura decided that dancing would have to wait for the next night, which resulted in Tomoyo's early return home, but nevertheless, her late take to bed. Tomoyo shook her head violently. Since the day was still quite early, Tomoyo thought a jog around the park might be refreshing. The morning air was chilly; it nipped at her face and neck. 'I should have brought my scarf.' She had only walked down halfway when she ran into someone and stumbled backwards. "I'm so sorry sir! I wasn't looking!"
"That makes two of us, Tomoyo-chan." The man answered back.
"Eriol-kun! Gomen-nasai! I am such a klutz!" She apologized frantically while helping him up. "What are you doing here so early?"
"I was going to see if you, Sakura-chan, and Li wouldn't mind going to the festival with me tonight, unless you have different plans." He smiled. "You will come won't you, if there aren't any arranged plans?"
She grabbed his hand and shook it. "I would love to go, Eriol-kun, but Sakura wanted to go dancing today. It was prearranged."
"Ok, that's fine." He chuckled as they walked.
'Maybe, if Syaoran-kun goes with us, I'll actually be able to get them together without either one turning into a tomato. But I doubt that'd he'd ever step foot in a dance club.' She thought inwardly. Throughout everything, Tomoyo had remained a fairly good sport to not jump up and strangle Sakura. They'd gone no farther than the convenient store when a muffled yell was heard from Eriol's bag. Tomoyo glanced over at him. "Is there something inside of your bag?"
"Apparently, a little stow away has hidden in my bag." He smirked as he pulled Spinel out. "Spinel-sun, what are you doing here?"
"Nakuru made me come. She stuffed me in here so that I could-"
"Eriol-sama, how is everything?" Nakuru suddenly appeared. "Is Suppi-chan causing trouble?"
"Well-" Eriol began.
"My name is SPINEL, you twit!" Spinel yelled in protest.
"No problem master. Come on Suppi-chan. Let's go get some food." Nakuru dragged the little creature with her. "Goodbye Tomoyo-sama!"
"Goodbye!" She replied with a giggle. "So, where were we? Oh yes. We should hurry before Sakura-chan and Li-kun leave. I did recall him saying that he was going to take Sakura-chan shopping."
"Shopping?" Eriol asked.
"Yes. He mentioned shopping spree that Sakura insisted that they go on. He was supposed to have called us this morning. I never received the phone call." Tomoyo tapped her chin in thought. 'Maybe, he called you, yes?"
"No." Eriol looked into the distance. "Let's just get there before we get left behind!"
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"HOE!" Sakura screamed as the doorbell rang for the sixteenth time. "TOUYA!"
"What?" Her brother asked. "Did you need something?"
"Can't you get the door? I am really busy right now." Sakura yelled from the bathroom. The doorbell rang again. "KUSO TOUYA! GET THE DOOR!"
"ALL RIGHT ALREADY!" He said as he opened the door. "Oh hi Tomoyo, Eriol. Sakura's in the bathroom."
He left as soon as he came. 'I guess he has business to attend to.' Tomoyo thought. 'Still, he looks as good as ever, hehe.' She slapped herself mentally, trying to hide the laughter that filled her eyes. 'I think I'll visit Sakura-chan more often. Touya-kun hasn't changed and that's good.' She'd been gazing for a span of five minutes when Eriol tapped her. "Tomoyo-chan, did I miss something?"
The blush that had previously stained her cheeks darkened. "No. I'm sorry. I got a little sidetracked, that's all."
"Tomoyo-chan, Eriol-kun, there you are!" Sakura hopped down the staircase fully dressed. "Has Syaoran-kun arrived yet?"
"I'm here." Syaoran answered as he removed his coat. "Konnichiwa Touya-san, Hiiragizawa. Good morning Tomoyo-chan, Sakura-chan."
"I'll be going." Touya said as he left the room, all the while muttering about Syaoran being a brat.
"He still dislikes me?" Syaoran asked Sakura. She just shrugged and gave him a hug. Syaoran turned bright red. "At least he won't hurt me this time."
"Hey everyone!"
"Yukito? Where did you come from?" Eriol asked the silver-haired man. "I was sure that you had been sleeping. Has Nakuru seen you yet?"
"No. I believe if she had, she might just want to kill me." Yukito chuckled at the thought of his girlfriend. "So where are you four off to?"
"We're going shopping." Sakura answered. "The cruise is tomorrow and I wanted to stock up on some things. Doesn't everyone agree with me?"
"Yes, Sakura-chan, we all agree with you. Can we leave now?" Syaoran asked.
'What cruise?' Tomoyo thought. 'Well, I'm sure Sakura will fill us in later.' She shrugged. Sakura nodded and they were off. The day was spent buying various items needed for the trip. Syaoran and Eriol lost themselves in the men's section while Sakura and Tomoyo headed to the women's section. Both women had only been browsing for no more than five minutes when Sakura began her interrogation. Sakura smiled knowingly at her best friend; she was no clueless dummy, nor had she been to her friends' reaction to each other. "So, Tomoyo-chan, is there anything going on between you and Eriol-kun?"
Tomoyo giggled and set down the facial cleanser she'd been examining. "There is nothing going on between Eriol-kun and I. What ever gave you that idea?"
"We, Syaoran-kun and I, can see it in your eyes Tomoyo-chan. You like him." Sakura stated plainly.
'No. I love him.' Tomoyo thought sadly. Eriol was her best guy friend. "Silly Sakura-chan, you know we're just really good friends."
"Whatever you say." Her friend whistled.
Later on, all four friends went to the ice cream shop. Each ordered his or her ice cream and sat down. Sakura sat down next to Syaoran while Eriol took his seat on the other side of Sakura. When Tomoyo came to take a seat, she saw the only available seat was next to Eriol. Silently, she took her seat all the while hiding the blush that crept to her cheeks. 'Why am I acting like this? I've always been able to hide this before. Why now?' She abruptly turned in the other direction and acted as if she had dropped his spoon. 'Dammit!' She thought when she really did drop the plastic utensil. She reached out to pick it up when she saw another pale hand reach over and pluck it from the tiled floor.
"Here you are." Eriol smiled cheerily.
"Thank you." She replied while blushing profusely.
SAKURA'S…
'I can't believe that we're going on a cruise!' Tomoyo was ecstatic as she packed her bags. She double-checked her bags as she placed her necklace on the dresser. "SAKURA-CHAN!"
"Coming!" Sakura yelled from the bathroom. "I'm almost ready."
"Well, hurry up! The club opens in twenty minutes and the lines get really long!" Tomoyo yelled back. She slipped on her black heels. 'I can't believe I'm wearing these either.' She was pinning up her hair when Sakura burst through the door in panic. "Is something wrong Sakura-chan?"
"I can't find my hair clips!" Sakura screeched.
"You mean these?" Tomoyo laughed as she held up a pair of emerald green hair clips. "Don't worry. Let's just hurry."
At the club…
Tomoyo sat at the bar. She was bored as hell. 'I had no idea Syaoran would be here.' Apparently, Sakura had no idea either. 'I guess they really do think the same.' Across from her, Tomoyo could see Sakura and Syaoran dancing to the music. Syaoran looked nervous while Sakura just looked plain out happy. 'Why is this happening to me?' She continued to curse her bad luck. No guys had asked her to dance, and for some odd reason, she felt that none would be doing so either. 'Things can't get any worse.' Her head twisted to the side only to catch a glimpse of midnight blue hair. Wired frames leapt at her eyes. 'Eriol-kun?' Curiosity taking over her, Tomoyo stood and began to search for the young man. She was sure that she'd seen him. 'Perhaps he'll dance with me…if he is here.' That particular thought made her head spin for she'd never thought to ask anything of Eriol. To her, it felt like an obligation for Eriol to do anything for or with her, unless he offered. Of course, she didn't know where she'd come up with that theory.
She had traveled no more than halfway across the dance floor when she was swept into a pair of strong arms. Instantly she became dizzy; she cursed. "Tomoyo-chan, I believe you are dizzy."
"Eriol-kun? What are you doing here?" She asked in a dumbfounded manner.
"Li dragged me here, but I do not feel disappointed." He smiled at her in his sly, mysterious way. "I am quite glad that I came here. I hope you do not mind my intrusion, but I thought it proper to ask you to dance."
"That is very kind of you." A blush of bright red stained her cheeks, but the lights of the club were too dark for anyone to see, let alone for Eriol to notice. "I was sure no one would ask me. I suppose it's outright silly."
"Why would anyone refuse to dance with you?" Eriol asked.
"I don't know, but thank you." Tomoyo said graciously.
"You're welcome. Please, let us enjoy the evening while we still can. After all, tomorrow we must wake early in order to catch the ship." He pulled her closer. "Don't you agree?"
"Yes, I agree." She nodded as she lost herself in the music. "The music is very…interesting."
"Yes, indeed it is." He answered her in a low voice.
She swayed slowly to the rhythm of the music. Tomoyo inhaled the very essence that was Eriol Hiiragizawa and it was an essence that comforted her in ways she didn't know possible. Afraid of her reaction to her best friend, she quickly closed her eyelids. Maybe, if she didn't see him, she could evade him. It was very possible, at least in her subconscious mind. Even though he was a compassionate person, his body still screamed out in cold energy waves. She shuddered at his touch as he placed his hand on her bare back, pulling her closer. 'He's so cold; he's like ice.' She thought hastily. She pulled back momentarily to get a glimpse of his face. Azure eyes met soft amethyst eyes. Tomoyo inhaled deeply, her mind wandering.
"Tomoyo-chan! Eriol-kun!" Sakura's voice broke their silence.
Tomoyo's head bolted up; she stared at Sakura, who was presently hanging on Syaoran's arm. She sighed. 'When will I ever get another chance like this?' Eriol's frown echoed on her neck; he had not looked up. Tomoyo's skin tingled even more when she felt a soft droplet of water slide down her shoulder. She gazed at Eriol. 'Is he crying?' Lifting his head so that only she could see, Tomoyo saw his eyes glistening with unshed tears, save the one from moments earlier. "Eriol-kun? Are you…all right?"
"I am fine, Tomoyo-chan." He replied with a smile. "We should be going now. The cruise is early tomorrow. I don't think any of us would like to be late."
Tomoyo frowned. "I suppose you're right."
The drive home irked Tomoyo in a way that nothing ever had. Eriol's eyes had been screaming out in sadness; Tomoyo could see it clearly. 'Eriol-kun…why do you avoid me so?' Her eyes began to tear a little. Thinking that her reaction was silly, Tomoyo quickly wiped her eyes. 'I can't let Sakura know.' Quite on the contrary, Sakura seemed too preoccupied trying to get them home. Once they stepped in the door, Sakura was out. Tomoyo couldn't sleep, though. She stared out the window, her eyes taking in the lush green grass of the Kinomoto's front yard. Pale beams of moonlight swept through the room, illuminating the soft pink of Sakura's carpet. Tomoyo observed the fibers that floated up from the material, briefly contemplating how she would welcome sleep. For reasons unknown to her, she was sure that sleep wouldn't befall her anytime in the near future.
Eriol had been different tonight. Somehow, in the dark crevices of her mind, Tomoyo found that Eriol's strange behavior worried her. 'He's is my friend, after all.' But she knew that there was more to that thought than just a friendly worry. She knew that she was attracted to Eriol in a way far from friendly. 'How I wish it wasn't wistful thinking on my part.' She sighed loudly, though Sakura was so 'drunk on sleep' as Tomoyo called it, that she wouldn't hear a thing otherwise. The young raven haired girl continued to muddle over her current situation. She traced the patter of Sakura's telephone. A sigh escaped her throat. 'What's a girl to do?' Tomoyo continued to think aimlessly, her eyes eventually landing on the clock. 'What? It can't be 4:00 AM!' She fumbled for her covers.
After a few more minutes, Tomoyo knew it was impossible to sleep. She selected a coat, slipped it on, and headed through Sakura's window. Once outside, she tucked her umbrella under her arm. 'You can never be too sure about the weather.' She continued on her way to the park. It was very late to be going to the park, especially since she was alone, but Tomoyo never felt more at ease. Once she'd arrived at the park, she found a bench directly underneath the moonlight. It seemed to shine only for the bench that she chose. She pushed aside a few strands of her raven colored hair. Her heart practically stopped in her chest as she saw a figure in the distance. 'Who else would be out here at this time of night?' Oddly enough, her heart was fluttering, not panicking. 'Only one person makes my heart feel this way…it can't be!' She stood up, abruptly tossing her umbrella to the ground. "Eriol-kun!"
The figure stopped. "Tomoyo-chan? What are you doing out here so early in the morning? It is very cold! You'll catch something!"
"What are you doing out here?" She questioned as she stood, glued to her spot, arms hanging at her sides placidly. Her hair blew as a slight breeze came by. "Surely you didn't know…?"
Eriol looked at her passively. "Know what, Tomoyo-chan?" He began walking towards her once again. "Is there something you need to tell me?"
Tomoyo bit her lips nervously. "Well…I…there is something, but I cannot tell you right now. The time is not right."
Eriol stopped in front of her. He lifted her chin gently with his index finger. "Are you sure? At least let me keep you warm."
She shied away from him when he offered her his coat. Instead, she strode over to the cold, steel railing of the park's pond. She peered into the clear water. Beams of moonlight bounced off the water giving it a silvery appearance. She sighed. Footsteps neared her; it was Eriol. He stood next to her in silence, awaiting her next move. Tomoyo wrapped her arms tighter to herself; she cringed at the ripple in the water. 'I'm crying.' She made no attempt to wipe away the tears; they came in rivers. She sobbed silently, the sobs sounding choked. She couldn't release them. From the corner of her eye, she could see Eriol staring at her, his ice blue eyes holding sorrow and understanding. 'Why is he just staring at me like that?' She winced as her tears wet her skin, the cold water sticking to her pale face.
"Tomoyo-chan, would you like to talk about it?" Eriol whispered.
"Love is a battlefield, Eriol-kun." She sobbed. "We are young, and all we have is heartache…and there are no promises or demands. And yet, we are strong, never wrong, but always searching for love in the world…therefore love is a battlefield."
Eriol smiled wistfully. "At least we'll have each other."
She let out a strangled cry. Tomoyo never registered what happened next, but before she knew it, she was in Eriol's warm embrace. He had whisked her away as their tears mingled. She sighed in happiness. Things seemed so right. 'Was this meeting by chance? It seems like fate.' She turned her violet eyes to the sky, followed by Eriol's midnight blue ones. The first blanket of snow began to fall and the first rays of the sun began to rise over the peak of the street.
(Well, there is my first chapter. I think this will be at least two chapters. I don't know! We'll see where this mind takes me. Oh by the way, what Tomoyo said about love is a battlefield, well that belongs to Pat Benetar, ok? Thanks! Please R&R!)
