A Most Succulent Apple

YamiNoTomoyo

Summary: They all knew what it was like to be driven mad by blood. For each, there was one, and one alone. He never expected it to be her. Indeed, the forbidden fruit was before him, and he refused to bite, for if he did, she would reel him right in… ExT

Disclaimer: I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura and all of its characters/settings/etc, have never owned it, and likely never will.

Note: This story is written by YamiNoTomoyo – who is more commonly known as "Tomoyo" of the EvilClonesRSmexy team. Enjoy.

-(YnT)-

Prologue: Tomoeda, Japan (4 Years Ago)

At the ripe old age of sixteen, Eriol was fairly certain that his life was going nowhere, but that said, why not enjoy it?

Thus was the cause for the twinkle in his eyes as he bowed and gallantly asked, in English, "Would you care to dance?"

Her small smile made him almost grin and break character. "Honestly, Eriol-kun, why do you bother anymore?"

"It is unbecoming of a lady to ask the man, and so the duty does fall to me," he said, flashing his teeth. "Surely you cannot refuse. Unless thy heart, captured by soul not my own, can care for this most unworthy no more, fair Tomoyo?"

"It is unbecoming of a gentleman to ask where her heart doth lie," Tomoyo replied smoothly, "But his charm might sway a boulder, to be so windy."

"Windy? You say I am but hot air upon a breeze?" Eriol raised a single eyebrow. He extended his hand to her, and she placed in it hers, allowing herself to be drawn to the floor. Soon, she was dancing with him to a slow song, her hands on his shoulders, and his on her waist. They relaxed and fell comfortably into position.

"Perhaps not windy, but hot air? Absolutely," Tomoyo affirmed, rapidly reverting to Japanese. "You're nothing but talk, and you know it."

"Am not. I told a few of the guys behind me that I could get you to dance with me, and bet on it. I think they'll be shocked to see that they now owe me, what, five dollars each?"

"Really. Betting on me? Have you fallen that low?"

Eriol smiled mischievously. "Maybe. Maybe not. I win the bet either way. How do you like the dance?"

"It's nice, I guess. I kind of wish I could be with Sakura-chan, instead of just sitting around chatting with Rika-chan, but it's still nice. The music isn't terrible, for a change."

"I completely agree. But we wouldn't dare rip Sakura-chan away from her precious prince, now would we?" With a smile he looked over at Sakura and Syaoran. They were standing with each other, talking quietly. Syaoran was blushing. No doubt Sakura had said something unbearably sweet.

"I wouldn't think of it – not more than one or two hundred times," Tomoyo quipped back. "And you're enjoying yourself, of course, proving everybody wrong. I can't believe they still think I hate you."

"I know! One blow up over a prank, the silent treatment for a while, and the whole world thinks we're mortal enemies. Alas, if only they knew how my heart pines to beat beside yours in the dark of every night!"

"And if only they knew that I wish every day to be held in your arms as the rain pours down around us," Tomoyo sighed dramatically. "But of course, it will never be."

"Are you sure you want to pursue singing? You'd be a glorious actor. You nearly fooled me that time, nearly."

She smiled, her eyes twinkling. "Well, it's my backup plan, certainly."

The song ended at last. Eriol guided her to the side again, where Rika was giggling at Eriol's antics. He knelt and kissed Tomoyo's hand in reverence, smiling. "Thank you for the dance, my lady. Rest assured, it will not soon be forgotten."

"Tomorrow is a fairly short version of 'soon,' but I'll let it slide. Off with you. If you spend any longer with me, I think the guys over there won't stop at beating you up."

"They'll have to catch me first!" Eriol teased. Then his smile softened into an honest smile, and a rare one at that. "I'll see you again, Tomoyo." With one last roguish wink, he turned and walked away.

"I can never figure you two out," Rika remarked. "Sometimes you seem to be best friends, other times you want to kill each other. Occasionally, I'll think you must be siblings to know each other so thoroughly. Then you have strange moments where you don't even seem to know each other, and the next day I could swear you two are lovers! What are you two?"

Tomoyo grinned. "Honestly, I have no idea. Kidding. We're best friends, but we like to pretend otherwise now and then, because it's so boring to be amicable all the time. As he is like a brother in how much he both cares for me and angers me constantly, I care the same way."

"Sure you're not in love?" Rika asked. "It sounds and looks like it."

"Maybe. Maybe not." Tomoyo winked at Rika. "Does it matter? That which happens will happen. There's the possibility we might stay together forever. Or we might fall in love. Or we might push each other away. I may never see him again, or maybe someday one of us will kill the other. But we'll never have nothing to do with each other – I'm sure of that."

Rika was silent for a moment, but finally she quit staring and smiled, shaking her head. "I really don't understand you two, but I wish you luck."

Tomoyo hummed, agreeing, but she kept looking into the distance. She frowned. She had a bad feeling about something, but what? There was a change coming, a big change, and she didn't like it one bit.

-(YnT)-

At this time, Eriol found himself reclining on a bench outside, ignoring the crisp spring air, moist with the threat of rain. He was thinking – what a surprise.

He was thinking about Tomoyo, with a smile on his lips. She was doubtlessly the person he was closest to in this world, closer even than his own family. She was the one person who could not only keep up with him, but who could surpass him from time to time as well. The one mystery he would never figure out completely. It was one of the many things about her that made him… Well, that made him… Ha. He still couldn't admit it to himself.

What would life be like without her? He wondered vaguely. Not that it would ever happen, of course – but how would things be different if they had never met? His life would be even more dreary and dull. Very little would entertain him here. He might well go mad. After all, brilliance and insanity were only a short step away from each other, right?

Suddenly, a slight rustle startled him. He sat up and looked around, but saw nothing. Still, his heart began to beat faster against his will. Suddenly he was filled with an instinctive, uncontrollable fear. Something was here, and that something, he knew somehow, was going to kill him.

He watched his surroundings carefully. If he carefully planned things out, he might escape with his life. He needed to run at exactly the right moment, or whatever this thing was, it would be upon him before he could take a single step.

The thing attacked from behind. He heard it before he could see it, and kicked out backwards, hitting something – a person? – before he bolted, running as fast as he possibly could.

But it appeared right in front of him, and he skidded to a halt in pure fear.

"It" was a person, sort of. She had long blonde hair that glistened like white in the moonlight, and sharp red eyes. Her lips were red and full, her chin sharp and stubborn – she was a woman who always got what she wanted. Her stance was catlike, as a lion about to take down her prey. She wore, over a strong yet lithe body, an interesting black leather suit, with knee-high boots of the same color. When she grinned, he saw her teeth were sharpened to points. There was only one thing he could think of – a vampire. Her description matched all the stories. He was definitely, definitely, going to die.

"So young, and so strong," she whispered in Japanese, but her accent was oddly foreign. She ran a sharp nail over his skin. He found he couldn't move, couldn't pull away. "Not to mention, so very, very beautiful. You will taste very delicious. But now that I think of it… It would be a shame for such beauty to go to waste. Maybe I won't just kill you. Maybe, I'll play with my food a bit first. Manners come second where pleasure is involved, no?"

Then, before Eriol had a chance to say anything, she bit into his neck. It was the most painful thing he had ever felt. His veins seem to boil as the very life was sucked out of him, leaving him dry. He gasped for air one last time, and then everything went mercifully black.

-(YnT)-