A Timeless White Day

By: SilverLunarStar

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Disclaimer: As usual, nothing's changed. I still remain the poor college student while the ladies of CLAMP have reign of Sakura, Syaoran, and company. *Sighs* If I had my way, Eriol and Tomoyo would have had a little more action… Those two are too evil and come up with the most conniving plans as one, that they should have ended up together! Oh wells…

Author's Note: Yes, yes, yes! I have finally been able to write a mostly-pure Eriol and Tomoyo! Why mostly-pure? The reason is that there are still bits of Syaoran and Sakura mentioned here. After all, this is a sequel to "A Picture Perfect Valentine's." What, didn't you know? Well, now you do! So, if it pleases you, as I know it'd please me, you can read this and then go read that afterward and let me know what you think of both! ^__^ Enjoy!

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Hiiragizawa Eriol liked to think that he was much more slick and clever than his descendant, Li Syaoran. The sorcerer definitely had a lot to go on, since he did possess the memories and experiences of Clow Reed. However, even he had to admit that Clow, as worldly as he was, didn't know all the answer nor had he had experienced everything. There was only so much time… Anyway, getting back to the matters at hand… Eriol prided himself in knowing most things Syaoran didn't know. A prime example would be how the small wolf still held no clue that one of their best friends, Kinomoto Sakura, was in love with him.

Those two had been through so much together and, ever since their reunion a few months ago, they had been practically inseparable. Even though they'd spent so much time together, somehow, it still eluded them both that they held feelings for one another. How this was possible, even he didn't have the answer to that.

Still, ever since Valentine's Day, he had been able to empathize with them somewhat. Yes, he was able to understand their situation a little more ever since one Daidouji Tomoyo presented him with a delicious chocolate cake on that fourteenth of February when he had stepped out of her limousine to head to his apartment. He had been floored; he really didn't know what to make of it. Surely, it meant nothing…right? After all, she made cakes for Kerberos all the time. She had also presented her other friends with similar gifts, had even received one himself earlier that day. Granted, they were cupcakes and strawberry flavored instead of chocolate, but… Why did she wait until afterwards to give him the cake? Of course, she had used the fact that his birthday had been a few days ago and, since he had insisted no one make a big deal about it, she decided that the least she could do was make him a cake. He didn't know whether to believe her or not, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions either. He realized maybe this was what his descendant and adorable half-daughter were going through. Conclusions this, conclusions that…

This remained only half of his problem. The other half was that White Day was only two weeks away! Two weeks! How was he to come up with an answer as to whether or not the lovely singer cared for him as more than a friend and plan something spectacular for her with so little time?!

"Eriol-sama, shouldn't you be getting your rest?" the small, black stuffed animal known as Spinel Sun, inquired.

"Hai, Spinel, I should." With one last look at the fireplace, he headed to his room, although he doubted he'd be able to get much rest. His prediction was right; he tossed and turned throughout the night. When he finally settled down, dawn was only a couple of hours away.

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People continued to stare. It had been over a week and eyes were still upon him.

A grouchy Eriol grumbled under his breath. They acted as if they had never seen a sleep-deprived student! Granted, he had never been in that state. He was, after all, Mr. Impeccable, as his dear descendant had shoved in his face the first day during lunch. Never had Eriol appeared at school, a hair's breadth from being late, hair sticking out everywhere (apparently, he could not sport the look as well as a certain soccer captain could), glasses askew, and, worse of all, shoes reversed.

Everyone had been too shocked to even laugh, for that, he was thankful. The first day they could slide, apparently, but he'd been coming to school disheveled, sleep escaping him each night as he mulled over what he should do.

"Just ignore them." A melodious voice traveled into his ear canal and to his brain to it could interpret to be just about the most soothing voice in the world.

He turned to look into a pair of beautiful amethyst eyes; he was a little startled.

"Did I finally manage to sneak up on the ever-alert Eriol-sama?" she teased. Seeing his baffled look, she worried. "You're not sick are you Eriol-kun?"

The bespectacled male finally composed himself. "Iie, I just haven't been able to get much sleep," he admitted.

"Why's that?" she asked curiously.

"Just my thoughts keeping me up," he covered up.

"Do you need to talk to anyone?"

"Iie. It's just something I have to figure out for myself."

"Okay, but if you ever need to talk to someone, I don't mind lending an ear." She grinned and tucked her hair behind her ear for emphasis.

He laughed. "Arigato Tomoyo-chan, I'll be sure to keep that in mind." He paused. "Ne, Tomoyo-chan, where's your watch?" She had been wearing a watch Sakura had given her at the beginning of high school and had never been seen without it.

"Hmm?" She looked at her bare wrist and frowned. "Oh, it broke a couple of days ago. I flung my hand at home and I guess the strap was loose, because it hurled off and smashed into a wall."

"Is there any way to fix it?"

She shook her head. "The glass shattered, the face has cracks, and a hand fell off." She sighed.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not like it was your fault." She kept to herself that the reason she had been flinging her arms about like some sort of madwoman was because she had been frustrated in figuring out whether or not she should admit her feelings to him.

"Daidouji-san."

A shadow loomed over them and they looked up.

"It's fifteen past the last bell and you hadn't showed up; I asked Kinomoto-san and Li-san if they had seen you, but they hadn't."

"Gomen nasai," Tomoyo apologized to her bodyguard. "Ne, Eriol-kun, do you need a ride?"

He shook his head. "Arigato, demo I feel like walking today."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ja ne." He smiled. When she was a few yards away, he let a full grin cover his face; he finally knew what to give her!

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Never in his life, nor in his past life, had he ever felt so nervous! He swore that if it weren't for the fact that he was a rather healthy seventeen-year-old, he's have a panic attack.

Walking to school, he tried to calm himself down, lest he start hyperventilating. Passing a small sweets shop, he noticed it was filled with different colored boxes that were filled with candies. Putting a hand on his school bag, which contained Tomoyo's White Day present; he hesitated, before continuing on. However, he was barely a few steps ahead, before he decided to go back.

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Eriol was in quite a pickle, if he did say so himself. Stealing a glance at his pack, he inwardly groaned. 'I knew shouldn't have bought it…' For inside his school bag were, not only a thin box that contained the watch, but a square, lavender box that held flower-shaped frosted lemon cookies, her favorite. Of course, the right thing, the smart thing, to do would be to give her both. The box of treats was easy, but did he have the guts to give her the watch and ask her what he'd wanted to ask her since a year after his return?

Before he knew it, it was lunch time.

Takashi gave out gummy worms (Chiharu resisted the urge to take out her mallet), Eriol gave everyone cookies, and Syaoran gave them small boxes of white chocolates (excluding Sakura, whom he gave chocolate covered strawberries to).

Finishing their lunch, they ate a bit of their treats.

Eriol observed his friends throughout the hour. Naoko and Rika were chatting about their dates tonight, Takashi was teasing Chiharu by telling her a 'legend' about White Day, Syaoran and Sakura were talking comfortable, and Tomoyo…Tomoyo was doing the same as he, observing. Staring for too long, sapphire clashed with amethyst and neither could look away.

Syaoran and Sakura stopped talking as they noticed their hypnotized friends.

"You think he's going to ask her?" she whispered.

"I think so," he whispered back. "He's been freaking out for the past couple of weeks, trying to find something to do for today. I also noticed a slim box in his pack."

"Syaoran! You didn't pickpocket his bag, did you?" she scolded softly.

Syaoran grinned. "Who me? Of course not."

Sakura gave him a pointed look to let him know the 'innocent' smile wasn't going to work. Wondering what could be in the box, she was about to ask him opinion, when the bell rang.

The eight friends packed their bags before heading to their next class.

For the rest of the day, Eriol kept patting his bag, making sure a special package was still there. He'd give it to her afterschool, for sure.

As if wanting to see his resolution in action, time sped by.

Before the bespectacled sorcerer knew it, school was dismissed. Heading to the same area he always met with his group of friends, he noticed from the window Tomoyo was the only one there. 'Okay, this is perfect, I'll just give it to her and…' He tried to ignore his sweaty palms as his shaky hands reached towards his pack. It was times like these Eriol doubted he was the half-reincarnation of a great sorcerer. 'Oh wait, I've never had to feel like this!' he thought sarcastically. However, it was true. He'd never felt remotely like this as he did for Tomoyo. 'I will tell her,' he thought determinedly. As he moved through the crowded hall, he took out the slim box. Just as he reached the exit, someone accidentally bumped into him. The shock caused him to let go of his cargo. He watched as the box was kicked around, a foot stepped on it smashing the box and, more likely than not, its contents.

"Sumimasen," he vaguely heard the person say.

He didn't reply as he continued to stare, even though he could no longer see the baby blue box.

Finally, the crowd disappeared.

Eriol treaded carefully through the hall until he came to the very end and saw the box, contents spilled, against the bottom of a group of lockers. Mutely, he picked up the pieces and, making up his mind, threw it in the trash before heading back out.

Syaoran and Sakura, who had been held back in class, came down the stairs to where Eriol had barely been.

Sakura noticed a gleam coming from an almost full trashcan. Curious, she peaked in. "Ne, Syaoran, what did you say Eriol-kun planned to give Tomoyo-chan?"

"A watch, doushite?"

She pointed at the disposed item.

Syaoran was startled as he stared at the object. "I wonder what could have happened."

They stared at it for a while longer before making their way across. Noticing their two friends were outside talking normally (as normal as two evil masterminds could be), they knew nothing had happened between them.

"Something must have happened to the watch and Eriol decided not to say anything," Syaoran concluded.

Sakura shook her head. "Poor Eriol-kun and after he stressed over what he was going to give Tomoyo-chan. I wish he'd be able to have another chance to make up today."

"Hai."

Little did Sakura know that her Cards had heard her wish and were buzzing to help in any way they could. After a brief conference, it was decided that two of them would have to do. They knew their Mistress, as powerful as she was, didn't have enough in her to fully power up one of them, so the other would help.

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Eriol groaned as his alarm rang. Smacking it to shut it up, he got up groggily. After rubbing his eyes and setting his glasses in place, he suddenly stared at the item on his desk. It was a slim, baby blue box. 'What…?' He looked at his calendar. 'Oh, it's White Day today.' He went to the bathroom, splashing some water on his face before brushing his teeth. 'Was it a dream…?' He shook his head. Never had he had a dream that felt so real. He searched his mind for a rational explanation but couldn't think of one. Shrugging, he concluded that his nerves finally reached his dreams. Taking a quick shower, he dressed, grabbed the slim box, and left. He passed by a sweets shop and stopped in front of it. Realizing that, in all his panic to find something for Tomoyo and then locating the perfect item, he'd forgotten to get something for his other friends. He went in and bought six boxes of his friends' favorite cookies; he knew if he bought Tomoyo's favorite he'd chicken out, but, at the last minute, decided it couldn't hurt to have a little extra. While trying to fit the small boxes into his bag, he didn't notice the treasured slim box slipping out of his bag.

Arriving to school with a few minutes to spare, he decided to go locate his friends. Spotting Tomoyo with Syaoran and Sakura, he decided, 'Might as well go for it.' Once he reached them, he greeted his friends with a proper, "Ohayo gozaimasu," before focusing solely on the dark haired girl. "Tomoyo-chan, may I have a work?"

Curious, she agreed.

Syaoran and Sakura observed them, smirking. Their expressions soon changed when he noticed Eriol's panicked look.

Tomoyo stared at Eriol, confused. What was…? She looked into sheepish eyes.

"I wanted to ask you about a physics problem, but I seem to have left my folder at home," he quickly covered up.

"Oh…" She tried her best to hide her disappointment. "Well, it's not until after lunch; I can help you out if you'd like."

"Arigato. Clow Reed may have been a brilliant magician, but he sucked as a mathematician."

She laughed. "We can't all be perfect."

"Some can." He stared at her.

She blushed and opened her mouth to say something, but was rudely cut off by the bell.

"Let's get to class." He offered his arm and smiled as she took it.

Opening his eyes, Eriol thought it couldn't be that bad of a day. That was, until he saw a slim box on his desk. "What the…?" Okay, once was fine, but TWO times? What the hell? Frustrated, Eriol quickly got ready, donned his uniform, and headed out the door, securing the slim box.

Stopping by a sweets shop, he bought exactly six boxes of cookies. He was determined to do this and nothing could deter him from his path.

During lunch time, he saw his dear half-daughter looking quite exhausted and a worried Syaoran was fretting over her.

Sakura replied that she was fine, just a bit tired. She silently admitted to herself that she didn't quite know why, but didn't want her friends to worry. Biting into a chocolate-covered strawberry, she sufficiently distracted Syaoran by telling him it was the sweetest strawberry she'd ever had.

This reduced him to coloring up to match a tomato.

Eriol looked away towards his other friends. Seeing them adequately distracted, he turned to Tomoyo. "Tomoyo-chan?"

"Hai Eriol-kun?" She tried to hide the hurt in tone. Even in the small chaos of giving everyone their treats, she noticed Eriol hadn't given her a box of cookies.

"Ano…" He took in a deep breath. 'It's now or never Hiiragizawa.' Looking into her amethyst eyes, anything he might have practiced in front of the mirror died an ugly death at the tip of his tongue. He couldn't believe how nerve-wrecked he was. Stubborn, he silently handed her the slim, baby blue box.

Eyes wide, she took the lid off and gasped.

Her gasped alerted her other friends and they all looked to see her take out a violet strapped watch. What her friends didn't see, however, was the face of the watch. It held a burning sun, a crescent moon in the middle, and a lilac diamond overlapping it. On the top strap, her name was written in kanji, while the bottom strap held his. Looking up, she tried to decipher the gift's meaning.

Eriol knew that their friends' gazes were upon them, but, somehow, this set him at ease. "Tomoyo-chan, we've known each other for a while and, despite my main reason for transferring to Tomoeda the first time, you were the focal point in my decision to come back. I've already wasted precious time and it's something I never intend to do again. Would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

This time it was her turn to be utterly speechless. All she could do was nod.

Grinning in relief, he carefully took the watch out of her hand and secured it on her delicate wrist. Silently, their friends left, but they were none the wiser; they had eyes solely for each other.

Sakura and Syaoran couldn't help but smirk. They knew Eriol had been up to something, even though it took him a while to figure it out. What they didn't know was that it took Eriol quite a few timeless chances to get it right.

Time and Loop were more than happy to silently aid their former, and somewhat slow, master.

Happy White Day!