A/N: This is my first time writing in this genre but most definitely not my first fanfic. I couldn't get this idea out of my head and so I had to write it done. It was inspired by the song Fearless by Taylor Swift. I'm also not the greatest at Japanese so if you find any mistakes I'm sorry. I'm also used to the dubbed names which made this a little harder to write but hopefully it all turned out alright. I hope you enjoy. Please review.
Disclaimer: I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura and I also don't own the song Fearless by Taylor Swift.
Fearless
I sat silently at the round table watching the people in their spring formal dresses, dance and sway to the music. Sakura and Syaoran danced close and seemed to be dancing to their own music. I smile at them as Sakura smiles over his shoulder. My own date seems to be missing, I wouldn't have normally said yes to him despite the crush I had on him but Sakura had nudged me and I had accepted.
Eriol walks over sitting down beside me and it suddenly strikes me that he came alone tonight but somehow I couldn't see him doing anything different. I look up at him and he smiles but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.
"Ne, Daidouji-san, shouldn't you be out on the dance floor with Daisuke-san and should he be with you and not with Mizuki Hina?" He asked softly. I felt my head whip around to the dance floor to see Daisuke, my date dancing with his ex-girlfriend. I swallow hard before turning back to Eriol with a small smile.
"I don't want to dance, Hiiragizawa-san. I haven't been feeling well perhaps I should go home." I say, suddenly feeling sick and used. I stand abruptly grabbing my clutch purse and walking hurriedly away from the dance. I heard footsteps following after me. I get outside to see the pavement in the afterglow of rain and I sigh. Somehow the rain and afterglow always seem to relax me.
"Daidouji-san, let me walk you to your car." He says offering his arm. I hesitate slightly before taking his arm. He leads me to my car and I fumble looking for my keys, dropping my entire contents of my purse. I bend down gathering up make-up, keys, and change with Eriol quickly bending to help me. I blush as our hands brush grabbing for the keys.
"A-a-arigatou gozaimasu, H-h-hiiragizawa-san." I stutter. He smiles handing me, my keys. We stand and I can hear the music floating from the school auditorium. I look up into beautiful sapphire eyes and I feel the crush I had on him when we were 12 rushed back. I feel like almost asking him to dance right here in the parking lot but I know it's a silly notion. He smiles again and opens the car door for me.
"Good night, Daidouji-san." He says. I smile and close my door before rolling down the window.
"Thank you, Hiiragizawa-san, for everything. Have a good night." I say before starting the car and pulling off. I glance back in my rear-view mirror and almost regret not asking him for the dance in the parking lot. I almost wish I was a little more brave to ask him to dance.
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I sigh sitting in the music room alone. It's been two weeks since the spring formal and I had to deal with first Sakura's questions about why I left, Syaoran wanting to beat Daisuke to a bloody pulp and Daisuke trying to talk to me about what happened. I've been hiding from him to avoid answering said questions and thankfully Eriol has been helping me out by pulling me away whenever Daisuke even tries to come to talk to me.
I sigh again heavily and stare at the ivory and black keys of the grand piano. I rub my temples closing my eyes trying to relieve the stress in my body. Suddenly I feel hands on my shoulders gently massaging the sore muscles causing me to tense before turning to look up at familiar sapphire eyes. Eriol smiles down at me.
"Konnichiwa, Daidouji-san. You look stressed." Eriol says softly sitting down beside me on the piano bench. I give a small smile and he glances sideways at me as his fingers start slowly playing a familiar tune.
"I'm fine, Hiiragizawa-san. I see you have been learning new songs." I reply, humming along. He stares at me adjusting the key to my humming and I look back before turning away blushing.
"Do you know the lyrics?" He asks and I nod. "Will you sing for me?" I smile listening to him, he stops playing to pick up flawlessly at the beginning of the song.
"There's something about the way the street looks when it's just rained. There's a glow off the pavement. You walk me to the car and you know I wanna ask you to dance right there in the parking lot. Yeah oh yeah." I sing and suddenly pause. I had thought those exact thoughts only two weeks before. Eriol must have noticed I stopped singing as he's stopped playing.
"I think you should sing it for the next concert. You've been trying to figure out what to sing after all." He states before he picks up what I recognize as Mozart. I watch intently at his fingers gliding over the piano.
"Will you play with me if I sing it?" I hear myself ask. I have never sung with his accompaniment before and often sing A cappella. He stops playing abruptly and I see shock pervade his features.
"But Daidouji-san, you never sing with anyone. I would....I would only be a hinder to you." Eriol replies unsure of how to word his answer. I shake my head.
"You would only enhance the performance. I love listening to you play and you play so beautifully. You've also being trying to find what to do for the concert. So will you please play with me, Hiiragizawa-san?" I ask, a blush staining my pale cheeks. He turns to me with a mischievous smirk which I've long ago realizes he has something he wants.
"Only on two conditions will I accompany you." He replies. I raise an eyebrow and turn to face him.
"Alright, what are your two conditions?" I ask. He smirks again.
"Call me Eriol and let me drive you home today." He says standing up from the piano. "What do you say Daidouji-san?"
"It's Tomoyo, Eriol-san. I would gladly take the ride home as well." I reply. He offers his hand and I gently take it as he helps me up. I walk beside him out of the school to his car. I chuckle at the dark blue sports car in front of me as he opens the door for me. I sit down and he gently closes the door. Walking around the car, he sits down in the driver seat and starts the car.
I lean back into his leather seats as soft music floated from the radio. I glance over at him and feel my cheeks flush. I try desperately to not get caught up in the feelings, knowing that crushing on Hiiragizawa Eriol was hopeless as he was the popular charming but always bachelor of our entire high school. Always available but wouldn't give a single girl (save herself and Sakura) the time or day for anything but casual flirting and when teachers forced him to work with others. I watch as he runs his fingers through his black blue hair and I smile, I could fall for him if I didn't know him for so long. He chuckles bringing me out of my thoughts.
"What are you thinking about, Tomoyo-san?" He asks softly.
"You." I say without thinking and immediately blush. He glances at me, his eyes only straying from the road for a split second.
"I didn't know I was someone to think about. What are you thinking about me?" I fiddle with my hands trying to best say what I was thinking.
"Just how you are always single yet half the population of girls in the school want to date you. Yet you don't give them the time or day." I say. He smirks a little and he stops in front of the gate in front of my house.
"Maybe because I'm waiting for the one girl I like to like me back. Plus Tomoyo-san, I have other things to worry about. My music and my magic are very important. Just like your music, photography and fashion designing are important to you." He states. I nod as he climbs out of the car getting my door. I shake my head at him.
"Well she must be something, this girl you like. She'll be treated like a queen." I reply. "Arigatou Eriol-san for the ride. I will see you tomorrow at school." He smiles at me and I blush again. I realize subconsciously I've been blushing a lot more around him. I head towards the gate and walk up the path. I glance back as I hear the engine rev away.
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I take a deep breath as I sit on the bench of the grand piano. Eriol's fingers glide across the keys beside me. The teacher wants to ensure everyone had a piece and then she wanted everyone to perform in front of her and the class. She had been shocked and elated to find out her two best students had teamed up for a duet. So here we are sitting here in front of our entire class, and they are listening to me sing with awe in their eyes.
"So baby drive slow 'til we run out of road in this one horse town. I wanna stay right here in this passenger seat. You put your eyes on me. In this moment now capture it, remember it." I sing. I can feel several eyes on me but his eyes on me are the most unnerving of all as I continue singing. His fingers still glide across ivory keys. I sing the last note and the entire room breaks out in applause. Our teacher stands and claps the most enthusiastically. I bow politely and gesture towards Eriol whom takes his own bow.
I somehow have gotten talked into getting another ride home from Eriol. I also know there's no place I'd rather be. Over the last couple of weeks of practicing the song with him and spending more time with him than usual, I've come to realize I like him more than a crush but I don't want to ruin the friendship we've started creating. I glance out the window to notice we are nowhere near my house and I glance at him.
"Eriol-san, where are we going?" I ask. He gives that mischievous smirk that I've become accustomed to that means he's either planning something or already has. He glances at me and I give a mock-glare at him. He chuckles.
"I figured you needed to relax a little. So I'm going to show you this amazing view I found." His sapphire eyes are staring at the road again and I don't know exactly what to say. After all, Daisuke has stopped trying to come after me since that first day we decided to do a duet together in the music room; Sakura and Syaoran are still the same and school is normal. The only thing new and different in my life is Eriol and his piano. I momentary look out the window, realizing I don't know where we are and it looks like we running out of road.
He stops the car, puts it in park and shuts the engine off. He climbs out of the car and opens my door. He helps me out and I shake my head. He's only ever a gentleman to me and Sakura; he never does anything for any other girl I've seen him with. He climbs onto the hood of his car and just looks out. I take in the scene below and feel my breath catch in my throat. The entire town lay below us, yellow and white spots like glittering stars in the night sky.
"Beautiful." He whispers. I turn to him seeing him looking at me, I feel a blush form on my cheeks and I'm suddenly glad the only light we have is that of the full moon.
"The view is very beautiful, Eriol-kun." I see him smile and I realize what I've done. He pats the space beside him. I glance down, my skirt isn't exactly meant for sitting on the hood of a car. I shrug and carefully pull myself up on the dark blue hood. We sit in silence for a long time, looking at the city and the stars. He sighs.
"Despite how much I would love to stay here all night with you, Tomoyo-chan, I should get you home. Otherwise your mother might send a search party to look for you." He says.
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I shake my head at him. He won't take no for an answer though as he walks me to my front door. As we reach the foot of the steps the door is pulled open throwing golden light onto the stairs and us.
"Tomoyo, where have you been?" My mother asks. She knows I wasn't home for dinner and on a Friday night I'm not one for being so late despite it only being 9:00 at night.
"It's my fault, ma'am. We were practicing for the concert after school and then went for coffee, time got away from us. I won't let it happen again." Eriol immediately replies. I look at him and then remember how good he is at spinning stories. My mother would have flipped if she knew I was in some isolated area with a boy alone on the hood of his car. Yeah, that sounds bad. We won't ever let her know about that.
"And you are?" She asks. Her voice is telling me she's not sure about this young man beside me. It's awfully dark as well and it has been a few years since Eriol has been inside my house. If we get together, the four of us (Sakura, Syaoran, Eriol and myself), we usually end up at either Eriol's or Sakura's house.
"Hiiragizawa Eriol, ma'am." He states. A smile immediately lights up her face which surprises me and it seems to surprise Eriol too by the look on his face.
"My, it's been a long time. I'm sure you won't let it happen again but if you two are going to be practicing late again, call and let someone at the house know, Tomoyo. Thank you for bringing her home." She says her voice polite and pleasant all at the same time. I give Eriol a bow and thank him myself before heading in the house after my mother. Part of me really just wants to give him a kiss good night but know I'm not brave enough to do it. I really wish I was fearless. I glance over my shoulder to see him wave turning back to his car.
I immediately find myself running up the stairs and to the phone in my room dialling Sakura. My cheeks are flushed and my heart is pounding in my chest. I don't want to admit it to Sakura or anyone else but I think I'm falling for him.
"Mushi mushi, Kinomoto residence." Sakura says on the other side of the phone.
"Sakura, it's me, Tomoyo. You won't believe what happened to me tonight."
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I stand nervously beside Eriol behind the scenes of the concert. I know for a fact that my mother, Sakura, Syaoran, Sakura's father and brother along with Yukito are out there in the audience. Part of me wonders if Sakura brought Kero along and if Nakuru and Spinel Sun are out there as well. Eriol puts a hand on my shoulder and I feel a wave of calm fall over me. I glare at him a little and chuckling he pulls his hand away. The nervous feeling comes rushing back now that there's no magic or Eriol in contact with me.
"And now, our final act of the night, Daidouji Tomoyo and Hiiragizawa Eriol." Our teacher announces. I take a deep breath and walk out on the stage. Saying a silent thanks that the curtains are closed, Eriol picks me up effortlessly placing me on top of the piano. I smile at him as he sits down at the piano. I look at him and I can't help but think he looks handsome and sexy in his black and white suit. My dark blue dress hugs all the right curves as I lay down on the piano facing him and I can't help but think it's one of my best dresses.
The curtains rise and I hear Eriol's fingers fly across the piano. I smile a little and just stare at him waiting for my cue in the music.
"There's something about the way the street looks when it's just rained. There's a glow off the pavement. You walk me to the car and you know I wanna ask you to dance right here in the parking lot. Yeah oh yeah." I sing and think that's exactly how all this started at the spring formal when it had rained and he walked me to the car.
"We're driving down the road. I wonder if you know I'm tryin' so hard not to get caught up now but you're so cool. Run your fingers through your hair absentmindedly making me want you." That's what it felt like the first time he drove me home when we agreed to do this concert together in the first place.
"And I don't know how it gets better than this. You take my hand and drag me head first. Fearless and I don't know why but with you I'd dance in a storm in my best dress. Fearless." I think it would be nice to dance with him in a storm, I wouldn't care if it ruined my best dress or not.
"So baby drive slow 'til we run out of road in this one horse town. I wanna stay right here in this passenger seat. You put your eyes on me in this moment now capture it, remember it." I smile thinking how we had driven up to that lookout place, staring at the stars and the town below. The last time I sang this verse his eyes had made me nervous, now his stare is comforting and makes me relax.
"'Cause I don't know how it gets better than this. You take my hand and drag me head first. Fearless and I don't know why but with you I'd dance in a storm in my best dress. Fearless." A part of me realizes that in the distance there's rain falling but I'm not paying attention to it as my eyes are on Eriol and the rest of the audience isn't even there. It's like we practiced and it's just me and him in the music room again.
"Oh oh. Well you stood there in the doorway. My hands shake, I'm not usually like this but you pull me in and I'm a little more brave. It's a first kiss, it's flawless, really something, it's fearless." I see Eriol smile as there is a small lapse in the song. I gasp as he leans in giving me a chaste kiss on the lips. I hear a few cheers and catcalls from the audience and a very loud gasp which I assume is from my mother. I blush violently but know I have to continue singing.
"Oh yeah 'cause I don't know how it gets better than this. You take my hand and drag me head first. Fearless and I don't know why but with you I'd dance in a storm in my best dress. Fearless." I realize I've been singing the entire song to him and not caring about the audience. I guess this might be my worst performance ever but I don't care, this is my song to him now.
"'Cause I don't know how it gets better than this. You take my hand and drag me head first. Fearless and I don't know why but with you I'd dance in a storm in my best dress. Fearless. Oh oh. Oh yeah." I finish singing. At first all I hear is silence and then it's like a roar of applause. Eriol smiles at me and he walks around the piano to help me down from atop of it. I turn to face the audience for the first time and see everyone cheering loudly with a standing ovation, nothing like any of my other performances before had the audience cheered so loudly. Sakura and Syaoran seem to be the loudest. I give a curtsy and gesture to Eriol who gives a bow. The curtains close and I can still hear the audience applauding.
"I'm this close to killing you, Eriol-kun. How could you do that with an entire audience out there? You could have at least warned me you were going to do something like that." I say blushing furiously. He chuckles and I think I'm starting to get more annoyed by that chuckle of his.
"I didn't plan it Tomoyo-chan. I just couldn't resist knowing you weren't singing that song for the audience but to me. So was it flawless?" He says softly. I look down before giving a smirk of my own that could rival one of his smirks.
"I don't know. I could use an instant replay." I reply suddenly becoming a little more brave. He smiles and leans in. His lips press softly against mine as he wraps his arm around my waist pulling me closer. I wrap my arms around his neck deepening the kiss and it feels like forever before he pulls away. "It's fearless." He chuckles as I realize once again the curtains have opened. I blush and he chuckles again.
"Final!" I hear someone familiar yell. I turn to look out at the crowd and see Sakura beaming at me.
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I smile as the rain pours down on us. The music from the auditorium faintly reaches our ears as we sway to the music. My best dress is ruined but I don't care as I dance in Eriol's arms. The prom going on inside the warmth is not where I want to be. Right here, in his arms dancing in a storm in my best dress. He kisses my forehead and then my lips. I gave a satisfied sigh and smile up into beautiful gorgeous sapphire eyes.
"With you I'd dance in a storm in my best dress." I whisper. He smiles down at me pulling me a little closer.
"Love you, Tomoyo-chan." He says. I give him a long soft kiss before pulling away from him.
"Love you too, Eriol-kun." I reply and continue to dance in the rain with the one person I love. I'm glad I decided to be a little more brave and become fearless so I could be with him. With Eriol I'm sure he'll drag me head first into the future and I can't wait so I can be fearless again.
The End
