Author's Notes:

Konnichiwa minna-san! I'm back with yet another fanfic. This [yes, I know] is another one-shot songfic. Too bad, I'm really melancholy when I listen to good music... and the idea just pops out of my chaotic mind. Just please, bear with me. It's another sentimental type of song. Perfect for my neverending love for the Hiiragizawa-kun+Daidouji-san love team. Pretend that they are already twenty-two years old. And also I tried to make this a tear-jerker. I just don't know if you will really jerk a tear out of your eye. [Hah!] ^_^ Dedicated to all you E+T fans out there! Especially to Coleen Bloom and KawaiiChibiTomoyo!

~MidoriTenshiSakura~


Disclaimer: Do I always have to do this?
Me no owner of Card Captor Sàkura. CLAMP, Kodansha, Nelvana, and whoever did this animè do. I don't own the song. Billy Joel sang it and I don't know who did the lyrics. And lastly, I am not making any money out of this story.



"blahblah" -speaking
'blahblah' -thoughts
-scene
~Doodoodoo~ -lyrics


She's Always A Woman
by: MidoriTenshiSakura




Tomoyo walked towards her home. The trees in the streets were giving off shade to everybody who passed by. The gentle breeze soothed the feeling of those uneasy. It is spring and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. Through the busy street and the noise of so many people ahead she heard a conversation within her earshot.

"And then... he said... he does not love me anymore!"

"Mou, Aki-chan, don't worry. He does not deserve you. After all, you knew right then that he was a two-timer! Don't cry, I'm here for you."

"Honto ni? Arigato, Yoriko-chan, for staying with me."

"Of course. I'm your bestfriend, remember?"

"Hai. Bestfriends forever."



Bestfriends forever.



She could still remember clearly how so many years ago she once had a bestfriend.

A bestfriend whom she loved... loved for more than a friend.




"Ne, Sakura-chan! You look great in my videotapes!"

"Iie, Tomoyo-chan! It's all because of the costumes you made!"

"Costumes are insignificant and unattractive if someone who wears it is not beautiful."

"Demo..."

"Kawaii desu, Sakura-chan! Kawaii desu!"

"But still, sometimes I feel like you do everything for me. I don't know... I haven't done anything for you."

"Iie, iie, Sakura-chan! You've done so much! Even by just wearing those costumes I made for you and letting me videotape you, that's too much already! And besides, you're my bestfriend, Sakura-chan."

"Honto?"

"Bestfriend."

"Hai. Bestfriends forever."




Memories streamed down from memory lane like flowing water from a waterfall. She could still hear Sakura-chan shouting, laughing, talking. She could still see Sakura-chan dancing in her cheerleading outfit, dozing off in class, fighting the Clow Cards. Now, she is with her 'Small Wolf' in a distant place called Hong Kong. Her Li Syaoran, who changed her life in a moment. HER Li Syaoran, who ruined her fantasies of being with her bestfriend. But she does not blame him. Sakura loves Syaoran. And Syaoran loves Sakura. There's nothing she can do about it.

Unknown to her, a tall young man is tailing her. His wire-rimmed cerulean orbs staring at her longingly, lovingly.

As she turned to a corner, she noticed someone was right behind her. She stopped and spun around.

"Konnichiwa, Daidouji-san."

"Konnichiwa, Hiiragizawa-kun! What a pleasant surprise!" she plastered her huge smile. Her smile, which was a thousand shades of loneliness on the rear. Her eyes danced as she talks. Everybody just loves it, but somehow it was spacious enough to reflect what she really feels inside. Nobody saw these emotions in her eyes. Except this reincarnation.

Eriol noticed this and took a step towards her. "Daijobu?"

"Daijobu desu, Hiiragizawa-kun. What made you ask?"

"Oh, nothing really."

~She can kill with a smile
She can wound with her eyes
She can ruin your faith
With her casual lies
And she only reveals
What she wants you too see
She hides like a child
But she's always a woman to me...~

"Would you like to have tea at Keichi's?" Eriol asked.

"Well I've still got some designs to do for Chiharu-chan's wedding day."

"Please, Daidouji-san, it will only be for a while. My treat." his eyes contained that glint that his cute little descendant feared.

"Okay then. Let's go now."

They walked to Keichi's, located just around the corner. The walk to the place was very silent. The rustling of the leaves against the wind suddenly seemed like heavy clouds hovering overhead. They reached the place, and Eriol held the door open for Tomoyo. She said thanks, plastering that smile that she thought fooled him out of his wits. They sat down on a booth next to the window.

"Konnichiwa. May I take your orders?" the waiter inquired.

"Crepe and a cup of green tea please." Eriol replied genkily.

"What about you, onna-san?"

"What would you like to eat, Daidouji-san?"

Tomoyo stared off to space. She found the children playing very amusing. She snapped out of reverie as she heard Eriol clearing his throat.

"Gomen ne. What were you saying again, Hiiragizawa-kun?"

Eriol merely smiled and repeated his question. "What would you like to eat, Daidouji-san?"

"I would like some iced tea with blueberry muffin, please." Tomoyo smiled at the waiter. He walked into the counter and into the kitchen.
Tomoyo and Eriol follwed the waiter with their eyes as he entered the swivel door, as if they could see right through the door. [A/N: Well Eriol could...] Tomoyo looked outside the window once again, hearing the tots' laughter.

"So... what is bothering you, Daidouji-san?"

"Nothing's bothering me, Hiiragizawa-kun. You have nothing to worry about."

"Well if that is what you say, Daidouji-san."

"Enough of the formalities, Hiiragizawa-kun."

"Then please call me Eriol."

"All right then, but please call me Tomoyo, Eriol-kun."

"If that's what you wish, Tomoyo-san." Eriol felt a pink tinge crept up to his pale cheeks.

'I've never felt like this before. Not in front of Daidouji-san - I mean, Tomoyo-san.'

~She can lead you to love
She can take you or leave you
She can ask for the truth
But she'll never believe
And she'll take what you'd give her
As long as it's free
Yes she steals like a thief
But she's always a woman to me...~

The waiter approached them again and settled their food on the table, and walked away at once after saying "Enjoy your meal."

The meal began silently, until Eriol decided to break the silence.

"You look much paler than usual, Daidou- I mean, Tomoyo-san. Are you feeling well? Or are putting too much stress on yourself?"

"Of course I'm not! I feel good and I'm really that pale. And besides I'm really fond of doing clothes for everybody. Especially Sakura-chan." Her face fell into a frown.

A deafening silence hung over them.

"You shouldn't push yourself too much, Tomoyo-san. I know you are doing this for a Mihara-san and Yamazaki-kun, but still..."

"It's nothing, really." Tomoyo leaned over the table, smiling broadly from ear to ear. Her face was inches apart from Eriol's face. She stared at Eriol's eyes for a while, finding it very... interesting.

'What am I thinking? I love Sakura-chan, not Hiiragizawa-kun- I mean, Eriol-kun.'

Eriol gazed at her and smiled. There was a glint in her eyes. But he still couldn't make out what it means. Tomoyo settled back to her seat and began savoring the muffin.

"This really good, Hiiragi- I mean, Eriol-kun. Actually I've never been here. Is this a new diner?"

"Not really. It only opened about six months ago."

"I guess I am missing too much since Sakura-chan went to Hong Kong." Her once wide smile became smaller and smaller, until there was none.

"Tomoyo-chan, you know you should smile more often."

"But I always do, Eriol-kun. I am really happy, and there's nothing to frown about."

"No, I mean, a true smile. I know you're hiding something. Do you want to talk about it?"

Tomoyo looked at the table napkin on her lap, suddenly finding it very interesting. "I'm not hiding anything."

Eriol chuckled. "Tomoyo-san, you should join the Theater Club. You're not a very good actress. I can see THROUGH your eyes."

Indeed, he can see through her eyes. There is no use hiding it from him. He probably knows about it anyway.

"Ready to spill it out?"

Tomoyo nodded in approval. "You see, Sakura-chan and I have been friends since we were seven, and we had a promise that we would be bestfriends upto grave. And now where is she? Somewhere thousands of miles away from here. But I'm not angry, she's happy with her beloved Syaoran-kun. Sure, she called and wrote often, but... Let's talk about it some other time." Tomoyo was at the brink of crying, but held the tears back. She looked away.

"If that's what you want, Tomoyo-san. Maybe next time." Eriol proceeded to his crêpe.

~Oh, she takes care of herself
She can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time
Oh, and she never gives out
And she never gives in
She just changes her mind...~

"This is really good. Wanna bite?" Tomoyo offered.

"Oh no, you eat. I have my crepè here."

"Onegai, Eriol-kun?" Tomoyo pleaded with puppy dog eyes.

"But you should taste this too. It's really good."

"Fine then." and they exchanged their snacks. Tomoyo bit a little from the crepè and chewed. "Mmm!" she exclaimed, earning a little chuckle from the boy opposite her. He too, smiled as his tastebuds enjoyed the taste of the muffin. They exchanged again, and gave in to their appetite. Eriol was really loving that crêpe, that some of the cream inside it flowed to the corner of his lips. Tomoyo noticed this.

"Eriol-kun..." she said as she pointed to the corner of her lips.

"Hmm?" Eriol looked at her, perplexed. Tomoyo reached over the table and wiped the cream off the corner of his lips. Eriol blushed at the proximity of their faces. Tomoyo felt heat rise to her cheeks. She laughed it off, her signature laugh that made her sound creepy.

'Why am I feeling this way towards Eriol-kun? He's just a friend, that's all.' she insisted on her mind.

'Oh no, Tomoyo-san. You know you love him.' the other part of her brain told her.

'No! I love Sakura-chan! Not Eriol-kun!' her rational part insisted.

"Daijobu? You look like you are thinking intently." Tomoyo heard Eriol speaking to her, and she came back to reality.

"Oh I'm all right." she finished the last of her muffin. Eriol stared at her from the other end of the table.

~And she'll promise you
More than the Garden of Eden
And she'll carelessly cut you
And laugh while you're pleading
But she'll bring out the best
And the worst you can be
Blame it all on yourself
But she's always a woman to me...~

"Arigato for the meal, Eriol-kun." Tomoyo bowed to him as they reached the doorstep to her house. HER house, that was empty and only occupied whenever Sakura-chan is happily bouncing around. Sure, her mother had the humungous manor where she spent her childhood in, but she preferred to have her own house. She motioned Eriol to come in.

"Thanks but no thanks, I might be disturbing you."

"Iie, Eriol-kun. I'd love to have your company." Tomoyo blushed at what she heard her mouth said.

Eriol looked surprised, but nevertheless came in. The house was really cozy, and to think that only one person lived in it and she was away most of the time.

"Wow, Tomoyo-san. Your kawaii house mesmerizes me. How could you manage it alone?"

"Just a little touch of an interior designer... and at the same time a fashion designer." she laughed at him. Eriol felt happy. For the first time in six months, he saw his Tomoyo-san laugh again. REAL LAUGH. He saw that glint in her eyes once again.

~Oh, she takes care of herself
She can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time
Oh, and she never gives out
And she never gives in
She just changes her mind...~

They went upstairs to her room. It was really comforting to the senses. She showed him some of the sketches she made for the gowns.

"I'm quite impressed. You really should put up your own clothesline. Then you could name it 'Kawaii Tomoyo-san'." Tomoyo laughed at him.

"Or peaches and things..." Tomoyo said in between chuckles.

"Or cherry blossoms." Eriol realized what he said. Tomoyo's eyes dropped. He mentally kicked himself for saying that thing. He swore to himself his primary rule: Thou shalt not talk of the Card Mistress in front of the plum blossom, or anything which will remind her of her bestfriend.

Tomoyo looked up to him, teary-eyed.

"Gomen nasai, Tomoyo-san. I promise-" Tomoyo put her index finger on his lips.

"Sshh... You know I already let go Sakura-chan. And I sure was lucky enough, I found the one I love right after." she closed in and kissed him tenderly on the lips.

~She's frequently kind
And she's suddenly cool
And she can do as she pleases
She's nobody's fool
And she can't be convicted
She's earned her degree
And the most she will do
Is throw shadows at you
But she's always a woman to me...~





Eriol sat up from bed, his surroundings dim and blurred. He reached for his eyeglasses on the bedside table. He opened the shade and wore his spectacles. He felt someone move on his side and tug him.

"Eriol?"

"Hmm, Tomoyo?"

She sat up on the bed, tracing Eriol's face with her index finger.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"You should get contact lenses. You look much more handsome without these..." she removed the glasses Eriol just put on. His vision blurred once again.

"Tomoyo, you know I can't see without my precious glasses."

"Oh yes you can... if you get contact lenses."

"But for now..." Eriol got the glasses from Tomoyo's hand. "...I have to wear it. Or I may not see the beauty beside me..." he cupped her face with his hands and erased the gap between their lips.

~Owari~



Author's Notes:

1. About that song. Doesn't it just fit the ever-gorgeous Daidouji-san? He-he-he. Isn't she the greatest liar of all time? You know what I'm saying... Like how she hid those feelings all the time from her kawaii bestfriend.

2. About the contact lenses. Would'nt Eriol look good without spectacles? I know all you Eriol fanatics out there agree with me.

3. About the crêpe and blueberry muffin. Does crêpe have cream in the inside? What I ate has cream in the inside. And the blueberry muffin. Do you think Tomoyo likes that?

4. About the story itself. Did it jerk even a single tear from your eye? Is it sappy? Or did it jerk a tear from you because of laughing? Please, tell me! Review! For comments, suggestions and whatever, e-mail me at green_angelsakura@yahoo.com . I really hope you liked this fic. Thank you for reading!^_^




~MidoriTenshiSakura~