Drops of Rain
by Hidden Tala

title. homecoming
disclaimer. CCS © CLAMP
genre. drama/angst
warnings. AU, OOC, shorthair!Tomoyo, inebriated!Tomoyo, bitter!Tomoyo, unbeta'ed

note 1. and i'm alive after all. my sincere apologies for being MIA these past years. i'm gonna be original and say that life hardly happened to me at all. if you're a loyal reader or simply waiting for updates for my unfinished stories please try to visit my profile so i can apologize properly.

note 2. Drops of Rain is a collection of one-shots that may or may not be related to each other. the goal is to write fifty-thousand words of Eriol and Tomoyo.

dedication. to first loves, lost loves, and never forgotten love.

BEEP.

"So, umm..." Amidst the crackle of static was a shallow intake of breath. A pause and more uncertainty. Then a sigh that could either be resignation or resolve. "Next Saturday at the Palace Hotel... there's going to be an alumni homecoming. I already bought your ticket." Another hesitant pause. "Are you coming?"

"For the love of God-"

"Shut it, Syaoran-kun!-"

"If she wants to pretend we don't exist because she's still sore about what happened then that's problem. Let her swim in her ocean of bitter tears and end up exactly like-"

BEEP.

"Good day. This is Murakawa Aini of au by KDDI. Our company has recently launched a new product called-"

BEEP.

"It's me. When can I see you again?"

.

.

.

.

.

It was an open bar.

And thank God for it, she thought numbly as she tipped the glass and shoved the yellowish green substance down her throat. She mumbled some words of gratitude to the passing bartender who paused in her direction to pour her another round of that thing she could only describe as a very happy apple juice. She lifted the glass and watched it with grim fascination. A few more of these and she's going to be just as happy as-

"You cut your hair."

The world spun around her and her almost-drunken thoughts came to a screeching halt. A plethora of profanities she didn't know her brain had in keeping came gushing forth like the dark and muddy waters of the flood. Good thing her mouth was slower than her brain tonight. Ignoring the way her fingers quaked, she sat the glass down and looked over her shoulder to look at the man who easily shattered her buzz. She swallowed. Maybe she should have gotten a stronger drink. The apple juice on drugs clearly botched its job in maintaining her inebriated state.

He took the bar stool next to her. He smiled and she felt pricks of invisible needles poking her in the eyes.

"It looks good on you."

"Hn."

The silence that stretched between was dry and unnecessarily painful. She blew air through her nose.

"I apologize for offering my greetings late," she said finally, her tone deceptively light as her gaze fixed to the band on his ring finger. "Congratulations on your marriage."

His reply was an incomprehensible sigh that she didn't bother to interpret.

After another awkward pause, he said, "How are you?"

She paused from playing with her drink and met his gaze squarely, and then downed the drink in one go. Again, she wished for something stronger. Something that could knock her out senseless or make her believe she's a donkey or a caterpillar or a mouse-anything but herself. She turned to him once more, her lips curled up without humor. "You know, you and I... you and I... We have nothing to say to each other."

"Tomoyo-"

"Nothing," she enunciated, ignoring the shudder that went through her when he said her name. "I'd appreciate it if you'd go."

"I'm sorry."

Her disbelieving snort was meant to jar him. She hailed the bartender for refill and when the glass filled she practically inhaled it. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"You should slow down with-"

"Didn't I just tell you to leave?"

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" The laugh that bubbled up out of her was contemptuous. And when she looked at him her eyes shone with and raw and savage hate. "I loved you. Pathetically, idiotically-with everything I had."

They stared at each other, none of them blinking.

He drew away first and then shook his head.

"I loved you with more than that."

a/n. hear that splatter? that's my foot on my brain. *runs away and hides*