fic has been inside my head for quite sumtime...
found a song that goes with it and...voila! my valentine's day fic is ready...
even though it isn't awesome, it is STILL dedicated to my darling boyfriend...who is away studyin, studyin and studyin...(poor guy) i love you...and yes, i am STILL waiting..!
Eriol and Tomoyo. as usual.
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN CARDCAPTOR SAKURA OR THE LYRICS MENTIONED HERE.
"No, don't worry, Sakura-chan…I perfectly understand. Hai, see you then," said Tomoyo, smiling brightly as she spoke to her best friend on the phone.
The smile miraculously altered into a sad and demure expression as she pressed the 'call end' button.
She stared at the phone in her hand and thought, "I understand."
Tomoyo needed no help in masking how she really felt. She had learnt it since she was a little girl; whenever her mother took her for some of those boring cocktail parties, all she had to do was smile and laugh, pretending she had a good time.
As Tomoyo grew up, she realized that Life was one boring cocktail party. People always pretended to be happy or cheerful, when they wanted to scream out that they felt horrible. If they did, they would be branded as someone with 'bad upbringing' or 'no touch of class.'
So they played this fatal masquerade game; not knowing that it was equivalent to throwing your life carelessly into the abyss of torture and suicide.
Was asking your friend to join you for a walk in the park too time consuming? Even if you're friend has a boyfriend who thinks a moment is wasted if he isn't kissing her or hugging her?
Tomoyo frowned at this point. Was that really what she thought of sweet, oblivious slightly grouchy Syaoran-kun?
She should be happy that her best friend has someone who loves her so much.
She should be happy. But was she really?
Tomoyo sighed, brushing her hair out of her eyes.
She was not jealous of Sakura-chan. No, she was not.
Heck, she was her best friend! How could she?
But why can't she?
Sakura has everything a girl could envy. A family (Sonomi Daidouji's toy company is more important to her than her only daughter) which consists of a caring father, a protective elder brother and a caring guardian. Not to mention her head-over-heels-in-love-with-her boyfriend.
Her life isn't average at all. Card-captoring exploits; great school, wonderful at gym and of course, loved and petted by all.
And who was she? Tomoeda's Ice Queen.
Admired by all, received chocolates by almost every male in Tomoeda but not so much a single sentence, "hey! What are you doing on Saturday? Do you want to go out with me?"
No, no. she was the Ice Queen. She would never agree to their proposals.
She was just too grand for it.
But even Tomoyo longed to doll up for a change, like Sakura did when she wanted to go for a dinner date with Syaoran. Even Tomoyo wanted to experience the feeling of love.
Tomoyo wanted to be loved and cared for.
But today, she had to stay indoors and admire the beautiful, clear night alone.
She twisted a dark lock in her hand and sighed.
Getting up, she decided to spend sometime in her beautiful rose garden. All the roses were cared for and nurtured by her, with some help from her gardener.
She smiled lovingly at the rose and watched; amazed as a drop of the most shiniest and luminescent water fell on its petals.
Soon another fell. And another. Tomoyo traced its path down the rose and discovered that they seem to be falling from her face. She shivered as her face sung in the cold. But she could not stop the tears.
"Ojou-sama, someone is here to see you," called a maid as she bowed to Tomoyo.
Tomoyo hastily wiped her tears. Turning around, she asked, almost eagerly, "Is it Sakura-chan?"
"Iie. It is not Kinomoto-sama. A boy is here to see you," she finished, looking furtively at Tomoyo.
Tomoyo glanced at the rose, puzzled. Li-kun was away with Sakura-chan, right? Who could it be?
"Alright. Please tell him I will be there shortly," she said to the maid. After she had gone, Tomoyo reluctantly made her way to her room. She changed into a simple white cotton dress and put a shall on her shoulders.
After she had made herself presentable, she walked into the sitting room and started.
"Good evening, Daidouji-san," said her classmate, Eriol Hiiragizawa, bowing to her.
"Good evening, Hiiragizawa-kun. How do you do?" she asked him, puzzled to see him. But she smiled, nevertheless.
"Very well, thank you. I am sorry for calling in so late. I actually wanted to return this to you," he said, handing her a small blue book.
She took it and said, thankfully, "my choir book! How did I lose that?"
"You mean you didn't even notice it gone?" asked Eriol, slightly surprised.
"Umm...I guess," she mumbled.
Eriol sighed and said, "Daidouji-san, are you alright?"
"Hai. Why do you ask?" she said, looking at him.
Eriol sighed yet again and said, "Well…you have been acting…funny, nowadays. You tend to forget things more often and you are late for school. It's not that I am saying you're behaving in an abnormal manner or anything," he added hastily as he saw her lowering her face. "But, you're just not behaving like…Tomoyo Daidouji."
Tomoyo's face hardened and she said, "You mean, as in 'model student'?"
"No! I mean as in smiling, talking, laughing and spending more time with…Sakura-chan," he finished, looking into her eyes.
Tomoyo sighed and said, "I'm alright, Hiiragizawa-san. Thanks for asking, though," she added, looking at him. He smiled and nodded, not entirely convinced.
And that's when it him. She had been crying!
A regular person would not have noticed. But Hiiragizawa Eriol was adept at noticing things which didn't strike others. Tomoyo's normally clear beautiful amethyst eyes were slightly bloodshot; her eyes had dark rings under them and her eyelashes were slightly moist. Her mouth was slightly red too. And her cheeks were undoubtedly tear-stained.
"Umm…Hiiragizawa-kun," muttered Tomoyo, slightly bashful of their sudden proximity. Eriol snapped out of his trance and uttered 4 dreadful words, "You have been crying."
Tomoyo's eyes widened and she opened her mouth and shut it yet again, like a goldfish. She stared at him and he finally spoke, "you know what you need?"
Tomoyo shook her head. He closed the distance between them by engulfing her in a hug. Her eyes widened yet again. "This," he whispered, smiling softly.
He stroked her dark head gently and said, "It is alright. Don't worry. I'm here. If there is anything you need to talk about, please tell me. I am your friend."
Tomoyo shut her eyes and smiled thankfully. Two tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't even wipe them off as they fell onto his shirt. She hugged him tightly and said, "Arigatou."
"Now, tell me, what is the matter?" he asked, gently, yet persistently.
"Umm…I rather not talk about it," she muttered, walking to the balcony.
"Alright," sighed Eriol. He stood next to her as she gazed at the stars.
She stared lovingly at the 'beautiful cloak of the night' inlaid with diamonds and sighed. How she longed to go up there and be with them! She just wanted to-
Suddenly, an idea struck Tomoyo. But she glanced at Eriol and shook her head. It's too childish and dangerous.
But it would not hurt to ask…
"Umm…Hiiragizawa-kun," said Tomoyo, turning to the cerulean eyed boy next to her.
"What is it, Daidouji-san?" he asked, smiling at her. She shook her head and muttered, "Nothing."
"Come now," he replied, pretending to be annoyed. "This habit is particular to you and Sakura-san. You always seem to say 'nothing' and arouse the listener's interest."
"Well…," she began, blushing deeply. Eriol listened, raising a brow. He couldn't help thinking how adorable she looked with her cheeks aflame.
"I know it is asking too much…it is too audacious of me! But….Hiiragizawa-kun, I was wondering if you could…," she whispered, looking down. "Take me for a ride on your staff."
"I couldn't catch the last bit…sorry. But could you please repeat what you said?" asked Eriol, intrigued.
"Could you…could you take me for a ride on your staff?" asked Tomoyo, blushing to the roots of her hair. She shouldn't ask such favors from him! She hardly knew him! Just because he was kind enough to comfort her, it doesn't mean she should take advantage of him.
Eriol looked at her in a bemused sort of way.
"Just forget what I said and please, forgive me for my audacity and for…being so…umm…preposterous," she muttered, screwing her eyes.
Eriol chuckled and said, "You know, your request is a bit…odd."
Tomoyo glanced at the ground and nodded. She wished the earth would swallow her up!
"Not to mention, downright dangerous," he whispered, leaning closer.
Tomoyo nodded, hypnotized by his azure eyes.
"But they don't call me the greatest sorcerer in the world for nothing, you know," he finished, his eyes twinkling.
Aren't we modest?
"I shall be more than happy to oblige."
"But it is really stupid! Oh, come on, I was just kidding back then-"
"But I am not," he whispered, staring directly into her eyes. "I know what it was to you when Sakura would take you with her while capturing the cards. You loved flying with her."
"I…guess," said Tomoyo, feeling woebegone. "But that was back then! Now I-"
"Come on, Daidouji-san. Don't you want some new aerial footage of night time Tomoeda?" asked Eriol, grinning.
Tomoyo smiled softly. Nodding, she entwined her arm in his and said, "OK."
He looked at his hand, gently clasped in hers and felt a heat wave coming. "Umm…Daidouji-san…?"
"What?" she asked, innocently.
"Nothing," he muttered, mortified. Nevertheless, he didn't brush her arm away.
With a quick incantation, he summoned the true form of is staff and said, teasingly, "I figured you didn't want Spinel along during the ride."
Tomoyo's eyes widened and said, "Hiiragizawa-kun…You're!"
"What?" he asked, smiling innocently. Pay back time!
"Nothing," she whispered. She watched him sit on the staff. It was rather longer and much more thicker than Sakura-chan's.
She looked at him apprehensively and said, "are you sure its…safe?"
"You have offended my 2000 years of studying rudimentary and advanced magic, Daidouji-san," he replied grinning. "Of course it's safe."
"Are you REALLY that old?" asked Tomoyo, frowning.
"No. I am talking about my past life," he replied, grinning wider. Tomoyo shook her head and smiled. She loved indulging in such conversation with him.
"Get on," he said eagerly, looking at her.
She sat behind him, holding the part of the staff before her.
"Ready?" he asked, smiling.
She nodded.
Eriol shut his eyes and muttered an incantation. His hair began to fly, the strands whipping his pale face. With a last syllable, he felt the staff rise into the cool night, with Tomoyo hanging onto it for dear life.
Frightened, she let go of it and clutched him tightly. His heart leaped at the sudden proximity.
"You are safe, Tomoyo-san," he said, just loud enough for her to hear.
Her eyes widened when he said her first name. She smiled softly and relaxed her grip on his shirt and whispered, "Hai, Eriol-kun."
They were flying over Penguin Park. Tomoyo squealed when she saw the huge King Penguin slide reduced to the size of an ant. The buildings below looked like tiny rectangles and their windows glimmered. Tomoyo sighed with contentment when she saw the picturesque scene.
"Oh look! There's the Tsukimine shrine!" exclaimed Tomoyo, happily. Eriol looked at it and smiled. The place of the moon. Tomoyo did look like the moon today.
Her lovely long hair was streaming into the night as they flew on. Her amethyst eyes were radiant with fierce joy. Her face was-
"Mou, Hiiragizawa-kun, we nearly fell back there," said Tomoyo looking at the mage.
"Hiiragizawa-kun? Hiiragizawa-kun?"
"…"
"Eriol-kun!"
"Hai?" asked Eriol, snapping out of his sweet reverie. His face turned slightly crimson when he saw Tomoyo so close.
She had a puzzled look on her face and was eyeing him appraisingly, cocking her head from side to side. It really magnified her sweet innocence.
'You can't think of her like THAT! She is Sakura's best friend!' thought Eriol, looking ahead. 'The card mistress's best friend…' he added, slightly regretful.
Shaking aside his weird feelings, he concentrated on flying. He didn't want any vigil citizen to spot them and alert the police. Or worse.
Tomoyo seemed puzzled to see the sudden change in his behavior. As another strong gust of wind threatened to knock them off, Tomoyo snuggled closer.
She stiffened when she realized how close they were.
Eriol smelt wonderful.
Like a mixture of cinnamon and crushed pine needles. She breathed in deeply, perplexed by her now racing heart.
As Eriol could now easily maneuver the staff, the words of a long forgotten song came to his mind.
He was surprised when he began to sing; slightly shakily at first, but rapidly gaining confidence, and soon the words began to flow easily.
"I can show you the world," he sang, staring at the sky. "Shining, shimmering, splendid!" he took Tomoyo's small hand in his and continued, wary of his boldness, "Tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?"
Turning away from her shocked eyes, he continued, "I can open your eyes. Take you wonder by wonder!" he swiftly turned the staff, so that they were now skimming over the water of the lake on whose bridge Sakura used to meet Tomoyo when they were in elementary. Tomoyo touched its glistening surface, smiling delightedly as the cool drops danced up to meet her.
"Over, sideways and under on a magic carpet ride," he sang, raising his voice. "A whole new world… A new fantastic point of view! No one to tell us no, or where to go, Or say we're only dreaming," he finished, feeling slightly foolish.
His cerulean eyes widened with surprise as she joined in, her voice sweeter than the throat of a midnight lily.
"A whole new world… A dazzling place I never knew! But when I'm way up here, It's crystal clear… that now I'm in a whole new world with you," she smiled as she said 'you.'
"Now I'm in a whole new world with you!" joined Eriol, smiling back at her.
Almost immediately she sang, "Unbelievable sights …Indescribable feeling… Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling!" at this point, Eriol did a cartwheel in mid-air; Tomoyo closed her eyes in anticipation of the fall. But Eriol caught her just in time.
"Through an endless diamond sky," she sang more clearly, spreading out her hands as if to embrace the cool wind.
"A whole new world!" she sang on, closing her eyes with her hands, as they approached a brick wall. "Don't you dare close your eyes," said Eriol, gently tugging at her hands so that they could pull themselves away from her eyes.
"A hundred thousand things to see!" she trilled on, amazed as a sudden shower of cherry blossoms filled the air. "Hold your breath, it gets better," sang Eriol, waving his arms so that they surrounded the pretty maiden beside him. She felt their soft petals and smiled. Eriol brushed a few away which had firmly lodged themselves in her midnight dark hair.
"I'm like a shooting star… I've come so far!" they sang together, Tomoyo leaning on Eriol's taller frame. "I can't go back to where I used to be…," whispered Tomoyo, feeling slightly sad.
"A whole new world," sang Eriol, brushing her tears away.
"Every turn a surprise," sang Tomoyo, watching wisps of clouds float below.
"With new horizons to pursue," sang Eriol, his mind clouded by her heady scent.
"Every moment red-letter," joined in Tomoyo, smiling at the cerulean eyes boy before her.
"I'll chase them anywhere…There's time to spare… Let me share this whole new world with you," they sang, smiling at each other.
Tomoyo felt at ease with him. She was sure their barriers of polite masks had fallen away. Suddenly she felt as though she had found a missing link in a chain, which completed her. She felt really happy with Eriol. She wished this moment would last forever.
"A whole new world," sang Eriol softly, looking at her gently.
"A whole new world," Tomoyo added, softer than ever.
"That's where we'll be," he sang, even more softly, taking her hand in his.
"That's where we'll be," she whispered, mesmerized by his eyes.
In the dark, they seemed to be darker than that peculiar shade of blue. Cobalt blue. His glasses glinted, casting a momentary sparkle into his azure orbs.
"A thrilling chase," he whispered, leaning closer.
"A wondrous place," whispered Tomoyo, resting her forehead on his.
"For you and me," they whispered, Tomoyo snuggling closer to Eriol. He wrapped his arm around her waist as they zoomed over the picturesque scene below.
They alighted at Tomoyo's balcony. Eriol got off and helped her down. She clasped his hand, her cheeks reddening at his touch. He was pleasantly cool to touch. He let go of her hand, feeling conscious of her large eyes that were fixedly staring at him.
He murmured the brief incantation in an undertone and caught the sun key as it emitted a last glow and turned into an ordinary looking object.
Swiftly pocketing it, he turned to the amethyst eyed girl.
She stared at him and said, in a rush, "that was really wonderful, Eriol-kun! Thank you…very much."
Eriol looked at her and said, hopelessly, "I should get going…now."
"Yes," she nodded, unable to tear her eyes away from him.
They were so close. So very close. Even in the dark, Eriol could make out the soft glimmer of her eye lashes, curling like black petals wet with the rains. Her high cheek bones, her pretty velvet eyes, her ruby red lips…
Eriol gave a content sigh, drinking her in. he stepped closer, his black coat rustling as he did.
She looked at him, a blush overpowering her pale cheeks. She leaned in, closing her eyes.
Eriol wrapped his arms around her waist firmly and pressed his lips gently onto her waiting ones. Hesitantly, he probed her mouth with his tongue. She opened it slightly, allowing Eriol to taste her rich chocolate like taste. He kissed her harder, aware of her hands playing with his hair.
After what seemed like an eternity, He let go, his eyes shining and his cheeks aflame. She stepped back, shyly.
As he turned to go, Tomoyo called out, despite herself, "Eriol-kun…will I see you again?"
"I think 9:00 PM tomorrow at your terrace sounds great," he called back cheekily.
Tomoyo blushed harder and shook her head.
For reasons best known to her, she had fallen in love with Hiiragizawa Eriol.
She was sure she would no longer be perturbed by Sakura's absence.
Like it or hate it? bit non-descriptive...I know, but i did not have time! pls review...!