Runaway

By cenagurl

A/n: My very first CCS fic… please review!c:

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Chapter 2: Tittle-tattles

Eriol couldn't help but ogle stupidly at the woman in front of him. How could he not recognize her? She still had the look of the sly cam-cording little girl he had for a classmate almost twelve years ago.

Her ebony hair was still long and lustrous, curling softly at the ends, while her hyacinth eyes still held the same innocence and a hint of impishness he had come to notice since he first studied in Tomoeda.

The only difference was that she had the body of a woman now, which he couldn't help but become aware of. The pink sweatshirt she was wearing fit her rather snugly, and he could also tell her legs were slim and long beneath her jogging pants.

Forcing himself to stop scrutinizing her so openly, he cleared his throat and said, "Are you alright now, Daidouji-san?"

Tomoyo gave him an assuring nod, looking a little embarrassed. She must have noticed me staring at her, he thought, cringing inwardly. He really should put a little control over his roving eye.

But he had an excuse; he had gone too long without paying so much attention to women—five years to be exact. He had not looked at another since Kaho left him to return to Japan for Touya Kinomoto.

He wasn't too fond of women then, but it didn't mean he was turning gay or considering priesthood, just that he needed a break. But now it seemed that his break was over. Way over.

"I didn't know you were here," he said, in a way to start a conversation.

"I'm here for a vacation," Tomoyo answered, her cheeks turning into a brighter shade pink, piquing Eriol's curiosity. Was she discomfited with something?

"I see," he responded, his curiosity piqued. "But may I ask, why England, of all places?"

"Well… Sakura-chan sort of recommended it to me," she told him, the color still high on her cheeks. Yes, she definitely looked uncomfortable with something, which was obviously the topic of her coming to England.

And since Eriol was ever the gentleman, he wouldn't prod her any further… for now.

"Well, then, since I owe you for getting injured by my student, I could probably repay you by um, maybe becoming your tour guide or something?" he asked with a hesitant note in his voice. "That is only if you're interested," he rushed out when she wouldn't answer. "It is only an offer after all,"

"But I am accepting, Hiiragizawa-kun," she said with a smile. Eriol felt his stomach clench with an unfathomable feeling at her dazzling smile. Even when they were still at their elementary years in Tomoeda, Tomoyo already had this strange power to make him feel uncomfortable.

Her small smiles, her sly glances, her witty comments… they had all caused that ever familiar clenching feeling in his stomach, which seemed to travel way up to his heart. Up to now he still couldn't identify what it was, because only she made him feel that way.

"… tomorrow, perhaps?" she was saying, and he stopped his rambling thoughts to listen.

"Alright then," he said absently, not having any idea what he was agreeing to. "Tomorrow,"

Tomoyo then stood up and gathered up her things. "I have to go, Hiiragizawa-kun, I promised Sakura-chan I would be waiting for her call before lunch," she said. "I'll meet you tomorrow at the hotel I'm staying at, okay? 8:00 at the receiving area,"

"Yes," he answered, still distracted by his reaction to her. The feeling was surely foreign to him, as when he had been with Kaho, he always felt at ease. When he realized he was comparing her to his old love, he stopped cold.

"Hell," he muttered, running a hand through the black locks of his hair. Now that was unexpected.

Tomoyo gave him one last smile before departing, and he was left staring at her retreating form until she disappeared from his range of sight.

"Sir Eriol, are you alright?"

Eriol snapped back to reality when he heard Tiffany's voice, and he suddenly remembered that his students were still there and had witnessed the whole exchange between him and Tomoyo.

"Of course I am," he replied automatically, and glowered when the children gave him dubious looks.

"But sir, your face is a little red, and your eyes looked kind of crossed…" Andrew Jung, his half-Chinese student said, looking up at him in awe.

"Yes, and they're all sparkly, like Michael's eyes when he sees truffles being served on the dining table," Jordan added, referring to his other teammate, who had a pudgy body build and piggy eyes.

The females in the team were giggling behind their hands as they whispered about the mysterious lady Davies nearly killed, each wondering how she was connected to their equally mysterious coach, who had not showed normal human feelings until that moment.

"Alright, that's enough," Eriol growled, and the kids quickly sobered up, knowing that he could really be a prick when riled. And boy, was he showing the symptoms already.

"Back to the field, all of you, and anyone who couldn't kick the ball to the base after this practice will really get it,"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

"Sakura-chan, you wouldn't believe this…" was Tomoyo's opening line when she answered her best friend's call back at the hotel. She was perched by the window overlooking the huge swimming pool and gardens outside, having just finished taking her shower.

"What is it, Tomoyo-chan? Have you found HIM?" Sakura asked excitedly.

"No!" Tomoyo said a little too defensively. Well, it was true after all, because the only male that had caught her attention today was Eriol, not counting the poor boy who had hit her with the soccer ball. "Although I did see someone, Sakura-chan, an old classmate of ours back in elementary…"

"Eriol-kun, right?" Sakura surmised. "Is he well?"

"Well yes, it is him, but do you know that he works here as a soccer coach? I had thought he would be approaching a more inactive work, like a pianist or something," Tomoyo told her. "And he's looking quite well actually, a little tanned maybe from coaching,"

"I'm glad he's doing well," Sakura stated softly that Tomoyo barely heard her. "After Kaho-chan had returned here and married onii-chan, I had thought that he would have a hard time moving on,"

"From what I see, I think he took the news quite well," Tomoyo said thoughtfully, recalling in full detail Hiiragizawa's healthy shape. He did not look aggrieved as well, for his blue eyes had twinkled with vitality as he spoke to her a while ago, and the smile that lingered on his lips seemed sincere.

"So," Sakura started, choosing her words carefully. "How does he look like right now? It's been twelve years, after all, since he last came here," she asked nonchalantly.

"Well, he still looks pretty much the same, just taller and a little tanner," Tomoyo answered slowly. "And he has grown his hair longer too, just below the shoulders, and I think he switched to contacts from glasses now,"

"I see," Sakura replied perkily. "Tell me honestly, Tomoyo-chan, do you find him handsome?"

Bingo.

Tomoyo felt heat rise up her cheeks at Sakura's question. During their grade school years she had always found him dashing, and how she saw him earlier was no different. She thought he looked even better.

"Well…" she paused, thinking of a way to tell her best friend without her thinking that she was actually considering him. "I guess so," she finally said.

"You guess so?" Sakura echoed. "I want a more concrete answer, Tomoyo-chan, yes or no it is,"

Tomoyo sighed. "Alright, I still find him as handsome as ever," she answered in a defeated voice. She could never lie to Sakura, so there was no use in going around the bush.

She was startled when Sakura gave a squeal at the end of the line.

"Sakura-chan, what is it, are you—"

"My God, Tomoyo-chan, you said STILL!! STILL!!!!!" Sakura shrieked, and Tomoyo could just imagine her bouncing merrily in her bedroom.

"What? So?" Tomoyo asked, confused.

"It means you found Eriol-kun handsome even way before you saw him again! Oh, he's probably you're soul mate, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura said triumphantly, and Tomoyo sighed in defeat. 'A mere slip of the tongue and Sakura makes hasty conclusions,' she thought grimly.

"Are you over at Touya's? I thought I heard Ayame's laugh," Tomoyo said, steering her away from the ridiculous topic regarding Hiiragizawa Eriol.

"Oh no, Touya only left her under my care because he accompanied Kaho-chan to the doctor for a pregnancy test," Sakura answered. "But nice try on trying to maneuver me away from the subject at hand," she said cheekily, and Tomoyo couldn't help but laugh.

"You know me well, Sakura-chan," she responded smilingly.

"How did you and Eriol-kun cross paths anyway?" Sakura asked, sounding genuinely interested. Tomoyo then rehashed to her how one of Eriol's students struck her on the head with a soccer ball, and Sakura's merry laugh echoed at the end of the line.

"Sorry, sorry, I did not mean to laugh, but honestly, Tomoyo-chan, isn't that a Unique way of reuniting with Eriol-kun?" Sakura said when she got a hold of herself, emphasizing on the word UNIQUE.

"Yes, unique it really was," Tomoyo said dryly. "I have a bruise on my forehead as proof, you know,"

At that Sakura's voice turned completely serious. "Oh, are you hurt badly, Tomoyo-chan? I'm so sorry I laughed, it's just pretty hard to imagine such a graceful woman like you getting slammed by a ball right in the face,"

"Daijoubu desu, Sakura-chan," she assured her best friend. Just as she was about to say something, something on the radio caught her attention. A song was playing, and as she listened to the lyrics, she realized that the song suited her perfectly.

"Sakura-chan, do you know this song?" she asked, turning up the volume of the radio so Sakura could hear the song.

I'm not looking for someone to talk to

I've got my friends, I'm more than okay

I've got more than a girl could wish for

I live my dreams, but it's not all they say…

Still I believe, I'm missing something real

I need someone who really sees me…

"…Well?" Tomoyo queried after a few seconds.

Sakura gave a sheepish laugh at the end of the line. "The Corrs, I think," she said thoughtfully. "I'm not really sure, Tomoyo-chan, but know what? I think the song suites you perfectly,"

"Yes, I think so too," Tomoyo agreed, turning down the volume once more. "But do you think I can really find the right man here?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Well, it is worth a try," Sakura replied. "All we can be sure of is that he's there. Somewhere."

Somehow Tomoyo didn't feel like there was a "someone" "somewhere".

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

"Master will be celebrating his twenty-second birthday in a week," Nakuru mused aloud, and Suppi rolled his lion eyes (is this possible? LoL :D) as his companion stated the obvious for the thousandth time that day.

"I wonder what gift we could offer him this year," she continued, not seeming to notice what the little black lion had just done as she paced restlessly around the living room of Eriol's mansion(he would have been stuffed to death with sweets if she did). "Gaah, it's sooo hard to think of a present for someone who already has everything!"

But then she suddenly stopped, and blinked. "Wait a minute… he doesn't have everything yet!! He still hasn't got a—"

"Oh please, I don't want to hear this," Suppi actually wailed, covering his floppy ears with his paws as he fluttered away.

"—a woman!" she finished with a flourish, a big grin splitting on her face.

"Eriol-sama wasn't a bit amused when you sent him that a-go-go dancer two years ago," Suppi reminded her in a voice that dripped with sarcasm. "So don't even think about it, baka,"

"But he needs someone who can make him forget about that—that Kaho!" Nakuru said indignantly, stomping her foot in emphasis. "She was such a witch to have left our master broken-hearted!"

"You're just mad at her because she married 'your' Touya," Suppi countered. "Well, keep in mind, you're just a cross-dressing transvestite, whereas Kaho is a real woman,"

"Gaaah, Suppi-chan no hitoi!" Nakuru shrieked in outrage, making a grab for the flying miniscule lion. "I don't care if she married Touya, the reason I hate her so is that she hurt master's feelings!"

"Aurrggh, let me go, you fag!" Suppi yelled as Nakuru managed to grab him by his tail. He tried to wiggle out of her grasp as she brought out a cookie from her pocket.

"Let me go, let me go, let me—oomph!" Nakuru gave a victorious smile as she crammed the whole cookie into his mouth.

"Now, what was I saying? Oh yes, a woman… she should be special, of course, and good enough for master…"

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A/n: hope you liked it. :D review, onegai? c: