A/N: After 5 years, the story is finally updated. This is for my real life sis, Kaye, and my imouto, Aya-chan.
Chapter 4
She was only supposed to be there to get her birthday gift footage.
Yet here she was, Daidouji Tomoyo, the young princess of the powerful Daidouji business empire, scooping soapy water on Eriol Hiiragizawa's pale, broad, shoulders in shamefully docile obedience. The sleeves of her flowing lavender-and-white blouse had already gotten wet, yet her mauve eyes were trained solely on the blue-haired naked enigma before her.
Eriol, on the other hand, was also unusually quiet. His back was turned on her, but she could sometimes hear his satisfied murmurs, especially when her fingers would touch certain spots on his back that seem to be tender and in dire need of massage.
For a while, they remained this way, immersed in their own thoughts, their motions ruled by unwitting automation. Yet the moment wouldn't last; the video camera clicked, signaling the end of her first tape's reel.
This snapped her out of trance. "I better get that," she said, preparing to get up from the edge of the tub where she sat.
"Stay, please."
"Hiiragizawa-kun! I-I've already soaped the entire expanse of your spinal column, and I refuse to go any…um, lower."
"You will not, I assure you, Daidouji-san—unless you ask me very, very nicely."
"You're… you're insufferable!" she cried.
His hand reached out to hers, stopping her every motion save the colors that rushed to her cheeks. "H-Hiiragizawa-kun?"
He refused to turn her way, but his hand refused to let go of her either. "Just a few more moments of this, please. That is all I ask," he pleaded softly.
She didn't reply. Yet for the life of her, she found herself shifting her seat on the edge of the tub, looking for a more comfortable position—she found it by cushioning herself against the tiled bathroom wall and leaning in a bit further into the tub. Now it was the hem of her dress that was starting to get wet. Yet she didn't mind at all.
Because what was happening now played like an old familiar tune from her childhood. Like a song with words she could not accurately remember but with beats and silences she could hum in confidence, the scene seemed to have happen before, with its details seemingly out of her mind's reach, but her heart seemingly able to recall things well enough to bring up these feelings of warm familiarity and nostalgia.
She let out a soft gasp when she felt him move closer to her. He leaned back on her, his head settled restfully on top of the valley of her chest. She was aware that he was now privy to the maddening pace of her heartbeat.
"Headstrong. " His words were fused with amusement and awe. "My Daidouji-san, she never ceases to amaze me every time."
"E-Eh?" She gazed down at him. His eyes were still shut, his muscles relaxed. Yet he didn't appear to be murmuring in his dreams. Eriol Hiiragizawa was fully awake and aware of circumstances, while she felt she had just made her first step into this incomprehensible dreamscape.
"My apologies," he finally opened his eyes. "I drifted off…"
He was lying to her. Patently.
Sensing her sentiments, he looked up at her, the affable mask back on his face. "Thank you for accommodating this eccentric hermit's request, Daidouji-san. I wish we can do this more often, but I'm a little concerned about the risks of pneumonia in doing so."
She did not reply; her mind was furiously grasping at flimsy threads of blurry memories. His gaze lingered at her for a second more, ostensibly remorseful. He then inched away wordlessly.
She watched him reach for the towel nearby, but all the while she couldn't ease off her mind what he just told her, somewhat unwittingly. Headstrong… My Daidouji-san…
Her attention was then caught by something tucked carefully between the sponges and pumice stones.
"Hiiragizawa-kun?"
"Yes, Daidouji-san?" he asked pleasantly as he put on his robe.
"By any chance, have we taken a bath together before?"
….
"Daidouji has fallen in love with him. She and Hiiragizawa have been in a relationship for two weeks."
Li Syaoran's words echoed in Yue's mind as he joined his sun counterpart in looking out at the window. The sun guardian was still sulking.
"Ne, Yue?" The miniature version of Cerberus looked up at him gloomily. "Aren't you really going to tell me anything?"
His response might have been evident, because despite his silence, the yellow creature groaned. "Why do you guys always underestimate my ability to get things? I know Master Clow Reed didn't make me as big a know-it-all as you, Yue, but I love Tomoyo! I want to at least try and understand what's going on with her!"
"I am not in the position to tell you anything, Cerberus," explained the lunar guardian wearily.
"So what position will let you explain stuff to me?" cried the animal. "Sitting? Lying? Prone? On your knees on all fours?"
A vein popped in Yue's head. "Are these what your silly videogames have been filling your vacuous mind, Cerberus?"
"Vacu… I don't know what that means, but I think it's nasty," glared Kero-chan. "Can I call Sakura again now, please?"
But Yue's attention was not on the stuffed animal anymore. In his mind he imagined the reincarnated mage. Quietly, he searched for any sign of the master he loved dearly—and found none comfortingly enough.
Admittedly, despite his human shell's deep affections for the card mistress' big brother, his form as Yue was still bound to his creator. Gratitude, admiration, respect, possessiveness, love—he knew he could never muster the same depth of feelings for the two girls he served as the ones he reserved for Clow Reed alone.
Yet Hiiragizawa Eriol was not and could never be his beloved master again. The lunar guardian understood that very well.
So why was he looking for a sign of his previous master in its present-time form?
"Sakura! I'm glad you answered the phone this time!" cried Kero-chan happily. "The brat exploded on me a while ago—no, I was not being mean to him!" The stuffed animal scowled. "It's always the other way around but you never believed me! I'm telling ya, your tendency to play favoritism is getting more and more obvious! But let's talk about this unfair treatment of yours some other time. I've got something more important to tell you. It's about Tomoyo-"
Tomoyo. His hand found its way to his chest, which he realized was now an eddy of feelings.
He was jealous. Learning about Clow Reed's reincarnation having relationships with other people certainly unnerved him, for despite the limits and technicalities that the natural laws of life impose on their supernatural existence, Eriol Hiiragizawa will always painfully remind him of his deceased master whom he would forever hold dear. He was not yet ready to fully embrace the thought of his precious memory finding someone else to care for.
And all the while, he was deeply worried, too. While he may not be as vocal as Cerberus, he also held the same desire to safeguard his mistress Daidouji Tomoyo's happiness. If what the Little Wolf told him was right, then Yue was sure that his unholy angel will end up getting hurt. Badly.
If only he was Clow Reed…The silver-haired man clenched his fists. Things would be more predictable. I would sense what he has in mind for her.
"Oi, Yue," said Kero as it placed the receiver down. "I know you're just as worried as I am—and don't try to deny it!" snapped the stuffed animal as the lunar counterpart was about to protest. "Sakura gave us a task."
"A task?" That was a novelty for Yue, who always received a preferential treatment from the card mistress.
Kero-chan's eyes narrowed, thinking the same thing. "Yes. And I know I'm better off waiting for my favorite Mario game to appear on Xbox than get her to order you around, so let me take her place and tell you to start moving… on the double!"
The yellow guardian received a withering look from him.
"Please? With cherries on top?" grinned Kero-chan, making Yue's face darken more.
….
"Interesting," was the Londoner's plain response after a moment of tense silence.
"I like to think interesting questions have interesting answers, too, Hiiragizawa-kun," she replied wanly, not getting up from her seat yet.
"Ah no, this happens to be an exception, Daidouji-san. It's dreadfully mundane, really." His hand made little quick dismissive gestures to emphasize this.
"Then allow me to rephrase. What is my purple monogrammed robe doing there?" She pointed to the bathroom counter nearby.
"Your… what?" Eriol's gaze returned to her, startled. When he saw what she was pointing at, he groaned inwardly. "Sweet heavens!" His palm reached for his forehead and proceeded to massage it swiftly, as if he had suddenly gotten a migraine.
"I see what you mean," she replied, shaking her head. "Mundane, eh?"
"The Little Wolf will not be very pleased," he sighed, switching to rubbing the other side of his temples.
"Li-kun?" She looked at him inquisitively. "What does he have to do with this?"
He looked at her helplessly, and then cupped his chin. "How to go about this… I wonder…"
The delicate frown on her forehead made him chuckle nervously. "Ah well, Daidouji-san, you see… I made a very important, er, promise to my cute little descendant. To be truthful, this little explanation is already dangerously treading on breaking our contract."
"A contract?"
"Yes, and I cannot disclose the terms."
"But why?"
"I cannot tell either."
She tipped her chin with her finger and paused. "But… I can try and find out, right? If I discover what it's all about, then it's not breaking any rules of your contract, correct?"
The Londoner's mouth twitched. "I suppose."
She pressed her hands together in satisfaction. "That'll be perfect!" She picked up her handicam, which was still resting on the toilet seat cover. "Hiiragizawa-kun?"
He looked at her cautiously. "Yes, Daidouji-san?"
"How do you feel about outdoor photo shoots?"
"I'm an extremely private person, thus I'm not inclined to show off in front of strangers," he said primly.
"I hate to disappoint you, but this does not involve Sakura costumes. At all."
"You really know how to break a man's heart, Daidouji-san."
…
"Tomoyo-chan!" Kinomoto Sakura's expression looked torn between delight and anxiety when she entered the ice cream parlor and saw her best friend and her Sakura cards mentor sharing a booth at the corner of the room.
Her second cousin waved at her, yet her other hand refused to let go of the camera. "Sakura-chan!"
The brown-haired girl dashed towards them, pigtails bouncing at either sides of her head. "Syaoran-kun is on his way to your mansion, Eriol-kun!" Her wide emerald eyes flicked back and forth between Tomoyo and Eriol. "He looks… well, a little mad."
"Oh, does he?" The Londoner glanced at Tomoyo, who slid gracefully to the right so Sakura would have a place to sit. "Then it's a good thing that Daidouji-san left him something to occupy his time."
"Hoe?" The cherry blossom looked stumped.
"I left a video running on Hiiragizawa-kun's television, which should produce a good calming effect on him," Tomoyo explained simply. "But Sakura-chan, we don't have much time left. Did you bring those things I asked you over the phone earlier?"
"Sure did." Sakura's hand disappeared into the pockets of her sweater for a moment, then returned, clutching a pair of Sakura cards. "Here's Return and Time."
"Thank you, Sakura-chan," said Tomoyo smilingly as she received the cards from the card mistress.
Sakura's emerald eyes focused on Eriol next. "Eriol-kun, are you sure you have enough—"
"Thank you, Sakuran-san," interrupted Eriol smilingly. "I will take good care of your cards." He turned to his raven-haired companion. "Daidouji-san?"
"Huh?" Tomoyo's head popped out from behind the camera, where she was happily snapping shots of Sakura away. "O-Oh yes! Sorry, I was hoping to add a few more to my collection before we go."
The cherry blossom sweatdropped. "T-Tomoyo-chan…"
"Okay, these look good." Tomoyo flashed her best friend a very pleased smile. "I'll see you later, Sakura-chan!"
"Anou… I promised earlier, I would not ask questions anymore," said Sakura slowly. "But do be careful, Tomoyo-chan, Eriol-kun."
"Usually, I can practice better precaution when I at least have an idea about the circumstances," said Eriol smilingly. "But Daidouji-san does not see it fit for poor Hiiragizawa-kun to possess even a glimmer of understanding of the situation."
"There is bliss in ignorance," replied Tomoyo. She then turned to the still baffled cherry blossom and clasped her hands. "We will be careful. I will protect Hiiragizawa-kun."
Eriol's playful smile disappeared.
"I will count on you, Tomoyo-chan!" said Sakura brightly, squeezing her hands back.
….
"It's really nice of you to create the Clow Cards," said Tomoyo as she and Eriol made their way to the Tsukimine Shrine. "These are really convenient, you know. I would love to go back to those days that I didn't get to completely videotape Sakura-chan's wonderful costumes!" Her lavender eyes turned sparkly. "A completed Sakura Costumes video collection, oh my!" When she heard no response, she threw her companion a sideway glance. "Hiiragizawa-kun?"
"Hmn?" The Londoner looked at her, a distracted expression on his face. "Yes, Daidouji-san?"
"You've been really quiet since we left the parlor." Lavender orbs searched his face curiously. "Is something wrong?"
He gave her an affable smile. "None at all. What were you talking about earlier? The Return Card, is it?"
Before she could reply, he launched on to his explanation. "The Return card allows one to return to the past and witness its events, but as a spectral observer. As such, it is a very powerful card that can drain most of the card wielder's energy."
"Hiiragizawa-kun?"
"I don't usually need to rely on other sources of power to make use of Return's magic, but after Sakura has changed this to a Sakura card, I cannot directly use it anymore—the best I can do is to emulate its magic with what powers I still have, then boost it with Tsukimine Shrine's own spiritual force. " He shook his head, sighing. "How troublesome."
She did not look utterly convinced, Eriol decided as he took in her delicate change of facial expression. But bless her soul, sensitive Daidouji Tomoyo graciously opted to let the matter go. Instead, she asked, "Will you be alright with casting spells again? Sakura-chan looked pretty worried about you earlier."
Can nothing escape Daidouji-san's perception? But he gave her a reassuring smile. "I've done some spells recently, and I turned out quite alright."
"Spells?"
"Here we are." Eriol's tone turned wistful. "Tsukimine shrine."
Mizuki-sensei's home. Tomoyo couldn't understand the sudden dull ache that rose within her, but she dismissed it quickly. She pasted a cheerful smile on her face and turned to the Londoner. "Well, Hiiragizawa-kun, let's do this!"
Eriol sighed as he held out his palm, revealing a small key that was nearly identical to Sakura's. "Why Daidouji-san always makes me do things I'd rather not do, I can never wish enough to comprehend."
Before she could reply, the ground they stood on began to glow. Eriol shut his eyes briefly. "Key which hides the power of darkness, reveal your true form to me." They key floated as gusts of wind began to envelop them both.
"I, Eriol, command thee through our contract." As the key grew fully into a staff, Eriol's eyes opened. "Release!"
Tomoyo's eyes widened as the cherry blossom tree in the shrine opened a black gaping hole within it. "Is this…" She turned to Eriol for confirmation, who nodded in affirmation.
"I will stay here, Daidouji-san, to keep the portal open," he explained. His gaze met hers, and his gray eyes softened. "I hope you find the answers you seek."
"I will be back." She nodded reassuringly at him, and then determinedly stepped into the time void created.
- To Be Continued -