Crazy Mixed Up Love Square

by

Sakura-chan Master of the Clow

Chapter 7: Party Time!

Summary: Syaoran and Sakura are happily together. But Tomoyo has always had a thing for Syaoran. Eriol comes back to confess to Tomoyo and asks for Sakura's help. She gladly agrees but has promised not to tell anyone. What if Syaoran gets the wrong idea? SS & ET

Disclaimer: I do not own any original characters from CardCaptor Sakura. All belongs to the wonderful members of CLAMP. The story line for this fan fic, however, is all mine so please no copy write.

Announcement: HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAKURA KINOMOTO, SAKURA and SYAORAN from TSUBASA RESERvoir CHRoNiCLE, and WATANUKI KIMIHIRO from xxxHOLiC!


XxXxXx§xXxXxX

"Sakura, would you like to go out somewhere today?" Syaoran asked as they all got the materials they needed from their lockers before going home. They always made sure to have lockers next to, or close enough to one another over the past few years.

"Gomen ne, Syaoran. I wish I could, but I already made plans with Eriol-kun for this weekend," Sakura said with a genuinely sad voice.

"You've been with him for practically two weeks. We haven't had time to spend together at all because you already made some kind of plan with him. You even canceled the dates we had planned together ever since your brother came for this week to spend time with him. The only time you're not with him is when he's with Daidouji-san. Is there something going on?"

"Of course not, Syaoran. I'm just helping him with some things that's all."

"Things like what?" Syaoran said with a disapproving look. He didn't like to interrogate Sakura but she's been gone for two whole week helping Eriol with Tomoyo's surprise party. But of course, he didn't know that.

"Just some stuff, Syaoran. Please don't worry too much about it," she said smiling sadly at him. She really didn't want to lie to him, but she promised Eriol she wouldn't say anything.

Syaoran sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine. Do you want to do something together tomorrow then?"

"I'm really sorry, Syaoran, I can't. I have plans all day tomorrow with—"

"With Eriol-kun. Got it," Syaoran said. He tried not to make his voice sound mad but to no avail. His facial expression didn't help much either. Sakura, having finished obtaining everything she needed for homework for later, zipped up her backpack set it on the floor, and shut her locker, making sure the lock closed properly, before she grabbed his hands and squeezed them lightly.

"I'm really sorry, Syaoran. I promise to call you tonight okay?" Sakura said looking hopefully into his eyes. She gave him a small, cutesy smile which she knew he wouldn't be able to resist. She was right of course because eventually he managed to return it.

"Alright," he said and pulled her into a hug. Sakura smiled wider and hugged him back. Neither of them wanted to let go.

"If you want to know what Eriol-kun and I have been doing this for two weeks, come to Eriol-kun's house tomorrow a bit earlier than seven okay?" Sakura said into his chest.

Syaoran loosened his embrace enough so she would be able to look at him. "You mean it?"

"Yeah, of course! Bring a present and wear something nice okay?"

"Okay, but what exactly am I supposed to bring?"

Sakura just smiled at him. "I'll tell you if you figure it out. But if you want a hint, just think about why tomorrow is so special. It has to do with someone we both love. And if you do figure it out, don't tell her. It's a surprise," she said and lifted her index finger over her lips like you would if you were to signal someone to quiet down, but keeping a smile behind it nonetheless. Syaoran agreed before removing her hand from her lips and lightly giving her a kiss. They broke apart when they heard someone call out to Sakura.

"You ready to go, Sakura-chan?" Eriol called from a corner of the hallway. Sakura nodded and grabbed backpack. She gave Syaoran one last kiss on the cheek before making her way to Eriol. Once she got to Eriol, she turned back to Syaoran one last time and waved goodbye before heading off. He returned the gesture and turned back to his locker to finish putting everything he needed into his backpack and flung it over his shoulder before walking through the now empty hallway and headed home.

XxXxXx§xXxXxX

Tomoyo just got out of the library with three large books in hand. Naoko told her about a new book series she's been reading during lunch and suggested Tomoyo check it out. So right after the last bell rang, the two girls made their way to the library to go get the books. Since it was Saturday, Tomoyo would be able to check out at least the first book in the series during the weekend. But being that she's a fast reader, she would probably finish all the three books, despite them being just as big the Harry Potter books. She had no plans this weekend so it was no problem. And if they were as good as Naoko said, she would be so sucked into the books that she really would finish them before classes commenced on Monday. Luckily she only had a crossword puzzle for her history class to do this weekend for homework and she already finished half of it in class.

Tomoyo bid farewell to Naoko, who decided to stay in the school library for a bit longer, and made her way to the front gate. As soon as she came outside though, she saw Syaoran walking through the front gates alone. Gathering up her courage, Tomoyo sprinted to where Syaoran was.

"Hey, Li-kun!" she said once she was close enough for him to hear her. He turned around and smiled.

"Hey, Daidouji-san," Syaoran said nicely. Tomoyo had finally caught up with him and stood in front on him. She forced herself to keep from blushing being this close to him, despite how many years had already passed. For the past two weeks, they've gotten closer too, since Eriol and Sakura were spending so much time together, Syaoran and Tomoyo would find each other's company enjoyable.

"Are you going home alone again today?" she asked tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah. Sakura said she had some things to do with Eriol-kun."

"Again? They've been going somewhere for two weeks. I wonder what they're planning . . ."

"Planning? What makes you think their planning something?" Syaoran asked, genuinely confused.

"Well, they're so secretive about where they're going and what they're doing, and they're acting the same way I do when I'm planning something over on you and Sakura-chan. What did you think they were up to?"

"It's, uh, it's nothing," Syaoran said quickly, with guilt consuming him now.

"It sure doesn't sound like nothing. Come on, tell me," Tomoyo insisted.

Syaoran sighed. "I-I thought that they were secretly going out," he said quietly, looking down. Tomoyo heard him though.

To Syaoran's surprise, she didn't laugh at him like he expected. Instead she put an encouraging hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. "You have to trust Sakura-chan more, Li-kun. It's pretty obvious those two don't have that kind of relationship." Syaoran gave her a small smile.

"I hope not."

"I'm sure it's nothing. Besides, they'll tell us when their ready," Tomoyo said, trying to cheer him up.

"Yeah, want to walk home together?"

Tomoyo's face instantly beamed with happiness. But she made sure to keep her composure. "Sure!"

"By the way, Daidouji-san, is there anything special going on tomorrow?"

Tomoyo pondered for a while before answering, "Not that I can think of, why?"

". . . No reason."

XxXxXx§xXxXxX

"I think Syaoran is starting to get suspicious, Eriol-kun," Sakura said. They were in the mall, yet again, looking for party supplies.

"I think he's been suspicious ever since I got here. In grade school, he thought I had a thing for you and let his jealousy take over more than once," Eriol said chuckling.

"Really?" Sakura said. She tried to remember the times when he would he would let his jealousy take over, but couldn't seem to find any. Most likely because she didn't have any idea when he even started liking her. Sure she remembered him acting "weird" more than once. But wasn't quite sure whether it was because he would be jealous of Eriol or something else entirely. "I don't think he's jealous now though."

"Ah well, you never know. He was able to calm down because of how much you reassured him. But with the amount of time we've been spending together, I wouldn't blame him if he's started to have conflicted feelings."

"Hoe? Is that bad?"

"Don't worry about it. Just make sure you show him you still love him. I feel bad about taking so much time away from you two as it is. The last thing I would want is to cause problems between the two of you."

"Thank you, Eriol-kun. But you really love Tomoyo-chan and she deserves someone like you because I know you will make her happy. And besides, you two have been on a few more dates in the past two week. It won't be long before you two become boyfriend and girlfriend. You should hear the way Tomoyo-chan talks about them."

Eriol chuckled. "I don't think I'm anywhere near 'boyfriend level.' I mean, yeah, we have gone on a few dates, but we're not dating. You know?"

Sakura stared at him with a blank expression. "Sure?"

Eriol laughed and patted her head. "It's okay, Sakura-chan." Sakura pouted. She didn't like being left out of things, especially when it concerned her.

"So, have you found out who this mystery man is, yet?" Sakura asked changing the subject. Sakura knew about it because Eriol told her Tomoyo likes someone and Tomoyo let it slip while telling Sakura about one of her dates with Eriol.

"No, not yet. I'm on my own on this since I don't want to pry her too much about it. She always seems so sad when she talks about him. Almost like she's forbidden to like him, because he's in love with someone else."

"And you're sure he's not you? I mean she did say she liked him since I was transforming the cards, and that he left, but his love for her wasn't the same as the one he really did love."

"It's the last part that stumps me. I mean I was there during that time, and I did leave, but I never said I liked anyone."

"But she knew you loved Mizuki-sensei. She told me so after you left. She said she wished you and her well. I couldn't see it, but she certainly figured it out."

Eriol chuckled. "She certainly is sharp. I didn't expect her to find that out."

"Expect the unexpected, Eriol-kun," she said giggling. Eriol joined in. "So what else do we need for the party tomorrow?"

"Almost all the table decorations: plates, cups, table cloths, silverware, streamers, all that stuff. We also need to go back to my house and finalize the food we'll be serving and also the guest list, just to make sure we have everything."

"And we couldn't risk invitations in case she saw them, so hopefully we informed everyone we needed to by word of mouth without being too obvious about it," Sakura said. "We also have to set up a special room for Kero and Suppi-chan, to be in while the party is going on. Nakuru-chan knows about the party though, right?"

"Yeah, she said she's willing to keep Tomoyo-chan busy while we set everything up."

"That's great! I guess we better go buy everything now, before it gets too late."

The day progressed and it was almost dusk when Sakura and Eriol finally finished most of their shopping. They carried the bags into Eriol's house and went up to his room to save them until it was time to decorate. They didn't want to start too early and agreed to meet tomorrow morning to begin preparing everything.

For the remainder of the evening consisted of Eriol and Sakura planning on what food they should serve and made sure they has all the ingredients for it. Before long, it was time for Sakura to go back home before dinner.

"We're all set for tomorrow right?" Eriol asked as he walked Sakura to the front door.

"Yup, and you're sure Nakuru-chan knows the plan right?"

"Yes. I'll run it by her again just to be sure. Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No, I think I'm good. The people in Tomoeda are all kind. Well anyway, see you tomorrow!" She said waving. Eriol waved back and made sure she made it to the corner safely before closing the door.

XxXxXx§xXxXxX

The next morning, Sakura woke up at the sound of her phone going off. She groaned, wondering who would call to wake her up so early in the morning, especially on the weekend. Lazily, she searched for her phone blindly since she refused to get up from under the covers.

"Mm, hello?" Sakura answered once she found the darned phone.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

Sakura immediately jolted up to a sitting position causing an unsuspected Kero, who has grown accustomed to sleeping with Sakura on her bed instead of his own, to go flying onto the floor. He immediately woke up once he made impact with the wooden floor.

"Jeez, Sakura, what'd you do that for?" he said rubbing his forehead. Sakura, having not heard him, finally responded into the phone.

"Eriol-kun?" Kero's small eyes widened and quickly sprang into action.

"That would be correct, princess. You overslept again."

At this, Kero was already flying around her room to gather up her materials for her while Sakura jumped out of bed and quickly picked out an outfit from her closet. "I'm so sorry Eriol-kun, I could've sworn I set up the alarm" Sakura said as she started changing her clothes. Sakura heard Eriol chuckled on the other line.

"It's quiet alright, Sakura-chan. I figured as much so I decided to call you half an hour early."

"What?" was all Sakura could say. She did a double take towards the alarm clock set above her bed. The time read 7:30. Sakura sighed a sigh of relief. "You almost gave me a heart-attack, Eriol-kun!"

"Sorry, sorry. But at least you're not going to be late. I'll wait for you before I start anything. See you in a little while?"

"Yeah. Thanks so much, Eriol-kun." With that, Sakura ended to call and continued getting ready for the day but at a more normal pace for her.

"Don't forget your dress!" Kero reminded before flying onto her bag once everything was situated. More of a force of habit now since Sakura's brother and father knew about Kero and the Cards. Sakura thanked Kero and finished grabbing everything she needed. She ran downstairs and made herself and Kero a quick breakfast consisting of toast and a cup of chocolate milk. Once they were both done, they raced out of the house. Since Fujitaka had already left for work, Sakura made sure to lock up the house before she made her way towards Eriols' and was able to make it to his house in the nick of time.

"Welcome, Sakura-chan," Eriol greeted. Sakura just nodded in response due to her being out of breath. "You know you didn't have to run all the way here. I wouldn't have minded waiting for you."

Sakura shook her head. "It's not nice to keep people waiting. Besides, we need all the time we can get."

Eriol smiled at her. "Well then, we better get started."

XxXxXx§xXxXxX

As usual, Syaoran woke up early in the morning with no need of an alarm. He glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand; it read 7:35 exactly. For once, he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. He had been up all night trying to figure out what was so special about this day that took up all of Sakura and Eriol's time for two whole weeks. Nothing seemed to come to mind. He knew it was pointless to ask Sakura about it, he had already tried. The only clue he got was from what she told him yesterday after school. But what could it be? All he knew was that it was for someone. But who?

Lazily, Syaoran glanced over at his agenda lying next to his alarm clock. He turned the page to see what he should expect for the week, being as it was Sunday the weekly agenda marked it as the beginning of a new week. Syaoran's eyes widened and he jolted up into a better seating position, grabbed the agenda off the table and placed it over his lap and stared intently at the page to make sure it wasn't some sort of delusion. There it was, plain as day in Sakura's handwriting in bright red letters read:

Sunday, September 3:

Tomoyo-chan's Birthday!

How could he have forgotten? Tomoyo was one of his closest friends. What kind of friend would forget another friend's birthday, especially one who he was with for a large portion of his life. Sakura's words were ringing in his head:

But if you want a hint, just think about why tomorrow is so special. It has to do with someone we both love. And if you do figure it out, don't tell her. It's a surprise.

Now it all made sense. Sakura and Eriol were planning something nice for Tomoyo for her birthday. Perhaps a party? It hit Syaoran like a ton of bricks. Of course that's what kept Sakura and Eriol busy for two whole weeks. But why didn't they want him to know? Surely he would have helped them out quite a bit if they had just asked. Quickly he grabbed his phone and unplugged it from its charger before hitting the speed dial button. After the first two rings, the person picked up.

"Hey, Syaoran!"Sakura exclaimed happily from the other line.

"Why didn't you tell me about the party? I could've helped you two, you know."

He heard a giggle coming from the other line. "So you finally figured it out, huh?"

"Sakura," Syaoran said in a mock-warning voice, indicating Sakura to answer his previous question.

"Gomen ne, Syaoran, but we couldn't risk invitations in the slim chance she saw them, so word of mouth was the only option to go. But we couldn't be too obvious with it, you know in case she overheard or something."

"I could've helped you two," was all Syaoran could say. He had to admit, he was hurt that they left him out of something like this. After all, Tomoyo was just as much his friend as theirs. Sakura could sense this and felt guilty for leaving him out of it. But she made a promise to Eriol to stay quiet and she had always been one to keep her promises.

"Well there is something you can do."Syaoran immediately perked up. "We need someone to keep Tomoyo-chan busy until the party as well as bring her to it without her suspecting anything. Originally, we had Nakuru-chan do it, but she got called in to fill a half shift for someone. She said she would be back in time for the party but she can't play the role of distracting Tomoyo-chan for the day."

"So all I have to do is keep her busy until seven and then bring her to Eriol-kun's house for the party?"

"Yup! Please, Syaoran, can you do this for us?"

Syaoran could just imagine the puppy look Sakura was probably making at this moment. He sighed in defeat. If this is all he could do, then he'll do it. "All right. I'll bring her over at seven sharp. I'll see you until then okay?"

"Okay! Remember to make sure both of you wear something nice okay? See you then. I love you."

"I love you, too," he said. And with that he hung up, got out of bed and headed for the shower.

XxXxXx§xXxXxX

Tomoyo jumped up in surprise at the sound of her cell phone ringing. Unlike her best friend, she was an early bird. She had gotten up early to continue reading the first book in the series she got from the school library yesterday. She quickly checked who it was before answering. Upon seeing the name, she immediately felt her face heat up.

"H-hello?" she answered timidly.

"Good morning, Daidouji-san,"Syaoran answered from the other line.

"G-good morning."

"Are you busy today?"

Tomoyo glanced at the book in her lap. "Not particularly, no."

"Then would you like to spend the day with me?"

Tomoyo became speechless for a second. She almost dropped the phone. "Uh, j-just you and me?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Of course."

"W-what about Sakura-chan?"

"I called her up. She said she was busy with something really important but that we should meet up with her later. And I don't have anything better to do since I finished the slim homework we were given for the weekend. So how about it? I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

"Y-yeah. Sure! I would love to hang out with you, Li-kun. Um, just give me an hour to freshen up okay?" she added, full aware that she was still in her pajamas and hadn't even gotten out of bed for breakfast yet.

"Sure thing. I'll stop by your house in an hour. See you then,"Syaoran replied.

"Yeah. Bye." Once she hung up, she literally jumped out of bed and skipped to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Once she got out she quickly scanned her large walk-in closet for an outfit. She settled on black leggings, a blue plaid skirt which was attached to a light navy blue plain short sleeve shirt, and a bright red sweater, since it was chilly outside, and a silver-white necklace with a single bow decorated with small diamonds and short high-heeled boots. She quickly blow-dried her long hair, brushed her teeth, and put everything she thought she would need into her purse and rushed downstairs for breakfast. As always, it was already warm upon her arrival and ready to eat. She helped herself to eggs, toast, tea, and a corn muffin. Not long after she finished breakfast, one of the maids came into the kitchen to inform her that Syaoran had arrived. She thanked the maid and made her way to the front of the house. Sure enough, Syaoran was there standing near the door wearing black dress pants and a simple button up green collar shirt with converse for shoes. He smiled at her once she made her appearance made to him.

"You look great," he complimented. Tomoyo felt herself blushing yet again.

"Thank you. Your fashion sense is great as always," she replied, mentally thanking the Gods that she wasn't making a fool of herself in front of him.

"Shall we go?" Syaoran asked extending his arm out to her. She nodded and took hold of his arm as he led her out the house. 'It's not a date. It's just an outing between two friends.' Tomoyo thought, trying to keep her feelings suppressed as to not get her hopes too high up. Besides he was with her best friend. She couldn't let her feelings for him surface, especially when around him.

Syaoran let Tomoyo pick anywhere they were to go. After all, she was the birthday girl, even if she had completely forgotten about it. They went to eat ice cream, walked around the park, and now they were roaming the shopping district of Tomoeda and had stopped by a café for lunch. Syaoran found Tomoyo's presence enjoyable and liked talking to her or hearing her talk. Even though they have been friends for years, he still felt as if she was hiding a big part of herself from him so he often felt as if he didn't know the real her at all. It was around 5:30 when Syaoran remembered he was to bring Tomoyo to Eriol's house looking great.

"Well, we've gone everywhere you've wanted too up to now. How about I pick next?" Syaoran offered. Tomoyo, not used to having this much attention from Syaoran, simply nodded. She was really enjoying herself too. Not just because she was with him, but because she felt that he was having a good time too. But she sure wasn't expecting to be pampered so much. Syaoran had, so far, paid for everything. The ice cream, the lunch, she just couldn't simply say no to him, no matter how much she tried. Besides she did get to pick every place up to now. It was only fair to let him pick for once right? Syaoran took her hand and led her to where the center of the shopping district was. To Tomoyo's surprise, they were standing in front of a dress shop.

"Out of all the places you would pick, I never imagined that you would lead us here. Are you okay, Li-kun?"

Syaoran chuckled. "We're not here for me, we're here for you. I'm going to buy you a new dress."

"Why?" Tomoyo asked with sincere curiosity. She had a closet full of them and if not, she could've easily made a new one for herself.

"Let's just say you'll need one for later today." Now Tomoyo was getting suspicious. He knew something he wasn't telling her. Before she could interrogate him more, he dragged her into the store and immediately started searching.

They spent the rest of the time dress and shoe shopping. Eventually, it was Syaoran who had found the perfect dress for the evening's event. It was a white colored dress with panels lengthening so there were lines going down over and across as to give an even length and shape as the white shined her fair complexion. The neck line flattered at the bust and it tied behind the neck making her hourglass figure bring attention back to her shoulders which balanced out on the hips, the dress stopping just above the knees. The strap was covered with small diamonds. As for shoes, they were able to find deep sapphire heels.

"You should wear that out, Daidouji-san," Syaoran said once she stepped out of the fitting room area so he could have a look at it. He seemed satisfied with it enough and since he didn't have time to get her an actual present, he figured this would do. He knew white and beige were her favorite colors and he could see how much she adored the dress.

Tomoyo's eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked with excitement in her voice. Syaoran nodded causing her to squeal happily and catch him in an unexpected hug. She quickly let go as soon as she realized what she had done. "I'll, uh, go get my clothes then," she said and rushed back into the women fitting room area. Unknown to her, Syaoran smiled watching her walk away. She had always been full of energy when it came to Sakura or shopping or both, but today, she seemed even more jubilant than she would usually be. Soon enough, Tomoyo came back out, still in the dress, with her old outfit in hand. They both went to pay for the dress and shoes. Just as soon as Tomoyo went to reach inside her purse for her wallet, Syaoran pulled out two 20 dollar bills and handed it to the clerk.

"But—"

"It's okay, Daidouji-san. Just think of it as a present from me. Now, there's just one more place I want to go. It'll be quick," Syaoran said. Tomoyo nodded and followed him. Luckily the place wasn't too far away. It the first store as they entered the mall to the left.

"Are you sure there isn't something you're not telling me or more importantly, Sakura-chan?" She asked with a sweat-drop as they stood in front of a beauty salon.

"Again, this is for you." Syaoran said laughing. He gently pushed her into the store and quickly whispered something in the receptionist's ear. She nodded and smiled at Tomoyo and took her by the hands and led her to one of the chairs. "I'll be waiting right here!" Syaoran called back and took a seat in one of the waiting chairs in the front of the store. Forty-five minutes had passed when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and quickly checked the text message.

Everything is ready. Bring in the Princess. ;)

-Sakura

He smiled and quickly replied. Just as he was putting his phone back, Tomoyo came back out and stood in front of him, blushing slightly. She only had basic light make up on, her hair curled in a small ponytail and her nails were finely French manicured, but she still managed to look radiant.

"You look great. Ready to go?" Tomoyo simply nodded again.

By the time they were able to get out of the mall completely, it was 6:45, giving them enough time to get to Eriol's house from where they were.

"Alright, Princess, you need to wear this blindfold before we head of to our final destination," Syaoran said taking out a red bandana. Tomoyo blushed at the nickname he called her by.

"Why do I need to be blindfolded?"

"Why else? It's a surprise. Don't worry; I'll guide you to where we need to go."

Tomoyo nodded and allowed Syaoran to blindfold her, trusting him completely. He gently took her hand and placed the other on her back and started guiding her towards Eriol's house. It didn't take them all that long to get to his home. Eriol was waiting outside the door for them dressed similarly to Syaoran but with a black button up shirt instead of green. He nodded towards Syaoran who nodded back.

"Alright, Daidouji-san, I'm going to hand you over to someone else okay? I assure you that you will be in good hands." Tomoyo nodded and felt Syaoran's warm hands leave her to be replaced with gentle semi-cold ones. Eriol led her to the center of the next room in the house, where the party would be held, with Syaoran following close behind. She felt the hands hold her back, signaling her to stop.

"This is for you, Princess," Eriol whispered into Tomoyo's ear. She couldn't tell who it was exactly but didn't have time to guess as she felt the mystery person untie the bandana.

XxXxXx§xXxXxX

Tomoyo let out an auditory gasp at the sight before her. The whole room looked like it was the night sky decorated with white, glowing stars, some forming the shape of musical notes. In the concession table there was the occasional vase with cherry blossom flowers and the center of it was a pot filled with magnolia flowers. Behind it, a white three layer cake decorated with musical notes spelling out her name. Instead of the usual party food such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and such, the concession table was filled with a variety of soba noodles; izumo soba, izushi soba, shinshu soba, etabetsu soba, you name it, it was there. Each with the different ingredients that came along with it. In a large tray was a pyramid made out of sushi. And you can bet that there was a variety of that too. There was a circle of people around her and Eriol, all smiling broadly at her. At the same time, all her friends exclaimed: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TOMOYO-CHAN!"

Tomoyo smiled to herself. She had completely forgotten about her birthday. Nobody had mentioned it to her and she wasn't the type of person to write down her own birthday and tell everyone about it. She turned her attention to Eriol who was smiling brightly at her. Not one of those mysterious smiles he did back in grade school, but a genuine one. "You did all this for me, huh?"

Eriol blushed sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Well yeah, but I could never had done it without Sakura-chan's help. And Syaoran-kun's too of course."

"Thank you so much, Eriol-kun," Tomoyo said sincerely. Suddenly the lights dimmed so the only lights came from the stars above.

"Let's get this party started!" exclaimed Sakura as she signaled the DJ and he cued up a slow song.

Eriol felt himself blushing. He lets Sakura choose the music for the night, trusting that she would select all of Tomoyo's favorite songs, and she betrays him by starting off with a slow song. He sees Sakura winking at him, signaling him to get on with it. Eriol takes a deep breath and musters up all his courage.

"May I have this dance?" he says bending over slightly, extending his hand out for her to take. His eyes full of hope.

"It would be my pleasure," she replies smiling lightly as she takes his hand in her own and places the other on his shoulder. He gently puts the other hand on her waist as they start to slow dance.

From within the circle, Sakura watches her two friends, sending them an encouraging smile. Syaoran then steps out from the circle to stand in front of her. "May I have this dance?" he said while mimicking Eriol. Sakura giggles and takes his hand.

"Of course you can." Syaoran smiles and leads her inside the circle. One by one, other couples got in and started dancing as well.

"I can see why it took two weeks for you two to prepare. This place looks amazing," Syaoran said once they were halfway into the song.

"Thank you, Syaoran. We both put a lot of work into it. We didn't think we would finish in time, but everything turned out great in the end."

Syaoran smiles sadly down at her. "I'm sorry."

Sakura tilts her head to the side. "What for? You helped us out a lot by keeping her distracted all day and she looks absolutely gorgeous."

"No, not that. It's just. . . I doubted you since last week and I shouldn't have. Daidouji-san told me to have more faith in you, but every time I saw you and Eriol together, all I could remember was all the times in grade school that looked like he was hitting on you and my past feelings came back. I know nothing happened between you two back then, but the way he acted, I just couldn't control myself."

"It's alright, Syaoran."

"It's not. I-I should have trusted you."

"Lighten up, Syaoran. I don't blame you for having those feelings at all. You have to stop living in the past."

"So, you never had any feelings for him?"

"Other than a friend, no. You're the only one I will ever love, Syaoran," she says smiling up at him.

Syaoran returned the smile. "I'm glad."

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"I can't believe you did all this for me," Tomoyo said admiring the room as she danced with Eriol.

"Why wouldn't I? You deserve to have a great birthday." And so much more, he thought.

"I can't thank you enough for this. It really has been one of the best ones I've had so far."

"There's no way I could've done it alone though."

"So this is what you and Sakura-chan have been planning then?"

"Indeed. She helped a lot. She is the one who knows you better than anyone else."

"Y-yeah. She is my best friend," she said. But she doesn't know everything. Like how I've liked her boyfriend since before she even knew she liked him.

"Something wrong, Tomoyo-chan?"

"Hm, what?"

"You had a sad look in your eyes. Is something wrong?"

"Oh no, it's nothing."

"Well, okay." Eriol didn't want to pry her and she was always thankful for that. But Eriol knew well enough now to know that whenever she got like this, she was thinking of her mystery crush.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound sad. I really appreciate everything you've done for me. Thank you, Eriol-kun," she said smiling up at him. She got her tip-toes and kissed his cheek. Eriol's face heats up instantly.

"A-any time."

Luckily for him, the song ended. Awkwardly, they let go of each other and stood there, each wondering what to do next. They spotted Sakura and Syaoran near them and mutually decided to go over to them. Upon seeing them, Sakura ran over to them and gave Tomoyo the biggest hug she had ever given her.

"Happy birthday, Tomoyo-chan! Isn't Eriol-kun so sweet to put all this up for you?"

"Thank you, Sakura-chan. He tells me you helped a lot too."

"Yeah, here and there, but he's the one who came up with the idea and bought all the decorations and made most of the food and everything! He wouldn't even let me pay for the simplest thing," Sakura said happily. During this Eriol was signaling for her to stop talking, being too embarrassed of being the one to take responsibility to do this for her, even though it was true. Sure Sakura and Syaoran helped, but he was still the master mind behind it all. Realizing his efforts were futile, he just stood there awkwardly blushing deeply. Tomoyo smiled at Eriol once more. "Well, let's not stand here, let's party!" Sakura exclaimed and took Tomoyo's hand and led her to the dance floor. By now, an upbeat song was playing.

XxXxXx§xXxXxX

The party progressed with Tomoyo receiving "happy birthdays" from people every now and then. Tomoyo was overwhelmed by the amount of attention she was getting. Sure, she was a pretty popular girl at school, but she never imagined to have so many friends. She could tell a lot of thought was taken into making this day for her. From the guest list, to her favorite foods being served, to the music, to the decorations, everything was perfect and showed her personality and all her interests. After non-stop dancing with half of her friends, she decided she needed a break. She sneaked out to the large backyard, sat down in one of the couches outside and gazed at the stars. They were not much different than the ones inside. It amazed her how accurate it was actually. She still couldn't believe Eriol had done all this for her. She never thought anyone cared about her so much to put so much thought in a single party. She was happy she had such a great friend like Eriol around. It made her realize what a great guy he really was.

"I know the stars turned out great inside. But nothing beats the original." Tomoyo turned around in surprise. Eriol made his way towards her and he sat next to her. Tomoyo smiled at him and turned back to the stars.

"They sure are beautiful," she said.

Would it be cliché if I told you they're not as beautiful as you? Eriol thought to himself. What am I thinking, of course it would be. She only thinks of me as a friend. Stop getting your hopes up!

"Have I thanked you yet?"

Eriol smiled. "Only about a hundred times now."

"Sorry. But I really am grateful."

"Don't be. You deserve this and so much more. You're an incredible person, Tomoyo-chan. You're smart, funny, talented, beautiful—"

Tomoyo laughed. "I don't know about the last part."

"Nonsense, you're beautiful inside and out. And anyone inside can vouch for me." Tomoyo laughed again.

"Would it be too early for you to open one present?" Eriol asked as he took out a large, white, velvet square-shaped box with a blue bow on top. Tomoyo smiled at him.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," she said while taking the box. She slowly opened it and let out an auditory gasp. Her wide doe-like eyes went to her present to Eriol and back. It was a necklace with a large, glimmering, heart-shaped sapphire with pure silver teardrop like edges decorations surrounding it with smaller sapphires at the ends of it and a silver chain holding it all together. "It's beautiful," she said gently touching it and slowly taking it out of its box. "Can you put it on me?" Eriol nodded and took the necklace from her hands. She shifted so that her back was facing him. Eriol lifted her hair and proceeded to putting it on her and made sure it was securely clasped before letting her hair fall neatly back into place. She turned back but had her eyes at the necklace. It was surprisingly light and not cold at all.

"Now you have something to match your shoes," Eriol said grinning.

Tomoyo laughed. "I love it. Thank you so much. You are too sweet, Eriol-kun." They went back to star gazing. Soon after, Tomoyo leaned her head on Eriol's shoulder. Eriol wasn't sure what to do now. He had never been in this position before. He wasn't sure whether he should take her hand, or put an arm around her. Or if either of those two were optional because, after all, friends don't hold each other's hands unless they were really close and Eriol didn't think they were that close yet. Tomoyo, unknowingly, made a decision for him by taking one of his hands into hers, causing Eriol to really blush now.

"Eriol-kun, do you like me?" Tomoyo said after a while. If he was drinking something, Eriol surely would have chocked. Instead his face became even redder. Thankfully Tomoyo couldn't see him. Eriol wasn't sure how he should respond. He knew his feelings for her, but was it the right time to tell her?

"Of course I do. You're a dear friend to me."

Tomoyo lifted her head off of his shoulder and looked into his eyes. Eriol was more than aware of the close proximity they were in. "I mean as more than a friend."

"Well, uh—"

"Because for the past few weeks, I've had fun hanging out with you and I really enjoy your company."

"Oh. Um, well that's good to hear—"

"And when I'm with you, it's like I can forget all my worries. You make it easy for me to smile and be so carefree. You're a true friend, Eriol-kun. I'm so glad I have you in my life again," Tomoyo said before she could stop herself. She stopped before she could further blabber and just stared back into his eyes.

Tomoyo had never been so close to Eriol before and was taken aback by the color of his eyes. Before either of them knew what was to happen, Tomoyo closed the space between them sending an electric shock through both their bodies. Eriol's eyes widened in shock. He wanted to kiss her back, really he did, but he was too much in a state of shock to do much of anything. Finally he did. He kissed her gently, almost as if she would break if he forced on to her too much. Tomoyo raised her free hand and placed it on the back of his head to pull him closer. In response, he gently cupped her cheek and continued to kiss her lovingly. It was short lived when they heard someone yelling their names from inside.

"Tomoyo-chan! Eriol-kun! Come on, we have to sing 'Happy Birthday' to the birthday girl!" yelled Chiharu.

They both immediately pulled apart and stared at anything but each other, both blushing madly.

"We, uh, we should go in," Eriol said.

"Y-yeah."

They both stood up and walked inside to join the rest of their friends, both unaware that they were still holding hands.

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Anonymous Reviews from Chapter 6

jo Um, thank you. I think? LOL

Chapter 7 is finally done! Sorry for the looooooong wait, but I was very, very, very, very busy with school and the school musical, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and the Thespian State Competition (where we took a best in show for our large group! Step in Time from Mary Poppins! Yeah, baby! XD) and a whole bunch of other stuff. Sorry to say but like I said in the last chapter, this story comes fourth in my life. First is obviously family and friends, next is school, then is whatever show I have which I'm so proud to be a part of, and next comes this. So please bear with me because this is still part of my top priorities and even I'm getting impatient with myself because I just want to get to the juicy stuff but I can't do that just yet. Although some juicy stuff was in this chapter. ;) I promise this fan fic will get better from now on. And I promise you I will try hard to find time to write. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I made it extra long to excuse my absence and for any further absences I have in the future. I love you all and thanks so much for your kind reviews. Reviews help me to update. So if you do and want to read more, and not wait over two or three months for the next chapter, you have to review because they strive me to write and update faster. Anyhoosits, now that you have read, it's time to review! Love you all and until next time!

Sakura-chan Master of the Clow