Chapter 8: Granted Wishes
"Come in, Ms. Tomoyo!" Spinel smiled as he ushered the visitor in. "Thanks Spinel Sun. It's been quite a while since." "TOMOYOOOO! I'm so glad to see you again!" Nakuru rushed to hug the girl. "You too, Nakuru," Tomoyo laughed as she extracted herself from the guardian's bone-breaking embrace. "But you seem a little too happy. I haven't been gone that long, have I?" "Well, three months is enough for us to miss you," Spinel admitted. "We had a gloomy atmosphere for days." "But we won't blame you, Tomoyo," Nakuru added as she hung Tomoyo's umbrella on a hook. Summer afternoon sun wasn't good for the skin. "That's okay." Tomoyo looked around, noticing her best friend's absence. Eriol was usually up at this time of the day. Nakuru noticed of Tomoyo's silent inquiry. "He's still sleeping." Tomoyo was startled. "That's new. He usually wakes up early just to phone me for a morning jog." "That was before the 'Depression' took place," Nakuru answered. Quite a tactless slip. Tomoyo didn't say anything though she felt a slight ache in her chest. "Why don't you go fetch him?" Nakuru immediately suggested. "Suppi and I are going to fix snacks." "Sure."
Eriol was busy drying himself up when Tomoyo knocked. Thinking it was Nakuru, he said, "Come in." Tomoyo went in. She noticed that the room was neat except for the bed. The covers were thrown off because of the summer heat; a pillow was on the floor because of a dream (He threw Robin far into space; But Tomoyo doesn't know of course); and the alarm clock lay wrecked on the floor. "Eriol!"
He panicked when he heard a voice. He was still in the bathroom when he heard the speaker. But he thought it was Nakuru since the bathroom door was closed and the voice was a bit muffled from the inside. "Oh no! Nakuru's going to have a fit when she sees the clutter!"
Thinking Eriol understood her (though she was surprised when he wasn't startled to hear her) Tomoyo started to fix his bed. "Eriol your room's a mess!"
Eriol immediately wrapped the towel around his waist as he decided to dress later after he cleaned the room and appeased Nakuru. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" Then he went out to face the wrath of, "Tomoyo?"
She was pulling the covers on his bed when he came out. "Tomoyo?" She turned. "Oh hi Eriol! Just. fixing your bed." Then she stooped down to pick up the clock and hide the furious blush.
He was still gaping at her swiftly gliding around the room, cleaning the unknowing mess he created the night before. 'What is she doing here?'
Feeling his eyes on her, she turned. He was still there, lower body wrapped in a towel while remaining shirtless. She fumbled again for words. "I'll just wait outside for you to dress yourself. It's almost three o'clock by the way."
Eriol immediately put on his clothes and rushed out to the door. A giggling, pink face of Tomoyo greeted him. "What?" Eriol frowned. Tomoyo laughed even more. "Your hair's all messy!" she said as she burst out into peals of bubbly laughter. "It is?" he touched his head. Rough tangles met his fingertips. "It is!" "Give me your comb," she ordered. He handed a blue one. She reached over his head and began brushing its strands. "I feel silly," he muttered like a child. But he liked the fact that she herself was fixing his hair. "Well, you should remember to fix yourself properly, and to get up early as well," she reprimanded him. He was sheepish. "Sorry about that. I slept soundly and forgot that Nakuru was banging on my door." Tomoyo kept looking at him like a doting parent, trying to see if there were any more tangles. "There, all done." "Thanks." "No problem."
They were walking along the corridor when Eriol spoke. "Why are you here?" "Isn't it wrong to visit a friend? And a best friend at that?" He grinned sheepishly. "No. But I thought that-" "I'm still angry with you? If I'm still angry, then what am I doing here?" He kept his silence. "But if you want me to leave I'll just." "No, please! Don't leave!" he grabbed her hand to stop her. He wasn't going to let go again now that his prayers were answered and was given another chance. "I was just surprised that you suddenly came back again." She hugged him. "And I'm not going to leave you again. For all the soccer players in the world." He frowned. "Is that an insult?" She laughed as she took his hand and walked down the stairs.
"Nakuru stuffed me with sweets so I went hyper," Spinel explained while it glared at Nakuru. Eriol looked at the mess the guardians had created. Tomoyo was giggling as she watched the cat bounce slightly in the air as it hiccuped. "We'll fix this," he said as he rolled up his sleeves and went to work. "Why can't you use your magic?" Tomoyo asked. "I'm not going to use my magic even if I can call it back," the boy said. "I'm living as a normal human now." "Right. And what do you call 'living with a talking cat and a gender- less cross-dresser'?" Tomoyo pointed out. The guardians laughed. "Well, I wouldn't be comfortable if the cat didn't speak and the cross-dresser chose to be a girl. I'd have to worry about a lot more things aside from what I currently have. Like cat food, Nakuru's monthly period," at this Nakuru and Tomoyo blushed.
"Well if she'd ever experience it, it would cause a lot more problems. Like her hormonal imbalances- pimples and mood swings for instances. There's also her vanity- for god's sake! You should see how she bursts into tantrums if one hair was out of place. And of course. guys! I don't know how to say this, but I can't imagine Nakuru going out with a guy, dressed in very girly outfits," Eriol ticked off items as he took out cleaning materials. The three other people couldn't contain themselves and burst into another round of laughter. They spent thirty minutes clearing up the very messy kitchen.
"There, all done." "Yay!" Tomoyo cheered. "So what do we do now?" "We'll eat. But I'm going to prepare the snacks this time," he said meaningfully towards the guardians.
When he got back, only Tomoyo remained in the room. "Where are they?" "Nakuru said that they were already full with all the sweets and decided to sleep." "Hn. A crude excuse," he implied being left alone with Tomoyo. She felt hot as she got the meaning. But she was sure she didn't blush. Eriol placed a pie pan in front of her. "Ooh! Blueberry!" Tomoyo's mouth watered as her favorite dish was served. "Only for my dearest Tomoyo," Eriol smiled as he sliced it into eight pieces. Tomoyo laughed appreciatively. But inside she was really celebrating with the angels in heaven. "Taste it," he said and handed her a fork. She took it and sliced a bite- size piece. Then she choked. "Tomoyo! Are you alright?" Eriol rushed to her aid. But to his surprise, she started laughing. "You fell for it! Laughter you should've seen your face! Guffaw it was priceless! Hahahaha!" she banged her fist repeatedly on the table to balance her hilarity. He felt his face heat up from the embarrassment. "I was worried about you! You nearly gave me a heart attack." Tomoyo calmed herself down. "I'm sorry! It was just too funny to resist!"
Then he asked her to taste it again ("and don't do it again!"). "Well, how is it?" Tomoyo continued to chew quietly, as if tasting the piece and preparing her judgement. "Hmm." She took ate another bit and chewed again. "Well?" She ate another bite, ignoring him. "Tomoyo!" "It's delicious," she said quietly before forking in another bite. "Just like before." He grinned. "And I'm glad you still liked it. Seems I haven't lost my touch, don't you think so?" "Don't be so conceited Eriol. Just because I liked it doesn't mean it's that great. What maybe yummy for me maybe yucky to others." "Another offense to my cooking again huh?" She wasn't intimidated. "No. Because I'm the only one you cook these delicacies for, that's why I have no proof of what I said. I just said it because you were so arrogant."
After a two hours, Eriol and Tomoyo went to rest in the living room. "That was quite an afternoon," commented Tomoyo as she lay her head on an armrest of the couch. "A very tasty afternoon I must say." "I'm sorry about a while ago," Eriol said as he leaned on the other armrest of the couch and stretched his legs near Tomoyo's. "I hadn't expected that they'd misbehave." Tomoyo waved it off. "I missed their presence." "Yes, and the times when they'd go wrecking the house," Eriol quipped. They laughed. With a few sighs and yawns, they went silent for a while. "You know, these past few months have been terribly quiet." Tomoyo nodded. "I really missed what we usually did." "Do you want to do it again next week? Relive the past so we can pick up from where we left." She grinned a soft smile. "I'd love that."
"Come in, Ms. Tomoyo!" Spinel smiled as he ushered the visitor in. "Thanks Spinel Sun. It's been quite a while since." "TOMOYOOOO! I'm so glad to see you again!" Nakuru rushed to hug the girl. "You too, Nakuru," Tomoyo laughed as she extracted herself from the guardian's bone-breaking embrace. "But you seem a little too happy. I haven't been gone that long, have I?" "Well, three months is enough for us to miss you," Spinel admitted. "We had a gloomy atmosphere for days." "But we won't blame you, Tomoyo," Nakuru added as she hung Tomoyo's umbrella on a hook. Summer afternoon sun wasn't good for the skin. "That's okay." Tomoyo looked around, noticing her best friend's absence. Eriol was usually up at this time of the day. Nakuru noticed of Tomoyo's silent inquiry. "He's still sleeping." Tomoyo was startled. "That's new. He usually wakes up early just to phone me for a morning jog." "That was before the 'Depression' took place," Nakuru answered. Quite a tactless slip. Tomoyo didn't say anything though she felt a slight ache in her chest. "Why don't you go fetch him?" Nakuru immediately suggested. "Suppi and I are going to fix snacks." "Sure."
Eriol was busy drying himself up when Tomoyo knocked. Thinking it was Nakuru, he said, "Come in." Tomoyo went in. She noticed that the room was neat except for the bed. The covers were thrown off because of the summer heat; a pillow was on the floor because of a dream (He threw Robin far into space; But Tomoyo doesn't know of course); and the alarm clock lay wrecked on the floor. "Eriol!"
He panicked when he heard a voice. He was still in the bathroom when he heard the speaker. But he thought it was Nakuru since the bathroom door was closed and the voice was a bit muffled from the inside. "Oh no! Nakuru's going to have a fit when she sees the clutter!"
Thinking Eriol understood her (though she was surprised when he wasn't startled to hear her) Tomoyo started to fix his bed. "Eriol your room's a mess!"
Eriol immediately wrapped the towel around his waist as he decided to dress later after he cleaned the room and appeased Nakuru. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" Then he went out to face the wrath of, "Tomoyo?"
She was pulling the covers on his bed when he came out. "Tomoyo?" She turned. "Oh hi Eriol! Just. fixing your bed." Then she stooped down to pick up the clock and hide the furious blush.
He was still gaping at her swiftly gliding around the room, cleaning the unknowing mess he created the night before. 'What is she doing here?'
Feeling his eyes on her, she turned. He was still there, lower body wrapped in a towel while remaining shirtless. She fumbled again for words. "I'll just wait outside for you to dress yourself. It's almost three o'clock by the way."
Eriol immediately put on his clothes and rushed out to the door. A giggling, pink face of Tomoyo greeted him. "What?" Eriol frowned. Tomoyo laughed even more. "Your hair's all messy!" she said as she burst out into peals of bubbly laughter. "It is?" he touched his head. Rough tangles met his fingertips. "It is!" "Give me your comb," she ordered. He handed a blue one. She reached over his head and began brushing its strands. "I feel silly," he muttered like a child. But he liked the fact that she herself was fixing his hair. "Well, you should remember to fix yourself properly, and to get up early as well," she reprimanded him. He was sheepish. "Sorry about that. I slept soundly and forgot that Nakuru was banging on my door." Tomoyo kept looking at him like a doting parent, trying to see if there were any more tangles. "There, all done." "Thanks." "No problem."
They were walking along the corridor when Eriol spoke. "Why are you here?" "Isn't it wrong to visit a friend? And a best friend at that?" He grinned sheepishly. "No. But I thought that-" "I'm still angry with you? If I'm still angry, then what am I doing here?" He kept his silence. "But if you want me to leave I'll just." "No, please! Don't leave!" he grabbed her hand to stop her. He wasn't going to let go again now that his prayers were answered and was given another chance. "I was just surprised that you suddenly came back again." She hugged him. "And I'm not going to leave you again. For all the soccer players in the world." He frowned. "Is that an insult?" She laughed as she took his hand and walked down the stairs.
"Nakuru stuffed me with sweets so I went hyper," Spinel explained while it glared at Nakuru. Eriol looked at the mess the guardians had created. Tomoyo was giggling as she watched the cat bounce slightly in the air as it hiccuped. "We'll fix this," he said as he rolled up his sleeves and went to work. "Why can't you use your magic?" Tomoyo asked. "I'm not going to use my magic even if I can call it back," the boy said. "I'm living as a normal human now." "Right. And what do you call 'living with a talking cat and a gender- less cross-dresser'?" Tomoyo pointed out. The guardians laughed. "Well, I wouldn't be comfortable if the cat didn't speak and the cross-dresser chose to be a girl. I'd have to worry about a lot more things aside from what I currently have. Like cat food, Nakuru's monthly period," at this Nakuru and Tomoyo blushed.
"Well if she'd ever experience it, it would cause a lot more problems. Like her hormonal imbalances- pimples and mood swings for instances. There's also her vanity- for god's sake! You should see how she bursts into tantrums if one hair was out of place. And of course. guys! I don't know how to say this, but I can't imagine Nakuru going out with a guy, dressed in very girly outfits," Eriol ticked off items as he took out cleaning materials. The three other people couldn't contain themselves and burst into another round of laughter. They spent thirty minutes clearing up the very messy kitchen.
"There, all done." "Yay!" Tomoyo cheered. "So what do we do now?" "We'll eat. But I'm going to prepare the snacks this time," he said meaningfully towards the guardians.
When he got back, only Tomoyo remained in the room. "Where are they?" "Nakuru said that they were already full with all the sweets and decided to sleep." "Hn. A crude excuse," he implied being left alone with Tomoyo. She felt hot as she got the meaning. But she was sure she didn't blush. Eriol placed a pie pan in front of her. "Ooh! Blueberry!" Tomoyo's mouth watered as her favorite dish was served. "Only for my dearest Tomoyo," Eriol smiled as he sliced it into eight pieces. Tomoyo laughed appreciatively. But inside she was really celebrating with the angels in heaven. "Taste it," he said and handed her a fork. She took it and sliced a bite- size piece. Then she choked. "Tomoyo! Are you alright?" Eriol rushed to her aid. But to his surprise, she started laughing. "You fell for it! Laughter you should've seen your face! Guffaw it was priceless! Hahahaha!" she banged her fist repeatedly on the table to balance her hilarity. He felt his face heat up from the embarrassment. "I was worried about you! You nearly gave me a heart attack." Tomoyo calmed herself down. "I'm sorry! It was just too funny to resist!"
Then he asked her to taste it again ("and don't do it again!"). "Well, how is it?" Tomoyo continued to chew quietly, as if tasting the piece and preparing her judgement. "Hmm." She took ate another bit and chewed again. "Well?" She ate another bite, ignoring him. "Tomoyo!" "It's delicious," she said quietly before forking in another bite. "Just like before." He grinned. "And I'm glad you still liked it. Seems I haven't lost my touch, don't you think so?" "Don't be so conceited Eriol. Just because I liked it doesn't mean it's that great. What maybe yummy for me maybe yucky to others." "Another offense to my cooking again huh?" She wasn't intimidated. "No. Because I'm the only one you cook these delicacies for, that's why I have no proof of what I said. I just said it because you were so arrogant."
After a two hours, Eriol and Tomoyo went to rest in the living room. "That was quite an afternoon," commented Tomoyo as she lay her head on an armrest of the couch. "A very tasty afternoon I must say." "I'm sorry about a while ago," Eriol said as he leaned on the other armrest of the couch and stretched his legs near Tomoyo's. "I hadn't expected that they'd misbehave." Tomoyo waved it off. "I missed their presence." "Yes, and the times when they'd go wrecking the house," Eriol quipped. They laughed. With a few sighs and yawns, they went silent for a while. "You know, these past few months have been terribly quiet." Tomoyo nodded. "I really missed what we usually did." "Do you want to do it again next week? Relive the past so we can pick up from where we left." She grinned a soft smile. "I'd love that."