~~ A Cappella ~~
A Card Captor Sakura Fanfiction by Kit
All characters portrayed here are the property of CLAMP, Kodansha, a bunch of other Japanese
media companies, and a certain Canadian dubbing company that will heretofore go unnamed. I
don't claim to own these characters, but the situations I put them in belong to me. I would rather
this wasn't posted anywhere without my permission (right now it can probably be found on the
CCSFWML groups site, the CCSFWML website, and fanfiction.net), so email me with questions.
Don't steal. I bite.
Quick Note: You'll notice that in this chapter, Nakuru is sometimes associated with male
pronouns, and sometimes with female ones. This is because different people perceive Nakuru in
different ways. When the story is being told from Tomoyo's point of view, Nakuru is a 'she,' but
when the story is being told from Eriol's point of view, Nakuru is a 'he.' I hope I haven't
thoroughly confused anyone yet, 'cause it'll be this way until I finish the story, unless Tomoyo
and Nakuru manage to convince Eriol and Spinel that Nakuru counts as a girl. ^_^;
Part Four -- Canon
canon -- n. -- a contrapuntal musical composition in two or more voice parts in
which the melody is imitated exactly and completely by the successive voices though not always
at the same pitch.
"Colin's had the hots for that Hiiragizawa boy for years now," Sin explained to Tomoyo on Monday before math class. "It's gotten to the point where the mere mention of the guy's name will send him into a swoon."
"I always thought it was kind of cute," Bertie defended. "He's generally so well-composed about things that it was nice to see him flustered once and a while."
"Well he was definitely flustered on Friday night," Tomoyo told the boys. "And I definitely thought it was kind of cute."
"I am right here, you know," Colin commented, from his seat two rows behind Tomoyo.
"We know," chorused Bertie and Sin. Tomoyo giggled faintly but Ben didn't bother to stifle his laughter. Even Justin unbent enough to look amused.
"If you don't approve of our conversation topic," Tomoyo began primly, "You can always leave. We can discuss you just as well behind your back."
Justin snickered.
Colin looked faintly wounded. "What did I do to deserve such treatment from my friends?"
"Well, I could mention all the times you teased Bertie about his crush on Sin," Ben noted clinically. "Or maybe I should remind you of how often you tormented Justin by siccing Akizuki on him. Or perhaps I might note that your absolute favorite source of amusement tends to be yours truly . . ."
"He didn't laugh at you in general, Ben," Sin reminded him with a sly smile toward Colin. "He just thought it was funny that you couldn't get a date with any girl (aside from Akizuki, I assume) if your life depended on it."
"Thanks for reminding me," Ben said with a roll of his eyes. Tomoyo smiled. It had taken Ben longest of all the boys to warm up to her, since he was the shyest, and he still seemed to have a bit of a crush on her. But once he'd stopped blushing at the mere sight of her, he'd turned out to have a wry sense of humor that rivaled Colin's own.
"It's alright, Ben," Tomoyo said sweetly, patting his red curls as though he were a dog. "I'm sure there are lots of girls out there who'd jump at the chance to go out with you."
"How about you?" Ben suggested hopefully.
Tomoyo paused thoughtfully, then repeated, "Well, I'm sure there are lots of other girls out there who'd jump at the chance to go out with you."
Ben sighed and hung his head dejectedly.
"Don't worry, Ben," Justin said with a smirk. "Aside from our very own nauseatingly sweet lovebirds here . . ." He waved vaguely in Sin and Bertie's direction. ". . . You're in good company. We're all Dateless Wonders."
Colin sniffed disdainfully. "Not for long, if I have anything to say about it."
Justin raised an eyebrow. "Does this mean you've got a new angle on your Hiiragizawa hunt? You're not just going to gaze adoringly at him from a distance?"
"For your information," Colin began stiffly, "Now that Tomoyo's introduced me, I should have a much easier time trying to bring him down."
"He's not a deer, you know," Bertie commented. "Maybe you ought to try talking to the boy before you break out the tranquilizer gun . . ."
"But that would take all the fun out of it, Bertie," Sin said with a wicked smile. "I've spent months looking forward to the day when we see Colin come striding down the hall with Hiiragizawa slung over his shoulder, trussed up like a Christmas turkey."
There was a brief silence, then Ben blinked a few times. "Okay, that was a disturbing mental image . . ."
"Did someone make it 'Pick On Colin Day' when I wasn't looking?" Colin asked plaintively.
"No, but it could be 'Just Desserts Day,'" Justin said. "You're always the one bugging us about our social lives." He glanced at Ben and then added, "Or lack thereof."
"Hey!" Ben protested.
Tomoyo smiled gently at Colin, who was settling in for a good sulk. "Oh, don't pout, Colin," she told him. "If you're a good boy, I'll be sure to mention your name to Hiiragizawa in Arts class."
Colin perked up. "That would be simply lovely of you," he declared. He smiled beatifically at the other boys. "Now you see why I like this girl?" He blew a kiss at Tomoyo. "How did we ever get along without her?"
Tomoyo blushed faintly at all the attention, but felt a warm glow of contentment deep in the pit of her stomach. She'd only known these boys for a couple weeks now, but it had done wonders for her self-esteem. Though it was obvious that Colin had initially brought her into the group for the purpose of introducing him to Eriol, it was just as obvious that all five of them were now very fond of her. The boys had invited her to join them regularly for lunch break, and it was now the highlight of her day. Even the tortuous singing lessons with Mr. Phillips in the afternoon didn't seem quite as miserable now that she had lunches with the boys to sustain her.
Once the teacher finally arrived, Tomoyo and the boys fell silent and math class proceeded as usual. It was the one class, aside from Arts, that Tomoyo truly excelled at. She had never appreciated her math skills back in Japan, but now, at Clef, she was two years ahead of most students her age. She was grateful for the fact, since it was what allowed her to be in the same class as the boys, most of whom were older than Tomoyo.
After math came Arts, and Mr. Phillips. The thought of singing no longer threw Tomoyo into a panic, as it had originally had last week. Perhaps she'd adjusted to it, or perhaps she could now sing without automatically associating it with her mother's funeral. Then again, it could have been that Mr. Phillips' class hadn't involved much real singing yet. Tomoyo had done more work demonstrating than anyone in the class, and even she'd only been running through exercises and scales.
"Now that you all have the basics of vocal training," Mr. Phillips told the class, "We're going to begin some individual work. I'll be calling you over to the piano one by one and we'll determine your range, and I'll correct breathing technique and sound production. While I'm working with individuals, I want the rest of you to be practicing breathing exercises and those arpeggios we were working on last week."
Eriol, seated at the piano, gave Tomoyo a look from behind the music director. Tomoyo flashed him a smile in return. Poor guy, she thought. He's going to be stuck listening to the warblings of the assorted incompetents in the class.
By the time Mr. Phillips had worked his way through the rest of the class and called Tomoyo over to Eriol and the piano, Tomoyo was thoroughly bored by the basic exercises she'd been repeating over and over. I never thought I'd be so willing to sing in front of someone else, she thought with relief as she walked over to stand next to the piano.
"Now Miss Daidouji," the director began in a kindly voice, "We both know that this class is far too basic to have any sort of benefit for someone with your talent and training. I wasn't aware of just how skilled you were until you began helping me demonstrate for the class. So aside from giving you the old news that you're a top-notch soprano with a surprisingly vibrant range, I would like to ask if you want to do a special project for me."
Tomoyo gave her teacher a look of polite interest. She wasn't sure she liked where this was going. "What sort of project, Mr. Phillips?" she asked hesitantly.
"You aren't in need of any extra credit, but I'll offer you a generous amount if you'll sing in the benefit concert coming up in a little over a month." He reached out and patted Tomoyo's hand, which was trembling slightly. "I can tell that there's something holding you back here, and I won't pry, but sometimes it's best to face your fears instead of running away from them, whether it's stage fright or something else. Think it over, Miss Daidouji. I'm going back to work with the rest of the class. Give me your answer tomorrow, if you can." He turned and headed back to make order of the chaos that had overtaken the rest of the students.
"I think you should do it," Eriol commented quietly.
Tomoyo started; she'd forgotten that he was there. She gave him a suspicious look. "Is this your doing again?"
Eriol waved his hands in front of him. "Nope, not my fault. You weren't careful enough to hide your talent from Mr. Phillips. I'm afraid he's going to bully you into a concert despite your best intentions, whether it's the one coming up, or some other one far into the future."
With a sigh, Tomoyo leaned up against the black-lacquered side of the piano. "You're probably right," she admitted. Then she gave Eriol a piteous glance. "Why me?" she asked plaintively.
Eriol gave a half-smile. "Was that a rhetorical question, or were you fishing for compliments?"
Tomoyo sighed again, enjoying her wallow in self-pity. It was much more satisfying with Eriol there to sympathize. "Maybe I'll just have to do Mr. Phillips' little concert," she mused after a while.
"That's the spirit," Eriol said with a grin. "I can help you practice, if you like," he offered in a deliberately off-hand manner. "Despite all the demonstration you've been doing in class here, I suspect your voice is a little out of shape. I'm not much of a vocalist myself, but I can certainly help you with the piano accompaniment."
Hmm, that might not be too bad, Tomoyo thought. I think Mr. Phillips was right about one thing, at least. I need to face this sooner or later, and I might as well do it sooner and get a little extra credit.
Eriol was watching her intently, and Tomoyo had a sudden flash of insight. "You've been bullied into the concert as well, haven't you?"
"Guilty as charged," Eriol admitted with a decidedly unrepentant grin. "And since misery loves company, I figured you might as well join me. I think it could be fun, too."
Tomoyo wasn't sure exactly what he thought could be 'fun,' whether it was the idea of her singing in a concert, or the prospect of joining her for practice sessions. Either way, she thought, warming to the idea, It could be interesting.
"I think you've got a deal, Hiiragizawa-kun," Tomoyo told him with a smile.
For a moment, Eriol actually seemed surprised, but he regained his composure quickly and returned her friendly grin. "Excellent. Are you going to go tell Mr. Phillips?"
Tomoyo glanced over to where the music director was calling out orders to the other students, trying to get them to line up according to vocal range. "Hmm, not until tomorrow," Tomoyo decided. "I'll let him stew until the very last moment."
"Now, that's the girl I remember from Tomoeda," Eriol said impishly, his grin widening.
"Are you free this afternoon?" Eriol asked Tomoyo after class, appearing from nowhere next to her locker.
Tomoyo gave him a wary glance. "Maybe," she said carefully.
"She's free," Colin caroled from behind Tomoyo.
Tomoyo glanced behind her to find an innocently beaming Colin and a smirking Ben. "Colin? I thought you said you wanted me to come with you to . . ."
"Nope, I changed my mind," Colin said cheerily. He leaned forward to murmur into Tomoyo's ear, "Ice cream can wait. I want you to go with Hiiragizawa and scope him out for me, okay?"
Tomoyo rolled her eyes and whispered back, "You're obsessed, Colin."
Ben snickered. He wasn't close enough to be able to hear what they were saying, but the gist was obvious enough. "You two are completely transparent, you know," he commented.
"Shut up, Ben," Colin told him absently.
With a weary roll of her eyes, Tomoyo turned back to Eriol. "Okay, sure, I'm free. What did you have in mind?"
"Practice," Eriol said. "For the concert. My house is fairly close by, and I've still got that piano in the music room." He grinned. "And Nakuru wanted me to invite you over again anyway."
Both Colin and Ben paled somewhat at the mention of Eriol's housemate, but Tomoyo chuckled. "Well, if Nakuru-san offers to feed me as well as she did last time, then I'll certainly take you up on your offer, if you're sure I'm not imposing."
"No imposition at all," Eriol assured her. He glanced at the boys lurking behind her. "If you want, you can bring your friends over . . ." he added, a little hesitantly.
Colin and Ben backed up away from Tomoyo and Eriol. "That's . . . okay," Ben said quickly.
"Give Akizuki our regards," Colin added brightly, "But we're busy this afternoon. Right, Ben?"
Ben nodded vigorously.
"In fact, we ought to get going," Colin continued. "It was nice seeing you again, Hiiragizawa," he told Eriol with a polite little bob of his head. Tomoyo was astonished to see that he was keeping his blushes to a minimum.
"And remember to ask him about me," Colin whispered fiercely to Tomoyo.
"I will," Tomoyo promised, stifling a smile.
Then Ben and Colin bolted for the relative safety of the boy's bathroom.
"They both seem like nice boys," Eriol commented neutrally.
"They are," Tomoyo agreed. She pulled a few more books out of her locker, crammed them into her backpack, then slung it over her shoulder. "I'm ready to leave if you are, Hiiragizawa-kun."
"I'm ready," Eriol said brightly, obviously glad to be leaving school. "Shall we?" he said with a quirky little raise of an eyebrow, gallantly offering her his arm.
"Let's," Tomoyo agreed as she took Eriol's arm and they walked out into the amber
warmth of the late-afternoon sunshine.
"Tomoyo-chaaaaan!"
Eriol winced as a tall figure came dashing around the corner of the house, running at top speed, long hair flying out behind. How on earth did Nakuru know she was coming over? he wondered vaguely as he watched Nakuru almost bowl Tomoyo over.
"Nakuru-san," Tomoyo gasped. She was having difficulty catching her breath around the rib-crunching hug Nakuru was giving her. "It's nice to see you again."
Nakuru gave Tomoyo a little breathing room and turned to fix Eriol with a reproachful stare. "You didn't tell me you were bringing Tomoyo-chan home."
"It was a last minute kind of arrangement," Eriol explained evasively. He wasn't sure Nakuru would buy his story, but hopefully he wouldn't be put on the spot.
Nakuru simply shrugged and took Tomoyo by the hand. "Let's go inside and I'll find something scrumptious to eat for us!" Tomoyo was promptly dragged toward the side-door.
"She's here to practice for an upcoming concert with me," Eriol told Nakuru pointedly as he trailed along behind the tower and towed.
"Whatever," Nakuru replied with an airy wave of one slim hand. "I'm going to feed the girl first, and you can't stop me. She's just skin and bones and hair, Eriol. And you want to make her sing for you without food? Ha! Just try and stop me!"
Eriol paused in the doorway and watched Nakuru and Tomoyo disappear into the kitchen. He banged his head against the wooden frame a couple of times. "Maybe this was a bad idea," he muttered.
"I think you're probably right," Spinel commented from his patch of sunlight on the floor. The tiny creature preferred to spend his afternoons basking in the light that pooled across the soft, scuffed rug in the side entranceway. "You certainly forgot to take Nakuru into account here. There's no way you'll be able to seduce Tomoyo with that enthusiast stuffing her full of cookies."
"Seduce?!" Eriol didn't blush, but his voice cracked boyishly on the last syllable.
"Master, I think Tomoyo's about the only one who hasn't yet figured out what you're up to," Spinel stated as he stretched languorously, flexing his claws into the rug.
"I'm not trying to seduce her," Eriol managed to say with a straight face.
Spinel snorted in apparent disbelief.
"She's here to practice with me. That's all." Eriol sighed and banged his head against the doorframe again. "Besides, she already seems pretty happy with that Colin boy. Do you really think that little of me that you suppose I'd try to seduce her under such circumstances?"
"Nice try, Master," Spinel said drily. "Maybe if you repeat that often enough you'll be able to convince yourself."
Eriol paused then gave Spinel a hard look. "I trust you won't share your opinions with anyone else?"
Spinel fluttered up from the floor, his wings catching the glint of the sunlight. "I don't need to," he said with a sniff. He settled lightly on Eriol's shoulder, his tail wrapping around the boy's neck to steady himself. "Nakuru's already planning your wedding."
Eriol groaned.
"But don't worry," Spinel added, patting Eriol reassuringly on the cheek with one velvet-soft paw. "Nakuru knows not to tell Tomoyo about his plans. Nakuru's a bit shrewder than you often give him credit for."
"I'm surrounded by meddling amateurs," Eriol grumbled as he headed down the hallway.
"Hey, you designed us to be professional meddlers, Master," Spinel quipped as they entered the kitchen.
"Come here, Suppi-chan!" ordered Nakuru from his position before the vast, granite-topped counter. There was flour everywhere, and Nakuru was busy rolling a ball of some sort of dough around on the white-dusted counter. "I need you to taste my cookie dough!"
Spinel, being the moderately intelligent magical creature that he was, immediately retreated to the light fixture on the ceiling. "No," he said shortly.
"Aww, come on, Suppi-chan!" Nakuru wheedled, giving the cat-like creature a winning smile. "It's good. You'll like it."
"No," repeated Spinel from his safe perch. "And don't call me 'Suppi-chan,'" he added firmly.
"But Suppi-chan!" Nakuru wailed cutely.
"I said 'no' and I meant 'no,'" Spinel declared.
Eriol watched his bickering companions for a moment more, then joined Tomoyo at the kitchen table. "Dare I ask what Nakuru's decided to bake?" he asked the dark-haired girl.
"Some kind of cookies," Tomoyo replied. "Or at least that's what she said. I'm not so sure. I think she might just have made up something to feed to Spinel-san."
Eriol chuckled softly. "You could be right about that. Nakuru takes an infernal delight in cramming sweets into poor Spinel. I probably should have stopped it years ago, but it's something to watch on rainy days."
Tomoyo paused to brush flour off the front of her school uniform. "Poor Spinel," she echoed, her voice rich with genuine sympathy. "Then again, if those peach tarts she made the last time I was here were any indication of her baking skills, then maybe 'Poor Spinel' is an overstatement."
"Nakuru's generally quite competent in the kitchen. Generally." Eriol eyed Nakuru, who was still trying to coax Spinel down from the light fixture. "Daidouji-san, if you wouldn't mind waiting on your snack, we might want to take this opportunity to slip off to the music room. Nakuru's pretty worked up right now and I have a feeling we'll be pestered all afternoon if we don't leave soon."
Tomoyo stood up and brushed a little more flour off of her skirt. "That's fine with me, Hiiragizawa-kun. I'm not actually hungry at all. Lunch wasn't all that long ago, you know."
"Very well," Eriol said, leading the way out of the kitchen. "Let's make our escape while we still can."
Soon, the echoing voices of Nakuru and Spinel faded out, and the welcome silence of the old house filled the hallways. The music room was on the other side of the house, far away from the chaos of the kitchen. When Eriol had first bought the house, he'd installed soundproofing on the walls and ceiling of the music room, so once he and Tomoyo were safely inside, he was able to shut out the last of the argument in the kitchen.
The music room was rather larger than was standard, since it had at one point been a small ballroom. Huge bay windows overlooked the walled garden, the sills lined with deep green ivy. The windows faced south-west, allowing a little of the afternoon sunshine to spill in and gild the inlaid wooden floor. Aside from the rich wood of the floor, the room was furnished in shades of dark green and gold.
"How lovely," Tomoyo murmured, her heart in her eyes as she gazed at the room. It practically echoed with Eriol's love of music.
"I'm glad you like it," Eriol replied softly, his eyes on Tomoyo as she walked across the room to the window, peering out into the pale-green of the garden below.
To the right of the windows sat a beautiful old pedal harp, the column covered in ornate carvings. Tomoyo paused and ran her fingers along the frame of the harp. She gave Eriol a curious glance. "You play the harp too?"
"Not very well," Eriol admitted, "But it seemed like something a music room should have."
Tomoyo laughed and then joined Eriol by the piano. They quickly ran through a few basic exercises to warm up Tomoyo's vocal cords and Eriol's fingers, then launched into an array of songs they'd both learned back in Tomoeda. There was a kind of simple joy in the creation of music, something that both Eriol and Tomoyo could plainly understand. By the third song, Tomoyo's eyes had drifted closed, her pale face raised in song. Eriol's eyes were open, but he was paying only scant attention to the keyboard. Instead, his gaze was fixed on Tomoyo's face, lifted to catch the last of the afternoon sunlight.
I think this was a bad idea, Eriol repeated to himself. Eriol had hoped that his sudden attraction to Tomoyo after the concert had been a brief, passing thing, but now as he watched her sing, he knew he'd been wrong.
"That was . . . wonderful," Tomoyo murmured as the song trailed off, her eyes opening to fix on Eriol's. Her smile was like the rising sun.
Eriol's smile in return was somewhat strained. "Aren't you glad I bullied you into this?" he asked impishly.
"Do you even have to ask, Hiiragizawa-kun?" Tomoyo replied, her eyes twinkling. She leaned against the side of the piano, her smile relaxed. "You already knew that I'd agree when you asked me to come over, and that I would enjoy myself immensely."
"Well, yes, I suppose I did," Eriol admitted.
"I don't enjoy being manipulated very much," Tomoyo added archly.
"I would never try to manipulate you, Daidouji-san," Eriol lied innocently.
"How come I don't believe you?" Tomoyo asked rhetorically.
"I have no idea," Eriol responded lightly.
There was a sudden banging on the closed door, startling both Tomoyo and Eriol.
"Tomoyo-chaaaan!" came Nakuru's plea from behind the door.
Eriol sighed. "I think that means that our peace and quiet is over for the afternoon. Perhaps we'd better go see what Nakuru's finally produced for you to eat."
Tomoyo smiled slightly. "And you may want to go check up on Spinel-san to make sure Nakuru hasn't done anything permanent to him."
Eriol winced and headed for the door.
As it turned out, Nakuru hadn't done anything to Spinel. When Nakuru led Eriol and Tomoyo back to the kitchen, they found Spinel still firmly ensconced on the out-of-reach light fixture. He still refused to come down, despite all of Nakuru's pleading.
Nakuru sat down at the table and pouted. "I even set a place for Suppi-chan," he complained, gesturing vaguely toward the four place settings at the table, each accompanied by a serving of golden-brown sugar cookies.
"I'm sure he'll eat some cookies later," Tomoyo said to Nakuru, giving a comforting pat on his hand.
"Oh, well," Nakuru said. "At least I can still get Tomoyo-chan to eat my cookies!"
"They are pretty tasty," Eriol commented as he nibbled on one of his own cookies.
"Simply amazing, Nakuru-san," Tomoyo confirmed after tasting a cookie for herself.
Nakuru beamed.
"I'm still not coming down," Spinel announced, spoiling Nakuru's good mood.
Nakuru frowned up at Spinel. "Get down here now!"
"No," Spinel repeated for the twentieth time.
"Then I'll just have to go get my water gun and make you come down," Nakuru replied cheerily.
With a disgruntled little snarl, Spinel fluttered from his perch and made a dash for the doorway. Nakuru wasn't quite quick enough to catch him before he made good his escape. "Come back here, Suppi-chan!" he called, brandishing a large wooden spoon coated with leftover cookie dough. "I still want you to taste my cookies!" Then Nakuru charged off after the rapidly retreating Spinel.
"Looks like Spinel-san got away," Tomoyo noted.
"For a little while, at least," Eriol corrected, listening to the diminishing thuds of Nakuru's footsteps. "If Nakuru decides to bring a water gun into play, then Spinel is going to be in trouble."
Tomoyo chuckled. She nibbled daintily on another cookie while Eriol frantically tried to think of a safe topic for the conversation. Hell, I guess I might as well just come about it head-on, he finally decided. Now how can I politely broach the subject of Colin Severn?
"I wanted to thank you again for meeting Colin after your concert the other night," Tomoyo said suddenly. "He was really looking forward to talking with you. He may have come off a bit giddy, but he's really much less silly than he sometimes seems." Tomoyo paused and shot Eriol a casual glance. "What did you think of him?"
I guess I didn't have to bring Severn up, Eriol thought miserably. She did that on her own.
"He seemed like a nice boy," Eriol said in a voice so noncommittal it was almost impossibly to classify.
"You already said that," Tomoyo pointed out gently.
"Oh, did I?" Eriol smiled vaguely. "I don't think I spent enough time with him to get a very good idea of his character."
Tomoyo nodded thoughtfully, and fell silent once more.
"He seems to be a good friend for you," Eriol continued, deciding to fish for a little more information, "As do those other boys. I think it's interesting that the first friends you made here are Nakuru's little harem."
Tomoyo chuckled. "It's weird, but it makes sense. Nakuru's the common thread among the five of them, aside from their dashing good looks, of course."
"Of course," Eriol agreed cheerfully.
I'll show those simpering pretty boys who's got 'dashing good looks,' Eriol thought darkly, managing to keep his irritation out of his face.
"You appear to get along particularly well with Colin Severn, though," Eriol added, deciding to plug right along with this topic, no matter how painful. "He seems to have zoned in on you from the beginning."
Tomoyo's smile turned secretive. "You have no idea, Hiiragizawa-kun," she murmured mysteriously.
Inwardly, Eriol fumed.
Tomoyo glanced over at the antique clock that hung on the kitchen wall. "I'm afraid it's time for me to head home," she said, genuine regret coloring her voice. "My father starts getting antsy if I'm not home by nightfall."
"I'll walk you home," Eriol said quickly, rising from his chair. "I don't want you wandering around out there when it's getting dark."
"Why, Hiiragizawa-kun!" Tomoyo exclaimed with mock surprise. "What a gentlemanly offer for you to make. I'm truly touched."
"Of course you are," Eriol agreed with a merry smile.
Nakuru and Spinel were no where to be found, so Tomoyo left instructions with Eriol that he was supposed to tell them 'goodbye' for her. Eriol promised to do so, and the two teenagers started towards Tomoyo's apartment.
"Do you have any idea what Mr. Phillips might want me to sing for his concert?" Tomoyo asked after a minute or so of silence.
Eriol shrugged. "He may have something specific in mind, or he may just want you to pick something suitable."
"Ah," Tomoyo said with a nod. There was a pause. "I find myself liking Mr. Phillips more and more," she said.
"He's a good man," Eriol agreed. "I've known him for years. He even taught Kaho and her husband when they were in school here."
"I didn't know they went to Clef," Tomoyo commented carefully. She was watching Eriol out of the corner of her eye, as though trying to figure out how far she could push him on a sore subject.
"Clef Academy is a very old school, much older than Kaho or her husband," Eriol said, somewhat stiffly. "Kaho wasn't a terribly good student, despite her intelligence. Gregory Reed, however, was a star pupil, perhaps due to the fact that his father was one of the deans." His voice sounded hollow, even to his own ears. Eriol suppressed a sigh.
"It's amazing how much coincidence is involved in our lives, isn't it, Hiiragizawa-kun?" Tomoyo's voice was gentle, her gaze sympathetic. "Clef drew Kaho and her husband together, and then you came, and now me. Does the great Clow Reed believe in fate?"
Eriol gave Tomoyo a long glance. She only smiled at him. Does she know how close she is to the truth? he wondered, startled by her degree of perception. Or is she working from instinct here?
"Clow Reed believed in fate," Eriol replied, "But Hiiragizawa Eriol may be another story."
Tomoyo raised a slender eyebrow, giving him a questioning gaze.
With a sigh, Eriol decided that he might as well try explaining things to Tomoyo. If nothing else, she'd probably believe him. After all, Tomoyo had filmed Sakura engaged in much stranger activities than mere fortune telling. "Would it surprise you if I told you that Clow Reed began his career as a fortune teller?"
"At this point," Tomoyo said, "Very little surprises me."
"Well, Clow did," Eriol continued. "At first he was nothing more than the usual sort of astrologer, piecing together bits and pieces of the future and selling them to wealthy benefactors. After a few years, and a few alterations in his methods, Clow realized that his horoscopes were far more accurate than anyone else's. Clow also went about his auguries in a rather improvisational manner, adapting his style as he went. While his contemporaries were babbling about the planets and staring at tea leaves until they went cross-eyed, Clow was reading weather patterns in the flame of a lantern, peering into the future through the precise arrangements of fallen gingko nuts."
"And then he became a magician?" Tomoyo finished.
Eriol nodded. This wasn't nearly as difficult as he'd feared. "Clow Reed's interests changed, but he never truly left behind his humble beginnings with prophecy. Until the day he died, Clow continued to cast auguries." Eriol paused to watch Tomoyo's reaction. She didn't really look startled enough. "You already know this, don't you?" he asked suspiciously.
Tomoyo had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "I went to talk to Mizuki-sensei and she explained a little of it to me."
Great, Eriol thought. So Kaho's been gossiping about me and my prophecies too. "Did she tell you about how Clow's prophecy and my more recent works relate to her?"
Tomoyo nodded. "She said that she was the 'Voice of Silence,' or something like that." She paused, glancing over at Eriol. "She also said that your prophecies said that you and she weren't destined to be together . . ."
Eriol gritted his teeth. "That's true," he said evenly. "Which is why where Clow Reed trusted his horoscopes more than the newspaper, Hiiragizawa Eriol is a bit more skeptical. I don't understand why Kaho could have abandoned me over some ridiculous dream."
"The way she explained it to me," Tomoyo began, choosing her words carefully, "It wasn't because of the prophecy. She fell in love with Gregory Reed."
Eriol saw Tomoyo send another measuring glance his way. It was as though she were trying to gauge just how far she could question him. As irritating as it was for him, Eriol couldn't help but admire her for trying to pry his secrets out into the light. "Of course she did, but I don't think she would have left me so quickly if she hadn't already doubted our relationship." Eriol paused then admitted, "I loved her, and I still do."
The look Tomoyo gave him was full of sympathy, empathy even. Eriol knew that of all the people he could have confided in, Tomoyo came the closest to understanding what he was going through. "I know you do," Tomoyo said quietly, simply. In an impulsive gesture, she reached out and slid Eriol's hand into hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I really do know," she echoed.
"And you still love Sakura-san, don't you?" Eriol prompted gently.
Tomoyo's chuckle was bitter, without any trace of joy. "Do you even need to ask, Hiiragizawa-kun?"
"No, I suppose not," Eriol admitted. "I guess we both aren't the kind to get over love easily, are we?"
"'Get over' it?" Tomoyo chuckled again. "What makes you think that love is something we can 'get over?'"
Eriol shrugged and gave Tomoyo's hand a returning squeeze. "Other people seem to carry on with their lives after loving someone. Why not us?"
Tomoyo's apartment building loomed over them, and it was only as they walked into the golden circle of the floodlights' range that they realized they were at their destination. Tomoyo gave Eriol a long considering look, as though musing over what he'd said. "Yes," she murmured thoughtfully. "Why not us?" A small, sweet smile appeared, which she aimed with deadly accuracy at Eriol. "Thank you for walking me home, Hiiragizawa-kun."
"You're welcome," Eriol replied automatically, still caught up in the soft curve of her lips.
"And it was lovely spending time with you," Tomoyo added.
"Indeed it was," Eriol agreed amiably, gradually regaining his composure. "I don't suppose I could convince you to come over tomorrow afternoon. For another practice session, of course."
"That would be . . . nice," Tomoyo decided. "And by then, I will have talked to Mr. Phillips, and I'll have something to sing."
"Wonderful," Eriol murmured absently, not really listening anymore. With a faint smile, he decided that it would be best if he left soon with as much of his dignity intact as was possible. "Well, until tomorrow then, Daidouji-san," he said, bending over her still-captive hand in a courtly manner. "Sleep well," he added, pressing his lips to the back of her smooth, white hand.
Tomoyo flushed a little, and looked slightly confused, but seemed to accept Eriol's overly familiar farewell. "Goodbye, Hiiragizawa-kun," she replied before darting inside her building.
Eriol waited by the front doors for a few more minutes, gazing at nothing. That could have gone worse, he decided. She could have screamed and ran, I suppose. That would have been suitably embarrassing. He glanced over at the security camera, and on impulse blew a kiss at the lens.
Good night, Tomoyo, he thought, his expression bemused as he walked away. Sweet
dreams.
"Another one?!" Hiroshi was definitely feeling testy when his only daughter returned that
evening.
"Actually, I believe that was the first one again," Tasha corrected cheerfully. "Way to go, Tomoyo-chan!"
Tomoyo sighed. "Don't you guys have anything better to do?" she asked mournfully.
Hiroshi and Tasha exchanged a long look, then turned back to Tomoyo, wearing identical, innocent smiles. "Nope!" they chorused.
Tomoyo wanted to bang her head against a wall.
"So which one are you going out with?" Tasha asked. "I mean, the one tonight only kissed your hand, but the one from the other night is gay, if what you say is true."
"Colin, the one from the other night, is definitely gay," Tomoyo confirmed. "Or at least, he's definitely chasing after Eriol, the one from tonight."
Tasha stared. "My goodness. That's quite a love triangle, isn't it, love?" She gave her boyfriend a wink.
Hiroshi grumbled something inarticulate about 'idiotic teenage boys' and his 'poor, innocent daughter.'
"Eriol's just helping me practice for an upcoming concert," Tomoyo tried to explain. "Mr. Phillips wants me to sing and I'll probably agree."
Hiroshi perked up a little, and Tasha looked slightly disappointed.
"Colin Severn is a friend," Tomoyo continued sternly. "And Hiiragizawa Eriol is also a friend. Nothing more. So don't get too excited when Hiiragizawa-kun walks me home in the evening, since I'll be going over to his house to practice a lot."
Tasha threw Hiroshi a triumphant little smile. "Told you so," she said smugly.
"Excuse me?" Tomoyo asked, feeling like she'd missed an important part of the conversation here.
"Never mind, Tasha," Hiroshi told his girlfriend firmly. "We can talk about it later."
"But you still owe me ten pounds, my dear," Tasha countered, a beatific smile on her lovely face.
I don't think I want to know exactly what's going on here, Tomoyo decided, making her escape into her bedroom while her father was busy arguing with his flatmate. I get the impression that Tasha just won a bet, and that I was the subject of the bet.
Tomoyo closed her door behind her and tossed her backpack onto the chair next to her bed. Besides, she thought as she flopped down onto her bed, staring at the ceiling, Father should know better than to make bets against Tasha. She always wins.
Homework was a welcome distraction, and Tomoyo concentrated on equations and essays for the next hour or so. It was an easy way to avoid thinking about a thoroughly enjoyable, thoroughly confusing afternoon and evening. But when she'd finally finished editing her essay on the failings of the British rule in colonial India, she found that her thoughts turned inevitably back to the subjects of Colin Severn and Hiiragizawa Eriol.
In a final attempt to clear her mind, Tomoyo changed into one of her plain nightgowns and sat down to brush out her hair. It was a nightly ritual that usually calmed her, and cleared her mind of the troubles of the day. But now, as the hairbrush slid noiselessly through her long hair, Tomoyo realized that she couldn't get Colin and Eriol out of her head.
I did try to see if Eriol was at all interested in Colin, Tomoyo thought wearily. But Eriol never said anything concrete about Colin. He just kept mentioning how lucky I was to have such a nice friend. Tomoyo began to braid her hair back, to prevent nighttime tangles.
And then we talked about Kaho. Tomoyo sighed and tied off the end of the braid. I can't believe I was so insensitive to have pulled the conversation towards Mizuki-sensei. Even if he was able to even the playing field by bringing up Sakura-chan, Eriol must think I'm horrible.
Or maybe not, whispered a sly, quiet part of her mind. Eriol certainly hadn't seemed upset when he'd left her at the front of her apartment building. And he'd kissed her hand . . .
"This is ridiculous," Tomoyo decided, aloud. "Worrying isn't going to help."
Tomoyo set down the hairbrush and went to bed. She managed to keep thoughts of Colin
and Eriol from intruding upon her sleep. For the first time in as long as she could remember,
Tomoyo didn't dream about Sakura.
"I . . . tried," Tomoyo reported to Colin the next afternoon before math class.
Colin blinked. "What do you mean, you 'tried?'"
"I tried bringing you up in conversation, when I was over at Eriol's house, but he didn't have much to say." Tomoyo watched Colin's expression fall, so she quickly added, "But that doesn't necessarily mean anything. We were mostly talking about music."
Colin sighed. "I think I'm doomed," he decided. "I've been watching Hiiragizawa for years and now he only knows me as your little friend." His expression was comically melancholy.
Tomoyo gave Colin a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Colin. I'll work on him this afternoon."
"You're going over again?" the blonde boy asked, surprised.
"Yeah, Eriol's going to help me practice for an upcoming concert," Tomoyo explained.
Colin gave her a long, suspicious look.
"That's all it is!" Tomoyo assured him. "He's just an old friend from Japan, Colin. You couldn't think that I would try to steal your man, right?"
"No, I guess not," Colin agreed quietly.
"Not on purpose, at least," Bertie added, with a suggestive wiggle of his heavy eyebrows.
"Shut up, Bertie," Sin told him sharply.
"Hmph," said Bertie, unhappy to have his ideas shot down so quickly.
Meanwhile, Justin was watching Tomoyo's expression shift from surprised, to hurt, to
confused, to thoughtful. He exchanged a meaningful glance with Ben, who nodded at him. They
definitely saw what was happening, even if Colin and Tomoyo didn't. Justin had a bad feeling
about things, and wished there was a way he could prevent the fireworks that were sure to ensue.
Yet while Justin was fairly inept when it came to his own relationships, and while he still had his
eye on the lovely Tomoyo, he knew better than to interfere. He didn't want to get singed in the
explosion.
"Gershwin?" Eriol's face split into a grin, as he ran through a few scales on his piano. He
and Tomoyo were in his music room once again, getting ready to practice. A week had passed
since their first practice session, and it was becoming a comfortable routine. Outside, it was
almost dark, even though sunset was still a couple hours away, and the morning's rain had faded
to a dreary sort of fog that shrouded the garden like coils of silk.
"That's what Mr. Phillips said," Tomoyo repeated. "I can pick anything I like, but the concert's going to be a George Gershwin festival, so that's who I have to work with. I don't suppose you have any ideas?" Tomoyo sat down on the piano bench next to Eriol. "I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much about the whole genre."
Eriol watched Tomoyo run her fingers lightly across the keys, her fingernails clicking against the ivory. "I've got a few ideas, at least," he suggested. "If you want to wait a moment, I can run and get some music for you."
"That sounds wonderful, Hiiragizawa-kun," Tomoyo said with a genuine smile.
Eriol walked over to the far side of the music room, where a row of cabinets sat. He sorted through some of the drawers, eventually pulling a few handfuls of sheet music out. He brought his selections back to the piano and settled back onto the piano bench. Eriol was almost painfully aware of Tomoyo's nearness, but he did his best to ignore the way he could smell her soap, the way he could feel heat radiating from her side where her arm occasionally brushed against his . . .
Eriol cleared his throat and began to run through a few songs, playing the opening bars and singing a verse or two from each. Tomoyo sat and listened, an attentive expression on her face. Despite his self-consciousness, Eriol did a fine job introducing Tomoyo to the works of one of the great modern composers of America.
"Did any of them suit you, Daidouji-san?" Eriol finally asked once he'd played samples from about ten songs.
"This one," Tomoyo replied promptly, pulling a few sheets of music and settling them on top of the pile.
"'Someone To Watch Over Me?'" Eriol read, his mouth curving into a smile. How appropriate, he thought.
"I like it," Tomoyo said. "It's sort of mournful, but hopeful too, and I think it will work with my range. Can we try it?"
"Of course," Eriol agreed before playing the first few bars.
Tomoyo's voice was quite different from the type usually associated with 'Someone To Watch Over Me.' Generally women with low, rich voices, like Ella Fitzgerald, were cast to sing the song, but as Tomoyo had predicted, it suited her just fine. Age had improved Tomoyo's range, allowing her the depth necessary to sing the lower parts, while retaining the breathy strength to rise above the higher parts. Eriol was surprised at the speed she picked up the music, and before their practice session was over, she was already experimenting with the different nuances of the lyrics.
"You chose well," Eriol commented as he and Tomoyo lingered over iced tea in the kitchen. Once more, Spinel and Nakuru was missing.
"Of course," Tomoyo replied with a smug smile.
"I'm not sure I would have had you pinned as an Ella Fitzgerald imitator," Eriol teased. "Billie Holiday, maybe, but not Ella Fitzgerald."
Tomoyo laughed. "I don't think I could pull off Billie Holiday, even if my life depended on it. And anyway, who says I have to imitate Ella Fitzgerald? Why can't I do my own Daidouji Tomoyo version of the song?"
"No reason at all," Eriol said quickly. "And anyway, you've got a prettier voice than Billie Holiday. Prettier than Ella Fitzgerald's too, I think."
"Flatterer," Tomoyo accused, blushing slightly as she smiled at Eriol.
"But true," Eriol replied honestly.
They fell silent for a couple minutes, stirring nervously at their tea. Tomoyo added another teaspoon of sugar; Eriol squeezed a second wedge of lemon into his glass. Eriol was trying to figure out a way to bring up the subject of Colin without seeming too pushy. Luck was with him and she brought up the subject without prompting.
"I was just curious," Tomoyo began casually, "But what do you think of Colin?"
Eriol was slightly taken aback by the question, but decided to answer as politely as he could. "I like him, I suppose. He seems to be very fond of you, and that shows that there's at least something good in his character, right?"
Tomoyo waved off his indirect compliment and tried to rephrase her question. "Yes, but I was wondering what you really thought of him. What do you think of him as Colin, not as my friend?"
Eriol paled slightly. Well, here goes. I guess this means that I'm in the role of supportive friend here as she admits she's in love with the boy. There's nothing left but to approve of him for her . . .
"In case you're wondering, Daidouji-san," Eriol began as gently as he could manage, "I approve of Colin Severn."
Tomoyo paused and simply stared at Eriol. "What?"
"I approve of your choice," Eriol said, a little unhappy that she was making him repeat himself.
"What?!" Tomoyo looked thoroughly confused now.
"What I mean," Eriol began crossly, "Is that if you want to go out with Colin, it's fine with me. He seems like a good person, and he seems to like you very much. Okay?"
Tomoyo burst into peals of silvery laughter.
"What did I say?" Eriol demanded, irritated that she could find amusement in his angst.
"You thought that Colin and I were . . ." Tomoyo gasped out, between giggles. "Oh, my goodness," she said before collapsing in laughter once more.
Eriol frowned and waited for Tomoyo to regain her composure.
"I wasn't asking whether you approved, Hiiragizawa-kun," Tomoyo explained, her cheeks rosy with mirth. "I'm not interested in Colin that way, and he's not interested in me."
Eriol looked offended. "It certainly looked that way . . ."
"He's gay," Tomoyo said pointedly. "He's been trying to get me to ask you out for him."
Eriol stared.
Tomoyo began to laugh again.
"It was a perfectly reasonable mistake," Eriol insisted after a moment. His lips curled into a smile. "I could have sworn you two were, well, you know . . ." He made a vague, suggestive sort of gesture with his hand.
"Don't be silly," Tomoyo replied. She sipped at her tea. "Colin is much more interested in you than he ever will be in me. And as for myself, I'm still . . . healing." It was a gentle way of saying she was still longing for Sakura.
Eriol sighed. "I guess I was being a little silly," he admitted.
"So I guess I can tell Colin that you aren't interested?" Tomoyo asked.
Eriol winced. "That might be a good idea, if you can do it gently. I don't want to cause any trouble between you two. If you need to prove to him that I'm straight, you can tell him about Kaho, if you like." Then he gave her a wicked smile. With the light glinting off his glasses, he looked positively fey. "Or I can come along and flirt with you or something. Would a kiss convince him, do you suppose?"
Tomoyo didn't blush, but Eriol didn't think she knew whether he was teasing or not. He smiled inwardly. Maybe things aren't going as badly as I thought, he decided, relaxing back into his chair.
"I may take you up on your offer if Colin doesn't believe me," Tomoyo replied, her voice playful. She absently stirred the remnants of her iced tea then reached back to pull a sealed envelope out of her backpack. "Would you mind if I read my mail quickly, Hiiragizawa-kun? I got a letter from Sakura-chan this morning but I haven't had the time to read it yet."
"Oh, go ahead," Eriol said with a wave of his hand. "I'm curious to hear what's going on back in Tomoeda, myself."
"Thanks," Tomoyo said before carefully tearing open the envelope.
Eriol watched her with an slightly goofy smile on his face. He knew he was being ridiculous, but he couldn't keep from smiling. Now that he knew that Tomoyo and Colin were nothing more than good friends, he felt almost liberated. I'd never really considered actually pursuing Tomoyo, but now that I think about it, I don't see why not. She's lonely, I'm lonely. Eriol carefully ignored the part of his mind that kept reminding him that he was still pining after Kaho.
Then Tomoyo paled. She was usually almost deathly pale, but now she looked as though she was going to faint.
"Daidouji-san?" Eriol leaned forward and touched her arm gently. "Are you alright?"
Tomoyo's hands shook slightly, Sakura's letter rattling in her grasp. "I'm fine," Tomoyo whispered.
Eriol could tell that she wasn't fine, that she'd read something in the letter that had shaken her to the core. Normally, Eriol wouldn't have pried, but he was worried. "What did Sakura-san have to say?" he asked carefully.
Tomoyo glanced back up at Eriol, her eyes huge and dark and full of pain. "Sakura-chan and Li-kun are coming here to visit. In a week."
Eriol stared back at her, expressionless. Well, he thought miserably, There go all my
plans for a nice quiet week with Tomoyo . . .
End Notes:
See, I have been working! And yes, I'm a horrible, nasty, mean person to leave everyone with an
ending like this. Just imagine all the havoc that little Sakura-chan is going to cause in the next
chapter. See, just now, Eriol has sort of decided that now that he doesn't have to worry about
competition from Colin, he may just try and snag Tomoyo-chan. *shrugs* Hey, Eriol's still hung
up on Kaho, but he seems to think that Tomoyo would make for a nice rebound relationship.
Anyway, so just when Eriol thinks everything is starting to look up . . . WHAM! Sakura-chan's
coming. And Eriol knows how Tomoyo feels about Sakura, and he knows that when Sakura
comes to visit, Tomoyo's going to slip into 'Sakura-chaaaaan'-mode. *sighs* Poor boy. He
never gets any breaks.
Well the next chapter is sort of plotted out, and I will work on it dutifully. *nods and smiles*
Yeah, so encouragement is welcome, just don't ask when the next chapter's coming out. I'll be
more likely to throw a temper tantrum than give you a real answer. *cackles* In the next section,
look forward to some serious angsting from both Eriol and Tomoyo, some uncharacteristically
perceptive remarks from Syaoran, Sakura's usual obliviousness, and some rather blatant bullying
from Nakuru and Spinel. Oh, and the Bishounen Boys will be there as well, providing snide
remarks and disparaging comments from the peanut gallery. And I think Colin's going to be in
full sulking mode for the whole chapter. Poor little darling. *grins maniacally*
Revisions -- May 8th, 2001
I went through and fixed up a few coherency problems, along with a couple bizarre consistency
issues (like the whole Tasha-as-wife/girlfriend problem). I also added the musical definitions at
the beginnings of each chapter, so everyone can see how they relate to the story. (They do. I
promise.) But there's not really any new material here. The next chapter should be out in a few
days, so look for that. Sorry about this not-really-update. *grins*
