Realization

            Morning dawns and peeks through my violet curtains.  My thoughts are warped, inconsistent and scattered.  I sigh; it's Saturday morning.  Should I really get out of bed at seven in the morning?  I hear someone humming outside, and then words come with it.  "Scrambled eggs, French toast...buttermilk stack..." I sit up.  Nakuru is already awake.  A knock comes.  "Eriol? Are you up yet?" she asks through the door.

            "Yes," I respond. "I'll be down soon."  I fling my legs over the bed's edge and slip on my black slippers and pick up the glasses that sit beside my bed and put them on.  I straighten my pajamas and head out the room.

            I was restless last night; I could feel it.  Often I would have dreamless rest; peaceful slumber.  Nowadays, my head is filled with beauty, grace and charm.  However I don't dread it...not at all.  I find myself wanting to sleep more.

            When I arrive downstairs, a large stack of pancakes and a bowl of fruit were waiting for me.  Nakuru sat beside me on my left and Spinel on my right.  "Eat!" Nakuru demanded happily.

            I cut a piece and put it in my mouth.  Nakuru improved her recipe.

            "So Eriol," Spinel asks after placing a grape in his mouth, "Why did we come back after two years?"

            I place my fork down.  "I have unfinished business."

            "But the cards are--."

            "Personal business, Spinel.  Certain things need to come to a close."  That's the only answer I could really give him.

            The phone rings.  Nakuru jumps out of her seat and picks up the phone.  "Moshi, moshi?  Ah, sure, hold on..." she places her hand over the mouthpiece.  "Eriol, it's Tomo-chan!"

            My heart skips a beat and I swallow hard.  I get up and take a deep breath.  Slowly, I approach Nakuru and take the phone.  "Good morning," I greet.

            "Hello," her voice sings to me.  "Are you three busy today?"

            I hear my heartbeat echo in my chest.  "I don't think so" is my response.

            "Touya-san is driving all of us to the beach.  We'll be staying for the night at the beach house."

            " 'All of us'?"

            "Yes.  Tsukishiro-san, Li-kun, and Sakura-chan also.  Would you three like to join us?"

            She's inviting me to a weekend gathering with our friends.  Why do I feel nervous?

            "Is Keroberos coming so Spinel has someone to play with?"

            Spinel twitches his eye.  " 'Play'?" he says.

            "Yes he is."

            "Hm...I don't see why not," I respond to her.

            "Great.  We'll pick you up before noon, ok?"

            "Ok, bye." I hang up the phone.  "After we eat, we're going to the beach.

            "What?" Spinel asks.

            "The beach?  Wow!" Nakuru wolfs down the rest of her food.  "I gotta go find my bathing suit!" she jumps and runs up the stairs, a song escaping her lips.

            Spinel shudders.  "What's wrong?" I ask.

            "What type of bathing suit should Nakuru wear?" it asks.

            I chuckled.  "It never crossed my mind," I say.

            I finish my food and clean the table.  When I arrive to my room, I take out my sports bag and begin packing.

            It is now near noon.  Nakuru, happily dressed in a sunflower dress and straw hat, waits beside me near the front door.  Spinel is cradled in my arms, munching on a cracker.  After a while, I picked out a white t-shirt and dark blue shorts to wear.  I pull out a miniature truffle, wrapped in gold foil, that I found in my pocket.  "Are you sure you don't want this instead?" I offered it to Spinel.

            He turns away from it. "No." I smile and give it to Nakuru, who happily obliges.

            A small turquoise mini-van pulls up.  Touya-san comes out, along with Yue's human form, Yukito.  They carry our bags, as Nakuru hangs off of Touya, and load them in the back.  In the very back corner is Sakura-san and Syaoran and in the middle aisle is Kero.  They all give me a fair and kind salutation.  In the middle of the back seat is...she smiles at me with her magical amethyst eyes.  "Hello," she greets.

            Is my heart beating faster? "Hello," I return.  I sit beside her.  My, she looks beautiful.  Nakuru climbs in the middle aisle with Spinel and Kero.  Yukito climbs in the passenger side and Touya starts the engine from the driver's seat.

            "Ok, everyone buckled?" Touya asks.  "Gaki?"

            Syaoran gives him his dagger glare.  The van starts and we are off.

            The beach weather is very agreeable.  The breeze is cool and the sun shines with rays of light.  I step out of the van and take a deep breath.  Then something falls on my hand.  I look up; water is falling from the clouds.  The rain pours and the clouds cover the sky.  Quickly, while the girls and the animals run under the porch overhang, the boys and I carry the bags to them.

            Touya locks the van and heads to the front door.  He unlocks it and opens it.  The beach house is quaintly furnished with wicka furniture and large, pale orange throw pillows.  Paintings hang on the wall, mostly with beach scenes and beautiful rainbows.  "There are bedrooms upstairs..." Touya looks at Syaoran with a suspicious glare.  "I think I'll make the bedroom arrangements." He walks upstairs with all of us following, carrying our bags.

            "Geez," Syaoran grumbles.  "He thinks I'm that kind of guy?"

            Tomoyo giggles. "He's just being protective, right?" she giggles again and smiles at me.  Oh dear...she looks so beautiful.  I feel my face heat up a bit.

            Syaoran takes a closer look at me.  "Hey, is something wrong Hiiragizawa?"

            I turn away. "Oh nothing."

            Touya opens the first door to the left.  In there, there are two beds.  "Yukito and I will stay here."  Across the hall, he opens to another two-bed room.  "Hiiragizawa and the gaki will stay here."

            "I'm not a gaki!" Syaoran complains.

            Touya opens the door beside his room.  It has one queen size bed in it. "Akizuki and that cat can stay here."

            "Nakuru, Touya-kun, Nakuru," Nakuru protests.

            "The name is Spinel," it growls.

            "And the last room is for Tomoyo, Kaijuu, and the stuff animal."

            "Onii-chan!" Sakura-san hollers.

            "I'm not a stuffed animal!" Kero belts.

            We all separate into our rooms.  Syaoran flops his bag on his bed and opens it up.  I take the bed closest to the window.  "Too bad it's raining..." I say.

            "He actually thinks I'll try something!" Syaoran grumbles as he takes out his toiletry bag.

            "Why does that still bother you?" I ask.

            He blushes. "Nothing!" he exclaims.  He closes his bag.

            "You didn't really think you two would share a room, did you?" I add.

            He throws his bag to the floor.  Syaoran turns. "O-of course not. What kind of guy do you think I am? Ha-ha-ha!" he uneasily chuckles and runs out the door with his toiletry bag in hand.  What a funny fellow...

            I wake up from my nap.  It's late afternoon, I'm guessing, and I head downstairs.  I find Touya-san in front of the stove, cooking.  Sakura-san is bringing out a board game.  She looks up and sees me.  "Oh, Eriol-kun! You want to play 'Life'?"

            I nod. "Sure." I pick up the blue card and place a blue peg in the driver's seat.  We begin our game with much laughter and continue forth.  Touya-san comes in and brings us crepes filled with strawberries, kiwis and cantaloupe, drizzled in chocolate sauce.  Kero immediately wolfs the whole roll while Spinel carefully scrapes off the chocolate and picks out the fruits.  I smile.  There's a good feeling coming from this group.

            Darkness soon falls.  I exit the bathroom and hear something in the kitchen.  I stop at the foot of the stairs, looking to see who it is.  The figure places a glass in the sink and walks to the stairs.  She stops as she sees me standing.  "Oh!" she exclaims.  "Did you just come out of the shower?"

            She stands with her cream colored sleeveless shirt and pajama shorts.  Her hair is in two long braids, with matching ribbons.  I nod.  "Yes.  Were you thirsty Daidouji?"

            "Yes...but you may call me Tomoyo if I may call you Eriol," she says softly.  "I mean, I consider you my friend...unless..."

            "Very well Tomoyo-san," I smile.  We walk up the stairs and she heads to her room.  "Well, I better go now..."

            "Yes..." I trail off.

            "Well, goodnight," she says quickly.  She moves closer to me and kisses my cheek.  She scurries away and closes her door.

            My face grows hot and I feel my knees weaken.  Oh my, what a predicament.  A very nice predicament... I feel my lips curl into a very large smile.  "G-g-good..."

            "She already went into her room," a voice says. "No point in saying 'goodnight'."

            I look at the open door in front of me, and see my descendent staring at me as he sits on his bed.  His glare is suspicious.  I enter our room slowly, without a word.  I towel-dry my hair, then hang it on the hanger behind the door.  I try to avoid eye contact with him, though I know he's watching me as I make my way to my bed.

            "Can I ask you something?" he asks.

            I guess I have to look at him now.  It's rude not to make eye contact during a conversation.  "Yes?"

            "What are you up to?"

            "Excuse me?"

            "Why did you come here? It's not like I'm trying to kick you out of the country.  It's just that you would come only if..." he trails off, and then sits at the edge of his bed, facing me.  "The cards already have a new master.  Is there another test?  I swear if Sakura gets hurt--."

            "She won't...there is nothing more to do."  I assure him.  "I came back for myself.  I missed everyone."

            " 'Everyone'?"

            "Can't I do that?"

            "Or 'someone'?"

            I pause.  "I beg your pardon?"

            "Did you come back for everyone or one person?" Syaoran asks.

            I am silent.

            "I saw that; in the hall." He smiles very evilly at me.  "You like Daidouji."

            "Ah-I, well, I never—." My heart pounds out of nervousness.  I never get nervous! 

            "That's why you came back!" he exclaims. "You want to hook up with Daidouji! Well..." he crosses his arms, "now it makes sense: all those questions on love and romance. So do you need help?"

            "As I recall, it took you a whole year to tell Sakura-san that you love her.  Am I right?" I inquire.

            "So?" Syaoran frowns.  "When are you going to tell her?"

            I shake my head.  "I don't even know if I...love her."

            "But you know you like her?"

            My eyes turn to his.

            "You gotta tell her."

            Someone in the house is stirring.  I wake up and pull my glasses on.  The table clock reads 5:50 am.  Without a sound, I crawl out of bed and look out the window.  I see a figure with long hair walking away from the house towards a rock formation a long way's away.  I quietly dress and speed out of the house, making sure not to wake anyone.

            My walk lasts for about five minutes before I find her sitting on some rocks that stand a few feet above ground.  The sun is barely peaking over the ocean and the tide is falling.  She watches the waves while I watch her.  She stares as if she is in thought.  The breeze brushes a few of her hair tendrils in the air.  She looks like a goddess as she sits on that rock.  After a while, she finally notices me.  "Good morning Eriol."

            I snap out of my trance.  "Good morning.  Would you prefer to be alone?"

            "Come sit beside me," she invites. I excitedly climb to her side.  We stare at the waves together before she speaks.  "I'm afraid I'm in a dilemma."

            "Why is that?"

            "I'm afraid that I'm lost.  I'm not sure of things I used to know.  Especially when it comes to love."

            So she and I are going through the same thing? "You too?"

            Tomoyo turns to me.  "But you and Mizuki-sensei are--."

            "Were," I correct.

            "Oh," I see pity in her eyes.  Why does she pity me? "I'm sorry," she says.

            I shake my head.  "It's alright.  It's better this way."

            "Did...she...?"

            "No, I broke it off," I tell her.  I wonder how she takes the news of my single-hood.  "I wonder if what I felt was love for her."

            "You don't think you loved her?"

            "Maybe it was a strong admiration," I explain, trying with all my strength not to stare at her beauty.  "I think for a time I confused it."

            "Oh." She ran her fingertips over the knuckles of her other hand.

            "Are...are you thinking about your love for Sakura-san?"

            She sighs. "I know I definitely love her as a best friend and like family...but when I thought I loved her as more...was that really love?"

            I laugh.  "I think you and I both need a lesson in love."

            She giggles.  Her hand flies to her lips.  "Oh Eriol, what are we to do?" Her hand then lands on my knee.

            My heart quickens and I look up at her.  She locks eyes with me, and then innocently smiles, pulling her hand to her side.  "I-uh...sorry," she stutters.  Is it my imagination or is she blushing?

            "It's ok," I smile.

            "Well, what are we to do?" she repeats.

            I shrug.  "I honestly don't know; find love?"

            "How?"

            I shrug again.  "Who knows?  In fact, you might find it very close by..." I say without thinking.

            Before I can take it back, she responds.  "Maybe you're right..."

...fin...

Note: Thanks for reading!  CCS does not belong to me or its characters, yackity smackity.