A/n: Thank you to those people who reviewed! *Sniff, sniff* I owe it all to you guys! Arigato gozaimas! For anyone who's interested, I'll be putting up another story soon, so watch for updates in my account!
Special Thanks to: Tomoyo-chan (Wow, arigato! I'm going to read your fic once I get time, I'm sure it's really good), A. Lee (So, not that great? L I don't like SxT pairing either, I'll just border around it for future chapters), kitty luver (Though you didn't review me, thanks for putting me on your fav. authors list!), and fishybabe (Gee…that good? My next story will be an SxS one, promise!)
Disclaimer: If owned CSS, do you think that I would still be wasting my time with this?
Reunion and the AftermathBy: *CherryBlossomz008*
"Daidouji-san…" the man murmured, staring in disbelief. Was this really the carefree genki young girl that he had left six years ago? Enormous amethyst eyes, dark, flowing tresses, and a perfect complexion complemented her sweet smile, yet underneath that stunning beauty Eriol detected sorrow beyond her years.
Meanwhile, Tomoyo was racking her brains, trying to figure out who this mysterious stranger who knew her name actually was. Everyone's left already…Sakura and Syaoran to Hong Kong, Rika and Terada-sensei to America, Chiharu and Yamazaki to visit her grandparents, Naoko to Germany to begin her own bookkeeping business, Eriol and Kaho back to England…wait, Eriol? Why I am thinking of him, the boy who used to torment my dear Sakura with his boyish tricks, and frightened Syaoran out of his wits? Could it be him…?
Peering at the man's face, Tomoyo tried to inconspicuously scan for any sign that her wild notion was accurate. The handsome features of the man briefly quirked into a knowing smirk as he caught Tomoyo's look. Perhaps I was wrong; perhaps she hasn't changed after all.
Unaware of the stranger's flitting smile, the raven-haired girl resolved that there was no harm in asking. What had she to lose? Her diminished dignity? With a faint, bittersweet half-smile and as much courage as she could muster, Tomoyo questioned hesitantly, "Hiiragizawa-kun?"
"Hai," affirmed the warm response, filled with friendly greeting, yet a trace of anguish. "It's good to see you after all these years, Daidouji-san."
"I…It's good to see you too. How have you been keeping yourself these past days?" inquired Tomoyo awkwardly, nervously wondering if it's appropriate to meddle with her old acquaintance's private life.
Inwardly, Eriol winced. How, in all the heavens, did she manage to ask the one question that I can't answer? How am I supposed to explain to her my breakup with Kaho, when I myself am still recuperating? Shoving away his tragic memories, the young man composedly replied to Tomoyo's innocent question, "I'm fine, thank you for your concern. How are you? Is Sakura still causing havoc upon my cute little descendant's emotions?"
Tomoyo's lovely eyes slightly widened when she heard Eriol's inquiry. Of course he would ask about Sakura; that's probably the reason he's in Tomoeda in the first place. Tomoyo, you baka, you brought this upon yourself! Faltering, she spoke, fervently hoping that her voice wouldn't crack and give her away. "Sakura's fine, she-" Tomoyo paused, endeavoring to regain the will to continue. "Sakura and Li-kun are presently in Hong Kong, where Li-kun will soon achieve leadership of the Li Clan. As for myself, I couldn't be better," lied Tomoyo through firmly clenched teeth.
Gazing at the beauty before him, Eriol couldn't help but present sympathy. He had long known the deep affection Tomoyo felt towards her cousin, yet it was also known that they would never be, as Sakura and Syaoran were destined for each other. "I'm sorry for your loss, Daidouji-san," he murmured, warily glancing for the girl's reaction.
Startled, Tomoyo shook out of her desolate reverie and gaped incredulously at Eriol. How…could he have known? Am I that transparent? Oh, I am such a baka! He's the reincarnation of Clow Reed…he can read minds! "I thank you for your pity," snapped Tomoyo coolly, "as much as I am grateful for you prying into my personal affairs." Still furious, Tomoyo strode away, leaving a baffled Eriol staring after her.
"Baka!" Eriol reprimanded himself furiously. You knew this was a touchy subject, that you were treading on thin ice before you had even begun; yet you still plunged right in! Why did you do such a foolish thing?
As Tomoyo trudged home once more, her mind raced with dismal thoughts. How could he be so heartless, so cruel? With all of his experiences manipulating people, he should know better than to say such a thoughtless thought! I love Sakura, I always have, and abruptly she is taken out of my life to be the wife of another. Can't he realize I don't want his pity, I want Sakura!
As the days went on, life began to fall into a gradual pattern for Daidouji Tomoyo. Every day she would wake up, go to school, come home, eat, do homework, then sleep and prepare for another monotonous day, all the while vigilantly avoiding Eriol. Constantly paranoid of being watched, she jumped at the slightest movement, causing to poor schoolwork and the consternation of Fujitaka and Touya. Touya was especially anxious for the well-being of "his kaijuu's best friend," and so took the trouble to find time each day for a "brotherly chat." What dismayed him even more than Tomoyo's dropping grades was the way she began closing in her emotions, not talking to anyone seriously but herself. Only from sleep talk could he decipher that a boy was at the bottom of Tomoyo's worries. Touya scowled. First it was the Chinese gaki stealing MY Kaijuu, and now some baka's after her friend. Kuso!
That evening, Touya resolved to confront Tomoyo about his concerns and, hopefully, discover whom his next victim to target would be. (An: If you didn't know, Touya has a BIG overprotective streak, and whoever dared mess around with Sakura, or Tomoyo in this case, well…go figure.) Quietly slipping in her room, he watched as Tomoyo, unperturbed, continued to nonchalantly chat with herself.
"It's been awhile since that horrible conversation with Eriol, and I realize now that he didn't mean to distress me. Still, I've been avoiding him for so long, he most likely would reject my friendship, or-" catching sight of Touya hovering in the background, Tomoyo swiveled in her seat and radiated fury at the vulnerable young man. "What are you doing here, spying on me?" the voice shot poisoned daggers into Touya's heart with each syllable, making him flinch. Recalling Tomoyo's torment, however, Touya matched anger with anger and growled formidably, "Answer my question truthfully first: What's been troubling you these past few days?"
"I-" Tomoyo stammered, recognizing that she was cornered.
More Japanese Words
Arigato: thank you
Gozaimas: very much
Genki: energy/ energetic
Hai: yes
Baka: stupid/ idiot
Kaijuu: monster
Gaki: brat
Kuso: sh** (Sorry for the profanity, but since it's in Japanese I figured no one would recognize it anyways)
An: Yay! I finished chapter two! Another cliffhanger, but I plan to post an update sooner this time, since I actually know where the plot is going now. Whoever bothers reading this, please update, if you want more quick updates. Until next time, ja ne!