Tanjoubi Omedetou, Eriol – kun. : A CCS fic

by: nikki hiiragizawa sailorsjini@yahoo.com

Genre: drama/romance/E and T pairing

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I know you already know this, but in case you don't know yet, I want to let you know that I know CCS is not mine. The wonderful CLAMP ladies own them. Please I do not need anyone suing me… The song "Scarlet", on the other hand, was taken from the series Ayashi no Ceres. It was the opening song and coincidentally, Tomoyo's seiyuu Iwao Junko sang this song.

Nikki: Whew! I just made a fic in time for Eriol's birthday. This is for all you growing E/T fans. If you are other than pleased to see E/T pairings, you better not read this. Anyway, too much talking has got to stop. On with the fic!

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Chapter 4: Murasaki no Kioku (Purple Memories)

Eriol sat by his usual place by the fire. He clasped his hands together and laid his chin on it.

."Curse you, Eriol," she muttered. "Can't you get over the fact that I am not bothering you anymore?! Why do you have to show how great you are to me? I already know how great you are! I am trying to get my life here, and you are ruining it!"

"What had gone wrong?" Eriol loudly asked himself. All he wanted was to outdo Tomoyo's pride and make her feel how she had ruined his life. He wanted her to realize how much hurt he had received during that day she left.

He was successful.

Yet somehow, he felt uncomfortable about winning against her. You should rejoice. You have finally made her weep. She deserves it for being cruel. Eriol listened to the voice inside his head. Yes, Tomoyo had been cruel. She was only thinking of herself….definitely a cunning wench.

"You could call me like that whenever you want, but think about this, you call me scheming. You call me a bitch. Then what do you call yourself?"

She had said that. Eriol pondered deeply. She was right. He was just like her…nothing but somebody who uses his talents to bring other people down. What he did was just the same as what that purple – eyed girl did: an unthinking, self-centered deed. Eriol muttered a curse as he studied what he had done.

He caused disgrace upon her.

He called her names.

He almost used her for his mortifying plans.

He had hurt her.

Thinking about it, he had realized how much shame he had brought to himself. He had plotted revenge against a girl! Just because of some pain he had received some time ago, he was behaving this way. Why am I doing this…I have no idea. I am glad whenever I saw her annoyed, yet somehow, a bigger part of me curses myself for doing it…Why am I behaving this way….I am at a loss. For once I don't know what to do….Such pain a girl is…

"Nani nani?? What are you doing here, Master Eriol?" Nakuru was standing by the living room door.

"Nakuru…what was it you said?" he absently asked. Nakuru shook her head in irritation.

"Maa, you are supposed to pick up Suppi from Sakura's today. He went there to play with Kero-chan!"

"Oh."

"Oh?" Sighing she said, "Okay, I'll go pick him up. You seem to be in a good mood you didn't even cook us dinner. Mizuki is not here, you know."

"Kaho, Nakuru. You must start calling her Mistress Kaho." Eriol had been telling them to practice how to address Kaho but somehow, they always forget.

Nakuru crossed her arms. "I don't want to call her Mistress," she retorted.

Eriol looked up and stared at Nakuru. "What is that you said.?"

"I don't like her to stay here. You shouldn't get married to her!"

Clow's reincarnation finally stood up. "Nakuru, you are going too far…"

His creation raised her hands in defense. "Okay, sorry…I'll go pick Suppi up now." She bowed and turned, but as she placed one hand on the knob she muttered, "I like you and Mistress Tomoyo together. Nobody can change that." Before Eriol could answer she was out of the door.

"We'll see, Nakuru," he whispered as he watched the girl out scurry like a mouse. "You have no other choice, you know…Tomoyo and I…cannot be…"

~*~

"What is it, Tomoyo? I'm in a phone conference right now," Daidouji Sonomi sternly told her daughter.

Tomoyo casually entered the room and sat on her mother's desk. "Anou, mom…I'm having a concert in a month. Could you…could you arrange your schedule so that we could go together? I…I really want you to be there."

Sonomi excused herself from the phone and faced her daughter. "Tomoyo, you know how hectic my schedule will be for the next six months. Your father left the company a huge debt, and now I have to negotiate to everyone so that we could regain our business. I really can't go." She smiled at Tomoyo. "Why don't you invite Hikaru? Anyway, it's time you get used to each other's businesses and lifestyle."

Tomoyo flipped a lock of her hair over her one shoulder. "Hikaru again," she pouted. "There will come a time I will grow tired of him…"

Sonomi glowered at her daughter. "Now don't you dare use that tone of voice on me, young lady," she warned. "You know what my answer is. Now go! I'm busy!" Tomoyo sighed as her mother went back to her conversation on the phone. She jumped off the table and slowly walked out of the room, making sure she slammed the door hard enough to be heard by her mom.

"Mothers never understand!" Tomoyo blurted out as she entered her spacious room. Throwing her pillows on the floor, she plopped on her bed. Damn, Damn, Damn! Why…Why is this happening?! Tears slid down her cheeks. I'm supposed to be happy but what? If only…If only… Thinking too much about her past made her feelings fall deeper. Sobbing louder, she buried her face on the blanket to muffle her cries. Daijobu, part of her said. After you are married, everything will be all right. You will forget…soon…

Right. She quickly got up and wiped her tears. She strode towards her mirror and tried to smile. "Right," she told her reflection. "Everything will be fine. After all, no one but my mom and I know…" She tried to smile and combed her hair, as the girl from the mirror looked on with a smile, too, yet with morose dark eyes.

~*~

"I am glad you accepted our offer, Daidouji-san." Tomoyo smiled at her mentor, the traces of tears now gone from her face.

"I am glad to have a slot in the concert, Sumeragi- sensei," she cheerfully replied. "But still, I have to hire somebody who will play the piano. It will be easy anyway, I will just need a piano to perform."

Her sensei smiled widely. "Of course we have just the thing."

"Sugoi ne. Arigatou gozaimasu." Tomoyo bowed to her teacher.

~*~

"I'm glad you took our offer, Hiiragizawa-san." Eriol smiled.

"Thank you for giving me a part in the concert, Sumeragi – sensei," he gratefully replied. "I'm excited to see who our singer will be."

"Oh you won't be surprised, Hiiragizawa-san. I'm sure you will get along very well." His teacher opened the door of the music room. "Daidouji-san, your partner for the concert is here."

"That's wonderful, Sumeragi- sen…" She looked up to meet the person she was least expecting. She stood up, staring at the sapphire eyes of Hiiragizawa Eriol.

~*~

Eriol was the first to look away. Baka! He scolded himself. I'm not thinking. Of course, Tomoyo will be the one in the concert! She has the most beautiful voice I heard sine who-knows-when. He looked at her again. She sat down again, murmuring something about nice meeting him. Eriol began to regret he joined this activity. I'd bet she's still angry with me…

Tomoyo weakly sat back on her seat. Stupid, she scolded herself. I should have known! Of course they're going to choose Eriol! Aside from being the most popular pianist here, they know we've been friends before. She raised her purple eyes to glance at Eriol. I'd bet he still hates me and will do anything so that I'll meet my downfall soon…

"Aah… Daidouji – san? Hiiragizawa-san?" Tomoyo and Eriol simultaneously smiled and nodded to each other."

"Nice to know you are my partner," Eriol said, lowering his eyes.

"Same here." Tomoyo averted her eyes away from him.

"Saa, now that introduction is made, I shall not bother you more. Please practice hard. Jaa na!" Sumeragi-sensei left the room leaving the two in silence.

Tomoyo and Eriol endured the deafening silence for a while. Tomoyo then stood up and took a copy of her music sheet from her bag. "Here is the piece," she said as she extended the hand holding the piece towards Eriol. "Maybe we could practice tomorrow." She stood up and opened the door.

"Matte!" Eriol banged the door shut, pinning Tomoyo on the thick slab of wood. "I…I want to apologize about yesterday."

Tomoyo's eyes were of disdain. "What's wrong? You suddenly realized you can swallow your pride?"

"That's not it!" Eriol released Tomoyo from being pinned down and walked away. "I realized that I value our friendship."

"Since when did I become Eriol's friend? Since he needed to be popular that he has decided to use me, too?" Tomoyo retorted.

"I am not using you!"

"Oh?" Tomoyo faced the door, conscious that tears were again starting to fill her eyes. "Maybe we should just stick to business, Eriol. After all, we don't have anything to do with each other anymore, right? It's already too late to patch things up." With that, Tomoyo left the room.

~*~

Eriol paced around his room. He had tousled and retousled his hair, but no thoughts came to him. "I don't know why I am doing this! I'm supposed to be angry with her…why is it that now I…now I…For goodness' sake, help me, Yue."

Yue sat on his Eriol's armchair. "I don't know why you called for me, because I really cannot help you." He gave his past master an annoyed glare. "Now if you are through with your talk, I'd like to go back home to Mistress Sakura."

"Oh no you don't." Eriol shook a finger at him. "You only want to go home because Sakura-san's brother is coming home early. The only way you can get home is to help me with my problem today!"

"Hmph."

"What? That's all you can say?" Eriol sat back on another chair. "Come on, Yue. You've known me for so long, you know me even better than Nakuru. You know Tomoyo for, what, six years? Please tell me what you think."

"I think." Yue said as he unfolded his wings. "That you are making a simple fact complicated."

"Na…Nani?"

Yue opened the window, ready to defy Eriol if he decides to force him back into the house. "It's simple. Confused feelings…Mistress had gone through a lot of that.

"Then what is it?!" Eriol hurried to draw Yue back but the Clow guardian was faster.

"You are in love," Yue said matter-of-factly. "You still love Daidouji Tomoyo. Now if you may excuse me, I have a very important business to attend to." The silver-haired guardian flew off as his master before slumped on his chair.

"I still love her?" he loudly asked. No, that can't be. I hate her. I don't like seeing her…Well, I like seeing her but without that blockhead boyfriend of hers….

Eriol kept silent, stunned. His brow furrowed as he cradled his face on his fists.

"I still love Tomoyo…how can that possibly be?"

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS:

Maa – Oh my Daijobu – it's all right Arigatou gozaimasu – thank you very much Nani – what

Nikki: Ahem, I have used Yue again to make Eriol realize his faults…damn…Yue is getting too used by me (hehe…my other fics had Yue as a matchmaker ^.^). Anyway, I hope you are still hanging on. I'd like to thank those 12 people who reviewed me until this part. Arigatou gozaimasu! Now, let me see how the conflict would work….Jaa na!