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 7: Akai Nozomi (Red Desire)
"Tomoyo!" A smart rap was heard from the other side of the door. Tomoyo instantly pulled Eriol away and straightened her hair. She buttoned her blouse with incredible alacrity. She moved away from the wall but Eriol caught her hand in a flash.
"Tomoyo, please. You have to stop torturing yourself."
"I…am not torturing myself," Tomoyo replied as she struggled with the ribbon that binds her hair before. It now lay tangled among her curls. "I'm so sorry," Tomoyo continued softly. "This must be done."
Eriol sighed and undid her hair for her. In a hurry, she retied it and made it look like the way it had before she came to this office. The knocking now came in successive bangs, and Tomoyo hurriedly opened it. Hikaru was fuming by the door, his one arm in a sling.
"What the f*** are you doing inside there?!" he demanded as he dragged Tomoyo outside quite forcefully. Eriol tried to cut in, but he saw Tomoyo shake her head.
"Sorry, Hikaru. We were just busy transferring files from the computer that we did not notice the knocking." She raised her hands to embrace her fiance, but she was abruptly pushed away.
"You and your lies!" Hikaru retorted, not minding the look of pain in the girl's face. "We're coming home, now!" Hikaru grabbed Tomoyo's arm as she continuously protested. "You," Hikaru turned to Eriol. "Don't go playing with my girl, or you are scum."
Eriol felt a muscle tick in his jaw but he held his temper. Tomoyo looked at him with pleading eyes. He bowed his head and answered. "I have no interest in someone I find annoying, Hasegawa, so do not worry." With one last inconspicuous look at his ex-girlfriend, Eriol went inside the office and shut the door.
Inside, the sapphire-eyed boy scolded himself for not seeing the couple off. He could hear them arguing outside.
"Hikaru! You are hurting…"
"Damn I am, lady! Now, go tell your mom about it!"
"Please, Hikaru…I…"
"Shut up!"
Eriol closed his eyes. Impossible…this is impossible. Praying for Tomoyo's safety, he relented to the fact that she can never be his again. When it comes to her family, Tomoyo would do anything…and she is doing this for her family.
Anger seeped into Eriol's veins. Why does it have to be so difficult for her? Worse, he can't do anything. One fatal move would ruin the Daidouji business, the only thing that they live on. He banged a fist against the wall of his office. Is there really no other way than sit and see one of the precious people on earth accept sadness? Breathing heavily, he sat down and swiveled towards the computer. He never had the chance to read Tomoyo's entire diary. One last entry had remained, showing that she had been unable to write in it for a while, maybe because of too much school activities. Only two words were written in it and those words made Eriol smile sadly. The words were written in bold letters:
SCHOOL SUCKS!!!!!!!
~*~
"I said I want to go home!" Tomoyo complained as Hikaru threw her on the bed. Next to her, the muscular boy threw her phone.
"Go call your mom. Tell her you're spending time with me."
Tomoyo stood up. "Didn't you hear what I said? I said…"
"You will call, or I will," Hikaru roared. "You are very proud for a girl who has committed a very serious mistake.
"I was not making out with Eriol!"
Hikaru sneered at her. "Oh, so it's 'Eriol' now. What happened to the Hiiragizawa-kun?" He picked up the phone and offered it to the longhaired girl. "Now, you will call your mom, or it will be a very rude rumor about Eriol and Tomoyo making out inside one of the school's offices."
Tomoyo took the phone and shakily dialed her number. Zutto, Zutto…he can manipulate me totally…Am I that stupid or what…Demo, I cannot retaliate…our business…my okaasan…
~*~
"Master Eriol!" Nakuru's palms lay on her hips as she stood glaring at her master.
"Nani?"
"You have already spent two hours staring out of the window! It's like you are not going to pick up Mizuki to let her have dinner here!"
"Oh…" Eriol absent-mindedly said. His gaze moved towards the clock by the mantelpiece. Suddenly, he jerked from his seat. "Oh! I forgot Kaho! For goodness' sake, Nakuru, why didn't you remind me?" He reached for his coat and ran towards the gate.
Nakuru threw the dishtowel she was carrying on the floor. "I remind him, who gets blamed? Me!" She stomped towards the kitchen and almost collided with Spinel.
"What's with you, cross-dresser?"
Nakuru sighed. "Our Master, of course! He's acting, like, weird. Maybe it has something to do with Yue's visit a month ago." She wandered inside the kitchen to continue cooking.
Spinel, meanwhile, almost stopped fluttering his little blue wings because of surprise. "You mean, Master is in love with Yue?"
~*~
"So, what's with school today?" Kaho asked Eriol good-naturedly.
Eriol silently pushed his peas around his plate with a fork. "Um…nothing much."
Kaho's eyes studied Eriol. He seems so unlike him. Bad mannered during dinner, quiet mood…she tried to remove her suspicion by talking about other important things. "Hey, Christmas is getting nearer and nearer, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Tomoyo…I forgot her birthday! Eriol suddenly woke up from his trance.
"Eriol?"
"Uh…" Eriol tried to dab the spilt wine on his shirt with his napkin. "Sorry. I just remembered something I forgot."
Nakuru came in from the kitchen, carrying a giant apple pie. "Master Eriol, Mistress Tomoyo's birthday, was like, 2 and a half months ago. How can you remember it only now?"
"I do not know…" Eriol suddenly realized the Kaho was scrutinizing him seriously. "I mean…I do not know what I forgot…" He turned to Nakuru. "Honestly, Nakuru, I need not remember that girl's birthday." Nakuru shrugged but smiled mischievously as she dug in the pie.
"Nah! I want kekki too!" Suppi charged his co-guardian. He changed into his real form and tackled Nakuru. Soon enough, they were wrestling on the floor, with the pie.
"Such darlings," Kaho laughed. "I can't wait to move in here with you."
Eriol stood up and held her hand. "I was only waiting for you." He became surprised when Kaho moved away.
"There is still time," she mysteriously said.
~*~
Tomoyo grumbled unhappily. Midterms had just finished, with her scoring the highest once more, but with Eriol following her closely behind. However, this time, the close fight did not leave a bitter taste in her mouth and ego. In fact, she found it rather sweet…
But this is not why she is unhappy. The schedules of their professors were rearranged because one of their faculties had to leave the university. The zoology classes were merged into two instead of four, and as she looked at the new lists of students per class, she found out that she and Eriol are going to be classmates.
Hikaru had warned her. Their toy business had managed to prosper once more, re-living to its name before. However, one mistake from her will erase Hikaru's signature in the paper representing Hikaru's family's alliance to their business. It will be a total catastrophe for her family, since they are not yet capable enough to handle the business on their own again.
Curse you, Dad, Tomoyo silently said. If not for your debts, Mom and I should be very happy by now. She quickened her steps towards the Zoology laboratory and slid it open.
Sakura and Syaoran were there, too and her best friend came running to her as soon as she closed the door. "Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura wailed as the brown-haired girl clutched the folds of her lab gown.
"What is it, Sakura-chan?"
"Syaoran-kun is …is…threatening me with that!" She accusingly pointed to her boyfriend.
Syaoran was shaking his head in defense. "I was not! I was teaching her our lesson for today!"
"And what was it your teaching her, Syaoran-kun?" Sakura's best friend smiled as she asked.
"I was teaching her how to cut up a frog." Syaoran held up a frog – an alive one – for Tomoyo to see. Tomoyo backed away instantly. Icky and slippery, it is certainly not her favorite animal.
"Ah, I see." Tomoyo moved a step backward, with a Sakura hanging on the end of her lab gown.
"Hooooooeeeeeee!!!!!" Sakura cried. "I like Kero-chan but not that Kero! Tomoyo-chan save me!"
Tomoyo swallowed as she took another look at the amphibian dangling from Syaoran's fingers. "Ah…I do not think I can help you…" A laugh was heard from inside the laboratory.
"Mou, cut that out, my cute descendant. Can't you see they're getting scared?" Tomoyo saw Eriol get up from his stool and walk over to them. "Sakura-san, my descendant would be very helpful if you choose him as a partner. Our professor said two are going to work on one…uh…specimen."
Sakura looked fearful still. "Only if he stops dangling that on my face," she said. Syaoran agreed and apologized at once, while Tomoyo still stood dumbstruck.
"I think," Eriol teased. "That this will be one class Miss perfect is going to enjoy." Tomoyo's eyes narrowed as he laughed heartily. "now, would you like to be my partner, or your boyfriend is watching you here, too?"
Tomoyo rolled her eyes and muttered something about not needing a bodyguard and walked off. She did not take Eriol's offer to be her partner.
~*~
Months passed. Daidouji Tomoyo did not take notice of Hiiragizawa Eriol anymore. Eriol, at the same time, did not bother her again. Mutually understanding that there is no other way but to endure and live happily with others, they maintained their distance.
Practices for the concert still continued, but stiffly they went through it. No more talk of reminiscing the past, of persuading each other to love again… It was quiet. They were quiet.
But still, their eyes went on watching, memorizing each other's moves. Their senses were alert whenever one must nearby, yet they cannot touch, cannot hold, cannot merge.
Christmas, New Year's Day and Valentine's Day had passed without them paying attention to each other. Their fiancés seemed happy, but sill a bit gloomy as they observed that their partners had slowly become lifeless, lowly and bland. It was then time for Eriol to plan his nineteenth birthday.
"You want to plan a party?" Kaho asked as she bit the end of her pen. Eriol nodded without looking away from the window. The teacher looked worriedly at him but did not say anything. She wrote the agreeable time and place for the party and slowly looked back at her fiancé.
"You want to invite Sakura-san, Li-kun…and…Daidouji-san?" Eriol glanced at her.
"Sure."
Kaho shook her head and went on writing invitations.
Tomoyo, Eriol thought as he looked out of the window, watching another spring bloom into life. I miss you so…and I cannot do anything about it…
"You know," Kaho said as she applied glue on the envelopes. "It will be great if you deliver these personally."
"Why is that?"
"It makes the invitation more sincere." She got up from the table and waited for Eriol to get up and take her home. He did not move. Sighing, she bade Eriol goodbye and went out, without Eriol noticing it all.
Nakuru and Spinel watched from behind the door. "Ooh, Master's going cuckoo," Nakuru smartly observed.
"What will happen to Sakura-san's brother?"
Nakuru frowned at the other creation. "What's with Touya-kun? He's not related to this problem."
Spinel shook his head. "If Yue decides to move here, that Touya will be damned."
" Why is Yue moving here?" Nakuru's face was a big question mark.
"Silly." Spinel was getting annoyed. "You just told me months ago that Master is in love with Yue!"
Nakuru was shocked, and then laughed heartily. "Suppi, you heard it all wrong! Master would never fall for one of his creations!"
"Then what is it?" Nakuru whispered to Spinel's ear about her theory as Eriol watched the mauve sun get swallowed by the land. Sadness and Gloom wrapped around him and there was only one remedy…
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Nikki: Yay! This is about to finish! Eriol's torture will finally be over. However, honestly, I can't think of a good way to wrap this up…hmmm…maybe Touya and Yukito will…ahh…that will have to be another story. So I say goodbye for now and hang on for the last 2-3 chaps!!