Chapter four: The trip to London.
Meanwhile Tomoyo and Eriol were boarding the train, a typical English tube train. Tomoyo looked at the train, then at Eriol.
"Eriol-kun, why is the train such an odd shape and what do all the people mean by tube trains?"
Eriol smiled at Tomoyo's curiosity.
"Well, the train is an odd shape so that it fits in the tunnels, you see English trains run underground unlike our bullet trains, that's why it's called the Underground. Tube train refers to the fact that they run through tubular tunnels."
"Oh ok, but isn't it a bit of a dangerous way to travel?"
"No it's actually proven to be safer than what is termed here as 'overhead trains'. These trains are the ones that run above ground. Oh by the way the trains here are not very good at being on time so bear that in mind."
The train pulled on to the platform, Eriol pushed the button and the doors opened, he climbed into the carriage closely followed by Tomoyo, who took his hand. Eriol turned and looked at her. Tomoyo smiled nervously at him:
"I don't want to get lost so I'm holding on to your hand, is that ok, Eriol- kun?"
"Of course, it's fine, Tomoyo-chan."
Eriol squeezed Tomoyo's hand, enjoying holding it. Tomoyo looked at him thoughtfully; as there were no seats left they stood. The train took off at quite a speed: they were pulling into Angel Station; Eriol was about to warn Tomoyo when he realised it was too late.
The train pulled to a sharp halt; Tomoyo was catapulted straight into him. Eriol held on to her with one hand and on to the pole very tightly with the other. Tomoyo found her hands spread over a very muscular chest, and she took a deep breath. 'He is so strong, I never realised how strong he was before,' she thought, then she blushed like mad for thinking such a thing.
Eriol looked down, "Something wrong, Tomoyo-chan?"
"No.no, nothing's wrong.nothing at all," she added under her breath as the train began to move again.
"Good, I thought for a moment that my catching you was something wrong."
"No, no, why would that be wrong?"
"It just seemed that as soon as you touched me you froze, is there something wrong with me?"
Tomoyo shook her head silently and looked down at the floor.
"It's just I know how you feel about Sakura-chan-"
"Sakura-chan is my very good friend, yes, but no more than that. I have. I have. feelings for some one else."
"Oh I see."
"And he is male. but doesn't even know I'm alive."
"Why doesn't he know you're alive?"
"Because he is so powerful with magic, and I have no magic powers at all."
"Oh, is this guy human or.?"
"Yes he is human." And Tomoyo sighed, looking at her shoes.
"Personally I believe everyone has magic, it's just they express it differently, look at your costumes for example and your warm love for everyone, especially this man."
Much to his surprise Tomoyo said, "How are thing between you and Mitsuki- sensi?"
He looked at Tomoyo and smiled. "Oh I grew out of that crush a long time ago, I have recently discovered that I love some one else I think I might have all along and I just didn't realise it." He laughed and scratched the back of his head "You could say I was doing a Yue."
The two of them laughed for a moment, then Eriol looked out of the window and sighed, he had never been such a blind fool in his life he only hoped he could set things to rights.
The train pulled in at Kings Cross St.-Pancreas Pancreas station. Eriol and Tomoyo disembarked from the train and were immediately engulfed in a crowd of people. Tomoyo was swept away from Eriol towards the entrance of the station by the tide of people.
"Eriol-kun!" she cried out in sudden panic.
Eriol had been waiting somewhere deep inside him for that cry; something within him jolted into life. Eriol moved with a speed that he had never possessed before. He weaved in and out between the people, quickly caught up with Tomoyo, and captured her hand in his own one. Then he guided her back through the crowd to a quiet spot in the station. Gently he took hold of her shoulders:
"Are you alright?"
Tomoyo looked up at Eriol, her eyes filled with tears, she grabbed hold of him and hid her head in his chest.
"I.I.thought I was going to get lost and never find you again, it was like a nightmare."
Gently Eriol stroked her hair with his hand, and held her close to him with the other arm.
"It's alright, see I've got you, you're safe with me. I'll protect you always, I'll be there for you whenever you need me, ok?"
Tomoyo looked up into Eriol's eyes: he and smiled at her gently, trying to be reassuring.
"Really? You'd do that for me?" Her eyes were wide with shock.
"Yes, I would do that for you, I promise."
Tomoyo realised that protecting her was very important to Eriol, as when he made a promise he never broke it, if he could help it. Tomoyo stared into his eyes, Eriol stared back into hers, and suddenly everything round them seemed to go silent. Eriol took hold of Tomoyo's chin, slowly lent down towards her, and his lips gently touched hers in a soft kiss. This was Tomoyo's first kiss and she had hoped that it would be Eriol who would give it to her. Then suddenly Eriol pulled back.
"Forgive me, Tomoyo-chan, I shouldn't have done that, I know, but I've been wanting to kiss you for a long time."
Eriol looked around: suddenly spotting the exit they needed to go through, he took Tomoyo's hand, not allowing her a moment to even reply to his statement.
When they reached the taxi bay, Tomoyo got into the back of the cab followed by Eriol, who carefully placed their weekend bags between them.
Eriol looked at the cab driver, and spoke.
"Harrods, I want you to wait for me when we get there, then we need to go to the Ritz for lunch."
"Yes, sir."
"The Ritz?!" Tomoyo was too well brought-up to gape, but her eyes were big enough to compensate.
Eriol merely smiled at her, that Clow Reed smile of 'wait and see'.
The cab worked its way through the streets of London, the two occupants of the cab silent. Eventually they reached Harrods.
Eriol went inside, when he came out he had four bags and four parcels. He climbed back into the cab, and handed a letter to Tomoyo.
"I took the liberty of mentioning your costumes to a friend of mine, Tomoyo- chan, she was very interested. I saw her inside shopping just now and she told me to give you this when I saw you. Her name is Lucina Merici."
"The famous designer?!"
Eriol nodded: with shaking hands Tomoyo opened the letter and read it. Her eyes went wide.
"Eriol-kun she is offering me a job with her here in England when I finish my studies as a designer."
Eriol smiled at her.
"I'm glad, you always wanted to be a designer."
"Oh Eriol-kun, thank you."
Tomoyo grabbed Eriol and hugged him, then she blushed and let go. A few moments later they arrived at the Ritz. The two of them got out of the cab. Eriol paid the driver and gave him a handsome tip.
Meanwhile Tomoyo and Eriol were boarding the train, a typical English tube train. Tomoyo looked at the train, then at Eriol.
"Eriol-kun, why is the train such an odd shape and what do all the people mean by tube trains?"
Eriol smiled at Tomoyo's curiosity.
"Well, the train is an odd shape so that it fits in the tunnels, you see English trains run underground unlike our bullet trains, that's why it's called the Underground. Tube train refers to the fact that they run through tubular tunnels."
"Oh ok, but isn't it a bit of a dangerous way to travel?"
"No it's actually proven to be safer than what is termed here as 'overhead trains'. These trains are the ones that run above ground. Oh by the way the trains here are not very good at being on time so bear that in mind."
The train pulled on to the platform, Eriol pushed the button and the doors opened, he climbed into the carriage closely followed by Tomoyo, who took his hand. Eriol turned and looked at her. Tomoyo smiled nervously at him:
"I don't want to get lost so I'm holding on to your hand, is that ok, Eriol- kun?"
"Of course, it's fine, Tomoyo-chan."
Eriol squeezed Tomoyo's hand, enjoying holding it. Tomoyo looked at him thoughtfully; as there were no seats left they stood. The train took off at quite a speed: they were pulling into Angel Station; Eriol was about to warn Tomoyo when he realised it was too late.
The train pulled to a sharp halt; Tomoyo was catapulted straight into him. Eriol held on to her with one hand and on to the pole very tightly with the other. Tomoyo found her hands spread over a very muscular chest, and she took a deep breath. 'He is so strong, I never realised how strong he was before,' she thought, then she blushed like mad for thinking such a thing.
Eriol looked down, "Something wrong, Tomoyo-chan?"
"No.no, nothing's wrong.nothing at all," she added under her breath as the train began to move again.
"Good, I thought for a moment that my catching you was something wrong."
"No, no, why would that be wrong?"
"It just seemed that as soon as you touched me you froze, is there something wrong with me?"
Tomoyo shook her head silently and looked down at the floor.
"It's just I know how you feel about Sakura-chan-"
"Sakura-chan is my very good friend, yes, but no more than that. I have. I have. feelings for some one else."
"Oh I see."
"And he is male. but doesn't even know I'm alive."
"Why doesn't he know you're alive?"
"Because he is so powerful with magic, and I have no magic powers at all."
"Oh, is this guy human or.?"
"Yes he is human." And Tomoyo sighed, looking at her shoes.
"Personally I believe everyone has magic, it's just they express it differently, look at your costumes for example and your warm love for everyone, especially this man."
Much to his surprise Tomoyo said, "How are thing between you and Mitsuki- sensi?"
He looked at Tomoyo and smiled. "Oh I grew out of that crush a long time ago, I have recently discovered that I love some one else I think I might have all along and I just didn't realise it." He laughed and scratched the back of his head "You could say I was doing a Yue."
The two of them laughed for a moment, then Eriol looked out of the window and sighed, he had never been such a blind fool in his life he only hoped he could set things to rights.
The train pulled in at Kings Cross St.-Pancreas Pancreas station. Eriol and Tomoyo disembarked from the train and were immediately engulfed in a crowd of people. Tomoyo was swept away from Eriol towards the entrance of the station by the tide of people.
"Eriol-kun!" she cried out in sudden panic.
Eriol had been waiting somewhere deep inside him for that cry; something within him jolted into life. Eriol moved with a speed that he had never possessed before. He weaved in and out between the people, quickly caught up with Tomoyo, and captured her hand in his own one. Then he guided her back through the crowd to a quiet spot in the station. Gently he took hold of her shoulders:
"Are you alright?"
Tomoyo looked up at Eriol, her eyes filled with tears, she grabbed hold of him and hid her head in his chest.
"I.I.thought I was going to get lost and never find you again, it was like a nightmare."
Gently Eriol stroked her hair with his hand, and held her close to him with the other arm.
"It's alright, see I've got you, you're safe with me. I'll protect you always, I'll be there for you whenever you need me, ok?"
Tomoyo looked up into Eriol's eyes: he and smiled at her gently, trying to be reassuring.
"Really? You'd do that for me?" Her eyes were wide with shock.
"Yes, I would do that for you, I promise."
Tomoyo realised that protecting her was very important to Eriol, as when he made a promise he never broke it, if he could help it. Tomoyo stared into his eyes, Eriol stared back into hers, and suddenly everything round them seemed to go silent. Eriol took hold of Tomoyo's chin, slowly lent down towards her, and his lips gently touched hers in a soft kiss. This was Tomoyo's first kiss and she had hoped that it would be Eriol who would give it to her. Then suddenly Eriol pulled back.
"Forgive me, Tomoyo-chan, I shouldn't have done that, I know, but I've been wanting to kiss you for a long time."
Eriol looked around: suddenly spotting the exit they needed to go through, he took Tomoyo's hand, not allowing her a moment to even reply to his statement.
When they reached the taxi bay, Tomoyo got into the back of the cab followed by Eriol, who carefully placed their weekend bags between them.
Eriol looked at the cab driver, and spoke.
"Harrods, I want you to wait for me when we get there, then we need to go to the Ritz for lunch."
"Yes, sir."
"The Ritz?!" Tomoyo was too well brought-up to gape, but her eyes were big enough to compensate.
Eriol merely smiled at her, that Clow Reed smile of 'wait and see'.
The cab worked its way through the streets of London, the two occupants of the cab silent. Eventually they reached Harrods.
Eriol went inside, when he came out he had four bags and four parcels. He climbed back into the cab, and handed a letter to Tomoyo.
"I took the liberty of mentioning your costumes to a friend of mine, Tomoyo- chan, she was very interested. I saw her inside shopping just now and she told me to give you this when I saw you. Her name is Lucina Merici."
"The famous designer?!"
Eriol nodded: with shaking hands Tomoyo opened the letter and read it. Her eyes went wide.
"Eriol-kun she is offering me a job with her here in England when I finish my studies as a designer."
Eriol smiled at her.
"I'm glad, you always wanted to be a designer."
"Oh Eriol-kun, thank you."
Tomoyo grabbed Eriol and hugged him, then she blushed and let go. A few moments later they arrived at the Ritz. The two of them got out of the cab. Eriol paid the driver and gave him a handsome tip.