Daphne: "All right, everyone. I have some bad news. My time on the computer
has been seriously reduced (you can thank my father), so I will have a hard
time finding time to write on my stories. I will, however, struggle to get
them up just as fast! Please don't hate me!
Oh, small little note. I am thinking about making a sequel to this story, but I am not sure...I need your opinions, please!
~*~*~*~
Avalanche Kisses.
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 6.
"Happy Christmas, Tomoyo!" Eriol called, opening her bedroom door and sticking his head in. She was already up and about, getting her presents ready to give to her friends. Tomoyo looked up and smiled.
"No peaking, Eriol-kun! It's not fair!" She said, gently shutting the door on his face. He stared at it for a moment and then chuckled. That was the first time she had called him 'Eriol-kun'.
"Fine! I'll meet you down-stairs!" He called, grinning at her door. He strutted down the stairs and into the ballroom where a huge tree stood by the windows. The ballroom was huge, and the tree nearly touched the roof. It was heavily decorated with decorations that they had made, and also some that Tomoyo had requested him to conjure up. They had decorated the room with tall gold, red, green and white candles, boughs of holly, big red and green bows and Nakuru had added a touch of mistletoe to all the doorways, just in case. The white curtains had been pulled back to reveal it lightly snowing outside, and this made the whole room seem even more Christmas- like.
Nakuru was twirling around the room in excitement, and even Spinnel seemed to have caught the holiday-bug. He was flying around the room, singing Christmas carols and ringing the bells that Nakuru had tied around his neck; although, Nakuru could have slipped him a bit of sugar when no one was looking, but who knew? Eriol flashed them one of his smiles, and then sat down and waited impatiently for Tomoyo to arrive.
When she did, her arms were full of packages and bags, and her eyes were sparkling.
"All right, we can begin!" She called. Nakuru gave a happy squeal, and Spinnel hurried over to wish Tomoyo a 'Happy Christmas'.
"Our tradition is to eat breakfast first, then have a movie marathon of some sort, and then have a small lunch. After that we spend the day playing games and playing in the snow, and then we eat dinner. When we are through with that, then we..." Eriol began.
"...Open presents!!!!" Nakuru finished for him, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Tomoyo laughed.
"Sounds like a plan to me!" She agreed. Eriol gave her a smile, and then offered her his arm.
"This way, My Lady!" He said, bowing to her. She laughed and then followed him out of the room.
~*~*~*~
"Nakuru, you look sad." Spinnel commented, as they watched Tomoyo and Eriol leave the room.
"Tomoyo-chan has been here for three whole weeks now, and master still hasn't admitted that he likes her!" Nakuru said in a dismayed voice. Spinnel frowned.
"Nakuru, it is impossible to tell whether or not he likes her at all! He never mentions anything to me..."
"And he wouldn't! He keeps his feelings to himself, Suppi! But I watch him. When he thinks that no one is looking he will stare at Tomoyo-chan for...a long time. And then, when he thinks that he is alone in his study, his face will get all wistful and sad, and he looks as though he is fighting with himself over something. Sometimes he even mumbles to himself!" Nakuru whispered. Spinnel looked at her in shock.
"Nakuru! You actually spy on master? How dare you!" He cried, making Nakuru look sadder.
"But Suppi! Master is SAD!! He really likes Tomoyo-chan! And when she goes away, he will be even more sad! Spinnel...Eriol-sama is in love with Tomoyo- chan!" Nakuru whimpered, tears filling her eyes. Spinnel stared at her, dumfounded; but when he thought back on it, he too realized just how much Eriol seemed to be hiding from them. Spinnel sighed.
"But what are we going to do about it?" He asked. Nakuru sighed.
"I really don't know. But I do know that Tomoyo likes him as well. Whenever she looks at him, she blushes." Nakuru stated, looking at Spinnel anxiously. He stared at her for a minute and then nodded grimly.
"All right, I will help." He finally said. Nakuru gave him a soft smile, and for the first time since he had known her, Nakuru actually seemed calm!
"We will plan phase one right now! Then, we have a whole day of Christmas to enjoy! Come on Suppi!" The Nakuru that Spinnel knew was back, and ready to roll!
~*~*~*~
"I loved that movie!!" Nakuru cried, clapping her hands. Tomoyo grinned and reached over to the VCR to rewind the movie.
"But it had nothing to do with Christmas!" Eriol protested. Tomoyo grinned.
"That doesn't matter! 'Hello Dolly' is one of my favorites! By the way...how exactly is it possible for us to be watching movies...if there is no electricity in this big pile of bricks?" She asked looking at him accusingly. He grinned.
"Well, that has nothing to do with Christmas either, but if you really must know...I used magic." Eriol admitted. Tomoyo groaned and rolled her eyes.
"I should have known!" She muttered. He grinned at her, and then summoned his staff. With one swift movement, he made the TV and VCR disappear.
"How is it possible that the reincarnation of an ancient Sorcerer, and his guardians watch TV?" Tomoyo mussed teasingly. Eriol grinned.
"Now that, is Spinnel's fault! He went out flying one day (without permission, let me remind you), and saw a TV in the window-display of a store. After that, there was no stopping his requests for me to buy us one. Finally, I got so tired of his begging, that I caved and bought several...and here we are!" Eriol said, motioning to the two guardians. They smiled guiltily and then looked at him expectantly.
"All right, let's go down to lunch!" Eriol sighed.
~*~*~*~
"I think.that it was Colonel Mustard, in the Study...with the Lead Pipe!" Tomoyo crowed, reaching for the envelope and pulling out the three tell- tale cards.
"Mustard, Study, and Lead Pipe! I win!" Tomoyo said, carefully putting down the cards and doing a little victory dance with Nakuru. Both girls were giggling excitedly, because this was the fifth time that Tomoyo had beaten Eriol at 'CLUE'.
"Fine, fine! I deserved it. After all, I did beat you all at Yatzee!" He reminded them. Tomoyo grinned.
"Stop changing the subject, Mister I-am-going-to-smash-you-this-time!" She laughed. He frowned.
"New game!" He said loudly. Nakuru gave a squeal.
"No! OUTSIDE!!!" She shrieked, grabbing Spinel by the tail and high-tailing it out of the room. Tomoyo and Eriol looked at each other and shrugged, following Nakuru and her poor prisoner close behind. They all slipped on their coats and then hurried out into the cold afternoon air. The clouds had returned, and snow was threatening to fall.
"Come on Suppi! Let's make a snowman!"
"It's SPINEL!!!" The irate little guardian shouted, as Nakuru dragged him away down the ravine. Eriol and Tomoyo laughed at the desperate look on his face, and then ran after them. Feeling competitive, Eriol sped in front of Tomoyo, leaving her in the dust...or snow dust.
"Haha! I win..." His laughter was cut off as a huge snowball hit him in the back of the neck.
"TOMOYO!!!" He shouted, as the snow quickly melted and dripped in cold rivers down his back. The raven haired girl was doubled up laughing, her face a healthy pink.
"I'll get you!" He picked up a pile of snow, carefully molded it into a snowball, and was about to throw when Tomoyo appeared at his side.
"Oh, Eriol-kun. You don't really want to throw that at me." She murmured into his ear. Eriol shivered, all laughter dying away.
"I don't?" He tried to act calm, raising his eyebrow at her. She smiled sweetly.
"Of course not." Now, her face was moving closer to his...dangerously close. Eriol gulped.
"In fact, if that snowball belongs anywhere, it is...IN YOUR FACE!" She shrieked, shoving his hand that was holding the snowball, into his own face. Eriol gave an angry roar, but when his eyes were clear of snow, Tomoyo had already taken shelter behind Nakuru, who was heavily laden with freshly-packed snowballs.
"Master? You're all washed up!" Spinel laughed, as a barrage of snowballs came at Eriol. The young magician gave a yell and then disappeared under numerous amounts of those cold, wet snowballs.
~*~*~*~
"Haha, Master! We won!" Nakuru shrieked half an hour later, as they came back inside. Eriol was soaking wet and shivering, while the rest were only moderately wet. During the snowball fight, Tomoyo had taken the time to fall on the ground and make a few perfect snow angels, before joining the fun again. Spinel had taken shelter behind a small tree, and Eriol had made his fortress behind a small hill of snow. Nakuru had had no qualms in standing out in the open while she pelted her master with the delightful snow contraptions.
"Yeah, yeah." Eriol grumbled, rubbing his hands to get some circulation back into them. Tomoyo began to laugh.
"It might be easier if you change your clothes, Eriol-kun. In fact, why don't we all change, and then get ready for dinner." She suggested. Everyone agreed, and they all went their ways, Eriol and Spinel to Eriol's room, and Nakuru and Tomoyo to Tomoyo's room.
"Tomoyo-chan! What are you going to wear?" The guardian asked, when they were alone. Tomoyo shrugged. Eriol had used magic to transport some of her clothes here, so she was not lacking.
"Fine. Let me choose!" Nakuru squealed, running over to Tomoyo's wardrobe and flinging open the doors. She stood, ruffling through the outfits, until she finally came out with one.
"Close your eyes, Tomoyo-chan. It's a surprise." Nakuru stated. Tomoyo obeyed and Nakuru began her work. Then, when she was through, she pulled Tomoyo over to the vanity and began to do her hair.
"All done. You can open your eyes now." Nakuru whispered in an awed voice. Tomoyo did so and gasped. Nakuru had chosen a lovely lavender satin, V-neck halter dress that fell to the floor and clung to her upper-body like a second skin. The skirt, however, floated around her beautifully, and a knee- length slit ran up the right side of the skirt. Nakuru had pulled her hair up into tiny ringlets at the top of her head, and secured them with a lavender ribbon, leaving some ringlets to spill down over her shoulders and around her face.
"Oh, Nakuru!" Tomoyo gasped in delight, her amethyst eyes wide and happy. The guardian laughed and then took out another outfit.
"I am going to get dressed. Why don't you go down and wait in the dinning room. I should be down soon." Nakuru pushed the younger girl out of the room and then shut the door. Tomoyo rolled her eyes and slowly walked down the long flight of stairs to the dinning room. When she got there, she quietly opened the door and went inside, taking her place at the table. Moments later, there was a large scuffling at the door, and Eriol fell through the doorway, looking quite annoyed.
Tomoyo choked on the water she was sipping when she caught sight of him. He was in fancy black slacks, and a dark blue suit top over a white dress- shirt. His tie was done loosely, and his hair looked more ruffled than usual.
"Its a mutiny." He groaned, leaning against the door with his eyes closed. Tomoyo stood up and smiled. He still hadn't noticed her presence.
"What is?" She questioned. For the first time since she had met him, Eriol jumped in surprise and spun around to face her. Then, his mouth dropped open as his eyes slid over her. For some reason, Tomoyo blushed and looked away.
"They are not planning on joining us for dinner, are they?" She asked softly. Eriol regained his countenance and smirked.
"No. They have also locked us in here, in case you failed to notice." He added. Tomoyo groaned.
"This is a conspiracy. They are deliberately torturing us." She giggled when she said this last part. Eriol smiled.
"We might as well make the most of it. May I help you to your seat, my lady?" He joked, pulling out her chair and helping her into it. Tomoyo laughed and 'graciously' accepted the help.
"Now, what would you like for supper?" He asked, his eyes sparkling. Tomoyo grinned and pretended to look at a menu.
"Hmmm...the roasted chicken looks good, with a side of rice and asparagus...oh! And some cranberry sauce, please." She joked. Then, to her astonishment, it appeared on her plate. She looked at it for a moment, her eyes wide, and then looked at Eriol, who was smirking.
"Never underestimate my power, Tomoyo-chan." He chuckled. Tomoyo's mouth fell open at the -chan.
" Well then, Eriol, what are you going to have?" She mocked, trying to ignore her rapidly beating heart. He smiled.
"I think...turkey, with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, olives, and some cranberry sauce too." He finished, and it appeared on his plate. Tomoyo rolled her eyes and then helped herself to the rice on her plate.
"When do you think that they will let us out?" She asked after a few minutes of silence. He grinned.
"Well, they will keep us in here until I decided to unlock the doors. I do have that power, you know." He reminded her. She rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day.
"You are cocky, you know that, Eriol-kun?" She sighed, going back to her meal. Eriol watched her discreetly from beneath his lashes for a while, noting the soft lines of her face and the curve of her neck where a single curl rested. His fingers itched to twine themselves around that curl and to brush the skin of her neck, but he did not fancy being slapped by her, especially on Christmas night. Finally, with a soft sigh, he went back to eating, his mind much fuller than it had been moments earlier.
~*~*~*~
"Yay! Presents!" Nakuru shouted, running back into the ballroom, not long after dinner. Tomoyo followed close behind with her video camera. Eriol had conjured it up just for her, as an early Christmas present.
"Calm down, Nakuru. There will be plenty of time to open your presents." Eriol chuckled. Spinel flew by, ringing the little bells around his neck.
"Yeah, but there is not time like the present. Get it? *Present*?" Spinel crowed, flying around in circles. Tomoyo and Eriol looked at each other and sighed. Nakuru had slipped Spinel some more sugar during their dinner, and the little guardian was living it up...for now, at least.
"Yay! Come on, Tomoyo-chan!" Nakuru squealed, dragging the younger girl over to the huge tree. Eriol grinned and turned off the ballroom lights, so the full moon could show through the windows. The ethereal light spilled in watery waves clear across the floor, causing tall shadows to rear up in the corners of the room. The Christmas lights were lit, adding a bit more light, and all the candles around the ballroom were lit as well. Two chairs and a couch were pulled up around the tree, and a fire was lit in one of the huge fireplaces near the chairs.
"Oh! Eriol, this is wonderful!" Tomoyo gasped, training her camera on the huge tree. Eriol smiled and sat down on the couch, while Spinel settled himself on the chair next to him, and Nakuru took the chair on the other side of the couch, leaving Tomoyo only one other option; sit next to Eriol.
"All right, first present. Nakuru, from Tomoyo." Eriol called out, reaching under the tree and pulling out the present. Nakuru squealed and then ripped into the gift.
"OH! How pretty! I love it!" Nakuru squealed, as she pulled a lovely crimson dress out of the wrapping. Tomoyo blushed at her praise, and then accepted the gift that Eriol handed her. It was the one Sakura had sent to her! She quickly opened it, and gasped. Inside, was a tiny little box, shaped like a rose. It was pale pink in color, with a dash of green in the leaves. Tomoyo's thumb accidentally brushed across a spring, which triggered the top of the flower to snap open, revealing a see-through music box!
"Oh!" Tomoyo gasped, as it began to play the 'Moonlight Sonata', one of her favorite songs. She listened in awe, and watched the little mechanisms work for a while, before she shut it. Tears filled her eyes.
"Thank you, Sakura-chan." She whispered to the little box, gently placing it on a small table next to her. Eriol watched the tender looks that she threw at it, and felt a flash of jealousy rage through him. If only he could please her like that present had...
"Eriol-sama. You open one now!" Nakuru shrieked, shoving a present into his hands. Eriol forced a smile and unwrapped the gift.
Half an hour later, they were finished opening their gifts. Each person was now going over his or her pile of gifts, sifting out their favorites, and then spending more time admiring them. Tomoyo had her music box open, and was listening to that while she looked over one of Eriol's presents to her. It was a necklace, consisting of a realistic-looking purple flower petal, made entirely out of amethyst, and strung on a thin silver chain. Eriol had told her that it was to be used when she was under a lot of stress. All she would have to do was touch that petal, and all the stress *should* go away. Tomoyo had thanked him profoundly and immediately strung it about her neck.
Eriol, however, was secretly gazing at the present Tomoyo had made for him, which was a lovely decorated picture frame. Tomoyo had attached flat stones of blue and green together, in a sort of tile effect, and then added little stone figures shaped like staffs, suns, moons, cats and butterflies to the background. She had told him to put his most treasured picture there, and he was determined to do so.
"Eriol? Are you awake?" Came a laughing voice. Eriol turned and came face to face with a pair of amethyst eyes. He pulled back and laughed uncomfortably.
"Of course! I was just waiting until everyone was through goggling at their presents." He answered. Nakuru giggled, because she had seen where his gaze had really been.
"I am going to bed, Eriol-sama. Come on, Suppi." Nakuru forced her voice to sound tired as she grasped Spinel by the tail and turned to leave the room.
"SPINEL. Not Suppi!" The exhausted guardian argued, as Nakuru dragged him from the room. Tomoyo giggled, her camera trained on them.
"They may have a point." She said softly, looking back at Eriol. He smiled.
"I agree. May I escort you to your room, Lady?" He asked, his voice quiet in the large room. Tomoyo smiled and nodded.
"But our presents..."
"I will transport them up to our rooms." He flicked his hand and the gifts disappeared. Tomoyo smiled again and took his offered arm. There was a giggle heard from outside of the room, and Eriol groaned.
"Tired, my foot!" He snapped, as Tomoyo laughed softly. They were just about to exit the room, when Nakuru appeared, grinning widely.
"Ah-ah-ah! You two have forgotten! It is bad luck to walk under mistletoe and not do a certain something!" Nakuru giggled viciously, and continued on her way up the staircase. At her words, both Eriol and Tomoyo went from red, to white and glanced up. Sure enough, directly above their heads, was a sprig of mistletoe. Eriol stood in shock for a moment, and then began to silently thank Nakuru a thousand times over. Tomoyo swore to herself that it would only be a short, chaste kiss, one that would leave neither uncomfortable or with the wrong idea. But she underestimated the power of Eriol.
Cerulean eyes met amethyst. Two heads leaned in, both dreading what was about to happen. Breath mingles, eyes closed...soft warm lips touched equally soft plum ones. Abandon! Eriol's arms slipped around Tomoyo's tiny waist and he became dizzy with delight. Tomoyo felt his arms wrap around her and she found herself getting lost in a kiss she had sworn to ignore. Limp and powerless, she could only sigh as his body pressed hers up against the doorjamb. His lips were caressing hers softly, leaving her with the strange need for more. His hands gently moved up and down her spine, causing shivers.
Finally, both were forced to move back for air, causing Eriol to long for her lips again, and Tomoyo to slowly come back to her senses enough to realize what she had just done. Unable to believe that she had actually enjoyed that kiss, she quickly stepped away from him, her eyes meeting his as though nothing had happened.
"Goodnight, Eriol. Happy Christmas." She murmured, turning away and walking up the stairs to her room. Eriol collapsed against the doorjamb, gulping down the lump in his throat as he watched her lovely form disappear from view. Had he really done that? Had he really kissed his angel once again, after all these years? Why had she acted as if it hadn't happened? Had he dreamed it?
"No." He finally decided, running an agitated hand through his hair, and turning half-wild eyes back to the staircase. That kiss had been real. The feel of her lips under his was still there, as was the sensation of her soft, satin-clad form beneath his body...
"God, I need help." He finally moaned, running his hand once more through his hair before stalking back upstairs to his room. When there, he slammed the door shut and collapsed onto his bed, trying to forget that kiss. She had left him again. She had thrown that kiss back in his face and left. It hadn't meant anything to her. In despair, Eriol turned over, his stomach reeling, and tried to go to sleep.
A few rooms away, Tomoyo heard that door slam and she sighed. Why had she done that? Why had she let him kiss her like that? Why hadn't she stopped it while she still had the time? Why had she submitted to his sweet torture?
'Because you didn't want to.' Her heart screamed back. Unable to accept this as an answer, Tomoyo quickly changed into her night dress and climbed into the large, warm bed.
"I did want to. He was just holding me too tight." She argued.
'Yeah, just like he did those other three times!' Her heart scoffed. Tomoyo growled and turned over. This was going to be a *long* night.
~*~*~*~
Oh, small little note. I am thinking about making a sequel to this story, but I am not sure...I need your opinions, please!
~*~*~*~
Avalanche Kisses.
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 6.
"Happy Christmas, Tomoyo!" Eriol called, opening her bedroom door and sticking his head in. She was already up and about, getting her presents ready to give to her friends. Tomoyo looked up and smiled.
"No peaking, Eriol-kun! It's not fair!" She said, gently shutting the door on his face. He stared at it for a moment and then chuckled. That was the first time she had called him 'Eriol-kun'.
"Fine! I'll meet you down-stairs!" He called, grinning at her door. He strutted down the stairs and into the ballroom where a huge tree stood by the windows. The ballroom was huge, and the tree nearly touched the roof. It was heavily decorated with decorations that they had made, and also some that Tomoyo had requested him to conjure up. They had decorated the room with tall gold, red, green and white candles, boughs of holly, big red and green bows and Nakuru had added a touch of mistletoe to all the doorways, just in case. The white curtains had been pulled back to reveal it lightly snowing outside, and this made the whole room seem even more Christmas- like.
Nakuru was twirling around the room in excitement, and even Spinnel seemed to have caught the holiday-bug. He was flying around the room, singing Christmas carols and ringing the bells that Nakuru had tied around his neck; although, Nakuru could have slipped him a bit of sugar when no one was looking, but who knew? Eriol flashed them one of his smiles, and then sat down and waited impatiently for Tomoyo to arrive.
When she did, her arms were full of packages and bags, and her eyes were sparkling.
"All right, we can begin!" She called. Nakuru gave a happy squeal, and Spinnel hurried over to wish Tomoyo a 'Happy Christmas'.
"Our tradition is to eat breakfast first, then have a movie marathon of some sort, and then have a small lunch. After that we spend the day playing games and playing in the snow, and then we eat dinner. When we are through with that, then we..." Eriol began.
"...Open presents!!!!" Nakuru finished for him, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Tomoyo laughed.
"Sounds like a plan to me!" She agreed. Eriol gave her a smile, and then offered her his arm.
"This way, My Lady!" He said, bowing to her. She laughed and then followed him out of the room.
~*~*~*~
"Nakuru, you look sad." Spinnel commented, as they watched Tomoyo and Eriol leave the room.
"Tomoyo-chan has been here for three whole weeks now, and master still hasn't admitted that he likes her!" Nakuru said in a dismayed voice. Spinnel frowned.
"Nakuru, it is impossible to tell whether or not he likes her at all! He never mentions anything to me..."
"And he wouldn't! He keeps his feelings to himself, Suppi! But I watch him. When he thinks that no one is looking he will stare at Tomoyo-chan for...a long time. And then, when he thinks that he is alone in his study, his face will get all wistful and sad, and he looks as though he is fighting with himself over something. Sometimes he even mumbles to himself!" Nakuru whispered. Spinnel looked at her in shock.
"Nakuru! You actually spy on master? How dare you!" He cried, making Nakuru look sadder.
"But Suppi! Master is SAD!! He really likes Tomoyo-chan! And when she goes away, he will be even more sad! Spinnel...Eriol-sama is in love with Tomoyo- chan!" Nakuru whimpered, tears filling her eyes. Spinnel stared at her, dumfounded; but when he thought back on it, he too realized just how much Eriol seemed to be hiding from them. Spinnel sighed.
"But what are we going to do about it?" He asked. Nakuru sighed.
"I really don't know. But I do know that Tomoyo likes him as well. Whenever she looks at him, she blushes." Nakuru stated, looking at Spinnel anxiously. He stared at her for a minute and then nodded grimly.
"All right, I will help." He finally said. Nakuru gave him a soft smile, and for the first time since he had known her, Nakuru actually seemed calm!
"We will plan phase one right now! Then, we have a whole day of Christmas to enjoy! Come on Suppi!" The Nakuru that Spinnel knew was back, and ready to roll!
~*~*~*~
"I loved that movie!!" Nakuru cried, clapping her hands. Tomoyo grinned and reached over to the VCR to rewind the movie.
"But it had nothing to do with Christmas!" Eriol protested. Tomoyo grinned.
"That doesn't matter! 'Hello Dolly' is one of my favorites! By the way...how exactly is it possible for us to be watching movies...if there is no electricity in this big pile of bricks?" She asked looking at him accusingly. He grinned.
"Well, that has nothing to do with Christmas either, but if you really must know...I used magic." Eriol admitted. Tomoyo groaned and rolled her eyes.
"I should have known!" She muttered. He grinned at her, and then summoned his staff. With one swift movement, he made the TV and VCR disappear.
"How is it possible that the reincarnation of an ancient Sorcerer, and his guardians watch TV?" Tomoyo mussed teasingly. Eriol grinned.
"Now that, is Spinnel's fault! He went out flying one day (without permission, let me remind you), and saw a TV in the window-display of a store. After that, there was no stopping his requests for me to buy us one. Finally, I got so tired of his begging, that I caved and bought several...and here we are!" Eriol said, motioning to the two guardians. They smiled guiltily and then looked at him expectantly.
"All right, let's go down to lunch!" Eriol sighed.
~*~*~*~
"I think.that it was Colonel Mustard, in the Study...with the Lead Pipe!" Tomoyo crowed, reaching for the envelope and pulling out the three tell- tale cards.
"Mustard, Study, and Lead Pipe! I win!" Tomoyo said, carefully putting down the cards and doing a little victory dance with Nakuru. Both girls were giggling excitedly, because this was the fifth time that Tomoyo had beaten Eriol at 'CLUE'.
"Fine, fine! I deserved it. After all, I did beat you all at Yatzee!" He reminded them. Tomoyo grinned.
"Stop changing the subject, Mister I-am-going-to-smash-you-this-time!" She laughed. He frowned.
"New game!" He said loudly. Nakuru gave a squeal.
"No! OUTSIDE!!!" She shrieked, grabbing Spinel by the tail and high-tailing it out of the room. Tomoyo and Eriol looked at each other and shrugged, following Nakuru and her poor prisoner close behind. They all slipped on their coats and then hurried out into the cold afternoon air. The clouds had returned, and snow was threatening to fall.
"Come on Suppi! Let's make a snowman!"
"It's SPINEL!!!" The irate little guardian shouted, as Nakuru dragged him away down the ravine. Eriol and Tomoyo laughed at the desperate look on his face, and then ran after them. Feeling competitive, Eriol sped in front of Tomoyo, leaving her in the dust...or snow dust.
"Haha! I win..." His laughter was cut off as a huge snowball hit him in the back of the neck.
"TOMOYO!!!" He shouted, as the snow quickly melted and dripped in cold rivers down his back. The raven haired girl was doubled up laughing, her face a healthy pink.
"I'll get you!" He picked up a pile of snow, carefully molded it into a snowball, and was about to throw when Tomoyo appeared at his side.
"Oh, Eriol-kun. You don't really want to throw that at me." She murmured into his ear. Eriol shivered, all laughter dying away.
"I don't?" He tried to act calm, raising his eyebrow at her. She smiled sweetly.
"Of course not." Now, her face was moving closer to his...dangerously close. Eriol gulped.
"In fact, if that snowball belongs anywhere, it is...IN YOUR FACE!" She shrieked, shoving his hand that was holding the snowball, into his own face. Eriol gave an angry roar, but when his eyes were clear of snow, Tomoyo had already taken shelter behind Nakuru, who was heavily laden with freshly-packed snowballs.
"Master? You're all washed up!" Spinel laughed, as a barrage of snowballs came at Eriol. The young magician gave a yell and then disappeared under numerous amounts of those cold, wet snowballs.
~*~*~*~
"Haha, Master! We won!" Nakuru shrieked half an hour later, as they came back inside. Eriol was soaking wet and shivering, while the rest were only moderately wet. During the snowball fight, Tomoyo had taken the time to fall on the ground and make a few perfect snow angels, before joining the fun again. Spinel had taken shelter behind a small tree, and Eriol had made his fortress behind a small hill of snow. Nakuru had had no qualms in standing out in the open while she pelted her master with the delightful snow contraptions.
"Yeah, yeah." Eriol grumbled, rubbing his hands to get some circulation back into them. Tomoyo began to laugh.
"It might be easier if you change your clothes, Eriol-kun. In fact, why don't we all change, and then get ready for dinner." She suggested. Everyone agreed, and they all went their ways, Eriol and Spinel to Eriol's room, and Nakuru and Tomoyo to Tomoyo's room.
"Tomoyo-chan! What are you going to wear?" The guardian asked, when they were alone. Tomoyo shrugged. Eriol had used magic to transport some of her clothes here, so she was not lacking.
"Fine. Let me choose!" Nakuru squealed, running over to Tomoyo's wardrobe and flinging open the doors. She stood, ruffling through the outfits, until she finally came out with one.
"Close your eyes, Tomoyo-chan. It's a surprise." Nakuru stated. Tomoyo obeyed and Nakuru began her work. Then, when she was through, she pulled Tomoyo over to the vanity and began to do her hair.
"All done. You can open your eyes now." Nakuru whispered in an awed voice. Tomoyo did so and gasped. Nakuru had chosen a lovely lavender satin, V-neck halter dress that fell to the floor and clung to her upper-body like a second skin. The skirt, however, floated around her beautifully, and a knee- length slit ran up the right side of the skirt. Nakuru had pulled her hair up into tiny ringlets at the top of her head, and secured them with a lavender ribbon, leaving some ringlets to spill down over her shoulders and around her face.
"Oh, Nakuru!" Tomoyo gasped in delight, her amethyst eyes wide and happy. The guardian laughed and then took out another outfit.
"I am going to get dressed. Why don't you go down and wait in the dinning room. I should be down soon." Nakuru pushed the younger girl out of the room and then shut the door. Tomoyo rolled her eyes and slowly walked down the long flight of stairs to the dinning room. When she got there, she quietly opened the door and went inside, taking her place at the table. Moments later, there was a large scuffling at the door, and Eriol fell through the doorway, looking quite annoyed.
Tomoyo choked on the water she was sipping when she caught sight of him. He was in fancy black slacks, and a dark blue suit top over a white dress- shirt. His tie was done loosely, and his hair looked more ruffled than usual.
"Its a mutiny." He groaned, leaning against the door with his eyes closed. Tomoyo stood up and smiled. He still hadn't noticed her presence.
"What is?" She questioned. For the first time since she had met him, Eriol jumped in surprise and spun around to face her. Then, his mouth dropped open as his eyes slid over her. For some reason, Tomoyo blushed and looked away.
"They are not planning on joining us for dinner, are they?" She asked softly. Eriol regained his countenance and smirked.
"No. They have also locked us in here, in case you failed to notice." He added. Tomoyo groaned.
"This is a conspiracy. They are deliberately torturing us." She giggled when she said this last part. Eriol smiled.
"We might as well make the most of it. May I help you to your seat, my lady?" He joked, pulling out her chair and helping her into it. Tomoyo laughed and 'graciously' accepted the help.
"Now, what would you like for supper?" He asked, his eyes sparkling. Tomoyo grinned and pretended to look at a menu.
"Hmmm...the roasted chicken looks good, with a side of rice and asparagus...oh! And some cranberry sauce, please." She joked. Then, to her astonishment, it appeared on her plate. She looked at it for a moment, her eyes wide, and then looked at Eriol, who was smirking.
"Never underestimate my power, Tomoyo-chan." He chuckled. Tomoyo's mouth fell open at the -chan.
" Well then, Eriol, what are you going to have?" She mocked, trying to ignore her rapidly beating heart. He smiled.
"I think...turkey, with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, olives, and some cranberry sauce too." He finished, and it appeared on his plate. Tomoyo rolled her eyes and then helped herself to the rice on her plate.
"When do you think that they will let us out?" She asked after a few minutes of silence. He grinned.
"Well, they will keep us in here until I decided to unlock the doors. I do have that power, you know." He reminded her. She rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day.
"You are cocky, you know that, Eriol-kun?" She sighed, going back to her meal. Eriol watched her discreetly from beneath his lashes for a while, noting the soft lines of her face and the curve of her neck where a single curl rested. His fingers itched to twine themselves around that curl and to brush the skin of her neck, but he did not fancy being slapped by her, especially on Christmas night. Finally, with a soft sigh, he went back to eating, his mind much fuller than it had been moments earlier.
~*~*~*~
"Yay! Presents!" Nakuru shouted, running back into the ballroom, not long after dinner. Tomoyo followed close behind with her video camera. Eriol had conjured it up just for her, as an early Christmas present.
"Calm down, Nakuru. There will be plenty of time to open your presents." Eriol chuckled. Spinel flew by, ringing the little bells around his neck.
"Yeah, but there is not time like the present. Get it? *Present*?" Spinel crowed, flying around in circles. Tomoyo and Eriol looked at each other and sighed. Nakuru had slipped Spinel some more sugar during their dinner, and the little guardian was living it up...for now, at least.
"Yay! Come on, Tomoyo-chan!" Nakuru squealed, dragging the younger girl over to the huge tree. Eriol grinned and turned off the ballroom lights, so the full moon could show through the windows. The ethereal light spilled in watery waves clear across the floor, causing tall shadows to rear up in the corners of the room. The Christmas lights were lit, adding a bit more light, and all the candles around the ballroom were lit as well. Two chairs and a couch were pulled up around the tree, and a fire was lit in one of the huge fireplaces near the chairs.
"Oh! Eriol, this is wonderful!" Tomoyo gasped, training her camera on the huge tree. Eriol smiled and sat down on the couch, while Spinel settled himself on the chair next to him, and Nakuru took the chair on the other side of the couch, leaving Tomoyo only one other option; sit next to Eriol.
"All right, first present. Nakuru, from Tomoyo." Eriol called out, reaching under the tree and pulling out the present. Nakuru squealed and then ripped into the gift.
"OH! How pretty! I love it!" Nakuru squealed, as she pulled a lovely crimson dress out of the wrapping. Tomoyo blushed at her praise, and then accepted the gift that Eriol handed her. It was the one Sakura had sent to her! She quickly opened it, and gasped. Inside, was a tiny little box, shaped like a rose. It was pale pink in color, with a dash of green in the leaves. Tomoyo's thumb accidentally brushed across a spring, which triggered the top of the flower to snap open, revealing a see-through music box!
"Oh!" Tomoyo gasped, as it began to play the 'Moonlight Sonata', one of her favorite songs. She listened in awe, and watched the little mechanisms work for a while, before she shut it. Tears filled her eyes.
"Thank you, Sakura-chan." She whispered to the little box, gently placing it on a small table next to her. Eriol watched the tender looks that she threw at it, and felt a flash of jealousy rage through him. If only he could please her like that present had...
"Eriol-sama. You open one now!" Nakuru shrieked, shoving a present into his hands. Eriol forced a smile and unwrapped the gift.
Half an hour later, they were finished opening their gifts. Each person was now going over his or her pile of gifts, sifting out their favorites, and then spending more time admiring them. Tomoyo had her music box open, and was listening to that while she looked over one of Eriol's presents to her. It was a necklace, consisting of a realistic-looking purple flower petal, made entirely out of amethyst, and strung on a thin silver chain. Eriol had told her that it was to be used when she was under a lot of stress. All she would have to do was touch that petal, and all the stress *should* go away. Tomoyo had thanked him profoundly and immediately strung it about her neck.
Eriol, however, was secretly gazing at the present Tomoyo had made for him, which was a lovely decorated picture frame. Tomoyo had attached flat stones of blue and green together, in a sort of tile effect, and then added little stone figures shaped like staffs, suns, moons, cats and butterflies to the background. She had told him to put his most treasured picture there, and he was determined to do so.
"Eriol? Are you awake?" Came a laughing voice. Eriol turned and came face to face with a pair of amethyst eyes. He pulled back and laughed uncomfortably.
"Of course! I was just waiting until everyone was through goggling at their presents." He answered. Nakuru giggled, because she had seen where his gaze had really been.
"I am going to bed, Eriol-sama. Come on, Suppi." Nakuru forced her voice to sound tired as she grasped Spinel by the tail and turned to leave the room.
"SPINEL. Not Suppi!" The exhausted guardian argued, as Nakuru dragged him from the room. Tomoyo giggled, her camera trained on them.
"They may have a point." She said softly, looking back at Eriol. He smiled.
"I agree. May I escort you to your room, Lady?" He asked, his voice quiet in the large room. Tomoyo smiled and nodded.
"But our presents..."
"I will transport them up to our rooms." He flicked his hand and the gifts disappeared. Tomoyo smiled again and took his offered arm. There was a giggle heard from outside of the room, and Eriol groaned.
"Tired, my foot!" He snapped, as Tomoyo laughed softly. They were just about to exit the room, when Nakuru appeared, grinning widely.
"Ah-ah-ah! You two have forgotten! It is bad luck to walk under mistletoe and not do a certain something!" Nakuru giggled viciously, and continued on her way up the staircase. At her words, both Eriol and Tomoyo went from red, to white and glanced up. Sure enough, directly above their heads, was a sprig of mistletoe. Eriol stood in shock for a moment, and then began to silently thank Nakuru a thousand times over. Tomoyo swore to herself that it would only be a short, chaste kiss, one that would leave neither uncomfortable or with the wrong idea. But she underestimated the power of Eriol.
Cerulean eyes met amethyst. Two heads leaned in, both dreading what was about to happen. Breath mingles, eyes closed...soft warm lips touched equally soft plum ones. Abandon! Eriol's arms slipped around Tomoyo's tiny waist and he became dizzy with delight. Tomoyo felt his arms wrap around her and she found herself getting lost in a kiss she had sworn to ignore. Limp and powerless, she could only sigh as his body pressed hers up against the doorjamb. His lips were caressing hers softly, leaving her with the strange need for more. His hands gently moved up and down her spine, causing shivers.
Finally, both were forced to move back for air, causing Eriol to long for her lips again, and Tomoyo to slowly come back to her senses enough to realize what she had just done. Unable to believe that she had actually enjoyed that kiss, she quickly stepped away from him, her eyes meeting his as though nothing had happened.
"Goodnight, Eriol. Happy Christmas." She murmured, turning away and walking up the stairs to her room. Eriol collapsed against the doorjamb, gulping down the lump in his throat as he watched her lovely form disappear from view. Had he really done that? Had he really kissed his angel once again, after all these years? Why had she acted as if it hadn't happened? Had he dreamed it?
"No." He finally decided, running an agitated hand through his hair, and turning half-wild eyes back to the staircase. That kiss had been real. The feel of her lips under his was still there, as was the sensation of her soft, satin-clad form beneath his body...
"God, I need help." He finally moaned, running his hand once more through his hair before stalking back upstairs to his room. When there, he slammed the door shut and collapsed onto his bed, trying to forget that kiss. She had left him again. She had thrown that kiss back in his face and left. It hadn't meant anything to her. In despair, Eriol turned over, his stomach reeling, and tried to go to sleep.
A few rooms away, Tomoyo heard that door slam and she sighed. Why had she done that? Why had she let him kiss her like that? Why hadn't she stopped it while she still had the time? Why had she submitted to his sweet torture?
'Because you didn't want to.' Her heart screamed back. Unable to accept this as an answer, Tomoyo quickly changed into her night dress and climbed into the large, warm bed.
"I did want to. He was just holding me too tight." She argued.
'Yeah, just like he did those other three times!' Her heart scoffed. Tomoyo growled and turned over. This was going to be a *long* night.
~*~*~*~
