Author's Notes:
I'm so touched you all liked the story. *sniff* I didn't think it would appeal to a large audience, eh, that's why I'm hesitating. Come to think of it, this fic idea came to me August of last year, yet I forgot about it and remembered it only now. ^^;;
To nadja, SVZ, Polgara-C, Singer Rialle, Angel of Silence, B-chan and Syaoron's Angel (I'll try to read your fic sometime ^^), trowa barton, Darkness in Heart, Dana Daidouji, Umeko and Kokori Inc., Aqua-C, Lavender-Lilacs (thanks for the cookie, yum!), Tomoyo-chan (You know I really love you for reading all of my ExT fics ^^), Completely Unaware, fefa-chan, and KyteAura (I love you, too cos you read all my CCS fics), this first chapter is for all of you. ^.^ Thanks.
Songs Without Words
By: nikki hiiragizawa
CHAPTER 1: Moving in, Fitting In
"Eriol is just a few months older than you, Tomoyo, but you are in the same year of schooling." Hiiragizawa Satoshi remarked.
"Sou..." She felt really uncomfortable, especially around that handsome youth. That is why she decided to change the subject to more serious matters. "Anou...Hiiragizawa-san," she started.
Both Eriol and his father directly looked at her. Sliding down her seat, she corrected herself. "Ah...Satoshi-san," addressing Eriol's father. "Have you really thought about on this matter?"
"Yes, I believe I have. Your mother and I would want to marry as soon as possible but divorcees can't marry until after a few months." Even though it was Satoshi-san Tomoyo was asking, Eriol still kept his eyes on her.
Mou, this is really making me uncomfortable. I should be talking about stopping the marriage, not worrying about glances! she thought as she evaded Eriol's eyes. It seemed that she can't keep herself from looking at him and it made her really embarrassed. "S...Sou," she stammered. She managed to sip a little of her soup before continuing. "Are you sure you want to be married to my mother?"
"Tomoyo!" Daidouji Sonomi dropped her fork on the tablecloth. "Have we talked about this..."
"This is the purpose of this dinner, mother," Tomoyo said. She turned to Hiiragizawa Satoshi. "Your wife died only a year ago, am I right?" The man nodded. "And my mother had been separated for only a few months." The purple-eyed girl shrugged. "I don't know if this is a very good idea, sir."
Satoshi looked down. "We know it is going to be a bit harsh on you..."
Tomoyo's mother chimed in. "But we don't want to lose this feeling we have for each other. Right now, we need somebody who could take care of us and make us happy, and I found it in Satoshi. Please consider our feelings."
"Feelings?" Tomoyo stopped knifing through her steak. "Jaa, then you might as well consider Eriol-kun's and my feelings. How do we feel about being dragged here, being introduced to people we don't really want to meet and then suddenly living with them..."
"I don't have much of a problem with that, really."
Tomoyo glared at Eriol's direction. "Did you just say you don't have any problems with this?"
The young man forked a carrot and chewed. He answered only after swallowing it. "Yes, I believe I said that."
"How could you?!" Tomoyo almost threw daggers at Eriol. So he was another insensible, impractical guy! "You want your father to remarry again after only a short time?"
"Not really." Eriol stopped looking at her and decided that the food was much more interesting than Tomoyo's chatter. "I just want everyone to be happy, that's all."
Tomoyo's hands fisted under the table. She could feel tears coming, but there was no way she was going to show them how weak she is. Daidouji Tomoyo was never called as weak! She can't believe this guy! She decided on the best thing to do to avoid her crying. She folded her napkin and placed it on the table. "Then," she said, refusing to look at anything except her lap. She stood up. "I wish the three of you happiness." Pushing her chair, she turned around and walked away.
She could hear her mother calling her name, but she didn't want to turn back. How can her mother disregard her feelings? After her father, Tomoyo wouldn't want another man to get close to her mother. But still, Daidouji Sonomi decided on taking chances again. Sou ne, Tomoyo thought as she hurried out to the street to her house. If mother gets hurt again, she can't blame me.
+++
"Tomoyo, please." Daidouji Sonomi was begging her daughter. "Just give Satoshi a chance."
Tomoyo's nerves are already starting to burst. They were sitting in their house's living room together with Satoshi and Eriol. They followed me even here, she thought, gripping her skirt. I can't believe the persistence of these guys! "I already told you," she replied, maintaining her composure. "I can't live with this. If you are going to marry, then I better move out of this pla..."
Tears dropped from Sonomi's face. "I understand you, Tomoyo...but..." Her mother cried.
"Now, Sonomi..." Satoshi sat beside Tomoyo's mother to comfort her. "Surely we can make her understand."
But I don't want to understand... Tomoyo said to her thoughts. However, she can't bear to see her mother cry. What is she supposed to do?
"You better give up," a voice behind her said. Tomoyo looked up to see Eriol looming behind her chair. "I think you are being selfish, only thinking of how you feel. Don't you think we ought to give them a chance, instead of causing even more heartaches to them?"
Tomoyo gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. She had been immature, trying to get her own way by making others suffer. She looked at her mother, who was crying. Shaking her head, she finally decided.
"Looks like you're thoroughly defeated." Tomoyo turned around to give Eriol a piece of her mind but he had already retreated to a far end of the room, looking out of the window.
Damn you, Eriol! she thought as she gritted her teeth. I am against this marriage firstly because of you!
+++
"And so? What did you do next?" Sakura hid a smile as Tomoyo narrated the events, fuming.
Tomoyo sighed. "Of course, I told them I'll give it a try. Mother said Satoshi-san and Eriol would be living with us from now on, even though they aren't married yet."
"Oh, so it's 'Eriol' now," Sakura teased as she nudged her friend on the waist.
"Got to be used to the brother thing, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo answered as she smiled. "But I don't really treat him as a brother."
"Is that so?"
Tomoyo felt the hairs on her nape rise. She slowly turned around. "E...Eriol!"
"Ohayou." Eriol hastened his steps to keep up with Tomoyo's pace.
"What are you doing here?" Tomoyo asked before she noticed that Eriol was wearing the Seijou High uniform.
The young man's eye glinted through the glasses. "Well, as far as I am concerned, I am supposed to be studying here. But I think I am also here to see my sister in Seijou's cute uniform."
Damn you! Tomoyo silently said. If there was one person who could ruin her day, he is definitely the one walking beside her. However, she couldn't act so immaturely. She wanted to maintain her mature composition in school. "Do whatever you want, Eriol." She continued to walk silently.
"Ohayou!" Sakura leaned towards Eriol from the other side of Tomoyo's form. "You must be Hiiragizawa Eriol. I'm Kinomoto Sakura, Tomoyo's best friend. She's been talking about you lately."
"Really? It's a pleasure to meet you," Eriol said. He turned to Tomoyo. "Why don't you want me to treat as a brother again, Tomoyo?"
The girl flipped her hair over a shoulder and continued walking. "Maybe you should tell me, Eriol," she snapped. She looked back just in time to see her "brother" shrug.
"Do you really hate me that much? You can't do anything, you know."
"I know. That's why I am angry." She ran away from Sakura and Eriol before she was questioned again.
Eriol stared at Tomoyo's back as she broke to a run. "Your friend's really weird," he told Sakura.
The brown-haired girl laughed softly. "Don't think about it much. Tomoyo-chan hates boys."
"Hontou? Why is that?"
Sakura shook her head as they entered the building. "She liked someone sometime ago, the president of the student body in our junior high. It seemed he liked her, too and they began to go out."
"So?" Eriol stopped in his tracks. "What is so wrong with that?"
The brown-haired girl turned around and smiled. "Well, one day, Tomoyo and I saw that man dating another girl, and when Tomoyo demanded an introduction, he denied having any relationship with Tomoyo. Thus, their dating ended."
"Is that so?" The young man looked thoughtful for a while and then smiled. "It's time to be going to our classes, ne? Let's go." They walked off to their classrooms.
+++
"Hah! He's so cool!"
"Definitely!"
Tomoyo sulked on her seat. First day of school and all the girls came flocking towards her brother. Talk about center of attention.
"Hiiragizawa Eriol is Tomoyo-san's brother. Their parents are getting married in six months. I guess I don't need to assign a guide for you Eriol-kun, since you have the most popular girl in class as your sister." Laughter rang throughout the room as their teacher spoke.
Matta ku, this is really embarrassing! Tomoyo thought as she slid deeper into her seat. Telling everyone her mother was getting married again was bad enough. What more is having a new brother that's older than her?!
"Isn't that right, Tomoyo-san?"
"A...aree?"
The whole class laughed at Tomoyo's surprise, making her even more embarrassed. Eriol looked at her from beside her and smiled at her.
This is going to be in my list of worst days... The girl pouted as she drowned herself back in her English book.
+++
"You hate me."
"I don't."
"Yes, you do."
"I don't."
"Prove it."
Tomoyo slammed her lunchbox cover closed and stood up. "What is wrong with you?! Why do you have to tag along for lunch? Why don't you have lunch with those girls who were flocking around you since the very first time you took a step in our room? Why don't you have lunch with the guys?!"
"Tomoyo-chan." Sakura calmly bit on a sausage as she watched her friend fume.
Eriol smiled widely. "Daidouji Tomoyo finally lets out her airs after behaving quite perfectly all throughout the classes. Why don't you sit down first?"
Crossing her arms over her chest, Tomoyo refused to sit down. They were in the grounds of Seijou High. She was supposed to be eating with Sakura-chan, peacefully chewing their lunch while watching clouds or talking about girl stuff, when Eriol decided to have his lunch with them. That ruined everything. "Why do you have to be here?"
"That is because," Eriol held up a finger and smiled his best. "I want to eat with the cutest girl in class..." Adding a smirk he added, "and with Sakura-san, too."
"Yeah right so you..." Tomoyo's speech ended before she could even form a coherent sentence. He called me cute? I...Why am I so affected by his words?! He's just some airy-headed guy like some other! "What are you talking about, baka!" She hit Eriol's head with her lunchbox cloth cover and stormed off, leaving her best friend and her 'brother' behind.
Eriol rubbed her head and smiled at Sakura. "She seems to be in a bad mood again," he commented.
"Oh, don't mind. She'll get out of it eventually." Sakura continued to sip from her canister.
+++
"Baka Eriol! What were you thinking commenting like that?" Tomoyo blushed furiously as she stomped to the library. "I can't imagine you were that...naive!" She stopped in front of the library door and took a deep breath. Doesn't he even know how his words affect me? I don't even know why his words affect me?! Letting out a groan, she turned her fury to the pillar by the library doors and punched it repeatedly.
"Eriol no baka! Baka! Baka! Baka!"
"Tomoyo-san, what are you doing?"
Tomoyo whirled around and let out a modest laugh. "Ohohoho, I...I was just, uh, letting out some steam. I am really stressed out these days, Chiharu-san...ehehehe..."
"Sou ne," Mihara Chiharu smiled. "Just take it easy, Tomoyo-san. Being a student body vice-president really is tough." She waved before finally leaving.
The purple-eyed girl glared at the library doors before opening them. Eriol, she thought as she rushed into the reading room. I'm gonna get you for your slick moves one of these days!
+++
"Move it over here, Seiyo...no...a little to the right."
Tomoyo could hear all those dragging noises in the other room. Eriol and his father are moving in to their house. Her mother suggested it, since it would be too costly to buy another house and Satoshi-san's established properties are all the way in England. There was no way Tomoyo and her mother would move there. Not with their business here in Tomoeda.
She covered her ears with a pillow. Somehow, she still cannot accept having a new father. It was all too sudden and complicated. And to think she has to have a cute brother with no personality in tow. This is definitely going to be hell.
"Tomoyo! Come down for dinner!" her mother called from outside her room. "Satoshi made dinner, so hurry up and get dressed!"
Great. She stood up slowly. I'm eating dinner lovingly cooked by my stepfather. Isn't that cool or what? She decided to put on a skirt and a plain blouse before tying her hair up in a ponytail.
She opened her bedroom door, went out and closed it, not wanting to go down at all. Not until the door beside her room opened and someone came out. "Eriol!"
"Yo!" He went over to Tomoyo. "Aren't you going to dinner?"
Tomoyo shook her head. "Nah, I don't feel like it."
"Is it because...Dad cooked dinner?" Tomoyo felt a little tone of sadness in Eriol's voice.
"Ah...I..." Tomoyo jerked herself up from where she was leaning. "I didn't mean..."
"You are still thinking about it, aren't you? About being against our parents' wedding." He sounded serious and unnerving that Tomoyo herself shivered slightly.
However, she was not to be outwitted. "Of course, I am still against it," she answered with an arrogant air. "I don't think my mother should be married to a person she just met, and to think she just got divorced. Living with a new family is utterly uncomfortable and impractical. I have to change my last name, too. I even have a pesky brother, come to think of it."
Eriol was quite thoughtful for a while. Oh no, I think I offended him too deeply, Tomoyo thought. Is he angry with me? Maybe I should take what I said back... "Anou..."
"You don't have to be so uncomfortable with us, Tomoyo," Eriol finally said, making Tomoyo jump. "My dad has all good intentions towards your mother, I assure it. If he ever does anything that will hurt your mother...our mother...I'll be the first one to be against him." He looked at his sister's face and smiled. "That is why, maybe we should stop annoying each other and be friends, or rather, siblings?" He offered his arm to Tomoyo.
The young woman almost goggled at him. Is this the Eriol who was pestering him just some hours ago? He seemed to be so nice and thoughtful this time! Maybe he isn't so bad...maybe Tomoyo just misunderstood him...
Tomoyo held onto Eriol's arm. Maybe it was time to stop the wars between us, she thought. After all, Eriol seemed so serious and...
Eriol stopped walking. "Or maybe..." He tugged Tomoyo's hair and pulled out the ribbon off, before tousling her hair. "We shouldn't stop teasing." He laughed before running away downstairs.
Tomoyo stood frozen to the spot, her hair in disarray and her ribbon lacking. "Eriol, you bastard!" she shouted as she went back to her room to arrange her hair. "And I thought you were sincere!" Laughter echoed through the corridor as she shut the door.
"Darn that Eriol!" Tomoyo exclaimed as she rebrushed her hair. "He is good-looking but his personality's otherwise!" She slammed her brush on her dresser. "Let's see if I even care for him!"
+++
"Sugoi, Eriol-kun. And you are even a transferee!"
"Yeah. Nice job, Eriol. You even outsmarted the Ice Queen."
Eriol turned around. "Ice Queen?"
"Mhmm." Yamazaki Takashi, a new friend, nodded. "Daidouji Tomoyo. She's the Ice Queen. She always ranks first in exams. Nice face, nice brains, but she seems to hate men."
"Speaking of which, there she is now."
"Tomoyo-chan?"
Purple eyes stared, spaced out, on the exam results list. She was surprised to see her name in second ranking. But she was even more surprised to see who is on the first ranking.
I am not believing this. I am not believing this.
"Tomoyo!"
She turned around slowly. I am not believing this. I am not...Eriol... "Eriol. Our P.E. teacher was looking for you." A smile automatically pasted itself on her face. After that fake peace pact Eriol tricked her into doing, she had never spoken much to her stepbrother even at home.
"Is that so." Eriol looked thoughtful again.
"Tomoyo-chan, aren't you going to congratulate your brother?" Yamazaki chimed in. "He ranked first in the diagnostic exams."
All the boys were looking at her, expecting her to storm off or stomp in Eriol's foot, just to show her fury. I'll show them. She smiled sweetly at Eriol. "Oh yeah. I just saw the results. Congratulations, Eriol."
No one uttered a word.
"Maybe I should make you my math tutor from now on, ne?" She nudged Eriol's arm before laughing. "Jaa, see you in class. I have choir practice at lunch." She gracefully turned around and walked away.
"Did you see that?" she heard one of her classmates say. "She didn't even bother that Eriol's higher in rank than her."
"Yeah, and her face so cute when she smiled, too."
With a victorious look on her face, she walked on. "I'll show Hiiragizawa Eriol how Daidouji Tomoyo acts," she muttered as she headed to choir class.
TBC...
Author's Notes:
I was really moved by your reviews I can't say no when some asked me to post the fic here in FFnet. Geh, I guess I really loved you guys. BTW, this is a Tomoyo-perspective fic, meaning you can't see what Eriol feels or thinks. Just a bit o' warning to Eriol-luvin' guys.
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