Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura is officially owned by CLAMP.

Alert: Read First!
This is my Christmas gift-fic for Ate Cher, Hina-chan, Maia-neesan, Choco-chan and ShySyaoranGirl.

But everyone can read as well, but please leave at least a review if you have read so that I may know if people really read my fics or not.

By the way, the part wherein Eriol was dashing dishes and Tomoyo was watching him and also the 'husband' thing, it happened to me. ^_^

And now, for the most awaited part...

The 'Pretend' Game
by: Eli-chan

It was almost lunch time when eighteen-year-old Daidouji Tomoyo visited her best friend, Hiiragizawa Eriol, who didn't expect her to come at this time of the day. Her reason? She got nothing to do at home that she felt the need to visit anybody, just like what she used to do: going to Kinomoto Sakura's house. But because Sakura went with Syaoran to China for their vacation, Tomoyo decided to go to her next best friend instead.

Ding-dong...went Hiiragizawa Eriol's doorbell.

It rang three times before he was able to open the door because he was still cooking his own meal in his authentically designed kitchen, since Nakuru and Spinel also went on a vacation.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see a beautiful feminine figure, wearing a light blue flowery dress which was just hanging above her knees, standing in front of him that he felt embarrassed that he was still wearing his usual pajamas.

"Uh... I assume that you just woke up, Hiiragizawa-kun..?" Instead of greeting him, she blurted out automatically not realizing it was rather rude to say that.

He was stunned. He didn't know what to reply. She wasn't supposed to see him so...unprepared.

After a while, a shock of reality electrocuted him and sent him back to the current situation. And with that he responded, "Actually, I'm preparing my lunch, Daidouji-san." Just before she could speak, he added, "By the way, aren't you coming in?"

Not willing to lose to their usual battle of words, Tomoyo replied derisively, "I was about to come in but, pardon me, you are blocking my way."

Since he didn't want any more conflicts, he just lowered his pride down and said politely, "Oh, sorry about that. Please do come in." He stepped aside so that she could enter. Pleased, she gave him a smile and walked in.

"Daidouji-san, can you wait here for a while? I still have to finish cooking lunch."

"Okay, I'll be fine here."

"Well then, excuse me."

He headed to the kitchen. But before he finally disappeared, he turned to her and asked, "You might as well join me at the dining table later, Daidouji-san. You haven't eaten lunch yet, have you?"

"Not yet. Sure." She simply replied.

"Okay then." He grinned.

Finally, he left.

While he was gone, Tomoyo looked around inspecting the amazing interior of Eriol's house. At a certain point of her inspection, she found a nice, comfortable sofa that when she sat on it, she felt her body sink in it. That made her feel better that she managed to smile.

'Hiiragizawa-kun's house can surely tick off the bad aura floating around me.' She giggled at her own comment. And that drew her to thoughts she hoped would eventually happen to her. And him.

When the clock was about to strike thirty minutes after twelve, Eriol suddenly appeared. Tomoyo was surprised to see him already wearing a newly-pressed blue polo shirt and black pants; his hair was divided into two and used gel to keep it in place; his manly aroma that could melt any woman's heart filled the room. This really impressed Tomoyo that she failed to realize she was already gawking at him.

She only snapped out of it when Eriol grinned at her. She shot him a very sharp look that made him a bit disappointed at her.

Nevertheless...

"Daidouji-san, shall we?" He offered a hand to her, which she accepted without hesitation. They walked toward the dining table. Inside, one can find a table that had a gold antique candleholder at the center with a red candle on it already lit, around it red roses that were arranged professionally, and two plates opposing each other filled with nicely-arranged food.

He whispered to her, "Consider this as our first date, Daidouji-san." He grinned.

"What? A date? But--"

"Hush, my dear best friend." He put on a finger on her lips and whispered again, "Just play along, Daidouji-san. This is my once in a lifetime chance of playing 'pretend game' since I can't do this when Nakuru and Spinel are around. They just don't like this idea."

Tomoyo raised an eyebrow, "Play along, you say," she sighed. "Alright. Just don't take it seriously, though."

"It depends."

"Hiiragizawa-kun!"

"Okay, okay. But I can't promise."

'Because you looked irresistibly cute today,' he added only in his thoughts.

"Hmm... that'll do. Come on! I'm already hungry."

Eriol smiled.

So they sat down on their respective seats and began with a toast.

"A toast, for our first date, Daidouji-san." He raised his glass filled with red wine and gently hit Tomoyo's glass, which she was also holding up.

"And also a toast for my beloved Hiiragizawa-kun who finally invited me for a date." Tomoyo added.

They smiled at each other and began to feast.

Tomoyo was really impressed at Eriol's cooking. The food was incredibly delicious! Bite after bite she could feel that she wanted more of it.

Eriol was only watching her. He couldn't concentrate on his own meal because he was amused with the way she enjoyed the food he cooked. She's irresistibly cute, indeed. So irresistible that his desire to kiss her aroused. He wasn't able to control himself. He only realized that it really happened when Tomoyo pulled away.

"Hiiragizawa-kun, w-what is the meaning of this?" It was obvious that she was shaking because it was noticeable in her voice. She never expected Eriol would do such thing, but then, she was also hoping for it to happen.

"Huh? It's a 'pretend' date, remember?" He just made a lousy excuse. 'What am I saying?!' He scolded himself.

Tomoyo kept quiet.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...it's just that you're..."

She shook her head and said, "I'm still eating. I think it's not the way lovers do on their date."

Eriol gasped.

They just continued to eat in silence.

-

After their 'date', Eriol washed the dishes. As he was doing so, Tomoyo was watching him. He noticed her and so he said, "Am I boring you?"

"You never bore me, Hiiragizawa-kun," came her reply.

Did he hear it right? Or he just didn't hear it clearly since he was concentrating on soaping the plate?

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

He heard it right, then. And that made his heart pound a bit faster than usual. So, he changed the topic. He might be tempted to kiss her again and he might ruin her trust on him.

"You know, Daidouji-san," he glanced at her and continued, "later on you will be marrying someone you really love and he will become your husband." He paused for a while as he tried to scrub off the sooth from the pan he just used for cooking, then, "But before you marry anybody, you have to make sure he's the right man for you." He turned on the faucet and rinsed the pan.

"Well, a good husband must know how to wash dishes, cook delicious food, do the laundry and clean the house." He rinsed the pan for the last time, turned off the faucet while humming a tune, and added, "AND, he must also know how to sing. Like me." He grinned at her, "So that when you'll feel lonely, he could at least entertain you."

Tomoyo raised her eye brow for the second time. 'Like him, huh?' He didn't notice her so she just said, "I'll-take note of that."

"You're such a good girl, Daidouji-san."

"I'm not a little girl anymore."

"I know that."

She stuck her tongue out at him, which made him giggle.

"Although you sometimes do act like a 'little' girl." He laughed.

She turned serious and that made him stop laughing.

"Oh sorry. But I gotta' admit. You do look beautiful, Daidouji-san." He squeezed her cheek, which made her blush.

"You're not making me laugh, Hiiragizawa-kun. Will you just--"

"Honestly, Daidouji-san." He whispered to her ear huskily and then he kissed her cheek, then slowly moving to her lips. But before he kissed her, she managed to say, "Hiiragizawa-kun...I already found him. Ever since the day I found you."

He smiled, "Well then, consider this as our first real kiss."

She smiled.

And with that, Eriol closed the gap between them by placing his lips on hers and she followed his lip movements. The kiss lasted for more than half an hour and they only realized that time passed by when they heard a familiar car beep outside. They pulled away from each other.

"Leaving so soon, Daidouji-san?" Eriol asked.

"I could have stayed longer but I have to do an important task. I guess this is goodbye for now. I enjoyed the game." She smiled to him and walked away.

"That was not a game, Daidouji-san." He told her before she was completely out of the door.

Tomoyo stopped and turned around with an eye brow raised.

"What did you just say?"

"Uh... I mean," he stood up, went to her and gave her a white rose. "That's the least I can do. Merry Christmas, Daidouji-san."

She accepted the rose but she didn't quite understand what he just said. "What was that you just said?"

"Merry Christmas. It's Christmas, a tradition in England wherein people celebrate the birth of Christ every twenty-fifth of December. And on that day, people give gifts to their loved ones." Eriol explained.

"Oh. Thanks then." She smiled and gave Eriol a short kiss on his lips as her gift for him.

"That's my gift."

"Sure, but, when will you come here again?"

"When you least expected me to come." She grinned and left.

'You're as sneaky as ever, Daidouji-san.'

- End -

Author's Notes:

I hope you liked my third E/T fic. :D Merry Christmas everyone!

Eriol: Eli-chan, *glares* you really like to make us kiss, don't you?

Eli-chan: Uh... ^^;; Hehe... *runs away and hides*

Tomoyo: Hiiragizawa-kun! Don't scare our 'beloved friend' away. I was about to hit her with a badminton racket.

Eli-chan: (from far away) Sheesh! They sure are a dangerous couple!>. Eriol: Hmm, Daidouji-san, *pulls her close to him, his arms wrapped around Tomoyo's waist* since she's not around anymore, why don't we-

Tomoyo: *hits Eriol with the badminton racket* PERVERT!! I thought you were on my side!

Eli-chan: What was that? O.O;;