Disclaimer: I do not own CCS or any of its characters.


"I think she hit her head too hard," Eriol said to John, who just arrived for his shift.

They were looking at the sleeping girl who had a swollen bump on her head.

It was already late into the morning and there were hardly any customers. The pub was open for 24 hours, so Eriol coudn't leave his post to send Tomoyo home or to whatever place she's staying in.

"Is she still alive?" John asked. "I mean, we might not know it but she could be in a comatose right now."

"Of course, she's alive. She just hit her head," Eriol said, unsure. John raised his brow. "Hard." Eriol continued. "And she did wake up a few hours ago, then she slept again."

"So...what are you going to do with her? Take her home?" John asked, looking at Eriol with interest.

"Well..."

"She is one beautiful woman. I'm sure she'll make one amazing--"

"I-I'll just take her to the lodge." Eriol replied but not without blushing.

"What! And let a beauty like her go! I think you've become bloody insane!" John went over to Eriol's side and put his arm around his shoulders.

"You know," John started, his face serious and straight, "I've known you for quite a long time now, and I swear, I can now read you like a bloody book." He looked at Eriol straight in the eye. "Think about the things you could do with her."

The older, blonde man gave Eriol a pat in the back. "Think about it."

Eriol just stared at John. The man knew him like the back of his palm. He was like his older brother. If it wasn't for that man, Eriol wouldn't even have the job he had now.

His sapphire eyes then went to Tomoyo's slumbering figure. Despite the bump she had on her head, she had a face of an angel. No--scratch that. She had the face of a goddess. The woman in front of him held the image of Aphrodite.

Eriol sighed. He stretched his arms over his head, feeling the knots in his back disappear. He knelt and picked Tomoyo up. Now, they looked like a newlywed couple who just came back from their honeymoon and the sweet wife was dead drunk and asleep.

Just as Eriol started moving towards the door a small moan escaped Tomoyo's lips. Eriol froze. Tomoyo started moving her head, and the moment after that, she had opened her eyes.

John, taking notice of Eriol's unmoving state, rushed to his side. The next image he saw was priceless--a rather embarrassed Eriol with a very confused Tomoyo in his arms.

Looks like we have a lot of explaining to do, John thought.

In a small bar somewhere in England, a young Japanese lass was nursing a rather large lump on her head, a British middle-aged man was drying newly-washed glasses with a dish towel, and a young and a rather red half-Japanese lad was having the time of his life staring at the bar's wooden floor.

It was a rather awkward situation. Two long-time friends now responsible for an intoxicated Japanese woman. No one was talking, the squeaky sound of the glass being cleaned occassionally breaking the silence.

"Can I have more ice?" Tomoyo asked. The icebag sagged in the clutches of her delicate hands.

"Give me a minute," John set down the dishrag he had been using. "Eriol, you take over."

Tomoyo thought she heard some grumbling from Eriol. And being Japanese, she knew Eriol said something about John being a 'baka'.

John left and Eriol took his place. Tomoyo had her eyes trained on Eriol as he made his every move. He, Tomoyo noticed, seemed more stiff and uncomfortable than last night. She realized it must have been because of the incident awhile ago because that had been pretty embarrassing, especially for her. Imagine getting drunk during the first night of your stay in a foreign country and then wake up the next morning only to find yourself in the arms of the bartender who had served you the night before. Tomoyo felt her cheeks warm. And she passed out only after drinking half a mug of beer! The alcohol here is too strong, Tomoyo reasoned with herself. John came back with a bucket full of ice.

"Here ya go," John said with a silly grin on his face. Eriol continued to wipe the glasses clean.

"Thank you," Tomoyo said politely. Before she could reach out for her icebag, John snatched it away.

"So where are you staying?" John asked, trying very hard to hide the curiousity from his voice. Of course it didn't work, Tomoyo noticed right away.

"At the inn uphill," Tomoyo replied, almost nonchalantly. When the clock strikes at twelve in the afternoon, there wouldn't be any place she could go home to.

"When will you be checking out?" John's being too nosy, Eriol thought. In the back of his mind he somehow felt John was coming up with something he wouldn't like.

"Later at noon," Tomoyo was getting uncomfortable with all the asking. She didn't really want to be reminded of the fact that she would be homeless in a matter of hours.

"Then where will you be staying after you check out?" John asked again. Eriol sensed Tomoyo's discomfort. She looked uncertain. "Why don't we talk about this another time?" Eriol cut in. "I'm sure Tomoyo wants to get some rest." Tomoyo looked like she didn't need any rest. John didn't look convinced. "Oh, she looks perfectly fine!" He started, "You're the one who needs a break!" Eriol rolled his eyes. "Just say what you want to say, John." The bespectacled young man said with a sigh.

John smirked, an evil glint momentarily appearing then disappearing in his eyes. He faced Tomoyo. "If you're looking for a place to stay, Eriol has an available room in his flat." Eriol looked baffled. "What!" He was suddenly up on his feet; for the first time in his life, he felt like killing someone. Tomoyo felt even more uncomfortable. "I-I don't know if that's--" This time, it was John who cut in. "I'm sure Eriol wouldn't mind."

In a bus stop somewhere in England, a young woman with long, wavy hair and a young man with glasses stood. Luggages sat beside the young woman's legs, a backpack slung on the young man's shoulder. A bus approached, and the young man helped the young woman with her bags. Both of them settled down, an uncertain look on the young woman's face and an unreadable expression on the young man's.


Tsuzuku

Gomen for the really short chapter. High school is a monster who lives on innocent human beings. By the way, I'm an innocent human being. Anyway, feel free to drop a review for li'l old me. Reviews make me happy. Flames don't, but if you want to flame me, feel free to do so. Ciao!