Disclaimer: Clamp does not belong to me

VERISIMILITUDE

Chapter 3: Tiramisu

By: Elle Chant

"Miss Tomoyo…" Eriol wheedled. "I want to go home…."

He and Tomoyo had been thrown together again to organize school events for the past several days. This particular Thursday, they were both stuck in the student council office working with papers mixed with homework thrown haphazardly in every pile. Empty cups of Mocha Lattes stood on the desks with empty paper bags of tiramisu and croissant.

He had taken to being playful with her. A less lethal version that was usually reserved for Xiao Lang but playful none the less. Being polite, as both their natures were, was very dull especially if you were swamped with work you didn't want.

"We can't" She said crisply. "We need this done." She placed fixed several files together before moving on the next one.

Eriol pouted before eyeing the documents she just fixed. A soft wind blew and scattered them all over the room.

"Hiiragizawa kun!" She said exasperatedly. "Would it be too much to ask if I said I wanted responsible you right now?"

"But I'm bored" He said.

"And I'm tired but we need this done."

The room was silent.

"Nakuru is making dessert for tea. Tiramisu, don't you love tiramisu Miss Tomoyo?"

"I do, very much."

"If we fixed the place but finish the remaining documents tomorrow, can we go home?"

Tomoyo glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "It'll be too much work tomorrow." She paused. "You do the bigger half"

"Okay," He said cheerfully.

Tomoyo looked skeptical.

"All right," Eriol said. "If it won't be a bother, I'll invite you to tea in my house and we could do it there."

"Why couldn't we just do it here?"

"Tiramisu" Eriol said promptly.

Tomoyo sighed. "Fine but I'll pile on you all the files regarding the sales. They're not even started on yet."

Eriol grinned and stood up from his lounging position on the chair. He raised his right hand slightly and small glow seemed to emit from it and she felt the usual tingling sensation like a wind passing by the nape of her neck when Sakura was using magic, a faint sort of electrical charge that showed itself from the undercurrent of the wind.

Papers flew in every direction and Tomoyo resisted to give a shocked scream and managed to contain herself. Five seconds and counting before she blinked again and saw everything was in order.

"Let's go" Eriol said.

Tomoyo didn't want to say anything, couldn't say anything and let him take her satchel on the chair and gently steered her outside the room.

"Tomoyo-chaaaan!" Nakuru said and gave her a bone cracking hug before settling her on her feet. "Did Eriol tell you I'm making Tiramisuuuu? You love that, yes? Sakura-chan told me all about it!"

"Hello Akizuki-san," Tomoyo said as she tried to catch her breath. "It's lovely to see you again."

Eriol's house has not changed over the years. It was the same old regal manor though as not as large as the Daidouji mansion held its own charm that seemed to seep with age. She had been over a couple of times before, sometimes doing damage control that usually involved him and his pranks or some details she needed to sooth about school affairs. But she was, technically, never invited for tea unless she was with Sakura-chan.

"Idiot" Spinel had flown inside the room and was looking at Nakuru with disdain. "She came over for tea, not being choked to death by you."

"Don't be rude Suppi!" Nakuru said offhandedly, "Say hello to Tomoyo-chan"

Spinel nodded at her. "It's nice to see you Daidouji-san"

"You to Spinel-san" She said.

Eriol came inside and was holding a folder underneath his arm. "Are you set, Daidouji-san?"

"Eeww… you're not done with that?" Nakuru said and crinkled her nose at Eriol. "You are such a goody-goody that's why teachers swamp you with a lot of work."

"Of course he's a goody-goody" Spinel said. "The same goody-goody who tried to lock Li-kun inside a lingerie shop and posted pictures of it all over school"

"Pictures?" Tomoyo said. "I didn't see any pictures."

"Xiao-Lang was very fast in tearing all of them down." Eriol said mildly.

"I'll set the tea up in the foyer," Nakuru said. "And I'm going to feed Tomoyo-chan lots and lots of cake! Then Tomoyo-chan, you'll tell me who's the better cook right? If it's me or Yukito-kun, ne?"

She didn't wait for an answer and flounced off.

"Akizuki-san seems very happy," She said instead.

She heard Spinel gave a snort.

"I'll check on her to make sure she would do things in order this time." He flew off.

She turned to Eriol and found him giving the piano in the corner a thoughtful look.

"Spinel and Ruby Moon might take a while in preparing, would you mind if I play for a while? You can sing along if you'd want."

Tomoyo wasn't even sure she'd know the piece he was going to play.

He sat down and stroked a few keys tentatively while she sat on the armchair next to the piano.

Then he started playing.

She knew this song. She had hummed it under her breath in class, sang parts of it on her way to school. She had listened to it so often she could sing it while she was asleep.

Someone to watch over me…

She closed her eyes and took all the notes in. Breathing it in.

"I took a liking to this song," He said softly. "when it was first heard in public. I had played it hours upon hours on end and Nakuru, strangely had left me alone. I got over it passed time."

She thought of her secret pain and wondered if he felt the same. The same loneliness hidden behind brilliance and beauty, wanting something you can never have until your heart breaks in the bittersweet ache of it.

"Do you realize I'm sorry?"

She opened her eyes and momentarily thought he had read her mind but he wasn't looking at her but on the keys of the piano. The tempo had slowed.

"Sorry for what?" She said.

"I let a grand piano chase you all over school." He said and then paused. "and Emperor Penguin in the park."

She laughed. "We were twelve."

"Eleven and so many others I don't want to name but I apologize for them as well."

She thought for a moment before a memory inserted itself in her mind.

"But you did" She said. "With white roses"

Eriol looked at her startled.

"Sakura had asked me that day if I was hurt and I told her that my arm felt strained. The same day after school, my locker was filled with white roses." She paused for a moment. "And a few lavender ones if I recall but I knew there weren't any lavender roses but I never really gave it much thought."

He ducked his head. "Anyone could have given you that."

"Lavender roses?"

"Doesn't necessarily have to magic."

"They lasted for more than a month and they didn't even look wilted even when I forgot to put water."

Eriol sighed. "I felt incredibly guilty, Daidouji-san."

"You're forgiven."

He smiled and let his fingers run over the keys before an unfamiliar yet hauntingly beautiful piece filled the room.

"Is this your composition?" She asked.

"Yes."

"It's lovely, Hiiragizawa-kun. Does it have words?"

"I haven't gotten to that part yet."

Tomoyo let the sweet music fill her ears.

"If you think it wouldn't be a bother, I could help you." The words were blurted out before she even thought of them and she opened her eyes rapidly. "I mean, that is… Oh I didn't mean…"

"I'd like that very much." Eriol said and laughed at her expression. "The song's nothing personal Miss Tomoyo," He teased. "And I've heard your compositions in music class; I'd be flattered if you work with me on this piece."

"Do English gentlemen always give out compliments like these?"

"Only if they paid me or offered to help me compose lyrics."

She couldn't help it but she laughed. Hearing her mirrored words to him all those day ago when he volunteered to finish the proposals with her. It wasn't even that funny but something about the way he said it made her giggle and she realized she was searching for an excuse to laugh for a long, long time.

It felt amazingly good.

"Are you both going to sit there or are you going to have TEA WITH US?" Nakuru bellowed. "And Eriol, you should appreciate this. I made the foyer look so pretty and I brought out the best tea set I could find!"

"Yes, Ruby Moon" Eriol said and waited for Tomoyo to calm down from her chuckles while fighting to hide his own grin. "We're coming"