The Dream Chaser

By Ekai Ungson

DISCLAIMER: Card Captor Sakura copyright CLAMP/Kodansha. Characters used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made.

Obligatory Author's Note: This has been a very refreshing thing to write, actually. And I still haven't figured out why. This goes out to my beta, my sister, the lovely, inimitable Chelle-sama, and her sister, Ciircee-sama, whom I love and adore and cherish. XD

There is only this peculiar awakening of the desire for permanence.

- "This, That Pulls", Melinda Tongco

IV: Rain Song

Eriol and Tomoyo frequented the bookshop where they'd met—the kindly old man brought them tea as Tomoyo leafed through Neruda and Eriol lost himself in various Greek tragedies—his current fancy. They would sit on opposite sides of the bookshop but would find themselves beside each other minutes later, hands threaded together, as if they could not bear to be apart from each other too long.

It rained often in London, and when it did, the old man turned down the Victrola and let his patrons listen to the falling raindrops. He would then pass around free hot chocolate, and Eriol would sit back, a sleeping Tomoyo on his arm, listening to the rain singing like a thousand voices, and he would think that all was right in the world indeed.

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

"When are you going back to Japan?" he asked as he walked her back to the hotel.

"I don't know," she answered. "Does it matter?"

He looked at her, incredulous. "Of course it matters!"

"Why?"

"I…" he thought for a moment, frowning. "I want to know… so I can make the arrangements."

"Arrangements for what?"

He really didn't think that she'd be that dense—Tomoyo was incredibly keen and sometimes she surprised him with the things she picked up. The look in her eye suggested that she just wanted to hear him say what she already knew outright.

"Arrangements to move back to Japan," he finished.

She stared at him.

He gulped. "I've been… wanting to go back for some time now."

An eyebrow rose.

"And… well, damn it, Tomoyo…" he took a breath, exhaled. "… I don't want to be apart from you."

He would've thought she'd be ecstatically happy by now. Or horribly freaked out. It was after all a little early in the relationship to be talking about migrating to another country with her. Then again, this relationship had been moving at breakneck speed from the beginning. Why lose the momentum?

Instead Tomoyo turned away and walked on, saying quietly, "I might never leave England."

It was his turn to stare. "What do you mean?"

"Just what I said," she replied with a smile.

"So… you're going to be living here?" he asked.

She didn't reply, they had reached the main entrances of the Hilton.

"So… I'll see you tomorrow," he said.

"Yeah… tomorrow," she confirmed.

"So…"

"… So."

Eriol drew a breath and bit the bullet, leaning down to kiss her. Tomoyo closed her eyes. The distance lessened, until there was less than an inch. But then—

Suddenly, a long black limousine pulled up beside them. Startled, both Eriol and Tomoyo drew back.

From the limousine alighted several women clad in black pantsuits. They formed a line by the rear door. One opened it, and out came…

"Tomoyo?"

Tomoyo's face was a picture of dismay until she masked it quickly with cheer. "Okaasama."

Eriol, in fact, had seen Daidouji Sonomi before, in Japan, during school festivals and other important functions, but had never met her before. When the formidable woman turned to him, he gulped.

"Who's your friend, Tomoyo?"

He bowed quickly. "My name is Hiiragizawa Eriol, Daidouji-sama."

"We went to grade school together, before," Tomoyo supplied.

Sonomi nodded. "I see. Nice to have met you, Hiiragizawa-san." Then she pushed on, flanked by the bodyguards. "Come along, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo moved to follow. As she passed him, she clasped his hand. "Tomorrow, eight a.m., the bookshop. Okay?" She smiled radiantly at him before letting go of his hand.

He watched her go, never leaving his place until she was out of his sight.

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

As he walked home Eriol pondered his recent actions. Was it actually humanly possible to be… in love in such a short time? Falling in love with Kaho had been a process that spanned across his lifetime so far. It was as if there had been no logical progression in their relationship but to fall in love. Then there had been no logical progression but to fall out of it. He kicked at a puddle, resenting the fact that there was something, still, inside of him, a small part of him that was still bitter about the entire affair and its abrupt, but fitting ending.

This… thing with Tomoyo was both frightening and exhilarating. He wondered if it was at all possible for any living being to travel at the speed of light, wondered if anything could survive such velocity. He felt as if he were freefalling into an endless nothingness. And for someone who was, he felt, well, deliriously happy about it.

He wanted to be with her always, he realized. Wanted her sweetness because she took away his pain. And even then he wanted to be in pain for her, wanted to hurt in his longing for her. To breathe her and be with her. His mind wasn't making any sense, but it was perfectly clear. He wanted to…

"Marry Daidouji Tomoyo-san?" Spinel Sun repeated as he watched his master pace the room. "This is a little abrupt, even for you, Eriol."

"I know. Don't I just know it. I've spent all of, what? Two weeks with her? Three? But this – this is making the most sense to me right now. It's like my gut is telling me that if I don't hold to her I'll lose her." The very possibility had his insides going cold, almost frozen. Definitely did not want to lose her.

"Aren't you a little too old to be going by your hormones?" Spinel asked.

He glared at his guardian, who looked studiously away. "This is not hormones, this is insanity. Which I suppose is practically the same thing. But, this is different, Spinel—could I, could I actually be in love with her? This in love with her? In less than a month?" He paused. "Am I in love with her?"

Spinel shrugged.

"I love her," he repeated. The words had never sounded so right, he concluded. Not even when he had applied the same sentiments for his erstwhile lover. "I love Tomoyo." He stared at his guardian, a little wide-eyed. "What am I going to do?"

Spinel flew over to him and rested lightly on his shoulder. The little creature's warmth was comforting.

tsuzuku