AUTHOR'S NOTE: … My pants are on fire. Take no alarm. All will be set right. Just read on and if the chapter manages to reach its end then I will have survived this whole ordeal.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Sakura, Tomoyo, Li, Meiling and the rest of the team hung around Eriol's library and went through several books, searching for a loophole that would help them take out the Demon Knights. After hours of researching, they all grew weary and frustrated.

"I don't see anything in here." Sakura said as she closed one of the books. "I guess we'll have to take them out the old fashioned way."

"You mean sealing them away like nothing happened?" Eriol said.

"Well I certainly can't destroy the power gems. Apparently I'm not strong enough."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to."

"Stop putting words into my mouth."

"All right, how 'bout my fist? Will that fit!?"

"I bite, you know!"

"Oh, yeah? Bite this!"

"Bring it!"

Before the two could go at it with each other, Tomoyo and Li held them back, surprised at their sudden attitudes.

"Jesus, and I thought I had a grudge with Hiiragizawa!" Li said as held Sakura back.

"Eriol, what's gotten into you?" Tomoyo asked as the boy averted his attention to her. He stared deep into her eyes, which enabled him to dispose of all his frustration.

"I'm sorry." He told her.

"Well, don't apologize to me." She pointed out to Sakura.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

"Me too." Sakura chuckled nervously.

Spinel and Kero exchanged disappointed glances and shook their heads. "Damn. I really thought they were gonna do it." Kero said.

"Yeah." Spinel sighed. "But we both know Eriol would have taken her out."

"No he wouldn't."

"Yes, he would."

"Are you kidding me? Your master's a pansy!"

"Pansy my ass! Sakura's the wreck!"

"I'll wreck you!" Kero pounced on the cat, thus engaging in another silly fight.

"Admit it! Sakura's not as strong as you think she is!"

"Hey!" Sakura yelled.

"No offense, mistress!" Spinel called out as he felt Kero's fisticuffs slamming into his head.

"Forget it, kitty cat! Your master's so in love with Tomoyo, that he's forgotten how to be a decent magician!"

Everyone but Tomoyo and Eriol gasped then tried to avert their attention elsewhere. Sakura grabbed Li by the hand and led him out of the room.

"Uhh, Li? Do you want to give me a hand with my homework?" She nervously asked.

"What homework?" He raised his eyebrow. "We haven't been to school since--"

"Just come with me!" She finally dragged him out.

Meiling and Nakuru grinned and left the room whistling. "We'll see you two later." Nakuru winked.

Despite Kero and Spinel rolling along the floor, beating the crap out of each other, Tomoyo and Eriol were now the only two people in the room. After a long and awkward silence, Eriol decided it best to break the ice.

"Those two say the craziest things, don't they?" He said with a nervous chuckle.

Tomoyo's face was serious, however. She turned away from Eriol and took a deep breath as the two sun guardians continued their bickering.

"How long are we going to do this, Eriol?" Tomoyo asked.

"Do what? What do you mean?"

She turned and faced him with an even more serious look on her face, almost to the point of tearing up. "This… weird cat and mouse game we keep playing with our feelings."

"What feelings?" The blue-eyed boy tried to cover up.

"Don't, Eriol. It's not going to work this time." She then placed her hands over his. "When you're around me, I can feel your tension. Your heartbeat gets irregular and you're always blushing when I look at you."

Eriol's face was now red but he still feigned ignorance. "Really. I have no idea what you're going on about."

"Oh no? Then why's your face red?" She grinned.

"I… I have to pee."

"Stop lying to me. It's insulting."

"Tomoyo, what do you want me to say?"

"How you really feel."

He struggled for a bit. "Tomoyo… I…"

She moved in and rested her head on his chest, her eyes closed and ears ready to hear his confession. Eriol smiled and realized there was no better time than now. He gently lifted her head up with his fingers and looked her straight in the eye.

"I love you, Tomoyo." He softly said. "And I know deep down… you love me, too."

Tomoyo smiled and placed her lips over his, releasing all of her emotions into him. Afterwards, she pulled back and assured him. "You're damn right."

As the new couple's lips intertwined again, Kero and Spinel stopped in the middle of their rassling and looked up to see the horrifying sight before them.

"You mean now I have to put up with this, too!" Kero growled as he slammed his fist over Spinel's head.

"Hey, time out!" He whined.

Sakura and Li returned to the room and were startled by their discovery. "Oh my God…" Sakura started. "You mean you two finally…"

Tomoyo nodded as she wrapped her arms around Eriol's neck. "I finally got him to do it! And I was right. It is more romantic for the guy to go first!"

"What are you talking about" A confused Eriol asked.

"Oh, nothing!"

"Hey, can I see him for a minute?" Li asked as he pulled Eriol away. "Thanks."

Li took Eriol out in the hallway and closed the door to the library. He then placed his hand over the limey boy's shoulder and gave him a very threatening look. "Okay, Hiiragizawa." He started.

"Yes?" Eriol started to panic.

"I'm going to tell you this once. You listening to me?"

"I am."

"If you do anything--And I mean anything, to hurt Tomoyo or break her heart… I'm going to personally kick your ass. Slowly. And painfully. Got it?"

"I would never hurt Tomoyo."

"I hope so. For your sake."

¬¬¬¬¬

Hiroshi Kanaye stood in his office and looked out across his 28 story view as Christopher Lorca entered the room. The Spaniard knocked on the door to grab his friend's attention.

"Lorca." Kanaye turned his head. "Did you talk to the girl's father?"

The man nodded. "I did. She's still on for Saturday."

"Thank God. I was afraid yesterday's incident would have scared her off."

"Now you and I both know it's going to take more than a bunch of men with guns to scare someone like Sakura Kinomoto away."

"You're right." Kanaye chuckled. "Is your little surprise ready to go?"

Lorca placed a briefcase on the desk and opened it up, revealing its contents to the businessman. "I'd say it is."

"You'd better be careful, Christopher. You don't know what could go wrong."

"I'm well aware of the risks." The Spaniard closed the briefcase and headed for the door before saying one last thing to his employer. "I'll see you Saturday."