A/N Ehh. This one was hard to get started on, and I'm sure it's not as good as it could be... and I'm also sorry that it's a bit on the short side. But it's here! And that's the important thing, right? Right? Ehehe... Anyway, read, enjoy, and review to brighten my day, please!

.o0o.

I had planned to stay in Hong Kong for a while, but now things changed. I did not let myself hesitate in going back to Tokyo to take care of business.

"Are you really sure that this is a wise idea, Daidouji-san?" asked Eriol.

Tomoyo's guard was clearly up. "I know what I'm doing. Truly, you needn't worry about me," she said, zipping up the suitcase.

"Do you have anybody there now? With Sakura-san over here, and your mother gone," he said, causing her to wince slightly, "I don't know of any close friends you have in Japan. Won't you be lonely?"

"I will be fine on my own," Tomoyo replied. She gave him a quick, purely polite smile. He could pick up the slight annoyance with him that she had concealed within it.

"I'm not so sure about that. You're taking a lot of responsibility here. Are you positive you'll be fine, without somebody there to cheer you up?"

"I'm happy with my life, and I can handle responsibility. I appreciate that you worry for me, but it is very unnecessary." Tomoyo silently cursed herself for letting him see that side of her. She had shown a weakness that she couldn't afford to have, and she promised to herself never to let that weakness be shown again.

A silence followed her words, until Eriol murmured, "I can't stop you, can I?"

"I'm glad you figured that out." Tomoyo slipped her purse on her arm and picked up her suitcase with the other hand, then smiled at Eriol. "I have to do this. And I will. Would you do me the favor of apologizing to Sakura-chan for leaving early?"

"Of course."

She turned and walked out the door. Eriol followed behind her silently. At last she was outside the hotel, where a taxi waited to take her to the airport. She turned again.

"Good-bye, Hiiragizawa-kun."

Eriol looked her in the eye, and slowly nodded. "Good-bye."

I took the plane back to Tokyo immediately after that, and then made my way home. I went to my small but comfortable house rather than the mansion. I considered both to be home, but the mansion would carry too many memories at the time.

As the car pulled up, Tomoyo smiled. It was good to be home. The day was bright and sunny.

She noticed something odd, though. One of the neighboring houses had always been abandoned, with nobody in it. However, she saw a light on in several rooms. She'd never met that neighbor, and resolved to go say hi later. As for now, she entered her house and set down her bags comfortably. Her cell phone was off – she'd wanted to spare herself the business work for at least an hour after coming home. Then she'd do what she had to do.

So, she cleaned up, and unpacked, and then contentedly she walked over to the house next door to greet them.

She knocked twice. Nobody came for a moment. She heard a few crashes from inside, and a few yells. Children? She wondered.

Finally the door opened. Tomoyo gaped.

"Oh? Hello, Daidouji-san. I'm sorry; did I never mention this house was mine? No? I guess I forgot. I'm terribly sorry about the noise, but Nakuru managed to feed Suppi a bit of sugar. Need I say more?"

Eriol resisted an urge to laugh at the expression on Tomoyo's face. She stuttered, "But-you-"

"Used magic to get here."

"Why?"

"Like I said, it's not a good idea for you to be here in Japan alone. You need a friend over here, and you know it."

"I said that I would be fine, and that you didn't have to worry," Tomoyo said politely, composed now.

"Ah, but I would worry anyway. So," Eriol said, and he picked up Tomoyo's hand and kissed it softly, smiling mischievously as she looked into her eyes. It was almost like when he'd first met Sakura. "I came here for you. Now, please excuse me, I think I'm going to have to use my magic to restrain Suppi before he causes further damage."

Tomoyo just nodded dumbly. He shut the door. She put a hand to her cheek and discovered to her horror and shame that it was hot – she was blushing.

Tomoyo never blushed. Not ever. It was considered an impossibility to all who knew her. It was something that couldn't be.

And yet, it was.

She stood there for several minutes, absolutely stunned. Then at last she shook her daze away and walked back to her house, not knowing what to think of the sudden complications in her once simple life.

It was the first time I showed the beginning of certain emotions that I had started to feel. I was oblivious to it then. It didn't matter. Either way, I'd been humiliated, and put off-guard. Even though his actions were meant to help me, and I knew it, I avoided him for that reason. My efforts were successful for a while. I saw him a few times, but I made sure that we never had a decent conversation. It wasn't hard anyway. I was busy fixing things up within my business, and helping mother's second-in-command to figure out his new position as the head of her toy company. I knew he was good for the job, but he had no confidence at all. I also had to plan for mother's funeral. But of course, I couldn't avoid a certain reincarnation forever. Eventually the time came when I had no excuse to get away from a talk.