VictorianPearl: Here is a new installment for OneShot? I hope you all enjoy it. I would also like to add that notes concerning the idea of this story will be added at the end.

Rating: T (to be safe)

Genre: Angst/Romance

Summary: She worked long and hard to get the two of them together, posing for emotional support and pushing them closer. When it finally happened though, was it worth it?

Title: Unending Suffering

Although she already had been hanging around both of them for quite some time before I came, none of that time is what really matters. It wasn't until I came that the Chinese boy started to like the Cardmistress; and therefore, it wasn't until I came that she began to help match-make.

I watched the three of them fairly closely, but at the time I was busy worrying about Sakura's magic, getting the cards transformed, and keeping my true identity hidden, to pay much special attention to the girl Tomoyo Daidouji. Everything comes from my memory as I think more deeply on it.

She worked so hard, although she didn't show it, to bring together Sakura and Syaoran. She was always there for them, ready to listen or give advice, and even made it through all of the magical havoc I wreaked, becoming a victim of it more than once. She kept working hard because it wasn't until after the final standoff that they confessed to each other; it wasn't until after the final standoff and we were at my mansion that I really even began to notice her, to really notice her.

I commented a few times on her perception, saying it was truly a gift, and she gave me the warmest of smiles. She doesn't know it, but with that first smile her attraction hit me in the chest and I was completely pulled in.

It was a good thing that everything was coming to a close, or I felt it a good thing at the time, because I was supposed to finally move on in my life, grow up (physically), marry Kaho, and return to England. Being attracted to her wasn't an option, but no matter how old or wise I really was, I was a fool to think I could outsmart or push away love.

On my final day there, when Sakura and Tomoyo came to visit, I found I didn't want to leave. As I stood and looked between Tomoyo and Kaho, I saw so much difference. I saw that Kaho was like Sakura, cute, naïve, carefree (in some ways), and I denied myself that I felt for Kaho what I felt for Sakura. It was love, but that of a different kind.

As I thought there, looking at her, and again on the plane to England, and again so many times long afterward, Tomoyo was the one I wanted to figure out. She claimed that to see Sakura happy would make her happy, but would it really, and if so, for how long? I wanted to be there to see. Tomoyo had secrets that nobody but she knew along with the secrets of many others she had to hear alone…very much like myself with the memories of Clow.

I wanted to find out her secrets.

After a long time though, she became distant and I thought of her less…all until I got a phone call from Sakura concerning the Void. That phone call sent memories through my head like a tidal wave, hitting me hard. It was so much worse after that phone call.

England life went downhill from there. I found myself thinking at how this girl from Japan, this violet-eyed; long, dark haired girl had more power over me than I had magic in me. It was a power that could waste my days and give me sleepless nights and cause me to forget what else in the world was important.

Kaho's forgetful nature allowed her to shrug off my behavior easily enough at first, but not for much longer. We tried to make things work, but I only put effort forth because I truly did not know what else to do. It was a slow ride downhill for our relationship where a fiery pit awaited us.

It was a long process in which I felt unending guilt. Kaho was very upset and I didn't know how to make her feel better because I could not make myself better in a future that included her. In the end, we were finally able to agree to separate. I was going to go to Japan, where she went, I do not know.

I returned to Tomoeda along with Nakuru and Spinnel. I did not need to announce myself, for Sakura and Syaoran sensed my aura and sought me out on their own. They were much the same as I left them, except older and, perhaps happier. The real change was in Syaoran, for when I told him I was to join them in their final year of high school, he hid his emotions much better than I had expected him to.

But I still had yet to see Tomoyo.

When the first day of school came I was excited, I even got to class ridiculously early, just to be able to see her. When she came through the door she was more than I had expected. She was older, more mature, beautiful, and seemed so confident. She spotted me in my usual seat and smiled wonderfully before working her way toward me.

"Hiirigizawa-san, Sakura-chan told me you would be here, I'm so happy to see you." She frowned after saying so and took the seat in front of me, not breaking eye contact. "I heard about what happened, and I'm so sorry about Kaho."

I simply gave my usual smirk.

"That's the reason they make relationships between so young a person and an older person illegal in most countries."

Tomoyo smiled but we said no more because Sakura and Syaoran entered and came to the back to sit next to us. It was then that I saw it, the sad glint in her eye that hadn't been there before, a glint of longing.

After school I said a quick goodbye with an excuse of persistence and parted from them, just for the time being. I used my magic to bring me to the branches of a tree where I knew (assuming they walked the same rout home as the did in elementary school) I would see them part ways.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Sakura and Syaoran waved goodbye at the crossroad and left Tomoyo by herself. I watched her wave goodbye to them cheerfully, but as soon as they were out in the distance, her shoulders sagged and her eyes dropped. She tightly gripped her book bag as she walked on home. There was an old sadness there, one that was more a feeling than an emotion. I saw her bite her lip, probably brooding over her best friend's relationship that didn't include her, or something of the like…something.

Seeing Tomoyo like this brought my spirits down. I cared about her so much, I missed her so incredibly much, but I had to play it slow. There was time and I had a few ideas. To rush anything at all could mean possible disaster, and this time that really wasn't an option.

I began to be more social with Sakura, Syaoran, and Tomoyo. I conversed with them often at school, I was always invited by Sakura to hang out with them, which I accepted, and I attended study lessons. I kept gently allowing my presence to become somewhat natural, but not so natural that it was taken for granted, by Tomoyo of course.

School went through its routine and as the second half of school was starting the cliché winter ball started to grow closer. Syaoran asked Sakura to the ball by decorating her locker, or something corny like that that he knew she would love. Tomoyo clapped her hands and smiled, but I knew, I just knew she wasn't happy. So after our usual Friday study group date, instead of parting ways with my three friends at the crossroad, I decided to continue with Tomoyo.

"Hiirigizawa-kun, are you sure you don't mind walking me home? After all, you live in the opposite direction." Tomoyo said, crossing her arms over her long, brown, button-up, coat.

"It's no trouble," I replied, "I can just teleport home. Sometimes I wonder if you forget I have magic."

Tomoyo giggled in response. "Yeah, I do, I suppose. I am glad though, because gets so dark so early! I don't like walking home alone at this time anymore."

I nodded, glancing at her to see her looking up at the dark sky. We continued along the sidewalk in silence for a little while before I decided to start a conversation on a serious note.

"Daidouji-san, it would make me very happy if you would just call me Eriol."

She stopped walking and her eyes went wide. She looked at me, trying to read through my smile. I'm not sure if she guessed my true intentions or not, but that wasn't my main concern.

"E-Eriol…well, if I am to call you just Eriol, then you should just call me Tomoyo." She replied, smiling with a glint in her eye.

My smile broadened, I really hadn't been expecting that from her, but I couldn't resist to just say it.

"Tomoyo…"

We continued to walk again until we eventually came to the front of her house. She stopped and thanked me for walking her home, but I wasn't ready to leave yet.

"Tomoyo, I know how you are feeling." I said to her, my face serious.

She started to smile, and perhaps make a joke, but when she caught my expression she stopped and her face became somewhat of surprise.

"I don't know what you mean…Eriol." She whispered.

I actually saw a distant fear in her eyes. There was a fear and a longing. I could only assume it was a fear that I had actually guessed how she felt, and maybe that she wasn't sure whether she wanted me to know or not, to find out or not.

I whispered back to her as well. "I know that you're not really happy, that Sakura's happiness isn't enough for you, and whether or not you think you would really be happy in that kind of relationship, it kills you that she never thanked you for giving her support when she was in love with Syaoran-san."

Her mouth opened and closed a few times, looking at his eyes in scrutiny. "It's Sakura, she doesn't realize what I did for her; she doesn't realize that I needed her verbal appreciation."

"But their relationship-"

I stopped for her eyes were welling up with tears and she began to choke on her breathing.

"I…I just know it's so wrong to still feel things, but I don't know how to get rid of how I feel. Every time I think I'm over it and that I'm truly happy for them I somehow feel like I've been stabbed in the back again. I feel so alone because I know I can't go to anyone; she's my best friend and I can't even go to her."

I opened my arms and she threw herself in them. I tightly held her as she cried deeply into my black sweater. She clutched my sweater tightly and I felt as if she was mentally willing me to not let go…so I didn't.

Either five minutes or five hours later her tears slowed and she loosened her hold and pulled away. She wiped away her tears and gave me the weakest of all smiles.

"Tomoyo, are you going to be alright?" I asked, truly concerned for her.

She nodded and sniffed. "I think so, I feel so less weighed down now that I know someone else knows."

I smiled. "Would you like to talk more about it?"

She gently took either of my hands with hers and pulled me toward the front gate to her house.

"Only if you come inside." Was her reply.

So I sat there later that night on her bed. She had eventually fallen asleep on my chest after talking out all of her feelings. I somehow didn't feel it was right to stroke her hair or her cheek, almost like it would be taking advantage of the situation and her trust and friendship in me.

She had spilled everything into me, like water into a glass. She told me of her sorrow from the very time it began. She told me of how she was very happy at first, and how it had taken her years to figure out why she had slowly become less and less happy. She said that she was ultimately unhappy now because it had taken her so long to accept that Sakura was the cause of her unhappiness.

After so much release of years pent up, she had practically collapsed against my chest in drain. I didn't know what to do now though. Should I leave her or should I stay? What would she think if she woke up and I was gone, or she woke up and I was still there? Would she be sad if I wasn't there, or would she be upset that I was there and she regretted telling me everything? As she, either unconsciously or consciously, tightened her hold on me in her sleep, I decided I could not leave her.

She woke up the next morning to find me still there and she did not regret pouring herself into me. I told her I had to leave and she only smiled, saying it was fine. When I saw her at school she acted more or less the same toward me as she always had. Soon though, I noticed she slowly began to stay around me more.

For the next week, I continued to walk her home each day after school. There were no more tear shed encounters or emotional conversations, but we were seemingly always together. I can't say it was as though a relationship was building, but our bond was most definitely building.

I knew that something was happening between the two of us as soon as Syaoran started to watch me persistently. If he was noticing what was going on between us, then it must have truly been there…not to offend his perception, but he does spend almost all of his time with Sakura.

It was very amusing, I must say. He would walk into the classroom about ten minutes early to find me and Tomoyo in a conversation that had already been lasting at least ten minutes, and that was what really caught his attention. At first he probably just thought that she was being nice, but after the span of about two weeks he started to get suspicious, watching us closely at lunch and study groups. After about another week of analyzing us he felt truly secure about the things going on between me and his girlfriend's best friend, and that's when the amusement really started.

Syaoran began to ask me questions and attempt to walk in on seemingly compromising situations. During study groups he would ask things such as,

"We should arrange into two groups of two. Hiirigizawa-san, who do you want to be paired with?"

"Why, with you my cute little descendant."

He never tried that one again.

Oddly enough though, Syaoran's attempts made Tomoyo feel…special might be the wrong word, but that's as close as I can come. Perhaps it wasn't just that she was moving on, but I like to think that she enjoyed the acknowledgement of being in a position where someone she cared about returned her feelings equally.

The school year progressed onward. It came to be that each Friday after study group I would walk Tomoyo home and stay with her that night. It wasn't a situation where we were simply just friends, but we weren't really more than friends either. I wanted to ask her how she felt and figure things out, but then again, it was enough to just be with her and to know that she wanted me with her.

Progression continued and it soon became harder to hold all that I felt inside. It was now the beginning of February and still I had not admitted my feelings to her and she hadn't to I. I wonder how we were able to go on this long for so long. I couldn't do it anymore though, so I decided to act a little like Clow and be traditional. I would tell her on Valentine's Day. Valentine's fell on a Saturday this year and I knew exactly how I wanted everything to go. I made my first move that Wednesday.

"Tomoyo, how was your day?" I asked, walking beside her as we went home together ahead of Syaoran and Sakura.

"Same old same old," She replied, tugging on her winter school uniform.

"I was wondering if you had any plans Saturday evening."

"Valentine's Day…no, I wasn't planning on doing anything that evening." She laughed a little, flicking her hair behind her back. "Why?"

"Well, since neither you or I has a 'valentine' to spend the day with, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if I came over and brought a few movies. We could make a day out of a day that would have been otherwise uneventful."

She smiled at me, her violet eyes sparkling. She did not understand the double meaning behind my words, I am confident of that.

"I'm not sure if I like how the end of that was so blunt, but you're right, and I would love for you to come over to my house."

I don't think three days had ever passed so slowly for me. I was absolutely anxious for Saturday. I really didn't know what to do. Reading became uninteresting, I didn't really need to study, and taking walks never lasted long enough. I used my magic on Syaoran Li a couple of times, but even that could not keep me interested for long.

So after three sleepless nights, Saturday finally came. It was that day, the day I was going to tell her how I felt, and even though I was sure of her return of likeness, I had that stone of doubt in my stomach. There was the 'if' factor holding me back, telling me to wait longer. When I looked though, I found that I did not want to wait any longer, I wanted to end this odd suffering that I had never experienced with Kaho, whether for better or worse.

When the time came, I took the gifts I had gotten out of the fridge and did one more take in the mirror to make sure that I looked decent. My reflection showed me a tall young man with glasses and wise eyes, very similar to Clow, but not Clow. I was wearing a black, short-sleeved, button-up shirt with a dark blue tie, black slacks and black shoes. I nodded to my reflection and headed to the door.

"Good luck master!" Nakuru shouted to me, leaning from the kitchen so that I was able to glimpse her frilly, pink, apron.

"Yes master, it's too bad you had Sakura seal the Sweet Card, that one might have come in handy." Spinnel commented.

"Thank you for your uplifting comments, Nakuru, Spinnel." I replied.

"Not a problem," Nakuru winked and returned to making chocolate in the kitchen.

I walked to Tomoyo's house, trying to buy some time since I was so early. I came to the large estate that Tomoyo lived at and buzzed in. Once in I immediately went to the back yard. I found her sitting in one of the chairs on the patio. She didn't notice me at first since she was angled slightly away from me. Her arms were crossed and her legs stretched out leanly. She was wearing a black dress and her dark hair was falling everywhere behind her.

I cleared my throat to alert her that I was here. She looked over and smiled at me so wonderfully that I felt my body paralyze and my heart pound violently in my chest. I could only manage a weak smile back to her.

"Hi," Tomoyo whispered softly.

"Hi," I whispered back.

I managed to will my body to move and walked over toward the patio table and chairs where she stood up. We were shaded by large trees but there was still room for star gazing and moon beam to reach us.

"I have something for you." I told her softly.

She smiled back in reply, waiting for what I would do. I brought out a heart shaped box of chocolates from behind my back and a bouquet of red roses. Her smile deepened as she took the said items. She gently placed the box of chocolates down on the patio table and took the roses in both hands.

"Twelve roses," she looked up at me and raised her eyebrow.

I knew what her questioning look meant and I brought out a single yellow rose from behind my back.

"For friendship," she said, taking the rose in her hand.

No, that's not what I wanted it to be, that's not what I wanted it to mean. I couldn't let her think that.

"Tomoyo, I'm in love with you."

She was taken aback. She looked up at me quickly with wide eyes. I'd never seen so much hope in one's eyes.

"You…do you really?" She asked, the hope filling into her voice.

"Yes, very much," I whispered to her.

Her eyes looked like crystals from filling with water.

"I love you Eriol, I love you too."

I didn't wait any longer, I pulled her to me and kissed her. She breathed in sharply and froze. After a moment though, she regained sensibility and gently set the roses on the table behind her without breaking the kiss I had started. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I finally took the opportunity to run my hands through her hair and then hold her close to me.

When I finally pulled back she looked up slowly and smiled gently at me. I smiled back and gave her a small kiss.

"Come inside?" She questioned.

For her, how could I refuse?

So after the night had passed I found myself on Tomoyo's bed, holding her sleeping figure in my arms. She looked absolutely angelic, the moonlight was beaming through the large bedroom windows down upon her, illuminating the violet streaks in her hair. I gazed at her fair face, soft lips, long eyelashes, and her soft bangs. My hands were gently tangled through her hair and gripping at her waist.

I smiled down at the girl before me. She wouldn't have to feel alone again, she wouldn't have to feel heartbreak, or feel negative toward Sakura. No, she was happy now; I knew she was, and I was happy now. I did it. I got Tomoyo.

V

VictorianPearl: First I would like to make a little disclaimer here. This story is not completely original. I read a one-shot a very long time ago, one of the first one-shots I ever read. It also happened to be one of the very first Eriol/Tomoyo one-shots I read. It really got to me and I loved it. I only read it twice, when I went to go and read it a third time it had been deleted.

I immediately ran into my room and scribbled down on about three pages on a random notebook what I could remember of the story and how it went, attempting to re-write it so that it would not be completely lost. About two years later I was deeply inspired to write the story, but I expanded on it ridiculously and made it my own in some ways, just keeping the very basic plotline and a few things from the story that I really, really loved.

I had some doubts about posting this since it wasn't my original work, but since the story had been deleted I really wanted to share it with everyone. I hope nobody has a problem with this and I really hope you all liked it.