Disclaimer : I don't own CCS. CCS is owned by CLAMP.
Chapter Dedication : Fluff Inc. For creating a super-recommended EriolTomoyo fanfiction : "Growing Up". Truly recommend you guys to read it. Really, really, really good. ;)
Notes : Thank you for the reviews and comments for the previous Chapter 4: SnowCharms, jHeyTTernallie, Malu Daidouji, Midnight Ghost, Poochyyxx, cheng, Death101 – Fox Version, skybluescramble, chainedheart999, Fluff Inc, animefan88tv, bshinigami, Nils, UNIVERSE-KRISSY, yankeeCPA, Shanaa12, CHeRRybLoSSoM361, Krissy
Summary : Once upon a time, with a Cursed Man and the soon-to-be Cursed Woman. Set 9 years post CCS series.
Recap : Eriol was cursed and to lift the curse, he would need a girl's help. After being reluctant, Tomoyo finally succumbed to the Sorcerer's will and word tricks. With his wit, he then managed to secure a place in the Daidouji household.
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The Misfortunate Tale: Beauty and the Beast (Not)
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Morning was never the same again in the Daidouji manor. Ah, usually she would have woken up at the planned time (thanks to her loudly effective alarm clock), taken the quick and pleasant shower, prepared herself for college, reviewed her agenda for the day, had breakfast comfortably, and gone off to campus.
Then again, it had been before Eriol Hiiragizawa happened to live at her house.
Her alarm clock rang as usual, and she fluttered her eyes to open. Instead of a pale-cherry-colored wall as her first sight that day, she was greeted with the cool yet naughty sapphire eyes.
"Morning, Love," the guy said as giving her an affectionate peck on her cheek.
Heat radiated to her cheek and panic seeped into her mind.
Moments later, somehow, she fell from the bed.
Good bye, peaceful morning.
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:: Chapter 5 : :
To the Humble Abode
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"Never before it crossed my mind that the charming Hiiragizawa Eriol might be deaf and uncivilized, but I do have to tolerate with the highly possible, and thus, may I repeat for the 12th time already that I do not wish you to sexually assault me, moreover in my own house?" she said as walking down the stairs, ready to go to campus. Minutes prior, she had gone out of her room after taking bath and changing clothes and she had been greeted again by the Sorcerer. And 'greeting' in Eriol's term might include a morning kiss(es) –which of course, she managed to prevent before it ever happened.
The mixture of the girl's smile (one that looked so honest and untruthful, oh the contradiction) and her bitter remarks amazed him. But an ignorant bastard he was, Eriol just shrugged and replied casually. "I actually don't mind to do it in a much kinkier place, but I thought that you're the type to do it in a conventional way, so I thought sex in home will just suffice?"
Tomoyo didn't glare, but just calmly kept her smile intact. "Are you just pretending to be intelligently-inept or are you just simply it? No sex, Hiiragizawa Eriol-san. Period. I thought I made that clear,"
"Your words betrayed your behaviors, Daidouji-san. You might say that you don't want me, but you reacted otherwise,"
Despite all her effort to remain calm and collected, she couldn't help but to clench her fist in annoyed fashion. What lies did he propose? "Oh and since when do you see me as wanting you? Perhaps you're seeing delusions, Hiiragizawa-san? Want the Daidouji doctors to check on your sight?"
"You have no sense of humor," he smirked as crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"I'm not intending to keep you entertained,"
"I'm the guest of the manor. Shouldn't you treat me with more care?"
"I would if you weren't this impossible," she said still in her (annoyed) smile. "Now I have to go to campus, excuse me," Tomoyo muttered as turning around and headed to the garage.
"I'll take you there," he announced and before she could protest, he said, "3 reasons. First, your mother wants me to bodyguard you. Second, I have to go to campus too. And third, I want to contribute in reserving the earth from global warming, don't you? No need to use 2 cars if we're heading the same way, right Daidouji-san?"
She hadn't had this much trouble in handling guys. It was bad enough that Hiiragizawa Eriol was a conniving bastard behind his charming persona, but to make him sharp? God, intelligence and evilness weren't good combination.
The trip to the campus was quick, or was it that she wasn't paying attention? The moment he killed the engine in the campus parking lot, Tomoyo quickly muttered 'thank you' before getting out of the car and headed to the campus ground, trying her best to keep her mood in its best condition, but it seemed harder now that the magician was trailing behind her, casually stealing chances to hold her hands or to snake his arm around her waist. The later mentioned was successfully done (and like the entire bad curse following him, it made her stumble upon the stairs. She would have her butt hurt very much, had it not been for his quick reflex to catch her).
Oh this was tiring. It had only been a week since she received him as another inhabitant of her manor, yet he already managed to drive her crazier than any other people could in her entire life. Hiiragizawa Eriol was a sly and manipulative guy, and he had 'wisely' decided to spend his golden time at her house this whole week to find chances to (in Tomoyo's term) sexually-assault her. The Daidouji, of course, had never let it happened. Being another manipulative woman was an advantage –at least it could keep her from being touched (or in a frank way saying: sex) by him for an entire week.
Although she knew that sooner or later, he would find his way…
Shrugging the horrifying thought off her head, she then paced herself to her class, leaving him to deal with his own class.
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"You're okay, Tomoyo? You look… tired…"
Tomoyo sighed as leaning her back on the wall –sipping the coffee she had just gotten from the vending machine. It was break time and she still had around 10 minutes before her next class started. Acknowledging the guy, she nodded and muttered, "Kaze…"
"You're alright?" he worriedly repeated his concern.
The violet-eyed let out a hollow laugh and mutter almost maniacally. "Of course not… How can I be alright when –"
…
…
"I believe that you're wiser than to tell anybody about our little secret, Daidouji-san?"
Oh, damn Hiiragizawa.
"Tomoyo?"
"Ah, nothing Kaze," she gritted her teeth and forced a convincing smile. "I'm just slightly stressed with all the assignments and such,"
Kaze nodded. "Studying business is hard, eh? I wish I could help with your study, but Economy isn't exactly my thing," he then cleared his throat. "But my dad has many economy books. You can…er…borrow them if you want to," he paused a while before hastily added, "I-I'm sorry. You must have all those books already, I mean, you being…you who's always p-prepared and well…" the brown-haired guy then sighed in frustration. "Pardon all my pointless rants… I'm just...nervous…, I guess,"
She glanced at him softly. "Why should you be nervous? We have known each other ever since we were kids…"
The Araide guy shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "About that guy…the Hiiragizawa… Were you two really… well, a pair?"
Tomoyo laughed hollowly. "I don't know what to call our certain…status,"
"But you two do look like you're dating…"
"Oh really? Is that how we look like?"
The guy nodded. "It made me… confused,"
"… What made you confused?"
"A-about –"
Chu.
"Good afternoon, Princess," Hiiragizawa Eriol whispered after landing a soft kiss on his 'girlfriend's' cheek. His pale arm casually hugged her body from behind and she had to flinch due to the certain proximity (and his corny greeting…).
"Hiira –"
Another girl who was carrying a can of coke went passed them and suddenly tripped –her coke went flying in the air and –
Oh, but fret now. We already knew what would happen… Hiiragizawa would catch the can before the brown liquid could spill Tomoyo's soft pink dress and –
"Be careful, Tomoyo," the hand caught it on time.
She blinked.
Even The Hiiragizawa Eriol blinked.
Apparently, it was thanks to Mr. Araide Kaze this time. His brilliant reflex managed to catch the can even before the great magician could.
"T-thank you, Kaze…" she said as fixing her position –and of course, making sure that she was at least one meter away from the Cursed Man. The girl who had spilled the coke stuttered as she began her rants of apology, but since nobody was hurt, they all shrugged it off.
In the silence emitted after the coke-girl left, Kaze made the attempt to break it. "I-I'd better go back to my class then. Until then, Tomoyo… Er, and Hiiragizawa…" Kaze muttered as excusing himself.
Eriol made sure that the chestnut-haired guy was long gone before speaking, "What's up with him?"
"…I don't know. Kaze always acts weirdly around me lately," she said as walking towards her own class.
He caught up and walked beside the Daidouji Heiress. "He likes you. It's rather obvious,"
"Oh, that's impossible. Kaze and I have known each other ever since we were very young. My mother and her mother had known each other since Elementary,"
"So? No possibility that childhood friends become a certain something more?"
She sighed and took a sip from her canned coffee again. "We've tried, actually. I thought I already told you, he was my ex boyfriend, remember? We were dating when we were in Junior High,"
"Why you two broke up?"
"Oh, it wasn't even a real 'dating' to begin with. But well, he dumped me,"
He chuckled. "I don't consider 'Dumping Daidouji Tomoyo' a choice that ever existed,"
"Well, he did. He had this certain crush on his 7 year-old older Tutor and he dumped me for her,"
"He must have regretted it deeply. That poor boy is having a deep crush on you now,"
"I don't think it's likely to happen," Tomoyo spoke. "I mean, the breaking up thing happened when we were 14. And that was 7 years ago. If he does like me, why now? Why not 5 year ago? A year ago? Or 2 months ago? See? It's too sudden –and someone doesn't just have crush on the other that –"
"Because, my fair Daidouji-san," he said as stopping in front of her and with his certain aura, he 'forced' her to look at him. "He sees competition. I bet that guy has always liked you since years ago, but he's quite dense himself not to realize it until I step into your life. I bet it must be it,"
Tomoyo shrugged. "He's a really good guy though. Even Kaze was originally my mother's favorite. But ever since he dumped me, My Mother doesn't like him as much as she used to,"
"Of course. Your mother likes me better,"
"Oh, if only she knew what lies beneath all the good look and –"
He smirked. "Ah, to receive such flatter from a Daidouji-san is really heart-warming,"
"I don't flatter you, you –"
"You admitted that I was good-looking," Eriol grinned.
"But you have a true beast lies beneath it all,"
"… You don't deny that I'm good looking…" he nudged her playfully.
Tomoyo sighed and fastened her steps to her own class. "We're not having this talk,"
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The nights in Tomoeda had been rather cold lately. Tomoyo flung the scarf Sakura had given her around her neck and continued working on her essay assignment. Minutes prior, her mother had just called to check on her condition. It was considerably very late of her to call. Tomoyo knew that her mother was a busy woman, but she was a caring mother at the same time. Whenever the short-haired lady was away on a business trip, she always made sure to call her daughter every 2 days at least. However, that certain routine shifted this time. During this present business trip to Prague, her mother had called her only twice. First, the night after she was mugged (the week before) and second, just few minutes ago.
Tomoyo presumed whether it was that Sonomi already thought that she didn't need to do any phone call to her growing daughter or…
That the CEO was already too bewitched by the charm of the certain Londoner.
She finished doing her essay assignment and was currently re-reading them (for the 3rd time) to check for errors when suddenly she felt his presence behind her.
"Oh, it's already perfect, dear intelligent Daidouji-san," he whispered next to her ear.
Tomoyo jolted slightly by their intimacy but quickly covered her surprise in poise. Turning her chair around, she faced the Incarnation. "Oh Good Hiiragizawa-san… could you please stop your sudden and without-notice appearance? I begin to think that you're already part of my shadow lately,"
"And I will be, until you've succumbed to my wish,"
"Sex with you? Let that remains your silly wish,"
But for the good of her, she couldn't neglect it when he pulled her from her seating position and guided her off her study desk towards her bed. She tripped on the way, but as usual, Eriol and his natural reflex prevented her from hitting the floor.
"Hiiragizawa-san, seriously, I won't –"
Her protest died the moment his lips touched hers.
And she was stunned.
During his stay in her house the past week, he had never succeeded in kissing her again. The last time he kissed her on the lips had been back then in her mother's party –the night when she discovered his little secret and him wanting to show her the proof of his curse.
To her silently girlish fantasy, Tomoyo would have to admit that the kiss he was giving her currently was…
God, she couldn't even think straight.
He was slow and very patient, but every gesture he made uncovered newfound passion she didn't know she possessed. Tomoyo cursed herself for enjoying his kiss, and cursed herself even more when she elicited a gasp and parted her lips after he gave a slight bite on her lower lips. The action gained him access to her mouth, and the moment his tongue chased hers in domination, Tomoyo cursed herself for the third time.
Her groan of pleasure apparently encouraged him. And in a way that was more unconscious, Eriol snaked his hand inside of her blouse and caressed the skin there sensually.
But to feel his sudden cold touch on her burning skin, it woke her up from this trance and she tried to stop his sexual ministrations. "Hiira –"
He didn't stop.
"Hiiragizawa," she muttered as ending the kiss, but he was a persistent one and so she had to use more force. Pushing him off her, Tomoyo then quickly murmured, "Sorry. I-I don't want to do it,"
The bespectacled man fixed his glasses and sighed. "I know. I'm sorry too. I got too carried away. You're just too…"
Tempting.
He didn't say it, of course. And she didn't inquire him to finish the sentence. So the two just sat there on her bed in the most awkward silence.
"… No bad luck?" Tomoyo finally broke the silence as glancing around.
Eriol shrugged. "I thought I've told you that the romantic approach doesn't always bring bad lucks. They often do, but not always,"
Hn.
Silence, again.
…
"I-I'm really sorry," she apologized earnestly. "I really, really want to help you. But… I'm not ready for things that are more than just kissing. I-is that okay?"
He raised a knowing eyebrow before speaking, "Even if I said that it wasn't okay, would you let me have sex with you?"
"No,"
Eriol chuckled. "I realize," he said before smiling to her. "And fine. I promise I won't initiate sex unless you want me to. But you do have to realize that I'm a normal man and it is very easy for me to get…carried away. Sadly, I still have to 'force' you into doing some 'romantic assaults', but you can slap or stop me if I ever dare to cross the line of decency. Is that fine with you?"
"Fair enough,"
"Good. Now that leaves me the task to find other way to decently take off the curse," he then paused to think. And when his sapphire eyes met hers again, she could see glints of knowledge in them. "Ah, I know. Lie in the bed, Daidouji-san. Make yourself comfortable,"
It was very hard to be comfortable when you had this man on your bed beside you after having series of making out, but she tried his advice and lied there on her bed. "Like this?"
"Yes, and relax yourself,"
Again, it was extremely difficult. The fact that Eriol Hiiragizawa smiled before lying on her bed next to her created another list of how she couldn't be comfortable. "Hiiragizawa-san, what are we –"
"Don't question," he told her as intertwining his fingers on the wavy locks of her dark hair. "Sleep. It's past your bed time,"
"First, you know nothing about my bed time, and second how am I able to sleep if you're still there?!" her tone rose.
"Hey, I told you to relax. And get used to it. I'm going to sleep next to you tonight,"
The comment startled her and she made a move to get up. But as if already knowing her reaction, Eriol just calmly pulled her back to the bed next to him. "Daidouji-san, now didn't you hear me? I told you to relax,"
"H-how can I relax? Y-you're planning t-to –"
"I won't force you to make love if you don't want to. Can't you at least trust me with that?"
Tomoyo didn't give her approval, but she didn't refuse either. Letting her slim body being dragged to him, she could only close her eyes and blushed furiously once his arms enveloped around her form.
And he began to caress her hair tenderly.
"Don't get too carried away," she murmured incoherently, still blushing, with her face still buried on his chest.
"I'll try not to," he felt her shift uncomfortably but he held her still. "But trust me, I will watch over you. Now, sleep,"
"How can I sleep when you're holding me like this?!"
"Is it not comfortable?"
She knew she was already trapped in his own charm when she noticed that it wasn't uncomfortable to be held this way by this man. It was slightly uneasy yes, but the warmth of his body was something that she honestly didn't mind. "No… but how can I sleep with the possibility of earning bad lucks all night?"
"I'll protect you,"
…
Cruel him. Everytime he muttered those words, even the ever poised Daidouji could not do a single protest.
"So…sleep,"
Perhaps it was his magic, or was it the comfort and warmth from him, or was it just simply her tired body, but anyhow, Tomoyo slowly found her eyelids fluttered close.
It was less than 5 minutes when Eriol looked down to the girl in his embrace and could easily conclude that she was already asleep.
And perhaps it was the same reason of how she could fall asleep, but the next moment he opened his eyes, it was already morning.
In alarm, he widened his eyes and cursed himself for falling asleep like that. Quickly checking the girl, he tried to find out whether anything bad had attacked her during the sleep. If she was harmed in any way, he would have no guts to face her after failing to protect her after sealing her worry with a promise of security. To his relief, he saw that there was no harm done to the Daidouji girl. Eriol was quite amazed of it. He had just spent an entire night holding the girl, and yet the Curse didn't show up that time.
He glanced at his wristwatch and discovered it was 6 AM. He knew that Tomoyo's class today started in the afternoon, so he decided to let the restless girl another luxury of sleeping.
Beside…
Despite himself, he must admit that there was something so comforting in seeing Daidouji Tomoyo's sleeping figure.
Eriol might not feel it, but an unconscious smile of fondness formed on his gorgeous feature.
If only time could stop…
…
The sudden ring of his cell phone from his pocket alarmed her. Afraid to waking her up, he quickly pulled the phone and answered it without even looking at the caller-id.
"Yes?"
"Sorry If I woke you up. I just want to inform you that my work is finished sooner, and I've already booked a flight to Tomoeda tonight,"
The mature voice on the other line was impossible to forget.
"Kaho?"
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: : To Be Continued : :
A/n : I don't know if you notice this or not, but I intend to make Kaho's appearance to be the bad luck compensation after Eriol and Tomoyo shared a night of sleeping together. BUT, I will not make Kaho an 'antagonist' like I usually did years ago. As time passed, I began to realize that I couldn't exactly make Kaho the true villain just to spice things up between Eriol and Tomoyo. Mizuki Kaho is a very nice woman. I originally like her, but of course, as an ET worshipper, I do not approve Kaho's relationship with Eriol. Then again, like what I've said, I couldn't make her all biatch without reasons, so in this fiction there will be no biatch Kaho. In fact, she will have several important roles to bound Eriol and Tomoyo together. :)