Chapter 3

Eriol looked pensively out the window as he recalled his talk with Sakura that morning. He wasn't sure how to approach Tomoyo. It was obvious that despite forgetting about him, the familiarity was still there. Often times, Tomoyo would behave really comfortably around him much like how she used to. He could still remember the warmth of Tomoyo's hand in his.

"You look troubled, Master." Suppi flew into the settled down on his lap. "What's on your mind?"

"Hmm..." Eriol leaned back on his red chair. "It's been interesting at the university."

"Something from the university piqued your interest? That's rare."

"Not something. It's someone."

Suppi stared at his master silently.

"I'm sorry. I'm not sure if it was meant to be a joke or something. Please don't tell me you found yourself a pretty student to play with."

Eriol ignored him.

"It's the most interesting thing. You never would have imagined who's in my class."

Just then, the sound of rushing footsteps was heard from the door.

"Suppi, did you see my phone? I can't find it and I'm pretty sure I just left it here somewhere..." Nakuru glanced at the two lounging in the big red chair. Her eyes narrowed at the adult sitting on her master's chair. "Who are you? Get away from Suppi right this instant!"

"Cut it out, Nakuru." Suppi said. "Don't you get tired of that same joke? Master has been like this for months now."

Nakuru made a face and burst out laughing.

"I'm so sorry. It's just so fun to pretend like I'm in a movie and, you know, say all those awesome lines."

"Can you please go phone-hunting elsewhere? We were actually in a middle of a conversation before you disturbed us."

"I know." Nakuru put her hands on her waist. "So what's this about our Master getting himself a girlfriend? And why are you only telling Suppi this? You shouldn't keep things from me, Master. I'll get hurt."

"Don't be silly. I don't have a girlfriend and I am not flirting with my students. I may be new at this but I won't do something so inappropriate." Eriol cleared his throat. "Tomoyo was in my class."

Nakuru's eyes widened.

"Daidouji as in Tomoyo-chan? I can't believe it! I didn't know she was studying here! When did she arrive? Where does she live? We have to visit her right away! Suppi, go get my phone for me."

"No."

"How does she look like now? It's been so long since we last saw her..." Nakuru faced her master and eyed him from head to toe. "So... did she recognize you?"

Eriol combed his hair back with his hand.

"No, she didn't."

Not that it was surprising, Eriol didn't look the same as he had been when he was a student in Tomoeda. After coming back to England, he lifted the spell that stopped his ageing process and his residual powers allowed his body to catch up to the years he missed. Or at least most of it. Over the years, his body gradually grew up to that of a 25-year old. In reality, he was actually a few more years older than that but he was more than satisfied with the result... no one would know anyway. The whole ageing process had been and was still a struggle for himself and it wasn't without some sacrifices.

"Don't be hurt, master. I'm sure she'll recognize you eventually. I mean, who wouldn't recognize that handsome face?"

"Right." Eriol said sarcastically. "On a more serious note, there's something else that worries me at the moment. She didn't recognize me but it wasn't quite the issue. It's that she seemed to have totally forgotten about me."

"What do you mean?"

"I introduced myself to her. I even gave subtle hints about being her friend, but she looked at me as though I was a stranger. So I called Sakura today to find out what was going on and..." Eriol took a deep breath and looked down, staring at nothing in particular. "Tomoyo's sick. They say it's akin to the illness that Nadeshiko had before she died, except she's been having...memory failures."

Two pairs of eyes urged him to continue.

"At first, they tried all sorts of things. Sakura and Syaoran have tried and it seems that the illness is not magic related. They're not entirely sure about this though. Tomoyo has resorted to medicine from the doctor which has helped to get rid of the symptoms, but the side effect is that she has been unable to recover some of her past memories she lost. As you can probably deduce, I was part of the missing ones.

Eriol shared the rest of the details with his guardians.

"Poor thing..." Nakurus said. "But why did she come here alone?"

"I don't know."

"She must be very lonely being away from family and friends. Master, we should visit her! I'm sure she'll love the company."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea." Suppi said. "She's forgotten about us right? We can't just barge in there and act all friendly when she thinks of us as strangers."

"You're right."

Eriol stood up and grabbed his keys from the nearby desk. "Master..." Suppi started.

"You're both right is what I meant. We can't just barge in her house uninvited, but I can as her teacher. I'll think of an excuse on the way. I'm worried about her. I like to think that we became good friends because we genuinely got along, so let me try and get her to talk."

Both guardians followed as Eriol headed towards the main door. He grabbed his coat and plucked Nakuru's phone from the pocket of her coat that had been beside his. Nakuru snatched her phone away almost instantly.

"I think that's a great idea." Nakuru said. "Although I wish we could go along with you, but I guess next time is fine too."

"You guys go ahead with dinner. I'll drop you guys a message if I'm coming home late."

"Do you even know where she lives?" Suppi asked.

"Of course I do. I'm her teacher."

"Do you know how to get there? Are you really sure about doing this?"

"Yes and yes, mom." Eriol smirked.

"Master." Suppi flew between Eriol and the door. "I know I don't have to remind you, but no monkey business. You're visiting a young lady who is currently living alone in a big house."

Eriol almost choked.

"Suppi, you insult me. I'm not a pervert teenager who would lunge at any chance to be alone in a room with a girl."

"You know what I mean."

"I'll be a responsible adult. Plus, she's a good friend." Eriol smiled fondly. "Please take care of the house while I'm away."

Eriol shut the door behind him and headed to his car. It was about 5:30 in the afternoon and it should be about a 15 minute drive to Tomoyo's house. He hoped that Tomoyo had gotten over what happened that afternoon. Eriol smiled as he remembered her stuttering red-faced stupor. He realized he had been wanting to see her face again since he got home.

Suppi looked out from the windowsill. He made no sound but there was a silent and tense atmosphere around him.

"Suppi, stop worrying. I'm sure he'll be fine." Nakuru said nervously, in an attempt to convince both Suppi and herself.

Their master went through some challenging times in the past year or so. His sudden ageing body took a toll on him and his personality had a hard time adapting to the changes in his physique. He had to isolate himself from the rest of the world as he let his body age, never going to the same place twice, never establishing relationships with anyone in fear of having someone discovering his secret. There were times when he would start to behave strangely, as if his personality would regress to his body's actual age then he would go back to behaving like his usual self. To Suppi and Nakuru, taking care of Eriol during those times felt like being actual parents taking care of an adolescent boy. It was particularly difficult having Eriol curb his sudden raging hormones, but his reaction to his own behavior afterwards was always priceless. It took some time but he eventually learned how to manage it.

Their master's body finally stopped ageing about half a year ago and Eriol was slowly returning to his old self, however once in a while he would make very odd and sometimes out-of-character decisions such as his recent plight to join the university faculty. Not that he wasn't suited for the job. He was an intelligent man but his personality was not cut out to be teacher material. If she didn't know any better, she's think Eriol was doing this for a totally different reason altogether. 'So far, so good though.' Nakuru smiled. He wanted this so he'll have to power through it. In fact, maybe Tomoyo joining the picture was timely. She might just be the cure to completely get him back to his old self.

"I know what you're thinking." Suppi said. "As much as I'd like to agree with you, we both know that a part of him changed not because off his ageing body. It's takes more than a few months to get over that. In any case, let's hope that their friendship will prove to be good influence for him. It's Tomoyo after all."

She knew that Eriol and Tomoyo regularly exchanged messages. Of course Eriol was more constantly in touch with Syaoran and Sakura, but it was Tomoyo that he opened up more to on a personal level. Master was surely happy to see one of his close friends again. 'Let's just hope he doesn't ruin it by doing something stupid.'

"I think I actually have a good feeling about this."

"And I'm not sure I trust your gut feel."

"That's cruel, Suppi. I'm not cooking you any dinner!" She stomped off, her heavy steps echoing loudly in the empty mansion.

"Thank you." Eriol smiled at the maid who had put tea and snacks on the center table.

It wasn't hard to find Tomoyo's place near the outskirts of town. The house itself was a nice two-story bungalow situated in the middle of a large estate. The screen panel beside the tall metal gate lit up just as he arrived. He had only managed to give his name and the bodyguard (he presumed) on the opposite side of the screen confirmed that he was Tomoyo's homeroom teacher from school and opened the gates. He was mildly surprised and impressed at the level of security for one lady. That's Sonomi Daidouji for you.

A single maid was waiting for him outside of the main door but Eriol could feel the presence of several people around the perimeter. "This way please." The young girl led him inside the house into the drawing room. He was told to wait and that Tomoyo would be down shortly.

He took a sip of his tea as he settled down the lush cream-colored couch. The room was mostly filled with cream and canary furniture, with only the plum colored armchair and similarly-colored velvet pillows providing the needed contrast. Everything about the room reminded him of his lavender-haired student, which made him feel mildly comfortable and relaxed. In fact, he could almost catch the faint scent of Tomoyo in the air.

He recalled watching her in school garden. It almost seemed as if she was enjoying freedom she never had, simply taking in the fresh air and space around her, ignoring everything else. Her long lashes touched her rosy cheeks, and her full lips parted slightly as she breathed. He had almost forgotten how attractive Tomoyo was. He knew from his brief stay in Tomoeda that she was quite well-known among the boys in town. And she had grown even more splendidly since then.

Eriol massaged his temple, suddenly feeling a headache coming up. 'This is just so wrong in so many levels.'

Tomoyo cleared her throat as she entered the room.

"Sensei, it's a pleasure to see you. To what do I owe this visit?" She sat down across him, her face slightly flushed. She wasn't looking at him in the eye.

"Miss Daidouji, I apologize for the unannounced visit. I wanted to check on you. Have you been well since this morning?"

"I-I'm fine now. Thanks for worrying about me."

Tomoyo poured herself some tea and took a sip. Eriol was amused. She was clearly still embarassed about what happened.

"It's not a problem. If anything, you had me really worried. I can't have my students passing out in school."

"You're right. But it won't happen again."

"You don't sound very convinced." Eriol chuckled.

Tomoyo laughed nervously.

"Well, you see..."

"It's alright, Ms. Daidouji. I have been made aware of your situation. I'm your homeroom teacher after all. I should be informed these things so I will know what I need to watch out for. In school, you will be my responsibility. I had a talk with your doctor in the infirmary." Eriol saved her from fabricating a story for him. He wasn't exactly lying either. The doctor assumed he already knew of Tomoyo's illness when they were discussing in the infirmary.

"I see." Tomoyo looked down.

"You don't have to worry about anything."

"I'm not asking for special treatment." She said firmly.

"That goes without saying." Eriol smiled. "I just wanted to let you know that you can reach out to me if you need any help. I know you're keeping this from your friends and it always helps to know there's someone you can talk to. Despite my strict demeanor in school, I do care about my students. If you need a day off from school I'm fine with that, but you just need to tell me in advance so I can drop off the lecture notes tomorrow."

Tomoyo stared at him with furrowed brows.

"By chance is there anything on my face?"

"No no. I was just wondering if you were serious."

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Let's just say you gave me a totally different impression when we met."

"You hurt my feelings, Daidouji. I assure you my intentions are genuine." Tomoyo raised an eyebrow. "Although I do get where you're coming from. I sometimes come off as slightly cad but I'm more known as trustworthy and reliable than anything." Eriol gave her a lopsided smile.

"Are you always like this to your students?"

"I'm always nice to my students."

"Do you always tease your students? I don't mean to be rude, but you seem to have a habit of doing that quite often."

Eriol gave a small laugh.

"I'm also known as a fun teacher."

"You seem to be known as a lot of things." Tomoyo felt amused.

"Because I'm special. Most people don't know it but this is actually my first teaching gig. And I'm the youngest teacher in school too."

"Now you're just bragging. Also, why am I not surprised that you're younger than most professors? You seem childish to me."

Eriol gave her a faux hurt look.

"Thanks, sensei. I really appreciate the concern." Tomoyo gave him a genuine smile for the first time, deciding to trust him

"That's better. That pretty face was always meant to have that lovely smile gracing it." Eriol said before he could stop himself. Shit.

Tomoyo raised an eyebrow. 'Was always meant to?'

"I was just trying to cheer you up. Went too far...?" Eriol laughed nervously.

"No, of course not." Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "You're just being your usual self, sensei. Although if I may give you some advice, those antics are easily mistaken for giving too much affection. I pity the girls whose hearts will break."

She hastily put the last of the crackers in her mouth and finished the rest of her tea in one gulp. She surprised both her teacher and herself from that last comment. She didn't know where it came from, but she got no response. She felt her ears heating up.

"Thanks for the meal. I won't be needing a day off as the headaches are gone and I feel perfectly fine now. But I appreciate the offer, maybe if I find myself in a worse off situation I'll take you up on that offer again?" She said hurriedly.

"Of course...and there's one more thing, two actually." Tomoyo froze halfway up her seat, then sat back down.

Eriol looked her straight in the eye with a serious expression. "If you are feeling even slightly out of it, you let me know. Any headaches in school, you let me know. The doctor isn't always available you see, but I'm more or less free even after school. If in case he is unable to see you, I can pick you up wherever you are. This was what Doc Yuri and I discussed in the infirmary today. He has specifically asked for my help on this matter as your homeroom teacher."

She bit her lip. "I understand."

"Good."

Eriol leaned back on the couch and crossed his legs. "Now we can talk about you."

"What do you mean talk about me?"

"As a teacher, I go out of my way to get to know my students personally. As you know, most of the people in class are exchange students so it is important for me to get a good grasp of the type of students I have. I want to make the most out of your learning experience while you're here. Naturally, all that we talk about today will stay in this room."

"You're lying." Tomoyo scoffed at him. Eriol winced internally. 'Was I too obvious?'

"I'm serious, Daidouji. I thought you said so just earlier?"

"I've never done this before. Is this normal practice in English schools?"

"Some of the modern ones, yes."

"I see. And you did this with everyone?"

"Yes, I will. You're the lucky first." Eriol smirked.

"I'm flattered." Tomoyo smiled sarcastically. "So I'm basically having another interview."

"Interview?" Eriol feigned hurt. "This is a discussion between friends. Let's get to know each other. I want you to feel comfortable around me."

Tomoyo's heart skipped a beat on the last bit.

"Alright then, sensei. How does this go?"

"Well let's start with your hobbies. What takes up most of your free time on a normal day? What makes you happy? What annoys you? And please no application form type answers. I read the forms of each and every one of you, so tell me something I don't know."

"Hmm.. Hobbies?" Tomoyo pressed a finger on her chin. "I'm into videography and design, nothing fancy, just casual sideline things that don't require me to go out more often that I need to. I'm also part of the choir, but I'm sure you know already." Eriol nodded. "What makes me happy... my family I guess, I miss spending quality time with them sometimes. Even if it's just going to cafes for a chit chat. What annoys me. Hmm.. Tricky. I hate it when people lie to me."

"As in like telling you tomorrow's lesson is easy and then suddenly having a pop quiz instead?"

Tomoyo looked horrified. "I wasn't thinking of that actually, but doing that would be cruel don't you think? It's still the first week of school."

Eriol laughed. "Aww. And I thought it would actually be more fun for everyone."

The pair spent the rest of the afternoon chatting away. As Eriol had expected, the familiarity was there and it didn't take long for Tomoyo to open up to him. Soon enough, she shared about her exciting childhood with Sakura and Syaoran, taking care not to mention about Clow Reed's powers. Two excited voices and occasional laughter could be heard from the drawing room.

"If I may be so frank, I'm quite impressed with the security around this place." Eriol mused. "When I entered the estate, they took my name and my face and instantly knew who I was."

"Yep. Our security knows everyone I know. Everyone relevant, that is. I never really saw it but one time I overheard some of the bodyguards chatting about a profile book of everyone I've ever been close with."

"Wow. That's both amazing and impressive. Do they listen to your conversations too?"

"They don't. They don't really get in the way of my everyday life. They're supposed to be there to protect me in case something bad happens, but not close enough that I'll get bothered by it. We can safely assume though that they're always close by wherever I go. That's my compromise with my mom for agreeing to this."

"Hmm... a princess must always be protected by her knights in shining armor, I see. Does this mean I can't make the princess mad?"

"You have been warned."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing your bodyguards aren't allowed inside the school premises right?"

Tomoyo opened her mouth to retort back before a knock was heard from outside the door.

"Mistress Tomoyo, dinner is ready."

"Thanks Elise. I'll be right over."

"And that will also be my queue to leave." Eriol wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Also, please tell the chef my guest will be joining me for dinner."

"Understood."

Eriol raised his brows at Tomoyo.

"I accept your invitation?" Eriol joked.

"You don't have a choice."

"Lead the way, my lady."

They were having their dessert when Elise politely interrupted with Tomoyo's cellphone in hand. It was her mom. The news has finally reached her I suppose. She quickly excused herself from dinner and stepped out to quickly reassure her mom that she was fine.

"I'm sorry about that. It was my mom checking up on me."

"It's to be expected." Eriol glanced at the phone Tomoyo put beside her plate. "That's a very interesting accessory you have there."

She pointed to the mauve and white striped leather strap with a tiny bell. "You mean this? It's a gift from one of my dearest friends. Though to be totally honest, I can't exactly remember who." She smiled sheepishly. "It's very special to me though, I sort of treat it as my good luck charm."

It was more than that really. She knew the strap was given to her by someone special and she always treasured it. Often times she would play with the tiny bell and it would put a smile on her face. It helped a lot at times when she was sad.

"I see." Eriol had a weird look on his face.

"What?"

"What what?"

"You look funny."

"It's nothing." Eriol finished the last of his dessert and it was silent between them for a brief moment.

"I'm into gardening. Playing the piano makes me happy. And it annoys me when people talk to me when I want to be alone."

Tomoyo blinked.

"I just thought it would be fair for you to get to know me too."

"You play the piano?"

"Yes. I quite like playing some music very early in the morning. It calms me."

"Interesting. I can't say I'm surprised though, you have such delicate hands. Maybe one of these days you can play for me. We have a grand piano in the living room."

"I would love to." Eriol smiled sweetly.

Tomoyo looked down in thought. She wasn't surprised because she felt she knew it even before he told her. Somehow, it all felt so nostalgic.

"I know I told you I missed my family. But I'm actually quite relieved to be far away from them." Tomoyo said quietly.

Eriol looked surprised but didn't say anything.

"I know they're all worried for me back home and I love them, but it felt so suffocating to be around everyone. I know it's insensitive of me. I came here to England because I wanted to take a break from everything. I just wanted to live somewhere that nobody knows me and I don't need to be pressured about remembering something or someone. It gets lonely and scary sometimes though. I don't know what the future holds for me at this point."

"I know how you feel." When he spoke, his voice was gentle and comforting. "I won't tell you that everything's going to be alright. What's more important right now is for you to make the most out of your stay here and don't overthink anything. Life isn't meant to be so complicated. Stay here in England until you're comfortable enough to go back to your family and friends. In the meantime, you have me."

Tomoyo felt her heart skip a beat. His blue eyes stared into hers and she felt like she could get lost in it. It was as if he was looking into her soul, understanding everything she had written between the lines.

"I know you just met me and I know I'm your teacher, but I'm going to be there for you."

Of course, he's my teacher. Tomoyo broke her gaze. She was having such a great time in his company that she forgot about one important fact.

"Thank you, sensei."

Tomoyo walked slowly in front of Eriol as she led her to the front door. They were both quiet. It was as if a spell broke after dinner and the close friendship they seemingly had was replaced with an awkward and unexplainable silence.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, Sensei."

Tomoyo turned around and bumped into Eriol. She hadn't noticed that he was walking closely behind her. He held her elbow to steady her and she ended up putting her hands to his chest for support. The musky scent of cologne entered her senses and she suddenly felt hot. She looked up and saw his face close to hers. She stopped moving.

Warning bells were ringing in Eriol's head.

Tomoyo was staring up at him, her face slightly flushed and her eyes lidded. Her enticing mouth was partly open. The temptation was so strong he just couldn't resist. He leaned forward ever so slightly.

Eriol's phone rang and they both jolted, springing away from each other.

"H-hello?" Eriol mentally cursed himself and spoke through gritted teeth. That was too close.

"Thanks for having me, Daidouji. I had a wonderful time today. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

When Eriol's car drove out the gate, he glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Tomoyo still standing on her porch. She was standing with one hand over her mouth, staring at nothing in particular. 'You're damn stupid, Eriol.'

+++ END CHAPTER +++

Hope you guys liked it! Reviews please!

I just love these two so much! 3