A/N: Sorry it took a while guys! It's been really busy at work. Many thanks for all the reviews and favorites/alerts. It makes me happy to see people appreciating my work. This one is a longer chapter because I'm trying to squeeze the whole story in 7 chapters. Lol.

P.S. I noticed that there were random words missing after I uploaded the chapter. I tried looking for all of them but I'm worried I missed something. Hopefully there's none!

Read on and review please!

Chapter 4

She stared at the ceiling, still trying to make sense of what just happened. Truthfully, she'd been pleasantly surprised in the company of his teacher. She'd only managed to talk to Eriol a few times but it already felt like they were old friends. More often than not, she would catch herself taking too casual a tone with her teacher as though it was natural. It was just how comfortable Eriol made her feel around him. She felt like she could tell him anything.

And there was the matter of their goodbye. It was all still a blur to her. She was getting ready to say goodnight when she was suddenly in his arms again, their faces close. And it really seemed like his face inched a bit closer just before they separated.

She touched her lips with her fingers and felt her cheeks heat up. That can't have been possible. So far, Eriol has been nothing but a gentleman. That's what she wanted to think. But her racing heartbeat said otherwise. When it happened, she couldn't bring herself to pull away either.

She shifted to her side and pinched the little bell attached to her phone.

Regardless of what happened that day, Eriol was still her teacher. 'Who am I kidding? He would never look at me that away.' Tomoyo took a deep breath. 'Yeah. That must've been my mind playing tricks on me.'

Breakfast at the Hiiragizawa manor was quiet the next day. Nakuru peered at Eriol who was silently munching on his toast. The dark circles around his eyes betrayed his otherwise calm demeanor.

"Master, I'm hanging out with my friends after school today."

"Okay."

"Master, Nakuru doesn't have any friends." Suppi raised.

"Ah, right."

Suppi and Nakuru looked at each other worriedly. When he got back home last night, he went straight up to his room without saying a word. Even without seeing his face, they knew he was in a foul mood.

"So... how was Tomoyo-chan?" Nakuru said.

"She's good."

"And did you tell her the truth?"

"Nope."

"Okay, okay. I see..."

Silence.

"Master..." Nakuru started.

"Alright, I'm off." Eriol cut her off. Nakuru looked like she wanted to say more but decided against it.

When Eriol got in his car, he leaned his head on the wheel and closed his eyes. He couldn't sleep at all the previous night. His insides were all jumbled up. He felt horrible for even thinking about kissing his student and good friend, who so conveniently forgot about him. At the same time, he couldn't forget about Tomoyo at all. Her face, her smile, and her laugh. He couldn't get it out of his head.

'It's my hormones. Stupid hormones. Stupid body.' Eriol banged his head on the wheel once and winced. Yeah, right.

While Eriol had never thought about Tomoyo in that way, she had always been special to him. They had an undeniable connection and deep understanding of one another. They knew about each other's secrets. Aside from his guardians, she was the only one who knew about his separation with Kaho. He was a mess back then and couldn't even tell her the real reason why they broke up. She never asked and stayed with him anyway. Tomoyo had always been smart for her age; she never judged and was completely honest. Truth be told, it was her own tough love that got him back on his feet sooner than he expected.

And now he's putting that special friendship in jeopardy by acting like a stupid teenager.

Eriol groaned.

He would never let that happen. He knew that Tomoyo was in line for surgery. God knows what Tomoyo or her friends would do if they found out about him. He was already digging himself a grave by lying to her about their friendship. The least he could do was make her one year trip to England as pleasant as possible.

Tomoyo slowly packed up her things. She'd already asked Mika and Yuta to go ahead of her as she needed to talk with their homeroom teacher. She cautiously walked up to the front of the class. If Eriol noticed her, he didn't show it. He continued to put his things in his bag.

"Hello princess. How may I serve you today?" Eriol spoke up without looking at her.

"Ha ha ha." Tomoyo rolled her eyes and felt relieved. 'Whew. We're normal. Thank God.'

"I was asked by Doc Yuri to give this to you. It's about health concerns on my P.E. class requirements."

"Okay, thanks. I'll handle it from here." Eriol took the form and glanced through the contents. "Must be so nice. I hate P.E. too."

Tomoyo smirked. "That much is obvious."

"Hey, I'll have you know I maintain regular exercise."

"I was referring to your skin, which seems like it has never seen the face of day. So sensitive, sensei."

Eriol gave her a look before leaving the room. Tomoyo merely smiled back and waved.

After her teacher left the room, she pressed her palm to her chest. She was okay after all. Save her racing heart, they were both acting their normal friendly selves around each other. Whatever happened last night, it was really just her imagination.

She thought she would be relieved. But it felt like there was some lingering disappointment in her heart.

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon and the Daidouji heiress was found in the middle of her own room studying herself from in front of the mirror.

"Hmm…" Tomoyo touched her chin. "I feel like I'm missing something."

"I think you look very lovely, mistress." Elise muttered shyly from behind her.

They had spent the whole morning making finishing touches on a casual dress that Tomoyo had designed herself. She was dressed up in a V-neck long-sleeved chiffon dress belted at the waist. It connected to a loose ribbon that was tied across her neck, matching the strawberry colored dress. Her hair was tied on a loose bun at her nape to complete her sweetheart look.

"I know! I wasn't missing something, I had something extra." Tomoyo quickly removed her belt to reveal the dress's naturally tapered waist. "Ah, that's a lot better. Simple is more."

Tomoyo took one last spin in front of the mirror and smiled.

"I'm satisfied. We're finally done!"

"Okay, I'll start cleaning up."

"Also, I'm craving for some oranges." Tomoyo said.

"I'm afraid we've ran out of oranges. But I can go out and get some for you."

"No it's fine. I want to take a walk outside and get some fresh air."

"Oh… then I'll go with you."

"No need, Elise. My usual escorts will be around me anyway. I just want to take a breather. Also, you need to help me clean up my room." Tomoyo rummaged around the mess that was her room. "Let me just quickly put on some stockings."

Tomoyo put on her coat and scarf and headed outside. The sun was just about to set and the air was cool. She watched some children frolicking in the nearby playground. It seemed so long ago that they were little kids who hunted for Sakura's clow cards. She treasured those moments dearly. She thought of all the captured videos she had stocked up back home. She should really take the time and watch some of her favorite ones. She pulled her scarf tighter around her neck and walked faster. The convenience store should just be at the next corner.

The electronic doors opened and the jolly sound of the supermarket theme welcomed her. She headed straight towards the fruits section, thankful that it wasn't crowded on a Saturday afternoon. Tomoyo was entering an empty aisle when she noticed a tall brunette entering from the other end. She was followed by another tall dark-haired man in a gray sweater who looked oddly familiar.

"Sensei?"

"Tomoyo." Eriol's eyes widened upon seeing his lavender-haired student.

"Tomoyo?" The brunette looked around her. When she spotted Tomodo, her eyes became excited. Tomoyo noticed Eriol's hand immediately shoot up to grab the brunette's elbow. Whatever he said to her, she froze and looked at him apologetically. She must be sensei's girlfriend.

"Fancy seeing you here, Daidouji." Eriol approached her.

"Hi! Didn't expect to see you around this part of town. I was craving for some fruits."

"Eh... the princess doesn't have her knights to buy for her?" He teased.

"I insisted. I wanted to get some fresh air."

"I see. We're just about finishing our own grocery shopping." Eriol gestured to the tall brunette beside him. "By the way, this is Nakuru Akizuki. She's-"

"I'm trying to bake some cupcakes!" Nakuru volunteered, raising her hand.

"My name's Tomoyo Daidouji. It's nice to meet you." Tomoyo held out her hand but got enveloped in a big hug instead.

"Very nice to finally meet you, Tomoyo-chan! I've heard a lot of great things about you!"

"Is that right?" She was surprised but welcomed the open friendliness.

"I'm sorry about Nakuru. She's just naturally hyper." Eriol started to pull on Nakuru's arm again.

"It's okay." Tomoyo smiled. "I'm sorry to be intruding. You guys go ahead. I'll look around myself."

"We'll accompany you. We can't have the princess carrying a grocery basket by herself."

"It's a grocery basket. Don't be silly. And I thought you guys were baking cupcakes?"

"Err… No thank you. The baking part is just Nakuru. I only accompanied her to get some ingredients as she couldn't find some in the branch nearer to our place."

Tomoyo's eyebrows furrowed. That seemed like the opposite of what she would expect Eriol to say about his girlfriend.

"Yep! I wanted to learn baking by myself." Nakuru said. "Though to be honest, I don't really know where to start. I've never tried this before."

"Akizuki-san, I have some easy recipes at home. I can get them for you if you'd like. My house is quite close from here anyway."

"Waahhh, thank you so much Tomoyo-chan!" Nakuru looked thoughtful. "Say, do you have some free time today?"

"Today should be pretty free. I don't remember having anything scheduled for the rest of the day."

"In that case," Eriol was giving Nakuru warning looks from behind Tomoyo. Nakuru's eyes sparkled. "Would you like to come over at the manor and join us?"

Tomoyo looked dumbfounded. Join the two of them? Wouldn't that be awkward? Also, she wasn't sure if she's comfortable to third wheel on the couple in her own teacher's house.

"It's been such a long time since I've spent some nice quality time with friends you see. And I just know I can learn a lot about baking from you!"

Eriol glared at her. 'You just contradicted yourself, Nakuru. You said you wanted to learn how to bake yourself. And please stop this nonsense about inviting her over.'

Nakuru smiled sheepishly, replying Eriol's message telepathically. "Stop fooling yourself, Master. You've been sulking since you visited her house. Besides, I was serious about having fun with friends. "

Tomoyo looked at Nakuru. Join them in the manor? Did they lived together?

"I don't want to intrude, Akizuki-san. I'm sure if you do it with sensei, you'll have a lot more fun."

"No. It has to be with you, Tomoyo-chan. Please? Pleaaaaase?" Nakuru pleaded.

"I guess it's fine...?"

"Yay!"

'What have I gotten myself into?' Tomoyo thought as Nakuru skipped in front of her. Eriol took the basket from her hands and gave her an apologetic smile.

Tomoyo stared at the mansion in front of her as she got out of Eriol's car. It was a gray two-story residence with tall glass windows. The doors and windows were framed in charcoal, giving it an overall bachelor feel. The front lawn looked well-kempt and she thought she caught a glimpse of a nice garden in the backyard as they drove past the gate.

Nakuru held the front door open in front of her.

"Please make yourself comfortable." Eriol said as he removed his coat. "We don't have any maids though, princess. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask Nakuru. She'll get it for you."

Tomoyo glared at him. Also, it surprised her how patriarchal Eriol was behaving around his girlfriend.

'Aww. An endearment. How forward, sensei.' Nakuru teased. Eriol ignored her.

'I see we have a guest.' Suppi joined in their mental chatroom.

'I apologize. I couldn't stop Nakuru. She brought Tomoyo home for her baking session. Please just go with the flow. Tomoyo doesn't know anything about the both of you.'

"Okay then. I'll be taking my leave. I'll be in my study if you need me." He nodded to the two girls. "I'll leave my student in your care, Nakuru."

"Tomoyo-chan, do you want to have some snacks first before we start?" Nakuru said.

"Nope. I'm still pretty full from the waffle we just had."

Nakuru guided the young girl towards the kitchen and they got started right away. Despite it being her first time, it wasn't so hard to teach brunette. She just had a tendency to be clumsy but she picked up fairly fast.

"Akizuki-san. It seems pretty quiet in the manor. Are your housemates away?"

"Oh we don't have anyone else staying here." Nakuru said off-handedly. "Just us and…our cat, Suppi."

"I see." Tomoyo flushed slightly. She was right, it was just sensei and his girlfriend. "That's impressive though, how do you guys clean such a big house? Everything looks clean and tidy too."

"Well, we find ways."

Tomoyo didn't pry.

"Next, we will gradually whisk in the flour, milk, and syrup." Tomoyo instructed, picking up the big bowl and handing it to Nakuru. Nakuru did as she was told, her eyes focused. Tomoyo thought it was adorable how earnest Nakuru was at trying to learn. She asked a lot of questions too. She was probably trying to do cook up something special for Eriol.

"I really think sensei shouldn't be so heartless as to leave you on your own. These nice moments are best spent with your loved ones. I remember how I used to do this all the time with my cousin."

"Nah. It's okay. I'm the one who didn't want Master to join me."

"M-Master?" Tomoyo stammered.

"Yeah. I find it harder to cook or bake when he's around, breathing down my neck at each step. He can be really intense sometimes." Nakuru remembered how scary Eriol had been when she was just learning how to cook. There was a time she almost burned down the kitchen.

Tomoyo froze, not knowing how to respond. She'd heard about this from her friends. There was a famous BDSM novel that caught the world's female population by storm. She never got into the hype. But what surprised her more was that her sensei would be into such things.

Eriol had just entered the room with Suppi on his shoulder. He overheard the conversation and his eyes narrowed at Tomoyo's red face. He was sure she was misinterpreting something.

"Master can be really harsh. He forgets that I am just a girl sometimes, always just ordering me around."

'Nakuru, stop talking.' It came from both Eriol and Suppi at the same time.

Nakuru looked up at the door and was about to greet her master when she saw Tomoyo. She was unmoving. She had her back to her. Her shoulders looked stiff and she was staring at the floor.

Tomoyo couldn't imagine Eriol hurting girls at all. He's always been a kind and gentle to the girls at school. And to her as well. She never would have thought…

Nakuru peered at the young girl curiously. "Tomoyo-chan?"

"A-Akizuki-san. I think…" Tomoyo slowly turned around. "I think you shouldn't allow your boyfriend to force you this way!"

When she turned around. She didn't quite expect the reaction she received.

Nakuru's face looked horrified. Eriol, who she didn't realize had entered the kitchen, had his palm on his forehead and a frown on his face. She swore the cat looked like it was amused.

"Er… Tomoyo-chan, you see-"

"Nakuru is not my girlfriend." Eriol cut off the brunette with a firm voice. "She's my servant."

'Hey what happened to not telling?' Nakuru's thoughts entered his mind.

"Your servant?" Tomoyo gave Eriol a blank look.

'Stop talking, Nakuru.'

"Precisely." Eriol answered. "She's the only daughter of the family who has long served my family. We're all quite close so when her parents passed I decided to take her in as family. She still helps to take care of the manor."

"And take care of Suppi too!" Nakuru added, lifting the feline from Eriol's shoulder.

'I swear Nakuru when Tomoyo leaves, you are going to be in big trouble.' Suppi scowled at her.

"Oh. Ohhh." Realization dawned on Tomoyo's face, then horror. She was wondering why they needed such a big house for two people to live in. "Oh my god. That was such a horrible thing for me to say, or think, rather. I'm so sorry for misunderstanding."

Tomoyo covered her cheeks with her hands, feeling embarrassed.

"I have to say this is the first time this has happened. What a silly thing." Nakuru laughed. She leaned over and playfully put some frosting on the tip of Tomoyo's nose. "So cute."

"Don't worry about it, Daidouji-san. No offense taken." Eriol almost immediately reached out and wiped away the frosting with a napkin. "In any case. I'm done with my work and thought to join in on the fun. Need extra hands?"

'Aww. Master is feeling protective. Come now, Master. You know I'm really a girl at heart.'

'Don't push it, Nakuru.'

'Master, I don't suppose you can also make up a story about a talking cat?'

'Uhm…I'm sorry, Suppi. That's going to be a bit of a challenge.'

For the rest of the afternoon, they enjoyed the delicious cupcakes with some tea in the lavish dining room. Tomoyo found Nakuru quite fun and amusing. Her energy was infectious and she didn't run out of stories to tell. She was the oldest of the three of them but acted like the youngest. She seemed to fawn over Tomoyo quite a bit, randomly asking about her fashion and make-up. She also quite proudly shared that there was a Japanese guy she used to be interested in (and chased after), but he never gave her any attention.

"As you can see, I have all this hair but I don't know what to do with it." Nakuru pulled on her long brunette locks. "I wish I was more girly like Tomoyo-chan."

Tomoyo felt the inner designer in her jumping for joy. She itched to style Nakuru's long hair.

"I'm not sure if I'm the right person for the job but if you want, I would be happy to show you some hair styling tips." Tomoyo's eyes were shining. "I'm also not fond of putting so much make-up but I can show you how to go for a more natural look."

"Will you? Tomoyo-chan, you're really an amazing person. Thank you so much!" Nakuru pulled Tomoyo's hand between hers and smiled at the young girl.

"It's nothing. If anything, I'm feeling excited myself." Tomoyo put her game face on. "You can say it's a hobby of mine."

Eriol cleared his throat.

"Daidouji-san. I'd like to thank you for spending the time with Nakuru today. We both really appreciate it." Eriol smiled at her. "As you may have noticed, Nakuru gets busy tending to the house that she doesn't get to go out often. Also, there's only so much I can do as part of the males species."

"Yes, yes! Thank you so much, Tomoyo-chan! Oh, how can I even thank you."

"It's nothing. I'm very happy to have helped."

"Oh I know! I'll cook a superb dinner for everyone tonight! You have to stay over for dinner, Tomoyo-chan! You won't regret it. Hmm, actually…" Nakuru looked thoughtful. "I know I'm pushing this, but would you like to stay the night, Tomoyo-chan?"

Eriol's eyes widened and Suppi choked.

'Nakuru, that's a bad idea.'

"I know it's your sensei's house but you get to stay at my room, which is far away from Master's room. We can spend the night styling our hair and doing some make-up. It's going to be super fun slumber party!"

"Daidouji-san, please excuse Nakuru. She's just become a bit overexcited and is not thinking straight."

"I'd love to." Tomoyo finally answered back. Eriol did a double take.

"A-are you sure about this, Daidouji?"

"I don't mind." Tomoyo said.

"But your bodyguards…"

"There's nothing to worry about. I'm not a kid. Like I told you before, they don't get in the way of my life. They're just there to keep me out of legit danger. And I trust you, sensei." Tomoyo looked straight into Eriol's eyes. "Plus, you can say that I've missed having this much fun since leaving Japan."

'Nakuru, please…' Eriol pleaded one last time. He got no response.

Nakuru gave Tomoyo a big hug. "Thank you! I'm SO excited! I have all these hair tools and make-up stocked up in my room unused. I can't wait to finally open them."

'Suppi…?'

'I'm sorry, Master. There's only so much a non-verbal cat can do.'

"Can you just give me a moment? I'm going to call home and tell them I'm staying over at a friend's house."

"Nakuru, what the hell were you thinking?" Eriol said through gritted teeth as soon as Tomoyo was out of earshot.

"What? I don't think there's anything wrong with it."

"Tomoyo's my student."

"All the more reason for you not to do anything funny. She's staying because I asked her. And believe it or not, I meant every word I said. I've been missing everyone from Tomoeda, and Tomoyo's such a darling." Nakuru popped the last piece of cupcake in her mouth and looked away stubbornly.

Eriol gave a frustrated sigh.

Eriol downed another shot of whiskey. Both ladies had retired in Nakuru's room hours ago, and since then the sound of excited talking and laughter could be heard echoing in the hallways. He almost considered visiting them a couple of times but decided against it. He knew he should avoid Tomoyo as much as possible.

'Nakuru, I'm going to sleep.'

'Tomoyo's just about getting ready for sleep too! Do you want to know what she's wearing?'

'NOT funny.'

''Hey, did you know? Tomoyo insisted that I don't sleep on the floor. We're gonna sleep in the same bed tonight.'

Not long after that, a knock was heard outside of their door. Nakuru opened the door, ready to tease her master some more. What welcomed her was Eriol's wrath. There was a tense vein on his forehead and the warning in his dark eyes was clear as day. Nakuru felt a shiver up her spine. Eriol had been drinking and he was clearly livid.

"G-Greetings, Master." Nakuru said nervously.

'I'm sorry, Master. I was out of line. That won't happen again.'

"Just wanted to drop by and say goodnight to the both of you." Eriol's dark expression was almost instantly replaced with a smile when he looked at Tomoyo. "I trust you girls had fun?"

"Yes, we did." Tomoyo said from the bed. "Thanks again for allowing me to stay, sensei."

"It's my pleasure. Goodnight then, ladies." Eriol bowed slightly and closed the door.

"Nakuru, what's wrong?" Tomoyo looked at Nakuru's agitated face.

"It's nothing. I'm just sleepy. Let's go to sleep."

It was late night when Tomoyo woke up from her slumber. It was still dark outside but she could hear a faint melody in the background. She slowly sat up, noting that Nakuru was snoring gently from her spot on the other side of bed. She inhaled sharply when her bare feet came in contact with the cold floor. She stepped outside and walked quietly down the hall, drawn towards the sound of the piano as if on a daze.

It was coming from a room at the other end of the hall. She peeked curiously from the doorway.

The mahogany room was spacious with tall glass windows. It was also empty save the grand piano in the center of the room, and Eriol who was sitting in front of it. He had his back to Tomoyo and she thought the scene looked oddly familiar. She cautiously stepped forward, not wanting to disturb the pianist who was masterfully playing the keys. When she was close enough, she noticed that his eyes were closed. If he knew that she was there, he didn't show it. The moonlight bathed him in a light glow, highlighting his pale skin and thick lashes. He moved with grace, emotions raw on his face. Tomoyo could feel the sadness and frustration in the piece that he was playing.

By the time Eriol finished the last note, he was breathing heavily but his mind was at peace. It was always like this. Whenever he felt troubled, he would turn to the piano for therapy. He particularly liked playing late at night when the house was quiet and the moon was full. It helped him to sort out his thoughts.

When he opened his eyes, Tomoyo was standing beside the piano with a hand placed on top of the smooth black surface. She was looking at him quietly. Her eyes were questioning but she didn't say anything. Eariler, Eriol had noticed a new presence in the room but took no heed as he sensed no danger. He didn't expect it to be her though. Tomoyo's tresses were loose around her shoulders, her face creamy white against her red lips.

He smiled at her gently. "Tomoyo."

Her eyes widened ever so slightly, then her gaze softened. "Eriol."

Tomoyo chose to ignore the blatant change in formality. Truth be told, she didn't give a damn.

For a brief moment, Eriol thought her memories had recovered. But he knew better. The moment their eyes met, all walls were down. No more pretending. In the dead of the night, two friends were brought together in what almost seemed like a secret rendezvous. The night was too peaceful to be disturbed.

"It must be my lucky day to be visited by a lovely angel so late in the night."

"It was a masterpiece. I couldn't resist."

"That also means I woke you up. I apologize. I'm more used to just Suppi and Nakuru, who are both heavy sleepers. But thank you, I humbly accept your praise."

"No apology needed. You're welcome."

Eriol scooted over and patted the seat beside him.

"Please, have a seat."

Tomoyo happily obliged.

Eriol pressed on some keys with his forefinger, casually playing a nursery rhyme.

"Eriol, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Have we met before?" Eriol's hand stopped playing.

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm not sure, really." Tomoyo's gaze moved outside the window. "If I were to be really honest, there's just something about you that's so familiar to me. No matter what I say, I'm just naturally comfortable around you which so far has only applied to my family and cousin. I know it's impossible. I can't imagine how I would have met you before, but I just had to ask anyway."

Eriol was quiet. "I don't think you've ever met me before." He couldn't completely lie to her.

"I see." Tomoyo sighed.

"Anything bothering you?"

"It's just really tiring and scary at the same time."

"You mean not remembering?"

Tomoyo nodded. "I should count myself lucky that modern technology has found a way to keep me alive. But all this memory fiasco is not so easy to handle. I'm torn between this temporary escape and going back to get it fixed for good."

"What's so bad about getting it fixed?"

"Aside from the fact that it's not 100% guaranteed effective? They're not sure about the side effects of the surgery. As it is now, they're just trying to make sure it's safe health-wise. But after the surgery, then what? How is all this going to impact the rest of my life?"

Tomoyo leaned her head slightly against Eriol's shoulder. Her voice remained neutral, her face stoic. Eriol instinctively reached out and placed an arm around her shoulders in comfort.

"Don't let these thoughts consume you late at night. I know it's difficult right now but you'll be in a better place soon enough." Eriol said. "As they say, there's comfort in knowing that everything is temporary. This won't last forever."

"…I suppose you're right."

Eriol kept quiet and followed her line of sight. The moon shone brightly in the sky. The pair stayed quiet for a while.

"You know," Eriol started. "It was a night just like this when I decided to pursue teaching. I was sitting here. It was quiet and I just finished playing. It was a full moon and I couldn't help but gaze at it. Back then, you'd know I never would have considered such a profession."

Tomoyo looked up at him curiously.

"I was in a relationship until a few months back. But we had to break up because she was having a hard time coping with the changes in my life… She was a teacher."

"I see." Tomoyo looked down and studied her feet. "And then?"

"Back then, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. But I was itching to do something. I think unconsciously I must have been trying to prove something."

"Was that piece you just played for her?"

"Surprisingly, no." Eriol chuckled. "It's been months since it happened. I don't feel anything anymore. We've both moved on from our lives and I'm happy for her. Nakuru and Suppi are still worried about me though."

"You mean the cat?"

"Yes, the cat."

"That's good, then." Tomoyo paused. "I've always thought of love as a curious thing. Most of the time you can't really understand it. It just comes at you and you can't explain nor control it. But at the end of the day it's just an emotional attachment, and the more important part is how you decide to act on this emotion. You just need to always remember that love should never be forced to start or stop. As you said, everything is temporary."

"I know…" Eriol closed his eyes. "A good friend of mine once said the same thing."

"And what did you decide to do, if I may ask?"

"I didn't chase after her. I opened my eyes to the truth and naturally the pain."

"Was your friend satisfied with your decision?"

"She never forced me to decide on anything." There was fondness in Eriol's eyes. "She just wanted me to make an informed choice. It was important to me after all."

"You've got good friends then."

"Yes, I do. I do indeed."

Tomoyo pulled on a lock of hair and played with the ends.

"I'm not one for unrequited love either. I realized I was in love with my friend, except mine is a little bit more complicated."

"You're referring to Sakura?"

Tomoyo looked surprised. "How did you know?"

"It was obvious from how you shared stories of Tomoeda life. Whenever you talk about Sakura, your voice would sound different – more sincere and more excited. Plus earlier, you said family and cousin. Technically your cousin would be part of your family."

"You're sharp."

"I'm a good listener."

"Don't get me wrong though. I will always always put her happiness above mine. I'm fully aware that she is in love with someone else and I'm fully supportive of that. But of course I wasn't spared from the depression of obvious rejection. I didn't even need to tell her."

Eriol's arm tightened around her shoulders.

"This was a long time ago though. I'd made my decision to always love her as her friend and cousin, nothing more. If anything, it's just sad because I don't think I'll ever find someone else with the same connection as we have…" Tomoyo trailed off. The last part didn't quite sound right.

"It's a common worry." Eriol said. "You're a strong girl, Tomoyo."

"Don't patronize me!" Tomoyo playfully punched his arm. Eriol just smiled sheepishly in return.

"Hey." Tomoyo said softly. "Thanks for listening. You know what they say about late night conversations – Conversations are best after 3AM. The heavier the eyelids, the sincerer the words."

"You don't have to thank me, silly. Speaking of which," Eriol said, standing up. "I think it's just about time for our princess to go back to sleep."

"Aww… but I was having fun."

"Next time again, maybe?"

Tomoyo raised an eyebrow.

"Or not." Eriol almost forgot about her being his student.

They walked back to Nakuru's room in silence. Pausing halfway through the door, she stepped back and looked up at Eriol.

"We're friends, right?"

Eriol's eyes had a playful twinkle. "We've always been." He bowed down and placed a gentle kiss at the back of her hand.

"Goodnight, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo's fingers tingled from where his hand touched hers. She gazed up into his eyes and gave him a warm smile. There was something else in her eyes that he couldn't quite describe. He felt drawn to it.

"Goodnight, Eriol." She whispered before closing the door behind her.

+++ END CHAPTER +++

Hope you guys liked it!

I'm trying to schedule my next chapter to be published every Friday, but it's been a challenge so far. It's an ongoing effort but I'm really trying my best. :P

Also, I'm going to be extra busy at work this week. If I'm very lucky, I can publish the next chapter by this Tuesday. If not, it will be on the following week already. Do be patient with me!