Chapter 2

"Ohayou min-na-san," Tomoyo sleepily greeted Sakura, Syaoran and Eriol.

The three returned the greeting as Tomoyo took her seat behind Sakura. The Card Mistress spotted dark circles under her cousin's lavender eyes. "Tomoyo-chan, are you all right? You look exhausted."

Tomoyo nodded, "'Ka-chan came back this morning and I volunteered to pick her up from the airport so I had to wake up at three in the morning."

"Then you'd better head home right away after school," Syaoran suggested.

Sleep sounded so good to her at that moment, she was tempted to do just that. "Oh I definitely will, Syaoran-kun," she chuckled. "Oh dear, I completely forgot. We have choir practice today, don't we Eriol-kun?"

The magician affirmed with a nod, "You can skip practice today, Tomoyo-san. Mirahara-sensei will understand."

"Ie, I promised the kouhai I will help them today with their piece for the competition," she said. Since Eriol's enigmatic statement one would think nothing unusual happened between them. Is it now? Eriol might behave normally but Tomoyo was another story two days ago. Right after choir practice she hurriedly left as if unable to tolerate being in one room with him. At home, analyzing the situation ate a good four hours of her time and eventually decided that Eriol-kun might have said that just to fluster her. Oh, how very like him. Sneaky sorcerer. He must be so pleased with himself. And so she opted to brush the whole thing off.

After practice

Tomoyo arranged the scattered music sheets across the table while the other choir members headed out, leaving her in Eriol's company. "Eriol-kun, you don't have to wait for me," uncomfortable with the notion of Eriol obligated to wait for her—then again, he was always the gallant type.

The magician remained seated on the piano and began to play Ave Maria. "Tomoyo-san remember the ninjas are still out there."

She looked at him before giggling, "Of course."

"And if anything happens to you, Sakura-chan will have my head."

"You're exaggerating. You know Sakura-chan can't hurt a fly."

"Hmm, now that you've mentioned it—although she might ask my little descendant to do it for her and we are aware he's just dying to have an excuse to get that pound of flesh."

The Daidouji heiress solemnly nodded in agreement. She took a seat on Eriol's left and crossed her legs unaware of her skirt hiking up consequently exposing half of her thigh. Eriol never contemplated before that Tomoyo was taller than the average Japanese teenage girl until he noticed that half-exposed leg. To some extent, he felt embarrassed (more likely hot and bothered!). He averted his eyes back to the piano and continued playing.

Tomoyo remained quiet, even closing her eyes as she listened to him play. There was something soothing about Eriol's music, it never failed to give that calming effect. So calm that it could…

Eriol stiffened when Tomoyo's head made contact with his shoulder. She fell asleep. For a second there he nearly forgot to breathe. Eriol stared at her sleeping face unaware that he was already tracing her cheek with his fingertip. She does look like a doll with her porcelain skin and thick lashes. Then he noticed how soft and inviting her lips looked that he caught himself bending down. Eriol was about validate his observation but pulled back. He woke Tomoyo instead. When the occasion calls for it, Eriol wants Tomoyo awake and conscious.

-0-

The clock chime signaled the end of the morning classes and the start of lunch break. Compelled by her urge to draw, she begged off the girls' invitation to join them for lunch and proceeded to the benches beside the soccer field. In spite of the noise the soccer club is making during their practice, Tomoyo was not bothered. She sketched nonstop that she has already assembled her first future fashion collection. Inspiration flooded her for some reason and she was literary on a roll.

A well-known shadow loomed over her sketchpad followed by a teasing remark, "Looks like the soccer team is having a blast with their muse around."

"Come now Eriol-kun," shrugging off his comment to attend back to her sketching. "Is the pot calling the kettle black? I know for a fact you have love letters invading your shoe box as well."

"I try to resolve that right away," he mumbled.

"Resolve? Pray tell Eriol-kun," she teased.

"But then I have to kill you, my lady and I'd rather not."

"That would be a shame. Nevertheless," putting aside her sketch book, she touched her temples with her fore and middle finger as a psychic would and closed her eyes, "I sense a strong force, a spirit maybe? No wait, it doesn't feel paranormal, it's more…" then gave the magician a impish grin, "Supernatural. Probably making those disappear into oblivion?" Tomoyo sweetly suggested.

He gave her a mysterious smile then made an imaginary sigh of relief when the Daidouji heiress missed though not by a long shot. How could he possibly tell her he had put a spell on his shoe box delivering the said letters to boys who like these girls despite being infatuated with the wrong person, namely him. If she knew, he could picture her eyeing him with disapproval: "Manipulating people again, Eriol-kun?" Then he would justify, "Look at it this way Tomoyo-san, in the end everybody wins!" Since he is covertly responsible for most of the hook-ups in the school, like a Japanese version of Cupid. (Such a clichéd analogy, tsk tsk tsk.)

Eriol put his hands inside his pockets, "Maybe," he spoke softly. Tomoyo's violet eyes went wide in disbelief. Then he added, "Or maybe not."

"Hiiragizawa, watch out!"

Too late for Eriol to heed the warning though, a soccer ball smacked right at the back of his head. Tomoyo gasped, "Eriol-kun!" and witnessed how his eyes rolled back into his sockets before falling like a tree. She quickly knelt beside the unconscious boy while the soccer team gathered around them to check up on him as well.

"Oi Akira, I think you just killed Hiiragizawa," one player said.

"B- but I told him to watch out," the perpetrator defended himself. "Am I going to jail?"

"If he sues your ass off," another supplied.

They continued to deliberate among themselves as Tomoyo worriedly tried waking him up. "Eriol-kun?"

Eriol groaned in response.

"Daijoubu, Eriol-kun?"

"Tomoyo-san?"

"Hai?"

"Tomoyo-san?" he grunted again and raised an arm. The girl being called immediately reached out to hold his hand.

"I'm here, Eriol-kun." What is wrong with him? Does he have a concussion? Maybe cracked open his skull?

"Is he dying, Senpai?" Akira bluntly asked. The team captain angrily rapped the kouhai's forehead with his large palm.

The boy in pain pressed the back of Tomoyo's hand against his cheek. "Tomoyo-san?"

"Yes?"

"Your skin…it's so soft."

Everyone present sweatdropped.

-0-

Saturday mornings are the best mornings in Tomoyo's opinion and what better way to spend those days than to head out and shop. Although she could only take certain amount of shopping and virtually hearing her feet beg for a time out indicated her limit. Tomoyo took a break at the Penguin Park after hitting the jackpot with those rare CDs she had been searching for almost a year. Lucky! She squealed in her mind.

She spotted a vending machine and felt thirst about to invade her system if unquenched sooner than later. It was rather humid since summer was well on its way, which explains her craving for a drink.

"Tomoyo-chan! Is it really you?"

"Nakuru-san! It's been a long time! How have you been?" Tomoyo waved. Eriol's guardian ran towards the heiress.

"Pretty as the day I've been created," the guardian smugly answered with some added hair flipping. "What's that you got there?" Pointing at Tomoyo's plastic bags.

"Just some CDs." Noting the guardian carrying a plastic bag as well, "You've been out shopping yourself?"

"Oh yeah, Eriol-sama asked me to buy some cream. He's going to make some crepes!" Nakuru excitedly told her. "Tomoyo-chan why don't you come with me? I bet you haven't tried Eriol-sama's mango crepe."

Mango crepe…sounded divine but proper decorum dictated her to decline. "Anou, Nakuru-san. I don't want to barge in…"

"Oh don't worry about it! Eriol-sama won't mind at all," the guardian assured, grabbed Tomoyo's hand and headed home, ignoring the protests of the girl.

Meanwhile, Eriol was in his kitchen pouring milk in the bowl. He sighed when he suddenly remembered Tomoyo. Like an enchanting angel, he thought. Reminiscing how she worriedly hovered over him yesterday. Who wouldn't think she'd be an angel after getting hit in the head with a flying soccer ball courtesy of Akira-kun's legendary kicks.

"I'm back with the cream Eriol-sama!" Nakuru yelled from the door.

"Arigatou, Nakuru-chan. Can you bring it here? I've got my hands full."

"Hai! Eriol-sama, look who I found along the way," the Ruby Moon chirped.

Oh no, if Nakuru brought home another stray cat, Spinel will have a fit. The last time, the cat went into a murderous frenzy and chased after a screaming Spinel nearly demolishing the living room with claw marks and broken furniture. It took him half a month to get the repairs done. Eriol was pouring flour into the measuring cup, "Nakuru-chan, if it's another—" His pupils dilated when he caught sight of the girl of his thoughts standing beside his guardian who rivaled his own mischievous streak.

"Ah, Tomoyo-san what a pleasant surprise," trying to maintain an air of dignity.

"Master, the flour's spilling over," Ruby Moon pointed out and gave Eriol a few winks before leaving. "Ja ne."

The fumbling magician looked down on the snowy mountain he accidentally created while mumbling a few discreet expletives on his blunder. It must be Ruby Moon's impeccable timing or the fates believed it was his lucky day.

"Gomen-ne, Eriol-kun for visiting unannounced." Tomoyo apologized and assisted him with cleaning up the extra flour.

He looked over his shoulder, "Ie, it's fine Tomoyo-san."

"Nakuru-san insisted I come over so I could sample your crepes," she told him.

"Then you're in for a treat."

"How's your head by the way?"

He massaged the bump, "It's getting better. Thank you."

"Ne, Eriol-kun about yesterday," the Daidouji heiress spoke. "You knew the ball was heading straight for you, didn't you?"

He grinned at her enigmatically. "Very perceptive Tomoyo-san."

"Then why didn't you do anything to stop it?"

"It would've have looked suspicious if a ball at a hundred miles per hour would suddenly turn right, wouldn't it?"

She laughed at the thought while adding mangoes on top of the cream. "You could've dodged, you know."

Eriol flipped the thin pancake as he told her, "If I did, it would have hit you in the face."

Tomoyo halted, looking at him softly. He said it so casually it was as if he did that for her everyday. She tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek, "Arigatou, Eriol-kun."

She caught him completely off guard that he forgot the pancake he was cooking. She beamed at him before taking the plate of crepes out.

"Tomoyo-san?"

She turned to him, "Hai?"

When the magician approached her, Tomoyo noticed a certain gleam in his eyes she can't describe but definitely made her nervous. The girl stepped back.

Eriol curiously looked at her, "Are you avoiding me?" he asked with a playful tone in his voice.

"N-no," she lied and continued to take a step back while he walked towards her.

"You are. Please stand still, Tomoyo-san. I won't bite you," he teased. When he got nearer, Eriol took the plate and set it down the counter. "There, that wasn't so bad. I realized I never thanked you properly yesterday."

Tomoyo felt a lump in her throat. "Really, Eriol-kun there's no need."

He whispered before he touched her lips with his, "Oh I insist."

THE END

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I'm happy you guys like it!