CCS ExT Snippet: Hide and Seek
by varon, age 19
© varon, 2002
varon (underscore) 22 (at) yahoo (dot) com
keywords: romance... AU, sort of (does not follow the canon plots of the series)
warnings: BIG HEAVY MUSH AHEAD!!! XDXD Also, this is a rough draft; please forgive any errors in grammar. Thank you!

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Dec. 2, 2006: As I said, this is a SNIPPET. It's meant to be part of a longer fic. But since I'm not really writing fics anymore... XD I do think this can stand on its own as a short fic. With many details missing. XD I guess I have to ask the readers to do a bit of imagination here to fill in the blanks of the story -- though I think you don't need to do much. You can get the point even without me spelling it out for you. But for the sake of conducting an experiment in fandom relations, let this be a sort of "participatory project." You can tell me what details you think are involved in this story -- feel free to add your speculations on your reviews. :) Enjoy!

From the CCSakura ML, where this fic is first posted, April 4, 2002: Hi all! I'm sort of back.. heheh, well Lent is over and I can allow myself to read fics again... Oooh, but my comments are so LATE that I think I'll just e-mail the authors privately. ;) Except for "Loss" -- B. Na, that was magnificently done... I was reading it at 6 am this morning, thought what a big blow to Touya it might have been to have lost his mother and to be losing his sister, and wanted to cry. ;) Love your work!

Anyhow, I noticed that almost everyone is into snippets... XD You know, those very short intriguing parts of future fics that just make the reader DIE of curiosity or of impatience for the next part? Hmmm, I decided to jump in the bandwagon and join the fun. Although I doubt you'll enjoy this. XD

I wrote this two months back when I was writing "One Perfect Kiss" -- basically some plot bunny won't leave me until I wrote these scenes down. I don't think this is very special, and I was going to put more effort into this but my twisted brain just had to hatch a NEW plot, so I'm going to work on THAT new fic idea. I don't even know how to end or continue this. Still, I'm posting this snippet because... well, because. XD

Guess who the couple is. :nodnod:

Eriol: I only hope this involves Tomoyo-san in more daring positions than last time.

Tomoyo:throws the Webster's Tenth Edition Collegiate Dictionary at him:

Varon: Sorry, this does not.

Eriol: Damn. :rubs bruised temple: Maybe next time?

Private criticisms are appreciated. I don't think I can stand to read lots of "This sucks!" comments sent to the entire ML. XD BTW, pushing me won't hurt, too. ;)

"So..."

"..Are you okay with that arrangement?"

A sigh.

"Pleeease?"

"Do I have any choice?"

A mild whack.

"All right, all right. Yes, I'm okay with it."

"Thank you."

"If I weren't in love with you I wouldn't be doing this."

"I know."

"That's all you have to say?!"

"Yes."

A hurt, confused look.

"...Because I plan on kissing you like mad for doing this for me."

"Aa."

Silence, then heavy breathing.

--------------

He thought the best thing that ever happened to him was the day when she gave him her yes. Down by that small brook at the outskirts of Tomoeda, the slight breeze slightly disheveling her long hair, her eyes beaming -- he could have sworn he saw the stars in them, even on a late afternoon -- as she affirmed, slightly flushed, his admission of love.

Hiiragizawa Eriol gave out a long-suffering sigh. He had planned to walk out of that place a giddy, ecstatic man -- and now, as he made his way home, he could not help but protest the lack of good breaks he has had in his life. He had managed to snag the most amazing woman in the entire Tomoeda, but was unable to flaunt his luck to the rest of the world.

He never knew they could not go out in public for -- what were the words she used? -- fear of Sonomi's wrath at "a young man who resembled in the slightest bit the one man she hated the most." More aptly, "Mother might bring out all her bodyguards and call her private investigator to track you down and pulverize you when she finds out!"

At that, Eriol had blinked, made big show of studying his hands as if to argue, "Uh, I've got magic and they DON'T," but looking up at Daidouji Tomoyo's earnest, wide eyes, genuinely upset, and had no choice but to succumb to her plea, or his conscience would not cease to plague him for making life hell for poor sweet, innocent Tomoyo. His Tomoyo -- ah, how great it was to finally call her that, to finally have the RIGHT to call her that.

Still, this kind of relationship wasn't his idea of a good, healthy one. Eriol raked a hand through his hair, in mild frustration. But while he was feeling so despondent, he brightened at the thought of her. For Tomoyo... he'd eagerly take what he could.

--------------

He had one other thing to complain about, though -- she had left him the task figuring out the how of the plan. "Becase you're so smart, daaarling," she cooed in his ear. At the sensation of her breath on his skin (and the realization that she had called him "daaaarling") he, again, had no choice but to agree.

But indeed, how? In Tomoeda, nonetheless, where everybody knows each other, even in remote connections? How, when he's living with the motormouth of all creation -- although, he cringes, Ruby Moon was his own, and he didn't know whether to feel entirely sorry for it or not -- and could thoughtlessly blab the entire secret to his dear "Touya-kun" without batting an eyelash, who will in turn undoubtedly inform Sakura, and soon the news will reach the other half of Clow Reed's incarnation, who may or may not divulge the juicy piece of news to Tomoyo's dear mother.

Eriol didn't normally swear, for today he allowed himself a word: Kuso.

-----------------

"What's up with those two?" Chiharu whispered to Naoko.

"I have no idea, either," the brunette whispered back. "They've been getting along pretty well for the past weeks or so, haven't they? It's the natural course of things that they SHOULD end up together."

"But now they're avoiding each other, or at the very least, giving each other cold stares."

"Or giving snide comments to the other"

"I wonder what happened."

"Maybe things didn't work out --"

"How can they not be?"

"--Or maybe they're just avoiding the grapevine."

"Could Hiiragizawa-kun or Tomoyo-chan possibly be afraid of the consequences?"

"It COULD be the only plausible explanation..."

"What has Sakura said?"

"Nothing much, just that Tomoyo-chan doesn't say a thing about Eriol and she constantly changes the topic when Sakura-san brings him up. Tomoyo is uncomfortable with the issue, I think."

"This is all so very disappointing for the school. I mean, what two people possibly look greater together than they do?"

"Sakura and Li-kun," Naoko answered automatically. "And no, I don't think the rest of the school is disappointed... the members of each of their fanclubs are given renewed hope."

"Hm... if we only knew what really happened!"

"Knew if what happened?" Tomoyo asked, coming up from behind the two gossipers, promptly plopping herself down on the empty seat next to Chiharu.

Guilty flushes. "Um, nothing, Tomoyo-chan," Chiharu replied.

Naoko recovered pretty quickly. "Do you know where we could find Hiiragizawa-kun? I need to ask him about a Math assignment."

Tomoyo seemed unruffled as she unpacked her lunch. "If it's Math, shouldn't you be talking to Li-kun instead?"

Good point. "Oh, but he's too busy with helping Sakura-san," Naoko saved.

Tomoyo gave an immaculate smile. "Hmmm... I haven't seen Hiiragizawa-san in the whole morning. Perhaps he's chasing around for inanimate objects come to life?" A shrug. "Sorry, Naoko-chan. I have no idea where to find him."

"It's quite all right," Naoko said, smiling openly now. Tomoyo thought Chiharu looked at her dangerously. "I just thought you had seen him at the Student Council meeting, since you worked so closely and all..."

She's testing, Tomoyo thought. Naoko is actually snooping around for information! Tomoyo managed to show a mild version of stiffening her body in perfect poise. "Well, no, Naoko-chan," she replied, expertly feigning coldness in her tone. "I haven't seen him at all today."

"By the way, Chiharu-chan," Tomoyo added, "you've been awfully quiet. You wouldn't mind if I take one fry?"

-------------------

Damn the gang for getting them to sit together... under the pretense that he and Tomoyo had a hate-like-hate reputation they had to keep up to the school, they have to act cold and biting towards one another.

Which, Eriol found very hard now to do, as he tuned out the amiable conversation. As of last week's statistics, any closer to Tomoyo as five inches will make him want to engulf her in a bear hug and plant kisses all over her face.

But he was a man of strong will, if devoid of anything else. He will not look at her the way he was entitled to. He will absolutely refuse to grant her the loving glances he knew she liked. He will --

Wait.

Did she just --

Oh, great.

--------------

Tomoyo laughed delightedly at Rika's tale of her father's effort at making a Big Horrifying Mushroom Cake (That Even Kero-chan Wouldn't Eat), then making a face at the thought of how it must taste. "Yuck," she said disgustedly, still imagining how mushrooms can find their way to the cake.

Unconsciously Tomoyo leaned on the person's shoulder next to her, her face still thoughtfully amused.

She suddenly noticed that the entire conversation stopped, and curious stares were thrown her way.

Their way.

Someone cleared his throat. "Daidouji-san," Eriol was looking down at her with an annoyingly patronizing smirk, so very much like the irritatingly suave Hiiragizawa snob that he could still be, "aren't we getting a little too comfortable?"

Tomoyo felt her face heat up. How dare he? She fumed, enraged at his reaction. She knew he was acting, but couldn't he have chosen a less humiliating line? It was her he was pontedly making a snide remark to here! She was red from embarassment too, that their closest friends had almost found out about their secret.

Quickly she pulled herself away from him, then shot him a glare. But then she forced herself to calm down, when she caught the meaning in his gaze. Keep up the charade, his eyes had said, I'm doing this for you.

Well, two can play this game, Eriol.

"Why, Hiiragizawa-san," she replied in a sickeningly sweet voice, "I thought you would have jumped at that opportunity. Of course," she continued with a haughty air, "had I known it was you, I would never have offered the chance."

The rest of their classmates laughed, Li-kun tried to rub it in, while Sakura looked horrified at Tomoyo's impolite words. "You wound me, Miss Tomoyo," Eriol wailed -- or what he could manage as a wail.

But his mock-hurt expression was congratulating her. Good save.

--------------

"So shall we meet at that same park later on?"

She nodded. Tomoyo looked from left, to right, making sure no one was a kilometer near this empty classroom, then stood on tiptoe to steal a quick kiss from him. "I'm sorry for all this, Eriol," she said ruefully, looking up at him apologetically.

He indulged her a gentle smile. "It's all right," he replied, tipping her chin up, and Tomoyo could have melted at the tenderness in his eyes. "I only hope this won't be for... forever."

She shook her head. "I promise it won't," she said, "we just have to give Mother enough time."

"And that would be..."

"When she decides to let my bodyguards loosen up a little. That usually indicates she's in a good mood."

"Which translates to, uh... NEVER?"

A sigh escaped his lips, so Tomoyo rested her head on his chest. "I'm sorry, but we have no choice."

"I know, I know." His arms reached around her, hugging her to him. "This is difficult for you too, Tomoyo. I'm sure you hate lying to your best friend and to your mother and to everybody else. So please, stop thinking and apologizing to me, okay?"

She lifted her head, looked straight into his eyes, and said seriously, "I do love you, Eriol."

It warmed him all over. "I love you too."

Smiling, her gaze wandered down to his chest. Being the fashion perfectionist that she was, she noticed something wrong in his usually impeccable appearance. "Hey, your tie's loosened," she said softly, then proceeded to fixing the problem.

Eriol watched her long pale fingers work. He thought it felt very...natural for her to be doing that. Even if his tie customarily would not need any straightening, he would find a way for her to fix it for him. Heck, he would make sure she straightened his ENTIRE high school uniform. He promised himself, when they were a little older, he would make sure she would be doing that for the rest of their lives. Every morning, after breakfast, before he goes to work... A lovely dream, he thought, so normal, so... human.

"There you are, Tomoyo-chan!" somebody called out, suddenly bursting into the room. Eriol and Tomoyo had to jump apart from each other as if the other had suddenly contracted anthrax.

Thankfully it was Sakura. Sweet, naive, oblivious Sakura. Eriol couldn't stop himself from profusely praising Clow's God.

"Sensei asked me to give this to you," handing Tomoyo a stack of papers. "He said these are the applicants for the next campaign of the student government. He's put you in charge. Good thing you're here too, Eriol-kun," Sakura acknowledged, "since you two are on Student Council together it would be easier to coordinate, ne?"

Tomoyo hastily accepted the papers from her, sheafing through them quickly, then practically grabbing Sakura's arm and dragging her out the room. "Thank you, Sakura-chan. I'll get to these right away. Hiiragizawa-san," she called over her shoulder, "we'll discuss this later, okay?"

He could only manage a nod, and a bleak wave. That was too close.

0.o I REALLY can't write comedy. I should just stop trying! XD And aren't the author's notes longer than the snippet itself? Heheh.

xoxo,
varon