A/N: Thanks for the review guys! It inspired me to post more fluffies!
Crash(?) Into MeDisclaimer: Don't own CCS
It was ten in the morning when Tomoyo looked out the window, rays of sunshine streaked across the sky. The birds chirped happily while busy building nests at the tree just right outside her bedroom window. The wind was calm and soothing, almost with a balmy feel against her skin. Yes, it is a perfect day for an outdoor brunch with friends, she had thought.
Flashback
After hearing from an irritated Syaoran that Daidouji-san is dating the scheming, meddling, despicable reincarnation of their ancestor, Meiling decided to pay them a visit. She was already packing her clothes enough to last for a week as her overseas call with Syaoran continued.
Sakura stroked the hair at the nape of the Li's neck to keep him from looking like an angry cat during his conversation with his cousin. "Syaoran-kun!" Sakura reprimanded. "That's not the way to describe Eriol-kun."
"I can describe him however I want after the crap he put you through." He impatiently told his girlfriend, then to the phone, "And if he hurts Daidouji-san in any way, he'd better start wishing he'll be reincarnated again when I'm done with him!"
Sakura could only lean back against the sofa and groan. She apologetically looked at Tomoyo seating across from her, "Gomen, Tomoyo-chan. It seems Syaoran-kun is still a bit furious with him."
Tomoyo only gave a soft laugh. "Just a little bit." She had sarcastically remarked. "Other than that, they could be the best of friends."
It was a mutual decision between Tomoyo and Eriol that the magician not be present when she tells them the new status of their relationship. As predicted, a sudden but good news to Sakura-chan but shocking and distressing for Syaoran-kun. He was livid enough to ask if Eriol had blackmailed her to make her declare such atrocity. Sakura secretly stepped on Syaoran's toes to make him stop. The Li winced and weakly told Tomoyo that he was happy for them both though. Tomoyo was still laughing at this memory when Syaoran called her attention.
"Daidouji-san, Sakura, Meiling wants to talk to both of you." And switched the call to speakerphone.
"Ohayou, Meiling-chan!" the two girls greeted.
"Hi guys! Hey, Tomoyo-chan, make sure your boyfriend's present when I get there, all right?"
Tomoyo cheerfully replied, "I'm sure he'll be happy to oblige."
"Great! One more thing, is he still as good-looking as Sakura claimed? I just realized now that I did think he was rather cute when we were ten!" The Chinese girl candidly revealed.
Tomoyo snickered when Li eyed the card mistress in disbelief, "Nani!"
"Meiling-chan!" Sakura warned.
"Good-looking huh?" Syaoran muttered and folded his arms across his chest.
"Well, like Meiling-chan said, Syaoran-kun, we were ten back then." She defended with embarrassment.
Tomoyo was taken out of her reverie by Nakuru's boisterous laughter. He was sprawled across Tomoyo's couch, apparently watching a popular soap opera guaranteed to make a person bawl in tears of sadness not hilarity. "Did you see the look on the girl's face while she cried? Ahahaha! She- she had icky snot trickling down her nose! Ahahahaha!"
"Yes, just like you do now. Only you're worse. There's a booger flapping on your snot-dripping nostril." Spinel mentioned while munching on a potato chip on top of the coffee table.
"I do not!" Nakuru vehemently denied.
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don't!"
"Yes, you do."
Nakuru and Spinel's rising energy were evident through the darkening auras surrounding them.
"Suppi-chan, where's Eriol-kun gone off to?" Tomoyo had to intervene before matters get worse. The last time the two guardians had been this fired up for a fight, they nearly burned Eriol's house to the ground. If that happened to her room, she would have a hard time explaining to her mother. Would Sonomi believe her if she said that she has magically-inclined friends? Highly unlikely!
"Eriol-sama said he'll pick up some things before heading here." He answered and flew to the study table where Tomoyo wrapped a birthday gift for Meiling. "Now I've just lost my appetite after seeing this cross-dresser's booger face." He complained as he passed by Nakuru.
"Shut your ugly trap!" the other yelled and secretly checked his nose. "Just you wait when we get home plushie. A sack of sugar will be waiting for you." He muttered to himself as he switched channels.
After accidentally hearing the moon guardian plotting his evil scheme against the sun guardian, "Suppi-chan, you know better than to provoke Nakuru-san. You just might regret it later." Tomoyo gently chastised.
"Oh he will definitely be sorry." Nakuru supplied and glared at Spinel.
The plushie dared, "Bring it on."
At least she temporarily pacified the two. She continued to prepare her present for the Chinese girl.
"There! It's done." Tomoyo declared and placed a small card on top of the gift-wrapped box.
"Suppi-chan," she called the bored plushie's attention. "What do you think?"
"Daidouji-sama, in my opinion I'd say you've perfected the art of gift-wrapping."
The heiress chuckled and gently stroked Spinel's chin with a fingertip. As he gave a purr, she told him, "Silly guardian! It's what's inside that matters most."
She went to the window to check if their meal was already set-up in the garden. After giving a satisfying nod she gathered her hair in one thick bundle to keep it from going to her face. Tomoyo reached out for the lilac satin ribbon Eriol had once casually given her when there wasn't anything she could use to tie her hair with. Ever since that day, she has taken good care of it as though it was a family heirloom. But when she reached out for it, the varnished wood of her dresser was all Tomoyo felt. She looked around to check if she misplaced it and found the strip of satin draped at the nearest branch of the tree next to her window. She exhaled in relief. Now how did it get there?
"Well, there's no other way." She told herself and carefully stepped out of the window after removing her shoes.
"Daidouji-sama, what are you doing?" for the first time, Spinel voiced out concern. What is this girl up to? And flew towards the daring heiress.
Tomoyo cautiously tiptoed on the slim ledge, her right hand reached out for the ribbon as the left hung on the edge of the window.
"Please get back here, Daidouji-sama and I'll fly to get it for you instead." Spinel suggested.
"I'm fine, Suppi-chan. I wouldn't want you to be seen by anyone in the garden. Just a little bit further more." She struggled. "If I could just reach for the branch…"
Spinel was starting to get worried. If anything happens to this girl, Eriol-sama will have his head. Since she wouldn't follow the voice of reason of a plushie-sized guardian, maybe Daidouji-sama would listen to the cross-dresser. "Nakuru, come here and help Daidouji-sama, will you?"
Meanwhile Eriol had just arrived with a box of Tomoyo's favorite, mango cream cake and a bouquet of red tulips. If he was late, he assumed, these might put her in a better mood. But panic and pallor overcame Eriol upon seeing a hanging Tomoyo on the ledge of her second-floor bedroom with an arm stretched towards the tree.
He heard a servant in the garden scream, "Tomoyo-sama!"
In the heiress's surprise, she lost her balance and footing. Nakuru hurriedly tried to get hold of anything of Tomoyo that he could reach. But gravity won and she began to descend helplessly. The other servants also screamed in terror for their mistress.
Eriol's eyes widened in tandem with the adrenaline pumping through his system. He quickly discarded both his packages and ran as fast as he could. Estimating his distance, he won't get there in time. He won't make it. He mentally summoned the air for assistance as a final act of desperation. A strong gush of wind blew across the lawn and beneath the girl to break her fall. Eriol was then prepared to catch and stood under the gently falling Tomoyo.
He gripped the precious weight making sure she has safely settled down in his arms. But his legs trembled under him and he slowly fell on his knees.
Tomoyo knew the element he used would go undetected and she was impressed, "That very was clever of you to use the wi—"
The reincarnate mage quickly grabbed her against his chest. The shivering increased ascended to his torso and then his arms. But Tomoyo remained calm.
"Please don't scare me like that again." Eriol pleaded huskily against her luscious hair, his eyes tightly shut.
Tomoyo could clearly hear the wild beating of his heart and understood. She wound her arms around Eriol to hug him back. He felt her nod. The memory of seeing her listless form take the fall gave him chills. Eriol silently thanked the air for the help. If he had not been able to call upon it immediately, he would not have Tomoyo in his arms right now.
The servants and bodyguards gathered around them to check if their beloved mistress was fine.
"Eriol-sama!" Nakuru yelled from Tomoyo's window. "Is Tomoyo-chan all right?"
No one seemed to pay attention to him.
Tomoyo knew people surrounded them but it looked like Eriol was not ready to let her go any time soon. She heard him reiterating with ragged breaths, "So close. So close."
"Eriol-kun, I'm okay." She reassured him softly. "You were just in time."
"How could you say that? If I had been here earlier none of this would've happened." He was at the brink of hysteria for the first time. It was the only moment he was eager to shake some sense into her. "How could you still remain so calm when you almost got hurt? What if I didn't get here soon enough?"
She smiled at him confidently. "But you did and that's all that matters." Her violet eyes shining with trust. "Can't you see, Eriol-kun? I knew you'd be there to catch me. Because I have faith in you.
Eriol was taken off guard by her answer, completely speechless. Tomoyo had that much confidence in him that she left her life, literally, on chance just to make him realize it. Her trust was so overwhelming; Eriol was still in a daze because of it. But uncertainties crept inside his mind. Mage or no mage, he was still human enough to feel the lingering doubts and fears.
What if I didn't make it on time? What if I didn't use my magic? What if I didn't have my magic?
Then you wouldn't have met her. A voice inside his head answered.
"Thinking of what ifs now, aren't you?" Tomoyo guessed.
The magician realized she was already on her feet and extending a hand to him. The crowd of servants and bodyguards dispersed themselves and resumed their own duties after knowing no harm came on to the heiress, thanks to Eriol.
Eriol just walked with her quietly towards the house. "Just what were you doing up there, Tomoyo-chan?" He asked worriedly.
Tomoyo tucked her arm under his. "Because my ribbon got stuck in the tree and I wanted to get it."
For Eriol, it made no sense, "You jeopardized your life for a ribbon?" He asked incredulously. "What's so special about it?"
Tomoyo laughed and showed him what she had most cherished.
The reincarnate exhaled in defeat. But of course. He could clearly remember that day how irritated she was when her fine hair kept falling in her face and the clip she was supposed to use went missing. With magic, he created the lilac ribbon for her.
A slight blush stained his cheeks, quite embarrassed that she had just risked life and limb to get what to him was a mere ribbon, but for Tomoyo, the most special gift he had given her.
She noticed his reddened cheeks and poked him at the ribs playfully. "Ne, Eriol-kun," when he turned to her, she held him by the nape and pulled the sorcerer down to touch his lips with hers.
After their shared kiss, she whispered against his lips, "I love you."
Fin