My V-Day fic.

Disclaimer: I own nothing...

What Happened that Day

It was that time of the year again.

She positively detested this time of the year. She said she found it to 'frivolous' for her liking, but the truth was plain and simple: she hated it.

By it; I mean Valentine's Day.

Daidouji Tomoyo was now a sophomore. She hadn't changed much; her hair was still the same, it hung long and lank, curling very slightly towards the end. Her eyes were large and a most peculiar color: violet; she was very pale and frail-looking as though a strong gust of wind would knock her off her feet.

She was nowhere in the 'beautiful, popular' category. Sure, she was very nice, very sweet and very kind-hearted, but she was nowhere as grand and magnificent as her gorgeous, popular, ever-loved cousin and part best-friend, Sakura Kinomoto.

"Why does it have to come, ever year?" thought Tomoyo, as she made her way to school, her dark-blue winter jacket covered in snow. It was getting definitely warmer now, but Tomoyo still found it very cold. Almost too cold for her liking.

International "Jump in the population graph" day. Make Single People Feel Like Absolute Tripe Day.

She angrily aimed a kick at a snow covered pebble, only to injure her toe. She cursed loudly, making a little old woman who was walking by her, jump. She passed by a little teashop, covered in frills and ribbons and humongous heart-shaped balloons. Entwined couples were sitting at the little tables; she thought she saw the one nearest to the window lean over to kiss. Feeling slightly nauseated and disgusted, she quickened her pace, her eyes downcast.

'It's going to be the same as every year,' she reassured herself. 'Sakura will probably get over a trillion cards, Li will get almighty pissed off and I shall return home, probably with a few sympathetic valentines from Chiharu-chan, Naoko-chan and Rika-chan.'

The thought was so depressing; she felt tears well up in her eyes. "Shut up, you aren't going to cry," she muttered to herself, her vision hazy. She was the smartest girl there was; she did have 1 or 2 boys crazy after her, but she was not the least bit interested in them.

So you ask what the problem is.

Well, it's rather complicated. And it would take a while. But Tomoyo knew, no matter what, it would be a problem that would haunt her forever.

She was in love. With a guy; who didn't know she liked him. She just didn't like him, she adored him.

So she just should walk up to him and tell him!

But that wasn't possible. You can't walk all the way to England from Japan, not when you know that the guy in question was probably getting cozy with his beautiful red-haired lover.

They weren't even friends. Just classmates.

He was her best kept secret. Nobody knew about him; except for her other best friend, of course. Ichigo Kurosaki was Daidouji Tomoyo's second best friend; they looked awesome together, but they were just pure friends.

Of course, her friends thought otherwise. Tomoyo just rolled her eyes at their snide hints.

"Like Ichigo would even come close," she thought her eyes red-rimmed now. She knew Ichigo would never take offence; au contraire, he was delighted that he didn't come close.

"I wouldn't want to lose my best friend," he had said simply.

Her feet had led her to school. The cold iron gates were open. Bracing herself and hoisting her bag up her shoulder, she trooped in.

The first sight that greeted her was RED. Red and white balloons, huge hearts, colossal arches with tiny figurines of cherubs gracing them; Ribbons that trailed all over the walls, curling elegantly as they reached the floor.

Tomoyo retched at the unpleasant sight. She felt as though she had walked into a tribal mating ground, were people were positively hunting for mates. She found the last thought quite funny.

She bit her lip to keep from sniggering. She didn't want any awkward questions today.

She reached her locker and looked around for Ichigo. He had soccer practice in the morning, so he would be earlier than her today. She opened her locker and a note fluttered to her feet.

Tomo-chan,

I'm not coming to school today. You know how much that bitch Masaki annoys me.

Ja and try not thinking about that asshole today. You know he's not worth it.

Love,

Ichigo.

P.S: I didn't get Godiva… would a few Mars Bars do instead…? Sorry! Ran out of pocket money..!

Tomoyo grinned at the informal note. Sure, she would tell him off later for using profanities, but she did feel immensely grateful for the small present he had left her.

"Tomoyo-chan!!!" yelled someone from behind her; she turned around and saw her beautiful cousin, her cheeks flushed and her emerald eyes sparkling.

"Sakura-chan," mumbled Tomoyo fondly as Sakura flung her arms around Tomoyo.

"Look what I found, Tomoyo-chan!" she exclaimed and handed Tomoyo a pure white rose. There was something about the rose that made Tomoyo gape in wonder; it was really gorgeous.

"Did you make this for me with the Flower Card, Sakura-chan?" asked Tomoyo softly. "You shouldn't have…"

"Oh, no, Tomoyo-chan! I found it near the school gate with a note for you!" said Sakura, her eyes bright.

Tomoyo glanced at the dark-blue note and the curly silver writing:

I know you hate red roses…

But I guess very few people know you love white ones.

Red is passion and desire; but white…

White is forever.

Just like you and me.

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "This can't be for me!" she hissed. "But it's got your name written on the envelope!" whined Sakura. She was right.

Tomoyo scowled. "It's probably someone's idea of a cruel joke, Sakura," mumbled Tomoyo.

"Iie, Tomoyo-chan! I think you have a secret admirer!" Sakura said brightly.

At the words, secret admirer, everyone turned around to look at Tomoyo. A scarlet flush trailed up Tomoyo's pale cheeks. She stuffed the note into her bag and was about to throw away the rose, when she looked at it again. She blinked once, and then grasped it and half ran to class, her eyes downcast.

As the biology teacher droned on about mitosis and meiosis and god knows what else, Tomoyo took notes, her eyes on her notebook.

All around her, people were shamelessly flirting. Girls were batting their eyelashes while guys were constantly preening and smoothing their hair.

"Where is Ichigo now?" thought Tomoyo rather crossly as she imagined her best friend, fast asleep, on the cold day, with his trademark smirk still on his face.

Tomoyo rolled her eyes and looked out of the window. There, outside the snow-covered glass, she caught sight of a bunch of white roses, unbitten by the frost!

Carefully, so as to not attract the attention of her teacher, Tomoyo opened the window and gasped as the draught swiveled around her. She shut it quickly and stared at the roses. Heart pounding, she slit open the envelope, and gasped so loudly that people stared at her. Smiling at her classmate and shaking her head to say she was fine, she hastily read the note:

First one; now five…

This shall go on till a hundred…

Fear not, at hundred my love shall not diminish, but grow stronger…

I feel quite jealous of these roses; for they get a chance to be touched by you…

The touch for which I have yearned since eternity…

Despite herself, Tomoyo felt slightly overwhelmed. Who was this man? (She hoped the person was a man!) What did he want? How did he know she hates red roses? She was sure she had never mentioned it to Sakura, not even Ichigo.

Throughout the day, Tomoyo kept a count of the number of roses she received.

During lunch, she received twenty. All her friends teased her mercilessly about it. She just said, "Whoever it is, I just hope he stops soon or I'll have to kill him…"

But she eagerly waited for the roses.

She received twenty-five during P.E class; they were brought over by her smiling P.E teacher who said, amid loud whistles and cheers, "Daioduji-san's admirers sure are romantic!"

I Love you…

These words can be used as synonyms for your name…

So when I say I want to love you, I just have to say, "Tomoyo, Tomoyo…"

It sounds far more sweeter...

"Lucky Tomoyo-chan…" whispered Naoko.

"Aren't you excited about it, Tomoyo-chan? Don't you care who it might me?" asked Rika, stars in her eyes.

"I don't care as long as he doesn't do something stupid, like ask me out in front of the whole school or something," said Tomoyo coolly, her eyebrow furrowed.

"Yamazaki has never done something like this for me! You might as well take a leaf out of Tomoyo-chan's admirer's book, Yamazaki!" yelled Chiharu to her boyfriend, who was across the room. Yamazaki grinned at her impishly and said, "Fine, I will, Chiharu-chan. How about acting a bit like Tomoyo-san then? How about some sweetness?"

The class roared with laughter as Chiharu whacked Yamazaki.

Tomoyo watched them and smiled. She glanced at the roses and scowled again.

During Physics class, she found 35 roses waiting for her under her table.

While rushing to Chemistry class, a tall blonde girl handed her 13 roses:

13 unlucky; for me the luckiest…

I can't wait to be with you.

"One more left…" she thought, her eyes wide.

During Math class, she found the last rose. It was kept on the teacher's table.

I'm waiting in the hallway…

Despite herself, Tomoyo felt terribly excited. She raced to the hallway. People were heading home. She looked around and found to her dismay, absolutely no one. Not anybody she thought she would see.

'Silly Tomoyo; you know he's gone forever...' she thought as she turned around, her eyes full of tears.

"Tomoyo!"

A loud voice rang out in the hallway. A deadly quiet swept around the room. People were craning their necks to see the source of the sound. By now, the news of Tomoyo's secret admirer had traveled around the school.

People cleared the way as a tall figure, clad completely in black made its way to Tomoyo, who had frozen on the spot, her back to the stranger.

She turned around, her eyes wide with shock and her hair flying.

It was him.

Oh he had never looked lovelier. He was clad in a black turtleneck sweater, with black pants. His glasses glinted slightly in the harsh artificial light.

His pale hands reached out to her. She backed away, her eyes wide.

His smile faltered slightly.

She thought she saw tears well up in his eyes.

Eriol Hiiragizawa. With her; near her.

"I'm so sorry, Tomoyo-san," he whispered, but was still heard by the hundred of onlookers.

"If I had realized what you felt for me, I would have returned sooner…"

"How did you know?"

"Ichigo-san," he said softly.

Tomoyo looked for Ichigo in the crowd. He grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.

Tomoyo turned, if possible, paler and said, tears helplessly trailing down her cheeks,

"Why?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Without warning, Tomoyo hugged him tightly. Tears flowed down his long nose as he hugged her back.

Holding her back, he mumbled, softly, beseechingly, "do you believe in forever? Would you forgive me for what I have done?"

Tomoyo smiled, through her tears and nodded furiously.

As she hugged him again, he tipped her chin up, his hands cold against her hot face, and kissed her.

The onlookers burst into applause, just as they would do many years later during Daidouji Tomoyo and Hiiragizawa Eriol's wedding.

The end.

bit cheesy, ne? gimme a review!