from skybluescramble:

Hello there :3

Here's another fic written by me. Huaaa~ I can't believe how dare I am, writing such narrative text with poor english ability. However, to you all who read my fics, please please pleeease do tell me if you find some grammatical errors! I'll be so grateful. English isn't my first language, so be kind, would you? No flames. Okay? Okay :D

Maybe it will be two chapters approx. Into the story!

DISCLAIMER:

I hope I own Card Captor Sakura (mostly Hiiragizawa Eriol and Kinomoto Touya), but no, they will always be CLAMP's. Yeah, I admit that their well-detailed panels never fail to amaze me.

::Graduation Book::

SUMMARY:

Being an insomniac, Tomoyo killed time in her library. But when she found a dusty, abandoned old book between piles of card-capturing days videotape, she remembered someone whose name and picture aren't there… along with their separation.

PAGE #1: Blow the Dust

THE night was peacefully quiet, and so was the Daidouji mansion. All the corridors are pitch black—only the dim moonlight peeking from the crivices of ventilation illuminated them—the maids were already in bed, and every rooms in that huge house were dark, too.

Except one.

The library.

From the narrow space between the bottom of the wooden door and the marble floor, people could notice that the lamp was still on. Well, count sleepwalkers out. They wouldn't even know a jaguar sneaked in their residence, would they?

There she was. A twenty-four years old Tomoyo Daidouji, clothed in her azure nightgown and velvet long-sleeved coat, busying herself in the middle of dozen bookshelves.

Tonight she couldn't sleep. Not a second. She tried to shut her eyes tight, but instead it gave her headache. Frustrated, she stepped out of her bed and tiptoed to the library. She paced so carefully, afraid that she might woke her mother up. Yeah, Sonomi Daidouji just arrived from a fourty-eight hours flight this afternoon and definitely needed quality rest. Because tomorrow, she will be on duty again as the chairwoman of Daidouji Toy Company. Her look wasn't change and still overly-energetic—such a contradiction with her too graceful, perfect, calm daughter—even though her age reached mid-fourties.

Tomoyo sighed in exasperation. Why is it so hot here?

She reached for some hairpins on the nearest desk then pulling her hair in a loose bun. After that she turned on the air conditioner, set it at 17ºC. She smiled inwardly. Nah, it's much better.

She twirled around, scanning through rows of books—old and new ones—expecting to find something interesting. Anything. Then she remembered. If she was not mistaken, years ago she kept all her card-capturing days videotapes in the library. And tonight Tomoyo wanted to see them. She wanted to enjoy that feeling again.

But the problem is...

Where exactly did she put those records?

In the bookshelves? No.

Wait, it could be.

So... which bookshelf?

Truth is, Tomoyo never thought that having such a gigantic library room will be this hard. She rarely stayed here. She used to let the maids do the cleaning or accept their offers to look for some books—if she needed references for her school's essay.

"No, it's Mom's magazines. And it's novel section. It's only encyclopedia. Oh my…" she let out a deep breath as she leaned on the wall. "I can't find them…"

She did a staring contest with the bookshelves for awhile, and suddenly realization struck her. "I know! Now I remember!" Tomoyo exclaimed in delight. She jogged across the room, opened a drawer near the home-theatre set, and pulled a big box wrapped in green manila paper.

"Gotcha."

Her amethyst eyes twinkled as she opened the box before taking three videotapes marked as 'The Jump & The Fly', 'The Illusion; Cheerleading Practice & The Shield', and 'The Last Judgement'. Tomoyo giggled. "Good thing that I recorded most of them… now they become one of my most precious belongings."

Tomoyo dug again to find another cassette, but her hand grazed something different. Something which not felt like a video tape... Instead it was a book. A hard-covered book. As the curiosity delved in, Tomoyo decided to free the book from her recordings' pressure. It welcomed her sight by seconds.

She blinked.

With mouth agape.

It was her senior high school's graduation book.

To make it clearer: Seijyou Senior High's graduation book.

She traveled her finger delicately on the surface of its cover. On the left corner, signed with golden ink was her own name: T. Daidouji.

Tomoyo rose up, walking toward a couch before plopping comfortably—the video tapes were already forgotten. She flipped one page, then another, as her eyes examined each pictures, name, and identity printed on that book with perfect concentration. She couldn't help but smiled. No, grinned, actually. Not much differences with her elementary days. There were still Rika-chan, Chiharu-chan, Naoko-chan, Li-kun, Yamazaki-kun, and mostly her lovely cousin named Sakura-chan as her classmates.

Not much differences, ne?

Her smiling state froze when her sight finished its task to observe the whole class member' picture. Something is going wrong, she thought. My conclusion is not right. Something is missing…

Someone is definitely missing…

Someone who should be in this picture as well… is absent.

God, Tomoyo brushed her raven locks away from her face, how on earth she could—almost—forget him?

A gentleman who always praised girls with sweet talks. A Londoner who had midnight blue hair, dark sapphire eyes, and nice posture which could make women forget the earth they are stepped on. One of the most powerful sorcerer in the whole world—such side-effect being Clow's reincarnation—who liked to tease Li-kun every day. Wait, not Li only. He liked to tease and annoy her, too.

One of few friends she could give her whole trust to after Li-kun and Sakura-chan.

Her constant companion when the cherry blossom wanted to be left alone with her little wolf. Or when Tomoyo felt her presence between those two resembles a third wheel.

Her best friend.

Her first crush, till now.

Eriol Hiiragizawa.

"Funny," Tomoyo chuckled softly. "I thought I can't manage myself to remember him anymore."

-Graduation Book-

SEIJYOU Senior High. Seven years earlier.

"What is it?" Tomoyo asked casually, peeking from her position at something which looks like an envelope in Eriol's hand. "Hiiragizawa-san, I want to see that thing."

The seventeen years old mage smiled at her antics. "Impatient, aren't we?"

"Hiiragizawa-san…" The warning tone.

His smiled turned into laughter. "Okay, I'll show you." He hung the envelope in front of her nose, then said, "There. It's a letter."

Tomoyo drew her eyes closer, scanning the name of the sender. "Mizuki… sensei?"

"Yup."

Tomoyo opened her mouth, wanting to ask more but then silenced herself. She remember those loving gaze Eriol and Mizuki-sensei shared in Hiiragizawa manor, right after Sakura transformed the last two Clow Cards, The Light and The Dark, to Sakura Card and defeated Eriol's magic. Perhaps… that letter contains private things.

"Kaho asked about our condition. She also wrote down her amusing experiences while doing her master study." Eriol suddenly explained. "Just it. Nothing personal."

Confused, Tomoyo spontaneously blurted, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why is there nothing personal? No private talks? You two are in that kind of relationship, aren't you?"

Eriol stunned for a bit before burst in laughter. Tomoyo blushed hard. She felt extremely embarrassed. Stupid Daidouji… she cursed mentally. The only thing she did was keeping her lips tight. Too ashamed to say a word.

"That's what you think, Daidouji-san?" He wiped his tears that threatened to fall down. Tomoyo pouted. Heck, he's really laughing.

"Yes. That's what I always think." She shrugged, emphasizing the 'always' word. Her fingers gripped the hem of her skirt. Okay, Daidouji, remove your blush. Hold your head high and don't ever let that guy embarrasses you more!

Eriol nodded in understanding. "I see."

Tomoyo stared at him in disbelief. I see? What kind of answer was that?

But before she could complain, the Londoner turned on his heels so that they now stood face-to-face. "I assume I must clarify something to you, Daidouji-san." He stated calmly, not breaking eye contacts, making Tomoyo uncomfortable under such an intense gaze.

"Oh." Tomoyo cleared her throat nervously, "Okay."

"Mind if we talk about his in the park?"

"N-no." She stammered. Great, Tomoyo! Make yourself a fool.

He looked pleased. "Good."

Tomoyo tilted her head up to meet Eriol's eyes with questioning look as the Clow's reincarnation offered his hand to her. The young man before her just smiled kindly. "May I?"

Carefully, Tomoyo slipped her fingers between his. Eriol nodded with his typical gentleman behavior, walking through school corridors, hands intertwined with the raven-haired young lady. The park wasn't too far away from their previous location, so it was pretty quick to reach the destination.

"Please take a seat."

Tomoyo knitted her eyebrows. "Hiiragizawa-san, that's a tree branch."

"I know. Since I cannot find any empty bench here, this is the best pick after all." He look around, referring to bunches of students sitting on the park bench while chatting happily. "Plus, the scenery up there is more beautiful."

Tomoyo silently agreed. But outwardly she spoke, "I'm wearing skirt."

"It's not that high, Daidouji-san." Eriol suddenly found this conversation amusing. "You will need neither Jump card nor Fly card to reach the branch. You may usually ask help from Sakura-chan, but this time... I'm afraid she doesn't want you to interfere her business with Li-kun."

Tomoyo tried her best to lessen her starting-to-explode temper. Talking with Eriol was never been this… stubborn?

"I still refuse."

Eriol bent down as he whispered right at her earlobe, sending shivers along her spine. "Then… let me help you."

In a flash, they were already sitting on the tree branch Eriol pointed just then. Tomoyo immediately searched for something to grab. Safety reason. Not that she fears high place, considering she used to fly hundreds meter higher than this with Sakura-chan using the Fly card, but…

If it's with Hiiragizawa, then it's another case.

"Hiragiizawa-kun, don't you think it's too risky using your magic here? There are lots of students!" She panicked.

"No, Daidouji-san. They're too drown in their own entertainment to notice us."

Silence. No one told a word for the whole ten minutes. And it was one hell of a torture for Tomoyo. She wasn't good at handling quiet situation when there were only her and a friend with opposite sex.

Wait a minute. She was ever left alone with Yamazaki-kun at school's sport festival and everything was gone well. She was also left alone with Li-kun more than twice in a week (when Sakura went for cheerleading practice) but she didn't tense at all.

Is it because of this Eriol Hiiragizawa?

"So," Tomoyo finally found her normal voice, "what do you want to talk about?"

"That you have wrong perception."

"About your and—" she put her head down because of blush-spreading, "—Mizuki-sensei's relationship?"

"Exactly."

"Why do I need to know?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Not you. Perhaps.. I am the one who need someone to share things."

Tomoyo's genuine smile appeared. "You want to share things with me? Hope you don't forget, your activities when we're together were practically listened to me. To my trashes of mind. I'm the speaking one, not you."

"People change, Daidouji-san."

"So…" Tomoyo put her hand under her chin as she stared at the horizon line, "may I ask why didn't you leave Tomoeda for England? And it was only Mizuki-sensei who took the flight. You said you had done all the things necessary, right? Helping Sakura-chan transformed the card and bla bla bla. Why you decided to stay?"

Eriol seemed a bit dazed. Inwardly he praised the observing ability owned by the girl before him. As a gentleman he would be happier if he could compliment her directly. But this condition wouldn't allow him to do so. Tomoyo was being serious.

"Hiiragizawa-san? It's okay if you don't want to spill it."

"I'm fine," Eriol responded, surprising himself about how good his voice came out from his throat. "I stay because I felt like I didn't need to leave Tomoeda. I have to take care of something here. Someone, to be honest."

Tomoyo was surprised hearing this proclamation. "What about Mizuki-sensei?"

"I let her pursue her dream, didn't I? She was so ambitious about getting her master degree."

"I mean—you two looked pretty... romantic at that time."

Eriol, not bothering to sweep his charming smile, replied. "I won't deny that I adore Kaho. But it's not a feeling called 'love', Daidouji-san. I did, do, and will always respect her for her kindness. I'm very aware that she had grown a feeling toward Clow Reed. But past is past. Clow Reed had passed away and here I am with my own lifetime. A person you are talking to right now is Eriol Hiiragizawa. No more Clow Reed. Simple."

Silence again. Only breezes and students' chitchats below them could be heard. And then Tomoyo's giggle ruined it.

"Oh my. You know what? You're just giving speech!" She shook her head, making her awesome hair danced beautifully.

"I think so." Eriol said.

Glancing up to the bright spring sky above them, Tomoyo exclaimed cheerfully. "Thank you for accompanying me, Hiiragizawa-san. Not today only, but also yesterday, the day before, last week, a week before, and so on. You can make me happy, curios, and annoyed at once."

"Don't flatter me, Daidouji-san."

"I don't." She smiled coyly. "I'm telling you the truth."

"Can't you see my head is now blowing up? Compliment me again and I'm sure I'll suffer hydrocephalus-like syndrome."

Tomoyo chose to skip his latest speaking. "Still, I thank you."

"My pleasure."

"You're way too nice, Hiiragizawa-san."

Eriol could feel the heat rise up to his face, but he quickly diverted his attention to another topic. He slowly covered Tomoyo's hand with his. "Let's go down. The bell is going to ring in three minutes."

Without hesitation she linked her fingers with his. A fond smile plastered on her lips.

to be continued.

How was it? I need your opinion.