storypaint (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
storypaint) wrote2009-01-07 09:49 pm
storypaint) wrote2009-01-07 09:49 pm
Detective (Eriol/Tomoyo/Nokoru)
Title: Detective
Crossover: CLAMP Campus Detectives
Length: 1647 words
Prompt: Eriol/Tomoyo/Nokoru for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sheila_chan
Pairing: Eriol/Tomoyo/Nokoru; Eriol/Tomoyo; Tomoyo/Nokoru; Eriol/Nokoru
Other: n/a
Excerpt: Nokoru set the watering can gently on a nearby bookshelf and sat down behind his desk. He did not steeple his fingers, nor did he tap them. He seemed entirely at ease, and met Eriol's smile with one of his own. Eriol sank into the single chair placed before the desk. Nokoru hummed tunelessly for a moment and then asked his question again.
It was the sort of little shop you never found unless you had need of it: the sort of place that worked miracles. There was only a discreet sign on the door. One didn't find it unless one knew what one was looking for.
Hiiragizawa Eriol knew what he was looking for. Yuuko's directions were always quite exact.
He pushed on the door and stepped into a brightly lit office that looked more like a garden than the workplace of a detective. The detective in question had hung his fedora and coat on a small hook next to the door. Eriol looked at it. Yes, this was the sort of man who thought that the outfit was required. But he was also the sort who wouldn't look silly wearing it.
The detective had his back to Eriol as Eriol entered, watering a plant near his desk; his hair was so yellow-blonde that it seemed unreal. He turned when he heard the door and met Eriol's deep sapphire gaze with bright blue eyes of his own.
"How can I help you?" Imonoyama Nokoru asked. Eriol smiled at him and bit down nerves that had somehow emerged in the last moment of the other man's gaze. This man was smart. He saw things.
Nokoru set the watering can gently on a nearby bookshelf and sat down behind his desk. He did not steeple his fingers, nor did he tap them. He seemed entirely at ease, and met Eriol's smile with one of his own. Eriol sank into the single chair placed before the desk. Nokoru hummed tunelessly for a moment and then asked his question again.
"How can I help you?"
"My name is Hiiragizawa Eriol. I need you to find someone," Eriol said, his voice oddly squeaky. "My girlfriend. I don't know where she's gone. I've heard you're the best."
"Why did she leave?" Nokoru said, his face suddenly dark. Eriol resisted an urge to pull back in his chair.
"We had an argument," he said without emotion. "She packed her bags and left when I was at work. I am worried about her."
"You didn't... strike her, did you?"
Eriol rose from the chair so fast that it fell over. "I would never hurt Tomoyo," he said, feet spread and eyes blazing, his voice gruff.
Nokoru looked at him, not at all bothered, and then nodded after a long moment and the tension in the room dissolved as if someone had hit a switch. Eriol picked the chair up and sat back down.
"It is not very kind to argue with your lady," Nokoru said earnestly as if imparting a great secret. "Women are treasures, you know."
"Tomoyo is a treasure," Eriol said, a sad smile slipping across his face. "There was a phone message on our answering machine that I believe she misconstrued..."
"I thought you had an argument," Nokoru said, his eyes sharp. Eriol nodded.
"Well, sort of. She... well, the message was from my ex-girlfriend." He looked down at the ground. "She left me. It was not exactly mutual," he said distinctly. "I think Tomoyo worries..."
"Her full name, if you wouldn't mind?"
"Daidouji Tomoyo."
Nokoru's eyes widened. Eriol nodded again. "Yes, that Daidouji. I thought first to check with her mother, but Sonomi-san has not seen her daughter. She and I get along well; she would not have lied to me."
"Daidouji-san does not seem to be the type to run off in times of stress," Nokoru said, giving Eriol another sharp look.
"She has been on edge lately," Eriol admitted. "Just a little... one would hardly notice unless one knew her well."
"Yes," Nokoru said in a nostalgic tone, and this time it was Eriol who fixed the blonde with a look.
"Daidouji-san went to the CLAMP School, as did I. We have met. I suppose you went to school elsewhere?"
"Yes," Eriol mumbled, not wanting to go into details. He was attempting to reconcile two very contradictory feelings-- one of utter and stupid jealousy, and one of soft and subtle attraction. Nokoru's eyes were bright and Eriol met them steadily, though he was sweating under his collar a little.
"I cannot imagine a situation in which she would give up her level head. Frankly, I do not know if I can help you, Hiiragizawa."
"What?" Eriol said, composure forgotten.
"You see, I may locate Daidouji-san and decide that it is best not to tell you where she is. Though you seem like a nice man, evil hides in the hearts of many. In which case, I would not be able to solve your case, and I do not take cases I cannot solve."
Eriol found himself glaring openly; he took a moment to adjust his collar and cuffs while he regained his composure.
"Please, Imonoyama-san. I don't know where else to go. I need her. I love her," he said, removing his glasses and cleaning them as a nervous gesture.
"I can see that," Nokoru said, leaning back in his desk chair. "We shall see, Hiiragizawa-san. I will call you within a day and tell you."
Eriol nodded and strode out, his head low in obvious despair. It was the best he would get, likely.
And he owed Yuuko dinner. This detective really better be the best one in Japan.
*
"He never says things like that to my face," Tomoyo said to Nokoru as she strode into the room, her high heels clicking on the floor. Nokoru's office was uncarpeted because it made cleaning up over knocked-down plants easier. Of course, no one ever knocked down one of Nokoru's plants without paying dearly, but their payment didn't involve a carpet-cleaning bill.
"He seems like a nice man," Nokoru replied to her. "Very smart. A bit--"
"Full of himself? Puffed up? I think that's Clow. He acts more like Clow when he gets nervous," she said, taking a seat on the edge of Nokoru's desk next to one of his favorite plants. The plant had been sickly lately, so it got desktop treatment. He watched as her fingers ran gently down the leaves.
"He's worried about you. Did you really need to run away?"
"I just--" Tomoyo sighed and looked at Nokoru over her shoulder. Then she studied the desk. "My first love has gone to another, and I am happy for her, but I cannot stand this new jealousy. I can't stand it when she calls him. And he doesn't ever tell her to stop."
Nokoru smiled faintly. "The ways of man are somewhat incomprehensible."
"I just want him to love me. Not as a substitute. As myself."
"I can't imagine how anyone could love someone else when you are in the room, Tomoyo-san," he said, gratified by the color that climbed into her cheeks.
"Well, that's for you to say and Eriol to realize," she said after a moment. "Can I treat you to dinner?"
"When are you going back home?"
"I don't know," she said, looking for a long moment into his eyes. He rose from his chair and came around to help her down from his desk, not breaking his gaze as she slipped her hand into his and slipped down onto her feet.
"I would be honored to have dinner with you," he said elegantly, getting the door for her, and she spent the evening thinking about a certain blonde man, rather than her dark-haired beau.
*
Two days later, Eriol sat on his couch. The room was dim, but he didn't move to turn on the lights. His head rested in his hand, and though he'd never admit it, the occasional tear dripped onto his floor. He couldn't stand this. He'd called her, it seemed, a hundred times already. Her phone was off. The detective hadn't called him back, either.
When the doorbell rang, he didn't move to answer. Then he remembered that Tomoyo wouldn't be rushing down the stair to see who it was, and he rose heavily from the couch and wiped at his eyes. He didn't bother about the rest of his disheveled appearance.
He lifted his hand to the doorknob and to his surprise it turned before he touched it.
"I suppose it is a good sign that you didn't change the locks," a sweet voice said, and Eriol's eyes climbed like a man in mortal peril to look into Tomoyo's face. Though her first words had been blase, she stopped in shock to see the look on his face and stood there a moment before he grabbed her up in a hug and turned her around in a circle, yelling nonsense words.
When he set her back down, there was a discreet cough from the direction of the door and a blonde-haired detective stood there, wearing his fedora and somehow managing not to look entirely ridiculous. Eriol blinked, looked at Tomoyo, and then back at Nokoru.
"This is an old school friend of mine," Tomoyo said, attempting to defuse the sudden tension. "I... er, ran into him... on the way home... and invited him for a visit. I hope you don't mind."
"An old school friend, hmm? Well, surely old friends are welcome here," Eriol said, his eyes dark. Nokoru grinned suddenly.
"Why don't I make some tea while you two make up, hmm? Just point me towards the kitchen and I'll leave you to it."
Eriol pointed, perhaps more sharply than necessarily, and Nokoru strode off. Eriol looked down at the woman still in his arms.
"Imonoyama Nokoru. He was class president, actually. We worked on student government projects together," she said.
"I see," Eriol said. Keeping tight to her hand, he walked towards his kitchen.
Crossover: CLAMP Campus Detectives
Length: 1647 words
Prompt: Eriol/Tomoyo/Nokoru for
sheila_chanPairing: Eriol/Tomoyo/Nokoru; Eriol/Tomoyo; Tomoyo/Nokoru; Eriol/Nokoru
Other: n/a
Excerpt: Nokoru set the watering can gently on a nearby bookshelf and sat down behind his desk. He did not steeple his fingers, nor did he tap them. He seemed entirely at ease, and met Eriol's smile with one of his own. Eriol sank into the single chair placed before the desk. Nokoru hummed tunelessly for a moment and then asked his question again.
It was the sort of little shop you never found unless you had need of it: the sort of place that worked miracles. There was only a discreet sign on the door. One didn't find it unless one knew what one was looking for.
Hiiragizawa Eriol knew what he was looking for. Yuuko's directions were always quite exact.
He pushed on the door and stepped into a brightly lit office that looked more like a garden than the workplace of a detective. The detective in question had hung his fedora and coat on a small hook next to the door. Eriol looked at it. Yes, this was the sort of man who thought that the outfit was required. But he was also the sort who wouldn't look silly wearing it.
The detective had his back to Eriol as Eriol entered, watering a plant near his desk; his hair was so yellow-blonde that it seemed unreal. He turned when he heard the door and met Eriol's deep sapphire gaze with bright blue eyes of his own.
"How can I help you?" Imonoyama Nokoru asked. Eriol smiled at him and bit down nerves that had somehow emerged in the last moment of the other man's gaze. This man was smart. He saw things.
Nokoru set the watering can gently on a nearby bookshelf and sat down behind his desk. He did not steeple his fingers, nor did he tap them. He seemed entirely at ease, and met Eriol's smile with one of his own. Eriol sank into the single chair placed before the desk. Nokoru hummed tunelessly for a moment and then asked his question again.
"How can I help you?"
"My name is Hiiragizawa Eriol. I need you to find someone," Eriol said, his voice oddly squeaky. "My girlfriend. I don't know where she's gone. I've heard you're the best."
"Why did she leave?" Nokoru said, his face suddenly dark. Eriol resisted an urge to pull back in his chair.
"We had an argument," he said without emotion. "She packed her bags and left when I was at work. I am worried about her."
"You didn't... strike her, did you?"
Eriol rose from the chair so fast that it fell over. "I would never hurt Tomoyo," he said, feet spread and eyes blazing, his voice gruff.
Nokoru looked at him, not at all bothered, and then nodded after a long moment and the tension in the room dissolved as if someone had hit a switch. Eriol picked the chair up and sat back down.
"It is not very kind to argue with your lady," Nokoru said earnestly as if imparting a great secret. "Women are treasures, you know."
"Tomoyo is a treasure," Eriol said, a sad smile slipping across his face. "There was a phone message on our answering machine that I believe she misconstrued..."
"I thought you had an argument," Nokoru said, his eyes sharp. Eriol nodded.
"Well, sort of. She... well, the message was from my ex-girlfriend." He looked down at the ground. "She left me. It was not exactly mutual," he said distinctly. "I think Tomoyo worries..."
"Her full name, if you wouldn't mind?"
"Daidouji Tomoyo."
Nokoru's eyes widened. Eriol nodded again. "Yes, that Daidouji. I thought first to check with her mother, but Sonomi-san has not seen her daughter. She and I get along well; she would not have lied to me."
"Daidouji-san does not seem to be the type to run off in times of stress," Nokoru said, giving Eriol another sharp look.
"She has been on edge lately," Eriol admitted. "Just a little... one would hardly notice unless one knew her well."
"Yes," Nokoru said in a nostalgic tone, and this time it was Eriol who fixed the blonde with a look.
"Daidouji-san went to the CLAMP School, as did I. We have met. I suppose you went to school elsewhere?"
"Yes," Eriol mumbled, not wanting to go into details. He was attempting to reconcile two very contradictory feelings-- one of utter and stupid jealousy, and one of soft and subtle attraction. Nokoru's eyes were bright and Eriol met them steadily, though he was sweating under his collar a little.
"I cannot imagine a situation in which she would give up her level head. Frankly, I do not know if I can help you, Hiiragizawa."
"What?" Eriol said, composure forgotten.
"You see, I may locate Daidouji-san and decide that it is best not to tell you where she is. Though you seem like a nice man, evil hides in the hearts of many. In which case, I would not be able to solve your case, and I do not take cases I cannot solve."
Eriol found himself glaring openly; he took a moment to adjust his collar and cuffs while he regained his composure.
"Please, Imonoyama-san. I don't know where else to go. I need her. I love her," he said, removing his glasses and cleaning them as a nervous gesture.
"I can see that," Nokoru said, leaning back in his desk chair. "We shall see, Hiiragizawa-san. I will call you within a day and tell you."
Eriol nodded and strode out, his head low in obvious despair. It was the best he would get, likely.
And he owed Yuuko dinner. This detective really better be the best one in Japan.
*
"He never says things like that to my face," Tomoyo said to Nokoru as she strode into the room, her high heels clicking on the floor. Nokoru's office was uncarpeted because it made cleaning up over knocked-down plants easier. Of course, no one ever knocked down one of Nokoru's plants without paying dearly, but their payment didn't involve a carpet-cleaning bill.
"He seems like a nice man," Nokoru replied to her. "Very smart. A bit--"
"Full of himself? Puffed up? I think that's Clow. He acts more like Clow when he gets nervous," she said, taking a seat on the edge of Nokoru's desk next to one of his favorite plants. The plant had been sickly lately, so it got desktop treatment. He watched as her fingers ran gently down the leaves.
"He's worried about you. Did you really need to run away?"
"I just--" Tomoyo sighed and looked at Nokoru over her shoulder. Then she studied the desk. "My first love has gone to another, and I am happy for her, but I cannot stand this new jealousy. I can't stand it when she calls him. And he doesn't ever tell her to stop."
Nokoru smiled faintly. "The ways of man are somewhat incomprehensible."
"I just want him to love me. Not as a substitute. As myself."
"I can't imagine how anyone could love someone else when you are in the room, Tomoyo-san," he said, gratified by the color that climbed into her cheeks.
"Well, that's for you to say and Eriol to realize," she said after a moment. "Can I treat you to dinner?"
"When are you going back home?"
"I don't know," she said, looking for a long moment into his eyes. He rose from his chair and came around to help her down from his desk, not breaking his gaze as she slipped her hand into his and slipped down onto her feet.
"I would be honored to have dinner with you," he said elegantly, getting the door for her, and she spent the evening thinking about a certain blonde man, rather than her dark-haired beau.
*
Two days later, Eriol sat on his couch. The room was dim, but he didn't move to turn on the lights. His head rested in his hand, and though he'd never admit it, the occasional tear dripped onto his floor. He couldn't stand this. He'd called her, it seemed, a hundred times already. Her phone was off. The detective hadn't called him back, either.
When the doorbell rang, he didn't move to answer. Then he remembered that Tomoyo wouldn't be rushing down the stair to see who it was, and he rose heavily from the couch and wiped at his eyes. He didn't bother about the rest of his disheveled appearance.
He lifted his hand to the doorknob and to his surprise it turned before he touched it.
"I suppose it is a good sign that you didn't change the locks," a sweet voice said, and Eriol's eyes climbed like a man in mortal peril to look into Tomoyo's face. Though her first words had been blase, she stopped in shock to see the look on his face and stood there a moment before he grabbed her up in a hug and turned her around in a circle, yelling nonsense words.
When he set her back down, there was a discreet cough from the direction of the door and a blonde-haired detective stood there, wearing his fedora and somehow managing not to look entirely ridiculous. Eriol blinked, looked at Tomoyo, and then back at Nokoru.
"This is an old school friend of mine," Tomoyo said, attempting to defuse the sudden tension. "I... er, ran into him... on the way home... and invited him for a visit. I hope you don't mind."
"An old school friend, hmm? Well, surely old friends are welcome here," Eriol said, his eyes dark. Nokoru grinned suddenly.
"Why don't I make some tea while you two make up, hmm? Just point me towards the kitchen and I'll leave you to it."
Eriol pointed, perhaps more sharply than necessarily, and Nokoru strode off. Eriol looked down at the woman still in his arms.
"Imonoyama Nokoru. He was class president, actually. We worked on student government projects together," she said.
"I see," Eriol said. Keeping tight to her hand, he walked towards his kitchen.