The Thunder Rolls (Eriol/Tomoyo) *repost*

[storypaint]

Comm: 15pairings
Words: 954
Title: The Thunder Rolls
Author/Artist: rhap_chan
Pairing: Eriol/Tomoyo hints; Syaoran/Sakura, Tomoyo/Sakura, past Eriol/Kaho
Fandom: Cardcaptor Sakura
Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to CLAMP. All fanfiction archived here is a derivative of canon material that is not my property. I do not profit from these writings. The opinions and actions expressed in these stories are not necessarily the views and beliefs of the original author or me.

Excerpt: When she slips away from the party, he is the first one to notice. He gives her a few minutes, in case the problem is simply a call of nature, but she doesn't return. Casually he slides away to find her.

...As the storm blows on
Out of control
Deep in her heart
The thunder rolls
--Garth Brooks, "The Thunder Rolls"

When she slips away from the party, he is the first one to notice. He gives her a few minutes, in case the problem is simply a call of nature, but she doesn't return. Casually he slides away to find her. It takes about ten minutes, in that large house. All the servants have long since gone home and turned off the lights, but he doesn't need electricity to see. He finds Tomoyo in the great drawing room, staring out the picture window at the thunderstorm. The winds are high, slamming rain into the glass in a fevered percussion concert. She turns when she hears the door shut quietly, but doesn't seem surprised to see him.

"I hate the rain," she says fiercely.

"Hmm?" Eriol says, inviting her to continue.

"I hate the rain. I hate the cards. I hate them!" she continues angrily.

He doesn't ask who "them" is. Instead, he says sadly, "You don't, not really."

"They're getting married, you know," she says miserably. Quietly Eriol wonders at Sakura's innocence--almost stupidity in this case. How can she not notice how much Tomoyo has aged in the past few weeks? How little her best friend is eating, how wan her beautiful smile has become? Maybe it is because he is so good at hiding himself that he notices her deception. She just keeps going, even to the point of loaning her spacious home for the engagement party they both are missing.

"Yes, I know," he replies.

"Doesn't it hurt you too? Don't you like... her? You were always flirting with her."

His eyes glitter with amusement. "I just liked to watch the expression on his face when I did."

She smiles half-heartedly. Then she turns back to the window.

"I do hate the rain! I hate everything! You don't know how it feels to have something like that happen to you."

"Yes, I do."

"But you have Miss Kaho--"

"No. I don't. She broke it off."

"Oh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean--"

"I understand."

They stand in silence for a moment, then she continues.

"He doesn't love her... like I do."

"No, he doesn't. But they are happy. Destiny has brought them together, and true love will keep them together."

"The 'wise magician' believes in destiny?"

"When it suits my purposes."

At this she laughs--a real laugh, the sort she hasn't since she learned of the engagement.

There is a pregnant pause.

"You made me laugh."

"I did," he agrees.

"But... I thought that I wouldn't ever be able to laugh again."

"Life goes on."

"Mine doesn't."

"It always does. If one door closes, another opens. There's always an open door if you look for it."

"That's very wise," she replies. "But... tell me something... where is the real you? You always hide behind that 'wise, omnipotent magician' act, but surely you have a real life. What's your favorite sport, or hobby, or color? Do you ever think about that sort of thing?"

"Yes, yes I do. I like soccer, and gardening, and the color of your eyes."

She rolls her eyes. "And charming girls."

"And charming girls," he agrees with a small smile.

There is another silence.

She takes a long look at him, then says uncertainly, "We're friends, right?"

"Of course."

"Then, friend to friend... could I ask you a question?"

"I suppose."

"When you lost Miss Kaho, did it hurt you like losing her hurts me?"

Without even thinking about it, Eriol moves closer to her. He puts his hand on her forearm, and then hugs her from behind. She doesn't move. Both of them gaze out at the raging weather. He rests his chin on her shoulder for a moment, and then lets her go.

"No, it didn't," he says. "I didn't love her like I thought I did."

"How did you know?"

"Someone else kept showing me what true love was, and I couldn't ignore it. Part of being wise... is admitting when you're wrong," he says softly. He turns his face away from hers. The lightning reflecting from his glasses hides his expression, but not the blush on his cheeks. She smiles a little to see another sign of his humanity.

"What do we do now?" she says. She hopes that he has an answer, a real answer. The magician can pull the rabbit from the hat, the rabbit that makes everyone happy so that none of them have to hurt so the others can be joyful. The hope feels hollow.

"Well," Eriol says carefully, "we can go back to the party. Or we could go to my house for a while and bemoan our respective fates. You can't marry your love, I can't even find mine. Another of my talents is mixing drinks."

"Long Island iced tea?"

"One of my favorites."

"You know, Hiiragizawa-san, I could use a pick-me-up."

"Please call me Eriol, Daidouji-san. If we are going to drink together it is best to be on first-name terms."

"Eriol-san, that thing you said about opening doors.... is this one of them?"

He smiles. "You never know."

They move towards the door and boldly she reaches out and takes his hand. He laces his fingers with hers as they head into the entryway.

"Oh, but it's raining..." she says. "I forgot an umbrella."

"Let the 'wise, omnipotent magician' show you a cool trick he learned once," Eriol says with a grin, and they head out into the rain. The drops carefully realign themselves in places where the couple is not. Rain splatters wildly into the hall until the heavy door shuts.