Winter Flowers 4: Painting [T&E drabble fic]

[aileth]

Fourth of the series.

Title: Painting.
Fandom: CCS
Characters/Pairing: Tomoyo, Eriol, Sakura, Syaoran.
Rating: G
Notes: Four of ten. Takes place in England and Japan.

He went into his room, still laughing at the joke. In one of the corners there was a covered painting over an easel. He carefully uncovered the painting and sat in front looking at it.

---

Tomoeda.

The 6th year art class had been assigned to make a painting outdoors. All the students were spread all over the school grounds, each looking for their own theme. Sakura had chosen the statue at the entrance of the school and Tomoyo was sitting next to her painting a rose bush and they both chattered away while they worked sitting in the shadow of a big tree. Syaoran was far from them, he had chosen something in the backyard. Eriol was sitting on a bench at some distance from him. Every once in a while he looked at the corner of his canvas.

Tomoyo walked past with a pot of painting in her hand. She stopped when she walked by Syaoran to speak to him. At one moment she felt herself being watched and looked up to see Eriol watching her from his seat. She smiled at him and he answered in the same way. Then she walked over to where he was sitting. Eriol left the brush aside, put his hand over the corner of the canvas and waited for her to approach.

"Are you going to the taps?" He asked.

"That's right. I need to refill the pot for the paints." She showed him the pot she was carrying. "You're very good at painting. What did you choose this time?"

"Would you like to see?" He turned the painting toward her side so she could take a look. Tomoyo moved closer to him to see better. The clock tower looked imposing and was painted in such details that you could almost see the hands moving, just like the real one.

"You are truly an amazing painter!" She exclaimed.

"Thank you, but it's not that great. When the subject attracts my interest I like to give it the best I have."

"Really? When I'm done I'll show you mine, although it won't be even half as good as yours."

"I'd like that." He smiled at her. Then he looked to where Syaoran was. "I think he doesn't like me."

"It's only that Li-kun doesn't like anyone getting between him and Sakura-chan." She smiled cheerfully.

"Do you think I get between them?" He asked intrigued.

"No. I think the interest you show in Sakura-chan is more of a paternal kind. Like a father watching over her from the shadows." Tomoyo answered placidly looking at him. Eriol just sat there in shock, wide eyed. "You have a leaf on your uniform." Tomoyo pointed to a fallen tree leaf.

"Ah, yes. I picked it up from a tree and I was using it as a pointer." He put it back in the corner of his canvas.

"Well, I have to go. See you later."

"See you."

Eriol waits until Tomoyo walked to the taps and back and then looked at the corner of his canvas again. When he was certain, he resumes his painting. It was a good thing she didn't chance to ask which tree the leaf came from. On the canvas, a clear image of a tree surrounded by grass beneath a clear blue sky. Under the tree, two girls were talking cheerfully while they worked on their paintings. The same image could be seen reflected in the tree leaf on the corner of the canvas that he looked at once in a while to copy the scene.

---

Eriol smiled looking at the painting. At that time, he'd never have imagined this would happen. It was something not even he could have predicted. It was a month already since he dared to kiss her inside the ferris wheel. And now, in a few days, she'll be there with him. He was anxious for that moment to come but he'd wait patiently, the same as she was doing it. That's what made the waiting so sweet.