The recurring question I'm asked by other people is... "Why this pairing?" To be honest, I've never been and still am not well-equipped with evidence or support to even thoroughly answer that question. Even I ask myself that sometimes. It's daunting, really, and it's constantly made me rethink this ship I sail. But is it important to explain myself? I'm sure if I were in the position of the questioner, I'd be curious as to why anyone would feel such devotion to a relationship between two people who do nothing more than exchange greetings through habit of decorum. Or maybe an occasional compliment.

I never expressed an interest in the relationship when reading and watching the series. I'm aware that pigs have a higher chance of learning how to fly than Eriol ever even thinking once about Tomoyo in a romantic notion. Of course, I, at the ripe age of 12 or so—as the stereotypical history of the fangirl development would tell you in its volumes of textbooks—discovered fanfiction. It was probably the one fan invention that turned me into what I despise most these days. I gobbled up stories that seemed to recycle plots, exercise any device to make two characters kiss or exchange sappy dialogue, or just anything that would satiate anything that canon didn't (or refused) to provide. Personally, I never would've even exercised my imagination that far about the pairing if it hadn't been for fanfiction and the way certain authors depicted them. If I never read fanfiction, I most likely would've been content with Eriol and Kaho as a pairing. Actually, I'm definitely sure that would've been the case, but oh... how life has its way of warping things.

There were a few stories that were written out extremely well, stories that I still read again to this day and laud the quality more than I did back then. Only when I talked with other people about this relationship did I realize that there's absolutely no reason to try and defend this relationship because its foundation is entirely set in fan products with resources found among character traits and not actual interaction. It's a lost battle that never even started, and it's true. What with Sakura and Syaoran already an item, it seems convenient and trite to pair Tomoyo off with Eriol. The case of leftovers is an easy choice, I suppose, despite Eriol already having Kaho.

I've read lists on how this relationship would work if it weren't just an acquaintanceship, most of them being reasons that are completely superficial and based on opinions. They look good together. They're both mature. They're just perfect for one another. However, even as a supporter, I can't agree with or digest any items on those lists because they pick out aspects that rely on personal judgment and utilize little substance to go on when such ideas come about in fanfiction. Such reasons can be countered with facts and other opinions; it seems useless to try and think of why the two people could be capable of being with one another. But in the defense of the creators of such lists, it's unreasonable to request justification for this relationship when the subject itself isn't even justified on any other grounds than fandom writers' madness.

In summary, my answer to the ultimate question concerning these two is: fandom. The non-canon depictions and theories and loops weave together into a quilted conception, an invention, an idea—a far-fetched one, what have you—but still an idea, and some readers indulge in that very concept. It pleases and comforts me, and I don't lie to myself about it being a personal canon, but it's one of the things that I feel passionate about. The fan-made portrayals of the two melt my little heart, what with the witty exchanges of polite dialogue, stolen glances, and dynamics of music that parallel the invention. They all lead to the fruition of a love that's a tiny bit darker than that or Sakura and Syaoran's, and it's that darker aspect I've grown attached to over the years.

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