Chapter One
Unexpected Visitor
Eriol knew Tenji was courting his sweet, innocent, somewhat morbid, Tomoyo. His only solution: to find the most suitable man in Tokyo to take the bastard's place.
He barged into her room without a blearing thought holding him back in his hazy mind. The fact that Tenji was in his home, wanting to see Tomoyo pushed him forward. He had to warn her of the unexpected visitor.
Frantically waving his hands, his hair disheveled from sprinting up the staircase earlier, he said, "Tomoyo! Quick! Hide! Don't go down--!"
He froze, he coudn't find his tongue to finish what he was saying. Heck, he couldn't even remember why he was up here in the first place. His eyes shrunk into tiny dots.
Tomoyo blinked her big brown eyes at him. She had bent down to pick up a shirt that she accidentally dropped when fishing for it in her closet.
Tomoyo, in all her glory, was in nothing but a towel, a very short--too short to his mind's liking but his eyes couldn't help but roam over her slender legs, her tiny waist and her--(cough), need I say more?
Somehow, he found the willpower to slap himself mentally.
Eriol, what are you thinking?! Stop that this instance! This is Tomoyo! Remember?! Tomoyo, the girl whose mother entrusted in your care! The girl whom you have raised since she was fourteen! The girl who spat at your face the first day she met you!
It slowly sunk in.
And God, she was disgusting back then.
What was he thinking? His sweet little Tomoyo, who made him hand-stitched sweaters every Christmas with her tender love and care, which always had something special about them. Like last year's for instance. It had three sleeves, the odd one popping out from his chest. She was honestly never good at sewing, but it was the thought that counts, right?
"See? It even has your picture on it!" She turned him around so his back was facing the length mirror, Eriol's head looking over his shoulder to see what she was ranting happily about.
When did Eriol ever wear eyeliner? And what was up with the spiked collar around his neck? And, heavens, what was that on his head?
Oh, it was his hair. Funny.
The worst of it all, she forced him to wear at his company's Christmas party every single year.
Oh. My. God.
He was a fedafile!
He stared at her in horror now.
And the next thing he knew--well, it was all a blur to him, but he remembered searching for a doorknob.
He hurriedly scrambled out of her room, almost forgetting to shut the door on his way out.
Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts! Eriol screamed in his head as he ran out.
He backed up against the door and leaned on in, panting hard.
Oh no! He almost forgot about--
Tenji!
He was still downstairs, waiting expectantly for Tomoyo.
Hah! Fat chance he'd let that happen.
Suddenly, the door was pulled open and Eriol fell in, Tomoyo standing above him, dressed up thankfully.
Eriol scrambled to his feet. He couldn't believe he was thinking those thoughts about Tomoyo before.
"Don't go downstairs! Tenji's there!"
Tomoyo--dear lord, why was she not shocked or throwing one of her fits yet?-- instead, looked greatly interested by this.
"Oh really?" She said thoughtfully, going to grab something from her bed.
"Tomoyo..." he eyed her with alertness. "What are you doing...?"
Shoving her hand under her pillow, she pulled out what appeared to be a...
purse...?
With that in hand, she brushed passed Eriol, patting his shoulder as she did.
Eriol didn't register what was going on until she was already out the door.
"Tomoyo! Where do you think you're going!" And he chased after her.
"Hello Tenji," Tomoyo greeted somewhat seductively when she stood in front of him.
Tenji was totally blown away.
"T-Tomoyo...you, you look...great..." He slapped himself mentally. Way to go retard.
He quickly changed the subject. He gathered his coolness once again.
"Shall we?" He offered her his arm, and Tomoyo just batted her eyelashes sweetly, hooking hers with his extended one.
Eriol reached the bottom of the stairs, breathing raspily. He was not thinking cleary. Rationally. He could've used his magic to get to the living room faster. Why the hell did he install a staircase anyway?
Oh yes, he almost forgot about Tomoyo.
He tried to calm his fast beating heart, when he saw Tenji TOUCHING Tomoyo.
The bastard!
He was right in front of them in a nano second.
"Get away from her!" And he shoved at Tenji.
Tenji was quick to respond, releasing Tomoyo's hold to block Eriol's shove, and to prevent hurting Tomoyo.
Tomoyo looked bewildered, but somehow utterly bemused.
She stood on the sideline as the two battled it out.
"What is your problem?" Tenji bit back, getting annoyed with him always trying to step between him and his beloved Tomoyo. Didn't he realize that it was pointless?
"What the hell are you doing in MY house?"
Prick.
"Well, picking up Tomoyo for our date, obviously." Tenji said haughtily.
Eriol didn't believe what he heard.
He glanced at Tomoyo, and only then did he notice what she was wearing.
Tomoyo rolled her eyes.
God, he could be so oblivious sometimes.
A fitting black dress that hugged all her curves nicely, and that reached just above her knees.
Why was he suddenly biased?
He shook his head.
There was a very good explanation as to why Tomoyo suddenly decided to wear such an outfit. There just had to be. He remembered Tomoyo saying how much she despised Tenji. Tomoyo dating Tenji was as slim as--
"Yes, okay? Deal with it Eriol," And she grabbed Tenji's arm and pulled him to the front door, Tenji raising his eyebrows in surprise, but was nonetheless pleased.
"Don't wait up!" She waved happpily as she shut the front door, praying that when she gets back, he'd be asleep already.
Silence.
And then...
"Damn..." Eriol angrily raked his fingers through his hair.
She is so gonna get it when she gets her butt home!
He heavily fell on the couch, waiting impatiently. He was not going to leave this spot until then!
More silence.
And then...
growl
"I'll just grab a quick snack." And Eriol got up to do just that.
What? Did you expect a grown man to sit there for hours on an empty stomach?
I think not!
When she finally did arrive, she was cautious not to stir anything in the house, namingly Eriol, so she tip toed as she entered the living room. So far so good. She took note of the inexistence of any light.
It was dark; therefore, she was safe. It looks like Eriol gave up after all.
What a whimp.
"What was that?" A voice spoke out of the dark.
A lamp by the couch lit up, and Eriol's eyes flew open. She could clearly tell that he hadn't cooled down since Tenji was there even with the lamp only dimly lighting a fraction of his face, enhancing his dark exression however.
Uh. Oh.
Ooooh...busted!
Eriol stood up, stalking up to her in lithe, slow motions; like a tiger.
Tomoyo had never angered Eriol in this way. Usually, he'd calm down after she said something whitty. But she couldn't find her voice to say anything. He actually was...scaring her?
No way!
He was a lot taller in this light, maybe because his shadow loomed over him like a giant, making him more intimidating.
She backed up, retracing her steps to the front door.
"Tomoyo..." He said in such a deep voice that she found it oddly attractive.
Okay...ew...I did not just think that.
Eriol stared down at her, clearly frustrated.
Then he unexpectedly sighed miserably and ruffled her hair.
"Remember, you still have a curfew."
She knew he'd come around. He couldn't be mad at her for longer than five minutes. The guy was a whimp.
Wait.
"What?! Eriol, I demand that you treat me like an adult! I'm no longer fourteen if you haven't noticed!" She glared daggers up at his face.
The corner of his lips twitched, and he narrowed his eyes dangerously.
"I'll think about it once you start acting like one." He touched the tip of her nose with his finger to anger her even more, and left the room for bed.
"Eriol! You get down here!" She called from the bottom of the staircase.
He had his hands intwined behind his head. "Hey, don't you think I deserve a little rest? I've been waiting up for you for almost five hours. Even though I'm the reincarnate of the greatest mage who ever live, I still have my human needs." He yawned. "Lights out in five."
"Arrgh! You're unbelievable!" And she stormed up after him.
"You. are. a. son. of. a. bi--oof!"
Tomoyo, in an unlady like manner, tripped on a step, stumbling forward.
Eriold sighed as he caught her by her waist, her face mere centemeters from the warmly carpeted step, that had looked threatening from her point of view just a while ago.
What a klutz.
"You should be more careful."
"It's these damn heels!" Tomoyo accused, straightening up once she was flat on her two feet.
Eriol rolled his eyes as he continued on his way up.
"Oww!"
Eriol paused and took a sharp breathe.
What now?
"Stupid heels, see what you did? Now I have blisters...grrr..." She mumbled as she unclasped the bands of her heels and examined her foot. She poked at the red blotches. "Oww! Mother--waahh?!"
"Eriol, put me down this instance!" She hollered. She hated being helpless. She could manage to get up the stairs on her own. Why did he always have to baby her like this?
Eriol ignored her as she swung her purse at his head, giving it a couple of good whacks, which ticked Eriol. You could see a vein popping from the side of his head. "I don't know what Tenji sees in you."
She was agasped.
What was that? Was that an insult?!
Crossing her arms and turning her cheek the other way, she replied simply, "That is not a matter to discuss."
They finally reached the top of the stairs.
"Why Tenji?" Eriol spat. He was not one to hide his dislike of someone. He walked down the hallway, glaring forward at the empty space.
"Why not Tenji?" Tomoyo shot back.
He pushed Tomoyo's door open, it was still adjar from earlier.
"Earth to Tomoyo! He's about the same age as me!" Eriol said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"And what's wrong with that? I'm an adult, remember?" She looked at him evenly.
"You're barely eighteen," He said dryly. God, she was infuriating. "You're birthdays not until five months from now."
"Like that really matters. You just can't handle the fact that I'll be legally able to make my own decisions." And she humphed childishly.
Eriol nudged the light switch with his nose--his hands were at the moment occupied--, then made his way to her bed.
He gently placed her on the mattress.
"Why all of a sudden this interest in Tenji? Last time I remembered, you hated his guts." There was that tone again.
Tomoyo threw him her pillow, which he easily caught.
"Too slow."
Tomoyo threw her blanket over her head, signaling that it was the end of their conversation. Eriol, irritated, but not yet quite done, reluctantly stood up, mumbling good night before he headed off to his own bedroom.
It was late in the night, almost one in the morning, yet Eriol had yet to retire to bed. There was the matter of disposing of Tenji still at hand that had kept him up.
Pushed against a wall was Eriol's king size bed, disheveled, yet, empty, it's occupant.sitting in front of a computer screen, wide awake, a coffee mug sitting on top of his desk, hurriedly typing away at his keyboad. "I'm a single woman seeking a man eighteen years old in the district of Japan, who..." He typed in all the qualities that he knew his Tomoyo was looking for, or should be looking for in a man. He smiled smugly when he was finished. Tomoyo should thank him for he was doing her a favor. Replacing Tenji was going to be a breeze.
Eriol reread what he typed to make sure there was no typo. When he was done though, he felt as if it was missing something, something very important.
He paused. Was that really all?
Suddenly, it came to him.
He quickly added, "tall, dark, and handsome," all the things that Tenji wasn't; Eriol snickered, then clicked enter, satisfied. He took a sip of his coffee, his eyes glued to the screen with anticipation as it loaded.
When the list popped up, he smiled excitedly.
Oh, this was going to be fun...
Author's Note: (yawns) So tired...I've been trying to finish this up since I woke up like eight and it's like already like three...(scratches cheek) hehe, well, hope you had fun reading this! love sucks