Love Conquers All
Chapter 6
Nearly ½ of the second week was over. Eriol sat on the dining room table. He had a few notes down under his scribble: "a story about love." It read:
-a girl
-a boy
-girl and boy fall in love
Eriol's forehead creased. "This is god-awful…" It was early evening when Tomoyo returned. Two hotel employees, one carrying two trays while another carrying a long bottle and two glasses, followed her. "Put it on the mats set on the balcony floor, please," she told them. When they did, she slipped a $10 bill to each of them. "Thank you gentlemen." The two men returned her thanks and left the hotel room.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"You've been sitting here since lunchtime. You need a break." Tomoyo took him by the wrist and dragged him to the balcony. "I thought it'd be nice to dine under the stars." She left the sliding door open, turned the radio to a light rock station, and then rejoined him. She sat upon the mats. "Sit, sit," she instructed as she poured the drink into two cups.
"I told you no more alcohol," he warned her.
"I know," she said, turning the bottle to him, "So I got apple cider instead." Tomoyo held her glass up. "A toast: to…"
"To us," he finished, and then took a sip, his eyes still on her.
She sheepishly smiled, and took a sip. "Yes." She pulled off the trays' covers, revealing cheese stuffed rigatoni pasta. They ate happily, with laughter and jokes.
"Eriol-kun, I think you should give up."
"Why?" he asked, sipping the cider. They had finished eating a while ago.
"You said you would discover the real me before I leave; I'm leaving in 4 days."
"You're still here, so I have--."
"Wait," Tomoyo interrupted him.
Just when I believed I couldn't ever want for more
This ever-changing world pushes me through another door
I saw you smile
And my mind could not erase the beauty of your face
Just for a while
Won't you let me shelter you
"I love this song," she cooed.
An idea struck Eriol. "Care to dance?" he said as he stood. He held out his hand.
She smiled and then took it. He helped her up. They danced closely, almost cheek to cheek as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist. He guided her through the rhythm of the music.
Hold on to the nights
Hold on to the memories
I wish that I could give you something more
That I could be yours
How could we explain something that took us by surprise
Promises in vain, love that is real but in disguise
What happens now
Do we break another rule
Let our lovers play the fool
I don't know how
To stop feeling this way
Hold on to the nights
Hold on to the memories
I wish that I could give you something more
That I could be yours
The salt smell of the ocean came through the air. Eriol pulled her body closer to him. He took in the senses around him: he could feel her hair, which lingered with a vanilla scent, tickling his cheek. Her heartbeat quickened and he could slightly feel it against his own chest.
Well, I think that I've been true to everybody else but me
And the way I feel about you makes my heart long to be free
Everytime I look into your eyes, I'm helplessly aware
That the someone I've been searching for is right there
Hold on to the nights
Hold on to the memories
I wish that I could give you something more
That I could be yours
Tomoyo's eyes wandered. She tried to maintain composure. Being so close to Eriol was almost maddening to her body. She tried to think of a way to refocus. "Pool," she uttered.
"Excuse me?" he tried to clarify.
"The waterfall pool," she said. From the balcony, she could see the 15ft. man-made waterfall that emptied out into a 5-foot pool.
"You want to go now?" he asked, almost in disbelief.
"Yes," she answered. "It's not busy there."
"Ok, if you insist." He let go of her and headed for the bedroom. He pulled out his dark trunks and a light blue button down shirt. He changed quickly in the bathroom, and then waited for Tomoyo.
She, on the other hand, was having a nightmare of picking a swimming suit. She had brought 5: red string bikini, black one piece, green tankini with matching shorts, silver high-cut bikini or a purple one-piece with a side cut-out. She spent about ½ hour, trying to decide which one. She wanted to impress him, so it was either the red or silver. However, she wasn't ready to be so daring, so she stuck with the silver. She wrapped a black sarong around her waist and then headed out of the bedroom.
She found Eriol, lying on the couch, eyes closed. His glasses were off and his breathing was steady. He must have been asleep. She had approached him, admiring his handsome features. He looked absolutely perfect, with the cutest chiseled nose. His hair was a dark shade of blue, just like the night sky. Tomoyo found herself staring and coming closer to his lips. Then, she touched her lips with his, feeling the spark she anticipated.
Eriol's eyes shot open and pulled back. He had dosed off but quickly woke up after realizing warmth on his lips. His expression read shock and confusion.
Tomoyo's heat pounded in her chest. She had no idea what came over her. So, she did what she could to get out of the situation. "I guess you must be asleep. I'll go by myself then." She quickly slipped on her flip-flops, grabbed a towel and her keys and ran out of the hotel room.
Why, why, why? Why did she do something so stupid? Did passion really completely blind her? Tomoyo found herself in front of the pool. The pool lights were on and the waterfall cascaded down the rocks. Slowly, Tomoyo untied her sarong and set it down on a beach chair, along with her other things. She jumped into the pool, dunked her head and resurfaced. She took a deep breath and swam under the waterfall. She immerged between the cascade and rocks. The space was only about 2 ½ feet wide but here, she could hide and think of her stupidity. She stood in the water, its level barely touching her chin.
But she wouldn't be alone for long. She saw a shadow swimming towards her. When it surfaced, her eyes locked with his azure ones. Run…swim…Tomoyo thought but her legs wouldn't budge. His eyes trapped her, froze her. He moved closer to her, his back away from the falls. The first words that came out of his mouth was "Why?" To him, it sounded a bit silly, but it made her nervous. "What happened back at the room?"
"I…I'm sorry," she muttered. "I know that was wrong. I'm sure that you're still dedicated to Kaho--."
Eriol placed one hand against the rock wall and another on her cheek. "I realized, as I danced with you, that Kaho isn't always on my mind. Not anymore…"
"Eriol-kun…" Tomoyo closed her eyes when she noticed him lean forward. He kissed her mouth, tasting her lips. Their kiss was sweet, yet intense. Their passion burned, heating their bodies under the waterfall. They shared their hidden desires and held each other, long into the night.
…to be continued^_^
Author's jibberish: First and foremost, the song is "Hold on to the Nights" by Richard Marx. Woo wee, that scene under the waterfall…E+T should really get their hormones in check…just kidding. Anyway, please R+R