Previously: (always wanted to do that ^^)
Damn, can't find anything to tell you a bit about it…
Oh well.
On to the story…
Love Doesn't Age
Part two:
"For richer for poorer; in sickness and in health; to have and to cherish,"
//Every time I look at you, I just want to hold you forever, never let you go. But I gave up that chance.
I want to say that I miss you, that I want you back, but there's everything else that stopping me, my past, who I am and you.
If I were given another chance, I would do things differently, say things differently. I'd love you as me, not my other half.
But the problem is I can't change the past.
So I'll watch from afar from now, hoping against hope that you'll turn this way and notice that I can change.//
Tomoyo walked to her car, keys dangling in her hand as they moved back and forth with the motion of her steady graceful walk.
She sighed to herself, remembering the day's antics.
Slowly she raised her keys to the doors locked but someone stepped from the shadows, holding her hand down.
Tomoyo jumped in fear, a chill from the hand running down her spine.
She looked up to find a stranger, but instead saw two all-too-familiar eyes.
"We need to talk…" the man said softly.
Gently he took her hand and led her away from the car park.
Tomoyo walked silently, hugging her arms to her chest.
"Why are you avoiding me, Tomoyo."
"Isn't that what we agreed…" Tomoyo said softly.
"I just thought that we were over that point and could go back to being friends…"
"We are over it," Tomoyo replied bluntly, sitting down on a swing, Eriol sitting beside her.
"Then can't we just go back to being friends?"
"It's not that simple, when…when I lost the baby, I lost a part of me, and I'm still not over that…"
"So where does that leave us??"
"Us??"
Eriol nodded.
"I guess that for the moment, there's no 'us'. Not until I get myself settled. You on the other hand, should move on… Find a girl, get married, have children, isn't that what you always wanted?" Tomoyo said softly.
"Yeh," Eriol looked at her, his eyes lighting up, "I've already found the perfect girl."
"Really??" Tomoyo said trying to fight back the sadness in her voice. "Dare?"
"Oh, she's very special…"
"Are you two serious??"
Eriol smiled and looked down at his feet, "She knows how I feel, I'm just waiting on her…"
Tomoyo forced a smile, "I'm happy for you, that girl would be really stupid to not return your feelings…"
"Aa…" Eriol mumbled.
"I better get home, I need to feed my cat," Tomoyo said getting up.
Eriol stood up and grabbed her wrist pulling her back, "Matte. Can I meet up with you tomorrow??" he asked, eyes burning hers.
Tomoyo looked up at him, her breathing shaky, "Sure…" she said softly, her voice quivering, "I have to go now…" she said, as he let go of her wrist and watched her walk back through the darkness.
Tomoyo turned and walked quickly, once again hugging her arms close to her. She walked quickly, hoping he wouldn't call her again to see the tears run down her cheeks.
The alarm rang continuously, Tomoyo groaning as she turned over and pressed the slumber button.
Neko- chan jumped up onto the bed, rubbing against Tomoyo's face.
"Go away, Neko-chan, it's Saturday…" Tomoyo mumbled.
Downstairs she could hear the doorbell ringing endlessly.
"Go away!!!!" she yelled towards the stairs.
"Tomoyo!! Tomoyo-chan!!! Are you in??!!!"
Tomoyo sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Shimatta…" she cussed, getting out of bed and walking down stairs, running her fingers through her matted hair, trying to get it to stay in place.
She opened the door to find Eriol at her doorstep.
"Eriol!!" she said surprised, pulling her night gown closer to her body.
"Oh! Gomen nasai, I didn't know you were sleeping…"
Tomoyo shook her head, then looked down, "Please, come in, I'll be ready in a minute."
Eriol looked around the familiar surroundings as she went upstairs towards her bedroom.
"Did the guard let you in??" Tomoyo called, shedding her nightgown.
"Aa… He still remembered me. You haven't changed a thing here."
Tomoyo came trotting down the stairs, "Haven't gotten rid of the stairs either."
Eriol turned away and looked out the window, "The way you talk about it…it's like you don't care."
"How am I going to face it if I can't talk about it."
Eriol quietened and looked Tomoyo up and down.
Fitting black pants, black shirt and red overcoat. Simple and elegant; always was her style.
As she popped a black beret on she turned to Eriol, "Shall we go??"
"Sure." he replied, snapping out of his trance
Tomoyo walked beside Eriol, his figure alone by her side, burning her. She couldn't stand it, she wanted to be held in his arms, she wanted to be back to the way things were.
But she couldn't. She could only walk with her arm in his, like a pair of friends because he wasn't hers anymore.
She should've known he wouldn't wait around for her. She shouldn't have thought that she'd leave that much of an impression in his heart.
"Breakfast??" Eriol offered, breaking her steady stream of thoughts.
"Huh?? Oh hai."
Tomoyo sat opposite Eriol, poking and prodding at the scrambled eggs, moving them from left to right.
Eriol watched her contently as she made a face every now and then, the food not up to her standard.
"Not good enough??" he asked impishly.
"Hardly anything is…" Tomoyo replied back, a smile on her face.
"So where do you want to go after here??" Eriol asked, cutting another slice from his pancakes.
"I was thinking that since we were in this area we'd go visit Sakura-chan."
"Sakura-san lives around here??"
Tomoyo shook her head, "Her main bridal design shop is around here."
"Bridal design??"
"Funny huh?? How I was the one who would always design clothes for her yet she's the one who's the fashion designer…" Tomoyo sighed.
"Whereabouts is her shop??"
"Oh, about a block down…" Tomoyo said eyeing his half eaten plate of pancakes.
Eriol looked at her and smiled, "D'you want the rest??"
Tomoyo smiled broadly, excepting the plate from his hands.
Tomoyo and Eriol were greeted by a flurry of moving objects and what seemed to be hundred of people crammed into a small space. Eriol felt Tomoyo cringe beside him, the busy environment too much for her as she clung to his arm tightly.
"Daidouji-san!!" A familiar voice called out over the hustle.
Tomoyo broke into a smile, "Li-kun!! It's so good to see you!!" she smiled as Syaoran approached them, his newborn son cradled in his arms.
"Hao Rong…" Tomoyo exclaimed caressing the sleeping baby's face, "I wish I could be like him and ignore it all" Tomoyo sighed.
Syaoran glanced over to Eriol, nodding in a greeting.
"Where's Ying Rou??"
"With her mother, coping marvelously with the chaos." Syaoran sighed.
"They're very alike," Tomoyo giggled as she let go of Eriol's arm and made her way through the people rushing about.
Eriol stood beside Syaoran, looking at the sleeping baby, a chestnut mop of hair like his father. "Congratulations…"
"Thanks…" Syaoran replied
"You're lucky… to have a family."
"You'll have one too someday. Don't worry about it." he said looking over to Eriol and giving a reassuring smile.
"You've changed a lot since you married her…" Eriol smiled slyly, getting a whack over the head in response.
"Baka…" Syaoran mumbled, turning back to Hao Rong.
"Tomoyo-oji!!" Ying Rou's sweet little voice could be heard over the din.
"Ying Rou-chan!!" Tomoyo said sweeping the little girl up in a huge embrace, secretly wishing she had her own daughter. "O Genkii desu ka??"
Ying Rou beamed, nodding energetically, taking Tomoyo's hand and leading her through the mass of people.
" 'kaasan is taking pictures but she's getting angry now since her models didn't show up…" Ying Rou explained knowledgably.
Tomoyo looked up and could see Sakura standing at the other side of the room, barking out orders.
"Sakura-chan!!" She called out over the room.
Sakura's face darted towards Tomoyo's direction, her face lighting up at the sight of her best friend and she strode across the room, people moving out of the way immediately.
"Tomoyo-chan, it's great to see you!"
Tomoyo smiled, "Great to see you too, how long has it been??"
Sakura pondered for a moment, "I think I saw you yesterday."
"I think I saw you too!!" Tomoyo replied, the two of them bursting into a fit of giggles, Eriol and Syaoran watching them in confusion.
Sakura suddenly looked up and saw Eriol standing beside Syaoran. She looked from Eriol to Tomoyo, then to Syaoran who shook his head in puzzlement.
"What are the two of you doing here??"
"We went for breakfast and then since we were in the area we decided we'd come and visit you." Tomoyo explained, Ying Rou cuddled in her arms.
Suddenly Sakura broke into a grin, looking from Tomoyo to Eriol. "I have a job for you…" she said slyly.
"Dame da yo, Sakura-chan!!!"
"Doushite!?"
"Because!!"
"Because isn't an answer, Tomoyo-chan…"
"Sakura-chan, don't be so mean!!"
"Me? Mean?"
"Hai!!
"Demo, for a long time I didn't complain when you dressed me up and filmed me!!"
"Demo…"
"It's only a picture for a magazine!! Just do me this favour!! You've been a model before!!"
"This is different!!"
"Doushite?"
"It's a wedding dress!!!"
Sakura dragged Tomoyo out of the dressing room, the white gown matching with her dark hair and eyes.
Tomoyo caught sight of Eriol standing in front of the cameras, ready for the photo shoot. He glanced at her, a glazed looked covered his eyes, turning his face a tomato red, Tomoyo doing the same.
"Come on!!" Sakura pleaded, dragging her along, "It'll only be just this once."
"Dame!!" Tomoyo yelled in return
"Onegai, Tomoyo-chan, onegai!!"
Tomoyo sighed and allowed Sakura to drag her in front of the cameras.
"This once, Sakura-chan…" she confirmed
"Hai!" Sakura smiled, a pleased look on her face.
She picked up a camera and began snapping 'the happy couple' but soon groaned in annoyance.
"You know, usually 'happy couples' are happy!"
"I am happy!!" Tomoyo said forcing a smile.
"Tomoyo, don't be so difficult!!"
"Difficult? Me? Sakura-"
Eriol's arms sliding around Tomoyo's waist cut her off. "Let's not say something we'll regret, ne?" he whispered into her ear, "Now smile into the camera and cherish those happy memories." He said kissing her cheek softly as Sakura calmed down and began to photograph them again.
Tomoyo walked down the street awkwardly, Eriol looking quite content.
"Why'd you do that??" she asked softly.
"Do what??"
"Why'd you stop me from speaking my mind??"
"It wasn't what you were thinking."
"How do you know?"
"The words that you were going to say came in rage, not what you've always had in mind."
"How do you know that??"
"I was married to you for three years, I didn't just live with you and not learn those little give away signs." He smiled
Tomoyo looked down at the pavement. "We shouldn't have taken those photos." She said softly.
Eriol stopped and looked down at Tomoyo, lifting her chin so that his eyes met hers. "Why?"
"Because…because…" Tomoyo stuttered, intimidated by the deep stare of his eyes.
"Because??"
"You should take those photos with some one who's special and important enough. I don't believe in pretending."
Eriol smiled, "You are very important to me, Tomoyo, if not, one of the most important people in my life."
"You mean I 'was'" Tomoyo said sadly, "I'm not important in anyone's life anymore. Even Sakura doesn't count me as one of the most important people in her life anymore…"
"No, I mean you 'are'. You've always been one of the most important people in my life and you always will be. Don't go and think that you don't deserve something because you're not important enough."
Tomoyo smiled through her emerging tears and took Eriol's hand in hers as she continued walking.
Tomoyo stood in front of the nursery, watching as the nurses tended to the newborns.
She held back the tears as she remembered all of the appointments, all of the times she had seen her unborn child through pictures through a screen. She remembered she could imagine holding her child in her arms.
But she never made it to the hospital to give birth. She only made it to the hospital to be told that she'd lost her baby, that she'd lost part of her.
"D'you miss her??" Eriol's voice asked from behind her.
"How could I? I never even held her once…"
"I miss her…"
Tomoyo turned away from the glass. "I'm going to visit Chiharu…"
Eriol watched as Tomoyo walked down the hallway, a definite droop in her shoulders.
Tomoyo sat in the silence of her apartment, the pitter-patter of rain the only sound to be heard in the entire house.
She flipped through her photo album, looking at the pictures of Sakura's wedding she took at least 8 years ago.
She sighed deeply, reclining back on the couch, a smile on her face as she remembered how things used to be before they got so complicated.
*Flashback*
"Hayaku, hayaku, we'll be late."Tomoyo said hurrying Eriol who struggled with his bowtie.
She groaned in annoyance, trudging towards him as he still struggled with the bowtie.
"Sakura-chan will kill me if we're late. I'm the maid of honor for god's sakes, and here I am, late because my klutz of a husband can't do up a bow tie!" she groaned, tying the bowtie for him.
Eriol looked down at her, deep blue eyes smiling at her fondly.
"Nani??"
"Daisuki da yo..." he said softly, kissing her cheek.
Tomoyo smiled back, running her hand over his cheek. "Daisuki da yo." she answered, "Now, let's go...We're seriously late." she said dragging him out of the bedroom.
*End Of Flashback*
Suddenly the doorbell rang, ending her reminiscing.
She walked over to the door slowly, "I'm coming, wait a minute…"
She opened the door to Heizo who stood there, garment bag in his hand.
"Heizo-kun?? What are you doing here??"
"What do you think I'm doing here? Tonight…the charity ball…" he reminded her.
"Shimatta!!" she swore, "I totally forgot!!"
"Thought so," he smiled impishly, "Good thing I came early then."
Tomoyo glanced at her watch; 4 o'clock. She groaned, 3 and a half hours of an overbearing, controlling Heizo.
She sighed, "Well? What do I do first??"
Heizo beamed, "Knew you'd see the good side."
Tomoyo took the bag from him, heading toward her room, "More like the bad side if I didn't comply." She called to him an annoyed tone in her voice.
Tomoyo stepped out of the limousine and onto the awaiting red carpet, Heizo following behind.
The camera's flashed, buttons clicking, crowds screaming, reporters belting out questions.
Tomoyo smiled, slipping her arm into Heizo's, grinding her teeth nervously.
"Relax…" Heizo murmured.
"Hai, hai…" Tomoyo said, keeping her smile.
Tomoyo walked slowly to the entrance of the huge hall, her legs feeling like jelly.
The usher she was met by in the lobby took her coat, Heizo joining her to enter the hall.
The minute Tomoyo entered the huge hall, a gust of warmth surrounded her, feeling coming back to her numb limbs.
She turned to her left to find Heizo gone.
She turned around quickly. "Shimatta…" she swore, "Where is he??"
She gazed across the dance floor and saw 'him' standing there. Dressed in a tuxedo, looking as handsome as ever.
She gaze averted to the woman hanging onto his left arm.
'That must be her…' she thought, 'Eriol's beloved…'
As if he sensed her staring at her he turned in her direction, seemingly shocked at her appearance.
Tomoyo definitely felt like jelly now. Her legs shook, her breath rattled.
'No…' Tomoyo thought, 'He doesn't make me feel this way anymore… I don't love him anymore…I don't love him…. I…I…' Tomoyo's thoughts faltered.
Quickly she rushed to the lady's bathroom, seeking sanctuary from his boundless gaze.
'I don't love him… I don't…I can't…' Tomoyo reassured herself.
She saw the bathroom only metres away, relief washing through her, 'I'm safe…' she thought and almost screamed when someone grabbed her wrist.
She spun around, facing Eriol.
"Tomoyo…" he said, almost desperately.
"I have to go…" she said quickly, twisting her arms out of his grasp.
Tomoyo rushed into the lady's bathroom, sighing as she closed the door behind him.
If she didn't love him, what was it that she was feeling?