Author's Notes:
I wanted to put this chapter up really quick because the last chapter was a bad cliffy in a whole. I know. You want to kill me right this moment. Don't worry. It gets better….or worse. ^^
tina B: MY fic made you cry…now it makes me want to cry too. ^^ Thanks for reading!
bishounen_lovah: I wasn't able to answer your last review, gomen ^^ Anyway, I know a lot of people are going to kill me…^^ And your opinion proved to be not so wrong at all.
Darkshadowheartless and Clownsareevil: Hmm..update in a week, I'll try okay? And I never knew Darkshadowheartless was female…^^
Pierce-Reader21: Malfoy? Waitaminute…. *suddenly remembers her CCS spin-off of HP. ^^* Anyway, okay, I'll send it to you then.
KyteAura: DON'T POKE ERIOL!!!!! . Yeah, Tomoyo would be better off with someone since Eriol is being a dumb heck of a man. Maybe I should just…
Roque Angel Barton: Umm…thanks for loving this fic, and here's the next chappie ^^
raven: Ahhh! I'm suffocating! Don't –gah– force me too much… x.x LOL…kidding. You'll find the answers to your questions soon enough.
call-me-PRINCESS: Hmm, never saw that movie but I hope it is great. And of course, you got your wish and I wrote more…more confusions…heheh…
Sakura Angel: Suspicious of who? Me? Don't worry, I'll finish this fic ^^ Anyway, Eriol is not going to kill Tomoyo…but….^^ (yeah we all hate cliffies)
Ruby-servantof-eli: No, Ruby-san, you are not wrong…^^;;; He is really trying to make Tomoyo another Kaho ^^
manda: Umm…yeah, I really fear people who go ballistic. I just watched a movie with that title starring Lucy Liu and it was…ballistic! ^^ Anyway, no, I am not going to kill off Tomoyo…not really.
crystal~heart: The only way you could find answers to your questions is by reading this chapter ^^
Polgara-C: mystery? I told something about a mystery…hahaha….okay, I forgot…
To those whom I haven't answered the reviews, I am really sorry. I kinda posted the next chapter before I saw your reviews so I wasn't able to write my answers down.
A bit of request before I let you read the chapter: Please, do not flame me. ^^ Jaa!
Caress of Venus
By: nikki hiiragizawa
CHAPTER 11: Odds
Eriol quietly closed the front door and gave Nakuru his coat. He looked towards Tomoyo. "Are you alright, Tomoyo?"
"Huh?" the young woman enthusiastically nodded. "Yes. I…I probably got tired." She nodded to Eriol. "De wa, I shall go to bed." Tomoyo turned around and proceeded to go upstairs when she felt a grip on her arm. Puzzled, she looked back. "Eriol…"
The young man stepped forward and took Tomoyo in his arms. He planted a light kiss on her lips and smiled. "I just have this thought," he said.
More puzzled, the girl nodded. "Yes, and?"
"That you are hiding something from me that you do not wish to tell me."
Tomoyo held up her hands and smiled. "Me? No. Why would I ever do that to you?" She held Eriol's hand on her arm, and stared at the grim face of her lover.
"Have I done something to offend you?" he gently asked. "You know I would never want to hurt you again, Tomoyo and…"
"Don't worry." Tomoyo leaned on the young man's shoulder. "You never did anything wrong. I just…well…" She paused. She cannot say that she was becoming uncomfortable of how Eriol was behaving. He's reacting way different from before. "I just….uhm…feel sleepy, that is all." She released herself from his grasp and went upstairs.
"Eriol," she muttered as she ascended the stairs. "What the heck is wrong with you?" She turned left and entered her room. "I don't know why, but I feel more comfortable when you are a little colder to me the same way you have been before, rather than being too sweet yet so…insincere…" She turned on the light to her room and sighed.
When she looked up, she found herself in a deeper surprise than before.
+++
"Nakuru?" The pink-haired girl dropped the broom she was carrying and smiled as she faced her mistress. "What is it, Tomoyo-san?"
Tomoyo's face was creased with a frown. "I was just wondering, did you rearrange my room all of a sudden?"
"Uh, hai!" Nakuru said as she resumed on sweeping the floor, not removing her eyes on the floor.
The young woman on the stairs looked down to the housekeeper. "Well, I just…Nakuru…I just want to ask you something about the room. Could you come up for a little while?"
Nodding, Nakuru carried her broom and followed her mistress upstairs, biting her lip nervously.
+++
Eriol closed the door of his study. He had heard Tomoyo call for Nakuru a while ago. Now, she bade the housekeeper to come with her to her room.
It seems Nakuru had arranged her room, he mused. He stared from the door to his still-unfinished painting on the easel. Tomoyo, there is nothing more I wish for than your happiness.
Our happiness.
+++
Nakuru shifted her gaze from the room to her mistress. "Didn't you like it, Tomoyo-san?"
"It's not that I do not like it," Tomoyo stated. "It's just that, you don't arrange my room like this before." She walked inside and held the curtains up. "You told me yourself that you do not like maroon draperies, so why use them now?" She walked towards the dresser. "And candles? I never asked for candles before. What are they here for?"
The pink-haired girl shrugged. "I just thought that…it my help you to…relax." She bowed her head. "Gomen nasai. I'll try to take it out if you do not want it."
Tomoyo heaved a sigh and walked to Nakuru. "Let this rest. I didn't mean to be so demanding. Sorry." She glanced around the room once more. Her room was completely different from her room before. Her white curtains were gone, replaced by dark, maroon draperies. Her electric lamp on her night table was replaced by candles and a Japanese lantern. "I just thought this sudden change to my room was weird…very weird."
Nakuru scuffled a foot and turned away. Tomoyo raised a brow. "Anou, Tomoyo-san…"
"Eriol told you to redesign my room?" Tomoyo asked.
"Well…"
"Spill it, Nakuru, for Kami's sake!"
"Hai! He did!" Nakuru shut her eyes.
Tomoyo supported herself against the wall of her room. "Now why would Eriol want to change the design of my room?"
"I – I do not have any idea, Tomoyo-san." Seeing that Nakuru was near tears, Tomoyo thanked and dismissed her.
What is wrong? She asked herself as she closed the door and reviewed her room once more. Is there something Eriol is not telling me?
+++
"Did she get angry?"
Nakuru shook her head. "No, sir. She just waved me away."
The young man thoughtfully adjusted his glasses. "Thank you. You may go now, Nakuru."
"Eriol-sama?"
"Yes?" Eriol parted his curtains and looked down to the moonlit garden.
Nakuru held her broom tightly. "Why are we doing this?"
"I do not know Nakuru. But it is for everyone."
+++
Sakura straightened her hair and sighed before taking another cookie from the plate. "You know I told you black doesn't look too great on you."
"I know." Tomoyo fiddled with the ribbon of her black dress. "But Eriol bought me this dress two days ago and he'll ask me why I do not want to wear it."
"What a pain." Sakura took one of Tomoyo's hands in hers. "Are you sure he is treating you right?"
The purple-eyed girl nodded. "In fact, he was very amiable towards me. But…"
"But?" Sakura murmured thanks as Tomoyo refilled her glass with pomelo juice.
"But I do not know if he's really serious with me. He hadn't talked about anything about our relationship….or about marriage."
Tomoyo's friend held her chin. "I wonder…it all seems so weird."
"I know." Tomoyo stood up and moved towards the other sofa nearer to the window. "Do you mind if I continue my knitting while we talk?"
"No, not really…huh?" Sakura almost dropped her glass. "You actually know how to knit? I envy you! I have always been trying to…"
The hostess gave a laugh. "Actually, Eriol persuaded me to take up knitting. He told me I'll get bored here if I do not have anything to do." She daintily picked up her knitting and slowly went through it.
"So Eriol-kun wanted you to knit huh." Sakura shook her head in exasperation as she popped another cookie in her mouth. "Why are you sitting there?" she asked Tomoyo. "Why don't you sit here? The light is better if you sit here beside me. Besides, I want to learn hoe you quickly knit those stuff." She giggled.
Tomoyo faintly smiled. "Gomen. But Eriol told me that when I knit, I must always remember to sit in this chair."
"Why?" This time, Sakura was serious enough to question her friend. "Why would he say that?"
"Well," Tomoyo laid her knitting on her lap and made a face. "He told me that I would be more comfortable if I use this chair and that the lighting would be better." She bit her lip and went on seeing what she had knitted so far.
Sakura waved a hand. "Why don't you just tell me that he didn't give you any reason at all?"
"Uh…"
"Just as I thought." The brown-haired girl puffed out her cheeks. "Mou! What is his problem!"
Although Tomoyo wanted to ask that question herself, she decided to keep quiet. It would not help to encourage Sakura with more complaints, otherwise, she might pummel Eriol with pillows again. "Don't mind it, Sakura. Why don't we just walk in the garden?"
"Walk in the garden? At nine o' clock in the morning?" Sakura wished that Tomoyo was in proper disposition. "Are we going to burn into a crisp or are we going to sing for rain?"
Tomoyo tied her hair in a ponytail and held up a hat for her friend. "A bit of sun is really good for your skin. Besides, I have to go visit the daisies."
Sakura grumbled inwardly as she followed Tomoyo outside. "I thought you hated daisies and would prefer tulips instead…" she muttered.
"Yeah. But Eriol loves them," Tomoyo cheerfully replied. "It was his wish for me to grow daisies."
Green eyes followed the young woman tending the plants worriedly. Sakura really wished to say what she feels but it might offend Tomoyo. "Tomoyo-chan, aren't you a bit odd with all these changes?" she started. She squatted very carefully down beside Tomoyo who held a small rake in one hand. "I mean, you used to be a home buddy and if you are ever outside, that is to go boating and hiking and stuff. Why the change now?"
"I don't know," Tomoyo's answer came. "These changes really made Eriol and I really close and I prefer to be this way close to him." She laughed slightly. "Besides, if I would be the next Mrs. Hiiragizawa then I should learn how to behave right. Could you help me weed these?"
"What do you mean behave right?" Sakura demanded as she half-heartedly tugged on a weed. "Does Eriol-kun placed on you a set of rules to be his loving, dedicated wife? Besides, he didn't even imply a marriage proposal to you." Sighing, she gave up on the weed who refused to be uprooted and stood up. "I don't understand you, Tomoyo-chan. Are you sure you are alright?" She suddenly looked up as thunder rolled faintly.
"Why would I be not alright?" Tomoyo replied as she stood up, too. "It's starting to rain. We better go inside."
Sakura ran with her to the front door. She looked up and saw the clouds starting to gather and darken. "I guess I should go. It's lunchtime and Father is cooking for us. I better not leave Syaoran too long with Onii-chan too." She giggled at the thought.
Tomoyo waved good bye to her friend and retired inside. Her smiled faded as she saw her knitting on the sofa.
She never liked embroidery and all sorts of cloths stuff. She never wanted to learn knitting. But Eriol forced it on her, and told her that it was for the best that she knew the craft by heart.
Although she didn't know how it will benefit her, she decided to take it up anyway.
Hikes to the park were eventually forbidden, too and picnicking with friends were prohibited. Eriol said she should not go out except for weekends, for it would seem unfair for him who works five days a week.
There were also these drastic changes Eriol imposed on both Nakuru and Tomoyo. The rooms, specifically Tomoyo's were changed, and the dinner habits too. Every night, after dinner, Tomoyo and Eriol have to sit in the living room where they would talk about lots of things….
Even when they do not have anything to talk about.
The young woman softly let out a long breath and proceeded upstairs where Nakuru was cleaning up.
+++
"Nakuru?" The housekeeper jumped as she heard her mistress' voice behind her.
She turned around slowly and pasted a smile on her face. "Yes, Tomoyo-san? Do you need anything?"
"I just wanted to ask," Tomoyo said as she leaned by the windowsill of the room Nakuru was cleaning, "what your previous mistress was like."
"Well…" Nakuru hesitated for a moment, as if trying to think if she would answer or not.
The young mistress decided to push the girl to speaking. "I just want to know, you know, what she and Eriol did before, so that I'll know how to make Eriol happy.""
Nakuru sat down on the bed. "Well, all I know is that she is a very kind person, Miss Kaho is. She would help me with the gardening and told me that she loved the daises so much."
"She seemed to like chores, yes?"
"Oh, she very like you, Tomoyo-san," Nakuru said, at once energized by Tomoyo's encouragement. "She likes to knit by the window and watch people passing by. Rests her eyes, she would say. She loves doing the laundry too and would sometimes help me with the cooking."
"Cooking, really?" Tomoyo said, appearing to be very interested. "What is her best dish, if I may ask?"
Nakuru held a finger to her mouth. "Well, if I can remember well, I think it's chicken fricassee."
"Oh." Tomoyo smiled at their housekeeper. "Please do tell me more about her. She seemed to be a very interesting person."
"Hmm…Eriol-sama used to ask her why she wouldn't go out on weekdays, and she said that it was because she would rather wait for Eriol-sama to finish work rather than to go out alone." Sometimes they would just sit in the study and paint." Nakuru let out a nervous laugh. "I remember one time, Eriol-sama painted Miss Kaho while she was knitting."
"Knitting?" Tomoyo turned her face away from the housekeeper so as to hide her anxiety.
"Hai," Nakuru answered. "The painting on the second floor is the one I am talking about."
Suddenly remembering her own knitting and thanking Nakuru, Tomoyo left the pink-haired girl and went out of the room. Walking through the second floor corridor, she instinctively looked for the painting.
And there it was, a small frame hanging near Eriol's room.
Tomoyo never noticed it before because of its size, but interest captuired her and made her study the painting. The woman in the picture was knitting as she sat down on the cherry-colored sofa. Her face was calm and inviting, almost expecting the onlooker to come and join her. However, Tomoyo was far from enticed by the handsome invitation made by Kaho in the picture.
The sofa the woman was sitting on was still in the living room; and it was the sofa Tomoyo sat down on moments ago.
The one Eriol asked her to use.
Tears started to fall. The table under the picture suddenly felt the warm liquid trickling on its smooth surface. Biting her lower lip, the girl gave one last look at the painting with her purple eyes before whirling around to go to her room.
+++
Dinner was unusually quiet, but Eriol didn't seem to mind. Tomoyo watched him with almost fearful eyes, until the young man looked up.
"Is there something you wish to tell me, Tomoyo?" he silently said before sampling Nakuru's buttered peas and carrots.
The young woman across him swallowed before answering. "Well, Eriol…I…"
Eriol hinted a tinge of anxiety in the girl's voice so he decided to give her a little push. "You know I would listen to anything you say, love. Please say what is on your mind."
"Well," Tomoyo said as Nakuru took away her plate to refresh it with the next course. "I wanted to ask you for something, but I do not know if you would, like, agree."
"What is it?" Eriol wanted to know. He called for another round of red wine before attentively leaning nearer to his lover.
Purple eyes skimmed over the young man's feature before dropping their gaze to the young woman's lap. Slowly, Tomoyo came to a decisive point. "I was thinking…of requesting you…to paint me."
A fork clattered on the table. Eriol quickly apologized and wiped his hands with his table napkin. "Ah, why so suddenly, Tomoyo?" He smiled faintly at the woman.
"I don't know," Tomoyo admitted as she thoughtfully sank her fork on a beefsteak. "I just wanted you to paint me, that's all." She looked worriedly at Eriol. "If you do not want to it's OK, I really don't…"
"It's fine." Eriol smiled at her before reaching out to take her hand. "I will paint a picture more beautiful than you."
Shakily, Tomoyo smiled.
+++
"Jaa! I'll see you at dinner! Bye!" Tomoyo watched the door close before her. As usual, Eriol left early for a meeting with the museum's board of directors and trustees.
This was the perfect time.
Nakuru was out shopping for groceries, and Eriol was out, too. Pressing her lips to a thin line, Tomoyo carefully opened the door of Eriol's study.
Eriol promised her a week ago that he would paint her, but there had been no invitation from him to let her pose. He told her that it was to be a surprise. However, Tomoyo cannot withhold her curiosity for long.
She remembered how Sakura narrated the various events where Eriol gave people his paintings as gifts.
And Eriol loved her. Surely, he would paint a picture of her in no time at all….maybe he meant to surprise her really well.
Half-smiling, she looked for some new paintings that would hold some clue as to what type of picture of her Eriol would be painting.
There were no new paintings.
Tomoyo frowned slightly. There was no way there were no started works. Eriol began sleeping late since she requested for a picture, so there must be something…
She eyed the covered painting on the easel.
What if Eriol used the old background to paint her? Tomoyo could feel excitement throbbing in her. Maybe Eriol knew how she loved the backdrop of the old painting and decided to use it. Maybe the Caress of Venus will be her…
She lifted the cover.
At the center of the painting, a new layer has been added. It now contained a picture of a young woman, standing with hands behind her back.
She wore the black dress Eriol always loved to see Tomoyo wear.
She wore the thin stripe of a pin Tomoyo used to wear with the dress.
And she had the most scarlet eyes and hair anyone has ever seen.
Tomoyo covered her partly-opened mouth and ran out of the room to her bedroom.
She could not believe it! Cannot possibly believe it! She pounded the pillows with both of her hands. Had Eriol betrayed her for so long? Using her? Insulting her?
Her breath came in short gasps, until she could hardly breathe at all.
Eriol didn't really love her.
He just saw her as a model of someone who was another being.
Sniffing, Tomoyo stood up and faced the mirror on her dresser. Was she so bad that Eriol saw her as someone other than Daidouji Tomoyo?
Tears fell anew and she moved her hand to wipe the fallen tears on the dresser surface when she found a card lying among her make-up and combs.
On the card was a name of a familiar person she had met…long time ago.
Fisting her hands, she ran downstairs and picked up the phone. Slowly, she punched the number printed on the card under the name.
One ring…
Two rings…
Three rings…
"Hello, this is NG corporation, may I help you?" a female voice on the other line stated.
Tomoyo steadied her shaking voice and took a deep breath. "Hello. May I speak to Tohma Seguchi-san please? Please tell him it's Daidouji Tomoyo."
There was only one thing left to do before she goes crazy, she thought as she gripped the phone hard as she waited for the secretary's approval.
Leave.
TBC…
Author's Notes:
. Okay, I know I am a very very very bad girl. ^.^ Sue me….hehehehe…
Anyway, I felt I wanted to kill Eriol for the first time….*grrrrrrrr*
I hope this chapter enlightened you a lot, though.
Reviews move my fingers….^.^
