LOVE OF AGES
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 8.
~*~*~*~
"She did *WHAT*?!?!" Tomoyo hissed that night, after everyone had gone to the sitting room. Eriol had pulled her back into the dinning room after supper, and had asked to talk with her.
"She kissed me. She was giving me a massage to calm my nerves and she kissed me." Eriol groaned. Tomoyo put her hands on her hips and stared at him.
"What are you going to do about it?" She asked. He shrugged.
"I really don't know. I thought that I was sending her the 'just friendly' signal, but apparently, she took it the wrong way." He murmured. Tomoyo snorted.
"She takes a lot of things 'the wrong way'."
"What?"
"Nakuru told me a story the night Kaho came over. It seems that Kaho also put the moves on Touya and tried to get him into bed, *after* he and Nakuru were engaged." She finally admitted. Eriol's mouth dropped open.
"WHAT?!"
"Apparently she likes to play the field with rich guys...either that, or she switches love interests really fast." Tomoyo said sarcastically. Eriol dropped down into a chair.
"Did you like it?" She asked suddenly. He frowned.
"Like what?"
"Did you like her kissing you?" Tomoyo asked. Eriol wrinkled his nose a little, then thought back to the kiss.
"At the time I was too shocked to notice much of anything. Of course, that trail of kisses up my neck should have warned me..."
"Excuse me?" Tomoyo asked, her eyes flashing. Eriol flushed.
"It was like kissing my sister." He said finally. Tomoyo still looked angry.
"You could have pulled away."
"Would you have?" He asked. Tomoyo looked startled and her eyes grew confused.
"Going by that kiss you told me about, between you and Robert, I would say no." He said carelessly. Tomoyo blushed.
"So what are you going to do?" She asked quickly, changing the subject. He shrugged.
"Ignore the fact that it happened, I suppose. Maybe if I don't mention it, she won't feel inclined to do it again." He murmured. She nodded in agreement, then stood up. Eriol searched vainly for something to say.
"I saw Tyson and Naoko going out the front door a few moments ago. Where were they going?" He asked, as they walked back to the sitting room. Tomoyo grinned, her eyes back to sparkling.
"They went over to his home so he could give her a tour." She said slyly. Eriol's face also gained a sly grin and he chuckled.
"So how long do you think..."
"About another week." She answered. He looked taken aback.
"Why a week?"
"Because that is how long it's going to take me to convince Naoko that just because she grew up poor, doesn't mean that she can't have feelings for a rich man." She laughed. Eriol smirked and held out his arm, allowing her to take it.
"To matchmaking!" He boomed. She giggled.
"To matchmaking."
~*~*~*~
"Where have you been?"
Tomoyo and Meiling were curled up on Tomoyo's bed, staring over at Naoko, who had just entered the room. The brown-haired girl blushed at Meiling's question and averted her eyes.
"On a tour." She mumbled. Meiling looked confused, until Tomoyo whispered into her ear and they both got sly smiles.
"So...did you have a good time with your tour guide?" Meiling asked slyly. Naoko blushed even more and buried her head in her hands.
"Stop that, guys. It's not funny." She mumbled. Tomoyo laughed and pulled her over to the bed.
"Of course it is! You like him, don't you?" She asked slyly. Naoko couldn't have turned redder.
"Oh, Tomoyo! He is a very nice man, that's all. Besides, I highly doubt that he has taken any notice of me..."
"Oh no? Naoko, open your eyes. He's obviously attracted to you, and he hangs around you every time he gets the chance." Meiling stated. Naoko buried her head in her hands again, and Tomoyo quickly came to her rescue.
"Oh! Look at the time! I have a photo-shoot tomorrow morning! We had better go to bed." She murmured. Meiling nodded in agreement and quickly left, yelling 'goodnight' to them. Naoko too, said a quick 'goodnight' and then dashed to her own room, shutting the door tightly. Only then did she let out a sigh of relief.
Her earlier encounter with Tyson Burnside had been quite unsettling, owning to the fact that a) he was showing her his house, and b) he seemed to rely on her good opinion of his house. In every room he had asked her if she liked it and if there were any changes that she thought he should make on it. Not having much knowledge in the art of redecorating, Naoko had simply gaped at all the rich, beautiful rooms and told him that nothing needed to be changed.
Another thing that unnerved her was the fact that her friends seemed to think he had feelings for her. This, she knew, was impossible. He was a wealthy aristocratic businessman, and she was a poor writer/businesswoman, who had struggled every day of her life just to survive, before her books had become best-sellers. The rift that separated them was much too wide for anything such as her friends had suggested, to *ever* occur.
Right?
But as she got into bed that night, Naoko couldn't help but re-play everything that she had seen and heard in his home, through her mind. And just before she fell asleep, a memory of something sweet and tender lulled her into the land of the sandman.
/Sweet dreams, Naoko/
~*~*~*~
"Eriol? May I talk to you?" Tomoyo asked hesitantly the next afternoon. She had stopped by his office to ask him if he would join her for lunch again. He had agreed and they were now at that same little café, sitting at a small table in the corner. Tomoyo nervously stirred her the tea in her cup around with a spoon and tried not to meet his eyes.
"That *is* what we came here to do. What's the matter?" He asked, setting down the sandwich he was about to bite into. She nervously played with the spoon.
"There is something I didn't tell you last night..." She muttered. He frowned.
"What is it?"
"Robert asked me to marry him again. He's getting impatient and I don't think I can stall him much longer." She whispered. Eriol's hand jerked and it hit the salt shaker, causing it to teeter dangerously on the edge of the table. He quickly caught it and moved it back into place.
"You know my opinion, Tomoyo." He stated, forcing her to meet his eyes by putting his fingers gently under her chin. Her shoulders drooped.
"He won't let me go just for that. And mother was most insistent when I spoke to her last night..."
"What does your mother have to do with this?"
"She is the one instigating it." Tomoyo moaned, burying her face in her hands. Eriol sat back and folded his arms, looking at her thoughtfully.
"Do you want to marry him?" He asked. Tomoyo looked stunned.
"I...don't know. I suppose..."
"Tomoyo, like I said a few nights ago. 'Suppose' isn't good enough. You need to be loved. You *deserve* to be loved and to love back. Don't go for comfort, please!" Eriol picked his sandwich back up and took a bite, trying not to blow up at her stubbornness. Tomoyo sighed and sipped at her tea.
"Eriol, am I...am I pretty?" She asked softly. Eriol looked up, stunned.
"Of course you are. In fact, you are one of the most beautiful women of my acquaintance. Why?"
"I don't know. I guess I just feel...oh, never mind. It was a stupid question." Tomoyo sighed, picking at her salad. Eriol frowned and reached out to put his hand over hers.
"Tomoyo, I think I understand now. You are settling for Robert because you think nothing better will come along." He stated. Tomoyo nodded slowly and Eriol chuckled.
"You, of all people, shouldn't worry about that! There are plenty more men who would die to have you, and I am sure that one of them is the right one. Just wait. You're still young, Tomoyo...practically an infant. Don't try to spread your wings yet." He commanded. Tomoyo growled playfully and hit his arm.
"I am NOT an infant! I am eighteen, and I can quite take care of myself." She hissed, poking him in the chest. He grinned and batted her hand away.
"And I am twenty-one. I am older and know more than you, so to me, you are an infant, if not my best friend." He stated, his heart doing a strange twist as Tomoyo poked his chest again and glared.
"You'll pay for that! You get to pay the bill!" She stated, getting up and stalking out the door. With a laugh, Eriol quickly handed the waiter a couple pound-notes, then hurried out after her.
~*~*~*~
Naoko sank onto the comfortable couch in the sitting room and sighed. She had been all day at one of Tomoyo's photo-shoots, and had spent most of her time on the phone with the office back home. It had been quite stressful, and she was relieved to get home.
When she had arrived, she had learned that Touya had taken his wife and son out to dinner, and the same went for Eriol and Tomoyo, who took along Meiling and Omata. Sonomi and Milly had decided to catch up on old times, and they too, had gone out for the evening, leaving her alone...not that she minded. The quiet was nice.
With a small groan, she leaned her head back against the back of the couch and closed her tired eyes. Thoughts of the next story she was planning on writing were filtering through her head, and she was mentally organizing them into categories. That is why she did not hear anyone enter the room, nor did she notice that she was not alone until a strong pair of hands gently began to massage her shoulders. With a yelp, Naoko looked up, only to see the grinning face of Tyson Burnside looking down at her.
"Good evening, Ms. Naoko!" He crowed cheerfully, gently rubbing her shoulders. She smiled, but shifted uncomfortably.
"I didn't hear you come in." She murmured. He laughed.
"I could tell. You looked so tense, and now I can see I was right. You really need to relax." He murmured. Naoko smiled and decided to make the best of the situation by closing her eyes and sighing in contentment.
"Eriol asked me to keep an eye on you tonight. He told me that you had refused their offer of dinner, so I offered to come over and keep you company." He said conversationally. She smiled.
"Hum?"
"Yup. And I even brought over a dinner. It isn't much...I made it myself and I don't cook often, but it is one of my favorite meals. I thought that we could eat it in here, at that table over there." He indicated the round table in the corner of the room, which Naoko noticed now held a casserole dish and two plates, plus serving sets.
"You didn't have to do that for me!"
"Oh, but I wanted to! Come, I want you to try it!" He pulled her out of her seat and led her over to the table, grinning.
"It's tuna casserole. My old nurse taught me how to make it." He stated, as he spooned some delicious looking food onto her plate. It consisted of long, flat noodles and tuna in a rich, creamy sauce. There were peas mixed in, and as Naoko watched, he ground some fresh pepper onto her portion. He then sat down and motioned for her to do the same.
"It looks wonderful!" Naoko claimed, as she sat. Just as she did, Philipe came in holding a bottle of something. He put it on the table and then left them, smiling. Naoko looked at the bottle and realized that it was quite a well known brand of wine, quite expensive and quite good. He poured her some into a long, stemmed glass and then poured himself some.
"Eriol and I like to collect wines, just because of their pretty labels. But we like to open a bottle now and then." He grinned cheekily and took a sip, closing his eyes in bliss. She smiled and took a sip of her own. Instead of dry, like she had thought it would be, the wine was rather fruity with flavors of several fruits twining around each other delightfully.
"Mmm." She moaned, putting down the glass. He grinned and then dug into his meal. After quite a few comments about how good it was, they fell into talking about business and the newest products on the market, known to help businesses along.
Before they knew it, the wine was gone and the short hand on the clock was reading eleven p.m. Both of them had lapsed into a lazy conversation about legal documents, their cheeks slightly flushed from the wine. No, they were not drunk, just...mellowed.
But it was a fact that Naoko was no longer thinking about the social rift between them, which was just his intention. Eriol had mentioned Naoko's worry over this subject to him, and had warned him to go easy on the girl, since she seemed to insecure. So far, all of Tyson's plans had flopped, but this one was going quite smoothly. It had actually been him who had instigated all of the plans for everyone to go out. He had been sure that Naoko would refuse, and was counting on this.
Yes, if you haven't figured it out, Tyson Burnside had fallen in love with the shy Naoko, and was determined to make her see that she was no lower than him, nor was she any less attractive because of her past. Oh, no. Quite the opposite, actually...
"I had best be going. Everyone should be returning soon, and I really should get home to bed." He stated, standing up. Philipe had long ago taken their plates, silverware and the leftovers away, promising to take care of them. Naoko stood up as well, looking quite peaceful and relaxed, if not a bit tipsy. You see, Tyson was used to wine; Naoko wasn't.
"Thank you for coming. I've had a lovely night." She said, as he gently took her hand and kissed it. Naoko felt a blush rise to her cheeks as he gently pulled her closer.
"No, thank you for keeping me company. I was quite lonely, and I was glad to have someone to talk to." He murmured, his eyes trained on her face. Then the fell to her lips and stayed there. Naoko felt a shudder run through her as his hands slipped around her waist, pulling her closer.
"Tyson..." She trailed off as his lips descended towards hers. She managed a slight gasp before his lips covered her's warmly, caressing them gently. Naoko, who had never been kissed in her life, fell limp in his arms in delight of it. His hands stroked her back gently and she clung to his shoulders, her mind whirling.
The kiss seemed to last forever for both of them, but was over far too soon. With a moan of regret he pulled away, breathing hard. Naoko kept her eyes closed, trying to get over her dizziness but not succeeding very well. Tyson was in no better state. That kiss had been planned, yes, but it had been far more passionate than even he could have guessed, and filled with something far beyond passion.
Wondering what it was, he leaned down once more, capturing her lips again. This kiss was the same way, though a bit more bold. When they pulled back this time, Naoko couldn't even figure out which way was up, and Tyson had a goofy smile on his face.
"That was...nice." He muttered, as she pulled away and put a hand to her head. Naoko smiled weakly, but said nothing.
"I really should leave..." He trailed off, pulling her close again and placing feather light kisses on her lips. With a final, rocky resolve, he reluctantly pulled away and walked towards the door.
"Goodnight, my Naoko." He murmured, leaving the room and going to the front door, his wine-pleased mind still trying to process what had just happened. Then, as he walked across the grounds to his house, with a shock, it hit him.
"I just kissed the woman I love!" He shouted, letting out a whoop and pumping his fist in the air.
Back at Eriol's house, poor Naoko was still standing in the sitting room, her mind spinning. Had that really just happened? Had he just kissed her...several times? Or was it the effects of the wine? Whatever the reason, Naoko's body was now humming with a new-found awareness.
She slowly made her way up to her room and changed into her night-gown. After quickly brushing her teeth and washing her face (with *very* cold water), she threw herself into her bed.
"What have I done?" She whimpered. First she had drank wine, something almost unheard of for young people, in Japan. Second, she had kissed a man and loved every second of it. Third, it was a rich man she had kissed...a *very* rich man with money to burn...
"I am drunk." She groaned, burying her face into her pillows. But her thoughts would not allow her to sleep. Instead, the memory of his kisses filled her mind, causing her heart to pound.
/Goodnight, my Naoko/
~*~*~*~
The next morning, Tomoyo looked down at her watch, frowning. It was all ready eight thirty, and Naoko still wasn't up yet. All of the parties had returned home late, and Naoko had already gone to bed by that time. Eriol had informed all of them that Tyson had offered to come over and keep her company, so none of them were worried.
But now, Tomoyo was. Naoko was usually one of the first ones up in the morning, and it wasn't like her to be this late. With a sigh, Tomoyo stood up from the breakfast table and made her way to Naoko's room. Arriving there, she found the door unlocked, so she entered.
The room was completely dark, the heavy curtains pulled securely over the windows. The bed curtains were open, however, and a small mound underneath the warm covers alerted Tomoyo to the fact that her friend was still in bed. With swiftness like a cat, Tomoyo went over to the bed and gazed down at her friend. What she saw shocked her.
Naoko was pale, her hair was a mess, her silky nightgown was wrinkled horribly, and the covers of her bed were all twisted. All in all, Naoko looked like she had been through WWIII. With a firm resolve, Tomoyo gently shook her friend's shoulder.
"Naoko? Naoko!" She hissed. The brown-haired girl groaned and turned over, her eyes fluttering open. They were slightly blood-shot and tired-looking.
"Naoko, what happened?" Tomoyo asked, astonished. Naoko groaned and grasped her head.
"Quiet down, will you?" She moaned, closing her eyes. Tomoyo frowned.
"What happened?" Tomoyo asked in a softer voice. Naoko shook her head.
"I got drunk...or almost."
"You drank wine?! Naoko, why?"
"Tyson brought it over. It was so good, and we were only going to have a glass, but Philipe kept coming in and re-filling them. We weren't paying attention to how much we were drinking, and we finished the whole bottle." Naoko tried to remember everything. Meanwhile, Tomoyo was a mixture of amused and shocked.
"And then something happened and I kept thinking about it, so I didn't get to sleep till late." Naoko grumbled. Tomoyo choked.
"What happened?"
"He kissed me." Naoko's voice trailed off as she began to fall back to sleep.
"Kissed you!?!?"
"Um-hum. Several times..." Her voice ended and soft, regular breathing replaced it; Naoko had fallen back to sleep. Smiling, Tomoyo quickly got up and left the room.
So. Naoko was finally coming out of her shell, and it was Tyson that was doing it? Hurrah for the boy! Perhaps he would be the one to make Naoko see that she really was worth something. Though...getting her drunk wasn't quite the way she would have done it, Tyson had managed quite well.
At least she hoped.
~*~*~*~
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 8.
~*~*~*~
"She did *WHAT*?!?!" Tomoyo hissed that night, after everyone had gone to the sitting room. Eriol had pulled her back into the dinning room after supper, and had asked to talk with her.
"She kissed me. She was giving me a massage to calm my nerves and she kissed me." Eriol groaned. Tomoyo put her hands on her hips and stared at him.
"What are you going to do about it?" She asked. He shrugged.
"I really don't know. I thought that I was sending her the 'just friendly' signal, but apparently, she took it the wrong way." He murmured. Tomoyo snorted.
"She takes a lot of things 'the wrong way'."
"What?"
"Nakuru told me a story the night Kaho came over. It seems that Kaho also put the moves on Touya and tried to get him into bed, *after* he and Nakuru were engaged." She finally admitted. Eriol's mouth dropped open.
"WHAT?!"
"Apparently she likes to play the field with rich guys...either that, or she switches love interests really fast." Tomoyo said sarcastically. Eriol dropped down into a chair.
"Did you like it?" She asked suddenly. He frowned.
"Like what?"
"Did you like her kissing you?" Tomoyo asked. Eriol wrinkled his nose a little, then thought back to the kiss.
"At the time I was too shocked to notice much of anything. Of course, that trail of kisses up my neck should have warned me..."
"Excuse me?" Tomoyo asked, her eyes flashing. Eriol flushed.
"It was like kissing my sister." He said finally. Tomoyo still looked angry.
"You could have pulled away."
"Would you have?" He asked. Tomoyo looked startled and her eyes grew confused.
"Going by that kiss you told me about, between you and Robert, I would say no." He said carelessly. Tomoyo blushed.
"So what are you going to do?" She asked quickly, changing the subject. He shrugged.
"Ignore the fact that it happened, I suppose. Maybe if I don't mention it, she won't feel inclined to do it again." He murmured. She nodded in agreement, then stood up. Eriol searched vainly for something to say.
"I saw Tyson and Naoko going out the front door a few moments ago. Where were they going?" He asked, as they walked back to the sitting room. Tomoyo grinned, her eyes back to sparkling.
"They went over to his home so he could give her a tour." She said slyly. Eriol's face also gained a sly grin and he chuckled.
"So how long do you think..."
"About another week." She answered. He looked taken aback.
"Why a week?"
"Because that is how long it's going to take me to convince Naoko that just because she grew up poor, doesn't mean that she can't have feelings for a rich man." She laughed. Eriol smirked and held out his arm, allowing her to take it.
"To matchmaking!" He boomed. She giggled.
"To matchmaking."
~*~*~*~
"Where have you been?"
Tomoyo and Meiling were curled up on Tomoyo's bed, staring over at Naoko, who had just entered the room. The brown-haired girl blushed at Meiling's question and averted her eyes.
"On a tour." She mumbled. Meiling looked confused, until Tomoyo whispered into her ear and they both got sly smiles.
"So...did you have a good time with your tour guide?" Meiling asked slyly. Naoko blushed even more and buried her head in her hands.
"Stop that, guys. It's not funny." She mumbled. Tomoyo laughed and pulled her over to the bed.
"Of course it is! You like him, don't you?" She asked slyly. Naoko couldn't have turned redder.
"Oh, Tomoyo! He is a very nice man, that's all. Besides, I highly doubt that he has taken any notice of me..."
"Oh no? Naoko, open your eyes. He's obviously attracted to you, and he hangs around you every time he gets the chance." Meiling stated. Naoko buried her head in her hands again, and Tomoyo quickly came to her rescue.
"Oh! Look at the time! I have a photo-shoot tomorrow morning! We had better go to bed." She murmured. Meiling nodded in agreement and quickly left, yelling 'goodnight' to them. Naoko too, said a quick 'goodnight' and then dashed to her own room, shutting the door tightly. Only then did she let out a sigh of relief.
Her earlier encounter with Tyson Burnside had been quite unsettling, owning to the fact that a) he was showing her his house, and b) he seemed to rely on her good opinion of his house. In every room he had asked her if she liked it and if there were any changes that she thought he should make on it. Not having much knowledge in the art of redecorating, Naoko had simply gaped at all the rich, beautiful rooms and told him that nothing needed to be changed.
Another thing that unnerved her was the fact that her friends seemed to think he had feelings for her. This, she knew, was impossible. He was a wealthy aristocratic businessman, and she was a poor writer/businesswoman, who had struggled every day of her life just to survive, before her books had become best-sellers. The rift that separated them was much too wide for anything such as her friends had suggested, to *ever* occur.
Right?
But as she got into bed that night, Naoko couldn't help but re-play everything that she had seen and heard in his home, through her mind. And just before she fell asleep, a memory of something sweet and tender lulled her into the land of the sandman.
/Sweet dreams, Naoko/
~*~*~*~
"Eriol? May I talk to you?" Tomoyo asked hesitantly the next afternoon. She had stopped by his office to ask him if he would join her for lunch again. He had agreed and they were now at that same little café, sitting at a small table in the corner. Tomoyo nervously stirred her the tea in her cup around with a spoon and tried not to meet his eyes.
"That *is* what we came here to do. What's the matter?" He asked, setting down the sandwich he was about to bite into. She nervously played with the spoon.
"There is something I didn't tell you last night..." She muttered. He frowned.
"What is it?"
"Robert asked me to marry him again. He's getting impatient and I don't think I can stall him much longer." She whispered. Eriol's hand jerked and it hit the salt shaker, causing it to teeter dangerously on the edge of the table. He quickly caught it and moved it back into place.
"You know my opinion, Tomoyo." He stated, forcing her to meet his eyes by putting his fingers gently under her chin. Her shoulders drooped.
"He won't let me go just for that. And mother was most insistent when I spoke to her last night..."
"What does your mother have to do with this?"
"She is the one instigating it." Tomoyo moaned, burying her face in her hands. Eriol sat back and folded his arms, looking at her thoughtfully.
"Do you want to marry him?" He asked. Tomoyo looked stunned.
"I...don't know. I suppose..."
"Tomoyo, like I said a few nights ago. 'Suppose' isn't good enough. You need to be loved. You *deserve* to be loved and to love back. Don't go for comfort, please!" Eriol picked his sandwich back up and took a bite, trying not to blow up at her stubbornness. Tomoyo sighed and sipped at her tea.
"Eriol, am I...am I pretty?" She asked softly. Eriol looked up, stunned.
"Of course you are. In fact, you are one of the most beautiful women of my acquaintance. Why?"
"I don't know. I guess I just feel...oh, never mind. It was a stupid question." Tomoyo sighed, picking at her salad. Eriol frowned and reached out to put his hand over hers.
"Tomoyo, I think I understand now. You are settling for Robert because you think nothing better will come along." He stated. Tomoyo nodded slowly and Eriol chuckled.
"You, of all people, shouldn't worry about that! There are plenty more men who would die to have you, and I am sure that one of them is the right one. Just wait. You're still young, Tomoyo...practically an infant. Don't try to spread your wings yet." He commanded. Tomoyo growled playfully and hit his arm.
"I am NOT an infant! I am eighteen, and I can quite take care of myself." She hissed, poking him in the chest. He grinned and batted her hand away.
"And I am twenty-one. I am older and know more than you, so to me, you are an infant, if not my best friend." He stated, his heart doing a strange twist as Tomoyo poked his chest again and glared.
"You'll pay for that! You get to pay the bill!" She stated, getting up and stalking out the door. With a laugh, Eriol quickly handed the waiter a couple pound-notes, then hurried out after her.
~*~*~*~
Naoko sank onto the comfortable couch in the sitting room and sighed. She had been all day at one of Tomoyo's photo-shoots, and had spent most of her time on the phone with the office back home. It had been quite stressful, and she was relieved to get home.
When she had arrived, she had learned that Touya had taken his wife and son out to dinner, and the same went for Eriol and Tomoyo, who took along Meiling and Omata. Sonomi and Milly had decided to catch up on old times, and they too, had gone out for the evening, leaving her alone...not that she minded. The quiet was nice.
With a small groan, she leaned her head back against the back of the couch and closed her tired eyes. Thoughts of the next story she was planning on writing were filtering through her head, and she was mentally organizing them into categories. That is why she did not hear anyone enter the room, nor did she notice that she was not alone until a strong pair of hands gently began to massage her shoulders. With a yelp, Naoko looked up, only to see the grinning face of Tyson Burnside looking down at her.
"Good evening, Ms. Naoko!" He crowed cheerfully, gently rubbing her shoulders. She smiled, but shifted uncomfortably.
"I didn't hear you come in." She murmured. He laughed.
"I could tell. You looked so tense, and now I can see I was right. You really need to relax." He murmured. Naoko smiled and decided to make the best of the situation by closing her eyes and sighing in contentment.
"Eriol asked me to keep an eye on you tonight. He told me that you had refused their offer of dinner, so I offered to come over and keep you company." He said conversationally. She smiled.
"Hum?"
"Yup. And I even brought over a dinner. It isn't much...I made it myself and I don't cook often, but it is one of my favorite meals. I thought that we could eat it in here, at that table over there." He indicated the round table in the corner of the room, which Naoko noticed now held a casserole dish and two plates, plus serving sets.
"You didn't have to do that for me!"
"Oh, but I wanted to! Come, I want you to try it!" He pulled her out of her seat and led her over to the table, grinning.
"It's tuna casserole. My old nurse taught me how to make it." He stated, as he spooned some delicious looking food onto her plate. It consisted of long, flat noodles and tuna in a rich, creamy sauce. There were peas mixed in, and as Naoko watched, he ground some fresh pepper onto her portion. He then sat down and motioned for her to do the same.
"It looks wonderful!" Naoko claimed, as she sat. Just as she did, Philipe came in holding a bottle of something. He put it on the table and then left them, smiling. Naoko looked at the bottle and realized that it was quite a well known brand of wine, quite expensive and quite good. He poured her some into a long, stemmed glass and then poured himself some.
"Eriol and I like to collect wines, just because of their pretty labels. But we like to open a bottle now and then." He grinned cheekily and took a sip, closing his eyes in bliss. She smiled and took a sip of her own. Instead of dry, like she had thought it would be, the wine was rather fruity with flavors of several fruits twining around each other delightfully.
"Mmm." She moaned, putting down the glass. He grinned and then dug into his meal. After quite a few comments about how good it was, they fell into talking about business and the newest products on the market, known to help businesses along.
Before they knew it, the wine was gone and the short hand on the clock was reading eleven p.m. Both of them had lapsed into a lazy conversation about legal documents, their cheeks slightly flushed from the wine. No, they were not drunk, just...mellowed.
But it was a fact that Naoko was no longer thinking about the social rift between them, which was just his intention. Eriol had mentioned Naoko's worry over this subject to him, and had warned him to go easy on the girl, since she seemed to insecure. So far, all of Tyson's plans had flopped, but this one was going quite smoothly. It had actually been him who had instigated all of the plans for everyone to go out. He had been sure that Naoko would refuse, and was counting on this.
Yes, if you haven't figured it out, Tyson Burnside had fallen in love with the shy Naoko, and was determined to make her see that she was no lower than him, nor was she any less attractive because of her past. Oh, no. Quite the opposite, actually...
"I had best be going. Everyone should be returning soon, and I really should get home to bed." He stated, standing up. Philipe had long ago taken their plates, silverware and the leftovers away, promising to take care of them. Naoko stood up as well, looking quite peaceful and relaxed, if not a bit tipsy. You see, Tyson was used to wine; Naoko wasn't.
"Thank you for coming. I've had a lovely night." She said, as he gently took her hand and kissed it. Naoko felt a blush rise to her cheeks as he gently pulled her closer.
"No, thank you for keeping me company. I was quite lonely, and I was glad to have someone to talk to." He murmured, his eyes trained on her face. Then the fell to her lips and stayed there. Naoko felt a shudder run through her as his hands slipped around her waist, pulling her closer.
"Tyson..." She trailed off as his lips descended towards hers. She managed a slight gasp before his lips covered her's warmly, caressing them gently. Naoko, who had never been kissed in her life, fell limp in his arms in delight of it. His hands stroked her back gently and she clung to his shoulders, her mind whirling.
The kiss seemed to last forever for both of them, but was over far too soon. With a moan of regret he pulled away, breathing hard. Naoko kept her eyes closed, trying to get over her dizziness but not succeeding very well. Tyson was in no better state. That kiss had been planned, yes, but it had been far more passionate than even he could have guessed, and filled with something far beyond passion.
Wondering what it was, he leaned down once more, capturing her lips again. This kiss was the same way, though a bit more bold. When they pulled back this time, Naoko couldn't even figure out which way was up, and Tyson had a goofy smile on his face.
"That was...nice." He muttered, as she pulled away and put a hand to her head. Naoko smiled weakly, but said nothing.
"I really should leave..." He trailed off, pulling her close again and placing feather light kisses on her lips. With a final, rocky resolve, he reluctantly pulled away and walked towards the door.
"Goodnight, my Naoko." He murmured, leaving the room and going to the front door, his wine-pleased mind still trying to process what had just happened. Then, as he walked across the grounds to his house, with a shock, it hit him.
"I just kissed the woman I love!" He shouted, letting out a whoop and pumping his fist in the air.
Back at Eriol's house, poor Naoko was still standing in the sitting room, her mind spinning. Had that really just happened? Had he just kissed her...several times? Or was it the effects of the wine? Whatever the reason, Naoko's body was now humming with a new-found awareness.
She slowly made her way up to her room and changed into her night-gown. After quickly brushing her teeth and washing her face (with *very* cold water), she threw herself into her bed.
"What have I done?" She whimpered. First she had drank wine, something almost unheard of for young people, in Japan. Second, she had kissed a man and loved every second of it. Third, it was a rich man she had kissed...a *very* rich man with money to burn...
"I am drunk." She groaned, burying her face into her pillows. But her thoughts would not allow her to sleep. Instead, the memory of his kisses filled her mind, causing her heart to pound.
/Goodnight, my Naoko/
~*~*~*~
The next morning, Tomoyo looked down at her watch, frowning. It was all ready eight thirty, and Naoko still wasn't up yet. All of the parties had returned home late, and Naoko had already gone to bed by that time. Eriol had informed all of them that Tyson had offered to come over and keep her company, so none of them were worried.
But now, Tomoyo was. Naoko was usually one of the first ones up in the morning, and it wasn't like her to be this late. With a sigh, Tomoyo stood up from the breakfast table and made her way to Naoko's room. Arriving there, she found the door unlocked, so she entered.
The room was completely dark, the heavy curtains pulled securely over the windows. The bed curtains were open, however, and a small mound underneath the warm covers alerted Tomoyo to the fact that her friend was still in bed. With swiftness like a cat, Tomoyo went over to the bed and gazed down at her friend. What she saw shocked her.
Naoko was pale, her hair was a mess, her silky nightgown was wrinkled horribly, and the covers of her bed were all twisted. All in all, Naoko looked like she had been through WWIII. With a firm resolve, Tomoyo gently shook her friend's shoulder.
"Naoko? Naoko!" She hissed. The brown-haired girl groaned and turned over, her eyes fluttering open. They were slightly blood-shot and tired-looking.
"Naoko, what happened?" Tomoyo asked, astonished. Naoko groaned and grasped her head.
"Quiet down, will you?" She moaned, closing her eyes. Tomoyo frowned.
"What happened?" Tomoyo asked in a softer voice. Naoko shook her head.
"I got drunk...or almost."
"You drank wine?! Naoko, why?"
"Tyson brought it over. It was so good, and we were only going to have a glass, but Philipe kept coming in and re-filling them. We weren't paying attention to how much we were drinking, and we finished the whole bottle." Naoko tried to remember everything. Meanwhile, Tomoyo was a mixture of amused and shocked.
"And then something happened and I kept thinking about it, so I didn't get to sleep till late." Naoko grumbled. Tomoyo choked.
"What happened?"
"He kissed me." Naoko's voice trailed off as she began to fall back to sleep.
"Kissed you!?!?"
"Um-hum. Several times..." Her voice ended and soft, regular breathing replaced it; Naoko had fallen back to sleep. Smiling, Tomoyo quickly got up and left the room.
So. Naoko was finally coming out of her shell, and it was Tyson that was doing it? Hurrah for the boy! Perhaps he would be the one to make Naoko see that she really was worth something. Though...getting her drunk wasn't quite the way she would have done it, Tyson had managed quite well.
At least she hoped.
~*~*~*~
