"Hi-kun, it's Saturday tomorrow," reminded Tomoyo.

Eriol looked up from the road. "I know my calendar. Thanks though."

She slapped his shoulder playfully. "Hiiragizawa Eriol, you are most definitely making progress with your humor." She tossed her glossy hair behind her shoulders. "I was just going to ask you if you want to take a pretty girl like me out on a date tomorrow night, like all couples do."

He blinked.

She sighed. "Um, have you forgotten that I'm your fiancée?"

He shook his head. "No…I was thinking about the date…"

"Yeah right." She leaned on her head rest. "Don't feel obliged to take me out. I was just clowning around awhile ago."

"My fiancée's voice awhile ago was that of a serious, hopeful lady," he disagreed. "And I'll be half a man if I do not concede to her simple wishes." He gave her his rarer-than-blue-moons smile that nearly took her breath away. "Sure I'll take her out for dinner."

Her face slowly crinkled into a smile. "T-Thank you."

"No need to thank me. It's a fiancé's obligation."

And so, the date was finally set. Tomorrow night, seven pm sharp.

"Where will you take me?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere but an elegant restaurant," she said. "I had enough of those back in Europe."

He glanced at her. "Do you always go out on dates there?"

"Hmmm…it's part of my job as the PR manager of our company," she said.

"Those that are not related to business…and your companions are men…"

She shrugged. "I get a lot of offers."

"Of course," he grumbled.

She eyed him, smiling. "But if that man is not really a client, I don't go." She nudged him playfully. "So no need to get jealous."

"Whoever said I was jealous?" he asked.

"Your actions."

"I think that's a natural reaction from your fiancé."

"Of course," teased Tomoyo.

"Of course!" said Eriol indignantly. "I'm taking you to the movies, will that be fine?"

She tipped her chin thoughtfully. "Not special enough."

"OK, so do you have better ideas?" he asked.

"Let's have a picnic…by the beach!" she clapped her hands.

"The beach is an hour's drive from here," he reminded her.

"But I miss the shores of Japan already!"

Eriol glanced at her briefly. "Fine. The beach, it is."

Her eyes crinkled into a smile. "I know you'll see things my way!"

"Don't I always?" he asked wryly.

"You used not to," she reminded him. "Ah well, past is past. I'm happy with my Hi-kun now."

Silence.

"Are you…really happy with me?" he asked softly.

She paused, then laughed nervously. "Well, I most certainly am. You remind me that I'm not alone."

He shrugged. "I…I feel the same way, Daidouji-san." He continued to drive, eyes carefully averting hers. "When I returned to Japan, the first person I looked for is you. I was told though that you left with your mother for Europe."

She felt her heart jump.

"I waited, Daidouji-san. I'm glad my wait was worth it. You're here now."

She tried to ease the tension with her laughter. "Ah, Hi-kun. No need to tell me such things. I'll marry you anyway."

"Because of Sakura, am I right?" he asked, his voice a little sharp.

She blinked.

He laughed humorlessly. "Of course, silly me. Why else would you marry a stranger?"

"Hi-kun, I agreed to this outrageous set-up not because of Sakura-chan. I have long buried my bitterness," she said quietly. "I'm marrying you because…because I don't want to be alone, and I don't want you to be alone. Because I like the feeling you give me when we're together." She blushed faintly. "And you are no stranger. Even when we were in elementary, I felt very…comfortable with you."

He paused, then smiled. "Good enough for me."

That night, Tomoyo, wearing a white sweater over her pale green skirt, finished packing the picnic basket. Just then, the phone rang. She answered it after two rings.

"Hi dear! The maids told me that you and the young man Hiiragizawa are getting along with each other very well. I'm so happy for you two!" chirped her mother.

"Mother?!" Her grip on the phone tightened. "Where are you? Why haven't I seen you here yet? What kind of social visit is that? It seems to me that you're planning to live already with your friend there!"

Sonomi chuckled. "Don't you worry anymore about me, Tomoyo. I'll be gone for two more weeks, but I'll be there at your wedding. I'm finding you the best wedding courtier already."

"Wedding?! Mom, I've met Hiiragizawa Eriol for barely a week, and you already hear wedding bells?!" Tomoyo wondered if her mother was already on the verge of senility.

"Oh, any way you look at your relationship, you two will eventually get married. Early planning won't hurt at all." Tomoyo then heard the door in her mother's side open.

"Dear, I'll talk to you soon. Take care, Honey." Busy tone.

"Oh Mother…" was the only thing Tomoyo could sigh.

"Have you talked with your daughter already?" asked Fujitaka, loosening his necktie.

Sonomi sat up from her bed, nodding. "I'm happy for her."

The man eyed the woman before him sadly Sonomi had lost a lot of weight already since her operation.

"So what did the doctor say?" asked the woman.

"You will have to undergo some two weeks of observation, just to check if the cancer won't spread anymore." He smoothed her hair. "Hang on, Sonomi. You are such a strong woman."

"I'm trying my best," said the woman, voice breaking. "For my Tomoyo…"

"I talked with Hiiragizawa already. He's a man worth your trust. But Sonomi, you have to be there for your child too."

"If things worsen…I know I can count on him. He promised me that he won't ever leave her. I believe him, Fujitaka, with all my heart." She smiled at him. "The way I secretly trusted you when I handed Nadeshiko over to you. Young man Hiiragizawa reminds me of you so much when you were still a young, idealistic college professor and she was a newly-bloomed rose at eighteen. You promised me too, that you'll never leave her. I wasn't vocal about it, but I believed you. I still do, and will always do." Her face crumpled. "My beloved Tomoyo…"

"Wow!!!" gushed Tomoyo as she let her eyes rest on the moonlit serenity of the nearly empty beach.

"The place is ours for the time being," said Eriol as he dutifully laid the beach towel. When she didn't answer, he looked up and found her twirling around, arms spread wide, her tresses swaying with her skirt. He momentarily forgot what he was doing previously as he watched  her unconscious movements.

Tomoyo rushed to the beach and took off her sandals. She dipped her dainty feet to the crashing waves, enjoying the relaxing feeling it gives to her.

He smiled to himself. Even Venus would be insecure to rise from the sea if someone like Tomoyo would be sitting by the water.

He blinked when she caught him looking at her. She smiled and waved. He looked down quickly on the basket and busied himself with preparing their picnic spot, all the while feeling the heat on his face. He silently reprimanded himself. Why was he acting like a stupid teenager gawking at his first crush anyway? Fine, Daidouji Tomoyo was beautiful, especially when under the moonlight. But he had looked at hundreds of beautiful women in art, sculpture, and portraits. He should be immune by that now, with his intense immersing into visual art when he was still studying in the university. Besides, Kaho Mizuki was beautiful too, but why couldn't he feel this excited about her when they were together? With Kaho, he felt like a man. With Tomoyo, he felt like an awkward teenager.

He remembered Spinel's question. Had his feelings changed in the six year gap?

Tomoyo waved at him. "Hi-kun, join me here!"

Her warm smile. Her lovely eyes that were turned exquisitely lilac by the platinum moon glow. Her voice that reminded him of tinkling bells and laughing brooks.

No, the feelings didn't wane- they only grew frighteningly stronger and more powerful. If he could forget about Clow Reed and Fujitaka Kinomoto and be himself, his heart would proudly declare…

…that now and then, it was only her. In the coming days of this lifetime, it would only be her too. The raven nightingale, whose song was the entire melody of the lonesome eagle's heart.

What did Fujitaka tell him before?

Right. That an eagle was a monogamous creature – for its entire lifetime, it would only have one mate.

"Coming," he said, smiling at her fondly, as he joined her by the sand.

Tomoyo blinked when she saw the strangely tender smile on Eriol's face. Was she just imagining things? Was Eriol really smiling at her warmly, the way she imagined men in romance novels would do to their leading ladies?

Her heart raced when he sat down beside her, the some three inches between them proving insignificant. She was acutely aware of his skin next to hers, of his deep sighs with hers. Everything between them was so synchronized – so right.

They were quiet – not one of them dared to break the comfortable silence between them.

Until he cleared his throat. "Daidouji-san?"

"Yes?"

"May I…" He looked at her, eyes warm and open. "May I hold you close to me?"

The sincerity and reverence in his voice stirred something within her. She found herself nodding, and he carefully took her into his embrace.

His hands were clasping hers, his lips were on her smooth hair, his arms were around her. They were still, enjoying each other's warmth.

"This feels so nice," she murmured,

"I think so too," he agreed huskily.

"I can stay like this forever."

"Me too."

She laughed quietly. "I'm not scared anymore of marrying you, in case you don't change your mind or you don't back out. I feel so secure when I'm with you."

"I can forget about everything else."

She looked up, meeting his gaze. "Is there something you want to forget, Hi-kun?"

He nodded slowly. "May we not talk about it anymore? I would rather do something else." He hugged her tighter.

"OK," she agreed. She was about to look down when his fingers tipped her chin up.

"Do you trust me, Daidouji-san?" he asked gruffly.

She nodded immediately.

With that, he crossed the remaining distance between them and kissed her, tentatively at first, giving her the chance to pull away.

She didn't, and his kiss grew deeper, more passionate. His lips woke up the sleeping embers of passion within her, and as she accepted his fire willingly, he whispered to her words that she thought she wouldn't ever hear from someone like him.

"It was only you, Tomoyo. Only you."

tsuzuku