****
"So, Eriol…" Takashi Yamazaki drawled, twirling the basketball on his fingertip. "Eriol, my good ol' buddy, partner in crime, my best friend since I was six —"
"Seven," Eriol corrected automatically. "When we were six you were still hanging around with that loser Gary."
"Sheesh! How come you still remember that?! Forget it already, will you?" Yamazaki shook his head.
Eriol smirked. "You were saying, good ol' buddy?"
"Ah, yes. The topic at hand." Yamazaki took a deep breath and tried to say in a deceptively calm voice, "How come, in the—" he counted on his fingers "—twelve freaking years of friendship that we have, you conveniently forget to tell me this insignificant little fact that you are married already?"
The sarcasm was not lost on Eriol. He decided to play dumb. "Eh—? Well…"
"Well, WHAT?!" Yamazaki screamed.
Eriol jumped away from him. "Whoa, control yourself, man. You screech like a girl!"
"Answer my question," Yamazaki growled.
Eriol raked his fingers through his hair, thinking. Yamazaki had just come back two weeks ago from a trip outside the country. Right after he arrived, Yamazaki called his best friend to get together, but Eriol had refused, saying he was busy.
The truth was that Tomoyo hadn't been feeling well that morning, and Eriol stayed home to take care of her. And after that little incident, he rarely left home, spending time with Tomoyo instead. She'd insisted that she felt fine already, but – well. They shouldn't take any chances. Tomoyo's condition was even more delicate now; she was nearly five months into it. What if something bad happened and she – and she died or something?
Why do you care so much? he asked himself.
Because, piped in another voice from inside his jumbled mind, you just won't admit to yourself that you might be fall—
He shook his head violently to expel the evil voice. Then he realized Yamazaki was snapping his fingers in front of his face, saying, "Hello? Anybody there?"
"Well…honestly, it's a really complicated story," Eriol said finally with a huge sigh.
"So, start talking now." Yamazaki now tucked the basketball under one arm. "Really, man, I was hurt that you didn't tell me."
Eriol frowned. "C'mon, don't act all girly on me now! You were away, and this was all so sudden, and when you came back she was sick—"
"She?" Yamazaki asked eagerly. "You mean your wife?"
"No, I meant my pet goldfish." Eriol rolled his eyes. "Of course I meant my wife, stupid."
My wife. Eriol wondered why he suddenly felt all tingly when he said that.
Yamazaki gestured to the bleachers. "Let's sit over there and then you can tell me every single detail."
"I thought we're going to play one-on-one!"
"Later." Yamazaki proceeded to drag Eriol to sit down. Eriol plopped himself grudgingly onto a seat.
"Okay. Talk." Yamazaki leaned forward. "Wait, what do you mean your wife was sick? Is she okay now?"
"Yeah, she's fine. It was just a bit of morning sickness, she said—"
"Morning sickness? Do you mean to tell me that she's—"
"Pregnant," Eriol confirmed.
"OH MY GOD!" Yamazaki yelled, his voice echoing throughout the whole court. "You've gone and DONE it! You've impregnated a poor, innocent girl and you were forced to—"
Eriol grabbed the basketball from Yamazaki and threw it at his face. "SHUT UP!" he nearly yelled himself. "Go on and tell the whole world, why don't you?! And that's not what happened, if you could just shut your mouth and listen – god, you've really been with Chiharu for so long, you've turned gossipy like her…"
"Hey!" Yamazaki said indignantly, though he was grinning. "Okay, I'm listening."
"Are you really?" Eriol asked grumpily.
"Yes. C'mon!"
"Well…" Eriol stopped, wondering where to start. "Anyway, yeah, she's pregnant. But see, it's not my child – it's Darcy's."
"OH. MY. GOOOOOOODD!!!"
Eriol stood up and started to climb over the bleachers to get away from his screeching friend. Yamazaki grabbed him just in time to prevent his escape.
"If you say 'Oh my god' one more time…" Eriol said threateningly. Yamazaki shook his head, clutching his sides from laughter.
Yamazaki wiped his eyes. "So," he said, smirking. "It was the sonofabitch's work, eh?"
"Who else?" Eriol said grudgingly.
"Which brings me to my next question…if it was Darcy's problem, then why did you—?"
"Marry her?" Eriol finished.
"Yep."
Eriol sighed heavily. "You know how it is at home, man. They didn't even ask me nicely or something – they practically ordered me to marry her." He raised his voice to a high pitch, imitating his mother's. "It's because they didn't want to ruin perfect Darcy's life."
Yamazaki placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's way unfair," he said sympathetically.
"Tell me about it," Eriol huffed. "And Tomoyo – that's her – didn't even want to get married either. It was her father who raised all this ruckus, so…" he trailed off.
Both boys sat silently for some time. Then Yamazaki said, "Eriol? Are you…like, going to stay married to her and take care of the baby and everything?"
Eriol shrugged, stretching out his legs in front of him. "I guess so."
I don't want to leave her.
"Forever?"
A small smile tugged at Eriol's lips, and he tried to hide it. He shrugged again. "I dunno."
Forever would actually be nice.
Yamazaki studied his best friend closely. There was something definitely different about Eriol. He's – changed. It was creeping Yamazaki out. "Hey, buddy? What do you feel for her, honestly?"
Eriol stared into space. What does he feel for her?
Honestly, I think I'm falling in love with her.
The unbidden thought appeared so out of the blue in his mind that it caused him to sit up straight, banging his legs on the seat in front of him. "Ouch!" he hissed, bending down to rub the sore spots. Yamazaki watched his friend's reaction with amusement.
"Erm…can you please repeat the question?" Eriol asked lamely, fully aware that he sounded like a grade school student.
Yamazaki chuckled, watching him closely. "Well, what I meant was – I know the situation was awkward for you two, so I was just wondering how you treat each other, y'know?"
"Oh…well, we're more like best friends than husband and wife, really—"
LIAR! The evil voice taunted him. Maybe you used to be! Don't you remember the time when you…
Oh, he remembered. It was last week…or was it just the day before…? Worried about Tomoyo, he had tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep. Finally, he threw off his covers and tiptoed to her room. Careful not to make the door creak, he padded silently inside. He knelt by her side and watched her sleep for a long time. Before he left, he leaned forward, tucked some strands of hair behind her ear, his touch lingering on her smooth cheek. He whispered, "Good night," and started to stand up. Tomoyo's eyes flew open then, and she grabbed his hand. "Eriol…" she whispered. "Do you – can you…sleep with me? Next to me, I mean?"
He stared at her, something wonderful welling up inside his chest. "All right," he had croaked. He walked over to the other side of her bed and climbed in gingerly. Tomoyo snuggled up to him, looking happy. "Honestly, I couldn't sleep," she said, closing her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her, tucking the covers carefully around them. Her breathing became even, and he realized she was already asleep. He closed his eyes then and drifted off himself.
It was the most peaceful sleep he'd had in years.
Eriol could feel his face burning at the memory, and he sincerely hoped Yamazaki didn't notice. "—it was a sort of agreement between us, y'know, since we barely knew each other, I mean we really didn't know each other at first so we decided we should treat each other as friends because being married when we don't feel anything for each other is really weird, y'know, and I guess now – we pretty much know each other," he rambled, waving his hands agitatedly in front of him.
Yamazaki raised an eyebrow. "And?" he prompted.
"A-And…well, I like her a lot, she's not too difficult to get along with and I could consider her as one of my—" Eriol swallowed. "Friends."
Yamazaki tilted his head to one side, staring at Eriol intently. Why the hell is his best friend blushing? Red as a tomato, as a matter of fact. He didn't know who Tomoyo is yet, but he will. There must be something about her that makes Eriol turn into a huge pile of melted goo without him realizing it.
"So," Yamazaki said brightly. "Can I meet her?"
"What, now?" Eriol asked, looking surprised.
"Sure, why not? C'mon, let's go over to your apartment and introduce me to her."
Eriol crossed his arms. "You know, when you called me this morning you said, 'let's have a game, man' and not 'let's talk about your wife and then let's go home so you can meet her.'"
"Tch. You should've known I really didn't mean that!" Yamazaki said cheerfully.
"Later," Eriol said firmly. "I want to play. C'mon, you're just scared I'll beat you!" He jumped up and grabbed the ball from Yamazaki.
***
"Tomoyo, where do I put these?" Sonomi called out to her daughter.
Tomoyo stuck her head outside the door. "Oh – you can use that pink hamper over there, Mother. Bring it inside and I'll take care of it."
Sonomi gathered the clothes from the dryer and dropped them in the pink hamper that Tomoyo indicated. Then she went outside the laundry room, hoisting the hamper over one hip, and went into the kitchen where her daughter was. She placed the hamper on the floor and stood, just watching Tomoyo silently.
Tomoyo had never looked this happy in months, Sonomi observed. When they parted months ago, she looked pale, withdrawn, and sickly. Now, there was a rosy glow to her cheeks, and a smile was constantly on her face.
Tomoyo tasted the sauce she had been stirring. Satisfied with the taste, she stirred a couple more times before turning around. "Oh, Mother!" she exclaimed. "How long have you been standing there?"
Sonomi smiled softly. "Not long, dear." She walked over to Tomoyo and took her hands in hers. Suddenly she was overcome with pride for her daughter. "Tomoyo – I'm so proud of you!" she blurted out.
Tomoyo's eyes brimmed with tears, and she threw her arms around her mother. Sonomi hugged her back. "I am, really," she said, beginning to cry herself. "I've never told you before, but I'm really, truly, very proud of you."
"M-Mother," Tomoyo sobbed. "I'm so glad you came to visit! I've missed you so much. You and Dad. Oh, why didn't he come with you? He's still mad at me, isn't he?"
Sonomi pulled away and took out a hanky from her pocket, wiping Tomoyo's tears away. "No, your father's not mad," she assured. "But you know how stubborn he is. Much like you are, in fact. He said, maybe the next time I visit, then he'll come."
Tomoyo smiled shakily. "No, the next time it'll be us visiting back home!"
Sonomi dabbed at her own eyes gingerly, then picked up the hamper again. "Now, where can I fold these?"
"Oh – we can do it in the living room. I'll help, the stew is already cooked anyway."
They both went into the living room. Sonomi started folding the clothes one by one while Tomoyo sorted them. Her underwear, Eriol's underwear; her shirts, his shirts; the pants and shorts. She would iron them later. They fell into a comfortable silence as they worked.
"So…how are things?" Sonomi asked. "Between you and you husband – Eriol?"
Tomoyo giggled. "I can hardly believe it, Mother, but things are actually okay! More than okay, in fact! Eriol's so nice, although I think he doesn't realize it. He tries to be real gruff sometimes, but really, he's such a softie. And just last week, I don't know what came over him but he actually asked me to teach him household chores."
Sonomi's eyebrows shot up. "He did?"
This time Tomoyo let out a peal of laughter. "I know! I could hardly believe it! He said it wouldn't be good for me to go about the apartment doing things, that I should be resting. Honestly, I'm still very much mobile, but he insisted. But I doubt I'll let him take over completely. The day before he tried to iron and burned my favorite shirt in the process!"
Tomoyo grinned widely at the memory. She was sitting on the couch that time with her feet propped up by mounds of pillows, reading a romance novel. Eriol approached her then, rather hesitantly.
"Uhm, Tomoyo?" he said.
"Hmm?" she murmured, still engrossed in the story she was reading.
Suddenly he was kneeling in front of her. "I didn't mean any harm, I swear!" He thrust a bunched-up shirt towards her.
Puzzled, she took the shirt and held it in front of her face. And then shrieked.
"NOOOOOOO!!! What the hell did you do?!" Eriol visibly cringed. "This is my favorite shirt, you know!!!"
He looked chagrined. "Oh…no…it is?"
Tomoyo continued to gape at her ruined shirt for a while. There was a rather large hole that went through both sides now. She put her hand through the hole and waved it. Suddenly the absurdity of the situation struck her, and she was overcome with giggles. "Well, was my favorite shirt," she gasped, giggling madly.
Eriol stared at her, shocked at her sudden change of mood. "Tomoyo, really, I'm sorry—"
She now put the shirt to her head, poking her face into the hole. "All right, that's it! No more ironing for you, young man," she said, trying to look stern. Then she collapsed into fits of laughter again.
He leaned forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Tomoyo! You're…not mad?"
She tried to stop giggling, managing to shake her head. "No, really, I'm not! Well, a little bit, I suppose. As long as you'll buy a replacement, then it's okay."
He took the shirt and stared at the hole himself. Then he let out a loud bark of laughter. "GOD, what a hole!"
They stared at each other, and then burst out laughing for a long time.
Tomoyo's giggles slowly went away, and her face turned serious. She looked down at her lap. "Mother…is this – our marriage, I mean – is this really…forever?"
Sonomi frowned, looking concerned. "Why? Has something else happened? Something that you don't want to tell me?"
Tomoyo shook her head vehemently, making her raven curls fly about. "It's just that—" she shrugged. "I guess…there are other things I want to pursue in my life, that's all."
"So…you…want to leave Eriol sometime?"
Leave Eriol? Tomoyo's eyes widened at that. "No…no, I don't want to leave him!" she said rather quickly.
"Then what?" Sonomi said, looking confused.
"Well…I can't explain, Mother. And I've been thinking – it seems rather unfair for him that he's stuck to me when there are other girls out there that he could meet…"
Sonomi took this in slowly. "So…you want Eriol to meet and fall in love with somebody else?"
Silence. Then, "No, not really…"
Sonomi sighed. "Then what's the matter? Honestly, what peculiar thoughts you've been having, child. Is he showing any signs that he wants to leave you?"
Tomoyo shook her head again, biting her lip.
Sonomi sighed again. "What do you feel for him now, anyway?"
Tomoyo took a long time before she answered. "Well…I guess…I might be…starting to love him…a little…" she said in a small voice.
Sonomi smiled broadly. "Really? That's wonderful!"
"No it's not!" Tomoyo burst out. "I – I don't want to fall in love with him…"
Sonomi looked shocked. "Why ever not?"
"I…It may seem selfish of me, but…I don't want to be in a marriage where I'm the only one who loves the other. And being married to me can't stop him from falling in love with someone else, either…what if it did happen and he—" Tomoyo dropped her voice to a barely audible whisper. "—leaves me…like his older brother did?"
Sonomi's heart ached for her daughter. She's too young…she shouldn't be thinking about things like these in her age, if things were normal… She drew Tomoyo close and hugged her.
"Tomoyo…whatever happens – if things don't work out, you know you can always come home. And we'll welcome you with open arms."
***
"Hey, isn't she supposed to buzz us in or something?" Yamazaki asked.
"Nah. Won't be necessary, I have my own key anyway." Eriol produced the said key and opened the lock. "Hello?" he called out. "Tomoyo? Are you—Tomoyo!!!"
Tomoyo was balanced precariously on a ratty-looking chair, humming to herself as she hung up the curtains that her mother gave. Sonomi had long since gone and returned home. At the sound of Eriol's voice, she turned around. "Oh, hi Eriol! I thought you'd come home later than this—"
"Tomoyo, don't move," Eriol said frantically. "You could—"
At that moment, the chair began to wobble. "Uh-oh…" she squeaked.
In a speed that Yamazaki thought was humanly impossible, Eriol reached Tomoyo's side and caught her in his arms before she could completely fall.
"Oof," Eriol grunted. She was getting heavier. He set Tomoyo on her feet, though he still held on to her. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" he bellowed.
Tomoyo stared at him with wide, innocent eyes. "I was hanging up the curtains," she said as calmly as possible.
"USING THAT – THAT CHAIR! CAN'T YOU SEE IT'S ABOUT TO FALL APART?! YOU NEARLY FELL, GODDAMNIT – WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! YOU SHOULD'VE JUST WAITED FOR ME BEFORE DOING THAT! FROM NOW ON DON'T STAND ON ANY CHAIR! YOU—"
"STOP YELLING AT ME!" Tomoyo finally screamed. Yamazaki looked on with great amusement at the red-faced couple, clamping his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter.
Tomoyo looked at Eriol incredulously, not noticing that someone else was in the apartment with them. Eriol seemed to have forgotten that Yamazaki was there, too. "Honestly! What's gotten into you? You caught me, I'm fine and I'm not hurt. Everything's fine."
"No, it's not!" Eriol said angrily. Then his face softened. "What if I wasn't there when you fell?" he nearly whispered. "You – You could've died…the baby…you could've had a miscarriage…"
"Oh, Eriol…" Tomoyo reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. "Don't think like that! You were there, you caught me, we're all alive and that's all that matters." She grinned impishly at him.
Eriol grinned back, though his heart was still thumping wildly in his chest at the near miss. "Okay. But, god, don't do that again!" The two stood there, grinning at each other.
Yamazaki looked on, intrigued. He wondered if they were aware of how much of a married couple they look and act like. When the two still continued to stand there at grin at each other, he began to feel like an intruder. When he saw Eriol slowly bringing his face to Tomoyo's, he decided to make his presence known again. Yamazaki dramatically cleared his throat.
Eriol and Tomoyo sprang apart like kids caught making out in the broom closet.
"Yamazaki!" Eriol growled, blushing to the roots of his hair.
"What?" Yamazaki said innocently.
"Eriol!" Tomoyo said indignantly. "You didn't tell me we had a guest!"
Yamazaki walked over to them and stuck out his hand. "Hi. I'm Takashi Yamazaki, Eriol's best friend."
Tomoyo shook it. "Tomoyo Daidouji."
"Hiiragizawa," Eriol corrected, feeling a little hurt. Did she still think of herself as single?
Tomoyo clamped a hand to her mouth. "Oops. Right. Tomoyo Hiiragizawa, I mean. It's still something I have to get used to," she said, smiling sweetly at Eriol. Eriol felt better immediately.
"Oh, but you must stay for dinner!" Tomoyo was saying to Yamazaki. "You could catch up a bit more. And you can tell me Eriol stories!"
Yamazaki could see his friend looking horrified at the idea. He grinned. "I'd love to," he said, watching Eriol's facial expression range from horrified to murderous. "But I'm going out tonight with Chiharu. My girlfriend," he added.
"Oh, that's too bad. Some other time, then. What about next week?"
"What about next week?" Eriol echoed, looking confused.
Tomoyo turned to Eriol. "Let's invite them over next week for dinner!"
"Them?" Yamazaki inquired, looking quite confused himself.
"You and your girlfriend, silly! I'd love to have some girl talk with her," Tomoyo said happily.
Yamazaki nodded. "Next week, then. I'm sure Chiharu will love that, too. It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Hiiragizawa," he said, putting heavy emphasis on the word "Mrs." and making Tomoyo blush. He winked at her cheekily, then nodded to Eriol. "Hey, I'll be going now."
"Bye," Eriol said nonchalantly.
"Eriol!" Tomoyo put her hands on her hips. "Aren't you going to see him out?"
"For god's sake, he's a big boy, he knows his way down!" Eriol shot the smirking Yamazaki an evil glare.
"No! You are going to accompany him like the supposedly good friend that you are. Go on!"
Eriol stomped out of the apartment with Yamazaki at his heels. Yamazaki was laughing his head off. They reached the elevator, and Eriol stopped. "Surely you can go down by yourself?" Eriol asked with deceptive sweetness.
Yamazaki wiggled his eyebrows. "Ah, but your wife ordered you to accompany poor old me—"
The elevator doors opened then, and Eriol shoved Yamazaki inside. "Bye, buddy!" he said loudly.
"I love you, Tomoyo!" Yamazaki taunted in a falsetto voice. The doors closed before Eriol could reach in to strangle him.
Yamazaki continued chuckling to himself, ignoring the looks of the other passengers. No doubt about it, he thought.
Eriol Hiiragizawa is in love.