Never ever kiss a nakoudo, for her charm will haunt you even in your dreams.
Chapter 6
Tomoyo looked at the oh-too-familiar gates of the Hiiragizawa mansion, debating whether to continue her quest into the mansion, or just wait for Nakuru to come out of the house so she could already plan her next outing: Yue and Ruby Moon, as Sakura and Kero-chan requested.
"What am I so scared of anyway?" she asked herself. "I mean, all I have to do is find Nakuru and ask her to ask Yue out. Ne, very simple! I mean, for all I know, he is not even there. Maybe he's out in the dog pound chasing poodles."
She clenched her fists and continued her interrupted march towards the front door when it suddenly swung open. Her eyes widened when someone crashed on her, and she could have fell down the floor had not been for the person's quick saving grip.
The first thing her eyes saw when her mind cleared up were the white roses, then the bridge of the pale nose carrying a frame of glasses. It was slightly tilted sideward, giving her an almost unobstructed view of those breathtaking cerulean eyes looking at her in surprise and fascination.
Eriol Hiiragizawa.
She inhaled deeply, trying to shake her trance off- it was difficult, considering how tempting it was to take his glasses off and…and…
Okie-dokie, hold it, Daidouji. It was just one single kiss…one thoughtless kiss. Don't act like a sex-starved shameless woman! Sure, his lips would feel very nice, and yes, he could make time and space and everything in between disappear in one sweet moment but don't' forget, Hiiragizawa Eriol is in love with someone else. Heck, he's in love with a dog. He can fall in love with anything, even a cockroach. That's right, think that way of Eriol, and do not look at his slightly open lips heading this way closer…those utterly sexy and kissable lips…
Suddenly, she felt him kiss her nose. Her reactions came even before her wit returned. Whatever her facial reaction was, she could see Eriol was very amused, meaning, she looked incredibly stupid.
"Why is it that you are a picture of one very disappointed lady?" he asked huskily, grinning at her flushed face.
She knew it- he was toying with her. She pasted a fake smile on her face- the usual ones she reserves for Hiiragizawa Eriol purposes only. "Gomen, Hiiragizawa-kun. It was just…well…your breath is less than desirable. Have you brushed?"
His face warmed. "Maybe you should check yourself," he growled. And just like yesterday, he took her by surprise, grabbing her towards him and possessing her mouth severely.
She cringed when she felt how punishing his lips were, but damn her, for she was also excited by the passion cloaked in its savageness. And an apt student she was, she immediately learned how to respond in instinct. She felt him pause and chuckle lightly against her lips. Gradually, his kiss became less harsh, and soon, he was kissing her gently, patiently, and yet the fervor in it was not diminished.
When he let go, he was smiling. "So the virgin has a learned a thing or two. How was my breath? Did I brush?"
Her brain was futile when she searched it for a retort. The blood circulating in her face was very active though, and she suddenly hated how she could lose control even of her own body when he kisses her. Life was unfair!
"Granted that you did," she said at last, thankful that her poise was still there. "Anyway, you were hungry, Hi-kun. Do you always do that to all the visitors who knock at your door?" Her eyes flew to the white roses.
He sighed deeply. "No, I don't." He looked at the roses and smiled ruefully. "You're appetizing, Daidouji-san."
She blushed, and that made her panic. "Well, I'm hands-off. I'm your meddling nakoudo…and you're going to lose our bet on my credibility as a matchmaker if I…I…make you…fall in love…with me." Her last words rose barely above a whisper.
His smile vanished. "Whoever said anything about love?"
She couldn't understand why that simple statement stabbed something within her, something suspiciously like her heart. "T-Then…you kissed me just for kicks?"
He paused, then exhaled audibly. "No. It's…it's sexual chemistry, Daidouji-san. Don't try to deny it, for I won't deny mine. It's sizzling between us,"
She frowned. How can something so wonderful and heavenly be reduced to a mere corporal term? Sexual chemistry? She suddenly wanted to smash his face with her video cam, only she loved the Sakura-given object too much. All she knew though was she wanted to hurt him right now, and hurt him brutally at that!
But she decided that displaying anger would be childish. She instead gave him a saccharine-sweet smile that tested her jaw's flexibility. "OK, so the urge for you to kiss me everytime we meet is already acknowledged. And so, what do you intend to do about it? Do you want me to undergo a lip surgery and have my lips removed?" she asked sarcastically.
"I'll kiss you still anyway," he laughed. "There are so much of you I want to carve a niche on for myself."
"Hey, hey, mister. You said love is out of the question, so don't even think of ownership," she said, hands on her hips.
He paused. She was reacting unlike the way his other past flings would react when he would set down the rules of their courtship- they would protest when he would mention the sexual chemistry thing. To his surprise though, Tomoyo wasn't even affected.
Maybe she feels it's all sex chemistry only too. And he didn't know whether the thought comforted him, he who hated severing bonds like serious relationships. That was one of the things he would fight with Kaho- her desire to tie him down to her.
"Let's just enjoy this sexual attraction, and when our fancy is over, we part ways like friends," she continued, her eyes challenging him. "And don't you ever fall in love with me, Hiiragizawa Eriol, or you'll regret it." With that, she pulled him down to her and kissed him the way he would. Hard. Cold. But her kiss had something else too- it had anger.
One that didn't last long, to her dismay. For when he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back, passion won out, and then the kiss sweetened.
In this moment, he allowed himself some honesty, and he realized that he did want her badly. Ever since she disturbed his heart's organized ways when she stood up against his glacial anger the first time they met since he left as a fifth-grader and totally messed it up when she provoked him into kissing her, he suddenly felt incomplete, aching for her presence. A void that only her touch could fill.
And that thought of him needing someone else that much was scaring him. But hell, he would let go of that fear in this moment; the feeling her kisses give him was enough to drive his rational mind away.
"Me, ask Yue out on a date?!" Nakuru's eyes were wide in extreme shock, and that was an understatement, or so Tomoyo thought when they met in the university the next day.
"Well, Yue already asked you out, so don't you think that it is only proper that you return the favor?" she asked, trying to sound coaxing.
"Well, that makes sense…but Ms. Tomoyo, Yukito is ok. He's a fun guy, and he is gentleman enough to share his lunch with me when it's obvious that it wasn't enough for him. Can't I ask Yukito out instead?" asked Akizuki Nakuru.
"Well…Yue is a fun guy too." Tomoyo sweatdropped as she anticipated the ground below her to open up and swallow her whole- after all, liars go to hell, don't they?
Nakuru scowled. "His idea of fun is boredom."
"Then why don't you show him what your idea of fun is?" she suggested.
"But he's homicidal! What if he happens to not like the activities I like doing?" the woman wanted to know.
"Well, what are the activities you involve yourself in?" she wanted to know.
"Breathe. I'm very good at it," said Nakuru proudly.
Tomoyo sweatdropped. "OK, what else?"
"Eating."
Now that was a problem. "Er, other activities," she said, wondering if she should ask Sakura to feed her moon guardian some ascorbic acid to stimulate his appetite.
"Teasing Suppi."
She tipped her chin to think. Yue could relate to that- courtesy of lovable Kero-chan, but that wasn't romantic. "What else do you do?"
"Talk nonstop," said Suppi appearing from her hair.
"I know!" She clapped her hands. "Ask him out to the beach where you guys can talk!" Her plans began to form all by itself as Nakuru gaped at her. All she needed now was the cooperation of Sakura.
"What did you say?!" Yue barked as Nakuru clamped her hands over both her ears. She wasn't fast enough though, for her eardrum nearly had a breakdown.
The silver-headed man continued angrily, "You dragged me out here and summoned me just to ask me if I'm not busy this afternoon??!!" Before Nakuru could speak, he began to speak again. "Well, guess what? I'll be busy alright…very, very busy…strangling your pretty neck!"
Nakuru cowered. "Er, I was just about to ask my real question…i-if you would like to help me chaperone Mistress Sakura when she goes to the beach tonight…"
"What will the mistress be doing there?" asked the moon guardian calmly after awhile as he rubbed his head. It was only this creature that could make him lose his icy calmness so easily.
"She said something about meeting her boyfriend there for a picnic," Nakuru grinned. "And Ms. Tomoyo says she can't be there to chaperone the Clow mistress-"
Yue's eyes rolled. "No, she's matchmaking us, can't you see?"
"Of course I can! My eyes' vision is 20/20!" Nakuru crossed her arms huffily. "You're a meanie! You think you're so great! As if you're the only powerful moon guardian here! You think you're the only one who has the right to be in service of Master Clow Reed!"
The man frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?" His frown deepened when instead of answering his question, she squatted on the floor, scowling and fuming quietly. "Will you get up?" he asked when he couldn't take it anymore. "That is unbecoming of a moon servant."
"As the perfect moon servant says," she said sarcastically, standing up quickly.
He still was at lost as to why she was reacting like that, but for the first time, anger didn't rise within him. He heard himself muttering something under his breath. Whatever it was, it made her face light up like a thousand candles.
"Y-You apologized?" Nakuru was astounded, and he realized that he must have did. He nodded awkwardly.
What he didn't expect was when Nakuru leaped on him the way she used to do with Touya back their high school days, and hugged him affectionately. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Arigatou, Yue!"
"T-That was rather…uncalled for," he said, stammering a little.
"Don't go becoming a meanie again," she scolded lightly and let go of him. "See you in the beach tonight!"
// Tomoyo and Eriol's blog excerpts //
Kisses don't mean everything, but they can change everything. Kisses will cross the line for the best of friends, the best of enemies, and the strangers and everyone else in between. However, do not count on things happening the usual ways in novels…that kisses are signs of true love. More often that not, they are signs of true, adulterated lust. Recognize the difference.
A lesson from your nakoudo.
---
Ever get the feeling that all your life, you are sure of something, like Santa Claus existing in this world, then all of a sudden, just because you've seen your mother's boardmate's cousin's friend in the father side of his grandmother's great grand aunt's first husband dress in Santa suit at the back of the mall, you'll lose all your faith and never come back to see Santa again?
I guess I'm still bitter over my loss. Kaho was one wonderful woman, and I gave the relationship my best shot. After what I suffered, I don't think I could ever dare to involve myself again.
Unfortunately though, resolves melt like burned candle wax when I see her walking my way.
How can the one I want to hold close and want to never let go of be the same person I want to push away from me as far as possible?
Damn.
Never ever kiss a nakoudo, for her charm will haunt you even in your dreams.
tsuzuku