"Master Eriol?" Nakuru's head popped inside his bedroom, smiling brightly. When she noticed the problematic look on her master's face that was currently looking at the screen of his computer, she paused. "Master? Um, you have a guest downstairs."
He looked up from the screen. He was reading the reply of Tomoyo's admirer-something about him and Tomoyo not yet being married, and even if they were, they could still get a divorce. Meaning, Tomoyo was still free. He was starting to not like this guy very much, and he was starting to see him in a more vivid light…in homicidal light, that is. What he would give to know the identity of this loser so he could give him a piece of his mind.
"Nakuru, I'm busy," he said wearily.
"Oh, but you two haven't seen each other for awhile already so I figured out you might want to-"
"Tell her to see me some other time, I'm busy." He received a visit from Yamazaki and Chiharu already last night. It was a bit fun reminiscing but right now, he just wanted to dwell on morbid thoughts about Tomoyo's online suitor.
"Oh…okaaaaay," said his servant, then turned to someone behind her. "You heard him, Ms. Tomoyo. He's too busy."
"Oh, by any chance, there's no poodle there named Precious?" asked Tomoyo's familiar angelic voice, for some reason, made his heart beat twice its usual, sending him into a flurry of actions. He shut the computer down, fixed the collar of his shirt, ran a hand across his slightly disheveled hair, took a glimpse of himself on the now black screen of the computer to see if he still looks decent, slipped on his loafers, smoothed his slightly creased slacks, grabbed his jacket, sprayed a touch of cologne, and slipped his jacket around his shoulders. All in sixty seconds.
"Daidouji-san!" He ran after her, who was walking down the flight of stairs.
She turned to him, her hair swinging perfectly in rhythm. "Hiiragizawa-kun? I thought you were busy?"
"J-Just finished it, so I might as well-oof!" He tripped and fell down on the floor, face first. He was wearing his shoes the wrong way.
"Wow, Hi-kun." She approached him with an amused smile. "Slow down. Why are you in a hurry?"
Before he could stop himself, he burst out, "Because you might leave me."
Her smile vanished.
He collected himself quickly. "I-I mean…I need to talk to you…and you might leave before I get to tell you something."
"I see." She offered him her hand. "Need help?"
Something clicked in his mind. He smiled, then took her hand, but he pulled her down with him laughingly.
"Eriol-kun!" Before she could protest further, he kissed her, silencing her.
It had been days, but when he kissed her, it was like returning home at last.
"I would like to thank you for what you did for Nakuru," he began when he and his guest were settled in the balcony.
"Which one?" asked Tomoyo.
"Matchmaking her with Yukito."
"I thought you said it was ridiculous."
He shrugged. "But she's just so…so happy. And I don't think I have the heart to take her happiness away."
Her face softened. "Thanks."
She looked at her milk, thinking of other things to converse about. In the first place, what brought her here? She didn't know; she just let her feet take her to wherever they wanted to go. And she was brought here, in a place called next to him. She watched him smile at her warmly and she realized that she wouldn't want to be anywhere but here.
"What were you doing upstairs anyway?" she asked after a moment of silence.
He shifted uncomfortably. "Just…just things."
"Hai. I'm sure Hiiragizawa Eriol-kun would be busy doing 'just things'," she said, voice hinted with sarcasm.
He looked at her, wondering whether he should tell her about the emails. It was sort of weird for her not to mention about it. But when she said nothing about the love letters, he decided to shut up. He instead shifted to another topic. "What does Yukito feel about Nakuru?"
"I don't know. I'm not Yukito."
His brow rose. "I know that, but can't you somehow gauge if he wants her as a friend, or something more?"
"No, I can't."
"But you're a nakoudo."
"Yeah, and I'm not a mind-reader, least of all a heart-reader."
Eriol sighed. "What if he just likes her the way he likes a friend?"
"Like Touya?"
"No, like…like Sakura."
"I don't know."
"Then why the hell do you matchmake people when you aren't sure that they feel the same way for each other?" he asked.
"Because love is about risks." She sipped her drink thoughtfully. "Not all my projects end in a 'happily ever after ending', but they remain good friends. That is what's important to me. I'm just glad that Yukito won't be alone anymore, and Nakuru found someone to adore."
"I see." When she puts it that way, it somehow makes sense to him. "I'm surprised. You have time to matchmake other people, but you yourself have no one special."
"No big deal." She shrugged. "My love life is all about being a lovers' diplomat. I'm quite satisfied with it."
He smiled wickedly. "Had I not kissed you, I swear you would have died with lips still virgin."
"Then I'm honored that a reincarnated mage devirginized them," she laughed.
He chuckled. "You know, other women would panic already when they have no boyfriends. You're a novelty, Daidouji-san."
"Why, thank you."
"You're so carefree, so spirited." He put his cup down and gazed at her, eyes twinkling. "People trust you and look up to you as a nakoudo because you really seem like one. You don't have problems, you don't have hang-ups… and you are always ready to lend an ear to the problematic hearts. Don't you feel burdened at all?"
"Iie. It makes me feel good when I know that by just being a good listener, I have helped someone ease something in his or her mind," she admitted.
He stared at her admiringly for awhile, then spoke up. "Don't you have any problems of your own to deal with?"
She shrugged. "I do, of course."
"And you can take on those problems at the same time that you help others?" he asked curiously.
"It's all just a matter of looking at things. A cheerful disposition, that's all it takes."
He smiled. "Where do you buy a cheerful disposition? I would give anything to look like you right now. You're breathtakingly beautiful, Daidouji-san."
It was the first time that he complimented her directly, and she could feel the facial colors running a circus on her again.
"I refuse to see ugliness, that's all."
"Huh?"
"You see, problems, when dealt with incorrectly are like broken pieces of glasses that impair us visually. It prevents us from noticing the beauty of things around us." She shrugged. "I, for one, am thankful for problems. They are the most effective teachers I know of, although they can be pretty challenging. You have to get past their tests first before they give you the actual lessons to learn. But they teach me to be unafraid…without paying a single cent."
He chuckled lightly. "That is pretty optimistic, Daidouji-san. And parsimonious."
Tomoyo laughed. "As if you're no miser yourself! Remember when I first asked you out? I had to drag you out of your house!"
"I remember that you called me a vampire," he said wryly.
"Be thankful I didn't call you a sanitary napkin. It thrives in dark places too, and it sucks blood," giggled the nakoudo.
"You and your punchlines."
"No, seriously, Hi-kun." She turned to him earnestly. "If you are too problematic, if you ask too many whys, then you'll only see life's flaws. Just live your life with no worries. Be like Simba and his friends. Hakuna matata, and you will see that life is beautiful. That love is wonderful."
His eyes softened. "I'll take your advice, nakoudo."
"Good. Falling in love with life is something you mustn't forget to do."
They were silent for awhile, then Eriol spoke up. "Come here."
"Hmm?" But she did as told. She went to him, and she gasped when she felt him pull her to his lap. He hugged her tight, and Tomoyo could feel a lump in her throat. It was the first time that someone other than her mother and Sakura held her like this. She felt so secured and protected, as if no harm could ever come upon her. He felt so strong and invincible, and she felt the almost the same way- only femininely, because she was in his arms.
Eriol, on the other hand, felt unexplainable serenity as he held her closer to him. Her own heartbeat at pace with his, synchronized in a way that makes him feel that she was a lost piece of puzzle that he never was aware was missing at all. This must be what a soulmate was. A part of himself roaming around this earth, and was destined for him to find. It took him two lifetimes, but this feeling right now, it was worth all the years.
He settles his chin on her hair.
He felt so complete.
"Hiiragizawa-kun, I want to tell you something…"
"No, please. Let's just stay this way," he begged. He didn't want to think; he didn't want questions. He wanted to hang on and hold on to this moment. "Say it some other time."
Something flickered in her purple eyes. "OK," she said quietly. "Just this way."
"You didn't tell him?" asked Sakura sadly as she watched her best friend fold her clothes neatly. "Didn't you come there to say goodbye?"
Tomoyo shrugged. "I…I simply can't. It's too much for me. I was so ready to tell him how I feel…but I'm afraid." She had given so many pieces of advice before, but none of them could help her right now. Hiiragizawa Eriol was different. Her circumstances were different.
"Aunt Sonomi is too impetuous with decision-making. Why would she hurry you up in joining her in Europe?"
"A-Actually, she was just asking if I won't mind if she lives in Europe for a year, but I told her I want to come with her," said Tomoyo slowly, remembering her conversation with her mother in the café after she fetched her in the airport.
"Eh?"
"I think I need some time and space to think. Maybe I'm not yet ready for Hi-kun's sexual chemistry thing…I don't want relationships with no certainty." She was near to tears. "Sakura, I want him to love me! And he wont be able to do that."
"Tomoyo-chan…" Sakura was about to say something when her instant messenger alerted her of a new email.
Tomoyo blinked. "W-Wait, that's Hi-kun's email address!"
"Hai…" Sakura then went on to narrate how she made Li use a newly-made email address to make phony love letters to Tomoyo that she knew Eriol would read.
"I gave him access to your inbox. I'm sorry," apologized the cherry blossom. "I thought that if he saw competition, he would feel alarmed and he would think twice about your awkward relationship."
"That's silly," she said quietly as Sakura opened her mail. "Why would he feel alarmed? I'm no one special."
Sakura didn't comment, but there was a strange smile on her face.
Together they read what the mail had to say.
tsuzuku