"What?!!!" Yue boomed as the two kids stepped back fearfully.
Nakuru, oblivious of the fire shooting out from the guardian's eyes, sighed. "Weren't you listening? Eriol-chan said that he used the Cupid card on you, meaning, you will be under its love spell for seven days."
"I heard that!" snapped Yue.
"Then why did you ask what they said?" asked Nakuru, confused.
"Leave yourself out of this!" Yue turned to the children. "Do something. Unbreak the spell!"
"H-How?" asked Eriol Hiiragizawa Jr., sweating nervously. "I-I don't know how."
"Then why did you use the card if you don't know how it works in the first place?" barked the moon guardian.
"Don't shout at Master Eriol-chan!" said Nakuru, scowling at last. "He says he doesn't know, and no matter how much you scream at him, he won't be able to help you!"
Don't look at her. Yue, though, wasn't able to act fast enough. His eyes went to her, and his heart…
He nearly flung himself out of the window. The Cupid card was starting to take effect!
Nakuru remained blissfully oblivious. She knelt down beside her young master. "Show that card to your father and ask him how we can do what Yue says. Tell him to hurry up because he might throw his tantrums here."
JR grinned. "You can always spank him, just like what Aunt Meiling does to Nadeshiko when she's naughty."
"Excuse me, that happened because of you too," interrupted Nadeshiko. "You're the one who tattles on me."
JR frowned. "Hah! And you think I would let you go out on your escapades!"
"Learning how to skateboard is not an escapade! Even Okaasan skates!"
"Silence!" barked Yue. The kids shut up immediately.
Nakuru gave the boy a nudge. "Go to your dad now and ask him about the Cupid card." The boy nodded, then pulled his cousin along with him. The two hurried to the library.
The children returned with the Hiiragizawa senior. His azure eyes twinkled as they went back and forth on his two servants.
"Master, I would appreciate it very much if you won't make any more remarks," said Yue quickly.
"Of course, Yue." Eriol sat down the kitchen chair and gazed at the two. "I am sorry to say this though, but I cannot break the spell."
"WHAT?!!!" Yue was astounded.
"There he goes again…" muttered Nakuru. "Should I repeat what he said?"
Yue ignored her. "No…please say you're not serious, Master."
"I'm very serious, Yue," he said. "The Cupid card has just been created, and I am yet to polish some of its properties, including its antidote. The only thing you can do is to wait for the seven day duration to finish."
Yue was incredulous. "I…I can't afford to be in love with her for seven days! It's…it's…downright suicide."
Nakuru laughed. "No, crushing on me is not too bad, Yue. I'm pretty, I'm nice, and I make sweet apple pies."
"Do you think I give a damn?" snapped the moon guardian, who had no capability to eat.
"I'm afraid Nakuru is right," said Eriol, shaking his head. "To fight off the Cupid card is futile, Yue. Just try to live with those feelings for seven days. I'm sure it won't be too hard on Yukito's part."
"And what about me?" asked Yue miserably.
"You'll live. Be strong," said Eriol, chuckling.
"Horrors." Yue leaned on the wall, groaning.
Just then, they heard the oven turn off. Nakuru smiled. "My pies are done!" She smiled at Yue. "Oh, honey pie? Why don't you try my pie that I made for thy?"
"Thou," corrected Yue, still groaning.
"Thy, thou, who cares? Just as long as I'm referring to you?"
"Go away, Ruby Moon," he said.
Eriol touched Nakuru's shoulders. "I think we better get started on your pie, Nakuru. You can talk to him later when he's in the mood."
"What mood?" asked Nakuru. "He's always grouchy!"
"Hai, hai." Eriol took his servant along with him, followed by his son.
Yue opened his eyes at last, and found Nadeshiko looking up at him, eyes uncertain.
"Are you mad at us, Yue?" she asked softly.
He couldn't reply.
"Are you mad at me?" she asked again. "Gomen. I should have stopped JR. I can always tell him what to do, but I didn't do it. I'm sorry." Her lower lip quivered, and Yue finally knelt down and tipped her chin with his finger gingerly.
"No, Mistress Nadeshiko, I am not mad at you," he said at last.
"You are," she said, sniffling. "You're still frowning."
"I always look like this. Ah hell…" He managed a small smile on his face. "How's that, Mistress?"
"Tell me you're not mad at me," she ordered.
He couldn't help but smile some more. Nadeshiko was not like her mother in this aspect; even at her young age, this girl was confident the world couldn't say no to her. "I'm not mad at you."
"Good." Her face relaxed. "You're not mad at JR too."
"That's a different story," he protested.
"How can JR's story be different from mine?" she wanted to know.
"Well…you apologized and he didn't," he decided to say instead.
"That's why I'm asking the apology for him," she said. "Oh Yue, please say you forgive JR already! You know that he's a blockhead, but I'm sure he doesn't mean it." Her amber eyes were wide in its unwarranted innocence.
He knew that the girl knew no one could refuse her when she looked like that. And as much as he wanted to say 'no', he decided that he couldn't let her down in this opportunity. She may not be verbal about it, but she was caringly protective of her cousin.
"It's ok if you don't forgive me anymore…just forgive JR, ok?" she asked, smiling.
He sighed. Arguing with Nadeshiko was always a lost battle from the beginning. Why couldn't he ever learn?
"Fine, I forgive you two," he said at last.
"Good. Don't tell JR that I asked sorry for him, ok?"
"That will be our secret," he promised.
Just then, JR's head popped into the room, looking at him and Nadeshiko suspiciously. "Dad is calling you already, Nadeshiko." Not contented, he marched towards her and pulled her along with him. She gave Yue one last glance, and a grateful smile formed on her lips.
"Hurry up!" barked JR, noticing where his cousin's head turned.
Nadeshiko scowled at him. "Don't shout at me, you brat!"
JR paused, then stuck a tongue out at him. She did the same.
When the two disappeared into the dining room, Yue thought he finally would have some peace.
But he was wrong.
Nakuru appeared, smiling brightly. "Yue-chan!"
"Go away," he said, averting his gaze.
"Aaw, what's eating you?" she asked.
His eyes flickered towards the ceiling. "Leave me alone."
"Don't sweat it with the Cupid card," advised the girl. "It's only seven days."
"It's no problem for you," he muttered. "You're not the one who's in my shoes now."
"Of course not!" she said, genuinely surprised. "You're wearing them. Besides, my shoe size is a lot smaller than yours."
He sighed audibly. It was no use trying to come up with a decent conversation when it was this woman who was concerned.
"If I were you," she continued. "I would just try to enjoy those seven days."
Those seven days. He would rather see that long-haired girl with the killer videotape than be reminded that he would be under the Nakoudo spell for one long week…with this woman, nonetheless!
"I couldn't see what's to enjoy with that," he retorted.
"Well, for one thing, your life won't be boring," she said, grinning.
"Whoever said that my life is boring?" he snapped.
"Your little bird told me," she said.
He felt colors travel from his neck up. "It's 'A little bird told me'," he said through gritted teeth.
"Whatever." She shrugged carelessly. "Besides, I'm sure Mistress Tomoyo would love to see us together for her vacation."
Yue massaged his aching temples. Oh how could he forget the first attempt of Daidouji Tomoyo to get him and this woman together?
"What am I saying?" his mind wondered. "I don't even know whether Ruby Moon is a woman or not!"
"And I like you a lot, Yue," she said, smiling. "You and Yukito."
"I don't like you," he said flatly.
She didn't even looked ruffled. She stepped in front of him, and before he could react, she placed both her arms on the either side of the kitchen wall he was leaning on.
"Look into my eyes and tell me you don't like me," she dared him.
He refused to meet her gaze. "I don't like to look at you."
"Fine, I won't move away, even if Master Eriol sees us like this," she threatened.
"Good, then he'll know you're trying to rape me!"
She laughed. "Yue-chan, he won't mind. Nope, not at all."
"Damn it, get away from me!" Before he could even realize what he was going to do, he grabbed her arm.
"Itai!" she said, wincing.
"Damn!" He let go all of a sudden, pushing her away roughly.
"Sorry," he said, still not looking at her.
To his dismay, Nakuru only laughed. "Wai! Yue-chan loves me!"
"What?!"
"I said-"
"I don't love you!"
"You do," insisted Nakuru. "Mistress Tomoyo says you always hurt the one you love."
Yue's fists clenched. "But love means never having to say I'm sorry." Where the hell did I get that?
"And you said sorry." Nakuru looked disheartened for a second, then grinned. "Oh well, I'm sure you'll grow to like me in these seven days." She smiled slyly. "You can't even stop yourself from reaching for me. Ne, that's why you won't look at me?"
"Get out!"
"You can't keep me out of your heart forever, Yue-chan!" she said teasingly. "Someday, somehow your defenses will melt."
"I don't love you!"
"The Cupid card is on my side!" She laughed merrily.
"Gah!" Yue shut his eyes when he felt that Yukito's body was ready to return. He wrapped his wings around himself, and a second later, Yukito appeared. He crumpled down to the floor, but Nakuru was quick enough to catch him.
"Hey, Yuki-chan, are you ok?" she asked worriedly.
"Y-Yue stayed a bit longer than before," he said weakly.
"We had a problem," she said. "I'll tell you later. For now, come with me to the kitchen. I have prepared apple pie."
"Good!" His eyes twinkled.
She helped him up, just as she remembered something.
"Yuki-chan?"
"Yes?"
"Don't you…don't you feel anything strange…when you look at me?" she asked slowly.
He shrugged. "Actually, I don't. You're the one acting strange."
Nakuru was puzzled, but decided to just ask her Master Eriol about this later.
tsuzuku