:: Chapter dedication: Yiae and Tweetybird^^ ::
"Another round," said Tomoyo, shoving away the empty bottle of pale pilsen beer away from her. She was inside a rather unknown second-class bar, a gay bar to be exact, drinking and drowning her troubles away. She wanted to forget the humiliation she got in Hiiragizawa Eriol's hands, but more importantly, she wanted to forget the sensation that he roused in her when he kissed her. No, she couldn't accept that a mere piece of rock woke up the woman within her.
Her eyes were cast upon the seductive groove of the bodies of the scantily dressed macho men as the gays, matrons, and groups of teenage girls screamed in delight. She rolled her eyes when one male dancer noticed her watching. He winked at her playfully. She rolled her eyes once more and turned to her drinks once again.
Pig.
Amidst the dizzying sparkle of neon lights, deafening sounds of hollers and laughter, and rowdy hoots of people, she realized that Daidouji Tomoyo could never have been more alone.
Her drink was served, and she gulped it down once more, venting all her anger at her childhood friend on the beer.
"I see. Thank you anyway. My apologies for disturbing you. Good night, Daidouji-sama." Eriol placed the phone down, sighing. Tomoyo wasn't home yet since the morning she jogged. And it was already nine in the evening. When he called up her house, it only alarmed her poor mother who taught that she was just out visiting her old school friend that came straight from London.
And as much as he hated to admit it, he was a little concerned as to her whereabouts.
He knew that no matter how much she annoyed him awhile ago, he still should have chosen his words carefully. He should know that the clow mistress' best friend was one very sensitive girl.
Ah hell, what do I care if I hurt her or not? It shouldn't be my problem.
"I'm hungry," said Spinel, breaking his thoughts. "I don't usually complain on those sort of things, but Master, I haven't taken lunch yet."
He turned to his pet, grateful for its interruption. "Didn't Nakuru start with dinner yet?"
Spinel rolled its eyes. "I reckon she had fun in this gay bar of hers, totally forgetting about our own existence and gastronomical needs."
He got up, slightly amused by the thought of his identity crisis-stricken servant swooning and shrieking along with the crowd as naked machos danced in wet and wild abandon. "Maybe I should fetch her."
The feline's eyes widened. "You CAN'T be serious! Master. You do not know what kind of filthiness thrive in those places!" Disgust was evident in its tone.
He shrugged. "Filthy or not, Nakuru and our dinner is in there." He reached for his jacket. "I'll go get her."
"I'm not coming with you, Master," said the feline, rolling its eyes. "I think I would rather stay here and guard the house."
"Guard from what? The bacteria civilization?" Eriol held out his hand pointedly. "Let's go."
Spinel recognized the firmness of its master's voice. It groaned in defeat as it joined its master outside.
"Ma'am, I think you've drunk enough," said the bartender uneasily when Tomoyo asked for yet another bottle.
"S…Shays w-whuu?" she asked groggily, ignoring the dizzying sensation that was threatening to break her equilibrium. She shut her eyes in frustration. Shit you, Hiiragizawa Eriol. I could still see you in my mind…I'm not yet numb. Damn you, get out of my system!
"I'm…n-notttt…yet…d-drunk…" she managed to say, vaguely seeing the wincing man. "S-Shee? I…shtill…could…hear hish voish…" she hiccupped, then continued, "t-telling me…me…" Hot tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm a guuud…for nothing deshperate…" She dried her tears with the back of her palm. "…wanton harlot…" She looked up at him, eyes glistening with tears. "Mish…ter, tell me…honest...ly…am I…ugly? L-Loathsome?"
The waiter sighed. "Ma'am, you're drunk. Really, we have to escort you out of here…"
"YOU MEN ARE ALL ALIKE!!!" she screamed. "I hate…I HATE YOU ALL!" She sensed the crowd forming behind her. She turned to them, smiling bitterly. "Hey everyone! Y-You know what…my…only, ONLY dream…is to be a bride…and m…mother. B-But men….they're too cruel…" Amidst the crowd she saw a solid figure making his way towards her. The crowd parted as he walked in front of her, frowning.
She laughed humorlessly. "Aha!!! A man! S…Sho…what'ya doing here?"
"Daidouji-san." The timber of his voice sounded familiar.
She lifted a mocking eyebrow. "Ah…Hi…Hiiwagi…Hiwagishawa Eriol-kun!" She pasted a fake smile on her face, her eyes sparkling. "What can…l-lil ole me do for you… that you cannot do for me… and we cannot do in the…dark?"
"What are you doing in this place?" Disgust filled his voice.
"Jush…jush enjoying myself!" She tried to look at him in the eye, but her world was moving too fast. "H'w bout you…? What'ya doing…here? Sheesh a gay bar…and…you told me…you weren't…g-gay." She grinned. "O-Or were you lying, huh?" She suddenly felt something sour in her throat, and she had to take it out…
"Shit!" she heard him mutter. Seconds later, she realized with the stench that she threw up on him. Despite of herself, she smiled proudly. It was revenge…revenge against his kind. Cruel, savage animals that cared for nothing, for no one…
"Nakuru, take my shirt!" she heard him yell. Just then, she felt herself lifted by strong arms. The familiar musky male scent filled her nostrils. Hiiragizawa Eriol scent. She tried to lift her hand and pound it against his chest as a protest, but realized that strength deserted her.
"Nakuru, get her bill and pay it…yes, and just take a cab home. I'm driving Daidouji-san home."
That was the last thing she heard before darkness snatched her consciousness.
She opened her eyes and saw that the world had not yet ceased its merry-go-round.
"Finally," she heard a voice say. She tried to focus on the source of the voice, but to no avail.
She felt something touch her cheek and give it a soft slap.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" she heard the voice ask.
"T-Twenty-eight."
She heard him groan.
"Be serious."
She nodded weakly. "S-Sorry. It was…twenty-nine?" She looked around and finally saw things a little more clearly. The ceiling was not definitely her bedroom's. The curtains were dark blue, as opposed to the soft pastels of her own. "W-Where am I?" she asked hoarsely.
"My room." The voice was unmistakably Hiiragizawa Eriol. She felt the bed shake as weight plunged down beside her. "Do you expect me to take you home to Daidouji-sama with you looking like that?"
"L-Looking like what?" she asked, her eyes searching for the mirror.
Eriol sighed, audibly this time, as he watched her move her sight unsteadily around the unfamiliar environment of his room. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes swollen with tears, and her cheeks all flushed because of the alcohol.
But for the life of him, he found her hair bedroom-sexy, as if she had just been made wild, passionate love to. Her eyes, though puffy, were still exquisite beyond poetry. Her rosy blush made her even more ravishing. And her confused, disoriented look only added to her beauty of seductive innocence.
He clenched his fists and turned his eyes away from her. He subtly reached for a pillow to cover his crotch, then spoke. "You wouldn't want to know."
"Huh?" Her voice was confused.
He exhaled sharply, still refusing to meet her gaze. "What the hell were you doing in the gay bar anyway?" he decided to ask.
He looked at her sideways and saw her rubbing her temples, moaning. His grip on the pillow tightened as he tried to block the rousing sound of her soft cries.
"I was drunk?!" He heard her murmur in disbelief.
"Beyond belief, Daidouji-san," he reminded her coldly. "That is why I took the consideration of not bringing you home right away. I am worried that Daidouji-sama may not find that amusing…her daughter going home from a sleazy bar dead drunk."
She turned to him, eyes flashing. "Hey, hey, don't start talking like a saint! What were you doing in the gay bar, Mr. Perfect?"
"I was fetching Nakuru. She had to make dinner for Spinel and me tonight." He finally looked at her, his gaze mocking her. "Unlike you, I know better than to go off on my own in a place where not even heartbroken daredevils stray."
Her cheeks turned even redder, if that was possible. "Well, excuuuse me, no one told you to intervene. I was having fun there…"
"FUN?!" His voice rose a decibel. "Damn, there you were making a scene in the bar, screaming about your personal tragedies and grievances like a crazed woman—"
"Well, THAT is MY idea of FUN, damn it!" she snapped back. Fire was raging in her purple eyes.
"Stop being stubborn!"
"Well, stop being so condescending! You're so annoying!"
He smiled sardonically. "If you would act your age then maybe I'll take your advice."
"Shit!" She got up, her hand still on her head. "Damn you, how I regret that I still have met you! That I have even hallucinated that you are a man. That destiny is always right…"
"The feeling is mutual."
"I'm never going to trust a man with my heart again. You are all careless, emotionless idiots who aren't worth touching a fiber of my life!" she screeched.
"Fine, fine. Just stop screaming."
"Screw you! I'd scream when I want to!" Her mind was still foggy, and rationality had not made its comeback on her yet.
"This is my territory. I'm warning you…" He felt silly arguing with a drunk and very emotional woman, but it was the only way to fight the overwhelming heat in his body that her flaming wrath was able to unleash. She was on fire, and so was he. And he hated his body for being so traitorous.
"To hell with you!" She marched towards the door. "Goodbye, Hiiragizawa Eriol! This is the last time I'll let myself do this acts of desperation!"
He watched her open the door, relieved that finally she was walking out of the room, out of his life. Daidouji Tomoyo was dangerous…very, very dangerous.
He tried to think that after this night, he would go back again to his tranquil solitude. That he would get his mind, body, ego, and id back in control again.
He snapped back to reality when he heard her scream in pain. She banged her head on the aluminum of the door.
"God, why do you have double doors in your bedroom?" he heard her screech.
Despite of himself, he got up to check on her. She was seated on the floor, nursing her forehead.
"Because I know that I will never come into my room drunk and do some stupid stunts…like this one," he replied dryly. He instinctively took her hand to help her up. The still dazed Tomoyo accepted his hand and steadied herself up.
That was their first mistake.
The second their skin touched, flame shot both through them. Tomoyo shakily pulled away, but her knees buckled, and she fell on his, strangely, waiting arms.
She should have jumped away. She should have pushed him away. Yet she just stayed there, taking in his masculine scent, enjoying his strong, warm embrace. She felt his hands cup her face, and still, she didn't act. She dumbly remained standing as his face descended towards her. His lips touched her forehead, traced its fiery path down her nose, her cheeks, then her lips.
And lingered there.
It was gentle, heartbreakingly gentle. She wouldn't have guessed that someone as cold and cruel as him was capable of such tenderness, but here he was, giving her that. He took her time exploring its petal softness until finally, she followed her instinct and opened her mouth. His kiss seared deeper, chasing away the fogginess of her mind. Now she was fully aware of everything around her and within her. The heat rising from her body, and that of his, reciprocating the fire.
Slowly, his kiss turned more urgent, more passionate. She felt herself slowly lose the battle of wits when his hand started to make sensual paths on her body.
She leaned on him, knowing that if she didn't, she will melt down the floor like a puddle. His virility had melted all her muscles into jelly. She was helpless. Hopeless.
And she knew she would give in now.
"Master! Dinner's ready!" Nakuru's cheery voice came from outside the door.
Both of them stiffened, and Tomoyo, acting quickly, disentangled herself from his embrace. Fixing her rumpled blouse, she cleared her throat in an effort to calm herself. Her heart was still racing, her cheeks flushed. She couldn't bring herself to meet the intense gaze he was giving her.
Finally, he spoke up, his voice returning to its passiveness. "We'll be downstairs shortly, Nakuru."
"'Kay!!!" Footsteps sounded away from the door of the room. Silence returned to his room once more.
"Not a word," she hissed, finally summoning the courage to meet his gaze. His eyes were devoid of emotion, as she had grown accustomed to already. "I'm leaving, and you won't mention ANYTHING about this tomorrow." She pivoted and marched out of her room, fighting her tears back.
Downstairs, Nakuru watched, puzzled, as she exited the house without any farewells.
Eriol went down the stairs, face calm, but noticeably more relaxed than it usually was.
"I thought she was going to stay for dinner. I cooked extra for tonight!" whined the servant.
"She's in a hurry," he explained, eyes still trained on the door where she went out. Spinel watched observantly from the corner. Deep in its master's cerulean eyes, it knew something was forming in his mind.
And that something was another matter for the feline to find out.
tsuzuku