X – Happy New Year!
Hiiragizawa Eriol was pacing across his room; a small, black velvet box held tightly in his right hand. He had a thoughtful expression on his face, his beautiful azure eyes narrowed in a frown. Spinel Sun, who was at his master's chambers, was getting dizzy thanks to his restless creator who menaced to make a hole in the wooden work of art that was the floor, nude from the navy carpet.
"I just can't do this!" he said exasperated, having seat on a couch.
"Why not?" inquired the winged creature amused at Eriol's unusual behavior.
"It's too soon Spinel, I mean… we've known each other for quite a long time but, I don't know… I feel I'm going too fast…" Eriol sighed frustrated, looking for comfort or help in his guardian's eyes. He got a tiny smirk.
"Well… I know about cases of people that marry in a shorter time..." that wasn't the point, he knew that, but just said so to extend the torment to the young man who gave him a "so?" look. "Do you love her?" his smirk grew wider.
Eriol didn't comprehend Spinel's "silly" questions; he always had considered him the "smart" one. Looking at the cat's smile something flashed in his mind: he wanted to make some fun out of him. "Cats are evil" the black-blue haired man registered in his mental-notebook. "Yes Spinel, I love her" almost a whisper.
"Huh?" The flying guardian perked up his ears like he hadn't heard what the man said.
"I ache for her alright?!" Eriol now, was officially loosing his self-control. His face buried in his hands.
"Everything will be alright since all you need is love" Spinel returned to his "serious" self. "I'm not an expert in this kind of things, but I think that if she really loves you, she will accept" flying from the bed and sitting in the coffee table near Eriol.
"That's the thing… I don't know if she loves me…" he said, looking at his creation; the lost look still in his eyes.
"That's something for you to find out… all you have to do is ask her" sympathy showed in his feline eyes. "Think about that kiss… it might give you a hint" a small devious smile.
Somewhere else in the manor, a lady was working on her laptop; apparently reading some reports the people in charge of her company sent her for the closure of the year. Nevertheless her amethyst eyes seemed distant… her mind far from her current location.
"Fruits & Candy is running smoothly, no problems…" she absent-mindedly said to no one in particular. "Let's see… Plum Blossoms is perfect as well… just to take care of the Spring Collection… and somebody requested an exclusive wedding dress" chin resting on her palm, some fingers tracing the contour of her lips. "Oh my, that kiss! It's been almost a week and I can't take it out of my head… I wish he kisses me again…" her smooth forehead had now a frown. "What am I thinking? Please Tomoyo stop it!" but then her expression changed, her eyes doubtful. "But what if what I felt is true? Could that be? Nah! I don't think so… but I love him" her elbow slipped from the shiny surface of her desk and her face fell. "Where did that come from? Do I really feel that way? Oh silly girl, what are you messing with?"
The raven lady decided to dismiss her personal thoughts and concentrate on her work. She's returning to Tomoeda the first week of January and needs to catch up with everything. To tell the truth, the whole love topic scared her to death, so she wanted to get away from him to think things straight without his intoxicating presence. Besides, Daidouji Toys will be a whirlwind with all the reports she has to study, the market research, the branches and everything because of Christmas' sales. Glancing at the desk clock she said to herself: "Four hours to get ready for tonight's dinner".
Hiiragizawa Annette was lying on her stomach in the soft, queen-sized bed with her iBook in front of her. The headphones were connected and placed in her ears. Her head moved from side-to-side along with the groove, humming softly the tune with a content smile. The girl was overwhelmed with happiness. She got what she wanted and longed for the past years when she became conscious about her condition. Now she felt she had a complete family, her own family, with sweet Tomoyo by her side. The past weeks were pure bliss to the girl who couldn't stop from laughing, smiling and beaming in joy. She found it hard to sleep at night because of too much excitement, wanting to cherish every second as if it was the last. Knowing inside things are not forever, she enjoyed her current reality with all her heart. But the little girl also knows that you can pursue your dreams and in some cases change your destiny, so she silently worked on a plan (with some help from the guardians, of course) to keep happiness inside their lives. So far, the results where good… they liked each other and her father was behaving a little bit estrange around Tomoyo. He even blushed!
On the other hand, Nakuru was having the greatest of times in her life playing matchmaker with the mischievous child. Most of the expressions Eriol-kun held whenever something tricky had been cast on him, which also involved sweet Tomoyo-chan, were priceless. Besides having fun was one of her top-ten priorities so she wasn't complaining at all.
The winged cat-like creature also was having fun, his way of course. His sense of humor was somewhat more refined than that of his female partner so he just enjoyed the irony of the situation. For his master who used to be cool, calm and collected (especially around women) even flirting if the situation required so; he was now behaving like a school boy… just because of a certain lavender haired woman. Of course Eriol wasn't that obvious, but people who knew him well and were observant enough could notice.
The rest of the day of New Year's Eve went by without complications and the family was heading to one of the most exclusive hotels in city for dinner to then see the fireworks in front of the Buckingham Palace when the Big Ben strikes midnight.
A superb BMW limo stopped slowly at the hotel entrance, followed by a line of many other cars whose occupants had, probably, the same purpose. A man nicely dressed in the maroon uniform of said establishment opened the door with white gloved hands. Eriol came out first, wearing an Armani assemble that made him look simply gorgeous. Annette wore a rich, red dress with tastefully touches of lace, white pantyhose and red shoes. Her midnight-blue hair was curled and adorned with a dew of little rubies. Nakuru had on a forest-green cocktail dress that reached her knees, revealing long slender legs accentuated by high-heeled shoes. She also wore a transparent-green, silk robe that ended five inches lower than her dress; chestnut-hair in an elegant French-twist and white, authentic pearls adorning her neck. Tomoyo decided to wear black, low-cut, silk pants that hugged her hips and then loosened progressively downwards. A thin, golden chain with charms hanged from her hips and moved graciously when she walked. A deep-red, strapless, tank-top held secure by a knot at her neck exposed the creamy-white skin of her back and belly while still managing to cover her upper-body. The black-bluish, curly hair was twisted and held by Chinese sticks with some locks falling free at her back and shoulders. Golden bracelets on her wrist, long golden earrings and natural makeup finished her outfit.
"Wow, this hotel is beautiful!" said Annette in a quiet voice, holding carefully the red handbag that kept Spinel carefully hidden.
"Sure it is… so elegant!" added Nakuru discretely admiring her surroundings. "It looks a little bit similar to the other one we visited in Paris last year…" she said as an afterthought.
It was no secret that, to be there tonight, one must had made reservations over two months ago given that this was one of the most sought-after hotels to spend such holidays. The matron showed them their table located near one of the many windows in the crystal terrace which held a magnificent view of the velvety sky and Christmas' landscape. Idle chatter settled in between them while waiting for their drinks to arrive.
"Your order sir" said a waiter respectfully, placing on the elegantly settled table a bottle of Crystal Champagne and a glass of Coke for the child. "Would you like to see the menu, sir?" he asked.
The black-bluish haired man glanced at his watch noticing it was 10:00 PM. "Yes, please".
The waiter nodded and gave each member of the table a menu. Gray-blue, ruby, azure and amethyst eyes looked with interest at the leather-bound thin book in their hands, seeking for something that would satisfy their fancy. Once they had made their mind, everyone told the awaiting employee their decisions and he left once again.
"Minna, there's something I want to tell you." She said after a while of gathering courage. "First of all, I want to thank all of you for your generous hospitality," she paused and smiled at Annette, whose eyes instantly became sad.
"You're welcome Tomoyo-san, it was our pleasure having you with us" Eriol said, sensing that she was about to tell something that wouldn't be of his immediate liking.
The raven beauty smiled at him. "That means a lot to me," fidgeting with the napkin she had previously placed on her lap. "I'm must go back to Japan in two days," looking down at her empty plate.
Annette couldn't believe what she heard. That certainly wasn't in her plans and it completely blew away her playing-card castle. She could feel cold liquid at the edge of her eyes and a single tear rolled down her right cheek, but she tried to be calm. Tomoyo saw all that and felt as bad as the young lady seated across her, nevertheless she couldn't do anything to change the situation.
"Why is that Tomoyo-san?" asked Eriol confirming his suspicions.
"Daidouji Enterprises needs me for the closure of the mercantile year," the black-purplish haired woman explained, trying to be as calm as she could. Years of practice came to her aid.
"Can't you stay a little longer?" said Nakuru really alarmed, earning a bitter smile from Tomoyo.
"Believe me, if I could I would… but just can't" she said drinking from her glass of champagne for she had recently found herself with a parched throat.
"I see…" Eriol said in almost a whisper, holding the velvet box in one of the pockets of his jacket. "If that's so, let's enjoy the rest of your time with us."
Annette continued to silently weep, not wanting to draw attention from the nearby tables. "I'm going to miss you."
Amethyst eyes got misty and Tomoyo fought the urge to cry for she had grown to love the child very much. "I'm so sorry darling… I'll miss you as well," she said and squeezed Annette's small hand.
Two waiters came with silver trays full of plates and placed everything on the table. The sound of the dishes against the decorative plates broke the silent that fell in the table after Tomoyo's announcement. Wishing bon appetite the men left, leaving the customers all to themselves. They proceeded to eat calmly, mentally dismissing the last conversation and soon found more pleasant topics to talk about, which Tomoyo thanked inwardly because she felt she could not bear those saddened eyes any longer.
Hiiragizawa Eriol was feigning to listen, adding some comments and talking when needed. But truth be told, his mind was submerged in a mental fight with none other than himself. He decided not to bring up the "proposal" issue afraid of a rejection. Besides he thought that she might feel somewhat obliged towards him given that everyone else tacitly involved were also there, like Annette; just to name one. He scolded himself inwardly for being so selfish about this matter. True he loved her, but he didn't know enough about her life to say she loved him or if she even was a single woman. His reason told him that a woman like her shouldn't be single for a long time so, what if she has a fiancé or a boyfriend?
They were very good friends, best-friends; but had decided to not incursion in the other's personal or intimate affairs for the sake of themselves. Another thing to think about is, being the successful businesswoman she is; she might be very busy running her company as well and has no time to even think of love. He knows how important her dreams and promises are to her, specially her mother's last wish. But then again, she so graciously hosted his child for a couple of weeks not mattering how busy she was and came to Annette's birthday party when no one else had dared to do so; not even the child's grand-parents, and how she jumped into the first plane available when the girl fell ill.
When they spent time together, it was like nothing else mattered in the world. She always seemed relaxed and calm, enjoining their company. She hardly got a phone call on her cell phone and they forgot about her business boundaries. Everything was so perfect. Tomoyo earned a place in the family and even Spinel, the aloof one, was fond of her. He knew that nothing will be the same when she's gone and it saddened him greatly.
Everyone at the table finished their meal and Eriol asked for the bill. The same waiter that saw after them during they stay in the restaurant placed a small and round silver tray with said paper. The blue-black haired young man glanced at it nonchalantly and took out a blue American Express®.
At a quarter past eleven they reached the Buckingham Palace but since it was way too crowded, the man in charge changed their plans and ordered their chauffeur to head towards the Big Ben tower. Twenty-five minutes later, the large car was neatly parked at one side of a Londoner snow-covered street. It was the nearest they could get to the British Parliament building so, getting out the luxurious car they walked until finding a nice spot from where to see the fireworks commemorating the New Year.
Awnings where everywhere getting the attention of potential customers with nicely showed up merchandise. The ladies' eyes found the jewelry tents more interesting than the others and tried on almost everything that was of their liking, though only a few actually bought something. The countdown started and the spectators suddenly became quiet, forgetting whatever they were doing or talking about. Thousand pairs of eyes in all colors, shades of blue dominating, looked up at the starry-sky, joining the countdown with their own excited voices. Tomoyo and friends were no exception.
Ten… nine… eight…seven… six… five… four… three… two… one… HAPPY NEW YEAR ENGLAND!!!
The fireworks started, creating wonderful patterns of light and colorful designs, like beautiful flowers flying high in the sky and then exploding, fragmenting themselves in lots of tiny lightened particles to fall down like shooting stars and then disappear. Everyone cheered enthusiastically, their voices mixed in a joyful choir. When the Big Ben struck midnight, Nakuru beamed in joy as did the others and Tomoyo couldn't help but hug Eriol tightly, taking him by surprise.
"Happy New Year Eriol-kun! I wish you for you that all of your dreams come true!" she said happily, feeling his strong arms wrapping around her body.
"Happy New Year to you too Tomoyo-san!" He said with his trademark smile. Longing and love carefully masked in his deep-azure eyes.
The lavender haired woman smiled sweetly at him, basking in his warm embrace. Before she pulled away, Tomoyo gave him a peck on the cheek leaving the poor boy puzzled. That action didn't go unnoticed by certain ladies who shared a grin and whispered how cute it all was.
"Happy New Year Annette!" beamed Tomoyo, getting on her knees to give the girl a bear-hug who giggled and wished her the same. "I wish this year to bring you lots of wonderful things!" She said taking the girl's face in her gloved hands, caressing Annette's cheeks with her thumbs.
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!" exclaimed Nakuru, joining the girls in their embrace. "I wish you both the best!"
Spinel, who was being suffocated and crushed inside his little mistress' handbag began to yell in pain until the young girl noticed it and let him out. "I'm so sorry Spinel!" cried the young lady with concern in her eyes looking at Spinel's tiny body.
"Ow, Suppi-chaaaan!" squealed Nakuru taking the "cat" in mid-air hugging him tightly. "Happy New Year!" She said twirling around, making him dizzy from the spinning movement and lack of air.
"Nakuru, could you let him go? Don't you see he's unhealthily pale?" said Eriol coming out from his kind of trance. The Moon guardian did, reluctantly, as told so that the fellow guardian could catch his breath, getting the oxygen level in his blood back to normal. "Happy New Year darling!" he said merrily taking the girl in his arms. Annette laughed and placed a hand behind his neck for balance, getting comfortable in a sitting position.
"Happy New Year to you too Spinel Sun!" said Tomoyo happily to the winged creature in her palms, who had flown over her looking for shelter for his recovery. He just smiled and said "It is my wish for you to have the best of years, mistress"
After the fire works had ended, they returned to the vehicle chatting happily about how wonderful the show was and what they planned to do this year to make it an extraordinary one. The chauffer opened the door for them and wishing him a happy new year the crew got in.
"What's the matter sweetheart?" inquired Eriol noticing the thoughtful expression in his daughter's face.
She just looked up, gray-blue meeting deep-azure, and sighed. "Well, it's just that I've been thinking… why don't you marry Tomoyo?" There, she had done her move and last try in getting them both together before the amethyst eyed woman could leave. The shocked expression of her father almost made her laugh, but she fought that impulse and succeeded. "She's the most beautiful and intelligent woman I've ever known… she's so much like you dad!" she added to cover the silence that fell upon them.
A cute shade of pink crept on Tomoyo's cheeks at the child's words. Marriage? She was very confused and found the small TV receiver that was in the limo the most interesting thing in the world. Nakuru was grinning like mad at Annette's sudden tactical move and mentally applauded children's innocence and spontaneity. Spinel sensed his master become suddenly stressed while carefully observing the situation.
Somehow the Londoner came back to his senses and resolved to speak. "Oh really? Would you like me to marry Tomoyo-san?" he said in a serious tone but his lips twisted into a smirk. The girl just nodded her head, soft tresses floating in the air. "But, do you realize the magnitude of your wish?… and what about her feelings?… she's not an object you can just take if you like it" he sounded a bit upset, even being a loving and caring father, he has to be strict sometimes though it hurts him.
The "object" in question took her eyes off the blank screen and turned towards Eriol, who was giving his child a stern look. Placing a hand on his left shoulder (since she was seated beside him) and giving Annette a comforting smile she spoke, "It's alright Eriol-kun, I don't mind…my feelings have not been hurt and I'm not offended". Her hand abandoned his strong shoulder-blade, smiling a little to lessen relevance at the issue. "Besides, what would we do without children's spontaneity?" her comment was intended to appease the environment and it worked, for Eriol calmed down and the girl smiled with relief.
"What's not to like?!" he said to himself letting out a sigh. "Very well…"
Tomoyo was suddenly hit by curiosity and since they touched that topic… "Why do you want your father to get married so badly Annette-chan?" she asked, making herself comfortable, her eyes shining with childish curiosity.
The girl looked at her father, as if asking for permission, only to get Eriol's curious eyes. "I think that if he marries he will be no longer alone… I know he has all of us, but that's not the kind of company and love he's lacking of" she said, carefully choosing her words. Gray-blue eyes fell to her lap to avoid the scrutinizing eyes of her father. "Besides… that way I'll have a real, legal mom" her voice was almost a whisper but was carried away to everyone's ears. Courage glowed in her eyes when she looked up, "That's why I want you to marry Tomoyo dad" her speech was mixed with contained sobs, "Because I lover her as my mother and I know that you love her too!" she burst into tears and Nakuru hugged her, giving some comfort, patting her back to calm her down.
Inside the limo, they were seated this way: Eriol, Tomoyo and Spinel in one long, leather seat while Nakuru and Annette were in front of them. Deadly silence took place between them again. Annette sobbed, Eriol was taken aback, Tomoyo was shocked, Spinel was surprised and that left Nakuru concerned.
"My dear child, I understand your grief but even if you say so… that doesn't mean that she loves us the way you want" he said staring into nothingness absentmindedly.
"But I know she loves us!" looking at Tomoyo with watery eyes "Don't you love us Tomoyo?" she asked but it sounded more like a plea. All her dreams and hopes putted all together in that sentence.
Everything was a whirlwind in Tomoyo's mind. She better had left everything as it was… her curiosity is the one to be blame about, and herself for surrendering to it. Her heart ached at the girl's pain and her mind was thinking way too fast for her to comprehend her thoughts. "Yes, I love you both" she found herself saying, though not knowing why.
Annette smiled brightly, drying her tears with gloved hands. "See dad? She said she loves us!"
The limo came to a halt signaling that they were home. The chauffer opened the passenger's door and the warmness inside was replaced with chilly air. Eriol steeped outside and didn't wait for anyone else, he entered the manor and quickly headed upstairs to his room, where he secluded himself for the next two days; without hearing the other's protest and concerned voices.