I am so sorry for the rush. I had no time for Christmas and as well as New Year. By the time I could start typing, I was suffering writer's block. So, sorry for the delay and thanks for the reviews.
From the previous chapter: Eriol quickly ran to the window that overlooked the garage and peered outside and saw Tomoyo collapsed. Muttering an oath, he ran down, grabbing warm clothes in the process and rushed out into the cold to save the silly woman he loves.
Sakura rested her arm on the window still and stared at the falling snow. After three days of endless snowing, it finally showed signs of subsiding. However, it wasn't as bad as the time before Christmas.
Christmas, she thought. Kaho wanted a wedding at Christmas, however because of the blizzard she had to cancel it. Onii-chan was disappointed that the wedding couldn't go as plan. But all Kaho did was to pet his head and ask him to look forward for a summer one.
After all, it wasn't appropriate that they had the wedding when Tomoyo wasn't really in the condition to participate in the wedding. And there is still no good news from Eriol.
"Penny for a thought?" Syaoran stood next to her, watching the scenery. "It is beautiful isn't it?"
"What is?" Sakura asked.
"The snow."
Sakura stared outside once more and nodded. "A white blanket of snow, it looks so…"
"Clean?"
"Yes, clean." Sakura smiled at Syaoran, causing him to shift his feet uncomfortably. "I feel as if it cleansed the whole place."
"No one would believe that if they witness the blizzard." Syaoran shook his head and walked back to the living room. "It forced us to be isolated here for days!"
"Thee days to be exact." Sakura skipped away from the window and into the kitchen. "Thank God it is subsiding. If it went on for two more days, we will be out of both fresh food and canned food."
"Not to mention entertainment." Syaoran laughed.
"Not really. At least this allowed us to catch up with each other lives." Sakura opened the refrigerator, studying the contents in it.
Catch up? Was that all he wanted all this time? Catching up with each other? Syaoran almost wanted to cry out of agony. They did that, and he is falling even deeper in love with her and she can't even see it.
"How does steamed fish sound?" Sakura's voice broke into his thoughts
"That sounds fine." Syaoran walked into the kitchen and sat on the stool, watching Sakura moving around the room, as if it was her own.
"Do you love someone?" Syaoran suddenly asked when Sakura finished preparing the fish and sat opposite him. He watched Sakura's expression changed from astonishment to sadness.
"No. Why did you suddenly ask this question Syaoran?"
Syaoran's heart broke when he heard a tinge of hurt in her voice. "I was wondering whether you like someone because you looked like a jilted lover recently." Syaoran carried on. "Maybe it's someone I know?"
"Drop it Syaoran!" Sakura interrupted him.
"Well, I will. But if you want to talk, feel free to consult me." Syaoran stood up and turned away.
"Syaoran."
He paused for a moment before answering. "Yes?"
"It hurts." Sakura whispered.
"I know."
"It hurts when you love someone and can't be loved back." Sakura sniffed. "I see him and cry each time I think about Naruku. I envy her so much. He loves her so much."
Syaoran walked to her and hugged her. "I know the feeling. My heart break each time she looks at me and never realized that I love her so much."
"Really?" Sakura mumbled into his clothes, breathing in his masculine scent.
"Yeah." Syaoran said.
"So you wish that she loves you back." Sakura asked.
"Yeah. I wished on that shooting star long ago with you that she realized that I will always love her."
Sakura smiled at that memory. "You are not supposed to tell anyone your wish. If not, it won't come true."
"Yes I know. But there is a rumour saying that if you tell two special people that particular wish, it will still come true." He felt Sakura's head moved and looked down. Seeing her emerald eyes filled with unshed tears almost made him cry.
"So I am special because?"
"You are my best friend." Syaoran lied through his teeth, not wanting to upset her.
"Then who will be the other special person?"
"Someone I love." Syaoran fibbed the second time. When Sakura kept quiet, he probed. "How about yours?"
"Well," Sakura hesitated for a while before replying. "No harm telling you. It will never come true anyway. I wish I will marry the one I love."
"Why, that will come true. How can you lose hope so easily?" Syaoran asked.
His heart broke when he heard her answer. "Because Yukito is already married to Naruku, which is why my wish won't come true."
"Tomoyo, will you marry me?"
She looked at the mysterious man who invaded her thoughts, her dreams each night and smiled. "Of course."
Soon, she realized she was in the church, reciting her wedding vows with a total stranger she met only a week ago, without her mother, her friends or Sakura, only him, her and the priest.
"Sweetheart, are you okay?" He asked when they reached the study room after the wedding.
"I'm fine, Eriol." She looked around, amazed by the number of books he had.
"Well, make yourself comfortable. I will get a cup of tea." Eriol left the room, leaving her free to explore without being watched by him.
She gasped at the amount of classics he had. Various literature books were in his bookcase, which had very tattered book covers. Obviously Eriol reads a lot. She glanced at the various portraits that hung on the wall.
However one of them caught her eye. She stared at it, with dread slowly feeling her mind, her soul. 'This cannot be happening.' She mentally chanted over and over again.
"Tomoyo?"
She whirled around, seeing Eriol holding out a cup towards her. She ignored it, turned back and pointed at a picture. "Who is the man beside you?"
She felt him at her side evaluate the picture portraying a man with a smile sitting down with dark blue hair with a gentle smile and thin-wired spectacles which is similar to Eriol's. At the side of him stood a younger version of that man, looking solemn and quiet. "Guess you could figure out that the little boy was me." He grinned at her. "As for the other man, that is my father."
"What's his name?"
Eriol paused for a moment. "I always called him Dad. I never figured out his name."
"Where is he?" She felt, rather than saw him tensed up before he replied. "He died when I was twelve."
"Twelve years old?" Tomoyo calculated quickly before taking in a deep breath. "I see." She replied and went to sit down, too frightened to stand up anymore.
"Here is your tea." She heard Eriol said before giving the cup to her. Unfortunately, her hands were trembling, causing the tea to spill onto the carpet. Her eyes widened in fear and kept on apologizing for it before fleeing to her room, locking him out for the rest of the night.
Tomoyo woke up, startled by the dream she had. Not dreams, memories of her first night as Mrs. Hiiragizawa. The memories were discomforting and somewhat unwelcome. After all, she wanted to put that life behind her and move ahead as Tomoyo Daidouji.
However, if she recalled correctly, she didn't reach the car in time before being submerged under the snow. And she remembered hearing Eriol calling her and begging her to be all right before he stripped her wet clothing off and tucked her into a bed.
BED! Her eyes widened immediately and glanced around. All she saw was the familiar surrounding of her bedroom. She sighed in relief before noticing Eriol at her side, with his head resting on the bed. He was wearing his spectacles and holding one of her hands gently.
Her eyes watered as she wondered what would happen to her that fateful day if he didn't saved her. She pushed that thought away because she is still alive and well, not to mention that she still had to find a way to stay away from Eriol, fast. But she can't help but carefully tug her hand out of Eriol's grasp and slowly take his spectacles off. She gave into temptation to brush his fringe and stroke his head while she watch him sleep.
Eriol sighed in his sleep as he dreamt that Tomoyo was back at his side, loving him the way she did unconditionally in England. A dream that he longed for ever since Tomoyo turned cold and indifferent to his attempt to love her. Somehow, he felt her whispering sweet nothings into his ears and stroking his hair while he looked into her eyes that were filled with tenderness.
His eyes opened dreamily and saw Tomoyo's eyes filled with tears. "Hush now love, don't cry."
"I'm so sorry Eriol, so sorry." He dreamt Tomoyo apologizing to him. He reached out and held the hand that roamed freely among his hair and kissed it.
"Don't dear. I am sorry that I made you so sad." Eriol kissed each finger, showering each of them with attention and love. "Don't ever leave me again."
He felt her hand stiffened before being tugged out. He made a wild grab for it, only to feel Tomoyo moving away from him. Cold reality struck him as he blinked his eyes and sat straight up. He glanced outside the window, watching the snowflakes falling gently, unlike the harsh weather they faced a few days ago.
"Sorry for waking you up." Tomoyo said, talking to him in that cold voice she used at him each time they communicate.
"No problem. You have been unconscious for a week. A doctor checked on you and apparently, he certified that you would be all right. Fortunately you woke up. If not, I would have called the doctor again to check on you." Eriol stood up and adjusted his clothes. "Now, do you want anything to eat?"
He asked before answering his own question. "Why, how dumb of me. Of course you would want something. Now, excuse me, I have to prepare whatever the doctor instructed me to give you. Take your time dressing up because I won't want invade your much needed privacy."
He gave her a nod before stiffly walked to the room and shut the door. He couldn't care if he was rude. All he was worried was that he would give in and start begging her for forgiveness for whatever he did to her that made her act like that. Unknowingly, he didn't realize that at the other side, Tomoyo was shedding tears of pain and regrets.
Confused? Hope not. Whatever it is, keep the reviews coming in and take care. God Bless
Joyful