Chapter 17 – Passionate Kisses

Syaoran sat at the dinner table with his sisters, the Daidouji mother and daughter, and Eriol. He'd told Sakura to sleep off her jet lag hours before, and so he called for everyone else to meet in the dining room. By this time, it was almost 10:00 in the morning. Everyone was already awake, and just having eaten breakfast, it was easy for Syaoran to have them together at the same time. He sat at the head of the table and looked at each person before finally speaking out.

"As most of you know by now, there is, uh,a new guest in the house." At this, Sonomi's eyes darted to Syaoran, demanding for an explanation. He met her cool gaze and continued. "Her name's Sakura Kinomoto, and she came from Japan. She's...here... The reason she came here is because…ah…" He shifted, not knowing how to say it. "She's my girlfriend." The surprised gasps came from around the table. He nervously raked a hand in his hair. "Look…I love her. I…I never stopped." He saw the dreamy gazes of his sisters, the affectionate one from Tomoyo, the smirk from Eriol, and of course, the cold, surprised glare from Sonomi. He faced them all squarely.Taking a deep breath, he stared right at Sonomi. "And with all due respect, Mrs. Daidouji, I'd like to spend the rest of my life with her.I think your daughter is abeautiful, wonderful woman, but...the thing is,she's not for me, and I know I'm not for her." Tomoyo nodded with him.

Sonomi's eyes flew to Tomoyo's harshly. "Do you have someone, Tomoyo, who you would be willing to spend the rest of your life with?" She asked in a tone full of dry sarcasm.

Tomoyo's face hardened at her mother's words. Her chin rose up in defiance. "In fact,I do, Mother." Right now, she would do just about anything to defy her mother. "Eriol."

"What?" The appalled question came out of Sonomi's mouth much too loud and too fast. "I told you not to take me for a fool, child. I know you and Eriol haven't seen each other for years now; you are not in a relationship and I am certain of that." Frustrated, she flung her arms around. "It's impossible for you to throw your entire life away for a man who you think you're in love with now when you don't even know each other! You haven't even spent more than 24 hours together!"

"Eriol and I have actually talked with each other, Mother. I've just been hiding it from you," Tomoyo sniffed, glaring back. "He and I are very much in love and want to marry now."

"Then why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Because….because..." She felt panic swallow her up. 'Oh no…' "I…I didn't think it would matter." She felt like wiping the forming drops of sweat on her forehead.

"And why not?" Sonomi narrowed her eyes at her daughter.

Syaoran relaxed back in his seat and watched mother and daughter go at it. He knew the only way to get Sonomi to go through with this was to leave Eriol and Tomoyo to argue their view on it. Eriol, meanwhile, leaned forward and rested his hands on the table, clasped in front of him. He listened intently to the conversation, rather, argument, going back and forth. It truly was intriguing to hear two women arguing about him. The sisters, not knowing what to do, sat helplessly and watched the fight with the men.

"All I knew was that Syaoran and I were getting married, and there were no other options or ways of getting out of it," she answered hotly. "You made it very clear to me, Mother, that I couldn't pursue any relationship with any man because of this arranged marriage. The problem was, I couldn't help falling in love. It's not something you can stop from happening." She bit her tongue. Tomoyo knew nothing about falling in love, and at the moment, she believed she had no particularly great feelings for Eriol.

"Tomoyo, if I let you go through with this, I will not allow you to divorce. I have the power to say so." Sonomi challenged her daughter as they stared at each other, dark violet to burning lavender.

"Fine," she retorted. In her head, something like warning bells floated along. There would be no chance for her to fall in love. That struck a deep chord inside her. She swallowed the whimpering sound threatening to come out of her from that realization. Tomoyo shook her head and met Eriol's dark gaze head on. "So what does that mean, Mother?" Her eyes moved back to Sonomi's. Only Eriol had seen the fear in her eyes.

Syaoran straightened at this. "Mrs. Daidouji?"

Stiff and a little hurt, Sonomi faced the two people she and Yelan had arranged to marry thirty years ago. A feeling of acute disappointment spread through her body as she spoke. "I will allow for you to marry your partners, then. I have…no say in it anymore," she responded in an oddly defeated voice. "Within a week's time."

Rather than feeling happiness, Tomoyo felt something like fire burning in her stomach. She stood up and began to walk away when Syaoran caught her arms and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Tomoyo, very much," he whispered in her hair. She nodded, patting him lightly on the back, and moved away, running out of the room and to a bathroom. Eriol had watched her the entire time and saw the way she reacted from her mother's words. He expected relief in her eyes; rather, he saw fear. Feeling the guilt pour onto his shoulders, Eriol stepped back mentally and decided to leave her by herself. He wasn't sure she wanted to see him at the moment. Syaoran took his hand and shook it with the gratitude of a free man.

>--- >--- >---

When Sakura woke up, she felt the bed dip on her right side. She turned and met Syaoran's warm, chocolate eyes. Sakura smiled through her exhaustion and reached up to brush his bangs. He grinned back at her. He helped her sit up and put her on his lap. Unaware of what had just happened, she let him kiss the life out of her. His hands roamed her body in eagerness and desire as he fully woke her up from her dreamy state. She felt him lower her to the bed with the gentleness and expertise of an experienced man. She didn't mind. He was hers now. Syaoran angled his head another way and caught her beautiful, soft mouth once more, deepening the kiss every second. He touched the ends of her shirt, but didn't pull it up any higher than needed.

"What's going on?" She asked in a hazy voice as soon as he pulled away and sat up, taking her with him. "What happened?"

"Tomoyo and I aren't engaged anymore." He said through a thick voice. "Tomoyo said she would marry Eriol and convinced her mother they were in love."

"Really?" Sakura whispered, her heart pounding erratically now. "What does this mean?"

He evaded her question by smothering her neck with butterfly kisses. She laughed and let her hands fall limply on his shoulders. When Syaoran looked at Sakura, her eyes watching him lovingly and comfortably, he knew this was the moment. His eyes intense and dark on hers, he softly kissed her lips and breathed her flowery scent. They gazed into each other's eyes for a quiet moment, and then, "Will you marry me, sweetheart?"

Her pulse skipped a beat. "Yes I will," she answered quietly. "I love you, Syaoran."

"I love you too. Do you want a ring?"

She shook her head. "Not now. I'm happy with this."

"Oh God, you are meant for me."

She laughed as he pushed them down the bed again, and assaulted her mouth.

>--- >--- >---

By that afternoon, Tomoyo had been at that place with the cherry blossoms and sat down on the dry, green grass for almost two hours. She sat with her arms around her knees and her chin resting on them. The sky was blue without a trace of cloud and had been for the entire time she was there. She didn't know what to do. Now that Syaoran was allowed to marry Sakura, she was happy for them. But for her, there was nothing but an empty, hollow feeling. It wasn't because of the man; she loved Eriol as the young man in her memory, the one who grew up with her. Now, however, was a different story. She no longer knew anything about him; he was a mystery to her. She'd only learned that he became a pediatrician working on the outskirts of Beijing because Syaoran knew him that way.

Tomoyo shook her head. Did it matter anymore? She was, after all, dedicating the next fifty or sixty years of her life to him. She'd learn a few things about him by then, right? Ah, she stood up and stared out at the green-blue sea. A familiar scent that overpowered the ocean made her insides jump. Tomoyo turned around and met the inquiring blue gaze of Eriol. She hadn't noticed until now that his eyes were bluer than that of the ocean. Putting a hand on her stomach to settle the growing butterflies, she backed away a step unconsciously and stared back at him.

Hands tucked deep in his pockets, he stopped in his place. "Are you all right?"

She shielded her eyes from the sun with one raised hand, and nodded. "I just wanted to be alone."

"I know it sucks to end up with me," Eriol spoke with playfulness, "but I swear I'll make it up to you."

She smiled, but she sighed. "It's not that it's you, Eriol. It's just the fact that I won't be able to experience falling in love…" she shook her head and turned around. "This might seem weird to you, but every woman wishes to fall in love with someone who will give them everything, romance, flowers, chocolate, kisses, everything." She laughed and glanced at him over her shoulder.

He stared at her intently. Tomoyo turned and decided to dismiss the weird feeling settling in her heart.

"And now I can't." She finished simply.

"How do you know that you can't?"

"Because I'll be married to you, and I don't cheat on my husband."

"And who says your husband won't be giving that to you?"

Tomoyo turned in surprise, her cheeks warming at his words. "What?"

He smiled, one corner of his mouth lifting higher than the other. Eriol walked over to her and ignored the instant move she made to back away. He caught her waist and held her tightly against him. "Tomoyo, I promise you right now that you won't miss out on anything with me. Do you believe me?"

How could any woman in her right mind say no to that? She stared back at him, her eyes intensely focused on his, and wondered. Just wondered.

>--- >--- >---

The following day, Sonomi had retrieved the thirty-year-old contracts and burned them in the Li fireplace in front of everyone. She produced new, laminated ones that she'd called to be made the past night. She read out the basic points of the contract, outlining the facts that she alone had the right to choose the marriage span until divorce was given an option. Purposely, she demanded the right to take that option away for Tomoyo's case, and was granted it. Sonomi hadn't yet read that part, but already Tomoyo was frowning in her seat beside Eriol. As she reached that part, a sound came out of Tomoyo's mouth. She stood up at the words.

"Mother, no!" Tomoyo protested, desperately fighting away the unshed tears. "You can't take away that right! It's against the laws!"

"I have already done so, dear, and yes I can. The government owed me and this is how I was repaid," Sonomi answered coolly. "Now sit down."

Filled with frustration and anger, Tomoyo tightened her fists. "Mother-" she started, but was cut off.

"If you're so deeply in love with Eriol, there is no need for divorce, is there?"

She shook as the tears heavily flowed down her cheeks. Her eyes never wavered from her mother's, but the tears blurred her view. She shook her head, letting teardrops brush off. "I hate you, Mother." She walked quickly out of the tensely silenced room.

Eriol looked at Sonomi for a moment.

"What?" She bit out.

"I'm going to go look for her," he said to everyone, but continued to stare at Sonomi, and then walked away.

Sakura looked uneasily at the pathway Tomoyo and Eriol had walked through. It was all her fault, wasn't it? If it weren't for her, Tomoyo wouldn't be going through that. Then again, she would still be stuck in a position she despised; the only good thing out of the arranged marriage was the possibility of a divorce later on. Sakura looked at her hands on her lap. But both Syaoran and Tomoyo did not want to get married to each other. Her thoughts jumbled, she rested her head on Syaoran's shoulder, looking for comfort, and found it.

He himself was thinking. His hold on Sakura tightened as she leaned her body on his. It was awful watching that scene between mother and daughter, but there was no other choice. He didn't want to be with Tomoyo, even if there would be the option of divorce after a certain number of years together. He wanted Sakura now and forever. There was no later about it. He looked up at Sonomi as she spoke and explained some other things, acting as if Tomoyo hadn't just walked away in tears. Without saying a word, he leaned forward when Sonomi passed him the contract to sign. Making it official, he glanced through the dozens of paragraphs of writing and signed on the blank line.

"So this officially means there won't be an arranged marriage," Syaoran concluded, looking back up to Sonomi in confirmation.

"Yes," she responded blandly and took the contract from him. "My daughter and I will be leaving your house in the next few hours." She looked at the sisters and Syaoran with a growing hatred. "Thank you for your hospitality." Exiting the room in a different way, she left the Li family and Sakura by themselves.

"Well," Syaoran began, looking at Sakura with an almost surprised-that-it-was-over look.

"We're very happy for you, Xiao-Lang," the sisters spoke with bright smiles. Kissing him and Sakura on the cheek, they looked at them with lovely hearts in their eyes. "It's wonderful to fall in love, isn't it? You're both very lucky!" With simultaneous sighs, they left the room, talking to themselves in delight.

"How do you feel?" Syaoran asked as soon as they were alone.

"I'm happy," she said softly, touching strands of his hair gently. "But Tomoyo was crying…and I can't help but feel that it's my fault. So I'm torn," she whispered the end.

He frowned and grabbed her hand. "Torn about what?"

She looked into his eyes and leaned forward to kiss him on the lips. "I just don't want Tomoyo to end up heartbroken, because she's not with the man she's in love with, but I can't do anything about it. I love you, Syaoran. I'm never going to regret Sonomi burning those papers. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and despite everything else I feel, that's what I want."

He pulled her tohim and held her possessively. "I would think you would've noticed the sparks between those two," he murmured as he left butterfly kisses on her neck. "Eriol's in love with her, you know."

"Really?" She asked doubtfully, pulling back to gaze into his eyes for the truth. "Are you sure?"

He grinned and kissed her again. "God, I love you, babe. You're the sweetest person I've ever known. But he is in love. I know it."

"Well, good," Sakura whispered and put her mouth on his. "Now I'll focus on you."

He stood up and lifted her up in his arms, her legs swinging down one side as he cradled the top of her body to his chest. He walked up the stairs and to his room. "Can we neck in my room?"

"Sure," she answered with a childish grin. "But that's it. Until the honeymoon."

"Ok." He laughed, but sobered when he saw her bright green eyes. "But man, I feel like a husband carrying his wife to their bed." They reached his room, and with one quick move, he opened the door and locked it behind them.

Her cheeks warmed and her face softened. "I feel like your wife right now, too."

And after laying her down gently to the bed, he followed. "To me, you're already my wife," he whispered.

>--- >--- >---

He found her viciously throwing stones at the far sea. Once he came within a 5-metre radius, he could hear her curses combined with hiccups. His fists tightened as he walked over to her. She heard his footsteps. Without turning around, she hurled one that ended up way out there. Neither spoke a word for a moment, nor that was the only thing Tomoyo appreciated from him. She didn't want to talk to anyone, him of all people. She bent down to pick up more stones when she was all out and caught a glimpse of his brown boots.

"I don't understand why you're always looking for me. I don't need you. I'm fine," she snapped at him and walked forward, away from him.

Hesitating for a second, his gaze followed the stone she had just thrown. "I don't think you're fine. I personally think you're damn hurt. But I know you don't need me. You don't need anyone," he answered, looking at her now with quiet disappointment. "But I go after you, because you're my girl."

Her sharp gaze shot to him.

With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, he leaned forward and caught a teardrop just before it would flow down her cheek. "You probably don't think so anymore. You've always been my girl." Her eyes quivered. He swallowed and backed a step. With a glance at the ocean in front of them, he moved away from her again, this time emotionally. "Uh…I know you and Sonomi are leaving tonight. I'll be going too, but I'll keep in touch. After all…we have to get married next week, don't we?"

With a heart-wrenching sob, Tomoyo dropped the rest of the stones in her hand and ran into his arms. Burying her head on his shoulder, she leaned on him, needing him. "Stay with us, Eriol. Please," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean what I said."

"Don't apologize. You didn't do anything," he replied and tipped up her head with a finger beneath her chin. "Don't cry," he pleaded, brushing away her tears with his thumb. His thumb then reached her mouth, rubbing her bottom lip gently. His heart thundering, he looked into her eyes. "I'm going tokiss you."

She didn't say anything as his lips touched hers. The kiss was soft for a moment, but as soon as he got a taste of her, he deepened it and pulled her tighter to him. She didn't protest; rather, she kissed him back with just as much passion.

>--- >--- >---

To be continued…