Day 6: If I Loved You

"Where are we going?" Tomoyo asked as Eriol led her by hand through the halls. He had greeted her at the door with a blindfold, and after getting dressed in a somewhat frilly pink dress, she followed him blindly.

He had shown up back in his nice suit as he usually did, but now with his new haircut he looked even more dignified. Yet, with the white blindfold in his hand, she began to wonder what he was up to and if it was as dignified as he looked.

She giggled. "Come on! Tell me!"

"No," He replied, laughing. "You'll see!"

"I can't see anything!"

"It's just a little farther."

The ride down she battered him with questions that he just chuckled and responded with a "you'll see". It was partly infuriating, partly charming. She couldn't decide which emotion she would rather go with.

"Here…" He said, leading her into a room. She could hear a few people moving around inside the room. "We're here…"

He let go of her hand and untied the blindfold, dropping it from around her face and putting it in his pocket. She gasped. "This is a---"

"A recording studio," He responded. "You always wanted to be a singer, right?"

She covered her mouth with her hands, staring at the glass window with the microphone inside.

The men running the machine were all smiling at her. "This is…"

"I want to see what you can do… and you can have as many copies made as you want. All you have to do is make it."

"It's for me?" She whispered, turning to him in shock.

"Well, I don't think I'm much of a singer," He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Go ahead. Get inside!"

One of the workers showed her the way in, and she stood in front of the microphone. Her hands trembled as she put the headphones on over her ears, and Eriol's smile faded. She was nervous.

"What song do you want to sing?" One of the men called into the studio.

"D… Do you have… "If I Loved You" from Carousel?" She asked into the microphone.

One of the men smiled and dug through some CD tracks before placing one inside the CD player. A piano track began to play, and she looked fairly pale as it played.

In a trembling voice, she started to sing. "If… I loved you… Time and again… I would try to say… all I'd want you… to know… I can't do this!" She cried, backing up.

"What's the matter?" Eriol asked, leaning over to talk into the studio through the microphone.

"I haven't done this before! I haven't sung for anyone in a really long time, and I just don't think I can do it by myself…" Her eyes were lined with tears.

Eriol stood and disappeared from her view. "Play it again," He told them as he walked away.

It started over, and she turned around to find him approaching her from behind. "It'll be all right…" He mumbled to her, putting a pair of headphones on himself.

Eriol leaned up toward the microphone and smiled at her, then began singing, "If I loved you… Time and again I would try to say… all I'd want you to know…" Whatever he said about not being much of a singer had to have been a lie.

She felt her confidence rise as she started into the second verse, "If I loved you…words wouldn't come in an easy way… 'Round in circles… I'd go…"

He sang, "Longing to tell you…" and their eyes met. His cheeks flushed, "but afraid and shy…"

She noticed his blush and responded by doing the same thing, "I'd let my golden chances pass me by…"

A pang hit their hearts as they sang together, a solemn line that reminded them of their losses. "Soon… you'd leave me… off you would go in the mists of day…" Eriol made up his own harmony along with her melody. "Never… never… to know…How I loved you!…" They both looked into each others eyes again. "If… I… loved you…"

They both looked away, turning red in the face as the track finished and cut off.

"Brilliant work you two!" One of the workers said as they exited the studio.

"Thanks…" Eriol whispered.

She nodded. "Thank you very much."

"You're very great together."

"Make a copy for her and for me," Eriol said.

-

"Um…" Tomoyo said as she stared at the disk in her hands as they together walked out together.

"Yes?"

"Th… Thank you… for this…"

"What? It wasn't that expensive-"

"No… for letting me sing…again…"

"You're the only one who can let out your voice, Tomoyo."

She smiled up at him. "Yeah… but with you there, I remembered the strength I used to have singing in front of a crowd. It was easier with you backing me up."

Eriol smiled back at her tenderly.

"I'm surprised you knew that song," She started, walking ahead of him and quickly changing the subject. "I'm surprised."

"I love music! Everything about it, every genre, though of course I'm into classical," He chuckled. "I've got a rocker in me too though."

"I think you're off your rocker," She mumbled, smirking.

"We should come back sometime."

"Hum?"

"We should… come back and sing again. It was fun."

"Yeah, it was…"

"Hey, now. You should head home and get ready. We're going out to dinner tonight, okay?"

"Err… okay…" She blinked.

-

Eriol, who took no time getting ready, occupied his afternoon by laying on his bed with his CD player on. "If I Loved You" by Eriol and Tomoyo… It was an incredibly good song. He thought that her voice was like an angel's, and though she hadn't sung in a very long time, she was still just as talented, maybe even better now that her voice had matured.

He let out a relaxed sigh just as his hotel door opened.

"Hey," Syaoran greeted.

"I take it you don't knock anymore," Eriol said, turning off his player.

"I did. You didn't hear it."

"Oh…"

"You seem to be in a good mood," Syaoran commented, raising an eyebrow. The boy was definitely taking a page out of Eriol's book, pushing buttons and all.

"Can a man not be in a good mood?"

"Of course he can," Syaoran shrugged. "It's just a different kind of good mood. The kind a guy gets when he's in love."

"Will you lay off that? I've already told you that I'm not in love."

"Your mouth speaks what you say is truth, yet your eyes speak what you know is lies," Syaoran replied rather poetically.

"You should write a book…" Eriol mumbled. "You come up with that all by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'm not as dumb as I let on," Syaoran replied. The boy had apparently gotten used to being insulted by Sakura's brother.

"Well, you have to be to think that I have room in my teensy weensy blackened heart for a woman."

"You're pretty rough on yourself."

Eriol chuckled. "Yes… Yes I am. Now, state your business."

"I came to see how you were doing," Syaoran shrugged as Eriol walked to his window and looked out. "I mean, tomorrow is the seventh day of the bet, right? I wanted to know who was winning."

Eriol was silent for a moment, as if he was trying to remember what Syaoran was talking about, and it hit him suddenly like Syaoran's fist coming down upon the top of his head.

"Hey, I'm talking here!" Syaoran yelled.

"I'm winning, stupid!" Eriol replied.

"Really? You've charmed Tomoyo into falling desperately in love with you?"

"Well… not exactly," Eriol said, pressing his finger tips together.

"Then, you're losing," Syaoran responded blandly.

"No! I… I'm going to do it at dinner tonight! I'll enchant her!"

"Really…" Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "So, you're going to make her fall in love with you."

"Yes."

"…so you can win the bet…"

"Yes."

"…so you can go gallivanting with other women, in the process breaking her heart."

"…" Eriol stepped back as Syaoran's words brought him to a realization. "I hadn't thought about it before…"

"You don't think much, do you," Syaoran said, picking up a few of Eriol's scattered clothes, most likely a habit picked up by hanging out with Sakura so much.

"Well, I decided that I wasn't going to do the gallivanting thing already… so that wouldn't be wrong, would it?"

"-and according to you, she doesn't love you yet, so if she doesn't love you, you'll both still… win… or lose?"

"Tomoyo would win either way…" Eriol said flatly. "Now, that's not fair, is it?"

Syaoran shrugged. "Well, you can figure that out on your own. You're date's in about half an hour."

Eriol jumped the bed and ran out the door. "You'd better not be here when I get back!" Eriol yelled.

"Why would I stay in your empty hotel room!"

-

Tomoyo was already at the restaurant, sitting at the table and filing her nails. Eriol suspected her to be angry and approached cautiously.

"Err… sorry I'm late!" He chimed as he sat down. "Traffic was murderous."

"It's all right," She said, not sounding too pleased or convinced.

The shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Um…" He tried. "Is something the matter?"

She looked away. "No. I just saw my ex-boyfriend, and I'm agitated. He keeps trying to hook up again, but I'm not interested."

"He's not bothering you too bad, is he?" Eriol asked, leaning his chin on the table.

"No," She mumbled. "He just seems to be everywhere that I go."

The waiter approached and set down some menus for them. They both nodded in thanks and opened them simultaneously.

"Maybe you should report him to the police," Eriol suggested, eyeing the entrées.

"He's not that big a problem," Tomoyo replied irritably, as if he'd claimed her as stupid. "You're overreacting."

"I'm not overreacting. He might be stalking you," Eriol snapped, eyeing her over his menu.

"I would have noticed if he was stalking me," She snapped back, also eyeing him over her menu.

"But you said that he seems to be everywhere you go!"

"It was a coincidence!"

"You can't be sure!"

She shut her menu, wearing her stubborn face again.

"I won't sit here and let you scold me like a child. I'm leaving," She growled, standing up and tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Wait!" He yelled, grabbing her wrist. "I wasn't… I was just trying to protect you…" He stared at her desperately. For some reason, his heart ached heavily.

"I can take care of myself," She responded, pulling her hand away. "Leave me alone."

"Tomoyo…" He whispered, reaching out to her. "Please, I was… Fine… do what you want…" He turned away and looked back at his menu. His eyes burned with tears, and he couldn't understand why. It aggravated him. He slammed his fist down upon the table, making the decorative vase and silverware jingle.

Tomoyo exited the restaurant, placing her nail file into her brown purse. She was digging inside it for her car keys when she bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry…" She said, looking up, then gasped in surprise. "Kyosuke!"

Kyosuke was her last object of affection, a handsome man with fawn hair and eyes as dark as oil. "Tomoyo!" He shouted, beaming. "We just keep running into each other, huh!"

"What are you doing here?" She asked, looking around.

"Ah…" He rubbed the back of his neck and was silent, as if searching for an answer. "I was just going to get something to eat."

"You were always a bad liar, Kyosuke. What are you really doing here? In fact, why were you at the mall last week? Why were you near my mom's house four days ago? Why did I see you staring at me from the shop across the street when I came in here twenty minutes ago?"

He was silent.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't want to hook up again? I'm not interested anymore, Kyosuke. Please, just leave me alone…" She turned and headed toward her car parked on the street.

He grabbed her arm and turned her around. "Come on… Give me one more shot," He whined.

"No," She said, trying to yank her arm away. His grip tightened.

"I promise I'll treat you better," His voice had become deeper, more frightening.

"Let go!" She shouted, pulling more desperately and using her other hand to pry at his fingers. She had dropped her purse and keys, now laying forgotten on the ground.

Eriol looked out the window, stopping in mid-sentence of ordering. "Um… could that wait a moment?"

He let go, shoving her against the wall of the restaurant. "Stop it!" She screamed, trying to push him away as he advanced on her. The heel of her black high-heel broke, and she fell over.

"Please, come back to me, Tomoyo," Kyosuke said, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her into the alleyway. "If you don't, I'll have to make you." His voice sounded too innocent for his words.

Tears spilled down her face as she struggled to get up. "Leave me alone…" She sobbed, crawling toward the dumpster so that she could get up.

"Stop saying that!" He shouted. "I can't leave you alone!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed, sobbing as loudly as she could.

"Shut up!" He yelled, shoving her onto her back with a hard kick of his foot. "You're mine!"

"She doesn't belong to anyone."

Kyosuke turned around and met eyes with Eriol who was slipping off his jacket. "Leave her alone."

"Who are you?" Kyosuke asked with a sneer.

"I don't think you're in the position to ask questions, sir," Eriol replied calmly, walking towards him slowly and cautiously. "If you leave now, I won't hurt you."

"Hurt me? Since when was a wuss in a suit a threat?" Kyosuke laughed, his eyes gleaming somewhat psychotically.

"You're really asking for it," Eriol said, dropping his coat to the ground.

"Who are you to her anyways?" Kyosuke backed up defensively.

"I'm a friend," Eriol responded, "but even if I didn't know who she was, I would never allow this to go on."

"You don't rule me, pretty boy."

"And neither is she yours to rule. Leave now, and I won't slam your head into the pavement."

Kyosuke made a punch at Eriol, and Eriol tried to dodge. He wasn't quite ready for the attack, and Kyosuke's fist met with his face. Eriol stumbled back slightly, his nose dripping blood, and a crack in his glasses apparent.

"You can beat me up all you want, but I won't let you hurt Tomoyo!" Eriol shouted, punching Kyosuke in the stomach.

Tomoyo started pulling herself to her feet, using the wall for support.

Eriol slammed Kyosuke into the ground, losing his calm air and quickly falling into a blind rage. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white, and his body shook with his anger. His cheeks were flushed, and his teeth were gritted, eyes squinted.

"You'd better tell me right now that you will never lay a filthy hand, finger, or even you repulsive sight upon her again, or I'll make sure of it!" Eriol shouted.

Kyosuke trembled on the ground, beaten, and obviously not ready for another round. "I promise!" He cried, tears of fear rolling down his cheeks. "Just don't call the police!"

Eriol spat on the ground next to him. "Rotting in jail is too good for you. I hope you die."

Kyosuke scrambled to his feet and ran, limping, away.

Eriol panted, his chest heaving under his ripped shirt. With his right hand, he swiped some of his bangs out of his eyes.

"ERIOL!" Tomoyo bawled, throwing herself into his arms so quickly that he had to lean against the other wall to keep from falling down.

Eriol clenched to her tightly, burying his bloodied face into her silky locks of hair.

"You were right…" She sniffled. "I'm sorry!"

"Don't apologize… It's all right…" He soothed, opening his eyes. "You don't have to be afraid anymore."

She nodded into his shoulder. He looked at his hands, placed against her back near her shoulders, still trembling, but no longer out of anger. He hadn't realized how terrified he had been just now, not for his safety… but hers…

He sank to the ground and held her close to him, feeling her tense muscles loosen and relax against him. He leaned his head back and stared up at the bit of sky that he could see from the alley. The crack in his left lens made the moon look sliced in half with a piece falling off. Stars winked at him.

He brought one of his shaking hands up and stroked her hair. "It's okay now…" He whispered. "I won't let anybody hurt you…"

She had fallen asleep in his arms.

-

Syaoran slammed open Eriol's hotel room door. "ERIOL! Sakura told me everything! What are you crazy!" He shouted, then froze.

Eriol sat on the edge of his bed, fingers tangled in his hair. "You were right… Syaoran…" He spoke in a cracking voice.

"Eriol?"

He looked up and smiled at him. His cheeks were wet. "I'm such a fool… All this time, it was right in front of me, and I couldn't see…" His voice was a hopeless sigh.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Syaoran asked, looking horrified at his friend's behavior. This wasn't like him at all. "Dude, are you feeling all right?"

"Terrible, thanks," Eriol said dryly, though not really pulling it off with as much force as he wanted.

"Are you okay?" Syaoran asked, sitting down next to him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No… I've been an idiot… I've been blind to the truth, and now that I know it… I feel like the lowest of scum…"

"What?"

"I know the truth, Syaoran!" He grabbed his friends shoulders, fresh tears spilling down his face. "I do love her… and she doesn't deserve the love of a filthy pervert like me."

"What!"

"She must think I'm so stupid!" He cried, standing and pacing. "The way I just find ways to justify my actions! Oh! I'm so FOOLISH!"

Syaoran stared at him. "I'm not quite sure what you're talking about, but you've made it clear enough that I'm aware that you are in love with Tomoyo… even though I already knew that…"

"I get the point, Syaoran," Eriol mumbled, leaning his forehead against the wall.

"So, what are you going to do? Tell her how you feel?"

Eriol laughed bitterly. "She'd laugh at me… or worse… she wouldn't say anything at all… and even if she liked me… she deserves so much better."

"So… what are you going to do?"

"I can't stick around… Seeing her will drive me insane…"

"For the third time, what are you going to do?" Syaoran asked.

"There's only one thing I can do… I'm going back to England first thing tomorrow morning."

(A/N: GASP! An update? OMG! Yeah, I know, it's been awhile, but this chapter's eleven pages, so I hope that makes up for it. Final chapter coming soon... hopefully...)