Disclaimer: I don't own CCS
Oh, Ladies and Gentlemen!
Chapter 7:: Light Up!
"Lalala…We're going to the beach, we're going to the beach. Lalalala… We're going to the beach…" Mei Lin and Nakuru sang their own just-made songs.
What Tomoyo admired SO much about them, was the way they could always be cheerful (or doesn't have any embarrassment hormone or its kind) and naive (or oblivious to the surrounding dark atmosphere). So there they were, the 8 of them, in a minibus on the way to the beach, with gloom auras made by the following:
Kiyoshiro, Mei Lin's fiancée: always stoic. Never mind. He always creates dark aura around himself.
Tomoyo: lack of sleep. 3 days straight making costumes for theater she was working to.
Eriol: Dark, furious mood. Mostly because he had to stay close to both Kaho and Touya.
Touya: Kiyoshiro part 2. Never expect him to cheer up the situation on a beach trip anyway.
Kaho: Unknown. She just gazed at the view out of the window. Thoughts nowhere.
Yukito: Asleep. A salute for him, to be able to sleep even with Mei Lin and Nakuru's pitchy voice singing gibberish song.
"Hey, Mei Lin-chan. This idea of yours to get us to the beach is really great! I can already feel the sunshine sensation!" commented an eager Nakuru.
"Of course! Well, I just thought that since Sakura and Syao-kun go for their honeymoon, things just get rather boring in Tomoeda. We need fun, and fun is what we're gonna have!! If only…" The Chinese girl cast some murderous glance to her back where the others were. "If only you all stop being so gloomy, appreciate my idea, and TALK! God Damn it! An hour with 8 people in a vehicle on a way to the beach, and Nakuru and I are the only ones to TALK!"
When she received no replies, the red-eyed grunted and then signaled Nakuru to continue their sing-a-long.
"Lalala… We're going to the beach, we're going to the beach. Lalala…"
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Fortunately, the happy mood surfaced once the group stepped out of the car and faced the beautiful blue sea and the golden sand. Water splashed, laughter filled the air, the girls changed their clothes into their choices of swimsuits –which simply just made the guys around had nosebleed.
"Daidouji-san, you're not swimming?" asked Eriol when he approached the certain lady who was sitting on the mat under her umbrella. To Eriol's honest dismay, Tomoyo chose to stay away from any kind of swimsuit and just stick with her white tank top and ethnic-patterned shorts.
"No. I'm not… really good with swimming and such. So I'm just gonna enjoy myself here with Yukito-san. He can't bear sunlight too much,"
"Where's he then?"
"Buying food. You know him,"
"Oh. Well, but too bad, I won't have the chance to see you in a bikini,"
"Even if I choose to swim, I won't pick the bikini option, and foremost, I won't even try to please your sick perverted mind,"
"Ah, you always know how to wound my heart,"
"Don't we already know that, Hiiragizawa-san?"
He chuckled and found himself to be relieved. Truthfully, he had feared to face her since Sakura-Syaoran's wedding. What he did at the end of their dance (He kissed her. Yes, he actually kissed one Daidouji Tomoyo!) was totally absurd in his logical mind. He was afraid that kiss would change their relationship (or partnership –in his additional thoughts). Even though coated with layers of his perverted seduction towards her, Eriol had never actually meant to harass the girl in any kind of way. Tomoyo was different from all the girls he used just for one night standers. Though he couldn't believe it, but he really came into term where he respected her as a woman.
But then again…
She charmed him.
Why, blame her to look so beautiful back there in the wedding… and it wasn't exactly his fault that her lips had to be THAT appealing –so pink and soft-looking, until he wanted to kiss and ravage her lips and…
He groaned mentally. Daidouji was a witch –a wicked witch who knew how to use her charms.
"What's on your mind right now?" Her voice broke his train of thoughts.
He blinked.
"What's on your mind right now?" She repeated –this time with a slightly accusing tone.
Eriol slowly grinned. "Why I was just debating myself which color would look better with your bikini. I think you look the most gorgeous in black bikini, but I think red is also a choice so that you can show your inner wild side –" he teased.
She was not amused. "Hiiragizawa, I think you should try to dunk your head into the sand and see whether it could bring back your normality,"
He only replied it with laughs and stood up to approach the others.
While secretly in mind, he realized he should be more careful with his words.
Imagining Daidouji Tomoyo in red bikini…
Damn it, he could really have a nosebleed right then.
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"I seriously wonder how they could bear the sun. It's awfully hot, don't you think so, Yukito-san?" Tomoyo casually asked as she watched her friends eagerly played volleyball. 2 hours already passed since they first arrived at the beach. Call her boring, but she really wasn't in the mood for swimming (not that she would ever be in the mood for it) or other beach activities currently. The lack of sleep really disturbed her and she was starting to feel rather sick.
Yukito nodded as eating his hotdog. "But I love having picnic on the beach. Eating while seeing the sea is the best! Makes the food more appetizing,"
Tomoyo snickered slightly. "Good for you,"
"You know, Tomoyo-chan? If you're not feeling well, you may just rest yourself in Mei Lin's villa,"
The idea seemed like an oasis to her. "Yes, I think so. But do you think it's okay if I go there now?"
"Nah, it's okay. You want me to accompany you there?"
Tomoyo stood up and tried to get the sands off her legs and clothes. "Don't worry, I can go there myself, but thank you. I'll rest for some moment then I'll come back here,"
"Sure. Take your time,"
The raven-haired nodded and started walking to the villa with hazy feeling. It was very hot and she wished she had asked Yukito for some more of his meals. The only thing she ate that day was only some of Yukito's fish chips. She woke up late in the morning after sleeping for only 2 hours after finishing her work last night. And unlike Yukito, her case of insomnia didn't really help her to steal time to sleep back then in car.
Oh, and had she complained about the friggin' HOT day?
"God…" she murmured. Headache started to attack, her empty stomach didn't help also, and…
The last thing she remembered was the sensation of falling.
Golden sand… golden….
Then black.
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She felt very good…
Light winds chilled down her hot skin…
Soft mattress on her back…
Cool hand on her forehead…
"Don't force yourself awake. Just continue your sleep," caring, deep voice that calmed her heart.
"Hiiragizawa?" Tomoyo smiled and slowly try to open her hazy eyes. But the sight was still unclear. "What happened?"
"You fainted. So I brought you back to the villa,"
Tomoyo slowly rubbed her eyes and tried to open them again. "Thank you, Hiira- "
The sight greeted her.
…
… And it wasn't Hiiragizawa. "Oh," she blinked. "It's you, Touya-kun," she said in a slightly disappointed tone.
… wait.
Did she just express a disappointment? To Touya? Hell, to the guy she had her eyes on ever since who-knows-when? The girl quickly got up into a sitting position. "I'm sorry, Touya-kun! I mean, I'm really grateful that you've brought me here and –"
The brown haired lad gave a small smile. "Who are you expecting anyway?"
"I'm not –"
Who did she expect? Hiiragizawa? Never. The heat must have made her brain disoriented. She could never have expected for Hiiragizawa to help her, and carry her here, and touch her forehead, and show his care for her, right? Nope, that idea was pathetic.
…
Was it?
"Here, drink this. You must be dehydrated," Touya interrupted her trains of thoughts and offered her a glass of water which she gladly accepted. She quickly drank it and instantly felt refreshed.
"I feel so much better. Thank you very much," she put the glass back to the table beside the bed.
"You'd better lie down and rest some more. Wait a moment, " he said as standing up and went to the kitchen to pick up some sandwiches he had just bought. But when Touya returned back to the room, he found the girl already fell asleep again. He was relieved. When he found her lied down on the sand, he was panicked (though his usual Touya demeanor prevented him to give a free show of it). Good to know that she was in a better condition then. After carefully tucked some hair behind her ear, the tall guy stood up and headed to the door and –
"Daidouji-san!!"
– was greeted by one hasty and dreadful-looking Hiiragizawa Eriol.
"What happened to her? Is she alright?!" Eriol demanded as approaching the sleeping lady.
"She will be if you stop disturbing her sleep," Touya replied. He saw how the sorcerer's face calmed and continued, "She fainted a while ago. But she's much better now,"
Eriol checked on her condition before deciding that what Touya said was indeed true.
…
"Kinomoto,"
"Yes?"
Eriol turned around and faced the other guy. "You know that I don't like you,"
"So I heard,"
"You took Kaho from me,"
"I never stole her from you –"
"–Back to my point," Eriol cut his half's son's words. "I don't like you, but…well… I think I have to thank you,"
"What for?"
The magician uncomfortably shrugged and indicated the sleeping girl as the case in point.
"Oh. You don't have to thank me for that. Tomoyo is my sister and I care deeply for her,"
…
Silence.
…
"Well, now that you're here. I guess I'm not needed anymore," Touya spoke.
"Kinomoto,"
"What?"
"She… Tomoyo… she loves you,"
"Of course. We're families and –"
"… She loves you as a man,"
Eriol knew that if Tomoyo woke up or found out that he had just confessed her feeling without permission, the violet-eyed lady would be furious. And truth be told, there was also this weird, selfish desire that disliked the probability of Touya hooking with Tomoyo, but –
Eriol knew her. He knew how she loved Touya. And he knew how stupid the girl could be for keeping away her true feelings for so long. He knew that he was meddling with her affair, but…
He just thought he could make her happy if he helped her with Touya.
Well… perhaps.
Touya sighed and brought the other guy back from La-La land. "Why are you telling me this? Aren't you her boyfriend?"
"I just… thought that…" that this is for Tomoyo's sake. He sighed. "Nevermind,"
The Kinomoto guy stared deeply into his comrade's eyes. Funny. Eriol thought that he would be the senior one here, but nope, it felt rather the contrary actually. "You're special to her,"
Eriol chuckled darkly. "What? Do you pity me? You don't need to feel bad and say fake words like that –"
"Just as how special she is to you,"
Eriol was silenced.
"A good combination of lover, finally," Touya commented.
Another dark chuckle. "What? Is it not going well between you and Kaho?"
Touya contemplated for some moment before replying, "Things don't always go according to plan,"
Eriol was a bit aghast. Seriously? He was just kidding when he said that! Did Touya really mean that they were having conflict or what so ever?
"But I shouldn't occupy your mind with our problem. You have Tomoyo to think of," the brown-eyed added.
…
And then, the question popped to the air.
"Do you love her?" Eriol found himself asking.
"Who?" The brown-haired lad replied.
The bespectacled man contemplated. Who did he mean…?
"Tomoyo," the name rolled out of his mouth rather unconsciously.
"… I still have other priority in my head like… sorting out my problems with Kaho. But Tomoyo… if you ask me, yes I could love her. She's beautiful. She's smart, kind, and funny. She's just adorable. And I must admit that there are times when I start to see her not just as my sister…"
He knew he should be happy to hear that his partner might have her happy ending (since Touya's confession was rather hope-giving), but…
But damn it, Eriol wasn't pleased at all.
And why would he feel that? If Touya hooked up with Tomoyo, then it would mean happy story for both his partner and Eriol himself. He should be happy, he really should, so why did he show signs of a very jealous man?
He asked his heart and found one main assumption.
An assumption that persisted that he might start to feel for Tomoyo.
And he wasn't pleased with that assumption.
To Be Continued