from skybluescramble:

Big hug for my beta-reader, Irrevocable Truth, who has such a wonderful patience to fix my stupid English :D Big hug for anyone who read and like this fic, also for wonderful reviews from prilly55, Shanaa12 (sorry, I may not be able to meet your expectations. Life as a Japanese high school student is… well, pretty busy =,="), Seirin, krazypig91, tina, FantasyFan123, Paulita, James Birdsong, cheng, NekoTaku-chan (my ridiculous partner, really miss you sis!), tomoyo-amethyst, and Krissy. Thank you friends! :D

This is the seventh chapter! For my beloved readers :3

DISCLAIMER:

I think I have to type this thing no matter how annoying it is.

Alright, Card Captor Sakura is not mine. CLAMP owns it.

::The Proposal::

::::::::::::::

SUMMARY:

Eriol suddenly had a blank stare. He never felt so unsure in his life. Did she? Did she need him?

.

.

.

REITERATION OF THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER:

"It`s not a present," Tomoyo said, supressing a laugh which almost burst. "He was in London for years and never paid us a visit; why all so sudden would Hiiragizawa-san give me birthday present?"

"If that's so... what is the real cause?"

"Sakura, I-I-I.."

Pause.

Sakura waited patiently without words as Tomoyo inhaled a long breath

"I am pregnant with his child."

.

.

CHAPTER #7: Lies

DEAD silence.

After Tomoyo told her about the truth, Sakura didn`t say a word. And the amethyst-eyed young Daidouji didn`t dare to break the stillness. Until...

"Were you engaged?" It was Sakura`s question. Predictable.

"No."

"Married?"

"You would've known if I was, Sakura-chan."

"Is it because of... because of... mu... mutual—" Sakura stammered. She wasn`t one to talk about things regarding physical relationships, and every time she tried, she would end up stuttering.

Tomoyo smiled bitterly. "No."

"So," said Sakura after a few minutes, "It was an accident?"

"Practically... yes."

"When did you find out about this, To-chan?"

"Several days ago. Last week? Not really sure."

"And you didn`t tell me?"

"I`ve just told you."

"You know what I mean."

Forcing a proper smile, Tomoyo said, "I was afraid. Afraid of you leaving me."

"Tomoyo-chan, you do understand that will never happen."

"Are you not regretting this? Don`t lie to me, Sakura-chan. Even I can`t stop blaming myself for being so careless."

They fell into silence once more.

And this time was longer than before.

"I regret it," Sakura finally spoke, breaking the ice in the process. "I don`t like the fact you got pregnant by accident. But... how could I leave you, To-chan? I love you so much. We used to face things together and we always will. This situation is not an exception."

She could just yell at her with burning anger. She could just leave the room and stop talking to her. She could just go... but instead she stayed. She stretched her arms and wrapped them around Tomoyo`s shoulders. The bond between them is stronger than friendship.

"THANKS, Sakura-chan. I feel better."

The girl shook her head. "It`s okay. Being able to help you is my pleasure."

"Well, see you later then." Tomoyo said as she repacked her things into a handbag. The bright expression that wasonce written all over Sakura`s face dimmed. She stood up, asking softly, "You won`t stay for dinner?"

"Sorry," Tomoyo smiled apologetically. "I have to go home now. I must see Eriol by six."

Worried, Sakura turned her head to check the clock. "It`s already five-thirty. You will be late, Tomoyo-chan! Let me ask Touya-nii-chan to drive you there."

"No!" Tomoyo refused abruptly. Sakura jumped backward by reflex, surprised. Realizing that she might have scared the Card Mistress, Tomoyo tried to explain. "Please don`t tell anyone about Hiiragizawa-san. Except you, no one knows he`s in Tomoeda. I don`t want to receive more questions. Not yet."

Beep beep.

"Tomoyo, your cellphone."

"Just ignore it." She was still busy looking for some scattered stuffs. "Sheesh ~ where`s my purse? Sakura, help me. I cannot find it."

"Where did you last put it?"

"Over there." Tomoyo pointed at a certain spot near the desk. In seconds they both looked so busy bending down (and sometimes squatting) as they searched for the missing purse. Those girls would have still been at it if not for a loud, loud, roar coming from the doorway. Syaoran`s roaring. Sakura immediately rushed downstairs; nonetheless Tomoyo managed to grab her cellphone and took a look at the small screen.

A message received.

No need to think. Only one person who knew the number of that phone. Half-heartedly she opened the message and walked out from Sakura`s room, but when her eyes finished scanning over the sentence written in the message, she stopped dead in her tracks. Tomoyo was terrified. Very, very terrified. She ran down the stairs—for awhile she forgot about being pregnant—and by three seconds' time she was with a pile of people gathered in front of the doorway.

She saw a shocked Sakura.

She saw a dumbfounded Touya.

She saw Sakura`s father, Kero and Yukito remaining calm even though their expression couldn`t hide that they were surprised.

But the one that stood out the most was… she saw an irritated Syaoran.

Her mind flew back to the short message she`d read a little while ago.

Sender: 09028xxx

Message:

I changed my mind.

I`m in front of Sakura`s house right now to pick you up.

ABOUT an hour ago.

Nakuru peeked at her master with a sympathetic look while doing her chores. She couldn`t help but wonder (and sometimes pity, which rarely happened) why recently he spent so much time sitting on the Throne of Evil. In the morning, he read the newspaper for ten minutes, then wasted the rest of the two hours by staring blankly outside the window. At night, after dinner, he would bring along piles of books with him into that room and stayed up until late. Other people would probably just ignore this. But for Nakuru, she knew. She knew her master didn`t get a word out of anything he was trying to read. His mind was somewhere else. Something was bothering him. She had some predictions about it but... no, no, no, asking him was a bad idea. Eriol Hiiragizawa would be pissed. And Nakuru understood what could happen when her master got annoyed.

"If you keep daydreaming, Ruby Moon, you`ll ruin my carpet."

The deep voice sent her back to reality. Clumsily Nakuru looked down and her eyes grew big. She`d vacuumed (with the strongest level) the same spot for God-knows-how-long! Panicking, she immediately turned off the vacuum-cleaner and examined the carpet. Beads of sweat started to form on her forehead. She did ruin the carpet. On it, now, there was an area where the layer seemed so thin. The furry, soft surface that brought the comfortable image was gone. Smiling guiltily, Nakuru turned to face her master.

"Mmm ~ Eriol, ehehehehehehee..."

"Oh well," he mumbled in a sarcastic tone, "Guess I need to buy a new one."

"That idiot is concerned about you, Eriol."

Eriol and Nakuru turned their heads to the source of the voice. Spinel flew in, its small wings flapping elegantly as it approached the Throne of Evil. It floated up until Eriol`s eye level then said, "You act like a stranger lately. This is not yourself, Master."

"That`s supposed to be my line, Suppi-chan!" Nakuru protested.

"I already said it for you," Spinel replied calmly. It wasn`t in the mood to argue with Nakuru. "You can say a simple `thanks`."

Nakuru hesitated. She was confused. "Oh, okay... Thanks."

"You`re welcome."

Tossing aside his guardians` unimportant speech, Eriol asked Spinel. "What kind of my behavior do you call strange? This is the usual me."

"No, Master," the feline shook its head. "We`ve been living with you for years. We know the differences. You often have a blank stare lately, and not aware about your surroundings. Also, you try to distract yourself by keeping an eye at Miss Tomoyo. I must warn you, Master. You are about to cross the line. You're starting to act as if you were her father, telling her this and that in a commanding, demanding tone. Most of the time you gave her no choice. She might not like it, Eriol."

Eriol chuckled. He reached out an arm to pet Spinel`s small head before saying, "You are exaggerating, Spinel. I am not distracting myself from anything. I don`t have such a big problem, except Daidouji-san."

The feline gave a mysterious smile. "You know you do, Eriol."

"Mention one."

"Miss Mizuki."

And Eriol Hiiragizawa fell into silence.

…

Minutes passed by. No words were exchanged．Nakuru and Spinel shared a look, knowing they had guessed it precisely.

"Don`t make Miss Tomoyo the rebound, Master." Spinel said. "I just want to say that. Please forgive my impoliteness." After saying those lines in a casual (yet stabbing at the same time, somehow) tone, the feline flew towards its partner. "Come on, Ruby, we need to find a new carpet to replace this one you messed up."

"You`re willing to help?" Nakuru asked with her usual high-pitched voice as she dragged along the vacuum-cleaner.

Spinel smirked. "No. If I don`t do it, I cannot prevent you from buying something silly."

They went out of that room, leaving Eriol alone. But even though those two were no longer there, Eriol still could hear some of their conversations clearly. The noise of vacuum-cleaner sucking dust also reached his ears. Maybe Nakuru was now working on the corridors.

"We are going to choose a carpet, Suppi." Nakuru gave a desperate sigh. "How mean you are, saying that I may buy something silly."

"You can do freaky things anywhere, anytime."

"Suppi, you really are a meanie..."

"At least I`m not the one who bought a Miley Cyrus towel for Eriol`s birthday present."

Another shriek of annoyance flew into the air.

Eriol slumped himself even more on his Throne of Evil. His head ached. Messing his hair roughly, Eriol pulled out the Sun Key, releasing its true form, then spelled some quick chants. He blocked all the noise from outside. Yeah, he needed to do that, because no matter how complicated his mind was, this manor almost never provided him quietness.

The air turned cold and dull after his chants worked. Eriol shut his eyes as his thoughts recalled past memories. It was still clear in his head. The fight between him and Kaho Mizuki. The day when he saw his Kaho look so flushed in another man`s arms. The moment when a heart-broken Eriol Hiiragizawa decided to go cruising to clear his mind. Now it was already two months since he last saw Kaho. Recently he knew nothing about the priestess, excluding the fact that they were no longer sharing the same house. When he got back from the cruise, all of her stuffs were gone. It was like she had never been there. Nakuru and Spinel didn`t know about it either until he told them she was leaving.

Truth is, it was a piece of cake for Eriol to look for that woman using his magic. But strangely he didn`t want to. His pride, oh his pride! He was the one who told her to get out from his life, wasn`t he?

Now, after thinking over it, maybe his harsh words were unnecessary. Kaho was gorgeous and people were aware of it. Her gracefulness, kindness, and elegance never lessened although time went by. It was pretty normal if she had lots of friends. Especially male friends. He had better not called them `sons of btches` in his last phone call. Yeah... that was his fault. But what if Kaho fell in love with another man? Was it normal? He loved her more than anyone else in this world and she knew it. He gave her everything he could offer. They shared a house. They shared a chamber. They shared the bed. They even shared the same feeling... or not?

Did Kaho care about him?

Yes, she had said it herself.

Did Kaho respect him?

So much.

Did Kaho love him?

Eriol suddenly had a blank stare. He never felt so unsure in his life. Did she? Did she need him? Kaho was an independent woman who could manage things perfectly all by herself. He knew that, too. And it bore a hole inside his heart. Somehow it felt so stupid, being stubborn over someone who, in all conscience, didn't need his presence. Kaho was tough. Almost like... Tomoyo Daidouji.

Wait.

Tomoyo Daidouji?

In a flash, his balloons of thoughts vanished. Eriol blinked few times and then glanced to the nearest clock. He had a dinner appointment (and medical check) with Tomoyo tonight. The raven-haired girl was now in Sakura`s house, doing whatever she liked to do. Baking some cakes? Making lunch together? Or helping Sakura sew a yukata for Syaoran? Oh well ~ toss it aside, Hiiragizawa! Eriol refocused himself as he gazed at the clock. It was still too early but... surely some rescheduling would do. He grabbed his cell-phone, car key, and headed towards the door, a thin smile absurdly plastered on his lips.

Don`t make Miss Tomoyo on the rebound, Master.

No. He didn`t.

You try to distract yourself by keeping an eye at Miss Tomoyo.

That was wrong.

The most genuine reason behind his actions of `excessive responsibility` was...

All he needed now was someone who needs him.

How pathetic.

"WHAT on earth are you doing here?"

Tomoyo looked around in an attempt to find the speaker of words that almost blurted out from her lips. Easy. Especially when there was no one as pissed as Syaoran standing near her. The Not-So-Little Wolf stepped forward as he repeated what he had said earlier. His tone was full of suspicion and anticipation. "Hiiragizawa."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Kinomoto," Eriol greeted Fujitaka politely, ignoring the death glare from Syaoran. "Long time no see, eh? You too, Cerberus, Yukito, Touya-san, and—" his smile grew wider, "Sakura."

"Good afternoon, Hiiragizawa." Fujitaka answered, playing his part as a host (since the others were just standing there and doing nothing). "Please, come in."

Tomoyo was sure she heard Syaoran mumble `What the fck?` under his breath. Well, it seemed that the relationship between the Incarnation and him remained the same. The weird kind of rivalry aura Syaoran had for Eriol still existed. She wondered why Eriol bothered him that much, but the answer never came to her.

"Thank you, Mr. Kinomoto, but I`m afraid I`ll leave soon." He rejected with a smile.

Syaoran calmed down. Sakura, on the other hand, peeked at Tomoyo with a questioning look.

"Alright, then," Fujitaka nodded in understanding. "If I may know, what brings you here?"

Now the six pairs of eyes stared directly at the Sorcerer. Tomoyo cringed, hoping silently that Eriol`s reply would not come up as something controversial.

"Ah… I`m sorry. I haven`t explained my sudden visit here. I dropped by to pick Daidouji-san up."

And the very same six pairs of eyes moved their focus to Tomoyo.

"Today we have a date."

Her hope shattered into pieces. Dear God, how could You be so cruel? Tomoyo shot him a warning glare, but the perpetual glint of confidence in his brilliant dark eyes was unbeatable. Moreover, he was so natural, relax, and convincing. There was no way people doubt whatever he said. Sometimes Tomoyo found it difficult to believe; Eriol Hiiragizawa was more like some novelist creation than an actual flesh-and-blood man. It was like everything went his way. If he wanted something, he would get it. That was what she thought.

"You have what?" Syaoran nearly jumped.

"A date." Eriol repeated, suppressing an amused smile that almost appeared on his face. Probably pissing Li Syaoran off was virtually one of his hidden hobbies.

Touya turned his gaze to Tomoyo. "I didn`t know you were together. Wait—I think we didn`t know about you two being together."

Damn Hiiragizawa.

"I—uhm—I want to tell you today, but now it seems unnecessary." Tomoyo was surprised at how fast her brain set up such a lie. She nervously examined the people around her, and exhaled in relief after seeing their convinced expressions. Only one person who knew she was lying: Sakura.

"How long has it been?"

"Two months ago," Sakura suddenly spoke up. "Right, Tomoyo-chan?"

"Ngg… yes." She nodded in an affirmative way.

Syaoran looked as if he was slapped on the face. "Hold on a sec! Sakura, you knew it and didn`t say a thing to me?"

"Because I said that I wanted to tell you by myself," Tomoyo replied, trying to give Sakura her escape. The Cherry Blossom was no good at lying. She usually ended up stammering and, after awhile, revealing all the truth—which was the last thing Tomoyo wished for. "I`m so sorry."

"It`s okay," Fujitaka said again. "Now we all know, right? It was a good thing, so you don`t need to apologize, Tomoyo."

Eriol chuckled as he nonchalantly adjusted his watch, turning it around his wrist. He seemed very indifferent to the whole affair happening under his nose. "Now if I may, Mr. Kinomoto… I would like to go with Daidouji-san now… I have blocked your doorway long enough."

PUFFING out her cheeks, Nakuru Akizuki walked along the stone path across the front yard of Hiiragizawa manor. She was still upset with her `meanie` partner. Obviously, she was defeated in their last bickering like usual. Somehow Suppi apparently got smarter, Nakuru thought inwardly. It always got a way to trick her! How could Eriol have created such an evil partner for her, the cute and sincere Ruby Moon?

She started to run because the sky was getting darker. If she continued to walk, she might get caught in the rain before reaching her destination. Geez~ Nakuru just realized how huge this manor was—although the one who did most of the chores was her. She stopped in front of the fence, bending down to check the mailbox. Hmm... leaflets, old newspapers, mostly nothing important. Nakuru was about to throw them all in the garbage when something slipped from her grasp. It fell nicely on the ground, its front side welcomed her sight.

She blinked.

A deep red envelope.

Wedding invitation.

She picked itup, eyebrows twitching in curiosity as she flipped that thing to see the sender`s name.

Kaho Mizuki.

.

to be continued.

skybluescramble again:

I am not so happy to tell you this, but the next update probably won`t come soon. It will take time, for real (school, club activities, exchange-student programs, and homework really frustrate me -,- ). Just please, bear with me. Okay? :)

I love you all.