Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne....blah blah blah blah...let's just get on with the story okay?
*~*~*~*~*
"talking"
"voice in head"
thoughts or emphasis
*~*~*~*~*
Vocabulary:
hai = yes
ano = um
aishiteru = I love you
baka = idiot/stupid
iie = no
gomen-nasai = I'm sorry
ja = bye
ganbatta-ne(did I spell that right?) = good luck
*~*~*~*~*
I Promise
by: Sally Fox
escaflowne17.tripod.com
Chapter 1: Decision
*~*~*~*~*
It had been 3 years since Hitomi had last been to Gaea. She and Van kept intact and during all those years, Hitomi told Van about Earth and all about her customs. Van helped Hitomi catch up on all the news from her friends and about all the events that happened on Gaea.
Hitomi was finally 18 and Van had finished rebuilding Fanelia. That's when the trouble began.
*~*~*~*~*
Hitomi sat on the smooth grass, letting it tickle her toes. She inhaled the fresh air around her. The fields reminded her of Van. They smelled like Van. Hitomi smiled as she closed her eyes and laid back on the grass.
Not long after Hitomi had settled on the grass soft footsteps could be heard. Hitomi opened her eyes slowly to find those eyes. Those eyes that made her heart beat ever so strangely. That made her want to cry out for joy.
"Van. You came back for me?" Hitomi asked as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Hai." Van answered softly as he knelt beside Hitomi. Hitomi sat up finding herself very close to Van. She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her head rest on his chest. He hugged her back and slowly lifted her face towards his.
"Aishiteru, Van." Hitomi whispered when they were just breaths away. Her heart pounded in her chest as Van leaned a little closer.
Van opened his mouth to speak. To tell Hitomi those words she had been longing to hear all her life, but what she heard surprised her.
*~*~*~*~*
"Aaaaaaahhh!!!!" Hitomi screamed as she bolted upright in her bed, strangling her alarm clock. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I hate you alarm clock!! You ruined the best moment of my entire life!!!" Hitomi screamed as she threw the alarm clock across the room. "Baka!!!"
"Hitomi? Is something wrong?" a deep baritone voice asked with concern clearly etched into it.
Hitomi blushed profusely, remembering the dream as she answered, "Iie Van. Gomen-nasai."
"For what?"
"For dreaming about...about..." Hitomi realized what she was about to say and quickly changed it, "...for worrying you."
"What did you dream Hitomi? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Never mind about it. It was nothing."
"Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything."
Hitomi smiled. Van had grown up to be so sweet and caring. He wasn't the rash 15 year old that Hitomi had once known. "Hai! It must have been one of those dreams you just react to. Van? How come I haven't seen you for forever?" Hitomi asked as she laid her head back down on her pillow.
"Because I want us to be surprised when we next see each other again."
"But Van! It's been almost two years now!" Hitomi whined.
Van just chuckled and changed the subject. "So when's your track meet? Are you going to run?" he asked her, already knowing the answer.
Hitomi shook her head at the sudden change of subject but let it slide. "Hai! It's in 3 weeks and I'm going to win 1st place for you Van."
"Hitomi...you don't have to..."
"No, but I want to." Hitomi smiled, but it soon turned into a frown. "I miss you so much Van, it hurts. I just want to see you again."
"Me too Hitomi. Some time soon. I promise. I better go. The council is getting angry with me for leaving the meeting so suddenly."
"Okay. Ja!" Hitomi glanced at her watch sitting on the table. "Oh no! I'm going to be late for practice!"
*~*~*~*~* 3 weeks later *~*~*~*~*
"Van?"
"Hitomi? What is it?"
"I just need someone to talk to, that's all. Did I call you at a bad time?"
"Hitomi, never is there a bad time for you to call on me." Van smiled. His love for Hitomi was just as strong as ever, and since lately he had met so many princesses he had become a little better at talking with women. Most of the princesses instantly fell for him. Whether it was for his personality that had improved ever since Hitomi, or his good looks, but there was only one woman Van's heart was set on. Hitomi. He was also getting a little better at teasing Hitomi and maybe even making her blush, but the best thing he was good at was making her smile, even though he didn't know it.
Hitomi smiled at Van's compliment. He was so sweet to her. Does Van still care for me like he did three years ago? Is he waiting for me, or does he thing of me as just a friend now, and nothing more? Hitomi's thoughts drifted as those thought finally entered her mind after all these years. She had always been so confident about Van waiting for her, but now she wasn't quite so sure. He told her that he had to get married before he turned 19, but Hitomi hadn't approved to it yet. She didn't want to.
"Hitomi? Are you still there?" Van's gentle voice reached Hitomi's thoughts, bringing her back to reality.
"H...hai!"
"Ano...I want to give you something...as a good luck charm for you race." Van told Hitomi softly.
Van hadn't given Hitomi anything ever since two and a half years ago.
~*~Flashback~*~
Hitomi sat down on the field's grass at the track. The place Van told her to meet him.
A sudden pillar of light crashed to the ground, leaving a handsome young boy standing. Hitomi called out his name as she hurriedly ran to him, crushing him in her tight embrace.
"Hitomi, I want to give you something." Van gently pushed Hitomi back and handed her his shirt. Pure white wings shot from his back as Hitomi watched in awe. His wings always took her breath away.
One small feather floated to Van's hand. He walked up to Hitomi and gently pressed it into her hand. Hitomi hugged the feather to her chest as silent tears fell from her eyes. "Arigatou, Van. Ano...can I keep your shirt too?" Hitomi blushed a little.
Van returned her blush as the blook rushed to his face. "I...if you want to Hitomi."
A grateful smile spread across Hitomi's face. "Arigatou Van. Ano...could you turn around for a moment?"
"Hai."
Hitomi quickly changed her shirt. "Okay. You can turn around now. So...how do I look?" Hitomi asked as she walked up to Van.
Seeing Hitomi in his shirt made him blush even more. "You look better in it than I do!"
Hitomi giggled, "That's because "Don't be Hitomi. Now I know not to wear my shirt every time we see each other!"
"Van!!!"
Van laughed. "I'm just joking Hitomi." he smiled and brushed some bangs away from her eyes.
Hitomi returned his smile. She leaned down and picked up her jacket. "Here. This is for letting me keep your shirt." Hitomi handed him the jacket and he took it with a most pleasurable smile plastered to his face.
"Arigatou, Hitomi," Van let his wings disappear as he put the jacket on. "I'll see you again soon."
"Bye bye, Van!" Hitomi waved to her love as he left the same way he had come.
~*~End Flashback~*~
"You don't need to give me anything Van."
"No, but I want to." Van repeated Hitomi's words from three weeks ago.
"I thought you were going to wait for the right moment for us to see each other again."
"I don't have to come there to give it to you. I'll send it to you right now."
A blue pillar of light entered Hitomi's room and left something laying on the floor. Hitomi gasped. "But...Van...I..."
"I just want you to have it for now. You can give it back to me when we meet again if you want." Hitomi smiled as she got the hint. "I better go Hitomi. Another princess has arrived." Van sounded a bit depressed and hoped Hitomi got the hint. I hope Hitomi wants to.
A sudden idea came to Hitomi. Of course!!! I know what to do!!! It'll surprise him and maybe he'll even be glad to see me better that way!!! It's perfect! "Okay Van. Wish me luck!!"
"Ganbatta-ne!!!"
*~*~*~*~*
Hitomi sat on the bleachers at the track meet with her friends Yukari and Amano. She opened her palm to reveal the present Van had given her.
Yukari let out a squeal of delight as she saw the gift in Hitomi's hand. "Hitomi!! You found it!!! Where was it??"
"With Van of course. I already told you that I had given it to him before I left. He gave it back." Hitomi answered and placed the pendant around her neck.
Yukari shook her head. "You still haven't given up on that guy? Come on Hitomi! I've tried to hook you up with guys, but all you do is turn them down. He left you Hitomi!! How can you still love him after that?"
Hitomi looked downcast. Van had never left her. She left him. "That's not true Yukari. He didn't leave me. I left him."
Yukari looked shocked. "Why? Did he not love you back or something?"
Hitomi shook her head. "Iie. He loved me back. I...I just...I guess I just missed Earth and all my friends so badly. Now I'm not so sure I should have left." Yukari smacked the back of Hitomi's head, causing her to lean over. "Ow!! Yukari!!! What was that for??"
"For not staying with him! That's what!!! Baka!! You need to go back to him and I mean it!!"
Hitomi smiled at her best friend. "I know Yukari, and I am going. Today in fact." Tears welled up into Hitomi's eyes. "I'm so glad you understand!!" Hitomi hugged her friend tightly. "Arigatou, Yukari."
*~*~*~*~*
A/N: ^_^ So how was it? Please R&R and I'll continue the story. Ja!!!
I decided to add some extra stuff just for fun!!! ^_^ This stuff is just the story. Not the A/Ns and title and stuff.
Pages: 6
Words: 1,642
Characters (no spaces): 7,208
Characters (with spaces): 8,784
Paragraphs: 72
Lines: 214