Ryuu: Hiyaaa!!! We're Dariel and Ryuu Angel! *grins like mad an' takes Dariel's hand* Look at what we did!!! We allied!!! Mwahaha!! *giggles*
Dee: Be afraid!! Bwahahaha
Ryuu: Ahem, okay, Dee is still pinchin' me to see if all this is for real, but after twenty pinches I've reached the conclusion it is, so we proudly present ye the product of two crazy minds!
Dee: So then, do us a favour and enjoy our little piece of work!! Go go go!!!
DISCLAIMER: We don't own Escaflowne *both start to sob hysterically* And we don't own Van!!!! *crying shamelessly at each others sleeves*
~Such is life~
CHAPTER 1. Too perfect to be trueWith a loud thud, a green-painted door with a golden 303 on it flew open and hit a beige wall, making the plaster crumble lightly and the glasses in the cupboard at the wall clink. Startled, the man who was calmly sitting on a brown leather couch awoke from his trance-like state in front of the tv and looked around, his grey shirt totally crumpled. A surprised expression crossed his features when he saw a young man storm into the apartment, pitch-black hair dishevelled and auburn eyes narrowed in anger. The man on the couch ran a hand through his chestnut-brown hair and watched the intruder in slight confusion.
"What's the matter, Van?" he asked, scratching his head. "I thought you already left."
The young man didn't bother to answer but simply disappeared behind a door at the other side of the living room.
"Hey, I asked you a question!" the brown-eyed man on the couch complained but then sighed and shook his head.
Yawning noisily, he reached for the remote control and flipped lazily through the channels, not allowing the people on tv to finish their sentences. Warm sunlight was pouring through the huge but slightly dirty window behind him, flooding the parquet floor and hitting a single Cd on the glass table in front of the couch only to project a rainbow on the ceiling. He suddenly heard rumbling, followed by loud cursing. A few seconds later, Van Fanel appeared in the doorframe and dusted off his black suit, a basketball rolling past him.
"What did you do?" Amano asked and tried to peek past Van's broad shoulders into his room which was filled with brown boxes.
"I forgot my purse," Van replied and stuffed the slim black wallet into a pocket on the inside of his jacket.
His friend leaned against the couch and crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking him up and down.
He surely had grown up since the last time he had seen him, he admitted with a chuckle. He was positively certain that girls would kill in order to get him to look at them as, after all, he was terribly good looking. Of course, he would never admit that he was more handsome than himself, but no woman on Gaea would resist those big auburn eyes, his tall and muscular frame, though lithe and supple. His tanned skin and hair the colour of midnight only added to his charm, and certainly that black suit he wore fitted him perfectly. Was that the skinny boy that blushed like mad every time a girl asked him the time?
If he was, the man that was now in front of him, black suit and white shirt impeccably clean and straight, definitely didn't look like the younger Van.
The only thing that was a bit out of place was the tie which hung loosely around Van's neck.
"You should hurry up or you'll be too late," Amano stated, rubbing his arms. "And please do me a favour and arrange your tie, you look terrible!"
A brief smile crossed Van's features and he nodded at the brown-eyed man. "See you soon, Amano," he replied and crossed the room with quick steps, his friend waving after him.
"But, Van!" Amano called after him, swirling around on the couch. "Don't --"
He jerked violently when the door was slammed shut.
"...slam the door shut," he muttered, turning back around and devoting himself to the various talk shows on tv again.
Van didn't hear. He was running down the stairs to the first floor with an incredible speed, taking two steps at once and the echo of his footsteps followed him down the stairway – and awoke his neighbours from their nap. He was just about to dash through the front door and onto the street when a shrill voice stopped him.
"Mr. Fanel!" someone shrieked from behind, making him roll his eyes.
Van swung around on his heels, forcing a charming smile on his lips and looked at the small woman who was standing in a green doorframe, some meters down the floor: Mrs. Sato, the local newspaper and self-appointed watchdog of the house. Though Van had moved in only three days ago, he had seen enough of her for the rest of his life. Her eyes and ears were everywhere and there was nothing, she didn't know about. She was wearing a skirt which reached a bit over her knees and made her seem even shorter together with a wide blouse, the colours of her clothes hurting his eyes.
"Yes, Mrs. Sato?" Van asked through gritted teeth, trying to sound patient and friendly but it sounded more like the hiss of a snake observing its prey.
"Mr. Fanel, I know you are young and just moved in and maybe you haven't --" she began but Van interrupted her, his smile even wider.
"Yes, I know the rules of the house," he said and bowed deeply, his black strands falling over his eyes. "I'm very sorry for disturbing you and I promise that it'll never happen again. But now, excuse me, I'm in a hurry."
And with that, he turned around and stormed out of the building, pretending not to hear Mrs. Sato's complaints about the young generation. Two little boys playing cards were sitting on the steps which lead from the door down to the sidewalk, and a dalmatian with a red scarf around its neck was watching them curiously. A lot of people were on the streets, the sound of engines and the hooting of cars filling the air. It was the middle of autumn and the leaves of the trees had already changed their colour, a brown and red carpet with yellow sprinkles covering the sidewalks. But right now, Van didn't care.
He stopped at the kerb and stretched out his arm, calling for a taxi. Various cars drove by but soon, a car stopped beside him, the usual yellow colour hardly visible under all the adverts and only the glowing sign on the car roof showing that it truly was a taxi. Van hastily opened the door and jumped in the back of the car, telling the driver the address. When the taxi finally joined the busy traffic on the street again, he exhaled deeply and leaned back, closing his reddish-brown eyes. It smelled like leather and car, the autumn sun warming his tanned skin. Remembering Amano's words, Van reached up with his hands and skilfully arranged his tie, houses and trees flowing by without him noticing.
Everything could have been so perfect! He had planned everything, even the tiniest detail. After he had finally decided to tell her, he had handed in his notice for his job and apartment back in Palas, had searched for a new job here in Fanelia and had finally contacted his friends, telling them that he would move, but he hadn't told her. He had wanted to surprise her, had wanted to see her priceless face when he suddenly stood at her door, a bunch of red roses in his hand. Luck had been on his side the whole time, a new job quickly found. It had been two days before moving out of his old apartment when he had gotten her letter. The letter that had changed everything.
His heart beating quickened when he remembered that day, and he ran both of his hands over his face and through his hair…
He had returned late from work, from his last day as a teacher at Meifia, tired and exhausted, and the only thing he had wanted to do had been taking a nice hot shower. He had gotten it, but he hadn't been able to enjoy it.
He had been pouring the warm water over his tired muscles when his bell rang loudly several times, showing the mild impatience of his unexpected visitor.
"I'm coming!" Van yelled, turning off the water.
At once, the prickling feeling which the water had caused on his skin vanished, and he felt the cold breeze which came from the slightly open window. He shivered and reached for the towel, hastily wrapping it around his waist. Streams of water were running down his well-built chest which were then soaked by the white towel, and his wet feet made tapping noises on the tiled floor when he walked to the door. Before opening it, Van reached for another towel and attempted to dry his hair which was sticking to his head. It was when another storm of knocks hit his front door. Angrily, he pulled open the door of the bathroom and stepped into his living room, soaking the carpet.
"I said I was coming!" he barked and the knocks stopped.
"The postman, Mr. Fanel," came the muffled reply from behind the door and Van snorted.
Closing the bathroom door behind him and running a hand through his wet hair, he looked around the room. Where the hell did he put his shoes? It was completely quiet, the apartment almost empty. All books were gone from the bookshelves, only the prints in the layer of dust left. Brown boxes stood everywhere within the small living room, clothes and various magazines scattered between them. It was obvious that he would move out within the next days and that he wouldn't find his shoes anytime soon. He sighed and crossed the room, leaving a trail of water behind.
The keys clinked when he unlocked his door and the smiling face of a young man greeted him.
"A certified letter for you, Mr. Fanel," the red-haired man said, his face full of freckles, and held up a white envelope.
Van cocked a wet eyebrow. "Why's that?" he asked, watching the postman who was now rummaging through all his pockets.
"I don't know. I didn't open the envelope," he replied simply, not bothering about Van's appearance as if he was used to half-naked and completely wet people opening the door. A triumphant grin finally spread across his face, holding a slim pen in his hand. "I need a signature, please."
Van frowned and glanced at the simple white envelope which showed nothing more than his address on the front side. Slowly, he took the handed blank paper and signed it, the young postman whistling to himself.
"Thank you," he replied when he received the blank from Van, handing him the letter and turned around with a short "Goodbye".
"Bye," Van mumbled absently and closed the door, twisting the paper in his hand. His auburn eyes widened in surprise by spotting the sender. "Hitomi!"
Without hesitating, the young man grabbed one edge of the envelope and tore it open. He pulled a pastel rose–coloured sheet of paper out of it and unfolded it, his curiosity growing with every second that passed. He hadn't gotten any mail from her for quite some time and he wondered what had happened. His eyes rushed over the lines of Hitomi's clear and careful handwriting and his heart suddenly stopped beating, the letter slowly slipping out of his grasp and floating quietly to the ground.
"Shit! Where the hell did you get your driving license you idiot!?" yelled the taxi driver at a fat woman in an elegant red car in front of them.
Van snapped out of his thoughts and looked up, a loud and long hooting filling the air and the taxi coming to a sudden halt.
"What's the matter?" he asked the driver impatiently, looking at the red glowing brake lights of the car in front of them.
"Traffic jam, what else?" the taxi driver replied simply, leaning back into his seat with stoic calmness that could drive passengers crazy when they were in a hurry and opened the window.
"No!" Van exclaimed and after looking at the watch at his wrist, his gaze flickered around, hunted. There was nothing around him but cars which were not moving, an ocean of sparkling metal sheets. "Where are we?" he asked quickly, turning to the driver again.
"At the corner of Monument Road and Old Street," the driver replied, looking out of the window. "Your destination is five blocks down the street."
Van glanced at his watch again, then at the jammed street and finally at the taximeter, already fishing for his purse. He would be quite faster if he went on foot. Pressing the money into the driver's sweaty hand, Van opened the door and jumped out of the car. At once, a cold wind tugged at his pitch-black hair, sending a flock of yellowish leaves across the street. Hastily, the young man wound his way past the dozens of humming cars to the sidewalk and sped off. He had to hurry or it would be to late. He had this one chance and not more.
He ran down the street, past the waiting cars and past hundreds of people. Scraps of conversations reached him faintly through the turmoil of thoughts in his head, together with the clicking sound, his shoes made on the paved ground. Van didn't notice the women's stares which followed him along his way, heads turning to watch his neck-breaking race. His heart was beating so hard that it hurt and his lungs pricked with every heavy breath he took. But he just kept on pushing himself, the sound of the seconds passing by like thunder in his ears.
Panting, he stopped when a church suddenly appeared from behind a corner, the two pointed towers trying to touch the clouds in the endless blue sky. Stony figures were watching him from above, little guardians who sat hidden in the shadows of the gothic building full of corners. A group of old women stood in front of the stairs which led up to the massive oak doors, looking up when the handsome young man in the black tuxedo ran past them.
"Oh, young man, you're pretty late! They already started!" one of the women called after Van but he didn't hear.
The sound of muffled music came through the closed wooden doors but Van didn't care. He was late, yes, though it didn't matter anymore. He had planned everything so carefully... but she had put a spoke in his wheel with her revelation. Of course, he had been shocked. He hadn't expected it for she had never mentioned it with any written word in her letters. He had thought about forgetting everything; forgetting his plan, forgetting the new job, forgetting her and going back to his old life. But somehow, he hadn't been able to accept it. He hadn't wanted to give everything up without fighting, without even trying; hadn't wanted to lose her.
And there he was, running up the steps to St. Rhum's Church, determined to tell her everything, to tell her why he was there. He hadn't even told his friends. He had thought about it a thousand times and had called himself a fool a million times for even thinking of doing something like that. But it was the only way. There was no option, no other way to get her back, only this one which led through these doors.
Now or never.
Cheeks flushed and his chest rising and falling heavily with the breaths which came out short and fast, he reached the top of the stairs. Van stretched out his arm, his fingers closing around the heavy iron doorknob and then – he stopped, eyes wide in shock.
What was he doing there? Slowly, he released the doorknob and took a step backwards, staring down at his hands. Birds were singing in the trees around the church, gathering for their journey to the south but he didn't notice, the sound of his heart beating violently within his chest drowning every other noise around him. That wasn't him. He hadn't been himself anymore for the last five days. The Van he knew would never do something as foolish as that. He couldn't believe that he had been just about to storm into the church! Had he even thought about the possibility that she wasn't probably feeling the same for him like he felt for her?
A rash action. Yes, that was the reason for his behaviour. He hadn't been able to think rationally anymore after receiving her last letter. Turning his back to the church, he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his black pants and slowly descended the steps. He was angry with himself because of the chances he had wasted and because of being a damn coward but he couldn't change it. Looking up, his auburn eyes focused and scanned over the words on the white plate which stood at the bottom of the stairs, decorated with white roses.
"Today, wedding of Allen Shezar and Hitomi Kanzaki."His lips curved into a sad smile when he walked past the plate, his black bangs covering his eyes.
"I hope you're happy, Hitomi," he whispered.
[#########]
Wherever she looked, all she saw was... perfect. That was the only suitable word to describe it.
The wooden door at her left creaked as it slowly opened, an elegant and tall woman stepping inside the sacristy. Her blond hair was pinned in a stylish bun and covered with an elegant broad-brimmed hat adorned with a ribbon in ivory-coloured silk, her greyish-blue eyes crinkling at the edges when her lips curved in a smile. The woman was dressed in a stunning dark blue dress made of silk that fitted her lean frame perfectly, her bare shoulders covered with a shawl with embroidered patterns on its perfect navy blue.
"Oh, Hitomi dear, you look beautiful," said Encia Schezar with a wide smile looking at her future daughter-in-law.
The girl standing in the middle of the room blushed like a rose and smiled shyly; although she had known Encia for years now, she was still a little bit bemused by her fiancé's mother, so elegant and graceful.
The three maids that were flirting around Hitomi nodded with giggles while they gave the bride the final touches before the ceremony started. Apply a little bit more of eye-shadow here, fix the veil to her honey golden tresses, arrange a loose flower of her bouquet... Everything had to be perfect for the wedding. Her wedding.
Hitomi smiled shaking her head in awe, not sure if all this was truly happening; she had so many times admired the brides in their white long dresses, swearing forever love to the man of their dreams in a sun-filled church, the aisle flooded with soft music and the sweet scent of the flowers scattered around the temple.
And now it's my turn, she sighed. She licked her lips, then stopping dead when she thought of the lipstick and the lip gloss her maids had applied there.
"It's like a dream come true," she whispered, closing her eyes. For a second she was scared that, if she opened them again, it would all have vanished into a puff of smoke, but soon enough the emerald eyed girl pushed that thought aside. It was stupid, this was for real and, most important of all, forever.
The only thing she was sad for was the absence of her friends; she wouldn't be able to see them again until the end of the honeymoon, and as Allen's family had wanted to have a very intimate wedding, just the two families and very few other friends were supposed to attend the wedding.
"I'm only sorry that mum and dad couldn't make it," sighed the bride sadly and Encia pulled her in a light embrace so as not to mess up her dress.
"I am also sorry, dear. It was such a pity that your father broke his leg... you know it was too late to postpone the wedding," said Allen's mother frowning slightly. Hitomi's father, Kanzaki Keisuke, had had an accident in his farm two days ago, and therefore his wife had had to stay with him at hospital to take care of him while their precious child wedded Allen.
"Yes, of course I know it's nobody's fault," the bride smiled with a shrug of her shoulders. Her heart skipped a beat when suddenly the bells started chiming and music reached her ears, the first accords of the nuptial march filling the air. The quiet bustling of the guests could be heard through the narrow opening of the door that hadn't been properly closed, and Hitomi clutched her bouquet of flowers like mad, trying to calm herself. After all, everything was going to be fine.
The auburn head of her younger brother Mamoru peeked into the sun-flooded room where his sister was from a back door, smiling.
"Everybody's waiting for you, sister," he grinned, entering the sacristy. The green eyed girl watched her brother with a smile, taking in what a man he had become. It seemed yesterday that they were two little brats chasing one another around their old house in Arzas. And now look at him, just turned twenty-two and ready to walk her down the aisle, filling his father's place in his absence. He looked so much older than her right now, though she was two years older.
She breathed a deep intake of air and let it go little by little; when she was finished, she nodded at her brother and offered him her arm, which he took with a dazzling smile.
Surely girls will melt when he smiles like that at them, Hitomi thought with a giggle, remembering that is was the same effect Allen had on her. Every time he looked at her, her insides turned into mush.
"Hey, 'Tomi, are you nervous?" Mamoru asked in a low whisper while they were walking down the corridor that would lead them to the back of the church, from where they had to walk to the altar.
She bit her lip with a rosy blush adorning her porcelain cheeks. "Not at all. What makes you think so?"
"That you are crushing all the bones in my left hand..." he chuckled, shaking his head and making sway with it his auburn locks framing his handsome face.
"But what if I triple with my dress and fall flat on my nose, or maybe someone steps on the train and it comes off, or what if-!" she frantically hissed until Mamoru placed his hand on her lips to silence her with a lopsided grin.
The notes of the nuptial march played louder, and she saw a small rectangle of light projected on the floor coming from her right, a few meters from where they were now: now there was no way back.
"Don't worry, Hitomi, everything will be perfect," her brother murmured in her ear before they both stepped in the central aisle and all the faces turned to stare at them.
The picture was heavenly; sunlight bathed the church in a golden haze, the coloured glasses of the windowpanes creating strange waving movements in the forest of greens, sapphire, lavender blues, crimsons and yellows that flooded the place. Even the chirping of birds could be heard from outside, thousands of doves that awaited patiently for some kind person to throw some food at them in the small square in front of the church. There was a red carpet on the floor where she had to walk, and some small bunches of flowers tied to the benches poured their divine scents in the temple.
But the most heavenly part of the picture were the two people who were in opposite ends of the aisle: one was a tall man dressed in a black suit and with a rose bud tucked in his buttonhole, his blond hair and his cerulean depths glued to the small and delicate frame that approached, slowly but steadily, to where he was.
Hitomi was dressed in a beautiful ivory-white dress; the tight-fitting bodice adorned with a shower of tiny pearls that formed waving patterns on the silky fabric. Folds and folds of silk creased and fell gracefully, tumbling down from her slim waist into a cascade of rustling satin, nearly mingling with the fabric of the train so that one could not distinguish where one ended and started the other. Her hands were covered with white gloves that went up past her elbow, enfolding her petite hands and perfectly moulding to them.
Her sandy gold coloured hair was trapped in a bun that left some strands loose, sweetly framing her delicate features, and very thin golden threads had been skilfully interwoven in her honey tresses.
She looked like an angel to Allen, who gulped and stared at her soon-to-be wife in awe.
Hitomi smiled at him reassuringly, her mind carried away on the beautiful music that was still playing. She looked around trying to locate Van's face, smiling at the thought. She hadn't seen him for so many years... and she had been allowed to invite him as he was her best friend since they were kids; after all, with her parents both missing, it wouldn't have been fair to Hitomi if she hadn't had any known and loved ones at her wedding. All the faces of the guests were happy, the same thought in their minds: what a perfect couple they are.
She would've wanted to laugh. Yes, they were a perfect couple. Everybody had told them so from the very beginning, making them believe that they were souls akin.
Can there be so much perfection and bliss in one same day and place? she suddenly wondered, chewing nervously her bottom lip and therefore ruining her makeup there. Well, who cared now? She was going to get married to Allen for her whole life! No option of making the wrong choice, there was simply no option to make a mistake like that. But she was not, she calmed herself. Everything was perfect. Her bouquet with wild orchids and tiny jasmine flowers was. Her dress was. The guests were, he was, the day was.
Her wedding was perfect.
And all of a sudden she discovered that she was afraid of perfect weddings.
She walked to Allen in a daze, not really noticing when Mamoru let go off her arm and Allen took it instead. The priest, a young man called greeted them both and the ceremony started.
But, no matter how hard she tried to, she couldn't focus on the words that floated in the air.
The First Reading... why did it seem in her eyes that the light wasn't as bright as before anymore?
The Psalm and the Second Reading... her perfect shoes started hurting her sensitive skin, and she bit her swollen lip again. Why was she being flooded with so many doubts now? She hadn't had any problems since they had decided to marry! She had been going out with Allen for almost two years and they had thought it was time to take their relationship a step further. Hitomi had been happy when he had proposed to her! A startling ring with a single shiny emerald on its golden beauty, "but still failing to match the glow in her eyes", as he had told her, sealing her lips in a soft kiss afterwards.
The Gospel... the homily... she started to sweat and fidget; Allen noticed it and took her hand in his big warm one to calm her nerves, but his touch only made her more jumpy.
Tick. Tack. Tick. Tack.
It was drawing closer and closer. The moment when she would have to say her vows. The moment when her freedom would be bound forever to the man at her side.
"... if any of you know cause, or just impediment, why these two persons should not be joined together in holy Matrimony, ye are to declare it," said the priest, and looked around the room; for a split second, Hitomi surprised herself by hoping that someone would storm into the church and sweep her in his strong arms, away from the altar. But only silence followed Jajuka's words and soon afterwards he resumed the reading of the vows.
"Allen, this woman whom you hold by the hand is to be your wife. She has given you one of the most sacred things under heaven: a woman's life and a woman's love. Do you, Allen Crusade Schezar, take Hitomi Kanzaki to be your wife, true and loyal, patient in sickness, comforting in sorrow, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her so long as you both shall live?"
The handsome blond man delved into Hitomi's deep forest eyes and gave her a radiant smile that made her heart wrench inside.
"I do."
Uh oh. Not good. No handsome knight in shining armour had come to separate them and claim that she was not to wed that man. And the priest went on, facing Hitomi. He must have seen the turmoil in her eyes, for he smiled, trying to give her the strength to go on. But suddenly her knees felt as if all her bones had turned to jelly.
"Hitomi, this hand whom you hold by the right hand is to be your husband. On our life, your love and devotion he will lean for strength and inspiration. Do you, Hitomi Kanzaki, take Allen Schezar to be your husband and promise that you will be loyal in adversity, ministering to him in affliction, comforting him in sorrow, and forsaking all others, keeping yourself only unto him so long as you both shall live?"
She held her breath; the silence in the church could have been cut with a knife, and she could feel everybody's eyes on her, expecting to hear the two words that would seal that marriage. Allen was looking at her but she ignored him, refusing to face his sky-blue pools. Everything was so...
... perfect. Still perfect. Too, too perfect to be true.
"Well... err..."
[#########]
Hispano Street, 12.
A big wooden sign was hanging from an iron bar outside the small place, the word "Escaflowne Café" written in dark green gothic-like letters and a white dragon delicately painted on the plaque. Next to the reddish-brown wooden door there was a huge window that was being cleaned from the inside in those same moments. Once the layer of cleaning spray was wiped from the translucent glass, the autumn sun peeked into the cozy place, but let's take a different route and enter through the main door.
When you touch it it's smooth and fresh under your palms, and you push it open effortlessly; before your eyes you have a medium sized room, the walls painted a dark cream colour that is often hidden by the tons and tons of framed pictures, artworks and posters that the owner, or god knows who, scattered around the place.
You go down four low steps and place your foot on the warm parquet that covers the floor, a side door at your left that would lead you to the toilets. At your right and standing behind the counter, a man with long rich brown hair tied in a loose ponytail is wiping the last remains of spray on the windowpane while chewing a piece of dark liquorice. His green eyes sparkle mischievously at the voices of his friends, who are lazily sitting on the couch in front of a large tv screen. Their conversation reaches your ears and you can't help but to listen to their words.
"But I still can't understand what you're doing here!" groaned a bubbly girl with brown hair that shone with a red light when the sunlight caressed her silky strands. She was sitting on a tall boy's lap, his chestnut hair tickling her right ear every time she leaned onto him.
Her words were aimed to a man with pitch-black hair and auburn eyes, his shoulders sunk and an indecipherable expression on his extremely handsome features. His dark suit was crumpled, white shirt pulled out of his black trousers and the tie lying on the floor, completely forgotten by its owner. He was sitting on a comfortable individual couch next to the one where the couple was, and although his eyes were fixed on the car race on tv, he wasn't paying any attention to the program: his mind was a turmoil of doubt.
"Yeah, you had been fretting about that wedding ever since you arrived here this morning! You nearly made our apartment's door split in two half an hour ago, what's happened to you now, Van?" joined in the boy after tugging a loose strand of reddish hair behind the girl's ear with a sweet grin.
Van smiled sadly , though he tried to hide it. "Hey, I just found out that I couldn't understand why I had to be there," he gave them a lopsided grin while he distractedly stuffed his left hand in a back pocket, fingers blindly searching for something to occupy themselves. "You know, all full of posh people, and being the only friend that was going to go, I felt it wasn't right," he explained; he bit his lip. Who was he trying to fool? At least, it wasn't working with himself. He knew his soul too well to trick his true feelings, but he wasn't going to tell the world that his insides were being torn apart, slowly, painfully, just when the words 'Hitomi' and 'Allen' appeared, together, in his mind.
"That's exactly why you had to go!" insisted the girl, a fiery sparkle shining in her liquid brown eyes. "She needs your support! Don't you think, Amano?" she looked at the man in whose lap she was sitting and he nodded solemnly.
"Oi, Yukari, just leave him alone, poor lad," chuckled the man behind the counter, leaning onto the shiny wooden surface and putting away the wiping cloth and the spray. Van smiled at him and approached his hand to the girl's head, as if he wanted to caress her shiny hair.
"Yah, anyway she hasn't seen me in years so it would've been much more logical that one of you went there, not me," he grinned as Yukari backed away a little, startled by his movements; with a snap of his fingers, he produced a coin from behind her ear and then gave her a mock bow, taking off an imaginary hat.
"You must teach me to do that!!" she giggled in delight, clapping her hands while Van sank onto his couch and started playing with the small piece of metal. He gave her a stunning smile and winked.
"Professional secrets can't be revealed, miss Uchida, I'm sorry," he apologized lifting his free hand and then putting it on his chest. "I gave my word."
"Hey Dryden, isn't that Milly out there?" suddenly asked Amano, his head tilted to the window; a huge motorcycle had stopped in front of the café, a tall blond guy with grey eyes dressed in tight jeans and a leather jacket still on the powerful engine. Next to him stood the slender frame of a woman with pale blond hair which reached down to her tiny waist, her big expressive violet eyes shining of excitement and her cheeks rosy, swiftly turning crimson at some comment he said.
The man behind the counter looked at the couple with a frown, a growl rumbling in his throat though it never came out. "Yeah, it's Millerna..." he confirmed in a murmur, watching how the blond guy embraced her to kiss her lips until they were both out of air. Dryden snorted. "One of these days they're gonna asphyxiate, or maybe one will be sucked into the other," he commented with a sarcastic edge in his voice, and Yukari laughed at his words whereas Amano chuckled silently.
Van just smiled slightly, making the coin dance between his fingers absentmindedly, desperately looking for something to think about to keep Hitomi's smiling face out of his mind, remembering that he had lost her, forever.
Well, at least they could still be friends, right? He held to that belief, thanking the gods for not having allowed himself to go into that church and try to stop the perfect wedding with stupid words of love that she wouldn't even appreciate. He would've ruined her special day, but luckily he had restrained himself and resigned to stay a friend.
Now he just had to be strong to put a smile on his lips when he saw her and try to sound sincere in his congratulations. So much like Hitomi, writing last minute to announce the most shocking event he could think of with less than ten words!
"Hey Van, guess what? I'm going to marry! Surprised?"
Surprised? Heck, if he multiplied the meaning of the word a few thousand times, even so, he wouldn't come close to what he had felt then. Shocked. Shattered. Even more words to describe his feelings but he doubted that Hitomi knew about the battle she caused within him. She didn't know about the way she had made him feel whenever she had smiled at him, whenever she had laughed with him, hugged him, kissed him on the cheek... dammit, even when she had brushed a strand of light brown hair out of her face!
But it was too late now. Even if he told her now, it wouldn't make any difference. She belonged to someone else. What use was it to think about times that would never come, chances he couldn't take anymore? He should forget his feelings and the best way to do so was to simply ignore them, ignore the nagging pain which was tearing him apart.
The light clicking of high heels on wooden floor reached him faintly when Millerna approached, the upper part of her body embraced by fine violet fabric and a black skirt hiding only less than a half of her long legs, even though it was chilly outside. A golden medallion dangling from a fragile chain was swinging lightly with her movements; adorning her long neck, the piece of jewellery was envied by almost every man for its exquisite and privileged position. A bright smile was plastered across her beautiful face, revealing her perfectly white teeth.
"Hey, guys," she greeted cheerfully and looked around, frowning when she spotted Van lounging on the couch while he still twirled the coin between his fingers, obviously brooding over something. Tossing her shining blond hair over her shoulder, she asked, "Van? Aren't you supposed to be at Hitomi's wedding?"
The young man groaned inwardly, sinking farther into the softness of the couch. So much to forgetting about it all. Was it written on his forehead or what? 'Needs to be reminded of his lack of expressing feelings. Thank you.' Why were his friends so damn curious? Couldn't they just leave him alone? But no, poking in the wound was so much more fun.
"He doesn't know it himself," Yukari replied with a shrug, seeing that the black-haired man wouldn't answer, and then leaned against her boyfriend, who immediately tightened the embrace around her waist, grinning. "He says that it wouldn't have been right for they haven't seen each other for two years."
Yeah, and because I would have made a mistake I would have regretted for the rest of my life, Van added bitterly, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. None of his friends knew about his feelings for Hitomi, his feelings for a now married woman. What would they say? Probably call him foolish. At least, that was what he thought of it. Or better to say... he wanted to think so, but somehow it was impossible. He wasn't able to lie to himself.
"You don't need to say it," Yukari said then, raising her arm when Millerna was about to open her mouth, delicate brows knitted in confusion. "We all think that this is no excuse, but... what can we do? It's Van after all! There is no explanation for his behaviour!" she snorted, her expression quickly turning into a grinning one. "But now tell me, what about the silly grin on your face?"
And as if on signal, a wonderful blush found its way on Millerna's cheeks, glowing like a rose petal on white tiled ground. "Well..." she stammered and Dryden who was still standing behind the counter and had watched her intensely rolled his green eyes, earning a sympathetic look from Yukari. "Derek said that there was the possibility for me to get a role..."
"Oh, come on, Millerna!" Dryden exclaimed, putting the glasses he had been holding, violently onto the tray and their clinking filled the air. "It's only a soap opera and I doubt that your beloved Derek has any influence! He's just an actor!"
"How do you know?" Millerna asked sharply, glaring at him out of the corner of her eyes and crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You shouldn't speak about something you don't know and, even if, it's my problem, not yours! And now, I'd like to have my cappuccino if you aren't too busy with poking your nose into businesses that aren't of your interest!"
A light smile tugged at the corners of Dryden's lips but it wasn't his usual mocking smile he usually gave his friends, together with one of his famous sarcastic remarks; this one was sad.
"Of course," he replied flatly, directing his eyes to the counter, not wanting Millerna to see the hurt in his eyes.
The pale blond woman snorted and turned to look at her friends only to have her brows rise questioningly, as Yukari and Amano were watching her with reproachful looks.
"What?" she barked, slightly annoyed.
"Don't you think that it was a little bit too harsh?" the red haired girl asked warily, knowing that dealing with Millerna's temper was like treading on thin ice. Very thin ice with quite some cracks.
"No!" the violet-eyed woman replied grumpily, falling onto the couch which groaned quietly in protest. "It was my right for it was absolutely none of his business! What is he doing here anyway?"
"Mr. Moleman caught a cold and Dryden didn't find a temporary worker within this short time," Amano answered with a shrug, resting his head on Yukari's shoulder. "So, he had to do it himself. You see, even the boss isn't safe from washing the dishes in his own café."
The couple chuckled but Millerna just leaned back against the couch with a sigh, absently smoothing her skirt.
"Now, what about the role?" Yukari asked curiously and leaned a bit closer to Millerna, her brown eyes sparkling intensely. The question had the same effect on Millerna like cookies had on little children. She looked up, her eyes shining and a happy grin on her face. Yukari knew quite well what she had let herself in. Once Millerna had someone's blessings to talk about her profession – though she didn't need any blessings at all – not even a sale with 50% price cut at her favourite boutique was able to stop her.
Millerna was talking nineteen to the dozen, Yukari listening interestingly, adding a giggle or a comment every now and then. Sometime between "And guess what he said then!" and "I thought I was dreaming!" Dryden joined them, placing the ordered cappuccino onto the sturdy wooden table. Fine clouds of hot steam rose from the white ceramics cup, fading slowly after curling and changing shapes for a few seconds; a thin trail of brown liquid was crawling down the smooth surface of the mug where Dryden had spilled a bit.
He sat back in a soft easy chair across the table, Millerna's voice a continuous noise in his ears. Glancing up, he saw Amano almost sitting between the two chatting friends, patiently bearing the conversation and looking at him with this 'Women!' look. The two girls weren't talking as if they were sitting right beside each other, but as if some huge canyon was between them so that they had to yell across it. Dryden grinned, wondering why they weren't already deaf – or maybe they were and that's why they had to yell at each other? - and turned to look at Van.
The young man was still sitting on his couch, his eyes focused on a spot somewhere in another dimension, racking his brains about who knew what. But Dryden was used to that. He had known Van for quite some time and the auburn-eyed lad had often been like that, quiet and just listening, smiling silently to himself. Of course, he could laugh and joke but it had taken a long time until he had finally accepted that these horribly annoying people around him truly liked him and that he could trust them. And though Dryden was convinced that he knew Van quite well, he couldn't explain why he wasn't at the wedding.
A cold autumn breeze suddenly crept into the café when the door was opened, causing goose bumps on the skin of the people who sat near the entrance, their jackets hanging lazily over the backrest of the chairs. Voices died down and fabric rustled, people turning around on their seats to look at the person who had entered the café. It was silent for a brief moment, the only sounds those of the calm music filling the café, mixed with the noises from the traffic outside.
"Oh my god..." Yukari uttered with her eyes round as saucers, waking Van from his daze.
His breath was caught in his throat and his auburn eyes widened to the limit when he looked up, his mouth slowly opening.
There, half leaning on the doorframe, stood a young woman. Her once carefully arranged hair was dishevelled, honey-blond tresses hanging into her face, cheeks flushed. She was breathing quickly as if she had run for quite some time while her bright green eyes flickered restlessly around, obviously searching for something.
But what had made everyone stop talking or even breathing wasn't her sudden appearance – it was her outer appearance. Her bridal dress was glowing a blinding white, the pearls adorning the fabric sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight, thin sunbeams that had fought their way through a few fragile clouds and the sparse foliage of the trees at the street, almost all their leaves already covering the sidewalks.
"Hitomi!" Van broke the silence, the coin slipping through his fingers and hitting the floor with a light clinking noise.
[#########]
Tbc..
Dee: Well then, we hope you liked it so far!! Did cost us quite some nerve *remembers a certain girl nearly freakin out because of the priest's words*
Ryuu: *sweatdrops* aye, certainly... so if ye don't like them... DON'T TELL ME!!! *grumbles* ah eh ^^U all right... so... review? PLEEEEAAASEEE????
Dee: And we try to find some time between all the homework and college stress to update...see you next chapter!!! *waves like mad*
Ryuu: aye aye!!! *waves an' hugs Dee* hope to read yer opinions 'bout it!!! Count on them te keep us alive through school an' college *sweatdrops*
Both: Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee