A Curious Consequence

Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne or its fantastic characters. This is only done for fun and the only profit earned is reviews.

Note: This was originally for a five-sentence meme on Tumblr but it got way longer than that so I decided to post it here as a one-shot or maybe even the first chapter of something, who knows? No promises though. Anyway, just a little something set post-series for my little ship, Merlandau. It's such a random pairing that there aren't a lot of fics about them so I'm happy to contribute even a little bit.

(Posting this on a special day for me because I love sharing.)

The first sentence is the prompt provided by konstantya.

Hope you like it!

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She hadn't expected him to open his eyes.

And suddenly, two startlingly red eyes were staring back at her. For several moments, all Merle could do was return the look, and then, remembering where she was and who she was facing, she took a few steps back with the greatest care.

"This is what I get for being a busybody," the cat-girl thought with a sigh, "of all the dumb decisions I've ever made, this has got to take the cake."

But her companion made no move towards her. Instead, he blinked and rubbed his eyes, moving about like someone who had just woken up from a long sleep. Which is essentially what had just happened.

He had been unconscious for months and no one knew exactly when or if he would ever wake up again. All Merle knew was that he had been separated from Celena Schezar after the latter had suffered from the strain of supporting two consciousnesses in one body. They had both survived the procedure somehow but while Celena had emerged alive and well, Dilandau's state had been more uncertain. Allen and the others had decided to keep the sleeping figure in a locked room in the Schezar estate, under constant surveillance, until they could figure out how to deal with him. But as the weeks passed and Dilandau's condition showed no change, security around his room became lax.

Which is why it had been so easy for Merle to sneak in, to satisfy her curiosity about the sleeping soldier.

Now that the war was over and things were finally settling down, Merle had the luxury of excruciatingly dull days. She and Van were Allen's visitors but there was very little for her to do while the men discussed things among themselves. Celena was away visiting Princess Eries so Merle had no one to talk to. And so she was left to wander the grounds and to generally do what she pleased. She had remembered that a certain someone was being kept under guard somewhere in the estate. So, having nothing better to do and a burning curiosity about this strange prisoner, she decided to pay him a visit.

She had entered the room quietly at first, afraid that the slightest noise or movement might wake him. But when the figure didn't stir even as she approached his bedside, Merle grew more daring. She made a game of it and began clearing her throat, calling out his name in a sufficiently loud voice, poking his feet and his chest, and even going so far as to give his shoulders a light shake and then immediately stepping away from him in case he actually woke up. But still, nothing.

Emboldened by all this, Merle walked over and took a better look at his face. He had such a serene expression that she almost didn't recognize him. Not that she had seen much of him during the war, but she knew enough of his character and his history with Van to be surprised by such a sight. He did not seem to have aged much despite the passage of time and Merle was surprised to note that his was still quite a beautiful face. She blushed slightly at the thought and was immensely relieved that no one else was there to witness her embarrassment.

She suddenly remembered a particular encounter between Van and Dilandau, one that had intensified the latter's animosity towards the former. Van had said something about slashing at Dilandau's face and while the wound was not fatal, it left a scar that had deeply injured the soldier's vanity.

It did not take long for Merle to find the scar though it was barely visible on his right cheek. One would only be able to notice it if one already knew it was there.

Inexplicably, she felt compelled to reach out and gently trace the scar with her finger. His skin was smooth to her touch and just as she was admiring this quality, Dilandau opened his eyes.

Merle's first instinct was to flee but just as she turned to do so, she felt him grab her arm.

"Wait," said a voice, hoarse from disuse.

Merle turned to see the silver-haired soldier staring back at her, a confused and almost frightened expression on his face. To her relief, there was no recognition in his eyes, but he was still looking at her in a very disconcerting way. She simply looked back at him and said nothing, unsure of what he wanted from her.

"Don't…," he began hesitantly, "don't ...leave me alone."

Merle's eyes widened with disbelief at this request but she could see that he was being sincere. His grip was firm but not painful. He was no longer the vicious captain of Zaibach who had struck fear in the hearts of many. She was not sure if that part of him was lost forever but she knew that the person she faced now was not that man.

She sensed no immediate danger and she could not find it in herself to refuse such a blatant cry for help. The others would find out eventually, anyway. There was no harm in delaying the news for a little while, she decided.

"And there I thought it was going to be a boring day," the cat-girl mused.