Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Escaflowne: All you need is Love, Isn't it?
Chapter 7: Concern for a Friend
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On the landing at the roof of the castle, night time
Hitomi stood near the edge in a nightgown and robe given to her by a maid who had been instructed to acquire some clothes for her in the city. Looking out over the capital and the star-filled sky, she felt a slight chill and shivered. Suddenly, she felt a pair of strong arms encircle her from behind. She knew instantly who was holding her and she leaned back into his embrace resting her head on his chest, letting out a faint sigh of contentment.
"It's getting cold, Hitomi. You should probably go to your room." The king suggested.
"I will, in a minute, Van." She whispered. "I just wanted to enjoy the night sky. It's so much prettier here in Gaea than it is on Earth."
Van tightened his hold on her slightly as they slipped into comfortable silence. After a few minutes, Van asked, "So are you ready to tell me what you saw in your vision?"
Hitomi sighed. 'I was hoping he would have forgotten about that.' She raised her hands and placed them over his arms, ensuring he would not remove them from their current position. "I… I saw us sailing to Asturia, and meeting Princess Millerna and Allen along with his sister, Celena. We have a good trip and all, but when the moon hangs low in the sky, we set sail back for Fanelia …" She drew a deep breath and continued, "and four days later we'll be caught in a terrible storm. You'll be fighting to keep the ship afloat. Merle will run out onto the deck afraid for your safety."
"Merle?"
"Yes." She squeezed her eyes shut and relived the vision. "When she runs to you, she's swept overboard by a wave that nearly tips the ship over. You try to save her, but it's too late. She's gone." Hitomi tightened her hold on his arms. "She's dead."
They fell into silence once again.
Finally Van said, "Well then, I just won't allow her to go with us to Asturia, that's all."
"Easier said than done." The teenage girl replied.
"Huh?" He tilted his head to the side to see her expression.
She turned her head slightly to give him a clear look. "You know Merle. How often does she leave your side for more than a few hours at a time? There's no way you're going to be able to talk her to staying. Even if you try to force her to stay, she'll find a way to sneak onto the ship." She turned around in his arms and looked up into his eyes. "She loves you, Van. She'll do almost anything to stay by your side."
Van gave her a sad smile. "You do know how I feel about you, don't you, Hitomi?" He held her tight.
Hitomi laid her check against his chest. "I know, Van. I feel the same way." She said as her hands ran over his strong, lean back. "So what do we do about Merle?"
Van's eyes went wide. "What do you mean?"
"About my vision, of course. I don't want anything bad to happen to her and I especially don't want her to die." She replied with her cheek still pressed against the king's chest.
Van's face reddened for a moment as he slowly exhaled. Noticing the sudden change in his respiration, the brown-haired girl lifted her head and looked up at him. "What did you think I meant?"
Looking off in the distance, Van replied, "I… I don't know."
Not sure whether to believe him or not, Hitomi chose not to press the issue. 'What's important is finding a way to keep Merle safe.' Resting her cheek back on Van's chest, she uttered, "Maybe if we don't leave Asturia while the moon hangs low in the sky. If we stay just a few extra days, it should be enough for the storm to pass."
"An excellent idea." Van replied, running his hands up and down her back. "That's just what we'll do."
The young teen smiled and nuzzled in his chest more closely. They stayed like this for a few moments until another shiver went up her spine.
"It's getting late and cold. Let me walk you to your room." The king voiced.
The girl nodded and pulled away from him but took hold of his hand as they went towards the stairs.
All the way from the roof to her chambers, the two kept exchanging glances without uttering a word. They were content simply to be in each other's presence and didn't want words or sound for that matter to shatter the spell that seemed to captivate them both. When they reached the chamber door, Van took the girl's other hand causing her to face him.
"I have to see to the arrangements for our voyage tomorrow morning, but perhaps we can have our mid-day meal together?" He proposed.
"I'd like that." She smiled.
"Good. I'll have a carriage ready to bring you to docks at noon." He smiled as he gently raised a hand to caress her cheek. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his hand on her skin; smiling unconsciously at his warm, gentle touch.
"Goodnight, Hitomi."
Slowly, she opened her eyes to see a sweet gentle expression on his face. A look she never saw from him before. 'I never knew he was capable of such kindness.'
"Goodnight, Van." She whispered, feeling a sense of loss as his hand retreated to his side. And just like that the moment was over. He turned and walked away without another word. She turned and opened the door to her room, entering slowly. Once inside, she pressed her back to the door to close it as she relived the last twenty minutes with Van. She hugged herself tightly, imagining her arms were Van's as she closed her eyes and remembered his touch, his smell, his smile.
AN: Let me start by saying I'm sorry I didn't post this over the weekend as I promised. But hopefully Monday is not too late. ^_^ Again, thanks for the wonderful reviews. I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this. I know I'm really enjoyed writing it.
7/5/2013:
A few more changes in this chapter. A little clean up, but I also changed the wording some. I tried to remove any hint of formality between Van and Hitomi at this point. Here they are still very familiar with each other, as they were in the series and act as such; though the growing sense of romance does run through their words and actions.
