Can you believe I forgot to post this chapter ? I can't. But I did... It was supposed to be the chapter 6 by the way. I still can't believe I forgot this chapter.
Exploring.
Van was bored, there was no other way to say it. The reconstruction of Fanelia was underway, and he was still helping, but his presence was less needed theses days. Now that a good portion of the people had return he was more needed by assuming his role as a leader. Which mean playing the dragon game of politic.
His country need it, his people need it. He could also live two lifetimes without it. It was a necessary evil, so he bear with it. It gave him the opportunity to relativise his situation. He count himself lucky somehow, and in a way he was. The war had claimed millions of lives, and destroyed so much.
Freid was in ruins, the two mains cities reduced to rubbles. The Duc was dead, and his son even if brave was still a child. At least half of the monks were dead, and the populace also had to go through the Zaibach occupation. Fortunately the country was old, and not facing its first crisis. As such there were plans, and methods already settle to put the duchy back on it's feet. Asturia suffered some damages in the countryside, like the fort of Allen garnison. The main damages were to the capital, Palas, but it was repaired quickly. The most Asturia lost to the war was the lives of it's soldiers. King Aston was sick and both of his daughters were assuring the regency. Ironically enough the two princess were better rulers than their corrupted father. Cesario, Basram and Daedalus hadn't been touched like the others. A few settlements on theirs borders at most. Their real loss was during the final battle with the thousands soldiers who died in the fighting.
As for Zaibach, if the country was essentially undamaged, the conditions there had always been harsh to begin with. Countless soldiers died during the war as a whole, the Dragon Slayers unit was only a speck of the lives reaped. The capital only damages were to the palace, and the disappearance of the sorcerers was only a good thing for the world. As the instigators of the war, and the ultimates losers their situation was dire. No royal family left, no leader to take the mantle, debts upon debts to pay to their victims, plus the naturals hardships of their country… Their only option left was trading their medical technologie to eventually get their head out of the water. Which will take decades to produce any results.
Fanelia capital was destroyed along with the army, but the countryside was left rather untouched. It will take years still, but the kingdom will rise again faster than expected thanks to the alliance between Asturia, Freid, and the merchant Dryden Fassa. That and the reputation gained by Van during the war was a sure way to seal some advantageous deals with others countries.
At the moment half of the city had been restored, the people who haven't got their home done yet were housed in the surrounding villages. A good part of the castle was also restored, it was useful to store a lot of the materials. A part of the folks were working on the buildings while the other was working with fervor in the fields to prepare for the next winter. As for Van himself he was needed to work with some scholars to set the treaties and commercials deals necessary to the rebuilding, and foundings of the kingdom. It was important, and it was what he had been raised to fulfill, but it was dull. After a long day of pouring over piles of documents he was tired, and dreadfully bored. He doesn't have the energy left to train, and missed Hitomi all the more. Merle was a great support, but she was his sister, he would prefer to have his beloved by his side in addition.
It was getting late, and he was getting ready for bed. He hadn't received words from Hitomi for a few day now, it's wasn't unusual per se, but right now she would be the perfect distraction from the dullness. As he lay in bed he thought about her, of how she look gorgeous when she smile. About her curves, and fair skin. He was drifting off when he thought about how he wouldn't mind to explore her skin thoroughly.
The sound of ruffling fabric made him open his eyes suddenly. Had he been asleep? The ceiling wasn't familiar, and sitting up he understood why. He was in Hitomi bedroom. The bed was a twin bed with a light blue comforter. For once he could take a look at her room, it have never happened before. Being in the bedchamber of a woman was rather intimate, specifically his girlfriend. The room was simple but well furnished, the bed in the corner was really comfortable, a desk under the window with a lot of books on it, and a numbers of pictures, portraits of her friends, and family. A wardrobe on the opposite side of the room was currently being ransacked by the object of his affection. He was observing the strange colourful paintings on her walls, the few stuffed toys scattered around the room along a few cushions. The room wasn't large, but it was completely Hitomi's personal space, it was warm, welcoming, and light just like her. He didn't get off the bed since he was in a comfortable position, and like this it was more intimate. That, and the possibility to snuggle in Hitomi's sheets was too tempting, even if it was childish of him.
Hitomi was deep in her wardrobe, tossing pieces of clothing on the carpet behind her. She was wearing a dark blue pair of pants and only a white tank top. Thank to the mirror next to her he got a view of her face, and front. From his position he could see her pouting, he know clothing is important to women, but he didn't know it looked so important for her. Her pants were tight, and were hanging low on her hips accentuating the curve of her rear. Her top had a low neckline, and when she bending he could see the top of her breasts in the reflection of the mirror. He doesn't understand what she was searching for, the night as fallen on her planet , and she don't usually goes out at night. A sweater join a pile on the floor, next to a blouse with a sigh of frustration coming from her lips. He could easily imagine her turning toward him, and asking him for help with whatever was bothering her, and he would in exchange of a kiss. Or several.
While he was distracted Hitomi had thrown down a white neglige, two pairs of pants, a dress, and a focused back on her when he heard her make a victorious sound. He couldn't see what she a had found, but she looked ecstatic her face was illuminated by her smile. Van sit up on the bed, trying to get a better view of what she was doing, or get a glimpse of the item that push her to unchain a pandemonium on her wardrobe. He didn't had the chance to see the item before his eyes were caught by the movements of Hitomi who was stripping down. Her tank top was discarded without a glance from the seer for where it would land, then her pants were sliding down her long smooth legs, revealing her white pair of panties. Van almost swallowed his tongue at the scene in front of him, Hitomi voluptuous rear was swaying in front of him, and thanks to the reflection in the mirror he could see how her movements make her still clothed breast bounce. She looked so happy, and innocent yet the fact remain that she was in her underwear moving almost sinfully in front of her boyfriend.
Van felt his cheeks getting warm, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Hitomi form. He watched mesmerized as her hands reached for the middle of her back. While he was enjoying the view of his beloved seer stripping down a part of his brain took note of how she took of her bra. The quick twist of her finger on the clip was put to memory for future use, he would never admit it, but he had always been curious of how she was putting this thing on after he learned of it's existence. That and he love the idea of completely undressing her with his own hands.
He saw how the straps got suddenly loose on her shoulders, and began to droop. The slight movement made his heart beat faster, making him wish to replace the straps by his lips. He felt his blood rushing to his manhood as the reflection show him how the cups of fabric were now leaving the desirable flesh of his love. How they resume their natural shape, and place, no longer constricted by the silky material of her bra. When he met Hitomi back when they were fifteens she hadn't poses much curves, but now at nearly eighteen years old she had the curves of a full grown woman. As the garment reached the floor he observe her breasts, their fulness make his hands itch to touch them. Her pink colored nipples were proudly standing almost arrogantly, mocking him, and his incapacity to touch them. Still seated on the bed, Van closed his eyes for a second to get his focus on something else. No matter the number of visions showing him Hitomi in the nude it always left him mesmerised, but right now it was a blow to his sanity.
He reopened his eyes with the resolve to keep them on her back, and not the reflection of her front. He couldn't interfere with the vision, and was not by any mean a saint, but he wasn't a pervert! So he kept his eyes on her back.
The expand of her back was a delicious sight on his own. Like the rest of her it was finely muscled, the skin smooth and an image of vitality. Each breath taken by Hitomi was making her whole frame move slightly, a subtle shifting of her back muscle. The curve of her spine was his main point to focus, from the top of her shoulders where her longer bangs were grazing delicately the skin, to the small of her back where her panties were snuggling her hips. He could easily imagine his fingers gliding along her skin from top to bottom, tracing patterns and reading her skin like a map.
Her shoulder blades bore the marks of her bra, and he would gladly offer her a massage to soothe the reddish marks. Just to feel the warm skin under his hands, and hear her breathing deepening at his touch was making him hard. He had to bite back a groan as Hitomi stretched her back, arching her spine and twisting from left to right. It was like watching one of the tribal dances of the wolves men in Luum village back in Arsas during the summer solstice, but this one was far more erotic for Van. His blood was running south, and he had to call on all of his self control to stay sitting on her bed, and not march to her to let his hands ghost all over her back.
His fingertips itch to run along the curve of her spine, playing with speed, and pressure to see her squirm. He know Hitomi is ticklish, he had just need to catch her once to discover this during one of her visits. He remember her pout when she tried to retaliate, and didn't had a reaction from him. Then his eyes got caught on her lower back. Her dimples of Inari* were hypnotising, and he got the weird urge to let his tongue run around and dip in them. Even though he tried Van's gaze keep lowering toward her backside, clad in cotton it was round and had never had the chance to be this near this part of her before. Her garment was creating a small depression in her flesh at the seams, his eyes devouring every millimeter of skin covered or exposed, but then his view got obstructed by red.
Pulled out of his fantasie Van was surprised, and a bit disappointed to realise Hitomi had covered herself. He tried to reason himself it was normal she wasn't going to keep observing her forms in the mirror in her panties just for his pleasure. Hitomi had pulled on a red shirt, too big for her slender frame, yet she let out a satisfied little sigh once it was on her. It was obviously a man shirt, reaching the apex of her thighs. He was rather annoyed to see her wearing someone's shirt, it looked well worn, and he jealously had to think of anyone giving her his shirt for any reasons. Worst was seeing her wear it contently. He looked at her reflection to gauge her expression, he know he was probably jealous for nothing, but he love her so much sometimes it hurt. He was in for a surprise when he saw the front of the shirt in the mirror. He recognise the shirt as one of his, red and loose fitting with a deep V shape for the collar, slightly closed by a white string. How she acquired one of his shirt was a mystery, and this one looked old, the color a bit faded, if he were to wear it now it would probably be too small.
Hitomi turned around, and Van got a wonderful view of her cleavage. The collar was large, but on her it was gaping, and the white string barely close it on her chest. In fact the knot of said string was falling just between her breasts. As she made her way around her room to turn off her lights Van was entranced by her sight. Hitomi was wearing his shirt, late at night, with the more than likely intention to sleep in it, and she wasn't wearing anything else besides a pair of panties. The last light in the room now was her bedside lamp, the dim glow making the scene more intimate compared to the unconscious strip tease he had witness a moment ago. With this softer lightning shadows were dancing over her form, while the leftover light outlining parts of her, like the legs, or her slender arms. As she neared the bed he watched closely how his shirt was looking over her curves.
HIS SHIRT! HIS!
She was practically broadcasting their relationship, and how they belong to each other just by having it in her possession. Wearing it like that was too much for his already overly clouded brain. He could barely focus on how the gaping collar was showing a part of her cleavage, or how with each step the red material would ride up her thighs. He didn't saw how the light caress of the fabric near her groin made her break into goosebumps. How it made her nipples rise, barely showing against the loose linen on her torso.
Van get his bearing back when Hitomi pulled back the covers, and lean forward to lay down in bed. Beside a fantastic view inside her shirt, formerly his, he draw back on the bed to let her get in. It was a bit strange, he saw her move the blankets while he was on them, they passed right through him, but he didn't felt a thing. What he felt though, is his blood singing to him to catch her in his arms and crush her to his chest. To kiss her senseless, and his desire with her, to make her his, and let her use him to her heart's content. As Hitomi turn off the last light, and settle under the covers Van found himself lying down behind her, and curiously under the warmth of her blankets without moving a muscle. He kept his hands to himself, even if she wouldn't feel them anyway, and with his state of excitement maybe it was for the best. He still let out a sound of contentment when Hitomi laid in bed, and the shirt wind up around her waist instead of her hips. Now even if she was covered by the blanket a part of her toned stomach was bared, which was a dream come true for him. Both of them laying in bed, and barely clothed. Really, Hitomi wearing his signature red shirt was a bonus at this point.
He hadn't really felt a purpose to this vision so far, and he had quite the show earlier, but for some reason this vision wasn't over. What was that supposed to mean? As the faint sound of rains was audible outside, Van refocused on the sound his beloved was emitting. Thanks to the vision he was able to see Hitomi back and form, but the rest of the room just disappeared in the darkness of the night. It wasn't much, but enough to see her moving, and reaching for something under her pillow. To get a better view he rested on his elbow, watching as she pulled hand back, a faint glowing escaping from between her fingers. He didn't get a good view of what it was until she open her hand near her lips. If he let out a moan, no one heard it, for what he was witnessing wasn't something he could put words on.
Hitomi hadn't just retrieve one of his shirt, but one of his feathers too. Said feather was still a glowing white, and looked well cared for, for what he could tell. Yet what made Van moaned was not Hitomi little collection, but the fact she was kissing the remainder of his curse with tenderness. He wasn't sure what he should feel, and he didn't get a chance to decipher his feeling furthermore, as Hitomi placed the feather near her chest. Her hand traced the length of it slowly, her breathing changing without reason for Van. Until he noticed he wasn't sure where was her other hand…
It wasn't really far obviously, but it was like lightning on his nerves to realise it was between her legs, giving her skin the same tender stroke she gave his feather. Her breath was getting short, and with each intake of air the exposed skin of her breast would get into the soft contact with his feather, inciting little noises of pleasure from her throat. After a few minutes Hitomi let out a low pitch moan that made every hair of his body stand on end. The sound of pure pleasure coming from her as her fingers were dancing a seemingly well known slow dance was maddening. Her whole body was shivering from her the sensations, as his was tense with need and desire. Watching her seeking a relief he could give her if given the slightest chance was torture. Knowing he was the subject of her fantasy was both flattering, and another kind of torture. He was trapped in a vision, he can't act, only witnessing as her body was calling for him, and his name was falling from her lips with need.
His own body was no stranger to a more manual release, yet watching Hitomi act like that was something else entirely. She was the one he picture for theses moments, but he had never imagine she could be doing the same. The realisation set his mind on fire, the pictures forming in his brain let him with a ragged breath. Fist closed to the point of pain didn't helped him calm, his blood rushing to his cock with a vengeance. The erection he had tried to ignore so far, now impossible to pass over. He faintly called her name, it was too much for him, she was robbing him of his sanity with each second, which could be eternities of their own. In his feverish need to be close to her, he closed the distances remaining between their bodies, pressing his non corporeal form to hers. His pelvis seeking the warmth of her backside, and his arms encircling her frame. His breath was ghosting against her nape, his lips searching desperately the contact of her skin, wishing fervently to be felt. His hands were reaching hers in their pleasuring spots, between her legs, and on her breast. They were almost touching hers, wanting to learn with them as guides the exact motions to bring her pleasure. Aside from the shuddering breaths of the young lovers the only sound was the rain outside who had intensified until it was almost covering the thundering beating of Van heart in his ears.
What must have been a downpour by the sound of it suddenly recede to silence, and Van raise his head from his position to see what it was about. It was with rage he had to see himself back in his room in Fanelia, his body screaming his need, and his breathing ragged. Outside the first rays of sunlight were reaching his balcon. It must have rain during the night, because on said balcony, one of the budding potted plant in his sight, a single drop of water was gliding sinfully down a leave, catching a stray ray of light in itself making it eye catching. At the sight Van could swear he heard Hitomi moan his name in his ear with a new peak of released pleasure. He didn't need to move to know he wouldn't find her by his side under the covers if he was to turn around, and the fact pained him partially. Yet it was also a relief because he really doubt he could have act like a gentlemen if she was in his room right now, it was better for both of them if his more beast like pulsions were to not be raised before a long while. Now that he was wide awake, he clearly need to wash up the remains of his latest dream vision. Before tonight he had thought he was bored, but thanks to Hitomi boredom wasn't something he will not contemplate ever again. He now have more than enough to fill his days, and wandering mind, if not hands.
It was quite the possibility that during Hitomi next stay she will lose some sleep, and it was this pleasant though and a playful smile that Van rise from his bed for a new day of rebuilding his country.
Author note: Done! What do you think?
*If you're wondering what are the dimples of Inari I used it's simple: The two dimples you have in your lower back are called dimples of Venus. Their name is actually sacro-iliaques dimples but are commonly named dimples of Venus.
Now to be more in the universe I let myself theorise that Gaean know theses dimples, but may have another name for them. Since they are named after the roman goddess of love and fertility, and Vision of Escaflowne is an anime where each grand kingdom is a reflection of a historical era and country, and since Fanelia represent feudal Japan, why not use a japanese deity?
Inari is the god of fertility in Japan, to me it was logical for fanelians to use his name. (I know Inari can change sex too.) I suppose each kingdom could use a deity for the name, but the fact is it's still the same thing. We know little about the beliefs in the serie, so I used what I can. It's nothing much, but it really satisfying to play with.