When Van opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar room. At first he thought it a dream, but his pain was all too real. Van had a pang of apprehension, then one thought blocked everything else out.
"Hitomi," he declared sitting up painfully. Van threw back the sheets that were covering him and wobbly got to his feet. He then staggered over to the door, wrenching it open. Using the wall for support, Van began to stumble his way down the corridor.
"Van?"
Van turned to see who had spoken to him. It was a young woman with pale blonde hair and soft violet eyes.
"Who are you? he demanded.
"It's me, Princess Millerna."
"I must have know you. You'll have to excuse me if I don't remember you clearly," Van replied scrupulously. Millerna walked towards him, taking his arm and placing it across her shoulders.
"You probably want to see Hitomi," she said, helping Van down the corridor. Millerna stopped in front of a door and knocked. The door was opened, and Van staggered in. Hitomi was lying on a bed in the far corner of the room. Sitting at her bedside was a man with long blonde hair. The man was holding Hitomi's hand, and raised his blue eyes to see who had entered. Jealousy flared inside of Van when he saw Allen holding Hitomi's hand.
"Van," Allen greeted. "I see that you've finally decided to wake," he said quietly.
"I found him staggering down the corridor Allen," Millerna informed the knight disapprovingly.
"How is she?" Van asked, walking over to Hitomi's bedside. Hitomi's face was ghostly pale and her breathing even, but shallow.
"All we can do is wait now," Millerna said in a sad voice.
"Can I... have a moment alone with her?" Van asked somberly. Allen gently placed Hitomi's hand down and stood up. Millerna nodded and the two exited. Van sat down in the seat Allen had been occupying. He tenderly picked Hitomi's hand up, raising it to his lips. Van gently kissed the back of her hand, then rested it against his cheek.
When half an hour had gone by, and Van had not come out of the room, Allen and Millerna went in to see if something was the matter. A small smile crept across Millerna's face when she entered the room. Allen merely shook his head in amusement. Van had fallen asleep while holding Hitomi's hand. It was a very sweet sight. The upper half of Van's body was propped against the side of the bed, his head resting at Hitomi's shoulder. Van's hand loosely held Hitomi's, their fingers intertwined. Allen started over to get Van, and Millerna stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. She shook her head, tugging him along with her to the door.
********************
Hitomi opened her eyes lazily. She blinked several times to clear her foggy vision. She could feel the wound in her side burning painfully as pain thundered in her skull. She looked cautiously at her surroundings, surveying her quarters. She looked to her right and saw Van asleep there.
"Van," she whispered hoarsely in a stained voice, twitching her fingers. Van groaned and groggily opened his eyes. Hitomi could see a glaze of pain in his eyes. She watched him as he sat up, and understood why. Van's entire chest and torso were covered in bandages. The bandages swathed around his right shoulder and down his arm, which was still in a splint.
"What... happened?"
"I don't know. Apparently, we are under the care of Allen and Millerna," Van responded to Hitomi's question.
"Then we're safe," Hitomi sighed.
"Hitomi... How are you feeling?" Van asked softly. Hitomi grimaced.
"I'll live," she responded. "I guess everything is going to be all right now," Hitomi said wistfully, gazing into Van's eyes. Van's expression softened from one of worry, to one of affection. Hitomi reached her hand up, brushing Van's ebony hair out of his face. Van caressed the side of her face, tracing her jaw line with his thumb before pulling her to him. Hitomi could feel Van's warm breath lingering on her lips as he gazed lovingly into her eyes, drowning in a sea of green. Van slid his hand to the back of Hitomi's neck and closed the gap between their lips. He kissed her softly and tenderly, cherishing this moment. Hitomi closed her eyes in contentment, and this time neither of them passed-out. Van finally pulled away, leaving them both breathless.
"Thank you," he breathed, kissing her lightly on the nose.
"For what?" Hitomi asked bewildered.
"For helping me remember who I really am," Van whispered, before pulling Hitomi into another long, tender kiss.
~ This is the end for this fic, but I have left it open for sequels. Who knows! Maybe one of these days I'll actually get around to writing one!!
~*~ "There is no end, only a new beginning." (I have no idea who said this, but I know it's a quote from somewhere...)