Warning: yes, you could consider this lime, but I guess you should know me by now… ^_^
Windflowers...
By: Koneko Kamiya =^.^=
Chapter 6: Thunder and Periwinkles
Hitomi slid off Van's lap and stared at his face... his eyes were closed, and he was breathing heavily through his slightly parted lips. She subconsciously licked her own lips, the afternoon breeze feeling icy cold in contrast with how hot Van's mouth had been.
She wanted to taste him again, so she leaned forward but he pulled back grinning. A childish pout decorated her adult features as he stood up and stretched. He then turned round to face her once more and pulled her off the ground and into his arms... Hitomi eeped in surprise and threw her arms round his neck, holding on tight...
"What? Are you afraid I'll drop you?" Van asked with a smirk.
Hitomi shook her head but her arms refused to budge from his neck as he started walking in the direction of the palace, eyeing the darkening sky.
Dark clouds were chasing each other in the sky, pulled into that endless dance by the strong winds that had suddenly risen. Hitomi watched the light and shadow play on Van's features as the sun hid behind the clouds, only to appear again when a stronger gust of wind blew from the far away ocean...
If Hitomi strained her senses she could smell the distinct scent of coming rain... the scent that foreshadowed the coming of a storm. Her hair was whipping wildly behind her as she snuggled closer to Van's warm skin, listening to the comforting sound of his steady heartbeat...
The first drops of rain hit them as the emerged from the orchard and walked into the open grass... the meadow looked like the sea, as the silver stalks of the tall grasses rippled like waves during a tempest... the last, brave blossoms from the flowering trees flew towards them, finally drowning into that wild ocean...
"Van, wait!"
Van was surprised as he felt Hitomi struggle in his arms so he gently placed her on her feet... and stared after her when he saw her run back towards the trees throwing "I'll be back in a minute" over her bare shoulder... he stood there motionless as the wind whipped cruelly around him, finally sighing and running after his bride-to-be...
Hitomi held up her long gown as she ran towards the ancient apple tree, her bare feet treading softly against the damp ground... feeling the warm earth through her toes she hiked her silken skirts higher above her ankles...
When she reached the ancient tree she rested her palms against the surface of the rough bark on the tree trunk for a moment... regaining her breath, she bent down and her eyes scanned the ground around the twisted roots... and amidst the fallen petals she spotted the ivory ornament she had dropped... her hand reached for the comb, her fingers tracing the complicate floral design engraved on it's surface...
She was about to walk away when her gaze casually fell onto a delicate garland... the garland Van had made for her. Her hand flew to her head as she realized the obvious, it had slid off her hair as she and Van had kissed... tucking the comb in her hair she picked the flowers up and touched them lovingly... the blue periwinkles only slightly rumpled by the wind and rain... she brought the flowers to her lips and placed a light kiss on the silky azure petals...
She nearly dropped them as she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist and kisses as delicate as the sun's rays trail from her ear to her shoulders...
"I'd prefer you'd kiss me, Hitomi..." Van whispered huskily...
She turned round and pressed her lips to his and after agonizingly slow moments she deepened their kiss.
And the rain started pouring down around them...
Heavy drops fell from the heavens, shimmering as they flew through the cool spring air, catching the sun's last light before the luminous orb finally disappeared behind the ashen clouds... the deafening sound of the falling rain drowned the cheerful flowing of the creek, the rain drops disrupting the surface of the water...
They attacked the defenseless blossoms and tore them from the shaking branches, causing them to crash to the ground, tingeing it white...
Van finally pulled back drawing in the much needed air... but each breath reminded him of how close Hitomi's lips were to his own... and it took him all his willpower not to lean forwards and taste her...
Her wet hair was darker than normal, the silky strands matted to her damp forehead... rain drops trickling down her cheeks to her jawbone and down her neck, like crystal spheres crawling slowly towards the ground... her smile was as radiant as ever as the rain drops rested calmly on her slightly parted lips, her green eyes hidden by her bangs...
Van reached up and brushed her hair away from her eyes and then dropped his hand to hold hers, his fingers interlacing with her paler ones, giving security and warmth... he tugged gently and, with a smile, he pulled her into a run towards the castle's white walls...
They had not noticed the wide dark eyes, that peered sadly at them through the wet leaves of the garden's bushes... and the choked sobs that followed.
~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~
A rosy blush colored Van's cheeks as he slowly undid the golden sash that held Hitomi's kimono shut, his fingers trembling as he untied the loose bow, the wet silk feeling heavy in his hands...
The sash fell to the cold stone floor, but the wet fabric of Hitomi's dress clung to her curves tenaciously. She shivered despite the hot steam that was rising from the scented water of the bath, the only sounds echoing through the large room were the monotonous dripping of the water from the faucet and the pelting of the rain at the windows...
Van peeled the mauve silk from Hitomi's body and shrugged his own garments off... he heard Hitomi hiss in pain as she dipped her small feet into the hot water and slowly sat into the bath, her skin flushed. He entered the water and groaned at the sudden change in temperature, he felt his skin tingle as the cold left his body being replaced by sudden, painful warmth...
Adjusting to the temperature of the water he leaned back and wrapped an arm round Hitomi's waist as she rested against his chest... but her hair was drenched with the cold rain and the drops that fell on his neck felt like ice to his flushed skin... he sighed loudly and then cupped his hands together gathering some of the hot water and poured it over her head, earning a shrill shriek of surprise from Hitomi...
She frowned and splashed him... then giggled as he shielded his eyes from the scalding droplets...
"Why you..."
Van retaliated quickly with a smile, squirting some water towards her which she dodged smirking... soon they were locked in a water fight, their laughter ringing in the air...
Until Hitomi found herself straddling him, her arms interlaced round his neck and her lips crushed against his... Van's fingers urging her closer, craving for the feeling of her hot skin pressed against his own... soon enough, the heat of the water was forgotten in favor of the mutual passion they shared...
Outside the steamy glass of the windows, the rain fell harder... trickling down the stone walls, washing away the warmth of the sunlight. The sky darkened further, thunder echoing through the lush forests and the rural towns of Fanelia...
~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~
The royal bedroom was dark, the flicker of the candles weak against the blackness of the night...
"Do you miss them?"
Hitomi answered with something that could have been anything between a "huh?" and a groan...
"Your family, I mean..."
Van tightened his hold on Hitomi as one of his hands tenderly caressed her damp hair... but his movements conveyed the fear he felt. If her answer was positive, he would never be able to get rid of the nagging voice of his conscience...
"No." After endless moments her voice rang clear through the room...
"No?" Van released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding...
"No... I am no longer part of that family." Hitomi stared at the dark sky, searching for the twin moons, with a wistful smile...
"Is it because you feel compelled to stay here?"
Hitomi shook her head sadly, her hair rustling against the smooth pillow as she turned to face her lover, nuzzling his neck...
"They disowned me... because I refused, I refused to get rid of Ran"
Van's eyes went wide in shock and his arms let go of her waist, but Hitomi grabbed them and forced him to hold her, snuggling closer to his body...
"They wanted me to kill her before she was even born, Van. They didn't understand what she meant to me... everybody thought I was delusional at the time. To justify my absence I decided to tell my mother about what happened.... Gaea, grandma, Atlantis and all the rest. She didn't believe me, she thought I had gone mad or something... They gave me counseling to 'get rid of that bad experience, honey'..." Hitomi snorted, as Van just registered her words...
"Of course it didn't work. Then I found out I was pregnant... Dad threw a fit and decided that if I didn't get rid of the baby he'd kick me out of the house... but when I told my family it was already too late, thank God... So they decided I would give birth to the baby and then let him be adopted by some other family... Ran was born in May and I steadfastly refused to let them take her away from my sight... In the end, father did throw me out of the house... 'dishonoring the family' he said... At first I stayed at Yukari's house, you know... the red headed girl?" Van nodded and Hitomi continued
"But she grew tired of being associated with the 'weird teenage-mother'. Of course, she didn't tell me that but it became obvious after a while... I found a job and a place of my own... it was difficult, I didn't even have a High School diploma, but a kind old lady let me stay at her house if I did the chores and took care of her... Ran calls, called her, Granny... she doesn't know anything of what happened before... and I pray she never does know..."
"I haven't seen my family since, but twice a year... on my birthday and on Ran's... we get, got, presents. From my brother"
Hitomi smiled through the tears that had silently began to fall down her cheeks and onto Van's chest... The room was silent, the loud rumble of thunder the only sound that could be heard... after a while Van managed to croak out the pain he felt in his soul...
"It's all my fault, I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have forced you to..."
Hitomi cut him off before he could finish his sentence, placing a delicate finger on his lips...
"Shh... you didn't force me to do anything, love. We decided together didn't we? It's not your fault, please don't blame yourself... if you want to blame someone blame your future in-laws..." she said with a painful smile.
"But you had to... they wanted to..."
Hitomi wrapped her arms tighter round his warm body, burying her face in his shoulder where he wouldn't see her tears... but he felt them, trickling down his back and soaking both the pillow and the black, silk robe he was wearing... Not knowing what to say Van just held her close as she cried silently...
Lightening struck the ground not far away from the castle, and for a brief moment it lit up the sky... Van managed to notice the door opening and a small figure entering the room before thunder crashed, the windowpanes rattled loudly and the figure shrieked in panic...
"Ran?" Van sat up slowly, carefully disentangling Hitomi sleeping arms from his neck... she promptly sighed and rolled closer...
"Papa I'm scared" came a tiny voice from the darkness...
Van smiled lightly as the room was lit once more by the bright light in the distance...
"Can I sleep with you and mama tonight?" said Ran as she pulled herself up on the large bed... Van anticipated her and picked her up, cradling her to his chest...
Thunder boomed loudly and Ran cried out again, her lithe frame trembling uncontrollably...
"Of course, honey..." he laid her on the bed between himself and Hitomi... Hitomi sleepily hugged the little girl and murmured soothing words in her ear and Ran visibly relaxed...
"Sorry, papa... I've lost my teddy bear and I was lonely..." Ran said guiltily, her words muddled as she suppressed a yawn...
Van smiled again, a broad fatherly smile...
"We'll look for your teddy tomorrow ok?"
Ran nodded and in seconds her body relaxed against her mother's, her breaths regular and a smile lingered on her innocent features... Van wrapped his arms round both his lover and his daughter, content to be able to protect them this way... the pangs of guilt gradually subsided as he fell into a dreamless sleep...
to be continued...
::brushes her teeth:: I'm getting cavities... most of the stuff in this chapter was sweet, plot-less, FLUFF!
::sigh:: ...I'm trying to get these chapters out of the way ASAP... I'm looking forward to writing the more interesting chapters ahead... ::broad smile:: but I hope you enjoyed the mindless fluff anyway... ^_^
next chapter out ASAP (got tired of writing next week... I'm never able to use that as a deadline anyway... ::sweatdrop::)
Disclaimer: Escaflowne does not belong to me... Ran, Tareel and Burnel (there will be more, trust me... ^_^) do though... so does the plot...
please review!!! (they do make me type faster... ^_^)
luv Koneko-chan
P.S.
yes, I think I was too mean to poor Hitomi too, but I'm the author and I can do that... ^o^
Windflowers...
By: Koneko Kamiya =^.^=
Chapter 6: Thunder and Periwinkles
Hitomi slid off Van's lap and stared at his face... his eyes were closed, and he was breathing heavily through his slightly parted lips. She subconsciously licked her own lips, the afternoon breeze feeling icy cold in contrast with how hot Van's mouth had been.
She wanted to taste him again, so she leaned forward but he pulled back grinning. A childish pout decorated her adult features as he stood up and stretched. He then turned round to face her once more and pulled her off the ground and into his arms... Hitomi eeped in surprise and threw her arms round his neck, holding on tight...
"What? Are you afraid I'll drop you?" Van asked with a smirk.
Hitomi shook her head but her arms refused to budge from his neck as he started walking in the direction of the palace, eyeing the darkening sky.
Dark clouds were chasing each other in the sky, pulled into that endless dance by the strong winds that had suddenly risen. Hitomi watched the light and shadow play on Van's features as the sun hid behind the clouds, only to appear again when a stronger gust of wind blew from the far away ocean...
If Hitomi strained her senses she could smell the distinct scent of coming rain... the scent that foreshadowed the coming of a storm. Her hair was whipping wildly behind her as she snuggled closer to Van's warm skin, listening to the comforting sound of his steady heartbeat...
The first drops of rain hit them as the emerged from the orchard and walked into the open grass... the meadow looked like the sea, as the silver stalks of the tall grasses rippled like waves during a tempest... the last, brave blossoms from the flowering trees flew towards them, finally drowning into that wild ocean...
"Van, wait!"
Van was surprised as he felt Hitomi struggle in his arms so he gently placed her on her feet... and stared after her when he saw her run back towards the trees throwing "I'll be back in a minute" over her bare shoulder... he stood there motionless as the wind whipped cruelly around him, finally sighing and running after his bride-to-be...
Hitomi held up her long gown as she ran towards the ancient apple tree, her bare feet treading softly against the damp ground... feeling the warm earth through her toes she hiked her silken skirts higher above her ankles...
When she reached the ancient tree she rested her palms against the surface of the rough bark on the tree trunk for a moment... regaining her breath, she bent down and her eyes scanned the ground around the twisted roots... and amidst the fallen petals she spotted the ivory ornament she had dropped... her hand reached for the comb, her fingers tracing the complicate floral design engraved on it's surface...
She was about to walk away when her gaze casually fell onto a delicate garland... the garland Van had made for her. Her hand flew to her head as she realized the obvious, it had slid off her hair as she and Van had kissed... tucking the comb in her hair she picked the flowers up and touched them lovingly... the blue periwinkles only slightly rumpled by the wind and rain... she brought the flowers to her lips and placed a light kiss on the silky azure petals...
She nearly dropped them as she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist and kisses as delicate as the sun's rays trail from her ear to her shoulders...
"I'd prefer you'd kiss me, Hitomi..." Van whispered huskily...
She turned round and pressed her lips to his and after agonizingly slow moments she deepened their kiss.
And the rain started pouring down around them...
Heavy drops fell from the heavens, shimmering as they flew through the cool spring air, catching the sun's last light before the luminous orb finally disappeared behind the ashen clouds... the deafening sound of the falling rain drowned the cheerful flowing of the creek, the rain drops disrupting the surface of the water...
They attacked the defenseless blossoms and tore them from the shaking branches, causing them to crash to the ground, tingeing it white...
Van finally pulled back drawing in the much needed air... but each breath reminded him of how close Hitomi's lips were to his own... and it took him all his willpower not to lean forwards and taste her...
Her wet hair was darker than normal, the silky strands matted to her damp forehead... rain drops trickling down her cheeks to her jawbone and down her neck, like crystal spheres crawling slowly towards the ground... her smile was as radiant as ever as the rain drops rested calmly on her slightly parted lips, her green eyes hidden by her bangs...
Van reached up and brushed her hair away from her eyes and then dropped his hand to hold hers, his fingers interlacing with her paler ones, giving security and warmth... he tugged gently and, with a smile, he pulled her into a run towards the castle's white walls...
They had not noticed the wide dark eyes, that peered sadly at them through the wet leaves of the garden's bushes... and the choked sobs that followed.
~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~
A rosy blush colored Van's cheeks as he slowly undid the golden sash that held Hitomi's kimono shut, his fingers trembling as he untied the loose bow, the wet silk feeling heavy in his hands...
The sash fell to the cold stone floor, but the wet fabric of Hitomi's dress clung to her curves tenaciously. She shivered despite the hot steam that was rising from the scented water of the bath, the only sounds echoing through the large room were the monotonous dripping of the water from the faucet and the pelting of the rain at the windows...
Van peeled the mauve silk from Hitomi's body and shrugged his own garments off... he heard Hitomi hiss in pain as she dipped her small feet into the hot water and slowly sat into the bath, her skin flushed. He entered the water and groaned at the sudden change in temperature, he felt his skin tingle as the cold left his body being replaced by sudden, painful warmth...
Adjusting to the temperature of the water he leaned back and wrapped an arm round Hitomi's waist as she rested against his chest... but her hair was drenched with the cold rain and the drops that fell on his neck felt like ice to his flushed skin... he sighed loudly and then cupped his hands together gathering some of the hot water and poured it over her head, earning a shrill shriek of surprise from Hitomi...
She frowned and splashed him... then giggled as he shielded his eyes from the scalding droplets...
"Why you..."
Van retaliated quickly with a smile, squirting some water towards her which she dodged smirking... soon they were locked in a water fight, their laughter ringing in the air...
Until Hitomi found herself straddling him, her arms interlaced round his neck and her lips crushed against his... Van's fingers urging her closer, craving for the feeling of her hot skin pressed against his own... soon enough, the heat of the water was forgotten in favor of the mutual passion they shared...
Outside the steamy glass of the windows, the rain fell harder... trickling down the stone walls, washing away the warmth of the sunlight. The sky darkened further, thunder echoing through the lush forests and the rural towns of Fanelia...
~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~
The royal bedroom was dark, the flicker of the candles weak against the blackness of the night...
"Do you miss them?"
Hitomi answered with something that could have been anything between a "huh?" and a groan...
"Your family, I mean..."
Van tightened his hold on Hitomi as one of his hands tenderly caressed her damp hair... but his movements conveyed the fear he felt. If her answer was positive, he would never be able to get rid of the nagging voice of his conscience...
"No." After endless moments her voice rang clear through the room...
"No?" Van released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding...
"No... I am no longer part of that family." Hitomi stared at the dark sky, searching for the twin moons, with a wistful smile...
"Is it because you feel compelled to stay here?"
Hitomi shook her head sadly, her hair rustling against the smooth pillow as she turned to face her lover, nuzzling his neck...
"They disowned me... because I refused, I refused to get rid of Ran"
Van's eyes went wide in shock and his arms let go of her waist, but Hitomi grabbed them and forced him to hold her, snuggling closer to his body...
"They wanted me to kill her before she was even born, Van. They didn't understand what she meant to me... everybody thought I was delusional at the time. To justify my absence I decided to tell my mother about what happened.... Gaea, grandma, Atlantis and all the rest. She didn't believe me, she thought I had gone mad or something... They gave me counseling to 'get rid of that bad experience, honey'..." Hitomi snorted, as Van just registered her words...
"Of course it didn't work. Then I found out I was pregnant... Dad threw a fit and decided that if I didn't get rid of the baby he'd kick me out of the house... but when I told my family it was already too late, thank God... So they decided I would give birth to the baby and then let him be adopted by some other family... Ran was born in May and I steadfastly refused to let them take her away from my sight... In the end, father did throw me out of the house... 'dishonoring the family' he said... At first I stayed at Yukari's house, you know... the red headed girl?" Van nodded and Hitomi continued
"But she grew tired of being associated with the 'weird teenage-mother'. Of course, she didn't tell me that but it became obvious after a while... I found a job and a place of my own... it was difficult, I didn't even have a High School diploma, but a kind old lady let me stay at her house if I did the chores and took care of her... Ran calls, called her, Granny... she doesn't know anything of what happened before... and I pray she never does know..."
"I haven't seen my family since, but twice a year... on my birthday and on Ran's... we get, got, presents. From my brother"
Hitomi smiled through the tears that had silently began to fall down her cheeks and onto Van's chest... The room was silent, the loud rumble of thunder the only sound that could be heard... after a while Van managed to croak out the pain he felt in his soul...
"It's all my fault, I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have forced you to..."
Hitomi cut him off before he could finish his sentence, placing a delicate finger on his lips...
"Shh... you didn't force me to do anything, love. We decided together didn't we? It's not your fault, please don't blame yourself... if you want to blame someone blame your future in-laws..." she said with a painful smile.
"But you had to... they wanted to..."
Hitomi wrapped her arms tighter round his warm body, burying her face in his shoulder where he wouldn't see her tears... but he felt them, trickling down his back and soaking both the pillow and the black, silk robe he was wearing... Not knowing what to say Van just held her close as she cried silently...
Lightening struck the ground not far away from the castle, and for a brief moment it lit up the sky... Van managed to notice the door opening and a small figure entering the room before thunder crashed, the windowpanes rattled loudly and the figure shrieked in panic...
"Ran?" Van sat up slowly, carefully disentangling Hitomi sleeping arms from his neck... she promptly sighed and rolled closer...
"Papa I'm scared" came a tiny voice from the darkness...
Van smiled lightly as the room was lit once more by the bright light in the distance...
"Can I sleep with you and mama tonight?" said Ran as she pulled herself up on the large bed... Van anticipated her and picked her up, cradling her to his chest...
Thunder boomed loudly and Ran cried out again, her lithe frame trembling uncontrollably...
"Of course, honey..." he laid her on the bed between himself and Hitomi... Hitomi sleepily hugged the little girl and murmured soothing words in her ear and Ran visibly relaxed...
"Sorry, papa... I've lost my teddy bear and I was lonely..." Ran said guiltily, her words muddled as she suppressed a yawn...
Van smiled again, a broad fatherly smile...
"We'll look for your teddy tomorrow ok?"
Ran nodded and in seconds her body relaxed against her mother's, her breaths regular and a smile lingered on her innocent features... Van wrapped his arms round both his lover and his daughter, content to be able to protect them this way... the pangs of guilt gradually subsided as he fell into a dreamless sleep...
to be continued...
::brushes her teeth:: I'm getting cavities... most of the stuff in this chapter was sweet, plot-less, FLUFF!
::sigh:: ...I'm trying to get these chapters out of the way ASAP... I'm looking forward to writing the more interesting chapters ahead... ::broad smile:: but I hope you enjoyed the mindless fluff anyway... ^_^
next chapter out ASAP (got tired of writing next week... I'm never able to use that as a deadline anyway... ::sweatdrop::)
Disclaimer: Escaflowne does not belong to me... Ran, Tareel and Burnel (there will be more, trust me... ^_^) do though... so does the plot...
please review!!! (they do make me type faster... ^_^)
luv Koneko-chan
P.S.
yes, I think I was too mean to poor Hitomi too, but I'm the author and I can do that... ^o^
