~Perfect Moment~
"Hitomi, wait," Van called to her, "Before you go, I want something from you too."
"What is it Van?" she asked, her back to him.
He took a deep breath and said, "You told me you had been able to move on and I'm glad that you did. I just wanted to know if he—whoever the lucky bastard is—does he make you happy?"
Hitomi noticeably stiffened, and continued with her back to him, remaining silent.
"Hitomi, please, tell me," he said moving towards her, "Did you marry him? Do you have children?" Van swallowed thickly and tried not to think of the possibility of any of those things. "Are you happy?" he repeated the question.
His breathing was becoming more rapid, his voice more pleading, afraid of loosing his nerve to ask the questions he wasn't sure he wanted answered. He was afraid to just let her go and leave him with those doubts.
"Hitomi, answer me," he pleaded at her silence, "You owe me that much."
He placed his hand on her shoulder to which she quickly scooted away from him.
"Why couldn't you just let it go, Van?" she asked more harshly than she intended to. She wrapped her arms around herself and shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
"Hitomi, no matter what you might think, you're still important to me," he informed her, "I want to know that you're going to be all right."
"I'll be fine, Van," she whispered.
"But are you happy?" Van asked again, more softly this time, gently turning her to face him.
Hitomi heaved a defeated sigh and closed her eyes. "I thought I was," she reluctantly answered him, "Happy, I mean."
She opened her beautiful green eyes and Van saw the tears that were threatening to fall.
"I don't have any children," she continued, "And I almost got married."
Van furrowed his brow, confused. "Almost? What happened?" he asked.
Hitomi shrugged, "I left him at the altar."
"You what?" Van asked incredulously.
"I couldn't go through with it" she told him simply, "It wasn't fair to him if we got married. I was a pretty ugly situation. Had I realized what I know now, I could've saved both of us the embarrassment."
She turned her back to Van again, unable to continue while facing him.
"I barely figured it out when I had gotten to the church that day. I took one look inside and I turned around and walked out. I was trying to save his feelings because our relationship was unfair for him."
"Unfair?" Van asked, "How was it unfair just to him and not to you?"
"I was being unfair to him," Hitomi said in a shaky voice.
"I still don't…"
"Isn't it unfair to marry someone when you're still in love with someone else?" she shot back at him, upset, "I couldn't marry him while I'm still in love with you."
Her honesty struck him like lightning.
Had she just said that she loved him?
Van's heart rate quickened and his mind raced to put it all together. All of this time, after all that had happened, after all he had said and done…she loved him. She couldn't bring herself to love another.
Unable to handle this new information in the manner that was to be expected of him, Van quickly whirled Hitomi around to face him and caught her lips with his.
He quickly deepened the kiss, pressing her against him as he felt her arms encircle his neck, letting all fears and pains, his people, his duties, everything that had ever kept him from his true heart dissolve into oblivion.
He coaxed her lips apart with his tongue and she consented, letting him do just as he pleased. He was telling her of his shame for the events of the past, for all the pain he had inflicted upon her, begging for her forgiveness and for her to be with him always.
Hitomi held on to him, wanting to be as close to him as she could possibly be. She had no intention of leaving the comfort and shelter of his strong arms nor did she want to give up the sweet taste of his mouth or the love that he was offering to her that she had longed for so long. She wanted to forget about the past and move on to a brighter future with him.
They resurfaced due to lack of air but neither let go of the other. They had wordlessly admitted their adoration and utter devotion to one another.
And in that moment, everything was perfect…
