HitomiFanel: Hehe, there's a reason this chapter is so short ^_~

Zakyra: Yeah, we won't say ANYTHING though. Just read to see what happens ^_~ V

The New Kid

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne but I do own Jack Roberts

"Hey Yukari," Hitomi greeted. Now that Yukari was here, perhaps she could help Hitomi pick something out for the date. It would really help to have her best friend with her, especially after what happened with Van yesterday.

Yukari reached her and bent over, tired from running. "Where are you going?" she asked, curious.

Hitomi pointed and said, "I'm just heading over to the mall to pick something new outfit for my date with Jack."

Yukari was shocked. She hadn't expected this. Why hadn't Hitomi told her? "You're going out with someone? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I guess I just forgot," Hitomi shrugged her shoulders as she began to walk. She heard Yukari trying to catch up with her.

"This is the sort of thing that you don't just forget," Yukari commented rather mad that Hitomi didn't share this piece of information with her. Her voice softened. She knew she couldn't stay mad at Hitomi. "So, what's this Jack like?"

Hitomi opened her mouth to answer but closed it. As they went around one corner, she opened it again even wider than before. She gasped and stopped walking. Her sudden change in look was that right there in front of the theater that Jack had invited her to, was Jack. Only that he wasn't alone. He had his arm around the shoulders of another girl. Hitomi watched as Jack leaned down and gave the girl a passionate kiss on her lips.

'So the dream was right huh?' Hitomi thought as tears streamed down her face. Why had Jack lied to her like that? Why had he invited her to a movie when he was seeing someone else? What kind of a jerk invited a girl to watch a movie when he was going to kiss another before the date even started? Hitomi then realized what kind of person Jack really was. She turned around and ran in the opposite direction.

"Hitomi! Wait!" Hitomi heard Yukari yell after her, but Hitomi didn't wait. She didn't want Jack to see her there. She certainly didn't want him to see her tears for fear that he would laugh at her. She didn't want to face him now.

As she was running she didn't notice the person she bumped into. Both of them went tumbling to the floor and Hitomi stood up immediately and bowed. "I'm sorry sir. I didn't watch where I was going," Hitomi apologized, going as low as she could go, not letting her see who she had bumped into. The person's scent was familiar however. Then there was also the fact that tears were streaming down her face, fogging her eyes and falling onto the cement below her.

"Hitomi?" she heard a familiar voice ask, causing her heart a skip a beat. 'Anyone but him' she begged.

Hitomi looked up, the tears still on her face, and discovered that Van was the one she had bumped into, confirming her earlier suspicions. He had a look of concern on his face that looked adorable and irresistible to Hitomi. It seemed like a sweet scene to her.

His arms were slightly raised and he looked like he wanted to hold her for an eternity's time and never let go. He also wanted to hold her close and make whatever pain she was feeling go away by wiping away her tears and soothing her soul. "Hitomi, what happened? Why are you crying?" He swore, who ever hurt her was going to pay!

More tears threatened to stream down so Hitomi turned around and tried to leave, not wanting Van to feel pity for her and not wanting him to see her like this, but Van's hand grabbed her arm, not letting her go. She looked at him curiously and melted under his gaze.

"Tell me what's wrong," Van said in the sweetest voice he could. He actually succeeded.

She couldn't hold it in anymore. She was tired of always holding the tears back and never letting it all out. She began to cry, hard, letting it all come out and deciding it felt good. Van wrapped his arms around Hitomi in an attempt to calm her down. It did ease her a bit and soon her loud crying turned into tiny sobs. She wished this could last forever. But she was also puzzled as to how Van did it. How had he made her feel better? Did he have some kind of angelic power Hitomi didn't know of that was released whenever people cried? Did a halo of power always come out and heal people?

After a while of crying, Hitomi pulled away reluctantly and wiped at her tears. She felt a little bit better and she had Van to thank. She was going to open her mouth to thank him, then leave, but he spoke.

"Will you tell me now why you were crying?" Van asked as he put his hands on her shoulders, looking at her intently, yet softly, his eyes pleading for the truth.

Aside from having those healing powers, he seemed to be able to hypnotize with his powerful eyes filled with fire that sometimes were soft and tender flames when Van was being nice and comforting, and sometimes were roaring with rage when Van was angry. Hitomi was hypnotized under his gaze and she nodded slowly. "I-I caught Jack with another girl. The same Jack I told you I was going on a date with. He-he kissed her in front of the same theater that he invited me to." Hitomi began to cry again but she stopped herself this time. The urge to cry wasn't as powerful as it had been before.

"That jerk!" Van yelled. So he had been the one to make her cry! He swore that bastard Jack was going to pay. His eyes now burned with rage. "How could he do that to you? You don't deserve something like that to happen to you Hitomi and you definitely don't deserve someone like him," he swore, his heart speaking for him, rather than his brain.

Hitomi wiped her tears, finally feeling at peace, and looked up at Van. "Thank you Van, for being here with me." She said the last line rather choked for some reason, as if she wished it were more. "I'm glad I have a friend like you."

Van frowned. Was that what she though of him this whole time? That he was just a friend? Well, actions speak louder than words, though you still have to say what the action means. "Hitomi, has it ever occurred to you that…I like you more than a friend?"

Hitomi gasped. She definitely hadn't expected him to say that! She stared in shock at him as she blushed a deep red. "Van....."

Van couldn't back down now. He had to share with her this information or else he felt like he would burst. He just couldn't keep it to himself anymore. He had to voice what his heart had been telling him to say the whole time. "Yes Hitomi. I can't hide these feelings anymore. Since the moment I met you I've been in love with you."

All Hitomi could do was stare at Van. She was at a loss for words. Her heart sped up to beat a thousand times per second. She was blushing as badly as the color of a tomato. Maybe more.

Her color darkened as Van used the grip he had on her shoulders to pull her closer to him. Then he began to lean in ever so slowly, as if unsure. She didn't know what was possessing her or what she was doing, but her eyes fluttered until they finally closed. She felt his wonderful warm breath on her face but he seemed to hesitate. She helped his hesitation and leaned in towards him, her arms going around his neck. Van smiled as he breathed on her, then went forward some more until their lips met in the sweetest kiss any girl could ever get from a guy. He didn't force his lips on her but it also wasn't a tiny peck he gave her. It was as if he were a naturally good kisser.

To Hitomi, the moment was perfect.

(Dramatic voice) TO BE CONTINUED… ^_~

HitomiFanel: WOW! I TOTALLY revised that scene! When you look back at the original version, you can tell I REALLY worked on this! I'm so proud of the fluffiness of it! Did you like the fluff? I grade the fluff "CLASS A" fluff. What do you think? What will happen now that Van and Hitomi kiss? What kind of future awaits them?

Zakyra: Review to find out! ^_~

HitomiFanel: And thanks to all who reviewed. If I get more than 10 reviews for this part, than I'll know you'll enjoy it and I'll send out the next part TOMORROW! Quick, and just for my reviewers and readers.

Zakyra: She ain't kidding either.