Author's Notes: Vandread is the property of GONZO. I do not own the characters featured here neither am I making any money out of this.
Okay, this fic was inspired by a song by the Pretenders: I'll Stand by You (hence the title). This fic pretty much came about because I love Dita + Hibiki (one of THE most kawaii couples in anime) and felt it necessary to add to the growing support of this couple.
So I wrote this. Hope you like it.
The door slid open with a loud swish. Light split from the corridor and flooded into the darkened room. It was from this light that a black, ominous figure emerged. Silhouetted against the blazing light from the corridor the figure entered the room.
The figure staggered his way across the floor before falling to his knees. With his head bowed, his breathing came more hard and more frequent. His eyes blazed with fury. His face formed into an expression of rage and frustration. His hand formed into a fist. A fist which was raised above his head...
Only to be brought down on the floor.
He felt such a fool! He felt such an imbecile! He couldn't believe his luck....
The future started to look up for him when he found himself abroad the Nirvana. Yes, being on board a spaceship travelling through the cosmos certainly a better prospect then living a miserable existence as a lower class citizen upon the male planet. Plus, the opportunity to pilot a Vanguard was indeed to good to pass up!
Yet the spaceship was populated by women. And, ever since his day of conception, he had been lead to believe that women are the enemy. And what made things worse was that the feeling was mutual. And having an uneasy truce set up didn't really make a lot of difference. The women aboard the Nirvana viewed him as the enemy. They yelled at him, criticised him, ignored him, and basically walked all over him. This, in turn, made his life upon the Nirvana a living Hell.
Yet he didn't want all this. He wanted to be someone. He wanted to get somewhere. He wanted to break out of this life and make something for himself. He wanted to squash all his demons and rise above it all, like a phoenix. He wanted to triumph over adversity. He wanted to win. He wanted to be somebody.
Yet this goal was nothing more then a losing battle.
In frustration, he again raised his fist and brought it crashing down onto the floor.
But little did Hibiki know, he wasn't alone.
Hibiki's frustration was being watched, from the doorway, by Dita. She had followed him ever since he'd come back from the Vanguard. She had followed him right to this room. She had followed him even when she'd knew that his expression was as black as coal. And she had seen him take out his frustration's in the most violent and chaotic manner.
'Alien-san' was indeed plunging headlong into desolation - much to Dita's horror.
But why did she care? 'Alien-san' was perceived as a complete jerk by everyone else on the Nirvana. He wasn't so much as a vital asset then a burden. He was always complaining and had the terrible habit of getting in everyone's way.
Yet this wasn't the case with Dita. She appreciated his company and she seemed to be the only one who welcomed 'Alien-san' into the company of the Nirvana's crew. Sure there was Meia and Jura. But Jura only wanted his company to utilise as a stepping stone for her own benefit. And Meia wanted 'Alien-san' to establish a connection of some kind.
Not so with Dita. No, she only wanted 'Alien-san' because.....
Because....
....she was the only one abroad the Nirvana who wanted him because of him. Call it what you will. Infatuation. Childishness. Awakening Romantic. Love. But Dita's feelings have no chance of faltering. She certainly did hold something for Hibiki.
But there was just one problem.
He, the object of her affections, was indifferent.
Yes, Indifferent. What's more was that he seemed freaked out by Dita herself. When she came his way, he would retain an apathetic reaction. When she talked to him, in rather, friendly manner, he would cut her down to size. When she tried to persuade him into coming into her room, he would back his way out.
Yes, it seems the prospects of romance were definitely working against the hapless Dita. What can one do when the object of your attentions is indifferent and indeed indifferent and he is falling into desolation?
What do you do?
Never say die!
Dita's eyes lit up with revelation. Yes! That's it! Sure, 'Alien-san' may be torn apart by his own demons but now is indeed the time she needs him most! He needs her to save him from his own desolation! Now is the time to reveal her inner feelings towards him!
Now is the time!
With invigorated enthusiasm, Dita emerged from observation into action. She carefully made her way over to Hibiki's hunched form.
He didn't move. He didn't leave his tortured state. He didn't make any type of movement nor did he make a sound. He didn't seem aware of her presence.
"Alien-san?" Dita inquired.
It was then that Hibiki's vocal chords made their first sound since entering the room. It was in this gesture that told Dita that he knew she was there. It was in this gesture that she knew that his desolation was just as bad as she'd figured. It was in this gesture that there was something she could here.
"Go away."
Dita blinked.
"What's the matter Alien-san?"
"Leave me alone!" Hibiki snapped.
"Is there something I....."
But Dita never got to finish her sentence. For her speech was cut off by Hibiki turning around and fixing his gaze onto the Dread pilot.
"GO AWAY! I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!!!"
Dita was taken aback by this outburst. And now that Hibiki's face had come into the light, she could now get a good look at his expression.....
And she was horrified by what she saw.
'Alien-san's' face was a twisted mask of rage. His mouth was twisted into a fearful scowl. His eyes blazed with frustrated fervour. And his face was deformed with lines of anger.
Dita didn't run. She didn't turn around and flee. She didn't abide to Hibiki's demands. Instead she stayed right she was.
Bearing an expression most terrified.
"A-A-Alien-san?!?!"
"I told you to leave!" Hibiki growled. "I don't need your help."
"But...." Dita protested.
But her words fell on deaf ears. Hibiki turned away and resumed his position of facing the floor. And he again allowed his demons to tear him apart.....
But Dita stayed on. She couldn't leave him like this. She couldn't leave him in a stage of desolation such as this. She couldn't leave him when he was practically screaming out for help. She couldn't leave him in a state of chaos when she had, after all this time, constantly encouraged him to smile.
Dita blinked and her expression hardened. Struck by sudden revelation, her hand moulded into a fist. No, she certainly couldn't leave him like this. She didn't like to see him being consumed by so much rage and confusion. Sure he thought she was weird by thinking he was an alien but there was something more underneath.
Something much, much more.....
And, with these emotions, she wasn't prepared to abandon him in a time of crisis such as this. And, after all this time spent with him upon the Nirvana, she wasn't prepared to give up on making him smile.
After all, she had always believed that smiling can conquer the most heinous of dangers.
Slowly, Dita reached out and gently laid her hand on Hibiki's shoulder.
Hibiki looked up from the floor. What was this.....?
Inside, he shrivelled from her touch. How could she do something like this? How dare she touch him like this? How dare she.....
But, in spite of Hibiki's bewilderment, Dita's hand wouldn't leave.
And, in time, Hibiki grew towards this intimate contact. It felt so gentle. It felt so soft. So....
So...
Gradually, Hibiki's rage subsided. His flames of frustration burned out into ash. The rage within his eyes fell away. The rage lines that was marked across his face died away.
And then nothing mattered any more. All his frustration and all his rage had now become forgotten and irrelevant. All his goals of getting somewhere were, for the moment, abandoned completely. All that mattered was the intimacy of the moment....
Gently Hibiki reached up and placed his hand on Dita's.
Dita was surprised by this. But she couldn't help but smile a smile of satisfaction and emotional intensity. And, even though she couldn't see his face, she could sense he was managing a small smile.
And there they remained
Locked in an intimate moment.
A moment where couldn't be shattered by anything.
Not even the click of a camera flash....
Pai lurked near the doorway with her frog puppet in one hand and a camera in the other.
The nurse grinned. This was looking to be another successful Pai-check.....
Go back?