A Quick Note On Chapter Numbering:
On 24 Sept 2022, I added this Foreword. This means that all the chapters were pushed up a number. So now Chapter 6 is labeled Chapter 7 (though it's still named Chapter 6: Prime and Ignite). Please note that reviews made by that date refer to the actual chapter number. So reviews for Chapter 2 -11 made by 24 Sept actually refer to present chapters 3-12. I'm sorry for the confusion.
Acknowledgments
Welcome to my revised version of One Night for the Heart. I have most of the chapters written (originally there were 10, but now there will be 12- oops, now 14), and they'll come fast, I promise. (I'm obsessive about finishing my projects at all costs.) Comments mean a lot, so please don't by shy.
It's only appropriate for me to give credit where credit is due. First off, Suilsaifir wrote a series of one-shots, and one of them, "Home is Where the Heart Is", has inspired me so much that this story is technically the third time I've taken it on. (The first is the OG ONFTH and the second nobody will ever see.) Thanks to them for letting me take this idea and run with it.
I was thinking today how I might not have had the motivation to write had I not needed a catharsis for Rinjou's brilliantly written epic, Vis Arcana. (IYKYK lol) So thanks to Rin, too, for that beautiful piece of work that made me feel a mighty need to get Van and Hitomi to finally kiss.
And to my many friends here and in real life: Woodlander8, because without her I wouldn't have dared pick up the pen in the first place; CatariaNigra, for being the online friend I needed early in the pandemic; and my husband (who I hope never reads this, hahaha), who supports my hobbies even if it means we don't watch a movie together.
And to the other authors and readers who comment and send me PMs. I love it. To me, you are my friends.
xo-CE
Story Setup Summary
While I've been told this stands alone just fine, this is a direct sequel to SuilSaifir's one-shot "Home is Where the Heart Is". (Chapter 5 in Black & Gold 30 Kisses; check my Favorites list in my profile to find it.)
Everything I've written spans from her idea. It's only 3k words, and while I think it's a great read, I'll summarize it in the next paragraph, too.
Home is Where the Heart Is summary:
Van and Hitomi have been in what's likely an arranged marriage for seven months, but they never consummated their marriage for whatever reason. (However, Van's room was a mess on their wedding night and he didn't really talk to her all that much in the months since their marriage, so it's implied he's a bit of a stiff.) Five months into their marriage, Zaibach & Basram attack Fanelia while Van is in Asturia. So he's been warring away for the last two months but is presently in Palas for a war council, pining away for a wife whose fate he doesn't know. Hitomi, meanwhile, treks eleven days through the wilderness, faking a pregnancy, to bring important intel from Fanelia. Van is upset she's pregnant, she removes a belly pillow to the delight of the entire cast (except Allen, who's a jerk), then delivers her intel before passing out from exhaustion. Van carries her to his room, they almost kiss, but then they get interrupted by soup. He returns to the war council. Hitomi thinks she'll not see him until the end of the war and eats her soup.
It's important to note that in this fic, Hitomi is of Freidian descent, cousin to Chid, and the only daughter of a General and a Countess.
The premise of that story was just too much for my mind to resist, especially as the wife of a soldier. Major military maneuvers take time to prepare; they don't just happen at the flip of a switch. And, after Hitomi traveled for so long, she needs longer than an afternoon nap and some soup. Combine this with a soldier-king lonely for his wife, and there's no way Van was going to let Hitomi get away without at least spending one night. I also wanted to answer the question about why Hitomi pretended to be pregnant, and there was this delicious idea of how I could perhaps help these two to fall in love by the end of the day.
I wrote the original version to be as compact as possible. This version is more of a deep dive. Get past Chapter 1 and you should be fine. The biggest changes begin at chapter 3. Everything after chapter 4 is a complete rewrite. Everything after Chapter 6 is completely new.
I hope you like what I've done. Please comment! I would really love comments! Have I already asked you to comment? Please?
Hugs- CovertEyes
RATING DISCLAIMER
It's hard for me to know if I should rate this M or T due to the amount of sexual tension I've included. I mean, that's the point of the story, right? They're married. They should have a sexual relationship. Do I describe it? Nope. Would I have my teenage daughter read this? No. But do I think it's got mature content? Mmm maybe.
If I imagine my story as a movie, it would be rated PG13 for strong sensuality and brief nudity, so for that reason, I'm going with T. My goal in writing this is to make it romantic and steamy without being smutty or even citrusy. Just know going in that there is implicit sexuality, but I'm not going to describe it. I'll leave everything that happens between the sheets up to you.
If you disagree with my rating, please send me a PM. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
It goes without saying that I do not own Escaflowne stuff at all. I can't even take credit for the inspiration for this story. That goes to the brilliant SuilSaifir.
I HAVE A SPOTIFY PLAYLIST!
Check it out. Look up me, CovertEyes, or search up One Night for the Heart. It's over seven hours long. Most of the songs directly inspired this story. You can also check out my ICE playlist, which I used a lot for the later chapters.
