Van's eyelids felt heavy. More heavy than usual. Oddly, he felt at rest. The dull ache of his muscles, spent during the night, straining and pulling and freeing themselves from the grip of the sorrowful dead, was not there. His eyes fluttered open a few times, before the dark red canopy of his bed, came into view. He was warm; warm and comfortable. The night horrors that usually came to claim his strength and energy had left him alone last night. Turning his head, Van gazed at the pale soft skin of a female hand. It definitely wasn't Meryl's. No claws, no tinted skin, just pearly white and delicate. The nails had a pinkish tinge to them, something like what women called "nail polish". A hazy image of Hitomi, or his mother came back to him from the night before, holding him while he screamed. With a start Van felt the rise of flesh beneath his own, subtle and gentle, but enough to raise his eyes. Hitomi slept upright, her head titled over, chin tucked in and hair falling in her eyes. The sight drew his breath away. She really was here; he hadn't dreamt it! She really was on Gaea with him, in Fanelia, him sleeping in her lap, she wearing his mother's dress. She was breathing so softly and quietly he thought she might be a statue, or a figment of his imagination. But this was where she belonged. In his bed, as his partner, leant against the headboard engraved with Goau and Vari's official seal. A bond made for a Kingdom. His eyes returned to her hand over his bare shoulder. Rough calloused fingers reached out tenderly and stroked the bare milky skin, it's reality startling and moving in an obscure way.
Hitomi had come to his bedchambers to save him from his demons. With her gentle touch, hushed words and very breath she had lifted him on angel wings from his greatest fears. There was no pride in front of her, nothing to hide and nothing to hide from. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, just grateful to be in her arms.
Hitomi opened her eyes with a small sigh. The night hadn't been kind to her neck or back. She attempted to straightened up, but the pressure of a body against her jolted her wide awake. She looked down and connected with the upturned eyes of the boy, no, the man who had haunted her every waking and sleeping moment for five whole years. He lazily rolled off of her legs. Hitomi quickly pulled them beneath her. She remembered with startling clarity all that had happened last night and the condition Van had been in. He was looking up at her now in the dim early morning light from the pale silky bed covers.
"Hitomi? Why did you come in here?" He asked quietly, his rich maroon eyes caught helplessly on hers.
She found her voice finally, though rough from the early hours. "V…van." He smiled at her softly, just delighted about everything around him.
"Meryl came to get me last night. You...frightened her." Van looked down solemnly. "I heard you screaming Van…why were you screaming" Van avoided her eyes for a moment. He lay on his stomach, resting on his elbows as his eyes carefully searched the wrinkles of the sheets. What would he say to her? What could he say? After a short period of silence he spoke
"Hitomi…I think I'm going mad." He was deadly serious she decided. His face was drawn and tired, dark circles under his eyes betrayed the worries of his post. Hitomi, ran her tongue over her dry lips and tried to reason his words out. From what she had seen last night she wasn't going to argue.
He pushed himself off the bed and slowly wandered over to the large bay window. Hitomi watched him; he was naked save for a pair of long shorts and a sash round his waist. The ripple of muscles across his back when he moved was undeniably sensual. She had seen Van shirtless, but not as a man. They had both been children when they were last together. He leant against the window frame and sighed. The window itself was open just a crack, allowing a light breeze to ruffle his hair. Hitomi was filled with a wonderful picture. She, his wife and queen of many years wrapping her arms around him from behind and breathing in his wild, fresh scent.
She was snapped from her fantasy as she realised she was staring into his eyes, silhouetted against the light in the window. "Hitomi…" he tilted his head, as though straining to work something out. "I…I don't know if I can…" he trailed off. Whatever he was trying to say had not gotten easier with time. Hitomi moved to pull herself off the bed to join him, but gasped as searing white-hot pain shot up her back. A night sitting upright had not been good to her at all. In an istant she felt Van hovering near her.
"Hitomi? Are you alright?" he asked, his voice sounding more worried than it needed to be. She craned her neck and rubbed the soft flesh at its nape.
"Yeah, I'll be alright, it's just stiff" Boy was it stiff! There was a slight pressure behind her on the bed and a pair of heavy hands descending on her shoulders. She instinctively tensed.
"Balgus taught me some techniques. Swordplay can make you very stiff" He coaxed, planing his hands softly over her shoulders back and forth. The Fanelian dress she still wore was sleeveless and Hitomi shuddered pleasantly when the smallest finger on the outside of his hand delicately brushed her much softer skin. He applied gentle pressure when she resisted no longer. Kneading and teasing her shoulders, Van was aware of her leaning back into his hands. Her head lolled about slightly, indicating how relaxed and loose she was becoming. The bare pearly skin at the back of his neck kept catching his attention. He'd never seen something so soft and pale before and he couldn't keep his eyes from it. Unaware, his hands moved onto her back, pushing and rubbing, making her arch forward, her head pushing back against his shoulder. Van angled his face so that he was looking at her directly. Her eyes were closed and a contented smile played upon her full lips. Her lips; so shapely and inviting. His hands were moving lower until they rested against the small of her back. He slowed his actions subconsciously, so caught up in her face, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, though not in any way out of the ordinary. She became aware that he had stopped and she was leaning against him now. Opening her eyes reluctantly, she met his. They were focused so intently on her mouth and her stomach suddenly felt weak with something luke-warm.
"Hitomi" He spoke her name gruffly, unable to remove his gaze. Years before, he would never had been so bold. He would have roughly pushed her away, trying to hide his embarrassment with a bout of solitude. But now he was a man, and all the things his youth had forced him to miss out on, were now so important. He would do anything for Hitomi and would never risk losing her again. She was looking at him wide eyes. Ye Gods those eyes!
"May I kiss you?" he asked tentatively searching her face, letting the quiet of morning rush over their bodies again. She watched him still, her expression unreadable and unchanged. Then with a small nod, he was given permission. Gently lowering his head, he closed his eyes. He was not in the least sure how to do this, but he hoped he could wing it and that Hitomi would forgive him. Placing his lips gently over hers, Van applied a small measure of pressure, wondering somewhere in the back of his mind what he was supposed to do next. Hitomi responded pushing back lightly into his lips. Just being so close to her, smelling her hair and her skin, even through its mucky morning smell that they both shared, was uplifting and enough to make him weep. Without warning he felt moisture against his lips and another pressure. His eyes shot open and he stared at her. Hitomi's eyes were still closed savouring the moment. Her tongue had run along the length of his lips, asking him gently for more. He quickly closed his eyes again, concentrating on this feeling that was making him dizzy. Van granted permission out of some deep buried instinct that told him what to do. Soon she was kissing him, gently probing and exploring. Van didn't have the courage to respond, he simply let her show him the way. She bowling him over. Filling him with feelings he'd never had before, giving him sensations that elicited shocking responses from his body. He was lost, totally and utterly carried away. After what must have only been a few moments, Hitomi pulled back quickly.
He wasn't responding to her kiss. Was she going to fast? Maybe he didn't like it. Did he know what to do? It was first thing in the morning, was her breath bad? Why was he staring at her now? Van's taste hadn't been bad, not bad at all. He tasted like rhubarb, sweet and tangy. Hitomi risked a peek up at him. He pushed a finger against his lip to reveal a spot of blood. He looked at it dumbfounded and looked back at her. Hitomi's tongue frantically searched her mouth for the characteristic twang of the iron. It was faint but definitely there. Had she bitten him? No it wasn't in her nature, even with Van. She had been incredibly adventurous to even venture as far as she had. Van smiled as his tongue dipped out to mop up the mess slowly flooding onto his lips.
Van's own canine had nicked it, as Hitomi pulled away. He didn't want her to stop. He was learning, enjoying and almost ready to respond himself. But maybe they could make it special when he finally did take the step. He was feeling bold, risky and ready. He wondered absently what Hitomi would taste like.
The rest of the day flew in. Hitomi offered to help bring in the harvest as it had been interrupted the day before with her arrival. She and Meryl worked together picking some sort of fruit that looked like strawberries but orange and much bigger. Meryl had tossed her one to try and she decided straight away that she didn't like their sour taste. Most fruit on Gaea seemed to like being bitter to the taste. The piscus, being her first example. She saw Van once or twice in the next field, heaving large turnip like vegetables from the ground. She enjoyed just being able to watch him without his awareness. She became reacquainted with many of his mannerisms and was constantly reminded of his taste and feel. Meryl nudged her violently once or twice, angrily stirring her from her daydream. When the lunch cart arrived, Hitomi dodged around many of the worked in order to casually emerge onto the road at the same time as Van. He saw her and quickened his pace. They waited in opposite lines sharing flirty but innocent glances. When they had their meal and returned to work, Van caught up with her, stealing but a quick peck on the lips before returning with a backwards glance and a smile to his field. A dogman patted him roughly on the back in congratulation for his brave act and he received much playful heckling from the older women. A reflex had Hitomi touching the spot where his lingering pressure remained, before a shy smile infected her face.
After a long hard day and many stolen kisses from her long lost love, Hitomi collapsed into his back on top of their horse. The old steed shuffled back on worn hooves to the enclosure of the Kingdom itself. Hitomi wrapped her arms loosely around her King's waist and snuggled into his comfortable back. Van smiled wearily, but happily as he felt her gentle weight and the last warmth of the waning sun. The steady and rhythmic trotting of the old horse rocked him into a shallow sleep. His passenger's arms constricted comfortably around him and she scooted closer, pressed torso to torso against him. Removing a hand from the reigns, Van placed it over her arms and rode slowly home, exhausted but happier than he had been in years.
Van dismounted his horse but grabbed Hitomi when she slumped to the side. She was fast asleep and dirty from her work. Van softly slid her from the saddle and into his arms. Some of the workers smiled and slowed as they prepared their horses for the stable. A young boy took the reigns of Van's horse for him, leading it with the others into the stables for the night.
Van carried Hitomi to her room in his arms. It was such a joy to do things for her. Shutting the door with his muddy boot, he laid her softly on the clean cool sheets. Searching around in the adjoining bathroom, he found a basin and cloth and began to tentatively bathe her arms from the caked mud encasing them. He did all this without a qualm. He hoped he would be allowed to do this every single night of his life from now on. But would Hitomi stay? She had always seemed too good to be true, too perfect and beautiful to ever stay within the grasp of someone as tainted as he. Van prayed silently to her, to stay. To stay in Gaea, in Fanelia with him for the rest of their lives. He wanted to kiss her again. Lowering his head, he pushed his lips against her forehead, willing to make do with the small robbed kisses he'd taken throughout the day. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and reluctantly retreated from her room. Breathing in deeply, Van closed the door and thanked whatever deity brought her here. It was only then he realised his own fatigue, but he was sure he would sleep peacefully tonight.
Deep in the shadows a pair of feline eyes watched the young and handsome King of Fanelia gaily striding down the corridors of his castle, a smile plastered on his face. The watchful and strict gaze returned to the door to the room of the short-haired girl. Unfortunately for him, Lord Van's happiness was about to end.
AN: Hope you liked this chapter, so it's been such a long time. I don't think I've written any Author's Notes on this fic or any of the other's in the series…hmm…strange, I must usually be in such a rush to upload it. Anyway I decided it was high time Hitomi and Van kissed. I guessed that not having seen each other for five years, they might both be desperate! So there you go. Please let me know what you think. Thankies!!! R&R Pweasee!
