~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Beneath Two Moons
3. Ripples Beneath the Surface
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
By Jessica Lynn S. (escaflowne@opalwings.com)
~*~
Spoilers: The entire Escaflowne series.
Warnings: Sensuality, shoujo-ai (romance between two female characters), and a bit of violence.
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne or its characters. No profit is being made from my silly fanfiction hobby. ^_^ I do, however, own this fic and the original characters in contains. Please do not post this story anywhere without asking first.
Summary: Hitomi and Van share a joyful reunion in Fanelia, but confusion arises in Hitomi's mind after a haphazard sexual advance by Van. Merle reflects ruefully on her own love life - or lack thereof - and unknown enimies meet beneath the cover of blackness.
Van leaned on the wooden table, once again seemingly oblivious to the presence of his food. "You know, Merle...I could have sworn I saw a blue light today as I was walking outside." he said, looking at his feline companion. "It was in my peripheral vision, but as soon as I turned my head it was gone. You know what kind of blue light I am talking about; the kind that brings Hitomi here."
Merle folded back one pointy ear, quizzically. "Did anyone else see anything?" she inquired.
"No." Van responded. "I asked 'Reed, who was on guard duty, but he said that nothing was out of the ordinary." It had been tormenting him, gnawing away on the edges of his mind, for the entire morning, but there was absolutely no reason Hitomi would have decided to come to Gaea. Her visits were always planned, and he always went to the Mystic Moon to retrieve her, since he was the one who wielded the energist pendant now. Maybe she would come if something terrible happened, but if something terrible happened, he would know. After Yukari's accident; he had felt Hitomi's pain and turmoil clear as daylight through the link between them.
Merle put her hand to his forehead as if to check for a fever. "Hmm, no warmer than normal." she said. "Poor little lovesick Van's imagination is playing tricks on him." Her smile was chiding; condescending. The cat girl suppressed a giggle as a figure cloaked in a blanket peeked around the room's doorway.
The little form had the blanket pulled over its face, hiding everything except for a pair of big, sea green eyes. It scampered across the room on its knees and crawled underneath the table where Van and Merle were sitting.
Great minds did - sometimes, occasionally - think alike, thought Merle with a smile. She had rode out to meet Hitomi when the pillar dropped her in the woods, and Hitomi was just as in to the idea of surprising - and quite possibly, scaring the bejeezus out of - Van as Merle was. Neither was quite sure how to go about it though, they were making things up as they went along.
Hitomi was currently face-to-face with Van's knees. She sat silent and motionless, continuing to listen to the conversation.
"You're right." Van answered with a defeated sigh. "I'm deluding myself. I suppose that I just miss Hitomi."
"You know, I wasn't entirely joking this morning, Van-sama." said Merle. She folded her arms and leaned towards Van, locking him in eye contact and suddenly looking rather concerned. "You have pulled off this long-distance arrangement for a long time, and I commend you for it. But it can't be healthy. After all these years it should be obvious that Hitomi has no intention of coming here to take you up on your proposal. She very-well could have found another man on the Mystic Moon. You wouldn't even know about it."
Ooh, milk it for all it's worth! Hitomi thought, covering her mouth to repress a giggle. Van frowned as he felt the heat of anger churning and rising within him. He didn't understand; Merle may not have liked Hitomi when they first met, but she had definitely grown on the cat-girl. Over the past few years, Merle had always looked forward to Hitomi's visits and inquired about her on a weekly basis. Why would she suddenly be so adamant that he should move on? He bit his tongue for a moment to keep from shouting or speaking unkindly until he composed himself.
"I would know about it, Merle. I have faith in Hitomi." he finally said. He paused then, a puzzled expression overtaking his features. "But...I never told you that I proposed to her. How did you know that?" Merle just laughed, giving no response. Hitomi smiled a private smile.
"Something really fishy is going on here today." said Van. "And when I find out what it is, I am probably not going to be pleased."
He scowled and Merle began to lecture him on the importance of getting a proper night's rest. An exposed sliver of skin between Van's pant leg and shoe caught Hitomi's eye. Carefully, she reached out from behind her blanket and ran a single fingertip lightly along the curve of his ankle. Van let out a shriek and jumped to his feet, dropping his fork. It hit the floor and bounced towards Hitomi. That was her cue to scamper.
"EEEEEE! What was that??!" he demanded.
No sooner had he shouted than Hitomi took off running out of the room, the blanket still hiding her face.
"WHO is that?!" Van corrected himself.
Before Merle could say anything, he sprinted off in pursuit of the unknown intruder. It was just as well, for Merle would be hard-pressed to insist that her king was hallucinating now. The cat-girl ran after Van, amused and anxious to see what would happen. Hitomi did not get very far before Van caught up with her. Though she had continued her running on Earth, her feet kept getting caught in the blanket. She stumbled as she felt his arm ensnare her waist and they both fell to the floor and she buried her face in her arms, pulling the blanket taut around her in order to hide her identity.
"Who are you? What kind of trick is this?!" Van demanded, making a rather forceful attempt to rip the blanket away. Hitomi continued to struggle against him, trying to work her way out of his grip. This all was very funny to her, and she was unable to repress a small laugh. Van paused, stunned upon hearing the sound. He released his grip entirely.
"Hitomi?" he asked in disbelief.
There was no response. Instead, the cloaked figure began to inch slowly away from him like a worm. He leapt on top of her once again.
"Hitomi?!" he said again, his voice more desperate this time. He still could not pull the blanket away from her, so instead he ran his hands down her sides, tickling her. He was going to feel like a total ass if it wasn't Hitomi. She shrieked and spasmed violently, trying to push him away. He was sure of her identity now, and beside himself with happiness. He'd gained the advantage he needed, and he managed to roll her - struggling and giggling - on to her back. He had to give her credit though, she was strong for her size.
It was then that she let go of the blanket and revealed her face to him. He pressed the tip of his nose against hers, staring intently in to her twinkling eyes. "How long did you intend to keep me in the dark about your presence here?" he asked with the stern and forceful air of a king, which was contradicted by how his lips curled upward in a playful and predatorial smirk. Before she could answer, he kissed her hard. She reached up to embrace him, their bodies pressing together tightly as their mouths interlocked.
Breathless from their struggle, Van soon broke the kiss and collapsed in her arms, flushed and breathless. He rested his head aside of hers and he relaxed his muscles, melting against the soft and subtle curves of her body. The warmth of her skin and the smell of her hair intoxicated him, and he was overwhelmed with joy to be with her again. Merle decided to leave the two to themselves and pattered softly out of the foyer. She was happy to see them reunited.
"It's really you." Van muttered happily in Hitomi's ear.
"Mmhmm." she responded in a quiet voice. "But Van, you're laying on my chest. I can't really breathe..."
"Oh." said Van. "I'm sorry." He sat up and gently shifted Hitomi in to his lap. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?" he asked her. She smiled coyly; giving no answer.
"I haven't the energy to fight it out of you again, if that is what you intend." he said, brushing a wayward strand of hair from her eyes.
"I missed you." she said, taking his hand in hers. She played absently with his fingertips.
"That's all?" he asked. He wasn't buying it.
"Well," said Hitomi, her expression changing from playful to serious, "you still want to get married, don't you?" She had not seen Van's cherry-bark eyes go so wide since the day Allen had told him of Fanelia's destruction. He smiled so hard that it must have caused him pain, and a few tears streamed down his cheeks as testimony to that. Hitomi nearly regretted telling him, for they could not marry if he were to die then and there of happiness.
"Yes, Hitomi..." he muttered joyfully and repetitively as he began devouring her face and throat in a wild flurry of soft and grateful kisses. "Yes." She just leaned back and smiled, allowing herself to be supported by his arms and bask in the warm onslaught of affection. Hitomi and Van spent a good part of the afternoon there in the foyer; a limp heap of limbs on the floor, not unlike two sleepy kittens. The sun poured in through one strategically-placed window, gilding the cool gray stone in a warm golden shade.
"What is a Fanelian wedding like?" asked Hitomi in curiosity.
"Well..." said Van, "I would suppose there is a difference between a common wedding and a royal wedding. A royal wedding has knights and swords and the ceremonial armor. It fits me now." he laughed, thinking back to how silly he had looked at his coronation.
"Married in armor?" Hitomi raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't sound like much of a tribute to ever-lasting love."
"Well," said Van, "Fanelia has faced many uncertain times. One could never be sure when an enemy would attack, and a man had to protect his bride. The war with Zaibach reaffirmed that sense of uncertainty. To this day, even in common weddings, the groom always keeps a sword close at hand."
"What does the bride wear?" Hitomi questioned.
"Well," said Van, "my mother wore a long white dress. It was elegant and simple. She had saved it, but it was destroyed in the fire, otherwise I would give it to you."
"I brought my grandmother's fursode with me." Hitomi offered hesitantly. "I was hoping I could wear it...as a tribute to her."
"Fursode?" Van asked.
"It's a traditional sort of garment made of silk." she answered. "A lot of people in the country I am from wear a more Western-style wedding dress these days; that's what Yukari did. But they still married in kimono in my grandmother's time."
Van nodded. "I think we should combine the traditions of our worlds and countries. You will bring a lot of valuable knowledge and culture from your world to Fanelia, after all. It will help her grow and evolve."
"I hope so." said Hitomi, shifting uncertainly beneath the imaginary weight of her newfound responsibility. "We have plenty of time to prepare."
"We have all the time in the world, now that you're here." Van smiled and kissed her forehead. "In the meantime, there is much for you to learn about the history of Gaea and my people. No," he corrected himself, "our people. Our people who are already deeply indebted to you for your courage during the war."
Direedus climbed the stairs leading to the castle roof. He found Merle there, perched upon the edge of the wall. Van had told him that was probably where she would be. She was watching the sky transcend from the blue of day to a violet twilight, as the people below went about their business. Having missed the majority of both her breakfast and lunch, she gnawed savagely on a piece of smoked fish, carelessly crunching the small bones between her teeth. She could be as mannerly as anyone for royal feasts and banquets, but on her own, she always reverted back to her old feline habits. She heard Direedus's footsteps and turned to look at him. He had a bouquet of wildflowers in his hands. "Merle, I am sorry for my rashness this morning." he offered. "I didn't stop to realize that you looked angry when you were walking past. I didn't even bother asking how you were."
"You can sit down." she said. Her eyes were lost in thought. He obeyed and handed her the bouquet.
"These are very nice flowers." she said to him, bringing them to her face to smell them.
"Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady." he said in response, as if on cue.
"Direedus," Merle said, "You don't know how many times I have heard that line. I could build your expectations and drop you flat, but you're lucky that I am not in such a sadistic mood tonight. You are a very nice young man, but your advances are wasted."
"Why is that?" he asked her, his blue eyes searching hers. "Is it the king?"
He would have thought that Merle was Van's lover, except for the rumors about the king and a girl from the Mystic Moon. He had seen that girl once or twice at Van's birthday celebrations. Why the king would choose such a strange girl over a jewel like Merle was beyond him, but it had to be hard on her. Boldly and compassionately, he put his arm around her shoulder. "He is a fool to turn you down."
"Ha." Merle said, with a cryptic smile. "No. It's not Van-sama. It would be a lie to say that I've never wanted him, but you have seen him with Hitomi. They are fine on their own, but when they're together they just seem to intensify...to shine. It was what they were together that enabled Zaibach's defeat. Do you think I would get in the way of such a thing?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I suppose not." he answered.
"It is me. I am just a childish cat girl, prone to infatuation and possessiveness. I don't think that I will ever know a deep, genuine sort of love like Hitomi and the king have."
She had made no effort to move his arm, and he leaned tentatively on her shoulder. She smelled strongly of fish, but he didn't care. For the time being, he was satisfied with the privilege of watching the sun go down by her side. The time of night came upon them when most colors were no longer visible and the world was painted in shades of charcoal and indigo.
"Direedus?" Merle asked him.
"What?" he responded..
"Don't come up here again." she said. She adruptly turned and left the roof with a few twitches of her tail. Direedus didn't know what to say.
Hitomi had forgotten to pack a nightgown, so she slipped on Van's old red shirt. It was too small for him now, but he had kept it around anyway because of sentimental value. In the tattered red threads were memories of blood and the heat of battle, but also of love and hope. It was from one of the best - and one of the worst - times of both his life and Hitomi's. After all these years, it still smelled like him. Sentimental or not though, the shirt wasn't quite long enough to cover everything which Hitomi desired to cover, so she pulled on a pair of white drawstring shorts that she fished out of her duffel to conceal her lower half. The next day she was to tour the town and visit the merchants with Merle. Later in the week her engagement to Van would be finally, officially announced after nearly three years.
There was much to be done; but the day that was coming to a close had belonged entirely to her and Van. Politics and formalities could wait for later. The newly re-united lovers reminisced of their pasts and bantered like excited children of the wedding that they would have. They strolled through the castle and the garden as they always did when Hitomi came to Fanelia. Between lunch and dinner, they saw others only in passing. They ate a modest meal with the palace staff, though it would have been a feast if Van had known in advance that Hitomi was coming.
That was okay with her; there had been a feast every time she came back to Fanelia and it was starting to get old. She rather enjoyed the more personal meal, and getting to know some of the people who worked for the king.
After dinner, they walked along the outdoor pathway to the wing of the castle where they would sleep. Hitomi paused to look up at the night sky, ablaze with constellations. Van stood beside her and put his arm over her shoulder. He then reached up with his free hand, removed the pendant from around his neck and offered it up to her. "Now that you're back," he said, "I don't see any reason why you shouldn't have this again."
"Well, thank you..." said Hitomi, looking at the familiar teardrop stone in Van's hand, "But I don't really need it. I don't see any reason why you can't keep it."
"Well, I had it so I could remember you..." Van said. "So that I could talk to you, even when you were a world away. You said it was a good luck charm, right? Well, I have all the good luck I need right here." He touched his index finger to the tip of her nose. Reluctantly, she took the pendant from his open hand. "I love you." she said. He leaned towards her for a kiss that built as slowly as a symphony. They had all the time in the world, now.
Afterwards, Van had shown her a bedroom she could have as her own, as a queen needed a place to keep her things. She asked if she could sleep in his room anyway, and he answered with an emphatic "yes!"
Now Hitomi was almost ready for bed. She quickly ran a brush through her hair and Van knocked at the heavy wooden door. "Can I come in yet?" he asked.
"Yes." Hitomi responded, and the door creaked open. Van was dressed for sleep also; shirtless in a loose pair of black pants. Hitomi grinned at him and pointed to his "Hitomi Shrine" shelf. He blushed, embarassed. "That's so cute!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him and planting a kiss on his cheek.
He crawled under the covers of the bed and hid his face, while Hitomi folded her clothes and put them neatly back in to her duffel. She put out the lantern on the windowsill and climbed in beside him. She thought nothing of sharing a bed with Van; after all, they had done that once when he came to Earth. It was after Yukari's accident. She had cried on his shoulder, and they had fallen asleep peacefully in one another's arms. It had been a perfectly innocent thing.
She noted the particular softness of the sheets as she laid silently beside him; one of the few royal luxuries that Van indulged in without complaint. The room was so dark that she could see nothing except the stars outside the window, clear and bright in the blue-black void of night. The question lingering on her mind was this; did she still want things to be innocent?
She and Van had kissed, and they had kissed often, but nothing more. His hands and lips had never wandered intentionally to anywhere questionable. Many times his fingertips had lightly grazed her sides - dangerously close to her chest - or the lowermost parts of her back and the uppermost parts of her thighs. But time, circumstances and boldness - or rather, the lack thereof - never permitted for anything further. At nineteen years old, Hitomi was definitely the most naive of her peers when it came to some of the more private sort of intimacies shared between lovers.
Earlier that day when Van had pinned her to the floor, the close physical proximity had sent a flood of sensations she wasn't even aware could exist through her body. She had felt dizzy, almost drunken. She had wanted more of the feeling, but she did not know how to ask. She was afraid that once the Pandora's box of sexuality was opened things would move fast beyond her control in a violent downward spiral.
She worried that as soon as she touched Van in a less-than-kosher way, or he touched her in one, that one of them would want intercourse. She feared that intercourse would be painful. She feared becoming pregnant before she was ready to be a mother, and she feared that Van would no longer appreciate her for who she was, only for what she could give physically. She was afraid to be seen naked; as she wasn't exactly the most well-endowed girl on Gaea. Merle's figure now put hers to shame by at least a good two cup sizes. She was afraid that - scrawny, timid and insecure - she'd be nothing more than a disappointment to the man she loved. A flurry of insecurities beat forcefully like torrents of rain against her virgin mind.
She and Van were facing away from each other and she suddenly wondered why he wasn't holding her. She wanted him to. As if he had heard her thoughts just then, he rolled over to face the same way she was. Instead of spooning with her, he began scratching her back. She moaned softly in approval of the touch, stretching out like a cat. His hands moved in smooth circular motions across her shoulder blades, down her spine and the backs of her arms. She sighed with satisfaction. Perhaps this touch was enough for now.
Van snuggled against her then and put his arm around her, resting his hand on her stomach. He playfully made another circle there with his fingertips, and she uttered a soft, protesting giggle, swatting his hand away. Then, slowly and cautiously, he slid his fingers beneath her shirt. When she made no move to stop him, he slid his hand upwards and gently cupped one of her breasts.
Her entire body tensed.
Van immediately dropped his hand. He breathed in sharply - as if he was going to speak - but he did not. Instead, he pulled his arm away and rolled over, facing away from her again. He uttered a faint whimpering sound. She frowned. Apparently he felt that he had done something wrong, but he hadn't. She was just startled by this new touch. She was just afraid. And there they were, back at square one.
She rolled over and curled up against him. He was tense now, but he relaxed a bit in her embrace. She planted a light kiss on the back of his neck and rested her hand comfortably on his chest. "Van?" she asked tentatively, searching for the words to say that would make everything all better.
"Hitomi, have I not already proven my patience?" he asked in a soft, unemotive voice. It was not very convincing. Perhaps he was disappointed already. She nuzzled as close against him as she could and fell asleep, trying to forget.
Van was the first to awaken in the new day. He sat up in bed, leaning back against the wall and watching Hitomi's sleeping face. Often she would toss and turn, mumbling softly and acting out whatever it was that she was dreaming of. He thought of the previous night and felt a pang of guilt. As much as he loved and respected his fiancee, it could not be denied that he was an eighteen-year-old boy at the mercy of his raging hormones. He longed to touch her in the private ways that would bring her immeasurable pleasure; just seeing her in such would bring him the same enjoyment. He wanted to know more than just the taste of her mouth, and he wanted to know how it would feel to be inside her, their sweat-drenched bodies moving in time to the rhythm of their heartbeats.
Despite the guilt he felt for the previous night's awkwardness, the thoughts stirred in his imagination, further-irritating the particular curses of being male in the morning. But Hitomi had seemed so uncomfortable when he had acted on his desires, and he would not make the same mistake again. From now on she would be calling the shots.
He began to hum the same Fanelian tune that Folken had often whistled. It was a wedding march they had learned from their mother, called "Dragon's Bride." He smiled with pride, thinking of how it would be played when he and Hitomi walked arm-in-arm down the aisle; he in his armor and she in her...fursode? Was that the word she had used? He wondered exactly what such a garment looked like. Hitomi stirred again beneath the covers, not opening her eyes. He stroked her hair softly, trying to coax her out of sleep before...
A loud, sharp knock came at the door. Hitomi jumped, jolted from her slumber. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. "I'm sorry." said Van, "That's our breakfast. Come in!" he commanded in the direction of the door. It creaked open and a young handmaiden walked in with a tray. She bowed to Van.
The girl couldn't have been more than sixteen years in age. She had beautiful, lilac-colored hair which was pulled back in to a long, thick braid reaching to the middle of her back. When she lifted her face, Hitomi was struck by her piercing green eyes. They were a bright, intense shade of jade -- rather than Hitomi's seafoam color. It was only upon second glance that Hitomi realized with shock that the left half of the girl's face and neck were covered in burn scars. The girl looked equally surprised to see Hitomi there.
"Well, good morning Van-sama. Who is your guest?" she asked in an unfalteringly velvety voice.
"Good morning, Halena. This is Hitomi." he answered. "My fiancee. Our engagement is to be officially announced later this week."
"Ah, Hitomi. Pleased to meet you." said the maid with another bow, smirking inwardly at the fact that the couple were already sharing a bed.
"Pleased to meet you too." offered Hitomi, sleepily.
Halena set the breakfast tray on the table and left the room quickly. Van stood and offered his hand to Hitomi, helping her out of bed.
"That poor girl..." Hitomi whispered, "What happened to her face?"
"She barely survived Zaibach's attack." Van answered with a frown. "She lost her entire family. Merle employed her here to give her a home and some stability."
"Merle really cares about these kids, doesn't she?" asked Hitomi with an affectionate smile. Van nodded. "Hey, doesn't Merle usually eat breakfast with you?"
"Yeah. I guess she thought she'd be intruding..."
Merle sat on her windowsill, filing her fingernails habitually with a slight frown on her face. She wouldn't be eating breakfast with Van anymore. She'd promised herself long ago that she would never get in the way of he and Hitomi again. She was happy to see them together. She was happy to see Van so happy, and she liked Hitomi, too. She wished she could join them; share a meal with them like one big, happy family. But they were probably being all lovey-dovey, and her presence would be resented. After years apart, they deserved time to themselves. Was this how it was going to be from now on? She felt a pang of lonliness inside and the sting of tears threatening to rise in the corners of her eyes.
She secretly wished she had what they had. She had several acquaintances, people she talked to and sozialized with reguarly, but she didn't get close to many people. She'd always had Van, of course, and in years that followed the war she made another very close friend. That was Celena Schezar, Allen's little sister. She hadn't known of the girl's past as Dilandu when they first met, but Celena irked her all the same. Merle had behaved in her usual, aloof and impolite manner towards her at first, but the Asturian girl seemed almost fascinated with her and persisted, no matter how rudely Merle behaved. She later learned that in her childhood, Celena was cared for by a dog-man, which had instilled in her a trust in and affinity for beastmen.
Hitomi had said that people return your emotions, and the same was eventually true for Merle. She caved in, made friends with Celena, and poured her heart out to the kind and understanding girl. In turn, Celena had told her of her own inner demons, which made Merle's seem pale in comparison. After that, the two were inseperable, visiting each other as much as their lives - which were fairly free from obligation - allowed. That had all changed recently. Celena now had a plethora of duties which kept the friends from seeing each other very frequently. Now Merle felt more alone than she'd been in her entire life.
Halena entered the room then, carrying a tray of steaming food. She raised an eyebrow at Merle. "You're not having breakfast with the king today, hmm? I can't say I blame ya, he and that girl were reeeeeal cozy in there..." She gave a sadistic smirk as she set down the tray.
Yeah, go ahead and rub it in, bitch! thought Merle with an irritated swoosh of her tale.
"Don't look so sad." the handmaiden continued. "Things are just following their natural course. There's no place for cat-girls in the royal bedchambers."
"You ever say ANYTHING like that to me again," Merle hissed, "and you are OUT OF A JOB! Don't forget that this cat-girl is the reason you have a place to go and food to eat!"
"Hmmph." said Halena, "You take offense far too easily." With that, she left the room, leaving Merle staring angrily at the space in the doorway she had occupied. Hitomi appeared in that space shortly after. Merle's fur prickled and she let out a startled squeak.
"Hitomi?" asked the cat-girl, surprised.
"Merle, would you like to come have breakfast with Van and I?" she asked. Merle's eyes lit up instantly.
"I would love to." she answered.
The day's shopping trip had gone well, and Hitomi returned with an armload of new clothing just in time for dinner. Spending anyone's money other than her parents' felt horribly strange to her, but Merle had goaded her on, insisting that she could purchase whatever she wanted. Everyday clothes were all made rather simply, she observed. She had chosen a lot of pants from the boys' racks; despite the fact that skirts or dresses - the typical fashion of Fanelian women - were available in abundance. She paired them with more feminine-looking blouses though, and also chose a few more elegant dresses for formal occasions. Merle had insisted that she wear one of them to dinner, if only to show it off to Van. It had short, puffy sleeves and reached to ankle-length; its sheer fabric showing off the finer points of her figure. It certainly caught his attention.
It wasn't as if he had never looked at her that way before, but now his hungry eyes upon her body reminded her of the awkward occurrences that had taken place in his bed and she fidgeted uncomfortably. After the meal, she decided she needed to have a serious talk with her fiancé. The words "serious talk" never had pleasant connotations for Van, and he followed her to his room with reluctance.
"About last night..." she said hesitantly, sitting on the edge of the bed. She crossed her legs daintily, dangling them over the side, but lifting them so that her feet would not touch the floor. She let her new slippers slide from her feet, and they hit the stone with a gentle thud. She forced herself to look at Van as she spoke. "I'm sorry."
"Why?" asked Van, fighting the flush of embarrassment that rose in his cheeks anyway, despite his best efforts to contain it. He did not take notice that Hitomi was equally flushed. Discomfort was as plain as day on both of their faces.
"I shouldn't have stopped you..."
"Well, you didn't really stop me." said Van, after a long pause. "You just seemed horribly uncomfortable. I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything before you are ready, despite my own desires." He turned his eyes to the ground with the last words.
"Believe me," said Hitomi, struggling to move heavy words from the tip of her tongue to the air, "those desires are mine as well. It's just that, well, we've never done anything remotely...like that before."
Van scooted up beside Hitomi and put his arm over her shoulder reassuringly. "Which is precisely why I am not going to touch you like that again until you ask me to."
"You can't rely on me to ask." Hitomi frowned. "I've never asked before, regardless of how much I've wanted it."
"You've been honest with me about everything else you want." said Van. "Why not that?"
"Maybe it's the same reason you were afraid to tell me that you loved me during the war. I am scared of what I feel and I don't know exactly what will come of it."
I know what will come of it. Van thought to himself. We'll do some things. We'll eventually make love. We'll still be happy. It's a fairly simple equation. Then he thought back to the times she spoke of; the day when he'd confronted her in the guymelef hanger and came frighteningly close to confessing his feelings for her. They were feelings he wasn't even sure of, and didn't even understand. Her analogy made him feel much more sympathetic to her situation.
"I don't want to alienate you with my uncertainty, though." she said to him.
In response, Van leaned in and kissed her temple, then he whispered, lowering his face and brushing his lips softly against her ear: "Don't worry about it. By the time I am through with you, you'll be begging."
His voice carried with it a quality of danger. Hitomi felt that strange sensation rush through her again, as goosebumps blossomed across her arms. Van slowly kissed her neck just below her jawline, sensually caressing the soft skin with the tip of his tongue. Then he stopped. "I'm going to get changed for bed." he said.
Bastard, thought Hitomi to herself.
Tired from the days' activities, Van did not come through on his threat that night. He wrapped his arms around Hitomi and was asleep within moments. Bastard she thought again, combing her fingers through his lovely black hair and kissing his forehead, I love him so much.
It was midnight. Clouds blanketed the moon and stars, snuffing out their light, and the castle's garden was hauntingly empty. The breeze rustled through the leaves of plants, and a shadowy figure crept stealthily behind a hedge. The silence was broken by a whisper. "Is the coast clear?" asked a voice.
"Yes." responded a second voice. There was more rustling, and two figures stood, their silhouettes barely visible in the darkness. One was feminine in form; the other was that of a man.
"What do you have to report?" asked the man.
"The king is getting married, Kipalisa." said the woman in a hushed whisper.
"Is it the girl from the Mystic Moon?" he asked.
"I don't know." said the woman. "Her name was Hitomi."
"That is the girl from the Mystic Moon." her male counterpart confirmed. He shook his head fervently in disapproval. "That place is cursed. Fanelia has been imploding upon itself ever since Goau Fanel was foolish enough to marry a Draconian woman. Their first son ran away from the rite of Dragonslaying; their second ran away from his country when it was under attack. Despite the fact that he came back to rebuild, it was inexcusable. The royal blood has been tainted with curse. Now the king intends to contaminate it even further. It sickens me. I will have to carry out the plan sooner than I had thought. We will get vengeance for the fallen. Be prepared."
"I understand, but be safe, my love. I do not wish to loose you as well." She spoke calmly, but clasped his hand in hers with an unspoken desperation. "I think I know of a way that I can stir up a bit of trouble, perhaps create a bit of distraction, if it will aid you."
"Well, that was always what you've done best." said the man. The woman gave an
amused laugh, and their shadowy forms came together in a kiss. It was short, and then
they parted; the man leaving the garden. The woman stayed behind for several moments,
looking up at the empty sky.
AN: Changes to this chapter were minimal. I tried to lengthen it a bit, and further-express Merle's insecurities about the new situation. I can sort of relate to how she feels, because earlier this year, one of my good friends started dating my brother. I was happy for both of them, but at the same time, it was weird... She comes over all the time, but I've been feeling like I need to keep my distance, give them space, and not interfere with what they have. Van is a lot like her brother and best friend rolled in to one, and I can imagine she'd feel a lot like I did.
Site Plug: http://www.opalwings.com/escaflowne