Title: Intruder Alert
Author: Haze
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne so don't sue me…
Chapter Dedication: esca chick, anime_luver, Kat, mel88, Xelena, jess131346, Divine Discontent, amara2417, Princess Neptune
Chapter 4: And so the Sparks Flew
"Everything is going out well," Hitomi mumbled on the phone summarizing the past three weeks of her life in Japan. "So, what did you say about Allen again?"
"He's just fine but more girls have been flocking around if you get my drift," Millerna hinted.
"We're trying our best to keep them away, so don't worry," Yukari assured.
"Hitomi~"
"Got to go, girls," Hitomi informed. "My brother is calling me. Celena must be down already."
Before any of the two girls on the other line could utter something, Hitomi had ended the call and raced around the room to make herself presentable. A couple of minutes later, a knocking could be heard on her door.
"Just a moment," Hitomi mumbled, putting on her shoes.
Still a couple of minutes passed and she opened her room's door to see Celena and Hiko.
"Uh, sorry about that," she said, smiling. "I was talking to my friends and I happen to forget that I wasn't ready yet."
"That's alright, Hitomi," Celena assured. "Hiko and I were having a little chat."
Hitomi raised a brow and looked at Hiko. "Oh?"
"Yeah. Don't worry, it's about school stuff and NOT girl stuff or something. So from that, you know that it doesn't revolve around your life," Hiko mumbled and began to walk off. "I'm off. Mom and Dad mentioned that we're going somewhere."
When Hiko had left, Celena turned her attention to Hitomi. "You're brother is pretty nice."
Hitomi rolled her eyeballs. "Try being his sister and you'll know that he can be a pain in the neck."
Celena giggled. "Brothers are often like that. And I think for them, we're as annoying as we find them to be."
"I guess so." Hitomi shrugged. "We'll let's go shopping."
With that, they were off.
For the first two weeks of school, it was hell for Hitomi. She couldn't join the track team because of the sprain and when it was gone, there was always her dread of seeing Miguel AND Dilandau. Then again, whether she goes to the oval or not, she had always had this bad luck of seeing and having encounters with them.
The following three weeks thereafter, Hitomi and Celena had been hanging out with each other. At first, Hitomi had all the time to focus on liking science not having any choice but not to join the track team just so she would not increase her chances of having to see her enemies.
In the middle of the second week of her companionship with Celena, she found out that her gorgeous science teacher was actually the coach of kendo club. With Celena's support, she joined the club and worked hard to get the hang of it and impress her hunk of a coach.
Fortunately for her, since she joined kendo, she didn't have the bad luck of having to encounter her top hated people. How she hated Miguel and Dilandau! Miguel who was so conceited and was the one who sent the soccer ball flying towards her head. And Dilandau who was the reason why she was being in the bad state with the student body and the reason why she had that painful sprain AND the one who always had to piss the hell out of her for no reason at all, at least in her point of view.
Though she was still in a bad position in school, everything was tolerable enough when she was with Celena.
"Where are your parents and brother going by the way?"
Hitomi shrugged as she returned another clothing in the rack. "Not sure of the exact place but for the past few weeks, Dad had been carrying off Mom to his long-time friend and business associate's place. Then lately, Hiko had been joining them."
"How about you?"
"They know that I'm hanging with you. And besides, maybe I'll just get bored there."
"Well, point taken. So, anyway. . ."
"Good work, Hitomi!" Celena cheered as Hitomi slumped beside her.
"I'm drained," Hitomi mumbled.
"Don't worry. Practice is over and you're improving much," Folken's voice interrupted.
Hitomi blushed. "Really? Thanks, coach."
"Well, I'm going ahead," Folken said and left the cleaning up to the members.
"He's so cute!" Hitomi exclaimed.
"Don't get your spirits up." Celena smiled. "I heard he had himself engaged before the semester started."
"Engaged? To who?"
"I'm not sure yet. But we'll know."
"So, where are we off to?" Guimel asked as they stepped out of the locker room fresh from shower.
"I'm going off on a date with my girl, so leave me out," Viole informed walking away already.
"And Van?"
Van looked at Dilandau. "And Van what?"
"Aren't you going out with YOUR girl?"
"What girl?"
"Celena?"
Van glared at his red-eyed captain. "Stop pushing it. She's like my sister. If I step over that line, I'm going to be so disgusted with myself thinking that I've done incest."
"But the point is," Dilandau began. "You're NOT her brother."
"But we have a brother-sister relationship," Van interrupted. "If you don't want me hanging out with you and the others because you're still getting fried by Coach Spitfire because of my behavior, just tell me."
"You don't have to get touchy," Gatti interrupted. "Why don't we---"
"Go to some bar." Dalet smirked. "More girls."
"I have to go home," Chesta informed as he looked at his watch. "I remembered that I need to finish a project. I'm not going to get kicked out off the team because of some project you know."
"Well, that leaves us then." Guimel sighed. "No Viole and no Chesta."
"And no Dilandau," Dilandau interrupted and began to walk off. "I need to do something important."
Miguel shrugged. "Well, let's go. We don't have much time to have fun."
"So now, you're talking," Van teased. "You were so quiet that I was beginning to think you are missing your green-eyed ogre."
Miguel glared and the rest just laughed at his reaction.
The hall was pretty much empty as it had already been a long time since dismissal from classes. Hiko had just finished hanging out with his friends and was on his way to the kendo club to tell Hitomi that their limo was there when he spotted a certain eye-catcher walking passed him. He had found out from his stay here that this guy was popular.
"Wait."
Hiko looked back and pointed to himself. "Me?"
"Yeah, you."
The popular guy walked towards Hiko. "Kanzaki, right?"
"Uh, yeah."
Dilandau stared at Hiko. "Have you seen a girl with blond hair and have this pair of blue eyes?"
"No. But I could help you look for her," Hiko offered, thinking that he'd have nothing to do than wait for Hitomi to finish her kendo. "But I have to go tell my sister something first."
"I see. Alright. Where to?"
"Kendo."
Hiko was surprised when Dilandau actually started to walk towards where the kendo club was. He did find it strange that Dilandau would just do that since he was one of the high hierarchy of school. And as far as his memory would serve him well, high people do not go with regular ones.
"What are you waiting for?" Dilandau called out, still walking.
"Nothing," Hiko answered, running to catch up with Dilandau.
They were pretty much silent on the way there. When they stood at the kendo club entrance, Hiko immediately spotted a blond girl with blue eyes who happened to be Celena, his sister's close friend here. Hitomi was nowhere to be found and was probably changing.
"Never mind, Kanzaki," Dilandau said. "I'm going."
"Huh?"
Dilandau had left and Hiko didn't know why.
'Kendo,' Dilandau thought. 'So Celena and her friend are actually hanging in Kendo.'
He had been missing the enjoyment of annoying Celena's friend. He did see her every lunch time but she was with Celena. Annoying Celena is out of the question. He'd be fried alive at home.
But every dismissal, before soccer practice, he couldn't have the chance to have a brush with the green-eyed friend of Celena. She seemed to have disappeared. And now he knew where to find her. So that's about finishing the important thing he had to do.
~*A week later*~
"Can we just change the subject?" Hitomi asked irately once more trying to divert the flow from Allen and her friends in America to something else.
"Hey, it reminds me, Hitomi's popular again." Hiko grinned.
Hitomi glared at him and was just about ready to throw the fork at him when Mrs. Kanzaki interrupted.
"Really? That's nice, dear."
Hiko grinned. Hitomi was popular in a wrong sense of way like girls hating her and making jokes out of her.
"By the way, Hitomi, I've noticed that you've been having more phone calls with Celena more than your other friends in America lately," Mrs. Kanzaki noted. "It seems you've developed a close bond in a short time."
"Well yeah," Hitomi admitted, smiling. "We get along pretty well."
"So, when are you planning to bring her for dinner?"
"I don't know. Oh yeah, she invited me to her place tomorrow after shopping since it is weekend. May I?"
"But Hitomi, we're going to a friend's house tomorrow. And it's about time that you come with us."
"Aw, Mom."
"She may go," Mr. Kanzaki interrupted. "Hiko and Hitomi would be in a lot of argument and we can't have that. Besides, she might just mop around there. And one more thing," he paused, looking meaningfully at his wife.
"Oh, of course," Mrs. Kanzaki hastily consented.
"What one more thing?" Hiko asked curiously.
"Hiko dear, you wouldn't understand and Hitomi," Mrs. Kanzaki said thoughtfully. "Never mind."
Hitomi didn't like that one bit. It was almost like they did something she would NOT like at all just like this move thing. But better leave that for now. Maybe it could still change, hopefully.
"So, I can go tomorrow?"
Mr. Kanzaki nodded.
Hitomi and Celena met up at a boutique in the mall. And after a couple of hours of shopping around, they went to Celena's place. Upon entering the house, Celena and Hitomi came face to face with one Lavariel Miguel.
Celena winced inwardly. Boy, was this going to be something or what?
Hitomi raised a brow. Miguel rolled his eyes. Then, they both looked at Celena.
"What is this person doing in here?" They asked at the same time.
They looked at each other and narrowed their eyes. "Don't copy what I'm saying!" They said in unison. Then, they both gritted their teeth and glared at each other. "Copycat ogre!"
Celena stifled her giggles. For some people who hate each other, they sure do think and say the same thing and at the same time, too.
"Stuck-up, conceited little twerp!" They hissed at each other. "Photocopy, brainless brat!"
A series more of insults followed and strangely, they both said the same thing at the same time. So they just settled for glaring at each other.
Celena just stood there, trying hard not to burst out laughing at her two friends and their silly antics. It wasn't till someone bothered to interrupt that Celena actually bothered entertaining thoughts of bringing Hitomi somewhere in the house where none of the guys would be around.
"What is going on?" Dalet's voice interrupted Celena's concentration.
"Oh, they're having a glaring contest," Celena replied casually, although the smile she had on wasn't THAT casual.
"And who's winning?"
"No one. Just look at them."
Miguel and Hitomi looked as if they were already sending out sparks between their eyes with the same intensity of fierceness.
"I see." Dalet shrugged. "Well, I'm here to get Miguel. The others are beginning to wonder if he drowned by having too much fresh air outside. But now I know. He's just too preoccupied in winning the contest with HER."
"Well, you better drag him off before they pounce at each other," Celena suggested, eyeing the two engrossed in glaring at each other to death.
"Just what is going on here?" Gatti interrupted.
"They're having a glaring contest. And no one is winning," Celena and Dalet both informed like it was nothing, really.
"Well, since no one is winning, I'll just drag Miguel off," Gatti said, already dragging Miguel away. "And just for information, Celena, Van and Merle are with us."
Celena bit her lower lip. Maybe she could just have a couple of minutes with them before she brings Hitomi out of hostile zone.
"Uh, Hitomi, do you think we could go see the others before we go to a place where no one you hate is there?"
Hitomi looked at Celena thoughtfully. It was a nice offer. Maybe she could finish off her war with Miguel before she goes out of the war zone. "Of course."
"Uh, Hitomi, before we go, could you promise me you're not going to pounce on Miguel?"
"How is he related to you anyway?" Hitomi countered, not willing to promise Celena.
"Long story and I will only tell if you promise."
Hitomi reflected. 'Well, maybe I could just hurt him next time.' "Okay, I promise."
"Alright. Then I'll tell you later."
"What happened to you, Miguel?" Guimel asked the moment Gatti entered the living room, dragging Miguel followed by Dalet.
"Did you drown from too much fresh air?" Viole asked in a teasing tone.
Miguel frowned. "Not exactly. But I wish I did drown someone."
"The girl," Dalet and Gatti both informed the others.
Merle raised a brow. "The girl?"
"Remember the girl I told you about and who told Miguel off?" Viole looked at his pink-haired, tan-skinned girlfriend.
"She's just about coming in," Van pointed out as Celena and Hitomi entered.
Upon entrance, Miguel and Hitomi immediately engaged into their glaring contest. Chesta's brow furrowed. The two were sure taking the simple brush-off seriously.
"Mind introducing your friend, Celena?" One ruby-eyed boy drawled as he ended the phone call he was having for an hour now.
Celena frowned as she looked at Hitomi and Miguel. When the two didn't seem to notice anyone at all, she just proceeded with the introductions.
"Uh, everyone, this is my friend Hitomi. She's from the US and she transferred just this year. She's our junior by a year."
Merle raised a brow and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she looked at Hitomi who was still busy returning Miguel's glare with the same enthusiasm. She liked her spirit. And she could tell that Hitomi would brew up one good outbreak.
"Hitomi?" Celena tried but Hitomi didn't notice her at all. When she had had it, she jerked Hitomi away from Miguel. "I have just introduced you, so now it's your turn to know them."
Hitomi shrugged slightly. "Fine."
Celena motioned to Miguel. "You know Miguel. The person near him is Gatti and the person standing just a couple of steps away is Dalet. The girl is Merle and the one sitting beside her is Viole, her boyfriend. The one in the opposite is Guimel and the blond one sitting beside him is Chesta."
Hitomi nodded. But Celena drew her attention to a boy with raven hair. "That's Van. And the one sitting near him is---"
"You?!" Hitomi broke out.
Ruby eyes sparkled even more as he stood up and smiled. "So, Hitomi, we meet again. I see you remember me quiet well basing from your reaction. My name is Dilandau. Nice meeting you."
Green eyes fired up. She clenched her fists and turned to Celena. "What is he doing in here?" She asked through forced calmness.
"I just happen to live here," Dilandau's voice interrupted before Celena could answer. "And what are YOU doing here?"
Hitomi snapped her attention back to Dilandau. "It's none of your business."
"Well, I'm making it mine since I live here."
Just then, it clicked. "You mean---" Hitomi started.
"He's my brother," Celena finished.
"Twin to be exact," Dilandau drawled.
Hitomi looked at Celena. "I'm leaving. I just remembered that my family is going to a friend's house." She walked towards where she entered from.
"But I thought your parents allowed you to come here," Celena reasoned.
Gatti looked at Dilandau and instantly knew that Dilandau was enjoying making Hitomi flare up. For whatever reasons though, Gatti couldn't imagine what.
"Looking for an escape route, Hitomi?" Dilandau's voice teased.
Hitomi spun around abruptly and she glared into Dilandau's amused face. "What the HELL is your problem?!"
"I think I should be asking you THAT. You're the one raving in here."
The rest were plainly puzzled. What's up with these two?
"Look here Mister! You're the reason why the DAMN student population is talking negatively of me! And whatever got into the brains of those upsetting girl fans of yours, I'm sure it's YOUR fault. Wait, I think they DON'T have brains anyway, but as sure as HELL it's YOUR fault!" She snapped, eyes looking as if she was ready to eat anyone alive.
"Temper," Dilandau warned casually, eyes plainly telling everyone not to butt in between him and Hitomi. "I'm surprised you haven't launched an attack on me the first time I got glared at by a girl which by no means is you. And I'm even more surprised that you haven't even attempted to eat Celena all those times you two spent together."
That did it. The way he said the words in a suave way got on her nerves. Without giving second thought, she launched on her red-eyed tormentor with every intention of injuring him severely, if not killing him off.
They both toppled to the carpeted flooring. Hitomi ended on top of Dilandau. She raised her hand to slap him and when her hand was but an inch away from his flawless, handsome visage, his hand gripped her wrist and effectively stopped her hand from crashing down on his pale cheek.
"What the---" A familiar voice of a boy mumbled.
Everyone including Hitomi and Dilandau looked at the living room's huge entrance and saw a boy of sixteen standing just in front of two pairs of parents.
"Dad? Mom?" Hitomi and Dilandau muttered at the same time.
~tbc~
Author's Note: That's what I can write for now. It's a bit weird but I hope it didn't looked rushed. I apologize for whatever errors and for the events here you didn't like. You would have to put up with that since it's needed for the story. I know. The reason seemed too clichéd. But it's just it --- the reason.
By the way, Merle here is 100% human. No fur. No whiskers. And all those things like the tail with the fangs and you know how a cat looks like. About the part where Hitomi and Miguel seemed to really hate each other, well, it goes with the flow I guess. But I have been planning for something for all the characters. But it will most likely be scraped out coz this is a D/H. But perhaps I'll make room or something. Not sure.
As ending, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and commented. Thank you very, very much. I really appreciate it. Thank you so much. It keeps the inspiration going. Thanks ^^
