Title: Intruder Alert

Author: Haze

Disclaimer: I don't own everyone in Vision of Escaflowne so don't sue me…

Chapter Dedication: esca chick, Blue Demon, Waterwing_13, PrincessNeptune, Fushizen na, Lani-Anela, Kat-Tastrophe, naria, Xelena, stargazin, caitie, Yukishin, Magicman/Smokegirl, Pyro'sgirl, Ruby,                 , Ledophole, kenkao fanatic, dreamer, jess131346

Chapter 9: They're a couple?!

Miguel withdrew and looked at Chesta for a time. "You mean he's. . ." He trailed off.

Chesta nodded. "He's bulimic."

Just then, Dilandau opened the door.

"What are you two doing here?" He demanded.

Miguel looked uncomfortable but Chesta was plainly cool. "I asked Miguel to accompany me here to help me look for my electronic notepad. But Miguel and I were arguing on its possible locations."

Dilandau was about to say something when the loud bell rang and most students were rushing everywhere. And then the principal, Sir Balgus, walked towards them.

"What are you boys doing here standing?" He asked. "Aren't you all supposed to be in class?"

"We were just about to go, Sir Balgus," Chesta explained.

"I see. Well do so. I do not have the slightest want to see any of you in my office with your parents. You know how skeptical most of the teachers here are. Now before any suspicion comes your way, drop any pretenses and scramble."

Dilandau grinned unconsciously. "Don't worry, old chap. We're as straight as a line done by a grade school kid."

Balgus smiled. "Well, at least it's improvement. Last time I checked, it was a line by a pre school child and before that, there wasn't even a line."

"Not exactly. Before that, there were broken lines, earlier it were dots, and far earlier was when there weren't anything at all."

Laughter from Balgus followed suit and he patted Dilandau's back. "Well then kids, trudge along."

"Yes, Sir Balgus," Dilandau said in a whiny pre school voice imitation.

Chesta and Miguel said their versions of agreement and went away, leaving the principal staring at them and shaking his head, he walked away smiling.

"Guess what?" A girl asked excitedly.

"What?!" The others exclaimed with same enthusiasm.

"Someone saw Dilandau-sama in a lingerie shop!"

The girls oh-ed and ah-ed. The first girl proceeded to tell them the rest of the story and soon they were making plans of trekking there more often.

Hitomi rolled her eyes as she looked at the monitor in front of her, busy in her thoughts. 'Can't they talk about something more interesting or better yet, can't they just shut up?! If they're going to talk about Dilandau and his groupies, I'm going to have to storm out of here and grab Ms. Aston from the ladies' room.'

"I almost forgot! There was 'you know who' with him and she dragged him out," the first girl interrupted. "What a---"

Hitomi gritted her teeth and focused on not hearing the voices of the girls. 'Dilandau, you are really going to pay for all this! Not that you did anything directly but still, this is YOUR fault.'

"Great work people," Folken praised his kendo *children*. He had always treated them as such not to mention call them as that. "Well, that ends today's practice."

When Folken had left, the rest proceeded to clean up the place and then get themselves cleaned up. The moment Hitomi walked out with the other *children* to the hall, she found herself wishing she had stayed behind for a longer shower.

"We're going to the mall," Dilandau promptly informed upon seeing her.

The few girls in the club smiled at each other before looking at Hitomi. The boys did the same, only they tried to hide it from Dilandau. He might have gone straight, but there still always the possibility that he might revert back to being one scary delinquent.

"I am NOT taking orders from you!" Hitomi snapped, marching back into the kendo practice room.

Dilandau looked slightly irritated and he grabbed Hitomi's arm before she could march pass the door. "It wouldn't matter. I can always DRAG you."

With that said, he proceeded to drag away a stubborn Hitomi who was fighting him and at the same time threatening him.

The rest of Folken's *children* stared at the two, wondering how Dilandau miraculously tolerated such an attitude and wondering how Hitomi could find such a courage to be like that around Dilandau.

But for the most part of the wondering, it was focused on one thing. What exactly is the relationship between the two?

"You could've gone there with your groupies you know," Hitomi mumbled as she plopped herself on the couch.

She was dragged along wherever Dilandau went to the mall which was practically almost everywhere. And all that was for another set of spike shoes he needed because his coach demanded that he have an extra to be left tomorrow in the Coach's care for another set of reserves.

"We would've taken longer," he said flatly and sat down beside her, placing his arms on top of the couch. He leaned his head back on the couch and stared blankly at the ceiling. 'Damn! Good thing they didn't see me. Or for this matter, they didn't see Hitomi. Just the thought of what might happen is giving me a headache.'

"But at least I wouldn't have to wear myself out for your spike shoes. Do you have an idea on how I had to push myself just so you wouldn't drag me altogether when we were finished with your shoes? Man! You practically ran out and raced to the parking lot with me in tow."

"You'll thank me for that someday," he mumbled almost incoherently as his eyes closed. With his lack of food and the hell of a practice at soccer plus what happened in the mall, he was dead beat.

But Hitomi heard what he said and she snapped her attention to Dilandau to demand what he meant, but was surprised to see that he had fallen asleep. She would've woken him up just to piss him off but then, he looked too peaceful, too innocent, and very angelic although she hated to admit it even to herself.

'I'll let you off of any form of revenge for now Dilandau, but next time, I'm taking all chances to get back at you for EVERYTHING,' she mused.

She was about to stand up and just take a taxi home when one of Dilandau's hand slipped from the couch to her shoulder. She reached a hand to her shoulder to remove his hand when he pulled her to him.

'Okay. This is so NOT good,' she thought as she tried to make a distance between her face and the crook of Dilandau's neck. But Dilandau pulled her closer and tightened his hold on her even more.

She couldn't very well scream there for him to let her go, so she settled for whispering harshly. "Either you let me go or I'll make you so sorry."

"Hmm," he mumbled but kept his hold on Hitomi, tightening it more with every squirm she made in an attempt to be released.

"They're spending time with each other, aren't they?" Mr. Albatou challenged his wife as they stepped out of the car and walked towards the house.

"Yes. But they were ordered to."

"Point taken. However, there was this instance that Ryu mentioned that he and his wife saw Dilandau with Hitomi together outside the gate of their house. Besides, don't you remember when we caught them in a very suggestive position?"

"But Hitomi was denying---"

"Of course she would deny. That's but natural when one is not yet ready to make known an existing relationship. You can't say they were trying to be in a wrestling match. No one was stopping them."

"Yes. But there is still a possibility that we might have just misinterpreted everything."

"So you need one more proof? Alright, if we see them together one more time without them knowing that we're around," he stopped and smiled triumphantly.

His wife raised a brow and followed his line of vision. They were standing by the entrance of their living room and were now looking at the leather couch where the two people of their topic were sleeping TOGETHER. They walked towards the two as silently as they can for closer inspection.

They were laid in the couch, with Dilandau on the outer part. Hitomi was snuggled near him and her arms were tucked between her and Dilandau with her hands grasping Dilandau's shirt. Dilandau on the other hand had his leg draped on Hitomi's legs and his arms wrapped around her back, holding her so closely.

Mr. Albatou looked at his wife still with the triumphant smile and pulled her away from the living room. Minutes later, Mrs. Albatou was glaring at her husband because they were now back in the living room with her husband taking pictures of the two sleeping figure in the couch like he was some porn photographer.

When she had had enough of her husband's silliness, she pulled him away by the ear.

The moment Celena entered with Merle, they were knocked speechless at the sight that greeted them in the living room. Merle smiled soon at the sight and pulled Celena to her room.

"What was that all about, Merle?" Celena asked. "Why did you pull me away?"

"We shouldn't disturb your brother and *his* Hitomi," Merle replied, grinning with much mischief.

"You know something that they're not telling me, don't you?"

"Let's just say I suspected something."

"What?"

"Celena, people just don't start from fighting and morph into inseparable people if they're not into something. And that's just what happened with your brother and Hitomi. As far as I can remember, you told me that Hitomi hates your brother."

"You know what, Merle? I am so thankful that we didn't bring anyone of our friends here. If they had seen this, I don't know what will happen in school."

"I know. The news would spread. Your bro's admirers would hate Hitomi even more and maybe attempt to kill her. And the rest would be havoc."

Celena looked at Merle closely. "Exactly why are you grinning like that?"

"Well, did you ever see Dilandau become tame?"

A brow went up. "No."

"Exactly why I'm grinning. It would be a good thing to see when your brother finding someone who would domesticate him. Fortunately, here comes Hitomi."

"We're not going to tell this around, are we?"

"Of course not! We wouldn't want their budding romance to be trampled on as early as now. We'll just keep a look out for them and make sure that no one would be able to disturb their *friendship*."

Celena sighed and looked at her friend. "There's no stopping you, is there?"

"Nope," Merle announced. "This is just too good to be put to a stop."

Hitomi snuggled deeper to the warmth engulfing her. Sleeping can never get this good.

Just then she realized something so very not right. Since when did her bed and pillow engulf her in an embrace? And most importantly, since when did her bed and pillow smell like Dilandau?

Then it clicked. She remembered that when she couldn't seem to get out of Dilandau's grip, she seized moving and waited for him to sleep well so she can slip out. But she got tired of waiting and Dilandau's good smell made her sleepy and she soon ignored the fact that they were moving positions on the couch.

Her eyes snapped open and she realized much to her horror that she was actually sleeping in the couch beside Dilandau, with him wrapping her into his embrace, arms and even legs around her.

She could feel panic welling up within her. What if they were caught? What if someone had already seen them? What would happen if the news got out in school? What would happen if Hiko tells her friends during a phone call when she's out? What if Allen learned of this?

She moved away as slowly as she could to avoid waking Dilandau. Just imagine the hell of embarrassment it would be for both of them if he woke up. But the moment she had managed to move an inch from him, Dilandau stirred and pulled her closer again.

'Just great!' her mind said sarcastically as she again tried to move away.

For many minutes, it was just like that, Hitomi making her move to get away.

"Stop moving," Dilandau mumbled, eyes still close.

Hitomi did and her now wide eyes stared at Dilandau. She was wishing fervently that he was still asleep and was merely dreaming. For a long time, no one moved. She released the breath she didn't realize she was holding and renewed her efforts.

"Quit that," Dilandau mumbled once more and pulled her close.

She couldn't take this anymore, especially now when she was starting to get very appreciative of Dilandau's nice smell and she was beginning to like the way he was holding her close.

"Dilandau, I demand that you let me go this instant!" She whispered harshly.

"Hmm," he mumbled but did not even do any movement indicating of her release.

"That's it!" She hissed and began to push him away.

He moved finally and she tensed up in anticipation of being released of his hold. But he only stirred to change position. Hitomi ended up underneath him.

"Damn it, Dilandau! I'm demanding to be released not be squished!"

"Can't you just shut up and let me sleep?" He mumbled sleepily.

"You can sleep after you release me!"

He groaned slightly and buried his face deeper into Hitomi's hair. "Fine, try moving out."

"What?!"

"You don't expect me to stand up and tire myself, do you?"

Hitomi gritted her teeth to prevent herself from screaming in aggravation. Dilandau felt her tension and he drew back and looked at her only to notice her growing frustration. And being him, he was enjoying it.

He had woken up earlier than Hitomi but was strangely comfortable holding her. She was just too perfect in his arms that he decided to keep her there even just for once. And when she had woken up, he pretended to be asleep but gave it away when Hitomi wouldn't stop squirming.

"Are you sure you want to get off the couch?" He asked with a suppressed teasing tone.

Green eyes glared fiercely at him and through gritted teeth, she answered. "Obviously!"

"Don't you think you'll be missing much if you do?"

"Damn it! Just get off me this instant!"

"What would you do if I don't?"

"I swear I'll make you pay! Now get off before I start screaming!"

A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. "I'm sure you watch movies, Hitomi."

"Well, duh!"

He laughed almost softly. "Then I'm sure you know what usually happens in movies when a girl becomes so noisy." For additional effect, he licked his upper lip hoping to get her to react to his teasing.

Hitomi narrowed her eyes in anger and disgust. "Don't you dare, Dilandau Albatou! I swear you'll regret it dearly!"

"Cool down. It's not like I really want to kiss someone like you."

She wanted to kill him for the implied insult, but she would let him go this time. She seriously needed to be nice for him to let her go.

"No rebuke?"

She shook her head and looked at him steadily. "Now get off me."

He sensed the seriousness in her voice. She wasn't taking his bait and it was sure that she wasn't going to engage into a friendly bicker (at least in his opinion) with him. She looked touchy in a weird sense of way not like the usual.

"Fine," he said and rolled off her and almost fell off the couch.

Hitomi stood up on the couch and jumped over him to the carpeted floor. She looked at her wrist watch and gasped in shock. "It's five am?"

Dilandau remained laid on the leather couch while he looked at his watch. "Yeah." He turned his head to her direction and noticed that she was tense. "Something wrong?"

"What would my parents think?" She asked worriedly.

"It's just five. No problem on that."

"What do you mean no problem? What would you do if your daughter comes home at five am?"

"Hey, it's her life."

Hitomi glared at Dilandau's direction. "You would be a very, very irresponsible parent, you know."

"Who cares?"

"Certainly not me!" Hitomi snapped and marched towards the living room's entrance-exit. "Stand up before I drag you out."

"What for?" Dilandau asked curiously.

She spun back to face him and glared at him. "Well to bring me home, stupid. It was your fault that I'm here. If you didn't go using me as your cuddle pillow, I would have been home."

He was about to say something about the cuddle pillow part just to irritate Hitomi but the tense look beneath her irritated expression was bugging him. Not like he cared but still, he was getting more curious about why Hitomi was so different in a sense he couldn't exactly put his finger on.

"Fine," he conceded and stood up.

"Uh, about last night," Hitomi began awkwardly as she sat for breakfast.

"Donkirk called and told me that you were already sleeping at their place," Mr. Kanzaki interrupted. "No need to explain. He said you were spending time with your fiancé."

Hitomi resisted the urge to cringe up in disgust at the word fiancé. Why did Dilandau have to be the one she would be engaged to? Why not Allen? Life can never get this bad.

"What time did you arrive home, dear?" Mrs. Kanzaki asked kindly. "And how did you get home? Their driver drove you back?"

"Actually, no. Dilandau gave me a ride home and I think I came just before six."

"I see. So, what did you and Dilandau do?"

"Nothing really. He dragged me off to the mall. We went to his place and slept." 'Together in a couch.' She added mentally.

"How boring," Hiko mumbled. "I think Dilandau got the boring disease from you."

Hitomi glared at her brother. And soon, the topic on Dilandau and her was forgotten.

~*Three days later*~

"By the way, are we going to the concert? It's in the end of the week." Gatti said to his friends as they were preparing to leave the locker room that afternoon.

"I think we all are except for Dilandau here." Van shrugged and slung his sports bag on his shoulder.

"What concert?" Dilandau asked, looking at Van.

"You know. The concert we have been waiting for since I can remember."

Dilandau's brows furrowed and Van's reaction was to grin widely and the others to hide or suppress the grins tugging at their mouths.

"You've been too busy and I guess you'll still be busy, so we'll just tell you about the concert."

"No, I'm going."

"And Hitomi?"

Dilandau shrugged. "I'll think of something. Why are you asking about her anyway?"

"Nothing of importance. Anyway, I think I should be going now because I'll have to ride with my brother."

Following Van's departure, the others left the locker room. Soon, Viole went to fetch his girlfriend and the others pretty much divided up to do their own business in life.

'How do I go to a concert without Hitomi? I wouldn't be able to enjoy if she keeps on whining about wanting to go home. If only I could make my parents allow me to go without her,' Dilandau thought as he walked towards the kendo club.

Dilandau slumped at the couch and stared moodily at his friends and Celena's. They were talking about the coming concert and were planning on many things to do before and after the event.

"So Dilandau," Mei began. "Do you think one of us can hitch a ride with you?"

At another time, he would've flirted with the girls but now, he was not in the mood for such things. He still has to think about his problem with Hitomi. "I'm sure one of the boys could give you a ride."

Mei's pretty face showed signs of disappointment and not to mention shock. No one says no to her. "Why? Are you not going?"

Celena felt the irritation of her brother rise and to prevent any unwanted incident, she decided to butt in. "Oh Mei, I almost forgot, what do you think are we going to wear?"

Of course Mei sensed that Celena was trying to sway the topic and she was about to bring it back when Merle came to Celena's rescue by reinforcing the blonde girl's question. The other girls seemed to be oblivious so she dismissed the thought that Celena and Merle may be hiding something.

Dilandau rolled his eyes. 'At least Hitomi isn't so damn irritating that she's not pushing herself to me. If she had her way, she wouldn't be even within a mile radius near me.'

His thoughts were broken off when his cellphone rang. Reaching for it absently, he answered the call. "Hey."

"Don't just hey me. We have a problem you know."

His thoughts suddenly came back to focus at the familiar voice of Hitomi. He stood up abruptly and left towards the comforts of his room without any word to anyone. "Problem?"

"Yes! About the concert."

His brows furrowed. "Go on."

"Alright. Since we need to spend time with each other, we have to go to the concert together."

"You mean you actually want to go?"

"Why not? I like the band and they're so--- Oh, never mind. Anyway, my dad told me that if I'm not going with you, then I'm not going at all. And I think your dad has the same deal for you so don't be shocked later when he tells you."

"So there's no problem then."

"What do you mean there's no problem? WE are going TOGETHER. Isn't that a PROBLEM? I'm sure you'd be with Celena and she'd be with her friends. And not that I have something against them but they're too stuffy to be around with except for Celena and Merle. So this is definitely a problem."

"Not necessarily. It wouldn't be a problem. We're going together. But I think there's no part that says we need to STAY together during the concert."

"Oh yeah. Well that's good. By the way, I think my dad and your dad have agreed that I'm going to change my clothes there. Well, now that the problem is settled---"

"We have one more."

"What?"

"Going home."

"I could go home alone. No problem with that."

Before Dilandau could say anything to that, Hitomi had ended the call. And knowing how stubborn Hitomi could be, he knew he'd just have to trust her on that. Although he still wasn't too sure about letting her go home alone, he would have no choice but to let her on her decision unless of course they would stay together the entire concert. And that was unlikely since Hitomi disliked being around Celena's friends.

Just as he reached his room, his father came across him in the hallway and called him to the study room. True to Hitomi's words, his father did have the same deal about the concert.

Dilandau and Hitomi entered the house with their bags from school.

"You can use one of the guest rooms upstairs as your changing room." Dilandau instructed. "I'll be in the kitchen in case I finish changing ahead of you."

Hitomi nodded and proceeded to one of the guest rooms to prepare for the concert. Since she had taken shower in school after kendo practice, she'd just have little work to do. When she was through, she looked at her reflection in the full length mirror.

She was wearing a fitted turtle neck haltered top, a skirt that reached her mid-legs, and a pair of boots reaching just below her knees. Her shoulder-length hair was tied into a pony tail.

"Simple enough." She mumbled as she grabbed her leather jacket and proceeded to the kitchen.

She expected that Dilandau would be there since he wouldn't have to do a lot of preparing. He did take shower in school after soccer practice and did most of his vanity whatever there.

When she entered he was leaning near the sink, finishing up his meal. She placed her jacket on the kitchen counter and walked towards him just as he placed his plate beside the sink.

Dilandau stared at Hitomi, quite taken by her beauty. He never did notice her fine curves before nor did he notice just how attractive she could be. She wasn't really dressed in a very fancy way but there was something in the way she carried herself in the outfit that made her stand out than she normally would.

Hitomi noticed Dilandau's stare and she smirked. "Find me beautiful?"

The question brought back Dilandau's cheekiness thus he smirked back. "Yeah. You look rather beauty FOUL today."

Green eyes narrowed. "What did you say?!"

"I said you look beautiful."

"I think Dilandau is in the kitchen," Mrs. Ablatou's voice flitted through as she neared the kitchen.

Hitomi looked back at the kitchen door before turning her gaze back to Dilandau and catching him putting his finger near his opened mouth as if he was going to vomit from the compliment he just paid her.

She wouldn't let him off now. So catching him off-guard, she smacked the back of his head. As a result, his finger had jabbed the inner portion of his mouth initiating the normal gag reflex of every person.

Dilandau thus ended up vomiting his food on the sink. Guilt snaked through Hitomi and since she didn't exactly plan on having him vomit his food when she hit him, she felt obliged to soothe Dilandau. She rubbed his back again and again as he threw up the food he had just eaten.

Just then, Mrs. Albatou and Dilandau's friends came in.

"What is going on?" Mrs. Albatou asked as she looked at Hitomi, who was still rubbing Dilandau's back soothingly, and Dilandau, who was still vomiting.

~tbc~

Author's Note: Alright! A little more than three weeks. Hehehe. I know this isn't much but there's still a little sweet D/H going on here. I recall having reviews from the early chapters that request some fluff. Hope the fluff here is enough. Anyway, I was planning to end it in the next chapter, but it seems kind of rushed if I do that. But since I want to put a limit of chapters in this story without making it rush, I'd just probably make a sequel. Something like Intruder Alert Part 2 or something.

            About Dilandau's 'bulimia', I got lots of review for Hitomi's attitude. Yeah, I know. Kind of mean, but I'll try morphing her into something less. Probably after the next chapter. But I'll have to think of ways first to give her a reason to be nice to him. At least here she got guilty in the end.

            To esca chick, I offer my late condolences for your kitty. I love pets and I get heartbroken when they die. To Pyro'sgirl, the smooch would take a long time considering things b/n them. But I won't forget that for the future story line. To kenkao fanatic, I'm really sorry. I didn't know you're waiting long for Dunked Confession. You weren't dropping me reviews. But I'd go back into that after I get Tomi and Dilly to be friends, k? To dreamer, what do you mean 'what ages part'? And to jess131346, hehehe, I can tell perfectly even if I'm insane.

            To everyone, my thanks for the support. I'm working on the next chapter as not to keep you all waiting. Thank you, thank you, and thank you. ^^