Author's note: I'm finally married with the greatest guy in the whole entire world (well to me) and my honeymoon was great. So this means I can now write again. Thank you for your patience. Read and Review and I hope you enjoy.

"I can't believe my parents are okay with the idea of Merle marrying that idiot," Van paced up and down the room angrily, trying his hardest to burn of the steam that was inside of him.

"Van, how can you say that about Dilly? I mean he's my cousin and your best friend. You know in your heart he's really a good guy and besides he will easily be able to look after your sister. He's loaded." Hitomi tried her hardest to reassure the raven haired youth that everything would be fine but all her efforts were wasted. She was seated in the middle of the bed with her legs tucked to the right.

Van looked at her for second before he spoke. "How is Dilly's mom reacting to this situation?"

Hitomi mumbled for a second daring not to meet Van's eyes but she knew it was better for him to hear the bad news from her rather than someone else. "She opened a bottle of champagne and ranted on about how your sister would become the saviour of the world. She thinks Merle will be able to change Dilly's erratic behaviour and make him normal."

"No one can make him normal. No one," Van yelled. He then sat down on his bed, strained and tired. His elbows rested on his knees while his hands held his head.

Hitomi just didn't no what to do, she was in quite the predicament.  On one side she had her cousin Dilandau and on the other side was her best friend Van who she was secretly in love with. She remembered the day she had found out about her love for Van. Hitomi was being bullied by some girls in school and Van had stepped up and defended her. He even pulled the hair of one girls and she could still remember that girl's screams to this day. Van was given detention but he didn't care as long as he knew Hitomi was okay. They were thirteen at the time and from that day on, Hitomi felt that their relationship with each other had changed dramatically.

A smile crept upon her face as she recollected that day in her mind. She felt her cheeks start to boil causing two patches of crimson on either cheek. She then picked up a pillow from behind her and hugged the pillow in a manner so that her cheeks where no longer in view.

Van turned around to see what Hitomi was doing. There he saw a girl with beautiful green eyes peering at him. The rest of her face below her eyes was covered up by his pillow. He couldn't help but smile at her. She looked so innocent and sweet. "Hitomi, what are you doing?" Van asked in chuckle.

Hitomi felt more heat being forced onto her cheeks as she was embarrassed at Van looking at her in the position she was in. "Umm…uh…" Hitomi couldn't answer the question. The poor girl was put on the spot. She then tightened her grip of the pillow.

Van then gave her one of his famous looks that he would give to girls that would make them swoon before him. His left eyebrow was lifted querying her behaviour and then he dropped the eyebrow and then he gave that famous "cheeky" smile. "I know what is wrong with you."

Hitomi mumbled. 'Oh no, he doesn't know. Please don't let him know.' Her mind was frantic with pictures of the possible outcomes that could occur.

"Hitomi is having dirty thoughts," Van spoke in a patronising tone, almost like if she was a baby. "Do I make you randy, Hitomi?" Van was crawling up to her like a tiger was ready to catch their prey.

Hitomi couldn't take much more of the torture she was receiving from him. She knew he was only playing with her but if he really knew how he felt for her… "Van Fanel you better stop this nonsense or I'm…I'm telling your mother." Hitomi scolded and then hit him with the pillow that she had once been holding so tightly. Van then dropped onto the bed as he tried to make out Hitomi had actually smacked him hard. "You're a good actor." She then smacked him again to show how unimpressed she was at his behaviour. She found herself smiling; it was times like these that she found most cherishing, the times she spent with Van.

***

The two sat their giggling about their past together. Hitomi lay next to Van on the bed as the glanced up at Van's white ceiling.

"I remember when you used to have posters of wrestlers up on your ceiling and you pretended that you were one," Hitomi started to giggle. "And I was the bad wrestler and when I walked into your room, you would boo at me and there I would left standing wondering what on the world you were doing." She then grabbed the pillow beside him and bonked him on the head.

"Hitomi," Van moaned. "What was that for?"

"For beating me up when we were kids, you used to put in all the wrestling positions," Hitomi then bonked him on the head lightly. "It hurt."

"I'm sorry," Van laughed as he tried to defend himself from another of the pillow's blow. "But at least I don't do it anymore, unlike Dilly."

"Dilly is different," Hitomi chirped in. Van gave her confused look. "He thinks wrestling's real."

"Ahh, I suppose… and that idiot is going to marry my sister," Van ran a hand through his unruly raven hair. Hitomi found herself staring at him; she would have loved to run her hands through that untameable hair.

Suddenly the phone started to ring; Van sprung up from the bed and picked it up.

Van on the telephone:

"Hello, who is it?"

"Oh it's you,"

"No, I'm cool,"

"Right,"

"Okay,"

"We'll see you there, bye." Van slowly put the phone down and sat there quietly for a moment as he contemplated to himself.

'The phone call has really got him shook up. That's absolutely great, he was fine just a couple of moments ago,' Hitomi moaned mentally to herself, she then finally plucked up the courage to speak. "Who was it?"

"Dilly," Van muttered angrily.

"Oh, Van," she sweetly sighed. "What did he say?"

"He wants us to play paintball with us on the paintball range and I agreed," Van replied sharply.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Hitomi asked truthfully full well knowing of Van's current dislike towards Dilly.

"I'll be okay," Van said. "As long as your there, I'll be fine."

Hitomi couldn't help but to blush. That had to be one of the sweetest things he had ever said to her. Van wasn't normally like that, well except…maybe with her. In the eyes of others he was the rash, fast talking, lady playing smart-ass bad boy. She smiled at the thought of her being the only girl who really knew the real Van.

* * *

Van couldn't believe it, it was him and Hitomi (the red team) against Dilly and Merle (the blue team). Merle, his baby sister, the girl who would turn to Van in her times of need and he was against her

Van cautiously prowled down the path with his paintball gun in hand. He used the trees as cover to protect him from the other team. Hitomi and him had split up so that they could cover more ground and he was sort of glad he was on his own so he if saw Dilly he could ram the gun down his throat without upsetting Hitomi.

He didn't understand why but for a long time, he'd notice that whenever Hitomi was upset, he'd be upset too. Maybe it was just coincidence or maybe it was something more.

Suddenly Van heard a twig snap, he quickly turned his direction to the sound and there he found Dilly. He was walking about in open space, freely without a care in the world.

Van angrily muttered to himself. 'Why is he such an idiot?' He thought. 'Doesn't he realise that he's any easy target there?'

Suddenly Van couldn't take it anymore; he ran out into the open space and shot at Dilly. Dilly was taken back by surprise but Van continued to shoot. Dilly was soon crumpling to the ground.

"I can see the light," Dilly screamed. "Tell Merle I love her." And with that he fell to the ground.

"Talk about dramatic, it's only a game and it's not even real bullets, you moron," Van yelled at the still body of Dilandau. 'This is so stupid.'

Van then heard a scream from afar, "Dilly," it cried. It was Merle. Merle ran over to Dilly. Tears streamed down her eyes. "I love you, you can't leave me now."

"Hello, anyone listening, it's just a game," Van told his little sister. He was slightly baffled by his sister's strange behaviour.

"Did you do this?" Merle looked up at her brother.

"Yeah, that's the point of the game," Van replied.

"I don't care if you're my brother but this is for Dilly," she screamed and then she shot him with so many blasts.

Van stood his ground staring at his sister who seemed to have totally lost it. The mass of blue paint stuck to the army clothing that they had to wear as it was part of the game.

"Well this is for Van," A new voice cried and it shot Merle form the back. Hitomi appeared and took of her cap revealing her luxurious sandy-brown hair.

She smiled at Van and then followed Van's eyes to Merle who was dropping to the ground beside Dilly.

"I'm so sorry, Dilly but at least we'll die together," Merle uttered and fell to the ground.

"This is so stupid," Van complained to Hitomi who was laughing her head off.

"Come…on…Van...I'll buy you some ice –cream," Hitomi said in between laughs.

"But what about them?" Van questioned to Hitomi.

"There are going be here for a while," Hitomi giggled and she attached her arm around Van's and pulled him off to the ice-cream parlour.

* * *

"So you're telling me, Merle has always been like this," Van questioned Hitomi's remark as he took a bite out of his chocolate ice-cream.

"Yep," Hitomi smiled and licked her spoon.

"Well if so, then Dilly and Merle are meant for each other," Van surrendered.

"So, are you giving them your blessing?" Hitomi asked timidly.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Van replied. The two were interrupted by a wail at the counter, the both turned to see Allen talking to the ice cream girl.

"That bitch, took my boyfriend," Allen cried onto counter.

"Oh, that's so sad and you seemed like such a cute couple," she said sympathetically as she patted his head.

"You were never going out with Dilly, in the first place," Hitomi yelled at Allen as she overheard the conversation.

"We would of, I mean I saved his life," Allen protested.

"Allen he's not gay," Van voiced in with Hitomi.

"And…" Allen sniffed. Hitomi and Van simultaneously slapped their heads with their hands. Allen then balled even harder that Hitomi and Van left the parlour earlier than expected.

* * *

"Van," Hitomi said as she got of the vehicle ready to retreat into her home.

"Yeah," Van said as he turned of the engine.

"I'm so glad I've got you," Hitomi smiled and she leaned in a planted a soft kiss on his lips. Hitomi then slowly leaned back and walked into her driveway.

Van touched his lips, unable to believe at what happened. He smiled a smile he never smiled before, one he thought that was never possible and before Hitomi opened her front door. Van yelled back. "Me too, Hitomi. Me too."

Hitomi smiled and waved at him as the car drove off.

LW: There relationship is brewing. Ooh and Merle is just as stupid as Dilly! Sorry this wasn't very good but it's building on what is going to happen. Also those Forbidden Romance fans, that fic will be updated on Wednesday.