Title: Intruder Alert 3: Transition
Author: Frostmourne
Disclaimer: I don't own Vision of Escaflowne so don't sue me…
Chapter Dedication: L 0 K I, Xen003, Magicman/Smokegirl, Catelina, Blue Demon, fluer21, mel_88, honeypot, who cares4, Moon Smurf, the original esca chick, Colerachel, MysticalDreamer32, My Silver Flame, Fuzzie, dilly-sammas luver, DillyChic16, naria4, Planeswalker, Kendra, Izzy, Koriina, T T, SabrinaYutsuki, Kat-Tastrophe, monkeybaby7
Summary: Hitomi Kanzaki and Dilandau Albatou were forced on a roller coaster ride of bad impressions, an unwanted engagement, and a weird friendship others do not take too kindly on. When they stepped out of the ride and went back to how they originally wanted everything – having nothing to do with each other – they're up for another roller coaster ride. This time, it's a ride they both need to decide the right way to pursue.
Chapter 4: What others see…
Hiko walked out of the school and just about came face to face with the person he hated to see with his sister. He frowned at the blonde. It would not be good if Allen saw Hitomi with Dilandau. Allen might get hurt and blow his top in the end.
"Waiting for Hitomi?"
Allen raised a brow at him. "Talking to me?"
"Do you see anyone near us?"
"Well, how should I know you were not talking to yourself?"
"Simple. I'm not as crazy as you." 'Okay. Wrong move. I can't believe I'm doing this. "Just kidding, Allen. Hey, want to have something to eat while waiting for Tomi?"
Allen looked at him questioningly and he immediately felt the need to just drag his sister's boyfriend to the nearest post and just knock him out to end this. But that would be asking for more trouble.
"Look, I'm trying to be nice here for my sister's sake so either you take it or leave it."
The blonde's lips curled upwards. "I'll take it. It's better to have you off my back."
"Oh damn!" Hitomi exclaimed.
"Now what?"
"I'm supposed to meet Allen. He must be waiting for me," she explained as she stood up and grabbed her bag.
"About Allen," he started before Hitomi grabbed him and dragged him out. "What in the hell are you doing?!"
"Since we're friends now, you can join me and my friends."
"What?!"
Hitomi continued dragging him. "I'd introduce you. You can speak English anyway and oh I almost forgot to tell you that they had private lessons on two foreign languages with me for a few years. Want to guess what countries we decided to learn the language of?"
He rolled his eyes. "I'm betting my life on Japan. You speak this language, ogre, even when you don't even know that we usually say surnames first before the name."
She glared. "Hey! Not everyone's perfect!"
"I know. Especially you. But well, at least you still speak---"
"Of course I speak Japan's language! My dad's Japanese and he had me and Hiko take lessons even when I thought there was no use anyway. And then my friends joined in."
"I can imagine," he commented sardonically.
Hitomi glared. "And the other?"
"Other what?"
"Other country we studied the language of?" She asked in a challenging tone.
He smirked smugly before answering. "France."
Her mouth dropped and quickly clicked shut at his amused look. "How'd you know?"
He rolled his eyes once more. "You have French books in your room. Unless you use them as paper weight or something---"
"Can we just blab about this later? Allen is waiting so let's just go and I'll introduce you. There's no problem with the language anyway. Either way, we'd all understand each other. Unless you speak Martian of course which you don't."
'Now she's the one prattling,' Dilandau thought resignedly. 'She's really crazy.'
"Well since you're one of my friends here, I'm sure they'd be nice to you. Come and meet them."
"We've met on the mall and I---"
"I know what you did. They think you're rude and you are but you're my friend."
"I don't want to meet them!"
"Too bad I'm going to make you."
"Damn it Hitomi! Only a few minutes of truce and you're already back to bossing me around!"
She merely ignored him and continued dragging him outside the school. He was frustrated. He didn't want to see Hitomi's friends especially Allen but he's letting her drag him over anyway. There was definitely something wrong with him.
As much as Hiko was trying to get the blonde playboy to forget that he was going to meet Hitomi, Allen's mind seemed to have an on the second reminder.
"We should get back," Allen said for the nth time.
Hiko shrugged. "I think she'd be later."
"What makes you say that? Hitomi doesn't like being late."
"It's the end of the school, Allen. She might have a couple of people to talk to."
Allen smiled without humor. For minutes, he was trying to figure out Hiko's attitude. And after Hiko's recent reply, he just knew that Hiko was up to something. It was a fact that Hiko hated him for being with Hitomi therefore if Hitomi's brother was up to something, it would sure involve getting him away from Hitomi.
"We should get back," Allen said again. "You want me not to be there when Tomi comes out. It was a good try, I assure you. But not good enough."
Before Hiko could say anything, Allen had left.
'Looks like you really deserve your A grades,' Hiko thought. 'You may think of me as the antagonist for doing this but believe me, you'd be thanking me for my effort.'
With that thought, Hiko continued eating his food.
Allen strode towards the gate hoping that Hitomi was not going to be upset that he had made her wait. The moment he arrived at the school's gate, he saw Hitomi walking towards it with a familiar-looking guy. He didn't know what to feel at the moment – jealous or just curious.
"Hi, Allen!"
"Hey," he said as he gave Hitomi a kiss on the cheek.
Dilandau's brows met for a moment but he quickly wiped off his irritated expression before Hitomi turned to him.
"Allen, do you remember him?" She asked in fluent Japanese.
The blonde immediately assumed that the silver-haired bishounen didn't understand English. It was rude to speak in the presence of others using a language they can't understand. So deciding to just follow Hitomi's lead in the language used for the conversation, he gave the silver-haired bishounen a sweeping look before turning to Hitomi. "He looks familiar. I just couldn't remember."
Hitomi smiled. "Do you remember the guy at the mall who was so rude?"
Allen's face showed an affirmative to her query.
"Well, meet Albatou Dilandau," she introduced as she gave Dilandau the look saying *see I know* before continuing. "The rudest friend I have," Hitomi finished proudly.
The silver-haired bishounen looked at Hitomi with irritation. "Rudest? As if you're not downright rude yourself."
Hitomi looked back with equal irritation. "I was just being honest," she said and then turned back to Allen with a smile. "And this is Allen, my most---"
"Chivalrous and handsome knight," Dilandau cut in, his voice almost icy if not cutting.
Two sets of brows furrowed in question. Dilandau didn't really feel the need to explain, especially to this Allen guy but that would only fuel Hitomi's temper. And as much as he enjoyed annoying the hell out of her, she could get really dangerous at times and there's no telling what will happen.
"Hiko's direct quote from you," the red-eyed one replied, looking at Hitomi. "Could you get even more impractical or what?"
Hitomi glared. "I have every reason to think that you're just saying that because I don't say good things about you!"
The two proceeded to argue while Allen watched.
The blonde's lips flattened into a thin line. He sure was feeling bad vibes about this silver-haired bishounen known as Dilandau. It wasn't in him to feel jealous especially since he knew Hitomi loved him. But around this Dilandau person, alarms were setting off in his head. Just looking at the way he and Hitomi talked, it looks as if this red-eyed one has the means of competing for Hitomi, not just in physical terms but in something more. Summing it all up, Dilandau Albatou was a potential threat – a big one at that.
"Just go suck a doorknob!" Hitomi exclaimed.
Dilandau rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Bossy ogre," he mumbled.
Hitomi ignored his usual line when he was losing but still refused to admit the loss. She just turned to Allen and smiled up at him. "I'm really sorry for being so uncivilized and arguing with Dilandau. He just has this thing about him that gets to me."
Allen forced a smile. Just what Hitomi said confirmed his conclusions on Dilandau. If this guy had this effect on Hitomi that could really flare her up and make her childish, then this guy is really dangerous for their relationship. "Shall we go meet the others?"
"Sure. Do you mind if we drag Dilandau along?"
He couldn't really answer. He did mind. But seeing Hitomi's hopeful face made him hesitant to say his thoughts so he just nodded and hoped that he wasn't doing something he'd regret.
"I'm not coming," Dilandau announced.
"Says who?"
"Me."
"Oh we'll see."
At first, he hated the fact that Hitomi had managed to make him come to this Yukari girl's place. But after spending the last three and a half hours with them, it didn't seem too bad. They were welcoming enough and they sure can speak Japan's language pretty well for foreigners who looked more interested in picture-taking in a country than actually speaking its language.
He hated to admit it, but Hitomi sure does have a good reason to miss her friends. They loved her as she did them and it seemed they would never leave her alone, popular or not. For most of the reminiscing that the group did, he learned that Hitomi had such a good life with these people and it made him guilty that he shattered her chance of that kind of life here.
"Yeah!" Millerna exclaimed. "That has got to be one of the best times I've had, seeing that bit** paying for what she did! I mean she just went all out to try and ruin us!"
Yukari nodded. "Well, suits her right."
Amano, Gades, Allen, and Sarah nodded. Hitomi just smiled and said, "Hiko thought it was pretty dramatic the way she was humiliated."
"Hiko's just being nice," Millerna argued. "Although he could be such a pain."
Allen unconsciously rubbed his jaw and Dilandau instantly knew that Hiko did something really painful to Allen. He had the strongest urge to grin at Allen but he restrained himself and just grinned inwardly.
"He isn't the only one being a pain," Hitomi said as she grinned and elbowed Dilandau. "Right, Dilandau?"
"If you're hinting that I am, well so are you."
The others, already adjusted to Dilandau's way of speaking to Hitomi, just looked at their friend for confirmation. Hitomi giggled but didn't say anything.
He stepped outside the house. It was already dark but it wasn't like it was going to be the first time he'd go home late. There were times in the past that he didn't even bother to go home.
"Not enjoying, are you?" A female voice asked him.
He looked at the person who stood beside him from the corner of his eyes. It was the girl with blonde hair. Millerna, was it?
"Just need some air."
She smiled. "I think I know why. You find us stuffy. I assume you know Hiko and I'm pretty sure you've heard tons of bad things about us from him. He isn't really fond of us."
"I noticed."
"I think he has given us a bad rate for being what we are. Well, if you've listened to our nonsense talks awhile back, we're---"
"Popular. Very popular."
She nodded. "And I know we look like some stuck-up, snobbish popular junks to you. What with all our chattering about how everything used to be with Tomi around. We just miss her and this is our only chance to spend time with her. And about the mean things we do, I think it's just because that's always how the system worked. And I guess we just followed the trend, though not all of it."
"I know. Pretty obvious from the friendship thing you have going on."
Millerna laughed. "So you noticed. You know, we may have gotten used to being trapped in our own self-centered little worlds but everything is just so different when it's just us, when there's no popularity stunt we need to pull off or anything like that. It's like we're each part of a whole and when one left, it was so weird. We were still popular but there was something missing. Something so important that we'd trade all we have just to find that missing part. I know I'd rather be not popular than not have my friends at all. That's the main reason why I had to practically beg my parents to let me fly halfway around the world just to see Tomi. And I would do this again and again if it means finding that part of me that's missing even if it's for a fraction of time." She smiled coyly and shook her head. "Sorry. I guess I got too carried away. It's just like that when the person I talk about has become so important to me. But I do mean what I said. I'd do this again and again to just feel complete even for a while."
He didn't say anything at first and when he did, it was as if he hadn't heard anything from her at all. "Hitomi's going to have a ride home with Allen, isn't she?"
She nodded. "I guess."
"Tell her I'm going."
"You're not joining us for dinner?"
"No. I need to smoke and she'd kill me for that."
"What?"
He smirked. "She hated it when she caught me smoking."
"You smoke?"
His smirk widened. 'So these are actually straight people no matter how badly Hiko thinks of them,' "Yeah."
"It's bad for your health. I'm sure Tomi told you that."
"She did when she caught me. I got one hell of a nagging."
She scrunched up her nose slightly. "So, then you smoke when she's not around anymore?"
"Yeah. I wouldn't want her nagging at me."
Millerna regarded him for a moment before smiling. "I think you two got along just fine."
He scoffed, slightly amused. "Yeah, if you consider her making me her slave as getting along just fine."
She couldn't stop herself from giggling. "Funny. You don't sound pissed off by that. Yup, definitely you two got along just fine. Well, since I think you kept her happy, I'm going to do you a favor. You smoking behind her will be our little secret. You can even smoke now while we wait for a taxi for you."
"Taxi? I'll walk."
"You're crazy," she said incredulously. "You could get in trouble on your way and---"
"I won't," he said as he lighted a cigarette. "I could fight back anyway if in case I do get into something."
They didn't say anything after that. They only stood their quietly as Dilandau smoked two more sticks of cigarette.
'Where are they?' She thought as she walked out of the house and towards the front gate.
She had been wondering where Dilandau and Millerna were and decided to excuse herself and look for the two. When she had searched everywhere they could possibly be in the house, she decided to go outside for some fresh air. But the closer she got to the gate, the more of the fresh air she wanted disappeared from her mind. She was getting irritated by the smell of cigarette smoke, and even more as an idea of who was smoking crossed her mind.
When she stepped out, she saw Millerna standing at the side of a smoking Dilandau and her eyes narrowed in an instant. Before she could suppress her annoyance, she stalked up to them and jerked the cigarette off Dilandau's mouth and stomping it off on the ground. She glared at him.
"What did I say about smoking?!"
Dilandau rolled his eyes and Millerna had to struggle to hold her giggles from coming out. She was having a very good idea of how Hitomi was around Dilandau.
"You're not only destroying your health but others' as well!" Hitomi crossed her arms on her chest. "If you want to die, go hang yourself!"
He was about to argue with her when she clamped her hand on his mouth and commented about his breath which made him glare at her with much irritation. It was only a bit later that both he and Hitomi had noticed Millerna looked extremely amused.
"It's not funny!" Hitomi exclaimed to Millerna. "It seems to me he's smoking behind my back!"
'There goes her scary perception again,' he commented mentally, never guessing that Millerna had the same line of thoughts as he had.
"That's it! We're not going inside that house until we finish this matter."
"Tomi," Millerna said, trying to draw the fire away. "What Dilandau does is really out of our decision. We can only give him advices but we shouldn't boss him around."
Dilandau smirked, suddenly finding more reasons to decide that Millerna wasn't so bad.
"Outside," Hitomi mumbled after a few seconds of silence. She walked away from them.
The two looked at each other. Dilandau smirked even more whilst Millerna smiled. "We eat dinner outside," they said at the same time, amused by the fact that they both understand Hitomi pretty well.
Millerna tried to keep herself from raising her brow. She had been observing Hitomi and Dilandau while the three of them ate at a twenty-four hour food place. Hitomi was definitely sulking and Dilandau was looking both amused and annoyed by her attitude.
It was strange. It seemed to her that something was up. It was like sparks flew between Hitomi and Dilandau. And as far as she was concerned, the sparks were anything but negative. But of course it could be bad for Allen. To her, Hitomi looked like she was beginning to fall for Dilandau and that the guy was already in it for Hitomi, although he looked oblivious to it if not in denial.
"Fine," Dilandau said with exasperation. He glared at Hitomi from across the table. "I'll stop smoking. Happy?"
Hitomi glared back at him, still irritated. "You're also drinking, aren't you?"
"What has that got to do with smoking?"
"Then you are! Why are you being like that? Don't you know that I heard your dad tell my father that you're really going to get it if he finds out that you do those things? What's next? Drugs?" She glared harder. "Viole is so wrong! The word isn't supposed to be *used to*. It's *still do*."
His eyes narrowed. 'So it's Viole who let it slip about my past. He's going to get it.'
"If you're thinking of hitting him for telling me the stuff about you, I'm going to push you off the school's rooftop. You're going to ruin Merle and Viole's romance! They're so cute together and if you do something to Viole and have Merle become so sad, you're really going to get it!"
He slowly broke into a smile. "So, you're a Merle-Viole pairing loyalist. Blake wouldn't be so happy to hear that."
"That blockhead? If I just had the chance to hit him back at the concert---"
"You what?!" Millerna interrupted.
Dilandau resisted the strong urge to laugh. Obviously, Hitomi doesn't kick ass back in America.
Hitomi's mood lightened and she giggled.
"Okay, let me get this straight and I mean straight---"
"Be as bloody honest as you want," Dilandau said to Millerna, already knowing that this was going to be one long time together just discussing the past few months.
"Hitomi called months ago to say that you two were thought to be fooling around with each other by your parents."
Hitomi rolled her eyes amusedly. "I can remember I was yelling at you and Yukari while I was ranting about it."
Dilandau grinned. "You know how that happened, Millerna?"
Millerna nodded. "Yes. And that wasn't so nice, letting your parents think that Tomi was," she rolled her eyes as she noticed Dilandau's gorgeous face lighten up with amusement. "Never mind."
Hitomi giggled beside her and turned to Dilandau, who in Millerna's opinion, was looking at Hitomi with too much warmth that it was almost giving her a blatant warning that Allen was going to have to go through hell before he can have Hitomi married to him.
She watched as Dilandau and Hitomi fell into an easy conversation about some things she never thought Hitomi would indulge in like playing some video games and entering kendo club. Her friend had definitely had some changes on her.
"You know, I think we just forgot something very important," Hitomi said, eyes widening as realization hit her. "We totally forgot to tell the others that we're eating out!"
"Don't worry. I called them up while you and Dilandau were going for the food," Millerna interrupted.
Hitomi relaxed and stared at the table. "I think I want to eat some more."
"What?"
"I want to eat."
Millerna's brows met in confusion. "Since when did you have so much appetite? The food we just ate isn't even THAT good."
"Yeah but I want to eat something," she said as she turned to Dilandau. "You're definitely bad for my health, Dilandau. You always make me eat and now I want to eat again! What if I gain so much weight on? I'm really going to skin you!"
"You're so thin, Hitomi. By the time you fatten up, you'd already be a grandmother."
Millerna watched as Hitomi argued with Dilandau. Around the two, she found herself always wondering if it was possible that Hitomi had found someone she can love far more than Allen. Back then, she had always thought that her green-eyed friend had given all her heart to Allen, but now, it's strange to know that Dilandau could take more than just her friend's heart.
She knew it the moment that Hitomi introduced Dilandau to them that he was a potential threat to Allen; what with him being able to rival Allen's good looks to the very last point and what with the rude but strangely magnetic attitude. But now, it seemed that he wasn't just a threat. He was an obstacle… a big one.
Dilandau obviously had a hold on Hitomi even if it was unconsciously. Back then, no one could change Hitomi's mood from one extreme point to another. But Dilandau could with just a word or even just a facial expression. And he even had her changing her appetite when not even Allen could do that. He was more than just a physical competitor. He was competition for Hitomi's hand in marriage!
'Great! I think I just lost my mind,' Millerna thought with frustration. 'Hitomi would marry no one but Allen! Dilandau is gorgeous and really, really magnetic. He can have this effect on Hitomi that none of us have but he's just Tomi's friend. That's all. He can't be a competition for marriage. Definitely not!'
She hesitated and looked at Hitomi's smiling face as she slapped Dilandau's hand before looking at Dilandau who rolled his eyes with a very faint smile on his red lips.
'Why do I feel like I'm just trying to convince myself?'
Chesta smiled as he looked at Dilandau from the corner of his eyes. His silver-haired friend looked tired but somehow there was a light manner around him. There wasn't a trace of the ominous air that was always around him especially the previous days when Hitomi and he was having some serious fight.
"What about it Chesta?"
"What?" He asked as he glanced quickly at the rearview mirror of the car he was currently driving towards the Kanzaki residence.
"We've already disturbed you so it wouldn't be nice if we just send you home after you drive us home."
He glanced at his side from the corner of his eye and saw Dilandau smile faintly. 'I wonder what he's thinking.' "I don't think your parents---"
"It's not like you'd do something there," Hitomi argued from the back passenger seat. "Besides, we woke you up in the middle of the night… or more like Dilandau woke you up in the middle of the night so you can give us a ride home."
"It's really alright. It's not like it's something new."
Dilandau tensed up and Chesta mentally kicked himself. Of course Hitomi didn't know anything and her knowing of what they were would end badly for Dilandau especially for him after Dilandau decides to torture him for letting Hitomi know. It was obvious that Hitomi is important to Dilandau and he would do anything to keep her.
"I always get late phone calls from many people," he said, trying to hide the nervousness he was beginning to feel.
When Hitomi didn't say anything, he grew more nervous and he could almost feel the pain that Dilandau would surely give him if something goes wrong.
"Is something wrong?" Millerna asked from beside Hitomi.
"I just remembered that I need to have a long talk with Dilandau later," Hitomi explained.
"Talk? About what?" Millerna probed again.
"Oh something about some stuff he didn't tell me about. We're just going to make some things clear."
"Hitomi---"
"She's right," Dilandau interrupted Chesta.
Chesta glanced at Dilandau for a moment and noticed his friend's defeated mood. "What?"
Dilandau didn't answer and it made him even more nervous. If Hitomi ends up hating Dilandau, then his red-eyed friend would end up hunting him down.
~tbc~
Author's Note: From the reviews, I noticed that you all love the fact that the ogre and the old man had made up and that Hiko verbally assaulted Allen. I also noticed that Allen is really hated. And that's the sad part coz when I started this I never wanted Allen to be hated because I believe that everyone has a good part of them even when others don't see it. Anyway, I am on the way of getting Allen out of the picture so not to worry.
To Catelina, not the best… I just had to maintain the bantering. It's what makes them the ogre and old man.
To fluer21, flattering but I really don't think so. Besides, I think I just got off with luck.
To mel_88, I'm feeling well now. Thanks.
To honeypot, the heart of sword is a one-shot story but thanks for asking for it.
To the original esca chick, pain? What happened?
To Planeswalker, I hope reading it all once didn't make you stay up very late.
To Kendra, I'm feeling better now thank you. No, as far as I can remember, Hitomi never carried a sword in the series. About the episodes, maybe there's a site for per summary episodes.
To Izzy, I'm feeling well now thanks. Good thing you're not chasing me around with some weapon or something.
Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. They inspired me to write this chapter. No matter what, I'll continue as long as I have your encouragements and comments. Thank you very much for the support.