Title: Intruder Alert 3: Transition
Author: Frostmourne
Disclaimer: I don't own Vision of Escaflowne so don't sue me…
Chapter Dedication: the original esca chick, Princess Neptune, MysticalDreamer32, Magicman/Smokegirl, honeypot, Colerachel, fallen-dark-angel, Dillychic16, Catelina, Kat-Tastrophe, mel_88, SabrinaYutsuki, One_Mean_Rabbit, dreamingofflyingaway, Izzy, Fuzzie, CrAyOnS tAstE LIkE pUrple, monkeybaby7, Night of the Raven, Wendera Jade, Blue Demon, dilly-sammas luver, who cares4, Kendra, Yukishin, amy, Vishase2, AryetQuing, Smiles-Anonymous, duh-hikki-zealot, Gothickchick45, Planeswalker, naria4, Faerex and to LazyCat9@aol.com and Cole Adams
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 7: Love sacrifices… it understands and comforts
Allen followed Hitomi as she went out the back garden. The rest of her friends stayed out of their confrontation and merely waited inside the house.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you? What? I just go to you and say, hey Allen I got myself engaged while you were not around?!" She whirled around and faced her boyfriend. "For crying out loud! It was just some big misunderstanding!"
He frowned and suppressed his anger. "What do you mean it's just some big misunderstanding? You got yourself engaged!"
"It wasn't my choice! Besides, it's already over," she mumbled quietly, wondering why she was feeling a slight twinge of hurt at the fact that it was really over.
Allen stared at her. "Why do I feel like you regret it being over?"
"I don't," she quickly said. "We're just friends."
"That's not what everyone can see, Tomi. And then this engagement thing comes up… what do you think would come to my mind?"
"I didn't betray you," she said firmly, despairingly. "I love you and---"
"So why the engagement?"
"It wasn't my choice nor was it Dilandau's."
"Yeah right."
"Listen to me!" She exclaimed. "We used to hate each other. And that was when this engagement thing came up. But it's already over so what's there to worry about? Nothing!"
"You like him."
"What are you talking about?!"
"You're defensive. And the way you act around him…" Allen trailed off as he realized further that she did like Dilandau. "Where do we stand now?"
"What does that question mean? Are you trying to ask me if we're breaking up?" She asked, tears already falling from her stunning emeralds. "Allen… please don't do this… everything is just a misunderstanding. I love you… but do you love me?"
"Yes," he said honestly.
"Then why are you doing this?"
"Because I need to know the truth even when it hurts." For the first time, Allen Schezar, the renowned playboy, had tears in his eyes for a girl. "You know what I've noticed? When you're with me and the others… you think of someone… and when you introduced Dilandau…"
"Allen, please…"
"You're thinking of him most of the time, weren't you?"
"Allen---"
"Just answer me."
She couldn't answer, and she clenched her jaw as if suppressing a headache as tears raced down her cheeks.
More tears fell from the depressed blue eyes of Allen. "See?"
"So you'll leave me because of that?" She shot, her voice thick with tears and hurt feelings.
"It will only hurt us even more if we try to stay together. You don't just like Dilandau. You've fallen for him…" He said bitterly. "More than you've fallen for me."
"Allen… you know that's not possible."
"Tell me straight. Do you love him or not?"
"I don't."
He closed his eyes tightly for a moment before meeting her teary emeralds with his own teary sapphires. "Don't say you don't love him when it kills you inside… because it hurts me when you're hurt."
"Then why are you doing this?!" She yelled both from anger and from pain.
"Because it kills me that when I'm with you, you're thinking of another guy! Because it kills me to know that you'd rather hold his hands than mine, that you'd rather look into his eyes than mine… it kills me to keep you when you'd rather be with someone! It kills me to keep hurting you by keeping you when you need another person…"
She stared at him defiantly. "You're only looking for a reason to dump me! Why? Have you found someone else?!"
"No. But you have…"
For the first time, she saw Allen's face contained so much hurt. It made her feel guilty and she realized how much it was for him. And to think she was wondering if he was two-timing her while she was away and it ended up that she was the one doing it even if it was only in appearance.
"Allen…"
He held up a hand and reached out for her cheek, his own tears falling more. "Does he make you cry?"
"Allen, please…"
"I love you, Hitomi. But if you love him… what can I do?"
"Don't do this. Please don't leave me," she pleaded as more tears fell from her eyes.
"How can I fight for you when it would hurt you more?" He asked so quietly and with so much pain that it hurt Hitomi to listen to his voice. "You may not realize it yet… but I know… if you'd stay with me you'll realize in the end that you're not happy… that you gave up your chance to be with someone you love more than any other guy…"
"I don't understand you, Allen. You keep pressing that I love Dilandau but I love you."
"Yes, you do. But not as much as how you feel for Dilandau."
"I don't---"
"You don't understand it yet… but I see it… everyone does. What's the use of fighting for you when deep inside you… you don't want me to?"
"We've been through so many things… so much harder things than this. Why are you giving me up so quickly?"
"Because for the first time, I see that fighting for you will only hurt the two of us. If I keep you and you love someone else, it wouldn't make me happy. Because I know that you're hurting… and I can't be happy when the one I love is not happy at all."
"Allen, please don't do this."
"I'll smile for you, Hitomi… even when it kills me… I'll let you go," he whispered as he bent down and kissed her lips softly in a chaste kiss. "Goodbye, Hitomi… I will always love you…"
With that, he turned around and left, ignoring his friends when they approached him. They knew then. Allen and Hitomi had broken up.
Mr. Albatou had apologized profusely at Mr. Kanzaki at what had happened. The latter just shook his head and said that there was nothing they could do. After lunch, they had left followed thereafter by Hitomi's friends who were at first reluctant to leave. It took some convincing before they finally left their post at the living room where they waited for Hitomi to talk to them.
Celena and Hiko had tried to talk to Hitomi unlike her friends who had waited patiently for her to be ready to talk until Mrs. Kanzaki had convinced them to go home. Hitomi on the other hand had locked herself in her room to cry.
Dinner came and Celena was still there in the Kanzaki residence. It was decided that she would stay over and since then, she and Hiko had decided to just follow Hitomi's friends' lead by just waiting for her to be ready to talk. But the honey-brown haired girl didn't come down for dinner.
By midnight, Hitomi was still crying. She had no idea that her brother and Celena were awake on their own beds, thinking about what had happened. For Hiko's part, he never knew that breaking up with Allen would hurt his sister so much and a part of him regretted the fact that he never strove so hard to get along with Allen and the rest of his sister's friend.
Dilandau was wide awake that night. After arriving from the Kanzaki residence, he just rested on his bed and wondered about everything.
When his parents had arrived without Celena, they had promptly told him about what had happened. Hitomi had locked herself in her room and had seemed to be crying non-stop. And that was the part that kept bothering him.
Maybe if he really had insisted that he didn't want to come, maybe everything would still be alright, maybe Hitomi and Allen wouldn't have fought and maybe Hitomi wouldn't have cried. It was all his fault and he hated himself for it.
He looked at the alarm clock on his bedside table and sighed. It was almost midnight and still he couldn't stop thinking about Hitomi.
'So much for softening up,' he thought. 'I just made her cry. Some softening up I can do… pretty pathetic---'
His silent thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He wondered who would call at such a late time but as the phone kept ringing, he finally reached for the phone on the bedside table. He was about to open his mouth to ask who was on the other line when the voice of his object of thought hit him with a wave of intense hurt and sadness.
"Dilandau," she said softly.
He sat up immediately. "Hitomi."
She sniffed. "I'm sorry for calling so late… I just needed someone… and you came to my mind."
"Wait for me outside your house."
"Huh?"
"Just do it."
She sighed. "No, I'm alright. I just---"
"Just do it, Hitomi."
After a long time of silence, she consented. "Alright."
Immediately, he hung up and scrambled out of bed. Without any second thoughts, he grabbed a jacket and his car keys.
His car raced through the empty road of the subdivision where the Kanzaki residence was located. He didn't care if it was in the middle of the night. He just acted on impulse. When he had needed comfort, Hitomi was there and he'd be damned if he wasn't there to give her comfort in return.
He stopped near the massive gate and saw her standing there, looking at her feet forlornly. He stepped out of his car and came to her immediately.
"Hitomi," he said softly.
She looked up and smiled despite the tears in her eyes. "You came," she said.
Without thinking, he hugged her and whispered. "Of course I came. I was the one who told you to wait."
"Yes. But it's already in the middle of the night. I thought you changed your mind."
He laughed slightly. "Not when you're the one waiting. You'd make me pay big time."
She nodded against his shoulder and fell silent then. He just held her like she did that night of the dance. She was still crying quietly and he never wanted to let her go. Her hand just clutched tightly at the fabric of his jacket.
"He broke up with me," she said finally. "And it hurts… because… because I love him so much."
He tightened his hold on her, trying to offer her the comfort she needed, trying to reassure her that he'd never leave her.
She didn't say anything after that. She just cried and cried until she had fallen asleep in his embrace, tired from all the crying she had done. He couldn't really understand why her pain hurt him so much, why he'd do anything to make her pain his own, why he felt like she was everything to him even when she was not.
But one thing he understood at the moment. He and Allen would have some talk about this.
Celena and Hiko met at the hallway that morning, both knowing that neither got much sleep. It was but eight in the morning.
"Do you think we should check on Hitomi?" Celena asked Hiko worriedly.
"She may still have her door locked but let's give it a shot."
They both proceeded towards Hitomi's room. Silently, Hiko turned the knob and was surprised to find it unlocked. Without another thought, he pushed the door open as silently as he could. Both were surprised to find that on the bed, Hitomi lay cocooned in the protective embrace of a certain silver-haired Adonis.
In surprise, both stood there watching until Dilandau slowly untangled his arms around Hitomi. He quietly moved out of the bed and pulled the covers closer to Hitomi's figure. Turning to the door, he walked silently as if he did not notice that there were two teenagers standing there with a shocked and questioning expression.
The two noticed that Dilandau looked as if he didn't sleep at all. And when he passed by them, he pulled them away, closing the door gently.
"She called me up," he said quietly. "Watch her for me."
Before any of the two could ask a question, Dilandau had left, leaving the two looking at each other with a puzzled expression.
Yukari was surprised to open the gate to Dilandau who had a very determined look on his face.
"Allen," he stated flatly.
"I'm sorry but he wouldn't talk to anyone. When we arrived, he had himself locked in one of the guestrooms," she explained as she let him in and they entered the house. "They fought… because of you, I'm sure."
He didn't say anything but for a moment he wondered why Yukari was still letting him in. "We need to talk."
"You can wait, but I doubt he'd talk to you."
"I'm not giving him a choice."
Yukari's eyes widened. "No Dilandau. You're treading on dangerous grounds! Gades and Amano---"
"What's going on?" Amano's voice interrupted as he stood there in the hallway.
"Where's Allen?"
"Hey, man, I have half the mind to just punch you. But Hitomi would be mad at me."
"I'm just here to clear things up."
"Then do so," Yukari interrupted. "Are you and Tomi…"
"No."
Amano nodded. "But you like her." Before Dilandau could say anything, he raised a hand. "You know, things happen. I would punch you but I know it's not really your fault. You don't even realize that you have a thing for Tomi."
"I don't."
The laughing voice of Gades interrupted any further words. "See? You really don't realize. Well go ahead, prince charming… Have a confrontation with the knight-in-shinning-armor."
Dilandau's brows met. Why were Hitomi's friends being so accepting about everything?
"Millerna told us what she saw around you two when you three ate out and when she spent time with you two," Sarah said as she walked from behind Gades. "We can see it, too. And I suppose Allen did the right thing."
"Hurting Hitomi?!" Dilandau snapped.
Sarah shook her head. "Talk to Allen. Anything we say could end up looking unfair to you."
It didn't take any more words for Dilandau to go storming towards the room Sarah had pointed to.
The door was unlocked and Dilandau burst into the room. His red eyes scanned the area and he found Allen standing in front of the desk, his back to the door.
"Allen," Dilandau hissed.
The blonde didn't even need to turn around to know who was with him in the room. In an agonizing voice, he acknowledged. "Dilandau."
"Why?"
"You should know."
Dilandau's patience snapped and without thinking, he stalked up to Allen and grabbed the blonde's shoulders to spin him around. Before another second could pass, Dilandau crashed his fist on Allen's jaw.
"You bastard! How could you hurt Hitomi like that?!"
Allen didn't attempt to defend himself as Dilandau punched him a couple of times before slamming him to the nearest wall. He just had the same miserable expression that he had when he broke up with Hitomi.
"Damn it, Allen! She loves you and you broke her heart! Hiko was right! You'd only hurt her!"
The punches continued and still the blonde did not even attempt to protect himself or to stop the silver-haired one from hurting him physically. He was just too tired of everything and especially too tired of hearing Hitomi's tearful pleas inside his head.
"Say something, damn it!" Dilandau yelled as he clutched at Allen's shirt.
"I needed to let her go," he finally said in a quiet, tortured voice.
"What do you mean you needed to?! You hurt her!"
"I know."
"Then why did you do it?! And why are you still here?! Why don't you go apologize?!"
"I can't."
Dilandau's red eyes burned with anger for the blonde. Hitomi loved Allen and yet the blonde had broken her heart. With a final punch, he slammed Allen on the desk.
"She loves you," Dilandau said harshly. "And you broke her heart. You're more than a thousand types of a fu***** a******!"
Not waiting for Allen to say anything, Dilandau went out of the room and walked past Hitomi's friends without sparing them a glance. He was so mad that he'd kill Allen if it wasn't for the fact that Hitomi would hurt more than she already did.
"Yes," Allen whispered as he struggled to stand and reach for his wallet on the desk. "She loves me…"
He opened the wallet and stared at the picture of him and Hitomi, standing in the middle of the track field while holding hands and smiling happily at each other. It had been a stolen shot made by their Millerna.
"Then why Allen?" Millerna asked from the door.
He didn't need to look back to know that his other friends were there as well, waiting for his explanation and ready to support him especially if it would be for his and Hitomi's best.
"But she loves Dilandau more… even when she doesn't realize it yet… I just don't want to hurt her deeper when she realizes that I kept her from the person who she loves more… I don't want her to let go of her chance to be with the one who owns her heart… I don't want her to regret when she realizes that she chose the wrong person…"
"Do you still love her?" Amano asked quietly.
Allen's tears fell for the same girl he broke up with. "With all that I am… that's why I'd rather things be like this if would mean she'd end up with the person she loves more."
Yukari smiled through her tears and went to hug Allen from the back as he stared at the picture of him and Hitomi through tear-spilling sapphires. Millerna and Sarah soon joined the hug. And in the end, Gades and Amano joined in the group hug. They were still like before. They wouldn't care if they looked weird hugging each other in a big group hug – both girls and boys joined together. Because they were friends… they always would be.
"Why are you all here?" Hiko asked with contempt as he intercepted the popular kids on his way to the pool.
"We're here to talk to Hitomi," Sarah stated diplomatically.
"Well she doesn't need any of you," he spat. "Who let you in anyway?"
"Your mom did," Amano answered. "Hiko, we're not here to hurt Hitomi. We're her friends."
"Why weren't you here yesterday then?"
"Allen needed support," Millerna explained, trying hard to be patient.
"And I suppose Hitomi doesn't need support? Allen broke her heart."
"It's not what you think," Gades argued. "Besides, she has you and Dilandau. Allen has no one."
"Suits him right."
"Don't talk like that!" Yukari exclaimed. "You don't know anything so don't go thinking that Allen enjoyed what he did and that we also took pleasure in Tomi's pain."
Hiko was about to say something but a hand on his shoulder made him turn back to Celena's face.
"Hiko, give them a chance just like how Hitomi gave Dilandau a chance again."
Hitomi's brother clenched his fists and then turned to the popular kids. "Make good use of your chance. She's by the pool."
With that, Hiko whirled around and pulled Celena with him. She had been there just in case Hitomi needed to talk to someone. But then, the person Hitomi had felt comfortable to talk to was only Dilandau.
"I'm sorry you had to put up with me," Hitomi said with a faint smile as she moved her lower legs in the water.
She was sitting by the pool side, her lower legs submerged in the water while Dilandau was just beside her in an Indian sitting position.
"I guess you never thought you'd be spending your vacation watching over some depressed ogre---"
"Hitomi," he interrupted. "It's my choice."
She looked up from the water and smiled at him, her eyes still reddish from her crying spree. "You know what? When I first met you, I thought you're the most evil person there could be. But now, I know you're not. Because if you are, you wouldn't choose to spend your time with me."
"Hey, I'm the prince, remember?"
She nodded and thought for a moment. "What do you think?"
"Of what?"
"Of me."
He stared at her for a while, not quite sure what she was expecting as an answer.
"Just the truth, Dilandau. That's all," she said softly, as she looked back at the water flowing between her lower legs.
Still looking at her, he cocked his head slightly. "I think I found someone I am willing to trust with all that I am."
Her gaze flew to his face in an instant. And with a puzzled and surprised expression, she asked, "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? I should be the one saying that."
"Not really. You're around when I need… someone. You may have not noticed it but you are. They're not exactly tear-evoking events so you don't notice just like after the dance."
She smiled again. "Of course they're not. I can't seem to imagine you crying… well even when you said you did back at the time Celena caught you…"
He gave her a pointed look. "That never happened."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm not going to spill to anyone nor am I going to use it as blackmail. I'm just pointing things out."
"It doesn't hurt to be careful. We'll never know whose ears are perking somewhere around us."
She giggled slightly and nodded. "You know… staying here is not so bad."
"How about America?"
"Well, I still have my dear friends staying over there…"
He nodded and looked at the water.
"But I have my family here and some equally dear friends just like you…"
He looked up at her smiling face.
"Even when I'm not miss popularity anymore, I realized that life isn't just about being in the circle. It's about finding real people who'd stay with you even at your worst stumble. It's about looking beyond what you see. Just look at you and even Mei. I haven't talked to her yet but the fact that she admitted that she was to blame means something. Before, I'd no doubt do all I can to get back at her."
"So you mean…"
She nodded. "I like staying here even when life's not as easy as it was when I was in America. Besides, now that you told me that you found someone to trust, do you think I could just pack up and leave?" She reached for his hand. "I can tell you're not the type who easily trusts other people. And I'm… well… flattered that you trust me. And I'm going to promise you that I will never leave you and your trust."
He smiled back. "Do you know that we might look like some sappy people right now?"
"Yeah. But I couldn't care less because I found out that the demonic old man is really this endearingly cute---"
"Cute? Are you kidding? Do I look like some puppy?" He scowled when she giggled. "Hey! Bad boy here."
"Yeah. The ogre's bad boy."
He didn't even object. Not that he had the time to because it was at that precise moment that Hitomi's friends arrived.
"Hitomi," they had greeted without knowing that they were interrupting something.
"Uh, I think we've a wrong timing," Sarah whispered as she took notice of Hitomi's hand holding on to Dilandau's.
The rest followed her gaze and it was only then that both Hitomi and Dilandau noticed that they had their hands linked. Hitomi withdrew her hand and quite much to her astonishment, she felt herself flush.
"Er, hello guys," she mumbled, not able to meet their eyes.
"Perhaps we'd just---" Millerna started to say.
"I'll be with Hiko and Celena," Dilandau cut in as he looked at Hitomi before leaving.
After Dilandau had left, her friends still stood near her until she motioned for them to sit down. Removing their shoes and folding their pants up to their knees, they sat much like she did. They were quiet for some time, just waiting for Hitomi to be ready.
"How's Allen?" Hitomi mumbled uncertainly.
"Messed up," Millerna said flatly.
Hitomi's brows furrowed. "Care to elaborate?"
Her friends looked uncertain until Yukari took the initiative to talk. "Well, he's down emotionally speaking. Hitomi, he didn't want this and you know that we're not saying this because we're covering him up or we're on his side."
"I know… is there something I should know about Allen?"
Amano shook his head. "He has no other girl."
"That's not what I mean," she said as her eyes looked at Amano closely. "Did Dilandau… have a talk with him?"
Gades laughed. "You can be a psychic you know that?"
"Well, just some boy talk," Sarah explained vaguely.
"It doesn't by chance involve some fists flying, does it?"
They laughed nervously and Hitomi just nodded.
"So…" Millerna began awkwardly. "Aside from swollen eyes and all, how are you?"
"Just… coping up. Dilandau's been keeping me company and I feel bad because he's spending his vacation with some miserable girl instead of enjoying it in some party or something."
Amano smiled. "He's just the person you need, isn't he?"
Hitomi laughed slightly. "You make it sound like he's the person I need to get over your brother."
Gades just shook his head. "Well, you and Allen could still be friends."
She nodded. "Yes, I hope so. I still love him you know."
"And he loves you back," Yukari assured. "But things just get messy at times and when we start cleaning up, we realize that we have to part with some things because they don't fit anymore… because it's time to simply let go."
"One day, we could all look at this and say that we're strong," Sarah said with a smile. "Life will always go on and there are plenty of people out there for you and Allen. You might never know that the one you're looking for is just under your nose."
The smile on Hitomi was genuine. She was glad she had friends like them as they talked on and on about Allen and everything else not related.
~tbc~
Author's Note: I'm really sorry for the long delay. It's been almost three months. We just borrowed the monitor I'm using now and it would be returned tomorrow so I'd have to figure out how to update soon after this one. Anyway, thanks for the reviews and I hope that this story hasn't been abandoned because of the span of time I left it not updated. I'm not going to put some replies here since you all have probably forgotten what you said. It's been some time. Before I go, I just like to give acknowledgement to those who reviewed Heart of Sword – Before Dawn but have not yet been thanked. Thanks to moi, CrAyOnS tAstE LIkE pUrple, cheetahchow, and kitsuni-1500.