Two. Blind tears
#I would do everything to see it again#
It was so hot outside that you could fry eggs on the hood of every black car in the jammed streets, the asphalt bending under the weight of the machines. The sky was deep blue without a single cloud being brave enough to cover the sun. It was summer. Holiday time. This one wonderfully carefree time after highschool and before college. The world was waiting for you to explore it.
But you could also sit on a soft, light-brown couch and watch tv; the sun which was blinking through the half-closed window shades blinding you but you're too lazy to move away, the one same spring which was pricking you everytime pricking your back again but you're too lazy to move away. It was summer. Holiday time. And she was bored.
"Hitomiiii," a voice whined from behind the backrest of the couch in the living room of the Kanzaki's, making the beige dog who had been sleeping in the sun under the window sill crack open an eye and snort in annoyance.
"What's the matter, Yukari?" came the reply from out of the kitchen, slightly muffled for Hitomi stuck with half of her body in their huge refrigerator, trying to fish for this stupid package of sausages her lively little brother had hidden in the most distant corner – once again.
A head peaked from behind the backrest, shining red hair spilled over the smooth fabric of the couch and tired brown eyes glaring at the entrance to the kitchen with all the anger Yukari was able to muster in her state of half-sleep. "I'm bored, 'Tomi!" she mumbled against the armrest, her tall body slumped onto the softness of the couch, skirt and shirt crumpled. "Why don't we go somewhere? Why am I lying on your couch although I could lie on some strand of a tropical island?"
"Because..." Hitomi replied and appeared in the doorway, one hand on her hip and the other one holding a package of sausages. "...you are a wonderful friend and renounced to book this trip to that amazingly beautiful and incredibly lonely island where half-naked guys with six packs would have served you all day long only to spend the time with me."
Yukari groaned into the fabric of the couch, two guys fighting verbally in the talkshow behind her. "Just tell me how damn nice I am," she complained and tossed on the couch, facing the tv. "Massages, Hitomi! White sand and turquoise water! Palm trees and guys with six packs! Tell me that it was worth it to stay here!"
Hitomi smiled, her blind eyes sparkling. "It was worth it to stay here."
"Fine. Then, let's go somewhere!" Yukari insisted and switched the channels, a woman with curly brown hair and an apron around her waist explaining how to make an extraordinary salad with your own personal touch.
"Not now, Yukari, and you know that," the blond-haired girl sighed and disappeared in the kitchen again. "Mom had left to meet her girls, dad is at work and Mamoru is still at home. I can't leave him alone here."
"Did I hear my name?"
"The little brat," the redhead stated flatly from her position on the couch, not even bothering to look up when Hitomi's younger brother descended the stairs, a backpack slung over his left shoulder and a broad grin plastered across his face. "You better leave me alone coz you're the reason why this is my status quo."
"Now, why does that leave me cold?" Mamoru replied cheerfully when he reached the living room and patted Yukari's head, earning a grunt. "Sis, you should chain her up, she's dangerous."
"Be careful what you say or else I'll bite you," the young woman growled and Mamoru jerked his hand back when he saw the look on her face.
"See!" the brown-haired boy complained on his way to the kitchen and a sheepish expression crept over his young features when he saw the sausages lying on the wooden table. "Oh sorry, 'Tomi," he apologized while scratching the back of his head. "I forgot to put them where they belong...did you search long?"
The green-eyed woman looked up from the sink where she was washing the dishes from breakfast, holding a white plate in her hand. "No, it's okay," she smiled at her brother and continued to wash the plate. "Are you leaving?"
"Yeah," Mamoru replied and grinned, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his faded jeans. "Kaoru invited me to sleep over. He planned to have a lan- party, today. And don't give me that look...mom and dad know, don't worry."
The suspicious expression was still on Hitomi's face when her brother walked to her side and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Bye, sis," he said with a smile and left for the backdoor. "See you, tomorrow."
"Have fun!" Hitomi called after him when she heard him cross the garden. "But not too much, okay?!"
His reply made her smile and she turned back to devote herself to the dirty dishes again, the lemon scent of the dish-water filling her nostrils. It was quiet in the house again, the splashing of water and the breathing of someone who stood in the doorframe the only noise.
"Can we go somewhere, now?!" Yukari asked impatiently and leaned against the firm wood of the doorframe, her brown eyes focused on her friend. The redhead looked like someone who had lain the whole morning on the couch, watching tv, and it wasn't surprising for she hadn't done anything but that.
"Let me finish this and then, we can decide what to do, okay?" Hitomi replied without looking up and Yukari snorted.
"Fine, but I decide what we do," she grunted and rubbed her calf with one foot, arms crossed in front of her chest. "What about we go to the travel agency and book that trip? It's not too late! We can still --"
Tiara's bark interupted her and a second later, the doorbell rang. The beige dog rose from her position on the ground and trotted along towards the door, yawning sleepily but wagging her tail happily at the same time.
"Oh god, please, let it be a hot stripper with the wrong address so that, at least, I can have some fun!" Yukari exclaimed desperatedly and turned to join Tiara at the door, her bare feet causing tapping noises on the polished parquet. She had made the mistake to leave her shoes at the door without supervising them. Tiara was addicted to shoes and had probably added them already to her collection of trophies.
"Good girl," the red-haired woman said, shoving the over-excited dog away from the door and opened it.
Well, Yukari hadn't been really awake for the last days. She had been eking out her existance with lying on the couch and watching tv or playing video games with Mamoru – and lose against him, that is. Nothing to motivate her to leave her state of half-sleep. But when her eyes came to rest on the young man who was standing outside the door, she was as awake as one could be after three mugs of pitch-black and unsugared coffee.
With eyes as wide as saucers and her mouth half-open, she looked the raven- haired stranger up and down, faded jeans hugging his hip pretty low and a sleeveless, white shirt showing off tanned and muscular arms that shamelessly dared to imagine what was underneath the loose fabric. And if that wasn't already enough, a smile lingered on his sculptured lips that could have outshone sun if he had just wanted it to.
With a groan, Yukari raised her gaze skywards. "Oh please, can I also have my own car and a swimming pool filled to the brim with money?" she begged and the friendly smile on the young man's face turned into a confused frown.
"Umm, excuse me," he began smoothly, running a hand through his unruly hair and Yukari turned her head back down to look at him, his mesmerizing auburn eyes squinted against the sunlight. "My name is Van Fanel. Does Kanzaki Hitomi live here?"
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and she instinctively blocked the door. "Why?" Yukari asked and Tiara barked behind her while trying to work her way through the redhead's legs, the young man's deep voice motivating her.
"So, she does live here?" Van replied with hope in his words and his dark brows rose in anticipation, auburn eyes focused on the muzzle of the dog who was desperately trying to pass Yukari's legs. "Is that her dog?"
"I didn't say she lived here," the redhead stated and crossed her arms in front of her chest, putting on an expression she probably thought looked dangerous.
"But you also didn't say that she wasn't living here," Van countered with a rakish smirk and tried to peak past her shoulders into the dim room behind her. "Hitomi, are you there?"
"And you're sure you want to speak with Hitomi and not with Yukari, by pure chance?" the girl in the doorway asked and Van grinned, taking a provoking step towards her. He was quite tall and if she made an effort, her eyes could come in level with his chin. How motivating.
"I'm sure," he replied determinedly and looked over her shoulder again or better to say, over her head, making Yukari stick out her chin and his fresh scent filled her nostrils. He called Hitomi again.
"Good. Assuming that she lived here, what would you want from her," Yukari continued, her eyes now sparkling vividly while she still tried to silence the dog with her foot. But somehow Tiara grew to see it as a game; catch the wilful heel. "I can't just let you – ouch!"
We've got a winner. Loudly barking, Tiara ran past Yukari's raised foot towards Van while the redhead was rubbing her ankle, glaring at the Golden Retriever.
"Biting isn't fair, Tiara," Yukari growled and watched Van gracefully kneel down to pat the dog.
"Hey, do you remember me?" the auburn-eyed man asked, sparkling black strands of unruly hair tumbling into his view when he leaned down. He dug his tanned fingers into the soft fur of the dog and tried to dodge her attempts of licking his face.
"Van, is that you?" a soft voice suddenly asked from the doorway, making Yukari jerk in shock and Van look up.
"Gods, 'Tomi, don't creep..." the redhead trailed off, still clutching her shirt, and her gaze darted from the bewildered expression on Hitomi's face to the warm smile which was occupying Van's handsome features.
"The one and only," he answered Hitomi's question with a lop-sided grin and slowly rose to his feet again, his unfathomable eyes set steadfastly on the sandy-blonde.
"What are you doing here?" she exclaimed and shook her head. "And...I mean, how did you find me? I didn't tell you anything about where I lived."
"You know him?" Yukari asked, surprised, and stared wide-eyed at Van.
"Well, this is a quite long story," Van replied and scratched the back of his head, a sheepish expression on his face. "It contains some phone calls across the city, meeting new people here and there, scaring old ladies with assaulting their doors...did you know how many Kanzakis live in this city?"
"You visited them all?" Hitomi questioned in disbelief, brows raised sceptically.
"Well, only those who had been necessary until I finally found you," Van answered with a shrug and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pants, a light breeze dishevelling his hair. "You didn't make it easy for me, you know?"
"Hello?" Yukari cried, interupting him and jumped between her best friend and her best friend's friend whom she didn't know, waving her arms about. "I'm still alive, remember? Would someone, please, tell me what this is all about? Why do you know him and me not, huh?"
"Some days ago, I bumped into Van and he bought a water for me to make up for standing in my way," Hitomi replied, her green eyes resting on the spot where Van's voice had come from. "We talked a bit, that's all."
"When did that happen?" Yukari asked incredulously, her eyes narrowed to little slits.
"Four days ago," Van said and patted Tiara's head who sat at his feet, looking expectingly up at him with huge brown eyes.
"What? You needed four days to find her?" the red-haired woman replied mockingly, glancing at Van and he shrugged with a grin.
"Almost, yeah."
"Four days and you didn't tell me?" she then whirled around and addressed the sandy-blonde beside her who had an unreadable expression on her face, throwing her hands above her head when Hitomi shrugged, too. "Argh, Hitomi, you don't know to esteem your damn luck! Why do things like these never happen to me?"
"Maybe because you're not blind and would have avoided running into me?" the young man offered and Yukari turned towards him, a smirk adorning her features. It made him wait for the vampire teeth to grow.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Yukari replied and looked directly into his reddish-brown eyes, a dangerous sparkle in her own brown ones that made her look like a lioness which was watching its prey. She grinned inwardly about the blush she had created on his cheeks.
"Why are you here, Van?" Hitomi asked slowly and Van cleared his throat before he spoke.
"Well, actually, I planned to kidnap you," he answered casually and a deep chuckle escaped his lips when he saw the dumbfounded expressions on both of their faces. "I want to show you something."
"W-what...? But..." Hitomi stuttered and her eyes flickered nervously around but he interupted her quickly.
"Please, it's only for a few hours," he explained and Yukari noticed the desperate glow in his eyes, a flame shortly before being extinguished. "I'll take you there and I'll take you home again. My car is waiting down there at the street. You can even take your watchdog with you."
"Hey, and what about me?" Yukari complained immediately, rewarding Van with an angry glare.
"I meant you," he replied with a soft smile and turned towards Hitomi again. "You'll like it. Please, trust me."
"I...I don't know," she said quietly and directed her gaze to the ground but Yukari grabbed her arm and uncompromisingly dragged her into the house.
"You never know, Hitomi," she stated matter-of-factly and motioned for Van to follow her; what he did, his eyes wandering curiously around when he entered. "I wanted to shove your lazy butt out of the house and this is the perfect opportunity. Do we need any things, Van?"
"But Yukari!" Hitomi hissed and wrestled her arm out of her friend's grip. "We can't just go with him! He could do gods-know-what to us! Maybe he's some kind of axe-murderer or something!"
The brown-eyed woman put her hands on her hips and glanced at Van who stood in the corridor like a lost boy with his hands still in the pockets of his pants, before raising a delicate eyebrow at her friend. "I highly doubt that," she replied airily. "He's too cute."
"Yukari!"
"What's your point, 'Tomi?" she questioned, frowning deeply.
"My point?" Hitomi echoed, blinking. "We don't know him!"
"I don't know him, that's correct but it's your own fault, may I remind you. And even if. You didn't know me either and now, I'm your best friend," the redhead shrugged and nodded towards Van who was inspecting the family photos at the wall. "When he dares to make any move towards you, I'll beat him. You heard that, Van?"
"Distinctly," he replied casually without turning away from the wall and Yukari smiled triumphatically.
"See?" she addressed Hitomi and pushed her down onto the couch, earning a growl. "You wait here and I'll pack a few things. Some fresh air will do you good, believe me. Plus you said I could decide where to go and I decide to go with him."
Hitomi nodded reluctantly. As if there was anything she could do! It was Yukari, after all. There was nothing that could stop her once the redhead had made a decision. And if she had decided to drag Hitomi out of the house to let a stranger bring her somewhere, so be it. With a sigh, she leaned against the backrest of the couch and listened to the noises Yukari and Van were causing upstairs. And she hadn't even finished washing the dishes.
Hitomi remained sitting on the couch until she heard Yukari's bubbly voice from the stairs and seconds later, was dragged out of the house.
"What did you pack?" the green-eyed woman asked when Yukari turned to lock the door, leaving her at Van's car. "And where exactly are we going to go?"
"That's a surprise," Van's deep voice whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. She stiffened by feeling him close beside her, his breathing calm.
"Yeah, 'Tomi, don't be so curious. Relax and enjoy the trip," Yukari called from behind, chasing Tiara to the car. Her shoulder-long hair sparkled intensely in the sunlight, different shades of red dancing over her head. "You take the passenger seat and I'll share the backseat with this over- excited fur ball here."
"Do you have my stick?" Hitomi asked, turning into the direction where she heard Yukari climb into the car, followed by a barking Tiara.
"Yeah, don't worry and I even wrote a note for your parents! Now, come! Everyone is waiting for you!" the redhead replied impatiently and slammed the door shut, muffling Tiara's barking.
The sandy-blonde sighed and stretched out her hands, groping across the warm metal of the car for the door. She felt a jerk go through it when Van started the engine, a deep humming surrounding her. She couldn't deny that she was curious. Well, it didn't happen that often that someone whom she had met only one time visited her and announced that he would take her somewhere.
Hearing Yukari's impatient complaints from inside, she shook her head with a smile and climbed into the car as well.
#--#
"She does need a bit more practise in protecting you," Van stated simply with a smile on his lips and glanced into the rear mirror, his hands resting calmly on the steering wheel.
Yukari was leaning against the backrest, head tilted backwards and mouth wide open, deep snors escaping the dark depths of her throat. She had fallen asleep ten minutes ago, after she had finished her questioning with Van. The beige guide-dog sat beside her, looking out of the window with curious eyes.
"Yeah, but she is always falling asleep in cars," Hitomi shrugged and turned towards the young man beside her, blind green eyes directed to the ground. "I think she'll never get her driving license."
A deep chuckle left Van's throat and he glanced at the green-eyed woman beside him, sandy-blond strands spilled over the backrest of her seat.
"Now that I know that you won't tell me our destination, could you, at least, tell me the direction?" she asked and exhaled deeply, making Van smile. "I don't like to be totally clueless."
"South," he answered and she heard him ran a hand through his hair. He had done that quite often since the beginning of their journey. "We're heading southwards."
"Thank you. And could you, please, turn the radio on?" she asked quietly into the silence after his reply and leaned against the back of her seat with a sigh.
"Of course," Van replied and stretched out his arm, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
You know they say
In every man's life, there comes a time
When you get struck by the arrow of Cupid,
By the love of God or the beauty of a woman
Sometimes, this love brings thunder into your life
And it brings the storm, sing about it
Quiet music floated out of the loudspeaker, almost drowned by Yukari's irregular snoring. Hitomi closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the sun which was penetrating the windows and caressed her features. She heard the comforting roaring of the engine and folded her hands in her lap. Her hair sparkled in the sunlight, breaking it like a prism and her features were calm and relaxed. She felt his eyes on her but pretended not to notice, not knowing what to think of the young man who had suddenly burst into her life without any warning.
Okay, she knew that he was two years older than her, making him twenty-one, and that he studied psychology at Fanelia's most renowned university where he shared his dorm with an albino who was slightly addicted to fire, thanks to Yukari's curiosity. He wanted to major in psychology of the adolescent later and during his summer break, he was working as a temporary cook in a restaurant, just a little down the street from the café where she had bumped into him. He had been on his way home as well as she had been.
After their parting at that café, she had thought she would never see him again. They had had a nice conversation but nothing more. There was no such thing like love at first sight for her. What an irony. She simply couldn't understand why he was doing that. But then again, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know at all. Everything she knew was that she would be careful.
A light tap on the shoulder startled her out of her thoughts and her head snapped up in alarm, unfamiliar sounds and scents surrounding her.
"What? Where...?" Hitomi stuttered but relaxed when she heard a deep chuckle, followed by Yukari's excited voice and Tiara's barking. "Did we already arrive? How...?"
"Well, yeah, we arrived," Van replied with a smile, leaning on the opened passenger door and a light breeze ruffling through his pitch-black hair. "You slept for the last one and a half hours, just to inform you."
"Yeah, sleepyhead," Yukari interfered before Hitomi could say something, leaning on Van's shoulder. "You slept like a rock. You can be glad that I was there to protect you! Oh, what would you do without me?"
Hitomi snorted and climbed out of the car, joining Van and Yukari in the parking lot. She decided to simply ignore the last question. The sun was still burning down on her but the wind was slightly cooler, a strange scent hovering in the air above those of hot asphalt and exhaust fumes and the one of the intense flowers right beside her. She could hear the noises of the street which was winding its way past them and a roaring sound in the background.
"Where are we?" she asked and turned her head, trying to catch all the impressions around her. "Are those...waves?"
"Nah, Hitomi, stop trying to analyze everything!" Yukari replied cheerfully and slipped Tiara's leash into her hand. "Come on, come on!"
The redhead took their bags from Van and ran towards the huge glass doors which led into the air-conditioned inside of the building complex in front of which Van had parked the car. Hitomi let Tiara lead her to where Yukari was waiting, feeling Van join her side. He had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans and an unfathomable smile lay on his lips, auburn eyes dancing with something not even Yukari could name.
The doors slid quietly open when they reached them and they entered a noisy room. Hitomi could hear children laugh in the distance and somewhere beside her, a computer was humming quietly.
"Wait here," Van said and pointed at some chairs in a corner, different magazines scattered across the table between them. "I'll go and --"
"Van!" a feminine voice interupted him and the three of them turned around, Hitomi's eyes directed to the ground but her ears pricked attentively.
"Hey, Merle!" Van replied and grinned, walking over to the young woman who had just appeared from out of a hallway around the corner. "Long time no see!"
"Yukari?" Hitomi whispered, turning her head towards her friend and trying to calm an excited Tiara.
"Around our age," the redhead stated expertly, looking Merle up and down. "Maybe a year younger. A bit smaller than you, pink hair and enviably tanned. Gods, how can anyone be that tanned? She's quite pretty if I can say so but I would say that dress is a bit too short. Oh, he seems to know her...they're hugging. Well, it's more like she's hugging him but yeah, a potential rival if you ask me."
"What? No, Yuk --" Hitomi was about to contradict but her friend silenced her quickly.
"Shhh, they're approaching," she hissed. "Man, she walks like a cat! You really have to--"
The redhead bit her lip when Hitomi poked her in the ribs. Though the woman was blind, she had an aim which was simply incredible. But it was probably because she was poking Yukari continuously. With the time, she had learned where to poke so that it hurt.
"Ladies," Van exclaimed when he approached, Merle smiling brightly at his side. "I want you to meet Merle."
"You must be Hitomi!" the pink-haired girl said and without hesitating, grabbed Hitomi's hand and shook it, her dark-blue eyes dancing. "Van told me quite something about you when he called me, yesterday."
"He did?" Hitomi asked suspiciously and turned her head to where she supposed that the young man stood, slightly fearing that Merle would shake her arm off.
"He did?" Yukari echoed and looked directly at him, delicate brows raised in surprise but Van just shrugged with a sheepish smile.
"Yeah, but we can speak about that later," Merle said and finally released Hitomi's arm. "Let's go now, I'm sure you finally want to know what this is all about. I'll lead you to the cabins where you can change."
"Change?!" Hitomi asked in confusion, her eyes darting around. "Why? I mean...we didn't know..."
Merle scratched her head with a frown on her face when Hitomi trailed off, pink hair sparkling in the sunlight which penetrated the huge windows behind her. "But I thought Van told you...?"
"He did," Yukari interfered and winked at Merle. "I've got everything in these bags."
The sandy-blonde turned towards her friend, gaze directed to the ground. "Why do I have the feeling that I'm the only clueless one around here?"
"Because you are," the red head stated simply and grabbed her arm.
Hitomi felt Merle's slim hand wrap around her other arm and together, the two girls led her down the hallway. Tiara was strolling in front of her, inspecting everything around her with curious eyes, dragging Hitomi along.
"I want to thank you, Hitomi," Merle said quietly when Van was out of ear- shot, a warm smile on her lips and Hitomi frowned deeply. "I don't know what you did to him but it did have an effect on him. I haven't seen him smile like that for a long time."
"And you know that because...?" Yukari asked suspiciously, eyeing the tanned girl in the orange summer dress warily out of the corners of her eyes.
"I'm his ex-girlfriend," Merle finished with a feline grin and led them around another corner, different voices filling the air.
Yukari's mouth opened in surprise. "Really?" she replied, not able to hide her not existing sympathy and the sparkle in her eyes.
"Yep," the pink-haired girl nodded. "I've been knowing him for quite some years and I had a crush on him for that same time but just last summer I had had the guts to tell him. We were together for only one and a half months when we broke up. Luckily, it wasn't in dispute and we can still look each other in the eye."
"Why did you break up?" Yukari asked bluntly, earning a poke from Hitomi. Training, that's all.
Merle was quiet for a brief moment, a far-off look on her features. "Because of his past and my inability for dealing with it," she answered with a sad smile and pointed at some doors to their right. "You can change there. I'll wait outside with Van. Just come when you're ready." She pointed at the glass doors at the end of the hallway.
"Wait! What do you mean?" Yukari asked when Merle was about to leave.
"You better ask him yourself," she replied and turned away, walking down the hallway. "And I beg you to be patient with him, Hitomi."
The green-eyed girl's head snapped around and she was just about to say something when Yukari shoved her to the cabins. "Hey, Yukari!" she complained and the red head opened the door. "What did she mean?"
"You'll have to find out," Yukari replied and smiled warmly, taking Tiara's leash from her friend and handing her the stick and something that felt like fabric. "Small room. Two meters to the wall across, probably fifty centimeters to the walls to your left and right. A stool in the far left corner. Hurry up, I'll wait here with Tiara."
"But that's my bikini!" Hitomi exclaimed and waved the green pieces of fabric around.
"Of course," Yukari shrugged and shoved her friend into the cabin, closing the door behind her.
She heard the muffled reply that couldn't be anything but an insult and leaned against the wall beside the door with a grin on her face, her brown eyes closed.
Hitomi had never had any luck with guys and thus had unfortunately learned that building insurmountable walls around herself would keep her from being hurt – but had forgotten that it also kept her from being loved. All she needed was someone to show her something worth the bad experience she had gone through; something worth the disappointment, something worth the anger, something worth the tears.
And if she wasn't completely mistaken, she would say that the mysterious young man was on the best way to do so. She didn't know him. She had only spent a few hours with him (where she had been asleep most of the time) and she couldn't say if it was Hitomi's almost shy behavior around him but something told her that he could break into the castle the woman had built. After all, Hitomi couldn't stay in there forever when he decided to lay siege to it. She just prayed that he had got the patience to wait for her outside in the rain.
Yukari cracked open an eye when she heard rumble from out of the cabin, a grunting Hitomi exiting the small room.
"What have you been doing?" she asked and the red-haired girl took hold of her arm, strolling along her side while Hitomi was groping for the way with her stick.
"Nothing," Yukari chirped and released Tiara from her leash, the dog however staying at Hitomi's feet. "I was just thinking a bit."
"It cannot have been something good for I can hear that dirty grin on your face," the green-eyed woman stated and Yukari grinned only wider, remaining silent. She felt like whistling a song to herself.
Hitomi just shook her head and allowed Yukari to lead the way. Honestly, she didn't want to know at all. Everything seemed like some crazy dream and she just wanted to get over with it, wanted to wake up. When they passed the door, Yukari's grip tightened around Hitomi's arm and the sandy-blonde could almost feel her friend's excitement seep into her like electricity.
"You know he's cute, don't you?" the redhead suddenly asked in a whisper and Hitomi's heart skipped a beat.
"What?" she replied, her voice slightly shaking.
"Don't you?"
Hitomi's stick hit a little step and she passed it without even noticing. "Yukari, I'm blind, remember?" she answered, not able to hide and even worse, not able to explain the blush from spreading across her cheeks. "I can't see him."
"Well, you can be glad that you're blind for you wouldn't be able to think straight right now," Yukari stated and Hitomi could hear her grin from ear to ear. "He's wearing swim trunks and swim trunks only. To say it carefully, the guy is hot."
"Yukari!" Hitomi hissed, her cheeks getting warmer with every word.
"I didn't know what he was hiding under his shirt," Yukari continued, ignoring Hitomi's pokes. "At least, I get the six pack I deserve. You're a lucky one, you know that? Just be careful not to burn your fingers...watch out, we're almost there."
"Yukari!"
"Hey, you ready?" Van asked when they reached his side, interupting his conversation with Merle, not able to tear his gaze away from Hitomi.
"Of course," Yukari replied with a smirk and scrutinized him bluntly, his tanned skin shimmering in the sun like bronze and his trained body radiating controlled and restrained power. "Nice abs, Van."
Hitomi's cheeks were on fire and not for the first time in Yukari's presence she wished for the earth to swallow her with lock, stock and barrel. She heard the redhead and Merle chuckle beside her but couldn't see that Van's face wasn't a single bit less red than her's.
"What about we leave those two giggle girls here alone and I'll show you why I brought you here?" Van whispered in her ear and she nodded mutely, gaze fixed on the ground.
She was just about to take a step ahead, guided by her stick, when Van grabbed her wrist and started to drag her down the hill. His grip was warm and gentle and she was so surprised that she let go of her stick and it landed noisily on the ground.
"Van, no!" she shouted desperately, stumbling behind him and trying to wrest her arm out of his grasp but he was a little bit stronger than Yukari. "I can't see where I'm going!"
He stopped and she ran straight into his broad back, gasping in shock. When he let go of her hand, she inhaled deeply and took a step away from him. She was just about to turn around and head back to pick up her stick when she was sweeped off the ground and into strong arms, a yelp escaping her lips and his warmth everywhere around her. Hitomi struggled in his arms but Van just chuckled, tightening the grip around her.
"No, Van, let me go, please," Hitomi insisted, feeling slightly uncomfortable in this situation but threw her arms instinctively around his neck when he started to run.
"This is faster," he replied and smiled down at her.
Hitomi took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She didn't like being so helpless. She hadn't liked to follow him here with the possibility of him being an axe-murderer or something and she didn't like him carrying her to gods-know-where. She actually wasn't the one to run into her decline like some head-less chicken!
"Can you swim?" he asked, startling her out of her thoughts.
"What?" she squeaked in disbelief and turned her head to listen to what was coming ahead. "Why? Yeah..."
Unfortunately, she couldn't see the mischievous grin on his lips.
"Van!" she shrieked and nearly jumped out of his arms, when water was suddenly splashing all around her. Cold water.
The young man ran straight into the the water of the little bay, Hitomi clinging to his neck. He was soaked within seconds and slowed down when it became deeper. Wading slowly, he just stopped when the water reached to his hip and with a swift motion, he placed the woman in his arms on the ground. Van grinned by meeting her gaze, angry green eyes flashing at him.
"I want you to meet someone," he whispered. "Stretch out your hands."
Hitomi frowned but obeyed, slowly stretching out her hands. Cold water was surrounding her legs, reaching a bit over her hip, goose bumps covering her skin. She could hear the waves sweeping the shore and Van breathing calmly beside her - and something approaching. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt that something was coming in her direction and she inched backwards.
"Don't be afraid," Van said quietly and close to her ear and she nodded, waiting in anticipation.
It was when something touched her fingertips; something wet and soft touching her shyly as if to test how she would react. Her hands jerked back and she stifled the gasp by clasping them over her mouth, blind eyes wide and heart bumping furiously. She knew what had touched her but she couldn't believe it.
"Hitomi, I want you to meet Dana," Van whispered softly in her ear and took her hands in his larger ones, gently prying them from her mouth.
He stood directly behind her, her back pressed lightly against his chest and she could feel the warmth radiating from him. His head rested on her shoulder while his hair was tenderly tickling her neck, and he led her hands slowly to the dolphin who was patiently waiting in front of her.
Her hands roamed over the wet and smooth skin of the dolphin, life ever so present underneath it. She took in all the outlines from the pointed mouth and ever-lasting smile to the fluke, absorbing everything up to the salty scent which surrounded them and created an image in her mind. By that time, tears were silently running down her cheeks and she pressed her lips to a thin line to stop them from quivering while slow waves were gently splashing against her hip.
It had been one of her most cherished wishs since she was a little kid. Her grandmother had always told her stories about dolphins and over the years, Hitomi had grown to link both of them. All those memories were coming back then, when she was standing in a calm bay with turquoise water tenderly swepping a white shore.
Hitomi smiled despite herself when a wet nose cockily nudged her arm, indicating that a second dolphin had joined them, her eyes glistening with tears. She remembered her grandmother telling her that she wished to be a dolphin in her next life to be able to experience life in another way and it was as if the old woman was standing right beside her, her wrinkles even deeper when she smiled.
"I'll leave you with the both of them now," Van whispered into her ear and she nodded mutely, not trusting her own voice.
He withdrew his hands and she felt his warmth disappear from her back when he retreated. Water splashed around his form when he walked back to the shore, a warm smile adorning his features. The young man turned around and seeing her there with this beautiful smile on her lips and her blind eyes dancing with life, he knew exactly why he had done it.
#--#
When the sun was setting that evening, Van was lying on the gangplank that reached far into the bay, wooden boards covered with algae and seashells. His legs dangled lazily over the edge of the gangplank and a cool breeze rustled through his raven-black hair and light clothing while he was watching the sky with his arms linked behind his head.
It looked as if someone had thrown over some pots of red, yellow and blue paint, soaking the velvety canvas of the evening sky with innumerable colours. Some stars already blinked where a dark violet merged into deep blue, orange-tinted clouds crowning the horizon like tufts of cotton.
Van closed his sparkling auburn eyes that seemed to compete with the red in the sky, and let the wind play with his hair, unruly strands swaying softly. He had been watching her the whole time, had watched her laugh, had watched her cry and he couldn't recall anything that had made him feel so incredibly at peace. It made him believe that as long as she smiled the world could crumble around him and he just wouldn't care.
He didn't know how she did it. He simply couldn't explain it. Never before had someone stepped so easily into his life and so brashly into his heart. She must've caught him when his heart had organized a 'day of the open door'. She had somehow burned her image, her bright smile, her lilac-like scent into his mind so that she would be ever present – and she was. He hadn't been able to forget her. She was too different from anybody else he had met up to that day and he had ached to see her again.
She was like cinnamon ice-cream – once you tried it, you'd be addicted for the rest of your life.
The soft evening breeze carried faint laughter out across the bay that mixed with the loud prattling of the dolphins. A small smile curved on his sensual lips when the quiet tock tock of a stick tapping on wooden boards reached him, indicating that a certain someone was approaching. His smile grew when the stick tapped him on the arm only to be immediately pulled away. Van knew that he was lying in her way but he didn't bother to move.
"Van...?" Hitomi asked carefully and fumbled with the stick in her hand.
"Hmm," he replied with his eyes still closed and the grin still lingering on his features.
"You could have moved out of the way, you know," the honey-blonde grumbled, her delicate brows knitted in slight annoyance. "Yukari told me you were here...why didn't you join us again?"
The young man was silent for a few seconds and opened his eyes before he spoke, a dark red reflecting the dying light of the setting sun. "That moment seemed precious for you," he stated quietly and looked up into the sky. "I didn't want to disturb it."
"Yes, it truly was precious," the green-eyed woman replied in a whisper and with a smile, slowly and carefully attempting to sit down beside him.
Van glanced at her out of the corners of his eyes, watching her put her bare feet into the water with a sigh. Finally, he sat up in a fluent and graceful motion and rested his elbows on his knees, eyes focused on the horizon.
"You happy then?" he asked and cocked his head to the side when facing her profile, strands of raven-black hair dancing into his view.
"Do you even have to ask?" she countered and it was as if the sun rose when she smiled.
"Well, actually, I need the acknowledgement for my poor, little ego," Van drawled and chuckled when Hitomi nudged his arm hard. Her aim was amazing, thanks to Yukari. "Any other wish you want to have fulfilled? I'm only warming up."
"Oh, if you're asking like that, there truly is something else," the young woman began, tapping her index finger against her cheek. "I want to touch a rainbow."
She could practically hear his eyebrows shoot up in surprise and couldn't stop herself from laughing out loud, the pure and clear sound echoing into the almost dark sky.
"Er...Hitomi, you do know that--" Van started to ask with a worried expression on his face but she interupted him with a wave of her hand.
"Yes, Van," she said, still smiling brightly. "Yes, I know that I can't touch a rainbow but when I was a kid I nearly drove my mom insane when she tried to explain to me what a rainbow was and I just kept asking if I could at last touch that rainbow. I always wanted to know what a rainbow feels like."
The wind increased, tearing at their clothing and Hitomi shivered involuntarily. "It's getting late," the auburn-eyed man stated and attempted to rise from his sitting position. "We should head back home, what do you say?"
She nodded and rose as well, her movements a little bit clumsy. She heard the boards squeak when Van turned to walk to the shore and after hesitating briefly, she quickly called out his name. "Van, wait!"
He turned back around to look at her, one brow raised questioningly. Hitomi took a few careful steps ahead and smiled hesitantly, the breeze dishevelling her sandy-brown tresses. "Why did you do it?" she questioned and looked up into his eyes as if she could see him.
Van watched the last reflections of sunlight dance across her emerald irises and smiled warmly. "A good question indeed," he replied with a crooked grin, his eyes resting on her soft features. "When you spoke so fondly of that wish of yours, I wanted nothing more but fulfil it. And maybe I just wanted to see you smile."
An amused glint entered his eyes when she didn't reply and he leaned a bit down. "Anything else you want to know?"
Hitomi jerked lightly. "I actually came here to thank you," she offered quietly, hesitantly. "And well..."
Trailing off, she slowly stretched out her hand and rested it on his shoulder, making his eyes widen. He didn't move nor even breathe when she silently groped along his neck only to suddenly lean in and hug him. The young woman caught him totally off guard and a red hue stole its way to his cheeks, his mouth slightly agape.
"Thank you," she whispered into his ear, waking him from his daze.
"You're welcome," he replied just as quietly and returned the embrace, holding her petite frame tightly against his body. She was warm and he could still smell a slight trace of salt in her hair.
"What you did means a lot to me," Hitomi continued when she pulled away, his hands still resting on her waist to support her – and keep her close. He didn't want her to leave. Not yet. "And I...I just don't know how I can ever make it up to you."
"Well, as much as I would like to say that I did it out of unselfish reasons," Van stated and grinned lop-sidedly down at her. "But there is something you could do."
"Really?" she asked, her brows rising in surprise. "What?"
"Let me see you again."
Hitomi quickly turned away and bit her lip. She would have done everything to make it up to him; everything but that. "Please, Hitomi," he begged. "Just one--"
"No, Van," she interupted him quietly, shaking her head in determination and slowly releasing the embrace around his neck, sliding with her hands down is muscular arms. "Look, I can't do this. It isn't right. I can't...What is that?"
She was resting her hands on his bare forearms, running with her fingers over his warm skin, brows knitted. "Nothing but my forearms," he replied and pryed her curious hands off of his arms. "Don't change the topic."
"I was not!" Hitomi complained vividly and wound her hands out of his firm grasp in order to cross her arms in front of her chest. "I was just...I...you don't even know me."
Van threw his head back and gave a laugh, making her head snap up. "Now this is strange," he replied with a cocky grin and she scowled at the sarcasm in his voice. "Then let me get to know you, Hitomi! You know, this is actually the sense in a date."
"Van, I don't know..." she whispered and stared at the gangplank again, waves swepping softly against its wooden legs.
"Just one date," the young man begged again. "I won't bite and I promise if you think that I'm a jerk afterwards, so be it, I'll leave you alone. The decision is your's; say yes and you'll have to bear me for one evening, say no and you'll have to bear me for your remaining life."
She cocked an eyebrow at him. "What a choice."
"But a choice after all," he countered with a shrug and the sandy-blonde was quiet again. That wasn't like her. She wasn't standing on a gangplank with a damn sunset in the background, debating with a guy about a date! She could get rid of any man! Any man but him, she'd learned.
She'd never been in a situation like this. Nothing that had ever happened to her had been the slightest bit similar to this. She couldn't just say yes. Without a warning and without any effort, he had burst through the door of her life which she had barricaded with three locks, a board and a closet. It had taken her years and disappointment to do so and he was just about to take a seat on her couch with the blunt and pushing impertinence of a salesman. Saying yes was like offering him something to drink!
"Please," he breathed and she sighed. One evening or the rest of her life. Honestly, the decision wasn't really that hard.
"Fine." Would you like to have coffee or tea, Mr. Fanel?
"Promise?" Van continued and the grin on his face threatened to split his skull. Hey, he just wanted to be sure. She was like a slippery piece of soap, able to slide easily through his fingers and if he didn't keep an eye on her, she would simply slip out of his grasp.
"Promise," she replied and wondered, what the heck she'd gotten herself into.
"You won't regret it," the young man vowed, his eyes smiling down on her from between pitch-black strands.
"We'll see," she whispered. "We'll see."
There is more to love than this
Love is more than just a kiss
Will we take you to that step
Will we do more than just connect
And will you bring the thunder in my life
And the fire in my eyes
Cause then there, will be days of pleasure when
Everything far will be so near
#--#
Thanks to everyone who reviewed!!!
kitsunes-girl1370: bows to the floor Thank you very much!!! And see, it was fast!!!
Spirit0: Muahahahahahaha!!!! Makes me insanely happy when I get a review from you Lol, I'm no good influence?! I just don't have strength to resist the call of my ideas...do you hear them in your head "Write me down! Write me down!"??? :P And nope, I don't know a blind person I got the idea while watching tv. And aye, I'm glad you like it Thank you!!! Muahahaha, I hope I can include everyone here :P scratchs head How do you guys tip waiters??? I thought it was a common habit but not only around here ?? And I never thought you could learn something like this in school!!!!!!!! shakes head I wonder why you still talk to me though all those things you learn about us crazy peeps in school
blonde-hitomi: blushs Thankiez!!!!!!!!!
dawnsama: Lol, Tiara being a tiger!!! Muahahahaha!! That would have been quite a sight!!! :P Glad you like it!! Thanks!!!
royuki: blushs like mad Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SabineballZ: Kopf gegen Tisch hau Ja, ich hab wieder eine angefangen!!! Das ist wie eine Sucht, ich weiß auch nicht!! Ich wollt doch eigentlich erstmal die anderen fertigschreiben hoil Aber egal, du magst es und ich find's toll Danke wie immer und viel Erfolg mit deiner Geschichte!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dreamingofflyingaway: turns beyond red Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fireangel1621: I'm glad and thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Niffer: Hey there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! grins that her skull splits You know that you made me happy with your review, don't you?! :P I'm glad I couldn't scare you away with my questioning and thanks for answering everything I asked you! It did help a lot Hehe, hope you liked it again and if not, just tell me. I appreciate suggestions!! Thanks a ton!!!!!
Avaris Sky: Lol, I hope "Bhwew" is a good sign :P But for you said you wanted to see where I take this, I think, I was able to catch your interest, right?! Thanks!!!
blubb: ganz rot werd Freut mich riesig, dass es dir gefällt Und ja, ich hab mir gedacht, dass es eigentlich nicht viel anders ist, wenn man blind ist. Man ist daran gewöhnt und hat gelernt damit umzugehen. Und nein nein, keine Panik, du hast mich nicht verschreckt!!! Hab dir 'ne verspätete email geschrieben...hoffe sie ist angekommen!!! Und danke :P
Seth: blushs Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cynthia: grins Thank you!!! But no, I'm not blind and didn't know a blind person before I wrote this. I just heard someone talk about it I'm glad that you think it's good...hope you still think so :P
A/N: Well, here you go!! Just before I forget again, the song is a part of "I've never seen" by RZA featuring Xavier Naidoo and it'll continue throughout the next chapters Hehe, you see, Van is going to be quite the obstinate one here :P Hope you'll like it! And aye, I have to do some seriously teddy-hugging here!!!!!! grabs both of the teddies and hugs them rainbowishly mad You're the best!!! And therefore I'll include shameless advertisement here as well!! points threatingly at reader You go and read Starry Eyed Wonder's and Ryuu Angel's stories because they're absolutely worth it!!! But I think you already know that :P grins her head off Aye aye!!!! And I might as well say hi to a friend, ne?! ...in case she's reading this: Hey there, miss Schnüffelnase :P
So yeah, hopefully read you next chapter!!!
Dariel
P.S. Just to remind you, I don't own Escaflowne...just in case anyone forgot and plans to sue me.
#I would do everything to see it again#
It was so hot outside that you could fry eggs on the hood of every black car in the jammed streets, the asphalt bending under the weight of the machines. The sky was deep blue without a single cloud being brave enough to cover the sun. It was summer. Holiday time. This one wonderfully carefree time after highschool and before college. The world was waiting for you to explore it.
But you could also sit on a soft, light-brown couch and watch tv; the sun which was blinking through the half-closed window shades blinding you but you're too lazy to move away, the one same spring which was pricking you everytime pricking your back again but you're too lazy to move away. It was summer. Holiday time. And she was bored.
"Hitomiiii," a voice whined from behind the backrest of the couch in the living room of the Kanzaki's, making the beige dog who had been sleeping in the sun under the window sill crack open an eye and snort in annoyance.
"What's the matter, Yukari?" came the reply from out of the kitchen, slightly muffled for Hitomi stuck with half of her body in their huge refrigerator, trying to fish for this stupid package of sausages her lively little brother had hidden in the most distant corner – once again.
A head peaked from behind the backrest, shining red hair spilled over the smooth fabric of the couch and tired brown eyes glaring at the entrance to the kitchen with all the anger Yukari was able to muster in her state of half-sleep. "I'm bored, 'Tomi!" she mumbled against the armrest, her tall body slumped onto the softness of the couch, skirt and shirt crumpled. "Why don't we go somewhere? Why am I lying on your couch although I could lie on some strand of a tropical island?"
"Because..." Hitomi replied and appeared in the doorway, one hand on her hip and the other one holding a package of sausages. "...you are a wonderful friend and renounced to book this trip to that amazingly beautiful and incredibly lonely island where half-naked guys with six packs would have served you all day long only to spend the time with me."
Yukari groaned into the fabric of the couch, two guys fighting verbally in the talkshow behind her. "Just tell me how damn nice I am," she complained and tossed on the couch, facing the tv. "Massages, Hitomi! White sand and turquoise water! Palm trees and guys with six packs! Tell me that it was worth it to stay here!"
Hitomi smiled, her blind eyes sparkling. "It was worth it to stay here."
"Fine. Then, let's go somewhere!" Yukari insisted and switched the channels, a woman with curly brown hair and an apron around her waist explaining how to make an extraordinary salad with your own personal touch.
"Not now, Yukari, and you know that," the blond-haired girl sighed and disappeared in the kitchen again. "Mom had left to meet her girls, dad is at work and Mamoru is still at home. I can't leave him alone here."
"Did I hear my name?"
"The little brat," the redhead stated flatly from her position on the couch, not even bothering to look up when Hitomi's younger brother descended the stairs, a backpack slung over his left shoulder and a broad grin plastered across his face. "You better leave me alone coz you're the reason why this is my status quo."
"Now, why does that leave me cold?" Mamoru replied cheerfully when he reached the living room and patted Yukari's head, earning a grunt. "Sis, you should chain her up, she's dangerous."
"Be careful what you say or else I'll bite you," the young woman growled and Mamoru jerked his hand back when he saw the look on her face.
"See!" the brown-haired boy complained on his way to the kitchen and a sheepish expression crept over his young features when he saw the sausages lying on the wooden table. "Oh sorry, 'Tomi," he apologized while scratching the back of his head. "I forgot to put them where they belong...did you search long?"
The green-eyed woman looked up from the sink where she was washing the dishes from breakfast, holding a white plate in her hand. "No, it's okay," she smiled at her brother and continued to wash the plate. "Are you leaving?"
"Yeah," Mamoru replied and grinned, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his faded jeans. "Kaoru invited me to sleep over. He planned to have a lan- party, today. And don't give me that look...mom and dad know, don't worry."
The suspicious expression was still on Hitomi's face when her brother walked to her side and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Bye, sis," he said with a smile and left for the backdoor. "See you, tomorrow."
"Have fun!" Hitomi called after him when she heard him cross the garden. "But not too much, okay?!"
His reply made her smile and she turned back to devote herself to the dirty dishes again, the lemon scent of the dish-water filling her nostrils. It was quiet in the house again, the splashing of water and the breathing of someone who stood in the doorframe the only noise.
"Can we go somewhere, now?!" Yukari asked impatiently and leaned against the firm wood of the doorframe, her brown eyes focused on her friend. The redhead looked like someone who had lain the whole morning on the couch, watching tv, and it wasn't surprising for she hadn't done anything but that.
"Let me finish this and then, we can decide what to do, okay?" Hitomi replied without looking up and Yukari snorted.
"Fine, but I decide what we do," she grunted and rubbed her calf with one foot, arms crossed in front of her chest. "What about we go to the travel agency and book that trip? It's not too late! We can still --"
Tiara's bark interupted her and a second later, the doorbell rang. The beige dog rose from her position on the ground and trotted along towards the door, yawning sleepily but wagging her tail happily at the same time.
"Oh god, please, let it be a hot stripper with the wrong address so that, at least, I can have some fun!" Yukari exclaimed desperatedly and turned to join Tiara at the door, her bare feet causing tapping noises on the polished parquet. She had made the mistake to leave her shoes at the door without supervising them. Tiara was addicted to shoes and had probably added them already to her collection of trophies.
"Good girl," the red-haired woman said, shoving the over-excited dog away from the door and opened it.
Well, Yukari hadn't been really awake for the last days. She had been eking out her existance with lying on the couch and watching tv or playing video games with Mamoru – and lose against him, that is. Nothing to motivate her to leave her state of half-sleep. But when her eyes came to rest on the young man who was standing outside the door, she was as awake as one could be after three mugs of pitch-black and unsugared coffee.
With eyes as wide as saucers and her mouth half-open, she looked the raven- haired stranger up and down, faded jeans hugging his hip pretty low and a sleeveless, white shirt showing off tanned and muscular arms that shamelessly dared to imagine what was underneath the loose fabric. And if that wasn't already enough, a smile lingered on his sculptured lips that could have outshone sun if he had just wanted it to.
With a groan, Yukari raised her gaze skywards. "Oh please, can I also have my own car and a swimming pool filled to the brim with money?" she begged and the friendly smile on the young man's face turned into a confused frown.
"Umm, excuse me," he began smoothly, running a hand through his unruly hair and Yukari turned her head back down to look at him, his mesmerizing auburn eyes squinted against the sunlight. "My name is Van Fanel. Does Kanzaki Hitomi live here?"
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and she instinctively blocked the door. "Why?" Yukari asked and Tiara barked behind her while trying to work her way through the redhead's legs, the young man's deep voice motivating her.
"So, she does live here?" Van replied with hope in his words and his dark brows rose in anticipation, auburn eyes focused on the muzzle of the dog who was desperately trying to pass Yukari's legs. "Is that her dog?"
"I didn't say she lived here," the redhead stated and crossed her arms in front of her chest, putting on an expression she probably thought looked dangerous.
"But you also didn't say that she wasn't living here," Van countered with a rakish smirk and tried to peak past her shoulders into the dim room behind her. "Hitomi, are you there?"
"And you're sure you want to speak with Hitomi and not with Yukari, by pure chance?" the girl in the doorway asked and Van grinned, taking a provoking step towards her. He was quite tall and if she made an effort, her eyes could come in level with his chin. How motivating.
"I'm sure," he replied determinedly and looked over her shoulder again or better to say, over her head, making Yukari stick out her chin and his fresh scent filled her nostrils. He called Hitomi again.
"Good. Assuming that she lived here, what would you want from her," Yukari continued, her eyes now sparkling vividly while she still tried to silence the dog with her foot. But somehow Tiara grew to see it as a game; catch the wilful heel. "I can't just let you – ouch!"
We've got a winner. Loudly barking, Tiara ran past Yukari's raised foot towards Van while the redhead was rubbing her ankle, glaring at the Golden Retriever.
"Biting isn't fair, Tiara," Yukari growled and watched Van gracefully kneel down to pat the dog.
"Hey, do you remember me?" the auburn-eyed man asked, sparkling black strands of unruly hair tumbling into his view when he leaned down. He dug his tanned fingers into the soft fur of the dog and tried to dodge her attempts of licking his face.
"Van, is that you?" a soft voice suddenly asked from the doorway, making Yukari jerk in shock and Van look up.
"Gods, 'Tomi, don't creep..." the redhead trailed off, still clutching her shirt, and her gaze darted from the bewildered expression on Hitomi's face to the warm smile which was occupying Van's handsome features.
"The one and only," he answered Hitomi's question with a lop-sided grin and slowly rose to his feet again, his unfathomable eyes set steadfastly on the sandy-blonde.
"What are you doing here?" she exclaimed and shook her head. "And...I mean, how did you find me? I didn't tell you anything about where I lived."
"You know him?" Yukari asked, surprised, and stared wide-eyed at Van.
"Well, this is a quite long story," Van replied and scratched the back of his head, a sheepish expression on his face. "It contains some phone calls across the city, meeting new people here and there, scaring old ladies with assaulting their doors...did you know how many Kanzakis live in this city?"
"You visited them all?" Hitomi questioned in disbelief, brows raised sceptically.
"Well, only those who had been necessary until I finally found you," Van answered with a shrug and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pants, a light breeze dishevelling his hair. "You didn't make it easy for me, you know?"
"Hello?" Yukari cried, interupting him and jumped between her best friend and her best friend's friend whom she didn't know, waving her arms about. "I'm still alive, remember? Would someone, please, tell me what this is all about? Why do you know him and me not, huh?"
"Some days ago, I bumped into Van and he bought a water for me to make up for standing in my way," Hitomi replied, her green eyes resting on the spot where Van's voice had come from. "We talked a bit, that's all."
"When did that happen?" Yukari asked incredulously, her eyes narrowed to little slits.
"Four days ago," Van said and patted Tiara's head who sat at his feet, looking expectingly up at him with huge brown eyes.
"What? You needed four days to find her?" the red-haired woman replied mockingly, glancing at Van and he shrugged with a grin.
"Almost, yeah."
"Four days and you didn't tell me?" she then whirled around and addressed the sandy-blonde beside her who had an unreadable expression on her face, throwing her hands above her head when Hitomi shrugged, too. "Argh, Hitomi, you don't know to esteem your damn luck! Why do things like these never happen to me?"
"Maybe because you're not blind and would have avoided running into me?" the young man offered and Yukari turned towards him, a smirk adorning her features. It made him wait for the vampire teeth to grow.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Yukari replied and looked directly into his reddish-brown eyes, a dangerous sparkle in her own brown ones that made her look like a lioness which was watching its prey. She grinned inwardly about the blush she had created on his cheeks.
"Why are you here, Van?" Hitomi asked slowly and Van cleared his throat before he spoke.
"Well, actually, I planned to kidnap you," he answered casually and a deep chuckle escaped his lips when he saw the dumbfounded expressions on both of their faces. "I want to show you something."
"W-what...? But..." Hitomi stuttered and her eyes flickered nervously around but he interupted her quickly.
"Please, it's only for a few hours," he explained and Yukari noticed the desperate glow in his eyes, a flame shortly before being extinguished. "I'll take you there and I'll take you home again. My car is waiting down there at the street. You can even take your watchdog with you."
"Hey, and what about me?" Yukari complained immediately, rewarding Van with an angry glare.
"I meant you," he replied with a soft smile and turned towards Hitomi again. "You'll like it. Please, trust me."
"I...I don't know," she said quietly and directed her gaze to the ground but Yukari grabbed her arm and uncompromisingly dragged her into the house.
"You never know, Hitomi," she stated matter-of-factly and motioned for Van to follow her; what he did, his eyes wandering curiously around when he entered. "I wanted to shove your lazy butt out of the house and this is the perfect opportunity. Do we need any things, Van?"
"But Yukari!" Hitomi hissed and wrestled her arm out of her friend's grip. "We can't just go with him! He could do gods-know-what to us! Maybe he's some kind of axe-murderer or something!"
The brown-eyed woman put her hands on her hips and glanced at Van who stood in the corridor like a lost boy with his hands still in the pockets of his pants, before raising a delicate eyebrow at her friend. "I highly doubt that," she replied airily. "He's too cute."
"Yukari!"
"What's your point, 'Tomi?" she questioned, frowning deeply.
"My point?" Hitomi echoed, blinking. "We don't know him!"
"I don't know him, that's correct but it's your own fault, may I remind you. And even if. You didn't know me either and now, I'm your best friend," the redhead shrugged and nodded towards Van who was inspecting the family photos at the wall. "When he dares to make any move towards you, I'll beat him. You heard that, Van?"
"Distinctly," he replied casually without turning away from the wall and Yukari smiled triumphatically.
"See?" she addressed Hitomi and pushed her down onto the couch, earning a growl. "You wait here and I'll pack a few things. Some fresh air will do you good, believe me. Plus you said I could decide where to go and I decide to go with him."
Hitomi nodded reluctantly. As if there was anything she could do! It was Yukari, after all. There was nothing that could stop her once the redhead had made a decision. And if she had decided to drag Hitomi out of the house to let a stranger bring her somewhere, so be it. With a sigh, she leaned against the backrest of the couch and listened to the noises Yukari and Van were causing upstairs. And she hadn't even finished washing the dishes.
Hitomi remained sitting on the couch until she heard Yukari's bubbly voice from the stairs and seconds later, was dragged out of the house.
"What did you pack?" the green-eyed woman asked when Yukari turned to lock the door, leaving her at Van's car. "And where exactly are we going to go?"
"That's a surprise," Van's deep voice whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. She stiffened by feeling him close beside her, his breathing calm.
"Yeah, 'Tomi, don't be so curious. Relax and enjoy the trip," Yukari called from behind, chasing Tiara to the car. Her shoulder-long hair sparkled intensely in the sunlight, different shades of red dancing over her head. "You take the passenger seat and I'll share the backseat with this over- excited fur ball here."
"Do you have my stick?" Hitomi asked, turning into the direction where she heard Yukari climb into the car, followed by a barking Tiara.
"Yeah, don't worry and I even wrote a note for your parents! Now, come! Everyone is waiting for you!" the redhead replied impatiently and slammed the door shut, muffling Tiara's barking.
The sandy-blonde sighed and stretched out her hands, groping across the warm metal of the car for the door. She felt a jerk go through it when Van started the engine, a deep humming surrounding her. She couldn't deny that she was curious. Well, it didn't happen that often that someone whom she had met only one time visited her and announced that he would take her somewhere.
Hearing Yukari's impatient complaints from inside, she shook her head with a smile and climbed into the car as well.
#--#
"She does need a bit more practise in protecting you," Van stated simply with a smile on his lips and glanced into the rear mirror, his hands resting calmly on the steering wheel.
Yukari was leaning against the backrest, head tilted backwards and mouth wide open, deep snors escaping the dark depths of her throat. She had fallen asleep ten minutes ago, after she had finished her questioning with Van. The beige guide-dog sat beside her, looking out of the window with curious eyes.
"Yeah, but she is always falling asleep in cars," Hitomi shrugged and turned towards the young man beside her, blind green eyes directed to the ground. "I think she'll never get her driving license."
A deep chuckle left Van's throat and he glanced at the green-eyed woman beside him, sandy-blond strands spilled over the backrest of her seat.
"Now that I know that you won't tell me our destination, could you, at least, tell me the direction?" she asked and exhaled deeply, making Van smile. "I don't like to be totally clueless."
"South," he answered and she heard him ran a hand through his hair. He had done that quite often since the beginning of their journey. "We're heading southwards."
"Thank you. And could you, please, turn the radio on?" she asked quietly into the silence after his reply and leaned against the back of her seat with a sigh.
"Of course," Van replied and stretched out his arm, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
You know they say
In every man's life, there comes a time
When you get struck by the arrow of Cupid,
By the love of God or the beauty of a woman
Sometimes, this love brings thunder into your life
And it brings the storm, sing about it
Quiet music floated out of the loudspeaker, almost drowned by Yukari's irregular snoring. Hitomi closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the sun which was penetrating the windows and caressed her features. She heard the comforting roaring of the engine and folded her hands in her lap. Her hair sparkled in the sunlight, breaking it like a prism and her features were calm and relaxed. She felt his eyes on her but pretended not to notice, not knowing what to think of the young man who had suddenly burst into her life without any warning.
Okay, she knew that he was two years older than her, making him twenty-one, and that he studied psychology at Fanelia's most renowned university where he shared his dorm with an albino who was slightly addicted to fire, thanks to Yukari's curiosity. He wanted to major in psychology of the adolescent later and during his summer break, he was working as a temporary cook in a restaurant, just a little down the street from the café where she had bumped into him. He had been on his way home as well as she had been.
After their parting at that café, she had thought she would never see him again. They had had a nice conversation but nothing more. There was no such thing like love at first sight for her. What an irony. She simply couldn't understand why he was doing that. But then again, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know at all. Everything she knew was that she would be careful.
A light tap on the shoulder startled her out of her thoughts and her head snapped up in alarm, unfamiliar sounds and scents surrounding her.
"What? Where...?" Hitomi stuttered but relaxed when she heard a deep chuckle, followed by Yukari's excited voice and Tiara's barking. "Did we already arrive? How...?"
"Well, yeah, we arrived," Van replied with a smile, leaning on the opened passenger door and a light breeze ruffling through his pitch-black hair. "You slept for the last one and a half hours, just to inform you."
"Yeah, sleepyhead," Yukari interfered before Hitomi could say something, leaning on Van's shoulder. "You slept like a rock. You can be glad that I was there to protect you! Oh, what would you do without me?"
Hitomi snorted and climbed out of the car, joining Van and Yukari in the parking lot. She decided to simply ignore the last question. The sun was still burning down on her but the wind was slightly cooler, a strange scent hovering in the air above those of hot asphalt and exhaust fumes and the one of the intense flowers right beside her. She could hear the noises of the street which was winding its way past them and a roaring sound in the background.
"Where are we?" she asked and turned her head, trying to catch all the impressions around her. "Are those...waves?"
"Nah, Hitomi, stop trying to analyze everything!" Yukari replied cheerfully and slipped Tiara's leash into her hand. "Come on, come on!"
The redhead took their bags from Van and ran towards the huge glass doors which led into the air-conditioned inside of the building complex in front of which Van had parked the car. Hitomi let Tiara lead her to where Yukari was waiting, feeling Van join her side. He had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans and an unfathomable smile lay on his lips, auburn eyes dancing with something not even Yukari could name.
The doors slid quietly open when they reached them and they entered a noisy room. Hitomi could hear children laugh in the distance and somewhere beside her, a computer was humming quietly.
"Wait here," Van said and pointed at some chairs in a corner, different magazines scattered across the table between them. "I'll go and --"
"Van!" a feminine voice interupted him and the three of them turned around, Hitomi's eyes directed to the ground but her ears pricked attentively.
"Hey, Merle!" Van replied and grinned, walking over to the young woman who had just appeared from out of a hallway around the corner. "Long time no see!"
"Yukari?" Hitomi whispered, turning her head towards her friend and trying to calm an excited Tiara.
"Around our age," the redhead stated expertly, looking Merle up and down. "Maybe a year younger. A bit smaller than you, pink hair and enviably tanned. Gods, how can anyone be that tanned? She's quite pretty if I can say so but I would say that dress is a bit too short. Oh, he seems to know her...they're hugging. Well, it's more like she's hugging him but yeah, a potential rival if you ask me."
"What? No, Yuk --" Hitomi was about to contradict but her friend silenced her quickly.
"Shhh, they're approaching," she hissed. "Man, she walks like a cat! You really have to--"
The redhead bit her lip when Hitomi poked her in the ribs. Though the woman was blind, she had an aim which was simply incredible. But it was probably because she was poking Yukari continuously. With the time, she had learned where to poke so that it hurt.
"Ladies," Van exclaimed when he approached, Merle smiling brightly at his side. "I want you to meet Merle."
"You must be Hitomi!" the pink-haired girl said and without hesitating, grabbed Hitomi's hand and shook it, her dark-blue eyes dancing. "Van told me quite something about you when he called me, yesterday."
"He did?" Hitomi asked suspiciously and turned her head to where she supposed that the young man stood, slightly fearing that Merle would shake her arm off.
"He did?" Yukari echoed and looked directly at him, delicate brows raised in surprise but Van just shrugged with a sheepish smile.
"Yeah, but we can speak about that later," Merle said and finally released Hitomi's arm. "Let's go now, I'm sure you finally want to know what this is all about. I'll lead you to the cabins where you can change."
"Change?!" Hitomi asked in confusion, her eyes darting around. "Why? I mean...we didn't know..."
Merle scratched her head with a frown on her face when Hitomi trailed off, pink hair sparkling in the sunlight which penetrated the huge windows behind her. "But I thought Van told you...?"
"He did," Yukari interfered and winked at Merle. "I've got everything in these bags."
The sandy-blonde turned towards her friend, gaze directed to the ground. "Why do I have the feeling that I'm the only clueless one around here?"
"Because you are," the red head stated simply and grabbed her arm.
Hitomi felt Merle's slim hand wrap around her other arm and together, the two girls led her down the hallway. Tiara was strolling in front of her, inspecting everything around her with curious eyes, dragging Hitomi along.
"I want to thank you, Hitomi," Merle said quietly when Van was out of ear- shot, a warm smile on her lips and Hitomi frowned deeply. "I don't know what you did to him but it did have an effect on him. I haven't seen him smile like that for a long time."
"And you know that because...?" Yukari asked suspiciously, eyeing the tanned girl in the orange summer dress warily out of the corners of her eyes.
"I'm his ex-girlfriend," Merle finished with a feline grin and led them around another corner, different voices filling the air.
Yukari's mouth opened in surprise. "Really?" she replied, not able to hide her not existing sympathy and the sparkle in her eyes.
"Yep," the pink-haired girl nodded. "I've been knowing him for quite some years and I had a crush on him for that same time but just last summer I had had the guts to tell him. We were together for only one and a half months when we broke up. Luckily, it wasn't in dispute and we can still look each other in the eye."
"Why did you break up?" Yukari asked bluntly, earning a poke from Hitomi. Training, that's all.
Merle was quiet for a brief moment, a far-off look on her features. "Because of his past and my inability for dealing with it," she answered with a sad smile and pointed at some doors to their right. "You can change there. I'll wait outside with Van. Just come when you're ready." She pointed at the glass doors at the end of the hallway.
"Wait! What do you mean?" Yukari asked when Merle was about to leave.
"You better ask him yourself," she replied and turned away, walking down the hallway. "And I beg you to be patient with him, Hitomi."
The green-eyed girl's head snapped around and she was just about to say something when Yukari shoved her to the cabins. "Hey, Yukari!" she complained and the red head opened the door. "What did she mean?"
"You'll have to find out," Yukari replied and smiled warmly, taking Tiara's leash from her friend and handing her the stick and something that felt like fabric. "Small room. Two meters to the wall across, probably fifty centimeters to the walls to your left and right. A stool in the far left corner. Hurry up, I'll wait here with Tiara."
"But that's my bikini!" Hitomi exclaimed and waved the green pieces of fabric around.
"Of course," Yukari shrugged and shoved her friend into the cabin, closing the door behind her.
She heard the muffled reply that couldn't be anything but an insult and leaned against the wall beside the door with a grin on her face, her brown eyes closed.
Hitomi had never had any luck with guys and thus had unfortunately learned that building insurmountable walls around herself would keep her from being hurt – but had forgotten that it also kept her from being loved. All she needed was someone to show her something worth the bad experience she had gone through; something worth the disappointment, something worth the anger, something worth the tears.
And if she wasn't completely mistaken, she would say that the mysterious young man was on the best way to do so. She didn't know him. She had only spent a few hours with him (where she had been asleep most of the time) and she couldn't say if it was Hitomi's almost shy behavior around him but something told her that he could break into the castle the woman had built. After all, Hitomi couldn't stay in there forever when he decided to lay siege to it. She just prayed that he had got the patience to wait for her outside in the rain.
Yukari cracked open an eye when she heard rumble from out of the cabin, a grunting Hitomi exiting the small room.
"What have you been doing?" she asked and the red-haired girl took hold of her arm, strolling along her side while Hitomi was groping for the way with her stick.
"Nothing," Yukari chirped and released Tiara from her leash, the dog however staying at Hitomi's feet. "I was just thinking a bit."
"It cannot have been something good for I can hear that dirty grin on your face," the green-eyed woman stated and Yukari grinned only wider, remaining silent. She felt like whistling a song to herself.
Hitomi just shook her head and allowed Yukari to lead the way. Honestly, she didn't want to know at all. Everything seemed like some crazy dream and she just wanted to get over with it, wanted to wake up. When they passed the door, Yukari's grip tightened around Hitomi's arm and the sandy-blonde could almost feel her friend's excitement seep into her like electricity.
"You know he's cute, don't you?" the redhead suddenly asked in a whisper and Hitomi's heart skipped a beat.
"What?" she replied, her voice slightly shaking.
"Don't you?"
Hitomi's stick hit a little step and she passed it without even noticing. "Yukari, I'm blind, remember?" she answered, not able to hide and even worse, not able to explain the blush from spreading across her cheeks. "I can't see him."
"Well, you can be glad that you're blind for you wouldn't be able to think straight right now," Yukari stated and Hitomi could hear her grin from ear to ear. "He's wearing swim trunks and swim trunks only. To say it carefully, the guy is hot."
"Yukari!" Hitomi hissed, her cheeks getting warmer with every word.
"I didn't know what he was hiding under his shirt," Yukari continued, ignoring Hitomi's pokes. "At least, I get the six pack I deserve. You're a lucky one, you know that? Just be careful not to burn your fingers...watch out, we're almost there."
"Yukari!"
"Hey, you ready?" Van asked when they reached his side, interupting his conversation with Merle, not able to tear his gaze away from Hitomi.
"Of course," Yukari replied with a smirk and scrutinized him bluntly, his tanned skin shimmering in the sun like bronze and his trained body radiating controlled and restrained power. "Nice abs, Van."
Hitomi's cheeks were on fire and not for the first time in Yukari's presence she wished for the earth to swallow her with lock, stock and barrel. She heard the redhead and Merle chuckle beside her but couldn't see that Van's face wasn't a single bit less red than her's.
"What about we leave those two giggle girls here alone and I'll show you why I brought you here?" Van whispered in her ear and she nodded mutely, gaze fixed on the ground.
She was just about to take a step ahead, guided by her stick, when Van grabbed her wrist and started to drag her down the hill. His grip was warm and gentle and she was so surprised that she let go of her stick and it landed noisily on the ground.
"Van, no!" she shouted desperately, stumbling behind him and trying to wrest her arm out of his grasp but he was a little bit stronger than Yukari. "I can't see where I'm going!"
He stopped and she ran straight into his broad back, gasping in shock. When he let go of her hand, she inhaled deeply and took a step away from him. She was just about to turn around and head back to pick up her stick when she was sweeped off the ground and into strong arms, a yelp escaping her lips and his warmth everywhere around her. Hitomi struggled in his arms but Van just chuckled, tightening the grip around her.
"No, Van, let me go, please," Hitomi insisted, feeling slightly uncomfortable in this situation but threw her arms instinctively around his neck when he started to run.
"This is faster," he replied and smiled down at her.
Hitomi took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She didn't like being so helpless. She hadn't liked to follow him here with the possibility of him being an axe-murderer or something and she didn't like him carrying her to gods-know-where. She actually wasn't the one to run into her decline like some head-less chicken!
"Can you swim?" he asked, startling her out of her thoughts.
"What?" she squeaked in disbelief and turned her head to listen to what was coming ahead. "Why? Yeah..."
Unfortunately, she couldn't see the mischievous grin on his lips.
"Van!" she shrieked and nearly jumped out of his arms, when water was suddenly splashing all around her. Cold water.
The young man ran straight into the the water of the little bay, Hitomi clinging to his neck. He was soaked within seconds and slowed down when it became deeper. Wading slowly, he just stopped when the water reached to his hip and with a swift motion, he placed the woman in his arms on the ground. Van grinned by meeting her gaze, angry green eyes flashing at him.
"I want you to meet someone," he whispered. "Stretch out your hands."
Hitomi frowned but obeyed, slowly stretching out her hands. Cold water was surrounding her legs, reaching a bit over her hip, goose bumps covering her skin. She could hear the waves sweeping the shore and Van breathing calmly beside her - and something approaching. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt that something was coming in her direction and she inched backwards.
"Don't be afraid," Van said quietly and close to her ear and she nodded, waiting in anticipation.
It was when something touched her fingertips; something wet and soft touching her shyly as if to test how she would react. Her hands jerked back and she stifled the gasp by clasping them over her mouth, blind eyes wide and heart bumping furiously. She knew what had touched her but she couldn't believe it.
"Hitomi, I want you to meet Dana," Van whispered softly in her ear and took her hands in his larger ones, gently prying them from her mouth.
He stood directly behind her, her back pressed lightly against his chest and she could feel the warmth radiating from him. His head rested on her shoulder while his hair was tenderly tickling her neck, and he led her hands slowly to the dolphin who was patiently waiting in front of her.
Her hands roamed over the wet and smooth skin of the dolphin, life ever so present underneath it. She took in all the outlines from the pointed mouth and ever-lasting smile to the fluke, absorbing everything up to the salty scent which surrounded them and created an image in her mind. By that time, tears were silently running down her cheeks and she pressed her lips to a thin line to stop them from quivering while slow waves were gently splashing against her hip.
It had been one of her most cherished wishs since she was a little kid. Her grandmother had always told her stories about dolphins and over the years, Hitomi had grown to link both of them. All those memories were coming back then, when she was standing in a calm bay with turquoise water tenderly swepping a white shore.
Hitomi smiled despite herself when a wet nose cockily nudged her arm, indicating that a second dolphin had joined them, her eyes glistening with tears. She remembered her grandmother telling her that she wished to be a dolphin in her next life to be able to experience life in another way and it was as if the old woman was standing right beside her, her wrinkles even deeper when she smiled.
"I'll leave you with the both of them now," Van whispered into her ear and she nodded mutely, not trusting her own voice.
He withdrew his hands and she felt his warmth disappear from her back when he retreated. Water splashed around his form when he walked back to the shore, a warm smile adorning his features. The young man turned around and seeing her there with this beautiful smile on her lips and her blind eyes dancing with life, he knew exactly why he had done it.
#--#
When the sun was setting that evening, Van was lying on the gangplank that reached far into the bay, wooden boards covered with algae and seashells. His legs dangled lazily over the edge of the gangplank and a cool breeze rustled through his raven-black hair and light clothing while he was watching the sky with his arms linked behind his head.
It looked as if someone had thrown over some pots of red, yellow and blue paint, soaking the velvety canvas of the evening sky with innumerable colours. Some stars already blinked where a dark violet merged into deep blue, orange-tinted clouds crowning the horizon like tufts of cotton.
Van closed his sparkling auburn eyes that seemed to compete with the red in the sky, and let the wind play with his hair, unruly strands swaying softly. He had been watching her the whole time, had watched her laugh, had watched her cry and he couldn't recall anything that had made him feel so incredibly at peace. It made him believe that as long as she smiled the world could crumble around him and he just wouldn't care.
He didn't know how she did it. He simply couldn't explain it. Never before had someone stepped so easily into his life and so brashly into his heart. She must've caught him when his heart had organized a 'day of the open door'. She had somehow burned her image, her bright smile, her lilac-like scent into his mind so that she would be ever present – and she was. He hadn't been able to forget her. She was too different from anybody else he had met up to that day and he had ached to see her again.
She was like cinnamon ice-cream – once you tried it, you'd be addicted for the rest of your life.
The soft evening breeze carried faint laughter out across the bay that mixed with the loud prattling of the dolphins. A small smile curved on his sensual lips when the quiet tock tock of a stick tapping on wooden boards reached him, indicating that a certain someone was approaching. His smile grew when the stick tapped him on the arm only to be immediately pulled away. Van knew that he was lying in her way but he didn't bother to move.
"Van...?" Hitomi asked carefully and fumbled with the stick in her hand.
"Hmm," he replied with his eyes still closed and the grin still lingering on his features.
"You could have moved out of the way, you know," the honey-blonde grumbled, her delicate brows knitted in slight annoyance. "Yukari told me you were here...why didn't you join us again?"
The young man was silent for a few seconds and opened his eyes before he spoke, a dark red reflecting the dying light of the setting sun. "That moment seemed precious for you," he stated quietly and looked up into the sky. "I didn't want to disturb it."
"Yes, it truly was precious," the green-eyed woman replied in a whisper and with a smile, slowly and carefully attempting to sit down beside him.
Van glanced at her out of the corners of his eyes, watching her put her bare feet into the water with a sigh. Finally, he sat up in a fluent and graceful motion and rested his elbows on his knees, eyes focused on the horizon.
"You happy then?" he asked and cocked his head to the side when facing her profile, strands of raven-black hair dancing into his view.
"Do you even have to ask?" she countered and it was as if the sun rose when she smiled.
"Well, actually, I need the acknowledgement for my poor, little ego," Van drawled and chuckled when Hitomi nudged his arm hard. Her aim was amazing, thanks to Yukari. "Any other wish you want to have fulfilled? I'm only warming up."
"Oh, if you're asking like that, there truly is something else," the young woman began, tapping her index finger against her cheek. "I want to touch a rainbow."
She could practically hear his eyebrows shoot up in surprise and couldn't stop herself from laughing out loud, the pure and clear sound echoing into the almost dark sky.
"Er...Hitomi, you do know that--" Van started to ask with a worried expression on his face but she interupted him with a wave of her hand.
"Yes, Van," she said, still smiling brightly. "Yes, I know that I can't touch a rainbow but when I was a kid I nearly drove my mom insane when she tried to explain to me what a rainbow was and I just kept asking if I could at last touch that rainbow. I always wanted to know what a rainbow feels like."
The wind increased, tearing at their clothing and Hitomi shivered involuntarily. "It's getting late," the auburn-eyed man stated and attempted to rise from his sitting position. "We should head back home, what do you say?"
She nodded and rose as well, her movements a little bit clumsy. She heard the boards squeak when Van turned to walk to the shore and after hesitating briefly, she quickly called out his name. "Van, wait!"
He turned back around to look at her, one brow raised questioningly. Hitomi took a few careful steps ahead and smiled hesitantly, the breeze dishevelling her sandy-brown tresses. "Why did you do it?" she questioned and looked up into his eyes as if she could see him.
Van watched the last reflections of sunlight dance across her emerald irises and smiled warmly. "A good question indeed," he replied with a crooked grin, his eyes resting on her soft features. "When you spoke so fondly of that wish of yours, I wanted nothing more but fulfil it. And maybe I just wanted to see you smile."
An amused glint entered his eyes when she didn't reply and he leaned a bit down. "Anything else you want to know?"
Hitomi jerked lightly. "I actually came here to thank you," she offered quietly, hesitantly. "And well..."
Trailing off, she slowly stretched out her hand and rested it on his shoulder, making his eyes widen. He didn't move nor even breathe when she silently groped along his neck only to suddenly lean in and hug him. The young woman caught him totally off guard and a red hue stole its way to his cheeks, his mouth slightly agape.
"Thank you," she whispered into his ear, waking him from his daze.
"You're welcome," he replied just as quietly and returned the embrace, holding her petite frame tightly against his body. She was warm and he could still smell a slight trace of salt in her hair.
"What you did means a lot to me," Hitomi continued when she pulled away, his hands still resting on her waist to support her – and keep her close. He didn't want her to leave. Not yet. "And I...I just don't know how I can ever make it up to you."
"Well, as much as I would like to say that I did it out of unselfish reasons," Van stated and grinned lop-sidedly down at her. "But there is something you could do."
"Really?" she asked, her brows rising in surprise. "What?"
"Let me see you again."
Hitomi quickly turned away and bit her lip. She would have done everything to make it up to him; everything but that. "Please, Hitomi," he begged. "Just one--"
"No, Van," she interupted him quietly, shaking her head in determination and slowly releasing the embrace around his neck, sliding with her hands down is muscular arms. "Look, I can't do this. It isn't right. I can't...What is that?"
She was resting her hands on his bare forearms, running with her fingers over his warm skin, brows knitted. "Nothing but my forearms," he replied and pryed her curious hands off of his arms. "Don't change the topic."
"I was not!" Hitomi complained vividly and wound her hands out of his firm grasp in order to cross her arms in front of her chest. "I was just...I...you don't even know me."
Van threw his head back and gave a laugh, making her head snap up. "Now this is strange," he replied with a cocky grin and she scowled at the sarcasm in his voice. "Then let me get to know you, Hitomi! You know, this is actually the sense in a date."
"Van, I don't know..." she whispered and stared at the gangplank again, waves swepping softly against its wooden legs.
"Just one date," the young man begged again. "I won't bite and I promise if you think that I'm a jerk afterwards, so be it, I'll leave you alone. The decision is your's; say yes and you'll have to bear me for one evening, say no and you'll have to bear me for your remaining life."
She cocked an eyebrow at him. "What a choice."
"But a choice after all," he countered with a shrug and the sandy-blonde was quiet again. That wasn't like her. She wasn't standing on a gangplank with a damn sunset in the background, debating with a guy about a date! She could get rid of any man! Any man but him, she'd learned.
She'd never been in a situation like this. Nothing that had ever happened to her had been the slightest bit similar to this. She couldn't just say yes. Without a warning and without any effort, he had burst through the door of her life which she had barricaded with three locks, a board and a closet. It had taken her years and disappointment to do so and he was just about to take a seat on her couch with the blunt and pushing impertinence of a salesman. Saying yes was like offering him something to drink!
"Please," he breathed and she sighed. One evening or the rest of her life. Honestly, the decision wasn't really that hard.
"Fine." Would you like to have coffee or tea, Mr. Fanel?
"Promise?" Van continued and the grin on his face threatened to split his skull. Hey, he just wanted to be sure. She was like a slippery piece of soap, able to slide easily through his fingers and if he didn't keep an eye on her, she would simply slip out of his grasp.
"Promise," she replied and wondered, what the heck she'd gotten herself into.
"You won't regret it," the young man vowed, his eyes smiling down on her from between pitch-black strands.
"We'll see," she whispered. "We'll see."
There is more to love than this
Love is more than just a kiss
Will we take you to that step
Will we do more than just connect
And will you bring the thunder in my life
And the fire in my eyes
Cause then there, will be days of pleasure when
Everything far will be so near
#--#
Thanks to everyone who reviewed!!!
kitsunes-girl1370: bows to the floor Thank you very much!!! And see, it was fast!!!
Spirit0: Muahahahahahaha!!!! Makes me insanely happy when I get a review from you Lol, I'm no good influence?! I just don't have strength to resist the call of my ideas...do you hear them in your head "Write me down! Write me down!"??? :P And nope, I don't know a blind person I got the idea while watching tv. And aye, I'm glad you like it Thank you!!! Muahahaha, I hope I can include everyone here :P scratchs head How do you guys tip waiters??? I thought it was a common habit but not only around here ?? And I never thought you could learn something like this in school!!!!!!!! shakes head I wonder why you still talk to me though all those things you learn about us crazy peeps in school
blonde-hitomi: blushs Thankiez!!!!!!!!!
dawnsama: Lol, Tiara being a tiger!!! Muahahahaha!! That would have been quite a sight!!! :P Glad you like it!! Thanks!!!
royuki: blushs like mad Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SabineballZ: Kopf gegen Tisch hau Ja, ich hab wieder eine angefangen!!! Das ist wie eine Sucht, ich weiß auch nicht!! Ich wollt doch eigentlich erstmal die anderen fertigschreiben hoil Aber egal, du magst es und ich find's toll Danke wie immer und viel Erfolg mit deiner Geschichte!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dreamingofflyingaway: turns beyond red Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fireangel1621: I'm glad and thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Niffer: Hey there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! grins that her skull splits You know that you made me happy with your review, don't you?! :P I'm glad I couldn't scare you away with my questioning and thanks for answering everything I asked you! It did help a lot Hehe, hope you liked it again and if not, just tell me. I appreciate suggestions!! Thanks a ton!!!!!
Avaris Sky: Lol, I hope "Bhwew" is a good sign :P But for you said you wanted to see where I take this, I think, I was able to catch your interest, right?! Thanks!!!
blubb: ganz rot werd Freut mich riesig, dass es dir gefällt Und ja, ich hab mir gedacht, dass es eigentlich nicht viel anders ist, wenn man blind ist. Man ist daran gewöhnt und hat gelernt damit umzugehen. Und nein nein, keine Panik, du hast mich nicht verschreckt!!! Hab dir 'ne verspätete email geschrieben...hoffe sie ist angekommen!!! Und danke :P
Seth: blushs Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cynthia: grins Thank you!!! But no, I'm not blind and didn't know a blind person before I wrote this. I just heard someone talk about it I'm glad that you think it's good...hope you still think so :P
A/N: Well, here you go!! Just before I forget again, the song is a part of "I've never seen" by RZA featuring Xavier Naidoo and it'll continue throughout the next chapters Hehe, you see, Van is going to be quite the obstinate one here :P Hope you'll like it! And aye, I have to do some seriously teddy-hugging here!!!!!! grabs both of the teddies and hugs them rainbowishly mad You're the best!!! And therefore I'll include shameless advertisement here as well!! points threatingly at reader You go and read Starry Eyed Wonder's and Ryuu Angel's stories because they're absolutely worth it!!! But I think you already know that :P grins her head off Aye aye!!!! And I might as well say hi to a friend, ne?! ...in case she's reading this: Hey there, miss Schnüffelnase :P
So yeah, hopefully read you next chapter!!!
Dariel
P.S. Just to remind you, I don't own Escaflowne...just in case anyone forgot and plans to sue me.