Hen Dekigoto
By Tig Jones
Disclaimer: Tenkuu no Escaflowne is owned by Sunrise and Bandai, and a whole bunch of people who aren't me.
Part 4
Hitomi sat at the desk in her room, attempting to write a letter to Yukari. She knew Yukari would love to hear all about the city, the shopping, the clubs, and the food. Yukari would also kill to hear about Alan and Van. Foreign men, she could hear Yukari sigh, so tall and masculine! Hitomi gave an absent smile at the thought.
She jumped when her aunt knocked on her door. Pressing at a hand to her chest to steady herself, Hitomi motioned for Arisa to enter. Arisa leapt on Hitomi's bed, and sat with her legs tucked under her, looking like a sixteen year old girl, instead of the woman she was.
"How are you finding everything, Hitomi?"
"Everything's great!" Hitomi enthused. "The language thing was a lot easier than I had anticipated. And everyone has been so kind."
Arisa grinned. "Like Van?" she asked slyly.
Hitomi was agog. She had never had an adult tease her about anything since she was a young child. And now her aunt was teasing her about, of all things, a boy. She flushed and did not reply.
Her aunt just laughed. "Sorry, Hitomi. It's none of my business. I've just noticed you've gone out with him a few times. I was curious to know if you were together."
"Together?" Hitomi repeated. "I don't think I understand."
Arisa pursed her lips together. "I mean are you two a couple? Are you seeing each other? Are you dating? Is he your boyfriend?
The pestering she imagined Yukari would lay on her was nothing compared to her aunt! Hitomi turned bright red and shook her head emphatically. "No!" she exclaimed. "We barely know each other. We are just friends!" Noticing the forceful tone she had taken, Hitomi took a deep breath to calm down. "Besides, we are usually accompanied by Alan, so it could not be a date."
Arisa pondered Hitomi's last statement, and thought about telling her naïve niece that it sounded that she wanted her time with Van to be dating, but instead she said, "That Alan is too smooth for his own good. You keep your eye out for him."
Hitomi looked skeptically at Arisa. "Alan has been very kind to me."
"I'm sure he has," Arisa said softly, "but Van is a really great guy. Don't let yourself be dazzled by Alan and forget that." Then and Arisa bade Hitomi goodbye and left her room.
Hitomi just stared at the closed door in puzzlement.
Van had invited Hitomi to meet him after work one evening. It was a cool, dry summer night and Hitomi was in a gay mood. As she glanced at Van, she thought back to what her aunt had said and blushed. But as Van looked at her questioningly, she pushed those thoughts out of her head and smiled at him.
"Where are we going?"
Van smirked. "It's a surprise."
Hitomi pouted. "That's not nice. Please tell me where we are going!" Van just shook her head.
The two walked side-by-side in companionable silence, their swinging hands brushing ever so often. Hitomi felt an encompassing sense of contentment that she could not explain, though she imagined to had a lot to do with the man beside her.
Van couldn't get what Alan said out of his head. Would his feelings really hurt Hitomi? He had been waiting so long for her. Only for her. She had to remember him. She had to reciprocate his feelings. How could she not?
But she clearly didn't remember. She didn't have to feel that never-ceasing ache he suffered as he thought about her all those years. It wasn't fair.
There was nothing he could do though.
Van finally stopped walking. "Here we are."
Hitomi found herself in a massive park, various gardens surrounding her. With the lake on one side and the city on the other, the green was a little piece of paradise.
"I didn't know these hidden spots existed in the city," Hitomi beamed as she glanced around the park. "All the flowers and the trees and the fragrances just makes you forget about the office buildings and the traffic and everything."
Van just watched her – her golden hair, her shining eyes, her soft lips, her sweet voice. He was barely able to suppress the explosive emotions he was feeling.
"It's strange," Hitomi said more quietly, her voice inflicted with confusion. "I have this image of the two of us in a garden, but we are younger. It's almost as if it were another time, another world." She shook her head. "That sounds like a bad, what are they called? Oh, a pick-up li…" Van grabbed her tightly, shutting her up completely.
She froze as he buried his face in her neck. "Van, what's going on?" she asked, panicked.
One of his hands found its way into her hair. "Oh, God. Hitomi," he groaned into her throat. "I need you so much."
Hitomi, scared and confused, tried to push him away, but he wouldn't move. Using all of her strength she shoved hard at his chest and he released her. Then she slapped him as hard as she could. Staring at him hard for a moment, she turned and ran.
As if coming out of a trance, Van realized what he had just done. Damn it, Alan had been right. He was too intense, and now he lost her. But he just needed to explain. He needed to make her understand. So he followed her, her stricken eyes burned into his thoughts.
Hitomi wasn't sure where she was running to, or what exactly she was running from. But Van had scared her and she just needed to distance between them. She continued running head long down the board walk until she ran into someone.
"Hitomi?"
For a moment she thought it was Van, but as he turned her face towards him, she looked into the blue eyes of Alan, who had been talking an evening stroll. Needing any sort of comfort, Hitomi hugged him tight.
Alan was taken aback. "Hitomi?" he asked again. "What's wrong?" She looked at him again. The sun was setting over the lake; the sky was orange and purple. Alan's eyes were soft.
Before either of them fully comprehended the situation, their lips met. As soon as Alan put any pressure into the kiss, testing the situation, Hitomi whirled away, only to see Van standing there. The look in his eyes pierced her to her soul and she ran again, ignoring Alan's shout for her to wait.
Van stood there, as emotions waved over him. Alan slowly approached him.
"It isn't what you think. The kiss was completely random – it took both of us by surprise. She wouldn't hurt you like that…" Alan paused. "You were with her, right? What did you do?"
Van started to run after Hitomi, ignoring Alan.
"Van, stop! She won't want to see you right now!"
Van kept on running.
Author's note
Oh, the angst. Second last chapter. That's about it. Reviews are appreciated.
