Title: Promise Me Anyway
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Escaflowne is NOT my property. I wish I could come up with something this cool! Nay, it is not mine at all….
Summary: Future fic, multi-part WIP. Hitomi is a student of international politics, determined to bring peace to Earth too, and already making a difference. Van is king of a happy, prosperous, peaceful rebuilt Gaea. They're still in love and still in touch. So what's the problem?
Dedication: (re-dedication?) To Sarah, who is at times more into this story than I am. Also to Kyle, who years ago cried while watching the parts about the tragic Fanel family. Hehe.
A/N: Don't worry, ladies. Allen will be here, but must make his entry fashionably late. He's biding his time.
Chapter One
Across the vacuum of space from Hitomi, Van likewise awoke. He sat up, swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and stayed there for a minute.
Time to leave his dreams behind for the day, and perform his duties as King of the reborn Fanelia. He allowed himself a moment to indulge in regret for not being able to sleep a while longer, then smiled. Merle's voice was filtering from outside the door.
"But I want to wake him up! He shouldn't sleep in so late. It's not befitting a king, you know. And breakfast smells sooo good today!"
He stood and stretched, then sneaked out the door and grabbed Merle from behind in a surprise hug.
"Van-sama!" she squealed, squeezing back. "Lazybones… I thought you'd sleep all day!" Van gulped for air. Merle had changed somewhat over the past few years, become calmer, more mature. She was taking lessons in the village now, and spent her afternoons helping the family she was living with to care for and teach their young ones. But there were always times when she went back to being the same exuberant kitten he'd known and loved from childhood, and the mornings she spent in the palace were such times.
"Morning, Merle. Come on, let's go eat."
She grabbed him by the arm and started walking him down the hall, a couple of his advisors following.
"King Van," one began, prepared to brief him on the importance of some matter of trade or reconstruction. Van sat down, surrounded immediately by advisors and bureaucrats, answering their questions between mouthfuls of food. Sometimes, he wished they'd wait until he'd rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
Hitomi squeezed the last bit of water out of her hair, mind occupied by the tasks she was to complete today. Her morning run served to bridge the gap between the two realities she was living, preparing her to rejoin the world she'd been born in. Today she had 2 morning classes, lunch with Yukari at the campus deli, an afternoon of research to do in the library, a bit of free time for dinner followed by the weekly meeting of Amnesty International. If she recalled correctly, their agenda for this week was to publicize this month's letter writing campaign and try to get more students involved in that part of the organization's efforts.
Noticing that she was already late- her run had lasted a bit longer than usual that morning- Hitomi smoothed her hair down and threw on a pair of shoes. Grabbing her books, she started off at a lope toward the campus, thoughts of Gaea for the moment pushed to the back of her mind.
"Hitomi. Hitomi!" Yukari ran up to her at lunch, breathing hard, eyes glittering more brightly than traffic lights. "GUESS WHAT!"
"Amano surprised you by showing up at your door this morning?" Hitomi ventured. She had known about the surprise, of course, because Amano had told her.
"Yes! With a dozen roses! And he wants to take me out on a special dinner… he says that he wants to go out together to celebrate because it's our 4 year anniversary soon, and I have to leave on my internship, and he wants to spend as much time together as possible because he won't be able to come visit while I'm on the boat for 3 months, and…" she stopped. "Wow, I'm awful chatty today. So what's up with you?"
"Same as always," Hitomi shrugged good-naturedly. "School, volunteer stuff, et cetera."
"What, nothing new in the romance department?" Yukari teased. "Come on, tell me about your date!"
Unable to suppress a smile at her friend's blatant request, Hitomi sighed. "It was really boring, Yuki. He went on and on about the stock market. I mean, he was very nice, but I don't—"
"Wow, so he's gonna be rich when he graduates! And tell me what's so wrong with that?"
"It's just… well, I… I guess I'm too busy for a relationship right now," she attempted, lamely.
"Yeah right. You know, you've been getting weirder and weirder these days. You never seem to be interested in guys anymore. I remember how you were back in high school, you were boy-crazy! Now you just get more and more withdrawn every year." Yukari ranted, then proceeded to pout, leaning back in her seat with crossed arms.
"That's not true! I went out with that Indian exchange student senior year, and I've been on plenty of dates in college," Hitomi defended herself.
"Okay, first of all, Sariko was a delicious morsel of guy, and he was soo romantic, but you always acted like you were just friends or something. I wouldn't have been able to keep my hands off him! There's being ladylike, Hitomi, and then there's-""
"Yukari! I did lots of things with Sariko, for your information!" she began, now riled up, and prepared to continue when her best friend interrupted her.
Yukari smiled sweetly, and rested her chin on one hand. "Such as?"
A bright red blush crossing her cheeks as she realized what she'd just announced to Yukari and several passerby, Hitomi finally relented. "Okay, maybe you're right. Sariko was a great guy, but he just… wasn't enough, I guess. As for the rest… I don't know. I just haven't found 'the one', yet." Hitomi felt a sudden pang as her inner voice reminded her she was lying. With practiced ease she dismissed the sensation; she was used to concealing the truth about this particular subject.
"Hitomi," Yukari began in a warm, almost motherly tone, "just because you haven't found 'the one' doesn't mean you can't have a little fun with 'the rest' now and then! You need to lighten up… all this saving the world stuff is great, but you need to do some things just for Hitomi."
As Yukari finished dispensing her advice, Amano snuck up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her in the air, causing her to squeal. Hitomi grinned at the almost palpable sense of contentment radiating from her two friends. It was amazing to see two people so in love; they truly had been meant to be together.
Finally, the trio sat down to eat, enjoying the rare times they could all be together like they'd been in high school. Those times were getting fewer and further in between, and Hitomi chose to relish the moment.
Stretching his arms up toward the inky sky, Van Fanel breathed deeply. It had been a long day as usual, but a satisfying one. Among other things he'd overseen the dedication of the new Shrine of Fate- a place where people would go to thank whatever higher power they believed in for their good luck, and to express their wishes for continued peace and prosperity. The shrine would serve as a forum for the city's political issues as well. The symbolism of it was pleasing, a nice break from the mundane.
Now, with his duties more or less over, Van had a few free moments to reflect. He stepped out onto the rooftop, raking a hand across his dark hair. It was getting longer all the time, and he kept it in a braid- which still felt a little odd to the touch.
A small sigh did not escape Van's attention, though he'd thought himself alone atop the palace. He looked around and was only a little surprised to see Merle, gazing out across the houses all alone and hugging her knees.
"Merle?"
"I knew you were here," she said, not moving from her spot or turning to face him. "I just thought I'd keep quiet and let you see me first."
A look of puzzlement brushed Van's features and he made his way over to sit beside her.
"You have been quiet a lot, lately," he acknowledged.
"Yes," she replied, "I have."
Van waited for more information, but Merle was not forthcoming. He frowned, finding himself in foreign waters. "Are you sick?" he tried, knowing that she wasn't.
"In a way, I sort of am," Merle said with a vapor of a smile.
Van found himself at a loss as to how he should respond. Then he glanced sideways and noticed tears gathered at the corners of Merle's eyes.
"Merle?" he tried again, sounding somewhat alarmed. He moved toward her.
She loosed an abbreviated laugh at the concern in his voice. "Van-sama. I'll be okay, don't worry."
The King of Fanelia was not so easily dissuaded. "What's wrong, Merle?" he asked, this time in a more commanding, big-brother tone.
"Nothing is wrong, nothing in the whole world. I'm just…" she turned her face away from him, almost guilty. "I'm in love with someone, that's all." Her voice was a whisper.
That last statement was enough of a surprise to nearly tumble Van off the roof.
"You- you are?" he asked, his voice suddenly taking on a somewhat stifled tone.
Merle flicked her tail in front of her, and began fidgeting with it. "Yes."
Van began formulating a reply, but before he could recover enough to voice it Merle decided to clarify.
"It's not with you, Van-sama," she murmured.
"Oh…" Van replied, not too intelligently. The emotions filling him- relief, regret, amusement, curiosity and- was that jealousy?! – made it difficult to be much more articulate.
Then suddenly, to make matters worse, Merle buried her face in her hands and began to cry.
"Merle!" Van's eyes went wide, and he patted her awkwardly on the back. Since when did Merle start bawling in the middle of a conversation? He couldn't remember seeing her shed a single tear in years. What was happening?
"Van-sama!" she wailed, clutching at his shirt and burying her face on his shoulder. Reflexively, he hugged her back.
"I'm sorry Van-sama! I'm so silly. I didn't mean for it to happen but I fell in love and I couldn't help it. Please forgive me, Van-sama!" Merle babbled, sniffling loudly.
"Forgive you for what? Merle?" the young man was beyond confused.
"Because! I'm so… I'm so FICKLE!" Merle blurted, and the words set her wailing again.
Van blinked, startled. Then he laughed. Merle sat up straight, looking at him in bewilderment as forgotten tears leaked down her cheeks. He was shaking with mirth, an insuppressible boyish grin on his face.
"What's so funny?" she asked, a little indignant. She swiped a sleeve across her damp face.
"Merle… you, fickle?" He peered at her, smiling with sparkling eyes. She met his gaze and couldn't help but smile. Van started chuckling again, and Merle giggled.
"I guess you're right," she admitted after a few beats, blushing slightly.
"Merle…" the young king began, and shook his head slowly. "I don't know where you got the idea that I'd be mad at you."
She settled in closer and placed her head comfortably on his shoulder. "Well, till now I've had a crush on you," she reasoned. "I guess I thought your feelings would be hurt."
Van chuckled. "Maybe just a little bit…"
Merle looked up at him in surprise, and he winked to let her know he was teasing.
She blushed again and looked down at her paws. "He's so perfect, Van," she sighed in the universal voice of the lovesick teenager. "Handsome, smart, and kind. He's wonderful."
After watching her closely for a moment, Van stood and clutched his clasped fists to his chest. "Oh, he's so wonderful," he gushed, raising his voice in a bad parody of a girl's. "Be still my heart!" He allowed himself to fall dramatically backwards off the roof, and a moment later swooped up again carried by resplendent wings.
Merle glared. "You're not funny," she informed him. "Besides, you're one to talk."
"Who, me?" he grinned disarmingly. He wasn't about to let her change the subject.
She stuck out her tongue at him, which did nothing to change the amused expression on his face. He reached out and tapped her nose affectionately.
"I have to go," he declared. "You know how they get if I'm out too late."
"Don't you want to know who it is?" Merle asked, incredulity in her eyes.
"Nah," he dismissed the thought with a wave of his hands. "I'll see you tomorrow. Night, Merle."
"Goodnight, Van-sama," she replied. He disappeared below the rooftop, leaving her alone to dream and gaze deep into the starry night.