Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Escaflowne…If I did, that series would have continued.

To everyone who reviewed: Thank you SO much! Your comments made me stop doing homework to write this! THANKS!

Chapter Three

Hitomi awoke with a start. No! That dream! It ended too soon! I needed to see who was there! Dammit! Why couldn't I hold on to it? Why did I see that new scene with the red feather? Her eyes, slowly focusing on her apartment, were blinded by the brightness of the morning sun. Whatever was in that dream…I'm going to find out…I swear, I'm going to—Hitomi's thoughts were cut off as she felt something breathing on her neck.

Adverting her eyes to the source, she saw tousled black hair and a sleeping face. Van……
The red feather
She almost cried again. He didn't disappear…Shifting her body, she turned towards him and stared at him. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping.

Van…You kept your promise-
Stay with me tonight
-Thank God that you did…She leaned in towards him and brushed her lips against his. As soon as she realized what she did, she froze. Oh my God, what did I just do! Blushing, she cursed God for letting her feelings get ahead of her and thanked God that Van didn't wake up either.

Returning to her first position, Hitomi tried to get rid of the blush on her face with some success. She then noticed that his hands were wrapped around her in a comforting hug…and that they were technically spooning…That's a nice way to put it. She thought dryly. I must be picking up too much slang from my students.

Then she remembered that today was Monday. And that she was going to be late for work if she didn't get out of bed now. Oh. Crap.

Careful not to disturb Van from his sleep, she lifted his arms off her and rolled off the couch. She checked the time and sighed. Thank God I can take a shower before I go. Just as she headed to the bathroom, she turned back to face the sleeping King.

And the blush returned.

I can't believe I did that! What's wrong with me? Van just came back…That could just send him away again!
Does he feel the same?
Arg! I…Calm down…he didn't wake up. Just forget about it. You have the whole day ahead of you! Hurry up! She quickly ran the rest of the way into the bathroom and prepared for a quick shower.

As she shut the bathroom door, Van awoke with a blush on his face. That was…nice…

Dressed ready for work with a towel still in her hair, Hitomi returned from her shower to find Van awake and sitting on the couch, his eyes looking at the various objects she knew he would ask about.
Stay with me tonight
Walking over to him, being as silent as she could, she sat down beside him, she hugged him.

"Hitomi?" Van asked, being taken out of his trance. "What is this--?"

"Thanks for not leaving." She mumbled in his shoulder. Raising her head, she looked him in the eye. "How was your sleep?"

"Good." Van smiled. Very nice. A look of seriousness appeared on his face. "Did you have another…?" He let his sentence trail off.

"No. Not last night." Hitomi lied. I don't want to scare you. I'll tell you when I know more…

"Oh." I had the same one again. But there was something different…He couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but there was something different in the way the dream looked. Van's eyes traveled around the room. "It looks prettier in the light."

"Huh?" Hitomi asked, a little confused. "Oh…The apartment! Yeah, I think so too." Smiling at his curiosity, she asked him, "Would you like something to eat? You must be hungry." She stood up and went into the small kitchen in her apartment, grabbing the toast bread and some cereal. Something simple for Van…I don't have to show him any electronics to eat cereal.

"What is 'apartment'? Is that a word to describe your living quarters?" Van asked, walking over to the kitchen.

"Yup." Hitomi said, filling the bowl with some Cheerios. She grabbed the milk in the fridge and a spoon from the drawer and was about to put them both in the bowl when she felt Van standing right behind her. She turned her head and looked at him.

"Sorry." He mumbled and took a step back. "I was just wondering what you are doing."

Turning back around and completing his meal, Hitomi smirked, "I'm fixing your breakfast."

"What's 'breakfast'?"

Hitomi sighed. "A meal you eat in the morning."

Van smirked. "I know. I'm just kidding. There are some things that we have too." Taking a seat on the stools next to the counter, Van grabbed the bowl with the tiny little circles floating in the milk. Taking the spoon with a fist, he scooped out some cereal and shoved it quickly in his mouth. Chewing on it for a while, his eyes widened. "Thif mis goods." He said with a mouthful.

Rolling her eyes, Hitomi sighed again. "Swallow. Then speak."

Doing as he was told, he continued. "This is good. What is it?" He barely finished his sentence as he put another spoonful in his mouth.

"It's called cereal. It's made of the same stuff you make bread with. You know, grains."Van nodded as he continued to eat. Hitomi smiled and watched him. What made her giggle was how the spoon was in a fist and when the milk started to dribble down his chin without his knowing.

"Mmph?" Van looked up from his cereal at the giggling Hitomi. His face made her continue. She quickly turned away and made her breakfast, butter and toast. As she spread the butter, she paused. Should I bring Van to work with me? Can I trust him alone in my apartment? Oh dear…Placing the toast between her teeth, she quickly ran back into the bathroom to remove the towel in her hair. She grabbed her paperwork for her classes and her briefcase and started to get ready. Great, now another issue to worry about.

By this time, Van was already done his cereal. "Hitomi? What are you doing?"

"I'm getting ready for work." Hitomi said with frustration as she could not find her other sock.

"Where do you work? What do you work as?" He asked.

"I work at a school. I'm a teacher. I teach Phys. Ed." Hitomi paused in mid-search. "That's Physical Education…Sports."

"I know." Van said, walking over to her, and realized that she must be looking for her other sock. After all, she had one foot in a sock with a shoe on it and the other bare. "Looking for something?"

"Yeah, my sock. It's the matching pair to the blue ones I'm wearing." Hitomi continued to search the drawer as Van looked elsewhere. Noticing something blue sticking out of her other shoe by the entrance, he brought it to her. "Is this it?"

Where the heck is this thing? I mean, I know I put it here yesterday! Hitomi huffed and did not hear him; unsatisfied that it wasn't in her drawer where she left it. "What?" She asked Van, realizing that he had asked her something. "What did you say?"

"Is this it?" He repeated, dangling the sock in front of her.

"Yeah. Thanks. Where was it?"

"In your shoe." Quickly putting it on and rushing past him, Hitomi gathered all the things she needed for her day at work. Oh man, the clock is ticking! I don't know if I should bring him or not! Arg! Why me? She ran quickly from one room to the next, grabbing folders and papers that she needed to have for class, still thinking of whether or not she should bring Van with her. I mean, what's the worse he could do?

She turned around to find him already preoccupied with something else.

A Kleenex dispenser.

He was pulling out the tissues one by one and leaving them on the floor. "This contraption…What is the point of it? Why do I have to pull the white sheet out to have one take its spot?" He kept pulling and pulling…He thinks it's some sort of trick or a game!

She grabbed the box away from him. At this rate, I'm going to be late! "Come on, Van, stop fooling around." Hitomi continued to grab more things. She had to stop again a few minutes later when she noticed Van was staring intently at the shiny toaster.

"Wow. It's like a mirror. Only…distorted…Why do you have a distorted mirror?" Before Hitomi could tell him any explanation, she realized that his hand had pushed the toaster's button down… "Why is it red on the inside?" As soon as the toaster made its sound, ding! signaling the toast--even though there was none in there--was ready, Van took a giant leap away from it and grabbing for his sword.

"Hitomi! Stay back!" He was so close to smashing the toaster in two, but Hitomi stopped him.

"Van, calm down! We're on Ear—The Mystic Moon. I know what's dangerous and what's not. I'll tell you what does on. This is NOT dangerous…It's called a toaster. It cooks bread!" Hitomi said quickly. I can't believe this! My apartment could be trashed if I leave him alone…Van...

Hitomi looked at the clock again. Shoot! I'm going to be late! She packed a duffel bag with the stop-watch, a few of her binders, the notes that she was going to give out, a spare set of clothes…

…Wait a minute. She turned around and looked at him. For the first time, it came to her that he did not have a shirt on. His wings…they must of ripped his shrit…Running back to her drawers, she pulled out one of her plain oversized T-Shirts she usually wore as a nightgown in the summer. She gave him the blue T-Shirt. "Here. Wear this."

He looked at it. "Why? Where are we going?"

"You're coming to work with me."

"Lord Van?" The servant knocked on the door to his bedroom. "You majesty, are you awake? It is time for your morning meal." Hearing no response, the servant took out his key and opened the door. "Lord Van, I am coming in."

He opened the door slowly and saw no one. The sheets on his bed were rustled and out of place and the window was wide opened…

No one was in the room.

Except millions of soft, white feathers.

The servant, worried, ran all over the castle in search for anyone who had seen Lord Van. After many "No, I haven't seen him.", the servant finally found Merle in the kitchen having breakfast. She must know! Lord Van and she were friends since forever! "Merle! Merle!"

The feline looked up from her food. "Yes? What's wrong?"

"Come quickly! I cannot locate Lord Van!"

"What?" Merle's voice got shaky and full of worry. Van…Gone? What?

"Follow me!" The servant pulled her to Van's room and opened the door for her to see that it was empty.
Except for millions of soft, white feathers
"Where has he gone?" The servant asked again, breaking Merle out of her trance.

"He has gone to…He has gone to the Mystic Moon." Merle smiled, confident in her answer. Beautiful feathers…

"The Mystic Moon? What purpose does our King have on that planet?"

Merle turned back around and was headed once again to the kitchen to finish her meal. "Merle!" The servant called after her. "Why is he there?"

Looking back at him with her blue eyes, she smiled. "Hitomi."

"Van! Wait!" Hitomi cried. Oh my gosh! He doesn't know how to cross the road! She pulled his hand towards her so he would not get run over by a car.

"Why?"

"These are dangerous! They can hurt you!" She explained.

"They just look like carriages without animals to pull them. What's so dangerous about that?" Van remarked. I wonder how these things work anyway…With no animals, how does it move?

"Just…Trust me. I know." Hitomi sighed. Oh man…This is harder than I thought. Ever since they left the apartment, Van had been asking about everything he saw outside. Maybe he would have been better off alone in the apartment…Too late now…

Finally, the light turned red and the two were able to cross. "See Van? You have to wait your turn before you can cross."

"Oh." Van was too preoccupied staring at the cars that were stopped. "What are these called?"

"Automobiles."

"I like that one." He smiled, pointing to a red convertible with the top down. Hitomi nodded at his choice and noticed that the light was about to change back to green. "Van! Hurry!"

Just as they touched the sidewalk, the convertible that Van was staring at, sped through the intersection. He stood wide-eyed at the speed of the car. "They go so fast…Is that why they are dangerous?"

Nodding again, Hitomi pulled on his arm and proceeded to walk two blocks to the school. All the while, Van was staring in complete awe at all the tall buildings, the different trees, the 'automobiles'…Hitomi had to smile even though she would probably be late for work. He's like a kid in a candy store…

"Kanzaki! You're ten minutes late!" A voice shouted as she entered the room. It was Suzuki Akira, the principle of the school.

"I'm sorry. I ran into some trouble on the way…" She mumbled. Rushing in and out of the staff room without another word, she met up with Van again outside. He's going to have my head!

"What was all that yelling about? I didn't make you late, did I?"

"Don't…Don't worry about it…Come on, my class is probably waiting for me." Hitomi knew that the school bell was going to ring in three minutes, but usually, most of her students wait outside the door for her. Her first class was Exercise Science with grade twelve's.

As they neared the classroom, she turned to Van. "Van, I need you to take a seat at the back of the class and try not to make any noise, okay?"

"Alright."

"Promise?"

"I always keep promises, remember?" He smiled. Van leaned in close to her ear. "Will I get another reward if I'm good?"

Hitomi blushed madly, but turned around fast enough so Van could not see. This morning, when I hugged him first for not leaving…That's what he means…Yeah, that's all. She heard him following her and quickly ran the rest of the way to the class. Hitomi tried not to think of any other possible meanings to what Van said.

"Miss Kanzaki! Finally!" Some of the students shouted as she came into their view.

"Sorry…" She mumbled, quickly unlocking the door and letting the students inside. Including Van of course. "Alright, let's get started, shall we? Open your textbooks."

"Kanzaki-sensi, I don't have my textbook." A boy called out, smiling. A few of his guy friends snickered.

"How many times…Nevermind. Just share." Hitomi sighed. That guy never brings it…No matter how many times I tell him… "Okay, page 113. We'll be discussing lactic acid formation." The chatter amongst the class quieted down after a few minutes.

Well, at least I can go through the day without any changes... Hitomi smiled, happy that her teaching routine isn't totally affected by Van's presence. "Hmmm… Keiko, why don't you start reading? No talking."

As Keiko started to read, Van kept his word by staying as quiet as he could. From his seat in the back, hardly anyone noticed him…Except a group of female students who kept staring…Van kept his focus on Hitomi and how well she controlled the class.

And every so often during the reading, they would share eye contact. Hitomi would blush and return to the textbook, and Van would smile. Hitomi…

Sorry for the long update! Ack! Stupid school! Honestly, I think all my teachers come together in the staff room and collaborate on 'How do we make her weekend miserable?':
"I know! Four tests in one week!"

Anyway, just so you know, sensi means teacher. It is added to the end of someone's name who is teaching you something. Oh, and Suzuki Akira is a made up name. Suzuki is the last name and Akira is the first. I'm trying to keep it as Japanese as possible…(shrug)

Hopefully, by next week, I'll have Chapter Four up!

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