Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne.

A/N: Ehh. I know. I'm late. But school's looming over me, and I'm struggling to finish my summer homework. I'll try to post this one asap, but another update may take just a little bit longer. Thank you so much for all your reviews; I really appreciate it. (:

You
Chapter Four

Allen stood calmly in her doorway, suitcases and bags in hand. For a few moments it was silent. No one said a word, and Hitomi was still registering the shock that had just swept through her body. His eyes swept lazily across the room, lingering on her. Their eyes met, but after a few moments, she looked away; his gaze pierced into her soul uncomfortably, and it felt as if he could see right through her actions. Allen took this as a sign of victory, and made the first move.

"Aren't you going to invite me in, Hitomi?" Allen asked smoothly. His remark sparked fury within her, and she looked up so that their eyes met again, this time, in defiance. There was no way in hell she was going down without a challenge.

"Get out." She said, almost inaudibly. Her hands balled into fists as rage began course though her. If Allen noticed the change in her mood, he made no sign, but simply continued on.

"Don't be like that, Hitomi. We need to talk any-"

"GET THE FUCK OUT!" Hitomi screamed, cutting him off. She automatically reached for the stapler on the table next to her, and was right about to throw it when Dilandau's hand stopped hers.

"Allen, I think you should just drop off the stuff and go." Dilandau muttered, gesturing to the suitcases. Allen shrugged, set the luggage down by the door, and with a final, nonchalant swish of the hair, he left with a loud slamming of the door.

A stapler immediately hit the closed door, right where Allen's head had been a second earlier. Hitomi had broken Dilandau's hold on her arm and had missed, much to her dismay. Dilandau sighed, and went over to retrieve the stapler and inspect the damage on the door. He gave a low whistle.

"You left a crack on the door. Good arm." He looked back over to his cousin, and she was busy grabbing her things.

"Where are you going?" Dilandau asked, frowning.

"Out," was her curt reply. She tossed the spare key to Dilandau, and he caught it easily. "Order out if you want food. Lock the door if you go out." Hitomi said, before she shut the door behind her.

Dilandau stood in the living room for a few minutes, wondering why his cousin was in such a bad mood. He shrugged, and flopped down on the couch to take a nap. 'Not my problem,' he tried to convince himself, 'Not my problem at all.'

Hitomi was walking, but she didn't know where. All she knew was that she wanted to get away. She walked briskly, the heels of her boots clicking against the concrete sidewalk, her toes crunching against the bits of snow that had not been cleared away. The sky was just beginning to darken, and the air was getting colder. As she walked, the lights around her became brighter, and she slowed her pace. Hitomi was now in the center of her town, and here, the streets were brightly illuminated. She slowed her pace, and headed for the park.

The entrance was adorned with wreaths and lights, welcoming the coming Christmas holidays. But 'cheerful' was the last mood on Hitomi's mind, and she just walked right past them. She reached the center of the park, and discovered that the lake had been frozen, and was now being used as an ice skating rink. People were pouring into the park, in couples and families, and Hitomi grumbled. She had wanted some peace and quiet, but having walked all the way out here, she didn't want to turn back.

Grumbling, she settled herself on a nearby bench, and watched the people around her. Couples giggled, fingers interlocked, as they struggled not to fall on the ice. One man spun his blushing girlfriend around and kissed her. Another man slipped and fell on the ice, dragging his girlfriend down with him. But instead of being angry, the girl simply laughed, and helped him up. Hitomi tore her eyes away from them. She was beginning to regret staying. Her mind wandered back to her days with Allen, as she stared up at the fading sky. Would he have ever taken her ice skating? Would he spin her around, and kiss her? Would he fall as she laughed merrily?

Would she have been happy?

And the answers to all those questions was no, and the resonance of that answer sent her heart into depression. She blinked back unwanted tears. A year wasted. Sighing, she checked her watch. 6:23pm. Hitomi had been out for about an hour. She stood up to leave, but a strong arm pulled at her arm, and she fell back onto the bench. Her head whipped to her right, angry words ready on her lips.

"Hey." Van Fanel said quietly. He was smiling. Hitomi had been so lost in her thoughts that she had not noticed him sit down next to her.

The angry words died on her lips, and she found herself at a loss of words. Hitomi had never before found herself to be as vulnerable as she was at that moment. There were so many things she needed to say, and yet she couldn't find the words that would do her feelings justice. So she settled for the simplest words she could find.

"I'm sorry." Hitomi whispered. The park was noisy with laughter and screams, but her whisper reached his ears. He nodded in acceptance of her apology.

"I'm Van. Van Fanel." He grinned at her.

"I'm Hitomi. Hitomi Kanzaki." She replied, returning his smile. It was almost contagious. She felt herself relaxing under his gaze. His eyes were different. They weren't cold and piercing like Allen's, but they were warm and sincere.

Suddenly, he stood up, and pulled her along with him as he walked.

"Hey, wait! What are you doing!?" Hitomi protested, but he kept walking towards the rink. He stopped in front of the booth, and turned back towards her.

"What's your shoe size?"

"Uhh…8? Van, what are you doing?" Hitomi asked again. Van ignored her, and spoke to the man behind the counter. He handed Van two pairs of skates, and Van dragged her to a bench close to the rink. He handed her a pair of skates, and put on his own. Hitomi just stared at him. After he was done, he finally looked over at her.

"What? Put them on."

"But…I don't know how to ice skate." Hitomi objected weakly. Van smiled at this, and leaned in towards her.

"Then I'll teach you." He got up and kneeled down before her. He pulled her boots off, and helped her put on the skates and lace them, almost as if she were a little kid. Hitomi blushed.

"I can do it myself." She mumbled. Van paused, then got up to sit next to her on the bench. Hitomi finished lacing up the first boot, and tied it tightly. She then started on the second shoe, but just as she was about to tie it, she heard Van cough. She looked over at him questioningly.

"You need to tie it tighter." He said, pointing to the laces.

"They're tight enough." Hitomi argued, and finished tying her second skate. He simply shrugged at her reply.

"Whatever you say, princess."

Hitomi snorted. "Princess?!"

Van said nothing, but pulled her gently towards the rink. Hitomi found herself clutching on to his arm for dear life as she tried taking her first few steps.

"I can't do this! I don't want to fall!" Hitomi squealed, as Van tried to pry her hands off his arm.

"Relax. You won't fall." Van reassured her. "It's kind of like walking. Or rollerblading. You just have to keep your balance, and you'll get the hang of it."

"And what if I fall?" Hitomi asked. Her eyes looked into his, silently asking for reassurance.

"I'll catch you." His words calmed her. She was going to hold him to that promise. She looked at the way other people skated, and tried to imitate their movements. After a few shaky steps, she finally succeeded in learning how to glide somewhat smoothly on the ice. Excitement at her accomplishment bubbled up inside of her, and she immediately looked up to find Van, eager to share the news. After a few moments, she caught his eye in the crowd.

"Van! I did it! I-" Hitomi's words turned into a yelp of surprise, as she collided into a couple. Hitomi faintly felt a falling sensation, before she felt strong arms pull her up. She turned, expecting to see Van, but it was only a stranger who had happened to be nearby.

"Be careful now, little missy!" The stranger called, as he skated away.

Hitomi quickly apologized to the couple she had knocked over, and immediately started looking for Van. She didn't have to look long, however, and within a few seconds he had skated up to her, a look of concern in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" He put his hands on her shoulders, and looked intently into her eyes.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Hitomi said absentmindedly, staring down at her skates and pretending to brush herself off. He had promised to catch her. Of course, there was no way he could have gotten there that fast, but still. Hitomi didn't understand why she was selfishly clinging to such a ridiculous notion, but she couldn't help it. A promise was a promise, and disappointment had found its home in her heart again.

She looked up to meet his eyes, and neither of them spoke. Hitomi could read the emotions in his eyes; they were as clear as day, just like her own eyes.

Van broke his gaze, and tugged at her hand. She followed, and they skated in silence around the rink. Around, and around they went, in circles. No words were exchanged; they were superfluous. His hand tightened on hers. She smiled, and squeezed his hand in return.

She never wanted to let this moment go.