All you need is Love, Isn't it? Chapter 94, an escaflowne fanfic

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Escaflowne: All you need is Love, Isn't it?

Chapter 94

(000)

Van walked back into their room in the robe the innkeeper's wife had laid out for him in the bathroom. His hair was still damp, but he opted not to bring a towel back to the room with him, choosing instead to allow the warmth of the room's fireplace to finish drying it.

In the room, Hitomi was sitting at the table, also clad in a cream colored robe, while the stout woman set the table.

"Mmm, it smells delicious," the king said in a voice loud enough to announce his return, then he quickly make his way to the table and sat across from Hitomi.

"Thank you, Ma'Lady," the woman said modestly. Grabbing the plates from the tray her husband was holding, she set them before the couple and waited.

Both Van and Hitomi picked up their knife and fork and cut a small portion of the meat. Placing it in her mouth, Hitomi took only a moment to savor the flavor of the tender meat.

"Mmm, it's delicious." She smiled and looked over at Van, who also scooped up some of the mushrooms and onions along with a small amount of couscous. Placing the large forkful in his mouth, Van chewed for a while before looking up. "It's very good, very good. Please, extend my complements to the cook."

"Thank you, my Lord." The woman bowed. "I will." She took the tray from her husband, who stepped forward and poured some wine into Van's challis from a carafe, which was already on the table.

Van grabbed his glass and took a drink. After a moment, the corners of his lips turned up. "Excellent. Everything is perfect. Thank you."

Smiling wide, the innkeeper filled his goblet the rest of the way, then did the same with Hitomi's, who took a sip and nodded with a smile. "It's very good."

The man set the carafe down and bowed low. "If you need anything else this evening, don't hesitate to call on us." Bowing once more, he and his wife exited quietly.

"Do you think they know who you really are?" Hitomi asked.

Glancing towards the door for a moment, he took another drink, rinsing the food from his mouth, and said, "Mmm, probably not, though they probably think I'm Fanelian nobility." He put another forkful in his mouth and took another drink before continuing. "Which is fine with me. This way they're more likely to leave us alone while not bothering to contact the regional governor or nobles, which is good. That way we won't be delayed leaving tomorrow morning."

Hitomi nodded and continued to eat.

They ate in relative silence, only glancing up at each other once in awhile and smiling. Though Van had never been one to beat around the bush, Hitomi knew that if she didn't give him cause to question her, he would most likely remain silent about the issue concerning her recent behavior. So she took the one option she felt was her best defense against such inquiries, silence.

But instead of it being the comfortable silence they often shared, this was an awkward silence that felt entirely unnatural to her.

'Just a little while longer. We'll finish eating and then we'll go to sleep.' She fumbled with her food, pushing it around the plate as she thought. 'Then tomorrow, everything will be all right. I'll be all right, I'm sure of it. I just need a good night's sleep and I'll be fine.'

"Don't you like the food?"

"Huh?" Hitomi looked up suddenly.

"Your food. You've hardly touched it. I can have them make something else for you, if you like?"

"No. No, that's okay. The food is fine. I'm just not that hungry, that's all." She set her fork down and took a sip of wine. "Mmm, the wine is very good. Sweet but not too sweet." She took another sip. Smiling at Van, she stood up. "If you don't mind, I think I'll get ready for bed now."

Van wiped his mouth. "No, not at all," he said with a look of mild concern.

Her smile grew a bit before she tuned and walked over to the desk, removing her toiletry pouch from Van's saddlebag. Walking back over to the table, she leaned over and kissed Van atop his head. "I'll be right back." Then she walked out the door.

Van set his fork down, placed his elbows on the table, and clasped his hands together. Resting his forehead upon his hands, he sighed deeply.

(000)

In the bathroom, Hitomi took her time brushing her teeth, staring into the washbasin, refusing to look up at her reflection in the mirror set before it. When she had told Van she wasn't hungry, it wasn't entirely a lie. Though she had been hungry earlier, her concerns over what Van almost asked her had put her stomach into knots. Her nerves were wound so tight that she ended up making her gums bleed.

"Great," she whispered, spitting out the blood as she rinsed her mouth repeatedly. Satisfied that the majority of the hemorrhaging had stopped, she squirted a small amount of toothpaste onto her toothbrush and scrubbed it clean, then rinsed it thoroughly and put both items back in her pouch. Grabbing the astringent and some cotton balls, she scrubbed her face mercilessly, tossing one cotton ball aside after another. When she was done, she stared at her reddened face in the mirror for what felt like forever. "What are you doing to yourself?" She let out a sad sigh. "Punishing yourself won't solve anything."

Grabbing her moisturizer, she dabbled some on her hand and rubbed her hands together then began rubbing it into her face with her back to the mirror. Finally, she pulled out her brush and ran it through her hair. After about a minute, she stopped and looked down at the brush she held firmly in her hand. "What are you doing? You know Van won't go to sleep before you. He never does. So there's no point in stalling." She stuffed the brush back into the pouch and closed it. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath, and headed back to the room.

(000)

Returning to the room, Hitomi found Van taking inventory of their supplies.

He looked up when he heard the door. "We'll need to stop at the market tomorrow before we leave. If we get an early start, we might make it to Arzas before nightfall. But that will mean eating on the road."

"Oh, well, that's okay, I don't mind." She smiled, having walked up to him, her toiletry pouch still in her hand.

"Is something wrong?"

She jumped. "Ah, no! Nothing's wrong." She hesitated for a moment then extended it toward him. He took it and placed it on the side. "I'm just tired, that's all. I think I'll go to bed now."

"All right, I'll join you in a little while."

"O-okay," she forced out. Walking over to the candelabra on her side of the room, she paused for a moment then asked, "Is it alright if I turn off these lights?"

"Hmm, sure, no problem. I've got plenty of light over here."

"M'kay." And she proceeded to blow them out.

Heading back to the bed, Hitomi's heart filled with anxiety. She put her hands on the knot of the robe and debated whether to sleep with the robe on or off. With trembling hands, she pulled the knot loose, turned around so her back was facing Van, slipped it off her shoulders, and set it at the foot of the bed. Then she pulled the covers back and slid into bed, taking great care not to face him.

Pulling the covers up to her chin, she whispered to herself, "You're such a coward, Hitomi. When did you become such a coward?"

"Did you say something, Hitomi?"

"No, nothing. Just clearing my throat." She lay there for several minutes before adding, "Goodnight, Van."

His response seemed to take forever but finally she heard, "Goodnight… Hitomi."

The confused young girl curled up and pulled the covers around her tightly, pressing the side of her face into the pillow. 'What's wrong with me? This isn't me. I'm not like this. I'm… I'm…'

Closing her eyes, she listened carefully, trying to make out what it was Van was doing.

'He's counting something now, I think. … Whatever it was, he just put it back in the saddlebag. … Did he just sigh? … Was it because of something we need…or was it because of me?'

She shrank into the bed just a bit more as silent tears stained her pillow.

"Hitomi, are you still up?"

She drew in a sharp breath. "Hmm, yes, Van," she whispered.

"We'll stop at the plaza before we leave tomorrow. Get you some new clothes."

"A-okay. Sounds good. Thank you." She pulled the covers a little higher.

"Can't exactly go weeks in just one outfit." Before she could reply, he continued. "Well, I guess you could. I mean we had to do it before, didn't we? But we don't have to now."

Hitomi gave a faint giggle, which faded away all too quickly.

A few moments later, she heard Van's forced breath as the room grew darker with each puff of air.

'He's blowing the last of the candles out. He's coming to bed now. … What's he waiting for? … He doesn't know whether to sleep with the robe or not either. … He took it off.'

(000)

Van pulled the covers back. Looking down at the bed, he saw the troubled girl curled up in the far corner of the mattress and his heart sank. Without a sound, he got into bed, lying on his back with his hands under his head, as was his normal custom. His eyes, having adjusted for the faint stream of moonlight that filtered in from between the curtains, focused on a modest sized crack in the ceiling. 'Will it get bigger and need to be replaced, or will they mend it before it gets that bad?' He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

A moment later he felt movement on the bed, then felt the warm gentle caress from the girl he loved as she nuzzled up next to him and gently ran her hand over his chest in a slow, small circular motion.

"Van," she whispered. "I'm… I'm… I'm…"

"Shhhh, it's alright, Hitomi." He pulled his hands out from under his head and held her close. "It'll be… all right."

Sleep did not come easy that night for either of them, but when it did come, it came with the hope of better things with the arrival of the morning's sun.

(To Be Continued)

AN: With my beloved beta-reader back and at top form, I'm reposting this chapter with her corrections. I'm sure you'll find this version of Chapter 94 much cleaner than the one that was previously up. Thanks so much Janice for being there for me. hugs and kisses

And thank you everyone who read and reviewed this chapter already. I loved reading every single one of them. Chapter 96 is well underway and should be done in a week or two depending on how crazy work is and how much time I have when I get home. Lately, I've had next to no time, which is why it's been taking me so long to get out updates, and I don't really see that changing anytime soon. Sorry, but please be patient and I'll try to have it out as soon as possible.

A. Amishi