"Hitomi, you're going to be late for school." Her mother called through the house. Hitomi got up much faster these days, school had been more bearable now that someone stood by her side.
When she came down to the kitchen her mother smiled at her.
"I'm glad to see you looking healthier, how have those cuts been healing?" She questioned concern in her eyes. Hitomi knew her mother didn't want this life for them, but because they were all alone there wasn't really a choice to be given (A.N. She told Allen earlier that her mother was proud because she didn't want her mom to seem weak).
"They're fine." Hitomi looked down at the long cut on her forearm that was given to her five days ago by Dornkirk himself. He had been angry again because she was spending more and more time doing homework and 'other things.'
Exactly what the other things were only a few people knew. When one of those people knocked on her front door, Hitomi's mother, as always, became flustered.
"Allen! Come in, Hitomi is just finishing up her breakfast. She's right through there." Hitomi turned around to see him walking through the front door, looking as usual brilliantly handsome. He flashed her his charming smile and she returned it with a scowl.
"You were supposed to call me last night." She glanced at her mother's confused face. "For…uh helping me with my math." She finished off lamely.
"Oh I wasn't aware that you were in the same math class." Hitomi's mother said before Allen could respond. "You better get a move on or else your going to be late." As Hitomi rose Allen touched her briefly on the hand to let her know he was sorry. She looked up at him and smiled and they were off.
"Hitomi! I think you forgot something!" Her mother called when they were out the door.
"You just go on ahead, I can meet you there." She said squeezing their hidden intertwined fingers.
When she got back inside the house her mother pulled her in and quickly closed the door.
"Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get into if you two were seen together?" She said in a hushed voice.
"W-what?" How on earth could her mother have known?
"Honey, I care about you and I don't want to see you get hurt, I can't turn a blind eye anymore." Her mother almost had tears in her brown eyes. "I know you really like Allen but if Dornkirk…." She left the sentence hanging, they both knew what would happen if Dornkirk found out.
"I can't help it, and I don't like him, I love him." Hitomi knew she was being stubborn, but she knew Allen would do the same for her. He would protect her and they would be together forever.
"He may be able to protect you, but can you protect him?" Hitomi stared at her mother with question burning in her eyes. "I overheard Folken talking to Adriana Albatou, Dilandau's mother. He was saying that Dornkirk has found… he's seen Celena, Allen's sister and apparently he has taken a liking for her." Hitomi's mind went blank, Celena, that sweet young thing she had befriended over the past month had been seen by Dornkirk. I warned him, don't go to close to the main house… Hitomi bit her lip.
"I'll think of something." She said quietly, her beatings had started right around Celena's age and she didn't want the same thing happening to the girl.
"There's another thing… Dornkirk has decided—" It was there Hitomi didn't want to hear anymore.
"I've got to run or else I'm going to be late." She turned out of the door and waved.
Oh, child, her mother thought as she watched the girl run off, I hope you know what you're doing, there's no room for love in this place.
When Hitomi caught up with Allen they were still a few blocks from school and they had ten minutes to kill.
Allen had been walking as slow as possible, since they had no classes together and their lives were so heavily watched in Gaea the only place he and Hitomi could act like a normal couple was on the walks to and from school. Over the month he had known Hitomi he had seen new parts of himself he never knew he had before.
Deep thoughtless kindness was one of those feelings. Allen had always thought when someone was kind they were doing it for selfish reasons. But when Hitomi was with him, every string of reflection he had about people had vanished. She was the kind of person who didn't deserve the life she had been give, but she had made the best of it.
"There you are." He said turning when he felt her hand on his back. Allen jumped back when he saw it was Dilandau who was grabbing his shoulder.
"Sorry to disappoint." He said, an evil grin on his face. "I just wanted to tell you, be careful." And before Allen could say a word Dilandau turned and strode off.
"Be careful of what?" Allen shouted back.
"What are you talking about?" Hitomi had caught up with him at last. When she looked in the direction Allen was facing she questioned, "Was that Dilandau?"
Allen nodded but said nothing more. He slipped his hand in hers, but could tell something was wrong. Her hand was shaking and her palms were cold with sweat.
"Is anything wrong?" He looked down at her, but she threw her best smile on and shook her head.
"Just wiped from the running."
It was Hitomi's most favorite time of the day. Her class ended twenty minutes early and she rushed out to her spot at the school's main gates. She set herself down and waited patiently, quietly doing homework. When the resounding bell clanged off over the campus she looked up eagerly.
"Hey! Over here!" Usually Hitomi had never drawn attention to herself but like she realized this morning, things had changed.
"I am usually the one who waits for you." Allen said putting on a face of mock disappointment. He bent down to kiss her in greeting.
"My class finished early." She said after he pulled away. He took her bag and her hand and started to walk away.
They walked in silence until Hitomi could no longer stand the nagging feeling from what her mother said that morning.
"Allen?"
"Hm?"
"Do you remember when we first met?" Without waiting for confirmation she continued on, "and when I told you not to go anywhere near the main house? You know that applied to Celena too, right?" She looked frightened into his eyes.
"Of course, I told both my mother and sister to keep clear of the woods unless I was with them." The instant relief washing over Hitomi's face made Allen wonder, does this have anything to do with this morning?
"He must have seen her at her school then, or out somewhere alone." Hitomi confirmed, mostly for her own benefit.
"What are you talking about?" Allen hated the edge to his voice, but Celena was one of the most important people in his life and he wanted to know if anything was wrong.
"My mother just said this morning, that Dornkirk has taken a… shining to her." Hitomi didn't even try to conceal the despair in her voice, they both knew what she was saying.
"How could you not tell me this sooner?" Allen said, his temper flaring. How dare she withhold information like this, was she jealous of his relationship with Celena.
"Because I didn't want you to act like this!" Hitomi countered back. She could understand that Allen wanted to protect his baby sister, but she needed him to keep a cool head.
"Oh and you know me so well? I hate having to hide our relationship Hitomi! I want to be able to walk you to your front door and kiss you goodbye!" All the anxieties Allen had been keeping quiet for the past few days gushed out of him.
"You know what would happen if anyone found out!" They had stopped walking now and were staring at one another, his face flushed with anger, and hers starting to shine with tears. "Besides this isn't about me it's about Celena!"
"And you're such and expert? My sister can take perfectly good care of herself!"
"It isn't about being able to rely on herself, once he gets into your head there's nothing on earth that will stop him." Hitomi wasn't shouting anymore which seemed to make Allen even angrier.
"What happens in my family is none of your concern." Allen too stopped yelling and stood quietly next to Hitomi. "We can live perfectly fine without you, we have done so before, and we will continue on doing so." With that he turned and walked back towards Gaea.
Hitomi sunk to her knees and wept. She didn't care who saw her, her world had just been crushed.
Hands placed themselves gently but firmly on her shoulders. She tried to fight against her captor, but exhaustion took over her. She fell faint in the stranger's arms, and he quietly picked her up and started to carry her home.
At the gates of Gaea the man noticed a small lump hidden next to one of the bushes. Upon further inspection he found it was her backpack. So he has some brains after all, leaving her bag here. Oh, Hitomi, he thought glancing down at the girl as he hoisted her pack on his shoulder you deserve so much better.
When Hitomi awoke she found herself in her room with a blanket tenderly placed over her. She looked around her room to see her backpack on the floor next to her desk and her socks had been peeled away. She sat up trying to remember what had happened and how she had gotten here but it all was a blur. She remembered Allen and her shouting on the street and then her fainting. But right before that, there was something else, someone's hands… as soon as she thought about who it was she could hear her mother calling from downstairs.
"Hitomi! You have a visitor!" Hitomi jumped up and ran down the stairs, hoping it was Allen. She was disappointed when she saw the familiar silver hair of Folken. It had been six weeks since Folken had last come to the Kanzaki household, but the Kanzaki's were always forced to show him hospitality.
At the sight of Folken Hitomi's stomach dropped. She knew the relationship between her and Allen had been kept secret, but she couldn't think of any other reason why Folken would be there.
"Would you walk with me?" Hitomi knew she couldn't trust the man standing before her, but she also knew she couldn't disobey him either.
When they had reached the edge of her neighborhood safely Folken started to speak.
"I know living in this place is hard on you." He paused trying to find the best thing to say, leaving Hitomi wondering what he was doing. "I can hope only for you to grow and leave this cursed spot." What on earth is he telling me? Hitomi's confused mind called out. She started to speak when Folken continued. "Dornkirk has made plans… plans having to do with…"
"Allen!" Hitomi called out as she saw him coming out of the forest. She wanted an excuse; any excuse to leave whatever Folken was trying to say to her. "Sorry Folken, what were you saying?" She questioned turning to the man, knowing he would refuse to say anything when Allen came over.
"Nothing, just keep on your guard, Dornkirk's getting restless." He turned to go as Allen reached them. "Oh, I also wanted to say, he's back." Folken walked away leaving Hitomi completely dumbstruck and Allen confused.
"What does he mean? He's back, who?" Allen questioned, but Hitomi was unable to answer him for a moment. After a second Hitomi threw on her best smile.
"He was just telling me an old friend has returned, I haven't seen him in a long time." Allen felt a twinge of jealousy, but was grateful Hitomi was telling him the truth. He looked guiltily away, regretting the way he had treated her a few hours ago.
"Hitomi…I'm sorry." Allen stared at the ground as he said this but felt her hand on his.
"It's ok," she said smiling at him.
"What's his name? I mean your friend, what's his name?" Allen got the question out but he didn't think she had heard him, the second he started to speak she had seen a movement behind him and sure enough all of her worst fears had been confirmed.
"Van."