(I take it back. I want to continue what's happening with Van and Hitomi, so on with the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne or any original characters from the show. I only own my own sad thoughts and O.C.'s. Please don't sue.)
XX
Hitomi led Van to a small house at the end of a row of small homes on a quiet street about a two blocks from the station. If he had been thinking at all, he would have marveled at the number of homes and shops he had passed getting here. It was as if he was in a sea of populace that he couldn't have imagined existed. He had been blown away at the size of Austuria's capital when he went there for the first time as a boy, and was frightened by it. Here made that busy sea port seem a largish village, and Fanelia's capital a country backwater.
Sadly, Van didn't have the luxury of a clear thought.
He had been milling over in his mind all of the duties he had left behind and the failure he had been as a leader to them. He had abandoned everything he cared for because of a selfish impulse. He felt ashamed of the fact that he didn't seem...depressed by the thought.
He had other things to worry about at the moment.
Hitomi pulled a small key from her pocket and turned the lock in the door. She didn't open it though. She turned to look at him. "I want to talk to them, okay? You just-" she was cut off by the door opening of it's own accord, pulling Hitomi slightly inside because of her hold on the key.
A boy of light features and youngish build had opened the door. Van was struck with the impression of slightly shaggy dark blond hair and the glint of hazel eyes as the boy stared mutely at Van's face behind Hitomi's flailing form. His expression was brief but telling. Surprise and suspicion. It was quickly gone, replaced with a slightly bored, carefree expression that Van could tell was strategically placed until a time when he could inquire after the visitor. "You're late, Hitomi. Mom was just making dinner." He stepped back and turned to allow Hitomi and Van passage inside. He closed the door behind them. "Dad's in the living room." He moved away toward the next room, making a pointed glance at Van before he turned away. "I thought you were bringing Yukari home with you." He walked away.
Van had been completely silent watching the boy's retreating back, reserving judgment on the boy. He supposed it was Hitomi's younger brother. Hitomi confirmed his suspicions, "My kid brother, Hitsarugi. Don't mind him." She made to move away from the door and past the larger room inside to another down the hall.
I will mind.
Whatever Hitomi said of her brother, he suspected it stemmed from a relationship steeped in familiarity that bread blindness. Van could tell from the first moment that her brother had an intelligence submerged behind the facade of youthful carelessness. His eyes had a spark of fire behind their depths that he had seen only in Hitomi before. He would wait to have a final opinion of him, but he suspected he would like him. His manner reminded him of Dryden.
"I'll introduce you to my mother first."
He was jolted away from his thoughts and plunged into a slight panic. What? Parents?
He had no problem meeting with leaders of States and dignitaries from Principalities and Dukedoms, but the trial of parents was a test for which he hadn't prepared. He felt slightly bereft as he followed Hitomi into a fragrant room he supposed was the kitchen. A woman of slight build was standing with her back to the doorway as they entered. She had a loose knot of light brown hair at the back of her head, reflected blond in the harsh light of the everlasting fire. He gulped.
Bring yourself together! I'm not some simpleton. Act with the difference Hitomi's mother deserves.
"Mom."
The woman turned, and before she could reply or show any emotion besides surprise, Hitomi was already in her arms. She dropped a cloth she had in her hand to the floor. Her eyes were closed and there was a sad smile on her lips. Her daughter buried her head into her shoulder. Both were silent.
Van stood where he was, for the moment forgotten. This was Hitomi's mother. The mother she had left behind all those years ago.
Van felt a pang of grief unquenched by the years of loneliness since his mother's disappearance, but fought the emotion. He shouldn't think of it. He shouldn't think of what he wanted to do. What he wanted to ask of them...
How could he do it? Take her from her mother? This woman who had cradled and cared for her child before she was even born? How could he...
Another unwelcome thought crossed his mind as he watched them. Is this what mother would have done if she had found Folken?
He had not thought of his mother's sorrow for years. He had been too young at the time to understand her pain, unable to help her. Is this what she had sought when she left him all those years ago? To hold her first born son in her arms? Feel the warmth of Folken's touch? To know she had him back again, safe in her loving embrace? An unwelcome feeling of jealousy and resentment filled him. His own mother ha abandoned him to a life of grief to find a brother that had abandoned them both. Folken was gone now, just like his mother and father.
Van felt a chill down his bare arms. Hitomi's warmth felt far from him. He resented the feeling.
"Hi mom. What are you...making for dinner?" Hitomi pulled back from her mother and wiped quickly at her eyes. Her mother smiled a watery smile at her child and stepped back.
Van was surprised by a face almost the spitting image of Hitomi, about 20 years older. She had the same bend in the nose, the same pale complexion. She even had the same shape of the eyes, although hers were a light brown instead of the evergreen of her daughter's. She had the same laughter sparkling in her expression. She was oblivious to Van in the doorway.
"I brought a guest." She stepped back to Van's side, lightly touching his arm, though her head was turned to her mother. He felt goosebumps at her touch. The warmth spread the length of his arm. He let himself feel her hand's warmth for one selfish second, momentarily forgetting his melancholy and nerves. It was brief. He had to be courteous.
"Van Slanzar de Fanel, ma'am." He stepped forward and bowed low, lowering his head from her scrutinizing gaze. He had been told by Hitomi before they got home not to kneel or give his full title. She wanted to explain things to her parents later. He felt a slight apprehension he wanted to deny. The pendant swing on his neck and thudded against his chest. He felt a hand on his back and chanced a look up.
"Teruko Kanzaki. It's a pleasure." Hitomi's mother was smiling down into his face. Van blushed in spite of himself and stood straight. He was curiously quiet under her gaze. She took her fill. He hoped she would make no mention of his strange attire or the sword at his side. He didn't want a repeat of the rude boy on the ship. That wasn't what her eyes rested on, however.
Her eyes focused on the pendant around his neck. He felt a pull there so slight he would have thought it a figment of his imagination. He felt himself grow hot.
She must recognize the pendant! Wasn't it Hitomi's grandmother's? Her mother's...
"How long are you staying?" She smiled at him and moved back to the patties frying in the pan behind her. Hitomi stepped forward before he could reply. "I need to talk to you about that." Hitomi turned to him and gestured him to sit at the table behind him, a thing brightly lit by the harsh beams of that strange everlasting fire. He sat, still mute. Hitomi moved to grab her mother's arm and pulled her from the room toward the living room where he guessed her father was sitting. A second later he heard a harsh voice bark something and a moment later Hitomi's brother walked into the kitchen.
He didn't glance at Van when he entered and moved to the tall metal looking cabinet in a corner of the kitchen. Van watched him curiously. When the boy opened it, Van felt a swish of cold air escape the cabinet, and saw briefly strange packages and vegetables he had never seen on Gaea before the doors closed with a dull thump. The boy turned and walked straight toward him, but moved silently past him to sit on the other side of the table directly across from him. He had a seemingly closed cup marked in weird characters that he placed beside the plate in front of him. He finally looked directly into Van's face.
His eyes were green. His first impression of hazel had been hasty. They had to be the exact same shade of evergreen as his older sister, but a small halo of brown ringed the edge of his iris. He was also of a slightly darker complexion than his sister. He suspected it was due to a tan versus true natural hue. His expression was that of undisguised hostility and suspicion.
"Who are you? Why are you with Hitomi?"
Van felt none of the apprehension or nervousness that he felt with Hitomi's mother. Lady Kanzaki was an elder and mother of his... of Hitomi. This boy was neither.
Van was silent. His expression devoid of emotion. Sensing a challenging opponent, the boy attacked quickly with what must have been his best weapon, "Her boyfriend." He flashed a toothy grin.
Of course I am a boy friend. Van thought, misunderstanding the difference between the expressions. He thankfully didn't voice his thoughts.
Getting an undesirable response, the boy's grin faded, but his suspicion had not ebbed. He continued to stare Van down, but Van saw a slight pink tinge creep up his face as the seconds ticked by. His brow furrowed. His expression grew more hostile. His gaze dropped from Van's face. He recoiled. "Why do you have that?" He pointed to the pendant resting on the outside of his shirt. Van resisted the urge to grab the stone. He continued to stare mutely at the boy, whose expression went dumb. A question formed on his youthful features.
Van wasn't going to enlighten him. He'd stare him down all night if need be until Hitomi or his parents explained things to him. He wouldn't interfere.
A strange glint flashed in the boy's eyes suddenly, and the quizzing expression evaporated. He leaned forward over the table. A look fire burned behind his green eyes. "You're from the unseen place. The unseen heavens."
Van's carefully controlled face slipped. He couldn't hide his surprise. He was surprised by this boy more than he would like. Does he have the sight his sister possesses?
The boy's face showed a look of triumph. He had his answer. Van was saved a reply by the entrance of Hitomi and her parents.
He stood up quickly.
A new man entered with Hitomi and Lady Kanzaki. He was of medium hight and a bit plump, as if he was a well built man that had gone slightly to seed. He had dark hair and startlingly blue eyes.
Van bowed low again at his entrance. "Van Slanzar de Fanel, sir." He heard a snicker nearby. He ignored it.
"Ozora Kanzaki, young man." Van raised himself straight. Sir Kanzaki had moved closer to him and was smiling indulgently down at him. Van could see laugh lines on his face. He was obviously a well natured man. Before he could react, Sir Kanzaki moved with the speed of a much younger man and slapped a startled Van on the back. He laughed at Van's expression. "So, staying for a few days, huh? The more the merrier. You'll have to stay downstairs on the futon, though." He glared suspiciously at Van for a second and ruined it with a hearty chuckle. "Sit." He gestured to the seat. He sat.
Hitomi sat beside him. Her father sat at the head of the table and her mother moved away to get the food. After she had set the food down, she sat on the left of her husband. Her brother was still sitting across from him. He looked suspicious again. Van looked to Hitomi beside him. She smiled nervously at him. "Eat." She picked up the plate of rice in front of her and scooped up a bit and put it on her plate. She passed the plate to him. He decided for mimicry. He put a scoop onto his own and passed the plate across to the now glaring Hitsarugi. When he looked again, Hitomi had moved onto the strange breaded strips and scattered them onto the rice. She passed them onto him.
"So, Hitomi says you're a friend she met a few years ago," her father said, looking at him. Van nodded. "You a friend from school?" Surprised, Van glanced at Hitomi. Hitomi looked embarrassed but made no gesture that would help him. He shook his head. He had to think fast. Hitsarugi was completely ignoring the plate Van passed to him. "I met her outside school." Her father shrugged. "oh."
Van hazarded a look at her mother. Surely she knew the truth? She had placed a hand on her husband and shook her head. "She met her at that camp she went to a few years ago, honey."
What?
Van looked at Hitomi. She quickly shook her head. Van looked back at his plate. Somehow a piece of strange breaded meat had been placed on his plate. He picked up his fork and knife and cut a piece to eat. It tasted flavorful and had a delightful crunch. The meat was of the same texture as the large bison outside the border of Austuria. He cut another piece and looked up again.
Hitsarugi was staring at him, his brow creased. He looked away to his sister when he saw Van looking at him. "What camp, Hitomi?" Suspicion crossed his expression again.
Hitomi looked irritated. "Be quiet, Hitsarugi." Her mother and father were talking quietly and didn't hear the exchange. Hitsarugi wasn't finished, though. "Father, did you see the clothes this guy," he pointed his fork at Van, "is wearing? What's up with that?"
If looks could kill, the glare Hitomi gave her brother would have ended his short life. Her father laughed. "I did see. What a strange Cosplay, Van. Who is it?"
"Huh?" He had no idea what he was talking about. Hitomi jumped in, before her father caught the confused expression on Van's face, "Some new show, dad. You wouldn't know it." Van's sense of confusion grew.
He went back to his food.
Her father had bought the strange explanation. He smiled. "No, I suppose not. There are so many today. I wouldn't know it if you told me." He turned to his food.
Hitsarugi wasn't satisfied. "Dad, you can't possibly believe-" He was interrupted by his father, who hadn't seemed to hear his son, "So no place to stay, huh? Where you from? How come you don't have a place to stay?"
Her father hasn't been told anything?!
He decided for a sliver of truth. "I am from a distant country, sir. I came here unexpectedly. I wanted to see Hitomi." He didn't look away from Sir Kanzaki's face when he said it.
Her father laughed. "Young love, huh?" He looked at his smiling wife. "I understand the feeling." Hitsarugi made a small sound of disgust.
XX
As the dinner continued, Van felt himself relaxing. He had a pretty good gage on Hitomi's family through it. Her father seemed genuinely kind hearted to him, loved his daughter and adored his wife. Hitomi's mother seemed quiet and had a air of natural maternal love for her children. She appreciated guests that praised her cooking. Hitsarugi did indeed seem annoyingly curious of him. He seemed to be trying to catch Van slipping up. Of course he understood the curiosities of youth.
After dinner, Lady Kanzaki told him to follow her. Hitomi and Hitsarugi were charged with clearing the dishes from the table. Her father moved off to the living room.
He was led down the hall to a closed door at the end of it, on the right wall. There were linens and a large futon staked neatly within. He bent to pick up the mat when Lady Kanzaki said, "I knew you would come." He stood straight and looked at her, surprised. He didn't know how he knew, but he did know she had a story to tell. He asked, "How?"
"Ever since Hitomi left, I knew she had been in that unseen world my mother spoke of to me as a child," Lady Kanzaki replied, grabbing the linens on the top shelf. She moved off to the living room. Van followed. "She had been gone for a long time. At times, I thought she would never come home. Then, one day I woke up and the day was the same as the day she left. For another few days I had to relive it all..." She was quiet. They had reached the main room of the house. Van heard the deep laugh of Sir Kanzaki on the chair facing a strange box with flashing lights. He didn't focus on the lights. Her story was intriguing. How had she reacted to her daughter's disappearance? He placed the mat next to the chair and Lady Kanzaki put the linens on top. She moved quietly to the door leading outside. Van followed.
Outside, the sky had darkened to a hazy navy. The stars seemed muted, as if they were behind a dirty window. The wind had picked up.
The back garden was small. Van saw a small bench on the patio and a small path leading through large trees off to the side of the house. A bird bath hosted a couple of birds he couldn't identify.
Lady Kanzaki had sat at the bench. He stood beside her, looking skyward. He was reminded of Hitomi's first day back in Fanelia, when he had almost kissed her. He didn't feel that wonderful sense of excitement now, but a strange peace, mingled with curiosity.
Lady Kanzaki continued, "After the relived days ended, Hitomi came home. She told her father and I that she had been to a track completion for a few weeks. Her father believed it, but I knew. I knew where she had gone." There was another small silence.
"She wasn't the same afterward. She was... sad. Every day I saw it. The light had gone from her eyes as surely as my mother's pendant had disappeared from her neck." She was quiet for a moment, seeming to steep herself in the memory. Van slowly gripped the stone on his neck, the stone cold against his palm.
"For two years she tried to hide it. She went on with her life, but not living. She was lost to a memory she couldn't share. I..." Van heard her shift. "I wanted to help her, but how could I? All I could do was let her tell me when she was ready. One day she was able to tell me. Tell me everything. She told me about you." Van looked down at her with questioning eyes. She was smiling sadly at him.
"Yes. She told me about what happened to her. About Escaflowne and Fanelia. About Zaibach. About the knight's and the princesses. She even told me about the man my mother met," she laughed, a clear little tingle like a bell, "she told me about his handsome son."
Seeing the look on Van's face, She stopped laughing, but the smile was calm, the sadness fading. "I couldn't believe it. My daughter in the same story as my mother? But how could I not believe? The way she looked at the sky after that, as if searching for that streak of light to take her away again..." She looked down, at her neatly folded hands. She sighed softly. An unseen insect chirped in the garden and the birds from the bath took flight.
"And now she comes home with you. The boy dragon slayer. The King. And I see the light in her eyes." She stood up when Van looked back at her, not even trying to hide his blush.
"Come sit. I'll send Hitomi to you. Don't worry," she added, "I'll keep Hitsarugi away from you two." She had correctly guessed his thoughts.
"Thank you, Lady Kanzaki." He struck his chest with his fist. "Thank you for everything." She smiled. "It's you I must thank for making Hitomi so happy." She touched his shoulder briefly. "Don't stay out here too late." She winked and turned away, going back into the house.
When she slid the door closed, Van sat, letting it all sink in. So lady Kanzaki does know...
He was still lost in thought when Hitomi came outside. She had a nervous little smile on her lips and a blush in her cheeks. She sat next to him.
"I'm sorry, Van. I know this must be a little overwhelming. I'm sure you hate this." She laughed nervously. "I'm sorry about Hitsarugi and dad. He wouldn't believe me if I told him where you're from. Hitsarugi is just a jerk. I'm sorry."
Van took her hand. "Don't be. I like them." Hitomi grimaced at him. "Even Hitsarugi," He laughed. Hitomi laughed with him and leaned toward him and put her head on his shoulder. He looked up again.
The wind rustled Hitomi's hair. The fragrance of an indescribable flower delighted his senses. He felt suddenly light. They were quiet, their fingers laced in Hitomi's lap.
How long they sat there couldn't be measured. The night grew darker, the sounds of insects in the garden faint. The wind chime by the door chimed it's little bell in a merry lullaby conducted by the wind.
Van felt at peace. He knew Hitomi felt it too. It was a peace he hadn't known before; a peace felt only when he was whole. When was the last time he just sat, enjoying the sounds of the world, the feeling of the wind in his hair? Could he remember the last time he enjoyed the feeling of another human presence? He never realized it before... the piece of himself that was always missing. The feeling of completion when he was with her.
He felt Hitomi's breathing on his shoulder, a warmth down his side from her heat. It felt good. He gently rested his head on the top of hers and his nose buried into the silky warmth of her hair. The fragrance of her was intoxicating. He heard a soft sigh escape from her and delighted in it. He closed his eyes briefly and breathed deep. After a moment, he pushed the hair from her forehead with his cheek and lightly brushed his lips against it. Hitomi tilted her head slightly back. Somehow his hand had come from her lap and was draped across her shoulders. He hugged her closer, her warmth spreading past just her touch. He felt the urge to turn her from her side to face him, to allow more access, and unconsciously she complied. He didn't think. Suddenly he was kissing her cheek, her nose, her chin. He felt the breath catch in Hitomi then. He slowly pulled back, but he was almost an inch close to her face. He opened his eyes.
She was looking at him with heavily lidded eyes. The light was sparkling behind their green depths. He saw the blush in her cheeks, but no question in her expression.
He felt the heat in his own cheeks but didn't move back. His felt like a drowning man; his breath was shallow. "Hitomi I..." He saw her dip her gaze to his lips. "Van." She closed her eyes. He didn't close his until he felt the warmth of her soft lips against his.
It was a feeling he had never felt before. The surge of blood that coursed through his body, the quick beat of his heart mingled with the excitement of fulfillment. Of what, his clouded brain couldn't describe.
Her lips... is this her taste? Her lips had slightly parted and against his lips he felt the soft passage of her breath. A long unquenched fire blazed to life within him. His other hand had grasped her, and with his arms he half laid her against him. She leaned closer and made a sound of satisfaction. He opened his mouth and with his tongue laced the inside of her mouth. Her tongue came to meet his. It was soft, lacy. He leaned back, her weight on him, her hands against his chest, clutching his shirt.
For a few moments, or days it seemed to him, they sparred together, until she sucked his tongue, awakening his groin. He gasped involuntarily.
Somehow one of his hands had intertwined within her hair, the other holding her against him. A half formed thought spoke of a desire to feel her closer to himself, to be a part of her warmth and vitality. His oxygen starved brain cried for air. Her lips slowly closed and he pulled his tongue from her mouth. Their lips met again, though not as shyly as their first meeting. The taste of her was in him.
She pushed up a little and he unwillingly allowed the end of their first embrace. He took in another deep breath and sat up, lowering his hand to around her waist. She was still in his arms, her head resting once more on his shoulder. Her hands still grasped the fabric over his chest.
Finally conscious thought returned as he felt the uncomfortable pressure of his groin against his pants. He tried to calm himself. He took in gulps of the cool night air, the clean smell of her hair filling his lungs. He could her heavy breathing, knowing she was as effected as he was.
Somehow he managed to cool himself enough to calm down, though later he couldn't think how he achieved it. They were both quiet for a few precious moments, until he felt her smile against his shoulder. She spoke first.
"Your first kiss?"
He nodded in the nook of her neck, the blood rushing to his cheeks.
She laughed softly.
"Wow."
Van felt the heat return to his body.
XX
(THAT is why I couldn't go back to Gaea! Glad I didn't? I mean, I've been putting that off forever, but I wanted the perfect moment that wasn't ultra sappy or forced. I don't appreciate some fanfics(or stories, for that matter) that force an encounter simply for quick satisfaction. The characters must be ready for it. For Van and Hitomi, I felt their first kiss wouldn't be a blind rush o f passion. That was apparent in the series. Even at the end, when they are parting, they don't kiss. They aren't at the right point in their relationship. They're not ready. Hitomi had just realized her feelings, Van was still too shy to fully express them. For this chapter, I think they're FINALLY ready.
I got to say, it's been a long time coming.
If anyone cares to know, Hitomi's mother's name, Teruko, means "shining child". Her father, Ozora means "Big sky", which I thought fitting for his big personality and blue eyes, which are naturally rare in Japan. It was the only way I could logically explain green eyed children, though I would love to get a more scientifically accurate reason for the occurrence. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope I can update again soon. My Exams are almost over and I can enjoy more free time to write. The more people who review, the more inclined I will be to the pastime. Reviews please! No flames!)