Disclaimer: I only own Arathnia, and the characters from there. I do not own Escaflowne, even though I wish I did.

* mark dream sequences.

The Past, Future, and Somewhere in Between

Chapter 5 ~ Love Eternal

Three long days passed since the sudden arrival and departure of the Arathnian envoy. Three days since the strange foreigners had left the capitol. Hitomi couldn't help but sense the tension that seemed to settle upon the castle at the arrival of the three disturbing figures. Van had been acting strangely as well. It seemed as though he was avoiding her, and when she did see him, they hardly spoke at all to one another. This left her with mainly Yukari and Millerna to keep her company. Not that, that was entirely a bad thing, but she missed Van's company. He had been running around the castle for the last few days making preparations for his departure to the Arathnian capitol, Terra. When Hitomi would briefly see Van during these times, he always seemed on edge and nervous and she was not entirely sure why.

Van had made the decision that Millerna's older sister Eries would watch over Fanelia's royal affairs in his absence. She had graciously accepted his offer. Allen decided to accompany Van to Aranthnia offering the use of his airship the Crusade to his friend. Consequently, Eries sent for another airship to come and fetch Millerna in the knight's absence. Merle had refused to stay behind and leave the young king's side. In turn this forced Van to allow the cat girl to tag along with them.

Hitomi sat at the window of her room looking out over the castle's grounds. Outside, she could see where Van stood conversing with his four generals and Princess Eries. "I wanna go," She mumbled with a pout looking at the small group of people with envy. They were highly revered enough to spend large amounts with the raven haired king. A luxury she was currently being denied.

Yukari scoffed at her friend. "Why?" She asked sitting up from her lying down position on her bed. It seemed ridiculous to her that Hitomi would want to go on the long and very boring trip to a place she had never even heard of before. It did not quite make sense to the red head. Then again, she had tagged along with Hitomi to Gaea. That is why she kept her mouth shut.

The sandy haired girl sighed again tearing her gaze away from her love, "I don't like the feeling of all this," She stated looking at her best friend. "I just know that something bad is going to happen," She continued turning her eyes back to the castle's courtyard.

"Then tell Van that you're going," Millerna spoke up from across the room. "Tell him what you're feeling, and how you would feel a lot better if you went along as well to ease your mind. I am pretty sure that he wouldn't put up a fight," She suggested with a warm and supportive smile.

The teen found herself sighing once again. The weight of her dreams, and the current tension in the air seemed to place an enormous weight upon her delicate shoulders. It was definitely frustrating. "I don't know Millerna."

"On my god, just do it Hitomi," Yukari groaned flopping back down onto her bed. "God, why the fuck do you have to be so fucking stubborn?" She continued feeling annoyed by her friend's melancoly behavior.

Hitomi glared at the red head, "Shut up!" She hissed through slightly clenched teeth.

Millerna took a deep breath, deciding to voice some of her concerns. "I wouldn't be so worried either if that Agrael character had not come along with them," She voice trying to pull the subject away from Van slightly.

Hitomi shook her head, "That's why I am so worried. Something about him just screams at me not to trust him."

Millerna sighed, "Well Hitomi, all you can do is talk it over with Van."

Hitomi nodded in agreement. "I hope that you're right Millerna. I hope he listens."

A blanket of darkness covered the sky over Fanelia. It was dark, but Hitomi found sleep too far away from her reach. She had been lying awake in bed for almost two hours already and sleep was no closer to claiming her than it had been two hours before. She sighed dejectedly as she slid out of the soft comfort of the blankets. She adjusted the nightgown, she had borrowed from Celena, so that it sat properly on her chest. It was a surprisingly warm night. She stretched her cramped muscles, and slowly inched her way towards the door. She did not desire to wake her roommates from their peaceful state of slumber. She opened the door just wide enough so that she could slide into the even darker hallway.

It took her a good fifteen minutes of maneuvering down the long and winding corridors, until she found the dimly lit hallway she had been searching for. She bit her bottom lip and walked up to the double doors with the Fanelian crest engraved into them. She took a deep breath summoning up the courage she needed to knock. She closed her eyes and quickly did so.

Upon receiving no answer, she opened the door quietly and slipped into Van's bedchamber. Having only been in this particular room of the castle only once before, she looked around taking in the sight of her surroundings. It was pretty plain. A large armoire sat against the south wall taking up quite a bit of space. The king's bed was positioned between the balcony, and the floor length window on the west wall. To her surprise, a small desk was placed on the other side of the balcony. A tall bookcase was placed on the east wall almost straight across from the bed. Old leather bound volumes filled the deep shelves, and most of them were extremely well worn. It was obvious that someone indeed went through them quite often. Next to the bookcase, was a very tall and large chair. It was large enough for two people to sit in.

To Hitomi's surprise Van was seated at the small desk, his head buried in his large hands. She had been expecting him to be sleeping at this hour. She heard what seemed to be faint sobbing coming from the raven haired teen. She frowned and quietly closed the door fully. Van's head snapped up in surprise, and turned to look at her. His eyes were slightly red, but she couldn't tell if he had indeed been crying because he furiously wiped any trace of it from his face.

His eyes remained on Hitomi. His expression of surprise faded into a warm smile. The moonlight pouring in from outside seemed to make her glow. It mesmerized him. "Hitomi, what are you doing here?" He asked surprised that the seeress was up and about at such a late hour. Not that he wouldn't mind some company. He needed someone to make him feel better and she was the perfect candidate.

She could feel herself blushing under his stare. "I um...I couldn't sleep," She admitted shyly, shifting her feet anxiously.

Van cleared his throat and forced his eyes to focus on her face. "How come?" He asked finding his gaze once again falling from her face. The nightgown she wore clung to her body allowing him to see her every imaginable curve. Van quietly sucked in his breath and bit his bottom lip as he found himself staring at her. She was definitely a sight to behold, and with the memory of their earlier encounter three days prior swirling through his head, allowed his mind to wander a fair bit away from reality.

"I've been having some bad feelings about your trip to Arathnia," She expounded while walking over to his bed and sitting down on it without invitation. The sated position kept her feet from fidgeting. Unfortunately, this did not help her hands. Luckily, she had yet to notice Van's heated gaze that was focused on her.

H could not keep himself from smiling warmly at her. He sensed her unease immediately. "I will b fine Hitomi," He assured her confidently. "I do not believe that Arathnia would break out fourteen year old peace treaty without just cause," He explained to her as he moved from his place at the small desk to sit beside her on his bed. "Everything will be fine," He assured her again wrapping a comforting arm around her thin shoulders.

Hitomi frowned, "I still don't trust it," She remarked crossing her arms under her breasts, unconsciously pushing them upwards.

Van thought for a moment before he replied. "Why don't you come along with me then?" He suggested re-focusing his wandering eyes onto her face.

"Seriously?" She questioned looking at him in surprise.

He nodded, "Yeah," He confirmed with a smile.

Hitomi reached up and took hold of his hand that was resting on her shoulder. She smiled back at him intertwining her fingers with his. "I would like that."

He looked at her, "I thought you would," He said leaning in so that their lips were mere inches apart.

She couldn't help but notice the heat slowly creep up her neck and stopping when it reached her cheeks. "Maybe I should go," She whispered as his lips gently grazed hers.

"Do you really want to leave?" He asked backing up a few inches meeting her eyes.

She felt herself become lost in his lustful garnet eyes. She swallowed the lump that had grown in her throat. She quickly cleared it before she dared to even attempt to speak. "No," She ground out louder than she had thought she could at this point.

Van smiled softly caressing her cheek softly. He leaned in and closed the small gap between them, claiming her lips in a gentle, yet sensual kiss. It was a kiss that lack any hint of innocence. It was purely a lustful incentive that pulled the kings intentions into light for her to see. Surprisingly, she was not afraid this time. She eased into his gentle embrace sliding her hands up his muscular arm to rest on his broad shoulders. She felt Van's hands slide down her shoulders to come to rest at the small of her back. She found herself shivering under his touch.

He leaned forward, gently pushing her backwards. He laid her back on the large bed climbing on op of her, but not allowing his whole weight to rest up on her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, their kiss not breaking in their change of position. Their tongues together in a battle for dominance that neither party could ever win. His hands moved from their placement on her back and came to rest in a new spot on her hips. She arched her back at his touch, pressing her body to him. This was both to assure him that she was alright with the escalating situation, and to encourage him to continue. His hands slid down past her hips and onto her thighs. He lifted the nightgown slightly, sliding his calloused hands across the milky skin that resided there. She shuddered at the wave of pleasure that the simple gesture shot up her body which caused him to pull away slightly. They had barely begun and she could already feel the intense heat spark between her legs. She bit her lip nervously, looking up at the raven haired man on top of her. He smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her kiss swollen lips before he allowed his hands to travel further upwards.

His finger's traced invisible patterns on her skin as they moved beneath the silky nightgown that Celena had insisted she wear. She was quite thankful to the knight's sister at this particular moment. She almost yelped when she felt his warm hands gently grip her breasts, kneading them in his seemingly well practiced hands. They massaged the gentle swell of her chest causing her to shudder, also causing her skin to break out into goose flesh that littered her pink tinged skin. His thumb moved over her right nipple in a circular motion, teasing the sensitive nub in an almost torturous fashion. He quickly ceased his maneuvers and moved on to the other nipple, giving it the same treatment. Hitomi moaned softly, biting down on her bottom lip in anticipation. This was something she had never experienced before. She was increasingly becoming overwhelmed by the sensations her body was feeling. If merely his simple caress caused this much heat, she could only imagine what the rest would feel like.

Van stopped his ministrations, sliding his hands back down onto her thighs. He pulled her body towards him lifting her off of the bed with one hand, while the other grabbed the edge of the nightgown and pulled it upwards. He laid her back down and pulled the silky material over her head in one crisp motion. She sat up slightly allowing him to remove the offending article of clothing. The removal of this left her clothed in nothing but her white cotton underwear. She blushed as she felt his garnet orbs scan over her nearly naked form.

He kissed her softly again, "beautiful," He whispered in her ear as his kisses traveled down her exposed neck. She gasped as he nipped and suckled her sensitive skin. The heat between her legs seemed to intensify every second the torturous foreplay played out.

As his lips traveled across her collar bone, his large hands slid between her well toned legs, and rested against her inner thigh. He gently massaged the sensitive flesh that resided there, earning a low moan from the nearly naked girl beneath him. She arched her back pressing herself tightly yo his muscular frame. Her fingers ran down his back until they reached the edge of his shirt. She slid her hands underneath the loose material, gently grazing the top of his pants with her fingertips. She heard him groan into her skin as she did so. Her fingers traveled up his well muscled frame tracing every line and curve racing erratic patterns as they went. He sat up on top of her and quickly pulled off his shirt trying not to break the contact between them too long. He barely suppressed the groan that drifted passed his lips when he felt his bare chest against his. There was something so surreal about the sensation.

He kissed her again sliding his hands down her body again to rest upon her hips once more. She gasped as she felt his teeth sink into the tender flesh of her right breast. She bit her bottom lip weaving her slender fingers to loop through the loops on his pants. He smiled devilishly, massaging her hips in a circular motion. He kissed her again to distract her as he tugged her underwear off in one quick swoop. He threw the thin garment onto the floor, not particularly caring where it had ended up. Hitomi blushed and moved to cover her body from his view. It felt like the removal of her underwear had made a big difference. She had not felt entirely naked in front of him until that moment. He kissed her again moving her hands from their crossed position over her breasts. This helped her relax somewhat. The nervous tension in her muscles still remained. He seemed to understand. He took a deep breath, and then eased his pants down his hips. Hitomi closed her eyes tightly until she heard the material hit the floor. She gulped finding herself unable to open her eyes. There was some sort of finality when that garment had hit the floor. There was no turning back now. It was too late for second thoughts.

She felt his body slide up hers, and stop once he had traveled almost the full length on her body. He hand gently caressed her cheek motivating her to open her eyes. She did so. She came face to face with Van's concerned expression. "Are you alright?" He asked slowly. They had not even begun the actual act, and he could feet her body slightly shaking against his.

Hitomi nodded and exhaled a breath she did not even know she was holding. "I'm...just a little nervous," She confessed feeling her cheeks flush with slight embarrassment. "I've never done this before."

Van said nothing for a moment, looking away slightly as he drifted away in thought. "We don't have to, if you're uncomfortable..."

Hitomi cut him off before he could finish his train of thought, "No, no Van," She said taking a deep breath. I want to," She admitted, the blush returning to her cheeks.

He smiled and kissed her cheeks, before softly kissing her lips as he positioned himself between her shapely legs. Hitomi bit her bottom lip as she felt him come to rest against her entrance. He slowly pushed forward burying himself inside of her velvety folds. She cried out in pain as his arousal penetrated her barrier taking her virginity. Tears slipped passed her tightly closed lids while her body tried to adjust to his sudden invasion. Van ceased all movement and caresses her cheek again before kissing her forehead and her closed eyelids.

Her eyes fluttered open at the attention they received. Once again she met her lover's concerned eyes, "Are you ok?" He asked hoarsely, his hair falling into his face casting shadows over his garnet orbs.

She took a shaky breath and nodded in response not trusting her voice enough to speak. The two remained motionless for a couple moments before he placed another kiss on her lips and slowly sliding out of her somewhat. Hitomi inhaled sharply at the dull pain the movement elicited. He winced in sympathy and began a slow pace, thrusting gently for the comfort of his new found lover. She moaned quietly as the pain slowly began to subside and turn into pleasure. As the pain faded she felt her muscles begin to relax and released a gentle sigh of contentment at the sensation beginning to form inside of her. Van gripped her hips firmly picking up the pace and thrusting deeper inside of her. Hitomi bit her bottom lip and wrapped her legs around the king's waist pulling him deeper inside of her. He groaned at the action, his grip on her hips tightening a tad bit painfully. She didn't notice and moaned as the sensation she felt before began to build into something she couldn't even begin to describe. She bucked her hips meeting his every thrust. He groaned leaning down and claiming her lips in a bruising kiss.

She wrapped her thin arms around his neck, pulling her body upward pressing herself against the hard planes of his muscular chest. Van buried his face into the nape of her neck nipping the skin residing there. This earned a moan from his slightly younger counterpart. She bucker her hips faster encouraging him to speed up as well. She was more than happy to oblige to her wishes. He groaned into her neck feeling the heated walls of her sex tightening around him. He thrust harder into her feeling his release fast approaching. Hitomi dug her blunt fingernails into the flesh of his shoulders panting in exertion. She could feel the sweat coating their skin from their current activities, but she couldn't care in the least. The pleasurable sensations his motions within her caused, was nearing it's boiling point. She moaned holding onto Van as id he were a life raft and that she would die if she dared to let go. His eyes locked onto hers as if she would disappear and this would all just be a dream. He began to thrust more frantically as both parties neared their climax. Hitomi cried out in pleasure as Van thrust into her with even more force earning what sounded like primal grunts from the raven haired man. With one final thrust the seeress unraveled and cried out in the ecstasy her body was experiencing. Her orgasm also triggered his climax, and she felt him finish as well. He groaned collapsing on top of her panting heavily, making sure that he was not crushing her with the weight of his body. Their hearts pounded furiously as they rested after their love making.

They rested like that for quite a few minutes before Van pulled out of her. Both parties groaned at the loss of contact. He rolled over so that he was now lying beside her. Hitomi sighed happily and snuggled up to the king, resting her head on his bare chest. He wrapped his arms around her twirling the ends of her hair around his fingers. He kissed the top of her head before letting out a sigh of contentment.

"Are you alright Hitomi?" He asked gently stroking her silky sand haired locks through his fingers.

She nodded against his chest looking up to meet his eyes. She smiled, "I'm perfect."

He smiled back kissing her forehead, "I'm glad," He responded, pulling the blanket over their naked forms sheltering them in the warmth the fabric created. It did not take long for the exhausted couple to fall into a blissful slumber.

The sun rose high in the sky above Fanelia. There was not a cloud in the sky allowing the sun to have free reign. The only noise was that of the native birds chirping their happy morning song. It was a truly peaceful morning. The calm before the storm, so to speak. Light bathed the castle making the white walls shine brightly, blinding all who gazed upon it. The light poured into the bedroom, that the four women shared, through the parted curtains of the balcony. The light slowly roused Yukari from her light slumber. She stretched slightly irritated by the early hour she found herself waking up at. She sat up on her bed, tucking her tousled red hair behind her ears.

Rubbing the sleep from her chocolate orbs, she threw the covers off of her. She looked around the room taking in her surroundings. Millerna still slumbered on the bed across from her own, and Celena beside the queen. She looked to her right, but found Hitomi's bed empty, with the sandy haired girl no where to be seen. She stood up stretching her relaxed muscles once more. She looked at Hitomi's bed. It appeared to have been slept in at some point, but other than it, there was no evidence of her being there at all. This made her nervous. Hitomi was her rock in this strange place. Without her, she knew absolutely nothing at all.

She shook her head, and walked over to Millerna's bed. She gently shook the sleeping queen. "Millerna, wake up," She called softly attempting to wake her new found friend.

The blonde moaned tiredly in response. "Dryden, give me five more minutes," She mumbled as she rolled over, pulling the blanket over her head.

Yukari chuckled at the response. It reminded her so much of Hitomi it was almost spooky. She shook her head remembering her missing friend. She gave up trying to wake the sleeping beauty and walked over to Hitomi's bed. She placed a hand on the mattress. "It's cold," She stated in surprise. Worry and concern washed over her features. A million possibilities began to form themselves in her mind. She quickly returned to the queen's beside not allowing them time to fester. She shook her a little harder than she had originally.

"Millerna, time to get up. I need you to wake up now," She called attempting to wrestle her from her sleep, still shaking her as she spoke.

"Do you know where Hitomi is?" Yukari asked starting to get anxious over her friend's sudden disappearance sometime during the night while they slumbered.

Millerna rubbed the sleep from her violet eyes, "No, I just woke up," She stated her voice dry and hoarse from sleep.

Yukari sighed rolling her eyes at the seemingly sarcastic statement. "She didn't sleep in her bed last night," She explained gesturing towards her sandy haired friend's bed.

Millerna's eyes shot open at this statement. "She didn't?" She asked looking over at the seeress' rumpled bed as well.

Yukari shook her head. "I don't think so. Her doesn't really seem to have been slept in. She usually makes her bed, and she is no where to be seen," She exasperated annoyed and worried about her missing companion.

"That is definitely not good," She remarked throwing the heavy blankets off of herself. It was honestly still too early for most of the capitol's populace to be awake. She stretched her muscles once more before pushing herself up onto her feet. "We should let Allen, or Van know about this," She state pulling her dressing gown over her bare shoulders covering up her nightgown.

A light bulb went off in Yukari's brain at the mention of the Fanelian king. Her concern and worry washed away a bit. "We told her to talk to Van, maybe she went to talk to him," She suggested. Saying the words aloud helped ease the uneasy feelings even more.

"At this hour?" Millerna asked shooting the red head a skeptical look. She shook her head disapprovingly. "Alright, but I am blaming you if we wake anybody up."

Yukari grinned, "Don't worry. I am very stealthy."

The two young women had been wandering down the halls for over twenty minutes, and had yet to see a familiar face. Yukari was almost completely certain that they were lost, but Millerna knew better than that. She had been to Fanelia quite a few times in the last few years. After Yukari had lost all hope on finding anyone, they bumped into one of the castle's many handmaidens. She had been emptying the laundry chutes in order to begun her assigned task for the day. The handmaiden effortlessly hefted the full wooden basket into her arms.

Millerna walked over to her at a quick pace. "Excuse me, but do you know where we could find King Van? I must speak with him," She asked with some urgency, starting to feel the panic that had taken over Yukari earlier.

The handmaiden bowed slightly in respect to the monarch. "My lord has not yet risen. He remains in his bed chambers your majesty," She explained juggling the heavy laundry basket in her thin arms.

"Could you wake him for me? It's sort of important," Millerna asked her in a hushed voice.

The handmaiden shook her head vigorously, "I cannot do that. My lord has given us all explicit orders never to awaken him unless it is a matter in direct need of his immediate attention. He wakes of his own accord," She explained standing up a bit straighter. "I'm sorry your majesty."

"That's quite alright. I am sorry to have bothered you then," Millerna said waving her off. She grabbed Yukari's arm pulling her down one of the many hallways before the red head could spit out a remark.

"What are we going to do?" She asked the young queen. "Where are we going?"

Millerna sighed in slight frustration, "I don't know Yukari."

The two women walked silently down the nearly deserted hallways until they had almost reached the room in which they had been sharing. Neither of them could figure out exactly what to do. "I know!" Yukari exclaimed suddenly making Millerna jump in surprise. The red head appeared to be very proud of herself for this thought.

"What is it?" Millerna asked, a hand covering her racing heart. She was definitely not used to people surprising her like that.

"We can wake him up ourselves," She suggested crossing her arms over her chest.

Millerna scoffed. "That's not really practical Yukari. How would it look if two ladies were to just waltz into the king's bed chambers? No absolutely not," She dismissed authoritatively.

She shook her head and grabbed Millerna's arm pulling the pregnant queen down the hall. "Come on, we do it all the time back home on the mystic moon," She stated not relenting on her idea. It only seemed logical.

Millerna sighed," Ok, you win, but I am putting all of the blame on you of this ends badly."

"Fine by me."

The duo ran down the halls fairly quickly, but avoided detection. They checked every adjoining hallway and corridor that they came across, hoping to find the once in which they were searching for. Surprisingly, it did not take them too long to find the royal bed chambers.

Yukari's eyes fell upon the dragon statue that was holding a glowing red crystal in it's talon. "Whoa," She breathed finding herself unable to tear her eyes away from it. It was definitely an interesting image.

Millerna tapped Yukari's shoulder breaking her out of her daze. She pulled the red head to the door. "This was your idea, so you open the door," the young queen insisted pointing at the double door.

Yukari rolled her eyes, but nodded none the less. "Sure, no problem," She said pulling on the heavy doors,. She definitely needed to get used to the solid doors instead of the hollow ones she had grown accustomed to back home. She opened the doors just enough for her to poke her head inside.

Only one of the curtains was open leaving little light in the large bedroom. Her eyes scanned the room taking in the sight of the king's bed chamber. Her eyes fell upon the bed where she spotted Van still sleeping upon it. His back was facing the door, with the blanket pulled up to his chest. It was obvious that the king was not fully clothes. She pushed the door open a bit more entering the dimly lit room. Millerna followed her lead. As they approached the bed, the two women realized that the king was definitely not alone. Their missing friend laid on the bed next to the Fanelian sovereign. Her small body was pressed against his, with her eyes closed in a peaceful slumber. The blanket only covered up to her waist, but with her current position in Van's arms made them unable to see her in her complete state of undress, but it was obvious that bother were indeed naked.

Millerna blushed looking away from the scene in front of her. She reached out and grabbed Yukari's arm, "We should leave," She whispered softly pulling her new friend towards the door. She felt embarrassed to intrude on such a private moment.

Yukari nodded in agreement. "I think you're right," She whispered in response. With that, the two left the room quietly shutting the doors behind them.

Hitomi yawned opening her green eyes. She found herself in a strange room. It was a lot different than the one she had become used to over the last few days since her arrival on Gaea. She was about to bolt up hen she recalled the events that had occurred the night before. She had shifted her position sometimes during the night so that her back was now facing him. She rolled over facing the raven haired king. He was sound asleep. She smiled sitting up slowly. She ran a hand through his tousled hair. He looked so peaceful, and relaxed while he slept. It was like he had not a care in the world.

She slipped out of the bed quietly, wincing at the slight ache between her legs that she had not noticed before. She quickly located her nightgown and slipped it and her underwear back on her body. She sighed happily as she leaned over placing a soft kiss on his cheek. She turned to leave, but something grabbed onto her wrist stopping her from moving. She turned to see knowing exactly what it was.

Van held her wrist in a gentle grip, his eyes remaining closed. "Where are you going?" He asked in his sleep filled voice.

"I think I should head back to my room before everyone else wakes up," She replied softly. "I don't want to stir up rumors or anything."

Van sighed releasing her wrist. "You're probably right," He agreed sitting up and opened his wine coloured eyes.

Hitomi smiled, "I would love to stay..."

Van cut her off, "No, no it's alright. It's probably for the best," He admitted, a little disappointed.

"I'll see you later?"

He smiled back, standing up and kissing her softly. "You can count on it."

"I love you."

"I love you too," He replied smiling happily as he watched her leave his bedroom. He laid back on his bed and sighed in contentment. Today was definitely going to be a good day.

Hitomi tip toed through the light corridors of the castle. Their emptiness told her that the majority of the castle was still asleep. This made her sigh in relief. She definitely did not want to start a scandal. It was all the king needed right now. She quickened her pace making her way towards the room she shared with Yukari, Millerna, and Celena. She quietly slipped in to the room and shut the door behind her letting out another sigh of relief ad she did so. She had made it back undetected.

"And where have you been?"Yukari's voice boomed causing Hitomi to jump in surprise.

She turned around, her cheeks taking on a pink tiny. Her eyes fell on Yukari, and Celena. They were sitting cross legged on Yukari's bed. She noticed that Millerna was absent from their room. "Um, no where," She stuttered nervously. She had no idea what to tell her inquisitive friends.

"Yeah, no where my ass," Yukari drawled out sarcastically. Her choice in words surprised Celena, she was not used to the vulgar language. "I think you scampered off sometime last night to see a certain someone," She mused shooting Celena a knowing glance.

Hitomi's face blushed bright red. "Um...I..."

Both Yukari and Celena laughed at their friend's embarrassment. "It's ok Hitomi, we know," Celena spat out trying to hold in the laughter Yukari had passed on to her.

"I'm not as sneaky as I thought then," She remarked quietly sitting down on her bed feeling extremely embarrassed about the situation she found herself him. She looked down at her hands nervously, her hands fidgeting as she tried to block out her friends.

Yukari bit her lip to hold in her remaining laughter. Hitomi's awkward behavior is what made the situation so funny, and priceless. "Oh you are. Millerna and I saw you two this morning," She stated with a sly smile spreading across her lips. "So, tell me Hitomi, what was it like sleeping with a king?"

Hitomi's face went as red as a tomato when she realized that the red head must have told Celena. She grabbed her pillow and smacked her best friend with it as hard as she could muster. "That is really none of your business Yukari!"

Yukari howled with laughter at this, wrapping her arms around her stomach. She laid down on her side not even bothering to hold in her seemingly hysterical laughter. This made Celena burst into quiet laughter as well. However, Hitomi did not find this humorous at all. It was her personal life and neither of them would like her to pry if the situations were reciprocated. She growled in anger throwing the pillow at the two. She then stormed out of the room not even bothering to change her clothing.

Yukari sat back up after hearing the door slam shut loudly. She shot Celena a confused glance, her seemingly endless laughter dying instantaneously. "What is her problem?"