Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Remember The Past ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

CHAPTER 6

Hikaru woke up that morning finding Lantis still sitting beside her and holding her hand as he slept. 'He must have been awake all night, looking after me…' She didn't know what was it, but something made her run her fingers of her free hand through his hair…She smiled as she softly touched his cheek…

She remembered how he assured her that he'd take care of her the night before, and how he told her not to worry about anything. '…He must be very tired…' She then realized that he had saved her life, not once, but twice already. 'He's really nice to me…and I can tell he cares about me a lot…' She became suddenly aware of her unsteadily, fast heartbeat as she stared at his sleeping form. The image of the man in her dreams suddenly came in her mind… 'This is the same feeling I had, while talking to that man in the garden…' She felt light as a breeze, and very, very happy. She knew, at that moment, she was whole again…as she had been months ago…

What had made her feel incomplete, she didn't know…she probably wouldn't find out…But as she looked at the boy beside her, she realized it didn't matter anymore…She continued caressing his cheeks, as if not really aware of her actions until she realized that he was starting to wake up. She blushed, and quickly withdrew her hand from his face.

She watched as he slowly opened his eyes, and straightened himself. "Ohayo, Lantis."

"Good morning, Hikaru. How long you've been awake?"

"Not too long ago…"

"You should have woken me up."

"I was just…" watching you "…Err…I have the habit of just staying in bed for a few minutes after I wake up in the mornings…"

"I see…"

"How are you feeling?"

"I feel much better now, thank you."

"I'm going to bring you home this afternoon…" She suddenly felt a little sad when she heard this. "I know you wouldn't want to worry your brothers too much." She nodded, although for the first time in her life, she didn't really mind what her brothers had been thinking at that moment.

He only stared at her intently after that---There was something in his gaze that made Hikaru feel awkward and tore her eyes from him. She blushed again, as she ended up looking at the hand he was still holding.

She suddenly found herself wishing that someone would just enter the room, finding the silence unbearable. She scolded herself and told herself to think of something to say…A sudden loud grumbling of Hikaru's stomach finally broke the silence between them. "I guess your hungry already. I'll tell Jean to bring your breakfast here…"

"No need. I'm really feeling much better now that it's not necessary for someone to bring my food here in my room."

"But…"

"I'm really fine…"

"You are so stubborn."

"My brothers tell me that too," she told him with a smile.

He sighed, as if admitting his defeat. "Fine. I'll go downstairs to tell them to get the breakfast ready."

"Uhm…Lantis…Can I have a shower first? I promise I'd use warm water and…I'll be really, really careful."

"I'll tell Mariko to come here help you…"

"Mou…I can do it myself!" she said pouting.

"Please Hikaru-chan. You just had a fever…You know I worry about you."

"Alright then."

"Thank you."

***

Lantis stood frozen on his place when he saw Hikaru. "Lantis-kun!" she said, waving at his face. He was just about to go upstairs to tell her that breakfast is ready, when he found her running down the stairs. It was the first time he had seen her hair unbraided, and the last thought that went in his mind was, 'God, she's so beautiful.'

She giggled as she took his hand, and then asked him, "So…are we gonna have our breakfast now?"

He nodded and led her to the dining room, where Jean was waiting for them. "Good morning Miss Hikaru."

"Good morning!" she said, and flashed the old man a very sunny smile. "Wow! It looks so yummy!!!"

'She sure is back to her old genki self,' Lantis thought.

She ate to her heart's content, complimenting everything, starting from the bread to the tea. Despite of her large appetite, she never looked like she was eating like a pig. "Ne…that was realllyyy goooodddd…" she said, patting contentedly at her stomach. "Ne Jean-san, can u please tell the cook that the food was really delicious?" Jean smiled, telling her that he would. "Thank you Jean-san. It's ok if I call you Jean-san right? I didn't really catch your surname…"

"Yes, Miss Hikaru."

"So, you're my friend now too, right?"

The butler raised his eyebrow in surprise. He found himself saying, "Yes of course, Miss Hikaru."

Lantis cleared his throat to catch her attention and then asked, "So will you tell us now what exactly happened?"

"Well…it's really kind of silly…"

"Tell…"

Hikaru took a deep breath and then started to relate the story of about how she saw the crying girl and lending her the umbrella…

'What a fascinating girl!' Jean thought, when Hikaru finished her story. 'No wonder why she was able to melt Master Kyle's heart.'

***

"I'd better warn you now…" Hikaru told Lantis as they stood in front of Hikaru's house. "…My brothers are really kind of over-protective so…I think they'd freak out when he sees you."

Lantis only nodded, but kept what Hikaru said in mind. He then rang the doorbell, and 'braced himself'. He mentally kicked himself for even forgetting to ask why they'd freak out. They were greeted by a man slightly older than them, who literally pounced on Hikaru, crying. "MY BABY IMOUTO IS FINALLY HOME!!!!"

Another one came, who did the same as the first one. "HIKARU-CHANNNN!!!"

"I---can't---breathe---" the girl said, gulping for air because of the fact that two, well-built men were actually hugging her very tightly.

The two quickly let go of their sister, and started asking questions, "What happened?"

"How's your fever?"

"Are you alright now?"

"Did someone hurt you?"

"Did they take care of you well?"

"A-anou…" Hikaru started to say, but was cut off when their brothers finally noticed Lantis, who was standing beside her.

"Who are you?"

"What have you done to our sister?"

"Yeah! What have you done to our sister?"

"Aaahhhh!!! Don't stand too close to her…You'll shatter her innocence, gaijin!!!" one said as he Lantis and Hikaru apart.

"Stop it Masaru-niisan, Kakeru-niisan…He's the one who saved me."

The two narrowed their eyes at him…he couldn't help glaring back. "That is enough! You will treat this young man with respect!" Someone said from behind Hikaru's brothers. It was then that Lantis saw the eldest of the Shidou siblings. "I take that you are the one who saved my sister?"

"Yes, my name is Kyle McKnight."

"I see…Please forgive my brothers' insolence. I am Satoru Shidou, and these are Masaru and Kakeru…Would you please come inside?"

"But Satoru-niisama!!!" Masaru started to say, but got cut off by the death-glare Satoru gave him.

Lantis was about to say 'no', until he saw Hikaru giving him a puppy-eye look. He sighed and then nodded.

***

"So it was you to whom my butler had spoken to…" Lantis said to Satoru, sipping the tea that he was offered to drink.

"Yes. He said you found her lying on the park, burning with fever…"

"She told me she had lent some girl her own umbrella…"

"How like her…She have this habit of thinking of other first than her own safety…"

Lantis nodded in agreement. "Yes, I had witnessed her do that twice already."

"Twice you say?"

"She was nearly ran over by a speeding truck, trying to help a kitten in the middle of the road."

"…And you saved her at that time also…"

"How did you---?"

"I just assumed you did. So I was right…"

"It was really nothing…"

"You saved her life twice."

"Well…I suppose it was something."

"I don't think we can ever repay you for what you had done for her."

"Do not think about it…I am glad she is safe now…Aren't you? Besides…nevermind…"

"Besides, what?"

"It is nothing important."

"I see…"