Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Another Day in Paradise ❯ Dinner For Two ( Chapter 2 )

Disclamer: I don't own Escaflowne or any of its characters..too bad so sad..

 

Chapter Two: Dinner for Two

 

Since Folken's visit to the diner it made the rest of the afternoon pass by at a snails pace. For once in a long time Hitomi was actually looking forward to something. Every fifteen minutes or so, she'd look up at the clock.

 

Maya was watching her friend all afternoon; she had never seen Hitomi so full of life. She could tell she was anxious to leave. It wasn't much longer it was 2:48.

 

Erik came through the kitchen doors from delivering some late lunches to some hungry guests. “What's up with Hitomi today, I've never seen her like this, it's kinda scary?” Erik said to Maya, while walking up to the sink to wash some of the dirty dishes.”

”Hitomi got a surprise visitor around noon; apparently it's an old friend of hers that she hasn't seen in a long time. A tall man with long black hair and a big hat, his name is Folken and Miss Kanzaki has a dinner engagement with this man tonight.” Maya explained to her fellow employee.

 

“What like a date?”

”She claims it's not a date but judging by the way she reacted when she saw him there's something goin on. I hope this guy can take away all her troubles and help her rise out of her depression.”

 

“Hitomi's depressed?” Erik asked, he had seen Hitomi like that even since he met her, he just thought she was always like that. Erik just shrugged and concentrating on this really dirty pot he was cleaning.

”Men are so clueless when it comes to woman.” Maya muttered under her breath. Maya looked at the clock and it was now 2:57, “Hitomi, can I talk to you before you go?”

 

Hitomi was cleaning one of her tables when she herd her boss/friend call her. She finished up and gave the nice red table a wipe down and took the dirty dishes Into the kitchen and over to Erik, who had been slaving for a whole 10 min trying to get this one pot cleaned.

 

Oh great more dishes, at times I really hate this job, but then it has its perks, Erik thought to himself as he looked over to Maya.

 

Hitomi walked over towards Maya, “You wanted to talk to me?”

 

“I just wanted to tell you, I hope you have a wonderful time with Folken, you deserve to have so fun, but don't let him push you around. You have the whole weekend to be with him so enjoy it.”

 

“Oh I'm sure I will, do you have any plans this weekend?”

”Nothing really, Erik and I are going out tomorrow night, probably see a movie.”

”Wait are you and Erik going out, when did this happen?” Hitomi asked, seeming quite interested, and not even caring that the man in question wasn't even 15 feet away. Erik had been working here for as long as she could remember and she never even noticed anything between them.

 

“Yeah, we've been going out for a month now, but enough about Erik and me go, have fun. I want to hear all about it on Monday morning, ever last detail. Now get out of here Hitomi.” Maya said as she was shooing away her friend.

 

“Bye Maya, have fun.” Hitomi said as she grabbed her coat and walked out of the back door of the diner.

 

Hitomi breathed in the freshly polluted air of the city, thinking that this had been the best day in her life for a long time as she started walking back to her apartment 30 min away.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Hitomi unlocked her apartment door and walked inside to find everything as she left it. She went over to her stereo and turned on one of her favourite bands, X-Japan and the first song playing was probably her favourite, Kurenai. After listening to the quiet opening of the song Hitomi went into her room and lay down on her bed starring for the second time in the day at her white ceiling. Thinking to herself, I wish it had been Van instead of Folken. Oh Van I wish I could see you so much, seeing your brother makes me miss you even more, but Its been four years already I can't go on thinking you'll come for me…Van please come for me… Hitomi closed her eyes as a small tear fell from her eye and soon enough she fell asleep not knowing her words would touch someone she didn't expect.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Van please come for me… somewhere far away, her thought had traveled to another planet, where the earth and the moon hung in the sky. Her thought made its way into the head of the sleeping king of Fanelia. Those words echoed throughout vans head until her snapped out of his sleep. Van sat up trying to collect his thoughts, “That was Hitomi's voice,” `Van please come for me' “don't worry Hitomi, as soon as I fulfil my promise to my Kingdome and it is rebuilt I will come to you, I promise, we only have a year before everything is running smoothly, please wait for me.” I love you so much Hitomi, van thought as he clasped the pink pendant around his neck, the same pendant that Hitomi had given him when they last saw each other. Van lay back down letting sleep claim his body once again.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Hitomi woke up about an hour later feeling refreshed, she turned to look at her clock which shown 4:45pm. Hitomi decided she would take a quick shower.

 

She took off her smelly diner clothes and threw them into her laundry basket and walked into the bathroom with her towel in hand and closed the door behind her. She stepped into the shower, closed the curtain and turned on the water.

 

After her she had finished with her shower she towelled off and walked back into her bedroom opening her closet. “Oh what am I going to wear?”

 

After a few minutes of searching her closet she decided on a pair of dark blue low riser jeans and a pink top with a v-neck. After putting the clothes on she studied herself in the mirror thinking this should be good enough. I just need a necklace. Hitomi walked over to her dresser and pulled a necklace with a diamond pendant on it. Her mother had given it to her for her 15th birthday.

 

Now for her hair, Hitomi didn't know what to do with it. She didn't even know what to expect from her little “date” with Folken, she did have to admit he was still gorgeous enough to make her knees shake. She could seriously see herself spending the rest of her life with him, but then she could say the same for a certain King of Fanelia. Hitomi walked into the bathroom and picked up her hairdryer. After her hair was dry, she decided to turn her long strands of hair into long curls. This of course took quite a while. By the time she finished it was 6:00.

 

Hitomi returned to her closet in search for the perfect pair of shoes. After trying on every single pair she has, she had decided on a 3 inch heel, open toed black shoe, before she left the room she grabbed the small piece of paper that Folken scribbled his address on.

 

Since it was probably going to take Hitomi forty-five minutes to an hour to walk there she thought it best if she left now. Hitomi grabbed her long black jacket and turned out all the lights in the apartment. She grabbed her keys off the hook by the door and opened the door and locked it after it closed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Thirty minutes later Hitomi walked by the diner where she worked, it was still open and busy as ever, now it was the dinner rush. The sight of all those people eating made her stomach growl; she didn't realize how hungry she was. It wouldn't be long; Hunter Street was just 3 blocks down.

 

Hitomi arrived at the mouth of Hunter Street, she looked down the street and saw the fall leaves, and some were already turning different colours. She was on the wrong side of the street, there just so happens to be a pedestrian crossing so she felt a little bit safer to cross this busy road. Hitomi dashed across the road making it to the other side in one piece.

 

Hitomi stopped and felt the cool early fall breeze lightly blow her hair to the side. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. After a moment she continued her walk, looking for 456. Hitomi had a huge smile on her face, she was kind of excited for this but as she got closer and closer to the house she got more and more nervous. What am I nervous about, it's just a dinner with an old friend, nothing more, or is it, ah I'm confused now, and this isn't doing anything for my nerves now is it. Okay let's just get this over with.

 

Hitomi was getting very close; the house numbers were getting so close. She finally came up to a little stone house just as Folken had said earlier that say, and she looked the number was the same, this has to be it. It was a nice house, looked like it has two floors, not to sure about a basement. The lawn was nicely cut and there was a stone pathway to the front door. She looked in the drive way to find it empty. I guess Folken cannot drive, but then he could fly, that's much better then a car any day. The neighbourhood was nice the houses were not to close together; each house has seemed to have a fairly big yard.

 

Hitomi walked up the stone pathway to the solid wood front door. Before she reached the door she looked at the big picture window to her right, there were curtains but they were drawn back. She couldn't see anything through the window, well nothing out of the ordinary. When Hitomi made it to the door she didn't notice a door bell so she took a deep breath and collected her thoughts and as she exhaled she knocked on the door.

 

There was a short silence before she knocked on the door once more. She noticed there were three small windows on the door and she saw a shadowy figure coming closer to the door. Hitomi held her breath as she heard the deadbolt being unlocked, then she sat the doorknob slowly turn. She looked up as the door began to open.

When the door opened she saw Folken and all his glory. He was standing tall, wearing his old military uniform, he had the black, purple, green and gold, long skirt like bottoms and the top that had the one long sleeve and the other side had his mechanical arm exposed. On his feet were his maroon coloured boots. He didn't have any makeup covering her tear mark tattoo and the purple around his eyes. Hitomi had just loved his new look with the black hair, though it took along time to get use to it. She stood there looking up into his deep maroon eyes before speaking, “Hello Folken.” She said with a smile on her face as she broke her stare and bowed for politeness.

 

“Good evening Hitomi. Please why don't you come in?” Folken greeted as he lead her inside and closed the door behind her. “May I take your jacket?” Hitomi turned around and undid her jacket and Folken grabbed it as she slid it down her back and removed her arms from the sleeves.

 

“Thank you Folken.”

 

“No trouble at all.” Folken took the jacket and walked past her to a closet, opened the door and hung it on a hanger and slowly closed the closet door. He turned towards Hitomi and asked flashing her a smile, “Are you hungry?”

 

“Yes I'm starved,” Hitomi answered.

 

Folken just chuckled, “Dinner should be ready in a bit, if you will excuse me I'll just finish up in the kitchen please make yourself at home.” With that said Folken disappeared down the hallway and into a room in the back of the house.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Hitomi looked around her surroundings; she was still in the entrance. It was a small little room; on the left along the side of the wall was a stairway that went up to the second floor. Beside the stairway was the hallway Folken used to go toward the kitchen. And to her right there looked to be a doorway that went into a living room the room with the big picture window. The walls of the entrance way were made of wood along with the wood flooring.

 

Hitomi walked into the living room to see that the wood flooring turned into navy blue carpet and the walls were painted white. There were a few chairs and tables. There was a black couch big enough for two. Beside the couch there was a big book shelf filled with different books. She turned around to see the wall behind her and there was a desk, with a few books and pens, even a quill pen and ink. There also was a nice sturdy chair tucked underneath the desk.

 

The living room merged with the dining room and there was a nice table set up for the two of them. There was a white tablecloth two long candles in the middle of the square table that looked like they were just lit. There were two settings with nice silver flatware and a white plate with a deeper plate on top of it, there was also a salad bowl to the side, and both setting were like that. There was a cloth napkin on the side, and to finish it off there were two wine glasses at each setting. Off to the side of the table was an ice bucket with a bottle of some sort of wine inside. Hitomi moved closer to the ice bucket trying to read the label on the wine. From the looks of it was a Japanese wine. All of this looked so romantic, but why was Folken going all out like this was it because he really liked her or was this what he was accustomed to doing from his lifestyle back on Gaea. No matter what the reason was it still was very beautiful.

 

There was a door way on the right side of the dining room, which lead to the kitchen where she could see Folken rinsing a few dishes before they get caked on and it would be too hard to wash.

 

Hitomi walked back to the living room and was looking through his book shelf to see what this mysterious man likes to read about. She only knew Folken from past experience but she didn't really know about his personal likes and dislikes. He was a hard man to figure out sometimes. While she was looking through the books she often though about what he had to go through to get accustomed to life here on earth, it was kind of obvious now he didn't have a special woman in his life, from what she could tell buy looking around his house he was alone a lot.

 

While she was still off in her own little thoughts, Folken took the top plates and the salad bowls from the table and brought them into the kitchen. Shortly after he came back with a plate of fettuccini with alfredo sauce and a bowl of ceaser salad. Not to long the table was already to begin eating.

 

Folken walked up to Hitomi and interrupted her thoughts, little did he know that her thoughts were of him. “Dinner is ready, I hope you like it. I still have not got accustomed to the strange food that the Mystic Moon has to offer. I tried my hand at an Italian dish if that's all right.”

”Oh that's wonderful Folken.” Hitomi gave Folken a reassuring smile and followed him back to the table.

 

Folken was quite the gentle man, he pulled out her chair for her to sit down and then pushed it in for her. Before he was going to sit down he asked, “Would you like some wine?”

 

“I don't drink wine very often but I'll give it a try, thank you.”

 

Folken picked up a cork screw and grabbed the bottle and attempting to take the cork out. Not to long after he managed to get the cork to come flying out. He then began pouring Hitomi a glass before he poured his own. He then put the wine battle back down into the ice bucket and sat down.

 

They both began eating and carry on a small conversation about this and that.

 

When they finished eating Folken got up and cleared the dirty dishes from the table and put them in the kitchen sink. He then came back out into the dining room, “Hitomi.”

 

Hitomi turned around in her chair and faced Folken, “Yes Folken.”

 

“Would you like desert now or have it a bit later.”

 

“Later would probably be better I'm full at the moment,” Hitomi got up from the chair and walked up to Folken. “Thank you so much Folken that dinner was wonderful, I haven't had such a delicious meal in a long time. Here I'll help you out with the dishes.”

 

“No that's okay, I can do them later, it would not be gentlemanly for me to make a guest of mine work.”

”It's okay Folken I insist.” She looked up into his eyes, “Please let me help.”

“Alright, you win.”

 

Folken and Hitomi both started the dishes, Hitomi was washing the dishes and Folken was drying.

 

“I really like your place Folken.”

 

“Thank you, it isn't much, I don't have that much things. I had just moved in here last year. I worked for 3 years straight and every cent I earned, that didn't go to food or clothing went into the purchase of this house. Alex was nice enough to let me stay with him for three years while I worked to get enough money to buy my own place.”

 

“I noticed when I came in earlier you were wearing your Zaibach uniform, do you find it a lot more comfortable then the clothes we have here?”

 

“I do, when I wear clothing from this world it seems fragile, and you don't seen to wear a lot, so it makes me feel a little bare. I wear them when I go out, before I got new clothing I was on the receiving end of a lot of strange looks and insulting comments. Also when the summer months came by my clothing became too heavy and warm for the warm climate here. But even in the summer I have to wear long sleeves because of my arm. A lot of people have gotten scared off by it, it is not like the prosthesis that they have here, Mine is pretty much one hundred percent efficient in doing everyday activities but it doesn't blend in to make it look like a real arm like the ones that are available here.”

 

“I don't think your arm is scary at all, I think it is so cool how it works, I think its a lot better then what the best prosthesis I've seen.”

 

“Thank you; you're the only one I'm afraid, besides people from my home world.” Folken said his tone quietened towards the last few words.

 

“Do you miss living on Gaea? Do you wish you could go back?”

 

“A part of me will always miss Gaea, that is my home and where I come from. But, its better for everyone that I'm here, I do like it here on the Mystic Moon; it has kind of grown on me. I don't think I will go back.”

 

“Well now that we know that each other are close by we won't be alone any more right?”

 

“That's right, thank you for giving me a chance, I know I haven't be the best of person in the past.”

 

“Don't worry about it Folken, I trust you, you changed your ways I saw that when you helped fight Zaibach and killed Dornkirk. As long as I am on Earth I will be here for you no matter what, Okay?” Hitomi smiled a reassuring smile up at Folken looking once again into his deep maroon eyes that seem to go for miles.

 

“Thank you; you could never know how much this means to me.” Folken smiled back at her. Folken still looking at Hitomi, realizing she wasn't a little girl anymore she had grown into a beautiful woman. “Forgive me for being to bold and not saying this earlier,” Folken put down his towel and places his fleshy hand up against her cheek, letting his emotions get the better of him. “You have become a vary beautiful woman Hitomi.” Folken notices a slight blush creep up on her cheeks noticing he had embarrassed her, he lowered his hand to his side and he apologised. “I'm sorry I should not have said that, that was to bold please forgive me.”

 

“No Folken that's alright, thank you. You really think I'm beautiful, I'm so thin from not eating right I don't feel beautiful.” Hitomi turned her gaze away from Folken and occupying her mind by drying off her hands.

He lifted her chin with his two fingers to face him and spoke in a soft calm tone. ”I wasn't just talking about your physical beauty, physical beauty always changes, I was also talking about your unchanging inner beauty, your calming nature, you put things in a new perspective, I noticed that about you along time ago and I still see it now.”

 

“Oh Folken…”

 

Hitomi didn't know what this feeling was that came over her but weather or not she knew it the space between her face and the tall mans face grew narrower and narrower. Folken put his arms on her shoulders to bring her closer to him as his face came down to meet hers, “Hitomi…” Folken whispered. Both their eyes closed just as their warm lips met each other. The kiss grew deeper as both of them felt their feeling for each other grow stronger. Hitomi raised her arms and wrapped them around Folken's back.

 

As their kiss ended they still held on to each other. Folken's arms slid down her shoulders and rested on her upper back. Hitomi lay her head on Folken's chest just thinking of what just happened between herself and Folken. The feel of his lips on hers brought her to a peace, she no longer felt depressed anymore, she felt as if the sadness she had been carrying for the past 4 years had been lifted off her shoulders, I'm sorry Van.

 

Hitomi and Folken finished the dishes in silence thinking about the sudden change in the relationship, each were thinking, could we be more.

 

Folken broke the silence, “Would you like any desert?”

 

“No that's alright, do you want to go sit in the living room, and maybe we can discuss what we are feeling and what just happened.”

 

“Alright.” Folken said as panic started to flood his mind. Could she not want anything to do with me anymore?

 

Folken and Hitomi left the kitchen and both sat down facing each other on the small black sofa.

 

There was a long silence; they just sat there looking at each other. He could tell Hitomi was a little nervous, she had never felt this way about someone like this in along time, and their age gap didn't reassure her any further, he was 10 year her senior.

 

Folken yet again the gentleman broke the silence and confessed. “Hitomi you really mean a lot to me, now that you are with me this moment I don't know if I would like it if you left me for good now. I really like you and I meant what I said back there you are a very beautiful young woman.”

 

“I haven't felt this way about anyone since Van; I also like you a lot. I wasn't sure of your feelings for me because of our age difference.”

 

“Age doesn't have anything to do with it, I care about you a lot and it would mean a lot to me if we could continue with this relationship.”

 

“I would love that Folken.” Hitomi smiled and brought her face towards Folken's and pressed her lips onto his feeling Folken return her kiss.

 

Folken and Hitomi just sit there for a long time in each others arms until they realized it was getting late.

 

“It's getting late, you should probably go home, I'll fly you over to your apartment if you would like.”

 

“I would love that.” Hitomi didn't want to leave his strong embrace but reluctantly she got up and walked over to the closet and grabbed her jacket off the coat hanger.

 

Once Hitomi was ready they went outside, and walked into the middle of the road. Hitomi looked up into the sky which was pitch black, or as dark it could get with streetlights on. She noticed a few little stars in the sky. She looked back at Folken who now had his wings out. Not even caring what the neighbours would see or think Folken picked up Hitomi letting her wrap her arms around his neck. Once Hitomi was settled, Folken took off into the sky and I didn't take long before they reached her apartment. Folken dropped down at the front door and his bright white wings disappeared.

 

Folken opened the main door for his new girlfriend and walked her to her apartment door.

 

“Thank you so much Folken, for the wonderful evening. If you're not busy this weekend we can do something I have the weekend off.”

 

“I would love that, I can stop here in tomorrow morning and we can go out and have breakfast somewhere.”

”That sounds great,” Hitomi took out her keychain and fiddled with it for a while, the finally got the spare key off of the ring and she handed it to Folken, “This is the key to my apartment, if I don't get a chance to unlock it tomorrow.”

 

“Thank you Hitomi. Good night.” Folken bent down and softly pressed his lips to Hitomi's to give her a gentle good night kiss.

 

Once their kiss was broken Hitomi whispered, “Good night Folken. Sweet dreams.”

 

Hitomi then unlocked her apartment door and watched Folken walk away. She then went inside the apartment feeling really giddy.

 

She locked the door behind her and threw her jacket over the chair not to far away and then walked into her bedroom to collapse on the bed.