Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Falling ❯ Hard Day's Nigh--er, Work! ( Chapter 5 )

Kayulo left early the next morning for Daeledus, in hopes that he would find Lord Dryden. Merle watched him from the missing window in her room, her eyes brimming with tears. Her sniffling awoke the girl huddled in the warm bed.
"Don't cry, Merle." she soothed the catgirl. "Your boyfriend will return to you."
"He's not my boyfriend," Merle said defensively.
Hitomi laughed. "Yes, of course not, Merle. That's why you look at him with big hearts in your eyes."
"You're one to talk." the cat shot back.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Merle leapt onto the bed and began to lick her paw calmly. "Come off it, Hitomi. I know all about your feelings for Lord Van." Hitomi turned red but remained silent. "I'm amazed you guys haven't kissed yet." the catgirl continued. Then she stopped licking her hand to take a moment an examine Hitomi's face. "Or have you?" she moved closer to the sandy-borwn heaired girl, her eyes darting back and forth. "Hitomi, have you kissed Lord Van yet??" she asked excitedly.
Hurriedly, Hitomi shoved the catgirl off her. "Merle!" she chided. "I have not kissed Van." then she added, "And I don't feel that way about him." the cat was very skeptic of this.
"Oh rea--" she began but paused and sniffed the air. "It seems we have an eavesdropper." she commented mildly, looking over her shoulder. Hitomi turned pale as she saw a flash of red, black, and beige fly by the door. The sound of running footsteps echoed through the corridor.
"Oh, no, Van..." Hitomi's hand went to her mouth.
"I bet you're regretting what you just said, huh?" said Merle snidely. She sighed and threw some clothes at Hitomi from her duffel bag. "Come on, let's get some breakfast."
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As Hitomi predicted, Van was not at the "eating balcony", as Merle had dubbed it the day before. Some food had been set out, however. Again, it was not much. It was quite fitting. Hitomi wasn't very hungry after the foolish words that had popped out of her mouth.
"I'm tired of just sitting on my butt." Hitomi grumbled, watching the town progress below. "I'm going to go help." Leaving Merle behind to eat her nummy snail treats, the girl from the Mystic Moon set out to her room. Quickly, she changed into her track clothes so as not to get her uniform sweaty.
Then she burst outside.

Fanelia was definitely very busy this morning. The previous afternoon's weather had thrown everyone off-track, and they were deperately trying to resume their pace.
Hitomi didn't know where to begin, it seemed that everywhere she looked there was something that needed fixing, someone who needed help. She decided it would be best to start at the first home, and move her way along.
"Excuse me, ma'am, can I help you?" she asked a petite woman in an apron who appeared to be having trouble with accessing the roof of her house to repair it.
"The seeress of the Mystic Moon? Of course, dear." Hitomi warily climbed the wooden ladder.
"What do you need help with?"
"The roof, dear. Do you see those planks there? They need to be nailed in properly. Those damn Zaibach scum completely destroyed our roof." she shook her head. "Here are the nails and the hammer." she paused a moment. "Mistress of the Mystic Moon,--"
"It's just Hitomi." the sandy-haired girl said with a smile.
"Forgive me. Hitomi, would it be alright if I attended to a different area of the house? Are you alright here?"
"Yes, it would be fine, thanks."
The woman left, quite pleased with the extra helping hand.
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"Thank you so much, Lady Hitomi." the woman bowed respectfully. It had been 3 hours since Hitomi had begun her task, and at last she had finished it.
"It was nothing." Hitomi said with a smile. That was a lie. It had been a lot of work. Now she could feel empathy for the others. Wiping the sweat off her brow, she began her journey to the next house.
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Dusk began to set in slowly. Hitomi was grateful, for the work was slowly coming to an end. She had aided with reconstruction at 7 houses that day, for a total of 9 hours. Her feet were positively killing her. She collapsed into a seating position on a piece of debris, exhausted.
"My, my, don't we look beat!" exclaimed a hearty voice. Hitomi looked up and saw the familiar face of the wolfman who had first taken her to Fanelia.
"Ruhm!" she said with a smile.
"Ah, so you do recognize me. It's good to see you again, little lady."
"And you."
"You look thirsty. Can I get you some water?"
"That would be great, thank you very much." she took the cup and gulped down the cool liquid quickly. It felt wonderful against her dry throat.
Ruhm took a seat next to her. "I don't understand," he admitted. "I could have sworn I saw you being carried home by that light..."
"I was..." began Hitomi. "But something happened, and the light failed, and I fell..."
"And King Van caught you." he finished for her. He shook his head sadly. "Some people think that his wings are a curse... but personally, I think they are a gift."
"They're beautiful..." Hitomi whispered unconsiously.
Ruhm chuckled. "You're blushing, little one."
"Hey Ruhm! Give me a hand here, would ya?" came a voice.
"Coming, Lumer." he sighed and patted Hitomi on the shoulder. "Take care, seeress."
As he moved away from the fallen stone where Hitomi was, she was given a clearer view of the area surrounding her. Amidst the many citizens who were making an effort to return home, was Van. He was helping two other men lift a heavy board.... and his red shirt lay a few feet away.
Hitomi watched as he slowly managed to lift the wood with his companions. The fact that Van was shirtless gave Hitomi a good look at his torso. She had never really noticed how muscly he had gotten over the months; she had been too busy gazing dreamily at the blond knight.
With a last heap of effort, Van managed to push the wood up onto the roof, where some other waiting men immediately positioned it and began to hammer away at it.
Van smiled, pleased that his country was slowly working its way to being completed.
"Men, let's call it a day," he said, patting them amiably on the shoulder. The nodded and grinned,
heading home for their awaiting suppers.
The young king threw his head back and poured a bucket of water over his raven-black hair before running a hand through it. The action made him look even more gorgeous in Hitomi's eyes and she couldn't keep herself from staring, her cheeks growing as red as strawberries. Van turned, his ruby eyes meeting hers, and for the first time, Hitomi noticed that he was wearing her pendant. She was completely touched. She had given it to him to keep, she had never expected him to wear it.
He smiled at her and reached for his shirt, pulling it over his head, much to Hitomi's dismay. Then he approached her.
"I see you've been hard at work as well," he commented. She answered in a nod. "Come, let's get something to eat," he invited with a grin. He held out his gloved hand to her, to help her up from her seat. Her eyes never leaving his, her delicate fingers reached out and clasped his own.
For a moment, time froze. Nothing existed except for them, locked in each other's gaze.
Never let go, Hitomi never let go.
I won't let go ever, I promise.
But the moment was broken as soon as Van let his hand fall from hers. They walked back to the castle in silence, both flustered.

A/N: arrrrrrggggg! Why can't I invent more interesting chapters? LOL It's all about introductions! I guess I'm too wrapped up in my other story (which, frankly, I think is 10000 times better) to make this one seem any good @_@.
05.14.01