Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Mark of a Goddess ❯ Clubbing for Deuces ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter Five

Clubbing for Deuces

 

Featuring `Why Would I?' by Virtual Server

 

“Those dumb, dumb, dumb girls!” Van growled, marching up the stairs to his and Hitomi's suite like he was a boxer preparing to enter the ring.

 

Hitomi was almost running to catch up with his ultra-angry long strides. “Calm down,” she said, grabbing his sleeve. “We just need to go and get Naria and Eriya and bring them back.”

 

Dryden was walking behind them looking sufficiently vexed as well. “They probably just went to relax. They probably don't know that The Voltage Room is a Dragon Slayer club.”

 

“And Folken might not be singing tonight,” Hitomi added hopefully.

 

“Yeah right, he's not singing tonight. They're doing this to punish Dryden for rejecting them. I'll bet that they knew Folken was there and that he was their backup plan if Dryden didn't come through for them. Remember how they kept asking me if I had a brother? And considering how hyper Folken seemed to be to get a Tarot woman under contract, he would take one look at Naria and Eriya and … argh, I think you get the picture. Come on! Hitomi, get dressed. If we hurry, we might be able to stop something stupid from happening.”

 

“And if they're intentionally going after Folken because I dissed them, exactly what is our interference going to accomplish?” Dryden asked, coming into Van and Hitomi's suite with them. “It sounds like you're acting on the chance that they might not know that Folken is there.”

 

“No, I think they know damn well that Folken is there. I think the thing they don't know is that he's a murdering bastard. Someone has to tell them before they do something they might regret,” Van shouted, before shooing Hitomi into the dressing room.

 

Through the closed door, Hitomi heard Dryden ask, “Are you're saying Folken doesn't deserve a chance with someone who's available? One would think you'd be happy to have him off Hitomi's back. He probably doesn't even know that you and Hitomi are married yet.”

 

“I didn't say you had to come with us,” Van said shortly. “You can stay here if you don't like my way of doing things.”

 

Hitomi didn't hear Dryden's answer.

 

The next thing she heard was Van saying, “You're coming, then?”

 

“I guess so,” Dryden said, but Hitomi could barely hear him.

 

Now she was concentrating on finding something to wear. She had gone to The Voltage Room twice and she hadn't gone properly dressed either time. Hitomi promised herself that tonight was going to be different.

 

She tossed Van's clothes into the laundry bin and grabbed a pair of black pants to wear. She pulled them on. Even though this was supposed to be a dangerous situation, Hitomi couldn't help being a little excited. Folken was a creep, but he had an exquisite singing voice. It would be fun to dance to one of his songs with Van. Of course, Hitomi realised that it wasn't possible, but that didn't stop her from looking through her clothes carefully for something fun and sexy to wear. She stared at her clothes in dismay. She was only a high school student and didn't own anything like suitable for clubbing - not a sequin or a bead or something shiny, or anything! She was tempted to scamper into Selphie's room to borrow something, but there wasn't time. In the end, she put on a plain black t-shirt. It had a V-neckline low enough to show off a necklace. Hitomi didn't even think about it. She pushed the protection pendant Van gave her over her shoulder so that the stone fell down her back instead of down her chest and put on a flashy rhinestone necklace overtop. She looked at herself in the mirror to make sure it wasn't obvious that she was wearing both necklaces, and then she went and put on her makeup.

 

Normally, it didn't even occur to Hitomi to wear makeup, but something had happened to her since she had transformed herself into Marlene. She sort of understood how Marlene felt - she wanted to impress someone. Van was the person Hitomi wanted to impress, but he wasn't going to be pleased if she took much longer, so she put some clips in her hair, fluffed her bangs and headed out of the dressing room.

 

“I wasn't too long, was I?” she asked, looking at Van and Dryden.

 

Dryden was sitting on the chair at the desk looking serious and Van was pacing the room like a cat preparing to pounce. The look Hitomi got from Van was indescribable.

 

“Come on, let's go,” Van said impatiently. “I'm driving.”

 

Dryden scoffed. “No, you're not. The girls probably took a taxi to The Voltage Room, so we'll need to have room in the car to drive Naria and Eriya home. We'll need to take something spacious, and your convertible won't cut it. I'll drive, so don't be ridiculous.”

 

“Fine. Let's just get out of here already,” Van said, storming down to the garages.

 

***

 

Hitomi didn't understand Van and tonight was a stellar night for not understanding him. He wasn't in a mood to be trifled with, and even though Hitomi didn't quite comprehend it, her appearance and presence seemed to be making him even madder. When they were driving, he put her in the back seat of the SUV, and he sat in the front beside Dryden. He opened the car door for Hitomi and everything, but there was something in his attitude that acted like he would have preferred it if she had stayed at the mansion.

 

Dryden was driving, so Hitomi didn't have a chance to ask Van if he was angry with her. It really seemed like he was and she couldn't figure out why.

 

When the three of them pulled up in front of The Voltage Room, the line up to get into the club wasn't as long as it was the first time Hitomi had gone there to speak to Dilandau. It was an extremely cold night though, so Hitomi guessed that even if a concert were going on, there wouldn't be very many people willing to wait out in the cold.

 

“Wow …” Dryden said when he saw the sign. It was the purple butterfly with the words `The Voltage Room' stretched across the front of the building. “It's true then. Folken really was in love with your aunt, Hitomi.”

 

“Yeah, it's true,” Hitomi said as she gave Dryden directions as to where to park.

 

“Are you sure you only came here twice?” Van asked her coldly.

 

“Yeah, I only came twice,” Hitomi said dazedly. She was too busy looking at the searchlights. She couldn't help but be a little bit excited.

 

“So, how do you recommend we get in? Standing in line would suck,” Dryden said, pulling his keys out of the ignition and getting out.

 

“My name used to be on the guest list, so when I went and introduced myself to the bouncers, I got in right away. We'll just have to go see if my name is still on the guest list, although it wouldn't surprise me if Folken removed it. Last time I was here I trashed their kitchen, so he reprimanded me. But we could still try it.”

 

Dryden looked at the line up. “Well, I don't think they're letting anyone new in, so we may as well give your plan a go. If not, I guess I'll have to go in by myself. No doubt the bouncers know Van, so if they won't let us in knowing who we are …”

 

“We'll have to rough them up,” Van said quickly, interrupting Dryden and proposing a completely different tactic. “There's no need to be subtle. This is a smash and grab job.”

 

Dryden didn't say anything in response to that and Hitomi wondered how he was reacting to Van taking control like that. Hitomi didn't want a scene if it could be avoided, so she hurried in front of Van and Dryden so that she would be the first one to speak with the bouncers at the door.

 

“Hi guys!” she said cheerfully as she came up to them. At least one was familiar to her. “Is there a show going on tonight?”

 

The guy nodded. “Are you on the list?”

 

“Sure am!” she winked as Van and Dryden joined her. “Hitomi Kanzaki,” she said, hoping that the guy would just let them in without asking too many questions.

 

He moved the velvet roll out of their way and let them enter without too much fuss, but just as they entered she heard him talk to someone on his headset. He was probably informing his boss that he had just let them in.

 

Even though it was easily colder than minus twenty degrees Celsius outside, Folken still managed to pull in an excellent crowd for one of his concerts. The place didn't look less crowded than when Hitomi had been there the last time. Hordes of people were amassed up against the stage, and there was Folken. He had told Hitomi that there was no way he'd get back on a stage with his current haircut; however, it looked like he had done it anyway. He was wearing a black bandana across his forehead to make the most of his straight-laced haircut. He was also wearing a black fitted shirt with long sleeves that covered his entire tattoo. Hitomi guessed that he didn't want his fans to see it.

 

It was hot in the club and Hitomi unzipped her winter jacket. She even contemplated taking it off, but Van said that they weren't going to stay long, so she left it on.

 

Folken's voice was just as translucent as it had been every other time she had heard him sing, and now that she really knew it was him, his voice caught her by surprise even more. He was really good - deep and mellow. He held the microphone in his hand like a professional. It was no wonder the place was thronged.

I'm looking for a love
Or am I dreaming?
I'm looking for someone like you
To keep me breathing

 

Van grabbed Hitomi by the arm and jerked her towards him. The look on his face was one of raging jealousy and anger. Hitomi gulped. She had been staring up at the stage. This was the first time that Van's temper had been directed towards her. Before, he had always had another target - never her. Slowly, slowly, Hitomi was learning that Van could be a really scary person. She thought about her goal to protect him. She had to keep his heart warm.

And every woman I've been through
Had me believing
That there is no one like you

“Did you dress up and come here to listen to Folken sing?” Van belted noisily over the screaming fans.

 

“I dressed up for you,” Hitomi said quickly.

 

“Then where's your necklace? The protection pendant I gave you?”

 

“I'm wearing it,” she claimed, pulling it out from its hiding place and showing it to him.

 

He eyed it sceptically. “And what's this cheap thing you're wearing instead?”

 

“Don't you like it? I thought it was shiny,” she said.

 

Van looked like he wanted to break the necklace; but instead, he just headed towards the stage. “Let's see if we can find Naria and Eriya.”

So tell me why would I stop dreaming?
And why would I despise my feelings?
And why does my broken heart keep beating?
Beating for you

Hitomi and been pushing herself into the crowd, trying to keep up with Van, but she was also listening to the words of the song that Folken was singing. Hitomi wondered if there was anything significant about the songs he chose to sing. Even though he sounded perfect, there was something that struck Hitomi as different about his performance this time. She wanted to believe that there was no magic in the song he was singing. Maybe he was singing words from his heart and not with the intent to deceive someone. He could be singing about a woman. They said that he had been in love with Akira and that she had rejected him.

 

Hitomi stopped walking and looked up at Folken on the stage. He wasn't staring at the back of the room like he usually did, but he was looking straight at Hitomi. Her mouth fell open. It was the way he was looking at her. His eyes were filled with an emotion, almost akin to tears, and Hitomi realized that the song he was singing was for Akira. He had written this song for Akira after she died, and in the absence of the woman he loved, he was going to pretend Hitomi was her and sing the song for her. But the way he was looking at her made Hitomi feel like he didn't care if she was herself or Akira - he wanted her either way.

Still looking for a love
But I don't get it
I did a lot of crazy girls
Like a bad habit
When I was good they turned out bad
And finally I found
That I've got no one to keep

 

Hitomi stared at him. These lyrics were something from his soul, a tiny glimpse of the man inside of that masquerader exterior. Hitomi focused on his eyes and tried to understand. She tried to understand why Van hated him. Folken lived with regret - that much was clear. He lived an empty life. And he sang about it while staring into her eyes. In many ways, he was a broken man, but Van couldn't see it.

 

Hitomi pushed herself closer towards the stage and lost Van in the press of people. She wanted to talk to Folken. She wanted to ask him what exactly had happened between him and his parents to cause Van to hate him so much. From the look on Folken's face, he wanted something from her, too. If she could only talk to him then maybe they could understand each other and fix things.

 

So tell me why would I stop dreaming?
And why would I despise my feelings?
And why does my broken heart keep beating?
Beating for you

Folken didn't break eye contact with Hitomi as he finished the song. He kept his eyes on her as the last beats of the electronic music echoed through the dance hall. It was like he thought that if he turned away for one second she would disappear into the mob of Dragon Slayer children.

 

The crowd was going insane, screaming and whistling for him.

 

“Thank you! Thank you!” Folken said into the microphone he was holding. “Now, if you won't mind, I'd like to ask Hitomi Kanzaki to join me on the stage.” He walked to the edge of the stage and put his hand out to help Hitomi up.

 

Hitomi felt the sweat on the back of her neck. Folken was looking at her - his eyes warm and expectant. Not only Folken was looking, but everyone in the hall was watching her and waiting for her response. With all those eyes on her she hesitated for a moment before reaching out for Folken's hand, when all of a sudden, from the other side of the room, Van hollered at the top of his lungs, “Like HELL she will!”

 

Folken turned his head to see Van. Then he looked back at Hitomi and gave her a disappointed look. He cleared his throat and spoke into his microphone, “It seems my delightful little brother has come to visit.”

 

Hitomi couldn't see Van from where she was standing, but she guessed that he had found Naria and Eriya because there was an excited squeal from that corner of the room at the mention of the word `brother'. To Hitomi, that meant they hadn't known that Folken was a Tarot user. If they had known, they wouldn't be surprised.

 

Hitomi didn't wait for Folken, but started pushing her way towards Van and the girls. Where was Dryden? They'd all have to work together to make Naria and Eriya understand that Folken was … Van said he was a monster - a double-crossing bastard who murdered his own parents. While looking in Folken's eyes, Hitomi couldn't believe that he was really that bad. There had to be some sort of misunderstanding. They just had to convince Naria and Eriya to come talk about things before doing anything rash.

 

Folken brought his microphone back up to his lips and said clearly to his fans, since his eye contact with Hitomi was broken, “We'll be taking a break. I'll have to let our house D.J. take over for a few tracks, but don't worry kittens. I'll be back to finish the second half.”

 

Hitomi and Folken made it to where Van and Dryden and the twins were at almost the exact same moment - Folken was a little faster.

 

“What's going on here?” he asked, seeing Van nearly dragging Eriya along by her arm.

 

“I'm not leaving,” she said sternly to Van, her golden hair shining red in the light show. “Why didn't you tell us you had a brother? We asked you often enough!”

 

“You are such an amazing singer!” Naria said, glowing rosy pink as she spoke to Folken for the first time.

 

Folken looked very carefully at her for a moment with slitted eyes. He deliberately looked at her bare legs and exposed throat, and Naria was turning perfectly red under this examination. Dryden had obviously never looked at her that way. Hitomi wondered if anyone ever had since her reaction was so honestly flattered.

 

Van stood and clenched his teeth. He looked trapped and one hundred percent pissed off. With all these extra people in the room, there was no way Van could have a one-on-one fight with Folken, and Hitomi knew that Van didn't want to hurt unnecessary people. Angry as he was - downright fuming mad as he was, there was no way he'd attack Folken here. What managed to make him even madder was that Folken seemed to be aware of this fact and was not looking at Van as though he even mattered. He was still examining Naria like she was a work of art that could actually be taken out to dinner.

 

Then Folken brought his hand up to Naria's face and pushed her bangs away from her forehead. He saw that the cuts she had received when she hit her head on the display case were not totally gone.

 

“You must be the little girl who got the opal for her symbol, right?” Folken asked, his eyes came open now, and they were decidedly friendly and flirtatious.

 

Naria nodded, and introduced herself and her sister. They explained that they were excited to meet him since he was Van's brother. Eriya even had the nerve to drop the comment, “But he's already contract bound.”

 

“To Hitomi?” Folken asked, glancing at Hitomi as though she had betrayed him.

 

Hitomi returned Folken's look levelly. She hadn't sought to have an affair with him. He had been the one to hit on her! She had nothing to be ashamed of.

 

But the exchange was quickly over and Folken was saying, “Well, I'm The Sorcerer, and I'm pleased to meet you. It's a new experience for me to have Tarot girls to party with. Care to come up to my private room for the rest of the concert? It's got a great view of the stage.”

 

Naria and Eriya looked ecstatic.

 

Dryden was standing behind Hitomi, but it didn't look like he was going to interfere. He was looking at the floor like it was someone's fresh grave.

 

Van was on the verge of exploding. “No, Naria, Eriya - this guy is a monster! You don't want anything to do with him! You don't know what he's capable of. Like I said before, this is not a place you go to `hang out'!”

 

“I think that's enough out of you!” Folken said, and then the most unusual thing happened. Folken said a few words through clenched teeth. Hitomi wasn't sure, but they sounded like he said, “I wish all three of you would leave my house!”

 

The next thing Hitomi knew, she, Van and Dryden were sitting on their butts in the snow outside the back door of The Voltage Room. Hitomi jumped up - it was freaking cold!

 

There was someone standing at the back door, holding it open. It was one of the bouncers who let them in. “Hitomi, Mr. Fanel has asked me to tell you that your name will no longer appear on his guest list after tonight.” Then he slammed the door shut and Hitomi heard the click of the dead bolt.

 

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Dang it,” she mouthed.

 

“I don't know what your frickin' problem is,” Van said to Hitomi bitterly. He had allowed his body to fall backwards and he was lying in the snow.

 

“Excuse me!” Hitomi asked, trying to be polite, but Van sounded hostile and she had just been chucked into the snow. She wasn't in a good mood anymore and it showed in her voice.

 

“Oh just you and your … he asked you on stage and from where I was standing it looked like he started singing his stupid song right at you and you just looked like you were melting at the sound of his bloody voice. It looked like you were even planning on going with him. Damn you, Hitomi! Not only should you not be talking to Folken, but I was distracted by you during that last minute and didn't get the chance I needed to persuade Naria and Eriya to come back to the mansion with us!”

 

“You are mad at me about that? How could that be my fault?” she retorted furiously. “You should have been concentrating on them then, if saving them was your goal.”

 

“How could you say that? Of course you're more important to me. Of course! But still,” Van paused before bellowing, “How could you dress up to come hear him sing?”

 

“I told you that I didn't do anything for him, besides, you make it sound like I dressed myself in something revealing for his benefit. I'm wearing a black T-shirt. It's not slutty or anything. And …” Hitomi stormed, “… I didn't even take off my coat!”

 

Van's eyed narrowed and he looked like he was going to start again when something caught his attention, “Dryden, where are you going?”

 

Dryden was standing and appeared to be heading back to the car. At Van's voice he turned back and said without emotion, “This isn't my fight. I'll wait for you in the car. When you've stopped bickering we can talk about how we ended up out on our asses in a snowdrift. Whenever you're ready.” Dryden waved and disappeared around the corner of the club, leaving Van and Hitomi alone under the extra darkness the alleyway afforded.

 

Seconds ticked by with neither of them speaking.

 

“Isn't this childish?” Hitomi asked first.

 

“What?” Van asked.

 

“Our argument? I mean, we clearly can't control what Naria and Eriya do with their time and their lives. You tried. Isn't that good enough?” Hitomi asked, trying to at least meet him half way.

 

“I might be too angry to talk to you about this right now. One day, I'm going to have to fight Naria and Eriya again and it's going to be nearly impossible. I know it. Dryden said those girls' true power is probably magic. So, not only have we given Folken a woman to bind in a contract, but we've given him two Tarot users to train with his magic and be on his side. I have this sick, sick, sick feeling that this is worse than anything else that could have happened. I would have loved to slit his throat on sight, but with all those witnesses, and my power not fully developed … I couldn't do it. And there you were … fucking flirting with him!” Van shouted. Hitomi had never heard him angry enough to use that kind of language. This was a new Van … someone cold and bloodthirsty and angry as the fires of hell. “Run Hitomi! Run and get in the car with Dryden. I'll make it back to the mansion some time, but one thing is for certain. When I do come back, I won't be in bed with you!”

 

“You're that angry?” she asked quietly.

 

“Yeah! I'm THAT angry! Run! Before I say something worse!” Van bellowed turning away from her.

 

Hitomi stood there in the snow for a second. No matter how pissed off he was, she couldn't leave him here. She did up her coat and tried to think of something to say that would get through to him. The snow around him was melting rapidly because he was so hot. He needed to relax and cool down. Hitomi reached into her coat pockets and pulled out her mittens. She put them on. Maybe he would forgive her for being childish. After all, she was only eighteen.

 

Hitomi slowly reached down and grabbed a handful of snow. It was really cold, so it wasn't sticking together very well, but Hitomi did her best and made a snowball. Then she deliberately wound up and winged it at Van. She could tell he hadn't been expecting it because she got him square on the back of his neck.

 

He flinched. It was melting on contact, becoming instant water and soaking his clothes. There was even steam rising from him.

 

She was so dead!

 

Van's hand reached to grab some snow to retaliate with, but his hand was so hot that the snow melted before he could close his fingers. He couldn't use ice either, because he was too angry.

 

“Self control?” Hitomi thought. “Dryden said that self control was something that ice was associated with. It's no wonder Van can't use it. He's too angry.” She crouched on the ground and formed another snowball in her hands. “You're gonna have to cool down if you want to fight me, Van, because there's no way I'm leaving you here,” she said out loud. Then she hit his back with another snowball.

 

Van got up and tried to pick up some more snow, but his hands were just too hot. The water fell through his fingers like fast sand.

 

Hitomi started making another snowball. “And what's this talk about leaving me to sleep alone? That doesn't sound very sensible when I tried so hard to be attractive to you tonight. You don't take me on dates often, you know. I can't help getting a little excited when we actually do go out, even if it's just business to you,” she said, chucking the formed ball at his head.

 

He ducked. “Why!” he choked, looking at her for the first time since he had told her to run away from him. Even in the dim light, she could tell that his face was very red. “Why didn't you stay close to me when we were in there?”

 

“I was listening to his song,” Hitomi admitted. “I think he wrote it for Akira.”

 

Van shook his head and turned away. “And you won't let me `cool off' by myself?”

 

“No!” Hitomi said throwing her arms around him and hugging him warmly. “But if you persist in being angry about Naria and Eriya, I'll have to give you a face wash,” she said, showing him the snow in her mitten. “And if you keep thinking that I want other men besides you, I'll have to take you home and prove you wrong.”

 

“Dryden's mansion is not our home,” Van said quickly, focusing on the wrong part of Hitomi's sentence. “I already spoke to Dryden about this. I'm uncomfortable living there, but he says that there is no other place in the city as convenient for training, so we might as well stay until I master all eight elements. I asked him if I could pay rent or something, but he says he won't have it. He says he's still trying to figure out a wedding present for us, and we have to stay free of charge until he figures `something' out. I hope you feel the same way I do, but I don't think being coddled at Dryden's mansion is a good thing for us. I'm not rich like he is, so I'll be ashamed when I ask you to move into a more modest home after we've stayed there for so long. I have to master all eight as quickly as possible to avoid … complications.”

 

“When we move, it'll be better for us,” Hitomi said, still clutching the snow in her hand. “I'd rather live in a home that was ours. I'd rather cook for you and … Van?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“What's our life going to be like?” she asked quietly.

 

“I don't know,” Van said, and for the first time that evening he sounded calm, almost hopeful.

 

There wasn't much reason for Hitomi to ask him what would happen when his age finally caught up with him. They both knew that it would eventually happen. He would die and she never would. Hitomi tried not to think about it. It didn't do any good and it was so far in the future. She caught herself thinking about her children more than Van. How would things be with her children? Would she have to watch them grow old and die? Would Van? She tightened her arms around him.

 

“Please, come home with me,” she whispered. “I love you and I don't like seeing you like this. You love me too, right? You don't want to leave me alone for one more night, do you?”

 

“No, I don't want to leave you alone. I might have overreacted just now. If so, I'm sorry, but I didn't like how you looked at Folken one bit, and I guess I still haven't let go of the idea that he tried to make you his … It still feels strange to me that you're mine, after so much dreaming, you still seem impossible to me. If you say that you aren't interested in him … I'll trust you. Maybe my belief in you can become a passion of mine,” he said, putting his bare hand in Hitomi's. It was the hand that was clutching a heap of snow. The crystals didn't melt when he touched them, and he emptied the snow out of her hand. “Let's go.”