Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Mystic Wings ❯ A Wish ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter Three

A Wish

 

Van explained more things about how he used his abilities as he and Hitomi puttered about around on the lake. He talked about how he used his mind to help him access the power and said how he hoped that things would come to her as easily as they had to him. He didn't think she'd have any trouble considering the power she was able to call upon when she fought Dilandau.

 

However, regardless of his care in explaining how their gifts worked, she was becoming impatient. It was nice that he finally felt comfortable enough that he would talk about it freely, but there was something missing.

 

He had asked for one more day before they could talk about their relationship, but Hitomi was having a difficult time believing that she would be able to give it to him. It wasn't that he was specifically flirting with her, or doing anything to make it harder for her to keep quiet on a subject she was dying to talk about. It was just the way he was moving, the way he was looking in her eyes or across the water. He wasn't doing anything, but her mind was spinning out of control.

 

Van said that he wanted her birthday to be a nice day no matter what happened next. Well, what was going to happen? She was starting to become seriously anxious about what would happen when Van went to The Voltage Room. He hadn't said a word to her about whether it had been a good idea for her to promise that he would go. As she saw his casual smile she was heartsick that she had made a terrible promise to Dilandau and Van was only acting like it didn't matter because he didn't want her to worry. At the time she had felt really stuck. She had to promise Dilandau that Van would go, or they wouldn't have been able to get any assurance that they would get everyone back safely.

 

“Van?” Hitomi interrupted quietly. “What's going to happen that has you so worried that we'll never be happy like this again?”

 

“Sorry, Hitomi,” he said, shaking his head. “I'm not going to tell you. You're just going to have to wait until tomorrow.”

 

Hitomi had a hard time finding her voice, but she finally asked, “What horrible thing are you going to tell me? Whatever it is, I can handle it. I promise. I want to help you. Tell me what you think will happen.”

 

Van stared at her, obviously shocked and a little confused. “You're sweet, Hitomi. Thanks for your support, but I don't think we're thinking the same thing. You're thinking about The Voltage Room, aren't you?”

 

“Yeah,” she admitted.

 

“What's going to happen tomorrow doesn't have anything to do with that. Besides, that's weeks away. Try not to think about it,” he said lightly. “So, want to head back to the dock? I only rented this thing for an hour and it's about time for lunch.”

 

“Okay. Let's go back,” Hitomi said, picking up her paddle and helping him turn the canoe around.

 

Once they were on shore, Van took Hitomi to a café for lunch. They sat on a patio and looked at the tourists walking by. She ate a sandwich and wondered if Van was regretting letting her out in public in his underwear, but when she looked at him, he didn't seem at all bothered.

 

“This really doesn't bother you?” she asked indicating his shorts.

 

“Should it?”

 

“It's not exactly `normal',” she said to him in a pretend shy whisper.

 

He shook his head almost as if he were bored. “It's cute that you're so concerned, but I think it would probably be better if you abandoned any ideas you ever had of living a `normal' life. I've tried to live a respectable type of life. I finished high school and went to university. I had planned to go to law school, get the shiny certificate to hang on my office wall and do my part for the rat race, but something always gets in the way. So, I live the weird half-life you're seeing now and I am free to do so because of my inheritance from that woman.” He propped his head up on his palm and laughed cynically, “And I get into weirder situations by the day.”

 

“You don't think I should finish high school, then?” Hitomi asked.

 

“No, I think you should. It's only a question of when we can spare the time for you to do it.”

 

“But after that, I'll have to live a complex half-life of pretending to be a regular person when I'm not?”

 

“Something like that. All the Abaharaki know what I am, and if they were ever to discover our relationship, I think some would guess that you're like me in some way. A strong reason why I don't want it let out.”

 

“You don't think Eries is suspicious as to why we've run off together?”

 

“She might be,” he conceded. “But I've thought of a way to put everyone's fears to rest on that subject when we get back. So don't worry.”

 

“What are you going to tell them?” Hitomi asked curiously.

 

“You don't seem to like it when I lie, so I'll just keep my little falsehoods to myself until we get back. Okay?”

 

“Come on. Tell me!”

 

“No,” he said seriously giving her a level gaze. Once he was sure she wasn't going to resurrect the topic he continued, “But don't get me wrong, the life I live is not disappointing to me. I've been doing unconventional things for so long now that my little dream of being a lawyer seemed to get further and further away no matter how hard I tried. I think I knew deep down that I would never get to law school. Instead, I have to deal with more pressing matters.”

 

“So you're not disappointed?”

 

“I said I'm through with the Abaharaki, so my career choice has become moot. I was only going to become a lawyer so I could set things straight and correct some wrongs. I had hoped that I could battle my way through court and nail the Dragon Slayers the proper way, but I've changed my mind. Things can't be settled with them that way, and I'm too pissed off now to want to take things slow.”

 

“It sounds like you want revenge,” Hitomi observed, thinking of what Dilandau said about Van's true intentions. Was Dilandau right about Van? She suddenly remembered the look on Van's face when Dilandau revealed the truth about his relationship with Folken. She looked at Van's face across the table. He looked angry, but not like he had that night.

 

“Revenge doesn't even begin to describe what I want,” he said coldly, not looking at Hitomi, but at something past her. But as he spoke he seemed to realize that he was going too far and he shook his head and his facial expression shook off with him. When he looked at Hitomi again he was smiling, and he appeared to be just like his usual self. “I haven't told you what I had planned for the rest of the afternoon, have I?”

 

“No,” she said, wondering exactly how much of his behaviour was simply a pretense used to cover his real self. Like a mask he put on to make himself seem harmless when really … he was a monster underneath? Hitomi thought that she should have been turned off by this observation, but she wasn't. Needless to say, she didn't want him to go overboard. It was that her feminine nature didn't want him to be ruthless enough to hurt people, but at the same time, there was something about him that made her want to calm him down. She wanted to take his hurt feelings and bind them up until he didn't want to do reckless things.

 

“What?” Van asked, noticing her looking at him.

 

“Oh, I was just noticing how good-looking you are,” she said, saying the first plausible excuse that came into her head.

 

“That's a relief. For a second there, I thought you were going to start quizzing me again about what's going to happen tomorrow.”

 

Hitomi immediately opened her mouth to ask him, but he silenced her with a raised forefinger.

 

“Don't even,” he said, recognizing her intention. “Anyway,” he continued. “Did you see that little beach off the lake? I thought we'd head over there and see if we could find a quiet spot to get some sun. Sound good?”

 

She nodded.

 

So, when they finished their meal they headed over to the beach. It was a nice day, so it was thronged with people. Van had a blanket, so they laid it out in the best place they could find that wasn't already taken, but the place was awfully full.

 

Hitomi sat down on the blanket and Van sat down behind her putting one leg on either side of her.

 

“My cast is really bothering me today, Hitomi. Would you mind helping me take it off?”

 

“Should you take it off?” she asked uncertainly.

 

“My leg's not broken, I was just shot. It shouldn't be a problem. Come on. It's really itchy,” he complained.

 

Hitomi reluctantly helped him pull up his pant leg and unhook the buckles that were keeping it in place. The cast was actually a pretty secure piece of hardware and it was difficult to remove. When they finally did get it off, Hitomi noticed something was off right away. Where was the bandage?

 

“Van, where's your bandage?”

 

“Oh? Yeah, my leg's healed. Check it out.” He showed her his brown leg, and he was right. There wasn't a mark on him.

 

“How?”

 

“I guess that's just one more advantage of being The Dragon. I haven't been seriously hurt since I got my abilities, so I guess I never knew it before.”

 

“When did you know you were healing quickly?”

 

“The doctor told me when I woke up. He said I was healing while he was trying to stitch me up. He said I might not have needed stitches at all since Dilandau's bullet went clean through my leg. I had a scar, but when I checked last night, it was gone. I just didn't want anyone to learn about another one of my abilities. I'd like to keep something to myself, but with you - I can share anything - because you're like me. Pretty cool, huh?”

 

“Yeah. Do you think I can do that too?” Hitomi asked excitedly.

 

“I don't know, but honestly I hope you're never hurt bad enough for us to find out. So, do you want to go play in the water? I can come with you.”

 

“Wait, so that's why you didn't listen to that man who didn't want you to go canoeing if you were hurt. But why all the secrecy? This is our second day here. Couldn't you have told me?”

 

“I did tell you - just now,” he said, pulling his shirt over his head. “Come on. It'll only take us a minute to decide whether or not the water's too cold. It is only July. It might not have melted until yesterday.”

 

Van turned his back on her and Hitomi saw the thing she had once wished never to see - the moon tattoo on his shoulder blade. There was the thick black outline of the crescent moon, curved jealously wise, and the inside of it was marked with cracks, like the moon itself was about to shatter.

 

“Van,” she beckoned, trying to stop him from going too far away, she wanted to get a better look at it.

 

He turned around briefly and called to her, “Come on Hitomi!” His hand was shielding his eyes and his smile shone brightly in the afternoon sun. There was a black cord around his wrist, and the dragon tattoo by his hip was showing now. If all the girls on the beach weren't staring, Hitomi definitely was.

 

Whether it was his cheerful voice or the lure of the water, or something else entirely, Hitomi was distracted and went to go play in the water with Van.

 

Besides, it was cute to notice that he was wearing the same boxers as her.

 

***

 

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

 

What the heck?

 

“Oh yeah,” Hitomi thought. She pushed herself up on her elbows and heard Van yelling on the other side of the door.

 

He had brought her home after playing at the beach and given her the chance to have a shower and to change. Then he took her out on a date. He took her to a hotel by Lake Astral and fed her shrimp and cake and then afterwards walked with her placidly around the shopping district of the little community. There were little white lights on the green leafed trees and it was fun to see what was in the windows. He walked with his arm around her waist, and occasionally brushed her hair out her eyes. When it finally got quite late he drove her back to the cabin and dropped her off at the front door like it was a regular date and he was about to go home. He kissed her passionately on the front step for a whole half hour before he finally tore himself away and opened the front door for her.

 

“Aren't you coming in?” Hitomi asked him.

 

“No,” he said. “I've got something important to do, and now that I'm driving again I've got to take advantage of it and go take care of some business. My cell phone is crowded with messages and I can't think clearly if you're around. I'll be back later. Do me a favour though and be in bed before I get back. I'll see you later. Good night,” he said, taking her hand and kissing it warmly.

 

She watched him drive away from the front door. He sure was a secretive guy. Oh well, at least he'd kissed her. If he hadn't she wouldn't have been able to handle it for much longer.

 

Now she rubbed her sleepy eyes and came into the kitchen. Van was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a glass of milk. There was a plate of muffins beside him. They were obviously purchased this time. She saw the plastic container they came in on the counter. Not that it mattered. Hitomi always cooked when she lived with him, Miguel, and Chid. It really was a vacation for her not to have to cook so much.

 

“Good morning,” she said pleasantly, sitting down at the table.

 

“Morning,” he said back to her. “Are you ready for another fun day?”

 

“You've got more planned?” she asked incredulously.

 

“Not exactly,” he admitted. “I just wanted to take you somewhere interesting so we could have our `conversation'.”

 

“Oh yeah,” Hitomi said. “Can we go right now? I can take one of these muffins with me and I can get changed really fast.”

 

“Whenever you're ready to go,” he said, sounding like he wasn't in a hurry. He picked up his magazine and looked like he was ready to wait forever. Hitomi noticed that he was already showered and dressed. How early did he get up anyway? She didn't know if he was naturally a morning person, but he always seemed to be up early, taking care of things and going places. He'd been that way when they lived in the city too.

 

Well, even though she'd been allowed to sluff it the day before, today she wanted to look good, so she went and got in the shower. It was sort of anticlimactic to have to bother with the ritual of getting herself ready for the day when she was anxiously waiting for what Van had to say. The night before she had hardly been able to sleep she was so worried about it. Yet from what he had already revealed, it didn't sound like he was going to drop a bombshell on her … or did it?

 

Finally, she was in her bedroom putting the final touches to her makeup. Hitomi didn't usually wear much makeup and today wasn't different, but she needed to calm down and she was having such a hard time taking it easy.

 

When she came out into the hall, Van was standing in the kitchen twirling his keys on his fingers. He looked nervous.

 

“Ready?” he asked when he saw her.

 

“Yup,” she said, coming towards him.

 

Van drove her down the road to a little prairie town called Rose Hill. He had taken the convertible top down and the warm summer air was whipping Hitomi's hair around her ears and into her eyes. They drove by little country houses. People were watering their lawns and making little rainbows in the air. There were teenagers walking down the streets and old people sitting on country benches. It looked like a really sweet place. Rose Hill, huh.

 

Van drove her to a small chapel surrounded by neat little sunken graves on the outskirts of town. She had never been to a church like this before, and the cemeteries she'd been to had never been near the churches. Thus she could only surmise that the church was very old. There was no parking lot; only a driveway that looked like it hadn't been used in ages. When Van stopped the car, and Hitomi could see the building better, she decided that it must be deserted. No one had probably used it in ten years - maybe more.

 

Hitomi got out of the car and walked up the front steps of the church with Van. “Is this a special place?” she asked.

 

He shook his head. “Not really. It was just a place I looked forward to seeing on the road to Astral Lake when my aunt and uncle used to take me. It has no significance to me other than that, but I always had an idea when we drove past.”

 

“It's deserted, isn't it?”

 

“Yeah, but that doesn't matter. Would you like to go inside? I have the keys.” He took them from his pocket and opened the door. There was a front porch and then a chapel. It had old wooden weather worn pews and Hitomi saw that a part of the ceiling was broken away to reveal a tear into the world outside. It was airy enough that the room didn't smell too bad. There were dried leaves in the corners and fresh leaves falling in a broken window at the far end by the pulpit. There was a large stain glass window at the front as well of a tree with green leaves as a border. It had probably been a really beautiful place once, and indeed it still had a charm to it, though Hitomi couldn't describe it.

 

Van was striding up the aisle like he came here all the time.

 

“You sure go to some unusual lengths to ensure privacy,” she commented, following him at a slower pace.

 

He turned and looked at her. “I just don't like to do anything the ordinary way - including this.”

 

“Unconventional to the last, eh?” she said jokingly. “But we can talk now, can't we?”

 

“Unless you'd like to take a walk through the cemetery first.”

 

“Is there anything specific you wanted to show me? Or …”

 

“No, it's just a charming cemetery. I'm not morbid or anything. It's just a very old place, and I like a place with a little history to it. There's a lot of talk in town about having this old church torn down. I don't think they have any plans for moving the graves or anything like that, but this place has gone to ruin, so they're thinking of tearing it down.”

 

“Are you sad about it?”

 

“You know Hitomi,” he said, not answering her question. “I've been waiting for you to turn eighteen. Once you turned eighteen, and I got the necessary papers, I could do this, but not before.”

 

“Do what?” Hitomi asked, her eyebrows drawn together. She didn't understand what he was leading up to.

 

“I didn't get you a birthday present. Did you notice?”

 

“You didn't have to. You spent the whole day with me and made such a fuss over me it was incredible.”

 

“I wanted to do one more thing,” he said, pulling something out of his pocket and handing it to her. “I already got you a necklace, so I wanted to get you something else. A ring?”

 

Hitomi opened the box that Van put in her hand. “Oh!” Hitomi exclaimed upon seeing the bright milky stone set in silver.

 

“I'm not romantic,” he started saying.

 

“Oh, I think you are,” Hitomi breathed, reaching up to kiss him, but Van didn't seem to notice the invitation and looked down at the ground and away from Hitomi.

 

“No, I'm not. Everything I've done for you for the past two days has been the results of very careful planning on my part since I met you. Not exactly this trip, but I planned on being with you and making you feel special.” Then he looked into her eyes. “You are everything I dreamt about and more. I can't promise that our lives will be exactly as they have been for the past two days. I can't say I'll make better days than these have been either. There will be hard days in the future - that - I can promise. All I can say is that I love you and want you more than anyone ever has or ever will. I'm giving you this ring with the hope that you'll agree to marry me. Will you, Hitomi?”

 

“Van … this is so …”

 

“Abrupt? Unconventional? I know; it's both.”

 

“I want to marry you,” Hitomi said with confidence, remembering her decision under the starry sky the first night they came. Van was definitely not the prince charming she had imagined herself marrying when she was a child. She did not expect to get whisked off her feet by a man who had several tattoos and drove a black convertible. He was older than her by years, he kept secrets, was a reputed flirt, and set fire to things accidentally. What would her parents say? But even with all these strikes against Van as a perspective husband, this was what she wanted with him. Life with him would never be boring for he, himself, was so fascinating as to capture her senses and drive her to distraction. He was the perfect man for her even with all his faults; there was no one else for her.

 

“Today?” he asked.

 

“… Today?” she blurted - her eyes wide. “You want to marry me today?”

 

“I told you. I had to wait until you were eighteen before I could get a marriage license. Didn't I?”

 

“No you didn't.”

 

He ignored what she said and kissed her with wild abandon in the church aisle. Then he let go of her and headed to the exit, holding her hand and pulling her along with him. “I suppose I also left out the part where I confess that I broke into your parents' apartment to steal your birth certificate.”

 

“You did WHAT?” she hollered, hanging onto his hand and running with him.

 

He locked the doors to the church behind them and said with a broad smile, “I couldn't get a marriage license without your birth certificate. You have to be at least eighteen before you can get married without your parents' consent. Didn't you know?”