Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ The Promise ❯ Friendly acceptance. Am I dreaming? ( Chapter 2 )

Before starting I want to throw out a special thanks to my best friend and fiendish editor Kissy_Moonlight!…Love ya Babe! (Wink)

::Disclaimer:: I don't own Escaflowne, SO GET OFF MY BACK!! (grrr)

Chapter two

(Friendly acceptance, Am I dreaming?)

"Heeeellooooo!" The woman across from Hitomi called, waving her hand in front of her face trying to catch her attention. Jumping slightly she turned to her friend with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry Kari, guess I just zoned out for a second there."

"Just a second?! I have been trying to catch your attention for the past five minutes! I am really starting to worry about you Tomi." Yukari slouched back in her seat glaring at her best friend.

Amano sat next to Yukari, his arm draped across her shoulders. His handsome face showed his concern for Hitomi as he looked over at her.

"Kari's right, you haven't been yourself for a while now Hitomi. Is there something bothering you?? Maybe we can help." He said smiling gently at her while he absently rubbed his wife's shoulder.

"Tomi what is going on with you? You have been so distant these past few weeks. Is something wrong?" Kari asked, a worried frown crossing her pretty face.

"No! No…Nothing is wrong Kari! I just …I have just had a lot on my mind lately that's all." She said absently rubbing her ring finger on her left hand.

She had taken the engagement ring off before coming to join Yukari and Amano at their house earlier. Hitomi knew that they would not understand her decision to marry Alex. They were so in love, and they couldn't see how hard it was on her to see them so happy.

Her feelings were so mixed when she was around them. She was so happy for them, but then again it hurt so much to know that they had each other; that they could be with the one they loved. She felt so alone when she went back home to her apartment at night. She knew love, but could never be with him, and every time she saw how happy they were, it was like a little part of her died each time.

Reaching for her wine glass she took a sip, and stared thoughtfully down at her dish. What could she say to them?? How could she explain to them what was really wrong?? No, she could never explain it to them. They just wouldn't understand, but they sat there worrying about her, and a familiar guilt rose up once again.

She had to tell them something, they were her best friends and she knew she was worrying them. Clearing her throat she reached behind her chair and into her purse to pull out a small black jewelry box. Placing it on the table she opened it, and slid it across the varnished pine to her friends.

"Really guys I'm fine, I have just been…I have just been trying to decide how to tell you…" Hitomi watched as Yukari reached for the box and pulled it closer. "You see Alex proposed to me a few days ago and well, I-I-I have said yes." She said softly.

Yukari's head snapped up in shock, just as Amano's went down to look at the ring thoughtfully. Hitomi sat starring down at the table, her hands nervously twisting the napkin on her lap.

"Tomi you can't mean it!" She said, her knuckles whitening as she grasped the box tightly in her hands. "I mean I know you have gone out a few times, b-but this is…this is…" Words failed her as she turned her gaze away from her friends lowered face to look up at her husband. Amano returned her worried look, while reaching over to clasp the hand, which held the box, causing her to loosen her hold.

Looking away from Yukari he looked back over at Hitomi, a confused frown etched on his handsome face.

"Hitomi I don't understand, I thought you told us that you weren't really interested in Alex?" He said once again glancing at the ring within the box.

Sighing softly Hitomi took her gaze away from her lap and returned it to her friends puzzled faces. She could see the worry in their eyes and felt exhaustion begin to overtake her. How long had she trusted them, her two closest friends, with all of her secrets?

Since coming back from her adventures on Gaea, she had entrusted them with all that she had been through then, and since. When she began to lose hope of Van ever returning, they had been there to cheer her up. When she had cried as her heart was breaking, they had both been with her, and had seen her through all of the hard times. Only now, when she needed their comfort most, she could not truly explain to them what was happening to her.

Tears suddenly began to sting her eyes and she quickly looked down and reached for her glass. She picked it up and began to gently twirl the red liquid within it, willing herself to calm down, knowing that her tears would only make them worry more. Drawing a deep breath she gained control of her raging emotions and searched for the right words to explain her sudden decision.

"I know that this has come as a shock to you guys, and I guess I should have said something sooner but, I knew that you would worry, and I-I-I…" Letting out a slow breath in frustration she nervously ran a shaky hand through her hair and tried again.

"I…I know this is kind of sudden and well in the past I suppose I wasn't all that excited about him, but well he is a good man, and I…" Stopping she quickly gathered her courage and looked back into their faces.

"Alex has been good to me, and has been very patient with me. In the past I had often brushed him aside because I still held on to some child hood fantasy that my prince would come back for me but…" Hitomi paused, and looked into Yukari's sad eyes.

"It's been five years. He isn't coming back, and I have to get on with my life now."

They all knew whom she was talking about, as she had told them both of her experiences on the world of Gaea. Initially she had told Yukari about Van to ease the guilt she felt for loving Amano, but as time went by she had confided in both of them about her love for the boy she had left behind. Only one other person had ever known of her adventures, and of her feelings for Van.

They had been so good to her, believing her story without question or doubt. To anyone else it would have been a fabulous fantasy created by a troubled teenage mind, but to them it had been the truth. She had always loved them for that, for believing in her when no else but her mother, would accept her explanation for the weeks she had been missing.

Now looking at her two best friends in this world, she summoned the strength to hold back her sadness, and bring forth a small smile to her lips.

"Please don't worry. I know this is hard for you to understand but…I am happy. He can make me happy… I know he can." She said reaching over to take Yukari's hand in hers.

"But Tomi…even if that is so, do you really need to rush into something like this…I mean I know you have known Alex for a while now, but to suddenly decide to marry him is…is crazy!" Yukari cried softly, desperately holding her friends eyes as she continued to try and make her see how wrong this was.

"Hitomi Kanzaki! I am your best friend, and have been ever since you poured milk all over Tommy Tempelton to defend my honor in the third grade! I know you! I know that this is not what you want! Please…can't you just tell him you still need more time to think about it…If you just took more time I am sure you would see how wrong he is for you!" She pleaded squeezing her hand tightly.

She gently returned her friends grasp for a moment before she let go, and settled back into her chair.

"I know you are both worried, and I know you don't understand, but please just be happy for me." She pleaded now looking between Amano and Yukari, hoping they would accept her engagement and drop the subject.

Yukari looked helplessly up at her husband, but he just pulled her closer and gave her a gentle hug before bringing his attention back to Hitomi.

"Kari and I worry about you Hitomi. You are our best friend and we want to see you happy. Even though we may not understand your decision to marry Alex, we…" Sighing he turned to look down at Yukari.

"If this will make you happy, then we will stand behind you and help you in any way we can." He said giving his worried wife another gentle squeeze before looking back up at Hitomi and smiling.

"Thanks Amano." She said softly.

A small smile tugged at Yukari's lips as she looked over at her old friend.

"If you're sure it will make you happy Tomi, then congratulations." Yukari said, her smile still in place. Returning her friends smile, Hitomi felt the tension in her begin to ease, as she watched their acceptance slowly replace their worry for her.

Looking at her watch Hitomi noticed it was just a little after six and began to rise from the table.

"Wow I didn't realize it was so late. You guys must be exhausted after all the unpacking and the dinner preparations! Here let me help you clean up." She said lifting her dish.

Amana stood as well and began to assist Yukari as she tried to stand, the added baby weight making her a bit awkward.

"Oh for heavens sake Tomi, put that stuff down, we invited you over to have dinner not to stay and help with cleanup." She said rolling her eyes in exasperation.

Hitomi began to protest but her friend cut her off, holding her hand up to stop her.

"No 'but's', we didn't ask you here to work, besides you have already helped so much with the move this was a thank you dinner more than anything! Do you really want to spoil my dinner by arguing with me about the cleanup?" She asked throwing her friend an insulted look.

Laughing softly Amano looked over at Hitomi. "I find it is best to just listen to her when she begins to throw orders around." Yukari teasingly hit him on his arm before grabbing away the dishes that Hitomi held and making her way to the kitchen.

Smiling, Hitomi turned back to Amano and helped him clear the rest of the table despite both her friends' earlier protest. "shhhh…" she whispered. "It will be our little secret." Winking, she followed Amano back to the kitchen her arms loaded with the rest of the dinner plates.

A short while later after gathering her things, she hugged her very pregnant friend good night and went over to the living room to grab her coat before having Amano drive her back to her apartment.

"Give Amano a second Tomi! I need to borrow him before you go." Yukari called before dragging her husband back into the kitchen.

She turned around to face him as he slipped his arms around her and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Mano, I'm worried about this engagement." She said quietly closing her eyes as she laid her head against her husband's chest. Sighing deeply, he loosened his hold to look down at her worried face.

"She is making a mistake." She said sadly her finger circling a small button on his shirt.

"I know." He said raising her chin to look into her eyes. "But it is up to her to decide that." He said as he softly kissed the worry from her brow. "Until then all we can do is hope she comes to her senses before it's to late." He said quietly.

"I know, but can you try to talk to her again I know she will listen to you Mano. Please try again!" she said her voice rising slightly in agitation. Kissing her softly he released her and reached into his front pocket to draw out his car keys.

"Ok Kari, for you I will try to talk to her again, but I don't think it will do any good just now. I don't think she is ready to listen yet." Nodding sadly, Yukari followed him back out into the entrance hall to once again wish her friend good night.

~~ 0 ~~

Hitomi quickly slipped out of the passenger side of the car and turned to lean back in to give the driver a small smile.

"Thanks for the ride Amano." She said ducking her head back out and gently closing the car door behind her. Walking around the back of the car, she dug into her purse and pulled out her apartment key. Clasping it tightly in her hand she began to make her way up the walkway leading to her small apartment complex.

"Hitomi wait!" Amano called as he open the car door and slid out.

Turning back she waited for Amano to reach her. Amano took a few steps towards her and stopped.

"Hitomi…I know we have been through this, and I know that you have made your decision, but…" He reached a hand behind his head and scratched it, thoughtfully looking down at the pavement.

"You're making a mistake." He said raising his eyes back to her face. It was now Hitomi's turn to look away, searching for the words to reassure her friend.

"Please Hitomi, take more time to consider your decision. I know things have been hard for you, but this isn't the answer. You will only end up hurting yourself and Alex if you go through with this." Amano brought his hand down from behind his head and stepped toward her again. Bringing her gaze back to his she smiled and stepped forward to embrace him.

"Oh Amano, You and Yukari really are the best of friends. And it warms my heart that you are both so worried about me but…" Stepping out of his arms she looked back up at him smiling softly. "Please stop worrying about me, I know what I am doing."

Sighing sadly Amano once again reached out to gently hug her. Stepping back he smiled back down at her, a sad look lingering in his eyes.

"Kari and I will always worry about you Hitomi, we can't change that. But …If this is what you really want, we will support you."

"Thank you." Forcing out a small laugh she smiled up at him and poked him in the ribs.

"You and Kari have enough to worry about with the baby on the way, my engagement should be the last thing on your minds." Shaking his head he chuckled.

"I know, can you believe it! Kari and I are actually gonna be parents." Giggling in earnest at his embarrassed reaction she took his left hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Don't worry Amano, you and Kari are going to be great parents."

Returning the gesture, he gave her hand a firm squeeze before letting her hand go.

"I can only hope!" Laughing softly he turned his to look back towards the car.

"I guess I should get going. All that cooking this afternoon wore Kari out, and I said I would be back to help her clean up." Nodding, Hitomi raised her hand in farewell then stepped back to watch as he slipped into his seat.

Standing there numbly with her hand once again raised in farewell, she waited till his car was out of sight before letting her false smile slip from her lips. She knew her friends were worried about her decision to marry Alex, but she knew that this was her one chance to start over again, and not let her dreams and wishes rule her life anymore.

Sighing she watched as the last of the sun faded from the sky, once again bringing a view of the stars that hide from its warm light. Gazing up at the brightest, she thought back over her conversation with her fiancé earlier in the day.

She knew he would be going out of town for the weekend, so she had called his cell phone hoping to reach him before his flight left. He had been so happy when she had told him that she would marry him, but for her own feelings…there had been nothing but sadness.

Alex had been so excited, he had wanted to cancel his trip and take her out to dinner later tonight. She had convinced him not to, telling him that she had already made plans a week before to visit her friend's new home. Reluctantly he had agreed to wait till Monday to celebrate their engagement with everyone.

Lowering her gaze from the stars she turned and slowly made her way back up to dark and lonely apartment. Walking with her head down she thought about the conversation she had with her friends earlier that afternoon. She had felt so guilty when she saw a small bit of hurt enter Yukari's eyes. Clasping her left hand, she rubbed her ring finger and wondered why she still hesitated to put it on.

A small bit of doubt began to enter her mind and she thought 'What if they are right?'

She knew she didn't love Alex but she had been alone for so long waiting for her dreams to come true that she had never thought about the 'what if's'. Such as what if he never came back? Five years was a long time to wait for someone you were never really sure had loved you in the first place.

Yukari and Amano wedding last year had opened her eyes to all that she was missing while she waited for him. But if he had never felt the same way, than why was she waiting? Was she just going to wait the rest of her life for her king to come back? These questions had plagued her ever since then, and it had only been with Alex's proposal that she had finally come to the conclusion that Van had moved on with life. Now it was her turn to do the same.

But even now with her decision made, it was still hard for her to let go of something that had been so important to her for so long. She even found that her mind would play tricks on her to help her cope with her heartache. A hazy memory of last night came to mind, and she inwardly sighed at her own stupidity.

She had wanted so badly to see a sign that Van was coming back, that she had woken up to a vision of floating feathers. Blinking rapidly she had quickly looked around her room only to see that there was nothing there. Later in the day, before making her way to Yukari and Amano's new house, she had thought she had seen Van ahead of her on the crowded sidewalk. She had hurried to catch up, but when she reached the corner that he had gone around there was no one there.

She sighed in disgust as she thought to herself 'Hitomi you are definitely losing it.'

Pulling her coat closer around her she began to quicken her pace, anxious to get in from the cold night air.

Frowning, she hurried around the corner of her building eager to get back to her apartment and slip into a warm bath, when all of the sudden she collided with something very solid. Her breath left her in a rush as she stumbled backwards. Instinctively she reached out to catch herself but found that a pair of strong arms wrapping around her stopped her fall.

Looking down in embarrassment she quickly withdrew from the stranger's arms and began to apologize.

"Oh! I …I am so sorry, I should have watched where I was going!" she said as she knelt down to gather up her purse and the black box that had fallen out when she dropped it. That done, she looked around for her apartment key all the while still profusely apologizing. Noticing them by the stranger's boots she leaned over to reach for them just as he knelt down to pick them up. There hands met and a shock of electricity shot up her arm at the mans touch.

Her head snapped up, and her breath caught in her throat as she looked into a pair of very familiar eyes. Intense eyes, so dark, like warm chocolate. She could drown in them.

She closed her eyes for a moment drawing in a breath. Was she dreaming again? Like she had earlier this afternoon?

She opened them slowly and her eyes once again meet warm chocolate. Her breathing became rapid as she began to panic. His hand still held hers above her keys, and a finger moved to lightly brush her pulse where her heart beat rapidly.

"V-Van?" She whispered, still having trouble catching her breath. 'No, No, No!' her mind screamed over and over again.

"Hello Hitomi." He said softly, as he starred intently back at her.

He was here! After all this time he was here. He wasn't an illusion, he wasn't a dream, he was real, he'd returned. Her king now knelt before her his eyes staring in to hers, and all she felt was the overwhelming pain, of a love so long suppressed. Tears began to gather in her eyes as her heart burst with joy and sadness.

'What have I done!' Her thoughts cried, as her mind gave way and her world went black.

Author's Notes::

Well that's it for my second chapter! Hope you guys are enjoying it so far, as I have no way of knowing because you people never review!!! (Scream) **Sigh** Anywayz!! I have already written up the third chapter but it needs some fine-tuning before I can post it! After I post the third chapter I will be stopping for the holidays. Whether I continue to write more will ultimately depend on you guys. I want to hear feedback from my readers good or bad. I am open to criticism as long as there is good reason behind it! If you want to know more about my story look at the chapter entitled Story notes. I will try to answer any question posted to me through there. Well all, I am outta here!! Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!! CvR