Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ With Eyes Unclouded ❯ Run to You ( Chapter 5 )

"Heh… heh… heh…" I smiled weakly at the raven-haired teen that was, quite frankly, staring at me, "Hey…"

"Will you two please excuse us?" Van asked; his eyes not leaving my face.

I felt all the blood drain from my face.

I'm going to die.

"Well, I know when I'm not wanted," The cat girl sniffed, wiping away a fake tear, "Let's go cause chaos and destruction else where Rena."

Rena shot me a supportive smile as she and Merle made a tactful retreat, leaving me to face Van alone.

Van turned and slowly smiled at me, his deep brown eyes searching my face for something, long after Merle and Rena's footsteps faded into nothing down the hall…

I shivered in spite of myself under his gaze and looked away. His smile faded slowly as he saw me look away, and he nervously ran his fingers through his hair as he awkwardly shifted his feet as he sorted out his thoughts into words.

"Do you mind if we sit---?"

I shook my head, not trusting my voice as I sunk back down on the sofa where I had been sitting before, pulling a blanket protectively around my nearly bare shoulders.

Van sighed, and gingerly sat down next to me,well, next to in the sense we where about three feet apart.

We where both avoiding each other's eyes by this point, I was fidgeting with the tangled blanket between nervous glances at him.

The silence was almost deafening.

Van coughed loudly, making me look at him eye-to-eye "So…how are you feeling?"

"Better… thanks…" I paused, lowering my eyes from his so I could study the blanket with renewed interest. "And you?"

"Tired… very tired…" He sighed and leaned back farther against the sofa, closing his eyes. "Merle was keeping you company because I've been stuck in final negations for the better part of the day…" He sat up, looking at me closely, "Are you sure you're feeling alright? You still look rather pale…"

I nodded, closing my eyes as I leaned lethargically back on the sofa.

I could feel his eyes on me and I shivered, suddenly wishing that I were wearing something else other then my somewhat revealing nightgown… like a pair of baggy sweatpants and an oversized turtleneck kind of something.

We drifted back into the awkward silence, neither of us knowing where to start.

I slowly opened one eye and quickly glanced over at him. He was staring up at the ceiling, his unnerving eyes glazed over with thought, his wild hair covering one of his eyes.

He wasn't bad looking to say the least; in fact I thought he was rather… well… you know…

And with that stupid warm, fuzzy feeling I seem to get when I'm around him welling up in my chest I just wanted to--- no… no… I'm not even going to go there.

His head lolled to the side, and he looked at me questioningly.

"What?" He asked, a faint smile tugging at his mouth.

"Excuse me?" I asked, my face heating up, embarrassed to be caught staring.

He shrugged and looked back up at the ceiling, "You just looked like you wanted to ask me something."

I laughed, and joined him in the staring contest with the ceiling, "Where to start…"

"The beginning is usually the best place."

"Right… So…" I looked away, suddenly even more unsure of myself, "D-Did you ever meet my family?"

Pause.

"Once. A little after your 16th birthday."

"What where they like?"

Van smiled at me, draping his arm over the back of the sofa. "They were… really nice… and they loved you a lot."

"Tell me about them," I bit my lip, daring to look him in the eyes, "Please?"

Pause.

"Alight…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Things went smoother after that, between Van and me. There still was the awkward teenage moments where you probably could've cut the tension with a knife and served it up on a silver platter, but they where short-lived.

Van described my entire family to me, from my hyper baby brother named 'Ari' to my orange kitten named 'Rikku'.

Mind you, the conversations were slightly one-sided, but I tried not to show how much it hurt me. Because it did.

A lot.

I can't describe how pathetic I felt, I felt like I was looking into a window from the outside into my life, and the blinds where drawn.

It was frustrating, heart retching and most of all: terrifying.

"What's wrong?"

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, vainly attempting a weak smile for him, "Nothing… I'm just…" I took a shaky breath, "I'm just a little tired… that's all."

"Hitomi…" He moved to brush away a tear that I had missed. I tensed up and pulled away.I've already fallen crying into the guy's arms once, and I wasn't aiming for it to be twice.

He swallowed hard then, and looked away, his eyes glazed over again.

"Do you want me to stay?" He whispered, not looking at me.

I blinked a few times, trying to keep from crying in front of him, "No… I'll be fine…"

He nodded and leaned forward, roughly kissing my forehead before he pulled away and got up.

"Try to get some rest, okay…?" He said over his shoulder as he disappeared out of the room.

I nodded, waiting until he was gone for sure before a sob escaped my throat.

Tears streaming down my face as I curled up in the feudal position on the couch.

I barely even know him…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ari!"

The little boy stops suddenly, and his small body almost would've appeared to be made of stone if it wasn't for his shaking.

"Hitomi?" His voice breaks childlike as he whispers in a small voice.

"Ari?" The voice calls out again.

He spin around frantically, trying to find her, as his green eyes are glazed with tears.

He can see her out the corner of his eye, and he runs towards he like he did that Fateful day on the track field.

She opened up her arms reflexively as he tackled her, his body shaking with sobs.

"Hitomi… please… I just want you to… to come back home."

He opens his mouth to tell her how much he's missed her but a flash of white light surrounds them, trying to pull the siblings apart. The girl screams screaming at for the younger one not to let go of her no matter what, and he tries… you have to believe that he tries to… he… he couldn't stop it though; his screams keep him company long after she was taken away in the sky.

"HITOMI!"

"Noooooooooo!"

Ari bolted upright on the couch; his body covered with cold sweat as his own scream pulled him from the dream.

Gasping for breath, he runs his hands through his light sandy hair, trying to calm himself.

That was the fifth time this week he's had that dream of her… He bits his lip, drawing blood as his body shakes with dry sobs.

The faint sound of bare feet make their way across the wood floor.

Too tired to look up, Ari simply sighs as Amano tucks the blanket around him tighter, the older man's tongue clicking with worry as he sees the faint trails of tears across the boy's cheeks.

"… Don't worry Ari… We'll find her… I swear…"

Ari nods, closing his small green eyes as he curls up into the warmth of the older man.

It just keeps getting worse… Amano thinks ruefully, I just wish that she'd---

No.

I'm not going to think about that.

I'm not going to think about how Hitomi might never come home again.

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne in any way, shape or form. And if anyone wants to see some VxH action, you better drop me a review, *&%*&$ it!

Version 8

(8/7/03)