Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Yours and Mine ❯ The Couple ( Chapter 1 )

Like a dream she waltzed into my life…no! Her presence was all around me…from the moment I could call out "Mommy!" I felt her, felt her gaze on me. I was playing in a sandbox when I first realized it. There was an odd feeling, a feeling of someone looking at me. My spine tingled, and as I whirled around there was nothing…nobody. And when I met her, I was sixteen months. She was so small, so tiny, and her big eyes so trusting. My mother still tells me, her eyes filling with warmth every time she does, that the first time I saw her there was one desire in me: I wanted to hold her in my arms. When my mother said no and instead held the fragile bundle, I had kissed the baby's forehead. My mother said she could nearly swear the baby had smiled. That baby was Hitomi Kanzaki.

~*~

"Van…?" She murmured sleepily as she gazed up at the star strewn sky.

"Yes?" He whispered, his voice coming out hoarse. They made a sweet picture lying there side by side on their sleeping bags in the balcony. His gaze shifted to the female beside him. Her silken honey-colored hair was spread carelessly on the bag, her light eyelashes long and thick, and her eyes…her eyes were the most startling feature that she possessed. They were green, the most verdant anyone had ever seen.

"On these nights, I feel so glad to be alive. So glad that I still have time. I can't help wonder if I'll ever see such a night like this with you again." She exhaled deeply.

His throat felt choked and again his voice became hoarse. "Don't think like that! You'll witness many a nights like this. You still have time." And then he repeated, almost trying to convince himself rather than her. "You still have time."

Lightly trying to evade the uncomfortable topic she grinned. "I won't have time to enjoy your company," she met his eyes in mock solemnity, "that Annette girl, already has eyes on you," referring to the girl she had met Van talking to one day when she had gone to meet him at his college nearby. The girl had been practically ogling at him and always wanted to touch him.

If Hitomi thought it would get a smile from, she thought wrong. His deep baritone grew serious and low. "Hitomi---you know that it's only you that I can come as close as to say that I…love."

Her lips curved into a beatific smile, "Of-course."

He frowned. "I know you tried to change the topic, however."

They were silent as both contemplated about the other.

An odd smile stole over her lips, and she asked softly, tentatively. "It's still hard for you, isn't it?"

His voice was ravaged with emotion as he said heatedly. "Bloody hell, it is!" His chest heaved greatly and Hitomi turned to her side, edged closer to her best friend, and laid a hand on his chest to calm him, not realizing the heat she poured into him with the slightest touch of her hand.

"Van…"

"Damn it! I don't want to let you go!" His arms involuntarily came around her waist and pulled her closer.

She laid her head on his chest, her arms wrapping around his neck, looking much like a child rather than the eighteen year old she was.

"Van? Don't go tonight. Stay with me. I am scared."

"I won't." It took great effort to hold the tears as he spoke in his choked voice. He held her close in a tight cocoon of warmth. Oh gods, he never wanted to let go of her. Never.

They stayed in that position for a few minutes as he heard her soft breaths inhaling and exhaling. His lungs were burning fiercely as he swallowed. He blinked furiously, suppressing the burn in his eyes that had suddenly sprung and looked down at the angelic creature in his arms.

"Hitomi? Sweet?" Only her deep breaths answered his call. She was asleep.

With the gentleness of a lamb, he carefully gathered her frail body into his arms and stepped into her room, bent down and laid her gently in the king sized bed. He watched the rise and fall of her breasts quietly for a few moments, debating whether to stay or to go. The Kanzaki's knew he wouldn't do anything to harm their daughter. He would give his life to protect her.

Tiredly, he unbuttoned his shirt and let it slide off his powerful shoulders. The soft cotton top of his undergarment clung soothingly to him as his trembling hands parted the covers. He gracefully slid under them and sat up to cover his friend up to her neck. He sat gazing at her in a mesmerized fashion and bent down to her forehead, he gently kissed her, his touch as light as a feather.

He almost swore her lips curved into a smile.

With a heavy heart, he lay beside her, her warmth already seeping through him. Dammit, life wasn't fair! She was innocent, so sweet, so fresh, so…young. Why her? He would've gladly given his life away, but why in hell did it have to be her?

Her movement jerked him back to reality. She moaned slightly and snuggled closer to him, her head resting in the hollow of his neck, while her hand lay limp around his neck.

He cursed his body for betraying him so swiftly. He restrained his urges, urges too animalistic and almost sinful for this delicate creature from heaven. He inhaled her smell; a scent that was found in a garden after it rained, drew her closer, and placed his lips on her soft hair.

The crickets chirped gaily as stars outside twinkled in a friendly manner.

A thought floated in his mind as the drugging sleep took over his senses.

Why in bloody hell did she have to have cancer?

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne, or any of its characters. The story, however, is original and is the creation of my mind. And if you think, it may be similar to A Walk to Remember, trust me, it isn't. It wasn't even inspired by that movie and it's a pretty different story here.

Author's Note: Sorry about its length. This story is going to have three more chapters to it (hopefully that will be longer than this one!). Hope you've liked it so far. Do review. I write for the readers so if nobody likes it…then I'll just discontinue it. More of the wholesome V/H fluff coming up in the next chapters!