Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Escaflowne or its characters. I am making no profit off writing this story.

Notes: This fic was inspired by a dream I had after I vegged out on Escaflowne for three whole days. ^_^ I know that as for background information, this fic is very vague, but that's the way I wanted it to be. I hope you all enjoy...drop me a line! ^_^ P.S. This all takes place at Van's castle. ^_~ Hope you all like!!

Reunion

by: Icicle Raindream

I opened my eyes.

The room was dark, the pale moonlight shining gracefully across the floor, the thick maroon curtains blowing with the breeze that sailed through the open windows to my right. I glanced quickly around, then spotted a tall figure standing by the foot of my bed. I knew without a second glance that it was Van.

"G-gomen!" he started, obviously feeling like he got caught red-handed. "The maid said she left the windows open and I wanted to make sure you weren't cold." He took a hesitant step towards me, no doubt trying to read my reaction before he proceeded with his explanation. "You didn't answer when I knocked and when I saw that you were asleep I didn't want to wake you."

I smiled into the darkness, then shifted to my side in bed, under the thick covers. I patted the mattress next to me, inviting him to sit. He obliged, and silence fell over the room. He knew then that I didn't mind his small intrusion.

Van sat at the edge of the bed, down where my legs rested against the mattress. His hands were folded over his thighs, and he stared at the floor-to-ceiling windows in front of him, which opened up to a magnificent balcony outside my room. I had spent more than an hour before bed just standing on that balcony, taking in the splendor that was the new, rebuilt, thriving Fanelia.

"It's beautiful," I whispered then, watching as Van settled one hand on the blanket next to me. "Even more beautiful than when I left."

Van knew I was talking about Fanelia. I saw a smile emerge onto his features at my compliment, and he glanced over his shoulder at me. His eyes gleamed in the darkness, his wild midnight hair unchanged from the day I met him. The silk strands fell into his face, framing it. "Arigatou," he whispered humbly.

I unearthed my left hand from under the covers and slid it over to his, covering his fingers with mine. As I gripped his hand, he gripped back, curling his fingers slightly underneath mine, holding them in place. He looked back out towards the windows.

We sat in comfortable silence, the breeze flowing through the curtains, tussling Van's hair, disheveling the satin coverings that canopied my bed. I observed him, let my eyes run over his features, which I hadn't laid eyes on in five years.

There were only a few changes about him, changes that made me realize I was more attracted to him than ever. True, when I had left, we had had a certain understanding between the two of us: that we each meant the world to one another, and nothing would stop us from protecting each other. But now, when looking at him five years later, there was something else about him, something that drew me even closer to him than before, a stronger bond.

He sat on my bed, relaxed, though his posture held the beauty and admiration of that of a king. Unlike five years ago, when he had been only recognized as king, now he fit the bill perfectly. Even without meaning to, he demanded the respect that a king deserved. His hair, as mentioned before, hadn't changed, and the only difference in his eyes was the years in them, the years we had spent apart, where maturity and wisdom now lay, rooted inside the dark orbs. He was taller now and more well-defined, his skin tanned from the days spent outside, helping to rebuild his own castle, and his nation. His hands had grown into those of a man, yet they retained the youthful innocence from five years ago, the soft tenderness with which he had once embraced me before our parting.

"Hitomi..." Van turned to me suddenly, interrupting my thoughts of his appearance. He looked directly into my eyes, somehow pinpointing them with deadly accuracy through the shallow darkness. It was frightening for a second, until Van let go of my hand and reached with both of his up around his neck.

I watched as he lifted my pendant from his throat, over his head. He pooled it in one hand, then offered his palm to me. I sat up, letting the bedclothes fall to my lap, looking at his hand curiously.

"I want you to wear it," he told me, his voice low. "Just for as long as you're here."

I reached towards his open palm reluctantly, my brow crinkled. "Van--"

"For protection," he cut in, his voice gaining volume. "There hasn't been a war on Gaea since you left, but I would feel better if you had it with you anyway."

I couldn't clamp down my smile as I reached to his hand and removed the pendant. "Okay," I agreed softly, lifting the gold chain over my head. Van nodded as the necklace fell into place, a wan smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

We lapsed back into comfortable silence.

It had only been quiet for a matter of minutes, because suddenly, I found myself crawling out from under the bedsheets, towards Van. He turned to me, taken slightly aback, but when I settled myself next to him, my legs curled up on the bed, he faced me, bringing one leg up on the mattress for leverage. He looked at me, directly into my eyes again, and I could see the happiness that now tinged his face. So many times before I had seen sadness on his features, felt his pain through my chest, that this, I decided, was a nice change of pace. Something I could get used to—seeing Van look at me this way. He looked settled and peaceful, and I wanted him to stay that way.

"Van..."

"Hitomi...?"

I wanted to say something more, and I think Van knew it, but he didn't ask any questions, just sat still in front of me, waiting. What I had been thinking wouldn't come to me in words, and I floundered for a second, then threw any forming sentences out of my head. Instead, I leaned towards him, my arms reaching for his neck. Once I latched onto him, I felt him go rigid, but when I placed my head against his shoulder, he relaxed again, his arms coming up from behind me, holding me to him. I snuggled deeper, taking drawn-out breaths of him, my eyes closed. He smelled just as I had remembered him: like a sunny day spent outside in a breezy field, where lush grass and multi-colored flowers bloomed.

I sighed in the darkness, feeling as his arms tightened against my back, fingers splayed out against the cotton of my pajamas. Van's head turned, his nose buried in my hair. His heart had sped up a tiny bit, jumping against his ribcage gently. It was a soothing sound to me.

"Van," I began, my voice breaking cleanly through the darkness. "It's been five years. Five years since I was on Gaea, five years since you and I were together. Five years since I could hear your voice."

On cue, Van responded. "Hitomi..." He sounded slightly surprised, yet he said my name with a deep undertone that led me to believe he had waited for me to say this to him for as long as we had been apart.

"I missed you," I continued. "I didn't realize how much until I saw you again."

Van's arms tightened again around me, holding my upper body pressed against his, with no separation between us. As I spoke against the skin of his neck, I could feel his heartbeat pick up pace, thudding harder against his ribs.

"I love you, Van Fanel. I have loved you since the day I came to Gaea."

When the words left my mouth, Van crushed me against him, his arms locking around my back. His heart raced in my ear, his breath caught in his throat. His face was now buried entirely in my hair, his head bowed. He held me tighter than anyone ever had before, and I clung back to him, as if I were afraid of slipping out of his embrace.

He held me earnestly for a few minutes, then withdrew his face from my hair. He pulled back slightly, enough so that I could lift my head from his warm shoulder and look into his face, into those calm yet passionate eyes, emblazoned with unspoken emotion. He took a shaky breath upon seeing my face, then closed his eyes, a small smile stretching across his lips. He squeezed me to him gently, bowing his head again. Through the dark I could see the tear in his right eye, hanging on to his ebony lashes for dear life. I reached up with my left hand and wiped it away, smoothing over the silky skin of his cheek.

His eyes still shut, Van reached up with his right hand and captured my left one as it descended his face, his left arm picking up the right's slack, still holding me against him as tightly as before. He intertwined his fingers with mine, the heat from his hand melting into my skin and soaking down my arm. His lips parted slightly, and I heard him take another ragged breath, as if his body were shaking, though it really wasn't. He squeezed my hand, turning his face momentarily back to my hair, then opened his eyes and looked back at my face, locking his gaze on me.

I smiled drowsily at him, my right arm nearly numb from the pressure of being hooked around his neck so tightly. Our connected hands withered down, where Van pinned them against his chest, against the warm, soft material of his shirt. He stared intently into my eyes, looking as though he wanted to ask a question but had lost the use of his voice.

All at once, the intensity of his unasked question shot through my body, first hitting me in the chest, where it struck my heart with a lightning fast shock of realization, then searing through my stomach, and branching off down to my legs. I blinked at him, my eyes locked into his, and it was my turn to take a breath. It was sharp, as was his silent inquiry, and the only answer I could give him was a slight lift of my chin, a parting of my lips, and the natural reaction of my eyes falling closed. Van leaned in, holding my hand flat against the right side of his chest, and kissed me tenderly, obliterating any past pains of separation.

Everywhere...everything...all of it was warm. Van's arms, his body pressed against mine, his hand holding mine to him, his mouth...warm. And strong...muscles taut, somehow both strained and relaxed at the same time. His breath over my cheek sent a shiver and a stroke of heat through me, and when his lips returned to mine, I grasped the front of his shirt in my fist, allowing his fingers to curl over mine. His kisses lasted for what seemed like eternity, and when he pulled away, I felt no disappointment, for the five-year gap between us had been bridged.

I glanced quickly into his face, feeling the heat rise into my cheeks. I let go of his shirt, brushing my hand against the wrinkles, then laced my fingers in with his again. Impossibly, he pulled me even closer to him, and I placed my head back against his shoulder, feeling our hearts pounding against one another in synchronized rhythm. He turned his face, eyes closed, into my hair, and we two sat, holding each other, catching our breath. I inhaled him deeply again, letting his scent reverberate throughout my senses.

I don't know how long we went without talking, but when Van spoke, my body reacted, as if all of me perked up at the first note of his voice. He spoke against my hair, his breath falling over my ear, voice drifting through my head.

"Hitomi...welcome back."

I smiled against his shoulder, squeezing him. I closed my eyes, nodding humbly.

"Arigatou...Van."