Social Stalker

Chapter One: Avariciously Good Aim, Girlie

By: Seraph-Anaesthesia

Disclaimer: Yeah, I own Escaflowne AND I'm the Queen Of England!

(Nah, I dun own it. )

Summary: 'An online dating service? Man, that's so stupid.' Yet she found herself clicking on it anyway. Dilly/Hitomi AU!!

A/N: Okay, m'dears. I have decided that this will be my 'first' official fan fiction. Before, I was so inexperienced while writing 'Badges Of Honor' and 'Hitomi Kanzaki And A Semester Abroad.' (Take heed that I wrote these only a month ago. Tee hee!)

I am going to dedicate my entire being into this tiny little computer program on the glamorous site filled with stories and authors that I could only dream of competing with. I will not be stopping my other stories, and I encourage you to read them, but I will begin anew on this very day, 11/19/04. This is, err, will be, my best work. I truly deeply mostly hope that you enjoy it and the plot I have created for you. Arigatou!

"Pass me the brandy glass, will ya, Hitomi girl?" Van's voice was slurred with the effect of alcohol that had been bestowed on him recently. Hitomi frowned lightly, and hid the glass away from him behind the bar counter. Her emerald eyes were firm with concern for her boyfriend, she was 'working' even though it was her twentieth birthday, and she was supposed to be partying. She brushed a lock of golden-brown short hair behind her pierced ears, and glared at the drunken man before her.

"No, Van. I think seventeen glasses is enough." Hitomi dried another one of the crystal glasses, it still looking dull in the dim light of the bar area. She could faintly make out all of her friends dancing in the crowd, swaying bodies to the music with sheer delight of the rhythm. Hitomi smiled lightly and wished she could be that free, so full of life and love. But she knew this was her job and her life and...her responsibilities. The emerald-eyed girl was going to get a good job, finish college with a good degree, and marry the love of her life. Whoever that was... Hitomi mentally face-faulted at her pathetic-ness.

"Give it to me now, dammit or I won't love you anymore! Stupid bitch, you will obey me!" Van shouted angrily as he spread out across the bar counter, and Hitomi gulped as she saw his red-brown eyes were filled with some unnamed emotion that was in them. He looked like he was about to kill something in his drunken state, and Hitomi unconsciously backed away with fear. But of course, no one on the dance floor could see the scene in the corner that was erupting like a volcano as Van pulled out a knife. "Scared now, are we?" Hitomi just glared at him with a sad look, as Van suddenly lost that hung-over state in his eyes. It took her a brief moment to fully realize that he wasn't kidding. The knife that was there was really becoming closer.

"Van, put the knife down. Don't do anything you'll regret. Don't do this Van! Don't do this!" Van was coming closer, a stark-raving mad look in his eyes. Hitomi was backed up into the corner of the bar, and her eyes were wide in barely contained fear. She tried to call out for help, but the dryness of her throat was not helping her swallow the lump that had seemed to form there. Hitomi closed her eyes tightly and hid beneath her bangs and waited for the strike to come. When she felt nothing but air swim by her, she peeked open one eye. The first thing Hitomi saw was silver hair and red eyes staring directly into hers. They were merely inches apart, and his eyes probed her soul as if he was a God himself. Hitomi stuttered lightly. "How...w...what? Van is? ...Happened?"

The young man smirked, backing away and holding up the lifeless form of the man who tried to previously attack Hitomi. He got up in her face again, that arrogant expression returning to his pale yet handsome features, finally reaching the crimson rubies that seemed to be embedded in his eye sockets. Hitomi reached up to brush a lock of her own hair away from her eyes, only to have the boy's free hand reach up and toss the tendril away for her. He then looked back down at the unconscious Van, holding him up by the collar of his shirt. "Is...THIS, what you're looking for, woman?"

Hitomi suddenly twitched with anger at the man. Just who did he think he was?! She had the entire situation under control! She didn't need his help, or his egotistical remarks. Hitomi glared at him and proceeded to swat him away, only to find that his grin just became wider. "What do you think?"

The young woman looked at him with frustrated eyes as he innocently put a finger to his chin and pretended to be the immature child that he was acting like. Hitomi couldn't help but blush as she saw the pack of stomach muscles that shown through the tight white T-shirt he was wearing. Fingerless gloves and a black leather trench coat completed the look, along with black jeans and combat boots.

"Well, I dunno...One would simply assume that this..." He paused and looked at the drooling Van with disgust. "...Thing would be yours by the way you knew his name, and panicked when he came near you. But then again, one could only assume." Pretending to be innocent when you were a man who had spilt the blood of other so many times might have been hard for any other, but Dilandau decided to put those days behind him. He would show everyone around him that he was normal, well...As normal as one could get when being a psychotic pyromaniac on one side and a dreamy Prince Charming on the other. Dilandau just kept smiling, failing to realize that this one simple turn of the lips was the first real feeling he had felt in quite a while.

Hitomi could only stare in awe as she watched the young man smile, and leaned in closer to him, cocking her head to the side lightly. Her emerald eyes were looking at him with honest curiosity and bewilderment. Dilandau had to stifle a laugh at how childish she looked right then. Hitomi just asked him straight on. "Who are you? Why did you save me?" Her voice was clear, she made sure of it. The tortured lump in her throat was now replaced by the flustered beating, no, pounding of her heart. Dilandau blinked at her with surprise. Before smile, and grabbing her hand, kissing the top lightly, mocking her.

"Dilandau. Dilandau Albatou."

Hitomi blushed at his actions, and muttered with an embarrassed voice and cursed the vocal cords that seemed to be failing her right then and there. She fumbled with the pink pendant around her neck and smiled lightly while still looking down. "Hitomi Kanzaki...But please. Tell me why you saved me?" Hitomi knew that this was no time to be thinking about dangerous and yet heroic men that just pop out of nowhere when your jack-ass EX-boyfriend is about to wake up from that wonderful state of unconsciousness that the previous dangerous yet heroic man knocked him in to. But consciousness was not the only state in the crowded bar. Hitomi could of sworn that she was simply emitting waves of confusion.

"Would you rather me have just left you there to have someone that you obviously cared about, "He paused, looking slightly disgusted and hurt. "Plunge a knife into your heart and bring you to your death?" Dilandau tried to smile at Hitomi, but it seemed as if the realization of the assumed relationship between the guy he had just injured and the girl he had just met, and yet was strangely attracted to. The hurt look stayed in his eyes, but Dilandau simply could not see why it wasn't going away. Hitomi just blinked at his question with her nose wrinkled in a cute expression of confusion.

"Umm...no?" She brought her hands up to her chest as if to protect herself from getting too close to him. Hitomi looked up at him with her emerald eyes, and found herself drowning in two pools of liquid fire. Dilandau was in the same situation, trying to find an end to the hazy green depths.

"Well, that's reason enough now, isn't it?" Dilandau was once again smirking at her with that expression she seemed to love, and yet hated. What was happening to her? Hitomi had only met this guy a few minutes ago, and already found herself wanting to know everything about him. He just grinned wider as if he sensed every single bit of emotion rolling off of her. He backed away slightly, giving her room to breathe while dropping Van over the side of the bar counter. The serene atmosphere just had to end though, for a groan emitted from the lifeless body next to Dilandau and Hitomi. Hitomi was glaring at it and muttering profanities under her breath. Dilandau was staring at her in surprise.

Hitomi kicked Van's head, rendering him dazed once more. "Lousy piece 'a shit."

Dilandau let out a bark of laughter, not even bothering to consider what he was laughing at. He put his hand on Hitomi's arm, still grinning devilishly. She had to shake her head lightly to keep herself from once again falling into those red eyes. Hitomi didn't even bother to consider his albino features, just waited for him to speak or say something. Waiting for some "miracle" to happen. Then it did. "How about I buy you a drink? I can take over the bar, y'know." Dilandau wiggled his eyebrows at her lightly, and she smiled.

"A drink would be nice... But is that all you can do, Mr. Kung Fu Kick-Ass?" Hitomi beamed mockingly at him, gesturing to the body of Van (still drooling) on the floor. Dilandau popped his knuckles and in a flash Hitomi had a Long Island iced tea, with not too much alcohol, thank God, (nobody wants to end up like Van...) in front of her. Hitomi just looked surprised, then grinned.

"Game of darts sound okay, Madam?" Hitomi nodded as Dilandau bowed, and she giggled and linked her arm through his, suddenly forgetting the scene that had happened only moments before. They walked over and out from behind the messy bar table, and over to the dart boards, which were only slightly crowded in the lobby area. A few men were crowded around, most of them having contests with shots and things like that. Four of the guys came over to Dilandau, eyeing Hitomi and talking about her like she wasn't there.

"So who's the chick, Dilandau?"

"Yeah, why is she here?"

"Mmm...She's kinda pretty."

"I want a piece of that..."

"SHUT UP! Miguel, her name is Hitomi. Chesta, she's here because I invited her, dumbass. Dallet, hands off. Gatti, I will personally make sure that you are never able to have children if you lay even one finger on her." Dilandau growled out with a look that showed he meant business. To his surprise, he looked over to find Hitomi laughing at the situation. He blinked and poked her in the side, which only made her laugh harder. "Are you on crack?" Dilandau asked hesitantly as Hitomi stopped laughing abruptly and turned around to face him with a look that said, 'What a stupid question.'

"Dilandau, are you always this overprotective of girls the first time you meet them?" Hitomi asked as she saw him look genuinely surprised. The smirk once again took its rightful place on Dilandau's hot features once more. (drools) He got up in her face once more, slipping a dart into her hand. They could both hear whistles and cat calls from the men around them as Dilandau whispered three little words into her ear that made her slightly uneasy.

"No. Just you."

Dilandau smiled as Hitomi subconsciously leaned into him. He backed away slightly, as Hitomi wafted away on Cloud Nine. Hitomi opened one eye and closed the other, taking a good look at the dart board she was currently trying to hit. Hitomi threw the dart, and it shot across the room, landing straight on the bullseye. Hitomi felt two warm hands place themselves on her shoulders, a breathy voice whisper in her ear.

"Such avariciously good aim, girlie. Hope you're up to a challenge."

Warm shivers ran down Hitomi's spine as she let herself sink into the image of that familiar smirk.

Extra scene: Back At the Bar!!

Van woke up, a large knot on his skull. His eyes sunken into their sockets and spit hanging off of him in gobs.

"Uh...what happened?"

A/N: What did ya think?! Like, no like? Isn't Dilly such a great guy? I love AU's because Dilly is the perfect image of a player with a bad-ass reputation. Personally, the D/H pairing keeps appealing to me. What about you? Criticism is welcome, as long as the source is valid. Questions displease me, but don't leave yourself in the dark! Just e-mail and ask. I hope you enjoyed it lots, and the more reviews I get, the sooner I update. Any ideas for next chapter? Oh, the wonderfulness of e-mail! Ja ne! READ AND REVIEW! Thanks.