Yes, we're certain that Van and Hitomi were made for each other. We absolutely refuse to believe that she went back to Earth permanently. That really makes no sense, in light of everything else that happens in the series. Besides, the possibilities are just too interesting to ignore...
But no longer. Today he had come for her, bringing her to his rebuilt city to make her his queen. Their wedding had been brief, like his coronation, but by no means simple. He had set the resources of his entire country toward making it a ceremony to remember. He had provided her with an exquisite gown, thousands of flowers, and a jeweled circlet to seal their bond. It seemed the whole population had turned out to watch the event.
She saw none of it. She could focus only on his eyes.
And now they were alone together, her dreams about to become reality. Their room was appropriately palatial, and she couldn't help but notice that their bed had been made in proportion.
*Their* bed. It had been constructed exclusively for the new royal couple and had never before been used. She couldn't stop herself; she had to try it out. To her husband's astonishment, she plopped herself onto it, testing its bounce. It passed quite nicely.
Van sat next to her, lacing his fingers through hers and bringing their joined hands to brush his lips. "My wonderful Hitomi," he murmured, his breath tickling her skin. "You never cease to surprise and amaze me."
"Van..." She knew what she wanted to say. After so long, she was desperate to feel his touch on more than her hand. But she couldn't find the words. He simply looked at her, his head cocked to one side, his eyes shining.
If he had just rescued her from danger, she could go running into his arms, and no words would be necessary. Yet there was no danger here, no threat, despite the pounding of her heart and the fluttering in her stomach.
Perhaps understanding her dilemma, he rested the palm of his free hand on her thigh, sending pleasant tingles through her. "This gown is impressive," he began, "but I want to see *you*. May I?"
She nodded, thrilled. Hoping she didn't start blushing, she reclaimed her hand to undo the fastenings. He helped her on the more difficult ones, showing no signs of the impatience she knew she must be radiating. She had to stand to remove the garment completely, and then her slip followed it to the floor.
She wondered what he would think. She had continued running all through high school, and it had given her an athletic figure.
He rose to his feet and drew her into a tender embrace, the better to whisper in her ear. "I've married the prize of the Moon of Illusions."
"It's your turn," she prompted in an attempt to disguise her delighted embarrassment.
With one last squeeze, he released her, stepping back to conduct his own disrobing. From the state of his body, he hadn't stopped training either. He had the well-balanced, understated build of a man who acquired his musculature through constant hard work rather than visits to the local gym...with the implication that he had honed his dexterity along with his strength.
Yet even when he had removed the last item of clothing, she wasn't satisfied. "Van," she insisted, placing her hand over his heart, "I want to see *all* of you."
Startled, he widened his eyes, and then a smile spread across his features when he understood her intent. His muscles tensed beneath her fingers. With a burst of light, his wings thrust out to their full length, surrounding her in a storm of fluttering, glowing feathers.
"Ah!" she sighed, entranced. "You're more beautiful than ever."
He caught one of the delicate objects out of the air and drew it slowly down her neck, bending close to encircle her with his wings. "Hitomi," he told her quietly, sweeping the tip of the feather across the swells of her breasts, "I want you to be happy here. I've taken you from your family, your friends, your world... If there's ever anything you need--*anything*--I will make certain you receive it."
She slipped her arms around his waist and held him tightly. "*You* are everything I need. When I'm with you, I am happy." She gazed up at him. He had grown taller over the years, coming to resemble his older brother greatly, and now topped her by a significant margin. "From now on, *this* is my world, its people are my friends, and *we* are a family."
He laid one hand on her shoulder and with the other traced the line of her face. "I am proud to be your family, Hitomi Fanel." With that, he leaned down and brought his lips to meet hers for the first time.
She had been kissed before, by Allen, back when she had a crush on the handsome Asturian. His kisses had been soft and polite and very thorough, leaving her lightheaded, her thoughts jumbled. Van wasn't as practiced as the knight, but the kiss communicated a raw passion that consumed her, melting away everything save her awareness of the overwhelming connection that existed between them.
She broke from the contact panting for breath and longing for more. He was quite willing to oblige, tasting her again and again, then trailing fiery kisses along her throat. His wings cradled her, whispering against the skin of her back, leaving his hands free to explore the contours of her front.
A deep sigh escaped her as his touch set her adrift on a sea of sensation. She occupied herself by nibbling on his earlobe, smoothing her hands down the base of his spine to cup his rear. She wanted to pull him onto the bed, but she didn't know how to go about it without risking damage to the graceful wings enfolding her. "Van," she urged, tugging him gently in the desired direction.
Reluctantly, he unwrapped the warm cocoon he had created, freeing her to settle onto the mattress. She untucked the blankets, working her way to the far side while he sat down. He couldn't recline comfortably with his wings extended, so he remained upright as he waited for her to finish.
Giving in to an impulse she had harbored for some time, Hitomi took advantage of his position and snuggled up to him from behind, her arms reaching around to tease his nipples, her knees spread to either side of his hips. He moaned his pleasure, his whole body reacting, and began stroking her thighs.
She shivered, bringing her lips to graze the back of his neck in order to evoke in him the same response. She continued to nuzzle her way down his spine. She kissed each vertebra in turn, her tongue tracing little circles around them.
She knew he was enjoying the attention, but she was totally unprepared for the shock as she arrived at the spot midway between his wings. He gasped sharply, arching his back, feathers swirling out wildly as his muscles contracted. His grip on her legs tightened.
She stopped immediately, alarmed. "What is it? Did I hurt you?" she asked in confusion.
He shook his head, momentarily unable to form coherent speech. Finally he collected himself enough to answer. "No, it felt..." He struggled briefly to come up with an accurate description and was forced to concede defeat. "Please do that again."
Hesitantly, still partially worried she would injure him in some way--her high school lessons on human sexuality had suffered from a distinct lack of information about how to deal with avian extremities--she braced her hands on his taut abdominal muscles and brought her mouth to that sensitive spot.
He hissed between clenched teeth and fanned his wings slowly, causing the skin to ripple rhythmically beneath her lips. She turned her head to rub her cheek against him, allowing the gentle breeze he stirred up to caress her face. Her hands moved in synchrony with his beats, massaging their way up and then down his chest, reveling in his restrained power.
She continued farther down the second time, deducing from the pace of his breathing that he was ready for more. Carefully feeling her way, giving him plenty of advance warning, she closed her fingers around his erection.
Stars danced before her eyes as lightning struck, a bolt of pleasure so intense and unexpected that she cried out, jerking back.
"Hitomi?" he asked, anxiety audible in his voice even above the influence of his arousal.
"I'm fine," she replied shakily. What had happened? He hadn't caused it, she was fairly certain; *she* had been the one acting. It seemed almost as if...as if she had somehow directly channeled what he had experienced.
While she pondered the possible explanation, he turned and scooped her into his lap, no longer content to be a passive recipient. He captured her lips, kissing her harder and more deeply than before. He supported her with one arm, his other hand stroking the flushed skin of her breasts and belly.
"Van..." she murmured, burying her fingers in his hair and pulling his hot mouth onto one of her hardened nipples. His name rolled so easily off her tongue; she loved saying it, loved the sound of it, especially loved the tender smile he shared with her whenever he heard it.
"Van!" she yelped as he slid his hand between her legs.
He smiled.
She melted. She relaxed completely in his embrace, allowing him to work what could only have been magic upon her flesh. She didn't protest when he shifted her once more, laying her down against the pillows, covering her with his body.
She encircled him with her arms, running light touches along his back and smoothing his plumage. "How can one man be so perfect?" she sighed, almost to herself.
He brushed stray hairs away from her eyes and regarded her seriously. "Did I ever tell you how much your words mean to me?"
"Hmm?" She didn't understand.
He picked up one of the glowing feathers that had collected around them and, pulling back slightly so that she would release him, pressed it into her palm. "You once told me they were sad. Now what do you feel?"
She held it softly, probing it with her empathy. It still contained the memories of his youth, the mother from whom he had inherited his wings, being considered cursed because of them, his tearful promise not to display them until the proper time. But it also possessed Hitomi's image, her assurance that--beyond all reason--she found them beautiful. That simple comment had set him on a path toward a stronger joy than he had ever known.
She opened her fingers and let the ghostly object float away. Then she cupped her husband's face and kissed him until her lungs ached.
She *was* connected to him, she could no longer doubt it. After having exercised her talent, she could detect the mental bond enabling her to partake of his sensations. If she wished, she could use the shielding skills she had practiced to block him out, but she had no desire to do so. She liked being so close to him, enjoyed knowing how best to please him, and now wanted...more than anything...
"I want you inside me," she whispered.
He pressed her against the pillow, nuzzling beneath her ear. "Are you sure you're ready?"
"I'm sure."
"It's just that..." He paused to nibble at her shoulder while he considered how to phrase his concern. "I haven't ever--I mean, I know *what* to do, but... I love you, Hitomi; I don't want to hurt you."
"It's okay," she insisted. Only a short while ago, *she* had been worried for *him*. The thought made her want to laugh at the sudden reversal. "Really. As long as you do what feels right, it'll be fine, I promise."
He nodded, trusting her. He wanted their joining as well, she could see it in his eyes, he had simply been awaiting her signal. With another kiss planted solidly in the crook of her neck, he rocked his hips against her, his wings stretching to their full span.
She closed her eyes and concentrated, bringing her psychic link to the fore of her mind and plunging her awareness into it, immersing herself in his essence, needing to be part of him at such a critical moment. Though her physical body might have experienced pain at the unfamiliar intrusion, her consciousness knew only the incredible pleasure that washed through him with the intimate contact.
Slowly, one delicious step at a time, she eased back into herself. The sensations he stirred up in her with every movement overwhelmed her with their intensity, drawing inarticulate cries of enjoyment from her throat.
He took his time at first while they both experimented with this new way of delighting in one another. As the pressure built, he increased his pace. She twined her arms around him, wanting to contain as much of him as possible, and trailed one hand between his wings, repeating the motion when her talent told her how much he liked it.
"Van..." she panted, arching to meet him. He filled her with a vibrant passion that her dreams could never have matched. He had always been a man possessed of bountiful energy; now he shared that energy with her, holding nothing back.
Whimpering as her desperation grew, she dipped into him again, nearly burning herself on his incandescent urgency. His lips formed her name, coaxing, and then a second time, pleading. She drew a deep, gasping breath, ready to scream if this agonizing ecstasy went on any longer, when he finally reached his climax, the glow of his wings brightening temporarily as his tension broke in a series of rough surges. As tightly as she had bound herself to him, his release triggered her own, and she did scream, clinging to him until she rode the wave to its crashing conclusion.
Completely spent, he retracted his wings so that he could roll onto his back to prevent her from having to bear his weight. She curled up against his side, content to listen to the slowing of his heartbeat. He had saved her once with that strong rhythm, and now her life belonged to him.
Absently, she gathered up a handful of the feathers that had settled on the mattress and tossed them in the air. Then she giggled as one of them, its path dictated by random currents, lit precariously upon his nose. He stared cross-eyed at it for a moment before blowing on it, but his puff of breath only succeeded in shifting it a short hop to land on his forehead.
He sighed in surrender and pulled her into his arms. "Hitomi..." he began.
"Hmm?" She blinked innocently.
He plucked off the stubborn feather and twirled it between his fingers thoughtfully. "I don't suppose you're...ticklish?"