Title: Bitter Cold
Author: kawaiichiisaikitsune(piratekiari)
Ratings: K+
Pairings: Implied HoroRen
Summary: Ice. Bitter and cold. It has nothing to do with him. Yet, it does. (One-shot)
Kiari-san felt like making a one-shot. She isn't sure why. Just 'cause she feels like it, she s'poses. 'Sides, Kiari-san pulled papers out of a hat wether to actually make it or not and what about. So it's all random! Anyhow, on with the one-shot, correct?
Disclaimer- Kiari-san doesn't, and never will, own Shaman King.. Unfortunately.
Bitter Cold
Horohoro sighed for the umpteenth time that night. Somehow, he was hoping for someone to run out after him after what had happened, but no one did. He thought at least Yoh would jump after him, seeing as they were best buddies and Yoh went to just about any length to cheer a friend. But it seemed as no one cared what-so-ever. Some friends they were.
Adjusting his black headband with intricate Ainu designs over his reddened ears and stuffing his freezing hands into the pockets of his snowboarding shorts, he shuffled down the icy sidewalk. Not long before were the streets sweeped, discarding layers upon layers of hardened snow only to have more build up as the clouds kept pouring down the frozen rain. Horo didn't mind, though. He once lived in Hokkaido where the stuff poured harder and for longer times. He was used to it by now.
The bluenette continued on his walk towards the cemetery. If memory served him correctly, which varies time to time, it was the perfect place to watch the stars. Silent, peaceful, and clear.
In no time flat, he reached the eerily quiet graveyard where gravestone upon gravestone rested upon grassy ground. This ground and flat gravestones, however, were buried beneath crisp white snow. Only tall headstones could peek over the beautiful white fluff.
Horo nearly ran to the large hill where the view was the best and roomy and flopped down, legs sprawled out before him and leaning back on his gloveless hands. Glassily he gazed out at the dark clouds, small specks of white light peeking out every now and again between them. The sight was beautiful.
However, it didn't last for the blue-haired Ainu as he pulled his arms from behind and let himself flop back against soft snow that caved slightly against his weight. Dry black eyes closed while arms situated themselves underneath his head and he began thinking. It wasn't imposible like most people probably thought it was for him. In fact, he thought a lot. Especially at nights in bed before sleep takes over.
Sometimes his thoughts were random, but most the time he would dwell on the events of the day. And that was what he was doing at the moment. Picturing the events frame by frame, or sometimes in motion, as the day scrolled on.
Breakfast had been normal. All the occupants of the Funbari Inn were seated around the table eating and/or chatting with each other. After that the day went about its normal course. Anna was either lounging in front of the TV watching her soaps, bossing others around, or forcing Yoh to train. Yoh was usually training, but at times when Anna wasn't around he took breaks to chat with any of his friends. Manta usually stayed along side Yoh. Tamao stayed in the kitchen most the time, but did come out every now and again to watch soaps with Anna, watch Yoh, or something else. Ren was gone after breakfast and no one had seen him since. And the others were doing something else, with or without someone else beside them.
And Horo? Well he was forced to train along side Yoh by his younger sister Pirika, but took breaks like Yoh when she was gone and chatted with Yoh and Manta and whoever might've been there. He would also sneak into the kitchen and eat some of Tamao's cooking, which he'd compliment and receive a flustered thanks from the shy girl.
Eventually dinner came and everyone, excluding Ren who still hadn't returned, sat around the low table, waiting for Tamao to set out the food with the help of Yoh or Ryu. Horo was the first to glob things on his plate and gobble them down in seven minutes flat. Exchange of laughter and conversation happened after the meal was finished. Then the arguement came up, for Pirika was in one of her moods.
Horohoro, unfortunately, was at the blunt end of her blade of rage. And he had to take every stab with bravery and control. It wasn't bad, though. He was used to that by now as well. That didn't mean he didn't fight back however, because he did. Perhaps he went a little too far. Or maybe she pushed him too hard. Either way, it got emotionally personal.
Of course, no one noticed. Fights between siblings were just as common to the inn occupants as Horo and Ren fighting. And those two shamans fought a lot!
Actually, Horo couldn't seem to remember quite everything. He remembered yelling, of course, yet the words are all jumbled and mixed that he can't understand a word of it. Voices were raised and then a slap. It wasn't hard, but it wasn't soft. After that Pirika stomped up to her room and Horo said something unnaturally cold and stormed out into the streets. And now he was here, in a cemetery.
He had expected someone to rush after his sister and comfort her while someone ran out after him and did the same. No one did. So here he lay, alone, in the snow. Of course, that didn't last either.
"Ainu-baka?" It was soft, yet cold. Like a sad melody being played from a small music box. Horohoro groaned at it. He did not want to see anyone at the moment, especially not him. He would just make it worse.
"What are you doing here?" It inquired boldly.
"I could ask you the same!" Horo snapped, opening his eyes so that he could glare at the tiger-eyed boy. He was dressed much warmer than the Ainu, with a long snow jacket and a wool scarf wrapped around his neck. He had gloves and earmuffs. And a crimson umbrella shielding himself from the down-pour of hard and soft snow crystals.
"That wouldn't be any of your business," Ren growled, turning his nose up in the air.
The bluenette didn't argue when it looked as though the boy was going to leave it at that and closed his eyes once again. He imagined the clouds clearing above him and the stars peeking through until they could shine boldly down at whoever stared. It was a beautiful picture he formed in his head from the memory of star-gazing back home. The stars were absolutely breath-taking there. They shined with such grace and majestity. There was no place better to star-gaze than Hokkaido.
However, a crunch of crisp snow under a boot brought Horo back from his reverie as he snapped open his eyes to stare at the pair of boots right beside him. Dark eyes slowly climbing up the body soon met a pair of fierce golden eyes that stared with great intensity. And if Horohoro knew any better he would've said those eyes softened, even if only a tad, as they stared at him.
Ren slowly lowered himself to the ground, sitting far enough, but close enough so that the umbrella shielded them both. He stared away from the Ainu and to the cloud filled sky before them. "Do you want to.. talk.. about it?" He asked reluctantly, nearly through gritted teeth.
Horohoro jumped up into a sitting position and stared at the side of Ren's face, eyes as wide as golf balls. "Wha-what did you just say?"
"I said; do you want to talk about it?" The vertically challenged shaman repeated with a soft hiss.
It took the ice shaman a second to comprehend those words, but eventually a wide smile broke out on his face. "Say it again!" He urged childishly.
And Ren repeated his words. It went on this way with Ren repeating his words over and over again because of Horo who kept urging to hear it again. Soon enough, the tiger-eyed boy snapped.
"Horo! Just tell me so we can get this over with so we can go back before we freeze our asses off here!" He growled with, if Horo didn't know any better, a slight pleading whimper.
"Fine, fine," The bluenette pouted cutely. So he told Ren about the day. What fun he had missed, the fight, the whole day. And he continued talking and talking and talking. Going completely off subject now and again.
"That's really pathetic," Ren stated, tucking the stalk of the umbrella between his elbow and rib as he rubbed his gloved hands together for warmth. The snow was beginning to fall faster and harder and a bone-chilling wind whipped at the boys, eager to freeze them quickly.
Horohoro gently removed the umbrella from the purple-haired boy's grasp and held it up for him. He said something, but his gleeful voice wasn't heard over the fierce, howling wind. He continued to speak anyways.
"Horo!" Ren cried, barely audiable over the wind, "Can we go now? I'm freezing!"
The bluenette didn't answer, but slipped off his snowboarding jacket and wrapped in around the shorter shaman. "There!" He grinned madly. "Aren't cold anymore, are you?"
The golden-eyed boy faltered. If he were truely himself at the moment he would've most likely growled at the ice shaman, thrown back his jacket, and stalked off. However, the fact was he actually wasn't completely himself lately. He had been getting odd feelings when hanging around his shaman teammates and the others. And so he would leave after breakfast and consult his older sister, Tao Jun, who had a knack for giving decent advice.
For now, he told himself, he would ignore it all and worry about it later. He had a rough childhood and now that it was fixed as best as it could be he didn't want anything else to ruin what life he had left. And so, he decided ignoring it all was best.
"Maybe we should go back to the inn," Horohoro mused aloud, "It's getting really cold."
"No duh!" Ren snapped, hugging the jacket tighter around him.
He ignored this comment, hoisting himself to his feet and offering his hand to the other who stubbornly got up himself. The two walked back to the Funbari Inn in complete silence. Horo was completely cheered up again and Ren was as distant as he could get. The crimson umbrella was still held between them by both boys who didn't bother to move their hands from each other's. They enjoyed the other's warmth.
Eventually the shamans reached the inn and entered without hesitation. Horo slid open the front door only to get tackled by a sobbing Ainu. She whimpered and cried into him while hugging him in the firmest grip known to shaman.
"Horohoro, I'm so sorry I hit you. I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry!" Pirika choked on her tears, still snivelling and sobbing. It took the bluenette a second, but quickly he began rubbing his sister's back soothingly and telling her it was alright. It really didn't mean anything to begin with.
Meanwhile most of the inn occupants grouped around them, wondering what was going on. Upon seeing a grinning Horo with a weeping Pirika around his neck and a bored Ren behind them, they all smiled, relieved. They welcomed Horo and Ren home and went about their own business once again.
Horohoro layed back in bed, arms resting beneath his head and staring at the plain ceiling. He was going over the events of the day in his head once again. Suddenly he jumped up in shocked realization. "Tao Ren has a soft side!"
Gah! Kiari-san knows, Kiari-san knows! The title and summary really have nothing to do with the one-shot! Please don't kill her. She's really sorry. She's also sorry if Ren or Horo seemed a bit OOC. Kiari-san's doing her best to keep all and any characters in character. It's hard!
Kiari-san also asks that you don't kill her for not updating her other story, 'Patience', instead. She just had the urge for a one-shot so she made one. Forgive her laziness.
Flames are ignored, constructive criticism is highly appreciated, and praise is great for Kiari-san's ego.