A random PirikaxRen oneshot that I thought up of on the subway. You could say I was dying to write a RenxPirika, or you could say I was inspired. Either way, you're probably right. I swear someone needs to stop my fanfic obsession...or my Shaman King obsession...and Ren is one of my newest favorite characters of Shaman King...he's just charismatic in a way I've never seen him before...must be cuz I'm rereading Shaman King all over again.

Summary: Ever since Ren and Pirika have been little, ever since they first became friends, if he ever made her unhappy or cry, he would always go to her, apologize (no matter how hard it was to do), and hold out his hand. And she would always take it. But this time, Pirika feels like things have gone to far. Will Ren come to apologize and hold out his hand to her again? And will she take it if he does?

"Honto ni" means "really" (question) and "honto" is like a reply. Basically Pirika's asking "Really?"and Ren answers, "Really." Just in case anyone was confused...

Tenri Kage

All Right

The little six year old curled up in the corner of her room, making herself as small as possible. Her quiet, hiccupping sobs filled the room as salty tears dampened her cheeks. "I just want to be friends…" she whispered as she scrubbed her wet skin vigorously with a sleeve. "Baka Ren…Onii-chan…when are you coming back?" But there was no answer in the silence. Young Pirika Usui curled in on herself more, her forehead resting on her knees as her deep cerulean hair fell to curtain her face. She could still hear Ren's voice

"I'm just onii-chan's little sister to him aren't I. I'm nothing but onii-chan's little sister…" her voice broke as a new wave of sobs bubbled forth.

A knock on the door made her look up. "Onii-chan?"

But the person behind the door was not her brother. Ren Tao, rival to Pirika's older brother Horokeu Usui, stood in the doorway. Pirika cringed away from him. Unfortunately, he didn't go away. She glared at him. "Go away, I don't want to talk to you," she muttered.

Ren just sighed and walked over to the glaring girl. His pale skin was flushed, but he forced himself to speak. "Usui…no, Pirika…"

Pirika put her head down on her knees again, still upset at Ren. She didn't want to hear what he had to say, but surprise still flooded her senses. He called me Pirika…not Usui. Just like he calls onii-chan Horohoro instead of Usui…

"Pirika…I don't think of you as just Horo's younger sister…I-I'm s-so-sorry about saying that…" he stammered, avoiding looking at Pirika as he made his apology. "So…let's be friends?" He held out a hand.

Pirika sobbed brokenheartedly into her knees. "How could you Ren…I thought…" She shook her head. It was no use thinking like that. Even when she closed her eyes she could still see the blank look on his face; the blank look that told her Tao Ren didn't feel about her the way she felt about him. A bitter laugh bubbled through her dry lips. It had been such a perfect setting. She could still see those taunting sakura petals as they laughed at her, falling from the sky.

"I love you Ren…"

She sighed as she looked up at the ceiling, tears making salt trails down her cheeks. Every time I've wanted to cry…she thought to herself, every time I've felt myself hurt by him…he'd come and find me…just like the first time. She knew it would be too much to hope for tonight. Why did you have to sleep over at Yoh's house today onii-chan? She couldn't call her brother while he was at Yoh's house attempting to learn the other half of the lines he would need to memorize for his lines in their school play. The show was, after all, a week from now.

She curled up again, her forehead resting on her arms. Her cheeks were sticky with salt. It's like the first time… Tears blurred her eyes once again as she remembered how they had become friends ten years ago. It hurt to remember it. I don't want him to stop being my friend…even if I can be close to him, even if my heart feels like it's dying, I want to be near him…because I love him. "You baka…" There was nothing she could do about it and she knew it. She was stuck, loving him and knowing that he rejected her. "I was so…stupid…" she whispered to herself. "I thought he felt the same, the way he normally acted around me hinted at it…but I was just looking too deep, when there was nothing to see."

Ice cream, peach-flavored and melted dripped down the side of the wastebasket by the door. Pirika ignored it. It was just one more painful reminder of what had happened that day. Everything until her confession had been fine. Ren had spontaneously treated her to ice cream and they had been walking out in the park under the sakura trees. It was so beautiful…

It had been so perfect.

Perfect enough that she hated what had happened next.

The shock in his liquid golden eyes had been answer enough to her confession. He didn't love her back.

The door clicked before her and she flinched, pressing her back even more deeply into the wall behind her even as her heart felt a mixture of pained fear and elation. He came… She forced herself to stare determinedly at the shaded blue of her jeans as he approached her. Though scouring salt water dripped down to soak through the denim, she neither moved to dry her tears or look up. Silence stretched on.

"Pirika…" His voice was soft, feathering across her ears like silk. Involuntarily, a shudder ran across her frame. "Pirika…Pirika-chan…why did you run away?"

It was her name, said so affectionately, along with the unexpected question, that made her look up in surprise. Ren's eyes bore into her, their liquid amber light blazing white hot into her soul. And she was struck dumb. In all the ten years that she had known him, she had never seen such a swirl of emotions as that which filled his eyes at the moment. Anger and unhappiness she could pick out easily, regret and sorrow less obvious, and even more so the sharp pain behind it. Does he regret that I ever confessed and broke the comfortable relationship we had as friends? Ten years had attuned her to reading emotions in Ren's eyes, but even ten years would not have prepared her for his next words.

"Pirika-chan, why did you run away? Why did you run away when I wanted to tell you…that I love you too…"

Her world was spiraling away at his words…and yet…she knew as if it had all been prewritten in a script, of the lines she would say. "Honto ni?"

The Tao's lips twitched as he replied, the same way he replied every time he found her like this since the first time. "Honto."

He held out a hand.

And as Pirika took it, letting him help her get up, she knew that forever after, every time Ren held out his hand, she would take it, because to her, he made everything right.

The blue haired girl brushed away stray tears. "Honto ni?"

Ren grinned a little, glad that she wasn't crying or glaring any longer. "Honto."

She looked at his still-outstretched hand a moment and a smile crept over her face as she took his hand, letting him help her up. She scrubbed her sleeve over her red eyes and plump, itchy cheeks, and ran out the door laughing, her hand still holding Ren's tightly. As the sunlight hit her face and she caught sight of Ren's grinning face, she knew, for years afterwards, if anything went wrong, he would hold out his hand like he had today, and she would take it, knowing everything would be all right with the world.

For those of you confused, Ren treated Pirika to ice cream, and took her to the park. They were walking through when Pirika confessed she liked him. Ren went into shock because he didn't think it possible for the girl/woman he loved to love him back. Pirika misunderstood and assumed he didn't love her back and felt to her room to cry her unhappiness out. Ren comes...and holds out his hand again...with a confession of his own.

In the past, when they were six, Ren accidentally said within her hearing that she was "just Horo's little sister." Seeing her unhappiness he goes to her and apologizes and they become friends.

Anyway, it's just a short little fic. I'm planning a few others but not sure if I'll have the time to write them. Ah yes, and review please? If you feel like it...I know it's probably annoying that I ask...

Tenri Kage