Happy Birthday
A/N: Well, this story is dedicated to our beloved Ren for his 24th birthday! Happy Birthday Ren-kun! By the way, this story is according to the manga so Hao did become the Shaman King.
Disclaimer: If Shaman King belonged to me, Marco wouldn't wear his gun holsters across his chest. And Hao and Yoh should totally have more time spent together. (:
It was his birthday today. To be exact: his 18th birthday. Personally, he had no care for it, no interest whatsoever. It was just a number after all and yet his family made a big fuss over it. They, his family, had prepared a big feast for him and had showered him in gifts in the form of jiang-shis as his personal minions. His sister however didn't exactly do anything special, which in a way, he was thankful for. If he had to go through another, 'you're such a big boy' speech, he'd probably combust. But she did however say that his gift was on the way and told him something about being true to his heart.
He was puzzled by what she meant and even now as he lay on the balcony floor staring at the sky, her words rang through his head. He felt that she was hiding something from him and the uneasy, nervous feeling in his gut just wouldn't recede.
Ren sighed and ran his hand through his long, dark tresses. He had decided to grow his hair out and now his hair reached his waist. He stared up the dark night sky littered with stars and let a small smile graze his lips. The Shaman Fight had ended a little over three years ago and he had changed quite a bit the past years. Had it been so long already since he last saw his friends? He wondered absentmindedly whether they were looking at the same night sky as he was wherever they were. After the Shaman Fight, they had gone their separate ways and as each were busy with things to do, they hardly ever visited each other. The thought of his friends made him think of one in particular. A certain young man with blue hair.
He smirked. It was funny in a sort of way how after the S.F, the one person whom he talked to the most and did his best to keep in touch with was HoroHoro. As promised, HoroHoro had returned to Hokkaido with his family and proceeded to work on the Fuki fields and he returned to China. When it had been time for them to separate and return home, Horo had a weird sort of look on his face as he asked Ren to promise him that they'd keep in touch. He had smirked and punched Horo in his arm for such a lame thing to say but underneath it all, he was trying to ignore the feelings HoroHoro evoked under that sharp stare of his. But in the end, he did promise after all and kept true to it.
It had been quite a long while since he last saw the young man.... Ren sighed and shook his head. Though the both of them still talked and e-mailed each other, they never did get the chance to visit each other. He hadn't visited HoroHoro as he was busy in taking over the Tao family and he hated the cold so he didn't exactly go over to Hokkaido during the onetime HoroHoro didn't have to tend to the fields. During the past three years, he had only seen HoroHoro twice, once during the opening of the Funbari Onsen and the second time at Yoh and Anna's wedding.
He sort of in a totally normal best friends' way missed HoroHoro and wished he was with him. He had received wishes from all his friends located all over the world who urged him to visit him soon. And yet the one person whom he wanted to hear from the most hadn't exactly called. Or even left a message.
That hurt him. Ren sighed and stared into the distance. He reached his hand out for the bottle of milk he'd set beside him and took a long drink, finishing it. He stood up, dusted the back of his sweat pants and went in his room. He made his way across the dark room and slid in his bed, closing his eyes off to another day.
Barely half an hour later, his eyes snapped open as he heard loud thud on the balcony followed by the sound of feet shuffling. Someone slid in his room and Ren reached underneath his pillow for the short sword he kept there, arming himself. In a flash, he slid behind the intruder and held the sword against his neck.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Ren, it's me HoroHoro." HoroHoro said and Ren relaxed, releasing his grip against HoroHoro. HoroHoro felt around the wall for the light switch and when he found it, he flicked it, causing light to fill the previously dark room. Ren scowled, blinking to get his amber eyes adjusted to the harsh glare. In the meantime, HoroHoro had sat down on the couch set in the corner of his room, hands behind his neck in a completely relaxed position, eyes roaming over Ren's long and lean body.
"What are you doing here, BoroBoro?" Ren asked eyes narrowed. He was rather mad at the lack of birthday wish from his so called best friend and also because his sleep was interrupted at ― Ren glanced at the clock ― 10.43 pm.
"Hey, don't call me that!" HoroHoro huffed crossing his arms and pouted. Ren merely raised an eyebrow and sat down across HoroHoro on his bed, sword still in his hand.
"Can't a guy drop in to say hi to a friend?" HoroHoro grinned at Ren.
"Seriously HoroHoro, you come to say hi to me in the middle of the night? You must be crazier than I thought." Ren sat cross legged. To his surprise, HoroHoro started looking sheepish.
"To be honest, I don't know. I guess, it's to use the tickets your sister sent me a little over a month ago…" HoroHoro trailed off and somehow, that sent a sharp pang of pain up his chest.
"My sister sent you tickets?"
HoroHoro nodded averting his eyes from Ren's.
"I missed you." He said suddenly to both their surprise and Ren felt himself blushing.
"Well I didn't. Don't you have someplace else to be? This is my room and I intend to go to sleep now so goodnight." Ren said and gracefully slid underneath the covers, turning away from HoroHoro who now faced his back.
"I'm serious. I really missed you. I think…No I know that's why I'm here. I'm sorry I didn't call to wish you but I really wanted to say it to your face, even though you're not facing me right now. Happy Birthday, Ren." HoroHoro stood up and made his way over to the younger man and sat on the bed beside him his back facing Ren's own. Ren pressed his face to his pillow, feeling blood rush to his cheeks. What was with HoroHoro all of a sudden? He never said that he missed him before.
"Hey, are you going to say something or just let me do the talking? I mean, didn't you miss me just a little maybe, best friend?" HoroHoro joked and ruffled Ren's hair. Ren scowled and sat up.
"No. I didn't miss you at all." Ren deadpanned and made himself comfortable. HoroHoro pouted.
"Seriously? Not one bit at all?" HoroHoro stared at him, a smirk forming on his lips. Ren's eyes narrowed. This wasn't good. HoroHoro was planning something. He shook his head and leaned his head slightly backwards as HoroHoro's face came dangerously close to his.
"We talk nearly every day, Horo. What's there to miss?" Ren muttered and leaned back some more as Horo adopted a mischievous look.
"Ooh I know you missed me. I mean, how can anyone not? I'm the awesome HoroHoro after all." HoroHoro's grin got wider when the Tao gulped.
HoroHoro placed his hands against the headboard, trapping Ren between his arms. A bead of sweat rolled down Ren's neck and HoroHoro's right forefinger immediately caught it. He placed the finger in his mouth and licked it, eyes fluttering shut.
"Mmm…." He grinned and pulled his finger out.
Ren swallowed the saliva that pooled in his mouth due to his nervousness. The sight of HoroHoro doing something as intimate as that made him blush. Since when was the Ainu like that anyways? Not that he didn't like the change or anything but it did make him feel a bit uncomfortable…HoroHoro reached out his hand and stroked Ren's hair, marveling at the silkiness. He let the dark violet tresses slip through his fingers. He brought his hand up and ran his thumb lightly over Ren's flawless cheek.
Ren stared at the Ainu whose eyes were closed and bit his lower lip. "What are you doing Horo?" He asked, voice quivering with anticipation. He had been waiting for so long.
"Shh…" HoroHoro nuzzled Ren's neck and breathed in his scent. He opened his mouth and let his tongue dart out, licking a spot on Ren's bare shoulder. HoroHoro relished in the taste of Ren, the soap he used in his bath earlier still lingering. Ren shivered and blushed even more. It felt nice; the sensation of his tongue.
The sudden feel of HoroHoro's teeth nipping gently at the crook of his neck caused him to groan involuntarily and his eyes to shut. HoroHoro pulled away suddenly and he whimpered a little at the lost of contact but HoroHoro hushed him by pressing his lips against his own. Warning bells rang out in his head reminding him that kissing his guy best friend was wrong but Ren ignored it and immersed himself in the feel of HoroHoro's lips instead. It was his birthday after all.
"So soft." HoroHoro chuckled and Ren blushed. He bit down on Horo's lip and he grinned. Their lips moved against each others in perfect synchronization. It was time to explore further and Ren poked out his tongued and brushed it against Horo's lips.
HoroHoro suddenly sat up at the contact, brought back to the present. He pulled away from Ren, and sat on the floor, catching the hurt look that Ren gave him from the corner of his eyes.
"Sorry...I ah, didn't exactly think about what I was doing." HoroHoro muttered lamely and shut his eyes from the amber ones filled with confusion and hurt.
"It's not right, what we're doing. I mean, you probably have a girl waiting for you already and I doubt that your family would approve." HoroHoro stared at the floor tiles ashamed with himself. As much as he wanted Ren, and he really did, he couldn't do that to him. Ren was young and was soon to be the head of his family. He obviously had to have heirs and didn't need to stray of to that sort of path.
Ren stared at the man sitting on the floor and from reading his body language he could tell HoroHoro was ashamed. Ren was confused, frustrated and most of all, angry. What the hell was he saying? He didn't have a girl waiting for him. Everything was perfectly fine but why was he acting that way? Why was he ashamed? What was there to be ashamed of? Unless…Unless he was ashamed of kissing him? His heart felt like it was breaking and a voice in his mind chastised him for being weak but he brushed the voice off. It hurt a lot.
"I'm sorry, Ren. I can't do that to you." HoroHoro said and looked up at the Tao, eyes filled with sadness.
"There's nothing to be sorry for. This was obviously a mistake. I was stupid to think that you even liked me in that way for a second. Who am I kidding? Never mind. Just leave please." Ren had stood up and walked out to the balcony, his back facing HoroHoro once more. He massaged his temples, he suddenly had a headache. Feet shuffled towards him and soon HoroHoro stood beside him.
HoroHoro reached out his hand to touch Ren's shoulder but Ren flinched away from him, causing his heart to ache.
"Ren……Ren I ―" HoroHoro began but he was cut off.
"You don't have to explain yourself. I know you're still into the girl, what's her name? Ah, Kurobe Tamiko. Just leave me alone please. I should have known better than to kiss you back." Ren stared out the sky keeping up his emotionless façade.
HoroHoro was shocked at Ren's words. What was he saying? He didn't like Damuko anymore. Damuko was the past and now was the present. Did Ren think that he didn't like him? What the heck, it seemed that he'd have to tell the truth.
"Ren, please just listen to me. I don't like Damuko anymore. She was my past. It'd not that I don't like you…." In fact I love you... "I can't do this because, well, because you are a Tao, Ren! Your family expects the best from you. You probably want heirs and I just know that if we go further than this, you wouldn't have any heirs! I can't do that to you!" HoroHoro threw his arms up in frustration. He looked at Ren who was silently staring at the sky.
"Will you say something?!" HoroHoro growled.
"What do you expect me to say HoroHoro? The man I love just told me he can't be with me just because of my bloody family!" Ren said, turning angrily to face HoroHoro. He paled when he realized what he said and clamped his hands over his mouth, face burning up. HoroHoro blinked and soon a smile formed on his lips.
"What was that? I didn't catch that Ren-kun. Could you repeat what you said?" HoroHoro edged closer to Ren till he was face to face with him. Ren scowled and punched HoroHoro in his stomach before stomping back into his room. He threw himself on his bed and pulled the blanket over his head, curling up into a ball. What was wrong with him? Why the hell did he suddenly say that? On normal conditions he certainly would not have said that. That wasn't even supposed to come out. Stupid hormones. He heard HoroHoro's chuckles and scowled even more.
"Aww, come on Ren-kun. Don't be mad. If it makes you feel better, I love you too." HoroHoro lay down beside Ren. Somehow hearing those three words and the way HoroHoro said his name with the suffix made him feel slightly better but that still wasn't enough to make him uncurl from the fetal position he took on and to emerge from underneath his thick blanket.
"Well, now that I've confessed how I truly feel, will you please graze me with your lovely face?" HoroHoro chuckled and tugged at the blanket but that only made Ren hold onto the blanket tighter. His face was red, he was sure.
"That still doesn't make me forgive you. How could you say that I already have a girl waiting for me? And when ever have I acquiesced to what my family wants? I've rebelled a lot alright and for the heir thing I'll think about it when the time comes. Now I do not want to think of that. The next S.F. is in 500 years and my sister can have kids so the burden isn't only on me." Ren's said, his voice muffled.
"Alright, I'm sorry okay? I just, I know how you feel about continuing your bloodline and I highly doubt you can do it with another guy right? But are you sure about this? Are you really willing to throw everything you've worked hard for into the wind and be in a relationship with me? Personally I have nothing to lose but you, you'll lose a lot. You might even lose your family's faith in you. They may shun you."
Ren was silent. HoroHoro was right in a way. His family may shun him. But his sister's words suddenly rang out in his head. Difficulties may come but follow your heart and you'll find the right path. That was what she said. And now he truly understood what she meant. Follow his heart, eh? Well his heart was telling him to just jump HoroHoro and forget about the Taos for just a while.
"What you're saying may be true but were you not listening to what I was saying earlier, BoroBoro? I don't care what my family thinks. If they expect me to head this family then they'd just have to accept who I choose as my partner." Ren finally emerged from underneath the blanket and pulled HoroHoro to him, kissing him forcibly.
They pulled apart, breathing harshly and Ren was smiling triumphantly. Seeing HoroHoro breathless because of him made him swell with pride and he smirked.
"Why are you smirking like that?" HoroHoro smiled, stroking Ren's swollen lips.
Ren averted his eyes blushing causing HoroHoro to chuckle. Ren was cute when he blushed.
HoroHoro bent his head and laid it on the crook of Ren's neck, nuzzling his soft skin as he had done not more than twenty minutes ago.
"Your skin is so soft." HoroHoro mumbled. Ren was at a loss of words. Not once had anyone say that his skin was soft. Then again…No one had nuzzled his neck either and he was soon finding himself liking it.
"That's the first time anyone ever said that to me." He said and HoroHoro looked up, grinning.
"Well, that's because they never felt you before." HoroHoro wiggled his eyebrows and laughed. He leaned towards Ren feeling Ren's breath on his lips and kissed him softly, their eyes fluttering shut at the contact.
This time when Ren ran his tongue along HoroHoro's bottom lip, HoroHoro allowed him access and the battle of domination began. Of course he won and he was soon exploring HoroHoro's mouth, savoring his sweet taste. He found himself letting out an involuntary moan and blushed. HoroHoro caught his bottom lip between his teeth and nipped at it before pulling back. HoroHoro positioned himself so that he was above Ren, their bodies pressed together but HoroHoro propped leaned most of his weight on his elbows to not crush the petite man.
HoroHoro leaned down and began trailing kisses all over Ren's shoulder and neck. At the crook of Ren's neck, he opened his mouth slightly and bit down gently causing Ren to hiss and began sucking, branding Ren as his. Suddenly HoroHoro found himself straddled by Ren who had flipped them over.
HoroHoro stared up Ren's moonlit face and saw lust shining in his amber eyes. He leaned upwards to kiss Ren gently and lay back down when Ren poked at his chest.
"You are wearing too much clothes." He complained and HoroHoro chuckled at Ren's slight pout.
"These can be rid of easily." HoroHoro laughed softly as the violet haired man impatiently tugged at the shirt he was wearing. Once that was gone, Ren smirked and ran his hands over HoroHoro's firm abs.
"These are new." He said earning a smile from HoroHoro.
"They're superb aren't they? What I earned from working hard at the fields." Ren rolled his eyes.
"Now drop the pants." Ren commanded and HoroHoro burst out laughing and before his family knew he had HoroHoro in his room, Ren pressed his hands on HoroHoro's mouth.
"Shh…Do you want my family to barge in here and see us like this?" Ren hissed.
"Sorry, it's just the way you said it. Funny, I never thought I would hear that line from the great Tao Ren." HoroHoro chuckled and finally stopped when Ren punched him in the gut. Hard.
"Shut up." Ren scowled and crossed his arms, staring at the balcony, tints of pink on his cheek. He chanced a look at HoroHoro and found that the Ainu was staring at him with an incomprehensible look on his face.
"You're beautiful." HoroHoro said and pink tinted his cheeks when Ren gave him a look.
"What I meant was you look good. I didn't know you grew out your hair." HoroHoro coughed, embarrassed. Ren really looked beautiful to him. Under the moonlight, Ren seemed even fairer and with his long violet hair framing his face and contrasting with his fairness, he looked ethereal.
"Really? Beautiful?" Ren repeated disbelievingly and shook his head.
"Yes. You are. You are so beautiful and you are all mine." HoroHoro's lust filled eyes seemed to pierce through his soul and he found himself underneath HoroHoro again.
"You…are..all..mine.." HoroHoro said and each word was followed by a kiss all over his face.
His…He quite liked the sound of that. He smirked at HoroHoro and pulled his body closer to his. Ren leaned tilted his head slightly and brought his lips upon HoroHoro's neck and marked him the way HoroHoro did earlier.
"And you are mine." Ren said trailing kisses from Horo's neck all the way to the smooth planes of his chest and his firm abdominals. He stopped at the waistband of his sweatpants and looked up at the Ainu. He was Tao Ren, he certainly could do this.
"Are you sure that's what you want?" HoroHoro asked, smiling tenderly. Ren nodded and pulled the pants off.
---
As they lay still on the bed catching their breath, both were smiling and were enjoying each other's company. Ren wrapped his arms around HoroHoro, his head placed on Horo's chest. Even after having his growth spurt back when he was 16, he was still shorter than the Ainu. But he didn't mind. He felt ridiculously happy.
HoroHoro stroked Ren's hair, one arm around Ren's small waist. He placed a kiss atop Ren's dark locks. He looked up to see the time from the clock set on the table beside Ren's bed. 11.59...
"Happy Birthday Ren." HoroHoro said just a second before it turned 12 and pulled back a little giving Ren a soft kiss on his lips.
That was definitely the best gift ever, Ren decided and smiled.
~Owari~
A/N: Initially I had planned to post this up at twelve midnight on the 31st but I failed...): Anyways, this story just came to me as Ren's birthday approached. Ren seems a little OOC doesn't he? But I guess that's how he would be after a few years' time. This story came out slightly different then I wanted it to be and longer too. I initially wanted to finish it off much much earlier but I couldn't. The timing just wasn't right and so the babble began. Anyways, I do hope that some of you enjoyed this story. It's the last story of 2009 and the first for 2010 to me and the first Shaman King story I ever written. Do review and tell me what you think!
~Stephanie^^