Seasons
Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King.
Winter
Summary: He never thought he would ever fall in love – it was just not him. She never thought she would forget about her Prince Charming – it was just too unexpected. Will the gentle fall of snow erase their doubts?
A/N: Here it is – Winter's first part… WAI! When I look at this I feel so proud because it's my first Horo x Tamao series that I actually plan to finish writing XD Ah… I feel so warm and bubbly inside. Anyway, I better stop babbling and get on with it dances around happily
Message Time:
snakespirit - I always thought those that come from anime are Cantonese - like Shaoran, but the series never stated where the Taos came from so I guess... or maybe they did in the manga, but I wouldn't know ;; Mmm... yeah, I think Tokyo Tower is red metal thing that looks like the Eiffel Tower... or isn't it O,o;;? I want to see it! [starry-eyed]
Nakashima-Michiyo, rachiru77, cherri-chan and GoddessLD, DayDrEaMiNg-child - glad you guys like the idea of Winter... hope I didn't screw it up with this ,;;
Ashly - XD
Warning: Major Horo x Tamao and some profanity maybe
Watching as a little snowflake landed near the window of Funbari Onsen, Horo Horo grinned broadly – it was winter time again, his favorite season. Finally, he would be able to go snow-boarding but a chill ran down his spine when he realized that despite the snow, he would still have to continue practicing with his teammates in soccer, blizzard or no blizzard.
Thankfully, that day was a Saturday and there weren't any assigned practice days that fell on Saturday so he spent his time either stalking his sister and her arrogant boyfriend or lazing around in his friend, Yoh Asakura's house emptying their fridge and simply hanging out. There were a lot of things fun to do in Yoh's house – soon to be inn. It had a well-stocked fridge and a great cook, which apparently was a very close and special friend to him. And also, when lucky enough that Anna wasn't there watching her soaps, they had a cool 100 channel cable TV anybody can abuse, which Horo Horo also found nice to watch his favorite shows like Ultraman, Doraemon or the new hit series, Naruto. Sadly however, there are some down sides in the great lounging area, like for example, if you were caught by Anna Kyouyama terrorizing her fiancé or raiding their fridge to no end, you would either end up doing the chores or cleaning the hot springs.
"Horo Horo-kun, what are you doing?" a young woman around two years younger than him entered the living room where he lay down idly flipping the channels of the TV – apparently, at that time of the day all that were home TV shopping shows. He didn't like those shows, not only did they show odd and worthless things that were too expensive for a young man like him.
Horo Horo smiled lazily at his friend, eyes lightening up when he saw her in her lemon yellow apron, face having hints of flour, "Nothing much… nothing good is on…" he shifted the subject with a wide grin, "You been baking?"
She nodded shyly, taking her seat on the other end of the sofa, "Hai… I've been making cake – I made two since I know you would finish one yourself. It will take a few more minutes though…"
"Thank you…" Horo Horo grinned, "Does the other one have 'I love you, Yoh-sama' written on it?"
She blushed profusely, "Ah… no of course not! H-Horo Horo-kun… you shouldn't tease me like that!"
He laughed amusedly, "I'm not teasing you – I just want you to get everything over with Tamao. Isn't it better when all the weight of such a burden is gone? How will you move on, ne?"
"I-I don't think I'll ever move on…" Tamao began looking away from her good friend, "I know I'm not some princess than a prince like Yoh-sama will fall in love with, that's Anna-okami, but I don't think… I don't think I can handle rejection – even a mild one, you know?"
Horo Horo sighed, "I don't get it… I don't get it at all… But good luck anyways… you're going to need it."
"I know…" Tamao looked away.
"Aww, anyway, aren't the cakes ready yet?" he said lightening up the subject because seeing her hurt and depressed hurt him, though he didn't quite understand why. Playing with her light pink hair, he said, "I'm getting quite hungry."
She blushed lightly and stuttered, "I-I think so… I better go check..." and she was gone, off to the kitchen to check the baked goodies that she was preparing.
"I'm Horo Horo… who are you?" he grinned widely. It was near Christmas time and the pink-haired girl that was always in the Asakura household to do chores would spend the holidays there. He never talked to her much so he figured that since he had nothing to do; he would just go introduce himself.
She blushed lightly and he had no idea why she did, "Ah… I'm… I'm…"
He looked confused; "Your name is I'm?" he looked confused.
"Ah, Iie! It's… it's Tamao, Tamao Tamamura." She finally managed to say after a few moments.
He grinned, finally clear and understood what she had meant. He realized she was a rather shy and introverted person, "So Tamao, what're you up to?"
"Ah… I'm just going to buy groceries for Yoh-sama and Anna-okami." She said, "Anna-san wants some specific things and Yoh-sama is always said to be clumsy by Anna-okami…"
"Really? Can I come with you?" he asked – he wasn't really expecting that she would actually let him. No girl ever agreed to his invitations – even with his great looks – but maybe that was because his approach had been totally wrong. After all, asking a girl whether they need your company in the aisle of the drugstore that had in big bold letters, SANITARY NAPKIN, has never been a good idea and never will be.
She blushed profusely. She was not used to being 'asked' in anyway by guys except for Yoh-sama of course, but that had obviously been platonic. Whether or not he was flirting with her or not, she felt rather uncomfortable and weird about it. After all, people that asked her out usually were… weird, like Ryu-san. "Why not?"
He grinned, faintly surprised, but pleased nonetheless, "Cool! Let's go then!" he said pulling her by the hand out of the soon-to-be inn.
So to say, that was a beginning of a wonderful friendship.
"Hey look Tamao, it's snowing!" Horo Horo pointed out to the snow-coated window as Tamao sliced a huge slice of chocolate cake for him
She smiled shyly handing Horo Horo a plate with the chocolate cake and a fork, "Yeah, it is…"
"Ne Tamao, do you like snow? I personally love snow…" Horo Horo said taking a bite from the slice of cake he had taken, which was basically half of the whole cake already. He loved snow – it was no lie. Ever since he was a child, he would admire the soft 'pieces of cold and wet cotton' that fell from the sky.
"It's fine I guess… for me it's no different from any other season, it's just a cycle that goes over and over…" Tamao stated, "Nothing really changes, flowers bloom during spring and it's really beautiful. During summer, it gets really warm and its nice to eat snow cones and visit the beach. During autumn, the leaves fall so there'll be space for the growing flowers to bloom during spring and during winter… During winter it snows and gets really cold."
Horo Horo pouted for a few moments dropping the fork on the table, "That's it? That's all you think winter is about? It's much more special than that Tamao!"
"Eh…?" the apparently confused Tamao said and rather surprised by his sudden outburst. Horo Horo was loud, but never during a meal – unless of course you consider his abnormally loud chewing sounds. Of course, Horo Horo also never put down his eating utensils unless perfectly full and satisfied.
Horo Horo winked at her, "Let me tell you something, this winter, this winter… I'll show you more things about winter! Then maybe you'll understand it a lot better and you'll like it a whole lot better too!" he said in his usual cheerful and optimistic self.
She laughed lightly at the determination and rather adorable childishness of her friend, "Alright then Horo Horo-kun… look, you're getting chocolate cake on your face…" she pointed out.
"Ah… I am…?" Horo Horo asked when he felt her wipe a tissue paper on it to clean it, he blushed in slight embarrassment, "I am…"
"There…" she smiled sweetly.
"I could have done it myself you know…" Horo Horo mumbled to himself, trying to understand why he had just blushed – and because of Tamao of all the people. Tamao was his best friend, nothing more than that…
She giggled lightly, "I know…" When she was with Horo Horo, she felt more free – more talkative… she always felt rather comfortable and reassured when he was around. He, of course, had been her closest friend, ever.
"Anyway," Horo Horo began again, "Just remember, this winter, preferably after school because coach is soooooooooooooooooo demanding, I'm going to show much much much much more wonderful things about my favorite season." He stuck out his tongue childishly.
"Alright already…" she said, playfully backing away slightly.
Grinning at her with his trademark 'I'm Horo Horo and I'm the most handsome guy you'll ever meet' smile, "You better remember that!"
"Stars are more beautiful when it snowy all over the place…" Horo Horo noted as they sat at the front porch of Funbari Onsen. The Christmas party they had just ended while he decided to stay a while before going back to his apartment, which he shared with his little sister, Pilica. After all, there was quite some leftovers left and he planned to clean them up when Tamao began fixing up.
"Really? They look pretty much the same to me…" Tamao commented as she hugged her knees due to the cold.
Horo Horo sighed at the practicality and simplicity of his friend. For her, snow was snow and the stars were stars, they always been the same. "Don't you think that the atmosphere of the snow and the stars at the sky fit quite well? It's like there are stars falling soft and gently, since snow flakes somewhat resemble stars in some sort of way. I mean, they are both white dots when not inspected, right?"
She shrugged, "I guess so…"
He smiled, his friend had always been one who didn't understand most of the things he was talking about. Sometimes, he himself cannot understand his words – they always been quite confusing, but then he realizes in the future that they had been so easy to understand, "Ah well…" he laughed, "I don't even know what I'm talking about anymore!"
She giggled, amused by the upbeat and optimistic attitude of Horo Horo. She wished she could be like him, without a care in the world and able to express feelings ever so well… but she wasn't, and probably never will be.
"Tamao, can I ask you something?" he said in a rather serious tone of voice – not exactly all sad and moody, but at least serious enough to know that it had been quite an important matter.
"What is it?" she smiled.
"Ah well…" he scratched his nose, "I was wondering… What do girls… umm… fancy?"
She laughed, "Fancy? Do you mean what do girls like? I see you're still trying to find a girl friend."
He pouted slightly, "Well, of course I am! I can't be left behind Yoh now! He has Anna and I have no one!"
The words 'Yoh' and 'Anna' forced her mouth to clamp shut. She knew that Horo Horo didn't really mean it in such a way to hurt her or rub it in on her, but it was still quite painful that even Horo Horo knew she had no chance in claiming Yoh Asakura's heart.
"Ah… shit." He said when he saw her reaction. He knew about it, he knew about it quite well. He hated himself for not being able to keep his mouth shut in front of such an innocent and sensitive person, "I'm sorry Tamao… I didn't mean to… you know."
"Ah… Horo Horo-kun, it's nothing…" she forced a smiled, "Now let's go back to your question, ne?"
"Are you sure you're alright? I'm really sorry… I wasn't thinking about my words and just spilled things out like an idiot. Sorry…" he said bashfully.
"I-It's alright Horo Horo-kun…" she said to reassure the young Ainu, "You do want to know the answer to your question, right?"
"If it's alright with you, yeah." Horo Horo grinned, though not quite so reassured about Tamao's troubled feelings yet, "Of course if not, I can always ask Pilica, but you know… sometimes I wonder… Is Pilica even a girl?"
Tamao laughed, "That's so mean Horo Horo-kun, and to your own sister too!" Tamao said playfully, though she did know fully well that if there was one person in the world Horo Horo would give up his life for, it would be his sister, Pilica, "I wouldn't mind! I'm telling you!"
"Ah okay then… so what do girls like in a guy? Let's look at your perspective, okay?" he grinned cheekily.
She blushed lightly trying her best to answer the Ainu's question, "Well… I do like a person who is nice and kind… umm… someone who's considerate and gentle in a kind of way. But… I like a strong person too, but humble… and easy-going… easy to talk to and really really nice."
Horo Horo who had been taking notes on what she was saying, grinned, "That's sounds a lot like Yoh… just without the lazy part."
"Eh… well…" Tamao said finding no words to defend herself.
"So you're looking for a prince charming?" Horo Horo laughed, putting the piece of paper with his 'notes' on in his pockets.
Tamao looked away bashfully all the while blushing profusely.
Horo Horo then opened his mouth to say something which she didn't exactly here at that time, "Do you think I can be Prince Charming?"
"Ah, there!" Horo Horo grinned broadly handing a piece of paper to Tamao, the paper in which he had been writing on just a few moments ago.
Tamao blinked wondering what was written in the paper and what it was for, "Umm… Horo Horo-kun? What's this for? What is this?"
He laughed running his hand through his unique light blue hair, "Why don't you just look at it and read it?"
"Umm… let's see… December 20 – will you go with me, Pilica and Ren to the Ainu Mountains?" she read rather shocked after reading the statement and had it processed in her mind. Horo Horo had been inviting her to come with him, his sister and his sister's boyfriend to their home. She was rather anxious to find out what this was about, but on the other hand, she felt ecstatic as well because she knew such a trip would be fun.
"What do you say? I need some company and a comrade, I don't know what Ren and Pilica will try to do to me there, and I just can't stop Ren from coming. Our okaa-san and otto-san are excited to meet him and I honestly want them to see Ren too… Ugh, anyway, I can't stop Ren – he practically forced me to allow him to go…" Horo Horo sighed, "Will you come with me? I mean, I am showing you the wonders of winter and what better way to show you than going to my home, right? It's breathtaking there!"
"I-I don't know… I would like to… but… I don't know if I'm allowed to…" Tamao said, and she wasn't lying. She never exactly tried asking for a vacation from the Asakuras before – she had always enjoyed staying with Yoh-kun and Anna-okami at Izumo during Christmas and cooking Christmas dinners. Though Horo Horo's invitation seemed like a nice experience, she surely did need permission from either Kino-sama or Anna-okami, both of which are hard to get. If only it was Yoh-sama and Yohmei-sama who had power in their family…
He face-faulted a bit, "I'm sure they'll think about it! But if you get the chance, you will come, right?"
"Of course I am Horo Horo-kun… I would love to visit your homeland…" she smiled.
He smiled at her too but for one moment he began asking himself, 'Why am I so keen on wanting her to come?' but forgot everything when he saw her smile
It will surely be one of the more eventful and fun winters in my life, I'm sure of it! He said to himself as he followed Tamao to the soon-to-be inn's kitchen with an ecstatic expression on his usually cheerful face. For one moment, all of his soccer practice troubles seem to go away.
::Tsuzuku – to be continued::
A/N: I'm not even sure if this was written well ;; I'm really sorry if this seemed to be some sort of rush work, and I swear I'll try to do better in the next chapter! I'm really really sorry! I still hope you enjoyed this though… Horo Horo and Tamao once again captured my heart, XD and reigns as a current strong obsession like Neji x TenTen and Athrun x Cagalli. I just love these two… :) anyway, next chapter on Saturday or Sunday I guess… hopefully, unless of course I'm so lazy AGAIN --;; hopefully, I'm not. Thanks for reading the first chapter of Winter!!! I hearts you people! XD Please don't forget to R/R!