Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King. I do own Rufus the review monster. He's fluffy.
Ginnitsune: Yay. Another update! Rufus was very pleased with the meal. He is beginning to gain weight though. I might have to enrol him in aerobics classes!
Andrea Nefisto: I'm soooo sorry (sobs hysterically) but you know it wouldn't be a romance fic if Hao didn't like Tohru! I understand your pain. I myself wish to kill her just to keep him for myself but something tells me not too. I think its Rufus, I mean if I kill her off I have no story which means no reviews and Rufus would starve!
Mikauzoran: Me too. I love Jello especially orange, or raspberry, tho I can't say that I've given any to my fluffy review monster Rufus to try. I may have to. I'm really glad you like the fic.
Opatcho woke up with the sun streaming through the trees illuminating the clearing. He stretched then sat up rubbing his eyes. Everything seemed to be quiet so he appeared to be the first up. He undid the zip on his tent then hopped out looking around for signs of life. He could hear the contented snores of coming from everyone's tents and Lactiff was murmuring something about peanut butter in his sleep in the tent next to Opatcho's.
"He gets louder everyday. Maybe I should wake him up before he disturbs Master Hao." Opatcho whispered to himself.
He opened up Lactiff's tent and crept inside. Then, using a stick he had found outside he began to prod Lactiff's nose.
"Lactiff...wake up...wake up"
He realised it wasn't working so he picked up Lactiff's water bottle and tipped some of the contents on to his face. Lactiff woke up spluttering, eyes wide in shock.
"What the hell did you do that for?" he said.
"You were snoring, and anyway we should wake everyone else up so we can be quicker to leave once Master Hao wakes up. I'm gonna help Tohru start the breakfast."
"OK I'll wake everyone else up"
Lactiff crawled outside and breathed in the fresh morning air and looked at his watch. It was about six thirty in the morning. He stumbled to the next tent, still half asleep and undid the zip to wake up whoever lay inside.
Opatcho made his way over to where Tohru's things lay but stopped dead when he saw he saw her blankets strewn everywhere. He rummaged through them to check she wasn't hiding anywhere and he discovered all her things were still there, including her shoes.
"Oh...ummmm... this could be a problem." He whispered in shock.
Everyone else was getting up so he gathered them all together panicking as he did.
"Right we all have to search as quickly as possible. If we can find whoever has kidnapped her quickly and bring her back then Master Hao will never know she was gone OK. Everyone keep quiet so we don't wake him and don't panic, whatever you do don't panic. Stay calm. Calm like I am"
Opatcho's eyes were wide and he was sweating and wringing his hands together. Everyone else was in the same condition as well. They all knew how Hao would react when he discovered she was missing. They set off in groups having agreed to cover as much ground as possible. Some used their oversouls for a birds eye view whilst others stayed on the ground
It was eight thirty and they had been searching for two hours and realised that they were going to have to tell Hao because he would wake up soon. They all gathered back at camp outside his tent. Opatcho went forward looking petrified. He undid the zip.
"Master Hao it's terrible we looked everywhere but sh..." Opatcho backed up slowly hoping he hadn't woken his master everyone away now before he wakes up. "Do something...busy yourselves"
Opatcho did Hao's tent up and looked back at the rest of the group who were standing looking very confused.
"We don't have to worry about Tohru" he said, the shocked expression still plastered over his face.
"Why?" asked Kanna.
"Because errrr... well Tohru's in there" he pointed at the tent, "with Master Hao"
Their eyes all widened as perverted images flashed through their mind.
"Guys. If Master Hao finds we walked in on them he'll kill us all" Mari exclaimed with a hint of fear in her voice.
Everyone else looked at her then rushed away from where they were standing to find something to do although everyone was waiting for the moment when one of them emerged.
It was another half an hour later before either of them woke. Tohru took a deep breath and realised someone was holding her. She opened her eyes and gasped in surprise when she saw her hands were wrapped around Hao's neck, clinging to him.
My dream...It can't have been a dream. Oh god what do I do. This could be embarrassing. If I pretend to be asleep then he'll get up first and I won't be as embarrassed. Besides I can't say I'm not enjoying this. OK pretending to be asleep it is she thought to herself. She closed her eyes again and pulled herself closer to him.
"I see your awake." Hao opened his eyes and looked at her face.
She looked back up at him.
"You had me worried. You do realise you sleepwalked a mile into the forest. Then came down with a fever. But you look a lot better now. It's a good thing I found you or that could have been our end. You don't have much luck do you." He whispered as he gazed into her eyes. He breathed in the sweet scent of magnolia that clung to her and smiled.
Tohru felt herself getting lost in his eyes as they held each other.
"I don't know. I'm not sure that I should look at it that way you know. As I see it I'm extremely lucky that you have been there to save me." She murmured in a trance.
He smirked when he noticed she was off in her own little world.
"We have to bet back moving soon. Stay here while I get you something to eat the last thing I need is you falling ill again."
He unwrapped her from his arms and she took her hands away from her neck lying back in the blankets. He pulled them back over her to make sure she stayed warm. She watched him realising he looked different somehow as he was wrapping her in the blankets. Then it hit her. He wasn't wearing the wrap he usually did. She looked around, wondering where it was. As she had been thinking this he finished piling on the blankets to warm her and began to climb out of the tent. He paused at the flap and turned around to look at her. Before she realised what was happening he was leaning over her with his hands supporting him either side of her. He reached down and quickly kissed her on the forehead then exited the tent. She lay there stunned and touched her forehead.
"What just happened?" she whispered to herself with a smile on her face.
Hao stepped out to be greeted by a sudden silence descending on the camp. Everyone looked at him. Some were grinning others were worried about what sort of mood he would be in. He looked at them all briefly then walked over to Opatcho.
"Tohru came down with a fever last night so see to breakfast for her" Hao looked down at Opatcho with a smile on his face.
"Master is she OK?" Opatcho queried suddenly looking worried.
"Yes but I'm not sure she'll be OK with the trek today so we're going to leave bit later today. Maybe lunch. Or I'll see about getting her there myself. We'll see."
Hao sat down by the fire glad for some warmth now he had left Tohru's side. He watched as Opatcho cooked her some food. He had dealt with everyone else's earlier when he realised that neither Tohru or Hao would be up any time soon. Hao took the bowl filled with food off Opatcho after he had filled it up and headed back over to the tent. He poked his head through and realised she had fallen asleep again. He sat down by her and tried to wake her gently. She mumbled something incoherently then wrapped her arms round his waist and rested her head on his lap, smiling. He found himself stroking her hair gently, enjoying the silky feeling of it on his skin. She opened her eyes and realised what she was doing, then blushed and withdrew her hands. She began to sit up and s she did Hao's hand came to rest on her cheek. She felt herself blushing more.
"I-I-I'm sorry m-master Hao. I must have dozed off again."
She stared down at the blankets afraid to look into his eyes again, she felt so stupid, blushing like an idiot. He smiled and took away his hand.
"I brought you something to eat. We're going to stop here for a while so you can rest then I'll decide how you're going to travel."
He handed Tohru the bowl.
"Master Hao you don't need to stop for me. I'm sure I can travel just fine" Tohru said looking guilty.
Hao put his hand up to her face again causing to blush. She sat there wondering why her heart began to pound every time he touched her.
"You're not going anywhere"
He crawled out of the tent stood there then started pacing, deep in thought. He suddenly looked up and whispered "Shit. I've fallen in love with her"
Opatcho watched him worried by his Masters strange behaviour. Hao walked over to him.
"Opatcho. Follow me I need to discuss something with you."
"Uh...OK Master Hao!" Opatcho ran to Hao's side.
"Umm before we go anywhere, do you need to put something else on because of the cold and all?"
"Good idea Opatcho"
Opatcho hopped off to fetch another wrap for Hao (he has a lot since he never seems to change his wardrobe). They walked off into the woods and sat down when they were out of earshot of everyone.
"Opatcho I have a dilemma"
"What is it Master Hao. Is it terrible, life threatening, deadly?" Opatcho began to rant.
"I've fallen in love" he stated
Opatcho stared at him. "w-what?"
"I'm in love with Tohru, and before you ask of course I'm sure. I have been in love before although that was 500 years ago. It's the same feeling. Just like the day I met Jessa, when I was a part of the patch tribe, the same feeling, heart pounding, electricity..."
Hao seemed to get lost in his thoughts.
"So what is the problem...ask her to marry you or something."
Hao snapped back to reality at the word marriage.
"How can I ask her to marry me and give her life to me so that I can get in to Dobi Village? It's wrong, I can't do that to someone I love"
"You don't know she'll die. Maybe it'll be different this time. She has already shown incredible resilience" Opatcho said hopefully.
"I- I need proof. I need to know for sure" he slumped his head in his hands
"Then test her abilities in a fight. Just make sure you don't kill her, but before you ask her to marry you if she proves worthy you have to tell her everything, and I would advise you to wait a little longer before you tell her all that. Just until you know how she feels about you. We can get Kanna, Mari and Matti to "talk" to her and find out."
"That's a brilliant idea Opatcho. As soon as she's better I'm going to challenge her until then I have to find out how she feels.
A/N: Wow. Marriage do I bite the bullet or what. I know it may seem a little abrupt but remember he's been watch on her for a while and taking the flippant way in which he acted towards Anna I think he'd probably be quite matter of fact with it. Especially since he is actually really old!
Wow. Rufus my review monster is gaining weight. But he needs more! How can you help with this...hmmmmm...? (Light bulb switches on) send a review. What a clever solution.