So Close, So Far Collection II: Almost Touching
Vignette Number Six: "Phobia"
Lee Pyron was frozen in terror. Jun's hand was a hair's breadth away from a Gila Monster! Why did she have to come to America to look for Ren? Why did she end up in this Godforsaken desert? Why did she insist on sleeping under the stars tonight? Why did she have to stretch her arm and rouse a venomous reptile from its nest?
He heard the hideous creature hiss and Jun's fretful pleas of, "Get it away," but could not rush to her aid. Why, of all things, did it have to be a lizard? Lizards were to Lee Pyron as snakes were to Indiana Jones.
What am I going to do? I'm sorry, Tao Jun. I'm so sorry! he thought.
The animal opened its mouth, preparing to clamp down on her finger.
Don't get bitten, don't get bitten, don't-!
His mind spun. The desert landscape turned blurry and swirly as though he was looking through a kaleidoscope. A chaotic feeling, something between defensive and panicked, engulfed him. He could have sworn he heard a scream, a "kroosh," and a sharp "thwap."
The next thing he knew he was kneeling on the ground with a poisonous reptile chewing him. The scream had been his. "Kroosh" and "thwap" had been the sounds of his hand jabbing into the sand and knocking Jun's out of the way.
"Pyron!" Jun screamed.
She gawked in horror like a dumb beast. Slowly, as if in a dream, he gazed at her worried face and then gazed at the Gila Monster.
I'm… fine. I'm perfectly fine! Why the hell was I so scared of that thing? wondered the dead man.
He smiled warmly at the shaman, flung the animal off, and said, "You're okay, right?"
She blinked, dumbfounded, and then quietly laughed her fear away.
"Yes. You know what's funny? I realized that thing couldn't kill you but was still scared to death," she answered while embracing him.
"I was fifty times more scared."
"Of the lizard?"
"At first I thought so, but my biggest phobia is really when you're in jeopardy. "
Touched by his statement, she gave him a lily petal soft kiss.
In case you're wondering, Pyron's biggest fear is never stated in the canon Shaman King universe. I never intended to use his fear of lizards in any of my fics except Snapshots; it just sort of worked its way into this vignette. I'm actually quite pleased with how it turned out and hope you guys are too. Review onegai!