A/N: Hi and thank you for taking an interest in my writing! It's been a long time since I've uploaded a fanfic that's not a one-shot and not gonna lie, I'm pretty nervous. But before starting, I want to lay out the warnings.

WARNING(S):

1) For anyone who doesn't know, this is a sequel to a one shot called "Hit or Miss". I would recommend reading that first if you haven't just to get a better idea of the background of this story.

2) In case if you didn't read the description before clicking on the title, this is revolved around yaoi, BL (boys love), or whatever you want to call it. Basically, it's going to be romance between two guys, mostly Ren and Horohoro. If that's something you don't like, then don't read. Don't waste your time to write a shitty hateful comment just so I can waste my time reading it.

3) With that being said, I have to also warn you that there will be some sexual scenes. But since it's so far in the future, I'm not going to raise the rating until we get there. And when we do get near there, I'll let you know for anyone who's uncomfortable about that sort of mature content.

4) This is sort of AU (alternate universe). I'm very much aware of Shaman King continuing as a manga when everyone's older but the one shot I mention above is revolved around the anime and therefore, so is this. That's not the only thing that makes this AU but I'm not going to say because spoilers. All I can say is I hope it makes an interesting twist ;)

Well, I think that's it. Thanks for taking the time to read all that and sorry it had to be so long but I think it was necessary. Anway, on with the store! (And let me know your thoughts when you finish)

Chapter I: Happy New Year

The sky had darkened and snow began to flutter through the cold air to the grounds of empty streets. Lights shone out of most homes, everyone waiting either in quiet anticipation or in lively celebration to the occasion. It was December 31st, with only a few hours until the year ended to make way for the new. Television media reported the bustling streets of Tokyo overflowing with people celebrating with friends and strangers but out here in the outskirts of quieter towns, the celebrations were kept within the privacy of homes. The same was for a particular hot spring inn by the name of Funbari Onsen as guests gathered, all of who were long-time friends of Yoh Asakura who now took over business after his grandparents with his wife Anna. The two held a New Year get-together every year since the Shaman Fight ended. The years have gone by since the Shaman Fight when they were young teens, and now they were all adults well in their twenties, still managing to get together each year—well, almost all of them.

Ren Tao sighed and took a quick glance over at where Jun sat with Anna and Tamao. They chatted cheerfully, seeming excited about Anna's large stomach. Anna and Yoh were expecting their first child very soon and it was apparent that they were more than ready to meet the new addition to their family. Even Anna, who was known for her terse personality, occasionally smiled fondly when she gazed at the life she carried. A sure sign that while almost nothing seemed to change among this great company of friends, time was in fact passing by and life was certainly taking its course.

Ren took a small sip from his glass. Ryu and his gang would be considered the older group among them all but the way they behaved made that almost hard to believe. Seeing them made Ren not want to drink too much and end up doing anything he would regret later. So he focused more on eating the feast that was prepared, which was actually quite delicious. He was even more shocked when he heard it was Anna who had prepared the meal. Considering her current condition, Yoh expressed how he wanted to do all the cooking and let her rest but apparently, she had insisted—another shocker.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Ren?"

Jun peered into her brother's eyes with a smile, seeming to have come to his side of the table to fill her empty glass with more wine. Ren just gave her a shrug, not sounding angry but still a little annoyed.

"Aren't you happy I at least came, Nee-san?"

"Oh, don't be like that." Jun scolded playfully. "You've only come to one of these once and that was such a long time ago." This was true. Unlike everyone else who showed up each New Year get-together since they separated after the Shaman Fight, this was only Ren's second time. The last time he attended one of these was the very first one, which means it was back when they were still kids, and he hadn't returned since. He didn't even mean to show up this year either, but his sister handed him a plane ticket to Japan out of the blue, the night before the scheduled flight, and simply told him to pack his things. She even added a comment that she had already contacted the Asakura's that they should expect them both, all with that smile she always wore when she was sure she would have her way and wasn't going to accept anything otherwise. Remembering that smile of hers made Ren role his eyes.

"After that you always stayed home for New Years. You don't want to get estranged from your friends. And… the last two New Year you seemed a little down." Jun's last comment caught Ren off guard. And then he realized his sister brought him here out of the same concern that was now showing in her smile. He wondered how he had missed that.

"I'm ok, Nee-san, I really am. There hadn't been anything wrong. Thanks for bringing me anyway." Ren spoke with honest gratitude in his tone this time and that brightened Jun's smile.

"I'm glad to hear that. Let me know if you need anything." With that, Jun headed back to the group of girls. Ren wished he didn't have to lie to her. Or he wished he could believe his own lie as well as she did.

Ren looked around at all the familiar faces. Everyone's spirits have gathered at the nearby graveyard to have their own party of the non-living. With the exception of Faust who was much older in the first place, he can see that the years have changed everyone from teenagers to young adults. But even if they were no longer children, everyone was still the same as he remembered them and he was glad for that. It almost made him wish he hadn't missed all those reunions in the past—almost. Despite the nostalgia he sensed among his friends, the circle wasn't complete. He had mixed feelings about that and he couldn't tell anyone about it.

"Hey! Is Horohoro not gonna make it this year too?" Ryu's loud voice asked a question that had been scratching the corners of Ren's mind the whole night. The mere mentioning of the name reminded him that even if they were adults now, Ren was still haunted by the past, from when they were still children.

Right after the Shaman Fight ended, on the last night Ren was with his friends, Horokeu Usui (also known as Horohoro) confessed to Ren that he was in love with him. It wasn't anything Ren had expected so at first he didn't even know how to respond. But once that initial shock passed, Ren's immediate decision was to be rational. And to make it clear to Horokeu what that meant.

"Look, Horo… eventually, I'm going to have to take a wife. That's inevitable. I have a responsibility as the Tao clan's heir. Once I leave for China tomorrow morning, everything goes back to normal. I don't know if it's because of all the shit we went through or if you're confused or what… Whatever it is you're feeling, I suggest you get over it fast before life goes back to normal for you too. So it can go back to normal.

Ren knew how he made himself sound, how he wasn't just telling Horokeu that his feelings weren't being reciprocated. But it was further emphasized by the look on Horokeu's face. Ren didn't have the ability to respond to that and could only pretend those tears were unnoticed as he turned away from him. By then it was morning and he had to get ready to return to China. Everything after that was more of a blur. That morning up until arriving at the airport, Horokeu was laughing and joking around with his friends. So no one noticed that he and Ren barely looked at each other. But as much as he hated that, Ren kept telling himself that it was for the best and that everything he said was true so he couldn't have done anything wrong.

However, returning home gave Ren a chance to think back at the event, which was also a chance for the guilt to catch up to him. It only took a week for it to catch up far enough to have a tight hold on him. So tight that Ren couldn't allow himself to deny that the decision he made to handle the situation that night wasn't at all rational. Even if he couldn't say he felt the same to Horokeu, he didn't have to be so deliberately hurtful. What he did wasn't just rejection—it was far worse.

As much as he felt inclined to, Ren couldn't get himself to apologize to Horokeu. He couldn't call, write or email, or use any means of communication to contact his friend. All he could do was endure his regret. Months passed until he was inevitably confronted with the truth to why he was feeling so regretful. He realized he wasn't regretful for his thoughtless choice of words. He was regretful for choosing to reject Horokeu.

Being with Horokeu had become such a routine for so long that it goes without saying it had become normal to Ren. He wasn't sure if it was because he suddenly had that taken away or if it was because of everything they went through, but Ren couldn't see the truth because it had been right under his nose. The truth that only struck him when he had to return to the life that didn't include the blunette. While that was what Ren called going back to normal, it never sat right with him and it took him months to know why. Ren finally understood why he didn't mind taking Horokeu into his team during the Shaman Fight despite their differences, or why it was so easy to risk his life to save him when Hao's followers attacked them. The acknowledgment of that made it all the easier for the guilt and regret to cling to him even tighter. Especially after what happened, this feeling that Horokeu is now out of reach was more than a geographical matter. Being confronted with the knowledge of that only made it worse for Ren and more impossible to reach out to the blunette. So when he heard about Yoh inviting everyone for New Year, Ren couldn't pass up what he thought could possibly be his last chance, even though there was no guarantee that Horokeu would actually show up.

But Horokeu did show up. However, what Ren didn't anticipate on was the damage done by their last encounter. The Ainu was avoiding to even look at him and didn't even allow the chance to exchange a single word. Yet the awkward air between them was kept low key, subtle enough for it to go unnoticed by everyone else while it was undeniably real for Ren and the blunette. It was like nothing had changed since the morning after Horokeu confessed to him right before he left for China. When Ren realized this, he also realized his inability to deal with it. He began to wonder what was all that time he spent with the blunette when it seemed like he didn't even know how to talk to him anymore. It wasn't until the clock struck midnight, somewhere amidst the festivity, their eyes finally met just once. Ren opened his mouth in an attempt to say something. But before he could, Horokeu looked away as if to deny him the chance—as if to reject him. And it was at that very moment Ren realized he not only didn't know how to speak to the blunette but he didn't even know what he wanted to tell him. He didn't know how to make everything better again. He didn't know how to go back to when everything was ok.

It was a quiet but painful disaster that Ren didn't want to face again so he never showed up at another one of these reunions. Yet he was able to confirm if Horokeu showed up or not from the group picture on the New Year post cards Yoh and Anna sent him every year. Even though he couldn't find it in himself to see the Ainu in person, there was still a sense of comfort that somehow came from seeing him smiling in a mere photo. However, Horokeu was not in the last two pictures and Ren probably failed to hide his disappointment since it got his sister to think they needed to join this year. He still didn't know if Horokeu was coming or not, if he wanted him to show up, or how he should feel either way. Ren was actually feeling quite restless and it took a lot of will power not to show it. And Ryu screaming his question wasn't helping, although Ren managed to keep any reaction from passing over his features.

Before anyone had a chance to answer Ryu, the doorbell rang. Yoh stood up and disappeared from the room to answer it, and after a few moments, he returned with additional guests. Ren couldn't take his eyes off of one of them.

"Damn, Horohoro! You actually made it this year!" Ryu's loud voice was followed by everyone else expressing how glad they were to see their circle was finally complete. Ren was too choked to join in as Horokeu took his coat off.

"Ryu, you trying to pass out before the New Year gets here?" Horokeu laughed at Ryu's drunken state and then stops, noticing a face he hasn't seen in years himself.

"Ren? You made it this year too?"

"…Nee-san insisted." Was all Ren could muster out of himself as Horokeu threw him that big grin he feels like he hasn't seen in ages. The familiarity of the blunette's voice conflicted with how foreign it felt for it to be directed at him.

"Wish I knew you were coming. I would've gotten you something."

"…Get me something? Why?"

"It's your birthday, right?" To this, heat rushed to Ren's cheeks, and he could feel everyone begin to focus on him.

"Oh yeah! It is your birthday, isn't it, Ren? Sorry, I just—"

"B-baka! I'm not a child! I don't even care!" Ren didn't let Yoh finish, rushing his words as if to hide how much more red his face was getting. Never mind having the New Year outshine his birthday. He was used to that and it never bothered him anyway. But he never expected Horokeu, of all people after everything that's happened, to take it into consideration like that. He began to think he was the only one haunted by the past and maybe it meant there was still a chance.

"I see someone hasn't changed." Horokeu laughed with everyone who were quite used to this part of Ren's personality. Then Pilika nudged Horokeu in the side.

"Onii-chan!" Pilika nodded her head back as if to remind her brother of something. And it seemed Horokeu remembered what it was as he looked behind himself.

"How am I supposed to introduce you to everyone if you're standing back there?" Horokeu chuckled, as it seemed someone stood behind him. He took a step to the side to reveal a girl probably in her early twenties. She had dark wavy hair down her back and large hazel eyes that looked timid in everyone's presence, her pale features emphasizing the pink tints shading her smooth porcelain cheeks. She took tiny steps forward, her smile shy and slightly nervous as everyone's curiosity concentrated on her.

"Guys, this is Nozomi."

"N-nice to meet you all." Nozomi stammered, and right away, everyone caught on to who she was. So did Ren and he could feel color drain from his face. But with no one noticing his distress, Yoh sent Nozomi a welcoming smile.

"Nice to meet you, Nozomi! Great to see Horohoro finally found himself a cute girlfriend." Yoh chuckled jokingly and everyone laughed in agreement. Everyone but Ren who inwardly hoped Horokeu would say Yoh was wrong and introduce this girl as some relative of some sort. The blush in Nozomi's cheeks deepened when Horokeu put a hand to her shoulder and pulled her close.

"Actually… she's not just my girlfriend. Nozomi and I are getting married."