Mai: Wow it's been over a year since I've updated. Sorry but my plot bunny really has strayed from Shaman King. Sometimes I get a chapter of Close Enemies or Do You Remember Me out. I've completely given up on Unloved. Sorry. So there really is no guarantee about when or even if I update at all so don't hold your breathes.
Disclaimer: Don't own Shaman King. If I did I would never have let them make a crappy dub where the purely Chinese family all get British accents while the British guy sounds completely American. That's just messed up.
Chapter 12: Worth It
It had been a few days since I had started to avoid Horo-Horo. It was not going well. There were only so many times I could pretend someone was calling me. I just didn't know what to do.
I liked him but I wasn't sure if I liked him in that way. Even if I did like him I didn't know if I really wanted to get into a relationship now. I needed to focus on getting my sight back. And he was such a sweet guy. I really didn't want to hurt him.
It was ironic there was once a time when I would have given anything for a nice sweet guy to pay attention to me. Of course back then I wasn't blind. Everything was so different now.
I heard movement behind me. It was slowly and slightly clumsy. I relaxed whoever it was wasn't trying to sneak up and attack me.
"Who's there?" I asked already knowing the answer.
"It's me," Horo answered softly.
"Oh. Hi," I said feeling my face heat up. The words he had told Yoh were bouncing around in my head. I didn't know how to get over them and act normal around him anymore.
"Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked.
"I'm not avoiding you," I lied. Of course I knew he'd see right through it but I just couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth. I couldn't lie to myself anymore. I definitely liked him like that.
"Then how come every time I try to talk to you, you make an excuse to get away from me?" he said trying not to sound too accusatory. He really was a sweet guy. He wanted to make me feel comfortable so he was bottling up his frustration. But I could hear it in his voice.
"I-I just don't know what to say to you," I said quietly.
"What do you mean?" he asked as he walked over and sat down next to me.
"I heard what you said to Yoh and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I like you, I really do, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for a relationship yet."
"Why not?"
"I just feel I need to concentrate on winning this tournament and getting my sight back. If I get too distracted I might not be able to reach my goal." It was surprising how easy it was to talk to him once I got started.
"I have a dream too. And a reason to want to win more then anything but I'm still willing to start this. I know that if you just give it we'd be able to work it out without distracting each other," he said confidently.
"How can you be so sure?" I asked uncertainly. I wanted to be with him but if I got distracted and lost my dream because of that I knew I'd regret it.
"What did Yoh tell you?" he asked suddenly.
"What?" I said taken aback by the sudden change in topic.
"I saw you talking to Yoh a few days ago. I assume you were talking about what you overheard. What did he tell you to do?"
"Well he said that I should think about how I felt and if I had feelings for you I should go for it," I told him. "He told me that love makes people stronger not weaker."
"Yoh's a smart guy," Horo commented. "If it's alright with you I think we should listen to him. He's never steered me wrong before."
I smiled and nodded slowly. I was done trying to tell myself I wasn't falling for this guy. I reached out a hand trying to find his face. He extended his hand and guided mine to his face.
I ran my fingers along his face. I could feel some stubble beginning to grow on his otherwise smooth skin. His ears were a little big but I kind of liked that. His hair was held back by a soft headband and as I ran my fingers through it I could feel a smooth spiky texture.
Then I ran my fingers over his lips they felt soft and inviting. He smiled when I touched them and I swear he could sense what I was thinking.
A second later his strong hand lifted mine away from his face. His other hand caressed my cheek leaving me mesmerized before he leaned in and our mouths met.
My eyes automatically fluttered closed even though it really made no difference to me. The kiss was tender, sweet and over much too quickly.
"Wow," I whispered as he pulled away.
"Yeah," he agreed breathless. His hand rested on top of mine and I slowly and carefully leaned over on his shoulder.
"I've never done that before," I murmured more to myself then to him.
"Kissed a guy? Well I've never kissed a girl. So I guess it's a first for both of us," he said happily.
"It was nice," I told him. "You're a good kisser."
"If you've never kissed a guy before how can you tell?" he asked confused.
"I just know," I said softly.
"Well I think you're a good kisser too," he replied.
"How can you tell?" I asked teasingly.
"I just can," he said. Then I felt his lips brush the top of my head affectionately. I smiled. It was nice to sit here like this with him. I never wanted to move. I couldn't remember ever feeling happier.
