Chapter 5: Trying to get along
Disclaimer: Still don't own anyone:((
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In the mean time, Hao had landed in a forest. His spirit let go of Tamao.
"What do you want?!"
"Not much. I want my revenge, but to do that, I have to live"
"Then why did you take me? So that the others won't kill you? You want to use me as a shield or something?"
"No. I could never do this to such a beautiful girl. Besides, I might spare Yoh and Lyserg's lives if they join me"
"They won't join you, they're not idiots. Who would join a monster like you?!"
Hao's face changed as a response to her. He looked at the girl with fury and, before she could do anything, she fell on the ground. She felt a sting on her left cheek and a thread of blood fell from her lip.
Hao had slapped her.
Tamao started crying silently. She hated him with all her heart. She hated him for his crimes, she hated him for playing with her mind, for planning to kill those whom she loved and for slapping her.
Hao started to feel a sting on his chest and then he knew that he had started this with the wrong foot.
He fell on his knees and tried to approach to her, but she pushed him away. His pain was getting worse and he had to do something fast.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug, ignoring her silent protests.
"Tamao, I'm sorry, I'm very sorry! Please, forgive me! I didn't want to hit you…please, don't cry…it's breaking my heart to see you like this…" he whispered. 'So true…' he continued mentally, still fighting with the pain.
She stopped crying and looked at him surprised. Why was he acting like this?
"Hao? Since when did you start being sorry?"
"I can't live without you" he whispered. "I've loved you ever since you came and released me in that dream. I need your love…"
"But-but I…I hate you! I don't love you…I can't love you"
"Don't say that! You are the only girl I ever wanted and…"
He looked deep into her eyes with those brown eyes…those wonderful eyes she had fallen in love with. God, how much he looked like Yoh!
"Hao, I…"
"I understand, Tamao. If I don't have your love, I have nothing. I'll just have to kill the others and then die. Maybe I'll find my peace. And I'll get the Great Spirit in 2500"
"Wait! I don't want you to die!"
"My life depends on you. But there is someone else in your heart. Actually, it's more than just one person. You almost stopped loving Yoh, because you know he'll never betray Anna, especially now when she's pregnant. And there's Lyserg, whom you respect very much. He already loves you; I could see it in his eyes. The other one saw it too. Ren, isn't it? Yes, it's him. He has a crush on you too, although he's ashamed to admit it. He's jealous of Lyserg…so, who's it gonna be? Yoh, Lyserg, Ren or me? What a pentagon of love!"
"Please, don't kill them…" she whispered.
"How can I not? If I want to live, I have to eliminate the competition!"
"No, you don't have to. I'll stay with you"
"Good. I'll let them live"
"You looked almost like Yoh when you talked about love earlier. I think maybe I can actually…"
"I need proof. I'm taking a high risk with you"
"Proof? What sort of proof?"
"A kiss"
Tamao came closer to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Not this kind of kiss. A real one"
She blushed. She had never kissed anyone like Hao asked her before. Would she give her first kiss to Hao? If that meant saving their lives, yes. Although she wanted her first kiss to be with someone special, someone whom she loved and loved her back.
She placed a hand on the neck and the other on his chest and gently approached her face to his, closing her eyes little by little, while he did the same thing. She felt a shiver running down her spine while their lips slowly touched. He placed his hands on her waist and squeezed her body. She broke the kiss abruptly.
"Hao…you're…suffocating me" she could barely say
"I'll never let you go. After such a kiss, I never want to let you go"
"Just a little bit….more loose"
He let her go and she fell on the ground, catching her breath.
"Wow…that was sooo sweet and it felt good…I want more…" he said
"You won't get any more if you squeeze me to death" she responded a little mad, trying to hide how much she had liked the contact.
"Sorry. It's just…I never kissed anyone before and, in all my lives and I didn't really know how to do it"
"You haven't received affection…no wonder you are like you are"
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"You're extremely violent, killing everyone that doesn't agree with you. You try to be strong by yourself. You try to be the intangible tough guy that shows no emotion, is hard to impress and very calm. To be honest, your calm is scaring me"
"What's wrong about being calm?"
"It's not right to keep your feelings inside. You must exteriorize yourself, get rid of the frustrations and negative feelings. If you'll keep them inside, you'll end up by exploding. It's not good"
"And how do I…exteriorize?"
"Talk to me, tell me everything that's been bothering you. Speak openly. Be honest. You will feel much better"
"Speak openly? No. That's the last thing I'll ever do. It's a sign of weakness"
"No, it's not. You said you love me. A relationship is based on honesty, trust and communication. And you don't trust me"
"I don't know you"
"I want to go back" she announced, getting up. "I can't and I don't want to continue this any more"
"You can't leave this forest without my help"
"You're wrong! I'm strong enough to find my way out of here"
"Sit down, Tamao. Don't make me stop you"
"I'd like to see you try! Your life is connected to mine, you said so yourself. You also said you love me, but you don't. You need my love to stay alive. The spell says I have to love you, and since I don't, you'll go back to that fountain. You're just a shadow, a memory, nothing more. There's nothing human inside you, nothing to love. I can't love an image!"
