DISCLAIMER: ...I don't own Shaman King or any of its characters. I just like manipulating the charcters and making them do the things I want :P.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Right now, when it comes to fics, I'm relying mainly on those moments of inspiration that I get when reading other fics, the manga, or watching TV. So yeah, another Shaman King fic, CCS completely forgotten. ...I really gotta reread that. But anyway, yah, YohxAnna again, so enjoy. Mostly rambling, kinda sounds odd... but yeah.
Smells Like Rain
by pinkpuruu
It was raining.
A common occurrence, yet that day seemed especially extraordinary to Anna. Maybe it was the smell of damp pine wafting up her nose and overcoming all her senses, something faintly reminiscent of her childhood. Maybe it was her feeling of urgency and slight panic over her struggle with the bags of groceries, an umbrella, as well as a tender and warm palm that clung tightly to hers despite her desperation. Or maybe it was because of the fact that the owner of the hand was of that of her fiancée's, and no matter how hard the rain beat down or how persistently it clung to them, he refused to let go.
Anna was not prone to blushes, but if she were…
It was the first time in a long while that they had gone shopping together. Even before the Shaman King fight, they had never really gone out together to go shopping for groceries. She always forced the menial task onto her petulant, though obedient, fiancée so she could stay at home and watch the soaps on TV. Never had she considered going with him. It was not really their task. Training was theirs. Sitting at home in silence and comfort was theirs. Grocery shopping was so simple and boring of a thing to do that the thought of going with him never crossed her mind.
Today was different. He had been different.
After the Shaman King fight, he had insisted on doing everything together, that is, the things that were possible of doing together without too much embarrassment. From ordinary things like sleeping to meaningless everyday tasks like brushing their teeth, he was her shadow that followed her doggedly with a good-natured smile that despite her cold reproofs, could not be erased from his face. At first, something urgent and something scared tugged and worried at her mind, for she could not comprehend his actions, or the reasoning behind them. Eventually, these misgivings flew away with every genuine smile, every look of content. So when he asked for her company to go to the grocery store a few blocks away, she had readily acquiesced, already used to his new behavior. Being the attentive person that she was, she had felt the chill in the air and was smart enough to grab her umbrella before they left.
Unfortunately, her fiancée wasn't as bright.
Which left them later with three bags of groceries, a single umbrella, and the both of them, mottled by the downpour.
She had made sure to admonish him with much vigor with threats of doubling his training and chores, not to mention doing unspeakable things to him while he slept, and not in the good way. He took all of these with his usual sheepish grin, embarrassed shuffle, and puppy-dog beg for forgiveness. After a few swipes at him with her umbrella, she gave a weary sigh, and permitted him to walk with her under her umbrella.
If it weren't unusual enough to be out carrying groceries in the rain, she had to be the one to carry the umbrella.
To add more injury to slight insult, an unseen puddle had escaped her view, and she went toppling after the first initial steps away from the grocery store.
Of course, her fiancée acted instinctively and reached out while miraculously balancing two bags of groceries and caught Anna's hand and drew her close to him.
They stood in the middle of the sidewalk, frozen in an awkward embrace.
After the initial stages of shock had worn away, Anna made sure to box his ears soundly, before drawing harshly away from him, umbrella and all, storming down the road back home. She did not hear his half-hearted apologies or see his rueful grin before he reached out to grab her hand. The touch electrified her. She hoped to God that, as her fiancée drew closer to her side, he had not seen the split-second reaction to his fingers intertwining persistently with hers. This, however, did not stop her from damning his existence, since she figured, from the slight quirks of the edges of his mouth, that no matter how composed she attempted to look, he could see the effect he had on her.
Damn him.
Light-headed and slightly winded, Anna could not help but edge slightly closer to the warmth of her fiancée's body. Loud curses rang in her head at her obvious weakness to him, but all thoughts drained away and all that was left was a sense of contentment. The feeling was odd, yet not unusual. She still hadn't really gotten used to the feeling of absolute comfort and ease. She still hadn't really gotten used to the feeling of him always by her side.
Which explains how relieved she felt when she saw their house come into view.
She inadvertently quickened her pace, ignoring the groceries that jingled and bounced in her grip, dragging her mildly surprised fiancée behind her.
What she didn't expect, however, was for her to slip on puddle Number Two, paces away from the front gate.
With extreme ease, Yoh saved her from the embarrassing fall, dropping the umbrella and the two bags of groceries on the saturated ground. They fell with a meek clank and a thud.
Anna found herself once again entrapped by Yoh's tight hold. The rain pounded relentlessly on the two of them, ignoring the fact that they were already drenched. The minutes dragged on, and his tight did not loosen an inch, and Anna's face remained buried in the crook of his neck where the tips of his hair tickled her nose.
"What are you doing?" she croaked, unable to take the surge of emotions that tumbled in her stomach. "The groceries are getting wet! Not only that, but we're soaked straight through—"
Ignoring these protests, he muttered softly into her ear, lips brushing against it gently, and said, "…Did you know that your hair smells like rain?"
The question stunned her, and her only response was a weak, "Waa…?"
She could feel him burying his nose into her tangled and wet hair and making noises of content. She felt herself growing smaller and smaller into his embrace, the sensation of his arms around her, his face nuzzling hers, and the cold drops of water raining down upon her gave her a great feeling of vertigo. She felt something inside of her breaking and she felt unable to pull away from him, no matter how much her mind protested.
And with a final lingering touch of her face with cold fingers, he untangled her from his hold and immediately ran to pick up the discarded groceries bags, trying to salvage whatever he could from the rain. With another one of his sheepish smiles, he turned to her and said, "C'mon, Anna! We're getting soaked!" With that, he ran inside the house.
She stood, stunned, in the rain.
The cold rain trickling down her skin woke her from her stupor. She recovered quickly. An irritated huff escaped her lips.
She made extra care to aim the dripping umbrella towards the back of her fiancée's head.
Closing Thoughts...
Yoh: "OW, ANNA… ITAAAI…"
Anna: "What did you expect, after you left me there dripping in the rain?"
Yoh: "Well, you had the umbrella…"
*THWACK*
Yoh: "T____T hidoiiii~"