A Rose for You

Written by Asaria Sabriella Chrysina

~*A One-Shot*~

It was the dreaded day. St. Valentine's Day.

Putting it frankly, Anna was in a very bad mood. It was another one of her most disliked holidays of the year, next to Christmas.

The holiday dedicated to love, lovers, and roses with chocolates galore. What an idiotic day. A day dedicated to idiots.

This was why the itako wasn't surprised when she awoke that Saturday morning with a migraine blocking her mind. She could hardly think straight, let alone stand, walk to the kitchen, and stuff aspirins down her throat.

The shrine was as rowdy as it ever could and would be, with ten-plus people trampling around, arms full of reds and pinks and whites.

Pilica was chasing her brother around for telling off Ren. Obviously, the Chinese shaman had given the Ainu girl a gift, because HoroHoro looked pissed. Ryu was handing the English dowser a box of handmade chocolates. Tamao's face was glowing a vibrant red as she quickly stuffed a teddy bear and cookies into the surprised hands of the Shaman King.

Anna glanced at these scenes with disinterest (although she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy as Yoh smiled at the fifteen year old prophetess gratefully and sampled a treat.) and poured herself a cup of tea. After taking a few sips, she decided to distance herself from the gaa- gaa eyes the boys and the girls were shooting at each other.

As quiet as possible, she slipped out of the room, grabbed her schoolbag, and walked out the door.

Anna was oblivious to the stares of the boys in her class. She even ignored the pile of valentine cards stuffed into every available nook and cranny of her desk.

Not one was from Yoh. He didn't even glance at her during class, as he so often did nowadays. He just glanced at the teacher, out the window, at the clock, at the textbook, and some strange paper hidden under the desk. Then he would repeat this all over again.

Anna's curiosity increased every minute.

When the bell rang, signaling the beginning of lunch, the young shaman did not approach her desk and wait patiently for her to pack up and leave. As a matter of fact, he just walked past her desk without a word or a mere glance; his eyes seemed blank and distanced from the real world.

Her brow furrowed when he exited the room without even a wave to Manta.

Yoh seemed to have vanished all during lunch. The Shaman Queen could not sense his furyoku anywhere. She suspected he has suppressed it (her new training regime had paid off; it would be hypocritical if she said she wasn't proud.) by covering his aura with a small amount of spiritual and physical energy.

Minuscule beads of sweat ran in rivulets down her back, but immediately disappeared when he returned at the ring of the bell, looking just as out of it as he had been before lunch.

A mask of indifference was plastered onto her face, but she could not hide the worry and concern for her fiancée in her dark eyes.

He did not notice.

Anna walked home alone that afternoon. She almost accepted a few of the dates offered to her by her adoring classmates. One of them was a popular football jock who told her he'd dumped his previous girlfriend for her.

That girl began to spread the rumor that Anna and Yoh had broken up, and that the extremely good-looking shaman was free for the taking.

She stopped when Anna sent her a glare that most likely would have killed her if it had materialized into a weapon of some kind.

Anna did, however, accept a friendly date from a stuttering geek who just wanted to know her better.

She did not notice the jealous glare Yoh sent behind her back to the other boy.

The classmate of theirs canceled the date right then and there.

Anna returned home, worried and tired out of her mind with confusion. She was furious at Yoh for disappearing during lunch, and punished him by adding a few laps to his daily run.

After she finished her homework and checked it over with Manta's, she retreated to the confines of her room.

To find that something had arrived there before her.

A bouquet of roses. Sixteen, after Anna had counted them. They were the most beautiful things she had ever seen, already in bloom. The red petals were scarlet, and velvet to the touch. The thorns were sheared off, leaving the stems smooth.

Anna nearly cried. But she didn't.

Her eyes caught something white. A card...

A few red roses for my Queen, whose beauty is matchless to any flower, jewel, or treasure. Happy Valentine's Day, Anna.
-Yoh

The Queen whose beauty was matchless to any flower, jewel, or treasure was crying silently. The roses were clutched tightly against her heart, and a single rare tear fell upon them.

A bud opened, its inner self revealed to the world. Anna wiped her tears and laid her gift on the table. The card was placed on top of it.

Anna allowed herself a small smile.

Yes, it was the holiday dedicated to love, lovers, and chocolates galore. It was a very idiotic holiday, dedicated to idiots.

She just happened to be one of those idiots.

Suddenly, a few words popped up at the tip of her tongue. A wonderful few; the words that would make Yoh understand. That would make her understand.

Before those words caved in on themselves, she dashed madly out the door.

Yoh just finished his extra training, but it was worth it. He had been planning that gift for ages. Since he had discovered three years ago that he was desperately, hopelessly, and madly in love with his future soul- mate, he wanted to do something that would make her understand.

The door behind him slid open.

He didn't have to look to guess who it was.

"Yoh?"

He turned his head.

The Queen whose beauty was matchless to anything. His Queen.

He gave her the most brilliant smile he could muster.

Anna couldn't stop her tears; nor could she stop the tremulous smile that graced her lips.

"Aishteru,"

She wasn't the one who said it. He wasn't the one who said it.

But the message was loud and crystal clear.

Anna walked over to Yoh and sat down next to him. He took one glance at the itako. His body, as though by instinct, reacted.

His lips sealed themselves over hers.

There was a muffled gasp of surprise, but it melted into a sigh. It was a clumsy first, but both were making the best out of it.

Suddenly, Anna pulled away and slapped Yoh straight across the face with a resounding whack!

"First of all," Anna grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him up so close. "Tell me you're going to kiss me before you actually do it. Second of all. Kiss me. Now."

Yoh gave her his lazy, laid-back smile and once again pressed his lips against hers.

Happy Valentine's Day, my beautiful Anna.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first story on fanfiction.net, so it may seem incredibly awkward. I know there isn't much dialogue in this particular piece. Gomen, I promise to make my others more exciting and interesting.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Shaman King©. All of them belong to Takei-sensei, except for Yoh. He belongs to Anna.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, MINNA!!!