Snow War

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Silent Shadow

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Pairing: [JounouchixAnzu]. Fluff. Snow.

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"Girls," Jounouchi declared, "are stupid."

Anzu, then, promptly threw a snowball at him.

"You're one to talk."

Jounouchi snorted, brushing the snow off his now snow-bitten red face.

Anzu and Jounouchi walked side by side in the falling snow of Domino City, Japan. A bitter cold Sunday afternoon, frosted with January touch.

Anzu was bundled up from head to toe, resembling an overstuffed roly-poly. Jounouchi didn't wear as much as she did since he decided he rather choose mobility over cold, and was currently trying to help Anzu walk across the park field towards their destination- her house.

Whether it was the cocoon of clothing or the fact that Anzu lifted her legs high so that her feet wouldn't drag, it was always harder to walk in the snow. She accepted Jounouchi's help graciously, that is, until he made the comment about girls.

"So," she said after she paused to catch her breath, "Why am I stupid?"

"I didn't say you. I meant girls- you don't count."

"Gee thanks," she said sarcastically trudging on again. The unadulterated snow crunched somewhat satisfyingly under their feet. It was always pleased Anzu to see her mark on a crisp clean slate of a blanket of snow.

Anzu was careful to keep Jounouchi in her peripheral vision, making sure he wouldn't swoop low to gather some snow. She knew the boy too well to not know that he would not retaliate against a snowball in his face. She also could see that he hadn't discarded what he wiped away before yet.

"You know what I was trying to say. I didn't mean it like that."

"Yeah whatever."

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

"When do you think Yuugi will get better?" Jounouchi asked, half bored with the world. Even the snow with all its possibilities didn't seem to excite him as much as it should since the mighty world champion Yuugi, was struck down with the common cold.

"Who knows," Anzu said shrugging, or trying too under her clothes, "But you're avoiding the question."

"What question?"

"You know what question."

"Oh that one."

"Yeah. Why are girls stupid?

"Don't feel like talking about it."

Anzu made a very un-ladylike noise. She stopped walking and turned to face Jounouchi.

"Idiot. It's Mai isn't it?"

"It's girls in general. Except you."

"Shizuka too?"

Jounouchi paused, as if he never though Shizuka as a girl, "Well… she does have a thing for Honda. That's pretty stupid."

"And Mai is stupid because she has a thing for you."

Jounouchi's deep chocolate eyes darkened even more before repeating, "Yeah. Girls are stupid."

"So, did you guys fight or something?"

"Or something." Jounouchi offered no other information.

Anzu sighed, it must be harder that it looked to keep a relationship with an eight year difference. Especially since Jounouchi is still a minor. She thought it would work out, but Jounouchi was so…

"I'm hungry."

Yeah… like that. Especially when it came to a serious conversation.

"It must be empty. Just like your head."

He stuck his tongue at her, and then looked up at the sky- tongue still out. He caught a snowflake on it and then bent backwards to catch another.

"You know, with the city's pollution- that can't be healthy," Anzu warned.

Jounouchi gave her his biggest cheesy grin and slid his arm around her shoulders.

"So, are you worried about me?"

Anzu felt slight confused of the flirting attitude of one of her best friends.

"No, it's just-?!" Anzu shrieked as Jounouchi shoved the little snow that he had in his hand down her neck. In a sort of strange frenzy, she ripped her fuzzy pink scarf off before the snow could fall under her sweater.

"You jerk!" She yelled as she crouched down and gathered as much snow she could in one hand.

Jounouchi was much faster without a bulk of clothes weighing him down, and managed to land a snowball right between her eyes before she even could mold it.

Anzu grumbled irritably and she took off her large bulky coat and pulled off her over-sweater for easier movement.

"Maybe you want move like a bear anymore," Jounouchi laughed. Which was greeted by a whirling snowball he just managed to duck.

The battle ensued.

Jounouchi found that without all her coverings, Anzu was extremely hard to hit- special thanks to her dance skills.

Jounouchi, however, was faster and a better shot.

They were dead even in different ways.

It was a long battle.

Neither knew how long they've been at it, but they were both exhausted, snow covered, and out of breath. Not to mention numb from the shoulder down.

Jounouchi managed to hit the back of Anzu's head with such a force that she almost fell on her face. Jounouchi could almost see the flames protrude out of her normally peaceful azure eyes.

He dived behind the protection of a conveniently placed tree. Anzu grinned evilly and threw her snowball, only it wasn't aimed at Jounouchi.

Instead, it hit the branches that held an abundance snow like leaves. Instantly the branch shuddered and all the snow fell right on top of Jounouchi's head.

He fell on the soft ground in his defeat, tired. Anzu laughed victoriously. Actually, since she was so tired, she more wheezed happily.

Anzu trotted through the snow, the once beautiful untouched plain was now sloppy mess of mounds of unsuccessful snowballs and ragged footsteps.

She walked over, misshapen snow crunching very loud, and leaned above Jounouchi's fallen figure, "I win."

And then she tumbled awkwardly beside him in an exhausted grace.

"All those years in dance didn't really do much good," Jounouchi teased.

Anzu would scowl but it seemed the cold froze her face in a permanent smile.

Both were silent except for their breathings, too tired to talk at the moment. Jounouchi exhaled slowly, watching his breath materialize then drift away, fading in the wind. He noticed sometime during their snow war, that the snow had actually stopped falling from the sky. It was so quiet, without the animals in the park and they couldn't even hear the cars that were so far away.

"I can't feel my feet," Anzu didn't completely realize she said anything.

"And I think my socks are wet," she added distastefully as an afterthought, "I hate wet socks."

"Hn."

He looked at the smaller girl and noticed she was slightly shivering. He snaked his arm under her head, an offering for some warmth.

Anzu indeed felt herself get warm around the cheeks. She was thankful that the snow already made her face red. She also felt her heart pumping quick again, like she was fighting another snow war.

"This is idiotic" she thought to herself finally, "He's only one of my best friends."

Only one of my best friends?

As to prove herself the point she leaned in closer to him to get receive his warmth. She noticed that their heartbeats beat in unison. His was racing just like hers.

Best friends are weird like that sometimes.

They staid together like that for along, huddled in the same position, not willing to get up. Somewhere in the freezing air, frigid clothes, and lumpy snow, they found themselves very comfortable. Listening to heart beats and watching their breaths evaporate into nothing.

"I'm still hungry," Jounouchi finally said after a long silence.

"You're an idiot." But there was no malice in the statement. Anzu sat up, trying to shake her back free of snow.

Jounouchi watched her get up with a sense of disappointment.

"I'm going home. No ones there so I my dad wants me to lie there for awhile," Anzu replied.

"Oh…"

Anzu knew Jounouchi was contemplating where to go. They just came from Yuugi's, he was sick. Honda was looking after his nephew, who had just learned to walk and terrorizing anyone he could. And Jounouchi really didn't want to come home with his father. Shizuka was back with his mother whatever city they live in…

"You can come too," Anzu offered and she saw his face light up.

"I'll make some chicken soup." His face brightened even more. It was interesting how he could change his face like that, almost like a childs'.

"Help me up," he demanded.

"No. You can do it yourself."

"We are simply best friends again."

Jounouchi began to whine and Anzu rolled her eyes. Finally she gave in and grabbed his outstretched hand. With an "oof" and a jerk he was now on his feet. Their hands lingered together a bit more than necessary.

"Or are we…"

"Let's go," Anzu said definitely, striding in snow, grabbing her extra discarded clothes. The familiar crunch sounds came back.

"Let's."

Crunch, crunch.

"You know Jounouchi," Anzu started, "You're right. Girl's are stupid. And I may be the stupidest one."

Jounouchi looked at her confused but asked nothing.

"It's stupid to fall for an idiot like you."

She had not said that part. Because it would be wrong to feel like that for a bestfriend. Something that felt so right had to be wrong.

The snow continued crunching beneath their feet.

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Well I had a sudden urge to write a short story/ oneshot because I'm no good with chapter stories. Anyway, I figured since I already written a Kaiba/Anzu and Yuugi/Anzu, why now a Jounouchi/Anzu? They make quite a cute couple, that is if I didn't love MaixJounouchi so much. But cute none-of-the-less.

I don't know what my deal is with writing things out of season. When it's winter I write about summer, when it's summer I like to write about snow. Perhaps it's wishful thinking of some sort.

Anyway, this story was a really quick spontaneous story that didn't take me long to write at all. Kinda short though. Perhaps it's best to call it a long drabble? The stories a bit everywhere I know, but I just came up with idea, like, a day ago. I was just really itching to write a JxA story.

So much fluffiness! Perhaps next time I'll make something that isn't so fluffy. I haven't written a Dark YuugixAnzu yet. Hm…