Tsumi – Amethyst: Just a short, humour-ish one shot I thought of. Reminds me of a few of my friends who have recently acquired piercings. I envy them. I have a tattoo but my Mom refuses to let me have my lip, eyebrow and nose pierced. Grrr. Sometimes, I really don't understand parents. Although I did once have my bellybutton pierced… Anyways, here's the fic. :D

"Sometimes, I really regret having this done."

Yoh screwed the cap back onto the cleaning fluid and began dabbing at his stomach, his body flat against his bed, eyes fixed on the tender spot. The cotton, soaked in cleansing substance, touched the affected area and the boy hissed ever so slightly, reminding himself that the pain was worth it.

After becoming Shaman King, the boy had nothing to work towards, and although it pained him to admit it, he was bored. His parents had become lax with him, allowing him a taste of the life he would have had if he had not been a Shaman. In the weeks that followed the conclusion of the Shaman Tournament, Yoh had been able to socialise more than ever, and had even gone to have his belly button pierced.

This of course, was the piercing he was cleaning. Of course, Yoh's parents had yet to find out that their son had done such a thing, as the teenager had not taken them with him to the shop where he had been pierced.

Instead, it had been Ryu who had signed the documents, declaring himself as Mikihisa Asakura, legal parent of Yoh Asakura. Of course, Manta and Horo had been there also, watching in both fascination and horror as Yoh's skin was frozen and then penetrated, the latter revelling in the fact that the ordeal hade made Yoh pale.

"Yoh-dono… Urgh…" Amidamaru paused, finding himself in a moment as shock as he took in the piercing yet again. The Shaman smiled and finished, disposing of the dirty cotton pad in the nearby bin.

"What's up, Amidamaru?"

"…" The samurai winced as the boy stretched, now unable to tear his gaze away from the piercing. He had held mixed feelings for his Lord's aesthetic jewellery, having not seen such a thing before, but when he placed himself out of his usual standpoint, he knew that it suited the boy.

"They're ready for you," Amidamaru answered at length, sighing as Yoh used him as support as he struggled to his feet.

"Thanks, 'Maru!" Yoh called as he made his way along the Tatami mats that served as a carpet. He reached his Mother and Father and grinned at them, offering a usual greeting.

Keiko did the same, her husband handing Yoh some neatly stitched clothes. "That is your new battle uniform, hand-stitched by your Grandmother. She will make you a spare as soon as she can, but until then, try not to rip it." Mikihisa explained, and Yoh inwardly groaned. He nodded silently and turned back towards his room, his guardian ghost still there. Yoh threw his new battle costume onto his bed, shedding his shirt before turning to Amidamaru, blushing.

"Umm… I need to get changed…" Yoh mumbled.

Amidamaru turned and blushed heavily at the sight of the half naked boy.

"Forgive me, Yoh-dono," He said huskily, "I was just thinking…" With that, the samurai gave the boy his privacy and left. Yoh unzipped his pants and shucked them, unfolding the new garments, gasping in surprise.

The design had definitely improved. For one, the material was different, less constricting, allowing for ease of movement. The orange stripes had been replaced with navy ones, accompanied by a small dragon in blue stitching on the breast and back of the shirt. Yoh admired the shirt for a moment longer before his smile faded, face turning into a worried frown.

"Shit," He whispered.

Since the last battle costume had been made, Yoh had grown by about two inches. His previous outfit had been a little small, granted, but it seemed his Grandmother had underestimated just how much her Grandson had grown.

This would make hiding his piercing for just a little longer more difficult. Just by looking at it, Yoh could tell that the bottom of the shirt would expose his stomach, and the teenager could not take out his bar for another week yet. Besides, even if he could remove the piercing, his parents would most definitely notice the vertical holes in his stomach, leading to some very interesting questions.

Yoh swallowed, hard. He knew that his Grandmother would be really hurt if he didn't model his new clothing for them before he got them ruined in a Shaman fight…

He sighed, knowing what he would have to do. He pulled on the shirt, liking the feel of the material against his skin, and after slipping into his shorts; he stepped outside, finding Amidamaru just outside the door. The samurai's jaw dropped as he openly gaped at the boy, azure eyes raking intently over the thinly clad form.

Yoh scratched the back of his neck, cheeks flushing a deep red beneath Amidamaru's intense gaze. "Thanks," He said cheerfully, reassured, taking small steps down to the corridor, hearing the samurai cry out in admiration of the dragon on his back.

Yoh stepped out into his family's intent stares, hearing shouts of appreciation and, 'It suits you so well!' He simply stood and did as they asked, trying to avoid attracting attention to his midriff. The last thing he needed was a lecture on what not to get pierced, and how dishonest it had been to use Ryu for the sake of his aesthetic pleasure.

And then, just when Yoh had stood there for quite some time, when Kino said those fatal words:

"Come closer, Yoh. Let me see how it fits you."

Yoh swallowed and nodded to his Grandmother, wondering why everything seemed to have gone quiet, save for the sound of blood pounding in his ears. He clenched his fists at his sides and made his way towards the diminutive lady, closing his eyes when he heard her gasp. Here it comes… Grounded for a month… No visitors… No phone calls… No letters… No freedom… All because he'd been thoughtless enough to -

"You've grown! This thing barely fits you!"

Yoh's eyes reopened. Keiko nodded, eyeing the top of her son's head with a look that suggested she was both happy and sad.

"It's scary how fast they grow up these days."

"It's not your fault," Yoh insisted, "This is the best battle outfit you've made me yet! It's comfy and it let's my skin breathe! And to tip it off, the dragon designs are so impressive, even Ren would have an org—"

"Yes, well," Keiko cut through her son's absent-minded sentence, smiling truly now, "It won't take much just to take out the stitches and add a bit on, will it, Kino? I'm sure you'd be able to incorporate another style with this one, too."

Kino nodded. "Get changed again, Yoh. I still have work to do."

Yoh inwardly sighed with relief. He went to leave the room, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I'd like you to explain what the hell that thing is sticking out of your body," Mikihisa whispered, too low for the teenager's Grandparents to hear.

Yoh froze.

Tsumi – Amethyst: Meh. Like I said, a quick one shot with humour-ish undertones. Please R&R! I may continue with this if you gies want! I'm open to suggestions, requests, challenges and the like. Please! Give me something to work for!

XXX