Okay, I know there's someone out there saying "this is a YohxAnna story!" No, it starts out as a YohxAnna, but trust me, this is RenxAnna. Let me know how I've done.

Anna stared at the ring on her finger, cruel reminder to the bond she was unable to sever. A small golden band, three diamonds in a straight line. Something all the girls in high school were amazed at.

Oh, you're getting married?!

So young, too! Are you sure it's the right choice?

What a pretty ring! He must've worked hard to get it!

'Yeah, more like convinced his rich-ass father to buy it,' Anna thought to herself.

"Seeing the actual thing is different from knowing it, huh?" Yoh asked. For the time being, they were alone in the house, and things were quiet.

"Yeah, I guess," she grumbled. Being alone like this, with her features finally shaping out properly, she felt self-conscious, though it was nothing she'd ever admit to anyone. "Yoh, what made you choose me?"

"What do you mean?"

"As your fiancée, why was I chosen?"

"I don't know, Anna. You're not thinking any negative thoughts about this, are you?" he asked, taking her hand in his. Such soft, calloused hands. She shook her head, lowering it until it touched his fingers.

"Of course not, Yoh. Not matter what hero may come along, you're my Shaman King." she answered, giggling at the cheesy romance line. But, anything stupid and cheesy worked on Yoh. He wouldn't know the difference between a sexy line and a line dipped in fondue.

Yoh stroked the back of her head. She'd been so tired lately, trying to help Tamao run the house. She'd fought through a flaming chicken to overflowing bubbles to learn how to be a good wife. Their wedding was only months away. Even she was nervous, another thing she would never admit to anyone.

"You have bags under your eyes, Anna."

"How would you know? You can't even see my face," she sighed, feeling her consciousness heavy on her eyes.

"I saw them before. Why don't you sleep?"

"Only if you let me lie in your lap." she bargained, resting her head on his knee. His body trembled with silent laughter, until the sound erupted from his lips. "What's so funny?"

"Two weeks ago, you'd rather've swallowed six hundred worms than do this, even if we are alone."

Anna opened one eye to look at her fiancé. His dark chocolate eyes were full of such light and innocence, his only just lighter shaded hair falling around him. In the four years after the Shaman Fight in Tokyo, as a twenty year old man, he was handsome. But, he just didn't look the same as he once did to her. Maybe it was because his boyish face and scrawny figure didn't fit his age. But, something inside her argued.

"It's been exactly ten years since we first met, you know?" he murmured softly, petting her like a cat. Wind howled and rain pelted everything outside. The storm was picking up each word that was uttered.

"Wandering down Memory Lane, are we?" she laughed, but unsure if her fiancé heard. The warm hand working its way through her tangled hair, down to her shoulders, her hips, and back up again. In moments Anna was asleep in Yoh's lap.

"We're home!" Horohoro (I call him Horo2. I'm so stupid!)shouted, slamming the door behind him. Yoh expected Anna to shoot up and yell at him for making such racket, but her unconscious form stayed in place.

"Horohoro, be quiet." Yoh ordered, sitting protectively over his girl. Horo2 almost burst out laughing at her.

"Dude, she looks so much like a girl, not an Ice-Queen!"

"She's exhausted." Yoh said in her defense.

"Pardon me, I didn't realize the Ice-Queen was used to such hard labor."

"Shut up, snowball, you're giving me a headache." Ren sighed, throwing back his hand in such an angle that he smacked Horo in the back of the head. " 'Pardon me'." he quoted, and the angry Ainu glared at him, murder in his eyes. Ren looked at the small, square, black velvet box on the table. "So, you finally got her the ring?"

"Yeah. I wanted to save up for one myself, but Dad went out and got one."

"I wish my dad would do that." Horohoro yawned, resting on his arms on the table. "I'd have to give her something cheesy, like an ice rose or something." (sorry, I've just read a lot of stories about Horo2 giving a girl an ice rose, it's just too cliché for him now)

"That sounds like you to do something that stupid." Ren commented, though in the long run he had no idea what he'd give a girl. Growing up the way he had, social and flirting skills just didn't come naturally.

Wanting think of anything but his own failure with women, he just stared at Anna while Yoh and Horohoro got into a heated argument about what would be the best gift to give a girl. She had on hand under her cheek and the other on Yoh's knee. She was halfway curled into the fetal position, her full, chrysanthemum-colored lips slightly open. Her bandanna wasn't anywhere to be found. Ren wondered why she never grew out her honey-tinged locks.

"Man, that hurricane just gets louder." Horohoro grumbled, munching on an orange. Half a slice was hanging out of his mouth as he spoke. Ren had the temptation to shove it down his throat. The idiot complained about everything.

"Yeah," Tamao agreed. "Anything with wings is going to be driven crazy by the sound of that wind."

"I'm going to take a shower." Ren announced, leaving the room.

"Oh, I haven't hung up any towels yet!" Tamao cried. Ren simply waved his hand, walking down the hall. He'd get one from the closet anyway. He never really liked to use towels that were set up in plain sight.

Hot water poured down his body as he unwound his muscles. Why was he so tense right after looking at her sleeping form, looking innocent and fragile? Why did he feel the need to bang his head on the wall in front of him? Why, even though the water's temperature was rising, did it feel ice cold?

Ren sighed, lowering the water's temperature. The last thing he wanted was to worry everyone because he unconsciously gained red, second degree burns from the water being too hot.

There was a loud crack!, some screaming from downstairs, and the lights went out. Ren shut off the water, grabbing the towel he had set up on the bathroom counter. There was a pounding on the door as he wrapped the Terry cloth around his hips.

"Dude, Ren, are you okay?" Horohoro shouted.

"I'm fine." Ren answered. Thunder shook the house, and there was a shrilly scream from outside the bathroom. "Sheesh, Horohoro."

"Um, that was me." a very shaky-sounding Tamao admitted. 'Now I know not to leave the bathroom,' Ren thought acidicly.

*It's in Renny's POV for a little while*

"Dude, get dressed, we're meeting up in the dining room!" Horohoro shouted, and there was pounding, thunder, screaming, falling, and more pounding. I rolled my eyes, but opened the door into a dark hallway, which was irregularly lit by lightening and thunder.

"Damn noise," I griped, closing my door. I wasn't partial to storms.

By the time I managed to get myself dressed in the darkness and down the stairs without killing myself, the rain had picked up and the thunder was only louder. We could hear sirens and that dull, bored voice telling us to stay inside in a low area. Tamao was trying to bury herself into Horohoro's side, though the Ainu didn't seem to mind. My drink, along with everyone else's was spilled on the floor. That would stain the tatami.

"God, I thought you'd be in your room forever."

"I see the Ice-Queen's awake." I grumbled, sitting next to her and her "pillow." She kept her arms around Yoh, who looked like he really didn't mind her squeezing him so tightly.

"They said the storm should stop by midnight." Yoh said as I leaned against the wall. My hair, usually kept up in my normal tongari style, was soaking my shoulders. I hadn't dried it off.

"So this is what they mean by the Chinese Water Torture…" I heard Anna mutter to herself.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded, looking down at the crumpled form under me.

"Your wet hair just keeps dropping water on my ankle, and no matter how many damn times I move it, the same place gets wet." she griped. This was one of those times I wanted to snap the tiny neck of hers. The temptation in my mind was nagging me to get it over with, but I shrugged and leaned back against the wall. Once the storm passed, I was going to change shirts. The water was now seeping down my back. I shook, spraying Anna with water.

"Are you trying to piss me off?!" she demanded, sitting up to glare at me.

"During normal, circumstances, the answer would be yes, but to be honest, that was purely accidental."

The view of her angry face set some satisfaction in me, as well as some regret. Was my attitude really necessary? I was going to shake my head again, to clear my thoughts, but finally decided that I didn't need Blondie yelling at me again.

"Damn, I need to change." I muttered, trying not to stand on anyone as thunder cracked again. Tamao only muffled her scream into Horohoro's chest. The blue haired pervert smiled to himself, arms tightening around her. (total TamaoxHorohoro shipper here, people)

"What, that shirt not perfect for waiting out a storm?" he teased, which I responded by ringing out my hair over his head. He sounded like he was drowning for a moment.

"I'll go with you." I heard Anna say, getting up.

"Why?"

"Because it's dangerous to wander around this place alone. Especially during a storm."

"For some strange reason, I'm hearing sappy music." I growled, but allowed the blond to follow me. She kept at a too close position, not letting go of my collar. When she practically ripped my head off of it for the umpteenth time, I was ready to turn around and slap her. She jumped at every single sound.

"Okay, Itako, let go." Thunder crashed, Anna held back a scream, instead deciding to wrap her arms around my neck. Tightly. I was barely able to speak.

"I hate thunder storms!"

"Well, I hate suffocation!" I shot back, finally prying her iron arms from me, sucking in deep breaths. "Damn, woman!" I gasped.

"Sorry." she whimpered. I looked down at the bowed blond head behind me. She really looked like nothing more than a tiny, frightened girl right now. Some protective gene in me started raging, so I sighed, and held my hand out to her. She looked at me for a minute, winced when a streak of lightening broke through the clouds, and then hugged my entire arm.

"Sheesh, you're so brave." I scoffed, opening my door. "Are all girls this jumpy during a storm? Let go, I have to change." I shook her off, my hand brushed hers. It was soft as silk, and warm. Not what you'd expect from the Ice Queen.

*Time for third person POV now, sorry*

Anna watched as Ren peeled the wet shirt from his taut muscles. She looked over each inch of his chest, then, realizing what the hell she was doing, averted her eyes.

"Why are you facing me, anyway?" she asked, watching as he sorted through several Chinese styled shirts, looking for something casual. "Why aren't you answer-"

Anna stopped herself as her eyes traced the black skin on the Chinese shaman's back. Ren didn't notice she'd even asked him something, even saw his scars, until he felt light fingers trace the patterns on his skin. Immediately, he tried to cover himself, but Anna just threw his shirt to the other side of the room as she stared at his back.

"How…"

"Defiance, just like you're doing now!" he snapped, pushing her away to fetch the shirt she'd tossed do casually away. Anna hit the floor on her bottom, grunting in surprise. He'd never acted so…carefully with her. Normally, he would've shoved her to the other side of the room for even looking at the imperfection on his back.

"I promise I won't do that again." she finally said. "I just wanted to know what happened."

"Like I told you, I disobeyed my father, and I got punished! Drop. The. Subject." he hissed between clenched teeth.

"Oh, I see now." Anna was going to get the story out of him, whether is was going to be easy or hard. She wanted to heal the scars on his back, to make everything right between them…had there been anything between them at all. "You're not going to tell me because you're afraid to admit you're not perfect!"

"Go have a bad dream about the storm or something!" Ren growled. "Yoh will be there to comfort you!"

Was that jealousy she heard in his voice? Was that resentment she heard painting his tone?

"Are you…jealous of Yoh" she dared to ask. Anna had heard that questioning Ren's pride was a daring move, that he often beat said person into a coma.

"Damn, wish I'd brought a candle with me." she heard him mutter, ignoring her question. She walked over, planting her foot right onto the yinyang on his back.

"Are you listening? I asked if you if you're jealous of my fiancé!"

"If it makes you happy, yes!" he shouted, turning and knocking her over. He kept himself hidden behind his hair, which Anna noticed was longer than it looked. He turned away from her shocked face and continued his search for his new shirt. He sneezed, shivering. Thunder crashed. Holding in a scram that would shatter glass, Anna ducked down to the floor.

"Why are you jealous?"

"Anna, you have a talent for being stupid." he muttered, finding the discarded cloth and pulled it over his head. Anna noticed his hair was still soaking wet. He'd just need to change shirts again, and catch a cold, unless he dried it.

The room continued in silence as she sat behind him, placing the towel on his head.

"Wha-"

"You'll get sick." she interrupted, silently and softly drying his head. He felt like a newlywed husband with the way she was treating him. He was glad his hair was so long. Thunder crashed again. Anna, getting scared, ducked her face in Ren's hair, burying her face into his neck. He flushed. What was wrong with him?!

"What, are you taking a journey in there?!" he finally asked when she wouldn't emerge. Having someone touch him the way she was was a new experience for him, stimulating and exciting.

But Anna was taken.