A/N: This is my fist Shaman King fanfic/one-shot (:

I know it's not the best but, eh, I couldn't help but write this little baby!

They both are some-what OOC, I believe.

Anyway, please enjoy and review!

Time Away

Anna remained on the swing set, her hands clutching the chains tightly, like a lifeline. Her face was slightly contorted with the pain and anguish she felt bubbling, swirling inside her. And she hated herself when a small teardrop fell onto the playground sand beneath her. Swiftly, she pulled the red scarf that she routinely had wrapped around her head farther down her face, covering her eyes. She would not cry over that. She knew Tamao's words weren't supposed to be hurtful…but it involved-

"Anna!" She heard one of the boys in her class yell. She heard the footsteps of his 'posse' following him eagerly. She didn't feel like looking up, but she could already sense his smug grin, his messy brown hair, and his green eyes that he thought was ridden of his anger from that morning.

"I've decided to forgive you for earlier." She snorted before lifting the scarf from her eyes to give him a full glare that she knew sent shivers down his spine. At her high school, she was happy she was feared. That way, nobody bothered her. Nobody tried to be her friend…she was alone. And she loved it that way. Of course, there were a few people- "So why don't you accept my offer?" He sauntered over to her until he stood in front of her.

"Back off" She hissed before standing up, her fisted hands resting on her hips. Her black eyes narrowed in such a manner that some of the boys' green pants darkened at the front before their own eyes widened in horror at what they just did, covering up their crotch area.

"Now come on Anna…" He whispered in what he had hoped was a sexy, husky voice. But to Anna, it was pathetic. "Be my girlfriend…" He rested his hand on her shoulder, unaware of the approaching shadow. In an instant, Anna's arm snapped up from its position on her hip, punching him square in the jaw.

He gasped before he fell to his knees, holding his jaw with both hands. From in between his fingers, blood dribbled down to the sandy floor. "Do not touch me Yureri. And you should know the damn answer by now. Get over it." Her voice was quiet, but contained enough lethal venom to send the boys scrambling away. With a sigh, she wiped the dust off of her green skirt – a part of the uniform at her high school – and looked up.

"Ne, Anna, I thought you wouldn't have waited for me." Came a deeper voice than she remembered, but she recognized it all the same. With the same, careless grin swept on his face – and the same orange headphones on his head – Asakura Yoh walked over to her.

If she was any other girl, she knew she would have rushed over and jumped in his arms. But since this was Anna, Kyouyama Anna, she waited until he was right in front of her before she slapped him. Yoh put his hand over his left cheek in confusion, his brown eyes still looking at her softly.

"Why did you leave me?" She asked evenly, hoping her emotions wouldn't get the best of her. She already knew the answer but needed to hear it from him. "Uh-" "Tell me" She took on the tone she was certainly getting used to in the years Yoh had been gone.

"Hao…it was because of Hao." Yoh finally answered after moments of silence. And, of course, out of fear of the blonde. She narrowed her eyes at that name. Asakura Hao…Yoh's twin. Hao had always been the rebellious one, causing trouble and blaming it all on Yoh.

"I've heard you've been keeping in touch with Tamao." Her voice broke slightly and she allowed her body to shake once before she curled her hand into a fist, digging her short nails into the skin of her palm to stop herself from trembling more. The younger, pink-haired girl was intensely head-over-heels in love with Yoh…although she barely knew him. Anna made sure of that. But knowing that Yoh had spoken to her whilst he was gone – when he hadn't bothered to keep in touch with her – hurt her.

"Only briefly, though. And it was only because of her premonitions. I needed her help with finding him, Anna." To be honest, he had no idea why she hated the young girl. She was sweet – although shy – and treated him nicely. He always brushed it off as an 'Anna-thing' and left the matter alone. But not today. "Why do you hate her so much?"

Anna stiffened at his question, but only slightly and – hopefully – not visibly. She needed to keep up her badass façade, even in front of him who knew perfectly well how she worked. She contemplated on an answer. After a few minutes, she let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"She loves you." She sneered in disgust. Yoh burst into laughter and before Anna could do anything he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Why should that affect you? I've loved you forever and she should know nothing is going to change that." A smile crept onto her lips.

"And I swear I've loved you twice as long. What can I say? She's trying to get what's mine, and I have a problem with that." Yoh's laughter – a sweet, sweet sound to Anna's ears – surrounded her again. "Same old Anna," He grinned, resting his head atop hers.

"So did you?" Anna asked suddenly, making Yoh's expression go blank with confusion. "Did I what?" A feeling of fear crept in the pit of his stomach, hoping this would not result in Anna beating him, like always.

"Did you kill Hao?" She sighed, as if her meaning was obvious. "Aa…hai!" Yoh grinned in triumph, before Anna shoved a piece of paper in his hand.

"Good, since you're making dinner." She smirked at Yoh's dumbfounded expression. "What?!" He yelled in shock, letting her go to wave his arms around. With a roll of her eyes, she pulled him down by the collar of his shirt to where their lips met. The kiss wasn't incredibly long – or sweet, for that matter, as that could be for another time – and once Anna pulled away, Yoh was even more confused.

"I expect it soon. I'm hungry." The ever-so-demanding girl gave a small laugh, a large feat for her, turning around on the heel of her shoes. "And yes, it's the same Inn that we've lived in since we were thirteen."

With a loud sigh, Yoh fell to the ground. After nearly five years of being away, he expected more physical pain from his fiancé. He went wide-eyed at the realization she would make him suffer on a daily basis until the day he died. With that in mind, he dragged his feet off to the nearest store to buy what was on her list.