Slightly AU (fic is based loosely on the series, does not quite follow main storyline i.e. Yoh becoming Shaman King; mainly makes use of setting)

Author's Note/s: This one's short and 'moment-ful' . . .Yeah. Enjoooooooooy! XD

Disclaimer's Note/s: I want Yoh's EARPHONES! But they're not mine, unfortunately. ToT

Through the Ages

Age 12: Addiction to the Soaps

Everything grew silent as the tune of the Wedding March came to a close. All eyes focused upon the couple standing by the altar up front.

The young woman, pretty in a skimpy pink wedding dress, batted her eyelashes shyly, and returned the gaze of the man opposite her. Blonde. Blue-eyed. Well-endowed. Typical 'perfect woman' stereotype. Her groom smiled, flashing teeth that were too white to be real. They looked as if they'd been bleached too much. Typical 'perfect man,' with the dashing looks, the over-developed torso, and the slick hair. The two looked as if they were made for each other. Apparently they thought so as well. In fact, they stared into each other's eyes so much that it was pretty obvious they weren't paying attention to a word the priest was saying.

Except for that last part.

"Now . . . you may kiss the bride."

The choir burst into a jovial melody of 'Here comes the bride,' while, up front, the happy couple literally, and shamelessly lunged at each other in front of their guests. Typical soap opera sap with the sickeningly-sweet happy endings, and the overly emphasized displays of affection. It made her want to puke.

But she continued watching. Such was the grasp that under-rated soap operas had on twelve-year-old Kyouyama Anna. She was hooked, whether she liked it or not; she knew that herself, and so, in complete Anna-like nature, immediately took hold of the situation before it got out of hand.

The first person who teased her about it was silenced with a slap so hard that it chipped some of his teeth. Spectators were given the glare. Gossip in any form pertaining to Anna's TV addiction faded away into nonexistence, and Anna continued watching in peace.

Well, almost peace.

"What'cha watchin', Anna?" A lank form dropped on the ground beside her, and twelve-year-old Asakura Yoh peered into the small television with interest. Interest which fell from his face when he realized what was on. "A soap opera? Again?"

The blonde glared at him severely, and pointed to the scant distance between them. "You are violating my private space. I suggest you move away." The one person who refused to stop bothering her, despite dark threats of torture and physical pain . . . She added, a bit irritated, "What's it to you if I watch soap operas?"

The boy yawned, and leaned back on his elbows. "Well, they're boring. Can't you watch something interesting?"

The nerve…

"Get used to it, Asakura," she said, barely keeping the anger from breaking out into her tone. "When we're married, that's all you'll ever watch."

A pause in which she thought he was contemplating on what a dreadful life that would be. Then, "Can't you watch something interesting before that, then? You might get tired of it if you start now."

Argh! He really knew how to annoy her . . .

". . . And it's 'Yoh.'"

She tore her eyes away from the television in spite of herself. "Huh?"

"We agreed," he lapsed into one of his easy smiles, "that you'd call me 'Yoh'."

Anna frowned. "And when did I ever agree to that?" I don't recall… "You are my future husband, so I'll call you as I see fit."

The boy shrugged. "Okay, but I'll keep calling you 'Anna,' since it's much shorter than 'Kyouyama.'"

Anna almost hit him, but thought better. Laid-back fool . . . He probably would forget the pain once it had gone, and would go on talking to her in such an annoyingly familiar fashion. He would only take the hint if she ignored him, so she refocused her attention to the television and set off to do just that.

But before completely immersing herself in soap opera heaven, she had to impress her authority upon the mind of the infuriating boy that was her fiancée. "If you do not move away from me in five seconds, I will have your training tripled, without water breaks," she said frigidly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him jump away from her as a panicked deer would from a predator. "You wouldn't, would you, Anna?" She sensed fear. Good.

She hmph-ed, and started watching the high school drama that had replaced the wedding. The sixteen-year-old girl in a skimpy sailor outfit was going to declare her love via love letter to the bishounen captain of the school's baseball team. She couldn't miss this. "Aren't you late for a training session with Yohmei-sama?" she asked, forgetting, rather than ignoring, his question as the show took hold of her attention.

"AH! You're right!" Yoh cried, going into a new wave of panic. "Thanks for reminding me! Ah . . . Jiichan's going to be so mad!" He jumped to his feet, and bolted out the door, and, for a moment, she could hear his footsteps pounding away.

But he came back all of a sudden, and stuck his head back into the room. "Oh, and thanks for talking to me, Anna. We'll do this again sometime, ne? See you later!"

He was gone by the time she turned to give him another one of her glares, so, grumbling, she returned her attention to her show.

Yoh no baka.

End

Author's Note/s: Ending's too abrupt . . . Oh well.