Fatigue
In the morning, the guys were finally brave enough to drop back at their usual hangout. You see, being with their friends had sort of become an unavoidable habit amongst them.
True, Anna must hate them with a vengeance of a thousand suns, but really, she wasn't that bad.
A night or two and she'd be back to normal. Well, as normal as she could get.
Anyway, to the very least, they expected to see Yoh fatigued to the core from Anna's demands. No other slave was left in the vicinity.
Only when they opened the door to En Inn did they realize, how quite right and (at the same time) how very wrong they were.
=o=o=o=
For a few minutes, they stood still, aghast at the situation in front of them. There were very strange elements in the scene they were in.
One. Yoh looked as if he were sleep deprived, with his hair tossed wildly about, but why did he have a large grin on his face?
Two. Anna appeared exhausted as well, as she lay on a couch, but since when did she fatigue herself completely over anything?
Three. He seemed to be wearing only a hastily worn pair of shorts.
Four. She was clutching a sheet high to her neck in the middle of summer.
And finally the most puzzling thing of all was that Yoh kept insisting that they probably shouldn't bother her today and that he will keep watch since she fainted yesterday.
Was that an indirect way of shoving them out of his house?
The guys looked at one another, mildly surprised and unsure how to react.
=o=o=o=
Minutes later they found themselves standing outside the gate of Asakura manor, Yoh successfully ushering them out.
"Oh! I see." Lyserg exclaimed so suddenly, disturbing the silent reverie as they all stared at the closed doors. "They probably... finally... went all the way." he says simply.
The others merely blinked. True, what other explanation was there?
"Wow. Must have been a tiring activity."
"They probably did it all night too."
=o=o=o=
Meanwhile, inside the house...
"You're such and idiot! You were so obvious they'll know for sure!" Anna said angrily, as Yoh gently took her to his lap. "And you made me lose face! I knew it, I should have kicked them out" she continued.
Yoh merely smiled, amused as he simply pointed out. "But Anna, you're naked" and he squeezed her bottoms playfully just to emphasize his point.
As his mouth closes upon hers, he softly murmurs You know...I really want to do this everyday.
He was dead serious.
But again, she ignores these words, just like the previous night...
Feminine
If you asked them 'Since when?', they would never be able to give you a specific date.
If you asked them 'Why' , they wouldn't be able to answer because they also didn't know.
But if you asked them 'How', they would gladly enumerate the different ways for you.
=o=o=o=
The gang stood speechless, again, at her small back as she delicately chopped the ingredients, humming a small tune all the while.
She was wearing a white dress too -- an obvious change from her usual black one.
Her blonde bangs were kept in a small floral hairpin. She never had any girly accessories, save for the beads she used as an itako.
They could only stare agape, at this somewhat new... non-demanding... cooking... and cute...
"Anna."
All heads turned to the boy who called her name.
"What are you doing? You should be resting." And for the first time, Yoh notices that his friends have arrived. "Oh! Hi guys!" he adds.
They mechanically lifted their right hands to wave a small hello.
Yoh trotted beside Anna. "I can handle that," he offers. "I think it's best that you sit in the living room."
They couldn't exactly see it, but they were sure that Anna gave Yoh a small smile.
Yoh's stupidly blushing face revealed this fact.
"Just go entertain the idiots," they heard her say.
=o=o=o=
What they didn't thought possible, actually hit them square in the face.
Anna in all her cool, collected and bitchy glory... dressed, looked, and behaved more feminine than usual.
=o=o=o=
Only one man knew all the answers, the laid-back boy who stood by her at all times.
They would ask...
Since when? Since she woke me at 3 am a couple of weeks ago, asking me to go buy that special, pickled moon cake she once ate in Aomori.
They would ask...
Why? Isn't it obvious? Because she's becoming a mother. I still remember waking up to the sound of her morning sickness, after which she stated in a breathless whisper, "I'm pregnant."
They wouldn't ask...
How? ........... Come on. Do I have to describe it in detail?
"Just one other thing..." Lyserg asks "Did you really do that impossible request -- that cake?"
Yoh smiled wryly. "That, and other things."
They gazed at Yoh, amazed at his steadfast dedication.
A drop of sweat formed on his forehead. "Of course, she didn't want it by the time I had it." And then he suddenly wailed. "It's not like I had a choice too."
Figures...
Anna was still Anna. Even if she was more feminine, the world would have to crumble if she didn't get what she demanded.
"So then, with that child, I mean..." Ren suddenly interjected. "What are you gonna do about the war?" he asked.
Yoh made no comment, as he continued to protectively watch over Anna from afar.