Standard disclaimer applies.
Author's notes: Yes, I'm not dead! Anyways,I decided to take down "Parting" and "Perfect" for several reasons (including length) from my list of stories and upload both here and blend them with the collection. I'll be putting up new stories after "Perfection" (uwa, new name) is up. For this one, I felt that I could somehow make something to fill the gap from chapter 77 (yes, between that lovely YohxAnna scene and the morning after, when Yoh leaves to America). I know that was their goodbye, but, who knows… something else could have happened, ne? Comments please!

Parting
24.05.2004

"Tonight… Can I sleep with you?"

"…Yes."

"WAH!" he wakes up, sitting up hastily and startled by the sunlight hitting his eyes. "Damn. I overslept! What am I gonna do?"

"Shut up." Anna's scolding tone freezes him like a bucket of ice water, so he stops rubbing his eyes with his left hand. His hand falls to his side, and he looks down at the body next to his.

"Huh?" He gazes at her, curled up against him and clutching his arm like a pillow, still half asleep. "Anna?"

And then, as a slight blush graces over his tan cheeks, he remembers last night and how she ended up sleeping in his room. Today he will leave her; he will go to fight at the Shaman Tournament. And last night, she came to say goodbye.

"The one who doesn't want you to go is me…"

He smiles to himself because, in the end, she's been braver than him once again. He had been so afraid to see her and not be able to let go.

"Anna, get up, it's late," he unwraps his arm from her grip carefully. Yoh touches her shoulder gently as if to wake her, his hand drifting to her hair and placing a loose strand behind her ear. His fingertips barely caress her cheek.

She stirs and opens her hazel eyes to look at him. And then her pupils grow wide. "PERVERT!"

"Ow, Anna!" he whines, rubbing his swollen cheek, and the slap still rings in his ears. "You didn't have to do that!" he protests and, by the way she looks at him, it seems that realization has dawned upon her too.

"It was your fault." She mutters, sitting up next to him. 'I'm sorry.'

He smiles at her before standing up; it's barely half of a smile, but a smile nonetheless. "I will go away today," he states, and she only nods. "I'll… go get changed now."

When he returns to his room some thirty minutes or an hour later, bathed, fully clothed, and brandishing a fresh smile, Anna is still sitting in the bed, staring off at the window behind her. Her hands clench around the edges of the sheets, and her eyes falter every now and then as though she were about to cry, but not a single drop falls downfrom them. And even though he notices, he doesn't say anything about it.

"Anna." The blonde girl turns back to look at him as he picks up Harusame. "I left some food in the fridge, it's too late for breakfast, but I guess you can take a snack before the meal."

The itako shrugs, and instead, she arches a thin brow at him. "Where is Amidamaru?"

Yoh chuckles slightly, carefree. "I haven't seen him since yesterday's afternoon, but he told me he'd meet me with the rest today. I think he wanted to give us some time alone…" He then laughs heartily at her blush and at his own.

Anna stands at last from bed and walks up to him, her yukata is wrinkled and loose and it shows off one of her shoulders. She puts it back on place and her gaze wanders up to meet his onyx eyes. "You have everything with you?"

"Hai, hai!" He grins, glancing back at his backpack once just to make sure. "Clothes, money, and the senbei Jii-chan sent on top so they don't break. Oh, I've left you some on the kitchen table too," he rambles, before looking back at her and grinning. "Thanks for packing my clothes, by the way."

"It was nothing," her voice is vague and detached.

"Um…" he starts uncertainly, shifting in his shoes, "You really won't go to say goodbye, then?"

"No," she decides firmly, "I won't let anybody see me in this disgraceful state."

Yoh looks at her, and shakes his head while smiling at her. "You're not in a disgraceful state, Anna." He rakes his hair with his fingers at loss of what to do. "C'mon," he prods her, "You sure?"

"I won't say goodbye twice, alright?" And her angry glare meets him; a fire consumes the depths of her eyes sadly.

"I'm sorry," he tells her, his smile fading a little. It is something Anna cannot handle well, that downcast look, that is.

"What are you apologizing for, idiot?" she smirks, and her tone makes him look up straight at her. "You'll return with the title of Shaman King and give me the easy life you promised, got that?"

He is surprised at first, so he nods, serenely, and gives her one of those looks that make her feel like he is a completely different person but he's still Yoh altogether. "I'll be back soon, I promise!" His back is facing her now and he walks out of the room. "Bye, Anna."

"Goodbye, Yoh, and good luck."

She stands in the middle of his room, surrounded by his things, and watches him leave, hears him leave. She even hears him closing the front gate after a very flustered Tamao bids him goodbye. His steps grow distant and she doesn't hear him anymore at some point, his energy fading slowly from her reach. Anna doesn't run after him or cries, because she isn't as weak as to do something like that. She trusts Yoh, and she knows he'll do his best and return with the idiotic grin of his.

And besides… Anna knows he always keeps his promises.