Zel: What? Another fic about them?
Yuta: I can explain it!
Zel: of course you can! You love them more than us!
Yuta: That's not true!
Zel: it is, I can see it!
Yuta: rolls eyes
Xell: Zel, we appear here too.
Zel: We do?
Xell: yeah, and you are beating me.
Zel: Grate.
Yuta: Fanfiction please?
Neko-chan: Yeah! I'm here too!
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Yoh shoot another worried glance towards the blonde girl staring at her homework. She'd been with the Walkman all day, listening to the same cassette over and over again, and not once had she directed any word towards the shaman. And the day before that. And the day before that day, and the day- okay, you get the idea.
It was something like middle-time in the Shaman fights so the group ha decided to simply enjoy it.
Tamao, Manta and even Amidamaru had left with the rest of the gang to see the celebration of the Grim Fandango in Mexico, in a trip that the group had been planing to do from sometime ago. Yoh had been (and still was) with a light flu, so he had decided to stay and enjoy vacations. Anna had been invited too, but had declined the offer saying she'd preferred to rest in home. So they were both alone in the house.
"Uhm, Anna?" asked he nervously.
Anna didn't seem to have heard him.
"Anna?" asked he again.
No response.
Finally he dared to tap her shoulder gently, and expect the blow that would grant him the best view of the moon for interrupting her. He waited. And waited.
When he dared to open his eyes he found Anna staring at him fixedly.
"What?" asked she, the tone as apathetic as her eyes. "Shouldn't I be training?"
It was true. It had been almost a week without Anna telling him to train, or to go buy groceries, or actually hitting him. It had also been a week with her barely specking with him.
She stared at him fixedly. "Why?" asked she.
Yoh opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, closed it, and opened it again. "Anna? Are you feeling alright?" asked he.
She stared at him with violence in her eyes, throwing the Walkman at the floor and nearly breaking it. She stood up, still staring at him in that way. "If I'm feeling alright? Why do you ask? If you want train so much, YOU train by yourself. You don't need me. You never needed me. If you really wanted to be Shaman King you'll be training by yourself. If you don't want to, then don't. I don't care about it. I don't care about it anymore." "B-but Anna..." started he. "You are the one supposed to train me..."
She stared at him.
Yoh blinked, finding some strange emotion in those dark brown eyes. "Then I don't want to be that one anymore." Said she slowly. "I'm tired Yoh" She turned and left.
********************
The rain patted rather strongly the stones in the garden. Yoh was talking to one of the two recently acquired phones (courtesy of Ren) with Leda Soukori, the girl that had quite recently moved to the city from Argentina and had become the closest person to Anna.
"Is she still there?" asked he. "No, she left a pair of minutes ago." "She is acting really weird, I don't know what's wrong with her anymore...." sighed Yoh. "She seems to be angry with me." "I don't think she is angry with you.... But I don't know what's wrong with her either. She is all moody, even worst than Zel." "Anna is always moody." Sighed Yoh. "No, she is not!." Snapped the brown haired girl angrily. "I know Anna looks strong to you, to all of you, and heartless and cold. But Anna is not like that. Anna is human too, even if she tries to hide it!" "I know Neko." Said Yoh "If you do, I never notice. I know you care about her, Yoh, but you never show it." "How could I? She doesn't want to talk with me!" "How do you know it?" "She dislikes to be near me. She passes all the time outside, and when she comes she just goes to her room. How many times has she stayed in your home this week? More than three days! And she always takes dinner in your house too, I tell you, she does it purposely to abode me!" "Yoh... I really think you should talk with her..." "Why don't you talk with her? You are his friend." "And you aren't?" asked the girl. "Really Asakura Yoh, do you considerate her your friend?" "... I don't know." "Why not?" "She is always mean to me! If it's not because she treats me lie if I'm not worth of her presence is because she ignores me." He said those words in a normal tone, but Leda could notice the bitterness behind those words. "You really should let her know how do you feel about this situation." "Me? Talk to Anna?" asked Yoh. "Talk with me about what?" asked Anna.
The Itako was standing right behind Yoh, her short blonde hair damp from the rain framing her face. "Uh." Commented Yoh. "Who are you talking with?" asked she.
He handed her the phone without a word and left into the kitchen's direction. There he picked the other phone and listened carefully. "... A bit. They bother me a lot." Was saying Anna. "I'm tired of this house, I feel like if I was dead." "You are very angry, Anna" answered Leda. "It's always the same with him, Neko, with all of them... Sorry, I'm only complaining to you..." "It's okay..." "It's just that... I can't speak with no one else about this. You are the only one I have Neko, really..." "You can speak with me about whatever you want to. We are friends."
Yoh gritted teeth. How did she dared to say that? That no one cared about her, that only Neko worried about her. Was he painted over a wall? Was he invisible?
"Thank you Neko... I appreciate it... a lot... Really..." said Anna softly.
"Whatever." Said the other girl. "Listen: My stepfathers are fighting, and I really need to stop Zel from beating Xellos before he gets too horny, so, C-ya." "Bye" said the Itako, and both hung up.
Yoh stared at the floor with the tube in his hands, listening to the quiet steps of his fiancée leaving the house.
"Anna." Said he.
The steps stopped.
"Anna." Repeated he.
The steps continued. He could hear the door opening and closing
***********************
Yoh sighed.
It had been almost three hours since Anna had left. Outside the storm was just as heavy as it had been the whole afternoon.
It was late already. 10:30. And Anna hadn't come yet.
"How can I understand you...?" Said he out aloud, the tic-tac of the clock louder every minute that passed, resembling a heartbeat. "You never speak to me... or tell me a thing about you..."
He stared at the red Bandanna resting over the couch. It resembled him to a spot of blood.
"Anna..."
***********************
Yoh had decide the best thing to do was go and try to find her. He'd found her sitting in the same bench they had sat on and talked before he had left to go to USA.
Anna was just there, letting the cold storm fall upon her, her too pale form and the black dress she usually wore completely wet.
He covered with the umbrella and waited for her to notice him. After some time she did.
Her eyes met the Shaman's ones.
"What are you doing here?" asked Yoh gently. "Thinking."
He sat besides her, covering both of them with the umbrella.
"About what?" "I don't want to talk about it." "I'd like to." "Why?" "Because I'm worried."
She stared at him again, scanning him with something akin to wariness the other's kids calmed expression and soft smile.
"Worried? You?" asked she, sarcasm dropping from every word. "Yes."
She seemed utterly shocked about his answer.
"About me?" "Yes."
She stared back at her hands, clasping a bit too tightly the hem of her skirt.
"Yeah, sure."
Yoh blinked.
"Why don't you believe me?" "You worried... And about me, from all people!" laughed she. "Maybe if it was Manta, Ren or Tamao, but for me?" "Why wouldn't I?" asked Yoh. "Why would you?"
Yoh stared at her.
"Because you are my friend." "Friends? You and me?" she laughed out laud, but it sounded hysterical and Yoh noticed she was crying. "Well, those certainly are news for me!" "Anna..." started he, reaching a gentle hand to touch her cheek. She jumped to her feet and walked a couple of steps away, with her back turned to him.
"I can't take this anymore..." whispered she. "Why is this so horrible? When I came here with you, I didn't tough it would be like this." "What are you taking about?" asked Yoh standing up.
She repressed a sob.
"Is this the same for you?" asked she. "I am not... I am not..." she wiped tears away. "... Like this."
"Anna, please tell me what's wrong!" said Yoh walking where she was and turning her around, the umbrella falling, forgotten.
She stared down, not meeting his gaze.
"Why?" muttered she. "Why is everybody like this? Why so... fake and mean?"
He tightened a bit the pressure in her shoulders.
"But Anna... what's wro-" "I don't know!" snapped she "Might be because of me, of us, of what I am now! I tough I was the one that had to choose, always. Now I don't know it anymore. Is it too late? Is this how is it going to be ... always? Always praying for you to come back here, to not loose you?" she threw herself forwards and hugged him tightly, crying.
Yoh, surprised by the hug, staid still. Anna had leaned in his chest and was crying without seem capable of stopping. Yoh didn't knew what was he supposed to do so he started to caress her head. While passing a hand threw the wet silky hair he realized what had she meant that night.
She was tired of being so strong and stoic. Being so close to her was nice. Being the strong one for once was nice.
"Let's go home, Anna, yes?" asked he once she calmed down a bit.
He put her on his back, picked up the umbrella and started walking home.
"Yoh...?" asked she uncertainly, her head resting against his shoulders, her arms loosely around his neck. "Mhh?" "I don't want you to fight in the Shaman fights anymore." "But I tough you wanted to become Shaman King first lady?" said he smiling. She tightened a bit the hold on his neck. "No if that means loose you...I don't want you to die." "I wont." "That kid... Hao... is very dangerous, Yoh... Xellos thinks so, Zelgadiss thinks so, Neko thinks so... Even I feel it... He is not what he looks like." "I know. But I guess I should worry about it later." Answered he smiling like he uses to. "Besides I have to become Shaman King for you."
She rested her cheek in his shoulders again. "Just don't make me a widow before my marriage, Yoh."
He chuckled.
"Deal koi." "Koi?" asked she blushing. He laughed out loud. "Baka."
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Yuta: Awwwwwwwwww wasn't that sweet? Amidamaru, Bison: holding hands and teary eyed, nod. Yoh, Anna: in a rather pink corner, cuddling and with a cute diorama of hearts as backstage Ren:glaring Why don't they get a freaking room or something? Horohoro: Yeah.stres at Ren in a very explicit way. Ren: Hoe? Horohoro:jumps over him strange noises Yoh:Ren's shorts land over his head What the-? AHHH!covers Anna's eyes Get a freaking room or something! Yuta: Should I continue it? No? That's what I tough.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Yoh shoot another worried glance towards the blonde girl staring at her homework. She'd been with the Walkman all day, listening to the same cassette over and over again, and not once had she directed any word towards the shaman. And the day before that. And the day before that day, and the day- okay, you get the idea.
It was something like middle-time in the Shaman fights so the group ha decided to simply enjoy it.
Tamao, Manta and even Amidamaru had left with the rest of the gang to see the celebration of the Grim Fandango in Mexico, in a trip that the group had been planing to do from sometime ago. Yoh had been (and still was) with a light flu, so he had decided to stay and enjoy vacations. Anna had been invited too, but had declined the offer saying she'd preferred to rest in home. So they were both alone in the house.
"Uhm, Anna?" asked he nervously.
Anna didn't seem to have heard him.
"Anna?" asked he again.
No response.
Finally he dared to tap her shoulder gently, and expect the blow that would grant him the best view of the moon for interrupting her. He waited. And waited.
When he dared to open his eyes he found Anna staring at him fixedly.
"What?" asked she, the tone as apathetic as her eyes. "Shouldn't I be training?"
It was true. It had been almost a week without Anna telling him to train, or to go buy groceries, or actually hitting him. It had also been a week with her barely specking with him.
She stared at him fixedly. "Why?" asked she.
Yoh opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, closed it, and opened it again. "Anna? Are you feeling alright?" asked he.
She stared at him with violence in her eyes, throwing the Walkman at the floor and nearly breaking it. She stood up, still staring at him in that way. "If I'm feeling alright? Why do you ask? If you want train so much, YOU train by yourself. You don't need me. You never needed me. If you really wanted to be Shaman King you'll be training by yourself. If you don't want to, then don't. I don't care about it. I don't care about it anymore." "B-but Anna..." started he. "You are the one supposed to train me..."
She stared at him.
Yoh blinked, finding some strange emotion in those dark brown eyes. "Then I don't want to be that one anymore." Said she slowly. "I'm tired Yoh" She turned and left.
********************
The rain patted rather strongly the stones in the garden. Yoh was talking to one of the two recently acquired phones (courtesy of Ren) with Leda Soukori, the girl that had quite recently moved to the city from Argentina and had become the closest person to Anna.
"Is she still there?" asked he. "No, she left a pair of minutes ago." "She is acting really weird, I don't know what's wrong with her anymore...." sighed Yoh. "She seems to be angry with me." "I don't think she is angry with you.... But I don't know what's wrong with her either. She is all moody, even worst than Zel." "Anna is always moody." Sighed Yoh. "No, she is not!." Snapped the brown haired girl angrily. "I know Anna looks strong to you, to all of you, and heartless and cold. But Anna is not like that. Anna is human too, even if she tries to hide it!" "I know Neko." Said Yoh "If you do, I never notice. I know you care about her, Yoh, but you never show it." "How could I? She doesn't want to talk with me!" "How do you know it?" "She dislikes to be near me. She passes all the time outside, and when she comes she just goes to her room. How many times has she stayed in your home this week? More than three days! And she always takes dinner in your house too, I tell you, she does it purposely to abode me!" "Yoh... I really think you should talk with her..." "Why don't you talk with her? You are his friend." "And you aren't?" asked the girl. "Really Asakura Yoh, do you considerate her your friend?" "... I don't know." "Why not?" "She is always mean to me! If it's not because she treats me lie if I'm not worth of her presence is because she ignores me." He said those words in a normal tone, but Leda could notice the bitterness behind those words. "You really should let her know how do you feel about this situation." "Me? Talk to Anna?" asked Yoh. "Talk with me about what?" asked Anna.
The Itako was standing right behind Yoh, her short blonde hair damp from the rain framing her face. "Uh." Commented Yoh. "Who are you talking with?" asked she.
He handed her the phone without a word and left into the kitchen's direction. There he picked the other phone and listened carefully. "... A bit. They bother me a lot." Was saying Anna. "I'm tired of this house, I feel like if I was dead." "You are very angry, Anna" answered Leda. "It's always the same with him, Neko, with all of them... Sorry, I'm only complaining to you..." "It's okay..." "It's just that... I can't speak with no one else about this. You are the only one I have Neko, really..." "You can speak with me about whatever you want to. We are friends."
Yoh gritted teeth. How did she dared to say that? That no one cared about her, that only Neko worried about her. Was he painted over a wall? Was he invisible?
"Thank you Neko... I appreciate it... a lot... Really..." said Anna softly.
"Whatever." Said the other girl. "Listen: My stepfathers are fighting, and I really need to stop Zel from beating Xellos before he gets too horny, so, C-ya." "Bye" said the Itako, and both hung up.
Yoh stared at the floor with the tube in his hands, listening to the quiet steps of his fiancée leaving the house.
"Anna." Said he.
The steps stopped.
"Anna." Repeated he.
The steps continued. He could hear the door opening and closing
***********************
Yoh sighed.
It had been almost three hours since Anna had left. Outside the storm was just as heavy as it had been the whole afternoon.
It was late already. 10:30. And Anna hadn't come yet.
"How can I understand you...?" Said he out aloud, the tic-tac of the clock louder every minute that passed, resembling a heartbeat. "You never speak to me... or tell me a thing about you..."
He stared at the red Bandanna resting over the couch. It resembled him to a spot of blood.
"Anna..."
***********************
Yoh had decide the best thing to do was go and try to find her. He'd found her sitting in the same bench they had sat on and talked before he had left to go to USA.
Anna was just there, letting the cold storm fall upon her, her too pale form and the black dress she usually wore completely wet.
He covered with the umbrella and waited for her to notice him. After some time she did.
Her eyes met the Shaman's ones.
"What are you doing here?" asked Yoh gently. "Thinking."
He sat besides her, covering both of them with the umbrella.
"About what?" "I don't want to talk about it." "I'd like to." "Why?" "Because I'm worried."
She stared at him again, scanning him with something akin to wariness the other's kids calmed expression and soft smile.
"Worried? You?" asked she, sarcasm dropping from every word. "Yes."
She seemed utterly shocked about his answer.
"About me?" "Yes."
She stared back at her hands, clasping a bit too tightly the hem of her skirt.
"Yeah, sure."
Yoh blinked.
"Why don't you believe me?" "You worried... And about me, from all people!" laughed she. "Maybe if it was Manta, Ren or Tamao, but for me?" "Why wouldn't I?" asked Yoh. "Why would you?"
Yoh stared at her.
"Because you are my friend." "Friends? You and me?" she laughed out laud, but it sounded hysterical and Yoh noticed she was crying. "Well, those certainly are news for me!" "Anna..." started he, reaching a gentle hand to touch her cheek. She jumped to her feet and walked a couple of steps away, with her back turned to him.
"I can't take this anymore..." whispered she. "Why is this so horrible? When I came here with you, I didn't tough it would be like this." "What are you taking about?" asked Yoh standing up.
She repressed a sob.
"Is this the same for you?" asked she. "I am not... I am not..." she wiped tears away. "... Like this."
"Anna, please tell me what's wrong!" said Yoh walking where she was and turning her around, the umbrella falling, forgotten.
She stared down, not meeting his gaze.
"Why?" muttered she. "Why is everybody like this? Why so... fake and mean?"
He tightened a bit the pressure in her shoulders.
"But Anna... what's wro-" "I don't know!" snapped she "Might be because of me, of us, of what I am now! I tough I was the one that had to choose, always. Now I don't know it anymore. Is it too late? Is this how is it going to be ... always? Always praying for you to come back here, to not loose you?" she threw herself forwards and hugged him tightly, crying.
Yoh, surprised by the hug, staid still. Anna had leaned in his chest and was crying without seem capable of stopping. Yoh didn't knew what was he supposed to do so he started to caress her head. While passing a hand threw the wet silky hair he realized what had she meant that night.
She was tired of being so strong and stoic. Being so close to her was nice. Being the strong one for once was nice.
"Let's go home, Anna, yes?" asked he once she calmed down a bit.
He put her on his back, picked up the umbrella and started walking home.
"Yoh...?" asked she uncertainly, her head resting against his shoulders, her arms loosely around his neck. "Mhh?" "I don't want you to fight in the Shaman fights anymore." "But I tough you wanted to become Shaman King first lady?" said he smiling. She tightened a bit the hold on his neck. "No if that means loose you...I don't want you to die." "I wont." "That kid... Hao... is very dangerous, Yoh... Xellos thinks so, Zelgadiss thinks so, Neko thinks so... Even I feel it... He is not what he looks like." "I know. But I guess I should worry about it later." Answered he smiling like he uses to. "Besides I have to become Shaman King for you."
She rested her cheek in his shoulders again. "Just don't make me a widow before my marriage, Yoh."
He chuckled.
"Deal koi." "Koi?" asked she blushing. He laughed out loud. "Baka."
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Yuta: Awwwwwwwwww wasn't that sweet? Amidamaru, Bison: holding hands and teary eyed, nod. Yoh, Anna: in a rather pink corner, cuddling and with a cute diorama of hearts as backstage Ren:glaring Why don't they get a freaking room or something? Horohoro: Yeah.stres at Ren in a very explicit way. Ren: Hoe? Horohoro:jumps over him strange noises Yoh:Ren's shorts land over his head What the-? AHHH!covers Anna's eyes Get a freaking room or something! Yuta: Should I continue it? No? That's what I tough.