Celebrations
by Apple-chan

Disclaimer: insert witty disclaimer remark here

A future fic of sorts. Set approximately 11 years after the Anime. It's Funbari Onsen's 3rd anniversary, and everyone's coming. Lots of fun, lots of chaos, lots of madness are expected. And yeah...LOVE. Can't forget about that.^_^

Spoilers: The whole Anime series.

Warnings: PG-13 for adult situations, mild swearing...and sexual implications.^^

This is the same day as the previous chapter. Anna + Yoh = new baby Asakura is the only point.



Chapter 3 - The Owners


Anna stared at the big spread of food all over the big dining table. "PANCAKES? BACON? EGGS? What kind of breakfast is this?" She asked Ryu incredulously. She sat down at the seat beside her husband and children, right at the very heart of the said dining table.

Ryu winced, then looked down on the floor. "It wasn't my idea, Anna Okami." He muttered.

The blonde looked at him, eyebrow raised. "Oh? Then whose idea was it?"

"It was Ren-kun's idea." Lyserg spoke up. The aforementioned person glared at him. "What? It -was- your idea. I wanted to have a traditional Japanese breakfast."

"Me too." Chocolove nodded in agreement.

"I don't see anything wrong with this, frankly," Manta piped in, eyeing the large pile of pancakes at the center of the table. "I was beginning to miss Western breakfast fare myself." He speared a sliced wedge of pancake through his fork and placed it in his mouth.

"I don't care either way," Horo-horo spoke up through a mouthful of pancakes with syrup and bacon. "As long as I get some food, it really doesn't matter." He took several chews, then took his glass of orange juice, had several swigs of it, and then swallowed.

Beside him, Pilica rolled her eyes. "Chew a little bit slower, Oniichan. You're spraying food all over the place."

"Well, -I- think this is all wonderful," Jun declared as she dug in to her own plate of pancakes, smiling at everyone, smiling at her brother, then winking at Ryu all at the same time.

Ren rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault -I- won." He said defensively, handing a forkful of egg and pancakes to Ren-chan, whom he was feeding. The little boy opened his mouth and took the food he was being offered eagerly.

Anna slumped down in her chair and sighed. "Don't tell me..." She glared over at Hao, who was sitting silently at the end of the table with his assistant. "You. Was it -your- doing again?"

Hao looked up from his plate and smiled innocently. "Why, of course not." He daintily took a sip of his coffee. "I had been merely watching the proceedings. As a matter of fact..." he paused, gracefully spearing a slice of pancake with his fork. "I was just on my way down when I heard all the noise." He nodded in satisfaction as he took another bite of his breakfast. "Apparently, the five of them," he explained, inclining his head towards Lyserg, Horo-horo, Chocolove, Ren, and Manta, "decided to settle what breakfast we'd have today by throwing dice and the person who gets the highest number in the die-throwing gets to choose -our- breakfast fare."

The blonde turned and glared at Ren. "And -you- won? Again?"

The said person winced, nodding his head slightly. "It's not my fault I'm lucky in games that involve chance."

"Ah, well..." Hao looked at Ren thoughtfully from his plate. "You know what they say. You can't have everything. Simply put, Ren-kun, you may have luck when it comes to games of chance. But in other things..." he glanced at Pilica, then at Ren, shaking his head, "you're simply hopeless."

Ren stopped eating and glared at Hao. "And what is -that- supposed to mean?" He demanded tartly.

Hao waved his hand. "Nothing, nothing, " he replied cheerfully. "Just that you don't have enough guts to do it." He glanced meaningfully back and forth Ren and Pilica again.

Ren took the hint and he blushed, half with embarrassment and half with silent rage. "Who asked you?" He muttered, stabbing a piece of bacon with his fork.

Yoh, who had been talking with his power spirit, while at the same time listening in to the conversation, laughed. "Does it really matter that much to you, Anna? I mean, breakfast is breakfast, isn't it?" He grinned at her.

Anna glared at him, then glared over at the pancakes. "I don't like pancakes."

Her husband gave a frown. "You don't? Are you sure? But I used to make them before. You've never said anything."

A sigh. "I didn't say I don't like them totally," She replied. "I just don't want them right now, that's all. I think I want..." She paused, thinking. "Strawberries and cream cheese."

Yoh looked at her strangely. "Again? Anna, you've been eating only strawberries and cream cheese for three days now..." She must be really sick, he thought worriedly.

His wife glared at him again. "I -know- that. And I don't care. I.Want.Strawberries.And.Cream.Cheese!" She insisted.

Keiko beside Yoh grinned at her father. "Kaachan's been acting weird ever since she visited Uncle Faust this morning." She announced, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"What did you talk about with Faust, anyway?" Yoh asked Anna.

"I had a check-up," She muttered in reply.

"Kaachan, you're sick?" Yohnta, who was beside her, asked with concern.

"I'm not."

"You're sure?" Yohmaru, beside Yohnta, piped in.

"I'M SURE! EAT YOUR BREAKFAST!"

Yohmaru and Yohnta simultaneously shut up and went back to eating from their respective plates.

"What was the check-up about?" Yoh asked Anna, looking at her warily. Vomiting this morning, dizzy spells, and now, weird mood swings...just how sick was she, exactly...?

His wife gave him a meaningful look. "Hadn't I already told you this morning?"

"Huh?" Yoh looked at her blankly, scratching his head.

"Right after the dizzy spell?" She supplied helpfully.

A light dawned into Yoh. "Oh. That," He nodded thoughtfully. "So you really are sick. What is it--a fever?" He gently placed his hand on her forehead. "Hmm. Odd. You don't feel hot at all." He murmured.

Anna fought the urge to give her husband one good smack on the head. She'd forgotten how clueless he could be sometimes. "Of course not." She said dryly.

"Kaachan puked and got dizzy this morning." Keiko announced for the benefit of all at the table.

Almost immediately, everyone who was holding their forks dropped them into their plates and everyone who was in mid-swallow choked. Then, they all looked at Anna.

"What?" She asked when she noticed them all looking at her curiously.

It was Manta who spoke up first. Recovering from his mid-choke, he said, "Anna-san...are you...?"

"Like I told this idiot," She inclined her head at her husband, "I'm not sure yet."

"Is that why you asked Faust to check you?" Ren asked.

"Speaking of Faust..." Ryu spoke up. "He's here." He pointed towards the doorway. Sure enough, a blonde man in his thirties entered and approached Anna.

"Faust," Yoh greeted. "Have some breakfast."

The blonde man shook his head. "I've had breakfast at the office, Yoh-kun. Thanks anyway." He then turned to Anna. "I would like to speak with you in private, Anna-san," he paused, looking at everyone in the room, "or would you rather I announce it all here?"

"No, no." Anna replied quickly. "I'd like to hear what you have to say privately." If the results are what I think, I'd like some time to ponder over how I'm going to announce this to everyone, considering my incredibly clueless husband hasn't recognized the signs for what they are...

Faust nodded. "Hai. Let's go up to my office." He turned to everyone. "If you'll excuse us." He walked up, assisted Anna, and the two of them went out the doorway and disappeared.

Yoh stared after them thoughtfully. "Wonder what's wrong with her," he muttered. Worry over his wife's welfare made him lose his appetite, and his breakfast went half-eaten.

Ren snorted. "Honestly, you can really be totally clueless sometimes, Yoh." He told his friend.

"What'd you mean by that?" Yoh asked.

The other man rolled his eyes. "Think about it. Vomiting. Fainting spells. Mood swings. Your wife. What does that tell you?"

"That she's sick?" Yoh guessed.

Horo-horo gave an exasperated sigh. "Of course she's -not- sick, Yoh."

"Then what's wrong with her?" Yoh demanded, looking at each and every single face at the table. Funny, they all seemed to know what was wrong with his wife. -Everyone- seemed to know...except for him.

"Yoh-kun...can't you read the signs?" Lyserg asked his friend, smiling slightly at his cluelessness.

"He obviously can't." Chocolove muttered.

"Hai. My brother is lovable that way," Hao agreed cheerfully.

"Look Yoh," Ren told him seriously, "if you don't know, we're not going to tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because Anna-san should be the one to tell you," Manta explained.

"Great." Yoh slumped his head on an empty spot on the table. "I wish she'd come back soon."


*~*~*~*~*~*


"Anna..." Eighteen-year-old Asakura Yoh peered over the shoulder of his fiancée, gazing thoughtfully at what she was doing. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Kyouyama Anna gave a brief nod and continued writing. She was distinctly aware of the weight of Yoh's head...his head, which was resting on her left shoulder. His arms were leaning on the top of the table, purposely. He was as close to her as he could manage. -Way- too close, in fact.

She didn't really mind.

"Ne..." Yoh's voice was a little nervous, a bit hesitant. "How long...have we been engaged, exactly?"

She stopped writing and considered. "Eight or seven years, I think." She wondered why he was asking this all of a sudden...

"Don't you think it's time we got married?"

Anna froze, then she whipped her head to her left so that her face was merely inches from his. "What did you say?"

He sighed. "I asked you if..."

"No, that's not it," She interrupted. "I heard what you said. What do you mean?"

"Huh?" Her fiancé looked at her blankly, scratching his head. "What I meant...? Uhm..." He looked around. "...it's just that we've been together a long time, and...it's about time we...uh...take that step, or something," he grinned sheepishly. "I'm not really very good at this."

"No, you're not." Smiling slightly, Anna shook her head. "Yoh...are you asking me to marry you?" She really had to ask that question. She knew -that- was what he was asking, but she needed to hear him say it.

"Well...yeah, I guess I am." He gave another grin. "I'm asking you to marry me. It'd be a great honor for the Shaman King to finally have his Queen...in the most ultimate sense of the word." He finished with a nod. Then, he gazed at her face hopefully. "So...will you?"

"Will I what?"

"You know...marry me?" He supplied helpfully.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Do you really want me to answer that?" She couldn't resist teasing him, just a little...

He gave her a wounded look. "Of course I do! Why...are you changing your mind? I really hope not."

Giving another eye-roll, she pinched his cheek playfully. "You idiot," she said dryly, "of course I'm not changing my mind." She paused. "As for your question..."

"Yeah...?"

"Yes."

"Anna-san?"

Asakura Anna turned her head away from the window and looked up at Faust. "Hmm?"

The blonde doctor smiled at her. "We came here to talk about your results," he told her. "Remember?"

The young woman looked around her. She briefly recalled coming into Faust's clinic, and sitting at the chair beside his desk. "I remember." She recalled that she came in here to hear out the results of her tests about an hour ago. "So...am I...?"

Faust sat down on his desk and handed her a sheet. "Without a doubt," he gave a wide grin.

Anna examined the paper thoughtfully. "Six...weeks? Already?" She looked up at Faust questioningly.

He nodded. "It's just the right time for you to start showing those signs. As I recall, it had been this way with the twins, Keiko, and Ren-chan as well."

"But...how did it...I mean, just how did this happen?"

"Anna-san," Faust tried to hold back from laughing at his patient. "You -know- how this happened. I'm sure I don't need to tell you exactly -how- the little tyke inside you got made."

Her face flooded with color. "Of course not." She glared at the doctor. "I didn't mean to ask that out loud. I was just thinking..." Keiko's been sleeping in our room with us for almost two years now, so how did we...? Her face turned a tad shade redder as she realized. Oh.

Keiko, sleeping in the twins' room...

Oh.

The private Onsen...the jacuzzi....

Oh.

-That- day.

"Anyway, " Faust couldn't resist teasing his patient just a little, "Yoh-kun's pretty good, isn't he?"

"-That- is none of your business--" She began.

"On the contrary," The doctor countered. "I'm your doctor. It's my job to monitor your health as well as Yoh-kun's."

Anna glared at him, hard. "Shut up."

Faust winced, but he soon recovered. "I'm sure you were pretty good, too. It -is- a two-way thing, after all." He gave Eliza beside him a big smile, then nodded at his patient.

"I should go now." His patient retorted stiffly. "This conversation is over." She was still blushing quite a bit. She had to admit, though...he -was- pretty good...

"Alright," Faust gave a brief nod. "But before you do, a total check-up and some advice from me is in order, ne?" He smiled brightly.

A sigh of resignation. "Okay."


*~*~*~*~*~*


It was almost nine in the morning when Anna finished her conversation with Faust. After lecturing her on what she should and should not do, the blonde doctor had given her a schedule of when she should come to him for check-ups, and advised her to give her husband a break. But a break from what--she didn't exactly know...

"You'll be having those weird cravings again," Faust had explained. "I mean, if you hadn't started already...in any case, try not to make Yoh-kun run around almost all over the whole of Japan this time, alright?"

Anna frowned as she walked towards the first floor main room. She could -not- remember making her husband run around almost all over Japan during any of her previous pregnancies...

Did she really?

"When you were pregnant with the twins, six years ago...he went to Hiroshima just to get you the okonomiyaki you wanted," Faust had pointed out. "And the fresh box of sushi from Izumo four years ago. And last year...tofu ice cream from Hokkaido."

The memory made Anna smile.

"I -know- for a fact that he'll do anything for you, but please..." Faust had looked at her pleadingly on Yoh's behalf. "I haven't even mentioned the side dishes you asked him to get for you...fresh honeydew with soymilk six years ago, and then bittersweet chocolate with peanut butter ice cream four years ago. And then last year..." He had droned on and on.

She bit back a grin. She remembered now. All three times she was pregnant, she had the most outrageous cravings. She asked her husband to get all of them for her, and, no matter how many she demanded from him, no matter how far it would have taken him to get them all--he never gave up, never shown any signs of it whatsoever. Every single time she would ask him for something, anything at all--he would immediately set out to get it, no questions asked.

And he'd always come back with everything she wanted.

He really -will- do anything for me.

Anything...

When Anna opened the door to the main room, she found her husband fiddling with the computer. He was frowning thoughtfully as he gazed at the screen.

He looked up when he saw his wife. "How'd your talk with Faust go?" He asked with concern.

Anna sat down on the sofa near the computer table. "It was fine. Can I talk to you?" It would be best to tell him about this as early as possible...just in case she started on the cravings again. On second thought, she -had- already started having cravings...for about three days now. The strawberries and cream cheese...well, at least -both- of them are found locally...that should put Yoh and Faust's minds to ease...

Yoh nodded. "Sure. What about?" Then, he frowned, stood up, sat down beside her and felt her face with his hands. "Are you really sick? What did Faust say? Will you be alright? What should I do? What can I do?" He said, all in one breath.

She felt the blush rise to her cheeks as he continued to touch her face. It wasn't like it was the first time he had done this, but still...it made her feel sort of...warm all over..."I'm -not- sick. I'm perfectly healthy." She assured him, taking his hands off her face to cease her blushing.

He heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear." He looked at her seriously. "I don't know what I'd do if you were..." he then frowned again. "Are you -sure-?" He asked again.

This time, she rolled her eyes. "Yes, I am. It's -my- body. I should know."

But Yoh continued to look at her through narrowed eyes. "Then...why...for three days already, the fainting, the vomiting..." he raved on. "And then you told me this morning that you might be..." He gave her a look. "So what was -that- all about, then?"

For the second time that day, Anna felt the urge to give her husband one good smack on the head for his cluelessness. "Where's everyone?" She asked instead.

"Yohmaru and Yohnta are with Manta and Lyserg. Ryu is at the kitchens. The women are in the hot springs, I think," he paused. "Ren-chan is with Ren, Chocolove and Horo-horo at the gardens, and Hao said he was going up to the penthouse pool with Opacho. As for Keiko..." he smiled fondly. "She's with Amidamaru, Mosuke, Bason, and Tokageroh. She's greeting everyone all over the place, and those four are following her around." He then looked at his wife and frowned again. "You didn't answer my question."

She smiled innocently and gave a little sigh as she rested her cheek comfortably against her husband's shoulder. "Yoh...do you remember our wedding?"

"Wedding?" Yoh looked at her blankly and scratched his head. "Of course I remember. I was there."

"Idiot. Of course you were." His wife said dryly.

"You were there as well." He pointed out.

This time, Anna did smack him on the head. "ITAI! What was that for?" He gave her a wounded look.

She gave him an irritated look. "Of course I was there! It was -our- wedding, for goodness' sake!" She gave an exasperated sigh and held up her hands in defeat. "Honestly."

"Anna, I was kidding." Yoh told her, rubbing his head. "I remember everything...you, most especially." He gave a grin. "Just thinking about that day makes me feel like I'm the luckiest man on earth. No, wait...I -am- the luckiest man on earth." He declared.

His wife shook her head at him. "You really -are- an idiot." And I don't think I ever want you to be anything else...

He nodded in agreement. "Hai. I am. That's the reason why you love me, after all."

This time, she burst out laughing. She couldn't very well disagree with him. He was right, in a way. "Uh-huh."

"You know..." Yoh looked at her thoughtfully. "You still haven't answered my question."

"I'm pregnant."

"I've asked you like, several times already and you've been avoiding it..." Yoh stopped in his tracks. "What?"

"I SAID, I'm pregnant."

"You are?" Yoh blinked.

"I am." Anna nodded.

"But..." Her husband scratched his head and looked up thoughtfully. "How did -that- happen?" He wondered out loud.

The blonde woman looked up and prayed for patience. As of right now, she wanted to smack her husband's head against the wall. Honestly, this happened every single time... "How the HELL do you THINK?"

"Well, think about it!" Yoh waved his hands around in an attempt to explain. "The last time we've slept together alone in our bedroom was before Ren-chan was conceived...right after that, Keiko was always in the room with us...I mean, how could we have done it...with -her- there?"

"WE DIDN'T!" Anna glared at her husband. Arrghh! Can someone PLEASE remind me again: WHY in the name of HEAVEN did I marry this IDIOT?

Uhm...because you love him?

Oh. Right. I love him. Must have patience, must have patience... "Do I have to remind you of the many places this little baby..." she pointed to her stomach, "could have possibly been conceived? Because I can enumerate plenty."

Yoh shook his head vigorously. "No, you don't have to..."

"Private onsen. Private Jacuzzi. Bathtub." Anna ticked off her fingers. "Private pool. Old house. That hotel in Nagasaki when we went there last March. Your room in Izumo. My room in Izumo. And then--"

"Anna! I was kidding!"

"--One whole week, our bedroom, when Keiko was sleeping in the twins' room." She finished. "Was that plenty enough for..." She broke off abruptly upon realizing what she just heard. "What did you say?"

"I said, it was a joke," Yoh repeated. "I kind of figured out how this little kid got conceived--and where. After all..." he gave a grin. "I was there. I was one of the very eager participants, wasn't I?"

Anna gave another sigh, and rolled her eyes again. She was becoming an expert in eye-rolling, being married to Yoh. "Could you PLEASE remind me again WHY I ever put up with you?" She muttered.

"Well, let's see..." Placing an arm around his wife, he said thoughtfully, "first of all, I'm the Shaman King."

She raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh."

"Second..." he gave her a smile. "I'm your husband. You married me."

"True. But I could always file for divorce." She countered.

"Yeah. But you won't." He said with confidence. "Third, I'm the father of your children." He then placed a hand fondly over his wife's stomach. "As well as this little one here."

Anna hid a grin. "Imagine that."

"Fourth..." He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. "You love me."

She closed her eyes, savoring the soft, brief kiss he gave. "Hai..." She murmured in agreement.

"And fifth..." He murmured against her lips. "I love you." He then closed his eyes and kissed her again.


*~*~*~*~*~*


"I love you more than life, I love you more than death. I love you with all my heart and soul. I will continue to love you even after we die. My life is yours, because -you- are my life. You're a part of my soul. I can't live without you, and neither can I die without you. We are connected. We are one. Always."

"You give me a reason to live. You're the reason for my existence. I am strong because of you. I live because of you, and I will die for you. I love you, with all that I was before, with all that I am today, and with all that I would be in the future. I cannot describe what I feel for you in so many or so little words because...it's something more than that. I am yours, as you are mine. Always."

The couple finished saying their wedding vows and exchanging rings. Pretty soon, the whole wedding ceremony was over.

But their new life together was only just beginning.

"You forgot one other thing, Yoh," Anna whispered against her husband's lips.

Yoh gazed upon his wife. "What?"

"Sixth: I put up with you because I love you. And I love you because...you're you, plain and simple."

Yoh smiled. And I love you, as well. Because...you're you.

Plain and simple.



TSUZUKU.



End notes:

Well...that was a little bit pointless._ Arrghh.

unmei = Sure, you can use the children's names.^_^ The fifth Asakura child's got a name now, too...but I won't tell yet.^^ There'll be a story behind it, coming in later chapters.

Hiroshima makes the best okonomiyaki, or so says my Japanese guidebook. The sushi and tofu ice cream bit were made-up, though.

Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. This is the last purely YohXAnna chapter in this fic. The next one's going to be about everyone else again. That should make you all happy.^_^ To the LysergXJeanne fans...I know, I know--I've kinda been torturing him a bit...I do love him! I swear, I do! And Jeanne...will be making an appearance soon...not in the next chapter yet, but very soon! I've got it all mapped out in here *points to head*

Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. Hopefully I can have chapter four ready by next week. It's probably going to be long again, but...um. Watch out for it.^_^

Reviews will be very much appreciated.