Warmth

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King.

When the warmth of hot chocolate isn't enough, you can feel warm with the one you love. J

Takari-san: I hope you forgive for the semi-late update… --;;

Yoh's POV

I smiled softly as Anna finally agreed to let me carry her home, and in the mid of this short walk she managed to fall asleep – slumber peacefully; my back as her bed. I smiled gently as I entered our home, our soon to be Onsen if things go according to her plan; of course, things always went the way she wanted it. I would never allow it - that Anna's wish would not come true, never.

I laid her down our couch and was soon approached by my power spirit, friend and partner all in one, Amidamaru. He had a worried expression on his face; he seemed to be worried of Anna's welfare. I was too actually.

"Yoh-dono… is Anna-okami alright?" Amidamaru, as a spirit ball asked me; he was floating on top of Anna, worrying if she was alright.

I gave him a reassuring smile, "Anna was just out in the cold too much, she'll be alright." I said as I made my way to my bedroom and Amidamaru followed me.

"Are you sure? It is rare Anna-okami collapses like that… actually a never, until a while ago." The worried Amidamaru said as I opened our closet.

"Anna is human too, she's not immortal Amidamaru." I grinned as I took out a blanket and of course a fresh set of clothes though I wonder how I'll manage to put that on her and quickly exited the room, Amidamaru right behind me.

"We better get her warmed up; I'll call Ryu-san to tell him to take care of the house." Amidamaru noted as he was about to go to the direction of the phone, which actually was a gift from Manta when I was out in America for the Shaman Fight three two years ago.

"Iie… no need to bother him. He is with his friends buying gifts." I smiled and stopped Amidamaru, "I will take care of the house myself, I'm sixteen already. I can do this myself Amidamaru…" I told him as I paused for a while…

"What's wrong Yoh-dono?" Amidamaru asked I suddenly stopped.

"Well, her clothes…" I managed to say; my cheeks flushed.

"Yoh-dono, you're her fiancé, you can do it…" the spirit told me encouragingly.

"Dakedo… this is Anna and..." I said slowly.

"Would you rather have some other man do it?" the spirit asked me.

"No, of course not…" I coughed, "alright… but I don't need to change her…" another cough, "undergarments, correct?" I finished with red cheeks.

"Did it get hit by the snow?" Amidamaru asked me.

"Iie… n-no…" I managed to say knowing that if it did and I did change her clothes – all of her clothes that she will live but I would die.

"Ne, Yoh-dono… we can always ask the ghosts here to changed her, I mean… some of them are women and if they do you would have to… though you would need to hyou gattai." The spirit said thoughtfully as I lit up and looked at him as if he was the smartest spirit ever…

But then, I would still feel it, see it and all those other things… My cheeks reddened even more.

"You can always leave it to the ghost Yoh-dono, let her take over for a while, if ever it doesn't want to get out then I'll fight you or maybe call Ren-sama." Amidamaru grinned.

I nodded as the old okami of the onsen's ghost appeared due to the call of Amidamaru.

*******

I opened my eyes to find Amidamaru grinning at me.

"Is it over?" I asked him finding Anna newly dressed, "I guess so, ne?" I wrapped the sleeping Anna with the blanket I took from my room with her new clothes, even when newly dressed she still seems cold.

"Hai Yoh-dono… but let's call Tamao at least so Anna-okami can have a proper meal." Amidamaru told me and I almost agreed until I remembered that Tamao was on her way to the mountains already.

"We can't" I sighed inwardly, "She went to the mountains, remember? She's going to spend Christmas with Horo Horo as Pilica-chan is going to spend it with the Tao's… After all Pilica is Ren's fiancée now and Tamao and Horo Horo are an item."

"Oh yeah… what are we going to do, Yoh-dono? Calling Ren and Pilica are pointless since Ren can't cook and what I have heard from Horo Horo is that Pilica's cooking if horrible!" the spirit mourned.

"Jun?" I thought for a while, "but who knows what Ren would think if we invite his sister over…"

"How about Lyserg or Jeanne?" the spirit managed to name.

"Amidamaru, they're in Europe!" I told him and again the two of us was back to brainstorming.

"Chocolove or Manta?" the spirit continued to name names.

"Chocolove can't cook, and he's in America." I sighed, "Manta on the other hand is currently out of town for a chess tournament, don't you remember? He said he'd be back by tomorrow."

"Oh yes… I remember, but who are we going to call then?" the spirit looked at me about to give up.

"How about…" I said slowly as I tapped my chin.

"Who is it Yoh-dono?" Amidamaru said intently.

"Hao…" I said softly then looked at Anna, even sleeping she managed to wince at the name. I think she'll turn even sicker with him here.

"Iie, Anna-okami hates him." The spirit shook his head vigorously.

"I know…" I sighed, "I guess it's just you and me then."

"Hai…" the spirit replied looking at Anna worriedly.

"Don't worry Amidamaru… It'll be alright… It always does." I grinned as I went to the direction of the kitchen, "Watch over Anna for me…"

"Hai… what are you going to do?" the spirit asked.

"I'm going to make what anyone needs in winter…" I replied with my usual grin.

Amidamaru looked at me questioningly.

"I'm going to make hot chocolate…" I said giving a hearty laugh in which he joined in to but we stopped as Anna seemed to shake in the cold and stir at the sound.

"Watch over her and call me if anything happens." I said as I watched Anna, a worried look spreading to my usually happy-go-lucky and calm face.

Amidamaru gave a firm nod.

********

I hummed softly as I gathered the ingredients for the drink I was supposed to make. I slowly remembered some events that day that can make me laugh…

Horo Horo looked at me disappointedly, he was already on his way to the mountains and Ren, Pilica and I were accompanying Horo and Tamao before they left.

"I can't believe you Yoh, you've been engaged with her and you still haven't reached first base?" Horo tsked as they were all in a fast food joint; in just a few minutes Horo Horo and Tamao would be off and Pilica and Ren are officially allowed to do what they want, freely – meaning there was no over-protective onii-chan to tear them apart.

Simultaneous coughs were heard from those in the seats except Horo and me.

"Horo-kun, keep quiet… we're in a public place." Tamao told him as she tried fighting of the blush from her cheeks.

"First base?" I asked him totally oblivious to what that meant.

"Honestly… you don't know what that is?" Ren looked at me amazed.

"What are you guys talking about?" I asked Ren as Horo suddenly interjected.

"Tamao, what's wrong with telling with that and anyway I wasn't talking about Home Run or anything like that." Horo scowled at Tamao who apparently kicked him softly.

This time he was karate-kicked by his sister.

"Ouch, can't you people take a joke?" Horo Horo looked at his sister and koi.

"What are you talking about?" I asked still not knowing what my four friends seem to be embarrassed of talking about, "Is it baseball?"

Horo Horo burst out laughing as the others just looked at me as if I was well… weird, and I guess I was if I didn't know what they were talking about and they were some of my closest friends and both Pilica and Tamao were younger than me, make me a note to ask this to Manta.

"You really don't know Yoh?" Horo laughed, "And I thought you were the Shaman King and they were blessed with wisdom."

"What is it guys? Tell me…" I whined and I rarely whined, I looked at Tamao but she was busy at the moment as she tried to fight of her blush. Pilica was using every ounce of her self control not to hit her brother. And Ren, his usual blank face seemed amused; he doesn't seem to want to tell me though.

"Okay Yoh, just for you…" Horo grinned as if he knew he was going to like my reaction, "It's kissing."

"Pardon me?" I nearly choked out what I was eating.

"First base is kissing, second base is…" he was stopped from saying any further when Tamao covered his mouth.

A blush made its way to my cheeks.

"So you finally know…" Ren said still with that scary and weird amused look on his face.

"Why did you ask me about that?" I looked at them oddly.

"It's obvious that you haven't ever kissed your fiancée, do you know that?" Ren told me.

"Yes, but what's the point with that?" I said totally naïve.

"Make your move on her!" Horo shouted casually as the customers finally looked at them. Tamao sweatdropped and signaled to say nothing was going on while Pilica aimed to hit her brother again.

My cheeks automatically flushed even more, if that was possible, "But… this is Anna we're talking about."

"He has his point you know…" shrugged Ren.

"Yes, but she's still your fiancée." Horo replied.

"But… I'm afraid that… that she might get mad…" I confessed.

Horo started again on his 'fiancée' theory, "She's your fiancée, and so that means you're supposed to love each other, right?"

"But I'm afraid that Anna might not accept me, love me or reciprocate how I feel about her." I managed to mutter looking down at the what-now seemed interesting floor.

"You're too stressed in your love-life Yoh…" Horo told him and for once everyone actually thought he was saying something meaningful when, "You might get your menopause early."

Everyone except me shot death-glares at him.

"Just kidding… well, we better go now, Tamao." Horo smiled as he waved good-bye to his friends.

"Hai… Ja, see you after Christmas!" Tamao bid good-bye.

"Watch my sister Yoh! IF REN DOES ANYTHING…" Horo glared at Ren.

"Hai…" I smiled, "Wait… before you leave… what's menopause?"

"Ask your fiancée Yoh… you'll find out. I think she already has it." Horo snickered.

I just looked at him confused.

I wonder what menopause is… I finally finished with the hot chocolate and entered the living room where Anna seemed to be shaking because she was cold.

"Amidamaru, did anything happen?" I asked him as I lay two mugs of hot chocolate on the table.

"Iie, she's still shaking though… she looks very, very cold." The spirit replied.

"Don't worry I'll take care of her… you may take some rest and have fun with Mosuke now…" I smiled as I slowly raised Anna and sat down on the couch and let her down again; her head on my lap.

"Hai…" Amidamaru nodded and left. Maybe he knew I wanted to spend alone with Anna. My Anna…

I was left alone for a while then I began to play with Anna's hair. It was both nice and hurtful to see her this way. Nice, in a way that finally he can approach her and not become scared. And hurtful, because he was seeing his beloved suffer in the cold like this. I stroked her head gently as I remembered how I found her laying on the ground.

I wonder what Horo meant a while ago… Oh well…

I looked at my wallet and saw that the money Anna entrusted me to buy gifts with was still left untouched. 'She's surely going to get mad' I thought. I tried finding something good to buy but then they all seemed expensive and out of Anna's taste…

I paused when I realized I was just a few steps away from home. I gulped and prepared myself for what Anna might do when I come home with nothing. I then saw a big crowd gathering near our home, they were looking at something intently, someone rather.

I took a step forward and looked down as well and there I saw the face of my fiancée – she was down in the ground… apparently from the cold.

DARN! I TOLD HER NOT TO WEAR THAT!

This was not the time to worry about that… I quickly rushed to her side…

"Anna!" I shouted as she began to stir.

I looked at Anna for a while, I'm glad she's only been down for a few moments when I got there… I wonder what I'd do if it was longer, way longer?

I'd probably kill myself.

I looked at her again but this time I noticed that she began to wake up...

"Yoh?" she said sleepily hugging the blanket she had for warmth tightly as with my assistance she sat up.

I smiled in relief, "Anna, do you want some hot chocolate?"

She looked at me for a while then nodded.

Anna Kyouyama… no, Anna Asakura… I love you.

Tsuzuku

Takari-san: R/R! Damn, I'm hungry…

My stomach: *grumble* *grumble