A Note From the Authors:
We'd like to thank everyone for the reviews! We know the chapters are long, but we're glad they're good enough for you to enjoy reading them - and we hope you continue to do so! Thank you so much for your support and without further ado we present to you...
Day 2
Tao Ren awoke the next morning, the sunlight of a new dawn glaring down mercilessly upon him from the window opposite him. He blinked groggily, the room sliding in an out of focus for a few seconds before clearing. His head was pounding painfully, and he felt unusually cold despite the blanket he was wrapped in. Wait, blanket?
His eyes flickered around, trying to take in his new surroundings. How did he get back inside the Asakura complex? He had left the woods, but the rest was a blank after that. The young man's gaze fell upon the sleeping form of his lover, resting peacefully in a chair by his bedside. The morning rays of light caught her essence beautifully, almost seeming to give Tamera an unnatural glow. Her chest rose and fell slightly with her even, automatic breathing, and her hands were folded in her lap, no doubt once anxiously wringing themselves before unconsciousness took over. She looked so pretty, so perfect.
He sat up quickly, only to be overcome with dizziness. He groaned, hands holding his head. Why did he feel so feeble?
"Master Ren!" came the hushed but relieved voice of his guardian ghost, "Please try not to rise sir."
"Bason?" Ren asked, looking over at the tiny flame spirit, "How did I get here?"
"Well, Lady Kino sensed your arrival last night and Lady Tamera met you at the edge of the forest, sir," Bason said, beady eyes large and sparkling, "I'm so glad to see you conscious, Master."
"When did she go to sleep?" the Tao male asked, apprehensively watching Tami rest.
"A few hours ago," Bason said, "She tried so hard not to, but it was for the best."
"Indeed," Ren nodded, a hint of sadness in his eyes, "Why does she worry so for me, Bason?"
"Er…well…I believe it is because she loves you so, Master Ren…" Bason said meekly.
"No, I mean, what have I done to deserve such feelings?"
"Perhaps it would be better for you to ask her such questions, Master," the spirit said, looking rather flustered, "I have never understood such matters of the heart, even in life, sir…"
The room's lone living male sighed, "Perhaps later…"
"Yes, and perhaps you should try and rest some more as well, Master," the Chinese Warlord suggested, "Your fever only broke a few hours ago."
"I'm fine," he responded automatically, lying back down and pulling the covering up again, "I'm just going to close my eyes for a moment. Wake me immediately when she comes around, do you understand?"
"Yes sir, of course, sir," Bason nodded vigorously.
"Good," Ren murmured, sleep rapidly overtaking him.
Bason spun in a quick circle and then settled down on the blanket beside his master, restful but ever vigilant to the needs of both humans whom he regarded as his charges.
"Good morning, dear."
Keiko glanced up from the dining room table, cup of hot tea in hand, as her husband entered the room. "You said you were going to get here by dinner last night."
"It was raining; it gets a little harder to travel by foot in bad weather," he replied huffily, walking over to the still steaming teapot, "I should think you'd be thankful that I got here at all."
She brushed her hair out of her face and stuck up her nose at him, "I suppose I should be – you've missed almost every other important event in our son's life."
"I have not!" he said loudly, affronted.
"As I recall, you were off gallivanting in the mountains on his first day of school, twelve out of twenty birthdays, the day he moved to Tokyo, and his high school graduation," she said coolly, counting off on her fingers.
"Okay, first of all: I do not gallivant," he started, flustered, trying to defend himself, "Secondly…well, it was nine birthdays if you include the day he was born…"
She grinned at him, "Oh relax, I'm just teasing you. I'm curious though, if you don't call it gallivanting, what do you call it?"
"Training."
"I see," she nodded, "Keeping that body in shape for me, are you?"
Embarrassed, the man replied quietly, sincerely wishing he had his mask to hide behind, "…yes…"
"It's amazing how well I can read you, isn't it?" she asked, getting to her feet and wrapping her arms around him.
He smiled, inclining his head and leaning down slightly so he could kiss her, something he hadn't done in quite some time, "Yeah."
She grinned and leaned up to return the kiss just as a third voice spoke out, "Oh gross, guys – I was just about to eat, too…"
Their son had entered the kitchen.
"Yoh!" Mikihisa cried, indignant and mortified at the same time, "What are you doing up so early?"
"I was hungry," the Asakura boy said, heading towards the fridge, "But I've almost lost my appetite now, thanks to you guys – aren't you too old for that kind of stuff by now?"
"Your grandparents are old, we aren't!" Yoh's father continued, taking a protective step in front of his wife.
"Alright, alright," Yoh said with a laugh, tearing open a box of waffles and loading them into the toaster, "Well, can you just curb your hormones until after I leave the room?"
Keiko couldn't help but stifle a laugh at her son's impertinence, and she hugged her husband from behind, "Well hurry it up then," she said with a smirk, "There's only so long I can keep this animal at bay, you know."
"Dear, you're not helping!"
"Oh yuck," Yoh said, making a gagging face as he piled the waffles up on plates and set them down on a tray, "I'm going, I'm going. And I suggest taking it up to you're room – I'm sure other people will be down here soon."
"Would you leave already?" the older male asked, his face a very deep shade of red.
Yoh ducked out of the room, breakfast tray in hand and Keiko laughed. "See what you miss when you're away?"
"You're right: I should stay away more often."
"Hey – I get hardly any sex as it is," she said, poking him annoyedly, "You go away anymore than you already do, and it'll be grounds for divorce, mister."
"Just kidding, dear," he stuttered meekly, "Well, if you want to…um, make up for, er, lost time…"
"Damn straight I do," she said with a smile, taking him by the hand and leading him upstairs.
Yes! "Okay…"
Rap! Rap! Rap!
Anna stirred as the knocking on her door reached her ears. Moaning, she sat up, running a hand through her blonde hair. It was probably Keiko, come to begin dressing her. Better be sure, though. "Who is it?" she asked groggily.
"S'me! Can I come in?" Yoh called, wishing he had thought of a better way of knocking on the door than using his thick cranium (both hands were occupied trying to keep the juice glasses from spilling by balancing the tray).
"Yeah…sure…" Anna said, padding over to unlock the door and let him in, "What happened to your forehead?" she asked as she got her first look at him, one eyebrow raised.
"Nothing," he said quickly as he looked up and down at her, trying to take her in, "Were you sleeping?"
"Well, yeah," she nodded, glancing down at the oversized T-shirt that had served as her nightwear, "What time is it?"
He smiled, having noted her lack of attire as well and liking the sight immensely, "Um, about 7, I think. Anyways, I thought you might be hungry…"
"Oh…thanks," she said with a sleepy smile, "Come on in."
He followed her in, still trying to be as careful as he could with the tray, which was filled to the brim with insta-breakfast foods, "Okay."
"So did you sleep alright?" she asked, settling down on top of her futon.
"Pretty well, yeah," he replied, setting the platter down on his lap as he took a seat next to her, admiring the excellent view of her beautiful, shapely thighs.
She yawned once and then leaned over to grab a fork and spear herself a waffle, "That's good. This isn't all just for me, right?"
"Not unless you want it all," he replied, picking up the second fork hesitantly.
"No, no," she shook her head, "Help yourself – there's no way I could finish all this."
"Thanks," he grinned, stabbing a waffle for himself and taking a bite out of it.
"Mmm…" she said, dipping her piece of waffle into the syrup, "Haven't had these since we were little."
"You'd steal mine if you wanted more and then cry to Kino or bite me if I tried to steal it back," he laughed, recalling his bullied childhood fondly (so much had changed that that distant pain and fear had all but faded).
"Heh heh…" she laughed embarrassedly, putting her free hand behind her head, "Yeah…sorry 'bout that…"
"Hey, forget it. It was a long time ago," he paused to swallow another bite, "S'all good."
"If you say so," she said with a smile, drawing one leg up close to her chest and taking another bite.
Yoh felt blood rush to his nose as her T-shirt pulled upwards due to her movement, revealing even more skin and an excellent view of her pale blue, cotton panties. He quickly picked up his glass and downed its entire contents, not wanting to let her see the tinge of red in his cheeks.
"Careful, Yoh – you down that too fast and you'll choke," Anna said, oblivious to what he was now able to see.
He swallowed quickly, "I'm fine," he told her assuringly, trying not to stare. It was too early for this sort of behavior…
"What are you…?" she trailed off as she followed his darting glances downwards and then blushed, "Oh god, sorry," she said quickly, lowering her leg and tugging at the T-shirt embarrassedly.
Damn, "Er, I didn't really-…oh, no problem…"
She grinned at him and reached over and stole a forkful of his waffles. "So…are you ready to get married today…?"
"Sure, I guess so," he managed, having nearly choked on his last mouthful of food when hit with her question, "Um…are you?"
"I'm not really sure," she said, "I don't know if we should just keep going like nothing's happened…I mean, with this Ren-thing hanging over our heads…maybe we should give it a day or two…let things settle down again…"
"Yeah…you're probably right," he nodded slowly, his hormonal thoughts pushed to the backburner of his mind for the time-being. So she was having some doubts too… "It might be for the best."
"The only tough part will be telling Keiko and Yohmei, I figure," she said, "The others will surely understand."
"And Ki-" Yoh started, then bit his tongue, reconsidering. Perhaps it wasn't best to mention his grandmother at this precise moment, "And it'll give Ren a chance to get better. I don't think it would be very nice to Tami if she was just worrying about Ren instead of enjoying herself at the wedding."
"Yeah," she nodded, leaning against his arm, "Did you see? The sun came out this morning."
"I saw," he smiled, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and hugging his wife-to-be lightly, "I like the sun, so much less depressing than rain."
"Mm-hmm," she nodded, turning slightly so as to kiss his cheek, "I think it's a good sign."
He grinned, pressing his lips against hers briefly, "I sure hope so."
Tamera's magenta eyes fluttered open as consciousness fell upon her once again. She raised her arms towards the ceiling, stretching as far as she could reach, trying to reduce the stiffness she felt from sitting in one position for so long. Finished with that attempt, her gaze turned to her beau, who was still sleeping. She brushed a hand against his cheek, noting that the natural color was returning to his face. She smiled sadly and then felt eyes on her and looked up, "Good morning, Bason."
"Hello, Lady Tamera," the ghost replied, reverting back to his normal form and bowing his head slightly to her, "Do not worry, he awoke once already."
"Oh," she breathed a small sigh of relief, "Thank goodness. How did you convince him to stay in bed?"
The ghost offered her a sly smile, "I just told him I would awaken him when you came around."
"Well, I suppose you shouldn't break your word," she said, returning his grin, before lowering herself towards Ren's ear to whisper his name.
He stirred slightly, a small, genuine smile making its way across his face, but the normally-light sleeper did not awaken. His illness had taken some mild toll upon the young warrior, but his dreams (whatever they may be) seemed to have considerably improved upon hearing her voice.
She ran a hand through his hair, "I think it'd be best to let him sleep a bit longer," she said, getting to her feet, "I'm gonna go fix some breakfast. If he wakes up before I get back, let him know where I've gone, ok?"
"Of course, Mistress."
"Well, how do ya like that?" Tray said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he sat up, "By the time I wake up, he's gone. Typical man."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Manta asked groggily, sitting up as well.
"Never mind," the Ainu shook his head and got to his feet, "C'mon – let's get some chow."
Manta stood, stretched, then followed Tray out of the room, "Okay."
"Well good morning boys," Jun greeted them as they entered the kitchen, "Nice to see you've decided to join us."
"Jun, my dear, when are you going to admit that you love me and marry me?" Horohoro asked bravely, heading straight for the pot of coffee, his mood visibly brighter than that of the prior day.
"Oh, only when Hell freezes over," she teased right back, as beside her, the Ainu's sister shook her head despairingly.
"Don't think I can't arrange that," he warned.
"Uh-oh," she laughed, "I suppose I should've thought of that."
"You're in trouble now," Manta laughed, taking a seat on the floor by the table.
"Bwa-ha-ha," Tray mock-laughed evilly, "You will soon be mine!"
"And what are you going to do for me to insure that Ren never hears what you just said?" came Ryu's smug voice as the tall man entered the room.
"Eh…" Tray's smile melted into one of panic and then back to a smile as a light bulb went off over his head, "I will refill the pot of coffee for you, sir," he said calmly as he emptied the last of the pot into his mug.
"Ryu will also be requiring a toaster pastry," the warrior of the wooden sword told Horohoro huffily, sitting down next to Jun at the table.
"You, sir, drive a hard bargain," the Ainu said, shaking a finger at Ryu before digging through the pantry for said pastry.
Manta just shook his head, sighing. The antics of his friends could be overwhelming at times. He blew steam off the top of his mug of tea, trying to cool it a bit, then took a small sip.
"So does anyone know what's actually happening today?" Pilika asked, taking a bite of her bagel.
"I thought the wedding of Master Yoh and Lady Anna was today…" Ryu spoke up, confused.
"Well, that's what supposed to happen today," Jun said, "but with the way things have been going…"
"I guess we'll find out soon…" Manta shrugged, staring at the liquid in his cup.
"The rain has ceased…" Kino Asakura observed, standing on the balcony jutting out from her bedroom.
Yohmei smiled, his leaf spirits helping to prepare him for the morning from his spot on the bed. Combing the last remains of his hair, placing his slippers and bathrobe on, the works, "Good. At least the weather should be nice for the ceremony, even if the atmosphere isn't."
"You think the concerns I voiced were uncalled-for?" she asked, turning towards him.
"I think your timing was impeccably improper," he responded slowly, still facing away from her as his shikigami did their little tasks.
"I agree," she nodded, "They should have been voiced years ago, when we should have been putting all our efforts into teaching him to be prepared for what would be expected of him. But I held my tongue, because you all were so happy."
"He was a child, one whom had just been through hell, if I must remind you," Yohmei said sternly, standing and beginning to smooth out the wrinkles in his robe, "His entire life was nothing but preparation for the Tournament and he still had a primary education to complete once he claimed the title."
"The timing of the Tournament was unfortunate, I'll admit," she said "but that was out of our control."
"I saw no harm in giving him a chance to grow up, even if only a few years. Some things can only be learned through experience, not formal teaching or our instruction."
Kino sighed, "Do you truly believe that if we leave him to his own devices he will be able to act upon the will of the Great Spirit?" she asked him sincerely.
"Yoh can learn a great from simply getting a chance to make his own mistakes" he glared at his wife"And he gets enough criticism from his friends, he doesn't need it from us as well. I trust the boy, his instincts are superb and his compassion overwhelming."
She frowned, hating when his wisdom penetrated what she thought was a solid judgment in her mind. "I'd still like to speak with him, if that's alright with you."
The old man sighed, wishing his pipe were available to him now (it was most likely still downstairs in the kitchen where he had left it the night before). 7:39 AM. Well, that would have been the earliest he'd ever needed his single stress-relieving vice, "If you insist," he nodded, his gruff voice quiet.
"I do," she said, "I will speak to him later today. But I will not interfere with the wedding if he and Anna still wish it to happen today."
"Thank you, Kino."
She nodded, and then headed towards the door, "Will you be coming to breakfast?"
He accepted his walking stick (presented to him by one of his tiny spirits) and followed her slowly, leaning on it for support, "Of course."
"Man Tami, what smells so damn good in here?"
Tamera turned towards the door of the kitchen, where Horohoro was poking his head, grinning at her hungrily. "I'm making something for Ren, to help build his strength up again," she told him with a smile.
"Just for him?" the young man asked, the pleasant scent filling his nostrils and making his mouth generate excess saliva, which he swallowed hastily.
"Do not bother Lady Tamera, she's busy," Ryu chided from the dining room, the tiny plate that once held his pastry now containing naught but crumbs.
"Aww, man," Tray sighed, backing out of the room, "No fair. If I knew that I'd be getting that breakfast out of it, I would've stayed out in the rain all night too."
Pilika smacked him upside the head ("Oww!") for this, drawing laughter from the other table members. Manta looked up towards the stairs curiously, his mug emptied, "I wonder where Yoh and Anna are... I'd have thought they'd be down here by now."
"Well, somebody could go check on them," Jun suggested.
"I believe the betrothed deserve a few moments peace together on their wedding day, do they not?" Yohmei asked, making his way down the stairs with his wife.
"Oh…Good morning!" Manta said, rising to his feet instinctively.
"Sit, sit," the old man waved a hand dismissively, as the others had begun to rise as well, "Yoh and Anna will come down in due time, don't fret," he paused grumpily, "As I'm sure my impertinent son and daughter-in-law will as well…" Passing their room had been…disturbing, to say the least.
Manta retook his seat embarrassedly.
A moment later, Tamera emerged from the kitchen, "Good news, Tray," she said, "I sort of got carried away and there's enough breakfast for everyone. I'll be upstairs with Ren if anyone needs me." She took a tray loaded with food and headed back upstairs.
"Hot damn" Tray cried excitedly, leaping up and hurrying hungrily into the kitchen.
The others rose as well, eager at the prospect of more of Tami's cooking, and as they moved, Kino cleared her throat. "I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for not being present to greet you when you arrived," she said, "It was rude of me, regardless of the circumstances."
"Oh! Um…it's alright ma'am, we know yesterday was kinda rough…" Manta said quickly, one hand rubbing the back of his head anxiously.
"No, no, I just wanted to clear the air," Kino said, "Now go on – enjoy Tamera's cooking."
The vertically-challenged young man smiled, "Thanks," then bolted for the kitchen with very little restraint.
"Has he been up yet?" Tami asked as she reentered Ren's bedroom, "Sorry I took so long."
"No, he is still fast asleep," Bason shook his head, glancing over at the unconscious form of his master.
"Well, I suppose he'd better eat," she said, kneeling down setting the tray down beside her, "Ren…" she murmured, leaning down so that her lips brushed against his ear as she whispered, "Are you hungry?"
The Mandarin blinked groggily, a slight shiver running up his body from her touch. He turned his head so he could get a better view of his lover, and smiled at the familiar sight"Good morning" he said softly, trying his best to ignore the activity in his loins brought upon by her silky, pleasing voice and close proximity to his person.
"I'm glad to see you're awake," she said, kissing him gently, "I made breakfast."
"Smells wonderful," he told her earnestly, leisurely beginning to sit up, his prior day of fasting having given him a considerable appetite, despite the uneasiness he felt in his stomach.
"It should help you get your strength back," she said, raising a spoonful of oatmeal towards his mouth.
He thought of protesting (he was certainly capable of feeding himself!), but…it was only the two of them and if it would make her happy…Ren opened his mouth obediently.
Delighted that he wasn't objecting, she slid closer to him, enjoying being able to care for him. He was always so independent; it was nice to feel needed like this.
Bason faded away, but his voice echoed in his master's head, 'Perhaps this would be a good time to pose one of those questions you were pondering earlier…'
"I really don't know what I've done to deserve you…" he murmured sadly between spoonfuls of warm, tasty oatmeal, his eyes not meeting hers.
"What are you talking about?" she asked quietly, gazing at him with mild concern.
"I ran off without telling anyone where I was going or for how long, then stumble back here in the middle of the night like a drunken fool and collapse before I even reach the building. I've done nothing but cause you undue worry and stress, but yet here you are, still as gorgeous and kind as ever, helping me to get back the strength I lost through no one's fault but my own," he paused, trying to keep his voice even (a difficult task, as letting his emotional barriers had a tendency to make him a bit nervous), "I'm just saying, I really can't understand why you'd still do all this for me after what I've put you through."
"Ren…" she said softly, setting the food down so she could clasp his hands in hers, "I love you. I have for years. You're the first one who saw me as a woman and not a little girl. Yes, you frustrate me sometimes, but that doesn't make me love you any less."
He smiled, blinking back tiny droplets of liquid from his eyes (where on Earth had those come from?). Love. As a child, the notion had seemed ridiculous, laughable even. His father had beaten any hope of receiving love out of him. His mother and sister would always love him, as normal family tends to do, but he had remained nearly-blind to such feelings until he had been forced to attend Japanese primary school at the age of sixteen. Enter Tamera.
He had always felt strangely whenever around her before the conclusion of the Tournament (feelings he now chalked up to a boyhood crush) and the few years in between that and high school had given them both a chance to grow and mature. The uneasy feeling in his stomach, the sweaty hands, the impeded speech, all side effects of the "silly" notion called love. She loved him…and he was unafraid to admit to similar feelings. Secretly, it made him feel rather good to be able to tell her so. He leaned forward, kissing her softly on the cheek and whispering (ever so close to her ear), "I love you…"
"I know you do," she said, "Even if you forget sometimes. That's why I stick around," she raised the spoon towards him again, "Because I know that you'll remember soon enough, and we get to have moments like this."
He nodded, his cheeks now lightly tinted with red from embarrassment (she was right, of course), and opened his mouth expectantly.
"We should probably go downstairs now, huh?" Anna asked as she set her empty juice glass back down on the tray.
Yoh sighed, resting his head against her shoulder. He was rather enjoying just getting to spend a few moments peace with the woman who was going to become his wife, "Right now?"
"Don't you think people will get suspicious?" she asked, nuzzling her face into his hair, breathing him in.
He grinned slightly, "Maybe…But I think they'll be more suspicious of where my mom and dad are…"
"Uhg…" she made a slightly disgusted noise, "Aren't they a little old for that kind of stuff?"
"That's what I said," he told her in agreement, rolling his eyes.
"Well, I guess when we're that age, we'll think differently," she said, ruffling his hair playfully.
His smile widened significantly, "I hope so."
"That feeling never really goes away," said a familiar, raspy voice from behind them, "It only diminishes slightly over time."
Yoh looked up, surprised, and saw his grandmother standing in the doorway. He sat upright, his voice cool in his response, "Hello, Lady Kino."
She smiled slightly, "I suppose I deserved that."
"Anna, would you mind taking the dishes downstairs?" he asked the young woman next to him, pretending not to understand what his grandmother was implying. He raised an eyebrow at the old woman, "What'd I say, ma'am?"
"Sure," Anna nodded, picking up the tray and walking quickly past the old woman out of the room.
As the young woman's footsteps faded away, Kino looked up at her grandson, "I've never told how proud I was of you when you earned your title all those years ago, have I?"
"Well, I just assumed you never had anything to say in the first place," Yoh told her calmly, far from having forgiven the old woman for insulting Anna so viciously the day before.
"I know the concerns I rose yesterday were not mine alone," she said, "You spoke with two of your friends regarding the same matter since then, haven't you?"
"One," he corrected quietly.
"And what have you learned from that conversation?" she asked him.
"That things'll turn out just fine," he said boldly, standing up, "Tray and I have made arrangements, we'll work things out. I'm an adult now, Lady Kino, I don't always need someone to hold my hand every step of the way."
"That you are," Kino said with a smile, quite satisfied, "I always have been proud of you, boy. The strength of your spirit is inspiring."
"Furthermore-" he began, automatically expecting a harsh rebuttal, then cut himself off, taken aback, "Wait, what?" he asked, quite flustered now.
She laughed, "Nothing gets past you, does it, boy? Yes, I said it – I trust you. Not that I don't think you won't make any mistakes, but I suppose that how we learn, isn't it?"
He rubbed the back of his head, now a tad embarrassed that he had been so quick to anger, "Umm…yeah, I guess it is. Thanks, Grandma…"
"Come, your fiancé's waiting for you downstairs," she stepped back out of the room, "Though next time, you may suggest that she clothe herself fully before leaving her bedroom," she added with a smirk.
"Oh no…" Yoh moaned, hurrying quickly towards the door.
"If your wedding dress is anything like this, I'm gonna enjoy this a whole lot more than I thought I was going to…"
"Oh shut the hell up," Anna snapped, cheeks burning as she tugged at her T-shirt angrily.
Horohoro sniggered, "I thought you were gonna wear the pants in your family, but I guess no one likes that role, huh?"
To this, Anna grabbed a seat cushion and lobbed it at his head.
Manta laughed, watching with amusement. The Ainu male was really pushing his luck here…
Yoh Asakura cleared the entire upper hall and subsequent flight of stairs in five steps, screeching to a halt as he entered the dining room, "Hey guys," he started quickly, looking over frantically at Anna. By the look of things (such as Tray adding another pillow under himself to sit on, his hair rumpled), he was far too late to be of any help to her. 'Oh, man…she's gonna blame me for this…'
"Is it safe to assume that my room is now unoccupied?" Anna asked, trying to keep her voice calm.
The Shaman King gulped nervously, wringing his hands, "Yeah, I think so…"
Anna darted out of the room at this, without a second glance at anyone. Tray chuckled, watching her depart, "Hoo man, now that was a surprise!"
"Hey, shut up!" Yoh whined, "She's gonna kill me now…"
"What's she gonna kill you for?" Pilika asked, "Tray was the one being an asshole."
"Yeah, but I was the one that asked her to put away the breakfast dishes…"
"Hee hee, sucks for you then," Tray said with a wide grin. To which Pilika smacked him upside the head.
"Perhaps you should go try to smooth things over now…" Ryu suggested.
"Prompt action is always a good idea," Jun nodded in agreement.
Yoh sighed pitifully, turning back towards the stairs, "Okay, okay, I'm going…"
"Good luck!" Manta called after him.
The Shaman King summoned up his courage (with a bit of help from Amidamaru), then lightly let his fist down upon Anna's door twice in rapid succession, "Anna?" he called meekly.
The door slid open slowly and his fiancé stared out at him, cheeks still slightly flushed, but now dressed in a smaller T-shirt and jeans. She looked more mortified than angry though, as she muttered, "Hi…"
He took a step forward, wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her in close to him, "You okay?" he asked, his momentary fear forgotten, replaced with genuine concern.
"Yeah, just fine…" she said letting her forehead fall lightly against his shoulder, "I just wanna die…"
"No you don't," he told her reassuringly, his voice soft and kind, his hands rubbing her back comfortingly, "Then I'd be very sad…"
She let out a small laugh and pulled back, "How the hell do you always know just what to say?"
"Guess I'm just lucky that way," he laughed, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead.
She smiled, and then it faded slightly, "So…what happened with Kino?"
His expression turned to one of puzzlement, "I think she apologized, actually…It's hard to tell with her though…"
"Well that's good news," she said, "And I know what you mean." There was a brief moment of silence as the two lovers stood simply holding each other loosely, and then she spoke up again, "So would you mind helping me extract some sort of proper revenge to lay upon Horohoro's head?"
He chuckled again, "I dunno…I'm not really good at the whole 'revenge' thing…"
"That's ok," she kissed him briefly, "I'll think of something."
"Okay."
"Where is he, Jun?"
The morning had passed easily into the afternoon (with a fabulous lunch in between) and the residence of the house were more than a little surprised when the female head of the Tao family entered the complex unexpectedly.
Yoh stood, taken aback but not wanting to forget his manners, "Hey, Mrs. T! Wow, we weren't expecting you-"
"He's upstairs, mother," Jun said, "But I think he's asleep."
But Tao Ran was already halfway up the stairs after the first two words, leaving the others quite baffled.
"Was she worried or pissed off?" Horohoro inquired, turning to look at Jun from his spot on the floor, where a Go board sat between him and Master Yohmei (the situation was hopeless for the young man, but stalling seemed easier than surrender at the moment), numerous beads spread about in various locations.
"Probably a little of both," Jun said, "I'm actually surprised to see her here – I hadn't thought she was actually serious about flying over."
"Wait, back up, I'm confused," Ryu started, scratching his head, "What just happened here?"
"Well, I called Mother last night to let her know that Ren had gotten sick," Jun said, "But I'd forgotten how much she overreacts to these things," she added with an exasperated smile.
"Man, what I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall up there…" Tray said, chuckling slightly.
"It's your move, son," Yohmei said, quite ready to relish in his victory.
"You shouldn't have conceded the lower right corner, Tray," Manta commented mildly, his eyes not looking up from his book.
"How about it, Mr. Oyamada," Yohmei said with a smile at the little man, "You play winner? I could use a challenge."
"I dunno if I'm that strong, Master," the little man chuckled, glancing down at the game, "But I'll be happy to play you once you're finished your warm-up."
"Excellent," Yohmei said as Tray hung his head in surrender.
Bason looked up from his spot above the two sleeping young lovers (of whom he had been circling over protectively) as the door to the room slid open forcefully"L-Lady Ran" he stuttered, extremely surprised.
Ran took a look at the sleeping pair and breathed a sigh of relief, putting a hand to her chest to try and quell her racing heart. "How is he, Bason?" she asked the spirit.
"Still quite fatigued, my Lady," The guardian ghost answered in hushed tones, "But he is recovering well under Mistress Tamera's care…"
"Thank goodness," she said, brushing a few loose strands of raven hair out of her face, "I suppose it would be unwise to wake them?"
"They have been sleeping since mid-morning," Bason answered slowly, carefully considering his words before putting them forth, "It has been several hours and the midday meal has already passed…"
Smiling, she knelt down and kissed both of their foreheads. "I'm sure they were up all night," she said, "I'll come check on them in a few hours. You can accompany me back downstairs if you wish."
"I would feel better if I were to stay here," he replied hesitantly, "But if you wish, I will join you."
She stroked his cheek gently, "You've been such a loyal friend to him, Bason – even when he was young. I've never thanked you for that, have I?"
The ghost was quite glad for his helmet, as it helped to hide the embarrassment he felt from this praise, "It is my duty as Master Ren's guardian ghost to protect him. Lately, I feel as if I have not been doing a very good job…"
"No one's perfect, Bason," she told him, "Come – they'll be fine here for a little while." She gracefully headed out the door, beckoning him to join her.
The ghost took one last look at his master's unconscious form, then followed Tao Ran quietly out of the room.
As Ran reentered the living room, she was greeted by Keiko Asakura, "We certainly weren't expecting more guests, but this is surely a nice surprise," she said, clasping the Chinese woman's hand.
"I certainly didn't expect it to be so quiet around here when I arrived," Ran said, pulling the Japanese female in for a friendly embrace, "Should there be a wedding happening?"
"Yoh and Anna decided to give it another day or two" Mikihisa spoke up, his arms folded in his elongated, extra-wide sleeves"To let R, er, just to give everyone a chance to get some rest before the big day."
"And a chance to expand your guest list," Ran said, glancing around the room, "Is this really everyone?"
Yohmei frowned, pretending to focus on the game board in front of him. The Taos would, no doubt, have gone all-out if it had been their heir entering matrimony. But the Asakura family, though as rich in history, could hardly afford to hold such a luxurious affair, and their seclusion severely limited the number of guests they could invite.
"I'm afraid so," Mikihisa replied, once again longing for the comforting protection of his mask.
"Well…isn't that quaint?"' Ran said, realizing she had spoken a bit too rashly and raising her fan to her mouth, "You wouldn't mind if I attended, would you?"
"Of course not," Yoh said cheerfully, not catching the subtle tenseness that had passed through the room, "We'd be happy to have you here."
Ran lowered the fan, smiling, "Thank you, Yoh."
"I'm glad to see you're finally awake, son."
"Mother?" he asked incredulously, sitting up slowly, not particularly caring that his upper body was bare, "Why are you here?"
"I fly all the way from China out of concern for your health and this is the greeting I receive?" she asked, kneeling beside him.
Embarrassed at his rudeness, Ren blushed deeply, "Hello mother…" he said quietly.
"Hello to you too," she said, leaning forward to kiss his forehead, "How are you feeling?"
"Weaker than I'd like to," he admitted, sighing, "And I've slept half the day and I still feel tired…"
"Well, a fever like the one you had last night will do that to you," she said, stroking his hair, "I do wish you wouldn't worry me like this."
"Oh mother, you sound just like Tamera…" he told her softly, shivering slightly (it wasn't even cold out, dammit!).
"Correction – she sounds like me," she said with a smile, "I'm glad she's been here for you, though."
"I suppose Jun called you, then?" he inquired curiously, trying to avoid what would no doubt become a mortifying discussion about his love life.
"She did," Ran nodded, "I must say staying out all night in a constant downpour is not in your nature, Ren."
"I just…lost track of time, that's all," he responded defensively, "I wanted some time alone to clear my head," he was silent for a moment, and tried to remain so, but something in the back of his mind compelled him to ask her another question, "I don't suppose father or grandfather cared when Jun called about me…"
"Actually, Grandfather prepared the jet for me," she replied gently, sensing the pain behind the question.
Ren smiled slightly, "Well, we have 33 after all, we ought to get some use out of them…"
Ran laughed, "Very true. But tell me, Ren – what was it that needed to be cleared from your head…?" she asked softly, as only a mother could.
The young man stared at his blankets with keen interest, not wanting to meet his mother's gaze, "I…I had a bit of a go with Asakura, it got me rather riled up. I just needed to calm down…"
"Oh Ren…" Ran said, pulling him close to her, "You can't go on like this…"
He allowed himself to embraced gratefully, very glad for her presence there. His breathing was broken and erratic as he tried to suppress his emotions, much as he had done for seven years prior. It had been a long time since he had shared any of his feelings with anyone but Tamera, and even she only knew so many of his inner demons, "I don't really have a choice, mother…"
"But you do," she whispered, "You'll see it in time. But for now, you just concentrate on getting through the days as they come."
"Yes, mother," he replied obediently in an almost inaudible voice, much like a small child follows their parents' directives unquestioningly.
"Good boy," she said, kissing his cheek, "Now, I know you may not want it, but there's someone outside who would like a few words…"
"Who?" he asked, but he already had a hunch as to the answer.
The door to his room slid open and Anna pushed Yoh inside and held him there. "Um…hi…" he said nervously.
Ren sat up quickly, horrified that his rival had seen him acting so submissive, "H-hello…" he stuttered, unwilling to seem too hostile (as was his instinct nowadays when he laid eyes upon the King of the Shamans) in front of his parentage.
"We'll leave you two alone for a moment," Ran said, getting to her feet, leaving the room with Anna close behind.
"So…um…how're ya holdin' up?" Yoh asked weakly, staring at his socks.
"I'm fine," the Mandarin replied curtly, staring out the window distractedly.
"Oh good…" Yoh said, biting his bottom lip, not sure at all where to begin, "So listen, um…"
"Look," Ren cut in quickly, turning to gaze at the Shaman King, his expression grim but determined, "This'll go a lot better for the both of us if you just drop it, alright? You're getting married tomorrow; you shouldn't be fussing over me. We have our differences, just leave it at that," he paused, taking in a breath before continuing, "I won't cause any further trouble for you while I'm here."
Yoh blinked a few times and then nodded, "Ok…" he said slowly, heading out of the room, knowing this wouldn't be the last time they attempted this conversation which they both so dreaded.
Tao Ren watched him depart in silence, glad that his rival had accepted his proposition. There would be another time though. Unfortunately, there always was with Asakura. He couldn't leave well enough alone to save his life…
Outside the door Yoh paused, running a hand through his hair and down to his neck, where it lingered for a moment as he glanced back at the room, his expression nearly as dismal as the previous day's sky had been. He sighed, and had barely made it five steps down the hall when he found Anna sitting at the top of the stairs waiting for him. Their eyes met, he shook his head, and she rose to embrace him supportively. Together they descended the stairs.
"I knew installing that contraption was a bad idea…"
Kino glanced up from where she had just laid the phone back in its receiver, "Just because you can't figure out how it works doesn't mean its useless."
"I know how it works," the old man said grumpily, his pipe held loosely in one hand, "I just think it's just one more of life's frivolities we don't really need…"
"Well, perhaps you'll learn to appreciate it tomorrow," she said with a wry smile.
He sighed, staring out the kitchen window at the blackness of the night. It was warmer, and particularly calmer than the previous evening, something he was quite glad for, "Why?"
"You'll just have to wait until then to find out," she said, adjusting the chopsticks in her silver hair.
Another long, drawn-out exhalation, "Kino…you didn't let what that Tao woman said get to you, did you?"
"Of course not," she said huffily, "Now come – it's getting late, and the kids won't sleep unless we tell them to." She gestured towards the living room where all the young people were enjoying the new video-game-system that had been a wedding present from Keiko and Mikihisa.
He nodded, smiling, the worries his wife had instilled in him momentarily forgotten, "After you," he said politely, waving one hand at the living room, beckoning her to depart first.
Kino accepted his offer and strode into the living room, clapping her hands twice, "Alright, that's enough! We've all got a big day tomorrow and some of us can't function on 3 hours of sleep."
A general sound of disapproval and complaint ("Awww…") ran through the group, some mild grumblings interspersed throughout. Yoh depressed the 'Pause' key on the game, looking up at his grandmother with his big, imploring brown eyes, "Five more minutes?"
Her right eye twitched just slightly, "Don't you pull that with me, young man," she said, trying not to smile, "You all march up those stairs right now."
Yohmei's grin widened as he leaned against the doorway, watching his spouse work, pitying the group. He would have allowed the additional requested time…And so it was settled, amid the pouting of the uncompleted game and the taunts of which among them would have been the "obvious" victor should the contest have continued ("Ryu, the day you school me at any video game is the day I become paralyzed from the neck down! No, I take it back, I could still beat you holding the controller in my teeth.").
"The house was never this full of life when Yoh was a child," Keiko said with smiling sigh, "It's a shame they couldn't have all met sooner."
"Children seem to remain as such longer these days," Yohmei offered, walking leisurely into the room, "They still have some time just to enjoy themselves…"
"Thank goodness for that," Keiko said.
Mikihisa put an arm around her waist, "Come on, we should probably get some rest too."
"Might I inquire that you actually try sleeping when you retire to your room this time?" Yohmei asked, raising an eyebrow at the pair, "There will be others attempting to rest as well, and it can be difficult with…too much noise…"
"Sir!" Mikihisa cried embarrassedly as his wife laughed.
"Don't worry, sir," Keiko said, steering her husband towards the stairs, "I think he's hit his peak for the day."
"You're not helping when you do that, you know," the father of the Shaman King muttered, desiring his mask once again.
The head of the Asakura household chuckled, "Good night, son. Sleep well…"
Kino smirked, "Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between our children and grandchildren."
"One pair is married, the other isn't. In a day, it will be that much harder to differentiate between them…"
"We'd best rest as well," she said, following after the younger couple, "That day is drawing soon upon us."
"So um…Good night then," Anna was saying as Yoh held her outside the door of his room.
"Yeah..." he said slowly, his hands enclosed around hers for a moment, before slowly letting go. The proper thing would probably be best to do on the night before their wedding, "See you tomorrow?"
"You bet," she said, kissing him warmly.
The gesture was meant to be friendly, but it just wasn't nice (or at least, he thought so) to tempt him in such a way. He smiled, masking his impure thoughts, "Good."
"I love you," she whispered, before pulling out of his arms, holding his hands a moment longer and then heading down the hall to her room.
"I love you too, Anna!" he called after her, unashamed to admit his feelings aloud.
She spun back around, blushing but smiling. She blew him a quick kiss and then ducked into her room.
Yoh grinned, then headed into his room, "I love her…" he pondered aloud, "I do…heh," he chuckled, grinning, "I never really thought about it that much. I guess I do, Amidamaru…I love her…"
The Samurai chuckled, "I'm glad to hear that, Master Yoh. And so is she, I'm sure."
The young man flopped down ungracefully back-first on his bed, his hands held behind his head happily, "It's not just like, I know like. This is different…this must be love…"
"Master Yoh…is this not…calling it a little close to be just making this revelation?" Amidamaru asked, lying down on his side next to the young man, "You are about to wed tomorrow."
But Yoh Asakura was already sound asleep, his breathing automatic and soft, still in the same position he had last been in when conscious.
"Goodnight, Ren," Tami murmured, kissing his forehead as she lay down beside him in the dark.
Tao Ren smiled sleepily, wrapping one arm around her and pulling her in close to him, very grateful for her presence. His eyes were half-closed, and thus only somewhat adjusted to the darkness, "Thank you…for everything…"
"You're welcome," she said, kissing him lightly, "Now go to sleep. You'll need your strength tomorrow."
Even as his remaining strength ebbed, the pull of sweet, blissful unconsciousness dragging his mind away from its control over his tired, ailed body, he twisted his head on its side, resting against the pillow the two shared. His final words before entering the immortal darkness of slumber could not have been heard from more than a few inches distance, "I love you, Tamera…" he whispered, a numb, hazy feeling enveloping his awareness as the phrase parted from him into the open, still night air.
"And I, you," she murmured, smiling contentedly, knowing that even if he didn't hear her, he already knew.
In her own room, Tao Ran stood at her window, gazing out at the moonlit courtyard, cell phone in hand. "Yes, he's going to be fine…A little fever isn't going to lick that boy. Alright, goodnight. And thank you for calling, En."