Resurfacing by Strawberry'd

Chapter Four: Returning


"Anna, can't we stop now?" complained Yoh under a mountain of bags and boxes.

"Oh! Ayame-chan, let's go in here!" Anna said, ignoring Yoh.

Ayame giggled as Yoh groaned. Every time the girls went into another store, they brought out more things for him to carry.

With a sigh, Yoh sat down on a bench and tried to make it so that the multiple things he had to carry seem like less.

He waited patiently for Anna and Ayame to finish and struggled to get up as they did.

"Aw, poor oji-san. Maybe we should help him carry some stuff." Ayame suggested. Yoh looked up with hope in his eyes, but as he met Anna's the hope turned to fear.

"Should we?" she asked.

Yoh nodded vigorously.

Ayame giggled. "I don't know. If you don't want to, Anna-sama, then we don't have to." Ayame started with calling Anna with –chan but found that –sama suited her much better.

"Yes, I think we should." Anna made her way to him and picked up two of the smallest bags. "Here you go. One for you and one for me."

"Come on, oji-san!" Ayame called to him. Yoh got up with difficulty and followed them.

Finally, an hour and a half later, the girls finished shopping. Halfway, through that, they took pity on Yoh and helped him carry the bags.

Yoh called for a taxi and they all piled in.

"So, we're going to drop off Ayame at Hao's, ok?" Yoh said.

"Aw, do I have to go so soon, oji-san?" Ayame whined.

"Ayame-chan, you've been with us forfive hours!" Yoh exclaimed.

Anna patted her on the head, "Don't worry, one of these days, I make Yoh come and get you and we'll do this again."

Ayame brightened while Yoh sank in his seat. One of these days? Yoh thought, does that mean she's going to stay with me?

"So Anna, where do you live now?" he asked.

"Oh, near Tokyo." She answered. "After you drop off Ayame, bring me home, alright?"

He frowned. "You're not coming with me to meet everyone?"

"No." Anna replied.

"Please Anna? Onegai?" Yoh pleaded.

"No."

As the drive went on, Yoh kept asking Anna if she would come, and eventually she gave in.

"Fine! Fine, I'll go with you." Anna rolled her eyes and looked out the window.

Yoh grinned.

"Well, here we are." He said after a while. "Hao's house."

Ayame got off and Yoh did too. He waited for her to come as well but when he didn't, he asked her why she wasn't.

"Oh if I must!" she cried out. "I want to see how he's changed." She added in a mutter.

Yoh went to the trunk where all the bags were located and pulled out the one's that they had bought Ayame.

Anna walked in with Ayame and Yoh bringing up the rear.

"Ototo-san! And you brought a friend. Hello, Anna, it's been a long time." Hao grinned at her.

She just glared.

"Otou-san! Otou-san! Look what oji-san and Anna-sama bought me!" Ayame exclaimed.

Hao picked her up and then frowned. "Did you asked them to buy you these things?" he asked.

"Well, some… but most of the things we wanted to buy her." Yoh told him.

"Here, you have to let me pay you." Hao reached for his wallet, but Yoh stopped him.

"No, that's all right. I know when I have a kid, you'll do the same." Yoh smiled, ignoring Anna's scoff.

Hao grinned if slightly evilly, and said, "You know I would, ototo-san."

If he has a child, hm? Hao thought. With who, I presume? He grinned wider.

"Ok, we'll see you Ayame-chan!" Yoh called.

"Sayonara (1), Ayame!" Anna said, patting her on her head.

Ayame ran up to her room carrying her possessions and as Anna turned to leave and follow Yoh out of the house, Hao caught her arm.

"Let, go of me." She hissed.

"Don't hurt him." He said. "Don't turn him into what he was before." Then he let go of her.

"What are you talking about?" she glared at him.

"Anna!" Yoh called.

"Well, you better not keep him waiting." And Hao turned her in the direction of the door. "Remember what I said." He whispered to her as he waved.

"What were you doing?" Yoh asked her in the car.

"Oh, nothing. Hao was just telling me something." Anna replied.

He just shrugged and then grinned, "Everyone is going to be so surprised when they see you."

"You mean they're all there? At the inn?"

"Well… Ren has a room and so does HoroHoro. Whenever Manta comes over there's a room for him. Jun uses the guest room when she stays over.

Pirika and Tamao have their own and I think Ryu uses mine."

"Oh, who sleeps in my old room?" Anna asked.

Yoh turned a little red. "Oh, I do."

Anna turned to look at him and Yoh starred at his feet.

"Y'see, when you left, I really missed you and you room was where I felt your presence the most." He blushed darker. "Do you mind if I sleep there?"

Anna looked startled, "No, I'm just surprised."

Yoh nodded as the taxi halted in front of the onsen. "Here we are," he said, and started to get out.


Notes: -sama is used as a sign of great respect.
(1): bye, for a longer duration than ja ne

End of Chapter Four