Chapter summary: Two beings sought after her presence. She knew in her heart whose call she would heed.
A/N: Final chappie. Double the length. I have no control, I know. Apologies for one day lateness but hope you like my outrageous OT3 head canons and the fluff. Hihi.
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Flora and Fauna – Chapter 3: Winter Blooms
"And I thought you already hid under your mother's skirt after all that drama. What am I doing here?" A feisty female spoke with indifference.
"Hello to you, too," a man spoke in amusement. "Ready to be my queen?"
"Seriously, what part of N-O is hard for you to understand?" she replied almost without emotion.
His chuckle came almost instantly before levitating to settle next to her, yet she surprisingly did not flinch.
"I thought it would be nice to for you to bask in my presence for a little more while."
"You wish." She raised an eyebrow with a scoff. Although she didn't know why she even took the effort to reply to his pettiness, but she did, and with a smirk, too. It kind of reminded her when they were talking at the beach before they headed to Mu. No bickering, no fighting, a bit of ridiculing, maybe, but more on musings about life.
"I wonder, Anna, did you ever thought what could have happened if I found you first instead of the Asakuras?" he began.
"Hmm, endless catastrophe?" she sneered at his idea while lost in her own thoughts, and he grinned to himself like a silly teenager receiving a smile from their crush.
'Or we could have healed together,' he thought to himself but didn't say out loud.
"You know, back then I sensed a tremendous power being emitted from somewhere in the east. I even flew across the world to search for it because for some reason, my gut feeling told me that it was something worth it…" he paused as if recalling a deep seethed memory, and he side glanced to stare directly into her eyes that looked like were searching for the whole point of his ruminations. "Five years ago, around December, I set foot in Osorezan… but I guess I was too late."
He watched how the amber in her eyes expanded as her pupils constrict upon taking the hint. She recovered in a bit by lowering her lids towards the invisible ground, this time with a soft smile.
"It just means that it really wasn't meant to be."
He never replied and she never saw his precious reaction when she declared the obvious. For a second, she thought he fell asleep due to the silence that prevailed between them, only staring oddly at the nothingness ahead. Though it wasn't long until he started another conversation.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
At first, her logic did not grasp what he was pertaining to, but in a blink of an eye, their surroundings changed into a breath-taking scenery.
Tall greeneries towered from a distance in vast unlevelled lush grounds. A variety of flowers with vibrant hues sprouted from almost everywhere, and a few animals were jumping around and poking their heads out from the bushes. There were fluttering objects everywhere. Their bird's eye view of the horizon helped them see it blend into a harmonious mix of red and orange.
Complete awe has taken over her being with zero words to utter.
"I'll never get tired of watching nature like this," added Hao while glancing from one magnificent view to the one that was next to him. He noticed she was still engrossed with all the things that surrounded them and he couldn't help but to admire how her hands demurely rested on her lap while she sat with both legs brushed to the sides. How her once tensed shoulder relaxed, how the fleeting shadows danced on her pretty face, and on how her soulful eyes softened at the touch of serenity before them. He watched her close her eyes, long curly lashes touching her supple cheeks. Then, catching him off-guard, her gaze turned sideways towards him, regaining authority like the queen that she naturally was.
"Hao, what did you really want? I know there's a reason behind all this so come on, spill." Direct to the point, as usual.
"How did you do it?" he began. Her expression showed curiosity in return. He stared dead-straight into her orbs. "My mother. How did you know that she was the key to changing my heart?"
"Oh. Is that what this is about? Is 'thank you' the word you're looking for?" she gloated upon seeing through his façade.
Silence.
The only thing that became evident was the touch of seriousness that grazed his countenance. She did not recoil and if anything, he'd say she dared match the intensity of his stare before she decided to answer.
"We didn't. We just took a chance. For everything. For…" Her hand unconsciously moved atop her still flat belly.
He didn't need to read her mind to know where her thoughts were.
The more he looked at Anna, the more painful it got. She was undeniably the spitting image of the only person he ever loved deeply more than his own life, that it felt comforting but hurtful at the same time.
Water drops echoed once again within the realm they were both in. Weird, though, there wasn't even a single body of water near them.
He grinned to himself. He knew the time was up. Pity, her presence definitely soothed him.
"He is waiting for you."
"Of course, he is…" she got up then continued with a hint of playful sarcasm. "So if you already curbed your boredom, I would now like to go back to my family."
"And how are you so sure I'd let you go?"
She smirked at him with honeyed irises glinting with wisdom. "Because we both know your weakness."
They continued with their mini stare off. Each one pierced through the other's soul through the art of gazing. Once sharing the same ability to look into other people's hearts, an ability marked by empathy, they didn't need words as they both have mastered the skill of reading non-verbal cues.
The king gently closed his eyes with a smile full of acceptance and understanding. He gradually raised his arm, palm faced upwards as if gesturing at something across the distance. In an instant, the environment reverted to nothing but pure illumination, and the distinctive sound of a train approached them.
"Thank you, majesty."
The blonde lady muttered her final words to her host then started her journey towards her 'ride' with small steps.
"Anna…"
She stopped in her tracks and waited for a witty response like he always did, because she knew, like her, he was someone who enjoyed having the last words.
"Likewise."
That stole a gasp from her, utter surprise ridden all over her face. The way he said it made it sound as if he meant it in pure sincerity. There were no jokes, no sarcasm, no mockery. The last thing she saw was his display of absolute candour hidden in smug satisfaction. He definitely enjoyed how a mere word has apparently caught her off guard.
Everything else was consumed by a glaring light.
Anna launched herself up wide-eyed but was met with a ceiling above her head.
And that told her that she wasn't in the king's commune anymore.
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Obeying the requests of the females, he found himself enjoying the presence of his friends and family in a spacious outdoor area, almost like a park, just adjacent to the hospital where his betrothed's been admitted. He was most grateful to Manta who convinced his father to help them with Anna's hospitalisation. The Asakura family offered to pay to dues, but it was not deemed necessary by Oyamada, for Anna was Manta's dear friend, too.
Seeing him join them for the first time ever since they were resurrected, they must have felt a little relieved. His peers welcomed him with the warmest gestures as they sat on the grassy land. Amongst the group were his dad and grandpa who were drinking together something he guessed was not tea. Next to them were the Munzer kids and Opacho who were enjoying a hearty breakfast just as how kids were supposed to. On the other corner were HoroHoro, Chocolove and Ren all bickering as usual, with Jeanne and Lyserg watching them with finesse.
He inhaled in appreciation. It was nice to see his loved ones revelling in a slice of peace for once in years. Everyone seemed so relaxed.
A smile crept on his lips after remembering the way his loved ones found out that he and Anna were expecting a child. The adults' reactions were the least he expected for they appeared somewhat more pleased than surprised with the fact that an heir was coming their way. They were initially shocked, of course, but have been the most supportive since then. Afterall, they knew that he was in a death tournament, and this has once threatened the Asakura family lineage into extinction. On the other hand, the utter incredulous faces of his friends were to die for. It took them a moment to finally recover from the news. He never heard the end of it afterwards; but at the same time, he observed how they threaded carefully around him knowing his current delicate situation.
Anna was in her death bed.
She was playing sleeping beauty and he felt helpless as the prince.
It was a make-or-break situation which put her and their kid's life on the line.
Her vulnerable state flashed in his mind, and he blinked to try his hardest to erase the image, only to feel someone touch his shoulder. He looked up to see Manta gazing at him with compassionate eyes. "It's nice to see you join breakfast, Yoh-kun," his friend attempted to start a small talk.
"You're right. It was nice to see you guys," he answered earnestly.
"We knew you would come around," Lyserg joined the conversation.
"Did someone say 'hound'?" It was apparently Chocolove who was now dressed in a dog costume. He knew him well and it was his best way of bringing his support.
"Honestly, do you really think Anna would let your brother have his way?" Ren had a point there.
"Yeah, man. Anna's strong. She'll get through this. But in any case…" HoroHoro approached him to land his palm on his other shoulder, "know that I understand how you must feel, Yoh. We all do."
He stopped to take a good look at what's in front of him. He even caught a glimpse of Ryu and Faust's spirit waving at him whilst looking after the kids from afar. What he saw reminded him of a very important detail.
He was not alone. He never was.
For days, he has been carrying an unbearable weight on his shoulders. Focused on his own inner turmoils, he has unconsciously put up a barrier around his heart. Finally surrounded by the uplifting presence of his friends, he found himself letting go. His eyes brimmed with unrelenting tears, yet he was able to flash his most genuine smile that he was always known for.
"Guys, I—I don't know what to say," he started, wiping off the tears with the back of his hand, still with a smile. "But I apologise if I seemed detached ever since—"
"Yoh-kun, there's nothing you need to apologise for," Manta asserted.
The brunette opened his mouth to speak but halted after feeling an unexpected wave of tremendous furyoku.
It was quite difficult to explain. He could only attribute the feeling to the '6th sense' or 'gut feeling' in human terms, but it was there. He glanced up at the others and they all had the same countenance except their only human friend. There was no mistaking it.
It was Anna's.
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His nimble feet has taken him back to the place where he spent the past few days wallowing in anguish by running relentlessly. He would normally be the considerate one towards everybody around him, but at that very moment, he couldn't even care less when he barged through the hospital room door.
Met by the surprised faces of the room occupants and of his friends who managed to catch-up behind him, he was welcomed with something that will forever be etched in his precious memories as time seemed to stand still.
There she was, simply sitting on the bed with Tamao brushing her straight blonde hair that now went way past her shoulders. She was calmly conversing with Kino. There was something about her that made his heart skip multiple beats, and he wasn't entirely sure if it was the way she had her hand clasped his grandmother's, or how she looked auspiciously elegant in a mere white robe. Maybe it was the way her voice sounded, soft like lullaby to his ears, or perhaps it was basically seeing her alive and well again.
Gone was the invasive tube that was once inserted into her mouth to assist her breathing. The fluids line that was still connected to her left hand was next to go, he thought he heard the nurse say before excusing herself out, but he wasn't entirely sure, for he wasn't paying attention to anything else but her.
All around him instantly blurred as the only thing that he focused on was the pair of sparkly ochre eyes that shifted to stare back at him, full of hope, full of love.
Yoh took a step forward towards his beloved who now had all her attention to him as well. Legs trembling as a result of his delayed comprehension, he at last found the strength to advance towards her. And once he started, he could not stop.
All his mind told him was to reach for her, and reach for her he did, when he practically lunged at his fiancée with all his might, sealing her into the most intense hug he had ever done with her as far as he could remember.
It was like he never wanted to let go.
He wanted her to stay in his arms like that, forever, if that's what it took to ensure her safety and wellbeing. It was somewhat selfish, yes, but at that time, it is what his heart whispered.
He felt her delicate arms settle across his lower back. It was her way of returning his embrace, he knew. He didn't care if the heat she radiated burned or if she suffocated him in the process.
Nothing else mattered.
Ten, fifteen, thirty seconds passed and neither of the two nor any of their audiences moved until Anna slowly opened her eyes and realised that they had more than quite a few spectators for their mini romantic scene.
"Yoh…" she tapped his back gently to gain his attention. Being used to each other's non-verbal cues, of course, he knew what she meant.
"Please… please let me hug you a bit longer, Anna." His grip around her has even tightened after voicing out his request. No, it was a plea.
Normally, she would have slapped him under certain circumstances where he dared to defy her. However, something told her he would break if she didn't let him enjoy his whims this time. Something felt so fragile in him that even it scared her.
Trying her best to accommodate her fiancé's display of vulnerability, Anna clutched his shirt while her other soothed his back in an up and down motion. Seeing the others with previously mouths agape now turned into sly looks and smirks, she couldn't help but blush at the idea of people watching their tender moment, so she buried her face on his chest.
"It's okay, I'm here now," she reassured him as she felt warm teardrops on her shoulder. And as if it wasn't enough, she added, "Sorry, I'm late."
She felt him cease his quiet sobbing for two seconds, then his trembling returned, but this time it was caused by giggling. He wiped his eyes boyishly with his forearm and loosened his grasp around her. This was her signal to slightly pull back, stare at him, and say something sassy, but her giddy thoughts went to their yet-to-be-born child. Her hand, sore from all the contraptions attached to it, traced the outline of her abdomen.
Seeing the shift in her attention, he smiled at her warmly. "He's fine. You did a great job at keeping him healthy even when you were asleep."
"He?" she wondered.
He nodded, saying that it has been predicted by divinations that they shall bear a son. A serene smile curved her lips.
A son.
Just the thought itself made her see rainbows and butterflies.
"Nee-san?" a child spoke amidst all the drama.
They craned their heads only to find Redseb and Seyram standing by the foot of the bed, eyes filled with curiosity. Yoh let go of Anna to sit next to her. "You're finally awake. You scared us, you know," the boy continued with an embarrassed grin.
Seyram waddled towards the itako and motioned as if wanting to climb onto the bed. And when her brother and Yoh helped her to it, she presented some flowers to herwhich were bunched up in her little hand. "They said people gift flowers to mommies so, this is for you."
"Hope you like plum flowers. Sey said they might be too girly for your tastes but it's kinda hard to look for flowers during winter, you know. And I said—"
"No…" Redseb froze upon hearing her voice. "I— I like them very much. Thank you." Anna plastered a pleasant smile towards the kids. This made the little girl smile in return, and the boy look away to hide his pinked cheeks.
The young mother-to-be paused to smell the winter blooms in her hands. Like everybody else, Yoh enjoyed their precious little moment. He squeezed her hand that was interlocked with his under the blanket and felt her squeeze back.
He struggled to bite back his happy tears once again.
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Days gone by.
Everyone finished celebrating Anna's return, gushing about the upcoming baby boy and their success in extending humanity's chance of survival due to their god's current hiatus from impending annihilation. It warmed both Yoh and Anna's hearts to know that their unborn son was already warmly anticipated by their family and friends. People came and went by their home in Funbari from time to time. Some even stayed for days. It was funny how at some point Anna thought that she was already used to the boisterous energy of the gang. However, it must be the hormones that made her extra sensitive to her surroundings, particularly the noise. On the other hand, she was always grateful how Yoh was adept to sensing her needs like peace and quiet. And by this, she found it baffling how she has ended up in the middle of nowhere, presented by dry and barren lands when Yoh was able to convince her to take a walk with him at late afternoon, in the height of winter.
The blonde grunted, an obvious sound of impending doom.
"Anna? What's wrong? Are you cold? Are you tired?" Yoh mumbled inquisitively almost ready to give his fiancée a piggyback ride.
"Will you stop overreacting?" she began while swatting his hand gently. "I just don't see the point in all this…" Yoh's eyes followed Anna's hand gestures and acknowledged her with a nod. He knew where he wanted to take her. He knew what he was doing. He just needed to find the most perfect spot.
"Aha! We're almost there." He held a hand up as if waiting for hers. "Just a few steps more." Beaming his most reassuring grin, he waited for her to accept his help. After noticing that the ground was quite rocky and uneven, she succumbed to his offer and linked her hand with his. He guided her with the utmost care, treating her like a porcelain doll every step of the way.
"You know, I haven't got the chance to tell you. But I was talking with your brother in the great spirits while I was asleep for days."
"Mhmm, I know."
"You do?" She raised a brow. "Ts, that idiot did it on purpose. Anyway, I think… he was trying to thank me," she hinted, hoping to get a surprised reaction from him.
"Was he?" he replied but his attention remained on their trail as they walked.
"Yeah. He didn't say it upfront but knowing his stubborn ass—Yoh!" Anna broke her musings after realising that her companion wasn't paying her complete attention. The young man tugged her arm lightly which caused her to make a small leap towards him. He caught her safely, ending with her placing her palm against his chest and with him securing his hand on the small of her back.
They exchanged glances momentarily until he decided to speak with a knowing smirk. "I am listening, Anna."
"Hmph. Are we there yet?" He nodded. She stepped forward and averted her vision towards the landscape before them, hoping to find something special. "We're still in a plain chunk of land, Yoh," she stated mundanely.
His response were a chuckle and a boyish shrug while plopping himself down on a patch of semi-dried grass. "I know." He answered simply while secretly placing his hand downwards to touch the dirt. Testing his newfound power with the help of Spirit of Earth, his palm glowed a little, sending multiple sparks of his mana along the ground, imitating the action of light traveling through its conductors. It didn't take long before the grass increasingly greener and thicker.
"But isn't it beautiful?"
At first, her logic did not grasp what he was pertaining to, but in a blink of an eye, their surroundings changed into a breath-taking scenery.
Tall Sugi trees towered from a distance in vast unlevelled greeneries. A variety of flowers—Magnolias, Spider Lillies and Wisterias, to name a few, sprouted from almost everywhere, and some rabbits and deer were jumping around and poking their heads out from the bush. There were fluttering butterflies and fireflies that illuminated the scenery. Their bird's eye view of the horizon helped them see it blend into a harmonious mix of red and orange, heralding sunset.
It was like watching a painting of Flora and Fauna that has come to life.
Complete awe has taken over her being with zero words to utter. She was sure she has seen it before.
Then it dawned onto her.
"I'll never get tired of watching nature like this." Anna's eyes widened when she heard her fiancé speak the same familiar words. She couldn't help but marvel at the strong sense of déjà vu that was unravelling in front of her. But what made her heart come to a complete stop was what she witnessed when she turned around to face him.
She felt her breathing became more ragged. She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear to prevent them from whipping across her face as gentle winds blew. She saw the way he looked at her. His eyes glinted with hope. His handsome face, slightly illuminated by the faint glow from the lightning bugs, depicted faith.
Her eyes watered and she brought her hands to her chest as an attempt to steady her erratic emotions upon seeing Yoh kneeling on one knee.
"Oh! Sorry, I hope you don't mind me stealing this," he hurriedly delved into his pocket to reveal in his palm a semi-dried flower—the plum flower that the Munzer kids gave her, she recognised. The brunette focused his furyoku on the said object and as if on cue, vines started to form from its stem, and they intertwined towards each other to form a shape that resembled a ring.
Yoh scratched his nape sheepishly and tried to be as calm as possible, but unbeknownst to her, his heart was practically ramming against his chest.
He noticed she was still engrossed with all the events that simultaneously occurred before her and he couldn't help but admire how her clasped hands demurely rested on her chest while she stood. How her once tensed shoulder relaxed, how the fleeting shadows danced on her pretty face, and on how her soulful eyes softened at the touch of serenity before them. He watched her blink in slow motion, long curly lashes touching her supple cheeks. Then, catching him off-guard, her gaze turned directly towards him, regaining her undefeated stature as the love of his life and now the mother of his yet-to-be-born son.
"Err, I really have no idea how to do this, so I just tried my best to remember those scenes from your favourite TV dramas. Uehehe."
Hearing no response from her, he continued with his mini speech. "Anna, I wanted to do this as soon as I had the chance because I don't know how much time we had left before our journey to fulfilling my promise to my brother…" he paused to inhale, "they said it won't be easy and to be completely honest, I am scared. I'm scared that I won't be enough. I'm scared that I won't be a good father to our child, and I know you are, too." The lad heaved a sigh before completing his words. "I don't even know if we're allowed to at this age but… we'll figure something out."
At this point, Anna was quietly incoherent in front of him. He took the chance to finally blurt out his agenda while he stood up and approached her to slip his makeshift ring on her left fourth finger.
"So, what I'm trying to say is, Anna… will you marry me?"
He wondered if the kiss they shared after she threw herself at him meant yes.
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A/N: Of course, I gotta insert some HaoAn To my fellow shippers (doesn't matter which pairing you prefer), I hope you enjoyed those little details I added to accentuate both the similarities and differences between the twins when they interact with Anna and that 'déjà vu' moment. I also hope that I conveyed the emotional parts to you well enough for you to feel it. I got teary-eyed in some of the scenes while writing them, TBH.
This is how I imagined everyone found out about Anna's pregnancy.
This is how I dreamt Hao being grateful to Anna being the MVP in 'defeating' him and on finding his mother which he couldn't do for a thousand years.
This is how I envisioned Yoh proposing to Anna.
Now, I shall rest my case.
A belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our beloved Asakura twins! Lots of hugs and kisses for my handsome children!
I would love to hear your thoughts, too, so show me some love in the reviews.;3
