| I�m too tired to start the fanfic series I promised�maybe tomorrow. Hope this will do for the meantime. Fever The moment I woke up, I knew I wasn�t feeling well. The sunlight was hurting my eyes, my vision was spinning, and there was this irritating throbbing in my temples. Perhaps, it would be easy for you to deduce that I am sick. Dakedo, Kyouyama Anna is the last person in the world to get sick. Along with pains, emotions, and Yoh�s raunchy bunch of weirdos he call friends, I�ve already intimidated illnesses. So I forced myself to get up. (Oh the stupid room won�t stop revolving!) I went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, hoping to snap me out of my daze. I cringed when I instead felt that my face was pierced by hundreds of needles. I brushed my teeth, but felt my throat was dry. (I need more fluids. I better ask Yoh to buy a refill of mineral water downtown.) I put on my bandanna and headed for the dining room. As expected, Yoh and Manta were eating breakfast happily already. Upon seeing me, they reverted to their pretend We-are-good-boys stance. I raised an eyebrow at them, just so they would know that I wasn�t buying their act. I sat down and started to eat. My stomach won�t accept the food. I gave up on my third try and placed the bowl down on the table. �What�s the matter?� asked Yoh suddenly, who couldn�t control his curiosity anymore. �Didn�t you like my omelet?� �I�m not hungry.� I opened the refrigerator to check what our stock needs for this week. �That�s strange,� remarked my fianc� thoughtfully. That was one of the things I hate about him � he didn�t know what he was suppose to know, and he knew what he was supposed to not know. �Do the grocery. We�re out of milk and-� I stopped talking when I felt my stomach churn. I immediately went to the sink and threw up. Manta, Yoh, and Amidamaru watched me, astounded. �Oh no! Does that mean that the milk I used for the omelet is spoiled already?� asked Yoh in a whisper. Amidamaru shook his head. �Yoh-dono, I-I think it�s some other reason.� Manta nodded in agreement. ~ * ~ Another reason? I frowned as my power spirit and my best friend looked at me inquiringly. �Did you and Anna sleep together already?� asked Manta. I rubbed my cheek. �Well�let�s see�� I remembered the night before the start of the second preliminary match in America. I beamed proudly. �Yup, we did!� I blinked when I got scandalized looks from them. �Oh Kami-sama�it�s true then�� My best friend�s voice was barely above a whisper. Huh? �You got Ms. Anna pregnant!� �I did?� I echoed in surprise. �I wonder how I did it�� I was slammed promptly by my fianc�e, who had already recovered. She glared at Manta and Amidamaru. �And I thought you two couldn�t get any dumber.� �Ouch�Anna, that hurts!� I complained, rubbing one of the bumps of my head that hasn�t fully recovered yet. Her doing, of course. The only one licensed to hurt me that way. She looked at me, then handed me a list. �Here. Buy these.� I nodded quickly, then glanced at the clock. �Hey, won�t you be getting dressed yet? It�s almost our class already!� She shrugged. �I�m not coming to school today.� �H-Huh?� �I just don�t want to.� I immediately felt that it was connected to her sudden vomiting. I felt my forehead crease. �A-Are you feeling well, Anna?� She glared at me. �Mind your own business.� I frowned. �I won�t go to school then too.� �Eh? Yoh-kun, we�re going to have our test in Math and-� The rest of Manta�s words were cut when I placed the grocery list in front of his face. �Please do me a favor and get me these.� I grinned at him as he sighed. �I knew he would do that,� whispered my friend to the power spirit. Amidamaru nodded. As the two left the house, Anna turned to me, eyes narrowed. �I didn�t ask you to stay here with me. You are already behind your classes, and Kino-sama won�t like what she would see in your report card when the finals come.� �She never liked looking at my report cards even before,� I said, grinning. �She said that she sees a lot of red.� �So what are you planning to do here?� she asked. �Watch over you.� �You will just be wasting your time. I�m fine-� �When people say they are fine, they usually mean they�re not,� I quipped. She sighed. �Suit yourself.� She headed for the television as I started to clear the table. �Hey Anna, I was just wondering�what will I make for lunch today, huh?� I began as I wiped the table industriously. �I mean, it�s better if I already know in advance what to make and-� I glanced at her. She was lying on the floor, motionless. The TV was off. �Anna?� She didn�t reply. �Anna?� I let go of the rag and went to her immediately. My eyes widened upon seeing her eyes half-closed, her chest heaving laboriously as if she was catching her breath. I gingerly touched her forehead, then withdrew my hand away, frightened. �You have a fever!� �N-Nonsense,� she stammered. �W-Why would I�get sick?� �I don�t know,� I admitted. �But you are! Let�s get you to bed!� I lifted her almost weightless body and carried her to her room. ~*~ I opened my eyes weakly. I could make out Yoh hurriedly putting out my robe. He then went to my side. �Anna, listen. We have to get you changed in much cooler clothes so the heat will come out of your body much faster. You have to change in your sleeping robe.� All I could do was nod. The strength to even utter a protest left my body. He lifted my head gently and placed it on his lap. He then removed the beads from my neck and placed them on the bedside table. He took my strengthless hand and removed the beaded bracelet too. He tool off my bandanna next, then stopped uncertainly. He didn�t have any idea on how to remove my black dress. I had to admit, the situation was ridiculous. To think that he already is my fianc�, he has all the rights to see and touch me. But with the hesitation clearly depicted in his face right now, he must have forgotten that fact. Finally, he grinned sheepishly. �Put this robe on first, then, you can take off your dress from beneath the blanket.� I reached for the robe, and even in my awful state of mind, I could feel I�m touched. Yoh Asakura is a gentleman through and through. ~*~ I was relieved when she took the robe for me. I thought she was going to get mad at me for even daring to suggest such an uncomfortable thing for her to do. I closed my eyes when she got up to wrap herself with the white robe. Minutes later, I felt her tap me. �I�m done,� she said quietly. I grinned, then took all her clothes and folded them neatly on the bedside table, together with her beads. I then helped her lie down the bed again. I rolled my sleeves up. �I�m going to give you a sponge bath, if you don�t mind.� A momentary pause, then she spoke up. �Do what you think is best.� I was taken aback. She was handing over the decision making for her to me? That did it. Anna is really not feeling well. ~*~ I gasped when I felt the drenched towel touch my skin. I felt like I was being pierced mercilessly by a thousand needles again. But after a while, I had to admit that I was starting to feel much cooler and relaxed. I forced my eyes to flap open. Yoh was humming while squeezing the excess water into the basin. He then placed the towel on my forehead. He did a double take when he saw me gazing at me. �How are you feeling, Anna?� he asked worriedly. I didn�t reply. I just kept on looking at him. He nodded. �Sou desu. Maybe I should cook you some nice, warm soup. You haven�t eaten anything yet for the day.� �What if this gets worse with your cooking?� I asked slowly. He grinned. �Iie! Anna, I�ll give all my furyoku to create an acceptable soup for you.� He said that in jest, but it tugged something in my heart. �Yoh�� His eyes were confused. Perhaps, because I had never used that tone before when I call his name. Thank you, that was what was on my mind. Instead, I said, �It better be edible.� He nodded and grinned. �Hai!� ~*~ All the pans were ready. So were the ingredients, as stated by the cookbook. But I still couldn�t get started. I glanced at the recipe, then sighed. I would have been more confident in cooking had Manta been here. He would then explain to me all those frightening cooking terms like saut�. In the end, I decided to just throw away the recipe book and contact Ren. Chinese people are very good in cooking. I used my furyoku to call his attention. In minutes, Ren was in the kitchen with me, gaping at the cooking utensils. �This is the life and death emergency that you were talking about?� he asked incredulously. �Anna is sick.� �That took you long enough to realize that.� �No, I mean, really sick. With fever.� I looked at the bowl. �I need your help. I want to cook her a nice, warm soup, demo, I don�t know how.� �So you need me to taste the seasoning?� �No. I need you to teach me how to cook.� Ren�s eyes widened. �You seriously think I can help?� �Don�t you know how to cook?� �We have two dozens of cook back in my house. I do not need to learn,� he said proudly. �Oh.� I looked down. �I would have asked Tamao, but Izumo is really far away.� He sighed. �What about Ryu?� My eyes lit up. �O-Of course, Ryu! Why didn�t I think of that?� �Well, to start with, you have no brains to think with at all,� Ren shrugged as I tried to contact Ryu of the Wooden Sword. �He�s not home,� I said after a minute. �In fact, I can�t sense his aura anywhere near the city.� �He must still be out, looking for his Best Place.� Ren looked at the ingredients. �Hmm�I remember that Horo Horo has a younger sister. I�m sure that girl knows how to cook.� �Pirika?� I turned my attention next to calling Horo. Within minute, Horo has joined us in the kitchen already too, minus Pirika. �It�s not you we need, it�s your sister!� yelled Ren. �What would you possibly want from my sister?� asked the Ainu, bewildered. �Her cooking skills,� Ren and I chorused. Horo laughed and waved his hand. �Actually, Pirika is not much of a cook herself too. I had just learned to get used to her cooking because I have no choice.� �How about you, Horo? Don�t you know how to cook?� I asked hopefully. �Even without cooking skills, I�m still handsome,� said Horo, to Ren�s dismay. �So, in short, you�re useless here.� The Tao made a shooing motion at the Ainu. �Hey, you don�t own this house! You can�t make me leave just like that!� yelled Horo. �I traveled many mountains with my skateboard just to reach this place!� �Ssh!� I hushed them beggingly. I was afraid that the noise would wake Anna up. We all stopped when Anna ran past us, straight to the sink, and threw up. Just like Amidamaru and Manta, the two had the scandalized look in their eyes. �Y-You�re a fast one, aren�t you,� said Horo to me, but looking at the itako. I sighed. �It�s not it.� ~*~ �W-What are they doing here?� I asked after I had rinsed my mouth with water. I was drying my face. Yoh looked at me worriedly. �I-I should have placed a basin by your side.� I looked at Yoh. �I�m not a handicapped person.� �She�s sick in that case?� whispered Horo Horo furiously to Ren. I immediately glared at the two, then turned to my fianc�. �Why are they here?� He grinned sheepishly. �Actually�I�m asking for their help to cook.� I eyed the two icily. �They look like they don�t even know how to boil water to save their little lives.� �I beg to differ!� said Ren indignantly. �I know the boiling point of water.� Horo snickered. �He even sticks his hand into the kettle just to be sure.� I turned my eyes away from the two, who were pounding each other. I started to walk back into the room when I lost my balance. Yoh was swift enough to catch me. �Careful,� he murmured against my cheek. �You can�t even walk all by yourself. What do you think would have happened when I decided to go to school?� I couldn�t reply. All I knew was I was letting him guide me back into my bedroom. -------- I�ll have to make this one shot a two part story. I won�t be able to finish this today because we have some guests over who want to play counterstrike. See you tomorrow ------- syaowee ---- me back. Will now continue from where I left off� ---- Yoh brought me back to bed again, as Horo Horo and Ren watched in unconcealed amazement � whether it was for Yoh who was gutsy enough to touch me that way, or for me who didn�t snap at him (as Kyouyama Anna would do under normal circumstances), I do not know. I do not care either. My mind was too tired to even reflect. My fianc� placed the towel on my forehead again, then felt my neck. �Still warm�maybe I should ask Ren to do the cooking instead. I�ll ask Horo Horo to buy medicines�yes, that�s what I�ll do. And I�ll stay here with you, just in case you get sick again.� I could only watch in fascination. Asakura Yoh was never the planner, but hearing him decide so quickly and so firmly� Once again, I was in doubt if Yoh would really be henpecked at all. �I�ll be back,� he said, then dashed out of the room. Outside I could hear his friends screaming as if in protest. I was not surprised a bit. His friends and I had never been close chummies. ~*~ �Oh please, Horo Horo! Just this once!� I begged. �Look, Yoh. If it were you who was sick, I would go out and buy those freaking paracetamol tablets, come hail, snow, heat waves and storms. But the fact is, it�s that dragon lady who�s sick, not you. You are my friend, not her.� Horo crossed his arms in front of his chest. �I haven�t forgotten yet how she made me work so hard in cleaning the house when I first lodged here.� �Ren?� I turned to my other friend hopefully. �Hmp. I haven�t cooked for anyone in my entire life, not even for myself. Why would I suddenly cook for someone like her?� he asked. I sighed. �Very well.� I reached for the apron and tied it around my waist. As they watched, I started chopping the vegetables. I then went to the stove and put on a pot with boiling water. I went back to the vegetables I was chopping, and after which, I turned to the plates on the sink that I haven�t washed yet. I then remembered Anna, so I filled a basin with some water and hurriedly brought it to her room. Ren and Horo looked at each other, then groaned. �Where�s the money?� asked the Ainu wearily when I came back. �Huh?� I didn�t get the chance to answer because Ren was already untying the apron I was wearing. �We�ll kick ourselves for enslaving ourselves in Anna�s service voluntarily, but never mind. We hate seeing you suffer alone.� Horo grinned, then took the money from my hand. �Go to Anna already. She needs you to be beside her,� instructed Ren, then he paused. �Did I just say that?� he muttered. I grinned gratefully. �Ren�Horo�thank you!� The Tao rolled his eyes. �Hey, don�t start crying. It�s no big deal!� ~*~ �I am impressed,� I said when Yoh came into the room. �You were able to ask your friends to do those things you told me?� �They�re really kind, Anna.� He flashed me a grin as he sat down beside me. He took the towel and rinsed it again in the basin�s water. �They just pretend to be otherwise.� �They must be really good actors. They are really convincing,� I remarked wryly as he laughed. �They adore you, Anna,� he said, tucking me in with a light blanket. �You are one of the most unique women that they have ever met. They aren�t just vocal about their admiration for you.� I smiled. �Thanks.� �A-Ah, Anna, you�re smiling!� Yoh burst into delighted laughter. �Wow, just when I thought that my day is not lucky today.� I was stunned. Why was he so happy when all I did was merely smile? ~*~ I left Anna after she fell asleep. I went back to check on Ren. Good thing I did, because the table was already covered with flour everywhere. A pile of dirty pans were on the sink, plus a not-so-smiling Ren was fighting with the sticky soup in the pot. I dared not ask anymore what transpired between him and the kitchen utensils. Bason was hovering beside him. �Master, I told you, you put too little water.� �Oh shut up! Who do you think you are, knowing much more than your own master?� snapped the Tao. �If I didn�t know better, you too were a brat back when you were living, and you haven�t tried cooking yet in your entire life yet.� �But Master, basing from common sense, using too little water may hasten the cooking, but your soup will turn out to be dry and-� The spirit noticed me standing by the doorway, watching them. �Master Yoh, please enlighten my master�s mind!� Ren glared at his spirit. �Are you making it sound like I have no common sense at all? Me, Ren Tao?� He glared at me then. �You told me to cook, so you better be hands-off from this, Asakura. This is my territory now!� With that, Ren started laughing like a mad doctor. I sweatdropped. �Ren�� �What?� His eyes turned lethal again. He had stopped laughing. �Nothing,� I sighed. �I think I better start cleaning up now and-� I did a double take when I saw Shilva wiping the floor. He blinked too, then bowed reverently at me. �W-What is he doing here?� I whispered to Bason. �Er�� �I was informed by Horo Horo of your fianc�e�s situation, so I decided to help you out.� Shilva smiled. �How is she?� �Oh, she�s resting right now,� I said, grinning. �Thanks for asking.� I looked around. �Um, where is Horo Horo then?� �I�m here!� The Ainu waved, smirking. �I brought some people along to cheer Anna up.� I felt my jaw drop when I saw Lyserg, Ryu, and Chocolove behind him. �H-How did you�bring them here?� �Actually, Ryu invited us to take a vacation here in Japan. We arrived in a most opportune time, I think,� said Lyserg, looking at the distressing state of the kitchen. �So, Anna-okami is sick?� asked Ryu. �Why?� �She�s pregnant,� chorused Ren and Horo. I could only sweatdrop as everyone looked at me in shock. �She�s pregnant?� Faust suddenly came into the room, looking concerned. �Then we better check on her!� �Um�Faust, actually�� I rubbed my cheek as he hurried into Anna�s room. ~*~ I still couldn�t get over three things. One, that Faust was asking me over and over if I was sure that I wasn�t pregnant. Two, that the entire bunch of Yoh�s shaman friends were present. Three, that they went here to cheer me up. �Here, Anna. Let me tell you a joke to cheer you up,� said Chocolove, grinning excitedly. �Who is it that can ride a taxi cab anywhere without paying at all?� �Ren Tao the Carabao!� answered Horo at once, immediately gaining him a homicidal glare from the boy. I shrugged. �The driver of the taxi cab.� Chocolove blinked, then cried. �Ahhh, she knew my joke already!� �Come to think of it, I�ve heard of that already,� said Yoh. Ryu stepped in front of everyone. �Here, let me sing for you, Ms. Anna!� �No thanks,� said Lyserg, sighing. �You scared Jeanne-sama already; no use in scaring Yoh�s fianc�e.� Under normal circumstances, Kyouyama Anna would have thrown them out of the house, pronto. But then, for some strange reason, I felt warm and cozy all over. Soon, I felt myself forgetting about my fever. I was lost in the steady stream of cheerful conversations, laughter, and fun in the company of the people I never thought as friends, but most certainly were. Manta and Amidamaru then arrived, eyes wide. �We just left for a couple of hours, and we already have a party here?� asked the midget, eyes wide. �And why does the kitchen look like an after scene of Godzilla�s devastation?� I raised an eyebrow when I heard what the midget last said. �What happened to the kitchen?� I asked quietly. All eyes on Ren Tao. He started to sweat nervously. �W-Wait a minute�� �Down,� I said quietly. The others immediately retreated away from Ren. �What? Why should I-� The rest of his words were drowned when Yoh clamped his hand over the Tao�s mouth. �A-Anna, w-we�ll clean up, right?� He turned to the others, who could only nod. He then dragged Ren with him out of my room. Within half a minute, I could hear a bustle of activities in the kitchen � plates being washed, floor being scrubbed and swept. I smiled smugly to myself. Not a bad day. I got extra maids for free. ~*~ Soon, it was dark. I stretched lazily, then turned to Horo and the others, who were seated side-by-side on the floor, exhausted from the crash house cleaning we did. �Your girlfriend is scary,� said Ren, rolling his eyes. �But she�s scarier when she has a fever. Take good care of her, so we won�t be subjected into this torture next time.� I nodded, panting. �We better go.� Horo picked his snowboard, as the others stood up too. I flashed them a grateful grin. �Thank you for dropping by to help me look after Anna!� Lyserg smiled. �You�re welcome.� Ryu nudged the boy. �Let�s go play billiards first.� �OK!� �Count me in there too!� said Horo excitedly. �I didn�t know that billiards exist in the mountains too,� said Ren, smirking. �We�re not that left behind!� Smiling, I shut the door, then exhaled. Amidamaru suddenly appeared beside me. �Are you ok, Yoh-dono?� �Of course!� I grinned. �I�m glad they came to visit me and Anna.� I went into the room and found Anna seated already, looking out at the doorway, as if waiting for me. Amidamaru bowed to me and disappeared. I then closed the door and sat beside her. I touched her forehead and smiled in relief. �Your fever is ok now.� She nodded �I hope you had fun awhile ago.� �The soup was horrible.� �At least give Ren an A for trying.� She nodded. I got up and took her shawl, then wrapped it around her shoulders. �Faust said that it might be possible that you will still have chills tonight, so it�s best if we are one step ahead.� She smiled timidly. �Thank you again.� I smiled wanly. I knew that once Anna gets well, she would forget about her smiles again. I scolded myself for being so negative. I had to thank the heavens that she was going to get well soon. Besides, I�ve already memorized her smiles more or less. They would never be erased in my memory anymore. I pushed her down her bed gently, then tucked her in. I then took the towel and placed it in the basin again. The entire night, I did my best to remain awake, changing her towel often to help disperse heat from her body. However, some hours before dawn, she started shivering uncontrollably. My eyes widened. I knew it was the chill Faust was talking about! �Yoh�Yoh��she whispered urgently. I immediately clasped her hands. �Anna?� ~*~ It was so cold�I could feel my thin, fragile body shake violently. The blanket around me was providing no adequate warmth from me. It was so cold� I could feel my eyes welling up with tears. I wanted warmth�I needed warmth. All of a sudden, I heard myself calling out my fianc�s name over and over. I felt something hold my hand. It felt warm. It felt good. But I wanted more. �Cold�Yoh�� �I�m here,� I could hear his familiar voice whisper. �Wait, I�ll go get thicker blankets.� �D-Don�t leave me alone,� I cried, panicking. I didn�t want the warmth to disappear! I might die! �I�m here,� he repeated, firmer this time. �I won�t go anywhere.� ~*~ I could see Anna was really shivering. I panicked. I didn�t want to leave her, but I must make her warm too. There was only one source of heat in the room. I carefully crawled beside her in the bed. �I know that you�ll kill me when you wake up in the morning, but this is the only solution I can think of right now.� Using my furyoku, I did my best to transfer as much heat to her body as possible. I imprisoned her in my arms, urging her silently to stop shivering. I am here. I have more than enough warmth to last her beyond the night. I heard her sob. �Ssh,� I murmured. �Anna, it�s ok. I�m with you. I�ll keep you warm.� ~*~ I suddenly relaxed when I felt warmth radiating all over me. It felt so good � nothing ever felt this good in my whole life. Suddenly too, I couldn�t stop myself from sobbing. �Ssh. Anna, it�s ok. I�m with you. I�ll keep you warm,� Yoh�s voice whispered to me reassuringly. �Yoh�� I held on to him as if he was my lifesaver. He was so warm�I could never have imagined that he had so much tenderness in him, which was slowly warming me from the toes up. I looked up at him, eyes clouded. He smiled at me fondly, then tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. His mere touch could chase away all the bitter chillness I was feeling. Such magic � I would never have believed if I hadn�t felt it personally. No, it was beyond magic. It was a miracle. My trembling hand reached for his face, and he caught it, He brought it to his lips. Oh, his lips felt tenderly warm too. �Yoh�� ~*~ I blinked several times just to snap me out of my daze. With the vulnerable Anna in front of me now, and so intimately close, I might end up doing something stupid. Like� Damn. I was doing it already. ~*~ I felt my eyes flap open in surprise when I felt his lips tentatively touch mine. It was heartbreakingly reverent and hesitant, as if giving me a chance to pull away. I didn�t; he was the warmest thing I could hold on right now. I need him badly, and at the same time, I want him with all my heart. With all my heart. I did not resist, and his kiss deepened, making time and the world freeze. Suddenly, I felt the chill disappear into nothingness. It was only me and him, and this magical warmth brought by our first kiss. Fireworks, stars, lights�I saw none, perhaps because my head was breaking. But when I opened my eyes and looked into his, I saw all of them rolled into a very special emotion. Love. I know mine echo the same feelings too. Finally spoken and revealed. I felt lightheaded with happiness. I smiled at him and laid my head against his chest. I then fell asleep. ~*~ The feelings that had puzzled me so long � the combined feelings of protectiveness, respect, fondness, trust, and devotion I have for Anna were cleared in one single moment of freedom. I felt myself getting sleepy too. Tomorrow, when we both wake up, it would mean one big change between us. I�m not sure what it would be, whether it would be for the good or not. But having her next to me was good enough for me. If she forgets all of these tomorrow, I can take it. I had this night to cherish. I hugged her tighter, pulling her close to my heart, where she had always been secretly ever since. O w a r u Pinoy Omake For the Filipino readers, in case you are bored, try singing this little ditty out loud. The Manta theme song (to the tune of Lactum --- the infant milk) Manta, Manta, isang taon ka na! Lason, lason, inom ka nang inom Tantanan mo na, si Yoh at Anna Manta, Manta, Inom lang nang inom! (Manta, Manta, you�ve already turned one Poison, poison, jus keep on drinking it Stop tagging along with Yoh and Anna Manta, Manta, just keep on drinking it!) Or this one: (pinaaalalahanan na wag maging sensitive as pananalita ng munting awitin ^__^ ) The Ren theme song (to the tune of Pen Pen de Sarapen) Ren, Ren nasarapan sa kutsintang �di maasin Hao, Hao, kinarabao, kinantuten Sinipit, namimilipit Hinto, tulak, bumubukaka Sa labi kumagat! |
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