Author's Note: It's been 6 years since I've written a SK fic. This is just a silly cuddling idea that occured to me. Two light-hearted fics in less than a year, hm.

May 12th, Happy birthday Asakura twins. And in a way, also kind of works as a late Mother's Day fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, it belongs to Hiroyuki Takei and rightfully so.

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Heian Period, 980

"Mother."

"Hm?"

"You're never going to have more sons, right?"

Asanoha blinked in confusion for the sudden and odd question. She stopped the laundry she was attending to and turned to him, smiling.

"And where does that sudden worry come from?"

Asaha Douji shrugged from the other side of the courtyard, pretending he was fully focused on his playing and not on the subject.

"Some of the spirits were talking the other day how beautiful you are, and how you should definately marry someday, and that I'll have tons of brothers and sisters."

Asanoha had to giggle at that.

"Silly. Who said that?"

"It was mostly Daigoro," Asaha replied.

"Ah, that silly dog demon."

"You are beautiful, though," Asaha said, and he turned to her with his head tilted down and huge eyes looking up at her - the best puppy face and the most adorable eyes he had ever showed her. "You are not going to have more sons, right?"

Teasingly, Asanoha smiled.

"You know, lots of children would love to have brothers and sisters. Who knows, why not a cute little younger brother for you?"

Asaha Douji blinked, his lip shot back and his eyes widen. Then his face became increasingly red and though never breaking the smile, Asahona softly stepped back, preparing for the high pitched outbrust.

It was a little louder than antecipated.

"WHAAAAH! !? No way ! ! I don't want a brother! No! Mother, don't!"

In face of the child's clear astonishment and suffering, Asanoha had to break and approached him, holding him in such a tight hug he started having difficulty breathing shortly afterwards.

"Aww, my little boy, don't be jealous, I will still love you."

"I-I'm not jealous!" He immediately shot back, voice cracking ever so slightly. Asanoha giggled and started tickling him, so Asaha rolled to the floor in a laughing ball.

...

Izumo, 1990

Asakura Keiko watched from a distance while her son Yoh played with his friends, giggling and squealing in a imaginary play. Of course, no human would be able to see his playmates, but the spirits, even the older ones, didn't mind spending time with such a kind hearted child.

Yoh eventually returned with his breathing in short puffs from the excitement, and they slowly walked home side by side.

"It seems like you had a really fun time."

"I did! Everyone's so nice. We were making this big story where we were a huge family and we had to train a lot because we were all preparing for the Shaman Fight. Tanaka-san was the grandfather, Kikuko-san was the grandmother, and I had like seven siblings! We all wanted to be the Shaman King but we didn't fight between us, so it was great!"

Keiko nodded, but the mention of siblings inadvertently brought to her memory the image of the newborn carried by the spirit, still covered in blood and his haunting voice in her mind.

"Ehhh... I don't know if I want a brother, Mother."

Keiko blinked, having not listened what Yoh had said before.

"I'm sorry, I got distracted."

"Yori really had seven brothers and sisters, and he was the one who had the idea to play this big family," Yoh explained. "It was real fun to pretend that, but I don't know if I'd really want so many brothers. Or even just one."

She surely expected her carefree and playful son to be happy with the idea of a sibling, so she was a bit surprised.

"Why not?"

"Just imagine, me and him or her, playing together and then you came by. We'd run to you and we'd accidently hit each other to jump to you. It's complicated to get cuddles if you have to hold more than one person."

Keiko smiled at that. Yoh did like hugs a lot and would frequently clench himself against her lap, asking for tighter and tighter hugs until he couldn't breathe.

"Well, I do have two healthy and strong arms, you know."

He didn't seem completely satisfied, almost pouting as he analyzed her words.

"Yeah, but then, if you squeezed down, we'd hit out heads against each other instead," he said, rubbing his head instinctively. "I think I prefer to just be me."

She giggled, covering her mouth gently.

"Very well, then."

"But I wouldn't really mind it, either," he added nevertheless. "So if you want to have a baby, sure thing."

That made Keiko choke slightly and then she laughed carelessly.

...

Present time
Great Spirit Society

There was a muffled but very clear, raspy sound, held back in such a way it sounded almost painful. And then Yoh threw his head back and let out a loud laugh.

"Ha ha ha, are you serious?!"

Hao couldn't even feel irritated at him in this particular case, so he just sighed.

"Life sure seems to have its ironies."

"I'd never think that conversation with Mother was like a projection from a previous life!"

"It wasn't a projection or a memory, it was a curious similarity. And an ironic one, for both of us," he added under his breath.

"We really are one and the same!" Yoh said between chuckles, resting his hands behind his head.

Hao chuckled too, and rested his chin on his hand.

"You are your own self, Yoh."

Yoh was so distracted as usual that it took him a moment to understand the words. Then his head turned in the usual overreacted amazement, just like Yoh used to have when he really was thirteen years old.

"Whoa, did you just say what I think you did?"

Hao sighed loudly this time. Yoh grinned, but his expression softened and became a bit sadder.

"You are even more lonely, then."

Hao let out a soft but clear 'tsk'.

"I certainly don't need you to make me company by being half me, Yoh."

"Well, you may be God, you may be the Shaman King, but I'm still half you no matter what you say. So I'm me, but I'm also part you. Right, brother?"

"Whatever."

~おわり~

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Author's Note: Remember Flowers chapters 17 and 18. Yoh and Hao are together in the Great Spirit, Yoh in a form of 13 years old again created by Hao to fight Hana. That's where the final scene here would take place.

Written to the mindblowing UN Owen was her?/Death Waltz Meets Metal cover.

Thanks for reading.