A/N: After I went into a long hiatus, here's a little Hao/Anna/Yoh fic. I hope you enjoy it although it's dotted with OOC and mushiness.

Arigatou to Yukitsu-san for helping me, this one's for you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King.

Halfway

By: Dark-Hooded Eriol the Magician

It is another cool autumn night and I watch the stars shine brightly from the clear but cold sky. I am sitting on the branch of a gigantic cherry blossom tree, spying, err watching, the colorful interactions of the shamans inside the house.

Today is Yoh and Anna Asakura's first moth wedding anniversary. I'm sure Anna-san isn't the type to throw parties but heck, here's one heating up. One of Yoh's friends must've have prepared it.

But they were merry, oh, that was evident. Yoh is smiling and partying with everyone with that big grin. I can sense that he's trying his best to try and be happy with his friend's thoughtfulness. But there's something bothering him, I can feel it through the invisible bond between us.

Amidst the happy and noisy surroundings, I saw the woman of the house retreat to the kitchen. The others were in the living room, with her husband. The cherry tree I'm sitting on was conveniently situated in the yard where I can both watch the dining room and the adjacent kitchen. She started to boil water to make tea.

I heard people say that marriage with the one you love gives you everlasting happiness. They are married now and Yoh is ecstatic. I felt that emotion ever since their wedding day. He seemed eager to love and please the one woman on his life.

Yet it strikes me that Anna-san... is not happy.

I wonder why. I'm sure she loved my brother back because if not, she wouldn't consent to marriage. But every day as I watch my brother try to take on marital bliss, she's not even smiling or shedding that cold mask. It seemed that there's something within her that is making her unhappy.

Her cold atmosphere sometimes permeates the whole house and drags little brother with her. Yoh senses her unhappiness but he can't seem to extract it out of her.

The question was... did Anna-san want to be happy?

Ah, women. They can be both fickle and unpredictable as the changing tides. What did my sister in law want my little brother to do? But I shake my head; thinking about it will be a waste of time.

As far as I'm concerned, she's driving Yoh crazy... and making him unhappy too. Because I know my brother; his only happiness is to see the ones he loved happy, most especially his wife.

Anna-san had finished boiling water and was stirring her tea. She's more beautiful than ever with her longish blonde hair and slender body. If she wasn't so fierce and strong and married, I suspect that suitors would be flocking around to kiss her feet.

Little brother had an amazing wife. She had enough nerve to she slap me when I was in the prime of my powers and had gotten away with it too. Her training as an Itako provided her with strength and insight. She could see through any man's weakness and pound them to her mercy. She was perfect as the wife of the Shaman King.

Strong, efficient, and cold; she doesn't need her husband in times of trouble. She can defend herself. Her powers equal his and with Anna-san's case, if she was a shaman, she could've had powers surpassing little brother's and mine.

I turned my attention back to the party and saw Yoh's friends drinking to their future happiness and prosperity. If that was even possible; how could they be so blind with the silent trouble brewing up in the household of the Shaman King?

Maybe Yoh didn't tell them. Yup, he didn't. I can see that even Manta doesn't know about it, because if he did, then he would keep throwing worried glances at little brother.

And now, I think little brother has noticed that his wife was missing. He gets up but his friends pull him down. Those dark eyes look towards the direction of the kitchen woefully before returning his attention to the party.

Little brother, Yoh Asakura, is a good man. He is kind, caring, and devoted to his wife and his duties. He may look like a lazy bum sometimes but he's really industrious when Anna kicks him in the rear. His looks aren't bad too, thank the Asakura family genes.

What more can Anna-san ask for?

I smile a little and continued to watch them. Yoh's friends were good shamans in their own right. I like their colorful personalities and witty cracks at each other.

Anna-san had gone out of the kitchen to sit on the bench on the patio. Her slender neck was wrapped with that lovely old red bandana while she held on to her mug. She sat down and stared at the sky. Her eyes were very dark blue and it reflected the sky with its multitude of stars.

I looked away; I don't want to intrude on her privacy. For safety reasons, that is.

But my eyes weren't complying. They still strayed to her seat and looked worshipfully at her form. The cool wind adored her and played with her hair and bandana. Clear starry skies provided a splendid backdrop to her eternal beauty. At nineteen, Anna was on the springtime of her beauty, both in spirit and in body.

I suppose her heightened senses had picked up my presence because her eyes turned towards my direction, piercing through the falling leaves.

"Come out, Hao." Her voice was as cold as ice.

I submitted to her will by jumping down, gracefully landing on the ground. I bowed to her, mocking her a little. When I met her eyes, I can see that she expressed no shock.

"What are you doing here?" Anna asked me. She had that uncanny trick of making you feel as though she's looking at you, even though she wasn't. I didn't cringe, instead, I smiled.

"I wanted to congratulate you two. But since you've got company, I thought I'd save it for later," I replied equally cool but I softened it with a mocking smile "I don't want to cause trouble."

"Hmph, that's a surprise," she said sarcastically before sipping her tea daintily.

"You judge me poorly," I retorted before sitting beside her. I smiled cheerfully towards her, enjoying her pensive mood. I was quite sure that Anna-san didn't mind me very much.

Silence bled in and we sat together with the endless sky above us. The party sounded far away and we were alone. Anna kept sipping her tea while I sat there, staring at the stars together.

It was then that I felt content and truly at peace. Somehow, it doesn't hurt as much any more. Nobody knows this well-kept secret, except perhaps my little brother. But it doesn't matter. It will always be their happiness over mine.

"Nee, Anna-chan," I smiled cheerfully at her. She glared at me and I smiled even more vexingly. She hates it whenever I call her that ridiculously mushy pet name. Yet unlike the other times, she didn't lift her hand. "Why aren't you with little brother? A good wife should help her husband entertain guests."

"I'm not in the mood to crack jokes with you, Hao." Anna said very coldly. It's not usually my habit to play part-time psychoanalyst but hey, if it would help them patch up, why not?

"Was I joking?" I replied, smiling easily at her. "Seriously, Anna-chan, you should be celebrating. You have tied the knot with the most powerful man on the planet. He may not win the title as the most handsome man (that's mine), but he could give you everything you ever wanted, and more."

"Shut up."

I raised an eyebrow and pretended to look shocked. Typical Anna reaction when threatened. Anna-san should see that what I'm trying to do is help them, not break them apart.

"Anna-san... if anything is bothering you, go tell little brother," I said casually.

"How should you know? Don't talk as if you know everything!" This time her fist landed on my cheek. I realized that she had stood up abruptly and her mug had fallen to the ground, spilling its contents. She was standing beside me, chest heaving with anger and her hand lifted to deliver another slap, if necessary.

My cheek was stinging and I'm certain that it's fast reddening but I tried to look unaffected. I even smiled at her. "You're right. I don't."

Anna's hand fell and she glared at me. Her other fist clenched and I could see her whitened knuckles. "What do you want Hao? Why are you trying to dispense advice as though you're a god? Don't try to interfere between me and Yoh!"

"I'm not interfering, Anna-chan." I hid a satisfied smile as she sat down again, looking rather disgruntled because I didn't answer her question. Anna-san must see that I'm only trying to help.

"Then why are you here?" she snapped at me.

"To ask if I could drink your tea," I replied with renewed cheer. She looked ready to kill me. I shook my head with a small grin, "I'm not here for any of those reasons."

"Liar," Anna muttered and she bent down to pick up her mug. Her bangs hid her face from my view. "What then," she said with a glare.

"If you're so anxious, listen to me." I met her steady gaze. "I've been observing you two a lot lately. Ever since you two got married, you're not as warm to each other as you were before. Is something wrong? I can see Yoh trying to make you happy but you're not responding to him.

Is it because of his cooking? Is it because he forgets to put down the toilet seat? Or he isn't pleasing you in bed?" I watched as she blushed in a lovely shade of crimson. She glared at me (if looks could kill, I'll be frothing in the mouth).

"No... it isn't because of that..." she said slowly, breaking away from my stare. Her eyes scanned the sky as if searching for words or anything to express what was inside her heart.

I mentally prepared myself for anything I might hear; telling me over and over again that I'd initiated this conversation between us. Everything that goes on is for the good of Anna and Yoh. Getting hurt isn't part of it.

"Yoh's been wonderful... I sense his happiness when I eat the breakfast he cooks, he smiles a lot around me, and he makes me comfortable with my new life. It's just that... I don't know what to do; it's overwhelming. All I get is love from him. I can't return it twice as much..." Anna sat down and held the little mug tenderly. I remembered that little brother had given it to her as his Christmas present, the first one he bought out of initiative.

"Oh, so that's why, "I nodded and smiled a little. "I take it that you're not familiar with intimacy. Honestly, I think you're rather afraid of it... Anna-chan, Yoh is waiting for you. He is trying to extend his love to you, meet him halfway to ease his struggles. Loving isn't hard and it isn't about returning it. It's about sharing and rejoicing in it. In time, what you seek to return you shall. Don't be afraid to let Yoh love you... because then you will be so happy."

I didn't know where those words came from. Right now, I felt as though I was humbled by my humanity. Love made me speak honestly... or so I hope.

"Why do you know this?" she asked softly. I pretended that I didn't see her subtly blink a teardrop away. Just then, I stood up and shrugged elaborately. I've done my job. That's enough.

I turned away from her and started to walk away. Anna didn't pursue me; I sensed her sit back down again. I don't need to tell little brother that I was here; after all, he still has his friends to entertain.

Now, I hope they do become very happy. Because happiness works both ways and love is hand-in-hand with it. Whatever I feel is kept to myself and the memory of tonight, I will keep with me.

The pretty stars twinkled serenely above me, reflected in a tear frozen halfway on my cheek.

1020041:4 pm;

Halfway is my first crack on the Hao/Anna/Yoh love triangle. I hope more of them would follow in the future. o