Author Notes: My first try at a humor fic. I'm taking a break with Midst of Heaven and Hell for now… Just until I can get a little more ideas. In the meantime… enjoy this one. Maybe the idea isn't very original… but… this would be my take if the situation really happened. Any event that seems strikingly familiar is coincidence. I don't remember reading a fic about it anyways…

Fic Notes: Yoh and Anna are 17 in this fic. They're not married yet. Finally, beware of FLUFF, cheesy and mature events. OOC is also a possibility-- No, scratch that… OOC is definite.. So if you don't like mature fluffy cheese with a side of OOC-ness, that probably has no plot whatsoever.. then err… maybe this fic isn't your type. Call it PWP, WAFF, whatever.. then that's what is fic is. -grins- Percentage of choking on fluff? Err… 90-100. Depending on your personality, you may find parts of this fic very sick, or very funny, or both (which was intended). "Reader discretion is advised."

Summary: Yoh is shy around Anna. Anna is stubborn around Yoh. How many ways can they become closer through being handcuffed together for 24 hours? One by one, the two are slipping out embarrassing words that they would never even think about saying to each other. Are the shackles the cause of their sudden courage? Yoh/Anna

Start/Finish: 080104/092204 (Post date, it was done a while ago)


Shackles and Chains

Stepping off the bus, Yoh turned around to make sure his fiancée was still behind him. The boy nervously smiled when she glared at him for suddenly stopping in front of her. She continued on ahead, allowing a chance for the boy to walk by her side.

"Did Kino-sensei mention why she wanted us to come?" Anna asked, continuing to look ahead.

"Not really. All she said was come today and that was it."

"I see."

After walking in silence for a few minutes, Yoh stared down at Anna's open hand. Oh, how he had wanted to hold her hand for so long… Slowly, his fingers crept close to hers. Only centimetres could accurately measure the close distance between them now.

'Just a little closer…' Yoh groaned in his mind.

Feeling the heat emitted from Anna's hand, Yoh quickly slipped his hand back into his jacket pocket. 'Damn it. I was so close too…'

Anna lightly shook her head. 'Baka… Is taking my hand that hard to do?'

Mentally sighing, the two continued their way to the Asakura compound. The front gate was already open, expecting their entrance.

"Ah, so both of you made it," Kino motioned for them to come into the living room, "Hang your coats and come and sit down for tea."

Anna was about to hang up her coat when the dark-haired boy grabbed it. "It's alright. I'll hang it up for you. You can follow Obaa-chan."

The girl mumbled a quick thank you before she headed into the next room. Yoh reached for a coat hanger and slipped it in between the shoulder pieces of Anna's coat. He caught a whiff of her scent as he hung it up on the coat rack. Like mixed scents between roses and peaches, Yoh couldn't resist but lean in for a closer sniff. He lowered his head into the closet and brought his face closer to Anna's jacket.

'She smells… nice…'

"Yoh, what are you doing?" Anna demanded. She was standing behind him, her arms folded in disapproval.

Yoh gulped and quickly pulled his head out of the closet, forgetting to realize that he was taller than the roof of the closet. He whacked the back of his head hard and cried out, "I-I-Itai…!!"

"Serves you right. What were you doing in there anyways? Hanging both our coats shouldn't take you this long."

Rubbing the back of his head in pain, Yoh lied, "I-I thought I saw a bug in there… That's all."

Anna sighed, like she was about to be fooled by a silly fib like that. "Hurry up."

Yoh nodded, taking off his own coat and hanging it up. He rushed into the next room, hoping that he wouldn't make a fool of himself again in the next little while.

Kino placed 3 cups in the middle of the table. Pouring tea into each one, she passed each cup to Anna and Yoh and took the last for herself.

Taking his first sip, Yoh cleared his throat, "So what was the reason that you wanted us to come here?"

"Nothing really. I can't invite my grandchildren up for a small chat over a cup of tea?" Kino questioned, daring for either of them to defy her. "So, how are you two doing?" -1-

"Fine," Yoh and Anna replied at the same time. They glanced at each other before turning away in opposite directions.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho. I see you two are really becoming in sync with one another. But you're right. I did have a reason for bringing you two up here. Both of you… give me your hands."

Exchanging anxious glances with one another, the pair slowly held out their hands. Kino smirked and took Anna's left hand in hers, and Yoh's right hand in her other.

"Oh Great Spirit from afar, please watch over these two and grant them the courage and strength they will need to overcome the challenges they may face in the future. Bestow upon them, the eternal bands of love."

Kino lifted her hands from the two and smiled as a strange glow formed on their wrists. As the shine faded away, it revealed a pair of shackles -- encircling Yoh and Anna's wrists.

"W-wha?!! Obaa-chan… what did you do?!" Yoh exclaimed as he tugged the chain.

"Kino-sensei… Forgive me for doubting whatever your plan is… But what is the meaning of this?" demanded Anna. She was already living with Yoh, training him, lecturing him, wasn't that enough? Now she was chained with the boy.

"The shackles will disappear after a period of 24 hours... The purpose of this connection is obvious, isn't it? As the Shaman King and Queen, your relationship must be unbreakable. Consider this one of the many tests you will receive to prove that you both are worthy of your respective titles."

"But… Obaa-chan, you out of all people should know that we would have a great relationship, because you're the one who set us together!"

Kino smacked her grandson's forehead lightly as she repeated, "Consider this a test."

"How are we supposed to change clothes or go to the washroom in privacy like this?"

"You'll find a way," Kino smiled, "Isn't that what you always said? As for changing clothes, you won't find it that difficult. Fabrics can easily pass through these handcuffs, anything other than that will just get caught. Oh, and one more thing… Since these chains are created by spiritual beings, only shamans can see it. Anyone else won't be able to see a thing."

Standing up, the old woman pointed towards the door, "Now if you two don't mind, I have other business to attend to."

"So you chained us up and now you're kicking us out?!" Yoh grumbled, pointing furiously at the chain.

"Precisely. Have a nice day," Kino chuckled as she left the room.

"I can't believe she did this," Yoh groaned. "I just… argh… Say something, Anna! Surely, you don't like being stuck like this?"

"I would agree… If Kino-sensei wasn't the one who did this. If she put handcuffs on us, then there must be a good reason."

Yoh fell silent as the wind gushed by from the passing train. He stood up and headed for the train doors when he realized he was also tugging the girl along with him. He turned around, expecting a slap or a death glare.

Instead, Anna said nothing as she reached for his hand. "If you keep pulling me around like that, people will suspect something."

Yoh flushed as he stared at their intertwined fingers. He slowly nodded before stepping onto the train. No other seats were available so they had to stand at the end. Standing in front of them was a very very affectionate couple. A blond haired boy left trails of kisses up and down his girlfriend's neck before kissing her. The brunette moaned as he began to embrace her tightly.

Yoh swallowed hard as he turned his gaze back and forth between Anna and the couple in front of them. His palms were becoming more and more sweaty as he could feel his body heat rising by the second.

'This is a horrible time… and a horrible place to start these… thoughts!'

Sensing something was abnormal, the blond-haired girl didn't even have to guess at what the boy could be thinking about.

'But seriously… haven't these people heard the saying... 'Get a damn room?' Just kissing like that in front of the passengers… Moaning and swapping spit… and… ugh. No. Yoh might be sucked in by their… rudeness, but I won't be…' Anna quickly turned her focus towards the passing scenery outside the window.

Skidding to a sudden stop, the train's horn blared loudly. Yoh was completely drawn in to the other pair that he didn't notice the train abruptly hitting its brakes. His body fell forward in motion, hitting the pole he never realized was there.

"Ow.. ow.. ow… Today… is really… not my day," he muttered. He zipped around meeting the blank stare of his fiancée.

To his surprise, the girl placed a hand on his cheek, tilting his head to face her way. She raised her hand to caress the swollen bump. Yoh couldn't help but blush as her soft touch rubbed his injury. Pulling the boy closer to her body, she gently blew on his wounded forehead. Yoh could feel his face turn completely red as Anna bent down and planted a small kiss on his bump.

"Anna…" he started.

Unexpectedly, the girl harshly pushed the bump inwards with her thumb, triggering a yelp from the boy. She continued to force the bump to retreat until she was satisfied with the white spot formed on his head.

"Feel better now?" Anna asked, returning to her emotionless self.

Yoh nodded, his face still warm from the kiss. He brought his free hand to his forehead, replaying the scene again and again in his mind.

Anna bit her lip. She wasn't expecting herself to lean over and just kiss him like that. Her neck was becoming warm.

'What the heck is wrong with me…? Is it from watching those two sick lovebirds? Or…' She looked down at the shackles connecting herself and Yoh, '…Could it be these chained bangles?'

Before she could think more about it, the announcer interrupted, "Passengers abroad, we've arrived at Funbari Hill Station. Before you disembark, make sure you have gathered all your belongings. We hope you had a enjoyable ride."

Anna scoffed mutely. 'Enjoyable my ass. Not with those two trying to grind each other the whole way.'

She headed for the door, stopping when she realized she was still holding Yoh's hand after all this time. Ignoring whatever the growing feeling was inside of her, she led the boy off the train and into the station.

"Anou… Anna…" Yoh said meekly, "I don't think we have enough groceries for tonight's dinner…"

The blond-haired girl stopped suddenly, nearly causing the trailing boy behind to crash into her. Without warning, she turned around and headed for the exit closer to the supermarket. Yoh wailed as he could feel himself being dragged off once again.

"What do you want to have tonight?" asked Yoh, as he reached for a basket. He hoped he had enough strength in his left arm to pull through this visit.

"Doesn't matter… Something edible would be nice," the blond retorted.

The boy laughed tensely, "I told you that time was an accident! I didn't think it would fry so fast."

"Oi, Yoh-san!" A female voice called from behind them. With short maroon hair and kind blue eyes, she grinned as the boy faced her, "It's nice to see you again."

"Kirisawa-san!"

Smirking, she looked at Anna and then back at Yoh, "Ara… Is that your girlfriend? Ahh.. I'm jealous of you young ones falling in love… Really… You guys look completely perfect for each other."

She bowed in front of the younger girl, "Nice to meet you, I'm Kirisawa Kaori! Well, I should be getting back to work… I wouldn't want to intrude on your time together. If you need something... just ask!" After succeeding to make the couple blush another few shades of red, the woman waved and headed off to her cashier desk.

Yoh waved back, the hairs on his back standing as he could just tell what Anna's next question would be.

"Hm. I didn't know you had another girlfriend hidden…" She would have definitely walked away by now if it weren't for the chains.

"You know it's not like that!" The boy sputtered, waving his arms frantically.

Pulling a magazine out of a shelf, Anna replied without taking another glance at him, "You're right. I am completely blind and couldn't see that she seemed to be very friendly with you."

"Come on, Anna… You know you're the one and only girl that I'll ever lov---" Yoh quickly covered his mouth with his right hand, taking Anna's left along too.

'Tell me I just did NOT say that… In a public place too!' Yoh thought, horrified at how the words have just suddenly slipped out. How and why in the world did those words have to come out? Well, looking on the bright side, her Legendary Left was sealed… but that doesn't mean her right hand won't take revenge. Ever so slowly, he turned his gaze towards Anna, hoping she wouldn't suddenly attack him.

To his surprise, the itako was completely immersed in an article from a feminine magazine. Yoh sighed in relief, vowing to himself to never ever say embarrassing things like that again. What he didn't know was, behind the magazine, Anna was blushing furiously as she recalled Yoh's words in her mind once more.

When she finally recomposed herself, she placed the magazine back on the shelf and gave Yoh an empty stare. His hand still covered his mouth, preventing him from saying anything else.

"Are you done?" she asked.

The boy simply nodded, worried that the next words to come out of his mouth would make things even more awkward.

Anna pulled him towards the seafood section, "Let's go then."

Yoh grunted as he mustered the remaining strength in his left arm and brought the basket up on to the counter.

"Uwaaa… You bought a lot of stuff, Yoh-san," Kaori commented, taking the first item and scanning its barcode for the price.

The boy took a brief side-glance towards the blonde-haired girl, observing her reaction. Busying herself with another magazine, Anna didn't bother to return the boy's questioning stare. Yoh sighed as he turned towards the cashier.

Smiling deviously, Kaori reached under the counter and pulled out a pink colored box. Her fingers traced the box as if it were for a commercial. Yoh's eyes shot wide open as he realized what it was. He quickly made sure Anna wasn't looking before violently shaking his head.

'No!!!' he tried to yell silently. He kept one eye on Anna to make sure she didn't see the box she was holding.

Grinning as she placed the box into to Yoh's grocery bag, she mouthed back, 'Don't worry, it's on the house.'

The boy quickly reached his hand into the bag and rummaged blindly for the box. "You're misunderstanding!" Yoh whispered as loud as he could without catching the blonde's attention.

"Don't worry, don't worry! It's strawberry flavored," she winked.

Yoh shot the girl a horrified look. Frustrated, he cried out, "That's not what I mean!"

"Yoh?" Anna asked, returning the magazine back on its rack and throwing the boy a strange look.

"That will be 2,949 yen, please!" Kaori smiled innocently. -2-

The dark-haired boy handed her the exact amount and hastily took the bags. He had to get rid of it before Anna found out…

The cashier smirked as she waved goodbye, "Thank you! Come back again soon!" After the couple left, she sighed dreamily as she hugged herself, "Ah! I'm so jealous of young love… Good luck! Yoh-san!"

The dark-haired shaman searched through his mind for possible solutions that could help him now. His heart raced as he gripped the grocery bags tighter. He hated thinking like this… but his life was at stake! The very second Anna finds out… he's a dead man.

'Why? Why? Why did she have to put THAT in the bag out of all the things in the store? She could have given me a bag of oranges, a book, one of the magazines that Anna was reading… but… b-but… c-con-contraceptives?!?!?! Anna and I haven't really even kissed yet.. but.. AHH! If I can't get rid of it in time… I won't even be able to have a last kiss with her..'

"Yoh," Anna's stern voice called, stopping the boy's movement, "You've been acting weird since we were at the checkout counter. Is something wrong?"

Yoh spun around, hiding the bag protectively behind his back. "N-nothing really. Have I been acting strange? … Sorry."

Anna raised an eyebrow, "Your left arm must hurt a little, here I'll carry one of those for you." She held out her right hand.

Hesitantly, he gave her the lighter bag. The girl studied her fiancée's more-than-usual frightened expression and figured that he must be hiding something in the other bag behind him.

"Don't take me lightly, I can carry heavy things too," Anna waved for him to hand the other shopping bag over.

"It's alright. Let me take it… Think of it as training my left arm!" he anxiously grinned.

The blond glared at him, "What are you hiding in the other bag, Yoh?"

"…Nothing?" the dark-haired boy lamely replied.

Grabbing the bag by force, Anna began searching through the items. Yoh was surprised at how easily she took it away from him. He couldn't even remember when he ever let go of it. But there was no time for thinking how she had done it. He had to say his quick farewells to his friends and hoped they will remember him in the afterlife.

'Manta, Ren, Horo Horo, Ryu, Chocolove, Lyserg, you guys were gr--'

"YOHHHHHH!"

'Ahh!! Remember me, you guys!!'

"What… the… hell is this?!" Anna shoved the light red box in his face. She didn't know if the heat in her cheeks were rising out of anger or total embarrassment.

Yoh raised a hand in defense, "Let me explain! Kirisawa-san put it in there! I tried to tell her th-that.. we didn't need it… b-but she misunderstood…!"

"Oh… Is THAT so," Anna folded her arms, "Maybe she gave it to you so you both have something to do the next time you go there!"

"You know I want my first time to be with YOU!" Yoh confessed… a little too loud. The boy smacked himself. He said something embarrassing again. And not only said it -- But yelled it. Out loud. He turned away, feeling his cheeks on fire. He sat down cross-legged on the sidewalk, hitting his head with his fists.

'Baka! Baka! Baka! Baka! Baka! Baka!!!'

Anna knew Yoh wasn't even capable of cheating on her, but those words were sudden.. and unexpected. Rendered speechless and quite red, the girl refused to look down at the slumping boy. She glanced at the box still in her hands and immediately let go of it, dropping it to the floor between them. She knelt down as well, trying to find words to break the extremely awkward quietness.

With their backs facing each other, the couple sat in silence. Both of them would have already walked away from the situation moments ago… If it weren't for the chains.

"…Yoh," Anna started, "Let's go home." She picked up the box and threw it at the boy, "Throw that away the second we get there."

"You don't have to tell me that," Yoh grumbled as he put it into the bag. And the two continued their way home -- carrying on as if nothing had happened.

Ending Notes: If this fic has ever made you laugh or maybe caused you to even smile at any point, then I've done my job. Forgive my dry and… strangely sick humour. Yeah, that was some overdose on cheesiness.. Sorry, if you found it boring (most likely)!!

-1- Yoh and Anna aren't married yet in this fic, but since they are engaged.. they're both her grandchildren.

-2- Just an estimation.

Just a memory, but I want to put it in my fic, you don't have to read this of course.. but it's interesting how time can really change us. Before my friend and I used to admire this person's writing because we couldn't write the same way as he could. Everything he wrote was just.. wow.. masterpieces of perfection. But now, after a few years.. things have changed… and now we can see small faults in his work. It just goes to show that what you think was great back then, might not be as great now. Of course, this phrase can be used vice versa now. That might have been random, but if thanks for reading it if you did!

Note: I just posted this one up.. for you all to.. umm.. a) still know I'm kind of alive and b) since it will be a long while before I update either fics.

Note Two: There is a second chapter to this.. I just don't know when I'm going to finish it. Lol.. I'm getting attacked by ideas for another Yoh/Anna fic.. but I don't want to have a third unfinished fic.

Final Note: I know I used so much repetition between Anna, itako, the girl, the blond-haired girl, she, her.. and same with Yoh too. And if you know other problems with my fic other than the usual, bad, boring and.. you know. Then PLEASE say so in the review. I appreciate all reviews. But I appreciate constructive reviews even more. So if that has inspired you to write a constructive review.. by all means.. dozo!

As always and forever until I stop writing (soon), reviews/comments/criticism/questions/everything else I didn't mention can be done by reviewing or e-mailing me.