(a/n) Sorry for the wrong spelling of title. It won't happen again. First time so reviews are fairly needed.

Chapter 1

Everything is dark. Yoh realized this the moment he opened his eyes. He blinked several times to assure himself, only to be returned with the same answer. Only the full moon can be seen, it's bright light showering his face. Maybe, it was the reason why he woke up, but oversleep can be another thing. He sat up and his eyes roamed around his room, landing on his alarm clock.

"I guess it's oversleep." he concluded. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, afterwhich, he stood up and put on his usual clothes, white shirt and pants. Hanging his orange earphones on his neck, he slid his bedroom door open and headed towards the kitchen.

A very rich aroma greeted his nose the moment he reached the first floor. Anna's cooking. He smiled at the thought. It was very rare for Anna to cook, but just remembering how her last dish tasted, he was sure that this will be a feast for his empty stomach.

"Good evening, Anna." he said after setting foot on the kitchen.

Anna sent her a fleeting look then went back to cooking. "I thought it would take you forever to wake up. You had literally slept through the day, Sleeping Beauty."

He shyly scratched the back of his head. "Sorry."

Anna gave an audible sigh as she placed the last bowl on their table. "Let's just eat."

He smiled and sat down on the chair opposite her. He looked at the table happily. Thank heavens! There's tempura, sushi, vegetable salad, and her ever-delicious beef stew!

Anna noticed his silence. "Are you just going to stare at them?" she asked dryly.

Yoh eagerly shook his head as he reached for his chopsticks and bowl of rice. "Thanks for the food!"

...........................................

After the hearty meal, Yoh decided to go to their porch. Miraculously, Anna volunteered to wash the dishes which she normally avoided. Well, at least something changed.

The night is serene and quiet. Only the soft noise from the crickets can be heard. Yoh closed his eyes, letting the calm surroundings fill his spirit. He was the Shaman King now. After the long months of fights, it was finally over. Surely, it was for the good, no more battles between friends, but the excitement had died together with the adrenaline rush which he had been used to. He sighed. He reminisced the last days he shared with his friends, Horohoro, Ren, Chocolove, Lyserg, Ryu, Silva, everyone he had acquainted with. Yeah, it was very tiring. Everyone was obviously tired from the last time that they agreed to postpone the celebration party the had agreed on, even for just a week, until they have the full rest they needed. Now that his dream to become the Shaman King already found its way to him, only one more left...One last...

Anna made her way to the porch, holding a tray with a pot of tea and two cups. She sat down on the cold wooden floor and placed the tray between her and Yoh. She poured into each of the cups and handed one to Yoh.

"Ne, Anna." Yoh began.

Anna's attention was yanked. She listened attentively.

"What if I'm not the one who won that title?"

She smiled, that was easy. "You'll have to live and join another Shaman Fight. Or better yet, defeat the current one and steal his title."

He smiled, too. Anna said it in a way that it seemed simple.

"Would you leave me by that time?" he continued.

"You have a promise to keep, Asakura." Anna replied sharply, "And I'm gonna hold you for that."

The wind blew gently, rustling the leaves of an old tree before them.

"Can we take a walk outside, Anna?"

............................................

They took their tine leisurely, with Yoh leading Anna to the place where he wanted them to be. After a few minutes, they arrived on that place, the park. Yoh stopped by a bench and sat down, next to Anna. Just like what he did on their porch, he just stared at the starry night sky.

Anna observed his actions. He is unusually quiet this time. "Why?"

It was a short question but Yoh fully understood it. "I just felt like going here, like the last time." He was pointing to the night before he left for America.

She doesn't want to waste her energy in prying so she just stopped asking. She gazed into the same sky, it was beautiful.

"Maybe, I'm just testing if I'm still the same Yoh who enjoys simple things in life." He stood up and headed for the lake in front of them. Leaning into the cold railings, he threw a small stone into the stagnant water.

Anna quietly strode towards him. He's seldom serious like this. She placed her arm beside his on the metal railings. Then, a cold wind passed them. She shivered slightly.

Yoh noticed her sudden reflex. He straightened up, "It's better if we go home now, isn't it? Sorry for wasting your time." Just as he was turning around, Anna suddenly spoke.

"I always know Yoh Asakura." she said.

He swiveled his face to meet her.

"And the Shaman King Yoh Asakura." She lit up a smile she rarely does. "They're exactly the same."

He shared the grin. "Thanks."

Anna made her first step from her previous position. She was surprised when Yoh held up his hand to her. "What?"

He still wore the same happy grin. "Let's go home together, ne?"

Walking hand by hand on the way home, neither of them spoke one word, knowing that the presence of the other was enough. And for Yoh, it was more than...

A sharp cry disturbed their quiet stroll. Anna let go of his hand to find where the sound was coming from.

It was a puppy, so cute in its white thick fur. Anna picked it up and held it to her chest.

Yoh only stared at her. There was an unusual light in her eyes as she look to that little animal. "Maybe we should name it An..."

"I'll name you Yoh." Anna said.

Yoh awkwardly smiled, "Why, Anna? Do I look like a puppy?"

She sent him a fleeting look before giving him the puppy. "It's a male puppy, idiot."