Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to everyone except for me. I am making nothing out of writing this fic.

Just To Smile
written by: da*mouse

Just to see you smile…

She is lying in front of the television, in her usual position when the front door bangs open. She sighs exasperatedly upon the disturbance, and shifted slightly, propping herself up a little, looking towards the door.

He comes into the house, all hot and perspiring, panting and out of breath. His dark hair is wet, and his white shirt is covered with mud-stains, as are his pants, she notes.

Good. He has been training.

He removes his headphones, and lets them rest around his neck, the music still on full blast, as he wipes the sweat from his brow. Plodding into the living room, he settles himself beside her, giving her a wide smile.

She stares back coolly for a moment, and turns away from him.

"Have you finish the training for the day?"

"Everything you told me to…50 laps around the block, 200 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, and…and…" his voice trails off

She frowns. "And…?" she prompts, a danger tone in her voice.  

He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Hehe. Urm…is there anymore?"

"You forgot the 10 laps across the river, to and back." Comes the sharp reply.

"A…Anna! The river is half an hour's jog from here, and…and…" his face pales. "…it's about 3 miles long!"

She merely raises her eyebrows. I didn't ask for you to comment, I simply asked for you to obey.

He drops his head and sighs. "Yes, Anna." He looks up at her again, and smiles cheerfully. "Well, I'll be going now."

"Go." She barely removes her eyes from the television screen.

He turns to walk away from her, slipping his headphones over his head, when he stops and turns back.

"Anna?"

"What is it?"

"Can you smile for me?"

One icy glare is enough to give him the answer. A fearful smile crossing his boyish face, he is out of the door faster than a cheetah.

Smile for him…? Why should I?

She shakes her head at the absurdity of his question.

But at the same time, she ponders.

Standing up, she picks up her bandanna and ties in around her hair, holding back her long blonde bangs. She switches off the television, and climbs up the stairs to her room. Once there, she sits down in front of the mirror.

A calm face, with a serious and severe expression, stares back at her. She notes it with satisfaction.

This is her face, Kyouyama Anna's face. A face of a serious, no-nonsense itako, who is in control of her own life.

Why should I want to smile all the time, looking like someone presumably mad? What is there to laugh about in life? Is there so much to laugh and smile, and be happy about?

She shakes her head, as she smoothes back a stray lock of hair.

Yoh…he smiles too much. That is why he doesn't have a serious outlook on life. That is why I have to be the one who keeps him on his toes, constantly.

Closing the door gently, she returns to the living room. Picking up the remote control, it isn't long before she is immersed in her television program.

I prefer me the way I am...

She has no idea how long has it been, but the sounds of the door opening and closing tells her that he is back from his training in the river.

It must at least been a few hours, she supposes.

He walks into the living room, shirtless, vigorously rubbing his wet hair with a towel. "I've…finished…" He then tosses the towel aside, and slips on a dry shirt that she has prepared for him, folded neatly on the table.

She nods, satisfied. "You can take a bath, Yoh, and get dinner started after that. Without delay."

Instead of going straight for the bathroom, he walks towards her, his hand behind his back.

His smile, ever cheerful.

"Here."

She raises her eyebrows skeptically at him, as he produces his hand from behind his back, holding out…

A flower.

A beautiful, white daisy, dainty and delicate, with its underside brushed the palest shade of pinks.

"For you."

She looks at the flower with a surprised expression. "For what?"

"Just…because." He looks sheepish.

She regards him steadily, all of him, the tall, lean body, spiky dark hair with bangs that partially covers his eyes, and his wide grin.

Yoh, you keep getting weirder and weirder…

She takes the flower from him.

"It reminds me of you." He says suddenly.

She looks at him.

"You know…" he scoots closer to her, and touches a petal gently. "It looks all white and icy, from the outside, but…" he lowers his head to peer beneath. "…underneath its white exterior, there is some color. And it's a beautiful pink." Inclining his head to one side, he smiles, almost to himself.

She merely continues staring at him. "And how, may I ask, that represents me?"

He props himself up on his elbows. "There might be a soft side to you, Anna, yet to be discovered.

"Oh?" To her, he is barely making sense.

That's yet another difference between you and me. You see life in such a poetic way, such a relaxed way.

I see it as it is.

"Anna…"

She touches the small flower in her hand.

"Why won't you ever smile?

Because I don't want to…

She sniffs. "Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you?"

"Then why are you smiling all the time?"

"Simple." There is that smile again. "Because I am happy."

"You are happy all the time?" she says, the skeptical note apparent in her voice.

"I try to be. You can't help, but be happier when you smile. Can you?"

She shrugs. "I don't know."

He laughs, then, for some reason. "Anna, you will be happier if you don't take life so seriously."

An eyebrow arches dangerously, reminding him of the intimidating presence of the young woman he is talking to.

"I supposed you think I take everything too seriously?"

Something tells him to be careful with his answer. He considers for a while.  "Well…sometimes."

She stands up, glaring at him. "I don't need you to analyze my outlook in life."

"Anna…I didn't mean…"

"Get dinner started, Yoh. I am hungry." I don't know why are we having this pointless conversation.

You live your life your way, and I, mine.

He picks up the daisy she has left lying in the floor. Standing up, he holds it out to her. "I picked, specially, with you in mind. Here."

Wordlessly, she takes it from him. She strokes the soft petals. Such a small flower, such a small, almost insignificant gesture…

But I feel…warm…inside…

He shrugs, and turns to leave the living room. "I had hope…" he pauses.

"Hope…?" she murmurs.

"That you will smile when you see the flower."

He walks out of the room, whistling a soft tune under his breath, leaving her alone in the living room, with the flower still in her hand.

She thinks about the things he had said. Her hold on the daisy tightens a little.

She looks at the daisy again.

I hoped...you will smile…when you see the flower…

She carefully places the daisy down on the table, on top of a book she is reading.

She touches the flower, softly.

I may not understand completely what he was trying to express. But…

…it was a sweet gesture.

A small smile crosses her face. Just a small one, but a smile, nonetheless.

And out of her sight, he sees her smile, and he, in turn, smiles to himself.

I've seen a smile from you. And I smiled, too.

-Finis-

Well, gee. *sweatdrops* that was…uhhh? You tell me. Why did I write? Because I got so many nice reviews for Strong Enough, and another night of boredom gets me. Still OOC. How can I not make them that?!?

But I do think this is weird. Just came out of nowhere. Gee…urmm…maybe I should hang myself the next time I am bored.

Review, comment, flame, whatever…as long as it's constructive.

da*mouse ®
Posted May 27th 2003
12.41 a.m.