Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei, not me. Neither does the song "Nicest Thing," it belongs to Kate Nash.

All I know is that you're so nice. You're the nicest thing I've seen.

I wish that we could give it a go. See if we could be something.

"I hate ties," Yoh said under his breath.

HoroHoro clapped him on the shoulders. "It's not that bad," he said, studying their reflections in the mirror. "And just think- this is nothing compared to that permanent noose you're going to tie around your neck."

"Anna's not that bad," Yoh defended. HoroHoro only laughed and tugged on an invisible rope on his neck. Yoh rolled his eyes and fumbled with the knot.

He felt odd in his gray suit. There weren't many opportunities in the past seventeen years to dress up, and when he did it was usually some family thing, which meant traditional clothing. Wearing a suit gave him the uneasy feeling that he was getting old.

"Can't you even tie a tie properly, Asakura?" Ren asked, exasperated. He leaned back in his chair, looking as comfortable in his black suit as Yoh felt awkward in his.

"I've never had to wear one before," he protested.

"You're such a child," Hao said, shaking his head. He flicked his brother in the forehead and cinched the tie in one smooth motion. "See?"

"I could have done it myself," Yoh mumbled.

"You can't do anything," Hao said, taking his brother's place in front of the mirror and adjusting his lapels. "You didn't even bother asking a girl out until this morning."

"I thought it was understood!" Yoh said.

"Nothing is understood with Anna," HoroHoro said darkly.

"I just assumed she knew we'd being going to prom together," Yoh said. He jammed his hands in his pockets and stalked out, brushing past Lyserg.

"What's wrong with him?" he heard Lyserg asked.

"I'll give you one guess. Hint: she's blonde."

"Oh."

Yoh slouched into the kitchen, scowling. It's not like you to be so upset, he mentally scolded. Get a grip!

But as he poked listlessly around the refrigerator, he knew exactly why he was upset. "I can't believe I was that stupid," he said into the fridge, his voice muffled. "Today is not a good day."

Just a few hours earlier…

"Pilika, if you say one more thing about your dress, I'm going to stuff your sandwich up your nose!" HoroHoro roared.

Pilika shrugged as she plunked down on the curb outside the school and opened her lunchbox. "You don't have to listen to it," she said. "I was talking to Tamao."

"Please don't drag me into this," Tamao murmured.

Yoh sat down between Tamao and his brother and stretched his legs in the late spring sunshine. "I can't believe we're old enough to go to prom," he said.

"I can," Hao said. "I'm…wait, how old am I?"

"I don't remember," Yoh shrugged.

"Well, I'm terribly old, and this is my first chance to go to prom," Hao said, flipping his long hair over his shoulder. A passing schoolgirl nearly fainted.

"Prom is overrated," Ren said. "An excuse for girls to get dressed up and make boys spend money on them."

Pilika leaned over and poked him in the shin. "And what's wrong with that?" she said. "Besides, my dress-"

HoroHoro lunged for her sandwich. Pilika yanked it out of the way, making him faceplant on the pavement, but she clamped her lips shut.

"I think it's a nice tradition," Jeanne said. She took a tiny bite of her peach. "It's a lovely rite of passage."

"An expensive rite of passage," Ren grumbled.

"Well, look at it this way," Hao said. "We get to dress up, take pictures, eat some crappy food that we probably won't like, listen to some crappy music that someone else picked out, and then go home at three in the morning. It's like preparing for the adult working life. It just involves ballgowns and limos instead of attaché cases and public transit."

Lyserg stared at him. "And we are going why?"

Pilika rolled her eyes. "It's going to be fun," she said. "It will be a nice memory when we're old and decrepit."

"And hey, at least we all managed to get dates," HoroHoro said, elbowing Ren in the ribs. "You had better take good care of my sister, or else."

Ren leveled a glare at him. "Or else what?" he said. "I dare you to stuff a sandwich up my nose."

"Oh, wouldn't I love to try," HoroHoro said.

Tamao grabbed him by his untucked shirttail and made him sit down. "You can fight after the prom," she said.

"All right," he grumbled.

"I'm so glad they're letting us out of school early to get ready, though," Pilika said. She pulled her long hair over her shoulder and let the thick strands fall. "It's going to take forever to get all of this put up." She tossed it back. "Anna, are you coming with us to the salon? You never said."

Anna glanced up from her battered copy of Jane Eyre. "Hm?" she said.

"We're getting our hair done after school," Tamao said. "Do you want to come with us?"

"Oh," she said. "No." She turned back to her book.

"You're doing it yourself?" Jeanne asked.

This time she didn't bother to glance up. "I'm not going," Anna said absently as she turned a page.

Yoh choked.

"You're not going?" Hao repeated. He looked from his almost sister-in-law to his brother. "Yoh? I think you have some 'splaining to do."

Yoh scrambled to his feet and sat down next to Anna. "What are you talking about?" he said. "Aren't you going with me?"

She shrugged, still scanning the pages of her book. "No," she said.

"Why not?" he said. "Are you mad at me? What did I do this time?"

She bit into an apple. "You didn't do anything," she said coolly.

He scooted closer, his thigh touching her bare knee. "I must've done something," he coaxed. "What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything," she said.

Yoh leaned back on his hands and studied her. She had drawn her shaggy blonde hair back at the nape of her neck with a bit of ribbon and had rolled the sleeves of her navy cardigan over her elbows. One white knee sock drooped a little bit; she tugged on it absently and turned another page in her book. For the millionth time, he wished that she wasn't such an icy, overly mature enigma, that she could be just a normal pretty schoolgirl that he had asked out to the…oh.

"Anna?" he ventured.

"Mm-hm?"

"Would you please be my date to the prom?"

She slid a bookmark into her novel and closed it with one hand. "If I must," she said. Anna stood up and brushed off her skirt.

"So do you want to come with us to get your hair done?" Pilika asked.

"Let me think about that," Anna said. She pointed at the blue-haired girl. "No."

"Don't have to be so sarcastic, I was just trying to be nice," Pilika mumbled. Tamao patted her knee.

Anna tucked her book under her arm, picked up the remains of her lunch, and strolled away. As soon as she was out of earshot, Hao burst into a loud braying laugh. "You didn't ask her!" he howled.

"Shut up," Yoh said unhappily.

"You had a built-in date, and you didn't even bother to ask her!" Hao chortled, wiping tears from his eyes.

"And you're not prepared to go on a date with Anna," Ren warned. "The male half of the equation is expected to take on certain duties."

"Like what?"

"That flowery wrist bush," HoroHoro offered.

"The corsage," Lyserg said.

"Yeah, that thing. And it has to match her dress. They're real picky about that."

Yoh turned to Tamao. "Do you know anything about Anna's dress?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said, looking down at the ground. "I don't even know if she has one."

"It'll probably be black," Pilika said. "That's what most of her wardrobe looks like." She gestured as if she was flipping through hanging garments in a closet. "Black dress. Black dress. Yukata. Black dress. Kimono. Ooh, a black dress…with a collar!"

"Don't be mean," Jeanne chided.

Yoh stood up. "I guess I had better figure out what to do," he said.

"Well, you have about six hours," Lyserg said, checking his watch. "Work fast."

Yoh looked down at his watch. Half past six. Thirty minutes till the official start of prom.

"Are you mad at that refrigerator?" HoroHoro asked.

Yoh pulled his head out. "Huh?"

"You were so far in there I thought we might have to call search and rescue," he said. He reached around Yoh, picked up a can of soda, hopped onto the kitchen counter, and popped the top. "Whadaya thinking about? Anna?"

"Maybe," Yoh said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Don't be so freaked out, man. It's just prom," HoroHoro shrugged. He took a long swig from his soda.

Yoh closed the refrigerator door and leaned heavily against it. "It's not just prom," he said glumly. "It's our first date."

HoroHoro spewed grape soda all over the floor. "Sweet mother, what did you just say?" he spluttered.

"It's our first date, all right?" Yoh said, throwing his hands into the air in exasperation. "I, Yoh Asakura, have never been on a date with anyone, much less Anna Kyoyama."

HoroHoro wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "Dude, that's seriously messed up," he said. "You've been engaged for how long now? A millennium?"

"Seven years," he said. "Since we were ten."

"Have you gotten to first base?"

"No."

"Wow. Have you even gotten up to bat?"

"Horo, metaphorically speaking, I'm still in the dugout."

HoroHoro shook his head. "You'd better work fast," he said. "Or that's going to be the most awkward wedding night in the history of wedding nights."

"Okay, that's something I'm really not prepared to think about," Yoh said.

"Think about what?" Hao interrupted as he poked his head into the kitchen.

"How your brother hasn't gotten to first base with his fiancée yet."

Hao mused. "I think he held her hand once. Then she punched him in the solar plexus."

"Enough," Yoh said.

"Fine," Hao sighed. "The girls are coming downstairs. They want everyone to ooh and ahh over them properly, so get over here." HoroHoro jumped off the counter and sauntered away. Hao looked down at the floor and frowned. "Why is the floor sticky? You know I hate having the floor sticky."

"You know, I don't know how I'm supposed to respond to that," Yoh snickered. Hao elbowed him in the ribs.

The other guys stood at the foot of the stairs. "Aren't you coming down yet?" Ren said, leaning against the banister.

"At least I'm ready," Jeanne called. She glided down in an off the shoulder dark purple satin gown that rustled slightly when she walked. Her long hair curled into perfect silver ringlets. "Tamao and Pilika are taking their dear sweet time, though."

Lyserg looked like he might split in two with pride. "You look lovely," he said.

Pilika leaned over the railing. "Are you ready for this?" she hollered.

"Get your fat butt down here, we're sick of waiting," her brother hollered back. "And what's on your head? A blue poodle?"

"It's my hair, and I spent a ton to get it to look like this, so please keep your big yap shut!"

"Fine, just stop speaking in italics so we can get going," Ren interrupted.

"All right, all right," Pilika sighed. She sashayed down the stairs in a slinky gold dress, her myriad of bracelets and long dangling earrings clinking. Her elaborately pinned hairdo did seem a bit like a poodle though, at least to Yoh's untrained eyes. "You ruined my entrance."

"You'll get over it," Ren said, thrusting a clear box containing several golden orchids into her hands. "Will these do?"

"Ooh, these will do nicely," Pilika crooned.

Hao rolled his eyes. "Two out of four girls have made it down the stairs," he said. "Two to go. Tamamura! Kyoyama! We're waiting!"

"Don't be angry," Tamao said, her voice floating from upstairs.

"Come down and show off how pretty you are," Jeanne said, adjusting her silver elbow-length gloves.

Tamao made her way timidly down the stairs. She wore a gown of pale pink, adorned with tulle and lace roses and a wide satin band around her waist. Her hair curled around her chin, and between the pink dress, the pink hair, and the pink in her cheeks, she looked entirely like a rose. She adjusted the gold-and-pearl band in her hair nervously. "Do I look all right?" she asked.

"You look great!" HoroHoro enthused.

Tamao looked up shyly in Yoh's direction. He cleared his throat. "Pretty," was all he could muster. But it seemed to do the trick, because Tamao's cheeks turned from pale pink to deep red.

"All right, now it's just down to Anna," Ren said, cracking his knuckles. "Asakura, get on it."

"She's probably trying to decide which black dress to wear," Pilika snickered.

"Oh, she's not upstairs," Tamao said.

"Well, where is she?" Yoh asked, perplexed.

"I saw her go outside," Jeanne said. "I don't know what she was looking for, though."

"Go find her," Ren said. "We'll be in the limo. If you're not there in five minutes, we're leaving without you."

"Ooh, you got a limo?" Pilika squealed.

"Don't get so excited, Usui, it's my father's second best."

"What a letdown, Tao."

Yoh let himself out the back door. The late afternoon sunshine was pleasantly warm, but the suit was making him a little uncomfortable. He slouched through the back garden in search of his prom date.

"Anna?" he called. "Are you back here?"

"What do you want?" she called back.

He peered behind a tree. Anna stood by the back fence, looking entirely unlike herself. Her soft, fine hair, usually loose and slightly wavy, had been pinned into a neat bun behind her right ear.. She wore a white strapless dress, knee length with a very full skirt. A wide scarlet sash circled her slender waist and tied in a bow at the back. Fiery red flower petals trimmed the skirt, seemingly suspended in midair. She snapped a deep orange spider lily off its stem and tucked into her sash, then turned around.

"What are you staring at?" she snapped.

She turned around to glare at him, her hands on her hips. A cluster of small spider lilies and scarlet feathers was pinned to her hair, and he could have sworn that she was actually wearing makeup. "Um, nothing," he stammered. "Just…we'd better go."

"If we must," she said. She walked past him, and he seemed to catch a scent of spicy lilies and sweet orange blossoms.

He followed her towards the front of the house. The limo driver honked, and HoroHoro poked his spiky blue head out of the moon roof. "Is that Anna or a Barbie doll?" he hollered.

"Stuff it," Anna called.

He skirted an azalea bush in the front yard; Anna followed suit, but she almost her balance. Without thinking, he reached for her hand. She righted herself and let go, but he couldn't deny that he liked the feel of her soft thin hand in his.

"Finally," Ren said. "Get in so we can go."

Anna climbed into the limo and sat down on the edge of the seat, her hands folded primly in her lap. Yoh squeezed in between her and Tamao. His knees were immediately covered in poofy dress fabric.

Jeanne leaned over and touched Anna's knee. "Your dress is so beautiful," she said.

"Thank you," Anna said automatically.

"Yeah, we were so sure you were going to wear-" Tamao stepped on Pilika's bare toes. "Ow! It's nice. It's nice, okay?"
Anna quirked an eyebrow and leaned back against the cool leather seat. Yoh sighed. It was going to be a long night.

Pilika squealed as the limo pulled up to the drive of the botanical gardens. "It's so pretty!" she exclaimed, pressing her fingers against the window. "Ooh, I think everyone from school is here!"

"I would imagine so," Hao said. He opened the door and climbed out. "Now, if you excuse me, I have some business to attend to."

"Looking for your date?" Lyserg asked.

Hao grinned. "Three of them, actually."

"I'm not surprised," Jeanne sighed.

HoroHoro hopped out of the limo, his suit jacket already rumpled. "Come on, I bet there's food inside," he said.

"Is that all you can think about?" his sister complained.

"Yes, actually.

Yoh scooted aside for Tamao to brush past him in her full-length ballgown. Incidentally, it made him draw closer to Anna. She didn't seem to notice. "You ready?" he asked.

Anna smoothed her hair. "I suppose," she said.

Yoh climbed out, then held out his hand to help her out. She placed her slender fingers on his and descended gracefully, but she didn't hold on too long. He was slightly disappointed.

Well, at least I'm closer to getting up to bat, he thought.

Nearly every other student in Aizawa Prep milled through the glass atrium of the botanical gardens, looking unfamiliar in their best clothes. A photographer or two blended into the crowd, hoisting large black cameras.

"Ooh, let's get our formal pictures," Pilika said, tugging on Ren's sleeve.

"Am I expected to smile?"

"I never expect you to smile."

"Well, all right, then."

Yoh turned to Anna. "Do you want to get a picture?" he asked.

"I don't care," she said. "We can do it if you want."

"I don't mind either way," he said.

He glanced at the couples lined up to stand in front of the fake backdrop and pose stiffly. "We can skip it, I guess," Yoh said. "Do you want to get something to drink?"

"I suppose," Anna said. "I'm going to find someplace to sit." She disappeared into the crowd, her short white-and-scarlet dress sticking out in the blur of floor-length gowns. Yoh ran his hand through his hair, huffed in frustration, and slouched over to the drink table.

"Well, little brother, have you gotten out of the dugout?" Hao asked. A brunette in red clung to one arm, a blonde in blue hugged the other.

"It's not any of your business, I don't think," Yoh said. "Two drinks, please."

"This concerns the happiness of my future sister," Hao said. "Of course it's my business. I'd like to make it my business." He turned the blonde. "My brother has dated the same girl for seven years and hasn't done anything but hold her hand." The blonde tittered.

"We're not exactly dating," Yoh corrected.

"You should be," Hao said. He shrugged his arms away from the two girls. "Go dance, ladies. I'll find you." They strolled away; Hao draped his arm over his brother's shoulder. "Look, Yoh, I'm just trying to help you out. I know you like Anna. I know she likes you."

"I sincerely doubt that," Yoh said, staring down at his shoes.

"She does," Hao said. "You two need to get past her pride and your lack of motivation and actually get to know each other. If you could just sit down and talk, I'm sure your entire relationship would change for the better."

"If I could get her to say more than a sentence at a time," Yoh said. He picked up two glasses of punch. "I think I have a snowball's chance in hell of getting her to actually strike up a conversation with me. Thanks for the encouragement, though."

He dodged towards Anna, balancing the full glass tumblers. She sat at a table across the room, beneath a skylight. The sunset sunlight fell over her hair, lighting the strands in red-gold. She balanced her chin in her hands and gazed out over the full ballroom, uncharacteristically thoughtful. Her distraction ended when she saw him approach; she sat up straight and dropped her hands to her lap. "Thank you," she said as he placed a full glass in front of her.

"Uh, you're welcome," he said. She sipped carefully and set it back down with two hands, leaving a slight hint of ruby-red lipstick on the rim. He cleared his throat. "Anna, I was wondering…I was wondering if maybe we could have a chance to talk. We've never really been able to talk, and with us actually, you know, getting married in a few years…"

"I know," she said, looking down at the snowy white tablecloth.

He scratched the back of his neck. This was as good as it was going to get. "Well, I guess-"

"Oh, good, you found us a table," Jeanne said. She sat down next to Anna, who immediately clammed up. Yoh bit his lip. "The others are finishing up their pictures."

"If Ren and Pilika can keep from killing each other," Lyserg said.

"Oh, that's how they show affection," Jeanne said. "Every couple has their own way."

Yoh glanced at his golden-haired date out of the corner of his eye. Except us, I guess, he thought unhappily.

The others joined them shortly. Once again, he found himself sitting between Anna on his right and Tamao on his left. The pink-haired girl in her soft pink ballgown seemed torn between paying attention to her loudmouthed date and Yoh. He resisted the urge to comment on it.

Tamao had had a crush on him since they were kids. Even now, he knew that all he had to do was show a little interest- a compliment, an off-handed remark, any semblance of attention- and she would be at his beck and call. In some respects, it felt easier to pursue Tamao. But on the other hand, there was something irresistible about Anna.

He found himself watching her out of the corner of his eye as the catering staff served a lavish dinner selected by the student government association. He stared at the smoothness of her upswept hair, the firm set of her pointed chin, the curve of her cheek, and the line of her neck, and for some reason found himself wondering what it would be like to kiss her right behind her ear.

Where did that come from? he thought. Focus. Focus on talking. Maybe holding hands. That's the best you can hope for.

He endured the soup course, the salad, the entrée, and finally the dessert. Everyone at the table seemed to be laughing and chatting, except Anna, who occasionally interjected some sort of sarcastic remark. Then again, laughter and chatter didn't tend to be on her list of favorite things to do.

The dessert course had just finished when HoroHoro leaned back in his seat, patting his stomach. "I'm so full," he said cheerfully.

"Good thing, too, you ate about a meal and a half," his sister commented. "I wonder if Tamao actually got any of it."

"I'm fine," Tamao protested.

Pilika scooted her chair backwards. "I'm going to go check my makeup," she announced. "Anyone want to come with?"

"I will," Jeanne offered.

Pilika grabbed Tamao by the hand. "You're coming," she said. "Anna? How about you? You ought to participate in something girly this evening."

"Fine," Anna gave in, tossing her napkin on the table. She stood up, but her dress got caught. The white petal-decked skirt and the full red crinoline both slid up on one side, revealing her slim pale thigh to the point that Yoh was sure he was this close to catching a glimpse of her hips. She yanked the dress back down quickly and didn't seem to notice him staring; instead she followed the other girls as resigned a prisoner being taken to jail.

"Did you just have your first upskirt?" Hao snickered.

Yoh jumped. "When did you get here?" he asked. "And for the record, I saw nothing."

"Oh, you did," Hao grinned. "Do you have to retire to your room for prayer and reflection?"

"Stop teasing me," Yoh grumbled, sinking into his chair.

"You're unusually on edge," Ren commented.

"You would be too if you were on your first date with the young lady you were doomed to marry," Hao said.

Lyserg dropped his fork. "Shut up," he said. "This is your first date?"

"Did you really just use 'shut up' as an interjection?" Ren said. He did a doubletake. "You've never taken Anna on a date? What kind of man are you?"

"He's doing the best he can," Hao said, patting his brother's shoulders. "Don't be too hard on him. Except me. I can be hard on him. I'm his brother; it's in my contract."

"So one twin has three dates and the other can barely get one, even when it's guaranteed," Ren mused.

"There is no guarantee with Anna," Yoh said. "She's more like Russian roulette."

"Well, your potentially loaded pistol is headed back towards you," Hao said, pointing across the ballroom. "You really ought to ask her to dance."

"I don't know if she dances," Yoh hedged.

"It doesn't matter," HoroHoro shrugged. "If it's a fast song, move your arms around. If it's slow, just put your hands on her waist and sway back and forth."

"Don't listen to him, he dances like an epileptic chicken," Lyserg said. "All you have to do is-"

"I do not dance like an epileptic chicken, and what do you know about dancing with a girl, Diethyl?" HoroHoro demanded. He rounded on his petite date, who had taken her seat beside him again. "Tamao, do I dance like an epileptic chicken?"

"I've never danced with you, I don't think," she stammered.

He stood up and held out his arms. "Dance with me!" he demanded.

"All right," she said, flushing a darker pink than her dress and hair.

Pilika leaned over Ren's shoulder. "Do you have something to ask me?" she said.

"How much hairspray are you wearing? It smells like there's enough to kill a small weasel," Ren said dryly. Pilika scowled. Ren sighed. "Fine. Do you want to dance?"

"Why, yes, yes I do," she said, allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor.

Lyserg stood up and pushed his chair in. "Would you care to dance, Jeanne?" he asked gallantly. She smiled and placed her hand on his proffered one.

Yoh looked over at Anna. "What about you?" he ventured.

She traced her fingertip idly around the rim of her glass. "I'm not much for dancing to fast songs," she said.

He glanced down at his empty dessert plate. "That's fine," he said.

They sat in slightly awkward silence. She occasionally picked at the remains of her cheesecake. He watched the people dance by, and eavesdropped on snatches of conversation. Songs shifted from fast to medium to slow and back, and he let the opportunities pass. She didn't seem much interested, anyways.

But finally he could take it no longer. He cleared his throat and stared at the floral centerpiece of roses, chrysanthemums, and hyacinths. "During the next slow song," he said, "would you like to dance with me?"

"If you want me to," she said.

"Um," he said. "Um, yes. Yes, I do."

They continued to sit in silence. She tapped her short fingernails against her water glass in beat to the dance music. He leaned back in his chair and people watched.

Students in their best clothes packed the center of the ballroom. He spotted HoroHoro dancing around Tamao, who pressed her hands to her mouth and giggled at his antics. Sure enough, he really did dance like an epileptic chicken. Ren stood next to Pilika, nodding his head to the lively music, while Pilika raised her arms in the air and tried to make him get a little more excited. Lyserg and Jeanne held hands, coming up with some sort of little dance of their own that made them both laugh.

Yoh glanced at Anna. Aside from the constant slight tapping of her finger to the beat, she didn't seem to pay attention to her surroundings. She gazed at the glass ceiling of above them, her eyes thoughtful. He fervently wished that he could switch places with Lyserg, or Ren, or even HoroHoro with his stupid lack of dance skills, just so that he could know what it was like to be a normal kid with a normal girlfriend.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. He wasn't a normal kid. He was an abnormal almost-man with a mysterious almost-wife. I would give my right hand to be like them, just for a little while, he thought wistfully.

The bouncy dance music nearly drove him crazy. It blared in his ears, blending with the clinking of silverware as the waiters bussed tables and the shrill sound of girls singing along to the song and boys trying to make themselves heard. But luckily it faded it away right as he was sure he was about to go crazy.

The music turned to a slower song- a pop song in waltz-time. He looked at Anna, wondering if it was anxiety or his too-tight tie that was cutting off his air supply. "Well?" he said.

She broke her gaze from the glass ceiling. "Well, what?" she said.

"You did promise," he said.

She stood up silently, smoothing her full skirts. He shrugged out of his suitcoat and tugged on the edge of his vest, then held out his hand. Anna took it tentatively. He focused on the feel of her hand as he led her to the dance floor. Thin fingers. Bitten-off nails. No rings. Soft but bony.

They stood on the outskirts, facing each other. He placed his hand on her waist, still trying to memorize her as best as he could. She set her right hand on his shoulder, and instinctively he drew her closer. Very slender. Very short. Why is she so short? I always thought she was taller.

"Are you going to dance with me, or you just going to stand here and stare?" she asked, but her voice was soft.

"Dance, I guess," he said.

He took a step. She followed.

I guess miracles do happen.

His first attempts were rather clumsy and misdirected. She avoided his mistakes gracefully, her skirt brushing against his knees. He took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and forced himself to fall into the rhythm of the song.

She followed his steps, allowing him to lead her around the floor. "I didn't know you could dance so well," he said, and instantly regretted.

Anna shrugged. "I guess there's a lot of things you don't know," she said lightly.

He pulled her closer, his hand pressed against the small of her back, as he spun her around the floor. "Same for you," he said.

She was forced to look up at him; her fingers clung to his shoulder. He relished the feeling of her skin against his. Without thinking, he let go of her waist and directed her into a small spin. Her skirt flared out in a blur of white satin and red tulle, and as he pulled her back towards him he realized she was actually smiling.

"Where did that come from?" she said.

"I don't know," he grinned.

They skimmed over the dance floor, unaware of the others around of them. Yoh's heart swelled. I can't believe it. I really can't believe that she's going to be mine someday.

But all too soon, the song ended. Their steps slowed, and she tugged herself free of his grasp. "You're a decent dancer," she said, pulling her hands away.

"You too," Yoh said lamely.

Anna stepped back, twisting her hands in her skirt. The rosy flush in her cheeks faded. "I'm going to go sit," she said. "Get me another drink."

She turned on the toe of her red shoes and melted into the crowd. Another upbeat song began, and the quietly swaying couples started up their noisy dance again. Yoh stood where he was, frozen and forlorn.

And somehow I blew it.

Hao sidled up to him, dancing with a redheaded girl in an electric pink dress. "Excellent little show you put on there," he said. "If this was a romantic comedy, you'd be named prom king and queen and fall into everlasting love. And the mean kid would probably get shoved into a swimming pool." He paused. "Except the mean kid in this scenario is most likely me. Crap."

"What did I do wrong?" Yoh said.

Hao shook off the redhead's hands, draped his arm around his twin's shoulders, and led him to the side. "Listen to me," he said, his voice kinder than it usually was. "You didn't do anything wrong. In fact, I'm fairly certain you did everything right.

"Then why did she have to vanish like that?" Yoh said, his voice rising.

Hao put his hands on Yoh's shoulders. "You made her nervous," he said. "Anna is much more introverted than she lets on. Be patient and give her time."

"I've given her time, Hao, she's had seven years to warm up to me," Yoh said.

His brother gave him a long, hard look, the kind of look that made Yoh remember that Hao hid lifetimes of experience behind his careless teenager façade. "Give her time," he said quietly. He clapped him on the shoulder and returned to the redhead.

Yoh looked towards the table where he knew Anna was hiding, but he couldn't see her through the crowd. He ran his hands through his hair and let out a loud huff of exasperation.

Tamao made her way towards him, holding up her full tulle skirts and stepping delicately in her high pearl-colored heels. "Yoh?" she said, her soft eyes radiating concern. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he reassured her. "Just…frustrated, I guess."

"Because of…"

"Yeah."

He leaned against the wall. She stood next to him, surveying the same sights. He realized that she was fully as tall as he was. Surprising. She had always seemed so short.
"Are you having a good time at prom?" she asked anxiously.

"Yeah, it's fun," he said, flashing her a smile. "Everything I hoped for."

Tamao fidgeted with a large lace-and-tulle rose on the front of her skirt. "I really want you to have a good time," she said.

"Don't worry about it," he said, patting her bare shoulder. "Go find Horo and dance."

She caught his hand and locked her eyes on his. "Yoh," she said. "Yoh, I just want you to know…"

He should have seen it coming, but he didn't. She drew close to him, close enough that he could smell roses and vanilla on her skin. Without standing on tiptoe, with her eyes closed, she held her soft rosebud lips above his.

For a moment- a terrible, betraying moment- he wondered what it would be like to share his first kiss with Tamao. But then he turned his head, and her lips landed on his cheek instead.

"Tamao? Is that you? Pilika's trying to find you."

Yoh and Tamao drew back sharply at the sound of Jeanne's voice. Tears rimmed Tamao's wide eyes and her rosy cheeks had gone crimson. "Coming," she said, her eyes still lingering on Yoh as she took several steps back. Then she turned around and fled towards the pulsing beat of the dance floor.

"Yoh, you've never been to the botanical gardens, have you? Come with me, I want to show you the butterfly room," Jeanne said pleasantly, but loud enough that Tamao could still hear her over the noise. She placed her white-gloved hand on Yoh's elbow like any lady would, but her eyes blazed with the battle fury that he had seen time and time again in the long-ago tournaments.

She led him away firmly, away from the roar of the dancing crowd and the blonde-haired girl on the opposite side of the ballroom. He allowed her to direct him. She waited until they had entered a broad marble hall and dropped his arm. "Forgive me for being so forward, but I was afraid of that," she said. She walked briskly down the hall, her rustling satin gown and clicking heels echoing in the silence. "How disgraceful."

"You knew she was going to try that?" Yoh said.

Jeanne shook her head. "Pilika has been egging her on for weeks, telling Tamao that prom was 'now or never' if she would ever get your attention," she said. "I never thought she would ever have the gall to try anything, but apparently she did."

Yoh touched the spot on his cheek where Tamao had kissed him. "What should I say when I see her again?" he wondered.

"Nothing," Jeanne said simply. "She's going to be too embarrassed to say anything to you. Say nothing, and she'll return to her former state of far-away fawning."

"Fawning?" Yoh said, raising an eyebrow.

"Like a lovesick puppy," Jeanne affirmed.

She walked past an archway and led him into an enclosed garden, lit by small lanterns along the path. "You weren't lying about the butterfly room," he said, slightly amused.

"I never lie," she said serenely.

The garden filled the air with the scent of honeysuckle. For a moment he thought of Anna standing in the backyard at home, her hair glowing in the sunlight. "Well, if you never lie, answer me this," he said before he could overthink and stop himself. "Do you think Anna will ever love me?"

She strolled in silence, deep in thought. "Yoh," she said gently, linking her arm through his. "You have been given a gift."

"That's not an answer," he said.

"The rest of will spend the rest of our lives uncertain of our fates," she said, as if she hadn't even heard his retort. "Maybe Tamao will spend the rest of her life pining after you, or maybe she'll marry HoroHoro. Maybe Pilika date five or ten or twenty boys before she settles down. And maybe I'll marry Lyserg, or…or Ren Tao."

"Like that would ever happen," Yoh snorted.

"Your family chose Anna for you," Jeanne said. "Even though you were only children at the time, they knew that you would grow together and grow into love. You've found your soulmate, Yoh, even if you refuse to acknowledge it. Search for an alternative, search for a way to force her into what you want her to be, but nothing will change the fact that you were meant for each other."

She fell silent, lost in her private musings. Yoh stared down at the cobblestone path as they walked. "What if I acknowledge it…acknowledge the fact that I…I love her," he stammered out. "What if she never does?"

Jeanne smiled. "I think you know the answer yourself," she said.

"I don't," he said. "I can't figure her out in the slightest. All I want to know is what's going on in her head."

"Oh, that has nothing to do with Anna. All girls are like that," Jeanne said.

"That's helpful," Yoh mumbled.

She laughed softly and patted his arm. "Just don't give up her," she said. "No matter what, don't give up on her."

He sighed. "I won't," he promised.

"Good," Jeanne said. "Now let's go back. My temper has cooled considerably."

"Too bad. Hao would have liked to see a girl fight at prom."

She punched him lightly in the shoulder. They walked back to the ballroom, chatting amiably about things that didn't really matter, and by the time they reached the party, his heart felt lighter than it had earlier.

He took a deep breath and outlined a plan in his head. Get drink. Find Anna. Give drink to Anna. Take Anna to butterfly room. Talk. For extra credit, nab first kiss.

Yeah. That should work.

His steps quickened as he approached the table where his friends sat around talking while the band took their break. Yoh halted and frowned. "Where's Anna?" he asked.

Pilika and Tamao exchanged an untranslatable glance. "She went home," Lyserg said. "She said she was tired and bored."

"How'd she get there?" Yoh asked.

"The bus, probably," HoroHoro said.

Yoh squinched his eyes shut. "Are you going to go find her?" Jeanne asked.

He opened them. "Yeah," he said. "I'll see you guys at home."

Yoh ducked his way through the crowd, pushing past girls in ballgowns and boys in tuxes. He found his way out of the lavish garden's entrance, made it past the maze of waiting limousines, and tracked down the nearest bus stop. Impatiently he stood there for what felt like an hour but was probably only about six and a half minute, dropped his fare in the box, and took a seat in the back corner.

He stretched out his long legs, rummaged his music player out of his trouser pocket, and plugged it into his headphones. Yoh let out a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding as he pressed shuffle and music filled his ears.

The dimly-lit bus shuddered down the pocked road. He huddled in his back seat, mouthing along quietly to the lyrics.

Will I have learned so very little, when these bones are old and brittle?

I wait to talk when I should listen, and cloud mistakes with false revisions.

He stared out the window, his heart beginning to pound faster in his chest. He was doing it. He was really doing it.

He was pursuing her.

Funny, in the past seven years, he hadn't done much to come after her. He'd been content with sitting by, obeying her, letting her live her own life while he lived his. It didn't seem very fair, now that he thought about it. How could he expect her to pay attention to him if he never paid attention to her?

He clenched and unclenched his fists. It was time to take some action, instead of lying back and letting everything pass him by.

The bus chugged into the Funbari Hill stop; he disembarked and jogged towards home. It was weird running in dress clothes, but as the sky darkened, he sped up. For some reason, he felt excited. Exhilarated. He was going to see Anna. More importantly, he was going to talk with Anna. Not talk to. Not get lectured. He was going to sit her down and have a face-to-face, honest-to-goodness conversation.

He rolled his sleeves up to his elbows as he opened the side door of the house with his hip. "Anna?" he called, kicking off his shoes. "Anna, where are you?"

He jogged through the house, checking each room as he trotted past. She wasn't helping herself to a snack in the kitchen, she wasn't watching trashy soap operas in the living room. He climbed the stairs and approached the closed door of her bedroom warily.

"Anna?" he said, tapping the door open.

Her bedroom was a mess. Disassembled silk flower stems and loose threads littered the floor; a large quantity of white fabric draped over her desk. He pulled it aside and unearthed her little sewing machine. Frowning, he surveyed the scraps of white lace and satin across the floor. "Is that a sleeve?" he said to himself.

The pieces fell into place. Anna didn't buy a prom dress like the other girls. She made it by cutting down an old one. She had probably finished it that afternoon, once he finally asked her to be his date.

Yoh crossed to the window and looked out. The sun was far behind the hills, but he could see a lone little figure in a white and scarlet dress sitting in the back garden. He dropped the curtain and made his way outside without bothering to put his shoes on.

He found her sitting in the grass, barefoot and bareheaded, still in her party dress. Her little red shoes lay beside her neatly. She hunched over, her elbows resting on her bent knees. "I was wondering where you went," he said softly.

Anna jumped. "What are you doing here?" she said sharply.

"I came to find you," he said, sliding his hands in his pockets.

"What for?" she asked, turning back around and resting her chin her elbows.

He sat down next to her, sinking into the cool grass. "I don't know," he said. "I just figured…it would probably be bad form to stay at the prom when my date left."

She laughed- a sharp, unhappy-sounding bark. "Were we really on a date?" she asked.

"I thought so," Yoh shrugged. "You seemed happy for a while."

She bit her lip. "I guess," she said.

He sat next to her in companionable silence, watching a lazy breeze ruffle the leaves as the moon began to rise from the clouds. "Why'd you leave?" he asked.

She raised and lowered one shoulder. "I was tired. It's not really any of your business."

"If you were tired, you would have gone to bed," he said. "Why are you out here?"

Anna savagely ripped the flower-and-feather comb from her hair and threw it to the ground. "Just leave me alone," she said, shaking out her hair. It fell against her bare back, fine and shaggy and glowing in the dim light.

Yoh picked up the comb and silently headed back into the house. This is not going well, he scolded himself. Be creative. Make her talk to you.

He ran through all sorts of scenarios and plans while he absentmindedly filled the teapot with water and let it boil. Don't let her rattle you. That's what's held you back before.

He poured out the tea into two cups, dumped three spoonfuls of sugar into one, and carried them outside. She hadn't moved. "Here," he said. "Take this."

She took the cup. "I'm not going to-"

"Just try it."

She sipped it warily, then raised an eyebrow. "You remembered the two sugars," she said.

"Actually," he said, sitting down next to her, "when you say two, you mean three."

She bit her lip. "You noticed."

"Yup." He took a long drink of his hot tea. "So why are you out here?"

She ran her finger around the lip of the cup. "I couldn't take it anymore," she said quietly. "I felt like such a fake."

"Fake?" he repeated.

"You know," she said. "The fancy dress. Being at a fancy place." She swiped her fingers over her lips and stared dismally at her reddened fingers. "Wearing makeup."

"No one is like that all the time," he said.

"I know, but for them…it feels like it's more of their right than mine," she said. "They're just a bunch of normal kids. They're not-"

"They're not shamanically gifted and long-engaged teenagers," Yoh finished. He set his tea down in the grass and leaned back on his hands. "We're not alone, you know. Jeanne and Lyserg and Ren and-"

"Spare me," she snapped. "They're shamans. But they at least have a chance of having a normal life."

He took a deep breath. "You're still upset about Kino's letter," he said.

"I can't believe that she wants to move up the wedding date," she muttered. "I'm not a person to her. I'm just supposed to pop out little shaman babies and keep you from getting killed."

"Someone's bitter," Yoh said into his teacup.

Anna leaned back, looking up into the night sky. "I have every right to be bitter, don't you think?" she said.

He swallowed his tea. "I guess," he said unhappily.

She still looked up the darkened sky, unblinking. "Do you know I still remember pieces of my life before I came to Mount Osore?" she said. "It isn't much, but I know. I know it's true."

"What do you remember?" he asked.

Anna's dark eyes seemed to shift to amber. "I remember a woman with blonde hair. I think she was my mother," she said. "I remember a lot of other children. Maybe cousins. I don't know." She raked her fingers through her waving hair. "There's one thing I remember in particular, though. I think it was some kind of holiday. The whole family was there. And I was…screaming. I don't know what I screaming about, but I just have this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I think of it."

She hunched forward and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I don't know why I'm telling you all of this," she said. "There's no point."

"Why?" Yoh asked. "You're going to be my wife. We ought to know each other."

She drew her knees to her chest. "I'm not sure if we're going to work out," she said. "If we can go through seven years acting like strangers towards each other, how are we going to make a marriage work?"

Yoh crossed his legs and searched for the right thing to say. Nothing good came to mind. Anna sank lower. "You know what I remember?" he said. "I remember the first time we met."

"You mean when you nearly ran me over and I slapped you?" she said dryly.

"You were so little and angry," Yoh smiled. "You terrified me."

"No kidding," she mumbled.

"I don't think you know this part, though," he said. "You were angry, but your lips were doing this funny trembling thing. It's the same thing you do every time you start to cry."

She bolted upright and jabbed him in the shoulder. "I don't cry, Asakura," she seethed. "My emotions are my business. Not yours."

He caught her by the wrist. "Don't play that card on me," he said.

She slapped him. He was used to it by now. "What card?" she snapped.

"The card that says that you're too tough and independent to need me," he said. He dropped her wrist. "I wish you needed me."

She sat back, her shoulders slumping and her hair tumbling rebelliously around her face. "Yoh, I-" Her voice faded and she looked away. "Never mind."

Yoh picked up her discarded flower-and-feather hair clip and toyed with it. The feathers brushed against his fingers, as soft as he imagined her hair could be. "Anna, what do you want from me?" he asked. "You want me to give you something, and I don't know what it is. I can't fix it unless you spell it out."

She rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't know," she said. "I don't know what I need, or what I want, or…or anything." She plucked at the flower petals sewn to her dress, seemingly annoyed. "Useless, I know."

He stacked their empty teacups in the grass. "You'll figure it out eventually," he said.

Anna dropped her skirt. "Well, what do you want?" she asked.

Yoh shrugged. "Basically, I wish that you loved me," he said.

She turned from him sharply. "You don't know what you're talking about," she said, her voice soft.

"I'm not stupid, Anna," he said. He sat closer to her, close enough that he could smell the scent of lilies and apples and honeysuckle that clung to her skin. "I've been in love with you for seven years, and for seven years I've waited for you to love me."

She stared down at the grass. Yoh's chest ached, but the words burst out before he could stop them. "And if you don't think you could ever learn to love me, then you can go," he said. "You can leave. Tonight, if you want. I'll explain it to my parents. They'll find someone else. And you can find someone else."

Anna didn't look at him. Yoh's heart thudded against his ribcage, until he realized she was still silent, and the heartbeats halted.

I've done it. She's gone. I've ruined everything.

Her slender hand crept into his. His heart restarted with a frantic leap. "Maybe I can give it a chance," she whispered.

Yoh stared at her back, gripping her small hand. "Well," he said. "That's the nicest thing I've ever heard from you."
Anna turned around. Her face was inches from his; he could see the smudges of her mascara and the overbright shine in her eyes. "I'm not nice," she said.

Her nearness was delirious. "Nice is relative," he murmured. "And you're the nicest thing I've ever seen."

She leaned in closer, so close that he could feel her breath on his cheek. "Prove it," she whispered.

He touched his lips to hers, and a thousand stars exploded overhead, as bright and brilliant as daylight.

"Yoh! Anna! Where are you guys?"

They pulled apart. The floodlights on the back of the house switched on, shining over them. "They're back," Yoh said.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Anna snapped.

Yoh stood up and brushed the loose grass off his vest and pants. "We'd better go inside," he said, offering his hands to help her up.

She stood without assistance, fluffing her full skirts, and picked up her shoes. "This doesn't get mentioned," she threatened.

"Agreed," he said, raising his hands in surrender.

They walked back through the garden and into the house. The others slumped around the living room in various states of undress- loosened ties, discarded jackets, abandoned shoes. Pilika yanked pins from her hair. "Ninety-two, ninety-three, ninety-"

"No one is interested!" Ren barked, swiping the neat pile of pins.

Jeanne unbuckled her tall silver shoes and flexed her ankles. "don't ever let me wear heels again," she said.

HoroHoro leaned backwards over the arm of the couch. "Oh, there you are, Yoh," he said. "I see you found your Cinderella."

Anna grabbed him by the collar and yanked him into an upright position. "Sit up properly," she said.

"Your snarky Cinderella," he grumbled.

Yoh glanced around the room. "Where's Hao?" he asked.

"He had three dates to take home," Lyserg said. "He's going to be a while."

Yoh sat down the back of an armchair. Tamao looked up at him, startled, and scooted away. He pretended not to notice. "So did prom end well?" he asked.

"As well as could be expected," Ren said.

"I didn't get prom queen," Pilika complained.

"It was decent," Lyserg countered.

Anna smoothed her hair. "It wasn't too bad," she said.

"Wow," HoroHoro said. "Something almost nice."

She flicked him behind the ear. "I'm not nice," she reminded him.

"I know, I know. I said almost nice."

Pilika tossed a bobby pin on the floor. "There!" she cried, shaking her hair free. "A hundred and eighteen pins. I think that's a record."

"Oh my God. Your hair crunches," Ren said, pinching a stiff tress. She batted his hand away.

"And so ends prom," Jeanne said. She peeled off her gloves and folded them up.

Yoh felt something soft against his arm. Anna sidled up to him, her dress brushing against his skin. "It really wasn't that bad," she admitted.

"You're getting to be a regular softy," HoroHoro snickered.

Anna pelted him in the face with one of her shoes. "I'm going to bed," she announced. "Don't wake me before ten."

"Yes, your majesty," Ren said, rolling his eyes.

She picked up her stray shoe and strolled up the stairs. He watched her walk away, her skirt swishing almost coquettishly.

"What are you grinning about, Yoh?" Pilika asked, tossing a hairpin in his direction. "You look like you've died and gone to heaven."

He crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back. "I'm not grinning about anything in particular," he said. "Just…something kind of nice."

Look, all I know is that you're the nicest thing I've ever seen.

I wish that we could see if we could be something.

Yeah, I wish that we could see if we could be something.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

OH HELLO THERE. Have you missed me? Things have been a bit crazy in the Asthore household lately. Sorry about the absence.

In any case, I wrote this in response to ShatteredLyre's fanfiction contest. I think I have duly proven that Yohna is the master of all Mankin pairings (and probably the universe), at least as my own meager talents can muster. I really had fun with this. There are several AU prom stories out there- some really wonderful ones- but it seems like most of the multichapter ones fade away before the actual event of prom. And originally prom was just going to be an element of this story, but after three or four drafts I realized that writing about just prom would be just fine.

I work at a shop that sells wedding and prom gowns, so this has also been fun to pull from what I know. Jeanne's dress is a basic satin gown with pickups and a sweetheart neckline, while Pilika's is a slinky gold one-shoulder beaded number. Tamao is wearing the Sherri Hill pink rose dress, and Anna is wearing Modcloth's "I Do" dress, just with a scarlet petticoat underneath. Fun fun fun!

Anna's story about her distant childhood memories is from my story "Spider Lilies," in which I have undertaken the ridiculous and stupid task of writing Anna's story from childhood to motherhood. And yes, that means I'm rewriting the entire series. In the name of all that's holy...please check it out.

Also, this oneshot was heavily heavily HEAVILY influenced by music. Primarily Kate Nash's song "Nicest Thing," which is the anchor to which this story holds fast. But in case you want to know the playlist.

"The Boys Are Too Refined" by the Hush Sound (because I'm convinced Anna would like them)

"Fascination" by Alphabeat (the upbeat dance song)

"It Is You (I Have Loved)" by Dana Glover (the pop-waltz song Yoh and Anna dance to)

"I Was Once a Loyal Lover" by death cab for cutie (the song Yoh listens to on the bus)

and of course

"The Nicest Thing" by Kate Nash

Give it a whirl rereading the story with the soundtrack, and tell me what you think! Or just tell me what you think in general. I love love love feedback!

And if you love Mankin, please go enter ShatteredLyre's contest! Do it for the fandom! For oranges! For...well, heck, please just do it. Because Shaman King is awesome.