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Oranges, Peaches, and Love

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Chapter 1

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"201...202...203... and woo I'm pooped!"

Asakura Yoh fell to the ground while he was finishing up his training. He removed the huge boulder from his back and fell to the ground with a groan.

"Slacking off AGAIN Yoh?"

Yoh looked up at his blonde fiance with eyes filled with self pity, "Anna... I'm gonna break my back..."

Anna grabbed the huge boulder and dropped it on Yoh's head, "It'll heal. Now PUSH UPS!"

"H-hai!"

* * * * *

"Ow~w~w~w... Anna really pushed it far this time..."

Manta looked at the whining Yoh, with the almost broken back and frowned, "Mataku... it was your fault for burning her breakfast again."

Yoh motioned with his hand to Amidamaru to move the ice pack on his back, further up. He sighed happily and laid his cheek on the pillow and looked at Manta with simply rolling his eyes up, "I was half-asleep. What kind of normal person eats breakfast at 4:30 A.M each morning?"

Manta smirked knowingly and giggled, "Apparently it seems Anna does."

"Maybe Anna's not normal."

Manta nodded, but then soon his face had a look of pure terror on them and he shook his head furiously, "No... Anna's completely normal... right Yoh-kun?"

Yoh blinked stupidly, not noticing Manta's change of expression, from happy-happy kid, from 'Omigod I'm about to pee in my pants' kid, "What are you talking about, Manta? Anna? Normal? Hah! It's like saying Amidamaru will come back to life or something..."

Then he felt it. A flare of powerful energy coming from somewhere. Somewhere near him, somewhere beside him, somewhere... behind... him...

"Oh... crap..."

"Yoh..."

Yoh felt shivers crawl up his back in a uncomforting way. He was going to die. He turned around slowly, a weak smile plastered onto his handsome face, "A-Anna...! Yo...?"

Anna's lips twitched angrily as she glared down at Yoh. Her left hand just started to clench and unclench.

-Uh oh... legendary left... I really goofed this time!-

"DIEEEEE!"

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

"Yoh-kun! Daijoubu desu ka?" Manta ran over to his brown-headed, orange headphoned friend just after Anna stormed away when she was finished with her brutal punishment to Yoh.

Yoh grinned stupidly, his eyes rolled over, showing only white, "Heee~"

* * * * *

"Ow ow ow ow ow!"

Manta ignored Yoh's wails of pain and slapped the last bandaid on Yoh's bruised face, "How do you get in trouble with Anna two times a day?"

Yoh touched his cheek gently and shrugged, "I haven't the slightest clue."

Manta shook his head and sighed helplessly, "You NEVER have a clue."

"That's mean Manta."

"I know it is."

Yoh grinned at Manta who simply smiled back. Manta stood up from his seat and dusted some imaginary dust off his pants, "Oh! By the way, Ren said he was having some big dinner with his family at his house and he wanted to invite you."

Yoh blinked, he had a blank look on his face and he nodded, "All right... I'll go."

"Great! Then see you at Ren's at 7:00!"

* * * * *

"You invited YOH?"

Manta nodded slowly, staring weirdly at Ren who was towering over him, "Yea... so? Is there a problem?"

Ren's little shark fin on his head grew to about 50 meters, scary sight actually, "PROBLEM? IS THERE A PROBLEM? MY DAMNED COUSIN IS COMING THAT'S THE PROBLEM!"

"... what's so wrong with your cousin?"

Ren seemed to be more than irritated now, he was enraged by the mention of his cousin coming from Manta's mouth, "I HATE MY COUSIN! HE'LL BE AFTER MY YOH THE WHOLE WEEK HE'S HERE! I can't BELIEVE your STUPIDITY YOU INGRATE!"

Manta raised his hands up in defense, "Whoa... settle down first Ren... I'm just trying to help you get together with Yoh-kun because Anna's going to kill him before they even get married."

Ren nervously shook his head over and over again, "Yea... ok... so he's coming to dinner... and I need to put some kind of distraction so Yu doesn't see him..."

Then it sparked in both of their heads at the same times. Great minds think alike?

* * * * *

Yoh knocked on the door of a grand house and waited. After a few seconds, he saw the door open but didn't see anyone open it. He looked around the door calling, "Hello? Um... hello?"

"Down here Yoh-kun."

"Oh... hey Manta!"

Manta had a hint of annoyance on his face but he let Yoh in anyhow.

"Yoh-kun! Before you go meet anyone... put on this mask."

Yoh stared at the scary looking monster mask in Manta's hand and he took it hesitantly and looked over it strangely, "... I didn't know it was a costume party."

Manta nodded, grinning sheepishly, "Suuuure... just put it on."

* * * * *

"Manta" Yoh bent down and whispered to his friend beside him, "this mask is really stuffy... can I take it off?"

Manta shook his head furiously and eyed Ren then his blonde cousin, Yu, "No! Not yet."

"But Manta! No one else is wearing masks! Why am I?"

"Shut up!"

"Is something going on back there with the ugly mask boy and the little football?"

Manta twitched angrily and looked at the handsome blonde. Yu smirked and his green eyes flashed dangerously. Seems like he was telling a story or a lame joke before he was 'rudely' interrupted by the two friends of his dearest cousin.

Yoh, on the other hand, didn't seem to care. He jumped from his seat and towered over Manta, he was much scarier with the mask on, "I'm. Taking. It. Off."

Ren heard this and he jumped from his seat and ran towards Yoh, "YOH! Don't you DARE take the mask off!"

Too late.

Yoh took off his ugly monster mask and swept his bangs across his face like one of those movie stars when they take off a motorcycle helmet or whatever.

Yu watched this carefully and his eyes widened as he saw the face of the ugly mask boy. Ren cursed silently and kept himself from poking Yu's eyes out.

"Yu... why are you staring at Yoh with such WIDE eyes? Horrid face ne? I'll just take him away from your sight, come Yoh."

But before Yoh could take a step away the blonde flew across the table and grasped Yoh's chin in his hands, "My, my Ren... you do have all the cute guys... you don't mind sharing him do you?"

Ren's hair made a hole in the ceiling, "Yu..."

Manta swore, as soon as Ren pushed Yoh away and tackled Yu, all hell broke loose.