I do not own Samurai Champloo or any of it's Fabulous characters. Though it'd be sweet if I did.
AN: (this is my very first attempt at writing a story.. so It's taking me a while to figure out how this site works, etc. ) xD have mercy, but feel free to tell me how awful it is.. and I'll try and fix it. :D
Thank-you for reading. :)
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The Ground was dry, and dust kicked beneath his geta as he strolled into town.
The ronin Jin was traveling alone. Hands... rested comfortably within his robes, and his swords ... secured at his sides.
Laughter and the sound of wild men in the distance, told him precisely where he needed to go. The red light district was no more than a 5 minute walk up the road, and he knew that's exactly where he'd find him.
About a month ago, Jin had decided that it was time to pay his former rival a visit. Nearly a Year had passed since their departure.
He was, at first, relieved. The burden of being responsible for the lives of others was finally off of his shoulders. He had told himself that he was no longer concerned with anyone else's well being but his own. But deep down, Jin was ever worried about the well-fare of his friends.
'Fuu...'
His pace quickened slightly.
She was so vulnerable; traveling alone, the Only Daughter of an enemy to the shogunate. She was never very strong physically, and her temper was sure to land her into more trouble down the road.
"hmnn.." the only audible sound he could muster, as visions of Fuu Cowering before bladed men plagued him.
The odds were in her favor. Chances were that no-one suspected the young girl to have survived the incident. And the fact that her father was duly taken care of, would have taken the pressure off of their pursuit. But as for her mouth, and how it always seemed to put her in harms way....
"hmnn.." the stifled sound slipped out again.
'Surely she's alright...wherever she is.. she's safe.' concern was peaking through his stoic expression.
As he approached the Red Light district, his thoughts drifted towards the vagrant Mugen. He had heard rumors of a Ryukyu warrior currently staying in this town, stealing money from petty thieves and the like. Wasting it all, on liquor and women. He had led himself here to investigate, hoping to convince the laggard to accompany him on a journey of his own.
A journey towards Fuu, to make sure she was safe, to make sure she was happy.
....................................................................................................
"Irrashaimase... please, sit down." Fuu smiled, ushering two travelers into the restaurant.
"Menyu o dozo" .. she handed them each a menu and waited while they both skimmed over the restaurant's selection. Minutes later, as the men began arguing over the food they would be sharing, she
groaned inwardly.
'If Jin were here... he'd have ordered already' she couldn't help but think to herself.
'and Mugen wouldn't care, so long as he wasn't the one paying' she fought to keep her smile from showing. Thoughts of her late companions flashed through her mind as she poured the two gentlemen their complimentary tea.
She missed them, more than she would ever admit to herself. She missed the stability Jin brought her: hiding behind his tall figure whenever she felt scared, his kind words, and the infinate amount of patience he showed. She missed the courage Mugen inspired in her, those rare moments when he would actually get along with her, the laughter they shared as they made fun of Jin behind his back, and how safe she felt when he was near. They were always there for her when she needed them most.
Her cheeks turned an obvious shade of pink as she remembered how handsome they both were. Hoping her guests hadn't noticed she bowed her head low, hiding her face.
Jin was ridiculously handsome. His hair was much softer than her own, and smelled like a frozen forest. He was as sharp and elegant as his katana, and the way he spoke ... the tone of his voice, it was remarkable. Fuu couldn't help but blush an even deeper shade of pink.
And Mugen...
DarK hair, tanned skin.... he looked wild , like an animal......especially in his eyes; (which could cut right through you if you weren't on guard.) His whole body smelled like testosterone. ( A mixture of sweat, blood, and what she could only guess was sex. )
When he laughed it was contagious. His eyes would crinkle up at the corners... nothing compared to how special she felt when Mugen showed that side of himself to her. She hated admitting it, but there was even something pleasant about the way they fought. It was familiar, and affectionate, and she liked it. She missed it.
"Ahem,... I said we'll be taking the... " - one of her guests was getting impatient with her lack of focus.
she quickly jotted down the gentlemens' order and apologized,
"Gomen.. gomen..." Her cheeks now nearly purple. Fuu ran towards the kitchen as fast as her little feet would carry her.
'how could i let myself get carried away like that' she flushed. "Sheesh"
..........................................................................................
The two were in a near comatose state after celebrating their reunion.
Jin's face rested on an empty plate, his arms slumped down to the floor. Turning his lips to the side, he managed to mumble out, "Mugen..."
Mugen stopped fondling the woman at his side for a brief second to "grunt" in response.
".Mugen..."
he grunted again..."what? .....i'm busy."
"mug-"
"Kusoshite shine.....Baaaaaka yaro!" he shoved the whore from his lap, as he turned to scream at his friend. The woman silently snuck out the room as Mugen continued to go off.
"mugen........mugen.......mugen......mugen-mugen-$%^#(!$ " he mimicked Jin's slurred voice creating a few slurs of his own. The two had obviously had way too much to drink that evening.)
"Don't you EVER know when to shut up!?!?!" he took one last swig from his sake bottle.
"......."
Only Seconds had passed, when they both broke down and exploded with laughter.
The thought of the notoriously silent Jin, not knowing when to shut up, had them both laughing histerically.
Mugen spilled the last of his sake all over his shirt as it came pouring out of his mouth, while Jin retreated against a wall, his hands wiping tears from his eyes.
"Oi, seriously,.... Mugen" Jin finally had enough energy to complete his thought.
"I was wondering," he crawled from his current position to his mat, "if you'd be interested in paying our friend Fuu a visit with me?"
"Fuu?" Mugen sat on the floor scratching at his belly and kicking off his geta. One eyebrow lifted and his expression darkened slightly. "You interested or somethin?"
A slight chuckle escaped Jin's lips, "no, no... I'm not." Jin watched, as his friend pretended not to care.
"Then why go through all the trouble to track her down?" he cracked his neck and started scratching his balls.
"I have been worried about her, since the moment we parted." - Jin answered honestly, his body now sprawled on the floor. A deep breath of air entering his lungs.
"yeah, that bitch doesn't know how to stay outta trouble" Mugen laid himself down on the floor and closed his eyes. "hey, ......hey,.." he poked at Jin's half dead body with his toe.
"remember that time,... in the beginning, when we were trying to run out on her."
Jin grunted, half asleep, in response.
"and not a day or two went by, but we see her in some brothel" ...he started chuckling, "all made up to look like some vixen' , " his laughter grew louder, "But really she just looked like some kid, who got into her mother's makeup drawer". several coughs came out with his laughter now, and Jin couldn't help but let out a chuckle of his own.
"She looked ridiculous.. in those clothes" Mugen laughed into his pillow.
Jin had to agree as several more chuckles escaped his lips.
The two men shared memories of their journey well into the night, until they both fell asleep. And since Mugen hadn't adamantly refused, it was assumed that he would be traveling with Jin in the morning.
or whenever they'd wake up, anyway.
.................
Fuu was living on the edge of town in a small, single room, dwelling.
Her current Boss rented it out to her when she took her new job. He provided her with living quarters, and a small chunk of change at the end of the work week for living expenses. There was a water pump near by, and a bath house not to far from where she lived.
The only complaint she had, was that the red light district was no more than a few stretches south of where she lived, and the noise would often keep her awake at night.