Title: Seven Days in the Emerald City
Fandom: Samurai Champloo
Characters: Fuu, Jin, Mugen
Pairings: FuuMugen, FuuJin
Warnings: None
Summary: As the Tinman and Scarecrow lay dying, Dorothy wonders if finding the wizard was worth it.
The first night is spent sewing their wounds. And so, Jin and Mugen's blood stain her hands and clothes, leaving Fuu to wonder if finding the samurai who smelled of sunflowers was worth finding. As far as she's concerned, it's one more sin he's made against her. If he had never left, she would never would have gone to find him, and Jin and Mugen would not be staining the floorboards with their blood, they'd be-
-dead or dying elsewhere, without Fuu to watch over them. She curses him anyway, because right now it's the easiest thing to do.
On the second night, with Jin's head in Fuu's lap she gently brushes his hair from his face, and although his lips aren't moving all she can hear is, If I, if I, if I. So few words with such a large meaning. Those few words will haunt her until the day she dies. A part of her heart wishes that she had said yes.
On the third night, Fuu lays close to Mugen, feeling the warmth of his breath on her cheek, a careful reminder that he still lives. She watches his lips, horribly chapped and almost cut thru from when he must have bit down too hard, and tries to imagine Jin's gentle offer being said with Mugen's voice. But, that isn't Mugen, so she can't hear it.
On the fourth night, Jin's breath hitches slightly, so Fuu keeps her ear pressed to his back so that if he stops, she's there to breathe life back into him. She flirts with the idea of saying yes, of leaving with him when he wakes up. What would happen?
Well, they'd have been happy, wouldn't they? She's waitress at a teahouse and he'd hire himself out as a bodyguard and they'd struggle to eat but they wouldn't be alone, they'd have each other no matter what.
But, then, Mugen would sulk and kick some rocks, leaving them to be alone by himself. And even though Jin and Fuu would have each other, they'd be alone, too.
The thought of Mugen alone, without Fuu or Jin to be alone with, breaks her heart, so on the fifth night she snuggles under his arm, his heart beat loud in her ears.
On the sixth night, Fuu silently rehearses. Hey guys, wouldn't it be great if the three of us stayed together? I could cook and clean and you guys could earn money and we'd be one big, happy family! No Mugen, you couldn't spend the money on whores and booze. Same goes for you, Jin. And no, you two aren't allowed to disappear on days on end, not without taking me with you.
Somehow, she doesn't think that would go over very well. She desperately wishes for the two of them to wake up, to tell her what to do. That always worked before, it should work now, too.
On the seventh day, just after the sixth night ended, the old man convinces Fuu to step outside for some fresh air. It's all a trick, and she finds herself praying before her father's grave. He left to protect her, the old man says. To protect his wife and child, he left without a word. She remembers him big and strong, as fathers should be, and realizes that he had become small and weak because of the loneliness he brought upon himself.
They return to the hut to find Jin and Mugen awake, and Fuu quietly excuses herself while the old man changes their bandages to hide her tears of relief.
As Fuu watches them eat, her tears still fresh on her face, she tells herself that she's made the decision for them. It's a decision that she's already made, before coming to this island, but now it's for different reasons and strangely, she has no regrets.
That night, the seventh night, Fuu kicks Mugen until he rolls closer to Jin, so that she can sleep between both of them. Neither man says anything, but Jin's hand somehow finds hers, and Mugen's arm accidentally flops across her waist. Their breaths blow gently against her face, in her hair, and they continue to sleep deeply. But they'll recover and get stronger, because she'll take their weaknesses with her. As the years pass, she'll grow smaller and weaker, because she chose her loneliness, but they'll stay big and strong, because she chose it for them.