A spark

Mugen does something horrible to Fuu, and then something not so horrible…actually kind of sweet?

...

The trail was dark as Mugen made his way back to the small hut they were staying in. Potholes had already tripped him numerous times, and each encounter with a protruding root or rock brought him closer to planting his face in the ground. As far as Mugen was concerned however, even if he arrived back with a face-full of dirt, the night would have been worth it to the now tipsy vagabond. Bottomless sake and beautiful women have a way of convincing their clients that nothing else in the world matters.

Before he found himself at the local brothel, Mugen had gotten bored sitting around watching Fuu sniffle and cough. She had come down with some bug a few days after they arrived in town. Jin had suggested they hunker down there until Fuu had her strength back. Being the type he was, the samurai had gone out to collect various medicines and herbal mixtures from the local shops, leaving Fuu in Mugen's care. Being the type Mugen was, playing caretaker wasn't exactly his specialty. So, he had thrown a pile of logs on the fire and went out for "a bit."

Mugen rounded the corner where the trees cleared and the hut stood. Through his drunken haze, Mugen recognized that something was off about the small dwelling. He squinted at it for a moment, trying to focus his vision. Then it hit him.

The hut was dark. The fire had obviously gone out. Jin wouldn't stop nagging him about something earlier. What was it? He had told him to keep the fire going because…

Fuu.

"Shit." Mugen huffed and began scrambling up the path. The metal plates on the bottom of his shoes clacked noisily has he got to the porch. After struggling briefly with the latch, Mugen threw the door open harder than was necessary and stumbled into the room.

The fire was definitely out, though orange coals still glowed at the bottom. It had probably been out for a little less than an hour. In the dimness Mugen's eyes found Fuu, huddled up under a pile of blankets. As he moved closer he saw that her body was trembling and her teeth chattered.

Double shit.

Mugen knelt down next to her, banging his knee on the floor and letting loose another string of profanities. "Hey," he muttered. "What's the deal?" He leaned over her, noticing her still-pale complexion and sweat-lined brow.

"C-c-cold," was all Fuu managed through her chattering teeth.

Mugen grimaced. "Well what the fuck you let the fire go out for?" Fuu only shivered in response. Her unwillingness, or perhaps inability, to argue with him was maybe - just maybe - starting to worry him. He had become so used to her loud outbursts, even if he did find their in-your-face quality to be obnoxious. Something wasn't quite the same without her yelling at him about some insignificant thing. The ex-pirate sighed loudly. Staggering to his feet, Mugen tossed several more logs onto the fire and blew the coals until a flame picked up again.

Returning to Fuu's spot on the floor, Mugen sprawled out next to her. "That ought to do it," he grunted. "What's-his-name still not back yet, huh?" He scratched his chin and tried to act cool.

"You know his name," Fuu said almost inaudibly. She pulled the blanket up to her nose and took in the renewed warmth from the fire.

"What, four-eyes? Sure, I know his name," Mugen closed his eyes and tried to relax but Fuu's ragged breathing led him to distraction. "Are you gonna be like that all night?" He said in with an agitated tone. Without really waiting for a response, Mugen reached his long arm over her, tugging at her shoulder so that she might roll over.

"Come 'ere if you're that cold," he muttered. Fuu turned hesitantly toward him but couldn't resist taking him up on his offer. She snuggled closer, her head tucked under his chin. Her body still shook from the chill, causing the normally indifferent Mugen to frown in regret. He unconsciously tightened his hold around her.

"Sorry," Mugen stated plainly, though it was sincere. "You'll be fine." He meant this as more of a comfort to himself than to her.

"Easy for you to say," Fuu retorted weakly. "You didn't almost freeze to death."

Mugen scoffed. "You weren't gonna die…" The room fell silent again.

But if you did I would never hear the end of it…Mugen thought to himself. Four-eyes would find a way to make sure I could never live it down. He found himself playing with a loose stand of Fuu's hair. Her usually sleek style looked almost as unruly as his from all the laying around in bed. He found that strangely amusing.

"Did you have a good time?" Fuu asked quietly. The vagabond froze.

Mugen remembered muttering something about going out for some 'real' fun with some 'real' girls when he thought she was asleep a few hours ago. He couldn't tell whether she was mocking him or not with her question. Technically, he did have a good time. The food and drink hit the spot and the babes he paid for knew just what buttons to push. However, there was something in the back of his mind the entire time that he had tried to push away. A feeling that he was missing something, perhaps someone?

"Yeah, I guess," was Mugen's curt response. Fuu felt his chin hairs tickling her forehead as he spoke. He didn't seem as enthusiastic about a night of drinking and brothel-hopping like he usually was. If it weren't for her grogginess and general poor condition, she might have interpreted it to mean something. In that moment however, the idea that Mugen felt guilt or even concern was beyond her mental and emotional capacity. Not only that, but his chest was so warm and inviting and the feel of his arm around her was lulling her to sleep.

"Don't leave me," she murmured as she drifted off to sleep.

...

Jin made his way up the dark path, a bag of assorted remedies cradled on one arm. He had a feeling the old medicine man he visited had given him the run-around. Three different kinds of herbal tea, a full bag of togarashi, a leek wrap, ginger root, daikon radishes and honey, umeboshi, incense, and a good luck charm seemed excessive to him for a mild cold. But then again, he was a samurai not a doctor. Luckily the samurai had enough money from a recent job to pay for it all. As he rounded the corner, a look of confusion briefly flashed across his normally stoic face. The hut they had commandeered was still standing, fortunately, but was glowing as if the sun was hiding inside it. Jin hurried up the hill, not sure what to expect.

The first thing Jin noticed upon entering the hut was the roaring fire. It was significantly larger then it was when he left. The blaze was dancing half-way to the ceiling and it crackled loudly, sending sparks skittering across the floor. Then Jin observed Mugen, propped up against the wall next to his sword and his arms folded snugly across his chest. The usual scowl was etched across his face. Finally Jin's eyes came to rest on Fuu, whose sleeping form lay in front of the fire. Her chest rose slowly with each breath, indicating to him that she was at least still alive.

Then Jin noticed something that wasn't there earlier. Its presence surprised him a bit. Raising an eyebrow, Jin glanced back over at Mugen, whose stone-cold expression had softened and was now fixed on their young companion. When Jin continued to study him, Mugen just closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

On top of a sleeping Fuu was Mugen's red haori, draped over the top of her as an added layer of warmth.

...

Hope you liked it!