A/N: Alright, chapter 4. Sorry for the wait! I cranked out the fourth chapter to my Skip Beat! fic, then couldn't write for awhile because I fell into a funk. Ah, the hassles of major depression. But, I can't let my own funk keep you from enjoying the Fuugen feels! So, I apologize if this chapter is not on par quality-wise with the first three. Sometimes it can be hard to write when you just aren't feeling it, you know? Also, thanks to Fenrir's Lockhart for her review on the last chapter! I honestly hadn't thought of that angle before, so it totally shaped this chapter into something different and better than what I had originally planned.
Disclaimer: Hiroshi and his family are mine. Mugen and Fuu belong to each other...oh...and that guy who made the series, I guess.
Chapter 3: Is this Love?
Mugen scowled as the couple disappeared into the large house. He was agitated, mostly at the fact that he didn't know why he was so upset, though the rogue blamed it on the fact that he hadn't yet learned what Fuu and Hiroshi had been saying about him. Glancing around, he made certain that the area was clear of people, not that he couldn't handle himself, but he was pretty sure Fuu would be majorly pissed if he decided to kill people here. After taking a brief moment to wonder why he even cared what that ditzy girl thought, he dropped from the tree he had scaled earlier into the yard. Stormy eyes only glanced at the home for a few seconds, he didn't have time to waste gawking at fancy buildings as he looked for an easy way in. There was a widow open on one side of the abode. How careless of the folks who lived there, it was like inviting trouble. The vagrant smirked as he made his way to the opened window as stealthily as possible.
The former pirate wasn't exactly big on hiding in the shadows, but he was motivated by the notion that if he got caught in this little bit of espionage Fuu would get the wrong idea. That dumb girl would probably think he was jealous or something, which was definitely not the case! He just wanted to find out whether Fuu and her man had been talking shit about him, that was all! So he crawled through the window, only to hear a gasp from a female servant who had decided to busy herself in the kitchen while her employers dined.
It didn't take a genius to know that the woman was going to let out a scream, and in a flash Mugen was behind her, twisting the servant's arm around to pin it behind her back while his other hand cover her mouth. He wasn't going to get caught because some chick decided he was scary! Leaning in he murmured against her ear, "I ain't gonna hurt ya. I just wanna know-"
His voice fell flat as he heard a shout from the dining hall that was attached to the kitchen by a narrow, open door. Fortunately, from where he was standing he couldn't be seen, which gave him the perfect chance to eavesdrop on the dinner conversation as a woman's voice rang out with indignation, "WHAT? This...this child? This mannerless, plain little thing is to be your wife? I think not!"
Mugen huffed slightly, his grip tightening on the mouth covered by his hand as he continued to restrain the servant. The screeching woman in the other room had given a pretty accurate description of Fuu, actually. A plain child, though mannerless didn't exactly fit her in the rogue's opinion...then again, who was he comparing her to? Himself? It surprised the vagrant that he felt a bit irritated at the way Fuu was spoken about, even if it was true. He said the same sorts of things himself all the time, after all, so why should it offend him?
His thoughts drifted off as he tuned back into the conversation. They were discussing whether Fuu was worthy of being Hiroshi's wife. The woman, whom he had now figured out was the pretty boy's mother, was finding reason after reason to reject her. Fuu was a common working class girl, a waitress at a teahouse! And worse by far than any of that, her father was a Christian!
Knowing full well that her father's religious beliefs held little sway over her own, Mugen rolled his eyes at the notion that the sunflower samurai's Christianity should be the deciding factor. As his storm hued gaze shifted, it landed upon the curve of a silver pot, noticing that Fuu's reflection showed, though slightly distorted by the curve of the metal. He kept his eyes trained there as he listened to the conversation in the other room.
"You love our son in return, Fuu-chan?" The strong yet gentle voice apparently belonged to Hiroshi's father. Mugen heard no answer, but the reflection in the pot dipped it's head in a nod. Something in the vagrant's stomach seemed to twist. Damn...he should have eaten while he was at the teahouse after all!
The ex-pirate didn't even realize a slight sneer had curled across his lips. She really loved this pretty boy, huh? He tore his gaze away from the pot as the father spoke once more, though Mugen was really done listening by this point, "If you love him, the you have our blessing."
The steely eyed criminal murmured to the servant he still held still, "I'm gonna let ya go. Don't scream, I'm leavin', so there's no need."
He waited for some sign of confirmation that the servant understood, and it was given in the form of a frightened nod. As he loosened his grip slowly, ready to clamp a hand over her mouth again if she failed to listen to his request that she keep silent, he heard Fuu utter a single soft word, "Arigato."
"Tch." With more irritation than he'd had when he came in, he swiftly made his way out the window, breaking into a run towards the wall as he heard the Servant let out a screech as soon as he was out of the kitchen.
"Ahhhh!" A shriek erupted from the kitchen as a rather plump, middle aged servant burst into the dining room through the narrow door that separated the two chambers, "A...a criminal! He...he was in the kitchen!"
It was Fuu's first reaction to immediately widen her eyes, and stand. Criminal? Was it Mugen? What was he doing in the kitchen of her fiance's home? Hiroshi stood just as swiftly, placing himself between his betrothed and the room where the danger had apparently been.
"Relax," The samurai master of the house spoke, trying to calm her enough to make some sense out of her words, "How do you know he was a criminal? Did he hurt you? Did he take anything?"
"B-blue rings!" She murmured, gesturing around her wrists, indicating the tattoos that had ringed the swordsman's appendages, "H-he grabbed me! Put his hand on my mouth...I...no, he didn't take a thing...just came in, listened, and left."
At blue rings, Fuu had instantly known. It was Mugen. The last thing she heard was Hiroshi shouting her name, telling her to wait before she rushed out into the pouring rain. She intended to demand answers. What had Mugen been doing there? Had he followed them? Just to eavesdrop on their conversation with his parents? What the hell was he up to?
Inside, Hiroshi was being told to investigate the kitchen, while his father insisted on searching the surrounding area. The women were, of course, to remain inside until it was certain all was safe. But Fuu was already gone. When questioned, Hiroshi made up an excuse, not wanting his parents to know the part of the story that she had left out. That one of her bodyguards had been a criminal.
Silently, Fuu was searching the area outside the kitchen for any sign of Mugen, though she knew he would be long gone by now. He wasn't stupid enough to hang around after the servant had shrieked. From the window she heard a voice, "Fuu-chan!"
Blinking, the twenty year old looked up to see who was addressing her, though she should not have been surprised to see Hiroshi leaning on the window ledge, looking at her with a small frown, "You know it was him…"
A nod shifted the loose bun against her neck as she sighed, "I know...but why would he…"
Her fiance had a notion of why Mugen might have been spying, but he didn't dare put it into words. If he said it, if he acknowledged that there might be something there, then he risked losing her! She had nodded when his father asked if she loved him, but the samurai's son couldn't help thinking there was someone else with a finger hold in her heart. And if he suggested that there was even the slightest chance her former bodyguard might have the same feelings...his frown deepened at the idea.
"Ohhh!" At the sudden sound of realization from Fuu, Hiroshi blinked up at her. Her brows were knit together in irritation and her hands rested on her hips as she scowled. Not the reaction he would have expected if she'd just put the pieces together the way he had, "That….that JERK!"
A long dark ponytail shifted against the samurai's son's back as he canted his head slightly, trying not to appear as confused as he felt. What exactly did she think was going on, anyway? "Fuu-chan?"
"He thinks he can find something to use against us!" She was practically twitching at the unlikely notion that had occurred to her, "He's going to try and get something from me, I just know it, greedy son of a…"
Hiroshi's eyes went wide. Did his betrothed really think he former bodyguard would do such a thing? Blackmail seemed a bit too sophisticated for someone like the former pirate. And even if it wasn't, he doubted that the tactic would be turned against Fuu. Quickly, though, the young man schooled his features into concern, "You think so? That's probably it then."
Fuu knew it was a stretch to think that Mugen would do such a thing. But she was marrying into a fairly wealthy family, and he had no reason to spy on her if he wasn't plotting something. It wasn't like he actually cared for her, after all. She was nothing but a fulfilled obligation from his past.
"Did you find anything?" The sudden shout from behind her startled the brunette, who jumped and turned to see Hiroshi's father approaching from the gate, "I searched the yard, and the road beyond the gate, but - Fuu-chan! You shouldn't be out here! It could be dangerous!"
He had interrupted himself when it became clear that Fuu was lingering in the shadows near the window to the kitchen. The girl fidgeted, trying to come up with a reason for having run out the house and into obvious danger. Somehow she thought that her association with a former pirate might be more condemning in the view of the samurai than the fact that her father had been Christian. After all, she had associated with Mugen by choice, even knowing what he was, "G-gomen, I thought maybe I could help."
The excuse seemed to satiate the man's curiosity, as he sighed and shook his head, "You should be inside with the other women. This man could be very dangerous."
In an attempt to slightly change the course of the conversation, Hiroshi spoke up, "Nothing seems to be missing, Otou-san."
This only caused the older man to frown, "Then he wasn't there as a thief...perhaps he was hoping to do something else…"
His tone was dubious, implying that some sort of harm had been meant to befall someone. His gaze shifted to Fuu, "You should stay the night, I think. We can set up a futon in a guest room. It won't be safe to travel alone in the dark."
Doe soft eyes slid to Hiroshi, then to his father, "I should be alright. I mean, I really ought to get back home. It's much closer to the teahouse, and I don't want to be late for work tomorrow...besides, whoever he was, he's gone now."
The girl needed to talk to Mugen. And that wasn't going to happen if she stayed in the large home for the night. Nor was it going to happen if Hiroshi accompanied her, she knew. So she had to find a way to leave the house, and to leave alone.
"I'm afraid I must insist." Her soon-to-be father-in-law slid the blade he had been carrying as a precaution back into its sheath, "I don't want Hiroshi to go out either alone either, so even if he walked you, he would be forced to stay at your home. I know his mother would not allow it."
"Otou-san!" Hiroshi blushed at the implications of spending the night with Fuu in either house, even if they weren't in the same room, "I...I can handle myself! I can walk Fuu-chan home, and return safely!"
A dark look was shot in the young man's direction, narrowed, dark brown eyes appearing almost black in the night, "Hiroshi! This man is dangerous! He clearly had no intention of taking anything, except perhaps a prisoner, or a life. I will not let you put yourself, or Fuu-chan at risk!"
"I'll stay!" Fuu interrupted, not wanting to see her fiance fight with his father, and earned a surprised look from the men. They had been certain such a strong willed girl would put up more of a fight. What they didn't know, was that Fuu had no intentions of actually staying.
"Alright then," The samurai nodded in satisfaction after a moment, "Let's go back inside."
He wouldn't let Fuu out of his sight until he had guided her into the main room, where his wife was waiting with Hiroshi. The head of the house instructed the still shaken servant that entered at his bidding to show Fuu to where she would be sleeping, and set up a futon in the spare room for their guest. Off the plump woman bustled to do as told
"I think it would be best for all of us to get some rest." He stated calmly to his family, placing a hand on his wife's back and guiding her to their bedchamber, calling over his shoulder, "You too, Hiroshi!"
The young man skulked out of the room after them, still wondering about that swordsman who had snuck into the house, and how Fuu had missed the obvious implications. He was glad she had, but he couldn't help wondering how long it would be before he lost her to her former bodyguard. Eventually, she would have to catch on to reality, right? Or Mugen would get smart and confess. Either way, he had to be careful of the former pirate, and keep the waitress as far from the other man as possible for the time being.
The house was quiet, very much so. It was easy to assume everyone was asleep; time for Fuu to make her move. She wasn't sure how long she had been resting on her futon, pretending to slumber as she waited for this opportunity. Hopefully Mugen was somewhere she could find him. If not, well, she still had to try. She had to let him know that he needed to leave Hiroshi alone. A part of her wanted to demand what the criminal had been doing in the kitchen, to dare him to tell her he wasn't worried about her. But another part of her was certain that he actually hadn't been worried about her at all. Which meant he was up to something far more dubious.
As quickly and quietly as possible, the waitress stood, and crept into the hallway, not bothering to shut the door behind her for fear of accidentally making a loud noise. A cringe came over her as the floor seemed to creak with her steps, but she couldn't stop. She just had to hope the sound seemed amplified to her because she was trying to be quiet.
Her footsteps carried her to the front door, where she lipped on her sandals. This entrance she shut behind her, if only to keep criminals and raindrops out. The heavy rain of earlier had turned into a soft drizzle. She didn't bother to grab the umbrella that still rested against the wall under awning of the porch before taking off down the path and onto the street. It must have been quite late by this time, because the street was all but silent.
She wandered aimlessly through Edo, looking for Mugen, but not seeing him anywhere. With a frown she realized he was probably at a brothel, it was about the only place he could possibly be at this hour. Why had she been stupid enough to think she could find him, anyway? Now she was wet, and cold and- She yelped as a hand gripped her shoulder, turning her around quickly.
"Fuu-chan! What are you doing?" A sigh escaped as the one who had found her pulled her close in his strong arms, running a hand over her damp hair.
"H-Hiroshi-kun? What...how'd…" She thought she had not been noticed during her escape from the house, but here she was, in the arms of her fiance.
"I thought I heard something, and when I got up to investigate, your door was open, and your room was empty. I was worried." Of course, he'd immediately known what had happened when he had heard the creaking of the floor down the hall from where his room was located. He'd been awake, listening silently for the moment when the brunette would try to make her escape. Not that he regarded her as a prisoner. He just wanted to protect her. So when he'd figured out that she was planning to leave in the night to look for Mugen, of course he had followed. If she found the criminal, if something happened between them, the samurai's son knew it would only leave his beloved hurt. People like Mugen didn't settle down, they didn't stay. He would have his fun with Fuu, and leave her. And Hiroshi wouldn't let that happen, he wouldn't lose his Fuu to someone like that!
A familiar yelp startled Mugen out of his slumber. He was leaning against a wall in an alleyway, and he could have sworn he'd just heard Fuu, and that the girl was in distress. His immediate reflex was to stumble to his feet, reaching for the hilt of his sword. He hesitated though, "Feh, let her fiance save her."
The grumbled reasoning didn't sit well with him, though, even as he tried to talk himself out of going to investigate. So he made his way quickly to the place where the alley let out into the main road. He could tell that the cry had been close, especially when he heard the reassuring voice of the samurai's son coming from just around the corner.
"Fuu-chan!" Rather than step clearly into view on the road, the vagrant pressed his back against the wall so he could peer around the corner unnoticed. Fuu's back was too him, but her betrothed was looking his way, and seemed to spot the former pirate. The younger man's eyes narrowed in the spy's direction even as he spoke to Fuu, causing Mugen to glare back before slowly stalking away back down the alley to where he had been sleeping, flopping down against the wall as the pretty boy could be heard from the main street, "Let's go back to the house, it's not safe to be out this late. That's why Otou-san told you to spend the night."
That last part seemed to be said ever so slightly than the rest of the statement. Aimed to irk or warn Mugen, Fuu was Hiroshi's now. She was even spending the night in his family's home. Mugen closed his eyes and sneered, "Tch, like I care anyway."
