Howdy everyone. Thank you for those who showed concern regarding my children and I getting sick- it's cold and flu season here, and with lots of cuddles and down time we're fine. I know it took me longer to post this but hey, I've been busy, we all have our own lives, right?
I have received some feedback in regards to lemons (some comments, and some messages). Someone in particular has mentioned how they're sure I will make it realistic (which I would like to think I would as well), BUT... I honestly have to say it. I don't really think Mugen has any game in bed, straight up. I think he does what he needs to get done to make himself feel good but he probably has no idea on how to actually please a woman. I can totally see him being one of those guys that say "I'm going to make you scream", and then he just jack hammers you for 3 minutes and is done. So for the sake of Mugen's reputation and for the sake of all of our hearts, if I do decide to put a full fledge lemon in, I will be getting more imaginative and creative with him.
So keeping all of that in mind...I put a LIGHT LEMON in this chapter (would it even be considered Lemon?...I'm not too sure but there's more sexual tension and build up now). I'm so nervous about this chapter! So much more could have been done, and so much more description could have been included.
I definitely took an idea from my other fanfic (the one that I haven't published yet), to use in this chapter, I hope it will help satisfy certain urges people are having (maybe this could have waited a few more chapters but too bad, what's done is done!)
Chapter 9 - Weathered Disrobement
"What? How dumb are you? That way will just lead back to the ocean."
"Huh? I'm not dumb! Fukui was that way, so how would this way go back to the ocean then?!"
"Ehh? You really are an idiot." Hitting his own forehead, he was getting frustrated. It was like dealing with a child. The girl didn't know which way was which, all she was good for was reading what it said on the signs, but there wasn't any around. He was already carrying her damn bag for her, it wasn't even heavy but yet she complained that it was hurting her shoulders. "That's West, and that's North where Fukui is. If we don't want to hit the coast then we gotta go South or East."
Rubbing her temples, she couldn't make sense of which way was which. After deciding to take a different path from Fukui, they found themselves surrounded by large trees and sudden drops offs. Mugen lead the way for the most part but they had been walking steadily for a day and a half already but they were still on the mountain. Rather than walking down, Mugen seemed to be using the mountain as a regular road. But it wasn't, it was a tough terrain for someone like her. If they had clear view of the sun it would help her know which way was which but the untouched nature of the mountain blocked the view of the sky. "-And how can you be so sure that's West, and that's North?"
"I just know." Scratching his chin, his wiry hairs seemed longer than he liked them. It had been awhile since he took a dip anywhere to clean himself, and even longer since he attempted to shave himself. Running his hand along his jawline he could feel patches of stubble that were most likely shadowing his features. "It's like being out on the sea. You learn where to go because of where you've been, and it ain't like we got somewhere we need to be."
"Yea, I guess."
"So let's go, I'm gettin' hungry."
'Food...it's your own fault that we didn't get any food you jerk.' Following close behind, she stepped wherever he did. The shrubs and ferns were large and healthy, untouched by people, and Mugen's large feet helped clear some of it out of her way. Yesterday she had asked why they had to leave Fukui in the first place, she knew he was somehow involved in that murder Hinata was talking about, but Mugen didn't say a word. Whenever she asked why, he asked where all they removed her hair at the spa. Her face would instantly turn red, she was sure he already knew the answer. She was never good at concealing her emotions, especially with things like that- it was just too embarrassing and the fact Mugen knew was too much. So she decided to leave the matter alone, but it was still itching at her. There was no way that Mugen would just leave a place full of food, places to sleep and presumably, sake and women. It was like he was having a tantrum about something, and because of it she was caught up in his "mood". The least he could have done was let her get something to eat, but she hardly even had a chance to say goodbye to Hinata or his mother.
They had been so kind to her, they made her feel and look like a girl again. Travelling like this always made her look horrible- at least she felt that way. Sure, she wasn't exactly the feminine type, no matter how much she tried to be but she still liked good hygiene. Tucking a still silky strand of hair behind her ear, she was letting her hair remain down until it got too dirty to look presentable. Mugen might not care how he looks but she still had some standards for herself, and somehow looking dirty seemed to fit Mugen.
He was a gruff looking guy, and having a bit of dirt on him just seemed to work but his current state was starting to get excessive. His usually fluffy and wild hair was losing its volume, and his jawline was beginning to be shadowed with facial hair she didn't know he could grow. The red of his haori didn't seem as bright, sweat rings had stained his back and below his pits- surely his shirt underneath wasn't any better. The heat had been almost unbearable since yesterday so it wasn't that surprising that he had been sweating so much. The heat in the forest was almost unfathomable, like it was trapping in the heat and not letting any of it out.
"We need to have a bath." Almost like a sigh, she stepped down on one particularly large fern leaf. At this point she would even settle for a little stream. At least that way Mugen would freshen himself up and she could try to tackle washing his clothes. It was a chore that was cast upon her during their original journey, and now it was like an unspoken rule- she was on laundry duty. Thankfully for her, nee-san from the Inn had washed her kimono while they were there but Mugen's hadn't been washed, since well, she actually had no idea. The last time they were at a stream or river she was still out of it, she was still caught in her own self pity to do anything. Eyes widening she couldn't help but gasp at the idea that popped into her head. "You don't suppose this mountain has any hot springs, do you!?"
"How the hell would I know? And even if there is, I don't like bathing with monkeys." Looking over his shoulder he looked to her face, he couldn't help but wait for her response.
"Who are you calling a monkey?!" Flipping her hair she rested her hands on her hips and pushed her chest up. "-I'll have you know I was called a natural beauty when I was in Fukui."
Clicking his tongue, he shook his head before twacking her on the forehead. He made a quick note that he still couldn't feel anything with his right hand, but the tingling sensation was gone. "You mean by that homo?"
"Ow!" Smacking his hand away, she rubbed the now sore spot on her head. "Hinata isn't gay! Or.. at least I don't think he is, but either way, a compliment is a compliment!"
"Hmph yea whatever, if he called ya a natural beauty or whatever then why the hell did you get all that shit put on your face?" Arching a brow at her, she still had the makeup on. She had been guarding her head like it was some kind of treasure, trying not to smear it or ruin it. What was the point? It was going to come off eventually and he didn't like the way it made her look. It wasn't Fuu, she wasn't supposed to look like that, she looked like an actual girl. It was all getting to be too much for him, he needed some other female company and fast. 'Yea..that's what it is. Just been spending too much time with this brat.' His mind and body has been so deprived that it was starting to respond to her- at least that was the conclusion he had come to.
"It was a treat from his mother actually. They saw all my scars and bruises-" Pressing her lips tightly together, she cut herself off. 'Yeah...that's right, it's not that they were trying to be nice. They saw me as pitiful. A girl covered in filth, scars, and bruises and they couldn't have me leaving their business like that. It would look bad on them if they did.' Placing her hands on his chest she pushed him. "Now, now, let's just keep going. Maybe there are some hot springs here!"
"Yea whatever, ya don't have to push me." Even though he said that, he allowed himself to turn around while the small woman behind him pushed him onwards. A small breeze seemed to break between all of the greenery, making its way past them. The familiar scent now lingered on the air, and he couldn't help but nod his head to the side- thinking that the heat made sense. "Well, if we don't hurry up and find somewhere we will be gettin' a shower tonight."
"What? But It's so hot out!" Looking up, she could see a small part of the blue sky through all of the branches and leafs."Even if it does rain, it's so thick here it should cover us. Right?"
"Not bloody likely."
"Well, maybe we should try to make some hats then if-"
"Shhh!" Clasping his hand over her mouth he held up the opposite index finger in front of his face. Quirking his head to the side he let out his signature cackle. "-ya hear that? Sounds like dinner to me."
Curling her lips inward, she didn't like the feel of the poorly done stitches on her face. The stitching on his hand was surrounded by darkening scabs, some of which Mugen had started to pick at earlier today. Pushing his hand away she tried to listen for whatever it was that he was hearing. Raising both of her eyebrows at him, she couldn't help but think he was crazy. She didn't hear a thing, and she had seen Mugen attempt to hunt before- and it never worked out. As stealthy and quick as he was during a fight, he seemed to be useless when it came to approaching an animal.
"I don't hear anything. Are you sure you're not just losing it?"
"I ain't losing shit. It's this way!" To Fuu's amazement, Mugen dashed off to their right with amazing speed, especially considering they were standing still.
"HEY MUGEN!" Almost in a growl, she followed his path. If it wasn't for the bright red of his haori, and the swaying of disturbed branches and leafs she probably would have lost him. "Stupid Mugen...going off like that...leaving me..who does he think he is...I'm wearing a kimono for heaven's sake.." Every few steps she mumbled, complaining under her breath. She wasn't able to take wide steps like him, and the bottom hem of her kimono kept getting caught. Each time she would be snagged she would stop and carefully remove whatever was impeding her progress, trying not to rip her already soiled clothing. "MUGEN WAIT!" Rushing a few more yards, the green under her feet soon started to turn into wet roots and slimy rocks. Being mindful of where she stepped next, she rested her hands on what seemed to be the last standing tree that lined what could be considered a mountain bog.
Moss attached itself to all surrounding rocks and fallen trees, new and different kinds of grass grew out of the dark and clouded water. Slapping her face, she stopped a mosquito that seemed to be trying to get a taste of her. Not that getting rid of it did much good because soon it seemed she was the epicenter for a swarm of them. Crouching down on a rock at the edge of the water was Mugen, his boney knees were out to the side, he balanced on the balls of his feet with his geta's trapped in his right hand.
"Mugen, what are you doing? The water here is gross, I doubt there's any fish." Flailing her hands around her head, she tried to keep the mosquitoes away from her face but the never let up.
"I ain't here for fish."
Like a cat or some kind of bear, Mugen's hand shot down into the water and emerged with a large soft bodied creature in his hand. There was no mistaking the sickly shade of murky green and beige with dark brown blotches, it was a large toad. Fuu's mind barely began the process of thinking on how many they would need to fill their bellies, and how long it would take to cook them before the toad disappeared into Mugen's mouth.
"MUGEN THAT'S DISGUSTING!"
Turning his head, he looked at her with puffed up cheeks and a long fighting leg sticking out between his lips. His eyes looked undaunted, and with a large crunch he seemed to adjust the toad in his mouth and continued to chew until he was able to fit the other leg in. Covering her mouth, she wanted to gag, and she was suddenly questioning exactly how capable this guy really was. One moment he was like an unstoppable machine, and the next, well..he was like this.
His hands splashed down into the water, quickly picking up another toad of equal size.
"MUGEN! DON'T! PUT IT DOWN!... AT LEAST COOK IT FIRST!"
Poking at the small dying fire, Fuu brought up some of the dirt and ashes, trying to smother what was left. She felt better now that she managed to eat, it took awhile but she needed some time to get over watching Mugen eat 3 live toads. After making a small fire, and catching one of her own she skewered it and roasted it. Setting down the small stick, she was happy to not see any more flames, and karma seemed to be at work in a bush nearby. Walking closer to the bush, Fuu perched her elbows on her knees and rested her head on her folded hands like a cradle. Placing the white end of a blade of grass in her mouth, she chewed on it. This is what he gets for not being patient, and for his bad attitude he's had since Fukui. She couldn't help but grin as she could hear him grunt and he tried to push again.
"Are you almost done? The sun is going to go down soon, and didn't you say it was going to rain?" Although, she still didn't have a good view of the sky so she really didn't know what time it was anymore but their surroundings seemed to be growing darker. Twirling the blade of grass between her lips, most of the moisture was already gone. "Just push it out already...sheesh."
"Rrr...I'm trying.. just leave me alone." His voice was more like a grunt. He felt like he was going to pop a vessel with the amount of pressure what was building. He had been squatting in the bush for almost an hour now and still there was nothing- but whenever he stood up he could feel his stomach bubble and clench.
"I told you not to eat that frog, especially raw." Spitting out the blade of grass, Fuu grabbed another one and placed the juicy white end in her mouth. She wasn't against eating frogs, but at least she had the patience to cook them first. Mugen went wild and shoved the largest ones he could into his mouth like it was the last piece of meat on the earth. From behind the bush she could see the top of his head, it bobbed every now and then. She could only imagine the expression on his face but he really seemed uncomfortable while they were walking earlier. "If you would eat more greens you wouldn't have this problem you know."
"Unless the next words out of your mouth are a solution..don't talk."
Letting out a large sigh, Fuu reached over and patted him on the head like a child. "There, there. I'll go see if I can find something. IF you deduct 50 dumplings." Somehow, he seemed to tense up even more under the light pressure of her touch. Even if he said no, she would still go get it anyway. Mugen's body was like a never ending powerhouse, his stomach was always able to process everything he sent its way. But not this time, she had never seen him quite like this before. Most times the results of his strange gluttonous behaviour would just wreak havoc on her nose.
"Fuck off."
"I'll take that as a yes. Don't go anywhere, I'll be back!" Running off back in the direction from which they came, there was a particular leafy green she was looking for, wasabina. After catching her toad, and finding where Mugen had perched himself she was sure she saw the light green bundle with yellow flowers along the way. Humming a little tune, she eyed both sides of her self made path as she walked. Everything all looked the same to her, there were a few plants that she could recognize, and they could be used for things like teas and applied to wounds but they didn't have the other supplies to make full use of the ingredients. Chances were that any of these plants would work the same as wasabina but it was something familiar to her and she knew there was no extra risk in eating it. "Maybe this wasn't the way..." Scratching her chin she looked around. She was sure this was the way that the bog was, and somewhere between there and where Mugen was, should be the wasabina.
Crawling out from a long nap in her kimono, Momo perched herself on Fuu's shoulder after pressing her small wet nose to Fuu's cheek, like a good morning kiss.
"Oh, hi Momo-san." Gently petting her furry friend, Fuu looked around trying to see any sign of the bog or the wasabina. "Where do you think it could be?"
"An' where the hell does she think I'll go huh?" Smacking his legs, he tried to wake them up but the tingling sensations started to grow. He had been sitting like this for over an hour and his legs were finally starting to fall asleep. "Seriously.." Lifting his shorts back up he sprawled out on his back, rubbing his disturbed stomach. He had tried long and hard enough with no results, so maybe with time it would all just go away. Or maybe the girl would find something to help. 'She's more likely to get lost...' Sitting up, he took a quick peek in the direction that he assumed she went in, there was no sign of her, nor flash of colour from her kimono. "OI, DON'T GET LOST CAUSE I'M NOT LOOKING FOR YA!" The sounds of scared birds flying was enough confirmation that his voice must have carried far enough, so he laid back down and draped an arm over his eyes.
Birds flew out from trees a few rows away from her, startling her, especially since everything had been undisturbed. Resting a hand on her fast beating heart she let out a sigh of relief. 'I wonder what got them in a frenzy..' Jumping from Fuu's shoulder, Momo attached herself to a nearby tree. Scurrying up a bit heighter, Fuu watched as Momo wiggled her nose- taking in the scents around.
"What do you smell Momo-san?" With strong and skillful jumps, Momo leapt from tree to tree, away from Fuu. "Momo-san! Not again! Wait!" Once again for the umpteenth time, Fuu dashed off after the flying squirrel. The bushes continued to pull at the hem of her kimono, she could feel the material tug and she pressed on, not wanting to lose sight of the fluffy grey animal. "GWAH!" Falling forwards, she blocked her face from hitting the ground, which was probably one of the few spaces that wasn't being occupied by overgrown shrubs. Bracing herself up on her elbows, she looked back to see the culprit that had tripped her. A large tree root had sprouted through the ground, waiting for unexpected victims like her. Wiggling her toes on her left foot, she knew right away that the strap on her tabi had broke. "Great..just great." Standing up, she took the broken tabi, and inspected where it had broken off. The strap that separated her toes at the front had pulled out of the grove, and she didn't have the time or the knowledge on how to repair it. "What is this?! Seriously!" In a fit, the broken tabi got tossed, rustling a bush as gravity went to work with it.
Muttering some profanities that even surprised herself, she went to retrieve the broken footwear. Even if it was broken, it would be better than nothing. Rustling through the bushes that she thought it went in, she pushed some yellow flowers out of the way. "Way to keep your cool Fuu.." Grabbing the tabi, Fuu stopped for awhile, looking at the yellow flower and the green ruffled leafs. "AH HA, FOUND YOU!" Inspecting the leafs, she rustled about until she found the ones darker in colour, and that had lost their yellow flowers, picking a few large leafs she had almost forgotten about the critter that had lead her this way. "Momo-san! Where did you go? Momo-san!"
A blur going from one tree to another caught her attention, but it seemed to be going up an incline on the mountain. Today they had managed to fight a rather level area for walking, and her legs were thankful for that but she didn't want to leave Momo here. Slipping the broken tabi around her wrist, and the wasabina leafs in her obi, Fuu bolted after the blur she assumed was Momo.
"Momo-san! Please...wait!" Trying to catch her breath, Fuu stopped momentarily. Looking at the small critter on the tree in front of her, everything seemed to have gotten darker in the blink of an eye- not able to make out the features, but the big beady eyes were enough for her to know it was her furry companion. "Where...are..you going?" Each word was mistake as it kept her from bringing in the air that her body ached for.
Lungs burning and sweat dropping down her forehead, she really just wished Momo would cooperate. Twisting her hair up, she pulled out the hair stick that had been decorating her obi since the other night. The jade bead hanging from the end swayed as she found the right placement to keep her hair from unraveling. Just as she finished, Momo continued on. Fuu was quick to follow, and soon the incline levelled out once again. With one finale leap, Momo began to scurry across the ground and the trees seemed to disappear, finally revealing the sky above.
The sun had almost set completely, and the moon and stars were no where to be seen because of the dark cloud coverage. With a tremendous boom, the air seemed to vibrate with the skies warning of what was to come.
The thunder had thrown Fuu off for a moment, and she stumbled to the ground when Momo had abruptly stopped. Falling to the ground once again, Fuu's face was next to Momo, almost touching the soft fur with the skin of her cheek. "Aya Momo-san...One of these days I won't be able to find you, and then what-" Blinking a few times, Fuu scurried up onto her hands and knees, crawling closer to get a better look at what she thought she saw. She went as far as the ground would allow her as there was a sudden drop off a few inches away from the tips of her fingers. Down below the drop off, and a short walk away there was a distinct square shape erecting out of the ground. '"A hut! Momo-san, you're amazing!"
She was elated, a place to sleep! From where she was she couldn't see any light from a fire or lantern, which meant it had probably been long forgotten about. The sky released another ear deafening boom, and without a moments delay, a droplet of water caught Fuu on the tip of her nose.
"Huh?" Bringing a hand up, she wiped the droplet off, looking up to the sky. By the time her eyes adjusted to the darkened surroundings above, large heavy drops cast down upon her. There was no build up or mercy shown by the rain. Each drop hit her body hard, like the sky had been holding it, waiting for the right moment to release. "Momo-san, hurry out of the rain!" Opening up her kimono for the squirrel, she waited while hunching her shoulder and ducking her head. But Momo never came, she was gone, again. Gritting her teeth, she wanted to curse Momo for leaving again. Had she gone down to the hut? Did she find a tree with a snack in it? There was no telling for sure, but either way, Fuu needed to find her and to find Mugen to show him the hut.
Standing back up, she placed her right foot down first and brushed off her kimono as she planted her left foot down as well. But haven forgotten about the tabi that was hanging off of her wrist instead of her foot, there as a noticeable height difference between the legs now, causing Fuu to stumble backwards.
A weightless sensation overtook her, and her stomach did a flip when her bare foot slipped on the grass along the edge of the drop off. It was a feeling she had felt before, when she had held onto a small root over a river. But there was no river here, nothing to ease the fall. Her widened doe like eyes seemed to slow everything down for her as what was once level with her, soon rose above.
Rubbing his stomach, the bubbling and churning still hadn't let up. Raising a knee off the ground, he took a few gambles, with light pushes, it seemed to eased up some of the pressure. It wasn't exactly what he was hoping for but it was progress. Moving his arm from over his eyes he stared up at the trees that blocked his view from the sky. Everything already looked darker, maybe he had been lying there longer than he thought- it felt like only a few minutes but with the pain in his gut it was hard to concentrate on anything else. Slowly sitting back up, he lounged on the palms of his hands with his arms extended out behind him.
"How long is she gonna be?" Looking off in the same direction as earlier, his eyes had to adjust more to the lighting, or lack of. It was hard to separate the branches and bushes from one another as they seemed to blend into the same dark blues and greys. "For fuck sakes.."
Standing up, he swayed a bit as everything seemed to be spinning and flipping around him. Cranking his neck to the side, he allowed his shoulders and arms to slump down, almost dropping Fuu's bag but catching it. "Alright brat..what kind of shit show do you have yourself in this time huh?"
Not quite running, but he went looking with long fast strides. His eyes were quickly adjusting to the darkened surroundings, taking in the details of broken and slumped branches, leafs, everything. He had tracked skillful individuals with ease before, and Fuu was anything but skillful. She was clumsy, and loud. It wouldn't take long to follow whatever trail she left behind. Being mindful of a particularly large root sticking out of the ground, he stepped over it. It took but a moment for him to look at the grass beneath his passing feet and see how it was pressed down in a large blob. 'The girl is still a damn klutz.'. Stepping down on a bush with yellow flowers, even Mugen knew what they were.
'If you would eat more greens you wouldn't have this problem you know.'
"Just cause you say so don't mean I'm gonna listen." Clenching his jaw, his stomach did another flop and squelched. He could feel a cold sweat rush over him and so he found himself chewing on a large green leaf that was like a dull wasabi. His taste buds hated him but he hoped his stomach would be thanking him soon. His large legs easily began to go up the incline, following the uneven foot trail that was left by Fuu.
BOOM
He knew it was only a matter of time before it started to rain. He could feel it, smell it, all day. He expected it to happen earlier, but of course they would have the shit luck of it happening to them just as night was fading in. With the way the heat was, and with the thunder, they were in for quite the storm tonight. He could sleep out in the rain, hell he could sleep out in a snow storm and he knew he would be okay, and even if he did get sick he wouldn't care. But Fuu was another story.
BOOM
Large heavy drops fell from the sky like a sheet being laid down. In an instant he was wet- and damn it felt good. He had been so hot and sticky the last while, and even his stench was bothering him too. When Fuu mentioned it earlier he really couldn't argue with her on how bad he was which was why he resorted to calling her a monkey. Whenever she had her hair pulled back and she puffed out her cheeks she looked like one, at least 3 years ago she did. Rolling his eyes, it was an automatic response at this point. Whenever she puffed out her cheeks it was because he apparently said or did something that she didn't like. So of course, in response to that he would just shrug and roll his eyes at her, because why the hell should he care what she says or thinks?
'I shouldn't, and I don't.'
Out from the darkness, a small creature lunged at him, which almost caused him to whip out his blade until he recognized the small soaked creature clinging to his shirt.
"-An what the hell are you doing here without the girl?"
Blinking it's large animated eyes, all of its whiskers twitched. Scurrying around Mugen's side, the squirrel tried to find refuge from the rain until his haori. 'At least I know I'm getting close'
Reaching the top of the incline, he saw the one shred of colour that was left in the darkness of the mountain. Pink and yellow, stumbling backwards, away from him, and being pulled down by gravity.
"FUU!"
A tight grip squeezed her wrist and just like that, the weightless sensation was gone. Opening her eyes that she hadn't realized she shut, she looked up through the heavy rainfall. There was no stopping the water drops from blurring her vision but she could see it clearly, her saving grace- red.
"M-Mugen!"
His right hand tightly gripped onto her, and most of his upper body was hanging over the ledge as well but somehow he was keeping his balance.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
"OI OI! Never mind that, just pull me up!" Holding her free hand up, it was instantly met with his. Desperately holding on his hand, the rough lines of the stitches and scabs dug into her cold wet skin. Little by little she could feel herself being tugged higher and higher until she was finally on level ground. She hadn't realized how scared she actually was until she realized her legs were shaky and she was unable to stand up. Sitting on the ground, Mugen seemed out of breath, having his legs sprawled out on either side of Fuu, she was trapped by her companion. A cliff behind her, his legs on each side, and him in front. Letting go of his hand, she wanted to show him the hut, even though it was dark he might be able to spot it through all the rain- but he didn't loosen his grip. "Mugen-"
"Do you have some kind of death wish!? What the hell were you doing?!" The heavy drops continued to fall down on them, stinging the skin each time they did- both of their bodies were cold making each raindrop like a whip. His eyes bore into her with a new kind of intensity. Holding her wrist, he felt how boney it really was, he felt like he could snap it with just a bit more pressure. Hell, maybe if he did do it she wouldn't go wandering like this. "Why'd you come this far huh?!"
"I came to find you some-"
"-Don't be worrying about me so damn much! I ain't your responsibility-" Pulling her hand and wrist, she was tugged closer to him, practically pressing her into him. "-worry about yourself for once!"
She was so close to him, she wasn't exactly sure where to look. At first his eyes were magnetic, pulling her gaze directly to them, but it her stomach started to twist and knot- maybe she was starting to react to the frog she ate earlier. It was strange having Mugen look at her like that so she managed to pull her eyes from his, looking everywhere but there. Creased formed on his forehead from his brows being pushed so tightly together, his lips were in a defined frown. Every feature of him seemed undaunted by the drops that caressed every bump and crease of his face.
"There's a hut. Down there. That's why I was here." Somehow her eyes got pulled back to his, her peripheral vision saw his brows and lips relax.
"Why didn't you say so, idiot."
Pushing a large wooden table out of the way, it crashed to the ground. But instead of the usual thud, it squelched under the mud made by the rain. The door easily opened, which was a good sign, and an unpleasant odor didn't travel out from within. The two of them didn't waste much time getting in, but it was so dark they weren't able to make out anything on the inside. After fumbling around, Mugen managed to scrape off the mud from his geta's and dried them off on something which made him able to create a spark on the fire pit in the center of the room. Unfortunately, Fuu was the one who found it because she tripped over the stack of wood that was left piled neatly in it- but it was convenient for the two of them.
Once the spark finally took to the wood, it didn't take long until it grew into a steady flame- lighting up the room. It was smaller inside that she had thought it would be. It was almost a perfect square, except the floor by the door was almost ground level, and everything else was raised up about a foot or two- most likely an attempt at keeping water or bugs away. There were hardly any cobwebs in the corners, and there wasn't anything left except a small pile of wood in the corner, some posts that were most likely used for hanging pots and pans and a white sheet draped over the only window. Momo, scurried out from under Mugen's clothing and curled up into a small ball on the window ledge.
"Fwah! What are you doing Mugen?!" Covering her eyes, Fuu turned her back to him.
"Hah? What's it look like?" Dropping his haori and shirt on the ground he already felt warmer. They were beyond soaked and they probably wouldn't be dried by morning unless they managed to hang them up over the fire. Running his fingers through his wet tangled locks, he dipped his nose into one of his pits- to his surprise he didn't stink so much anymore because of the rain. "Unless ya want to get hypodermia, strip."
"Hypodermia? I think you mean-" Without thinking much about it, she turned around just as he began to lower his shorts. "-hypothermia.." She could see the water dripping from his hair still, and from the bottom hem of his shorts. The water from his hair dripped down onto his chest, making it's way over the narrow lines between his muscles, and eventually brining her eyes down as it travelled past his belly button. His thumbs were hooked in the front of his waist band, bringing them low on his hips- revealing his prominent pelvic bones. He didn't seem to notice where her eyes fell but shaking her head, she quickly snapped around again. "Don't take your pants off! You pervert!"
"If ya don't like it, then don't look."
She could hear his soaked shorts drop to the ground, along with a undertone snicker.
"Trust me, I won't look! But what's going to keep you from looking at me huh? I don't want you to try anything weird."
"Trust me-" Pulling the white sheet from the window, he tossed it over Fuu, covering most of her. "-I'm not interested in flat chested kids."
'I'll show you who's flat chested and who's not!' Gritting her teeth, she pulled the sheet off of her. Keeping her eyes shut, she tossed it back at Mugen, or at least where she thought he was. "Cover yourself first, and your eyes!" Holding her hands in front of her chest she fidgeted. She was nervous, she knew Mugen wasn't interested in her, and she wasn't interested in him but she didn't want to take any chances at being seen. "I-I don't want you to see me, or anything.."
"You're a real pain in my ass." Kicking his wet clothes on the lower part by the door, he sat down, letting the sheet cover himself completely. "I'm covered, now hurry up before I decide to take it off."
Looking over her shoulder, she was happy to see he was telling the truth. He was sitting close to the fire, covered by the sheet like a little ghost. "-And when I'm done you need to keep your eyes closed so I can take the sheet back, got it?"
"-Got it."
"Fine.." Keeping her back to him, she took a deep breath. Her numb fingers started undoing her bright yellow obi, which seemed dulled by the water it had absorbed. She really was soaked from head to toe- her hair felt heavy, and it hard started to unravel from the quick style she had done on the way to find Momo. Beneath her feet was a puddle that was only getting bigger by the moment. Pulling the obi off from around her tiny waist, she glanced over at the white bump that was Mugen. 'He really can't see anything...can he?'
The fire was starting to thaw his ice cold skin. He kept his arms crossed and stuck his hands under his pits, trying to warm them. And with his legs crossed he had parts of his feet tucked under his rear, also in an attempt at warming them- but by doing so, his personal parts were exposed to the cool night air. Keeping his eyes closed, he was trying to concentrate on getting warm. 'What in the hell is she so worried about...not like I haven't seen her naked before..' He wanted to say that to her, but maybe she was pushing it to the back of her mind. After all, it was a little fuzzy for him too. He was so full of rage at the time that everything other than her face and the dirty bastard behind her was a blur. Everything was wide open and exposed to him but damn, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember a damn thing about her body. 'Should have killed that guy slower...' The sound of water splashing against the floor pulled Mugen's eyes open, where he seemed to freeze stiff. He could see her. He could see through this dirty, good for nothing sheet.
Her shoulders exposed to him. She seemed hesitant to fully peel off the two layers of her outfit. Slowly, it lowered, showing more and more of her arms and back- but it wasn't bare. Her chest bindings wrapped tightly around a section of her skin, but it was translucent, showing bits of what hid beneath. Seeing her hand reach over her shoulder, her delicate fingers traced the stitching of her flesh. A reminder of why he was here in the first place. Her finger ran along the slowly healing bumps, dropping the kimono even more.
"Are ya done? Tired of waiting here." Swallowing the saliva that had built up, he knew she wasn't done. So why was he trying to hurry her?
"I have more layers than you! And I'm not just going to let my clothes soak on the floor. I'll wring them out and hang them."
"Just hurry." His eyes followed the centre line of her back. She was slender, a petite Japanese woman, but this journey seemed to be toning her frame- or maybe she was always like that? He wasn't too sure but, he wasn't opposed to looking- as long as she didn't know.
Her shoulders rose up and down, she was taking a few deep breaths. 'She's nervous...how stupid..' This was one reason why he liked more developed and experienced women. During something like this they would know exactly what to do to get his gears turning. They know how to sway their hips, arch their backs and stick their tits up. They know how to work a damn room and every man in it. Sure, virgins had their perks, they felt great but they were always so emotional. 'Wait..scratch that...' Clicking his tongue, he forgot the minor detail that most virgins he had the "pleasure" of taking hadn't always given their consent, which resulted in messy tears and some kind of sob story. Pulling his bottom lips into his mouth he bit it and licked it before letting it go. He didn't have the time to worry about that shit, it was in the past and this was happening now.
Her kimono had been worked lower and lower, and folded extremely low on her hips but was still managing to hold on. Tugging at the wet band at her chest, he watched intensively as it made it's away from her front, to the back, and back to the front over and over again as it was untied. The flesh of her back was finally exposed, and apart from the mark on her shoulder, it was flawless. The odd drop dripped down from her hair and down the line of her back. Moving her arms, she hung up the long thin material on a knob on the wall. He felt his jaw almost drop when he got a side view of what she had been hiding under the wrap this entire time. He knew that her chest had grown, and that she had filled out compared to three years ago, or perhaps it was because he hadn't seen a naked broad in a long time, but damn. From the nook from under her arm, there it was, a very noticeable and very distinguished crescent. Without seeing it face on, he knew that they were perky, they didn't hang or sag low like some he had seen.
Taking in a shaky breath from his nose, a part of him that felt cold due to being exposed was suddenly feeling very hot. 'For fuck sakes...this is the girl we're looking at..loud, noisy, stupid as fuck..' But he wanted to see more. He wanted her to turn around so he could see it all head on. Even the idea of 'maybe she wouldn't be so scared of men if she just had sex already-' crossed his mind. But he had to push that back to the dark pits of his mind where he would never go digging around in. 'What the hell?' Lost in his delusional thoughts, he stopped processing what was happening in front of him, and now there she was, the back side of her body fully exposed to him and she wringed the water out of the two layers of her kimono.
Her legs weren't overly long, but that was because she was short, but they were trim and were the perfect base for the perfectly shaped peach at the top of them. 'Fuck...' She was hiding some real treasures under that kimono. Her never would have imagined that her ass was so perfectly shaped. Each cheek was perfectly plump, and well rounded. He always considered himself a breast man, but now he was suddenly appreciating the ass. After hanging her kimono layers up, the damn tempest pulled the hair stick from her hair and shook her head until it fully unraveled, trailing itself down her back. And just like the other night, he had the urged to wrap his hand in it, and pull.
There was so much he wanted to do. But that's only because he had been deprived. He hadn't gotten any action in such a long time, his mind was playing tricks on him, making him see things differently than he normally would. At least..that's what he kept telling himself, maybe seeing her face would make him feel differently, because after all, it was her. And maybe her tits weren't as good as they seemed from the side, maybe she had huge dark nipples, or maybe they were uneven. He needed to know, he needed to see.
'Turn around..turn around and look at me." Biting his lip again, his hand had left the warmth of his arm pit and had now travelled down his body to find a throbbing protruding member. Even is own touch made his breath hitch- it had been over two weeks since he had done this himself, and damn it, he was going to get some relief.
Turning herself around, her arms closed in on her chest, pressing her breasts against them in an attempt at hiding them. Her knees pressed tightly together, shifting her legs in an attempt at hiding her most sacred of places. "I'm taking the sheet back now, close your eyes."
'For fuck sakes..put your damn arms down!' Clearing his throat, his hand below never stopped. His slowly movements where barely keeping him contained, especially after seeing the well trimmed curls between her legs. She had mentioned that the spa or what ever dumb shit it was had removed some hair, but in all honestly he thought it was just her legs, not this. He had seen it done once before, and that woman was damn expensive but it was worth every cent. The only downfall of finally getting a full view was that there were still fading bruises trailing up her legs. They varied from large in size to the size of finger tips. They were a sickly yellow, meaning they were going to be fully faded in a few more days, but it was enough to remind him that she wasn't exactly a play thing. "I don't think ya want to do that. Cause I ain't gonna close my eyes and I ain't gonna be hiding myself."
"W-what, why?!"
"Cause you took too damn long and now I'm warm under here."
"Not fair, I'm cold Mugen!" Even under her own touch she could feel how cold she was, it was like ice on ice. Her body was shaking beyond her control, making her stomach tighten like she was going to be sick. "P-Please Mugen!" Her teeth were chattering, making her stammer her words.
"No." Gripping a bit tighter, he relished the phrase 'P-Please Mugen!'. It shook him, revving up his engine even more.
"What if someone walks in?! I don't want some stranger seeing my naked body. Even if you don't think so, I am a very attractive young woman." Curling herself in ball, she balanced on the balls of her feet and hugged her legs to her chest. "I'm s-s-so cold!"
"Ya know.." Trying to remain composed in his voice, he had to slow his motions, not to give away what he was doing. He couldn't take the possible bragging, or the outburst from her. She would either freak out and call him pervert until the day one of them died or else her ego would inflate and she would talk about how attractive she thinks she is (which from what he could see, he really didn't want to argue that, but no way he would ever let her know). "You keep talking about how attractive you are."
"Ya? And?"
"Prove it."
"Prove it?"
"Show me something."
"What?! No! My face is all the proof you need." Hugging her knees tighter, she puffed out her cheeks. "Besides, if I did you wouldn't be able to resist me, and you would probably do something perverted." Letting out a loud and exaggerated sigh she rested her chin on the tops of her knees, sitting herself down on her rump. "It really is hard to be a woman with so much sex appeal." Internally she was laughing at herself, this was the kind of ridiculous thing she would have said a few years ago.
"A good face ain't shit unless you got something else to offer. I've seen guys with nice faces but I ain't gonna fuck them." Pulling the sheet off his head, it cascaded down his body, covering his legs and his hand currently at work.
She was taken back by suddenly being in clear view of him. Her arms tightened even more and her heels shuffled back closer to her body making herself into a solid ball. "MUGEN DON'T LOOK! CLOSE YOUR EYES!"
"Fuckin' make me. Don't think I didn't see you looking at me earlier. It's my turn don't ya think?"
"No no no, a thousand times no!"
Clicking his tongue, he didn't have time to think about what he was saying. "I bet if I was that bastard Jin you wouldn't be saying no."
"Wha...what the heck is that supposed to mean! I especially wouldn't show Jin!" Although taken back by what he was saying she wasn't lying. When you're bored and doing the same thing day after day your mind tends to wander. Various situations crossed her mind years ago, one of them being if one of her ex-bodyguards stumbled upon her in the bath at any point. Something deep down told her that Jin would have no reaction, that he would look and say "Hn..." before turning away with no expression on his face. Something like that would just ruin a girl's self esteem, and she didn't want Mugen to ever see her because her self esteem would be torn into a million pieces because she knew she was nothing like the women she saw him gawking at. Their tits were almost bigger than her head, and surely they had some tricks up their sleeves, but she was clueless. Feeling her brow twitch and her body still shivering her head snapped up at Mugen, making firm eye contact with him. "Fine!"
"Fine?" He was surprised. Was she actually agreeing to it?
"I'll sleep without the sheet then. If I get sick it's because of you!" Looking at the floor and at herself curled up she was trying to figure out a way to lay down without exposing herself to him. Even if she laid with her back to him, he would be able to see her rear end.
"Stop being so god damn passive! Didn't I just tell you to worry about yourself more?! You stupid bitch-"
"-Hey! What?! "
The white sheet was suddenly tossed at her, blocking her vision and she was pushed onto her back. A favourable warmth pressed itself to her from above the sheet, it was slowly melting the icy feel of her skin. Moving the sheet off from her face, she wish she would have kept it covered. Hovering above her, with two arms on either side of her head was Mugen. His knee separated her legs and the other knee was planted firmly on the other side. The sheet was bunched between her legs and pushed up because of the intrusion of his knee, the rest of it was comfortably covering her upper body, she gripped it tightly over her chest.
"Why the hell do you see everything so black and white huh? You worry about the things you shouldn't! If you're hungry I can take care of that, if you're cold I'll make you a god damn fire!" Punching the ground next to her head, she didn't even flinch. "It's stuff like being aware of your god damn surroundings! You're so damn oblivious to everything around you that you walk around like a fucking idiot with her head up in the clouds! You act like everyone is nice and innocent and caring like you, but they ain't! This world is full of dirty, slimy people and places. Open your god damn eyes!" Looking from her eyes he eyed her barely covered form below. "You were even going to sleep naked for fuck sakes! Stand up for yourself and don't give in so easily! I'm one of those dirty, slimy, people!" Narrowing his eyes he locked on hers, while resting back on his knees he grabbed her hands from her chest, slamming them onto the ground above her head. The sheet still covered everything but it draped over her now obvious curves.
Her stomach was in knots, it felt similar to before when she was weightless. She knew he was saying something but her mind just couldn't pay attention. A few words got through to her but it washed away. Just like before, when he had pulled her up from falling, she couldn't pull away from his gaze. Mugen had seemed different lately, he didn't seem as carefree or humorous. Sure at times he would make a remark, wait for her to respond and then they would have a little back and forth. But usually, when she would get in trouble he would call her useless, pick apart every detail of her, and talk about how she would never survive on her own with a smug look on his face- half joking of course but there was always truth to his words. However, this time she couldn't sense any humour in what he was saying, even his face didn't have "smug" written on it. The grip on her wrists didn't hurt, but his eyes bore down onto her made her feel like she would melt, and his knee between her legs didn't go unnoticed. If it was any one else looming over her she would surely be frightened or scared, but despite the lack of clothing and space, she wasn't worried- she was angry at what he was implying.
"You make no sense Mugen! You're the one that said to strip so we wouldn't get hypothermia! And you're the one that wouldn't give the sheet back to me!" Finally attempting to squirm away from him, her hands and wrists that were pressed to the floor didn't budge at all. Arching her back and trying to twist around, heat rushed to her face and down below when his knee rubbed against her. Stopping her abrupt movements, a chill pricked at her now exposed chest.
Switching from two hands, Mugen fit both of her wrists into one. He could feel his still excited appendage twitch at the sight. He was somewhere between impressed and pissed off. How the hell could she look like that? Why did she look like this? Why, of all people did this girl seem to be without a flaw on her body, other than the marks left there by the son of a bitch two weeks back. Unlike her legs, her abdomen and her chest were milky white and seemed to be untouched- or rather if they were touched, it was with restraint. The two exposed mounds were perfectly symmetrical, they stayed perfectly in place, not sinking to her sides because of gravity or weight. Each was adorned with the tiniest pink bud- hardened from the chill of the air.
"D-Don't look! Pervert! Let go!"
Fidgeting his free fingers of his right hand, he wanted to touch her. He wanted to know what kind of face she would make, what kind of sounds would escape her, and how she tasted. Lowering himself down, he was no longer held up by his knees, but his legs extended down past hers, pressing every inch of him on her. Her chest pressed against his, her one leg was trapped between his and he pressed against her thigh. His right hand fell into a fist by her head as he leaned down on his forearm. "I wasn't brought up well, If I see something interesting, something I want, I get greedy and I will take it." His words were like a growl next to her ear, his head pressed down on the floor boards and the whiskers of his chin scratched at her shoulder. "But-" whipping himself back up, he tossed the edge of the sheet back onto her, covering up her luscious breasts. "Let that be your one and only warning. Fuckin' pay attention and don't be so damn naive."
Removing himself completely from her, it took every ounce of will power he had to not continue on. Parts of his mind were screaming at him, cursing him and begging him to go back, that she despite her protests he could have done it. But it had nothing to do with consent or lack of. The problem was that it was her. It was Fuu. His pride and his common sense told him it was a bad idea, that nothing good would come from it. He was only acting this way because he really needed to get laid, so his body was reacting to anything close to a real female body. Nodding to himself, he was convinced once again that that was the reason he was acting this way. Plopping himself down as far away from her as possible he laid down with his back facing her and the fire. He stared at the wooden planks of the wall, waiting for his body to calm down.
Clinging to the materials on her chest, her heart felt like it was about to explode. Her blood was rushing through her so fast that it felt like it was going to burst out of her veins. Her body felt strange, even her mind was in a frenzy and she didn't know what to make of it. Squeezing her legs together, she tried to ease a throbbing sensation down below but it only seemed to make it worse, jolting her body as the pressure was added. She quickly tried to relax her legs, but beyond that, it felt wet and sticky, it made her stomach twist even more, remembering the last time it happened. That pig had touched her, humiliated her, and her body reacted to it, but not like this. She didn't feel this strange that night. Mugen hadn't even touched her and yet this was happening- was this normal? Everything he was saying and doing confused her even more. Fixing the sheet to cover as much as her as possible, she curled up as tightly as she could, trying to calm herself so she would be able to sleep.
Leaving them alone to their imaginations, expectations and disappointed urges that neither of them wanted to admit to themselves or each other, the pounding rain and crackling fire tried to lull them to sleep.