I hold no claim to the characters from this kick-ass Anime. Only Ryu, Liza, and Reiko are mine!
Chapter Thirteen
Baseball Blues
"How the hell did we get involved with this again?"
"Because your boyfriend over there decided to dine-and-dash."
"We only got caught because you three morons didn't run with us."
"I'm not a criminal!"
"Hate to burst you bubble there, Ryu, but you're on the run from authority. You're a criminal."
"Just…just shut up, Liza."
The group had found themselves involved in a baseball game with the visiting military from America. Mugen had tried to leave the restaurant without paying for food but the others hadn't been aware of his plans and were easily caught. Liza, who found it all hilarious as Reiko held her head as if in pain, had offered to pay it but Reiko refused to let her, announcing that Mugen couldn't have some one 'wiping his ass' for him for the rest of his life.
Mugen knew why Reiko was mad at him. It wasn't exactly a secret that he and Liza had had sex, especially when Fuu screamed when she found them in the field together. Mugen was proud of it though. Liza still flirted, yes, but nowhere near as heavy as she used to. He knew that he was the only man that she would ever think about laying with and so he held his head high when all the men they came across tried to. He'd only had to beat up a few of them.
Reiko was still…sour about it, but Mugen understood her feelings now. The bond that the two of them shared was something that he couldn't break; something that she was just going to have to get over and accept. It was never going to go away and he was…slowly convincing himself that as long as he was around Liza, then the older woman was going to be there as well.
Accepting that also made him think about something else. They were getting close to the end of this journey. Afterwards, everyone would split up and go their own ways. That meant that Liza and Reiko were going to go off again. He didn't like the thought of the two of them traveling on their own again. He didn't like the thought of Liza going off without him, her should say. The very thought of him and Liza parting ways, especially after what they had shared, it left a bad taste in his mouth.
But was he really going to subject himself to traveling with those two women in the future?
Part of him said yes and another part said no. He didn't have the answers, no matter how much he wanted them right now.
The man that had helped the others get out of their debt had been training them in baseball all night and as the sun rose, the time to play ball was getting closer and closer. Reiko was practicing catching with Fuu, it was hilarious to see Reiko with a catcher's mitt at that stoic look on her face as she tossed the small, white and red ball, and Mugen and Jin were trying to see who could hit a ball further with the bat. Considering that both men were sword wielders, it wasn't hard to see them doing so. The bat was similar to a katana so…
It had been about two weeks since the events that transpired with the remains of Norika castle. Jin and Liza were fully healed again and the group was all together once more. Reiko had made everyone swear not to even think about letting anyone else join their little group as they traveled, even if it was just to the next city. No one had any objections to that and their journey continued.
Everyone knew that it was coming closer and closer to an end; no one wanted to voice it, though.
"So, when are you going to tell her?" Liza asked the man that was stretching beside her.
Ryu did even give her a glance. "Tell who what?"
"Tell Fuu that you're in love with her."
Ryu's cool fell and he slapped a hand over her grinning face. "Would you keep your voice down!" After making sure that no one heard the woman beside him, he gave a sigh and dropped his hand. "I'm working on it." He closed his eyes. "I've decided to wait until after we find her father. She's got a lot on her mind right now, including all the shit that just happened with Sara. After we find her father then…I'll tell her my intentions. That way, if she doesn't feel the same, the rest of the journey won't be weird, you know?"
"I suppose that would help," Liza nodded. "But I don't think you got anything to worry about, Ryu. She can barely keep her eyes off of you."
The man slapped a hand over his face before glaring at his friend. "I hate you."
"You love me, and you know it."
More stretching and warmups took place before the opposing team arrived. Liza took one look at them before bursting out into laughter.
"They're-they're so god damn ugly!"
Mugen joined her in laughing, both of them trying to hold each other up. "If this is what the men overseas look like, it's no wonder your mother came over here!"
Reiko steeled herself, ready for Liza's attitude to flip and her anger rage against Mugen, but the blonde just continued to laugh against the man beside her. She was surprised at first, any mention of the younger woman's mother always made her angry, but it seemed that it wasn't the case when it came to Mugen. Instead, she just watched as they laughed, a small smile on her face.
"Here it is, the matchup of the century is underway." Reiko glanced to the side to see that a man had set up as an announcer and frowned. "The national prestige of America and Japan is on the line."
The Americans had a full team while the Japanese consisted of the six of them, Kagemaru, and a really old man from the village. Liza had tried to convince the elder to sit out, but he had refused, saying he would never forgive himself if he were to just stand back and watch.
"Baseball, huh?" Liza gave a huge grin as a coin was tossed to see who would go first. "This should be interesting."
"If any of them touch you, I'll kill them." Mugen's voice commented from beside her.
She gave a laugh; the first ones to bat were them. "Don't worry; they'd never make it to first base anyway."
Kagemaru used some of his old ninja tricks to get to first and Jin was second to bat, making it to first base.
"I wanna go next!" Liza stood up but Mugen moved past her.
"Don't worry, I got this."
Liza opened her mouth to speak but then gave a huff as she sat back down between Fuu and Reiko. "Jerk."
"He's just trying to show off," Ryu told her.
"I don't see why. We've already had sex; that was impressive enough."
"Could you please not?" Fuu asked from beside her, clapping her hands over her ears.
"That takes all the fun away, though. I could give you a few pointers for when you have sex, you know. There's this certain area that's very sensitive to men but you've gotta be bold to reach in there and-"
"That's enough of that, dammit!" Ryu pulled Liza away from the younger woman. "No more!"
Reiko shook her head, unable to hide her laughter as the game continued.
Mugen hit the ball but decided to run past Jin before the other man could make it to home, automatically making him out.
"Good job, dumbass," Ryu called to the other man as he rejoined them.
"How the hell was I supposed to know I couldn't do that!?" Mugen growled.
"If you had paid attention last night then you would have known." Reiko commented, eyes closed.
Mugen turned on her. "Not you too!"
"Calm down," Fuu waved her hands. "It's okay; just don't do that next time, got it?
"Me next, me next!" Liza jumped up before anyone else could move.
The sight of a woman at the mound made the Americans laugh, she even got a few cat-calls, but she ignored them all as she just grinned at the bat in her hands. Mugen found himself a bit tense. She was about to run bases. His imagination of the Americans trying to touch her made his anger rise; he gripped his hands until his knuckles were white, trying to keep himself calm.
Liza pointed her bat up over the trees. "This one's gonna go far, kids!"
There was laughter from the opposing team; until the sound of the bat hitting the ball echoed around the area and the said ball disappeared over the trees far beyond anyone's reach.
Liza happily blew kisses as she moved around all the bases, bringing her, Kagemaru, and Jin to home-base. "Gotta try harder than that, boys."
Up next was Fuu but the woman struck out, not even trying to swing her bat. Reiko took the base next, able to make it to second before the ball returned to the pitcher.
"Come on, Ryu!" Liza cheered from her seat. "Knock it out of the park!"
"Has anyone ever told you how annoying you are?" The man shot at her, stretching his arms.
"That's not what your little girlfriend said the other night."
Fuu pulled a face. "Ryu's got a girlfriend? When and how?"
Ryu tried to block them all out as he flushed red.
Liza giggled as she placed an arm around the teen's shoulders. "You'll understand soon enough, dear."
The game continued with Jin up to bat again but the American's decided to cheat, moving home base so he couldn't win. It left him open to being jumped on by the fat umpire.
The sound that left Jin's voice made Reiko look up. His glasses had flown from his face and he hung his head.
"I...am ashamed." Jin sighed.
"Jin..." Reiko narrowed her eyes.
"That's three!" Someone called out. "Change sides!"
With three players out, and Fuu being told by Mugen to stay out of this, Reiko, Liza, and Ryu joined the pirate, letting the Vagabond pitch.
"All right now, ladies," Liza grinned from her station near first. "Try and make this fun for me, will ya?
The man up to bat gave a reply that made Mugen's brow twitch as Ryu and Reiko both sighed. It only got worse as Mugen began to spin around on the pitcher's mound like when he fought, resulting in letting a man walk to first and being really dizzy.
Another one received a broken rib when Mugen decided to throw it. Another got hit in the face. Ryu and Reiko both sighed, the man covering his face with a hand as Reiko squeezed her nose. Liza was just giggling from her position, watching as Mugen knocked all the other men on the American Team out.
"This isn't baseball at all," Ryu sighed.
"Of course it isn't," Reiko replied.
As the last, remaining player on the Americans went up to bat, the blond man tossed his bat at Mugen, resulting in both of them being hit in the face.
As both Mugen and the American fell, Reiko slapped a hand to her face and Liza laughed. "Men are retarded."
"And yet we love them anyway." Liza moved to her friend, slinging an arm over her shoulder; she took note of the glasses that sat on top of her head. "Hanging onto those for your boyfriend, eh?"
Reiko glared at her. "If they broke then they would be a waste."
"Nah, I get it. Jin just…wouldn't look right without them." An idea popped up in her head. Taking the glasses from her friend's head, she pulled them on and struck a pose. "How do I look?"
Reiko blinked as Ryu gave a laugh. "You actually look pretty smart, Liza."
The blonde glared at the man. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
"Ahh, don't mind him," Mugen grinned, his right hand holding his swollen cheek. "He's just jealous because he can't have you."
"Aww, is that so? I'm sorry, Ryu; it's just not meant to be."
Ryu shook his head. "I swear to God, if I didn't know you, I would kill you both."
"Is that a challenge?" Mugen growled at the other man.
Liza turned back to Reiko as the older woman sighed as Mugen and Ryu began to argue. Liza chewed on the inside of her lip for a moment before taking Jin's glasses and placing them on Reiko's nose. Reiko stared at her in confusion for a moment when the younger woman squealed.
"Oh my god! You look so cute! We have to show Jin! Oh, he'll be obsessed!"
Reiko glanced away. "Stop exaggerating."
Liza opened her mouth to reply but noticed the light blush that was sprinkled over her cheeks. Liza was shocked into silence for a moment before a large smile broke out over her face.
~I've got an idea~
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