Sorry guys for the late update ) Been sort of busy with some stuff. But here is Chapter 21. Gumgum a big thanks to you for your wonderful comments, I'll definitely be doing some action SOONER than you think ) AND the reason I didn't say "fuck" is because I was tying to be a little 'clean' about it, but hey the story's rated M right LOL YUM great cookies and brownies – I LOVE YOU GUYS! )

Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty One: In the mist.

Mugen had gone outside to watch the sunrise. It was a romantic thing to do, but in his mind, he just needed to get his brain off of Fuu. She was the person who made him like sunrises, made him appreciate how important each day was. But he was a criminal, what future could he have. He thought about what Aki said to him, and it didn't seem so impossible, if only Fuu could feel same way he did.

When he thought he was going to loose her, he broke down, it was disgraceful for him to do something like that ; to let water come from his eyes. And at that moment when he was chained to the wall and Fuu lay struggling under Kao, he regretted not telling her sooner what he felt about her. Yet, now she was safe and with him, he was disgusted with his emotions, and obviously so was Fuu. How could he let her get that close to him. Why did he say it was okay to kiss her, or to hug her, or to lay with her. She was the only girl he never forced, and it wasn't the fact that she had very little body to give him, it was because she was Fuu. The type of wind that gently brushed over water. Mizu was better suited for her.

"Danm it to hell." He moaned grinding his teeth. He hated that guy, if he had been the man he was before he met Fuu, he would have killed him right on the spot. But maybe that's why they were all there again, so that Fuu could meet Mizu, and marry him; have kids with him, have a life with him. He had a lot to offer her. A family name, a home, a noble identity. All Mugen had was a sword, which he used to commit his crimes. He sighed angrily. His situation sucked.

"That bastard." He groaned. And than there was Jin. He was the closest to Fuu, always right there protecting and taking care of her.

"Who the fuck died and made him …" He hated to admit it. Jin was another suitable candidate for Fuu.

"Husband…." He sighed. Jin would also offer her a good name, and a love that she returned. There was no place for Mugen, he didn't even stand a chance. He remembered back to the way she hugged Jin, tightly and with no worry of her clothes or exposed skin; that's how comfortable she was around him. Mugen also noted that Jin went straight to greet Fuu, before properly greeting anyone else. She was obviously on his mind a lot, and he was obviously on hers. Maybe that's why she looked so disgusted when Mugen got off of her, because she wanted Jin.

Mugen's eyes closed slowly, sadness and anger all over his face. This was something he couldn't fix by killing, he couldn't kill to make her love him back. He rested his chin on his clasped hands, quietly thinking of what to do. Aki's words started to fill his head, and he remembered them clearly.

It was silent, but he suspected something in the forest, lurking closer to them. He jumped up and started running. He continued to run until he found a group of Kao's men standing around and talking. They were being lazy, sluggishly searching for him in the forest. He looked back to the direction of the house, he didn't want Fuu getting involved again. He needed to take these men out before they found the house, before Jin's plans went into jeopardy.

"Alright than…"He whispered jumping out. He stepped on one of their faces, kicking the other with his free foot. Both men spun to the ground as Mugen started his killing spree. They took out there swords trying to arrest the ruffian from Ryuukuu, but only one was able to get a cut on Mugen, before he too was sliced open. They all collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud, dead. Mugen sheathed his sword and covered his wound with his other hand. It wasn't too deep, but he was bleeding pretty badly. Somehow, he wasn't satisfied, he had worked off some stress, yet, he wasn't happy about it.

"Meh!" He winced taking off his red shirt as he trotted back to the house. He was approaching close to the house, where he thought everyone was asleep, however, when he listened closely; he heard his name being called out many times. It was Fuu that he could hear the clearest, she sounded distraught. Unable to think of anything else, he dashed off to her. When he cleared out of the forest to the house, he saw Jin, Aki, Shiro, Mizu and Fuu all standing outside in all directions, calling out for him. Jin smiled, relieved. He knew that Mugen had not abandoned them, however, he didn't want Mugen being caught. They were all very thankful. Mugen snorted, calling everyone a wimp. But when his eyes fell on Fuu's watering eyes, and narrowed brows', he could tell she was really upset.

"Why would you just take off like that without telling anyone!" Fuu shouted. Everyone fell silent staring back at her. She was standing still, tears falling down her cheeks. Mugen was shocked to see her worry like this for him. He looked around and saw everyone gawking at him, he felt embarrassed and belittled. It was like, they all knew what he felt for her.

"Baka! I do what I want" He snarled back leaning his head back to crack it casually. He appeared like he didn't care what she thought, but in his mind, he liked that she was worried for him. Fuu's body trembled madly a bit, her eyes closed tightly as she inhaled.

"When there's nobody left to worry for you, than do what you want! But right now stop making us all worry like that!" She shouted in the loudest, angriest voice in her. It was a terrible shock to even Jin, who had already seen her angry many times before; but this time, Mugen had really tipped her over the edge. Mugen was silent too, unable to comprehend how upset she was. She took a few steps closer to him.

"What did you think would happen if they killed you! That we would all be happy!" Fuu shouted standing closer to him. The tone of voice she was using, and the way she was acting was aggravating Mugen. He felt like he was being humiliated by her in front of everyone. His terrible name was being ruined and shamed by a girl. And why would she care what happened to him, she was the one who hated his very presence.

"Why the fuck would I care if you all were happy or not!" he shouted angrily back at her. He took a step closer, trying to intimidate her, but it wasn't working. Her eyes were still glassy and tears were still streaming down. He felt bad about making this scene, but what did she care.

"And what does it matter if I get killed baka, it's my life!"

"BAKA!" Mugen felt the sting in his cheek after she had moved her hand back down to her side. She was crying feeling her heart sink. She didn't want to hear things like that from him.

"I…I was so…worried about you…baka…" She cried. Aki, Shiro, Mizu and Jin were dead silent. Jin was the first to gesture for the watching audience to go back in and let the two work this out. And Mizu was the only one who needed to be pulled into the house.

Fuu stood still crying her heart out. She looked to the ground, wondering if Mugen would hit her back. But she didn't regret slapping him, he deserved it for saying such a horrible thing. Fuu cared about him so much, loosing him would devastate her, and he didn't even care. She felt her heart was breaking all over again. She wished that he could understand how she felt about him, and actually give a danm about her.

Mugen was silent, unable to think of anything to say to her. All he could do was stare at her, crying away. A light breeze brushed them as they stood there in front of each other. How many minutes had past as he stood there watching her sob, unable to bring himself to do what he wanted to do, to hold her. His criminal ego and no-shit attitude stopped him after he moved a step closer. Fuu braced for him to slap her, but felt nothing, just the wind of his body brush past her. He was walking to the other side of the house, away from her. She wiped the tears on her face, still feeling awful inside. She looked down to the place Mugen was standing, and that is when she noticed the blood on the grass. She jerked back and sharply looked to his direction.

"…Mugen…" She whispered.

…………………………………………..

Mizu was pacing back and fourth, wondering where they were. Aki and Shiro were worried at first, but when Jin told them all was well, they didn't doubt him. There was only a couple hours left before they would have to leave to the camp the rebels had made on the edge of the town's border.

"She'll be fine." Jin sighed to Mizu, hoping that he would stop walking around stirring his own emotions. But Mizu couldn't relax, Mugen was alone with Fuu. And judging by the way she reacted to Mugen, the tears she shed, he was even more important than he had previously assumed. He finally sat down, feeling defeated. He looked to Jin silently eating and than to his own bowl of rice.

'which one is the one…' He questioned. Was it Jin that she fell closer to, or Mugen. Mizu felt sad, not knowing if he could win Fuu's heart. She had already established a lasting connection to both samurai's, who had journeyed with her, protected her; were her companions. He had no history to link himself to her with. But how could he show her what she meant to him when he was always gone. He sighed and started to eat.

…………………………………………………..

Fuu had caught up with Mugen, he was sitting and leaning against a old abandoned hut deep in the forest. It was creepy there, a smoky mist flooded the area, making it hard to see in the haze; but she eventually found him. He didn't know she had followed him. The tree's were so large and thick that it covered the sun, making everything dark. She was becoming scared but pressed on. She was relieved to see him sitting there by the old house. He looked very sad and alone. She took cautious steps towards him, clearing out of the thick fog. In the darkness, Mugen thought it was one of Kao's guard and was preparing himself mentally to kill.

"Mugen?" When he heard his name, his eyes opened slowly looking up to the small ache of light peeking out of the trees. The heavy fog revealed Fuu walking to him.

"Are you okay?" She asked sitting in front of him. He kept his eyes to the small bit of sun light, wondering what he should say to her. He finally straightened out and sat properly, still not making eye contact with her. The tree's rustled, but nothing else was heard as they sat there. Finally Fuu conjured the courage to speak again.

"Gomen…I didn't mean to sla-Mugen?" She was interrupted when he pulled her arm to stand up with him. He didn't say anything, he didn't even look at her as he led her into the hut. She was surprised by his sudden actions, but quietly followed him in. She wasn't afraid when he shut the door securely behind him. It was darker inside than it was outside, just like the night. Her face glowed in the dim light of the fog and sun. She stood there quietly waiting for him to say something. He leaned on the door, looking at the ground with his eyes closed. His heart was beating fast and so was her's.

"I'm only gonna ask this once, and whatever you say, is fine with me." He asserted. His muscles tightened. Fuu nodded, her heart stuck in her throat. Her body trembled slightly watching him. He really was handsome, and when he wanted to be, was very considerate and sweet. She swallowed.

"Is there anything between us?" He asked in a soft gentle tone. He didn't move from the door, and he didn't look at her; making it easier for him to ask. Fuu's heart jumped, and her voice was caught. She blushed looking down to the floor.

"Um…if there is…" She started. She had never said anything like this to anyone. She turned a beautiful shade of pink complementing her already pretty features. Mugen waited.

"I don't mind…" Her voice was soft, carried to him by the wind. He opened his eyes looking straight at her blushing face. She felt naked in his gaze as he stared at her. She looked to the floor, her heart anxiously beating. He walked to her, taking a hold of her shoulders. She looked up still feeling flushed. He had the faintest shade of red on his cheeks when he leant down to her face. She took a step back, but unable to move from him as his lips landed on hers. He held her in place. He had gotten the answer he hoped for, and now that he had it; there wasn't a danm thing in the world that would separate him from her.

Fuu was tense, her eyes still wide open. She froze as he pulled in closer to him. It was her second kiss from him (or ever) but this kiss was more loving; gentler than the first. He pulled up from her, looking down to her glassy eyes, and feeling her tensed shoulders.

"I don't mind either…Fuu…"He pulled her back to him, her face rested against his chest as he tightly hugged her. It all made sense to him now, the world was not such a hateful place. He was not all bad, he could be good, he could have a future; and it all started with her. She was shocked to feel him hold her, and even say her name. In all the time she had known Mugen, he had never said her name. She gave into him and loosened up resting her hands on his chest. He closed his eyes, satisfied to feel her relax in his embrace. He felt she had accepted him. Sex was the only affection he had ever had, but this was so much better than anything he had experienced. Time stopped, and he kept her there with him. He nuzzled against her head, inhaling her scent.

"Mugen…" Fuu whispered gently rubbing her face against his chest. She smiled happily being there in his safe arms. A real smile came on his face. He pulled her back a little, enough room between them for him to prop her head up to him. She didn't get what he was doing until his lips gently collided on hers. This time, her eyes closed and she returned the affection.

"Don't leave me…"He whispered tracing her lips with his. Fuu smiled and let a few tears roll down. He saw the tears and pulled back away from her, wondering if he had stepped over the limit. She looked to him confusedly wiping her tears.

"If it's too horrible for you to-"

"Mugen, baka….I'm just happy." She cracked a smile slightly giggling at his childish silliness. He never knew people could cry from happiness, but he could understand the feeling now. She was happy, with him. He smiled, his eyes soft. For the first time, he didn't feel like a murderer, he felt like a man. He hugged her again bringing her into another kiss.

"Fuu…"He whispered, his lips half an inch away from hers.

……………………………………………………

When they returned, Fuu was blushing and happy walking side by side with Mugen, who didn't seem the same. Jin smirked closing his eyes, he was happy that Mugen had finally confessed what he needed to say. Mizu didn't see the change though, all he saw was Fuu coming home. He smiled.

"Fuu-chan! I was worried. Is everything alright?" He asked rushing to her. Fuu smiled nervously at him, feeling a little embarrassed. How would she explain all of this to Aki and Jin. She quickly ran past Mizu and Mugen to Aki's side. She took step back from everyone's eyes, and was so happy that Jin broke the weirdness that lingered over that moment. Mugen was staring harshly at Mizu, he could kill him before they even reached the camp, and he wouldn't have to worry about loosing Fuu to him. But than he looked back at Fuu smiling nervously at Shiro, who's eyes were twitching at Mugen.

'Huh? The old man gets it?' Mugen grinned. He knew that Shiro understood what transpired between Fuu and him.

"Mugen." Jin interrupted. Mugen turned to face him, as Mizu and Aki said their goodbyes again. She always had such a hard time watching him leave.

"Just remember one thing." Jin said slightly smiling at the not so rough dog. Muged grunted feeling awkward around Jin. Strangely, he felt like he was talking to her father.

"What's that?" Mugen grunted again. He looked uninterested in what the silent samurai had to say, but deep down he was itching to find out. Maybe Jin was jealous and would tell him off, or challenge to fight for Fuu.

"She's still young." Jin smirked and walked away to say his good bye and many thanks to the old couple, leaving Mugen standing there dumb founded. His lip twitch not sure why he said that.

'That bastard knows…'Mugen smirked. He realized that it wasn't the love type of relationship between Fuu and Jin, it was more of a fatherly or brotherly type, and he was only warning Mugen to take things slowly. Mugen looked over to Fuu. She was happily skipping all over the place. A simple kiss and hug made her this happy. Mugen's eyes softened watching her. She was still 4 years younger than him, and she had been through many different things in her life; he couldn't just take her. But it didn't matter, he could wait, wait as long as she needed. He had never waited too long though. His expression changed to something like resembling fear, what if she waited years.

Jin glanced over to Mugen smirking. He was happy for them. He looked up to the sky, it was time to leave now. Mugen had forgotten that he was the one who would have to leave with Mizu back to camp. He groaned. Just when he had finally won Fuu, he had to leave. What if he never came back alive, what would happen to Fuu. He looked at her, her worried smiling face. Now that he had confessed to her, she would be even more devastated if he died. Mugen's eyes narrowed, he was mad at himself. He put unnecessary worry on her. He didn't want to feel her sad, he always wanted her to be happy, even if it was without him.

"Mugen, why don't we trade places. It makes more sense for me to go with Mizu." Jin smiled walking beside a surprised Mugen.

"You." Mugen smirked. He was happy though, he didn't want Jin to be alone with Fuu, it didn't matter what Jin 'seemed' like, things could change in a moment. Mizu was angered by Jin's sudden decision to change plans yet again. However, he couldn't help but feel that Jin had planned this whole thing. He looked over to Fuu's smiling face, slightly shaded pink and than to Mugen's rough grinning face. He looked perverted, ruthless and harmful. Mizu looked angrily at him, warning him with his eyes.

'Don't worry Fuu-chan, you'll be fine. I promise I'll come back for you.' He thought looking back at her again.

OH MY GOD, I know, evil evil evil evil evil! LOL BUT you can't kill me, because only I have the next chapter MMMUUUUUAAAHHHHHHAAAHHHHHHAAAAAA!...okay see you laters