Chapter Three
Enter Vagrant Rounin Jin
"Shaddap!" Mugen yowled for the nineteenth time in the last hour "now I remember why you bug me so much you stupid baka!"
"You're the baka," she grumbled back but he didn't hear her. After a while, she actually got quiet and Mugen turned around a few times, looking at her. It seemed she was lost in thought. She'd taken off her shoes as was carrying them now, which had apparently been the source of the problem. Mugen had a good mind to take them and chuck them off a cliff, but he mumbled to himself how she'd complain about that and enjoyed the silence for the time. Since she'd tripped over him it seemed like she'd been doing a lot of thinking, actually, it reminded him of Jin in a creepy sort of way. He couldn't help but wonder, what was she thinking so much about?
Fuu pressed on, not even noticing that Mugen kept looking back at her worriedly, but then if she had he would have stopped turning around. Lost in thought she gave a small sigh, she wished Jin was with her now. Not that she liked him in a romantic way, he'd always been more brotherly like, but they shared a deep connection that she'd never had with anyone else, and that earned him a special place in her heart. She wondered where he could be and knew he was not with Shino, he had to wait three years before he could see her once more. Fuu felt like crying when she thought of it, she knew Jin loved Shino more than life itself, yet he could not have her for his own.
Sometimes Jin was so silent that she did wonder if he paid any attention. He couldn't be any worse off than Mugen though, since Mugen never heard a single word she said. She wondered how two men, so very different could be so alike. Though Jin was disciplined and dignified, he was still all alone, no family, no place to go. He'd left his only home, the dojo, after killing his instructor. In an odd way, that reminded her of Mugen, violently killing someone. She tried not to think of it but sometimes he just didn't know when to stop. Brothel trotted along side Mugen and Fuu smiled warmly to herself. She wished Momo was still alive, alas, her only friend had died a year before, soon after the threesome had split.
"I'm all alone now," she murmured to herself and Mugen stopped, giving her an odd look.
"What the HELL are you talking about?" he cocked an eyebrow at her. Fuu's eyes widened realizing she'd spoken too loudly and she shook her head, waving her arms in front of her.
"Nothing," she kept walking "I was just thinking about something… nothing really…" He looked at her again, I'm all alone now. He frowned, how was she all alone, he was right there? But maybe she meant in a different way, maybe she meant it in his way, in Jin's way. Maybe… maybe all three of them were all alone, no family, no home to go back to. He remembered her saying that her mother had died, and after finding her father he'd gone and died too. Was she all alone like him? Mugen stopped finally, them walking side by side and he breathed hard.
"I'm tired," he announced "let's rest." She wasn't going to object and nodded, sitting under the nearest tree. Mugen leaned his head back, his hands cupped behind his head he grinned, letting the sun's rays hit his face through gaps in the tree's branches. When he looked up Fuu was looking awkwardly at her foot, a deep concentrated gaze blanketed her face, her tongue stuck out some. She winced, her hand moving back some, then again.
"Damn," she whispered to herself and he sat up, curious as to what she was doing. Why was he so intent on knowing her motives and actions? He didn't like the feeling of being so curious but he persisted anyways.
"What are you doing?" he asked, looking at her like she was stupid.
"I have a splinter," she mumbled, not even looking up at him. He looked at her incongruously, a year ago she would have been crying at the top of her lungs and now she hadn't even whimpered over it. He moved closer and watched her failed attempts.
"That's what you get for not wearing shoes," he scolded softly, not really caring if she wore shoes or not.
"You're the one that told me to shut up!" she looked at him angrily.
"Well you didn't have to listen to me!" he snapped back. She rolled her eyes and went back to the relatively large hunk of wood that had caught under her skin. "Move," he grabbed her leg and she quickly pulled away. "Calm down," he grumbled, taking her leg and moving it so he could see better. He took out his knife and carefully slid it through her skin, wedging the splinter out. She looked at it strangely, he hadn't had a knife the first time they'd met, he must have gotten it since they'd split up. This made her wonder what else he had done since she last saw him, but didn't bother to ask. "There, now shut up about it." She rubbed her foot and then looked at him, her eyebrows moving close together. "What?"
"Nothing," she almost whispered and looked back at her foot.
"Stop doing that too," he snapped "one moment you're looking at me weird and then you say its nothing. It's obviously something, so you should just-"
"Thanks," she cut him off and he paused not saying anything. The two sat there, quietly, Mugen outstretched and Fuu's legs crossed. Both stomachs growled and Fuu started to laugh. It really was like old times.
"How much money you got?" he asked gruffly.
"Enough," she gave a small shrug "for some food at least. Not for an inn." Mugen shrugged, he'd slept outside many times, so had she so it was no big deal. "I take it you have none left," she grinned a little.
"Hey!" he snapped "I spent all mine since SOMEONE had to go and almost get herself killed!" He seemed worried and she tilted her head some.
"It wasn't my fault," she started.
"No," he shook his head with sarcasm "of course not."
"Shut up!" she snapped "you don't even know what happened!"
"Well if you'd tell me!" he yelled back at her "you act like I'm some stranger or something like I don't need to know!" All went quiet.
"I've been traveling since we split up," she said it all very quickly "I was tired and asked to stay in this man's barn, he'd agreed." She paused.
"So?" he asked.
"He came in that night," she mumbled. Mugen looked at her blankly, not grasping what she meant to say. She sighed, sometimes she wished Mugen could pick up on things fast like Jin.
"What'd he want?" he insisted gruffly, wanting her to hurry up and get to the point already.
"Mugen, if you went to go bother someone in the middle of the night," she spat "what the hell do you think you'd be bothering them for!"
"OOOHH!" he gave a triumphant look "well why didn't you just SAY he tried to screw you?"
"MUGEN!" she yelled hitting him. Brothel's ear twitched in annoyance at the pair, who were terribly loud together.
"Ow!" he growled "what? I'm just saying!"
"Well god you don't have to be so damn blunt about it!" she hit him again and then grew quiet "I'm not like you, you know Mugen? I don't…"
"I know, I know," he nodded "you're no fun." She sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Just because you happen to be a man whore," she started out with a small grin and he gave a shocked and amused smile.
"Shaddap!" he ordered through a laugh "you baka. I am not."
"Don't lie!" she laughed "you know it. You're just jealous because-" She didn't have time before he pinned her to the tree and raised an eyebrow.
"Jealous because of what?" he smirked.
"Because-" she paused, losing all thought. Her heart beat hard against her chest, why did he keep pinning her to things? She tried hard to concentrate but she couldn't, no matter how hard she tried. Mugen noticed too, her eyes had softened and she had gone ridged, either with annoyance or fear. "Get off," she mumbled quietly, he didn't respond. "Get off me, you baka! What's with you pinning me down all the damn time? Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean you can push me around, you big jerk." He got off, looking angry and flashed a glare at her.
"You really need to chill Fuu," he said seriously "I'm just playing with you. Geez."
"Well sometimes I can't tell," she growled "you always pick on me."
"I do not pick on you," he stood up and dusted himself off "I joke, sometimes you really piss me off but-" Fuu was looking at him funny. "What!"
"You're acting nice," she pointed out "it's creeping me out."
"Would you make up you're damn mind!" he threw his hands in the air "you complain that I'm mean, you complain that I'm nice. You WONDER why you piss me off so much? This is why! Damn fickle woman, can't tell what she wants…"
"I'm not complaining!" she snapped "I'm just wondering if you have split personalities or something because-"
"SHADDAP!" he roared and she got quiet very quickly. He ran his hand through his hair and rubbed his neck, it was starting to hurt. He closed his eyes, rolling his head one way and then the next. For a moment he was lost, feeling brief moments of release. "You wanna pay me back?" there was no answer and he opened an eye looking at her "eh?" She made a face at him. "Oy," he glared some "come on."
"No way," she shook her head. She wasn't going to touch that man, if he actually thought that she would massage his shoulders, he really was a baka.
"Fuu-" his voice was sing-song but his eyes had closed again, he really was getting irritated.
"Mugen-" she mimicked and he smirked, he liked how she'd said his name, it reminded him of- he shook his head some. What the hell am I thinking?
"Fine then," he started on again "well come on, we don't got all day." They started walking again, the two, this time side by side. Mugen never understood why exactly Fuu had hung around him in the first place, they seemed so opposite. Sure, she had tended to his wounds before, and even smiled at him (though, she screamed at him more than anything). He was disgusted with himself, him thinking of her so fondly but… he couldn't help it. But, he supposed that thinking of her well wasn't so terrible, though it did annoy him.
"My feet hurt," she teased and he glared at her, only to let his face lighten.
"Too bad," he smirked as they walked still. Something dawned upon him at that moment, if she'd been traveling since they'd met, even after he'd left, then her feet shouldn't hurt. So the first nineteen times he had to tell her to shut her trap she was just messing with him. He blinked. Stupid girl, he thought to himself.
"Finally!" he looked down from the hill "thought it'd take us forever to get here…" She yawned and nodded. She was tired and hungry, and could really use a bath right now.
First thing came first, food. The pair found a small teahouse and spent every last coin on a not so large meal. Still, it satisfied the pair for a while, and Fuu had laughed until she had tears running down her face from Mugen scaring the waitress with his eating habits. Sure, Fuu's wasn't as bad as his… but pretty darn close. Fuu had been hoping for a bath, and Mugen shrugged.
"Might be hot spring round here," he looked around a bit "somewhere…" They'd gone back into the wooded area and made a makeshift camp. Two blankets and a campfire was all it held, but there was sure character in the little thicket. It was strangely warm, almost peaceful. "Yeah," Mugen poked out of the brush "this back that way." He laid out on the blanket and smirked.
"Thank you," she grinned happily and he just grunted. She had been so glad to finally get into some hot water. She'd quickly stripped and gotten in, letting the hot water run across her body. She closed her eyes and sighed. The peace didn't last long though, a rustle came from the opposite side which she came and her ears perked. Something was running through the woods, Brothel was chasing it, howling like a banshee. At first she thought it to be some small animal, a squirrel or bird maybe, but when a man came crashing through the brush she screamed loudly. The man stumbled to get up, and upon seeing who it was, a huge smile covered Fuu's face. "JIN!" Mugen tore through the woods, coming from the opposite end and looked blankly at Jin.
"You," he smirked some "figures." Mugen looked at Fuu who turned bright red, sinking into the water.
"Oy…" she moaned.
Author's note:
Fuu: question: why the hell does Mugen have to come in at the WORST times?
Mugen: oy, shaddap baka. I was trying to help you.
Jin: how embarrassing… :blushes:
Kohaku: well, now we found Jin. Happy now?
Jin:nods: hum…
Mugen: is that all you ever say?
Fuu: HEY! What's with Mugen trying to get me to massage him? Are you CRAZY!
Mugen: You owe me
Fuu: do not!
Mugen: do too!
Jin:sigh: and so it continues, the constant squabbles of those in love
Both Mugen and Fuu: WHAT!
(Kimper)
Mugen: Now see, when she says 'Samurai Champloo addict' she means me :grins:
Fuu: Please, if she knew what you smelt like…
Mugen: Hey, will you be quiet and let me talk here?
Jin: if you must…
Mugen: Anyways, LIKE I WAS SAYING, I'll tell you what happens next, but what do I get for it?
Fuu:hits Mugen over and over:
Mugen: OWWWW! STOP IT YOU LITTLE! OWWWW
Jin: Thank you Kimper for the review, please, don't stop reading jus because they keep arguing. Its out of love you know.
(Zottie)
Jin: Hum…
Mugen: I told you :grins:
Fuu: I am too cute its just she's a girl, baka
Kohaku: - so glad you liked it, another chapter soon.
(CrackWhore)
Mugen: I resent that…
Jin: well you do, and you do resemble the dog very well, considering your smell…
Mugen: DAMN, what's with everyone pointing out how I smell!
Fuu: well you stink
Mugen: shaddap baka
(poornmiserable)
Fuu: I just missed them is all :shifty eyes:
Kohaku: suuure. That's why. - You'll find out, later.
(LynGreenTea)
Jin:nods:
(TiNyLoVeBuBBLeS)
Mugen: its because she's weird OW! HEY!
Kohaku: shut up. I'm just creative. Thanks for the review. -