Chapter Four

Just Like Old Times

"Stop it!" Fuu yelled, not daring to get out of the water "guys stop fighting!" They were in the middle of a heated battle, and Fuu was irritating Mugen more than usual.

"Would you shut up?" he snapped angrily, blocking another one of Jin's moves "I'm getting really sick of you're complaining." Fuu groaned and grabbed the towel from one of the rocks and wrapped it around herself, quickly getting out. She watched for a brief moment, the pair of samurai's swords clanged against another over and over, Mugen's Champuru Kendo against Jin's traditional Kenjutsu. Then, Fuu did something very stupid, she got in between the two. Mugen had his sword coming down but quickly pulled it back up, it flying backwards and into the brush. "BAKA!" he roared "what the hell are you doing? Are you TRYING to get yourself killed!" He looked at her for a moment, wrapped in a towel just standing there.

She didn't respond and turned to Jin, who had sheathed his sword and was looking a little embarrassed seeing Fuu in nothing but a towel.

"It took me a very long time to find both of you again," she said after a moment, her eyes narrowed at Mugen "I don't need one of you dying on me, okay?" Mugen sheathed his sword and mumbled something she couldn't hear. She turned to Jin and hugged him. "I'm so happy to see you!" Automatically Jin hugged her back, smiling gently at his friend. Mugen felt bitter jealousy rise in his chest. Why was she hugging Jin? She hadn't hugged him, and he was the one that saved her!

"Yes," Jin said quietly "it seemed that fate keeps throwing us back together, no matter how hard we try." Mugen looked up and Jin was eyeing him. Mugen had said that once before, when he and Jin were fighting against each other. Mugen nodded a little, knowing this was Jin's way of greeting him. He broke the stillness of the moment.

"Oy Fuu," Mugen growled going back to camp "put some clothes on."

"Well if you hadn't barged in on me!" she shouted back at him.

"Well if you didn't always get into trouble, baka," he snapped back "I wouldn't have to save you all the damn time!" Jin cracked a smile, he had missed their constant arguing.

"Well thanks!" she roared.

"You're welcome!" he bellowed back and Jin followed Mugen back to camp so Fuu could change into some clothing.

"You're different," Jin pointed out as Mugen flopped down on one of the blankets.

"Hum?" he opened and eye and scratched his chest "different? Eh I ain't different." Jin nodded. "How am I different?"

"At any other time you would have let your sword go right through her," Jin pointed out "you've learned some restraint."

"I just don't feel like killin' both of you," he shrugged, though he knew it wasn't really a believable excuse. Jin smiled again, he really had missed the two. Fuu came out of the brush, her hair still wet and practically tackled Jin.

"I've been looking for you!" she hugged him again "me and Mugen were going to go find you but wow, look how fast we did!" Mugen grunted again, this hugging thing was really ticking him off.

"Hum," Jin smiled some, his eyes darting to Mugen's sulking. Fuu noticed too and looked at Mugen.

"Hey?" she sat by him "what's the matter?"

"Nothing," he lied "just tired."

"Well why don't you-" she started but a large roll of thunder waved above them. She looked up and winced. Mugen smirked, Fuu hated the rain. Jin sighed to himself and picked up both blankets, draping them over two branches of a tree, over lapping them, he had constructed a small shelter. Fuu and Jin sat under it but Mugen sat in the middle of the thicket, defiantly. It had started to rain and Mugen wouldn't budge no matter how much Fuu yelled. Finally she gave a defeated sigh and got up. Storming across the thicket Fuu knelt right in front of the ruffian samurai and her gaze narrowed.

"You're gonna get sick ya know," he mumbled gruffly. She was already drenched, her kimono a darker pink now that the rain had tainted it. Her hair was wet and stringy and hung in her face. Mugen tried not to think about how beautiful she looked at that moment, her eyes shining with concern for him. He liked the way she was looking at him, gentle but worried, not at all mad like she'd seemed before.

"Well, so are you if you don't come on," she pulled at his ghee. His hair was dripping wet, it sticking to the sides of his face and back of his neck. Everything seemed gray but he stood out amongst it all. His eyes were firm, deep, collected. In a strange way he seemed peaceful for the moment as they both sat there in the rain. Brothel barked madly, him resting near Jin (who looked slightly unnerved at the sight and smell of the wet beast). "See?" Fuu's voice was gentle "Brothel wants you over there too. We don't want you getting sick." Mugen crossed his arms over his chest, looking away.

"I don't care," he snorted.

"Why must you always be so stubborn?" she breathed gently and he turned and looked at her. "Why won't you?"

"Go spend some time with your boyfriend, since you missed him so much," Mugen growled "I don't need to be seeing you two huggin and kissin all night. I rather get sick." Realization shown on her face and she nodded.

"Oh," she shifted her weight a little "Mugen you know it's not like that. Jin's more like a brother than anything. I just missed him a whole lot, you know?" He just glared at her. "What? I missed you too and you know it, so what's your problem?" He didn't say anything, but how could he? He'd either sound like a child or a weakling whining about how she'd hugged Jin five times in the last four minutes and she hadn't touched him once. She seemed to understand, even though he kept it to himself. "Get up," she tugged at him. He didn't budge. "Fine Mugen but when I get deathly sick it's your fault," she declared sitting next to him.

"Go back," he ordered but she ignored him. He growled loudly and picked her up, over his shoulder.

"MUGEN PUT ME DOWN YOU BAKA!" she kicked at him but he ignored her. He set her down under the makeshift tent and sent her a firm glare. She was soaked. He turned back but she grabbed his wrist and he stopped. He turned and looked from her, to Jin, then Brothel and he sighed. She smiled when he sat down. They were all cramped together, Jin eyeing the dog who he'd assumed was Mugen's and Fuu shivering gently. Mugen had taken off his soaked ghee, tossing it near the tree, lucky for him his shirt wasn't wet. Jin noticed Fuu was cold and he looked at Mugen, wondering what either could do.

"You gotta take your kimono off," Mugen said after a while "stupid girl, getting soaked."

"No," she shook her head, her teeth chattering madly.

"He's right," Jin nodded "you'll make yourself sick if you stay that way all night." True, she had another layer underneath her pink one, though it was just a white almost nightgown looking thing. It was thin too but Fuu didn't know what else to do. So she quickly went around the tree, keeping safe under its branches and slipped her kimono off. She hung it over a branch and went back under the tent, wrapping her arms around her legs when Mugen looked at her. Mugen eyed the thin gown that caressed Fuu's skin. Her damp hair clung to her gentle features and she was still shaking. Mugen slipped his shirt over his head and nudged her. Looking at him he handed it to her, not even saying a word. She put it on, it was still warm from his body and she smiled a little, feeling better. She grabbed her towel, the one she'd had from her bath, which was now dry and tossed it over Mugen's head, rubbing madly at his wet hair. Yanking it off he shook, almost dog like, the water from his hair sprinkling over everyone under the tent.

"AH!" Fuu laughed.

"Hey!" Jin grumbled but smirked some too. Just like old times.

Author's note:

Kohaku: Just a few notes for those that don't know, Kenjutsu is the art of samurai swordsmanship and Champuru Kendo is something Mugen has come up with, taking pieces of different martial arts (and apparently break dancing) and sloshing them all together.

Mugen: hey! Don't make it sound like I'm sloppy or something!

Kohaku: I'm not! You have very good fighting skills. Better than mine, I'm just in tae kwon do.

Fuu: better than me at least author

Jin: you will get better young Kohaku, just keep it up.

Fuu: by the way, Mugen. Thanks for not cutting me in half.

Mugen: yeah yeah….

(Kimper)

Mugen: huh? HEY! What the hell! Give me a bath, why I outta…

Kohaku: - thanks much, hope it was okay - And… it did rain so… it was kinda like he got a bath…

Mugen: -growls-

Jin: relax Mugen, she's just saying…

Mugen: I know what she's saying, sheesh… stupid baka.

(Seijitsu Joshi)

Jin: -bows-

(TiNyLoVeBuBBLeS)

Fuu: ewww…

Kohaku: Thanks -