Behind the Glass

Boy Talk

Jin came back inside about an hour later. Right when he walked in the door he noticed something out of place; silence. Fuu plus Mugen never equaled silence. He rushed over to where he had left them.

Sitting on opposite sides of the room were Mugen and Fuu glaring holes through each other's eye sockets. Mugen was either making a fashion statement or their argument got a little out of control, Jin assumed from the bandage on Mugen's right cheek. Walking in the room, Jin had to hold in a smile.

"Don't worry," Fuu said to Jin as she stood. "The war room is once again safe. Now I'm going to the hot springs. This guy wears me out in the least pleasurable ways imaginable."

"Hey! You can't go yet. We haven't even asked him yet!" Mugen said jumping to his feet.

Jin looked back and fourth between the two. "Asked me what?"

Fuu sighed and turned towards Jin, rolling her eyes in her sockets. "This fool wants to know about what you've been up to since we've split but is to much of a coward to ask himself." She then turned to Mugen. "Just consider this 'boy talk' and ask him or drop it already." With that, Fuu left.

Jin took a seat where Fuu had just been sitting and Mugen didn't move at all, except for his facial muscles which were twitching. There was an uncomfortable silence that Mugen just couldn't take, so he broke it. "Jin, did I ever tell you about how Fuu is a crazy bitch?"

"Once or twice before. What did she do to you?"

"She scratched me with her... claws! I don't remember her being so easily offended back five years ago. All I said was 'You're a good-for-nothing uptight slug of a woman' and she lashes out! She acted all offended by it and everything. Like I really meant it. Psh."

Jin said nothing. He just smirked and sat there. This wasn't the first time that Mugen's mouth had invoked the wrath of Fuu, but why does Mugen care all of the sudden? Jin was suddenly curious about the time they spent together before he arrived, but decided it wasn't his business.

Mugen stopped muttering to himself and looked up at Jin. "And why the hell are you smirking over there? Is something amusing?"

"Not at all," Jin said and dropped the smirk off his face and became once again stoic. "Anyway, wasn't there something you wanted to ask me?"

"Oh, right..." Mugen felt uncomfortable asking Jin what he had been doing since they last saw each other because it was a personal question. And without Fuu here, if things got serious or emotional he had no way of escaping the conversation. But he really wanted to know, and the reason for why was beyond him. Maybe he felt the need to compare who moved on to live a more pathetic life?

The silence was once again getting to Mugen. Screw it, he thought. "So Jin... What, uh... what have you been up to for the last five years?"

"Haven't I already told you?" Jin responded. Mugen shot him a confused look. "Mugen, I've been searching for Shino."

"Wait, so you really were stalking some girl for five years? Haha, come on man! There's got to be more to it than that."

"No, that's it," Jin said calmly.

"Oh," Mugen sounded disappointed. "That's kinda pathetic. There are hundreds of girls out there who would drool in your lap at one glance of your sword. Swords even work for guys like you, Jin. But you can't give her up?"

"I really don't feel like being lectured about love from you, Mugen, since you're--"

"And hey! I thought you were a smart guy! Five years and you can't even catch one girl? We tracked down a man once before, remember? And our only clue was 'The Samurai that smells like sunflowers'. You know this girl's name and what she looks like... Are you getting rusty as you age?"

"Are you?" Jin asked, sounding defensive.

"Yeah right. What does that mean?" Mugen said in mocked shock.

"Mugen, I see the way you look at Fuu. I know you started the fight with her after she told us about Kaishi to make her feel better. Even five years ago, you cared about her. So who's the bigger fool? At least I know what I want and I'm trying with everything I have to get to it. But you... What you want most is right at your grasp, but you're too afraid to make you're move. Mugen, the Samurai that smelled of sunflowers was important to Fuu, and that's why we found him on those clues. I can't tell you why Shino is always out of my reach, but I'm not giving up. So why don't you at least try to talk to Fuu, huh?" Jin stood up and walked to the door, intending on slamming it behind him.

"You know," Mugen said, still sitting and not moving an inch. "That was the most you have ever said. I think I even heard your voice raise to a different octave. Heh. What in the hell makes you think you know everything about everything?"

Jin turned away from Mugen and opened the door. "I haven't been wrong yet." And he left.

To be continued...

Everyone, I am really sorry that I took so long to get this chapter up. Summer has been so crazy, I couldn't even tell you. But I do appreciate all the reviews this story has been getting. I'm glad you like it so far and I hope I don't disappoint in the future. xD