Stupid Author's Note:

I was always fascinated by the fact that Mugen recognized the song that Okuru, an Ainu man, was playing in the Lullabies of the Lost arc. Combined with the fact that Obokuri-eeumi that plays during his drowning scene is an Amami folk song (according to the description in a Youtube video of it) makes me wonder if Mugen would have learned a version of the song growing up. Regardless, it's an incredibly beautiful song that makes my heart ache when I listen to it. If Mugen seems terribly OOC in this, I'm making the excuse that becoming a father probably caused some changes in him. Plus, I think we can all agree that if he and Fuu had a daughter that she would be Daddy's little princess and have him wrapped around her finger. Daddy!Mugen gives me feels, alright?

Also, I know songfics are terribly clichéd, but DAMMIT THIS SONG IS BEAUTIFUL AND DESERVES A FIC.

I don't own Samurai Champloo *sighs wistfully*

Lullaby

The cry of his baby girl wakes Mugen from a fitful dream. The memory of the moonlight dancing on the water above him and the muted sound of his own heartbeat in his ears as he sank deeper fades, and he cracks his eyes open to the sight of Fuu curled up next to him. The dent between her eyebrows and the shadows under her eyes speak of many nights of being woken by their daughter, and lack of sleep means a very cranky Fuu in the morning. She stirs at the sound of another cry from the small cot in the corner, but Mugen brushes the hair from her face and presses his lips to her forehead.

"I'll get her," he mumbles, and Fuu's tense expression softens as she hums and buries her face in the pillow. She never even opens her eyes, and soon she is asleep again.

Mugen pulls himself out of the warmth of their futon and shuffles the short distance to their daughter's cot.

"What's all the fuss, little girlie? Huh?" he says softly, his voice deep from sleep. Her little legs kick at her blanket, and her little face is scrunched up in a cry. Mugen wraps her in her blanket and tucks her into the crook of his arm. He rocks back and forth gently, bringing up a hand to let her grasp a finger. She quiets, but is still whimpering softly as he bounces her lightly.

"Listen, if you don't go to sleep soon your mom's gonna wake up, then both her and me are gonna be tired and cranky in the morning, which won't be good for anybody," he says, bringing his daughter up closer to his face. Her stormy gray eyes – his eyes – and her little button nose – Fuu's nose – are still scrunched up in a whimper.

Mugen huffs softly, and presses his lips to her small forehead before shifting her to his shoulder, her little face towards his neck. He holds her up by her bottom and rubs her back, but she continues to sniffle and cry into his neck. He sighs, trying to remember any of the other methods Fuu uses to get their daughter to go to sleep after fussing. The only one he hasn't tried makes him groan inwardly at the thought of doing it, but Fuu always says it's her "ace in the hole" when trying to get their daughter to sleep – a term she had borrowed from him.

Mugen begins humming, something noncommittal that doesn't really have any tune, but soon after he starts his baby girl's sniffling quiets. Surprised, he pulls her away from his shoulder to find her eyes open and focused on him. She stuffs her small fist in her mouth, and reaches out her free hand towards his face. Her little brows draw together, reminding Mugen of her mother when Fuu is frustrated with him, and she whines softly. Mugen quirks a jagged brow, but when he doesn't automatically start humming again her whine becomes louder and fussier. He quickly tucks her against his shoulder again, trying to hush her.

"If you think you're gonna get me to sing you to sleep, little girilie, you got another thing comin'," he murmurs. He continues pat her back and rock her gently, but she refuses to quiet down, her little fists clenched against his collarbone. Mugen sighs, knowing that his daughter already has him wrapped around her finger, before she can even walk.

"Fine, you little brat, I'll sing you a damn song," he grumbles, racking his brain for any songs he knew, which honestly isn't that many. Growing up in the Ryukyus hadn't exposed him to much music, aside from little songs Koza used to make up when they were children.

Suddenly, he remembers a woman musician who had been brought to Ryukyus for murdering her husband, and had ended up on the small island where he had been born. He remembers her singing voice was very unique, almost raw, and no matter what song she was singing she always managed to make the song sound beautifully tragic. There was only song of hers that had ever been ingrained in his mind.

He knows his voice is nowhere near perfect, and he figures he's probably tone deaf, but nevertheless he opens his mouth and begins to sing to the little girl in his arms.

"In search of new lands, I build a new house…"

Memories surface unbidden. He and Fuu coming upon a small abandoned house near the ocean, and Fuu claiming this was to be there new home.

"I thatch the house with reed stalks, gathered neatly in bundles,

I thatch the house with reed stalks, gathered neatly in bundles…"

Refurbishing the house over the next few weeks, Fuu puts aside any money she could so they could make this shitty rundown heap into a home. He chops down trees and strips wood to replace the rotten-through walls, while Fuu watches and makes new shoji screens.

"At the stone wall, let us celebrate the golden house, that was built by a hundred black kites.

At the stone wall, let us celebrate the golden house, that was built by a hundred black kites.

Let us celebrate the golden house, that was built by a hundred black kites…"

Finally, they finish and stand admiring their hard work. Fuu twining their fingers together and leading him inside, a suggestive smile on her face. He smirks and tightens his hold on her fingers as they enter their new bedroom.

"The eighth month is fast approaching, and yet I have nothing to wear

I want to dress gaily, so brother, will you lend me just one sleeve?..."

Three months later and they know Fuu is pregnant. She's overjoyed, but all he feels at the time is overwhelming panic. When they tell Jin and Shino, who live close by and have two little ones of their own, Mugen discreetly takes Jin aside and bombards him with questions about the coming months. The small smile on Jin's face irritates Mugen to no end.

"I wish to dress my children and loved ones… in the one kimono that I own

As for me, I will wear vines… that I plucked deep in the mountains…"

Fuu gives birth in that house they remade and claimed as their own. The midwife tries to get Mugen to wait outside, but the look he gives her will haunt her dreams for the next couple weeks. After, Fuu lies reclined against a pile of pillows, sweaty and exhausted with their daughter at her breast. Mugen drapes his red haori over her shoulders, the garment large enough that it engulfs their daughter as well. Fuu looks up at him and smiles, and he thinks his heart couldn't be fuller than it is at that moment.

"The light of the full moon shines down, illuminating the world with its divine light

When my lover sneaks in to visit me, I wish that the clouds would hide that light just a little…"

Sometimes the memory of sinking deeper into the cold dark waters is overwhelming enough that he jerks awake in a cold sweat. On these nights, Fuu folds him into her embrace and he buries his face in her neck, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. He loves how she's filled out since having the baby, because now there is more of her to anchor him to this world.

Only, on this night, his baby girl is the one who saves him from his dreams.

Mugen's voice drifts off, and he shifts the little girl in his arms to look at her face, and sees his daughter fast asleep. A smirk appears on his tan face.

"You must be tone deaf, kid, if me singing gets you to sleep," he says softly. Gently, he lifts her and set her back in her cot, tucking the blanket up around her little torso. He watches the steady rise and fall of her chest for a moment before turning to shuffle back to the futon. He lifts the sheet and slithers in next to Fuu, who hasn't moved a muscle. He slides closer and drapes an arm over her waist, cocooning himself around her warmth and closing his eyes.

"That was a pretty song…" her sleepy voice reaches his ears, and his eyes snap open. He glances down to see her blinking up at him, a small smile on her face. Mugen smirks and pulled her closer, tucking her under his chin.

"Don't expect a serenade anytime soon," he mumbles, closing his eyes again. Fuu yawns and buries her face in his chest.

"Hmm, no, but…teach me…song…?" her voice fades as she drifts off to sleep again. Mugen breathes in the scent of her hair.

"Sure, whatever you want, girlie."