Hello again! I told you I was going to try and update my other stuff, so here I am! As you might have already known, Mixed Feelings was originally made as a poem, or even a set of poems, but I couldn't figure anything out good enough and the other poems I tried were just totally out there. So, I wrote a story instead, strangely inspired by "Jenny was a Friend of Mine" by The Killers. Go figure. Anyway, sorry to all of you who liked this one as the poems; I felt guilty but I thought they turned out pretty good. If you don't like them, well... please don't hurt me!

Disclaimer: Samurai Champloo, in all its glory, does not belong to me.

Chapter 1-Mixed Feelings

(Mugen's POV)

I really hate people sometimes. I sat in the teahouse, drinking the last of my sake and chewing on the stick of the dumplings that had been there only minutes before. I was by myself, sitting in a corner and watching some guy with some fine ladies all over him. Lucky bstard.

I flicked the stick out of my mouth and leaned back, resting my head on the windowsill behind me. My eyes sqinted, then returned to their usual half-openess as clouds covered up the sun. Dark rain clouds by the look of it. As I noticed this, one of the waitressess called out that they were closing because of the storm and in minutes I was walking down the dirt road. I shoved my hands in my pockets and shuffled all over the place in the city, passing a few brothels and restraunts following the one I had just left. I don't really know the name of this retarded city, only caring about food and maybe a girl here and there.

Raindrops started to fall on my skin and I scowled. My sword hilt started up this weird rythym as the rain hit and soon I was walking in time with it. The rain felt good on me, since I had worked my butt off today and their hadn't been rain for a few months. My thoughts suddenly drifted to all those times it had rained when I was with Fuu and Jin. I had always thought that being alone would be easier on the money-bag, but then again I never held onto our "shares". Also, the feeling of companionship had grown on me to where I missed it. At least something happened! Even if it was a verbal argument between me and Fuu, that still got me through the day quickly. I hated the quiet so much... hell, I'd even go for a "Hmm." from ole fishface. What's even worse is that I've already kicked everybody's ass worth goin for in this place so now nobody messes with me. Back then fights came almost every day.

By now my clothes were drenched, but I felt warm from goin down Memory Lane. I guess all people weren't that bad, only the punks who thought they were better than everyone else. To tell the truth, Jin and Fuu were actually closer to me than they knew, since to me we were like some screwed up family. When we separated we even seemed like brothers and sister. I didn't know if that was still the same, since I hadn't seen them for about four years now; there was always the possibility that Jin grew warts or something or Fuu was like a freakin whore. Thinking that actually made me shudder.

I looked up into the sky, the raindrops splashing on my face and rolling down my tan skin. I blinked as a few fell in my eyes and turned back to my usual style of walking: head down and looking at my feet, hands shoved in my pockets. There weren't that many people outside now. I enjoyed the quiet, spare the pattering of splashes.

I suddenly heard someone running through the puddles, and it sounded like they were carrying something. Most likely poles for a broken wall or window. I know that bit of info because the crap jabbed into my back. The person holding onto the stuff fell back on her butt right into a puddle of mud. The rice paper and doorframes tumbled almost to the ground and I picked them up quickly thanks to my qiuck reflexes. I looked at the woman, noting her nice body and the sexy way her hair hung loosely from her bun as it was starting to fall out. The mud was plastered on her soft pink kimono and she wiped at it furiously as she brushed her hair roughly from her face.

"Gomen... I wasn't watching where I was going..."she looked up at me, her face freezing in a shocked expression. It took me a minute for me to figure out why and reconize who it actually was.

It was Fuu. Her eyes, recovering from the shock, filled with hope."Mugen?"

"Naw, some other guy who looks like me," I said sarcastically," Hell yeah its me."

"Nice to see you too. What are you doing in the rain?"

"Takin a shower."

Her face wrinkled in disgust. My gaze turned to the items in my hands as she reached for them."What's all that?"

"Oh, its a long story..." I shrugged, turning to go with her as she started up herself." I don't have a permanent place of my own, thanks to you two, so I live in the temple just up the hill. I was just passing through and needed a place, but stayed after it grew on me. The place feels kinda like home."

I nodded in acknowledgement, knowin where she was talking about since I had passed the place on my own. She stopped as we reached the start of the path up to the temple. "I gotta go take this back, 'kay? If you can, you should stop by sometime."

Fuu left, leaving me to consider what she had offered. It would be nice to stay at a place that didn't eat up my money, and maybe even see my old companion. I was really still stuck on the fact that we had just run into each other like we did, literally in some cases. I had to really admit how nice it was to see her again, especially since she looked different now.

A streak of lightning brought me back to my senses, and I followed my feet until I was at the front door of the temple. I saw her brown sandals waiting at the bottom of the step and kicked off my getas to join hers along with my sword. I went inside and heard what sounded like construction and followed the sound until reaching the central part of the temple. The sounds were louder now, but coming from the right. I went down that corridor to see that it was actually some weird kind of construction; Fuu and a bunch of monks were trying to lift up a new wall to a holey one that was damaged from what looked like water and...burn marks? The only problem with the whole thing was that the monks were freakin sissies and Fuu wasn't very strong to begin with, so they couldn't lift it very far. If they did miraculouly lift it high enough, the roof that had rotted away along with the wall would push up and slosh water down on them. It was actually kinda funny, in a smart-alecky kinda way.

Everyone was too busy to have noticed me, even when they stopped to retry their push. Fuu stepped back the farthest to overlook everything. "Okay, we need a tall person here to steady the rest of it."

"Say no more, a tall person's here," I smirked, steeping up to her to lightly take hold of the frame. A smile crept to her face and she went back to the frame herself."Ready? HEAVE!"

I pushed up, picking up the frame to fit it in the wall, only picking up a few short monks as well. As we finished, there were sighs of relief & pats on the back, but none to me. At first, maybe, but Fuu did punch me on the shoulder."Showoff."

"Hey, it's not my fault these guys don't work out," I said, plastering fake innocence on my face.

That got her to laugh."Glad you came."

I shrugged, actually feeling pride that someone appreciated me swell in my chest. One of the monks suddenly spoke to Fuu, a smile crossing her face again. She turned to me."Good news, Mugen! The monks told me that it's all right with them if you'd like to stay for a while. We've even got a room ready."

I shrugged again, feeling relieved at this. She waved for me to follow her, stopping every so often to talk to one of the monks. Finally we reached the central chamber, taking the opposite way to see doors on either side. She stopped me to dissappear in to one of the rooms, coming out a few seconds later with a pile of blankets and sheets. We moved further down the corrider almost to the end until she stopped at the last door to the right. She opened it with a shift of the things she was carrying and stepped inside. She got right to work to set up my futon and a lantern.

Fuu grunted as she stood up, going to the door."Breakfast is usually around sunrise, so get some sleep, okay? Oh, and the Father might make you do some chores, too, so be ready."

"Wha? Hang on a sec!"

She giggled finally and retreated from the door to where I guessed to be her room. I dropped to my futon sleepily as I figured that what she had said was a joke.

Some sense of humor, I smirked, feeling sleep bite at my eyes. I knew I was tired but I couldn't get myself to sleep. Seeing Fuu was probably the reason, but I didn't know for sure. All I knew was that when I would sleep, I would go for what seemed like years.

A/N Well, there you have it people. I guess The Killers' song doesn't come into play until later, I think in Chapter 2. Yeah. Please excuse my awkwardness;I happen to be typing this at like 1:30 in the freakin morning. Um, yeah. But I do like the way it turned out, and hopefully you did too! Review please!