A Case of Misplaced Affection

Fuu stood outside waiting for Jin. She really didn't want him coming in to Azure, last time was bad enough, not that Jin really minded going in. Fuu had practically died of embarrassment having her priestly escort walk into the club looking for her. She hadn't been embarrassed of him, but of herself more so. After all she had been still in costume.

Shivering she looked up and down the block. "Damn it all. Where is he?" She muttered as Vincent stepped outside for a cigarette. "Hey Vinny."

"Fuu what in the hell are you doing out here?" He said gruffly lighting the thin bit of paper and tobacco. "Get inside you'll catch your death out here."

"No I'm waiting for Jin. He said he'd walk me home tonight." She replied happily.

"Jin? What you got a new fella around I don't know about? Thought I knew all about you gals and here…"

"No Vince." Fuu said cutting him off. "Jin…Hayashi? Father Hayashi. Remember?"

Vincent nodded and smiled. "Ah yeah your uh priest friend. Still think that's weird you and him."

"Well you know, old friends and all." She said pulling her coat tighter. "You heading back in?"

"Yeah, just uh, you just yell if anything bad happens okay?"

He walked back inside as Fuu hummed to herself leaning against the wall. Frowning she remembered meeting, or rather finding, Mugen there. The sidewalk was filthy and crusted with terrors enough to make a person with OCD cringe. His filthy skin and greasy hair hiding what she didn't expect to be a handsome face. Her eyes closed as she tried to forget the brackish vomit and putrid odor of a body seeming to rot. Tapping her heel lightly she turned her head left toward the sound of voices.

"I'm telling you eez better if you jus let er go. Jus gon drin and yeah." Mugen trailed sloppily as he followed after Jin rum bottle in hand. "Hey ezz Fuu!" He yelled pointing. "Hi Fuu!"

"Yes, Mugen it is." Jin commented laughing to himself as he waved at the woman.

Not wanting them to cause a commotion at the club she stepped away walking toward them. She was a little confused as to what Mugen was doing with him, aftr all he'd said he would walk her home not he and Mugen. "So you uh decided to bring a friend?"

"Followed me." Jin said calmly. "What was I supposed to do leave him alone to do God knows what at my place?"

"Yeah." Mugen agreed throwing a lazy arm over Jin's shoulders. "I'm unstab…el. Who knows whats ima do alm by mself."

"Right." Fuu said a little confused as she started toward her home with the men in tow. "So I guess I get two escorts then, oh well. Girl can't complain I suppose."

She wanted to talk to Jin, somehow with Mugen stumbling along far from sober she felt she couldn't. There was no secret to her words, but she'd not really had much time to speak with Jin since the encounter with Mugen, not alone at least. Her mind raced with questions that had no answers, none that he'd surrender willingly. He'd always been the kind that required much pestering for any kind of information. Even as kids she'd have to bother him for hours before he'd even begin to tell her anything other than, "you wouldn't understand."

Fuu smiled and looked at the man next to her. No longer the moody little boy from the apartment across the hall. Inside she felt as though he'd not really changed that much at all. He always revealed just enough and left the rest untold.

"What?" He asked glancing at her with a concerned look.

"Nothing, just remembering what it was like."

"Wha what's like eh?" Mugen asked stumbling back to listen in. "Yous a talking bout me? Huh?"

"No, Mugen. Just remembering life before it got complicated." Fuu said scruffing his messy locks. "You wouldn't understand."

He grunted and went on humming something about drinking and women. Jin shook his head and sidestepped closer to Fuu. "What were you remembering that was so amusing?"

"Just a certain little boy who always read complicated books and never liked explaining himself to certain little girl who wouldn't leave him alone." Softly she slipped her hand into his smiling when he didn't draw away. "Remember when it was okay for you to hold my hand? We used to do it all the time."

"I know, before all this." He said gesturing to his clerical collar before concealing it beneath his scarf. "You had shorter hair then."

"You didn't. The Jin Hayashi I know always had long hair." She shifted leaning on him just a little breathing him in. "You haven't changed Jin, you just got older and bigger."

They nearly passed her apartment building in their calm mirth. Jin had to call ahead to Mugen who was more than content with stumbling on till the morning came. The promise of food and a warm home brought him back and heading up the stairs behind them. Fuu didn't have much to offer them, a cup of coffee or tea, she still had to go shopping for groceries so supplies were low. A string of colored Christmas lights hung in the window providing an unexplained happiness in the otherwise simple apartment. Rent was high so living frivolous was out of the question.

"Make yourselves at home." Fuu said hanging up her coat and scarf. "I'm just gonna get changed real quick."

She zipped away and Mugen plopped on the couch heavily. Raising the bottle to his lips he groaned and shook the last drops from it. "Empty."

"It's not as though you didn't have enough." Jin said stretching before taking a seat at the small dining table.

"You drank eet too padre don't pull that holy..er than thou shit on me." He slurred as he rested the bottle on the coffee table. "Where's that girl?"

"That girl?" Fuu said stepping out of her room as she pulled a shirt over her head. "Jeesh I'm gone for one minute and he forgets who I am." Heading toward the kitchen she rested her hand on Jin's shoulder for a moment giving it a soft squeeze before moving on. "You guys like some coffee?"

"Yeah." Mugen said leaning back and relaxing on the couch. "Real strong. You got any food Fuu." He laughed. "Fuu….food."

"I'll se what I can find." Ducking to look in the fridge she looked around before deciding that left over pizza was perfect. "Mmm, pepperoni."

"You need help with anything."

Turning around she saw Jin leaning on the doorframe comfortably cleaning the lenses of his spectacles with a shirt sleeve, a gentle smile on his lips making her heart beat a little faster. "No, I'm okay." She said blushing as she turned to the coffee pot and started in on filling the filter with grounds. "You can go and keep an eye on Drunky McHangover if you like."

"You sure?"

"No." She said pouring the water as she listened to the steam spurt from the machine. "I mean yes." Gulping she placed the cold pizza on a plate popping it into the microwave desperately trying not to look at Jin. "I mean. I've got it all…" She stopped short as he breath hitched in her throat. He stood inches away from her the counter behind her preventing her escape. "Under...control..."

"You seem distraced." He muttered tilting her face up to him with his fingertips. "Did anything happen? Are you bothered by something?"

He was being sincere, she knew that, he only wanted to know if she was okay. The hidden meaning, the forbidden emotion wasn't supposed to be so easily read. But nonetheless she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him into a passionate kiss.

Shocked he tried backing away, but she refused to let him go. Her body pressed tight to his as he moved his hands to her waist running them to the small of her back. Her fingernails were grazing the skin of his neck softly as he leaned into her kiss. It was wrong that he loved her smell and that she tasted like the finest wine. Wrong that she felt so familiar to him. He knew he should stop. "Stop." He managed between breaths. "Fuu, we need to stop."

She paused feeling his fingers on her lips as he gently moved away from her straightening his shirt and hair. "I'm sorry." She said turning to watch the microwave as it beeped signaling the end of the cooking food. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Perhaps I should go."

"No." She started as she placed a mug on the counter filling it with warm coffee. "Mugen is hungry and I said I'd give you coffee. Don't let my foolishness drive you away."

He accepted the mug as she held it out to him. "Fuu…"

"Don't." She said filling a cup for Mugen and balancing the plate in her other hand. "Just let me enjoy it. Don't remind me that it was wrong. Not yet." She started toward the living room where Mugen was comfortably watching television. "Remember," She whispered to Jin. "That's all I ask. Don't forget."

She placed the food and coffee in front of Mugen earning a smile and what she assumed was a thank you. They didn't stay long after that. An hour or so, just long enough to eat and rest before heading back, Mugen without much recourse, followed Jin as he really had no where else to go.

"See ya next time Fuu. Take care." That's what he said as he left following the silent priest through the door.

She smiled in spite of herself as she bolted the lock. She hoped Jin wasn't too mad at her, after all it wasn't so foreign to kiss him. She, at one time, was the one fighting him off.

"Jin." She laughed as she writhed beneath him. "Jin stop it. My mom's gonna hear us."

"No she wont." He said moving his lips slowly down her neck brushing her hair aside.

"If you get going we'll end up doing more than kiss and then she'll hear." She said softly pulling him back up to her lips. "Wait a little longer she'll go back to night shift soon and then we can do it again."

"You make it difficult."

"So do you."

Opening her eyes she stood straight lest she fall asleep leaning on the door. Hanging on to that image was always hard. Even worse when the moments after that came into play. His leaving for school, his decision to enter the priesthood, his stoic explanation of the whole thing while she lay sobbing on the blankets. Her boyfriend had chosen his path and her mother had gone forever. There was no break in between the tears, just as one pain was subsiding the phone call came.

"Fuu? Fuu sweetie is that you?" Vida asked concerned.

"Yeah…it is." She said still sniffling from the breakup.

"Oh honey did you already find out?"

"Find out what?"

"Oh, I heard you crying and figured you'd already been told…"

"Vida what is it?" She asked insistently already sobbing from the distress and sympathy evident in her voice.

"It's your momma honey. There was a man…drugs…shot…everything they could…so sorry…"

She only caught bits and pieces of it after that. It was all too much. It still was, for the girl who had no idea where she belonged. Something didn't fit, didn't feel right. She clicked off the light and crawled into bed clutching her pillow tightly. Between soft sobs only one word was clear. "Father."