5 - Away from it all

Jin and Shino were in the room with Fuu's mother. Miraculously, there was still some of that heavenly apple pie left, and Mugen was more than happy to oblige. He had a lot to think over that pie, really. Things kept getting weirder and weirder for him, he felt that he'd somehow been transplanted into a life that wasn't his own. He'd played good guy that day more times than he had in his entire lifespan!

He eyed Fuu out of the corner of his eye. She had a vacant look, sprawled on the table as she was, seemingly trying to get to grips with her mother's sudden worsening. The silence in that small dining room was becoming overwhelming. Mugen wished he could be at least overhearing some of the conversation taking place in the other room, probably doctor fishface was speaking nonesense to this other woman, trying to convince her that girly's mother would make the grade, that she'd get better soon.

He finally stood up, and went out of the front door, to force some fresh air into his brain cells, and to escape that oppressive silence. He craved for a cigar, but oh, well, one sadly can't have everything. At least he'd eaten…! He knew he meant to lie low until this sort of mob of Mukuro's thought he no longer walked this Earth (or something) But it was becoming out of his depth, why he hadn't left yet, before he became too involved. He'd thought some times, when he'd been entagled in really bloody businesses, that when he was through with that, he could perhaps take some long vacations in an island of the Caribbean, far from all that which is remotely civilized- somewhere he could sleep long siestas, and look at the stars at night. He looked up at that moment, and all he saw was the profound blue sky tainted by that reddish hue the city lights gave off. He hated that.

He mused on this project of his, of running away. He didn't have a good head for figures, obviously, but he mused it couldn't be hard to put together the money he needed for a ride to Antigua or Barbuda, Guadeloupe or St Martin or whichever of those minor Antillas. What he hadn't a clue about, was where one was supposed to buy a ticket for the passage there (it was obvious that wherever he went it would be no goddamn plane that'd take him).

What brought him back to the real world was no other than Fuu- suddenly he wasn't looking at a sky full of stars anymore, nor was he lying on a deserted, tropical beach. He was back in the suburbs of that stupid city, where the sky was red, and the girl's mother was agonizing scarce meters from him. A pulse of anger made him bestow a glare on her that she didn't deserve.

Fuu fidgeted uneasily, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. There were goosebumps on her arms.

"Jin and Shino won't come out," she said finally, sounding so childlike and anxious and frail that Mugen's scowl melted into a straight face. He looked down to the tiled floor, and saw how her tiny pink converse wouldn't stay still.

"They're probably makin' out or somethin'," he said nonchalantly, and pretending that would make her feel at ease. She just gave him a stare that meant something like, what the heck, that's sick, are you slow on the uptake or something?

His eyes lit up with mischievousness. "I'd go get your mum outta there soon' as possible…"

Her cheeks flushed deeply in indignation.

"You're a disgusting jerk," she spat at him, "What are you doing still here, anyway?"

He snickered slighly. "I'm gettin' on top of annoyin' ya of course, and why, it's true about fishface and the lassy, they were there lookin' at eachother like they were candy or somethin'."

Fuu couldn't believe her ears. The fact that he'd saved her that very afternoon long forgotten, she retorted, "Ugh, you're a disrespectful bastard! You should just get your scrawny ass going to wherever hellhole you came from and leave us alone, won't you?" And she went on calling him names and telling him to butt off, until Mugen realized that the girl could apparently talk the hind legs off a donkey if properly handled (which was a real pain in the ass), and he got bored. He'd meant to have some fun taunting her, but hearing her drone about his being unwanted was irritating him beyond amusement. And what was worse, she kept uttering incoherences (gift of the gab, where are you when needed? He wondered)…

The best he could think of to make her stop talking was to put his hand of long, boney fingers over her mouth. She shut up immediately and looked up at him, utter confusion dancing in her eyes.

Jin chose that very moment to make his appearance, and Mugen noticed how his "I'm head and shoulders above the word" air was gone, and now he was only one more of the three of them, looking just as tired and just as stray.

A/N: chapter five! Yay for Jin x Shino! What's gonna happen to Fuu's mom?