Taking Care of You

By the Alternative Source

Disclaimer: I don't own anything when it comes to Samurai Champloo. Except my story of course. Lol.

Summary: Fuu gets seriously injured when she saves Mugen during an attack.

Chapter 7

Previously on Taking Care of You………………

Mugen chuckled at the expression on her face and pulled away from her and held her hands in his. He walked backwards and pulled her slowly forward. And that's how they spent the rest of their day together. Mugen teasing Fuu about the way that she walked and Fuu smacking him every once in a while when he insulted her. Just like old times.

That is until someone pulled open the screen door, "What are you two up to?"

Mugen and Fuu both turned their heads towards the door. Fuu smiled, "Hey, Jin."

Now on with the story…………………

"Hello, Fuu," Jin turned to Mugen, "Mugen?"

Fuu smiled as she looked at the other samurai that was her guardian, "Hey Jin."

"Hey four eyes," Mugen said while still walking Fuu by her hands. He had agreed to take it a step at a time and he wasn't going to let Jin make him chicken out on touching or spending time with Fuu. The said girl walking with him looked up at him surprised.

'What are you doing Mugen?'

Mugen just ignored her and kept on looking at Jin and walking with Fuu, "Did you get the medicine?"

Jin raised an eyebrow and closed the door behind him. He removed a container from his sleeve and held it in front of him, "Yes, I have brought it. How are you Fuu?"

"I'm fine Jin. Thanks for bringing me some more medicine. Come here," she let go of one of Mugen's hand and stretched the other towards Jin. She needed to hug the man. She hadn't seen him for days and she missed him. When he didn't move she took a step forward, "Come on Jin. I can't make it over to you. Come here."

Jin walked over to her and as soon as he was in front of her she let go of Mugen's other hand and wrapped her arms around Jin, "I'm glad you're ok Jin. When I only saw Mugen I was worried about you."

Jin just stood there as Fuu wrapped her small arms around him. He looked up at Mugen and gave him a questioning look. Mugen just shrugged, "Just go with it. Take advantage of her being nice now. It won't last long."

"Ommpphh," Mugen felt someone punch his stomach. Looking down he saw Fuu's arm, "What was that for?"

Fuu let go of Jin and took the medicine out of his hands. Turning to Mugen she placed her hands on her hips, "For being a jerk."

Mugen took a step towards her and towered over her, "A jerk?"

Fuu poked his chest in a playful matter, "Yes, jerk. But anyway, you promised me food earlier."

"Yeah, and?"

Fuu scowled, "Well, I'm hungry."

Mugen watched as Fuu tried to give him a sad hopeful face. He would never tell her that he loved when she made that face, "Don't use that face on me. Doesn't work."

Fuu sighed, "Please." She watched him for a couple seconds and saw how her simple request was getting to him. His brow wrinkled and he scowled at her.

'Come on Mugen. Look at the lip. Fall for the pouting lip.'

And then he sighed and she knew that she had won.

"I'll be back," he backed away from her and walked around Jin.

When he was at the door she yelled out to him, "Don't you want to know what I want?"

He turned to her and grinned, "Trust me. After watching you stuff your pretty mouth I think I know what you eat."

Fuu blushed at Mugen calling any part of her pretty and mouthed, "Ass."

Mugen mouthed back, "Bitch." He then walked out of the room closing the door behind him.

Fuu turned and looked at Jin. He was sitting by the wall across from her bed. She looked at her futon and then looked back at Jin. 'I can do this.' Not asking him for help she took a step toward her bed. Unbeknownst to her Jin watched her as she made her way over to her futon. As she made her way to the futon she could feel the strain on her legs even more.

'Come on Fuu. One foot forward. Now another.'

She held her hands in front of her and tried to steady herself. She was almost at her futon when she felt herself lifted off her feet. Fuu panicked and tried to grasp onto anything and was surprised that she was grasping Jin clothes. He pulled her a little closer as he lowered her onto her futon, "You wouldn't have been able to lower yourself on the futon without opening your wounds."

She looked up at his stoic face and smiled, "Thank you."

Jin placed a pillow under her feet and sat next to her futon, "How are your wounds?"

"They're pretty good. Mugen's been taking care of me. Surprisingly."

"Yes, I've seen that."

Fuu raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"You two have finally given in?"

Fuu was confused. She didn't know what Jin was talking about and now she felt that she needed to find out, "Help me up please." Jin slipped his arms under her arms and helped her sit up, "What do you mean?"

"I've been traveling with you for a very long time Fuu. I've seen you turn from a young girl to a woman. I've seen you beat black and blue and I've seen you beat some others black and blue. But most importantly I've seen you fall in love."

"Love?" she looked at him confused before realization hit her, "Mugen?"

Jin nodded, "It isn't one sided either."

Fuu smiled and looked down, "You think?"

Jin placed a hand under her chin and lifted her head, "You know he does. You've known him for years. And what happened to you just proved it. You have been asleep for a while. And the one that has been watching over you constantly has been Mugen. He wouldn't even let me change your bandages."

"What?" she looked at him with a shocked look on her face, "He told me that you were too uncomfortable to change them."

Jin scoffed and let go of her chin, "He wouldn't let me come near you. It didn't take us very long to find a village but he wouldn't let go of you. It was even difficult to get someone to look at your wounds. It became even worse when we were back on our own and had to change your bandages. I was in the process of changing your bandages when Mugen walked in, yanked me away from you, and threw me out of the room. And from then on he wouldn't leave your side."

Fuu felt her chest tighten. She knew that Mugen had taken care of her but she didn't know that he had stayed with her all the time and had kicked Jin out when he was trying to change her bandages, "I don't know what to say."

"Just take it a step at a time. He's finally opening up to you. And I honestly don't think that he's ever done anything like this. He's slept with plenty of whores but I don't think he's ever cared about even one of them as much as he cares about you."

With energy that she didn't know that she had Fuu jumped up and wrapped her arms around Jin, "Thank you Jin."

Jin wrapped his arms around her, "You're welcome," after a couple of seconds Jin pulled back and when Fuu questioning face peered up at him he said, "I do not wish to deal with Mugen's ranting if he sees me hugging you. I am too tired."

"It's okay," Fuu said as Jin helped her lie down on the futon, "How many days have you been traveling?"

Jin smoothed her hair away from her face, "Do not worry about it. You're body must be extremely tired and you should take a nap before Mugen returns."

Fuu smiled sleeply and relaxed into the futon, "Thank you Jin. I don't know what I would do without you," her eyes began to close as she finally realized how tired she truly was, "I've never really had family. But I consider you my brother."

Jin stiffened at this. He had no family. And he had traveled with Fuu for many years. He knew he cared about her and that she cared about him. But he never thought that she thought of him as her brother. He thought of her as his ward for the longest time but he could now see that Fuu was right. They were family.

"And I consider you my sister."

*************************************************************************************

Mugen used his foot to open the doors. He had spent twenty minutes looking for what he knew that she loved to eat. And to make it even worse he had to beat up some stupid gang members that were holding up the line.

'This girl better appreciate what I do for her……… It's too quiet.'

When he closed the door behind him and looked around the room he saw Jin resting up against a wall sleeping quietly. When he heard a groan he turned to Fuu. She was shifting slightly in her sleep. He walked over to Fuu and set the food down. He crouched down next to her and smoothed her hair out of face.

"She's been having nightmares. I woke her up two times already," Jin said from behind him.

Mugen didn't turn to Jin or reply. He just ran his fingers through her bangs again and watched as she calmed down and leaned towards his hand. A smile appeared on her face and Mugen allowed himself to smile. Jin couldn't see him smiling so he thought it was ok. Besides Fuu had some sort of affect on him that he couldn't understand.

"Stupid girl."

Jin spoke again but Mugen didn't turn towards him, "What have you been up too Mugen?"

"None of your business."

"I can tell that things have changed."

Mugen's hand stopped for a second and his eyes hardened, "I'm taking a chance Jin. For the first time I am. Just leave it at that."

Jin must have agreed because he was silent. Mugen's eyes softened as Fuu said his name in her sleep.

'I'm going soft……..Only for her.'

Mugen shook her shoulder, "Hey, Fuu. Wake up. I brought your food." Fuu groaned and slapped his hand away. Mugen shook her shoulder again, "Come on Fuu, I brought your favorite. Come on girly."

Fuu's eyes fluttered open and she tried to stretch her limbs as much as her wounds would allow her too. When her eyes focused she felt relieved. She had been having a couple of nightmares and she wasn't going to lie. She was glad to see Mugen, "Thanks for waking me up."

"Ahhh, you were bothering me with your groaning anyway," he said before helping her sit up, "Come on I got your favorite so you can stuff your face."

Fuu glared at him, "One of these days I'm going to kick your ass. You better be ready."

"Ohhh, I'm ready alright," he sat down in front of her and set up their plates to eat. She could tell by the look on his face that he was about to say something else but he stopped himself.

'He's probably thinking about how I defended myself for him. Hmmmm, what could I say to take his minf off of that.'

Then the brilliant idea came to her. She took a piece of her shrimp and threw it at him. Silence ensued as Mugen stilled and a smile creeped up on Fuu's face. The piece of shrimp had hit him squarely in the nose faster than he could stop it.

She felt her heart speed up as his eyes caught hers. For a second there she thought he was mad but he grinned at her before throwing some rice in her face, "You sure you want to start something girly?"

The only response that Mugen got was another piece of shrimp thrown at him which landed in his hair.

'Mission accomplished.'

Mugen half glared and half grinned at her before the food fight between Mugen and Fuu began.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Jin watched them through his glasses while leaning his head against the wall. Something had definitely changed. If the look in their eyes wasn't evidence enough of that, it was the way that they were acting at that very moment. Smiles or grins apparent on their faces as they catapulted food at each other. Each throwing the food with what seemed such force that it should knock the other over but all it did was bounce off of them.

'They're playing.'

Jin had never seen Mugen like this before but he was willing to let it go if it brought a smile out of the woman that had saved their lives. Fuu.

After a moment his eyes widened in realization.

'She can barely move or support her body weight as it is, so how is she going too bathed later on?"

Jin shook his head. They would have fun. Until they both realized what a mess they had made all around themselves.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Author's Note: Please forgive me for not updating. My life has been super crazy for the last couple of months. But now things are turning out the way that I want. Now I'm back to what I love doing. Writing.

I miss all the reviews. And to make me happy please REVIEW!!!