Chapter Seven -
The two men stood a little apart from her, looks of disgust and pity on their faces.
They couldn't see Fuu exactly, but they could hear her. She was doubled over, retching into the bushes.
Jin glanced at Mugen, worry in his eyes.
"We'll have to find somewhere to rest up until she's fit to travel".
Mugen groaned and his shoulders slumped.
"It might be passing. She might be ok in a bit".
It wasn't passing though. They'd had to stop three times already and the period between bouts was shortening. Thankfully they had found another abandoned hut and Jin had laid out a bed for her and fed her sips of water.
She had started to sweat and they were beginning to worry. The two of them sat outside together. Not wanting to venture into the closed confines of the hut interior and be exposed to the sickness.
"Well, this is just great' said Mugen sarcastically.
He was cut off by a surprising question from Jin. Blurted out by the usually calm and measured man.
"She's not pregnant is she?"
"Huh? How the hell should I know? Geez, why don't you ask her yourself. Although, I'm pretty sure she's still a virgin".
"Then you didn't..."
"Didn't what!?"
"Nevermind"
"Whoa, you can't go throwing words like that around, and then just leave it with a 'nevermind'."
"You didn't take advantage of her"
Mugen thought back to her unconscious body, drunk and riding on the trolley. He thought about her body close to his around the campfire, almost pressed against his naked flesh in the wayhouse hut and through the murky water of the hot spring. Not once did he do anything she didn't want him to.
He scowled at Jin. "What, are you jealous or sumthin'." He said to wind Jin up, but then thought better of it. "Nah, I never touched the dumb broad."
Jin sighed. What was that? Relief? Fuck, maybe he really was jealous. He had never thought of their relationship like that, as a competition. Well, not over anything except swords.
"Doesn't mean I'm not gonna".
...
Fuu had recovered quite quickly, thankfully, and the trio were once again on the road. Although going was even slower than normal, Fuu had yet to get all her energy back.
Luckily they were not too far from a town. When they arrived, relieved, they booked two rooms to sleep in, bathed, then shared a meal together at a restaurant on the main street.
Fuu ate less than usual, mainly plain rice and a little meat, but her colour had returned and she was feeling good. Really good. She looked across at her travelling companions. She no longer thought of them as bodyguards, she thought of them as friends. They had proven their worth, even looked after her when she was ill. Reluctantly maybe - especially Mugen - but they had let her rest and kept her hydrated. Mugen had even placed a cold cloth on her hot forehead. She giggled to herself at the memory. He had pointedly looked away while he placed the cloth, and one corner had flopped over her eye. He'd fed her water too, holding her neck up as he tipped the cup to her lips. He'd tipped too much though, and the liquid streamed down the corners of her mouth, onto her chest and slid between her breasts. He'd watched it, but didn't dare dab it with a cloth.
She smiled over at her friends in the restaurant. Mugen gave her a strange scowl over his bowl, but his lips formed a partial smile. He smacked his lips while simultaneously he slapped the table with his palm. "Well, that felt fucking good," he looked Fuu dead in the eye, "I'm thinking of heading to the gambling den I noticed coming in. You guys gonna come?"
Jin looked disapproving "hmm, no. I will return to the lodging and clean my sword".
Mugen still held Fuu's gaze. He knew she wanted to. She glanced nervously at Jin, bit her bottom lip then took up his stare again.
"I'll come" she said.
Jin was a little surprised but said nothing to indicate his disappointment in her. "Very well".
They all got up to leave and separated when Mugen and Fuu peeled off towards the shady part of town.
"Stick close girly" Mugen said nonchalantly as they weaved their way through a throng of gamblers. It wasn't an organised establishment. Just a gathering of dodgy people, either desperate or out for a good time. Fuu was surprised that Mugen had noticed that this was even a gambling den, nothing on the exterior gave it away.
"Arg, I'm used to these kinds of ruffians" she shot back, just as a man shouldered past her without even glancing up.
"Oh, is that so?" He stated disinterested, he'd spotted a man selling sake, so he yelled across at him.
One thing that Fuu always noticed about these places was the lack of women, and the noise. It's not like there weren't women, just that they were completely outnumbered by men. Many were much older. And the noise, the shouting and jostling, it was like everyone could let loose and be their uninhibited true selves. There were rules of course, but society's strict constraints didn't penetrate here. All classes mixed and equal.
She was drawn towards a dice game, while Mugen headed to the beetle fights.
She lost a little but won a little too, coming out sightly on top. She'd been there awhile and was feeling good. She'd looked for Mugen earlier and had seen him across the room. He'd been fully animated during a beetle battle. Fists pumping the air, egging his bet on at the top of his lungs. But she hadn't seen him in awhile.
She felt a hand slip to the small of her back, dangerously low. She didn't turn to look at the owner of the hand immediately, thinking it was probably him. But she felt a hot breath whisper creepily into her ear. "My my, what's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this, huh?" An older man, about Yoshi's age, was leaning into her. It was his hand that lingered on her body.
A second man stretched into her vision, he pinned her in from the other side, "Hm, you probably like 'em rough and ready? Maybe you even like it a bit rough, aye." He had a hideous grin, and invaded her personal space by pushing a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.
She looked across the room to where she'd previously seen Mugen, but he was nowhere. 'Shit' she thought, it seemed the older she got the more she was accosted by men. She was sure she'd never had this many issues when she was younger.
She smiled, cringing, up and the first man. "Sorry, but I'm here with someone" she stated plainly.
"Oh, is that so?"
Creep number two spoke up, "Sorry if we don't believe you sweetheart. But I've been watching you for awhile, and I ain't seen nobody".
'He'd been watching her for awhile! Yuk. This could get bad'.
Mugen had won big on his beetle. He'd taken the money and gone in search of Fuu, so he could gloat about his winnings. He was feeling good.
He'd found her completely engrossed at the dice. Instead of approaching her, he leaned up against a pillar behind her, a little away. He crossed his legs and sipped at his sake, casually watching her with interest.
He began to notice that men all around glanced and grinned at her, whispering to their companions and leering. Some laughing. She was completely oblivious. It pained him a little to see her so. He was about to go and drag her out of there, when he saw the two thugs deliberately make their way to her.
He watched for a bit, curious how she would handle the situation. He wasn't prepared for his stomach to lurch when they started to lay their hands over her.
Fuu frantically looked around the room.
The creep grabbed her wrist.
These guys were really something else. "I'm sorry, you're wrong. And I'm not interested." She said, trying to take her arm back.
"You saying you're here with your man? He's not taking very good care of you darlin'. I think you should be looking for a new one." Drawled the older one.
Hands were all over her now and she was beginning to panic. "Let go of me you creep".
"If you're here with your man, where is he then?" Smelly hot breath beat at her neck. Dirty bodies pressed into her own.
"I'm right here" said Mugen dryly. All three turned to look at him. Fuu pleaded with him silently, but he didn't need it.
"I see your hands. And I don't like it. Time to give her back".
"Well you can't blame us if you leave her all alone in a place like this".
"We think that she suits us better" leered the second creep.
Mugen didn't look much like a threat. His baggy clothes made him look pretty skinny. But his eyes gave a clear and dangerous warning. He pulled his sword a little way from its scabbard, exposing the steel to them. Shooting a sinister grin, "Well if you creeps have got a problem with me, why don't we take it outside?"
He then quickly snatched up Fuu's wrist and yanked her from them, storming from the den, shoving men aside aggressively.
Outside the den Mugen roughly pushed Fuu away. He was angry. "You're really something else, you know that?"
"What? It's not my fault that they were such creeps."
To Mugen's surprise the two creeps in question walked through the door into the alley where they stood.
Mugen looked directly at Fuu, "She's not worth losing your life over" he said coldly, however it did nothing to deter them.
"Maybe we're just looking for a fight?" Said the younger. He grinned at Mugen, who returned in kind.
"We heard from Yari that you won big on the beetles- maybe you'll be so kind as to share... on both fronts". He leered in Fuu's direction.
Mugen didn't draw his sword. He looked from one man to the other. "Just a fight huh? Well, I'd be happy to oblige. I can't really have you talking smack about me and get away with it? Can I?"
He held out his fists in front of him, showcasing them to the men, but suddenly twisted and kicked the older creep to his right. His geta landed on the thug's face.
The younger launched at him, but his swings went wide. Mugen caught his neck with his arm, wrapping his hand around and pulling the creep's face down. He kneed him twice in the gut before punching him a final blow to the face.
Behind him the elder had drawn a knife.
"Couldn't best me with your fists huh?" Mugen spat over his shoulder. The bloody face of his current attentions lolled.
The larger creep swung the blade. Mugen dodged it. Again, and a third time he tried in vain. He had no chance. Mugen saw an opening and cracked him with a closed fist in the jaw. Blood dribbled down his chin.
The older spat the blood away. "What I don't get is why you'd bring your woman to a den of us anyhow? And by 'us' I mean low lives like you and I. Then leave her on her own." He said incredulously. "What did you think would happen?"
Mugen grinned. "I'll let you in on a secret - she's not actually my woman..." He avoided another swipe. "And maybe I just wanted to teach the little bitch a life lesson - to not be so trusting around the likes of you." As he said 'you' he swung his leg and knocked the elder creep's out from under him. In a flash he was on top of him, landing punch after punch to his already injured face. "As for me? Maybe I just wanted to work off some tension." Blood covered his knuckles. "But I'm nothing like you." His final swing made a resounding crack.
Fuu stared in shock. She couldn't draw her eyes away.
Mugen stood and looked at her. All his anger instantly drained away when he saw her start to cry. "Somehow, this is my fault?" She sobbed.
Normally Mugen would have been exasperated and stormed off into the night. But he was tired of pushing her away.
He swung his arm over her shoulder and held her into him as he pulled her from the alley. They made their way down the street and further and he kept his arm in place.
Eventually he said, "Nah girlie. It's not your fault. You're just a magnet for trouble and douche bags." He jostled her shoulder.
She gave a weak giggle.
"... And you're too trusting and you've got too much heart. But I don't think that's a bad thing".
Fuu turned and looked up at him amazed.
He continued, "And me, I've basically got no heart at all. I've just got my strength, and I'm really good at killing people."
He actually looked pained. Fuu stopped and forced him to turn to her. "We actually make a pretty good team then huh?" She smiled up at him.
"You're not a bad person Mugen." she said softly, "and I care about you... I worry about you".
She didn't know why she did it, but she reached up and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. She had already admitted to herself that she cared about him more than she should.
His eyes widened at the touch. It was as if her kindness burned him.
He looked down at her smiling face and huge brown eyes and he felt trapped. Without thinking he leaned down and kissed her lips. He could tell she was shocked, but she didn't stop him.
He pulled away and looked into the distance. Now separated from each other's bodies they walked back to the lodge in silence.
Once they reached Fuu's room she paused at the door. She turned to him with serious intentions. "Mugen" she said it so sharply, he could do nothing but turn to look at her.
"I'd like to make one last bet with you".
He raised an eyebrow.
"If you're interested come inside and listen."
She left the door open and turned and went inside. 'This is dangerous' he thought. But followed her in anyway.
They settled across from one another on the floor. The tone was serious and sombre. Fuu cleared her throat, she was feeling brave.
"The bet is that you have to keep travelling with me once we find the samurai who smells of sunflowers".
The weight of that hung in the air.
She continued, "And if you win? What do you want?"
There was a very long silence. Mugen's face filled with torment and contemplation. Finally he said, "you've got nothing I want" and he stood without looking at her and headed for the door.
If he'd looked back he would have seen shock and intense sadness on her usually happy features. She bowed her head. At least she knew the truth.
But he didn't leave. He just stood at the door, not quite able to go through it. Then he slowly turned and came back.
Seated he glared at her now, almost confrontational. He deliberately placed two dice on the floor in the void between them.
"I want your body.
If I win, I want you to give yourself to me. Just once, for your first time".
Fuu gasped in shock. She searched his eyes for a moment, but then found it difficult to look at him.
'That'll give her second thoughts about wanting to travel with me' Mugen thought. Hell, it'll probably scare the shit out of her. 'I can't lose'.
The way she was looking at him, sure there was confusion, but it could've even been attraction. 'Aw, dumb broad, now she's crushing on me. That's the last thing I want'.
"...But if I win it won't change anything. And I certainly won't marry you. We've been travelling all this time and I haven't even had any decent nookie. Look, I'm horny as hell and I'm real curious at what you've got hiding under there." He stuck out a curled finger, edging it towards the overlap of her kimono folds. Fuu slapped it away.
"Huh? You've had plenty of women".
"Not ones that haven't tried to drug me or trick me, I haven't".
"Drug you?
"Argh, never mind"
He raised to leave once again.
"It's a bet". Said Fuu quietly, her eyes glued to the floor. Mugen spun around,
"What! You sure? There's no going back."
"Are you sure?" she said defiantly, raising her eyes to cut into his.
Mugen was quiet. "Well I've already traveled this far with you. What's a little longer."