He'd lost track of time. He didn't really care anyway. Who cared what happened to them, or how long they had been apart? Four-eyes could take care of himself; now her...she was a different story. She was helpless, and hopeless. She was probably dead by now. For some reason there was a lurch in his stomach as the rogue thought of her possible fate, "Well shit, guess I'm hungry."
That was his line of reasoning as he made his way into the city of Edo, looking for a place to get a decent meal and a drink. He didn't have much money, well, he'd have to pull a dine and dash, he supposed. Wouldn't be the first time. Dark eyes drifted skyward, to the clouds drifting overhead. It was going to rain, but he didn't need an overcast sky to tell him that. He'd smelled it on the air days ago. "Better find someplace before it starts..."
Finding a cheaper looking tea house, the criminal made his way toward it. Pushing his way in past the curtain, he glanced around, spotting a waitress in a pink kimono. For a moment, he paused, but on second glance, it couldn't be her. This waitress had curves, not the sexiest curves, but at least she wasn't a plank. And rather than a bun held up by chopsticks, her brown hair was in a loose bun that settled at the nape of her neck. He ran a hand through his dark, unruly locks as he proceeded to a table in the back of the establishment.
Damn, that waitress sure was slow. He lofted a brow as he glanced back toward the table near the door, seeing the customer she had been chatting with upon his entrance kissing her, then murmuring something that left the woman in shock. Apparently the idiot broad hadn't even realized that the guy had liked her enough to kiss her, given her reaction. Her murmured reply was a little louder than the quiet statement that had eluded his ears. The voice sounded slightly familiar.
"M-marry?" From the shift in the woman's stance, he could tell she was uncertain. A soft huff of laughter escaped from tanned lips. What a chump that guy was! He wanted a ball and chain, and the girl he was asking didn't even know ahead of time how he felt! Well, screw that!
The well dressed man who had just proposed looked past the waitress, suddenly seeming a bit concerned by the sight of the rogue. Odd. The blue rings around tanned wrists and ankles often had turned people away even before his abrasive personality could, but the former pirate couldn't help notice that the concerned glance shifted between him, and the girl who still hadn't responded to the suggestion of marriage.
"You...you don't have to respond right away..." The pretty boy said with a sigh, trying to remain quiet, though his nerves made him loud enough that he could be heard from where the criminal sat, "I know I asked suddenly...take time to think it over. I just..."
"Oi!" The gruff voice of the wild haired man finally slipped past rough lips, "Lovebirds, hate to interrupt, but what's a guy gotta do to get some-"
He blinked his steely gaze as the waitress turned in stunned silence to stare at him, the sentence left hanging in the air. There was no mistaking those big old doe eyes, or the look of surprised recognition that they held. There was only one person he knew with those eyes, "Well fuck...you grew up some, didn't you, girly?"
It wasn't really happening. Was it? Fuu blinked a couple times, just to make certain that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, "M-mugen?"
Hiroshi's face shifted into a scowl as his suspicions were confirmed. He thought the rogue had looked similar to the one described in Fuu's stories about her journey four years ago. The young man stood and moved to the waitress' side, eyes sweeping over the new arrival, resisting the urge to put an arm around Fuu, to claim her as his own so that the pirate wouldn't get any ideas about rekindling an old fling, or whatever they had had.
"In the flesh, girly." Mugen replied with a smirk, leaning back in his seat and folding his arms behind his head. He couldn't help letting his dark eyes slide over his old traveling companion's figure. She didn't have much to brag about, but she at least had something to look at now. A brow lofted as his glance shifted to the man at her side, who's deep brown eyes had narrowed into a harsh glare, "So, who's the pretty boy?"
The woman blinked, coming out of her trance like stare at her bodyguard and looking quickly to her side to notice that the man who had just proposed to her was standing there. For a moment, she couldn't recall his name. How embarrassing, considering what had just happened! It...it had to be the shock, that was the only explaination, "Um...h-he's...Hiroshi-kun!"
The name came out in practically a shout as her memory was jogged as the man beside her gripped her arm, not gently, but not tightly enough to hurt either. Her large brown eyes turned to him, seeing the hard look he was giving to Mugen. It worried her, she'd never seen such a look on Hiroshi's gentle face. And Mugen was just making things worse by smirking back.
Behind the smirk, though neither of the other's knew it, Mugen was angry. He didn't know why he was angry, which just made him more angry! He didn't want it to show though. Fuu might take it the wrong way, and he couldn't have that happening, "So, getting married, Girly?"
"She has a name." Hiroshi spoke coldly, never taking his eyes off Mugen, nor his hand from Fuu's arm.
"Tch, I know she does, Pretty Boy, but that don't mean I got to call her by it!" The ruffian had never called Fuu by name, and he certainly wasn't going to start now. Why should he? She was no one special to him.
"I have a name too! And you will use it. I am Gijouhei Hiroshi, Gijouhei–san to you." As Hiroshi finished speaking, it was Mugen's turn to narrow his eyes. He gave the smug brat a good once over, and began to figure out why the kid immediately bugged him. That long, dark black pony tail. His posture. Even the clothes he wore. Give the pretty boy a pair of glasses, and he could be four-eyes.
"You know, you really piss me off." The former pirate said, "And I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to the bitch you proposed to."
At the use of such a word to refer to his beloved Fuu, Hiroshi moved to take a step toward Mugen, releasing his grip on Fuu, only to find her small hands wrapped around his wrist. The man looked back at her, "Did you hear what he just called you? I'm not letting him talk to you like that!"
Fuu looked at the ground, and it was hard to tell if she was more worried or pained. Her tone was soft as she replied, "He always says things like that, Hiroshi-kun...it's just how he is. I...you can't fight him. He won't hold back if you do, and you'll get killed."
"Killed?" Hiroshi scoffed and turned his gaze onto Mugen, giving him a once over before turning back to the waitress, "I am the son of one of the Shogunate's best samurai! I think I know how to fight a criminal!"
Fuu shook her head, still looking down, "No, you can't beat him...I've seen him fight, Hiroshi-kun."
There was definite worry in her voice, and sadness in her eyes. The woman didn't want to see someone she cared about get hurt. And she didn't want Mugen to get in trouble for killing him!
"Oi, girly!" Mugen interrupted her thoughts, both she and Hiroshi looking at him, "You getting married or not?"
"I..." She spoke quickly before Hiroshi could start another argument over the lack of use of her name, but then found she wasn't sure how to reply. Why did Mugen care? Why was he even here? Had he come looking for her? Her heart fluttered slightly, "Why are you here?"
"I asked my question first, so I ain't answering 'til you do." The pirate replied stubbornly, crossing his arms behind his head and turning away. Why did she even care what he was doing here? It was none of her business! Was she trying to say she didn't want him here or something? Where did that bitch get off dismissing him like that! Not that he even cared.
"Mugen, now you're just being childish!" Fuu scolded, hands on her hips, "Just tell me what you're doing here!"
"Hmm...nah, don't feel like it." The rogue retorted in, not bothering to look back at Fuu, or Hiroshi who was by now just looking at him and seething. The young samurai son wouldn't challenge the man though, if only for Fuu's sake.
"Mugen!" There was definitely anger in the waitress' voice as she hissed out the swordsman's name. There was no reply, the vagrant simply cleaning his ear with his pinky like he hadn't even heard her, "Alright, fine. Yes, Mugen."
Suddenly her former body guard and the man who had proposed to her turned to look at her with surprise. Hiroshi hadn't been expecting a reply this quickly, and Mugen, well, he wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but certainly not this. The former bodyguard lofted a brow, "Say wha'?"
Fuu wasn't sure why she had said that, but it had been said. Maybe she had been trying to get a reaction from Mugen, which wasn't fair to Hiroshi, so she really hoped that wasn't why she had agreed to the marriage. Either way, Mugen didn't seem interested, he wasn't here for her, or he probably would have told her so. So, why shouldn't she marry the handsome, gentle, caring man who had proposed? She stood resolutely with hands on her hips, "I said, yes, Mugen. I am getting married."
The waitress turned toward a still stunned Hiroshi, smiling at him, "I would love nothing better than to be your wife."
Hiroshi's stunned expression turned into a giddy grin as he turned back toward the girl he loved, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against him, and kissing her in celebration. Neither noticed the agitated twitch of Mugen's eyebrow as he stood to leave, his footsteps muffled by the soft cheers of the rest of the patrons, who had been hoping Fuu would agree to the offer of marriage. Fuu blushed at the fact that she and Hiroshi had an audience.
When the kiss broke, Fuu saw the pirate heading for the exit, "Mugen?"
Trying his best to look calm and lazy as usual, the rogue paused as he pushed aside the curtain that hung over the entrance, "Yeah, what do you want, Girly?"
"Weren't you wanting to order something?" She was still in her fiance's arms, and Mugen didn't even bother to turn and look at them.
"Nah, lost my appetite." He mumbled, stepping out into the streets, where the rain had begun to pour down, and vanishing amid the crowd.
Fuu blinked at his strange behavior. Nothing made Mugen lose his appetite. He was almost always hungry, much like herself. Her brow crinkled into a frown, "What's his problem?"
"It doesn't matter." Hiroshi shrugged, smiling at his bride to be, "Come, I want you to meet my father, and we can discuss the marriage."
Brown eyes widened as the waitress looked at Hiroshi, "That's right, I haven't even met your family yet! Oh, but...you're the son of a great samurai...and...and..."
"And you are the daughter of a samurai. Just because he was a...Christian..." He sounded the word with disgust, quiet so as not to be heard by too many, "Does not mean that should reflect on you."
Fuu dropped her gaze and smiled slightly. She didn't understand why her father had become a Christian and abandoned his family. But, he had done what he had thought was right. And she couldn't hate him, or his religion. Her chin was gently tipped up by her betrothed's gentle fingers.
"Fuu," He left off the honorific, which earned a slight blush, "My family will love you as much as I do. If not, then I will still marry you. I do not need their approval to make my decisions."
"Well, I can't leave yet! I'm not off until-" She was cut off by a loud, throat clearing cough by her employer, who waved her toward the door.
"This is a happy occasion, Fuu-chan! Go, celebrate!" The older woman said with a smile, "I can handle things here myself."
Still Fuu hesitated, but after a moment, she gave a nod, and followed her fiancé out the door, which he guided her towards by his gentle grip on her hand.