Jin lingered in a corner of the room, eyes closed behind his glasses as he listened to the bustle of the doctor setting about trying to mend Hiroshi's wounds. It had been a tricky endeavor to move the heavily injured young man into the nearest available establishment (only the owner of the tea house would offer her shop for use, closing the business to customers) but they couldn't properly tend to him in the street where the gashes would surely become infected.
Thus, once the doctor had arrived, Jin had helped to relocate the poor samurai's son. That was where his service had ended, though; seeing as his specialty was inflicting wounds rather than mending them. The tea house matron had been pressed into service as a nurse, fetching supplies upon request of the medical professional.
Suddenly the door to the makeshift infirmary was flung open as Hiroshi's mother burst in, "Hiroshi! Where's Hiroshi? Where is my son?"
"Gijouhei-san, I don't think-" A very pregnant Shino was trying to calm the frantic woman, since it seemed even the samurai's usual calm had abandoned him; if his pale and despondent appearance was anything to go by.
"You people DON'T think! That's part of the problem!" The angry and worried woman snapped at the younger one. If that devious waitress hadn't presumed to be worthy of her son, then Hiroshi wouldn't have been injured! It was all Fuu's fault, so far as she was concerned, and any friends of that bratty girl could take the blame with her!
With a sigh, Jin made to rise. All the racket was certainly not going to help the doctor concentrate, nor was it good for Hiroshi's health. And if the elder samurai wasn't going to make an effort to silence his hysterical wife, then it certainly shouldn't fall to a pregnant woman to carry the stress of the burden.
Jin's approach went unnoticed by the desperate mother, who had finally spotted her son lying on a blanket that had been spread in a cleared out corner of the tea house and moved to rush in his direction. "Hiroshi!"
Suddenly a pale hand on her shoulder was stopping her, and she glared at it's source. How dare this bespectacled ronin touch her! How dare he prevent her from reaching her son! In a dangerous mama bear growl the woman snarled, "Move!"
"It would best for you to remain outside, your fretting won't help," Jin spoke calmly to the panicked woman before looking past her to the silent and ill looking samurai that was her spouse, "Be there for her."
The elder man lifted dim and distant eyes to gaze at the ronin, not daring to glance in the direction of his son. Unlike his frantic wife, he knew full well where the blame rested. From the account given by the teen who had told them what happened, a group of yakuza had attacked. That meant they had been after Hiroshi from the start. It was an act of revenge, striking against his son to get at him. Which made it his fault. His fault if his son died.
Adjusting his glasses with a sigh, the ronin noticed that his words hadn't gotten through to the despondent man, though at least Hiroshi's mother had stormed back outside after a last challenging glare. It wasn't hard to guess from the demeanor of the older man what was running through his head, "What's happened can't be changed, what must be done must be done."
The statement was punctuated with a pointed look into the street, where Hiroshi's mother now paced outside the establishment. Following the ronin's gaze, the samurai's brow furrowed in concern for his spouse. He had to be there for her, but he was the source of her pain. With a sigh of his own he gave a nod, determining that that meant he had all the more reason to be the one to provide comfort, "You're youth doesn't hinder your wisdom, does it?"
There was no chance to reply, though Jin was sure the question was rhetorical anyhow, as the man stepped outside to place a hand on his wife's shoulder. Immediately the Gijouhei matriarch collapsed into her husband's arms weeping.
Shino moved to Jin's side, leaning her own head against his shoulder, "That was very well done, Jin, dear."
"Hn..." He turned a slight smile to his own wife as she offered praise for his handling of the situation, "You shouldn't have rushed with them..."
As the stoic ronin rested a pale hand over her swollen abdomen in concern, Shino couldn't help but smile and place her own small hand over it, "I'm fine, Jin, dear. And someone had to try to calm her..."
This didn't seem to ease the worry etched into the young male's features, though. Sometimes the former brothel worker wished he would fret over her less, though she did appreciate how much he cared. Leaning up she placed a soft kiss on his cheek, earning a nice flushing of his pale features at her bold public display, "Really, I'm fine, Jin. I'll take it easy now."
With that reassurance she moved toward the corner where Jin had been sitting, taking a place in a chair at one of the tables normally used by tea house patrons. Her husband soon settled at her side, his eyes drifting shut again behind his glasses as he focused on the sounds around him, waiting for the doctor to report some outcome for the situation.
-------
Mugen was surrounded, but wore a confident smirk nonetheless. He wasn't sure how many thugs there were, since counting wasn't something he liked to waste a lot of time on, but he could handle them. He held his sword out, shifting it's tip from one enemy to the next as he tried to determine which of them he wanted to kill first. Of course, he could always wait to see if one of them made a move.
The yakuza around him exchanged glances, trying in vain to hide their nervousness. If they'd really thought they stood a chance they wouldn't have run from Mugen in the first place, after all. They knew what they were supposed to be...fodder for the madman. They were sacrifices meant to delay him so the higher ranking member could get away. And dying was scary. Dying at the hands of the Dancing Death had them scared shitless.
With a smirk of his own, the head of the small outing of yakuza temporarily set Fuu down, pulling her close to his side with her arms pinned down, "I'll let you have a last look at him, girl. You belong to us now, so make a pretty memory of his ugly face."
Mugen bristled, finding that the creep had gotten far to close to Fuu while murmuring to her, especially since he made no real effort to actually hide his words! The vagrant couldn't suppress a snarl as the lead thug pressed his face in closer to the struggling waitress, his nasty yakuza lips grazing against her jaw before he nipped at her earlobe.
Fuu wanted to tell Mugen to ignore the attempt to distract him, knowing similar tactics had been Hiroshi's downfall. But honestly she doubted the jerk holding her was providing as much distraction with his actions as her own voice crying out might. She was shocked at an animalistic snarl from Mugen's direction, so much so that it momentarily caused her struggles to cease, but only until she felt the heat of the yakuza's breath on her jaw right before his teeth closed on her earlobe. That set her to thrashing like a fish on a line, "What the HELL? Let me go!"
At the same time Mugen made to lunge forward, momentarily seeming to forget that he was surrounded by thugs, "YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!"
The distraction tactic seemed to have worked, which thrilled the lead thug, who grinned viciously, deciding to keep tempting fate a moment longer by pulling the girl around in front of him and trapping her arms in a firm one armed embrace before slipping his free hand ever so slowly into the opening of her kimono, "Oh-ho, am I?"
Fire blazed in Mugen's eyes, and even though one would have thought he was far too distracted with his desire to slaughter the one forcibly groping Fuu to pay attention to anything else, his body seemed to go into autopilot where the rest of the world was concerned. Anything that tried to stand between him and his final target would be automatically cut down, as was proven when the first three swordsman rushed in at once.
Seemingly without even having to think about it, Mugen juked down, swinging his leg out in one direction, and his sword hand out in the other. One attacker was tripped, winded as he hit the ground hard on his back. Another suddenly found it very hard to keep balance with only one leg. In a fluid motion, Mugen was back up, sword plunging into the throat of the man who had tripped, twisting to ensure maximum suffering as he kicked the third guy in the gut.
The small troupes designated leader, who had stood confidently through Mugen's glares, and even being elbowed in the stomach by Fuu for groping her, seemed suddenly worried. Still holding tight to the girl, he was now calculating her value as a hostage. He would make a break for it, let his minions handle the madman while they could as he attempted to make it to headquarters. Should that fail, perhaps he could negotiate the girl's life for his own? Would that work? Not with the Dancing Death, he'd pushed his luck too far, "Shit..."
Still holding tight to Fuu, the yakuza debated how to best make his escape, absolute terror setting in as he watched Mugen move through the group. Though each opponent was cut down in what seemed a graceful, effortless dance, they kept loyally fighting. Mugen had gone through about half the group by the time the man that acted as their leader finally decided to drop his grip on the captive and run for it.
Fuu was free, trembling with the surge of adrenaline that came with being kidnapped, with the absolutely horrifying awe that came from watching Mugen fight so ruthlessly. It was a frightening sight, true, and yet she didn't fear him. Or rather didn't fear that he would ever physically harm her. Any time he unleashed those powers of his before her, it had been to save her. The waitress took a few steps back, not to get away from Mugen, but to prevent becoming an obstacle for him as she pressed herself as flat as possible against one of the walls that lined the alleyway. Her knees gave out and she sank to the ground.
It didn't take long to slice through the last of the group, especially after Mugen realized his main target had made a dash for it. He couldn't let that creep get away! Dropping into his signature head spin, his legs flailing out wildly, the vagrant landed harsh, bone crushing kicks to the jaws of his final two opponents before gracefully flipping back onto his feet, and removing their heads in a quick sweep. He would have let them suffer more, but there wasn't time if he was going after the groper.
Taking only enough time to check on Fuu, and perhaps catch some breath after fighting off the group of thugs, he flicked the gathered blood from his blade and slung it over her shoulder before casually approaching the trembling girl. She sat against the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest, gaze dropped to the side so she wouldn't have to watch him. He felt a pang of something in his chest at the notion that she couldn't even look his way, "Oi, Girly..."
Slowly, the waitress blinked and looked up at the blood spattered vagrant, forcing herself to give him a once over and be certain none of the blood was his. Of course, he had a few cuts and gashes, it couldn't be helped, but most was from the slaughter he had inflicted, "Mugen..."
Her voice quavered, and even as dense as he sometimes was, the former pirate could tell she was close to tears. In his mind, it translated to concern for her fiance, not for him, "He's alive..."
She blinked as he spoke, confused by who he meant for a moment. Mugen interpreted this as disbelief of what was, to the best of his knowledge, a true statement, "Pretty B-...Hiroshi...whatever...he's alive...least he was."
"Oh." Fuu hadn't really forgotten about the young samurai, her concern for Mugen and the fear of the situation she had been in had just pushed him to the back of her mind. Still, she was a bit let down that after the valiant rescue, that was what the former bodyguard had to say, "I'm glad."
"Yeah...wait here, I'll get you back to him," Mugen's stomach twisted at the thought of delivering Fuu back into the arms of someone who hadn't been able to protect her. But he had one last punk to kill before that moment came, and he was going to do so nice and slow.
With that in mind, the ex-pirate turned on heel, taking off down the twisting alleyways in the direction the yakuza had gone. He faintly heard Fuu calling for him to wait, but he didn't have time for that. He was going to kill the grabby son of a bitch who thought he could escape.
Fuu seemed to register a hint of bitterness as the rogue spoke about Hiroshi, and the fact that he made a point to actually use the young samurai's name hadn't escaped her. Still, she thought she was probably reading too much into things. Mugen didn't see her as anything to get jealous over, and he never would. It was just the way things were. There was probably some reward for coming to get her. Hiroshi had offered some payment, that had to be it.
But when she had been called Mugen's woman, he hadn't denied it, though she had been certain he would have. And was it her imagination, or had he seemed to be absolutely outraged by that slimy creep's attention to her. She shuddered as she remembered the feeling of his teeth on her ear, but along with it came the recollection of Mugen's screaming that the perpetrator was a dead man.
As though this memory seemed to somehow spark his own, the former bodyguard murmured a half hearted promise to return her to her intended before taking off after the last thug. He'd seemed disappointed at the thought of having to return her, hadn't he?
"Ah..." By the time she gathered the nerve to look up and inquire, all she saw was his retreating back, "Mugen, wait!"
He didn't stop, vanishing around a bend of the alleyway before she could try to yell at him any further. For several moments large brown eyes gazed in the direction he had gone, the waitress playing the rescue over in her mind several times, trying to interpret what the events meant.
Finally she shook her head fiercely in exasperation, her hands balling into fists that proceeded to beat the sides of her own head in an attempt to remove any lingering foolish notions, "Gah! It's impossible! Stop being stupid, Fuu! He's MUGEN, after all! He doesn't feel those things, and he definitely doesn't feel them for you! Besides, you have Hiroshi-kun! So why are you even worried about it!"
Leaning back against the wall with her legs stretched in front of her she gave a weary sigh, closing her eyes and tilting her head back, "Of course he saved you...it's what he does, and it doesn't mean anything....he's Mugen, after all..."
"Yeah, that's who I am...what of it, Girly?" Fuu jumped in surprise at the sound of the man's voice, wondering just how much he had heard. Her startled reaction was met with a raised brow, "What?"
"N-nothing!" She stammered out, her reply coming perhaps a bit too quickly if the curious gaze the former pirate gave her was any indication. She climbed to her feet, dusting her kimono off as an excuse to look anywhere but his direction, certain her face was brightly flushed.
-------
Mugen had a bit of trouble tracking the yakuza down, not much, but enough to make it annoying. The stupid idiot had taken a wrong turn in his desperation to get away and ended up in a dead end. Certain that the madman was hot on his trail, he'd decided to try scaling a pile of crates to get away quickly, but the crates had collapsed with a crash, leading the rogue right to him.
The punk was climbing out of the rubble when the former pirate arrived, sword in hand and murder in his eyes. That caused the thug to freeze a moment, "N-now, now, M-mugen-san...I...I really didn't...I didn't mean...that is...we thought she was with the Gijouhei kid...uh...H-hiroshi! We thought she was his! We...we had no idea...that was y-your...woman..."
This explanation only caused the man to become more agitated, since it served as a reminder that Fuu wasn't actually his, "She ain't mine...don't mean I wanna see your filthy hands on her!"
"Sh-she's not?" The man squeaked out in surprise, having been certain that his assessment was accurate.
The swordsman twitched a brow in growing irritation, "Guess there's a difference between wanting and having, huh? Grab yer sword. I ain't killin ya if ya can't fight back..."
Hearing the ultimatum didn't encourage the yakuza to draw his blade, rather he delayed doing so as long as possible, "Ah...I...I see...playing hero...to win her...?"
"Hasn't worked yet...ain't gonna start hoping now," Mugen shrugged in dismissal of the idea. This guy was a deadman anyway, so there was no harm in the conversation, and it felt good to actually speak about what he felt, like some flood gate opened and released a wave of pressure. He just hoped he could stop the flow when he was done, "Now get yer sword, cuz otherwise I'll just leave ya real hurt where no one can find ya...won't be me doing the killing. Infection can do that part."
"Heh..." Fear showed plainly in the dead man's eyes as he realized he was doomed no matter what tactics he tried. A laugh showed his sanity had cracked with his impending fate, "Hahahah! Can't beat 'em all, huh? At least not when a girl's the prize!"
Somehow, the fact that this man had spoken of Fuu like an object to be won multiple times now was pissing Mugen off more than he'd ever thought it would. He twitched again, and despite his warnings that he would only mame and abandon the man, he suddenly decided that armed or not, this guy was dying by his hand.
And that death started with a sword being run through the hysterical man's gut, repeatedly, until the only sound he could make was the gurgle of his own blood rising in his throat. Each time the blade penetrated the yakuza's stomach, it was given a sharp twist to increase the suffering. When the gurgling reached his ears, Mugen decided to end it, and sliced the creeps throat, a feeble spray of blood resulting as his slowed pulse tried to maintain a flow through the suddenly severed artery. His shins were splattered with the slick red, but he paid it no mind, glaring at the corpse as he flicked his sword to the side to clear it of residue.
"She ain't mine, bastard, but it don't mean I ain't gonna always protect her..." He muttered, the sentiment landing on unhearing ears as he turned and stalked back to where he had left Fuu.
He might have gotten lost, if not for her soft murmurs. He wasn't focusing on the words, even as he drew near enough to hear them he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts. He couldn't make Fuu love him, and he didn't want to. She deserved better than a damnn murderer, that samurai brat could provide for her at least. As for protecting her, well, he'd stick around to make sure she was safe, since evidently Pretty Boy wasn't skilled enough. Even if he had to hang out without her knowing he was there, he would protect her. It was all he could really do.
As he approached the bend that would lead to where he had left the girl in question, he suddenly heard his name on her lips, an almost mournful tone to her voice, "-doesn't mean anything...he's Mugen, after all..."
It really didn't mean anything, then. The fact that he saved her, or whatever she was mumbling about, she just took for granted that he was there. Well, she was right. She was part of him now, whether he liked it or not, he realized, and he would do anything for her, even let her go, he supposed. It just hurt to hear her say it didn't mean anything.
Not willing to give her a chance to utter more painful words, Mugen made himself known, stepping into the alley where she sat, "Yeah, that's who I am...what of it, Girly?"
He noticed that the girl seemed quite caught off guard by his sudden appearance, at least if the slight jolt that went through her and the soft squeak she let out were any indication. His features creased into a curious frown, "What?"
"N-nothing!" That nervous response slipped out too easily for the vagrant's liking, as though she were hiding something. He might not be smart, but he wasn't completely stupid! Steely eyes narrowed on the waitress as she climbed to her feet, her small hands swatting at her kimono to rid the fabric of dirt. He hated to think that she might be afraid of him, let alone so much afraid that the mere sound of his voice scared her.
His gaze dropped to the side at that heartbreaking thought, but stopped partway. Unable to help himself, he let his sights linger as her attempts to dust herself moved to the curve of her backside, slender fingers spread as she patted the pink kimono there to send up clouds of dust, her head craned round in an effort to see her progress. He couldn't see her face, but he was certain her brows were pulled together in frustrated concentration as she tried to make sure to even get the spots she couldn't see herself, her tongue might even be poking from the corner of her mouth in determination.
A smirk spread over his features at the notion of the familiar expression, and he let out a soft huff of laughter, earning a mild glare from the girl who was now a woman. Quickly he tore his gaze from her backside, casting it skyward. He wasn't fast enough, though, if the slightly pink tint of her features was any indication. With a smirk that bordered on grinning he decided to poke a bit of fun at her, "What's with the look, Girly? Expecting me to help?"
"Eh?" Fuu's cheeks had been pink before, though now they brightened to a shade of scarlet that crept down her neck and spread up onto her ears, "N-no! Why would you even....I mean....well...wh-what about you?! Were you enjoying the view?!"
Ah, so he had been caught looking. Not that she probably cared if he looked, she was only embarrassed because of her proper values or whatever...not specifically because it had been him. That was the thought that helped him keep from growing flustered as well, a lazy look dropping once more to her rear in assessment, "It's not much of a view...seen worse though, I guess. Missed a spot, by the way."
"Mugen..." She seethed at his initial insult, angered by the fact that he could so blatantly dismiss the fact he had seen something worth staring at! Then the second phrase registered, "Wait...huh?"
"Ya missed a spot..." The vagrant repeated, a scarred brow lifting in curiosity. He'd stated that pretty clearly, right?
"No not th-...oh neverm-...right. Missed a spot...I'll get it." She started out in a bold attempt to get him to repeat the backhanded compliment, but lost her courage shortly into the effort, eventually turning her head to hide a blush and renewing her efforts to pat the dust away.
Now Mugen was very confused. Clearly she hadn't been questioning the most recent thing he'd said...rather something he'd mentioned seemed to really embarrass her. The comment about her ass made the most sense in that regard, but she would only be embarrassed by that because of her good girl nature, right? So then why in the world would she want to hear it again? Unless the hag at the tea house had been right earlier...had his insults had an impact on her? But that was how they always were, he insulted her, she insulted him. Besides, Fuu didn't really care what he thought, she didn't see him as anything but a bodyguard and possibly a friend.
"Some girl four years ago...whined a lot about a smelly samurai...now her ass was nothin' special at all..." He smirked as he slipped in another strange comment, "Looks good, now. We should get ya back to Pre-...Hiroshi."
Fuu froze with her hands splayed over her backside in mid-pat. Had Mugen just said that he'd snuck a peek at her butt during their travels four years earlier? He'd insulted it in the same breath...but was he also saying he liked how it looked now by comparison? And was the comment about it looking good now referring to whether it was still dusty, or her physical development over the years? She tried hard not to blush, especially when he reminded her that she had to return to her fiance. If the former bodyguard was trying to flirt, then he had no intention of actually attempting anything beyond that. Which was fine, she reminded herself, since she had Hiroshi.
The two walked through the maze of alleys in relative silence, each contemplating their own feelings, as well as what the other might be thinking at the moment.
Fuu was willing to admit that on some level she had maybe always found Mugen somewhat attractive...in the way that young girls are often drawn to dangerous men and the adventures they might promise. During her journey with her bodyguards, Jin had been safe, pretty much a guaranteed companion and man of his word. Mugen had been a risky gamble, selfish and wanting something always in return. But it was Mugen who more often came to her rescue. It was Jin who came the closest to leaving their little group. And though it had pained her to think of losing either of her companions, the idea of not having Mugen with her had lead to near panic and heartbreak. She had sobbed, clung to him, begged whatever higher powers might actually exist, be they Shinto, Buddhist, or Christian, that they would bring him back to her. And he'd returned, by some miracle, each time she thought he'd been lost he'd returned.
But to him, Fuu reasoned, she was a mere child. If he complimented her, he did it only to tease her. If anything, he saw her as an obligation, someone he was meant to protect. Shino had been right in saying that he was concerned for her, that perhaps he didn't trust Hiroshi. But to hope that the vagrant cared beyond a brotherly sort of instinct was to dream too much. Fuu needed to come back to reality, to ground herself and accept that Hiroshi was the man she was meant to marry.
Mugen, for his part, was damning himself for ever admitting aloud how he felt. Sure, he'd uttered it to a dying man, a man he himself killed. And at the time, it had been a relief. But once the door to those emotions had been fully opened, there was no way to contain them again. He cared about Fuu, much more than he had ever been willing to admit. There was a reason he had always gone to save her, and it wasn't because of some damn promise or stupid dumplings. He couldn't stand the thought of her being in danger, of her purity and kindness being corrupted and broken. She, who accepted a criminal like him, who cried for him when he was lost, and tended him when he was injured...who cared about him, even if it was only as a friend...how could that not crack the shell of his heart. But how could he have ever admitted to any such feelings when he was exactly what she needed protecting from?
He was well aware of what he was. The exact opposite of her. He was all darkness and cruelty and viciousness...corruption and brokenness already dwelt within him, ready to reach out and grasp anything he tried to hold too close. And how could he do that to the one person he had to care about him, and the one person he actually cared for more than anything, the one who gave him a reason to live when the crow men kept pulling him toward death?
He couldn't, and so he'd buried any feelings behind harsh words and treatment. He'd hidden any attraction behind delusions that she couldn't be beautiful if she wasn't his ideal type, that she was only an annoying brat of a child. He convinced himself he didn't want her, because he knew he couldn't have her, he didn't deserve her. But now...?
Now the bile rose in the back of his throat each time he thought of her with someone else, with Hiroshi. What had started as a seething and unidentifiable annoyance had become a harsh bitterness so strong he could taste it. Because now, now he was aware. He wanted her. More than anything, he wanted her. He couldn't even think of the brothels and their big busted women when the idea of losing her was on his mind. All he wanted was to pull the waitress to him, to smash his lips into hers, taste the fruit he had long ago forbade himself. It was like an itch that he wanted to scratch, but it was just out of his reach.
So close, but out of reach, because, she didn't feel the same. She had her samurai. And even if she had felt the same, she would be better with the Pretty Boy. What kind of life could a marked criminal provide for someone like her? No life she deserved, that was certain.
Steel eyes shifted to take her in from the peripheral as it occurred to him how strange it was that he was being so contemplative. After all, he usually just did whatever the hell he wanted. He was whipped, and he couldn't even have the girl.
His sideways glance was met with large brown eyes that lingered curiously on his face, though as soon as they noticed him looking back, they widened and darted away, a blush lightly dusting the cheeks of the face that had suddenly shifted skyward.
Fuu hadn't meant to stare, she really hadn't. But Mugen was being so quiet...not that he was talkative all the time, but right now he seemed to be brooding...or maybe more...thoughtful. Like there was something important on his mind, "What's up?"
A brow lofted in response, "What're ya talkin' about?"
"You've got something on your mind, right?" The waitress looked at him canting her head and folding her hands behind her back as she offered a warm smile, "Want to talk about it?"
The vagrant blinked at her accurate assessment. It surprised him that he had somehow become so easy for her to read, and that he suddenly found that damn expression so cute all of a sudden. He folded his arms behind his head and turned away to keep himself from focusing on the curve of her lips, "I got nothin' ta say."
Fuu's arms shifted to fold across her chest, eyes rolling in frustration, "Geeze, fine. Just sulk then! Why do I bother trying to be nice! Jackass..."
Mugen twitched a brow at the insult. Normally he wouldn't let it get under his skin, but he suddenly didn't want her thinking of him that way, "Oi, watch your mouth, Girly...a samurai's wife should have manners and shit, right?"
"She should be honest too.." The waitress replied with innocent nonchalance, "And it would be a lie if I said you weren't a complete and total...jackass."
The ex-pirate scowled at the fact that his words had backfired. He wasn't used to being anything other than what he usually was around the girl, so he'd tried to be helpful and supportive, but his usual mannerisms had gotten in the way, "I'm tryin', alright! You wanna marry the guy, so I'm tryin' ta be helpful!"
"Oh, and slinging insults is helpful you jerk?!" Fuu stopped walking and whirled on him, hands planted firmly on her hips, "I'll have you know Hiroshi-kun likes me just fine the way I am, with the manners I have! And who are you to talk about manners anyway?!"
"Really?" Mugen arched a scarred brow, sneering at her. This girl had the most astounding ability to make him want her, and drive him insane at the same time! His eyes narrowed into a glare, "His mother don't seem ta like ya much, does she? And manners...all the times I put my ass on the line did you even say th-"
"It was you, I knew it!" She crowed triumphantly, an accusing finger aimed at the vagrant's face, "What the hell were you doing that night?! Why would you break into Hiroshi-kun's kitchen?!"
Mugen froze a moment. He'd said too much this time, and they were now in territory he didn't want to cover, "The fuck are you talkin' about, Girly?"
"You know what I'm talking about!" The waitress shouted, glaring, nearly missing his apparent fright at the subject. What the heck was wrong with him? He just killed a bunch of yakuza goons, but he couldn't answer a simple question? Her gaze grew curious, head canting to one side and volume lowering, "Just what were you doing there?"
"Nothin special..." The former bodyguard scratched the back of his head, glancing at the eaves of the closest building as his mind raced for an answer, "Guess I just wanted to find out more about that guy yer marryin...or somethin'..."
His answer was a bit lame, and not very convincing. It left Fuu more curious than before as she leaned in closer, as though she might somehow be able to sense the truth that way, "Or something? What do you even care...?"
"Think about it, stupid," The vagrant finally grumbled, rolling his eyes as he came up with a passable excuse, "After what happened four years ago...suddenly some samurai's kid gets all interested? Yer not exactly samurai wife material, Girly! I wanted ta make sure he was legit...not pullin' some crap."
"Really?" Leaning back, her brow lifted as she considered his response. It seemed possible, she supposed. After all, their journey so many years ago had put them in some tight spots legally, so a samurai family might try to lure her in as part of a trap for her comrades, or even to capture her herself.
"Yeah, really," Turning away from his companion, the former pirate started walking again, muttering, "Guess he's good...he took a couple hits for ya and all..."
Fuu watched him a moment before hurrying to catch up. He seemed a bit down, she noticed, but wasn't sure why. Shouldn't the fact that Hiroshi was trustworthy make her friend happy? Maybe he was displeased because the young samurai hadn't actually succeeded in protecting her? Or maybe it was about their last argument. When she was at his side again, she smiled at him kindly, "I'm glad he meets your standards then. And...Mugen..."
Mugen lifted a brow, glancing at the girl who had suddenly started speaking softly in those last couple words, ""Yeah?"
"About the market...and...what I said..." Fuu sighed softly, running a hand through the loose hair of her bangs, "I didn't mean it, you know. I was...I was angry. I don't hate you...I couldn't. And, I don't want you to leave."
There was a drawn out silence from the vagrant's end, which caused his friend to look at him in concern. She found him gazing at the sky, hands folded behind his head, seemingly lost in thought. She was starting to worry that she might have said something wrong, something to intimate for the rogue to handle, when he at last replied, "Well...that's good..."
It seemed like the hag at the tea house had been right about that too. Fuu had spoken out of anger, and it was a huge relief to know she hadn't meant it. Still, the man worked to keep his expression from showing the weight that had been lifted. The girl, however, was grinning at the fact that their issues seemed to have been resolved.
With a smirk, Mugen tilted his face to look down at her, "Of course if yer tellin' me ta stay, then ya know I'm gonna end up leavin' right? I still don't take orders."
The waitress scowled at him, then turned away in a huff, though she wasn't able to keep the smile from her face or her voice as she replied, "Fine! I just hope you don't plan to stick around for the wedding!"
Even though he knew that had been a roundabout invitation, the hero seriously debated actually going with her words and not attending the wedding. It would hurt, he knew, even if he hated to admit it. He also knew he'd be there, he wouldn't abandon her, never again. Even if it only meant being able to protect her.
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At the tea shop, Jin's eyes slipped open. After what seemed like a very long time, he could hear tired footsteps approaching. The doctor was coming over to the corner of the establishment where he and Shino were waiting, but before anything could be revealed, the stoic ronin lifted a hand, gesturing to the entrance. The boy's family should be notified before anyone.
Understanding the gesture, the doctor nodded, and changed course, Jin and Shino following after so as to be able to provide support to the parents, whatever the outcome. As they stepped past the curtain of the entrance, the doctor was faced with a desperate mother and the father who tried to sooth the woman.
Drawing a deep breath the medical professional sighed and put on a faint smile, "Well, it took a lot of work and he lost a lot of blood, but the good news is that Hiroshi-san will survive..."
"Wonderful!" Shino let a sigh escape in relief as she turned a smile first to Jin, then to the boy's parent's and the doctor, not quite understanding why they didn't mirror her joy at the words. Slowly it began to dawn on her though, confirmed when the boy's mother found her voice.
In trembling tones the woman had raised a shaking hand to her bosom, fresh waves of tears springing to her eyes as she stared at the doctor who had treated her child, "Good news....that's the good news? Then...then there is....bad news?"
With a slow nod, the doctor responded, "Yes..."