Samurai Champloo Fan Fiction ❯ Sweet Nothings ❯ Of Gods and Children ( Chapter 4 )

[A/N]

 

Once again, a very big thanks for all of you who reviewed my last chapter. I mentioned this before, but for those of you who didn't know, a couple of people pointed out to me the error I made with Jin's glasses. I already edited the last chapter to fix this mistake (it's too important to ignore…) and hopefully you'll all forgive me for my blunder. Again, I haven't seen all of the episodes, so let me off the hook? Haha.

 

[Disclaimer]: Honestly, if I was brilliant enough to have thought of Samurai Champloo, do you think I'd be here writing fanfiction for it?

 

 

+++

 

 

Sweet Nothings

 

By Youkai Yume

 

 

Chapter 4: Of Gods and Children

 

 

 

Most of the time, Jin enjoyed being productive and useful. He didn't like to sit around and wait for things to happen or stand aside to watch when he knew that he could help in some way. Perhaps he was just disciplined as a samurai that way. Or perhaps traveling with Mugen and Fuu had made him used to doing so many jobs because of their constant lack of money.

 

But on days such as this one where he and Fuu were given an early leave because business was slow and she looked up at him with those big hazel eyes in hopes of getting to spend some time with him, Jin couldn't help but think differently.

 

“You can skip the extra part-time jobs for today, right?” She tugged at the loose fabric of his sleeves, “I think with as much as the both of us have worked, we must have saved up enough to give you a day off.”

 

“Hmm,” Jin considered the idea, and the more Fuu smiled up at him, the more it seemed like a good idea.

 

“I guess it's settled then!” she piped before he could even make up his mind, leading him to god knows where.

 

“Fuu, I didn't—“

 

“Oh, c'mon, Jin. You're such a workaholic. Is the idea of getting rest and relaxation so foreign to you? Geez, you're such a stick in the mud.”

 

“Stick…?” Jin narrowed his eyes. He most certainly was not a stick in the mud. A little stiff, maybe but…At least he wasn't as lax as Mugen, who didn't work a lick and if he did (if you called robbing someone working), would spend all his earnings on women and sake before giving them a single coin. Honestly, the girl should appreciate his dedication and hard work. He frowned at her, which caused her to laugh and in turn, caused him to frown even more.

 

“Honestly, if hanging out with me is so terrible then don't bother,” Fuu sighed. “I'll just go back and hang with Kenta.”

 

His eyebrow twitched—ever so slightly. But she noticed it, and she smirked. The devious little… Jin wasn't sure when she had found out that he had such a dislike for the chef. It wasn't as if Kenta as a person possessed any bad qualities. But after their last conversation, the samurai just decided that he didn't want to have much to do with him. Especially because the only crime Kenta was guilty of was caring for the girl who was currently grinning like she had just been given a free plate of sweet potatoes.

 

It's not jealousy, he told himself. He scarcely ever felt such a thing and he was fairly sure that this wasn't it. Besides, Fuu was easy to find yourself caring for. But the samurai couldn't determine if everyone who came up and said that they cared about Fuu were false or genuine. He was only trying to look out for the girl. After all, she had always been notorious for her quick to trust attitude.

 

It was one of the things he admired about Fuu—her ability to give people a second chance and look for their one ray of light in darkness. But it was also a fault that he and Mugen constantly had to save her from in the past.

 

Why was he thinking so much on it, anyway? When he finally came back to his surroundings and looked down at Fuu, he realized… `Damn.' She had won. With his heavy sigh and her squeal of delight, he allowed her to lead him to wherever her whim would take them.

 

 

+++

 

 

“Ah, that feels nice,” The girl cooed, her eyes sparkling with childlike happiness as her feet dipped into the cool water. “Just what I needed after being on my feet all day.”

 

“You weren't on your feet all day, there were barely any customers,” Jin retorted, sitting with arms crossed on a flat rock. Fuu gave him an indignant look before kicking up her feet, sending splashes of water into the air.

 

“Doesn't change the fact that it still feels nice,” she defended, smiling. Her kimono was bunched up around her knees so that it wouldn't get wet, exposing her slim legs to the cool water and breeze. Jin looked away, almost as if it was inappropriate for him to even glance at any of Fuu's exposed skin. Even if it was completely innocent and not suggestive at all. It was Fuu, for heaven's sake! She called out his name and beckoned for him to join her.

 

“I'm not asking you to swim!” She tried to convince him. “Just dip your feet in!”

 

Dark eyes studied her for a moment. What's wrong with his current position? He liked it just fine where he was and he wasn't about to move just because she wanted him to wet his feet. Still, the girl was waving frantically for him to join, and she had that urgent look on her face. It was almost as if it was something he absolutely had to try. With a defeated inward sigh, he grudgingly got up from his nice flat rock and approached to the bank of the lake.

 

He should really learn how to say `no' to her.

 

Jin stood there for a second, observing the water as if determining whether it was sanitary or not while Fuu looked at him expectantly. Finally, stepping out of his slippers and taking off his socks, Jin let his feet become submerged into the lake. At first, he held back a shiver at the cold sensation. But a few seconds later, the samurai felt his shoulders relax. She was right, it really was quite nice.

 

“Told ya so,” The girl smiled, seating herself on the bank with her feet swinging back and forth under the surface. Jin followed her lead when she motioned for him to sit beside her. It wasn't until he looked down at his feet that he realized that the bottom of his hakama was also wet. He frowned slightly, not sure why he hadn't rolled them up before going into the lake.

 

A flicker of silver glinted in the sun beneath the surface and Jin found himself blinking to see if he hadn't imagined it. Beside him, Fuu squealed in delight.

 

“Fish! Oh, stay real still, Jin!” Her voice was an excited hush and she immediately hunched over to stare intensely at the little fish that swam around their feet. Jin smiled inwardly, not really paying at the fish at all so much as he was memorizing the concentrated look on Fuu's face.

 

“Ngh!” Jin winced, brought out of his inner musings when a sharp pain enveloped his right toe. It was a strange sensation…almost like little teeth nibbling his skin.

 

“Ne?!” Fuu exclaimed as Jin hauled his foot out of the water, and both of their eyes widened considerably when they saw that a small fish was latched onto his toe, flailing its' tail in the air. “Jin! You caught one!” She laughed, watching as the samurai pulled it off of his toe with a scowl. It wasn't very big, but still feisty. It squirmed in his hands until it slipped away back into the water. Fuu gave a disappointed moan.

 

“Aw, that could have been dinner…” she whined jokingly. “You know Jin, if I had known your toes made such good bait we would have gone fishing a lot more often.”

 

“But I'm horrible at fishing…” Jin admitted, his voice growing quiet as he remembered his last attempt at the endeavor. Fuu and Mugen's loud laughter (and it really was loud with the both of them combined) still lingered in his memory. Ugh.

 

“Your feet sure aren't,” the girl smiled, poking at his side.

 

“Fuu-chan!” A small voice squeaked out of nowhere and both Jin and Fuu were caught quite off guard when a child of about six pounced on Fuu from behind wrapping her small chubby arms around the elder girl's neck. “Here you are, I missed you!”

 

“Ah…Satsuki-chan…you're choking me…” Fuu rasped. The little girl let go of Fuu at once as if she were the plague, fingers covering her mouth in apology.

 

“Sorry! Sorry!”

 

Jin watched curiously as Fuu stepped out of the pond, feet dripping and hugged the child named Satsuki with evident fondness. Moments later, footsteps could be heard from behind them, and Jin turned around to see a boy of ten with mousy brown hair run towards them.

 

“There you are, Satsuki! You shouldn't run off like that and—“

 

“Look, Satoru-nii! I found big sis!” The girl in Fuu's arms announced proudly. Her older brother scowled.

 

“I can see that, but you still didn't have to run!” He said in a haughty manner that vaguely reminded Jin of Mugen. “And you!” the boy pointed to Fuu, “If you have time to sit around by the lake, why don't you ever visit?”

 

“You little twerp! I was busy!” Fuu huffed, hands on her hips.

 

“Yeah right. Do you know how much I have to put up with Satsuki? She's always whining about how you never play with us anymore and it's really annoying,” Sotoru countered. “Plus, the others aren't any better, they're always asking about you all the time. `Fuu-chan' this, and Fuu-chan' that. Geez, can't you be a little less selfish and think about them for once?”

“Grrr, you brat! How dare you call me selfish?!”

 

“Nii-chan…Fuu-chan…please don't fight…”

 

Jin looked back and forth between Fuu and the children. He wondered what her relationship with them was, and they must be close because he knew for a fact that Fuu wouldn't let anyone—not even a kid talk to her like that without smacking them one first.

 

“I don't know why they all like you so much. You're not even pretty—“ SMACK! “Ow!!!”

 

Sigh. Spoke too soon. The boy was rubbing a swelling bump on his head where Fuu had hit him and a sour look passed over his face.

 

“What'd you do that for, wench?” He spat. Before Fuu could retort, Jin had risen from his seat, not caring about the way his hakama slopped around his ankles. The boy definitely reminded him too much of Mugen, and that was a bad thing. The samurai gave a rather intimidating stare down at Satoru, who stepped back slightly but stood his ground. Satsuki cowered behind Fuu. It seemed that the children didn't even notice that he was there until now.

 

“That's a very rude thing to say to a lady. Now apologize,” Jin said stoically down to him.

 

“Jin…” Fuu whispered beside him, shocked. Satoru didn't look too impressed though.

 

“She's not a lady. And who are you anyway, her father?”

 

Jin's eyes twitched and Fuu nearly choked. Father?! He was only five years older than the girl, thank you very much. Surely the samurai didn't look that old.

 

“I am not,” he responded stiffly. Satoru looked at him for a bit, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

 

“Her boyfriend?”

 

“No!” Both he and Fuu responded at the same time before they could think. Jin glanced over at Fuu who was trying to cover up a healthy pink blush on her cheeks that matched her kimono.

 

“He's a friend, for your information!” the girl snapped, flustered. Satoru seemed to have lost interest and shrugged. But the little girl by Fuu's side looked disheartened.

 

“Friend?” Satsuki asked meekly. “Is he…a new friend? Do you like playing with your new friend more than us?” Her small fingers grasped the fabric of Fuu's kimono as if she was a lifeline and she gazed up with rather hurt brown orbs. Fuu kneeled down, prying tiny hands from her clothing and held the child by the shoulders, a fond smile on her face.

 

“Oh, no Satsuki. That's not it at all. This is Jin,” she looked over at the samurai and gave him the same fond smile that sent a lurch somewhere in his stomach, “he's actually an old friend, and it's been a very long time since I've seen him. But that doesn't mean that I don't like you anymore, Satsuki,” Fuu comforted, and this seemed to have satisfied the child.

 

“Wait a minute…Jin?” Satoru's attention was suddenly focused entirely on the samurai, analyzing him as if he had just realized something phenomenal. “Don't tell me this is the same Jin in your ridiculous stories!”

 

“The one and only!” Fuu smirked, sounding rather proud.

 

“Wow! Are you really Jin-sama?” Satsuki asked in awe, completely forgetting her fear for the man. Jin blinked, staring at the children in bemusement.

 

“Um…yes…?”

 

“Wow…”

 

“Pfft. He doesn't look so cool,” Satoru commented offhandedly. The samurai pretended not to hear that last remark and instead glanced incredulously over at Fuu, who caught his questioning gaze and blushed slightly, shifting on the spot.

 

“You told stories about me?” he inquired.

 

“Ah…Actually about us—all of us I mean. The children asked me what I was doing before I came here and I couldn't help but tell them all about our adventures. I left out some of the gorier details though.”

 

“I see.” Jin felt strangely touched by this confession. The fact that Fuu still remembered all of the time that they had spent together and in her mind had seen him (and perhaps even Mugen) as some sort of heroic figure, judging from Satsuki's expression of awe, made him oddly happy.

 

“Well, if he's Fuu-chan's friend, then we can all play together!” the little girl announced. “Can we Fuu? Pleeeeease?”

 

“Oh, no…” Satoru groaned.

 

“Sure, why not? It's been a while since we've been together.”

 

“Yay! I'll get the others!”

 

“Others?” Jin raised an eyebrow.

 

“Oh, no….” the boy groaned even louder this time. Before another word could be said, Satsuki had bounded off to fetch these so-called others. In the bottom of Jin's sinking stomach, he realized that this must mean the beginning of some sort of munchkin play-date.

 

“Are these the children you were talking about the other day?” The samurai prodded Fuu, in which she nodded with a smile.

“Hai, they're the ones who made my first couple of paper cranes,” Satoru seemed to become a little stiff at this, but said nothing. “They're all really sweet. Well, most of them anyway,” Fuu gave an indignant look over at the now fidgeting boy.

 

“At least I'm not ugly,” Satoru retorted, causing the elder girl to bristle in anger and Jin to smirk at how undeniably Mugen this boy was turning out to be.

 

“Toru-kun, you shouldn't be so mean to Big Sis,” a girl about the same age as Satoru—maybe a year younger, with pig tails entered with Satsuki by the hand.

 

“Shut up, Hisami, don't tell me what to do!”

“Don't tell a girl to shut up, jerk!” Another girl snapped, entering the clearing with three other younger children who all seemed to identical triplets.

 

Jin blanched inwardly. He didn't expect so many, and he wasn't sure if he liked the idea of babysitting all of them. It wasn't because he hated kids. It was just because he wasn't exactly a pro when it came to handling them. Most children would shy away from him because of his intimidating aura and he had never had much experience in caring for them in general.

 

Also, somewhere in the far back of his head, he had been hoping to continue the day with his feet dipped in the lake, perhaps once in a while catching fish with his toes while Fuu laughed and spoke alongside him.

 

But looking over at her, Jin could see that something sparkled within Fuu's hazel eyes. A happiness and excitement that he didn't see often shine through. The samurai sighed inwardly, knowing that he'd agree to whatever she wanted to do, because it meant a lot to Fuu to be with these children. And he'd perhaps attempt to understand what it was about them that made her smile like that.

 

“The gang's all here,” Fuu said happily and practically the whole horde of them rushed to hug the girl—all except Satoru of course.

 

“Is he really Jin?” One of the triplets asked, looking up at the silent samurai with wire-rimmed glasses.

 

“Hai! I forgot to introduce you all. Jin, these are the kids. Hisami,” she placed a hand on the girl with the pigtails, “Miyu,” the girl next to Hisami bowed and gave him a toothy grin. “ And the triplets: Tetsuya, Tatsuo, and Takuya,” all three of the smallest boys waved madly at the man, who couldn't help but quirk the tiniest of smiles at them all.

 

“Let's play!” Satsuki began to tug insistently at Fuu's sleeve, an impatient look on her chubby face.

 

“Alright, what do you want to play?”

 

A sly grin made it's way up her lips and without warning she bounded over to Hisami and screamed “TAG YOU'RE IT!” And ran off. Within seconds, squeals of laughter could be heard and all of the children scattered like spilt marbles.

 

It was all very fascinating to watch. Jin stood there as the little girl known as Hisami began to chase after Fuu and the others, trying to (from what he gathered) catch one of them. They all squealed and ran at her approach, taunting things like “You can't catch me!” or “I'll never be `IT!'” Only he and Satoru were on the sidelines as bystanders, but it wasn't long before even the boy succumbed to the fun and games.

 

That left only the silent samurai to watch. There was something strange and comforting watching Fuu play with the children in a game that he could only describe as pointless. It was as if the only thing that seemed real was how happy she seemed to be.

 

She ran like the wind through the fields, bare feet grazing over cool grass and her laughter melded with all of the other children's under cerulean skies. Jin was sure that had he not known better, he could never tell that Fuu was sick or growing weaker by the day in the least.

 

A slight frown etched onto his features but he quickly shook it away. `Don't think about it anymore,' he reminded himself. The sound of feet padding against the ground became louder and louder in his ears, and Jin looked up to see that Fuu was mere inches from where he stood.

 

“Why are you just standing there?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. “The kids want to know if you're going to join in or not.”

 

“I'm too old for games,” Jin stated obviously, shocked that she would even suggest such a ludicrous idea. He was a samurai; he didn't indulge in childish playtime…

 

“It's no fun being left out,” Fuu said quietly. “Trust me, I know.”

 

“You shouldn't strain yourself too hard,” Jin started, hoping to change the subject. “I don't want anything to happen to you…” concern crept upon his features, and he genuinely hoped that it was all right for her to be playing with the children under her condition. She only scowled at him.

 

“You make it seem like I'm something fragile. I'm not going to break, Jin,” Fuu replied.

 

“Oi! Hurry up! You're still IT remember?” Satoru called impatiently from the other side of the field.

 

“Hold your horses!” Fuu called back. She turned back to him. “So how about it, Jin?”

 

“Mmm,” the samurai wanted to blend in with the trees in the background and stay rooted to the spot so that she wouldn't push him on the matter any further. His eyes widened however, when he felt her finger tap his nose playfully and shot him a wild grin.

 

“Well, whether you want to or not, you're going to have to play otherwise the game will end. And that would make the kids really sad.”

 

“And why is that?”

 

The girl before him began to run away, her giggles like wind chimes on a summer morning. “Because you're IT! That's why!”

 

He wasn't sure what force caused him to do such things in the next fleeting seconds that seemed to pass by in a blur. His dark eyes followed her back as she ran away from him, laughing and calling his name. “Come catch me!” She'd cry, when all he could do was stand rooted to the spot. “Hayaku! Hayaku!”

 

And he found…that he couldn't resist. Against his own will, his feet had began their pace towards the girl, who gazed back with wide eyes as if she couldn't believe he was actually playing along. Then they sparkled in delight and excitement as she took off running once more with twice the speed.

 

Perhaps it was because her laughter seemed infectious. Or perhaps it was because of the summer breeze that made her hair dance with the wind that made his blood run faster, his breath grow quicker, and the pace of his jog turn into a sprint. Fuu ran as if she feared being caught, dodging behind trees and weaving through the fields. Yet she called out to him as if there was nothing more that she wanted.

 

In the background, the distant sound of children's laughter and voices could be heard, but Jin couldn't quite hear them anymore. The only one he could hear was Fuu's. He knew he could catch her anytime he wanted, and he was sure that she knew it too. But this game of cat and mouse…it stirred something within him. A feeling that the samurai couldn't recall ever having as a child. He couldn't place it, name it, or fathom it. But he wanted it to last.

 

That's why he allowed Fuu to run…just a little bit longer.

 

It wasn't until the girl began to slow down that he allowed his arms to wrap around her waist. He hadn't realized how long they had been running, nor how tired he was until his own legs gave way beneath him and he found himself falling, bringing Fuu along with him. They both fell onto the soft grass in a heap, Fuu's laughter still ringing in his ears like soft bells.

 

He lay beside her, one arm still loosely wrapped around her waist, and his breath came out in short pants. His glasses were slightly askew on his face as he peered at her through them, unable to look away. Her cheeks were tinged such a pretty color of pink that he wondered if there was any flower God made that could match her blush. Silky brown hair was splayed all around her, and some strands were even messily sticking to the sweaty skin of her forehead.

 

She smelled of orchids, and noodles, and of course—sunflowers, even though Jin still wasn't sure what sunflowers smelled like.

 

Fuu's lips were parted either to breathe in air or let out laughter it seemed hard to tell now, but he couldn't care less. He only wondered for a split second…if they were as soft as they looked. Only for a second. And there was something in her eyes that nearly took the samurai's breath away too—the look of pure, untainted happiness.

 

As her giggles faded away, she turned to look at him with warm hazel eyes that made his heart race faster, though he knew not why for they weren't running anymore. Fuu slowly moved to brush a couple of strands of raven black hair from Jin's eyes that he hadn't even noticed were there and whispered, “You win,” in a soft voice that only he could hear.

 

And Jin never felt more alive.

 

`I want her to be happy…' the thought came to him so suddenly that it surprised him. `I want Fuu to be happy, no matter what that means…' Whether it meant that she'd be content running in the fields everyday playing with children or eating mochi until she couldn't walk, he wanted her to be happy.

 

“Oi! There's still a game going on, remember?”

 

Both of them looked up from the ground over to the boy who looked extremely agitated.

 

“That makes you `it' now, right Fuu? Well, hurry up!” Satoru griped, “The girls are starting to complain!”

 

“Hai! Coming!” The girl wiggled out of his arms and stood up, brushing dirt and grass from her kimono before running after them.

 

Jin decided to sit the rest of the game out.

 

 

+++

 

 

Dusk settled over the lake by the time the children left. Some of them left on their own; others had to have their parents come drag them away.

 

“We should get going too. I really need a bath,” Fuu commented, stretching.

 

“You go ahead, I think I'll stay out here a bit longer.” Although Jin had enjoyed the time spent here more than he would like to admit, the samurai needed time to gather his thoughts and relish the coming night.

 

“Alright,” the girl nodded before heading back to the house. He listened to her footsteps for several moments, making sure that she was safe before allowing himself to close his eyes and relax.

 

“You're still here,” a familiar voice sounded from behind him. Without looking he could tell who it was.

 

“So are you,” Jin answered back. “Don't you need to take your sister home?”

 

“I don't live very far from here, and Satsuki can take care of herself,” Satoru said casually before sitting down beside the silent samurai. Jin wasn't sure whether he wanted him there or not, but at the moment didn't care enough about it to do anything.

 

For several moments, the boy and the ronin sat in silence, letting the dark of night settle over them.

 

“Let me ask you a question,” Satoru started, his eyes growing suddenly fiery. Jin said nothing, only waited for him to proceed, “You…are you living with Fuu?” he asked through gritted teeth.

 

“Is that your question?” Jin inquired.

“N-No! I just, it's important for what I'm about to ask okay?”

 

“…Yes, I do.”

 

The boy seemed to be a bit irritated with this fact but moved on. “And earlier, she said something to you about paper cranes so you know about them right?”

 

Jin nodded.

 

“Then…that girl, did she? Did Fuu—“ Satoru seemed to be struggling with his words for a boy that had such a sharp tongue.

 

“What is it?”

 

“…She stopped making them didn't she? The paper cranes I mean,” he finally asked in a voice that was surprisingly quiet. Jin wasn't sure what to say to him, not sure that if he told him the truth he would become angry or not. But then again, if he told the boy a lie if he would become even more angry.

 

“Yes,” the samurai finally answered.

 

“Tch, I knew it. That idiot,” Satoru muttered in a voice that bespoke of terrible frustration. “I told her to never stop until she got to a thousand.”

 

His heated words caused Jin to glance over at him, and he saw something in his brown orbs that he hadn't noticed before. Complete and utter concern. Satoru, despite his insults and rude behavior truly cared about the older girl. `Like someone else I know,' Jin mused.

 

“So, you know about Fuu's condition then.”

 

“I'm the only one in our group that knows just how bad she's got it,” Satoru ruffled his unkempt hair. “All the others just think she's sick with a long term cold or something. Geez, they're so stupid. I figured it out right away.”

Although it seemed as if the boy was bragging about his intelligence, he seemed more saddened that he knew than proud. Jin felt a familiar ache in his chest and suddenly he felt a little closer to the brat.

 

“Have you told anyone about it? Your parents perhaps?” Jin inquired.

 

“Tried to. But she made me promise not to tell anyone,” Satoru spat. All of a sudden, the boy stood up with fists clenched tightly by his sides. “She's so STUPID! If she needs help she should ASK for it! I'm just a little KID but even I know that! Why won't she let anyone help? She's stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! STUPID!” He screamed to no one in particular, as if letting out a temper tantrum that he had held in for a very long time.

 

The samurai could do nothing but let the boy rant and shout, a realization dawning on him as his voice grew quieter each second: Satoru cared more for Fuu than any of the other children did. Something in his words that struck a cord within Jin that he could recognize…the fierce desire to protect and save Fuu. And the feeling of helplessness from knowing that there wasn't much that he, a mere child could do to help.

 

Of course, the boy would never admit it, that much the samurai knew. But it made him respect Satoru all the more… he was quite mature for a boy of eleven.

 

“Perhaps she is,” Jin said, breaking the silence, “but it's not that she doesn't want your help. Fuu just feels that she doesn't deserve it.” His dark eyes grew dim at his own words and he frowned deeply at the moon that was beginning to become more visible above them.

 

“Then she's even more stupid than I thought,” Satoru huffed.

 

“Do you care?”

 

“Eh?!” The boy grew a shade of bright red at this—so bright in fact that he was practically glowing in the dark. “No way! She's way too ditzy and she's n-not even pretty!” He said quickly, waving his arms frantically in the air. Jin nearly let out a chuckle.

 

Not only does he care but it also seemed that Satoru had a little crush on Fuu. No wonder he'd been a little frosty to him.

 

“Listen…” Satoru began, growing serious. “I…I don't want all those paper cranes that I—that all of us made to go to waste. So…you'd better make sure she finishes them, all right?”

 

“…I don't know if she'd—“

 

“Then make her!” Satoru insisted hotly. “She listens to you more!'

 

`Want to bet?' Jin thought sardonically in his head. He blinked in surprise when he saw that the boy had his arm extended to him.

 

“C'mon! It's a man-to-man promise, `kay? So you gotta promise!”

 

The samurai looked at the extended hand, as if studying it's lines and calluses for several moments. Then, he stood up as well and took Satoru's small hand in his large one in a firm handshake.

 

“Alright then. It's a man-to-man promise.”

 

 

+++

 

 

She sang a soft melody, one that drifted and permeated the air with its sweetness and graceful notes. A song that she probably knew very well. Be it from childhood or from distant memory, she sang it anyway. Even if her voice wasn't that of a songbird or lured men like sirens, it captivated Jin all the same even though he resisted with every last ounce of his will.

 

So, she still did like to wish on stars at night. Wordlessly, he sat beside her, enjoying the tune that she hummed unconsciously to herself. She wore her hair down again, Jin mused and found that he quite liked how it framed her delicate features and brushed a little past her shoulders.

 

“You're back,” she smiled, gazing at him. “I uh…got really hungry so I ate without you. I saved you some though.”

 

“Ah,” Jin nodded. “Arigato.” He would eat it later after he bathed. “That song you were singing…”

 

“Oh,” Fuu blushed slightly, “I'm pretty awful I know. Satoru told me I sounded like a screeching chicken once.”

 

“No…it was very…” the samurai tried to find a word to define it. “Pleasant.”

 

She smiled in contentment at this and ran delicate fingers through her hair in thought. “My mother sang it to me every night. But it was only when she thought I was asleep that she would. I think she was embarrassed about her singing voice too, even if it was to her own daughter,” Fuu giggled.

 

“The spring is announced and the wild plants start to dance. The summer comes to Uji, and in the fields are patterns of grass set out to dry. The autumn moon rises and celebrates a perfect circle. The winter passes by and I start counting off the months again.”

 

She spoke the words that had been burned in her memory, a sad smile tugging on her lips. Jin gazed up at the stars that she had been so engrossed at earlier and couldn't stop the question that came out of his lips.

 

“Why don't you ever wish for salvation?”

 

A weak laugh escaped her, and she rested her chin on her knees, which she hugged tightly to her petite frame. “I used to,” Fuu began slowly. “But there's only so much that even I can wish for. As time passed, I began to realize that no matter how hard I prayed, there were some things that just can't be granted. Even God can't make me immortal,” she said calmly, that same look of resignation that he saw earlier return to her hazel depths.

 

“So I began to wish for more practical things…things like mochi,” She smiled a smile that was meant to lift the uneasiness from Jin's shoulders and lighten the mood; a smile that tried to convince him that it really was no big deal. “You know, there is one thing I've always wanted though,” she thought, a finger to her lips.

 

“What's that?”

 

“I've…always wanted to have children of my own,” she admitted softly, a bittersweet smile on her lips. This came as a bit of a surprise to Jin, for he hadn't thought that she would ever want to be a mother before. But then again, after seeing her interaction with the kids today, it wasn't too hard to imagine.

 

“I didn't know that,” he responded, dark eyes searching hers. She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. He knew what she was thinking… It was natural for a girl such as herself to dream of adventures and the world that lay beyond her sight. But it was also natural for her to dream of love, of a husband and children…a family.

 

“It's silly…”

 

“No, it isn't.”

 

“…Yes, it is,” Fuu whispered, her tone serious. And she didn't have to explain to him why. And that was because of the fact that she can't have children, or find love or live happily ever after. Fuu wouldn't be able to live long enough for that. It was why she refused to marry Kenta, and why she no longer cared about paper cranes or wished for what really mattered to the stars. And this thought possibly saddened the samurai more than it did her.

 

Here was a girl who once glowed with happiness at the mere smell of food, a girl who had the ability to have faith even when hope was bleak. She was a girl who held steadfast to her goal and never gave up, no matter what fate threw her way.

 

And now, as he gazed at her under the pale moonlight, he never realized how frail and tired she looked. Fuu was tired of hoping, of wishing for things that she knew would never come true. But she still smiled that bittersweet smile; her hazel eyes meeting his as if to convey some sort of message that he couldn't decipher.

 

It really was no big deal. Death was there every day, like a shadow that followed your footsteps. Even if you don't see it, it's still there, always with you. As a samurai, Jin knew this fact very well. The world still spins, and life goes on. She had learned to go on.

 

So why was it so hard for him to go on as well?

 

 

+++

 

 

He heard her coughing that night when he tiptoed past her room. It took all of his strength not to rush in there and see if she was all right. But he didn't want her to know that he was up, or have her inquire why he was up. Instead, he stood there in the hallway in front of her shoji screen door, slightly open so that he could see through the narrow slit.

 

His eye caught her form lying on the futon, back turned to him and shoulders shaking with the fury of her coughs. She tried to stifle it with her hand, with her blankets, hoping it would die down in hopes that he wouldn't hear her because he knew she didn't want him to see her like this.

 

And he forced himself to tear away from the door and pretend that he didn't hear her hacking away in the other room because he respected that decision. He paused before something red catches his attention. Even then, he willed for his feet to move. He'd pretend he didn't see that spot of crimson that stained the white sheet of her blanket that she had clutched to. He'd tell himself that it wasn't blood.

 

And he'd try to ignore the dull ache that thrummed in his chest as he walked away.

 

Now, Jin stood before a door that he hadn't entered ever since the first time he stepped into it on that fateful day. Although there was nothing inside to be feared, it was a painful reminder of something he was trying desperately to deny. Something that he still wanted to deny very much.

 

His mind flashed to the conversation that he had earlier that day, and Jin thought of Satoru and the promise that the boy had made him make. The samurai wasn't sure himself if it would do any good to keep it. Then he thought of Fuu, and her abandoned wishes, lost hopes, and bittersweet smiles. Then he drew in a deep breath and opened the door.

 

If she didn't dare to hope then he would. He would do it for the both of them, even if he didn't believe in fairy tales himself.

 

 

+++

 

 

I wonder how you are doing in the cold wind,

I pondered a little bit,

We leaned against a branch and talked

Even when my body started to chill.

And as the sun was setting,

As if you're protecting me,

As I suddenly start crying,

You stayed by my side silently.

 

 

 

+End Chapter+

 

[A/N]

 

A couple of more contexts and translations you should know:

 

Fuu's song: “Shiki no Uta” of course, from the Samurai Champloo ending theme.

 

The Ending Quote: Another Maaya Sakamoto song called “Tomodachi” (Friends).

 

Satoru and Satsuki: The interaction and attitude between these two might be a little familiar if you've seen or read “Fruits Basket.” (which I highly recommend btw) Satsuki's character was drawn a lot from Kisa Sohma, while Satoru was actually inspired by Hiro Sohma and not Mugen. Could any of you tell?

 

Arigato: “Thank you” in Japanese of course…

 

Hakama: The lower part or pants of a kimono (usually male garments).

 

Hayaku: Japanese for “Hurry!” So when Jin was chasing Fuu, she was telling him to hurry up and catch her.

 

Hope you enjoyed that. Sorry for the fluff, you should all know that if you read my fics there's bound to be some somewhere… Thanks so much again for all those who reviewed.

 

Please READ AND REVIEW! Try not to flame me just because you hate the pairing. Criticism always welcome, always appreciate the feedback!

 

Chapter 5 will be posted soon!

 

Thank You and Ja Ne!