Samurai Champloo Fan Fiction ❯ Sweet Nothings ❯ Snowdrops ( Chapter 9 )

[A/N]

 

Ah…Ninth chapter already. This means there's only two more chapters left in this fanfic (this one included), and I find myself almost dreading to write it because I love it so. But at the same time I'm writing it because I want it to finish, and I'm also procrastinating from doing homework. Bad Yume.

 

Thank you for all of your reviews for the previous chapter.

 

[Disclaimer]: Rights to Samurai Champloo? What are you talking about? There is no such thing! It's just a myth!!! (tries to hide the rights to SamCham while the police try to break through the door)

 

 

+++

 

 

Sweet Nothings

By Youkai Yume

 

 

Chapter 9: Snowdrops

 

 

He resisted a shiver from passing through his body, but failed miserably. Above him, the last of the leaves that still clung desperately to the tree's branches relented and came fluttering down to his feet, joining its' other brothers and sisters that were scattered on the ground. Pretty soon all of the branches would be bare, and already the biting wind promised a season of cold snow that would undoubtedly come within the next few weeks.

 

Jin's slightly numb fingers worked on the knot of cloth that wrapped the large bento lunch that Fuu had made for him for his journey. Although his stomach was growling in protest, Jin honestly didn't want to eat the bento just yet due to the fact that it would be the only reminder he had of Fuu left for the rest of his trip. But on the other hand, if he didn't eat it, it would go cold and after a while, spoil and Jin didn't want to waste any morsel that Fuu had so lovingly spent making for him.

 

The samurai let out a long sigh. It had taken a long time for him to finally leave Fuu. He kept putting the trip off, always swearing that by the next day, he'd pack up and leave for sure. It wasn't until the girl pointed out that the longer he took to get going the less chance there would be of her actually keeping her promise that he decided it was time to go for real.

 

He knew she was only joking, but it certainly got him to finally take the initiative. Jin closed his eyes and recalled the goodbye kiss she gave him. Or rather, Fuu called it the “see you later” kiss, because she said that he'd come back to her anyway so there weren't any need for good-byes. It had started out as a simple chaste peck, followed by a slightly less chaste one…and another, and another.

 

Until Jin's intentions were hardly chaste anymore and he contemplated putting off leaving for another day so he could ravish Fuu right there on the porch.

 

“Nuh-uh, you can't weasel out of it this time,” Fuu had admonished playfully once she broke away from his amorous advances. She teased him, saying that for someone who was supposed to be so disciplined, he was quite the procrastinator. Jin personally blamed Fuu. She had spoiled him with her affections and because of it his so-called discipline dwindled a little more each day; but only when it came to her.

 

Afterward, she had given him an encouraging smile; a hint of sadness was visible in it. Perhaps not intentionally, but he could see it, and it made leaving for Jin all that much harder.

 

It was even worse once he had actually left little town. His eyes would constantly peer back over his shoulder, searching the familiar house atop the hill. He had barely traveled two miles and he could still see the town quite well. And every time he turned around to pause and look at the place he now called home, he debated just a little more about whether or not he should just call off the whole thing and stay.

 

Shino knew he was a samurai, right? That meant that she should also know that his lifestyle wasn't exactly what you'd call safe, and that there were risks and the possibility of blood and death involved. He was sure she knew after seeing how much trouble he managed to get into just by rescuing her. Admittedly, once this thought crossed his mind, Jin considered not going at all and imagined that over time, Shino would believe him to have died in some sort of fight and go on with her life.

 

It was the cowardly route to take and worse, it was unfair to Shino. Afterwards he had felt quite guilty and even ashamed that someone such as himself would even think about taking such a course of action. Still, he couldn't help it. It had barely been a day and already Jin missed and worried about Fuu terribly.

 

Taking another long, drawn out sigh, the samurai turned back to the bento lunch in his lap. A small smile picked at his lips as he inwardly complimented Fuu on managing not to sneak a bite before wrapping it up for him. With hesitant chopsticks, Jin slowly took a piece of fish into his mouth and ate.

 

It was lukewarm instead of piping hot like it had been that early morning, but that didn't make it any less delicious. Jin let another content smile grace his lips. She always knew how he liked his fish—not too salty, and a little crispy.

 

As he glanced at the slowly darkening sky while eating his beloved bento, Jin wondered how much longer it would take for him to get to Edo, and that it would a very long time until he would taste Fuu's cooking again. So for now…for now he'd savor every bite.

 

 

+++

 

 

“Sir, I don't know if it's a good idea to be going out there now. It's already raining pretty bad and it might get worse,” the ferryman advised. Both of them were standing out by the dock, and if Jin hadn't caught him he was sure that the man would have gone straight home. Apparently he was the last to tie up the boats.

 

Jin shook his head, causing a few droplets of water to drip from his straw hat. “It's important that I get there as soon as possible,” he insisted. “It's not very far to the enriki-dera. I'm sure the rain won't affect us that much.”

 

“Maybe,” the ferryman scratched his head slightly, blinking away some of the rainfall that had gotten into his eye. “But I still think it's a bad idea. Tell you what, you come back first thing tomorrow morning when the weather's fairer, and I'll take you anywhere you want on my boat.”

 

The samurai's eyebrows furrowed together in deep thought. He didn't much like that idea, because it meant waiting one more day; and Jin didn't want to waste any time. It had already been two weeks since he left Fuu and that was only because he was in a hurry—to him, that was still two weeks too many. He wanted to settle things with Shino quickly so he could return and make sure that Fuu kept her promise.

 

As each day goes by, Jin becomes more and more concerned, wondering if she was all right and that she wasn't…no, he had to suppress all of the scenarios and dreadful thoughts out of his head. Turning his attention back to the now soaking, but surprisingly patient ferryman, Jin gave another refusing shake of his head.

 

“I'm sorry, but I don't think it can wait.” Reaching into his pocket, Jin took out a small bag and held it in front of the ferryman. Hesitantly, he took it into his own palm and the little sack jingled with the sound of coins. Curious, he opened it and his eyes widened.

 

He let out an impressed whistle and adjusted his own straw hat (which had so many holes in it, it probably made not difference whether he was wearing it or not), and gave the samurai before him a sort of lazy chuckle.

 

“That's a lot more than what I charge, you know.”

 

“Well, I'm trying to convince you to take me when you clearly don't want to,” Jin replied.

 

“For this amount, I'd be more than happy to take you,” the ferryman laughed, “but I'm going to be honest with you, sir. Once you get there, they probably won't let you in anyway. Only women are allowed in the enriki-dera.”

 

“I know. I have business with one of the residents there, so I don't think it will be too much of a problem,” Jin said calmly.

 

The ferryman narrowed his eyes a bit at Jin, perhaps questioningly, perhaps even suspiciously. Then he asked slowly, “What's your name?”

 

And after a while, the samurai finally answered, “Jin.”

 

At this, the man let out a laugh that seemed to blend in with the pattering rain all around them and smiled somewhat in awe at him. “So you're the fellow that Miss Shino has been talking about!”

 

“You know her?”

 

“Sure I do,” the ferryman said, “She comes down by the dock over there when I come by every so often to deliver something and we talk sometimes. She asks me if I've ever seen you around. Told me she was expecting you.”

 

At this, the samurai felt immediately guilty and shifted uneasily on the spot. But the ferryman didn't seem to notice and patted Jin's shoulder somewhat harder than he intended. “Took you a while, huh? Well, sure thing, I'll take you to Miss Shino right now! Name's Nobu, by the way.” he motioned over to one of the boats and pocketed the bag of coins that Jin had given him.

 

The usually calm waters were indeed rough and Jin found himself having to hold onto the sides of small boat to prevent himself from falling over. How Nobu managed to stand and steer the boat amidst the weather was a wonder to him.

 

By the time they had reached the small, secluded little island, the waters had become so rough that Nobu decided to stay there until morning as well.

 

“Aw, don't worry about it. This isn't the first time that I've come here during bad weather. There's a little shack at the bottom of the mountain that the other ferryman and I built just for the precaution, so I'll be fine,” he assured Jin. “Now go up there and get your woman!”

 

The samurai was about to open his mouth and correct the fact that Shino was no longer his woman when he decided to let it go. Nobu was already turning to leave anyway. “Listen, I'll leave tomorrow morning, so get here if you decide to go back. Otherwise you're going to have to wait until another one of the other ferryman to come and get you on their rounds here.” The ferryman said over his shoulder.

 

Jin nodded in understanding. “Thank you.”

 

It would be a long climb up the stairs before he actually reached the temple, and the rain that had seeped into his clothes felt like they were being seeped into his skin as well. Still, the samurai's eyes were hardened with resolve and he did not falter as one foot was placed in front of the other, until eventually Jin lost track of how many stairs he had climbed and just how far up he was.

 

Idly, Jin thought it was rather strange that it would be raining at this particular time of year. He half expected it to start snowing by now instead. Perhaps the weather had known that he was going to be seeing Shino today, and so thought it would be a proper setting for them to meet in the soft pitter patters of the rain.

 

`It was raining the first and last time I saw her too,' Jin thought sordidly.

 

Truth be told, he was quite apprehensive about seeing the woman again. He knew what he was here to do, and yet in the entire time that he had to himself to think and plan out this meeting, he had not once thought about what he wanted to say—or rather, how he wanted to say it.

 

The samurai frowned slightly when he realized that he didn't even think about how Shino would react. First and foremost, did she still care about him? A voice in his head told him that she must have, if she was still waiting for him. Then there was the obvious issue of Fuu and his relationship with her.

 

There was no doubt in Jin's mind that he loved and belonged with her, but would Shino understand? He had always had a sort of image of Shino in his head—that of a reasonable, understanding, and forgiving woman. But he didn't actually spend enough time with her to really know these things. What if she reacted entirely differently and forced him to somehow marry her or go become not angry with him, but with Fuu and plot something horrible to happen to the girl?

 

All right, so perhaps he was overreacting, and that last part was highly improbable. But still…

 

Hmmm, he really hadn't thought about this…

 

Jin blinked and realized that there were no more steps to be climbed and he had, in fact, reached the very top and was now staring blankly at the front entrance of the temple. There was light coming from inside and he could see the shadows that moved across the windows and shoji screens and wondered if any of them could be Shino.

 

With weary steps he approached the front door and knocked, his voice a little bit hoarse when he called out for someone. After a few moments a couple of more knocks, shuffling footsteps could be heard and a woman's voice said, “Coming! Just a second!” on the other side.

 

The door slid open, and Jin came face to face with a woman of about middle age, with graying hair tied in a neat bun. She wore traditional priestess garb, and her eyes were beady and dark and wide with surprise at the sight before her. But it was quickly replaced with a scrutinizing look as she eyed the samurai from head to foot, and Jin immediately felt self-conscious at his wet and ragged state.

 

The only sound that could be heard was the rain and the drops of water that dripped from his soggy clothes, creating a puddle where he stood on the otherwise pristine front porch.

 

“Can I help you, sir?” The woman finally spoke. Her voice a lot kinder and softer than he expected. “If you're looking for shelter, I'm sorry, but men aren't allowed here.”

 

“No, I'm looking for someone,” Jin replied, taking off his thoroughly soaked straw hat.

 

He could vaguely hear the woman whisper, “What a handsome man…” quietly to herself.

 

“Is Shino-san here?”

 

“…What business do you have with Shino-san?” she asked slowly, much in the same suspicious tone that Nobu had asked him.

 

“I'm here to uphold a promise that I made to her three years ago. My name is—“

 

“Hanabi-san, who is that?” A delicate voice sounded from behind the woman and as she stepped into the doorway she froze, and so did Jin.

 

She looked exactly as he remembered her—without the heavy makeup and elaborate kimono and ornaments in her hair like when she was working in the brothel. No, she was exactly the same as when he first met her on that bridge.

 

“Jin…” She muttered, still quite surprised. He gave a respectable bow to her and nodded.

 

“Shino.”

 

 

+++

 

 

It took a while for them to find him spare robes that he could temporarily wear while his indigo kimono hung to dry. And now, as he sat uncomfortably at a small table in a dark green kimono, which was a bit too big for him, he studied Shino as she gracefully poured tea into both of their cups.

 

All the while, the woman kept her eyes downcast and a small smile graced her lips when she set the teapot down.

 

“You're late,” she began with a slight chuckle, peering at him finally with a sort of serene look on her face. “About six months…I was beginning to think you weren't coming or that you had gotten yourself killed.”

 

`I knew I would have gotten away with it if I played dead…' A little voice mocked in Jin's head but he quickly shook it off.

“I apologize,” the samurai said sincerely. “A lot of things…happened.”

 

She shook her head and sipped demurely at her tea. “It's alright. It's just good to see you again, Jin.”

 

“How have you been?” Jin started, hoping to hear…well, that she had been treated well, that she hadn't been worrying and waiting for him the entire time, because it only made what him all the more guiltier for what he was about to tell her. But Shino only gave him a small smile and shrugged.

 

“Quite well actually. Hanabi-san took me in without any question, and I live a fairly comfortable life with all of the other women here at the convent.”

 

“That's good to hear,” he said honestly, and truly it was.

 

She sighed a bit before putting down her cup and folding her hands in her lap demurely. “I am grateful for everything that Hanabi-san and the others have done for me here and I'm also very grateful to you for saving and sending me here as well. You have already done so much for me already, and I am even more grateful that you have come back.”

 

Jin began to shift in his seat and closed his eyes. Slowly, he took a deep breath and gazed at Shino intently.

 

“Shino,” his voice was a bit hesitant. “I haven't forgotten about what I promised you three years ago.” (She'd know that obviously, for he wouldn't be here right now he mentally pointed out) “But the reason why I've come is not to take you away.”

 

He waited for some sort of reaction, and was mildly surprised when she didn't look shocked, confused, or even angry. She just continued to gaze calmly at him, as if she had known all along what he was going to say and was only waiting for him to say it. Slowly, the woman closed her eyes and nodded.

 

“I have to admit, I was sort of expecting you to say that. Not that I didn't have faith that you'd come back of course,” Shino added. “I may not have known you for very long, but I know that you're a man of your word. But I suppose I had a sort of...sense that when you came back, it wasn't because it was out of love.”

 

She looked out at the rain that was still coming down outside, creating a soothing rhythm that complimented their silence. Jin could only observe her in all of her cool countenance. He had not been expecting such an answer, and it seemed to him that she had been thinking about it a long time.

 

He tore his eyes away from her, not knowing what else to say except, “I'm sorry.”

 

Shino shook her head, “Don't apologize. Three years is a long time…” her deep eyes of midnight turned to the sky outside, shedding its' tears, and she let a somewhat bittersweet smile grace her features. “Isn't it strange how we always seem to meet in the rain?”

 

They had both been thinking the same thing. He didn't answer her though.

 

“I've asked myself often, even when we were together…if it had ever been love that bound us in the first place.” She laughed a seemingly bitter laugh. “I've waited three years to meet you again…just so I could ask you that.”

 

Jin never took his eyes off of Shino. It was strange how…right before he came here and laid eyes on Shino, he had been thinking of the same question and yet had such terrible difficulty piecing the answer in words. And yet now that he was here, sitting across from her, it had never been clearer.

 

“Perhaps we both convinced ourselves that it was at the time,” he finally answered. “But I suppose, in the end, I was only looking for a bit of…solace.”

 

Solace in the cold, melancholy rain.

 

“I'm sorry,” he apologized again… sorry for using her. Just for a bit of solace. She chuckled, waved her delicate hand lightly and shook her head.

 

“No, we're both to blame. I wanted solace too.”

 

Solace when no one else would give it. A short time of escape to a world of false lies and veiled disillusions of love that had never been there. Never will be there. It had been just that. Solace. Plain and simple.

 

“Thank you,” Shino choked out all of a sudden that it rather surprised Jin. The samurai tilted his head to the side, wisps of raven hair falling into his eyes.

 

“For what?”

 

“I don't know,” she laughed. “I'm just so…” she searched the right words to explain the emotion that seemed to engulf her and smiled gently, “Relieved. Yes, that's the word. As if I'm freer all of a sudden. I actually thought that I'd be upset, but instead I'm just so relieved. Strange, isn't it? Am I making any sense, Jin-san?”

 

A small quirk of his lips spoke of slight amusement and he nodded. “Perfect sense.”

 

And he knew exactly what she meant, for he felt it too. Liberation, as if a big weight was lifted from their shoulders and they were seeing each other for the first time. Then, still smiling quite serenely, Shino bent forward and rested her head on her hands, studying the samurai before her.

 

“There's more,” she quirked her eyebrow at him, and Jin could do nothing but pause in mid-sip of his tea. “There's more,” Shino repeated again, “to your side of the story, isn't there?”

 

Ah, she had always been wise, could read him quite well, just as he could read her. They were truly alike, he and Shino. Putting down his cup of tea, Jin sat back and now it was his turn to look out at the rain.

 

And instead of remembering the day that he had met Shino on the bridge, he remembered the day he and Fuu got caught in the rain.

 

“Tell me, what is the real reason you're here?” she finally inquired.

 

And as the inevitable question reached Jin's ears, the words began to become jumbled in his mind and he wondered where to start, and in doing so he had to figure out when it was exactly that he began to fall in love with Fuu.

 

Did it all begin when he first saw her in the teahouse? Or when he realized she held onto the sleeve of his kimono like a security blanket? Did he begin to care for her when he found her tiny shoe floating down the river and thought her dead? Maybe it was that one, single moment that he held her comfortingly by the lake as she cried out all of her silent fears, or when she had left both he and Mugen behind with nothing but a purse full of pebbles, and a small piece of cake.

 

Did he love her when they were at that crossroad and she smiled and said, “Let's meet again…”?

 

He didn't know when it happened, but perhaps it was all of those things…

 

It was when he bumped into her after three years on the street, and it was when she lay in his arms and confessed she was dying. It when she ran in that field, laughing and free, and when she wished on those stars and sang her sweet lullaby from a childhood long lost. It was when he carried her on his back, running through the rain and she laughed when his glasses fogged up, and when she confided in him her porcelain dolls and paper cranes. It was when she planted those sunflower seeds and named Jin-Jin's kittens.

 

It was when she held his hand, and smiled a smile that he knew was only meant for him.

 

“Her name is Fuu,” Jin closed his eyes and smiled as her name rolled off his tongue. “And it all began with a ridiculous quest to find a sunflower samurai…”

 

A story with fated beginnings…a story that he himself didn't know would have a happy ending or not.

 

Outside, only the sound of the pouring rain echoed in the breeze.

 

 

+++

 

 

His mind occasionally wandered back to that confrontation that he had with Shino. For all of his worrying, Shino had taken it quite well. Jin had expected her to…well, he wasn't sure what he thought she would do, but he certainly didn't expect for her to listen so intently, accepted his explanation so openly as she did.

 

The samurai did notice that she was a tad wistful though, and she had admitted that she was jealous to a certain degree that Fuu had gotten so lucky. Perhaps she was joking, for she laughed afterwards…but then again she also didn't look at him.

 

“But I shouldn't really,” she had said. “Instead, if anything, I should hope for…the best for you.”

 

“You don't have to.”

 

“I should. There really aren't people like you anymore, Jin-san,” he remembered her laughing. “If I looked at this logically, any normal man wouldn't have chosen such a doomed love…” Then she covered her mouth, “Oh, gomen…I didn't meant to…”

“It's alright,” he had reassured her, his dark eyes tainted with sadness. “It is a doomed love.”

 

“Then why do you choose it?”

 

“Because I love her.”

 

“Out of pity?”

 

“No. Out of love,” Jin had told her confidently, unwaveringly and it had caused her to smile.

 

“Good.”

 

The next morning, Jin had gathered his dry cloths and bid Shino farewell. She had assured him that she would be all right, that she didn't plan on staying in the enriki-dera for long and that she planned on becoming a priestess herself. She expressed a deep desire to travel and help other women who had been in her situation as well, and then some. It was such a Shino thing to do, and frankly, Jin had no doubt that she'd succeed.

 

True to his word, Nobu had been waiting by the docks. A confused expression played upon his face when he saw that Jin was alone.

 

“Didn't find what you were looking for?”

 

“I found it,” Jin had replied. “I just left it back home.”

 

He would be lying if he said that he lost all track of time. He counted every step that he took, every breath every second and every hour and day that he had gone without Fuu. And the longer he counted, the more he ached and longed for her. His mind and soul craved to see her face and hear her voice, to know that she would be safe and with him once more.

 

His body…his body craved and missed her touch, his skin remembering the ghosting feel of her lips and hands and yearned for it. At night Jin found himself thinking of her often. He gazed at the stars and prayed that she'd still be there when he returned, and wondered if she thought of him when she looked up at the heavens too.

 

Everyday the weather grew colder and colder, until the samurai woke up one morning to white snow and misty breath. It should have slowed him down…the biting wind, his weary body, his constant hunger. Yet the more he trudged through the expanse of snow that lay before him, he could only think of her and his feet refused to slow down…even when he sore and numb.

 

Jin remembered the first time he had seen snow with Fuu. They were still on their quest to find the sunflower samurai and Mugen had tried desperately to make it seem like the cold weather didn't bother him. Even though it was quite obvious the way his teeth chattered against his will and he became more spiteful about his short pants.

 

He had made fun of the samurai then, saying that of course Jin would feel right at home in winter because he was every bit as cold as the snow.

But Fuu…she had adored it. His mind took him back to that moment when she first spotted the drifts of snowdrops and she ran with arms outstretched to catch them. Then she spun round and round so that it seemed like she was dancing. And she danced until her cheeks grew rosy and pink and she collapsed from dizziness. Mugen called her stupid. She had hit him afterwards after she regained her stable world.

 

Its strange how little simple moments that seemed insignificant at the time, becomes indefinitely precious later on.

 

An entire month had passed since he had last seen the town before him. It stood there, just as he had left it; the only difference was it was now decorated with a white blanket upon rooftops and streets. Outside, the people still wandered about, carrying on their business and children made snowmen and threw snowballs until they were laughing senseless.

 

His dark eyes lingered on them for only a second before resting on the little house on the hill. `Finally…' he thought, his heart throbbing. `I'm home.'

 

He was walking quite quickly through the streets, eager to see Fuu again. On the way a couple of people welcomed him back, and it surprised him somewhat. Jin realized then that this was the only place that he had stayed long enough for the locals to know him by name, and even on friendly terms. He was thinking so intensely on coming back home that he almost missed the familiar voice that called him through the streets.

 

“Jin-san!” It called again.

 

Turning around, the samurai's eyes softened when he saw the manager of the restaurant approach him, broom clutched in his frail hands. He bowed respectfully to him.

 

“Konbanwa, ojii-san,” Jin greeted.

 

“Ah, it is you! I'm so glad that you're back, I was beginning to worry that we wouldn't see you again,” the shopkeeper smiled, then his expression grew serious. “Fuu-chan never doubted that you would though.”

 

The samurai immediately came to attention upon the mention of her name. “How is she? Is Fuu okay?” Jin asked at once, his expression insistent. The old man's eyes crinkled with thought and worry, and his mouth grew into a frown; all the while, his grip on the broom did not loosen and he only sighed.

 

“I was going to get to that,” he said slowly, his tone sad. So much so that Jin felt as if someone stabbed him and he grew anxious.

 

“Is she alright? She's not…” Jin swallowed. She couldn't be…

 

“I gave her the day off today,” the shopkeeper said, and this one phrase relieved Jin a bit. At lease he knew that she wasn't dead. But… “But she's been ill a lot more often lately,” he went on. “I've noticed that she's been coming in later and later for work. I know she doesn't say anything or complain, but she doesn't look very well. Not to mention, she's been making a lot more visits to the apothecary too.

 

“I know it's not my place to question what's going on with Fuu, but I'm not a fool. I know that something's wrong with the girl…” The old man looked up at the samurai, whose dark eyes flickered gravely. “I'm worried, Jin-san.”

 

Without another word or even an utterance of goodbye, Jin practically started at an even more frenzied pace towards the house. He could hear the shopkeeper shouting at him in the distance, but couldn't make out the words. The feeling of dread continued to spread throughout his being, and only one thought resounded in his head:

 

Fuu.

 

“Fuu!” His voice echoed off the walls and empty hallways as the moment he slid open the doors with intense force. His shadow crept across the floor of the main room; a few flakes of snow escaped into it and speckled the doorway.

 

The house was quiet.

 

“Fuu?” Jin called out once again, his tone gentler as he shut the door and began to peek into each room to see where she was, afraid to even breath for fear that he might not be able to hear her soft voice. She wasn't in the kitchen, her room was empty, and she most definitely wasn't in the backyard.

 

Perhaps she went out…to buy a few things for dinner maybe? What if she was at the apothecary? Did the children know? All the while, the shopkeeper's words swirled in his mind and Jin tried to shove out the most prevalent thought out of his head; pushing the worst possibility for last. And then he realized there was one last room within the house that he didn't look.

 

The shoji door stood before him; his hand was shaking as it grasped the wooden frame.

 

`She promised me. She promised…' he repeated over and over again in his mind.

 

And as the door slid open, and light streamed from the room, the paper cranes danced overhead in a silent waltz. The colored paper seemed to almost transform into sheets of rainbow silk that coveted its' mistress in their cradle.

 

There she lay, sprawled in the middle of the room with her back turned to him. Her hair splayed across skin and paper. There was neither movement nor sound. She was still.

 

And for a moment, everything around him became still as well. His blood ran cold.

 

“Fuu!” Jin ran to her before he registered that he had, and he turned her over and gathered the girl into his arms. Wisps of her brown silken locks fell on her face and neck, and he quickly swiped them away, cupping her cheek with a trembling hand. She was warm. But she still didn't move.

 

“Fuu! Fuu!” He called out to her, over and over again; the panic growing worse as each second passed and she remained still. “Please, Please, open your eyes, Fuu…I kept my promise, I came back…” he whispered desperately. “You said you'd keep your promise if I kept mine…please…”

 

He shook her lightly, insistently and swore he could feel his heart breaking and that a part of him was dying…

 

Then he heard a soft moan emanate in the silent room and his name was whispered ever so lightly. Dark eyes watched with anticipation and flurried nerves as irises of the deepest hazel fluttered open to gaze back at him gently, lovingly.

 

As she smiled gently at him he almost believed he was in a dream until he felt her delicate hand touch his cheek.

 

“Welcome home, Jin,” Fuu said simply.

 

The samurai couldn't even restrain himself as he held her tightly to his chest and sighed out her name in pure…utter relief. She squeaked with surprise and giggled as he rained her face with fervent kisses…like a man thirsting for water after days of traveling in the desert.

 

“Fuu,” he breathed, kissing her long and deeply. “Please don't scare me like that again…”

 

“How did I…Oh,” she chuckled, laying her head against his chest as he continued to hold her, not releasing his grip in the least. “Sorry, I was just here thinking for a little while and I guess I feel asleep.” He felt her lips as they pressed gently against the nape of his neck in a display of apologetic affection and he sighed. This in turn caused her to giggle some more.

 

“How did it go?” she asked.

 

“It's done, I'm here. That's all that matters.”

 

“Yes you are,” she kissed his neck again, “And see? I kept my promise.”

 

“Mm,” Jin ran his hand through her hair lovingly, but his expression of concern did not fade. “I was told that you were... Fuu, tell me truly, are you well?” He peered down at her and their gaze met. She blinked confusedly at him.

 

“I'm fine Jin,” she reassured him. “I haven't gotten any of my attacks, if that's what you mean. In fact, I feel pretty good.”

 

“Don't lie to me, Fuu,” Jin said sternly, taking her hand in his. “I know that you've been to the doctor a lot more lately. If there's something wrong, I want you to tell me.”

For a moment, the girl was surprised that he knew about her frequent visits to the apothecary. Then she took his hand and kissed his knuckles, smiling in what could only be described as amusement. “Oh Jin,” she laughed. “It's true, I have been to the doctor a lot, but it's not because of what you think.”

 

Jin became increasingly confused. “Then what…”

 

A twinkle shined within her eyes and she took his hand that she still held in hers…and placed it against her belly. The samurai became quiet for a moment before his dark eyes widened with realization. Surely…she couldn't mean…

 

“H-How…”

 

“A month,” Fuu answered, smiling. “You can't feel it yet, but—hey!”

 

Before she could finish, Fuu found herself being lifted into the air, bridal style, and the room became a swirl of color around her. A joy unlike Jin had ever known overwhelmed him, and if it was possible, he loved Fuu even more now than he did before. Jin spun her around the room until she was laughing and screaming at him to stop. He spun her until he was laughing himself—kissing Fuu with drowning ecstasy.

 

“I can't help it, love,” Jin said breathlessly. “I can't…”

 

And all she could really do was laugh and meld her lips against his. He carried her down the hallway and into their warm bed, where he made love to her for the rest of the day…until they were thoroughly spent and sated…until he fell asleep to the sound of her rhythmic breathing.

 

Perhaps it was a doomed love. But then again, he had been doomed from the moment he met the girl anyway. And he never regretted it.

 

 

+++

 

 

Please hold me because I realized for the first time

That I want to be happy ever since I met you

 

 

+++

 

 

+End Chapter+

 

 

 

 

[A/N]

 

…Yes, this means that Fuu's pregnant (thumbs up) Good job, Jin! The good news…this is not the last chapter. The bad news…maybe, perhaps to some of you…that Chapter 10 (the next chapter) will be the last.

 

Ending quote for Maaya Sakamoto's "Kiseki no Umi" (Light of Love).

 

Thank you for all of your kind reviews. I'm so grateful to have so many loyal and each time, new readers (sob). PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! It means a lot.

 

I'll try to get the last chapter soon. (it's almost over…sniff)

 

THANKS and Ja Ne!