Samurai Champloo Fan Fiction ❯ Wayward Wanderers ❯ Chapter 7

Wayward Wanderers: Chapter 7

 

They brought her everything they had, which included two small bags of gold ryo, a complete set of fine china, some pieces of silver and jewelry, a box of combs with a few missing pieces and themselves. It was what they'd agreed upon after their aborted last dive, before they'd swam for shore, after Jin had pressed Mugen into the rocks, before they'd had time to consider much beyond what they would do when they made their offer.

 

Mugen shoved the sack across the floor, refusing to wince as plates clanked against each other. Jin clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth in soft derision. Fuu looked up from her place by the fire, confused.

 

“What's that?”

 

“It's yours,” Mugen said.

 

She hesitated before she reached out, fingers closing around the rough cloth. Her eyes darted between them as she dragged the sack closer. “Why is it mine? What is it?”

 

“It's yours!” he said, voice rising. “Just take it, already.”

 

She looked to Jin and so did Mugen. The ronin was kneeling between them, eyes trained on the floor. She opened the bag and reached inside, pulling out a small plate, then some of the silver. “I don't understand,” she said, voice soft. She looked to Mugen. “This is what you found in the wreck, right? This is yours. Why are you giving it to me?”

 

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Beats the hell outta me. Was his idea,” he muttered, jabbing his thumb in Jin's direction. Jin glanced up, black eyes sharp.

 

“Would you quit being an imbecile for one evening out of your life?” he hissed. Mugen gave him a cruel grin.

 

“Then why don't you explain it to'er, since it was your idea.”

 

Jin nodded once and his gaze returned to the floor. Fuu stared at him like he would eventually look up. Mugen knew he wouldn't. When Jin spoke, his voice was flat again. “We should be thinking about what we will all do now that you've accomplished your goal and Mugen and I are mostly healed. As an unmarried woman-” She stiffened. “-your life will be... difficult until you find a suitable husband.” Her shoulders slumped again. “As your bodyguards, we felt it was our duty to help you in whatever way we could so that you would not have to suffer for your circumstances.” Mugen thought she looked stricken, like they'd just killed her squirrel-thing. For being so educated, Jin couldn't talk to a girl for shit. Mugen knew, that coming from him, this was quite the indictment. He elbowed Jin sharply in the ribs and the ronin's head came up. His hard expression softened instantly. “Fuu, as your friends, we feel the same way.”

 

She looked away quickly and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “Here we go with the waterworks,” Mugen muttered.

 

“So, this is it then,” she said, voice surprisingly steady. “I knew our journey couldn't last forever. I knew it, but I still thought maybe...” She looked up meeting both their gazes. “...that maybe we could still be together.”

 

And there it was. Part of him sank into the floor and another part jumped into his throat. This was when Jin gave her the second half of their offer. Mugen gave him a sidelong glance. He looked like he was trying to speak; his throat was working but nothing was coming out. Mugen hadn't wanted to do the talking. He'd never been good at the talking parts of making a deal. But it looked like fish-face was losing his nerve. “What he's tryin' to say is that he doesn't think he's got anything to offer you and you know I sure as shit don't, but-”

 

“Mugen, that's not-”

 

“But if you want, we could split the loot and come with you.” He scratched the back of his head because he needed something to do with his hands.

 

“That's not what-”

 

Mugen rolled his eyes and turned to Jin, lowering his arm and gesturing accusingly. “Oh, come on, that's what you mean, isn't it? All this bullshit about 'It must be her choice. She must make her future herself.' That's just your bushido code for 'I want her but I'm too chicken-shit to actually say it.'”

 

Fuu's mouth had fallen open and abruptly the only sound in the hut was the crackle of the fire. No one looked at anyone for a good few minutes. Then Mugen heard the clink of coins and he saw her hefting the bag of ryo in one hand.

 

“So, what,” she murmured, “I'm supposed to make some choice now, about my life? About my future?”

 

Mugen almost said, “Yes, obviously. Isn't that what I just said?” Then he realized she was mainly talking to herself.

 

She laughed without humor. “You hand me a bunch of money and china and throw your hands up. And then a second later you tell me that you'll come with me if I want you to?” She looked up, right at Jin. “What kind of dysfunctional creeps are you, anyway? Don't you have a spine? Why do I have to make that kind of choice? Am I- am I supposed to pick just one of you, too? Make it even harder, make the burden even heavier? How can you expect me to just decide what we're supposed to do?” Her voice was trembling now, tears leaking out of her eyes. Mugen stared, transfixed. “What do you think I should do? What do you think is right? Why can't you chose, you jerks!” She turned and whipped the money at the wall, gold coins clattering against the boards and then falling to the floor. Jin visibly flinched. He looked like he was in physical pain. Mugen just stared as Fuu got to her feet and stormed out of the cottage, leaving the door open behind her like an invitation.

 

Jin was the first to speak. “Don't say a word.”

 

Mugen shrugged and raised his hands, palms out.

 

Jin rose swiftly and followed Fuu out into the dark. Mugen did not follow him, instead going to the window and sliding it open. He leaned one shoulder against the frame and looked out toward the ocean. The sounds of the waves didn't mask the sound of Fuu's harsh, child-voice. He'd known this was going to be a mess the moment Jin suggested they give everything to Fuu. He'd known she'd take it as them trying to get rid of her without feeling guilty. And if that had been the extent of the offer, she would have been right. He'd known this was going to be a disaster the moment Jin suggested they give her the option of staying together.

 

For starters, Mugen didn't think he wanted to keep traveling with them. He'd had enough running and fighting and starving and worrying and bleeding and almost dying. Sure, he didn't mind any of those things on their own - except for the worrying part; he hated worrying - but the last few months had been fucking insane and he wasn't sure he could handle much more of that shit. And it wasn't likely to let up. He was still a felon; that hadn't changed. Jin had still killed his own sensei; the punks from his old dojo were still hunting him, and now he'd killed Kariya, a shogunate man. Fuu was still the daughter of a notorious underground Christian leader. They weren't “safe” - whatever the fuck that meant - by a long shot. And besides all that, Fuu was still a giant pain in the ass at least 75% of the time and Jin was... well, he and Jin had issues they needed to work out - or ignore. Whatever. Though Mugen had always been a curious kid.

 

But he didn't think settling down somewhere would be the easy solution either. Staying put meant they were all sitting ducks for the shogunate. And playing house with those two? The thought made him vaguely ill... and panicked. How could they possibly live together? He couldn't even begin to picture it. Which lead to the next invitation for disaster - if she decided to choose between the two of them. If she chose him, then he would have to- to do things that were only for her and be a certain way so that she wouldn't eventually come to hate his guts, and fuck, what if he knocked her up and they had a little brat running around? His head spun with all the ways their lives could go horribly wrong. And they would go wrong because - he could admit it - Mugen didn't know how to do right by anybody but himself. He would ruin it; he would ruin her.

 

But if she chose Jin... His hands curled into fists and he felt familiar, comforting anger and spite and jealousy boil up in his guts. If she chose Jin, Mugen would be helpless against the waves of hatred that would thrash through him. He would be a monster and then he would leave.

 

He knew, right then, the only smart choice that Fuu could make. He didn't know why he hadn't seen it sooner. He'd sat down on the rocks with Jin, listening as the ronin patiently explained what he thought their options were. He'd listened when Jin had told him in faltering, awkward language that the final choice was not up to him, but that he hoped Fuu would see... They could stay together, all of them; they could be for her what she was to them - precious, vital, necessary. Mugen had sat and listened and considered it.

 

But their choices, their options, had never really been either in the face of what Mugen knew to be true. He was not a smart man, but his instincts and his eyeballs never let him down. He knew himself better than he knew anyone else, because survival - his survival, his life - had always been his top priority. He knew himself and he knew he wasn't up to the task.

 

He looked out the window and saw a dim pair of figures in the light cast by the fire. It was Jin and Fuu, their bodies pressed tight together. Jin's arms wrapped the whole way around her, holding her against him. Her stick arms were locked around his neck. They were kissing like it was the only thing left in the world for them to do. For about three seconds, Mugen was relieved to see it, to see that she'd followed through with the only real option any of them had.

 

Then his heart broke. He rubbed it through his shirt and swallowed two times.

 

And then it was forgotten and washed away like any other useless thing that didn't further his first priority - which would always be his survival. He took the finished red haori she'd made for him and jerked his arms through the sleeves. He slid his feet into his geta and reached for a sword sheath that wasn't there. He growled and stomped out into the night empty-handed. He forgot to take the comb made from bone out of his pocket. He'd been keeping it separate from the rest. 'Give her something of value, something she would like.' He was halfway down the hill, approaching the town when his hand slapped against it. His fist closed around it and he almost crushed the stupid thing, but he would have cut his hand. The teeth were quite sharp. His hands and the stupid comb were the only weapons he had at the moment. He walked with angular quick strides, the distance falling away under his feet.

 

The people in this town were poor and tired and miserable. Maybe somebody was still pissed off enough about it to pick a fight with him. Maybe Mugen could find some booze and a piece of ass while he was at it. No, probably better to stick with violence. The sound of bones crunching was the only thing that would make him feel any better at this point, the only thing that would release any of the pressure building in his ribcage.

 

He walked through the near-deserted streets of the village, eyes sliding from side to side, seeking movement, seeking emotion, bright colors, a loud noise, something, anything to get his brain out of its loop: “Fuck them and fuck me and fuck this and get me out of here!” There were no people in this town, no fucking people. They were all inside, doors shut tight. There was no one here, no one for him to scream at, no one to break, no one to pound into the dirt and spit on and grind his heel into their faces and then grin at them like a demon, like an animal, like a monster.

 

There was no way for him to be Mugen here.

 

He was breathing hard and he didn't know why. His hand reached for his shoulder, for his better half, but it was gone, broken on Jin's better half. Their blades were still down there by the ocean, rusting. Fuu hadn't brought them up and they hadn't gone down to retrieve them. It was supposed to be symbolic or some shit. His palm itched for it now. He ached for it.

 

He shivered, too. The air was getting cooler at night. He wasn't far enough south yet to avoid this cold weather garbage. He had to find a boat. That's what he'd do now. He'd find a boat and go south, back to the Ryukyus. They weren't all prison islands. He'd go there and get himself a crew and start making some real money. And see? He had options. There were always options. Fuck them for making him think they were his future, for making him doubt himself.

 

He made it down to the docks just as they came flooding off their boats, bristling with swords and arrows and any number of other pointy things. Mugen stopped in his tracks and watched them form ranks, backs straight, feet together. Shogunate men.

 

“Spread out. Groups of no fewer than four. Do not engage until you are sure you can take them out. Kill from a distance if possible and then confirm. The ronin and the felon are extremely dangerous. I'll repeat. Do not engage them until suitable backup has arrived or you are absolutely certain you can take them. We know they're on the island somewhere close to the ocean, but be thorough in searching the village as well. They took out the Hand of God, so...”

 

Mugen was out of earshot before he heard the rest, sprinting back the way he'd come.

 

He had no weapon. He'd even lost his tanto. Jin only had his short sword. Fuu had her stupid pink knife. They had nothing and they were on a fucking island in the dark with at least fifty men searching for them. Those were not good odds. But those men were splitting up and he could probably take on one of those teams of four without a weapon. He could at least fight and get one of theirs. He could get a sword for Jin, too, and then they could ambush the rest of them, one-by-one if they had to, all fucking night until they were gone. It'd be a massacre.

 

It'd be just what he needed.

 

***

But that wouldn't work.

 

He knew it by the time he reached their bluff and saw Fuu wandering close to the cliff, paper lantern bobbing along with her tentative steps. She was shouting his name at the top of her lungs, voice ripped away by the wind and brought to his ears. The light of the lantern showed tear tracks down her cheeks.

 

He and Jin could kill every one of those soldiers and in a few weeks, there'd be a hundred more flooding onto the island to replace them. It would happen again and again until one of them was dead, until they both were, until Fuu was the only one left, until she was gone, too.

 

They had to disappear. He watched her for another minute and then cast his gaze about the dark landscape. It was night; why not vanish now?

 

She screamed when he came forward into the lantern light and grabbed the stick from her. He tossed the light off the cliff, plunging them both into darkness. She grabbed for him, tried to get her arms around him, but he shoved her to arm's length, keeping hold of her wrist and, without a word, leading her back toward the hut. She, however, did not keep quiet.

 

“Where the hell have you been? You just disappeared, Mugen! We've been looking for you for hours! How could you just leave us like that when we were trying to figure out what to do for the future? I thought you cared, Mugen. I thought you wanted us all to-”

 

He rounded on her, voice raised to a snarl. “Would you shut up about the fucking future? I don't give a shit what the two of you do. Just tell me where to find that old bat who worked for your dad and then keep quiet.”

 

Her shock and confusion at his sharp words quickly turned to anger. “What the hell is your problem?” she snapped. She looked down to where he gripped her wrist and quickly turned her body inward against his, shoving her ass against his thighs and dragging him forward over her back. She had him flipped over her head and staring up at the stars before he could do more than grunt. He let go of her wrist when she put her small foot on his chest and crossed her arms over her ribs. He noted that she looked quite pleased with herself. She obviously did not understand the urgency of the situation. He growled up at her and wrapped his hand around her ankle, debating whether to bring her down. But then she'd be on top of him and that wouldn't get them anywhere.

 

“Where's Jin?” he gritted instead.

 

“I'm here.” The voice came from right behind him and he craned his neck back to see Jin standing over him, one hand resting on the short sword at his hip. “Where have you been?”

 

“Went into town. Saw that the shogunate didn't take news of Kariya's death too kindly.”

 

“What do you mean?” Fuu asked.

 

“How many?” Jin asked a second later.

 

“A few dozen, I'd say.”

 

Jin looked away into the night as though he could already see them coming, surrounding them.

 

“What? Why so many? There's only three of us.”

 

“Their previous attempts to thwart us were unsuccessful.”

 

“They got orders to try and take us from a distance. They had lotsa archers.”

 

“They know how we fight, then.”

 

“Yeah-”

 

“Wait a minute.”

 

“-how we used to fight. Case you didn't notice, we ain't really armed.”

 

“Hn.”

 

“Guys, hold on.”

 

“Do you think that we could reduce their numbers through ambush? There are still many hours of darkness left.”

 

“Well, sure, but-”

 

“Jin, Mugen, will you shut up?” Mugen looked up at her, realizing he still had his hand around her ankle. He let go and she looked down at him, offering him a hand up. He didn't take it. She frowned but then crossed her arms over her chest again. “You guys aren't fighting anyone. I think we should hide. If you fight them, the shogunate will know we're still here.”

 

Good girl, he thought before he could stop himself.

 

Jin gave her a considering look and then nodded. “They will only send more soldiers.”

 

“If they don't find us...”

 

“We'd have at least a little time to figure out where to go.”

 

Mugen glanced between them, saw them looking strangely at him and each other.

 

“So, we're agreed, then?” Fuu asked, looking like she couldn't quite believe the fact.

 

“Yeah, we're agreed. Now where's that dude that worked for your dad? He's gotta know someplace we can lay low for the night.”

 

***

“I'm not gettin' in there. No way. They find us, we're dead.”

 

“It's the best we can do right now, Mugen. Just get in.”

 

“It's a hole. It's too small.”

 

“They have already been through this part of the village. They are not likely to come back. We should be safe here.”

 

“I don't give a shit. There's gotta be someplace better.”

 

“Fuu! I hear voices. You should hide now. Leave it to us. You'll be safe here!”

 

Mugen glared at the ghostly pale face of the old man and then stepped down into what the woman who lived here was so generously calling a root cellar. He stepped down inside and then started when he felt Fuu's hands on his shoulders as she climbed in behind him. The “cellar” only came up to his hips and was about two paces wide. Jin dropped in beside them and began pulling the floor boards back together.

 

“Hurry, now!” the old man said in a loud whisper.

 

“This is stupid. I'm not doin' this. I-” She grabbed one of his arms and Jin took the other. Then the fucking ronin kicked his legs out from under him and all three of them hit the dirt. Instantly, the scent of wasabi and ginger struck his nose and he almost sneezed. The darkness was absolute as the floorboards were replaced and then a threadbare rug thrown over top. His breathing sounded incredibly loud to his ears as he tossed Fuu off him and tried to sit up. His head thumped against the floorboards and a voice above them hissed for them to be silent before their footsteps retreated and a door creaked shut. He felt around and his left arm immediately ran into the dirt wall on the one side. He had a bit of room in front of him, his fingers just barely skimming the dirt. His back was almost resting against the rear wall. Fuu was still just to his right and Jin was next to her. This “cellar” was shaped suspiciously like a grave. This was not enough room. He'd be crazy within the hour; he knew it. Small spaces were- He hunched forward and pulled his knees up to his chest, curling into a tight ball. If he didn't move and kept his eyes closed and breathed through his mouth, he could imagine that he was... that he was somewhere wide open, back on their bluff, the ocean spreading out in front of him. Yeah, okay, that worked. He took a slow breath and again his head scraped on the underside of the floorboards. He flinched and tried to duck lower. He'd never liked closed-in spaces. Felt like he couldn't breath. But he couldn't afford to think about that now, not when they'd just gotten hear, when they would be here all night at least.

 

He swallowed and struggled to keep his breathing slow and deep. He didn't want to hear it from Fuu or Jin that he was making too much noise. He'd probably lose it then; he was barely keeping it together now. He couldn't-

 

“Mugen.” That was Jin, his voice soft and low.

 

“What,” he snapped.

 

“You must calm down.”

 

So much for keeping his unease quiet. “I am calm. I'm fucking... calm as a tide pool.”

 

“I can hear your breathing over here. You sound like a-”

 

“Jin,” Fuu hissed. “You are not helping.” He felt her hands on him, light and hesitant. “Mugen,” she murmured. The feel of her body next to him only made it more obvious that he had nowhere to go, no room to stretch out. It was worse with her close to him. He tried to shrug away from her, but her hands returned to his shoulders.

 

“Get the fuck off me, stupid bitch,” he bit out.

 

He heard her suck in a breath right by his ear and he shoved back with his elbow, taking her in the ribs. His shoulder hit the floorboards overhead and he heard her back strike the rear wall of the cellar. She made a small noise of distress and Mugen growled his frustration at their situation and at himself for succumbing to this old fear. Jin was on him less than a second later, shoving him into the back corner. Still nearly blind, Mugen felt long fingers groping along his arms, trying to get him into a hold.

 

“I will not allow you to speak to her that way.”

 

Mugen struggled in the tiny space Jin allowed him, feeling like he was choking. “You never stopped me before.”

 

“Now is not like before. You should know that. You would know that if you hadn't left.”

 

Mugen fought to keep his legs free, bucking his hips off the floor. His knee connected and Jin grunted. “If I hadn't left we'd all be poked full'a holes right now. And I saw you,” he choked out. “I know where I stand.”

 

“You know nothing,” Jin hissed right in his ear.

 

That's because no one will tell me what the fuck is going on! He shouted this in his head as Fuu struggled to get Jin off him. He felt her sharp knees poking his leg and heard her breath catch in her throat.

 

“We can not afford to do this right now. If anyone hears us, we're in big trouble and I'll kick both your asses. I swear I will.” Jin shuffled back and even only able to see his silhouette, Mugen thought he looked sheepish. “We should talk this out,” she murmured.

 

He waited expectantly, trying to get himself under control again. She didn't speak right away, and he strained his ears to try and guess what she was doing. The sound of skin on cloth rustled in the dark and he pictured her wrapping her arms around her ribs, kneeling just the smallest distance from him. His heart started to hurt again. Maybe it'd never stopped. He reached up to rub it.

 

“It's obvious we can't stay here,” she whispered. “On the island, I mean. We can't stay here. But I thought... I mean, I think that we could still try to stay together.” She shifted and he felt her hand on his chest, right over the spot that hurt. “If you want to, Mugen, I would like it if you would stay with us.” He closed his eyes and instantly saw Jin kissing Fuu. He thought about how it felt to see that, to see Jin hungry like that, his body needing hers. Mugen knew without question that he could not live with seeing that every day and hearing it every night. Fuu had made her choice. It was the right one, too, as much as it burned to admit it. Why would she want him tagging along? And how could they ever think he'd go for that?

 

They froze when the door to the shed flew open and harsh voices sounded above them. Fuu ducked away from the floorboards, curling up beside him in the corner. Lantern light glowed through the cracks in the boards, casting striped shadows across their bodies. Fuu clamped her hand over his mouth as Jin's fingers wrapped around his arm in a restraining grip. Did they think he was going to give them away? He held his breath and watched them walk overhead, shining the light in the cobwebby corners of the shed. The floorboards creaked directly over their heads and Fuu flinched beside him. He almost wished one of those boards would give way, or that they'd be spotted through the cracks. Fighting would be so much easier than what they were wading through right now. One of the men said they'd circle back through here in the morning, and he cursed silently. Just what he wanted - extra time in a hole with two freaks hell-bent on permanently fucking up his life.

 

When they turned to leave and when the light disappeared leaving them once again in complete darkness, he tried to let out his breath only to meet Fuu's palm still sealing his mouth. He grabbed her wrist but she moved her hand then, and before he could do more than open his mouth, she slid on top of him and slammed their lips together in a clumsy and frantic kiss.

 

Everything slowed down as his brain surged ahead to comprehend what was happening. He sputtered and struggled and just barely remembered to keep his voice down, but definitely didn't forget that Jin was right next to them, still holding onto his arm, and Fuu was still kissing him and making small noises in the back of her throat, and her hands were shoving his shirt up and wrapping around his ribs and clasping together behind his back.

 

She wasn't going to let go of him, he realized; it didn't look like she had any intention of ever letting go, even though she'd broken the kiss and was still making funny noises into his neck, and Jin was still right there and still not saying anything and still not letting go of his arm. Mugen squirmed and tried not to curse but he was going to explode if someone didn't explain what the hell was happening, and soon. And finally Fuu spoke soft halting words into his neck and he had to lay still just so he could hear them because her lips were right on his skin.

 

“Please come with us, Mugen. Don't leave. It's not right without you; it's not safe. You can't go off on your own without us to look after you, and I couldn't stand it if something happened to you. I want you to stay, and Jin wants you to stay and we'll think of something that we can do, the three of us, and it'll be perfect. I promise. We can make it work, just don't go. Don't leave us behind.” She stopped and leaned back just slightly and then he felt her wiping her nose on his sleeve because her hands were still clasped behind his back.

 

He looked to Jin, needing help, feeling like the water was lapping at his chin, threatening to close over his head, and the hand on his arm squeezed to the point of pain. He felt Fuu's eyes on him and he turned back, unable to make out her expression in the dark. “Okay, I won't.” There was nothing else he could say. He took a deep breath and went under.

 

***

They moved quietly in the dark, and Mugen was thankful that he couldn't make out the details. His senses were overloaded as it was. He didn't think he could handle actually seeing what they were doing. Not that he was a prude, or anything. No one could ever accuse Mugen of being a prude. The thought was laughable.

 

At the moment, though, Mugen didn't really feel like laughing. Or if he did... it would be of the slightly hysterical variety.

 

Fuu lay between them, the knot of her obi almost undone, kimono hitched up around her thighs, chest bindings in a pile by her head, one shoulder bare. Jin was right behind her, had her tucked against him. He could hear them moving together, occasionally catching just the faintest glimpse of Jin's naked back. Mugen lay facing them both, though he couldn't quite bring himself to touch Jin. He couldn't do it, even though the ronin was making some very interesting, barely audible sounds that he thought he might like to investigate further at some point. Because he'd said he wasn't leaving. And maybe, that meant they'd be doing this again, maybe on a regular basis. He swallowed that thought to digest later and grunted when Fuu's hand gripped him in strong, work-hardened fingers. The angle was a little awkward like this, but she didn't seem to mind. She touched him and strained against his hand, against the fingers that were inside her. He was touching a part of her that was red and raw and wet and he wished he could see that part. He was very curious about that part.

 

He nearly cursed out loud when he felt a very strong, very male hand, grip his thigh through his hakama to drag him closer. He bit the inside of his cheek and slid along the dirt floor until his knees bumped up against Fuu's and she murmured her approval. Her hand moved more confidently now and Mugen felt familiar ribbons of pleasure start to twine together in his gut. His thumb rubbed up against her in a way she liked and she gasped, hips twitching forward. He felt warm breath on his mouth and leaned in to kiss her, grinning into her mouth when her tongue made a daring sweep of his teeth and the roof of his mouth. He felt warm breath on his ear and jerked away, not realizing how close he'd gotten to Jin, still not sure what he was supposed to do on that count. He'd been with multiple partners before...but they'd been women and he'd been paying them, and this was not like that time in the least.

 

He felt that hand on his thigh again and scowled. “Oh, fuck it,” he muttered before propping himself up on one elbow, mouth blindly seeking Jin's, his other hand still occupied with the girl whose noises were getting a little louder and a little more frequent. Jin exhaled sharply into his mouth as their lips came together in a brutal kiss. Then the hand moved from his thigh to his hair and Jin was jerking Mugen's head back, exposing his neck, tongue and teeth attacking his throat and collarbone. Between them, Fuu's back snapped tight and Mugen felt her muscles grip and shudder around his fingers.

 

It was more than he could take. He curled forward, mouth open to cry out, and found Jin's thumb between his teeth, fingers gripping his jaw. He bit down and came in Fuu's hand, even as she continued to writhe under his touch. She turned her face up and Jin leaned down to kiss her. Mugen released Jin's thumb and he felt Fuu pulled away from him, saw Jin's grip on her tighten, heard the rhythm of their movements increase as Fuu rolled and turned her back to Mugen. He knew the ronin was close, and he grinned in the dark, sliding as close to Fuu as he could get, sandwiching her between them. He slammed Jin's shoulder back against the hard-packed dirt and claimed his throat with a biting kiss of his own. Within seconds, Jin leaned his head on Mugen's shoulder and muffled his cry against his skin. For several moments they stayed like that, Fuu's back pressed against his bare chest, Jin's harsh breath on his neck. Mugen somehow found his voice and turned his lips to Jin's ear. “This is what you want?”

 

Jin nodded into his shoulder. “This is what I want.”

 

Mugen huffed a laugh and shifted his weight back when Fuu started to squirm between them. Then he rolled onto his back and twisted his arm behind to cushion his head. He stared at the floorboards, reaching up to run still-slick fingers against the underside. He listened to them breathing beside him, lungs and hearts working to catch up with the blood rushing under their skin. So close to the surface, so easy to get to, so easy to lose. It was hard enough keeping himself alive sometimes. He would have to be extra careful now; he would have to stay on his guard, make sure no one got near them.

 

Their breathing was slowing down now. Fuu was fumbling with her clothing, Jin shrugging back into the sleeves of his kimono. Mugen lazily scratched his bare belly and then shivered when sweat began to dry. His haori landed on his head a second later. He grunted and spread it over himself like a blanket, starting slightly when Fuu wriggled underneath to tug him closer.

 

He didn't think he'd be able to sleep this close to them, especially since Fuu was already snoring a little and Jin had, yet again, latched onto his arm. But he found that within a matter of minutes, his eyelids drooped and the dim silhouettes of his friends - he'd think of other words for them tomorrow - grew blurry. He shifted a bit, trying to get a little more comfortable - he was too bony for this sleeping on the ground shit - and winced when something sharp poked his hip. Awkwardly, trying not to wake the others, he pulled the comb from his pocket and held it up to what little light came in through the cracks in the floorboards. He looked down at the girl next to him and carefully slid it into her hair, pulling a thick hank of it back from her ear. When she woke up, she would already have his gift and he wouldn't have to go through the trouble of actually giving it to her. Much easier. He yawned and scratched himself and fell asleep about ten seconds later.