See previous chapters for disclaimer and warnings.

So here it is, the final chapter!

Chapter Six: The Welcoming World

Frantically, Koto whipped the rug out from inside the closet floor. It was the third plank on the right, if she remembered correctly. Her hands wandered over the floorboards until she felt the false knot in the wood. Popping it out, she stuck two fingers in to free the hidden latch. The floorboard sprang open and she removed it, sticking her hand into the underground compartment to search.

A bloody sword slid under her neck. Koto froze.

"Oi," scowling, Mugen knelt down to the prostitute's eye level, "here I thought we were getting along okay. You took me to Fuu, no questions asked, didn't interfere. Then I turn my back for a minute and you take her away? You wouldn't be double crossing me, would ya? 'Cause I may not enjoy killing women," here he pressed the blade against her flesh, "but I'll do what I gotta, bitch."

"Knock it off, Mugen," Fuu rounded the corner, frowning at the sword so close to Koto's throat, "She's helping! We were just getting our stuff." As way of proof, Fuu held up her lacquered tanto, "Unless you think we could hike down the street in blood-stained jubans and not get caught."

Glancing over Fuu and suspiciously at Koto, Mugen saw that they were indeed changed into functional street clothes; Fuu in her classic pink kimono and Koto dressed more maturely in a light grey one. Actually, Mugen figured Koto wasn't trying to pull anything, but for one seriously pissed-off-moment he had turned around and Fuu wasn't anywhere to be seen. What was he supposed to think? The ditz was always getting herself kidnapped! "Don't think I forgot about my change," he snorted spitefully and removed his sword from Koto's neck, "You jipped me out of thirty mon last night."

The prostitute released a shaky breath.

"Would you grow up!" Fuu socked his arm, ignoring his pout.

"I'm sorry?" raising his hand to his ear, Mugen sarcastically growled, "What was that? What did you say, Fuu? Was it something like, 'Thank you Mugen, for saving my fine ass, yet again'?"

"You jerk-," in a flash, Fuu went from raging to melting, from ranting to giggles, "What was that? Fine ass? Usually, you say skinny or scrawny." Coyly self-conscious, she blushed and pretended to smooth out her wrinkled kimono over her hips before bowing her head, "Thank you Mugen."

Pleased, Mugen smirked to himself, eyeing the curve to her waist and mentally noting that Fuu was enthusiastically susceptible to flattery. "Yeah, well whatever," clearing his throat, Mugen headed towards the hallway, "Those bastards had it coming."

Fuu dutifully followed. "Come on Koto. We're leaving," calling back over her shoulder, she almost ran into Mugen who abruptly stopped.

"Bullshit!" he spun around to thrust a finger at Koto as if she had just rudely invited, herself, "She ain't coming!" She blinked up at him from where she knelt before the hidden compartment.

Turning from Mugen to Koto and back again, Fuu tried to explain without 'telling-Mugen-what-to-do' (because 'no-one-told-Mugen-what-to-do'), "But she really looked out for me while I was here."

"I don't give a flying fuck, I ain't Captain-Save-A-Hoe!"

"Please Mugen," clasping his red gi, Fuu stared pleadingly up at him, "I can't leave her."

"Tough shit, it'll be hard enough to sneak out of here with you in tow, I don't need extra baggage dragging us down," he reflexively tucked a piece of Fuu's hair behind her ear, his blood racing with heated memories of the night before. Was it Fuu's lovesick imagination or had Mugen purposely emphasized the word 'us'?

Faux tears (which had never worked before on Mugen, but Fuu thought it was worth a shot now) started forming in her shining, brown eyes. Now Mugen had seen Fuu cry on numerous occasions, many of those times were actually because of him, but for whatever reason, these tears almost swayed him…well almost. She whispered, "Please do it for me."

"Do it for this," having pulled the brothel's cashbox out from under the floorboards, Koto gave it a hearty shake and let the sweet jingle of ryo do the talking for her. There were a lot coins in that locked box, so much so, that it took Koto both hands to shake it around. The twinkles and clinks of all that delicious gold were like a chorus of celestial angels to three people who needed to disappear and disappear fast! She quirked an expectant eyebrow at Mugen.

While Fuu's jaw dropped, Mugen was already nodding enthusiastically, "Okay, the whore can come." He reached hungrily for the money.

"Not so fast slick," Koto held the cashbox away from Mugen, "After you get me safely out of the city, we split the dough. Fifty-fifty, we got a deal?"

"Hey," whined Fuu, "why not in thirds?"

"Cause I opened a can of whoop-ass, she found the stash, and you do nothin' but give me a freackin' headache," nudging Fuu with his elbow and ignoring the sequential glare that followed, Mugen snorted an affirmation to Koto, "Half and half, deal."

Koto smiled in smug victory, tying a cotton cloth around the lockbox, because nothing attracts pickpockets like a bulging safe full of cash! Not that the senior prostitute was too worried with the homicidal felon playing guard dog. Anyone stupid enough to pinch this 'purse' deserved whatever violent retribution he could afford. "We should split before one of the other girls spots us," standing, Koto hung the cotton bag from her obi as if she was carrying her groceries or some other mundane aspect of daily life, "If the Boss pays 'em, they'll snitch on us, though Fuu and I will probably fall under suspicion anyway…still better to keep the Boss guessing as to whether we were kidnapped or accomplices. As for you foreigner, none of the other working girls have seen you."

"Would they really turn us in?" Fuu asked in her deliberate naivety.

"I would," was Koto's blatant answer, before heading down the corridor.

Keeping one eye glued to the sack holding the cashbox, Mugen warned, "Just keep quiet. If that thing starts jingling and making noise like money does, every damn mugger on the block is gonna be up our ass. Then I'll just jack the dough and ditch you."

"Believe me," she lead Mugen and Fuu to the front entryway, listening carefully for any whores that might be investigating the lack of yakuza guards, "there's only two things I do well and one of them is hiding cash." Seeing that the way was clear, Koto motioned for Mugen and Fuu to follow her as she tiptoed towards the flapped entrance. However, the effect was spoiled since Mugen didn't bother to mask the metallic thumps of his geta.

Mugen was about to ask if Koto would demonstrate what else she was good at, but suddenly a flash of sunlight brightened the room followed by an ominous shadow as three men entered the brothel. Two of the men were young, fit, and haughty looking, definitely fighters of some sort (or as Mugen was thinking with interest, 'competition'). The middle guy was older, flecks of grey peppering his black hair. There was a trimmed goatee on his chin and a scar that ran vertically over his forehead and cheekbone, skipping closely over the eye. A green and red tattoo of a serpentine tail twined around his neck and disappeared underneath the collar of his kimono. But all these characteristics took a backseat to his primary feature…

The dude was a fucking mountain!

"Hu-uh?" both Mugen and Fuu hung their heads back to get a proper look at the giant. Fuu gawked, Mugen grinned. The big bastard towered over Mugen by at least a foot and probably outweighed him by a hundred-eighty kinn easy. His dark eyes glanced over them briefly with all the confidence of someone who's never had to check around corners or think twice about going down a dark alley (sometimes a thief or robber would jump out at him, then stare up in dumb shock, before muttering, "Um…thought you were someone else, sorry," and running away). He finally stared down at Koto, his expression quiet and calculating. This was no stupid behemoth; there was a street-wise intelligence that hung in the air around him.

"Boss Yutaka," her face desperately blank, Koto bowed to the Boss, never making a sound from the cashbox at her waist even as she kneeled and touched her head to the ground.

"Why are you dressed, Koto?" Yutaka walked to her, his footsteps were like tree trunks dropping onto the ground, "Why are you in kimono?" Reaching his giant hand down, he gently cupped her face in his massive palm and brought her to her feet.

"What ever are you doing here, Boss? Especially at this time of day?" feigning ignorance and desperate to change the subject, Koto fluttered her eyelashes and smiled in the way she knew pleased him most, "You should've sent a message, so we could've been ready for you. Why my face isn't even on yet! How positively indecent!"

"I came to ensure that you didn't interfere with the new whore's lesson," warily, he watched her for any signs of emotion, "You've been acting strange lately and my boys told me how protective you were with her last night. Why can't you behave yourself little Koto?"

"Simple business sense, I assure you," and she turned her head to nip playfully at his finger, but Yutaka only frowned at her obvious discomfort.

"Where are my boys?"

"In the courtyard," Mugen spoke up, slinging an arm around Fuu's shoulder.

"Are they almost finished?" Yutaka continued to address Koto.

"Oh yeah," and Mugen kept answering for her, "they're finished."

"And who are you?" the Boss finally turned his stare onto Mugen.

"A customer," with immeasurable satisfaction, Mugen slid his hand down Fuu's shoulder and into her kimono where he pointedly fondled her. Frozen and mortified, all Fuu could manage was a surprised squeak of indignation.

"And who is she?" as the cold glare hit Fuu, she gulped and actually leaned back into Mugen, even though he hadn't removed his hand from her breast yet.

"The new girl," Mugen replied helpfully.

His head snapped back down to Koto and Boss Yutaka glowered at the whore's face in his hand, "What's going on? And what are you hiding in that bag, Koto?" Without warning, the Boss jostled his arm and though it was only a small shake comparatively, Koto's head whipped violently back and forth. But she didn't care, all she heard was the telltale clinking of the gold ryo at her waist, giving her away. Her stomach lurched in fear. Abruptly, he stopped her movement by clasping his hand around her throat, big fingers wrapping completely around her neck. "I knew it was you," he said almost regretfully (but with no real remorse), gradually squeezing, "I knew it was you that was skimming off my profits, not the ex-Madam. But you were my favorite," and he stated this as if it should explain everything, "so I jacked her up, instead of you. It was supposed to be a warning, Koto. You should've wised up and cut this shit out. But what the hell do I find here? You ain't just jippin' some cash, you trying to clean me the fuck out! " She clung helplessly to his wrist, tears brimming in her eyes as the pressure on her throat increased. Any second now, she knew he'd end it quickly and break her neck in his colossal fist. She'd seen him do it to others before. Boss Yutaka was relentless and murmured quietly, "You were my favorite. Why couldn't you behave yourself little Koto?"

"Only two bodyguards," Mugen whistled, "You must have balls of steel, pal." The pirate had managed to stroll casually between the two yakuza guards and then had the audacity to hock a loogie at their feet. "Thanks for showing up," he mentioned matter-of-fact, "Saves me the trouble of finding the asshole that sent those cocksuckers to rape my woman." His pinkie was cleaning out his left ear, "Oi, by the way, your 'boys' are dead," muttering under his breath, Mugen itched the back of his right calf with his left toe, "dead, dead…dead." He was in full 'annoying-as-hell' mode.

Behind him, Fuu dumbly mouthed the words 'my woman' in shock.

Whack! What felt like a carriage full of anvils swiftly hit Mugen square in the chest and lifted him about four feet off the floor. He crashed through a sliding door and skidded on his back for another three feet of splinters. Boss Yutaka slowly put his fist down, turning his attention back to Koto who he had released so he could sucker-punch that loud-mouthed vagrant. She coughed and wiped her watery eyes with her sleeve. It never failed; badasses were always assuming that just because he was massive, that he was also massively slow, but Boss Yutaka was actually pretty spry considering his bulk.

Unfortunately, when it came to speed, Mugen was in a class all his own.

"Damn, I just got bitchslapped," flipping onto his feet, Mugen dashed towards the human mountain. The two bodyguards attempted to block his way, but he leapt over their slashing katanas and gracefully landed one foot on each of their faces. "You remind me of an old saying that I heard back in Ryu-kuu," he sprang forward, barely diving under Boss Yutaka's reach, and slid completely under his open legs. "An orca is fast for a whale," his geta clapped as he bounded off the wall, sailing onto Yutaka's back. His sword was drawn, the blade was glinting, and Mugen held onto the broad shoulders while pulling Yutaka's head back by the hair, "But a mako shark is just plain fast." The air literally whooshed as Yutaka grasped at Mugen with arms thick as a horse's neck, but the convict was not holding still long enough to be caught. Dodging the massive hands, Mugen fell into a backwards somersault. The lifted blade swooped down with him.

And Boss Yutaka's throat was sliced straight open, spraying blood.

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"Are you sure you're going to be all right?" Fuu asked Koto.

"Don't worry, kid," she said, "With this cash, I can completely disappear."

The three of them stood about twenty feet off the dirt road in a chirping and friendly forest. Here is where the trio took the time to divide the brothel money up. The first problem was opening the locked cashbox. Both Koto and Mugen were bickering over who was the better lock-pick and after both failed miserably to open the lock, Mugen just kicked the sucker in until it cracked. The second problem was that Mugen insisted on dividing up the coins in the pirate fashion, which meant forming two piles and putting one ryo at a time into each share. (Obviously, this system was developed by men who knew their limitations when it came to arithmetic.) It was time consuming.

The departure from the booming trade city was relatively uneventful. After Mugen had dispensed of Yutaka's two bodyguards, Koto did something strange; she closed Boss Yutaka's dead eyes and quietly kissed his cheek. Then they made a hasty escape before anyone else came into the whorehouse. A few times, a yakuza thug from the Yutaka gang or a customer would ask Koto what she was doing out of the cathouse, but Mugen would flash one of his 'looks' or if more persuasive methods were called for, he'd unsheathe a few inches of his bloody blade and they were left alone.

Mugen was leaning against a tree, ignoring the women for the most part and grinning contentedly into his bag of gold. It caught the sun in the most delightful way and he twisted and turned the coins so that the light twinkled and glinted playfully.

"But where will you go?"

"Don't know," shrugging happily, Koto shot an annoyed glance at Mugen when he started giggling at the money for no apparent reason, "I'll lay low for awhile, but with Boss Yutaka dead, the Masakazu and the Kiero gangs are gonna clash for territory. After that war, well no one will give two shits about a dead yakuza boss and his favorite whore. So then I'll go as far as I like, I guess. You gonna be all right with that foreigner?"

"Yeah," Fuu watched Mugen watching them out of the corner of his eye, "I think so."

"Catch ya later Fuu," she tapped her gently on the chin, smiling at the grateful look in Fuu's glowing face. Koto walked casually back to the road and growled as she passed Mugen, "You take care of her, you hear?" From her pocket, Koto tossed Mugen the thirty mon she had kept from the night before. He caught the six copper coins in his fist, grunting some noncommittal snort. She approached the road. The noise of her geta crunching along the pebbled and dirt path were a sacred sound to Koto's ears, a sound she thought she'd never hear- her own footsteps setting out for a new life. Gently, the wind blew and tickled her loose hair. The world was a welcoming place.

"Goodbye Koto," waving dramatically, Fuu stared at Koto's retreating back, "I'll never forget you!"

Suddenly, Koto spun around and though she was already a good distance away, Fuu thought she glimpsed tears on her freckled cheeks. "My name is Mineko," she shouted and it was the first time that name had left her lips in twenty long years, "Goodbye Fuu!"

Fuu started to cry, still waving and smiling like crazy.

'Sentimental,' Mugen rolled his eyes and tried not to barf.

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"Stay close dumbass," hissing, Mugen jerked Fuu's arm as they hiked through the brush. She almost tripped, but managed to keep her feet under her, jogging to stay next to Mugen so he wouldn't drag her (because there was no doubt in her mind that he would do just that). For once, she didn't complain at the rough treatment. Instead she smiled to herself, pressing against Mugen's arm and blushing.

He was holding her hand!

There they were, staying away from the trail and occasionally hiding behind trees until Mugen said the coast was clear. Their progress had been slow. Mugen seemed overcautious (or as close to overcautious as he could manage). In fact, Fuu was starting to get the feeling that they were lost and might've said something, but all thought of whining left her mind when he took her hand about ten minutes ago. Growling, Mugen had muttered something like, "Always falling behind, gonna get your butt kidnapped again," and then roughly grabbed her hand on the pretense of having to 'tug' Fuu along.

His hand were worn and calloused, making Fuu shiver pleasantly as she remembered how they felt caressing her skin. Long fingers wrapped around hers and Fuu realized just how childlike her hands were compared to Mugen's. If he wanted, he could break her small hand in his fist. Instead, his grip was strong, but secure. His knuckles were large and tan, while her pale wrist shone brightly next to his. She could feel his palm sweating.

Fuu was driving Mugen crazy!

But in a good way, he conceded. Every time he turned around her kimono was riding up her calf or her collar was falling loosely at her breast or she was bending over just so. She was constantly running her fingers through her brunette hair and unconsciously licking her bruised lips. Was she trying to provoke him? Did she want to be thrown to the forest floor and galloped like a Shin racehorse? Because if Mugen thought for a moment that Fuu was intentionally teasing him, then that's exactly what he was going to do!

A flash of brown fur streaked across his vision and Mugen reflexively protected his face.

"Momo!" the flying squirrel landed on Fuu's shoulder. Seeing Mugen startled, Fuu loudly chastised her pet, "You shouldn't scare Mugen like that, naughty Momo."

"It did not scare me," Mugen pulled on Fuu's arm a little harder then necessary, "I just don't like anything riding my face is all."

Under her breath, just barely above a minute whisper, so much so that Mugen might not have heard anything had the wind not carried her voice, Fuu murmured, "…bet I could change your mind…"

Frozen to the spot, Mugen's mouth fell open. "What did you say?" he watched her, eyebrows quirked.

"Nothing," attempting to continue, Fuu was jerked back by the arm.

"No seriously, what did you just say?"

"I was talking to Momo."

"Horsepiss," another sharp tug and Fuu fell flat against Mugen's chest, "You just made a dirty joke." His face neared hers, his grin widening.

"I did not just make a dirty joke," Fuu practically oozed pseudo-innocence, "I simply made an observation and your perverted sense of humor made it into a dirty joke." Defiant, Fuu wrenched her hand out of Mugen's grasp and pretended to storm away in righteous indignation.

"Just so you know," strolling casually after her with arms clasped behind his head, Mugen added, "I bet you could change my mind too."

Shortly thereafter, they came upon the roadside bandits' hideout. It was a plain, small hut, hidden smartly on the leeside of a rocky hill. While it was little more then four walls with a door, Fuu looked carefully at the thatched roof and papered windows. "Mugen?" she said uncertainly, "I don't think this shack has been abandoned. See? Someone's been taking care of it."

"Correction," Mugen sauntered towards the door and slid it open, "someone was taking care of it."

Fuu sighed, "Do you have to kill everyone you meet?"

"Well you're not dead yet, so what are you bitching about?"

Not answering, Fuu passed Mugen and entered their little safe house. Koto (or Mineko, Fuu corrected her thoughts) was right. Since Boss Yutaka was dead, Mugen and Fuu wouldn't have to stay in hiding too long. After the remaining yakuza gangs warred for Yutaka's territory, no one would care about who killed him! But then what? An uneasy feeling swept over Fuu as Mugen slid the door shut and the room darkened a little. Did he intend to keep her? Or was he going to get bored and abandon her in some distant town?

She nearly leapt out of her skin when Mugen's long arms twined around her waist and nuzzled her ear. "Oi," his voice was raspy with lust, "I wanna fool around."

Twiddling her nervous fingers, Fuu's face flushed bright red as she giggled quietly, "Me too, I guess."

"You guess?" he chuckled warmly against her flesh.

The tiniest squeak and gasp fell from her mouth when Mugen started groping her hips and thighs. "Just let me get cleaned up first," leaping out of his reach, Fuu hoped it didn't sound too much like an excuse, "Okay?" She kicked off her geta in the dirt entryway and walked across the wood floor. Behind her, Mugen's eyes bore into the back of her head. He didn't like be denied anything, especially sex.

"You're clean enough," he snapped irritably and guessing that maybe he sounded a little too harsh, tried to compensate with a clumsy compliment, "You smell good."

There was a bucket of water under a particularly large gap in the thatch roof and Fuu sat next to it so she could dip her sleeve in the rainwater. A sudden understanding swept over Mugen, while he watched Fuu dab gingerly at her bloody lip. Familiar rage swelled in his guts and he clenched his fists, wishing he could kill those motherfuckers all over again. He stared helplessly at the red bruising around her neck and at the blue and purple rings around her wrist. "Hey," whipping off his geta and scabbard, Mugen approached Fuu with his red gi in hand, "let me." Before Fuu could protest, Mugen kneeled and wet his gi. With a determined look of concentration, he tried to clean Fuu's face up for her. Resolutely, he grasped her chin in one hand, squeezing her cheeks together, and tried to scrub with the other. His fingers tried to be gentle, but he didn't have a lot of practice being tender. In fact, the more he attempted to soften his touch, the more awkward he got. Involuntarily, Fuu grimaced when he rubbed harshly against her aching lip. Nevertheless, when he swore in frustration and made to pull away, she grabbed his wrist and nuzzled her face against his palm.

"There's something you should know Mugen," she refused to glance up at him, instead pretending to be preoccupied with a loose thread on his white shirt, "and it's not something you have to do anything about, it's not like I want or expect anything from you. But it is something you should know." Her thin arms wrapped around Mugen and she pressed herself against his chest. She had to tell him. It wouldn't be fair if she didn't. He had to know exactly where she was coming from, so she wouldn't resent him for breaking her heart and not knowing it later on. Under her ear, his heart beat steady and reassuring. "I love you," she said, proud that her voice didn't shake as she confessed to him.

"…hu-uh?"

"You heard me."

For a long moment they sat in silence, except for some overly enthusiastic birds chirping away outside and the leaves whispering secretly in the breeze. Without knowing why, Mugen remembered the one vague memory he had of his mother, or at least he was assumed it was his mother. Whoever it was, she was standing in the ocean in bright sunlight, letting the tide lap at her ankles. She never looked back at him, though he started to cry for her. This remembrance had almost been completely forgotten in the recesses of his foggy (and often traumatic) childhood, but he was suddenly reminded of it when he had watched Fuu skipping around in the ocean like a child, so joyful and carefree. And he recalled thinking as he watched her laugh and splash, that it was only right that she should love the ocean as much as he did.

"Guess I got no complaints," finally, Mugen snaked his arms around Fuu's shoulders, squeezing slightly, and he felt her sigh in relief against his chest, "Nobody's ever loved me before. It's gotta have some perks right?"

"Right," and a sly smile spread over her face as Fuu slowly fell back, pulling Mugen down with her. She could definitely provide some 'perks'. Fuu arched up against him, while his hands immediately flew at her obi. He delivered one of his patented mind-blowing kisses, gradually rocking his hips against her thigh. One calloused hand snuck under her kimono to stroke soft flesh. Groaning, Fuu was tearing at his shirt and yanked it off over his head.

"We should probably set some ground rules as long as you're shacking up with me," Mugen rolled over, settling Fuu on top of his stomach. He smirked at her as if to say 'get to it,' before continuing what he'd been saying, "Seems to me that since I saved your ass this time around, that you're indebted to me, a-ight?" Admittedly, Fuu was only partially listening while she nodded at Mugen. How was she supposed to concentrate when she was straddling a half-naked bronzed pirate? "So I call the shots now. Number one," one finger was thrust up into Fuu's face, but the effect was spoiled when she leaned forward and pointedly bit it, her eyes mischievous as his eyes practically crossed. Mugen cleared his throat and persevered, "Whenever I want to fuck, you gotta put out. Got that? The way I figure, that's how you'll earn your keep."

Her head quirked to the side, Fuu tried to sound annoyed not aroused, "So basically, you saved me from a brothel to become your 'private' whore?"

"Yeah, I've always wondered what it'd be like to get laid everyday. Most guys couldn't handle that much booty, but shit, I could probably manage twice a day if I got a good night's sleep," hands clasped nonchalantly behind his head, Mugen purposely didn't catch the edge to Fuu's voice, "Number two, if another dude touches you, I get to slice him the hell up."

"Sooner or later some guy's going to have to touch me," leaning down, Fuu rested her chin on Mugen's chest and petted his sides. A gigantic bruise was already forming on Mugen's torso where Boss Yutaka had punched him. She pecked a quick kiss to it.

"I don't mean touch-touch," to demonstrate his point, he started caressing her legs under her kimono, "I mean touch-touch."

Then a shadow fell over Mugen's features and a frown darkened his expression. He was pensively silent. The fingers on her thighs started slowing down and Fuu watched Mugen staring off into the ceiling. His brow was scrunched and his bottom lip pouted at some inner thought he wasn't willing to voice.

Suddenly, a sense of foreboding fell over Fuu. Few things bothered Mugen and she dreaded finding out was disturbing him. All she knew was that it had something to do with her and for a second, she was worried that he had changed his mind about everything. With great trepidation, she asked, "Anything else?" Abruptly, Mugen rolled them over, laying his weight on Fuu. He tucked his head into her neck, his arms hugged her tightly and his legs wrapped around hers.

"Just one more thing. If you ever leave me," he whispered fiercely against her skin, "I'll find you, I swear to fuck I will. I'll find you and I'll hurt you, Fuu. Do you hear me? I'll hurt you just bad enough so you have to stay with me. Understand?" While he couldn't bring himself to look at her while he made this threat, afterwards he finally brought his eyes to reluctantly meet hers. They flashed dangerously and yet at the same time, they were begging her, begging her to believe every word he said, begging her not to make him prove it…begging her never to leave him.

And Fuu nodded, because she did understand and she did believe him. And in a strange way she wasn't afraid of this dark warning, she embraced it. Shaking off her kimono, Fuu urged him on top of her, her legs spread and fingers dragging down his back. Because Fuu knew exactly what Mugen meant, exactly what he was saying.

This was how a Ryu-kuuian says he loves you.

THE END

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Just for the record, I don't think Mugen would ever actually hurt Fuu, but one of the very few forms of communication that Mugen understands is violence, ergo his threat. This is just Mugen's way of saying, "I love you and want to be with you forever and I'm not sure how to handle it." (I also thought the hint of darkness offset the fluff!)

Thank you to everyone for reading, it was a fun fic to write! And thanks for the reviews, I'm very interested in hearing what everyone thinks of the ending.

Citadel