Tangled
By Naoko Asakura
Final Chapter: Untied, But Still Together
Disclaimer: I don't own Samurai Champloo! Rrrraaaaaaagh!
The previous night's events left the nomadic trio almost in need of another night's rest, as there hadn't been much sleeping at all. The inn keeper looked a bit wary when he took the money from Jin, staring him down with beady eyes. Off to the side, Mugen and Fuu were arguing their jaws off over stupid matters while Momo would occasionally try and help his mistress' argument along by latching onto the vagrant's face. These moments were punctuated with obscene language and shrill squeaks of anger, and then promptly followed up by soothing words of comfort from Fuu.
"Hope you had a nice stay." The old man said finally, giving Jin another once over for his bedraggled appearance. The calm samurai nodded, removing his glasses to rub dark circled and red-rimmed eyes. He turned away, sliding his glasses back into place, making no effort to tell his bickering comrades that it was time to go.
"Mugen, I can't be held responsible for eating too much! I'm a growing girl! It's not my fault that you couldn't eat however much food you wanted!"
"Oh please, spare me that bullshit again. Everyone knows that women don't need that much food. You're just a fat cow!"
"At least I'm not stupid!"
"Shut up! You're stupid!"
"Ooh, nice comeback… Hey, did Jin leave?"
"Shit! Come on, spotted toad!"
"What the hell kind of insult is that!"
"With all those hickeys, I'd be damned if you didn't look like one!"
"THAT'S YOUR FAULT!"
The argument wore on, even when the pair had caught up to Jin, who had covered some considerable distance before they realized he'd gone. He sighed, running a hand over his brow. As time wore on, it turned into massaging his temples with both hands. The fight began to take a turn for the even less intelligent and for the first time, he turned around and spoke up.
"Look, you had sex with each other about five thousand times last night, so shut up with your stupid bickering and do something more romantic so that I don't have to listen to this crap anymore! I'd much rather be a third wheel than have to sit here and listen to this horse shit that you're both shoveling out of your mouths, just shut up, shut up, shut up!" He exclaimed, flushed and breathless as he admonished them both. The reactions he received from Fuu and Mugen were completely different, and not what he expected.
Fuu, embarrassed that he knew, buried her face in the sleeve of her kimono and let out a shriek of, "How did you know!" An extremely ridiculous question to ask, given the noise level of their… Activities last night. Mugen put his hand on her shoulder in a small gesture of comfort before addressing Jin.
"First of all, you're not sitting. You're walking in front of us, retard! Second of all, how is this any different than how we usually talk? Put a sock in it, four-eyes. You're making Fuu embarrassed."
Jin stared at the two of them incredulously, his mouth open. He shook his head at them and turned around, continuing down the path. Mugen peered at Fuu, the smirk on his face accented with his twinkling of his eyes. Fuu happened to look up at him in the same moment, her face still pink with embarrassment. The pair let tiny bits of laughter slip from time to time from then on, and right when Jin was beginning to calm down, the dam broke and torrents of unbridled giggling came rushing out.
Poor, poor Jin… The rest of this journey would probably end up being hell for him.
Fin.