"M-mugen?"

Fuu could barely believe her eyes. She opened them expecting some guy to be glaring at her, ready to beat the crap out of her for a refund. Instead she found a wide-eyed, blinking, gaping Mugen. He couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Fuu… W-what the fuck are you doing?" he asked, still in disbelief that the woman he had almost nailed was Fuu. His head was spinning.

"I…" she tried to respond, but her voice gave out and she felt her throat close up. Tears rushed forward and she crumpled, biting her lip the keep the sobs in. She was Not about to cry like this, least of all in front of Mugen. He sat there, still dumbfounded as she wilted in front of him. Shaking himself he sat up, raising his hands towards her but not knowing what to do. He settled on just setting one on her head, slightly rubbing her hair. He didn't expect her to launch into his arms.

A sob finally broke free as he patted her head, and she couldn't stop herself. She wanted to feel his arms around her and to feel safe for the first time since he had left her. So she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his middle and burying her face into his bare chest. He lifted his arms high, not knowing what to do as she hugged him, her practically naked body strewn over his own. Gulping, he lowered his arms, grimacing as the sobs wracked her body and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to sit in his lap. She shifted, curling into him and withdrawing her hands to cover her face as he pulled her close.

"Hey now, stop yer cryin' girlly. You're fine." his voice grumbled as she shook, her sobs melting into shuddering hiccups. He looked down, noticing how the tear tracks had run rivulets in the makeup on her face and exhaled deeply through his nose, setting his mouth in a firm line. Mugen leaned backwards, hands groping for his red shirt and shaking it out as he slid it over his head. Hooking his arm under her knees, he stood slowly, her arms shooting out to wrap around his neck in surprise. He looked at her and saw a mix of confusion and fear in her eyes as they started out the door, his hand listing over to grab his sword and sheath before the exited.

"Relax, you need to get this crap off of you before it dries so hard we have to grind it off, " he said as he stomped up towards the wooded cliff area that surrounded the harbor.

Making his way through the trees, Fuu still draped stiffly in his arms, he quickly came upon the village hot spring. Looking around for late night bathers and finding none, he put her down and started towards the water. Fuu stood behind him, watching as he pulled off his top and set it near the pool. She watched his skin glow in the moonlight as he turned to her, wild hair sticking out in every direction and steal eyes boring into hers. He hadn't changed a bit. She felt a small smile tug her lips as he came towards her, only to disappear when he tugged at her wrist, beckoning her towards the water.

"Take it off," he instructed, obviously waiting for her to shed her kimono and get in.

"I- uh…"

Looking around nervously, she heard him sigh loudly and march back towards her. Calloused hands ran over her soft shoulders and he pushed the already untied kimono off of her and onto the rocks, her hands quickly coming up to cover herself.

"Now get in the damn water and wash yer self off…" he grunted, looking at anything but her.

Turning, she looked at the hot spring, it had been so long since she had been in one. Stepping into it her body almost melted, loving the feeling of her tight and beaten muscles relaxing in the warmth. Fuu sank, reaching up to untwist her long hair and letting it fall into her face. Mugen couldn't help but smirk as she dunked under the surface, memories of their travels coming back to him in flashes. They didn't last though as he was reminded of exactly why they were here.

She ran her hands over her body, the water mixing with her foundation and turning a milky cream color. She started to scrub, but the stuff wasn't leaving her skin without a fight. She let out a frustrated huff and scrubbed harder, her hand rubbing vigorously over her arm. Eventually she realized she was all but clawing at her skin to get the muck off of her and it still wasn't working. Tears pricked her eyes as she looked back to her hands, rubbed almost raw form the scrubbing. Why was this so hard? Blinking to rid herself of the silly tears, she heard a splash behind her and turned just in time to see Mugen wading out to her, shirt in hand. She rubbed at her puffy eyes, scolding herself for being so silly and trying to hide her tears, but he cleared his throat and she had no choice but to look up at him.

He was now in front of her, dunking his shirt in the water and reaching down between them to grab her hand. Fuu couldn't help but stare as he rubbed the fabric over her arm, rubbing the paint from her body and washing it away. She idly wondered if she was dreaming, but quickly nixed that as he got to her chest and a smirk cracked his face.

"Well somebody has grown up," he mocked, rubbing the paint from the top of her left breast. She couldn't help the red that splashed her face as he chuckled at her exposed stance.

"At least that makes one of us," she mumbled back, making his grin go wider as he spun her around, getting her back. His grin dissolved though, as the foundation slipped from her shoulders. Bruises littered her back, mingled with small scrapes and scars. He paused, taking them in, but resumed scrubbing as he shut his eyes, trying to control himself and think of his next move.

"Fuu… tell me what you are doing with those men."