Cinnamon and Jasmine

((Thanx so much for the praise! I really didn\'t know if I was pulling the characters off, domo. Once the second episode airs on 5/21, I can add a little more detail without feeling guilty. Plus I requested a Samurai Champloo section and YAY here it is. Let\'s hope more people see the amazing possibilities with this pair. Duh, I don\'t own Samurai Champloo, although a person can dream can\'t they? **Seductively winks at Jin** Enjoy!))

CINNAMON AND JASMINE

CHAPTER THREE
20 May 2005, 1:10AM, FRI.

-TEN DAYS LATER-

At this point Mugen didn\'t even feel tired anymore. He just mindlessly did the work asked of him to make the day end sooner. Even with Ku taking half of the left over duties, it was still a hell of a workload.
//Fuck, I hate farms...//
His mind was too tired to make a good insult. Just when he thought he would pass out he heard the dinner bell.

\"Great...\" His voice came in a low groan, as he let the shovel and bucket of seed fall haplessly to the ground. Although he was out of his body right now, his mind was still stuck on Jin.

He wasn\'t sure how long he would sit there at night, staring, but he knew his drained state today was the result. When he left this morning he heard soft but intense sighs of pain coming from the ronin. Somehow that bothered him, and it bothered him more that he didn\'t know why he was feeling that way.
//I\'m supposed to hate that guy, kill him...//
His mind refused to settle on one thought as he walked into the hut.

- - - - -

\"Mugen, I have a favor to ask you?\" Ku spoke warmly. The three were sitting having tea after dinner.

\"Eh?\" He raised a sleepy eyebrow.

\"You\'re a good help in the field, but I need you somewhere else. My hands just aren\'t made for first aid. I think it would be best if you tended to your friend instead tomorrow.\"

\"Woah, wait up big guy. He\'s not my friend, and what makes you think I want to baby sit him?\"

\"I\'m sorry I only assumed. You were so concerned that night...\"

Fu refused to interrupt this conversation and sat listening intently.
//It\'s so damn boring in the kitchen alone.//

If Mugen\'s skin wasn\'t so dark and the light so poor they would have seen the blush.
\"I just don\'t need him dying on me before we get to fight. I gotta reputation to keep, can\'t lose it to loose ends.\" He tried to regain his own dignity.

\"Either way his wounds should be changed several times a day. I could continue to do it but as I said earlier I\'m not very good at it. If you do wish to have him heal faster, I suggest you do it. That is unless you enjoy the fields and animals?\" Ku smiled trying to win him over.

Mugen shuddered thinking about more days frying in the sun with a shovel and ox.
\"On second thought I\'ll watch him, can\'t be too hard right?\"

\"Good. I\'ll show you the herbs and such to use and when. Fu, will you as part of your share keep a fresh bowl of water in their hut each day?\" He turned his smile to the lady in pink.

\"Sure.\" She nodded, taking the final sip of her tea.

\"Great it\'s all settled. I\'ll see you two in the morning.\" Ku sat up from the table and made his leave.

\"Mugen...\" Fu prodded the sleepily staring man.

\"Yeah?\"

\"Make sure Jin\'s okay. Those wounds did look serious. We can\'t take any chances, okay?\" Her voice hinted of demanding, but the Ryu-kyuian didn\'t care. She was right. He just nodded briefly before getting up, body stiff as a board.

She watched him walk out and hoped she wouldn\'t have to settle for just him. As good a fighter as he was, he was unpredictable. She liked him better when Jin was there to keep him in check. Fu sighed and shook the worries away.

She only smiled quickly as she headed to raid the left over pastry from breakfast.

- - - - -

For the first time since he arrived there, Mugen awoke on his own. The sound of falling rain was getting greater and greater, soon making sleep impossible. Frustrated that the one day he could sleep was ruined this way, he sat up quickly.

Long, thin, but strong hands ravaged his wildly messy hair.
//My fucking back...//
His mind complained as one of the hands went to rub his small lower back. He was about to lay back down when he noticed Jin was moving.

He turned is head slowly, getting his eyes adjusted to the dim light.

The ronin was still on his stomach; eyes clenched closed, but his body jerked every so often, like he was having a bad dream. Mugen got up, only his baggy shorts on, and walked over to Jin.

\"Oi, you dying?\" He made a face to himself when he realized he\'d get no answer.
//Why don\'t you talk to the floor next baka?//
Dazed in some way, he pushed the long black ponytail to the side, off the ronin\'s back.
//His hair is so soft...That felt like silk almost.//
Mugen ran his calloused fingers through the black strands again, smiling now. He shook his head suddenly and quickly let it go.
//You were not just fucking playing with his hair?!//
His face looked like someone staring down the barrel of a gatling gun.
Trying to take his mind off his own dilemma, he looked around until he seen a blue wooden box. It was from Ku for the first aid.

Mugen had to laugh a little. He truly was suprised at the man, and the fact that he seemed to get along with Mugen. That kinda thing didn\'t usually happen.

The dark skinned one walked over to a small window and rolled up the shade. The rain was coming straight down and would not wet the hut. It let just enough light in to properly tend to the ronin. He took a few moments to observe how the fields looked so calm when it rained. Mugen had never cared much for rain, but somehow through this tiny window is was beautiful, demanding attention.

Another groan of pain awoke him once again.
//Jin...//
The Ryu-kyuian stared at the pale man, not sure what he was feeling. He hated not knowing what his mind was thinking.

Crossing the room slowly, almost timidly, he began to sort the herbs as Ku had said. Most were green and smelt horrible, but some had a sweet fragrance. Even a rouge like him had to smell a few of the leaves.
//Okay rooster...Just do it and get it over with. Then you can go back to sleep and stop playing with his damn hair!//

Slowly, carefully he undid the cloth covering the wounds. He made a scrunched face as it stuck a little to certain areas, he heard the ronin hiss.
\"Sorry...\" He spoke before thinking.
//What are you apologizing for?!//
After he removed the now dried leaves, he couldn\'t help but frown at the wounds. They looked more angry than when he first saw them. Why did he feel guilty? Like he was to blame?
//Why the fuck do I care?!//
He went to wet a soft cloth to clean the wounds, as he was about to begin he noticed his own hands were shaking.
//You are so losing it.//

Taking a breath he steadied himself and began. Each painful cry made by Jin, somehow cut him like a blade. He found himself trying to hurry to lessen the other man\'s suffering. When he was done, he sat up and started taking the leaves and laying them over the wounds.

His mind screamed no but he began running his eyes up and down the pale back under him. It was so delicate and feminine, the wounds serving as the horrible reminder this wasn\'t some fallen maiden. Jin had no clothes on, other than one of Ku\'s night yukata\'s laid over his lower body. Mugen\'s hand began to drift down the untouched curve of the lower back. He smiled again when he noticed the small mounds just under the white robe. Slowing pulling it up to take a peek at the other man\'s tight little...

Mugen actually screamed and backed away so fast he fell.
//W-what?!!//
He couldn\'t breathe. First the damn hair, now he was almost looking at his naked ass.
//Have you fucking completely lost your motherfucking mind?!!//
He was so shocked he didn\'t notice the familiar tingling in his lower abdomen. His horrified eyes slowly looked at his crotch to confirm it.
//This is just fucking great...Now you\'re getting off on him...//
Mugen gave up trying to make sense. He just accepted the fact he was now insane. Looking at the half nude ronin he quickly finished the medical care and stood up, still semi-errect.

//I need to get the hell out of here!//
The rain had stopped so Mugen decided to go for a walk. Maybe the air would help him calm his mind, and his hormones.
Before he left he took one last long look at Jin before bursting out the door with a small growl of anger.

- - - - -

\"Oh Mugen just who I wanted to see!\" Ku beamed.

Not more than five minutes he had been outside and now he was cornered.
//Just kill me please?//

\"How is your...I mean how is the ronin?\" Ku corrected himself to not upset the other man.

\"I dunno, he\'s not dead yet if that\'s what you mean.\" Mugen couldn\'t look Ku in the eyes. How could he after what he just did, what he almost did, what he felt...So he decided to loosely kick at the soil below him.

\"Good, good. What I wanted to say was that we are getting short on supplies. I am going to the market, and Fu is coming with me. Don\'t worry she is well disguised.\"

\"Disguised?\" Mugen wasn\'t sure if he wanted to know.

\"Oh Miss Fu, why don\'t you come out here?\" Ku called back at the house.

\"Hold on I\'m fixing my...\" The girls struggled voice replied, \"There we are!\" She exclaimed, stepping outside.

Mugen had to laugh, he was almost dying.

Fu had on a blue gi of Ku\'s arranged to look like a dress. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, with ash on top to make her hair appear graying. Thick glasses and more ash on the face completed the look. Someone how the vibrant young girl appeared to be an old mountain hag.

\"Damn, must be like looking into the future, ne?\" Mugen finally regained composure.

\"Shut up, but really could you tell I\'m me?\" She smiled and turned around.

\"Not at all, Baa-san.\" Mugen joked, Fu just stuck her tongue out.

\"Miss Fu came up with the disguise all by herself. Anyway, we will be gone most of the day, so it will just be you and the ronin. Food is in the kitchen but it has yet to be prepared, sorry.\" Ku bowed as the two began to get on the large horse. It was loaded down with many empty bags soon to be filed with goods. \"Oh, when in town I will try to obtain some medicine for pain. Did you not hear him crying last night?\" Ku turned around before getting on.

\"What?\" Mugen was genuinely shocked.

\"Yes, he was carrying on quite loudly. You must have slept the sleep of the dead to not hear it.\" Ku smiled.

\"Yep that\'s Mugen\" Fu added with another tongue flicker.

The swordsman just shrugged. He stood there watching as the two faded into an unnoticeable dot on the horizon.
//He was crying last night?//
Mugen began to walk back towards their small hut, when a scream caused him to stop.

\"That\'s Jin!\" Mugen was now running. Why did he care? What was he doing acting like this?
//Shut up brain, who cares? I just want to see him!//

He finally gave into his hearts desire, instead of caring what his pride and mind thought, looking like a madman.

END CHAPTER THREE

((Whew, it\'s hard to make Mugen fall in love, ne? Or at least even consider it...Yari, yari... Hope you all like it and it\'s up to par with the first two chapters. By the way, I found two Samurai Champloo fics on FanFiction.net. They\'re decent...Not smutty enough for my taste, but then again I\'m a pirate. ^_^ Heh, Domo...))