Cinnamon and Jasmine

Title: CINNAMON AND JASMINE
Author: Samurai Champloo (c) geneon.
Summary: This is gonna be a challenge...
Samurai Champloo is now airing on Adult Swim. The series, as far as I\'m concerned, is amazing. I don\'t want to spoil anything, for anyone. So, I\'ll try to set everything around the end of episode one...Since that might be hard, I stuck the A/U thing up.
Rating: R, yaoi/lemon/shonen-ai/DU
Pairing(s): Mugen/Jin
Feedback: desired.
Characters: Usual SC cast, plus a few OC\'s.
Author\'s Notes:
(( Of course I do not own Samurai Champloo. If I did I wouldn\'t be sitting in a broken office chair right now. *sigh* Domo! Another quick thought...Is this the first Samurai Champloo fic on AFF.net? Just curious... ^_^ ))
Disclaimer: ...I think we all know I don\'t own any of the characters...except the ones I made up...



CHAPTER ONE
18 May 2005 9:02AM WEDS.

\"We finally lost them.\" Fu heaved, sitting down on the forest floor. The three had ran until they found a wooded area.

\"Not, for long. They\'ll continue until dusk; regroup, then continue again.\" The pale ronin spoke, only slightly out of breath.

\"Ha, let \'em try. By then I\'ll be ready for another round.\" Rough laughter escaped the lips of the darker one.

A slightly agitated ronin brow twitched.

\"You got somethin\' to say, fish-face?\"

\"Only that with that attitude you\'ll be dead after a few days.\" Calm words crashed against the angry, like a wave.

They both stopped their staring match when Fu snored loudly.

\"I just don\'t understand that chick...Or people like you...\" There was an unspoken question in that statement.
//Will he take the bait?//

\"And what kind of person do you assume me to be, Mugen?\"

\"An uptight prude, Jin\" Mugen smiled evilly.
//He took it.//

\"I refuse to validate that with a response.\" The voice was still emotionless.

\"Maybe you could validate it with one of those swords?\"

\"Contrary to what you may believe, I am always true to my word. That woman won, we\'ll have to wait until after we find her samurai.\"

Mugen just nodded. He hated to agree with the ronin, but he was right.

\"I do not wish to speak with you anymore today.\" Jin turned and slowly sat down. His body still sore from the torture.

\"Fuck you, you bitch! I can talk if I want to talk...To anyone I want!\" Mugen wasn\'t sure why the man\'s comment offended him so much. He wanted to slice those damn glasses off his face.

Jin gave no response. Just sat; eyes closed, fingers slowly playing with the light blue beads around his wrist.

\"Fuck this, I\'m outta here.\" Mugen shook his head and took off deeper into the woods.

Jin couldn\'t suppress the slight smile. He knew that he wasn\'t going anywhere. Despite himself, he did posses the spirit of someone who held some loyalty.
//He\'ll come back when he\'s through pouting. Just like a child...I swear...//
The ronin sighed and returned to his meditation.

- - - - -

//That self righteous asshole! \'I do no wish to\', fuck him!//
The Ryu-kyu native stomped until he found a clearing. He flopped to the ground, stretching out to look up at the darkening sky.
//But why are you so mad? It\'s not like you want to hear his stupid voice...//
The thought stumped him. Did he really want to talk to him? To get to know this mysterious man?
//He\'s also the only one I couldn\'t kill.//
He sighed and shrugged it off. Aimlessly picking up a piece of grass, chewing on it sleepily.
//To hell with it all.//
Coffee colored eyelids closed.

- - - - -

Fu sat up suddenly to see Jin sitting against a tree, head held down like he was asleep. She had to catch her breath, she was dreaming intensely about dumplings.
//Mmm...dumplings.//
She laid back down; wondering if the dream was a result of the events leading to her sleep, or the fact she was so hungry.

- - - - -

\"Oi, wake up!\" Mugen poked the sleeping girl with his sandal. She swatted him away and rolled over. \"This is serious wake up, both of you...I heard horses coming, the bastards must be hunting us again!\" He practically screamed the last sentence.

\"Mmm...?\" Fu raised up some, hair all pushed to one side from sleep. Jin was already standing and repositioning his swords.

\"Are either of you from around here? Do we even know where we are going?\" Jin pushed his glasses into place.

They all gave each other confused looks, Jin sighed slightly in annoyance.

\"Wait I know!\" Fu covered her mouth.

\"What?\" Mugen raised an eyebrow.
//She is so weird...//

\"There was this guy I met at the Tea House. He has a farm north of where we are right now. He would hide us!\" She was almost jumping up and down.

\"Can we trust him?\" Both men\'s voices came out simultaneously. They met eyes for a brief second, only slightly suprised.

\"Paranoia?\" Fu made a freaked out face. \"Yes, we can. He doesn\'t exactly trust the government.\" She smiled again, sliding her shoes back on her feet. \"Shall we go?\" She turned back before leading the way.

Mugen couldn\'t help but keep his eyes on Jin\'s back as they followed.
//What are you doing you stupid rooster? Why the fuck are you looking at him like that?!//
He dug his nails deep into his palms.
//You\'re sick! Sick sick, sick...//

FIVE HOURS LATER

//...Sick, sick, sick...huh?//
The unruly haired one looked up when they stopped moving, with very sore palms.

\"Okay, you two stay here. I\'m going to explain everything to him and see what he thinks.\" Even though she was tired from the journey, her face was as determined as ever.

\"Wait why do we gotta hide in the trees?\" Mugen looked tired as well.

\"Because, I don\'t want to roll up with two men...He might get the wrong idea.\"

\"Just hurry.\" Jin silenced their squabble.

\"Right.\" She walked from the wooded property line to the freshly plowed field.

The soil was moist and light; it was just now growing season, and the seeds had yet to be planted. Her shoes sank slightly dirtying her already muddy feet.
//I hope this works.//
She couldn\'t help but feel anxious as she approached the door to the main house.

\"Oi, Ku-san?!\" She spoke loudly through the bamboo mat.

\"Nani? Hold on...\" A grumbly voice came from somewhere deep inside.

Fu stepped back, waiting with a flock of geese in her stomach.

\"Who is...FU?!\" The man starred in shock.

\"Heh, heh...\" She rubbed the back of her head nervously.

\"Why are you here?! I didn\'t think you were listening when I said where I lived. This is amazing!\" The man laughed loudly.

\"Actually, Ku-san, I have a favor to ask you.\" She looked down.

\"Aww, why so sad? One as beautiful as you Fu should never frown.\" The extremely wide and tall man placed a mammoth hand on the nimble shoulder.

\"There\'s this thing see. Remember the samurai who smells of sunflowers I spoke to you about?\" She still kept her gaze away, \"I found two men who can help me find him. But somehow they got in trouble with the government...I\'m partially to blame. Well, for Mugen at least, but we are on the run now.\" She felt herself begin to cry.

\"Shhh, it\'s okay Fu.\" The hand moved soothingly. \"You\'re on the run, and you need a place to hide out till things blow over? Mugen must be one of the men you spoke of. Where are they?\" The man smiled warmly.

\"In the woods outside the property line.\" She wiped her eyes, smiling now.

\"That\'s better, it suits your lovely face so well. Lets go meet your friends.\"

- - - - -

\"What the hell IS that guy?!\" Mugen gaped in shock at the huge man, who in turned laughed loudly.

\"Mugen, it\'s not polite to stare!\" Fu gruffed.

\"It is okay, I\'m use to it. I am quite a site, good stock and all that.\" The man smiled.

He had to be 8\' tall, 500lbs. Long red haired bulled back in a loose bun, and a small goatee. He was dressed in brown hakama and white gi, which was stained mercilessly by dirt and only the heavens knew what else. Voice like an earthquake, laughter like a volcano, but heart as calm as a spring. Yes, Fu knew some interesting people.

\"I have heard that you as well do not trust the government. What are your reasons?\" Jin sized the man up, and tried to make sure he could trust him.

\"I do not believe any system that uses murder as it\'s base for claiming power and favor is worth my affections.\" The man became deathly serious.

Jin half heartedly nodded, to his own suprise.
//No matter how naive his reasons, he is true in them I can tell. All is as Fu said.//

\"But I also don\'t hold it against anyone. I\'ve had to kill a few men myself. I\'m not proud of it, but it\'s just the times we live in. Until someone tries to stop all the killing, then killing will be the only logical way of survival.\" Ku turned to face Mugen who looked like he disagreed. \"What are your reasons?\" The question was for both, but he stared Mugen down who stared back as hard as ever. This was his way of seeing if he cold trust the two.

\"Me, it\'s simple.\" The Ryu-kyuian smiled, \"I do what I want and if people gotta problem, let them talk to my sword.\"

\"Then you\'re as bad as them.\" The large man frowned.

\"Probably worse. But I do keep my promises, so no freelancing until Fu finds her sunflower guy.\"

This caused the man to smile.
//There is some hope of good.//
\"And you, you look to be a samurai...but with that hair...\"

\"You can say it. I am a ronin. Yes, to some that makes me nothing more than a masterless dog in tiger skin.\" Jin spoke calmly and coldly as ever.

\"To some maybe. What are your reasons, ne?\"

\"There isn\'t always a reason for everything.\"

The man nodded. He knew he wasn\'t going to get any reason out of this man, but he guessed if Fu trusted him, he would. For her.

\"All right here\'s the deal. I don\'t care about who does what, or who who is. I am doing this for Miss Fu. I will let you three stay here; but since I myself am taking a risk of now being involved with so called traitors of the government, there will be a price.\"
His voice a serious and lacking it\'s usual warmth.

\"What\'s that?\" Mugen didn\'t like where this was going.

\"This is a farm. It\'s usually busy but since everyone\'s going crazy with this supposed new war, I\'ve lost all my workers. So, if you three stay here, while here you must help around the farm. There is plowing, planting, watering, laying manure, feeding the livestock and so on. It\'s not easy work, but you all look like you can handle it. So, is it a deal?\"

\"Plowing?\" Mugen hated where this was going.

\"Livestock?\" Jin raised an eyebrow.

\"Manure...\" Fu looked ill.

Ku couldn\'t help but laugh at the body language of the three next to him.

\"We really don\'t have a choice.\" Jin hated himself for being so damn reasonable.

\"Fuck that, I shovel shit for no man!\" Mugen flamed.

\"Would you rather be used as a public example of how powerful the government is?\" Fu knew what had to be done as well.

\"Fine, but I\'m not touching anything that comes from something\'s ass!\" Mugen gave in with an angry glare in Ku\'s direction.

The large man smiled, laughing again.
\"Come on, I\'ll show you around. It will be dark soon.\"

The three followed reluctantly, toward what seemed to be more torture.

END CHAPTER ONE