Semantics

Semantics

“So
didja bang Sara?”

“Did
I what?”

“Did.
You. Fuck. Her?”

“Ugh,
you're so crass.”

“Did
you just call me a fish, Fish Face?”

Jin
sighed and wished he wasn't injured so much so he could pinch the
bridge of his nose. “No.”

“No,
you didn't call me a fish, or no, you didn't fuck her?”

Sometimes
he felt like he was talking to a child. It was all he could do to
stifle his groan of irritation. “Mugen, who I've bedded is
none of your concern.”

“You
bedding anyone other than me?” He spat the word out as
if it's sounds left a bad taste on his tongue. Mugen narrowed his
eyes and bared his teeth in a feral grin.

A
hot blush crept up Jin's neck and he avoided eye contact. It was
just like that idiot to say such lewd things! What if Fuu walked in
right at that moment? The stupid pirate would probably offer to
demonstrate exactly what he meant.

Fuu
was in town getting more first aid supplies. She'd propped the two
ragged men next to each other against the back wall of their shack.
They weren't touching, but they were close enough that Jin could feel
Mugen's natural heat radiating off his bandaged body. He wondered if
Fuu had done that or if they'd instinctively moved closer to each
other.

Mugen
was chuckling, ever oblivious of Jin's discomfort when it came to
broadcasting their personal lives.

He
lifted his arm slowly and dragged his fingers through his hair,
yanking when they got stuck in the snarls. “Dude,” he
inspected a clump of dark strands wound around his knobby knuckles,
“I wanted to fuck her ten ways from Sunday, who gives a shit if
she's blind? But there was always some little part of me that felt
kinda, ya know, off about it.”

Jin
gazed into the dying fire Fuu had made them. She was no good at
building fires, even after all this time on the road. He smiled
absently.

“She
had a certain appeal. I was attracted to her calmness. Even in
battle, she was so collected. Her blindness was not an issue after
the first few swipes she took at me. It was quite disconcerting.”

Mugen
was silent a moment, nodding slightly as he stared at the fire as
well. His voice was low and quiet when he spoke.

“I'm
glad you didn't.”

It
took a second for Jin to realize Mugen was referring to his earlier
question.

The
other man was saying so much with just those four words. Jin's lips
tugged upwards and he had to bow his head to hide his grin.

He
rest his hand on the floor between them and waited.

A
warm hand found it's way next to his, brushing their pinkies
together. Mugen eyed him sideways, as if waiting for the samurai to
yank his hand away, ashamed at their contact.

He
grunted smugly when Jin did no such thing.

He
spoke as if they were deep in conversation already and he was arguing
his point. “Yeah, but, she was a fine piece of ass.”

Jin
rest his head back and closed his eyes. He pictured Mugen's tawny
body laying beside his and he nodded in agreement. “Definitely
a fine piece of ass.”