What's Best for Fuu

Just Some Food For Thought

Jin waited outside the onsen, nervous about his wife being completely alone with Fuu. It wasn't that he didn't trust Shino, but he knew that she could be overly eager, and he was worried that without his presence to remind her of their rule, she would start saying too much in regards to the relationship between Mugen and the waitress. But the former prostitute had insisted that, rather than simply finding a place to wash the tear stains from Fuu's face, a full on hot spring experience would help relax the twenty year old. And the part of the onsen they were in was a women's only bath.

So, Jin sat, and he waited. He wasn't going to go into the men's bath, because he wanted to be clothed if for some unforeseen reason he was required to charge in and save the women. So, he leaned against the outer wall of the onsen, eyes closed, but ears attuned to the world around him.

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Fuu sighed softly as she sank shoulder deep into the steaming waters, leaning her head back and savoring the way the hot spring embraced her form. It had been so long since she'd had such an experience, and she certainly had not been to the springs with a companion in a while. Her head rolled to the side and she smiled at Shino, who was sitting in the water beside her, already gently spreading warm water along elegant shoulders. Fuu was sure she could never be as beautiful as the former brothel girl, but she knew such things didn't matter to Hiroshi.

Don't think you're anything more than a guaranteed lay to Junior Samurai.

The girl shook her head, trying to chase the thought away. She couldn't let Mugen's words cause her to doubt her fiance. Just because the pirate was a jerk and a pervert, that didn't mean every guy was. Hiroshi was sweet, and kind, and loved her. He wouldn't betray her in the way Mugen had said he would!

Pulling her knees up through the water so she could prop her head on them, she wrapped her arms about her legs and continued to watch Shino. It took only a moment for the pregnant woman to notice the sadness in Fuu's gaze.

After another moment of silence in which the older woman waited for Fuu to open up on her own, Shino spoke, "What's the matter, Fuu-chan. You still seem sad..."

The waitress tried to curl herself up still smaller in shame before slowly replying, "I...I know I shouldn't let his words get to me...but I can't help it...what if Mugen's right...what if Hiroshi-kun...what if he..."

"Hiroshi-san thinks the world of you," Her friend reassured her honestly, a small smile on her features, "But I think the question is, do you feel the same?"

"Of course I do!" Fuu insisted, suddenly sitting bolt upright in the water, though her voice lost it's certainty as she continued, "I mean, I agreed to marry him, right?"

"Yes, you did." Shino nodded, leaning back to marinate in the steam as she continued to watch her friend, "But why did you agree? And if you love Hiroshi-san so deeply, how could you possibly doubt him based on the words of another? Even if that man is a friend of yours, shouldn't you believe Hiroshi-san over him? Still, if you're so worried, perhaps you should discuss it with your fiance and see what he says."

The brunette stopped to think over her companion's words. She had agreed to marry Hiroshi, but why? When he'd first proposed, hadn't she been on the verge of telling him not to be ridiculous? Telling him it was too soon, and she was certain he was making a mistake? Or were those merely blurred memories caused by the stress of her short leashed life as of late? If it was true, though, then what had happened to change her mind?

Mugen had been there...and as usual he had been rude and thoughtless. He'd insisted on wanting to know what answer she would give to Hiroshi right that moment. The rest was somewhat fuzzy, but she knew she was irritated with the rogue when she'd agreed to marry the samurai's son.