Disclaimer: I don't own Samurai Champloo, though Watanabe completely owns me.

-o-o-o-

In his dreams. Mugen often saw tanager birds.

It took Mugen his whole life to see that loneliness didn't suit him, but it was mainly over the last two years being apart from Fuu and Jin that he fully realised it. He hated those bastards because before he met them, there was never a hole before, only an emptiness. Emptiness he could fully live with, as long as he spent the majority of his mania distracting himself with drinking, fighting, and fucking.

But thanks to flower girl and four eyes, he realised it was way too painful to live alone. And the simple fact was, there were a rare few that could tolerate him, be with him, even like him.

And so, after countless stints in prisons, bloody, battles, and lonely nights wandering aimlessly through the Japanese trails, Mugen realised he couldn't go on. All he needed was to see some familiar faces again.

He sought them out. He traced down Fuu first, as she was not a fugitive Samurai wanted for murder, and therefore easier to track.

His gathered information led him to a busy tavern in Southern Japan where Mugen found the wench working as a waitress. It'd been two years and she had grown into herself. The girl was always a flower that turned men's heads, but her original loveliness had now blossomed into a striking beauty.

He recognised her straight away though, as she still had the same auburn hair that matched the brown of her large doe eyes, peach skin, rosey lips, but now … well, she was thicker, wider, taller, more graceful. Lashes for days. A blinding smile. Long neck, high cheekbones and …. it took Mugen a moment to drink it in. He shook his head.

It was an extremely hot summers day. Fuu was taking a patrons order, she wiped her brow, yet to notice the dark pirate watching her. The tavern owner did though, and approached Mugen with caution.

"Can I help you?" He asked. The tavern owner was plump, with spectacles, and a gentle, yet concerned, expression.

The pirate delivered his trademark menacing glare and the tavern owner stepped back. Mugen was, as ever, an intimidating man. It was that combination of a dark scowl twisted across his features, torn and bloody clothing, tattoos from various prisons, and the huge sword that glinted dangerously behind his back.

"Listen, if you don't have any money-"

"The girl." Mugen interrupted, pointing a finger to her. "I want to talk to her."

The tavern owner frowned, his concerned expression growing. "Sorry, but I don't think I can allow that-"

"I know her."

The tavern owner didn't look convinced. As if a delicate young woman could be acquainted with such a dangerous looking man with a joyless expression.

'Sir, I'm going to have to ask you leave."

"Mugen?"

Among the commotion, Fuu had finally spotted him, frozen in shock with a tray of glasses in one hand, an apron wrapped tight around her thin waist, and her hair twisted in a bun with the ends tousled onto her delicate features. Her big eyes wide and her mouth hanging open, she stared at Mugen as though he were a ghost. A ghost that had come back to life.

"Yo." Mugen greeted softly.

Shakily, she placed her tray down and approached him, and it was clear she was taller too. The smile was still the same though: warm and sweet, and he felt his heart swell at the familiarity of it.

"It's you," she whispered and pulled him into a tight tender hug. Mugen's arms remained at his sides, but he closed his eyes and softened into her embrace. He drank in her scent. Sunflowers.

The tavern keeper raised his brow, still concerned, but he decided to let them be and walked away to tend to his other duties. with a derisive snort.

Close contact was best reserved for sex and fighting, "Alright already, get off of me." Mugen growled. "Jesus christ, you're so damn emotional. You knew you'd see me again, didn't ya?"

Fuu pulled away, though an expression of fondness played on her face. "What are you doing here? How far did you travel? How did you find me?" She paused, looking him up and down. "… are you hungry?"

Mugen nodded lamely. He had travelled on an empty stomach for the last few days on his way to Fuu. He was so fucking hungry, that his stomach felt like it was collapsing into itself.

Without another word, she ushered him into an empty table. "Sit." she demanded, then promptly disappeared into the kitchen, returning within minutes, with plates of steaming noodles, meats, vegetables and dumplings, water, sake, sweets. Mugen salivated.

"Best dishes in the house." She smiled, arranging the food before him. Then she poured out a huge glass of sake and handed it to him.

"Thanks girlie." Mugen nodded, downing the drink in one incredible swallow, and then attacked the food with ravenousness

A few of the staff were throwing nervous glances over at Mugen like he were a wild animal that had wandered into the establishment, but Fuu didn't notice. She just gazed at him as he ate, cheek in palm, still not quite believing he was there. She drank him in.

His cheeks were hollower since two years back. He also had new scars from untreated battle wounds. He had acquired some new prison tattoos. He simply wasn't taking care of himself as he did during the days travelling with Fuu and Jin.

"Mugen…" she said slowly, after he polished off the last plate. "I'm so happy you're here." She laid a small warm hand on his large clammy one and looked at him meaningfully. "I missed you so much."

He looked back at her wordlessly, unsure of what to say. Unsure of how to convey that he missed her too and that he felt empty and incomplete without her.

But he didn't know how.

How could he tell her that the touch of her hand calmed him to his soul. That she was probably the only god damn person in the world to miss him. That during every near death experience her face was always the last thing he saw. That he couldn't stop dreaming of fucking tanager birds. That in the rare instances he passed a sunflower he would stop to smell the damn thing . That he couldn't take it anymore and travelled over twenty miles on an empty stomach and with untreated wounds just to finally see her.

And since he he didn't know how to say all that, he just stayed silent.

"I think it's fate." Fuu continued.

Mugen raised a curious brow. "Fate?"

Fuu gave his hand one last squeeze and pulled away, readjusting her hair bun and smoothing out her apron. "I have an important journey to make." She waited a few moments, looked around cautiously and then lowered her voice. "I've found out that my father… before his death, he left me a will."

Mugen leaned in, and whispered. "The smelly samurai?"

"The sunflower samurai." Fuu punched him softly, with a chuckle. "It's my inheritance. I've been planning to collect it but it's all the way north of the country." She sighed. "I haven't been able to go yet because it seems like a difficult journey. And well, you showing up here out the blue like this-" she paused. "I think it's a sign. I think my father is sending me a message that I have to go."

"Fate eh?" Mugen repeated thoughtfully. He liked the ring to it. He poured another drink and downed it immediately, slamming the empty glass onto the table. "Well then." Mugen stood up, wiping his dirty mouth clean with his sleeve, and revealing a wicked grin. "Sounds like you need a bodyguard

-o-o-o-

Authors Note: Anyone available to betaproof the next few chapters? Would really appreciate a second eye.