I don't own Samurai Champloo or any of the characters… etc.

I love you.

Those were the words that made him remember her long after they had departed. Those were the words that still made him fantasize that it was her he was inside of, not another of the many whores.

I love you. Is what she said in a moment of passion. Their moment.

A couple nights before their final farewell it happened.

No, it hadn't been planned. No, he hadn't even considered it to be a possibility in the first place.

As they sat by the fire together, an unforgiving silence had set in on them. Not one of the three could think of anything to say that might lessen the tension. They could feel the end of their journey coming on, but none had the courage to have it said aloud.

Mugen fought the feelings that were flooding him. A sense of dread? Sadness?

It must have been hours after they had put out the fire and gone to bed when Mugen suddenly awoke. His eyes went immediately, protectively to Fuu's mat. Empty.

He sat up in a rush and looked around. Mugen's nerves calmed when he saw Fuu only a few feet from their campsite.

"Mugen." She whispered then signaled for him to follow her.

He glanced at Jin, then got up and followed her into the forest. Mugen continued trailing her for several minutes before his impatience got the better of him.

"Fuu!" She stopped and turned. "Where the fuck are we goin'? I'm not about to-" He cut off when he noticed the look on her face.

"M-Mugen…" Her lip trembled in the moonlight.

Mugen took a step toward her at first, alarmed, but then stepped back and turned his face from her, uncomfortable. "God, Fuu, what the hell is it?" He asked finally, still unable to look at her.

"I… Well, I…" She stumbled forward a little so they were an arm's length away. "I…"

Mugen still refused to show his eyes. "Well?"

"I just…" Mugen's eyes widened when he felt tiny arms wrap around his waist. "I'm gonna miss you is all."

The world seemed to stop for a moment. Mugen could no longer keep his gaze from her.

Their eyes met.

"Mugen?" Fuu's voice came out a whisper.

His mouth was on Fuu's at once. Fumbling hands, both tan and scarred and white and soft, loosened clothing. Their clothes pooled to the ground.

Mugen pressed her against a tree where her hands quickly found a tree branch above her head for support. He wrapped a bare leg around him, and then in one hop, the other was secured around his waist as well. Mugen placed himself at her entrance, not willing to take his time.

Suddenly worry filled his already lust-filled abdomen. "You're…" He let out ragged breath. "You're sure, Fuu? You want this?"

"Yes." She croaked. "Please."

The truth was if she had said no, he wasn't sure he would have listened to her anyway.

Mugen was suddenly inside her, hushing her startled, pained intake of breath with kisses. He kept his pace soft and controlled at first, letting her adjust. Soon she was begging him for more.

Fuu held onto the branch for dear life as they rose and fell together against the tree. She didn't notice the scratches her bare skin was acquiring from the bark.

Mugen let his head lull backward, his mouth open in pleasure.

"Say my name, Fuu." He begged; one of the only times he'd ever begged anyone for anything.

"Mugen."

He thrust into her harder, making her yelp in satisfaction. "Again."

"Oh, Mugen."

Thrust. "Again, Fuu. Fuck, don't stop."

Thrust. "Mugen!"

Thrust. "Mugen!"

Thrust. "Mugen!"

Finally, she felt herself orgasm. "Oh, Mugen!" She cried hysterically. "I love you!"

This sent him over the edge. "F..Fuu..." He whispered before his knees gave out and they tumbled to the ground.

Mugen blinked, coming out of his so very vivid memory. He cursed himself. It had been fucking 3 years since he last saw the bitch, and yet he couldn't forget her.

I goddamn, mother-fucking love you.

If not for those words, he probably could have found fulfillment with his whores like he used to. He probably could have wandered from town to town without thinking about the possibility of finding her there.

Damn her.

He thought back to the embrace he had witnessed between Jin and Fuu. Though he and Fuu had shared a passion-filled bonding, he still felt like Jin and Fuu had shared an even deeper moment.

Fury burned through him. He took a swig of sake, fighting fire with fire.

Hi! I really hope you enjoyed it! The idea to start this kinda just popped into my head.

This might be a one-shot… my first… but if it gets enough people wanting it to continue, I might just write a full-length.

Thanks!