Jin looked down at the string of blue beads coiled loosely in his cupped hand. Their shade matched that of his nanju bracelet almost perfectly...but he wasn't intending to keep it for himself. He had no desire to wear any jewelry other than the simple string of prayer beads that encircled his right wrist, which was less about petty vanity and more about spiritualism. It would not be the same with this necklace, which held no significance for him what-so-ever.

When he'd first come across it lying in the grass on the side of the road, he'd had to pause for a moment before deciding to pick it up and examine it more closely. Before he'd really made up his mind to keep it, his arm was moving of its own accord and distributing the necklace into the folds of his robes for safe keeping. And that was that.

But now came the difficult part.

+++

She was frustrated at him again. He could sense this very easily, though she tried to hide it in that strange, not-really-hiding-it-at-all way that girls seemed to be professionals at. He knew that he could talk to her more than he had been, that it probably wouldn't hurt anything. What was he so afraid of? She had been crying the other night, and he'd been about to simply leave. She'd called him a coward, then. He hadn't told her so, and had even thought of speaking a few words in his defense, but ultimately, he had to agree with her. All of his bravery and skill in the face of danger was completely non-applicable when it came to the fairer sex. Jin sometimes wished he could redistribute his talent accordingly, depending on what needed it most, but alas. Fighting came so much easier to him than talking, especially about things like feelings and his past.

If he was going to do it, now would be the time. He knew this, yet he remained silent and poised, spine perfectely perpendicular to the floor, eyes cast downward and staring through lenses that did nothing to aid his all ready perfect vision.

"Well, good-night, then," he heard her say after what seemed like the longest pause in the history of long pauses, disappointment and resentment evident in her voice.

He couldn't just let her slip away, again. Too many unspoken words had all ready passed between them, creating such an enormous tension that even Jin's seemingly unshakable resolve was beginning to crumble beneath its weight. He doubted if either of them would be able to sleep very well if he didn't do this, though their companion was all ready snoring loudly in his corner of the small room. Lucky bastard.

"Fuu," he began, his voice little more than a whisper in the darkness. She turned to face him, her huge brown eyes shimmering with an unspoken hope in the dying firelight.

"Yes, Jin?"

He bit his lip and reached slowly inside his gi, trying to will away the subtle flush that had crept onto his cheeks.

"I found this...on the side of the road, one day," he said, his voice low and even as they slowly spoke the words he'd rehearsed to himself again and again. He held his hand out to the girl in front of him. "It didn't appear to be worth anything, so I was just going to leave it where it was..." Could he do this? Was he really saying these things to her? "...but then it occurred to me...perhaps you might like to have it."

She took the string of beads from Jin in awe. It really was quite simple, and probably pretty worthless, as he'd mentioned, but it was the most beautiful necklace she'd ever seen. If she'd been handed a necklace made of pearls and diamonds and rubies, she couldn't have been more pleased. It was the thought itself that really made the difference.

"F-for me...?" she said in disbelief. Jin nodded once, something that could almost pass for a small smile playing across his thin lips. She wanted to cry.

"I have no use for it, myself...and I certainly wasn't going to give it to Mugen."

Just then, almost as if in acknowledgement to the mention of his name, Mugen gave a particularly loud snort, and they both chuckled. He always was good at breaking the tension, apparently even in his sleep.

"It would match his earrings," Fuu said, making Jin smile again, and this time it actually reached his eyes.

She put the necklace around her neck and, after trying several times to blindly work the clasp behind her head, succeeded with a satisfied sigh. Jin was relieved that he didn't have to offer his assistance, for he wasn't entirely confident that his dexterity would hold up in matters concerning the exposed neck of a woman.

"When did you find it?" She asked, running her fingers along the smooth blue beads.

"Uh, I don't remember," he lied. He certainly wasn't about to tell her he'd been keeping it in his gi for over a week, trying to muster enough courage to finally give it to her, searching for the right words.

Naive though she sometimes was, Fuu couldn't be fooled so easily, and she gave a small laugh, like the tinkling of windchimes, making the red spots on Jin's pale cheeks grow darker. "I see."

"Thank you," she said after a moment of awkward silence. She wore such a sweet and sincere smile on her young face that Jin was too overcome with emotion to reciprocate. Expressing himself had never come very easily to him. He only closed his eyes and bowed his head in response.

There. He had done it. It hadn't been so difficult, but he was glad it was over. The ice that Fuu had been uselessly pecking away at for what seemed like forever had finally given way somewhat. It felt as though a weight had been lifted from his chest, and he supposed in a way, it had. The necklace hadn't weighed hardly anything, but as he lay on his back, drifting off to sleep, he noticed its absense, and was relieved by it. Her smile is what he saw behind his eyelids, that night, and many nights afterwards. It was especially sweet because it was there because of something -he- had done. That gave him satisfaction unlike any he'd experienced before. It was all so simple, the necklace, the smile...but somehow, it made a world of difference to those concerned.