Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

”So, uh, what’s up with the ticking suitcase?”

Lupin’s casual tone did not ease the sudden tension his question caused.

The plan had been simple - speed boat to billionaire Ronald Flump’s private island off the coast of Miami in the dead of the night, steal the one of a kind, 1,000 carat, black diamond, known internationally as the Ghost Diamond, ‘borrow’ his nicest private jet and escape very much richer than they started (after raiding the plane’s minibar of all it’s snacks and good booze of course).

For the most part it had been going perfectly. Even the supposedly world class, uncrackable vault was a breeze to break into, definitely a red flag in hindsight. Lupin had passed the diamond to Jigen (who failed to notice Fujiko immediately swiping it in turn) and then they were out of there, dodging a rain of bullets from guards and breaking quite a lot of walls on their way.

The suspicious orange suitcase with the ticking time bomb inside?

Now that was a problem.

“What?” Lupin stammered, defensively raising his hands as the others turned to glare his way, “It’s not mine! Orange is not my colour.”

“Now is not the time for jokes.” Goemon said as he gripped Zantetsuken, “Toss it out!”

Jigen quickly grabbed the handle and stepped towards the side door - only to be yanked backwards, nearly falling on his ass, the bag unmoved.

“What the fuck?!” He shouted, grabbing it with his other hand and pulling harder.

“Seriously?” Fujiko scoffed, nudging Jigen aside, “Let me- oh what the fuck??”

“That’s what I said!”

“The case is a fake!” Lupin said, crouching and pointing at the edges of the bag, “The whole thing is welded to the floor!.”

“The jet was a trap all along?” The samurai said, pacing as the bomb ticked loudly, “Of course it was.”

“They really made a bomb that looks like a suitcase!?” Fujiko exclaimed, “That’s-“

“- so stupid that it worked.” The gunslinger grumbled.

The group all stood around the bomb for a moment as it ticked. A small LED screen on the side, counting down the seconds.

[15 minutes]

“Maybe we should figure out a way to NOT die on this stupid jet?” Fujiko said, walking towards the front of the plane.

“I like where your head’s at, Fujicakes!” Lupin called after her. The remaining men split up to look for something useful.

After a few minutes, they regrouped.

“The autopilot is locked down. I can barely turn this thing, there’s no chance of landing in time. The radio is working, but I don’t think Zenigata will be able to talk us through defusing a bomb in… 10 minutes.” Fujiko said with a sigh.

“I found these little blue pills?” Goemon said curiously. He held up an orange bottle for the group to examine.

“I don’t think those are gonna help,” Jigen said with a grin, “Unless you’ve got some ‘bedroom troubles’ you wanna get off your chest?”

The samurai glared, dropping the bottle as his cheeks turned red.

“Well I found parachutes!” Lupin said triumphantly, pointing behind him to a bunch of bags near the door.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Goemon grumbled.

“I wanted to know what everybody found.” He said with a shrug before turning to his remaining friend with a grin, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, “Anything good, Jigen?”

“You two can flirt later!” Fujiko scolded, shoving past the thief with Goemon close behind.

The behatted man leaned in with a smile.

“For the record, I found nachos.” Jigen muttered.

“Nice.” Lupin whispered in return.

“It is time we were leaving.” Goemon said firmly, checking the straps of his parachute. Fujiko had already opened the door. The air pressure change ripped through the cabin, sweeping everything not tied down out the door, nearly knocking Jigen’s hat off, and snatching Lupin’s nachos before he could enjoy a single bite.

“Aw, man.”

“See you boys on the ground!” She cooed, waving with the Ghost Diamond in one hand as she stepped off the edge and disappeared. Jigen patted down his pockets pointlessly and groaned, irritated but unsurprised.

Goemon nodded at the others, gripping his sword tightly in both hands before doing the same.

“Alright, we’re up.” Jigen called over the wind, still blowing powerfully through the cabin.

He stepped towards the door but hesitated. Even with the deafening wind, he could just feel Lupin wasn’t following. He glanced back to see his suspicion proven correct.

“Oi, Lupin! Let’s go.” He shouted.

When his friend only grinned in response, Jigen grit his teeth. He had followed him for years into every gunfight and heist imaginable, and every instinct he had knew something was off. He had stepped backwards, away from the exit. His shoulders were high, and his stupid grin was almost imperceptibly tense in a way Jigen recognized too well.

“What’re you planning?” “

Ya got me.” Lupin admitted, throwing up his hands in surrender, “Can’t get anything past you.”

He gestured towards the timer.

[7 minutes]

“We’re losing altitude.” He explained, “If this death trap keeps on course it’s gonna blow in the dead center of Miami. Someone has to try and steer it out of here.”

Jigen’s face remained stoic. He let out an exhale and walked towards Lupin, away from the exit. The thief’s expression grew even more strained.

“Cmon Jigen, I’ll be alright.” He said, “You know me - tough as a cockroach!”

The other man’s silence was deafening.

[5 minutes]

Lupin reached up his hand toward Jigen, like he was going to give him a hearty pat on the shoulder, but Jigen wasn’t fooled. He grabbed Lupin’s wrist - mere inches away from his chute’s pull cord. Lupin blinked at his friend in surprise.

“I know.” Jigen said, his face softening into a smile, “I’ll see ya soon boss.”

Lupin relaxed and returned Jigen’s smile with a chuckle. Before he could say his goodbyes, Jigen exploded into motion. In one swift twist of his hips, Jigen tossed the thief over his shoulder, using his other hand to pull the cord on Lupin’s parachute. He reached out desperately to grab onto Jigen, only managing to snag his hat before the wind grabbed his chute and ripped him out of the plane.

“JIGEEEEN!!” Lupin’s scream faded quickly.

Jigen was now alone with the wind.

And the bomb.

… And a 15 tonne jet he wasn't sure he could fly. Great.

Steadying himself in the air, Lupin’s eyes stayed glued to the lights of the jet. Scanning the shrinking form for any sign of an emerging figure or opening chute.

[4 minutes]

“C’mon Jigen.” Lupin muttered to himself.

The rising sun finally broke over the horizon, nearly blinding him, but he refused to look away. He watched it veer away from the city and back toward the ocean, surely that meant Jigen would be jumping any minute right?

[3 minutes]

The seconds dragged on for an eternity with no sign of his old friend. His eyes ached from the wind but he couldn't bring himself to blink. It barely even felt like he was breathing.

[2 minutes]

Lupin was so focused scanning the skies for Jigen he failed to notice the ground coming up to meet him and he fumbled the landing pretty badly, falling ass over tea kettle, and nearly getting wrapped up in his own chute.

[1 minute]

Lupin tore desperately at the nylon, but struggling only seemed to make it worse. He needed to see. He had to watch for Jigen.

Just before he could escape his prison of fabric, a giant boom echoed across the sky. Ripping the chute from his body. Lupin quickly scanned the sky. Nothing. Just fiery debris raining over the ocean. No parachute. No way to see a falling body from this distance.

Lupin clutched Jigen’s hat to his chest, silently grateful he hadn’t lost it during his descent. He steeled himself, tearing his eyes away from what remained of the jet. With his free hand he messaged the others and let out a shaky sigh. Jigen said he’d see him soon. He would be ok.

He had to be.

Chapter Text

“Lupin!” Fujiko called, waving him over. 

The group had decided to meet at a shitty diner near the beach. It was exactly what the thief expected - practically empty, save for his friends in the corner and a few other sandy patrons sitting at the counter.

Goemon’s brow raised curiously - Lupin couldn’t tell if it was because he had noticed Lupin was alone, or because his expression wasn’t as relaxed as he was aiming for. 

“Oi, where’s Jigen?” He asked, his eyes locking onto the familiar hat in his hand.

“Someone had to stay back and steer the plane away from the city.” Lupin said quietly, sliding into the booth across from his companions. 

“You left him behind?!” Fujiko exclaimed.

“No!” He stammered, “I tried to stay back myself but he shoved me out of the plane before I could stop him.” 

“It has been more than 5 minutes.” The samurai said, glancing at the tacky dolphin clock on the wall.

“He hasn’t replied to the group message either.” Fujiko added.

“He’s fine. I’m sure of it!” Lupin’s confident, almost cheerful tone caught the other two off guard.

“What do you mean?” Goemon asked.

“I know Jigen.” He explained, putting Jigen’s hat on with a grin, “It’ll take more than a measly exploding plane to take him down. Trust me - any minute he’s gonna send us a message or walk in here complaining about me stealing his hat.” 

“You can’t be serious, Lupin!” The rival thief exclaimed, her hands smacking against the table, “Your best friend has just pulled a classic self sacrificial Lupin move and you’re not concerned?”

“Lupin move?” They both ignored him. 

“I’ve seen you survive many impossible things,” Goemon added, “but even if it was you up there I’d still have some concerns.” 

“Come on guys!” He said, leaning back and putting his feet up on the table, “Jigen’s not a chump! I bet he’ll be coming through that door any second now!”

As if spoken into existence, a bell jingled loudly as the front door swung open. 

“See? What’d I tell ya-“

“I’VE GOT YOU NOW, LUPIN!!” Inspector Zenigata shouted from the doorway. He marched towards the corner table, a gaggle of cops tailing close behind like a mother hen with her chicks.

“Zenigata! Funny seeing you here!” Lupin said casually, removing Jigen’s hat and smiling at him.

“Perfect timing!” Fujiko turned her attention to the officer, standing up to address him.

“YOU CAN'T RUN- wait what?” He stammered, his well-practiced arrest speech interrupted. 

“Yes, perhaps you can settle this.” Goemon said. A waitress shuffled past the dozens of officers, handing him a mug of hot tea. He nodded a thanks in return, before returning his attention to Zenigata. Lupin tried to get the waitress's attention, but she had already hurried off. 

“Ok, what’s going on here?!” The inspector exclaimed, backing up slightly as Fujiko approached.

“Goemon and I jumped from the jet we stole,” She began, raising a hand to silence Zenigata’s exclamation at her casual confession before he could make a sound, “And apparently, Jigen stayed behind to turn the ticking time bomb away from the city, ALONE!”

“Wait, there was A BOMB ON THE JET?!” He shouted in alarm. Lupin raised his eyebrows at him and silently pointed his thumb behind him at the window, where smoke trails from the explosion were still visible in the sky and the coast guard surrounded the wreckage in the distance. 

“Yeah yeah, it was a trap,” She waved him off before continuing, “And apparently he shoved Lupin off the plane and this jerk isn’t even worried about him!” 

“You’re overreacting.” Lupin said with a grin, “There’s no way Jigen wouldn’t make it out, I’m sure of it!” He stood up on his seat to try and wave the waitress down over the sea of cop heads. No luck. What’s a guy gotta do to get a plate of fries in this town?

Zenigata gave Fujiko a puzzled look, before his face softened slightly.

“Jee, pal.” He mumbled, scratching the back of his head, “I'm sorry about Jigen. I can’t imagine how you guys must be feeling.”

“Please, Pops.” The thief shook his head as he spoke, dropping back into his seat, “I’m not worried. Jigen is fine! He’ll be in contact any minute now.”

“Um, Inspector Zenigata?” One of the many officers piped up, “Shouldn’t we be arresting them?”

He blinked for a moment, before shaking his head with a growl.

“ABSOLUTELY!” Zenigata shouted, returning to his usual manic demeanour, “Gotta catch em off guard first! That's the trick!”

The officers looked confused but nodded in reply regardless. As the inspector eagerly slapped cuffs onto Lupin’s wrists, he made no attempt to stop him from grabbing the hat off the table, and placing it back on his head. He shot the thief a sympathetic glance before shoving him out the door along with his visibly annoyed companions. 

The tension was somehow even worse than before, no ticking time bomb required.

Sure, being arrested would be incredibly stressful for anyone else, but Lupin had been in and out of dozens of high security police vans in his time. There was a comfortable rhythm to these things. Today, However, everything was all wrong. 

Fujiko wasn’t flirting with any officers, and Goemon hadn’t reached for Zentetsuken once, trusting Zenigata with his treasure for now. Even Zenigata spared them from his usual over the top gloating. Normally Lupin would’ve cracked a joke by now, probably made fun of Pops’ dower attitude, or something like that. Hell, by now even Jigen would’ve- 

“No news about your longtime business partner - still gonna act like it’s fine?” Fujiko muttered, her voice snapping Lupin out of his thoughts. She raised a single brow at him, her hands deftly working to pick the lock on her cuffs.

“I don’t know why you guys are so worried.” He said with a shrug. 

“I could somewhat understand your confidence earlier,” Goemon piped up, “But at this point, even if Jigen survived the explosion, and the fall, then by now he has likely been captured. Or worse-“

“Knock it off.” Lupin interrupted, tossing his handcuffs onto the samurai’s lap, ”I don’t believe something happened to him. I won’t .” 

“Lupin.“ Zenigata piped up, pointedly ignoring the blatant escape attempt happening right in front of his face,  “I get that it’s not something you wanna think about, but you can’t pretend it’s not happening pal.”

“Not you too, old man!” He groaned. He grabbed Jigen’s hat from the seat beside him and gestured toward the others, “Jigen is fine. End of-“

His words were cut short as a loud crash shattered the glass windows, sending everyone flying as the van swerved. Lupin peeked out the window, hoping against reason he would see his beloved Fiat 500 driving alongside. 

No such miracle today. Multiple black cars had surrounded their prisoner transport van. Out of the dozens of police cruisers escorting them through the city, only a handful were left, the rest ran off the road or shot off. He had to duck down quickly to avoid the rain of bullets aimed right for them. Luckily these things were fairly bulletproof, and the windows were small, or they’d all be swiss cheese.

“What in the hell is going on?!” Zenigata shouted, covering his head with his hands. 

“It’s that billionaire prick, he probably wants his fancy diamond back.” Fujiko explained as she helped Goemon out of his cuffs. 

“Or just wants us dead,” Goemon muttered.

Zenigata’s face went pale. 

“Please don’t say you stole the Ghost Diamond from Ronald Flump.” The officer pleaded.

“We didn’t, not , steal it from him?” Lupin said with a strained grin. 

“LUPIIIIN!” Zenigata bellowed as the vehicle was rammed again from the other side. Lupin clutched Jigen’s hat to his chest, ducking down to avoid another wave of bullets. 

”Goemon’s probably right,” Lupin said with a sigh, “I doubt even that prick would go through so much effort for a fake diamond.” 

“Hah!? Fake?!” Fujiko exclaimed, “What do you mean fake ?”

“Don’t you get it, Fujiko?” The thief said, lifting his head to peek at her while he spoke, “If this Ghost Diamond is worth as much as he claims, why in the world would he want to blow it out of the sky?”

She opened her mouth to retort, but snapped it closed with a scowl.

“I hate you.” 

“You love me,” Lupin snickered, crawling his way to the front of the compartment, staying low to avoid the odd bullet. The only access to the front of the van was a small viewing window. Sure he was skinny, but not that skinny. “Goemon! Gonna need some help here.”

“Zantetsuken is not a can opener” Goemon complained, but he readies his stance anyway.

“HEY!” Zenigata shouted, finally noticing the sword he’d confiscated was no longer in his possession. He moved to stand but found he'd been handcuffed to his bench seat. He scowled, Lupin must've taken advantage of the chaos when he was scurrying around. 

“LUPIN! Let me out of this!” 

Fujiko kneeled down and stole his pistol while he was busy yelling at Lupin. Goemon simply ignored his angry shouting, cutting a perfectly door-shaped piece out of the metal barrier blocking the front.

“Once again, I have cut a worthless object.” The samurai muttered.

Lupin yelped, the heavy metal barely missed his nose as it fell. He didn’t stop to scold Goemon, for definitely doing that on purpose, just dove right through.

The 2 officers in the front did not look like they were having a good day. The driver was clutching the wheel like his life depended on it and sweating buckets. Meanwhile, his partner hugged a rifle to his chest like it was a teddy. Both officers were ducked as low in their seats as possible. When Lupin crawled into the front out of nowhere, the passenger yelped in alarm.  

“How did you do that!?” 

“Get back in the backseat!” The driver demanded.

“Don't worry boys, I'm going to save us!” Lupin gave the nervous men his most charming and heroic smile.

“Really?”

“Yup!”

The sound of a scuffle broke out in the front before both officers went flying out the doors. 

“Fujiko! I got you a present!” Lupin takes the wheel before tossing the rifle into the back. She catches out of the air effortlessly.

“Oh, semi-automatic!” She said with a whistle, checking the ammunition with a satisfied smirk, “Gotta love American police.”

”Hold on!” Lupin called before slamming his foot against the breaks. 

Zenigata, Fujiko, and Goemon all screamed as they clung desperately to the benches, trying not to go flying as the van screeched to a stop. Their pursuers flew past them, both Flump’s men and the remaining police cars alike, while Lupin skillfully angled their vehicle to avoid any backend collisions. 

“Get me off this ride!” Zenigata cried, but was ignored once again.

“Fujiko! Get ready to take the shot!” Lupin hollered into the back over Zenigata’s continued yelling. “This is gonna be rough!”

Fujiko pulls herself up and makes for the back doors, shooting off the lock with her stolen pistol and kicking them wide open. The van barely completed its stop before Lupin was kicking it into high gear again and swinging the whole thing around in an impossibly tight U-turn. Goemon kneels to one side of Fujiko, bracing her against the violent momentum of the turn while she opens fire on the pursuers still struggling to recover from Lupin's insane driving. The arch of the van’s swing helped Fujiko take out at least half a dozen cars. The bullets shredded tires, engine blocks and caused drivers to swerve to avoid the assault, crashing into each other and the highway walls.

Her rain of bullets lasts until Lupin picks up speed again and squeals down the highway against traffic. Goemon’s hold on her leg was the only thing keeping her from toppling out. She very nearly dropped her new rifle though. 

Fujiko expertly braced herself against one of the benches and kept shooting while Lupin weaved through the oncoming traffic heading into the city, with Zenigata whimpering in fear. Luckily it was still early enough, they were still far enough out of the city proper that the traffic was sparse. But, they needed to get off this highway before their luck ran out. 

Like for example the massive 18 wheeler coming up that had started swerving in panic at the site of the high speed chase coming right at him, whose trailer now blocked the whole highway. Yeah, that was a problem.

Luckily, they have the world's greatest swordsman on their side. Goemon had already climbed to the top of the van. He eyed the approaching overhead sign listing the upcoming exits and thought it was high time they made their own.  With a massive leap and two swipes of his sword the whole contraption came crashing down onto the highway. It landed just slightly crooked with one end of the large sign resting on the highway wall. 

Their way out. 

Just a few yards beyond that, the whole road was blocked off by the sideways trailer, so it was now or never. Goemon slipped in through the passenger window to sit next to Lupin in the front. Probably best to be inside the vehicle for this maneuver.

“Alright everyone! Hold onto your asses!” Lupin hollered, throwing his whole body into the turn spinning the wheel wildly. Goemon nervously buckled his seat belt, Fujiko wrapped her arm tightly with her’s and Zenigata wrapped his whole body around the bench he was still cuffed to, whimpering in fear. 

The whole van shuddered as it transitioned onto the crooked makeshift ramp. The whole structure groaned, threatening to collapse underneath them but Lupin stepped on the gas and rocketed them into the air. 

And they were flying!

It wasn't the most graceful flight. The awkward angle of their ramp had sent the van spinning over the wall. The unexpected motion causes Fujiko to scream in shock, and Lupin to cackle like a mad man. 

By the grace of whatever unholy saint smiles down on Arsène Lupin the third, the van actually lands on its tires. Only threatening to tip over for a moment before righting itself. Goemon was looking a little wide-eyed and green and Zenigata had fainted at some point, but other than that everyone had made it in one piece.

They collectively took half a second to breathe before a massive ruckus exploded over the wall. Luckily for them, it seemed their makeshift ramp couldn't handle more than one insane stunt and had collapsed beneath their pursuers. Lupin laughed again and pulled the van onto the lonely side road along the highway and off they puttered, limping and crooked from their rough landing, to the sound of crunching metal and black smoke pouring from the highway behind them.

“Luuupin…” Zenigata weakly called from the back, not fully conscious yet. Fujiko ignored him again, popped her head into the front and punched Lupin in the arm.

“Nutcase!” She scolded.

“Ow! Fuuuujiko!” Lupin whined pathetically, rubbing the new sore spot on his arm.

“Let’s just ditch the inspector and get back to the hideout,” Fujiko sighed, exhausted.

“LUPIN!”

“Oh hey Pops! When did you get the cuffs off?”

Chapter Text

“Jeez, what a day!” Lupin yawned into his hand. 

It was well past noon at this point, more than 12 hours since they had left the previous night.  Pops really hadn’t been happy with them and had taken hours to lose. They had to crisscross the entire city before they could safely make it back to the hideout.

It was just a single bedroom apartment above an abandoned chinese place. Not glamorous, but also not the first time Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon had shared a room. Fujiko had chosen to get a hotel room for herself but had made no move to return to it now.

Goemon gave Fujiko a significant look before glancing at Lupin with a pinched brow and back at her, eyes pleading. She rolled her eyes but nodded and was rewarded with a small grateful smile before Goemon headed straight towards the bedroom. It was usually Jigen’s job to get Lupin’s head back on straight after a botched job like this, but it looked like it would be up to her today.

Fujiko stared at Lupin suspiciously from the doorway. She’d been working with (and against) this man for years and even now, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He’d been as cocky as ever back in the van, but without the action to distract him, he was acting slightly off. 

It was as if every second with no word from Jigen was chipping little pieces of him away, knocking him slightly off center, yet still he wanted to ignore it all, like nothing had happened. Not to mention the fact that he’d refused to let Jigen’s hat out of his sight. Was the cheerful attitude an act to stop his friends from worrying? Or was it something else ? 

“Lupin.” She called. He turned to face her, smiling. Even his stupid grin was all wrong. The corners of his mouth twitched, as if his goofy smile was heavy on his face.

She sighed, walking towards him. He tilted his head at her questioningly.

“I’m sorry, I know you don’t want to,” Fujiko began, her voice uncharacteristically gentle, “but we need to talk about this.”

She reached her hand out to gently take his, but he quickly turned away. Her fingertips had barely grazed the back of his hand before he was in the kitchen.

“I need a drink after all that.” Lupin called, “You want something?” 

Fujiko clenched her fists at her sides. He’d made the whole thing look smooth, he was good at that, but she knew a dodge when she saw one.

“Don't ignore me, Lupin!” She snapped at his back.

“C’mon Fujko,” He wouldn't even look at her as he spoke, just dug through the cabinet, looking for the good glasses, “Have some whiskey. You sound stressed. Jigen always gets the good stuff.”

Goemon stepped out of the bedroom and made for the bathroom, eyes scanning as he went, like Jigen would simpl y appear from behind the ratty couch. She waited for the thief to joke about Goemon taking his sword with him to the toilet, but he didn’t seem to be paying him any attention either.

Fujiko stormed into the kitchen after him, irritated at being so blatantly ignored. Jigen’s hat now sat on the counter. The sight of it felt like a stone in her chest, and she wasn’t entirely certain why. The man had treated her like a nuisance most days, and before this morning she thought the feeling was mutual. 

Lupin had just poured himself his glass of whiskey when she got up in his face, her patience completely worn through. 

“You can’t keep acting like nothing happened!” She shouted, “He was our friend too!”

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Goemon peeking in from the doorway. He could do whatever he wanted - Lupin was a grown man, and she wasn’t about to start treating him with kid gloves now.

“Was?” Lupin questioned, sipping his glass, “C'mon Fujicakes, at least try to have some faith in the guy.” 

His tone only confirmed her suspicions - or part of it. He almost sounded cheerful, if Fujiko didn’t know better. His tone was strained, she swore his voice shook slightly when he said his favourite nickname for her. Goemon had gone from watching in the doorway to standing in the kitchen, just off to the side of them both. He glanced between his friends, unsure how to approach the situation.

“Besides, we’ve gotta figure out what we’re gonna do about that fake Ghost Diamond.” Lupin said. He turned away from them as he spoke, taking another sip of his drink. 

“OH FUCK THE DIAMOND LUPIN!” Fujiko shouted, grabbing the diamond from inside her jacket and slamming it down on the counter, “What the hell is wrong with you?!” 

“Fujiko-“ He began, but she cut him off immediately.

“How can you be so heartless?” She yelled, pointing a finger accusingly in his face, “Do you even care at all?”

“Maybe we should all just take a second-” Goemon said, trying to defuse the situation.

“Is Jigen really so disposable to you?!” Fujiko continued.She knew her words were a mistake before they even left her mouth. Lupin could frustrate her like no one else, but still, she knew she wasn’t being fair, “Are we -”

 *CRASH*

Both of them jumped back in alarm. The shattered remains of Lupin’s whiskey glass fell from his hand, blood and whiskey dripping on the counter he had just smashed it against. 

Fujiko stared at Lupin’s face in shock. Any good humour was gone without a trace, now replaced with a cold yet burning rage. She’d never seen that look on his face before, let alone aimed at her. His whole body shook with emotion.

After a heartbeat he turned away from both of them, grabbing the hat from the counter and retreated towards his room. He didn’t speak, didn’t yell, or rage - that almost made it worse.

“Lupin, wait!”

Fujiko’s call stopped him for a moment, Lupin’s hand still gripping the doorknob. He didn’t look at her.

“I’m- I’m sorry.” She whispered mournfully.  

Without acknowledging her words he disappeared into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. Goemon looked between the closed door and his teary eyed friend. They both stared for a moment longer before the samurai gently put a hand on her shoulder. 

Fujiko looked at him curiously, before allowing herself to be wrapped up in a soft hug. 

Lupin slumped against the door as soon as it shut behind him. His trembling legs gave out beneath him, unable to support his weight, and he slid down to the floor. He let out a shaky breath but it did nothing to relieve the heavy knot in his chest. 

Over and over, He kept reliving those last few minutes in the jet. It felt like a compulsion, he couldn't stop trying to find a different outcome. 

What if he had just pushed Jigen out as soon as the others left? Could he have said something, talked Jigen into trusting him at that moment? He said he would see him soon. Where the hell was he?

What if he really had just left his partner to die?

Lupin shook his head, pressing Jigens hat against his face like it would quash down these horrible feelings. He couldn’t afford to fall apart just yet. He had to think of something else.

Anything else. 

“OW, fuck!” Jigen cursed, slamming his free hand against the table. 

The movement rattled the various supplies, knocking some of them onto the floor. 

“Hey, I told you not to move!” Lupin scolded, “You’re gonna tear out my hard work!” 

“Yeah well it’s hard to sit still when you’re butcherin’ me!” The gunman complained, but grit his teeth and sat still anyway. 

Another heist, another shootout, and another sneaky bastard getting in a cheap shot. Even though Jigen had made quick work of them, he’d still ended up with a bullet in his arm. The thief had stitched him up multiple times before, but his partner’s complaints never ceased. It was almost a tradition at this point. 

“You’re just lucky that bastard was a terrible shot.” Lupin said with a grin, carefully bandaging his arm.

“Whoever trained those clowns needs a bullet of his own.” Jigen said with a scowl.

“Alright, show me your face, Jigen.” The thief said, gently grabbing Jigen’s chin and turning his head towards him.

The gunman stiffened but quickly relaxed into the touch. He’d gotten a few cuts on his cheek in their escape attempt and despite Jigen’s complaints earlier, Lupin had insisted he would check them as well.

“They’re not too bad,” Lupin mumbled, running a thumb gently over the wound, “Looks worse than it is.” 

“Reckon I can still model after this?” Jigen joked, a sly smile on his face. 

“You’ll be back to winning pageants in no time!” He replied. 

They shared a laugh before Lupin (finally) removed his hands from his partner’s face. His hands were tingling slightly from the loss of contact, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. 

Lupin helped Jigen put his jacket back on and turned to walk out, but hesitated before leaving the room. He whipped around, grabbing Jigen and pulling him into a headlock.

“Oi, oi!” Jigen said, grabbing at Lupin’s arms. The thief kept a firm, but gentle hold, just enough to be aggravating without jarring any injuries. 

“This is your punishment for almost dying!” Lupin teased. He ruffled his hair with his free hand.

“What about all the times you pulled the same stunt?” The gunman retorted as he struggled in his friend's grip. He managed to loop his own arms around Lupin’s neck in revenge. Jigen stood from his seat, and they grappled in the middle of the room, grinning deviously at each other like children. 

“Didn’t happen today so it doesn’t count Jigen!” Lupin said but loosened his grip regardless. 

“Yeah yeah, damn hypocrite.” Jigen grumbled. His grip loosened in kind, but neither him nor Lupin made any move to step away, simply holding each other. 

Lupin shifted closer to bury his face in his neck and Jigen resettled his arms around him so he could lay a hand on the top of his head. They stood like that for a few minutes, just breathing each other in. 

If Lupin’s breathing was shaky or uneven, Jigen didn’t mention it. He just carded his hand through Lupin’s hair and stroked a lightly trembling shoulder with his thumb until he was still. 

“Man… you should’ve definitely showered before we patched you up.” Lupin mumbled, fake gagging. 

“Oh shut up.” Jigen said, shoving his friend off with a scowl. Lupin grinned, he could tell there was no real heat behind the gunman’s words. 

“You loooove me.” Lupin teased as he stuck his tongue out at him.

“Yeah, so what if I do?”

Jigen’s words had sounded teasing then, but as time passed he began to wonder, maybe even hope , that he was mistaken. 

Those words haunted Lupin now. 

Gasping in pain, a single tear ran down his face. He tried to hold it in but it was too late, the dam had broken. He sobbed into Jigen’s hat, alone in the dark, having no clue if he would ever see him again. 

Lupin jerked awake with a pained groan. He’d dozed off in front of the door and his poor neck was not happy about it. He massaged the sore muscles with a scowl, checking his phone.

7pm. No new messages. 

He glanced down at Jigen’s hat resting in his lap, he must’ve been clutching it to his chest all day. His friend would be pissed about how much he’d wrinkled it. Lupin spent a few minutes smoothing the stiff fabric, scrubbing his tear-crusted face with the sleeve of his jacket, before he adjusted his tie and finally left the bedroom.

It was quiet in the small living room. The setting sun poured beautiful orange light through the large western facing window. Fujiko was fast asleep on the sofa, wrapped up in Lupin’s blanket. Goemon was in the kitchen. He must have gone out because he had a bag of fresh take out he was arranging at the table. As Lupin stepped towards him he looked up, his expression unreadable.  The thief offered him a lopsided and weak smile as he pulled out a chair to sit.

“Hey.” Lupin said.

“Hello.” The samurai greeted him back.

“Thanks for getting food.” He said awkwardly, before he let out a tired sigh, “Listen, I’m sorry about before. I was being an ass.”

Goemon quietly nodded, accepting his apology. Lupin was about to say more, but felt a sudden presence at his side. He turned to see Fujiko, having silently risen during their conversation. Lupin’s blanket was still wrapped around her shoulders, and her hair was frankly a mess. But her eyes were alert and there was no grogginess left in her expression. She looked at the thief cautiously but said nothing. 

“I’m sorry about before Fujiko,” Lupin said quietly, “I just-“

Fujiko gently squeezed his shoulder as she walked past him, sitting down at the table to eat with a soft yawn. Lupin sighed, relieved they didn’t hold his outburst against him. 

“How’s your hand?” Goemon asked.

“Oh shit- I almost forgot.” He said, holding his hand out for his friend to inspect, “Think I’ll need stitches?”

“No, but your pants are ruined.” Goemon said.

Lupin glanced down to see what his friend was talking about. His white pants did nothing to hide the spotty red handprint around his knee. He grit his teeth, he wasn’t about to cry over something so dumb, the others would never let him live it down.

Goemon fetches the first aid kit while Lupin pulls himself together. Fujiko takes Lupin’s injured hand and begins checking it for glass, holding out her hand to Goemon for the kit. 

“So, what’s the plan?” Goemon asked as he handed her the first aid kit. 

“First, we're going to take everything he’s got,” Lupin’s voice was grim. He stared out the window, watching the last few rays of sun disappear over the skyline, only hissing lightly as Fujiko gently spread ointment over his cuts, “Then we’re going to destroy what we can’t carry,” 

He turns back toward his team, his eyes cold and hard. 

“After that… Well, he won’t have the chance to regret what he did to us for long.” 

Lupin’s grin was all teeth. No humor reached his eyes.

Chapter Text

Finding a way onto the island again was the first hurdle. 

They couldn’t go by boat again, couldn’t sneak in with something as loud as a helicopter and no one even suggested another plane. It felt wrong. In the end Fujiko solved the problem of their ride easily enough. Luckily she had remembered she still had a certain friend with a certain submarine only an hour up the coast. It was kinda amazing they didn't take advantage of that more often. The possibilities were truly limitless, but that was something to consider later.

Lupin could feel Fujiko’s eyes on him as he packed Jigen’s hat into his bag. He didn’t like the idea of leaving it behind, but also wasn’t a huge fan of putting it with his supplies. However he couldn’t carry it underwater so the bag would have to do. 

“I don’t think I could recognise him without his hat. If I don’t have this we might walk right past the guy!” Lupin had joked, forcing out a laugh, “I’ll have to cram it on every head I see just to be sure!”

His joke had done little to ease his friend’s concerns. His grin was strained and his chuckle sounded hollow, even to himself. Fujiko smiled politely but said nothing.

The submarine brought them to roughly 300 meters off the island’s shore. They would have to swim from there. Goemon was waiting for the others by the escape hatch, grumbling as he wrapped his blade in a garbage bag to protect it from the saltwater. Lupin was the next to arrive, grinning halfheartedly at the samurai’s annoyance. Fujiko took noticeably longer to show up  than her companions. 

“What took ya so long?” Lupin asked.

“Oh just giving our lovely driver her fee for her help.” She said with a smile, “Let’s go rob this guy.”

As she walked past the two men, Goemon looked towards the thief.

“Her lipstick is smudged.” The samurai commented. 

Lupin smiled knowingly, “She wasn’t wearing black lipstick this morning, Goemon.” 

He raised his eyebrows but said nothing more.

After exiting the sub, the trio scuba-dived the rest of the way. The driver couldn’t get too close, so she had gotten them most of the way there before leaving the last leg of the trip up to them. 

They had decided to approach from the rockier cliff side of the island. It was far less secured than the beaches and docks, and the view from the top of the cliff was excellent. They just had to climb a 25-foot cliff face first. Child’s play for the world’s greatest thieves. 

Lupin, Fujiko, and Goemon stashed their wetsuits and scuba gear at the base of the cliff where they wouldn't be seen by the regular boat patrols and scaled the cliffside quickly to avoid being seen themselves. At the top, invisible in the foliage, Goemon dug a pair of night vision goggles from Lupin’s bag. After setting them to heat reading, and zooming in, he looked over the complex below them and frowned..

“They’ve increased the guard. We should use caution..” He said, handing the goggles over. 

“It can’t be that bad-“ Lupin began, before biting his tongue, “D’oooh boy, that’s gotta be at least double.”

“So last night was a setup!” Fujiko said as she took a look for herself, “Maybe he’s got something even bigger than the Ghost Diamond in there…”

Goemon scoffed at her greedy comment, but Lupin didn’t pay her any mind. Fujiko would always be Fujiko after all.

“Alright. Let’s get going.” Lupin says

They make their way down the hill quickly and silently. The number of guards may have increased, but Lupin was a professional. It doesn't matter how many guns you've got, you can't shoot at something you don't know is there.

It was slow going, dodging the patrols, but they were plenty familiar with the lay of the land and made it into the main building in no time. 

The vault room was hidden in the basement, behind a false wall in the wine cellar. It had been barely guarded the night before. Just cameras and regular patrols. Now, a wall of armed men stood blocking the way, all subtlety thrown out the window. That’s ok, Lupin can be plenty subtle. When he wants to be.

A canister of knockout gas that silently rolled up behind them took care of the problem neatly. Once again, the vault room itself was completely empty. Now none of them were dumb enough to think they had just missed the real Ghost Diamond, but rich people did love to keep their real safes close to the fake ones. A little bit of egomania that helped make their job nice and easy.

They made quick work of searching the small room. Fujiko checked the obnoxious portraits on the walls, Lupin the marble tile mosaic in front of the vault doors, while Goemon kept watch near the exit. None of them bothered with the large floor to ceiling vault door, but they didn’t have to search long anyway.

“I’ve got it!” Lupin shouted, waving Fujiko and Goemon over to where he was crouched over a small black tile. They watched as he wiggled it free to reveal a keypad underneath. 

Lupin was more than capable of cracking the thing the old fashion way, but he wasn’t really in the mood to mess around. After attaching a special digital safe cracking device of his own invention to the keypad, it was only a matter of minutes before the thing chimed and lit up green. 

“Bingo!” Lupin sang playfully. There was a hiss of releasing air and a metal cylinder rose from the center of the floor.

It stopped at shoulder height and began to turn. Slowly and then faster. Lupin freezes in his steps. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a safe do that.” Lupin said. Holes clicked open up and down the whole contraption. 

“Oh, fuck this.” Fujiko said, already turning to flee as she spoke.

It was too late. 

Before she could take two steps, spinning lengths of steel rope shot out of the holes, wrapping themselves all around them. Goemon managed to cut many of them out of the air before one took him out at the knees and caused him to stumble, dropping Zantetsuken out of reach. 

All 3 of them are immobilised in secounds.

“Crud.”

“Nice one Lupin,” Fujiko grumbled. 

Grating laughter filled the room before the thief could defend himself. A short man in a very expensive, ill-fitting, orange pinstriped suit stepped into the room, clapping his hands condescendingly.

“You boys did good.” 

Ronald Flump is a very square man. His face was wider than it was tall and his eyes were droopy and watery like a pug’s. His waxy skin and plastic looking hair did nothing to hide his advanced age. Looking at him you wouldn't expect much, but certain rumors in certain circles painted a vile and malicious picture.

“No really, I’m impressed.” He said, scratching his chin with a smug grin, “I thought you’d have been caught before you even got down here. Thank you for… uh, helping me test out my new toy. I really, uh, appreciate the work you boys are doing here.” 

The creep gets distracted halfway through his little speech, staring at Fujiko’s ass. If he hadn’t come surrounded by at least half a dozen heavily armed men Lupin’s sure she would’ve found a way to kick him in the nuts for that, even while tied up.

Flump waved vaguely at his men. They grab the 3 thieves and drag them back into the next room, following Flump as he opens up another secret door in the opposite wall. Lupin was really starting to think this man didn’t even drink wine.

The door led to an elevator that opened up into a large, gaudy office. Two of the long walls were full of shelves and shelves of expensive, fancy looking trinkets. Flump sat heavily in the large ugly chair behind the large ugly desk and gestured for his men to prop Lupin, Goemon and Fujiko up on their knees in front of him.

“Take a seat gentlemen.” His laugh is dry and awkward, trying and failing to intimidate them. It’d be comedic if Lupin didn’t feel like shoving his thumbs through the man’s eye sockets. 

“Now, I believe you came here looking for this little paperweight?” Flump said while opening his desk drawer. He had to push aside some papers and junk before he could pull out the Ghost Diamond.

“It’s very pretty, I’ll give you that, very expensive. One of a kind in fact. I own many one of a kind items. Loads!”  He chuckled, gesturing at his shelves full of gaudy, mismatched, but expensive looking junk. Lupin opened his mouth to snark about his nonsensical rambling but a gun barrel poking the back of his head makes him hold off, just for now.

“I could buy and sell a million of these little guys, ok?” Flump babbled on, “You see, it’s not about the stone. It’s all about reputation. You need a good reputation to get anywhere these days.” 

“Do you get what I’m saying? All I needed to do was wave a shiny rock with a fancy name in front of your nose now I get to be the guy that took down Loop -in the Third!” 

Gritting his teeth in indignation, Lupin tensed as the decrepit idiot laughed obnoxiously. 

“Lu- pon ! It’s Lu- pon !” He shouted, pressing the little button he had hidden in his palm. “If you’re gonna try to kill me, at least get the damn name right!”

The guards screamed as electricity shot through them, dropping their weapons and collapsing one after the other. Flump’s jaw dropped in shock, his jowls sagging with it. 

“Wow, I didn’t think you knew how to shut up.” Lupin said with a grin, “Honestly we just needed to know if you were working alone. The rest of that nonsense was unnecessary. ”

The hideously dressed prick finally broke out of his shocked staring as the trio shrugged off the steel ropes. Flump grabbed for his phone, but Goemon’s blade shredded it to bits before he could dial a single number. 

“This- this is impossible!” Flump exclaimed, stamping his feet, and waving his fists like a toddler, “My men! How? How did you- ?!”

“Now, now, That would ruin the magic. Just use your imagination.” Fujiko said with a condescending tut while pulling small metal discs off each of the guards and pocketing them.

“I won’t stand for this!” The old man hollered, “You won’t get-“

His beligerent yelling cuts off abruptly as he drops to his knees, coughing and clutching his throat. The samurai’s sword sheath had been slammed into Flump’s neck, its owner glaring down at him with merciless eyes.

 “You talk too much.” Goemon grumbled, wiping the sheath with his sleeve. 

Once they were sure no alarms were triggered, they got to work - Goemon kept an eye on the target, Lupin bagged all the valuables he could find and Fujiko rummaged through the filing cabinet. 

“Shameless pig!” Goemon growled.

Fujiko glanced back and immediately noticed what had aggravated him. Flump had unashamedly been staring at her ass again but had noticeably looked away when she turned around.

“Oh you little bastard!” Fujiko snapped, grabbing a lamp off the desk and hurling it at the billionaire’s head. 

With a loud crack, Flump toppled backwards, falling flat on his ass. Goemon swiftly kicked him square in the back of the head. He landed hard on his jaw, but before he could scamper away there was a sandalled foot pressed hard on his neck. He wasn’t getting away that easy. Satisfied, she blew a kiss at Goemon and turned back around to resume looking through files, though she did notice him silently catching it with one hand. 

“For a rich guy you really like junk,” Lupin commented, “What are you a raccoon? Half of this stuff is worthless!”

“Honestly, it’s the tackiest office I’ve ever-“ Fujiko stopped mid sentence as she glanced at a certain file. She opened it, quickly looking over its contents before grinning deviously. 

“Oh now this is the jackpot.” She said, “Lupin, come take a look at this!” 

He put down the item he was inspecting, more expensive garbage, and walked over to see the papers. His eyes practically bulged out of his head as she showed him more and more documents.

“Look at all this,” She began, “Arms deals, selling national secrets, human trafficking ? And look, his whole network is in here! A lot of people could go down with these files.” 

“Zenigata will be happy to make use of those.” Goemon commented.

“Like a kid in a candy store!” Lupin said with a grin, “Gotta say, it’s nice when your enemies are stupid enough to leave so much evidence just lying around.” 

“I’ll destroy you for this!” The old man raged, slamming his fist against the ground in anger, “You all think you’re untouchable? Don’t- haha- don’t think I didn’t notice that you’re missing someone!”

The room fell silent. Fujiko glanced at Lupin but he had already turned to face Flump, his cold expression a stark contrast to the smile he wore mere seconds ago.

“Yeah, scruffy guy right?” Flump said, “Did my little gift take him out?”

“What do you know, old man?” Fujiko demanded.

“I know where he is,” He said, a grin spreading across his sweaty face, “Bits here, other bits over there. The sharks would have more of a use for what was left of him than you!” 

Ronald Flump’s horrendous laughter filled the room. In the blink of an eye, Lupin had drawn his gun and fired it twice. One shot blasted through the old man’s shoulder, the other through his leg., the hardwood floors turning crimson red with the billionaire‘s blood. He screamed, writhing in pain under Goemon’s hold. 

“Lupin, we still need him alive for the plan.” Fujiko spoke gently, laying one hand on Lupin’s trembling wrist, gun pointed at the man’s head. The ice-cold rage slid off his face at her touch and he slowly lowered his weapon.

“You’re right, sorry. Goemon?”

“Lupin?”

“Can you finish up here?” He asked, tossing an empty sack towards Goemon. ”Just fill it up, we’ll sort out the trash later.” 

Lupin flashed both of them a weak but reassuring smile and stepped away from them all to stare out the window and just breathe. Fujiko and Goemon shared a concerned glance before quickly grabbing the last of what they needed. 

Flump’s screams had trailed off. It would be annoying to drag his unconscious ass out of there, but probably less annoying than listening to him whine and bitch the whole way. It took Fujiko a few minutes to sort through the mess of files and condense it down to a perfectly damning little pile. Lupin had moved to helping Goemon heft the 3 bags of loot they’d collected, when a click and groaning interrupted them.

Suddenly on high alert they whipped their heads towards the sound. Flump had managed to silently drag himself across the room and open up another secret door in the wall. He gave them a bloody grin and fell through it, pulling the wall shut behind him as Lupin shouted in shock.

He raced to the door but it was too late. Whatever method he used to open it wasn’t obvious and as he began to search for it a screeching alarm sounded throughout the whole complex.

“It’s time for us to go.” Goemon called.

“He’s getting away!” Lupin shouted, but Fujiko put her hand up to stop him.

“We can’t stick around,” She began, holding her hands up defensively, “This place is about to be swarmed with armed men. We’ll be back for him.”

“She’s right.” Goemon said, “That man will not escape us again, but for now we must get that evidence to Zenigata.”

Lupin grit his teeth but relented, grabbing his bag of loot off the desk, leaving the other 2 to Goemon. He quickly stuffed the ghost diamond in one of his many hidden pockets and booked it out the door after his companions.

“I can’t believe that old bastard actually pulled a fast one on us!” The thief grumbled, overtaking the others and making a sharp turn down a hallway.

“Fear can motivate even the weakest of men” Goemon said flatly.

“This wouldn't have happened if Lupin had shot out his kneecaps!” Fujiko added on.

Lupin looked back towards Fujiko at that comment, ready to defend himself, but as he turned the corner time came screeching to a halt and his heartbeat skyrocketed. Barey 2 inches from his face, aimed dead center between his eyes, was the barrel of a gun.

The man at the other end of the gun looked almost as surprised as Lupin but his aim didn’t falter and a nasty grin spread over his face as he began to squeeze the trigger. Lupin’s stomach dropped into his shoes as he realized there was no way out this time. There was no room to dodge, he was too close. There was no time to disarm the threat, he had been too slow to notice it. Fujiko and Goemon might have shouted something behind him, but his heart pounding in his ears muffled all sound.

He thought of Jigen. Was that billionaire prick telling the truth? Maybe he was bluffing, maybe Jigen was fine and Lupin just hadn’t found him yet. But what if he wasn’t lying, what if he would never see his gunman again? 

Not knowing was the worst part. He didn’t know whether to stubbornly believe he was alive, or mourn him and all the things he’d left unsaid. And there was a lot more of that than he’d first thought. His last thought was a vision of Jigen’s scruffy face with his stupid grin, looking at him, so warm and happy.The last thing he sees is blood, filling his whole vision and blinding him.

The next thing he sees is the man’s body dropping like a puppet with its strings cut, a hole between his eyes. Suddenly, his hearing became clear and he let out a shaky laugh, mostly out of shock. Looking up though, it was like another sucker punch to the gut.

Jigen.

There, just a few doors down the hall, arm raised and gripping a smoking gun, was the most beautiful man Lupin had ever seen. Daisuke Jigen.

Lupin blinked. He didn’t disappear. He was still heavily leaning against the wall, a weak grin plastered across his scruffy face.

“You’re alive!” Fujiko’s voice snapped him back to reality. 

Jigen groaned, sliding down the wall as his legs seemed to give out underneath him. Lupin was at his side in an instant, catching him before he crumpled to the ground completely. He reeked of blood and the ocean, his skin cold and clammy to the touch. 

“Hey there stranger.” Jigen said quietly. 

Up close Lupin could see the extent of his injuries. His left arm, thankfully not his shooting arm, hung crooked and useless at his side. On the same side his shirt was splattered with dried blood. When Lupin gently felt up his sides for broken ribs Jigen winced, inhaling sharply through his teeth. Lupin  pulled his hand away from the tender spot quickly. (Basic injury list - some lacerations, broken arm, cracked ribs, mild concussion) 

“You’re not dead.” Lupin whispered shakily as Goemon and Fujiko joined them. 

“Sorry to disappoint.” Jigen chuckled halfheartedly, his face and tone quickly softening, “Hey, what’s with the waterworks?”

Lupin had no idea when he’d started crying, but his vision was blurring and his cheeks were wet with tears. He quickly rubbed his eyes dry with his jacket sleeve and reached around to open his bag, rummaging through its contents. Before anyone could question him, he pulled out a familiar hat and smoothed it over.

“Oh nice, you brought my hat-“

Jigen’s sentence was quickly cut short as Lupin placed the gunman’s hat in its rightful place, grabbed him by the chin and pulled him into a kiss. It probably would’ve been nicer without the faint metallic taste of blood, but at this moment Lupin wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Lupin pulled away, cupping Jigen’s face with one hand and brushing his thumb softly against his cheek. The gunman only stared back, slack jawed and wide eyed, as his face turned beet red. 

“… do I have a concussion or did that just happen?”

“Both.” Goemon replied. 

“Come on, we gotta go.” Lupin said, grabbing Jigen’s uninjured side and hoisting him onto his feet. He grunted and laid an arm across the thief’s shoulders in an attempt to keep himself upright. 

Jigen’s injuries slowed their pace considerably, but luckily the sound of frantic activity had moved away from them. It was probably a bad sign really, but Lupin was happy they didn't have to push Jigen too hard right now.

“This guy’s friggin 'mansion is so ugly,” Jigen grumbled, sneering down at the purple rug with disgust and poorly disguised pain, “I’ll be glad to finally get out of this hellhole.”

“Speaking of, Jigen. What are you doing here?” Fujiko piped up from further down the hall, “What happened with the jet?”

“Damn parachute didn’t open all the way,” He replied, gritting his teeth as he tried to keep pace with Lupin, “I hit the water pretty hard, no clue how I didn’t pass out. I saw what I thought was the coastguard… but I figured they were probably that friggin moneybag’s lackeys.”

“What gave it away?” Goemon said. 

Jigen didn’t reply right away, his head dropping slightly as he leaned heavily against Lupin.

“Jigen?” Lupin said. He reached up and gently smacked the side of his face. The gunman’s head suddenly shot up, groaning in pain from the sudden movement. 

“Becaaauuse…” Jigen continued sluggishly, “Coastguard doesn’t roll up already pointing their guns at the water. So I snuck aboard one of them boats and I've been hiding out here the whole time. Mostly passed out in a bush, I think. How long ago was the plane?”

“Less than a day, more than a few hours. Jigen, how many fingers am I holding up?” Lupin asked, raising 2 fingers in front of his face.

“Four?”

“Shit- wait you shot that guard with your vision like that?!” Fujiko exclaimed.

“Well he didn’t shoot himself.” Jigen grumbled, “Why?”

“You could have easily hit Lupin by mistake.” Goemon said.

“Well…” He stammered, “I dunno man, I was tryna find a way out cos I assumed they found out I was here, and then I see that guy pointing a gun at you guys and I just…”

“You pulled that trigger on pure instinct, didn't you?” Lupin said with a cheeky smirk, “You loooove us.”

“Yeah, well- shut up.”

By the time they made it to the foyer even the alarm had gone silent. They hadn't run into a single guard and it was putting them all on edge. Something was very wrong here.

Goemon went first, placing himself directly between his family and whatever was waiting for them on the other side of the front doors, while Fujiko kept close behind him with her pistol drawn. With one hand on his sword, Goemon threw open the doors, ready for the worst. And he found it

Lupin’s eyes widened in horror. Dozens of guards completely surrounded them on all sides, their guns already raised and ready to fire. Fujiko glanced back, ready to run, but before they could make a single move, steel bars slammed down over the foyer doors, blocking the way back.. 

In front of them sat Ronald Flump, in all his slimy glory, behind at least 3 lines of guards. His face contorted into a nasty grin, his eyes wild with delirious rage. 

“You got cocky Loop- in !” He screeched, raising his arms triumphantly, “You and your little gang thought you could get off this island alive?! How amusing!” 

Lupin looked towards his friends. Goemon had his blade gripped tight, eyes locked onto Flump with a sinister glare. Fujiko sighed, her hand gently placed between Goemon’s shoulder blades. Her touch didn’t seem to affect him, but she took what comfort she could from having him close.

“Damnit…”

The subtle tremble in Jigen’s voice caught Lupin’s attention. He had almost never seen that look on his partner’s face. The way he bared his teeth, the tilt of his chin, a single eye sharp as a blade glaring out from under his hat, moving quickly over the scene in front of them, and the way his finger nails dug painful welts into Lupin’s skin, even through his jacket. He was afraid. It was justified, not even Lupin could see a way out of this alive, but to see such emotion on the face of his normally stoic companion was gut-wrenching

He had to do something. Lupin knew they couldn’t run without leaving Jigen behind, and he would never do that. He couldn't even bear the thought of taking his hands off of him right now, not when he had only just gotten his partner back. But a man like Flump would have. He’d throw away anyone to get just a little further ahead, to make a little money, to save his own skin, and that’s why he was weak. That’s why he was going to lose.

“Jigen,” Lupin spoke low, directly into Jigen’s ear, “How many bullets do you have left?”

“You can’t be serious, man.” Jigen whispered back, “Just because I didn’t shoot you earlier doesn’t mean I’ll be worth shit in a firefight right now.”

“Just one shot.” The thief replied.

Lupin raised his free hand up to Jigen’s face, gently cupping his cheek. He whimpered, leaning into the touch with a shaky sigh. 

“I only have one bullet.” He admitted.

“Then don’t miss.” Lupin whispered back. 

Jigen rolled his eyes but nodded. He pulled his revolver out of his pocket, cocking it and raising his arm up to take the shot. 

“- and then I’ll kill everyone you’ve ever known!” Flump had been blabbering the whole time, but at this point nobody was really listening to him. Even some of his guards were exchanging annoyed glances.

“Damnit, I can’t steady my hand,” He whispered, his gun shaking like mad in his weak grip.

“Let me help.” 

Lupin raised his arm up under Jigen’s elbow, using his forearm to steady his aim. His partner breathed deeply through his nose, slowly exhaling out his mouth.

“Blow his damn head off, mi amor .” Lupin whispered in his ear. 

His partner’s eyes lit up as he pulled the trigger.

The bullet sailed past Fujiko and Goemon, threading perfectly between guard after guard, before taking its rightful place between Flump’s eyes as blood sprayed out from his mouth, nose and eyes. The old man crumpled to the ground in a heap.

“Finally shut him up!” Lupin shouted over the rising roar of helicopter blades.

As Goemon, Fujiko, and Jigen look up into the sky in delighted disbelief, a half dozen police choppers crest over the mansion’s roof, shining blinding spotlights down into the armed crowd. Shock and confusion rippled through the small army of guards. Some lifted their weapons at the sight, ready to try and shoot them down, some tried to cut their losses by turning to run, but both were stopped by the armed officers emerging from the surrounding foliage and the small fleet of boats rapidly surrounding the island.

Zenigata had brought the cavalry. 

Chapter Text

With Flump dead and his men out numbered, it’s all over in minutes. Most don't try to go down shooting, and the ones that do don’t stand a chance. Now it's only a matter of clean up and shipping the prisoners back to shore. Inspector Zenigata’s lead on the operation ment there were no casualties but one officer did need to be hurried off to the hospital for a broken arm. They had just loaded him up with a pair of paramedics and a coast guard in one of the boats when they were interrupted by a shout.

“Hold that boat!” Zenigata appeared out of nowhere, leaping onto the back of the boat just before it could pull away. He tripped, almost falling on his face, but he recovered quickly. “You don't mind if I hitch a ride with you guys right?”

Zenigata shooed the female officer out of the driver's seat and silently pulled the boat away from the dock. He let them stew in the awkward silence for a few minutes. After all the shit they put him through they deserved to sweat it out every now and then.

"How are your injuries Jigen?" He finally broke the tension.

"Ha! I'm not outta the game yet, old man." Jigen broke out in weak, pained laughter before relaxing back into his seat.

“You should be, at least for a few weeks. You look like shit,” Zenigata choked up a little. A few relieved tears escaped his eyes, “I'm just glad you’re alive.”

“Thanks Pops.” Jigen gave Zenigata a sincere smile when the officer glanced back at him with his big wet bambi eyes.

“Don’t worry Pops, I think we’re all overdue for a long vacation.” Lupin laughed and leaned into Jigen gently.

“Thank you for your assistance Inspector.” Goemon said.

“I wasn’t there to help. I was just following an anonymous tip,” Zenigata lied poorly, a pleased expression on his face, “So before I pull this boat in and arrest all of you, do you wanna tell me what happened in there?”

“Hardass!” Lupin cackled. Jigen wrapped his good arm around him, smiling fondly at his goofy moron. 

“A very dishonorable man met his well justified end.” Goemon stated.

“Please don’t confess to murder” Zenigata sighed.

“There was a lot of shooting going on. Who knows. His own men could have hit him in the crossfire,” Fujiko gave Zenigata a sly wink and dug the massive file she had stashed away from Flump’s office out of her ‘borrowed’ police jacket, “Here.”

Zenigata briefly flipped through the first few pages, trying not to take his eyes off his driving for too long. His eyebrows disappeared under his hat as his expression grew more and more alarmed at the files contents.

 “Looks like I’m not getting that vacation anytime soon,” Zenigata joked lightly with a hint of disgust at what little he had read. “Thank you for this. Seriously, you guys did good today.”

As they begin approaching the docks, Fujiko looks back at Lupin with a wink, before throwing herself at Zenigata with a loud sob. 

“Oh Inspector it was terrible! That horrible man tied me up and he wouldn't stop looking at my body! I was so scared!” She whimpered pathetically. 

Zenigata wasn't so dumb he’d actually fall for that so she made sure to squish her boobs into the side of his face while she was at it. The man flustered so easily.

“Get off me! I don’t know what you’re playing at, but I’m not falling for it!” Zenigata hollered, his face turning bright red. He was steering remarkably well considering the way his vision was obstructed, but he was going to overshoot the docking.

With the click of locking handcuffs, Zenigata was released from his plush prison. As he struggled with the cuff now locking him to the wheel, Lupin gracefully helped Jigen hop up onto the dock as they slowly drifted past, followed by Fujiko. 

Goemon stumbled when he attempted to take the 3 full bags of loot with him and found them chained together, and to the boat, with a series of handcuffs.  He’s forced to abandon them when the inspector attempts to catch him with another pair thrown expertly behind himself.

“You thought I was going to let you get away with all those stolen good so easily!? I locked your loot down the secound I got on the boat!” Zenigata laughed maniacally while struggling to bring the boat to a stop with only one hand.  

“Nice one Pops! But you didn’t get everything!” Lupin called back as Inspector Zenigata attempted to turn the boat back around to the dock. He cheerfully waved the Ghost Diamond above his head where Pops would see it, nice and clearly, before turning and shuffling down the dock as quick as he could while still supporting a cackling Jigen.

“Don’t think I’m going to let you escape, LUPIN!” Despite his screaming, Zenigata was grinning from ear to ear. His free fist waving in the air looked more like a cheer then anything.

Fujiko gave a cheery wave to the grinning inspector and hooked her arm around Goemon’s, hurrying him down the dock as he blushed. Jigen wheezed out one last exhausted laugh and pressed his forehead into Lupin’s neck, trusting him to lead them forward.

Epilogue

Despite all the things that needed to be said between him and Jigen, Lupin knew it had to wait. Jigen was exhausted, injured and half frozen and Lupin wasn't going to pester the poor guy with big emotional conversations while he was in that state. Helping Goemon clean his wounds and bandage his ribs eased some of the tension from the last 2 days but after that Jigen needed his rest.

And so he was back to waiting. It took him less than an hour to start pacing around the hideout and Fujiko had to drag him away from the bedroom by ear after he attempted to check on his sleeping companion… for the 8th time. 

So, when he quietly opened the door to see Jigen sitting up in the bed, he let out a dramatic sigh of relief. He’d been sleeping for almost a day and while he didn’t want to wake him, the waiting was torture .

The gunman glanced his way before a tired grin stretched across his face. His hat was absent from his head, sitting on the bedside table where Lupin had left it. Without it, the white bandages stood out starkly in his messy back hair. 

“Hey,” Lupin greeted him as he hovered awkwardly in the doorway, “How are you feeling?”

“Been better,” Jigen admitted, yawning into his hand, “So are you offering nurse services now or what?”

“Ha! Only for you.” Lupin said with a wink, “The first sponge bath is free by the way.”

Jigen laughed, immediately curling in on himself with a groan. Lupin hurried to his side and gently placed a hand on his back, his brow furrowed with concern. Before he could speak Jigen grabbed his wrist and slowly sat back up. 

“I’m good, I’m good,” He reassured his partner with a strained smile, “You can’t kill me that easily.” 

Jigen immediately regretted his choice of words when Lupin’s face fell, his expression somewhere between heartbreak and nausea. He dropped his head onto Jigen’s shoulder with a shaky sigh.

“Too soon man.” Lupin’s voice shook involuntarily. 

“Sorry.” He mumbled, gently resting his good hand on the back of Lupin's neck, stroking the bare skin with his thumb. 

“Why did you do it?”

His question hung in the air for a moment before the gunman spoke again.

“You know why, it was gonna crash-“

“You know what I mean Jigen.” Lupin‘s voice hardened. When he didn’t reply quick enough he lifted his head from Jigen’s shoulder to look him in the eye, grabbing his hand as it shifted to press it into his cheek.

“Because you’re always pulling this same shit.” He explained, growing more aggitated as he spoke, “Getting shot. Blowing yourself up. Throwing yourself off rooftops. Faking your death! More than once! That time with the black hole!? You keep putting your neck on the chopping block like it means nothing.”

“That’s-“

“And yeah, I know you make it back to me every time but that doesnt mean it doesnt feel god damn terrible each time you do that shit.” Jigen said firmly, blinking back tears, “I knew you were planning something stupid and dangerous the second I realised you weren’t right behind me, and I- I just wanted to know you would be safe for once.”

Lupin wrapped his arms around him, keeping the hug somewhat loose so as to not aggravate his injuries. Jigen buried his face in the crook of Lupin’s neck, hugging him back tightly as if he would disappear if he let go.

“I’m sorry.” The thief whispered, running a hand through the gunman’s hair, “I couldn’t keep it together for one day and yet you’ve been putting up with me doing it constantly.”

“It sucks.” Jigen mumbled.

“It does.” He admitted, “I… I can’t promise that I won’t do it again.”

“Yeah yeah-“ 

“But I will try . I’ll try to not leave you behind again. If you’ll please stay with me, please .” Lupin said.

“Yeah, I think I can work with that.” 

They eventually separated, smiling at each other as if nothing else in the world mattered. Jigen suddenly stiffened, realisation dawning on his face. 

“Ok wait- you kissed me back there on the island, right?” 

Oh yeah, they probably needed to talk about that to.

“Yeah, I did.” Lupin said with a nod, “Was it bad?”

“What?!” Jigen stammered, his cheeks turning pink, “No, that’s not-“

“You’re going to break my heart here man,” Lupin whined, clutching his chest dramatically, “I’ll have you know I’ve only had positive feedback on my technique!”

“What the hell are you on about?!” He said, face reddening by the second, “Just-“

“Guess I’ll have to find someone to give me a second opinion~!”

Well that seemed to do it. Jigen grumbled under his breath before grabbing Lupin by the chin. Lupin half expected a headbutt but was delightfully treated to a kiss instead.

Lupin was even more surprised by the gentle hesitation from Jigen. He’d been so confident a second ago, but now his hand hovered awkwardly above Lupin’s shoulder, unsure of where to touch. He smiled deviously as they parted. He grabbed Jigen’s good hand and guided it to the base of his skull.

“You’re so cute when you’re nervous.” He teased. 

“Shut up.” Jigen grumbled, making no attempt to remove his hand, even curling his fingers into Lupin’s short hair.

“Make me.” 

It was too easy. Jigen grinned at the thought of being able to shut Lupin up like this whenever he wanted and pulled him back in. The gentle meeting of lips deepened quickly as Lupin guided him to lean back into the massive pile of pillows. Lupin crawled up his body as they kissed, throwing one leg over his hips to straddle him. 

When Lupin’s hands begin to wander, skimming his bad side softly, and stroking every bit of whole skin he could find much more firmly, Jigen couldn’t help the small noise he made in the back of his throat. It only encouraged Lupin to lean in closer, the kiss somehow deepening even further.

Jigen probably would have found this development delightful if the change of position didn't feel like a knife to his tender ribs. With a sharp hiss of pain, he shoved Lupin back by the shoulder.

“Hey! What’s the-“

He cut himself off. Jigen was gripping his left side, the hand on his shoulder shaking like mad. 

“Sorry,” The gunman said in a strained tone, “I think I just overdid it a little…” 

“Right, sorry,” Lupin mumbled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, “Guess I’ll have to prove my point some other time… lemme go grab you some more pain meds.”

He rolled off of him, flopping onto the pillows on Jigen’s good side. As he moved to stand, he froze as he felt a hand grab his wrist. Lupin looked back at him. Jigen’s face immediately reddened as his thief grinned in response.

“Can you… stay… here?” He grumbled, avoiding eye contact like the plague, “Just for a bit longer?”

“Now how could I possibly refuse a request like that?” Lupin cooed, laying back down beside him curling up on his side. Placing a hand on Jigen’s chest, he stroked his chest hair softly, right above his bandages. 

“Cool, thanks. Could ya hand me my hat?” Jigen muttered.

“Missed it?” Lupin chuckled while grabbing it off the nightstand and dropped it on Jigen’s head.

He put an arm around Lupin’s shoulders before he could comment, dragging him closer. After a moment basking in each other's warmth Lupin lit a cigarette for them to share. Jigen savored it with a grin. He hadn’t had much chance to smoke in the last few days. When it was almost gone he passed back to Lupin one final time, and took a moment to watch him take a long drag. His eyes were bloodshot from not enough sleep and the embers of the cigarette lit his cheekbones in a soft orange glow in the darkening room. Jigen felt a familiar swell of emotion rising up within him that he didn't want to keep contained anymore.

“Hey, Lupin?” Jigen said, voice gone soft and quiet as sleep had started to creep back up on him. 

“Hm?” Lupin glanced back at him from where he was reaching over to snuff the butt out in the ashtray.

“I love you.”

Lupin froze staring down at Jigen, his eyes massive. A bright bubbling warmth filled his chest, pouring out into his limbs and making him feel like he could shake apart or float away any second. Tears welled up in his eyes and his lips quivered as he smiled, pushing his emotions down just enough to speak. 

“I know.” Lupin said with a mischievous grin.

Jigen kicked him off the bed, and Lupin took his hat down with him as he fell.