Title: The greatest constant
Fandom: Lupin The Third
Pairing: Lupin/Jigen (or Lupin & Jigen)
Rating: G
Category: fluff, ficlet
Summary: School uniforms make Lupin feel nostalgic.
A/N: Spoilers for "Lupin Zero". Lupin and Jigen's relationship here can be read as romantic or platonic, I left it intentionally vague.
Lupin III, Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko and inspector Zenigata are © Monkey Punch. I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.
"Shouldn't we leave the country? Or move to another city at least?" Jigen asks as he lights up the umpteenth cigarette of the day. "It's not wise staying so long after all the ruckus you caused for that old piece of wood."
"First of all, that was an original woodblock from the Edo period, used to print one of Hokusai's Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, and it's worth millions of yen," Lupin replies, sounding mildly offended.
"Whatever," Jigen grunts. "Then why did you gift it to Goemon if it's so precious?"
"Oh, you know I'm more interested in the act of stealing than the loot itself. That collector really shouldn't have bragged about his 'Lupin-proof' security system, that's just asking for trouble," Lupin says with a glint in his eye. "And Goemon loves traditional Japanese art. Did you see his face when we opened the safe? His eyes were sparkling. I can't think of anyone who would appreciate 'that old piece of wood' more than him."
Jigen makes a noncommittal sound, which Lupin interprets as agreement.
"Back to your question, no one would expect me to stick around after such a high-profile job. I'm sure good old Zenigata has tripled the surveillance in every station and airport of the country, which means staying right here is the safest option."
"Hiding in plain sight, huh?"
Lupin grins and stuffs his hands in his pockets. They walk through the quiet residential district with no hurry, bickering about what to get for dinner, until they hear the familiar notes of a school bell. Soon afterwards, dozens of teenagers pour onto the pavement on the other side of the road, instantly filling the sleepy suburban afternoon with chatter and laughter. As they approach, Lupin notices the building looks almost identical to their old school. Among the sea of sailor fukus and gakurans, something catches his eye: a boy is pushing a bike towards the gate, checking his watch and looking around impatiently. Suddenly, he raises one arm and gestures wildly, shouting at someone to hurry up. From the other side of the courtyard, another boy comes running towards him, grabbing the brim of his cap when it threatens to fly away. When he finally reaches his friend, the two quickly get onto the bike - the boy wearing the cap sitting on the back - and ride away. Lupin can't hear what they're saying, but their faces are flushed and expressions ecstatic.
The thief smiles.
"Ah, to be young and carefree again..."
"What are you talking about, you don't have a care in the world," Jigen comments, trying to understand what caught Lupin's attention.
"Do you remember my first heist?" Lupin asks, still looking in the direction the two students disappeared in.
"Yeah, it was all over the news."
"Not that one. My very first one," he says. He turns around and steps closer, placing his right hand on Jigen's chest, just like he did many years before. He can feel Jigen's heartbeat under his palm.
The gunman takes a step back and glances away.
"You were just a spoilt kid trying to impress his nanny."
"Shinobu wasn't my nanny. And it wasn't her I was trying to impress."
Jigen hunches his shoulders and starts walking away.
"Hey! Were are you going?"
"I need a drink."
"It's 4:00 PM."
"And?"
"Aw, don't be such a grump," Lupin whines. He reaches him in a few long, quick strides, and turns around, walking backwards so he can look at him as he talks.
"Don't be embarrassed about getting your heart stolen: I'm the greatest thief in the world, you didn't stand a chance," he jokes, grinning widely.
"Yeah, a thief who's more interested in the act of stealing than the loot itself. One who throws away even the most precious treasures as soon as he's lost interest," Jigen spits back without looking at him. "Why would he keep a stupid boy's heart when he can have all the women in the world?"
Lupin is taken aback by the bitterness in Jigen's voice, so much so that he almost trips on his own feet. Jigen mutters something under his breath and picks up the pace, taking a narrow side street and not waiting for Lupin to follow. The thief quickly recovers from the shock and jogs after him.
"Wait!"
He reaches out and grabs the gunman's elbow.
"What?" Jigen growls.
"You know it's not like that."
Jigen snorts.
"Yeah, okay, I do tend to lose interest pretty quickly. And yes, I love courting women, it's one of my greatest weaknesses and will be my downfall, as someone I know is so fond of reminding me."
Lupin lets go of his arm.
"But you know what the greatest constant in my life is?" He pauses and steps closer. "You. You were my first real friend, the only one who didn't care about my grades or my family, the one who was always ready to go on an adventure with me, who I knew I could trust with my life. And it's been like that since we were 13."
He places his hand on Jigen's chest again, and this time Jigen doesn't step back. With his other hand, he carefully removes what's left of the cigarette hanging between Jigen's lips and drops it to the ground.
"Women come and go, but I'll always come back to you," he says softly, gently cupping Jigen's cheek with his hand. "And, for the record, you stole my heart way before I stole yours, but you probably didn't even realise it," he adds, smiling fondly at him.
A light blush spreads across Jigen's cheeks, and Lupin wants nothing more than to smother him with kisses.
"You sure are in a sappy mood today," Jigen grumbles, not quite managing to sound nonchalant.
Lupin shrugs.
"School uniforms make me feel nostalgic."
"As long as you don't get any weird role-playing ideas into that sick mind of yours."
The thief grins.
"Now, that's a thought."
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May 2024