My Greatest Pursuit
He sat in the big chair with an unlit cigarette hanging off his lips and an open bottle of whiskey on the table on front of him. A job had just come into his lap. An emissary was traveling to North America and requesting the gunman for protection. She was a beautiful, young woman with dark hair. He could easily get distracted by her.
His thoughts were interrupted when the cigarette was taken from his lips. He looked up at the disgruntled monkey face of his partner. "How'd it go?"
"Great! Just freaking great! I get all the way there just in time to see Pops because Fuji-baby sold me out." Lupin put the cigarette to his own lips and felt through his jacket pockets. "And to make my life better I can't find a damn light."
Jigen held out his lighter. Lupin leaned forward and took the light, finally able to take a drag off that cigarette. He sank back into the couch with a heavy sigh. "That's better."
"How did Fujiko know you'd be there?"
"I might have... told her something about it."
"You can't keep doing that, Lupin."
"She's just playing hard to get. She'll give in one day."
"After she's sucked you dry. Financially," he added, noticing Lupin's perverted look.
"One day, I just know it."
Jigen began to ignore him like he usually did when he rambled on and on over that woman. He was mentally preparing for his upcoming job, one that would get him away from Lupin for a while. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing with Lupin giving away almost all of their heists away to Fujiko.
"Are you listening to me?"
"No."
He folded his arms over his chest. "Do you even care?"
"Not about Fujiko."
"What about me?"
"Every time this happens what do I say?"
He pouted. "Fujiko only loves money."
"Exactly. If I didn't care about you I wouldn't give you such sound advice."
He smiled a little. "Can I have a swig of that?" He pointed at the bottle on the table. When Jigen nodded he grabbed it. He glanced briefly at the papers next to it. "What's this?"
"My next job. One of us has to get paid."
"Oh, she's quite lovely."
"She's visiting the states for a week and needs extra protection. It seems her father likes to get his hands dirty and she could end up paying for it."
Lupin smiled. "So you're the baby sitter."
"I usually am." He lit his own cigarette.
"Have fun. I hear California girls are wild."
"Yeah…" He could certainly use the distraction. He glanced over at his partner in crime. Lupin was stretched out on the couch, his trademark jacket draped over the arm. His tie and collar were loose showing off his long neck. Jigen felt himself get hot and turned away sharply.
Lupin raised an eyebrow in his direction but said nothing, wondering what he would do while Jigen was out of the country.
Bag holder. Valet. Baby sitter. After three days of catering to the young woman Jigen was almost fed up. She reminded him far too much of that other woman. Thinking about her only made him angry. He shook his head roughly and lit a cigarette. She would always be there to charm and tease, to distract Lupin away from him.
His brunette ward was back from the shop, with more bags. "Look at my new dress! I love shopping in America!"
"I can tell." He lifted up the five bags he was already holding.
"Let's get something to eat. All this shopping has made me hungry."
He nodded in agreement. Only one more day of this.
.*.*.*.*.*.
He sat alone in the empty hotel suite. After four days of shopping, she was on her way home, and it was his day off. He flicked his lighter... The flame moved. He turned toward the now open window, gun in hand.
Lupin held up his hands, one gripped around a wine bottle. "Hey, take it easy!"
He sighed heavily. "You sneaking up on me is going to get you killed one day." He sat back down.
"Fortunately that's not today." He sat in the chair opposite Jigen.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was in the neighborhood." He opened the wine bottle and pulled two glasses from his coat pocket. He poured both glasses and handed one to his bearded partner.
"Really?"
"Is that so hard to believe?"
"Yes. When did you get here?"
"My plane landed an hour ago." He smiled and drank from his glass, immediately grimacing at the taste. "Oh, that has turned."
Jigen was glad he hadn't touched his own glass yet. He pulled a flask from his pocket and took a swig of his favorite whiskey. He handed it to Lupin.
"Thanks." He took a gulp of the amber liquid. It had a slight scent of Jigen's cigarettes. He smiled to himself.
"What are you doing here really?"
"Well…" he sighed. "I missed you."
He cocked his head to the side, looking at him square in the face. He wasn't smiling. His eyes were unusually big, but at the same time... empty. "Lupin..."
"The first day I just watched the news, read the papers. You know, what I always do. When I went to bed that night, I realized just how quiet it is being alone at our place." He shifted in the chair. "The second day, I couldn't do anything without wondering how you were. The third day…" He laughed. "Fujiko calls me, and I didn't answer. I bought the plane ticket then."
Jigen could only sit there and stare. He had no idea, never thought Lupin could feel the same way he did.
"So now I'm here. What should we do?"
"You can hand me back my flask."
"Yeah, sure." He got up from his chair and sat on the couch next to his bearded comrade.
Jigen reached up for his flask, deliberately brushing his fingers against Lupin's. Their eyes met again.
"I was starting to miss you, too."
All he could do was grin as he leaned in and met his lips.
He gasped at the touch, but quickly pulled him onto his lap, holding him around the waist. Lupin moaned at the touch and tangled his fingers in thick black hair. His arousal heightened at the gentle pulling.
Lupin pulled back slowly, gazing into darkened eyes. "I never realized..." He moved the gunman's trademark off his head.
"How could you when you were too busy chasing those women?" He started loosening his partner's tie and buttons.
His eyes rolled back at the touch of the fingers on his neckline. He slipped out of his jacket and dropped it to the floor.
He didn't want to hold back. Too many years he spent sitting by, watching this man fawn over women. Watching him with Fujiko was almost too much to bear. That's why he began doing the bodyguard work. He needed a distraction from his emotions. But now...
He pulled that long neck towards him and started looking for that sweet spot with his lips. It didn't take long for his partner to groan.
"Jigen..." He pulled him closer, pleading for more.
"I bet this would be a lot more comfortable in bed."
"I don't want to get up."
"You want me to carry you?" He looked up with a huge grin on his face. He rolled his eyes. "All right…" He stood up, slowly, shifting the other man's weight. He held him close under the arms and knees.
"Wow… You're strong."
He leaned into his ear. "You haven't seen anything yet…" Lupin shuddered. He carried him to the bedroom area of the suite. The blankets were all over the bed, not made since his ward left that morning. He laid his partner on the pillows, placing his weight on top of him.
Lupin was still smiling. He pulled at Jigen's tie while they kissed.
Jigen took off his own jacket, tie and shirt before removing the theif's tie and shirt.
He pulled the other man close, feeling his warm, bare skin against his own. He kissed gently around his collar bones and down his chest.
He arched his back at the touch, loving the rough way his beard grazed his skin. Lupin laughed quietly.
Jigen looked into his big eyes. "What?"
"Nothing… I'm…" He bit his lip. "I'm excited."
He smiled. "I knew that."
"You don't understand." He pulled Jigen close and gently kissed his ear. "You're my greatest pursuit." He grinned when Jigen looked into his eyes. "I told you I'd take off your hat."