As the two of them made their way through the vast horde of people, Lupin found himself eyeing many of the treasures - both modern and ancient - quite wistfully. But they were all on the larger side. And despite the fact that as they made their way through the room he was plucking valuables of the minuscule kind left and right, he forced all thoughts of thieving on a grand scale out of his corrupt little mind. He had made an invariant promise to Fujiko, and a gentleman always kept his word.
Fujiko, however, was quite aware of his transgressions, though she took them with a blind eye. She had neither expected nor wanted his silly promise in the first place, so all was good and well with her. She did feel a pang of remorse that he didn't value their promise as much as he seemed to imply in the car, but as previously stated by her often incorrigible mind, she cared not in the slightest.
Or so she told herself. Said mind also seemed to want to pursue such matters adamantly tonight. Which would explain why she was currently wrestling with it and not entirely watching her surroundings or where she was going. But Lupin's arm was still linked with hers, allowing her this surprisingly luxurious freedom. For what better time was there to space off than in the midst of a party full of snobs, on the arm of the man you adore? Oops. It was a real good thing she didn't say such a thing outloud. 'Cause in Layman terms, she was screwed.
"Fujiko..." Amidst the buzz and bustle of the teeming room of voices, Lupin's reached her ear and still managed to somehow sound soft, gentle even. It was then that she became aware that she was aware that his lips were dangerously close to her ear. "The balcony seems fairly empty; shall we head out there and collect ourselves?"
It took everything she had not to shiver and fall back in his strong grip and tell him she loved him right then and there. She knew that he had desired her for some time now and that he would be quite agreeable about the possibility of a relationship developing between the two. Which is why she had to hear it from him first - why she had to know that he valued her as more than just a pretty face and a good lay.
Only the heavens knew when she had started seriously considering him as a man - a man that she could not only see and touch, but also love. She had always denied him of his affections towards her before, with a cruel indifference, even. So why, oh why, had she finally fallen sucker for his charm? It was an especially disgraceful thing to admit, for she knew that more than half of the time he had just been laying it on thick anyway.
The cool night air startled her out of the turbulent reverie she had landed herself into. Her eyes fluttered open and she realized that for some peculiar reason, she had been squeezing them tightly shut. In any case, the stinging breeze heightened her senses and caused her to become painfully alert of every minute detail around her.
The rustling of the trees and shrubbery all about her was transformed from a hollow bolero to a great symphony all of its own. The gurgling from the enormous fountain below them in the pristine garden became the deep tone needed to give nature's opera her true voice. And the once mournful clanking of numerous wooden chimes and decorative waterspouts could only be compared with the hearty but polite applause of joyous spectators. Fujiko felt like clapping herself.
But she just had to break the moment with another one of her snide comments, didn't she? "Well, Lupin. Did you enjoy yourself back there? Must have been a real thrill, hiding your escapades from both me and your host and his guests!"
He glanced down at her and fixed her with a pointed look. "Fuji-cakes," both his expression and tone were so pleading she had to crack a smile, much to his delight, "When I said that, I meant no complicated schemes and plans that would take the entire night to exact. I never said the occasional trinket," he paused to jiggle his coat pocket, "Wasn't to be lifted."
Her glare lasted moments, at best. It seemed that it was the second time she had become angered over nothing in little over an hour. There were times - like now for instance - when she absolutely loathed being made the fool, but there were also times, applying to now as well, when she felt quite relieved that her fire was quelled and that she was silenced before a real argument began. Not that she intended to be pacified any time a dispute cropped up, mind you. His moment of triumph would be short-lived, she decided with a cat-ish smirk.
"Fuji-cakes?" his head was tilted to the side and he was looking slightly confused. Once again, it was his voice and his voice only breaking her out of her daze. She found it ironic that he would have to make an inquiry that seemed to have cropped off just a little too often that day. "Were you listening?"
"Mmm?" his look of confusion was matched for but a moment. She quickly shook off the remainder of her thoughts and admitted with a little shake of her head, "No, not really."
He cracked a grin and pulled away from her, leaving her quite cold and more confused, if such a thing were possible. Darting a bit further away, he turned to face her, his grin widening ever so slightly as he bowed low, with a lavish amount of expenditure. "I asked, madam, if you would care to dance?"
She regarded him suspiciously. It seemed an innocent enough question, for music was now pouring out from the crowded room they had earlier left but he was Lupin, damn it. There was no telling what he was up to. But at last, her heart gave in and she gave her consent with a slight nod of the head.
He approached her with hesitance, which only grew when the time came for him to place his hands on her hips. She could barely contain her smirk. It seemed her was recalling one of two similar experiences; one from that very morning or one from a few months ago. Whichever was the case, he had been issued a hearty dose of punishment. And with Fujiko, punishment could only equate to pain. Extreme pain.
But she allowed him to handle her and was rewarded with the fact that he took his job with great care and did it with such care and delicacy that even she was amazed. A man had never held her like this before. Sure, she had been in the arms of many, but they had all been too rough, too eager or just all-around indifferent to her comforts. All in all, she was rather pleased with Lupin.
So, she took a deep breath and a step closer, placing her hands upon his broad shoulders. Upon doing so, Lupin stirred slightly, initiating the dance. At first it was just the two of them rocking slowly back and forth, as inexperienced or just plain nervous couples would. But gradually, their movements evolved into something greater. Something far more beautiful.
As the two of them twirled about underneath the endless velvet abyss that was the night sky, neither was aware that the music from inside had been temporarily halted as some mundane speech was being delivered. They danced to nobody's tune but their own. In time, they found their elaborate routines giving way to the gentle rocking that had started it all. Neither seemed to notice or mind that they were tightly drawn together, as close as humanly possible.
But it seemed the leading lady of the evening would have her way with him in one last, glorious showing. It was elegant and graceful and seemed to bring together the best elements of all their other dances and combine them into one. The style and speed varied as often as they wind blew, leaving Fujiko both breathless and colored red as their peculiar waltz finally seemed to end.
Lupin gazed at her, the entirety of his senses enraptured by the charming vixen before him. Gone was the conniving look that usually marred her otherwise pleasant features, replaced instead by the loveliest of smiles. It was then that he realized that he wanted her.
Sure, he had lusted after her many times in the past, including just this morning, though that was a little more pure-intentioned...But this, this glorious and utterly exalting feeling was completely different. He did not want her only in mind, but in spirit also. He wanted her to be more than the added fan service that showed up along his quest for unimaginable wealth. He wanted her by his side...forever.
But the question was, after all his stunts in the past, would she have him? How would she respond if he took her into his arms, told her he loved her and proceeded to sweep her off her feet and knock her more breathless than she already was? Would she, Fujiko, consent to be his as willingly as she had consented to this dance? Biting his lip, he was actually quite grim-faced. There was only one way to find out, it seemed.
"Fujiko..." Yet again his voice was the only thing she heard though her breathing was quite erratic and she was positive it could be heard for miles around. Wait, had her ears just deceived her? Had he really called her by her full name? "I want to ask you something, Fujiko..."
"And that would be?" she found herself whispering, with a fair amount of apprehension.
Before she could protest, she found her fingers intertwined with his own, occasionally rubbing against the other's in an awkward massage of some sorts. "What was running through your mind all those times that I was attempting to hit on you?"
"Other than the obvious?" she calmly asked for clarification, though her mind was anything but tranquil at this point. Just what was he getting to?
"Other than the obvious," he nodded, a chuckle escaping and filling the open-air balcony with a great sense of mirth and comfort.
"Well," she began, shifting her position. It was clear that she was uncomfortable under such close scrutiny but there really was no way she could weasel out of this one without making a scene. Besides, she wasn't all that opposed to the closeness they shared. "I was flattered, to say the least, but...I wasn't looking for a one night stand followed by the a-typical 'on-again off-again' type of relationship. I wasn't looking for any sort of relationship, actually."
"Wasn't," he detected shrewdly. "As in weren't then but maybe now?"
She only looked mildly surprised that he had played her words in such a fashion. Opting to remain silent, she stubbornly met his probing gaze. At last, though, she relented and answered, "Perhaps."
He found himself rolling his bottom lip beneath his unusually pointy canines. She might have just given him the signal he was waiting for, but mayhap she was not ready...But oh, the time was upon them - the time was now - so he briefly closed his eyes to gather his wits. It was not long before his subtle, barely audible ultimatum was dropped. "I love you, Fujiko." He had never spoken truer words, and that was something, coming from such a renowned 'scoundrel'.
If she had not been hoping so hard for a moment such as this, then perhaps her ears would not have strained hard enough and she would have never heard him. But she had been straining and she did hear him and surprisingly enough, was ready with an answer before the words even fully left his mouth. "I love you too, Lupin."
His startled gaze spoke volumes and she could not help but giggle. After an uneasy moment or two, he joined in with nervous chuckles, though he wasn't quite sure what there was to laugh about. Finally, her laughter subsided and she fixed him with as serious a look as she possibly could, given the circumstances.
"It was about a month ago," she quietly informed him. "I guess you finally did something right and captured that black little heart of mine. I wasn't prepared for such strong emotions for anyone, so I tried to take the easy way out - I fled. But as you can see, that clearly didn't do all that much good, because I'm here with you right now, you lousy thief. Back then I swore it would be the last thing you ever stole, but as you can clearly see, that little oath of mine fell straight through the roof.
"I decided to come back after a relaxing little vacation and sort things out. It was then I heard about this little ball and set things into motion. You see, all I really wanted was one last chance to see you Lupin, and see if it was truly possible for you to return that almost unwanted little baggage known as love that I had picked up over the years. But I wasn't going to tell you, Lupin, no matter how much you convinced me. I suppose any oaf could be capable of loving someone.
"After all the torrid little trysts in my life, for once, I just wanted someone who actually loved me. So unless I could convince you to admit any feelings you had for me, I was going to..." here she paused, looking strangely startled. "Well, I hadn't really thought of that part, yet," she admitted.
"Enough." Lupin admonished with a shake of his head. "Long speeches don't suit you, Fuji-cakes-" here she smiled - "Though I must admit I'm grateful for the explanation. I was starting to think I had done something wrong."
She chuckled quietly though she was soon silenced by a chaste little kiss from the gentleman thief. A surprising thing, when his usual lecherous ways were taken into consideration. But the kiss had been soft and warm; all the assurance she needed that for once, her future would be bright. And for the first time in a very long time, the tears Fujiko wept were neither fake nor bitter.
A/N: Wow. That took a lot out of me. While nearly four pages may not be that long for those used to writing ten + pages every chapter, if you're familiar with my works and I then you will know that I tend to use the change from chapter to chapter to suit my own twisted whims. In other words, it is much easier for me to write an abundance of shorter chapters than a single long one. In any case, I am pleased to note that I finished this story in its entirety in little over a week. No small accomplishment for one such as me, who tends to be plagued with the opposite of writer's block and abandon the easiest of stories to complete for new ones. Yes folks, I regret to say it, but this is the end. A good enough end to count as a Christmas present though, I hope. So Happy Holidays, everyone.
Perhaps I lied in the Prologue. The Lupin bug has bitten me and another fic featuring everyone's favorite gentleman thief is more of a question of 'when' than 'if'. Though don't be expecting one any time soon and even if I do manage to produce one in this next year, don't expect it to be a full-length feature. It will most likely be another chaptered vignette such as this. In any case, if at least one person truly enjoyed this fic then my work is done. It was meant to be nothing more then a piece to relieve my stressed mind and with only three chapters I didn't have to worry about completing it all that soon. Little did I know, it'd be the fastest fic I'd ever finish. Perhaps because I truly had the motivation to do it.
One last thing, though, before I get to addressing the last comments of my readers. If you enjoyed this fic, would you mind too terribly checking out the stories in my profile and, if any of them suit your fancy, would you read and review them? Thanks a bunch. Even if you don't, and even if you didn't leave a review on this fic, imagining the anonymous people who must have read this just makes me day. You guys truly are the ownage.
Blue Vixen: Well, Lupin sort of half-assed on his promise (would you really have it any other way?) but as you can clearly see, he had his sights set on more than just valuables of the sellable sort. Though, disgustingly enough, he could probably sell Fujiko if he tried. Eew.
Chaos of the Demonic: E-mail I sent you last night contains my reply to your inquiry. Thanks for the review as always. I'm glad you like the story.
J Lucy-Daisuke: And it's quite a nice treat to read your reviews, too. Thank you very much; I greatly appreciate them. As you put it, believable, yes. But I think it's sort of more fun this way x)...
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