I woke up to my pitch black room. It was probably around 2 or 3 in the morning. I sat up, stretched and rubbed my eyes. I didn't try sleeping again since I knew I wouldn't be able to any time soon. I got up to look out the window, to see the nighttime sky.

I leaned against the window sill, looking up and at what I could see of the city. The city was always bathed in its lights, with tourists almost always around to take in the sights. I knew Sly and I were always up at night for heists, but it's not like I had the time to enjoy the view. I smiled, remininscing on our heists before our plan to recover the Thievious Raccoonus.

It always returned back to that topic. I loved the thrill of the heists, the effortless sneaking, the thorough scheme, the short-sighted egomaniac usually behind it. Even if I wasn't exactly on the field, I admired Bentley's ability to effortlessly solve problems that seem to come out of nowhere. Murray was still pretty clumsy when it came to fieldwork, but he had determination for the good of the gang. Sly always had a way with words, whether it was to make you feel bad that you took the last cookie or to make you laugh. He's great at making impromptu decisions whenever there was a rock in the road. I don't think he's that far from being a master thief, even without the Thievious Raccoonus.

But what was my position in the gang? I'm pretty sure Sly could fly through heists without me, no sweat. Bentley doesn't exactly need someone to watch his back, he's already quite the professional. Murray knows anything and everything about the van, and can fill in for Sly on the field in times of need. The thief, the brains, and the brawn. My chest felt heavy at the thought of it, because the undeniable truth was that I don't really have a place in the gang.

I probably could've lived a normal life, but it was all taken away from me. That's why I'm with the gang; they're my only family. But if Skylar can have a normal life, why can't I? I backed up from the window sill, deciding to go grab a cup of tea and try to relax if I wasn't going to sleep. However, as I opened my door I was face to face with Sly.

We both jumped back a bit, startled but not exactly surprised. He looked like he expected me to come out, but he probably didn't expect me jump as high as I did.

"Why are you up? Isn't it 2am?" I whispered, not sure if Bentley was still working on how to deal with the next Fiendish Five member, or if Murray fell asleep while eating the donuts again.

"Almost 3 o'clock. I've tried sleeping for too long and just decided I probably wouldn't. I thought I heard you pacing," he then cleared his throat, and I started to see through his lie. "Wondered if you wanted to have some tea?"

Of course a master thief in the making would be able to hear me making tea in the dead of the night. Though, if he was trying to keep it a secret that he knew, he probably wanted to just offer support without intruding. After all these years, he was quite easy to read, as was I. I nodded, giving a small smile as I closed the door behind me as quietly as I could. He returned one back, as he went ahead to the kitchen.

We spent a good 15 minutes preparing our tea and wondering why Sleepy Time wasn't working for us these days. We threw theories back in forth, most of them jokes, before concluding that raccoons were just nocturnal, plain and simple. It nice to have company tonight, even though he kept it a secret that he knew during the entire time we were trying to get Mz Ruby's pages. He had good intentions, and I appreciated that.

"So did you get any sleep tonight?" he asked me, stirring around the teabag.

"Maybe 2 hours, to be generous," I shrugged, using my mug to warm my hands. He gave me a concerned look.

"What about the night before?"

"Probably about the same time," he looked at me as if I should know better, and he was probably right.

"Any reason for that?" he asked.

"Is this an interrogation?" I tried joking with, laughing a bit. "Plus, I think you already know, that's why you're here."

He leaned back in his chair, recognizing I already knew what he was doing with me tonight. "Touché. But you can't blame me for worrying, no?"

"Maybe you worry too much about me," I teased.

"If I didn't, you would've went after your brother. Maybe even lived a normal life without us" he joking too, but it got me thinking again. A life without the gang, or a life with my brother. I hummed in response.

"He's still not answering your calls?" I shook my head and he sighed. The mood shifted, all of sudden serious. "Maybe he's still not ready."

"But it's been a decade and a half. How much time do you need after you leave your sister?" At the heart of it, I was bitter and angry. "Maybe I should just go after him..."

"You're an international criminal. I don't think that would go well," I shot him glare, no doubt they'd want him way more than they'd want me. He smirked, raising his cup to his lips.

"Be real, you just don't want me to go."

He sat there for a bit thinking about it seriously. His tapping against the cup's side made a clinking noise that seemed to be a lot louder than it should have been. He then nodded.

"Yeah that too," he didn't try to play along, I think he was telling the truth. I guess if Sly wanted to go ahead against the Fiendish Five alone, I'd probably try to smack some sense into him. But was that what he was trying to say? I felt my heartbeat pick up the pace. Sly leaned forward, looking at me in the eye. "It'd be hard to be 'the Gang' without you."

I gave him a doubtful look, sipping my tea before placing it down and clasping my hands together to stretch. Maybe I was finally becoming a bit tired.

"You're weird, Sly."

"And why is that?"

"I don't really know what to think of us," his ears perked up, and he sat up straight. It took him a moment to gather what he wanted to say.

"What do you have under the category of 'us' so far?"

"The way we were stuck at the hip back at Happy Camper. That time when you got worried about me when we were so close to Mz Ruby. When I almost got crushed by Raleigh. 'Darling'. Now." As I listed whatever came to my mind, I tried to come up of ways to piece them together.

"What do you know from that?" he prodded while I was still trying to put the puzzle together.

"You're a worrywart and I think I get in the way a lot," I scratched my head, still confused. Sly snickered at my response. "Well, do you think there's an 'us'?" He fidgeted in his seat.

"There's some kind of 'us'. I guess I don't really know what to call it either."

"Will that 'us' still be there even if I try to look for my brother?"

Sly expression dropped a little. He tried to sip his tea, but we had both already finished.

"As long as you come back safe..." he whispered, looking down. Without really thinking, I leaned in to raise his chin up so he could look at me. I took off his hat and ruffled his hair a bit, before handing it back to him.

"I will, after we get all of the Thievious Raccoonus back."

I didn't quite know it then, but I think I wanted to kiss him.

Sorry for the delay -Mirai Akemi