The return trip was silent. The events of the evening weighed heavily on their minds, and Jigen was still fuming. Lupin and Goemon left him to grumble in peace during the walk back.

They arrived at a new hideout, and Jigen was pleased to notice that, for once, the place was actually spacious enough to qualify as an apartment. As soon as they entered, Lupin pulled him aside into a small bedroom.

Lupin let him settle onto the bed alone, then began rummaging through something on the far side of the room. Jigen sat heavily, his gaze fixed tensely on his partner. Now that most of his anger had been vented by kicking trash cans on the way back, he noticed that the atmosphere had suddenly become uncertain.

Lupin returned with yet another first-aid kit. He avoided eye contact and calmly sat down next to Jigen. He began unbuttoning Jigen's shirt without so much as a suggestive comment, which immediately set off all kinds of alarm bells in the gunman's mind. Too surprised by the sudden turn of events, Jigen let it happen.

With precise, small movements, Lupin started tending to his wound. A heavy silence settled between them, bringing with it a growing unease. Jigen had a bitter taste in his mouth, but it wasn't from blood. The guilt gnawed at him far more than any wound ever could.

What had happened at the Black Dawn… Jigen had almost shot them. He had come so close to betraying them. He should have been more prepared. Did Lupin resent him for that weakness?

Lupin was quiet, wearing a contrite expression. He was never like this. Since the Louvre, Lupin hadn't stopped throwing him those lingering looks. He had even left him in the dark about what the message in the ruins was. Something had changed since then, but Jigen couldn't guess what.

Could it be… Could Lupin have finally realized that Jigen was a bad partner?

The thought clenched his heart. When he opened his mouth, his voice was hoarse.

"Boss… Are you… are you going to fire me?"

The words fell into the silence. Lupin froze for a moment, then lifted his eyes, locking them directly onto Jigen's. In that instant, Jigen realized his hat wouldn't shield him tonight.

Lupin softened immeasurably, his expression caught between affection and heartbreak before tears welled up in his eyes. His face twisted into the wet, sorrowful grimace of a sad little boy.

"Fire you?"

His voice was slightly cracked as well, and Jigen couldn't help but think it was unfair—Lupin had no right to sound like that. Jigen would've killed anyone to never hear that tone from Lupin again.

"Jigen, do you realize what you're saying? Don't you ever talk about firing you, got it? Asshole… Why would you even ask that?"

Jigen found himself at a loss for words. He swallowed hard before continuing, his tone uncertain. He didn't want to give Lupin any more reason to fire him, but he had to answer.

"Uh… I betrayed you, Lupin," he said, incredulous that Lupin hadn't connected the dots yet.

Lupin dove into his gunman's arms, holding him tight. He nearly knocked Jigen over, sending his hat tumbling. Lupin clung to him with an unexpected desperation. His three-day stubble scratched terribly against Jigen's chest, but the gunman held back from commenting—just as he held back from pointing out that Lupin was pressing on his wound.

"You never betrayed me, Jigen." Lupin's voice was slightly muffled by their closeness. "Even under hypnosis, you were still fighting. You're the most loyal person on earth."

He pulled back slowly to meet Jigen's eyes. Lupin looked terrified.

"Jigen, listen to me… I never want to hear you say something like that ever again. I want you to believe in yourself as much as… as much as you believe in me."

"But…"

Jigen struggled to put his feelings into words. Lupin had just shown incredible strength, and Jigen needed to be able to answer equally. But to do so, he had to admit things he never thought he'd confess. Still, if Lupin could forgive what Jigen saw as a betrayal, maybe he'd forgive this too…

"I can't afford that, Lupin. I can't afford to fail and let you get killed. I've had a lot of bosses, but you're the only one I've ever truly wanted to protect. You, Goemon… even Fujiko…" He took a breath. "Um… I think it's because… maybe it's because…"

He had spent the best evenings of his life with those three—getting drunk after a successful robbery, playing and cheating at cards, mocking Zenigata, trying on countless ridiculous disguises, eating together in fancy restaurants or in the dingiest hideouts, all sitting around the same table like a real family.

He was afraid that saying the words would break the magic. But Lupin was looking at him with eyes wide as the world.

"You've become… much more than just a team to me."

Lupin's hand was still on his arm, but it slid down to his hand. It was warm. Jigen didn't dare look at him.

A tiny voice rose, so soft that Jigen could hardly believe it came from the usually flamboyant Lupin.

"It's the same for me, Jigen."

Jigen's head shot up. Lupin's expression hadn't changed. He was still just as brutally sincere as before.

"You, Goemon, and Fujiko… You were never just a team to me. You're family. Nothing can ever change that."

The words were simple, but they resonated deeply within Jigen, slipping into the cracks of his locked emotions and shaking the walls of control he had maintained for years. Unable to resist, he pulled Lupin into his arms—a selfish gesture, driven by his need to feel him close. And maybe, just maybe, because he was a little cold. Lupin nestled into the crook of his neck.

They stayed like that, wrapped around each other, enveloped in a silence heavy with emotion. Jigen's thoughts swirled chaotically, threatening to burst his mind. The walls that had held his feelings in check for so long were beginning to melt away, leaving his defenses in ruins. Between the hypnosis and Lupin's revelations, Jigen no longer had the strength to convince himself he didn't deserve this closeness he had so often dreamed of.

His hand never left Lupin's, and with the other, he gently traced the fabric of Lupin's red jacket. He rested his chin on Lupin's head and inhaled the faint, comforting scent of his shampoo.

Lupin truly saw their little group as his family. It was obvious, yet incredible to hear him say it out loud.

Lupin shifted, prompting Jigen to sit up straighter. Those deep brown eyes locked onto his with rare intensity, a sincerity that was worlds apart from Lupin's usual playful demeanor.

Jigen couldn't resist.

An irresistible wave of intimacy pushed him forward. Without a word, without expecting anything in return, he leaned in and kissed Lupin softly.

He wasn't thinking of anything, nor did he try to prolong the kiss longer than necessary. He pulled away with a quiet breath. It was a gentle gesture, filled with tenderness—a simple demonstration of an affection that had always been there.

Lupin froze for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise. A fleeting doubt crossed Jigen's mind. Had he misunderstood the moment?

But before he could stammer an apology, Lupin launched himself at him with overwhelming energy. His arms and legs wrapped around Jigen as if he couldn't bear even the slightest distance between them. They tumbled onto the bed in a tangled heap of limbs.

Lupin responded to the kiss with a ravenous hunger. He kissed Jigen repeatedly, nipping at his lower lip and burying his hands in the other man's dirty hair. Jigen didn't even have time to question whether he was dreaming or not—the scrape of Lupin's nails and his relentless bites confirmed he was very much awake.

Unfortunately, a low groan escaped Jigen when Lupin pressed too close to his wound. The sound had the immediate effect of pulling Lupin back faster than if he'd been burned. Jigen instantly regretted reacting at all.

Lupin fussed nervously over the injury, inspecting it with anxious hands, until Jigen waved him away with a dismissive gesture. Lupin then sat cross-legged on the bed, looking lost. He'd been waiting for this moment for so long that he hadn't been able to hold himself back. In his frenzy, he'd forgotten his partner was still hurt. He also wasn't used to jumping into action only to be forced to stop so abruptly.

Jigen pushed himself up on his forearms, a silly smile spreading across his face. He looked slightly dazed, like someone who'd just realized that dreams could sometimes come true.

"So, uh… we'll pick this up later, right, Lu?"

Lupin burst out laughing and leaned down to steal another quick kiss.

"Of course," he said, standing up and adjusting his shirt. "You don't think you're getting off that easily, do you? Next time, Jigen-chan, you won't have any excuses."

"Hmmm. Anything you say, boss…"

Jigen's deep, gravelly voice lingered on the nickname, and Lupin felt a shiver race up his spine. It was going to be difficult to put this on hold. He was definitely going to need a cold shower before bed.

They spent the night tangled together, limbs fighting for supremacy under the sheets, and woke up in each other's arms. Jigen opened his eyes to the soft morning light filtering through the room, and the first thing he saw was Lupin, nestled against him, sleeping peacefully.

He lingered for a moment, watching him with a quiet smile on his lips, before slipping out of bed as gently as he could so as not to wake him. He grabbed his hat from the bedside table and snuck out silently.

Goemon was already in the kitchen, steaming rice for a Japanese breakfast. The scent of freshly brewed tea filled the room. Jigen wrinkled his nose and immediately went to make himself a coffee.

Goemon hadn't acknowledged him yet. He was busy slicing vegetables into thin strips, but Jigen knew he was aware of his presence. Clearing his throat, Jigen broke the silence.

"Uh, Goemon?"

The samurai turned his attention to him.

"Sorry, Goe, I didn't mean to shoot you yesterday…"

Goemon calmly set down his knife. He had an understanding smile—the kind meant to be reassuring, despite having the sharpness of years of swordsmanship and mercenary life.

"Your inner strength allowed you to fight against your affliction as best you could," Goemon replied. "What matters is your resilience. It's greater than anyone could have claimed for themselves. Also, you did not shoot me. You missed."

Goemon returned to his task and added, in a voice tinged with affection, "You seem to have had a calming effect on Lupin last night. Is he still asleep?"

A slightly awkward smile tugged at Jigen's lips, but he nodded before turning his attention back to his coffee. Of course Goemon had figured out what had happened last night. Then again, Lupin was never exactly subtle about his escapades. Jigen shrugged. It wasn't as if the secret would have stayed one for long.

He sipped his coffee quietly, savoring the bitterness, and listened to Goemon as he finished preparing breakfast. A few minutes later, Lupin, drawn by the smell, shuffled out of the bedroom just as Goemon finished serving.

Lupin entered the kitchen with a yawn, scratching his head with one hand—not exactly the epitome of sophistication.

Seeing his two partners, he broke into a dazzling smile.

"Good morning, gentlemen!" he said.

He turned to Jigen, leaned on the back of his chair, and added in a voice dripping with innuendo:

"What an unforgettable night, wouldn't you say? Some details beg to be shared, but I'm afraid the innocent ears of dear Goemon here might start to burn."

"Stop it, idiot. Nothing happened," Jigen retorted.

Not for lack of trying… But Lupin had been too afraid of hurting him, so they'd settled for kisses. Jigen was both ecstatic and, truthfully, just a tiny bit disappointed.

Lupin burst out laughing. "Come on," he teased. "Who do you think Goemon's going to believe, hm?"

Goemon blushed and hid behind his teacup. Jigen decided that was an excellent idea and hid his smile behind his coffee. Lupin sat at the table and grabbed a plate.

"We still have work to do, in case you forgot," Jigen reminded him. "I bet you can't wait to pay a little visit to the Circle of Judgment, am I right?"

Lupin shoveled a big spoonful of rice into his mouth before answering, scattering grains everywhere as he spoke—Goemon wrinkled his nose in annoyance.

"Mmm! Goo' call, 'igen." He struggled to swallow his mouthful. "We need to head to the Circolo del Giudizio. Zorin sent the medallion there, and I'm not leaving it with those guys after all the trouble we've been through."

"Yeah. And maybe that message in the ruins will actually come in handy, huh?" Jigen teased.

Lupin froze mid-thought, his mouth hanging open and the spoon still halfway to his lips.

Jigen continued with a mischievous grin. He'd been trying to get Lupin to confess for days.

"What did it say again? Something about Napoleon's great love, wasn't it?"

Lupin shook the table by standing up too quickly. He carried his empty plate to the kitchen, feigning disinterest.

"What, that? Meh, it wasn't that important. I'll explain it later, okay? But what about you, Jigen? How's your injury?" The bastard was redirecting the conversation. "Last time you said you were fine, but that was a lie."

Caught off guard, Jigen stopped rocking his chair. What had started as a joke now felt like the moment to be honest. Both Lupin and Goemon had fixed him with inquisitive gazes—not to evaluate his condition, but with a quiet trust that he would tell the truth.

Jigen had a habit of downplaying his injuries. He always thought his health mattered less than everyone else's. But after Lupin's revelations the night before, he felt compelled to be sincere.

"It… it still pulls a bit, but it's a lot better than before. I'm still a little stiff, and some movements strain more than they should. Yeah… I'd probably need take a few more days off before going back on a mission."

Lupin grinned. "Alright! Here's the plan. We'll get closer to their HQ and study all the documents we can about the Villa della Rosa Nera. That's where they're set up. It's a historic building, so the city archives should have everything we need."

He started darting around the room, brimming with energy even this early in the morning.

"That should take us, what… a week? If we take our time exploring all of Milan before we leave."

A silly excuse. Nothing ever took that long with Lupin—except in bed.

"That is a sound plan." Goemon stood abruptly and walked away, not bothering to complete his sentence.

As his two colleagues busied themselves, Jigen remained comfortably seated at the table. He picked up his still-warm coffee cup and took a long sip. The warmth briefly eased the weight on his shoulders.

"A week, huh…" he murmured, watching Lupin buzz around with enthusiasm.

If Lupin managed to stay put for three days, it would be nothing short of a miracle.