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English
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Published:
2023-02-01
Completed:
2023-10-03
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29,786
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11/11
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The Ghost of Windsor Castle

Chapter 11: New Beginnings

Summary:

With the heist over, the gang gets a much needed break. But for Rina, the adventure is only just starting! Goodbyes and new beginnings are in order.

Notes:

Here we go! The long awaited finale to this fic. Thank you everyone who read this far, from the bottom of my heart! I hope you enjoy <3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The next morning followed with a slow rise, as the pair had slept in. Jigen awoke to Goemon still asleep on his chest, softly snoring. As endearing as this was, he really needed to get up. So he pried him off as gently as he could, and hopped in the shower, his sore and aching muscles relieved by the hot water.

After a few minutes, he heard the bathroom door creak. "May I come in?" He heard Goemon's muffled voice from outside the room.

"Of course."

Jigen assumed he was going to use the toilet, but was surprised to see the shower curtain pull back and Goemon step in to join him.

"Woah, uh…"

Goemon blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, should I not have-"

"No, stay!"

Goemon blinked, tilting his head in confusion. Jigen shook his head and stepped closer, taking in the sight of his new…wait, what were they now?

Well, it didn't really matter, and anyway Jigen was more occupied by the feeling of Goemon's hands moving to his waist, and his lips making their way to his cheek. The shower itself ended up mostly forgotten about, as the two exchanged gentle touches under the steamy water.

Thus the morning finally ended with a fresh set of clothes and a sleepy Jigen walking down to the small kitchenette to pour himself some cold coffee. Goemon followed soon after, making himself some matcha tea and stirring it with a quiet resolve and a gentle, sleepy expression.

Joining Lupin in the living room, Jigen could see the previous day's adventure play out in bits and pieces on the news. Something along the lines of “infamous Lupin gang steals crown, but returns something much more valuable—” and “aerial rescue mission goes off without a hitch”. It seemed as if it was all over now. More importantly, Rina was alive and well, and currently giving a statement in front of a bunch of excited reporters.

“Another one down, huh?” Lupin said, turning to greet the gunman. “And it all went by so fast.”

“Probably cause we didn’t get anything out of it,” Jigen chuckled, plopping next to him on the couch.

“Oh, come now, that’s not true. You and Goemon got a lot closer.”

Jigen choked on his coffee. Oh boy, here we go. He turned, expecting to see a smug expression on the thieve’s face, but the grin he saw was genuine.

“Don’t give me that look Jigen, I mean it! Listen, I know I poke fun at you a lot, but you two are really great together.”

Jigen’s expression changed, as if noticing some kind of genuinity to Lupin's words. He observed him with a quiet kind of amusement, waiting to hear what he would say next.

“I’ve seen the way he looks at you, you know…I wouldn’t be surprised if he was smitten with you. ‘Course, you probably don’t even notice it cause you’re always hiding under that dumb hat,” Lupin said, flicking the brim of Jigen’s hat.

Jigen blinked, hardly even processing that his hat had been messed with. Had Lupin really seen these signs before he had? And how long had this been happening, too? The thought that Goemon might also have been pining for him had never occurred to him. But maybe his feelings went way back too…further than Jigen had realized.

Lupin suddenly stood up and stretched. “But then again, maybe I’m wrong…that samurai’s a tough egg to crack.”

“I’m a what?” Goemon stood at the doorway, a confused expression on his face. Lupin laughed, saying something about a metaphor, and walking into the kitchen. Goemon shrugged, and walked over to Jigen.

“I think he has no idea what he’s talking about,” he whispered, smiling as he gave a quick and secretive kiss to Jigen’s cheek.

Jigen touched his cheek softly, as if to keep the kiss there. “Yeah…no idea.”

 

- Two months later -

 

Things had moved quite swiftly following the breaking of the curse. Along with the return of the stolen artifacts back to their rightful heirs, Rina had been moved through the coronation process, and at last it was the big day. Of course, the gang had shown up to support her, in disguise of course. With their identities hidden, they could join the crowd of people ready to welcome their new queen to the throne.

After the coronation ceremony was completed, Rina said a few words, and the crowd broke out into cheers. It seemed as if the loudest of which came from a tall figure in a tan trenchcoat and hat, whopping and waving his arms about in a cartoonish fashion.

"YEAH, LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE NEW QUEEN! YOU'RE GONNA DO GREAT RINA!" The man had tears streaming down his cheeks, his long eyelashes heavy with the droplets.

"I never took pops to be so sentimental," Lupin giggled to Jigen.

"For real. You'd think Rina was his own daughter or something." The gunman replied.

Zenigata smiled, wiping his face with the back of his hand. Apparently his overwhelming personality was just as powerful when it came to supporting people as it was to arresting them. Lupin wished for a second that maybe Zenigata would someday have the same loving enthusiasm for him, but shook his head, quickly dismissing the thought. He continued to cheer with the others.

-

"You were amazing!" Lupin cheered, giving Rina a hug.

"Aw, you think so? Come here guys, everyone!"

The gang had gone "backstage" or so it were, away from the reporters and politicians and any other prying eyes that might try to arrest them. Or interview them, which for them was almost just as bad. They had already been on the screen way more than usual lately, and were trying to go back undercover and sneak away to a new hideout and their next big heist. But before that, they came to say their goodbyes to Rina, and send her off to her new life.

"How are you feeling?" Goemon asked her.

"I'm not gonna lie, I'm very nervous!" Rina said, rubbing her arm shyly. "It's a heavy burden…a family legacy. I don't know if I can handle it on my own."

"Trust me, I know what it's like having to live up to a family legacy. It's not easy having so many expectations," Lupin said, nodding in solidarity.

"I understand as well. I'm the thirteenth of my namesake," Goemon chuckled.

It grew quiet in the room. Jigen put his hands in his pockets. "Hey, don't look at me," he said, and everyone laughed.

"But listen Rina," Lupin put his hands on her shoulders, "I know you'll do great. And if you ever need anything, ever, for any reason at all, in any circumstance-"

"Lupin!"

"-don't hesitate to ask! You can always reach me with a call," he grinned, handing her a thin device.

"Is this…"

"Sorry your new phone is a little late," Lupin said sheepishly.

"You remembered!"

"How could I forget, when you walloped me so hard for it…"

Rina turned the phone on, and saw that Lupin added his contact to it, as well as contacts for Jigen and Fujiko. But there was one missing…

"Goemon still doesn't have a phone," Lupin explained.

"Maybe if they weren't so damn difficult to use, I would find more practicality in owning one," Goemon muttered, and Jigen laughed, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

"Well, you know where to find most of us," Lupin laughed. He put his hands in his pockets and turned to leave.

"Wait, before you go…I have something for you, actually," Rina smiled, and cleared her throat. Lupin stopped, turning back around. "As promised, I would love to give you the diadem, but with things being as they are I don't even know if I'm allowed to make that choice…there's a lot of rules surrounding the preservation movement. Zenigata's been overseeing it and making sure everything's in its right place, and that nobody will forget where it came from. But, there is something I can give you!"

Rina walked over to a large cabinet, and unlocked it, pulling something off from a shelf inside. She brought over a bronze chest, about the size of a large shoebox.

"This is some of the king's junk," she grinned, holding it out to the thief. "It's not technically from the royal family, so it doesn't count as artifacts. It's mostly just expensive junk he bought with taxpayer money."

Lupin took the chest gingerly, and opened it to reveal a host of expensive goodies. A collection of gaudy golden chains and watches, rings with jewels bigger than cherries, and a surprising amount of name branded jewelry laid inside.

"Holy hell," he marveled, running a hand through it, and shivering at the feeling. "Are you sure you want us to have this?"

"Better you than me! It ought to be sold, really. I'm sure you can get a good paycheck out of it. Plus, I don't want that stuff to stay here anyways. It'd taint the place, yknow."

"We can certainly take care of that!" Jigen laughed, leaning over Lupin's shoulders to see the chest's contents.

"Well, I guess you guys should get going…Zenigata said he'd be coming back to talk with me, and I don't want you to be held up here when he does."

After saying their goodbyes for real now, and promising to visit soon, the gang made their way back to the fiat.

As it took off into the countryside, Jigen had a strange reminiscent feeling, as if the last couple months had all flashed backwards through his mind. Suddenly, he was back on his way to the catacombs, afraid of the ghosts that lurked there, underneath the splendor and the majesty of Windsor Castle. But he wasn't afraid anymore.

He glanced at Goemon in the rearview mirror, and caught him staring, a look that seemed peculiarly close to what Lupin had described to him the morning after it all ended. I wouldn't be surprised if he was smitten with you.

For once, Jigen was proud to say he knew something that Lupin didn't. That their samurai, Goemon Ishikawa XIII, was in fact smitten with him. And in the end, that treasure was better than any cursed diadem ever could be.

Notes:

Phew, that was a long ride! I went through terrible burnout after the last two chapters, so I apologize wholeheartedly for the wait being this long. But I'm very happy with how it all turned out. And I'm already excited to write more! There will be much more in store and many more adventures to come~

-Loopy