The bright red words saying OPEN flashed on and off, making you turn your head towards it more. As you did you caught sight of the rack inside the store and the magazines and newspapers that were displayed upon it. Gazing at the sight you felt your heart stop.

WORLD RENOWNED THIEF, LUPIN THE THIRD STRIKES AGAIN.

A newspaper said, its bold black ink lettering screaming from the front page. A grainy picture of said thief decorated the paper underneath the headliner. While not the best picture taken of him, it was clear enough that you could make out the cocky smile that always stayed on his face. You felt your throat tighten slightly as you stared at it, a wave of memories hitting you.

A cocky grin.......

A bright red jacket......

Warm, clever gray eyes......

A musical laughter......

The scent of an expensive yet pleasant smelling body wash.......

You sucked in a sharp breath as they hit you. The memories fresh and sharp and all too very real, making seem like that he was right there beside you. You didn't hesitate to quicken your pace, suddenly feeling like you were going to drown in them. With a choked noise you forced yourself to continue on and away from the corner store with its hellish reminders of a man that no longer existed in your world. Your heart pounded in your chest, constricting slightly as those familiar emotions hit you with those memories. It was funny how a picture of someone who was once apart of your life could cause such destruction to you and make you fall apart at the seams.

'It's been nearly a year since I've seen him. I shouldn't be so weak about these things.'

Your mind ever logical in every sense scolded you, reminding you that you should have moved on. Reminding you of the horrible reality that you were in. Yet your heart seemed to rebel against this, as it tortured you with what once was. You could still recall it, those memories from a year ago crystal clear as if they'd happened only yesterday. The memories that gave you so much happiness as well as sorrow when they made themselves known.

~~~~~

Your hometown was a small one, not well known other than for its view of the vast ocean and its beautiful sunshiny atmosphere. Your hometown would have a few tourists visit during the summer months where business would boom more. It was during this season of sunshine and relaxation that you'd met him. You'd been walking around the familiar streets that you'd known since childhood, a basket full of fresh produce and other things on your arm, off in your own world when you'd ran into him. It was hard not to notice him when he was flirting with some of the local women who swooned or flirted back. A lanky frame covered in a bright red jacket, dark brown hair and light gray eyes full of mischief. And a smile that was charming to all who were in its presence. To put bluntly he was a handsome man with a charming personality that made all the girls as well as boys pay attention.

You'd been taken out of your daydreaming by the sound of his laughter. It was loud yet not to the point where it was irritating. It was musical in a way and it made you want to listen to it all the time. You turned your gaze towards the direction of that laughter and that's when you saw him in all of his glory. You'd caught glimpses of him from time to time but now you were close enough to get a full view of the handsome man that had captured the attention of your hometown's ladies. It was hard to look away from him if you were honest. And then.....

He turned his gaze onto you.

As soon as you made eye contact with him your face burst into flames of embarrassment at being caught. Without thinking you quickly turned your head and to put simply absconded away from him and the group of female admirers he had around him. Unaware of the curious gray eyed gaze watching your retreating form. When you'd put enough distance between you and him you'd finally relaxed and stopped, placing a hand to your chest to calm your racing heart.

'That was embarrassing.....'

You thought your already red face going even more so.

'At least you won't see him again, so you should be okay.'

Your mind thought making you relax more despite the burning cheeks. The thought made you at ease, a safety net of sorts. And you'd fully believed it, after all he was nearly always with a woman so he'd be busy with all the attention.

However you were wrong.

From the moment you and him made that eye contact you suddenly found yourself running into him more and more whenever you went out into town. And with each sighting of him, he seemed to grow more bolder until he'd finally spoken to you.

"Ya know, you can always say hi instead of staring at me so much. I wouldn't mind if a pretty woman such as yourself did so."

He'd said to you one day, smiling that charming smile. You'd frozen in surprise when he'd spoken to you, your heart skipping a beat.

"I.....I didn't mean to stare so much Sir. I'm sorry....I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable...."

You said softly, choosing to ignore the flirtation that he'd added at the end. The man gave you another smile his expression amused by your reply.

"Nah you're good my dear. And please call me Lupin, calling me Sir makes me feel old."

The man Lupin said his voice chipper and good natured. You blinked up at him, somewhat shy at his presence. You weren't used to people like Lupin speaking to you so freely. Added with his good looks it left you a little bit star struck.

".......It's a pleasure to meet you Lupin. My name is (Y/N)."

You finally managed to get out after a beat of silence from your end, your (S/C) cheeks heating up again. Lupin let out a small chuckle at your blushing cheeks.

"(Y/N), a lovely name for a lovely lady. Speaking of lovely, I would love to have such a woman join me for some lunch if she'd like?"

Lupin asked adding another attempt at flirting. You stared at him startled by how quick he was to hit on you and then ask you out to lunch. It honestly made you flustered and slightly jumpy.

"Ah I uh.....I would love to but I have some things I have to do."

You said softly, making an excuse so you could mentally recover from all the attention. The man gave you a small pout before perking up again.

"No worries there's always next time! I'll see ya around (Y/N)!"

Lupin chirped before finally leaving you be. At the time you'd thought that that would be the end of it. But once again you were wrong. Before you knew it Lupin would talk to you whenever he saw you, chatting away while you listened quietly. He didn't seem to mind that you weren't talking as much as he was, which helped ease you the more you got to know each other. Before too long you found yourself speaking to him more than you usually did, and whenever you did he'd always listen attentively hanging onto your every word. It was strange yet you slowly grew to enjoy those moments with him where you both would either talk or just comfortably sit together or do things together. It was about month of doing this before you'd finally agreed to do that lunch date with him and from there the relationship between the two of you grew.

You soon found yourself thinking about him and missing his presence whenever he wasn't around. You found yourself looking forward to your little lunch dates with him and at the time you didn't know the reason. Until it'd happened. Everything suddenly clicked into place.

Your toes turn blue in winter, I'm gettin' red, rum~ Does the trick for all of the things left unsaid, I'm~ Missin' our drunken 2 A.M. strolls in K-Town~ Now you're chasing fake highs in the Upper West Side~ And fuckin' on Brooklyns in Brooklyn~ Your Chelseas in Chelsea~ Hope that eases the pain, so you remember to miss me~ And you sold your car, now you walk for miles~ Bet your feet feel numb~ (Crosswalks in my mind are shaky, so please hold on tight)~

It was during the middle of summer when it all came together for you. Lupin had dragged you out for a nightly stroll in the town, asking you about the sights and talking about everything and anything. You gave him the tour of sorts and listened to his ramblings, your expression soft and sincere. The two of you of you were so lost in your conversation that you didn't realize that you'd both walked to the beach until your sandals gave away somewhat underneath the sand. Lupin stared out towards the ocean once he realized where the two of you were, his gaze lighting up at the sight. The view was gorgeous, the moon high in the sky as she shined down onto the sand and dark waves. The smell of salt and the feel of the ocean breeze hit you however you weren't paying attention to the sight before you.

No your eyes were only on Lupin.

The monkey like man looked stunning in the moonlight. His dark brown hair a bit messy from the breeze and his gray eyes bright with delight as he took in the view. His pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight and his face was full of a stunning smile. It was a breathtaking view in your opinion.

'He's beautiful......'

The thought whispered in the back of your head making you stop mentally at it. Suddenly at that moment everything became clear, suddenly everything that was confusing made sense.

You were in love with him.

The realization made your heart race and your stomach erupt into butterflies and your face turn red. Lupin who had taken notice of your sudden lack of response to his musings turned to look at you and found the air in his lungs catch. Much like him, you too where bathed in the silvery beams of the moon, your (S/C) skin seeming to shimmer in it. Your beautiful (E/C) hues were stunning, full of all the things that made the world an amazing place. Your (H/L) (H/C) swayed in the breeze, painting you in an even more stunning image. At that moment Lupin wanted nothing more than to steal you away. And like any good thief worth their salt, Lupin like many was known to take what he wanted. Without thinking about it the lanky man cupped your face into his hands and gently pulled you towards him......

It was like fireworks were set off as soon as his lips touched yours. Like a burning flame was ignited in your chest as he kissed you and you responded back kissing him with everything you had. That kiss was the start of something that at the time seemed not too serious. That kiss was the start of your downfall.

~~~~~

All my demons run wild~ All my demons have your smile~ In the city of angels, in the city of angels~ Hope New York holds you~ Hope it holds you like I do~ While my demons stay faithful~ In the city of angels~ Summer's endin' now and the nights are coolin' down~ Remember last winter when we would drive around?~ Silverlake, Hollywood, pretty little white lies got me good~ Thought this was love, I was misunderstood, mmm~

You bit back a bitter and heartbroken sob as you recalled the memories, desperately wiping at your eyes to stop the flow of tears.

"Why.....? Why can't you just let me be??"

You asked in a pained whimper as you walked blindly, your tears making it hard to see. In a hazy like way the bright lights and neon signs slowly began to blend together as you blinked through the tears before they began to disappear entirely. In your heartbroken daze you didn't realize that you had walked out of town until your shoes hit that familiar giving way of sand underneath it. Head snapping up you wiped out the tears and with a sharp pain took in the view of the very place you were just thinking about. The very beach where you fell in love with him, the very place where you were kissed and had your heart stolen before it was completely shattered a year ago. Leaving you behind with the pieces and being haunted by the phantoms of him.

You stared blankly forward as you remembered the day he shattered your heart and left you a broken woman.

~~~~~

Summer was coming to its close, and with it the tourists who would visit your hometown. Once again setting the town back into its quiet and somewhat forgotten ways.

It was during this ending season that you were left behind.

You were off to go and see Lupin wanting to tell him something important. Ever since he'd kissed you and you kissed him back you'd been thinking about things. You'd been thinking about him and what exactly you wanted to have with him. After thinking long and hard about it you'd finally came to a decision.

You were going to tell him that you loved him.

You had no idea how he'd react to such a confession, but you knew that if you didn't say anything to him you'd regret for the rest of your life. As you made your way towards one of the familiar spots where and Lupin would meet you finally caught sight of the familiar red jacket that he always wore. A small smile started to grow on your face and you went to call out to him when you froze as you caught sight of another person. A woman, whose beauty seemed otherworldly was with him. She was gorgeous, with thick curly auburn hair and light brown eyes. Her skin was smooth and her lips were a lovely shade of red, her body curvy and eye catching. But no that wasn't the reason why you stopped your calling out for Lupin.

It was Lupin himself.

He was staring at this woman with a soft, tender look in his eyes. His smile was softer as well, sincere and less cocky than the ones you received. He looked like a man who was in love.

And at that moment your heart was shattered.

You didn't bother to stick around, wanting nothing more than to leave and cry in the peace of your own home. You turned around on your heel and made your way back in the direction you'd just come from refusing to look back. If you'd looked back you would have seen those familiar gray eyes zone in on your retreating figure, would have seen the devastation that flickered in them, would have seen the heartbreak of letting you go.

But you didn't.

And you never would.

Feelin' low on the low, drivin' through NoHo~ If I'm honest, I'd call, but I'm trying to let go~ And I hope you're happy, livin' life in taxis~ But you'll always have me, you'll always have me~

~~~~~

You broke down then, the heart wrenching memories making you collapse in on yourself. Loud pained sobs broke through as you cried. Even after a year of not seeing him, a year of being haunted by the heartbreak you still longed for him. Even after later finding out that he was a thief you still longed for him.

You still longed for what could have been.

You still longed to be able to tell him that you loved him even though he loved another.

The pain and grief was unbearable, festering underneath the surface like an infection that was left untreated. You cried even more curling in on yourself as you let it all out. The moon and ocean being the only witnesses to you falling apart. The only witnesses to see the shell of a woman grieve. As you broke down you knew deep down that you'd never recover from this. Your heart would forever want him even though he didn't want you. And the knowledge of it tore you up inside. You would never have Lupin.

All you'd ever have was the phantoms of what once was.

And it was never going to change.

All my demons run wild~ All my demons have your smile~ In the city of angels, in the city of angels~ Hope New York holds you~ Hope it holds you like I do~ While my demons stay faithful~ In the city of angels~