#tw bathing

Goemon weakly pulled on his arm, gaze unfocused as he choked out inaudible nonsense in Japanese. Lupin frowned, nodding a bit even though he didn’t understand. He just had to stay by his side…he needed Goemon to pull through.

Lupin nearly jumped out of his skin when Jigen nudged the door open and stepped inside with several grocery bags. Hand on his Walther, a wave from Jigen made him relax a bit. At least it wasn’t Zenigata busting in to try to arrest them.

“He doin’ any better?” Jigen asked, putting groceries away as he glanced over his shoulder.

“..not much.” Lupin sighed, fixing the blankets around Goemon. “He managed some tea at least.”

“Better than nothin’. Books said he needed warm liquids anyhow.” Jigen walked over with a bag, handing it to Lupin.

“What’s all this?” Lupin took the bag, looking through it.

“Got some extra stuff for him. Heatin’ pad, electric blanket, thermometer, snacks. Grabbed some clothes too, I’ll wash ‘em.” Jigen peeked into the blanket pile at Goemon, frowning. “His breathin’ sounds like shit..”

“I know..” Lupin frowned. “I need to check my contacts..I don’t know if I even have any in this country.” He ran a hand through his hair.

“I can watch him for a while, go do your thing.” Jigen waved him off, going to take his chair.

“I can’t just leave him, Jigen.” Lupin frowned, looking back at Goemon anxiously.

Jigen frowned, looking the thief over quietly. He had managed to take himself away from Goemon long enough to throw on a shirt with his boxers so he wasn’t just running around in his underwear but..he obviously hadn’t left the samurais side since. He could feel the anxious energy radiating off of him. He knew Lupin enough to know that he blamed himself for what had happened to Goemon.

“Alright.” Jigen nodded, patting Lupin’s shoulder as he walked back to the kitchen to take care of what he could.

Lupin frowned, sitting quietly as he thought. He needed to make this up to Goemon. He had to figure out how all of this happened. If someone had gotten the diamond before them he would’ve known it, right? But then why was there an explosion? It just didn’t make any sense. Squeezing Goemon’s hand gently, Lupin looked out a nearby window and out at the city. Was there something he was missing?

~~~~

Goemon wasn’t sure what had happened. He remembered a flash and a bang…then it got hazy. But he knew that his chest hurt, it ached, and breathing took a lot more work than it should. And the cold, oh the cold, the way it seeped down into his very soul almost. Why was he so cold?

They left you there to freeze.

Who-? No. Goemon knew that Lupin and Jigen wouldn’t leave him in that crevasse. He wasn’t sure where he was but..no. They wouldn’t leave him. He knew that for a fact.

You think they’re really your friends? When it comes down to it, they’d have left you there and you know it.

Goemon cringed. They were his friends. Of course they were…right? They had been together long enough now that..that if they weren’t he surely would’ve noticed somehow. He wasn’t that unable to pick up on their cues…

They took advantage of you. Strong Goemon, powerful Goemon. You’re more tool than man and when it came down to it? They didn’t really care if you died or not. They just couldn’t lose the swordsman. It isn’t about you. It’s about the tool.

Looking around, Goemon frowned when he saw the blue stone in front of him. Right..the diamond. He had grabbed it and then..had it exploded? Why would it-?

Why wouldn’t it? Lupin cares more about the loot than making sure it was safe for you to retrieve it.

A shadow made its way around the stone, smirking at him. It looked…just like him? But wrong. Really wrong. Anxiety rose in Goemon’s aching chest as he stepped backwards. What was it? It couldn’t be himself.

Look at you. A weak man without his almighty sword. They probably stole it-

“No-!” Goemon cried, covering his ears with his hands in an attempt to block the voice out.

They stole it and left you there-

“Be quiet!” Goemon bit his lip hard, closing his eyes tightly. How could he still hear it?!

LEFT YOU THERE TO D R O W N!

A flash, and it felt like ice was injected straight into Goemon’s veins. Crying out, Goemon choked. He couldn’t breathe. Struggling and clawing at his throat, he couldn’t get a breath in. Was he drowning? The voice was right, they forgot him and left him there to drown below the ice-!

“Shit- shit, Jigen-! Jigen!”

~~~~~~

“Shit- shit, Jigen-! Jigen!” Lupin screamed, throwing the blankets off of Goemon quickly.

“What-?!” Jigen quickly ran into the bedroom, one hand poised over his gun in case he needed to draw.

“Help- Help me-!” Lupin sat the choking samurai up, trying to help him to breathe.

“Crap! Arms over his head!” Jigen ran over, pulling Goemon’s arms up over his head as he slammed the heel of his hand against his back roughly a few times to try help him to breathe.

After several agonizing minutes, Goemon gasped in a wheezing breath and weakly grasped at his chest as he caught his breath. The two thieves let out a sigh of relief, Lupin pulling Goemon in close as his shivering picked up again. They had nearly lost him there..

“Fuck..” Jigen ran a hand through his hair, sitting beside them. “What the hell, man?”

“I-I don’t know he was fine and then he just-“ Lupin frowned, gesturing to the samurai anxiously as he cupped his face. “He’s hot. Damnit, I thought he felt a little warm earlier.”

“Lemme see.” Jigen reached over him, feeling his forehead with the back of his hand. “Shit, yeah. Go run him a cool bath. Meds won’t work fast enough on that on their own.”

“A cool bath? But..” Lupin bit his lip. It felt almost cruel to do that to Goemon after what happened hours ago..especially since he still seemed cold.

“Lupin.” Jigen looked at him, sternly. “Cool. Bath. Now.” He had to put his foot down about it for Goemon’s own good.

Lupin hesitantly nodded, frowning as he looked back at Goemon sympathetically. Carefully getting him up as Jigen went to the kitchen, Lupin made his way toward the bathroom with Goemon. Glancing at Goemon, Lupin faltered when he noticed his eyes seemed to be sweeping the room.

“Goemon..? You there..?” Lupin frowned, waving his hand in front of his face a bit.

“Z..Z-Zantet…suken..” Goemon rasped, grip on Lupin tightening slightly as he grew visibly distraught.

“H-Hey easy, easy. It’s right here. It’s alright.” Lupin frowned, grabbing the sword from its propped up position by the bathroom door. “We made sure to grab it for you.” They knew how much he loved that sword…

Leading the delirious man into the bathroom, Lupin carefully sat him on the edge of the tub as he started the water. Watching from the corner of his eye, Lupin could tell Goemon was still pretty out of it. His hands were still clumsy from the cold so he had to resort to basically hugging Zantetsuken to keep it close to him..and it seemed the fever kept him from completely understanding where he was or what was going on.

“Goemon.” Lupin took a breath, touching his arm gently. “We need to get you in the bath okay? We have to cool you down.”

Goemon cringed, shaking his head as he tried to get his body to follow the command to stand. It broke Lupin’s heart but he had to try to get him in. Standing, Lupin helped him up and took off the boxers they had placed on him.

“L-Lupin, please- pl-please..” Goemon bit his lip anxiously, clumsily stepping backwards into the thief.

“Goemon…”

“Lu-Lupin, it’s col-cold..” Goemon frowned, closing his eyes tightly as he grabbed onto his shirt anxiously, pleading. “I-I can’t..please..w-why would yo-you..?”

Lupin bit his lip hard, wrapping his arms around him gently. Goemon thought he was just doing it for no reason.. crap. But he could feel the heat basically radiating off of him, he had to get him into that water somehow..

“I’ll get in with you, okay?” Lupin looked up at him, cupping his face gently. “You and me. It’ll be alright, We’ll be out just as soon as we get your temperature down a bit okay?”

Goemon shivered, leaning into the thief’s touch before nodding slightly. “..’Kay..”

“There we go.” Lupin smiled a bit, taking off his own shirt and boxers as he got into the tub with Goemon.

Lupin frowned when he heard Goemon gasped when his body made contact with the water, squeezing his hand as he sat beside him in the tub. Rubbing his back in an attempt to soothe him, Lupin kept glancing at the clock on the wall as if to will time to move faster.

“…’m sorry..” Goemon mumbled, body trembling as he pressed up against the thief for some minor amount of warmth he could get.

“Wha-? Goemon, you don’t have anything to apologize for.” Lupin frowned more, looking at him sadly. He should be the one apologizing…

“…dia-diamond..” Goemon shook his head, resting his head back against the wall as he teared up. “..m-mess-essed up..” he sniffled, a couple stray tears running down his face.

Lupin’s eyes widened as he hesitated. It really bugged him that much that they didn’t get the diamond? It wasn’t even Goemon’s fault, it was his! And now, even after nearly dying, Goemon was in tears trying to apologize for it. Had he really known Goemon for so long and not realized until now that he held himself in such low regard?

“Goemon, none of that was your fault. I should’ve made sure things were safer before we went after it.” Lupin squeezed his hand gently, looking up at him anxiously. “We can get a diamond any old time, Goe. We’re worried about you right now…”

“Mm-mm..” Goemon shook his head again, taking a ragged breath as his hands shook. “..m-messed up..”

Lupin bit his lip, intertwining their fingers gently. “We were really worried back there, Goe, I-“

“Lupin, is he-? Oh..am I...interrupting something or?” Jigen walked in, hesitating in the doorway when he saw them both in the tub.

“I got in to make him more comfortable. He’s not all there right now just..where’s the thermometer at?” Lupin let go of Goemon’s hand, holding it out for the thermometer.

“Here.” Jigen handed it to him, sitting at the edge of the tub. “Doin’ alright, Goemon?”

“C-Cold..” Goemon mumbled, resting his head against Lupin as he grunted when the thief managed to get the thermometer under his tongue.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Jigen sighed. “I got a towel outta the dryer if that helps any. And meds. We should be good once he’s cooler.”

Lupin hummed, taking the thermometer once it went off. “101.5. Seems alright for now. Let’s get him out of here.”

“Right.” Jigen grabbed the towel, helping Lupin get the samurai out of the bath to avoid anyone slipping. “There we go, bud.”

Goemon groaned tiredly as the two helped him back to bed. Accepting meds and water from Jigen as Lupin dried and dressed him, the samurai flopped back on the bed weakly and pulled Zantetsuken closer to his chest once they had finished, completely exhausted.

“There we go, pal. Just get some rest. I’ll be right here.” Lupin stroked his hair from his face gently, covering him back up as his shivering died down a bit with the added warmth.

“Jeez..” Jigen sighed, pulling up a chair. “I’m surprised he didn’t try to fight you in there..”

“Nah..he just…really didn’t want to get in there. He freaked me out, Jigen. He feels bad we didn’t get that diamond.” Lupin sighed, shaking his head.

“I mean…it was a sweet diamond.” Jigen agreed, shrugging.

“Jigen-!” Lupin snapped, shooting him a glare as he bristled.

“I’m not blaming him! Just saying. If it blew up..a bit of a loss. Not that I’m not glad Goemon’s alright or anythin’.” Jigen frowned, shaking his head.

“I bet someone stole the real thing, but I’m not worried about it anymore. Goemon’s more important than messing with anything to do with Mawson’s Diamond anymore.” Lupin mumbled angrily, resting his head on his hand as he watched the samurai closely.

Jigen frowned quietly. “I don’t think Goemon’s the only one who feels bad about this..” he looked out from under his bangs at him.

“Shut it.”

“No. I’m serious.” Jigen leaned over, frowning. “If you need to talk about it-?”

“No. Just..let’s focus on making sure Goemon makes it through tonight, alright? Whatever you wanna talk about we can talk about after this.” Lupin sighed, watching the rise and fall of the samurais chest quietly.

You run your fingers through his damp hair, taking care not to scratch or scrape at his scalp. Below you, Jervis shivers; each pass of your hands has him melting into your touch, though it’s clear he’s trying to stay at least a little on guard. He teeters on the edge of comfort and caution, oscillating between the two as you wet his hair. 

Worrying your lip between your teeth, you lean forward slightly, let your hands fall to his shoulders. 

“Jervis?” 

You’re facing him now, watching his side profile. His eyes are closed. Slammed shut, really, tiny wrinkles feathering out from the corners, like he can’t bear to take a look at the world around him. 

“Hey,” you murmur, voice soft. “Is this… okay? I can stop. Just say the word.” 

It takes a moment, but he shakes his head softly. Steam rises around you in the small bathroom, fogging up the mirror, casting a chalky sheen on the small window that runs along the seam of the ceiling. 

“No, my dear,” he says, voice rough. “It’s quite alright.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Positive.” His voice is quiet, yes, but not the same quiet as late at night or early in the morning once you’ve both woken up. It’s small. Unsure. 

“Try to relax. I’ll make this quick,” you reply, tracing a small circle into the skin where his shoulder and neck meet. 

Jervis shudders. Water laps at the sides of the tub, spraying warm droplets onto your jeans. 

“No- uh, t-take your time,” he stammers, eyes shut. “Please.” 

“You let me know,” you murmur, tucking a stray piece of damp hair behind his ear. With that, you lean back, reaching for the shampoo bottle and depositing a generous amount in your palms. 

After working it into a sudsy lather, you gently place your hands back on Jervis’ head. He shivers again, this time softly, and you slowly begin to spread the shampoo throughout his hair. 

After a few moments, you notice that his shudders are closer to purrs--a glance at his face tells you his eyes, while shut, are no longer full of tension. His lashes flutter softly, the backs of your nails scraping gently at the base of his neck. When he groans softly, his eyes snap open, a red flush blooming on his cheeks. 

You pretend not to notice. It’s more for his sake than yours, and you wordlessly continue your ministrations.

When you start in on the conditioner, gently spreading it along the ends of his hair, you feel him lean into your hand. There’s a comforting weight to him, a familiar scent of spices and firework smoke, but also a trace of perfumed hair product.

The process doesn’t take long. Once you’re sure the product is rinsed from Jervis’ hair, you give his shoulders a final, comforting squeeze, then move to leave. 

His hand finds your wrist and you turn, blinking at him owlishly. 

“Thank you,” he murmurs, voice soft. 

“Lupin? We should..change your bandages and bathe you again. Would you be alright with that?” Goemon asked gently, approaching the bed.

Lupin moved under the blankets, looking out at the samurai before sitting up quietly. “Might as well..”

Goemon nodded, carefully maneuvering Lupin into his arms. They would work on letting Lupin be up and around in a couple days when he had more strength. For now, they had to carry him whenever he needed to be outside of the bedroom. Lupin made himself small in Goemon’s hold, resting his head against the samurais broad chest silently. Goemon could practically feel the depression radiating off of him. What had happened between the thief and gunman to upset him so much? Going into the bathroom and shutting the door, Goemon carefully sat Lupin on the edge of the bathtub.

“Do you need any help undressing…?” He offered, glancing sideways sheepishly. It seemed so intimate saying it that way…

Lupin clenched his jaw slightly. “No. Turn around.” He mumbled, keeping his gaze on the floor.

Goemon hesitated slightly, nodding faintly as he turned away from Lupin. That was really odd…the thief didn’t usually mind being nude in front of them, it was basically a daily occurrence 99% of the time. Of course, maybe Lupin knew he was flustered by his nudity and chose to make it a private matter? …Unlikely. Something just seemed wrong. Lupin quietly undressed himself, keeping his eyes shut as he did so. He didn’t want to see the changes that had been made. He didn’t want anyone else to see either. He felt disgusting…knowing the others must think he was some sort of freak with all of these cybernetics. Lupin maneuvered himself into the tub, covering his waist with a hand towel. At least he could cover that bit for Goemon’s sake…

“You can turn back around…”

Goemon glanced over his shoulder, frowning faintly. “Okay..let’s get the bandages off and then we can wash.”

“..‘Kay..” Lupin looked away, biting the inside of his cheek. He couldn’t bear to see how Goemon felt about this…about him…

Goemon frowned a bit more, carefully undoing the bandages around Lupin’s wounds. The infection looked better with the antibiotics and sugar bandages working together. He was honestly glad, since Lupin needed to heal and get his strength back sooner rather than later. Working his way up, Goemon glanced at Lupin to check on him. He stopped removing the bandages, frowning deeply when he saw Lupin sitting with his eyes clenched shut. Was he in pain? The pain medications couldn’t be wearing off already, could they?

“Am I hurting you?” Goemon asked anxiously, looking at him worriedly.

Lupin shook his head. “You’re fine. Keep going.”

“Are you sure..?” Goemon frowned, cupping his face with his hand carefully. “Lupin, if I am hurting you, I need to know.”

“You aren’t, I-…” Lupin bit his lip, shaking his head as he moved away from Goemon’s touch. “Just…keep going…”

Goemon frowned, cautiously removing the rest of the bandages before turning the water on. Making sure it was a suitable temperature, he let the tub fill up as he kneeled on the floor beside Lupin. Something was very wrong…but broaching the topic could prove difficult. He would see if Lupin would open up to him first. Once the tub had filled, Goemon stopped the water and carefully began to shampoo Lupin’s hair.

“Let me know if I hurt you.” Goemon said softly, carefully lathering the soap into the thief’s scalp.

Lupin hummed quietly, eyes silently roaming across his cybernetics. The wounds looked awful…they would definitely scar. Not that that bothered him too much, he had hundreds of scars from all his heists and fights. But the cybernetics…they were different than scars. His body had been altered against his will and he was disgusted with it…the others were too..no doubt about that. Goemon’s hands moved down cup the water and wash out Lupin’s hair carefully. He would give Lupin time..see if relaxing would help.

“…Goemon..” Lupin mumbled quietly, glancing in his general direction but not at him. He couldn’t meet his gaze..

“Yes?” Goemon finished washing his hair out, grabbing a rag and the body wash.

“I…” Lupin cringed, taking a shaky breath as he rubbed his thumbs over his palms anxiously. “..if you…if you want to find a new boss…if you want different work…that’s okay, you know that right…?”

Goemon’s hesitated, frowning deeply as he moved to look at Lupin. “Lupin, why would you-?”

“I-I know that you..you guys need work and I..I can’t give you that right now- maybe never again and I just-“ Lupin bit his lip hard, tears beginning to stream down his face and drop into the water. “I-I won’t weigh you down, force you to work with a-a-a monster- I-“

“Lupin-“ Goemon paled slightly, eyes widening at his words.

“I-I wouldn’t blame you, I mean- I can’t even stand to-to look at it either-“ Lupin curled in on himself, hands shaking as his breathing picked up. “I-I’m not- I’m not even really Lupin the Third anymore! Why would you guys stick around?” He laughed, hiccuping slightly as his breathing grew more erratic through his sobs.

“Lupin- Lupin!” Goemon frowned deeply, carefully moving into the tub with him before pulling him into his arms. “Breathe, Lupin, you have to breathe.”

“Ca-can’t- can’t, I can’t-!” Lupin sobbed, trembling against Goemon as he gasped.

“You can. Take it slowly.” Goemon frowned, holding him securely as he took Lupin’s hands in his own. “Follow my breathing. Do your best to follow me.” He squeezed him gently, breathing deeply for Lupin to follow.

Lupin shakily gasped, holding Goemon’s hands tightly as he closed his eyes tightly and groaned. His chest ached…he was losing it. But he could feel Goemon…feel him breathing and hear his heart. Lupin pressed his face into Goemon’s kimono, breaths stuttering as he tried to keep pace with the samurai’s breathing. Goemon carefully held him, continuing to breathe with him. Slowly, he could feel Lupin’s breathing return to a calmer rate and his muscles relax. He relaxed his hold slightly, looking down at Lupin gently. He understood the way he felt, how panicked he had been. He just…couldn’t believe Lupin had said those things, thought those things.

“Lupin..” Goemon said softly, squeezing his hands carefully. “I do not want to leave. The thought never crossed my mind, especially after finding you hurt.”

Lupin whined softly, glancing up at Goemon as a few stray tears ran down his face. He wasn’t sure if Goemon really meant that, especially after seeing him break down like that. He could just be saying that to make him feel better, or he could decide later on that he wanted to bail. The samurai gently cupped his face, wiping the tears away with his thumb carefylly as he frowned a bit.

“You are no monster. You are are still you, Lupin. Nobody can take your identity from you. I would kill them if they tried. Any of us would.” Goemon looked at him sternly. “You are strong, Lupin. Very strong. Nobody here thinks any less of you because of what happened. We are happy you are here with us, nothing will change that, including a change in appearance. We are all staying. I promise you, nobody thinks of you any differently than before.”

Lupin bit his lip hard, looking into Goemon’s eyes anxiously. “I-I think…I-I think I scared Jigen away…”

Goemon frowned, shaking his head. “Jigen…has been worried about you. I doubt you scared him away. He may have just needed time to collect his thoughts.”

Lupin sniffled, shaking his head. “I tried to tell him that I liked him…and the rest of you…and he left…”

Goemon blushed a bit, hesitating. Ah..well, while he hadn’t been prepared for that, it did give him more insight? Jigen had been grappling with his guilt, they all had. Hearing that from Lupin most likely made the feeling more intense. At least it could be explained, though Jigen could’ve probably handled it better than just getting up and leaving Lupin, especially with this type of mental state.

“That was not because of you. We…have been having a difficult time handling our own feelings in the same… area…as well as feeling guilty about your condition.” Goemon looked at him gently. “I believe that Jigen is trying to process his guilt. He will most likely be back soon to discuss things with you.”

Lupin thought quietly, resting against Goemon. “You guys felt guilty about this..?”

Goemon frowned, glancing away. “It took me two weeks to figure out you were all in trouble..not that it is the time to discuss it.”

“It is time to discuss it. We’re getting things off our chests here.” Lupin looked at him pointedly, frowning a bit. “You feel guilty it took you some time to figure out where we were..?”

Goemon sighed softly, nodding faintly. “I do. The others’ issues are their own to discuss but, yes. If I had found you sooner-“

“If you had found me sooner things could’ve been a lot different.” Lupin shook his head. “I think you found me at the right time. Too soon could’ve been bad. I could’ve been in the middle of getting my arm sawn off and then you would’ve had to deal with it. Or he could’ve caught you too and put you in the same position.”

“But-“

“Goemon.” Lupin cupped his face, looking into his eyes sternly. “I’m grateful you found me when you did. And obviously I can’t just make you stop feeling bad about it but believe me when I say it’s okay, okay? I’m glad you came when you did. I don’t blame you. It would’ve taken anyone some time to find us, especially in a situation like that. We were moved around a fair amount, after all.”

Goemon bit his lip, nodding faintly as he held Lupin’s hands. “Okay..”

“Good. Now, uh…how did you feel about what I said before…?” Lupin glanced away nervously.

“I…believe we both feel the same way..” Goemon mumbled, face growing hot. “I may not be Fujiko but…”

“Hey, I like you for you, not for your ability to be someone other than Goemon Ishikawa the Thirteenth.” Lupin smiled faintly, relaxing a bit.

“Good. I do not believe I would make a good Fujiko.” Goemon smiled softly, laughing softly.

Lupin smiled weakly, laying against him. “I can’t believe you got in here with me completely dressed…”

“Of course I got in with you, you needed help. My clothing have suffered through worse and needed washing anyway.” Goemon assured gently, stroking Lupin’s hair. “We can finish the bath and then I will change.”

Lupin laughed softly, shaking his head. “Goe, you amaze me.”

“Thank you…” Goemon smiled shyly, carefully cleaning around Lupin’s wounds. “You amaze me as well…” he glanced at him, blushing a bit.

Lupin smiled softly, planting a kiss on the samurai’s cheek carefully as he relaxed against him. Maybe things with Jigen would be alright? He did well with Goemon so…that was promising at least? It made him feel better, despite how tired he was from the adrenaline wearing off. If he could get with someone who flustered as easily as Goemon then a pissy gunman should be a piece of cake.

“There.” Goemon finished washing him, glancing at him. “Do you want to sit here for a while or would you like to go back to bed?”

“Bed, as long as you’re coming with me?” Lupin looked at him hopefully. He didn’t like being left alone after everything that had happened.

“Of course.” Goemon nodded, carefully getting out of the water as he took his soaked clothing off.

Lupin smiled softly, admiring him from the tub. Goemon blushed when he saw Lupin looking at him. He carefully drained the water, getting a towel for Lupin. Carefully wrapping the thief up, he took him out of the water and carried him back to the bedroom. He placed Lupin on the edge of the bed, gently drying him off before helping him into a change of clothes.

“Wait here for a moment while I get myself some new clothes.” Goemon took the towel, helping Lupin back into the middle of the bed before going to get fresh clothes.

Lupin smiled softly, waiting patiently. Goemon walked back in a moment later in new clothes, carrying a first aid kit. He would have to give Lupin new bandages to make sure his wounds stayed clean and healed properly. The last thing they needed for his condition to go in the wrong direction again. Lupin might not survive if it did.

“We need to put new bandages on.” Goemon kneeled beside the bed, gently taking Lupin’s hand. “Let me know if it hurts or if you become uncomfortable.”

Lupin nodded a bit, watching as Goemon worked on applying more sugar bandages. “It’s always interesting watching you work, you know? Sugar bandages? I would’ve never even considered using them, but it’s a great idea.”

Goemon smiled softly, working carefully. “We did not have any disinfectant.” He glanced at Lupin pointedly, although teasing.

“Fuck, I forgot to restock-“ Lupin’s eyes widened. “Damn, Goemon, we’re lucky we have you to think quick when we’re low on supplies, huh?”

“Yes, you are.” Goemon finished bandaging him up, closing the first aid kit before sitting on the bed. “Lupin?”

“Mhm?” Lupin movedover beside him, curling up against his side as he glanced up at him.

“…is it possible to… be with all of us?” Goemon raised an eyebrow, looking down at him curiously. “I have never heard of such a thing outside of men having multiple wives?”

Lupin snorted. “You guys aren’t a harem, Goe.” He took his hand gently. “Impossible isn’t a word in my dictionary. We make the rules. The question is, are you comfortable with that?”

Goemon blushed a bit, thinking quietly. “..I am comfortable just..different areas of comfortable depending on each person.”

Lupin nodded, playing with Goemon’s fingers gently. “Okay. Do whatever as long as you’re happy, okay? Be with whoever you like, try different things, I figure we have enough down time for a while to figure stuff out.”

Goemon nodded faintly. “I want you to be happy too. It would be wise for us all to figure out what makes us happy.”

“Now you’re talking.” Lupin smiled softly, squeezing his hand as he closed his eyes and played with his fingers.