answer your god damn phone

[dialtones]

[How many calls had he missed from Leorio alone?

Honestly, he preferred not to look at the number. It was wrong, but this wasn't something he could pull any of them into. He'd been wrapped up in his own little world, paying attention to the news enough when it related to his work and his end goal, and while he could have gone to the elections or even to visit Gon (his comrades had, after all), he decided against it. Visiting would have just opened up a whole can of other problems.

Maybe it went against what he'd been thinking before, but he had matured a bit since then. With the Spider desperately working to repair itself, and plenty of its members still on the move, Kurapika had to consider how to handle them-- but he was also sitting right on top of the location of the eyes of his brethren. He had to work up to it, and well... That's what he'd done.

There were a large amount of them recovered (he had to deal with a lot of people to get this collection) and given funerals, but it wasn't enough until he had every last set. There were still leads to follow, and so he continued to climb and gain Nostrade's trust.

Trust, though, is what leads him to pulling his cell phone out now. A strange illness was breaking out in the Nostrade organization, and it was worrying Nostrade himself. A few of his workers had already died, and panic was growing. He demanded that Kurapika find him someone to find out what was going on, but to be sure it was someone they could 'trust', because this could very well be an attack on them.

A doctor that he could trust? His first thought was that there was none. But after just a moment's more hesitation, he gives in and speaks his understanding clearly to Nostrade, hitting the call button on his phone and stepping away. His opposite hand curls at his elbow as he waits. This is pulling him in, but if it's just Leorio... It'll be easier to keep him in the dark about a lot of what he's been doing.

He'll use that to justify this selfish decision.]

Leorio?

Comments

[dialtones]

[All in all, Kurapika was learning to really like the physical closeness along with the rest of it. When their foreheads bump, he leaves it like that for a few seconds before realizing that this is so forward, so casual--

His cheeks flush a bit. Reaching over with his free hand, he grabs the pillow from behind Leorio and shoves it over his face. And with that out of the way, he resumes as if everything were normal in conversation.]

...It could be worse. [That's helpful, right?]

[speeddial]

[why?? did that happen???

This is 'worse'-!! Leorio sputters something indignant much to that effect, knocking the pillow out of his face and not really paying attention to where it ends up after that. Goodbye, pillow...]

Kurapika!!

[dialtones]

You surprised me!

[That's not a loud argument so much as a statement to defend himself while he stares flatly at Rageorio, and then a little over his shoulder at the pillow. Bye pillow...]

If you just move closely suddenly like that... [It's embarrassing??? Be glad he didn't kick you.]

[speeddial]

[That's no reason to hit him with a pillow. There are probably way better reasons to hit him with a pillow, like, yelling.]

Where else am I supposed to go? It's a small bed!

[dialtones]

It wasn't an issue of space; it was that you didn't warn me first.

[Shut up.... shut up. With his free hand, he reaches over again, but this time he places a hand to Leorio's cheek softly. No light slap or squishing involved.]

I don't... mind it. If you're close. [And then it becomes clear that that hand isn't for Leorio's sake, but his own. Some sort of bracer for saying embarrassing words like those? Kurapika is a strange guy.]

[speeddial]

[Warn him...?? Leorio stares at him for that one, brow knit in confused frustration. Something about warning a guy about being near him after already sticking a hand in his pants is - very backwards.

Kurapika, what the hell.]

Uh, good. How do you- I mean, warn you, really?

[dialtones]

[HE DOESN'T KNOW... HE REALLY DOESN'T KNOW. This is an unrealistic expectation, and he knows it. It's all because he's so jumpy now. One minute he's filled with all these soft feelings, and the next, he's trying to block it all off and step back. Now he's being called out on it. What's he supposed to do?]

Nevermind, don't worry about it. [This seems the 'easiest' way out, and god, it's so see-through. He's just going to focus on stretching out Leorio's hand and matching his own up with it.] But you're going to end up on the floor like that.

[speeddial]

[Okay... sure. Leorio looks at him with the same expression for a moment more, then shrugs. This isn't the strangest thing Kurapika has done, to be honest. He'll forget about it soon, but not before he throws in a facetious warning:]

Well, incoming. [and scooting closer so he can stay on the tiny bed. He'd throw his arm around Kurapika if his hand weren't occupied; there's no point to this he can pick out either, but he watches anyway.

Yet another proof that there's too much of him, ah...]

[dialtones]

[The whole reason was that Leorio's hands are huge and his own are small and it's weird to think that they could fit together so well. He looks exasperated at that warning (god damn it, why did he say anything), but he keeps quiet and scoots to his own edge of the bed without falling off.

It does leave them pressed very close, but he doesn't end up minding that. It's comfortable, warm, and he doesn't have to make up an excuse to rest his hand between them on Leorio's chest, over his pajamas.

He is pretty exhausted, after everything today. A rollercoaster all around. Sighing lightly, his eyes flutter closed for a minute.]

If only time could stretch this moment for a little while longer...

[speeddial]

[That's beyond sappy. Leorio slides his arm around Kurapika now that they're positioned better for it, and just considers that sap for a moment.

He doesn't disagree, quite the opposite, but he probably wouldn't have said it like that.]

When you get back, [pointedly ignoring the pang of fresh worry that creeps up on him as he says that, no, he'll worry later,] we'll do this again.

Deal?

[dialtones]

[Kurapika's a really sappy guy when you pay enough attention. Even in his revenge, he sure does wax poetic. His head seems like it can fit right under Leorio's chin here, nestled in against his chest, and so he takes advantage of that, taking in a slow breath.

Do this again?

His heart skips a beat, as cheesy as that is. Maybe they had something they could work out here. Maybe he had someone who could stop him from closing in on himself in the worst moments. Maybe they'd finally reached a point where he couldn't get away.

His thought process now is so different from his thought processes when he's in that sort of revenge-filled state.]

Deal. [He smiles against him there, fingers curling slightly. One of his legs curls a bit too and brings itself the slightest bit over Leorio's, and that motion kicks his cell phone off the bed.

That doesn't matter so much now, though. Tiredly, he laughs a little out of nowhere, as heavy as it comes out. He hit Leorio with a pillow in his embarrassment, and he's already ready to embrace him again. And promise more. And put school on hold... Why?

Why does he get all this?]

[speeddial]

[Leorio hums, pretty openly pleased with Kurapika closer to him and mercifully not embarrassed by it. This is what he came back for, after all, so it's good. It's great. It might even work out without too many complications!

If they're lucky, anyway. He tightens his hold around Kurapika briefly when he laughs like that, a definite squeeze of comfort. This time he won't ask what's wrong - he assumes it's more of what they were just talking about.

So, instead,] You should get some sleep.

[dialtones]

Mm, you too, Leorio.

[The squeeze is hardly registered, but it's still nice. Here he'd been trying to close his eyes for just a moment, and they hadn't opened again since. It was fine like this, probably. He needed to wake early, and he needed to let Leorio sleep, as well. Especially when his early alarm clock would be waking them together.

It's hard not to think about tomorrow, but at least there's the comfort of Leorio here. It wasn't going to keep him awake, this time.]

You must be exhausted...

[By the time he says that, there's been an unnatural gap created, and he sounds half asleep himself. So it's probably no surprise when just a few seconds afterwards, his breathing slips into smooth repetition, his chest rising and falling so peacefully that it can only be he's fallen asleep.]

[speeddial]

[He is exhausted, but the next day looming over their heads is doing a fine job of keeping him from falling asleep right after Kurapika does. He cycles through the same trains of thought; about tomorrow, about Nostrade's impossible proposal, about being with Kurapika like this. It takes more time than is ideal, but he still manages to drop off to into a comfortable sleep when he does.

Broken, of course, by Kurapika's hellish alarm. He doesn't jump this time, waking more slowly and cracking an eye open to glare toward the clock. Rude of it... He makes an irritated, half-asleep noise and turns his face into the pillow. Ugh, it's tomorrow.

No, he doesn't want to get up. The day is canceled.]

[dialtones]

[Overall, Kurapika had slept well enough. There'd been a nightmare at some time in the middle of the night, just enough to get him rolling over a few times, but now as he woke up one of his arms was wrapped around Leorio's waist.

The alarm was enough to wake him, but Leorio's shifting to hide a face in a pillow was even more of a reminder of the day about to start. He sits up slowly, rubbing Leorio's back gently as he does so. He has to sort of crawl over him to get off the bed where he wants to, but he manages with as little trouble as he can manage, shutting the alarm off on his phone.

Hmm, some missed calls, too. He'll have to listen to those on his own. Silently, in case Leorio wants to drift back to sleep somehow, he moves across the room to find what he's going to wear, getting everything together.

If only the day really was canceled. He doesn't want to go anywhere at all. But duty calls, and if there really is a collector talking about finding more eyes...

It's only when he has all his things together that he looks back at Leorio. And then back to the clothes folded in his arms. Ah, he really shouldn't feel shy about changing after yesterday, and yet...]

[speeddial]

[Rubbing his back is sweet, but it isn't going to make him want to get up any more. In fact, it has the exact opposite effect; just let him stay here and pretend it's not today. He sighs, still very much face-down into the pillow, and then says something also into the pillow that's probably "Morning."

But grumpily. Getting up this early is a chore to begin with, and doing it today so that Kurapika can go off without him makes it even worse.

At some point he rolls over to lie on his back and pointedly not get up, still with his eyes closed. The look on his face betrays the fact that he's woken up, but he's refusing. All his clothes are across the hall, anyway.

So Kurapika can get as naked as he wants, and Leorio might just miss it.]

Gimme another minute.

[dialtones]

[He stares at Leorio for a good few seconds before deciding that now's as good a time as any. Telling him to leave would be... Well, he doesn't want to. He sets his clothing on the desk nearby and undresses to change with his back to him.]

...If you want to sleep in a little longer, I don't think it would be a problem right now. Melody would understand.

[speeddial]

[Like he actually would, anyway... He'll fuse to this mattress before he leaves for such a silly reason.

Is he sleeping in or sulking, though? The big question. He doesn't answer immediately, thinking...]

Nah, just a minute's fine. [Hm.] When are you heading out?

[dialtones]

[As he slips his arms through the sleeves of his shirt and starts buttoning it up, he thinks back to the missed calls. When? Well, he should have left last night, really. He'd made some excuses selfishly, and now it was eating at the back of his mind. Hopefully things were under control.]

As soon as possible. [He says that pretty grimly, realizing it afterwards. He glances over his shoulder without saying more than that, frowning a little. Well... hopefully he wouldn't worry too much. He'll leave out whatever details he needs to, right now, to assure that as best as he can.]

[speeddial]

Figures. [So he's definitely sulking... He tells himself he'll have to get over it before too long, though, or Melody will know and she'll give him looks. More than she'll definitely know anyway, but whatever.

It's going to be a long day for a whole slew of reasons. He finally sits up, scrubbing a hand over his face to knock the last bit of sleep out of him.]

So... [So. Now when he finally could use his inability to keep his thoughts to himself, it suddenly fails him.]

[dialtones]

[He's still tucking in his shirt when he turns to face Leorio. At first, his expression is a little too harsh. Businesslike and ready to go out and do things-- but when he sets his eyes on Leorio, it slowly breaks from that.]

So?

[He prods, almost teasing as he rolls up the cuffs on his sleeves, walking over.] What are you thinking?

[He's got something to say, so he may as well ask directly. Just like that, he sits on the edge of the bed beside him again.]

[speeddial]

[So.

It's not that Leorio has too many thoughts and nowhere to begin, this time. Rather, he's drawing a blank; thoughts start and peter off before he can form them into coherent statements instead of just feelings.

They show through plenty when he looks at Kurapika, though, worry undercut with too much affection to sift through in a couple minutes. He settles for sliding an arm around Kurapika's shoulders and leaning in to press his face against his hair for a moment. Hmm.]

You better come back safe, Kurapika.

[dialtones]

[The emotion behind that look surprises him, somehow. Despite knowing Leorio and expecting him to be emotional and attached, he finds himself wondering now if he didn't really understand the weight. He feels it now, wrapped around him and pressed close like that face in his hair.

Again, sadness weighs down on him. His arms stay limp in his lap as he stares down at his hands.

When he stops to think about all of this, when he realizes that none of this misery would be troubling others, when he remembers that the Spider is what did all of this-- rage begins to seep in. It's why he has to go now, and it's why he'll continue to do so. To make them pay for all of this.]

I'm sorry, Leorio. [Emotion makes its way into his tone there, too, and his eyes close for a moment as he stabilizes his feelings. Have to keep his eyes unchanging, for now.]

I wish things didn't have to be this way. [Even if it's just a little at a time, he feels like he can vent with Leorio.] I'm sorry they are.

[A pause, and he finally raises a hand to touch lightly at the back of Leorio's head.]

I'll come back alive.

[speeddial]

[Leorio stays where he is; he'll squeeze the last seconds out of the time before Kurapika really has to leave like this. It's good but bittersweet to hear him vent— a wall has come down somewhere, or at least opened enough for him to listen through, and Kurapika is more here with him now than when he first arrived.

It makes him believe they can do this, even if "this" is little more than surviving to see it through to the end. He'll do whatever it takes.

Kurapika's last statement gets a small noise out of him, between a scoff and a grumble. No, listen, those aren't the terms he offered!!]

And safe, idiot. Don't come back coughing up blood again, or else-!!

[Or else, like. He'll fret. But also yell a lot.]

this icon is creepy and yet, so is he

[dialtones]

Or else?

[Sadly, they have to part now. Kurapika knows if he sits here and soaks in this strange, soft feeling, he'll grow softer himself-- and that's not good before what he intends to do. ('Not good', he thinks, earnestly.) On top of that, Leorio is worrying, and he needs a way to put him at ease...

So he falls back onto the usual. Bickering, instigating, poking fun where he can in small, calm ways. His hand smooths away from Leorio's face as he stands, not bothering to face him as he finishes up with his routine. The tie, and then moving over to his shoes.]

Or else what? If you're going to threaten someone, you should have the means to back it up.