dumbshow | answer your god damn phone

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answer your god damn phone

[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?

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[No, lie back down, what is this. Leorio glances at him, still frowning, then sighs as he gets an apology in return. That's- well, how much good does an apology actually do, after everything they did yesterday? He can't take back witnessing it all, but—it is good, on some level, to hear Kurapika admit he went too far.

Objectively. Leorio only wants him to stay grounded, when it comes to his- stuff.]

You sure as hell did! [huff. breathe.] But I guess I might have run in there without thinking...

Might have?

[If Leorio thinks he can scold him and let that roll as all, he's got another thing coming. But it is a good sign, that Kurapika's well enough to bicker like this.]

That was completely idiotic! I've never seen something so reckless... [Okay, that's an exaggeration.] The others even told me how you reacted before you left. What were you thinking?

[Precious glimmers of normalcy. Leorio's puffed up to argue back instantly- "Maybe you haven't fought in front of a mirror then!!" for example, but mercifully he's struck by supreme embarrassment before he can deliver that... brilliant rebuttal.

That guy!! He's going to deck him, he swears.]

I was thinking someone dropped a building on you when your call went dead! [Maybe this was an overreaction? Ah.] I brought backup.

[So there. It seems he's entirely forgotten he nearly kicked down Nostrade's private office door... whatever.]

That's only because you distracted me. [That his phone went dead, he means. 'Distracted', he says.] I wasn't able to charge my phone.

[He glances across the room at an uncharacteristically messy pile of his clothes, frowning. Ah, don't look at that-- but his still-dead phone is in there, somewhere.] I should do that now.

[So he gets up to do just that, tossing the sheets aside and over Leorio as he does. It takes him a few minutes, with his pride and trying to care about his appearance, but he finally does speak again, his back to Leorio.]

...I did appreciate it. Despite the way it was handled.

[Distracted. In fairness, that's not- inaccurate. But please be stuffier. Leorio sputters indignantly at him a few times, watching as he gets up (and an extra sputter for throwing sheets at him, come on).

By the time Kurapika is ready to speak to him again, he's regressed into a fine sulk, sitting there hunched over with his arms folded, giving everything else in the room grumpy looks. Kurapika...]

Hmph. I ruined a suit for you.

[The suit is much easier a sacrifice to talk about than all of those pesky abstracts, like taking a person-bomb for him. His suit!!]

I bought you that suit to begin with.

[Remember, when they bought him a bunch of suits and he probably thought it was Nostrade's money? Well. He shuffles through his clothing and pulls out the phone, plugging it into the wall there and then moving to fold his dirty clothes.

He's keeping his back to Leorio on purpose, too much thought revealed on his face. He knows Melody's words last night hold a certain truth, and he knows the feeling in his own chest, now, and he has a feeling he knows what Leorio is going to say if he just straight out asks this.

So he has to be creative in how he words it, right?]

Have you thought more about Nostrade's offer?

[Oh, Kurapika is the sugar daddy... embarrassing.

Anyway- Leorio looks over at Kurapika properly for the question about Nostrade, surprised. He mutters,] We're doing this now? [but when else would they do it, really...

Again, a sigh.] There wasn't any time.

[Extra 5 hours aside, he was busy being a dork around Melody during that time. He thinks about it now, frowning without directing it anywhere again; the offer.

... Well, he really doesn't want to join the mafia. But like he's loudly proclaimed at least a dozen times by now, he wants to leave Kurapika even less. After yesterday, no one would blame him for turning tail and getting out of there- he was on fire! He almost died! This way of life doesn't suit someone like him. He knows all of this. Working for Nostrade, as the- family doctor, or whatever... it might technically be helping people, but not in the way he planned.

He knows this, as well as he knows that if Kurapika is left alone, one day he'll get that look in his eye he had last night and it won't go away. Leorio is certain of that, and quite frankly he's not going to allow it!

On top of that, well—who's he going to have stupid arguments with and kiss and cram into a tiny bed with if not Kurapika? He likes that. And now he's going to make Kurapika say it.]

His offer sucks! [stay with him] What's yours?

My offer?

[He questions it aloud, sounding a little distant. Is that what he meant? Standing up, he sets his clothes (now folded) aside, and steps over to the door, locking it. Hm.

Turning in spot there, he leans back against the door and finally looks over to Leorio. He looks thoughtful, if anything.]

I don't know that I really have one.

[He locked the door? What? Leorio blinks, opening and closing his mouth a few times like he's- suddenly not sure where this is going.

He isn't, really. But he will act like it!]

Sure you do. Or— Just think of one now!

[He narrows his eyes a bit at that comment, but it doesn't last long. Seriously, he can't believe... this idiot, this huge, stubborn, hotheaded idiot... And he's here thinking about Melody saying their hearts were compatible in some way.

He pushes away from the door and moves back towards the bed.]

It's not that simple! [He doesn't want to say it so bluntly, either! He sits firmly next to Leorio again, sighing up at the ceiling.] All I have here is the mafia and my goals that make me more and more reckless. You have your schooling, your morals, and there's the subject of your well-being...

[That's a thing, yes. Finally, he looks down from the ceiling, fixing on a point across the room again. This wall must be very interesting, they both keep staring at it.]

If I had to summarize all of it, I think it would be that I don't want to lose you. [So, in any meaning of the word... He may have left out a few of his thoughts here and there.]

[Don't worry about him out loud, that's- okay nothing can beat being carried bridal style in front of those mafia guys, right now, but still!! Leorio glances between Kurapika and that very interesting wall a few times, thinking—

Really thinking, trying to pick out the actual answer to his question - because none of that was. Use your adult words, Kurapika.

He clears his throat.] You, uh—

I'm pretty sure we already covered that. The other day? [He said something dopey about not being able to leave??]

[...

He can't. He can't go on like this. What's he supposed to say?? These thoughts he's been resting on, they're too close to his heart. Would saying them even convey it properly? He closes his eyes like he's either intensely focused or annoyed (probably both), hands curling over his knees.]

It's-- more than that. [He can't do this he sounds like a moron. Forcing himself to exhale more calmly, his eyes open again.

Thinking again. His offer? His offer...]

...Stay here.

[Leorio wonders, in those moments of waiting - why the door had to be locked for this. Seriously...

He puts on a thoughtful face to temper the incredibly stupid grin that threatens to break out at the "offer." Like it's something he has to think about. It's a foolish and terrifying prospect, but the request to stay sounds so different from Kurapika than it does from Kurapika-for-Nostrade.

He lets out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and shrugs, the picture of casual.]

Okay.

[His eyes snap over at that, and really, Leorio acting so casual like that makes him puff up a little in defiance. But he can't stay angry. Not when that's the exact sort of reaction he expects and hopes for.]

...Really, I didn't even offer anything yet. [That was more of a demand, wasn't it? A request, actually. And the door wasn't locked for this talk, Leorio, please. He spent the last ten minutes planning out cool ways to initiate this, because no way is he going to be a lamer again and make a chair fall over.

He places a hand on Leorio's thigh now, squeezing it lightly as he leans up, just tall enough to peck the side of his jaw. Really, he's so tall.]

Leorio... [Ah, really, all his skill with words goes out the window in moments like this.] I'll stay with you if you stay with me.

[That sounds so dumb, he immediately berates himself for it. But--] Is that sort of thing really fine?

Oh. [Fffff shut up?? Shut up. He takes it back! At least until the next part - the actual offer, right?

Can he say it now?] That's the same thing, idiot.

[Technically true, given he's been translating "here" as "with Kurapika" for days now. Melody was right again. He hmms, sliding an arm around Kurapika's waist and lightly drumming his fingers against his side. Man, maybe he's having second thoughts??]

Kurapika... [He won't yell this, but he does sound Very Serious about it,] How many times do I have to say it is?

[He turns in to face him a little more, hand staying in place at his thigh. Really, he can't be as casual as Leorio, drumming his fingers or wrapping an arm around... He has to worry about every little move.

And right now, he's focused on those words, and that tone.]

You always do everything without thinking. [He repeats this again, and similarly, there's no anger or annoyance in his words, now.] How can I be reassured?

[A little unfair to put out there, probably, but it explains his repeated asking. Leorio's just 'jumping into things' again... That would make sense, wouldn't it?

But at this point, he's prepared to accept it selfishly no matter what.]

[Leorio raises an eyebrow, more curious than skeptical. Not always, surely, sometimes he's the thoughtful one-

But if Kurapika's just going to ask for this. It's that tone that gets Leorio's minor annoyance at having to keep saying this ebb away a little, because it's not that Kurapika has just been ignoring him - rather, the opposite. His brow furrows, and his hold around Kurapika becomes more steady and firm. Here he goes.]

I'll say it every day if that's what it takes! Whenever you need a reminder, I'll give you one— If you're worried, I'll fix it- [somehow, maybe get a bigger knife] I'm not saying okay without thinking, Kurapika!

[Okay, this is unfair. He has to prove... what? That he thinks? That this isn't something he's just doing because it feels right at the time? How??]

You— you're... [Ah, faltering- he can spit out all that cheesy stuff effortlessly, but feelings. Shiiit.] It can't be anyone else but you!!

[He had set Leorio up for failure, really. He didn't think there was a way he could be reassured or decide that Leorio had actually given this thought. No matter what cheesy lines he spit out, Kurapika was positive they'd be quick and without depth.

And it starts out like that, maybe, but he can feel the seriousness in his hold alone. His tone isn't the usual type of frantic determined, there's something more to it-- and those last words are completely and utterly loyal.

That serious look wipes off his face entirely, and Kurapika just looks stunned. His cheeks burn a little, too, but hopefully Leorio is so focused on his own outburst that he doesn't notice that.]

I-- [What can he say to something like that? Not something like 'thank you' again, please, that was so impersonal. He's lost for a good few seconds, hand gripping lightly at the cloth of Leorio's pants as the other reaches up and grabs the collar of his shirt, yanking him down to his level.

If he can't speak properly, he'll respond with this heated kiss, instead. Maybe that'd get the point across.

He'll believe that. He won't ask again.]

[Well, he is waiting for an answer. His gaze is locked on Kurapika's face and he's frowning, but it's due to how incredibly serious he is about this rather than anything else. Something like "okay, I take it back" probably wouldn't be- he'd be even more embarrassed by his outburst if Kurapika said something like that. Still, it's a very long few seconds of waiting.

He makes a noise of surprise when he's pulled down, inelegant ('hurk'). But their lips connect and Leorio will definitely accept this as an answer. He realizes that this- well, sort of this- is what he'd been lacking, just earlier when he'd woken up alone. After the previous day's events, to only be able to bump knees in the back of a car— they'd both almost died, and goddamn mafia guys prevented him from just touching Kurapika after that as a comfort-

God, he is not going to tear up right now, he's not-!! No, only a little, but he hopes if he slides his hand up to rest below Kurapika's ear and tilts his head into the kiss, they can just ignore that...]

[Were those teary eyes... How sentimental. But it's not as if he could talk. If he weren't so great at staying composed, his emotions right now would probably be enough to do the same-- maybe. And anyway, he'd already gotten his turn of crying last night. Right now, it still feels worrying. He feels Leorio here, but when his arms wrap around him, he remembers his pained face from last night. From the tunnel, with the snakes. Times he'd almost lost him.

His lips twitch to a frown, and one of his hands raises to touch Leorio's cheek softly. It's like a warning to the way he pulls back from the kiss, just enough to speak.]

I'm reassured. [How lame... He must be catching it, he thinks, trying to ignore Leorio's eyes now as he leans in for another kiss. It's sweeter than how he was trying to initiate. This was Leorio's fault, too.]

[Work isn't at the front of his mind today, either, it seems. Maybe he can get away with wasting time with Leorio. Maybe they could procrastinate further on making any official moves one way or another, despite this conversation... Maybe.

Whatever they did, though, it didn't really matter so long as Leorio stayed here. Kurapika knew enough to admit that to himself now.

His arms raise suddenly to wrap around Leorio's shoulders, leaning up into the kiss a little more with a hum. This is easier than he thought it would be, getting used to this. His hand curls into his hair, running through it, as short as it is, and sliding down to--

To...

He hesitates slightly in the kiss as his fingers run over an oddly smooth patch, and slowly, he stills even more. Oh. Oh no... Even he can't bring himself to point this out bluntly.]

[He's not crying...! He thinks he has it under control when Kurapika pulls away, although yes, that reply is as embarrassing as he thought- is that what it's like to talk to him, only dialed back about ten times? It probably is.

Still, there's no denying the way it lifts a weight in his chest and makes him think this might all actually work out. He's even willing to put aside how much Kurapika should go back to bed- and he probably should too, sore as he is- just because of his suddenly great mood.

It's a very nice kiss, he thinks. No one's falling out of any chairs or stopping to scold in the middle, and if they spend the rest of the morning like this it would be more than okay. He doesn't notice Kurapika hesitating at first, and when he does, he simply breaks the kiss entirely to place a few smaller ones along his jaw.

Man, Kurapika, what gives...]

Kurapika? What- [Ah, hang on, something about Kurapika's fingers in his hair feels different. He huffs against his neck and reaches back to feel that spot himself, like maybe he's still got debris dust stuck in it, but-

What. Just- just give him a minute to sit here and rub at the back of his head in disbelief, before he sits upright abruptly. It takes him a second to connect his new bald spot with being on fire and then healed, and then-]

You didn't heal my hair!

[ah yes]

How was I supposed to know about that? I wasn't worried about your hair, I was worried about you!

[But don't you dare quote that back at him, that was a slip just now. He pulls back to give Leorio the space, raising his right hand questioningly. There's no chains there right now, but--]

Should I try?

[As if he's not burning up from the last time his eyes went red. Theoretically, it could work... He hasn't thought of it. He's seriously contemplating a chain around Leorio's head to heal a bald spot, watch out.]

[Aww, that's sweet. He'll remember that for the next time he wants to tease Kurapika about something (okay Leorio). Right now he's much more concerned about his hair-

And not having a chain around his head, thank you.]

No!! No, what if- what if it grows too long?!

[This is a real concern.]

Then I'd cut it.

[He gives Leorio a long look for that question. Really... Shifting so that he sits on his knees, he reaches around Leorio, one hand resting on his shoulder for support as the other touches the back of his head. He's peering at it from here, it seems.

As best as he can, anyway, half-leaning over and around Leorio like this.]

It's not as bad as it could have been...

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1/2 surprise

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