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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Then why don't we both sleep?

[And stop worrying aloud and spreading strange panic?? Keeping his face to the wall, he moves one of his hands that's already curled close to himself to pluck softly at one of Leorio's fingers at his side.

Maybe that would be enough of a reassurance for him. Kurapika's thinking he appreciates the warmth, even if he actually does have a fever. He feels cold.]

We can worry about that... later. [They're not going to call.]

[But what if.]

You first.

[Sleep, that is. But at the touch he scoots closer to fit his arm snugly around Kurapika, not a big deal at all. Honestly, Kurapika should get back under the covers, but Leorio's huge self can act as a good enough heater in a pinch.

Now this time when he shuts his eyes, he won't suddenly yell again. Probably. There's always that chance. But, hm, he's definitely going to fall asleep soon enough, so-]

You have to sleep for the whole hour. Don't fake it.

I was, almost, and then you started yelling.

[Just for the record. He's falling asleep right now, actually, eyes closing as he listens to Leorio breathing behind him. It's a little weird, but it's comforting.]

Why would I fake it? Honestly...

To sneak out early and do something else, you workaholic!

[Hmph!! As if to really drive home the point, that he won't stand for that kind of nonsense, he squeezes Kurapika briefly. Then he's very much settled in to take a nap and not going anywhere.

Sleeeeep.]

[Surprisingly, just a short hour does a lot to help. Or maybe it's the company? He manages to relax instead of stressing the whole time, and the constant warmth of a friend by his side chases away any panicked thoughts or nightmares that could very easily worsen his state. For once, recovery goes smoothly and fast, and in an hour and fifteen minutes or so, he wakes up naturally with Leorio's arms still around him.

Maybe it's that he's still a little groggy, but he thinks for a moment that this isn't so bad. That it's very nice, in fact... And he rests one of his hands on Leorio's testingly.

When there's no reaction and it sounds like Leorio is still sleeping behind him, he shifts very carefully until they're facing each other, blinking at his knocked out face. It's probably less than elegant, but somehow, he's still endeared.

Mostly, he's wondering if he should wake him up, or leave him be. He doesn't want to lay in bed all day himself, but he doesn't want to sneak out to work and have him get angry with him later, either.

Nervously, he gets a strange idea and reaches to touch Leorio's cheek next, fingers lingering there. Would he wake up at that...?]

[A short hour isn't enough for Leorio, it seems. He's still out cold when the hour-ish is up, maybe because he isn't as used to this strenuous daily action as Kurapika is... In any case, he sure is asleep.

He might stir briefly from the bed shifting as Kurapika moves, but! Still asleep!! Aggressively asleep, like he refuses to wake up until he's well-rested and less sore than he was the first time he woke up today.]

[When a couple of soft taps don't seem to cause any reaction in his sleep, his heart dips as he considers an idea that's more tempting than he can understand. There's a lot on his mind, after last night, and the talk with Melody, the talk with Leorio just an hour ago...

It feels like a pull. Not just a light tug or a nudge, but a full on pull, making his heart beat fast as he holds his breath to inch closer.

What am I doing?

He's not... sure... He seems so fast asleep, and he recalls having to be a little more violent to wake Leorio up on occasion. So maybe he'll sleep right through it and it'll be fine. But his heart's beating so loud that he thinks if it doesn't wake up Leorio right next to him, Melody might be alerted from anywhere in the building.

Still, he can't look away. Just a short time ago, he felt miserable and alone, but how could he not have realized that this person right here was always ready and willing to stay by his side, no matter what?

It feels like there's so much left to express.

Carefully and slowly, he closes the distance left between them and meets Leorio's lips with his own in a sweet kiss. It's longer than he originally meant for it to be, but after those few seconds, he pulls back, accidentally letting all his held breath escape in a soft exhale.]

[Heartbeats don't wake Leorio, and somehow, neither does that kiss; it's breath hitting his face that actually stirs him into waking, slowly. It's like he wakes up in pieces, first his brow furrowing, then cracking one eye open, then the other, frowning. He takes a second to recognize the blonde shape right up close and personal as Kurapika, and blinks himself awake more fervently.

Then he smiles, a little lopsided and plenty sleepy, but he can't help it spreading across his face anyway. His gaze is soft and faintly amused, like he can guess Kurapika is up to something! although he really isn't sure...

He lifts his hand from Kurapika's side to rub at an eye and says,] You're still here.

[He was right, sleep is great.]

[He catches that movement on Leorio's face, and his hand leaps back from his cheek to his own, covering his mouth briefly and then sliding it down to curl uselessly by his chest before Leorio can see that. But that just leaves him blinking awake to his face, right out there in the open and heating up all too fast.

Why did he do that!!]

Y-you're awake. [Nothing is going on here, nothing at all! His eyes nervously slide down between them, instead, like he's fascinated with his own hand.] Why wouldn't I be here? I wasn't going to just leave you here to panic about it...

[His heart is going about a million miles an hour, still, god. He's not sure how he didn't shove him off the bed in pure embarrassed shock.]

I wouldn't've panicked. [Too much. He might have tattled to Melody to enlist her in finding him, but that's not panicking! This he says as he slides that arm back around Kurapika again, casually.

Is he seemingly ignoring how flustered Kurapika is because he just woke up? That's tough to say; maybe this is part of his devious plot to keep Kurapika from getting up, anyway, hour or no.]

It's not a big deal, Kurapika.

[Listen when he says this... He hums and leans in to plant a small kiss on the corner of his mouth and pull back right after, still giving him that look. Jeez Kurapika, don't be so tense...]

[He doesn't know how not to be tense. Leorio kisses just the corner of his mouth and it feels like something tingly shoots up his spine. He's holding his breath again, looking incredibly tense and incredibly uncertain about so many things right now.

Like--]

Why are you looking at me like that? [stOP... HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, HE'S INNOCENT.]

[One of these days, Kurapika will learn to relax for more than a few seconds at a time. Leorio seems to have decided he doesn't care to tell him to relax right now, and is perfectly content to lie here and look at him fondly.

Yeah, that's right, object some more. There's nothing but dopey affection here right now.]

Like what?

Like that!

[He should feel real accomplished here in just a second. Because Kurapika's heart is through the roof, that pull hasn't stopped at all, and Leorio won't stop looking at him like that and he has no idea how to react!

He'll learn to relax one day, but today is not that day. Today is the day where he gets so flustered, his eyes shift over to red, now. Coupled with a worked up face, so many people would pay to see the ~chain bastard~ reduced to this. How embarrassing.

He reaches up and covers Leorio's eyes with his hands after a moment of thought.]

Like you're... [Like he's what, he's not really sure. But he's looking at him like something, that's for sure.] Like you're doing.

[On this day, Leorio has won... the upper hand is his, even when Kurapika seriously covers his eyes to make him stop doing whatever he's doing. Looking. Normally!]

I'm still looking at you.

[Yes, that helps. He'll just wait out Kurapika's weird mood, he thinks, unless he gets pushed off the bed or- something.]

What, I can't look at you? Give me my glasses back, then. [those make a difference.]

["Normally?!" Kurapika pulls his hands back just so Leorio can see his unimpressed staring as he huffs out an irritated sigh. He can't... He can't just ignore this and hope to feel better. It's driving him crazy already.]

No. [So he says that, equally childish, and it's unclear if he means to the looking or to the glasses. (He means the latter.) Either way, he'll lean in again, kissing Leorio.

Maybe then he'll stop making that goofy face. The one he can't stop thinking about, even as he closes his eyes right now. Agh... This is mildly frustrating.]

[What's his deal?? Leorio just decided not to do anything and just wait, but already it's becoming difficult with how moody Kurapika is for- apparently!- no reason.

And give him back his glasses!]

You- [Cut off with a kiss, he both shuts up and stops making that face. The latter is only a brief reprieve, though, as he's a huge sap and keeps thinking about how this is a pretty nice morning, all things considered, and they're going to- stay together and it's going to work. It's definitely going to work.

So, there's really no denying that he's making a silly face as he kisses him back. This, like the pillow, is Kurapika's destiny.]

[ it stopped for a second, at least, and in that second kurapika almost convinced himself he could calm down. But he didn't, he couldn't, because this was so unbelievable and he could barely deal with it on his own without leorio looking at him so happily...!!

It feels like too much, being responsible for his feelings like that. How could he?

He kisses back at first, but after ten seconds of trying to calm down, his face twists into something even more flustered. Well-- it just looks like he's angry and doesn't know where to put it. Pulling back with an emotional huff, he shifts to slip away from leorio and stand up. Check his phone or put on a shirt maybe, anything!! ]

You're so--! [ he sounds angry, but not angry angry. ] We need to get out of bed already.

[Leorio sits up after Kurapika slides away from him. He'll try to stop making that face, maybe- he'll lean back on his hands and make that face up at the ceiling instead, how's that? They'll be at an impasse if Kurapika can't get over the fact that this face is his face, this is one of his natural states of being: big sappy doofus.

Go on, tell him he's a doofus. Still, he manages his best yeah, whatever tone:]

You're the one who's still in his pajamas this late. It's probably already past noon! [To wit, he gestures pointedly at himself- he got dressed! He's already out of bed, technically, he's just sitting here!! Although this does remind him to look down at himself and straighten his tie, since he did take a nap in a full suit... and it's probably not past noon, but shh.]

Are you- [He hesitates, not sure how to phrase this. He wants to ask "are you busy?" but he has no idea what they do in the mafia when not in immediate crisis. He has no experience other than crises to draw from, really.] What are you doing today?

You wouldn't let me out of bed!

[Stop making him argue like he's speaking with a child!! Well, he thinks that now, but in just a few seconds, even, he's thinking on this fondly. It's like old times.

It's the question that throws him off as he picks out some clothes to wear, glancing behind himself at Leorio. How can he change-- but also, what is he doing today? Well.]

I still need to think about that. There's always something to do, but it's hard to say what until I've looked at things in all areas... [He pauses. Well, he can't just... leave Leorio here in the room all the time like a puppy.] It makes the most sense to sort out everything with you, right now. Otherwise you wouldn't have much to do, right?

[Wow, he would find something else to do besides sit here like a puppy! Maybe he'd sit across the hall.

Leorio gives him a look - finally, not that look, this one is the look of a man who doesn't really want to sort out tedious details but knows he has to. A kid who doesn't want to do his homework, essentially.]

I hate it when you do that. [Use logic and reason at him; this is why he yells so much. Then he slouches back again, waving a hand and sighing.] Sure, whatever, let's do it.

[Ah, he still thinks Nostrade is somehow personally involved... Also, wait, he has a dumb question.]

What the hell did you guys do before I showed up? Pass around a box of bandages and tell each other good luck?

[He pauses at the mirror, brushing aside his hair just enough to view his earring before letting it fall back in place. His hair's gotten pretty long, hasn't it? He's only just noticed the recent growth again.

Leorio's question comes next, and he blinks over to him.]

We'd drive to the hospital. [It just wasn't going to work in this case... And well, there was convenience to having a doctor on sight, but it was hard to consider paying someone just in case.

Now he's moving to duck behind a desk in the corner, don't ask.]

I could generally heal myself. You saw my ability, right? It can heal something like a crushed arm in just seconds.

[Leorio just says "oh" to that, because oh. That was a dumb question, huh... Well, how is he supposed to know what normal crises the mafia gets up to when not catching nen flu or exploding!! So-!

Why is Kurapika behind the desk?? He almost didn't catch that, but why...]

You're not a doctor, Kurapika. That ability's convenient, but it takes too much out of you! [It's not cost effective, is what he's saying. And probably not wholly medically sound, but he barely understands nen, so he won't try to argue that point.

Still, he felt really strange after his abrupt healing - that speedy healing has to stress the body in ways it shouldn't.]

Having my eyes change at all is taxing for too long, but that's something I've been timing and working on. Right now, I can keep it up for three minutes without any serious repercussions.

[After that, it does get worse the longer he holds out, but... He's training! He's working at fixing that. And he's changing behind this desk, by the way. Changing.]

It was important in my fight with Uvogin. [He never really spoke much about that, and that's because honestly the whole thing disgusts him-- but he'll share that much.] It could be important against the rest of the Spiders, as well, but I have to be prepared. So I should use it when possible. Doesn't that make sense?

[Last night was well above three minutes, he wants to say, but he'll pick that fight another time. What Kurapika's saying isn't technically objectionable, it's just - his actions are so much more reckless than his words.]

I'm not saying you shouldn't use it, I'm saying... [Hmmm, how can he say "don't overdo it" without being repetitive?] Only use it when there's no other option. Let me handle the rest!

[Or he'll have nothing to do, remember? He's good at this stuff!

—And he's getting tired of talking to a desk, so if Kurapika doesn't pop out in the next few seconds after Leorio decides to get up and walk over there, well, he's just going to lean over and look.] What are you doing over here, anyway?

[They really are. Even if he's aware of his own recklessness to an extent, he has no idea in advance how bad it can get. And so, he considers this without as much weight as Leorio does, tugging on his shirt and then shifting to change pants. This is hard while crouching.]

...Alright. I think I can do that. [It seems fair. The question comes next, and he glances up when it comes with something like a shadow-- oh.

Here he is, half in his pants crouched behind the desk. Leorio might catch a couple seconds of actual sight before Kurapika grabs the nearest item (a very heavy book, unfortunately) and chucks it at his face.]

W-what are you doing?! Don't come over here!

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uses this icon while you're asleep and can't scream at me!! ha HA

YELLS AT THROUGH THIS PHONE TAG NOOOOO his dumb face

relishes

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