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]

[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.

[speeddial]

[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.]

[dialtones]

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?

[speeddial]

[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?

[dialtones]

[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!

[speeddial]

You're— [He stops, actually, before Kurapika throws the book at him. It's that brief moment of realization that Kurapika is getting dressed crouched on the floor behind a desk that throw him off. Just... why is he- what-?

And then he's beaned with a book and lets out a strangled noise that's both confused and angry, stumbling back and away from the desk. Happy??]

What the hell, Kurapika!! That was my face!

[Muffled, as he's got his hands pressed to his face now in case he's BLEEDING EVERYWHERE?! Which right now he doesn't seem to be, at least.]

[dialtones]

[Just like that, he tugs his pants on the rest of the way and stands up, buttoning them quickly as he stares at Leorio. God, look, he just got surprised. It'd be a lie to say he didn't feel a tiny bit bad, but who asks what someone is doing while hiding while looking?]

That's what you get. [Ah, he's so kind, what a great choice you've made Leorio. At the very least he'll walk over like this, reaching up to tug at Leorio's hands to get them away from his face.]

Don't be a baby, let me see.

[speeddial]

[Predictably, Leorio's mature response to this is to wave one hand at Kurapika and lean away, still holding his face with the other. He's been hit with a heavy book, he's earned this.]

I'm the baby-?! [He'll take his hand away to check for blood now - none, fine, but he's still mad!! - and blink a few times, like that helps get rid of the new and exciting pain. In his face.

his face!!]

Why do you even have that book?

[dialtones]

[When his swipes for hands fail, he frowns and crosses his arms, instead, staring huffily up at Leorio. It was a large, hardback book, okay, maybe that's fair, but still.]

It has a lot of information on how casinos are run and what goes on behind the scenes. [So, he needed it.]

[speeddial]

Well now my face does, too!! [Ah, he didn't actually want a real answer... Now that he's yelled a fair amount, he stares back sourly for a good couple seconds before turning with a huff to go back to sitting on the bed.

There he goes, sulking. For added effect he rubs his face again, muttering something that involves a lot of "heavy" and "damn it!!"]

[dialtones]

[For about a whole minute, Kurapika stands where he was with his untucked collared shirt and his suit pants, arms crossed and staring at Leorio like he's not sure how to handle this. It's true, he's not sure how to handle this.

Was he too harsh? Well, he's always been this way. Still, when he woke up to gushy feelings about how Leorio was there for him even when he hadn't realized it, it does feel a little cruel...

Maybe he should work on this. A little. He's not going to pity him all the time!! Just this once.

Rolling his eyes briefly, he walks over to the bed and steps in front of Leorio. Swatting his hands away, he takes his face in his hands and leans forward, kissing him on his forehead.

Well, if he's going to be a baby, he's going to get comforted like one.]

[speeddial]

[When his hands are knocked away, Leorio opens his mouth to loudly object to that and probably tell Kurapika to get lost, if all he's going to do now is hit him with stuff. Instead, he gets his forehead kissed...

That's sweet, damn it. Despite himself, he deflates a little - he's still pretty obviously irritated, but he doesn't have it in him to yell anymore. For at least a few minutes.

Now, however, it's his turn to completely avoid looking Kurapika in the eye; although for his part, it's because he's trying to stay annoyed. Trying to stay annoyed, that's the point he's reached- but Kurapika can't just chuck stuff at him and get away with it!]

You're supposed to say sorry out loud.

[dialtones]

[Oh. When he's on this side, it's so much easier to see how endearing it is. It's not that he even notices they've shifted places. He just knows Leorio is being Leorio as usual, and he's clearly trying to stay angry when he's not... And how could he pass that up.]

Sorry. [It seems genuine and simple at first, especially when he kisses his forehead again-- but then, he might spot that slight twitch of his mouth betraying him right before he speaks.] Mr. Leorio.

[speeddial]

[He's diligently kept up enough annoyance to be waiting for the other shoe to drop, even when Kurapika apologizes- but that is just embarrassing. He sputters, leaning away from Kurapika's hands and looking to the side at the wall.]

What's with that?! You don't have to— [sHAME HIM for his loser past] Shut up!

[dialtones]

[A laugh slips out as he slips away, tossing him a look over his shoulder as he crosses the room again. He doesn't need to say any more than that, and soon enough, his attention shifts back to what he was doing.

It's funny how his mood can improve when he's on top of the embarrassment chain, here. (He really is moody, isn't he.) He finishes with the usual, pocketing his phone at the very end.]

Everything we need to take care of today shouldn't take up too much time. I'll follow up on the family that tried to poison us, and your school, speak to the others about some business and then if you'd like we can come back here.

['Come back here' sounds like he's assigned it as a lot more of a role on the to-do list than it sounds, for some reason. Some... reason.]

[speeddial]

[That's not funny, that's cruel... Leorio is suffering. He suffers for a whole twenty seconds or so more, before he squints at Kurapika, moment of shame gone.]

So I'm just gonna follow you around all day?

[Well— that's not exactly a complaint, but he will grumble about being bored on the hour, every hour. Don't worry, though - he caught that last part and how it sounds. He hums, then shrugs, very casually.]

Sounds good to me.

should we mini time skip on same day or would you rather bigger time skip and something new

[dialtones]

Then let's go. Straighten out your shirt, it's wrinkled.

[With that, he turns and heads for the door, hiding the small smile that grows with it. This is all going to be so different. It still rings as a bad idea in his own mind, but... pushing him away hadn't helped at all. It definitely hadn't helped either of them. So he'd ignore that feeling for now.

The first step is to see what information he can gather on Don Paolo and his family now that he's gone. Make sure there aren't any loose strings.]

i was going to reply with pitbull lyrics but maybe next time

[speeddial]

[rude]

[One day of errands (Leorio does, in fact, grumble a lot throughout) and evening of awkward fumbling (Leorio complains less about this one) later finds Leorio waking up the next morning very much attached to Kurapika. It doesn't matter what configuration they eventually got to sleep in, because he's managed overnight to get both arms and most of a leg around Kurapika in some fashion, like a great sloth.

Even after he's woken up, he doesn't feel like moving... Well, not immediately. At some point he'll have to collect his discarded clothes, in order to make the vague idea forming in his head a reality. See, what he's realized after the other day running around in Don Paolo's mansion is that that's the only time he's been out of this stupid office building since he got here.

Maybe because he refused to go out and buy his own suits, but still! That would still only be two times total if he had! He's going to go crazy!!

Anyway, he'll get to that, sometime after he sticks his face in Kurapika's hair and hums, in that "I'm aggravated about your phone alarm" way Kurapika is surely getting used to.]

LFDSMGMDF oh my god I swear

[dialtones]

[Again, the alarm. He's less in a hurry to reach up and grab it this time, far too comfortable with this human blanket wrapped around him. He almost forgets just what has him so relaxed until there's a face in his hair and humming that's enough to tickle.

It's kind of funny that Leorio is so against getting up in the morning. Shouldn't doctors have a habit of waking early? Maybe those are just his thoughts.

He chuckles softly, reaching a hand to rest at the side of Leorio's cheek as he tries to stretch a bit.]

I can't turn it off if you won't let me go.

[speeddial]

[Leorio hums again, louder and with more "I hate the alarm!!" gusto at that comment. He could let Kurapika get up, but then how would he convince him to come back right after instead of running off to start the day like the little busybody he is...??

He compromises by lifting one arm, giving him enough room to reach it if he really stretches. Thanks, Leorio.]

Go on, or I'll start throwing stuff at it.

[dialtones]

[Ah. He's not being released, he sees.]

That's hardly letting me go... [But it's not like he enjoys the sound, either, so he moves as far as he can, stretching out, and after one or two grasps for it, he grabs it and swipes the alarm off with a sigh.]

Didn't you have to get up early for class, Leorio?

[speeddial]

[Kurapika is so smart. Leorio doesn't even relent with his other arm, just waits for Kurapika to get the alarm turned off so he can flop his raised arm back down again.]

Sure, but I don't have to like it.

[He grumbled himself awake every day, on days he actually made it to his bed from the desk the night before. Power naps are in his blood.]

There's nothing to do here, anyway. [Ah, there's his complaint. Sleeping is his entertainment, it seems.] I'm going stir crazy!

[dialtones]

You're so restless.

[It's like dealing with a puppy or something. He's not sure how to handle it. And when he tries to think of what can be done here, he can think of plenty. Work. Extra work, really, since things are finally running smoothly after sorting out loose ends just yesterday.

But things could always come up, and he was trying to find the eyes of his brethren. That's a full-time job. He'd followed all the leads he had and now there were none, so he was behind, in a way...

Eyeing the hand that's slumped over him again, he shifts to push at it with his index finger, idly fidgeting more than anything. How do you morning cuddle, he just doesn't know.]

There's plenty to do, but I'm assuming you don't mean work. [Obviously.] So what were you thinking?

[speeddial]

[Poking him isn't particularly cuddly, for the record. Not that he seems to mind, absorbed in his restless complaining as he is.

Here is what he's come up with: They should get a day off! Days off are his solution to plenty of problems, but this time he really means it. Maybe it's that or the timing that makes him completely skip trying to frame it in a way that Kurapika can't shoot down immediately, but he just goes for it-]

Let's go somewhere. [beat] Just for today.

[Eh?? Eh???]

[dialtones]

[The timing of recent events certainly helps. Kurapika doesn't immediately reject the offer, this time, instead taking the time to blink at it in curiosity. Well, he'd just been thinking all that's really left to do is try to find leads. That's a tedious, unrewarding search in itself. And maybe he could do it while going out. (Kurapika no.)]

Go where?

[That doesn't mean he's great at responding to the suggestion, though.]