"We have to hide." Chrollo stated, making the blonde next to him whirl around with a surprised look.

"Are you serious?" the Kurta asked incredulously at the Spider head, glaring at the taller man when he didn't respond. "Then you go, I'm still going to fight."

"Don't be ignorant to the situation chain user, we need to leave, and now." Chrollo responded sternly, grabbing the blonde's arm before the other could storm out of shop they were currently taking shelter in. "The hunter out there is too strong for both of us, and with him searching for us due to the large bounties on our heads, I suggest we leave now and regroup later with a plan."

"And why would I ever want to collaborate with you?" Kurapika asked angrily, standing up and pulling away from Chrollo. "You, the one who killed my whole clan? You must be joking!"

"We can't get sentimental over the past now! The longer we wait, the less time we'll have to escape!" Chrollo hissed under his breath, trying to think of a decent way to get out of the shop without being seen.

Kurapika looked like he wanted to retort but said nothing, settling with a nod for his answer.

Chrollo sighed, glad the boy wasn't arguing anymore but also at the fact that they probably couldn't avoid another encounter with the bounty hunter outside if they didn't want to have their backs pressed against the wall in the small shop.

"Maybe," Kurapika started, before pausing to lick his lips then continuing. "If I go out and distract him, you could leave-"

"No. I will not allow you to risk your life for me." Chrollo said, eyeing the Kurta. "If anything, I could probably handle that job better than you."

"Oh, but you think I'd let you get killed by someone else? Just in case you forgot, I got in the 'kill Chrollo Lucilfer' line first!" Kurapika retorted, stepping in front of the taller man and poking him in the chest. "So technically, that guy has to wait his turn."

Baffled as he was at Kurapika being protective over him, (though for another reason than what he would have wished for,) he knew he had the best chance at surviving a battle with the bounty hunter, and maybe even getting their deadly ability to prevent it from being used against them again.

"If you're worried that I can't hold my own, then that's not much of a problem if it comes to gaining time-"

"Kurapika, I need you to trust me on this."

The Kurta stopped, eyes wide at the request.

"Wha- trust?"

"I know how to stop them from coming after us again without killing them." Chrollo continued, placing his hands on the blonde's shoulders reassuringly. "Please."

Kurapika stared at him in what Chrollo assumed was disbelief, but Chrollo didn't need hesitation, he needed to know Kurapika would follow through with escaping when he was distracting the enemy. So he did what he felt he needed to do, both out of necessity and want, and kissed him.

He didn't linger long despite wanting to, especially after the blonde had made an almost lewd sounding gasp into the kiss, so he pulled back, taking in the flushed Kurta before him.

"You have to live, for me. And if not for me, then for yourself." Chrollo said, surprise that his voice came out in a pant.

Trying to cover up for it, he released Kurapika's shoulders and walked around him towards the door, only to have the blonde catch his wrist before he could get there.

"Why? Why would you want me to live when all I've caused you is pain and death?"

Chrollo looked back at the younger man, confusion and embarrassment clear on his face but eyes searching for answers, trying to figure out the taller man. The Spider head smiled.

"Because you are the most interesting person I've ever met, and I don't want you to ever go away."

He then gently tugged his wrist out of the other's hand and walked out the door, the Kurta still standing there in shock, only managing to recover when he heard the rubble underneath the Spider head's boots crunching.

"You better come back or else I'll kill you again!" Kurapika called after him, walking out of the small shop himself.

Chrollo chuckled at the threat.

"I know."

With that, the Spider head went off to confront the bounty hunter, the sounds of the blonde escaping making him smile again.

Chrollo wished he could say more than that, but truly, he was a coward when it came to his own personal feelings. Maybe, with this rekindled reason to fight, he might be able to live long enough to meet the Kurta again.