DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in this story.
AUTHOR's NOTES: Special Christmas Gift-fic to yukikittycatofwisdom. This is my promise to you XD Merry Christmas to you!
-x-
Of Christmas Lights and Shocking Sights
York Shin's lights blinked and twinkled unerringly under the indigo blanket of the night sky. The glitters of the stars were nothing compared to the electrically choreographed play of Christmas bulbs toying with the eyes of the populace. Kurapika sat by the window of their suite, mesmerized, as the lights of the numerous skyscrapers of the city danced with the tune of songs inspired by the Christmas spirit.
"Those lights are certainly beautiful."
"Hmm," he lazily replied, taking his eyes off of the lights only for a moment to gaze at the amused look his companion offered him.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he felt a warm mug of coffee being gently pushed against his arm.
"You're welcome," the other replied at his smile. "You should smile more often. It is Christmas after all." He added as he sat beside the Kuruta on the couch that was pulled and pushed until it was facing the huge floor to ceiling window.
"Christmas Eve," Kurapika corrected him.
The older man laughed, his rich voice seemingly swimming along with the cold, Christmas-y late-night winter breeze. "Christmas," he replied. "For three minutes already."
"Oh. Well, merry Christmas then."
"Merry Christmas to you too, Kurapika."
The awkwardness of the silence that enveloped them grew; filled with coffee-sipping and minor, half-secret chuckling, until Kurapika sighed and spoke, his voice slightly muffled by the coffee mug.
"We don't celebrate Christmas in Rukuso."
His companion immediately 'hmm-ed' in attention, sipping his own coffee.
"I only learned about it outside the region."
"And whom do you spend it with?" the man asked, curious.
"Myself, mostly…" Kurapika honestly answered, a sad, nostalgic smile painted itself on his face as his fingers played with the lips of his coffee mug. "My friends weren't there until some years later."
"We don't celebrate Christmas in Ryuusegai either. Although, when I was a kid, I have always wondered what it's like to experience it once I've learned about it."
Another stretch of quietness made itself known between the two, but now, it was the older one who decided to break it.
"And Christmas gifts?"
"Don't tell me you expect one."
"There's nothing wrong with hoping."
"Right. You ca—"
"Merry Christmas, Kurapika," the man said with a gentle smile as he ghosted his lips on the blonde's confused forehead while putting his little gift on the boy's hand.
"Wha—" Kurapika confusedly struggled, blushing profusely as he did so. It never fails to amaze and to put him off guard, the other's actions, and the fact that they had evolved from enemies into something… something much more complicated and special. "What's this?"
"Well, unless you have X-ray vision, which Nobunaga and Phinx swore you do after that underwear-guessing-game, you would never know, would you?"
Kurapika blushed and coughed a little for that as he slowly ripped off the silver gift wrapper until a thin, dark blue booklet with gold insignia fell unto his lap.
"A bankbook?" Kurapika mused. He decided to examine it and when he did, tears filled his eyes, and a something akin to part wail, part moan, and part laughter, erupted from his throat.
"K-kur—" he slightly choked, swallowing back the rest of his emotions. "Kuroro!"
"You're welcome," Kuroro smiled warmly, his ebony eyes melting the last of the younger's icy walls.
It did not take another heartbeat before Kurapika dropped the small book to the couch's side and jumped to Kuroro, embracing him, crying and laughing at the same time: forgiveness to the man's eyes.
"It took me quite a while, but I managed to retrieve all of them," Kuroro said, burying his nose to the high collar of his beloved's neck – something he had always wanted to do, without the danger of losing his head or having his neck gutted or being inflicted with any kind of bodily harm. "Like what I've promised you last Christmas."
"You… you—"
"Hm? Well, there's no use in blaming me for getting you drunk that night, I did manage to extract your wish after all," the man said, chuckling.
Again, Kurapika broke into tears, grasping Kuroro even tighter, climbing on top of him in the process. "I-I never t- thought that—"
"You can tell all of those to me when you get your wits back," Kuroro calmed him, caressing his cheeks in warm, slightly calloused hands. "Right now, aside for the fact that I cannot understand a thing that you're saying, you're just tiring yourself…and your lungs… so—"
With his face even brighter than when his eyes are red, Kurapika slid away from the man's lap.
"Such a sloppy kisser…"
"Stop ruining the moment!"
"Ahaha, I apologize… my love."
"D-don't call me that... It's embarrassing…"
"What? Are you scared that the kids might hear us?" Kuroro jested, implying the presence of two hyperactive hunter boys in the room.
"We NEVER wished to witness that!" Killua sputtered out before dragging his still twitching, shell-shocked best friend, out of the room.
"How long had they been—?"
"Standing there? Ever since they heard your first sob, my dear," Kuroro smoothly said, outstretching his right arm to wrap around the smaller figure beside him. "But they waited patiently, just to be sure that I am not taking advantage of you. Until you… you did… that… to me. I think Gon just fainted."
"Whaaa! Ugh!" Kurapika wailed, burying his face in his palms, a faint flush still present on his face. "This is embarrassing."
"Look on the bright side. At least, we do not have to tell them anymore now, do we?"
"Yeah," Kurapika replied, looking up at the man's handsome face. He smiled, "Yeah, you're right…"
They enjoyed the quietness of the atmosphere and the warmth of the night a little more before Kuroro closed the distance between their lips another time. "Now, where were we?"
A few inches beyond them lies, under the glittering, shimmering sparks of Christmas lights, the special bankbook, face-up on the page that says, in dark print, over off-white and yellow patterns on paper, "36th pair. Kuruta Eyes. Authentic. Entered: 23rd December XXXX."
"Merry Christmas to you too… my love…"
-Fin-
…I came BACK to life… err… Merry Christmas everyone! :D