p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"strongChapter 3 – Arrival and Reunions/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"Killua looked from the address his phone to the apartment number again before knocking on the door. Alluka was draped over his back, sleeping soundly from the long trip. Killua was tired too, wanting nothing more than to collapse in a warm bed- though he wasn't sure he'd get that luxury with them staying at Leorio's apartment. He shifted uncomfortably in the evening breeze as he waited for the door to open. emMaybe this isn't such a good idea. I mean I really don't need Leorio playing shrink or matchmaker or whatever. Knowing him, he'd just screw up and I'd look like a complete idiot anyway. /em/p
p class="MsoNormal"He grimaced and turned around, walking back down the front steps. emWe'll just find a hotel to stay in for the night then keep moving. /emHe's just got down the last step when he heard a door swing open./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey! Killua, Alluka! Long time no see!" Leorio boomed, a grin on his lips./p
p class="MsoNormal""Shut up! Alluka's asleep!" Killua harshly whispered, glaring at him as he turned toward the steps and ran back up them. "And seriously, what took so long? I was standing here like five minutes."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Heh, sorry. Kurapika and I were watching movie." Leorio said, grinning sheepishly. He stepped out of the way and into the apartment, "Come on in. Make yourselves at home. We have an extra bedroom so you can get settled there."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Kurapika? Wait…" Killua's eyes widened and he wasn't sure whether to be shocked or disgusted- settling on a mixture of the two. "emWe/em… You and Kurapika are theem we/em? As in 'emWe'll/em help you figure out what to do about Gon'?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Who'd you think it was? I don't exactly have many people I hang out with these days." Leorio said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Now get your ass in here already. It's cool out here and you look dead on your feet."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Leorio was right. Killua emwas/em exhausted, and Alluka had pretty much passed out over an hour ago. He could deal with that Leorio and Kurapika tomorrow- after he actually was coherent./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, sure. Sleep is good." Killua mumbled, a yawn escaping his lips. Leorio snickered, leading the teen into the small apartment. Killua was tired, sure, but he could do basic math. There weren't that many doors and, if he had to guess, he'd say there were only two bedrooms. And Kurapika was nowhere to be seen which meant he was in one of them./p
p class="MsoNormal""Anyway, here's the room you guys can stay in. There's a bathroom attached. I hope you guys don't mind sharing a bed." Leorio said showing him the bedroom. Killua shook his head./p
p class="MsoNormal""Nah, we have to share a lot at hotels. Thanks." Killua said, setting his sister on the bed and tucking her in./p
p class="MsoNormal""No problem. See you in the morning, kid." Leorio said before walking back out. Killua raised an eyebrow, quietly following him and watching him turn out the lights before walking into the other bedroom./p
p class="MsoNormal"emHe's…They're…No way…./em Killua shuddered, rubbing his eyes. "It's way too late for this…" He crawled into bed with Alluka, dropping off almost instantly./p
p class="MsoNormal"…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Killua sat at the small table, watching Kurapika work in the kitchen like a housewife. Leorio sat at the table across from Killua, talking easily with with the blond- as if Killua wasn't sitting right there. The whole situation was very… strange. It was like they were playing house or something- he'd even seen Leorio kiss Kurapika on the cheek a few times since he'd woken up. As happy as he was for them- emwhere the hell did this all come from?/em/p
p class="MsoNormal""So, Killua, Leorio told me about your little emproblem/em with Gon." Kurapika said as he sat down to Killua's left, giving him a knowing smile. Killua flushed bright red./p
p class="MsoNormal""It-It's not a problem! I just… don't know what to do, that's all. It's not a big deal." Killua said, fumbling over his words. The two adults gave each other a look that irked Killua. "emWhat/em? Look just because you two are randomly shacking up now and are adults doesn't mean you're all mature and know everything there is to know about this stuff!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Shacking up randomly?" Kurapika asked, blinking in surprise. He looked at Leorio, "You seriously didn't tell him? I'm not sure whether to take offense to that or not."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh come on, it's not like emyou/em told him or Gon. We've all be out of touch and this whole thing was spur of the moment-"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Will someone emplease/em tell me what's going on?" Killua butted in, looking between the two men in exasperation. emHow was any of this supposed to help him with Gon?/em/p
p class="MsoNormal""We've kind of been together for over a year now…" Leorio laughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Kurapika blushed and nodded in confirmation and Killua felt his jaw drop./p
p class="MsoNormal""A-A emyear/em?" The boy sputtered./p
p class="MsoNormal""Actually closer to two. We're over a year and a half in now." Kurapika said, his blush growing at Killua's stare. Leorio laughed, picking up Kurapika's hand and bringing it to his lips./p
p class="MsoNormal""H-How? I mean you guys have always been friends. But you argued all the time! And you always ignored Leorio!" Killua was completely confused. It was way, emway/em too early for this- even if it was almost eleven in the morning. Leorio and Kurapika living together? Leorio and Kurapikaem together/em?/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, well I finally got sick and tired of it." Leorio said, bitterly- obviously still miffed by Kurapika always ignoring him in the past. "So I tracked him down and-"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Leorio! Can we please not regale him with every detail of our love life?" Kurapika groaned, his face in his hands./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm emnot/em. But he asked- and if telling him how we got together helps him figure out how to tell Gon his feelings, then I think we should." Leorio said, taking a sip of coffee./p
p class="MsoNormal""Okay, fine. Go ahead. But I'm stopping you if you get anything wrong." Kurapika sighed, conceding./p
p class="MsoNormal""Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to regret asking?" Killua said, sinking back into his chair. Leorio laughed and reached across the small table to ruffle the boy's hair./p
p class="MsoNormal""It's not cheesy or mushy- well, not emthat/em much at least. So Kurapika wouldn't answer any of my calls for pretty much ever. And it was driving me crazy. Hell, even when we became Zodiacs together he'd still ignore me half the time-"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Wait, you guys are Zodiacs? Since when?" Killua interrupted, dumbfounded./p
p class="MsoNormal""Since about two years? A little longer." Kurapika answered, watching Leorio's eyebrow twitch in annoyance for being interrupted./p
p class="MsoNormal""emAnyway/em. The Zodiacs asked me to join and I got Kurapika in- thinking we could finally talk. But he was so absorbed with doing jobs and finding his clan's eyes that he still wouldn't acknowledge me- even when we were in the same room." He gave Kurapika a pointed look as the blond looked down at his coffee, "I let it slide for a while. We were all busy with our own things and the Zodiacs were dealing with a lot. But I finally had enough. After going like a month without seeing him and finally meeting up with him, I waltzed right up to him and reamed him for leaving me high and dry."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You were pretty insistent too. Cursing me out and all. You were so angry you completely let it slip that you loved me without even realizing it." Kurapika mused, laughter leaving his lips. He turned to Killua laughing, "He was so busy yelling at me that he never even realized he'd said 'I love you, dammit' until about thirty seconds later when he became a blushing mess."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I-I was not emblushing/em!" Leorio snapped, his cheeks brightening. "I.. I was red because I was pissed off!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""You mean like you are now?" Kurapika snickered. Leorio rolled his eyes, huffing./p
p class="MsoNormal""The point was that I didn't beat around the bush. I didn't hide what I was feeling- I completely told him everything. It took me a while, but I did. And Kurapika was surprisingly okay with it. He said that he wasn't sure if he returned my feelings or not- but that he was willing to try and find out." Leorio said, smiling lovingly at Kurapika, a smile that was returned. Killua wasn't sure if it made him feel optimistic or even more nervous./p
p class="MsoNormal""But… Didn't that make you feel, I don't know, embad/em when Kurapika didn't feel the same way?" Killua asked hesitantly, surprising himself by the question. Leorio looked at Kurapika before nodding a bit at Killua./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, I mean it made me feel awful at first. Like I completely got rejected. I mean, how else do you take that? But Kurapika assured me that our friendship was too precious to give up just because of something like this. That he cared about me and that we'd start from there" Leorio said softly, a smile on his lips. He leaned back grinning smugly, "He kissed me like a week later, though."/p
p class="MsoNormal""emLeorio!/em" Kurapika yelled, smacking his shoulder, his face a deep shade of red. "Don't tell him that!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""What? It's true!" Leorio laughed, his eyes filled with mirth./p
p class="MsoNormal""That doesn't mean you have to tell him that!" Kurapika groaned, putting his head on the table. Leorio snickered before grinning at Killua./p
p class="MsoNormal""Well, that's my advice. Tell Gon how you feel without any hesitation. Otherwise you'll just back out. You and Gon have an even closer friendship than Kurapika and I did so I don't think Gon will be weirded out by it in the slightest. Just handle this how Gon would handle it. Blurt it out."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you sure? I mean… What, do I just call him and admit to everything?" Killua's own cheeks were flushed, imagining actually doing it. emCan I do it? What if I mess up and say the wrong thing? What if Gon freaks out? What if-/em/p
p class="MsoNormal""emNo./em No way. Don't do that." Kurapika said firmly, looking up at Killua. "You can't do something like this over the phone. It has to be face-to-face."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I-In emperson/em?" Killua visibly paled. "B-But I can't do that! I haven't even seen him in three years!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Who's fault is that?" Leorio muttered, sipping at his coffee. Kurapika glared at him before turning back to Killua./p
p class="MsoNormal""No one's saying you have to tell him right away. But maybe you should try calling him first- having a normal conversation. Apologize and say that you'll explain it in person sometime. Ease into it. When the time comes, blurting it out would be a good idea so you don't back out. But before that, you should ease back into the friendship and get used to talking with him again. It'll make it a little easier and I bet that if I hadn't been ignoring Leorio, it would have been so much easier for him."/p
p class="MsoNormal""He's got a point. I only handled it like I did because I didn't know when I'd get another chance. Kurapika used to vanish for months at a time so it was really a toss-up as to if I'd see him again in the next year. I emhad /emto get it out in the open. You have time so I suggest talking to him about other stuff first. Clearing the air a bit."/p
p class="MsoNormal""O…Okay… Thanks, guys." Killua slowly nodded. He was completely nervous, but at least he wasn't on the verge of a complete meltdown anymore. "I think I might call him now, actually. I can't keep putting it off forever."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Good luck, kiddo." Leorio grinned at Killua as the boy stood up, making his way to the balcony./p
p class="MsoNormal"…./p
p class="MsoNormal"Gon stirred a bit, feeling a vibration in his pocket. He'd finally managed to doze off on the airship bound for Yorknew. He hadn't slept well at all on the boat from Whale Island and it was only about seven in the morning where he was. He felt around for his phone, holding it to his ear without checking the caller id./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hello?" He answered, his voice thick with / "Gon? Sorry, were you asleep? I didn't mean to wake you up." Killua frowned, looking over the balcony. It was really stupid of him to have called – of course Gon had probably been asleep or been busy. "I could call back later."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Killua?" Gon's eyes lit up, the sleep vanishing from them. "No, I can talk now!" He had to struggle to keep his voice down so he wouldn't disturb the other passengers. "It's been forever since I've heard from you! Where have you been? You haven't been answering any of my calls or messages. Are…Are you mad at me?" Gon frowned, his voice quieting on its own accord- afraid of the response. But Killua was calling, wasn't he? That meant he wanted to talk to him. That he wasn't mad…right?/p
p class="MsoNormal""No! I mean, no, I'm not mad. And I know it's been a while… I've missed you a lot. And we have a lot to talk about. But I'd rather talk about that in person, okay? So maybe... sometime soon… we could maybe meet up? If you want?" Killua prayed he didn't sound like an idiot. He didn't want to be pushy or shy or a combination of the two. He just wanted to see Gon and to finally, emfinally /emadmit to him all of the things that he'd wanted to./p
p class="MsoNormal""Sure." Gon said quietly, a bright smile on his lips. "Sure, Killua. I'd love to see you. I've missed you too. So much." He knew Killua would get on his case for being "embarrassing", but it was the truth. Gon was surprised when Killua did no such thing, though./p
p class="MsoNormal""Good. Because it's been way too long and I miss having you around." Killua said just as quiet, the same soft smile on his lips. Relief flooded him that Gon was so willing to meet up./p
p class="MsoNormal""It's your own fault, you know." Gon pouted and Killua laughed a little on the other end, "You really suck at keeping in touch, Killua. Like really suck."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, I know." Killua said, a little more casually. "I'll admit, some of it I just did to spite you since you're so over the top with calling."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Killua!" Gon whined, earning another laugh from Killua./p
p class="MsoNormal"…./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ice cream. You want ice cream." Killua stared at Leorio from his spot on the couch next to Alluka. "Why can't you just get it yourself?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""I have work today. Unlike youem I/em actually have an important job." Leorio grabbed his keys off the table./p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh yeah? Then why weren't you there yesterday?" Killua asked, his eyes narrowed./p
p class="MsoNormal""It was my day off. Besides, I thought you wouldn't mind picking it up today." Leorio waved him off, putting on his shoes by the door. Killua's eye twitched./p
p class="MsoNormal""So, what, I'm your errand boy now?" Killua muttered watching Leorio open the door./p
p class="MsoNormal""Later, kid. See you later, honey!" Leorio yelled in to Kurapika before leaving./p
p class="MsoNormal""Wait," Killua sat up after Leorio left and Kurapika walk in the room. "You're here! So you can just go-"/p
p class="MsoNormal""I promised I'd take Alluka to the mall today." Kurapika interrupted him, "And it's on the opposite side of town from ice cream parlor we get ours from."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Why the hell are you guys so picky? Why can't I just get it from the grocery store or something." Killua whined, falling back against the cushions. Kurapika shrugged./p
p class="MsoNormal""Leorio likes this place better. You have to learn to choose your battles when you're in a relationship- this fight wasn't even worth it." Kurapika sighed, shaking his head./p
p class="MsoNormal""Okay, so why don't emI/em take Alluka to the mall since it'sem your/em boyfriend who's so-"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Nope. I want Kurapika to take me." Alluka said casually as she looked at the tv screen in front of her./p
p class="MsoNormal""emOh, come on, Alluka/em!" Killua threw his hands up exasperated. The girl simply shrugged./p
p class="MsoNormal""I see you all the time, big brother. I never see him." Alluka said simply, not even bothering to take her eyes off the cheesy reality show she was watching. Killua sighed, getting up from the couch and heading toward the door./p
p class="MsoNormal""Alright, alright. emFine/em." He muttered in defeat, getting his shoes on. "Where is the damn place, anyway?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""The airport. A small shop across from Terminal F." Kurapika said, smiling./p
p class="MsoNormal""Air- You've gotta be kidding me. I was literally emjust /emthere the day before yesterday. Why couldn't he just ask me to get it then?" Killua whined childishly. Kurapika let out a laugh./p
p class="MsoNormal""You two got in really late and the place was closed. Besides, we figured you were too tired." Kurapika sat down where Killua had just been. The teen growled under his breath before heading out the door, slamming it behind him./p
p class="MsoNormal"After a few minutes, Leorio walked back inside with a grin on his face./p
p class="MsoNormal""Glad he took the bait. I feel a little bad lying to the kid." He sat on the couch with the other two./p
p class="MsoNormal""Don't be. My brother's stubborn and he'd put this off for forever if we didn't do emsomething/em." Alluka chimed, giggling./p
p class="MsoNormal"…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Killua stood across from Terminal F at the airport. There was a smoothie shop, a burger joint, a pizza place, and restrooms… but no ice cream parlor. Had Kurapika gotten the terminal wrong? Maybe it moved or went out of- Killua swore, if they'd sent him there for nothing…/p
p class="MsoNormal""K-Killua?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal" /p