"I'm just saying this is a shitty town and we've heard nothing about the Troupe and I can't even find an odd job to do, let's just go." Leorio's complaining had been more than grating to his nerves, and if he hadn't been so useful at dredging up information and haggling for goods, Kurapika might have considered telling him to buzz off.
"Fine, you pick the next town then and if nothing's there you'll only have yourself to blame." Kurapika pulled the hand drawn map of the states out of his jacket pocket and threw it more at Leorio than into his open hand, turning his head away to rake the town with hazel eyes that looked to be chipped from a wet sunrise, anger evident in his expression. "For all we know they're on the other side of the country, picking their treasures off unfortunate souls like you intend to be."
"I think you mean enterprising soul, in my case." His grumbling continued as he unfolded the map and looked it over, his step slowing slightly from the switch in concentration. "It's late already, we should look this over tonight and head out in the morning."
"I would much rather sleep on a train or other transport than waste the time and money on a room, besides we've gotten enough odd looks already and I'm sick of staying so tense and ready to dissuade some malcontented citizen. Pick a city."
"Fine, fine, I'm looking. Here, how about this one then?" Map up to his face now to catch the dying light, Leorio stopped walking entirely. He pointed at a spot on the map, and Kurapika leaned in to see, staring for a moment before looking up at the other just beyond the rim of his hat.
"Did you pick this because it'll be helpful or because of the brothels there?"
Leorio's brow shot up and he leaned back slightly, straightening his spine, then bent down to flick Kurapika's hat up out of the way, mindless of the way it slid off and fell to the dirt. "The brothels mean I'll be able to find work and get us better train money, jackass."
"Oh, and do you intend to work with the ladies?" Kurapika tilted his head mockingly, growing frustrated with the conversation.
"I'm not pretty enough, but we might be able to sign you up if you're determined. No, the brothels mean it's the kinda place I can, y'know, do my thing, make some quick cash off a few card games and maybe a knife trick or two."
"You're gonna get us shot." Even as he bent down to retrieve his hat, Kurapika shook his head. "Fine, we'll check the station and if that doesn't work out maybe we will find a hotel, that's too close for a proper nap on the train."
"As if this entire thing isn't some convoluted plan to get yourself shot up…" Leorio put the map in his jacket and straightened Kurapika's hat for him, then turned and led the way to the station. Kurapika watched him go, stuck in place for a moment as he catalogued the end of their interaction.
The sun set as they spoke to the station agent and found a seat on one of the outdoor benches to consider their options. By the time the moon had risen and the night bugs were singing, Kurapika was feeling weary, even Leorio was rubbing his face more and more often. "Let's find a place to stay the night before everywhere closes and we have to walk to the next destination. I'm not sitting on this bench all night."
"Afraid of getting mugged? I'll protect you." Leorio's smirk was ruined by a deep yawn that he shook at the end of.
The statement surprised a laugh out of Kurapika, who stood up and rubbed his knuckles absently, silver rings beginning to grow too tight for his fingers. "Oh you will? Let's not test your resolve." He waited for Leorio to stand before heading off.
.0.o.0.
"We don't need two beds, you just want two beds, and it's stupid because that's no way to save money." Leorio put his elbow on the counter to give him that look that he used when he thought he was winning an argument.
"It's not all that much more expensive, and you snore, it's a testament to my restraint that I don't buy separate rooms."
"And you're a blanket hog, but it's one night and it's cheaper to get a single-"
"Um, excuse me, I'd be willing to give you the double for the same price if you'll keep it down, there's people trying to sleep right above us." The woman behind the counter looked to be attempting civility despite the clear irritation on her face.
"A single is fine, I'm sorry we troubled you like this." Kurapika gave her the money, something in his gut unsettled and working to make itself known as he took the offered key.
The room was impersonal and clean and the bed looked like maybe one person could fit comfortably, making the unease Kurapika was feeling ramp up. It wasn't that he was repulsed by Leorio, the opposite in fact, and there lay the issue. It was that he wanted to be as close as this bed would allow, but that it would be incredibly unfair to do so if he did manage to get himself killed soon. It was entirely possible. And what if Leorio got attached to him enough to follow him into danger directly? Kurapika wet his lips and stepped into the washroom to give his teeth a once over, brush the sweat and dust out of his hair.
When he came out he found Leorio already dressed down to his socks and underwear, still covered from the collarbones down but much clearer on what went where and how tightly. It wasn't a new sight, they'd freshened up near enough each other for that, but in the flickering glow of the lamp he looked like a disheveled statue. The statue opened one eye to spot him still standing by the washroom, and when the eye closed a grin spread over his face. "You got some nerve watching me like that after complaining so thoroughly earlier."
"I still don't appreciate the size of this bed, we'd have done better with two." Kurapika crossed the distance and sat on the edge of the mattress to remove his boots, then his jacket, slide the suspenders over his shoulders and set about removing his own outer layers. Perhaps it was fair he felt watched.
"Y'know, I won't complain if you wanna strip down a little more-"
"No, thank you. It's cool enough at night there's no need for that."
"Who said anything about needing to?" Leorio's words were light, and he left it be, but Kurapika couldn't help but pause with his hands still on the buttons of his trousers, heart hammering. His tongue felt along the backs of his teeth as he slipped out of the last bit of outer clothing and laid down beside Leorio on top of the blankets. Their shoulders were more than brushing like this, in fact almost the whole line of their sides was pressed together, and Kurapika didn't know what to say about it, so he studied the wooden supports in the ceiling.
In the room beside them people were talking, and outside the sounds of the night carried on without pause. He could hear the clock ticking away as time drew out, and when his lids began to droop he leaned over to blow out the lamp.
If his hand found Leorio's in the darkness, neither of them saw it.
.0.o.0.
This was a fine way to spend the evening, Kurapika thought as he glared a hole in the back of Leorio's short-shorn skull. A fine way indeed.
They were in the next city by now, and Kurapika was bone weary. He'd been unable to sleep so close to the other man and he'd felt too foolish on the train to take a nap, so here he was with the sun already sinking and the city more than riling up for the evening, and Leorio was parked at a small table three paces away canoodling with some of the local lace. One of the ladies caught Kurapika's eye and winked at him, so he quickly took a drink from his cup to hide the flush threatening to paint his cheeks.
He wasn't any good at this at all. This was further made evident when she slipped out of the gaggle and sat in the seat catty corner to him instead of across like someone with personal space etiquette. He set the cup down and glanced sideways at her. "Can I help you?"
"You sure can, handsome," Although the words were honeyed, it was nice to hear something besides 'pretty' for once. He arched his brow as she tilted her head towards the stairwell. "I can't seem to find my room key, could I use yours?"
He closed his eyes and frowned helplessly as his heart rate picked up. "I'm sorry to say but that doesn't work on me."
"You some kinda man of God? Seems a boring life, I'm sure I can change your mind. What's that bit in the bible, better in the stomach of-"
"Wait, you misunderstand." He cleared his throat. "I didn't mean the flirting. I mean more that it's from you."
She pulled back, offended as if he were talking about her personally, but then recognition dawned on her face. "Well why didn't you just say so? Plenty men like you around here, you're just in the wrong bar, sweetheart."
Kurapika took another sip of his drink as he shot down even contemplating that. "I'm just waiting for someone else to remember we have things to do, I'd honestly rather not even be here." She looked behind her at Leorio.
"Hm, seems like he's a bit preoccupied for the time being. Might as well go have yourself some fun while you wait."
"I think you're right, thank you." He got up from his chair and pushed out of the building, taking a deep breath of the warm night air. A fine way to spend the evening, for someone who liked wasting time perhaps. He was ansty and ready to get back on the move, but he needed to let Leorio schmooze first since his way of tricking people out of their money was much faster and more lucrative than Kurapika's usual methods, and this was not the place for either of them to pick up a "job". Thus, he was useless to his own cause until they left. Kurapika brought a hand to his mouth to rub at the chapped flesh in annoyance, his feet taking him around the back of the building as he worked to clear his mind.
The sensation of being followed, and closely, ripped his calm to pieces and he turned around stiffly only to see Leorio's lanky shape outlined by the light from the surrounding windows and lamps. "Hey, I saw you run out and I wanted to make sure you weren't sick or anything."
Kurapika snorted without thinking. "Just needed some fresh air."
"Fresh air huhn." Leorio looked up at the murky sky, stars peeping through in tiny clumps like wildflowers. "Suppose you might be more used to sleeping outside. Or…" Leorio looked back down at him and came closer, Kurapika instinctively shifted his feet in the dirt either to run or to fight, but it was paid no mind.
"Or what? If you have something to say, then do so."
"Or I think maybe you were just jealous." A smirk tilted Leorio's features, mostly obscured by the dark of night. Kurapika swelled, annoyed, as Leorio continued. "Oh yeah, maybe of how many girls I had while you sat all the way in the back there-"
"You should know I have no interest in-" Kurapika was cut off as Leorio reached out and gently nudged him out of sight of the window and leaned in, one large warm hand on Kurapika's shoulder.
"Or you were jealous of the girls. Y'know they were playing for money too, you could stand to bet a little more than that in this game." Leorio searched his face as Kurapika's irritation faltered and he was left staring up at his companion, eyes wide.
"How apt of you to compare this to a gambling match. You know what I'm setting out for."
"And I said I'd help you so long as we're going the same way."
"We won't be going any sort of way if something goes wrong, which it will-" his breath caught in his throat as Leorio leaned in closer to kiss him, taking it with only a soft sound of surprise when Kurapika cupped his face to deepen it immediately. His mouth was soft and tasted sweet and bitter from the liquor he'd been drinking, and Kurapika chased the flavor on the other's tongue before pulling himself away. While he took a steadying breath, he shivered from the hand settling at the base of his neck, toying with the sliver of skin between scalp and collar. "Please don't mistake any of this as a lack of interest."
"I could never, you practically broadcast what you want from me every time something comes up-"
"Shut up." Kurapika tisked and stretched onto his toes to kiss Leorio once more with the same fervor, pulling away this time to start back the way they'd come. "If you're done in there we should get some rest, we'll either find information tomorrow or we'll move on."
.0.o.0.
Kurapika went to the sheriff's office to ask about bounty papers, anything with faces on them, anything he could use to match against people he'd see on the road. Leorio looked around the place with a twinge of discomfort in his expression but didn't say anything. He'd suggested the idea the previous night, but seemed reluctant to join Kurapika, which meant he was either currently in trouble or had been in the past. Wit some of the tricks he played in bars, Kurapika could imagine either to be the case.
"Bounty hunters, hm? Making my job a little easier, sure, some of these may be outdated but if you know about what you're looking for that shouldn't be a problem." He seemed to be somewhat suspicious, but he made no attempt to voice it.
Kurapika looked over the flyers and began making a pile of the ones most likely to be Troupe members. Anyone with outstanding warrants, vicious accusations, or an unlistable bodycount. The sheriff eyed his growing pile with increasing unease. "Now, wait a moment there son. Think you might be biting off a bit more than you can chew? That's a hell of a collection."
"I know what I'm doing, thank you." He licked his lips at the snort Leorio gave behind him, but then froze as his eyes landed on the drawing of a man he'd most certainly seen in town. The sheriff looked down as well, then stiffened.
"Suppose I… Haven't been checking these as often as I should have. Hey now!" He stood up when Kurapika grabbed the flyer in his fist and spun around in a march for the door.
"Thanks for the help."
.0.o.0.
"Kurapika."
The walk to the tailor was a short one only because Kurapika was using his full stride to cross as much ground as possible. His vision was tunneling.
"Kurapika, hey, let's make a plan of action here, figure this out so it actually works, right?"
Plan of action, sure. Kurapika drew his saber with a satisfying ring of metal as it left the scabbard. He had a plan of action.
"No, no no, what if he's not there, what if his buddies see us before we get there? Of course he's not fucking listening to me, Jesus." Leorio followed close behind as they entered the tailor and saw a mountain of a man getting his measurements taken. Kurapika had seen him walk in on the way to the sheriff's office, by pure dumb luck.
The man looked over as Kurapika bustled through the door and grinned, eyes on the drawn saber. Noticing the danger instantly, the tailor jerked away with his tape measure and moved to the far end of his shop. "You can't do that in here, take it outside! Ah, please," he tacked on at the end as Kurapika glanced at him with the same intensity he gave to the criminal.
The man spoke up. "That's a cute toothpick, kid. You gonna clean my teeth?" His grin widened to show off too many teeth. If he weren't already sweating from the heat Leorio would blame the tension, already worried about how disastrously this might end.
Kurapika glanced at the store owner again before retreating into the harsh light of the morning. "Come out here and face me, demon."
"I'm a demon now, last I heard I was a beast." Leorio slipped out before the larger man could bowl through him, but he held onto the doorframe as the two of them moved into the wheel-rutted road, Kurapika never once pointing his sword tip away from his enemy. "Do you even know who I am? Or do you want to die today?"
"You're a member of the Phantom Troupe, your name is meaningless to me." Kurapika squinted as the man laughed loudly, a jovial sound that was more threatening than a lion's roar.
"That's fine, the same goes for you. Now, since you're such tough shit, I'll be nice kill you quick if you apologize for interrupting my errands."
"Enough!" Kurapika slashed the air and advanced.
Leorio watched tensely and waited to see if the man would draw a weapon, but he looked to be ready to wrestle instead. There was no doubt that if he got a good hold on Kurapika, he'd kill him. There was movement in a few windows of the brothel house but he was quickly distracted by the fight starting.
Uvogin, as the flyer now in the dirt named, rushed Kurapika with all the power of a bull and he kicked out, barely missing by a few inches. When his next punch missed as well, Leorio realized Kurapika was actually dodging, swift on his feet and twirling his blade to force Uvogin into drawing his fist back just as fast. The sabre shone like a beam of fire and Kurapika wielded it with all the precision and fury of and avenging angel.
Again movement distracted Leorio from watching and he looked to see a ragtag group of people milling about, and judging by how unbothered they looked they must be the rest of the Troupe. His blood turned to ice and his breath shortened, head snapping around to see Kurapika get Uvogin across the chest once, then once more much closer to the throat. Uvogin finally began to look more annoyed as his next fist just brushed Kurapika's head and he took a much smaller fist to the kidney, Kurapika jumping back to catch his breath and recalculate, eyes hard.
"Uvo." One of the Troupe members draped in black road clothes with ostentatious fur trim that was looking more tan than white from the dust. "Stop playing with the locals and wrap this up, we have company coming up the north road."
"So tell company to shove off." Uvogin changed his stance, and the next time he charged Kurapika he hit hard, sending Kurapika across the road. A surge of energy struck Leorio and he ran to Kurapika's side, more to hold him back than anything else. He followed Kurapika's manic glare to see Uvogin stumbling back, pouring blood from his left cheek all the way down to the hip across his front. There was no stopping Kurapika from jumping to his feet to follow as the Troupe began their retreat, until suddenly there was.
There was a great cacophony as the scene unfolded before them; a child's voice yelling a frantic "Whoa!", a cart rushing past drawn by two horses clearly not looking where they were going, and two more children running after it fast enough they took Kurapika down with them in a pile as the cart turned and fell over. The child driver fell out and rolled onto his feet to look wildly at the horses, who seemed spooked but unharmed.
Kurapika, however, looked livid as he pulled himself free and took off after the now swiftly retreating Troupe, who were well out of Leorio's sight by now. "Kurapika! Kur- damn it!" Leorio let him go to check up on the three children, wondering just when the day would wind back down.
