Chapter 3: Fool Me Again

12 24 09

03:15 am

Killua woke up for water.

He went down their two-storey apartment to the kitchen, when he heard a light shuffling in the kitchen.

He felt a slight tug on the corners of his lips. If it was Gon, he could sneak up ever so quietly and scare the living hell out of him. If it was Kurapika, he could catch him completely off-guard and maybe accomplish getting a funny expression off the usually level-headed boy. Kurapika's expressions were priceless.

All plots were completely set aside when he saw that it was Leorio.

What? Why is he up so late? Or so early? Old man sleeps like a bear, he wondered.

"Oy, old man."

Leorio jumped from the counter. "Geez, Killua. You're going to give me a heart attack someday."

"I'm just going to get water," he said. "Why are you up, anyway? It's three freaking o'clock."

Leorio couldn't help but smile. "I couldn't sleep.. I was thinking about.. well.. what I'm going to cook for Christmas dinner," he finished.

Killua groaned inwardly. Leorio was really taking that dinner seriously. It was all he ever thought and talked about. He acts like a love sick fool about it. He grabbed a pitcher of water and filled his glass.

"Killua, what do you think Kurapika likes?"

Killua nearly choked on his water. He coughed for a few times before finally answering, "Why?"

Leorio shrugged. "I really want this dinner to be perfect, but somehow I couldn't think of what I can cook for Kurapika. I know he's not really finicky, but he's cultured and so traveled.. and he's not usually the complaining type, but he isn't too appreciative either.."

Killua frowned. He had a feeling this wasn't just about dinner.

04:43 am

Killua was still awake.

He lied on his bed, tossing a soccer ball up and down. He wasn't thinking of Leorio's ramblings earlier about Kurapika and dinner. He was thinking of ..Kurapika.

It was exactly a year since it happened, he mused.

It was the day before Christmas, and Killua had gone out in the dead of winter to finish his Christmas shopping. He wasn't really into picking out and giving gifts, but his friends appeared to be. So without getting as much as a coat, he went out.

When he was heading back, he saw Kurapika wandering on the park near their apartment. He went to him and they talked, if you can call it that.

"It's about your family," Killua said when Kurapika refused to say what's bothering him.

And then he broke down in front of him.

Killua felt numb. He always knew that Kurapika, in spite of the strength he shows, in spite of the rigid morality, was actually very broken. But he never seemed to really show it, so Killua learned not to dwell on it too.

But now.. well, all he wanted to do was to pick up his pieces and put them back together.

He felt his hands hold Kurapika, gently made him sit on the snow. He wrapped his arms around him, and allowed the shattered Kuruta to cry on his shoulders.

His vulnerability was dazzling. He couldn't help himself. His hand took his chin, raised it up, and saw his deep blue eyes, rapidly changing to its famed red color, and decided that he had never seen anything more beautiful.

He leaned over to kiss him.

It was all he thought he can do at the moment, and it felt right.

But the following day, he wondered if he did the right thing. For the first time in a while, Killua felt scared. He didn't mean to maybe jeopardize their friendship, to scare the Kuruta off.

So when he finally got the chance, he told Kurapika the only words he can say - "I didn't mean to."

And after that, they both pretended it never happened. Kurapika had appeared to had forgotten about it, so he made it a point that he appeared to have forgotten as well, even thought he thought about it every day.