When Chrollo got oddly silent and contemplative, Kurapika decided to leave him be for once, because as far as he knew, pushing for something to happen had mixed results with the older man. So he waited for Chrollo to finish up his existential crisis (and beef lo mein) before he scooted his chair over next to the taller man. When he didn't respond immediately, Kurapika reached over and grabbed one of his hands, startling Chrollo back to reality.
"Oh, hi," Chrollo shifted in his seat, looking a little lost. Kurapika smiled at him.
"Hey," he said, squeezing his hand a little bit. "You okay now?"
"Okay? Yeah I… I think so," Chrollo said, nodding as he said so, as if trying to convince himself. He hesitated, then squeezed Kurapika's hand back. "How long did I stay silent?"
Kurapika shrugged. "Ten minutes? Thirty? I don't know."
"I'm sorry, I–" started Chrollo, but Kurapika put a finger to his mouth before he could continue.
"It's fine, you don't need to apologize for that. You're going through a lot so I'm not expecting much. Just know I'm here for you for whatever you need."
"Whatever I need?" Chrollo questioned, then smiled. "Even a million dollars?"
"I'm pretty sure you don't need that," Kurapika said, elbowing him lightly. "You're already rich enough that I think you can survive without my donations. Besides, I meant maybe hug or something. You know, to comfort you."
"I… could use a hug, now that you mention it," Chrollo said, giving Kurapika a shy smile as he did. "Though I really don't feel like getting up to do it."
"That's fine," Kurapika said, an idea popping into his head. The idea was definitely embarrassing, but if he could pull it off as nonchalant, hopefully it wouldn't come off as weird. Or make Chrollo question what he was doing. "I can work with that."
Kurapika let go of Chrollo's hand and placed it on his shoulder, got up from his own chair, and then straddled Chrollo. Kurapika did his best to keep a straight face when he finally settled onto Chrollo's lap, but he could feel that his face was burning and that his clothes definitely felt tighter. He glanced up and saw that Chrollo was also quite red in the face. Well, that made two of them in that department then.
"This isn't exactly how I envisioned this going," Chrollo murmured, as if he'd lost his breath. Kurapika quirked an eyebrow at him, trying to still pull this whole thing off as casual.
"What'd you think I was going to do? Hug you while standing next to your chair?"
Chrollo laughed, leaning forward and laying his forehead onto the blonde's shoulder. Kurapika's heart rate skyrocketed and he took in a quiet breath to try and stay level-headed, but found himself taking in the smell of Chrollo's shampoo and the fading scent of his cologne. It only served to make his reaction worse.
"No, I just didn't think you were the type to do this," Chrollo said, ignorant to Kurapika response, his arms wrapping around the blonde's waist and pulling him closer. Kurapika felt himself make a small squeak, but it was thankfully mostly air, making it too quiet for anyone but himself to hear. He sighed inwardly in relief. Oblivious, Chrollo remarked, "I can't say I'm not fond of it though."
"Why's that?" Kurapika asked, wrapping his arms around Chrollo's back while hoping to keep the other man talking. Both to enjoy the moment longer and to keep the other man from noticing how much of an effect he had on Kurapika. He just had to avoid getting any closer. Easy enough.
"Because to say I disliked it would be a lie, and I already said I wouldn't lie to you anymore." Chrollo pulled away from the hug but left his hands resting on Kurapika's hips and gave him an inquiring look. "Is that okay with you?"
"Perfectly fine," said Kurapika smiling, leaning forward onto his elbows that rested on Chrollo's shoulders. His hands came back to prop up under his chin, his face becoming dangerously close to Chrollo's. He struggled to hold onto his mask of indifference while maintaining his smile. "And since we're being honest here, I have a confession."
"Oh? Do you?" Chrollo asked, and it barely got above a whisper. Kurapika couldn't help but notice that Chrollo's face was tinged a slightly darker shade of red. It brought him great satisfaction to know he also had an affect on the older man, and he couldn't hold back his grin when it came to his face.
"I do. Remember how you brought up that one time? That one night full of 'regrets'. That happened back 'there'?" Kurapika took a pause for the dramatic effect, and Chrollo barely made a move to nod, caught up in the suspense. The blonde leaned in a little closer, as close as he would dare, and was almost touching the other man's nose with his own when he stopped. "Well, I must say, my only regret about that time was that it ended too early."
"Ah," Chrollo swallowed, and if Kurapika wasn't mistaken, Chrollo was definitely turned on by that. He couldn't help but widen his smile at the older man, who took a while to regain his voice. "You… you're flirting with me, aren't you?"
Kurapika blinked dumbfounded at Chrollo a few times before he burst out laughing, pushing himself away from the other man, but Chrollo's hold on Kurapika kept him from falling off of his lap.
"Me? Flirting? I—haha—can't tell if you're asking because you're dense or if—pfft hahahaha—or if it's because you're short-circuiting!"
"Oh come on Kurapika," Chrollo said exasperatedly, the blush on his face bright enough now that he looked like he'd just got sunburned. Kurapika couldn't stop another wave of giggles from overcoming him at the sight of it. "Don't make fun of me."
"I'm not, I'm just–" Kurapika took in a deep breath of air then sighed with a smile. He briefly wondered about what happened to his plan of being "casual" and unobvious. Oh well. Time to be forward and obvious then. "Just let me kiss you, okay?"
Chrollo gave him a surprised look but didn't protest when Kurapika leaned in and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. Chrollo's lips were chapped, but so were Kurapika's, so he resolved not to make a comment about it. When he pulled away, Chrollo was staring at him as if starstruck.
"What?"
"Nothing," Chrollo said, then blinked. "No, actually, I was thinking."
"Thinking?" said Kurapika, tilting his head. Of what?
"Of how lucky I am."
"To be held hostage on a chair with no hope of escape?"
"To be held 'hostage' in the arms of the one I love," Chrollo corrected, and then it was Kurapika's turn to flush at the other man's words.
"That's not fair."
"It never is."
"Then make it fair."
A pause.
"Okay."
And then Chrollo leaned forward and mimicked the kiss Kurapika gave him, but slower and with more care, as if they'd never kissed before then. It didn't have the dizzying effect their previous kisses had had, and it was somewhat of a relief to be able to experience the feeling of kissing each so calmly rather than riding through everything on emotions. Kurapika smiled into the kiss, finding it sweet how Chrollo was actually intent on making it seem like a more even playing field. Even though it wasn't going to be for long. Not with how he planned to exploit it at least.
Just as the kiss was ending, Kurapika took ahold of a small tangle of locks in the older man's hair with one hand and pulled back on it lightly, making Chrollo give an alluring gasp when they separated, his mouth opened rather seductively. Kurapika took a moment to take in the state Chrollo was in: his body was leaning back onto the chair held back by his head, neck flushed and fully exposed, breathing slightly hastened, and knuckles white from gripping at the sides of the chair to keep his hands busy and to maintain his balance. Kurapika noted that Chrollo was actively avoiding any way of touching him, as if doing so would break whatever kind of atmosphere they were in. It amused Kurapika a bit.
"Why hold yourself back?" Kurapika asked, using his free hand to slide up Chrollo's torso, pushing up his shirt and exposing his stomach. He let his fingers slide over the other man's abs for a moment before moving them quickly to the side, too embarrassed to keep them there. Chrollo breathed out a shaky laugh.
"Technically, you're holding me back." He paused, then added, "With your hand."
"Should I let go—"
"No," Chrollo said, his response a little too quick, catching Kurapika off guard. He coughed awkwardly, his hands shifting where they held the side of the chair. "I… prefer this."
Kurapika blinked at him, not sure if he heard him right, but the more he reviewed what he'd said, the more it became clear that Chrollo was very into what Kurapika was doing. Almost as if…
"Chrollo, is this your k—"
"Kiss me," said Chrollo, his voice surprisingly desperate and his legs shuffled underneath Kurapika's weight apprehensively. "Please."
Kurapika wasn't going deny Chrollo's request, especially since he had asked so nicely, but he decided to get to it gradually. The hand that held at Chrollo's hair tightened and his free hand moved up the side of his rib cage and stopped to cup at a pec, causing Chrollo to shudder and arch his back. Kurapika bent in to nuzzle in the crook of Chrollo's neck, giving light pecks where the hairline met the skin and trailed them up to his earlobe, pausing, then nibbling at the cartilage above his earring.
"Kurapika—"
"Shh, I'm getting there," Kurapika reassured before Chrollo could finish his whine, his voice tickling at the other man, making him flinch. Oh I'm having way too much fun with this, Kurapika thought to himself, feeling heady that almost everything he did now had a guaranteed reaction from Chrollo.
He moved up on Chrollo's lap, wanting to get closer to the other man, and was instantly reminded of why he had abstained from much movement at all. His attention was also focused on how he had apparently given Chrollo the same reaction he had been given earlier. When he scooted up just a bit more Chrollo's breath went ragged.
Laughter was heard from outside the apartment and was becoming louder with several voices talking at the same time.
"Neighbors," Chrollo explained without prompt, or maybe it was in irritation that they were being disturbed. Kurapika would never know, because when Chrollo was going to say something else, Kurapika leaned in and sucked at Chrollo's throat. The noise that instead came out of the other man was something between a yelp and a moan.
As Kurapika cycled between licking, sucking, and lightly scraping his teeth at Chrollo's skin, he felt the older man grasp at the back of his shirt and tug harshly. The collar of Kurapika's shirt was in the other man's grasp, and the tug pulled him away from Chrollo's neck and had him release his grip on his hair too, which made Kurapika's main concern shift into stopping his descent off the chair. He threw his hand behind him and caught himself from landing on the edge of the table.
Kurapika wasn't even able to adjust his balance of himself when Chrollo grabbed ahold of his face with both hands and kissed him, giving a hum of satisfaction that made Kurapika's lips feel tingly. He allowed for Chrollo to deepen the kiss, letting one arm wrap around his shoulders and the other arm push off from the table and lean his body up against Chrollo so that he'd no longer be suspended mid-fall.
When they broke for air, Kurapika nudged Chrollo's forehead with his own.
"I said I was getting there," Kurapika said with a laugh, and Chrollo shrugged.
"You were taking too long," Chrollo said with a smile. "And I'm very impatient, as you know."
"Of course," said Kurapika with a smile of his own. He kissed Chrollo on the tip of his nose. "But next time you'll wait longer."
"Next time?" Chrollo asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice, and Kurapika stuck his tongue out at him.
"Only if you earn it."
"What do I have to do to get your approval? Take you out to another fancy date?"
"With fancy food included? Absolutely," Kurapika said with a laugh. "And nothing less can satisfy me."
"Oh my, you were right! There is no hope of escape from your perilous hold over me!" said Chrollo dramatically, leaning back in the chair and draping an arm over his face as if he were a damsel in distress. "Your greed knows no bounds, and I must suffer the consequences!"
Kurapika laughed at his antics, then they were laughing together, leaning on each others shoulders and trying to quell their outbursts of giggling and chuckles when they heard a loud thunk of a car door outside.
Kurapika was still trying to calm down from his laughter when Chrollo shushed him, putting a finger on his lips to quiet him. There was some stomping up the stairs outside that got Kurapika to stop, his curiosity finally getting the better of him and forcing him to tune into what was going on outside.
There was silence and then they both heard the front door start clicking, and before they could separate completely from each other, Feitan burst into the apartment with a panicked look on his face. He seemed way too rushed to be bothered by their entangled state.
"The knives, from the kitchen," Feitan gasped out, "They're gone!"
Hahahahahaha so that chapter was certainly... something huh? But to be fair, if you think YOU'RE embarrassed, just remember that I had to write the whole thing! Asdkjbsfdkfjbsfkjdv anyway, please kudos, subscribe, and comment about wHAT PART YOU HAD TO STOP READING AND WALK AWAY FROM PLEASE AND THANK YOU