Sorry for the lack of author's notes, I uploaded all these chapters at around the same time so I didn't have much time to go back an add a whole bunch, only for a few. Anyway, ya'll are almost finished with this part! So exciting! Well, at least I'm excited XD
(Also, my computer keeps trying to correct "ya'll" to "y'all" and it makes me viscerally uncomfortable seeing it spelt the latter way... *shiver*)
Chrollo didn't even have a fraction of a second to react to Feitan's news before Kurapika was already standing up, dragging Chrollo along with him.
"Let's go then," Kurapika said, a little out of breath, and Feitan gave him a side glance that was basically a look of "Where do you think you're going?" Kurapika's response seemed to bring Feitan down from his panicked state, but it also put him into an stubborn state instead. Great. When Kurapika didn't back down from Feitan's glare, he turned it to Chrollo.
"First you let him take command of your heart, and now you let him take command of your mission?" spit out Feitan in Chinese, and Chrollo sighed. We do not have time for this right now.
"He hasn't taken command of anything Feitan," said Chrollo exhaustedly back in Chinese, frowning at his brother. "And if anything, he's just trying to help."
Feitan kept glaring at him, then asked "Are you letting him join because you think he'd be useful or because he's a good fuck?"
"Feitan!"
Kurapika was looking between them looking confused, the only word he seemed to understand being Feitan's name. He looked at Chrollo and Chrollo shook his head. There was no way he was translating this.
"He hasn't joined yet."
"Yet?" asked Feitan, the anger in his voice increasing. "When I left I knew you'd reconcile but putting the mission in danger because of personal feelings is out-of-character, even for you."
"Don't be difficult. We need all the help we can get and he's already tried to get involved before. I won't stop him this time."
"And if he gets hurt?" said Feitan smugly. Chrollo paused in his retort, his mind not providing any legitimate answers he could use to fight Feitan with. Feitan smiled and nodded. "That's what I thought. The whole reason you didn't let him join before was because he would be in danger by association, right? What happened there?"
Chrollo sighed.
"...It's not my decision to make. He's his own person and I—"
"Didn't think to ask your brother if he was okay with it?" interrupted Feitan, hands on his hips. "Did you ever stop to think if I was okay with it?"
"...Are you okay with it?" Chrollo asked after a while, and Feitan frowned.
"No."
Chrollo never once wanted anything more than to strangle his brother in that moment, but Kurapika stepped between them before he could try.
"I don't know what's going on and I don't think I want to know, but if I'm not mistaken this information is time sensitive, is it not?" Kurapika asked to Feitan matter of factly, who still continued to glare at him.
"It is."
"Then whatever you two are arguing about can be put on hold until we start heading to the objective."
"And what exactly are you going to do when we get there?" Feitan asked, and Chrollo internally groaned. "This work is dangerous and—"
"I can handle myself, thank you." Kurapika interrupted, walking to the front door as if to prompt them to come with him. "If you don't believe me, ask your brother how my punches feel."
Chrollo subconsciously put a hand to his face where he'd been punched multiple times, and Feitan rolled his eyes. They began to follow Kurapika out of the apartment.
"It can't be that bad," Feitan remarked under his breath in barely audible Chinese, pausing before the stairwell to wait for Chrollo.
"I was once knocked over a couch by his punch Feitan. His fury is not to be messed with," Chrollo said to his brother, locking the door behind him. Feitan chuckled.
"Ha! Either you've grown weak, or the recruitment office overlooked him!"
Chrollo gave a sharp look at Feitan.
"I, for one, am glad he wasn't recruited."
"Because he would've stolen your job?"
"Because I think he's happier without it."
Feitan shrugged as if it didn't matter anymore, hopping off the last step of the stairs and basically ending their discussion whether Chrollo wanted to speak more about it or not.
"Blondie, we're taking my car. It's faster than yours," Feitan told Kurapika as he walked by him, and Kurapika gave Chrollo a look.
"What is with everyone calling me 'blondie' all of a sudden?"
Chrollo mimicked Feitan's shrug from earlier and followed his brother, taking the passenger seat after calling out "Shotgun!" with excitement that made Feitan briefly smile at his antics.
"Just get in the car," he said, and Chrollo obliged with Kurapika following suit. Feitan started the car and began to drive before Chrollo could get his seatbelt on.
"Hey—"
"He's allowed to join on one condition," Feitan said, not taking his eyes off the road. Chrollo paused.
"What condition?"
"That you two keep that lovey-dovey stuff at home and stay focused on the task at hand."
"That sounds like two conditions," Chrollo teased, and Feitan made a disgruntled noise.
"Don't make me take back my generosity."
"Alright, fiiiiine."
"Fine what?" Kurapika asked from the back, perking up at the only English they had used the entire conversation. Feitan waved him off with a hand before making sharp turn right that threw everyone to the side of the car.
"Really?!" Kurapika said in outrage, and Feitan snickered at him.
"Don't get carried away with your teasing," Chrollo warned with a smile, "then you'll be taking my job."
"Ew Chrollo!" Feitan laughed, albeit while trying to hit him with a spare hand. "Don't make this weird!"
"He didn't mean it as rude Kurapika, he just likes you more than he wants to admit," Chrollo continued when Feitan's hand collided with his face.
"I do not! Don't go spewing blasphemy!" Feitan said with some blush on his face.
"Aaww, you do like him!" Chrollo pointed out, and Kurapika was laughing.
"Not in the way you do though!"
"You sure? Could've fooled me," said Chrollo as he poked at Feitan's side, his hand getting swatted at for every attempt.
"I— I will not defend myself against you naysayer! I plead only to the Court of Kurapika!" Feitan said, and Kurapika leaned forward between their seats as if he was summoned. Chrollo was glad to see Kurapika smiling when he came into view, happy that him and his brother were getting along.
"Then how do you plead to these chargers, Mr. Feitan?"
"Not guilty," said Feitan with some irritation but also some confidence.
"Then the court is adjourned! Final ruling: not guilty!" Kurapika said with a laugh, and Chrollo shook his head.
"You didn't even ask for the prosecution's opinion."
"I don't need to, I'm the judge afterall. Therefore I already know everything."
"That is not how court works," Chrollo wanted to say, but didn't, as Feitan laughed.
"Well then judge," said Feitan with a brief glance back at the blonde, "what does Chrollo want to talk to you about then?"
Kurapika blinked.
"I was unaware he had an inquiry for me."
"Brother," Chrollo said, and Feitan flashed him a grin before shifting gears and driving the car ever faster down the street. Chrollo shook his head.
"Kurapika, in amendment for my behavior a month ago, I'd like to propose to you something," Chrollo said, turning his head as much as he could to see Kurapika in the backseat.
"Should I be concerned or…?"
"That depends. Do you want to help track down Hisoka's killer?" Kurapika stared at him with wide, awestruck eyes, and Chrollo had to continue before he lost his train of thought. "I know, originally, I had barred you from joining, but I mean it this time. I'll give you whatever job you want, as long as you think you can do it. I won't stop you this time. Promise."
There was a long pause where Kurapika stared at Chrollo, and just when it was starting to get to uncomfortable to bear, Kurapika began to laugh.
"You don't—haha—I said I'd go after Hisoka's killer cause you wouldn't listen to me, not because I wanted a job!"
"Wait, so it was a bluff?" Chrollo asked incredulously, and Kurapika huffed at that.
"It was, yes, but I definitely would've gone hunting them if you had kept kicking me out."
"But I let you in eventually, didn't I?"
"You wouldn't let me in to begin with though," Kurapika pointed out and Feitan chuckled at that.
"Fair," Chrollo conceded. "But would you still like to help? Feitan and I could use an extra person, and if you were willing to hunt for them then, then maybe you would now?"
"I will consider," Kurapika said carefully after some thought, then gave Chrollo a small smile. "However, I don't think it has as much appeal to it anymore if you're not chasing me."
Chrollo blinked.
"Do you… want me to?" he asked cautiously, but before Kurapika could answer Feitan made a disgusted noise.
"Could you two concentrate for one damn second?"
"What? I didn't do anything!" Chrollo said, holding up his hands as if to show he was clean.
"Oh, I know you weren't, but someone," Feitan emphasized, looking in the mirror to make eye contact with Kurapika, "was trying to flirt with my brother in front of me!"
"At least you're not dense," Kurapika said, and Chrollo gaped at him, offended that he'd say that about him. My perception is impeccable!
"I am not!"
"Just a little bit then," Kurapika amended, and then turned to look outside the car when Feitan jerked to a stop. "What… are you doing?"
"What do you mean what am I doing?" Feitan asked. "We're here."
Upon further evaluation I think I've been typing y'all wrong have a good night folks please press "F" to pay your respects