Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter

Chapter 21: Boring Court Hearings (And How To Properly Avoid Writing About Them)

Kurapika quickly fixed Leorio's tie. It had been crooked and that had been bothering her immensely. They were going to plead innocence in front of some of the most powerful people on the planet, and she'd be damned if they looked anything less than perfect.

"Hey, Kurapika?" Gon asked, looking down at her slightly less-than-perfect tie. "Did I get this right?"

Kurapika set it right wordlessly.

"Thanks, Kurapika!"

She smiled slightly.

"Ready for this?" she asked. Gon nodded fervently, her high ponytail bouncing along with her bobbing head. "Then let's go."

…

"Killua!" Gon called and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Gon," he greeted, enveloping her in his own embrace and burying his face in her shoulder.

"Oi, aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?" another voice interrupted them. Leorio stood behind them with his arms crossed and a deep frown on his face.

"Don't be so paranoid, Leorio." Kurapika walked in with a stoic Chrollo hot on her heels. "It's just a hug."

"Just!?"

Killua sighed and tightened his grip slightly. It would be hard to find Gon alone today.

"You're on in three minutes," a small, green man in a suit informed. "Please ready yourselves."

Killua reluctantly released Gon and turned towards the other three. Kurapika gave him an encouraging smile. Leorio was still seething. Lucilfer, well, he just wore that same small, stoic smile that implied that he didn't give a shit about any of this.

"You'll do fine," Kurapika said. "Just answer their questions honestly and simply. They'll let you come back."

The two men beside her said nothing, but Kurapika nudged Leorio with her elbow. The man averted his eyes and pouted in frustration.

"Good luck, kid," he murmured.

"Nice to know you care, old man," Killua said.

"Old man!?"

"Time to go." The small, green man reappeared.

. . .

"Did you kill those people?"

"Yes."

"Do you feel remorse for what you've done?"

"Not really."

"Why?"

"I'm an assassin. It's just another life."

These questions were completely irrelevant. They should be asking if he had been under the influence of a threatening entity. They already knew he was a Zoldyck.

"So should circumstances allow it, you could go off on a killing spree once more."

Kurapika had had enough. She stood up.

"Your honor, with all due respect, I fail to see how hypothetical scenarios are pertinent to his case."

"We are primarily worried about the future of the actual school."

"I thought you were primarily concerned with the future of the student."

The judge frowned.

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

Kurapika's hands formed fists. So much for justice.

"Kurapika," Chrollo suddenly spoke, quietly enough for only her and her friends to hear, "stand down."

She grit her teeth and reluctantly sat down.

"I understand that you want them to do this case justice," Chrollo whispered, this time his words were only for her, "but justice is subjective. Not everything is as clear-cut as you might want them to be."

Kurapika wasn't naive. She'd known this already. Seriously though, they were in a bloody courthouse. There should be at least some semblance of justice in a place that preaches it.

"At the time of the crime, did you feel threatened, Mr. Zoldyck?" the judge continued.

"Not really."

The Kurta suddenly regretted telling Killua to stick to the truth.

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because he told me to."

"Who is this he?"

"My brother."

The judge was silent for a moment, as he leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers.

"He didn't threaten you, however," the judge clarified.

"No."

YES, HE DID!

Kurapika's fist clenched again, the urge to stand once more rising within her. But then she felt Chrollo's warm fingers pry her palm open and intertwine with her own fingers.

"Calm down," he whispered.

She relaxed a bit, but he didn't release her from her hand. The Kurta found that she didn't mind that much, but that was probably just because she was too busy controlling her temper.

"Very well," the judge announced, "the verdict has been reached. Killua Zoldyck shall remain in expulsion and may not attempt to apply once more until the dangers associated with him have disappeared."

"That's not fair!" Gon protested, getting up from her seat and walking into the aisle. Lovely, now Kurapika and Leorio would have to make sure Gon wasn't thrown out as well.

"The verdict has been reached," the judge repeated, firmly. "You may now leave."

Gon glared at them with such fervor it seemed they might catch on fire at any moment. "I. Will. Not."

"Security."

Dang.

Four men in black walked out of each of the doors. Gon didn't even give them a glance. She kept her gaze on the man in front of her, determined to stare him into submission.

Leorio got up as well. Kurapika watched him with a resigned expression. Why were all her friends absolutely insane?

Then, she walked to stand beside them, much more aware of the eight men approaching them than the other two were.

"The verdict has been reached," the judge said once more. "Leave, or you shall all be forcibly removed."

Kurapika felt just about ready to grab the other two and drag them out of the group, but then a silky voice interrupted her.

"I suggest you hear them out, your honor," Chrollo said, conversationally. A familiar glint of metal caught Kurapika's eye. It was one of his pens. He was threatening them.

The judge raised an eyebrow, probably looking for a way out of this situation. He then sighed, "very well. Make it quick."

He listened to him?

Chrollo placed his hands on her shoulders, leaned down, and whispered, "do your thing, devil's advocate." And he pushed her to the front of the group.

What? Why her?

His hands disappeared and she suddenly felt incredibly nervous. After all, the judge had at least twenty years under his belt, as was the standard. It was one thing to challenge him from her seat as a spectator. Another thing entirely to challenge him as a pseudo-lawyer.

"Well," her voice came out a little quieter than expected, a little more scared than she'd intended. She cleared her voice and continued, "the Zoldyck family is known for the training they put their children through. Many of these things could be viewed as child abuse, and yet, authorities have never stepped in to make sure the children aren't scarred for life. Correct?"

"Correct," the judge agreed, leaning back in his chair and watching her with a critical eye. She had his attention. Now, she had to make sure she didn't lose it.

"So, if the authorities had gotten involved, Killua Zoldyck perhaps wouldn't have a killing habit and therefore wouldn't have gone on a murder spree in the Academy, correct?"

"Indeed."

"So, in a way, the authorities are rather responsible for his state."

"Where are you going with this, young lady?" he asked, suspiciously.

"I'm saying that if you allow them to be born into a family such as that which allows its children to be subjected to torture, poison, killing, among other things, wouldn't it be safe to say that you create murderers and then punish them for something they can hardly control?"

"Go on." He was interested now. He wanted to see where she'd go with this. Kurapika thanked the gods that her improvising skills hadn't faded.

"Let us help him. We can make sure he doesn't go into assassin mode," Gon answered. Kurapika gave her a pointed look, a few seconds went by in which they engaged in a silent conversation, and then Gon stepped closer to Kurapika. "Killua isn't the type of person who would kill people. He just needs friends to help support him, that's all. He's never had anyone but his family, and his family wanted him to kill people. He's a good person who didn't get many chances to be good. Right, guys?" She turned to the other witnesses. They murmured their agreement, still trying to overcome the awesomeness that just occurred in front of them.

"I see your point," he muttered, then closed his eyes and muttered something under his breath. "Alright then, you win. However, if he steps out of line again, he's out."

They nodded, and Gon smiled triumphantly at Kurapika.

"And there's also the small problem of guardianship. His parents will most likely find it hard to allow him to come back."

"We've already established that they're not the best guardians." Kurapika took the reins again.

"He is not of age yet. He needs a guardian."

Kurapika's lips formed a thin line as she tried to recall the requirements for guardianship. She was certain she'd read about them before coming here. The guardian had to be at least eighteen years of age. Check. They had to show real concern for the child's welfare. Check. Chrollo, Leorio, and she all seemed to qualify. Then again, Chrollo didn't seem to care all that much for Killua so he was out. She couldn't be a guardian and succeed in her mission to annihilate the Phantom Troupe and get back what rightfully belonged to her. That only left Leorio.

She glanced at the man. He cared for Killua despite all his talk about how much he hated him. He had experience in a way as well. He'd taken care of her as well. Yeah, Leorio would work.

The phone suddenly rang, and the Judge picked up.

"Yes, this is Judge Montagu. Mr. Zoldyck! How are you, sir." He sounded so nervous that Kurapika almost laughed. "Yes, yes he's here. Put him on the phone? Of course."

He handed the phone to Killua, who put it up to his ear casually.

"Hey, dad."

A few seconds of silence passed as Killua listened to his father on the other side of the phone. It was maddening.

"Really. Okay." Killua handed the phone back, a small smirk forming on his face. That gave them some hope.

"Yes. Yes. I see. Of course, sir! All charges? Clear them all? Yes, sir. Of course, sir," the Judge nodded fervently as he listened. Then, he put the phone down and looked at Killua. "You get a clean slate, kid. Don't get in any more trouble, y'hear?"

"Yes, your honor," Killua said, a little mockingly, finally stepping down from the witness's chair. Gon raced forward and embraced him. She really was a total hugger. Killua returned the gesture, combing one hand through her dark hair.

The other three soon joined them.

…

"Well done, lawyer," he commented, as they walked out into the open air once more. At his words, she spun on her heels and wrapped her arms around his torso, covering her pale face in his chest. To say he was surprised was an understatement.

"That was the most terrifying experience I've ever encountered," she whispered, the words falling out of her mouth in a blur. So that's why she hugged him. Who knew she would be so willing to initiate physical contact after a slightly less-than-comfortable occurrence. Oh well, he might as well enjoy this sudden display of affection.

He pulled her closer to him until there was not an inch of anything separating their bodies. She gripped the fabric of his jacket, and he was ridiculously happy that they were the only ones who'd taken the exit through the garden. He hummed contently as he buried his face in her hair. It smelled nice. So much like her. He placed a kiss on her golden hair and suddenly wanted more. His grip tightened a little, as he thought of a way to distract himself.

"The fearless avenger, ladies and gentleman," he murmured, but he still didn't release her.

"Oh, shut up," she replied, but there was no malice in her words. The Kurta suddenly tilted her head up, black eyes rimmed with red when she realized just how close they were. She quickly jumped away from him. "I'm sorry. That wasn't very professional of me."

"Kurapika," he said, a bit irked that she'd pushed him away. "We've kissed before. I think it's safe to say our relationship has gone far beyond the limits of a young lady and her guard."

"That was your fault, not mine," Kurapika defended, crossing her arms. "I refuse to apologize for your lack of control."

Lack of control? All he did was control himself. Especially when she did ridiculous things like hugging him and being generally adorable in everything she did.

That earring caught his eye again. It glittered in between those golden locks, bouncing ever so slightly from the girl's movements. The tree behind her suddenly seemed oddly well-placed.

He stepped closer to her. She stepped back. Step forward. Step back. Step forward. Step back. Stepping forward until she hit the tree. He could practically see her mind berating her for falling for something as obvious as this. Chrollo placed one hand on the bark of the tree, successfully caging the girl, who looked up at him defiantly.

"I recall that you had made no move to push me away that night," he whispered.

"So I was a bit shocked," she admitted. "You're the one who -"

"KURAPIKA!" Leorio came running into their little hideaway, panting hard and bending down to somehow help him regain his composure. He looked back up and his eyes widened a little. "What're you guys doing? At a time like this, too!"

Kurapika seemed to finally come to her senses and maneuvered herself out of her cage. Chrollo had come to his own senses a long time ago, but he didn't really feel like moving away just because some idiot had interrupted them.

"Calm down, Leorio. Tell us what happened," she said, clearly welcoming the distraction.

"Killua and Gon are gone!"

"They're probably together," Kurapika reassured. "They'll be fine."

"Fine? That's what I'm worried about! They're together! Two teenagers, hormones, zero supervision."

"What's the worst that can happen, Leorio?"

, . .

"Should we really be leaving Leorio alone like that?" Gon asked as the white-haired assassin dragged her out onto the roof of the building. He'd gone there a few hours prior while searching for the right place to confess. There had also been a small garden in the running, but he felt this was far more Gon-like.

"Don't worry, the old man can take care of himself," he reassured, letting go of her small hand.

"I suppose you're woah!" She'd noticed the view then. The sunset painted the sky, the small pond below them glittered in its rays. It was pretty in the way only nature could be.

The girl walked to the railing and leaned over a bit. Killua strolled over to join her, looking as casual as always, even though inside he felt his heart trying to bounce out of his rib cage.

"We're so high up," she noted.

"Yeah." Yeah? That's all you could say? God, she probably thinks you're an idiot.

"Why'd you bring me up here?" she finally asked, eyes still on the scene he'd put in front of her.

"Well, I was thinking . . ."Dammit, how was he supposed to tell her?

"Thinking of what? You can tell me. Whatever it is. Cuz we're friends, y'know," she reassured, placing her hand on his.

Right, friends. What if she didn't want to be anything more?

What if she did?

And that little seed of hope was what brought him to this point. That one little thought: the voice of his insanity.

"I . . ." his voice suddenly failed him. Gon looked at him, curiously.

"Are you okay, Killua? You look really red," she commented, worriedly, as she moved her hand up to feel his forehead. "Do you have a fever?"

"Ah, no." He pushed her hand away. "I'm fine."

"Oh." Her hands went back to gripping the railing. "So, what did you wanna tell me?"

"I, well . . ." Don't be such a coward, you prat. Just tell her. You're finally alone. "Do you want to go out sometime."

That's not the same thing, prat!

Shut up, it's close enough.

"Go out?" She turned back at him, the sun's light hitting her, making the girl almost glow in its rays. She was so beautiful.

"Like . . . on a . . . date?" he said, uncertainly.

"Oh, sure," she replied, smiling that pearly smile.

"Where do you wanna go?" Killua asked, still chastising himself for not saying what he'd meant to say.

She thought for a bit, considering his question far too seriously than he'd intended her to. "Anywhere's fine really. As long as it's with Killua."

That was so adorable!

The heat rushed to his face, and he averted his eyes. It really wasn't fair how she could make him feel like a lovesick idiot at the drop of a hat.

"Oh, and Killua?" she continued unexpectedly. She took him by the collar and kissed him before he had any time to react. And just as quickly as it had come, it was gone. "I like you too."

She'd known the whole time?

Like you care. You got a bloody kiss. If you hadn't acted like a total idiot, it might've lasted longer.

Shut up.

NEXT TIME ON NAPP!:

KilluGon date, I guess. I really don't have this thing outlined. I feel like it'll just be the calm before the storm thing.

A/N: As usual there's just as much KuroKura as there is KilluGon. I really need to work on that. I just really like KuroKura scenes. They're too fun to write because Chrollo knows his feelings too well and Kurapika is completely oblivious to her own.

Question of the Day: Where do you want the KilluGon date to be?

Replies to Reviewers

Tigershiddeninshadows: I'm glad you're interested in those one-shots because I'm really excited for them. Thanks for the review as always. It makes me super happy. I hope you enjoyed this chapter : )

Sweets dreamer: Man, you've got these characters down so well. And don't feel too bad about Hisoka. He probably enjoys it when people run from him. He's a psychopathic pervert first and foremost. Aw, anything I write? Your loyalty warms my heart and makes my writer brain do a happy dance. Thanks for the review, friend. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I liked writing it : )

~End of Replies~

To Everybody: Thank you for reading this chappie. I hope you enjoyed reading it and that it gave you some semblance of satisfaction. Now, if you would be so kind as to write something in the review box below. It would be very much appreciated. My name is Chocoholic221B and I'll see you next time on NAPP!