Note: Someone asked me to describe Kuroro undressing. *laughs* Man, this chapter was a fight. Orbits wasn't working at all so I came back to DAV. I'm still not feeling well, so updates will be slow. I'm very sorry about that.
Beta-reader: None.
Chapter summary: Kuroro thinking.

Chapter 36

Kuroro was awoken from his nap by the sound of his cellphone vibrating against the top of the nightstand. He rubbed his right hand over his face and picked up the phone blindly with his left. He blinked at the display. It was seven-thirty in the evening and the call was from Shalnark. He connected the call, "Shal."

"Danchou," he young Spider said, "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I think there's something that you have to know."

Kuroro sat up with a sigh. "Tell me," he said, raking his hand through his hair. So much for sleeping before burglarizing that museum.

"You remember when you asked me to look at the Kuruta's things after we captured him? I kind of have this bank information in my laptop." Kuroro wasn't surprised. That explained how the young Spider had caught up with them so fast in Merenke. Kurapica had paid for dinner and planetarium. "He just paid debit on a dinner for two in Zaban."

Kuroro frowned. "Why are you telling me this?" he wanted to know.

"I'm not trying to cause trouble," Shalnark assured him. "I just thought I'd better tell you directly. I mean, I did betray your trust and if, if you learn later through someone else that I had this information and didn't tell you..." He chuckled. "I don't fancy dying just yet."

Well, that makes sense. "Two people?" he asked. "Not four?"

"Uh," he heard Shalnark type on his machine. "Two set meals," he confirmed. "Ah, they have a camera that's streaming to the owner's house. Should I hack the feed?"

Kuroro didn't hesitate, "Go ahead."

"Yeah," he said after a moment, "I see him. With a tall guy with spiky hair and sunglasses. Ah, wait, wasn't he that med student?"

"Can you get the video feed for the entire time they were at the restaurant?" Kuroro asked, pushing himself to his feet and heading over to the coffee machine.

"Easily," Shalnark replied. "Do you want me to send it to you?"

Kuroro kind of wanted to see what the blond was up to, but it could wait. "No," he said, "I have things to do first and this isn't urgent. Just save it onto your computer and you can show me when I see you next."

"Machi wants to talk to you," Shalnark told him. "I'm giving her the phone."

He heard the two say something, the sound muffled and impossible to make out. Then, "Danchou, just wanted to say we got the first pair and that Shal's behaving."

"You didn't have to add that last part!" he heard Shalnark protest. "He knows I will. If I didn't, you'd have killed me."

"He's right," Kuroro told the girl. "You don't need to report everything. Just don't leave him out of your sight."

"Okay," Machi said, and Kuroro could nearly hear the shrug in her voice. "I'm hanging up now."

"Text me when you get the last pair," Kuroro said and disconnected the call. He set the phone down onto the dresser next to the coffee machine, waiting for his caffeine to percolate. He frowned thoughtfully. That Kurapica should go out with that man alone was his own business, but it did concern Kuroro a bit. He wasn't sure what it meant. He hadn't forgotten that the other man had kissed the blond and expressed a desire for more than friendship with him. Maybe letting Kurapica go hadn't been such a good idea after all.

But no, there had been no better solution. Forcing him to stay would only compound Kurapica's impression that he was a prisoner. There would be no way to force the boy to see Kuroro as anything other than a jailor. Letting him go was for the best, but there was a chance that seeing the med student would make Kurapica question the progress that Kuroro had made with the boy so far. This was highly problematic.

Well, he'd have to make do. He'd fix this situation like he had everything so far. He could do this.

In the end, it took a few more days before Shalnark recontacted him. They met up the next day, back in Xanthe, at the same building where they had gathered the previous week. As soon as Kuroro saw the two Spiders, he made his way over to them. "The Scarlet Eyes?" he asked.

"Got them," Machi confirmed. "We'll bring them back to Ryuuseigai with the other pairs."

"Good," Kuroro nodded.

"I have the video feed," Shalnark said.

Kuroro called out the Fun Fun Cloth to retrieve the Eyes he'd gathered. He would leave them with Machi and Shal. He set them down, then let book and cloth disapppear. He sat down. "Show me," he demanded. Shalnark brought his laptop over and left it in front of him, then he went back to stand with Machi. Kuroro could tell they were watching him, but he didn't care much. If they had questions, they could always ask him directly.

He started the video. There was no sound, it was in black and white and somewhat grainy, but he could still make out two forms approach the storefront through the glass door and windows. The door opened, and there was that med student, his arm around Kurapica's shoulders with the air of casual familiarity that showed habituation. He saw the man look somewhere off-camera. Kurapica's lips moved, and the med student let his arm drop. A hand waved into frame in the lower corner – probably a server. The two young men turned to the windows and made their way to a table. They sat across from each other. Kuroro sped it up while they looked through the menus. When they set them down, he slowed the video back down to normal speed.

Kurapica pulled his cup of water closer and started slowly turning it around between his hands. The other man reached over and touched the blond's hand, but Kuroro couldn't see what he was doing, exactly. He did see him motion for Kurapica's hand, though. Kuroro wasn't too bothered, but then the Kuruta reached out his hand over the top of the table and the med student placed his own over it. Kuroro could feel himself frowning a little. He relaxed his face, all too aware that Shalnark and Machi were still watching him intently.

The two young men on the screen were talking, but it was too grainy to try and read their lips to even guess what they were saying. Kurapica nodded, paused, nodded again. Then he seemed to sigh deeply and looked up, as if he were trying to find the right thing to say. He looked really uncomfortable and that reassured Kuroro a bit. No matter what happened when the boy returned, the Kuruta would never be the same.

Kurapica lowered his head, gripping his glass tightly with his free hand. Then the med student brought the blond's hand to his mouth and it wasn't for the light twitch Kuroro managed to see on the grainy video, he would be certain that Kurapica was being wooed. As it was, however, the blond looked extremely uncomfortable. Maybe there was a chance that the boy was already falling, then. That would be excellent. The tall man set Kurapica's hand onto the table again. The blond shook his head, then sighed deeply. He the looked up at the student sitting across from him and shook his head slowly.

The med student leaned over the table, linking his fingers together, staring at the blond. He said something with a very serious, very intense look on his face. Kurapica shook his head. Then, the man was sitting back, one arm over the back of his booth. He shook his head, paused, shook his head again and said something. There meal was brought to them and Kuroro was amused to notice that is was a specific type of regional cuisine known for being not too spicy. The two young men talked through their meal, but they didn't touch again, and it seemed like the casual chat of friends reunited after a long time. A few minutes passed. Then, they got up and disappeared off camera to pay for their meal. They went through the frame and out of the door. Kuroro sat back, bringing a hand up to his chin. He had a lot of things to think about.

Shalnark asked, "Are you done with the computer, Danchou?"

Kuroro nodded. "Yes, and you are both free to go as well. Things are proceeding better than I had planned actually. There might not be a need to be with Kurapica for each robbery. Tell the others that I'm planning on gathering all of the Scarlet Eyes. They don't need to go out of their way to get them, but if they find some, or if they were to feel bored..." He let the sentence hang.

"Okay," Machi said. "C'mon, Shal." The young Spider looked from her to his boss, then he nodded and started walking. Machi fell in step next to him. Kuroro waited, needing to be alone with his thoughts for a moment. When he was certain that the other two had left for good, he got up and slowly made his way over to where he had left his car. He got behind the wheel and sighed softly.

He tapped his hands against the wheel lightly. On the one hand, Kurapica had seemed rather ill at ease throughout the first part of dinner with the med student. On the other hand, he had relaxed and looked totally at ease by the time he left. And he had paid for both meals. It looked a little intimate for a dinner between friends. Kuroro had made a claim on the blond, one that Kurapica had been quite aware of, but ultimately, it was up to the Kuruta whether they would go that way or not. So long as the Kuruta joined the Ryodan, that's all that mattered.

Or was it?

Kuroro frowned a little to himself. There was something pulling at him, something he didn't quite understand. It was a bit like he'd gone in to steal something, only to find it already gone. Yes, it was a bit like York Shin, when Ubogin had called to report the auction safe empty.

Well, he'd fixed that situation easily enough, though at a terrible cost for the Spiders. But they had stolen all of the items, and now, he'd manage to steal Kurapica for himself just as easily, and without the cost that he'd paid in York Shin. He'd make sure of that. He was a thief, after all. Thieves took what they wanted, others be damned. He'd make the Kuruta his.

His decision taken, he put the key in the ignition and started the car. Kurapica wasn't around to complain about the music, so he put it at a rock station. He drove off, making his way back to Otal. He was in no rush, this time, and though he drove above the speed limit, it still took him a solid hour and a half. He went back to his hotel room and ruffled his hair as soon as the door was closed, letting it fall down once more. He wanted a shower. He got out of his coat and flung it on the back of the armchair by the window, then he took his phone out of his pocket and looked at the display. Twenty-second of May. Kurapica still wouldn't be back for another week. Well, he could always visit a few places around town and try to find interesting things. Like books. He wanted new books.

He set his phone down onto the top of the dresser and unzipped the sleeveless leather top he was wearing and it ended up on top of his coat on the chair. Then his belts followed, first one, then the other. He put those next to his phone and went to sit on the bed to take off his boots. Then he peeled out of his leather trousers. With a sigh, he pushed himself to his feet and made his way to the bathroom where he removed his underwear and got into the shower. He liked his showers extremely hot, near the verge of painful, and soon, the bathroom was filled with a thick fog of steam. He washed himself slowly, enjoying the heat of the water running over his skin. He paused just before he rinsed himself off, frowning a bit. He'd just wondered what Kurapica would look, standing there, naked under the stream of water, his blond hair sticking to his skin around his face. After a moment, he forced himself to move again, banishing the visual from his mind.

Odd, this.

When he stepped out of the shower, he patted himself dry and wrapped a towel around his waist, making his way back into the room so he could get a clean pair of underpants, which he put on. Then he towel his hair roughly and flung the towel over the television. He dressed into casual clothes, black jeans and a button-up shirt he left open over a sleeveless, silky black top. Then he picked his cellphone, car keys and wallets and went out. He was starting to get hungry, and maybe he would do a bit of exploration after.

It was very, very late by the time he got back, and he just slid between the covers and slept until morning. He spent the next day reading, having acquired new books on his night out. He kept his cellphone close. He bought a croissant and coffee from a cafe across the street for breakfast. Lunch was room service, and so was dinner. It just felt so nice to be alone, not planning, not plotting, just relaxing and learning. As night fell, he turned on the lamp next to him and checked his cellphone. It was still quite early and the book he was currently wasn't holding his interest. He set it down and picked up another.

Another couple of hours went by in complete silence. And then, finally, his phone vibrated on top of the dresser next to him. He picked it up and glanced at the screen. A slow smile pulled at his lips. He connected the call. "Kurapica," he said softly. "How nice of you to call."