Author's Notes:
PAIRINGS: Leorio/Kurapika (Leopika). Hisoka/Kurapika (Hisopika).
RATING: Mature. Sexual content.
SPOILERS? Yes, until chapter 390 of the Hunter x Hunter manga by Yoshihiro Togashi. You may want to click off until you've caught up with the Succession War Arc, or have decided that you don't care. I do attempt to explain the context for the uninitiated.
Chapter 30: Joker slicing hearts in half
Hisoka has been awake for hours now, but he still lies motionless in bed. He's soaking in the rumbling warmth of another body slumbering against his back. It's not a feeling that he's known for long, but it's a feeling that he's liking more and more every time it happens.
To amuse himself amidst this momentary stasis, he begins to toss out sharpened cards, notching the bedroom wall with minuscule holes. Going through a full deck in this manner, he finally sends out the Joker to join the others, observing as its sheer force slices the Two of Hearts in half.
At this point, he glances down at the arm thrown loosely over his waist. The watch around the slender wrist tells Hisoka that it's close to the agreed time.
"Wakey-wakey, golden boy," Hisoka croons. "Time to get up, get out, and give them all a taste of hell."
Kurapika's arms twitch, then wrap tightly around Hisoka's torso. He grumbles against Hisoka's back. "Mmph. Don't want to go anywhere. Want to stay right here."
"You want to sleep? You want to stay in bed?" Hisoka pretends to gasp in horror. "Who are you, and what have you done to my partner?"
"I don't think I had any nightmares. Did I call for Pairo in my sleep again?"
"You didn't call for Pairo, no." In truth, Kurapika was repeatedly calling someone else's name, but Hisoka doesn't need to bring that up, does he?
Hiking up Hisoka's shirt, Kurapika nuzzles the pale skin of his back. His right hand wanders down to caress Hisoka's crotch over his pants. "Mm. You feel amazing. Maybe that's why I slept so soundly."
"Use me as your pillow any time. We need you to be as strong and as alert as possible to win this war, right?"
Kurapika's fingers have just crept underneath the elastic to close around Hisoka's cock, but once Hisoka brings the war back into his consciousness, he retracts his right hand and sits up. "We'd better go."
They both rise from the bed, but before they can leave the room, Kurapika pauses to consider the cards jutting out from the wall.
Kurapika's tone is conversational. "Quite the threatening tableau you've got here."
Hisoka allows the Shu enveloping the cards to diffuse, and the cards curve downward at once with the pull of gravity. "Leave it. This will warn everyone to stay away from the bedroom. I want to fuck you in peace when we're done with war business for the day."
As Kurapika speaks with 9th Prince Halkenburg, Hisoka silently watches the Nen beast perched on the prince's shoulder. A hulking ape-like monstrosity, it glowers and flexes its pointy claws in Hisoka's direction. When Hisoka only smirks in response, the beast tosses back its curved horns and roars, its feathers ruffling in a grand display of aggression.
Kurapika's face doesn't flicker in the slightest. Neither does Prince Halkenburg's face, but as Hisoka has confirmed numerous times, the princes cannot see their own Nen beasts. Hisoka has already exploited this common weakness against them.
Hisoka is distracted from these musings as Kurapika kneels next to him. Following his lead, Hisoka also gets to his knees, but he maintains the ironic smile over his face.
Resting his chained hand over his heart, Kurapika confesses to the murders of 1st Prince Benjamin, 3rd Prince Zhang Lei, 5th Prince Tubeppa, 6th Prince Tyson, and 7th Prince Luzurus. Upon this revelation, the guards standing behind Prince Halkenburg murmur amongst themselves.
While Prince Halkenburg seems to keep a stiff upper lip, the grief and agony are apparent in his eyes. "How about the three other deceased princes? Did the two of you murder them as well?"
"Hisoka and I weren't responsible for the deaths of the three others," Kurapika tells him. "However, we've since managed to gather intelligence on the circumstances surrounding their demise. 12th Prince Momoze was strangled by Tuffdy, a spy assigned by 5th Queen Swinko-swinko, while 8th Prince Salé-salé was killed by Yushohi, a spy assigned by the 1st Prince. As for 10th Prince Kacho, she died during an attempt to escape from the Black Whale. The 10th Prince's Nen beast then manifested as her own likeness, and to this day stands sentinel over her twin sister in the 11th Prince's quarters."
"Even presuming that you are telling the truth about those three siblings, do you fully grasp the extent of the crimes to which you are confessing? Five of my siblings, slain by your hands. . . ."
Kurapika presses his forehead to the floor. Hisoka notices that his partner trembles as he exposes his back to the members of the 9th Prince's camp. When Hisoka follows suit and lowers his head, he gently rubs Kurapika's leg with his own.
"Hisoka and I are willing to accept any and all culpability for these crimes," Kurapika says, his eyes trained on the floor beneath him. "But please understand that we only risked the very real possibility of capital punishment as a means to demonstrate our unyielding loyalty to the 9th Prince. We only hoped to clear the path for the 9th Prince to ascend with all due haste to the throne."
"If you are here as an agent of the 14th Prince's camp, does this mean that Queen Oito has conceded her daughter's birthright to the throne?"
Kurapika raises his head now. "The 9th Prince is perceptive indeed. Yes, 14th Prince Woble, through 8th Queen Oito; 13th Prince Marayam, through 7th Queen Sevanti; 11th Prince Fugetsu; and 6th Queen Seiko have all committed to support the 9th Prince's bid to prevail in this succession contest. Hisoka and I have gone out of our way to form this alliance among the younger surviving princes on the 9th Prince's behalf. The camps of these three princes will gladly fortify the offensive and defensive capabilities of the 9th Prince's camp as the 9th Prince directs. Please take the time to connect with these three camps over the phone if the sincerity of my words remains doubtful."
"Stand up," Prince Halkenburg commands. "Look into my eyes."
Kurapika does so. Hisoka gets up as well, but Prince Halkenburg is only looking at Kurapika. The prince raises his arm, his outstretched fingers practically grazing Kurapika's forehead. At this precise moment, the combined aura surrounding the prince and his guards swells to an alarming degree.
For the first time since they stepped inside the 9th Prince's quarters, Hisoka feels a pang of uncertainty, but beside him, Kurapika doesn't falter one bit. As Prince Halkenburg stares deeply into the brown eyes, Kurapika gazes back steadily.
"Good, you are being honest with me." Once Prince Halkenburg lowers his arm, the collective aura of the 9th Prince's camp simmers down. "I am quite touched by your show of loyalty, courage, and initiative. But most importantly, this regret that you feel, which you have attempted but failed to conceal behind your calculated confession to these heinous crimes . . . I have sensed it dripping from your every word. You ache with the same disgust that plagues me whenever I am compelled by circumstance to control or hurt anyone in order to achieve my own lofty goals. We are the same, you and I." The prince bows his head by just a fraction. "Very well. I will trust you. I will join the alliance of the younger princes, with you acting as the emissary of their camps."
Kurapika nods in return. "The 9th Prince honors me. Please feel free to course all communications with the younger princes through me."
"I have had enough of this '9th Prince' business. Address me as Prince Halkenburg from this point onward. Such stiff formality does not suit our new status as allies."
Kurapika now asks Prince Halkenburg if he's received any news from 4th Prince Tserriednich. "I've heard that you maintain a close relationship with the 4th Prince despite your strained relations with the rest of the royal family?"
"You have heard correctly. Tserriednich calls me regularly. He has kept me apprised of his tussles with the elder princes. As you may know, from the very beginning, my five eldest siblings saw themselves as the only plausible contenders for the throne. Now that Benjamin, Zhang Lei, and Tubeppa have passed away, Tserriednich and Camilla have been engaging in increasingly frequent confrontations. Each of them suspects the other of eliminating Benjamin's and Zhang Lei's camps, and of directing the assassination of Tubeppa."
"Prince Halkenburg, if the 4th Prince is openly informing you of such delicate details even at this juncture of the war, could it be that the two of you have also formed an alliance?"
Prince Halkenburg shakes his head. "Tserriednich offered to ally with me, that much is true. I did, however, decline his offer. As fond as I am of my brother, I have been consistently careful to keep him at a certain distance. I know him well enough to understand that I can never trust him completely. While he did promise me immunity if the two of us happened to be the last princes standing, I am not sure that I can trust that promise either."
"Might I extend a humble suggestion, then? If we take advantage of the current standoff between the 4th Prince and the 2nd Prince, we may potentially blindside and overpower them both. This way, Prince Halkenburg will emerge as the victor of the Succession War and as the new king of the Kakin Empire."
Prince Halkenburg furrows his brows. "From a strategic standpoint, I can comprehend the wisdom of your advice. But from an ethical standpoint, the idea of blindsiding anyone is morally abhorrent to me."
"I sincerely apologize. I will refrain from giving any unsolicited advice from now on."
Prince Halkenburg waves his hand, as if dismissing this apology. "Not at all. I may not listen to every piece of advice that I receive, but I always endeavor to hear from as many angles and perspectives as possible. How else will I ensure that the course of action I have chosen is the wisest of all infinite potentialities? For this reason, never hesitate to share your insights with me. Your evident affinity for tactical acuity will be most invaluable."
"As you wish, Prince Halkenburg."
"For now, we shall wait," Prince Halkenburg says, his voice firm. "We shall permit my two elder siblings to resolve this conflict between them. Only then shall I step in and assert myself as a serious contender."
Upon their return to the 14th Prince's quarters, Basho bows deeply and bellows, "Welcome back, Boss!"
As Basho attempts to peel off Kurapika's blazer for him, Kurapika flinches and backs away. With his brown eyes wide, Kurapika stretches out his right arm behind him, instinctively reaching for something.
Recognizing what Kurapika needs from him, Hisoka steps forward and presses his chest to Kurapika's back. Kurapika relaxes instantly against Hisoka's body, and his quickened breathing gradually slows down again.
Once Kurapika composes himself, he speaks to Basho with a reproachful tone. "Basho, you don't have to do these sorts of obtrusive things. We're not the Nostrade family right now. We're just guards, just . . . friends."
Basho's smile is wistful. "I know. But this kind of stuff's comforting, ain't it? Pretending everything's the same as before. Just another boring day on the job. How'd today's mission go, anyhow?"
"It went about as smoothly as I could have hoped."
"Sweet!" Basho booms. "Boss has closed a big deal again! He's bringing home the bacon, showing the rest of us how it's done!"
As Basho beams and rumples Kurapika's blond hair with his broad hand, Hisoka wraps his arms around Kurapika's waist and hauls him off with a vague excuse about formulating the next phase of war strategy.
Alone in the employees' bedroom once more, the spectacle of cards still decorating the wall, Hisoka falls over the bed while still hugging Kurapika to his chest. "What's up with Mr. Pompadour? I thought he was going to start licking your shoes or something."
"He's still in his mafioso mindset, I guess," Kurapika replies.
"Is that what you do in the mafia? Suck each other's dicks after long days of swinging around guns and blackmailing people?"
"That's not generally the case. But Basho and I . . . we fall under the exception, I suppose?"
Eyes glinting with amusement, Hisoka spins Kurapika's body around to face him. "Tell me everything. Each and every sordid detail of this affair."
Kurapika shrugs. "There's nothing to tell."
Locking his arms around Kurapika's waist again, Hisoka tries to torment him into submission by nipping and sucking at his ears. Kurapika thrashes uselessly against Hisoka's chest until his own face gleams a glorious shade of magenta.
"Okay, okay!" Kurapika is breathless by this point. "I'll talk! Just stop! Stop!"
Once Hisoka lets him go, Kurapika pounces over Hisoka's body and pins his wrists down on the mattress.
Kurapika squeezes both wrists tightly, only stopping when Hisoka winces. "Don't you ever dare do that again."
Kurapika then dives down and kisses Hisoka hard. His mouth moves urgently, parting Hisoka's lips to suck on his tongue.
Hisoka kisses him back for a few minutes, swept up by the spell of his lover's always infectious appetite, before he eventually remembers his original agenda. He then twists his head and swipes at Kurapika's still blushing earlobe with his long tongue.
Kurapika jerks away, glaring. "What did I just say?!"
"You're the one who's distracting me," Hisoka accuses. "Think I can't see through your dirty tricks? You said you'd talk, so talk."
"What do you want me to tell you? It's a boring story where nothing happens. I just didn't want to bore you to sleep. We can't fuck if you're asleep, now can we?"
"Quit dancing around the subject and tell me already."
Kurapika sighs. "I was pent up one day, okay? You know what I'm like when that happens. Any semblance of intelligence just flies out the window. Basho and I happened to be alone in the office back then, so I blew him and made him fuck me over my desk."
"A one-night stand then?" Hisoka asks.
"I honestly intended for it to be a one-time occurrence, but he's massive down there, so it was difficult to control myself. I couldn't stop myself from propositioning him for a repeat session. Or several."
"Ah, so that's why you asked me to bring him to the 14th Prince's quarters. You were craving more repeat sessions with Mr. Pompadour and his massive disco stick."
Kurapika rolls his eyes. "Are you out of your goddamn mind? If I have both you and Basho railing me with your monster cocks on a regular basis, I'll be bleeding too badly to even sit down, let alone wage a war. He's here to replace Hanzo's role, and that's it."
Hisoka snickers. "Know what we should do? We should pretend to be boyfriends. That should deter him from sniffing around you like a dog waiting to be petted."
Kurapika stares quietly at Hisoka until his snickering dies down.
"I'm only kidding," Hisoka says, feeling awkward now. "No need to get worked up over a harmless joke."
Kurapika releases Hisoka's wrists and settles over his hips. His expression is supremely serious. "Yes, why not? Boyfriends. I like the sound of that."
"Did you even hear what I just said . . .?"
"But I don't want to pretend. If we're going to do this, we're going to do this officially. We'll be a 100% real couple. Hisoka, you're my boyfriend now. Got that?"
Hisoka is momentarily shocked into silence by Kurapika's bluntness. He then bursts out laughing and doesn't stop for a long time.
Even when Hisoka regains his coherence, he wheezes out his words. "I'm your boyfriend now, huh? What a riot!"
"What, you've got a problem with that? We kiss and we fuck and we share all this alone time together. We like each other, right? What else would you call this thing between us?"
Smiling, Hisoka clutches Kurapika by the waist and drags him over the length of his own body, only stopping when Kurapika is positioned over his shoulders. "Know what this means? You can't fuck anyone else from now on. I'm glad you finally had your shot with Leorio in the medical ward, because that was the last time. As your 100% real boyfriend, I'm the only one who gets to see you naked. I'm the only one who can do this to you."
Hisoka tilts his head upward to kiss Kurapika over his trousers, and Kurapika pushes his hips forward to meet Hisoka's eager lips.
"Let me throw that back to you, Hisoka," Kurapika says. "You can't keep messing around with other people. You think I don't know about your midnight trysts with Illumi?"
Hisoka's chuckling sends out pleasant vibrations, and Kurapika feels himself stir with desire.
"That's not what we've been doing, actually," Hisoka tells him. "But I would've fucked Illumi by now if I'd only realized that he was bothering you. You're adorable when you're jealous like this."
Kurapika unzips and shoves his length into Hisoka's expectant mouth, letting Hisoka coat his every inch with lubrication. He then dismounts and impatiently flips Hisoka over to his stomach.
Kurapika yanks off Hisoka's pants and rubs his dick between the muscular cheeks, teasing Hisoka until he begs for Kurapika to give it to him. Kurapika then plunges inside Hisoka and pounds into him without reservation.
Hisoka moans against the pillow. "Wow. Wow. What a beast, my boyfriend."
"You like this? You like it when your boyfriend wrecks you like this?"
"I love this," Hisoka sighs. "I fucking love it like this."
"Will Illumi ever fuck you like this, huh?"
"Will Leorio ever let you fuck him in the ass like this?"
There's a startled groan, then Kurapika suddenly empties his load into Hisoka.
An uncomfortable silence descends between them.
Kurapika finally breaks it. "It's probably best if you don't mention his name while we're in bed."
"You're the one who started this game." Hisoka can't help himself now. He giggles uncontrollably against the pillow, while faintly wondering why Kurapika still doesn't pull out his flaccid penis.
Hisoka's giggling is cut abruptly short when Kurapika harshly smacks Hisoka's ass with his right hand, with no warning whatsoever.
In the wake of that stinging impact, Hisoka's dick springs to attention. He braces himself as Kurapika continues spanking him. Before very long, Kurapika's cock is rock-hard inside Hisoka again.
And maybe it's this shift between them — this strange new definition slapped over what they've previously left deliberately undefined — but the sex that follows is the best they've ever had thus far, whether together or apart.
More Author's Notes:
I'm taking a break from writing this story for at least the month of November. In the meantime, please enjoy these new additions to the playlist, which was mentioned in the notes of Chapter 26.
If circumstances permit, I'll update again by December. Take care of yourselves!
1. The Ghost of You — My Chemical Romance
2. Paresthesia — Wild Ones
3. Pretend — MACROSS 82-99 feat. Samsi
4. TI-83 — CASTLEBEAT
5. Baby Baby — Sports
6. Like Letter — BP Valenzuela
7. K. — Cigarettes After Sex
8. Copper Kiss — Sälen
9. Where Evil Grows — The Poppy Family feat. Terry Jacks, Susan Jacks
10. Atypical — BONNIE X CLYDE
Thanks to arcaladiwoompa for suggesting that last song!
