Author's Notes:
PAIRINGS: Leorio/Kurapika (Leopika). Hisoka/Kurapika (Hisopika). Leorio/Cheadle.
RATING: Mature.
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.
Special thanks to Caasi for suggesting this Leorio/Cheadle date idea.
Chapter 35: Entrapment of hearts
Everything becomes a little clearer with each new body that Leorio touches. When he sets his mind to it, all earthly distractions ebb away. The crackling white fuzz scatters, and the outlines sharpen.
Soon, perhaps, an achromatic motion picture, silent as the classics were, with chiaroscuro suggesting the secret chambers where ailments lie.
Then, eventually, technicolor — cinematic bombast, surround sound.
"You have years to go yet before you reach that point," Cheadle tells him from the opposite end of her cabin. She's huddled in the narrow pocket of air between two rickety stacks of volumes, five books already open on the floor in front of her. "In the meantime, I'd recommend reading as much about anatomy as possible."
Leorio's enthusiasm isn't at all dampened by her pragmatic response. "My favorite subject! You wouldn't happen to have any books on anatomy, would you?"
"For such a cornerstone of every medical field, of course I have at least a dozen volumes on the subject." Cheadle's hand wanders over the spines of the stack to her right, and she pulls one out without even bothering to verify its title with her bespectacled eyes. The stack of books teeters, but doesn't topple over. "Do this one first. This is essential reading, to put it lightly."
Sitting on the bed, Leorio catches the hardbound textbook that Cheadle lobs toward him.
He props it open over his knees, reverently stroking the glossy pages of intricate scientific illustrations, when the sharp corner of another book that Cheadle has thrown smacks him on the nose. "Ow!"
"Ah, I apologize. I hadn't realized that you weren't looking."
"It's okay. Doesn't hurt." Leorio blinks back the tears that have sprung from his eyes and rubs his reddening nose. He then checks his palm for blood, but there isn't any. He watches Cheadle for a few seconds, just to make sure that she's not planning to aim any more books at his face, but she's already gone back to silently studying the pages spread open in front of her.
Leorio sets the second textbook aside and returns to the first. As is his habit whenever he begins reviewing anatomy, he flips the pages to the circulatory system first. His fingers trace the illustrated heart, imagining chains encircling it, a silver stake in place, steadily scraping away at the organ as it expands and contracts. Leorio has always been fascinated, if a touch frightened, by that mental image, even before he ended up falling for the only human that he knows possesses a heart presently entrapped in this manner.
The jitters won't leave. Leorio drums his fingers over the front counter of the medical ward and taps his left clog to the same nervous beat.
Cigarettes are not an option, and Cheadle is away. Besides, even if Cheadle was here right now, can she answer any of the questions that continue plaguing Leorio even though he tries repeatedly to quash them?
Leorio screws his eyes shut and sighs. He's so worried about Kurapika. Will he ever stop worrying about Kurapika? Will Kurapika ever stop finding creative new ways to make Leorio wrack his head with worry? Why the hell is Kurapika butchering his own lifespan again? Is he trying to kill himself?
And as if Emperor Time isn't enough of a problem, that goddamn aspirin. . . . When Leorio interrogated Hisoka and Kurapika separately about the pills, they gave noticeably different answers, which means that at least one of them was lying. Leorio wishes that he can just believe Kurapika over Hisoka, but. . . .
Groaning in frustration, Leorio grabs the phone on the counter. He's punching the number for the 14th Prince's quarters, which he hasn't even realized that he's memorized until this very moment. His brain sure retains the strangest information — like a phone number that he's sure he's never called before — even though it stubbornly refuses to remember the differences among terms such as keratin, creatine, creatinine.
Leorio waits, his heart in his mouth, as the phone rings. Yes, this is the right thing to do. He should directly ask Kurapika to explain himself. He'll call out any lies that Kurapika spouts, any inconsistencies. He won't stand for any excuses. He'll arrive at the truth of the matter, even if he needs to pry it forcefully from Kurapika's forever clenched fists.
"Hello?" someone answers.
Leorio recognizes the soft and musical voice. "Hey, Melody. It's Leorio."
"Oh, it's so nice to hear from you, Leorio. Even over the phone, your heartbeat is as comforting as ever."
"How have things been going over there?" Leorio asks her.
"If you're asking about the Succession War, I'm a little worried, to be honest. We have only a week to go before the Black Whale's expected arrival at the Dark Continent, but we still haven't heard from the 9th Prince's camp, which has been monitoring the conflict between the 2nd Prince and the 4th Prince."
"Hmm. Is Kurapika in?"
"He's here," Melody tells him, "but if you wanted to speak to him, now probably isn't the best time."
"Is he busy right now?"
"Not quite. He's been throwing up the entire day. At this moment, he's in bed with a fever. His ears are ringing, he says, and he seems to be seeing two of everything."
Leorio's heart drops to his stomach. "What . . .?"
"For the record, we wanted to call for medical assistance. In fact, Hisoka even mentioned you by name. He asked Kurapika whether we should send for you — perhaps even transmit a request for you to stay here like you did last time — but Kurapika outright refused. Kurapika said that it would be far too dangerous."
Leorio is in full panicking mode. "I don't care! I'm heading there right now!"
"Wait, Leorio. I understand that you're concerned about Kurapika, but he does have a point. It's not like he hasn't displayed similar symptoms before. He's always managed to pull through, and I've done what I could. I've been playing songs on my flute to soothe his body and mind. As for Hisoka, he's been making sure that Kurapika continuously replenishes his fluids."
"His fluids," Leorio repeats.
"I do mean that in the most innocent sense possible. I'm being stricter than usual with Hisoka. I won't let him play with Kurapika any time soon, not when Kurapika can barely even stand up without assistance."
"Listen, Melody. I need to tell you something super important. Kurapika has this bottle of medication on him. Take it from him. Flush the pills down the toilet if you need to. If I'm right, he's been overdosing and poisoning himself. Consciously or subconsciously — who's to say? What matters is you can't let him take any more."
Melody sighs with more exasperation than Leorio ever believed she was capable of conveying. "He's truly been out of control lately. . . . Thank you for letting me know, Leorio."
The moment that Leorio sets down the receiver, he ducks under the counter, weaves past the patients and visitors loitering by the entrance, and darts out the doorway.
Cheadle is standing just outside the medical ward, her face barely visible above a stack of cardboard boxes that she's carrying. "Perfect timing, Leorio. Help me with these, will you?"
Leorio takes two of the three boxes in Cheadle's arms. As he follows her back inside, he blurts out, "Hey, I'm planning to head up to the first tier again."
Cheadle sets her box on top of the counter, and Leorio does the same with his boxes. Turning to Gel, Cheadle imparts some instructions about what to do with the new supplies before she devotes her attention to Leorio again. "Why do you want to go back?" Cheadle inquires.
Leorio looks around. No good, there are too many people here. Leorio ushers Cheadle into the privacy of the stockroom before he bursts out with all his endless worries about Kurapika.
Leorio's voice is fierce. "I know that Melody told me to stay away, but I want to see Kurapika with my own eyes! I need to make sure that he's okay!"
Cheadle shakes her head. "Your friend Melody is right. It's too dangerous, Leorio."
"You know that Izunavi has been training me! I'm stronger now! I can take care of myself, Cheadle. You know I can."
"When I say that it's too dangerous for you to return to the first tier, that's not what I'm talking about. It's Kurapika who's too dangerous for you. Or at least I have reason to believe that he may be so these days."
Leorio's eyes widen. "Eh? What do you mean? Kurapika is my friend! My best friend in the whole world!"
"Regardless of whether you're friends or not, you need to consider the company that he keeps. Consider the rumors circulating around the ship. With respect to a few of these rumors, Mizai has personally verified the truth."
"Rumors? What rumors?"
"Someone has been going around and executing the members of the Phantom Troupe," Cheadle explains. "At least five of them are dead, according to the most recent report. The Spiders are hardly saints, of course. With their reputation for lawlessness and their history of genocide, they've been the favored targets of Blacklist Hunters for years. However, these recent slayings of the Spiders have been so needlessly cruel and inhumane. Depraved, you might even say. All five corpses bear extensive ligature marks, while four of them show signs of torture. Hisoka, for one, hasn't bothered to conceal his involvement in this slaughter — he's left behind his signature style in all the crime scenes so far. But if reports are to be believed, Hisoka wasn't alone."
Leorio is speechless. If someone has been hunting down the Spiders, then Kurapika would indeed be the prime culprit. Kurapika undoubtedly has the motivation, the determination, and the unique ability to win almost effortlessly against the Spiders, particularly in one-on-one battles. And if Kurapika has someone as skilled as Hisoka by his side, then that will only make his quest for revenge all the easier to achieve. But still . . . cruel and inhumane slayings? Surely, it's Hisoka — that sadistic and perverted clown — who should be blamed for all that torture?
As Leorio broods, Cheadle continues speaking. "The Zodiacs have a vested interest in supporting the bid of 9th Prince Halkenburg for Kakin's throne. The 9th Prince's track record and known disdain for King Nasubi's ironfisted rule suggest that he will be a fair, reasonable, and merciful monarch, one much keener to form meaningful diplomatic relations with the Hunter Association. There's no denying that Kurapika's plan, coupled with Hisoka's formidable strength, is the best way for us to achieve this ideal outcome. Even so, this doesn't mean that I'm comfortable with letting someone I care about visit Kurapika and Hisoka right now. I don't know what they're capable of, and I can't bear to risk it." Cheadle takes Leorio's hand and stares at him somberly. "I'll go check on Kurapika myself, alongside a small team of medical staff. Are you amenable to this alternative?"
"If you're going to see Kurapika anyway, then why can't I come along? Kurapika might be dangerous to certain people, but he would never hurt me. Ever."
"Leorio . . . hasn't Kurapika already hurt you?"
Cheadle knows, Leorio suddenly realizes. She's probably known, all this time, that Leorio harbors unrequited feelings for Kurapika that he can't stamp out, no matter how hard he tries.
Leorio averts his eyes. "I understand. I'll leave it to you, Cheadle. But please — please — make sure that Kurapika will be all right. I'll never be able to live with myself if he. . . ."
Leorio turns away, not trusting himself to hold on to his composure. He can't do anything now but have faith in his friend. He just needs to believe that whatever Kurapika is doing, he has a good reason for doing it. It doesn't matter what Cheadle or anyone else says — Leorio knows Kurapika, and he knows for a fact that Kurapika is not the monster that he pretends to be, or that others make him out to be.
More Author's Notes:
Here's part three of the playlist. Parts one and two may be found in the notes of Chapters 26 and 30.
1. Flames — BOY
2. Underline the Black — Metric
3. Love Affair — UMI
4. A Pearl — Mitski
5. Paralysed — Nilüfer Yanya
6. Baby I'm Dyin' — LOLAWOLF
7. Night Shift — Lucy Dacus
8. STUCK ON U — MICHELLE
9. 1969dime — Monica Riskey
10. When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty — XTC
11. Pluie — Snail's House
I might have only mentioned "Pluie" now, but I listened to almost nothing else during the initial outlining stage and while writing the first few chapters. Regardless of the lack of lyrics, "Pluie" will always be my personal Leopika anthem.
