DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HXH.
BETA READER: NONE. (Please bear with the redundancy, I'm now working to improve that. Thank you!)
Chapter 12: An Unplanned Mission.
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Kuroro Lucifer couldn't quite remember when was the last time he experienced this kind of great amusement in his life.
After lulling the Kuruta boy to sleep with nen, the Spider Head silently embarked his way out of his private cabin. Wearing his black coat and tie, he casually strolled towards a certain highly secured room not so far from where he had been.
What he was about to do was so risky. He and his Spider comrades just went through a tough mission a month ago when they invaded that annual underground auction on York Shin City. Back then with his fellow Genei Ryodan, it actually took some time just to execute their plan. And the worst thing, he hadn't expected some reckless avenger to be there and take him down for the first time— something that was really amusing accomplishment for a mere Kuruta boy.
Their mission on the auction against a bunch of Mafias, along with some professional assassins should have been successful if it wasn't for that brat, but the Ryodan head couldn't help but admire his newly stolen toy. Kurapika was the one and only amongst the avengers that were after their necks who caught his attention, as he was the very first one who got this far on messing with the notorious thieves— and still alive.
He knowingly paced to the corridors, turning now and then, aiming for a room where he must go first to instigate his mission. He met some men at some instances, they looked at the Spider Head with blank yet cautious stares. Kuroro retained his calm demeanor, he acted as though he was a mere passerby. Since acting was just a piece of cake for Kuroro, the people around him simply ignored him once he passed.
Two huge, heavily armed men were standing side by side on a door. Aside from them, no one was around. Kuroro slightly frowned at how loose the security the cruise had. Then he guessed that probably most of the guards were right inside the room since it contained the most vital security system of the whole ship: the CCTV room. Shoving both of his hands on his pockets, Kuroro casually sauntered towards the corridor.
Both men shot gazes to him. The Spider Head simply walked by, his eyes transfixed ahead. After making few strides, he reached the door.
He abruptly stopped.
"Hey, wha—" one of the huge men hadn't even finished what he was about to say when Kuroro swiftly turned to face them, drawing one of his hands out from his pocket. In a blink of an eye, Kuroro's hands fiercely swung. The next moment, both men had their eyes wide open, and blood was beginning to ooze down from their needle-stricken foreheads. They unceremoniously fell down the floor, lifeless.
Kuroro wasted no seconds, he reached for the knob and opened it. Surprised faces of some men greeted him as expected. Some of them were sitting in front of computer monitors, the others were standing behind them with their hands clutching onto their guns. Kuroro withdrew both of his hands, each gap of his fingers held powerful needles. He didn't even let the men to stand on their fighting stances when he gave them a smirk and spontaneously waved his hands.
All of the men's heads, save for the guys who were attending to the monitors, were cleanly shot. They started falling down their feet one by one.
Shaking, some of the personnel sitting in front of the CCTV monitors slipped down from their seats. They started pushing themselves away from the assassin. All of them reached a corner— where the man could shot another wave of death that would instantly kill them all at once.
Kuroro walked towards them.
"S-Sir! Please spare us! I don't want to die yet!" One of them pleaded.
Kuroro smirked again. "Do you know that there are tons of things in a human's life that are hundred times worse than death?"
"S-Sir! I can't leave my family, I'm just doing my job here!"
"So do I," Kuroro gave them one last smile before letting another batch of needles to slip out of his sleeve. He waved a hand in haste, then the last thing he heard from the defenseless men were their cries for mercy and last, deep intake of breaths.
Kuroro brought his focus on the monitors after taking a bunch of lives as though killing was as normal as eating dinner every day. The man expertly operated the consoles, disabling some of the systems of certain CCTV cameras. His business over the room was completed after a minute.
He casually left the room as though nothing happened.
Walking in another corridor, he turned into a corner only to find the next path filled with armed men in suits. One of them noticed Kuroro's presence, and he spared him a warning glare. Kuroro's face was holding no certain emotion. He shot the gaze back to the man before halting and firmed his feet in the middle of the hall. All of the armed men turned to face the stranger.
"Sorry, sir," a man suddenly spoke while tightening his grip on a heavy caliber rifle that was leaning on his shoulder, emphasizing the authority the weapon served to him. "This is a restricted area. You are not—" Kuroro didn't even bother to let him finish and quickly materialized his Skill Book and opened a page. The next thing happened, all of the armed men went still. No one made any sound or movement as if they were frozen and stunned.
He turned one more page of his book. Then within another blink of an eye, he was already on the other end of the corridor.
There was another corridor that would likely lead him to the vault where the auction merchandises were held, the items that he was aiming to steal for the night.
Kuroro had to admit, though, that this was one of the riskiest, unaccompanied mission he had gone so far. For one thing; this wasn't entirely planned. When he found that his little Kuruta was about to attend a five-day long cruise trip, he couldn't help but feel intrigued. It seemed to him that the trip had something to do with the Kuruta eyes. So, he gatecrashed into the cruise to check on Kurapika's business, all the while with a little hope to sneak one night with him and enjoy himself somehow.
But he was pretty amazed with the items the auction had. Aside from the eyes, Kuroro found some more authentic relics that would surely provide him a fair sum. More importantly, he seriously aimed for the eyes— if Kurapika got to have the pair first then he would have to say goodbye to one of the good times he could have spent with him. What more, he was so astonished when the boy actually cooperated with him back then on his VIP cabin for he had thought the he was serious about spending that exorbitant amount just for a pair.
To Kuroro's honesty, five billion jennies still wouldn't suffice to price Kurapika's whole willingness to let him do those acts. If only the other merchandises didn't get his interest, Kuroro wouldn't think twice about throwing away that amount for a one-night only role play service with the boy.
Kuroro let his eyes linger around the place as he walked. His feet barely made sounds as he paced, then his eyes took notice of an exceptional door among the luxurious doors of the VIP hall: the vault. Of course, there were guards around who instantly saw him coming. Without even making a single question, all of them pointed their guns towards the Spider Head. Kuroro halted, his usual stoic face broke into a sinister smile.
Before any of the armed men could talk or even poise their fingers into their triggers, Kuroro swiftly slid his hands inside his coat pocket. One wave of his hands, and one by one the armed men began to collapse down the floor. Each of them dropped dead in different angles, but the only thing they had in common was their shocked faces, with identical needles neatly struck in their heads.
As if nothing was out of ordinary with killing a whole bunch of men who neither had done anything against him nor had the chance to defend their lives, Kuroro made his way towards the vault's door. He placed a hand over the wheel of the vault's door, then let out a strong surge of aura. It fluidly flowed from his arm and through the door.
The enormous, round door's lock soundly clanked, indicating that it was successfully picked.
Kuroro entered the vault and immediately found the precious merchandises— along with three unknown persons inside. He, of course, expected this. The three unarmed men spared a glance to him, acknowledging his presence. All of them turned to fully face the Spider Head. One look was only needed for Kuroro to figure out that they were all nen-users.
"Oh, a visitor," one of them spoke.
"Good evening to you, Mister," said the other one.
"Finally, some action in this boring cruise ride," the last man commented.
Kuroro responded with a mere smile.
"I wonder... From what group of thieves do you belong? Oh, are you alone?"
"I don't think I have to answer that," Kuroro summoned his Skill Book for the second time, a huge cloth magically appeared on his hand as he opened a page. "Let's waste no time, gentlemen. I have more important businesses to attend to."
With that remark, all of the three men charged towards the lone Spider Head.
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Kurapika woke up with the worst body ache ever.
White ceiling greeted him as he willed his eyes open. At first, his mind didn't seem to get working but as pain registered on his entire being, his brain began to reel with the turn of events that had happened that resulted him to wake up with his head throbbing in pain.
Even after a deep slumber, Kurapika still felt very exhausted. He was spent beyond his current endurance. He couldn't even bring himself to push his own body up from the mattress. All he could do was to run a hand across his blond head, trying to alleviate the headache. His hand was still covering his forehead as he pondered over things that had happened moments ago.
'The perverted bastard did me... then I fell asleep like a log. Wait... I felt a mild surge of foreign aura coursed inside me before I fell unconscious. Could it be that Kuroro used nen to knock me out? But why?'Kurapika had a bunch of questions he would like to ask the bastard, but Kuroro was nowhere to be found. However, he could feel his presence nearby.
Kurapika couldn't understand why the man purposely knocked him out while in the middle of their activity. He kept working on theories, but his headache was worsening every time he tried to think so hard. At his trail of thoughts, the idea of Kuroro going on a so-called 'business' came across his mind. Yes, it made sense. Kuroro used his nen to induce him into slumber so he could freely go to steal and kill on spree. Lay the Kuruta down and get his hands on the Scarlet Eyes along with the other merchandises for free— two birds with a stone.
If that was the case then...
"Shit," Kurapika cursed under his breath. 'How naive I was!'
With all his might he pushed himself up the bed, setting aside pain and all. He noted the blanket that was covering his body, and the shirt that loosely clung on his shoulders. He managed to sit upright on the bed when the silent sound of a door being opened reached his ears. The Spider Head emerged from the bathroom's door and came into view, a white towel was draped around his waist. His prominent, muscular torso made Kurapika avert his eyes from the man. For some reason, seeing him topless like that brought weird sensations inside his stomach. He didn't want to think about it at all, he would hate the man to find out that even simply seeing him naked made his heart race like hell. Instead he breathed in, released it slowly and forced himself to look into the man's face.
"Bastard," he called out. "Mind enlightening me of why on earth did you knock me out with nen?"
"Hmm?" Kuroro returned his gaze, his tone suggested curiosity.
"Don't play dumb. I'm not stupid, I'm sure as hell you did."
"Well—" Kuroro opened his mouth for further explanation when a knock sounded. Almost simultaneously, they turned to look at door. The knock repeated and the two men looked at each other. As if instructions were given with mere eye contact, Kuroro moved to reach for the knob, while Kurapika laid back on the bed and brought his blanket up to his head, covering his entire body. He sharpened his ears to eavesdrop on the visitor and the man's conversation.
"Good evening, sir. We are very sorry for intruding you in the middle of the night. This is pretty urgent," a man's voice rose first, his voice held authority.
"Good evening. It's alright, I'm just about to sleep anyway."
"That is a relief, then. Well, I would not want to waste your precious time so I will jump into the point. Firstly, we humbly apologize for some burglars managed to get on board with us. We were informed that you are one of our guests who bought an item from the auction. We regret to inform you that your item, along with the other merchandises were stolen hours ago from the cruise's vault."
"... WHAT!?" Kurapika was caught off-guard when he heard Kuroro's voice rose in an utterly convincing tone of being incredulous. He sounded completely unbelieving, with right mixture of anger and disappointment. Ugh, he wondered what kind of expression Kuroro must be exhibiting when he shouted that.
"... We are very sorry, sir. We reassure you a money back should the thieves would not be caught."
"Who the hell need the money back—I need my item, alright?"
"The whole ship is now under thorough inspection. The robbery was just made two or three hours ago, and the culprits are likely to be still on board. We are doing our best to track them down and retrieve the stolen merchandises. But for now, we would like to ask for your forgiveness for our incompetence in behalf of our company, as well as to warn you of the possible danger those burglars might cause to you. Please remain inside your room until further notice, and we promise to inform you about the updates of your item or the money back."
"Damn it... I should have taken my item right after the auction. What the hell's with your lousy security? You promised you'll take good care of the relic while under your premises. You shouldn't have compromised at all. Better take responsibility of this mess, I want my fucking merchandise back," Kuroro hissed.
"Yes, sir," the other man's voice was low, obviously taking in the insult and the rage the man had directed into him.
Seconds later, a sound of the door slamming shut reached the boy's ears who was still hiding underneath the blanket. But as he felt a presence inching near, he bolted upright and shoved the blanket off his head.
Kurapika's eyes met Kuroro's first thing. The goddamn hell of a Spider Head wore a triumphant smirk, while the blond slightly shook in apparent, almost bursting anger.
"...I can't believe it," Kurapika mumbled as if to himself, but he was more than aware that the man heard him. "This is unbelievable. Damn it."
"Hmm?" Kuroro hummed with a confused tone. It touched the Kuruta's nerves.
"You son of a bitch," Kurapika was never into name calling. He didn't have any fancy about calling ill names to others, but he just couldn't help it when it came to this bastard.
He was outwitted by the Spider Head. He wore his shirt without anything beneath and even played along with his tiny bondage game for nothing. Damn it. Just... 'Goddamn it.'
"Yes?" Kuroro said as if he was called lovingly by name.
"You planned this all along, did you?"
"Hmm... you can say that. The auction had some interesting items that I can hardly resist."
"Bastard. Darn, what the hell possessed me to think that you'd throw away five billion for a pair of eyes?" Kurapika spat as if to himself.
A chuckle escaped from Kuroro, and hearing it made Kurapika infuriated further.
Even before he knew what he was doing, Kurapika lunged himself into a fighting stance towards Kuroro. As expected, the man expertly dodged the assault and skillfully snatched both of Kurapika's arms. With a swift motion, he maneuvered the boy's body, played with the balance, and pinned the poor Kuruta against a wall nearby. The action left Kurapika mute, his eyes widened in shock and rage.
"I didn't know you're somewhat naive. You really thought I would spend that much for a single pair? And why on earth would I be satisfied with just one merchandise if I can get more for free? Really, Kurapika. I didn't realize you can be a fool sometimes," Kuroro remarked, his callous dark orbs into Kurapika's Scarlet Eyes now gleaming with pure, thick wrath.
Enraged, the blond couldn't find any decent comeback. He heaved heavy, deep and relentless breaths, attempting to take his fury under control. He was about to snarl Kuroro to let him go when Kuroro's advancing moves held whatever curse he was about to blurt out from his mouth.
"But I don't mind," Kuroro drew very close to Kurapika, their faces just a breath away from one another. "Though I'm admittedly surprised when you suddenly submitted yourself with the mere thought of me spending five billion for your clan's eyes, or more precisely: for you."
And adorable, dark shade of red colored Kurapika's cheeks. He looked somewhat shocked, annoyed, even stupid, and Kuroro found it so irresistible.
When Kurapika looked as though he were still harboring for the best snarl he could ever muster, Kuroro broke his lips into a silly, charming smile.
"Hmm... here's a deal; I'll give you the five billion in cash, plus a pair of eyes— aside from the pair for tonight— but I want to do it inside the bathroom. In the bath tub. Three rounds."
Kurapika felt for a split second that he had gone mad.
"You— are—," Kurapika growled loudly and enunciated every word while looking as if he was about to literally burst. "—INSANE."
Kuroro let a genuine chuckle of his lips. If this continued, he would seriously have a hard on. That would be a bad news for the two of them, especially for Kurapika. A pair wasn't so easy to get, and a sex out of a whim wouldn't be as satisfying as the planned ones. Well, he doubted if there would be any unsatisfying sex with Kurapika, whether scheduled or not. Anyway, the deal he joked to drive Kurapika out of his wits abruptly turned into a serious one when the blond hissed: in his ears, Kurapika thought that his offer was for real.
Five billion with a pair for a hot steamy bath with the Kuruta— 'Sure thing, I'd love that.'
Kuroro drew closer, much much closer to the blond. He sensed a flinch under his hand, with Kurapika's face displayed utter surprise.
"Dream on, bastard. I won't say yes even if you offer the entire universe."
"Hmm, how about two pairs? Come on, I'm pretty sure you have some idea how much I spent just to get this VIP room. The bathroom's quite a waste if we wouldn't at least try it even just for once."
For a fleeting moment, a different emotion glinted beneath the Crimson orbs. Hell, Kurapika was seriously considering. Kuroro had to pull this off.
"Who the hell cares how much you've wasted for this shit of a VIP room?" No matter how he tried to mask it, Kuroro could clearly see that the Kuruta was interested with the offered two pairs. After hearing the short comeback, Kuroro mentally smiled at his victory, as he was sure that he had this under control.
"Oh, that's kind of disappointing. I thought you'd love the bathroom's ambiance."
"WHAT!?"
"Hmm? I thought for a moment that you were into some little games like bondage since you didn't do anything earlier other than to nag and writhe under—"
"What the hell are you talking about!?" With his face straight yet flushing so hard, Kurapika shouted. That blush must meant something, Kuroro thought, but he supposed he had to set it aside for a while.
"Ah, I guess I assumed things in a wrong manner," Kuroro feigned.
"In a mortifyingly wrong manner, jerk," Kurapika hissed, though at the back of his mind it really did affect him. He would let the man touch him, yes— but he would die first before admitting that it felt good.
"Well, it doesn't matter if you're not into them or not. I like it, and I won't fool and deny myself of the things I want. So," Kuroro purposely left the sentence hanging, leaving the boy to complete it inside his head. He wasn't able to hold a smirk when Kurapika suddenly changed the subject.
"What time is it?"
Keeping his amused chuckle to himself, Kuroro went on Kurapika's flow. "... Fifteen minutes before three."
"Give me back my clothes," Kurapika rudely demanded.
This time, Kuroro didn't manage to contain his amusement, thus he chuckled and looked amiably at Kurapika. Seeing those eyes made Kuroro unconsciously aware when his fingers reached for that jawline crafted into perfection. However, he regained his senses when he tilted Kurapika's chin up and forced an eye contact. Shortly he drew himself closer and captured the blond's lips into his preferred chaste, light kiss. To his utmost surprise, Kurapika didn't resist. He expected and anticipated the act. He just stood there with his eyes half-opened.
Kuroro interpreted the lack of ill response as an approval. Without thinking twice he leaned his head sideways and deepened the kiss. His tongue tasted the boy's sweet and hot cavern. This time, Kuroro felt as Kurapika closed his eyes and held his breath. The kiss lasted longer than Kuroro expected, the towel around his waist threatened to loose and fall. Hell, who gave a damn? He closed in to him, and that was when Kurapika must have sensed it and broke the kiss.
"W-What the hell do you think you're doing!?" He asked, roughly wiping his lips with the back of his free hand.
"Sorry. Oh, yeah, your clothes," Kuroro said with a happy-go-lucky tone. That hit Kurapika in the face. 'What's with that childish act?'
Kuroro stepped back and conjured his Skill Book. He skimmed through it and abruptly stopped at a page. On his left hand materialized a red cloth. It hovered in the air as Kuroro held on it, and as if doing a cheap magic trick, his clothes appeared out of the cloth. They fell down the man's arm, and like how it materialized out of the thin air, the sheet disappeared right before his eyes along with the book Kuroro was holding on his right hand.
Kurapika concluded one thing from the short show-off of his skill: once the book was out of the man's hand, his nen ability would also vanish. A conclusion that was neither concrete nor even close to what was really in store inside that book. No matter how close the man was, in spite of being able to see him naked, having a glimpse of a side of his head, despite of having this intimate relationship with him, Kuroro had remained a mystery to him— just exactly what he was when they first met. Nothing had changed. He rarely expressed his emotions, save for his amusement before, during and after sex. He got angry once on their second night when Kurapika almost backed out, thinking that he really couldn't stomach the thought of letting the man do him while in fact it was him who went to their agreed meeting place. For the first time as well, Kuroro showed something Kurapika opted to call 'superior's sympathy' after seeing him hesitating after going that far. That random act of so-called 'concern'— for the lack of appropriate term— by covering him with blanket every other transaction. His habit of getting to his nerves. And now he had something new to add to the list: Kuroro seemed to have no qualms about saying sorry to others.
But other than those, Kurapika was clueless of who else this man was.
Kurapika knew what that mask Kuroro always wore for. As a leader of one of the leading bands of thieves of this century, Kuroro had to keep his emotions hidden. It was to avoid exposing his weakness. He closed himself to the world for them not to see what was inside him, a wall that prevented him from going outside too. Yes, Kuroro knew all the laws and regulations of humanity, as well as how to breach them. He could easily see through others, and he was expert in manipulating them for his own profit. He lived a life where he could get whatever he wanted whenever, wherever. Either things or lives, whether the owners wanted or not. That was all to it. And somehow, in spite of the enthusiasm he expressed most of the time, he could tell that Kuroro Lucifer was... bored. With his own life and the world he was in.
His profession must have been relieving that boredom of his that even if he could change into a better, more decent job, he wouldn't. Rob and kill, destroy people's lives and strip them off of their happiness for the sake of it. Bring destruction in the name of his temporary source of entertainment. It might sound exaggerated, but it was close to the truth.
It was so ridiculous. Sickeningly pathetic.
He was about to reach for his clothes when Kuroro drew them away from him. With a sly smirk, Kuroro said, "Let me do the honor."
"No thank you," Kurapika declined, his sentence was hastily spat as if it was a single word. He tried to snatch them from the man again, but Kuroro persistently moved his arm away.
Kurapika felt flustered for being treated like a small kid.
"What the hell is wrong with you!?" He vehemently spat.
"We can do this all night long, Kurapika. I suggest you just comply with it, eh?"
"Stop this nonsense you sly perverted bastard!"
"Hmm... my shirt looks really good on you, by the way. I was too excited that I forgot to tell you that when you got out of the bathroom."
Kurapika almost forgot about that. 'Shit,' he must be blushing the hell out of himself right now.
He was about to slur another curse when Kuroro inched neared to him again, his usual poker face wore that playful, seducing smirk that he always used whenever they were on the bed, a small indication that telling Kurapika that he must brace himself for the best was yet to come.
"I'll tell you something; if only the auction held less valuable items, I'll be more than willing to give up that five billion jennies. I can sacrifice that amount without batting an eye, I can even give you a bonus should I only didn't have to hold back and do an unplanned mission. If spending a huge amount of my hidden money for your clan's eyes is all it takes to see you wearing my shirt and let me tie you in the bed again, I would withdraw every single jenny from all of my bank accounts and shove them all under your nose. But no, I will never do that. Victory tastes sweetest when you give your best to get them. I give it all to retrieve the eyes for you— be a man and do the same."
"In short?" Kurapika sarcastically replied, his eyes never left the man's as he spoke.
"Give in," Kuroro said, returning the unrelenting gaze. "I'm doing you a great favor, return it with exact amount." As he said that, his hand slowly reached for the button of the blond's shirt. One by one he undid them from top to bottom, he held back the smile that almost curved in his lips to maintain the thick and tensed atmosphere around them when Kurapika made no resistance. Their gazes never wavered, they bored into each other, Kurapika shot his sharpest glare while Kuroro happily took it in.
As all of the buttons of his shirt was finally undone, Kuroro tugged the shirt's hem and it swiftly slid down from Kurapika's pale, small frame. Kuroro was so temped to take a look at his nakedness, but the eye contact they had was too intense he couldn't bring himself to break it. Instead, he proceeded to his next move.
He pulled the white shirt first from his arm, gave it a little shake, and brought it behind him. He drew himself closer, so much closer, and without looking he slid one of the shirt's sleeve up the blond's arm. It didn't surprise him when Kurapika moved his hand on his own accord and reluctantly inserted his knuckle into the sleeve. As the collar reached Kurapika's shoulder, Kuroro once again titled his head sideways and mischievously captured his lips with his into a searing, sensual kiss. Kuroro was surprised neither when the blond just closed his eyes tight, apparently expecting the assault. He held his breath however when his arms suddenly moved upward, whether Kurapika intended to push him away or hold onto him, he sadly couldn't tell.
The kiss went deeper as seconds passed by, Kurapika's hands were suspended in the air, obviously loss of what to do. Seeing this act, Kuroro nudged the armhole of the shirt to his other naked arm, silently beckoning him.
Kurapika instantly moved his hand and slid his arm inside the offered sleeve. For a moment their kiss broke, and the Kuruta took that chance and turned his face sideways to escape in case Kuroro intended to kiss him again.
Thankfully the Spider Head didn't chase after his lips, but that didn't mean he had escaped the affection as he felt his soft lips trailed light, teasing kisses to his cheek down his jawline. Both Kuroro's lips and finger were busy, for he was buttoning his shirt while indulging himself with the rare opportunity.
Once completely done, Kuroro moved slightly away to take a look at his handy work. Kurapika's face was still angled away from his sight, but the beet red cheeks he was vainly hiding by bowing down made Kuroro almost pull the boy and pin him down the mattress nearby. He tried his best to hold himself back and just enjoy the show while it lasted.
He wanted to show the boy that he had control over him and of course, over himself. He wanted to establish an impression of being someone who knew how to draw lines into their right places at their right time, instill to Kurapika that he was a man of his words. He said he would do the favor of clothing him, and the reluctant approval Kurapika had given indicated that he was somewhat trusting him, or rather, his words. Well so far, he hadn't turned back from anything he had said to the boy. Therefore, he wouldn't break that fine, thin thread of trust the blond had harbored towards him because it would do no good; in fact it might even be a very excellent plot twist that could come in handy someday.
So for just this once, he would let Kurapika go.
"Damn, you're purposely taking it long," Kurapika snatched the remaining pieces of his clothes from Kuroro's arm. He managed to pull out his pants but the coat unfortunately slipped from the man's arm and fell limply on the floor. It seemed like seeing him like that surprised Kuroro as the man's face wore a baffled expression for a brief instant. Kurapika paid it no mind, though. He was really in a hurry.
The Kuruta slipped in his slacks in haste, trying hard not to feel awkward for wearing his clothes right in front of the Spider Head. Luckily Kuroro was busily dusting his coat and checking in through if it caught any dirt from the floor. When finished, he put it on behind the boy and motioned him to move. Mixture of startle and shock filled Kurapika as he witnessed the renowned Ryodan leader exhibiting another uncharacteristic, random act of care. He still gave no room for his mind to wonder what had gotten into the jerk for being this way, however.
Too tired and irritated to raise resistance, Kurapika decided to comply. Hissing under his breath, he turned away and lifted his hands, taking the offered assistance. He still had no heart to look at the man even when he finally felt the comfort of being clad with his own set of attire again. He assumed the man was surely grinning from ear to ear; he would be a true masochist if he would indulge himself further with another extreme, unnerving exhibition of that prominent smirk that had been getting so frequent day by day. He had enough of irritation dose for today, one more provocation and he swore he would make sure it would be the last smile Kuroro would ever wear.
He brought his hands to start buttoning his coat when Kuroro gently batted them away. This time, Kurapika didn't manage to remain relenting when he felt his own breath caught in his throat as he saw the most thoughtful and serious face Kuroro had ever shown.
It was his turn to hold a gaze at the Spider Head.
After the buttons, Kuroro's hands rose up and reached for the collar, still not looking at Kurapika in the face. He skillfully fixed the collar behind the blond's neck when suddenly he raised a soft "Oh," shortly followed by, "Silly, I forgot the tie."
"Leave it be, it doesn't matter," Kurapika brushed it off and didn't think any further. All he had in mind as of the moment was to get away from this jerk as soon and as far as he could. He couldn't stand another minute with Kuroro's company— he just wanted this to end.
With his mind pondering over a convincing excuse to give his co-worker for his sudden absence, Kurapika made his way towards the door. His hand was already on the knob when he heard Kuroro called, "Hey, how about the deal?"
There was a heavy, awkward silence, with Kurapika standing still in the door, his back on the man. For a moment Kurapika vehemently berated himself for falling silent like that as if he were considering, which he really was, and gave the man another wrong impression. Soon after, he figured that it was apparent to both of them that he was indeed interested. Maybe he already unconsciously had considered and fell right into the man's trap.
Well, the damaged had been done.
"I'll think about it," Kurapika whispered barely under his breath, feeling relieved that his voice sounded free from faltering and emotion. He didn't bother turning his back, he knew damn well that the bastard heard him. So, he hastily opened the door and stepped outside, he caught Kuroro's voice saying "Good night," then shortly followed by the door shutting behind him.
For a second, Kurapika remained standing in front of the door, taking deep breaths every now and then. After composing himself he swiftly walked away from Kuroro's VIP room and headed towards their designated cabin. Peculiarly he thought he could hear a faint, hearty laughter ringing from somewhere, whether it was a fragment of his paranoia or it was from the room where he just had been, the Kuruta didn't know nor want to find out anymore.
Too bad for him for being too preoccupied with thoughts, he failed to notice the pair of eyes looking his way that would bring him to a decision over Kuroro's deal.
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P.S.
... Tadah~! Surprise! Yeah, believe it or not I didn't see this chapter coming too. Well, it's been f*cking 6 months since the last time I posted a chapter, and yes, I have no beta reader as of now so I'm terribly sorry for my grammar that sucks like the usual, and the redundancy of course. V-chan is now pretty busy with her life affairs, just like everyone else, so even if I'm still not contented with my work I've decided to post it instead. Don't worry, though. Once she's back I'll have this chapter revised. Again, thanks so much for reading and still being a KuroKura fan.
I didn't make an opening note because I feel like I don't have the right to now, and I believe you guys are sick of my sickeningly, too repetitive apologies and excuses about the delay. I warned you anyway, but I still want to say thanks so much for tuning in.
Well if you have noticed, I have posted another fan fiction for my Finder fandom, and to my own surprise it went up to 11k words- the longest chapter I've ever posted so far in all of my fics. That's another reason why it took me so long to update. Oh, and I'd like to summarize the things that had happened to my life in that 6 months that had passed in a sentence.
First: my first ever android phone I've bought with my Christmas bonus was snatched right under my nose 10 days after its purchase while on a public vehicle, then I tried to look for another job which was in call center and failed, and tried again in an online English tutoring institution for Japanese and failed again, as expected, then my mom was diagnosed with acute pancreatisis and has to undergo operation ASAP. Yeah, pretty bad, but it's okay. I just turned twenty last March 2, and like what Kadzuki-san said to me, it's a part of growing up. The world is not about yaoi forevermore, it's filled with responsibilities topped with more responsibilities. But look, I still have some good news with me!
For all of Filipino readers out there, I don't know if this has reached you but there would be an upcoming BL convention in UP Diliman this coming August 22, 2015 - 11 am - 6 pm. It's the BLush Convention, and you can buy tickets for only P150.00. This is gonna be my first ever anime convention to attend to, a Yaoi convention at that, and I'm excited about it! In fact I've already bought a ticket around April. And I'd love to see you there! Check them out on their Facebook Fanpage and from there you can find their official website. The payment processing was pretty easy, and it's bank-to-bank.
For those who are interested to meet me, just in case, over there, I'll be wearing a black hat with Kuroro and Kurapika pins on it, and like the usual I'll be wearing my Judgement Chain necklace. It's shameful to admit that I've decided to post this chapter just because I wanted to announce that. Lately I'm having this feeling that KuroKura fans are drastically getting extinct, but I wish to meet one because I really have never - ever - met a fellow KuroKura fan in my life. I feel so alone, damn it! So, I hope to see you guys there!
Ah! Before I forgot, I'd like to extend my thanks to OrionSykes-chan for her wonderful message for me. It really did make me cry *like an idiot in front of the computer monitor* and gave me hope and strength to keep going with this fanfic. Oh no, don't worry. KuroKura is still my OTP, and I don't think it will ever change. For those loyal fans, thanks so much. For the new fans, thank you very much too! I hope you all liked this chapter!
For suggestion or even grammar corrections, please feel free to message or review. They are damn well appreciated. Until next time!
Lovelots, Kusari.