A/N: Nowadays, I go from 'I'LL SHIP THIS PAIR UNTIL THE DAY I DIE!' Fujoshi mode to 'HOLY MOTHER OF GOD WHY AM I SHIPPING THIS FORSAKEN PAIR LIKE THEY ARE THE LAST THING THAT IS POSSIBLE TO END UP TOGETHER ON EARTH OHH DEAR I'M SO WEIRD THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME!' Normal girl mode in a matter of one HxH OVA 1999 re-marathon.

... Then I'll be back to 'KUROKURA IS MY LIFE' mode 5 minutes later.

2. My boss mistakenly bought a bad, 5.1 inch phone from Lazada and his son doesn't like it. I ended up taking it and paying with my salary in installment. I used it to type this chapter using the Writer app from Google Play.

3. I planned to post this yesterday, March 2, 2017 to celebrate my 22nd birthday and 4th year anniversary of this fanfiction, but I only had 2 hours of sleep after drinking my ass out with my best friend in her place and went to work the very next day. Well, better late than never. ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HXH.

BETA READER: None.

Chapter 16: A Special Delivery

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He didn't like the dirty look beneath the bland expression on Kuroro Lucifer's face.

He didn't like everything about him in general of course, but there was something unnerving about him this time. It was as if he was irritated. Of what, Kurapika neither knew nor cared.

"What the hell do you want?" He tried to sound as uncaring as he could.

"I told you to text or call me and you didn't, so I decided to check on you. I thought the Mafia arrested you or something. It turns out you're not," Kuroro was wearing the same mask as him.

"I'm not, fortunately. Almost, though. Now that you've confirmed that I'm good, get out of the way. I won't set a date for now to meet up; they are still keeping an eye on us. Wait for my text once everything is clear," Kurapika moved to walk away when Kuroro pulled him to the concrete wall. He slammed a hand against it, preventing Kurapika to get away.

"That's only composed of two sentences; it wouldn't hurt to explain things on a text," now, the man seemed about to be on his edge and just keeping his temper at bay. Really, what was wrong with him?

"I just said we are under surveillance. Meaning, all of our interactions with everyone, phone conversations included, are being monitored. I didn't reply to make sure they will get nothing from me in case they were tapping my wires. I believed you are smart enough to realize that I'm in such situation so I didn't bother to do anything to be in touch because really, I don't see any reason why I should. It's my bad that I overestimated your ability to deduce things but if you didn't get to guess the reasons behind my actions then it's not my problem anymore. Get out of the way."

Kuroro didn't move.

Kurapika then let his aura flow in warning that one more word and he didn't move, he would go for a fight.

"I'm not obliged to update you with every single thing about my life and if you are pissed about it then deal with it on your own. Get out of the way or else I'll make you."

"One last question, then," Kuroro finally abandoned the façade, aura reeking out of him, eyes sharp and studying. "Have you made a transaction with Meniandro, too?"

Realization clicked. So this was what he was being angry about?

"What it is to you if I have?"

"Seriously, Kurapika," his voice turned low. Dangerously low. A smirk quirked up his lips. "I thought you are better than that."

"Disappointed? I don't mind. In fact I think that favors me because at this rate, I'm willing to sleep with anybody if it'll be the way to get the eyes without having to deal with you."

"But I did warn you, didn't I? I wasn't particular about it, presuming that you understand so let's make it clear this time around. I do not share. Should you do that, I'll do whatever it takes to crush them down and make it sure they could never lay a single gaze on you again," brows knitted, eyes cold and piercing, with his aura spiked. This was the very first time Kurapika had seen Kuroro Lucifer this expressly angry.

That was it, Kurapika has enough.

"Okay, scumbag," Kurapika hissed. "I don't know where this 'I don't share' thing coming because you are not sharing me with anybody because I was never yours to begin with. You do not own me. You never will. So if I go sleep with whoever I want is none of your business anymore. I'll let you know that I've had enough of you intervening my privacy. First, you stalked on me at work but I let that slide but this time? No. You can't act like you're some sort of my partner because whatever this connection we have is not a relationship. I never cared if you sleep with somebody else, I don't give a damn if you date every single human on the planet and I'll never stop you from doing so, so do the same and leave me alone," Kurapika enunciated the last three words, eyes shifting to scarlet, knuckles curling into fists.

"So what do you expect me to do?" Kuroro smirked humorlessly. The glint in his eyes said how much he wanted to slam Kurapika against the wall and hit him, hurt him, like every word he said stomped over his ego again and again, like it was hard for him to explain this and what was about Kuroro's anger that he couldn't understand? "You expect me to let you get off with whoever comes your way with a Kuruta eyes, just watch and do nothing? Come on, you're supposed to be smart. I did warn you that I'll do something should I find you having a deal with someone else. Don't expect me to just sit there and do nothing. I don't care whatever you think but I will not let just anybody touch you because—" Kuroro's words cut as Kurapika's knuckles connected to his cheek.

Kurapika was tired and hurt, physically and emotionally. He was at his limits. Sleepless and spent from fighting and enduring humiliation. He knew he couldn't afford to have another nen fight with Kuroro. He knew he would lose in the end if he tried. He would end up defeated, battered and who knows, maybe raped again. But he was having none of Kuroro's crap, his unreasonable possessiveness and blatant disrespect of his privacy, and this had to stop. So he settled for a milder approach—he remembered what happened the last time he let anger consume him, and it wasn't good—and gave Kuroro a punch not forceful enough to knock him out, but hard enough to shut him up. It worked, much to his surprise.

"I didn't make a deal with Meniandro," he reluctantly filled him with the truth. "He kidnapped me to offer a deal, but I've defeated all his men before he could even speak. I seduced him to give me the eyes then left halfway. I tied him on his own bed and took the eyes. I'll never stoop down low to get the eyes. Kurutas never do those dirty games like you do. You should have known that by now," he glared at the man. "Now that you've heard what you want, can you now get out of my sight and let me go?"

The man fell silent, head hung low and eyes away from Kurapika. Kurapika saw that as a chance to shove his arm away and get past him to retrieve the eyes. Oddly, Kuroro didn't resist or pull him back.

"We're not done talking."

"Yes, we are." Kurapika crouched and grabbed the eyes, bracing himself should Kuroro attack from behind. It didn't come. "It's up to you if you'll believe what I said. If you don't then there's nothing I can do. I won't convince you. I won't explain. Do what you want. Check Meniandro in his room. Ask him yourself.

"I'll give you one last warning, too: stop meddling with my private matters. One more time and the deal's over. Quit stalking on me. Threaten me all you want. Kill me and destroy the eyes if it'll satisfy you, but I'm so done with this crap. I don't care."

With what was said and done, Kurapika walked away and left without turning back to see if Kuroro was following him. To his relief, his presence disappeared from behind.

He walked on, feeling more exhausted and humiliated that he was when he left Meniandro's place.

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Kurapika honestly didn't know what to make out of what just happened.

Just exactly what was going on inside that bastard's head?

Well, yes, he kind of knew where Kuroro was coming from but seriously? To go stalk on him, assume things on his own and piss himself off unreasonably? Not only he looked down on Kurapika, he was even sticking his nose into his personal space like it was his business. Why did he have to meddle and act like what he assumed Kurapika did offended him? So what if he decided to meet somebody else? It wasn't like Kuroro had all those thirty-six pairs: of course Kurapika would go and find the others that Kuroro didn't manage to hoard and transact with those who had them. Who was he to stand on his way?

What, so in case Kurapika indeed went to date someone legitimately, Kuroro would blatantly interfere just because he didn't share?

'Don't give me that crap.'

Kurapika sighed and ran a hand on his hair as he leaned his back on the back seat of the cab he was in. God, he was just so tired. Even getting angry was taking him a lot of effort. He simply just couldn't take the absurdity of this entire evening.

He ended up remembering Kuroro and that hoodie he was wearing. That bastard: if he was spying on him properly then he should have figured out that he was summoned by force by Meniandro's men. If he really didn't want him to transact with the Mafioso then he should have barged into Meniandro's mansion when Kurapika went inside. Ultimately, if he hated Meniandro's guts that much then he should have killed him and prevented Kurapika to make a deal with him.

If anything, there was just one and only likely reason why Kuroro was keeping Meniandro alive, and Kurapika knew it.

His deal of finishing Meniandro off for a small price, separately from the charge for the Kuruta eyes, was still on the table.

Two birds with a stone, of course Kuroro wouldn't let that Kuroro and of opportunity to slip away. As if Kurapika would take the bait. He could go die and rot in hell but he would never take the offer.

Kuroro's angry frown and deep voice resurfaced in his mind. It wasn't everyday that the man let his emotion color his mien, let alone show it to Kurapika. It was satisfying to see him riled up for once, lose his cool and composure and look as if he was about to kill somebody.

Really, it wouldn't be impossible if he was currently on slaught. Sadly, if he was killing someone right now, it wasn't Meniandro. He could feel through his nen that the man was still alive.

The way his eyes bored on his ferociously and even burning remained fresh in his memory. The heat from his hand as he held him up from behind lingered on both his wrists. His baritone voice ringing as he crooned out his threats and that 'I don't share' line keep playing inside his mind. Kurapika's head was full of thoughts about the bastard that he came to realize something.

It had been a solid, kiss-free, sexless month for Kurapika.

Kurapika mentally scoffed. He couldn't possibly get turned on by the sight of that turf, could he?

No. Definitely not.

He noticed the sudden rise of his body temperature and how the cab's AC cooled him down. His suit became uncomfortably wet with his own sweat.

This was absolutely due to the steam after getting on a fight, and not after his encounter with Kuroro Lucifer.

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There had been no move from both Meniandro and Kuroro since the kidnapping incident for almost a week already.

There had been no news about Meniandro from the community, while Kuroro had never tried to contact him again. Both corners made no next move and instead of relieved, it left Kurapika antsy and clueless. All the time, Kurapika was on guard for another ambush: as if Meniandro would leave him scot free after what happened. But so far, there had been no suspicious movement from his side.

What honestly made him a little nervous with what he had done (though he absolutely regretted nothing) was the fact that Meniandro now knew about his eyes and the high possibility of the jerk to spread the information to the Market and commence a head hunt for him. Not that he was hiding his bloodline, but this would be bothersome. That was why when Kurapika judged that the man must have learned from his merciful warning about Kuroro, he released him from his chains three days after their encounter

It indeed surprised him that no one paid him a visit slash forcibly dragged him to lift the chain off of Meniandro during those three days. It surprised him even more that the scene of Meniandro barging into Dmitri's mansion to make him pay for what he did that Kurapika expected didn't come either.

This lack of action meant only two things: either Meniandro heeded to his warning or he was concocting a plan to get back at him, and currently there was nothing he could do to find out what Meniandro was about to do but to wait.

As for Kuroro... the man hadn't tried to keep in touch since the last time they met. Kurapika refused to make the first move, his pride would never let him to. So he didn't know what was going on in his part or if he already killed Meniandro like he had been suspecting since letting the Mafioso go.

Then on the day that marked the one whole week of silence of the two jerks, something came up that had Kurapika disoriented.

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Kurapika reported to Dmitri's office one morning but as soon as he entered the room and greeted his boss, the blond noticed a deep frown etched on his face.

"... Sir?" He inquired, his voice inquisitive with concern.

"Kurapika..." Dmitri entwined his fingers and gave him a meaningful, sharp look. "I want you to do something for me."

Kurapika noticed an enveloped document on his table. It was presumably a plane ticket. "Okay, sir."

With a heavy sigh, Dmitri waved a hand towards the coffee table amidst the couches for guests. On it was a metal box that Kurapika instantly recognized.

It was a pair of Kuruta eyes.

"Bring that pair of Kuruta eyes to a friend of mine."

"Sir?" Kurapika questioned almost incredulously. He managed to hold it back. "What do you mean?"

"My friend and one of our investors, Ruthberg, is now in the country for a vacation. I owe him a big favor before and I haven't given anything in return yet since he didn't ask for anything. But when he heard that I'm collecting the Kuruta eyes, he suddenly asked me to give him a pair for his coming birthday. Given that he's also our big investor, I can't say no. I can't let him down, it'll affect me so much if he pull out his shares, and this is the first time he asked something from me and now I'm cornered. I don't want to let a single pair go but..." Dmitri blabbered in frustration and reluctance. He seemed all upset and perturbed about giving The Kuruta eyes away.

But not as bothered and disturbed as Kurapika.

This couldn't be. "Are you sure about this, sir? I mean, one pair costs a lot. Is it really okay to give him this much?"

"I know," Dmitri curled his knuckles. "This might be too much, But I can't afford to lose my connection to him. I'd hate to give the eyes but there's no way around. I just wish he'll take good care of them. Kurapika, you're the only one I can trust to bring the eyes to the bastard. Can you do it?"

With the calmest voice he could ever muster, Kurapika nodded and slightly dipped his head. "Certainly, sir."

Pulling his straightest face, Kurapika reached for the plane ticket and the eyes and left at once.

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Kurapika was at loss of what to do about this.

He wasn't prepared to claim the eyes from his employer yet. He still lacked the money and means to haggle with Dmitri. It wasn't the right time.

Goddamn it. Should he have just taken that second-in-command post, after all?

He didn't see this coming, didn't expect Dmitri to give the Kuruta eyes away as a token of appreciation to some friend, and a foreigner at that. Back then at Dmitri's office, he almost lost it and told Dmitri everything and declare that he wanted the eyes. Common sense stopped him, he couldn't reveal his identity and motive so impulsively with no concrete plan because he knew damn well that Dmitri wouldn't give them up easily, that with one wrong move it might cost him his job, that slowly thickening thread he held on closer to the eyes.

So, now. What to do with this eyes on his hands that was about to be taken away from him again?

Kurapika had some savings and he could more or less buy a pair, but Dmitri had four pairs (including this one) and even if he resorted to buying it off, he could only get a set. And Dmitri, he could tell, wouldn't take that offer even if he doubled the original amount.

Honestly, trying to purchase the eyes from his multimillionaire boss was on the bottommost part of his options because it was the least plan to actually work.

That left him two other choices: threaten Dmitri and take the eyes by force, or steal them away.

He wasn't looking forward to be exposed. It would be harder to move and collectors would be more than eager to throw away money to get him and his eyes, dead or alive. He wasn't enthusiastic to have some more bastards chasing after his ass, really. One was troublesome enough.

So there remained one quick way: nick it. Less expenses plus his identity would be kept safe.

Then again, it was against Kurapika's protocol and to top it all, he despised stealing. God, he couldn't even imagine himself sneaking into Dmitri's vault no matter how desperate he was to get the eyes.

So how should he do this?

It did occur to him to seek a professional expertise from that someone who robbed on a regular basis since that Kuroro offered it himself but just like the suggestion to silence Meniandro for good, the small price was exorbitantly high for Kurapika. Damn it, he remembered what Kuroro told him on their very first night.

He could get the eyes conveniently with Kuroro as his key.

Oh, there was another way: have Kuroro buy the eyes from Dmitri. But that was a tall order; surely there would be a taller cost. God, he didn't even want to think about how much Kuroro would going to charge him.

Just god freaking damn it. Why was this happening?

Still indecisive, Kurapika boarded the plane to Sithar City where that damn Ruthberg awaited for the delivered gift he didn't deserve.

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The rest house he was told to go was heavily guarded, completely with through inspection of his belongings and confiscation of his weapons. It took some more minutes and a phone call to clear him and allow him to enter the premises.

He was led to a study room. There were guards inside, six of them, scattered in corners with the two of them standing side by side a leather chair which was turned against him. Rude was what Kurapika's first impression about this Ruthberg. All of the guards were shooting sharp and calculative looks to him, they seemed to be poised to whip their guns to him with one snap of fingers. Kurapika wasn't deterred.

"Pardon the intrusion, sir. I am Kurapika and I am here to bring a gift from Dmitri-san."

There were void seconds of silence, Ruthberg didn't turn around his swiveling leather chair. Right then, Kurapika felt his heart sank. A man's crisp chuckle broke the deafening stillness, and the voice sounded painfully familiar.

"Punctual as ever, Kurapika," the man's voice was cold and brusque, not the kind of voice Kurapika usually heard from him. "And here I thought you'll never come. You really are an exceptional lad. You always exceed my expectations."

Finally, the chair moved. Brown eyes, graying hair and vibes of a vicious businessman, the man no doubt had the edge of a real Mafioso that neither Light Nostrad nor Meniandro had.

He knew it. This was must be why he felt there was something off about the whole order thing.

"What is going on here, Dmitri-san."