Fandom: Hunter x Hunter
Summary: How agonizing is it to see the one you love break a supposedly lifelong promise? Sequel to Beneath the Falcon's Wings
Title: Flight of the Doves
Author: Hana Rui
Genre: shounen-ai, angst, sap
Pairing: Leorio x Kurapika [LeoPika]
The park was rather empty, save for a flock of white and gray doves hopping about the ground, pecking on bits of bird pellets tirelessly thrown on them by a park meddler. The jovial, heavily tanned jiji reached into the small, steel pail nestled steadfastly between a fleshy arm and a bare, bulgy chest. And, smiling widely in juvenile delight, he stirred the immobile bits to a rumbling din before finally grabbing a handful and tossing it to the eagerly anticipative flock.
It would've been an amusingly refreshing sight, but the staccato thumps of feeds on cement rang piercingly like a taunting elegy through his head... Crashing his crumbling heart to complete ruin... Condemning his already defunct spirit to a merciless second death...
He just saw him with a girl. No, dammit! It was a woman, actually. He saw them walk out of a posh restaurant a few hours back-arms locked together, vocal chords grating over some funny memory they had in that filthy lair, and the rest of their senses utterly oblivious to a pair of fiery eyes staring them down to dark, bloody hell.
It was the most detrimental sight. The very situation that Kurapika had least expected to be faced with. Especially after he had gone out of his way just to come here and finally be united with his lover.
It had only been a month since Leorio went away. Yet, he couldn't keep himself from worrying... from thinking about him. Whether or not he could actually abstain himself from the worldly temptations plaguing this highly civilized city... If he would really be faithful enough to keep his promise... Or if he loved him enough to shun away from other mutual affairs—
The afternoon breeze casually cruised by and rustled the lively cicada leaves under which the blond kid sat, trying though in vain to mend not only a broken heart, but a shattered disposition as well. His lithe feminish hands flew to his face to muffle the bitter sobs convulsively rising from his throat as his slender body-clad in a casual attire meant to both please and disguise—trembled terribly from the volts of anger and despair currently cruising through his nerves.
The seething coldness that lingered on his skin seeped through his flesh, subsequently bringing to his mind a vivid picture of that moment he and Leorio shared their first and second torrid kisses under the waning moon-beneath nature's mighty falcon wings. He felt so warm and so loved then. So assured and confident that his lover would keep his word. And the older guy seemed so eager and honest then, too. That fool!
Kurapika wheezed and looked up at the sky, his head making hard contact with the tree trunk on which he leaned. The white fluffy clouds languidly sailed by the afternoon firmament, creating a blithe scene that was a mocking contrast to the desolation swirling by his emotions. Or rather, the desolation that was the only emotion he knew at the very moment.
He could not believe he had been so gullible. So easy to fool into believing in an illusion of fidelity. A chimera of unfaltering affection. The general foolishness of an undying love...
Then again, didn't he, himself, build those images in his own head? And wasn't he the very person—being his unduly skeptical self—who doubted and contradicted them in the first place?
The dejected blond kid sighed and buried his tear-streaked face to his knees. He could still remember the sheer fear that marred his lover's stunning features when he released the Chain of Judgment in his way and the momentary pain that registered in his eyes when the spear buried itself into his chest. He had his chance to own Leorio then. Own him forever by tying him up to a lifetime verdict of love-but he had been too afraid to hurt him. Too doubtful of his own resolution and too fearful for his impulsive lover's safety.
Who knew how life could change for him once he set foot on this land? Though it would hurt him so to see that guy fall in love with a girl, he would never be able to get himself to kill him. Ever. Maybe the blasted girl, he might consider, but Leorio...
"Are you all right, kid?" the deep, amiable voice suddenly rang through Kurapika's ears, hauling his mind rather unceremoniously off the memories of that momentous night. He jerked his head to his left just in time to see the plump, swarthy man-pail still cuddled in his arms—casually slump down beside him. "It's a wonderful afternoon, isn't it?"
"Go away," Kurapika hissed in his most threatening voice, once again burying his face to his knees. Though his eyes were rather safely shrouded in black contact lenses, he would never risk for this meddler—being uncomfortably close—to catch a faint glimpse of the reddish glow of fury irrepressibly radiating from behind his façade.
Red... Reddish glow. He would never be able to make full use of the Judgment Chain unless his eyes were red. The moment he willed the chain to snake toward his lover's chest, his eyes had glowed in its usual green color. Yes, he had meant to fool Leorio into believing that he was being put under an irreversible curse. The chain he had pierced his chest with was made up. It didn't even exist. What happened on that night was the mere product of his intention, turned into a living, breathing force.
He had wanted to make Leorio believe the Judgment Chain was really in him. And by his powerful nen, Kurapika had done just that. He had willed Leorio to believe everything was for real. From the older guy's rational understanding to his emotional sensibility... He had handled his lover pretty well. Now, he was being plagued by remorse over his own stupid fabrication...
Then again, where did that creep find the guts to go against the condition? Wasn't he afraid of the all too obvious consequence? Or had he somehow found out it was all a lie? Kurapika must admit he had been careless to let his eyes keep their natural color at the outset of that momentous event. He could've turned his eyes red at will, but he didn't. God, why didn't he? Perhaps Leorio, even in that distance saw this and was able to piece the facts together. Perhaps his lover knew all along and just decided to play with him and make him believe he was succeeding in his own little game… Perhaps his Leo-chan was doing this to avenge the disgrace his proud ego had just been subjected to. Perhaps-
"The doves are worrying about you, see?" the unwanted vermin dared to speak again, not moving an inch to heed the blond kid's determined warning.
Kurapika curiously poked his head up a little to take a look and sure enough, there were the three-dozen white and gray doves, flocking right in front of him and staring at him silently with a glint of unspoken concern in their little black eyes. "They're not used to seeing a lonely girl. Especially when she's as pretty as you are." The remark was given in a rather casual manner. In fact, there was not a single tinge of perverted passion in it. Just plain cluelessness and ignorance...
Nevertheless, the insulted blond guy clenched his fists tight as he felt his eyes burn with the sharpest shade of crimson a Kuruta had ever been able to generate. "Damn," he hissed spitefully as he felt the heat of his anger slowly flowing into the veins of his hands.
But before he could move and swing his raging fist toward the fluffy-brained man's sorry face, the most eviscerating sight caught his peripheral vision and instantly crushed him-for the second time that afternoon-to the very core of his soul.
There was Leorio, strolling leisurely through the park with that cursed bitch clinging like a kid onto his arm. And as though that wasn't enough torment already, the two shameless creeps were even walking right to where he was!
Kurapika's sight blurred once again as tears of despair and rage sprung up to his eyes. The more he looked at them enjoy each other's company as they shambled and chortled pass a line of rustling trees, the more he was torn between the urge of confronting them right then and there, and the need to run off some place where he could hide and deal with his desolation on his own.
Deeming it best to just go in peace, least he aggravated the torture he was already having, he jumped up to his feet and turned to walk away. Away from his lover for good. Time could better assuage his misery. He should just content himself with the thought that at least one of them was happy...
He had only taken about three steps when the moronic meddler, somehow sensing the need to make him stay, acted upon his equally moronic impulse and doused the remaining bird pellets in his pail right at him.
Everything happened so fast from that moment on that Kurapika himself almost lost track. He had only a moment to turn around and snarl at the grinning man before the doves began charging right pass him. Their chaotic twits and the frantic fluttering of their wings filled Kurapika's head with so much annoyance and irritation that he almost gave into the urge of throwing every single one of his chains at them and sending them all off to Kingdom come. His nen-chain had actually materialized in his right hand instinctively as he raised his arms over his face and stepped back in an attempt to keep his balance...
"Bakerou!" came an all too familiar cry of anger. Kurapika peered through his arms and saw a growling Leorio charge toward the mischievous idiot who all but grinned at him before running off to safety. The self-appointed knight of every distressed damsel was more than willing to dash after the coltish asshole had he not locked eyes with the one he had just served. He froze in his tracks and stared-his eyes widening at each passing second. Kurapika's breath caught in his throat as startled realization gradually dawned on his lover's dark orbs, "K-K-Kurapika?"
The blond kid slowly put his arms down and darted his eyes to the dull asphalt. For a few uncomfortable moments the sound of beaks pecking on the ground echoed through the empty silence of the park. Resounding deafeningly still in the hollow corners of his throbbing heart...
"Leorio-kun?" Needless to say, the nearness of the dulcet voice and the familiarity it had stated were too much for Kurapika's remaining temperance to take. The woman was panting and huffing and seemed as though she was all tired out by the short distance she had to run to catch up to her damn impulsive lover. He could not believe Leorio had actually replaced him with an old and pitiful asthmatic!
He dared not look at how close that bitch had coiled herself once again to his ex-lover's body. He barely opened his trembling lips and whispered a silent, "Ja," before turning around to resume his passive retreat.
"Kurapika!" Leorio called out, but the younger guy was by now too enraged and embittered to heed. He just kept walking, absentmindedly disturbing the innocent doves feasting on their humble pellets on his way. The agitated birds flew off immediately, leaving behind a whirlwind that transiently halted the blond guy's steps, consequently enabling the dark-haired one to catch up to him.
Leorio made a grab on his arm and hauled him around rather roughly. Kurapika just as roughly pulled his arm from off his lover's firm grip and turned once again on his heels. "Kurapika!" the harshness in Leorio's voice cut through his sensitivity and summoned at last the tears he had been holding back. Though he wanted so much to run away and leave his lover for good, his feet were all but glued to the ground, refusing to take even a single mincing step. It took all of his remaining strength to keep the sobs back from grating his throat and his whole body trembled at the effort.
"What's wrong?" came the whispered expression of concern. Kurapika felt the older guy's hands gently rest on his shoulders and immediately fell off the pit of his emotions. The tears cascading down his face were finally consorted by the concomitant sobs that sounded pathetic even to the blond kid himself. He tried his very best to stifle them but ended up producing an even more pathetic set of sounds.
He raised an arm to his face and wiped his tears away rather roughly. He wanted so much to shake Leorio's hands from off his shoulders, but he couldn't seem to find enough strength... and guts to do so. He closed his eyes tightly and wished this were all just a dream. A kind of nightmare that broken-hearted souls like him would easily wake out of soon. He wished he could open his eyes and realize he never really saw Leorio with that wimpy woman. That he could still delight at the mere feel of his touch... Appreciate these kinds of spoken concern given in pure genuineness and affection... And still believe in his own little illusion of owning Leo-chan forever...
He wished he could just turn around and bury his face to his lover's chest. Reclaim his right on the warmth and comfort of the older guy's stalwart arms wrapped around him in loving possessiveness... The bliss of having those delicious, supple lips covering his own in a contact that would send a reviving tinge to his dying heart-
"So, this is Kurapika..." the now too familiar voice re-ignited the still un-pacified anger in every corner of his body. The raging Kuruta felt the heat of wrath in his eyes as he clenched his fists tightly once again, his chains chiming faintly, yet ominously. It took all of his will power to keep his calm and delay the urge of mutilating the woman into tiny bird pellets so she could at least be useful to the society even after her dea-
"Hai hai!" Kurapika's train of violent, vengeful thoughts was cut short by the abundance of pride in his lover's voice when he spoke. He felt the warm, virile hands deftly haul him around again. Still a bit too stunned to oppose the sudden act, Kurapika consequently found himself nestled steadfastly in his lover's arm, drowning in the warmth he had just been longing for a while ago.
Perhaps it was all just a dream after all…
Or so, if only a certain entity would just cease existing in what was supposed to be his waking state. Kurapika watched silently as the woman's handsome features was suddenly marred by startled wonder… Yes, this woman still looked very real to him. Her wide dark eyes… Her thin red lips forming a chasm of dumfounded shock… Her face gradually turning red from-
"Leorio-kun! How could you!" she squealed, not in anger or disappointment or despair, but… Kurapika's eyes turned into mere slits as a wide, delighted smile began to stretch the woman's lips. Why the hell was this bitch smiling? And why the hell couldn't he move an inch and get himself out of his ex-lover's arms, as though it was as easy as counting a flock of sheep to forgive him?
"W-What?" a perplexed Leorio asked, instinctively tightening his grip around his beloved.
"I thought you said- Leorio-kun! She's-She's beautiful!" the demented woman exclaimed, suddenly cupping the dumfounded, annoyed and once again insulted guy's face in her hands. "Look at her! My god, Leorio-kun! How could you have fooled me!"
Kurapika just stared straight into the irksome woman's sparkling eyes, telling her silently, yet determinedly to keep her filthy hands off his precious face or else…
The blond kid's senses were all the more agitated when Leorio's loud, roarish laughter suddenly rang in his ears. Damn these people! was all he could think of spitefully, as he was yet to gain enough grip of the situation to be able to act accordingly.
"Yes, yes, HE IS BEAUTIFUL!" the spike-haired guy chortled. "HE is a HE, madam. A HE!"
The woman frowned at Leorio and snarled, "Now, I've had it enough with your foolish, lame jokes kid! I know a girl when I see one!" Kurapika stiffened when the woman's frisky hands began gliding down to his chest. "You don't think I'm that stupid enough do-what the hell!" The astounded woman looked at the still chuckling Leorio before gazing straight into the blond kid's blazing black orbs. Her hands instantly fell to her sides and for the next few moments, she and Kurapika were finally given the chance to scrutinize each other closely and try to discern what had made the other special to the fine, gorgeous lad in concern. Leorio's stifled laughter merely served as background to their noble feat…
Kurapika first had to calm himself from the disgrace he felt after being touched like that. What did this woman think of him? A piece of meat being sold in some stinking wet market? And damn! Why did it seem like this whole ghastly city saw him as a pretty damsel? A beautiful girl? What was wrong with these people?
He may be gay for being in-love with Leorio, but he was still a guy, for crying out loud! How much more of this insult should come his way before he could finally bury his furious fists into these stupid creatures' faces? Every time he was about ready to do somebody in, some disturbing situations would always sprout out of nowhere and deny him the glorious chance of avenging his offended ego!
Nevertheless, after a few more seconds, the blond kid was finally able to clear his sight and began observing the woman just as closely as she was doing to him. Her long flowing hair was of the same darkness as Leorio's. Her eyes were as dark and expressive and cheeky like those of Leorio's too. With her standing this close to him now, Kurapika was slowly realizing she was actually older than how he had first discerned her to be. He could even spot occasional wrinkles on her face that were just too deep for the make-up to conceal.
Who was this woman? He narrowed his eyes more and indulged in his quiet thoughts as he kept his scrutinizing eyes on her face. She may be gorgeous and all that, but knowing Leorio-after all the years they've spent together-Kurapika knew that, flirty as he may be, the other guy would never ever hook up with an older woman. Especially not with someone as old as this. Leorio had lots of respect for women, and it would take a huge amount of desperation to have him resort to playing with an old woman's feelings.
So, who was this woman? The question remained in his mind even as the woman's lips crack in a wide, satisfied smile…
"I like him," she said, her voice filled with genuine fondness and amity. Then, she took a step closer to the still dumfounded guy and planted a light affectionate peck on his cheek. Next, she turned to the smiling Leorio and uttered an order with firm authority, "Be sure to take him home to dinner tonight, Leorio-kun."
Leorio simply nodded before bending a little to allow the shorter woman to smack him loudly on the cheek. After giving another sweet smile to the still stupefied Kurapika, the woman subsequently turned on her heels and walked off.
They both silently watched her go for a couple of minutes before Leorio finally broke the ice with the question that had been bothering him from the very moment he set his eyes on his beloved.
"What are you doing here?"
Kurapika simply sighed and tried to step out of his lover's arm, only to be pulled back into a tighter hug. His lover's stalwart arms coiled around his body and he was instantly flooded by the desire to willingly weld himself closer to the warmth he had long been yearning for. If only he could unravel first the mystery surrounding that woman…
"Who is she?" he asked quietly.
Leorio suddenly pushed him off and held him at arms' length, "Don't tell me you came here to check on me?" He looked straight into his beloved's eyes and wheezed at the amount of anger and bitterness and jealousy he saw in them. "God! Kurapika! Are you doubting your own powers?" He grabbed his beloved's right hand and pressed it hard on his chest. "I have your chain in my heart, remember?"
Kurapika's anger and bitterness were instantly dissolved in the guilt that consequently filled his heart upon seeing the unfaltering sincerity in his lover's eyes. So he didn't notice it after all. His Leo-chan still believed he was indeed under his mercy. "L-Leo-chan…" Kurapika bit his lip and sighed. Should he tell him? "Anou…"
"Yes?" Leorio was looking intently into his eyes, eagerly waiting for him to go on.
"Anou…" Kurapika darted his eyes to the ground, still discomforted by the genuine innocence on his lover's face. "On the night I used my chain on you, did you notice anything… wrong?
"Wrong?" Leorio repeated pensively. "No… Why?"
Kurapika sighed frustratedly. Though he had been expecting this kind of answer, it annoyed him to actually hear it come out from his lover's lips. It meant he needed to do a lot of explaining…
Yes, he was going to tell him the truth. He felt he needed to. If Leorio really loved him enough, he would understand… And might even appreciate his unconditional honesty…
"I see," was all the older guy said after listening to Kurapika state his case through a river of tears. He slowly wrapped his arms around the trembling guy's body and gently pulled him for another tight embrace. He rubbed his hands comfortingly on the sobbing guy's back and bent down to whisper lovingly to his ears, "It's okay."
Kurapika felt the huge thorn of anxiety get pulled out of his heart. But the tears kept on coming, nevertheless-this time turning from that of repentance to one of relief and happiness.
"Were you jealous of that woman?" Leorio asked cautiously, as though talking to a little kid. The nod he got from the blond head sobbing on his chest instantly generated a set of chuckles in his throat.
Kurapika looked up at him and frowned spitefully. "What's so funny about that?"
"Nothing much," Leorio chortled, pulling the blond head back to his chest. "It's just that…" He stopped chuckling and reduced his voice to a mere, soothing whisper, "I can't believe you're jealous of my mother."
Kurapika's eyes widened momentarily with shock, before he closed them tightly with the outset of a furious blush on his cheeks. His mother! Now how stupid was that? How stupid was he—?
"I don't need your chain to bind me to you forever," Leorio went on, affectionately caressing his beloved's soft, blond hair. "My love for you is more than enough to serve the same purpose…"
Needless to say, that sincere statement coming from his lover's own lips was more than enough to allow Kurapika to forget the past and just let himself live by the moment. "I love you, Leo-chan," he whispered to his lover's chest.
Leorio gently pushed him off and looked straight into his eyes, "As I do you..." Then, he bent down and claimed the delicious, supple lips, consequently immersing himself and his beloved in the bliss that both of them had missed in the past month. "And happy birthday…" He whispered to his lips, before plunging deeper into the tasty cave with a comforting warmth and passion that ignited an incomparable rapture in the younger guy's heart.
The faint staccato thumps of bird pellets from a distance didn't sound as scathing to Kurapika as before. In fact, it seemed rather comforting along with the chaotic twits and frantic fluttering of wings generated by the doves in their eagerness to get their rightful share in another generous feast. The cicada leaves rustled joyously at the whirlwind left by the birds which had a while ago stayed perched on the graceful tree's branches. It matched perfectly with the romantic mood… And the sounds blended perfectly with the beat of assurance in Kurapika's joyously throbbing heart.
He never lost his lover after all. And now he was even more than sure he would be his forever…
-end-
Note: I wrote this to right something wrong that I did in the other fic. After re-watching the Hunter X Hunter OVAs, I remembered the deal about Kurapika's Judgment Chain and red eyes, and how he would die if he used it on anybody else other than the Geneiryodan
Thanks for reading! :)