Disclaimer: I don't own HxH

Of Lions and Blonde Avengers:

Chapter 4:

Of Day Ones and Countdowns

"There's leftovers in the fridge. I made some sandwich wraps for lunch," Kurapika reminded, buttoning up the last few buttons of her suit jacket. "If anything goes wrong, just call me okay? Just how I taught you. Oh! And remember to never open the door for strangers. Anyone who should be here has a key."

"Yes, Miss Kurapika!" Komugi saluted the other girl, snot dripping from her nose. The blonde took the tissue box of the table.

She placed one of the tissues in one fragile hand and the box in the other. "Blow your nose, Komugi. It's not healthy to go around with it all stuffed like that."

"Yes, Miss Kurapika!"

"Bahari, keep Komugi company again for me, okay?" she asked, petting his thick mane, as she got ready to leave. The lion nodded, before putting his snout to her back and pushing her out the door as usual.

Kurapika tightened the black tie around her neck, straightening it out a bit nervously. She had never really worn a suit before. It felt rather strange.

"Kurapika!" Basho screamed as she walked into the room. He ran up to her, much like a towering child running over to his mother. "She got Baise!"

"Explain," Kurapika ordered as she walked further down the corridor. Just as Neon's bedroom came into view, a stuffed toy rabbit came flying at the blonde. She caught it with ease. "Nevermind. I think I understand."

Basho stopped a few meters away from the doorway, seemingly in no mood to walk back into the tantrum zone. Kurapika knocked on the already opened door out of courtesy. The furious Neon whipped her head around to yell, but then she froze, her eyes widened, and her face grew red.

"Kurapika," she whispered, taking the fluffy, pink pillow she had been ready to throw and hiding half her reddening face behind it.

Kurapika smiled, and Neon's face reddened. "How are you today, Neon?"

. . .

She was wearing a suit! And she looked way better than in any of Neon's wildest dreams! The dark fabric clinging to her figure. It was no revealing red dress made by the devil, but it had its own merits. Her blonde hair looked so good against the black clothes.

That was right. Light and dark always looked good together. Just like Kurapika and Mr. Lucilfer.

But she wasn't with Mr. Lucilfer right now! Kurapika had chosen to come work for her of all people! That had to count for something!?

"I - I'm fine," she stuttered, flattening out the pillow on her lap and averting her eyes in shame. Kurapika had heard her earlier outburst. She probably thought she was a complete idiot. Just when she was starting to make some progress.

Kurapika smiled anyway, composed and perfect as usual. "Are you sure? We could talk about it if you want?"

Neon shook her head fervently.

"No. I couldn't impose on you. I mean, you must be really busy already. You're just my bodyguard. You don't have to do any more than you already have."

Kurapika's hand took hold of her own, and Neon was sure her heart was about to burst. The blonde gave her another, firmer, smile. "Neon, it's true that we have to protect you and make sure nothing brings you harm physically, but your mental stability is part of our job too."

"I-it is?" she stuttered again, not sure whether to feel relief that Kurapika seemed so understanding or embarrassment because she made a fool of herself once more.

Kurapika nodded, golden locks bouncing almost playfully with the motion. "So, tell me what's wrong."

Neon frowned and hugged her pillow once more.

"Daddy isn't letting me go to the auction next week," she finally whined, pouting grumpily. She didn't care if she looked like an idiot. That auction was all she had been looking forward to these past few months. That and Kurapika's arrival.

"I see," Kurapika sighed. "I'm afraid that was my idea."

Neon's head snapped up at that revelation. "What? Why?"

"It's quite simple, really. My job is to protect you. We've been notified that there might be an attack on the auction, so I figured it would be best to keep you out of the crossfire. Your father called yesterday, and I asked him if I could keep you here with me on the night of the auction."

"W-with you?"

Kurapika nodded, "I assumed you might want some company."

It was a date. It was a date. It was a date.

"But," Kurapika continued, "if you feel so strongly about this, then . . ."

"No, no, nonono. I don't feel that strongly about anything!" Except, maybe you.

The blonde smiled, looking relieved and relaxed and Neon couldn't help feeling a little bit proud of her ability to rid the other girl of her nerves. "I see. That's good. Do you have anywhere you'd like to go?"

"Ah . . . no, not right now," Neon responded quietly. She was still getting used to the idea that she and Kurapika would practically be going on a date.

The blonde smiled again and Neon melted a little. And then, the warmth encircling her hand disappeared, but a soft tingling sensation lingered. Sparks? These were the sparks everyone talked about, right?

"I'll be going now," Kurapika informed from the doorway. "If you need anything, I'm probably not too far. Just call my name, okay?"

Neon nodded, face still burning.

And the door closed, and her face still burned. She collapsed onto her back, hitting the soft, custom-made mattress.

"I'm so pathetic," she murmured, placing an arm over her eyes, but all she saw was a smiling blonde.

"Um, Miss?" Eliza asked. "Where would you like us to put these new things your father bought you?"

"I don't know. Somewhere in the dark corners of my despair."

"Dark corners . . . how about I put them with the other things?"

"Do what you want."

. . .

"There was no phone call, was there?" a suave, accented voice asked. The blonde barely turned towards him, giving him one annoyed glance over her shoulder before walking away.

Kurapika continued to ignore him, even as he swiftly caught up with her.

"I didn't take you for a person who would lie so easily," he continued. "Despite your cold exterior, I figured you were soft underneath all those layers."

What should she make for dinner tonight? Some sort of pasta would be good. Or perhaps they could order takeout? No, no takeout. Who knew what they put in that restaurant food.

"Are you listening to me?"

"No."

"You're not as nice as you seem, are you?"

"No." And if you thought she seemed nice, you best get your messed up vision checked.

The man went silent, finally. Now she could focus on what was truly important. What should she make for dinner? Her shift ended at six today. Maybe they could go to a healthy takeout place? Were there any healthy fast food restaurants? Oh dear, if this was what being a mother was like, she might have to rethink that part of her plans.

"Would you like to go out sometime?"

"No."

"Understood. I'll ask you again when you're not so busy," Nico said. Did this man want to be slapped again? "By the way, I'd like you to stop leading my sister on like that."

Kurapika's steps halted. "Excuse me?"

"You've clearly noticed she's fallen for you. I don't know how that happened, but I want you to stop acting like you could ever return her feelings." Nico gave her a stern look. For once, he seemed serious. So, he wasn't a complete idiot. There were some redeeming traits to him.

The blonde crossed her arms. "Don't worry. I have no intention of leading her to believe such a thing. However, she is my friend and I am her bodyguard. When it comes down to it, if I have to use my position as her crush to my advantage to protect her, I will."

"You're a cruel woman."

"It's my job. Nothing more." She turned to leave again. "But . . . I'll try to avoid lying to her again. You were right, I'm not one to lie. I find it a distasteful method, but it's also, unfortunately, the most effective at times. If I'm forced to stretch the truth a bit, I have no qualms about it."

. . .

"What happened to you?" Kurapika asked the pink-haired woman. Baise was currently sporting a rather ugly bruise on the side of her head. The woman grimaced, placing the ice pack closer to the wound.

"She threw a music box at me," she mumbled. The other woman suddenly pointed accusingly at Kurapika. "How'd you get out unscathed?"

The blonde shrugged. "I listened to her. What did you do to make her so mad?"

"Nothing!" Baise defended. "She was like that when I walked in, I swear! She didn't even let me get a word in. Talk about favoritism."

Basho suddenly entered the room. "I am never looking after a teenage girl again," he sighed, collapsing into one of the sofas in the lounge.

"Too bad your contract isn't terminated until the end of next year," Squala said. "Until then, you're practically their property. The way of the mafia."

Basho made a face at that. He probably didn't like the thought of being owned by anybody. None of them did. Kurapika most of all, but this was for her clanmates. She needed to retrieve their eyes and return them to the village to be buried along with their bodies. They wouldn't rest in peace otherwise.

"Oi, Kurapika!" Basho's voice finally reached her. "Do you want anything to eat. We're ordering lunch."

The younger bodyguard shook her head. "No. I'm fine."

"Ya sure? Growing kid like you needs to eat," the man continued, worriedly. "You're already too thin."

Baise hit him on the head with her ice pack.

"Ow. What?"

"You should never comment on someone else's weight!" she scolded. This somehow sparked an argument between the two, one which Kurapika had no interest in joining.

The door suddenly slammed open, and a furious Dalzollene walked in. "What is going on here?!"

"Basho commented on my weight, and Baise told him it's discourteous to talk about someone's body in front of them. Basho retorted by saying that it was true and that I was a 'tough girl who could take a small comment like that'. Baise continued to berate him, saying it wasn't his right to assume things about my figure. It was all rather ridiculous, to be honest," Kurapika said from her lounging position on one of the free sofas. She had a book in one hand and a pen in the other. Kurapika liked recording these sorts of things in both her journal and the mic in her phone. It could prove useful later on.

"See! I told you she didn't care!" Basho said, defensively.

"Eesh, get a room, you two," Tocino joked.

"What?!"

"Ew!"

Kurapika almost felt bad for Basho then. Being perceived as disgusting by your crush must be hard. She couldn't relate.

. . .

"I'm home!" Kurapika called out into the dimly lit suite.

She heard something clatter to the ground and then the sound of Komugi scrambling to reach the door. The little girl kneeled down on the bright-colored rug in front of her and bowed her head.

"Welcome home, M-miss Ku-Kurapika!" she stuttered out.

Kurapika smiled a bit tiredly, before crouching down to the silver-haired girl's height. "I told you not to greet me like this, Komugi. I'm not anyone who deserves such treatment. Understood?"

"Y-yes," Komugi said, clasping her hands together, her bottom lip quivering.

"But I appreciate it anyway," the blonde continued, if only to cheer her up a bit.

As expected, the girl brightened up almost instantly. She was easy to please, something that worried Kurapika more than it probably should. Her life back home must be difficult. Too bad she refused to stay any longer than the Gungi matches continued. How long until the competition ended? Three weeks?

She'd just have to make Komugi write letters to her.

Did she even know how to write? Probably not.

Oh dear, she had a lot more work to do than she had originally thought. She'd have to go to a bookstore and buy some books in braille.

"Komugi, has anyone ever introduced you to the braille system?"

The girl's face contorted in confusion as she shook her head.

But that was the basic building block for sightless people! She needed to have a talk with the leader of the Republic of East Gorteau. Honestly, didn't they have any basic regulations? Komugi was a national Gungi champion. Didn't that count for anything? Stupid, corrupt countries with their stupid, corrupt governments. She'd rise up in the ranks of the Hunter Association and then give them a piece of her mind! A small country like East Gorteau, it'd be an easy conquest in any case. It'd be even easier if she got Netero on her side. No, no, using connections made her no better than those people. No, she'd destroy that government and substitute her own without any outside help! And then she'd make sure no child lives without an education! But first came the Scarlet Eyes and the utter annihilation of the troupe.

Perhaps, she was asking for too much?

"What do you want for dinner?" Kurapika asked, getting up.

Komugi looked down and twiddled her fingers. "I'd like su-sukiyaki?"

"Sukiyaki?" She didn't have any of those ingredients. She'd have to run down to the supermarket and waste more money. No, Komugi would just have to choose something else . . . but she looked so excited about it.

Kurapika's mind suddenly pulled up an image of a traditional looking Japponese restaurant she'd seen just a few days prior.

"Hey, Komugi, what would you say to going to a restaurant tonight instead?"

"A restaurant," she asked, before looking down again. "Okay?"

. . .

"We don't get many customers around here," the older woman said. She was thin and bony, with graying hair and a stern face, clothed in a purple and blue yukata. Her eyes and voice were kind, though. Kurapika instantly took a liking to her.

"I can't see why not. The food is excellent," the blonde complimented.

The woman smiled back appreciatively. "Yes, I suppose that man is good for something."

"Was that a compliment I detect?" a gruff male voice sounded from the kitchen. A man came up to them with a ladle in his hand. He was tall and muscular with a full head of hair still, though it was gray by now. He was also dressed in traditional Japponese clothing, though it was far more casual than the intricate yukata his co-worker wore.

"What are you doing out here?" the woman asked, placing her hands on her hips. "You know you intimidate the customers."

"But I wanted to see you," the man pouted. So, they weren't just co-workers. They were probably married if the rings on their fingers were anything to go by.

The woman sighed, "you can see me quite well through the window. And what did I say about spouting such nonsense in front of customers?"

"I love you," the man suddenly said, eyes warm and gentle with the feelings he so boldly expressed.

The woman softened up at that. She reached out and took his hand, giving it a light squeeze. "I love you, too."

So, this was what love looked like. She recalled the couples in the Kurta Village seemed to have lots of that to spare. Her cousin, Cecilia, and her husband for example. They never seemed to get tired of seeing each other. Kurapika remembered feeling both disgusted and slightly envious of their relationship. Disgusted because she was young and stupid. Envious because she'd already been crushing on someone as well. The innocent puppy love of a ten year old girl. Directed at no other than the strange boy who'd appeared injured and starving in the forest. She hadn't really noticed until he left and his absence gave her some time to think about her feelings.

Why was she thinking of him right now of all times?

"Thinking of someone special, my dear?" the woman asked, sitting down in front of her in a seiza position.

"Well, I . . . no, not really."

The woman smirked. "I know that look. It's the same one I had when I was trying to deny I'd fallen for Takami."

Her husband, Kurapika assumed.

"My friends took a picture just to show me how pathetic I looked," she chuckled. "They nicknamed it the Takami-san no Egao. Oh, that means Takami's smile in my native language. Takami and I were raised in an orphanage. I suppose I loved him ever since we met for the first time." She sighed then, smiling as she recalled a pleasant memory. "He confessed to me before the month was out. I rejected him, of course. We were only twelve back then and I, of course, found all boys irritating creatures of idiocy. He didn't stop though. He continued to be my friend, sporadically confessing every now and then. We shared our first kiss on my eighteenth birthday. I rejected him still, too embarrassed to suddenly tell him I loved him after all those years. In other words, I was far too prideful for my own good. Apparently, that had been all it took for him to give up on me. We went our separate ways. I went on to college, planning to fulfill my dream of becoming a restaurant owner, and he kept on playing music. One day, he happened to stop by."

Was the biography really necessary? At least the story was interesting.

"I ignored him, of course, but he recognized me instantly. He'd looked so handsome, so Takami-like. He took over for the cook, who got sick with some dreadful cold, and his dishes were an instant hit. When the real cook came back, I told him he could leave, since I couldn't just take away the poor man's job. He refused, offering to be an assistant cook was happy to have a helping hand. One night, I got sick with a high fever. He forced me to go home and watched over the restaurant for me. That was when I realized that I still loved him. It took me a little under a week to confess. He took a little too long to respond, but then he accepted me. It only took us twenty years."

Kurapika's eyes widened at the impressive number.

"What I mean to say," the woman cleared her throat, "is that it's okay to take your time, but when you realize that what you really want is to be with that person forever, everything will become clear."

Why was everyone lecturing her about love as if they knew something? She already knew she wanted to be with Chrollo. It was just that she put her goals before her wants. Was that so wrong?

"You're getting there," the woman nodded, apparently satisfied by her reaction.

The blonde popped some of the noodles in her mouth. "I hope not."

"What was that?"

"Ah, nothing! I hope so. These feelings aren't very convenient to carry around everywhere."

They suddenly heard sniffling from beside Kurapika. Tears trailed down Komugi's face.

"That was so beautiful!" Komugi wailed, bursting into more tears.

Oh dear, Kurapika had completely forgotten she was there too. Hopefully, she wouldn't ask too many questions.

. . .

Next on Lions:

Day 2. More Spiders.

(A/N: Who woulda thought? Kurapika has been crushing on Chrollo since she was, like, ten. Compared to him falling for her when she was already eighteen, Kurapika's love has been around for longer.)

Question of the Day: Was that love story too cliched?

~ Replies to Reviewers ~

Sweets Dreamer: Mama Chrollo and Mamapika. A match made in heaven! Yup, Nico and Neon are both chasing her now. Honestly, even Neon has a better shot at Kura's heart than her brother. Neon is definitely Kurapika's favorite Nostrade. And Chrollo really should just come to her himself and sneak in a few kisses. I'm sure Kurapika would be more than happy to oblige. Poor Kurapika in the compromising dress. Why must she suffer so? Because of the authoress, probably. I'm so mean. Don't worry, happiness will come eventually. I think. And about the dress holding Nen. I believe that's how KilluGon found out about which artifacts to choose in the Yorknew city Arc right before they met Zepile. I figured if the dresses were handmade, the same could apply. Of course, Chrollo is the mom. Paku's the cool older sibling, all composed and calm but secretly the most caring out of all of them. You could ask both Chrollo and Hisoka for their hair gel and compare the two. And no can do, Kurapika and Chrollo are going to have to remain separate for now, as much as it pains them. They really want to be together. Even my writing senses want them to be together, but the plot demands their suffering. For now, watch them pine for the other. Here's a bit of Kurapika's perspective on things. Someone who hates Sherlock other than Donovan? Oh dear, even Moriarty seemed to be in love with him to some extent. That's too hard. Ima skip. Thanks for reviewing and I hoped you liked this chapter.

Guest: Who says Danchou the Mom can't be awesome? Nobody. OMG, someone should make that kindergarten AU, and then Kurapika brings Gon and Killua for him to take care of! That'd be so adorable. Chrollo holding a baby? Not yet, young grasshopper. Patience is a virtue. More normal things for Kurokura! Nico's goin' down, and Neon is a ruthless young woman. Kurapika is very proud. She probably did have a nosebleed. I needed to preserve her pride in some way. She's wearing a suit here! Purely for professional reasons, of course *shifty eyes*. Yes, supportive Paku is everything. She's like the best wing-woman ever. Always knows just what to say. She's already planning for Chrollo and Kurapika's kids. She's gonna be Auntie Paku just like she's always dreamed of being. You're welcome for the drabble! I'm so glad you liked it. Machi is a true soldier, completely loyal to her Danchou, come what may. Pervert clowns stay away! Thanks for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter.

MedusaLegend: You've got a point. That's why dear Danchou needs his beloved Kurapika by his side. His kids ain't gonna be murderers on her watch! Hohoho, already noticed that did you? You will have to wait to see her reaction to the wanted posters. If there are any wanted posters this time. The plot thickens! Okay, so I don't really have that part figured out yet. I still have seven chapters before the auction! Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you like this chapter.

~ End of Replies ~

To Everyone: Thank you for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Please review, favorite, and follow. Alright, time to sleep.