(A/N: Yeah, Neon's bisexual. Remember when she described Chrollo as 'absolutely gorgeous' in chapter 12 of NAPP! Kurapika was the first person she got a real crush on, though. She never really found living humans too interesting)

Of Lions and Blonde Avengers:

Chapter 10:

Of Reunions and Kisses

"I understand," Kurapika started, taking in the scene before her. "That it's hard to say no to royalty. But really, Basho, you could've at least waited until the rest of us woke up to make this decision."

The man had the gall to look like a guilty puppy as he sat on the couch in front of the towering Kurta. "Sorry, but he just looked so sad."

"Do not blame the pompadour man, scary blonde woman," the boy Prince said, surveying the room in search of a certain blue-haired girl. "Where is Neon? I wish to speak with her."

Kurapika glared at the Prince. "She's sleeping. Give her time to rest. Yesterday was a long day for Neon."

The man pouted, like a dog missing its master, before falling into one of the sea-themed armchairs. "I couldn't sleep last night, so I decided to see her again as soon as possible. How long can someone sleep?"

"The record is two hundred sixty-four hours which roughly translates to eleven days," Kurapika responded, unable to pass up a chance to answer a question.

"I do not think she will sleep that long," the Prince decided.

The other bodyguards watched helplessly as their arguably most-skilled coworker butted heads with the Prince of one of the richest nations in the world. Kurapika didn't like the Prince for some reason. It seemed she thought he had impure intentions towards Neon.

"What's going on?" a tired voice asked. They all turned to see a blue-haired girl, still dressed in her pajamas and her hair, for once, let down to fall where it may. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Oh, it's the guy from yesterday."

The Prince smiled charmingly and took her hand in both of his. "Hello, Miss Neon. I just wanted to apologize for scaring you yesterday and offering a proposal so quickly. I read up on the subject last night and learned that in the United States of Saherta, it's uncommon for a man to propose when they first meet the woman they wish to wed. In which case, I would like permission to court you instead."

The boy sure talked a lot.

"I think that's a great idea." It was Nico who spoke this time. He'd been sitting rather quietly the whole morning, watching the scene unfold. One thought ran through Kurapika's mind: What was he planning? Could it be something along the lines of getting his sister out from under his father's influence? After all, Araulia had zero ties to any sort of Mafia, finding any sort of corruption a crime against the state. Which also meant the law was the definition of strict. If by some twist of fate, Neon and Rohan did get married . . . her father would no longer be able to use her. And they wouldn't have to wait for him to die. In fact, with Nico's influence, they might even go legit.

From that standpoint, the courtship between these two would be beneficial to both sides.

That was only if the Prince didn't decide Neon wasn't who he was looking for and stopped pursuing her. Back to Plan A in that case.

"I suppose," Kurapika started, closing her eyes in the way she often did when she had to make a decision she would prefer not to have any part in, "if Neon herself has no objections. Then, a courtship isn't too much to ask."

. . .

"A courtship isn't too much to ask."

She'd said that so easily like it didn't matter at all to her if Neon started dating someone, or married them, or anything at all. Which shouldn't come as a surprise since Kurapika had made it clear she only had eyes for Mr. Lucilfer, but still . . . a part of Neon had trusted that she wouldn't just allow someone else to have her so easily. That a part of Kurapika felt at least something for her.

But, in the end, she really was just her Boss and Kurapika was just her bodyguard.

The door to her room creaked open.

"Go away."

She didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Not Kurapika, not anyone.

"I brought tissues," her brother said, closing the door behind him quietly. Neon didn't even spare him a glance, opting to stay in her fetal position as the tears continued to flow. He placed a hand on her shoulder and Neon couldn't even find it in herself to push it off.

"I thought," the fortune teller started, her voice thick with tears and a broken mended heart, "she cared for me, or was starting to. God, I'm such an idiot." She hiccuped. "She never cared. She just wanted to keep her job."

She heard him sigh and then he took her by the shoulders, forcing her to sit up. "Enough, Neon. You're stronger than this. Feeling sorry for yourself won't change anything. Do you really want Kurapika to see you like this?"

"Will that get her to care?" she whispered, averting her eyes. The thought itself was embarrassing. When had she fallen so far?

He just smiled, as if she'd just told a grand joke. Was it so ridiculous that he couldn't even take her seriously? "Silly," he said, handing her a tissue, "she already cares about you. Just not in the way you want her to, I suspect."

Why was he telling her things she already knew?

"She's not the only person you'll ever fall in love with, Neon, and someday one of those people will love you back," he reassured, cupping her cheek.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because a bloody Prince just proposed to you, and I personally think you two have a chance."

"I don't love him, though." She couldn't date someone she didn't love.

"Did you instantly fall in love with Kurapika when you met her?"

She thought back to their first meeting and the answer came as a resounding no. Back in that cave, the only impression she'd had of Kurapika was that she was scary but cool. Kind of like the eyeballs of a Kurta or something. She hadn't even thought of her as a human.

The girl shook her head.

"Then why would this be any different?" he asked, ruffling up her blue hair. "By the way, ol' Princey's joining us for the shopping trip."

"EH?!" What was she supposed to talk to him about?

. . .

Neon felt his eyes on her and she felt the butterflies start up. It was the first time someone had been so forward in their intentions towards her. Sure, there had been plenty of men and women who'd confessed their feelings for her, but it was the first time someone had said it in the first five minutes and really meant it.

"Come," he said, taking her hand and dragging her out. From the corner of her eye, Neon noticed Nico and Kurapika holding Basho back from trying to charge at the Prince.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere away from them," he answered. That somewhere turned out to be in the courtyard of the hotel.

She nearly ran into him when he slowed down. "Why'd you drag me out here?"

"I don't like being supervised. I'd like our relationship to be private," he explained.

"We're not in a relationship," she reminded.

He gave her a dashing grin, green eyes glowing with mirth. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she noted that he was one of the most beautiful men she'd ever seen. "But we will be soon."

"How can you be so confident?" she suddenly asked, forehead contorted in confusion. All Neon had ever encountered with love was insecurity. How could he be so certain she'd fall in love with him?

"I have nothing else," he answered.

"You're a Prince."

"I'm a spare, and a second one at that."

Neon found she couldn't really say anything to that. He seemed so sad. What would Kurapika do? What would she say? In all the time spent observing the blonde, and sometimes being lectured about being a good leader by her, she'd picked up a few things. Yes, she'd say something to raise him up. Now, to find the words? She'd felt inadequate before as well when compared to Nico. Nico was the intelligent one, the one with the silver tongue and business-oriented mind. He was the one who'd take over one day, but . . . that didn't make her a backup plan, that made her free.

"I've only known you for a day and I know that's not true. So what if you're third-in-line. That just means you're not tied down to someone else's destiny." Oh, she was not an airhead! She was a born business person, her father's daughter through and through!

"Duck."

"What?" That wasn't what she'd been expecting. More along the lines of 'huh, I've never thought of it like that,' or, 'you're a lot smarter than they give you credit for.' Not, 'duck.'

"Duck!" he yelled again, forcing her to the ground just as the sound of a gun going off rang through the air. The Prince gazed down at her, worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, a bit breathless from the fall. Heat rushed to redden cheeks as the proximity of their faces sunk in. Both of them jolted away from each other. Rohan focused back on the black-clad assassins or lack thereof. They'd gone into hiding again. They could attack from any place. At any time. Oh god, where was Kurapika when she needed her?

The Prince got to his feet, glaring at the yards of greenery in front of him. "Cowards. Bringing you into this," he muttered, hands clenching into white-knuckled fists.

"Who are they?" For all they knew, they could be after her because she was a Nostrade and not the potential girlfriend of the third Prince of whatever-its-name-was.

"A rebellious faction. They want to abolish the monarchy, so they figured it would be best to just wipe us from the face of the earth entirely, and put in their own men at the front," he explained.

"How do you know it's them?"

"The uniforms. They have a bird insignia on the back of their jackets."

They sounded more like a biker gang than a rebellious group of murderers. Another gunshot and Neon didn't hesitate to duck this time.

"Neon!"

Kurapika. Neon gazed over at the other side of the garden where a pretty blonde in pristine, black suit and her brother stood.

"No, wait! They're hidden!" she screamed, dodging another bullet. Kurapika seemed to understand because a few seconds later, she'd jumped onto one of the balconies of the hotel. A minute later and she pounced, like a lioness ready to capture her prey. One of the men tried to shoot at her, but she caught the bullets and knocked the gun out of his hands, striking down the assailant with one fluid motion of her chains. The other men fell one after another, as both Neon's guards and Rohan's aides appeared.

Nico was by Neon's side almost immediately, hugging her tightly. "You're gonna give me a heart attack someday, I swear."

"Who were those people?" Kurapika asked Rohan.

Rohan turned to her, "are you familiar with The Living Phoenix?"

Kurapika's eyes widened with recognition. That terrorist group? They'd followed him here? Furthermore, how could he have been so foolish as to allow himself to go somewhere unaccompanied?

"Did you know they'd come here?" she asked.

"No. They are such an obscure group, they do not have this sort of power," he replied, eyes dark and haunted.

Kurapika understood immediately. "You think they're being funded?"

The Prince nodded. "I will have to return as soon as possible," he mumbled. "My father has to be informed of this obstruction."

"Do you have any suspects?"

He shook his head. "It is not my specialty. I am the fun one, I have little in the way of political power."

"I see."

"Your majesty," said the same gray-haired, middle-aged man from the other day. He got down on his knees. "Permission to nag!"

"Permission granted," he said, distractedly, mind still racing.

The man took him by the shoulders. "Are you injured anywhere, your majesty!? The medics are right behind us!"

"I'm fine."

"Oh," said the man, looking like the weight of the world had been removed from his broad shoulders. And then? Then, he hit the boy on the head.

The Prince raised his hands to cover the spot that was hit. "OW! What do you think you're doing, old man!?"

"I'm punishing you for being an egotistical brat. Do you have any idea how dangerous this was?"

The two of them started arguing about Rohan's idiocy, and the others in the garden couldn't help but laugh. Except for Kurapika, who was still trying to figure out what to do with all the unconscious assassins currently in the garden. Calling the police was the smart thing to do, but then they might send more people. Or even worse, Prince Rohan's location might be revealed. He was incognito here for a reason.

"Ohohoho, is someone starting to worry about Princey here?" Nico whispered in her ear, as he recognized the split-second worried look she'd cast the prince.

"Don't talk to me. I'm thinking."

. . .

Kurapika eventually ended up threatening the hell out of the policemen, complete with death glares and the pure hatred she usually saved for the Spider.

Speaking of the Spider, she had gotten so worked up over the attempted assassination that she'd, for a second, almost forgotten about her revenge. And it didn't bother her half as much as it should have. She spun her chain around, watching the metal turn into a sort of helicopter. Watching it reminded her of what she came here for and what had caused her to get distracted. She needed to stop caring so much.

"What's with you?" Nico, who was walking beside her, asked.

She turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Someone just hit on you and you didn't react by punching them in the face," he explained, pointing at a wealthy-looking man about her age who was currently nursing an ugly purple bruise on his cheek. "I had to get rid of him for you."

Kurapika tipped her head to the side. "Oh. Thanks." And then she kept walking. He quickly matched her pace.

"Are you sure you're alright? It's not like you to daze off," he continued, worriedly, but then a sneaky smirk spread across his face. "Thinking about a certain demon spawn, are we?"

Demon spawn? Oh right, that was what he called Chrollo. The feeling of crippling loneliness shot through her again. The phone in her pocket grew warm, practically yelling at her to just call the man and get rid of this feeling once and for all.

"I am now," she sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. What was he doing now, she wondered. Was he doing alright? Was he still working for Netero? Too many questions she wasn't willing to get answered.

"Why don't you call him?" Nico asked. "It couldn't hurt."

Wrong. It could hurt. That man had too much influence over her. As it was, her will for revenge had faded away considerably. Who knew what would happen if she met up with Chrollo after all this time. Would she be able to keep on devoting her entire being to revenge? Her mind and heart seemed to agree on this one.

No.

And that scared her. No, it terrified her. When had her resolve begun to weaken so? She couldn't remember. Probably when she started caring for others again. It started with Leorio. Then Gon and Killua. Finally, Chrollo waltzed into her life and she came so very close to throwing her revenge out the window and giving him everything. But she didn't. And now her targets were coming nearer and she found herself caring so little.

This was why she had isolated herself in the first place. Broke off all connections with her friends and Chrollo. She hadn't thought about becoming friends with her boss and her brother.

Bloody hell, she'd been an idiot.

At least she noticed it in time. She just had to put up her walls again. No problem.

"We can stop here for lunch," Neon said, pointing to a small cafe across the street. "I heard their food is really good."

Le Deux Palais.

It sounded familiar, somehow. Though she was certain she'd never been there. The black and gold roof did nothing to stir her memory, neither did the table sets outside. It was just something in that name.

The four of them - eight with Rohan's bodyguards - made their way to the cafe and the moment they walked in, it all clicked. It wasn't any particular face, or even the paintings on the wall. It was the box one of the customers carried out with them. The exact same box that had held that blueberry pie.

This was the cafe Gon and Killua had gone to prior to their visit with the Kurta. The cafe where Kurapika had guessed they met Chrollo at.

Well, there was nothing to be worried about. It wasn't like he'd suddenly show up out of nowhere in this exact same place at the exact same time they were to come.

The man in front of them turned around, away from the dazed cashier, and Kurapika's usually stoic heart nearly leapt out of her chest, whether it be out of fear or longing, she wasn't certain.

No.

No.

Nononono.

"Hello, Kurapika." That voice. The voice she'd been so close to leaving behind. It flooded her senses so easily, it was almost laughable.

Her heart started beating erratically, and she took a step back. The once fearless Kurta suddenly felt like running away. And if there was one thing Kurapika didn't do, it was run away. The blonde dug her heels in and forced herself to stay completely still, her face impassive as she gazed at the handsome man before her. He'd dressed casually that day, in black jeans and an unbuttoned dress shirt. Thankfully, he had a gray tank top underneath that, otherwise, Kurapika would've . . . well . . . she'd certainly do something and it would have been quite a terrible fate, she'd make sure of that.

"So, this is what they mean when they speak of sexual tension," the foolish Prince said, gazing at them with a look in his eyes akin to that of a person who'd just got a question answered in a most unexpected way.

Chrollo chuckled, and Kurapika almost relished the sound. But then, she cut herself off. No. No relishing in anything. She was supposed to be avoiding him for goodness' sake. She just had to get out as soon as possible. After that, she could just pretend that nothing happened and forget about him. Just like before.

"Here's your order, sir," the cashier said, handing him a paper cup filled to the brim with coffee. "Enjoy." Good. Maybe she wouldn't have to bail after all. He'd do that for her.

Chrollo turned back to the woman with a dashing smile. "Thank you, Miss." He turned back to Kurapika. "Did you like the pie?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. Thank you," she said, and her voice came out so meek and quiet that she wasn't even sure if she was the same person anymore.

"Join me for lunch?" he asked, walking towards the door as if expecting her to just follow him.

She crossed her arms, not moving an inch. "I'm on duty."

And then, she was pushed in his direction. Quite literally, too. Nico had moved behind her and gave her a shove, causing her to nearly bump into the other man. She turned to glare at him.

"I'm giving you the day off," he informed, waving her away. "Off you go. And don't do something ridiculous like coming back before the day is through. That's an order."

She stared at him for a second, processing his words. The boy was ruining all her plans! How come she had to have such a meddling boss?

Familiar fingers came to intertwine with hers, and she was suddenly pulled out of the cafe.

"Hey!" she protested. "I didn't agree to this!"

His fingers loosened and then he released her hand. "It's your choice if you want to come or not. Feel free to go back if you want."

He continued walking, and Kurapika felt her temper reach its boiling point. The man decided to tell her this now when they'd both walked out of the shop. The nerve! Well, whatever, she needed to head back. Her lunchtime was fleeting.

Her steps halted, and she found herself looking back behind her to the receding figure of the man she cared so deeply for. The next few seconds were spent with her rational side arguing with her romantic side over where to go for lunch. For lunch! She might be met with a premature death by revenge and she was feeling conflicted over who to spend lunch with!

You know what will happen if you go to him now, Kurapika. You'll fall right back into his web, and this time, you might not be able to get out.

Well, yes, but it isn't really about if you will get caught in the web, but rather if you want to be caught in it.

She didn't. Well, she did. Oh shit, he was getting away! She had to make a decision.

She ended up not making a real decision at all, rather, her body acted on its own in a moment of hysteria and followed the man. When she reached him, the man had a smug smile on his face.

"You shall not speak of this," hissed the Kurta.

The smile turned into a grin. "Of what? Your little war with your own self? It was rather amusing, to be honest. Kind of like a one-woman show."

"I hate you."

"I know," he said, taking her hand once more. "It's rather endearing, honestly."

She grimaced. "You better be taking me somewhere good."

. . .

He did. Oh, did he ever. It was an upscale restaurant fit for a dinner date, not lunch. He'd gotten them a table on the lavish rooftop, dotted with white tables and chairs, drenched in the afternoon sunlight.

"Impressed?"

A bit but she wasn't about to let him know. "It's alright."

He chuckled a bit, before leaning down and planting a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Your table awaits," he whispered in her ear, taking her hand and leading her to a table right next to the edge. The meal came shortly after they ordered, and Kurapika, who was starving, quickly dove into her soup.

"Do you think whatever you've got planned for dinner can top this?" she asked.

Chrollo spun his spoon around in his own bowl of soup. "I certainly hope so. In any case, you're mine for the rest of the day. I might as well try to make it an enjoyable one."

What happened to his usual teasing? He seemed so distant all of a sudden. Was it because she'd ignored all forms of communication for the last three months? Surely, he understood this was simply for the sake of her goals. She couldn't have him distracting her.

"Chrollo," she started. The man raised his dark gaze to focus on her face and she felt the words die on her lips. "Nevermind."

"Finish eating. We don't want to fall behind schedule, now, do we?"

What schedule?

. . .

He dragged her to the pier after lunch. They found a nice place on the expansive deck and sat down with their legs hanging over the ledge.

"I promised to take you to see the ocean one day," he'd said. She, of course, replied by saying that she'd already seen the ocean several times. He didn't care. Apparently, seeing it with someone you love would change your entire perspective.

The Kurta gazed at her reflection in the water, and for a second, she saw her old self in the water. That cheerful, albeit a little hot-tempered, thirteen-year-old who'd set off to see the world she knew nothing about. The illusion faded almost as quickly as it'd come. "The water's so much clearer than I thought it would be."

"Hmmm," Chrollo hummed from beside her. They were separated by just a few inches of air. A few months ago that gap would've been non-existent.

"How did you know I'd go to that restaurant?" she asked.

He smiled a bit sheepishly, and it could possibly be the first time she'd considered him adorable. Chrollo Lucilfer was a lot of things: Handsome, intelligent, refined, elegant, roguish, playful, and dare she say it, sexy, but not adorable.

"I might have been planning it out for a couple weeks now. Getting Neon and her brother on board without having them spill the beans was rather difficult -"

"You got Neon and Nico in on this?" asked the Kurta, incredulously.

"Yes. Pay attention, Pika-chan." Well, at least he was back to teasing her. That didn't stop her from glaring at him. But instead of shrinking back like he should've, he leaned closer. "Anyway, I also made sure you were properly longing for yours truly before I came in."

Bastard. "You shouldn't mess with a young woman's emotions."

He smiled fondly. "Well, I had to make sure you chose me in the end."

"Here I thought you trusted me," she whispered. They were whispering now. Whispering was never good. Or was it? She wasn't sure what she wanted at this point?

That wasn't true. She knew what she wanted. She wanted to be with him.

With that thought, the blonde closed the gap, shutting her lips on his, and it was clearly what he'd planned. His tongue slid against her bottom lip, coaxing her to open up. She didn't. Oh sure, she had been the one that initiated the kiss, but that didn't mean she was going to let it go any further.

Yes, she was aware she wasn't making any sense. She didn't care.

"Kurapika," he mumbled against her lips. "Let me in."

She pursed them close. No amount of heated whispers were going to convince her.

Chrollo was having none of that ridiculousness. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up against him, eliciting a small gasp from the woman. His free hand went up to caress her cheek, as he explored the familiar territory.

"Heh?! They're doing weird things, mom!" a young boy's voice reached them, and Kurapika quickly pushed Chrollo away. She'd forgotten where she was. The Pier was a giant tourist attraction. There were always people here.

The boy's mother quickly scolded the boy and led him away, blushing a bit at seeing something so intimate.

Chrollo chuckled at her embarrassment. "I suppose we both forgot ourselves." He offered her a hand, which she ignored. She didn't need help standing up, dammit. "C'mon. We can finish what we started later."

"Somewhere a little more private this time, please?" she asked, burying her head in his shoulder.

He tucked her into his side instead, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead. "As the lady wishes."

. . .

They went grocery shopping next. They didn't make out at the grocery store, thank goodness. Chrollo was apparently planning to take her to his penthouse apartment for dinner. A dinner that wasn't even close to being made. By careful calculation of all the ingredients, she gathered they'd be making some sort of pesto dish. Chrollo wouldn't confirm anything though. He was annoying that way.

Then he took her into some alley and teleported them to the front door of his apartment, because neither of them was risking carrying the groceries in this heat.

The interior of the penthouse was painted a standard off-white, but she could tell Chrollo had put in some personal touches into his living quarters. Like the many bookshelves lining the walls. Of course, the outer walls were made of glass. There was a spiral staircase leading to what she could only guess were the bedrooms.

"How much does this thing cost?"

"Around a hundred thousand Jenny per month," he answered, casually. Kurapika nearly dropped the groceries in her hands.

She stared at him. "How can you afford that?"

"I'm rich?" he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I work two jobs remember. Three, if you counted my bodyguard job."

The kitchen also looked expensive, as did the utensils. Chrollo walked in behind her, laughing a bit at her gaping face.

"You work for the Mafia," he'd reasoned. "Surely, you've seen insanely expensive things before."

That didn't mean she wasn't shocked every time she saw something like this. The Kurta Clan were all middle class folk with humble dwellings but happy souls, as her mother termed it. After the massacre, Kurapika had lived on and off the streets, doing odd jobs from time to time to make sure she didn't have to become a thief to make ends meet. In any case, three years of poverty, and thirteen years of normalcy, and then another two years that she'd spent under Leorio's guidance which was expected. Though, it wasn't really the pricy items, it was the fact that Chrollo was the one who possessed them. She knew he was well-off, she hadn't known he was gazillionaire status.

"Bring me the linguini?" he called, as he put a pot of water on the stove and brought it to a boil. Kurapika cut off the top of the package and handed it to him. "Alright, let's start on the sauce. The recipe is on the countertop."

Kurapika quickly found the yellow paper and she recognized the name immediately.

"Pesto Trapanese," she whispered.

He brought out the food processor. "Your favorite."

Her parents always used to make it for her. Even her mother, Yuka, couldn't mess this dish up, so she jumped at the opportunity to make it. Her father would be too paranoid to let her go at his kitchen, so they always ended up doing it together.

Something between a laugh and sob escaped her throat, and Chrollo was beside her in a minute, brushing her cheeks.

"You're crying," he whispered, framing her face.

"Am I?" she asked, voice quiet and sad and happy all at the same time. Not a trace of that anger she'd grown so accustomed to feeling when she thought of her family. And in that moment, she felt a bit guilty for tainting the only memories of her comrades with her own anger. But only for that moment, before she reasoned there was no reason to feel in such a way.

"We can make something else if you'd like?"

She shook her head. "No, it's perfect. I just . . ." she sighed.

"Well, in that case," he started. "Rinse some of those basil leaves for me. About two cups should do it. And the tomatoes. All of them."

The Kurta raised an expectant eyebrow. She wasn't a maid.

"Please?"

She smiled approvingly and got to work.

. . .

"Well," he asked, looking almost excited to see her reaction to her first bite. "How is it?"

She kept her face straight and unimpressed as she chewed, despite the fact it was delicious and a completely perfect recreation of her parents', before nodding and giving him a stoic, "adequate."

"That is high praise," he nodded, seriously. The Kurta rolled her brown eyes. It felt good to finally take those contacts out. She didn't like having to hide her Scarlet Eyes, but she preferred hiding them than having them possibly gouged at the moment of her death.

"Did I tell you about the Prince yet?" she asked.

"About a hundred times, but I'm willing to sit through it for the hundred and first if it makes you happy."

"It does."

"Do your worst."

It felt good to complain to someone after all this time. Chrollo really did put her at ease. Which was terrible, of course. And after today, she'd leave and never look back.

"Well, he sounds absolutely awful," Chrollo agreed with mock wholeheartedness.

Kurapika nodded, opening her mouth to say something more, but the words never got out. Or perhaps the fading sun had captured them.

"Wow," she whispered, staring at the brilliant myriad of scattered colors painted across the darkening sky.

"Penthouses have great views, hmm," said Chrollo, standing up. "Would you like to go out?" He took a remote off one of the black coffee tables. The glass wall suddenly started to slide upwards. The Kurta gave him a confused look. He responded by walking right past where the glass wall should've been.

Kurapika, being understandably terrified for his life, quickly caught up to him, stopping at the place where the visible floor ended and realizing that Chrollo wasn't hurling down to his death like he was supposed to be.

She looked closer, and registered there was a second floor attached to the one she could see.

Chrollo reached out his hand to her and she took it, before tentatively placing one foot forward.

"It's no magic carpet ride," he said, his fingers still woven with hers, warm against her always for some reason colder skin. "But it's as close as we're going to get."

Magic carpet ride?

She groaned, covering her eyes with her hand. "I can't believe you remember that."

"Oh, I remember everything," he reassured, a sly grin on his face.

"No," she whined.

And he obviously just had to continue teasing her. "You always hoped to find someone who'd take you on that magic carpet ride across the world. Flying over everyone else, avoiding traffic, not having to pay for fuel."

"Stop," she begged, though some traitorous laughter made its way into her voice. The Kurta could tell her face was burning and she quickly buried it in her hands.

He tucked some golden hair behind her ear. "So, Princess? Did you ever find your Aladdin?" His hands took hold of hers to reveal her face.

Tilting her head to the side, she replied, "perhaps."

He pecked her on the lips once, twice, thrice, before finally claiming them as his. The message was clear.

I'll turn that into a 'yes' soon enough.

She'd like to see him try, and a part of her almost wanted to see him succeed.

. . .

For god's sake, even the water in this place looked expensive. Kurapika turned off the fancy shower head, and slipped out, drying herself and then putting on that one-size-fits-all bathrobe. It stopped just a few inches above her knee, but she figured she could live with that. After wearing that demon dress Neon had forced her to put on, everything else seemed to be rather modest in comparison.

Now, to find the spare bedroom.

She spent a good five minutes searching for said spare bedroom with no luck. Then again, Chrollo probably didn't invite a lot of people here. Well, she'd just have to ask him if there was another place she could sleep.

"Another place?" he'd repeated when she walked into his room with just that question in mind. She had forgotten he liked to sleep without a shirt on. Thankfully he was mostly facing away from her, so she barely caught any glimpse of that toned chest.

"Yeah," she said, taking the time to observe her surroundings. The slight bluish walls, the books lining them. The dim light cast across the room. The Queen sized bed that was truly too big for one person. "Like a couch, or something."

He considered it. "Why don't you stay with me for tonight?" The man pat the spot beside him.

"Excuse me?"

"Stay here."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"We've done it before."

Yeah, but never in your house. It just felt like something was meant to happen. Something she wasn't sure she was ready for.

He just smiled understandingly, standing up. "I can sleep on the couch in that case. You take the bed."

Oh, now he was just making her feel guilty.

"No way, I want the couch."

"You're not sleeping on the couch. You're a guest." He sidestepped around her.

"Well, neither are you," she said, pushing him back into the room with a hand to his sternum.

"Fine, then we both sleep in the bed."

"Fine."

And she stomped over to the bed and promptly collapsed onto it.

"Try anything and I'll murder you in your sleep."

"Yes, ma'am."

. . .

Was cuddling considered trying something, because in that case she should've murdered him a long time ago.

"It's strange," she started. "No one from the auction has called yet."

He stroked her hair, tightening the arm around her waist. "You'll see them tomorrow. You can see if they got the Eyes then."

"It's just that I told Basho to call me once they got the items. I'm kind of worried."

"We'll see in the morning," he yawned, bringing her even closer to him. "Go to sleep now, Pika-chan."

"Okay, I love you," she mumbled, sleepily, before sinking into an uninterrupted sleep. The Kurta never got to hear his reply.

. . .

Next on Lions!:

Okay, now Kurapika officially figures out Chrollo's the Spider Head. Boy, you goin' down.

(A/N: This got way too long way too quick. I was going to fit in a conversation about the Spiders in there, but I'll just do it next chapter when the lovebirds wake up. Anyway, sorry for the OOCness on Kurapika's end. The point is that she's always acting her age and being a happy, stress-free human being when she's with Chrollo. So, she's more-or-less just all around happier when the Chrollo from her childhood is here which will contrast a little bit in her relationship with Spider Chrollo. Also, her saying she loves Chrollo. The woman's tired, give her a break. Oh, and this was still published on Saturday. I am not a liar.)

Question of the Day: How will Kura react to Chrollo's Spideriness?

~ Replies to Reviewers ~

MedusaLegend: Of course, there is still chain pair going on. Lots and lotsa chain pair. Nico and Neon are just gonna stay her long-term friends. And yes, Rohan is definitely serious about marrying Neon. Thanks for reviewing and reading! Hope to see you next chapter!

Sweets Dreamer: Men who are confident are definitely attractive. Yeah, Nico and Kurapika are gonna be BFFs by the time this ends. I'm glad you're liking the "permission" line because it's not getting away. Ahem, change of plans. Kurapika won't actually see Uvo in person. Chrollo's plan succeeded in that way. Also, how about public displays of affection and pretending to be husband and wife? That sound good? You're not dumb. Remember that. See that, remember it. You recognized Rohan was an Indian name. Props to you. Thank you for blessing me, loyal subject. Thank you for reviewing and writing and all that good stuff. Hope to see ya soon.

guest: Hiya, Pika-effect fan. Poor Neon is far from immune to Pika-in-suits. I'm glad you're already liking Prince Rohan. He's a bit of a spoiled brat at times, but his kokoro is in the right place. Just you wait, he might end up winning Neon's heart after all. I mean he's a Prince who isn't afraid to show his affections for her. Give him a few weeks. Another point for the "Permission" line. I'm so glad you liked it. And the system for the hotel. I try to be both creative and faithful to the original HxH, so little things like that are my own ideas that I'll probably put into my own novels someday. Also, someone get KuroKura an Aphrodite room. Roro's coming soon so watch out. Also, KuroKura date. Tell me what you think in your review, please. They got a little further than a kiss on the forehead. Thanks for reviewing and I hoped you liked this chapter. See you next time.

~ End of Replies ~

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