Fear.
The minute Kurapika laid eyes on the three foreign figures, all he could think about was fear. How that sensation coursed up and down through his body, making his blood to run cold and the hair to stand up on his arms. His muscles, tight and unwilling to move only intensified the real danger he was in. He'd felt like this only once before. The emotions churning within him, the way he shook where he stood yet couldn't even turn his eyes away from the front door. He was shaking, shivering like a leaf; pale like the snow, like a ghost that had finally been seen and captured.
He could not bring himself to speak nor hear nor move even his fingers an inch to the left to grasp the man who had saved his life once before. But he could not speak up. He could not mutter or muster even a squeak from his throat. He felt frozen in time, body and soul, yet he was completely aware of his surroundings and how they resumed without pause or hesitation like he had. He was very aware that even though he was frozen in this single second in time where foreign eyes met his own, the world around him was moving stead-fast, and without him.
His body, though unable to move on its own, was suddenly thrust back against the wall. The booth Leorio had escorted him into was still occupied, still in use, but now for a completely different reason.
A weight above him was felt, his breathing never ceasing or hiccuping, yet the pressure was there. The pressure of a body- Leorio's body.
Leorio had knocked into him, sending him backward against that wall in the small booth, his head smacking right into the brick. Only then was he able to grunt out a noise. It was forced from him, just as the weight of Leorio had been, but the force had been enough. It had broken the seal on his lips, on his body, on his ears, and he was free again. Free to move through the chaos as every sensation that had deafened him was suddenly smacking him back into reality.
Shouts, screams, the clatter of weapons and the smell of gunpowder overwhelmed him, and for once, he was able to scream.
It was a mere cry, a caterwaul among the noise, as he registered the events that had only just unfolded.
Three people he did not know had entered the cafe. There had been a few moments of silence, of tension, until one- a woman, who seemed to lead the two behind her, stated her reason for coming. As if she had owned the place and everyone in it, she entered, shoved the members aside, and had approached Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika. Her finger, nimble and sort of small, shot straight up into the air, and then down, down... until she was pointing at him. She wanted him, wanted him for power.
Power he did not have and could not give- yet, she had been convinced that he was the only one who could give her exactly what she wanted.
And that act, those words alone sent everyone and everything into a frenzy right there in that small cafe that could barely house twenty people, let alone an extra three.
"We need to go!" Leorio hissed into his ear, swiveling, pushing himself against the blond with his own body, shielding him, facing him, pressing their noses together and completely, utterly, distracting him.
The blonde's ears blushed right up, eyes meeting brown ones because he was so close. Kurapika couldn't help but look into them.
"Hey- are you paying attention?!" Leorio hissed again, angry that he was seemingly absent from the situation. But he wasn't. He was well aware, but Leorio was too fucking close. He could feel his knee pressing between his legs and his arms flanking either side of his head, pressing into the brick that his head currently rested against. Leorio was so close, too close, and that was all Kurapika could get through his head. So close he could kiss his lips, so close that he could rub his nose against his cheek, feel his breath against his lips. He was completely encased by Leorio's scent, his warmth, and he could practically feel the vibration of his throat as he growled once more, urging him to listen, to move with him so that they could escape this terrible, no good situation.
Kurapika, instead of listening, lifted his hand. He pressed his fingers against Leorio's jaw, thumb lightly resting near the corner of his mouth, his own breath slightly elevated because he still could not believe Leorio was this close to him. He couldn't believe it at all, even if the doctor didn't want to see someone else die in front of him. He could be worrying about his other friends- like Biscuit, who was absolutely useless in hand-to-hand combat. But he was here, right in front of him, nearly over the top of him, risking his own life to save his. And it didn't matter that that weird girl wanted him. It didn't. Because Leorio could have attacked all three of them out right, joined the fight, if he truly had only wanted to get rid of them so that they wouldn't touch him.
So why was it that Leorio was ignoring the entire situation, and focusing solely on him? On getting out of this mess? And where would they go exactly? Back to Leorio's house? And do what, exactly, if they were only going to worry about everyone else? Leorio was surely needed here if someone were to get injured, and if the doctor that replaced him wasn't here, wasn't he the only one that could help? Surely no one knew the kinds of things that Leorio knew...
"KURAPIKA."
Kurapika jolted, face nearly smacking into the other as he realized he'd been staring at him for way too long.
Leorio's hand found his wrist, and his heart nearly skipped a beat when he realized that Leorio was holding onto his hand, not pulling it away.
God, he wished he knew how Leorio felt. He wanted to know, because if he liked him, too, he'd kiss him right here and now if he could.
But, clearly, now wasn't the time.
"We're going. I'm going to drag you if you don't move." Leorio spoke low, backing out of the booth, and pulling Kurapika with him. He was still gripping his wrist, and now, as it dropped away from the elder's face, he was holding it even more tightly as he yanked him behind him. Never in his life had he ever thought his front would be squished against Leorio's back, but one thing was for sure: He certainly did not mind it one bit.
Amid the chaos and screams, the blood and the vicious attacking, Kurapika's face was shoved into the middle of the man's fine back, getting a good whiff of him right up close, smelling his skin right through his shirt and nearly dying because he smelled way too fine to exist at all. His back was hard and toned just as much as the front of him was, and he knew that he'd die and go straight to heaven if he ever got the privilege to glimpse this godly being shirtless.
And what made it better, perhaps, was the way Leorio was shoving him into the very back he was so close against. Keeping him there, moving slowly... He barely registered they were inching towards the door amid the chaos.
"It's going to be okay, Kurapika... I won't let them near you."
Kurapika's ears perked at the soft voice, how his tone was calming and reassuring, and he felt almost... bad. Bad for thinking of Leorio and getting all worked up especially during something as serious as this.
He swallowed thickly, trying to pull his mind out of his fantasy. He really didn't have time for it.
But he wished he hadn't been torn from those thoughts. Had he known the effects, he would have happily continued to dream about Leorio.
Instead, he got hit with flashback after flashback; his vision went black, the screams and shrieks echoing through the confines of the small space. He was reminded of his father, his mother- his sisters and every person he ever talked to. He saw them slaughtered before his very eyes, blood spattering across his fine suit as it wrinkled from his desperation to move. To get away from it all. Bodies collapsed all around him, the conference room, the party, all men and women dead, shot from an unknown source. Unknown sources.
His fingers dug into Leorio's shirt as he tripped over himself, a small cry fleeing from his lips because he didn't know where they were going. He couldn't see. He couldn't feel his own feet stumbling one after the other, sideways, as they tried to slink away from the chaos.
"Kurapika!"
Heavy hands fell to his body and lifted him straight up from the floor where he fell. His breathing hitched, his eyes too blurry with tears as he fought to even his breath. He couldn't see anything. He couldn't feel anything.
His mind was being clouded and overrun with so much fear, so much agony and outright despair that he let out a heavy sob, clinging to the man like his life depended on it.
Little did he realize, it might have.
He could hear shots going off, the close proximity of the guns a good indicator that this was a massacre. Each shot that rang out could have meant the death of a person, and if he had the mind to count them, he would have counted the bodies, too. But he was only half-coherent, even Leorio's voice couldn't stop the screams. He could practically taste the copper from the spilled blood, could smell it on his skin even if it wasn't there. And it truly wasn't.
He shook, unaware of just how hysterical he was becoming. All pleasant thoughts of Leorio's body against his flew out the metaphorical window, and it only took reality sinking in for him to completely lose his mind.
The flashes of his family, his cohorts were quick, fast, abrupt and stunning. They hit him one right after another, and then it was as if the veil had lifted.
All flashes immediately ceased, and he could hear. He could see, and he could feel. He could see bodies on the floor, shaking, blood spilling from each wound received, one even resting in their own pool of blood. Killua, hair matted and pushed back, was crawling along the floor, taking refuge under a table, gun at the ready, firing one shot after another. The three offenders were all on the floor, too, hiding, shooting right back- and a sea of members still walking, running around to distract the three.
And he wondered if it was because they had taken the first shot, or if they were trying to protect him.
In either case, though he still shook, he was calming down. Leorio, who had pressed him against a wall at this point, hovered near the entrance to the cafe. The elder's face was buried in his throat, and Kurapika's legs were locked tightly around his waist holding on to him as if he'd die if he ever let go of the man. His palms were all over Kurapika, brushing against his hip to hold him up just in case his own hips needed some relief, and his other was cupping the other side of his neck. Among the fire, his voice was only a whisper, a soft coo to calm him.
It was working.
His gentle murmurs, the thumb brushing against his jaw, his fit body shoved against his- all of it was easing him in a way that made his breathing hitch and time slow down.
It only took a few moments for Leorio to notice before he was raising his head, and knocking his forehead into his cheek.
"I need to get you out of here, okay?" Leorio whispered.
A soft hum escaped Kurapika's throat and his arms wrapped around the man's neck, pulling himself forward to crush his own frame against the man without the aid of the wall.
"Hurry," Kurapika spoke weakly, realizing that the reason he had truly settled down was because he'd spent most of his energy panicking. "I want to go home."
Funny.
Funny how Leorio knew exactly what he wanted- because the look they shared had Kurapika realizing that he was referring to Leorio's penthouse, and not his own home.
He bit his lip when the man smiled that handsome smile, lifting his jaw just a bit to show his fine features like he was the most handsome man in the room. He really was, and it made Kurapika die a little inside because Leorio didn't realize it at all. Not a single bit.
But his expression changed soon enough.
His smile dropped, and he looked almost... sad?
Kurapika instantly cupped his face in his hands when they came to an abrupt halt- right in front of the door, no less. He pressed his thumbs against his cheeks, eyebrows furrowing because he didn't quite understand. What was wrong? Why did he look so sad?
"Leorio?" He asked softly, leaning back only a little to get a proper look at the man. He could feel the bar of the front entrance skim across his back, and he wondered if he could push it open for the man. Was that what he was waiting for?
A soft, barely audible grunt of a noise escaped the elder, and before he knew it, he was falling.
Falling from the man's grasp, stumbling to his feet, shock rippling through him as he forced himself to stand on his own so suddenly. It was weird, now that he thought about it. Leorio, holding him, taking him away just like that... Maybe he needed him to walk?
Leorio bent over him, the top of his head smacking into the glass door, looking down at Kurapika as the younger looked up worriedly. Those large palms pressed against the glass above his head, and he swallowed thickly, wondering why they both weren't falling into the street right about now, since it was a push-pull door... maybe they had to pull to get out, then?
But then, why was Leorio arching over him like this? If they needed to get home as soon as possible, why wasn't the other rushing him out the front door? Why wasn't he telling him to hurry, to pull open the door and escape hand in hand?
Timidly, Kurapika's hands raised, pulling away from the glass and pressing against the warm, hard chest of the other. Eye contact remained steady, but still. Worry flickered through his body, unable to think that maybe something was wrong. Maybe Leorio forgot something, or worse, he felt he couldn't leave because all his friends were hurt? Maybe... he was protecting him until he got to the front door so that he could safely escape by himself? But he wouldn't really do that... would he?
"Kurapika..." Leorio whispered softly, forcing the other to blink and break their eye contact. His eyes, stirred and stormy grey, focused on Leorio's lips. The way they parted ever so slowly, the way his tongue briefly emerged to wet his dry lips, and the way those lips moved and contorted to say his name. His name, whispered, was now the only thing ringing in Kurapika's ears. A soft melody of a voice, a gentle hum from a man so intoxicating it was almost ridiculous.
And he waited for those lips to part again, to speak once more and to explain the reason why his name was said so sadly, so longingly.
But those words never came. Those eyes, instead, fluttered, like something was going on. Like something was happening.
And his knees- when he looked down, his knees were sinking, falling, descending in slow motion, and his own chest grew tight as he was starting to realize, starting to piece together it all.
Leorio was sinking to the floor, and he was in front of him, protecting him. Had protected him since they entered the cafe, since the three foreigners had entered, and hadn't stopped even when it was practical not to. When it was more practical for Kurapika to receive hits in smaller places rather than major areas on the other. The doctor, the man that was so much bigger than him, was also so, terribly, undeniably stupid.
The smartest human being he'd known, yet also the biggest, most stupid of them all.
He'd gotten hit. How many times, Kurapika didn't know, and exactly where was a mystery, too.
Tears were summoned forth without his knowledge, without permission, getting Kurapika all choked up before he could finally, for once, realize why they had stopped moving altogether.
Tears fell, their eyes meeting, Kurapika's eyes following his even when the man continued to sink, to fall, to let go of him altogether, while Kurapika's head followed and looked downward just so they could maintain eye contact for just a second longer.
And it was all too clear what Leorio had wanted him to do from that moment onward. Why he'd stopped, had continued to shield him for the seconds he could still muster his strength to stand again, and it made him choke back a dry sob.
He had wanted to protect him long enough so that he could get away. So that he could run as far and as fast as he could while Leorio still had the strength to stand, but he couldn't. He couldn't.
"No." Kurapika choked out, still pressed against the glass. Leorio had used his body to press him against it, and he could still feel the impression of his body against his. He could still feel the warmth, the heat, and his breath on his face.
He looked back up, squeezing his eyes shut as the tears fell. They fell hard, fast, all out of his control and upsetting him more than he thought they would. Crying, standing still like a sitting duck among people risking and giving their lives to fight for his life. To keep him away from these other people who wanted to take him. And even if he was their enemy, they were still going beyond their means to protect him. Whatever their reason, it was noble- and whatever he was doing... was not.
It took only a single second before he realized he wasn't going to do what he did before. Not like his family. He couldn't just leave, not like that. Just like before, he had nowhere to go, nowhere to run to- but now, he had the choice. He had his mind and his body and his voice and every ounce of strength left coursing through his body to make a difference. This time, he wasn't going to be alone. Not again.
And he owed Leorio his life anyway. Leorio had this group of people that still cared about him, still needed him- he was here, and he wasn't going to trade Leorio's life for his own. He had no one, so if he ever got caught... if he ever got done away with... it wouldn't matter. Because he had no reason to go on, while Leorio had every single reason to survive. If he could make a difference- even if it was small, even if it saved one life, it was still a life.
Kurapika steeled himself, wiping away his tears viciously, and bending down almost violently.
He surprised Leorio, that was for sure, his brown eyes getting so wide they almost looked like they were going to pop right out.
"NO. We're going. Get up- come on. I know you can do it. I'll help you." Kurapika practically hissed into his face.
Not the best way to go about saving someone you loved so much, but hey- it got him up off his knees, and that was a start.
He could hear Killua cursing in the background, screaming at them to leave, to get out - or get out of the way? He wasn't so sure about that last part. He tried to do everything in his power to move them right along, but it was really difficult. Leorio towered over him all the time, could snatch him out of the air like it was nothing, and to try to support such a huge weight was downright near impossible. Still, he tried.
He scooped one of his arms up and hoisted it around his neck, never feeling more sure of his actions than he did at that moment, trying his absolute hardest to take Leorio's weight, but it wasn't working. Leorio was bracing the wall, hissing, groaning, face contorting in pain. He was probably in more pain than he was letting on, too, and that was even worse for Kurapika. He wanted to help, but it seemed this would have to do.
He yanked open the door, the bell chiming- another thing he should have looked out for. It alerted everyone that someone was leaving- probably not the smartest idea to be wounded, barely able to move and fleeing a scene that was still alive with action.
"FUCKING IDIOT"
Killua, screaming.
"HURRY, YOU MORON. LEORIO'S GONNA GET HIT IF YOU STAND THERE."
Killua, still furious.
Guns went off again, and Kurapika wanted to duck. The hairs on his arms stood, and his thoughts were only for Leorio. Not once did he think he might get shot in the back of the head or nicked in the side- every ounce of worry, of concern and fear, were now poured into Leorio, who looked even paler than before, and weaker, still.
He could not see any blood dripping down his front, nor could he really see any along his back. Then again, he couldn't quite look over his shoulder far enough to inspect every inch of the man. And now was not the time anyway.
But Leorio was so fucking heavy- he wanted to make a snide remark. He was practically all muscle- what the fuck was he doing every day? Working out? Maybe if he just stayed home and watched television and ate, he probably would be more flab than muscle- maybe he'd actually be, Kurapika didn't know, easier to carry, maybe?
"Do you have the keys to the car?" Kurapika grunted out, trying to hoist Leorio's weight.
No response.
Adrenaline spiked through his bones, and suddenly it was a lot easier to carry him. To lift his weight and summon forth the strength necessary to carry the man out of the cafe and out of the chaos.
"He doesn't. I do, though."
Kurapika almost lost his footing, almost fell- He practically shrieked when he glanced to the side- a mixture of panic and relief.
Killua. Killua had taken Leorio's other arm, and bore most of the weight. Leorio, much to his relief, was still conscious, but unfortunately... not very coherent.
"OUCH. Brat, fucking blast my eardrums out why don't you!" Killua yelled, "Here- give him to me. Idiot can't fucking WALK straight if you're stumbling. I'm practically CARRYING him anyway." And just like that, Leorio was snatched right from him.
Kurapika didn't know how to feel about this.
His fingers felt numb, and his body felt light. The absence of Leorio's touch was... eerily uncomfortable. Not to mention scary, since he didn't know if the doctor would actually make it through the night.
"ARE YOU COMING OR NOT?" Killua screeched.
Jolting, Kurapika stumbled and started to run. Idiot, standing and freezing like that...
"Wait! What about... what about the others!?" Kurapika gasped, reaching Killua just as he threw Leorio's body into the back seat of the sedan.
His shirt was soaked in blood, and Kurapika choked when he realized it was Leorio's, not Killua's.
The white-haired male turned, eyes narrowing to a piercing blue. "I fucking trained them all. They'll be fine. Now GET in the FUCKING car." His shoulder was shoved away from the back seat, but even though Killua had successfully shoved him out of the way, Kurapika was darting right back, yanking the back door open even though Killua had successfully closed it. He climbed into the back before Killua could so much as blink, let alone yell at him again.
"What the fuck are you DOING?" Killua hissed, shoving the keys in the ignition as he climbed into the driver's seat. "If you climb on him, he's just going to get worse! If not for this stupid fucking agreement, I'd be leaving your ass here. Now buckle up or SOMETHING because I won't have you rolling all over him like an IDIOT." Even though the ruffian screamed profanities and cursed his name, he did absolutely nothing to try to get him to switch spots or climb into the front seat. Beyond screaming, it didn't seem like Killua cared enough to actually do something about the situation.
Kurapika was still not used to the yelling. He hated it, quite frankly. Killua was always so angry- angry all the time, and there was nothing he could do right, apparently.
He swallowed hard, and crawled over the seat, careful of Leorio and buckled up on the far side. The least he could do was pull Leorio towards him to keep him steady. He had a feeling that Killua might be one of those reckless and dangerous drivers.
And, soon enough, he was proven right.
When Killua stepped on the gas, Kurapika was pulling Leorio's head into his lap, grip tight as the take off sent both parties in the back seat flying towards Kurapika's side of the car. A jumble of words fell past the blonde's lips, murmuring in a whisper, gently cooing to the man who was so terribly injured. More than anything, Leorio's safety came first. If he had been brave enough, he would have demanded Killua switch him spots and give him directions- he was much too reckless, and with someone so badly injured... he'd only make him worse, surely.
He still didn't know where he was injured, he could only guess- but he did know that his pants were soaking up the blood. He didn't know if that was good or not... it wasn't like it was gushing, but at this steady rate, he feared the worst: not getting help in time.
His fingers smoothed through Leorio's hair, heart in his throat as he whispered his name over and over again, eyes watering because, he didn't know, maybe he was just that worried.
Maybe he was just that in love.
It was still weird for him to think it. To definitively say that he loved the man who had only saved his life a week prior. And he hardly got the chance to know him prior to the circumstance, since he'd been briefly employed with his father.
He inclined his head, shivering lips delivering a tap of a kiss to his forehead. The action seemed right, and even though Leorio couldn't move, he somehow felt like Leorio wouldn't mind the action. It was... innocent enough, right?
With one leg slung over the other, back pressing up against a white wall, Kurapika waited.
Waited in this god forsaken hallway of this god forsaken strange place. He'd delivered Leorio on time... he hoped. Killua hadn't really been much help getting him out of the car- in fact, he straight up left Kurapika in the backseat, turned off the car, and headed inside at a leisurely pace. What nerve, Kurapika had thought at the time, to go and leave a friend like that. Did Killua simply not care about Leorio's condition? Was he driving so recklessly out of spite or did he secretly know that his wounds weren't as significant as they seemed? It was all dizzying, but the only relief he'd gotten after that was the sight of several men hurrying out all at once to inspect and pick up the fallen doctor to rush him into the hospital ward.
Or what he considered a ward, since he was currently waiting in it. It definitely resembled a hospital wing, but he was sure it had been converted at one point. He didn't really want to think about what this place had been before. It definitely didn't look like anything he'd seen before.
As he recalled, the front of the building was massive- almost like a mansion. They'd busted through gates, drove down a dirt path, had passed gardens, fountains, only to reach a sort of... parking lot off to the side. It was all dirt road, but that was where all the vehicles were parked. There also seemed to have been several different entrances to this building; it was tall, and realizing it was out in the middle of nowhere, he didn't really want to think about how many acres of property this was. it was surprising that such a place as this existed, in all honesty.
But this place- this area, at least, looked more like a hospital wing than anything. Room after room lined up and down the hallway, a central room with a simple desk was the space he currently resided in. He was far too impatient, having waited for hours upon hours for someone to say something. No one manned the desk, he was sitting in one of the only waiting chairs, and not a single person seemed worried. Not a single look of distress or panic- it was all taken so... professionally? More like they just didn't care...
And he swore he'd been waiting for hours, looking down the hallway that Leorio was taken down, but not sure where else to focus. There were so many different hallways, and he bet they all wound around, too. Like a hospital, there had to be twists and turns, and he was sure this area and this mansion were no exception. He did, earlier on, glance at the signs posted near him. He couldn't bring himself to wander off, though; he'd been so consumed with the fact that someone could rush out at any moment to either pronounce Leorio dead or to send him inside so that he could see him.
But neither of those things happened.
Until about ten minutes ago.
A pretty, young woman emerged from a separate hallway- the sign above it had read 'main hall'. He had assumed that was the specific hall that connected all the other wings of this building, but he didn't know much about these kinds of buildings. This had to be a thousand times bigger than the house his family owned, and they lived well beyond their means. Or, at least, his family did.
But, to his dismay, when he popped up from out of his chair, heart aflutter with worry and sickened with ideas and scenarios that played in his head, Killua had strode into the room only seconds later. He looked casual enough; had changed, actually, and had picked up a conversation with the woman before he could so much as ask about Leorio's condition. It was obvious she had to have known- she had to be Leorio's apprentice. She wore a doctor's coat, and she seemed to be the only female working at the moment. Leorio had, actually, told him about his apprentice. He remembered she had been female, or that was what he thought Leorio had said, at least.
But that didn't exactly matter at the moment. Killua was still conversing with the woman. They walked from the main hall over to the desk- over to where he was sitting. He silently fumed, plopping back down into his chair because both of them were completely ignoring him.
"How did this happen?"
"The Spiders showed up."
"Spiders? You mean that newly-formed group on our northern border?"
"Apparently. And they said they wanted Kurapika."
...
Acting like Kurapika wasn't apart of the conversation. Typical. He assumed Killua was trying to fill her in on the not so important details that NO ONE CARED ABOUT! Leorio was hurt and his only desire at the moment was to figure out if he was even alive!
Crossing his arms like a rude son of a bitch, he cleared his throat and once again tried to make known that there was another human being in the room. He couldn't stand to be ignored- let alone have two people talking about him as if he wasn't sitting three feet away from them.
"Shut the FUCK up, God. I know you're there, okay. Fuck." Killua growled, running his fingers through his snow-white hair, pivoting away from Mito to face the blonde.
Kurapika pouted, having gotten fed up with Killua's horrible attitude long ago. He might not have been used to it in the car as they pulled away from the cafe, but two hours could change a person, and certainly his mind. After going through a multitude of questionnaires along the ride, being bossed around by Killua, and being told that his entire life was garbage, he was beyond fed up. Certainly fed up enough to get rude about the situation, too.
"LOOK" Kurapika huffed out, exasperated beyond all means when Killua did nothing more than stare at him angrily, "If you two have the time to GOSSIP, then can I assume he's still alive? I've been waiting for four WHOLE hours to hear SOMETHING! Is he okay? Did he get medicine? Is he dead or is he resting? Can I go see him or is he too hurt to touch? I'M GONNA LOSE IT IF YOU DON'T ANSWER ME."
Mito, a pretty woman he would have normally been completely in awe of, simply rolled her eyes. She had this gorgeous red hair that was pushed back in a ponytail, set high on her head. She was stunning, actually, but that was the least of his worries at the moment.
"You should have slept in the car, Mr. Kurapika. You have bags under your eyes. Are you really not going to rest until you see him?" She asked innocently. Ah, so he was being treated like GARBAGE? by the likes of an APPRENTICE DOCTOR?! he couldn't even believe it! The nerve!
Innocent or not, it sure as hell pissed Kurapika off. He could barely get out that he wouldn't have been able to sleep from all Killua's nagging but, as fortune would have it, he interrupted like the nagging psychopath Kurapika was figuring out he was.
"WHAT DOES IT MATTER?" He practically yelled. "Go fucking CRY IN A CORNER. You're NOT going to see him!"
"Actually," Mito mused, hiding her small bout of laughter behind a delicate hand. "He's just gotten out of surgery. I originally came out to tell you all that he's going to be just fine. He got pretty lucky, and I'm sure the Spiders- Killua, if they really were the Spiders- weren't trying to kill anyone. If What Killua is saying is true, then they might have only gone in thinking that we'd just hand you over without any questions. Since, in fact, you sort of qualify as our enemy, it would make sense that they would expect us to hand you over just like that. Imagine their surprise when instead-"
"HURRY UP. I NEED TO REPORT TO GON, YOU'RE FUCKING TALKING TOO MUCH." Killua hissed at her, crossing his arms.
Mito raised her brow at him but continued nonetheless.
Kurapika was only mildly impressed that he hadn't gotten violent from that alone. Someone like Killua would have surely smacked the ever loving shit out of someone who talked back to him, or worse, ignored him.
"Anyway- he's resting now. If you want to see him so badly, he's down the hall. Make sure you're extra careful around him, especially around his right arm and shoulder... And I guess around his hip, too. It's not that bad- well, the chart and the on-duty nurse will explain. Down the hall to the left you'll see an infirmary sign. Go on in and tell whoever's there that I sent you, and they'll show you to Leorio's room." She smiled. "It's been quite a while since I last saw him, but he definitely looks a lot better than he did walking out of here. Aside from the obvious wounds, of course."
Kurapika sighed softly and clicked his tongue. "Maybe he might have been in a better state if Killua wasn't driving like he was in a fucking getaway car down the highway. Did you actually hit 120 miles an hour around the bend? Because if I wasn't holding Leorio, he probably would have flown out the window."
He couldn't help it. Seeing Killua's face grow red from anger was certainly satisfying, especially since he looked like a pot about to boil over because there was too much hot water. Or hot air, same thing, really, since they were talking about Killua's head.
"Alright, Killua- why don't you finish your story. Now, the Spiders? Do you know why they wanted Kurapika?" Her frail hand grasped the sleeve of a man so violent, so unhinged that he secretly admired her bravery. He would never be that brave, he knew. Not to touch an animal like that. Though... he might have thought himself lucky at the same time. Leorio was the reason such a creature brought up from the depths of hell wasn't attacking him at this very moment.
While Killua let himself be pulled away by a girl too gentle and too kind for her own good, Kurapika was rushed with the urge to see the man he cared so deeply for. To see Leorio and feel his warmth once again, he rubbed at his eyes, fighting the exhaustion he could indeed feel in his steps as he turned on his heel and hurried off without a second word. Mito, that lady, was right. He was really tired... and he wasn't too sure why. If not from the shock and the mental work he did today, perhaps the two-hour car ride with a psycho maniac who didn't know how to drive properly wouldn't have been too terrible. Well, waiting for... three, four some odd hours was... also taxing. Maybe not so much the waiting, but the worrying. He really had been worried that Leorio wouldn't make it. He'd been terrified, actually.
If Leorio wasn't around, then who would he talk to? Who would he spend time with? Who on earth would take care of him and listen to his worries and carefully explain everything to him that he needed to know?
Who would he spend his days with if not with Leorio?
He found himself running, nearly sprinting down the hall despite his exhaustion. He barely took in the surroundings of the place aside from the obvious when they mowed down the front gate to the mansion. He was too busy watching Leorio's every pained expression, hearing only the slam of the driver's side door slam shut when Killua had left the vehicle to get help. Even then, he was following the people that had come out to get the fallen doctor. He was so worried he was tripping all over himself just to try to keep up. Killua had been yelling the whole time, calling him pathetic, but really, he didn't care. All he cared about was Leorio, and being with him every second he got.
But, fortunately, it wasn't necessary to worry.
He bee-lined straight for the infirmary sign, big and bold above double doors that he was sure had once said 'East Wing' above the doors. Now, it looked like a fresh coat of paint had recently been brushed over the letters. A white glimmering sheen that was almost as bright and bold as the letters that now covered it.
He pushed open the double doors with both hands, swinging both open so wide and so fast that he managed to walk in looking like he owned the place. He knew he didn't belong, he had never even been inside the building- but for one moment, he felt like someone important. Someone with a mission and a purpose- someone who knew exactly what he was doing and where he was going, and everyone within those double doors felt that.
They seemed to also piece together exactly who he was and where he wanted to go, because in the next few seconds he was being ushered down another separate hallway, passing rows of doors until they finally paused at one.
Room 132D.
A light knock from the nurse, a gentle click of a heavy door opening, and he was being led inside.
The room was... huge. Huge enough to do any sort of operation if necessary, at least. And Leorio seemed to have the one room that had every piece of equipment necessary. Even a heart monitor went off, beeping, flashing vitals.
"I have duties to attend to; please excuse me."
A voice, insignificant and small in the back of Kurapika's mind barely registered as he finally laid his eyes on the one and only: Leorio.
A man, a doctor, too tall and too big, so gentle a man that still looked down at everyone he passed. It seemed so wrong to see that role flipped, a doctor now a patient, a man once too tall and too big now too small. Looking up instead of down, pained instead of carefree.
Kurapika approached, taking that hand that was still too big to fit in his own. He toyed with it for only a moment before he found the courage to link their fingers for no other reason than because he wanted it.
Brown eyes only blearily fluttered, only just able to acknowledge and dismiss that foreign voice that belonged to someone who had to leave. He didn't care, he wanted to be alone with him.
But all too quickly, those brown eyes met his own, calming the stormy grey clouds, settling them, encouraging them to become the calm grey sea after a storm.
"Leorio..." Kurapika croaked, brows furrowing as he instead, unlaced their fingers to crush that gentle hand to his chest. He couldn't help bending over the bed, getting oh so close, the desire to make up for lost time much too prominent inside the mind of the younger.
No coherent words escaped the man in the hospital bed, but the barely visible grin on his face wasn't hard to miss either. Kurapika couldn't help but take that as a sign that Leorio was happy to see him. Him, of all people.
He smiled back, and just because the bed was so large, he decided to climb in himself. Leorio still looked exhausted, and he could definitely relate- Leorio's eyes were already closing.
Surely it wouldn't do any harm to slip right under the blankets with him? If he had to close his eyes, this had to be the best place to do it- and safely, at that. With Leorio around, he felt invincible, like nothing could ever hurt him.
Leorio didn't even twitch when the bed lightly rocked; slipping under the blanket was a simple matter after that, and Kurapika found it exceedingly easy to curl up and get comfortable at the man's side. Even with such a large bed, the need to curl up to conserve space wasn't necessary, but he still found it the easiest and fastest way to accommodate the two of them.
His body tingled with joy, his heart skipping several beats when the hand he'd only just clutched had lifted and curled around him as he nestled in. Leorio, though his eyes may have been closed, was still positively awake and the fact that Leorio wanted nothing more than to hold him and pull him against him made his chest swoon. His head popped up to get a glimpse of the man, but the sight was almost too much for his heart to handle.
Leorio had his eyes closed, but his head was now tilted to the side, almost as if his body was trying to wrap around him sideways. It was adorable, actually, and Kurapika had to wonder if he'd been in a similar state when he was injured a few weeks prior. Sure he was still sore from it, but it seemed minuscule to whatever Leorio was currently experiencing.
With tired heavy eyes, he rested his chin on the man's chest and fell into a restful slumber.