"Hello Aoi." Kurapika spoke quietly.

We were gazing into each others eyes. Refusing to lose eye contact.

My smile widened. I could even feel my heart skipping beats. It was silent around the room. Not one of us made a single sound. Only a single thought ran through my mind: Kurapika's awake.

"Hi Kurapika." I said.

He squeezed my hand at first but then let go. Kurapika sat up on the bed, rubbed his eyes and looked at me.

"You came back." He said with a light smile. It seemed like a smile of relief Kurapika gave, almost as if he's seriously happy to see me here.

"Yeah. I did. It was hard saying goodbye." I said, forcing a smile.

Kurapika studied my face. He probably noticed that I'm forcing this smile on my face.

"Did something happen?" Kurapika asked.

I couldn't answer his question right away. I thought about Paku and frowned. She died for the sake of the group.

"Uh Huh." I said, nodding my head.

"Pakunoda died right?" Kurapika asked.

I looked at him, eyes wide and in shock. "H-How did you know?"

Kurapika showed me the chains that are attached to his hand.

"My nen. Remember when I implanted the judgement chain inside her? I can feel my chains react if they break a rule." Kurapika said.

"Oh. I see." I gave a brief pause before asking Kurapika a question. "Is that how Uvogin died?"

"Yes." Kurapika answered, without any hesitation.

"How did you feel when Uvo died?" I asked him. My heart skipping a beat, still morning for my dead friend.

He was quiet, as if he was thinking.

"It's hard to explain. It felt like I had partial of my revenge but it'll never bring my clan back." Kurapika said, lowering his head.

We were both silent for a long minute before Kurapika moved out of the bed and stood up. I gasped from his sudden movement and stood up as well.

"Y-You shouldn't get up! You just had a fever Kurapika!" I shouted, motioning him to get back to the bed.

He held his hand out, insisting that he was fine and then walked towards me. I could feel my face flush at every step he took to get close to me. The moment he stood right in front of me, he placed his hands on my shoulders. I froze in my spot and stood there in shock.

Kurapika gave me a warm smile, with his hands still on my shoulders, he asked me a question. "Are you mad at me Aoi?"

"Eh?" I was surprised to hear this from him. Leorio asked me that same question at the park. "N-No. I'm not mad at you Kurapika."

"Why is that?" Kurapika asked. Shocked that I said 'no'.

"B-Because, I-I can't blame you for Paku's or Uvo's death. This happened on your act of justice. There's no reason for me to be mad. I just feel sad that I lost two friends, but I know that we all can't live forever, we're meant to pay in the end for the deeds we've done. Plus, all I wanted to do these past months was to just see you." I quickly covered my mouth when I said the last sentence. I just let those words blurt out.

Suddenly, I felt shy and embarrassed. What did I just do!?

Kurapika's face softened and he cupped a hand on my cheek. I could feel my face getting hot in which I'm sure he feels the warmth as well. "I've waited seven months to finally see you again Aoi."

My entire face must've turned bright red. So many obstacles came in my path and now, I can finally be with Kurapika. But, before I let anything happen, I moved away from Kurapika's hand and walked next to the bedside. I picked up the jar of Scarlet Eyes and walked up to Kurapika. Judging from the look on his face, he must be really surprised to see the jar.

"T-That's..." Kurapika started to speak then trailed off.

I gave him a slight nod and held the jar in front of him. I could see his eyes changing color. He must be happy to see this jar.

"I was able to take these with me after we stole it from the auction. I wanted to return them to you the moment I saw these listed for the auction. I knew I had to get them and give it back to the right person. I'm extremely sorry for what I've done with your clan. It's unforgivable of me. I feel like, this is the least I can do, to compensate for my horrible deeds."

With the jar still in my hands, I could feel myself being overwhelmed by my emotions. I didn't notice that tears were streaming from my eyes after I spoke. I truly do feel bad for what I've done. "Are you mad at me Kurapika?"

Kurapika's eyes were still scarlet but then changed back to his normal ones. He softened his expression and placed his hands over mine. He then spoke to me with a soft voice, "I'm not mad at you Aoi. Instead, I forgive you for your actions."

My eyes widened in shock. He forgives me?

"R-Really? I wouldn't have forgiven myself..." I said quietly, lowering my head.

Kurapika picked the jar off from my hands and put them to the side. I just stood there, arms crossed with my hands grabbing onto opposite elbows. Kurapika looked back at me and cupped his hand on my cheek once again.

"Thank you for bringing these back to me Aoi. It means a lot to me. You do not know how happy I am to get these back. Now I can start a proper burial for my fallen clan."

I looked at him and stared into his eyes. It warmed my heart to hear this from him. It sort of lifts the heavy burden I had with me all these years. The bodies of those family members, the bodies of the two children that were killed by Paku. Just thinking about it as well as putting the image in my head made me tear up. I couldn't help it, I let them spill down my cheeks.

Kurapika gave me a confused look and wiped them away with his fingers. He then reached for my hands and held onto them.

"Aoi? Why are you crying?" He asked.

I couldn't respond to him right away because I was still choked up through my tears. All I could do was continue to stand there and cry. After a long minute, I finally managed to speak through hiccups of tears. "I-I'm just crying t-tears of j-joy. I-I'm overwhelmed at t-the fact that I-I've been f-forgiven..."

I paused and took deep breaths to calm myself. Then, I looked at Kurapika and continued speaking:

"Kurapika, you helped lift a heavy burden off my chest. I've had this feeling of regret and guilt ever since the Phantom Troupe and I massacred the Kuruta Clan. I remember attempting to save two children from their deaths. Unfortunately, Paku killed them right in front of me. It really troubled me that I wasn't able to do anything about it. I just stood there and witnessed their death..."

I paused and let some tears stream down my face.

"...That's why I left the group, a little while before the Hunter's Exam. That's why, I felt terrible when I found out where you're from and whenever I was around you. But now, I'm glad to hear those words from you."

Kurapika's hands were still holding onto mine and I squeezed them. I let a few more tears roll down my face.

"Aoi..." Kurapika said my name softly as he once again wiped the tears off my face. "I'm sorry for what I tried to do back there."

I looked at Kurapika in confusion. Does he mean back when we complete the Exams? When he revealed the truth of who I really was? What did he tried to do?

"You really don't remember?" Kurapika asked, frowning.

Then it hit me. A flash of memory popped in my mind. I remember seeing Kurapika holding out a knife. He was gonna kill me at that time...My eyes widened when I finally remembered. I opened my mouth, ready to speak, but suddenly, Kurapika pulled me in for a hug. My face immediately flushed. The hug was extremely tight. I could feel his body shaking lightly.

Is Kurapika crying?...

I wrapped my arms around his back and hugged him back. I could hear faint sobs from him. Kurapika is crying...

"I'm so sorry Aoi." Kurapika said softly. "I never wanted to harm you. I just wanted the truth from you at the time."

I was speechless. Words wouldn't form in my mouth. Why is Kurapika crying? was all I could think of in my mind. Feeling sorry for the man I love, I started crying as well. He doesn't need to apologize...

I hugged him tighter and sniffled a bit. With my throat all choked up, the only thing I was able to say was, "Please don't cry..."

What else do I say!? What do I do!? This moment is too emotional for the two of us. Kurapika went through a lot in his life. I just so happen to be one of his obstacles in life as he is in mine as well. I made my decision to be with Kurapika. Should I confess my love for him now?...

Shaking off the thoughts in my head, I let go off Kurapika. I looked at his face and he still had tears in his eyes, waiting to fall down his cheeks. I knew this is the time to tell him how I've been feeling ever since the Hunter's exam. I just hope what Leorio said is right.

"Kurapika, there's something I want to tell you." I finally spoke. I took a deep breath and tried to speak again but my lips were blocked off by Kurapika's finger. His tears were gone and I could see a warm smile on his face.

"Hold on Aoi." He said, preventing me from speaking. He then removed his finger from my lips and caressed my face. "Let me speak first. I want to tell you something as well." I stayed silent and nodded my head, letting him talk first.

"Remember when were we at Trick Tower and I told you that I've grown an interest in you?" He asked. Still being silent, I nodded my head once again. "I meant it." He said as I felt my cheeks flush from his words. "When I first met you back at that ship from Whale Island, I found you to be very interesting. The more I got to know know, the more I was interested in you. It wasn't until we were at Zevil Island that I realized I wanted to be with you no matter what..."

My eyes widened in shock. He wants to be with me no matter what? Kurapika ignored my shocked expression and continued speaking. "...What Hisoka told me during our final test did hurt me at first. Hell, I was even more upset to know that you are a member. When I saw Hisoka carried you away after the Hunter's exam, I thought I would never see you again. He told me to find you and so I did. Took me seven months to find you. I made you my number one priority Aoi."

I cocked my head slightly and looked at Kurapika. "W-Why?" I questioned him. My heart was beating rapidly the whole time. His next words were something I yearned to hear. The simple yet strongest words any person could imagine. Kurapika pursed his lips as he said his next spell binding sentence. "That's because I love you Aoi."

He said it. Kurapika said it first. He loves me. He actually does...Leorio wasn't kidding. With my eyes still wide, tears formed in my eyes once again and I placed a hand to my mouth. I let out a small gasp as Kurapika gazed into my eyes. My eyes wouldn't leave contact with him. His smile was still warm and faint. "Y-You love me?" I questioned, unsure why I bothered to question it when I knew the truth for so long.

Kurapika couldn't help but to chuckle. He must be amused to see me react like this. It's sort of embarrassing. I didn't even realize that my face was really hot and flushed! "Leorio told me that you're in love with me too. Is that true?"

"Gah!" Was how I reacted. It feels like my heart is going to jump out of my chest and run away! It's beating at an increase amount of speed in which I'm surprised I'm not even having a heart attack yet!

"Do you love me Aoi?" Kurapika asked again. I shifted my gaze around the room, avoiding eye contact with Kurapika. My body froze in place as I was too surprised to be able to do anything. The only thing I could think of is, I'm going to kill Leorio!

With a big gulp and a deep sigh, I finally replied to Kurapika's question. "Y-Yes. I love you too Kurapika..." I spoke quietly. I slowly met Kurapika's eyes, making eye contact with him again. "I-I love the fact that you were really kind to me...even before you found out. I-I'm sorry for all the times that I tried to avoid you during the Hunter's Exam. At the time, I wasn't sure how to react and now, all I want is to just be with you." I forced a small smile on my face.

There it is. I said it. What now?

Silence.

The room was silent for a bit. Neither of us left each others gaze. With my heart still pounding and my hands shaking a bit from nervousness, I broke the silence and spoke. "E-Excuse me...I have a certain friend to kill..." I turned around, intending to leave the room and find Leorio but I was stopped by a strong grip on my arm. I froze in my spot, eyes widened and turned my head. "K-Kurapika?" I called out to him. He didn't say anything. His facial expression was normal.

Then, with his hand still gripped on my arm, he spun me around and wrapped one arm around my waist. I felt my face flushing badly as I let out a surprised gasp. "K-Kurapika!? What are you-!" My question was interrupted with a pair of soft lips meeting mine.

Kurapika is kissing me!?

My eyes widened even more and I froze from his actions but soon, I accepted the kiss and slowly closed my eyes. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. His lips were extremely soft and the kiss was really sweet. Kurapika placed both hands on my waist and pulled me in closer, deepening the kiss and closing any gap between the two of us.

We just kept kissing for another long minute before parting ways to catch our breaths. I took a step back and placed my hands to my face, hiding the shade of red and embarrassment. My eyes were frantically darting all over the floor, trying to take in everything that just happened. Just then, I heard a slight chuckle coming from Kurapika. I looked back at him and he was smiling. "You're quite a good kisser Aoi." He said teasingly.

My face flushed even more as turned around in a panic. We just kissed! We really kissed! "I-I...I-I...W-We..." Words kept sputtering out of my mouth but I wasn't able to speak properly. I was too shocked and surprised that this really happened. I could hear Kurapika's footsteps walking closer to me as he placed his hand on my shoulder and slowly spun me around once again. My eyes were locked with his and he smiled again. "No need to feel embarrassed Aoi. I'm happy that we can finally be together."

My rapid heartbeats finally slowed down and I no longer freaked out. A smile grew on my face as I looked at him happily. I nodded my head and said, "Me too."

With that, Kurapika grabbed my hands and locked our fingers. "Will you do me the honor of staying by my side at all time? I plan on gathering all the Kuruta eyes that were sold in the black market. I want to prepare a proper burial for my fallen clan. You returning these eyes was a good start for my next journey. Will you come with me Aoi?"

I looked at Kurapika and nodded my head slowly. "I made my decision to be with you right? So I'll be by your side no matter what." I said, giving him a reassuring smile.

Kurapika leaned in and lightly pecked my forward. "Once our journey is over, we can start a new life. We can start a family and repopulate the Kuruta clan." He gave out a teasing smile.

I felt my face flush and buried my face in his chest to hide the embarrassment. I could hear him let out another light laugh. "Don't be embarrassed." He said as he cupped a hand on my cheek and lifted my head to meet his eyes. "I'm not embarrassed, I'm glad about the two of us." He flashed a grin towards me.

The thought of bearing Kurapika's children was the reason why I'm embarrassed...

Giving out another laugh, Kurapika leaned in and rest his forehead against mind. His lips were inches away from mine as I stared at his soft lips. His blonde locks were brushing past my blue bangs and he intertwined our fingers. I couldn't help but to smile. I felt really happy.

"Let's go to our friends. I'm sure they're curious to know what's going on." Kurapika said as he pecked my cheek and started walking away. I followed after him as Kurapika opened the door.

There, Gon and Killua slipped from the opening and fell on top of each other. "Gah!" Were the only things heard from the two. Leorio and Melody were standing behind the two boys with a grin on their faces.

"It's about time." Leorio said as he winked at me.

I glared at Leorio as I walked up to him and bonked his head. "You idiot!" I yelled. Leorio held his head and winced in pain. "A-Aoi!? What was that for!?" He yelled at me. I crossed my arms and glared at him once again. "For telling Kurapika back at the Hunter's exam!" Leorio looked at me in confusion but then realized. He suddenly panicked and ran off as I stood there and laughed.

"Your heartbeats are calm and relaxing. It's the best thing I've heard in this city." Melody said as she smiled sweetly. I couldn't help but to smile back at her. "Thank you" I said to her.

As for Gon and Killua, they sat at the ground and gave me their cheesy smiles. "You two were eavesdropping huh?" I questioned them. I placed my hands on my hips as I stared at the two menacingly.

"W-We didn't mean to Miss Aoi." Killua said as he gave out a nervous laugh and scratched the back of his head.

"I-It was Leorio's idea!" Gon added, trying to defend themselves. "He suggest we listen in to see what was going on!"

"Oh really?" I said sarcastically as I looked ahead to see Leorio hiding behind the edge of a corridor. I glared towards him but let out a heavy sigh.

Kurapika wrapped his arm around my waist and smiled towards everyone. "Thank you all for everything. Aoi has officially came back to us."

I heard the boys cheer while Melody clapped. I couldn't help but to smile as well. I feel so happy to be with my friends.

Leorio checked out of the hotel as we all made our way outside and huddled around the entrance. Last night, we discussed about our plans now that our adventures in York Shin City was over.

Leorio decided to go back home and continue his medical studies. Gon wanted to continue his search for his Father while Killua agreed to tag a long. Melody mentioned that she was going to continue her search for the Sonata of Darkness as well. Kurapika told everyone that the two of us would start our journey for the Scarlet eyes.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now. We're definitely going to meet again soon." Leorio said as he gave a thumbs up. "Kurapika, you take care of Aoi. I wish the two of you luck!"

He hi-fived Melody, Gon and Killua while he shook Kurapika's hand. Leorio then stood in front of me as I teared up. I was going to miss Leorio. "Hey kiddo. Don't miss this handsome guy too much." He said with a wink. I sniffled and wiped off a tear away as I giggled from his stupidity. "You're such an idiot Leorio." With that, the two of us embraced in a hug. Leorio waved his goodbye as he stepped away and walked off.

Then, it was Gon and Killua's turn. "We're heading off as well." Gon said as he flashed a smile. He waved his arm in the air as he started walking backwards.

"W-Wait for me Gon!" Killua called out to him as he stood in front of me and bowed. "Miss Aoi, we will see you soon! Have fun on your journey!" He ran and caught up with Gon as they walked off, opposite from Leorio.

"I'm heading back to the Auction. It's not over so maybe I will have my chance to find the musical sheet there." Melody said as she smiled towards the two of us.

"Thank you for your kind service." Kurapika said, giving Melody his warm smile.

"It was no problem. You're a good friend. I'm willing to do anything to help you." She smiled once again. "Especially if it was to search for Aoi."

I couldn't help but to blush. Melody was such a kind woman. I have high respect for her. "Thank you for taking care of Kurapika." I said as I bowed towards her. She returned the bow. "Now that my deed has been down, I shall take my leave."

"Goodbye Melody." Kurapika said kindly.

Melody smiled and walked away.

Now, it was just the two of us. I looked at Kurapika and he stared back. "Ready Aoi?" He asked as he held his hand out.

"Yeah." I said as I placed my hand on top of his.

Kurapika held the jar in one arm while his other hand wrapped around my fingers. We started walking off, making our way towards his home at Lukso Province.

Lukso Province was absolutely beautiful. I never had the chance to observe and look at the beauty of the village since I was focused on our main objective long ago. The village was pretty empty since Kurapika was the sole survivor.

Kurapika took the time to set up a burial site in the village. We both built a chapel where candles were lit and flowers were placed on benches for his fallen clan. Kurapika picked up the jar and placed it on the podium. He then put his hands together and closed his eyes to pray. "I promise to retrieve all the eyes that we stolen. I have brought Aoi with me as my partner. I hope you and our ancestors would approve of her." I was inexperienced in prayers so all I did was follow along with Kurapika.

"I-I'm praying to you all for forgiveness. My sin I have done to you all were unforgivable but I do wish to repent. I wish to stay alongside Kurapika and aide him in obtaining the stolen eyes. As a newly Treasure Hunter, I will do my absolute best to ensure that you can all rest in peace." I said my prayer as I bowed in front of the shrine.

When we were done, we left the chapel and resided at Kurapika's home. We packed our belongings, preparing for our journey. As soon as we were ready, Kurapika and I stepped out and exit the village.

"Aoi." Kurapika called out to me. I stopped moving and turned to him. "Hm?"

He walked up towards me and wrapped his arm around my waist. Even though we're officially together, I still can't help but to blush and feel my heart beating fast.

"Ready for our new journey?" He asked as he caressed my cheek with his other hand.

I smiled and nodded my head. "Of course." I said as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

Kurapika smiled back and leaned in. His lips met with mine as we shared another sweet kiss. Feeling his soft lips will always make me want to jump in joy. Kissing Kurapika always felt like I was in heaven. I couldn't have been happier to be with Kurapika.

"Let's go then." Kurapika held out his hand. I grabbed it as we walked off hand in hand.

My life as a Phantom Spider has ended. Now, I'm starting a new life with Kurapika until the end.

END

*Author's Note*

Hey there readers!

My deepest apologies that the FINAL chapter has taken so long to upload. I was on writers block for this story and writing the last chapter was giving me a hard time! I went through many attempts to write the perfect ending and this is what I came up with. I'm sorry if some of you are disappointed with this but I am content with what I wrote.

I want to thank each and every one of you for being patient and reading from start to end! Your positive reviews and constructive criticism has helped me worked harder!

I hope you all truly had a good read. If you are all wondering, I do not plan on making a sequel. Aoi's story ends here.

I am currently writing other stories so feel free to check them out :)

Once again, thank you all for everything! I hope to hear from you all again!

~RiN

*Remember, I DO NOT own anything from HunterxHunter. The only thing I own is my OC, Aoi.*