AN/

The meaning of friendship transcends boundaries. Take a breather, the reward goes a long way.

Brief Leopika bonding, deal with it.

Didn't really like how I did this chapter but whatever. Gonna have bad ones and gonna have good ones. Will start picking up as we go along, just watch. You gotta grin and bear it and keep right on trucking. *salutes* Enjoy.

How we waste Time

3

"One week reprieve, one week venture to The Republic of Padokia by boat, train, and blimp transfers, and one more week to set up camp and prepare for the infiltration of the next bases. I guess that seems logical enough, right? A three week plan, just in time to-"

Kurapika set down the clipboard detailing their next mission and proceeded to stare holes through the back of the ignorant skull who was currently trying not to nod off and drool all over the medicine he was placing together at his desk. Leorio's hands were starting to wobble with fatigue, half-filled tubes and vials barely clinging to his fingertips while he combined them for his medicinal potions. Kurapika could certainly see the toll it had taken upon the head doctor. The guy could barely keep his eyes open these past few days. They were so droopy. Having to manage all the new war prisoners AND wounded of an entire armament was more then one man could handle.

But Leorio's skill were also infamous like the Zoldycks, a powerhouse in his own right upon the medical field. Often or not, the young adult would be hailed as a prodigy, an enigma to the world when it came to medicine yet one of great magnitude and importance. Some called it a gift, a natural talent. Others call it God's will and many other crazy, religious things he never bothered to remember for too long. They were too hard to keep track of after awhile with all the wild rumors that came up.

Only, none of that was true.

Leorio was just Leorio; a man that studied diligently and dedicated his life to his work. It had nothing to do with natural talent or God's gifts or any of that nonsense and mumbo jumbo.

He put his mind to his research and training and this is the result of his efforts.

A medical genius. An expert doctor.

A Hunter.

Walking over, smiling slightly to himself in his own amusement; Kurapika gently flicked the back of his friend's neck and forced a surprised yelp from his lips. He was so startled that he begun to flail his arms in an attempt to stop himself from throwing the tubes in his hands into the air.

"Ow! Kurapika," grumbled Leorio, setting aside his equipment to glower at the flaxen head of hair behind him smirking in triumphant, "What was that for? Can't you see I'm trying REALLY hard not to just launch these tonics all over the place? I've been working nonstop since we've been swarmed! You know I can't-"

A finger to his lips made the bespectacled man halt in his tracks and blink dark eyes up at lighter ones, brow raised in earnest. "I know, Leorio. You have been working real hard and I've been doing my best to assist you along with all my other usual duties. But, you know, you ought to take a break now and again. It took me 10 minutes to force you into taking a break the last time and that was only 4 hours ago. Please? All the Whale Island citizens are flourishing because of you and the wounded are completely taken care of since you've treated them. Let the nurses do their job at least for ONCE in a great while, hm?"

Seconds passed with Leorio staring blankly at his best friend, sharing a look of stubborn silence that soon gave way to a defeated sigh. Kurapika smiled softly, giving a thumbs up in his own silent victory and Leorio scoffed aloud. "Fine, fine. ONE BREAK. That's it. Then I'll get back to finishing this last batch of medicine so I can give it to those sickly old folk who really need it."

"One hour."

"Ten minutes."

"One hour."

"Half an hour!"

"One hour."

"Forty minutes?"

"Two hours."

"-You can't go extending it! That's unfair! You cheat!"

"Then take one hour or else I'll make it MUCH longer!"

Leorio tossed his arms up, abruptly standing from his chair and huffed like a child that lost its way. He knew better then to play too long with the blonde, less he be dangling from the ceiling in chains for hours on end subjected to the torture of having an endless earful of Kurapika's oh-so-joyous romance novels. (He said they were good for the soul. But so was porn, Leorio fought and lost that battle. It still didn't stop him.) "Fine, fine. One hour. I promise this time."

Kurapika nodded, pulling his friend by the arm without further delay (because he knew if they lingered too long Leorio would find some crazy excuse to go back to work), and hauled him out of his small, cramped office. It wasn't the best place to work as a doctor, but it did its job. Heck, most of the entire facility wasn't much better. Small, narrow sleeping halls with bunk-bed cots to sleep on and several smaller buildings were lined almost wall to wall with more beds and cots for the sick and wounded. The dining hall could occupy maybe a third of the recruits at a time; most people opting to eat outside anyway. Even Hanzo had a tiny little office to work with.

It was too squished, too cramped, too tight; but this was the First Great Hunter War.

War didn't surmount to having extravagant rooming for its soldiers, didn't have housing or lodges built to accommodate mass quantities of rescues. It didn't have fine dining in big, fancy kitchen halls or full-furnished offices to work in. Nothing was nice or new. Or even clean for that matter.

It was reality and reality meant having something convenient, doable, and inconspicuous. It didn't make room for comfort or class nor did it have the time.

If it meant abandoning base then no one would bat an eye to see the place burn down in flames.

Once the Kurta was able to drag Leorio away more then twenty feet from his office without too much hassle (usually his limit before struggling to break free and flee back) he settled into a more comfortable pace while they wandered down the small, empty passageways leading maze-like around the forest base. His grip remained firm on Leorio's arm, noting how the man swayed a little with every step and constantly rubbed the impending sleep from his eyes after a few yawns or so.

"Let's get something to snack on. That might help wake you up a bit." suggested Kurapika, turning a corner to step outside into the cool, brisk air of approaching dusk. Whale Island surely did have an interesting sky; its mornings a pale mix of icy blue and frosty white with nights blending from fiery colors into a deep, radiant purplish hue until eventually fading off into blackness. But this blackness was never truly solid, always dotted and speckled by thousands upon differently sized stars. It was breathtaking, he would admit. He never quite known a sky to be so open and innocent like Whale Island, given that it was indeed a time of bloodshed and conflict. But it's affects didn't seem to have spread along the small coastal island, leaving it pure and unscathed as a newborn star.

If only he could say the same for the island's inhabitants and what remained.

Of the 74 people they rescued from this last force-hold, only 28 lived to see the next day. He couldn't fathom the brutality these people had suffered in their days being jailed. The Chimera Ants had been exceedingly vengeful this time around. So many had been ravaged by injuries and fatal wounds alike, not even counting the many more battling sickness and life-inducing illnesses. Even Leorio struggled to find cures in time, only to stand before the bed of another body covered by that familiar white sheet veil, tears spilling freely down his cheeks in mourning.

They had rescued so many, Kurapika remembered, only to take a huge loss in turn. They were lucky this time in the fact that their squadron remained equal in numbers, only 9 wounded and mostly minor and fixable. One of them in 'particular' was in critical condition. And yet, he still hadn't bothered to show his stubborn, bratty face even after three days in and no concern for Leorio's impeding stress levels ready to burst if he didn't find the damned fool. Killua must had been avoiding them like the plague since that incident for whatever excuses he could only fathom were probably made up.

If it was going to be like that, then the Kurta would make sure he did something the next time they crossed paths. Kurapika didn't mind seeing a sad weakness in even the most strong. Actually, he admired the people who had the strength in order to do so. To see a grown man fall to his knees and weep real tears in true, unbridled pain and anguish was nothing to be ashamed of. But to see someone so utterly stupid as to not seek help when their life was possibly threatened, if not already being threatened and failing fast; made his golden-yellow hair stand on edge and his ominous eyes glow their true shade behind his pair of cheap, cruddy black contacts.

He would knock some sense into that kid, that was certain.

One tray piled high with all sorts of energizing pieces of 'brain-food' Leorio called it (meat, meat, and more meat) and another tray with a minuscule amount of food (They all raved how Kurapika ate like a pregnant woman and later ground them to the dust with his chains without remorse) found the two men seated in the furthest back corner of the dining hall. It was hardly filled with but a small handful of others trying to shovel any last bits of their dinner down before closing time. If it were creditable for such a generously nice leader, Hanzo had to be at least strict when it came to the facilities 'lock-down' time. A strict bedtime curfew and closing of the dining hall. After the last time he let his recruits stay up drinking and partying away well into the morning and leaving behind the ugliest mess possible; he would not tolerate another foolhardy mistake like that ever again.

Unsurprisingly, Leorio began to gobbled his food in his trade-mark sloppy style as soon as he hit the bench. Alongside the brutally flying edibles, Kurapika was already well prepared with napkin shields and extra paper plate to pick up the bigger pieces that just refused to be devoured in such a ridiculous manner as that gruff man could only do. Being buried in the trash sounded better. But as time stretched and his exhaustion became more noticeable, he slowed to a considerable speed and began to chew his food more thoughtfully. His eyes cautiously gazed over Kurapika's careful and polite way of eating that he swore snails ate faster then he did. And turtles, slugs, lava, yada yada.

Most of his thoughts and opinions made no sense whatsoever, but what the hell, he still had them.

"So, how many of these prisoners enlisted this time, Kurapika? I know we haven't had much luck in recruiting since Whale Island isn't a very populated place. No one here seems like the 'war-type' you know?" It was Leorio who had the audacity to strike a conversation first following their long, awkward silence spent eating their food in peace. His expression showed his eager yet curiousness need to have a decent conversation with his buddy after so long. They hadn't had any time since arriving, prep, the mission and now the aftermath to actually have a real talk; even if it meant discussing matters of the group. It was better than nothing at all.

"Only three able bodied men of the last survivors." Kurapika hummed past a sip of his steaming brewed green tea, "Tomorrow they will be shipped off like usual to the back lines where they will probably be assessed again before the final decision is made. They cannot use Nen nor do they have an inkling of a clue what it is, so most likely they'll end up as fodder for the cattle that leads off to slaughter." He bit his lip, eyes clouded with a known regret they all shared. "We all know where that goes, after all." He added as an afterthought, staring forlornly at the crumbs left on his plate with a sad smile.

It was true. Without Nen, most humans were powerless to fight the Chimera Ants, no matter how strong or fast you were physically. Weapons were mainly useless, guns and bombs just barely grazing their tough skins and hides. Being smart didn't even have a perk. The creatures far outmatched the human species by many obstacles, ascending all of life's hurdles beyond the norm.

There was no considerable match in trying to beat something much stronger, smarter, and alien then the human race. It was pointless. Stupid.

A death wish.

"And when do they plan to ship out the remaining survivors? We have four more days before we set off towards Padokia. I can't imagine the Association letting us just leave these poor defenseless people to fend for themselves." inquired Leorio next, picking distractedly at half a chunk of steak still clinging to his platter in its thick, flowing juices. Despite the ridiculously tiny facility, they were well fed and cared for; for a soldier that didn't have their basic needs well-kept would serve little for the never ending carnage. That was a plus in any situation like these dire times.

"They leave the day before we do, headed for the most recently added safe house built off the coast of Zevil Island. They're starting to fill up fast and can only build to keep up with the demands of protection for the world's ordinary citizens. I heard from Hanzo the Chairman and the Association are pressed on accommodating space for noncombatants and those who are willing to fight on the battlefield, especially with the Chimera Ants surging fast on the borderlines between continents."

"The war's picking up it's pace more isn't it? Just when I was hoping we might make a breakaway through it.. we always seem to be pushed back further with each new day. This is beyond ridiculous."

Kurapika's inclined his head, gaze following suit. "I agree. This is, but what can we do? We're just-"

"Two Hunters, I know. Two Hunters, powerless and weak and hardly anything compared to what the Association is. We're absolute worthless shit compared to them. But there has to be something, somebody! This can't be how it'll all end, right?" Leorio glanced over at his other comrades, laughing and smiling in their own personal chit-chat at their tables filled with delicious food and drink for their own leisure. It sunk a disconcerting pit to the bottom of his stomach, digesting uncomfortably in his thoughts. How could they be so ignorant at a time like this? Did they not remember the position they were in at this very moment?

And more importantly, what were they fighting for then, if this was all for nigh? Was there really nothing any of them can do but wait for death to take them away? Where was the hope?

Kurapika seemed to notice the subtle change in Leorio as his face became more broodier, emotional, and he tentatively reached out a hand to settle reassuringly over the older male's own larger one. A smile, a warm, heart-felt one that always seemed to brighten the doctor's bitter days of empty, hollow nights that were cold and lonely; it put him at ease and relaxed immediately at the knowing touch. He nodded, pressing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "I know, I know. Before you tell me. I know." His own smile responded. "Thanks, Kurapika, for being there. I appreciate it, man."

A laugh, a genuine one that wasn't so weighted down by the lead heavy in their hearts. It sat right in his gut, comforting. "Don't get sentimental on me or I'll really chain you up for good this time. And you'll just love the new books I received too. They're especially cheesy just for you."

Mock gags and retching received Leorio a hot, dagger-piercing glare and a whack with an empty cup to the face before he whined, bowing his head apologetically, "Okay! Sheesh! I get it! Stop torturing me! You're worse then the Ants!"

The two men laughed for a great while thereafter, finding themselves sinking into idle conversations that had no direct plot or subject; the words falling freely from their lips like old times. It was all natural, no negative emotions to hold them back, just small laughs and big smiles exchanged with silly words and witty banter. It took the boulder-heavy stress off the weight of their shoulders, though only for a little while, but it was much appreciated. Much needed, actually, and they spared no qualms in outwardly showing it. The affects inwardly were kept much more closely to the heart than either of them thought.

Just like best friends should.

Ring ring.

The bell rang, signaling it was time to close-up and the two adults took to their feet, garbage and trash ready on emptied plates. Once the clean up was finished and all good nights passed around with tired, cheery voices, they stood before the door of the infirmary sharing small glances here and there. It was a lanky uncomfortable pause before Leorio finally spoke up again. He always seemed to be the more daring one of the pair.

"Well, I better be getting back to work. I should have that medicine finished within the hour." A hearty sigh. "Hey, Kurapika. I'll see you tomorrow, alright? And thanks, too, for persuading me to take a break." He rubbed an eye but smiled past his fist anyway. "I guess I really do lose track of time when I'm busy working in that stuffy office. It's nice to get some fresh air now and again. Really clears my head. So, thanks. DON'T CHAIN ME UP EITHER PLEASE!" He added that last bit with a flurry of hand waving gestures and audible childish whines that made the shorter one chuckle bemusedly.

"Your welcome, you dumb oaf. Don't stay up too much longer, alright? I'll know." Two fingers aimed his way and Leorio swallowed from the knowing gesture. "See you tomorrow, Leorio."

"See you, Kurapika."

Soft pitter patter of feet let Kurapika know Leorio was making his way safely back to his office to conclude his day's work and earning himself a good night's rest in his own personal bedroom. Hanzo insisted that the 'best' doctor and head of their medical treatment at least get decent enough attention to do his job properly and stop sleeping and drooling all over the supplies for once in his damn life and instead sleep and drool all over his own BED so of course he was given a much better accommodation to sleep on. It was a step up from those rusty, creaky cots the others had to at least attempt to shut their eyes and pretend to be resting on. Usually.

It was something you got used to after a hard days work of training, working, fighting, and thereafter. Most of the time you wouldn't even notice your body touching the cot actually. As soon as you hit the mattress, the lights went out and you would fall into a sense of weightlessness and emptiness that could only be described as sleep.

"I should probably be sleeping myself." Kurapika mumbled his thoughts out loud, shuffling quietly through the brush of the forest their base was hidden beneath. It was a dense forest indeed, canopies of trees sheltering the tops of their roofs in such a way that you could not make them out even from a close-up aerial view. Their giant girths and trunks hugged the buildings closely, as if to shelter them like a mother protecting her children. He sensed the forest knew their good intentions and that was why it seemed to draw towards their fort; unlike how it was so withdrawn and broken around wherever the Chimera Ants took residence.

Tree roots would be uprooting and destroying the grass floor around them and many trees seemed to have purposefully stopped growing leaves or shed them all to uncover the rotten, unholy disgrace that was hidden beneath. Branches fell often and the only thing for cover were the thorny, brittle bushes that lined those 'torture chambers'.

Mother Nature supported them in this war at least, that, Kurapika was thankful for.

As he lazily made the journey back to the sleeping den, he stared up at the starry sky stretched out over the horizon. It was a inspirational sight, magical even. The more he watched, the more in awe he became, until he was so utterly absorbed in its beauty he might as well count on being lost.

If Kurapika had to admit to it, he would say he had a love for life's natural appearance and had a habit of picking out the parts he found most interesting. The things that were pretty, gorgeous, delicate, soft, beautiful, amazing, unique, etc. The list ran on, and the longer he gazed above, the further he found himself thinking over all the great details of the sky. He may not had been as scholarly as Leorio, but he found a semblance in the bigger picture of things.

His train of thoughts derailed, however, when he watched the twinkle of a rather big star catch the corner of his eye and he blinked, almost as if taken away by the luminescence it produced before he dropped his chin and caught sight of something just as bright and white as the star.

A full head of snowy hair perched atop a familiar teen's angular face; the exact one he promised to give a good beating to in the near future, was standing right across from him looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Unfortunately, the only thing he could make out was his face illuminated by the small lamp up above on the building so he wasn't able to see the state of his body since their last encounter in those dark corridors.

Seems the future caught up with him sooner than expected.

"Wait, Killua!" Kurapika found himself saying all too fast, realizing that the moment he had spoke alerted the other he had indeed been spotted (guessing he was probably trying to go by unnoticed) and immediately bolted off behind the complex Kurapika had been walking towards. The blonde jogged off knowing full well he couldn't match the teenagers speed but at least wanting to put some effort into catching him before he escaped.

His slip-on flats skittered on the uneven terrain and he swung his body around the corner, twisting in place, and was just moments to calling out to the fleeing albino he could barely make out in the distance before he felt something rather warm and hard press into his chest. They fell back the instant he jumped back out of pure reflex, only relaxing a little once he caught sight of the familiar clothes he remembered when rescuing said dark-skinned prisoner from the rubble of that cell.

"It's that kid again. The one held in high security." Kurapika hummed in thought, watching them yelp and a loud, indescribable noise emitted from his stomach. He recognized a sound of hunger pain when he heard it, but the face he made to it was probably quite humorous, both not expecting to hear one so loud and proud or the odd gurgling sounds that seemed to had mixed in with it.

Honey auburn eyes caught his own and blinked up at him inquisitively, a grin gracing his lips that made a weird sensation crawl up into Kurapika's chest. A hot, soothing feeling he couldn't pinpoint, yet did not reject.

What is this?

It took him a moment, but while he struggled to organize his thoughts into something coherent; he felt those big round eyes staring determinedly at him, to the point of discomfort. Waiting for an answer; demanding an answer even.

And to think, all he could manage was a pathetic "Eh?" instead of something more understandably intelligent.

More, well, not stupid after all.

Darn you, Leorio. Your idiotic nonsense is rubbing off on me. And your exhaustion.

Mostly your stupidness though.

Kurapika would make a mental note to spend a little less time around that guy. He was influencing him in a not-so-good way.

Or he could just chain him up and give him a good lecture.

Yeah, that would do.