Because everybody wants more of a focus on romance, here it is, in this chapter! Now I can focus on the romance since at this point the focus of HunterXHunter is on Gon and Killua, so Kurapika and Avi will have a ton of alone time to do whatever. With that, less constraints on my plot, and my imagination, I'll have a lot of fun putting our characters through situations and focusing on romance. As usual, let me know if the characters are in character, etc.!
He stepped next to me and his arm brushed up against mine. I glanced at Kurapika's proximity and the muscles in his arms. Definitely not feminine, I thought. Kurapika laughed, which caused me to tear my gaze from his arms to his amused face. I felt the heat rush to my face but refused to move, because that would mean I would be running away. And I never ran away.
Kurapika, whose face fell into a gentle smile, nudged me and jerked his head into the direction of Leorio running toward Gon. His tawny eyes were mischievous as they met mine, "And the mother hen finds her chick."
I giggled as felt the tension between us break as we shared our amusement at Leorio's antics and questions.
"Do you know you could have gotten lost?", Leorio was shouting as he wildly waved his arms around. WE were sitting on the couch in the butler's home on the Zoldyck Estate.
Gon shrugged. "Well I can smell you easily Leorio. I'd find you."
I raised an eyebrow at Kurapika. "More like a wolf and her prey. I mean look at how Leorio is tearing Gon apart!"
A smile graced Kurapika's face as his eyes, for once, not hiding behind his thick, blonde hair or behind the nonchalant façade, locked with mine again.
It was like he was seeing me for the first time and I was seeing him. Here we were, two individuals bound by a promise to one another and hoarding secrets from one another.
But you don't have much time left to help Sabie, I reminded myself. In the end, he's a Kurta and you're a part of the family that helped kindle the demand for the Kurta Clan's scarlet eyes.
When Kurapika-no! I violently shook my head and broke eye contact with him. If Kurapika finds out...a warm feeling coursed through me, banishing my worries and I sighed in contentment.
"Ummm...Avi?", Kurapika timidly asked. I blinked and stared at him, connection lost.
I nodded slightly, eyebrows raised.
"Why are you holding my hand?"
I glanced at my hand, which was grasping Kurapika's hand in a death grip, and quickly released his hand.
His aura was reaching out to mine. The comforting golden glow-I retracted my aura and physically drew away form Kurapika as well.
Confusion, I could see no hurt, flashed in Kurapika's eyes at my dramatic reaction. He shrugged and turned away, uncaring. Now HE was being confusing!
"Avi", a voice from behind me said calmly. Gotoh had snuck up on me so I twitched slightly. "Please, come and talk to me privately." I followed Gotoh into a secluded room.
His medium brown eyes locked onto mine. "Versace...you have your father's eyes and mother's hair and coloring...I'd recognize a Versace anywhere."
Icy fear coursed through me and green-glowing sand floated above the palm of my left hand.
Gotoh's eyes narrowed. "None of the others know you are a Versace."
It wasn't a question, but a statement.
"No", I coldly replied as I felt panic building, blocking any rationality I had left. Kurapika can't know, Kurapika can't know, my brain chanted.
My sand blast hit Gotoh ear and he grimaced in pain and slapped a hand to cover the side of his face, but it was too late. My sand was heading towards his brain.
"Monster!", he hissed in pain at me. I flinched. I had never been called a monster before because I was always the good daughter, sister, and student.
Now here I was running around, rescuing an assassin from his own home, and flirting with a Kurta who I was supposed to kill for his scarlet eyes to pay off my sister's debt. I still had 3 and a half weeks left to pay the debt...somehow. Somehow without killing Kurapika because...I needed him to take out the Mafia and my family's business competition. Yes, that was the only reason why!
Gotoh choked and groaned in pain as my sand unnaturally attached itself to his brain.
I smiled in victory, this was the first time I had ever tried manipulating a living person! Hisoka would be so proud-wait.
I withdrew all but one grain from Gotoh's brain which would weaken my influence on him.
"Do not mention I am a Versace in front of any of my friends for the next 12 hours", I warned Gotoh,"Or I will ruin your mind".
The man paled and nodded, unable to speak until I withdrew all of my nen, except for the small bit engrained in the sand.
Gotoh was taken care of. I turned to the door when Gotoh's rasping voice caused me to glance at him over my shoulder. "I was wrong", Gotoh hissed,"You don't have your father's eyes. Yours are colder."
Anger surged through me and before I knew it, Gotoh punched himself in the face.
Shock surged though me, replacing the anger. I did that!? Now I was beginning to understand why Illumi is the way he is. It is addictive, controlling a person, knowing you have power...
I flung the door open and stopped at the sight before me.
"Which hand holds the coin?", the butler menacingly asked Gon.
I didn't like his tone. "How about one of the two I'm going to cut off unless you stop threatening my friends?", I spontaneously said. I immediately shut my mouth. Here we were, on the Zoldyck Estate, where the butler apprentice, the girl who had repeatedly hit Gon, gave me a good fight. These were the butlers...
Powerful red, blue, and purple nen swirled around some of the butlers...fuck...they were nen users too.
And here I was stuck with Gon, the teen who could track anything, Leorio, who could only throw his briefcase at people to defend himself, and Kurapika, who could probably hold his own. Except we were outnumbered.
So I sat down next to Kurapika, silently supporting all of them and joined in the game.
"You don't count", the butler said to me,"Only one is left."
The butler threw the coin into the air and I watched as the coin flew up into the air. Whoever knew a coin could move so fast?
"Which hand?", the butler asked.
Gotoh opened the door, finally, and walked in. I knew I was dead the moment I saw the speck of green nen amongst Gotoh's typical light red colored nen.
The butlers all looked at me and I smiled nervously. Kurapika unsheathed his katanas and looked around menacingly.
I put a hand on his shoulder. "They'll kill you easily."
Kurapika, Gon, and Leorio sent me bewildered looks.
"Nen users", I said.
Gon looked at the butler in shock,"But you have to let us finish! You promised you wouldn't kill us unless all 3 of us were disqualified!"
Leorio giggled in shock and nervousness. I was on the same page. Did Gon really think they'd just let us go because of some silly game?
Kurapika rolled his eyes in a rare show of annoyance. "So idealistic", he muttered as he shot a glance at me.
Before I knew what I was doing, I made a funny face at Kurapika, sticking out my tongue and crossing my eyes.
He began laughing hysterically. It was as if something went off in the room. Gon and I were making faces at one another as all of us were laughing.
Needless to say, the butlers were as confused as fuck.
Gon stopped laughing and looked the butler straight in the eye and replied,"The guy behind me has the coin."
"Brilliant", Gotoh said as he and the other butlers began clapping their hands.
And to add to the awkwardness, the tall, lean, white haired boy opened the door behind the couch and asked in an annoyed voice,"Gotoh, is Gon here yet?"
"Left or right", Kurapika deadpanned.
I hummed in thought and narrowed my eyes.
"Left!", Gon shouted.
I merely blinked as Kurapika glanced at me, a smile on his face. I automatically smiled back. That smile, combined with that warm golden aura made everything feel...okay.
"How?", Gon shrieked, drawing Kurapika's tawny gaze from me to him.
"Gotoh held 2 coins, he hid one in his right hand. While flipping the other, he left us see him catching it with his left hand. But before he asked us which coin, he raised both arms and slipped the other into his sleeve."
"You got it", Killua confirmed with the same impressed look on his face that I had.
Kurapika sent me a megawatt smile as I smiled back. I seemed to be doing that uncontrollably now. Why the fuck was I so smiley?
"That makes me so mad", Gon muttered as he appeared to boil in anger.
"I'm fairly certain he only used that trick on the final turn", Killua said,"Gotoh hates cheating, even if it is just a game."
"That's even worse!", Gon wailed.
"Whyyy are you soo dramatic?", I asked Gon in exasperation. I really wanted to know. Well, maybe I am a little annoyed by his theatrics but still...
Gon huffed.
Kurapika sent me another amused look as Leorio played peace-keeper again,"Now Gon I'm sure Avi..."
I ignored Leorio as he talked and lectured Gon and I about nit-picking and my thoughts turned to Kurapika and his smiles. He was attractive...how could I have missed that? And brave, smart, funny too...Kurapika was...someone I want to be around, I realized as the Kurta walked next to my side.
I stared at Kurapika's face.
Kurapika glanced at me out of the corner of his eye but I still could not look away because I was hypnotized by the small details I never noticed...the freckles on his skin, the way his tawny eyes were two different colors, a light gray around the center which bled into the tannish brown towards the middle and outer parts of his irises...
"What?", Kurapika questioned as he looked at me. I opened my mouth to give him an excuse but then thought, what good would it do?
"I never knew how attractive you are."
I blushed, embarrassed that I had told the truth but also proud of myself, because now I would know how Kurapika felt.
Sitting as far away from Kurapika in the train was hard as him, Leorio, Gon, Killua, and I were squashed together.
"Do you even know where to fund Hisoka?", Killua asked Gon.
Gon opened his mouth but then quickly shut it. "Well...no", Gon sheepishly responded.
I rolled my eyes in annoyance, hoping it would quash the hurt inside me. Unfortunately it didn't. What I would give for some of that emotional-numbing tshuaj inside my backpack now...but I couldn't smoke it in front of my friends.
Well...Kurapika certainly was NOT my friend anymore.
I sent a quick glance at Kurapika who was staring at the ground, shaggy blonde hair hid his face from me.
"Thank you", Kurapika stiffly said.
Something inside me felt hurt. Why was I upset? It's not like I was emotionally attached to Kurapika...right?
Kurapika sped up until he reached Gon, Leorio, and Killua while I lagged behind, lost in a sea of shock and embarrassment.
"I know where he is", Kurapika said as he shut his eyes, looking as fucking calm as ever while I was having a mental breakdown!
I was going to make him pay. Somehow.
"He told it to me after the orientation.
"But not during your fight?", asked Leorio.
I whipped my head towards Kurapika...what? That must have occurred when I was outside with Gon...why hadn't Kurapika told me?
"He told me he had information about the Spider," Kurapika revealed, a hint of anger in his tawny eyes.
I shuddered. What was Hisoka playing at? He was connected with my family and the Spider...somehow...so why would he rat us out to Kurapika?
"The Phantom Troupe", Leorio breathed.
I was either going to have to sand manipulate people again or start stabbing hearts to protect my family.
"He said he would be located in Yorknew City, on September 1st", Kurapika informed Gon.
My heart stopped beating...Yorknew City was where Brec was...that was where one of my family's main trade operations were. That was home of the black markets. This couldn't be a coincidence.
"Then we've still got over half a year", Gon said.
"They'll hold the world's largest auction in Yorknew City", Leorio said as he snapped his fingers.
I was officially fucked. I slunk lower in my seat.
"Correct", Kurapika confirmed,"From September 1st through September 10th there will be an auction for unusual items, rare goods, and treasures from around the world".
And my family would be there. Unfortunately so would 2 of our supply of the scarlet eyes.
"That event attracts all the nasty folk, who look to satisfy their greed. It' the biggest gathering of money in the world".
"So the Troupe will be there?", Leorio questioned.
Kurapika nodded and responded in a firm voice. "They will. They would not let an opportunity such as this pass. They're a group of bandits. So Hisoka will be somewhere in Yorknew City on that day."
I narrowed my eyes at Kurapika. What a manipulative little bastard, withholding pertinent information from Gon.
Was this who Kurapika really was? Maybe I should have just killed him that night rather than slept next to him.
"Okay, on September 1st", Gon said to Kurapika,"Thanks."
I couldn't agree with Gon. Okay, on September 1st, shit will go down, I told myself, have a backup plan.
Kurapika gently tapped me on the shoulder and stared at me. "Ready to find the scarlet eyes?", he asked me.
My jaw dropped. I hadn't expected him to want me to tag along after I had spilled my feelings to him and he hadn't returned them.
Kurapika raised an eyebrow. "You're funny and smart, a good travel companion, fighter, and nen user who is familiar with the mafia and merchant families. Why wouldn't I want an ally who could benefit me?"
I narrowed my eyes in anger...Kurapika was lying again.
We turned to the group. "We shall depart now", Kurapika said as he put a hand on my shoulder which I just stared at.
He was manipulating me all this time! Just like he was with Gon!
'No Avi', the rational part of my brain chided,'wait until later, you can still use him to ruin other merchant families but you will lose that if you expose him as a manipulator in front of your friends'.
I listened to it and kept the fake smile plastered on my face.
"I need money for the auction so I shall seek a patron who will employ me as a Hunter", Kurapika told Leorio, Gon, and Killua a partial truth. I saw right through it.
But nobody else did. Not even Killua. All of them saw a helpful friend, but who did I see?
I saw a dichotomy in Kurapika's personality. He was a warm friend who cared...but as I feared, the ugly side which I had seen before was slowly taking over. There was a dark shade to his aura that would forever be there because of the murderers of the Kurta Clan and the people who had encouraged the trade, my family and the other wealthy merchant families.