Rise From The Ashes:
Chapter III:
A Routine
October 13th, XX21 : Age 20 : Dorm room
"Good morning, sunshine!" Chrollo said, shoving a forkful of pancake in his mouth. He swallowed the delicious breakfast food as usual. It was made perfectly, of course. Kurapika just wished he'd stop forcing it down his throat just as he was waking up.
"Pumpkin spice?"
Chrollo nodded, happily. "I make these every year for breakfast during the colder months. Also got around to finally buying a few batches . . . what?"
"You sound like a mom," Kurapika snickered.
"I'll take that as a compliment, despite knowing you meant it as an insult."
"Spoken like a true gentleman."
A knock on the door brought them both out of a surprisingly comfortable silence. Kurapika grabbed the plate of pancakes and pushed Chrollo off the bed, far from the prying eyes on the other side of the door. He then placed the flat cakes on the table.
"Kurapika," Pairo called, sounding a bit concerned even with his muffled voice, "what was that noise?"
Kurapika rushed to the door, opening it just a tad to show that he was fine. "You caught me off guard," he said, awkwardly, pushing a lock of golden hair behind his ear. "I, ahem, might've fallen out of bed."
"You're adorable," Pairo chuckled, walking in despite Kurapika's horrified expression. Telling him to stay out would be suspicious. Pairo suddenly turned back to him and the worry returned. "Are you alright?"
Kurapika blinked rapidly at the question. His mind slowly processed it, and a small, reassuring smile spread across his face as a soft, "yes" left his lips. It seemed to be enough for Pairo, whose face instantly softened.
And then Kurapika saw him. Chrollo lay there on his stomach with his chin on his hands, and his head supported by his elbows. A large grin, like that of a spectator watching a romance unfurl right before him, was plastered on his face, and Kurapika suddenly felt the urge to punch his unfairly gorgeous face.
"What are you looking at?" Pairo asked, his head twisting around to look behind him. The blonde suddenly grabbed his chin, and, in a moment of panic, his lips pressed to Pairo's.
What was he doing? He was practically taking advantage of someone's affections! That wasn't like him. Well . . . as long as it worked. He was protecting everyone from further confusion.
His eyes flicked to Chrollo, as Pairo's arms circled around his waist. Why wasn't he moving? He was distracting Pairo so he could get out of here. What an ungrateful man.
"Kura -"
His lips fell back on Pairo's, his hand moving to clutch his hair and one of them let out a low, appreciative hum as their tongues touched. Kurapika gripped his red sweater, smiling into the kiss, before moving to nuzzle into his neck. The taller man's hold on him tightened. Kurapika took this opportunity to give Chrollo his patented death glare.
"Get out," he mouthed. Chrollo pouted, but then got up and silently made his way out of the room. If Kurapika hadn't been watching him like a hawk, he wouldn't have even known he was there in the first place. As expected of a thief.
The blonde buried his face in the crook of Pairo's neck and inhaled. He smelled like lemon zest today, mixed in with the smell of the Pumpkin Spice pancakes Chrollo brought and the autumn breeze streaming in from the outside.
The pancakes!
But that was fine. It wasn't like Pairo would see them and instantly think he was cheating on him. Right? Right. This was Pairo. Sweet, understanding, always-there-when-you-needed-him Pairo.
But just in case.
"Do you mind waiting outside while I get ready?" Kurapika asked. Pairo tilted his head to the side in askance but said no more. Kurapika collapsed on the bed as soon as the door shut close.
This was insane. It wasn't like he was doing anything wrong. Chrollo and he were just business partners, really. Chrollo brought him information on the arsonist twins, and he kept quiet about his status as a wanted thief. That was all. So, Chrollo hit on him shamelessly and forced meals down his throat like some kind of cheesy lover. Kurapika never responded to his advances with anything but rejection. Which meant he really hadn't done anything wrong. So, why did he feel like he had?
Kurapika shook his head of the thoughts and slipped out of his pajamas. He took a cold shower to clear his head. Then, he put on some clothes fit for a day out in town: jeans, a grey shirt, and red jacket. Simple enough. Just how he liked it.
"Alright, I'm read-"
His eyes widened a fraction, his jaw clenched, his eye twitched, and his hands turned into fists.
What the hell?
"And then," Pairo continued talking, as if he hadn't noticed Kurapika had come out, "Kurapika told him to, and I quote, 'take his uncouth behavior elsewhere before someone pummeled his face in.' And that was how Kurapika introduced me to Leorio."
Both men laughed at Pairo's retelling, Chrollo looking incredibly innocent in his black attire.
Kurapika cleared his throat, and Pairo swiveled around to face him.
"Kurapika!" Pairo said, mirth still lacing his voice and glittering in his glassy, brown eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you also knew Chrollo?"
"I - wait, you know him too?" Kurapika asked, not bothering to hide the shock in his voice.
Pairo nodded, grinning. "Yeah, we were in the same class last year and were just catching up. How'd you two meet?"
Kurapika's face fell into a forced smile, as his eyes bore dangerously into Chrollo's, who simply smiled back, smugly.
"In a coffee shop," the dashing, dark-haired man answered for him, "a few weeks ago, in fact. You could say we instantly hit it off. Eh, Kurapika?"
He was doing this on purpose. Revenge? Kurapika hadn't taken him for the vengeful type. No, Chrollo was clearly just trying to have some fun with him. Well, two could play at that game.
"Yes, of course," he replied, "you remember the man I told you about, Pairo? The one who paid for my coffee a few days ago?"
"The one who stole your wallet and then gave it back?"
Kurapika nodded.
Pairo's lips tilted up and a light laugh escaped them. "That sounds like him. He always used to play stunts like that. I think this would be the first time he hit on someone, though."
The previously cheerful man turned back to Chrollo, his face now neutral. And then he leaned in, eyes wide and threatening.
"I'll have to warn you, though. I don't really take kindly to people hitting on Kurapika and taking it too far. Especially, people like you. So, don't take it too far, okay?"
Chrollo raised his hands in a placating manner, though he didn't seem ready to give up just yet. "Understood. He's all yours."
Pairo's cheerful disposition returned. "Oh good. I know Kurapika gets annoyed by the persistent ones. No hard feelings, right?"
"Of course not."
Pairo smiled again, and then intertwined his fingers with Kurapika's. The blonde sent Chrollo one smug smile before turning to follow Pairo. The taller brunette didn't get angered easily, but in some cases, most involved with defending Kurapika's honor, his anger was easily stoked. Chrollo wouldn't be able to simply sneak in coarse remarks around Pairo and pass them off as casual, whispered conversation. The man would be watching him like a hawk. One wrong move and, well, Kurapika wasn't really sure what Pairo did to the people who overstepped their boundaries, but it was probably something bad.
Everything was going according to plan.
. . .
October 13th, XX21 : Age 20 : The Library
It was foolish of him to assume something as insignificant as Pairo being overly protective would be enough to fend of Chrollo.
"Your boyfriend is surprisingly protective," Chrollo remarked, taking a seat in front of him.
Kurapika ignored him, marking down another solution to the formula on his paper. He even placed a hand on his forehead to block him from his vision. What were his efforts met with? More questions!
The man continued jabbering, "why did you try to hide me from him? Surely, he would've understood?"
The tip of his pencil broke off. What a waste of perfectly good lead. Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.
"Do you want more information on the twins, or not?"
He fell into the trap. Nevermind that it was obvious. Nevermind that he could've easily sidestepped.
"I lost everyone I cared about in a fire. I don't plan to lose anyone else, to a fire or to a simple misunderstanding."
"You're scared."
"And can you blame me?"
"No."
"Good. Now shut up. I'm trying to focus," Kurapika snapped, eyes returning to the textbook in front of him.
"Keeping secrets isn't a very good way to go about protecting them, though," Chrollo continued despite Kurapika quite clearly telling him to shut up. Insubordinate little . . . whatever he was. Criminal didn't sound quite right. Neither did thief. Kurapika didn't know much else about him. He wasn't sure he wanted to know more. What was . . . it doing lecturing him on his methods of protecting his loved ones? He was a thief.
That doesn't mean he's emotionally illiterate.
Shut up, brain.
"I can practically see your inner conflict now," Chrollo chuckled, placing his chin on a partly closed hand.
"Shut up, Chrollo."
Silence.
"What?"
"That's probably the first time you said my name without mocking me. I'm getting teary-eyed."
More silence.
"I still hate you."
"I would expect nothing less from the lord of grudges."
His lips quirked up at the terrible joke. His brain, the same one that had tried to humanize the criminal, started to promptly berate him for enjoying the presence of said criminal. How he hadn't gone insane yet was a mystery to everyone, including Kurapika himself.
"The information?" Kurapika prodded, pulling up all his walls again. One should never let down their guard around a criminal, especially one like Chrollo.
Chrollo sighed, steepling his fingers and placing his elbows on the wooden study table. "They spend about a month on each building to make sure no one can leave."
"Wait," Kurapika said, both hands falling to lie flat on the table, "they actually go into the buildings? How are they never found out?"
"Disguises, of course. They're masters at disguise. Both are skilled plastic surgeons as well."
They just kept getting worst.
"All just to burn things?"
"It's their passion."
Kurapika averted his eyes, fingers coming up to brush away his blonde hair.
"Having second thoughts?"
"No. I'm reassessing my plans."
Another pause. The silence was grating.
"What now?"
"I'm not sure whether to admire your attempts to avenge them or think you are a fool for even trying."
. . .
October 13th, XX21 : Age 20 : Outside the Dorm
"About what you said," Kurapika started, "about them not leaving any survivors. How would they find out about me?"
Chrollo had to actually consider that for a while. "Probably through your prying. I'd give you a few months at best before they come for you."
Kurapika couldn't help but smile. They would come to him. He'd be waiting.
The dark-haired man gave him a strange look, before heaving a sigh, "you're gonna get yourself soon. Let me just say that I really did enjoy your company for what it was. Even if it was disappointing that you never let down your walls and let me in."
"I'm not dead yet."
"You will be soon. Such a shame too. You never even got to graduate," he continued somberly, turning away and walking to his car.
"I'm not going to die!"
"That's what the all say. Enjoy your last months."
Kurapika rolled his eyes. The man was already planning his funeral, and that speech sounded suspiciously like a eulogy.
. End of Chapter .
A/N: Bonding is a beautiful thing. Pairo is surprisingly protective. Chrollo keeps doing whatever he wants. Impulsive little shit. Kurapika continues to freak out endlessly on the inside while remaining cool and calm on the outside. Poor man.
Question of the Day: Who is your favorite character in this story so far?