Rise From The Ashes:

Chapter V:

Kurapika Stars In A Thriller

November 7th, XX21 : Age 20 : Dining Hall

There was nothing like burgers for lunch to release all the tension building up within a twenty-year-old college student being stalked by two psychopathic twins planning to burn him alive. Except, maybe burgers for a lunch that were completely paid for by his boyfriend. Things were always more delicious when you got them for free.

"Feeling better?" Pairo asked, amused, leaning his chin on his palm with a small, fond smile on his face. Kurapika nodded, fervently. Only nodded, because his mouth was stuffed with food. "Glad I could help."

Leorio swallowed his own burger, paid for with his own money because he had no doting significant other to stick their neck out for him. "What's up with you, anyway? You've been acting weird."

"Hmmm," Kurapika hummed with faux thoughtfulness, and all his friends edged away in fear, "perhaps whatever you caught is contagious."

"Nevermind, you're the same!" Leorio yelled, before turning away in anger. To everyone's surprise, a light, laughing sound escaped the blond's throat.

"I'm glad you think so," Kurapika said, ignoring the three pairs of eyes staring him down. "And I appreciate the concern, but I'm really doing just fine."

A hand found its way to his forehead, and Kurapika sent the owner of said hand a puzzled expression.

"Doesn't look like you have a fever," Pairo mumbled. "Maybe we should take you back to your room just in case."

Kurapika backed away from his hand with a roll of his eyes and an upwards curve of his lips.

"Honestly, it's like you've never seen me be nice to Leorio before," he complained.

His friends all sat silently, probably trying to recall a time when Kurapika and Leorio actually got along.

"Well . . ."

"We never have," Gon said, sounding rather surprised at his own discovery. "You're always fighting."

"We are not," Kurapika insisted. "I mean, we've had a few rough patches but deep down we love each other."

"I don't love you," Leorio grumbled, only to be jabbed in the ribs by an inhumanly sharp elbow. "Love you. Best bros, ya know."

Kurapika nodded, approvingly. His phone buzzed suddenly, and he reached into the pocket of his jacket to dig it out.

they're behind you - CL

His back went rigid, as he fought the urge to look back.

calm down. be aware of them, don't let them be aware of you - CL

don't go anywhere alone - CL

Kurapika glared at the screen. How incompetent did he think he was? Still irked, Kurapika punched out a reply.

I know that already. What about you?

what about me?

Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on me?

What was he saying?! Keeping an eye on him? All he'd wanted this whole time was for Chrollo to leave him alone. This made it sound like he wanted him to . . . to stay.

Kurapika mentally slapped himself across his mental face. He was reading into his own words too much. Surely, it was just because deep down he knew Chrollo was his best bet against those two.

i'll be going away for a while. would you like me to stay?

Kurapika could practically hear the suggestiveness in that statement.

You're getting ahead of yourself. I consider you a valuable ally, that's all.

you're no fun.

Kurapika rolled his eyes, but decided to ignore that comment.

"Kurapika?" Pairo's voice reached him.

He turned to the taller man questioningly.

"We're going to see that new D. Hunter movie, wanna come?"

He planned to decline, as he wasn't in any mood to watch anything, even if it was based on his favorite book series of all time. Not to mention the movie theater wasn't the best place to go to when running from two devious criminals. But then, he remembered Chrollo's message.

don't go anywhere alone.

"Of course, you know I've been looking forward to this," he finally responded.

"And dreading it, right?" Pairo finished, smiling that playful little smirk.

Kurapika shrugged. "I'll either love it immensely, hate it with a burning passion -"

"Or not give a damn at all," they said in unison.

"You guys kind of scare me sometimes," Leorio muttered. Killua seemed to agree.

"It's like you're one person," Gon commented, munching happily on his fries. "But it makes sense. You've been together even longer that Killua and I! Ever since middle school! I wonder if you'll even get married someday?"

Kurapika's eyes widened, and he almost immediately started choking on his drink. His partner simply laughed, easily.

"It might be sooner than you think," he said, smiling widely. At that, Kurapika whipped his head around to look at the other man.

"What?!" he choked out. Marriage was such a big commitment. No, he couldn't possibly. Well, maybe someday.

Buzz.

d'aww, you two really are adorable. too bad your time's running out - CL

I'm not going to die.

really? the two evil pyromaniac twins would beg to differ

Shut up.

then stop responding

He got him there. Alright, no more responding. It wasn't like he couldn't bare to leave a message unanswered. Anyone who knew him for any amount of time would be able to contest that he was terrible at answering the phone.

"So, when are we going?" he finally asked, albeit a bit distractedly. No one answered, too busy gaping at him. He frowned a bit, confused. "What?"

"You're . . . texting," Pairo said in amazement. "On a consistent basis, too. Are you sure you're alright?"

"This is just business," Kurapika reassured, though he knew Pairo didn't need reassurance. He trusted him wholeheartedly.

It was Leorio who spoke next. "You're looking for a job? Don't you have a full-ride scholarship?"

"Some people go to work for the experience rather than the money, Leorio," Kurapika replied, placing the phone back in his jacket.

"He's fine," their three other companions replied, just as Leorio went off on a tangent about how disrespectful Kurapika was and how he should stop being such a condescending prick. Sometimes, they wondered if Kurapika always annoyed Leorio because he found it funny, but that wasn't the type of person Kurapika was. He didn't do things for such trivial reasons. He annoyed Leorio on purpose, because Leorio seemed to annoy him unconsciously. It was quite a strange dynamic.

"So, movie, what time?"

"We got tickets for the screening at seven," Pairo finally said. The blond agreed, saying he had nothing to do anyway, which wasn't true since he had been planning on studying some more. It couldn't be helped, he had to stick next to Pairo for the next few hours if he wanted to live.

. . .

November 7th, XX21 : Age 20 : Outside

Pairo ran a hand through Kurapika's golden hair again. The blond had managed to pass off his desire to stay with Pairo as his yearning to be by his side. He didn't need to know the truth. Kurapika didn't want to put him in any hypothetical danger.

"What brought this on, anyway?" Pairo asked.

"I just wanted to be with you," Kurapika answered, the lie slipping through his teeth easily. Pairo's grip on his shoulders tightened, and as the two men sank into a comfortable embrace, the evil twins trying to kill one of them were forgotten.

Kurapika's phone vibrated again, and he slipped it out and scanned the message.

i'm leaving now don't die until i get back - CL

The blond didn't respond, the man was probably still watching him from afar anyway. Instead, Kurapika decided to place his head in the crook of Pairo's neck once more, ignoring the strange sense of loss in the absence of Chrollo. Pairo's shoulder made a surprisingly excellent pillow, and in the safety of his arms, he felt his guard drop and his eyes shut close.

Just for a few seconds, he told himself.

. . .

November 7th, XX21 : Age 20 : After D. Hunter Movie, Good Ol' Pairo's taking Kura home

"So, did you loath it as much as you feared?" Pairo teased, squeezing his hand. This set the blond off on an angry tangent about all the ways it failed as an addition to the original series.

"But other than that, it was alright."

Pairo chuckled, pulling him closer. "I guess that's as much of a compliment as they're gonna get from you."

"They could've gotten more if they just stuck to the source material. I mean, Don would never be so idiotic as to charge an actual Hellbell," Kurapika complained, complete with that critiquing voice and wide gestures.

"Yes, yes, and those jewel thieves were beaten too easily and his love interest was too one dimensional," Pairo recited. "But other than that, it was okay."

Kurapika smiled a bit sheepishly, pushing a lock of hair behind his ear. "Yeah."

"We're here."

Kurapika gazed up at the building, its lights shining dimly onto the concrete. Home, at last. He could finally relax a bit.

Wait.

Who was to say they wouldn't break into his dorm? If Chrollo could do it, they probably could too. While he was sleeping, even. They could strike at any time.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Pairo started, releasing his hand. Kurapika gripped it again. The brunet looked at him questioningly.

His cheeks flushed, as he realized what he'd done. "Stay? Please."

Pairo tilted his head to the side in confusion, before nodding, a small curve of the lips gracing his handsome face. "Of course."

. . .

November 8th, XX21 : Age 20 : Kurapika's dorm

Our blonde criminology major lay buried in Pairo's bare chest, cheeks still a bit flushed. The other man's arms kept him warm. He breathed in his scent.

This was certainly not what he had been planning on doing when he asked Pairo to stay, but it wasn't like he was complaining. Sinking deeper into his arms, he felt himself drift off into sleep. And as he fell into the depths of a long slumber, it wasn't Pairo holding him anymore, but Chrollo. And in his sleep-deprived state, he didn't question it. He didn't question why the man at the core of all his problems was who he last thought of after he'd spent the night with who was supposed to be the love of his life.

As his limbs went limp, a name fled his lips one last time.

It wasn't Pairo's.

. . .

In the morning, Kurapika remembered nothing of his slip-up, and so, when he woke up to a fully-clothed Pairo sitting in his desk chair with the most conflicted expression he'd ever seen, he was reasonably puzzled.

"Pairo. Are you alright?"

"Chrollo Lucilfer," he whispered, voice so low and quiet it almost slipped past Kurapika without a sound. "Who is he to you?"

Kurapika raised an eyebrow quizzically. What a strange topic to bring up now.

"An inconvenience." Strange, that felt like a lie even to him.

"So you haven't realized." Another whisper. What was going on? He couldn't possibly be thinking that Kurapika had . . . could he?

"What do you mean?"

"You're developing feelings for that man, Kurapika," Pairo explaining, eyes burning.

Him? Developing feeling for Chrollo? The notion was so ridiculous, it almost made him laugh. Instead, he settled for an amused smile, as he laid back against the headboard. "For Chrollo? That man has been nothing but a pain in the ass for the last couple weeks. There's no way I could've fallen for h - why are we even talking about this? It's completely ridiculous."

"Is it?" Pairo asked, quietly, hands clenched in his lap. He was serious. "He's the one who's been texting you this whole time, isn't he?"

"It really is just business -"

"You've never said my name like that," Pairo suddenly blurted out. Name? What?

"What are you talking about?"

"Last night, you said his name, and . . ." he trailed off. The reality of his situation suddenly dawned on him.

"Oh god. Pairo, I -"

"Don't say anything," Pairo cut him off. "It's alright. I understand. I just . . . don't want you staying with me out of obligation."

"Obligation?" Kurapika repeated, incredulously. "I'm staying with you because I love you."

"And how long do you think that will last?" Pairo continued. "Kurapika, I know you. Even if you do realize that you're in love with him, you won't do anything about it. You're too responsible for that -"

They've been cutting each other off a lot lately.

"How can you be so sure that I have feelings for that man?" Kurapika asked. "I think I'd realize something so important about myself."

Pairo sighed. "I've seen you two together before. I told myself it was just that you were becoming friends with him, and his affections were one-sided. But then, the way you looked at him, smiled at him. It's the way I look at you, but you've never looked back at me."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that, for now, it'd be better for us to go back to being friends. If you do love him, I don't want to hold you back," Pairo finished, getting up and walking to the door. Kurapika felt the panic rise up in him. The panic he felt whenever he was about to lose something important again.

"You can't just decide these things by yourself!" Kurapika called. "You don't get to decide how I feel about you, or him, or anyone else."

Pairo turned to him. "Then, tell me, who is he to you? Don't lie this time. I want the truth."

Kurapika opened his mouth to respond, ready to tell him exactly how he felt about that demon spawn.

Nothing came out.

He didn't know. He had no idea who he was to him. It wasn't like they'd ever done anything, other than Chrollo's shameless flirting from time to time. It also wasn't like Kurapika didn't find him undeniably attractive and charming and surprisingly sweet, despite his criminal background.

"When you can honestly tell me he's nothing more than a friend, I'll believe you, but for now, I think we should stop." The door shut behind him.

Kurapika sat in silence for a second, mulling over a possibly broken relationship that had gone to ashes in the blink of an eye because of a small slip of the tongue. Was it really over? Just because he'd whispered another man's name while falling asleep.

As if he'd just accept that. He'd lost enough already. He wouldn't lose Pairo to something so senseless. Kurapika was up and dressed and showered five minutes later. He'd find Pairo and set him straight.

Or at least that had been his plan.

Someone bumped into him on his way out of the building. The next thing he knew he was falling. He didn't get to find out if he ever hit the ground.

. End of Chapter .

A/N: Why is this so late, you must be wondering. Well, college is complicated business when you moved across the border just a year ago. Stupid out-of-state tuition. Anyway, I hope you liked it. I peeled around fifty apples today for a really big apple pie. My hand hurts. I still got this chapter out. Tell me how amazing I am. I'm probably going to rewrite the Pairo break up scene, though. It's not very good. I'm tired. I feel like I should've put in at least a KuroKura kissing scene before this, but then Kurapika would feel too guilty and would be too aware of his feelings and blah. I hope it's not moving too fast.

Question of the Day: How will Chrollo react to Kurapika being kidnapped (possibly killed)?