Author's Notes:
RATING: Mature
CONTENT WARNINGS (in the uncensored AO3 version): Explicit sexual content and past non-consent.
NOTE: To read this story's missing scenes, check the uncensored version on Archive of Our Own (AO3 username: lemonpika).
Chapter 1: Double Bind
September is chilly in Yorknew City. During a smoke break on the balcony, Leorio exhales clouds of pearly gray into the dimming sky. He leans his back against the railing as he observes his friends conversing inside, just behind the sliding glass door separating the balcony from the rest of the hotel suite where they're staying.
Presently, Gon and Killua appear to be boisterously talking over one another — Leorio can't decipher what they're saying — while Kurapika is seated on the couch opposite, his palms resting on his lap and his brown eyes gazing at nothing in particular.
Not too long ago, Hisoka sent Kurapika a message tipping him off to the truth that the Phantom Troupe's members — initially believed to have perished in the course of the massacre surrounding the Cemetery Building during the annual underground auction attended by Yorknew's mafia families — in fact faked their deaths. Chrollo, the Spider's head, is still alive and at large.
Since the news dropped, the four of them have been refining the details of a plan aiming to enable Kurapika to secure an advantage over the Spiders, who are already gunning for the so-called Chain Bastard, the slayer of the physically strongest among their ranks.
With all the chaos unfolding around them lately, Leorio has been keeping an eye out for his closest companion. Never has Kurapika's safety been this precarious nor his mental state this shaky.
Through the sheet of glass, Leorio watches as Kurapika glances at his mobile phone and relays a brief statement to the other two. Phone pressed against his ear, Kurapika scurries out of the room, presumably to take a call in private.
"Wow, that was easy," Leorio mutters to himself, then expels a stream of smoke.
Whenever Leorio himself attempted to reach Kurapika — he must've tried a thousand times since they went their separate ways as a quartet — Kurapika never once picked up the phone. Leorio doesn't even know Kurapika's email address, for goodness' sake! And Leorio has requested that information repeatedly, all to no avail!
As annoying as he finds this, Leorio is at least relieved Kurapika has been looking relatively calmer than he did a while ago. Kurapika's eyes went as wide as saucers back when he read Hisoka's bombshell of an email.
Exasperation then consumes Leorio all over again once that sinks in — even that killer clown, of all people in the world, has Kurapika's email address saved in his phone directory! Why does Hisoka deserve that information when Leorio's left to go without it?
Cursing, Leorio crushes out his cigarette on the silver ashtray resting on the railing.
Upon returning inside, Leorio stoops over the trash can to empty the ashtray of its contents. He then hears a soft psst. He glances up and sees Kurapika peering around the doorway, silently beckoning to him.
Leorio looks over at Gon and Killua, who are wrapped up in an animated conversation about Heavens Arena and not paying the slightest sliver of attention to anyone else.
Even as he puzzles over his friend's peculiar behavior, Leorio follows him out the doorway and into the suite's adjoining bedroom. Once they're alone, Kurapika wastes no time in bolting the door behind them.
"Kurapika? What the hell's going on?"
Kurapika perches on the edge of the mattress and signals for Leorio to sit beside him. "Listen, I need your help with something urgent."
Leorio plops down next to him. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Before anything else, you have to swear — whatever happens in this room stays in this room. You can't even tell Gon or Killua. Especially not them."
Leorio holds up his right hand as if swearing on the witness stand. "I promise. Your secrets are safe with me. Now will you tell me what's bothering you? Tell me everything. I'll assist in any way I can."
For a moment, Kurapika says nothing. He only stares down at his own knees. Then he shoots Leorio a sideward glance. "The truth is, I'm not sure where or how to start. You see, I have this problem that's been plaguing me for a while now." After a pause, Kurapika adds, "Perhaps it's best if I begin by telling you about my Nen training. So many things transpired in that forest. Apart from me and one other person, you'll be the first to know the full story of what happened."
Leorio perks up. Since he's still in the early stages of his own Nen education, he can't wait to learn as much as he possibly can. This enthralling, enigmatic world of Nen — he's dying to delve deep into it, more so if he has Kurapika leading him inside.