bugmomwrites

[bugmomwrites]

bring back tumblr ask culture let me. bother you with questions and statements

[bugmomwrites]

Weary

Dr Flug x Reader

Stealing my sister’s bf’s HBO password is the second best thing I’ve done this week. Whipping up a solid drabble in 30 minutes and refining it into a whole oneshot in the same night takes first place.

There’s like, one innuendo towards the end but everything else is straight up fluff. Story came to me after reading yet another shady thing a certain airline I won’t name did, but it sounds like “we ain’t going”. I am changing the names so I don’t end up dead in a van somewhere, but if you know you know ;)

—•• •—• ••—• •—•• ••— ——•

“…And then what happened?”, Flug yawns, looking up at you through his goggles. You smile gently, kissing the front of the bag where his forehead would be.

“Well, according to some sources…the former production and safety manager’s exact words were ‘if anything happens, I didn’t do it myself’,” you respond, reading the article off your phone. Using the same soft voice you use when you read picture books to a sleepy 505, except it was a news article turned Wikipedia rabbit hole.

You two had gone from listening to him explain the differences between a 767 and an Airvan, to him resting his bagged head in your lap as you click on various entries and articles, bouncing information back and forth. The person, a known whistleblower who had retired from the controversial airline a few years ago, had tried many a time to draw attention to the company’s shady practices. For him to die so suddenly, especially as more inside secrets came to light, was too fishy for the public to ignore.

“I’m no detective, but…”

“Assassination?”, you finished for him, raising a brow. The two of you exchanged knowing looks.

“Does the Dreamweaver have flexible wings?”, he grumbles, wrapping his arms around your waist to bury his head further into your tummy. It tickles, but you try not to laugh lest you disturb his rare peace. Moments like these didn’t happen often, and you knew if any of the others were to see you like this, Black Hat would tear you both a new one, and Demencia would never let you hear the end of it.

A few more minutes go by, occasionally filled in with fun facts about the company’s various other incidents that had made the news in the past. You click off of yet another one where a plane was literally falling apart mid-air, having to make an emergency landing in a massive blaze. That was enough internet for today, at this rate you’d never want to hop in a plane again. You carefully set your phone to the side after checking the time.

“If I were him, I wouldn’t have let them get me.”

“I know, Flug.”

“And I would have documented everything.”

“Mhm”, you rest a hand on his back, your own eyes growing heavy.

“I’d go down there and put them back together myself. I’d personally take all of their shitty scrap parts, and make a better airplane than any of those so called professionals,” he says disdainfully.

You smile as he heaves a long sigh, like the weight of the world rests upon his weary shoulders; which isn’t far from the truth, if the way Black Hat nags him and Demencia torments him on a regular basis is any indication. Not to mention raising a son/care bear/science experiment through it all. But even if it’s not quite the whole earth, at the very least it’s the whole company. Everybody ought to give him more credit, himself included.

“If anybody could do such a thing, I know it’d be you, Flug. You’ve always had a brilliant mind.” He hums softly at the praise, feeling quite chuffed to know that at least someone in the manor besides his own son appreciated him not just for all he does, but who he is.

It’s quiet again for a few moments as he drifts in and out of consciousness, your hand gently rubbing his back until he speaks up again a few minutes later.

“And I’ll make you my co-pilot.”

This takes you by surprise, the hand rubbing his back stopping briefly as you let the words settle over the two of you. Reading between the lines was something you found yourself doing almost as often as reading his expression through his paper bag, the man still not quite comfortable enough to outright say all the things he’d had bouncing around in his head to you just yet. Your hand resumes as you test the waters, stuck between delicate hope and fear of possibly scaring him off.

“I…don’t know how to fly a plane. Nor do I have a pilots license.”

“Me neither, but I’ll show you how to do it in the cockpit. I’ll make sure you have a smooth ride for your first time.”

A pregnant pause falls over the both of you, and your whole face heats up, mind processing his words only to take a nosedive into the gutter. You open your mouth to respond only to be met with quiet snores from below, Flug blissfully unaware of the effect of his words.

‘Looks like the week finally caught up to him’, you think. Odds are he might not remember something like that when he woke up, but you could tease him about it later on. For now, you stretch your arms over your head and attempt to make yourself as comfy as possible without disturbing him, sleep beginning to overtake you as well. You glance down once more to where he dozes peacefully for the first time in years, committing it to memory before joining him in slumber.

“Buenas noches, Flug.”

—•• •—• ••—• •—•• ••— ——•

#bug mom writes #dr flug x reader #dr flug #villainous #reader insert #villanos #Villianous x reader #505

[bugmomwrites]

The bulldog in the first one looks almost exactly like my Oakley❤️

The eyepatch is just on the opposite side and more brown in color 🐶

🎩Villainous Gif Set of the day🎩

🖤🤪🎩Black Hat Unhinged🎩🤪🖤

#bug babbles #villainous

[bugmomwrites]

Adding onto this bc I found a bunch in our discord logs. I will probably add more as @bwabys-scenarios and I come up with them, but I do have something brewing that requires a lot of Kurta lore 👉👈

Not trying to hijack the post I promise I got permission y’all

Kurta headcanons 2: Electric Boogaloo

- I think their culture would have a heavy lean into artesianal skills as well. Lots of pottery, textiles, and the like. They were a peaceful people, and it wouldn’t make sense to pour all their resources into a militia when they’re usually nomadic and living in the woods

- Not a whole lot of gender roles tbh, most people know how to sew and create to some extent. Learning to make your own clothes is a milestone tantamount to how todays kids learn how to ride a bike for the first time.

- Adding onto the Green = Grief, the brown earthy tones work too because brown is generally a much more subdued shade of red. Wearing anything brightly colored to a funeral is a big no-no, but the exception to this rule is the deceased. They’re being sent to the afterlife where everything is peaceful and joyful, and they’re technically going to meet others who have died before them. Best to make a good first impression. It’s believed that bright colors also make it easier for them to be found by a guide who brings them to the afterlife.

- Speaking of death, it’s important for all parts of a person to be buried together. They’re a nomadic clan, having to always be on the move. To bury their dead is essentially a way of saying “we know you’re tired, so you can rest now”, and also stays consistent with their whole “returning to the earth” motif. Giving a whole other layer of meaning to Kurapika’s mission of tracking down the scarlet eyes, just in case we weren’t punched in the gut enough yet.

- The scarlet eyes are a recessive trait, and I have a whole separate post going into more detail coming soon because math is one of my special interests. But the TL:DR of it is there was 128 members of the clan at the time they were killed, and Kurapika mentions there being 36 pairs of eyes out there. There’s also him, which means that of that portion of people, only 29% had the trait. Trust me, you’re gonna want all my infodumping in a separate post. Not here. Not today.

- There is a sweet, peach-like fruit that grows on Lukso province that is really good when baked into desserts. It’s often used in potlucks, especially for summer holidays. The closest equivalent Kurapika has been able to find is peach cobbler, and while it’s not quite the same, it’s like that scene with the critic towards the end of Ratatouille where it tastes similar enough to childhood and longing for simpler times.

- There are certain features in every culture that are seen as “sought after”, and Kurtan is no exception. A few of them are actually a source of insecurity for the rest of the world, which does come as a bit of a culture shock to Kurapika at first. In their case, between all the running and living in the woods as mentioned above, they don’t necessarily have a lot of super buff guys unless they’re some sort of carpenter. While they’re not weak by any means, it does surprise him a little to find that lots of lanky, skinny guys outside the clan aren’t necessarily thrilled to be so.

- On the flip side, because they live nomadically and resources are hard to come by, many fertility statues of women are depicted to be on the heavier side. Wider hips were seen as a sign of one being able to bear healthy offspring, and soft figure = nurturing and comfortable. It also signifies being well off and comfortable- a good sign for anyone looking to settle down!

- There’s not really a set drinking age but most people have enough common sense to give the little ones some sort of fruit juice in lieu of home brewed wine or mead. But basically if you’re old enough to not need your parents to hang out downstairs on a play date, you can have a sip or two of the lighter stuff.

- While they do have some sort of currency, since it’s not a very big community much of their commerce is done via bartering and exchanging. If they’re getting stuff from the outside it’s a different story, but within the members of the group, there’s a lot of trading and favors. Your neighbor will watch the kids for you if you bring him a loaf of your wife’s homemade bread. You built me a table and chair set, the least I can do is forge your engagement rings. Thank you for the flowers, I will use some of them as textile dye and make you a new pair of trousers. And so on.

- Gift giving is a common love language, especially since they’re a very artesian-centric clan. It’s not uncommon for them to court like magpies, offering trinkets and items to whoever they hold affection for. Displaying them in their home where many can see it is a way to subtly convey “your affections are reciprocated.” A well decorated home is tantamount to “I want to settle into a place that is uniquely ours”.

Not entirely sure how coherent this is but I’m not about to lose yet another draft to a dead battery so here we go 👏

Heya! Just thinking about Kurapika cuase he my fav. Since Kurta culture is such a big deal to him, how would he try to teach his significant other about it? Would he try to teach them as they go along or would he try to distance himself from his past culture? Thanks for writing these Headcannons, they get me through my busy work week lollll

Kurapika and his culture, thoughts and HCs

!!REBLOGS APPRECIATED!!

A/N: This is less of an x reader and more of Kurta tradition HCs! Also, these are all made up and not inspired by anything specific, so any likeliness to actual cultural practices is not intended. The only tradition that is inspired by real culture is the last one, which is inspired by Dia De Los Muertos(which is obvious but I wanted to give credit where credit is due!!)

Thoughts

Absolutely! As the only Kurta left alive, he’s the only one that can keep his culture and traditions alive. It’s one of the reasons he wants children so badly, he wants to have his clan again!

I think Kurapika isn’t the type to force you to learn or expect you to participate in his culture, after all it’s not your own, but he’d very much appreciate it if you did. You’re his everything, all he has left in this world and the future mother of his children, and he’d be over the moon if you wore the traditional tabards on special holidays and practiced the traditional dance that the Kurta people would preform on their wedding nights.

He also won’t be overbearing with having his kids participate, but will be filled with joy when the little ones ask why daddy is wearing something different and praying on certain days.

Kurapika will bully his friends into celebrating with him, though. Gon and Killua have their own Kurta tabards that they have to wear when then come over during holidays. And no, Gon’s isn’t green. You’ll see why later on in this post.

HCs

-I think the Kurtas had many different traditions, which I will list here.

-One tradition I already mentioned, which is the bride and groom performing a specific dance on their wedding day. It’s a sign of devotion and love that lasts a lifetime, so it’s one of the only things Kurapika really wants you to do.

-Another is celebrating the coming of fall and harvests, alone with spring, summer, and winter. Each season has a different celebration and traditions, like dancing in the snow and leaving your favorite preserved fruit in the windowsill as an offering.

-You give that fruit during winter, a time where the fields are barren so when the fruit is ripe again, the gods give back tenfold.

-In spring, there are always flowers decorating doorframes, most families represented by a specific flower(marigolds for Kurapika’s family!), which is said to strengthen the spirits of each household.

-During summer, the children all made little dolls out of straw(or clay if their family works with it) and fill them with sweets, then leave them in the forest. This is an offering to the forest spirits so they can continue to coexists amongst each other. The Kurta people have a lot of respect for nature, always giving back what they take.

-The most important tradition takes place during late fall, right before winter. It’s a day to remember your loved ones who have passed, and obviously this holiday is especially rough for Kurapika. Before the massacre, it was a day that was spent celebrating the lives that once were, but now it is full of grief. He wears all green. Brown and earthy tones are used for grieving too, like for widows that are in states of mourning, but green is reserved for funerals. The earthy times symbolize the deceased giving their bodies back to the earth, and the inevitably of returning to dust.

-Because their scarlet eyes are treasured in the clan and green is opposite to red, red is seen as a color of mouthing. Fun fact, the first time Kurapika saw Gon, he assumed he was in a deep state of mourning because he was wearing an entirely green outfit. Of course he soon learned that the Kurta way of mourning was different than the rest of the world, but that didn’t stop him from being more gentle with Gon for a while.

-Kurapika prefers to pray alone when he’s in mourning. He gets choked up and cries sometimes, and needs time to collect himself and process the tremendous loss he feels.

#bug mom writes #hunter x hunter #Kurapika #hxh headcanons #kurapika hxh

[bugmomwrites]

Torn rn do I work on chapter 2 of Strangeness and charm or do I flesh out another idea I brainstormed with my friend?

#bug babbles

[bugmomwrites]

POV: Bennett arriving to the birthday party his dads threw him

[bugmomwrites]

Gang gang

I’m very curious as someone with both autism and ADHD to see how many fellow writers also have it! I’d love to make friends with other writers with autism/adhd/both!

I’ve seen a lot of posts on cringe culture and how people usually just see an autistic person enjoying their hobby(writing, art, fandom, etc) and just immediately call it cringe. I want to connect with other autistic adults that participate in fandom/enjoy writing fanfiction!

#bug babbles #I got that 2 for 1 deal

[bugmomwrites]

Beautiful work as always Bun, and thanks so much for letting me help out with it! It’s truly an honor 👏

Fixer Upper

Part 27

Perv!Kurapika x Fem!Reader

!!REBLOGS APPRECIATED!!

Part 26

Part 28

warnings: drinking, characters get high(weed), killua and Kurapika get into a fist fight, Reader is mentioned to have attempted suicide, mentions of Kurapika planning to kill himself after he finds all of the scarlet eyes

A/N: everyone thank Bug for not only the idea for this chapter, but also for helping to write several scenes!! Without her, Fixer Upper wouldn’t be possible <3

taglist: @fabitheraven @tsukilover11 @ashdownunderscorebeloved @lemonslut @homeinmydreams @superweeniehutjrsblog @bugmomwrites @heartsforseo @lixiawinter @altaircc @itszenava @fiightforlovee @mimi-sanisanidiot @monainanuttshell @wow-im-gay @whorermoviestar @lightshowerrr @mama-m1na @nenggie @wicked-binch @jamayah @themanicwriter01

If you’d like to be ADDED to the tawglist, please comment a red heart ❤️, make sure you’re able to be tagged/mentioned, and have your age in your bio(IF YOU ARE ALREADY ON THE TAGLIST, YOU DON’T NEED TO ASK TO BE ADDED AGAIN!!)

(Name) set the turkey to bake the night before the gathering, and after that, she went to sleep. She would be waking up in the early hours of the day to cook and do some last minute cleaning, so she would need her sleep.

An alarm was set for 6 am, where she would wake up to check on the turkey before getting everyone else up.

“Kurapika, it’s time to wake up.”

The blonde groaned, sitting up to see (Name) standing at his bedside, looking exhausted. She gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her tired eyes, before gently brushing his hair out of his face. “Todays the big day. Let’s get ready, okay?”

He followed her downstairs, where everyone else was already awake and yawning. (Name) stood in front of everyone, wearing her pajamas. “Okay guys, I’m going to give everyone a task that you’ll need to complete before guests get here.”

“Um, (Name), a guest is already here.”

(Name) looked to where Gon was pointing to see Bisky sitting on the couch next to Leorio, eyeing him up. “Hey sweetheart, I decided to get here early, I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh um, I don’t mind at all. Please excuse the mess, we’re still getting-“

(Name) watched as Bisky pulled out a wine glass and bottle of wine before pouring herself a drink. “Oh don’t worry about messes, (Name). I’m sure those boys are to blame anyways.”

Killua and Gon shrank under her gaze, the former sticking his tongue out at her. Leorio scratched the back of his head. “So what are our tasks, sunshine?”

“Oh, right.”

Killua and Gon were put on cleaning duty, Leorio and Kurapika were asked to do grocery runs and get the little fire pit ready outside, and Alluka was sat at the kitchen table to help (Name) cook. “I thought Bisky came to help with preparations, but she’s just drinking and watching hallmark movies.”

Leorio walked in, wearing a look of confusion on his face. “So is no one going to stop the 12 year old from drinking her weight in wine?”

“Are you talking about Bisky? She’s nearly 60.”

“60? Yeah and I’m 42.”

Alluka and (Name) glanced at each other then him. “You… look like you’re pushing at least 30, Leorio.”

“30!? IM 21!”

(Name) watched as he sulked out of the room, trying not to laugh. “You’re handsome though!”

The two got back to work, smiling and laughing as they cooked. “Okay Alluka, Zushi is going to be here soon so you two can go play, alright?”

A few hours passed, with (Name) finishing up most of the cooking besides a few items. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to make another cherry pie last minute, but she was able to make another batch of macaroni. She still set Kurapika’s version on the table though, even when Killua walked up and scowled. “Mom, that’s going to give someone food poisoning.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Killua, be nice. Kurapika and-“

“Oh I am being nice, that shit looks like it’s going to come alive at any moment and beg for death-“

“Does it really look that bad?”

Killua paused his rant when Gon appeared in the doorway, looking a little hurt. “I tried my best…”

“Oh, Gon…”

(Name) patted his back, letting him sniffle. Killua grabbed Gon’s sleeve and tugged him away, (Name) watching them go. Ever the curious one, she snuck around the corner to listen in on their conversation.

“Gon, I didn’t know you were the one that fixed it up. I was being too harsh b-“

“Because you thought Kurapika did it? That’s not very nice, Killua.”

She could hear Killua sigh, smiling to herself. She could almost picture his cheeks puffing out in a pout as he looked at his friend. “Well… I just don’t really like him all that much.”

“You keep saying that, but you never tell me why. What did he do to make you hate him so much? He’s never done anything to hurt any of us!”

Killua stayed quiet, (Name) holding a hand over her chest. “I just… don’t like that he can’t just tell mom how he feels. He says he wants to ask her out, but he keeps chickening out. Kurapika is selfish too, he expects her to wait for him forever…”

(Name)’s eyes widened. ‘He… he likes me? He’s been trying to ask me out on a date?’

Her face felt hot, and she stopped listening for a moment until she heard something else of interest. “Come here, Gon. Let’s get back before everyone gets suspicious.”

“Yeah. I love you, Killua.”

“I love you too.”

(Name) peeked her head around just in time to watch Killua give Gon a peck on the cheek, both of the boys blushing. She stared open mouthed for a split second before rushing back to the kitchen.

———————-

The guests started arriving soon after that, the first being Wing and Zushi. Zushi immediately left with Alluka to play outside, while Wing walked into the kitchen to greet (Name).

“Miss (Name), it’s good to see you. Thank you for watching Zushi last month, he really enjoyed it.”

(Name) smiled, shaking his hand. “Oh it was no problem, and just (Name) is fine!”

Wing left to join Leorio on the porch, Kurapika peeking into the kitchen soon after. “Angel, I got the milk and eggs.”

“Oh wow, he came back with the milk. Surprising.”

Kurapika scowled at Killua, narrowing his eyes. “Of course I did, (Name) asked me to.”

“Uh huh. It’s just a bit of a shock to see you doing anything useful around here. Usually you stand around like an idiot while (Name) does all of the work.”

Kurapika’s grip on the shopping bags tightened, (Name) rushing forward. “You two need to stop, you’re being childish. Anymore of this fighting and you’ll both be washing all of the dishes after dinner. And I mean all of them.”

Killua shuddered, looking at the various pots, pans, bowls, and plates littered across the kitchen. “… point taken.”

Kurapika set the groceries on the table, helping to unpack them as (Name) smiled. “Don’t take him too seriously, he’s trying to get under your skin. If you ignore him, he’ll stop eventually. You have to stop giving him a reaction.”

“You’re acting like he’s some kind of wild animal that can’t be tamed. He’s a kid that needs some discipline, you let him get away with everything.”

(Name) scowled. “I don’t let him get away with everything, he usually is really well behaved whne you’re not around. Have you ever thought it’s not him, but you that’s the problem?”

Kurapika paused, feeling a bit hurt. “What did I do to deserve-“

He stopped, sighing softly. They both knew what he did to upset Killua, but Kurapika had hoped he would be past that by now. But at that thought, Kurapika cringed. ‘Oh course he isn’t over it, who would be? (Name) didn’t deserve that…’

Kurapika sighed, throwing the empty shopping bags in the trash. “Is there anything else you need me to do?”

(Name) looked up, humming. She had already went back to mashing up potatoes while he sulked. “You can make sure Leorio doesn’t get high before dinner.”

“On it.”

More guests arrived, in the form of Knuckle, Shoot, and Morel. They all brought desserts, which were much appreciated since Kurapika burned the cherry pie. “Aww, these look great!”

“Thanks, we got them from the bakery down the street.”

Morel and Shoot joined Leorio on the porch while Knuckle sat at the kitchen table, watching her cook. “You’ve been working hard, (Name). You made all this?”

“Yeah, but I had some help from Alluka and Menchi-“

“I can tell you did most of the work, (Name). Don’t sell yourself short.”

She nodded, her cheeks warming at the compliment. (Name) leaned towards Knuckle to give him a kiss on the cheek just as Kurapika rounded the corner to ask if she needed any help.

The blonde stared at the two, his eyes gone scarlet. Knuckle was the first to recognize the intense bloodlust emanating from behind him, seeing Kurapika when he turned around. (Name) spotted him as well. “Oh, hey Kurapika!”

Kurapika didn’t respond, only walking over to get, grabbing her arm. “(Name), I need to speak with you for a moment.”

“B-but I have something in the ove-“

Kurapika continued to pull her away, his heart racing and his stomach churning. He couldn’t stand seeing her lips touch another man, it made him seethe with rage.

“Kurapika, what is so important that you need t-“

“Why were you kissing him??”

Kurapika grabbed her by the shoulders, meeting her (e/c) eyes with his scarlet ones. She blinked before answering. “Huh? Because he was being nice to me. It was just a kiss on the cheek, and I can kiss whoever I want.”

His grip tightened slightly, the blonde biting his lip. “(Name), I-“

A knock at the door interrupted the two. (Name) used the small distraction to duck away from Kurapika and towards the door. (Name) wiped her hands off on her apron. “Coming!”

Kurapika followed behind her, attempting to get her attention again as she opened the door. Neither of them were mentally prepared for who would be behind it.

“Hello, (Name). It’s a pleasure.”

Pariston stood behind the door, holding a box of gourmet chocolates, likely bought from the local bakery. He handed them to (Name) before pushing past her into her home.

Behind him was Cheadle and several other people (Name) assumed were zodiac members. She could almost feel Kurapika tense up behind her.

“Chairwoman Cheadle, what a-“

Cheadle sighed as Kurapika began to ask her a question. “When you mentioned the get together (Name) planned, Pariston was determined to attend. I didn’t want those two to cause too much trouble, so I and a few of the Zodiac came as well.”

“Those two? I only saw Parist-“

“Hey babe, miss me?”

(Name)’s face scrunched up in disgust when Ging walked up her driveway, giving her a sly smile. Cheadle slapped a hand over her forehead, rubbing at her temple as if she already had a headache from his presence alone. “Yes, those two.”

Ging walked in, walking over the welcome mat without wiping his feet. He ended up tracking in a lot of mud, causing (Name) to twitch. Cheadle hit Ging on the shoulder. “At least act like you have manners. Take those off on the porch!”

Kurapika seemed tense, the corner of his mouth twitching downward into a nervous frown. (Name) placed a hand on his shoulder to attempt to comfort him, but he shrugged it away. She sighed, putting on a smile for the Zodiac members.

“Well, welcome everyone. Please, take a seat. There’s drinks in the cooler outside.”

They walked in, and Kurapika noticed it was all the members that had been at the meeting the other day. Pyon, Gel, Mizaistom, and Zanzai, along with Ging, Cheadle and Pariston. ‘A bit of a handful, but if everything goes well, maybe this would be a good opportunity to prove that (Name) isn’t a bad person!’

(Name) got them all drinks, smiling sweetly and making idle chat as she did some tidying up. “I’ll be back in a little bit, please make yourselves at home!”

She wiped her hands on her apron before leaving to the kitchen, Kurapika’s eyes on her ass as she left.

“She’s got quite the figure, doesn’t she?”

Kurapika’s cheeks turned bright pink when Pariston sat beside him, following his gaze. “I can see why you like her so much, not only is her nen powerful, she seems like you could put her body to use as well.”

The blonde felt his blood boil. “Don’t you dare speak of her in that way, she’s not an object.”

Pariston laughed, patting Kurapika’s shoulder playfully. “Oh my dear friend, she’s the object of your desires, is she not? You were look at her too, you sly dog. Funny, I thought you were supposed to be the rat zodiac.”

Kurapika was visually uncomfortable, his hand gripping the fabric of his pants. No, Kurapika didn’t just see her as an object to own, he loved her. He was nothing like Pariston!

Right?

“Kurapika!”

He looked up, relaxing ever so slightly when he saw (Name) walking back in. She was carrying a bowl of peach cobbler and ice cream in her hands. “I got you a little snack! I saw you didn’t eat breakfast, so I cut into the peach cobbler a little early.”

He felt his heart melt, the blonde sighing happily as she handed the bowl to him. “(Name)…”

Like the last time it was given to him, the peach cobbler was shaped into a heart, with generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Pariston snickered next to him. “Wow, it’s even heart shaped. How… cute. You two… must be very close. That’s interesting, really.”

Kurapika’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like the things Pariston was insinuating, or the sinister look in his eye. “We’re not that close.”

Kurapika said this to be cautious, but (Name) tensed behind him. “I… made it how you like it.” she said softly.

Kurapika’s grip on the bowl tightened, and Pariston decided to keep going. “That wasn’t what you were saying in the meeting. Don’t you lo-“

Pariston grinned when Kurapika covered his mouth, the Kurta’s eyes scarlet with anger. “Keep your filthy mouth shut, Pariston.”

(Name) glanced at the other Zodiacs, who all looked bored, besides Ging, who was walking towards her bathroom with a groan.

“Um… I’m going to go… finish dinner.”

She gave Kurapika a reassuring squeeze to his shoulder before leaning down to kiss his cheek. “I’ll be in the kitchen, okay Pika?”

Kurapika nodded, his eyes half lidded and face red as she left. Her touch could always calm him down, and the blonde couldn’t help but watch her leave with a yearning in his soul.

“Your face is as red as your eyes, lover boy.”

Pariston laughed at Kurapika, crossing one leg over the other. “You look like your husband just left for war. I never thought you would be the clingy type, but here we are.”

“I’m… I’m not clingy. (Name) is just important to me…”

He ate his cobbler in silence, pouting. Maybe if (Name) hadn’t made him something and kissed his cheek, he wouldn’t have been teased so much. ‘I’ll just talk to her… Leorio said communication is key.’

The blonde finished his cobbler, standing up and walking towards the kitchen. He opened the door, glancing in to see (Name) humming to herself as she chopped up celery. “Kurapika? Did you enjoy the cobbler?”

He was quiet as he set his bowl in the sink. He turned on the water, filling the bowl so it could soak to make it easier for whoever washed dishes later.

“(Name)…”

She looked up, swiping the chopped celery from the cutting board into a strainer with her knife. “Yes, Pika?”

(Name) looked awfully cute in her pink, frilly apron, making the blonde short circuit for a moment before he was able to answer. “Can… can you not embarrass me like that?”

The woman paused, giving him her full attention. With an unreadable expression, she replied. “Excuse me?”

‘Fuck.’

“W-when you kissed by cheek, it was a little embarrassing. The Zodiac are my prestigious colleagues, I don’t want them thinking lesser of me. Showing weakness in front of them isn’t very-“

Her expression was now very readable. She looked hurt and upset, the soft smile she’d been wearing before completely gone. “… think lesser of you? What do you even mean by that? Am… I embarrassing to you?”

Kurapika knew he fucked up, the blonde trying his best to backtrack. “No, no you’re not embarrassing, it’s the way you act that’s emba-“

He cursed to himself, he was just digging himself in further. (Name) stared at him in disbelief, hurt evident on her face. “Are you… being serious, Pika? You think I’m embarrassing?”

He froze, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way to explain himself, but he wasn’t able to get anything out. Kurapika stuttered, face flushing in embarrassment as he tried to justify what he said. “Well, it’s just that sometimes you can do things that e-embarrass me. I…”

He went quiet. There were tears pooling in the corners of her eyes, and her lip was quivering. “Sorry, I’ll keep that in mind, Kurapika.”

Kurapika flinched. He wanted to grab at her sleeve and apologize, try to explain himself better, but she was already giving him the cold shoulder, refusing to even look at him. He hated seeing her cry more than anything, especially when he was the cause of her tears.

“(Name), please, I… just listen to me.”

“Sorry, I’m too busy being embarrassing to hear you.”

“(Name)…”

He reached out to grab her shoulder to MAKE her listen to him, but before he could the bathroom door opened. Ging walked out, holding the bottle of Febreze and spraying it. “Yeesh, I feel 10 pounds lighter. Hey (Name)!”

He turned to them, laughing. “Ah, they you are sweetheart. Shitters full, hope ya got a good plunger.”

He patted her shoulder then walked off, leaving both of them grimacing and covering their noses.

“And I’m the embarrassing one? So much for the Zodiac being prestigious…”

Kurapika grimaced. He couldn’t really argue with that, and he didn’t want to either. There was the fact that Ging wasn’t a Zodiac member anymore, but he had been one for a while. There was no excuse, really.

“Leorio, toilets clogged!”

————————

(Name) sat in the kitchen, angrily stirring a pot of cabbage. She hadn’t spoken to Kurapika since he claimed she embarrassed him, and the blonde was currently an emotional wreck. He couldn’t even pretend to keep up appearances, Kurapika openly sulked on the couch as the other guests loitered awkwardly.

“Kurapika, you’re bumming everyone out. What’s up with you?”

The blonde groaned, his head in his hands. “I’m an idiot. The worst.”

“Oh fuck, what did you say to (Name)?”

Kurapika looked up at Leorio, his face miserable. “Why do you think this has to do with (Name)?”

“Because you’re an idiot when it comes to her.”

Leorio wasn’t wrong, Kurapika’s brain did always turn to mush when (Name) was around. “I… said she was embarrassing.”

“Just when I thought you couldn’t say anything worse than the shit you said in York New, you just… go above and beyond.”

A groan left Kurapika’s throat, causing Bisky to glance in his direction. She gave the boy a sympathetic look. “Girl troubles? (Name) told me everything. I should be angry with you but…”

She crossed her legs. “If I’ve learned anything in my old age, it’s that no one would act the way you are now unless they were in love.”

Kurapika nodded slowly, his cheeks flushing a soft pink. “I do love her, I just… I say stupid and hurtful things I don’t mean. I’ve made her cry, now I can’t say I love her. Who makes the one they love cry and think all they are is an embarrassment?”

Bisky placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, gently rubbing it. “Everyone says things they don’t mean sometimes. What’s important is fixing that mistake and making sure the person you hurt knows that you care about them. Just talk to her, tell her how you feel.”

Kurapika scowled. “That’s the problem, she isn’t talking to me now. Every time I try to talk to her, she turns up the music on her headphones or gives me the cold shoulder.”

“Yeah, that’s to be expected. Hell, if you called me embarrassing I would have broken up with you then and there.”

“… we’re not dating.”

Bisky blinked a few times. “Ah… with the way you two look at each other, I thought… never mind. Obviously you haven’t gotten lucky yet.”

The pink on Kurapika’s cheeks turned to a bright red, Leorio trying not to crack up beside him. “Th-that’s none of your business!”

Kurapika crossed his arms, looking away as Leorio stood. “You have fun sulking, I’m gonna go get the fire started.”

(Name) sighed in relief, placing the last dish on the table. The food was finally done, all she needed was to cut everything up and set out paper plates for everyone to use!

“Need some help with that, (Name)?”

Kite was leaning against the doorway, giving her a soft smile. It took (Name) a minute to process their presence, and when she did she broke out into goggles. She ran over to hug them, looking up at them with a big smile. “Kite, you made it!”

“Of course I did, wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

They helped (Name) get the turkey cut up, along with placing a serving spoon in each dish. She sighed, wiping the sweat from her forehead. “Finally…”

They ended up having to put two tables together to fit all of the food, and it looked like a feast for a king. If only Menchi could see it, but unfortunately she could only be there the day before the event to help. She had a lead on a new ingredient, and wouldn’t be able to make it.

“You did this all by yourself, (Name)?”

Kite looked over the tables, their red hair tied up into a ponytail to keep out of their face. (Name) leaned against their shoulder. “Mmm, I had some help, but most of it, yes. Thank god for Alluka and Menchi, they were both big helps.”

A soft smile took over Kite’s face. “It’s nice to see you’re allowing yourself to rely on others, (Name). It’s good progress.”

(Name)’s face heated up at Kite’s observation. Recently, she had been asking for help more often, without even realizing it. “I guess… I just have people I can rely on now.”

The two smiled at each other, before she stretched. “Well, let’s not keep the hungry people waiting.”

Kite caught her wrist before she could walk out. “(Name).”

They turned her so she was facing them. “Are you alright? You seem a bit… distracted.”

(Name) looked away from their eyes, puffing out her chubby cheeks in a pout. “I’m fine… it’s nothing.”

Kite raised an eyebrow before grabbing her cheeks in their hand and squeezing her face. “You’re fine? Why are their tear stains on your cheeks then?”

With a defeated sigh, (Name) told them what happened between her and Kurapika earlier that day. Kite nodded along, listening intently. “I see… that would be a quite upsetting situation to be in. Have you tried talking to him? From what he said, perhaps he said the wrong thing.”

(Name) huffed as she buttered the rolls. “I’ve been way too busy to deal with him. If he wants to man up, apologize, and speak to me, he can.”

Kite blinked in surprise. “(Name)…”

They smiled, patting her shoulder. “You’ve really grown, haven’t you?”

She nodded, finishing the last roll. “I… I’m not as much of a pushover as I used to be. I have friends now, friends that will back me up if I need them to. I don’t… I don’t have to put up with people mistreating me anymore.”

Kite patted her head, ruffling her hair a bit. “That’s good, name. Good girl.”

She melted at the compliment, leaning into their touch like a puppy being told how good it is. “Thank you, Kite…”

(Name) pulled away, her face a little warm. “Alright it’s really time to tell everyone it’s ready.”

The living room was occupied by the Zodiac, along with Bisky and Gon. Ging was nowhere in sight, possibly hiding from his son. “Hey guys, the food is ready, feel free to make yourself a plate!”

Cheadle stood, giving her a polite smile. “Thank you for this (Name), I know having to cook for so many people last minute wouldn’t be easy.”

“It’s fine, please, there’s plenty of food. Make yourself a plate!”

The zodiac were pleasantly surprised by how soft and sweet she was. Pariston smirked as he passed her, his hand brushing against her hip. “Thank you, princess. It smells lovely.”

She shivered, quickly retreating behind Kite, who kept their eye on the former rat zodiac. “It’s okay, (Name). He won’t bother you any further than that.”

The two made their way to the porch, where Leorio, Wing, Knuckle, Morel, Shoot, and a very awkward looking Kurapika. They all had a bottle of beer in their hands, though Kurapika had barely dipped on his.

Once the blonde spotted (Name), he looked away, seeming embarrassed and shy. Kite noticed this, glancing between the two. ‘Ah, they like each other.’

“The food’s ready, guys.”

Knuckle cheered, patting her shoulder as he walked past her. “Thanks, (Name)! Man, I’m starving!”

Morel laughed. “It smells nice, thank you for your hard work.”

He ruffled her hair, Shoot following behind him. The purple haired man gave her an appreciative smile. “Thanks, (Name). We’ve been looking forward to your cooking all year.”

She flushed over their compliments, waving her hand. “Oh, thank you… you’re all so sweet!”

Wing, who left to grab Alluka and Zushi, smiled. “Zushi always gets excited when he gets to come over. Also, I wanted to personally thank you for making the food nut free. It’s very kind of you to take Zushi’s allergies into consideration.”

“It’s no problem, really. He deserves to have a nice dinner too!”

Zushi and Alluka were both filthy, their hands and clothes covered in dirt. (Name) smiled, finding their dirty faces endearing. “Leorio, you guys go eat. I’m going to get the kiddos cleaned up.”

Leorio nodded, cupping her cheek to keep her in place so he could kiss her forehead. “You’re a doll, (Name).”

She sighed happily, leaning into his calloused hand. Leorio was always a warm and safe place for her, and when he held her so tenderly, it made everything a little easier.

Kurapika watched this interaction with a dull ache in his chest. Leorio was always able to give her affection without being awkward. Maybe he should try as well!

He stood up to say something, but from the look (Name) gave him, Kurapika knew he wasn’t getting any kisses. “Th-thank you for your efforts…”

(Name) nodded, turning on her heels. Kite gave the boy a sympathetic look before following behind her, the two kids being led by (Name) to the bathroom.

“Kite, could you keep an eye on the kitchen to make sure… some people don’t mess anything up? I’ll get the kids clean then come make myself a plate.”

Kite nodded. “If you mean keep an eye on Ging and Pariston, I’ve been doing it the entire time.”

She sighed in relief, giving them a smile before taking the two kiddos upstairs. (Name) was surprised to see Killua sitting on her bed, listening to something with headphones on. He glanced up when she walked in, reaching out his hand for her. She walked forward and took his hand, gently squeezing it. “Overstimulated?”

Killua nodded, glancing behind her two see the two filthy kids behind her. “Did they roll around in dirt?”

(Name) snickered. “That’s what I’m assuming happened. I’m going to get them washed up. Do you want to go make your plate now, or do you want me to come with you?”

He ran his thumb over the back of her hand in thought. “Could you… make me a plate and ask Gon to come upstairs with me when you’re done?”

She nodded, ruffling his hair. “Of course. Just relax, getting them tidied up shouldn’t take long.”

———————

(Name) sighed as she wiped Alluka’s face with a warm, damp rag. “Girl, you’re filthy. I expected this from Zushi, but usually you don’t like getting dirty.”

Alluka leaned into (Name)’s gentle touch, nuzzling her hand. “We were playing a fun game! I don’t like getting dirty, b-but it’s okay when it’s for a fun game!”

“Ohh, I see. Well, your nice dress will need to be washed now. How about we put you in some overalls, so you can play better?”

Alluka nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, yeah! That sounds like so much fun!”

(Name) took off her dirty dress and set it in the hamper, then dressed Alluka in a pink sweater and jean overalls. She changed Alluka’s Mary Janes to a pair of sneakers and put her hair into a ponytail so she would be able to play more efficiently.

“There we go, all done. Look at how cute you are!”

Alluka twirled around, giggling. “Thanks, big sis! I’m so excited, I want to play now!”

(Name) laughed, pulling the girl in for a hug. “You have to eat first, okay?”

When the girl looked up, it was Nanika. “Mama… want to sit with you.”

She scooped her up, balancing her on her hip. “Okay, that’s fine with me, sweetheart!”

(Name) walked down the stairs, spotting Zushi making his plate. He was all clean now, wearing a pair of Killua’s play shorts and a shirt. “(Name), thank you for getting me all cleaned up!”

Nanika smiled, nuzzling her face into (Name)’s shoulder. “Love you, mama…”

She kissed the top of Nanika’s head. “Love you too, sweetheart.”

(Name) sat Nanika down at the table, making her a plate of food before she made one to bring up to Killua.

“Gon?”

The boy looked up. He and Kite had been catching up when (Name) walked over. “Hi (Name)! The food is so good, you did a great job!”

“Thank you, Gon. I just wanted to tell you Killua is upstairs, and he asked if you could come eat with him.”

Gon jumped up immediately, grinning. “Sure! Is that plate for him?”

“Yeah, it is. Would you mind taking it up to him?”

Gon took the plate, smiling. “Of course not, Kite, come talk to me before you leave, okay?”

(Name) began to make her plate, spitting a certain blonde walking into the kitchen. Kurapika paused, wondering whether he should stay and make his place, or if he should leave and give her some space.

“It… all looks really good, (Name).”

She hummed in response, placing a piece of turkey on her plate. Kurapika grabbed a sturdy paper plate as well, standing near her as they made their plates together. Even when (Name) was mad at him, she still gently took his hand and guided him to the food she thought he would like. “Try this, I think you would like it.”

(Name) seemed to have an endless amount of patience and kindness. Kurapika did as told, trusting her completely. He looked up just in time to see her placing a helping of the macaroni he made onto her plate. “(Name), you don’t have to. It’s probably not that good.”

She glanced at him, a slight softness in her eyes. “You worked hard on it. It doesn’t matter if it’s good or not, I’m not letting your effort go to waste.”

This made his heart race, his face turning red once again. She was so good, so sweet, he truly didn’t deserve her. ‘Oh, (Name)…’

He truly loved her so much, even when she was upset at him he still couldn’t help but melt in her presence. “Thank you… you’re such a sweetheart.”

(Name) paused as she was walking out the door, her face heating up. She didn’t respond, but felt her heart speed up.

She sat with Nanika in her lap as she ate, making small talk with the other guests. Most of the Zodiac members were keeping to themselves, but now they had spread out.

Kanzai seemed to be getting along well with Knuckle. Pyon and Gel sat together with Bisky, drinking wine with their meal and watching some hallmark movie. Mizaistom was chatting along with Kite, the two seemingly debating something.

‘Well, I’m glad they feel more comfortable,’ (Name) thought, feeding Nanika a bite of turkey. The girl munched happily, before burying her face in (Name)’s shoulder.

“Happy… mama, Alluka wants to go play…”

Nanika looked up at her, gently nuzzling her cheek against (Name)’s. The girl was very affectionate, which (Name) didn’t mind one but. “Okay, okay. You finished your food, go have some fun.”

When the girl looked back up, it’s was Alluka. “Yay, thanks big sis!”

She hugged (Name) before she ran off, giggling. “Be careful, and don’t get into too much trouble!”

(Name) finished her plate before she went back to the kitchen. She looked over the feast she made. There was still so much food left, even after everyone had made their plates. ‘This is going to be a pain to put in the fridge later.’

———————

Kurapika sat on the couch, mindlessly a scrolling on his phone. (Name) has introduced him to social medias a week or so ago, and he really enjoyed TikTok. The nature themed videos where Hunters showed the places they were exploring interested him greatly, along with fun history videos. He had seen a few inaccurate history facts that had him ranting to (Name), though.

‘Ah… (Name)…’

He was thinking about her again, and how he pretty much fucked up his chance to ask her out at the party. Kurapika sighed, turning off his phone and glancing around the living room. It was crowded, but there were also quite a few guests missing. He spotted Ging sneaking around. So far the deadbeat had been able to avoid Gon’s detection, and it seemed he was going back in for a second plate now.

“Wow, you really are pathetic, aren’t you.”

Kurapika looked to his left to see Killua peeking over his shoulder. The blonde scowled, his eyes narrowing. Usually he would take it in stride and just leave the room, but today his mood was sour and patience thin. “What the hell do you want, Killua?”

“Wow, touchy. Guess making a complete idiot out of yourself in front of (Name) can make you pretty grumpy, huh?”

Kurapika’s eyebrow twitched. “I’m really not in the mood for this today, Killua. Don’t you have someone else to annoy?”

Killua didn’t answer him, only moving to sit across from him. “Tell me, Kurapika. Do you plan on making mom wait forever? Do you actually think she would wait that long?”

“Excuse me?”

Killua sighed, shaking his head. “Figures. If you haven’t been able to figure it out yet, mom is very popular. Take Knuckle for example. He’s a nice guy that likes mom, but she hasn’t given him a chance because she likes someone else.”

The white haired boy stared at Kurapika. “Unfortunately for all of us, that person she likes is you. It’s a tragedy, really. I really wish my mom had better taste.”

Kurapika was both flustered and pissed off. He was just about tired of Killua belittling him every chance he got. “What the hell is your problem? At this point it feels less like you’re defending (Name), and more like you have some personal issue with me.”

Killua laughed. “Are you joking? Fuck, I knew you were selfish and an asshole, but I didn’t know you were delusional too. I can count on a single hand the amount of times you’ve done anything for the group. Though, that number is smaller if we take into account whether it was for your own benefit or not. Mom has helped others for nothing reason other than being a good, kind person. Not only do you not deserve her, she doesn’t deserve to be taken advantage of by you.”

Kurapika was shocked, his mouth agape. “Taken advantage of by me? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Her kindness, Kurapika. You take advantage of what a good person she is. Like a parasite, you’ve latched onto her because she makes you feel a little less pathetic than you are. You can’t love others, so you find people that can and attach yourself to them.”

“That’s not true, I do love (Name)!”

“Really? Does someone in love make their loved one sick with worry? Do they make their loved one so depressed after they leave them that they fall into a depression so bad that Leorio had to take an entire month off of college to make sure they are taken care of? Fuck, Kurapika, do you not understand the absolute hell you put mom through?

You’re fucking selfish, and now that you’ve been given a second chance you can’t even make her happy when you actually try. I think that’s what pisses me off the most, the fact that mom is kind enough to not even mention the shit you’ve done and just allow you to stay here, and you can’t do something as simple as ask her out. You’re a coward, a selfish, pathetic coward.”

Kurapika crushed the cup he was holding, glass shards flying as he stood. “That’s it, I’m sick of this. You don’t know anything about me or how I feel. Do you understand how hard it is to try and love someone after losing everyone important to you, how terrifying it is to realize that my love for her could get her killed? My clan-“

Killua groaned. “Your clan is gone, Kurapika. At this point I think you’re using this bullshit as an excuse to distance yourself emotionally. Your mission, your dear clan, blah blah blah. Who fucking cares? They’re gone!”

This sent Kurapika over the edge. He launched himself over the table, his eyes glowing scarlet as he grabbed Killua’s shirt. “Don’t you ever talk about my clan like that, you fucking-“

Killua ripped his hands off of him, laughing. “Oh, are you going to fight me over it? Go ahead, Kurapika, hit me.”

And Kurapika did just that, punching the white haired boy in the face.

——————

Leorio sat on the porch with Wing as Zushi and Alluka searched the garden for more creatures. He took a sip of his beer as the latter army crawled out from under the porch, tiny fists balled up and caked in dirt as she made a beeline to the little picnic table in the distance. Zushi smiled, flipping to a random page in a coloring book he packed.

“Perfect! Worm Court is open for business. Time to assemble the jury.”

And just like that, two little sets of hands tried to place the various critters in a two-by-six array on the wooden surface. None of them were staying put, wriggling around and falling off. Amidst their cries of “contempt of court!” and “Order! Order”’, Wing finally hazarded a glance over to Leorio.

“Were kids’ games always that…”

“Strange? I don’t question it anymore. They’re not hurting anyone though, so that’s good.”

As soon as Leorio turned away, Nanika reached under the bench and pulled out a rusty hammer. How long it had been there was unknown, and she plopped it unceremoniously onto the bench before Alluka returned again.

“That’s a relief. I know Zushi wanted to teach her more about nen this weekend, but I feel like it’d be too stressful at a large gathering like this.” Wing nodded in understanding, sipping his beer. “Speaking of mastering nen, a little bird told me you’ve improved by leaps and bounds in your own journey? How’s that working out for you?” Leorio lit up at the praise, trying to rein in his excitement with a cough.

“Oh! Um, yeah. Yeah, I think I’ve figured out how to use my nen effectively enough for healing”, Leorio flushed a little, clearing his throat. It wasn’t every day a nen master praised your hard work after all.

“That sounds like a great application for it, I’d love to see it in action sometime.”

Leorio smiled, happy to share all the ideas he’s come up with so far.

“It’ll really come in handy for medical sc-“

CRASH!

The screen door slammed open, the wooden frame snapping in the middle and rattling the side of the house with sheer velocity. Fists were flying in a tornado of white, gold, and blue, and the men jumped back on reflex.

“Hey, HEY! What the hell is going on h-WOAH!”

It slowed down enough for Leorio to notice the two instigators as none other than Kurapika and Killua, and when he went to pull the latter back by the collar of his shirt he ducked out of reach, paying no mind.

“You mother FUCKER-“ Killua picked up the blonde by his tabard, only for him to spit out a little blood, scarlet eyes glowing with fury and…mischief? Kurpika, bruised and bloody gave him a shit-eating grin before he finally spoke.

“I sure am, what about it?”

The words took a moment to register in Killua’s head, but as soon as they clicked into place, he saw nothing but red.

Killua tossed him backward into the fire pit (Name) had dragged out to the porch for special gatherings, but Kurapika grabbed onto the boy, sending both of them tumbling off the porch as the railing splintered beneath their collective weight. The fire pit rolled into the flower bushes, and the rose bush was engulfed in flames, burning steadily as they traveled up the plant. A few feet away, not even acknowledging the accidental arson, Killua rolled over to pin Kurapika to the ground, fists flying as he wailed on the man below him.

“YOU”- he punched Kurapika, punctuating his words with blow after blow. “LEAVE”- a hand came up, trying to shove him off but he pushed it to the ground, standing up. “MY MOTHER”- another haymaker to the temple. “OUT OF THIS!” Killua finished with a solid kick to the groin, reaching for a split wooden beam and raising it to strike. In a flash, Kurapika blindly kicked him in the leg to fall on his ass with a dull thud.

Killua looked up just in time to see Kurapika grab a shitty plastic chair by the headrest, the latter chuckling dangerously as the cheap red material quickly began to dull in comparison to the scarlet rage overtaking his irises. He waved the 2x4 menacingly, almost daring the blonde to come closer.

Wing and Leorio watched, horrified as the two of them battled it out. Not with nen, like one might see in a clean fight, or normal blades like that of a sparring match- but with scattered debris, bloodied fists and all of the finesse and gracefulness of a couple of drunken sailors. Realizing they need to put a stop to it before it got any worse, Wing stepped forward as Leorio attemptsy to stomp out the blackening shrub.

“That’s enough! This is no way for dignified hunters to act, especially a couple of nen users such as yourselves. You two ought to be ashamed!”

Kurapika, too far gone to pay attention to much else, swung the chair at Killua menacingly as the younger one parried it with the splintered 2x4. The trajectory and force were enough to knock not just the glasses off of his head and onto the lawn, but the beer right out of his hands as well. The bottle ricocheted off the chair, flying towards the large oak tree before shattering into a million pieces like some sort of horrible glass baseball.

It left a dark stain on the trunk in its wake, trickling down the bark and down into the pile of shards left behind. Despite the impact, Kurapika never faltered, either unaware of what just transpired or completely indifferent.

‘They’re not even using nen, they’re just fighting dirty…it’s like they want to revel in the destruction, to feel the blood on their hands themselves.’ Wing felt around his immediate vicinity for the frames, before Leorio spotted them a few yards away. Placing them back on the man’s face and helping him up, he patted his shoulder and shot a glare at the duo, seemingly out for blood.

“Wing, the hose is on the left of the house. Put the flowers out, and I’ll see if (name) has some frozen peas you can put on your bruise.”

He nodded sprinting across the floor porch as Leorio hurried in to see (Name) minding her own business, putting up the food. He glanced back over to the door again, little more than a pile of mesh and scrap wood. Between the stress of cooking, company, and cleaning, (Name) seemed too preoccupied to notice the damage. He silently thanked the stars above

‘They’ll sort it out themselves, the last thing she needs is more stress’, he thought to himself. If Kurapika wanted to make an ass of himself in front of the Zodiacs by decking a 14 year old, then that was his problem. Right now, he needed to find something cold for Wing to use as a compress.

She had sent mostly everyone out, claiming the kitchen tended to get chaotic, and he would have laughed at the irony if he wasn’t so worried about the fiasco going on just outside. Her hair was a mess, favorite apron is covered in various stains and spills, and plates upon plates were scattered onto various surfaces. He nearly left undetected when she sensed his aura, turning her head.

“Hey Leorio, what’s up?”

His mouth was dry, trying to figure out the best way to explain himself and possibly buy some time when she paused and frowned. Leorio tried to follow her line of sight and saw Wing by the window, followed by… a garden hose?

“Oh, did Alluka get all muddy from worm hunting under the porch again? I thought I told her not to do that until after dinner.” As soon as she said that, the oven went off, and she slips on a pair of Hello Kitty mitts, sliding the pie dish out and closing the door with her hip with a practiced ease. Placing it onto the burners to cool and slipping them off again, she offered them to Leorio. “Could you hang these up for me? “

Leorio realized what she saw just a second too late, powerless to stop her as she turned the stove off to rush past and see what was going on firsthand

“Leorio, what’s going on? And why do I smell something burning?!”

“Nothing! It’s just the kids get a little rowdy is all, and Wing needed an ice pack.”

Ging’s voice tore through the clattering of pots and pans like a warcry for deadbeat dads from the porch.

“WOOORLDSTAAAARRR!”

By the time (name) made it to the front door (what was left of it anyway), she was met with Wing frantically trying to put out the last of the fire as Leorio pulled the broken pit away from the bushes. The railing was completely destroyed on one side of the steps, and there was scorch marks all over the wood. Finally, Leorio cleared his throat.

“Thats not…what we called you out for”, (Name) followed the man’s gaze, before landing on Kurapika and Killua rolling around in the front yard in a mess of flailing limbs and screaming. This time, however, it looked as though Kurapika finally got the upper hand.

“You little bastard, have you always been this insufferable?! You just couldn’t keep your mouth shut, could you?!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Killua sunk his teeth into Kurapika’s arm, relishing in the anguished scream that rippled from the man’s throat.

“You think I’m afraid of your goofy ass Ghost Of Christmas Past attacks!?”

She got about four steps forward before a jet stream of water shot out from behind her, soaking the boys as they froze up instantly. Wing held the hose and glared at them, and white hot shame crept up upon both of them.

“If you want to fight like animals, you’ll be treated as such.

It quickly turned to dread however as soon as Kurapika noticed (Name) marching over, brandishing a wooden spoon and a scowl that somehow manages to chill him even more than the garden hose. Leorio had given her a quick explanation, along with Bisky who had heard what happened inside.

“(Name)! I can explain”

“Mom”-

“Killua, you didn’t need to bring his family into this. You know it’s a sore subject.” The boy in question was pouting as she flicked his forehead. Kurapika snickered but it died down instantly when she redirected her ire to him.

He yelped when she smacked him over the head with the wooden spoon. “And YOU’RE not much better. Who the hell throws hands with a child, Kurapika?! You’re a grown man. Come on.”

She narrowed her eyes at the two, who couldn’t even look her in the face. “Don’t you ever think about hitting each other again, we’re friends. Act like it.”

They nodded, and (Name) sighed.

“Both of you can do the dishes. I think that’s fair. Maybe it’ll teach you to get along too.”

The two grumbled, but quieted down when she pointed to the kitchen using her wooden spoon. “Go, now. I want them done within 30 minutes, or neither of you are getting any dessert.”

——————

The two stood in the kitchen, silent as they both washed dishes. They got a system going, where Kurapika washed, and Killua rinsed and dried.

(Name) had healed their injuries to the best of her abilities before they went inside, getting all of the big wounds and gashes dealt with. Now they were covered in bruised and little scratches, but were overall okay.

Kurapika glanced out the window to see (Name) walking to Leorio, Kite, and Wing, the woman looking distressed. When she started to talk frantically, Leorio pulled her into a hug. Kurapika felt awful for causing her trouble, and when he looked to his right, he saw he wasn’t alone in that.

Killua also looked guilty, looking at (Name) with soft, concerned eyes. Though they were different, Killua and Kurapika shared one thing.

They both loved (Name).

The blonde sighed, setting down the rag for a moment. “Killua… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let my anger get the better of me, hitting you was unacceptable.”

Killua was quiet for a moment before he nodded slowly. “I… I’m sorry too. I… was just so angry when I saw (Name) upset again over you that… I snapped. You were right, I… don’t know you or how you feel, and saying that about your clan…”

Kurapika shook his head, patting the boy on the back. “It’s alright, Killua. Water under the bridge.”

The two smiled at each other. “Okay, okay… and I have to admit, you’re pretty skilled, Kurapika. That’s the most fun I’ve had during a fight in years.”

The two laughed, laughing and joking like old times.

It calmed down a little and Killua sighed, trying to be serious. “Can I ask you a question? Man to man?”

“Hm? You’re fourteen, I’d hardly call that a man. But go ahead.”

Killua glared, but elected to ignore the remark in favor of getting information out of him.

“You love (name), don’t you?”

“…”

His silence spoke volumes, but Killua already knew his answer before then. He was just looking for confirmation.

“She let you back into her life, and I know she forgives you. Not that you deserve it, but a second chance just fell into your lap. I feel like you’re still holding her at arm’s length though. And don’t think she doesn’t notice, because she does. She’s a lot more perceptive than people give her credit for.”

“I…even if I were to stay in her life, I don’t deserve to be that close to her. I’m lucky to be her friend.”

“You don’t even want to try? Like at all?”

“Killua, it’s not that simple.”

“If it’s because you think you don’t deserve her, shouldn’t that motivate you to WANT to be better? And become someone she deserves?”

“People can’t change. If I get too close, I’ll lose my rage. That’s the only thing keeping me going right now.”

“Oh noooo, I can’t be around this person because they make me less angry~!” Killua replied mockingly, putting his soapy hands up in defense when Kurapika glared at him. “That’s called being comfortable around someone. And people can too change, genius.”

“The spiders will always be cold blooded killers. There’s no room for redemption.”

“Okay, maybe not everyone”, Killua rolls his eyes, of course Kurapika had an exception up his sleeve. “But for the most part, we do. (Name) told me once that stagnation is a fate worse than death. If you aren’t evolving as a person, then what the hell are you doing?”

Kurapika blinked in surprise, putting the plate down and grabbing a cup to wash. “I…guess that makes sense? You’ve mellowed out a bit over the years Killua.” He didn’t want to outright admit that Killua had matured, or he’d risk him getting a big head.

“No shit Sherlock. She gave me a loving home and enrolled me in therapy. Being loved didn’t nerf me, if anything it made me stronger. Now I’m emotionally stable, nourished, and thriving. I stand a way better chance at kicking someone’s ass now.”

The last dish was dried and put away, and the two of them came out to the living room where everyone is huddled on the couch or near it, the TV playing some sort of holiday special. (Name) noticed them, and waved them over. He noticed she changed into something more comfortable, but when he recognized the faded pattern on the sleeves he had to do a double take.

It was the same one she had during the hunter exam, but back then it was much newer and vibrant.

“You’re just in time, we were about to start Charlie Brown!” Killua joined her, and like clockwork she removed the sleeve so he could put half of it on like an oversized blanket. “This thing is kind of old, (name). It’s cozy, but definitely seen better days.”

“I know, I mostly wear it to bed or knocking around the house, but I love it too much to get rid of it. It’s one of the comfiest things I own, even if it’s golden days are long gone”, she ruffled his hair and Kurapika joined her on the other side.

“It still serves its purpose, Killua. We don’t all need a giant wardrobe”, Kurapika teased good-naturedly, and the boy in question lifted his head to stick a tongue out at him.

“It’s one of those that gets softer the more you wash it”, (name) helpfully supplied. “It just means it’s well loved, and it loves you back. Time is irrelevant when you’re this cozy.”

Kurapika hummed, leaning a head against her other shoulder. A few minutes into the movie, his phone pinged with a message from Killua, who sighed in contentment before closing his eyes. Kurapika opened up the message and saw attachment: 1 image.

Wholly expecting another stupid meme, like that god awful Megamind “no bitches” thing he got like clockwork every time he did something bad in front of (Name), he sighed and opened it intending to leave him on read. Instead, he was greeted with a side by side comparison of what looked like a couple of plush Garfield cats. One plush looked brand new, while the other was worn down from use. The text said “to be loved is to be changed.”

He thought back to what Killua said earlier about how stagnating was a fate worse than death.

He knew his mission was dangerous, but at the same time, would it really be okay for him to get close to (name)? It was just a stupid Garfield meme, he shouldn’t be reading this much into it, but before he realized it he was tearing up. (Name) looked over and frowned.

“Kurapika, are you alright? What’s wrong?”

A gentle hand cupped his cheek, her thumb swiping away his tears. Kurapika sighed in contentment, leaning into her touch. “It’s nothing, just… thinking about things, what I want to do with my time.”

(Name) nodded, retracting her hand and allowing him to lean back against her shoulder.

She seemed a bit more relaxed, the two not knowing she was watching their little interactions just moments before. “By the way Kurapika, Leorio wanted me to tell to meet him on the porch asfter this movie.”

The blonde nodded, looking down at her. “(Name)… when I get back… we need to talk, okay?”

(Name) paused, Killua giving him a thumbs up from behind her. “Oh, um… alright.”

She sounded hesitant, but it was an improvement from her ignoring him. The three watched He gave her a sneaky kiss to her cheek before walking out to meet Leorio.

Leorio and Kite sat on the front porch. It seemed most of the guests had gone home. Knuckles, Shoot, Morel, Pyon, Gel, Kanzai, and Mizaistom were gone already.

“Kurapika, sit.”

Leorio gestured for a wicker chair sat next to the two. The blonde took it, glancing between the two. “What did you call me out for?”

“You seemed pretty… antsy earlier,” Kite explained as Leorio rummaged a small metal box.

“Antsy is an understatement, you looked insane. I really thought you were about to start growling and foaming at the mouth for a moment there.”

Kurapika flushed at Leorio’s words, feeling ashamed of his actions. “I know, I’ve already apologized to Killua.”

“Shit, he wasn’t much better. Trust me, I know Killua, he can be a real asshole, but he’s still a kid.”

Kurapika nodded, looking at his lap. Leorio was right of course, he usually was. “So, what did you want?”

Leorio smiled, finishing his task and pulling out a blunt from the metal box. “I want you to relax and smoke with us. Take a breather, chill with the boys- or well, Kite and I.”

Kite rolled their eyes. “I told you I don’t care what you call me, Leorio.”

Leorio blushed, waving his hand apologetically while Kurapika processed what the dark haired man was offering. “You want me to get high with you? Is that smart, considering I pissed off (Name) enough today? She hates when I smoke.”

“See, you need to relax. Stop worrying about (Name) for a minute. You worry so much that you stress yourself out, making you snap at others. You’ll be way better to (Name) if you learned to chill out and take care of yourself every one in a while.”

Kurapika leaned back in his chair as Leorio lit up the blunt, taking a puff before passing it to Kite.

“Come on, Kurapika. It’ll help you relax.”

Kite held out the blunt to Kurapika, smiling. The blonde stared at the two. “Am I being peer pressured right now?”

“Yes,” the two said in unison.

He groaned and took the blunt, holding it out. “Just one puff.”

———————

(Name) looked up when Kurapika stumbled into the house, a dopey smile on his red face. Once he spotted her, the blonde made a whining sound, immediately clinging to her as he rubbed his cheek against hers. “Mmm… (Name)…”

The woman squeaked, squirming in his strong grip as he pulled her closer, peppering kisses into her cheeks and neck. “K-Kurapika, what are you-“

She paused, sniffing his shirt. “Oh god damn it, are you high? Leorio did this, didn’t he?”

(Name) huffed as Kurapika nuzzled his nose agaisnt hers, clinging to her like she was his lifeline in a storm. “Just want you… lemme hold you, ‘kay?”

She didn’t protest, leading him to the living room so he could snuggle her on the couch. He seemed so attached to her, and as soon as they laid down he squished his face into her chest, nuzzling until he was comfortable.

The woman wanted to pretend she was annoyed, but honestly she found him cute when he was like this. Whenever he was inebriated, Kurapika could let go of all of his limitations and do what he really wanted. He wanted to be near her, for every part of his body to be in contact with hers. It made him so happy to lie on top of her, his face in her breasts and arms wrapped around her.

“(Name)…”

She hummed in response, running her fingers through his blonde hair. “What is it, Kurapika?”

“I…”

He looked up at her, his eyes a little red from smoking. “I’m really sorry… I know… I say stupid and hurtful things sometimes… but just know…”

He blinked at her sleepily, leaning forward to the point their lips were only an inch apart. “I care about you… a lot… so, so much…”

(Name) sighed happily when he kissed her, feeling his tongue gently lap at her lip, asking for forgiveness and acceptance. With a little nip to his lip, she allowed him in, holding his face tenderly.

Though their tongues danced and their breaths were heavy, the kiss wasn’t arousing. It felt loving, sweet, a kiss people who loved each other would share. When they pulled away, Kurapika’s eyes were soft, looking into hers with so much love (Name) felt her body would explode. “Mmm…”

He laid his head back down, his lips pressing kisses into her neck sleepily. ‘I love you…’ he thought, his hands gently caressing her sides.

The two soon fell asleep on the couch, being covered up by Leorio and hour later. Guests left, leaving Kurapika and (Name) in peace.

Leorio, Kite, and Bisky sat on the porch, talking as they drank. “It seems those two have made up.” Bisky said with a laugh, swirling her wine glass.

“Yeah, it seems so. They both looked pretty happy.” Leorio agreed, staring into the neck of his beer bottle. Kite only sighed, leaning into his chair.

“Does he still not know about the Chimera Ant situation?”

The other two went quiet at Kite’s question, not daring to look up. “He doesn’t, does he?”

“No, he doesn’t even know about the letter, or the fact she nearly killed herself after what he did in York New,” Leorio said gravely, setting down his drink. “She said it would absolutely destroy him. Sometimes I hate how she always thinks about others before herself.”

Bisky nodded. “She cares about Kurapika so much, she won’t even tell him just how badly his actions affected her in fear that it would push him over the edge. Apparently, when she would sleep next to him during the Hunter Exam, he would talk about ending his life after finding the scarlet eyes in his sleep. It really messed with her head.”

Kite cleared their throat. “Well, it has to come out eventually. Keeping all of these secrets helps no one, especially the fact that (Name) has worked with the Phantom Troupe. If he finds out on his own, he might assume she’s a traitor when she’s actually been helping him by being getting information. He gets too angry, he wouldn’t be able to comprise with them.”

Leorio sighed, the man looking much more tired than before the conversation started. “Yeah, I know. I just hope Kurapika is ready for all of that information. Hell, Gon doesn’t even know any of it, he doesn’t even know Kurapika’s the one that broke (Name)’s wrist.”

The three sat in silence, knowing that eventually, these secrets would come to light.

They were just hoping it would be of (Name)’s own free will.

#kurapika x reader #bug mom writes

[bugmomwrites]

@bwabys-scenarios if I had to read this with my own two eyes so do you

kurapika hxh has the same color palette as this turkey

[bugmomwrites]

Back into Pokémon scarlet and currently simping over Jacq please send me your headcanons and thoughts and I may share mine 🤭

#he’s so babygirl I CANNOT- #bug babbles #pokémon scarlet #jacq x reader

[bugmomwrites]

i think about this tweet a lot

[bugmomwrites]

Me yesterday after chasing an Adderall with 2 energy drinks

I'm so anxious right now. I wonder what would happen if I drank some caffeine

#bug babbles

[bugmomwrites]

Halloween 2022 group costume idea 😍😍😍

[bugmomwrites]

Haven’t had this much fun on an English final since 2018 🥰

#queen Elizabeth #undertale #mob psycho 100 #reigen arataka #tumblr sexymen poll #september 8 #for those wondering #I got an 87 #only lost points for punctuation #and spelling #professor otherwise loved it

[bugmomwrites]

Strangeness and Charm

(A Leorio x Fem!Autistic!Reader College AU)

Leorio is thrilled to be returning to college in the fall after a trip with his friends to York New, and pleasantly surprised to meet a new pretty face in his classes. Unfortunately for him, you also exist.

Or, it's a wonderful day on the campus, and you are a horrible student.

A/N: This is how I'm coping with chemistry class guys. A neat little story by an autistic girlie for the autistic girlies. It's pretty bare bones and it started as a joke with @bwabys-scenarios. Worth noting I was zooted out of my mind when I began composing the earliest draft, so if you were hoping for the next Odyessy, look elsewhere because I'm writing solely for my own enjoyment and nothing is sacred. If you want to be added to the tag list please let me know, it will give me an extra dopamine molecule to survive the day.

That said, enjoy the ride.

Chapter I: Water & Oil

‘401, 402, 403- Here it is. Why am I just finding out this morning they moved the class to the fourth floor?’

Leorio sighed, glancing at his schedule one last time to confirm that he was, in fact, in the correct place before carefully pushing the door open and marching into his Advanced Chemistry class. It was bad enough showing up about ten minutes late after having missed syllabus week due to a trip, but now it was going to be even more difficult to find a seat. He groaned internally at this, realizing that with the new fall semester the place would be fuller than usual, especially with fresh high school graduates.

‘Of course the place is crawling with freshmen’, he thought to himself. Giving a polite wave to the professor who nodded stiffly before returning to introductions, he turned his attention back to the lecture hall seating, his eyes desperately roving over the sea of people on the risers. There were a few empty ones in front, but when he went to set his books down he was met with a few stinkeyes and a passive aggressive “pack it up Buddy the elf!” Putting his hands up in surrender, Leorio picked up his briefcase again and resumed his search. 

Trying to make one’s way up a flight of bleachers at a game is hard enough, but add in being well over six feet tall, noisy, horrendously awkward, and the last one to show up, of course hundreds of eyes would be burning into you. Leorio wasn’t a stranger to attracting attention when he went out, but damn it can’t a guy just exist in peace?!

Not wanting to be any more disruptive than he already had been, Leorio made his way up, gingerly stepping over limbs and muttering apologies as he found two seats close to the back, opting for the one with more legroom. Finally able to sit after nearly missing his bus, arriving at the wrong building, and sprinting over here only to cause a scene, he felt his blood pressure drop back to normal. Sure, he could feel sweat on his back, but his suit jacket was dark enough to hide what could have been an embarrassing patch.

He must not have been as composed as he tried to convince himself he was, because he was still in a daze when one of the many freshman dug into her bag and held up a metal water bottle as big as his head. He had always heard that eye contact was good when meeting a new person, but was it possible for a person to maintain too much of it? Baggy eyes with thick lashes and circles to match stared into him, as if studying him under a microscope, and he felt himself shrinking into himself despite towering over her. Another moment of loaded silence fell over them before she shook the bottle, the subdued clattering of ice inside bringing him back to earth. He hesitantly thanks her, carefully lifting the heavy object with both hands before unscrewing the top to take a grateful swig.

‘Maybe they’re not all bad. Sure, they’re a little arrogant, but they haven’t been adults for very long either. Besides, I’m only 19, it’s not like I’m much b-’

His eyes shot wide open when he finally registered the familiar burn of a stiff drink on his tongue. And not just some flimsy cocktail either- this was some prohibition-level strength in that bottle! 

Trying frantically to spit it back into the strawless mouth of the lid, he coughed up as much as he possibly could. The girl looked up from the chicken scratch on her binder when he set the bottle back down on the table between them with a dull thud. She had the audacity to raise an eyebrow at him, seemingly indifferent to his plight before shrugging and chugging an alarming amount of booze and backwash at 9am.

Leorio looked on, horrified and making a mental note to avoid her like the plague this coming semester. He had already made enough of a scene today, so he sat uncomfortably in her proximity as the professor droned on about the syllabus, covering the last page of information that was missed on Friday due to time constraints. Nothing seemed to change from last year except for the location, and a few other topics that he had already grown familiar with in the standard level class last semester. As the talking faded into white noise he found himself thinking of how to give this girl a piece of his mind as soon as the bell rung.

“And I hope you’re all comfortable where you are now, because the people at your table will be your lab partner for this week’s assignment! Now that everyone knows what’s to be expected in this class, let’s take some time now to get to know our seatmates better.”

His head swivled around like a deer in the headlights, eyes darting to the professor, to Moonshine Girl, to just behind Moonshine Girl where another woman sat eating some fruit from a tupperware bowl. She appeared to be a little bit older, taller, and much more composed than her slovenly counterpart. Manicured nails pushed a lock of platinum blonde hair out of her face as she gave Leorio a blinding smile, and everything about her screamed perfection. To her left, in between the two of them, Moonshine Girl was currently squeezing a ziploc baggie of soggy fruity pebbles out of a snipped corner and into her gaping maw.

“Sooo my name is Emily, I’m looking forward to working with y”-

“What the hell did you just give me?! I know it wasn’t water in that bottle! You have a lot of explaining to do missy. I don’t know what possessed you to think bringing that was o”-

“Hey, HEY dude calm down. It was an honest mistake.” Moonshine Girl sat up in her chair after leaning back on the legs a little. She shamefully took the bottle out, unscrewing the entire lid and showing them the contents. It was moonshine, all right- and there were little plastic stars filled with water. Reusable ice cubes.

“It was a Labor Day weekend project, I have a few of these giant bottles. I probably should have labeled them better instead of just throwing everything on my countertop.” Well, if Leorio was angry before, he was furious now. He opened his mouth, about to go on a tirade when Emily quietly asked to hold it. Moonshine Girl obliged, passing the container over. Hoping Emily would take it and dump it on the way out of class, Leorio leaned back into his seat when Emily took a sip herself, setting it down with a thumbs up.

“Oh yeah, no that’s definitely not water. It’s not too bad though, maybe you can show me how to make it at some point?”

Leorio watches the exchange, flabbergasted. Moonshine Girl nods excitedly, twisting the lid back on and tucking it back in her bag. “That sounds fun! Oh, right, my name is (name).”

Leorio files the information in his brain away for later, deciding to play nice until the end of class when he could quietly report the incident.

---

“Alright, if we’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other this semester, maybe we should exchange contact info?”, (name) suggested, opening up the contacts app on her phone. Emily's face lit up, popping her phone number in, and then asked (name) to follow up with a quick text to make sure it worked. Sure enough, her phone pinged and Emily sent a little message back.

‘Hey! It’s Emily from chem <3’

Satisfied with the result, Emily goes to put her phone away when Leorio stops her. “Hey wait a minute why can’t I get a pretty girl’s number?!” 

Emily’s smile fades a little, cringing at the blatant flirting attempt before reluctantly punching in her digits. “Don’t forget (name)”, she reminds him, and he sighs. A few taps later, he hits the create contact button and slides the phone across the table when (name) pipes up.

“Wait hang on, I need to test it.” Fuck.

(Name) composes a little message, and almost immediately is greeted with an automated text message reading ‘Thank you for signing up for dinosaur facts! To hear our fact of the day, send YES. To unsubscribe, send STOP.’

Emily looks up at the man, disappointed. It was a good thing (name) made a habit of testing numbers before labeling the contacts, or she might not have caught it. “Come on man, really?” (Name) grimaced a little awkwardly, trying to lighten things up.

“Hey, it’s not so bad, I happen to like dinosaurs thank you very much.”

“That’s not the point- oh my god. Leorio, give her your real number. (name), I have it if he gives you another fake.” And with that, Emily pulls the contact screen up, the numbers mocking Leorio. He can’t lie his way out of it either- not with the blurry peace sign selfie he set as his photo ID. He grumbles, popping it in and sending a text from there before pulling out his own phone with a new message notification on the home screen.

“There you go. Happy? And quit daydrinking, college is no place for people who aren’t serious about their education.”

He walks out, (name) fuming a little as he picks up his jacket off the chair- the heat from running must have gotten too unbearable- and swinging it over his shoulder with one hand, briefcase in the other. The sweat stain that he thought disappeared was very much still there as he padded towards the door unceremoniously. Emily snapped a quick pic, and texted it to (name).

“There's a fitting contact photo”, (name) glanced at the screen hearing Emily’s words, and chuckled. The massive dark patch on his white shirt was blurry, but still visible to the naked eye. Typing into the first name section of her contacts and adding the photo, she flipped the screen around to show Emily her handiwork.

‘PANGEA’

“Ha! Yeah it does kind of look like the supercontinent.” Emily chuckled to herself, smiling as the two of them left the class. “And he looks to be as old as it too.” While (name) was thrilled to have finally made a friend in college, she prayed to every deity that there was more to this Leorio guy beneath the surface, otherwise, it would be a very long year.

---

Taglist:

@bwabys-scenarios

#leorio x reader #strangeness and charm #hunter x hunter #bug mom writes #leorio paladiknight #leorio x fem reader #hxh

[bugmomwrites]

Wait a second, am I tripping balls?

#bug juice

[bugmomwrites]

Girl dinner 🥰💗😍

#bug babbles #bug juice #that’s wine in a teacup