Fixer Upper
Part 12
Perv!Kurapika x Fem!Reader
part 11
part 13
warning: reader bets her own life, Leorio is worried about her
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(Name) sighed, trying to relax her tired body by stretching.
“I want you guys to know that you worked very hard. 43 of you have passed the second phase of the exam. For your information, we’re scheduled to arrive at our destination 8 o’clock tomorrow morning.”
(Name) yawned, Kurapika glancing at her from the corner of her eye.
“Alright then, until our next meeting you guys have some free time. Dismissed.”
(Name) sighed in relief, setting her bag.
“Hey Kurapika, you gonna explore the airship with us?”
Kurapika shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Oh… how about you Leorio?”
“No thanks, I’ll have to pass. I’m so tired I can hardly move.”
“(Name)- oh.”
She was yawning, leaning her head against the wall. “Sorry boys, I need to rest a little, or I’ll crumble into dust.”The boys rushed off to explore.
Tonpa came by to ‘warn’ them, but (Name) was too tired to even listen. Kurapika jumped slightly when he felt her head rest against his shoulder before it leaned back. “(Name)?”
She was swaying softly, barely awake. “Hmm?”
He held back a chuckle. “You can lean against my shoulder, if you want.”
She blinked sleepily. “Really?”
He nodded, the girl giving him a pretty smile before scooting towards him, snuggling into his side. “Thank you.”
Kurapika’s face turned red. He had expected her to just lie her head against his shoulder, not for her to cuddle against him and sigh softly.
Leorio huffed. “Lucky.”
Kurapika sent him a glare before stiffly folding his arms. “Here!”
Kurapika watched as she used her cardigan to cover them both, looking up at him. “We can share my cardigan to stay warm!”
He wasn’t sure why, but sitting there, cuddled up to (Name) as she slept made his heart race. He could feel her body heat, smell her perfume. Although he had planned on resting, it was hard when he could hardly focus on anything but the girl leaning against him.
They stayed like this for around an hour, Kurapika eventually becoming comfortable to lean his head against hers.
Tonpa snored, preventing Leorio and Kurapika from getting any sleep. ‘At least one of us can get some rest.’ Kurapika thought, looking fondly at the sleeping girl next to him. He would be lying if he said he didn’t feel content right now, almost peaceful.
It had been a while since he’d had another person so close to him, sharing in their body heat. It felt… nice.
But all nice things come to an end.
Tonpa snored particularly loud, stirring (Name). “Mmph… what’s that sound?”
“Tonpa.” Kurapika said with a sigh, glancing at her with half lidded eyes.
“Ahh. How long have I been asleep?”
“About an hour.”
She pulled away, looking a bit flustered. “Oh, sorry. I hope I didn’t hurt your shoulder or anything.”
He shook his head quickly, feeling weirdly empty when she pulled away. “No, I didn’t mind at all.”
She tilted her head, giving him a soft smile. “Really? Then I hope you won’t mind me using your shoulder as a pillow in the future.”
Kurapika looked away so she wouldn’t notice his blush. “… that’s fine with me.”
(Name) stood up, stretching her limbs before smiling. “Let’s go get something to eat!”
————————
They walked to the cafeteria, noticing a girl standing before Gon and Killua at a booth. (Name) raised an eyebrow as Leorio scooted in through the other side of the booth, wrapping around an arm around her shoulder.
He asked her something, (Name) not paying much attention. She was too busy gesturing for Killua to move so she could slide in next to him. He did so, only grumbling a little. “That sounds like a terrible idea. Now why don’t you leave me alone?”
“We can’t do that. My names Kurapika, my goals the same as yours, to become a black list hunter. We have a lot in common, perhaps we could help each other.”
(Name) wasn’t sure why, but him seeming interested in that girl made her frown.
“I’d walk away if I were you. It’s me she’s here for.”
(Name) glanced between the two, tilting her head. “I acted on a rumor I heard, that a young member of the Zoldyck family was going to be taking the Hunter Exam this year.”
“And now you’ve found me. Yes, I’m a member of the Zoldyck family, so what about it?”
(Name) watched as the girl reached for something, her first response being to shield Killua with her arm. The white haired boy said nothing, but his lips twitched slightly.
‘What is she doing? Does she think she’s protecting me?’
“Hey, think about this for a minute. If an assassin is hired to kill someone, there’s a chance that person has done something to deserve it.”
“YOU TAKE THAT BACK!”
She flipped the table, Kurapika running forward to hold her back. The woman launched herself at Killua, brandishing a knife, but (Name) pushed him out of the way.
“(NAME)!”
The blade sliced her arm, the girl ignoring (Name) and rushing after Killua. The white haired boy paused for a split second, his eyes gone wide.
‘I could have easily dodged that, there was no need for her to try and protect me.’
“That is enough!”
Netero, the chairman, grabbed the place between two fingers, shielding Killua from the attack.
Now that she’d been dealt with, Leorio, Gon, and Kurapika rushed to (Name)’s side. She held a hand over her arm, sighing.
“(Name), are you alright?” Leorio asked, gently pulling her hand away.
The cut wasn’t deep, just long enough to look scary. Kurapika glanced back at the girl before kneeling beside (Name), slowly pushing her sleeve up.
“I’m fine, it’s just a scratch. Is Killua okay?”
The white haired boy stood facing away from her. “… I’m fine. You didn’t have to do that, you know. I could have dodged if you didn’t get in my way.”
(Name) chuckled. “Well, if you’re okay then it doesn’t matter.”
Killua glanced back, his eyebrows furrowed. He couldn’t understand her. Why did she risk getting injured, knowing that Killua was capable of defending himself?
“You never know. If I had let you get hurt and didn’t do anything to help, I would never be able to forgive myself.”
Leorio finished bandaging her arm.
“You’re our friend. It’s only natural I’d want to help.”
Killua jerked his head back to face the opposite direction. He didn’t want her to see the confused, flustered expression on his face. ‘Why? I can’t understand. Helping me then would have been of no benefit to her.’
He looked down, frowning. ‘Friends, huh?’
Kurapika helped her up, scolding her lightly. “You need to be more careful, you could have been really hurt.”
“I agree with Kurapika on this. That was reckless.”
(Name) pouted. “Wouldn’t you two have done the same thing? Kurapika held her back…”
The two sighed. “You’re too nice, (Name).”
———————
(Name) and Kurapika parted ways with Leorio after they group agreed to go to sleep.
“Kurapika, where are we going? I thought we were going to sleep.” (Name) asked, walking hand in hand with him.
“We’re going to speak with the examiner and ask them to be a bit more lenient with the stowaway.”
(Name) yawned. “Also, why are we holding hands?”
He blinked, staring down at where they were connected. “Oh, um… I didn’t want you falling behind.”
He didn’t let go, continuing to look forward. “Aww, that’s sweet of you, Kurapika.”
Kurapika turned his head around, nodding slightly. “It’s… it’s nothing.”
(Name) giggled to herself. ‘How cute.’
The two arrived at Menchi’s room, spotting Leorio. He’d came for the same reason they had. “Are you two holding hands?”
Kurapika dropped her hand, clearing his throat. “I was making sure she didn’t get lost.”
“Uh huh… Examiner are you still awake?”
Leorio knocked on the door for a moment. “HEY ARE YOU IN THERE!?”
(Name) jumped at his sudden change in volume.
The three glanced at each other before Leorio reached for the knob.
The door slid open slowly, Leorio screaming as a knife flew out and hit the wall behind him.
Menchi stood in the doorway, wearing only a towel.
“You two sure have a lot of nerve. Most applicants wouldn’t consider sneaking into an examiners in the middle of the night!”
She seemed to be ignoring (Name), only focused on the two men.
“It’s not like that!” Leorio exclaimed, hiding behind (Name).
“Oh no? Then what are you doing here, trying to sneak a peek at me!?”
Kurapika froze on the spot, trying to look everywhere but at Menchi. “Believe me I would never do a thing like that. I consider taking advantage of women in any way disgraceful.”
(Name) cooed at Kurapika, pinching his cheek. “What a sweet boy!”
Kurapika’s already pink cheeks turned red under her praise.
“Hey, why couldn’t you include me in your excuse!?”
“I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT!”
(Name) watched as Menchi chased the two down the hallway. Once the two men were far enough away and she’d gotten a few good hits on Leorio, Menchi huffed and turned back.
“(Name), is there something you wanted to ask of me?”
Menchi seemed to have calmed down, even smoothing out her towel in front of the girl.
“Oh, um…”
‘Oh no, I’ve forgotten already!’
She twiddled her thumbs, Menchi giving her a smile. “Aww, I’m sure you’ve had a rough day, having to be around all these perverted, smelly men. Why don’t you come have a shower? Us examiners have the privilege of a shower and bed in our rooms.”
“Really? Is that allowed?”
Menchi grinned. “It’s not against the rules. Come on!”
She grabbed (Name)’s hand, pulling her into her room.
From a distance, Kurapika and Leorio watched, confused. “Is (Name) in trouble?” Leorio asked, holding his bruised face.
“I don’t think so, Menchi seemed happy when she pulled her in. Perhaps it’s that girls supporting girls thing (Name) mentioned?” Kurapika replied, deep in thought.
“Or Menchi swings the other way.” Leorio said with a sigh. Kurapika raised an eyebrow.
“Swings the other way? What does that mean?”
Leorio narrowed his eyes. “You sure are sheltered, aren’t you?”
Another bruise was added to Leorio’s face, this time from Kurapika.
‘I’ll just ask (Name) about it later.’
————————
(Name) hummed as she showered, marveling at Menchi’s expensive shampoo.
“Menchi?”
“Yes?”
The woman sat on the bathroom counter as (Name) showered, getting dressed. “Is it really okay to use your shampoo and soap?”
“Yeah, it’s fine! It was provided by the airship, so don’t worry about it.”
(Name) still hesitated as she held the bottle, gulping. She squeezed some into her hands, rubbing the shampoo into her hair. After the long day she had, it felt like heaven.
“Mmm, it smells amazing!”
Menchi smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”
(Name) happily washed herself, letting all the dirt and grime from the day wash down the drain. The hot water also did wonders for her sore muscles.
“So, you’re a chef?”
(Name) sighed. “Maybe a chef is an over exaggeration. I’m more of a baker, that cooks meals for my family. Or well… I used to.”
Menchi stayed quiet for a moment. That implied she either lost her family, or no longer had contact with them. Neither option was good.
“I see. Well I hope you know, I enjoyed what you gave me. I was just being picky today, because of that weirdo Hisoka. He really creeped me out.”
“Oh, please don’t worry about it, I understand. I would have been uneasy as well. That’s not even counting how rude some of the applicants were.” She huffed, rinsing the soap from her body.
Menchi smiled softly, running a brush through her hair. “It’s nice to have someone that understands me. How old are you, (Name).”
“I’m 18!”
Menchi hummed. “We’re around the same age. I’m 21 myself.”
(Name) yawned, letting the warm water run over her a little longer before turning it off. “Oh, I’ll leave the bathroom so you can get dressed.”
She heard Menchi leave and the door close behind her. (Name) stepped out, wrapping a towel around herself.
Menchi sat out her skin care products for (Name) to use. She was thankful, she had only packed a bat of soap and a small travel size bottle of shampoo and conditioner.
After thoroughly pampering herself, (Name) exited the bathroom wearing a pair of lounge shorts and a tanktop. Menchi looked her up, nodding in approval. “Your pajamas are adorable, (Name)!”
She felt her face heat up. “Oh, um… thank you.”
(Name) left Menchi’s room to go find Leorio and Kurapika.
‘She’s cute, I hope she passes.’
———————
(Name) walked around the airship until she found Kurapika and Leorio.
“Hey guys!”
She waved, smiling at the two. “(Name)! Did you get in trouble?”
(Name) blinked at Leorio’s question. “Oh no, I just took a shower.”
“Without me..?”
The two stared at Leorio. “I mean I can invite you next time, b-“
Kurapika put a hand on (Name)’s mouth. “Don’t even joke like that, you’ll get him too excited.”
She pushed his hand away, confused. ‘I wasn’t joking though….’
“(Name), just say the word. I’ll jump in with you anytime.”
Kurapika grimaced, pushing (Name) away from Leorio. “Here, I think if we report him to Menchi for sexual harassment she m-“
“WAIT I WAS KIDDING!”
Leorio fell to his knees, pleading. “Please don’t tell her, I’m already beat up enough!”
(Name) sighed, gently patting the man’s cheek. “Kurapika, be nice. Look at him, he looks like he sorry enough!”
Leorio nodded, cheeks turning pink at her gentle touch. Kurapika’s eyebrow twitched. “Don’t touch him, might catch something.”
“Hey!”
She giggled, leaning down and placing a kiss on Leorio’s forehead. “Shh, quiet down. It’s late.”
It’s like time slowed down to a standstill. Leorio’s face was turning red, Kurapika’s mouth hung agape, a gasp leaving his lips.
Both boys stared at her, unblinking. The girl seemed unfazed by the affectionate gesture.
She glanced between the two. “Hmm? Something wrong?”
They kept quiet, Leorio giggling to himself giddily, and Kurapika scowling as he crossed his arms
She turned to Kurapika. “You okay? You look upset.”
He cleared his throat. “I’m fine.”
“He’s jealous.”
Kurapika’s head whipped around to glare at Leorio, his cheeks turning pink. “Leorio!”
He was seething, with both anger and jealousy.
“Oh, do you want a kiss too?”
Still angry with Leorio, he whipped his head around and answered. “No!”
(Name) jumped slightly at the way he yelled at her, looking down at her feet. “Oh. Sorry.”
Kurapika paused, realizing what he said. “Wait, I…”
Too embarrassed to admit he also wanted a kiss, he stayed quiet. (Name) sensed he felt sorry, slowly inching towards him. “It’s okay, Kurapika. I know you didn’t mean to yell.”
She stepped forward, reaching up and pulling him towards her. “May I?”
He felt his heart thump against his chest, swallowing.
“Yes, you may.”
She cupped his cheeks, standing on her tippy toes to kiss his forehead. When she pulled back, she gave him a smile. “There, feel better?”
He nodded slowly, moving his hands to her to keep them in place a little longer. “Much better.”
“Aww you didn’t hold my face when you kissed my forehead!” Leorio complained, pulling on her sleeve. When (Name) turned away, Kurapika stuck his tongue out at the taller man.
“Hmph.”
He folded his arms over his chest, scowling. “Why does Kurapika get special treatment?”
The blonde hummed, curling a finger to his chin. “Maybe because I’m… cute?”
(Name) laughed, pinching Kurapika’s cheek. “You’re cute alright, the cutest.”
The blonde blushed, allowing her to affectionately squeeze his cheek.
“Hey, that looked like…”
The two boys looked out the window, Leorio grabbing (Name)’s head and turning it. “Gon!”
Gon, the 12 year old boy, was outside the airship with Chairman Netero, the old man.
(Name) rushed forward, attempting to open the window and climb out. “(Name)!”
Both Leorio and Kurapika pulled her back, the girl struggling to get free.
“Let go, what if he falls!?”
“What if you fall??”
She turned back, completely serious. “Then that’s something I’ll have to deal with. Let me go.”
Kurapika glanced at Leorio, concerned, before she suddenly went limp.
“Wait, what the-“
Killua appeared, standing a few feet away from them with his arm extended. “I knocked her out. If I didn’t, she would have done something stupid.”
Kurapika picked her up bridal style, giving the boy an incredulous look. “You hit her? Isn’t that too far?”
Killua shrugged. “Better than her potentially falling to her death.”
The blonde couldn’t argue, holding her close to him. Leorio checked for a pulse. “She’s okay, just asleep.”
Kurapika sighed. “Alright. I’ll take her to bed then. Make sure Gon doesn’t get himself hurt.”
He began walking away, looking down at the sleeping girl. Honestly, he wasn’t too upset. After all, he got to hold (Name) close to him and sleep next to her again.
‘… why does that make me happy?’
He frowned, but reached the sleeping quarters and sat her down. He saw her cardigan, and repositioned her so her head was lying in his lap, using the cardigan to cover her up.
He glanced around to make sure was looking before he began to run his hand over her hair, looking down at (Name) fondly. Kurapika had never felt the urge to do something like this before, so his actions surprised even him.
Eventually, Kurapika also fell asleep, letting the slow hum of the airships propeller lull him to sleep.
(Name) woke up to the feeling of something warm on her head. She was lying against some fabric, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.
“(Name), you’re awake.”
She blinked, turning to see Kurapika smiling at her. She glanced back down to see where she had been sleeping, only to become flustered.
“Oh- I’m sorry!”
She’d been lying on his lap, and Kurapika had been running his hands over her hair. The man held up his hands. “No need to apologize, I’m the one who laid you down.”
“Still…”
She played with the fabric of her shirt, face heating up. Kurapika sighed, patting her head. “I don’t mind, I promise. Honestly you kept me warm last night.”
This seemed to cheer her up. “Really?”
“Mhm. I run a little cold, so having someone near helped keep me from freezing.”
(Name) nodded, reaching out to take his hand. “I’ll keep you warm every night! Promise!”
His cheeks turned pink, and he cleared his throat. “Ehem. I’ll keep you to that, then.”
Leorio groaned next to them. “(Name), you can sleep on my lap too, ya know.”
Kurapika’s smile faded. “Why would she? You smell like sweat and desperation.”
(Name) gasped. “Kurapika, be nice!”
She scooted over and patted Leorio’s shoulder. “How about you sleep in my lap next time?”
Kurapika blinked, Leorio grinning. “Really? I’ll have to take you up on t-“
Kurapika pulled (Name) back, glaring at the taller man. “What a filthy pervert. (Name), you shouldn’t let random men sleep on your lap.”
“But I’d let you sleep on my lap, Kurapika.”
The blonde was at a loss for words, mouth opening and closing. Leorio huffed. “Uh huh. What’s your argument for that, blondie?”
Kurapika folded his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall. “Well I wouldn’t be opposed to it, but I still think you should be cautious, (Name).”
She smiled warmly. “I will. I just trust that you two wouldn’t hurt me. After all, you carried me here and let me sleep on your lap, so I don’t mind returning the favor.”
He looked away so she couldn’t see just how red his face was. ‘What’s wrong with me? It’s like everything she says has my heart racing…’
“Sorry for the slight delay, we are about to land at our destination.”
The group of three all stood when they heard the announcement, making their way to the exit.
————————
(Name) stood with Killua and Gon, the white haired boy staring at at her bandaged arm. Today, (Name) wore the tanktop she slept in and a pair of sweatpants. Her cardigan was wrapped around her waist, in case she got cold.
“I’m alright, Killua.”
She’d caught him staring, and the boy instantly looked away. “Whatever, it’s not like I care.”
Gon and (Name) shared a look. “Mhm.”
“May I have your attention?”
The looked over to see Beans standing in the middle of the group.
“You’re standing on what’s known as Trick Tower and it’s the site for the Third Phase. In this phase, there is only one objective and it isn’t complicated. Find your way to the bottom of the tower alive. There’s a time limit of 72 hours.”
(Name) thanked god that she restocked her bag with snacks and more water from the cafeteria.
“3 days…”
“72 hours to get to the bottom, and I have a feeling it isn’t going to be easy.”
Kurapika nodded, agreeing with Leorio. “Yeah, it’s bound to be harder than the last phase so we better make sure we stay sharp.”
(Name) nodded, watching as a man approached them and began to climb down the tower.
“Ooo, I want to t-“
“No.” They all said in unison, Leorio reaching out a hand to prevent her from trying. And thankfully she didn’t, because the man was carried away by large birds.
“Rest in peace.” she said, waving to the man as he was carried away. Kurapika patted her shoulder.
“See, this is why you shouldn’t rush to do things. You’ll end up like that man.”
She nodded slowly. “There has to be some kind of entrance to lead us to the bottom.” Kurapika said. “We should spread out, we don’t want to get left behind, so we?”
(Name) began to leave on her own, but Kurapika quietly pulled her along with him while the others weren’t looking. “You’re coming with me.”
They searched around the area, not finding anything. The two joined back up with Leorio.
“Huh, there are fewer people.” Kurapika stated.
Leorio began to count. “About 23 left? When did this happen?”
“About half the group has managed to find a way in. And so they must already be on there way down. I’m pretty sure if they’d all taken the same entry, we would have noticed this by now. So that would suggest there would have to be a number of trap doors around here.”
(Name) watched him with a surprised expression. ‘Wow, I hadn’t even noticed any of that.’
“Guys!”
Gon was waving them over, smiling. “You find something?” Kurapika asked, giving the boy a smile of his own.
“Nice, Gon!”
(Name) watched as Leorio lifted the stone, crouched next to Gon. Once he did, bars appeared, blocking their entry.
“Huh, what the? Stupid thing!”
Leorio dropped the tile, sighing.
“Looks like some sort of automatic lock.”
“What, so we can’t get in this way?”
“We’ll just have to find another way.”
(Name) glanced between the two as they talked. “And I think we’ll have to assume each of the doors leads to a different route to the bottom of the tower.”
Leorio grunted. “How can you be so calm about everything? For all we know there aren’t going to be enough entrances for everyone!”
“Yes there is!”
(Name) turned slightly to see Gon smiling. “I’ve already found seven of them, more than we need!”
(Name) laughed. “Wow! Good going, Gon!”
He pointed each one out, (Name) patting him on the head as he did.
“6 entrances so close together? Something doesn’t feel right about this.” Leorio said, looking down at the trap doors.
“It’s entirely possible that some of them are traps.”
When Kurapika said this, he glanced at (Name), concern briefly flickering across his face.
“So what do you say, doll face, you feeling lucky?” he asked (Name), poking her cheek.
“Mmm, as lucky as a girl can on a big tower surrounded by man eating birds.”
Killua snickered at this.
“You bet, we each pick one and live with our choices.”
“I agree!”
The all smiled at each other. “Alright, let’s figure out who takes which door.”
They played rock paper scissors, (Name) ending up between Killua and Kurapika. The blonde was glad for that, hoping that their close proximity might mean they ended up near each other.
“Okay, everybody, jump in on the count of three!”
Kurapika sighed. “I guess this is where our paths diverge.”
“Well, see you all at the bottom.”
(Name) nodded. “I wish you all good luck.”
“One, two, three!”
They jumped, (Name) landing on the cold stone floor with a huff. It was dark, and for a moment her heart dropped.
Then the light flickered on, showing that she was not alone…
All of her friends were there too!
“So much for the big farewell.”
“No kidding.”
(Name) laughed. “I’m happy. I didn’t want to split up with you all yet!”
The boys smiled, Kurapika and Leorio blushing lightly.
“Looks like this room doesn’t have a way out.”
(Name) slung her backpack over her shoulder, following Kurapika to a small table. It contained bracelets, with an x and an o.
“The path of majority rules. To reach the bottom, the 6 of you must vote to overcome the challenges you may encounter and on this route majority rules.”
(Name) put on the bracelet, the rest following suit. An announcement rang out, stating that they’d need to wait for their 6th member.
“All we can do is wait.”
(Name) nodded, plopping down onto the ground. “Oh, we can play a game! How does go-fish sound?”
“Go-fish? But we don’t have any cards.”
The girl grinned at Gon, reaching into her backpack. “Oh, but I do.”
The two boys marveled at the deck of playing cards, Kurapika humming. “You sure came prepared, (Name). Why did you think to bring cards?”
She shrugged. “Well, playing games with people helps to ease tension and create friendly ties. It’s also a way to decide things, like the winner of the game gets an item or something like that. If I were to fight against a gambler, I would suggest playing a game if cards. It may provide enough time for me to think of a better idea, while letting my opponent indulge in their bad habit.”
Kurapika nodded slowly. “That’s interesting, I would have never thought about that.”
He took note of this, storing the information away for later.
The four played as Leorio paced. He denied them when they asked him to play. “It’s been two hours. By now most of them should have been able to find a way inside, wouldn’t you say? The only guys up there are the morons who don’t have a clue what they’re doing.”
They looked up from their game, hearing a tile moving above them. “Seems like a moron is on his way.
Someone fell to the floor, landing with a thud.
“Ugh, not you.”
(Name) also frowned when she saw you had joined them.
“Hey, Tonpa!” Gon greeted the man.
“So the gangs all here, huh!”
“Aw man, so we gotta take the path of majority rules with this jerk?” Leorio said, groaning.
(Name) stood as Tonpa put his bracelet on, pocketing her deck of cards.
“Come on, follow me!” Tonpa said as the door opened.
“Who does he think he is? He shows up last and all of a sudden he’s the leader?” Leorio huffed.
The first task was to decide on if the next door should be open, with 5 saying yes, and 1 saying no.
Obviously, Tonpa was the one who said no.
(Name) walked in, ignoring Leorio’s yelling.
———————
Kurapika and (Name) stuck close together, Tonpa noticing this. They went through several doors before they ended up in a large room, being unable to cross over the path. There was a flat, tiles surface in the middle of the room, and looking down, they couldn’t see the bottom.
‘Guess trying to jump across is out of the question.’
(Name) thought, peeking over the edge.
“The exam committee has enlisted us to be a part of the applicant testing process. This is where the six of you will fight against the five of us.”
‘There’s only 5? That means one of us won’t have to fight.’ Kurapika thought.
“That guy looks pretty tough.” Gon said, (Name) nodding along.
“You see, this is why I wanted to go left back there.” Leorio stated, crossing his arms.
“There’s always a chance that route could have been even harder.”
They watched the muscular man. “Matches are one on one. You can’t fight more than once. It doesn’t matter who fights when, you’re on the path of majority rules. Which means in order to continue, you have to win at least 3 out of 5. Fight anyway you want. There will be no draws. To be declared the winner, your opponent must admit defeat.”
(Name) leaned against the wall, thinking about how she’d fight. ‘Mmm, I don’t really wanna hurt anyone…’
“It’s time to decide whether or not you accept this challenge. If you do, press O. If you do not, press X.”
(Name) sighed as Leorio made sure Tonpa wouldn’t press X again. ‘I wonder if I could to a flip before falling all the way down…’ she thought, before pressing O.
“How are we gonna decide who goes first?” Gon asked. (Name) hummed, pulling out her dagger.
“I can,” she said, putting the handle between her teeth as she put a headband on to prevent any hair from getting in her face. Gon shook his head.
“I’ll go first.”
“No, I think it should be me.” Kurapika said, pulling the blade from her mouth. “He’s obviously the type of fighter that relies on his physical strength. In hand to hand combat, you two would be at a disadvantage.”
He wiped the handle and returned it to her. “Wait a minute, you’re not that much bigger than Gon.” Leorio reminded him.
“That’s true, but I have a weapon.”
“So do I…” (Name) mumbled, twirling her dagger in her hand. Kurapika frowned, wanting to scold her but unable to.
“But if he takes it away from you, you’re a goner.”
Kurapika raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you want to go?”
Leorio frowned, glancing at the muscular man. (Name) stood. “If you two are done, I’m ready to-“
Killua stepped forward, cutting her off. “Well, if you guys are scared, I’ll go.”
“Hold on, I’ll go.”
Tonpa held his arm out, looking to the man on the other side. “There are no rules to these matches, right? Which means anything could happen. Who knows, he may set a trap for us. Sure he looks big and strong, but we can’t say for sure how he’s gonna try to beat us. Trust me, the most important thing here isn’t physical strength, it’s the ability to react to whatever they might throw at you. Allow me to go out and test the water for you guys.”
(Name) stopped paying attention, moving closer into the room and sitting down on the rocky ground.
Tonpa and the man entered the ring, the man suggesting they make it a fight to the death.
Killua walked over to (Name) and sat across from her. “Why are you just sitting over here? Aren’t you interested in the fight?”
She shrugged. “Not really. I may not like Tonpa, but I’m not exactly excited to see him get his ass beat.”
Killua nodded at this. “I see. So you don’t like fighting?”
“Not necessarily. I’ll fight or watch a fight if I have to, but fighting when it’s not in defense of myself or a friend is hard to get behind. Though I guess it’s unavoidable now. If I want to become a hunter, I’ll need to be able to fight for other reasons as well.”
‘So she doesn’t fight unless it’s necessary? Is it because she’s weak, or because she dislikes it?’
He seemed deep in thought when he felt something hit his shoulder. Killua glanced down to see a small piece of candy.
“Here, Menchi gave me some to refill my bag. Apparently they’re gourmet candy!”
Killua nodded slowly, confused. “Why are you giving this to me?”
“I dunno. I like sharing with friends.”
He stood up and walked away, opening the wrapper to the candy and tossing it into his mouth before returning to watch Tonpa’s fight.
Tonpa’s fight didn’t take long, the man admitting defeat before the man could strike him.
“Did he just surrender?”
“Unbelievable.”
(Name) blinked, looking up at Kurapika. “Did he seriously just give up?”
Tonpa went on a whole speech about how blah blah he’s a rookie crusher blah blah he’s a coward. (Name) didn’t pay much attention, only listening when she saw Kurapika tense up beside her.
“You’re despicable.”
“Damn you. I won’t forget this. We are gonna get out of this tower, and then I’m going to beat you senseless.”
“Old man, you’re nothing but a pest. And the only good pest, is a dead one.”
Killua began walking towards Tonpa, (Name) stepping closer to Kurapika. She gently patted his back, the blonde giving her a smile in return.
“Hey, wait, you can’t do that! You need a fifth person!” Tonpa began backing away.
“See if I care.”
Kurapika pushed (Name) back a little, his eyes trained on Killua.
“He’s right! Listen guys, Tonpa’s actually got a point. With 5 against 1, we can still win! So there’s to be angry about. Right, Kurapika? What do you say?”
The blonde nodded. “I guess it makes sense.”
“Come on, you can’t be serious!” Leorio groaned.
“Hm. You owe your life to Gon, you know.” Killua said, walking back to stand by Gon.
—————————
“They’re sending out their next fighter, who should we send?”
Gon ran forward. “Hey, I’m going next.”
“You sure you’ll be okay?”
“Come on, I’ll be okay Killua, don’t worry!”
(Name) made a distressed noise, watching him run along the path with a frown. “Please be careful, sweetheart!”
He waved at her. “I will!”
‘Sweetheart?’ The others thought, glancing at (Name).
“Will you be okay, Gon?” Kurapika asked, standing near (Name).
“Yeah, actually this guy seems like he’s pretty normal. He doesn’t look scary or anything!”
(Name) crossed her arms. “You shouldn’t underestimate him, Gon.”
“Compared to the first guy he’s not really that intimidating.”
“Hmm, something about him gives me the heebie-jeebies.”
(Name) sat at the edge of the platform, Leorio giving her a confused look. “(Name), you shouldn’t sit so close to the edge. It’s dangerous.”
She looked back at him, the look in her eyes causing him to rush forward and pull her back from the edge roughly.
“Leorio, what are you doing?” Kurapika asked, stepping closer to the pair.
“I…”
He let go of (Name)’s arm, the look in her eyes that had been there a moment before gone. “Hmm?”
She tilted her head at him, Kurapika giving Leorio a confused look before helping her up.
‘That look in her eye… it must have been my imagination, but for a second, I thought she was going to…’
He shook the thought from her head. ‘No, that’s stupid. Why would she even think of that?’
“Sorry, (Name). I just didn’t want you to fall.”
She shook her head. “No, don’t apologize. Thank you for worrying about me.”
Leorio nodded. “No problem.”
He still felt uneasy, making sure she was farther away from the edge.
Kurapika explained that their opponents were long term convicts. (Name) watched as the convict pulled out two candles, one longer and one shorter.
“Once again majority rules. O for the longer candle, X for the shorter one.”
(Name) glanced between Kurapika and Leorio as they argued the choice. “Gon, go ahead and pick one, we’ll back your decision whatever it will be. I’m willing to bet that in this case, your natural instincts are better than our logic.”
“I agree.”
Gon smiled. “I choose the longer one!”
(Name) giggled. “Hehe, good choice, Gon.”
The two lit their candles, and stood at opposite sides of the ring.
Suddenly, the flame grew large, causing the candle to melt much faster.
(Name) gasped, watching as Gon placed his cancel on the ground and rushed forward to blow out the other persons candle.
“Alright, now it’s my turn to go.”
Kurapika walked forward, (Name) grabbing his sleeve when his opponent revealed himself. “Be careful, Pika.”
For just a moment, Kurapika paused. ‘Pika?’
He’d ask her about that later, now he needed to focus on the task at hand. Kurapika nodded before joining his opponent in the ring.
“I’ve got 19 kills so far, but I don’t really the sound of odd numbers and it’s been bugging me for a while. Now the times come, and I can make it an even 20.”
(Name) and Leorio tended to Gon’s burned finger. They weren’t too bad, only needing a bit of aloe. She glanced up just in time to see Kurapika remove his Tabard and white shirt, revealing a gray sleeveless undershirt.
“Shall we get started?”
Her face heated up. She already knew he was handsome, but seeing him like this had her flustered. “Get him, Pika!”
The blondes lip twitched up into a half smile before he focused on his fight.
The fight began, the man punching a hole into the ground. As he turned, the man revealed a spider tattoo.
“It’s proof that he’s a member of the phantom troupe!” Leorio yelled out, obviously worried for his friend.
“Aren’t they the ones that killed all of Kurapika’s friends and family?”
(Name) held onto her shirt, heart racing. “Pika…”
‘He must be experiencing such rage and sorrow right now. I hope he gives that bastard what he deserves.’
“What’s the matter, you too terrified to speak?”
(Name) was having trouble paying attention to the mans monologue.
“He’s not scared, he’s angry!”
Kurapika stood up, eyes gone red yet again. (Name) watched as Kurapika easily defeated the man.
“Remember these three things. Number one, if you really were a member of the Phantom Troupe, your tattoo would include your member number, which it doesn’t. Number two, they wouldn’t bother to keep track of the people they’ve already murdered. Three, don’t ever speak of the Phantom Troupe again, because if you do…”
He picked up his tabard. “I’ll have to kill you.”
Kurapika walked back, brushing off the front of his tabard.
“Are you alright?” Leorio asked.
“Yeah, I’m uninjured.”
“I mean, is it okay for us to be around you right now?”
“He really wasn’t much of a fighter, I could tell that right from the start just from looking at him.”
(Name) began rummaging through her bag as they teased Leorio for not realizing the man was bluffing.
“And not only that, his tattoo was a fake. But as soon as I saw that spider, everything turned red. You know, to tell you the truth even when I see an ordinary spider my rage builds up and I lose control.”
He sat down near the back, pulling his knees to his chest. “Huh. I suppose it just proves my desire for vengeance hasn’t faded away quite yet. I should be thankful for that.”
(Name) sat next to him, sighing softly. “You alright?”
He didn’t answer, only leaning his head against her shoulder.
“Alright, time to wrap this up.” Leorio said, cracking his knuckles. “Hey, get that piece of garbage out of the way so we can continue.”
“We can’t do that, the last match still hasn’t finished.”
“What are you talking about?”
Kurapika had only knocked them out, meaning the match wasn’t over. It was a death match over all, and the man wasn’t dead.
“Hey, Kurapika, go over there and finish that guy off so we can get through this thing.”
“I won’t. This match is over for me.”
“Yeah, but y-“
“When I was out there I allowed myself to attack an opponent who had already lost the will to fight. I refuse to kill someone that has already been defeated.”
Leorio groaned. “But you’ve got to do something!”
“I’ll leave it to him. When he regains consciousness, he’ll choose his own fate. I’ll do absolutely nothing until that time.”
Leorio was about to complain, but Killua stepped forward.
“Hey I can kill him for you, I don’t mind. You’ve never killed anyone before, have you? You scared to?”
(Name) glanced between the two, sensing a change in the mood.
“I’ve never thought about whether or not I was scared to kill someone. Anyway, this match is one on one, you can’t get involved.”
“It’s up to you, but it’s not what’s best for the team, is it?”
(Name) knew Kurapika wouldn’t be changing his mind, so she just soothing rubbed his arm, letting Leorio yell.
He attempted to get them to use majority rules, but she ignored him. Right now she was focused on softly soothing Kurapika, who was obviously upset by the mention of the Phantom Troupe
“You don’t have to do anything that would make you uncomfortable, Pika. We’ll wait.”
He nodded, resting against her shoulder again. “Thank you…”
‘She used that name again. I’m too tired to ask her about it now…’
“Leorio, give it a rest.” (Name) said after a while. “He’s not doing it, and I won’t let you make him.”
Leorio huffed and walked away, sitting in the very back.
“You know, I think your tabard is pretty. Is it traditional clothing for the Kurta?” (Name) asked. Kurapika nodded, glancing at her.
“Yes, why do ask?”
She smiled, pushing some of his blonde locks out of his face and behind his ear. “I was curious. The person who made it must have been quite talented.”
Kurapika’s cheeks turned pink. “Actually, I was the one who made this. My… my mother taught me when I was a child. She was a talented seamstress.”
(Name) beamed. “Really? Oh, that’s wonderful! I bet she would be proud to see how far you’ve come, with your sewing, and just in general.”
Kurapika looked at her, his eyes red, but this time they were softer, not the violent shade of scarlet she’d seen before. ‘Huh, maybe the shade is different depending on the emotion.’
“That’s… very kind of you to say. I think she would have liked you.”
“Really? I’m honored.”
He was feeling better, the anger he’d felt simmering down enough that he could smile. Right now, (Name) couldn’t stop staring into his eyes.
Kuraoika blinked. “Sorry, I hope I didn’t scare you.”
“Scare me? Why would you scare me?”
He sighed. “My eyes… they aren’t normal. When I’m angry, or feel strong emotion they turn red. Some people fear them, some covet them.”
(Name) shook her head. “I certainly don’t fear them. You eyes are beautiful.”
Kurapika seemed a little uneasy with her response, but with one look at her sweet smile he knew she wasn’t the type to try and harm him for his eyes.
“They’re… they’re warm. That’s the only way I can describe them. When your eyes are staring at me, I feel… warm.”
Kurapika felt his heart begin to race again. “Warm? I don’t understand.”
She hummed, curling a finger at her chin. “Hmm… it’s like being covered up with a blanket on a cold night, being tucked into bed by someone who loves you. Not cold, not hot, but… warm.”
He stared at her with half lidded eyes, tears threatening to spill. “Do you really mean that?”
“Mhm. I could look at your eyes forever.”
She truly was a kind girl. With little no to effort, and with nothing to gain, she’d made Kurapika’s day a little better. The burden he carried, of everyone he knew fearing his scarlet eyes became a little less heavy.
“You don’t know how much that means to me, (Name).”
She didn’t respond, only patting his head.
The two spent the next few hours resting, (Name) occasionally offering the group some water or a snack. Kurapika stayed near her the entire time, and if she didn’t know any better, she’d say he was being a little clingy.
—————————
Leorio stood, joining Gon and Killua.
“Listen up, I’m going to go out there to check and see if that guy is already dead. If he is, then this match is over.”
“It’s like I said before, he’s not dead, he’s unconscious.”
“Yeah, but it’s already been a few hours. Do you expect us to stand here and take your word for it?”
(Name) stood up, Kurapika immediately moving to follow her.
“Alright then, let’s bet on it. Is Majitani alive, or is he dead, place your bet.”
(Name) stared at her bag as they continued talking, her eyes narrowing.
They were betting time.
She sighed as they began fighting amongst each other again. “Gon’s right, you know. All this fighting is just playing right into their hands.”
“Ugh, you’ve got a point.”
Leorio let go of Tonpa.
“So, what are you going to do? You have to decide whether or not you’re going to accept the challenge.”
Leorio thought for a moment. “Yeah, yeah I know. HEY! I accept your challenge.”
“Alright. I’m gonna go ahead and make the first bet. It’s up to you to decide how many hours you decide to wager.”
Leorio sighed. “Ten hours says that he’s alive.”
“Really? Just a minute ago weren’t you thinking that he was already dead?” Gon asked with a tilt of his head.
“You’re playing it safe, aren’t you?”
“You bet I am.”
The man laughed. “Alright, let’s go see if he’s dead or not. Hey, girl.”
(Name) blinked, pointing at herself. “Uh, yeah?”
“You come with him.”
She stared at the man in confusion, glancing at Kuraoika. He held onto her arm. “Why does she have to go? That makes no sense.”
The man grinned. “Two against two. I’m being nice and letting two of you enter the ring, since it will be two of us convicts present as well.”
Kurapika frowned. “Why her, though?”
He shrugged. “Picked at random.”
(Name) patted Kurapika’s shoulder. “It’s fine, I’ll go. After all, I don’t feel good having Leorio go alone.”
The blonde could only watch as she followed Leorio into the ring.
She stood by Leorio’s side as he felt for a pulse, watching the man while Leorio was distracted.
“He does have a pulse.”
“See, I told you so. He was just unconscious.”
(Name) hummed. “He’s alive you guys!”
“I’m all done here. He’s obviously not dead yet.”
“Okay, I guess that means it’s your turn then. What are you going to bet on this time?”
Before Leorio could speak, (Name) opened her backpack and pulled out her dagger.
“Why don’t we up the stakes a little?”
Kurapika felt Gon pull him back. He hadn’t even noticed he’d begun to walk forward.
“What do you mean by that, girlie?”
She placed the blade at her own neck, staring into the man’s eyes. “Instead of betting time, I’ll bet my own life.”
This time, Kurapika rushed forward, yelling from the edge of the platform. “WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING!?”
Leorio attempted to reason with her, but she only pressed the knife against her throat tighter when he approached, causing him to pause. A thin trickle of blood ran down the front of her shirt.
Kurapika’s eyes were shining red again, Killua anxiously clenching his fist.
‘What’s wrong with this girl, is she crazy!?’
“If I die, that means we lose anyways. All of the time will be yours, meaning your life sentences will be reduced by 72 hours. Isn’t that what you want?”
The man laughed. “You’ve got one scary look in your eyes, girlie. Alright, I accept your offer. Just be ready to kill yourself if you’re wrong.”
She relaxed, keeping the blade at her throat, but releasing some of the pressure.
“I’ll put 20 hours on the line that he really is unconscious. So tell me, how are you going to prove which one of us wins?”
She glanced at Leorio, who nodded.
“That won’t be hard. I happen to know a very effective way to find out.”
Leorio picked up the man and held him over the edge.
“I’ll drop him over the edge, and if he really is unconscious, he’ll drop like a stone and that will be it.”
“What are you two insane or something? Majitani hasn’t even finished his own match yet. How can you seriously expect me to agree to this?”
Leorio squeezed Majitani’s shoulder. “Let me make this easy for you. If he screams as he falls, we’ll give you the match between you and Kurapika, which gives you two points in total. Now will you agree to do it?”
(Name) waited patiently, risking a glance at her friends. Kurapika was staring at her with those red eyes again, yet this time he looked… scared? Anxious? She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She felt a little bad, but this was the best way to get the convict to agree.
After all, she didn’t mind risking her life if it meant helping her friends.
“Hold it, alright I agree to your position. But I’m changing my bet. I’m now going to wager all 40 hours over him regaining consciousness after you drop him over the side.”
“Huh, it took a while but you finally revealed your position with that bet. Oh well, looks like I don’t have a choice. Away he goes.”
Majitani gasped, holding onto Leorio’s hand. “Agh, wait please don’t let go! I’m awake!”
He sprinted away, muttering as he hid on his side of the room. (Name) sighed, placing her dagger back in her bag. She sent Kurapika a smile.
“See, I told you I wouldn’t make you do anything that made you uncomfortable.”
Leorio pinched her cheek. “Go ahead and stick to your principles, Kurapika. I’ll handle the rest.”
Kurapika smiled. “(Name), Leorio…”
“Alright, who’s next?”
(Name) began to raise her hand, but Leorio shot her a look. “Go back, now. I’m fighting this one.”
She frowned, walking down the path to meet with the others. “Alright, but I’m fighting the next o-“
Her entire world went black, the last thing she would remembering being a sharp pain in her neck.
“Stupid girl. If you fight, you’re going to get yourself killed.”
Killua hoisted her over his shoulder and handed her off to Kurapika when he got. “Here, you can take care of her.”
Kurapika pulled (Name) into his arms, sitting down so her head could rest in his lap. “Killua, you do that again and-“
Killua rolled his eyes. “Did you see what she did out there? She’s reckless, you should be thanking me. I don’t think she would have taken no for an answer next round.”
Kurapika knew he was right, but seeing the red mark on her neck where Killua knocked her out made his stomach churn. “… I understand that, but…”
Gon crouched down, patting Kurapika’s shoulder. “It’s alright Kurapika. She’ll be okay, and Killua is right. We shouldn’t underestimate (Name). She’s determined to pass this phase!”
Killua watched her from the corner of his eye. ‘That’s not quite right. She’s determined, but I don’t think it’s to pass the Hunter Exam.’
He sighed. ‘I don’t care either way.’
But even as he thought that, he continued to watch her, frowning slightly when he caught sight of the red marks on her neck. One from him, and one from herself.
———————
(Name) groaned going to rub her neck, only to feel bandages. She shot up, being greeted with multiple pairs of eyes on her.
“(Name), you’re awake!”
She was pulled into Kurapika’s arms, the blondes tight hold making her wince. “Pika, too tight…”
“Oh, sorry!”
He let go, and instead grabbed both of her cheeks. “What were you thinking, (Name)?! What if they won their bet? Are you really ready to sacrifice your life?”
“If it means none of you will die, yeah.”
The room went quiet. Every single person was staring at her, even Tonpa.
“(Name), you can’t be serious. You’ve just met us.” Killua said, his eyes narrowing.
“But you’re all my friends, and have goals and aspirations I want to help you complete. I…”
She shook her head, seemingly stopping herself from sharing too much. “Im not stupid. I wouldn’t put my life on the line for no reason.”
Leorio scowled. “Care to share your reasoning?”
(Name) smoothed out her top, seeing that the bloodstain had faded a bit. ‘Did they try and clean it?’ She thought with a faint smile.
“Like Leorio, I knew that man was awake.”
Kurapika’s eyes widened. “Wait, how?”
She smiled. “I told you I dropped out of med school, right? Anyone training to be a doctor knows the differences between someone that’s sleeping and someone that’s awake.”
“Maybe so, but that doesn’t explain why you bet your life on it. There was no need.”
(Name) sighed. “But there was. Leorio, just from your face I could tell you were planning to do something risky to prove he was conscious. To take some of the heat off of you, I used my life as both an incentive and a distraction. Therefore his mind would be clouded with both the possibility of receiving the full 72 hours, and getting to see a woman kill herself in front of him. He looked like he would enjoy that.”
Kurapika was surprised. Her plan wasn’t just a spur of the moment thing, it was thought out and calculated. “That’s-“
“That’s stupid! I don’t care what reason you say, you doing that was not only stupid, but an unnecessary risk. Your life is worth far more than this damn exam! If it’s between me failing and you dying, I’d fail!”
Leorio seemed genuinely upset, his eyebrows furrowed. (Name) looked down to the ground, fiddling with her cardigan. “… sorry, Leorio. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
He huffed, approaching the girl until he was right in front of her. She stared at his legs for a moment, before she felt his arms wrap around her.
He sighed, resting his chin on the top of her head. “Just don’t do anything like that again…”
She didn’t respond, instead wrapping her arms around him and patting his back.
Once she was let go, (Name) got a good look at her surroundings. “Wait… where are we?”
They weren’t in the same place they’d been before, now in a small room. “Oh… well…”
It was Leorio’s turn to fiddle with his thumbs, looking away from the girl. (Name) looked to Kurapika for an explanation.
“We lost most of our time during Leorio’s round. Because of that, we have to stay in this room for a few days.”
(Name) stood, suddenly panicked. “In here, for days? Is there a bathroom!?”
They nodded, and she relaxed. “Oh, okay. Got me worried there for a second.”
She stretched out on the couch, lying on her tummy. “So… how long was I asleep?”
Kurapika hummed. “About twoish hours. Not long.”
“Long enough for Leorio to start pacing around acting all worried.” Killua stated with a snicker.
The tall man huffed, plopping down on the other couch.
A few hours passed by before (Name) stood, groaning. “Well, now I’m bored. Let’s see what they’ve got in here…”
“We already looked, there wasn’t anything interesting. Just some board games and some yarn or something…”
(Name) gasped. “Yarn? Are there needles?”
Killua raised an eyebrow. “… yes?”
“Oh hell yes. My grandma training is finally useful to me.”
‘Grandma training? What the hell does that mean?’ Killua thought as he watched her crawl over to the half opened drawer.
“Hmm…”
Kurapika turned his head when he heard the sound of humming. (Name) was knitting, tongue out in concentration. ‘Cute.’
“What are you doing, (Name)?”
He scooted towards her, peeking over her shoulder. “Oh, I’m knitting! Not sure how much I’ll get done by the time we leave, but…”
She showed him what she’d gotten done so far. “Oh wow, you work fast. What are you planning to make?”
She poked out her lip in thought. “Hmm… maybe a scarf? It’s kind of cold, although I was expecting that because it’s January…”
Kurapika tilted his head. “You’re cold?”
“A little. But my cardigan keeps me pretty warm!”
She went back to work, Kurapika fascinated by the way her hands moved to knit smoothly. “Do you…”
He scooted closer, sitting next to her. “Do you think you could teach me a little? Just the basics of course.”
(Name) smiled, pausing her work. “Of course! But I have a favor to ask of you in return.”
“Oh? And what is that?”
She set down her needles, shaking her hands to ease the ache. “Could you teach me more about the Kurta? I know very little about them, and I’m very interested.”
This took Kurapika aback. Although many people had more than one question to ask him about the scarlet eyes, not many were interested in his people. They wanted to know about their eyes, not them.
“Oh… yes, I would be happy to teach you. I could start out with telling you a few words in my language.”
“Really?”
His heart began to race. She looked excited, leaning forward, a bit too close to his face for comfort. “Y-yes. It would be a pleasure.”
They stared at each other, inches apart. For a moment, he caught himself looking at her lips, considering closing the distance and-
“Can you teach me some cuss words too?”
Kurapika internally groaned, turning to see Killua hovering around him. “That would be a disservice to my people.”
“Come on, just a few. I wanna make people wonder what I’m saying when I yell at them in a video game.”
He gestured over to the screen Gon was sat in front of, some first person shooter game pulled up.
“(Name), what’s a-“
Killua covered his mouth. “If someone called you it over the game, don’t say it out loud. At least not in front of the others.” he whispered.
Gon nodded slowly. “Okay, I won’t say twink in front of the others.”
(Name) held a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh. “They… called you a twink?”
Leorio did nothing to hide his laughter. “Holy shit, they must of sensed Kurapika nearby!”
‘I don’t even want to know what twink means.’ Kurapika thought, crossing his arms over his chest.
“What’s a twink-“
(Name) spoke up. “Anyways…”
She began knitting again, showing Kurapika the basics. Much to her annoyance, he caught on quicker than she ever could. ‘It took me weeks to get that right…’
But she couldn’t stay mad when he proudly held up the work he did, smiling at her. “Look, I did it!”
“You did, it looks nice! A perfect little square!”
He seemed to beam under her praise, allowing her to pat his head. Her touch always felt nice, especially when it was after he’d done something to earn a smile from her.
A few more hours passed by, the group settling down onto the couches. The two boys curled up near (Name), Gon lying his head in her lap. Kurapika was a little disappointed they wouldn’t be sleeping near each other this time, but couldn’t deny how sweet the scene in front of him was.
(Name) slowly ran her fingers through the young boy’s hair, only pausing when she noticed him shiver.
Kurapika watched from the corner of his eye as she shed her thick cardigan, draping it over the two boys. He could see her rub her arms slightly before resting against the couch.
‘Didn’t she say she was cold earlier?’
She drifted off to sleep, and once her chest began to rise and fall softly, he tiptoed over.
‘You’re too nice, (Name).’
He pulled off his tabard and draped it over her, making sure her bare arms were covered before he sat on the opposite side of her and pulled her in close.
‘I may not be that warm, but…’
He glanced around the room before he planted a kiss on the top of her head. ‘Hopefully I can keep you a little warm…’
Kuraoika fell asleep soon after, his head leaned against her’s. Unbeknownst to him, Killua watched this interaction.
‘I don’t understand… neither of them have nothing to gain. Why did she…’
He sighed, snuggling into the warm cardigan. ‘Whatever. It’s not like it matters.’
But he found himself feeling comforted by the soft fabric, able to sleep much faster than he usually would.
———————
(Name) woke up to the sound of Killua groaning. “Damn it, we lost again. Gon, you suck.”
Although barely conscious, she yelled out. “Hey, don’t be mean Killua. Gon’s just…”
She began to fall back asleep, startling awake again when Kurapika shifted next to her. “Gon’s just silly.”
Kurapika hummed in his sleep, pulling her closer to him. “Mmm, (Name)…”
She felt her face heat up as snuggled into the crook of her neck. “P-Pika!”
His eyes slowly blinked open. “Hmm?”
It took him a moment to realize what he’d been doing.
The blonde jumped back, mouth dropped open in both shock and embarrassment. “Oh- I didn’t mean-“
“And you said I was the pervert.”
Kurapika was still processing that he’d just been nuzzling into her neck moments before, cheeks slowly catching fire. “I’m so sorry, (Name). That won’t happen again.”
“No, it’s alright. You just surprised me is all.”
She reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Leorio huffed.
“You snuggle up to her like some creepy old man and it’s fine, but I want to lay on her lap and all of a sudden there’s a problem.”
Kuraoika threw a pillow at the man. “The difference is, I was asleep, and you’re a pervert!”
“Well seems like you were saying her name in your sleep. It’s not looking good for you, Buddy.” Tonpa said, butting in.
“Shut up!” the two said in unison.
(Name) stood between the two. “Okay, break it up ladies you’re both pretty. Now why don’t you two sit down and I’ll make some breakfast?”
Leorio grumbled, but did as he was told. Kurapika followed her to the small kitchenette. “You’re going to cook something?”
He remembered trying some of her leftovers during the second phase, and was excited to eat her cooking again.
“Yeah! They provided us a fridge and small kitchen, why not use it?”
Kurapika watched as she began cooking, his observant eyes following her every move. He noted exactly when she flipped the pancakes, how she cracked the eggs, and what she used to stir the bacon.
“How do you know where it’s time to flip the pancakes?” Kurapika asked, ever the curious one.
“Well when the edges start to bubble up, I know it’s time to-“
She picked up her spatula and flipped it. “To flip them!”
He marveled at this, (Name) noticing he was staring at her spatula. “Pika, do you want to try?”
“Oh, if that’s alright with you.”
He took over pancake flipping duty, getting the hang of it almost immediately. If (Name) wasn’t busy preparing the eggs and bacon, she may have been a little pouty.
Gon poked his head into the kitchenette, smiling. “(Name), is it almost ready? It smells so good!”
She nodded, crouching down to offer him a piece of bacon. “Here, half this and share with Killua.”
He gasped and ran out. “Killua, look!”
A moment later, Leorio poked his head into the kitchen. “Hey, where’s my bacon??”
Kurapika raised an eyebrow. “Are you so childish that you can’t wait another 10 minutes?”
(Name) elbowed the blonde. “Hey, be nice. I happen to like Leorio’s enthusiasm for my cooking.”
She handed him a piece of bacon, smiling. “Here you go, careful sweetheart, it’s hot.”
“Sweetheart?” they said in unison, one blushing, one pouting.
“Oh, sorry, sometimes I forget not everyone is used to pet names. Where I’m from, we use them a lot. Nicknames too.”
“Oh, is that why you’ve been calling me Pika?”
(Name)’s face heated up, the girl turning back to the stove. “Kind of!”
“Kind of? Is there another reason?”
Kurapika tilted his head. (Name) glanced at him, biting her lip.
“Well… I thought it was cute. Like you.”
Kurapika felt his face get hot. “Cute? Do you really think I’m cute?”
(Name) nodded, avoiding his eyes. “Yeah, really cute.”
Leorio groaned. “Gross. If you two are going to flirt don’t do it in front of my breakfast.”
(Name) squeaked, nearly dropping her spoon. “We’re not flirting!”
If her face got any hotter, she feared she might pass out.
“Sure, and my name isn’t Leorio. Just do it after you’re done cooking.”
Kurapika huffed, shooing the tall man out of the kitchen.
“Sorry he’s such an…”
“Asshole?”
“Yes, that.”
The two were left in an awkward silence, Kurapika occasionally glancing her way. She was obviously flustered, and Kurapika cursed Leorio for making things awkward. They had been having fun before.
‘I hope I haven’t been making her uncomfortable…’
(Name) returned one of his looks, giving him a shy smile. “I think it’s ready. Could you go tell everyone to come make their plates?”
The group came rushing in shortly after, (Name) nearly being knocked over by Tonpa.
She grabbed the man by the back of his shirt and yanked it back. “Hey, back of the line. Kids eat first, and you’re at least pushing 60.”
He grumbled something under his breath, quieting down when Kurapika shot him a look. “Choose your words carefully, Tonpa.”
Killua and Gon held out their plates, (Name) giving them their food with a smile. “I also cut up some fruit, if you want some the bowl is in the fridge.”
Gon beamed, opening the fridge and taking the bowl with him.
‘I meant for him to take a little, but I guess that’s my fault for not specifying.’ she thought, watching Gon shove his hand into the bowl and throw a handful of fruit into his mouth.
Once everyone’s plates were made, (Name) made her own. Kurapika winced, seeing one of his earlier, less pretty pancakes on her plate.
“(Name), I can make you a better one if you-“
She stopped him, placing a piece in his mouth. “Why? You made this one, I’m going to eat it.”
Even though it was lumpy and burnt at the edges, she showed no sign of disliking it. She happily ate the pancake, giving him that pretty smile of hers.
Kurapika pulled his knees to his chest, watching her eat. His eyes were soft, glowing a light red. It was hard to control the way he felt when he looked at her, his true feelings reflecting in his eyes.
“Mmm, that was delicious. Thank you, Pika.”
Kurapika didn’t respond, only leaning against her shoulder again. Right now, he felt… warm. Something warm and fuzzy settled over his entire body, the feeling intensifying every second he spent leaning against her.
“You still tired, Pika? You can sleep on my lap if you want.”
He realized that yes, he was still tired. Maybe that was why he felt so warm and fuzzy. Kurapika gave her a nod, lying down so his head was in her lap.
He relaxed when he felt her run her fingers through his hair, eyes fluttering shut. “Mmm… this is nice.”
She hummed in response, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.
Leorio pouted from across the room, (Name) noticing, and curling a finger towards herself. “There’s room for you too, Leorio.”
Kurapika was too sleepy to argue, only letting a short huff.
The tall man hurried over, quickly lying his head on her other thigh. Kurapika grumbled, trying to swat him away. “Go away, Leorio…”
Leorio, who was much more conscious was able to easily dodge his groggy movements. “You go away! Stop hogging (Name)!”
Kurapika glared at him, only stopping when (Name) patted both of their heads. “Hey, no fighting. My lap, my rules.”
They both grumbled, but turned away from each other. Soon, they had both drifted back to sleep.
“Ew. (Name), say the word and I’ll pull them off of you.” Killua said, extending his claws.
(Name) held up her hands. “Woah, no need for that. Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine.”
Killua’s cheeks turned pink. “Concerned? I’m not…”
He huffed and walked away, plopping down onto a pillow next to Gon. “Killua, you’re actually really nice.”
“Shut up.”
———————
They spent a few hours asleep, before (Name) had to move to use the bathroom. “Sorry…” she muttered, trying to slip away undetected.
But going from sleeping on soft, warm thighs to the cold hard couch made both of them shoot awake.
“(Name)?”
Kurapika’s head swiveled around, looking for the girl. “She went to go use the bathroom. Jeez, clingy much?”
The blonde frowned. “Clingy? I was just worried for her.”
“Yeah yeah, whatever you say blondie.”
Killua shrugged his shoulders, Kurapika furrowing his eyebrows.
‘I’m not being clingy…’
(Name) was back soon after, wearing a sweater and pair of shorts. She stretched lightly before getting back to her knitting.
Killua watched as Kurapika sat beside her again. “Clingyyyy!”
The blonde hadn’t been noticed he’d gravitated towards her again, sending the white haired boy a look. “She’s teaching me how to knit, you brat.”
“Brat!?”
Killua jumped up to walk over, but Gon pulled him back down. “Hey, we’re going to lose!”
He grumpily continued playing, a pout on his lips. “Stupid blonde twink…”
As she taught him to knit, Kurapika quietly taught her a few words.
She struggles to pronounce them, fumbling over the word for water bottle until he started chuckling. “That’s close, but it’s a long a, not a short one.”
(Name) tried again, Kurapika having to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing. It was cute really, watching her nose scrunch up as she attempted to pronounce it correctly.
“Close enough. Good job, (Name).”
He patted her head, the girl pouting. “Close enough isn’t good enough, I want to get it right! It’s only right that I’m able to pronounce it correctly.”
Kurapika blinked, the pink returning to his cheeks. “Well, if that’s what you want, you can keep trying.”
(Name) continued until she got it right, Kurapika genuinely impressed. “You did it. Wow, I’m surprised.”
“What, you didn’t believe in me?”
She was teasing him, the blonde frowning. “I did, it’s just the Kurtan language isn’t easy to learn. It’s actually considered one of the hardest.”
This caused (Name) to sit up a little straighter. “Really?”
The corner of his lip twitched upwards into a smile. “Yes, so you being able to pronounce anything is praise worthy. Good job, (Name).”
Her face heated up and she played with the edge of her shirt. “Hehe, thank you…”
They switched information back and forth, (Name) guiding his hands to create new items through knitting, and Kurapika having her watch his lips as he pronounced a new word.
Honestly, he was having fun, more fun than he had in a long. It was nice for someone to be so interested in an integral part of him, his mother tongue.
“How do you say bread?”
Kurapika looked away from the pair of socks he’d been working on. “Bread? Um…”
He thought for a moment before stating the word. (Name) nodded, turning her gaze away from the loaf of bread to look at him.
Kurapika paused. Instead of saying the word for bread, she’d stumbled and said something else, something a lot more… intimate.
“I love you.”
His face turned completely red. She was looking right at him, her eyes staring into his and had just said she loved him in his mother tongue.
“Pika, are you alright?”
He felt like his heart was going to break out of his chest with how hard it was thumping against his ribs. In his mind, he knew it was a slip of the tongue, but his body was still heating up.
“I- you…”
(Name)’s eyebrows furrowed, confused until the realization dawned upon her. “Oh no, did I say something bad? Wait, it wasn’t something offensive was it?”
She scooted closer, leaning towards him. “I’m sorry Pika, I didn’t mean to.”
She was too close, much too close. His eyes were red again, the man able to see the reflection of scarlet in her own. “N… no, it wasn’t offensive. You haven’t upset me.”
She calmed slightly, leaning back. “Oh, then what did I say?”
Now that was something Kurapika couldn’t tell her. “It was… nothing important. Don’t worry about it.”
Killua appeared behind (Name) using her head as an armrest. “Hey, are you going to teach me some cuss words or not? I’ve got some people to piss off.”
Kurapika, who’s face was still burning hot, huffed. “Sure, say this.”
(Name) held back a giggle when Kurapika said the word for bread, making sure Killua could pronounce it correctly before he left.
“Nice save, Pika.”
He nodded, still trying to calm himself down. The exact phrase she’d used was one shared between lovers. There were multiple ways to say “I love you”, some platonic and some romantic.
And he’d never been told “I love you” like that before.
————————
The time was ticking down, with only an hour left. Although she enjoyed the time she spent with them, (Name) was ready for some fresh air.
The group stood at the door, all feeling relieved when they opened.
“Let’s move.”
They ran through hallways, (Name) feeling herself being thrown over someone’s shoulder.
By how high up she was, she assumed it was Leorio.
They were being chased(?) by a rock Indiana Jones style.
“Why do I have to be carried?”
“Too slow!” they all said in unison.
“Okay rude.”
The next trap had them crawling under lasers, (Name) having to move very slow.
“Hurry up, (Name).”
“Shut up, my butt is bigger than yours and I don’t want it being lasered off!”
After she was done, she had everyone turn around so she could change her now singed pants.
She was glad she’d choses a pair of shorts when they had to climb up between two walls. “Well at least the view is nice.” Leorio said from under her.
She considered kicking him, but fortunately she cared a bit too much to do that. “You’re lucky I’m nice.”
Kurapika pulled her up when she got closer to the top, ignoring Leorio’s plea for help.
After hours of work, they reached one of the last doors. (Name) ignored Tonpa and Leorio’s bickering, walking into the room.
‘This is either some kinky sex dungeon or a torture room. Shit, maybe both.’
“Applicants attention please. You’ve come to the first fork upon the path of majority rules. Your long journey to journey to the bottom of trick tower is almost at an end. First, you must cast one final vote. There are two doors in front of you. The door with the O will lead all of you on a long dangerous path to the bottom. The door with the X will lead to a path that is short and easy. Only four of you are allowed to take it. If the majority chooses X, the door will not open until two of you have been handcuffed to the wall with the chains provided. Those two applicants will have to stay that way until time has run out.”
They all looked to the O door.
“By the way, I should inform you that the path behind the O door would take at least 45 hours to complete. Where as the path behind the X door will get you to the bottom in 3 minutes. So will you vote X or O? Let the majority rule!”
(Name) tilted her head, glancing at the X door.
“Not an easy decision.”
Kurapika blinked. “Leorio?”
“I’m gonna be honest with you guys. I’m going to choose the shorter path, the X door, and I’m not getting chained to a wall either. I’m going to be one of the four to leave this room, no matter what it takes.”
He walked towards one of the walls, containing various weapons. “Looks like the examiner thought of everything. There are weapons here to suit the fighting style of just about anyone in the world. Guess it’s their way of telling us we have to fight to decide who gets to move on.”
“Well I’m pressing the O button.”
(Name) glanced back to see Gon. “We came this far together, and I think we should stick together right until the end. I know we’ve only got a small chance of making it, but it’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
(Name) and Kurapika smiled at the boy.
“Get serious, we have less than one hour left now, we don’t have any choice. We gotta take the shorter path, the only question left is how we decide who gets to go. I don’t have any intention of giving up yet, so unless someone stays behind we’re going to have to fight each other.”
(Name) stopped paying attention to the situation, walking over to the chains as they talked. She lifted one of the chains, studying them as Tonpa egged Leorio on.
“I’ll stay behind.”
“No!” Her four friends yelled in unison.
Kuraoika pulled her away before she could chain herself up. “I’m going to choose O. Like Gon said, there might be another way out of this we haven’t thought of yet.”
(Name) pouted. “Don’t I get a say in any of this?”
Kurapika pinched her cheek. “No, you don’t.”
She folded her arms and sat in a corner as they rest of the group argued over what they’d do. She was sure she heard someone swing an axe and hit the wall close to her, but out of pure spite she ignored them.
‘Stupid men and their chivalry…’
“Hey, wait! Look at this!”
(Name) continued to pout as Gon pointed out that the could be damaged. “Hey, (Name), pick O!”
She squinted her eyes, but listened to Gon.
“Is she going to help us?”
“No, she’s busy pouting.”
At that, she stood and ran over, biking Leorio over the head. “I was not pouting!”
(Name) picked up a weapon and began helping them break through the wall to the X door, only stopping when Kurapika put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s our turn. Go rest.”
“Hmph.”
She walked past him and Leorio, opening her bag and only allowing herself to hide out in pain due to her blistered hands when no one was paying attention. ‘Shit, that hurts. Gonna need to wrap these up…’
Just in time, the group arrived at the bottom of the tower. (Name) flew through the air, only being held down by Kurapika.
Once they disembarked from the makeshift car thing, (Name) collapsed onto the ground.
“(Name), are you alright?”
“Floor time. Need some floor time.”
Kurapika and Leorio shared a look, but they let her be.
“Okay, everyone give me your hands.”
She began spritzing them with sanitizer spray, giving Gon a little extra. “Gon, you’re a great kid but you need to wash your hands more.”
He scratches the back of his head sheepishly. “Yeah, sorry.”
After stretching a bit she stood, shouldering her backpack. “Let’s just hope Hisoka died- oh wait there he is. Can’t have shit during the Hunter Exam.”
Kurapika raised an eyebrow. ‘I guess even she has people she dislikes.’
(Name) and Kurapika stood next to each other as the doors to the outside world opened. “Ahh, natural sunlight!”
She shielded her eyes. Kurapika chuckled and helped lead her outside.
“I’d like to congratulate you all for escaping Trick Tower. Your ride to the next Phase is here!”
(Name) leaned against Kurapika’s shoulder as an airship appeared. “Guess that’s our ride”
————————
It didn’t take long to reach their destination, the group of five watching from the airship.
“Hmm, do you think we’ll get to swim?” (Name) asked, staring down at the vast ship graveyard.
“Probably. Do you enjoy swimming?”
She nodded. “Yes!”
They landed shortly after, (Name) running off of the airship and inhaling the salty air. “Mmm, it’s been forever since I’ve seen the ocean!”
She twirled around, stretching out her legs. Kurapika smiled fondly, following after her. “I guess this must be the test sight for the fourth phase.”
“I wonder what it will be?”
(Name) shrugged at Gon’s question. “Maybe a swimming contest?”
“Hello applicants! We are your hosts! Welcome to our hotel.”
An elderly couple stood before them, bowing politely.
“Do you think they’re the next examiners?” Leorio asked, bent over with motion sickness.
“No, they’re not.” Killua answered.
“How do you know?”
“I just do. Isn’t that what Gon always says?”
“Whatever.”
The couple smiled, the woman speaking. “We’re so pleased that all of you could make it! I’m the manager of this hotel, and I run it with my husband.”
(Name) swayed back and forth, trying her best to pay attention but unable to. She was too excited to get in the water, peeking behind Kurapika to stare.
“The exam committee has given me a message to deliver to all of you applicants. If you’ve made it this far, congratulations on a job well done. The 4th phase will begin three days from now. Until then, please take a break and enjoy all that this island has to offer.”
(Name) sighed in relief and let her shoulders relax. “Wow a break!” Gon said. Leorio coughed.
“Aww, that’s too bad, I was kind of looking forward to getting right into the next phase.”
Kurapika smiled. “This has been pretty intense since day one, a little rest and relaxation would do us a lot of good.”
The group began walking towards the hotel, everyone happy to take a break.
“Just a minute please!”
(Name) stopped, shouldering her backpack.
“Here you have to pay in advance. 10 million Jenny per person!”
(Name) blinked. “Oh dear.”
“10 million Jenny!?” Leorio exclaimed.
“That’s what it costs?”
“Seriously?” Killua asked, after Gon.
“That’s way too expensive!”
(Name) pouted, crouching on the ground and as the group argued.
“For people in your situation, we’re more than happy to suggest an alternative method of payment. What have you got to trade? As a side business, my wife and I also run a little antique shop. There are a number of shipwrecks in the island. Many of them still have treasure on board. If you were, to say, bring something back of value to us, you could put it towards your room.”
“Are you serious?”
“The type of room we give you would depend on the value of what you find. The better the item, the better the room.”
The group began to leave, (Name) staying behind.
“(Name)? Are you coming?”
Her friends waited for her, Kuraoika being the one who asked.
“Yes, just a moment. You guys go ahead.”
The hesitantly listened to her request, leaving to go and search the shipwrecks.
(Name) turned towards the elderly couple.
“Excuse me… but I may already have something to trade.”
“Oh? Well let’s see it then.”
(Name) opened her bag, pulling out a golden brooch. The old man took it, humming. “What’s this?”
“It’s a golden brooch, a gift from my mother for graduating high school.”
The old man raised an eyebrow. “You’re trading in a gift from your mother?”
His eyes softened at her expression. It wasn’t the face of someoem giving away something precious. Her eyes were full of hurt and resentment. Obviously, the brooch had caused her a lot of pain.
“Yes. I don’t want it, at least here it can be of some use to me.”
The man glanced to his wife. “This is worth quite a lot, but not enough for a private room. Do you mind sharing with two other people?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. I would like to help my friends now. Could I get my key later?”
He nodded. “Yes. Go along now.”
The old man watched as she left. “What a kind girl. She’s not going to get a better room, but do help her friends…”
(Name) joined Kurapika and Leorio, the blonde’s face lighting up when he spotted her.
“(Name)! How did it go?”
She sighed, setting her backpack down. “Alright, I guess. I have a room at least, thought I’ll be sharing with two other people.”
“Two other people? Perhaps you should try and get a better room, (Name).” Kurapika said.
‘What if she rooms with someone dangerous?’
His face turned pink when he saw her lift up her shirt. “Well, I’m going to be diving for treasure, but only to help you guys out.”
“(N-Name), what are you-“
She placed her shirt on her back before pulling off her skirt, revealing a pair of shorts. “I’m getting ready to swim. What else would I be doing?”
He turned his head away, his entire face red. “Please tell me before you begin to undress next time.”
She pouted. “But Leorio just took off his shirt. Unfair.”
“He’s a guy!”
She rolled her eyes, stuffing her clothes into her bag. “Could you watch my bag for me, Pika? I don’t want it getting stolen.”
“Oh, yes.”
He turned back, averting his eyes before he got a good luck at her. It was a little cute, she was just in a modest sports bra and shorts, but that was enough to fluster the boy.
“Hehe, thanks. I owe you one~”
She dived into the water, leaving Kurapika standing on the ship, gripping his tabard. His eyes darted to Hanzo, who had been peeking at (Name) as she undressed.
“Keep your eyes on the treasure, Hanzo. I won’t have you leering at (Name).” Kurapika called. The ninja huffed.
“What, are you her boyfriend or something? Lay off.”
Kurapika’s eyebrow twitched. “I don’t have to be her boyfriend to worry about her well being. Don’t let me catch you looking at her like that again, this is your only warning.”
When she resurfaced, (Name) was holding a small treasure box. “Pika, Pika look! I found something!”
She swam over, placing it in the deck. “Oh, this chest looks very old. Nice find, (Name).”
They opened it, only to be disappointed. It was empty, besides a bunch of water that was leaking of if a hole at the bottom. “Awww…”
Kurapika smiled, patting her head. “It was a good try. Why don’t you try again? I’m going to search the ships. Gon and Killua are in the area, so go swim near them.”
She nodded, pulling him in for a hug. “Thanks, Pika!”
He yelped, his hands flying into the air. “(N-Name)! You’re…”
“Oh, sorry, forgot I was wet!”
She pulled back quickly. He’d been more concerned she was half naked, but used her being wet as an excuse. “M-Mhm, I’m going now, be safe.”
(Name) got her key and found her room. She hadn’t met back up with Kurapika, so she didn’t have her bag that contained her clothes yet. She did her best, dropping her wet clothes into the hamper and taking a shower before wrapping a towel around herself.
“I guess could ask my roommate to retrieve my bag for me… I don’t want to walk around in a towel…”
She sat on her bed, pouting, until she heard the door open.
“Hello? I heard-“
It was Kurapika standing in the doorway, staring at (Name) with wide eyes. She sighed in relieve. “Pika, thank g-“
The blonde turned away so quick that her backpack swung on his back. “Why are you naked? Don’t you know how many dangerous men are taking this exam? Your roommate could have been any one!”
“But it wasn’t anyone, it was you.”
He paused, tossing her bag to her. “Just,.. go get dressed.”
She giggled. “Alright, if you’re that opposed to me relaxing in a towel, I’ll get dressed.”
(Name) stood up, walking to the bathroom. “There’s a shower, by the way. You can take one when I’m done.”
Kurapika sat on his bed, waiting for her to get dressed. In the small amount of time they’d spent apart, he had already begun to miss her. He scolded himself for this.
‘You shouldn’t get too attached. Think of your mission, having too many attachments could jeopardize it.’
But when (Name) walked out, wearing a pair of pajama pants and tshirt, he couldn’t help smiling. “I’ll shower now.”
She paused. “Oh, do you want me to wash your clothes while you do?”
He tilted his head. “I guess so. I plan on taking a longer shower than usual, so there should be enough time…”
He thought for a moment, calculating the time it would take to both wash and dry his clothes in his head.
“Well, if they’re not dry in time, you can just borrow my clothes.”
Kurapika blinked. “Your clothes?”
“Mhm. They may be big on you, but they should work in a pinch. I have an extra pair of pajamas.”
She set the shirt and pants out for him. “Here, just in case.”
He held the clothes to his chest, cheeks turning pink. ‘Oh, they smell like her perfume…’
“Do you mind if I wash your clothes with mine?”
He shook his head. “Not at all.”
With that, she left, carrying their clothes with her.
———————
When (Name) got back with their laundry done, Kurapika was sat in bed, wearing her tshirt and pajama pants, while Hanzo argued with him.
“If you have a problem with your room arrangements, bring it up with the owner.” Kurapika said, flipping through a book.
“Oh I will!”
Hanzo turned around, seeing (Name) standing in the doorway carrying a laundry basket.
“Move.”
She did, staring at him with a raised eyebrow. “What an asshole, I hope we don’t have to share a room with him.”
Kurapika sighed. “I’m not sure we’ll have much of a choice.”
The two sighed, (Name) dumping the laundry basket on her bed and sorting through the clothes. “Here’s your clothes, Pika.”
He took them shyly, seeing them all folded neatly on the bed. Kurapika tried not to think about the fact she’d washed his underwear, knowing it wasn’t something she cared about.
“Oh, I hope you don’t mind but I used floral detergent. I wasn’t sure what to use, but that’s my favorite.”
He sniffed his tabard, sighing contentedly. “I don’t mind, it smells lovely.”
She smiled brightly, finishing her laundry before jumping onto his bed.
“Hey!”
He laughed when she landed, watching as she wiggled around into she was facing him. “I know it’s early, but I’m so tired. I think I’ll go fishing and gathering for some dinner then sleep.”
Kurapika nodded, sitting up. “I’ll get dressed and come with you.”
(Name) set her comfortable pajamas to the side and threw on her only dress. She didn’t plan on doing anything too strenuous, so a knee length sundress would be perfect for exploring the small island.
“You… you look nice, (Name).”
Kurapika shyly complimented her. She giggled. “Thank you!”
The two left their room, fishing for a bit before leaving to travel around the island and forage.
There were several fruit trees, along with wild onions, mushrooms, and potatoes.
“We’ve got a pretty good amount of food, it should last us more than two days.” (Name) said, placing another potato into their borrowed basket.
“Yeah, but I’d like to have a little extra.”
She giggled. “For Leorio?”
Kurapika smiled. “Yes, I doubt he’d be able to feed himself, considering he’s never cooked before.”
She nodded balancing the basket on her hip. “Alright then, let’s keep going.”
After they gathered for 15 more minutes, the two returned to the beach. “I’ll start a fire, could you find a pan for me?”
“Yes, I’ll be back soon.”
(Name) started a fire, sitting on a log as she began chopping up some of the vegetables. She’d rinsed them beforehand, sighing to herself as she considered what she should make.
‘I guess we could skewer the fish then I can sauté the vegetables… it’s not perfect, but it will fill out stomachs.”
Kurapika returned with Leorio in tow. “Guess who’s replacing Hanzo as our roommate?”
“Leorio!” (Name) waved, having already cleaned and skewered the fish. Kurapika handed her the pan, watching as she tossed in the chopped vegetables and mushrooms before beginning to cook.
“Wow, (Name), you sure are efficient.”
Kurapika sat down next to her, watching as she worked. The fire was kept small, with a rock she used to rest the pan on in the center.
“When’s it going to be ready? Im starving.”
Leorio plopped down on the other side of her, the sound of his stomach growling making her laugh. “It won’t take long. Why don’t we share some stories as we wait?”
This was perfect, both Kurapika and Leorio were curious to learn more about her.
“Actually, (Name), I’m curious on how you got your own room without having to search for treasure yourself.”
She went quiet, eyes staring into the flames of the fire.
“(Name)?”
Kurapika put a hand on her shoulder, the girl sighing before answering. “I traded a golden brooch my mother gave me.”
The blonde’s grip tightened, being almost painful. “You… gave away something your mother gave you?”
He almost sounded hurt, pulling away from her. “(Name), that’s…”
He wrapped his arms around himself. “I would give anything to have something that belonged to my family. To know you’d give something like that away…”
He frowned, but his expression changed when he saw (Name)’s face.
There were tears running down her cheeks, but her eyes were empty. Leorio patted her back, sighing. “You don’t have to explain yourself if you don’t want to, (Name).”
She shook her head. “No, no, it’s fine. In most cases, Kurapika, I would agree with you. Giving away a gift given to you by someone that loves you is unforgivable.”
Kurapika’s eyes widened at her words.
“But my mother never loved me, and just before the Hunter Exam I was disowned. I no longer have a family to go back to.”
She felt Kurapika’s arms wrap around her and pull her close. “I… I apologize for assuming the worst of you. I… understand how it feels to not have anyone to come home to.”
(Name)’s lip quivered before she let herself cry into Kurapika’s arms, Leorio scooting closer to pull them into a hug.
After being comforted, (Name) wiped away her tears and cleared her throat. “Kurapika, Leorio, if we all pass, I’m going to buy a house, and it’s going to open if anyone ever needs a place to stay.”
She held onto Kurapika’s hand, the blonde softening at the slight tremble in her hands.
“We can make a home together, okay?”
Kurapika didn’t respond, only holding her hand tight with both of his.
The three ate dinner before returning to their room. As Leorio showered, the two played with (Name)’s cards.
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