Chapter Text
Golden streams of sunlight through the cabin window woke Leorio. Killua sat staring out the glass, tapping his foot impatiently. Kurapika still dozed on the young assassin's side, while Gon had somehow shifted in the night to wrap his arms around Kurapika's midsection.
"Finally," Killua sighed, "Someone else is up."
"Were you bored by yourself?" Leorio whispered, taking care not to wake his sleeping friends.
"Not my main issue, but one of them," Killua answered, "I woke about half an hour ago needing to use the restroom, but Kurapika's trapping me, and Gon is trapping him. I can't get up without waking them both."
"That is quite the dilemma," Leorio agreed, "Do you think you can hold on for another five minutes while I go? I'll then free you and take on the role of Kurapika's living pillow when I return."
Killua released a light snort/chuckle hybrid at the description Leorio had chosen. "Yeah, old man. I can hold on that long. I've been tortured, holding this is nothing in comparison."
With a quick nod, Leorio stood and hurried to the restroom. While it was far earlier than he would have liked to be up, the hour did mean that there was no line. He hurried through his business, taking care to prevent the spread of germs by washing his hands, and returned to Killua at the four-minute mark.
Gon was now awake, sitting up and yawning with his arms outstretched—and nearly hitting Kurapika's face. "Morning, Leorio!" the chipper boy whispered, "Isn't the sunrise pretty?"
Leorio grabbed Gon's left arm and pulled it away from Kurapika's face. "Yeah, sure. Now stretch elsewhere; you're about to hit the sleeping princess in the face."
"Oh!" Gon exclaimed quietly while Killua fought hold back his laughter. Gon stood and continued stretching, "Sorry about that. I'm glad you caught me before I could hurt Kurapika."
"I'm glad I caught you, too," Leorio answered as he knelt in front of Kurapika. He handed the blond's phone to Gon, "Hold this for a second, I don't want it falling as I move him to free Killua."
Gon nodded at the order, taking the device as Leorio wrapped his arms around Kurapika as though going in for a hug.
"Killua," Leorio whispered, "Can you use your free hand to nudge his head forward onto my shoulder? I don't want gravity causing unnecessary strain on his neck. And be gentle."
"Obviously, old man," Killua answered with an eye roll as he cautiously tilted Kurapika's head forward, "I don't want to wake him any more than you or Gon do. And if I did want him awake, he'd be awake by now."
Leorio stood, and staggered, struggling to compensate for Kurapika's sudden weight. While the blond was shorter and lighter than Leorio himself, Leorio had not anticipated the change accordingly. He shifted his grip before sitting down on the opposite bench. Killua stood hurriedly, and stepped out from their small booth to head to the restroom.
"He still looks so tired," Gon remarked, looking at Kurapika.
"Can you help get his head in my lap and his legs onto the bench?" Leorio whispered, "I don't want him half-laying and half-sitting, it isn't good for his spine."
"Yeah," Gon answered quietly, setting the phone in Kurapika's small tote bag on the other bench. He lifted Kurapika's legs onto the bench that Leorio was on and pulled the skirt of Kurapika's outfit so it laid flat like a blanket. Leorio shifted to the left a bit, and lowered Kurapika's head into his lap.
Kurapika shivered, violently enough that Leorio could feel it.
"Leorio, he's—" Gon began, but Leorio was already removing his blazer.
"Cold, I know," Leorio interrupted, draping the article of clothing over Kurapika's upper half, "You, Killua, and I will all take good care of him. He'll be fine. Now, how about you go get us some breakfast from the concessions cabin?"
"Yeah!" Gon agreed, "Do you want anything specific?"
"Eggs and a piece of fruit would be great. Preferably one I don't have to peel, unless you mind peeling it for me. I'm worried I'll elbow Kurapika trying to peel something."
Killua stepped up from behind Gon, "I'm going to find the sweetest thing they have and eat that. Do you think they have any sort of chocolate?"
"I'm not your father, but for health reasons, I strongly suggest a bare minimum of adding fruit to your breakfast," Leorio added.
"Ew," Killua said, wrinkling his nose, "That sounds gross. Who would do that?"
"Gon, keep an eye on him," Leorio sighed, wondering why all of his friends could easily be prime examples of the definition of the word stubborn.
Gon nodded as both teens exited Leorio's line of sight. After a few minutes, the duo returned, Gon holding his own tray as well as Leorio's, with Killua trailing behind and looking at the apple on Leorio's tray as though it had personally offended him.
Once seated, Gon and Killua hurried through their breakfast as though they had somewhere to be other than the train, whereas Leorio clumsily picked at his eggs with his left hand. His right hovered on Kurapika's shoulder, keeping the loaned blazer from slipping.
It took a full fifteen minutes for Leorio to finish his breakfast after Gon and Killua had finished theirs. He pulled out his textbook as the teens returned the trays.
The hours dragged on as Gon and Killua played Rock, Paper, Scissors, and Leorio felt a twinge of guilt every time they said the name until he found a groove with his book where he could effectively tune them out.
The train lulled to a stop. A feminine voice over PA announced that they had arrived at the station. Kurapika shifted and sat up, rubbing at his eyes.
"Good morning—barely," Leorio teased, knowing that their arrival at the station had been scheduled for 11:45, "You have more than earned your phone back, it's in your bag."
"How long did I sleep?" Kurapika asked, standing from the bench and grabbing his bag.
"Let's see," Leorio began, also standing, "You fell asleep around 10:15 last night, and it's 11:45 right now. That means you got thirteen and a half hours. You nearly doubled the amount I told you to get."
"Thanks for looking out for me," Kurapika murmured, trying to hand the blazer back to Leorio.
"Hold onto it for a little bit," Leorio encouraged, packing up his textbook, "You're still shivering."
Kurapika blinked, staring at the blazer as though it were the most confusing thing in existence, before shrugging and putting it on.
"Thank you," Kurapika smiled as Leorio draped his arm around the blond's shoulders and led him out of their booth, with Gon and Killua shortly behind them.