Work Text:
1. BEGINNING
Kurapika’s phone only has a couple of numbers saved in it. Not enough to merit the hassle of juggling a separate phone for work. It’s a necessity for communication in their job, a point of contact for their boss or fellow bodyguards to reach them if need be. They know that their friends’ calls are important. That doesn’t mean they have to pick up whenever they, or a certain someone, calls.
This time, Leorio calls during one of Kurapika’s stakeouts during their free time away from work. Kurapika’s mortified hearing their pocket buzz and echo throughout the abandoned building they’re hiding in. This time, Kurapika refuses to pick up because they’re on a goddamn stakeout where they could be noticed because of this stupid mistake. They should have remembered that their phone’s silent mode isn’t exactly silent. Fuck.
Faint footsteps can be heard down the hallway, speeding up and getting louder as Kurapika freaks out in their hiding spot. They’re way too close for comfort to their target, and confrontation really isn’t an option when this meeting was supposed to be secret. They turn around to face the window, considering the two story jump. It’s not ideal but it’s the only option right now, they fret, as the footfalls echo louder and closer and--
Kurapika backs up, gets a running start, and jumps out the window, quickly conjuring a chain to wrap around an overhanging beam from the top floor of the adjacent building. They swing out and pull themselves onto the rooftop, immediately crouching and using zetsu to avoid detection from the target, panting from the physical exertion they went through in mere seconds. Kurapika runs through a string of curses in their head, frustration buzzing under their skin as they stay low and quiet. Today is not the day when they’ll catch this target off guard, thanks to Leorio. Their lead is probably even more paranoid with proof of a tail, and will probably reschedule another deal with their buyer, requiring more information gathering. Ugh.
That’s when it starts. Kurapika couldn’t have picked up in that situation, and just thinking about Leorio chewing them out for missing a call gives them a headache. They’ll talk to him later. Regaining the Kurta’s eyes is their priority now, and the hunt isn’t over yet.
2. IN BETWEEN
It’s been a month and Kurapika just...doesn’t answer Leorio’s calls. It snowballed from the stakeout fiasco and Kurapika’s been busy all the damn time with work and their hunt. Leorio just calls at the most inopportune times, and Kurapika starts to enjoy the lack of distraction. They’ve wasted enough time as it is, and being unfettered to their friend group is freeing. They think they’ve made actual progress. But then the calls become more frequent and happen during their free time. Kurapika can only think of how long it’s been since they’ve heard Leorio’s voice and what it means to be actively avoiding his calls. It’s hard keeping track of time these days, and Kurapika knows that they can regroup...later.
X X X
It’s much later now. Kurapika hates to admit it, but they’re afraid. Not of Leorio, but of the distance growing between them that, they created , they remind themselves. Every missed call feels like an additional step away from him, and Kurapika doesn’t know how to stop it or close the widening gap between them, so they just do nothing. They focus on their work, their mission, and their rage. That emotion Kurapika can handle and nurture and warm themselves with, at least. It’s manageable, unlike the feelings associated with Leorio that...aren’t.
While Kurapika hasn’t picked up a call from Leorio in a while, they listen to each and every one of the voicemails Leorio never fails to record after a missed call, bitching about how they can’t stand to pick up the phone “just once, dammit”, or just talking about medical school or the kiddos. Kurapika knows they love Alluka and Nanika already, just from hearing Leorio gush about them and their mystifying ability to make Killua softer and lighter, happier Gon’s always calling Leorio for homework help and to chat because he’s bored, but sometimes Killua and his sisters make the trip to Whale Island to visit when Mito finds Gon’s progress satisfactory. The stories and shenanigans Leorio relays are always fun to listen to, and make Kurapika happy. Their mood is ruined when Leorio’s voice cuts off into inevitable silence, and Kurapika knows it would be easy to press the ‘call back’ button. Turns out bringing themselves to do it is the hardest thing in the world. Kurapika is happy with these stolen moments, and that’s enough for them.
3. MELODY
Melody is comforting and kind and doesn’t pry, which Kurapika is grateful for. They can’t be honest with themselves, but they can be honest with her. And that’s what’s healing them after having the guilt of Leorio’s countless missed calls eat them away. She prepares tea for the two of them in the lounge of her hotel room; she’s not working for the same employer as Kurapika anymore, but they keep in contact and catch up whenever they can.
Melody talks about her encounter with another musical hunter who had clued her in on some possible holders of the Sonata of Death she’s been scouring for. Her voice is soothing and so familiar, and Kurapika can’t help but be lulled into a sense of comfort by it.
“Tell me more about your trip around Padokea the other day,” Kurapika asks during a lull. Melody smiles and talks about the sound of hissing waves against the shore, hushed murmurs or breezes through tall grass and the cacophony of voices and noise in the city. She always describes stories like a maestro conducting music, rhythmic and right.
She hums a little, hesitating, then says, “I know your hunt is moving along, but how are you?” Kurapika sighs and rubs at their face. They’ve been in a constant state of weariness these past few weeks, and they don’t remember when they’ll find the time to rest. “I’m fine,” Kurapika says, and is about to end it there, when their phone rings. They freeze and avoid Melody’s eyes as they check who the caller is and just slides the phone back into their pocket, letting it ring.
Melody looks at them pointedly, but doesn’t say anything as the ringing ends. Kurapika knows they don’t have to say anything about it, but they probably owe Senritsu some sort of honesty right now after all they’ve been through together. “That was,” Kurapika hesitates, “Leorio.” “Oh,” Melody hums, and asks, “He’s studying hard right now, isn’t he in his first year of college?”
“Yes,” Kurapika mutters, looking anywhere but at her face, “he’s got a few years before taking the acceptance tests for medical school.” It’s a little embarrassing for Melody to assume he knows so much about what Leorio’s up to...it’s not like they’ve been talking or anything for a while.
“I hope he’s doing well,” Melody muses, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “I’ve heard it’s hard work, but it suits him. Plus, he’s got us to support him.”
“Yeah,” Kurapika chokes out. Suddenly, an overwhelming uneasy feeling makes them word vomit and spill all their weird, guilty thoughts about the matter. “I just think that...he doesn’t need to hear from me right now. Like you said, he has to focus on his classes. And I don’t have anything to say, though that bastard has lots from the amount of voicemails he leaves...” Kurapika directs a pained look to Melody, meeting her stare, calm and grounded and looking like the opposite of how they’re feeling right now. Their own words are attacking their carefully constructed defenses and excuses, sounding pathetic in the open air.
Melody’s face is open and concerned, her slight smile twisting to say, “I just want to let you know that he still needs you. His studies occupy him most of the time, but he’s struggling balancing it all. I can just tell, every time he meets for coffee he seems more sleep deprived and wound up.”
Kurapika stares into their cup, feeling pretty fucking awful. “I have no idea why I can’t bring myself to pick up his calls,” they say plainly, wanting to get it out in the open. “I want to be there for him…but I can’t just talk to him after months of, of avoiding him! I don’t see how me answering will help him with his studies or relieve his stress.” They swallow, and mutter, “If anything, I’m the one causing him stress.”
Kurapika looks up when Melody laughs, sees her smiling patiently at them. “You’re right about that. Just talk to him, okay? Don’t be scared of disappointing him or anything, he’s calling because he wants to speak to his best friend.”
Kurapika sighs, “I trust you, Melody. I want to believe you. I appreciate your concern but I… don’t think I’m ready.” Melody rolls her eyes at them, tired of their stubborness. “Don’t say I didn’t try.”
4. LONELY NIGHTS
Kurapika only listens to Leorio’s voicemails in the quiet of whatever hotel room they’re in for work, late at night and always after a difficult day. Sometimes they accumulate voicemails and store them for lonely nights like this one. Kurapika only treats themselves to them when they ache to hear Leorio’s loud and annoying (comforting) voice (filling up the empty space).
Truth be told, sometimes Kurapika lays awake at night frozen in fear. That their rage will quell or erode over time. They don’t ever want to lose sight of their goal and fail their clan and their duty to them. But it’s so exhausting being angry all the time, frustration and hate always simmering in the back of their mind, always threatening to burst out from under their skin. Kurapika doesn’t like to think about or acknowledge it often, but Leorio used to be the solution. He has a soothing effect on Kurapika, being hot headed so they don’t have to, breaking things down into simpler problems and just caring too damn much about everyone. It’s admirable.
Sometimes Kurapika dreams of the feel of stubble against his cheek, crooked smiles, and the sound of the warm and gentle heartbeat Melody’s mentioned before. They don’t analyze this much though.
X X X
Leorio has this habit, this thing . Before he had used to call Kurapika expecting them to pick up at least once in a while. Now he calls if only to hear the pre-programmed voice memo Kurapika never bothered to change and spew his thoughts into a place that might reach the bastard. It’s like shouting into the void with the comfort that no one could be listening, or that the only person that he needs to listen might catch his echoes. So Leorio calls whenever he wants to talk to Kurapika, which is embarrassingly often (it’s not as embarrassing when he knows Kurapika probably doesn’t even check their voicemails) and Leorio often wonders if he single-handedly managed to use up all of their storage.
At first Leorio had gotten pissed when he realized that Kurapika wasn’t picking up any of his calls in the near future. For a while, Leorio stopped calling and gave them the silent treatment (in hindsight, it doesn’t really work when both parties are being silent). After weeks of unreleased rage Leorio just said “fuck it” and called again because it was a prime opportunity to vent to the one he was angry with most. Free fucking therapy.
So he talks to Kurapika’s empty voicemail about his classes, which are tough but interesting, his chemistry and biology labs, shadowing doctors doing rounds with patients and loving it. It’s fulfilling to be in the right place, finally. He’s starting to see how everything he’s worked towards is coming together little by little--he just has to work through it.
Leorio talks to Melody, too. She ended up keeping in touch with him when he reached out to meet up and chat. It’s a relief to get away from his bubble in University, where his peers are obsessed about homework, their own little lives in this town, drinking, relationships. Little do they know there’s a whole world out there that’s living and growing along with them.
The first thing Leorio learns about Melody is that she’s super cool. As a musical hunter she knows a damn lot about the stuff, but she also knows a ton about almost every other topic as she’s explored and traveled everywhere. Leorio likes listening to her recount her adventures, and loves to tease and banter with her about her wild escapades. She’s a good friend, and Leorio’s glad to have her in his life. At least she's present in it, which is more than he can say for some people.
1. AFTER / BREAKDOWN
It’s a bad job. Kurapika had managed to track down another pair of eyes to an underground market, and found that they were being tracked as well. They end up having to fight off 4, or was it 5, security guards in an empty warehouse. It’s tough to remember when you’re fighting for your life, Kurapika thinks, running across the industrial park and away from their ambush, everything blurring together. They slow to a walk after returning to a busier side of town, moving around to shake off any tails. Kurapika’s crossing through an alley when something slices through their side. The cut is so deep, the pain is searing, and Kurapika belatedly realizes they’re slumped against a dumpster. When their eyes refocus, Kurapika just sees red and realizes that it’s all their blood, not their eyes. Fuck. That must have been a nasty nen-ability, probably something that was set off after its user was incapacitated. Hopefully. Kurapika knows they’re in no shape to fight anyone who tracked them down anymore. And the cut looks really, really bad. Kurapika can’t just sleep that shit off like every other injury. Fuck.
So Kurapika drags themselves to their hotel room and calls Leorio. It lasts countless rings and goes to voicemail. Kurapika wants to cry with the cruel irony of it. They weren’t there for Leorio when he needed them and here they fucking are.
It takes everything in their willpower, but Kurapika calls Leorio again with shaking hands. He picks up on the second ring and immediately starts indignantly berating Kurapika for giving him the cold shoulder.
“Hey, what’s up? Why have you been ignoring my calls? Is everything okay?” Hearing his voice and presence in real time is so many times more jarring and soothing than his voicemails, and everything Kurapika fucking needed. Their heart kind of aches, too. After a moment of silence lost in his relief, Leorio cries out, “You can’t just pick up my call and not talk to me, damn it!”
Kurapika hates the way their voice shakes when they finally gather enough courage to say, “H-hey. I need your help. Before you say anything--I, I need some medical attention. Where, where are you?”
Leorio’s quiet for a beat, then rasps out, “Fuck. Are you in a state to be coming to me right now?! Tell me where you are!” Kurapika is sick of waiting to see him, and feels ashamed about having Leorio find him bleeding out in their dingy, sad hotel room, evidence of their hunt filling every available space with papers. “No,” Kurapika brusquely grits out, “I’ll come to you.” Kurapika thinks they hear a groan, and then Leorio’s hoarse voice: “Are you--I, just. Don’t faint on me. I’m on my way to my apartment now. See you soon,” along with his address.
Kurapika hurts. They need to see Leorio more than anything right now. Definitely for some fixing up, and also to see him again. Leorio’s address is quickly forgotten in their mental state, and Kurapika scrambles around their bag to look for a map. Their dowsing chain has never come more in handy, and they follow the chain and their stupid, nervous, excited heart leading them home.
X X X
Kurapika’s knocks on the door once before they’re face to face with Leorio, disheveled and frantically looking over them for visible injuries as he ushers them inside. The apartment is bathed in too-bright light, a sofa and dining table in the living room and a kitchenette in the corner. Leorio motions for Kurapika to sit on a chair and begins to hover, looking for signs of injury and opens his mouth and.
“Before you say anything,” Kurapika blurts out, “you deserve an apology.” Leorio freezes in the act, but resumes his examination of Kurapika’s wound. “Yeah,” Leorio sighs, “I think I do.” Kurapika stumbles over all the words they’ve kept inside their brain, all the responses they’ve rehearsed after every voicemail, because it’s been too long without an outlet for all their ugly soft feelings inside their chest. “I’m sorry for...avoiding your calls. For making you worry.” Leorio scowls and peels Kurapika’s shirt up to wash with a cloth, obviously still not satisfied with their apology. Kurapika flinches at his touch, knows how shitty it is, but there’s so much to be said so they just leave it there for now. That they’re sorry is the only thing they’re sure of, at least.
After a tense silence of wiping down Kurapika’s side, Leorio sighs loudly. “I have a lot of questions for you,” Leorio grates out, “and now that I’ve finally got ahold of you I want them answered.” Kurapika sits still and breathes out a “Yes. You can ask me anything.”
“Why didn’t you answer my call? Why did you keep ignoring them?”
“I never ignored them,” Kurapika’s traitor mouth spits out, because that couldn’t be farther from the truth. “I just. Was scared that what I did...what I didn’t do to support you and Gon and everyone...would be unforgivable. I betrayed your trust in me and then I, I kept fucking it up every time you’d call. I didn’t want to face you and the longer we didn’t talk the more I felt guilty.” All the truth and grime and awful weight on Kurapika’s chest rushes out of them as they word vomit all over the floor. It’s relieving yet mortifying how much truth there was in their words. Ugh.
Kurapika looks up to see Leorio’s reaction, whether he’s disgusted, angry, or ready to leave them like they deserve. Instead they’re met with teary eyes and Leorio’s bright red face, a wobbly pout, like he’s-trying not to break down. Fuck, this is not how Kurapika wanted this to be received-
“You’re so fucking...ugh!” Leorio groans, swiping up a tube of antibiotic from his briefcase and applying it gently along their side. “You’re going to need stitches. So while I fix you up, you’re going to stay still and listen to me for once.” Kurapika nods emphatically, wincing when Leorio glares at them for disobeying instructions already.
After a few minutes of stitching in silence, Leorio sighs out, “I’m still mad at you. Your reasons for not calling me were silly and insubstantial, and you kind of let me down when I needed you.” He breathes in and gets louder, angrier or just more upset, “You’re my best friend, okay, and it hurts when I can’t even contact you. When it seemed like you didn’t want me to contact you.”
“But,” Leorio huffs, quieter, “you’re here now, and even though it took a life-threatening cut for you to reach out to me, I want you to know that you can’t pull that shit again. We’re going to talk whether you like it or not. That’s what support means to me.” Kurapika can’t help smiling in relief. “Yes. I’d like that very much.” Kurapika ends up choosing a custom ringtone for Leorio, an annoyingly catchy song. “S’ my favorite,” Leorio sniffs, “and now you can just pick up every time you hear it and not agonize over talking to me.” Kurapika smiles and just feels grateful for the understanding, obnoxious whirlwind that’s Leorio.
X X X
“You were right in refusing my first call,” Kurapika whispers, wrapping their arms around themselves after Leorio wraps up their side. Leorio finishes putting away his equipment and groans, looks over at them and then away sheepishly, a hand going to rub the back of his neck. “Truth be told, I was observing a fucking surgery so, you know. Can’t be picking up the phone right in the middle of that.” Kurapika can’t help the smile turning up the corners of their mouth and gradually relaxing. “I can understand. It might be hard to believe but some of your calls came at really bad times. I couldn’t figure out how to actually silence my silent mode during stakeouts and hunts.” Leorio jerks his whole body around to grab at the back of his chair and stare at Kurapika, mouth gaping and eyes furrowed in shock. “What the f--Why didn’t you stop me from calling you all the time like that? You could’ve sent me an email, a damn carrier pigeon if you wanted to be discreet--” Kurapika feels the last of their stress leak away, and bursts out laughing at how ridiculous Leorio’s being. Just like old times. He’s so fucking easy to read, his emotions jumping out all over his face and body language, and Kurapika knows they’ve been missing this part of Leorio too.
X X X
They talk for hours in Leorio’s dingy room, slouched across the two wobbly and creaky chairs the place came with. It’s part catching up and part reassuring each other that they’re okay, they’re alive and accomplishing their goals. All which started on that ship leaving Whale Island.
Leorio gets up at one point to make tea and offers Kurapika a mug even though they didn’t initially want any. It’s still unsurprising how Leorio knows just what Kurapika needs.
After a lull in the conversation, Leorio had been staring at them, lounging far back against his chair with his arms crossed, flushed with color and looking like he was trying to suppress his smile. Kurapika is so glad they’re here in this moment with him, hard feelings forgiven and everything seeming easier to tackle with Leorio by their side. Kurapika has probably been gazing at Leorio like they’re lovesick for at least a minute, now, but it’s not embarrassing or scary or uncomfortable anymore. It’s anything but. Working out their feelings are surprisingly easy, in person.
Then Leorio just sighs and gets up abruptly, nodding to himself like he’s made his mind up. He walks over to Kurapika, crouches down like the giant he is, and wraps his arms around them, resting his head against their shoulder like it belongs there. With this simple physical gesture and closeness, Kurapika feels a dam in their heart break, their (repressed) emotions of longing and fondness and love for Leorio feel like they’re bursting out of their chest and all Kurapika can do is scrabble at his back and pull him closer. They want to keep this feeling inside of them forever, secret and theirs and chained to their heart in the best way. “I missed you,” Kurapika gasps out, tearfully, burying their face into Leorio’s neck and smelling his familiar, gross cologne again. “I love you too,” Leorio turns to whisper against Kurapika’s cheek, and plants a soft kiss there to drive the point home.
EPILOGUE
Kurapika rubs their thumb against Leorio’s knuckles where they’re holding hands, walking along through a park in YorkNew. In the middle of Leorio’s rant about his next exam, they tug on Leorio’s wrist to get his attention and lean up to kiss him softly. This visibly shocks Leorio a bit, as he stumbles a bit and blinks after Kurapika pulls away (too soon, he thinks) and he asks in surprise, “What was that for?”
“Nothing,” Kurapika smiles a little at him, twists their mouth around as if in an internal argument, then says, “Actually, never mind, that was for everything. Thanks. For being you.” Leorio blushes and hunches in on himself, mumbling out a “That was cheesy.” He pulls their joined hands up to his mouth to kiss the back of Kurapika’s hand delicately, “And you gotta stop pulling that shit on me. I can be cheesy too.” Kurapika just huffs and leans their side against their super tall boyfriend and thinks about spring days well spent just being together. “I love you too,” Kurapika smiles against Leorio’s mouth as their boyfriend leans down and chases yet another kiss.
X X X
Kurapika’s found another good lead on another pair of eyes. They’re humming to themselves, folding their laundry absentmindedly, articles and pictures of black market bosses and their underlings strewn on the desk beside their bed. Kurapika’s getting close, they can feel it. While their rage hasn’t faded, the burden of the task they promised to undertake weighs a little less heavily on them these days. Maybe it’s because they know they’re not fighting alone anymore.
The phone rings Leorio’s designated ringtone and Kurapika smiles and presses “answer” without a second thought.