Work Text:
Leorio was glad he had a key.
Kurapika hadn't answered his calls or texts today, and he was getting worried.
Now, if this had been months ago, during his disappearing act, then that would have been the norm. But since he'd started therapy(and since they'd started dating) he'd gotten much better about it.
Him not answering now was usually a sign he was having a bad mental health day, and on those days Leorio did not want to leave him alone.
When Kurapika had first come to live in the same city as him Leorio had thought they would room together, since that seemed like the most logical thing to do financially. However Kurapika, after he'd started picking up the pieces of his life, insisted on getting his own apartment. He said he didn't want to get in Leorio's way while he was busy with school.
It was days like this he wished he'd pushed more for them to live together instead.
But there was no point in worrying about that right now.
Leorio unlocked the door and entered the apartment. It was quiet and dark, despite the fact it was evening.
The light switch was on the other side of the living room, and he nearly tripped over something as he crossed the room to it.
When he finally fumbled for the lights and turned them on he was met with a very messy house.
So it was a bad week, then, not just a bad day.
Kurapika was usually a very tidy person. That was actually one of his other reasons for not wanting to live with Leorio. He said he was 'too much of a slob'. Ha. Who's house did he nearly break his neck in just now? Not his.
Despite his usual tidiness, though, when he got like this he didn't seem to care at all. Both the living room and kitchen were filled with empty takeout boxes and garbage, and there was a filled up trash bag that had made its way out of the kitchen trashcan, but somehow had stopped short before actually leaving the house. That was probably what he'd tripped over.
He sighed and made his way to his boyfriend's bedroom.
When his light knocking went unanswered, he opened the door. "Kurapika?"
He was met with more silence, so he entered the room.
He had to step over a pile of clothes on the floor, but eventually he found himself at Kurapika's bedside. There was a blanket lump on the bed.
"Hey, 'Pika?" He shook the lump gently. He finally got a response, this time, in the form of an annoyed sounding groan.
"You alive in there?" Kurapika sighed.
"What do you want, Leorio?"
Leorio pulled back the covers a bit. Kurapika squinted at him. "Just wanted to check on you."
Kurapika looked like he was going to make some snappy remark, but then decided against it. Instead he sighed again. "Thank you."
Leorio gave him a small smile. "Bad day?"
"...Yes."
Leorio took in the dullness of Kurapika's eyes, and the dark bags under them. It hurt to see him like this.
"You wanna talk about it?"
"...No."
He still had a hard time getting Kurapika to open up, sometimes. But that was fine. Talking didn't help all the time, and that was okay.
"Well, do you want some company?" He gave Kurapika that soft smile again. His boyfriend crinkled his nose.
"I stink."
Leorio chuckled. "That's not hard to fix. Bath?"
Kurapika looked thoughtful, but unsure. Like he was trying to decide if it was worth the effort.
"I'll put clean sheets on your bed and we can cuddle afterwards."
That seemed to be enough of a reason for Kurapika to decide it was indeed worth the effort. "Fine."
He didn't seem prepared for Leorio to pull the covers off of him and scoop him up bridal style, though.
Leorio laughed at the indignant squeak he let out when he picked him up.
"What are you doing?!"
"I came to take care of you, so that's what I'm gonna do!"
"The bathroom is right there, there was no need for this!"
He pressed a big, sloppy kiss to Kurapika's cheek, which earned him a snort and an eye roll.
"I made you laugh, that's reason enough for me!"
Kurapika smiled fondly at him. "Idiot."
Leorio merely responded with a grin and made his way towards the bathroom.
"If you trip and make us fall I will skin you alive."
"Then who'll come drag you out of bed and change your sheets?"
"I'll figure something out."
He didn't trip.
They arrived in the bathroom and Leorio set Kurapika down gently.
"You go ahead and I'll be here in a minute."
Kurapika watched him as he shut the door.
Leorio got to work stripping the bed and retrieving spare sheets from the linen closet. After he changed the sheets and made the bed he got each of them a towel and a change of clothes(he had his own drawer here, which had been Kurapika's idea. A fact which made him feel very, very fond.).
He was thankful that Kurapika was so organized, given that this was such a regular occurrence these days. He'd have a much harder time if he had to dig for everything every time.
When he returned to the bathroom Kurapika was already in the tub.
"Cleaning up after you like this makes me feel like some kinda house husband."
Kurapika shot him a small smile. "It suits you."
Leorio snorted, undressing and making his way over to the tub. "Yeah well I didn't go through all this trouble to become a doctor just to change your sheets." He slipped into the water behind Kurapika.
It was a tight fit, since Leorio was a very tall man, and his knees jutted up awkwardly out of the water, but he was used to it by now. It was never the most comfortable thing in the world, but taking a bath together always seemed to make Kurapika a little bit happier on days like this, so it was worth it.
Kurapika leaned back against him, his head against Leorio's neck, and it made him happier, too.
He could feel the tension melting out of him.
He pushed a lock of hair behind Kurapika's ear and pressed a light kiss to his neck. Kurapika sighed.
"I love you." He wrapped his hands around Kurapika's waist, and grinned as Kurapika twined their fingers together.
"I love you too."
"This is silly."
"It's not."
"It is."
Kurapika pouted up at him, one eye scrunched shut, as Leorio aggressively towel dried his hair.
"Then maybe you should buy a hair dryer."
"That's pointless."
"No it's not! You can't go to bed with wet hair!"
"Yes you can, I do it all the time."
"Because you don't have any sense of self preservation!"
"Going to bed with wet hair isn't going to kill me."
"No, but it'll make you sick."
"That isn't a major issue."
"What do you do when you've gotta leave in a hurry and your hair is wet, huh?"
"I leave with wet hair."
Leorio guffawed, and Kurapika giggled, pressing a hand against his mouth. "You're ridiculous." The jab was lighthearted and the words were filled with affection. Leorio smiled and rolled his eyes.
"No, you're ridiculous."
"Perhaps we're both a bit ridiculous."
Instead of responding Leorio let go of the towel, causing it to fall over Kurapika's face. He pulled it off, folded it, and threaded it through the towel rod attached to the wall. That was a good sign, it showed he was doing a little bit better already. To be honest, Leorio himself probably would have just dropped it on the floor to deal with later, but he wasn't a perfectionist like Kurapika.
"Well. You promised that we would cuddle, so you best deliver."
Leorio laughed loudly. "I'd love to tell the you of five years ago you're standing here begging me for cuddles!"
"I'm not begging, I'm merely reminding you of the deal we already made."
"It's okay, sunshine, you don't have to beg, every inch of me is all yours." Leorio winked, and Kurapika shoved at his chest as he walked past him out of the room.
"You're infuriating." He had a smile on his face.
When Leorio followed him into the bedroom Kurapika was already climbing into bed. He quickly climbed in beside him and pulled the covers over them both.
He'd barely settled down before Kurapika was latching onto him like a koala, burying his face in his chest.
Leorio pressed a kiss to the top of his head, smiling all the while. He felt Kurapika let out a sigh and relax against him.
"This is nice. I needed this."
"Nothing a visit from Dr. Paladiknight can't fix."
"Be quiet, Leorio."
Leorio pouted. "What, I can't talk? Could've used a body pillow if this is all you wanted me for."
"A body pillow wouldn't be nearly as warm."
"I wonder if they make heated ones?"
"It doesn't matter, I'd much rather have you."
Leorio's heart started to beat faster at that, and he couldn't keep the grin off his face.
"I can feel your heartbeat."
"Oh, yeah?"
"It's fast."
Leorio leaned closer to Kurapika's ear and began to whisper. "I can't help it, I always get nervous when I'm around my crush." Kurapika snorted.
"Best be careful, wouldn't want to give yourself a heart attack in your old age."
Leorio sputtered. "What?! I'm only two years older than you!"
Kurapika pulled his head back a little, laughing up at him. "I'm only teasing." He ran a finger along Leorio's chest. "You're very...." He appeared to be searching for a word to use, seemingly unable to find one in his usual vocabulary. "...hot. For an old man."
Leorio was torn between relishing in the compliment and getting angry that Kurapika called him an old man again.
He settled on anger, or at least irritation. "Killua is rubbing off on you."
"Perhaps."
They stayed silent for a moment, just wrapped up in one another, before Kurapika moved his arms from around Leorio's chest to around his neck, and pulled him in for a kiss.
He himself wrapped an arm around Kurapika's shoulders, tugging him tighter against him.
After a while they finally pulled apart.
Kurapika stared up at him, cheeks slightly flushed, before leaning back down and burying his face in Leorio's chest once more, his arms still wrapped around his neck. "Thank you for coming to check on me today."
Leorio pressed a kiss to his shoulder before gently moving Kurapika's arms down to wrap around his waist instead. "I'll always be here for you."
Kurapika's face was pressed so close that he could feel him smiling.
"I know."