Archive of Our Own ^beta

Leorio rushed around the kitchen in a frenzy, pulling one tray out of the oven before shoving another one in. Spaghetti was boiling in a pot on the stove, and several plates on the counters were stacked high with sandwiches. Some were normal, like turkey and cheese, whereas others were more like peanut butter-marshmallow or jam-bacon-apple. To top it all off, Leorio wouldn’t stop pulling out his phone to check for text messages or calls. He’d almost accidentally tossed it into the sink at least three times that morning.

It was the first time the boys would be visiting him since Kurapika had moved in, and the med student wanted it to be perfect.

“They just don’t visit enough,” Leorio had said to Kurapika the previous night at dinner. “I know that they can take care of themselves, but I worry about them too, you know?”

Kurapika had just nodded and reassured his boyfriend that the boys would be happy to be there no matter what. If he was being honest with himself, though, Kurapika didn’t believe a word.

After Yorknew City, Kurapika had gone radio silent. Despite everything, Leorio had forgiven him, but what if the boys couldn’t? How could he call himself their friend, their father figure, if he’d ignored them at every turn? And most of all, did he even deserve to see them?

These were the thoughts that filled Kurapika’s head as he watched Leorio frantically stir noodles and check to see if his brownies were cooked all the way through. Despite his anxiety, Kurapika couldn’t help but smile at the med student cooking before him. His boyfriend. After they’d gotten together, Kurapika had promised never to leave again. It wasn’t that he’d ever intended to break his promise, but...he just couldn’t believe that Leorio still wanted him around. For the first couple of weeks, he had kept expecting Leorio to snap one day and kick him out. It hadn’t happened. In fact, each morning Leorio kissed him and hugged him and reminded Kurapika how happy he was that he was there. While he never felt that he deserved it, Kurapika relished each and every one of these moments and tried to return them as much as he could.

They’d fallen into a rhythm of sorts. Once Kurapika had recovered from his injuries, the very ones that had led him to Leorio’s apartment in the first place, Leorio went back to med school. Kurapika had made an arrangement with Nostrade in order to stay at Leorio’s most of the time and only come in for emergencies. In return, he did lots of paperwork, and sometimes ran operations that his boss was too lazy to. Leorio accompanied Kurapika on every Scarlet Eye-related endeavor he took part in, never questioning its necessity but always helping the Kurta plan their next move. It scared the hell out of Kurapika, having him there when he knew that any moment could be their last, but it was one of the agreements he’d made when they decided he and Leorio wanted to be together. Nothing bad had happened so far, and he’d actually been collecting eyes at double the rate of before.

“I guess I’m just that good,” Leorio always joked.

Kurapika usually responded to this by rolling his eyes or shoving the med student away, but secretly, he was incredibly thankful for the care and effort Leorio put into a battle that wasn’t even his own to fight. The Kurta was sure he didn’t deserve him, and yet, Leorio thanked him for being there every single day.

“KURAPIKA!”

The man in question was jerked out of his thoughts by Leorio’s distressed voice and immediately moved into the kitchen.

“What is it?” Kurapika asked.

Leorio reached out a finger that was coated in batter of an unnatural shade of blue. “Did I put enough sugar in this?”

Kurapika blushed. “You want me to...taste it?”

“Yeah,” Leorio replied. He was trying and failing to hide his smile.

Kurapika firmly gripped Leorio’s arm, causing the taller man’s breath to hitch. Slowly but surely, the Kurta placed his lips around Leorio’s finger and sucked on it. He made sure to swirl his tongue around, not missing a single drop of the batter. By the time he was finished, Leorio wasn’t smiling anymore, instead staring at Kurapika like he was one of the desserts on the table ready to be eaten.

Kurapika, meanwhile, was smirking. “I’d add just a touch more,” the Kurta said nonchalantly. “You know how the boys love their sugar.”

“Yeah…” Leorio said, eyes totally glazed over.

Kurapika couldn’t help but laugh at Leorio’s expression and knocked him on the shoulder. “Okay, Leorio, back to cooking.”

As he tried to walk back to the dining room table, he felt Leorio’s arms wrap around his waist.

“Pika,” Leorio whispered, “before they get here, do you think we have time to--”

Leorio couldn’t even finish his sentence, as at that very moment, there was a knock on the door. The med student kissed Kurapika’s cheek and let go of him, laughing.

“Rain check!” Leorio said, racing towards the door. He stopped just before he opened it and turned around, throwing Kurapika a wink. “But later...well, you know.”

As Leorio unlocked the door, Kurapika tried to organize his thoughts; what was he going to say to the boys? What would they say to him? Would they want him to leave? After seeing them, would Leorio realize that he didn’t want Kurapika around at all? Was he infringing on their thing, ruining whatever was between Leorio and the boys? And where would he go if they didn’t want him anymore?

There was hardly time to process any of those questions before there was a sudden cry of glee.

“LEORIO!” Gon exclaimed, dropping his backpack to the floor and rushing into the med student’s arms.

“GON!” Leorio cried, wrapping his arms around the dark-haired boy tightly and holding him in a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m great!” Gon hopped down out of Leorio’s arms to give Killua his turn.

“AND KILLUA!” The med student leaned down and wrapped the other boy in a big hug, causing Killua to blush.

“Hey, Leorio,” Killua said, visibly squirming in an attempt to free himself from the older man’s arms. “It’s good to see you.”

Leorio finally let go and ruffled the hair of both boys, causing Gon to laugh and Killua to groan in annoyance. “How long has it been, Gon, a month? And two months since I’ve seen Killua.”

“We missed you,” Gon admitted. Killua grumbled something about Gon being embarrassing, and then the boys set their eyes on the other man in the room.

Kurapika froze, fighting the desire to excuse himself or simply run away. But no, he had to do this, if not for the boys then for Leorio. He knew how much his boyfriend wanted them to be a big family again, and he wasn’t about to ruin it. Plus, after all this time, it was so good to see them that he hardly even had the resolve to leave them.

I know I don’t deserve them, Kurapika thought, but if I could just spend a little more time with them...

As the Kurta stood trying to come up with an apology or a greeting or anything else to say, Gon, as always, didn’t even hesitate.

“KURAPIKA!” Gon shouted, running towards the blonde and practically knocking him over with the force of his hug. “It feels like it’s been forever!”

“Hey, Gon,” Kurapika said, his eyes filling with tears that he refused to let fall. Gon was happy to see him, happy to see him. How was he so lucky as to have friends like this? “I’m sorry that it’s been so long.”

“It’s okay! I’m just so happy to get to see you now.” Gon pulled away from Kurapika, still grinning. “What have you been up to?”

“I’ve been travelling the world with Nostrade, looking for the eyes of my clan,” Kurapika explained.

“And now you’re here to stay?” Killua asked, striding over to Kurapika with a blank expression.

Kurapika took a deep breath, worried that the boy’s unreadable expression hid hatred or disgust. He knew how likely it was that Killua resented him for running out on Gon, how much he deserved that resentment. “Yes, I’m here to stay.”

Killua examined him for a moment and Kurapika held his breath. This was the moment where it would all fall apart, where he would be tossed out--and then Killua let loose a grin. “Glad to hear it.”

Kurapika exhaled a sigh of relief and met Leorio’s eyes across the room. The taller man gave him a big smile and a thumbs-up.

“I’ve missed you two,” Kurapika said, and Gon nodded his agreement.

“It hasn’t been the same without your recklessness getting us into trouble every ten minutes,” Killua joked.

“Hey, nobody talks to my boyfriend like that!” Leorio said, but it was all in jest. The med student bent down to kiss Kurapika’s cheek and the Kurta felt himself blush.

“You guys are gross,” Killua said, but he was smiling too. “Do you guys have anything to eat? We’re starving.”

“I think Leorio’s got a thing or two,” Kurapika replied with a grin.

Leorio dished up their meals as Kurapika and the boys sat down at the table. Gon was talking a mile a minute, not hesitating to tell Kurapika everything that he’d missed during their time apart. Greed Island, Chimera Ants, the election, and more poured out of Gon’s mouth, and Kurapika hung on every word. Killua cut in every so often to correct a detail or share an anecdote, and by the time they were finished, Leorio had handed them all plates of spaghetti and sandwiches.

“You two really have been keeping busy,” Kurapika commented as the boys snarfed down their meals. “You should be incredibly proud of all that you’ve accomplished.”

Killua just shrugged. “What we did is no big deal. It’s all over now anyway, so we can do cooler stuff, right, Gon?”

Gon nodded enthusiastically. “We have to tell you about this animal we saw the other day!”

Kurapika watched in shock as they jumped right to the next story. Gon and Killua had been through hell and back, yet they talked about it as if it was just another adventure. Did they even realize how resilient they were? Kurapika found himself looking at Leorio, wondering if he knew how strong the boys must be, and watched as the man laughed along to Gon’s latest story, patting him on the back every so often. Of course Leorio knew how strong they were. He knew everything they’d been through, watched them grow and encouraged them every step of the way. As out of place as Kurapika felt in their little family dynamic, his heart swelled. Leorio was the perfect father figure for them.

“Tell them about the fruit stand, Gon,” Killua said through a mouth full of sandwich.

Gon laughed and nodded. “Oh, yeah! A few weeks ago, Killua and I visited this fruit stand that was filled with all of these apples. A lot of the ones on the top were going bad because of the heat, so I decided to grab one from the bottom of the stack.”

“Gon,” Leorio chastised with an eyeroll, “that wasn’t very smart.”

Gon grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, I know. All of the apples fell off of the stand and right into the mud! The shopkeeper was super mad, so Killua and I promised that we would go to the nearest orchard and pick new ones. It was tough work in the heat, but it was also really fun! We actually found more oranges than apples, and there were some peaches, too! We gave all of them to the shopkeeper and he ended up selling out so fast that there wasn’t even time for anything to go bad!”

“Plus, he gave us a few of the really big peaches for free,” Killua added.

“So what did you learn?” Leorio asked, flashing Kurapika a smile.

“That sometimes, even when you mess up, you can still leave things better than you found them,” Gon concluded. “It’s always better to be a part of something than to not!”

“You’re a smart kid, Gon,” Leorio said proudly.

“Hey!” Killua exclaimed. “What about me?!”

By the time they were finished eating, they’d covered just about every topic under the sun. Gon had mostly led the conversation, but he’d also asked Leorio how school was going and gotten a few stories out of Kurapika. It was as if they’d never separated, as if nothing after Yorknew had ever happened. Leorio’s dream had come true, if just for one night; they were a family.

As Leorio and Kurapika started in on the dishes, Gon yawned and stretched.

“Kurapika, are you sleeping in our room?” Gon asked.

“Huh?” Kurapika stopped what he was doing and stared at the boy in confusion.

“Have you been sleeping in our room while you’ve been here?” Gon clarified. “Should Killua and I sleep on the couch?”

Kurapika was lost for a second longer before he felt color rush to his face. In his peripheral vision, he saw that Leorio had stopped washing the dishes, too.

“Oh,” Kurapika said. ‘ Oh?’ What the hell was that? “Um...no, I’ve actually been...sleeping on the couch! You and Killua can sleep in your room.”

“Okay, just checking!” Gon said. “I don’t want our being here to inconvenience you.”

“It’s not at all,” Leorio cut in, trying to save face on this topic of conversation. He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck like he always did, a nervous tick Kurapika had grown incredibly fond of.

Gon walked into his bedroom unbothered, but Kurapika and Leorio didn’t miss Killua’s little smirk.

“On the couch, my ass,” Killua mumbled.

Kurapika went bright red again and Leorio yelled something about going to sleep before Killua cackled and ran into the bedroom.

Leorio sighed. “It’s going to be a long couple of days.”

The med student was very quickly proved right. Gon and Killua opted to take the night to themselves to play JoyStation and sleep, leaving Leorio and Kurapika on their own to watch a movie. It wasn’t very good, and by the time it was over, the Kurta wanted nothing more than to hop in bed with Leorio.

But Gon just wouldn’t go to sleep.

The first time Kurapika tried to slip into Leorio’s bedroom, Gon came out of his room to get a glass of water. Kurapika had no choice but to lay down on the couch and look like he was trying to fall asleep.

“Kurapika,” Gon said, unsure, “how come you don’t have a blanket? Or a pillow?”

The blonde went pale. He sat up slowly, trying to think of something to say. “Um...I forgot to get them.”

“Oh.” Gon and Kurapika stared at each other for a moment before Gon raised his eyebrows. “Are you gonna go get them, or...?”

Kurapika laughed a little and nodded, standing and walking into Leorio’s room. To find him with his shirt off lying on the bed in a less than appropriate way.

“LEORIO!” Kurapika whisper-screamed, rushing over to the bed and slapping his boyfriend’s head. “What if Gon saw?!”

“Can he?!” Leorio asked, panicking.

“No, you idiot, just...be patient!” Kurapika grabbed the top cover on their bed and a pillow and rushed back out to the living room. Gon was still standing there with his water, and he smiled when the blonde returned.

“Goodnight, Kurapika!” Gon said with a wave, and then he was gone.

Thirty minutes of staring at the ceiling and impatiently tapping his fingers on the couch later, Kurapika sat up to try to enter Leorio’s bedroom again. He jumped when he was met with amber eyes staring directly at him.

“Gon!” Kurapika exclaimed. “What are you doing up?”

Gon laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. He was so similar to Leorio that Kurapika felt his heart melt a little. “I have to use the bathroom.”

The bathroom in Leorio and Kurapika’s shared bedroom was the only one in the apartment. The med student hadn’t seen that as a problem when he’d first started living there, but now that two teenage boys and a very cleanly Kurta were using it as well, he’d started to regret his choices.

Gon started to walk to the bathroom and Kurapika stood up.

“WAIT!”

“What?” Gon asked, stopping in his tracks.

“Um…” Kurapika desperately tried to think of an excuse to enter the bedroom before Gon and at last sighed. “Let me go first. Leorio has a bad habit of lashing out at people who wake him up.”

Before Gon could argue, Kurapika was already in the doorway. This time, Leorio was only in his boxers, his hands in his hair. He sat up with a grin.

“Are they asleep yet?” he questioned, his tone hopeful.

“No!” Kurapika replied. “And Gon needs to use the restroom! Get under the covers!”

“Pika,” Leorio whined. “Can’t you just stay?”

“Wait or I’ll make you regret it.”

Leorio grumbled something about a cheap landlord and a cruel boyfriend as he complied, and then Kurapika was gone. Gon thanked Kurapika as he entered the bathroom and some minutes later exited.

Finally, one hour later, Kurapika was satisfied that Gon and Killua were well and truly asleep. As quietly as possible, he climbed off the couch and snuck into the bedroom. Leorio was still firmly under the covers and looked up at Kurapika miserably.

“What now?” the taller man asked.

Kurapika smirked and started to pull off his shirt. “It’s just me, Leorio.”

The blonde locked the door and climbed into the bed.

Gon stood in the living room staring at Leorio’s bedroom door expectantly. Kurapika had entered around five minutes ago, and he figured he would be coming out any time now. His JoyStation control had run out of batteries, and Gon could never remember where Leorio kept them.

Killua peeked his head out of their bedroom and raised his eyebrows. “Gon, what are you doing?”

“I’m waiting for Kurapika,” Gon replied. “He went into Leorio's bedroom a while ago and I don’t want to interrupt their conversation.”

Killua laughed and walked over to Gon, grabbing his shoulders and steering them back to their own bedroom. “Let’s just go to bed. They’ll probably be in there a while yet.”

“Oh?” Gon said, and Killua shut the door and turned off the TV.

I knew it, the white-haired boy thought. “Goodnight, Gon.”

The next morning, Kurapika emerged from Leorio’s bedroom wearing what were definitely not his clothes. He’d been in too much of a hurry to get out of there before Leorio did (for plausible deniability) to find the shirt he’d abandoned on his boyfriend’s floor the previous night. Instead, he was wearing one of Leorio’s old t-shirts, one that was too small for the med student but still way too big on Kurapika. He’d also stolen some of Leorio’s flannel pajama pants--they were very comfy.

Much to Kurapika’s chagrin, Gon and Killua were already awake. Fruity Pebbles had been poured into two matching bowls, and the boys were chowing down on their colorful cereal as they watched cars pass beneath Leorio’s apartment.

“Good morning!” Gon said, his mouth still full of food. He swallowed it before he scrunched his eyebrows together. “How come you came out of Leorio’s bedroom?”

It’s too early for this, Kurapika thought, desperately hoping Killua would let him talk himself out of it. “I was just...taking a shower.”

“Wow,” Killua said, setting his spoon down. “For an hour? Gon and I have been up for an hour, and we never saw you on the couch.”

Kurapika could handle the Phantom Troupe, but he sure as hell couldn’t find the strength to deal with this fourteen-year-old. “Yes. I tend to take long showers now that I have the time to.”

Leorio chose that exact moment to exit his bedroom, hair dripping with water.

“Good morning, Leorio!” Gon said. Then he paused. “Why is your hair all wet?”

Kurapika felt himself paling before his boyfriend even opened his mouth.

“I was just taking a shower,” Leorio replied without a second thought.

All of the color returned to Kurapika’s face as he watched Killua smirk. Gon opened his mouth to say something and Kurapika briskly cut him off.

“Leorio showers really quickly!” Kurapika said, hoping that Gon couldn’t see how much he was blushing. “He has to, because of how early his classes are.”

Leorio laughed and smiled at his boyfriend. “Quickly? Wow, you weren’t saying that yesterday when you needed to p--” The moment he saw Kurapika’s glare he cut himself off and cleared his throat. “Yeah, I can shower in five minutes if I try.”

“Really?!” Gon exclaimed. The boy then jumped into a story about how he and Killua were once almost late catching a ride because of how long Gon had taken to shower and Kurapika could breathe again. Leorio deserved some kind of award for putting up with them.

Kurapika felt like he was losing his grip on reality. He’d been playing JoyStation for the better part of an hour and he was still certain that he had no idea what he was doing. Gon and Killua had explained it to him in the simplest terms they knew how, but he had to face the facts: he sucked at this. Plus, it was a Thursday.

Every Thursday, Leorio had several very long classes in a row. The med student hated it, but he figured it would be a nice slot of time for Kurapika to have on his own to relax. The only thing was, Kurapika didn’t use this time to relax at all.

The first time had just been a moment of weakness. What if something bad had happened to them in the weeks since he’d settled down with Leorio? Kurapika knew he’d promised never to go on his own, but how would Leorio ever know the difference? What was the harm of one little trip to his warehouse full of Scarlet Eyes?

The second time had felt even worse. Leorio hadn’t suspected a thing the first time around, and Kurapika had come up with some obscene lie about reading a book and going for a walk that day. Leorio had even smiled about it. That next Thursday, he was gone for class again, and Kurapika felt the urge to go to the warehouse. He was a terrible boyfriend and a terrible person, he knew it, but Kurapika just had to check on the eyes. Just in case. He was sure it would be the last time, and then he would tell Leorio what he had done.

But he never did. Every Thursday, without fail, Kurapika took a cab as close to the warehouse as he could get and walked the rest of the way. He would stay there for a while, checking each jar, making sure his surveillance and locks were still in place. It was a habit he couldn’t break, a nagging worry in the back of his head that he could never quiet. Kurapika couldn’t rest on Thursdays until he visited the warehouse.

He’d promised himself, not this week. Not while Gon and Killua were there. Leorio had been so excited for them to Kurapika and the boys to spend alone time together, catching up, and the Kurta was willing to do anything to make his boyfriend proud.

Well, almost anything, it seemed.

“Gon, Killua,” Kurapika said once they had finished a round of their game. “Would you mind if I went to run an errand?”

“No,” Gon replied. “Do you want us to come with you?”

Kurapika’s heart ached. Thoughtful Gon, trusting Gon, who was ever so much like Leorio, was just trying to help. He always was. Gon deserved better than this, but Kurapika refused to allow himself to believe that he was capable of being that for him.

“No, I’m alright,” Kurapika replied. “Will you two be okay on your own?”

Killua scoffed and grinned. “Yeah, of course! It’s okay, we can tell you’re getting tired of us beating you at JoyStation.”

Kurapika forced himself to laugh and left the room, hoping that the boys couldn’t sense the guilt radiating off of him. This will be the last time I ever go to the warehouse on my own, Kurapika promised himself. I’ll go today and then never again, not without Leorio. I won’t. And I’ll only stay for a few minutes. Just once more, and never again.

Kurapika rushed up the stairs to Leorio’s apartment. All of the eyes had been there, just like always. He’d only stayed for about five minutes before catching a cab back into the city, making the total time he’d been gone under an hour. Leorio still had a class to go, the boys were likely still playing JoyStation, and no one would ever be the wiser as to what Kurapika had done.

As he approached the apartment, Kurapika pulled out the key Leorio had given him the week they’d gotten together. The Kurta hadn’t wanted to assume that they would be living together right away, but his boyfriend had just given it to him without a word. Leorio had treated it like such a natural thing; of course Kurapika would live there now. It had been so sweet that Kurapika had almost started crying then and there.

Kurapika wiggled the key in the lock and opened the door, steeling himself for more JoyStation. The second he saw what was inside, all thoughts of silly games and the boys’ laughter left his head.

“Hey, Kurapika,” Leorio said coolly. His tall frame was pressed up against the kitchen counter, arms crossed and face scowling. “Where have you been?”

Kurapika felt his jaw drop. Leorio shouldn’t be here. He couldn’t. All those times he’d left and come back without a problem, but somehow now…

“You seem surprised. My last class was cancelled, so I came home early. Weren’t you even planning on telling me where you went?”

Kurapika was still struggling to even get his brain to function. What was he going to say? What excuse could he even give? He fell back on his default, his failsafe for whenever he was in a situation he couldn’t think his way out of: silence.

Leorio strided over to the door, slamming it shut behind Kurapika and throwing his hands in the air. “Answer my question!”

“It doesn’t matter where I went,” Kurapika replied calmly, starting to walk towards the couch. “I’m back now.”

“‘Doesn’t matter’?!” Leorio shouted, pursuing him twice as fast as he could get away. The taller man gripped Kurapika’s shoulders tightly and turned him around. “You were supposed to be with the boys!”

“They can take care of themselves!” Kurapika threw Leorio’s arm off of his shoulder but didn’t move, standing his ground. He could feel his eyes starting to turn red and wasn’t even sure if he wanted to stop them.

“That’s not important! ” Leorio fired back. “This was your time to spend with them, doesn’t that mean anything to you?!”

Kurapika said nothing, breaking eye contact and staring at the floor.

“Goddamnit, Kurapika, where were you?!”

“I WAS AT THE WAREHOUSE!” Kurapika found himself panting, his hands clenched into fists. It was out there now, Leorio knew, and there was no way he could take it back. It sounded so much worse out loud, and he felt self-hatred in his very bones. The Kurta chanced a look at his boyfriend and felt his heart clench.

Leorio’s eyes were tensed up, filled with something close to heartbreak. “You…” his voice cracked, and Leorio took a moment to compose himself. When he opened his mouth again, his features were twisted with rage. “You promised that you would never go there alone anymore!”

“This is still something I have to do, Leorio!” Kurapika shouted, his eyes burning. He couldn’t tell if it was from his anger or his tears.

“Something we have to do!” Leorio corrected. “I want to help you, Kurapika, doesn’t that mean anything to you?!”

“It’s not your place! You can’t control me like this!”

“I thought my place was by your side! I thought we were gonna fight for this together!”

“Maybe I don’t want your help!”

“Kurapika, Leorio...please don’t fight.”

Both men paused for just a moment to find the source of the voice. Standing in the doorway of his bedroom was Gon, his face a blotchy red and his eyes filled with tears. His shoulders were shaking a little, as if he’d been crying for a long time, and he was gripping his hands together tightly.

The couple was too far gone to even process it.

“This doesn’t concern you!” Kurapika shouted louder than he’d intended to.

Leorio turned away from his boyfriend to face the teenager, pointing a finger. “Gon, go back to your room!”

Kurapika didn’t even process whether the boy was still there before he was at Leorio’s throat again. “Why can’t you trust me to do anything on my own?!”

“Because you’re a reckless bastard, that’s why! At least if I’m there, you won’t get yourself killed!”

“Trust is a two way street, Leorio.”

“And I sure as hell don’t see you walking it!” the taller man yelled.

Suddenly, the front door opened. Both men turned and, to their surprise, Killua and Gon were standing in front of it. Hadn’t they even noticed them walk by? Killua’s arm was thrown around his friend’s shoulders, ones that were shaking worse than ever. The sounds of Gon’s sobs pulled Kurapika from his anger and back to reality, and it was then that things started to sink in.

Killua sighed deeply. “The thing that always messed me up the most, more than the training or my siblings or any of it, was hearing my parents fight. I’m not gonna sit around and let Gon listen to that, too. Pull yourselves together. Otherwise, we won’t be coming back. Come on, Gon.” With that, he ushered himself and his friend out of the apartment and shut the door behind them.

Kurapika and Leorio stood in silence. A wave of nausea hit the Kurta like none he’d ever felt before. What had he done? Not only had he destroyed his relationship with Leorio, but he’d gone and wrecked Leorio’s relationship with the boys, too?

“Oh, god,” Leorio whispered, falling back against the couch. “They were...I never wanted them to see me like that.”

You don’t belong here, Kurapika thought to himself, the ground spinning beneath his feet.

“And what Killua said...about the fighting being worse than…”

“Leorio,” Kurapika started, taking a step forward. “I’m s--”

“I don’t even want to look at you right now!” Leorio shouted suddenly, his eyes brimming with tears. “You...just...get out of here, Kurapika! I need some time to myself.”

He didn’t have to be told twice. Kurapika swiftly left the apartment and locked it behind him. He walked out of the building in a daze, as if everything around him was falling far, far away. He’d ruined everything. Leorio’s perfect week with the boys, their first time with them now that they were a couple, was destroyed. Perhaps he’d even managed to traumatize Gon for life, and God knew he had seen more than enough for his age already.

Kurapika got on the nearest bus and sat down, planning to take it as far as it would go and leave his friends free of his heavy baggage.

And then he remembered Gon’s story.

Leaving things better than you found them, Kurapika thought idly. He nodded then, determined. Fuck leaving his family behind. He was going to fix it instead.

The cool air of the local grocery store was refreshing to Kurapika. He grabbed a handheld basket and started walking, having absolutely no idea where he was going. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been in a grocery store, as Leorio normally did all the shopping, and he wasn’t even sure what he would be buying.

Romantic things, Kurapika thought to himself, looking around. His boyfriend loved any sort of romantic gesture, but what kind did he love the most? I suppose I’ll just buy all of them.

The first aisle that Kurapika came across was filled with flowers. It almost reminded him of the garden he’d told Leorio about when the man had nursed him back to health. There were flowers of every kind, some bouquets filled with many flowers of the same kind and others with assorted types and sizes. Kurapika knew that every type of flower was supposed to mean something, but he had absolutely no knowledge on the subject whatsoever. Hopefully, Leorio wouldn’t either. 

Kurapika picked up a bouquet of roses and stared at it, thoughtful. These were the traditionally romantic flowers, but...they just didn’t seem like Leorio. His boyfriend wasn’t all red and sultry (though he tried to be). Leorio was...bright.

The Kurta’s eyes trailed to a bouquet of mixed yellow and pink daisies. He smiled. Those were the ones. They would look excellent in the apartment, and he could just see Leorio laying in a field of them. Perhaps they could visit that garden Kurapika had once seen, this time together.

Kurapika gently set them in his basket and moved on. Next, the candy aisle. Chocolate was another romantic gift, and Leorio loved chocolate. As he grabbed a heart-shaped box labelled “For That Special Someone,” he felt himself blush. It felt so corny, so stupid to buy this cheesy little box of candy...but it was for Leorio. That made it as important as any mission or crusade Kurapika had focused on in his life.

Still, I wish there was a self-checkout here… the Kurta thought miserably.

As he browsed other candy selections, Kurapika spotted a row of tiny cardboard robots covered in several colors. Weren’t those the chocolates that Killua loved so much? Or was that something else? Kurapika took a moment to deliberate before tossing about twenty in the basket. He was sure that Killua would appreciate the candy regardless.

Now for Gon. What would Gon want? It couldn’t be something impersonal like chocolate, but it couldn’t be super fancy like flowers...Kurapika was left lost for several moments before he saw it. Above the huge wall of chocolates, candies, and all other forms of junk food sat a giant teddy bear. Its arms were reached out as if giving the holder a hug, and there was even a green bow on the front of it to match Gon’s clothes.

Kurapika set down his basket and walked over to the shelf, reaching on his tip-toes for the bear. He must’ve looked ridiculous like that, but this was important. Gon was the one who had made him think to stay, and his gift needed to reflect that. At last, Kurapika managed to pull the toy off the shelf and look it in the eye. It looked exactly like something Gon would want as a companion on his travels.

Perfect, Kurapika thought. He couldn’t hide his smile.

Satisfied with the gifts he’d found, Kurapika walked over to the store’s checkout. The line was short, and he was soon standing in front of an overexcited cashier.

“Wow,” the man said as he scanned the barcode on the flowers. “Who’s the lucky lady?”

Kurapika chose to respond with an uncomfortable laugh. That silenced the cashier.

Once everything was stowed safely in a bag, the cashier cleared his throat. “Do you have a rewards card with us?”

“A what?” Kurapika asked. He just wanted to leave, why were there so many questions?

“Uh, never mind.” The cashier clicked a few buttons on his register and looked up again. “Will that be cash or credit?”

Kurapika reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of money he kept for emergencies. He set it in front of him. “Here.”

The cashier looked from the money to Kurapika and then placed the money in the register, handing back the necessary change. “Have a good evening.”

Kurapika gave a curt nod, grabbed his bag, and left the store.

Kurapika found himself ascending the stairs to Leorio’s apartment for the second time that day. He was unsure if he wouldn’t find himself descending a third time.

Some mistakes can’t be fixed, Kurapika thought on instinct. But then, a little voice in his head that sounded something like Gon--or was that Leorio? They were so similar to his mind--told him he was wrong. Mistakes can always be fixed when it comes to family.

Yes, family. That’s what Leorio and the boys were.

Far too soon, Kurapika found himself at the door. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe Leorio really didn’t want to see him again. But he had to try, for the boys and for himself. Kurapika stuck the key in the lock and opened the door.

This time, Leorio was hunched over on the couch. His head was in his hands, his hair a mess, the suit jacket he’d worn to class that morning tossed over a kitchen chair. Gently, Kurapika kicked the door closed behind him and took a step forward.

“Leorio.”

Slowly, the man in question lifted his head. His eyes were red rimmed and his glasses were skewed. His expression remained unreadable, and Kurapika took a deep breath. The Kurta walked over to the couch and hesitated for a moment before he shoved the bag of objects at Leorio. The older man looked inside of it and then back up at Kurapika before he stood.

“Leorio,” Kurapika tried again, “I’m sorry. I know that I broke your trust and how hard you’ve worked to make this perfect and I--”

A stinging slap across his face stole the words from the Kurta’s mouth. Before he could even process it, Leorio’s strong arms enveloped him in a hug, one hand reaching up to grip his hair.

“I thought I’d scared you off!” Leorio sobbed, pushing his face down into Kurapika’s shoulder. The Kurta felt tears seep into his borrowed shirt, but he didn’t mind at all. “I thought you’d left for good!”

“Never,” Kurapika whispered, hugging Leorio tightly back. “You could never scare me off.”

They stayed like that for a while, clinging onto each other for dear life, refusing to let go for fear that the world might try to keep them from each other if they did. Both of them were crying, and for once, neither one cared whether the other one saw it. It was just them, they realized, the two of them holding themselves together while everything fell around them. If they didn’t have each other, did they really have anything?

It was Leorio who pulled away first, wiping the tears from his face and onto his pants. He cupped Kurapika’s face gently, leaning down to rest his forehead on his boyfriend’s.

“Pika, everything I said earlier about wanting you to leave, I didn’t mean any of it,” Leorio said, shutting his eyes. “I never should have said any of it. I want you with me no matter what.”

“And I, you,” Kurapika said. “I said a lot of horrible things, Leorio, and I’m sorry. I trust you. I hope you know that I trust you.”

“I do, I do.”

Leorio pulled away to smile at his boyfriend, but was interrupted by Kurapika smashing their lips together. It was a crazed and frantic kiss, more desperate than any they’d ever shared. It was as if both thought it was the first and the last, trying to steal the breath of the other and memorize everything about them just from the dance of their tongue. They’d worked so long and hard to get here, to get to each other, but they were just remembering that nothing in the world could keep them apart. If the universe even tried, they would surely tear it down and build a new one, one where they could never leave the other’s side.

At last they pulled apart, both gasping for air and grinning like mad men.

“I love you,” Kurapika said, grabbing Leorio’s hands tightly.

“I love you, too, Pika, always,” Leorio replied.

They didn’t have much time before there was a knock at the door. The boys were back.

Kurapika took the lead this time, something that made Leorio’s heart swell a little in his chest. They opened the door together, and there were Gon and Killua.

“Have you two idiots worked things out yet?” Killua asked in a huff, striding in with Gon on his heels.

“Yes,” Kurapika answered, “and we’re very sorry. We never should’ve acted that way in the first place, especially in front of you.”

“Yeah,” Leorio agreed. “I’m really sorry. Both of you. I hope you can forgive us.”

“Gon?” Killua said, turning to his friend for his thoughts.

Gon gave them a small smile and nodded. “Yeah, of course we can forgive you. Killua and I fight all the time, too, and you guys have to see that.”

Killua blushed a little at the implications of that statement and cleared his throat. “If Gon forgives you, I do, too. Just try not to be so dumb in the future, okay?”

“Will do,” Leorio said with a grin. “Or at least, we’ll try.”

Killua rolled his eyes and Gon laughed, allowing Kurapika to breathe out a sigh of relief. Everything was going to be just fine. Perhaps he really had left things better than he’d found them.

“Oh!” Kurapika said suddenly, rushing over to the couch. “I almost forgot. I bought you guys some things.” The Kurta reached into the bag and pulled out the flowers and the chocolate heart box. He walked over to Leorio and thrust the objects into his hands.

“Pika…” Leorio said, blushing. “Did you...for me…?”

Kurapika blushed, too, looking away. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted.”

Suddenly, Leorio’s lips were on his again, and he was caught off guard. He refused to allow the kiss to get too heated--Gon and Killua were right there --and Leorio finally let go of him.

“Remind me to thank you for these later,” Leorio whispered.

Kurapika blushed again and pushed him away, causing Leorio to flash him a grin.

Next, the Kurta pulled out armfuls of chocolate robots and handed them to Killua. “I’m not sure if this is what you like, but here you go.”

Killua looked at all the little candies in awe and smiled. “Chocolate robots! These are the best!”

Finally, Kurapika grabbed his last gift and handed it to Gon. “This reminded me of you.”

Gon’s eyes widened and shone as if Kurapika had just hung the stars in the sky. He reached for the bear and stared at it for a moment, stricken with glee. “WOW! It’s so cool!” Gon gave Kurapika a huge hug, and the Kurta reciprocated gladly. “Thank you, Kurapika! I love it!”

“I’m glad,” Kurapika replied, eyes filling with tears again. “And Gon...thank you.”

That night, they all watched a movie together. Killua and Gon did rock-paper-scissors to see who got to pick the film, and the latter boy won. It must’ve been a long day for the both of them, though, as they fell asleep halfway through. Kurapika and Leorio smiled at Killua’s head resting on Gon’s shoulder.

“Thank you for convincing me to come back,” Kurapika said suddenly. “This is…” Something I never thought I would have again. “...nice.”

“Any time, Pika, any time,” Leorio replied, kissing his boyfriend softly on the head.

They stayed like that for a long time, basking in their togetherness, their love, their family. Each of them finally had what they’d always wanted, and it wasn’t going anywhere.