Work Text:
You’re in town, right?
Yeah
Our spot tonight ?
Sure!!
Leorio hadn’t really expected to hear from Kurapika ever again. The last time Kurapika had responded to one of Leorio’s texts was almost two years ago at this point. He wasn’t even sure why he said yes. Actually, that’s totally a lie; of course Leorio said yes. He’d never been very good at saying no to Kurapika. Besides, maybe he was feeling nostalgic. It’s not like there was anything better to do in their small suburban home town. You could only hang out with your little sisters so many times before you started to get restless.
It was weird, sitting by the top of the slide at the park across from his old middle school. It was 12:55 am. Leorio always arrived five minutes early. Kurapika always arrived five minutes late. It was their spot, their time: a place where Leorio could escape the crowded claustrophobia of a too small apartment filled with too many siblings and Kurapika could escape first the chaos of his foster home and then, after he turned 18, the silent emptiness of his parents’ old house. The two of them had been coming here for years, ever since Kurapika’s family had died when they were in junior high.
In the four years since Leorio had last been in this spot, it seemed like literally nothing had changed. The sidewalks were still cracked and in desperate need of repair. The swings had been wrapped around the bar at the top to shorten the chains by some shithead eighth graders again. The plastic of the slide was still old and faded from hours in the sun. It was… unsettling. Leorio felt so different after four years of college and yet coming home it was like he’d never been gone.
Leorio checked his watch: 1:03 am. Kurapika was technically late, but no later than he always is. His heart pounded with anxiety. What if it was weird and awkward? What if the comfortable effortlessness that had always characterized their friendship was lost forever? What if Leorio was too different, and Kurapika hated the person Leorio had become? What if Kurapika was different? What if in the four years since they had last seen each other Kurapika had become someone Leorio wouldn’t recognize? Kurapika never posted on social media, so Leorio didn’t even know if Kurapika looked any different.
“Leorio,” a voice behind him at the entrance of the playground startled Leorio out of his thoughts. He turned, and his heart lurched. Kurapika looked mostly how Leorio remembered: worn black jeans, band t-shirt, his father’s old blue and red windbreaker, one red earring dangling from his ear. His hair was a bit longer– long enough that Kurapika had pulled half of it up into a ponytail. He obviously looked a bit older, but in a way that suited him. He was hotter than Leorio remembered, and that was saying something as Leorio had been hopelessly infatuated with his best friend for as long as he could remember.
“Hey,” Leorio said, voice cracking just a bit. Even under the weak flickering streetlights Leorio could see Kurapika quirk an eyebrow at him. “It’s— uh— it’s been a while.”
“Don’t be weird,” Kurapika muttered, climbing up the playground ladder to sit next to Leorio.
“Sorry,” Leorio said. “You look good.”
“I know,” Kurapika said simply. “You look the same.” Leorio knew that wasn’t true. It had been four years for Christ's sake. He had grown out his facial hair to a light scruff, had put on some muscle, and the dozens of late nights studying for the MCAT had definitely taken a bit of a toll. Leorio knew Kurapika well enough to know that he was saying that because it was easier than expressing what he really thought. Leorio took “you look the same” as the compliment he knew Kurapika meant but probably wouldn’t ever say. You had to take small wins like that with Kurapika.
“Do you remember last time?” Leorio asked. “How we said that– you know, when we’re finally twenty-one we would…” Kurapika snorted quietly at Leorio’s awkwardness.
“I remember last time,” he said. “But you’re going to have to remind me exactly what you mean.” Kurapika knew exactly what Leorio was trying to say, but was going to give him a hard time until he managed to spit it out.
“I brought weed, okay?” Leorio snapped. “We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to, I just figured since…”
“Did you remember to bring a lighter?” Kurapika asked.
“Of course I remembered to bring a lighter, dickhead,” Leorio replied.
“Do you know what you’re doing, or do you need help?” Kurapika asked. Leorio glared at him.
“I— sort of know what I’m doing, I looked it up online” Leorio said defensively. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
“Ew, what the hell,” Leorio said, sniffing the air. “Is that a skunk?” Kurapika looked at him like he was stupid.
“Are you being serious right now?” he said flatly. “That smell is weed, you moron.”
“What– are you sure?” Leorio spluttered. “How do you know that?”
“Teenagers smoke in the patch of forest over there all the time,” Kurapika said, pointing in the direction of the smell. “How did you not know that?”
“Why would I know that?” Leorio said defensively. After a moment, Leorio spoke again.
“Have you— have you smoked before?” he asked.
“Not weed,” Kurapika said. “Just cigarettes.”
“Cigarettes,” Leorio repeated incredulously. “When were you going to tell me you started smoking cigs? Don’t you know how bad that shit is for you?”
“I knew you would react like that, so I didn’t bother,” Kurapika said. “Calm down. I’m not like— a nicotine addict or anything like that. If I was, you’d definitely have noticed the smell of smoke on me by now.”
“Not yet ,” Leorio grumbled. “Do you have any idea how addicting those things are? If you give yourself lung cancer— scratch that, if you give me lung cancer from second hand smoke I’ll kick your ass.”
“Sorry, Dr. Leorio,” Kurapika said sarcastically. “Have you tried any— you know, substances? Obviously not weed, but anything else?”
“Just alcohol,” Leorio admitted. Kurapika gasped with faux horror.
“Leorio,” Kurapika chided. “How could you?”
“You’ve met my family, asshole,” Leorio snapped. “It would be weirder if my uncles hadn’t given me a drink to try at a family event at some point. It’s not like I’m getting wasted at the club or something.”
“Did you like it?” Kurapika asked.
“Yeah, it’s fun,” Leorio said. “The taste isn’t too bad once you’re used to it, and being drunk is fun. It’s nice to get out of your head for a little while. I can’t believe I’ve never told you this before. I can’t believe I didn’t drunk text you.”
“You probably did, and I just couldn’t tell the difference between drunk you and sober you,” Kurapika said. Leorio elbowed him.
“I’d like to try weed, I think,” Leorio said pensively. “Now that it’s legal here. I’d have to wait until I was twenty-one so I could get it from a dispensary. I don’t think I’d want to test my luck on getting something illegally.”
“It’d probably be a waste of money anyway,” Kurapika agreed. “I heard Hisoka sells laced shit and all the other plugs around here are basically selling oregano.”
“Would you try it?” Leorio asked.
“Yeah, why not?” Kurapika replied.
“When we turn twenty-one I’ll buy some weed and we can try it together,” Leorio suggested.
“Deal.”
“Give it here,” Kurapika ordered. Leorio fumbled for the small plastic tube and lighter in his pants pocket and handed them to Kurapika. Kurapika popped the tube open and emptied the joint out into his hand. He held it easily between two fingers and lit it. He took a hit and then offered it to Leorio, who took it, albeit much less gracefully than Kurapika.
“Just breathe it in normally and exhale,” Kurapika said. “Don’t take a giant breath and don’t try and hold the smoke in. You’ll just make yourself cough. Don’t overdo it. Neither of our tolerances will be very high since neither of us have smoked before. Yours should be higher than mine since you’re so much bigger, but still.”
Leorio nodded and tried to follow Kurapika’s instructions. He tried taking a hit, but wasn’t prepared for the feeling of smoke in his lungs and started coughing. Kurapika was clearly trying not to laugh next to him. Leorio tried again, this time managing not to hack his lungs out, and handed the joint back to Kurapika. Kurapika took another hit and then set the joint on the playground structure between the two of them.
“I’m surprised you haven’t smoked before by now,” Leorio said. Kurapika shrugged.
“Didn’t want to try it for the first time alone,” he said. “And I didn’t have anyone that I trusted enough to be intoxicated around.” Leorio hummed in understanding, silently celebrating that Kurapika still trusted him enough.
“So, what have you been up to?” Leorio said.
“I told you not to be weird,” Kurapika said.
“How else am I supposed to ask?” Leorio complained.
“I don’t know,” Kurapika said. “Like you’re my best friend and not like you’re my fucking— I don’t know, calculus teacher I ran into at Home Depot?”
“Just fucking tell me about your life, idiot,” Leorio snapped.
“See? Like that,” Kurapika said. Leorio burst into laughter, not because it was all that funny, but because it felt good to laugh.
“I got a job working security for some random office building,” Kurapika said, jumping down off the playground structure and kicking up mulch. “It fucking sucks, but it pays okay.”
“Do you wear those security guard vests?” Leorio asked. “Wait, do you have a gun ?”
“No, I don’t have a fucking gun, Leorio. Just a taser,” Kurapika said, rolling his eyes. “But yeah, we have a uniform. It’s not that exciting.”
“Do you have a picture of you wearing the uniform?” Leorio asked.
“ No ,” Kurapika said. “When have you ever seen me take a picture of myself? And why are you so obsessed with this uniform?” Leorio only realized he was laughing when he heard the sound of his own voice. Okay, he was definitely feeling something.
“What’s so funny?” Kurapika snapped, which only made Leorio laugh harder. “I’m not high enough for this.” Kurapika reached up and grabbed the joint, relighting it and taking a hit. He offered the joint to Leorio, who composed himself enough to accept it and take a hit.
“It’s not really funny,” Leorio said once he exhaled. “It’s just— those types of uniforms are kind of hot, you know?” Kurapika stared at him blankly.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Kurapika said flatly.
“Maybe I like a man in uniform, you know? But like— not cops or the military,” Leorio said. Kurapika gave him a hard look.
“It’s not weird!” Leorio protested. “It’s like– hot to imagine, you know, a sexy security guard shoving you to the ground or being all like– “Stop right there! Put your hands where I can see them!” –you know?”
“And you’re saying that’s not weird,” Kurapika deadpanned.
“Oh come on,” Leorio complained. “You know what I mean.”
“It’s not like I could shove you to the ground anyway,” Kurapika said. “You’re like– a foot taller than me.”
“Since when has that stopped you?” Leorio argued.
Kurapika was sitting on the swings while Leorio sat on the steps up to slide. The way the harsh white fluorescent street lights were hitting Kurapika’s face made him look otherworldly. Leorio couldn’t help thinking that he looked beautiful like this. Kurapika was staring off into the distance, not really paying attention to Leorio, so he thought he would be safe to pull his phone out and take a picture.
It was a good picture— but Leorio thought Kurapika always looked good in pictures. He looked down at his phone, smiling to himself.
“Leorio, did you just take a picture of me?” Kurapika asked. Shit. He was caught.
“Maybe,” Leorio admitted. He never bothered trying to lie to Kurapika; his best friend could always tell.
“Delete it,” Kurapika ordered.
“It’s a good picture, I promise!” Leorio protested.
“Leorio,” Kurapika warned. “Delete it, or I will.”
“Come on, ‘pika. What if I forget what you look like when I go off to college?” Leorio asked.
“That’s it,” Kurapika said, getting up from the swing and heading towards Leorio. Leorio also stood up and tried to evade Kurapika, but he didn’t get very far before Kurapika managed to grab his wrist. Leorio held his phone up above his head, using his height to keep his phone out of Kurapika’s reach. Kurapika grit his teeth in frustration.
“Give it, you bastard,” Kurapika said. Leorio grinned and waved his hand in the air tauntingly.
“Come and get it,” he teased.
“Alright, you asked for it,” Kurapika said, and before Leorio could process what exactly was happening, he was knocked flat on his back. In another flash, Kurapika was on top of him, one hand pinning Leorio’s wrists above his head and the other snatching his phone.
“Ow, fuck,” Leorio cursed. “The mulch is digging into my back.” Kurapika shot him an unamused look as he easily unlocked Leorio’s phone and deleted the picture.
“Bastard,” Kurapika said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“You look like you’re about to—” Leorio started to say, then felt his face flush red. “Nevermind.”
“What?” Kurapika said, confused. Then he seemed to realize that he was still straddling Leorio with his hands pinned over his head and also blushed. “Oh. Whoops.” Kurapika let go of Leorio and rolled off him, laying down in the mulch next to him.
“I hope those guys smoking weed in the forest aren’t still here,” Leorio said. “‘Cause if they are, they definitely think we’re fucking.”
If later that night Leorio went into his recently deleted folder and restored the picture, then that was his business.
“You’re not as… lanky anymore,” Kurapika argued. “Back then you weighed like— 150 pounds soaking wet.”
“Hah!” Leorio said, pumping his fist. “I knew you noticed.” Kurapika glared at him.
“What are you talking about?” he said.
“ You said I looked exactly the same!” Leorio said. “But I knew you noticed I’d been working out.” Kurapika rolled his eyes.
“Don’t let it get to your head,” Kurapika said. “You’re not that much more muscular.”
“Oh yeah?” Leorio said. “Feel this.” He flexed his arm to show off a defined bicep. Kurapika looked at him like he had two heads.
“I’m not going to–”
“Feel it!” Leorio interrupted. Kurapika sighed and rolled his eyes. With a single pointer finger, Kurapika poked at the muscle.
“Happy?” he said flatly. Leorio grinned, causing Kurapika’s unimpressed expression to crack into a fond smile.
“Have you talked to Gon or Killua lately?” Leorio asked.
“No,” Kurapika admitted, sounding slightly guilty. “Gon sends me Instagram Reels sometimes, but that’s about it. Have you?”
“Yeah, Killua and I play video games over Discord like once a month,” Leorio said. “Gon and I text pretty frequently, and obviously we see each other at family stuff.”
“How are they?” Kurapika asked.
“Gon’s going to Yorknew City on a track scholarship,” Leorio said. “I think Mito is a little freaked out about Gon moving away, but since I’ll be there for med school hopefully she won’t completely lose her mind. Killua is also going to Yorknew City University. He says he’s going because it’s the best school for his major—” Kurapika laughed.
“Yeah, right,” Kurapika said.
“No, I know,” Leorio said. “If it were anyone else, I’d think it was a bad idea to follow your boyfriend to college, but…”
“It’s Gon and Killua,” Kurapika finished.
“Yeah, exactly.”
“I can’t believe Gon and Killua are starting high school already,” Leorio said, staring at the couple of stars he could see through the light pollution and clouds. “If our teachers thought we were bad, wait until they have to deal with those two.”
“I’m just glad I’m not going to be there when they burn the whole school down or something,” Kurapika said.
“Are you crazy?” Leorio asked. “I’d kill to see the look on the principal’s face when he realizes he has to give a Zoldyck kid detention.”
“Do you think Gon will realize that Killua has a crush on him?” Kurapika asked. Leorio laughed.
“No shot,” Leorio said. “Killua’s going to have to tell him at some point.”
“That’s okay,” Kurapika said. “They’ve got plenty of time.” Leorio couldn’t help but notice a twinge of regret in his best friend’s voice.
“So, are you seeing anyone?” Leorio asked, hoping he sounded casual.
“Am I seeing anyone ?” Kurapika repeated incredulously. “Are you thirty-five?”
“Shut up,” Leorio said, kicking mulch at him. “Are you?”
“ No , I’m not seeing anyone,” Kurapika said. “Are you ?”
“No,” Leorio said. “I went on a couple of first dates last year, but I think I’m just really bad at dating.” Kurapika pulled himself up to sit next to Leorio.
“I’m shocked,” Kurapika said sarcastically. Leorio shoved him lightly.
“Clearly you’re not pulling either,” he argued.
“I could pull if I wanted to,” Kurapika insisted. “I just haven’t been interested in anyone around here.”
“Look, it’s not my fault that dating apps are garbage,” Leorio said. Kurapika raised an eyebrow.
“You’re on dating apps?” he asked, voice sparkling with amusement. Leorio glared at him.
“It’s not weird, everyone is on them,” Leorio said.
“Which ones?” Kurapika asked. “Show me.” Kurapika held a hand out for Leorio’s phone.
“I’m not going to show you ,” Leorio snapped. “Why do you need to know anyway?”
“If it’s not weird, then what’s the problem with telling me?” Kurapika argued.
“Fine, but I’m not showing you,” Leorio said. “I’m just on all the normal ones, okay? Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Grindr–” Leorio flushed when he realized he had said the last one out loud.
“ Grindr ,” Kurapika repeated, bursting into laughter.
“I’m a bisexual guy in his twenties, of course I’m on Grindr,” Leorio protested. “It’s not like I use it all the time, okay? Stop laughing at me!”
“Wait, have you been on there since you’ve been home? Is there anyone we know?” Kurapika asked.
“ No , ew ,” Leorio said. “I don’t want to get a million dick pics from our old teachers and friends’ dads.”
“Lame,” Kurapika complained.
“ You make a Grindr if you’re so curious, asshole,” Leorio grumbled. “You’d probably be a hit there.”
“What does that mean?” Kurapika said, kicking at Leorio’s foot. Leorio kicked back.
“Oh, come on,” Leorio said. “You just want to hear me tell you I think you’re hot.” Kurapika kicked at his leg again, but this time overshot and let their ankles cross, leaving their legs pressed together.
“Maybe,” Kurapika said quietly, scooting himself ever so slightly closer to Leorio.
“Kurapika,” Leorio said suddenly, before he could lose the nerve. “I need to tell you something.”
“That’s ominous,” Kurapika said. “What’s up?” Leorio pulled himself up into a cross-legged position and waited as Kurapika did the same.
“You’re my best friend,” Leorio started.
“Is that what you wanted to tell me?” Kurapika asked. “Because I already knew that.”
“Kurapika,” Leorio complained.
“Sorry,” he said with a small smile. “I’ll shut up.”
“You’re my best friend,” Leorio repeated. “And I don’t want this to change that, or come between us, or make things awkward, or–”
“Okay, I get it,” Kurapika said, laughing. “Spit it out, idiot.”
“I’m getting there,” Leorio insisted. “This isn’t easy, you know.”
“Oh my god,” Kurapika complained.
“I like you,” Leorio blurted out. “Like— I have feelings for you. I have for a while, I think, but it took me a while to figure out that that’s actually what it was, and I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable if you weren’t interested, and you were going through a lot and I didn’t want to put one extra thing on your plate, but I felt like I probably should tell you at some point, but—”
“Leorio,” Kurapika interrupted. “It’s okay. I like you too.”
“Oh,” Leorio said simply.
“Oh,” Kurapika repeated, teasing.
“What do we— what do we do now?” Leorio asked, feeling stupid. “I don’t— I’ve never—”
“What do you want to do now?” Kurapika asked.
“I think… I think I want to kiss you,” Leorio said.
“Then kiss me,” Kurapika said.
Leorio leaned over and kissed him. It was awkward; the positioning didn’t quite work, their noses bumped up against each other, and when Leorio tried to shift their teeth clacked against each other. Clearly neither of them knew what the hell they were doing. They both pulled away at the same time and started laughing.
“That sucked,” Kurapika said.
“Wait, hold on, I think if we—” Leorio scrambled up to his feet and held out a hand to help Kurapika up. Kurapika took it, and Leorio pulled him up. Leorio pulled a little too hard, and Kurapika stumbled forward, slamming into Leorio. Kurapika looked up at him, and they both started laughing again.
“I’m going to try again,” Leorio said. “Can I–”
“Go for it,” Kurapika said. Leorio put one hand on Kurapika’s waist and leaned over. Kurapika tilted his head up and stood on his toes so Leorio could reach more easily, and then Leorio kissed him.
It still wasn’t perfect, it took them a second to figure out the right angle, but soon they found a rhythm. Kurapika slung his arms over Leorio’s shoulders, and Leorio put his other hand on the back of Kurapika’s neck. They kept going until Leorio had to pull away to breathe.
“See?” he said, catching his breath. “Way better.”
Kurapika leaned against Leorio’s side as he fiddled with the edge of his jacket.
“I kind of want to kiss you right now,” Kurapika whispered.
“Yeah?” Leorio said.
“Yeah,”
“Is that the weed talking or Kurapika talking?” Leorio asked. Kurapika considered this for a moment.
“Can it be both?” Kurapika asked quietly. Leorio leaned his head on top of Kurapika’s.
“Sure,” he said. He reached out tentatively and put a hand over Kurapika’s. Kurapika took his hand and started fiddling with his fingers.
“Just so you know,” Kurapika said. “I’m not any better at kissing than I was last time. I haven’t… really had any practice.”
“That’s okay,” Leorio said. “I’m pretty much an expert.” Kurapika looked up at him and Leorio saw what he swore was a flash of jealousy in his eyes. Kurapika punched him lightly in the leg. Leorio laughed, hopped down from the playground equipment and stood in front of Kurapika.
“Stay there,” he whispered. Leorio braced himself with one hand on Kurapika’s thigh and ran the other through his hair, then pulled him in for a kiss.
Leorio could tell that Kurapika wasn’t lying about not having any practice, but at that moment he couldn’t care less. If anything, a small possessive part of him felt good knowing that Leorio was the only one to ever kiss him. His brain felt fuzzy and every point of contact between the two of them tingled pleasantly. Kurapika seemed unsure where to put his hands at first, but he settled on cupping Leorio’s face with both hands. Kurapika made a small content noise, wrapping his legs around Leorio’s and pulling him in closer.
Leorio’s heart ached. He didn’t ever want this moment to end. If he could, he would keep kissing Kurapika in this shitty, rundown public park until the sun rose and someone called the cops to kick them out. He wanted to pull Kurapika impossibly closer until he wasn’t sure where he ended and Kurapika began. He just wanted so badly it hurt. Leorio pulled away, and Kurapika’s eyes fluttered open.
“I’m sorry,” Leorio said, voice breaking. “I can’t do this.”
“You know this won’t work, right?” Kurapika said softly, sitting on the swing and kicking at the mulch underneath him.
“What do you mean?” Leorio asked, knowing exactly what Kurapika meant but not wanting to believe it.
“Leorio, you leave for college next week,” Kurapika said. “There’s couples who are together for all of high school and then within a month of trying to do long distance for college they break up. We don’t even have a week.”
“We could do it,” Leorio argued. “We can FaceTime all the time. I can vi sit over breaks. I’m not saying it’ll be easy but—” He was rambling. He knew he was rambling. He trailed off and looked at Kurapika. His expression was unreadable.
“You’re probably right,” Leorio said finally. “I just… wish we had more time.”
“Me too.”
Kurapika blinked, a hurt expression on his face.
“Did I do something wrong?” he asked, voice small. Leorio felt like his heart was breaking all over again.
“No, I just… I can’t do this if I’m just going to lose you again in a couple weeks,” Leorio said. He crossed the playground to sit on one of the swings. “I don’t understand how you can show up after four years and act like no time has even passed. I come home feeling like everything about me and my life is completely different and then everything here is exactly the same and I feel like I’m losing my fucking mind . I’ve got like— a month before my childhood is over and I have to go off and be a real adult and I still feel like a stupid teenager who doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. I know I should just enjoy the time I have left that I can fuck around at 2 a.m. and smoke weed and be stupid and reckless, but I feel like I’m on the edge of a cliff and I’m about to get pushed off and I’m scared and I don’t know what to do.” Leorio’s voice broke, and he put his head in his hands.
“I’m quitting my job at the end of the summer and moving to Yorknew City,” Kurapika said. Leorio looked up at him sharply.
“What?” he asked.
“I got into a three-two program at Yorknew City for their master’s degree in social work,” Kurapika said. “I want to specialize in harm reduction and prisoner’s rights work.”
“That’s– that’s amazing, Kurapika,” Leorio said genuinely.
“I know you’ll be super busy with med school,” Kurapika continued. “But I thought that maybe since we’ll be at the same university…” Leorio stood up and marched over to Kurapika, punching him in the arm.
“You asshole ,” he snapped. “You should have told me this like— an hour ago!”
“Sorry,” Kurapika said. He at least had the decency to look a little sheepish.
“But yeah,” Leorio said. “If you’re serious about… wanting to try being– whatever. Yes. Definitely.”
“I might need something more specific than whatever ,” Kurapika teased.
“Fuck, I don’t know,” Leorio said, running a hand through his hair. “Boyfriends? Is that too much too fast?” Kurapika started laughing.
“Leorio, people have been asking us if we were dating since we were like— fifteen,” he pointed out. “I think I’ve been a little bit in love with you for most of that time. I don’t think we’re going too fast .”
“I can’t believe you let me go this whole time thinking that in a couple of months I’d never see you again,” Leorio said. “You are the worst .” Kurapika relit the joint and took a hit. He handed it to Leorio, who did the same. Leorio sat next to Kurapika, who immediately leaned into him and took his free hand.
“I missed you,” Kurapika said softly.
“Weird way of showing it,” Leorio muttered with no real venom in the words. He put an arm around Kurapika, who snuggled closer. “I missed you too.”
“I really don’t want to walk home,” Leorio said after a stretch of comfortable silence.
“My house is closer,” Kurapika mumbled. “You could just come with me. Then you don’t have to worry about waking your sisters up.”
“You’re okay with that?” Leorio said quietly. Leorio could count on one hand the number of times Kurapika had let anyone come to his parents house since they died. There was a reason they hung out in a public park.
“It kind of looks like shit right now,” Kurapika said. “Most of my stuff is in boxes since I’m moving soon. I wouldn’t let anyone else come over.”
“But you don’t mind subjecting me to it?” Leorio teased.
“Walk all the way back to your apartment then, bastard,” Kurapika complained. “See if I care.”
“If I text my mom to let her know I’m staying over at yours, she’s going to insist that you come over for dinner, you know,” Leorio warned. “She asks about you like— once a week.”
“That’s okay,” Kurapika said. “Your family loves me.”
“Yeah, well,” Leorio said. “No accounting for taste, I guess.” Kurapika rolled his eyes and shifted so that he was laying on his back with his head resting on Leorio’s lap. Leorio ran his hand through Kurapika’s hair, twisting a piece around his finger.
“Kurapika,” Leorio said after a moment.
“Hm?” Kurapika looked up at him through sleepy, half lidded eyes. A million half formed questions bubbled up in Leorio’s brain. Leorio decided that was a tomorrow problem.
“Nevermind,” Leorio said. Kurapika seemed to scan Leorio’s face for a moment before shrugging slightly and closing his eyes.
Leorio could worry about medical school debt, paying rent, and the slow but inevitable march of time tomorrow morning. Tonight, all that mattered was the comforting familiarity of flickering streetlights, screaming cicadas, and Kurapika’s steady breathing beside him. He could afford to be young just a little longer.