Fixer Upper
Part 13
Perv!Kurapika x Fem!Reader
part 12
part 14
warning: mentions of reader having a period, and its normal normal/regular, NOT PROOFREAD
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(Name) picked up her hand of cards, glancing between Kurapika and her hand. “You didn’t peek while I was away, did you?”
He smirked, placing down another card. “You think so little of me. If I did peek, I wouldn’t be losing now, would I?”
They both glanced at the bathroom door when they heard the shower turn off. “Oh, Leorio must be done with his shower.”
Kurapika shivered. “What was that? I just had a chill run up my spine…”
(Name) tilted her head and pulled the cover over him more. “Are you cold? We can-“
“Ahh, that’s what I call refreshing!”
They both paused when Leorio walked out of the bathroom. Completely naked.
“AHHH!”
Kurapika pulled the blanket over (Name)’s head and they both screamed. ‘Wow I didn’t think I’d see a man naked for the first time during the Hunter Exam.’
“You pervert! Do you enjoy flashing defenseless women!?”
Kurapika hit Leorio over the head with his weapon. “OUCH! I forgot she was here! HEY STOP HITTING ME!”
Before, the sleeping arrangements put (Name) in the middle bed, between Leorio and Kurapika, but now she was sleeping near the wall, with Kurapika on her other side.
“I don’t trust you sleeping next to her.”
Leorio could only pout. “So I walk around naked, what’s the big deal? Attack me with no clothes on, who’s the weird one?”
“Does that mean I can sleep naked t-“
“NO!”
(Name) pouted, snuggling under her covers. “That’s just unfair. Leorio gets to sleep naked…”
“Trust me I don’t like that either.” Kurapika said, glaring at the dark haired man.
She sighed, trying to get some sleep while the two bickered back and forth.
It was going to be a long night.
———————
(Name) tossed and turned, feeling an intense pain in her abdomen. She wrapped herself in her blanket then unwrapped, unable to get comfortable. At one point, she even tried laying atop her blanket due to the heat, but without her blanket she was too cold.
As the night wore on, it only got worse until the sound of shouting woke her up.
“SHIT! Did someone stab her while we were gone? Leorio!”
“Oh god- THATS A LOT OF BLOOD! Kurapika, can you- STOP CRYING!”
She could feel someone shake her, groaning miserably. “Please wake up, no, I can’t lose you too!”
(Name) blinked her eyes open slowly, groggily swatting at whoever woke her. “What, what happened?”
Leorio and Kurapika hovering over her, the feeling of tears dropping onto her cheeks making her wince. “Kurapika, why are you crying?”
He wiped the tears that had dropped onto her face away. “Shh, don’t speak. Just focus on staying alive.”
“Staying alive? What are y…”
She glanced down, to see the blanket covered in blood. “WHAT!?”
She tried to sit up, being pushed back down by Leorio. “Shh, stay still. We don’t know where they stabbed you and if the weapon is still embedded in your body. If it is, moving could cause more damage.”
Tears started to fall from her eyes. “It hurts, like I’m being stabbed in my abdomen.”
“That’s probably because you quite literally were stabbed, (Name).”
Kurapika ran his hand over her hair as Leorio slowly pulled the blanket back.
“OH MY GOD.”
“What!?”
Kurapika was stressed, his eyes gone red with panic.
“There’s blood everywhere, but I can’t find an entry point!”
(Name)’s lip quivered. “I can’t believe I’m being assassinated on vacation. Can’t have shit during the Hunter Exam!!”
Leorio continued his examination, carefully lifting up her shirt. “There’s no sign of any wounds on your abdomen…”
He pulled her pants down slightly, unable to see anything of note. “Leorio…” Kurapika began to warn, but could see by the way Leorio was carefully examining her that he had no malicious intent.
“(Name), stand up so I can get a better look at you.”
She did so, hand shooting to her abdomen when she did. “Ugh… it hurts…”
Kurapika steadied her as she stood, a hand placed at the small of her back.
“Turn in a circle.”
She did so, Leorio’s hissing slightly.
“Well. I know what’s wrong.”
Kurapika’s head shot up, his eyes wide with worry. “What’s wrong? Is she okay? Will she live?”
He didn’t answer, instead placing a hand on (Name)’s shoulder. “Go to the bathroom and look in the mirror, (Name).”
She nodded slowly, walking on wobbly legs to the bathroom. Kurapika stared at his friend incredulously, grabbing him by the shoulders.
“Are you crazy? If she’s been stabbed every second counts! She could bleed out in there, all alone! Aren’t you a doctor?”
Leorio sighed, patting the younger man on the head. “I am a doctor in training, and because of that I can recognize when a woman has started.”
Kurapika scowled. “Started?? Started what?”
(Name), now fully awake poked her head out of the door, her face heating up in embarrassment. “Leorio? Can you hand me my bag?”
The dark haired man nodded, his demeanor changed. Before, he’d been stressed, but now he was softer. More sympathetic, almost.
“Thank you…”
She closed the door behind her, Leorio sighing.
“She’s started her menstrual cycle, Kurapika. Her period.”
The blonde stared at Leorio for a moment as all the puzzle pieces clicked into place. His face burned red with both embarrassment and confusion.
“But… there’s so much blood. Is that normal?”
Leorio began to pull the sheets and blanket off of her bed, folding them. “Well, it depends. Some women have heavier cycles than others, but…”
(Name) walked out of the bathroom, now wearing a different pair of pants. Kurapika recognized it as the pajamas he wore before.
“…”
She was looking at her feet shyly, holding the blood soaked clothing in her arms.
Leorio reached forward and patted her shoulder. “Let’s get these to the washing machine, yeah?”
(Name) followed behind him, head hung low. Kurapika wasn’t sure what to do or say, only following after her.
“It’s alright, nothing soaked through onto the bed, so if we wash the sheets no one will know.”
(Name) nodded. “Thank you, Leorio. Honestly this is pretty embarrassing for me.”
Kurapika grabbed her shoulder. “No, don’t be embarrassed. This is normal, and…”
He lost his words, pulling his hand away to twiddle his thumbs. Leorio took over.
“And you shouldn’t blame yourself. You didn’t even realize you were on your period until you went to look. I assume that means you’re irregular?”
“… yes. How did you know?”
He patted her head. “Just instinct.”
Both Kurapika and (Name) grimaced at this. “Kidding, kidding. Let’s get you back to bed.”
He led her by the hand back to their bedroom. The three stared at her bed, before Kurapika sighed. “(Name), you can take my bed. I can sleep on the floor-“
“No!”
(Name) grabbed his sleeve, dragging him to his bed. “I’ll just sleep on my bed without any covers. It’s not a big-“
“But (Name), you get cold in your sleep. You’re already hurting because of your… condition. I don’t want you suffering.”
Leorio nodded in agreement. “And in the morning I’ll give you some pain medicine after breakfast. Right now, you should get comfortable and sleep, and that means taking Kurapika up on his offer.”
(Name) pouted, then sighed. “I will, but I won’t kick Kurapika out of his bed. That means-“
“You want to… share the bed?”
She nodded, then climbed in. Kurapika felt his heart thump against his chest, glancing between her, Leorio, and the bed.
“If that what it takes for you to sleep comfortably…”
He sighed, pulling the cover up and sliding in next to her. Leorio yawned.
“Now that that’s settled, you two sleep. I’ll be right back after checking in with the others.”
(Name) raised an eyebrow. “Check in with the others? What happened while I was asleep?”
Kurapika turned towards her, cheeks pink. “I’ll explain in the morning. Just get some sleep for now.”
She nodded, before scooting closer and leaning her head against his chest. “Goodnight, Pika.”
He felt his face turn red, keeping his hands at his sides awkwardly. “Goodnight, (Name).”
Between Leorio’s snoring and (Name) cuddling him in her sleep, Kurapika was wide awake. Of course, part of him didn’t mind. Now, with her asleep, he could look at her as much as he wanted.
She was pretty, he’s recognized that from the moment he laid eyes on her. Kurapika hadn’t ever been attracted to a person before, so he was a little surprised she was the type of woman he found attractive.
He’d seen many women that were objectively gorgeous, but (Name) was different. Soft skin, chubby cheeks, plush thighs, and pudgy tummy. They were all he found way too cute. He found himself wanting to hold onto her, to squish and squeeze, and kiss all of the soft parts of her body.
Oh dear, now he was blushing just thinking about it.
It wasn’t just her appearance that drew him in, but her soft nature and emotional intelligence. She was kind, almost to a fault.
Kurapika wouldn’t quite get that he was in love with her until years later, but he knew right now that she was important to him. He was attached, and he could tell he was by the way his stomach sank when he thought she’d been hurt.
He placed a hand on her cheek, his thumb swiping the few stray tears falling from her eyes away. She was hurting, and he hated that. Kurapika pulled her a little closer, letting his hands rest on her back, soothing her to his best ability.
After a while, he was able to fall asleep as well.
——————
(Name) woke up to an empty bed. Kurapika was pulling his tabard on, assumably getting ready to leave.
“Pika?”
The blonde paused, letting his tabard fall around him. “(Name), you’re awake. I was just about to leave to forage for breakfast.”
She sat up, grimacing at her aching body. “I’ll come, just wait for me to get d-“
He stopped her with a raised hand. “No, it’s alright. You get dressed and meet me outside in 30 minutes. I should have finished by then. You need your rest, in total you only got six hours of sleep.”
She pouted, but didn’t argue. (Name) still felt exhausted, and her body wouldn’t let her stand fully. “Okay, but I’m cooking.”
He sighed. “I think you’re the only one that can, (Name).”
She groaned when she swung her feet over the side of the bed, placing her feet on the floor.
“I’ll try to find something high in iron, since…”
He cleared his throat, grabbing his satchel. “Since I’m on my period?”
“… yes.”
She had a teasing smile on her tired face, giggling softly. “That’s sweet of you, Pika. Thanks!”
He nodded, facing the opposite direction. “I’ll see you then.”
(Name) got up and took a shower, then dressed in her sweatpants and a tshirt. Right now, above everything, she wanted to be comfortable.
She walked out, wearing a pair of flip flops provided by the hotel. Leorio was staring off into the sky, swearing. “They really left us.”
“Left us?”
She yawned, standing next to him. “Oh, (Name), you’re up! Last night, the owners of the hotel just left in the airship!”
“What!? So they abandoned us?”
The dark haired man nodded. “Yeah. Total bullshit, I know.”
“After breakfast we’ll be searching the ship.”
The two turned to see Kurapika approaching, carrying a basket full of goodies. “Pika!”
(Name)’s face brightened, smiling at the blonde. “Let’s get cooking!”
The three ate a quick breakfast of eggs and some of the fruit and potatoes they collected yesterday.
“Alright, now that you’ve eaten you can take some medicine.”
He offered her some pain killers, (Name) taking them with water. “It’s not Midol, but it should help. After the exam I’ll keep Midol and some pads in my bag, for the future. I hadn’t even considered it.”
(Name) smiled. “It’s alright, thanks to you I should feel better soon.”
They joined the others on deck, the sun bathing them in a soft glow.
“It’s been at least five hours since they left. Huh, this sure is a bad way to run a hotel. What kind of a manger takes off of their guests in the middle of the night? Especially in a place like this.” Leorio said, staring at the sky.
“Eh, I know what you mean. Who do they think they are? We paid a lot of money for our rooms.” Tonpa said in agreement.
“But we gave it to them, it’s not like they robbed us.” Kurapika stated, (Name) nodding next him.
“Oh really? They took our treasure and skipped out on us. If that’s not stealing, what is?”
Leorio sighed. “You’ve got that right. Hey Tonpa, we actually agree on something for a change.”
“Oh great, is that supposed to make me feel better?”
(Name) held her abdomen, moving away from the group to sit on the stairs behind them.
They continued talking, Kurapika joining (Name) when he noticed she’d sat down.
“Ponzu found something, come with me.”
The group followed Ponzu to a room inside the ship, watching as Pokkle attempted to use a radio.
The radio was still in working order, the two attempting to get a signal. Since they couldn’t contact anyone, it was like they’d been stranded. Hanzo decided to take the lead.
“We can’t just stand here. Let’s all split up and search the ship for anything that might shed some light on the situation.”
Kurapika begrudgingly agreed. “That’s a good idea, let’s go.”
He made it clear that (Name) would be coming with him by taking her hand.
“Didn’t he say split up?” she asked as he pulled her along.
“Yes, but I don’t want you being alone when you are not at 100%. The pain killers haven’t set in yet.”
She pouted, but felt weirdly… warm. “You’re worried about me, then?”
“You say that like it’s a… bad thing.”
She grinned. “It’s not, it just tells me you care.”
Kurapika didn’t respond to these accusations, only squeezing her hand lightly. “Let’s search the managers quarters.”
———————
They ended up finding a map, the others finding compasses and charting tools.
(Name) and Kurapika parted ways near their room. “(Name), why don’t you rest? I’ll be back soon. I’ll meet with the others and report back to you.”
He noticed her pained expression, guiding her to their shared bed. Usually, (Name) would have argued, but the pain made her agree.
“Alright… but please hurry back.”
He was surprised by her grip on his arm, (Name) looking up at him from the bed with a pout.
“… I’ll try my best to. Now lie down.”
She nodded slowly, curling up on her side of the bed. He pulled the blanket over her and sighed.
Leorio stopped by around an hour later. “Knock knock.”
(Name) sat up, Leorio carrying his suitcase with him. “Time for a check up, doll face.”
Leorio sat next to her, using his limited equipment to give her a basic check up.
“Hmm… you seem fine, besides a low grade fever and possible low iron levels…”
He placed his hand on her abdomen, the girl wincing. “Ah!”
He pulled his hand back, a little surprised. “How badly does it hurt?”
“Really bad, bad enough that I actually thought I’d been stabbed last night.”
He nodded slowly. “And how often are you going through your pads or tampons?”
The question made her face heat up. “Leorio, that’s too emb-“
“(Name), I’m a doctor in training, and your friend. I’m not going to judge or laugh at you for this, I just want to help.”
She sighed, looking down and twiddling her thumbs. “… one pad every other hour. And I have to wake up to change them through the night.”
Leorio nodded, writing the information down. “Have you seen a doctor about this? That isn’t exactly… normal.”
She fidgeted with her blanket. “Well… I’ve never really talked to anyone about my period before. My mom just gave me a box of pads and tampons and told me to just deal with the pain. I learned some things when I was studying to be a doctor but…”
She grasped her abdomen, crying out. “S-sometimes it hurts so bad I feel like I’m going to throw up.”
Leorio moved forward, rubbing her back. “Hey, it’s alright.”
‘The pain killers should have kicked in by now, why is she still in so much pain?’
And then he realized. (Name) wasn’t a small woman, meaning that she’d need more medication. He nearly kicked himself.
“(Name), how many pain killers do you usually take?”
“Oh, two to three depending on how bad it is.”
‘Shit, and I only gave her one.’
Leorio rummaged through his suitcase, hanging her another pill. “Here, take one more. It should help.”
She did, and he tucked her back into bed. “Kurapika will be here soon, you should feel good enough to walk around then. If you need me, I’ll be down the hall.”
(Name) watched as he left, allowing herself to relax and nod off.
She got herself a good 30 minute nap before Kurapika arrived. “(Name), I’m here.”
She rubbed her eyes, sitting up, and with relief she realized her pain had died down. “Pika… missed you.”
His cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “Sorry, I tried to hurry. Are you well enough to walk now?”
She stood and stretched, then nodded. “Yeah, I should be fine. Leorio gave me more medicine, so the pain has died down a bit.”
Kurapika took her hand, leading her down the hall. “Hanzo, how did it go?”
The two encountered him in the hallway while Kurapika stopped to take a look outside. The ninja shook his head.
“I’m not surprised, anyone that’s made it this far has been through a lot already. We’ve had to rely on our own strength and skills, otherwise we am wouldn’t have been able to pass the first three phases. I can certainly understand why they’re reluctant to listen to what we have to say, and expecting to them cooperate for the good of the entire group is certainly out of the question. I’m just worried they’re making a critical error in judgement, that could end up costing them their lives.”
(Name) put a hand on his shoulder, the blonde reaching up to hold it.
“Well you know, I couldn’t agree with you more. Even though I can’t explain it, my ninja instincts tell me you’re right.”
‘Did he just say ninja instincts?’
(Name) had to cover her mouth to hold back a snicker, Kurapika raising an eyebrow in her direction.
“But that won’t convince them. They’re not going to change their minds because of a bunch.”
Kurapika curled a finger to his lips. “You’re right about that. We’ve already done all we can to persuade them. To continue trying would only waste valuable time. I’m afraid that we’ve got to take action with, or without them.”
(Name) let go of Kurapika’s shoulder to stare out the window.
“Kurapika.”
“Huh?”
“There’s something else that’s been bothering me. You can call it another one of my instincts, but I have an ominous feeling about this place and it’s getting stronger. We don’t have much time.”
The blonde nodded, before joining (Name). “Well, whatever is, I’m sure it’s what this phase is all about.”
He placed a hand on (Name)’s back as they looked out at the sea. Kurapika was beginning to realize that he always wanted to be in physical contact with her, whether it be a hand on her back or leaning against her shoulder.
“I don’t think there’s a person on this island who wouldn’t agree with you, Kurapika. Problem is, no one’s sure what to do about it, but I’ve got an idea.”
Leorio was back, (Name) turning to wave in greeting.
“Yeah, what is it?” Hanzo asked.
“It’s obvious, we’re going to need to choose a leader.”
He gestured to the group of people behind him, Kurapika and Hanzo smiling.
They all gathered, (Name) watching as they elected the leaders.
“Any objections? No? Alright, it’s a done deal. Between now and the time it takes us to reach Zevil island, Hanzo will be the leader and Kurapika will be his second in command. Okay, Hanzo, it’s up to you now.”
(Name) didn’t listen to Hanzo’s speech, beaming at Kurapika. He smiled back bashfully, smoothing out the front of his tabard. Once Hanzo was done, (Name) waved goodbye. “I’m going to go work on dinner for everyone. Gon, did you catch the fish I asked for?”
The boy nodded. “Yeah, I left the buckets on the beach!”
She ruffled the boy’s hair before leaving.
‘She thought to ask Gon to catch enough fish for everyone beforehand?’
Kurapika was a little surprised by her forethought, following her form with his eyes as she left.
“You and (Name) sure have gotten close, Kurapika!” Gon said, smiling up at his friend. Kurapika smiled at this, pushing his hair back.
“She’s a nice girl, it’s hard to NOT want to be closer.”
Leorio nodded. “Yeah, I agree. I would like to be a whole lot c-“
Kurapika hit him over the head. “That is not what I meant, you degenerate.”
Now, Kurapika’s feelings for (Name) were pure in nature. He simply wanted to hold her close and keep her in his line of sight.
But these feelings would grow with time, until they weren’t so innocent anymore. But for now, all he wanted was to be close to her.
————————
(Name) hummed as she packed their dinner into a basket, walking along the shoreline back to the ship. The sun was setting, the girl trying her best to reach the ship before it got too dark.
But the sun had done down, the girl gasping when a gust of wind nearly knocked her over. ‘Crap, is there s storm coming in or something?’
She began to run, spotting a light on the deck. When she got close enough, she could hear someone yelling out to her.
“(Name)! You need to get inside quick, there’s a storm coming!”
When she reached the light, she felt arm be grabbed. “Come on, get in.”
When the door closed behind them, (Name) realized who had helped her.
“Pika!”
She set her basket down and pulled him into a hug. The blonde wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder. “I was worried. When I realized there was a storm coming, the first thing I thought of was you. When you hadn’t come back before dark, I…”
He held her at arms length, looking over her. “I was afraid you may have been hurt.”
Her face heated up. ‘I was the first person he thought of?’
“I’m sorry for worrying you, it was difficult cooking for so many people alone…”
Kurapika shook his head, cupping her cheek. “No, don’t apologize. You did nothing wrong.”
They stayed like that for a moment, Kurapika once again staring at her lips. He knew in this moment, he wanted to kiss her. Kurapika felt his face heat up, pulling away before he could lean in.
“I’m going out to talk with the others. Could you set out dinner?”
(Name) nodded, placing her hand over the one cupping her cheek. “You won’t take long, will you?”
He felt his heart race at this gentle touch, her pretty (e/c) eyes looking in his almost causing his eyes to turn red.
“No, I’ll be back before you know it.”
(Name) began making plates, enough for the temporary alliance to fill their stomachs. She placed the extra food in the fridge, hoping they may gain a few more allies.
They returned around an hour later, all a little damp from saving Gerretta.
“Oh, (Name) you’re a godsend, I’m starving!” Hanzo clapped her over the back harshly, intending to be friendly, but this only caused her to swat his hand away.
“Ow, that hurt! You shouldn’t be so rough with a lady.”
Hanzo shrugged, shoving a handful of fruit into his mouth.
‘He could at least apologize…’ (Name) thought, scowling. She grumpily took her food, side eyeing the ninja.
Kurapika grabbed his plate before leading (Name) away. “Come, the wind is getting more intense. We should get higher up in case it floods.”
A few people came to thank (Name) for cooking, namely Ponzu, Pokkle, Bodoro, and the three brothers.
Kurapika kept a protective hand on her shoulder the entire time, each person raising an eyebrow at the possessive gesture.
The blonde couldn’t help it, he was quickly becoming attached, and didn’t want to lose (Name). In these circumstances, anyone could be an enemy.
As the storm raged on, the two stayed close together. Kurapika attempted to get her to rest, but she refused to until he was ready to come to bed.
“(Name), time for more pain killers.”
Leorio joined the two, carrying a glass of water in one hand and pills in the other. “Aww, thank you Leorio. I almost forgot.”
She took the pain killers, sighing in relief. “Maybe this means I’ll be able to sleep peacefully tonight… though…”
Kurapika seemed to sense her unease. “Though what?”
She was suddenly shy again, playing with her hair. “I’m…”
(Name) shook her head. “I need to go ask Ponzu something!”
Before Kurapika could offer to accompany her, she was running down the hallway. The blonde sighed, leaning against the wall.
“She just left and you’re already sighing.” Leorio teased, elbowing his friend.
Kurapika scowled. “There’s a lot to sigh about, I’m tired, there’s a storm raging on, and-“
“And the girl you’re enamored with left without you.”
This made Kurapika’s face turn red. “Enamored with? Leorio…”
He pushed the man away, folding his arms over his chest. “I don’t have time for something like that.”
Leorio hummed. “That’s a shame, because it’s easy to see she likes you.”
If Kurapika’s face could get any redder, it would. His heart thumped against his chest, the blonde holding onto the wall.
“She… she likes me?”
Leorio rolled his eyes. “Is it not obvious? She literally called you cute and shared a bed with you.”
Kurapika bit his lip, trying to calm himself. Would it be alright to allow himself this small moment of joy, knowing she liked him?
But… how could someone as kind as her like a cold, stand offish man like him? Though they had their similarities, they were also quite different.
And would being with her even work? Kurapika’s path would be long and dangerous, putting his life at risk more often than not. If she were to be by his side, even if she didn’t accompany him on dangerous missions, her life could still be at risk by association to him alone.
At the same time, he struggled to think of a life without (Name). She wiggled her way into his heart, and despite knowing it wasn’t good, he still couldn’t help but want to be close to her.
The blonde decided to think about this later, when they weren’t busy trying to survive. “… we should focus on making sure everyone is safe and trying to find a way to Zevil Island.”
Leorio shrugged. “You’re right.”
(Name) approached the radio room, peeking in. “Hello?”
Ponzu and Pokkle glanced at her, the latter smiling. “(Name)! Thanks for dinner again, neither of us are good cooks, so we were afraid we wouldn’t be eating tonight.”
(Name) waved her hands. “Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind!”
Ponzu smiled, turning to her. “Did you need something?”
(Name) nodded. “Actually, could I talk to you alone, Ponzu? I need to ask you something…”
Pokkle glanced between the two, seeing (Name)’s bashful expression. “Go ahead, Ponzu, I’ve got this.”
The girl nodded and followed (Name) to the bathroom. “What is it, (Name)? Oh, is it boyfriend troubles? Kurapika isn’t giving you any problems, is he? I can ask Pokkle-“
(Name) gasped. “No, no it isn’t anything like that, and Pika- I mean Kurapika isn’t my boyfriend.”
Ponzu tilted her head. “He isn’t? Huh, by the way he glares at any man that looks at you too long I assumed he was…”
The girl sighed, leaning against the counter. “What is it you need then?”
(Name) breathed in. “So, I actually started my period last night.”
Ponzu grimaced. “Oooh, that’s unlucky. During the Hunter Exam? I wish you the best.”
(Name) groaned. “I know right? Ugh…”
She held her abdomen, glancing up. “I’m actually almost out of pads, and was wondering if you had any with you. I don’t have anyone else to ask…”
Ponzu gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, I didn’t bring any with me.”
(Name) deflated. “Aww…”
“But I can ask around if anyone’s seen any. I know that the hotel has to have some somewhere, maybe there’s a machine in one of the bathrooms!”
(Name) perked up, grabbing her hand. “You’d do that for me?”
The green haired girl nodded. “Of course, think of it as a payback for feeding me and Pokkle. Without you we would of starved.”
(Name) pulled her into a hug. “You’re the best, thank you so much!”
Ponzu laughed, patting (Name)’s back. “Yeah, yeah.”
As the storm died down, (Name) made her way back to her room. Kurapika and Leorio were already there, getting ready for bed.
“(Name)!”
When he spotted her, Kurapika dropped what he was doing and jogged over, giving her a pretty smile. “Pika, did you miss me?”
He paused in front of her, clearing his throat. “You could say that.”
She giggled. “Well I missed you too.”
She changed into her pajamas before collapsing into bed. “While you were busy, we found out there will be another storm in 24 hours, and it will be even worse.”
(Name) groaned. “Jeez… can’t catch a break.”
“We have around four hours to sleep, before we’ll need to get up to plan.”
Kurapika didn’t mention that he intended to let her sleep in, climbing into bed with her. “So we should get to bed now.”
She nodded, moving in close. “Okay, Pika. Let’s get some rest then.”
She wrapped her arms around him, sighing in content when he did the same.
“You sure are cuddly tonight…” he muttered, burying his face in her hair.
“Maybe it’s the hormones, but… I just wanna be held.”
He sighed. “Well, it can’t be helped. I’d rather you cuddle me than someone else…”
She giggled. “Oh, really? Why’s that?”
Kurapika blushed. “I’m a gentleman, so I won’t take advantage of the situation. Unlike some people.”
They both glanced in Leorio’s direction, said man throwing a pillow at them. “Hey, I would never take advantage of a woman. I may like the ladies, but I’m not a sicko.”
(Name) nodded. “I believe you, Leorio. You’ve been very sweet to me the entire time, and not once have you tried to touch me in an inappropriate way. Though, I wouldn’t really mind.”
She wiggled her eyebrows at the man, who blew her a kiss. “Just name the time and place, (Name). A little blood won’t deter m-“
Kurapika threw the pillow back with his full strength before flipping (Name) over so she was facing away from Leorio with ease.
“Don’t encourage him, he’ll think you’re being serious.”
(Name) didn’t quite know how to tell the innocent boy that she was in fact being somewhat serious. “Haha, sorry.”
(Name) stared at him for a moment before leaning forward and placing a kiss on his forehead. “Goodnight, Pika.”
The blonde felt his heart begin to race again, and before he knew what he was doing, leaned forward, pressing a kiss into her forehead as well.
It felt nice, kissing her. Even if he was too shy to kiss her lips yet, Kurapika could at least do this. His cheeks were red, the blonde glad it was dark. “Goodnight.”
(Name) snuggled into his chest before relaxing, falling asleep soon after. Kurapika felt his eyes grow heavy. He didn’t understand why, but having her in his arms, sharing her body heat made him feel safe now. The blonde soon followed her lead.
——————
When she woke up, (Name) was alone once again. This time, the room was empty, the sun shining through the window.
“Pika? Leorio?”
She got up to use the bathroom, grimacing at the pain in her abdomen and back. ‘I’ll take a quick hot shower, should help…’
Afterwards, (Name) threw on a pair of shorts and a tshirt. She frowned at how short her shorts were, but they were comfortable.
(Name) usually only used the black shorts to wear under short dresses or skirts, and had never worn it alone.
She walked down the hallway, calling out for her friends until she got a response. “In here!”
(Name) walked into one of the rooms, smiling when she spotted all of her friends. “(Name), we were just talking about our plans. Look, Hanzo found a blueprint to the ship.”
She walked over, Leorio briefly glancing down before his face turned pink.
“Blueprints? Why do we need blueprints?” (Name) asked, glancing over them. She looked over the page, eyes talking in every detail.
“We’re going to use this ship to get off of the island before the storm hits. Then- what are you doing?”
Kurapika tilted his head as he watched her pick up the paper and examine closely. “I’m memorizing it.”
“Memorizing? I guess it’s good to try and have an idea of the layout of the ship.”
(Name) smirked, then nodded. “Yeah.”
As the group continued talking about their plans, (Name) continued to stare.
“Alright, (Name), you’re on food duty. Once you’ve collected a decent amount of provisions you’ll be with me.” Kurapika said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“The rest of us will be way too busy to make meals, so this is an important job.”
He patted her shoulder before letting go. (Name) nodded, shouldering her backpack. “Aww, but I wanted to clear the propellers with Gon and Killua.”
Kurapika scowled. “That’s much too dangerous for you, especially considering your condition at the moment. Can you even swim when you’re -“
(Name) placed her hand on his mouth, pushing him out into the hallway. “Hey!” he said, muffled against her hand.
The other applicants stared at the pair in confusion, Ponzu and Leorio the only ones with a clue to what he was going to say.
“Pika! Don’t let anyone else know I’m on my period. Not only is it embarrassing, but it could be used against me when we’re not all buddy-buddy with everyone.”
The blondes eyes widened. “I didn’t even think of that, my apologies.”
He looked away bashfully, playing with his tabard. (Name) sighed. “I know, just…”
She rubbed her temple. (Name) usually wasn’t the type to get irritated, she was quite patient, but the pain and hormones were making her irritable.
“Just don’t do it again, okay?”
She patted his cheek affectionately before leaving to gather food.
———————
(Name) marveled at the amount of food she’d found, even able to catch a load of fish before she had to turn back.
As she walked the shoreline back to the ship, she spotted someone standing in her way.
It was around 10 am, and she was feeling rather cranky. Because of his busy schedule, Leorio had forgotten to give her the pain medication for the day, meaning she was bearing all of the pain of her period.
The shape became less fuzzy, finally forming into a familiar person.
‘Ah, it’s Hisoka. Of course.’
She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Move. Please.” she said through gritted teeth. With both of her hands occupied, she couldn’t grasp her cramping abdomen.
“Oh, am I in your way? My apologies, little rabbit.”
He moved, watching as she passed him by. Hisoka grinned slightly, noticing that she was in a great deal of pain.
“You should really get that checked out you know.”
(Name) stopped, turning her head slightly. “What?”
He shrugged. “Hmm?”
She decided to ignore him, hurrying up the steps and onto the ship.
“(Name), you’re back!”
Kurapika looked stressed, running his hands through his blonde locks.
“Pika, is something wrong?”
He pointed into the room, eyes red with rage. ‘Ah, he was just about to walk out to calm down…’
(Name) walked in, looking back for a moment to see Kurapika rushing out the door and storming down the hallway.
“What happened? Why is P- Kurapika so mad?”
Pokkle and Ponzu were hovering over the table, Ponzu doing her best to console the brown haired boy.
“It was an accident, you couldn’t help it.”
(Name) stepped forward, peeking over their shoulders. “Oh shit.”
The blueprints were wet, the white markings washed away, leaving the paper blank.
“Pokkle spilt a cup of coffee he brought for Kurapika on the blueprints. It was an accident!”
(Name) nodded, placing a comforting hand on Pokkle’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up about this. We can fix it.”
Pokkle looked up, swiping at the tears beading in the corners of his eyes. “Fix it? How?”
(Name) smiled, stretching her arms. “Find me some more paper, and I’ll show you.”
———————
Kurapika sighed under the cold water, letting it cool down his heated skin. He was almost glad (Name) walked in when she did, or he might of lashed out.
‘It was an accident, I know that but…’
He gripped onto his forearm so tightly there would be a bruise there later. ‘It made me so angry. If we don’t get out of here, we’ll all die, including…’
He thought to (Name). Her pretty face, the way she seemed to care so much more about others than herself, and he sighed. The first person he thought about dying was her.
‘Is that why it angered me so much?’
Kurapika stepped out of the shower, drying himself off and wrapping a towel around his neck. He threw on his under shirt and pants, leaving his tabard behind.
Kurapika walked down the hallway and back to where the blueprint had been ruined. “Pokkle, please forgive my earlier behavior. I shouldn’t have-“
He paused in the doorway.
(Name) was bent over the table, drawing something on a bunch of paper taped together.
But that wasn’t what made him pause. It was the clothing she was wearing.
Kurapika had seen her earlier, he knew she was wearing a tshirt and shorts, but he hadn’t seen… the back of her.
He stared, face as red as his eyes at her ass, shorts much too short to cover everything. He considered his options for a moment.
‘Should I tell her? No, maybe she doesn’t care. Should I cover her with something? No, that’s stupid. She can wear whatever she wants.’
And so he decided to do nothing. He moved around her to peek over her shoulder.
Well now his eyes were wide for a completely different reason. “(Name), is that-“
“The blueprints? Working on it.”
(Name) had begun replicating the blueprints that had been ruined in exact detail. Right down to the original handwriting labeling each part of the ship.
“(Name), how are you doing that?”
She paused, glancing back at him. “I told you I was memorizing it earlier.”
Kurapika laughed, his anger from earlier having dissipated. “Yeah, I guess you did.”
‘I’ve been underestimating her, haven’t I?’
The blonde watched, eyes glued to the paper. She glanced back at him, tutting softly. “Pika, your hair.”
He tilted his head, water dripping onto his shoulder.
“If you’re going to watch me, at least dry your hair first silly.”
Kurapika nodded, placing the towel on his head and rubbing his hair. (Name) giggled, turning around and helping him. “Haha, don’t go so fast, you make your hair frizzy.”
She towel dried his hair until it was damp, the blonde enjoying every second.
He almost didn’t notice Hanzo walk in, until he was hovering a bit too close to (Name).
“You almost done with that, sweetheart?”
Her pencil stopped, (Name) letting out a deep breath before turning to the ninja to smile at him. Kurapika noticed that it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Like I told you five minutes ago, I’m working on it.”
The ninja groaned. “It was seven minutes ago, actually, and that should be plenty of time. The storm is going to hit before you’re done.”
Kurapika began to respond for her, but (Name) turned. “I can’t focus with you in here breathing down my neck, so please leave.”
Hanzo huffed. “Well Kurapika’s basically all up on you. Why does he get to stay?”
(Name) narrowed her eyes. “Kurapika’s breath doesn’t make me want to throw up. Go.”
They stared at each other, Kurapika glancing between them. He had to admit, (Name) did look awfully cute with her arms crossed over her chest and eyebrows furrowed.
“Whatever. I’ll be back.”
Once he was out of earshot, (Name) groaned. “God just kill me now. He’s such an asshole, I hate dealing with him.”
Kurapika patted her shoulder. “I could watch the door to make sure he leaves you be-“
“No, getting to yell at someone that’s already annoying me is weirdly cathartic.”
He couldn’t really judge her, Kurapika had nearly attacked Pokkle for spilling coffee on the blueprints earlier.
‘And she said my breath doesn’t make her throw up…’
He blushed, following her around like a puppy as she worked.
“Ugh…”
After nearly finishing the blueprints, (Name) held her abdomen. To his credit, Kurapika was quick to catch her when she fell, sitting her down on a nearby chair.
“Pika, please tell Leorio I need Midol. Quick.”
The blonde gave her a smile, a bit too cheerful to (Name). “Oh, but (Name) he doesn’t have Midol, he has pain killers! So that-“
(Name) placed a hand on each of his cheeks, staring into his eyes. “Pika, I love you dearly, and usually your intelligence and smart mouth is adorable to me, but if you don’t get Leorio I will cry and scream. I am in so much pain that talking hurts.”
But Kurapika hadn’t heard most of that, he stopped listening after she said ‘I love you’.
‘She loves me?’
His eyes were burning red, along with his face. ‘Do I kiss her? Is that what I’m supposed to do right now?’
He closed his eyes and began to lean forward.
“What are you doing?”
He opened his eyes to see her glaring at him, confused. “Huh?”
“Pika. Did you hear anything I said?”
“… yes?”
(Name) groaned, patting his cheek affectionately. “You’re lucky you’re so cute. Go get my medicine from Leorio.”
She paused. “Please.”
He nodded, sighing dreamily as he walked away and down the hall. ‘She loves me. She’s in love with me. How much do wedding rings cost?’
(Name) sighed. “Note to self, carry Midol at all times.”
She picked herself up and began working again. (Name) barely noticed when Hanzo walked back in, only sparing him a spiteful glance.
“Are you seriously still not done?”
She felt her eye twitch. “Hanzo, not now. I’m not in the mood.”
Hanzo rolled his eyes. “What, are you on your period or something? You’re being such a bitch.”
(Name) stared at him mouth agape. “Bitch? Oh I can show you bitch, you bald motherfucker. Get the hell out!”
She pointed to the door, scowling. Hanzo scoffed, turning on his heels.
Thinking he was gone, (Name) turned back to her work, bending over to work on the blueprints again.
“You need to lighten up, sweetheart.”
SMACK!
Even down the hall, Kurapika heard the smack reverberating off the walls. He turned and began to run back to (Name), his eyes going red when he heard her yell out.
“DID YOU JUST SMACK MY ASS!?”
He ran in just in time to see her pushing him away, eyes filling up with angry, humiliated tears. “What the fuck is wrong with you!? Why do you think you have the right to touch me!?”
The ninja held his hands up, rolling his eyes. “Oh don’t flatter yourself. It’s not a big deal, just a little love tap.”
“It fucking hurt! And no, it’s not a love tap, you hit my ass you fucking pervert!”
“Pervert!?”
Hanzo was about to push her back, but (Name) was quicker. She kicked his legs out from under him, using more strength than Kurapika thought she had.
“Don’t you even think about touching me again! Get out!”
The ninja growled, about to get up and attack before he spotted Kurapika in the doorway.
He looked terrifying, eyes burning a bright scarlet, his grip on the doorway causing the metal to bend.
Hanzo scoffed, leaving the room soon after, his pride wounded. But even as he walked down the hallway, rubbing the place she kicked him, he couldn’t help but feel a little horny. ‘That was pretty hot.’
Kurapika rushed forward, looking over her. He spotted where Hanzo had hit her, barely holding himself back from chasing after the man.
There was a dark, red handprint on her left side, fingerprints peeking out of the bottom of her shorts.
(Name) clung to his shirt, tears staining the white fabric. “It hurts, it hurts and I feel humiliated. I hate him! I hate him so much!”
He tried his best to soothe her, rubbing her back gently. “Shh, it’s okay, I’m here. You wounded his pride, I don’t think he’ll be back anytime soon.”
She sighed, feeling a little better with his arms around her. After a minute, she sniffled and looked up at him. “Did you get my medicine?”
He hissed, scratching the back of his head. “About that… Leorio is underwater searching for ammo and no one knows the combination to his briefcase…”
(Name)’s eyes filled with tears again, the blonde panicking as she began to sob. “B-but it hurts Pika! It hurt s-s-so much!”
She crumpled to the floor, inconsolable. Kurapika wanted to continue to soothe her, his protective nature coming out, but he had work to do. He wanted to save her more than anything, so he sighed and helped her up.
“I know it hurts, (Name), but we have to do this. As soon as Leorio resurfaces I’ll get you that medicine and you can rest, but right now we need you.”
She whimpered, but nodded. “Okay… but please stay with me. Don’t wanna be alone right now.”
He nodded, patting her back while she continued her work.
————————
After finishing the blueprint, (Name) left to continue working on their food supply. No one had eaten since last night, meaning she’d have to prepare a meal for the hungry group.
She snacked on fruit while she worked, Kurapika checking on her every chance he got. “You doing okay, (Name)?”
She nodded, handing him a plate of fruit. “Yes, I’m fine. Here, eat something. You need your energy, Pika.”
He blushed, taking the plate with a nod. “Thank you, (Name).”
(Name) went back to her work, Kurapika lingering in the doorway for a moment before leaving.
Once she was done she announced an early dinner was ready before taking two plates and heading back to Kurapika. They met halfway, the blonde smiling when she entered his line of sight.
“Let’s eat somewhere else, I don’t wanna see Hanzo right now.”
They headed back to the helm station, (Name) handing Kurapika his plate before sitting down. “Thank you, (Name). Without you, we would have starved.”
(Name) waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it.”
As the two ate, Kurapika continuously snuck glances. He was now thoroughly convinced (Name) was in love with him, and couldn’t get her ‘confession’ out of his head.
“(Name)?”
She looked up, her mouth full of potatoes. “Hmm?”
He laughed, reaching forward to wipe her mouth with a napkin. “I know you keep calling me cute, but you’re the cute one, really.”
Her face heated up, Kurapika giving her a sweet smile. She swallowed her food before answering. “Smooth, Pika. Almost had me swooning there.”
The two continued to work, and as the sun started to set, Kurapika became even busier.
“Pokkle, Ponzu, what’s the status on the engine?”
(Name) watched from the corner of her eye, working on her knitting. Although they seemed to be short on help, Kurapika ordered her to stay with him. He wouldn’t tell her why, but he was in charge, so she listened.
“It’s almost ready! We found a way to route the power to the guns. Now let’s just hope we can get this engine up and running.”
Kurapika sighed. “Well done, keep me posted I need to know when it’s ready!”
“We’ve got a problem!”
(Name) frowned as Hanzos voice rang out into the air over the speaker system.
“Leorio hasn’t come back yet, he’s still down there! He was wearing the only diving suit we got! With the storm getting worse, mounting a rescue now would be unwise, but I’ll leave the final decision up to you.”
Kurapika backed away slowly, eyes wide. (Name) stood, pulling off her shirt. “I’m going. I won’t let Leorio die.”
He grabbed her wrist, the red returning to his eyes again. “No, no you won’t. I can’t lose you too.”
She wrenched her wrist away and tried to reason with him. “Pika, I was one of the best swimmers on my team in high school, I could have gone to nationals. If I don’t do something-“
“(Name), I said NO. You aren’t going, and that’s an order.”
She stepped back a bit, Kurapika pulling her back to her chair. “Please. I can’t let you risk your life, not when we’re not even sure if Leorio is alive.”
“We’re not sure he’s dead! Pika, I can do this. Please just trust m-“
“Kurapika, can you hear me?”
They both paused, Kurapika stumbling over to the speaker.
“Gon went to find Leorio. The twisters getting close, you should be able to estimate how much time we’ve got with how fast it’s moving. I’m turning command of the operation over to you. Killua and I are going to go make sure the canons are ready.”
Kurapika sighed. “Roger that.” (Name) handed him binoculars.
“It’s approaching at approximately 200 meters per minute.” the blonde said, before moving to calculate the exact time it would take for it to get there.
Even though she was a bit upset with him at the moment, she couldn’t help but find his intellect attractive.
“That’s it! Calling all stations! The ship will achieve maximum buoyancy on the rising tide just before the waterspout hits us. It will reach us at approximately 18:30, ten minutes from now. We’re going to shell the rocks around the bow of the ship until we can break free. At the same time, we’ll engage the engines into a full reverse thrust. This will get us clear past any obstacles. All stations, make your final preparations. The operation is about to start. The countdown will start on my mark.”
(Name) put away her knitting supplies, standing up and walking over to the blonde. “We’ve got this, Pika. You’re doing a great job so far.”
He nodded, sweat beading at his brow. She could tell he was nervous. “Is there anything you need?”
Kurapika sighed, before reaching out to hold her hand. “All I need is for you to stay close by, okay?”
Her cheeks heated up, the (h/c) haired girl only nodding. “I can do that.”
———————
“All four engines are fully operational. We’re in the process sending the power to the pumps for the canons right now. Get ready to connect them!” Pokkle announced over the speaker.
“Roger that! Stand by for the order to power up the propellers!”
(Name) watched Kurapika run back and fourth between different speakers, giving everyone their orders.
“Okay, prepare for fire! Are you ready, Cypher?”
“Of course I’m ready, I am just shooting a wall.”
“I’d like to minimize any damage to the ship. Aim at the weakest part of the wall.”
“You mean I can’t shoot where I want?”
(Name) stared out the window where Leorio and Gon should have been. Her and Kurapika held each other, (Name) feeling tears well up in her eyes. Neither wanted to do anything until their friends were confirmed to be okay. He squeezed her tightly, not knowing if these could be his last moments.
‘I… I should tell her I lo-‘
“Kurapika, fire the canons! Do it now!”
They ignored Hanzos orders. “(Name), I-“
“Kurapika, (Name)! Gon is on his way to the surface, and he’s got Leorio!”
His head shot up, the blonde rushing over to the speaker. “Attention everyone, we will commence firing in 30 seconds! This is it, target is the rock surrounding the bow at 12 o’clock! Range is 200 feet! I want to hit it with everything we got so fire all cannons simultaneously! Reload immediately and continue firing until the ship is free! Brace yourself for the concussion, we commerce firing in 20 seconds!”
(Name) pulled her shirt back on, the two holding onto each other as he counted down.
“3, 2, FIRE!”
The room shook, Kurapika’s hand slipping to her waist to keep her from falling.
“All hands check for damage! Prepare for the second barrage! Engine room, route power to the propellers in 40 seconds!”
Once the room became still, he took the wheel. “Stay near me, I’ll catch you if you fall.”
She nodded.
“Now that we’re on our way, let’s use the recoil from the third barrage to push us back from the rocks!”
(Name) gasped when the ship began to move, nearly tackling the blonde in a bear hug. Instead, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
“You did it Pika! We’re really moving.”
His heart thumped against his chest, palms going sweaty. “Y-yes, WE did it.”
The sweet moment didn’t last long, the force of the storm causing the ship to tilt, and sending Kurapika flying across the room and hit his head. “PIKA!”
(Name) rushed over, pulling the boys head into her lap. He was knocked out cold, blood tricking down his head. “Oh, Pika…”
She ripped her shirt, using it as a temporary bandage for his head. The ship was starting to lean, but she couldn’t leave him on the floor. (Name) pushed his hair out of his face, the blondes eyes opening briefly to stare up at her.
‘Like… an angel…’
That was the last thing he thought before everything went black.
“Pika? Pika are you okay? Can you hear me?”
Suddenly, the ship began to steady itself. She turned to see a man steering the ship, his face hidden by darkness. He seemed to watch her for a moment before returning his gaze to the sea.
(Name) held her abdomen, the pain becoming so bad she felt like she was going to throw up, but she refused to leave Kurapika.
The blonde held onto her in his sleep, gripping onto the remnants of her shirt. She sighed, leaning down to kiss the top of hai head. “I’m right here, Pika. I’m here.”
Kurapika seemed to relax at the sound of her voice.
“Here.”
The man tossed a roll of bandages at (Name), the girl blinking in surprise. “Oh, um… thank you.”
He didn’t respond, continuing to steer the ship. Shortly after applying the bandages, (Name) began to drift off herself, the pain not allowing her to stay conscious.
Kurapika groaned, cuddling into the soft surface he’d been lying against. Whatever it was, it was warm and resting against it made his head hurt a little less.
“P-Pika, that tickles!”
The sound of (Name)’s giggle made him pull away, his face turning completely red. He’d cuddled into her tummy, tickling her in the process. He managed to pull away, inwardly pouting that he had to.
“(Name)? What time is it?”
He sat up, nearly falling back over. Thankfully (Name) caught him, pushing him back down to lie on her lap. “Shh, the sun hadn’t even risen yet. Go back to sleep.”
He pouted, but listened. He glanced up at her before cuddling back into her soft stomach, smiling when she began to run her fingers through his blonde hair. “Hmm, hmm…” she hummed. Kurapika sighed dreamily, enjoying the intimate moment before falling back asleep.
———————
Once the sun had risen, Leorio walked in, snorting at the scene before him. (Name), who had been awake placed a finger to her lips, still running her fingers through Kurapika’s hair.
“Brought you two some breakfast. Making those premade meals was a great idea, (Name).”
She smiled, eating quietly. “Thanks. Could you get me some pain killers? I’m feeling awful.”
Leorio nodded, crouching down to feel her head. “Jesus, (Name), you’re burning up!”
He gave her the pain killers before running out to bath her a wet rag. Leorio placed it on her forehead, sighing. “Did you stay with him all night?”
(Name) nodded, sighing at the cool relief. “I’m not leaving until he wakes up.”
The dark haired man groaned. “You’re so stubborn. Fine. KURAPIKA!”
The blonde groaned, once again cuddling into (Name)’s tummy, causing her to giggle. Leorio’s eyebrow twitched. “Unfair, I want to sleep on (Name)’s lap too…”
Leorio helped the two stand. (Name) nearly fell, but Leorio scooped her up in his arms as Kurapika followed him out onto the deck.
“She’s asleep. It was a tough night, I don’t think she got much rest.”
Kurapika bit his lip, placing a hand on her forehead. “Will she be alright?”
Leorio nodded. “She’ll be fine. Once we get on the ship, we’ll get her as comfortable as possible so she can sleep peacefully.”
Kurapika wanted to hold (Name) himself, but he still felt weak from his injury. Instead, he look her hand, squeezing it lightly.
———————
“Attention everyone, this is the Fourth Phase of the hunter exam, and the last phase before the final exam. Congratulations on having made it this far.”
Leorio’s grip tightened on (Name) as Lippo, the examiner of the third Phase continued.
“I’d like each of you to draw lots from this box. There are as many cards in this box as applicants remaining in the exam. You’ll each choose one in the order you escaped trick tower in the last phase.”
(Name) placed right after Kurapika, so they were far in the back. “(Name)? You’ll have to wake up for a minute, doll face.”
She groaned, holding onto Leorio. “Noo, tired…”
Kurapika felt awful, holding onto his tabard. She was exhausted, having to stay up most of the night to take care of him.
“I know, but you have to get up.”
He sat her down, letting her lean against him until she was able to stand herself. (Name) sniffled, rubbing her eyes. She tried not to whine, but it was hard.
“Here, you can lean against me, (Name). After you draw your card, you can go back to sleep.”
She nodded at the blonde, leaning against him. “Thanks, Pika.”
Once she took her card, (Name) pawed at Leorio. He held back a laugh, picking her up so she could go back to sleep. She wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing into his shoulder. “Thanks Leorio…”
She missed out on the explanation, Lippo allowing her to rest. “I suppose you will explain this all to her later?” he asked Leorio and Kuraoika. The two nodded.
Kurapika removed her badge and placed it in her pocket, making sure no one could see her number.
Once they were on the ship again, Kurapika sat with (Name)’s head resting in his lap. He smiled fondly at the girl, resisting the urge to lean down and press a kiss to her lips.
‘He said to take your opponents badge by whatever means necessary. That means…’
He scowled, watching her snuggle against his tabard in her sleep. ‘That means killing is on the table.’
Kurapika couldn’t imagine (Name) dying. He wouldn’t allow that to happen, not when she’d been nothing but kind to him.
And not when he had become so attached.
“How you doing?”
Leorio approached the two, his voice causing (Name) to stir. Kurapika sent him a glare for waking her, but it had been nearly two hours. She should be rested enough to hear an explanation of what the next phase was.
“Mmm…”
She smiled up at Kurapika, reaching a hand to his cheek to caress it. “Morning, sunshine.”
He sighed, cupping her hand. “Good morning.”
Leorio and Kurapika explained the terms of the exam, (name) yawning as she stretched. “Mmm, so they want us to kill each other? Fun.”
She stood, taking out her card.
“You said there’s supposed to be a number on it, right..?”
Kurapika nodded, barely resisting himself from peeking. “Yes, there’s a number for each applicant,”
“Well…”
She showed the two her card, both of their eyes widening.
“What does a blank card mean?”
Kurapika snatched her card, stuffing it into her pocket. “(Name), listen and listen closely.” he whispered, Leorio drawing closer.
“Don’t let anyone else know you drew a blank card, not even Gon and especially not Killua.”
She scowled. ‘Is there a reason he specified Killua?’
“(Name), that card…” Leorio said, lost in thought.
“The blank card means you aren’t being targeted by anyone specifically.”
(Name) gasped at Kurapika’s words, then sighed in relief. “Isn’t that good? Why shouldn’t I tell anyone?”
They exchanged a look before Leorio answered. “Because the blank card is worth six points.”
———————
(Name) watched as Kurapika left the boat, sighing softly. The boat was nearly empty now, with only Leorio and Tonpa left behind her.
“Alright, the next applicant can go!”
(Name) glanced back at Leorio, who gave her a thumbs up before she exited, running into the tree line.
‘Alright, I guess I’m on my own for this phase. I’ll need to find a source of water, set up a shelter and-‘
She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand on her shoulder, pulling her into a bush.
“Shh, crouch down.”
She relaxed at the voice, turning around and tackling the blonde in a hug.
“Pika!”
Although he had been trying to keep her quiet, he couldn’t be mad to her when she was beaming up at him. “Hey, (Name). Would you like to team up with me?”
She nodded, pulling him back to his feet. “Of course!”
The two of them walked around, exploring the island. (Name) was quick to point out multiple sources of food, Kurapika marveling at her at her knowledge of flora and fauna.
“This is chicken of the woods! It’s an edible mushroom that tastes like chicken!”
She crouched down, collecting enough to feed the two. “Oh, I’ve read about that before. I just couldn’t remember what it looked like.”
Kurapika knelt next to her, helping to collect the mushroom. The two were able to collect eggs, wild garlic, wild onions, and potatoes before it got dark. They made camp near a stream, (Name) helping the blonde to build a temporary shelter.
They gathered long sticks into a triangle shape, covering the top with leaves. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do.
“I’m not too excited about sleeping on the ground, but at least I won’t be alone.”
The two sat around the fire, eating dinner. Kurapika smiled, then nodded along. “Yes, it’ll make sleeping much easier with a partner watching over the other in shifts.”
She yawned, handing her leftovers over to Kurapika, who took them happily. The boy didn’t look like it, but he could eat.
“Alright then. I have to use the bathroom real quick, then I can take the first shift.”
Kurapika began to protest, but she stuck out her tongue at him. “If you try to take the first shift, I won’t sleep!”
The blonde sighed, filling his mouth with another bite of dinner. ‘She’s so stubborn…’
But he appreciated it none the less. Kurapika was exhausted, and once he climbed into the shelter he fell asleep immediately.
Kurapika woke up around 5 hours later to the sound of the crackling fire. He rubbed his eyes, noticing (Name) had placed her cardigan on top of him as he slept. ‘Warm…’
He looked out of the shelter to see (Name) tending to the fire, rubbing her tired eyes. “(Name), my shift was supposed to be an hour ago.”
The girl smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. “Haha, sorry. I wasn’t tired yet, so I let you get a little extra sleep.”
‘Liar, you’re exhausted.’
Kurapika crawled out, walking over before pulling her to her feet. “Sleep. If you’re too tired in the morning, it’ll only be a detriment to both of us.”
She pouted, but relented. “All right, but wake me up when the sun rises, okay?”
‘But that’s only in a few hours…’
He nodded, crossing his fingers behind his back. ‘Sorry (Name), but you need your rest.’
She climbed into the shelter, covering herself up with her cardigan before passing out. Kurapika watched her sleep, his eyes soft. She’d fallen asleep almost as soon as her head hit the ground.
‘She’s pushing herself too much. Good thing I asked for her to team up with me, otherwise she wouldn’t be taking care of herself.’
She began to shiver, Kurapika wincing. Again, she was cold, and now they were outside. She’d put on pants and a long sleeved shirt before she slept, but obviously it wasn’t enough.
He found himself walking forward, bending down and crawling into the shelter next to her. “(Name)…”
Kurapika pulled her close to him, resting his chin on the top of her head. He pulled her cardigan over the two of them, sharing his body heat with her.
‘Hopefully this will be enough to prevent her from getting sick…’
He couldn’t help but sigh contentedly when her arms wrapped around him. “Mmm…” she muttered in her sleep, nuzzling into his chest.
‘Too cute. Wish I could take a picture…’
Kurapika intended to only warm her up until sunrise, but fell asleep before he knew it.
He couldn’t help it, not when he felt so peaceful in her arms.
———————
“Pikaaa!”
Kurapika’s eyes blinked open slowly, staring into (Name)’s. She had a pout on her face, and he noticed she was wiggling around.
“Pika, let me go, I have to pee!”
He realized that she was genuinely struggling to get out of his arms, the boy quickly letting go. “Oh, my apologies.”
She crawled out of the shelter and ran away, Kurapika snickering. ‘She must of really had to go.’
The sun was out, meaning he’d fallen asleep with her during the night. Thankfully, Kurapika had been smart enough to bring their bags into the shelter, and after checking was glad to see both of their badges.
When (Name) returned, she still had a scowl on her pretty face. “Pika, you were supposed to keep watch.”
He looked away bashfully. “Sorry, I saw you were cold and didn’t want you getting sick.”
She couldn’t stay mad at him, not when he’d done that for her sake. “Oh Pika, you’re lucky you’re such a cutie.”
She tended to the fire, Kurapika blushing at her words. ‘She keeps mentioning I’m cute. Does that mean she really does like me? I know she confessed, but…’
To Kurapika, the words ‘I love you’ were incredibly serious. He had never said them out loud, only telling his parents and Pairo he loved them.
But never the romantic ‘I love you’.
“Pika, you okay with eggs and veggies for breakfast?”
“Yes, anything you make is alright with me.”
After a quick breakfast, Kurapika finishing her leftovers AGAIN, the two of them began their walk around the island.
“Pika, look!”
She giggled, spinning around as red butterflies followed her around. The blonde tilted his head, noticing they fluttered around her hips.
“Those are hemotropic butterflies. They’re attracted to…”
He frowned. (Name) looked so happy surrounded by the little red butterflies, almost like a princess. He didn’t want to ruin her fun by saying the only reason they were following her around was because she was bleeding.
“They’re attracted to good smells, like perfume.”
She nodded, one of the butterflies landing on her finger. “Really? Must be my perfume.”
He sighed, watching her walk ahead of him, the girl occasionally pointing out edible flora. “So, pretty boy, who’s your target?”
“P-pretty boy?”
(Name) turned around, an teasing smile on her face. “Yes, you’re a pretty boy. Who’s your target?”
He pouted at her, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s Tonpa.”
(Name) sighed. “Oh, good. Taking his annoying ass out of the game will be good for all of us.”
The two spent the day together, searching the island for Kurapika’s target. Eventually, they spotted him working together with the man with the monkey.
“They’re planning to trick Leorio. I guess it’ll be a good way to test if he’ll be a good addition to our team.”
(Name) elbowed the blonde. “Pikaa, don’t kid around. Leorio is joining us, whether you like it or not.”
He wasn’t sure why, but a seed of jealousy planted itself in his heart. “Why do you want him to join so bad?”
(Name) tilted her head. “… because he’s our friend? Why not?”
The blonde folded his arms over his chest. “We’ll see if he’s a good fit tomorrow. For now, let’s get back to our shelter before it gets too late.”
It was a bit awkward between the two, Kurapika’s sour mood causing (Name) to shrink away. He hadn’t intended to upset her, but he had.
“(Name), you can sleep first tonight, since you went first last night.”
She pulled her cardigan over herself, staring into the fire. “…”
“(Name)?”
Kurapika scooted closer to her. He didn’t like seeing her like this, especially not when all he wanted was to be close to her.
“Pika, are you mad at me?”
Kurapika blinked. “Mad? Why would I be mad at you?”
She toyed with her cardigan. “Well, I’m not sure what happened but you’ve been acting weird, since we were on the ship. I just thought you must be mad at me, because you’ve been looking away a lot and sounded angry when I asked for Leorio earlier.”
Kurapika sighed softly. ‘I look away so often because I’m always blushing. It’s embarrassing…’
He pulled her closer. “I’m not mad, and I shouldn’t have snapped at you earlier.”
She was cold again, even next to the fire. “(Name), have you taken your medicine?”
She nodded. Before she’d left the ship, Leorio had given her a bottle of pain killers. He didn’t want her to be in pain the entire phase, and he didn’t know if they’d see each other.
“Good. Let’s get to bed then, yeah?”
It was only the second night, and Kurapika had given up on them taking shifts to sleep. He couldn’t let her freeze all on her own, it would be bad for both of them if she got sick!
At least, that’s what he told himself when he pulled her into his arms again, covering both of them in her cardigan. She didn’t seem to mind, falling asleep quickly.
———————
Kurapika woke up just before sunrise, but couldn’t bring himself to move. He watched (Name)’s face, eyes soft as he cupped her cheek.
She was still cold, the blonde frowning. Although she wasn’t shivering as much, her body was still cool, too cool.
Kurapika remembered Leorio pulling him aside while they were on the ship.
“Kurapika, I want you to keep an eye on (Name). I fear she might be anemic, or could become weaker due to the excessive blood loss.”
Kurapika pulled her even closer, rubbing circles into her back to create some heat from the friction. It was January, after all, the chill in the air affected even Kurapika.
He scooped her into his arms and walked over to the fire, throwing a few logs on before sitting in front of it, allowing the flames to warm (Name). The shivering stopped, Kurapika sighing in relief.
“Pika…”
He blinked, looking down, expecting to see her awake. But she wasn’t, she was still sound asleep, with a fond smile on her lips.
His face began to heat up. ‘Is she dreaming about me?’
Kurapika’s heart thumped against his chest. In the glow of the light from the fire, she looked soft. Sweet even.
“(Name)…”
He held her closer, lips hovering over hers for a moment.
But he pulled away, heart racing. ‘No, no not yet. Not when she’s asleep.’
Kurapika wanted to kiss her right now, especially knowing she was dreaming of him, but he wouldn’t. Not until he could gather up the courage to kiss her while she was awake.
‘Why do I want to kiss her?’
He couldn’t understand. Kurapika knew he felt good knowing she liked him, but wasn’t sure why. He just knew that she was someone he wanted to keep near him, at all cost.
He continued to diligently watch over her until she woke up.
“You’re really nice, Pika.”
He blinked, glancing down to see her smiling up at him sleepily. “Nice?”
“You kept me warm all night.”
Kurapika set her down beside him, the girl leaning against his shoulder as they discussed their plans for the day.
After breakfast, they followed Tonpa’s tracks until they came across him and Leorio.
The older man was attempting to trick Leorio by acting sick, the two watching from a bush nearby.
“Leorio’s too nice, he’s gonna give Tonpa the medicine.” (Name) whispered, the blonde putting a finger to her lips.
He agreed with her statement, but if they wanted to get the drop on Tonpa and his teammate, they’d need to be quiet.
Leorio began to open his briefcase, swiftly dodging s hit from behind as his badge was stolen by a monkey.
(Name) fidgeted in place, obviously nervous for her friend. Kurapika patted her leg, gesturing for them to begin moving as Leorio chased after Tonpa.
“GIVE IT BACK NOW!”
Tonpa ran from the man chasing him. “Hey buddy boy, you’re chasing the wrong boy, I don’t have your badge!”
“SHUT UP! I don’t care, I just wanna punch you in the face!”
Tonpa turned his head to laugh at Leorio as he ran. “Hehe, you’re losing it man, it’s the Hunter exam. This kind of thing happens all the time. You only have yourself to blame.”
“I agree with you on the first part of that, but not on the second.
Kurapika stood, walking out of the treeline, kicking Tonpa straight in the face.
“Oh wow!”
(Name) walked behind him, Leorio coming to a stop. “The person who lied is the one to blame.”
Leorio’s eyes widened. “Kurapika, (Name), where did you come from?”
The blonde smiled. “We thought you could use some teammates.”
———————
Kurapika chased after Tonpas partner, Leorio cornering him.
“Give me my badge back without any trouble and you won’t get hurt.”
The man whistled, the monkey swinging through the trees to jump onto Leorio’s face.
“DAMN IT!”
Tonpa’s partner was able to get away. “Leorio, you go after him, I’ll go after the monkey!”
As Leorio chased the man, someone else was waiting for him in the trees. The man spotted Kurapika grabbing the monkey, and just before he was about to run and rescue it, someone jumped and tackled him.
“Nice job, (Name)!”
The girl pinned the man down down, using her thighs to put him in a headlock. “Got him!”
The two stared for a moment as the man gasped for air, smacking and squeezing her thighs.
“God I wish that were me.”
(Name) smiled. “I can do you next, Leorio.”
Kurapika pushed Leorio into a bush before walking over and preparing his weapon. “You can release him now, (Name).”
He and the monkey were seemingly getting along. The man watched as he was betrayed by his pet, the monkey handing over Leorio’s badge to Kurapika.
“Awww!”
(Name) cooed over the cute sight, running over to cuddle both of them.
Leorio and Kurapika tied the two up and the monkey sat on (Name)’s shoulder, playing with her hair. “Pika, can we keep him?”
“We?”
She nodded. “Yeah, he’ll be like our son! You’ll be the dad, and I’ll be the mom!”
Kurapika turned bright red, Leorio yelling. “Hey, what about me!?”
(Name) giggled. “You’ll be the uncle.”
Kurapika cleared his throat, gesturing for the monkey to come to him. “While that does sound… tempting…this monkey deserves to be with his own kind.”
(Name) nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.”
‘Did the implication that he wants to start a family with her fly over her head?’ Leorio thought, patting the girl on the head. ‘Maybe she’s a little ditzy. It’s cute.’
“Thanks for giving me a hand, you two. This worked out well because Tonpa ends up being your target, Kurapika.”
The blonde sighed. “There’s no need to thank me. I saw when you were ambushed earlier, but I had my reasons for not stepping in until I did.”
Leorio huffed. “Huh, is that so!?”
“I was trying to determine if you were someone who could anticipate and evade a surprise attack like that. If not, then I didn’t really want you for a partner. You passed the test, but just barely.”
“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ANYWAY?”
(Name) gave Leorio a hug, the man still grumbling. “If it makes you feel any better, if Kurapika wouldn’t have been your partner, I would have!”
It did make him feel better, but made Kurapika’s jealousy spike. “Oh really?”
The blonde crossed his arms and pouted as they walked, only calming when (Name) laughed and ran forward, looping her arm with his. “I’m joking, Pika. I know you’re too nice to leave Leorio by himself.” she whispered, lips hovering around his ear.
The blonde did not respond, but he also didn’t pull away. Leorio followed behind them, rolling his eyes. “Can you two just get it over with and kiss already? Ugh.”
Kurapika didn’t dignify that with a response, but (Name) did. “But I’ve already kissed both of you!”
Leorio blushed lightly, waving his hand. “I mean- oh never mind.”
Kurapika sighed, patting her hand. “He means kissing romantically, presumably on the lips.”
(Name) nodded. “Oh. Do you want to?”
He was taken aback by this, dropping her arm to stare at her. “Excuse me?”
(Name) giggled, walking ahead of both of them. “Joking!”
He was stuck in place for a moment as he watched her slowly fade from view. “You need to work on your reactions, man.” Leorio said, patting him on his back. “She’ll think you don’t like her.”
Kurapika shoved his arm away. “I don’t.”
The tall man raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
Kurapika huffed. “It’s none of your business either way.”
Leorio rolled his eyes. “Uh huh. If you really don’t like her, then stop leading her on. She really likes you, and you’re sending her some mixed signals.”
Kurapika held onto his tabard tightly, sighing. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
He didn’t like her, no, he was just attached. Just because he wanted to be with her and kiss her and possibly live with her meant nothing. She was just important to him, nothing more.
Right?
As they talked, (name) waited a bit ahead, face hot as she thought about before. ‘No, (Name), there’s no way he would want to kiss you, but…’
She glanced back, holding a hand over her heart. ‘I would really like to kiss him.’
———————
Kurapika watched the scene in front of him, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Leorio, come closer please!”
The man blushed as (Name) cuddled up to him, cooing. “You’re so warm, like a human heater!”
Kurapika tapped his foot against the ground, glaring at Leorio.
“Pika come here! Leorio can keep us warm tonight!”
“I would rather die than cuddle with Leorio.”
(Name) poked her lip out in a pout. “But you cuddle with me. What’s the difference?”
That was a good question. What made cuddling with (Name) any different than cuddling with Leorio?
“You’re… you smell nice. He doesn’t.”
That was partially the truth, but the real reason was because she was special to him. Someone he trusted enough to sleep next to.
“Did you just say I stink?”
“Yes, I did.”
(Name) stood between the two before they could start fighting. “Okay, let’s not fight. I’m not sure why you’re irritated Pika, but you can’t be mean to Leorio.”
“I’m not irritated.”
(Name) and Leorio glanced from his tapping foot and crossed arms back to his face. “Uh huh…”
(Name) stood, walking over to sit next to him. “Well, maybe you’re hangry. I’ll make extra potatoes, okay?”
She leaned against his shoulder, her presence alone soothing his jealous heart. Right now, (Name) was next to him, thinking about how to make him feel better.
“Yes… that sounds good.”
He wanted to hold her, plant a kiss on the top of her head, but couldn’t in front of Leorio. Kurapika didn’t want to be teased for his softness for (Name).
“Okay, I’ll get dinner ready. Wanna help me forage?”
She was looking up at him, as she stroked his arm, trying to keep him calm. If only she knew her touch was enough to make his heart race.
“Yes, of course.”
(Name) stood up, the two following behind her as they began to forage for dinner.
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