BALANCE: The Collision of Light and Dark

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

SUMMARY: With someone in danger and his mind far more muddled than normal, Kurapika just needed advice.

CHAPTER 19: Of Hunters and Thieves

"Pika-chan! Wake up!" an exuberant voice rang around the room just as the sun was starting to grace the plains with its glory.

A grumble was the only thing that a certain blonde boy could give out as a reply.

"Aww… C'mon! Wakey!" the same voice bugged again.

Kurapika's eyebrows twitched and he started to get up albeit lazily. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes before yawning his good morning to his cousin.

"Kazu-chan! Pika-chan! Breakfast is ready!" a perky female voice called out from outside.

"Coming Mom!" Kazuki called back as he waited for his roommate to fully tread the conscious world.

"Kuro-san's spoiling you?" Kazuki suddenly asked as he threw an old shirt and jeans from his closet for Kurapika to wear later.

"Hrrm?" Kurapika barely slurred as he yawned again.

"You're always the early riser, and now you can barely keep your eyes open at this time of the day!" Kazuki replied as he started hunting for socks and undergarments that may fit the Kuruta.

Kurapika stopped in his actions and narrowed his eyes at the redhead.

"Oooh! No glaring Pika-chan!" Kazuki said, clucking, while holding a single finger in front of his face and wagging it as he held his hip with his other hand. The image simply reminded Kurapika of his aunt. "It's not nice," he added.

Kurapika snorted before standing up and gathering the redhead's things and heading towards the bathroom just outside the room. "I'll take a bath," he simply said.

Kazuki grinned broadly at his cousin's retreating back.

'We're happy that you're not that angry anymore, Kurapika.'

-x-

"Good morning!" Aira chimed as she danced her way from the dining room to the kitchen to get cups and plates.

Gufro, who was then coming from the front door after he retrieved the carefully rolled morning paper, quickly stole the moment to peck at his wife's cheek before settling down on his place at the table. Kuroro and Nobunaga, on the other hand, are both seated quietly, enjoying coffee. Kazuki immediately leapt from the stairs and rushed to the kitchen to aid his mother in serving breakfast. Kurapika would have rushed in too but his ever-perceptive cousin called back a loud, "No need for extra help Pika-chan, take a seat and enjoy a cup of coffee!"

As if cued, Gufro laid his paper down and was pouring him a cup of enticing and steaming coffee in a flick of the wrist. Kuroro took note of the lightning fast movement while Nobunaga merely widened his eyes but innocently sipped his coffee nonetheless. Kurapika gave the older man a grin as the latter added things to his cup.

Kurapika then thankfully held on his cup and was about to sip when Kuroro stole the cup from him. He almost growled with frustration when the man added another serving of milk and a teaspoon of sugar.

"That'll be too sweet!" Kurapika almost whined as Kuroro gently pushed the cup back to him.

"You always order coffee like this," Kuroro simply replied. "I figured out that you like it that way." The raven-haired man then managed to end his statement with a toothy grin and hid it behind his own cup of coffee, which is rather a periwinkle blue painted cup with bright images of bees and ridiculously flashy pink, purple and neon green colored butterflies.

Kurapika's face almost twitched at the sight of the ever perfect, composed, classy, and brutal, even, leader of the Genei Ryodan, sipping his coffee from something that seems to have been bought from a cabbage-smelling, doting grandmother's garage sale.

He switched his gaze from the handsome man to the samurai who was not any better. Nobunaga is currently drinking his coffee from a bright fuchsia cup with blue and lavender hearts and yellow smileys of all sizes. There could be no mistake about it. Kuroro and Nobunaga's cups came from the same batch.

He immediately became conscious afterwards and stared at his cup as if it will start curling to a ball and throw spikes. He had almost wrinkled his nose as he noticed that his cup is not a bit better off and still not very much far from the same league – lilac with quotations about love and such in girly yellow, orange and vermillion fonts and a ton of "I Love You" in different languages, standing out from the rest of the messages because of the bold face and sans serif font type.

He swallowed down a sigh of nostalgia along with his coffee as he came to a realization that since it is his dear aunt Aira running the house and buying everything, these things are ought to be expected. And with her forever loyal and complying husband, along with her equally frivolous son, things ought to happen. Weird yet wonderful and somewhat heartwarming things are ought to happen in this household.

"Pika-chan, I made your favorite cinnamon rolls!" Aira happily chirped as she made her way from the kitchen, carrying a woven basket lined with paper napkins and filled to the brim with golden brown bread glazed with some sticky dark red-brown powder on top.

"Thanks Aunt," Kurapika mumbled gratefully as the lady carefully laid down the basket at the table.

"You've been out there for years! You must have missed my cooking," the woman said as her son then came out of the kitchen to lay out two loaves of bread. Kazuki then disappeared again before coming out with huge platter of ham slices, bacon strips, fried eggs, butter and cheese.

"I do," Kurapika replied as Aira then started piling food at everyone's plate. He, along with Kuroro and Nobunaga, nodded with gratitude before they started eating.

Breakfast was uneventful and most of the morning was spent in exchanging contact details and stories of Pika-chan's stay in the household years ago. However, hours even before lunch, Kurapika gave a single look at Kuroro's eyes and with a nod, the man understood. It had been three days since they landed on the household's doorstep, and it was fairly assured that Gufro will be fine and his family shall remain safe.

"Gufro," Kuroro started as he lifted his gaze from the chess piece that he had just moved.

The other man blinked, adjusted his glasses and smiled weakly in understanding. If he had been anything without Nen, he would have been a highly perceptive person. With Nen, all of his senses and a few more extras were justly amplified. "Do you wish to have lunch here?"

A tight-jawed look from the Kuruta was the reply and Kuroro only voiced it, "I believe that we have already had our vacation. You are excellent hosts."

Gufro only sighed in resignation but smiled weakly and said, "Very well…" The blond man then stood up and the three guests followed suit.

Soon, all six people are on the front yard bidding goodbyes. Nobunaga and Kazuki are being relatively civil with each other while Aira could barely make intelligible words from all of the crying and wailing on her husband and her son's comforting arms.

"It was a nice experience to meet you… both of you," Gufro finally managed.

"Same goes for us," Kuroro politely replied.

"Kurapika," Kazuki then uttered, his voice devoid of its usual flightiness and exuberance and his emerald eyes are shimmering with seriousness.

Kurapika almost gulped at the tone that he never witnessed his cousin to use. Kazuki never called him Kurapika. When he was still little, the man would often be heard loudly complaining about the ambiguity of the name and its utter lack of cuteness for his beloved little cousin.

Overall, Kazuki is a very highly energetic, giddy, overprotective to the point of paranoia, forever smiling and laughing, easily pleased, and often childish person. He never really showed seriousness even when he came back all muddy, bloody and wounded once, a long time ago. Kurapika vaguely remembered him pouting childishly as he tugged his red hair and complained on how the dried mud and blood stiffened it to a hideous mess and on how some stupid guy nearly took his arm off. But Kazuki then was not concerned of his arm. Kurapika clearly remembered the phrase, "…could've torn my favorite jacket's sleeve off…" as the redhead scratched his head while Aira and Gufro tended his injuries, among all else. Kazuki is never the one to go serious in a snap. And now that he did, it is highly disconcerting.

"Be safe," the redhead said as he gently gathered the blonde in the warmth of his arms and gave him a tight hug. "Call me for anything, OK? I'll be there in a sec."

Kurapika only nodded as he savored in the warmth of his almost-brother and smiled weakly as the other released him.

"OHHHHH! PIKA-CHAAAAAAN!" Aira only wailed as she freed herself from her husband and pounced on the blond boy, nearly choking him in an embrace.

Kurapika, who had been expecting that but nevertheless still taken aback by the woman's inhuman strength, being a Reinforcement Nen user, and tendency to cling tight at any living creature worth smothering, conceded from struggling and only smiled against the woman that stood a close second in his heart as "Mother". He almost regretted his decision to allow her to hug him so freely and tightly though a few moments later. But fortunately, his uncle managed to pull the howling woman as he replaced her in a gentler hug.

"Thanks, Uncle."

"No problem. Your aunt was almost killing you anyway," the man replied as he patted the golden crown of his nephew.

"No, not just that," the younger blonde said with a small smile and a whisper, "Thanks for everything."

Gufro gently released the boy from his arms and cupped his face to look at the bright aquamarine orbs that were all too similar to his brother's especially when they were still little. "Sure. You're welcome," he said, finding himself at a loss for words and at a losing fight against his tears. Finally, after another moment, he let go and his nephew then stepped back to his companions, ready to leave again; ready to leave them again.

He only lifted up his glasses and wiped the single drop of tear that escaped from each of his eyes as he grinned at them. After putting his spectacles back in place, he held out his hand for a final handshake with the samurai and then with the other man. He gave Nobunaga a grateful nod before saying, "Thanks again for taking care of him when he's out there."

Nobunaga blushed awkwardly with embarrassment and only scratched his head as he gawkily took the handshake.

And finally to Kuroro, with a knowing smile and with the familiar glinting of glasses, he conveyed his message with a light squeeze on the onyx-eyed man. 'Take care of him.'

Kuroro flashed one of those most charming smiles of his and squeezed back, the pressure sure and sincere. 'I will.'

-x-

It was not long when a certain dark-haired and deep blue-eyed man found himself in shackles after some time of losing consciousness. Well, the last thing he remembered was a searing pain shot on his right chest and swore that could have bore a hole there and darkness finally swirled endlessly to engulf him. Last time he checked, he was so ready to die but now, and he was then so sure that he was already so even before his vision finally died out. But right now, despite the hell of the pain on his chest and the certainty of some broken bones here and there, he is most certainly and definitely alive.

'Darn!' he cursed inwardly as he opened his eyes and took in where he is.

"Awake?" a melodious, yet seemingly venomous voice asked him and all he could do at that moment was to roll about and search for the source of the voice. It would have been a lot easier and he would have been successful at locating it had his limbs not been chained to the ground.

"Where are you? Who are you?" he shouted back, thirsty for answers and hungry for revenge.

"Hush now, hush now," the voice said soothingly. "I just want a few things cleared and you'll be off to go."

"What do you want?"

"Information. Just information. So you need not be agitated about anything."

"About what?" he asked angrily. He does not like the way this is turning out.

"Organic rubies."

-x-

It was almost midnight and the rest of the aircraft had been happily treading their respective dreamlands already when half of the ship was awakened by a terrible scream.

"Shit!" Nobunaga swore loudly as he instantly jumped out of bed and made sure he looks decent before he made a mad dash towards the direction of his companions. He fumbled slightly on the locked door until he decided to kick it off its hinges.

Unfortunately, it was the wrong room.

"Uh… sorry?" he managed to let out before he dashed away again, leaving the wide-eyed, and now wide-awake, and highly terrified occupants of the said room.

After another minute or so, just when he was about to grumble upon his Danchou's insistent use of Zetsu, he finally found the correct room and he was about to kick it too when it was opened by no other than his,

"Danchou!" Nobunaga exclaimed alarmingly. "What the hell happened? Is he OK? I heard his voice from MY room! And it's kinda on the other side of this ship!"

"Ah, Nobu, you do not have to be worried, I believe that Kurapika's alright now," the raven-eyed leader of the Spiders said, effectively calming down the other Spider.

"Did he just…?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Kuroro confirmed, offering his subject a seat. "Kurapika, do you want anything?"

For a few moments, the blonde occupant of the room, who was now sitting on his bed with his arms wrapped protectively on his shins and his head buried on his knees, remained quiet. Finally, just as Kuroro was deciding to repeat the offer, the blonde squeaked out, "…drink."

The samurai nodded to his superior before heading out the room to get some drinks and maybe some food.

"You got us both worried there. Is anything the matter?" Kuroro asked, taking a chair beside the blonde's bed and sitting on it. "Is it one of your nightmares again?"

Kurapika only muffled a sound as a reply.

The man took it as a yes and feeling rather awkward, yet believing that touches are more comforting than words, Kuroro decided to pat the youngster' back for assurance that everything is going to be fine. He was about to reach out when the boy barked, "Don't touch me!"

The man immediately complied and heaved a sigh instead. "Kurapika, you know that if anything's bothering you, you can freely tell me. I thought we were over these trust issues already," the man said.

It was only then that the boy turned his head off his knees and glared angrily at the man beside him. His blood-red eyes shone brightly against the darkness as Kuroro did not turn on any of the lights just in case the boy wanted to return to sleep.

"Trust? Trust you? Are you kidding me, Kuroro Lucifer?" the boy spat angrily.

Kuroro only sighed again as he really reached out and gently stroke the boy's back.

"I said, don't touch me!" Kurapika said even louder as he struggled off the man's touch. However, Kuroro seemed to have gotten tired of his reluctance and firmly held him in place. One arm shot over his stomach and caught his waist while a hand made its way to soothe his back. He was about to land an elbow on the offender's face when he was grabbed closer to the man's seat. The hand on his back vanished and another arm wrapped itself over him; just over his diaphragm, to encase him fully in a warm embrace.

He was about to struggle when a head was propped over his shoulder and he realized that he was now sitting awkwardly on someone's lap, his back pressed tightly to a strong and warm chest. And in it, he can clearly feel a serene rhythm of someone's heart. He gasped but soon he found himself unable to create anymore sounds.

A few more moments of silence and it was as if all of his nerves focused on that certain region just at the back of his ear where an even breathing kept on destroying every coherent thought forming in his mind; wordless assurances that calmed his spirit. Every soothing feather-light touch of gentle fingers on his arms as a stronger and firmer arm kept him in place shredded the seemingly immortal hatred that surged in his chest. And as the body behind him felt warmer he felt his own walls crumbling beneath the words of his own soul.

The moments were highly terrifying and yet he cannot will his body to initiate a struggle. He had just lost this little battle because his soul opted to side with the opponent. He is certain about that and it is highly unnerving that he did not feel the loss that accompanied the triumph of his clan's murderer.

However, a victory is not a true victory without its declaration. And he will go on this losing battle with that last trump card – he will not declare his loss… not even to himself. Not yet. This is but a moment's refuge to the suddenness of his new nightmare.

"It is really not alright for me to just sit here and worry about the unknown. Why don't you relate to me what you have seen in your dreams? I will be very much glad to aid you through anything right now," Kuroro whispered gently at his ear as he killed the few minutes of silence that no matter how awkward, he rather wished not to end.

"Why are you doing these to me?" the boy replied, his voice was so confused and scared that it was barely audible, broken, even. It was the best he can do and he could have been proud of such feat as his mind remained muddled with the contact.

Kuroro smiled as he secretly took in the scent of the one in his arms and softly tightening the embrace. And as the Master Thief that he is, he would take whatever he can whenever he can. Right at that moment, he knew that the best moment to strike is when the enemy is confused. Well, his little Kuruta can never be as confused as he is right now, can he?

Yes, and as the Taker that he was he took the chance.

"I still believe that you are a really smart person Kurapika, despite you asking that," he whispered as he pressed his lips just beside the blonde's hairline, behind his ear, in a chaste kiss.

He felt his captive's hairs stood on end at that region and he wasted no time to cover more area. In this little war he had been determined to take as much ground as he can before the open floodgates of the boy's soul halted its pouring upon him. He had only enough time to reach the younger one's jaw when the Kuruta realized the attack.

"Wha—"

The door clicked and Nobunaga entered, tray of crackers, bread, cheese and drinks in tow. He caught a glimpse of his Danchou and their resident Kuruta's current position and his jaw dropped.

However, Kurapika had realized his presence and had already jumped off Kuroro's grasp, all the while, getting his face redder every passing moment.

It really is a good thing that Kuroro never turned on the lights.

"Did I just interrupt something?"

Kuroro chuckled at his companions' antics before standing up and facing the samurai, "No, Nobu. Now, why don't you join us here as Kurapika gives his explanation?" It had been rather shorter than what he might have wished but thieves make their living by investing on patience and by the advance of his pace tonight, he knew will not run out of the precious thread any time soon.

Kurapika finally willed the blush away as he dragged himself back to the position he was in before he was… how should he put it? Ah, yes, "manhandled".

"It's Leorio…" the youth finally managed. The nightmare had tried to convey something and it is much more important. He can deal with Kuroro later. No. In actuality, he cannot deal with Kuroro now… not when the moment is still fresh. He will deal with his assailant as soon as his defenses were rebuilt. And so he pushed the event at the back of his mind and focused on the vision of his friend.

One of Kuroro's elegant eyebrows twitched once at the statement. Nobunaga, who had been trying to comprehend whatever he might have disturbed earlier, caught the small movement as he was still shifting his glance at the two individuals. He only managed to shape his lips into an "O" as he realized what their leader might have felt at the sound of the name. The thought about the thing that he had disturbed had been thrown off the window at once.

"He's calling out to me… No. He's telling me to run, I guess," Kurapika said, his red eyes fading back into seemingly equally luminous blue ones. "I think he's in trouble… because of me."

"How can you be sure about that?"

"I-it felt… It's so real!" Kurapika spat again. And by then, Kuroro did not need a light to judge the loss of color.

"A connection?" Nobunaga blinkingly interjected.

"He's my friend… my best friend," Kurapika said, or rather squeaked, as his small voice was now muffled by his knees since he started to bury his face on them again. "And I know something's wrong." It is always an incredibly heavy feeling whenever he lets his guard down, especially to those people he hated with all his heart some time ago. But being 'stuck' with them, because he believes that escaping them right now is an impossible feat, he had no one else to turn to. He could not care less what Lucifer may think.

"I see," Kuroro only replied as he drowned the bitter feeling in him with rational thoughts. He had won the battle earlier, but it is still a long war after all. He should have expected this.

There was a whole stretch of awkward silence before Nobunaga remembered his task and offered both of them a drink and/or a bite. Both accepted and he was doing his best to tame down the tension that had suddenly built up around them. He finally realized that he was cursing Shalnark for leaving them; these things are the man's forte and he would have done a better job in cooling things down than a hot-tempered samurai.

He was frantically and desperately hoping for someone or something, anything to break the building wall of suffocating, flaming ice when (thankfully) Kurapika's phone rang.

The blonde frantically sprinted towards it and almost shakily pressed a button. He was about to say "Hello" when a familiar and usually exuberant voice boomed with all seriousness and relief from the other line.

"Kurapika!"

"Gon! Are you OK? Why, what's wrong?" Kurapika replied, hoping against hope that it is not what he thinks it is.

"I'm fine. It's Leorio… He's… he's been missing."

Kurapika's eyes widened and turned scarlet at that very moment. He gripped the phone hard, with just enough force to keep himself from totally crushing it into smithereens. "What happened?" he asked, painfully managing to keep in all the emotions that were struggling to get out.

"We don't know yet. He's with us in a job then 'poof!' He's gone," the voice from the other line changed. Kurapika immediately realized that Killua must have stolen the phone from Gon's grasp. "It's been a few days now anyway, so we're kinda worried. And we called you 'coz we thought he followed you wherever in the world you are right now. Man, I tell you, that geezer can track like a hound when he wants to."

Kurapika mulled over the information in his mind and after a few moments of scrunching his eyes shut, checking his choices and lowering his ego, he turned around and stared at Kuroro. Also, he pushed the "loudspeaker" button on his phone just to make sure that Kuroro and Nobunaga hear the rest of the conversation.

"Where are you?" he asked Killua.

"Right now? We're in Dorucca but we're heading back to Arcarus," the voice replied. "We'll be there by tomorrow noon."

Kurapika made a pleading look with his eyes, now devoid again of their scarlet color. He hated this, but simply remembering the way Leorio's voice screamed a warning to him, he knew he just have to.

He might just kill the doctor later for making him do this.

Kuroro suppressed a smirk then nodded.

"I'll be there," Kurapika said as he ended up the conversation and muttered an almost inaudible "Thanks" to the Genei Ryodan's leader.

-x-

Though split, swollen, cracked and seemingly tired of bleeding, he still managed a leer on his lips.

"Hmm… You're rather a strong one," a melodious voice said, half impressed, half disappointed. "It's a pity you're wasting your life for someone who ran off with another man."

That moment, the leer just started to become quite painful.

He must have failed to suppress the pain and it showed on his face as his captor taunted, "Aww… That must have strung a cord. Does it hurt, doctor?"

He started rebuilding his leer and snorted for emphasis which earned him a painful kick on his right rib. He does not really mind; his ribs must have at least twelve cracks on them now anyway. And the overwhelming pain of the earlier torture must have numbed quite a few nerves.

"Why don't you admit the truth, doctor? The pretty Kuruta does not give a damn on what is happening to you as long as he's in the arms of that man," the voice said in a sing-song manner. "Oh, what a tragedy! You are here at my mercy, dying for him and him? Well, it is rather late now, isn't it? I wonder what he and his handsome companion are doing right now… Oh! Let me guess… they're—"

"You don't really know when to shut up, do you?" he spat angrily. "I don't really care whatever the hell they're doing right now. It's their business, not mine. And why don't you just kill me already? You'll never pull anything out from me anyway."

"Uh-uh," the voice said again. "Maybe you're not really that helpful as an informant but as a bargaining chip? I think we're talking business now, aren't we?"

"Heh, you don't know who you're dealing with, bitch," he managed to spill out along with a few coughs and another knowing leer before an overwhelming hit struck his right temple. Before succumbing to the cold and loving embrace of darkness, he wished that a certain blonde keeps himself out of this.

-x-

"Nobu, I'm dropping you here," Kuroro explained calmly. "I couldn't risk you getting in trouble with the two kids."

"Uh, yeah… But Danchou, it's not like I'll kill them or anything…"

"Even so, I, myself, am not actually supposed to be here. The two might get weird ideas with me hanging around their Kuruta, after the word I just gave them and seeing you lurking around will get them agitated," he continued. "That is the last thing we want right now when Kurapika's doctor friend is in trouble."

"Uh, word?"

"I promised them that I will allow Kurapika to have some time with them every once in a while."

"Oh…"

"And I think this is the time they just have to use that little privilege so I cannot really say anything, can I?"

"Erm… Yeah, I suppose."

"But I have a nasty feeling about this. That is why I'm staying behind. You, on the other hand, cannot. Too many cooks spoil the broth, so they say."

The samurai sighed, "Yeah… Well, uh… Danchou, Please tell the kid to be careful."

"You know his number, why don't you give him a little call?" Kuroro chided, hiding his smirk behind an innocent smile.

"Ack— No way! I'll never hear the end of it if— Yeah, yeah… A'right then," Nobunaga said as he got over the slight reddening of his face. "I'll call him once I'm somewhere else. See ya."

The man merely smiled a reply as the two of them parted, the samurai heading onwards out of the dark street corner and towards the brighter lights of the city.

'Now, where can you be, Kurapika?' the Spiders' Head thought as he pulled out a glimmering verdant gem from his suit's pocket. He cradled it with a single palm and soon, the swirling liquid gold inside united as one and gleamed even brighter to point south. Three full seconds and the light dulled down and the golden arrow dissolved into three swirling golden streaks again. Another smile formed on Kuroro's lips as he pocketed the emerald again.

"…quite a useful gem…" he muttered before heading towards the throng of people that gathered on a nearby bus stop. "South then…"

-x-

"Kurapika!" Gon squealed loudly as he hopped down from the few remaining steps on the cobbled street that they are walking on in order to… tackle his blonde friend.

"Gon," the Kuruta called back smiling as the spiky-haired boy hesitated in his attack and decided instead to halt abruptly, just a few inches from him. "How are you?"

The boy gave him a wide grin before a boot flew and hit the top of the kid's head.

"Oww!"

A silver-haired teen then suddenly "popped" just beside the spiky-haired boy who was still clutching his head and nursing it. "Yo!" he greeted with a grin and a half-salute.

Kurapika smiled at the mischievous Zoldyck heir.

"Oww! Killua!" the black-haired boy whined. "Why did you hit me?"

Killua promptly picked up his boot and wore it casually as if he's just at home. "You left me alone on the road when I was still talking! Without any warning! You ran off and just forgot that I'm there!"

"But I saw Kurapika approaching so…"

"Whatever!"

"Ah ha ha…"

"Eh?"

"The two of you will never really grow up," the Kuruta playfully commented as he gave the black-haired one a friendly pat on the head. "I'll heal the lump as soon as we're home. Where do you stay, by the way?"

Gon gave him a wide goofy grin before Killua intervened, "Heh, you're spoiling him too much, Kurapika, that's why he's stuck to being like that."

A tongue stuck out then a pout had been the reply of the other boy before he answered the blonde's question. "Not far from here. It's a nice and comfy hotel. And they got privileges for hunters! You can stay in our suite, Kurapika!"

"That would be nice," Kurapika replied as he followed the two boys on their way to the hotel.

'At least, they never changed.'

-x-

A loud thud echoed through the darkness. Another body, most probably dead or soon to be, hit the concrete floor of the dark room. It was not long when a sigh followed it, as well as a sound of—

"Packaging tape?" a comically dubious female voice asked, and in the darkness, one can still sense her eyebrows twitching with disbelief.

"Yep! Does the job well, I tell you," a cheerful boyish one replied.

"Seriously…"

"Well, Danchou's not here to pack these up, so I have to improvise."

A sigh.

"What?"

"Are you sure it's safe to just mail them like that?"

"Yep."

"OK. Now what?"

"Well, those cute little owls may come in handy."

"I'm out of here…"

"Hey, Machi! I'm serious! Wait up!"

-x-

All three young hunters were dining happily at the comforts of the two's younger ones' suite. Kurapika had told them, or at least gave them an idea on what had transpired among the Spiders in the past few weeks, with the careful omission of a few (rather important) details; uncles, aunts and cousins included. Gon seemed happy that his "friend", Mr. Lucifer, stuck to his promise after all. On the other hand, Killua guffawed loudly when Kurapika told them about a certain samurai's sudden change of hearts.

"What made him change his mind like that?" Killua asked. His face was still rather twitchy at the revelation. Gon, however, found the idea rather offensive and stood to the absent man's defense.

"Hey Killua, that samurai's not so bad," he said, his lips almost in a pout. "Remember when we're caught at York Shin? He's the one who cried a lot while—"

"While stating he hated Kurapika with all his heart and soul and he will be really, really happy, thrilled even, to have Kurapika's insides polishing his blade red," Killua cut him off. "Yes, I think I remember him quite clearly."

"He didn't say it like that. He—"

"It's pretty close."

"But, he said it was for his friend… What's his name again?"

"The friend?"

"No the samurai…"

"Nobunaga."

"Ah… yes. Mr. Nobunaga. I'm happy he's being nice now."

"Still… It's unbelievable," the silver-haired boy commented with a shrug as he lazily slouched on his seat. "How is he treating you anyway?"

"Like… Like Leorio," Kurapika answered, bowing his head down as his smile dissolved.

Leorio is the reason why he is here right now. He just so realized that, maybe, having a good time right now is not the best course of action.

"Hey," Killua called to him. "Leorio's OK. He's tough enough to stay alive until we find him. He'll be fine."

"Yeah!" Gon happily chirped. "It's Leorio we're talking about, right? He can tough this out."

The blonde spared his two younger companions a warm smile before looking out at the window of the suite. Arcarus' sunset truly is a sight to behold. A warm crimson glow painted the sky while the first few stars just woke up from their slumber at the increasingly-turning-indigo end of the horizon. He stared back at his friends again and then at the empty seat beside him.

"Heh, never knew you'll miss him too much already," Killua chided. "Don't worry 'kay? Pops can't die easily. After all the hitting and beating he always got from us, it'll be a miracle to crack his skull."

Kurapika cannot refuse to smile at that, "Yes… yes, perhaps you're right."

"Now, how're you and you're boyfriend faring?" Killua asked, diverting the topic to something more lighthearted.

"Wha—?"

"Gon and I both want a baby brother by the way…"

-x-

Had he been a lesser man, Kuroro Lucifer would have nearly fall off the window that he was currently perched on. Instead, he managed a slight twitching of the top of his left cheek and a couple of blinks to make up for it. Well, he could not help it. It was such a surprise. He knew that the young Zoldyck got mischief written all over him, but to say it like that?

A smirk formed upon his lips as he hopped back inside his suite. His Kuruta really have interesting friends.

-x-

"Uh… Kurapika?"

"Yes?"

"T-t-take…"

"Killua, please stop listening to our conversation and go back to bed. It's late."

"Eh?"

"Oh! No, it's not you… it's one of my friends. What were you saying again?"

"Uh… yeah… Takecarebye!" the voice on the other line said with utter haste.

"Huh?"

"Aww… isn't that sweet?" a young mischievous voice said with a snicker. "That's the samurai, right? Very much like Pops indeed…"

Kurapika sighed. "What is it Killua? Don't tell me you require a bedtime story before you sleep."

The silver-haired teen's face merely made a shadow of a twitch. He considered starting a fierce verbal battle but he just had to remember that the Kuruta does not partake in such games. Unlike a certain older brother figure that he had grown fond of, no matter how much he keeps on reminding the others that he detests the idea.

Instead, he sharply exhaled from his nose and chided, "I wouldn't mind really. No one ever tucked me into bed like that… unless you count Illumi's gruesome detailing of his quests… Erm… They're not really the kind of stories kids get, are they?"

The blonde smiled before heading towards the suite's kitchen as he rummaged about for his tea. "Gon's asleep?" he asked as he kept his focus on preparing his tea. "Tea?"

"Yeah, that kid can really snore through everything," the younger one replied. "And no tea… it's for oldies."

Kurapika looked mildly amused at the boy's statements as he made his way back to the couch that he rearranged just so it faces the floor to ceiling window of the suite. The other boy was beside him in a flash.

"You talk as if Gon is a lot younger than you, when the two of you are merely of the same age, with him actually being older by a month or so."

"It's about maturity, smarty-pants."

"Well, your statement does not make you sound any older, Killua."

"Whatever! This is why I hate arguing with you!"

"Come to think of it, we never really did."

Killua fell silent on that, his mouth still open as if he was about to say something. He closed it immediately as it turned into a smile free of mischief or malicious intent. "Yeah, you're always too busy to argue with me, or to spend any time with us, in general."

Kurapika took a sip from his cup before fixing his stare at the bright moon before them. "Leorio seems to be doing my share of arguing with you perfectly, anyway."

"Mhmm…" Killua remarked as he sank deeper into the couch, closing his eyes. "We would've been together, the four of us, for the coming days if only he's around. Just like the old times."

"Just like the old times…"

"I wonder if we'll ever be able to spend time like that again," the Zoldyck boy said, opening his eyes and staring at the night's guardian too. "Or at least like this. Just starin' out at the moon without any care… I wouldn't mind sharing my seat with Pops when we're like this. As long as he keeps his hands off my snacks, that is."

"Kuroro did promise you my occasional freedom, didn't he? I'm sure someday we can do that, or this, again."

Killua turned towards his companion nodded and grinned as the other smiled at him too. "Ugh! Gon's rubbing off on me! I'm getting cheesy!" he said as he sank further.

Kurapika chuckled as took another sip. "It's actually the other way around that I'm worried about."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

The Kuruta laughed at the other's temperament before sipping his tea again. "Killua," he started.

"What?" the younger one irately spat. "What part of my personality are you going to insult this time?"

"Ah ha ha, nothing really," the blonde said, still amused at his friend's antics. "When you're out doing stuff again, please take care of your old man for me. He may be the oldest but he's a lot more reckless than Gon and more forgetful than you."

Killua blinked twice before smirking. "Yeah sure… Of course," he replied.

He paused before making his signature smirk and added, "I always wonder why the two of you never ended together…"

Kurapika barely managed not to choke to death on his tea.

"…I mean, I call him Pops, sometimes Gon does too when it's just the two of us… you act like our Mom…"

The blonde was still coughing.

"…and Gon and I really act like your children…"

The Kuruta was finally able to breathe normally now.

"…you care about him, he loves you… We're a perfect family! …I think."

"K-killua…"

"Yeah, yeah I know, Leorio is just like a brother to you… blah blah," Killua said with a tired sigh. "Like I said, he pines about you practically every second and sometimes it's getting on my nerves. Gon seems amused though and never gets tired comforting him."

Kurapika sighed.

"We even thought of signing him up in blind dates! It's really frustrating sometimes and… well… he's having a hard time getting over you, to be exact."

The Kuruta was about to sigh again but Killua beat him into it with, "Can you stop sighing? You sigh exactly like him."

If that was an insult, the blonde let it pass.

"Gon and I are really happy that at least Lucifer does not want you dead, that you can be sure of. And we're quite sure that Leorio will move on from his misery after some time. We're not really worried about that…" he paused before fixing his gaze at the Kuruta, with full non-scary seriousness in his eyes. "We're worried about how you feel in the midst of all of these."

"I… I'm…"

"One more thing, unlike Leorio, I'm not very fond of letting people who lie outwardly to me, pass."

The Kuruta focused all of his attention at his now half-empty cup and Killua sat patiently for his reply.

"Honestly, I'm confused," Kurapika said, slumping in his seat. "How does fraternizing with the enemy sounds to you?"

"Seems fine, honestly… I did the same when I ran off from our mansion, remember?"

"Home…"

"Nah, that's not home. It's a huge house on top of a huge mountain with a ton of guards and a huge dog as a pet," Killua replied nonchalantly.

"But your family's…"

"My relatives are there. My family's here…" he said, smiling. "…and my supposed-to-be-Dad's been kidnapped," he added.

Kurapika smiled warmly at his friend and said, "Maybe you're right… Maybe, you really have grown up, Killua."

"Heh, you're welcome, Kurapika."

-x-

AUTHOR's NOTES: Ugh! It's finally uploaded! Anyway, for those who wanted to know what may or may not happen at the end of this story, you may read Second Chase. It's actually Post-BALANCE but you may read it whether or not you have read the entire story. I've already posted two chapters of it and I'm using it along with Stronger Shades of Gray (which is not posted yet) to rid me off my writer's block. And NO, this chapter isn't beta-read because I wanted to get over it as soon as the idea hit me. Also, please check My Profile for important updates and announcements.

Chapter 21: Crimson Trails will be uploaded as soon as I decided whether or not I want to kill a major character.

Also! I almost forgot! Thanks to hustsu who reminded me that Killua is younger... I was forced to re-read that hunter exam part for that lol. Thank you! I'll probably change stuff to meet that... soon... :D

Again, please read Second Chase, the game is still on.

Thank you for reading!

Until next time! :D