Midnight Resolve [Kurapika x Kurta!Reader]

[15] Iris Tension

15 minutes earlier . . .

After reassuring Leorio, Gon, and Killua that you would be fine, you had left to go back to the outskirts where you had run into Chrollo. It was a stupid decision, you weren't going to deny that, but you would stick to your word: you were not going with the intention to fight.

As much as you desperately wanted answers, you needed to feign ignorance, and see if you could glean any information from him. A part of you doubted you could — he wasn't the leader of the Phantom Troupe for nothing, and you were walking a very thin line here. Even the smallest slip-up could result in your demise.

Walking past your former staying accommodations and towards the edge of the town, you felt your phone start to buzz in your pocket. Who the hell was calling you at this time of night? Your pace didn't even slow down, and you let your phone continue to ring, sending it to your voicemail.

. . .

Bzzt. Bzzt.

What the . . . ?

When your phone began to vibrate again, you withdrew it, immediately scowling upon seeing Kurapika's caller ID on your screen. Emotions already in a whirl, you picked the phone up as you drew closer and closer to your destination, and you hissed before he even had a chance to speak up.

"What do you want? You think you can just ignore me for months and push me away only to blow up my phone at—" You paused, pulling your phone away from your ear so you could check the time, "Two-fifteen in the morning?! What if I was asleep?"

More likely than not, if Kurapika was calling with an insistence at two in the morning, Leorio had probably texted him something. Killua didn't care enough to want to insert himself into this weird relationship, and Gon knew to just leave you guys to it.

"Where are you? I'm coming to pick you up."

You couldn't help but give a strangled and choked laugh, disbelieving what you just heard. Now? After all of this time? He had to be joking. Instead of yelling at him though — you didn't need to attract attention right now — you could only say two words.

"Excuse me?" Kurapika went silent, probably hearing the dangerous edge your voice took, and so you continued. "I'm guessing Leorio told you. What makes you think I'd let you help me at all after everything you pulled? I'm not going to fight, I'm simply going to scout the area. Besides, you have literally no right to be worried over me. 'I don't want anything to do with you. You'll just get in my way.'. Do those words ring a bell?"

It may have been nine months, but what he said to you in that airport had haunted you since that day, reminding you constantly that you hadn't been considered good enough to help Kurapika out.

You hoped he regretted those words.

"[Y/n], I—"

Cutting him off before he could even come up with a pathetic excuse of how he had to take on the Phantom Troupe on his own and that it was all for your safety (you were not a damsel in distress), your grip on your phone tightened.

"No. Don't even. I'm so pissed at you right now. You can do things your way, and I'll do them my way." To your pleasant surprise, that shut him right up, and a wry smile appeared on your face. "I don't have time for this right now, I'm— oh, fudge."

Pausing in your steps, your eyebrows furrowed. You were here . . . What now? You had no clue how to navigate the ruined buildings below. This was a task that needed every ounce of your attention, you couldn't afford to be caught now.