Kurapika x Reader One-Shot Collection - Chapter 45: Chapter 45

"Ready or not, here I come!" I shout.
I uncover my eyes and search the house for Airi. We just celebrated her third birthday, and even though she received a massive amount of new toys, she still insists on playing hide and seek with me.
I follow the sound of giggling until I open the door to her bedroom. It's obvious she's hiding behind the curtain, but I pretend I can't see her.
"Airi, where are you?"
The sound of her laughter intensifies as I walk closer to her.
"Found you!" I pull the curtains back.
My eyes widen as I stare at my little girl. I can feel my heart pound against my chest as I raise my arms up and walk slowly toward her.
Dimples form on her cheeks as she smiles at me. "You found me, daddy!"
"Airi, put that down."
Her tiny face crinkles in confusion. She stares at me while holding her panda plushie in one hand, and my husband's gun in the other.
My body freezes as the loud bang of the gunfire fills my ears.
Married life is absolutely wonderful. Remember me saying that? I still mean it...I really do. It's just that ever since we brought Airi home, I feel like Kurapika and I barely see each other. Don't get me wrong, I love being a father. Airi is the best thing that happened to us. I just miss being alone with my husband.
Since we're tired most of the time, we bicker about the stupidest things. The difference is now, there's no make-up sex. None. Even though Airi has her own bed, she insists on sleeping in ours.
I yawn as I trudge to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Thankfully, Kurapika already made a pot. I stir cream and sugar into my coffee while I watch Kurapika brush Airi's hair. He ties a bow in front of her pink tabard and kisses her on the forehead.
"No, daddy." She points to her lips. "Kiss me here."
Kurapika smiles. "Right." He kisses her on the lips.
She turns her attention to her toys as Kurapika walks toward me. He offers me a tired smile.
"Sleep well, my love?" He presses his lips against my cheek. Do I need to show him where kisses go like Airi just did?
I shake my head. "No. Airi kicked me all night."
He lets out a laugh. "That little rascal."
I take a sip of my coffee before setting the mug down on the counter. "I'm serious, Kurapika. Don't you think she's old enough to sleep in her own room?"
He stares at her while she stacks blocks then knocks them down.
I wave my hand in front of him. "Kurapika?"
"Isn't she adorable? And so smart. She's not even three and she's already reading!"
He completely ignores my question. I sigh, turning away to look for something to eat.
I pull out a carton of eggs from the refrigerator. He finally looks at me.
"Oh, I already made you breakfast." He points to the rice cooker.
I put the eggs back in the fridge. "Thanks. It's nice to know you still think about me."
He grabs my arm. "What's that supposed to mean?"
It's hard to be mad at him when he stares at me with those compelling eyes of his. "Nothing, Kurapika. It means nothing."
I grab my breakfast and take a seat at the kitchen table. Kurapika places a piece of paper in front of me.
"What's this?" I say.
He doesn't answer so I read it myself. I recognize the Hunter's Association logo.
I stand from my seat. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
A look of disapproval crosses his face. "No swearing in front of our daughter!"
I rake my hands through my hair. "But...this mission...are you telling me you're leaving again?"
He looks away from me. "I'll be gone for two weeks...tops."
I clench my jaw. "Absolutely not! This mission looks dangerous."
"But I believe it will bring me closer to a pair of my brethren's eyes."
I grab his arms. "Kurapika, you promised me you wouldn't put yourself in danger once we decided to start a family."
He pushes me away. "I'm a hunter. Everything about my job is dangerous."
I grip his shirt. "I've been to Heaven, Kurapika. They allowed me to come back to you. What if they make you stay?"
He turns my wrist so I loosen my grip. "I don't intend on failing. Do you not trust my abilities?"
"Everytime you use your ability, it shortens your lifespan!" I punch the table, causing it to crack.
Airi screams and stumbles her way toward us.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
Kurapika scoops her up into his arms. She looks at him with widened eyes. Her high-pitched scream fills the entire house.
She attempts to free herself from him. I see the look of fear in her eyes and I take her from Kurapika. I rub her back while bouncing her up and down.
"Shh...it's okay, sweetheart," I say.
She lifts her head up from my shoulder and points at Kurapika. "Daddy's eyes are red! I don't like them. They're scary!"
She buries her face into my shoulder. Kurapika lowers his head and covers his eyes as he walks away.
"My own daughter is afraid of me," he says.
It feels as if someone is squeezing my heart, making it difficult to breathe.
"Hey, Kurapika!"
I follow him to our bedroom. I place Airi on the floor to sit next to him on the bed. She finds a puzzle and starts to play with it.
I run my fingers through his hair. "Hey, baby. I'm so sorry about all that. I'm just afraid of losing you."
He holds my hand against his cheek. "No. I'm the one who needs to apologize. I made a promise to you."
Airi loses interest in her puzzle and crawls on the bed.
"No more fighting." She grabs the back of my head. "Kiss daddy."
I can't help but smile. I reach over and press my lips against Kurapika's. Damn. I forgot how good he kisses.
"Ahem."
Kurapika and I pull away from each other. Airi jumps off the bed and runs to the door. Leorio grabs her and nuzzles her neck.
She giggles. "Ouch...your kisses hurt, Uncle Oreo. You need to shave your face."
"How's my little princess doing?" Leorio says. He turns his attention to Kurapika and me. "Am I interrupting something?"
Airi grabs his face and turns it towards hers. "My daddies were fighting so I made them kiss."
"Is that right? What were they fighting about?"
Kurapika and I listen as Airi tells Leorio her version of the story.
"Well, it's a good thing you were here," Leorio says. "Hey, I brought you a surprise. It's on your table."
Her face brightens. Leorio sets her down and she runs to her table. Who knows how many times she falls on her way.
"That's the smartest toddler I've ever met," Leorio says.
I smile. "Thank you. It's all the books Kurapika reads to her."
We all walk to the kitchen to check on Airi. Pink frosting covers her face as she eats the cupcake Leorio brought her.
Kurapika brings his palm up to his forehead. "Honestly, Leorio. I hope you plan on watching her when the sugar rush hits."
Leorio gets comfortable in his chair. "Actually, I was."
Kurapika and I glance at each other. "Huh?" we say in unison.
"So you two are fighting again?"
We both nod.
"Of course you are. I mean...when's the last time you two spent time alone?"
We don't answer.
"Exactly," Leorio says. "I'll take the little princess home with me for the night. You two do whatever the hell it is you do."
I can see a hint of a smile on Kurapika's face. "You'll do that for us?"
Leorio nods.
I raise my hand. "Wait...there's no way I'm allowing my daughter to ride in a car."
Leorio rests his chin between his thumb and index finger. "Hmm. How 'bout I stay here and you two take the train to a nice hotel? I'll have Gon and Killua drop off my things."
Kurapika and I run to our bedroom to pack our bags. I can't remember the last time I felt this excited. Probably when we brought Airi home.
Kurapika lectures Leorio on how to care for a toddler.
Leorio pushes my husband to the side. "Calm down, will ya? I'm a doctor, remember?"
Kurapika and I take the train to the nearest hotel. We don't need anything fancy. Just some privacy and a bed. Hmm...and maybe a little sake to celebrate.
The sake might have to wait. As soon as we walk into our room, we start kissing. I can't break away from him.
The sound of my stomach growling interrupts us. Right...I didn't get to eat my breakfast this morning and it's already dinnertime.
Kurapika pulls away, laughing. "I'll get us a table downstairs while you finish getting ready."
Excitement fills my veins as I change. I comb my hair the way Kurapika likes it and spray on some cologne.
I run downstairs to the hotel's restaurant and scan the room for him. I find him standing next to an attractive woman at the bar. She has her hand on top of his. What the hell is going on?
Jealousy forms in the pit of my stomach. I walk up to him and tap his shoulder.
"Kurapika?"
He spins around, throwing his arms around me. "There you are!" He motions toward the woman next to him. "I was just talking about how you're the love of my life."
I let out a breath of relief.
The woman groans loudly. "Ugh, just my luck. I meet two hot guys and it turns out, they're together."
Kurapika hands me a drink and we walk to a table at the corner of the restaurant. I gulp it down, not realizing how thirsty I was.
Kurapika takes my drink away. "Hey, take it easy. Your stomach is empty, remember?"
I smile, already feeling the effects of the alcohol.
I wrap my arm around Kurapika's neck. "Come here, my sexy blonde." I place my hand under his belt. "That bitch wanted you, didn't she?"
Kurapika's eyes shoot open. "(Y/N)!"
I practically slide my tongue down his throat, tasting sake. I pull away. "You had a drink as well."
He presses his lips against my ear. "You caught me."
We continue to kiss passionately.
The server clears her throat.
"Honeymoon?" she says.
We pull away. "No," I say, face flushed.
"Coulda fooled me," she says.
Kurapika and I barely make it upstairs. When we finally do, we video chat Leorio to check on Airi. Once we end the call, we pick up right where we left off.
Kurapika kisses my shoulder. I smile when I see all of our clothes scattered on the floor. I silently apologize to the people staying in the next room.
He pushes me on the bed. Starting below my earlobe, he kisses me down my neck. His tongue glides over my chest until my skin glistens with his saliva. I close my eyes, feeling his tongue slide down my torso. He grabs my erection and...ohh...he takes the head into his mouth, licking my precum. It's been so long, I might just explode all over his face.
No...I have to control myself. I don't want this to be over yet. Hell, I don't ever want it to be over. He tucks his lips under his teeth and goes down my shaft. Ahh...the perfect amount of warmth and wetness. He bobs his head up and down using the right amount of pressure.
Damn...I can feel the back of his throat as he goes all the way down. I lift my hips and suppress the urge to grab his hair and fuck his mouth.
"Kurapika...I'm going to..."
He releases me from his mouth. I want his lips back around me so badly...it physically hurts.
"Not yet, my love," he says, crawling out of the bed.
I try to control my breathing as I wait for him to return. I hear him opening one of our bags. He crawls back on the bed and pulls up one of my legs. I gasp when I feel him massage me with the cold lubricant. He presses a finger inside of me, stretching me open.
I watch him with half-lidded eyes as he pushes himself inside of me. It's been a while so the pain startles me.
"Uhh..." I grit my teeth.
Kurapika lowers himself toward me. He combs my hair back with his fingers.
"Is this too much? Shall I slow down?"
"No...no...just...kiss me," I say.
The burning pain subsides as he kisses me. He rocks back and forth with intention. Each thrust feels like an apology for all the times we argued. I dig my fingers into his back as I forgive him for each one. Not that he started all of them. I know I'm not a perfect husband. Yet...he makes me feel like the most important person in the world.
I pull him closer to me. The friction on my dick between our bodies matched with his thrusts bring me close to ecstasy. I swear...he bottled up all of the pleasure in the world and saved it for me.
His hair brushes against my face as he nibbles on my earlobe. I take one deep breath to prepare for my sweet ending, inhaling his scent. I can almost smell his Nen...he has conjured chains so many times, he smells like them. I love it.
"Come for me," he whispers.
And I do. I don't even try to muffle the sound of my moans. The intense pleasure starts in my groin and spreads into my spine. From there, I feel it everywhere. It causes my limbs to go numb. I drop my arms to my side. Kurapika holds my leg up while he fills me. I wish I could see his face, but unfortunately, I'm blinded at the moment.
He collapses on top of me. I want to wrap my arms around him, but they still feel numb.
"You can go," I say, breathing heavily.
Kurapika lifts himself up, ignoring the sticky mess between us. He furrows his brow. "Go where?"
"To your mission. Go find the eyes of your clan. I know how much they mean to you."
He kisses my lips. "I knew I found the right person to fall in love with."
Airi jumps on me as I kneel to take my shoes off.
"My daddies are home!" she says, practically cutting off my circulation.
I hug her back, leaving kisses all over her precious face.
She lets me go and hugs Kurapika.
"We missed you so much." Kurapika rocks her back and forth while squeezing her. "Where's your uncle?" He sets her down and she stumbles away.
Leorio's arm rises from the pile of plushies on the living room floor. We walk toward him.
"Did Airi bury you?" I say with a laugh.
Leorio sits up from the pile. He shakes his head.
"Your little girl is a ball of energy. No wonder you two were ready to slice each other's throats. You should've asked for a break a long time ago," Leorio says.
Dark circles surround his eyes. I take it he didn't get much sleep last night.
"We really appreciate you looking after Airi," I say, offering Leorio my hand.
He takes my hand and rises to his feet, dusting off his pants.
"Anytime." He stares at us. "You two look like you had a good time. Did you get any sleep?"
Kurapika blushes. "Uh...not much. But we didn't go to sleep."
Leorio lifts his hand to give Kurapika a high five. "That's what I'm talking about!"
Kurapika hesitates before slapping our friend's hand. "Thank you...again."
Kurapika reads Airi a bedtime story and she falls asleep between us. He closes the book and reaches over to place it on the bedside table.
I stare at the ceiling with my arms crossed behind my head. "When do you leave?" I turn my head to face Kurapika.
He kisses Airi on her cheek. He lifts his gaze toward me.
"I was planning to leave after her birthday party."
"Hmm...that's less than a month away," I say.
He reaches over Airi and kisses my lips. "Are you having second thoughts?"
I kiss him back. "No. I just worry about you. That's all."
He moves back to his side of the bed. "Don't worry about me. I'll return safely. I promise."
I turn over in bed, tucking my arm under my pillow. "You'd better. If not, prepare for some domestic violence when you return."
We both laugh at my poor attempt at a joke as he turns off the light.
Alluka storms inside the house holding two dozen balloons. Killua follows her, holding Airi's birthday cake. I don't know who entrusted him with the cake. I'm surprised it's still intact. Gon walks in next, his arms wrapped around a stack of beautifully wrapped presents.
"Are all those for me?" Airi says.
She's dressed in a princess gown, complete with crown and wand.
"They sure are," Gon says as he places the presents on the counter.
He scratches his head. "Where's Leorio? I thought he'd be here by now."
Kurapika rolls his eyes. "He's outside arguing with the people setting up the bounce houses."
Alluka picks up my little princess and follows everyone outside. Once they are out of sight, I press my lips hard against Kurapika's. He moans softly as he places his hand on the back of my head, deeping our kiss.
We break away for air, foreheads touching.
"I wish I could give you a proper goodbye," Kurapika says.
I take some of his golden hair between my fingers. "Don't worry. It will make for an intense reunion."
He grabs my crotch. I jump back, surprised. He gives me a mischievous grin as he walks outside to meet our friends.
Hell, I can't walk out there now. I pace the living room, desperately trying to take my mind off of my gorgeous husband. But it's impossible. His pictures are everywhere. My eyes land on our wedding picture. His smile. It's the most beautiful thing Kami created. I promise when he returns from his mission, we will all see more of his smile. No matter what I have to do.
After Airi's party, I help Kurapika pack his things.
"Are you sure you have everything?" I ask him.
"How many times do you have to ask me? This isn't my first mission. You do understand that, right?"
I shrug. "I know. I'd just hate for you to be thousands of miles away and not have something you need. That's all."
He grabs my arm. "I'm not going to have what I need." He grips my shirt and gives me a kiss. "You."
Hot tears fall from my eyes. "Dammit, Kurapika. Please hurry back."
Airi tugs at my pants. "Daddy, why are you crying?"
I pick her up. "I'm just going to miss daddy while he's gone. That's all, sweetheart."
She places her tiny hand on my cheek. "I'll make sure to give you lots of kisses."
"I know you will." I turn her towards Kurapika. "Give daddy a kiss goodbye."
Kurapika takes her into his arms. She caresses his cheek. "I love you, daddy. You get those bad guys."
"I will, babydoll. I promise." He kisses her on the lips. "Take care of your daddy for me, okay?"
"Okay. Love you."
"And I love you."
He places her back down. He wraps his arm around my shoulder, burying his face into my shoulder. "I love you, (Y/N). I'll call you as soon as I land."
I grab his hair. "Please do."
We share a passionate kiss. This isn't his first time leaving for a mission, but I don't know. Something feels off about this one. I don't want to tell him though. I'm sure it's just my nerves.
He picks up his bags and turns the doorknob. "Hey, (Y/N)? When I return, we're going to take Leorio up on his offer and have him watch Airi again. And...I promise to work on getting her to sleep in her own room."
I smile. "Sure. I love you, Kurapika."
I lock the door behind him. I turn around and walk to the living room, plopping down on the couch. I look for the remote, hoping Airi's new presents will entertain her until bedtime. I just want to get lost in a mindless television program.
Airi jumps on my lap. "Hide and seek!"
"What? Don't you want to play with your new dolls?"
"No. I want to play hide and seek!"
I sigh. That's the last thing I want to do right now.
"Fine. But then it's bath and bedtime."
She crawls off the couch. "You count first!"
I massage my neck. "Okay." I get up and lean against the wall. I cover my eyes and slowly count to ten.
"Ready or not, here I come!" I shout.
I uncover my eyes and search the house for Airi. We just celebrated her third birthday, and even though she received a massive amount of new toys, she still insists on playing hide and seek with me.
I follow the sound of giggling until I open the door to her bedroom. It's obvious she's hiding behind the curtain, but I pretend I can't see her.
"Airi, where are you?"
The sound of her laughter intensifies as I walk closer to her.
"Found you!" I pull the curtains back.
My eyes widen as I stare at my little girl. I can feel my heart pound against my chest as I raise my arms up and walk slowly toward her.
Dimples form on her cheeks as she smiles at me. "You found me, daddy!"
"Airi, put that down."
Her tiny face crinkles in confusion. She stares at me while holding her panda plushie in one hand, and my husband's gun in the other.
My body freezes as the loud bang of the gunfire fills my ears.
I fall to the floor as the hole in my leg quickly fills with blood. A pool of blood forms around me. I cover the gaping wound, but it doesn't help. Blood continues to seep out.
Airi is saying something, but I can't hear her due to the burning pain in my leg. I fall to the floor, and I see her pulling out her play doctor kit. Blood stains her tiny hands as she places fake bandages on my leg.
She's an intelligent little girl, but does she know how to call for help? I don't think we taught her how to use a phone yet. Thankfully, my phone is inside my pocket. I take it out, but it slips out of my hand.
"Airi...can you call an emergency?" I manage to say.
She tilts her head to the side. "Who's emergency?"
Dammit. She doesn't know. I wipe my hand on the carpet and pick up the phone. After calling the emergency number, I call the first person on my recents list.
"Killua...accident..e over...please."
I hang up, and drop my phone again. I close my eyes, begging for the pain to stop. As much as I want to pass out, I'm worried about Airi.
I open my eyes, and turn my head. She's sitting at the corner of the room playing with her dolls. Where the hell did she find that gun? I know Kurapika owns one, but he never uses it. That's probably why he left it behind. But he knows better. We have a young child.
I feel someone running in the house. It must be the paramedics. Thank Kami.
The door swings open.
"Fuck!" Killua shouts.
My hearing seems to have returned because I heard that clearly.
How did he beat the paramedics here? Right...Godspeed.
Killua immediately assesses the situation and ties a makeshift tourniquet above my wound.
"How is it that Kurapika is the hunter in the relationship, yet...you're the one who's always getting injured?"
To be honest, I'd rather be the one getting hurt. I couldn't bear to watch Kurapika in pain.
"Killua...please...call...Kurapika." I wince.
"You need to get your priorities straight. Let's get you to the hospital first." Killua lifts me off the floor and gets me inside the ambulance that's waiting outside.
I blink a few times before opening my eyes. I'm almost blinded by the lights. A familiar girl walks toward me.
"You again? Why are you back so soon?" she says, placing her hands on her hips. Her white aura surrounds her.
She's sure intimidating for a girl her size.
"Uh...I'm sorry," I say.
She throws her arms in the air, and walks over to the podium. She flips through pages inside of a huge book.
I take in my surroundings while I wait. I recognize the white walls and beautiful music.
"Nope...you're not supposed to be here." She sighs in frustration. "Let me run this by my boss. Maybe he'll make an exception."
I raise my hand. "Wait! No...I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to my husband and daughter. Please."
She shakes her head as she walks back toward me. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but your husband checked in a few hours ago."
"Wait...what?"
She places her hand on my shoulder. "He lowered his guard once he found out what happened to you. It gave his enemy the advantage, thus he died in battle."
I can't feel any pain here, but I know I should. I know I should feel the shards of glass left behind from a broken heart.
I refuse to believe her. "Are you sure you know who you're talking about? Kurapika Kurta?"
She points at me. "Are you saying I don't know how to do my job?"
I get down on my knees, and I clasp my hands together. "I...I didn't mean to offend you. Can I see him?"
She crosses her arms. "I'm afraid not. Once you walk through those gates, you can't come back out."
I lift my head to look at the golden gates behind the podium. I start screaming his name.
She shakes her head. "It's no use. He can't hear you."
I walk on my knees closer to her. "Please. There must be something you can do."
She stares down at me. I can see a hint of pity in her cold eyes. "You have thirty seconds. Do you want to stay here with Kurapika or go back to Earth to raise your daughter?"
What's with thirty seconds? Anyway, it doesn't matter. I already know my answer.
I stand back up.
She points to a large gold clock. "Ten seconds left."
I nod once my time is up.
I open my eyes. The lights aren't as bright here. I turn my head to the right then left. I feel the tears slide down the corners of my eyes.
"(Y/N)!" Leorio shouts. "You're awake! Are you in any pain?" He runs to my side.
Pain? Yes, I can feel pain again. My entire leg feels like it's been put through a meat grinder. That's nothing though. Not if you compare it to the pain inside my chest. The heart that I once kept inside mine is gone. Trust me...that emptiness feels worse than any injury imaginable. Maybe there's a bullet in there as well.
I clear my throat. "Where's Airi?"
"In the waiting room with Alluka. Let me get her for you."
He starts to walk away.
"Leorio?"
He stops and slowly turns back to me as if he knows what I'm about to say.
"I know." My entire body shakes as I sob. "I know Kurapika's dead."
He grabs my hand. "I'm sorry." His tears fall on the comforter. "I know I didn't love him the way you did, but I did love him." He covers his eyes as he chokes on his tears. "He was my best friend."
The corners of my mouth move downward. "What are we supposed to do without him?"
He reaches over and grabs a tissue from the bedside table. He takes off his glasses to wipe away his tears. "Knowing Kurapika, he wouldn't want us to mourn for him." He shakes his head. "What an asshole, huh?"
I look at the ceiling. "Yeah. He always told me he wasn't worthy of my love."
He blows his nose. "He sure experienced a lot of trauma in his life, but you know what? The way he looked at you...I knew he was happy. Especially when he held that little girl. Thank you for that."
The tears continue to stream down my cheeks. "Leorio, how am I supposed to raise her without Kurapika?"
He squeezes my hand. "You know you'll never be alone. I'm a phone call away. So is Gon, Killua, and Alluka."
Airi and I are the last to leave the cemetery. I give Kurapika's tombstone one more glance before walking away. I found the love of my life and spent less than six years with him.
We take the train back home. I hold her with one arm and my crutches with the other. She hasn't said much during the funeral; however, she's only three. I don't think she understands the finality of death.
I run on autopilot as I help her with her bedtime routine. She stops playing with her bath toys and reaches up to touch my cheek.
"Why are you sad, daddy?"
I force a smile on my face. "I just miss daddy, that's all."
"Me too. But don't be too sad. He should be home soon."
I take a deep breath to keep myself from losing it. What am I supposed to tell her once she realizes Kurapika will never walk through our front door again?
Once she falls asleep, I grab my crutches and climb out of bed. I flick on the lightswitch to the walk-in closet. I drop my crutches to the floor as I stare at Kurapika's suits. I wrap my arms around them and allow the tears to fall down my cheeks.
I reach up and grab our photo album from the shelf on top of our clothes. I sit on the floor, positioning my injured leg straight in front of me. I start to flip through the pages, allowing my heart to relive the moments I see in the pictures. When I reach the end, I notice an envelope with my name on it. I furrow my brow as I open it. Kurapika's handwriting covers the paper.
My dear (Y/N),
We just had another one of our fights. You must be irate with me because you didn't kiss me goodnight. That's why I decided to get up to write you this letter. I don't know if I'll ever give it to you, but I feel like letting my thoughts flow on paper.
Let me first start off with an apology. I'm sure whatever we fought about had to do with me. I can give you a million excuses, but the truth is, I'm not perfect. Hell, I'm far from it. Yet you still choose to keep my heart safely tucked away in yours. Just know I'm working on myself. Even so, my best will never be good enough for you.
I was never a believer in love. Especially love at first sight. I don't think I ever told you this, but I noticed you before you crossed that street. Your face was full of melancholy, and I had to know why. That's why I ran as fast as I could to save you. When your hand touched mine, I felt a flame inside my heart. You once asked me why I acted like I didn't like you when we first met. The truth is, I was afraid of losing the rage I've been living with for most of my life.
Please. Let's not ever go to bed without giving each other a kiss. I don't care how mad we are. Is it worth it? The sunrise is never promised. We can't leave this Earth regretting the things we didn't do.
I'll stop here. I love you. No, I don't want to end my letter with that simple statement. I want you to know, if I had to dig a hole to prove how deep my love is for you, I'd fall from the bottom of Earth.
Love,
Kurapika
P.S. I'm going to give you a goodnight kiss now. Sorry in advance if I wake you.
I hold the letter close to my chest, thankful our last time together ended in a kiss.
One year later
Even though the seasons changed, the sky always remained gray for me. Airi is my only reason to breathe. It's been a tough year for her as well. I had to start taking her to counseling once she realized Kurapika wasn't coming back. She blamed herself for hurting me. She started wetting the bed and having night terrors. It's a slow process, but luckily, we're never alone.
Leorio walks into my house. Gon, Killua, and Alluka follow behind him.
Killua holds a bag full of breakfast sandwiches. He shoves one in my face.
"Eat. Looks like you could use some food," he says.
I push it away. "No, thank you. I'm not very hungry."
He shoves it back in my face. "You don't have to be hungry to eat. C'mon. Do it for Kurapika."
My heart skips a beat when he mentions Kurapika. "You're right."
I take a bite, forcing myself to eat the entire sandwich.
Once we finish eating breakfast, we all head to the cemetery to visit Kurapika's gravesite.
I fall on my knees.
"Kurapika, the hardest thing I ever had to learn was how to live without you. I'm still learning, as it's an ongoing process."
Airi carefully places flowers around her father's tombstone. Once she's finished, she sits next to me.
"I miss you, daddy. I hope you like the flowers I picked out for you."
The rest of our friends sit down next to us. They take turns talking to Kurapika while tears stream down their faces.
When it's time to leave, a breeze blows through me, sending Kurapika's scent my way. I spin around, but I don't see anyone. I grip Airi's hand as we continue to walk away.
Epilogue
I stare out the window, watching the rain fall from the sky. The door creaks open. Two small boys come running toward me, jumping on my bed.
"Grandfather, tell us one of your stories!"
Airi wobbles over, resting her hand on her pregnant belly. Her husband follows behind her.
"Kurapika, I have to talk to your grandfather first. Go play with your brother," she says.
I felt so proud when she told me she was naming her first son after Kurapika. I smile as I watch her beautiful family. Life feels complete.
The boys hop off my bed.
Airi sits down next to me.
"Daddy, I heard you've stopped taking your medications. Why?"
"Who told you that?"
"Uncle Leorio."
I sigh. Of course he did. "Well...I'll tell you what I told him. They make me too sleepy. I never have the energy to play with the boys when I take them."
She rests her head on my shoulder. "But daddy, you have to take them."
I rub her back. "Okay, sweetheart."
The truth is, I stopped taking them a long time ago. Now that I know Airi is living a great life, I feel I can finally reunite with Kurapika.
She opens her hand and shows me the pills I was supposed to take this morning. She practically forces them down my throat.
After an hour of visiting and playing with the boys, I start to yawn. She notices.
"Okay, Kurapika and (Y/N), let's allow grandpa to rest," she says as she gathers the boys.
Oh, right...I forgot to mention she named her second son after me.
I shuffle my way back to my bedroom after we say our goodbyes. My head falls on my pillow. I close my eyes and smile.
I'm awakened by the sound of beautiful music.
"You're actually here on time," the girl in white says.
I smile. "Yeah. Third time's a charm, I guess."
"Follow me." She motions for me to stand in front of the podium.
I patiently wait until she finds my name in the book.
The golden gate opens behind her.
"Thank you. For everything," I say.
She nods.
I walk through the gates. They immediately close behind me.
I have no idea where to go so I just follow the path. The most beautiful flowers I've ever seen line either side of me. The scent fills the air. Pure white doves fly as if welcoming me.
I stop dead in my tracks when I see the beautiful man standing in front of me.
"Hello, (Y/N)."
"Kurapika?"
I run to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He presses his forehead against mine.
"My love. You finally made it back to me," he says.
I feel the softness of his lips as he kisses me.
He holds my hand. "Let's go. Our friends and family are waiting for us."