faded ❦ ︱ Kurapika x Reader

Arc 40

The night was already going much worse than you had initially thought.

You didn't know how to deal with how Taehyung was acting, since it was a completely different side of him that you didn't expect to see. And besides, what could you do about it? You knew him—he had probably already walked away from the party. It wasn't your place to make him happy by continuing to lie to him. You had already done enough damage as there was.

Right now you needed an escape, a distraction.

Your eyes traveled around the massive ballroom, observing that there were more waiters than you could possibly count dressed in black, showcasing different mixtures of drinks to the guests. The way the alcohol glistened under the light, the grins the guests made as their cheeks flushed pink—there was no way you wouldn't try it.

A satisfied sigh escaped your lips after you took a few sips of the bittersweet liquid, licking the bits of salt off the rim of the glass. Your second margarita had tasted better than the last. You had assumed that drinks were disgusting, based on the stories Basho told, but after trying for yourself you realized he was wrong. But the small smile that formed on your lips quickly faded as fast it came when a hand stole the glass from your grasp.

"Hey, I was still drinking that.." You whirled around as your voice began to trail off, your body subtly freezing when your eyes locked onto dark, blue-grey irises. For a moment, you could practically feel your heart beating through your ears.

The whole night he was on the other side of the room from you, talking to various madams and misters of status. He had talked to so many people that you wondered if he was saying the same thing over and over again. Yet he didn't have a chance to exchange 'hey' with you.

The blonde placed the glass on a waiter's tray that was passing by. "You'll regret having too much of it."

"So now you have time for me?" A small giggle threatened to escape your lips. "Are we done playing the silent treatment game?"

"I wasn't avoiding you, (y/n)." You were thankful for the mask that hid your burning cheeks as the Kurta gently interlaced his fingers with yours. "You know I was busy with Dalzollene's associates."

You don't get to make me feel this way.

Your lips tugged into a frown, recalling when you observed the blonde for a duration of the ball. There were plenty of young girls around his age that seemed to talk about more than just business with him. Truthfully, it made your blood boil—one of the reasons why you needed to cool off by having a drink.

"You mean busy flirting."

A gasp left your lips when the boy took your other hand, placing it on his shoulder as he lead you onto the dance floor. Your grasp on his hand tightened at the sudden jerk, the skin he touched tingling under his fingertips. "I didn't realize you were the jealous type," He chuckled as he held your waist with one hand, guiding your feet in a stepping pattern.

"I-I'm not!" You sputtered, your voice rising defensively. "You just, you looked really into her."

It was kind of pathetic how this simple, antisocial blonde had you wrapped around his finger. You couldn't remember when you started noticing the small details like the habit he had of fumbling with the crimson red earring he wore whenever he was deep in thought. Or how he became tense whenever you took out your phone, wondering if you were going to force him to take a picture.