Hate You Most | Kurapika x reader

[Chapter 23] - The Thirteenth Floor

Every limb hurt. And why was she sinking into the sofa? It felt as though the fabric would engulf her and she would disappear forever. Not that she minded.

Y/n sat before the chaos silent. The kind of silence that might force you to break. Tension was high and she couldn't seem to focus. It was as if the world was moving faster than her brain.

Kurapika, Basho and Melody displayed a scene before her. It felt like watching a movie from behind a screen, something that wouldn't let her words pass through.

Linssen was dead, and nothing was normal.

Their whole world was shaken in an instant, and Y/n could understand. She lived it. She knew what it was like loosing someone. Kurapika had known it... and now he knew it again.

Her head felt cramped. Overloaded with more than she could handle. Guilt, stress...

Fear.

It was like a pressure building in her head, and she could only wonder when it might kill her.

There was a sinking beside her. A warm hand grabbed her own, running its thumb across her knuckles softly.

Y/n didn't have to look up to see who it was. She knew this feeling; one she had grown used to. His touch had become familiar to her.

"Y/n," Kurapika said, his voice low and soothing.

Her eyes moved to meet his. The soft glow of the sunlight painted his face with vibrant colours.

"Are you okay?"

His eyes traced every feature of her face. His gaze was delicate.

"I'm fine," she replied. Her eyes never left his.

For some time now, Y/n knew. Kurapika had somehow seen her. He had broken through the screen and stepped into her world, making himself at home. He crossed a barrier with her that was never meant to be broken in the first place...

But she didn't mind it — and that's what scared her.

"Are you okay?" Y/n asked.

His thumb was still running across her knuckles. The warmth she breathed from his hand travelled up her arms and to her heart — and it made her want to hide.

"Yeah," he assured her, "things are just a little bit stressful right now. I'm sorry if I scared you yesterday."

Kurapika was kind, thoughtful, and gentle even. He was nothing like how he presented himself. Nothing like she first presumed.

"I'm going to fix my mistake Y/n. I assure you,"

"No, it's fine Kurapika and was just a little startled. That's all."

He smiled, but Y/n knew better. She was better than to think Kurapika couldn't see past her. He knew her better.

But he didn't say anything.

"We've got a hit," Basho explained, jumping from behind his laptop.

Kurapika rushed over to see the screen. His eyes scanned the page, finding Kiriko's name printed beside the address of a hotel. She used a different first name, but by tracking her movements from the Zoldyck estate, Basho was able to find her whereabouts.

"Jiya..." Kurapika mumbled, "where have I heard that before?"

"What did you say?" Basho asked from over his shoulder.

"There's just something about her... I feel like I know her from somewhere."

After Togari's corpse was burned, the doctor disappeared from the estate. Every document was burned and it was as if she was never there. After a call with Killua, Kurapika learned that she never worked there in the first place. Somehow she was able to slip in without being caught.