"Would you like some more tea?" A roaming airship attendant asked the blonde-haired man, whose nose is currently buried in a lengthy novel.
He glances up at them briefly before shaking his head with a small grin, "No thank you."
They smile politely back in response before gesturing to the woman sleeping peacefully on his shoulder, "Will she want something to drink when she wakes up?"
"No thank you. I cannot imagine she'll wake up anytime soon," He says with a chuckle as he glances over at you with a loving smile, "Thank you anyway."
They bow their head at him respectfully, before moving on to assist another customer.
Kurapika's attention returns solely to you as he leans over to kiss you lightly on the forehead, whispering quietly, "We're only about an hour away, (Y/N), my treasure."
You only make a noise in response, refusing to stir from your sleep. He lets out another soft chuckle before returning to his book, stealing glances at you every now and then.
When the airship finally lands, he gently nudges you awake and gestures for you to look out the window. Your eyes light up when you see the beautiful scenery. Kurapika and you had mutually decided a short honeymoon to a tropical island was well deserved. Upon seeing the swaying palm trees and glistening clear water at the nearby beach, you silently decide that you both made the right decision.
After deboarding, you and your newlywed husband take a cab back to the hotel you're staying at and waste no time unpacking and changing into bathing suits to relax on the beach. Kurapika sits on a beach lounger next to you as he rubs some sunblock onto his arms.
"I'm glad we took Leorio's advice. This place is beautiful," You say as you sit down in the chair next to him, "How did Leorio even know this place existed?"
"I believe he had a monthly calendar featuring women in bathing suits that depicted this island as the backdrop," Kurapika replies, sarcastically adding, "If you can believe it."
"I can. Nonetheless, it was a good idea."
The corners of his lips curve upwards as he smiles in response, "I couldn't agree more." He finishes applying his sunscreen before offering it to you, "I'd be more than happy to get your back for you if you'd like."
"How bold," You retort with a laugh, "But, yes, I would like that."
You stand up and sit back down with your back facing him as his hands gently roam your skin, coating your back in enough sunblock so that you won't get burnt. When he gets to your shoulders, he gives you a short massage. After he's finished, you take the bottle from him to cover the rest of your body.
The rest of the day is spent at the beach, chatting, reading, and enjoying each other's company before taking a short dip in the water.
The week was already going by quicker than you imagined, yet you couldn't complain. This was the first time you've been able to genuinely relax for this long with your beloved in a while.
You stand near the water, watching as a group of people have fun surfing, only looking away when you notice Kurapika approaching you with two ice cream cones. He hands you the cone with sprinkles with a knowing grin, "Your favorite flavor, of course."
"Thank you, my love," You lick the ice cream cone before you remember something. You take your phone out of your shorts pocket and hold it up to take a photo of you both before pocketing it again, "Leorio said that we should take a lot of pictures for him."
Kurapika lets out a sigh in response, "I cannot imagine why he needs to see photos of us on the beach."
"I'm sure he just wants to see pictures of us having fun. Besides, Gon and Killua will want to see them too," Comes your matter-of-fact response.
"Very well. I can't argue with that. Do you have anything else you would like to do today?" He asks as he licks his own ice cream cone.
"I have a couple of ideas. Ever made a sand castle?"
He only raises an eyebrow in response.
Meanwhile, back in Swardani City, things are as lively as ever.
"Can't you at least do your own dishes or fold your laundry?" The curly-haired boy chides his unlikely roommate as he storms through his apartment on a warpath while he tidies up, "You are so lazy. If you're gonna live on my couch, you can at least make yourself useful!"
"Benny, calm down. I clean sometimes," The former mercenary replies casually in his defense as he plays around on his newly bought acoustic guitar, "You just don't notice."
"Liar. I would notice right away," Bennett huffs and crosses his arms like a disappointed mother, "You need to hurry up and get a place of your own."
Shadow looks up at him now, still unfazed by Bennett's anger as he shrugs, "Yeah, well, you need a job for that and I don't exactly have any skills besides killing people and hunting them down."
"Maybe you should become a hunter then," Bennett huffs while looking away, not noticing the look of realization that forms on Shadow's face.
"Not a bad idea, Benny. Become a hunter huh? What kind of hunter is (Y/N)?" He wonders with a hand on his chin.
"You can't pick to be the same hunter as her just because you want to, but she's a-" A loud knock reverberates through the front door and cuts Bennett off.
Rushing over to get the door, a relieved sigh exits his lips when he sees the familiar lanky figure of Leorio towering over him, "Man, am I glad to see you! Shadow is driving me insane."
Leorio chuckles in response, "You say that every day."
"And I mean it."
"I'm sitting two feet away from you. I can hear you, ya know?" Shadow chimes in, however, they both ignore them. Something they've quickly gotten used to doing.
"Ready to go bowling?" Leorio asks the curly-haired boy.
Bennett nods excitedly, "Mhm! I'm going to win at least one game this time."
"Let's get going before all the good lanes get taken," He holds his hand out, prompting Bennett to place his hand in his, their fingers intertwining.
As they're walking out the door, Shadow calls out to them, "Have fun on your date, lovebirds!"
"Do the dishes before I get back!" Bennett shouts back before closing the door behind them.
Next door, things weren't as hectic. Almost not as hectic anyway. Lynn scrambles around the living room of your's and Kurapika's apartment in search of her favorite jacket.
"Dammit, I just saw it," She mumbles to herself while looking down at the couch cushions strewn about on the living room floor, "Zoe, have you seen my jacket?" She yells to her sister who's down the hall.
Zoe emerges from the bedroom with Lynn's jacket in hand and tosses it to her, "You hung it up in the bedroom. Where are you going dressed so nicely? Hoping to see that cute barista lady again?" She teases with a knowing smirk on her face.
"Maybe I just like the way she makes my coffee," She starts, defensively adding, "Mind your business," She hurriedly applies her lip gloss, throwing her bag over her shoulder afterward, "I'll be back later."
"Okay, but you better tell me if anything happens!" The white-haired girl exclaims as she watches Lynn throw the door open to leave.
"I'll think about it. Be back later."
Once Lynn leaves the apartment, Zoe dons her own jacket, deciding she should go pick up something for dinner, however, when she exits the apartment she runs into a wandering former mercenary carrying his acoustic guitar.
"Oh, hi Shadow!" She greets him with a smile, before pointing at his guitar excitedly, "I didn't know you played guitar!"
"Still learning actually. I've just been teaching myself with TubeYou videos," He furrows his eyebrows at her curiously, "Do you know how to play?"
"Sure, I've been playing since I was a kid. Do you want me to teach you?"
His lips contorted into a large grin upon hearing her offer, "Hell yeah, how could I possibly turn that down?"
Morning sunlight leaks into the hotel room from the cracks in the curtains, brightening the room, and leading to your early awakening. Your eyes fall on Kurapika's sleeping face, unable to help yourself from smiling when you observe how peaceful he looks. He's slept more in these past couple of days alone than he has in years.
The Kurta slowly stirs from his sleep, letting out a yawn as he does. When he takes note of you staring at him, he can't help but smile, "Were you watching me sleep?"
"Just for the past few minutes," You admit, playfully, "It's nice to see you so relaxed."
"Being around you seems to have that effect on me," He responds with a soft smile as he reaches out to pet your head, "Shall we go to the beach?"
"Maybe in a little bit. The bed feels too nice right now," You lay your head on his chest as you look up at him, enjoying your alone time with your husband to the fullest.
"I wholly agree. Being able to relax is nice, however, it's not something I'm used to."
"Well, you deserve a nice, calm week after everything you've been through," You point out to him, "I'm surprised Leorio hasn't tried to call you yet."
"He has. Several times, actually. I just haven't answered," Remarks the blonde-haired man with an exasperated sigh, "He can wait until we return."
You chuckle quietly, "Poor guy. I'll text him later."
Kurapika runs his hands through your hair, "There is no need to worry about him on our honeymoon. We should focus on each other."
You hum a, "Mhm," in response, before jokingly adding, "I think you just want my attention all for yourself."
A mischievous smirk forms on his face, "I cannot deny that, although I don't think you're complaining," His lips meet yours in a loving kiss before he suddenly moves to help you sit on top of him, straddling his lap, "Shall we enjoy the rest of our morning?" His voice comes out suggestively.
You lean down to kiss him again as his hands rest on your hips, the world outside forgotten as you lose yourselves in your own passion.
After a long and eventful morning, you and your husband decide to visit the beach for a little while and get dinner.
As you two are about to exit the hotel lobby, you nearly bump into a large man with a thick white mustache along with white hair to match."Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there," He towers over you both with a grin on his face, "You look awfully familiar."
You furrow your brow at him, "I'm sorry I don't think we've met before."
"No? I feel like I've seen you somewhere. No, I'm sure of it," He appears to be lost in thought while Kurapika regards him with a suspicious look, ready to conjure his chains if necessary.
"I think I would have remembered you if-"
He snaps in fingers in realization, "Oh I remember. You're the new vice chairman of the hunter association, aren't you? I remember seeing your photo in papers."
A sense of relief washes over you as you discern that he wasn't someone you had met during your past travels, "You're a hunter?"
"Indeed I am. My name is Enoch," The large man reaches out to shake your hand, holding on for a bit too long, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I'm (Y/N). It's nice to meet you. This is my husband, Kurapika." You introduce yourself while gesturing to the blonde-haired man standing beside you.
The Kurta is clearly on guard, visibly wary of the stranger, "Are you here on business?"
Enoch shakes his head, accompanied by a hearty chuckle as if nobody could ever come here on business, "Heavens no. I come here every year around this time on vacation. Beautiful island with beautiful people." His lips contort into a gleaming smile.
"Yes, everyone has been very kind to us- "
The older man cuts Kurapika off, earning a glare from him, "So, (Y/N), anything new happening at the headquarters?"
You shake your head, "No, everything is pretty much the same. We're actually heading to the beach so-"
"Alright, sorry for keeping you kids. Have a nice time. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around," Something about his confident, toothy grin is making you uneasy, Kurapika as well. You take Kurapika's hand as you walk past him and out the door.
After he's out of earshot, you and the blonde-haired man turn to one another and coincidentally speak at the same time, "Strange..."
"There was something weird about that guy, right?" You contend, to which Kurapika quickly agrees.
"Very much so. Let's try to avoid him if at all possible."
You're quick to concur with him, "I'm with you on that. Let's just enjoy our day."
The rest of the day is spent at the beach, getting dinner afterward at a nice restaurant. Once you get back to the hotel, you sit down on the bed, feeling utterly exhausted.
As you rub your eyes tiredly, you note aloud, "Today really tired me out I guess. I feel a little off."
Kurapika stands in front of you, placing a hand against your forehead worriedly, "Your temperature is fine, although if I'm being honest... Your aura is flowing a little differently."
"It is? I hadn't noticed."
"Right after we met that suspicious hunter. That cannot be a coincidence," He focuses his aura in his eyes and looks you over, "(Y/N), please hold out your left hand," You do as he says and he nods in understanding as he runs his fingertips over the palm of your hand, "Just as I thought, he marked you with something. It almost looks like a sigil."
You follow his lead and use Gyo while looking down at your hand, surprised by the weird symbol that is now engraved on your hand in nen, "That bastard. I wonder what this means."
"I'm unsure of that detail myself, however, he will pay dearly for the consequences, " He clenches his hands into tight fists, his eyes a violent shade of crimson as he walks towards the door, acting as impulsively about you as he does when it comes to the scarlet eyes.
Before he can open the door, you grip his arm and usher him back into the room, "Hold on. Let's get some more information before anything. We can look him up on the hunter's website."
He releases a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding in, his eyes shifting back to their normal hue, "Yes, that is a much better plan."
You remove your laptop from your bag and set it up on the desk. Kurapika wastes no time sitting down and beginning his research on the man. You watch as he brings up the hunter's website and types in 'Enoch'. After some scrolling, he's able to find his full name and an article about him.
"Enoch Reze..." Kurapika's eyes follow the article as he speed reads it while scrolling through it, "This article is just about his achievements. According to this, he's fairly well respected."
"There must be more," Your eyes are glued to the screen as you read over his shoulder.
The Kurta goes through all the information he can find about the unsettling stranger. Finally, he releases an exasperated sigh, "Nothing. I cannot find anything but positive information. His reputation is squeaky clean."
You don't buy that for a second, "Well, that can't be good. That just means he's hiding something, right?"
Kurapika nods, "That goes without saying. I'm going to dig deeper."
"Alright, I'm going to get a drink from the vending machine. Do you want anything?"
"A sweet tea. Thank you," He continues his research as you exit the room and close the door behind you.
Your back is pressed against the wall of the utility closet that you have found yourself trapped in. Enoch stands in front of the door effectively blocking you in as he sheds his gloves, the same sigil on the inside of your hand visible on the back of both of his hands.
"I didn't expect it to be this easy," He shakes his head in disappointment, the same menacing grin from before plastered to his face, "I thought the vice chairman would surely be stronger than this."
"What the hell did you do to me?" You snap at him, holding up your own hand. The mark is no longer invisible to the naked eye, instead, it's clearly evident on your skin, "Explain this."
His chest vibrates as he laughs loudly, "Why, it's my hatsu, dear. A manipulator's mark. I'm afraid you've been branded by my Soulbrand Imprint. And before you ask, no, I cannot reverse it, nor will I. Not until I'm done with you."
"And what exactly do you have planned?"
"You may as well know now since you won't be able to fight back," He starts with a chuckle, "The longer you're branded, the stronger it gets. And the more visible it gets. Once it's visible to the naked eye, it means your soul is fully able to be controlled by me. Sure, it's short-range. But I didn't need to go far to find you, did I?"
You narrow your eyes as you prod him, "Why do you want me under your control?"
"I'm a hunter and you know what the best prey is?" He asks, to which you shake your head, "Humans," His face twists into a devilish smirk, "'It's illegal' is what you want to say. I've found a way around that."
"You mark innocent people with your sigil and make them hunt for you. It's like some kind of sick game for you, huh?"
"Correct. You're a smart one. A shame you'll go to waste. Not to mention, the hunter's association won't want a murderer for their vice chairman," He seems all too pleased with himself, "You must be really weak. I've never seen my nen work so quickly."
You conjure your dual daggers in each of your hands as you take an intimidating step toward him, "I won't kill for you."
"You don't have much of a choice," He clenches his fists and your body stiffens up, your daggers making a clattering sound as they hit the floor, "I think it's time we find a good target for you. Maybe even your husband?"
You shoot him a death glare as he approaches you, reaching for your hand to shake it as some kind of apology, "It's nothing personal, dear. You simply seemed like a fun weapon," When he pulls his hand back, he takes note of a black mark smudged on his palm. His eyes widen as he notices your 'sigil' partially wiped away.
"Sorry, I guess the game is over," You swiftly sweep his legs, knocking him to the ground as you conjure another dagger into your hand and press the tip against his neck, "I thought permanent marker would last longer."
He gulps in shock, looking up at you with a nervous grin, "S-surely, we can talk this out."
"We can't."
Sweat beads begin to form on his forehead as looks up at you, "How did you know?"
"My husband did some research. We didn't find anything specific on you but..."
You return to the hotel room, setting a bottle of sweet tea down on the desk while you take a swig of water, "Did you find anything else?"
"Not on him directly, however, I have a pretty good grasp on what the mark on your hand is," He opens several different articles in small windows, "This island seems to have an ample history of murder. Only around this time of year."
"When Enoch is on 'vacation'," You add air quotes with your fingers as you finish your sentence.
Kurapika nods, "That's correct. All of the so-called killers have pleaded non-guilty and have no memory of committing the crimes. What's more, several of them were reported to have the same mark somewhere on their body when they're arrested."
"So, he's a manipulator who uses innocent people to kill for him," You think aloud, "And he activates his ability with direct contact?"
"Most likely, though, there is also the fact that your mark is only visible with nen, which must mean it either becomes fully visible due to some reason. My guesses are that it gets stronger and more visible over time or it becomes fully visible after he activates his ability," He explicates, concluding with, "My assumption is he would need to be quite close to them to control them since it seems like he doesn't need to meet many requirements to manipulate a person."
After finishing you explanation on how you and Kurapika were able to figure him out so quickly, Enoch stammers out, "You're a lot stronger than I gave you credit for."
"I know. Hand over your hunter's license," You hold your free hand out to him, the cold metal of your blade still pressed against his neck.
His hands tremble as he removes it from his wallet and tosses it to you, "What are you going to do with it? You can't revoke it. It's in the hunter's bylaws!" He shouts desperately.
"No, but if you lose it, it can't be reissued. That's a shame," You slide it into your back pocket.
"I'll- I'll tell the hunter association you took it!"
You hold your phone up, the audio recording app on your phone still rolling, "Who are they going to believe? The vice chairman or a convicted murderer?"
A look of shock washes over his face momentarily before he grits his teeth together in anger, "Dammit! You annoying bi-!"
"Careful, or I'll kill you before the police arrive" Kurapika threatens him coldly as he stands behind him, "I'm certain this recording will be enough to convict you of your crimes and free your innocent victims from prison."
Enoch closes his eyes in recognition, holding his hands up in defeat, "I know when I've been beaten," He suddenly grips your dagger by the blade, blood gushing from his hand as he shoots up to try and attack you. Kurapika's fist connects with his jaw in an instant, knocking him out cold as his body hits the floor.
"What an idiot," He brushes the dust off of his hands, wrapping an arm around your shoulder protectively afterward, "Are you injured, my treasure?"
In response, you shake your head, "No, but he is. Now this murderer can finally face the consequences of his actions."
"And he can no longer request the help of the hunter's association either," He lets out a relieved sigh, "It was almost a relaxing vacation."
"Almost. But at least we did some good."
"I agree completely," He leans in to kiss you on the forehead, "Nice acting, my love. He fell for it right away."
You can't help but smile at his comment, "You're the one who came up with such a good plan."
"It was a joint effort," He counters back.
"Either way, it was great," You lean into him, "I love you."
"I love you endlessly (Y/N), my treasure. As always, thank you for keeping me calm. I considered killing him on the spot when I saw that mark," He chuckles when he sees the look on your face, "I know. He's not worth it."
"Exactly," You playfully boop him on the nose, "Wanna get dinner after this?" The sound of sirens can be heard in the background as you and Kurapika chat about what to eat for dinner, completely ignoring the unconscious man lying in front of you.
A few days later at the Swardani City airport, Bennett stands outside, waving you down with a huge grin on his face. He pulls you into a tight hug as you approach his car, "I missed you! But I hope you had a good time"
"We did for the most part," You say with a smile while watching him hug Kurapika next. It's clear that Kurapika still isn't fully used to his hugs but he tolerates them.
"Oh, let me take your bags," Before you can argue back, your older brother takes the luggage from both of you and stuffs it into his trunk, while you hop in the passenger seat and Kurapika sits in the backseat.
While driving, Bennett plays music quietly while he asks for details on the trip and what the island was like.
"I want to go to the beach sometime. It sounds like you guys had so much fun. Take me with you next time," He pleads with a pout on his face, prompting you to chuckle and roll your eyes.
"Maybe you can convince Leorio to go with you sometime," You say with a smirk, "Did anything happen here while we were gone?"
Bennett hums in thought for a moment before nodding, "A lot actually. Leorio and I went bowling and I actually won a game! Only by one point though. Lynn has a date with the barista girl she kept going to see. Zoe is teaching Shadow guitar and he's been treating her like a little sister. Oh, and I talked to Jaya. She's going to train me to use a sword sometime."
"It sounds like everybody kept out of trouble," Kurapika chimes in, "I'm glad."
"And I think Shadow is going to go to the next hunter exam," The curly-haired boy adds, "Hopefully, then he can get a place of his own."
You rub the back of your neck sheepishly, "Sorry, I know he's only staying with you because I asked."
Bennett only shakes his head, looking away from the road for a moment to offer you a smile, "He's better off staying with me than you."
"Thank you for your noble sacrifice, Bennett," The Kurta says as he places a hand on his brother-in-law's shoulder, "I cannot fathom how you put up with him."
"Me either. There is one other thing, (Y/N)," Bennett starts, "Kanzai stopped by and he said Cheadle wanted to speak with you when you got back."
You raise an eyebrow curiously, "About what? Did he say?"
"He didn't but he acted like it was important."
"Alright, we can stop by the Hunter Association Headquarters before we go home. Is that okay, Kurapika?" You ask as you look at him in the rearview mirror.
He simply nods, "Of course. I wonder if something happened while we were away."
You let out a long sigh, "Let's hope not. We've only been back in town for 20 minutes."
Bennett pulls up to the front of the headquarters to drop you and Kurapika off. He calls to you as you step out of the car, "I'll go park. Just let me know when you're done!"
"Thanks, Bennett. We'll be back soon," You wave as he drives away to look for a parking spot.
Kurapika's fingers intertwine with yours as if he can sense your worries, "Don't panic yet. Whatever it is, you can handle it." He squeezes your hand soothingly.
"Thank you, Kurapika. I just hope it's not serious."
You and Kurapika walk ahead into the building, greeting familiar faces as you make your way to Cheadle's office. After a quick knock on the door, she calls out for you to come in.
She looks up from her desk with a smile, "I'm glad to see you back, Kurapika and (Y/N). How was the honeymoon?"
"It was great. We had a lot of fun," You say before asking, "Is everything alright here?"
"Naturally. I had a request to make of you, (Y/N)," She stands up from her desk now and walks around it to approach you, "I don't mean to put you on the spot, however, I do need an answer as soon as possible."
Kurapika furrows his eyebrows in confusion but doesn't interject. Instead, he looks to you to gauge your reaction.
"What's the request?"
"You are both familiar with the chimera ant incident that occurred in the Yorbian continent, correct?" She asks, earning nods from each of you, "Chimera ants are now considered a magical beast which protects them from being hunted for the most part, however, it's not that simple since they do have human intelligence."
"Since they have the same intelligence as humans, they deserve the same rights as humans, don't they?" You prod her, to which she agrees.
"I see you had the same thought process as I did," She explains, "To sum it up, I'm in search of a Chimera ant ambassador who can work with them and also speak for them when they need something. That being said, while they're mainly protected from being hunted, that's not always the case. Considering what kind of hunter you are, and that you're from the NGL made you the perfect candidate," She offers you a smile, "If you're willing, we'd like to offer you the position while still working as our vice chairman."
You're surprised by the sudden offer but you don't hesitate to give her an answer, "I'm honored, Cheadle," You bow your head to her slightly, "I'll do it."
"I'm happy to hear that. I knew you wouldn't be biased about their past actions," Cheadle shakes your hand before walking past you, "I have someone I would like you to meet," The dog-like woman opens the door and motions for someone to enter the room.
A man who obviously isn't human enters the room, instead, he resembles a condor mixed with ant and human features. Judging by the way he carries himself, you surmise that he's a more serious person.
"This is Colt," Cheadle introduces him, "You and him will work together often."
"I look forward to working with you," He greets you as he reaches out to shake your hand firmly.
Cheadle gestures to you with a smile, "Colt, this is (Y/N), our vice chairman and a skilled poacher hunter. I look forward to seeing what you two can accomplish together in the future."
Authors note: Hello! Thank you to everyone for sticking around. I know this is coming out super late. Basically, the day after I posted Part 25, my life got super crazy when my mom suddenly passed away which is part of the reason for the delay. I just wanted to thank everyone for supporting me while I was away. New Kurapika one-shot soon! Also, I do have an idea for a third book, although it definitely would be a lot shorter but I may do some work on that in the future. Hope everyone enjoyed the epilogue!