-Art by huangdanlan on Twitter-
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With a swoop of my hand, I smacked the pen out of Basho's grip, sending it flying across the room. He stared at me and then at the ballpoint pen which now lay on the floor, now a great distance from us. "What the hell did you do that for?" He asked, irritated.
"I'm angry." I replied with furrowed eyebrows.
The older man sighed and rested his chin on his palm. "And you felt the need to express that by launching my pen across the room?"
"Sorry." I apologised, my tone showing no hint of being sorry at all.
I went to go get the pen that I had thrown and brought it back to Basho. Linssen, the only other person in the study, looked up from his laptop. "Is something the matter?" Asked Basho.
Looking away from the two men, I shrugged. "I'm bored. Bored and frustrated, Basho-san. Nothing interesting has happened for ages, I'm tired of staying in this mansion doing nothing!"
Linssen rolled his eyes and returned to typing away on his laptop. "Stop being ungrateful." He spoke quiet and fast, not once looking up from the screen. "Considering how dangerous this job actually is, we're lucky to remain unoccupied with anything practical." Basho nodded at the other man.
"He's right, kid. As much as I love punchin' and beating bad guys too, it's better that we don't have to. Right now our main priority is finding away to lift Neon's curse."
Basho's words only made me madder. "But we've been trying to find some way to lift Neon's curse since we came to Azia. It's December now!" I argued. I knew I was just being annoying, but I had been containing my frustration for so long that it spilled uncontrollably.
"Look, kid," Basho started, this time in a softer tone. "I get that you hate the way things are right now. I do too, but it's our job. Why don't you go see Kurapika? You two used to get a long."
"Used to." I repeated. "Kuraika's really distant now. We're not that close anymore." It made me rather sad to think that we had drifted apart so easily over time, despite living in the same place.
Basho didn't take his eyes away from the paper he was writing on as he spoke to me, "Alright then, why not go out with that guy- uhh what's his name- Tomio?"
"Touma." I corrected.
"Yeah, that fella! He seems pretty interested in you, meet up with him."
"Well yeah but... I already told you that I-"
"That you blah, blah, blah. Quit making up excuses. Either go out with him for once or stop bothering us."
I sighed. Basho was right to some degree. I took out my phone as I went back to my room. Sitting on my double bed, I considered whether I should text him or not. After our first meeting, Touma and I would occasionally contact each other. By that I mean he would text me and I wouldn't reply until a few days later where I would give the most nonreactive response. He always messaged back within a day, sending at least one or two sentances on average. He was a nice guy, but I saw him more as a nice pass time.
It was only Basho who knew of Touma. I ended up spilling everything to him in early November after he saw some flirty notifications on my phone and interrogated me about it. I typed away on the digital keyboard and pressed send. After the text delivered, I dropped the phone and rolled over on the bed.
It wasn't long before I heard a ping. I reached for my phone once more to see the notification. It read:
That Annoying But Kinda Cute Guy From The Cafe: Of course, I'd love to meet with you once more, Lady (Y/N) :)
I smiled, not only at the reply but the name I saved him as. I thought it was very fitting. I also liked the way he addressed me in a formally joking way, he always did it ever since I ended up telling him my name a little while after we began texting each other. After exchanging a few more messages with him, I started to get ready, hoping that this meet up would bring an end to my boredom.
~
"Heyyy, theres the fool I've been searching for!"
I turned my body to look at the owner of the familiar voice. With a cheesy grin, Touma Yoshikage presented himself before me. "Did you wait long?" He asked.
I shook my head. "I just got here myself. I was admiring the flowers." I told him as I stared off at the happy little plants sprinkles around the fields.
The man showed an affectionate smile and pulled out a bouquet of roses from behind his back. "I'm relieved that you like flowers. I was worried you wouldn't appreciate this." I took the bouquet from his hands and observed the beauty held within the ruby plants. The rich red colour reminded me of a certain pair of eyes.
"Really? Flowers? That's a bit cliché." I smirked.
He nudged me jokingly before shoving his hands into the pockets of the beige blazer he wore over a white turtleneck. He looked like he belonged in an art museum. We walked together through the park. "So why did you ask me out today? You said no the last few times I suggested it..."
I held the flowers close to my chest and shrugged, "The situation back at my workplace was too boring. That's all." Touma skipped in front of me, grinning from ear-to-ear.
"So you think that I'd be fun?" I scoffed at his question and pushed his face away. He pouted childishly. "It wouldn't hurt you to just admit it." He said.
"I'd never admit to anything." I said truthfully.
He looked intrigued. "What does that mean?"
"Whatever you want it to mean."
The black-haired man smiled as we crossed the street and headed towards a small diner. "You remind me of a painting." He said.
"Oh?"
"Guernica. By Picasso, 1937."
I couldn't help but laugh at the answer. "So I remind you of the bombing in a Spanish town?" This fact was very amusing to me.
Touma scratched the back of his head and said, "I don't mean the reason for the painting, but the actual painting itself." I tilted my head so he continued, "You're overwhelming. The longer I look at you, the more things I notice. Theres so much about you and I just don't know where to focus." Nobody had ever compared me to a painting before, it felt nice. I wanted to continue this.
"What do you mean by 'overwhelming'?" I asked.
"I get the impression that there is a lot going on inside you." Touma said simply. "You were very distant and somewhat cautious when I first met you, I thought you would say no when I asked if I could take the seat, only to be surprised when you didn't mind." He paused, holding the door open for me. A waiter led us to a a table for two next to the windows. "You ignored most of my messages." He said again after we settled down, biting his lip. "And then, today, you asked if we could meet up out of nowhere."
A waiter arrived soon after, giving us both plates of sushi that Touma had ordered for us. "I still don't understand how you can link that to Picasso's Guernica." I chuckled softly as I watched him eat. "Do you look at paintings often?"
His head shot up as fast as lightening, eyes sparkling with glee. "I do!" He exclaimed like a child, making me giggle. "My entire home consists of famous paintings and sculptures actually, my father always brought incredibly expensive art pieces. I've always been someone to appreciate art." I took an egg nigiri between my chopsticks as he explained his passion.
"I could actually fall for you." I said with a small smile, leaning my face against my other hand.
Touma smirked as he swallowed his sushimi. "What's stopping you?" His tone as teasing as mine.
It was a simple question. So why did it make me so upset? Perhaps because the answer was one that filled me with sorrow. I could still picture the look on a certain blonde's face when I went into his room so many nights ago, teasing and pestering him for his attention. He got frustrated with me, yelling all sorts of things, claiming that he was so close to finding the owner of a pair of scarlet eyes and I was only a distraction in the process. He hadn't meant it, he would never say something like that. He was only stressed that day and that was shown through the dark bags which hung under his eyes and I understood that. He was the reason why I couldn't love Touma so easily. Because I don't think I would be able to feel love for another for a long time when that blonde bastard is all I think about. And, to sum it all up, this admiration was one made of fear.
I didn't know what I was afraid of, nor why I worried so much, nor why this thing that could so easily cause panic felt like hope at times and, like hope in the darkest moments, brought such joy, unreal joy. Joy with a noose tied around it. I am afraid when he showed up, afraid when he failed to, afraid when he looked at me, more frightened yet when he didn't. I lived for months in this agony, and, on the worst afternoons, I'd simply give out and fall asleep on the absorbing green sofa in the billiard room, though still dreaming, I knew exactly when he was in the room, when he tiptoed in and out, when he stood there, when he was looking at me and for how long, when he was trying to pick today's paper while making the least rustling sound, only to give up and pick up a random magazine whether he woke me or not.
"Theres someone else, isn't there?" Touma said, watching the pain in my eyes. I nodded shamefully. "Tell me about them." He said again simply, poking at the last sushi on his plate.
My eyes widened a little at the unexpected request. "What?"
"I'd like to know about them."
"But..." That would be unfair on Touma. I could tell he liked me and a little part of me wanted to like him too, so talking about another man in front of him would be unfair to him. I didn't understand his intentions.
"It's okay. I'm Interested, rather. I want to know what kind of person is capable of bringing that expression to your face." A small smile spread on his lips. He was being genuine. There was an essence to this man I was beginning to discover; he felt safe. No spite, no ill-intentions, just genuine curiosity and wanting to unravel a person.
So I told him everything and nothing. I told him about the fear and how it never went away, it only became easier to contain the more he came into my room to ask something about research or work, when he as the bodyguard leader would issue commands and updates to the rest of us, or when we would pass each other in the corridors of the great mansion. I was always afraid. And what I feared most were the days where I didn't see him for stretches at a time- entire afternoons and evenings sometimes without knowing where he'd been. I'd sometimes spot him crossing the courtyard outside the window or talking to people I'd never seen there. Touma stayed quiet the whole time, to which I was grateful for. I was even more grateful when he put his hand on mine after we sat down at the local park under the dark sky, watching the twinkling stars as I revealed all of my inner thoughts and desires.
His touch was warm and comforting. His eyes were caring and non-judgmental. For the first time in a while I felt comfortable in the presence of a friend.
Touma didn't say anything except bring his other caramel hand to my cheek, gentle caressing my sad skin. He opened his mouth, ready to speak but stopped when another voice interrupted.
"(Y/N). Who is this?"
The kind hand on my face was retracted as I turned my body to see Kurapika standing there in all his glory. His long blonde strands blew gently in his face as he watched me with disgust. Touma, with his left hand still holding mine, stood up from the bench and brought me with him. I looked between him and Kurapika, seeing them exchanging glares with each other as tension built in the air.
"I'm her friend." Said Touma in a demanding tone, mirroring the obvious annoyance in Kurapika's voice. "And who are you?" The question sounded more like a statement. I was suddenly glad that I never told Touma exactly who I was talking about the entire time.
Kurapika put his left hand on his hip, tilting his head slightly in an intimidating manner. "Her boss." He spat. "I need her back."
The raven-haired boy pulled on my hand so I'd crash into him. He put his other palm on the back of my head as a way to claim me. My face was as red as the roses I clutched in my free hand. "Sorry, but (Y/N) and I were in the middle of a date. I'd appreciate it if you didn't disturb us." From the way he spoke, it didn't sound like Touma was convinced. To be fair, I wouldn't believe that Kurapika was my superior either if I were in those shoes. He didn't look like it at all, from the way he was dressed now with his loose white-button up shirt tucked into a pair of black skinny jeans, he looked more like a model than a higher ranking mafia member.
Touma and I saw as his face scrunched, clearly pissed off. Kurapika fearlessly stepped forward, grabbing my upper arm and pulled me to him by force. Touma hadn't yet let go of my other arm so I was inbetween the two. The tension was thick in the isolated park. "Let. Go." Said the shorter blonde male.
I switched my gaze to Touma who gritted his teeth, about to reply. I couldn't handle it if these two started now. So I chose to put an end to the conflict before it could begin. I looked at Touma, giving him pleading eyes as if to tell him to obey. Reluctantly, he let go of me.
Kurapika didn't say anything more but pulled me along the walkway, away from the other man. I gave one last look to Touma, mouthing to him that I would text him later. He didn't say anything except flash a smile. I smiled back. "Stop looking at him." Kurapika said.
Giving my attention back to the boy who was now dragging me along the streets refusing to let go of my hand, I asked, "What did you need me for?" It was very out of the ordinary, he never called for me at all when I was there. He had never needed me, so why, why now? Why when I was finally enjoying the company of another man?
"Why didn't you answer any of my texts or calls?" He asked back, completely ignoring my question.
I knew he wouldn't answer my question so I replied to his, "I didn't check my phone."
"I was worried." He said coldly. "What if something had happened to you? I would have had no way of knowing where you were because you didn't even tell me you were going out." I stopped, making him stop. I didn't like the way he was talking to me. Kurapika's hypocrisy was starting to irritate me.
"Why do you suddenly care? Besides, if I really was in trouble I wouldn't need you to protect me. I'm just as strong as you, Kurapika." I could have continued but I didn't after seeing him look away sadly and then return his gaze to the roses wrapped by the paper bag I held.
He loosened his grip on me and then let go. "Sorry." Was all he said. I followed behind him as he kept on walking. "I'm just stressed. I'm really close to finding the address of some of the eyes. I couldn't concentrate and when I went to your room you weren't there," As much as I tried, I couldn't imagine the look on Kurapika's face as he walked with his back facing me. "I don't feel safe when you're not near me." He said finally.
I was surprised by his words but didn't say anything. Instead I moved beside him and slipped my hand into his. He tensed and relaxed, not letting go but only tightening the grip on my hand. Sure, Touma was great and all. He was something new. He made me happy, was kind to me, listened to me and treated me in a way that Kurapika struggled to. But Touma wasn't better than him. Touma could never be as near as good as the blonde was to me. As shameful as it was for me to admit, I was bound to Kurapika. And that was the problem.
~
I hope I did a good job at conveying Kurapika's flaws (envy, possessiveness, hypocracy etc). This is always from Reader's POV so she always describes him as how she seems him as some perfect being. I'm trying to demonstrate that he also has flaws, through his actions rather than through her words if that makes sense? I plan on elaborating on his selfish tendancies and stuff in the next one or two chapters, only to show that he comes to regret his cruelty towards you after it leaves you awfully hurt.
Also, the reasoning for the title 'snake' was because of the certain moment that Kurapika was faced with jelousy when he saw you in the park with another man as snakes are often used to symbolise envy. That's all. Thank you.