Shifting For You//Kurapika X Nonbinary Reader ONE-SHOTS

Chapter 25.

Kurapika's POV

The sun shined brightly above us, through the small cracks of the filtering green. The ground was stiff but cushioned by the moss that was laid upon it. Daisies bloomed, Mocking birds sang, and our laughs echoing in the blissful forest. 

Skipping down the path followed by a small boy, the one I call friend.

He was slouching over his feet and looked sorrowful. Stopping in my tracks I ask the boy what was keeping him so blue.

"Pairo? Is something wrong?"

Crouching down the boy had a downcasted gaze. It was unsettling to see him upset, it had rarely ever occurred. Peeking through his hair I see a shadowed frown.

"Pairo-"

"You should have been there."

"W-what?"

I stepped back from him to get a better look at his whole. He stood still and relaxed. Head lowered and shoulders curved forwards. Slowly he looked up, making me stumble backward onto a rock. 

The eyes that once made the boy so bright, were hollowed. Left with the never-ending pit of darkness. Paralyzed, my eyes were the only part that widened. My surrounding had turned to a small village, citizens scattered the dirt floor. Puddles of scarlet surrounding their pale frames. 

Broken homes and damaged doors. Women clutching onto their children, grasping their fragile heads to their chests. Men held weapons to their front. All of my family and neighbors had been stolen from. Their eyes, homes, and their lives. Me, I had lost the only sense of home I had, along with the memories I held dear. They were now replaced with the scene of smeared scarlet.

"If you had stayed, you would have died along with the rest of us."

"You wouldn't have had to hold that burden, the burden that's now engraved into your soul."

The boy came close and cupped my face into his palms, staring at me, with shells of where his eyes used to be.

"But, that was 'if' you did and you didn't.

"Now you get to live the rest of your life, unlike the rest of us.

"You know what I think Kurapika?"

There was a moment of suspense as he spoke.

"I think you should have gone down with the rest of us."

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Beads of sweat built on my forehead as I panted softly. Supporting myself onto my elbows catching my lost breath, I move to sit up. Legs dangling off the bed slightly, just barely grazing the carpet. My shoulders shuddered and my hands trembled as I brought them to my face. 

"Kurapika?"

The voice spoke from behind me, gentle and wary. A touch was felt on my shoulder causing me to nudge myself away from its grasp. I wasn't in the right state of mind at the moment, which seemed to concern the one beside me. 

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Their hand hovered over my shoulder hesitantly. I didn't face them, I couldn't, or maybe I didn't want to. Whatever the reason I should've just let myself give in, but I didn't.

"Don't touch me. Please."

Retracting their hand from me, it felt somehow colder. They rose from the bed and walked to the door, turning back to me and smiling softly, telling me it's alright. As their eyes downcast to the carpet below them, they turned away. Leaving me by myself once again, but it was "for the best". 

Sighing into my palms releasing the tension that built in my chest. I had sat there for around 30 minutes, collecting the thoughts that bounced aimlessly within the walls of my mind. As I lifted my head from my palms, there were little puddles collected in my hands. My vision was blurry and my world was, red.

Arising from the side of the bed, I wipe the sleep at the rims of my eyes. Making my way to the kitchen, where stood a messy-haired Y/N. They turned to face me as I walked to the dining table, seating myself. The kettle whistled as the steam released through the lid, the high pitch made me wince.

Y/N hadn't so much as glanced at me after I had sat, they just kept doing what they were doing. As I stared blankly at the table in front of me, fiddling with my thumbs.

 -𝙎𝙢𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙛 -

-𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙨𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 -

Jolting to the sudden noise inflicted onto my ears, I look up to Y/N. They were swaying side to side, humming to the song that played. Then turned to face me with a tired and gentle smile. Coming to my side and grasping my arm, causing me to arise out of my seat. 

- 𝙈𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 -

Without saying a word, they set their hands around my waist and put my own onto their shoulders. All while having that smile on their face, we began to sway back and forth side to side. Then taking steps in a waltz formation, though neither of us could waltz. 

- 𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 -

-𝙒𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙮 -

As we somewhat danced to the music, my vision simmered and was left with the natural hue of Y/N's (e/c) eyes. They looked right back into my own, smiling wider. 

"I love your soul."

Are the first words that came from their lips, it was an odd thing to say you, love. No matter what they said, whether it made sense or not it gave me that warm feeling, the burning in my chest. 

"My soul?"

-𝙒𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙊𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙧 -

-𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 -

"The eyes are the gateway to the soul, I'm sure you've heard of it."

"Indeed I have."

We went in an admirable circle around the center of the room. Twirling each other and staring into one another's eyes. The music slowed, as did we. Standing in the center of the dimly lit room, the only source of light being the rising sun's warm hue.

- 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 -

I gazed at them, and they gazed at me.

- 𝙈𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡- 

"Well, love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place."

-𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 -

"I'm sure you've heard of it."

- 𝙈𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙢𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 -

-𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 -