127 graves+1

The story

Kurapika had never really feared death, so to speak. So many times in his life death had tried to grab him by the hand, but to no avail. He occasionally brought it up jokingly into conversations with Leorio, Kil and Gon, hoping that when he did eventually pass, it wouldn't come as such a shock, yet when they enquired further, he would just shrug it off lightheartedly. Every day that passed since he learned nen, the weight grew heavier on his heart; he knew death would come sooner than desireable, after all, he brought it upon himself, nen came with consequences and with emperor time, that consequence was huge. He knew this when he swore his life away to avenge his clan, he knew that he would never get the happy life he had dreamed of as a kid, he would never get to live happily with Leorio, Gon and Killua. As he journeyed down the dark road of revenge, with every person he killed, he grew weaker. With every pair of eyes he retrieved, deaths call grew a little louder.

As he sat, retching infront of the toilet, with Leorio banging on the door begging him to open it; he couldn't help but wish he could go back in time, surely there was some easier nen ability which wouldn't have had such a physical toll? Surely there was one that could have kept him with his friends a little longer? But at the time he had been so caught up in revenge that he didn't bother to think much about the affects on himself, he hadn't really cared at the time, he would have done anything it took in order to avenge his clan. As he sat there, hot tears streaming silently from his eyes, he was suddenly snapped back into reality.
"Kurapika!!" Leorio called
"Kurapika are you ok? Open the door!"
"M' fine" he stuttered, choking on his words "I'm fine Leorio, it's just a bug"
"Kurapika please... please open the door" Leorios voice had lowered to almost a whisper, he was begging now.
Kurapika tried to stand up, legs shaking as he grabbed the doorknob using the edge of the sink to support himself.
As soon as the door opened he collapsed infront of the toilet again, vomiting what little there was left in him.
"Pika! Pika, oh my god, what's wrong?"
"M' fine" "m' fine Leorio" he tried to say, but the words caught in his throat and he started coughing violently
"Kurapika, you look terrible!"
Leorio wasnt wrong. Kurapikas face was a dull grey, his eyes heavy and his hair matted to his forehead with sweat.
"Leorio please.. I'm fine, I promise.." he was going to finish his sentence when a tiny voice from behind them whispered
"Kurapika!..."
The pair turned around to see two small figures silhouetted in the doorway, their faces painted with expressions of horror. They had never seen kurapika as bad as this, they'd never even seen him cry.

Kurapika always put up a front to hide his true emotions, he would never show any sign of weakness, the last time he had shed a tear was at the kurta massacre. With pairos limp, almost unrecognisable body in his arms, he had sobbed. He swore to himself that he would destroy who ever did this. Whoever killed everyone he had loved. Since then, he wouldn't show his real emotions. He was scared that if he did, it would make him weak, that if he did he would be unable to kill the troupe. So it came as a shock to the two boys to see kurapika look so terrified, so defeated.

"Killua! Gon!" He tried to smile "I'm fin-"
Leorio butted in, knowing if he didn't, Kurapika would continue to pretend everything was fine "Kurapikas just ill, there's no need for either of you to worry. Now why don't you go and ice those cupcakes we were making?"
Killua sprang up, recovered from the moment of shock "um- well get better soon Kurapika, now come on Gon"
Killua grabbed Gons hand and started walking, but Gon hesitated. He'd seen something in Kurapikas eyes. Something that scared him. He wasn't sure exactly what it was, but it was something he'd only ever seen in people who had given up. People who had given up on life, and were succumbing to deaths song. He brushed it off, surely that wasn't the case, Kurapika was only 19! He couldn't be dying? Surely?
"Gon!" Killua tugged on Gons hand,
"Gon are you coming?"
Gon allowed killua to drag him back to the kitchen, but he couldn't erase the image from his mind.
Kurapika lay, shivering, on the bathroom floor as Leorio knelt down beside him
"Kurapika" he whispered "look, I don't know what's wrong, I'm going to have to run some checks on you, ok?"
Kurapika wished the could reply, but his breath was too ragged, each inhale making his whole body shake.
"Your in no state to walk back to the bedroom by yourself, I'm going to have to carry you, is that alright?"
With all the strength he could muster, Kurapika managed to nod his head, yet when leorio went to pick him up he flinched. Leorios hand felt so cold against his burning fevered skin, yet it was also somewhat soothing; like a cold drink on a hot summers day. Leorio seemed to be whispering something, but it sounded like nonsense, as his vision faded to black.