Please Stay By My Side // A collection of Kurapika x reader one-shots

Your Subtle Guardian

"Thanks for inviting me out with you both, Leorio," You say with a smile to your long-legged friend sitting beside you, "It's been a while since I've been to a bar."

Leorio promptly turns to face you, nearly drunkenly falling off of the barstool, "You don't gotta keep thanking me, (Y/N)!! It's what friends do!"

Kurapika, who sits on the other side of Leorio, only lets out a long sigh, his facial expression showing utter disdain for this whole situation, "Leorio, you've already had far too much to drink. You are already slurring your words."

Leorio quickly spins in his stool to face him, beer splashing out from the glass bottle in his hand, "Hey! I'm only just getting started! It's still really early."

Kurapika's nose scrunches up at the heavy scent of alcohol permeating Leorio's lips as he closes his eyes knowingly, "You say this every time you invite me out without fail."

"Tch, quit acting so stuck-up!" He points to the glass of water sitting in front of Kurapika, "And actually have something to drink for once! You only ever drink water."

"I don't feel the need to rely on alcohol as a crutch as you do, Leorio," The blonde-haired man lets out an annoyed huff, "It's hard to believe you could make an even bigger fool of yourself than you normally do."

You fail to suppress a giggle, earning a heartbroken look from Leorio, "Sorry, Leorio."

"Don't tell me you agree with him!" He practically shouts, prompting many crude stares from various other bar patrons.

You shake your head fervently as you attempt to calm your drunken friend, "Not at all. I just wasn't expecting him to say that is all."

"Hmph," Leorio turns in his seat to face the bar as he sulks, "You don't have to lie to me to save my feelings."

You set a gentle hand on his shoulder, completely unaware of Kurapika's subtle glance in your direction, "You know I wouldn't do that, Leorio. What if I bought you a drink to make up for it?"

"Really?? You mean it?"

You nod with a ghost of a smirk playing on your lips, "Of course," You feign being distracted as you point to a random woman across the bar, "I overheard that she recently became single earlier! You should ask for her phone number while you have the chance."

"That's a great idea, (Y/N)!" He places his hand on top of yours for a short moment, "You're the best!" The novice doctor stands up from his seat, stumbling over to the lone woman.

"Bartend!" You hold a finger up as you beckon the man over, "Can I get a glass of water with a lemon over here?"

The man only nods before rushing off to get your drink.

Kurapika can't help but let out a sheepish chuckle, "Nicely played, (Y/N). You had me fooled as well."

You turn to face him with a mischievous grin plastered to your face, "Thank you. I'd apologize for Leorio but I'm sure you know him better than I do."

"Unfortunately, you are very right. I make it a habit to ignore his invitations to have drinks together, however, tonight was unavoidable I'm afraid," His eyes fall on the half-empty glass of alcohol sitting in front of you before drifting back to your figure, "Do you enjoy drinking?"

"Once in a while. Although, I only came tonight since Leorio practically begged me to," You explain to him, subconsciously leaning closer to him.

"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that. If it makes you feel any better, he did the same to me," Kurapika admits to you, "He refused to take no for an answer."

"Yeah, he's pretty stubborn, isn't he?"

The blonde-haired man immediately nods to this, "Unbelievably so. It would seem that we have more in common than I had previously thought."

"I agree. We should talk more often!" You take a quick sip from your drink before standing up and gesturing to the restrooms, "I'm gonna run to the bathroom but we can talk more when I get back."

Kurapika only nods once in response, prompting you to walk away, pushing past various drunk people as you make your way to the bathroom. Kurapika turns his attention back to the drink sitting in front of him, pondering whether he should buy an alcoholic drink or not.

While you're gone, the bartender brings over Leorio's water you had ordered and sets it down beside your drink, walking away afterward. Your absence has lasted for longer than Kurapika had expected now, causing him to peak up from his drink and over to your empty seat. A man that Kurapika doesn't recognize stands near the end of the bar now, his closed hand hovering over your glass as he stealthily slips something into it.

The Kurta's eyes widen at the quick realization of what this stranger had just done. He stands up immediately, struggling to keep his composure as he inwardly fumes. As the stranger moves to walk away, he bumps into Kurapika who blocks his path.

"Hey, man. Can I help you?" The crude man asks Kurapika, feigning innocence.

"Yes. You can start by telling me what you put in my friend's drink," His eyes are narrowed, venom lacing his voice as he makes this demand.

The stranger looks away, finding it impossible to maintain eye contact with this intense man, "I don't know what you're talking about. You must have the wrong guy."

"I most certainly do not. Don't play coy with me. I saw you drop something into her drink mere seconds ago."

"Look, man, I don't know what you're talking about," He tries to walk past Kurapika, but Kurapika grabs his arm harshly, holding him in place, "H-hey! Let go of my arm!"

"Allow me to ask you one more time," A red tint encompasses his eyes as he sideglances the man, his grip on the stranger's arm tightening, "What did you drop in her drink? Think very carefully before you answer."

The stranger gulps harshly, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead as he slowly nods, "J-just don't hurt me."

When you return from the bathroom, you're surprised to find your drink missing from your spot and Kurapika sitting in what was previously Leorio's seat.  You shoot Kurapika a curious glance as you sit back down.

"Have you seen my drink, Kurapika?"

Kurapika nods, his face unreadable as he turns to look at you, "Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention and the bartender dumped it out. My apologies."

"Awe, it's okay. I guess I'll just have to order a new one," You're about to call over the bartender, but Kurapika stops you before you can.

"No need. I'll order you a new drink. It is the least I could do," His sleeves cover his hand as he passes you the drink menu with a small smile present on his face, "Order whatever you like. It's my treat."

It's a rare sight to catch Kurapika smiling and you just can't seem to move your eyes away from him. After a few moments of obvious staring, you forcefully pull your gaze away from him, your cheeks hot as you begin to scan the drink menu, "Thank you, Kurapika. I appreciate it."

"There is no need to thank me, (Y/N)," He stands up from his stool without warning, "Just give me one moment."

You watch as the blonde-haired man walks away and disappears into the bathroom, finding yourself hoping for his quick return. It was unlike Kurapika to be so friendly towards you, but you weren't complaining. While he was a mutual friend through Leorio, you and him had never been overly close. Now, you couldn't wait to spend more time with him.

Meanwhile, Kurapika stands in front of the bathroom sink, watching himself in the mirror as blood rinses off of his bruised knuckles and pools around the drain. He wills his eyes to go scarlet again as he stares at his reflection with a smirk playing on his lips.

"That bastard deserved what he got. I refuse to let anything happen to (Y/N) while I'm present," His eyes shift back to their normal grey hue as he turns off the faucet on the sink and dries his hands with a paper towel.

"I should hurry back to (Y/N) before she gets suspicious. I look forward to getting to know her better."