LeoPika short stories and one shots!

Haircut

Trans Kurapika. Hunter exam. The tower. Sort of a prequel of "I don't know what to title this one" lmao

Kurapika stared at himself in the mirror. He could hardly see his reflection because he didn't want to turn on the light and wake the others, but one thing he could tell for sure: his hair was getting too long. People were going to start misgendering him again if it did. He looked over at the room full of sleeping boys. He'd waited until everyone else was asleep before changing his clothes or using the bathroom.

Kurapika considered his hair, then looked to his hidden swords. They were only to be drawn in emergencies... this probably didnt count. He eyed Leorio briefcase. Surely he had scissors of some kind in there.

He crept back into their shared room, cursing under his breath when he saw Leorio hugging the briefcase closely to his chest. He was probably worried that Tonpa would dig through it and mess up his stuff... which was a totally valid concern.

He gently lifted Leorio's arm off the case, nearly dropping it when the man gave a snort. Leorio smacked his lips a couple of times, then kept snoring. For a moment, Kurapika just sat there and stared at him.

Objectively, Leorio was a handsome man. He was tall, broad shouldered, and... somewhat muscular. He had a sharp jawline and perfectly styled hair. He had facial hair and big hands and a deep voice and... drats.

Kurapika tugged the briefcase away- thank god Leorio was a heavy sleeper- then snuck back to the bathroom.

He sat on the floor with the case on his lap. He took a deep breath and opened it. Inside there was an array of medical supplies and snacks... along with feminine hygiene products... weird.

Kurapika laid eyes on the scissors. They were sharp, they had to be in order to cut through bandages. They were heavy. Kurapika gripped the scissors and stood up to look in the mirror.

He measured how much hair he wanted to cut, then opened the scissors and snip-

"What do you think you're doing?"

Kurapika almost dropped the tool because of how he jumped. Leorio was standing in the doorway, looking very tired and very miserable.

He stared at Leorio like a deer in headlights. He'd been caught stealing. He didn't know how to begin to explain.

"Uh, hello?" Leorio surprised him again. His voice was angry. "I said what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Uh... haircut." Kurapika said, lowering the scissors.

"You're doing it yourself? You're gonna butcher it!" Leorio accused, snatching the scissors.

"I wasn't gonna butcher it, I'm good at cutting hair." Kurapika grabbed at the scissors but Leorio evaded.

"Have you ever done it yourself?" Leorio asked, hoisting them out of Kurapika's reach.

Kurapika wanted to punch him in the gut so bad. "No, but now's a good a time as any to learn."

Leorio put his hands on his hips. "Let me do it for you."

"No! You'll butcher it on purpose." Kurapika grabbed at the scissors again, but he was evaded.

"I won't, I promise." Leorio crossed his heart. That made Kurapika hesitate. "See? Cross my heart; I'll do my best to make it look good."

Kurapika eyed him suspiciously. "Alright."

Leorio instructed him to turn and look in the mirror, which he did. Leorio looked this way and that, trying to get a good idea of what he was working with.

"Any particular reason you need a haircut in the middle of the night?"

Kurapika shifted. "It's been a while."

"When was the last time you got it cut?"

Silence. The realization was heavy.

"Almost a year ago. It was from my mother."

Leorio's eyes widened. "Your mom. Oh sheesh. Are you sure you want to cut it?"

Kurapika's heart trembled. "I'm not sure anymore."

Leorio rubbed some strands between his fingers. His response was careful and quiet. "I think you should keep it. So you can always remember her... something like that."

Kurapika was conflicted. He needed to cut his hair. But it was the last thing his mother did before he left the village. Before they were slaughtered.

Kurapika jerked his head to shake off the images that flashed in his mind. It made him sick to think about.

"You alright? Your uh.." Leorio rubbed his eye to show Kurapika that his were glowing red.

"I am very conflicted by this choice." Kurapika whispered.

"How about this? Sleep on it, then we can decide if you wanna cut it in the morning." Leorio offered, putting the scissors away.

Kurapika nodded. He followed Leorio out of the dimly lit bathroom, and resigned to his pile of books. He curled up on the floor with his tabard as a pillow.

Leorio went back to his spot on the couch, and was asleep in moments.

You'll never guess what time it is. That's why I will tell you. 12:31 am.