Scarlet | Kurokura

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Kurapika couldn't remember the last time he had played the piano. Probably way back when he had been a child and that wouldn't count as playing the piano since his mother had gifted him a kids keyboard. Still, it was a nice memory. It was one of those memories he kept close, the ones that he wouldn't let anyone turn into something depressing. His life honestly, as it was right now, was depressing enough. The blonde tensed as his partner sat down in front of the very expensive-looking piano. Chrollo's lips formed a smile, the one he had been carrying the entire time. The one that never reached his eyes. He touched the keys so gently, as though afraid to break them. It reminded Kurapika of the way he had touched his shoulder in the bathroom. Understanding Chrollo wasn't an easy task and the Kurta still had a lot of open questions about the other. He still couldn't understand these small, weird moments in which Chrollo seemed considerate for a second, before destroying the development by saying something incredibly annoying. Kurapika felt as though with his partner, it was always two steps forward and four backwards.

When Chrollo started playing, the blonde could feel his shoulders tense up.

He wasn't familiar with this piece. It started off slow and gentle. Chrollo was just lightly pressing the keys before the pace fastened. The melody itself was repetitive but there was something to it. It sounded beautiful, Kurapika had to admit that. Although the piece didn't seem to be a particularly difficult one, it impressed Jades next to him, he was gaping at the spider playing. At one point, the blonde felt like the melody got sadder and sadder, although nothing really changed about it. The blonde was about to write it off as him imagining things when he saw it.

Chrollo looked sad, not in a way that his face displayed the signs of someone feeling sad but in the way his eyes were looking at the keys. It probably didn't even make sense but Kurapika just knew in that moment, that the thief was pouring sadness into this piece. They were maybe two minutes in and the feeling got stronger and stronger. Honestly, it nearly overwhelmed the blonde with how intense it felt. It was so unexpected as well, like he never expected Chrollo Lucilfer to play the piano like his life depended on it. That he was able to channel his emotions through a melody for everyone to hear. It seemed way too vulnerable.

It got calmer again, as the piece finished. The Kurta didn't know when his heart rate had picked up or when he had started holding in his breath. Only as the restaurant started being filled with clapping from all the guests did the blonde gasp for air and place a hand on his covered chest. He blinked several times in confusion as he was snapped out of his trance. The feeling of his heart hammering against his ribcage was unsettling but it couldn't compare to the times he's had panic attacks. It felt different.

"That was Amazing, Mr. Luksan! Personally, I wouldn't be able to play that! It sounded so emotional as well." 

Jades began and Kurapika could feel Chrollos presence next to him again. Instead of commenting on anything, the Kurta decided on grabbing his glass of champagne and down it. So Kurapika would admit that Chrollo had feelings to some extend. Even if they seemed non existent most of the times, just now the spiders facade had slipped and it had caused several unsettling reactions from the younger. That still didn't mean anything though, he reassured himself. Hell why was he reassuring himself in the first place? It's not like admitting Chrollo was human in some way changed anything. It didn't.

"Are you okay, dear?"

Kurapika could hear his partner next to him ask after he had thanked Jades for the kind words and now eyed him with a questioning look. The blonde slowly nodded without returning the eye contact.

"What is that piece called?"

Kurapika looked around the large room. Jades had his attention on the waiter, seemingly in an attempt to order dessert while Sara silently eyed him with what was supposed to resemble a smile.