Unrequited No Longer (Leopika Fanfic)

Let's Take it Slow

Without a thought, Leorio dashed after Kurapika out into the fairgrounds. The dim lighting outside greatly contrasted how bright it was inside the building they just came out of.

"Kurapika!" he called out. "Kurapika, please just stop for a second! Stop running!" 

Try as he might, the blonde blur he was chasing through the crowd did not heed his words. It should've been easy to catch up to Kurapika since the crowd was rather thin, but Leorio's ungracefully long limbs made it difficult to maneuver between the numerous people who were nothing but obstacles in this situation. 

I'm running... Why am I running? What am I running from? Where am I running to? Why can't I stop? All while these thoughts rushed through his head, Kurapika's legs kept moving on their own, taking him absolutely nowhere. Just stop running. Stop and turn around. I know he's right behind me. All I need to do is stop. He was so focused on trying to get his body to listen to him that he hadn't noticed the tears streaming down his face until his vision became too blurry for him to see clearly. 

"Damnit," Leorio mumbled under his breath. "Why is he so determined to get away from me?" He chased after him for a few more seconds, just about ready to give up, but then... he suddenly caught up? Before he could even fully register that Kurapika wasn't moving anymore, his entire body went hurtling right into the back of the smaller male and they both crashed to the ground. Kurapika might have been squished if it weren't for Leorio's last-second effort of putting his hands on the ground at either side of the blonde's head. 

There was a quiet moment shared between them, only their breath being heard in the tiny bubble they made that seemed to block out the noise of all the passers-by. The only perceptible movement was the rise and fall of their chests as they caught their breath. All the while, Kurapika had been staring at the ground, watching his tears wet the pavement underneath him. 

The first to break the silence was Leorio. "Kurapika... turn around, please." 

Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, he slowly but surely flipped over from his stomach to his back. 

Leorio gulped. "I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"Leorio."

"Wait, just listen."

"Leorio."

"..."

"Stand up before you apologize."

"Ah, r-right! Sorry."

Leorio lifted himself from the ground, then helped Kurapika up. Well, at least he's letting me hold his hand. "You okay?" he asked with a concerned expression. The blonde male only offered a curt nod, refusing to make eye contact. Now it was Leorio's turn to take a deep breath. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable when I- when we- when that happened. I thought you... wanted it." He paused, then quickly added on, "But I realized that was wrong, so please forgive me. I won't ever do it again."

Instead of a verbal response, all Kurapika did was raise his hand up to wipe his face. The taller male leaned down to meet his downcast eyes, and once their gazes met, a tiny whimper escaped from Kurapika's quivering lips. Leorio looked on sympathetically, fighting the urge to stroke his blonde hair in fear of making him more upset. 

Finally, that tear-streaked face and those puffy eyes were raised into full view. Leorio's tense shoulders drooped in relief, though he wasn't completely relaxed as stood there silently waiting for something - anything - as an acknowledgement to his apology. It didn't even have to be'I forgive you'. 

"No," he sobbed, "you didn't do anything wrong." His voice was shaky and his throat was tightening by the second, but this was important. He had to say it. "It was stupid of me to run like that. I shouldn't have done it. If I really was upset I would've - I don't know - I would've slapped you or kicked you, but... it's okay. It's okay that you kissed me. Because I kissed you back. So, no one's at fault." By now he had become much quieter; only a few sniffles interrupted the rigid stillness of his body. 

Leorio sighed loudly, almost annoyingly so, as a big smile appeared on his face. "Phew! No hard feelings or awkwardness, right? We can just forget about this. But, uhh... one more thing." He glanced away for a moment, then put on a mischievous smirk. "You didn't say you didn't like it, so..." It was meant to be lighthearted, but Kurapika looked as if he were just accused of a crime he shamefully committed. 

"Uhh... Kurapika? Oh crap, maybe I shouldn't have said that." He facepalmed and sighed again, this time out of disappointment in himself rather than relief. 

"Would that be strange?"

"Huh?" With his hand still on his face, he peaked at the blonde from between his long fingers.

"Would it be strange if I enjoyed it?"

His raised hand fell to his side as he fumbled with his words. "Oh! Well, er- no! Of course not!" He anxiously scratched the back of his neck. "Hey... you're not joking around, are you?"

The short male crossed his arms and looked up at Leorio with a stern expression. Even with tear-stained cheeks, a glare from him was rather intimidating. 

"Uh, hehe. I'm gonna take that as a no. So if you liked it, does that mean you... well, you know where I'm going with this."

"No I don't. Use your words."

"Wha- you didn't use your words when you were giving me a death stare just a second ago!" He crossed his arms and turned his nose up in mock anger. 

"You knew what I meant though."

"Yeah, and you know what I mean!"

"Yes."

"Eh?"

"My answer to your implied question is yes."

"Oh." He only stood there dumbfounded. This is a dream, right?

"Trust me, I understood your question. I never planned on confessing, but I don't want to lie to you either. I completely understand if you don't return my feelings." For the first time, the poker face he had perfected throughout his life failed him. As those brown eyes stared into his, he knew that they could see right through him.

"Kurapika. Don't you remember what happened in there? I mean, if you were paying attention, you'd know that whatever that was would only have happened if we lo- liked each other. Of course I feel the same way!"

The smallest smile graced Kurapika's lips, barely illuminated by the nearby lampposts lining the main cobblestone path of the fair. Leorio returned the smile and stepped closer with outstretched arms. His blonde-haired companion leaned into the embrace, savoring the warmth of being held by another human being. It wasn't only in the sense of being shielded from the cool night air, but he also felt a very special kind of warmth: the kind of warmth that has the soft touch of a cloud, that wraps one's soul in comfort and protection, that promises to never do harm. 

Thank you for kissing me tonight, Leorio.

Umm... ahaha... sorry for dying, guys. I definitely learned a lesson during the time that I was procrastinating on this chapter: I cannot keep a schedule. So, I am going to try to make new chapters every two weeks if I can, but that's not a promise. Once again, I sincerely apologize for making you all wait so long. I will try my very best to be consistent in the future and deliver high-quality fanfic!