Some Wings Must Bleed

Chapter 48 - Sleepy Car Rides

I swallowed hard and turned my back to Kurapika, facing the window and furrowing my eyebrows at the blush that refused to leave my face. I grabbed my pillow and set it into my lap, fluffing it a bit before hugging it to myself and looking out the window. It was less foggy now, to my semi-disappointment.

Now I can't draw on the windows...

I focused onto the scenery passing us by, the pine trees and sky standing out to me the most. I switched my gaze to the clouds and smiled at the sight, the grayish sky reminding me of my hunter's eyes. Soon I felt rather tired again, yawning and looking over to Kurapika. "What is it about being in a car that makes you so sleepy?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, are you tired again?"

"Of course not, I just took a two hour nap..." I said, making Kurapika scoff.

I leaned over and looked at Kurapika's watch. "We've been in here for like, three hours now. Wowza."

Kurapika said nothing, but I knew he was listening by the way his eyes focused. I readjusted my grip on the pillow and looked to the blonde once more.

He did offer for me to set my pillow on him...

I mean, the window isn't necessarily comfortable, he must know that...

I sat in silence for what seemed like a long time, contemplating whether or not I should just try to sleep on the window again.

Come on, (y/n), it's only weird if you make it weird.

I quietly moved the pillow, setting it onto Kurapika's arm and looking at it.

Just lower your head, idiot.

I inhaled and set my head on Kurapika's shoulder, my heart beating much faster than it should've as I sat triumphantly. I shifted a bit in my seat and nuzzled my head into my hunter, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

See, that wasn't so bad! Plus he smells nice...

"... Better than the window?" Kurapika asked after a moment.

I smiled, almost hearing the smirk through his words. "Mmph." I replied, feeling more tired now that I was comfortable again.

Kurapika laughed softly, and I felt him turn his head down to me for a moment. I kept my eyes shut tightly and inhaled deeply, feeling myself slowly drift off into my own thoughts.

That's it. It's too loud to sleep.

"Why does the car have to be so loouud." I groaned, readjusting my head onto Kurapika's shoulder, the pillow now drooped down and no longer leaned on the hunter's arm at all. 

"You've fallen asleep in the car before, so I think you'll be alright." The blonde replied, his voice even and calming as always.

"But last time you were talking to me, and that distracted me from the big gross, um, vroom vroom?"

"... W-what?" Kurapika asked, his voice shaky from the want to laugh.

"Isn't that- that's what noise a car makes, right? Isn't that what you people say? Hey, don't laugh at me!"

Kurapika was laughing a bit harder now. "W-We people?"

"Shut up! I thought you called it vroom vroom!"

"No it is, it is... it's just that we don't really use that in normal sentences, I wasn't prepared for you to say it like that."

"... I'm embarrassed."

Kurapika laughed again. "Don't be embarrassed, it was just-"

"Just what? I look dumb, don't I? I promise I'm not dumb..."

"Just go to sleep."

"I already told you I can't..." I pouted. "You need to keep talking! Like you were earlier!"

"I'm not usually very talkative..."

"Oh come onnn, tell me a story!"

Kurapika sighed and stayed quiet for a moment, making my hopes for him to tell me much of anything disappear. I lowered my gaze and sighed, closing my eyes again. "When I was younger, I had a friend named Pairo." Kurapika began.

He's actually telling me a story?

"We were very close, I think I would've considered him to have been my best friend. We um, we used to climb trees together, we'd always have competitions on who was faster and who could climb higher. Sometimes we would fall from the trees, of course, and I would always get in trouble with my clan's elders. I'd be crying from the scrape on my arm while being scolded, and yet I'd always do it again. I wonder why that was... Are you asleep?"

I said nothing. I wasn't asleep, but when he talked about his clan, I felt incredible pain from his heart. Pain I never ever wanted him to feel.

I don't even have to touch your heart to know how much you're hurting...

After a moment Kurapika hummed, as if to answer his own question. "You're very dramatic, you know that? Complaining about noise yet being content when I'm talking, what sense does that make?"

None, to be quite honest.

Kurapika sighed and looked down to me again, his breath softly hitting the top of my head. "You are very quiet when you sleep, it's odd."

I'm sleeping, dummy, it's not supposed to be loud...

"You know, from the day I met you I knew we would get along well. Even when you didn't like me very much... I don't exactly know why I'm saying all this..."

No no no, keep going~

"It's just that, we are very different, but somehow we just, work. . . (y/n), whatever my soul is made of, I believe it was made to find yours."

...

... *screams internally, very very loud*

Authors note: CHILE ANYWAYS-