Archive of Our Own ^beta

As Kurapika had expected, his hiring had been a quiet occasion. No fuss was made; no great fanfare or trial. The Zoldyck Royal Family lost bodyguards all the time, so finding replacements was no big deal. At least, that's what Kurapika kept telling himself. Somehow that didn't help soothe his nerves.

He followed the head butler, Gotoh, down a dark hallway which lead (he hoped) to the staff rooms. Either that or they were merely disposing of him in some dark dungeon, Kurapika didn't like to dwell on the thought. He was a good fighter, but when it came to the Zoldyck's, he doesn’t really fancy his chances.

Gotoh suddenly stopped and Kurapika followed suit, imitating the man's stiff posture and stance. Gotoh didn't even glance back as he said; "Wait here. There are some traps I'll need to disable."

"Yes," said Kurapika softly, nodding slightly even though Gotoh couldn't see him.

He stood perfectly still as Gotoh walked off into the shadows. The minute he was gone and his footsteps had faded into silence, Kurapika pulled his phone from his pocket and typed out a brief text- he had a duty to his boyfriend after all.

I got the job. Make me dinner tonight?

He barely had to wait ten seconds before his phone buzzed softly with Leorio's reply.

Proud of you <3 How does pizza sound?

Perfect! Xxx

Kurapika smiled and slid his phone back into his pocket. He wasn't sure if there were any rules or regulations on phones. It was best not to find out.

His En picked up a faint presence and he looked up, chains instinctively wrapping themselves around his fingers. Gotoh was standing at the end of the hall, masked in shadows.The only sign that he was there at all was the flash of his glasses.

"Follow me."

Kurapika obeyed immediately, padding down the hallway with the soft footsteps of a cat.

"Oh, and phones aren't permitted while on the job unless to contact your colleagues and superiors. Of course, I shall assume that is what you were doing just now."

Wisely, Kurapika stayed quiet.

The two men silently made their way down further into the palace until they finally came to a stop outside a large, iron door. Gotoh pushed it open and a soft, yellow light flooded into the dark hallway.

"After you."

Kurapika hesitated before going in, but swallowed any doubts he had when he thought about what would happen if he didn't. He wanted this job. And his life.

The room was spacious and homely, if you could call a bodyguard room homely. It was furnished a bit like a one room apartment, with a kitchen on one side and a huge living room taking up the rest of the space. There were five other people in the room, lounging on various bits of furniture, engrossed in their own thing. Kurapika glanced at them each in turn, memorizing their faces and quickly assessing them. They barely glanced up.

"Everybody, this is the new bodyguard, Kurapika."

This time a few of them looked at him with slight curiosity. Kurapika stared straight ahead, chin raised. This was not the time for backing down- besides, his pride wouldn't allow it.

"Kurapika, I would like to introduce you to Canary. You will refer to her when you are in doubt. Also Amane and Hishita. You will be working with the on a daily basis. I advise you get properly acquainted."

Each of the butlers stiffened when announced, as if called to attention. Kurapika was surprised to see that they were all around his own age. Surely the Zoldyck's would've wanted people with more experience? He shrugged it off, supposing that they also decided based on potential. He could tell just by their powerful auras that these people were full of it.

"Hey, Kurapika." A bodyguard, Hishita, waved him over, a pack of cards in his hand. "You play?"

"A little," Kurapika confessed, though all he knew he'd been taught by Leorio and he, admittedly, was not the best teacher.

"Help yourself to the deck." He spat out a cigarette and crushed it with his finger. "Amane, Canary and I have just started a game."

Kurapika eyed the deck warily, aware of the butlers' gazes on him. It was all so wrong, all so unnatural. Wasn't this supposed to be hard work? Weren't they supposed to be guarding people? His fingers inched forwards. Just play along. Play along.

Suddenly the door burst open with a crash. Everyone in the room immediately leapt to their feet, looking alert. Kurapika hurriedly scrambled to compose himself. There was a girl in the doorway, slightly out of breath and hair falling from it's tight ponytail. She looked around the room with an expression similar to utter panic.

"Master Killua's been kidnapped!"

A heavy silence fell over the room like a light being switched off. No one moved. No one breathed. Kurapika blinked slowly, afraid to move more than that. Killua Zoldyck, the most promising of the Zoldyck children, the one to inherit the throne, had been kidnapped.

Kurapika swore he could hear his own heartbeat in the silence. The tension in the room was enough to to snap steel. This was definitely not a good way to start his first day.

"Again?"

Just like that, the tension in the room broke. Canary picked up a cane with an exasperated sigh and Gotoh put a hand over his eyes and muttered about something.

"Are you kidding me? I thought we talked about this. Goddamn brat, never listening to a word we say..."

"This has to be the third time this month!"

"I swear he does this on purpose."

Kurapika blinked again, though this time out of confusion. Again? What?... What?

"I suppose we better go get him," sighed Canary, putting her cards down on the table face down.

For a moment Gotoh looked resigned, then his eyes fell on Kurapika, still standing, lost in the middle of the room. A smirk etched it's way across his face and he held up a hand to stop Canary.

"No need. Kurapika can do it. We can count it as... a sort of initiation."

The other bodyguards started nodding enthusiastically and Kurapika felt like he'd been put under a spotlight. It took all of his will power not to shrink back and lose his calm.

"What do I have to do?"

Gotoh shrugged.

"Find where they've taken him. Wait outside. He'll come out when he's done."

"It's a waste of time really," said Amane.

Kurapika could only nod politely and leave the room, bewildered, confused and fighting off a mild headache.

***

It didn't take him long to find where Killua had been taken. The ransom note had certainly helped a lot. He looked up at the supposedly occupied building cautiously. Above him, storm clouds were starting to gather.

Gotoh had said to simply wait outside. Kurapika looked doubtfully up at the building again, but he wasn't one to disobey orders. If there were any signs that Killua was in immediate danger, he'd be up there in a flash. For now...

Kurapika sat down against the wall and pulled a small book out of his bag, flipping it to a random page and reading contently. Above him, he heard a shrill scream and he pulled his legs into his chest just as a man fell onto the ground directly where his feet had been.

Kurapika looked up. He estimated it to be... a thirty foot drop. No point checking to see if the man was still alive. So this was what the other bodyguards had meant. He reached out with En and was met with a strong presence that literally crackled with electricity. He drew back quickly. His attention flicked back to his book.

The screams and occasional downpour of bodies only lasted for another five minutes, just long enough for the weather to start spitting and thunder to roll somewhere in the distance. Kurapika sighed and wished that his nen ability had been something more practical like an umbrella, rather than chains that, to be honest, were pretty useless after he'd dealt with the Phantom Troupe.

"Hey."

Ah, he'd finished. Kurapika put down his book and stood up, staring down at the boy in front of him. He knew the face. Who wouldn't? Killua Zoldyck was a prince. Killua looked up at him with huge blue eyes and grinned. Electricity sparked.

"I guess you're the new bodyguard."

"Yes. My name's Kurapika."

Killua looked him up and down and nodded approvingly. He absentmindedly wiped a smear of blood off his hands onto his jeans.

"You'll do."

Kurapika smiled slightly. He supposed that was the highest praise he was ever going to get from the kid.

"Sorry I don't have an umbrella," Kurapika said, all regret and sincerity.

Killua shrugged.

"I like the rain."

They walked away, leaving the building and fifty or so corpses behind them. Kurapika pointed out his car and opened the door for Killua to slip inside. Kurapika let himself into the driver's seat but didn't start the car. His finger wound around one of his chains, again and again.

"Killua, if you don't mind my asking," He said slowly.

Killua looked up at him expectantly, making a sound of affirmation in the back of his throat. Kurapika paused, mulling over the best way to phrase the question in his head.

"If you can fight so well, why did you let yourself get kidnapped?"

Killua shrugged again, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"I get bored I guess." Kurapika nodded. "And..."

He looked around curiously and was surprised to see that Killua's face had gone bright red. Was it possible that he was embarrassed?

"Don't tell anyone this okay? Last person who tried to tell was killed before they even started their sentence!"

Despite Killua's threat, his face continued to glow redder and Kurapika suspected that the threat was merely to hide the fact that he was mortified at the secret he had yet to tell.

"I swear I won't Killua. I know how to keep secrets," Kurapika assured him.

"Good. You better." Killua looked away, carding a hand through his fluffy hair. "Being kidnapped is the only way I get to leave the house. It's the one thing my parents will accept-"

Kurapika frowned at how screwed up that was but allowed Killua to carry on.

"-So I let them believe that I'm just mucking around, making a name for myself. The truth is that about a year ago while I was escaping, I met this boy named Gon."

Killua's voice became slightly dreamy and his eyes softened so much that they practically melted Kurapika's heart.

"He's now my best friend in the whole entire world and also...my... my boyfriend. I've been sneaking out over the past year to see him, that was the plan today."

Suddenly Killua buried his head in his hands and groaned. Kurapika was sure that his blush had deepened if that were at all possible.

"I can't believe I just said something so embarrassing!" He moaned.

For a moment Kurapika was shocked into silence. Then he laughed. Killua looked up at him angrily and Kurapika laughed harder, one hand pushed against his mouth, the other clutching his stomach. Killua was so adorable!

"Hey! Cut it out! Stop laughing already."

Kurapika forced some control over himself, though it took a while. At last he looked earnestly at Killua who was looking slightly concerned for his sanity and said; "What were you and Gon planning on doing tonight?"

Worry flashed briefly across Killua's face and he looked at Kurapika for help.

"I don't know! Usually Gotoh or Canary give me dating advice."

So Gotoh and Canary were in on this too... Kurapika slipped his phone out of his pocket and looked thoughtfully at Killua who was nearly in a state of panic.

"Look, you don't have to do this, but my boyfriend is making pizza tonight if you and Gon want to join us. The apartment's quite big if you want your own space. I just don't want you to get caught in this storm."

On cue, lightning flashed.

"Pizza?"

"The best," Kurapika said with a hint of a smile.

"I'll call Gon. Thanks Kurawhatsit"

Kurapika really did smile this time. He sent a quick text to Leorio, hoping the news that the Prince and his boyfriend were coming over for pizza wouldn't shock him too much. Then again, not much fazed Leorio. Even royalty.

Kurapika glanced over at Killua who was in the middle of an excited phone conversation, undoubtedly with his boyfriend. Kurapika sighed. Today had definitely been an interesting first day at work.