Always (Kuroro Lucilfer) Chapter 7

 “I hate it when you're not around, and the fact that you didn't call.”

It had been exactly one month and three days since Kuroro left the hotel. He claimed it was a business trip that would take less than a week yet he hadn't returned. At first, you found yourself feeling angry that he had left you behind for so long - while he often left you behind for periods of time, he had never been gone quite this long.

Now you just wondered if he was still alive. As much as you hated to admit it, the thought made your heart clench painfully but, deep down, you knew he wasn't dead. He was far too much of a bastard to die, to leave you behind without someone around to torture you.

So where was he?

You had gotten used to spending your days alone, lost within your own thoughts and feelings so you had learned to stave off the loneliness. At least, that's what you told yourself, but you knew it was because of him. Every time the loneliness started to climb at the corners of your mind, he would suddenly appear before you as if he knew it was happening. You doubted he did, but it was nice to think about.

You pulled back the curtains, unlatching the sliding glass door so you could step out onto the balcony. The autumn air was cold, causing goosebumps to erupt across your skin. You had just pulled out a cigarette from the pack you had hidden within the pot of the cactus when your phone started to chime loudly from the bedside table.

Clicking your tongue, you stepped back inside, glancing at the caller ID. 'Why is Hisoka calling me?' You pressed the cold glass to your ear. "Hello?"

" Missing something? " came Hisoka's teasing voice, followed quickly by a terrifying laughter that sent chills down your spine. Or perhaps that was the cold wind blowing in behind you.

"What do you want, Hisoka?"

" You sound so impatient~ It's not like you have anything better to do. "

He was right, of course, and you hated it. "I'm hanging up."

" Kuroro is hurt. "

"What?" you snapped, your heart thumping loudly within your chest. "If you're joking, Hisoka, I -"

" Hm, if you want to find out, I suggest you head to the abandoned building on fifth. " And then the line went dead.

You wanted to believe that it was just one of his sick jokes, but the tone he had used along with the fact that Kuroro had been missing for so damn long... you had to at least check it out. And if that meant facing his wrath, that was fine with you, as long as he was alive.

Grabbing your jacket and keys, you quickly left the hotel, too impatient to take the elevator. Your feet stomped on the steps, echoing through the empty stairwell and your body nearly slammed into the door when you reached the lobby. The woman that was walking by jumped in surprise, her hand over her heart as she looked at you with wide eyes, but you didn't even notice her, making a beeline for the revolving glass door.

Fifth street was ten blocks away from the hotel, in a sketchy part of town where you definitely didn't want to be caught out alone. The worst of the worst called this place home, along with those unfortunate enough to have nowhere else to go. The houses were run down and ragged, most of them abandoned and boarded up to keep people out. Not that it actually stopped them.

An owl hooted from a tree nearby as you stepped into the cul-de-sac, eyes squinted against the darkness. He had claimed that the answer would be found in the abandoned house, but there were five abandoned houses here. Which one did he mean? Nothing really stuck out about any of them, either.

Your boots echoed down the quiet street as you walked down the pavement, trying to sense Kuroro's nen but you didn't sense anything. The sky was an inky black above you, the only light coming from the faint glitter of the stars that dotted it. The moon, however, was hidden behind a thick grey cloud, its light just barely visible around its edges.

'Guess I have to check them one by one. What a pain,' you scowled, stepping onto the overgrown grass in order to reach the front door of the house closest to you. After a quick inspection, you couldn't find a way to enter the boarded-up home so you moved on to the next house.

The boards on the door had been ripped off just enough to slip through. The house was pitch black, making you stumble for your phone to use its light. The house was pretty big and, as you looked up the large set of stairs leading to the second floor, you couldn't help but groan. 'This is gonna take forever...'

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Thirty minutes into searching, you found yourself at the house in the center of the cul-de-sac, the door having been cracked open. You used your phone to cast light over the dark house, trying not to cough at the sheer amount of dust that caked everything.

The floorboards on the second floor squeaked and you paused, straining your ears for any other sounds. When you heard nothing, you cautiously started up the stairs, pausing every time they creaked. When you reached the top of the stairs, your body tensed up when a wave of familiar nen rolled over you. It was so faint, but it was definitely Kuroro.

You nearly dropped your phone as you rushed down the hall toward the back bedroom, your shoulder slamming into the wood. Kuroro was lying on the floor, his white shirt stained with blood and his skin abnormally pale.

"Kuroro!" you rushed over, falling to your knees beside his body. Your hands shook his shoulder and his brow furrowed but he otherwise didn't make any other movements. "You're alive, thank god." 'But just barely... I need to get him back to the hotel.'

You slid your arms underneath his body, grunting when you lifted him up. He was heavier than you imagined, but you were strong enough to handle it, especially if it was for him. Your lips pressed against his forehead, arms tightening around his body. 'Please hang in there...'

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It had been a week since you returned to the hotel with Kuroro. His words had mostly been shallow, aside from two really deep ones - one on his right breast and the other on his left hip. It took a lot of stitches and bandages, but you finally got his wounds under control and he was stable, yet he still hadn't woken up.

And you hadn't slept, staying by his bedside without fail. Nothing else mattered to you, all you wanted was Kuroro to open his eyes. You frowned, sliding to the edge of the chair so you could brush your hand through his black hair, knotted with dried blood. The pads of your fingers brushed down to his cheek.

"Why didn't you call me?" you spoke softly, your thumb running beneath his eye. "I know I'm not that strong, but... I could have done something. Maybe then you'd... you'd be..." you cursed and hung your head, bottom lip tugged tightly between your teeth.

If he didn't wake up... no, you couldn't even bring yourself to think about it.