soul_logs | Special Delivery

Characters:

alphaspider
Location: 11F Corridor, Casualty Communal
Rating: G
Time: Midday, December 24
Description: Rhode is doing deliveries for Christmas presents, but things get entertaining when she stops by to see her first Death City friend.

It was absolutely freezing outside, but Rhode had bundled up in her warmest jacket and boots before venturing out into the snow and ice. She'd spent far too long on making all of these presents to let them sit around the apartment until after the holiday had passed. Her deliveries went one apartment at a time, setting them outside the door and ringing the bell before scurrying off.

At last, she reached the doorway to Kuroro and Kurapika's apartment (after far too many stairs; really, who lived on the eleventh floor of anything?) and ran to the door. Hitting the bell, she stood back, smiling and rocking back on her heels. Kuroro was going to be so happy to see her after all this time, and she was certain that he would love the presents that she had made for him and his partner.

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Damn right he doesn't. The glossy black front of the microwave oven reflected the face Kurapika made as he pressed buttons and set the timer--fifteen seconds, according to Rhode. He punched the start button and watched the turntable inside, listened to the hum of the device.

"I've always been cute, but Mukuro doesn't try to crush me!"

Despite her protests, Rhode's little pout was fading into an expression of absolute bliss as she relaxed into his grip. She did adore this sort of attention, and it had been ages since anyone had truly smothered her with affection. Physical contact was the main way she bonded with people, after all, and Kuroro swinging her around like a stuffed animal was doing a splendid job of soothing her gift-giving nerves.

"... But if you're nice about it, I suppose it's alright."

"Mukuro's not as cuddly as I am, and besides, he's a pineapple," Kuroro pointed out, continuing with his smothering like it was commonplace to see two such evil masterminds such as themselves in this sort of situation. As long as no one had a heart attack at the scene, why not? Or hey, wouldn't it be wonderful if Kanda had an apoplexy?

"I'm always nice about it. You should ask Kurapika how nice I am all the time." Nevermind that time when he'd nearly gotten the both of them frozen to death by trolling Kurapika with images of them in bed together.

Kurapika might be close to having an apoplexy, actually. This was rather disgusting to watch--of the disgustingly sweet variety. Well, it was good that Rhode was enjoying herself, but where did that leave him? It was always difficult to reconcile the Kuroro in Death City with the Kuroro who'd beaten him to near death two years ago.

"I'm not going to answer if she asks." Or rather, he wasn't going to lie about this.

"He's cuddly when he's sleeping," she protested, resting her head on her chest for a moment and letting her hair fall forward as she was rocked about. When she looked up again, she flipped it back, so it was sticking up- But it wasn't quite as effective as it had been when it was shorter, only some of the top bits really staying up while the rest fell around her shoulders. "And when he's not walking around. You just don't know him well enough to judge."

"When he's sleeping," Kuroro echoed with incredulity. "And of course I know him well enough. We're similar, aren't we?" In all the integral things, at any rate, but Kuroro suspected that he was far more easygoing than the other meister. He glanced at Kurapika. And leered.

Kurapika at this point had turned around with the larger plate of heated tarts in one hand and three sets of saucers and forks in the other hand, so he saw the leer Kuroro threw at him quite clearly.

"Stop looking at me like that," he said flatly.

"You're happier."

It was a rather odd observation, but Rhode didn't quite know how to verbalize that major difference between her own Meister and Kuroro. Even after all this time, she was still quite aware of the cool distance that Mukuro put between himself and everyone else, even her, though it had gotten better over the past few months. Kuroro was playful and overtly affectionate, while Mukuro was subtle, smooth and quiet.

She liked them both, of course, but sometimes she wanted to be absolutely fawned over, and Kuroro was the best solution for that; he was like a puppy, and it made her feel terribly special.

"Looking like what?" Rhode tried to look over her shoulder to get a glimpse of what Kuroro was doing, curious.

Kuroro could match his outward behavior with the person he was with and didn't think anything about making the effort to do so. That was probably the main difference between them, if he thought about it. Kuroro could murder hundreds without losing his pleasant smile and come home to dinner and a drink with the Ryodan twelve hours later.

He could also fuss and play and cuddle with someone without denting his reputation, yes. It was a skill.

"Like I'm going to eat him, I guess," he answered in return, because Kuroro was safe from any thwacks Kurapika could give while Rhode was in the room.

Indeed, he couldn't get at Kuroro without going through Rhode, and so he was left with the option of giving the older man a disgusted look. How was it that Kuroro could ply Rhode with affection like it was nothing on one hand and troll other people as effectively at the same time on the other hand?

Special Delivery

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