Kurapika was never planning on telling you that he had caught the Hanahaki disease. He didn't want you to worry yourself over him. No, the fact that you found out was completely accidental. In fact, he was in complete disbelief himself when he first found out.

He was talking with Leorio at the time, walking down the sidewalk towards their normal cafe hangout. It was a cold winter day, their breath visible as they spoke with each other.

"-Yeah I talked to Gon on the phone earlier and he told me to tell you he says 'hi'. He's still traveling around with Ging," Leorio continues his conversation with his friend, narrowing his eyes as he says 'Ging'.

"Oh, is that so? I should call him sometime," Kurapika says, making a mental note to himself to call his good friend later.

Leorio nods to this, a smug grin on his face as he says, "So, you do know how to use your phone? I couldn't tell since you never return my calls."

Kurapika only shoots him a death glare in response.

"Oh, didn't you hang out with (Y/N) last night?" Leorio questions his friend, quickly trying to change the topic, "How is she?"

"She seems to be doing very well. We spent a lot of time together catching up," He thinks back to the time he spent with you, a smile gracing his features without him realizing it, "I enjoyed it a lot."

"You two always got along really well, so I'm not surprised," Leorio points out, elbowing his friend while winking, "What else did you two do?"

Kurapika only rolls his eyes at his friend's ridiculous insinuations, "You truly do have a dirty mind. We merely caught up and had dinner together."

"Sounds like a date to me.."

Kurapika is quick to narrow his eyes at him, "Do not be ridiculous."

"Did you pay for dinner, too?" Leorio asks him, his smug grin never leaving his face.

"Well, yes, but I insisted that I pay for it," Kurapika starts, beginning to feel annoyed by his friend's antics, "Quit looking at me like that."

"So, you and (Y/N)-

"Quit it."

"You can tell me anything, you know," Leorio says, playfully elbowing him again.

"There is nothing for me to tell you," He gives him a cold side glance, "So, stop this."

"Come on, I won't judge you! (Y/N) is really pretty so I can understand why you like her," Leorio starts, ignoring the violent aura Kurapika is now giving off, "And she's so nice and caring! Oh, and funny!"

"I have already warned you to qui-" Kurapika is cut off as he feels a tickle in his throat, and coughs violently into his hand. When he looks down at his open palm, his eyes widen at the several brilliant red rose petals now resting in his hand.

He instantly knows what is happening. He's read about this disease in several books.. Hanahaki disease. And as far as he knows, it could be lethal. He has never dreamed that this would happen to him, but as he peers down at the petals in his hand, he has to believe it.

"Sorry, Kurapika!" Leorio exclaims after Kurapika has quit coughing, "I'll stop now, I mean it!" He takes notice of the petals in his friend's open palm, "Wait... Is that..? Kurapika, you need to see a doctor."

"I know, and I intend to. Do not mind me," He lets go of the petals, allowing them to fly past them in the wind, "Let's get some lunch, and then I will call the hospital."

"Oh okay," Leorio seems sad now, his excited mood from earlier completely wiped from his being, "How long have you had it?"

"I have not. It seems to have just developed."

Leorio's eyes widen as he realizes he must have helped Kurapika understand or at least acknowledge his unrequited feelings for you. "I'm sorry, Kurapika. It's partly my fault."

"No, don't say such foolish things. I will handle this, so don't feel the need to stress about me," Kurapika says, offering his tall friend a reassuring smile, "Let's go, before we miss the lunch special."

"Oh yeah, you're right!!" Leorio has taken off running down the sidewalk, leaving Kurapika in his dust.

Kurapika only rolls his eyes and chuckles at his friend's behavior, before his face becomes more stoic again. 'Hanahaki disease...? I need to take care of this quickly.'

Kurapika could never forget the day that you found out about his condition. He did everything in his power to protect you, to keep you from finding out about it. But much to his chagrin, it happened, despite his interference.

He had decided to visit your apartment to have dinner together. You insisted that he come over and try some new recipes that you found on the internet. He was sitting across from you at your dinner table, chatting, while eating dinner.

"I'm glad that you had some free time to spend with me! It seems like you're very busy lately," You say to the blonde-haired man, as you pick at the food on your plate with your fork.

"Of course. I always put aside time to spend with you," He replies with a smile, already feeling a velvety sensation in his throat. He's hasty to take a drink of water to quell the petals from rising up his esophagus, "I apologize that I could not spare more for you."

You find yourself instantly smiling back at him, his happiness is contagious. It's not often that you get to see Kurapika so happy, so you cherish the smile on his face. "Don't apologize. I totally understand! I'll always be here for you, regardless."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Of course. Always. I've been here for you since the beginning. I'll always support you and care about you no matter what," The genuine smile on your face is only making the petals in his throat more noticeable.

He stifles a small cough into his hand, trying to casually play it off, "That is very kind of you, (Y/N). I very much appreciate that."

"It's no problem at all," You suddenly recall what Leorio told you the other day, and decide to bring it up to him, "Leorio told me you had a crush on someone? Is that true? You should tell them how you feel!"

His eyes widen slightly, as he stammers out in disbelief, "Ex- Excuse me??" 'Damn you, Leorio. Did you really think this would help with my condition at all??' He tries to hold in his cough, but the petals are too much for him. He picks up a napkin and begins to violently cough up several red rose petals, accompanied by some blood. 'Dammit...!'

He looks down, avoiding your worried eyes. His gaze suddenly refuses to leave the petal and blood covered napkin. 'Vibrant red rose petals to match my scarlet eyes. How ironic,' He finds himself thinking to himself, while he waits for your silence to end.

"Kurapika... How long have you had Hanahaki?" You question him, trying to keep your voice from sounding too shaky, "And why didn't you tell me?" Your body is trembling at this revelation, and although, you're trying to hide it, the Kurta man has already noticed.

"Several months now," He says, and he finally starts to look up to meet your concerned gaze, "But don't stress. I have already set up my surgery to have it removed," He forces a small smile on his face, "Therefore, I will be fine."

"Oh, okay.. I'm glad to hear that then," You let out a small sigh of relief, before furrowing your brow in confusion, "But I don't understand how someone wouldn't feel the same way about you."

'You are too kind for your own good, (Y/N),' Kurapika thinks to himself, as he coughs out more petals into his napkin, "Let's not speak of this. It will only make it worse. Once I have the surgery, there will be nothing to worry about."

"When is your surgery?" You wonder, a look of genuine concern on your face, "I hope it's very soon. I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

He nods, swallowing the petals in his throat, "I see the doctor next week. Nothing bad will happen to me so don't worry yourself sick over me, (Y/N)." He tries to think of a way to change the subject, before coming up with, "This meal is delicious. You should teach me how to cook it sometime."

Thankfully, that's all it takes for you to let this subject go, and you two enjoy the rest of your dinner together. He's grateful that you let the matter go without a fight, but he can't forget how worried you looked when you saw him spew out flower petals into his napkin. Your concerned eyes and trembling movements will be forever etched in his mind.

The next week came quickly, and he soon found himself in the doctor's office, waiting to speak with his surgeon. After several minutes of reading a random magazine in the waiting room, the surgeon finally called for him.

He follows the surgeon closely down the hospital hallway, entering the room behind him. The surgeon motions for him to sit down on the lab table as he speaks to the Kurta man. He looks down at his clipboard, nodding his head as he speaks.

"Yes, Hanahaki is quite a terrible disease. It sounds like you've had this disease for quite some time now," He scribbles something down on the clipboard, "It's good that you opted to get the surgery. A lot of people end up refusing it."

"Yes, I can understand why, however, this is necessary. The person I care about most is worried about me and does not wish for me to die, so I will do anything in my power to make that possible," He explains to him, although his gut is churning.

The man looks up from the clipboard, offering him a sad smile, "What a noble cause. You'd be willing to forget every memory and all of your feelings for the person that you love most just to make them happy? I do respect that."

Kurapika's eyes widen, and his expression of shock is easily readable, but he doesn't seem bothered by that at this moment, "Wait, what do you mean? I was never made aware that I would lose all of my precious memories of (Y/N)."

"Oh? My secretary didn't tell you?" His smile instantly drops as he explains to him, "Your condition has progressed so far that the only way to stop it would be to remove all of your feelings and memories of this person."

"...I see." Kurapika is silent now, lost in thought as he considers what he should do. 'Lose all of my memories of (Y/N)...? Is this something that I could actually bear? I cherish every moment I have with her, and I could not picture my life without her.'

His thoughts are interrupted as his surgeon clears his throat and speaks again, "I can reschedule your appointment for you. I know this can be a lot to take in-"

"There is no need. You can cancel my appointment entirely. The surgery will not be necessary."

The surgeon stands up, nearly dropping his clipboard in shock, "A-are you sure?? Your life is in danger!"

"I am certain. Is there anything that could slow down the progression of this disease?" Kurapika asks, his facial expression stoic again.

"Supposedly, if you distance yourself from this person, it could slow down the disease. But your death would still be inevitable," The surgeon explains to him, "I urge you to get the surgery!"

"That will not be happening. I will distance myself from (Y/N) as I can't bear to part with our precious memories together," He stands up from the lab table, and walks towards the door, "Thank you for all of your assistance, but we will not be seeing each other again. Take care." He leaves the room, closing the door behind him, while the surgeon watches on in disbelief.

The surgeon plops down in his computer chair, letting out a defeated sigh, "This job doesn't get any easier... That man... He was so stubborn. I hope (Y/N) is worth it."

Kurapika did as he said he would. He blocked your number and moved to a different apartment. He also asked, no, begged Leorio not to say anything about this to you. He went on with his life as normal for several months, not breathing a word to you, although, he couldn't help but worry about you often. His condition did seem to stop progressing as quickly, but he knew he most likely wouldn't live for much longer.

One night, he just couldn't remove you from his thoughts, his mind replaying pictures of your face over and over again. "I wonder how she is doing? Surely, she is doing great and is happy. But what if...? What if something happened to her? Would I ever know? Maybe I should just walk by her apartment and make sure?'

On the inside, he knows this isn't his most logical idea, but his gut is telling him that he has to go. His emotions are driving him towards your apartment. He walks by, merely glancing in the window, and looking confused when the lights are off and you're nowhere to be found. 'Did she go out? It is already so late, where could she have possibly gone? Perhaps, she is asleep. Yes, that has to be it.'

He turns around to walk away and nearly crashes into you, almost knocking your groceries from your hands, "...(Y/N)." He breathes out your name in surprise, but he can't stop the soft smile from forming on his face, "I missed you."

"Kurapika! I missed you, too! You must have been very busy, like Leorio said," You start, looking overly pleased to see him, "You should come in and visit for a moment."

"Oh, I should be going, actually," He should turn away and leave, go back to his new apartment, and try to forget about you, but he can't bring himself to do it. He just can't. Especially when you're giving him such a disheartened look, "Actually, let me help you carry those. I suppose that I can visit you for a bit." He takes a few bags of groceries from your hands.

"Really? Thank you!" Your overjoyed look brings Kurapika more happiness than you could ever realize.

He helps you carry your groceries inside, and helps you put them away, as well. Afterward, he sits beside you on the couch. He watches you with love in his eyes as you excitedly tell him about everything that has happened to you since he disappeared.

'This was a good decision. And my condition does not seem to have worsened at all. Is it almost gone?' He thinks to himself, only coming back to his senses when you call out his name.

"-Kurapika, how have you been?" You wonder, genuine curiosity obvious in your eyes, "I was really worried about you. I thought something happened to you at first, but Leorio told me that you were just very busy."

"I have been doing fine. I have a lot of work to do, but I wanted to check on you and make sure that you were doing well," He explains to you with a small smile on his face, "And I am glad to see that you have."

You watch him worriedly as you question him, "And how was your surgery? Did it go well?"

He was not prepared for this question in the slightest. Letting out a deep breath, he looks down for a moment, before his gaze falls back on you, "I opted against it. I could not bear to lose the memories of the person that I hold closest to me."

"R-really? Are you okay??"

"I am fine. My condition has not been progressing as of late," He says, before mentally slapping himself. 'Did I make that too obvious? Is she going to understand how I feel about her?' He thinks to himself, as he watches for your reaction.

Instead, you let out a relieved sigh, and offer him a warm smile, "I'm so glad. Maybe it went away then. I'm so happy that nothing bad has happened to you. I'm not sure what I would do without you."

And just like that, the velvety, tickling sensation has returned in his throat. He swallows harshly, trying to push the feeling aside as he talks to you, "I understand that feeling very well."

"No matter what, I'll never leave your side or stop caring about you. You're my closest friend."

The sweet smile on your face, and look of utter happiness in your eyes is enough to bring the petals further up his throat. He quickly stands up to try and leave, muttering, "I really should be goi-"

He is unable to finish his sentence as he starts hacking violently, rose petals and blood spewing from his lips. But something is different this time. This time he can't catch his breath, no matter how many rose petals he coughs out. He crumples to the ground on his knees, gasping for air.

You jump up from the couch, and rush to help him, "Kurapika! Just hold on!"

You're now on the ground behind him, doing the Heimlich maneuver to try and clear the petals from his throat. Thankfully, this works and he's able to breathe once again.

He lets out shaky breathes as he watches the rose petals and blood pooling into his open palms. If it weren't for you, he would have died right then, and he's sure of that. Before he can continue his thought, you complete it for him.

"You- you don't have much time left... Do you?" You stammer out, your body trembling in fear.

"None at all, it would seem," Kurapika starts, looking down at his hands with an unreadable expression present on his face, "In that case," He looks back up at you, a genuine smile forming on his bloodstained lips, "It is an honor to die by you, (Y/N)."

Your eyes widen and you quickly question him in disbelief, "What do you mean??"

"I know this is selfish of me, (Y/N), and I apologize. I believe that you deserve to know of my true feelings for you."

"True feelings..?"

"I have had deep feelings for you for a long time now. I never could bring myself to tell you how I feel," He looks down, avoiding your gaze, "I could not bear to bring you down with me. I have no future, therefore happiness is unattainable for me." He swallows the petals that are trying to force themselves back up his throat, before looking up at you again and offering you a small smile, "Thank you for allowing me to be your friend."

Hot tears are now running down your cheeks after hearing his confession, but you quickly argue back, "That's not true! You have a future!! You always have and you just don't realize it! I- Your friends- We all want you to be happy and will do anything for you!"

Kurapika's eyes widen slightly and his mouth parts in surprise, "I appreciate your kind words, (Y/N)." He coughs lightly into his hand, more petals spewing out of his mouth.

"And not just that-!" You inch closer to him, your cheeks turning a light pink shade, "I feel the same way about you!"

Kurapika watches you in disbelief, before letting out a sad chuckle, "You do not need to lie on my account, (Y/N). That will only make this worse."

"I'm not lying!" You bark at him as the tears continuously stream down your face, "I've had feelings for you for a while, but I knew how busy you were. I knew you had a solid goal and I didn't think you would want my feelings and emotions getting in the way of it, so I locked them away and tried not to acknowledge them."

"(Y/N).." Kurapika can feel his heart shattering into pieces as he hears the desperation evident in your voice.

"I mean it, Kurapika! I have feelings for you! You can use your dowsing chain to check if I'm lying- Or you can use your judgment chain on me!" You desperately plead with him through your loud sobs.

"(Y/N)," He's shocked by your desperate pleas, "I would never use my nen on you."

"You have to believe me!"

"I believe you. I have known you long enough to know when you are lying to me," He looks away again, his eyes now a scarlet hue and his hands clenched into tight fists, "I just.. cannot understand it." You are barely able to notice the tears falling from his eyes, "Why would someone like you have feelings for me? I have done nothing to deserve your affection. I pushed you away so many times.."

"You didn't need to do anything to deserve my affection. You have always had it," you place your hands on top of his clenched fist, a genuine smile on your face even though you are still crying, "Kurapika Kurta, I am in love with you."

Kurapika becomes acutely aware of how the flower petals in his throat have seemingly disappeared and his breathing seems to have normalized. He takes a deep breath, before looking up at you with a warm smile, "(Y/N) (L/N), I am so deeply in love with you and I will do anything and everything in my power to make you happy."

"Then you don't need to do anything besides live."

"Thanks to you, it looks like that will not be a problem at all," He unclenches his fist and gently takes both of your hands in his.

Your eyes widen and you question him in disbelief, "Does that mean-??"

Kurapika lets out a soft chuckle and nods, "It seems as if you've cured me."

The tears begin streaming again, not from sadness, but from joy this time. You practically jump into his lap, your arms wrapped tightly around his neck as you sob into his chest, "I'm so happy..! I didn't want you to die!! I was so scared that I would lose you!"

Kurapika is caught off guard by your sudden show of happiness but gently moves to rest his hands on your back, holding you close to him.

"Please don't leave me!! And don't scare me like that again!!" You continue to sob into his chest, your hot tears staining his jacket.

Kurapika moves one hand to your head, gently running his hand through your hair, "I will never leave you and that is a promise," his voice is firm, yet soft as he says this.

He can't help but feel his stress melt away as he holds you close to him, never planning to let you go. This wasn't how he was expecting this night to end, and hell, he still doesn't believe that he deserves this, but having you so close to him... It just feels so right.