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Kurapika’s twenty-seventh birthday came upon him suddenly.
He'd been a married man for nearly a year and principal dancer for nearly three, and until the morning of April fourth, time hadn't really caught up to him.
When he woke, he could suddenly feel every ache and pain in his body tenfold. His hips felt wrong and his knees felt loose and his feet felt like they'd been crushed.
He groaned as he sat up, scooting to lean back against the headboard. He looked around the dimly lit bedroom but couldn't see hide nor hair of his husband.
Light was beginning to pour in through the huge windows as the sun crept over the horizon. He reached over with a grunt to grab his phone to turn off his alarm and began scrolling through his birthday messages.
He eventually stood up from the bed and adjusted the way Leorio’s shirt sat on his body before slowly padding out of the room and to the staircase.
Oh. Oh boy.
Just the idea of going down those stairs made his joints ache.
He sighed and took them slowly. He got about halfway down and his bad ankle gave out. He cursed loudly as he caught himself on the railing.
There was the sound of something metal being slammed down and Leorio quickly appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
"Sunshine? Are you alright?"
"Um. I don't know. Can you-"
Without even waiting for him to finish, the doctor walked up the steps and squatted, letting Kurapika climb onto his back. He stood and adjusted his hold on his thighs before walking back down the way he came.
He let Kurapika off at the couch and stood back, crossing his arms with a concerned look on his face.
"Is it your ankle?"
Kurapika slumped back into the couch, running his fingers through his messy hair.
"My ankle and everything else… I feel like I've been hit by a train."
Leorio’s expression turned pensive.
"You know… maybe you should-"
"I'm not staying home."
Leorio looked exasperated but unsurprised.
"No one would blame you for taking the day off. It is your birthday."
"Leorio, I have classes to teach."
"Bisky can deal with them," Leorio knelt down and picked up Kurapika’s foot to examine his ankle, "Damn, this is really swollen babe."
"I'll live."
Leorio gave him a displeased expression from over his glasses.
" Kurapika. "
The dancer sighed and averted his gaze. Leorio was using his doctor voice. It was rare that he turned it on Kurapika but when he did, it meant there was no room for argument.
"Alright, fine. I'll stay home from the studio today. Are you quite satisfied Doctor Paladiknight?"
Leorio stood and leaned over to peck his forehead, "Extremely satisfied Mr. Paladiknight. Now call Bisky while I finish making your breakfast."
Kurapika tried to reach into his pocket for his phone and cursed when he realized that he was not, in fact, wearing pants.
"Leorio…"
"Yes dear?"
"My phone's upstairs."
Leorio snickered and ruffled Kurapika’s hair.
"I've got it baby, you just relax."
It was a little while after breakfast when Kurapika realized something.
"Are you not working today?" He asked as his husband offered him some medicine for his aches and pains.
"Nope. I took today off to prepare your birthday present for when you got home this evening."
That piqued his curiosity.
"Oh?"
Leorio nodded, wrapping an arm around Kurapika’s shoulders. The dancer leaned into him, looking up at him curiously.
"It might have to wait for another day, when you're less stiff and achy.
"What were you planning to do, exactly?"
Leorio sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "I was going to be really cheesy and decorate the place like a romantic restaurant, make you some spaghetti and finally let you teach me how to tango like you've been begging to do for ages."
Kurapika’s cheeks warmed and he felt something fluttery and pleasant settle in his chest.
"I would have liked that. Raincheck?"
"Raincheck. I'll still make you birthday spaghetti though."
The dancer’s smile widened and he nuzzled closer.
After a few minutes of silence, stuck in his own head, Kurapika spoke up again.
"Leorio… what if…"
"Mm?" Leorio rubbed circles into Kurapika’s bicep with his thumb.
"What if this is the beginning of the end of my career?"
Leorio stiffened against him and Kurapika turned his head to see him giving him a concerned expression.
"Sunshine… this is just one bad day. You work yourself to the bone all the time, it's got to catch up to you sometime," Leorio's arm tightened around him, "You're not falling apart yet. You've got time."
"I'm twenty-seven, Leorio."
"Yes. And?"
Kurapika curled into himself, “I feel… old .”
Leorio arched a brow, “If you’re old then what am I?”
“Ancient.”
“ Brat.”
Kurapika didn’t respond, fidgeting with the sleeve of his borrowed shirt.
“Baby?” Leorio lifted Kurapika’s chin, “Hey, talk to me. If you hold it in, it’s just going to fester.”
Kurapika chewed on his lips, averting his gaze.
"Can we go upstairs?"
"Of course, here-"
Leorio stood and scooped Kurapika up like he weighed nothing. Kurapika wrapped his arms around his neck as he began moving.
"I still admire how you can so easily climb these steps while holding me. Which one of us is the athlete?" Kurapika teased half-heartedly as they ascended the staircase.
Leorio snorted.
"Hey come on, I work out!"
One of Kurapika’s fingers delicately traced the musculature of his shoulders.
" I know you do. "
When they arrived at the bedroom, Leorio kicked the door closed behind them and strode over to delicately sit Kurapika down on the bed. He looked down at him skeptically.
“You’re all sore, do you really want-“
He trailed off as Kurapika reached up with grabby hands.
Leorio shrugged, unable to disguise the amusement on his face. He climbed onto the bed, settled between the dancer’s legs, and covered his torso like a blanket, resting his head on Kurapika’s chest.
Unlike Leorio, who preferred to hold his husband in his lap like a teddy bear when he was upset, Kurapika gained the most comfort from being squashed.
The doctor waited for Kurapika to settle and start petting his hair before speaking again.
“So? What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
The blonde let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts
“It’s weird, I don’t know if it’s just because it’s my birthday or what, but yesterday I felt fine and today I feel like I’m aging.”
“Well, Sunshine, it probably does have to do with the whole birthday thing but I also think it’s probably something that has slowly been surfacing for a while now. I know that you think a lot about how most dancers retire by thirty and you’re almost there.”
Kurapika’s hand stilled in Leorio’s hair.
“Yeah. I don’t… my body is starting to feel like it’s held together with tape. I just-“
Leorio went up on one elbow to look at him, waiting patiently for him to continue.
“I know my time is coming and deep down I know it won’t be for a few more years but I’m just starting to notice all these weird things about my body that I’d never noticed before. And I have...wrinkles now.”
Leorio took Kurapika’s hand in his own and rubbed his thumb against his knuckles.
“Well, speaking as a doctor, I’d have to say that the bodily issues are a matter to bring up with Melody,” Leorio let go of his hand to reach up and stroke Kurapika’s face, “And speaking as your husband, I have to tell you that you’re still just as beautiful as you were the day I found you in my bed. Those lines on your face aren’t deep enough to be classified as wrinkles yet.”
Kurapika’s cheeks flushed and he averted his gaze.
“Insufferable flirt.”
“Love you too.”
Kurapika sighed.
“I’ll talk to Melody.”
“Good,” Leorio scooted up a bit and kissed Kurapika’s jaw, “In the meantime, is there any way I can help you feel better? I can run you a bubble bath and give you a massage later?”
Kurapika’s lips twitched up at the corners and he settled his arms around Leorio’s shoulders.
“I would like that very much.”
“Would you like that before or after spaghetti?”
“Hmmm…. After...”
“Alright, sounds like a plan,” Leorio tried to stand up but was held in place.
“No.”
“No?” Leorio gave an amused grin and settled back down.
“No,” Kurapika held on to him tighter, burying his face in his neck.
“Just need to be squished a little longer?”
Kurapika nodded against his shoulder.
“Well, if the birthday boy wants to be squished, he shall remain squished.”
“Leorio…”
“Yes snugglepuff?”
“...If you ever call me that again I’m filing for divorce.”
Leorio burst into laughter and Kurapika couldn’t help but join him.
“Ahaha.. heh.. sorry babe. What is it?”
“I know this sounds stupid but I feel like I haven’t really accomplished enough.”
“It’s absurd, but not stupid. Honestly, I feel the same way sometimes.”
“Really? But you’re different, you.. with how you grew up and then getting into medical school and becoming a doctor? That’s such a big achievement.”
Leorio leaned back, looking at him incredulously, “Baby you’re the best ballet dancer in the country. You don’t think that’s on the same level if not higher?”
Kurapika bit his lip and shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know. I just feel like it’s not enough.”
“Well,” Leorio’s hand slid up and down Kurapika’s bare leg, “You are only twenty-seven and I am only thirty-one. I think we’ve still got plenty of time left to do whatever it is we want to do. After you retire, who knows? Maybe we could travel or something. I don’t need to be at the clinic all the time, especially since we’re going to hire a couple more physicians.”
“Traveling… wouldn’t be so bad…”
“And you know, maybe we could have a kid? I know you’re still undecided about it but I’m just throwing things out there. We’ve got time to do stuff.”
Kurapika nodded and sighed.
"Thanks, Leorio."
"No problem, Sunshine. I'm sorry your birthday has been such a downer."
"It's alright," he closed his eyes and sighed as Leorio kissed an apologetic trail up his neck, "Despite the whole crisis revolving around my birthday, I still can't really hate it all that much. Can you guess why?"
Leorio pulled away from his neck and smirked.
"Cause it's the anniversary of when we met again at the club."
"Precisely."
Leorio chuckled and pecked his lips.
"And you always call me the sap," the doctor twirled a lock of golden hair around his finger, "God, you looked so hot that night. When I saw you I knew I had to try to take you back home with me again or I'd regret it for the rest of my life."
"You are the sap. You know, when you pulled that line about wanting to be sober in case we slept together again, that is what made me actually want to sleep with you again."
"Then that line was a success."
"I suppose so," he sighed, "C'mere."
Leorio chuckled and leaned in to kiss him deeply. When he pulled away Kurapika chased his lips.
" Hey-"
"Is the medicine I gave you helping?"
"No but the kisses were. Get back here."
"You are incredibly spoiled."
"And whose fault is that?" The blonde arched a brow in challenge.
"Fair enough. Whatever you want, birthday boy."