(A/N) Sweet cake, the middle portion of this is mushy. *dies* But I like it. ^^ I do like how this came out; it's kinda long, but I think that's a good thing. I loved writing it.

A huge thank you shout out to Bai-Feng333! Everybody should head over and check her out, as well as this awesome video she posed on YT, "Change my Name KuraxSen." I cannot tell you how many times I watched it while writing this. :D

Anyways, thanks to everyone else who's been reading, too. :) If you haven't left a review yet, I'd love to hear what you thought of the story. And I hope everyone enjoyed the conclusion of Moving Forward!

"…Kurapika…"

Her voice startled me, and my already unsteady steps faltered, sending me crashing to my knees. I felt her hand reach around, finding the spot above my heart, tracing a gentle pattern there.

"What a sweet sound," she murmured, and then made a half-hearted motion to get free. "Let me look at you."

Obediently I let her slide from my back, then twisted around so that I sat before her; though she stood, her legs were unsteady, and soon she surrendered herself to my waiting arms.

"I could hear it," she whispered, "this whole time, you know? Your heart… your words… I thought they might be… dreams, but they're real."

I stiffened, my heart skipping at the repercussions of her words- she had heard my struggle, my doubt as I wrestled with the need to rescue her and what that would do to my own purpose in life. I felt guilt surge through me at all the awful indecision she would have witnessed, and unworthiness cut me like a knife.

"I don't deserve to love you." The admission came out suddenly, softly, uncontrollably. "But I do. I do love you."

Melody shook her head. "Kurapika… Kurapika, to think it could exist…! To think I had never even heard of it…"

I bit my lip. "Yes. Yes, I know."

"Now I can love you back."

I felt my insides grow hot with some unfathomable emotion; I took her hand in mine, kissed it, all the while feeling so damnably blessed.

"But how can you touch me, even now?" Her whispered question caught me by surprise, and I looked down, suddenly aware that I was at a disadvantage- her emotions were much better hidden than mine, but I could read the angst in her lovely face.

"What do you mean?" I asked honestly, and she looked away.

"… The Sonata… it's different, now that we have the Sonata," she said, attempting to explain. "But… if it wasn't for that… we could never have had this conversation. I couldn't let myself love you without that song, and you couldn't hold me like this. If I was-"

"No." Suddenly I saw her line of thought, that horrible path she was treading down. "No, that's not true." I groped in my pocket with my free hand, pulling out the golden notes. "With or without some… some piece of paper. It doesn't matter to me what you look like, not one scrap. I'll… I'll tear this up, and still love you." Replacing the music in my pocket- for I wouldn't dream of actually following through on my dramatic threat –I hugged her tightly to my chest, feeling the poison seep from her body like black miasma, and I even embraced that. "It doesn't matter."

Then she was crying, softly, and then so was I, and we held each other as tightly as we could bear.

… … …

I never went back to the Nostrade's mansion that night, after my final confrontation with the Phantom Troupe. Today I don't even know if Chrollo Lucifer is alive or dead, and I don't know if I care. I've seen Hisoka once, and he asked me if I wanted him to tell me… but I didn't. So he didn't.

It's only been two months, although it feels like so much more. I suppose I shouldn't be acting like anything is over; it's probably not. I'll probably happen upon Chrollo Lucifer again one day, if he's still alive; I'll probably find someone who doesn't want to give up their set of Scarlet Kurta eyeballs, and I'll have to pull out my chains once again.

I know I'll see Gon and Killua again, and trouble follows them like the plague. So I know I'll get dragged into something again. Leorio's already teasing me about my quiet life, and about being more of an old man then he is. I suppose I don't want to be young anymore; I suppose I do want a quiet life, after all I've been through. I'd like to think I have a right to it.

But I don't. And I know adventure or something less appealing- tragedy, perhaps –will find me, no matter how well I hide. It would probably be wise to head back to the employment of the Nostrides, and have at least the familiarity of my post there, or seek out some similar mode of service, for the sake of my mission, which I have in no way given up.

But for now, at this moment, I'm content. I live like I imagined I would, in my earliest years nursed on the stories and familial love of my clan; I live simply. I earn my bread by honest labor and, when I come home, I'm greeted by my other half. And as I lay here, even now, she presses gently on my shoulders, coaxing me down onto the bed.

"Let me listen you your heart," she whispers, pressing her ear to my chest and allowing her head to rest there. "Let me listen to it, like I used to."

I smile as she cuddles into me; I hold her tightly to me, one arm at the small of her back and the other stroking her silky hair. We're happy. She dances, now, for me, and I with her. I'm bad at it, partner dancing, but I'm learning, and she's patient with me. She's teaching me a lot of things, like how to play the flute. I'll never be as good at it as she is, though; no one could equal the type of music she creates, not even close. And it's me she plays for; it's me who's blessed to bask in that light.

I don't pretend I deserve it. But I'm grateful; I'm so impossibly grateful that it hurts.

And I don't regret anything. Not one thing.

Yes, trouble- rather, adventure –will find me- will find us –again, but until then, I think I'll simply enjoy the feel of her against me, and I'll love her with every ounce of energy I've got. She's been through so much, she's the one who deserves everything, and I'll give her everything I have, willingly and happily.

Yes, I'll keep letting her listen to my heartbeat, until the time comes when we have to fight again. I hope that time never comes, although I know better than to let hope get the better of me. However, it's easy to get lost in the moment, with the feel of her soft skin and the scent of her hair clouding my senses. It's so easy to get lost in my emotions, my love, with her lips on mine, something we both would have sworn was impossible.

But the Sonata of Light rings in our ears. And the Darkness, I have to believe, never stood a chance against the love that exists between us- the love that defies every convention, even now, and the love that made me forsake the vengeance that had sustained me for years.

I never knew what love could do- what love could mend –until I met Melody.

… And now I'm at a loss as to how to end this story. Perhaps with a short anecdote… it happened not long after the two of us settled in an apartment, not long after the Sonata had made her whole again. Only a week had gone by, and we were still growing accustomed to the new flavor things had taken on. I had, in my total concentration, inadvertently cut myself off from the whole world; it was only natural that certain people would start to worry.

"What happened?" Leorio demanded, almost deafening me through the receiver. "Y-you just vanished! Are you alright?"

As soon as he let me get a word in edgewise, I sighed. "I'm fine. Something just," a glance at Melody, "came up."

"You don't sound well," he fretted, and I rolled my eyes.

"Mother hen," I chided. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

"You're more than tired!" he insisted. "You're using contractions!"

I burst out laughing before I could stifle it, nearly dropping the phone. But I ran out of breath quickly, still frail of body from my week and a half in the airshaft. I heard the jingling of bells she wore around her wrists and ankles as Melody rose, wrapping her arms around me in a concerned fashion. Leorio, on the other end of the phone line, had a similar reaction.

"I'm coming over!" he said, leaving no room for argument. "You sound really bad." And with that he hung up.

He called again, five minutes later, to ask where, exactly, I was.

… … …

I lay on my back, hands folded on my chest, listening to the soft flute wash around me in a gentle tide; there was no master of the instrument like Melody, and eventually it stirred me to my feet. Her eye- beautiful, milky brown eyes –opened at my approach, and I caught her hand, ending the music.

"Dance with me," I whispered, drawing her to her feet with a soft jingling of bells. "Melody…"

"Mm." Wrapping her arms around me with that soft sound of contentment, she let me guide her about the living room, the music in our hearts singing in unison as we danced. Her hair smelled of snowy pine, and her body was soft, pressed against mine. She was pure, so blessedly pure.

The knock at the door was insufferable. "Ignore it," I murmured, but it came again, more insistent, and then again, the third time accompanied by a shout.

"Kurapika! You've got ten seconds! Then I'm gonna assume you're unconscious in there and kick in the door!"

With a groan of annoyance, I released Melody, stomping to the door and choosing to ignore the chuckling of the girl behind me. Wrenching it open, I didn't have time to react as Leorio- presumably in an attempt to break into my house –plowed clean into me. We both went tumbling backwards, rolling in a mess of limbs and curses to finally come to a stop. Melody was laughing, uncontrollably now, and even at such a moment the sound soothed me.

Leorio- presumably reacting to the unexpected female voice –sprang to his feet with no heed for me. I saw his eyes, fallen upon Melody, widen, and his face flushed pink.

"W-w-w-w-w-w-wellll…! A-and who might you be?"

I was inclined to hit him, informing the moron briskly that he had met Melody before, and it was foul of him not to recognize her and- on top of it! –be such a pig. But the girl, with a bemused smirk and twinkling eyes, seemed willing to play along.

"So pleased to meet you," she said with mock politeness, offering her hand. Leorio took it, with a jingling of bells, and kissed its back.

"The pleasure is all mine," he said gallantly, and I almost burst out laughing. Melody was content to continue the charade, however.

"Won't you come and sit down?" she asked, waving her hand. "I'll make some tea?"

"I-I'll make the tea!" the medical student said quickly, rushing into our kitchen. I winced at a loud crash but Melody caught my eye and winked. I realized suddenly that she was enjoying this, this moment of normalcy after so long. So I let it continue, though I mourned for my dishes. A few moments later Leorio reappeared.

"So polite," Melody commented, although I couldn't resist muttering, "You're paying for my china," but Leorio only saw me as a means to an end.

"So who is this, Kurapika?" he asked, and I shrugged.

"Oh, someone from work," I sighed, and no realization dawned in his eye, though surprise did.

"Really now? A flower like yourself is a Blacklist Hunter?"

He's pouring it on thick, I thought with a raised eyebrow, but Melody was enjoying his doltish attentions, and the playful looks she kept shooting me prevented the jealousy from becoming overwhelming.

"Yes. I do enjoy my work. Though Kurapika and I are taking an… unscheduled vacation." She sipped at her tea, as did I, though she was much better at hiding her displeasure at the unskilled taste of it.

"She had knowledge of my true purpose," I added, curious to see if Leorio could put two and two together and come up with something other than five.

"So what's your purpose?" he asked, responding to me only in the context of her.

"Well… Kurapika recently helped me achieve it, so now my purpose is helping him." Her eyes shone in a way that made me want to hold her tightly and never let go, but I restrained myself, enjoying Leorio's bewildered expression; he was beginning to realize that he was the target of a gigantic joke, but couldn't yet grasp it.

"R-Really? Well… I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you."

There was a moment of silence- extremely uncomfortable for Leorio, nearly gleeful for the two of us –and I could barely keep from laughing. Finally the medical student stood, looking from one of us to the other.

"Okay, what is going on?" he asked, his voice plaintive. "There's somethin' I'm not getting here!"

That was all it took; choking slightly as I did so, I clapped my hand over my mouth and doubled over with laugher; Melody joined me after only a moment, and Leorio gave a little sound of distress. Rising slowly, I moved to where Melody sat, stifling my amusement long enough to press my lips into her soft hair, whispering loudly, "Should we tell him?"

"Tell me what?" the medical student cried.

"Go ahead," Melody said playfully, and I grinned.

"We're thinking about April for the wedding," I announced gleefully, watching as his expression turned from plaintive to horrified to shocked to embarrassed.

"That's not what we need to tell him!" Melody chided playfully, shoving my shoulder lightly. "Leorio, we've met before, you and I."

"… … … Melody?" When he finally blurted it out, I couldn't resist tapping my spoon on my teacup.

"Ding, ding, ding! Melody, the boy's a genius! Leorio, you'll make a fantastic doctor one day with deduction skills like those!"

My friend pouted at me, but after a long moment all three of us were laughing, and then Leorio was coming forth with congratulations, and Melody was asking curiously if I had just proposed, in my own roundabout way, and I was saying yes before I could even think about it.

And then she was crying, for joy, this time… and so was I… and the torrent of joy was vastly stronger than any grief I had ever felt.

That night seemed longer than all the rest, for I didn't have an easy time falling asleep. My mind was buzzing with thoughts about Leorio and Melody and myself… my Clan and Chrollo had made an unwelcome appearance in my thoughts, as well. It was past midnight when I finally drifted into a shallow unconsciousness, and not long before I felt hot blood wash over my body.

Yes, it was that old nightmare once again. It was pointless to try to swim, for if I fought it, they would appear… grasping my ankles with bony fingers and pulling farther into the ocean of their blood.

Kurta…

I opened my eyes, slowly… focused the white ceiling as my breath calmed. But my mind was disconnected, so much so that I was startled when she touched my shoulder, then crawled onto the bed, her movements silent without her bells, for once.

"Kurapika…"

Closing my eyes tightly, I let her slide in beside me, feeling the touch of her comparably cool body beneath the warm blankets. She rested her head on my chest, fingers knotting in my nightgown.

"I still hear it in my dreams…" she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "Can I… stay here…? And listen to your heartbeat…?"

I nodded, then realized that she couldn't see it. "Of course." I pulled her closer, feeling her living body shiver against mine, feeling her heartbeat as she listened to mine, seeing my clan's blood splattering behind my closed eyes. May the ghosts… leave me… please…

I… have something… living to protect, now… I have something… to keep me here.

THE END