A/N: Hi all, I had this idea in my head for a really long time and decided to write it. Please enjoy :)
Disclaimer: HunterxHunter belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi.
Chapter 1: Water
He's under the water.
His breath floats by in rainbow-coloured bubbles, eyes blown open like windows in the rain. Shining hues pass by, soft and clear, shades of blue that remind him of picnics in the summer and laughter in the sun. The water slides across his skin as if it's silk, and a span of pinpricks of light are scattered above, almost like the night sky. Quiet and peaceful, a whole world on its own.
For a little bit, he isn't frightened; only curious. Weightless, his dark hair and green clothes float gently in ripples above him. He watches the sunlit water caress his skin and wonders why he's alone. And even though everything is beautiful, tranquil, he suddenly feels a sense of panic flooding him, like the water is seeping in through his skin. Slowly, he starts to feel the cold all the way to his bones, tracing an icy path through veins to his heart. He is cold, as if frozen shards are piercing his skin.
Then, something changes, so quickly, easily, like water bursting from a dam or overflowing from a glass. The water crashes around him, rushing into his mouth, his lungs, choking him. Light stolen away, only darkness, emptiness, left. His throat feels like it is swollen with water and he can't get a breath of air. He thrashes around, calling for help. Calling for someone, a boy he knows well, but only managing to choke on his name. Somehow, the memory of him fades just as he tries to remember more.
He is struck with a fleeting image; the boy has blue eyes, blue like the sky and the sea.
Darkness closes in on him, the water tight like a second skin, suffocating. Cruel, cold, unfamiliar. Unable to break the surface of the water's malicious grip, trapped.
The boy he knows, the boy that means the world to him, the boy has blue eyes.
He bolts upright, waking up, breathing hard like after a long swim, he can't quite shake off the terrible feeling of not remembering something important.
Gon's eyelids flutter like agitated butterfly wings, beads of cold sweat dripping down his forehead. He draws in more gasping breaths; he touches his arm and is relieved to be dry and warm and in bed. His lungs gratefully accept the parched air, feeling empty again. He tries to shake off his dream of drowning; the recurring dream he has had for as far back as he can remember. He hasn't had it for a long time, but last night's was the among the most vivid he had. He shakes it off as his mind being too anxious because today is the start of his psychiatry internship.
Today.
What time is it?
He grabs the clock on his bedtime table in a frenzy. 8:50 am.
Gon's eyes widen as he jumps out of bed, throwing on clothes and brushing his teeth hurriedly. Barely five minutes later, he bolts out the door with car keys in one hand and a slice of toast in his mouth.
"Bye, Mito-san!"
Mito-san's familiar face pops into view as she pauses in folding laundry. "Have a good day, Gon," she says kindly. "Hurry or you'll be late!"
Gon and Mito-san did not look alike. He was small and springy, with jet black hair and tanned skin and amber coloured eyes that sometimes looked golden in different lighting. She was tall and willowy, with beautiful pale orange hair cut to just above her shoulders. Thus, Gon had questioned whether she was his mother from an early age, but asking about it was difficult; he had decided that it didn't matter, that she was the only mother figure he'd ever known, and she would always be. And so Gon pushed thoughts concerning his parents to the dark corners of his mind, trying to forget about the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. The nagging feeling that he was missing something. And he was happy.
Gon drives as fast as he can, and manages to make it at exactly 9:05 am on the dot. YORKSHIN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, the massive white building reads in large block letters on the doorway arch. The brass front doors are sturdy and formidable. Gon gulps and adjusts his green and orange jacket, attempting to smooth down his unruly hair, but to no avail. His hair sticks up in spikes like usual. As a student studying for a psychiatry major, Gon had been referred by his professor for a summer internship at this psychiatric hospital, quite large and well known. Gon, growing up, was forever grateful to Mito-san for her scraping enough money and insisting that he go to university. He wanted to give back in some way, to show his appreciation to Mito-san as well as the world. He wanted to help others. So, choosing psychiatry felt like a natural choice in his mind. His professor had assured the internship would be a valuable and educational experience. Gon pushes open the doors and is met with a sight of clean white walls and patterned couches with a single fuzzy dinosaur carpet.
"Yo!" A rough voice greets him, and a man rounds the corner into view. He is a tall, well-built man with short black hair, sharp eyes and stubble on his chin. He is wearing a white coat, and underneath that, a neatly pressed indigo suit, crisp white shirt and turquoise tie. His spectacles are round and dark coloured. "You must be Gon! I'm Dr. Paladiknight! But just call me Leorio. I'm the main psychiatrist here at Yorkshin Psychiatric Hospital, and I'll be teaching you how to be an attendant during your internship here!" The man grins confidently, seeming cheerful and carefree. Gon smiles, noting Leorio's seemingly honest and straightforward nature, much like himself. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Palad-I mean, Leorio!" Gon replies, quickly correcting himself when Leorio shoots him a pointed glare. Leorio grins again. "Good! I'll start by introducing you to the patients you'll be familiar with. Come with me!"
Gon, not knowing what to expect, feeling excitement and anticipation, follows Leorio to a large room with a glass window. Inside, he can see three people. Leorio gestures to the boy sitting in the corner, his knees drawn up to his chest, a long blue tabard draped around him. "That's Kurapika. He's been diagnosed with PTSD (A/N: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and IED (A/N: Intermittent Explosive Disorder). His whole family was murdered a couple of years ago, and he witnessed the sight when he returned home from travelling, and had to call the police himself. He has recurrent anger outbursts, that are extremely aggressive and its provocations are still unclear. Strangely, his eyes turn scarlet when experiencing these anger outbursts. He also has a self-destructive and vengeful personality."
"That's Hisoka," Leorio continues, indicating a strong looking man wearing a magician or jester's clothes, with almost white skin, shockingly red-pink hair and a teardrop and star painted on each cheek. He is lying on the ground, smiling to himself while playing with a deck of cards. "He has sexual sadism disorder, which means he experiences sexual arousal from inflicting pain or suffering from others. He also has sociopathic tendencies." Gon is starting to feel a bit overwhelmed, but quickly shakes it off, telling himself this is a good learning experience.
"And finally, that's Killua," Leorio points to a younger looking boy on a chair, gazing into space with a bored face. "I think he's about the same age as you. He has BPD (A/N: Borderline Personality Disorder), haphephobia (A/N: fear of touch) and depression. He was sent here after he stabbed his mother and older brother before attempting suicide himself." Gon observes Killua's profile, pale-skinned and soft looking, cut only by the sharpness of his nose. His snowy white, almost silver hair floats around his head in an impossibly fluffy halo. Killua suddenly turns, and his eyes meet Gon's, and Gon is struck with the shade of deep blue, dark and fervent, like troubled waves washing up against sand on a late evening.
Beautiful. The word pops into Gon's mind before he can control it.
Killua's intense stare disappears as he flicks his gaze away.
"Well, it's group therapy time, so this is a perfect time to introduce you! Come on," Leorio grins reassuringly and opens the door. "Hello everyone! I have a new person to introduce to you all! His name is Gon Freecss, he's a psychiatry student at Yorkshin University, and he's going to be here from April to August! Say hello!"
Kurapika remains unmoving, bowed head and blond hair covering his face.
Hisoka looks over and smiles widely, too widely, and his eyes gleam with alarming interest.
Killua scowls and rolls his eyes.
"Getting too old, old man? You need help from this kid?" Killua remarks, without turning to look at them.
"That's Dr. Paladiknight to you! And I'll have you know, I'm only twenty-six!"
What, seems to be the word written on everyone's faces except Leorio and Kurapika. Gon barely stifles a laugh at this.
"I look forward to doing my best here!" Chirps Gon, remaining cheerful and optimistic.
"Well, I've already introduced you guys to Gon, so we'll start with the activity. Please sit in the chairs provided," Leorio says. Killua is sitting in one already; Hisoka immediately gets up and does so, his interest peaked. Kurapika, however, appears unresponsive. Gon glances at Leorio and takes the opportunity to walk over to Kurapika.
"Kurapika? Let's sit in the chair for group therapy, okay?"
No response.
Gon kneels down until he is eye-level with him. Kurapika eventually shifts uncomfortably under Gon's stare, and he raises his head just enough for their eyes to meet. His eyes are blank and unseeing, in stark contrast with Gon's earnest and dedicated gaze. A few moments pass, and Kurapika gets up and walks to a chair, emotionlessly.
Leorio raises his eyebrows and makes a comment to Gon: "That's a good sign. He must be in a better mood. It's normally a hell of a lot more difficult to get him to look at you, let alone get him to participate. Don't worry, since it's your first day, I'll handle everything. You just observe. And should things get troublesome, leave immediately when I tell you to."
"Today's topic is 'Combating Negative Thoughts'," announces Leorio to the group, once everyone is seated in a circle. "First, let's share one negative thoughts and one positive thought about your day so far. Let's go in a circle. Killua, you start."
Killua reluctantly turns to face them. He still looks bored out of his mind.
"First off, I hate you. Second, this is completely pointless. Third, let me out of here so I can kill myself."
Before Leorio can say anything, Hisoka pipes up. "Why, Killua, how can you be so rude to the doctor? He even brought in a cute boy for us."
Did he just call me cute? Gon wonders, scratching his head worriedly and wondering if he should force a nervous laugh. But Hisoka suddenly jumps up and walks forward, extending a hand out to stroke Gon's cheek. "Hisoka, don't-" begins Leorio, but then all hell breaks lose.
"Don't touch him!" spits Killua, his eyes ice cold and narrowed. His aura grows dangerously dark, as he glares menacingly at Hisoka, who only smiles in amusement and stares back calmly. The atmosphere of the room grows extremely tense. Gon is confused; why is Killua so angry?
Kurapika stares at the wall.
"Don't fucking touch him ever again, you sadistic pervy clown freak!" Killua screams, his voice rising in volume as he stands up abruptly, knocking down his chair.
Leorio grabs Gon's arm, pulling him forcefully to the door and pushing him out. "I don't know what Killua's problem is, but things are gonna get nasty! Don't come in, and inform the lady at the receptionist table!" Leorio barks, worry flashing across his face.
Gon tries to protest, but the door is slammed in his face. Why would Killua even care so much? He thinks. They had met literally five minutes ago! The feeling, the feeling he was missing something, something important, comes back, nagging at Gon's mind. He pushes it away forcefully and shakes his head in an attempt to clear it.
This was not at all going how he had hoped.
A/N: I was really surprised to find out that there was a disorder called Sexual Sadism Disorder, but when I found it I thought it was perfect for Hisoka! XD I don't yet know how many chapters there will be, but it will be a long running story. Also, I know that Leorio wouldn't be able to subdue both Hisoka and Killua, but in this AU he can so please bear with me XD I'd also like to answer reviews in the next chapter, as I think it's a bit nicer and easier than through PM. Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a review if you like! :)