I do not own Hunter x Hunter.
When the wind pushes with an eerie howl, the branch reaches out and taps on his window making him more frightened than before. Big, watery brown eyes peer up, trying to make out the dark form looming on the outside of his window pane. It takes him a moment to realize it is the cherry tree Mito loves so dearly. Mito had raised it from seed to sapling, and the tree has been a beacon of life and beauty ever since. In the spring, the blossoms bloom and fill Gon s entire room with a sweet perfume. He remembers that if Mito accidentally leaves the window ajar in the springtime, a few petals land on the carpet as he plays with his toys. But as Gon looks at this tree's usually open, outstretched arm, he didn't see the beauty it usually brings. Cloaked in darkness, all he sees is a skeletal hand, gesturing out to him with its bony fingers. It tap, tap, taps on the window pane. Come here, Gon. Join me. It's lonely out here.
A shiver goes through him. He doesn't want to be in here, alone with the shadows that leap like ghosts on the walls. Lower lip quivering as if chortling back a sob, he can only wish Mito had let him sleep with her, so he could feel safe. When sleeping with Mito, her even breaths calm him down and turn their resting place into a sanctuary. As Mito smoothes back his hair, before he falls asleep, Mito always hums a simple tune every resident of the town knows, one that's sung by the fisherman after they pull in a good haul. It's sung in a dulcet tone and is as sweet as honey.
At this point Gon always wiggles closer to Mito, hugging her soft, motherly figure with his small arms as she pulls him into a dream. Sleeping next to someone he loves makes Gon feel secure. Here, alone in his room, he feels like a mouse, ready to be plucked by an owl. Gon shivers at the thought, the stark comparison of the comfort he always knows and the current fear makes it seem all the more scary. The night light Mito has plugged into the outlet on the far side of his room is too dim. Nothing comparable to the light of Mito's kind face, the one that always chases away scary things.
It s his own fault for being alone tonight. Yesterday afternoon, he had puffed out his chest and bravely told Mito he could sleep on his own, in the new bed she had bought for him. He is now six years old, after all, the perfect age for independence. But when last night rolled around and overtook the light, Gon was convinced there was a monster under his bed after hearing strange noises. The whole night was spent clutching the foxbear stuffed animal Mito had bought for him, the one he has yet to name. Through his tears, the foxbear had wiped them all away.
After finding no sleep yesterday, Gon was exhausted in the morning and fearfully pleaded with Mito to not sleep alone again he was afraid his heart couldn't take the fear. But, her eyebrows had knitted together, and she firmly told Gon he needed to learn how to be a big boy, and stick to his own decisions. As Mito had taken a sip from her coffee, she flippantly said that there was nothing to worry about. That monsters didn't exist. To confirm that, after breakfast, she had picked him up and taken him to his room. She opened the closet and showed him under the bed: Mito showed Gon that they both lied empty.
"See, Gon? No monsters here! You'll be alright." She had affectionately ruffled his thick black hair as he nodded, although his eyes held downcast.
His small hands tremble at the memory as a whimper escapes his lips. What if Mito was wrong? What if the monster only came at night? Pulling the blanket Grandmother had knitted over his head, he cowers away from it all. The blanket smells strongly of detergent, and he finds the scent makes him feel safe, like he is enveloped in Mito s hug like he desires. But eventually, he realizes it becomes too hot with his head completely under the blanket, and frustratedly bares his terrified face again. The darkness leers at him again.
Reaching over to his nightstand, he grasps the glass of warm milk Mito had made to help him sleep. He guzzles half of it, not bothering to wipe his milk mustache when he finishes. Placing the glass back on the table, he pulls his arm back quickly, as if the dark could reach out and bite it. Mito had told him warm milk sometimes helps mellow people out before sleep, but it doesn't seem to be working. The foxbear and him become disappointed.
He sinks down into his pillow, breathing shakily in and out. The bed had creaked under him when he shifted and a squeal leaves him. No, he doesn't like this at all. But he has to do this for Mito. He musters up the small, flickering courage only a child could offer, and clutching his foxbear, closes his eyes, surrendering himself to sleep. Leaving himself vulnerable without his sight makes his nervousness flare. It will be fine, Gon tells himself. If Mito can sleep alone tonight, then he can too.
Scratch...
His heart pulses once, a deep rumble in his ears. Mito said he was only hearing things... It's nothing. He rubs his face against the teddy bear s soft fur.
Scratchhh.
SCRATCH.
SCRRATCHHHH.
The wood frame of the bed vibrates, as if someone is carving into it... With fangs, claws, a weapon? He doesn t know. Monsters aren't real. Monsters aren't real. He squeezes his foxbear plush tighter than ever before. Water wells up under Gon's eyelids. It's back... It's back. No it never left.
A scream ripples in his throat and pierces through the air, before he muffles the sound into the foxbear's belly. His tears run away from his eyes, just as fearful as himself. The child wails as the scratches are etched deeper into the wood, the whole bed shaking so violently the posts holding it up knock against the floorboards. Gon finds himself unable to scream any longer, as his breath is too scared to leave him.
Everything is dark. He feels as though he is trapped in a black box, where every wall is the same. But in this box, there is a door. One that he is afraid to open, but he doesn't have a choice. Mito isn't here to help him. Lips pressing together, he releases the foxbear and wipes his tears away with his sleeve. He can do this. He doesn't want to, but he has to do this. For Mito.
His face scrunches up into nothing but childlike determination, his pudgy body wiggling as he frees himself from his blanket cocoon. Puffing out a strained breath, Gon's body twitches into action before he can change his mind. He does the only thing he can think of.
He dangles his head over the edge of the bed, his hands clinging the mattress.
Peering down into the crevice between the floor and the bed frame, he freezes as a claw rips a deep gash over his eyebrow, too quick for him to comprehend. He falls to the floor in his shock, the pain sharp as blood slicks over his eye, leaving it blind. Thump, thump, his heart murmurs. Opening his good eye in fear of being struck again, he gasps when he sees a pair of catlike eyes staring back at him. Blue. Bluer than the sky on a summer's day. The peepers chirping outdoors suddenly flood his ears as he stares back at the...creature under his bed. He doesn't know, he can't see a face, only those eyes. The ones that he no longer fears, for some reason, despite the puddle of his blood that is pooling on the hardwood floor.
Eyes narrowing, a low growl from the creature hits Gon's ears, making the seriousness of the situation come back to him. Heart racing, Gon smears the blood over his eyebrow in attempt to get some vision back, but all he does is make a longer stripe of red. Whimpering, Gon feels helpless under the creature's piercing gaze. Never has he felt as small and weak as he does now. But behind his fragility, something else tugs at his mind, and it doesn't need to be analyzed, as Gon has already surrendered. Intrigue. One of the deadliest things of them all.
Scrambling onto his hands and knees, Gon's curiosity peaks, and he reaches out to the creature with his small, chubby hand. The eyes don't move, as if frozen in time. Fear and confidence swap between the two beings. Gon's face floods with a big smile, revealing the gap where a baby tooth is missing. The blue in the eyes become bigger as the pupils shrink into small slits. Panic. It's panic. With both hands, Gon grabs a hold of what feels like shoulders. The creature trembles under his grip, his fear of being seen thrashing his nerves. And despite it all, Gon yanks, his face squeezing in a contraction of effort. The creature is pulled on top of him, as Gon had pulled with utmost dedication. Immediately, the monster under his bed is illuminated by the soft envelopment of the night light.
Gon blinks up, expecting to see the thing of his nightmares. A monster adorning six eyes, with fangs dripping with saliva. He remembers he smells of bad breath and rotting salami, and loves the taste of human flesh. In his last dream, the monster had seasoned him with garlic and saut ed him in a pan, luckily Gon had woken up before the monster ate him. Gon s eyes quickly dart to the creature, long before his fear can register.
Instead, he sees a creature that does not look scary at all. He looks like a boy...Just like him! Gon guesses he must be his age as he stares at the unkempt, snowy white hair on the boy's head. His eyes are too big and blue for his small face, and he looks dewy and plush, almost doll-like. A sparkle shimmers its way into Gon's warm, brown eyes.
"What are you doing under my bed?"
The boy stiffens, shakily backing off of Gon. Confusedly, Gon watches as the small boy shake his head slowly, making for a hasty retreat. He crawls back under the bed, where it is pitch black and he can feel safe under the curtain of darkness.
"Wait! Don't go!" Gon's nose scrunches, "I want to be friends!"
Giggling, and now dedicated to make the boy pay attention to him, Gon extends his arms for the boy and pulls him back where he can see him. Gon squeals in delight when the boy tries to resist, claw marks are ripped cringingly into the hardwood floor in the monster's attempt to stop the stubborn Gon.
"Let me go!"
"So you can talk! Hah! Gotcha!" Gon yanks even harder, successfully unveiling the boy again in his stubbornness. His cheeks puff out proudly, spurts of childish laughter bubbling over.
The white poof of a boy is frazzled, hair wild and eyes dangerous as he turns and glares at a glowing Gon. How dare he pull Gon from his hiding spot! Does he have any manners?
"What's your name?" Gon probes, oblivious, but the 'monster' simply turns up his nose at the question. Not satisfied, Gon pokes his cheek over and over, until the monster finally gives in.
"Killua." The monster growls. "Now leave me alone." Killua annoyedly crawls back under the bed, to the very back where Gon can't reach him.
"Killua. Kill-lua." Gon says, testing out the name on his tongue. "Ne, I like it! I'm Gon!" Gon says, chipper. "Gon Freecss!"
"Good for you." Killua says sarcastically, and Gon only smiles.
"Why don't you come out? You know the top of the bed is a lot more comfy than under it." Gon can almost feel the vein in Killua's head pop.
"I'm the monster under your bed. I'm not supposed to be anywhere else." Killua's tone sounds like it is recited from another source, which makes Gon frown. Has someone been brainwashing him into saying that?
"Why not?" Gon's tiny fists ball up as he thrashes his arms against the floor. "That's not fair."
Under the bed, Killua's eyes widen to practically the size of saucers. His father had always told him that he should never come out from his hiding spot. But secretly, Killua found what he said to be dumb. No one but him has ever thought his situation was unfair so why does Gon share his perspective? He peers at Gon's blood marred face, and stares as a single tear makes a trail through the patch of blood around his eye. Gon would get this angry at his father's demands?
"...You think so?" Gon ceases his temper tantrum and blinks at Killua's shadowed form through his tears. "I always thought that too."
Gon's toothy grin splits his face as Killua crawls out of his hiding spot. When Killua is once again visible, a blush spreads across Gon's cheeks in his joy.
Almost inaudibly, Killua mumbles: "Sorry about that cut." For the first time, a pang of regret flows over Killua's features, along with embarrassment from uncharacteristically apologizing.
Gon shakes his head, happiness blooming in his heart. "It doesn't even hurt!" he exclaims. Although, it's ironic because the bleeding won't stop. A giggle wracks Gon's body as he plops his back onto the floor, kicking his stubby legs into the air in his amusement. "Don't be worried! Haha! You're so cute, Killua!"
Killua's regretful face soothes itself. Gon... What even are you? A shy blush dusts his cheeks. All he has known is darkness and torturing the child he is assigned to. But Gon why are you different? For the first time, he feels like smiling, just like Gon no his new friend.
So he does.
Seeing Killua's soft smile, Gon sits up quickly, mouth forming a small 'o' as his eyes sparkle. This is the first time Gon has seen Killua smile, and he's never seen a smile so beautiful. In Killua's eyes, Gon sees flecks of light, stars, that glow with joy. A swell of awe fills his chest. Killua isn't a monster at all. He's as sweet as his foxbear.
"Let's be friends forever, Killua!"
Killua scoffs, immediately hiding his face as it becomes red. Shut up, stupid! An hour later, Gon and Killua are playing tag, the milk on Gon's nightstand rippling with the vibration of little footsteps. Laughter brings a happy swell to the dimly lit room.
"You're it!" Gon giggles as he waddles as fast as his short legs will take him away from Killua. For the first time, Gon has made a friend his age, and he's having the time of his life. On Whale Island, there are no young kids his age. It s always been difficult to find a friend. One time, there was this one girl who he wanted to be friends with, but she couldn't keep up with Gon's energy. Gon can run surprisingly fast, and the girl had tried to keep up and tripped. That was the end of that. She had begun to cry and the dirt that caked her face made Gon feel a little bad.
But Killua can keep up with him.
Killua's pupils shrink at the challenge, chasing after the toddling Gon. He will get him, if it is the last thing he does. Being free from the stuffy underside of a bed feels too good, the air is so fresh, and fills his lungs more so than usual. He can run. I will get you, Gon, even though you've had more than enough time to bask in this freedom.
Eventually, Killua is right on his heels, and leaps, successfully tackling the other toddler as they roll in a blur of white and black and green. After they roll, Killua pins Gon under him, his claws staking Gon's pajama shirt to the floor, making him unable to escape.
"Ow! Killua, you're heavy." It's a complaint, but Gon is obviously enjoying himself, he hasn't stopped laughing. In response, Killua smirks smugly in his face.
"I. Win."
Gon pouts, all of his features scrunching together as he sticks out his small, pink tongue. He can hear Killua practically purr on top of him in the afterglow of his victory. Then, a plan forms within Gon s mind. A plan so simple and tempting, and so full of a child's invitation for revenge. A wicked grin plasters Gon's face, as his fat fingers reach up and wiggle under Killua's ribs. Killua's sweet, breathy giggles bloom, motivating Gon even further. Soon his giggles push to the point of hysteria.
"Hah! Gon! Stop it! Haha I can't take it!" Tears form at the corners of Killua's eyes from laughing so much. They roll on the floor like small toy balls, as a squirming Killua fights Gon for dominance. After a while, Gon gives in. Finding no more challenge, Killua releases Gon, whose eyes have started to roll lazily.
"Gosh, now I'm tired, Killua," Gon says. He yawns, rubbing his eyes with his fists, and a fond smile upturns Killua's lips.
"It's time to go to bed, then."
Gon sleepily nods, and crawls over to his bed, just barely tall enough to heave himself back onto the mattress.
"Aren't you coming too, Killua?" Gon's big eyes peer at him, and Killua has a hard time saying no. He would love to fall asleep, snuggled next to Gon, but he can't.
"It'll be morning soon, and then I'll be gone."
It s almost unbelievable how quickly Gon's face becomes tear-streaked, the dried blood covering half of his face liquefying and dripping onto his comforter.
"No! No! No! No, no, no! That can't be true!" Gon's pitching a fit again, throwing his head in denial from side to side. Killua frowns.
"It is. I only exist at nighttime." A wail sounds from Gon, his sobs taken out on his foxbear once again. "But I'll remember you. And we can play tomorrow night." Gon glances down at him.
"Really?" Gon wipes his eyes, clearing the tears there. He looks hopefully at his friend, and relief floods him when Killua nods. "Yay!" He's smiling now, and Killua decides to take his leave. Under the bed he slides, and listens to Gon's breathing through the bed frame. "Goodnight, Killua."
"Goodnight, Gon."
A few minutes pass, but it seems like seconds to Killua, as he could listen to Gon's quiet breathing forever. A sleepy voice startles him.
`"...Killua?"
"Yeah, Gon?"
A moment lingers, then Gon speaks again.
"...I ve found that He pauses a moment, and Killua stares at the bottom of the bedframe as if they are face-to-face. You are now precious to me, Killua."
Killua's face reddens, and he can't respond because he is so embarrassed. But he's so unfathomably happy. A tear, the first one he has ever shed, hits the floor. His first tear, which he thought would be full of pain, is filled with nothing but happiness. He's never felt loved like this.
Gon wakes to the sound of a mourning dove. His eyelashes pull apart, stuck together like glue from his blood and tears. Killua... It wasn't a dream, was it? Sitting up, he stretches, the foxbear's button eyes bid him good morning. Mito's slipper-clad feet near his bedroom, and she knocks lightly on the door.
"...Gon?" The door creaks open, and Gon hears a gasp from the doorframe. He turns, and sees Mito submerged in a newfound horror as she takes in the blood and claw marks on the floor, and Gon's face half hidden from blood.
"Mito!" Gon smiles, his arms reaching out to her. "The monster was real!"
A/N: Awe poor Mito! Thanks everyone for reading and please review! I love all of your feedback.