A/N: Alright, in case there's something here that's related or whatever to the manga or what, I'm gonna tell you that I've only been watching the 2011 anime and I haven't read the manga yet… just thought it's safer for you to know. I've also used HxH's trademark symbol for the title: x. Hunter x Hunter just wouldn't be complete without the x, right? I'm not being a copy-cat.
Also, a huge "THANKS!" Is dedicated to the inhumanly awesome authoress, Reeyachan-sama (yes, it does sound silly but hey, that's her alright) for Beta-reading my first HxH fic, which is this. Kindly visit her profile and read her amazing stories (— an endorsement which is, without a doubt, needless to be said since we all know how exceedingly well she rocks with her superpowers).
Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter. Yoshihiro Togashi is the master mind.
It was a normal day, and three young Hunters had decided to spend it as normally as they could; knowing that Gon, Killua, and Kurapika aren't your usual normal citizens.
Lounging on the sofa in front of the TV with a bucket of popcorn, and with heads set on 'easy mode'–that was how they planned to spend the day. There was no Phantom Troupe to hunt down, no Ging to search for, and they were yet to feel the brewing of another adventure. They just wanted to sit, eat, and sleep there all day in the meantime.
Boring, right? But come on! Let the heroes have a breather. It's just a normal day.
Hopefully (or maybe not), it would stay that way. But somehow, deep in their guts, they knew it was impossible, as simple as it may be; they were magnets of trouble, after all, no matter what the size or kind.
Kurapika, who was surprisingly not reading a book, was sitting alongside Killua and Gon whose attentions were quite easily drawn away from the show they were watching to the popcorns that they were eating. And the Kurta simply was unable to watch properly due to the two who were starting a commotion. Having no choice, he had to stay quiet as he watched them have a rather profound argument over the popcorn.
"Killua, don't be selfish!" Gon whined as his best friend grabbed the container and started shaking it every now and then as if looking for something.
"I'm not! Just wait!" Killua replied, raising the popcorns out of Gon's reach–his indigo eyes still glued to the buttery food.
"I thought you don't even like salty snacks." Gon's tone was definitely trying to convince the Zoldyck–though in vain. "Popcorns are actually salty, you know…"
"Uh, Gon. Though it still has salt in it, the popcorn we are eating is… caramel flavored." Kurapika reminded him silently. "The caramel would outstand the flavour of the salt."
The boy's shoulders dropped. "Oh. I forgot." Slowly, his hazel eyes rose to see Killua eyeing the popcorns with intense focus, tongue sticking out of the corner of his lips. Such actions only pushed the increasingly impatient Gon to get the popcorn–or at least have some of it.
"Killua, if you don't share, I'm going to tell you off to Kurapika," threatened Gon.
His best friend shot him an amused look for a moment. "And what's he gonna do about it?"
"He's…" Gon looked at Kurapika for a second before resorting back to his threat. "He's gonna scold you."
Killua burst out laughing at this while, of course, still holding on to the pail of popcorn. Gon's cheeks slightly reddened as he glared, determination to get their snack firming even more. Even Kurapika raised an eyebrow at this. He's getting desperate.
"Man, I'm scared," Killua managed to say as he wiped off a tear which had formed after laughing hard. He raised the popcorn with one hand but had no intention to surrender it. He looked at Gon. "Go ahead, but I doubt he'd do anything about it. He's been here with us and I don't hear him complaining. If Kurapika were against this in the first place, he would have already done something."
Gon could only watch as the silver-haired boy resumed his inspection. He then turned to Kurapika and gave the blonde a pleading look. "Kurapikaaa…"
The brown-eyed teen sighed as if expecting it would happen before giving the younger one an assuring smile. "Hang in there. Just wait for him to find it."
"Find what?" very close to his breaking point, Gon swivelled to Killua, frustrated. "Killua, what are you looking for?"
"The best one, of course," answered Killua without moving his eyes from the bucket. "The one completely covered in caramel. Most of this looks like it has barely touched caramel."
"Hurry uuup….. I want some already." Gon groaned. He couldn't believe how Killua would be able to find the one when there were hundreds of popcorns in the bucket, and not to mention before his patience ran out.
Before the paler boy could shake the pail for almost the fiftieth time, Gon made a grab for it but Killua moved it away. Slumping against the sofa in defeat, Gon whined again. "You could just put it down and we'll help you find it…"
"And let you eat it? No way. That's why I'm not letting you have this until I find it: It's gonna be mine." A cat-like expression spread across the ex-assassin's face as he said it.
"I don't care whether it's covered in caramel or what…"
"No~ Not yet."
A frown. Then a minute of silence in which the only other sound was the shuffling of popcorns being shaken inside its container.
That was when Kurapika finally decided that it had taken long enough.
"Killua, that's enough. Let Gon have some."
Killua stared at him so he stared back. Both were apparently challenging the other on giving up when Killua, who most probably had grown tired from searching, scowled before placing the bucket down between him and his best friend who did not move at first, thinking his friend was luring him in.
"Popcorn." The Zoldyck muttered dryly as an invitation to Gon who sat up at the sight of it and made to dig in.
Just when Kurapika thought that it was settled, Killua began to rummage in the pail while Gon was eating. There was a pause as the two kids exchanged one look. Then a flurry of movements occurred in which Gon was hurriedly eating and Killua was rifling and eating simultaneously.
The blonde shrugged to himself. The two were, as he could see it, having another game in which Killua must find his treasure before Gon finished the popcorns.
Thinking that his job was done, Kurapika leaned back in the sofa (which was slightly shaking due to the two boys' overly-active sport) and was about to reach for a book when a voice stopped him.
"Ow…"
Both Kurapika and Killua stopped. Then they looked at Gon who seemed to be having trouble with something in his mouth.
"Gon, what's wrong?" Kurapika was the first to speak.
Gon looked like he was about to cry. Teary-eyed, he answered. "It hurts."
"What hurts?" Killua demanded at Gon's imprecision a little roughly, as if trying to hide his concern that was easily seen through by his friends. However at that moment the dark-haired boy who was an exception for his pain was keeping him too distracted to take notice.
When he received no reply, Kurapika assumed, "Is it your teeth?"
Gon Freecss nodded slowly.
"You probably ate a kernel–a hard one that didn't pop." Kurapika sighed and crossed his arms, giving Gon a chastising look. "That's what you get when the both of you play too raucously."
"But Kurapika, I was just eating. It was an accident."
"An accident that wouldn't have happened had you eaten properly. But I'm surprised, though. I would have expected Killua to be the first one to damage his teeth." Kurapika noted thoughtfully.
"Hey!" the said boy exclaimed incredulously before a sardonic grin crossed his expression, realization arriving seconds later than his reaction. "Though I can see the logic…" he laughed, and then started poking his best friend on the forehead, "And to think that you are an enhancer too!"
"Anyways, I'm not sure what to do in a case like this so we should probably take you to the dentist." The blonde turned to Gon who had a quizzical look on his face.
"Dentist?"
"Yes, dentist. Don't you know what it is?"
Gon's eyes moved to stare at the floor as he muttered, "I've heard of them. It's just that I haven't seen a dentist in person or have been in their place."
It wasn't that he found something wrong with dentists. He knew the general facts about them: They were (supposedly) nice people with masks on their faces who gave patients candy after fixing their teeth. So with that, there was really nothing for him to fear about them. It was just that the rumors he'd heard as a child was making him slightly uneasy about the whole idea of going to one for the first time in his life.
Based on the stories he'd known from some people, the dentists were, as they had said, demons in human flesh. They hide sinister smiles behind kind masks when facing their patients all the while preparing sharp, buzzing instruments to prod in the patient's mouth. And when a child is naughty, they give them rows of metals and attach it to their teeth. It was a very painful process and when the children smiled, they would remember the agony so they would behave, hoping their parents would never bring them back to the dentist.
Not that Gon would believe such stories anyway. It was obviously rubbish. They were just rumors… right? Rumors that seemed to repeat itself again and again… How odd.
Killua seemed to have picked up on the slightest sign of fear in Gon's air for his expression changed from surprise to a scheming sneer. "Oh no, not the dentist!" he cried, feigning a shocked tone. Gon suddenly looked at him just as Kurapika raised an eyebrow, confused.
Not believing the frightening tales (completely) and thinking that the transmuter was only making fun of him, Gon faced Kurapika with pleading eyes. "Can't we just call Leorio and ask?"
"I don't think we should, Gon. He's studying right now. We wouldn't want to disturb him."
A small, defeated sound escaped the younger boy's throat but before Kurapika could ask what was wrong, Killua began telling Gon wonderful things to expect when going to the dentist.
"He's right, Gon. You should just go to the dentist. There's nothing to be afraid of there. They've got lots of stuff to kill—er, heal your teeth. I heard there's one that's big and whooshing and it looks like a gun that's used to drill holes through walls! And to be sure that you won't move much, they strap you to the chair that hides lots of weapons so they could see you…r mouth properly! And there's more! You know, dentists are—"
Kurapika understood what the silver-haired boy was doing as he sighed, approached Killua and suddenly put his hand over the child's mouth, startling him. "Stop scaring him, Killua. You're not helping," the Kurta whispered in his ear before slightly moving away and continuing in a much regular voice, "You shouldn't be telling lies to Gon. Besides this would not be happening had you just shared…" for a second, he thought of his last sentence, wondering if that circumstance would have really brought about change. Knowing the two, even in the seemingly most controlled situations, things could still get out of hand. He sweat-dropped. Then I'd say the chances of this happening would have been lower instead.
Seeing the way his two friends were acting, the uneasy feeling within Gon felt like it had multiplied three folds. He found it a little hard to believe those tales and with Killua attempting to scare him, he would have dismissed it altogether.
But Kurapika was different. Kurapika would never lie or make fun of him. One could only imagine the black hole inside Gon that seemed to suck the life from him when Kurapika, too, seemed apprehensive with everything that Killua had been saying, thus interrupting him. Surely Kurapika just didn't want him to be hearing such false things? Kurapika is a smart person so Gon could trust him. Kurapika wouldn't have any reason to keep him from the truth…
Unless, it would be for his own sake…
"Let's go, then. We don't want Gon to suffer anymore. The dentist will take care of you." Kurapika beamed at him.
A wave of relief flooded Gon. Kurapika's words and smile were very reassuring that he could not disbelieve him. Perhaps Gon was thinking too much that he felt stupid for doubting his friends.
"…we don't want Gon to suffer anymore…"
The resonance of Kurapika's words hit him and he visibly swayed where he stood.
"Gon!? Are you okay?" Killua inquired with a hint of concern in his tone, but his voice seemed so distant to Gon.
What could it mean? That they were going to let the dentist finish him? It may have sounded like concern but the words were throwing him off. Were Killua and Kurapika really going to leave him to the dentist? He felt like crying. His previous positive thoughts were gone then as if they never came.
Why would they let me go there if they know how terrible that place is? His friends… he felt like he was being abandoned. Why would they do such a thing to him? If they think it was for his own sake, then he would rather endure it. Or was he really just thinking too much?
"I think I'm fine now so there's really no need to go!" he told them as cheerfully as he could, fighting the urge to grin as he usually did. Yet in actuality, it still hurt.
Kurapika certainly looked doubtful as Killua sneered. "What's this, Gon? Scared?"
"I'm not! I just said I'm fine already. It doesn't hurt anymore."
"No. We're still going. There's nothing to be afraid of, Gon. You know Killua was just teasing you." Grasping Gon's wrist, the taller boy pulled him toward the door. At this, Gon began to panic as he struggled to free himself. Killua, meanwhile, was following them with his hands in his pockets, looking indifferent.
"Kurapika! Why?! Don't take me there! Noooo!"
At this, the blonde stopped, looking utterly bewildered. When was the last time he saw Gon act like that? With his stubborn and headstrong personality, he was the type of kid who would confront dangers even if it killed him. He had never acted this childishly before. Especially when he was just going to the dentist.
He faced Gon as his suspicions were confirmed. "Gon, it's just the dentist. Don't tell me you believed Killua…" when he received no answer, Kurapika decided to clarify things. "Gon, tell me, do you think we'd actually let anyone harm you?"
It felt like an arrow just sailed straight through Gon's heart. He reddened. Uh, yes. For a while. "No."
"Then trust me on this. The dentist will help you and not do whatever Killua's been making you believe." Killua snorted behind him, probably suppressing a laugh. "So let's go."
"…Hai…"
Maybe he really was thinking too much.
At the dentist's clinic where the air was chilly and smelled like antiseptics, the doorbell rang and three boys entered. One looked easy-going, one looked determined, and the third one… well, he looked fine.
They moved to a sofa by the corner where the blonde one intended to leave the smaller two to move to the counter when the dark-haired boy spoke.
"Kurapika, really, I'm fine now. It's not so painful that we had to go here."
"Is that fear I hear talking, Gon?" taunted the silver-haired one.
Gon made a face at his friend. "I'm not scared! It's not like I believed you in the first place!"
"Oh, so you don't trust your best friend now?"
"I didn't say that—!"
Kurapika interrupted before the two could make a scene. "Stop it, both of you." Turning to Gon, he said, "We're already here, Gon, so it's best that we have your teeth checked." He paused, unsure of how to say that there really was no problem with dentists without hurting the boy's pride.
"And that the dentist here is nice…" was all he awkwardly managed.
The spiky-haired boy didn't answer and simply gazed at the ground. He knew Kurapika was trying to make him feel better about all that stuff so he really shouldn't be thinking about it so badly. Come to think of it, the dentist was only going to touch his teeth so there really wasn't anything to fear about even with all the far-fetched tales. He should learn to trust them more and not let the rumors cloud his judgment. Kurapika was only concerned for his well-being and Killua, though sounding like he was adding fuel to the fire, was probably doing it to test Gon; as if taunting him so he'd have more courage to face it. Yeah, that should be it.
If Gon could face someone as insane as Hisoka, then why not a dentist?
By then, Kurapika had gone to the front desk and the two of them were left by the couch. They could see that it was only the three of them inside minus the lady by the front desk. Watching Kurapika talk with the lady, Gon and Killua noticed that she never smiled and was strictly business-like. Such traits somehow had an effect on Gon's mentality about them which had previously been in a more logical light.
"Hey, Gon. Don't you find it strange that we're the only customers here?"
Gon stared at Killua, swallowing his own fear and persisting in dismissing what he was implying.
"And maaaan, the air smells like they used too much sanitizer—as if they're trying to cover some disgusting smells, like…" Killua's brows furrowed as he thought, "like decaying corpses!"
The door to the clinic opened before Gon could retort. Kurapika had also returned to them in time to see a pale girl exit the consulting room. Apparently, she was alone as she made her way out in silent footsteps. The three boys quietly observed her. She seemed to be about the same age as Gon and Killua. Her skin was pale and her long black hair covered her vague expression. She passed them and exited without a single word.
"Did she just have her blood sucked out or something?" Killua asked and Gon wondered if that was a genuine bewilderment.
"Okay… um, we just have to wait until you're called, Gon." Kurapika said, hoping to drown out Killua's voice.
They waited on the sofa, the three of them, in silence. Unsurprisingly, the image of the pale girl that recently left occupied their mind. Her behaviour was strange and the fact that she just came out of the door looking rather unresponsive would have anyone with an imagination in heightened alert. It was funny, really, that Killua and Kurapika, who were the most un-bothered by the dentist thing earlier, were now starting to grow uneasy. And if one of them had to recover first, it was Kurapika.
Killua might be sharp but he was still young—at least younger than Kurapika—so if anyone with a hyper imagination would go overboard, it would be him. So it left Kurapika to have still the more logical thinking somewhat; not that either of them would show that the previous patient actually had an unexpected impact on them. And Gon, god bless him, Kurapika dearly hoped he didn't let the girl's appearance get the best of him. He knew Gon would not let such a trivial thing shake his resolve.
Kurapika eventually found himself staring back at hazel eyes that glistened with the smallest hint of tears.
"Kurapika," the way Gon's voice cracked was going to make him cave in. "They… they don't have pointed, buzzing instruments there… right?"
The teen was caught in silence, unsure of how to answer. Was he going to lie or say the truth? He knew very well that there were such things in there and he had to admit, in an innocent person's point of view such things were truly intimidating. But if he told Gon there were, then that would only make him more uneasy.
Like a judge preparing to give a life or death sentence, the front desk spoke in a flat voice, "Gon-san, you may now enter, please."
The three boys could certainly feel the temperature drop the moment the announcer's voice died down. But the mentioned boy didn't move. He only continued waiting for the rigid Kurapika's answer. Even Killua seemed to be listening with a bit of curiosity.
"Ne, Kurapika… they don't right? Right?" the unusual pitch that lilted his voice could be a cause of panic in the two other boys' mind-set. "Why won't you answer…?"
The door in which the previous pale patient had just exited to swung open, as if waiting for him to enter. Hesitantly, Gon started walking towards it. He was so close when he looked back at them without stopping—
"Right?" (Kurapika could read the word—a plea for assurance—on his lips)
—an expression of anxiety was written all over his face that just made Kurapika's heart twist before the door swung shut, Gon lost from their view.
It felt like his lack of answer only made it worse.
There was something off; something wrong and it annoyed Killua that he could not place what it was. Was it him; or the place?
It was a minute ago that Gon came back, smiling ear to ear, his teeth perfect in their brilliance. He seemed much better now.
But at that moment, as they made their way out, something in the back of his head was bugging him. Was it worry? Unease? If it were, then about what? Perhaps the environment he'd been at was causing this. He probably inhaled too much antiseptic—not that it was supposed to have an effect on him.
What in the hell was this unsettling feeling in his gut? Was it because the results in the clinic that he'd seen were so contradicting? Gon seemed fine but the girl earlier… what was it with her? Maybe the clinic really was doing something more than what the patients generally knew. Kurapika was not able to answer Gon back then and it was not good in Killua's senses. Did they harm Gon? If not physically, maybe put some kind of drug in his system?
"You look okay now, Gon," Kurapika said.
"Yeah! It wasn't as bad as I thought!" was his bubbly answer.
Kurapika only smiled before his gaze moved to Killua who seemed to be spacing out. "Killua, you've been like this since Gon left to the consulting room. What are you thinking about?"
The silver-haired boy's reaction was delayed by a split second, confirming Kurapika's suspicion. "Ha—nothing in particular…"
Gon, assuming that his friend was feeling the same way he had felt when they first entered, couldn't stop a dark grin. "What's wrong, Killua? Did they scare you?" he teased.
A vein throbbed on Killua's forehead, irritated that he would even consider that he was scared of anything, least of all a petty dentist.
"Oh, the dentist was very nice… at least the one who checked up on me. Don't worry." Gon went on, purposefully adding an exaggerated tone.
"Shut up. Why would I be scared of something like that? I wasn't an assassin for nothing." He snapped. "Besides, I can eat as many sweets as I want and I would never need to go to the dentist."
"Oh yeah~ speaking of which," Gon was grinning, sincerely pleased as he took out a colourful lollipop, "The doctor gave me this! So I'd know my teeth are strong again!" he gave Killua a sidelong look as if to make him jealous. "Well, Killua! You'd need to go back there and have your teeth checked too if you want one."
Killua smirked mischievously. "I don't need to do that to have one… 'Cuz I'll take yours!" he snatched the candy from Gon's hand then darted around as Gon chased him.
"Killua, you're so mean!" cried an angry Gon.
"I'm doing you a favour!" he laughed, tearing the wrapper open before Gon could catch him.
Kurapika meanwhile was thinking as he watched the two. Isn't that lollipop for those who'd had their teeth newly checked up and repaired?
He only watched without much surprise as Killua made a big bite, a chill running up his spine, and froze. Gon stopped too, noticing his friend that had a rather blank look on his face.
"Killua?"
The Zoldyck pulled out the undamaged lollipop from his mouth and put a hand against his cheek. Sensing eyes on him, Killua looked beside him to find that his stubborn expression was mirrored by Kurapika, if not his was more knowing.
"I am SO not going there."
He groaned. Seriously, did he just have his teeth damaged? And now he was stuck back in that pristine white clinic.
He'd undergone more painful conditions so there was no necessity of having his teeth checked. It was very minor to be wasted of any time. Why did Kurapika have to take him there too? He probably just enjoys the despair of people going in there.
Wait, did he just say despair? Was that what he was feeling? No, no, that was impossible. He would never feel anything like despair when he was just in some clinic for teeth.
Well, whatever. If Gon made it, then why not him?
Killua crossed his arms as he watched Kurapika speak with the lady in the front desk. The lady nodded and suddenly, a guy in white appeared beside her by the door. She seemed unfazed by his appearing without notice and began talking to him.
"Doc, you will be handling Killua-san," she told him, referring to Killua.
The man, who turned out to actually be a dentist, had pale skin, black, unkempt hair, and bags under his hazy black eyes. He had a surgical mask covering half his face and his back was slightly crouching. His air was passive but there was something about it that only made him eerie to be with.
His dark eyes fell upon Killua as he turned to him.
"Ah, Killua-san. So you are my second patient? My first was the girl back a while ago. She was quite the cheerful girl, wasn't she?" His voice was subdued and unhurried as he spoke. He crouched lower and Killua could see his face more clearly then. Killua had to suppress a shiver as the hairs on his skin stood on their ends. He could swear the "doctor" was smiling behind that surgical mask and there was exuberance in his voice with, Killua noted, the teeniest hint of an enthusiasm that could contain, should he say... an underlying motive.
"Well, I look forward to working with you, Killua-san."
Oh yes. Surely, he didn't mean any harm… right?
Right?
The house was oddly quiet when a tall figure arrived and went to the door.
Leorio entered and saw the bucket of popcorn that was almost empty. Picking it up, he gave it one shake and drew out a completely caramel-coated popcorn.
"Jackpot!" he said…
…then threw it in his mouth.
A/N: I'm no expert when it comes down to popcorns and teeth problems. The unknown seems more frightening than what they can expect, no? I mean, sure. Gon? Killua? Scared? Hah. I can't blame you for laughing.
Read and Review… or else *grin*. Hey, if I don't get a single feed-back, that simply means I am pathetic. The extraordinary beta-reader is completely, flawlessly, out of it. I don't want to dirty her precious name. hoho~
Oh, and have I mentioned that Reeyachan-sama is an inhumanly awesome authoress?