"You're hopeless Gon!" Killua deadpans, sounding the same as always yet still different with his matured voice.
"Why?" Gon whines playfully, not being hurt like he pretends to be. His grin is so wide one could think his face could split in two, but luckily Killua can't see it because they're talking on the phone. He is sure, his friend would flick his forehead or pinch his cheeks if he'd be present.
There is a short pause before Killua answers, his voice void of any emotions: "You do realize that it's the place where we-"
"Went our own ways?" Gon finishes instead of his friend and hears a sharp exhale from the other. "I do." Gon continues, trying to keep his own voice even. "Of course I know that." How could I forget? "That's why I think it'd be the best place to start our adventuring! I'm sure there are lots of places you want to show me," he smiles at the thought, "but I don't have any. Just this one. And I really want to show you. Unless... you've been there with Alluka before..."
"I wasn't," Killua mumbles after another short pause. "I could never make her climb such a dangerous tree, and carrying her wouldn't be possible either. Tho if I'd use my Godspeed then maybe, but-" he goes on with his explanation but Gon isn't listening anymore. Not to what his friend says, but to how he says it, Gon marvels at the familiar lilt of his smooth voice, notes every falling and rising, trying to commit them to memory.
"Are you listening?" Killua asks with an angry huff and Gon realizes he wasn't paying attention at all.
"Sorry, the line was bad, I didn't understand you!" Gon laughs nervously, hoping Killua would believe him, even though he still sucks at lying. "What did you say?"
"I asked you when did you want to meet," judging by his annoyed tone Killua doesn't sound like he is satishfied with Gon's answer, but he leaves it for now.
"I still got some things to do," Gon says, smiling at Killua's unsaid approval of their meeting place, "I'll text you about it later."
"Hmpf, okay. Just hurry up before I change my mind!" The white-haired teen drawls probably wearing a sly smirk.
"Oh, you won't!" Gon chirps, and maybe it's a bit bold of him to say it out loud like this, but he wouldn't be Gon Freecss if he wouldn't be bold. Also, it's not like he is wrong and they both know that.
"Smart-ass..." Killua growls in a low voice, making Gon laugh.
He noticed Killua voicing his dislike more often and it's quite amusing in situations like this. But more than that, it's reassuring to know he isn't forcing Killua into something against his will. Killua changed, he stands up for himself more, got better in expressing his feelings, and it makes Gon try harder so he can stay by Killua's side without feeling like he doesn't belong there.
"Thank you, Killua. I'll text you later then!"
"Bye, you weirdo!" Killua snipes and the line goes quiet.
Gon just chuckles again, because honestly, it wouldn't be Killua if he wouldn't get embarrassed just from being thanked and that's just fine. Gon is glad this hadn't changed after all these years, he loves this side of Killua after all.
"You cheated, Killua!" Gon huffs angrily as he pulls himself up over the edge of the giant bird's nest that rests on top of the World Tree.
Killua just sits there with a satishfied smirk on his face, his legs swinging lazily back and forth over the edge. "I don't know what you mean!" He singsongs, his grin widening as Gon puffs up his cheeks.
"You used your Nen for climbing!" Gon jabs an accusing finger towards the white-haired teen, still irritated by the outcome of their race. "That's unfair!"
"I still don't know what you're talking about!" Killua shrugs with his arms raised. "You didn't say that we couldn't use Nen while climbing, it was you who didn't clarify the rules, so it's your fault."
Gon just huffs and turns away sulking. He almost forgot how difficult Killua can be and what a sour loser he is, so he tends to cheat – quite often on top of that. He sees something from the corner of his eye and raises his hand just in time to catch the fruit Killua threw at him. He drops his sullen stance and grins at his friend before taking a hearty bite from the offered food.
They don't say a word, just munch on the fruit as the sun disappears behind the horizon, making the sky above and the ocean beneath them burst into scarlet flames. Just as the last rays of sunlight disappear, the first stars appear, more and more joining in, miriads of tiny, shiny dots on the endless sky. The moon is high above them, turning the ocean into one big sparkling carpet.
It's just as beautiful as when Gon saw this for the first time and he is so incredibly glad that he can show this Killua, so grateful to him, that despite his obvious discomfort with this place he still agreed to come here and climb the tree together with him. He wants to tell Killua, he needs his best friend to know how happy this makes him, how important this is for him, and he turns to his right to do so, but the words dry up in his throat at the sight that greats him.
Killua gazes straight ahead as if trying to look as far as he can, a fascinated little smile pulling his lips upwards. The moon illuminates his whole form, his pale skin and white hair glow in the white light that surrounds him, turning him into a mythical creature. The strong wind ruffles his hair, blows his bangs into his eyes, forcing him blink several times and Gon just watches in awe as dark lashes sweep over porcellain skin.
He is graceful, even in his stillness.
Gon had seen Killua like this many times before and even as a child he'd thought his friend was quite pretty. Now he knows, he'd been wrong. So much so.
Because Killua isn't just pretty.
Killua is beautiful. Stunning even.
And if Gon was grateful before, now, after seeing Killua being so beautiful and at peace with only the sky and the ocean around him, he is extremely grateful. He knows it's a silly way to say it, but he doesn't know the right word that could describe what he feels and it doesn't really matter, he finds. All that matters is that they are both here on top of the world, enjoying each other's company in a peaceful silence, without a need for words.
A sudden longing settles into Gon's chest, burning slowly, eating him up from the inside. There is a strong need in him to reach out, feel the silky white hair slipping through his fingers, feel the warmth of that smooth skin on his palm, watch blue eyes widen as a light blush spreads on porcellain cheeks.
But he doesn't reach out. He stays there, rooted in one place, content with staring at the beautiful phenomenon beside him. Although he loves to see Killua flustered, he can't get enough of the sight in front of him either. He wants to see more of this strong and confident Killua, who makes Gon proudly declare: "This is my best friend in the world!" He wants to be patient. He can see more of that embarrassed Killua later too, he has all the time of world now that they decided to travel together again. This moment right now, this is something important. Something that can't be repeated, a moment that has to be treasured. It should last as long as it can. So he is patient.
Meeting Ging was great and he was glad that he achieved his goal, but he can't compare it to be here with Killua. He realizes it again, as he had done it so many times before too, something he'd even said out loud once, so many years ago.
It really has to be you, Killua.
Killua turns his head abruptly, blinking in bewilderment at him. "Huh?"
"What?" Gon is just as confused, but then it dawns on him and he feels his face heating up.
Did he say that out loud?
"Didn't you say..." Killua starts but trails off, turning his head away probably to hide his own blush.
"I didn't say anything," Gon says, and the calmness of his voice sounds even for himself forced. "It was just the wind or something."
Killua regards him with one last odd look, but doesn't say a thing, just continues staring ahead and Gon tries to sigh in relief as subtly as he can. That was close, he thinks, and even though he usually doesn't mind talking about his feelings openly, he is embarrassed about this small slip-up. So much for being patient! He totally ruined their previous tranquility...
It's almost like the world makes fun of him too, when he hears a faint whisper carried by the whistling wind around him.
Idiot.
He knows better though. He heard it so many times that no matter how much that voice changes, he'd always recognize the person behind that word.
"Hm?" He just hums askance, knowing fully well Killua heard him.
"What?" The white-haired teen blinks at him like nothing happened, and he is so much better at it than Gon, but he still can't fool him. "I didn't say anything, Gon."
"It was just the wind."
A/N: Written for Kabi-Kinoko on tumblr :) Promts were: things you said too quietly and things you said when we were on top of the world.
Second fic written in two days wooooo, I'm on a roll! yet I'm not updating my ongoing fics bc I'm lazy af. But I will, I promise. Eventually.
KILLUA AND GON LOVE EACH OTHER AND ANYONE WHO DISAGREES IS WRONG!
I don't know what to say about this, so yeah. (I finished it yesterday at 11:30 PM so sorry if it's wonky...)
BY THE WAY, After the fourth time will be one year old in two weeks! *throws confetti*
Anyway, thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!