Hey everyone! I know I am trash when it comes to updating my story so I'm sorry about that. I'm not even halfway done with Chapter 9 with only barely being 3k words in. I'll make sure to upload it as soon as I'm done with that so expect it maybe during Thanksgiving break. For now, in accordance to it being Halloween, I decided to write a Halloween special.
I hope you all enjoy this! Please read, review, and favorite! ^_^
xxxxx
"Asa! Wake up!"
Those were the excited words Asa woke up to before two heavy things landed on him. His eyes immediately shot open as he yelped in surprise at his rude awakening. He wriggled under the sheets and weights for a few moments before managing to free himself of the situation he was in. He glared at the two grinning boys next to him as he shoved the bedsheets off his body.
However, he couldn't hold the glare forever and soon found himself grinning too. Gon didn't hesitate to attach himself to his vampire friend while Killua watched on. Asa giggled at the island boy's obvious excitement and eased himself out of his strong grip. "So," he started as he tried to fix his bed hair. "Why did you both wake me up like that?"
"Do you know what day it is?" Gon asked while practically vibrating in excitement. Killua rolled his electric blue eyes at their friend, but he also looked like he was about to explode in childish excitement. Oh how cute, Asa thought. He didn't voice such thoughts though since he didn't want to spend the next ten or so minutes wrestling with a flustered Killua and grinning Gon.
"Tuesday?" Asa guessed. He let his hand fall down into his lap after giving up on combing through his hair. Killua, seeing such action, handed him his brush. Asa gave his friend a grateful look and started to pull the brush through his dark purple hair.
It occurred to him that they knew each other so well after traveling together for a long time. Each day was filled with fun while traveling with the boys, but it also brought its own dangers. The three of them weren't just ordinary boys, after all. They made a rather odd group as an Islander, vampire, and former assassin. Sometimes the doctor and clansman were thrown in the mix whenever they met up with them.
"No!" Gon shook his head and then beamed. "It's Halloween!"
"...Oh?" Asa blinked, his brushing momentarily paused.
"Y'know, Halloween," Killua paused before continuing when Asa gave him a blank look. "Kids dress up in costumes and go 'round knocking on doors for candy."
That rang a bell. Asa could remember walking around sometimes in the past couple of decades or so. He never knew what to think of the children dressed up as scary 'vampires' and other creatures of the night. He didn't really like to think of how others would most likely fear him if his status as a vampire was discovered. It was a miracle that his friends didn't shy away and instead embraced his quite literally bloodthirsty side.
"And what does that have to do with us?" Asa questioned as he set his brush down on the end table between the two hotel beds. When he glanced back at Gon and Killua and saw the sparkles in their eyes he had a fair guess on why he was being told this.
"Let's go trick or treating!" Gon eagerly suggested. Killua seemed to already be on board with how quickly he nodded his head. Asa gave the former assassin an amused smile since he knew that Killua just wanted to hoard up on Halloween chocolate. Asa will bet that Killua will be on a sugar rush for the next few days.
"We can get costumes before tonight," Killua added. "So, wanna go?"
Both boys leaned forward in their anticipation of Asa's answer. He almost wanted to refuse. He never liked seeing others dressed up as vampires. He also had no reason to go trick or treating since he couldn't actually eat any of the candy he collected. He'd have to give his share away to both boys which he had a sneaking suspicion was why he was being invited to tag along.
But this was also a chance for them to do something fun together. They did a lot of training every day and it'd be nice to take a little break every once in awhile. There was also 'tricks' to do to fully enjoy trick or treating. He could already imagine the sounds of laughter filling the air as they steal some poor trick or treater's bag of sweets.
He also couldn't say no to those pleading eyes.
"Fine," Asa sighed. Both boys whooped in joy and scrambled off the bed. Killua tugged Asa off the bed too and they rummaged through their luggage. Asa quickly shed his pajamas and pulled on his outfit while the other two concentrated on dressing themselves. Killua and Asa are no longer shy around each other so there was no need to take turns in the bathroom.
"Do we have enough for costumes?" Asa asked as he put on his rose earrings and choker. Killua took a second to count their money before giving a nod in response. The prices would probably be raised to meet the demand with Halloween so close, but they should be alright. They never really bought much anyway and Asa always made sure that Killua wouldn't blow all of their money on sweets whenever they went shopping.
"C'mon! Let's go!" Gon barely managed to pull on his jacket before bolting out the hotel room door. Killua and Asa exchanged bemused looks at their friend's behavior before also exiting the room. Asa knew that they were both in for a long day of Gon dragging them from costume store to costume store with a gleeful look in his eyes.
He'd be surprised if his energy died down by nightfall though.
xxxxx
Yup, Gon was still as excited as he was that morning.
They were currently back in the hotel room with their chosen costumes in hand. Gon didn't waste any time in discarding his daily outfit in favor of putting on his Halloween costume. It didn't surprise Asa that the islander chose to be a werewolf for Halloween. To him, Gon made a rather adorable puppy and it was easy to imagine a tail constantly wagging and perked up ears. For now, the fake brown furred ears and bushy tail he wore was enough to satisfy Asa's imagination. Gon wore purposefully ratty pants and a shirt for his werewolf costume and he was also barefoot. At least the night was going to be warm otherwise his friend would've suffered from the cold.
Killua was going to be dressed up as a feared pirate of the seas. Asa had originally suggested for his silver-haired friend to go as a cat, but that suggestion had earned him a punch to the shoulder from the flustered boy. He didn't see why Killua shouldn't be a cat though. The former assassin can act sort of feline-like sometimes. He was sure a pair of cat ears and a tail would look pretty adorable on the other.
"Are you ready Asa?" Killua asked after tying the strings of his eyepatch. His pirate costume consisted mostly of red and gold hues with a fake parrot attached to his right shoulder. He especially loved the feathered hat Killua wore since it nearly dwarfed his friend's head in size. The rest of his costume consisted of an exaggerate jack befitting an actual pirate captain, crimson pants, and a sword attached to the belt. Asa especially loved the boots his friend wore since he had developed a liking for boots.
Asa bobbed his head up and down in a nod and sort of nervously smoothed down the fabric of his costume. He still wasn't sure that he could pull the outfit off, but Gon and Killua both insisted it suited him. He really couldn't go against his friends' wishes.
Asa's costume is that of a witch boy. He had a typical dark purple, nearly black hat on his head with a blue-purple silk ribbon tied around it with the ends fluttering behind him. He wore a blue-purple shirt with low flowing sleeves that exposed his pale shoulders and straps that wrapped around his neck. The more purple fabric acted like some sort of collar with how it wrapped snugly around his neck, hiding his faded bite marks, while also leaving some of his collarbone exposed. There was a pink bow just under the topmost button of his shirt and just above where the corset was wrapped around his waist. He wore blue-purple shorts that reached a bit above the middle of his thighs with white trimmings. His heeled boots are also blue-purple in color and he had a curved wand with a satin ribbon tied around the base.
"Let's go then!" Gon excitedly snatched up his pumpkin trick or treating bag and threw the door open. Both Killua and Asa have then been left in the dust as Gon headed down the hallway towards where the elevator was located. The vampire boy breathed out an affectionate sigh at his friend's behavior and turned his attention to the jewelry he held with his friends.
His rose earrings and choker didn't fit with his costume so he'll have to leave them behind. However, he was very reluctant to do so. The jewelry was given to him as a gift by his most trusted friend and Asa hated to part with it. Doing so felt like he was leaving behind his deceased friend and Asa didn't like feeling that way. But-
"Asa! We better go too or else we'll lose that excitable idiot."
...But maybe it's okay to leave them behind.
Just today.
And so, with his lips curving into a grin, he gently placed the jewelry down on the hotel bed and turned to face a waiting Killua. "Alright!" He chirped as he hurried to his friend's side. He didn't hesitate to hook his arm with the former assassin's and proceeded to pull Killua along. "We wouldn't want Gon to beat us in who can get the most treats, now do we?" He laughed. Killua, sensing a challenge, gave the dark purple-haired boy a wide grin in return.
"We don't! I'll beat you both tonight!" Killua claimed as he unhooked his arm and bolted down the hallway. The silver-haired boy rose up to the challenge and now wanted to catch up with the islander masquerading as a werewolf. It looks like they'll be cheating a lot of candy off the local people that night, but that was alright with Asa since he's with his present friends.
Asa turned back towards the still open doorway and reached out to grab the doorknob.
"Goodbye Subaru!"
Asa shut the door.
xxxxx
Asa just about collapsed on the bed when he finally entered the hotel room. The trick or treating challenge between the three of them was taken just as seriously as any other challenge. He got caught up in the infectious excitement and soon found himself running all around the town banging on doors for treats to fill his bag.
In the end, Killua won the challenge. Personally, Asa had a sneaking suspicion that Killua plundered others for their loot but didn't voice his thoughts. He instead sat back and gleefully watched as Killua and Gon bickered about how to split up Asa's collected candy. They both wanted to claim the best candy for themselves so it was quite entertaining watching a pirate captain and werewolf fight over the candy.
"That was so much fun!" Gon practically sang as he wiggled out of his costume. Asa turned his head and laughed when he saw smeared bits of candy around his friend's mouth and a candy bar in hand. He was sure that Gon wouldn't be able to sleep tonight because of the sugar rush he was currently giving himself. They'll have to find a way to work off that energy.
...Wait a second.
"Where's Killua?" Asa asked as he sat up. He looked around the hotel room but couldn't find the silver-haired boy anywhere. That was strange. He was positive that Killua would've met them back here like he said he would when they separated earlier and he couldn't hear any sounds in the bathroom connected to the hotel room. Where on earth was Killua?
"I think he went to the hotel's kitchen," Gon said as he pulled on a tank top. Asa couldn't see Gon's face but he was positive that the other boy was grinning. "You should go find him." That would've been a casual suggestion, but the dark purple-haired vampire could clearly see his friend vibrating in attempted concealed excitement. Gon was obviously hiding something from him.
Or it was the sugar rush making him all bouncy already.
"Okay," Asa slowly said as he slipped off the bed. He didn't bother grabbing his wand and instead walked to the door of the room. He gave a suspiciously innocent-looking Gon another glance before leaving the hotel room. He was very tempted to just tickle Gon till the truth came out, but he was also curious on why Killua would be in the hotel's kitchen. He wanted to see for himself what his friend was doing down there.
And so Asa headed for the elevator. No one else in the hotel was up so it was easy to just ride the machine down to the ground floor without any stops. Everyone was probably in their rooms already asleep or counting the bounty they collected that night. It was close to midnight so the hotel was pretty much asleep now.
Asa greeted the late night receptionist and shuffled off in the direction of the kitchen. He paused in his footsteps when he smelled something familiar. He frowned in confusion before continuing on towards the kitchen. His confusion turned a bit more towards concern since the scent was a bit fresh and a bit heavy in the air.
"Killua?" Asa asked as he poked his head into the mainly white kitchen. His red gaze immediately narrowed in on his friend who stood in front of the kitchen counter. His gaze dropped a little to his friend's hand. His bandaged hand.
"What happened?" Asa asked as he stepped over to Killua's side and took his bandaged hand in his own. He worriedly looked at the faint red seeping into the bandage before Killua withdrew his hand.
"I'm fine, Asa," Killua waved off the vampire's concern. Asa frowned when he noticed how excited and nervous Killua looked to be. It was like the other wanted to tell him something but was hesitant to do so. He had to wonder if it had something to do with his injured hand. Killua hadn't been injured when they separated earlier.
"Here!"
Asa blinked in surprise when something was shoved into his hand. He glanced down and was surprised to see a small chocolate ball resting in the palm of his friend. He opened his mouth to remind Killua that he couldn't eat the offered treat but swiftly snapped his mouth shut. Something about the chocolate ball smelled...off.
Asa shot Killua a look before bringing the round chocolate up to sniff.
...It smelled like blood.
"I used my blood as an ingredient," Killua explained when he saw Asa's puzzled expression.
"But...why?"
"I...wanted you to enjoy Halloween candy too," Killua said with a faint blush dusting his cheeks. "It isn't fair that we get to eat all the candy we want while you watch so...I used my blood to make this chocolate…"
Asa stared wide-eyed at his blushing friend before looking down at the homemade chocolate. Killua must've used a lot of his blood to cancel out the ashy taste of the other ingredients judging by its scent. And he could see even more balls of chocolate on the counter. Asa felt touched that Killua went to all this trouble just so Asa could enjoy Halloween to its fullest too.
"Thank you." Asa sincerely smiled at the boy in front of him. Killua's blush darkened at his thanks and turned his head away. "J-Just hurry up and eat it!" Asa giggled at his friend's fastly stuttered words. He never got tired of his friend's amusing reactions when flustered. It's so cute he couldn't help but to tease the other when the opportunity presented itself.
Asa brought the chocolate-blood treat to his lips and took a bite out of it. He was surprised at the rich flavor of the blood-filled chocolate and could barely taste the usual ash that always greeted him. Instead, he could taste the fiery sweetness of Killua's blood in the treat. He could almost imagine the taste of chocolate with this deliciousness exploding in his mouth and filling his senses.
"...Eh?" Killua's eyes widened in panic when tears started to drip down Asa's pale cheeks. "Why are you crying?! Does it taste bad?!"
"N-No…" Asa brushed his tears away with a large smile even as more droplets fell. "It tastes delicious."