Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.

Fundamental Needs

Chapter One

"9-5-1, marshal." She heard the echo as he placed the Gungi piece on the board, her mind racing through countless counter-moves. "For this match..."

"Hmm?" There was something about his tone that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. It wasn't a bad feeling, though.

"We should make a wager."

"A wager?" she asked, hesitantly. She knew that people sometimes gambled on Gungi, but it wasn't something she'd ever considered doing herself. She always had a wager of her own, after all

"Correct," he replied. "If you win, I shall grant you any request."

"Anything...I request." What an odd thought. Truly, it was difficult to process. "Anything..."

"However," he continued, cutting off her confused rambling. "If you lose, I shall take your left arm."

She crossed her arms over her chest, mulling over his words. "My left arm..." She ruffled her hair in frustration. "My left arm..." The King was much too generous, she thought. It didn't feel right, to offer him such stingy terms. "Should I take it?"

"Why do you hesitate?"

At last, she came to a decision. "Is it alright if I offer what I normally bet, instead?"

"And what do you normally bet?"

"My life," she said, feeling her previous anxiety recede. Her life wasn't worth much at all, but it was probably worth more than her left arm, which she could easily stand to lose.

"I do not understand," he said. "Explain yourself."

"Gungi is my life. Professional Gungi players, even national champions, make but a pittance. It's only after becoming world champion that you receive a meaningful reward. And you can only achieve this rank by never losing a single match. I come from a family of twelve, and I'm the main breadwinner." She smiled, a little sheepishly. "So you see, I'll become nothing but a burden if I ever lose. In fact, I'll become garbage. As such, when I set my sights on becoming a professional Gungi player, I decided that I would end my life if it ever came to that." Her smile fell away. "But...that could actually be a problem."

"How so?" he asked, his voice oddly subdued.

"Well, when I lose, I'll become garbage. So all I'll be offering you for your victory is garbage. That would be a terrible insult."

"That doesn't bother me." And she could tell that it really didn't. He was a gracious man. "I'm more interested in learning what you'd want if you win."

She frowned, wracking her brain for something she could say besides Gungi. All her life, all she'd ever really thought about was Gungi. She'd never really wanted anything more than to support her family with Gungi.

But no, she thought - that wasn't completely true. There was something else: a fragile, quivering thing at the back of her mind. The vestiges of a wish she'd had a very, very long time ago. But now, this great man was offering to make it come true, and all she had to offer in return was her life.

Her worthless, burdensome life. Truly, he was being cheated.

At length, she said, "I-in that case, I'd want for you to hold me."

"...What?" She could hear the confusion in his voice, even held in check by his usual stoicism. From her right, the room's other occupant made a sound of surprised indignation.

Her cheeks heated. "I know I'm not worthy of it," she said. "But it's the only thing I can think of besides another game of Gungi." She hadn't been held in ever so long. Not since she was a very small child.

"You could ask for anything," he said, his confusion even more evident now. "Absolutely anything. And yet you choose this?"

She frowned, considering the question. "I think...if you held me, I could die with no regrets," she said, a strange longing pooling like syrup in her chest. She liked his voice so much. What would it be like, to hear it up close?

The King was silent for a few tense moments, and Komugi hoped desperately that he wouldn't revoke the offer. She knew that his touch was far more valuable than her life. She knew that she was being presumptuous.

Still, she wanted.

"Leave us," said the King, the direction of his voice letting her know that he intended the command for his royal guardsman.

"B-but, Your Highness-"

"Silence." Although the command came with no increase in volume, it still carried the impression of a shout. "I will not repeat myself."

"...As you wish," said the King's servant, and soon Komugi heard his footfalls growing increasingly distant. Truthfully, she was glad for it. She much preferred when they were alone.

There was yet more silence, and then: "Once again, I am the one who is flustered." He chuckled: a deep, rich sound that sent tingles up Komugi's spin. "I suppose it's fitting, considering what a petty tactic it was. I should have known better." His voice softened. "As an apology, I shall fulfill your request regardless of the outcome. Our wager is off."

Happiness swelled inside her, her entire body alight with anticipation. "Thank you so much, Supreme Leader!"

She waited for him to announce his opening move, eager for both the game and the aftermath.

"...You may approach me," he said, at length. "This activity requires close proximity, does it not?"

Oh. He was going to do it now. Flushing in mingled embarrassment and excitement, Komugi said, "Y-yes!" and began to crawl toward him, using the Gungi board as a landmark to steer herself. She felt something pressing gently against her back, as if to guide her. It wasn't an arm.

A tail, then. Was he a youkai, like in the fairy stories her grandmother used to tell? And if so, why would an immortal creature be interested in playing Gungi with a snotty, blind, awkward mortal like her?

All of those questions fled from her mind as he grabbed her by the wrist, the touch sending shockwaves throughout her entire body. She couldn't remember the last time anybody had touched her, let alone with such gentleness. And then she was pressed up against something smooth and warm, his arms encircling her body. Slowly, almost shyly, he tightened the embrace, and she could feel the barest hint of a tremor where her cheek was resting against his chest.

And it must've been his chest, because she could feel his heartbeat. Slow - almost frighteningly so - but unmistakable. His skin was warm and incredibly smooth. Not hard, but not quite soft. Wholly inhuman. She didn't resist the urge to run one of her hands over more of that strange, wonderful skin, feeling the outlines of his abdominal muscles through the tips of her fingers.

She heard him gasp, felt his body go rigid against her, and pulled her hand away. "S-sorry, Supreme Leader. Your skin just feels so nice. I'll stop if it bothers you."

He was breathless when he finally spoke. "It...wasn't unpleasant."

She felt so warm, so safe, so tingly all over. Like the time she'd accidentally drank out of her mother's special bottle that she kept in the back of the cupboard. He smelled earthy and spicy - alien, but in a good way. In an amazing way. Emboldened by euphoria, she asked, "Can I touch your face, Supreme Leader?"

"If you wish," he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. Surely this was too much. Surely, she was dreaming.

She slid her hands up from his chest, feeling his vest brush against them. Up, up, over his collarbones, his slender neck, until she finally reached his jaw. The skin here was softer, more supple, his cheeks and chin lacking any stubble. She ran the tips of her fingers over his nose, feeling the ridge of what appeared to be a shell when she reached the top. She followed that ridge, which covered his forehead, down to his ears. These felt human, save for a piece of hanging flesh that extended past his earlobes.

She waited for a few seconds, then, for him to stop her. But he didn't, so she gave into the overwhelming impulse to trace his lips with her right index finger.

They were the softest, warmest part of him. And oh, she wanted.

All the while, he trembled ever-so-slightly, breathy sounds escaping from the back of his throat. She could hear his tail swaying to and fro.

"Is it normal," he asked, "for humans to touch in this way?" His voice was somehow deeper than before; she could feel it buzzing through her, making her shiver.

"I don't know," she admitted, almost cringing at the strained wobble in her voice. "I-I think so? Depending on the person."

"And what conditions must be met in a person, for such contact to be normal?"

She swallowed thickly, blushing furiously. "If you c-care for them." she said.

He ran a hand over the top of her head, the touch soft and experimental. He had only four fingers, she noted. "Do you care for me?"

"Y-yes!" she replied, a little too loudly. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears. More softly, she said, "I'm presumptuous, I know. But...you've been so nice to me, and playing Gungi with you makes me so happy." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you, for holding me, and for letting me touch you. Thank you so much, Supreme Leader!"

"You need not thank me," he said. He released his embrace and brought his hands up to her face, following her example. She couldn't help the gasp that escaped her as his fingers brushed over her skin. "This pleases me."

She didn't know what to say, so she allowed herself to bask in the sensation of his gentle caresses. After a while, he slid his arms around her again, and her head lulled against his chest. "Do you want to play another match?" she asked. Playing Gungi was the only thing that could make this moment even better, she thought.

"Perhaps another time," he said softly. "I shall continue holding you, for now."

"Alright," she breathed, sniffing. Did she really deserve to be this happy, she wondered. Did she really deserve this kindness?

As his warmth enveloped her like a blanket, though, all of her doubts drifted away from her, like clouds on a breeze. Soon, there was nothing but the two of them, and the warmth, and his strange, wonderful scent.

Vaguely, she became aware of his voice filtering through the pleasant haze that was descending on her mind. "What is you name?"

"Komugi," she murmured. "May I also ask for yours?"

He didn't answer, but that was his right. He just continued to hold her, as he'd said he would.

She slept.