Summary: One-shot. Pariston and Ging continue to oppose each other as they wait for the expedition to the Dark Continent. The source of the conflict of the day: a flower bouquet. One-sided Pariston/Ging.
Disclaimer: Hunter X Hunter belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi. If it was mine I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.
Flower Bouquet
One month and one week into the two former zodiacs silent war, Ging strolled into the base of Beyond's expedition team with a bouquet crushed under his one arm. Within the bouquet was a tiny bundle of red horseshoe geranium. Yellow carnations were nestled between tall stalks of creamy-white meadowsweet. An outer ring of four-petaled white caradamine flowers completed the arrangement.
Sporting a mauve suit and an orange tie for the day, Pariston smiled from his seat on the couch. "Why Ging, you shouldn't have!"
"These aren't for you." Ging said using his free hand to scratch the back of his head. His turban-like cap too messy for the disturbance to cause any visible change. "I'm just keeping them here since if I keep 'em somewhere with other people it's less likely I'll have to care for them myself."
Taking a wide stance he breathed in deeply. "Hey, one of you bring me something to stick this in!"
Hand on his heart, Pariston's smile never faltered. "How kind of you to bring us flowers. We're very fortunate to have such a gracious number two."
"Don't thank me." Ging nodded in thanks to the little marionette girl, Marione, as he accepted a water filled vase from her. "My cousin sent them after Gon returned home to her. Hell if I know how she found me, that woman is as frightening as any Hunter."
His lips twisted into a slight smirk as he indulged in a moment of pride. They certainly shared the same blood. In their youth, Ging had always known where Mito was when she got lost in the deep forests of Whale Island. Now in their adulthood, it was Mito who always knew where Ging was, even when Pro-Hunters such as the zodiacs, Kite, and even his own son could not locate him. She'd proven it before when she'd found him to get his signature on the paperwork to legally release Gon into her guardianship and she'd proven it again now.
Touching the tips of his fingers together, Pariston's hands formed a steeple as he leaned forward on the couch. "I see. It's a bit surprising to learn 'the vagrant' of the Hunter Association is fond of pretty flowers."
"The flowers don't matter to me one bit, " said Ging. There was a light thunk as he dropped the vase onto one of the shelves that ran along the wall. The flowers slightly too long, bent at the top as they hit the bottom of the next shelf up."I'm an archaeological hunter. Preserving important messages that have been left behind is what I do."
Pariston chuckled. It really was quite the message.
Horsehoe geranium in the language of flowers meant "stupidity". Yellow carnations were "you have disappointed me". Meadowsweet symbolized "uselessness". Then the caradamine finished it off with "paternal error".
He had to admit, it was the most elegant "fuck you" he'd ever seen.
Pariston watched as Ging puffed up like a peacock. He's proud of her. That familial pride was one-sided, however, from the look of it. "You're more sentimental than I thought." his eyes narrowed while focused on Ging. "I wonder, ...what would you do if I smashed it?"
Ging shrugged. "Nothing in particular."
The blonde man licked his lips in anticipation of Ging's ire. "If it was your family instead?"
"Nothing in particular." Ging stretched lazily before sitting cross-legged on the bare floor, his back to the wall. "I have no family, I left that behind a long time ago."
"How cold." said Pariston.
It was no secret Ging was a deadbeat father. The man hadn't even visited his son as when the young man had been physically twisted seemingly beyond repair. Still, Ging had believed in that boy's ability to heal and Pariston had witnessed the fatherly advice Ging had offered to Gon during the last vote. Based on that he'd held some hope that a threat by proxy would provoke Ging.
The black haired man's lips formed into a self-depreciating half smile. "I am quite selfish." He gave a low thoughtful hmm before stroking his hand over his scruffy jaw. "They're my kin, though, they'll be able to handle anything you could throw at them so go ahead and do your worst."
The entire situation was frustrating to Pariston. He needed to be hated. Hate and fear meddled together in the minds of others filled him with an intoxicating sensation of omnipotence. The look of revulsion on their faces filled him with joy. It made him ecstatic to know they thought he was capable of anything: godlike.
When he was god he loved them. Then he'd tear them apart, rip them down, and destroy his cherished ones. They were his to do so with and it fulfilled him. Ging denied him this.
However, it was for that exact reason that Pariston couldn't get enough of Ging. He was curious what it would feel like to be the one filled with hatred. So far it had been unsatisfying. It made him crave Ging. He couldn't bare the thought of Ging being disappointed in him. He needed to be Ging's god. That hope for approval was frightening, so he lashed out harder.
He'd just threatened to murder the man's family and of all the possible responses he was given the go ahead.
It was infuriating.
A quite huff escaped Pariston before he pulled out his usual smile. "The base could use a little color while we're waiting. Perhaps I'll order a few dozen more bouquets for you, Ging."
"Go ahead if you want," said Ging with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The arrangement is a bit on the bland side, though, you may want to add some orange lilies to help with the decorations."
Orange lilies spoke of hatred for the recipient. Oh, how he hated Ging and the man knew it too.
Pariston needed hate to be loved and Ging refused to return the favor at every turn.
Ultimately it didn't matter if Ging managed to stop his plans or not. Pariston could win or lose and it made no difference as long as the game was amusing. Ging was like Netero in a sense, they both always provided an interesting game. For that reason no matter how long it took, Pariston would keep their little war going till a victor was unavoidable.
Time was on Pariston's side. They'd be together all through the expedition into the Dark Continent. That gave him months of access without the restrictive rules that had been between them before as fellow zodiacs. In addition to his new freedom, Ging would be bound to the area of the expedition unable to pull his usual Hide and Seek game. He'd antagonize Ging, terrorize him, learn everything there was to know about him and then crush him.
Pulling out his phone, Pariston began the search for every florist in the city. He'd bury Ging up to his neck in flowers if that's what it took to get a rise out of him.