A/N : Hi there! I'm finally back with something new. This is another cooperation with AdaraLove. It's the first time we have written for Hunter x Hunter, and it's going to be a pretty long story. Our aim is to post a weekly update. To know if there are even people out there, who want to read this, we ask you to please write a review.
This is another roleplay. If you're not familiar with the concept, this is how it works. The both of us took two characters (AdaraLove wrote for Killua and Leorio, while I wrote for Gon and Kurapika) and you will be able to read the story from each character's point of view. Every change in point of view is separated by a bar for more clarity.
We have been working on this for a whole year, actually. Those of you who have already read the latest manga chapters might get a little confused. We started out after the Alluka-arc, and also work with the Special-chapters about Kurapika and Pairo. So, in our setting, Leorio actually had to go through med-school for the full four years.
As might be deducted from the summary, this is going to be boyslove, and there will be some hot action in the later chapters if you guys hang in there for the long haul ;)
AdaraLove's Corner: Hey there guys! It's AdaraLove here. Thank you for showing interest in our story! I hope the idea of this being a roleplay hasn't turned you away and that you'll enjoy the story we took the time to write =) This is actually the first roleplay Ethelwyn and I have written that contains four main characters and four different POV's, so we really want to hear your feedback concerning it, since we do want to write more roleplays like this one in the future. If you guys have any ideas on how to improve our writing styles or the structure of the story to make it easier to read, don't be afraid to share it with us in a review! Hopefully, the story flows smoothly for you guys though XD With that said, I hope that you enjoy the story! =D
Warnings: Once again, though the early chapters are harmless, this story is an overall M rated fiction that centers around BoysLove. If you don't like that sort of thing, please just go read something else.
Disclaimer: We don't own anything in the Hunter x Hunter universe. It belongs to Togashi Yoshihiro. We just borrowed his wonderful characters for a little fun.
Chapter 1
In all honesty, he should have seen this coming.
Leorio just sighed as he continued to lie on the bed in his dormitory and rub at his now swelling cheek. He was still fully clothed, much like his latest partner was as she made her way over to the door and showed herself out in an angry huff. The walls shook from the force she put behind her slamming of his poor dormitory door, but Leorio personally didn't care all that much at the moment. All he could think about was how stupid he had been and to try and forget about how much smaller his latest one night stand was in comparison to him, or how short and blonde her hair was, or how her eyes were the same color of brown as one of his very close friends'. Was it all that surprising that he had accidentally called her Kurapika? Okay, sure, he knew he wasn't supposed to call her by someone else's name…or in the manner he had done it…Leorio had just chalked it up to the girl's spitting likeness to the boy, his own personal exhaustion from his latest set of medical exams, and because he hadn't been able to get Kurapika out of his mind for the last several weeks.
Sighing to himself, Leorio resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't going to get laid that night, and decided to crawl out of bed to get some ice for his cheek. If there was one thing he could be thankful for, it was the fact that the latest girl (had her name been Bethany? No, Tiffany! Wait…maybe it was Jennifer? ) hadn't kicked him in the family jewels. That would have made things ten times worse.
As he prepared his cold compress with some ice from his small freezer, the hardworking medical student couldn't help but think about how he actually hadn't been able to stop thinking of Kurapika as of late. The very fact that images of the other were invading his dreams, and hell, even his sex life was starting to get a little more than disturbing for the poor would-be-doctor. He chalked it up to the fact that he hadn't seen Kurapika in about…oh…had it been about three years since he had started medical school? Actually, if he took the York New city incident with the Phantom Troupe into account, it would be a little over three and a half years since he was currently in his last year of school…
Leorio just sighed to himself again as he decided to grab a beer from the fridge as well. Sure, he wasn't supposed to have alcohol on campus, but what the staff didn't know wouldn't hurt either of them.
After sitting himself down at his work desk, taking a sip of beer, and then pressing his ice pack to his face, the hunter-turned-medical student stared angrily down at his scattered books and papers on his desk, his dark brown eyes soon falling upon his beetle phone. All of a sudden, an intense feeling of longing hit the soon-to-be-doctor. He wanted more than anything to call Kurapika up and talk to him, but the chances of him actually getting through and for the other to pick up were practically slim to none. Kurapika was always busy with his job as a blacklist hunter. His smaller, blond-haired friend was also constantly searching for the eyes of his clansmen, and hunting down the Phantom Troupe (Leorio personally hoped that Kurapika had actually stopped doing that, since killing all of them didn't seem worth the price to pay) as well. And even if his closest friend did have time to talk with him, just constantly working for shady businesses and retrieving the eyes of his fallen brethren, of his parents, had to make Kurapika more than depressed to even want to answer the phone. Leorio summed up his longing to see and hear the other, along with his constant worry for his friend's physical and mental wellbeing as to why he hadn't been able to get the other out of his head. Yeah…that really had to be it.
Steeling himself, the rookie hunter picked up his phone and pressed the speed dial number for Kurapika's cell.
….
After the twentieth ring, Leorio just sighed, slammed his face down into the medical book in front of him, and hung up the phone. Good thing he wasn't wearing his glasses, too, or he'd have to pay for new ones from the force he actually slammed his poor face down with.
Rubbing his now sore nose as he continued to press the ice pack against his cheek, the diligent medical student tried not to think on how much he missed Kurapika, or that he hoped the other wasn't lying dead somewhere courtesy of the Phantom Troupe.
…Trying not to think too much on that last thought, Leorio chugged the rest of his beer in hopes of forgetting.
Damn, he missed not just Kurapika, but Gon and Killua, too. He hadn't seen the kids for a while now, either. He knew that they had grown quite a bit if their deeper voices were anything to go by over the phone, but he had at least been able to keep in contact with them for the most part, and he had even been able to see them once or twice over the last couple of years.
Determined more than ever to get his degree so that he could become a doctor and see his precious friends again, Leorio swore to himself in that moment that as soon as he was done with this studying hellhole, and as soon as he graduated with that doctor's degree, he'd find a way to celebrate with his friends. If anything, he definitely needed a vacation.
Sooner than what Leorio expected, the rest of the year passed, and the fateful day had finally arrived….or at least it was drawing nearer. The rookie hunter was just one exam away from passing his boards, and then he'd be graduating as a doctor! Even though he knew that he needed to study like crazy, and that there was a chance for him to fail, the taller man's stubbornness wouldn't allow him to think in such a way. He was going to pass that damn test!
Seeing as his victory was well assured in his mind, Leorio spent what little free time he had on searching where to go for a vacation with his friends. Finding the perfect vacation spot in a southern island called Kinawa-O, Leorio then went through the process of calling his friends up.
He was surprised that he had actually gotten a hold of Kurapika, but the taller man took the opportunity to talk with his blond-haired friend for as long as possible. Kurapika sounded tired, and a bit sad, but Leorio realized that he always sounded that way over the phone whenever he called. This caused the soon-to-be-doctor to talk in a quieter and gentler voice then he usually would, his concern probably more than evident, but he didn't care. He only occasionally asked how Kurapika's work was going, and if his friend didn't go into any details, he didn't press him. Leorio would just change the subject, then. Thankfully, Kurapika didn't seem to mind hearing him ramble off about all his misadventures at medical school (although he left out the plethora of girls he had slept with...and the fact that most of them had been short and blonde), and the two of them were able to enjoy their long overdue phone conversation.
Leorio mentioned his plans on celebrating his graduation at Kinawa-O near the end of their talk, and he was both thankful and surprised that Kurapika's voice brightened at the invite. Seeing as the friend he hadn't seen for so long was more than willing to go on a vacation with him (and with Gon and Killua, even though he hadn't asked them yet), even though he had told him he'd have to pay for his own expenses (Leorio was practically poor because of his tuition bills), Leorio told Kurapika where and when to meet up in a few weeks, and finally disconnected from their conversation.
Smiling happily to himself, the medical student then proceeded to call Gon. It wasn't any surprise that Killua could be heard in the background as Leorio caught up with his younger friends. Even though Killua had taken a little break from Gon, it didn't take him too long to come back and start working with the other to become better hunters. To Leorio's knowledge, Gon was a wild beast hunter/tamer, who specialized in the protection of endangered species, and Killua was a blacklist hunter just like Kurapika. After the last time they had talked, Leorio was certain that the two boys were helping each other with their jobs, and hadn't separated since.
After telling Gon and Killua about the celebratory vacation on Kinawa-O in a few weeks and inviting them, and after Gon's excited reply, Leorio told his two younger friends all the details they needed. Killua had taken the phone from Gon at some point, too, and had even asked Leorio if their rooms were booked already. The taller man practically slapped himself for forgetting about something so critical.
"Hey, Killua, would you actually mind booking the rooms for us?" Leorio asked sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. He hated asking people favors for something he could do himself, but he was just so busy! "I'm a bit swamped here at the moment with my final exams coming up."
"Sure," the former assassin commented coolly, like he had expected the question. "Is Kurapika coming as well?"
"Oh, yeah, I actually got a hold of him! He's definitely coming!" Leorio exclaimed happily with a pleased smile.
"Oh? You sound really happy about that," Killua responded cheekily, which made a vein of irritation practically burst from Leorio's forehead.
"Why wouldn't I be?! I haven't seen him in a long time, and neither have you!" The rookie hunter shouted out in irritation. He loved Killua, really, but sometimes the kid got on his nerves.
"I didn't mean anything by it. It's your fault for insinuating, old man," Killua responded with a satisfactory chuckle. Before Leorio could give the assassin brat more of a talking-to, Gon quickly retrieved the phone and apologized. After that, the phone conversation fell back into its usual friendly atmosphere before Gon had to hang up.
Leorio sighed happily to himself as everything finally came together. He would be graduating with the degree he had dreamed of for years, and he'd be going to an amazing vacation spot with his friends for a whole week! Now all he had to do was pass his exams!
Alone, and in a hotel room in Yorknew City, the last member of the Kurta Clan sat on his bed. There was a smile on Kurapika's face as he looked down at his cell. Once he fully realized the smile was there, though, it vanished instantly. He really shouldn't give into the warm feeling that emanated from his stomach. Really, he shouldn't.
The blacklist hunter knew only too well that his feelings for Leorio never would be reciprocated. At least, not in the way he wanted them to. They were friends. That was it. Or maybe not even that. Not anymore. Not after all the calls he didn't answer or ever returned. Answering them would mean he would hear the other's voice. It would mean they would talk. But what was there to talk about for him? His work was dark and grim and nothing Leorio wanted to hear about. The other man was studying to save lives, while Kurapika was taking them.
Hearing the other's voice would only stir those feelings he tried to bury as well. Leorio was a good friend. He could trust him implicitly with his life. Kurapika had even trusted him with the secret to his Nen abilities. But anything more between them except friendship was not meant to be. The blacklist hunter knew for a fact that Leorio was into women. And if that wasn't enough, he was a womanizer on top of that. Even if he could somehow get Leorio's attention in that way, Kurapika knew he would only be one fish in the sea. If he ever was to give his heart away, he needed his partner to be faithful and true. He rather be alone than set himself up for heartbreak. And being single and alone was better in his line of work anyway.
So Kurapika had decided, for the most part, not to pick up when the student called, and did not call back at a later time. It was a rare occasion that he actually did pick up, and, whenever he did, he usually would not talk about himself. And even though he never called of his own accord, and often ignored the calls from the other, Leorio had still called him just now, right? Kurapika was glad this was one of the rare calls he did answer, because Leorio had not just called to ask how he was, but actually asked him to go on vacation with him.
Of course it was nothing romantic of any kind. It was to celebrate Leorio finally becoming a doctor like his friend had dreamed of for so long. And they wouldn't be alone. Gon and Killua would be there with them, too. That very fact was why Kurapika had agreed in the first place. With the boys around there would be no temptation. Maybe this was the perfect set of circumstances to finally get over his lingering feelings for the soon-to-be-doctor. Also, he really wanted to see all of the others again. He missed them and he really could use some distraction from his grim work. A vacation at a sunny and cheerful resort sounded really nice.
Yes, this vacation was a good idea. Meeting with his friends would lift his spirits for sure. Finally resolving his mislead feelings for Leorio would also help with balancing himself out, and, in that way, set free energies he needed for his work, and even more for his search.
Kurapika's smile slowly returned, and this time, he did not banish it from his face. He was happy to see his friends again, and he just looked forward to having a good time with them.
Gon was sitting on a mossy patch, leaning his back against a tree, and grinning happily at Killua as he put his beetle phone away in his pants pocket.
"Woah, I'm really looking forward to this! With Kurapika coming, too, it's gonna be awesome! I've never been to Kinawa-O before. I totally need to check out their flora and fauna. And can you believe Leorio is almost a doctor? Isn't he like really fast, or something? I thought doctors needed to study for years and years."
As usual Gon's thoughts were all over the place with the excitement he felt at meeting his two other friends again and going on a vacation to a new place. Although they were traveling a lot, there were still so many places Gon had to see yet. Working together with Killua already made him get around much more than he already would.
Gon had become a wild beast hunter and was always going to remote places to find new animals or protect rare species from extinction, while Killua had gone on to become a blacklist hunter and usually had missions in the major cities. The two of them alternated between jobs and helped each other out. This kept both of them on their toes and trained in different fields of expertise.
Currently, they were in Gon's line of work. They were in the middle of a forest. It was the territory of the rare white unicorn-tigers. Poachers were hunting them down and killing them for their horns, which were sold as aphrodisiacs at high prices on the black market. Gon and Killua were on the hunt for the poachers and their bosses, and trying to bring down the whole organization that was killing and smuggling other banned animals besides.
"I guess we need to speed up our plan. We'll need the money for this job to pay for that vacation. And of course I want to put those guys out of business for good."
Sometimes it sounded like Gon's priorities were out of whack, but those were just his jumbled thoughts pouring out of his mouth without getting processed and organized. His first priority actually was putting the poachers out of commission to keep the unicorn-tigers and other endangered species safe. Helping Killua out with his missions and hunting for the scum of society only made Gon care even more for his innocent animals.
Killua hummed satisfactorily to himself as he leaned up against the tree next to Gon while he finished his talk with Leorio. He was going to be in charge of booking the rooms for the four of them, huh? That meant that he had an obligation to make their stay to everyone's liking.
A cat-like smile made its way onto the former assassin's face, and a mischievous glint shone in his eyes as he thought over the prospects before him. Oh, he would definitely see fit that everyone liked their accommodations. Unlike Leorio, he had been in contact with Kurapika a few times over the last few years, and the Kurta had almost been as obvious about his feelings for Leorio as the soon-to-be-doctor was about him in turn. Sure, neither of them ever went into details about their feelings for the other. In fact, the hints they gave off were very subtle, but Killua, being the ever observant person that he was because of his years of training as an assassin, was able to pick up on the hints from both parties. If the two of them were going to be stubborn about their feelings, then that just meant that Killua had to be an instigator for them. After all, their dancing around each other was getting beyond annoying, and he just wanted his two friends to be happy…as well as himself…
At that thought, the cat-like grin vanished from his face to be replaced with a somber look as he turned his gaze towards the young teen beside him, who was still talking amicably to Leorio. True to their promise all those years ago on Whale Island, the two of them had hardly been separated, except for that short time Killua had been traveling around with his sister Alluka (truthfully, Alluka was his brother, but she thought of herself as a girl, so it was only right for him to believe her as such in turn). As much as Killua loved his sister…he had missed Gon terribly, and Alluka had definitely noticed this as well. So, Killua met up with Gon once again after Alluka convinced him to go back, and his sister even traveled around with them for a bit. Their hunter missions got a bit too dangerous for the poor girl, though. Because of that, Killua had to find a safe place for her to stay where Illumi wouldn't find her and she wouldn't be forced to return home. Thankfully, Gon had made some very powerful friends on an island nation that restricted access to most outsiders, and it was through that friendship that he was able to find Alluka a safe place to stay, some good people to keep her company, and a way for Gon and Killua to visit her whenever they had a chance. Killua definitely took every chance he got, too. His guilty conscience wouldn't allow him to leave her alone for long.
As the former assassin's memories faded back to the present, Killua's sapphire eyes took in Gon's form. He would be lying if he said that his best friend hadn't filled out nicely in his teenage years. He was lean yet muscular; his honey-brown eyes hardy from years of experience, yet still filled with childlike wonder. Gon had grown taller, too. Killua hated to admit that he had even surpassed him in height, but only barely. Gon was just a centimeter taller than him, but thanks to his friend's crazy, spiky hair, he actually looked like he was several centimeters taller. A part of Killua wanted to cut the other's hair off out of wounded pride, and yet, another part couldn't bring himself to do it. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he altered Gon in anyway, even if it was his gravity defying hair that made him look way smaller in comparison.
Stupid, unfair hair aside, Killua knew that he couldn't deny his attraction to his best friend any longer. He knew that he had been in love with Gon the moment he had separated from him all those years ago when he went on his travels with Alluka…Hell, he probably had loved him before that, but he hadn't realized it until he was away from the other for so long. But even if he did have feelings for his best friend, there were two possible problems in his way. One was that Gon did not return his feelings at all, and by Killua sharing his feelings, things could end up awkward between him and Gon. The second was that Gon did feel the same way towards him, but the idiot was just too dense to figure it out on his own.
Not sure on which one was more possible, because, despite all his years being at Gon's side, and knowing his best friend very well, there were still little mysteries about Gon he didn't understand…and probably would never understand. His best friend still surprised him to this day with every new circumstance they found themselves in.
Seeing Gon hang up his phone then, and put it in the pocket of his pants, Killua tried to school his looks into ones of contemplation and excitement and erase the ones of longing and sadness. It seemed to work, because Gon just started rambling off at the mouth in his excitement for the upcoming adventure this new vacation of theirs would bring. The blacklist hunter just chuckled at his crush's antics before he saw Gon's demeanor change into one of seriousness. He was thinking about the hunt.
"Yeah, I guess we need to," Killua agreed as he got back down to business and focused his 'En' out a good 50 meters. He was practically a pro at it now. "Well, good timing for us, it looks like we have some mysterious, human entities about 30 meters to our northwest."
With that, Killua sent his best friend a mischievous smirk before he stood up and tied his long, messy, silvery locks into a low ponytail. He admitted that he liked growing his hair out, but it was so hard to keep up with when he was out on missions. It would always get disgustingly dirty and tangled in things. Maybe he'd get it cut before the vacation?
"Well, we only have a few weeks, so let's tackle these poachers, get any information we can out of them of any other poachers and organizations out there, and then maybe we can go and see Alluka before we head out to Kinawa-O."
Killua left out the part of him booking the hotel rooms from Gon. Personally, he wanted to keep it a secret so that he could get his plan to unfold just the way he wanted it. Gon showed no signs of picking up that he was keeping anything from him, and just smiled at him and nodded in determination before he jumped to his feet and headed in the direction of the more-than-likely poachers. Killua quickly followed suit, easily catching up to Gon and matching pace with him.
This vacation was certainly going to be an interesting one. Killua was determined to make it so.
Overexcited and eager to finally meet his two friends he hadn't seen in a while, Gon was unable to sit still in the waiting area of the Kinawa-O airship port. They had busted the poacher syndicate and, for the time being, the unicorn-tigers would be safe. The job had earned them enough money to pay for their vacation and hold them out until the next mission.
Well, that was if Gon kept an eye on his half of their earnings. Killua never thought twice about spending money, especially if it was on sweets. With his family background it was no real wonder he was hopeless with money. The Zoldycks were the most notorious family of assassins with a massive fortune at their disposal. Their family estate was a whole mountain for crying out loud! Not to mention the butler/bodyguard crew that catered to the family's needs. Growing up in these kinds of surroundings, Killua had no way to learn how to handle his money. So it was because of that, that Gon had to be the responsible person and take care of getting them from one job to the next. He liked to spend money, too, but he always held back enough to pay for their living expenses. Gon usually didn't criticize Killua for it either. How could he? For one, Killua didn't know any better, and second, his blacklist jobs just paid better than Gon's beast jobs did. So, in a way it was only fair that Killua got to spend his money any way he wanted. Also, Gon thought his friend looked very cute when he blissfully indulged in his sweets.
"Killuaaaaaa, how long is it gonna take?" He whined, fidgeting in his seat and looking at the clock, even though he had forgotten about the arrival time for the airships of their friends.
Having gotten their wildlife protection job done earlier than expected, they had gone on to visit Alluka, just like Killua had hoped. Although the younger sibling missed Killua a lot, she had settled into her new home very well and seemed pretty happy there. Gon was glad for that, because it was a huge relief to his best friend knowing his sister was finally living as carefree a life as possible. And, of course, seeing Killua relieved and happy made Gon happy in turn.
With his friend's mind put at ease, they had made their way to Kinawa-O. But even though they had made that big detour, they were still the first to arrive at their vacation spot. Gon just wanted their fun to begin. Right now!
As the airship touched down, Kurapika was surprised at himself. He actually felt pretty excited about this upcoming vacation. He had worked constantly, and followed any lead about the whereabouts of his brethren's eyes. This was going to be his first actual vacation, ever. And it would be with the three people he truly called his friends. Kurapika tried to push every dark and bad memory from his mind for the time being so that he could be more open to enjoying himself.
He was used to traveling a lot, and only had a small bag with him bearing the necessary essentials. This way he did not need to wait for his luggage. Courtesy to his Hunter License, he passed through customs without a fuss, too. As soon as he passed through the door into the main hall of the airship port, he felt a strong Nen presence rush at him. Pure instinct made him tense up and duck into a fighting crouch.
Luckily, he saw the spiky mob of black hair and the green clothes the next instant and relaxed before Gon overwhelmed him with a hug.
"Kurapika!" The spiky haired teen was all smiles as he held the other to him for a second before letting go.
"Ehm...Gon...good to see you," the Kurta answered a little more reserved but with a smile.
As he looked over the shoulder of the younger man before him, he saw Killua standing a few steps away. The young Zoldyck had his hands in his pockets and just nodded. Although they had both grown quite a bit, time didn't seem to have changed them much otherwise. Kurapika's smile brightened a bit.
"Good to see you, too, Killua."
The Kurta couldn't keep his eyes from searching the area then. He knew Leorio was scheduled to arrive about half an hour later than him, but still his gaze wandered hopefully.
Killua sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time that morning. As much as he loved Gon, he could only handle the question, 'How long is it gonna take?' so much.
"Just give it twenty more minutes, Gon," the former assassin sighed out in exasperation as he turned his attention to his anxious friend. A soft smile graced his lips at the impatient pout his crush was showing off. How could a sixteen year old be so adorable, and yet still look sexy at the same time?
Seemingly still bored out of his mind a few minutes later, Gon decided to occupy his restless body with some stretches then, as if he was loosening himself up for a lot of physical activity to come. Even though his stretching caused a lot of people to turn their way with confused looks on their faces, Killua didn't really care, because Gon's stretching was only benefiting to him. First off, he didn't have to hear Gon whine anymore, which was always a plus. Secondly, it actually occupied Gon's time, which made Killua happy if his best friend was happy and not so restless. And, lastly, Killua got a free show. Sure, the former assassin tried to be as discreet as possible, but he snuck quite a few glances Gon's way as he went through his stretching exercises. Gon was wearing a pretty tight, white tank top, which only accentuated his muscles all the more, and he was also wearing knee length, green shorts. Killua had to admit that they showed off Gon's butt quite well. He'd make a mental note to make sure Gon wore those shorts more often.
Before the silver-haired teen could think on that wonderful thought for too much longer, though, a flash of bright blond, and a distinctively strong aura of Nen appeared out of the corner of his eye. It only took a split second for Killua to turn his head in the direction and spot Kurapika making his way out of customs with his small bag, and for Gon to make a beeline for the poor unsuspecting blond.
Killua just chuckled to himself as he stood up and made his way over to the other two in a more leisurely fashion, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his purple, baggy, knee-length shorts along the way.
He decided to keep a few steps away from the duo when he finally stopped in order to give the usually reserved Kurapika some space (it was obvious that Gon didn't know the meaning of the word). When the Kurta looked his way, Killua just nodded in acknowledgment, automatically picking up the slight bags underneath Kurapika's eyes, which were barely noticeable without a keen eye. Killua assumed that the Kurta had applied some makeup in order to hide them, but it was obvious to the former assassin, and not all that surprising either, that his friend had been stressed out before arriving. Seeing as it took a while to develop bags under the eyes, Killua easily assumed them to be caused by…'work' related (A.K.A. Kurta related) issues.
When Kurapika smiled softly at him, though, Killua forgot the slight worry he felt and was able to produce a small, affectionate smirk (which was more like a quick twitch of his lips) before he noticed Kurapika scan the area. It wasn't hard to notice how hopeful the other one looked, and Killua could only smirk in satisfaction. So, he hadn't been assuming too much about his Kurta friend's feelings for Leorio.
"He's not here yet," the silver-haired teen quickly commented as he schooled his features to look aloof. "But I assume he will be soon."
Leorio groaned in frustration as he waited at the baggage claim for his suitcase and medical briefcase (he never left without it because life was always full of surprises, and he wanted to have supplies on hand in case he or any of his friends became sick). The taller man felt immensely guilty for being late to meet up with his friends, even though, so far, it was only by twenty minutes. He only had himself to blame, though. Leorio had just graduated the day before, got his doctor's degree, and had even heard news back concerning a job interview he had a week ago. He was now officially a doctor, and would be starting at his new job after his vacation! And, not only that, it was in his home town; the exact place where his dream had started!
Needless to say, because of his high spirits, and because his medical school buddies had decided to get wasted in celebration, Leorio followed suit against his better judgment. It really wasn't all that surprising that he had woken up late with a raging headache and missed his flight.
Thankfully, Leorio's ever trustful hunter's license had allowed him to fly in a private airship along with some other hunters who were actually going to the neighboring islands around Kinawa-O for a field expedition. He couldn't remember all their names, but he remembered there was a guy with a brown afro and his last name was Dinners or something because he was a cook. Also, there were some pretty cute girls with him as well.
Because of his reminiscing on the girls, Leorio almost missed his bags as they came through on the conveyer belt. Thankfully, he grabbed them just in time and was able to make his way out of customs and into the main sitting area. There, he was automatically bombarded by a teenager with spiky black hair and green shorts. If it wasn't for those two dead giveaways as to whom his attacker was, Leorio would have thought he was going to get mugged.
"Haha, Gon! Nice to see you again!" Leorio laughed out happily as he hugged his younger friend back. "Damn, kid, you grew! You're almost as tall as me!"
It really was true that Gon had grown taller. The little kid he once remembered was now replaced by a growing man. Granted, Gon still had that childish look in his eyes that Leorio was certain he'd never stop having, but it was kind of disconcerting for the doctor. It was like going away from home for a while, only to come back and your littler brother was practically a man. Even if Gon was taller, though, Leorio was a head taller still.
As his gaze finally shifted away from Gon, Leorio pointedly ignoring the beast hunter's question as to why he had taken so long to get there, his eyes fell upon Killua next. The former assassin was just as tall as Gon, if not a bit shorter to Leorio's surprise, and he had longer hair as well! Killua was also only wearing a black tank top, and baggy purple shorts, and, after Leorio checked Gon over to see he was wearing something similar but in contrasting colors, the taller man almost felt out of place with the loud tropical shirt he was wearing. At least he was wearing mellow khaki shorts with them, but come on, they were at a tropical tourist hot spot! Why wasn't anyone else dressing the part?!
"Nice to see you too, Killua! I didn't know you were growing out your hair," Leorio greeted happily before he asked with concern, "Aren't you feeling a bit hot with all of that, though?" If he remembered correctly, Killua's hair was quite thick, and even though his ex-assassin friend had it in a low ponytail, it still had to be a little bothersome for him, especially at a hot and humid place like Kinawa-O.
Killua just lowered his head a bit and turned away so that his silvery bangs were covering his eyes.
"Gon asked me not to cut it," the former assassin mumbled out, and, if Leorio wasn't seeing things, he could have sworn a light blush dusted his younger friend's cheeks.
Knowing there was more of a story there, but thinking it was best not to ask, Leorio's eyes bypassed Killua's form to fall on the person standing next to him. The doctor's brown eyes widened in surprise then. Sure, he had known that Kurapika would be there, but to see the other actually standing before him, it was like he was reliving one of his many dreams. It didn't help that the Kurta was actually wearing his regular clan clothes as well. He hadn't seen the other for so long, and Kurapika really hadn't changed all that much. His hair was still blond and cut short, he was wearing the same clothes from the last time he had saw him, and his eyes were still a warm, hazel brown. There was only one thing that was slightly different about his blond friend, and that was that he was barely a few centimeters taller. Hell, Kurapika was actually the smallest in their group now, even though Killua was only a centimeter or two taller than him.
Despite all that, though, Kurapika was just as he remembered—no, better than he remembered. His fading memories of the other paled in comparison to the real deal before him.
"Kurapika," Leorio greeted with a soft, happy smile then, his brown eyes shining affectionately down at the other. "It's been too long."
The poor doctor felt tongue tied then, and he didn't know why. He felt overwhelmed by so many things he wanted to say, wanted to ask. He was just trying to put his thoughts together when he noticed that he had been staring at the other for a bit longer than necessary. Blushing a little in embarrassment, even though he didn't know why, Leorio just spouted the first thing that came to mind instead.
"Aren't you a little hot in those clothes? You should take off a few layers or you might get a heat stroke."
Kurapika felt Leorio's lingering gaze like a warm caress but, before he could berate himself not to think too much of it, the taller man opened his mouth. What had felt like lingering, and maybe even longing, was actually more like scrutiny it seemed.
"My clothes are well suited for this kind of climate. It is not too different from the summers in my own former home," he declared with a withering glare that was hopefully enough to shut Leorio up.
He was the last survivor of his clan and he intended to uphold its culture as best as he could. That included wearing his traditional clothes whenever possible.
"And they fit you perfectly. They are just Kurapika!" Gon cut in before any kind of argument could break out. He put his arms around the shoulders of both men then, which looked pretty funny given the height difference between all three of them. Turning his grinning face from one to the other, he piped up, "We're finally back together. This is going to be so much fun! Let's head to the hotel!"
Gon marched off then, dragging the hapless Kurta and doctor along with him a few steps before he stopped and turned around to Killua with a sheepish look on his face.
"Ehm, Killua...? Where's that hotel of ours anyway?"
Any annoyance Kurapika might have felt because of Leorio's stupid comment was blasted away by the radiant presence of Gon and his happy eagerness to be back together. He was still the overexcited kid inside, it seemed, but Kurapika couldn't imagine the boy any other way. The Kurta couldn't help but smile when the teen suddenly stopped in his tracks and asked for directions.
Leaning forward in the hold the other still had on him, he caught Leorio's gaze and rolled his eyes at Gon's antics, but with a happy expression all the same. Maybe this vacation really was what he needed. Having his friends around him was already lifting his spirits way more than he could have guessed.
Killua shook his head with a tiny smile, before he circled the group with their luggage trolley and just lead the way. He had booked them into a nice resort that actually had a shuttle service going from the airport. Since they were the only guests to arrive for the next hours, the shuttle made its way to the hotel as soon as they had boarded.
"Woah, this is so cool!" Gon shouted out excitedly once they arrived at the high-rising building complex that was built hugging the beach. "Killua, please tell me we've got rooms with an ocean view. Pleeeaaase!"
Gon looked at his best friend with an expectant look in his big, hazel eyes.
Leorio cringed at the answer he got. Kurapika was glaring at him so coldly then, and it made the taller man feel immensely guilty. He had not meant anything bad by commenting about his attire, he was just concerned for the other's health!
Thankfully, Gon stepped in between them to cool things down. And, like the miraculous burst of sunshine that he was, Gon was able to turn Kurapika's attitude around in an instant. Leorio hated to admit it, but he actually felt a tad jealous. Most of the time, he could only get angered or sarcastic responses out of Kurapika, while Gon and Killua could easily get him to react kindly and happily.
Feeling a little bit grumpy himself now, Leorio barely realized that Gon was leading him and Kurapika away towards their supposed hotel before the younger teen stopped in his tracks and asked for directions. It was here that Leorio was able to see Kurapika jokingly roll his eyes at him and smile, making the rookie hunter smile back in return, his grumpiness momentarily forgotten. It seemed that Kurapika wasn't angry with him anymore, which he was thankful for.
It was a few moments later that Killua was leading them in the right direction, and the four of them were on a direct shuttle to their hotel. When they arrived, Leorio's mouth dropped right open at the sight before him. The hotel was not only huge, but it was directly on the beach, and it looked quite expensive. Shit! Maybe he shouldn't have let Killua pick the hotel. The former assassin was always throwing his money away like it grew from a damn tree, but…what was Leorio to do? Was it really alright for him to make them change hotels when his friends could probably afford to stay at the hotel with the money they've earned as rightful hunters, while he probably couldn't because of his lack of money due to medical school? No, Leorio eventually thought. He didn't want to hold his friends back from enjoying themselves, after all.
"Of course we got rooms with an ocean view," he heard Killua interrupt his thoughts then with an exasperated sigh. Leorio turned his attention towards the former assassin to see Killua was rubbing Gon's hair affectionately. "If I didn't, you would never stop nagging me until we switched or something."
Gon just laughed at that as the four of them entered the hotel lobby. Leorio gulped at the sight, even though his eyes alit with awe at the same time. Everything was so ornate, and beautiful, even inside of the building! This really was going to be an expensive bill.
It took seconds for Killua to get their room keys from the registration desk and for Leorio and the others to follow the silver-haired teen to the nearest elevator. As soon as the four of them were inside it, he handed the room keys out.
"I hope you guys don't mind, but I thought it would be obvious that I'm rooming with Gon," Killua mentioned as he handed the last card key to Kurapika. Leorio just nodded absentmindedly as he looked at his own key in hand. He had expected that to happen, since Gon and Killua were practically inseparable, but Leorio was personally glad that he was rooming with Kurapika. He had done it before, after all, and he'd actually have some time to catch up with his Kurta friend now that they finally had the time, and distance was no longer an issue.
Hearing no protests from Kurapika either, the rest of the elevator ride up to the seventh floor was peacefully quiet (even though Gon was fidgeting with expectation). When the four of them had finally reached their destination, they traveled down the hallways until they arrived at their rooms, which were right beside each other.
"Okay, I'm personally still a bit tired from the traveling this morning, so I'm going to take a quick nap," Leorio brought up as they stood before their rooms, half-lying about his exhaustion due to the fact that he didn't want to admit that he still had a pounding headache from his hangover from the night before. "So, how about this, you guys can either lounge around too, or go and do your own things, and we can meet up somewhere for a late lunch/early dinner?"
"Wow, taking your afternoon nap already? You really sound like an old man," Killua joked with a triumphant smirk on his face, while Gon and Kurapika agreed to Leorio's earlier suggestion.
"What the hell did you call me, brat?!" Leorio shouted out angrily, his good mood quickly destroyed by Killua's playful attitude.
Leorio just heard a tired sigh to his right before he saw Kurapika slide their card into the door slot and opened it. The taller man just grumbled angrily to himself and forgot about Killua in favor of resting his aching head in his hotel room then, but he noticed that Kurapika was just standing in the middle of the doorway and staring into the room in surprise. Curious, Leorio actually looked through the open door to see the problem; there was only one bed.
"…What the hell?" Leorio gasped in shock before he turned to Killua. "Killua, did you rent single rooms for us?"
A look of surprise flashed across the ex-assassin's face.
"No," he answered honestly before he glanced over Kurapika's shoulder to see that there was, indeed, only one bed. "That's strange."
It was then that Gon called out that their room was also a single, and Killua just sighed in defeat.
"Well, it looks like the hotel screwed up our rooms."
The hotel had given them the wrong rooms? Well, then there was only one thing to do. With that, Leorio started walking away from the group to go back to the elevator.
"What are you doing?" He heard Killua call out after him then, which only made Leorio scoff.
"What do you think? I'm going back down to the reception desk to fix their mistake!" The doctor called over his shoulder.
"Do you honestly think that's going to work?" Killua commented more then asked, which made Leorio stop in his tracks and stare back at the teen with an incredulous expression. "Who knows how badly they screwed up the rooms by this point! There's probably nothing that can be done anyway. It's the middle of the summer. This is one of the largest and most popular tourist spots around this time of year. There is no doubt that this hotel, which is one of Kinawa-O's most popular four star hotels, is booked solid. The only reason I got rooms here was because of my hunter license, and my family name."
Leorio just gawked at Killua, not wanting to believe that they were honestly stuck. The possibility of them getting a different room in their hotel was next to none, and even their chances of getting a room in a different hotel around this time of year (and at the last minute, as well) was just as abysmal. He….he had to share a bed with Kurapika.
The former medical student honestly didn't know what to think about that little fact. He felt such mixed emotions then that it only added to his confusion.
"Well, look on the bright side," Killua added, his tone a little lighter. "We still have our ocean view if Gon's gleeful shouting is anything to go by…"
Sure enough, as Leorio looked around for his spiky-haired friend, Gon was nowhere to be seen, but he could hear cries of glee coming from inside Killua's room. It looked like the prospect of sharing a single bed didn't bother Gon in the slightest.
"Also," Killua continued, "seeing as we have single rooms now, the expenses should be much cheaper."
That was very true. Single rooms didn't cost as much as doubles. Leorio could only hope that the price of a single room in a popular four star hotel was still doable for him, though.
"I guess you're right," the taller man sighed out in defeat as he made his way back to the group. "I'm a little tight on money anyways, so this is probably a better option." But, just to make sure, Leorio turned towards the last member of their group, who hadn't said a single word throughout the whole exchange. "What about you Kurapika? Do you mind sharing a bed?"
For a moment after opening the door and finding only a single bed in the room he would share with Leorio, the Kurta was shocked. Why did this happen to him? It wasn't a matter of comfort. Kurapika was used to sleeping under way worse circumstances than sharing a comfortable but single, queen-sized bed. It was the man he had to share the bed with that had him worried. How would it feel to sleep so close to the only person he had ever felt desire for?
Leorio decided to head to the reception desk to change their rooms, which sounded like a very good idea to Kurapika in that moment, but Killua explained their futile situation. Damn. But the Kurta could see the younger hunter was right. Taking a slow breath, Kurapika decided to deal with this situation like a grown-up. This was nothing more than a challenge. He was used to overcoming challenges. Being this close to Leorio would surely help him find enough flaws in the other man to finally quench his hopeless feelings once and for all.
Just when he had made his decision, he heard Leorio agree that this arrangement would turn out cheaper for them and that he was thankful for that. Kurapika hadn't thought about this when they arrived at this nice resort, but the tuition for medical students was exorbitant. That was why Leorio had become a hunter in the first place, so that he'd even be able to pay tuition to become a doctor. Of course the other one was tight on money, and that was the actual reason why he had told him he'd have to pay on his own expenses, even though Leorio had invited him to celebrate for his graduation. He wasn't stingy or anything, but he was actually all but broke.
Considering this, Kurapika shrugged his shoulders at the other's question.
"No, I don't mind if you can keep to your side of the bed. Otherwise you will find yourself on the floor. But look, they have a nice, fluffy carpet."
A tiny smile tugged at his lips and mischief gleamed in his eyes. This vacation really was what he had needed. He was feeling so much better already than he had in a long, long while.
As he thought this, Kurapika entered their room then, and placed his bag on one of the plush chairs before he headed to the balcony to enjoy the beautiful ocean view.
In their room Gon laughed and shouted happily at the beautiful view. In only seconds he had opened the glass door and stood on the balcony taking deep breaths of the warm, salty air. He felt reminded of home at the scent, and thoughts of Mito came to him. He really should write her a letter. When was the last time he had written? Gon had no idea. So many adventures happened on his travels with Killua, he forgot about such things. But Mito was used to it. At least, Gon hoped so.
Unlike his companions, the teenager never thought twice about the single bed in the room. He was used to sharing just about everything but his toothbrush with Killua, and although they usually had two beds in their hotel rooms, they slept side by side when they were camping, anyway.
Gon turned around then, looking at the empty room. What was taking Killua so long? He wanted to share this with the other one! Every new experience was so much better if he could share it with his friend.
"Killua! Killua, come! Look! The sea's sparkling like those diamond mines we were at a while ago!"
"Of course I will," Leorio chuckled out as he took in Kurapika's smile and mischievous eyes, his worries already waning because of his friend's attitude. "I wouldn't want to face your wrath, after all."
Leorio followed after Kurapika into the room then with a chuckle. "Besides, if the floor of a four star hotel isn't cushy enough to break my fall, then I'll have to file a complaint! Hey, maybe they'll give me a discount if I do that…"
The last sentence came out as more of a mumble to himself than anything else, but Leorio didn't really care if Kurapika heard it or not. It's not like he really wanted to rub in how poor he was when he was on vacation after all, but it wouldn't hurt for his friends to know so that they wouldn't expect him to do outrageously pricy things.
Following Kurapika's example, Leorio placed his luggage down, but against the wall that contained a large flat screen TV on it. Now that the taller man actually looked around, their room was rather spacious, and very nicely furnished.
Feeling his headache begging him to lie down then, Leorio decided to listen to it and started heading towards the bed, but the sight of Kurapika out on the balcony, the sea breeze rustling his golden locks, Leorio couldn't help but stop and stare. He didn't know what came over him then, but he ignored his headache in favor of going out onto the balcony with his Kurta friend.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Killua sighed out in exhaustion as he made his way into his and Gon's shared hotel room after seeing Leorio and Kurapika off. At least those two were getting along at the moment and not trying to kill each other. Hopefully sharing a bed would move things along faster for them, and he wouldn't have to butt in much.
Making his way out onto the balcony then, Killua breathed in the salty sea air and took in the view. It really was a spectacular sight.
"Wow, it really does look like the mines. What a sight…" The former assassin gasped in awe as he placed his arms against the balcony railing and leaned against it. Out of the corner of his ever observant eyes, Killua spotted Kurapika and Leorio conversing on the neighboring balcony a few meters away from them. The silver-haired teen's eyes narrowed conspiratorially at the sight. What a sight, indeed! It seemed that old man Leorio wasn't as tired as he had let on beforehand. Killua guessed that the sight of Kurapika out on the balcony was too much for the taller man to just leave alone, considering he was a romantic at heart and probably couldn't resist the moment when he saw it. The former assassin had to guess by the way the two were talking in a friendly manner, though, that Leorio's 'romantic' instincts were completely subconscious at this point. Really, the two of them were just too stubborn and prideful for their own good.
"Hey, Gon," Killua whispered out then, so that their neighbors wouldn't hear them. "Come with me. I have to tell you something important." It was now time for phase two of the ex-assassin's vacation plan.
As the silver-haired teen made his way into the hotel room again, he heard Gon follow him like the obedient little puppy he was. A mixture of a cunning smirk and a true smile battled for dominance on the former assassin's face as he made his way into the bathroom. Gon was just so adorably sexy in everything he did that Killua was seriously wondering how he had kept himself from jumping the other like a battle-starved Hisoka all these years.
Trying to get the images of Hisoka's creepy persona out of his mind (the thought of the clown really wasn't needed at that point in time, and Killua was more than ready to forget that he had even thought of the other), the silver-haired hunter closed the door to the bathroom once Gon entered behind him, his slightly taller friend giving him a confused look as to why they were shutting themselves into such a place. Well, at least the bathroom was spacious, unlike most other hotel bathrooms! And Killua had even made sure that they had gotten a Jacuzzi tub instead of the usual shower
"Okay, first off, we're in the bathroom so that Leorio and Kurapika don't overhear us," Killua started to explain as he leaned against the long counter for the sink. "But, just to make sure, let's keep our voices low, because everything will be blown if those two hear what we are talking about."
Seeing that his friend had made himself comfortable on the edge of the tub, his hazel eyes shining up expectantly at him like a puppy eager for a treat, Killua continued, albeit with enormous amounts of restraint in order to not glomp the other and accidentally crack their heads open on the porcelain tub behind them.
"Alright, first off, I expect that you haven't picked up on this yet, but Leorio and Kurapika are attracted to each other in the same sense that a woman and man would be if they ever wanted to get into a romantic relationship. So, in short, they have the hots for each other, but they're both too stubborn and prideful to admit it to each other, and to themselves. I mean, why else would Kurapika refuse to talk with Leorio for the past four years, but talk with us instead, and comment about how much he misses him? Even you should have figured out that that doesn't make any sense."
Seeing his friend nod that he was understanding so far, despite the fact that Killua could pick up the twinge of confusion in his eyes, and, therefore, figure out that Gon wasn't understanding everything completely, the former assassin continued with his plan.
"Okay, so seeing that the two of them are probably never going to make a move towards each other, it's up to us to get them together. If we don't, then they're just going to dance around each other until they die, and they'll never be happy! So it's up to us to play matchmakers now."
Killua's features softened then as he stared down at Gon, a look of slight uncertainty making its way onto his face.
"Of course, you don't have to help me if you don't want to. I can understand if this is a bit strange…or awkward for you, especially with us trying to bring two men together…but…I really would like it if you did," he muttered softly then, his bangs covering his face momentarily. "I could sure use the company on this crazy endeavor of mine, and it would be pretty awesome to know that you have my back."
Knowing that the rest of his plan rode on what Gon said next, Killua glanced up warily through his bangs to stare at his crush expectantly. He had never personally asked Gon if he supported gay relationships, so this really was a 50/50 shot. If his friend was too disgusted by the thought, then Killua would not only be lacking a partner for his plan…but he'd have no chance with Gon besides. If Gon was open to the idea (or, more than likely not caring either way) then he'd have a partner in crime, and he would…possibly have a chance with the other…'possibly' being the main word.
"So what do you say, Gon? Will you help me? Will you help Kurapika and Leorio?"
Gon grinned happily when Killua finally joined him and felt the same about the view. Hearing the other agree with him felt really good. They shared the same view on a lot of things, and, for the most part, liked the same things, too. The teen was just very thankful he had met Killua, and that they were best friends. This wasn't a conscious thought, though, but more like a feeling of absolute contentment. As long as he was with Killua, everything was alright. Danger was nothing to be feared, because they were a great team and always got through predicaments together. Everything they did was an adventure and just fun.
The enhancer was soon shaken from these thoughts, though, as his best friend whispered into his ear to follow him. Gon couldn't help but giggle softly, since the warm breath tickled his ear. He didn't ask why Killua wanted him to follow. He didn't need to know. Killua would have his reasons and those were always sound.
Gon had no illusions about himself. He wasn't stupid or anything but he wasn't the smartest kid around. Thinking on his feet definitely wasn't one of his strong suits. When it came to intelligence and tactics and getting to the bottom of things, Gon trusted Killua implicitly. So, without thinking twice, he just followed the other into the bathroom, although he became a little confused when his companion even closed the door and shut them in. Even Melody might be hard pressed overhearing them all the way in here. … Wait...was Melody somewhere around? But, even so... what reason might she have to listen in on them? Stumped at these thoughts, Gon sat down on the edge of the huge bathtub in their spacious bathroom and looked at Killua for an explanation.
A moment later Gon understood that Melody wasn't part of the equation. But he bet it was the sensible thing to talk about Kurapika and Leorio in here, seeing as they were just next door. And with Kurapika having worked with Melody for quite some time, who knew what the other had picked up. Kurapika was very smart and a fast learner, too. Gon nodded that he understood his friend's reasoning and looked expectantly up at him, waiting for what was to come.
What did come was nothing the spiky haired teen could have suspected. Killua was telling him that Leorio and Kurapika wanted to be in a romantic relationship. But they were both men... Gon knew such things happened with animals, too. And thinking of Kurapika, he did look a bit feminine and had looked very pretty when he had dressed up as a receptionist back when they had captured Chrollo all those years ago. So, Gon thought, it kind of fit. Also Killua was right in pointing out both Leorio's and Kurapika's stubbornness. Gon would bet Kurapika would hate for people to think of him as a girl! And Leorio? Well, he always mentioned another girls name when they talked or met. Maybe he wouldn't want to think about settling with only one person and for her to be a him? Trying to get the concept together in his head, the teen was starting to fall behind the new information Killua was bestowing upon him.
There was something about the discrepancy between Kurapika not talking much to Leorio, but telling them how much he missed the other. Oh, yeah, right. He had wondered about that before! Gon nodded, trying to show his friend he still kept up. Somehow.
Killua's conclusion then made so much sense. Of course, if those two couldn't come together by themselves, then they needed help. Kurapika really hadn't looked too happy when they had met at the airport. The Kurta had looked very tired, if he thought about it now. With the grim line of work he was in and with him still trying to avenge his clansmen, it really was no wonder he wasn't happy. And Leorio had been studying like crazy and had never talked about making friends at that school. Leorio and Kurapika should be just like them! He was happy being together with Killua and alternating between their lines of work kept things exciting and fresh. And he always had someone to talk to and to help him out with the things he wasn't so good at. And sometimes, yes, sometimes he was able to help Killua out, too. Kurapika and Leorio should be like that. They surely would be much happier then.
When he focused back on Killua, his friend was looking at him, but his face was half hidden behind his white bangs. Blue sapphires barely gleamed past the thick hair. There was a big question in the air between them but, for a moment there, Gon had no idea what it was. While he had tried to understand about the situation, he had lost track of what Killua had said. Only when his friend asked the main questions again did the taller boy put the words he had heard but not processed together with the repeated questions and understood them.
"Oh yeah. Sure. They're our friends. Of course I want them to be happy!" Gon grinned his thousand-watt smile then. "I'll always have your back, Killua!"
With his fingers gripping the edge of the tub, he leaned forward in a weird mixture between eager expectation and conspiratorial secretiveness.
"Tell me. Tell me what you're planning, Killua. I bet you already got it all worked out."
There was absolute adoration and admiration in Gon's eyes then as he looked up at Killua.
When Gon seamlessly agreed to help him get Leorio and Kurapika together, Killua was taken by surprise. How could the other just agree to do something so easily, especially when it was something that most of society didn't agree with?!
New hope found its way into the ex-assassin's heart as Gon leaned forward eagerly then and practically begged Killua to tell him the game plan. Gon was…absolute perfection; a true ray of light in Killua's dark existence. The silver-haired teen wouldn't trade anything for him in the world.
Seeing the adoration and admiration in his crush's eyes then, Killua felt overwhelmed from the happiness he felt. He let his silvery bangs fall for a second to hide his shiny, love-struck eyes from view as a soft smile played across his lips. In a second, though, he was able to compose himself properly, and his soft smile turned into a playful smirk. As the smaller of the two teens raised his head again, his sapphire eyes were alight with mischief.
"Of course I have a plan! I did some research on the local tourist attractions over here, so there are plenty of romantic places to get these two in the mood. Even if I have a good idea on what I want to do, though, I still need your help. Most of my judgment is based off of…various sources of information I got off the internet, because I have no personal experience when it comes to dating or setting a romantic mood. So, seeing as you have more…'experience' in that field, your input would be appreciated," Killua explained with excitement then, hoping that Gon wouldn't catch on to the fact that he hadn't gone into too much detail on his sources for where he got his dating information from. He would never admit that he had watched crazy amounts of romantic movies (AKA: Chick flicks) with Alluka; not even under the most horrible torture imaginable or Gon's puppy dog eyes (yes, those two things were directly comparable). The former assassin had also, albeit reluctantly, brought up Gon's dating experience with older women when he was younger. Killua, of course, assumed that Gon hadn't done anything intimate in any sense during those dates (that's where Killua was more experienced in, even though if most of his intimate knowledge came from a plethora of porn flicks he had watched over the years), but he should at least have known how to correctly go about creating a dating mood. Killua would never admit how jealous he was of those nameless women, but hopefully, if he played his cards right, he'd be able to have a good time with Gon as well, and maybe even strike up a dating mood of their own…hopefully.
Killua was shaken from his thoughts by Gon's agreement to help him in any way that he could. The silver-haired teen just smiled at his companion before a playful twinkle shone in his eyes.
"Alright then, here's the plan for tonight," Killua got down to business the next second as he crouched down onto the floor in a conspiratorial manner; Gon following his lead as he crouched down on the floor as well with excitement shining in his eyes. "First off, the only thing our group has agreed to do so far is find a place to eat for tonight. Our goal is for the two of us to find a restaurant with a romantic enough air to it that Leorio and Kurapika will fall victim to its effects, but, at the same time, we don't want a restaurant that's too expensive or ritzy feeling, because that just might make them feel awkward. I've done research on several locations within the area of the city we're in, but we need to investigate them ourselves to see which one best fits our needs, and we only have a few hours to do so. Up for the challenge?"
His last words were said with a challenging smirk, and Killua knew that Gon would never turn it down. That was one of the many characteristics that he loved about the other.
As he looked up at Killua, his friend's beautiful eyes hid behind the bangs entirely, then. Somehow, that always made Gon feel a little sad. Of course he saw the little smile on the other's lips, but he liked the way Killua's eyes lit up when he smiled and laughed. When the bangs hid this from his view, he felt like he missed out on something special and precious.
"Hm, yeah, I think I can help with that. I'll help you any way I can," the spiky-haired teen answered with a slow nod to his friend's request for his expertise.
His last date was quite a while ago. Since before he had become a full-fledged beast hunter and joined forces with Killua to be exact. Still, the basics for setting the mood shouldn't have changed. Mito had explained to him what women liked, and every woman he had gone out with seemed to have had a good time. Even Palm, who's character was anything but easy, had enjoyed their date. Although, something didn't feel right concerning these thoughts, but Gon wasn't quite sure what it was yet.
Killua dropped to the floor then and he followed suit. This felt like the start of a new adventure, and excitement bubbled up in the eager teen as he listened to his friend's plan. Eating out at a restaurant could be pretty romantic. It was always a nice way to start off an evening for an amorous date. Once Killua uttered his challenge, Gon automatically nodded, agreeing to it happily. Only then did the thing that had been bugging him the whole time finally click in his mind.
"But...but Killua, Kurapika and Leorio are both guys! I have never dated another boy. I don't know if they will like the same things." Concern showed in Gon's eyes then. He really wanted this to work out, but maybe he wasn't the best source for Killua's plans. Not being able to help his friend in the best way possible worried Gon and made him feel bad. Also there was another thing he wasn't too sure about. "If Kurapika and Leorio can't even admit their true feelings to themselves, I don't think they will do that in front of us. No matter how romantic the restaurant is we pick out. I think for things to work out between them, they would have to be alone."
Unsure, Gon looked at Killua. Sometimes, he really wished he was smarter. Killua often had to explain things to him and he really, really hated looking stupid to his best friend. What would happen if Killua got fed up with his stupidity and left him for some smarter partner? The thought hurt too much to actually contemplate it. Gon just couldn't let that happen. He just needed to keep Killua happy in other ways.
Sapphire eyes widened in realization after Killua heard Gon voice his concerns. He had never thought that dating between two guys would be any different than normal couples, in all honesty, but would it actually be different? Taking a few moments for consideration, Killua finally came up with an answer.
"I don't think the two of them being men will change anything, Gon. From what I read, a date is supposed to be enjoyed by both of the people involved, and not just the 'woman', so a man should be able to enjoy the situations he puts his partner in as well," Killua answered easily. The former assassin knew that he would enjoy a romantic dinner along with the other things he had planned for Leorio's and Kurapika's 'coming out' even though he was a male, so what wasn't to say that Leorio and Kurapika wouldn't, too? They better enjoy themselves after all the thought he had put into this!
"As for your concerns for us being there, don't worry," Killua continued with a mischievous smile. "I have all of that figured out, and I'll make sure to explain it to you more in detail, but we really have to try and find the right type of restaurant before Kurapika and Leorio get hungry."
Seeing his best friend nod his head towards him in understanding then, Killua just smiled and brought out a map of the city they were in. He opened it and spread it out on the linoleum floor before them.
"Okay, like I said before, I did research on several restaurants that might fit our needs within the closest proximity to our hotel. Leorio and Kurapika might not be interested about traveling far to get some food, especially if they're used to eating earlier in the day. If they're really hungry, they'll want to go someplace close."
With that said, the silver-haired teen pointed to the areas he had circled upon the map, and showed the route he had drawn to get to the restaurant locations as quickly as possible. After he was done briefing Gon on their current objective, and making sure that his spiky-haired friend's brain wasn't frying from the information overload, the two of them headed out in search of the perfect restaurant.