Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter! It all belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi!

Summary: Competition finds Leorio in the form of a…rodent? An unexpected love rival appears.

Comments: This takes place between chapter 13 and 14, where they're hiking up in the mountains. So, before Pika and co. nearly drown, but after they've unpacked and stuff :3 enjoy~

Missing Reality

2: Chipmunk Love~ Part 1

I was getting tired of seeing white. White ground, white-covered trees, white hair…

"GAH!" Flailing my arms, I tried to keep my balance after nearly running into Killua. He turned and managed to grab hold of my hand, keeping me on my feet. "Thanks…" I took a breath, taking a glance back to see the long tumble down the mountain with a shudder.

"Hey, be careful." Yuei scolded. The others turned towards us, and I caught a glimpse of the flash in Leorio's eyes.

Weird.

"Don't be an idiot like Gon." Tapping my nose, Killua smirked at the yell that followed after his statement. I laughed quietly, pretending to cough into my closed hand.

Sakuno, who had still not gotten over the Scarletti bird thing, had her eyebrows in her hair at this point. I could tell by looking at her expression that she was assuming something, again. And that it'd probably pop up sooner or later. Joy…

"C'mon guys! I wanna get there before the sun goes down." Yuei smirked, turning to continue up the mountain. "Ah, you're all such a loving group. There's Sensei and Pika, Pika and Sensei, Miyoshi and Sensei, Killua and- damn! I just realized that was THREE Sensei's in a row!"

Either she didn't notice the concerned-for-Yuei's-mental-health looks burning into her head, or she chose to ignore them.

"What are you talking about?" Gon asked curiously, eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

"Don't ask." Killua and I answered at the same time, continuing up the mountain. There was no need to confuse the poor kid's mind up further, now was there. A traumatized Gon was not a good Gon. Because we'd most likely be the ones who ended up having to drag him up the mountain.

About ten minutes later, Yuei stopped and looked around. We watched curiously as she tipped her head to and fro. With a nod, but without an explanation, she turned and began walking towards the thicker clusters of trees.

"Are we taking a detour?" Leorio called after her. All he received was a dismissive wave of the hand, as per usual. I picked up the pace, taking on a jog as she disappeared into the thicket. The thudding of feet was behind me, and so I was sure the others were following, too.

I frowned when a hand stopped me from going any further. "What?" A glance at my shoulder showed that the hand belonged to Leorio. Said man shrugged.

"We'll get lost if we go through the forest. Let's just wait for her here, she'll probably come back."

The words had barely left his mouth when Gon sped past us, running further into the darkness. "YUEI-CHAAAN! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

We blinked, slow in reacting before Killua took off in the same direction. "BAKA, YOU'LL GET LOST!"

More blinking ensued, then Leorio and I shared a glance that clearly questioned Killua's accuracy in claiming Gon as the idiot, when he had just a readily ran off on his own.

"Umm…" Sakuno sniffled, "Aren't we lost, too?"

I was fairly certain I hated the woman even more with that statement. Because her observation demanded I agree, because it was most certainly true.

"We're not…lost…" Leorio glanced around, "I'm pretty sure we came from that direction…" He wandered over to a tree, as if it would guide him in the right path.

As the two began walking, I called after them, "Wait, what happened to waiting here for Yuei?" When they showed no sign of returning, and nudged on by the creepy rustling of the tree branches, I ran as fast as I could to cling to Leorio's arm.

If there was one thing I would ever admit to, it would be my fear of the feeling you got when something hidden was watching you.

XXX

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" Killua asked innocently, a wide smile on his face. "No? Good. Because I hate you."

Gon sniffed, brushing some snow off his pants. It wasn't really his fault they were lost. Yuei had run off, but Killua had chased after him, too. Of course, they couldn't find Yuei. Meaning she wasn't there. Meaning Killua couldn't glare fiery daggers at her.

"I thought you were supposed to be really good with directions and the trees and stuff. What happened to that? We're stuck here 'till the others find us all because you- NO! NONONO! STOP CRYING DAMMIT! YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I SEE YOU CRY!"

"B-b-but…" Gon sniffed harder, tears turning into a steady stream down his face, "w-we're lo-ost…and it's (hic) all m-my fault-t…and you said you (hic) HATE me!" It ended in a loud sob, a raging river cutting a path onto his cheeks.

Somebody decided there wasn't enough moisture in the world, and Killua's own eyes wanted to help out. A sniffle and cough later, he managed a strangled, "Gon. Don't cry." Stumbling forward, the boy plopped down next to his friend to pat his back, "I didn't really mean that. I don't hate you."

"Y-you mean it…?" Eyes sparkling, Gon sniffled with a hopeful smile.

Nodding so hard he thought his neck would come loose, Killua gave him a sparkly smile right back.

And then the moment ended.

"Yay!" Gon jumped onto his feet with a wide grin, "Let's go find Yuei!"

Killua blinked, watching as his friend raced off into the trees.

Well then.

"…Shi- GON DON'T LEAVE ME ALL ALONE!"

XXX

Leorio wasn't sure when it happened. And he wasn't sure why or how. All he knew was that it happened. It really did.

A…a rat had attached itself to his student. His Kurapika.

"Hanashi-sensei," Kurapika scolded, "It's a chipmunk, not a rat. And I do not belong to you."

The rat (for he would refuse to call it anything else) stared at him with its beady little eyes, snuggled all warmly in the blonde's arms, dirty little hands clinging to his jacket.

Sakuno stood off to the side somewhere, pouting at being forgotten. "Umm…Leorio, I-…" She trailed off with red cheeks, eyes narrowing at the creature who had taken his attention away from her.

And she was not referring to the chipmunk.

"Can I hold it for a second?" Leorio made grabby motions towards the rat, thinking of ways to quickly and quietly dispose of it after he had a hold of it.

"No." Kurapika held it further away from him.

By this point, the teacher had claimed it as his much loathed rival, and not just because it was practically smirking at him as it snuggled against the boy. No.

"Just for a little bit!"

"You poor little thing." He cooed, softly petting the chipmunk's head, "Hanashi-sensei nearly sat on you. You must be traumatized."

Leorio hated the thing with all his soul because it had attacked him. ATTACKED! There he was, just strolling along minding his own business, when it came out of nowhere and began clawing up his gorgeous face! It was vicious!

He even had the battle scars to prove it.

And now Kurapika wanted to keep it. Alive. And he was treating it like it was some sort of…of…special-thing!

"Seeing as your name calling seems to be getting less and less creative, I think you're just jealous of him." The blond nuzzled it against his neck. Nuzzled I tell you. Nuzzled.

"Why would I be jealous of a rat?" Leorio seethed, arms flailing to make his point. The nerve of the kid!

"'Cause he's adorable and you're not." Kurapika stuck his tongue out childishly.

They continued on walking with that sentence the last one said for a long while, Sakuno following behind the group like a depressed shadow. Her multiple attempts at conversation weren't even worthy of being considered the last thing said.

Leorio muttered curses under his breath. The chipmunk beamed happily.

TBC…

Yuuki: Pffsh I shall write this in two parts cuz this has been sitting on my flashdrive for months (can you tell where I started rushing hurr) and I just don't want to see it anymore :D but fear not! I shall finish it! (just not anytime soon)