What an uneventful night. At midnight, it's almost the end of Gon's shift. Killua and Ikalgo both look disheveled as they shuffle towards the barstools, both with heavy blushes adorning their faces. Gon decides it's best not to ask what happened.
"Gooon!" Killua singsongs almost mockingly, patting him on the back as he hops up onto a stool. "How did your date go?"
"Fine! Leorio already went back to his station."
"He can't dance at all, can he?"
"Not really. I don't mind, though. He's really cute, and pretty!"
Killua shoots him a bewildered look. "Cute? Pretty? THAT geezer?"
Gon pouts. "He's no geezer! I like him a lot! I love him!"
"Love?! Isn't that a bit of a strong word?" Killua sputters, and Gon squares his shoulders.
"No! I love lots of people!"
"Well, it's none of my business," Killua huffs, looking away. "Go steal all of their hearts for the hell of it. Or for the affection. Or admiration. You have the capacity." He turns back to Gon with half a smile.
Gon's eyes sparkle with both curiosity and confidence. He has the capacity for it? Killua and Hisoka's words bump against each other and echo in his head. Steal some hearts? Act on passion alone?
His own heart's on fire – he's ablaze with confidence in himself. There's nothing wrong with making people fall, is there? Gon nods furiously and hops off the barstool, ready to dash to Leorio's office. Steal everybody's hearts! Make everyone fall hopelessly in love!
A gunshot. Gon stops dead, wobbling in his heels. The sound alone hurts almost as much as a real bullet.
Screams, the smell of blood, the sound of broken glass: they roll across his back and assault his senses as the machine-gun pops begin. Another raid? Only a month after the first one? Gon's halfway down the hallway before he comes back to himself, ducking behind overturned blackjack tables as panicked patrons dart across his path. Bodies fall like hail as bullets fall like snow.
Gon fumbles for his pistol, pulling it out of the holster on his hip and turning the safety off with a click. He's ready to fight if he has to.
"Hey! Gon!" A white blur crashes down next to him, scooting against him for protection. The pistol in Killua's hands is still smoking – Gon doesn't want to think about it.
"Is everyone okay?" Gon cries, worried out of his mind. "Is Kite-"
"Kite's fine, everyone's fine. Well – I just haven't seen Ikalgo. He doesn't have a pistol yet. I hope he's okay."
Almost as if on cue, Ikalgo limps by, very obviously dragging something. Both boys whip around to look at him: he's holding a bloody body by the legs, expression uncomfortable as he lays it up against the wall.
"Ikalgo!" Killua half-screams. Ikalgo jumps.
"K-Killua! I, uh... Just give me a second." He murmurs the last part. It's barely audible over the gunfire. Careful, he pulls a syringe out from inside his vest and uncaps it with a flick, then sticks the needle into a vial of blue liquid. Gon and Killua look on in horror as Ikalgo jams it into the body's neck. He's obviously not dead yet. Just knocked out – at least, until Ikalgo shot the serum into his neck.
"Living Dead Dolls." Ikalgo whispers, looking solemn as the man's eyes glaze over. He leans in close, handing the man a tommy gun as he leans in to mutter into his ear.
The man immediately rises and shuffles towards the entrance, where Chimera Ant forces are pouring in. He readies his gun and fires wildly into the crowd of them.
Gon and Killua watch in shock. Ikalgo'd been carrying suggestability serum all along? Neither of them know what to think, but Gon pulls up his pistol anyway, firing at a few of the men along the sides – the only thing on his mind is protecting everyone. Killua comes to his senses, too, and joins in the ongoing fire fight.
It's strange, how much Gon hates the Chimera Ants for what they're doing – it feels like there's an oil well in his chest, tainting his bloodstream, making his body feel heavy and dark. "Die. Die," he mumbles, voice uncharacteristically dark.
Looking to his side, Gon notices there's a more pressing matter at hand. Kurapika's being straddled by a man who's trying to drive a large dagger into his neck. It seems Kurapika'd knocked the man's gun away, but is just barely holding back the man from killing him.
Gon flies from behind the table. Killua yells something like "YOU IDIOT!" after him, but Gon has him tuned out.
Kurapika snarls, grabbing the man's wrists, trying in vain to break them. His eyes look like brimstone as he tries to wriggle free, flaring in hopeless anger while the knife edges closer and closer.
The tip of the man's knife touches Kurapika's skin and presses, hard enough to draw blood. It's over-
Bang.
Before he knows what's happening, Kurapika feels blood dripping onto his shirt. He looks up to see that the man above him is dead – his head is a ruined mess, and the assailant holding the pistol behind his head is splattered red from the impact.
"Gon!" Kurapika shouts, pushing the corpse off of his chest and sitting up. The young boy's face is stone cold. The blood and bits of grey matter that litter his sparkly green outfit and face don't even seem to faze him as he lets the pistol hang at his side, arm slumping down. Kurapika pulls himself up and smiles weakly. "Thank you. You saved my life."
The light returns to Gon's eyes, and he nods furiously. "Any time! It's no problem!"
Gunfire started back up, but with a deeper sound every once in a while. Gon whirled around, and to his surprise, Ikalgo, with Killua by his side, is firing off…is that a sniper rifle? Where did he even get that? No matter – he's picking off tons of guys like it's nothing. He might be shy, but not about killing people.
He seems engrossed in killing, as does the boy next to him. 'Protect' is the only word in their mind. But who are they protecting?
Gon nods to Kurapika, giving him a reassuring smile, before sprinting towards the slots to make sure Kite's alright. He really hopes so. Turning the corner of the forest of lights, he scans his surroundings, squinting in the neon glow – there's someone silhouetted against the machines.
A Chimera Ant's towering over Kite's fallen body, a large tommy gun in hand. Gon's heart leaps to his throat. Blood roars in his ears. Fire burns in his eyes, his lungs, his heart. Without missing a beat, he grabs one of the metal barstools in front of the slots and charges towards the figure.
"KITE!" Gon screams, sounding helpless, moving as fast as he could. The figure looks over at him, starting to raise their gun, but it was too late. Gon was already right next to them.
He lands a decisive blow to their abdomen, the sickening crunch of ribs breaking erupting through his eardrums. The person coughs up a heavy splatter of blood as they stumble from the impact and away from Kite. They glare, eyes narrowing before they turn to try and run away.
Key word: Try.
Gon keeps coming. He lands an overhead blow, sending the figure straight to the ground. The impact was shortly met with another strike to the head; the victim's vision started to blur, and lacerations from the barstool start to appear on their head, blood pouring out.
Tears pour out of the young boy's eyes, not from regret or disgust with himself, but anger. Bang. Bang. Bang. The sound of metal hitting a person's skull reverberates through the casino, the sound slowly turning into more of a squish. Gon raises the barstool above his head over and over. At least 50 times. Die. Die. Die. His heart burns with grief. His eyes sting with tears.
"Gon," a voice calls out – Kite's voice. Gon immediately drops the barstool on the pulp of a corpse. He whips around, and lo and
behold, Kite's fine. There's a bloody wound on his shoulder, but it's near nothing vital. He slumps against the slot machines, lights surrounding his thin figure.
Tears once again spring to Gon's eyes as he leaps down to Kite, embracing him as hard as he can without hurting him. The older man puts a hand on Gon's back to steady him. The atmosphere feels warm, despite the smell of sulfur, blood and death.
"I thought you were dead," a breathless Gon sobs into Kite's chest. Kite's hand rubs in comforting circles on his back.
"It's okay now." Kite replies.
Gon feels exhaustion deep down to his bones, wracking his entire being. Why does he care so much about Kite? Those nights he spent in his office talking to him? When he would lift him up on top of the slots, and let him look out on over the sea of lights? He doesn't know. But the way his body fits into Kite's makes him feel safe.
"I love you," Gon sobs dryly, no more tears coming out. He feels Kite's body tense under his at this statement, but Kite slowly relaxes, taking a deep breath.
"I love you too."
Gon pulls away from the hug, sitting in between Kite's legs. Act on passion alone.
He presses his lips to Kite's, not too soft, but not too hard, either. He slings his arms around the older man, tears forming at the corners of his eyes again. All the gunfire seemed to die down, as the world melted away around the two. All that mattered was their feelings.
The kiss lasted a while, at least thirty seconds. Gon didn't want it to end, and neither did Kite.
Gon hesitantly pulls away, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I'm so glad..."
He starts to slip down. His consciousness is fading – he's worked himself too much.
"That I could save you."
Thunk.
