Hey all! Here's the next chapter!
First! Apparently I noticed there has been some weird glitch with this story updates. The last few chapters haven't been send out the alerts.
I would appreciate it if you would let me know if you got a notification this time! just so I know myself!
Second! So sorry for the wait! I've been helping my dad at work on my days off, so I've been extremely tired.
Thank you for bearing with me!
Playlist:
1. Diamonds by illy *** the lyrics in this one are amazing for Ging and Senka
2. The Grey by Icon For Hire
Chapter 10: Caught In The Grey
Five years, Ging never saw her, only heard whispers and rumours of the student he left in tears. Good and bad. Honourable and infamous. He was proud of the girl, yes, girl, because to him, Senka will always be that spirited little girl that tried his patience and resolve.
Senka remained asleep for two days straight, tucked away deep in cosy sheets and for not a single moment did Ging leave her side. It didn't worry him, her tired state, something else did. The embryo inside delicate layers of flesh made its presence frightfully known, causing extreme worry. Speculating this turn of event was newly realized and unavoidable.
Ging couldn't help investigate the enormous growth the girl underwent. Senka's tastes matured more than it changed, she still had those silly plush dolls. Chubbiness blossomed into beauty that words cannot describe and broken from her past that constantly haunted her. Not to mention, talented beyond his imagination.
Apart of him felt regret for the abandonment young Senka predicted, yet that selfish portion forced that away. As a Hunter, in this line of work, time is a luxury often underrated.
He'll admit, there were thoughts of leaving. Can't lie. Would it be better to vanish again? To not reopen those old wounds and have spend years trying to heal them.
"Am I everything you need? Or if I need to be your everything for me and my reasons?" Ging asked aloud to the sleep beauty. Wondering, if what is keeping here by her side was redemption and not compassion. To selfishly make himself feel better about the past or to actually be there for her?
We'll have an answer soon.
To his relief, Senka began to show signs of awaking. Body struggled to get itself up, lids flickered against the heavy feeling of exhaustion. Even in hazed vision, she took notice of a figure that sat right at her side. Violets desperately tried to zero in on details, hoping it was Hisoka.
She began to recognize the jet black hair, round brown orbs and a toned muscular body clothed in baggy layers. For once, she was glad her wishful thinking didn't come true.
"G...Ging?" said Senka in a cracked voice filled with disbelief of seeing her former teacher, the one who ignored her pleads and comes to the rescue now of all times. She partially jumped out of bed to clumsily embrace Ging. Eyes burned in redness as tears could no longer be restrained, crying silently into the man's chest.
It was perfect.
He parted dried lips, brain seemingly frazzled on which words to utter. Instead, Ging slipped arms carefully under Senka. "You can tell me all about it but let's get you cleaned up first" Said Ging, going into pure father-mode.
Senka gave him a sheepish nod, making greasy blue locks bounce half-heartedly. Coloured arms clung onto Ging as she was carried into the bathroom, placing her on the covered toilet seat.
Brown eyes couldn't help but notice her lush exotic skin had paled, cheeks damp from tears, redness settled in and so did numbness.
Even during those precious years they spent together, he not once liked moments such as this. Witnessing Senka in her weakest hours and her darkest nights, it pained.
The man swallowed, trying greatly to ignore heart aches that went out to her "Remove your clothes" ordered Ging as he roughly pulled off his cloak.
Senka did as told while sounds of gushing water echoed against decorated tiles. Removing the tight fabric, skin was finally able to breath after being covered for so long. Quickly did Senka beginning to feel disgusted by how dry her skin felt, or was it the morning sickness again? Can't tell.
Brown eyes completely disregarded Senka's nudity, once again picked her up and submerged both their bodies in hot water. Mind completely focused on getting her washed than paying attention to exposed female anatomy. No awkwardness or embarrassment followed either of them. Only concern or angst. With a tad of underlining despair.
They took either sides, Senka pulls knees to her chest, arms wrapped around legs, head titled down and left a gap in the middle that kept them apart.
"You have such great fucking timing, asshole" she cursed so naturally.
Ging scowled at her "Your vocabulary remains indict as ever"
Water splashed violently as Senka shifted her body into a more comfortable position in the decent sized tub "Oh fuck off! You're the one who just dropped me back at that place and haven't talked to me ever since! Now you all of a sudden pop back into my life?"
The man watched her with a stern expression, fighting against surrendering to those teary violets that exposed weakness. Under the clear water, Ging stretched out a hand to firmly grab hold of a coloured ankle, "Cool down that temper Kid" he said and tugged.
Senka gasped from the sudden attack as her body slid deeper into water. She hissed, and coughed "Jesus Fu- Ow Ging! That hurt!" yelled the girl in a complaint.
"No need to shout, it's annoying" he grumbled while releasing her leg, a pinky drilled into an ear to block the ruckus.
Glares quickly softened as the instant pain turned pleasing, "how could you though? Just leave me there, with them, after everything then just walk back expecting me to act like nothing happened? That's unfair!"
Brown eyes rolled in their sockets, he sighed "Tell me something, are you happy with yourself?" Ging asked.
"What the fuck kinda ques-"
"Shut up and answer" he sternly demanded
Senka huffed stubbornly before leaning back against the angled bathtub, eyes turning to the safety of water, finding calmness in making circles with a finger "I was until now"
Ging noticed the overwhelming agony and despair, to him, she is the easiest person to read. Temptation to coddle her with sweet words wasn't difficult to curve "To become strong, some must undergo an ultimate form of tragedy to discover their true power. What you experienced, people you've meet, the pain you feel then and now, all together is what molded the 'you' now."
The girl scowled bitterly, not buying this so-called wisdom her former teacher was sprouting "So you're saying my life had to turn completely shitty so I could be strong?"
He shrugged "More or less".
"Fan-fucking-astic" she cursed, head dropped back against the tub's edgy.
Ging snickered, seeing Senka hadn't lost that morbid sense of humour. He took hold of the blue rag that await for use on the tub's rim and began to gently scrub her body with care, starting at the legs "Now, can you explain why you and criminal Number Two were in Greed Island looking for an exorcist?" he asked, feeling not the slightest bit of shame in getting directly to the point.
See? This is exactly why she didn't want to ask anyone for help. Ging will always find out all her dirty little deeds. Her chest ached in sharp pains, making it clear she wasn't that innocent little girl he knew. Senka gave him an unimpressed expression, eyes squinted in disapproval "Really? You have codes names for them?"
Ging made small splashes to carefully rinse off bubbles from her coloured skin "Can you blame me? First you became their target and now my son. Whose next, me?"
Oh, if he only knew.
She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of his movements and the boiling hot water. "It's a long short" Senka said in a little voice, anxiety quickened heartbeats realizing that Ging probably no longer sees her as that little girl in a yellow cardigan and kilt. That little girl, who always, even now, dreamed of being taken far far away.
But, could she, would she still do that now?
A grin brightened Ging's wicked expression "I'm all ears".
Senka bit down on her lip, after the first word rolled off her tongue, more spilled out without reserve. She told him everything that happened during the sixes years they weren't in contact. From her kidnapping, Nen awakening, Mel taking her in, tracking down Kuroro, Hisoka and all his madness. Senka left out no details, feeling no trace of shame when explaining how her affairs between the criminals started. The immense anxiety she bottled and prevented from raging quickly vanished into relief. Chest no longer felt tight and heavy, she could breath, finally.
"I fucked up so badly. My mother would hang me if she knew and that's actually the least of my problems" expressed Senka, a coloured hand gently rested on her stomach. Violets softened as she realized a child was growing inside as they spoke.
How is she going to tell Hisoka?
The man tried to remain level headed and rational but it proved to be difficult seeing how life dealt such a hard hand to her "You're being dramatic Senka" he said in hopes to reason out the worries.
"No Ging, she was seriously pissed off! I've never heard her talk me to like that since I was a child!" Senka explained with exaggeration while carefully turning her body to allow an exposed back a washing, encouraging water to splash.
He lathered palms with a scented shampoo that oozed Tropical Paradise to message blue hair "Nellia has always been a hot-tempered one" agreed the man, having met her family a few times during their training period.
Senka snickered "hot-tempered is joke! Let that woman find out I could possibly pop out the criminal that murdered Sencharia, she'll have me thinking getting disowned was child's-play" she commented with closed eyes, head tilted back to enjoy the sensational touches on her scalp.
Ging laughed nervously at the sentiment because it was a realistic fear and didn't really know how to advice in handling other women other than Senka "You never know, it could be a lot worse Kiddo".
His words caused a sickly feeling to bubble deep in her stomach. The girl forced teeth from biting down onto her lips, fingernails clawed onto wet skin "How? It's already so bad! I don't even have the slightest clue which one of those psychos is the father because I slept with both..." she choked, breath caught in her throat, jaw tightened. Her heart skipped a few pumps and she regretted those words.
Mel is right, this is all her fault.
Brown eyes stared at wet hair, mouth parted to speak quickly, knowing the girl would become insecure by his silence "So get rid of it" harshly suggested Ging.
Anxiety began to claw its way back into her, blood rushing so rapidly that she felt hot "But... it might be Hisoka's" she retorted, voice silent and careful.
"And?" he asked, expecting to get a rational answer to her irrational actions.
Senka began to shiver, unsure if the cause was fear or water chilling. Coloured arms hugged knees that were brought up to her chest, making the girl seem so frail "I can't kill his baby" the girl whispered in a little voice.
Unexplainable sharp pains caused Ging to hold his breath, 'do you love him that much?' he thought to himself. Wondering, if he had done something those many years ago, would her present be different? Or would those villains still maintained their hold?
You can't help who you love.
The girl silently allowed tears to fall, sounds of droplets being the only thing ears could hear. She knew the answer all along, admitting it aloud was entirely different. If it were anyone else, those words wouldn't have escaped through her cracked lips. Happiness or relief is what you might think she would feel after but it is not the case.
Defeated is the right word. Why?
We'll soon find out.
Times like this, is where your true nature can be seen. When you must choose to be that consulting shoulder or if you avoid what is uncomfortable, painful or despairing.
Senka gasped in surprise, feeling two strong arms engulf around her in a skin tight embrace. The electricity of wet flesh rubbing against her was not a thought or concern. Affection of a different kind this is, Agape, in its most purest form. Unconditional can be another term for it.
She wouldn't be able to estimate the amount of time they stayed like that, in pure silence and calmness. Bath water turned icy, no longer boiling with hints of steam. The day was replaced by its dark counterpart called night, making the place frightful if not for the strategic night-lights.
"Let's get you out the bath, cold water isn't good for anyone" said the man as he stood up, droplets echoed and sounds of wet feet slapping against chilled tile mixed in.
Senka half consciously reached out to him for a helping hand, Ging smiled, more than happy to accept being her aid. After drying off, the man carefully escorted her onto the bed.
"Now, what do you want to wear?" asked Ging as if this was just another regular old day at her place.
She scowled at the short man, arms crossed over naked breasts and a brow arched "I'm twenty-four, not fourteen, I can dress myself". Violets zeroed in on him and noticed only a red towel around his waist serving as clothing, eye twitched. Now it felt awkward "And put some clothes on!".
There are only a very few places and individuals that made Ging feel secure and comfortable enough to be temporarily freed from his social anxiety. Senka was one of them, to the point where he could be exposed like now and awkwardness
"Stop with the complaining will you? At least try and let take care of you while you're pregnant!" Ging scolded in a grumble, paying her no mind, back turned to the girl as he continued to open drawers in search for proper clothes.
Blushing in the form of feverish tints brighten her face, eyes averted off to anywhere else. She was so taken aback, not expecting that level of maturity, or kindness with all the harsh treatment life has given recently "Top left, maroon sweater and black shorts, any of them. In that same one should have something you can use too".
He grinned, showing teeth "Now we're getting somewhere!" Following the directions, Ging quickly located their clothing and in minutes were dressed.
The girl's mouth widened in a loud yawn "I'm exhausted" she declared, body stretching over cool bed sheets on her respective side.
Ging chuckled, wondering how on earth she could sleep days and still want more "I guess some woman get extreme fatigue during their terms" he commented while causally taking only available portion on the mattress, trying to not think about other bodies who have lied in this very spot.
The girl turned her body on its side with intentions on continued pillow talk "How long are you staying before you do another vanishing act?" she asked in a half mocking, half honest tone.
Strong browns and anxious violets connected "For as long as you need me" Ging answered immediately without hesitation.
Senka's lips thinned in a weak smile that made her appear so radiate to him "Liar".
He should have seen that one coming. "I am this time" defended Ging in an attempt to earn back her trust.
She snickered playfully, knowing the other and his nature. The girl knew time together was limited but again that sickly wishful thinking of hers caused unnecessary heartaches. Senka's head snuggled against her pillow, inching closer to him yet retained an invisible line between their bodies "You're track record says differently".
Ging understood her reason to keep such distance but didn't care. He knew what this girl needed most was not judgement or restrain.
A friend. An alley. A companion.
"Until we figure out this baby problem, I'm not going anywhere" said the man as he pulled sheets over their figures while closing the gap between them.
Violets softened, they seemed bigger than usual or maybe it was just the moonlight "Still haven't gotten a proper answer about why you left. I don't want to heard that half baked wisdom excuse, I want a legitimate answer Ging" she asked seriously in a frail voice.
The man huffed with a scowl, cheeks hinted with light pink "the 'you' then didn't need me as the 'you' do now, satisfied?" he grumbled like an old man.
Senka giggled at his bashfulness, like the little girl he remembered "Yeah, I am" she said with a tired tone, eyes closed as she relaxed and nuzzled against Ging's shoulder.
He chuckled, a hand gently tapped her back in a parental gesture "Missed you too".
Thank you for reading! How did you like this chapter?
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The next update will be around july 30th