"Killua~~ Kil-lu-a~~~~~"
The assassin cracked his eyes open to find Gon hovering right in front of his face. He was immediately awake. "Gah! You're so close!" he shoved Gon aside and jerked himself into a sitting position.
The hybrid snickered. "We're here!" he declared.
Killua rubbed his eyes and looked out the window. They were parked in front of a junky looking hotel. The streets around them were dimly lit, and this appeared to be an unsatisfactory side of town.
"You sure this is where you wanna be?" the driver asked skeptically.
"Yes," Kurapika answered as he reached into his pockets. "This is perfect. Here." He pushed a fat sack of currency into the driver's hands. His gray eyes widened as the coins clicked against each other.
The group piled out of the car, Leorio yawning and disorientated. Gon waved as the driver pulled away, and Killua took in their surroundings. They were deep in the city, but all of those colorful lights from before were nowhere to be seen. The sidewalks were cracked, and a rancid smell wafted up from the storm drains. And was that puddle pee or vomit?
"Kurapika, where the hell are we? I thought we were going to Heavan's arena?" Killua asked as he gave a suspicious looking thug a menacing look. The dude backed off, but the Valkyrie kept his guard up just in case. He knew bad places when he saw them.
"We are just down the street from Heaven's Arena, we are just staying here for the night," Kurapika clarified. "It would be unwise to check in this late at night. We will get rested up and check in first thing tomorrow." The Elf walked forward to a building done up in painted brick. The paint had used to be navy, but was so faded and peeling that it just looked gray.
"Why are we staying at a place like this?" Leorio complained as the group walked through a stained revolving glass door.
The Elf glared at Leorio, "We could stay in a worse location if that is what you would prefer. The truth of the matter is that in this area, the only people who stay in nicer hotels are higher ups in the Heavan's Arena. Expect that everyone we meet from here on out is a potential opponent. As newcomers, it is etiquette for us to stay in a newcomer-grade hotel. Rebelling against the grain is not something we will be doing while partaking in the battle royal tower."
Leorio stopped his complaining, but continued grumbling to himself.
The four of them entered a lobby painted in baby blue with cracked white tile flooring. A couple of potted plants existed in the corners, and a desk with a Bat-Cryptid receptionist was directly ahead of them. She pushed a magazine aside and gave them her attention.
"Need a room?" she asked in a gruff, smoke distorted voice.
"Yes, what do you have available for this amount?" Kurapika then pushed a pouch of coinage across her desk.
The Cryptid eyed the sack from beneath silvery curtain-bangs. She blinked her magenta eyes, and glanced up at Kurapika from beneath lashes doused in heavy black makeup. "The most I can get you is a two bed room. A higher floor if you prefer."
"I do prefer," Kurapika said with a nod.
"Alrighty then," the woman then clicked away at her computer screen, and handed over a ratty golden key on a neon green rubber lanyard. "This'll get you one night. You'll be on the seventh floor in room 406."
"Thank you very much," Kurapika murmured.
The group followed the Elf out of the lobby, and down a hallway. The blonde pressed a button on the wall next to a set of metal doors, and the button lit up. "This is an elevator, it is an alternative to stairs," he explained. The metal doors slid open, and Killua whistled as they walked in. Leorio stepped in with a suspicious look on his face, and Gon looked like he was barely containing himself from touching every metal surface in sight.
"Impressive," Killua said nonchalantly as Kurapika pressed another button and the doors slid shut. He then pressed a button with the number 7, and it lit up. The metal box then rose upward!
"AhHHhAHAHAH!" Leorio freaked out, and stumbled back against the wall. Kurapika pinched the bridge of his nose, and looked anywhere but at the overreacting Goblin.
Killua swished his tail, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "What happens if we jump?" The box was already rattling and the unsatisfactory sound of metal on metal grated the Valkyrie's sensitive ears. He wanted to see just how strong this up-box was!
"OO! Let's jump and find out!" Gon was in on the plan instantly.
"Boys, don't jump-" Kurapika started, only to stop when the two of them leapt into the air and slammed back down on the metal floor. The entire elevator jiggled around! Killua cackled as Leorio screeched in fear.
"Woah!" Gon exclaimed, eyes glittering with mischief. "It shook!"
"Let's do it again!" Killua said with another swish of his tail.
The two of them made to jump again, but were stopped by a hand slamming down upon each of their shoulders. Killua looked behind him, to find Kurapika's unamused face staring him down. "No jumping," he ordered, voice commanding finality.
Gon and Killua sighed in unison, and settled down.
A moment later, the elevator chimed and shuddered to a halt. The sliding metal doors opened, and Kurapika led them down a hallway lined in electric purple carpet. The fabric sunk beneath Killua's shoes as if it was damp, and come to think of it the entire place held the faint scent of mold. The Valkyrie wrinkled his nose, he hated that smell to no end.
It reminded him of the solitary confinement chambers back on Kukuroo Mountain.
The doors were painted in chipping white paint, and the door knobs and knockers were all yellowy aluminum. It was a cheap excuse for gold, and obviously a knock off. Ha, pun. The hall was lit with more of those lightbulbs, these giving off a washed out light that clashed horribly with those pale blue walls. Killua squirmed his tail uncomfortably as they passed a door with a specific… ruckus coming from the room within.
At the end of the hallway, they finally stopped at a door labeled with the number 406. Kurapika stuck the key into the lock, and let them in. Inside the carpet changed from purple to jade green, and the walls were a tacky urine yellow. The room wasn't too horribly cramped, but was in no way spacious. Two queen sized beds sat side by side against the left hand wall. They were serviced with cream colored blankets and pillows. There was a pull out couch against the other wall in that same color, and a chipped wooden coffee table before it. The bathroom door was right beside you the second you walked in, along with a door to an empty closet housing spare linens and an ironing board.
Kurapika let out a sigh of relief as he locked the door behind them and placed his satchel down in the corner. Gon walked over to the window to take a peek outside. Killua followed him to look as well, and all they ended up finding was a slimy alleyway.
With a loud groan, Leorio collapsed onto the couch - the closest furniture to the door. "Ahhhh, thank the gods were finally here! This has been the longest day of my life! We were running, then citying, then driving, and now we've finally made it!"
"'Citying' isn't a word, Leorio," Kurapika sighed.
"Whatever!" the travel-grumpy Goblin snapped.
"Killua and I call the bed by the window!" Gon declared as he launched himself onto said bed. The silver haired boy had been expecting an uncomfortable squeaking of rusty springs, but the hybrid bounced lightly up and down on the mattress.
The Valkyrie flung himself onto the bed beside him, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the bed was soft as a pile of clouds! The blankets were scratchy as hell, but the bed itself was heaven! "Woah! This bed is great!" he declared in shock.
"I'll sleep on the other then," Kurapika spoke up as he set his bag onto it as if claiming his territory.
Leorio glanced up with a look of betrayal on his face. "Huh? Then where am I gonna sleep!"
"On the pull out couch!" Gon answered as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
The Elf, hybrid, and Valkyrie all laughed at the Goblin's expense as he glanced in horror down at the couch he was on. "Aw man!" he complained, and then proceeded to pull up the cushions to get himself situated. He grumbled inaudibly the entire time.
Gon kicked back against the pillows, and Killua stood up and headed for the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a bath, I haven't bathed in forever."
"I'm going next!" Gon declared.
"If you have any questions, just let me know," Kurapika voiced.
Questions? Why would I have those?
He immediately understood why.
"The fuck is this?"
A chuckling Elf walked up behind him. "It's called a shower," he clarified. "You turn the knob just like in a tub, just the water pours over you and then directly down the drain rather than pooling up. It's like a bath but standing up."
"Like rain?" Killua asked skeptically.
"Precisely."
"Weird assed shit."
"Don't knock it till you try it!" the blonde said encouragingly as he walked back to his bed.
"I wanna seeeeee!" Gon yelled as he sprinted into the bathroom before Killua could shut the door.
"Hey, Gon!-"
"-Woah! This thing is so weird!" The hybrid leaned over the edge and ran his fingers along the white tiled walls. "Look! It even comes with soap!" He turned his attention to the rest of the bathroom. "And look at the toilet!" He poked the flusher, and cheered as the water swirled down and away. "Cool! It's just like Kurapika said! Now there's no need to hire people to empty the tank!"
Killua dragged his hands down his face, "Yeah, it's great and all but I'm trying to bathe-er, shower."
"Yeah, I know!"
Why is he so dense-
Gon twisted the knob in the shower, and water sprayed from the head. "Woah! It's really just like rain!" He adjusted the lever so it was on the hottest setting. "Kurapika said that the water can get scalding hot if you want it too! I wonder just how hot it can get-"
"-Are you gonna shut the door or what?!" Leorio complained. "I'd rather not listen to the two of you wash each other's hair, ya know!"
"Oh! Sorry!" Gon called out.
"Leorio, that's rude-" Gon closed the door before Killua could hear the rest of what Kurapika snapped at the insensitive Goblin. He then walked back over to the shower to feel the water. "Wow! It's super hot already! But I can tell that it's still warming up."
Killua blinked in confusion at his friend. "Gon, I'm trying to take a shower."
"I know!"
"Well, why are you in here with me!" Killua demanded, face heating up for some reason.
Gon turned around to meet his gaze. His amber eyes were sparkling with that boyish wonder of his. He grinned, "I just wanna check out the bathroom!"
Killua sputtered. "Is that really all?! Well you already called the shower after mine! You can check it out then!" Do you really see nothing wrong or weird with this situation?!
Gon sighed and his smile dimmed and turned sheepish. "Well, I also wanted to just be in here with you." What- "We've been traveling just the two of us lately, and now that Kurapika and Leorio are here I haven't really gotten any one on one time with you. I know it's weird, but for some reason I miss it being just the two of us. Don't get me wrong!" He waved his hands out in front of him. "I really like Leorio and Kurapika! They're awesome and super nice! But they're not you, Killua."
The silver haired boy hid his face behind his bangs. His heart was beating faster and his chest was getting all warm again. "You and saying these things… you really just wanted to be here with me? That's it? You're such an oddball, ya know that?"
Gon rubbed the back of his head and looked off to the side, "I don't have to be in here if you don't' want-"
Killua gave a slight gasp and rushed to say, "NO! I mean, no! I don't care if you're in here! You can stay, if you want." Gods, that sounded so stupid and awkward! What's wrong with me all of a sudden?! He's just Gon! Why can't I relax! It's not like he's getting in the actual shower with me! He just wants to sit in here and exist!
Gon raised his eyes back to Killua's, a hint of a shimmer in them. A shimmer of relief, and happiness. "Really?"
"Yeah, really, just turn around already," the Valkyrie mumbled with a wave of his hand.
Gon grinned. He closed the toilet seat, and sat sideways on it facing the wall. With a shuddering breath, Killua grabbed the hem of his maroon tank top. He was suddenly extremely flustered. He was blushing like crazy, and his hands were shaking. His heart was pounding more than ever before, and his stomach was acting like some sort of circus performer.
What… the hell.
A stab of pain ricocheted through his mind, and Killua winced.
This is so frustrating! I wanna know why I can't calm down around Gon, but stupid fucking Illumi keeps going and fucking it up!
Egged on by sheer determination, Killua ripped his tank top up and over his head and slung it onto the tile floor beside him. This made everything so much worse. He felt as if he had lost a line of defense, he was more flustered than ever now. Killua hurried and shucked off his shoes, pants, sleeves, and necklace. He then darted into the shower, and closed the curtain behind him. The silver haired boy released a sigh of relief, it was just a sheer plastic curtain, but it felt like an impenetrable defense had been placed in between himself and the root of all his issues.
Killua reached out his hand and felt the water. "Shit, Gon, it's so fucking hot!"
The little dickhead snickered mischievously. "That hot? That's so cool!"
The Valkyrie grumbled as he turned the heat down slightly. He liked a hot bath, but not a scalding one. He looked over to the little shelf built into the shower wall, only to find that he had forgotten his soap! (He knew there was soap provided but he had gotten hooked on that lavender vanilla soap from the Neko-Village).
Well I can't get back out! Gon no doubt is turned back around! Besides, I think I'd have a panic attack if I slipped cause of all this flustering and fell into him-
A shock of pain rushed through his mind, but the cracked wall was not enough to prevent the mental image of a wet and naked Killua falling into Gon's surprised arms. The Valkyrie slapped his hand over his mouth and bit his palm, his face was flaming!
What's with that mental image!
"Hey Killua, what was that sound just now?"
Shit! "I, uh, forgot my soap in my bag."
"Oh! I can get it for you!"
Killua resisted the urge to slam his head against the hard tile wall several times.
Now he's gonna have to reach in here and hand it to me! Will he just up and open the curtain?! No! He wouldn't do that! He'll just hand it to me! Yeah!
The pale skinned mercenary bit his finger in anxiety as he listened to Gon rustle through his bag. Normally, he'd never trust anyone with his things, but Gon was a different story. He found the soap within a couple of moments, and Killua listened in dread to the sound of his bare feet patting on the tile as he approached the curtain.
A tanned hand stuck through the edge, "Here you go!" With a sigh of relief, Killua took the bar of soap and two bottles of hair product from his hand. He even remembered the conditioner.
"Thanks," Killua said.
"Of course!" the cheerful boy responded.
The silver haired boy sighed to himself, set the cleaning products down on the shelves, and stepped fully under the water. He hummed in pleasant surprise, the sensation of the water droplets falling against his scalp was rather soothing. The warm water slipped down his neck and over his shoulders. It was like standing in a heated rain. All the dirt and grime was rinsed off and right down the drain, it was like the second he stepped into the mini rain storm he was already clean.
"What's it feel like?" Gon asked curiously.
Killua cringed, and crossed his arms across his chest. Gon announcing his presence did nothing but remind him that the only thing separating himself and his friend was a thin layer of fabric and plastic. But because of Illumi I can't grasp why it's bothering me so much being naked. It's like bleeding out from a fatal blow, but now being able to feel any of the pain or know where the wound is! The only thing you feel is the sensation of bleeding out.
"It feels like I'm standing in a warm rain," Killua answered.
"I'm excited to try it!" Gon declared.
Killua listened as he rustled around in the sink's cabinets. He picked up and placed back several items, and Killua's sensitive ears picked up on the sound of his rough fingers brushing against the fabric of soft towels and washcloths.
"Head's up!" Gon said, the only warning Killua got before a washcloth sailed over the curtain rod and into his fumbling grasp. The Valkyrie looked down at the little white rag, cheeks heating up once again. He's so thoughtful, I hadn't even remembered one.
"Thanks again," Killua mumbled.
"You're welcome!" Gon said with a giggle.
Killua wet the washcloth, and lathered it up with his bar of Neko-soap. That relaxing scent of lavender-vanilla he was so awfully hooked on wafted through the bathroom. It mixed with the steam of the shower, and acted like a scented candle, diffusing the scent through the air.
"What do you think Heaven's Arena will be like?" Gon thought out loud.
Killua looked at the shadow of Gon thrown against the curtain by the row of lights over the sink. "I dunno. What do you think?" he asked softly as he rubbed the washcloth up and over his arms.
Gon launched into a word-vomit-speech about everything he was thinking about Heaven's Arena. He chattered about what it might look like and the people he might see. He theorized about how the battle royale would be set up, and he speculated about how the system of money-earning would work. Killua threaded his fingers through his shampoo-lathered hair as the hybrid gushed over how much battle experience they would get, and leaned his head back to rinse out the bubbles as he talked about how excited he was to practice his neurotoxin some more.
Killua found himself listening with a soft smile dusting his lips. He ran his hands through his hair as he rinsed the conditioner out, and found himself happier than ever. It was strange, but it was nice having Gon right there. Something about talking while he was in the shower felt… intimate. It made him feel like they had just gotten a whole lot closer. Killua's chest filled with bubbles at the thought, and he was too overcome with the fuzzy feeling to get annoyed over the pain in his head.
Killua shut the water off. He would have left it on for Gon, but he didn't want to get out until he was fully covered by his towel. He reached out and grabbed it off of the towel rack, and pulled it behind the curtain. The Valkyrie wrapped the white garment around his shoulders, and stepped out.
The bathroom was permeated with sweet smelling steam, and the mirror was gray with condensation. The tiles were cold against Killua's bare feet, and he left little puddles wherever he stepped. He felt Gon's eyes on him as he walked to the other side of the painfully small room, and it took all in his power not to fidget his tail or his ears. It was painfully small because there was no escape from Gon's presence.
That presence that never failed to make his cheeks redden and heart race.
Gon stood up silently, and Killua looked over his shoulder. He couldn't say why, he just did. He squeaked inaudibly as he caught a glimpse of the hybrid's toned back. Gon was in the motion of pulling his black tank top over his head.
He had just started undressing the second Killua had gotten out! Killua snapped his head back in the other direction, face burning. Both in shame at having looked back when he had made such a point of Gon turning the other way for him, and also because of the rising heat in his bubbling stomach.
The sound of the shower starting up again tickled Killua's ears, and then the screeching of the curtain against the curtain rod. Gon had gotten in, and Killua was in the clear. The hybrid continued his chattering, and the Valkyrie continued his listening. He would comment every once in a while, but the majority of his attention was on the situation at hand.
Do I just… stay in here? Or do I leave the bathroom? Gon sat in here while I was in the shower, so do I do the same? I'll have already dried off and gotten dressed by the time he gets out, so when he does I'll be dressed and he won't be. I want nothing more than to just run off into the other room, but would Gon be sad if I left? Would I be sad if I left? Who am I kidding, I'd definitely regret leaving. I guess I'll just stay in here..
Mind made up, Killua removed the towel from his shoulders to rub it through his soaking hair. The silver locks were waterlogged and turned from white to dark gray. Unfluffed for the time being, they hung down to his shoulders in skinny little snakes. After giving his hair a nice rub down, he slid the towel up and down all over his body. Once he was dried off, he reached into his bag to retrieve a fresh pair of undershorts and his sleep clothes. Soon enough he was dressed in a pair of loose pants and a navy tank top.
Killua then dried up the water he had dripped all over the floor. He also picked up his dirty clothes, folded them, and placed them in the corner. He hesitated, and then picked up Gon's clothes. Cheeks reddening, Killua held Gon's tank top up in front of him. He ran his fingers across the worn fabric, and then folded it neatly. He did the same for the shorts, and then his undershorts. Once all of the clothes were neatly folded and in the corner, he assumed Gon's place on the toilet seat.
Gon's chatter had come to a close for the time being, and the two of them had fallen into a comfortable silence. Killua was left with only the sound of the water washing down the hybrid's body and into the drain. Another intrusive image squeezed through the cracks in the barrier. This one was of Gon standing in the shower, half veiled by steam with rivulets of water streaming through that black-green hair and across the expanse of his tan skin.
Killua bit his lip and forced his mind elsewhere.
Wait… that time, it was me that redirected my thoughts! Not Illumi's barrier! What does this mean? What is my subconscious mind trying to tell me? Damn, I'm so close to breaking this wall and solving this mystery once and for all. But what lies beyond that wall? Why is it that I find myself flustered and unable to calm down around Gon? And what's with these mental images?!
The silver haired boy startled as the shower turned off and a tan arm reached out and grabbed the next towel off of the rack. Killua swallowed. He was unprepared, and unable to look away as Gon stepped out from the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. That hair that usually stuck straight up was floppy and hanging around his face, framing it like a halo of ivy. His face was reddened from the heat of the shower, and drops of water slipped down the muscular contours of his chest and stomach.
With pink cheeks, Killua averted his gaze.
What. Is. Wrong. With. Me.
The Valkyrie focused on gripping his hands together as Gon dropped the towel from around his waist and dried himself off. He then pulled a pair of undershorts up and over his hips, and turned the towel's attention to his hair. He tousled it a bit, and then slung the towel around his shoulders. Gon then pulled his toothbrush out of his bag, and moved to brush his teeth. Killua stood up from his perch on the porcelain seat, and joined Gon at the sink.
Side by side they brushed their teeth. It was such a simple task, but just them doing it together as if it were natural as breathing made Killua's chest get all warm and fuzzy. Come to think of it, the more time he spent with Gon the more often that feeling would surface.
This is driving me out of my mind. I've gotta know what this is.
But I have to admit… I'm kinda… scared to find out what this is.
If only a little bit, but nonetheless. That reluctance is still there.
Killua stuffed his soap and toothbrush back into his bag, and then the two boys exited the bathroom with backpacks in hand. They placed the bags next to Kurapika's in the corner, and then climbed into their bed.
Leorio was already sound asleep, and Kurapika explained that himself and the Goblin would shower in the morning. With a yawn, the Elf reached over to the table between the two beds and shut off the lamp, leaving the four in a sleepy darkness.
Killua slipped under the layers of blankets, the cool sheets relaxing against his tired limbs. He claimed his pillow: one of the two down pillows rather than one of the thinner cotton stuffed ones. He prodded at the pillow a few times, before laying down on his side and bringing the comforter up to his chin.
Gon scooted up next to him, and slung one arm around his waist. Killua blushed, and it took all of his power not to tense up. Gon buried his nose into Killua's hair, and inhaled deeply before exhaling.
Come to think of it… "Gon, did you use my soap and shampoo?" the Valkyrie whispered.
"Yeah," the other boy answered sheepishly. "It smelled like you, so I liked it a lot better than that sharp scented other stuff."
He used it cause it smells like me… It may be a feminine scent, but he likes it cause it smells like me.
Killua's chest warmed so much that he gripped his fist against it.
I… I feel so…
"Killua, it's been a while since I've slept in an actual bed next to you. It's so… comfortable…" Gon mumbled into Killua's ear, before trailing off into a soft and rumbling purr.
The Valkyrie shivered as Gon's breath dusted over the shell of his ear, and the shiver it sent down his spine interrupted his train of thought. Gon was purring again… and it was because he was sleeping next to Killua.
I make him that happy… I make him that comfortable.
Gon… you have no idea how much it means to me that you are so comfortable with me…
It's everything.
Killua fell asleep with a smile on his lips, and the crack in the barrier widened ever more, enough so that any more strain would cause it to come crashing down.
AN: keeping up with 4 main characters rather than 2 is a lot more work lol, but fun nonetheless!
ruckus? heh-heh. that's a funny word. ruckus. (if you know you know)