Killua slouched in his seat with his hands over his face. How could this be happening? Why was this happening? He had only just come out to himself like an hour ago and he was already head over heels for a guy! And the conversation between the two guys in the row behind them was not helping his condition.
"Damn," one said. "That guy was so hot."
"I know right? That silver haired kid is lucky as hell."
"I'd give anything to be topped by that guy."
"Same, he's so strong, I bet he's jacked."
He is, in fact, jacked. I can confirm.
Killua slouched lower and pulled at his bangs. He hated hearing what those two guys were saying, because it was what his subconscious mind was thinking as well. And agreeing with their conversation was so incredibly embarrassing.
"So," Kurapika said with a wicked smirk.
"No," Killua commanded.
"What are we thinking?" Kurapika asked, he sure was sadistic about this topic.
"Nothing, we're not thinking anything."
"I can see why everyone likes him so much. He's got a personality that draws people like flies to honey. His eyes might as well be honey, they're so expressive-"
"Shut the fuck up, blondey," Killua growled, suddenly feeling possessive.
Kurapika met Killua's eyes, mildly concealed triumph swirling in those tawny depths.
"Why?" the Elf asked, on a warpath.
Killua knew that Kurapika was just asking that to tick him off and push his buttons, but he just couldn't resist. Anything involving Gon made his emotions run wild. "Because Gon is mine, and you're not allowed to like him."
The blonde devil shook his head and chuckled, "I know, and I do not like him that way. He's like a little brother. But see that reaction you had? Deny it all you want, but you are undeniably-"
"-I know I know! Just don't say it, I'll die. You're my mother, you're supposed to protect me from death." Killua pulled his turtle neck collar as high over his face as he could.
Kurapika gave Killua an unapproving look.
"Making that 'disappointed mother face' only encourages me," the Valkyrie quipped.
"Our next fight is between Leorio… and Leroute!"
Killua and Kurapika turned their attention to the arena. One more fight and then they could head towards the lobby. It was just their luck that Leorio and Gon would fight back to back. Although, Killua sort of wished that it wasn't so. That way he'd have an excuse not to see Gon.
Wow. Just hours earlier I was worried that I'd be too impatient to see Gon again.
And now I just want to hide from him.
I hate life.
"Begin!"
Leorio wiped out a pocket knife, and his pink haired opponent just stood still and watched him with a devilish smile. Killua tried to focus on the fight rather than the mess in his mind. The Goblin and the pink-haired hybrid descended into a quick paced exchange of blows and blocks. Leorio was more skilled than Killua had assumed.
He was nowhere near as swift as Leroute was, but he was clearly more skilled. His fighting style was rough around the edges, but he was undoubtedly a good martial artist. It seemed to Killua that he had picked up his skills by fighting on the streets. Pretty impressive, but it was still nowhere near enough to defend himself from the likes of Gon, Killua, or Kurapika. Killua had a prediction that Leorio wouldn't be placed as high up as the others.
After a few minutes of back and forth, Leorio managed to trap Leroute in a hold at knife point. After five seconds, he was given the win by knockout. He released Leroute and danced around the arena in his usual goofy form. Once his victory lap was finished, the Goblin strutted down the victor's tunnel to sign his paperwork.
"Well! Let's go meet up with the others!" Kurapika said in a far too cheerful voice.
Killua stood up with a grumble, he was overwhelmed with fear. What if things were different between Gon and him? Sure, they had been the same from across the arena, but what if now that they were face to face he messed things up?
Killua's mind was in knots the entire time they walked to the lobby. Luckily the Valkyrie was able to mindlessly follow Kurapika's lead, and because of this his wandering mind didn't get him lost. One thing was for certain: there was absolutely no way he wanted to separate from Gon. He may feel for Gon a whole lot more than a normal friend would, but he was not going to let that get in between them. He cared about Gon far too much, he needed him. Gon had freed him from the cage of his own mind, and he didn't know what he would do without him.
The silver haired mercenary made a critical decision: Gon could not know about his feelings no matter what. There was no way that he reciprocated them, and Killua wouldn't be able to handle a rejection.
The Valkyrie and the Elf arrived in the lobby, and the second they did a certain hyperactive hybrid beelined for them. "Killua! Kurapika!" he called out. "Your fights were so cool!"
"Thank you, Gon," Kurapika said, giving Killua the necessary seconds to compose himself. Gon was right there. He was here! So close to where Killua was! Killua found himself unable to calm down, his heart was racing and it was an epic battle to keep his face from heating up.
"Killua, that thing where you made doubles of yourself was amazing!" Gon exclaimed, turning his attention to the Valkyrie.
The full blast of Gon's radiant attention on him made Killua feel so inexplicably light. Gon just made him so happy. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and bathed in the praise, "I just walked with a specific rhythm so that afterimages were created, no big deal." He acted impassive, but really he was glowing inside. It was becoming harder than ever to keep a soft smile from sliding onto his face.
I'm gonna have to get used to being around him all over again.
"Guess who's a badass? Guess who? You're looking at him!"
The three in the lobby turned to see Leorio, who was strutting through the space and making a scene as usual. "Careful not to let the win go to your head, old man," Killua teased. "If you don't watch your weight you'll have to get a cane."
"Oh shut up, you little jerk face!" Leorio tried to shove Killua in annoyance, but the Valkyrie ducked away with ease. The only person who was ever permitted to shove him was Gon.
"We all won, though!" Gon pointed out in his usual cheerful manner. "Isn't that great?"
"It is!" Kurapika agreed with a nod.
"The picture of a proud mother~~" Killua commented with an evil cat-like smirk.
"Mother?" Gon asked as Leorio snorted.
"It's nothing," Kurapika said sternly, giving Killua a dark look that commanded him not to spread his awful joke to the others.
Would he listen?
No, of course not!
"Kurapika is my mother, didn't he tell you?" Killua said in false innocence.
Leorio laughed out loud. "Why is he your mother?" Gon asked, too dense to figure it out.
"Just look at him!" Killua snickered. "Look at him leading us through the lobby, we're just a row of his little ducklings!" Kurapika glared back at him, but the reaction only spurred the mischievous Valkyrie on.
"He does like to tell us not to jump in elevators and to put on our seatbelts and stuff," Gon speculated with a growing smile and a finger to his chin.
"Don't forget about the reminding us to turn the water off when we brush our teeth and making sure we fold our clothes before we travel!" Leorio added.
Gon gasped. "He IS our mother!" the tan boy exclaimed loudly
Several bystanders gave the group of four males questioning looks. Killua and Leorio were in hysterics, and Kurapika hissed at them to quiet down and stop making a scene. The blonde looked all too relieved when they stepped into the elevator, away from the prying eyes of the confused crowd.
"You boys are so rowdy sometimes," he complained while pinching his nose.
"There he goes again!" Killua choked out around laughter. Leorio slapped him across the back and the two of them would have fallen to the ground laughing without Gon there to support them. A chill ran up Killua's spine when he felt Gon's supportive hand on his lower back.
All the close contact is going to be torture, he whined in thought.
The group followed Kurapika out of the elevator, and they almost ran into a man waiting to get on. "Whoops," the tall man commented as he swiftly sidestepped the group.
Gon swallowed his laughter and turned to apologize. "Sorry about that, mister-" He froze on the spot, and Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio all ran into his back. "You!" he all but yelled, voice unreadable.
"Oh! Hello Gon~~"
Killua looked up at the man, suspicious of his bedroom voice. He was tall and pale with hot pink hair spiked up behind his head. He had a star and a teardrop painted on his cheeks, and he was dressed like some sort of clown. His eyes were slanted in a way that made Killua's skin crawl, and the snake-like yellow orbs felt like they were slinking up and down Killua's bare skin as they checked him out. He was a human, but radiated a certain dangerous aura that the Valkyrie had never sensed from one of his kind before.
"Gon, who the fuck is this weird ass?" Killua asked with venom in his voice.
The strange clown man chuckled, "Oh~ Feisty, these friends of yours Gon, dear?"
"Dear?" Leorio asked with a voice crack.
Gon seemed a lot more serious and standoffish than usual, Killua gave him a questioning look. "This is Hisoka," he said in an unreadable tone. "Hisoka, what are you doing here?"
The clown man shifted his weight and rested his elbows on his hips with one arm suspended in the air. He had his hand bent back like some sort of material girl. "The real question is what are you doing here! It's been ages! Far too long if you ask me~~"
"I'm here fighting to the top floor with my friends," Gon answered.
"Do introduce me, pretty please?" Hisoka gave a saccharine smile.
Gon stepped to the side, no longer standing in front of the other three. "This is Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio," he said, gesturing to each of them respectively.
"Splendid!" Hisoka cooed with a clap of his slender hands. "I'm so glad to see that you've been making friends! Wouldn't want you fighting on your own again, would we?~~"
"I suppose. Now, why are you here?"
Gon sounds completely different from before. It feels like he is treating Hisoka as a threat. Then… why is Gon acting so friendly with him?
"I happen to be fighting my way to the top of the arena as well! There's a certain man here that… interests me." Hisoka's eyes rolled to the ceiling, and his face fell slack in a way that Killua could only describe as sexual.
What the actual fuck-
"You can never have too many toys, am I right?" he asked, face returning to its former, slightly more normal state. "Speaking of which~~ You, Gon dear, have grown quite a bit since I last saw you~~"
Killua's face contorted into one of discomfort.
"Not really, I haven't grown any taller," Gon commented, dense as usual.
How often does he run into this weirdo?
"Not entirely physically, it's in your presence, I can just tell that you are stronger~~ Oh, not long before you fully ripen~~"
Oh god, he's making that creepy face again-
"I suppose," Gon said with a shrug. Seemingly unaware of the clearly sexual intentions coming from this clown.
"So nonchalant~~ delectably tantalizing! I'll have to be there for your next battle, feel free to drop by to watch mine any time~~"
He's wording it as if they're showing each other's dicks. What the fucking hell is up with this guy?!
"Sure," Gon said. "What floor are you on by the way?"
"This one right here, the 334~~ I've been on quite a fast rise, although, I think I'll just have to slow my ascent to increase my chances of meeting you in battle~~ Oh, just the thought is getting me excited~~"
No fucking way, is he seriously getting hard right now-
"Well," Kurapika said, stepping between Gon and the tall man clearly eyeing him with unholy intentions. "It was nice meeting you, but we'll be on our way now."
Killua stepped closer behind Kurapika, hiding behind his mother for pedo-protection. Leorio grabbed Gon by the shoulders and moved him behind the assertive blonde as well… and he proceeded to hide with them.
"Yes, it was lovely to meet the three of you~~ Do treat Gon well, I am sure that you've noticed how ripe he is with delicious potential~~"
With a decisive wave, Kurapika led his group away from Hisoka and towards their room. Killua was filled with so much discomfort when he felt the slit eyed man's gaze on his and Gon's asses. The sound of the elevator opening and Hisoka's heels clicking against its metal floor sounded like the bells at heaven's gate, and the second the sliding door closed behind him Killua deflated like a balloon of relief.
Leorio shook him back and forth by the shoulders, and for once Killua did not duck out of his reach. "You saw that right?! I couldn't have been the only one!" Killua leaned in and the two of them chattered back and forth like a pair of conspiracy theorists. "Yes! He had a fucking boner!"
"What the hell!"
"What the hell is right!"
"He was totally checking out you and Gon's asses!"
"Don't remind me."
"I don't like the way he was talking about Gon, he looks like the definition of a child rapist!"
"It sounds like he gets off to strong opponents in battle, what the actual hell-"
"-Why does he exist!"
"More importantly, why does he know Gon!"
On the way through the door Leorio and Killua descended upon Gon and showered him with questions.
"What the fuck was that?" Killua demanded.
"WHO the fuck was that?!" Leorio added frantically.
"Why is he dressed like a circus reject?"
"And why was he making that awful face? I think his crotch was glowing!"
"No way, you had to be seeing things-"
"-I saw what I saw!"
Gon held his hands up to cease the interrogation, and Leorio and Killua followed him to the living area where he plopped down on the couch. The two interrogators sat on the coffee table in front of him, not letting up for a second. Even Kurapika desperately wanted to know! He sat in one of the leather chairs and leaned forward with his hand braced on his chin in concern.
"So I know you guys are probably really confused right now-"
"-Confused is an understatement!" Killua interrupted.
Gon rubbed the back of his head. "Well, where do I start…"
"Gon. Where did you meet this man?" Kurapika asked in a dark and concerned tone.
"It's not what you're thinking I swear!" Gon said while waving his hands in the air.
"And what would we be thinking?" Leorio asked, tempting fate.
"I don't have a daddy complex and we're not sleeping together."
"WHAT-" Killua squeaked. It had been exactly what he was thinking, but hearing it out of Gon's mouth was so much worse-
"Oh thank the gods," Kurapika declared, leaning back into his chair with a sigh of relief.
"You see," Gon began. "When I was traveling on my own for all those years, I got into my fair share of trouble. He's just one of the people I met."
"But HOW did you meet him?" Leorio asked with his hands over his face.
"I was traveling through this super shady town, and he was just sort of standing on the side of the road against a lamp post."
"I really hate the mental image you just created," Killua complained.
"But that's what he was doing! When I passed him, I felt a spike in his aura, and he called out to me that I probably shouldn't go the way I was going. I was sixteen years old, so of course I didn't listen to him. The street ended in a dead end instead of the way out like I thought, and a group of thugs attacked me. I was fighting them off but they drugged me. Then Hisoka came in and killed them before they could fuck me and sell me into a brothel."
Kurapika choked on his glass of water.
"You had me in the first half not gonna lie-" Leorio sputtered.
"That last sentence," Killua said. It was all he needed to say.
Kurapika was leaning forward in his chair again. "Tell me Hisoka was not carrying a drugged you around this shady assed town where selling young boys into brothels is just something that happens."
"Wow, that's the first time I've ever heard Mamapika curse," Killua murmured.
Leorio snickered and high fived the silver haired boy, but they quickly refocused on Gon.
"That's exactly what happened," he said.
The three of them dissolved into various reactions of exasperation and physical pain.
"What happened next?" Kurapika asked in a high pitched voice.
"He brought me to the hotel room he was staying at, and he stayed with me until the drugs wore off. He even fed me and stuff!"
"What was 'stuff?'" Leorio asked, once again tempting fate.
"Don't worry, he didn't bathe me or undress me or anything like that," Gon reassured. "It was just stuff like putting a cold rag on my head to help the fever and washing the mud off my boots."
"Why did he do all this?" Kurapika demanded.
"What did he say to you once you were healed up?" Killua followed up.
"I asked him and he said it was cause he had his eye on me and that it would be a waste to see such a promising fruit rot away."
"Fruit?" Leorio whimpered.
"Why is he like this," Killua groaned.
"I don't really know. After that we parted ways and I continued on my journey. But every once in a while he'll just appear out of nowhere like he just did. Sometimes I feel like he's following me, but other times it's just completely by chance. I know he follows all kinds of other people too. He gets pleasure out of fighting and killing powerful opponents, it's some sort of weird fetish."
Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio sat and processed.
"I can't believe you know people like this," Killua exclaimed.
"Has he ever… tried anything?" Kurapika asked darkly.
"No, not that I recall."
"What do you mean 'not that you recall?'" Leorio asked… still dancing with fate.
"I've passed out around him a few times-"
"-No! There's no way-" Killua interjected, only for his interruption to be interrupted.
"-So it's entirely possible that he's taken advantage of that a couple of times!" Gon then burst into laughter. When the others didn't join in he stopped laughing. "It's a joke, guys," he clarified.
Killua punched him in the side of the head.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"That joke had the worst timing ever!" Killua yelled.
Gon smiled sheepishly, "Oh, sorry. But really! He's never actually done anything bad to me before. So he's not a bad guy, just a total piece of work. I'm always super cautious around him though cause I can tell he's dangerous. The second he decides it's time he'll start a fight. But I'll be ready!" Gon grinned with that damned look in his eyes.
"You see this as a fun challenge. And I hate you so much for that," Killua deadpanned.
Gon laughed out loud, and Killua screamed dramatically into his hands in response.
"Well, that's enough Hisoka talk!" Gon decided. "He'll just be around and there's nothing we can do about it. He does what he wants and that's that. More importantly, when do the results of our placement battles come in?"
"They will be released first thing tomorrow morning. They need time to properly process all the new entries," Kurapika answered over steepled hands.
"Cool, cool. But more important than that, when do we start earning money?" Leorio asked.
"We didn't earn money in that placement battle because it was just an assessment of our strength. Our next battle will be when we start earning money. We have already guaranteed that we will win an incredible sum based on our performances today. So even if one of us happens to lose and be demoted any number of floors there will still be generous compensation. Depending on how flashy our next fights will be, that amount will increase exponentially. The amount also increases the higher up you go."
"So it all depends on what floor we're placed on?" Leorio inquired.
"Precisely. This is a battle royale, after all."
"I'm so excited to see how I placed!" Gon declared giddily. "I beat you for sure!" he taunted in Killua's direction.
Killua plopped down by his side on the couch and pressed the hybrid's head down to start a wrestling match. "Yeah right! You just used your neurotoxin to win it easy! I ripped a man's heart out!" Killua soon regretted starting a wrestling match. He was glad to be acting all close with Gon like he wasn't gay as hell, but now that the barrier was down he was far too aware of Gon's proximity to him.
"Boys!" Kurapika called out. "We're ordering room service for dinner! Come pick your food!" Once again I'm saved by Kurapika. I'll have to really make it up to him on Mother's Day. Gon and Killua scampered over to the kitchen and selected their meals. Killua chose a sirloin with mashed potatoes and some salad looking thing, and Gon picked a cheeseburger and fries.
"That's what you ate for lunch!" Leorio complained.
"I know, but burgers are so amazing! I can't believe I've never had one till now!"
"You're such a child," Killua taunted while shoving Gon's shoulder with his own.
"Look at yourself, Killua!" Gon shot back as he shoved Killua so hard he almost fell over. Killua glanced down at the ordering tablet where he was making a million tweaks on his dessert: a chocolate ice cream sundae. "You're addicted to sugar!"
"I am not!"
"You are too!"
"At least I'm not addicted to pain!"
"Pain is a much cooler addiction than diabetes!"
"So you admit it, you shitty little masochist!"
Killua and Gon chased each other around the hotel room until Kurapika and Leorio yelled at them to calm down. Apparently they were being loud enough that they'd get complaints from whoever was under them if they didn't stop.
"Stupid old men, they're no fun!" Killua complained as he allowed himself to fall to the floor. He was lying in the doorway to Gon's room (the furthest down the hall and the only one with windows just like the main space) and glaring into the living room, where Leorio and Kurapika were sitting and flipping through television channels.
"Yeah, no kidding," Gon sighed. He then dropped to the ground as well- and fell right on top of Killua! The Valkyrie held in an embarrassing squeal of surprise as Gon's full weight settled down on his back. The hybrid was leaning his elbow on Killua's head and his chin on his hand, with one leg splayed across Killua's behind and in between his thighs.
Killua's face was gaining heat and fast, and Gon showed no signs of moving. He was just laying three and watching the sunset through the window wall across from them. Maybe Gon just saw this as playful roughhousing between two friends, but Killua's mind was running in all kinds of directions.
He's so heavy.
All Killua could think about was Gon's weight on top of him. It was a pleasant force, pushing him to the ground and pinning him in place. Gon shifted his position, crossing both forearms over Killua's head and settling down for a long sit. The Valkyrie swallowed hard as he felt Gon's dick against the back of his leg.
I need to get my mind out of the gutter right now-
"Isn't the sunset pretty, Killua?" Gon asked.
"Yeah," Killua choked out, wishing he didn't sound so out of breath.
"Having trouble breathing?" Gon teased, misinterpreting Killua's breathy state as being from having successfully pinned him down in wrestling. He then shifted his weight so he was even heavier.
Crap! Before he was only half on top of me cause he didn't want to crush me but now that I've shown weakness it's going to his head and he's being a jackass-
Gon settled down on Killua's back, sighing as if he were about to fall asleep. The silver haired boy could practically smell his friend's mischievous smile. Of all the time's and positions to start messing with me, why is my life like this-
With the added weight Killua's mind was racing further and further into an unsatisfactory direction, and the bubbles in his stomach changed to heat, a heat that spread lower and lower. The heat was pooling below his stomach, and Killua's face burned with the knowledge of impending doom.
I've gotta get him off before this gets any worse! But if he sees my face he'll be all confused because I'm blushing like crazy. And if he stays up there too long then I'll have to hide my pants as well. Also if I don't hurry and move than Gon will suspect something cause then it'll be like I've stopped the play fighting-
"Gon! Killua! The food's here!" Kurapika called from down the hall.
"Yes!" Gon exclaimed, and was off of Killua within seconds. He made sure to shove the Valkyrie's face into the ground and step directly on his back though. Just to be a jackass. He ran down to the kitchen, and Killua breathed a sigh of relief before screaming silently into his arms. The silver haired boy picked himself up to his feet, rubbed his face until the blush went away, and adjusted his pants just in case.
Kurapika is my guardian angel. I would be dead right now if it weren't for him… I'm starting to get worried that acting normal around Gon is gonna be harder than I had assumed. I need to get my emotions in check and fast or else I'll be screwed.
With that, Killua picked himself up and walked to the kitchen before he took long enough for it to be weird.
My life just got a whole lot more complicated…
AN: I had WAY too much fun writing this chapter, hope you enjoy it as much as I do!