After two hours of meticulous planning, a finalized plan was finally set. Pouf and Killua had agreed that this plan was their best bet for getting Komugi out while also completing Meruem's assassination and escape.

Ryder, Gon, and Killua would be assisting Pitou in rescuing Komugi. Ryder, Gon, and Pitou would act as decoys, while Killua would use Godspeed to sweep the place and locate her before she could be moved. Ging and Pariston would return to the King's side with Pouf.

As of now, the eight humanoids were resting up and prepping their minds for battle.

Ikalgo and Ryder were in the cockpit. Ikalgo's only job was to fly the ship, and even though Ryder would be on a fight squad, he was distracting himself from the upcoming mission by having Ikalgo explain to him what all the controls and button panels did.

Ging and Pariston were discussing the finer details of Meruem's plan of attack with Pouf and Pitou, and Gon and Killua had retreated to the bunks to have a little peace and quiet before everything exploded into chaos and violence.

Killua was sitting in one of the top bunks, his back leaned against the headboard with Gon laying across his lap. The plan would commence in thirty minutes, and Gon had to admit that he was a little nervous. Not only did the fate of an entire species reside on this plan's success, but the fate of an entire new, peaceful civilization that was struggling to its feet. And then of course there was the promise of Ging finally telling him what the other half of his blood was. Gon felt like his entire life had been leading up to this moment, and if he messed it up then everything would be destroyed.

He'd never imagined that he'd have to fight in a war on Chimera to win the knowledge of his species from Ging. But more than that, he'd never imagined that he'd have someone like Killua at his side through it all.

When Gon had left Whale Island so long ago, he'd never expected to fall in love. He hadn't even expected to make friends, not really. He'd never had friends, so why would it be any different outside of Whale Island?

But look at me now. Half my blood revealed, bracing myself for the greatest battle I'll ever fight, and laying in the lap of the love of my life.

Killua sat peacefully. He was half asleep, with his tail swishing lazily against the sheets. He threaded his fingers through Gon's hair, rubbing the hybrid's scalp and lulling him to sleep along with him.

They'd been like this for an entire hour now. Not speaking, just sitting. Of all the time he'd spent with Killua, it was moments like this that were Gon's favorite. He liked just being there with Killua. They didn't need words, because all words had already been spoken.

Killua agreed to come on this journey with me so he could help me find Ging and discover who I am. So much has happened, and I feel like my life wouldn't be complete without Killua here alongside me.

I have to fight my hardest in this battle.

I can't let Killua get captured again.

Killua, I will protect you.

Because… we're friends. You're my best friend.

"Are you nervous?" Killua murmured.

"Yeah," Gon whispered. He tightened his arms around Killua's waist, and buried his face into his lap.

"We can do this. We'll do it together, and we'll have all the others there to back us up."

The last time we went toe to toe with the Chimera Ants, I allowed myself to be tricked by the enemy. Because I was being stupid, Killua got captured and tortured. He acts like it's no big deal, but he almost died. I almost lost him, and if that had happened…

I can't even think of that scenario. It's just too much. Killua means too much.

"Killua… do you ever… regret leaving the Hidden Oasis with me?"

He's been through so much pain because of me. And he's committed to the most dangerous mission imaginable. We'll be splitting up during our part of the mission, and Killua will be going off on his own to save Komugi. There are so many things that could go wrong, and so many ways that Killua could get hurt even more.

I don't want him to suffer.

It's not fair. Killua is always the one to take the pain. I just want to give him a life where he can finally be at peace.

But… I'm a huge part of the reason why he's been through so much pain.

Would he be happier… if he'd stayed at the Hidden Oasis? If he'd never met me in the first place?

Killua was silent for a moment. His fingers stilled in Gon's hair, and his tail lay flat against the sheets.

Tears pricked up in Gon's eyes. He loved Killua so much. But he did nothing but put Killua through pain and danger. He wanted them to be happy together, he wanted that more than anything. But now that their mission was almost over… Gon was starting to realize that this entire journey, this entire two years, they had been all focused on him.

Sure, they were going to save Alluka as soon as this mission was over, but still. Killua had sacrificed so much, and all of it for Gon. The hybrid found that the only thing he wanted was for Killua to be happy. And now that their agreed goal was about to be fulfilled, Gon didn't know what was going to happen to them when they weren't chasing after Ging.

Once all was said and done… would Killua still want to stay with Gon? Even though Gon had hurt him so much in the past?

"Gon…"

The hybrid stiffened up, his shoulders drawing up to his ears.

He didn't know what he'd been expecting from Killua, but he certainly hadn't been expecting to get slapped upside the head. Because that's what Killua did.

"Are you stupid?!" the Valkyrie snapped.

Gon cried out in surprise, clutching his head and pushing himself to a sitting position before Killua. He peeked into those beautiful blue eyes, gazing up at Killua through his dark lashes. The Valkyrie was glaring at him with his hands fixed on his hips and his silver brows furrowed.

"Why would you ask a horrible question like that?!" Killua demanded.

Gon gaped at him, "I, uh…"

"I don't know what weird shit's going on in that moronic brain of yours," Killua scolded, "But you need to stop being such an idiot! Why would I regret leaving the Hidden Oasis with you?! Where the hell is this even coming from?"

The hybrid gawked at Killua for a couple of seconds, and then the tears welled up in his eyes. They spilled over, slipping down his cheeks and soaking into the skin of his hands, which were clenched together in his lap. "I just… Now that we've almost reached my goal, I was thinking about everything we've been through together. I was thinking about how much crazy stuff we've had to do, and I was thinking about how much harder this fight will be compared to any of the other ones. Then I started thinking about the fight with Leol, and how you got captured and tortured, and I– I don't want you to get hurt again! You've gotten hurt so bad just for traveling with me! I don't want–"

"-Our goal," Killua interrupted.

Gon sniffled, blinking in surprise. "Huh?"

"Our goal," The Valkyrie repeated. "I agreed to help you find Ging of my own volition, remember? The second I joined you on this crazy adventure of yours, it was no longer just your goal. It's a goal that we both share. We're finding out your species, and we're doing it together."

"Killua," Gon whimpered. Do you know just how much those words mean? How do you always say the perfect thing? How are you so perfect?

"Don't think that you're dragging me along against my will," the runaway prince continued. He rested his hands over Gon's, and then gently untangled them and held them in his own. "I care about you, and I care about pursuing this goal with you. I knew what I was signing up for, and I wanted to join you on your journey because I care about you and want to be with you. Why do you think I joined you in the first place?"

"Because… because we're friends?"

Killua snorted. "Yeah, if you wanna dumb it down to that then sure." He flipped one of Gon's hands over, and then pressed a gentle kiss to his palm. "I'm here because I want to be. I'm not exaggerating when I say that meeting you was the best thing to ever happen to me. It may have hurt along the way, but we're here now and we're together. I don't regret joining you, and I never will. I love you, stupid. You can't get rid of me so easily."

"I'm not– I'm not trying to get rid of you," Gon laughed through his tears.

"Oh really? Then why are you trying to look for reasons for me to hate you?" Killua teased.

"I was getting in my head," Gon answered honestly. "I feel really guilty about all the times you've gotten hurt. Not just with Leol, but all the other times too. I just want you to be happy. And I was thinking that maybe you'd be better off without me."

Killua sighed, exchanging Gon's hands to cup his cheeks instead. He brushed the hybrid's tears away with his thumbs. "It means a lot that you feel that way. But I'm the one who gets to decide if you're good for me or not, and I say that you're everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything. We're in it for life. I'd never want to change a second of the time that I've spent with you. So stop being a drama queen. We have Ant asses to kick, remember? We can't have you breaking down into tears in the middle of the battlefield."

"Thank you, Killua."

The Valkyrie smiled, "Yeah. Of course." He leaned forward to press a kiss against Gon's lips, and the hybrid sighed against the soft touch. Killua's kiss was soft and warm. He kissed Gon slowly, his affection always pouring over the sides and making Gon melt inside.

The hybrid wrapped his arms around Killua's neck, and the silver haired boy leaned forward to push Gon onto his back. Gon was soon buried in Killua's soft heat, and as the kiss deepened he began to purr.

Before they could get too carried away, a knock sounded on the door to the bunks.

Killua broke the kiss, his tongue hanging lazily out of his mouth. Gon's face flushed, and he tangled his fingers in Killua's shirt. I don't wanna stop, he whined to himself. "Yes? What is it?" the hybrid called, his voice completely smooth and inconspicuous.

"I wanted to speak with the two of you," came a voice, Pitou's, from the other side of the door.

Gon and Killua quickly sat up and straightened their clothes and the sheets.

"Yes Sir, come in," Killua called back.

The door slid open with a hiss, and Pitou padded into the room. "I'm sorry, I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

Gon could sense Killua's blush, it was like a sixth sense at this point.

"Not at all," Gon quickly reassured.

Pitou walked to the bed across from Gon and Killua's, and then sat down on the edge. Huh. That was a far more casual move than the two males had been expecting out of the Royal Guard.

"I've already spoken with Ryder," the feline explained, "but I wanted to have this conversation with the two of you as well."

Gon and Killua watched and listened in respectful silence, they were ready for whatever Pitou had to say.

"The four of us will be working together to rescue Komugi," Pitou continued, " and from there we all will be traveling to Nirvana. I wanted to clear the water, and be sure that there is no disparity between us as we work together as allies, and hopefully friends as time progresses."

Friends?

"I wanted to request that I am not treated as a superior, but as an equal," Pitou declared.

Gon and Killua blinked in surprise. What? But that didn't make any sense! Pitou was a divine being. They were all powerful, and could kill Gon and Killua without a second thought. It was ingrained in their minds to give Pitou the respect they deserved. And besides, didn't the Chimera Ants covet authority and hierarchical status more than any human species in the universe?

"The message King Meruem is hoping to spread through Nirvana is that there is no need for conflict between species. Even if disparity in hierarchical status persists, our goal on Nirvana is to create a society where all species can live in peace, without the constant fear of war and domination. I know that my presence is intimidating, but I do not wish to instill fear in my allies. I see all of you as equals, and I would like us to behave as such."

Gon didn't… know what to say! This was– this was the highest of honors! Pitou was lowering themselves to the level that Gon and Killua were on. It was… incredible. This gesture, Gon was starting to understand what Meruem was fighting for in Nirvana, and why it meant so much to him.

Equality and peace between all species.

What an incredible thing to fight for.

"I'd like to reintroduce myself," Pitou said. They held out their hand. "My name is Pitou."

Killua was the first to take their hand. "My name is Killua."

Pitou shook the Valkyrie's hand with a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

Gon took their hand next, "My name is Gon."

"It's nice to meet you as well," Pitou hummed. "I look forward to working with the two of you in our alliance. I hope we can all come to be friends someday."

Pitou's hand felt warm in Gon's grip, and as he gazed into their multicolored eyes, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Pitou was nothing like the Chimera Ants that he'd been told horror stories about as a child. Pitou was a kind person, and was fighting tirelessly to achieve the dream they shared with the King. A dream that Gon found himself identifying with.

The hybrid grinned, "Pitou, we're already friends!"

The Ant blinked in surprise, and then chuckled. "It's an honor."

Killua grinned, slinging his arm around Gon's shoulders to give him a brief squeeze. "You heard the man. Welcome to the group, there's always room for one more."

AN: there. emotional trauma from chimera ant arc officially healed