At 1:52, Killua and Kurapika had found a pair of seats with an impeccable view of the arena. They were close enough that they would be able to hear any conversation between the contestants. The din of casual chatter filled the stadium to the brim, and the yellowish lights on the ceiling bathed the space in an orangish glow.
"Are you going to tell Gon?" Kurapika asked out of the blue.
"That I like him- which I DON'T- of course not!" Killua choked out.
Kurapika sighed with an exasperated smile, "I expected as much. Will you come out to him?"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Because…" Killua paused and glanced down at his hands. "Because… What if because of me telling him, he stops wanting to be so close to me? I know it's weird… but I like being able to sleep next to each other and stuff. What if I tell him that I'm gay, and he becomes uncomfortable around me. And worse, what if he tells me that he is straight? At least this way… I can hold some fool's hope that we're both queer kids."
Kurapika hummed, and patted the silver haired boy on the arm. "I understand where you're coming from. It is your decision, I just wanted to know what you were thinking. Although, I'll say this: I do not believe that Gon is the type of person to put distance between the two of you because of your sexuality. Knowing him, he wouldn't care about that, if anything he'd be excited that you told him."
Killua hid his face behind his bangs. This question is so embarrassing but I have to ask-
"Mamapika, do you think Gon is… what do you think his flag is?"
"I honestly am unable to read Gon. He's just so… Gon. It's impossible to tell. I can see him as straight, I can see him as gay, pan, even ace. The only way to know for sure is to ask him… and did you just call me Mamapika?"
Killua snickered. "It's what you are, isn't it? My mother?"
Kurapika crossed his arms and sighed in annoyance. "I can't believe you sometimes."
"Thanks for the answer though."
The blonde gave Killua another reassuring smile. "Any time. You can talk to me about anything, you know that?"
"Yeah, I know. That's what moms are there for, right?"
Kurapika glared at the mischievous Valkyrie. "Be quiet and watch the battles, Killua."
The silver haired mercenary was about to respond, but right on cue the announcer's energetic voice rang out through the arena announcing the first match up. Dozens of battles went down, and Gon and Leorio had yet to fight. Each averaged at about five minutes, and they were back to back without a second wasted. Most of them were boring, everyone was either a light weight or some incredible warrior who way outmatched their opponent. Killua wasn't paying attention to any of them, he was too busy chatting with Kurapika. Or rather, his new mother.
"I hope you're aware that you've adopted me now," Killua quipped in total deadpan.
"This isn't gonna stop, is it?"
"Nope. You're just gonna have to accept it."
"Alright folks!" The announcer called out. "Our next battle is between Sedokan…" Killua and Kurapika turned their gazes to the arena floor to see who was entering. They didn't always watch the battles, but they did always watch who it was that walked out. This contestant was a lanky Vampire with messy black hair and skin like a corpse. "... and Gon!"
Killua's heart skipped a beat as a certain green-clad hybrid walked out onto the arena. With a grin on his face and bright eyes, Gon waved to the cheering crowd. He heard the group of girls from earlier squealing and vying for his attention. "Woah, he's hot," whispered a guy in the row behind them. Killua's face flushed, wishing that he was bold enough to say things like that.
Killua's heart was racing, and his stomach was in knots. He knew it was just Gon, but now that he knew what he had been feeling all this time he was terrified that everything would be different all of a sudden. Gon's eyes roamed the crowd, ignoring the catcalls and yells to kick the Vampire's ass.
Suddenly, Gon found Killua. Their gazes met from across the arena, and the hybrid waved with a new energy. He grinned wide, and a skip entered his step. Killua's heart fluttered, nothing was different, it was just like always. He waved back, forcing a smile onto his face. He twisted his tail around his waist in anxiety, it was Gon. He was here. What if he read Killua's mind and suddenly knew how he felt?!
"I bet I get more points than you!" Gon declared with a smirk on his face.
Killua's stomach dropped and his blush spread up to his ears and down his neck.
No way, this isn't happening-
"You can try, but it's a lost cause!" Killua yelled back, his calm and nonchalant voice a complete opposite of the mess in his mind.
Gon's smile turned devious, "I love a challenge~~"
Why is he so-
"Ready…" the announcer prompted. Gon fell into a fighting stance.
I can't possibly be-
"Fight!"
With that damned look plastered all over his face, Gon leapt forward towards Sedokan. The Vampire startled and leapt backwards, barely making it out of Gon's range before he was punched square in the jaw. The hybrid didn't let up, he was in full battle mode. He was clearly itching for a fight. He immediately followed up with a flip into a powerful roundhouse kick. Sedokan stumbled backwards and would have fallen if not for his vampiric instinct to always land on his feet. Gon was on top of him within moments, and he leapt out of the way. Gon left a huge crater in his wake.
"Shit," Killua breathed.
He's so strong. Fighting a giant Ice Serpent is clearly much different than fighting a humanoid opponent. Gon's skill is in hand to hand. I was only seeing him at his worst in the Neko-Village, this is his true fighting prowess.
"Wait!" Sedokan squeaked as he rolled out of Gon's stomping range, barely saving his hand from being shattered.
"For what?" Gon asked through gritted teeth… in a grin, not a grimace. Sedokan dragged himself to his feet, only for Gon to sweep his legs out from under him.
"STOP!" Sedokan's command rang out through the arena. His eyes were glowing red, and Gon complied.
Fuck! I was so focused on Gon that I forgot about a Vampire's ability to mind control!
"Wow!" the announcer called out, finally getting a chance to speak. "What an incredible exchange of lightning fast blows! I couldn't even get a word in! Gon has stopped his assault though by Sedokan's command! He is using his vampiric mind control on our horned fighter!"
Sedokan released a laugh that was a mixture of relief and hysteria. "There! See that? Now you can't beat me!" He picked himself up, and stood before Gon, who was frozen mid-punch. He followed Sedokan with his eyes, which were burning with an unreadable amber light.
Wait, amber? If he were really under mind control wouldn't his eyes be glowing red-
"I've won!" Sedokan declared. "If an opponent is rendered unable to fight for five seconds, then the other wins by knock down! This is how I will climb to the top of Heavan's Arena!"
"You sure about that?" Gon asked, an evil smirk on his face.
Sedokan whipped back around to face Gon. "What, how are you talking? I-" His speech trailed off, and he collapsed onto the arena floor. "I can't… move-" he choked out. He twitched a few times, and blood began leaking from his nostrils.
Gon stood up straight, grinning triumphantly.
"Incredible, folks! It seems that Sedokan's mind control did not work on Gon! And better yet, Gon has done something to Sedokan to render him motionless!"
"What did you- do- to me-" Sedokan gurgled.
"Mind control's never worked on me, sorry! And as for why you're paralyzed on the ground coughing up blood, that's a trade secret," Gon's voice got low and teasing at the end. He wiped his hand across his neck, and held it up for Sedokan to see.
Sedokan watched the thick, clear liquid drip off of Gon's hand and onto the arena floor.
"Poison?"
"Amazing!" the announcer declared, clarifying the situation for anyone who hadn't been able to hear the dialogue. "Mind control does not work on Gon! Whatever is in his hybrid blood must be incredible! And on top of that, Gon used a type of poison to paralyze Sedokan! Gon wins by knockout!" The crowd erupted in cheers, Killua among them. "Our referees re-watched slow motion footage of the fight, and this clip shows the moment Sedokan lost his match!" The four enormous jumbo-screens suspended from the ceiling all switched from a live feed of Gon waving in victory to a slow motion clip from the battle.
It was the first punch. In the first swing Gon had taken at Sedokan, he had used the momentum to sling his neurotoxin all over his opponents face and neck. Just like he had done to paralyze the Serpent King! Right from the start, Gon had been secreting the toxin and preparing to take his opponent out immediately. Killua knew that Gon could have made the toxin a hell of a lot stronger, and that he had made it slow acting for dramatic effect.
"There you have it, folks! This match was decided from the very start!"
Killua smirked to himself. "He's smarter than he lets on… or at least smart in battle."
"You should probably call in the medics, or else he's gonna die in about two minutes," Gon suggested to the referees hovering around the edge of the arena. With that, he walked out of the arena and down the victor's tunnel. On the way out, he grinned at Killua and held his fist up in the air.
Killua's face heated up, and he just barely managed to grin and wave back before the pause got awkward. Thank goodness for the distance between them, or else Gon would have been able to see how red Killua's face was.
Suspecting these feelings had made him even more easily flustered. Just the sight of Gon made his mind ping pong in every direction, yelling "It's Gon! I've got a really bad crush on him!" And that was exactly what this was.
Killua was now sure without a doubt, he was crushing over his best friend.
Really hard.
