Colorful light trickled in through the cracked blinds of the apartment, it flashed and pulsed as glowing vehicles blew past and billboards switched from ad to ad. While Hallah's night was bathed in the red of LED lights, Hallah's day was like the inside of a glow-in-the-dark bouncy house park.
The black lights made everything look like it was covered in blue, with splashes here and there of neon color. White fabric glowed against the lazy lighting, while teeth of passers by bit against the dark like flashes of a camera.
The entire place was like a giant beehive, with the large space in the center - where Killua's selected apartment had been - serving as the main hub. If all roads on Overworld led to Yorknew City, then all roads in Hallah's fourth sector led to the center pocket.
It was loud in the streets too, with annoying music blasting from speakers and the ruckus of people getting into fights every other second.
Ging had a soft spot in his heart for outer space, but places like Hallah really got on his nerves once he was forced to experience the madness for too long. Luckily, the inside of the apartment was lit with regular light bulbs, no neon signs and blacklight bullshit. It was pretty cozy, Ging had to admit.
The floors were a warm brown wood, the walls pearly white. The balcony was spectacular, and there were four separate bedrooms with their own bathroom attached. The living area was small, but in a good way. The furniture was navy blue with brightly colored pillows and throw blankets, and the television was of the highest quality. The kitchen was absolutely loaded, and the little place even boasted a dining area in the corner between the living room and the front door.
Having this little pocket of peace right in the midst of Hallah's chaos made it all the more enjoyable. Ging could breathe easy, and slowly wake up to the lovely bitterness of his coffee. The kitchen was fully stocked thanks to Ging's foresight, and Ryder's usually moronic-useless-ass had proven to be an incredible cook.
Breakfast was quiet and filling, a basic array of eggs, muffins, and some sort of alien bacon. Gon had grabbed orange juice at the store yesterday for some dumb ass reason, and Ging's only complaint would be the nasty scent of citrus assaulting his nose.
He hated citrus, and of course Pariston was making a show of drinking the pulpy crap right alongside Ging's idiot son–
But that was just Pariston being his Demon self and doing his best to annoy Ging with the tiniest little shit. He was more than used to the blonde's antics, and was well accustomed to just ignoring his ass. It was better to leave the jars he flaunted before Ging unopened. The hybrid was always down for a good fight in the morning, but sometimes (believe it or not) he liked to revel in the domesticity of enjoying a peaceful breakfast before the day's responsibilities started prodding at his sanity.
Unfortunately for Ging, two individuals were fucking it up.
Gon and Killua.
They were fucking it up.
Why? Oh! That was fucking simple!
Last night they'd made it painfully obvious that they were finally just fucking… fucking. It had been quite the spectacle, and they'd just WASTED all the food that Ging had so GRACIOUSLY purchased and laid out for them! Ungrateful little shits. Ging had never thought he'd see the day when Ryder was the obedient child.
But back to the point!
Ging was very aware of his son's recent success in finally taking a hit at his Dragonite companion, and it was about damn time he'd done it too! Watching the two of them dance around each other had been so fucking annoying, and while watching Ryder come into play and drive Gon up a wall had been SO fun to observe, Ging had been fully expecting for all the damn tension between Gon and Killua do just go the fuck away once they finally did the deed.
But no.
Because that would be too fucking easy!
It wasn't that they were making their updated relationship obnoxiously obvious, no! It was just the fucking opposite!
Ging, Pariston, and Ryder had all gotten up that morning at NORMAL times. They'd risen at 8:00 am, a perfectly decent time considering all the shit that needed to get done today! They'd all gotten their asses out of bed, washed their faces, gotten dressed, and come to the living/kitchen/dining area like civilized humanoids!
Ryder had whipped out the breakfast shit, and had gotten right down to business. Ging and Pariston had perused the pamphlet listing all the ships currently on the market, and had decided on which ones they would be touring later that afternoon.
While Ging, Pariston, and Ryder had slaved away, contributing to the team, Gon and Killua had still not woken up.
Now, this wouldn't have turned up strange if the five of them hadn't spend, like, a fucking week together already. Everyone knew that Gon rose with the sun, and that he was always the first one awake, and without fail. He'd be up and buzzing around, always impatient for when Killua would wake up. Then, once the Valkyrie would prove once again that he would sleep the whole damn day away if allowed, Gon would wake Killua up once the other three showed their faces.
But today, no such things had occurred.
Gon was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Killua.
This break from the usual morning routine was once again making it subtly yet GLARINGLY obvious that the two of them were doing things.
This had been incredibly annoying.
Anyways, half an hour had passed and Ryder had laid out the spread for that morning. He'd set the table, passed out plates, and Pariston had even taken it upon himself to brew the coffee! Ging, Pariston, and Ging's new favorite child Ryder had all sat down at the breakfast table. They'd begun loading their plates up, just beginning their meal, when then-
Gon and Killua decided to grace the others with their presence.
They'd walked out from the bedroom hallway, fully dressed and ready to face the day. They'd clearly both showered and slept very well. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? Wrong. EVERYTHING was out of the ordinary, yet nothing at all. ANd that's why it was so fucking annoying.
Without saying a damn THING, the two of them just sat down at the table! Just like that! No apology for getting up so rudely late, no explanation for their spectacle before dinner last night! Not even an apology for how loud Ging had been forced to turn the television up to tune out their unholy actions!
"Morning!" Gon had said, in his stupid cheerful voice. Sounding ready to face the day, like he had fucking birds perched and singing on his shoulders. Killua hadn't said anything, but that was pretty typical of the little dickwad.
Morning? That's it?! That's all they were gonna fucking say?!
Whatever. Fine. Be assholes, if you want to.
Ging would have been able to ignore it, had it not been for that subtle shift in the air between the two of them. Was there a change between them now that they'd crossed that line? Yes, but only slightly.
Hell, when Ging had first met the two of them he'd thought they were already together! Married, mated, or at least courting! It had been quite the shock to learn that they were "just friends," so when they had already acted like a couple before, there wasn't a shift whatsoever now that they actually were a couple.
Except for one tiny thing.
It was barely noticeable, but Ging prided himself on his ability to pay attention to detail.
This infamous thing that Ging was being forced to deal with was a slight shimmer. It was like there was this sparkling and hardly visible veil passed over the two of them. There was this… light in their eyes, their smiles were just slightly larger. They'd meet each other's gazes at random more often, and they had their chairs closer together, though only by a fraction of an inch.
All these tiny, seemingly insignificant details…
But, for a couple of morons who had been too fucking scared to act on blatantly obvious feelings for fear of losing the relationship they'd worked so hard to create, subtle details like this might as well have been nuclear explosions for a pair such as Gon and Killua.
Ging was more than aware of exactly why this shift had occurred, and the thing about it that made him so damn mad was that they were acting as if nothing was amiss! They were sitting here acting all mushy, as if Ging, Pariston, and Ryder wouldn't be able to tell what was going on!
Oh, they were together, alright!
But had they deigned to explain what the fuck was going on between them?!
No!
They were just sitting there, enjoying this peaceful little breakfast as if they hadn't just realigned the fucking sun! Gods, Ging really hated these two sometimes. Ryder was definitely his new favorite.
Gon and Killua's stupid being-in-love-ness was really pissing Ging off, but whatever. If they wanted to force the other three to wait for context in suspense then fine! It wouldn't bother him, he'd enjoy his fucking breakfast and he wouldn't give the two of them the satisfaction!
But Ging had to draw the line somewhere, and when Gon very OBVIOUSLY brushed his foot against Killua's under the table, that line was etched as deeply as the fucking Plythur Ravine on the border between the Vampiric Union and the Republic of Luna's Children.
"So," Ging started, eyebrow twitching and voice strained in a false mask of cheerfulness, "Do you have something to share with the class?"
Gon and Killua shared a glance, Ging narrowed his eyes at them. Pariston and Ryder perked up, the Demon salivating for drama and Ryder holding an expression that was unreadable. Poor kid.
"Killua and I are dating!" Gon blurted out, the Valkyrie slouching into his chair as his face flushed a bright red.
"Fucking finally," Ging grumbled.
Killua slouched further, and Gon giggled, taking the assassin's hand in his and kissing the back of it.
Ging screeched in horror, almost falling out of his chair, "FUCK OUTTA HERE WITH THAT SHIT!"
Gon startled, blinking over at his father in confusion. Killua just glared at him, tail swishing defensively behind him as he pulled his and Gon's joined hands into his lap. "What's your problem, old man?" the Valkyrie snapped.
"Gross! We don't wanna see you guys getting all busy right in front of us!" the older male scoffed.
"Yes we do!" Ryder argued, grinning as he leaned mischievously across the table. "I think you two should kiss right now!"
"What the hell, Ryder?" Killua snorted, "We're not your personal porn show."
"Says who?" the purple skinned male pouted.
Ging slapped the Alien-hybrid upside the head, "Shut the hell up! Don't encourage them!"
"Aren't you being a little dramatic, Ging?" Pariston drawled, chuckling into his glass of orange juice like the Demon he was.
"I am not being dramatic!" Ging shot back, and then turned on his son. "Listen, we're gonna have a serious talk!"
Gon blinked, still looking lost.
"There will be NO sex in my general vicinity!" Ging ordered, making Killua's face burn scarlet red, as well as making Ryder make a suggestive hand gesture… to which Ging slapped out of existence. "There will be no kissing or hugging or lovey dovey garbage either! You will stay THREE FEET APART at all times!"
"What?!" Gon gasped as if it were the most horrible thing Ging could have possibly said. He leapt to the side, hopping into Killua's lap and wrapping his arms around the Valkyrie's shoulders. Killua squeaked in surprise at first, but quickly wrapped his arms around Gon in return. "But I just got Killua! How can I just not express my love now that I'm finally able to?! That's not fair!"
"Yeah, what Gon said!" Killua complained.
Ging glared at his son, who was sitting in Killua's lap and straddling his waist in the chair. "Well tough shit! It hasn't even been ten minutes and I'm already annoyed out of my mind by the two of you!"
"Exactly!" Gon shot back, "It's only been ten minutes! You can't just make assumptions based on only ten minutes!"
"Yes the fuck I can! I'm the leader here, you have to obey me!"
"No!" Gon yelled right back, tightening his grip on Killua.
"Ging," Ryder drawled, deciding to get involved, "old buddy! Old pal–"
"You hush!" Ging snapped holding up his finger in Ryder's face. "I'm just telling my son the rules for dating in my house!"
Pariston chuckled, making Ging startle and then slowly glance over at him.
"Oh! I see now," the blonde purred, "How was I so blind to it before?"
Ging glared at Pariston. He knew where he was going with this and he didn't like it–
"You're growing attached to your son, and are having a hard time watching him grow up and select his chosen Mate~"
Ging sputtered, "What?! The hell are you talking about–"
"-Am I wrong?" Pariston interrupted with a saccharine grin.
Gon and Killua's eyes were trained on Ging, Killua's tail swishing hostilely behind him.
Ging glanced over at Gon, and then back at Pariston.
Fucking Demon, thinking he could read Ging's mind. This was absolutely NOT what was going on here! Ging wasn't– he wasn't attached to his son! That was preposterous! He wasn't– he wasn't proud of him for finding such a perfect match– For, for getting so attached like this– He wasn't trying to keep Gon from latching on too hard because of some stupid paternal instinct, cause THAT would be stupid!
"As if," Ging scoffed, backing off and slouching into his seat. Gon gazed mistrustingly at him from across the table. "Fine, no rules," Ging grumbled. He HATED compromise! "Just no public sex, namely when I'm a part of that public. And you can get out of his lap now."
"Yay!" Gon cheered, turning around to kiss Killua square on the mouth. Ryder cheered while Ging scoffed and looked in the other direction. Thankfully, though, his son climbed out of his new boy-boyfr-boyfriend's lap.
Finally, Ging was able to peacefully return to his breakfast… he just had to yell at Gon a couple of times to stop feeding Killua.
Unfortunately, however, his peace was interrupted after not even ten minutes.
"Uh, Ging?" Gon asked, pushing his eggs around his plate.
"What, kid?" Ging grunted around his coffee mug. He didn't like that look in Gon's eyes… It meant he was about to say something he knew Ging wasn't going to like.
"So, we're just looking at ships today, right?" Gon inquired.
"Yeah, what are you getting at?"
'And we're gonna leave tomorrow after we find a ship today?"
"Yeah, thanks for stating the obvious."
"Well, since it's just looking at spaceships, and this is our last day before we officially start the mission, I wanted to take Killua on an official date before we have to leave!"
Both Ging and Killua choked in unison, spitting their coffee across the table.
"What?!" the both exclaimed, Killua in embarrassment and Ging in another fit of rage.
"That's how you ask me out on a date for the first time?!" Killua yelled in mortification, shoving Gon in the shoulder.
"Well I got the idea just now so–"
"-That's no excuse!" the Valkyrie complained.
"He's right, Gon!" Ging yelled, "That's no fucking excuse! We're not separating at this point in the mission! Last time I let you three idiots out of my sight Killua got caught by the fucking Chimeras!"
"Well we took care of those guys, didn't we?" Gon pointed out, arguing his case. "And it won't be all three of us out of your sight, just me and Killua!"
Ryder gasped in false offense, "Are you insinuating that having me out of Ging's sight in particular increases chances of us getting into trouble?! Blasphemy!"
"Well, he's not wrong~" Killua teased, earning a finger from Ryder.
"Pleaseeeee, Ging?" Gon whined, making a puppy dog face and setting his eyes sparkling. "It'll only be for tonight and this afternoon!"
Ging glared daggers across the table at his idiot son. "And why should I allow this?"
"Because I'm courting Killua! He's a Prince, Ging! I have to prove myself! I have to earn his affections the right way!"
"And what would the wrong way be?" Ryder snorted, "Making out on the balcony and then having sex on the first night?" Himself and Pariston snickered, slapping their hands together.
Gon glared at the green eyed menace. "Stay out of it!"
He then glanced back over at Ging, and the two amber eyed males participated in an intense staring contest… to which Ging lost.
Mother fucker, maybe I do have a little bit of a soft spot for the little shit…
"Fine. One afternoon. And you'll be back by nine sharp, ya hear?!"
"Ten!"
"Nine!"
"Ten!"
"Nine-thirty, we have to leave really fucking early in the morning!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!" Ging snapped back, snatching his coffee mug back up and draining the rest of it, trying to ignore Gon as he leaned over in his chair to embrace Killua.
"Yay! You hear that, Killua?! We're going on a date!"
"Says who?" the assassin complained, "I never actually agreed, you know!"
"What?!" Gon gasped, "But Killua, we have too! I have to take you on a for real date!"
Ging growled, tuning the two of them out. Everyone at the table knew that Killua would cave. He was just as big of a softie for Gon as Ging was… in fact, Ging doubted that anyone could say no to the full strength of those wild amber eyes.
…
While Gon was arguing with Ging about being allowed to go on a date with Killua, two sinister figures prepared to make their move.
Crouched in the ruins of King Meruem's castle, a figure in a hood and their timid companion watched and waited as the Royal Guard swapped shifts. They waited patiently as Pitou hopped up onto the ledge, and braced themselves for Pouf's upcoming rant.
The blonde Guard deactivated his En, and due to the extreme exhaustion and strain Pitou was under, they did not immediately replace Pouf's En with their own.
The two figures exploded into action, Zetsu cranked up as high as they could possibly put it. They scaled the wall with practiced ease, they'd been planning this move for weeks now, down to the finest detail.
They were at the window sill in a matter of moments, looking down through the gap at their target:
A petite young woman with ratty white hair and blinded eyes.
The two shared a nod, and dropped down into the room, ready to snatch Komugi up and run off before Pitou could turn their En back on and notice them.
This was it.
Finally, the insurgents would get the better of the King.
