Coming Attraction || scottishfae
HUNTER X HUNTER || I do not own Hunter x Hunter nor do I make any money from this work of fiction.
M || Romance
WARNINGS || This story contains a BL pairing. If you do not want to read about homosexual relationships, please do not proceed.
PAIRINGS || Killua x Gon
SUMMARY || Killua and Gon had been best friends for more than just a few years; however, budding feelings wrapped in hidden secrets has begun to drive a wedge between the two teens.
NOTES || Sorry for the delay in this reboot. Still planning this out in its entirety, but it looks like this will be a fairly short story (five chapters max, I think).
Also - please look for my original, online novel One Genuine Decision on Wattpad under my penname Aoife Leah. You can find a link in my profile. If you like it, please pass it on to others.
CHAPTER ONE || awakening
It was times like these that Kurapika really felt sorry for Killua. They were four hours into a twenty-four hour train ride from York Shin City. Their next stop would have them boarding a ship to Whale Island where they would finally get to have a much needed vacation. Gon had arranged the whole thing. Said teen was currently playing a game of cards with Leorio. Killua, however, was sitting off by himself in the cabin their Hunter passes had allowed them.
He had been doing that a lot recently. Both Leorio and Kurapika had noticed - even Gon seemed to feel the unusual gap between him and his best friend. But, unlike the two older members of their little group, Gon was completely in the dark as to why the sudden distance.
To be fair, it was less Killua's actions and more his body that gave him away. They had all agreed to meet up in York Shin a couple days before they were due to depart for the coast. Kurapika was the last to arrive and met up at the hotel the three had been staying. Killua and Gon had come down together; Gon's hand eagerly pulling the other's toward where the blond was waiting. That was when Kurapika noticed. Leorio had confirmed it the next day when they were able to speak in confidence.
Killua had a crush. And one that went far beyond just a normal puppy-love scenario. Killua had been on his own for a long time; been given access to adult channels from before they had ever known him. It made sense that when the teen fell for someone, regardless of his age, it would manifest itself on the sexual side. Kurapika was also not surprised his attention was focused on Gon.
Gon was also the reason he felt sorry for Killua. With all his strength, the other teen was frustratingly oblivious most of the time. Killua would be lucky if Gon caught on before they turned twenty - and that wasn't even taking into account if Gon might reciprocate his feelings.
"Killua, you hungry?"
Both Kurapika and Killua looked over at Leorio. The scruffy-looking man was holding up an unopened chocolate bar and waving it at the teen. Gon was already absently munching on one as he looked carefully at the cards in his hand.
"Sure," Killua answered.
Instead of throwing it, he sat it down on the edge of the table. The smile on his face made it obvious he knew the state the younger man was in. Kurapika rolled his eyes. He put his bookmark back into his book and closed it carefully.
"Why not skip the chocolate and join me in the dining car? I could go for real food," he offered.
Gon looked up at that. "Real food?"
"Yeah, would you like me to bring anything back for you?"
"Are you sure it's even open?" Leorio interrupted.
Kurapika shrugged his shoulders. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Hunter's card. "I'm guessing that they'll probably open for this if they aren't."
The blond moved to stand in front of Killua. He motioned with his head for the teen to lead the way out. It was hardly discreet, but walking with an erection rarely was. They made it out into the hallway where Killua allowed himself to take in a deep breath. Kurapika smiled as the young assassin tried to readjust and calm down as best as he could.
"The dining car is this way," Kurapika said, pointing to his left.
Killua nodded and turned to head further back on the train. They went through half a dozen cars before they reached the two-story dining car. A man was standing behind a bar, cleaning off the wooden surface, and greeted them with a smile. "What can I help you boys with?"
"Food - the proper kind, if the kitchen is still open."
"You two part of the group of Hunters onboard?"
Kurapika smiled and nodded. He pulled out his pass just to confirm the employee's assumption. The man looked it over briefly, before nodding towards the stairs. "Why don't you two head upstairs? Jack should still be up there and he'll make sure you get fed. Wasn't there more of you? They comin'?"
"They were in a middle of a card game."
The man laughed and wished the two a good night and turned back to his work. Kurapika went to climb the stairs; Killua had wasted no time and was nearly at the top. When they both made the landing, they looked around the dim, empty cabin. There was a man in the corner, reading a newspaper and smoking a cigarette. He looked up at them as they entered but didn't bother to get up yet. "Sit anywhere you want. Menu's tucked in with the condiments at the edge. Just holler when you see something you want."
Kurapika raised a brow at the man's behavior, but decided to let it slip to follow Killua to a table far from the man that must be Jack. They slid on either side of the booth and immediately went for the menus. It took them several moments to read the short two-page, laminated sheet and decide what they wanted. It didn't surprise Kurapika that it was a short selection, give the mode of travel, but at that late hour none of it looked incredibly appetizing.
Killua raised attention for Jack to come to their table. He threw down his paper on the table next to him and walked across the car to their table. "Ya had to sit so far away?"
Kurapika gave the man a dry smile. "Why is it so dark up here?"
Jack pointed up. "We're going through the Xao forest right now, but once we clear it you'll be able to see the night's sky through the glass top of the car. It's much more enjoyable with less lights on."
Kurapika and Killua looked up and saw that, indeed, the roof was made of large panes of glass.
"So you two were ready to order?"
Killua went first, not surprising to the blond who waited his turn patiently. The teen still ate like a bottomless pit; twice as bad when Gon added his own endless appetite to the mix.
"And you?" Jack asked Kurapika.
"Hot tea and toast please. Butter or jam, if you have it."
"That it?"
"Yes."
"Ok. Might take a few minutes. I'm the one-man kitchen staff tonight."
He didn't sound happy, but all the same he left the cabin with their orders.
"So I guess you want to have 'the talk' with me?"
Kurapika looked over at Killua. The teen had sat back into the booth and was staring up at the ceiling. Gaps in the forest canopy flew by but showed little glimpses of the night sky and a full moon.
"What makes you think that?"
"Why else would you ask me to join you? Especially when you aren't eating anything. Doesn't seem like you're really hungry."
Kurapika shook his head. "Their menu was a little lacking for my tastes, unfortunately. I'm hoping we'll have enough time to get a real meal before we start the next leg of our journey."
"As long as they're no delays with the train, Gon says we should have a couple hours before we have to board the ship."
"That's good."
A silence fell between them two - it wasn't altogether awkward, but they both knew there was more than just food that brought them away from their cabin. Downstairs a radio had been turned on a soft music could be heard. Kurapika had no idea how to proceed. He could track down and kill the people who murdered his family, but having a talk about relationships and sex with a teenager seemed much harder.
"You know I would never give you 'the talk,' right? I've known you long enough, Killua, to know that you're way beyond the need for something like that."
Killua cracked a smile at that, finally looking away from the ceiling and meeting Kurapika's eyes. "Thanks."
"But we are concerned."
The smile was gone. "We?"
Kurapika waved off the anger. "Leorio and I - as far as I can tell, Gon is as clueless as he ever was. Though that fact alone I'm sure isn't a comfort."
Killua shrugged his shoulders; his dread disarmed. "Fine by me. I'd rather him be clueless than not have him as a friend. I don't know what I'd do without Gon in my life."
"Noble sentiment. Proof how much you care."
Killua rolled his eyes. They both looked up as Jack re-entered the car with a large tray braced against his shoulder. He grabbed a fold-out table and set it up before he put the over-stuffed tray down. Four large dishes and several smaller ones were put out in front of Killua before a small plate of toast, a bowl filled with jams and butters, and a cup and saucer were put down in front of Kurapika. "Anything else I can get you two?"
"No, this looks good," the blond answered for them both.
"Anyone ever tell you you eat like a pregnant woman?"
Kurapika looked taken aback by the comment. Killua sniggered behind a mouth full of food. "He's not a woman, if that's what you're trying to figure out."
"I'm not stupid kid. I'm just pointing it out."
Jack picked up the now empty tray, grabbed the temporary table, and left the cabin once again.
"That man is insufferably rude," Kurapika grumbled to himself.
He reached over to grab his flatware and unrolled the napkin they were housed in. He put his napkin in his lap first before going through the bowl for a condiment to add to his toast.
"He pays a lot of attention to you - maybe he's hitting on you."
"Don't be absurd," Kurapika said.
He felt Killua watching him as he slowly spread his chosen jam on his toast. He looked up before he took a bite. He didn't say anything, but just raised a brow at the teen.
"Have you ever been in love before?"
Kurapika stopped to think for a second and then shook his head. Love hadn't been one of those emotions Kurapika had allowed himself to feel since the death of his family.
"Dated?"
"Yes."
"Ah, so you've fucked someone before?"
"Killua, language please."
The teen shrugged because he simply didn't care about his language or if it offended anyone. "So?"
"Yes."
"With a woman?"
"Yes. And, since I'm sure you're going to ask this next, I have been with a man as well."
"Leorio?"
Kurapika almost spit his tea out. Hands shaking to keep in laughter, he barely sat the cup down without spilling it. "Of course not, what gave you that impression?"
"You two seem to be pretty close."
"We're friends."
"So are Gon and I."
"There's a difference. Mostly being that you find Gon attractive - in one way or the other. It's not the same for Leorio or I."
They took a break from the conversation to enjoy some of their food. Killua scarfed his down as if he hadn't eaten for weeks. There was barely anything left when Jack came back into the cabin. He nodded at them, but passed them without a word. He sat back down to his chair and picked up his paper.
"You know you're wrong, right?" Killua whispered, not wanting Jack to hear.
"About?"
"Leorio is definitely attracted to you."
Gon stood on the deck of the ship holding on to the edge with all his might. His heart was racing, his cheeks flushed, and he was determined not to move from his spot until he calmed down. He looked down with embarrassment; if he turned, there would be no hiding the tenting in his shorts.
"Stupid Killua," he mumbled, closing his eyes and trying to concentrate on anything that wasn't his best friend.
His grip tightened to the point where the wood began to splinter. Several shards pierced into hands and he could feel the blood trickle down.
"Gon!" Leorio cried, seeing the teen's hands.
He rushed forward, grabbed Gon and pulled him away. Dark eyes looked up at the older man. Gon's breathing was finally beginning to calm.
"What were you doing, you idiot," Leorio scolded.
"I-I think I need some advice."
"Advice? You? What on?"
Leorio had set his case down next to him and opened it up. He took out some bandages and antiseptic spray to clean up Gon's hands.
"How do you know if you love someone?"