Daniel asks Killua for a dance.

Prompt

Dance (Cont.)

Killua's back straightened once he noticed his sister coming towards him with Daniel, the boy offering a weak smile in hopes of deterring any regrets. He was complacent with what had transpired, the huge smile now spreading across Alluka's face meant she had her fair share of fun, and not everything had gone wrong with his plans for the day.

He had yet to find a moment to address his feelings, to openly talk to Daniel about his past that remains forgotten, hidden…

He found it strange after all the crap he has been through, the most challenging thing he has ever done, was an appeal to the emotions of someone who acts as though they don't know you. It was taxing, but not as hard to think about…

He had been in a similar position with Alluka, made to forget her, even when she meant so much to him. As much as he would like to let his thoughts wander, the two had already come too close, and a dazed absentminded expression would leave too many questions to be hurled in his direction, "Yo…? Did you have fun?"

Alluka nodded, practically beaming from ear-to-ear as she sat beside her brother, "Yes! Daniel made me fly and…" Daniel stood still, a mere few inches away from the two, obviously wanting the siblings to get their discussion out of their system.

He listened carefully as Alluka tried to explain what happened, her words overemphasizing what had exactly transpired, yet her brother didn't stop to ground her back to reality, a creeping smiling edging across his lips, wanting to stay hidden, yet his unconscious mind pretended as though none of that was happening.

Minutes felt like hours, time unable to be gauged as Daniel watched Alluka's brother listening. At first, he felt like he was staring like a predator watching its prey, but as time progressed, he noticed he was paying less to the boy's features, watching his lips move. Each word pulled his attention as if demanding his ears to listen.

Then something in his mind snapped, the black figures in his mind slowly being replaced, morphing from inky shadows, into a face that stretched between the unknown, and a resemblance of Killua's exact features.

It scared him seeing the subtle change occur in his mind, but what brought it on, was a single laugh from Killua; the slight backwards tilt, his shoulders bopping up and down to the chuckles, the innocence of happiness ringing throughout those sounds. He could have sworn he heard that exact laugh in his past, but this gut-wrenching feeling in his chest and mind combatted against each other, demanding dominance over his feelings and thoughts.

He hadn't seen it or notice it, the wetness in his eyes as tears fell as his emotions had for the briefest of seconds, won an ongoing war.

Killua's eyes widened in shock once he realised what had happened, his mind disengaging from Alluka's voice to instead focus on the boy by their side. He should have said something, but he was unable to find the right words, and his mind demanded him to not say anything at all out of fear the mood would shift gears.

Alluka turned to face Daniel once she realised Killua no longer hung on every word, the same feelings of her somehow weaving through her mind like a subconscious command. Since neither of them was reacting to a perfect moment, she nudged her brother's side, the boy seeming coming to life as if he were in another world a moment ago.

"Uh, oh… are you… ok?"

Daniel nodded, turning slightly away to wipe the noticeable tears. He took a moment to maintain his thoughts, bringing them back to a more stable mindset before addressing his original goal.

A single sigh, followed by a smile and outstretched hand followed, Daniel's gaze meeting Killua's, "may I have this dance…?"

Killua's eyes widened, a broken quick 'yes' spilling from his mouth in an unconscious move to hopefully bring himself closer to the boy. But his mind disengaged quickly, rosy cheeks sputtering out a no right after.

Daniel's smile dropped, his hand momentarily weakening, which in turn caused Killua's mind to overthink, "I mean… I- I can't leave Alluka alone! What if some creep-"

"Killua!" Alluka puffed up her cheeks at the reaction, arms crossing in disgust. He has the moment his been looking for in his grasp, yet he is trying to find a way to get out of it. If she didn't say something now, Killua might lose his one and only chance to change his predicament. "You should go, I'll be fine! I'll even have your number on speed-dial."

Killua grit his teeth, even though she had used different words, his mind was subconsciously trying to supersede their meaning, finding a way to agree with her when his mind wasn't ready yet.

Daniel's hand still hung in the air, lingering on a hopeful 'yes', which in turn made Killua mentally slap himself for not accepting at first. Puffing out his cheeks, the boy took the hand before him, acting as though he was doing it out of necessity rather than his own hidden desires. He didn't want to scare Daniel off. Not yet at least…

The moment Killua's hand grabbed Daniel, the boy's smile seemed to brighten, it felt unreal, yet his mind refused to address it, hoping that Daniel hadn't noticed his own subtle change.

"Stay here Alluka, I'll keep you brother away for only one song… maybe two if he doesn't crush my feet."

"Hey!"

Daniel seemly ignored the distress, guiding the boy's hand further in the ballroom. But a tug of his hand made him reconsider, a silent plea from Killua. For a split second, he felt like his body knew the answer, but he still felt like he needed to ask it anyway, "What's wrong?"

"Not too far from Alluka… I still want to be able to see her."

"Alright…" Daniel held out his arms, in a reverse 'L' shape, his left hand at the nine o'clock mark while his other hand was at the twelvish mark, "I assume you know how to perform the Waltz…"

Killua nodded, taking Daniel's right hand, as he awaited the next cue.

"Do you want to lead, or should I take lead?"

Killua laughed internally at the statement. Of course, he wanted to take lead, to control Daniel's body as if it were his own, but alas, he didn't believe he could maintain trust with his own internal actions fighting his will, "you lead."

Killua's cheeks warmed at the sensation of Daniel's hand now resting on his hip, Killua, in turn, putting his hand on Daniel's shoulder. What he hadn't expected was the boy's fingers entwine with his own.

Ignorance is a bliss… The boy thought as Daniel took the first step, Killua following right after. Depending on which one Daniel wished to perform, Killua was sure he could match the tempo, unlike his heart hammering within his ribcage.

The rhythm at the start is easy to follow; a one, two, three, pattern. As Daniel took one step forward, Killua mirrored the process, taking one step back. The same was done with the next step, only this time, they both slide to the right, and then backwards, or in Killua's case forwards.

The actions repeated, Killua inciting talk, hoping that he could calm his nerves before he speaks about the topic on his mind, "Daniel… I wanted to ask you something…"

"Hmm…?"

"Well, more like say…"

"Sure," Daniel offered a smile, adding the next movement to the sequence, the slight offside turn, also known as the step promenade which Killua followed without issues, "nice… doing good so far."

Killua's features reddened from the compliment, his voice failing to articulate his thoughts, "Y- you see… what I was wondering…" Killua felt his voice hitch when Daniel's eyes fell on him, his voice lost in the endless void.

One thing he knew he had to do, was bring up Daniel's memories without actually using his name. which was impossible at this point. Killua stilled his heart, features softening as he spoke once more, "You know I'm seeing someone…"

"Of course…"

"And the relationship is complicated…"

"Yeah…?"

Killua bit his lip, "We really didn't have a fight that forced us to split… or go on break with each other."

"Uh huh…"

"Sometimes I see him from time to time, not in a stalkerish way, we just happen to see each other. He… our reason to distance was neither one's mistake. It's just someone else stood in our part."

"He has nothing to worry about… I plan to make no moves on you."

Killua's cheeks flared, possibly glowing from the words, "Not you…" the boy puffed his cheeks out, "Idiot. Someone else… He brought on a restriction that stops us from being with each other for long."

"Oh, I… don't know what to say…"

"Nothing, but listen. I really miss him, and those times when I get to see him, are far and few between. He has this…" Killua turned his head away, the embarrassment burning up his chest, "kindness, I… love I guess…" Fuck, this is so awkward and hard to admit… "He loves my sister, finds ways to make me happy… and he wants to be stronger than me, even though he's physically weaker… as in he is unable to dish out as much damage as I can do. But damn… he can outlast me, provided I don't knock him out by then…"

Daniel's watchful eyes took in the information, finding himself being lost in Killua's eyes, the boy's words barely registering. He could hear them, but his mind is dismissing them as easily as it hears them.

"What my question is… if the two of us want to be together, but can't… how can I-?" Killua lost his voice once he realised where Daniel was looking, directly into his own, "Even with the barrier, how can we be together…" the boy reclarified out of fear, "Him and I…"

"How do you know he wants to be with you…?"

"I…" Killua pause, something seemed off with the question, like Daniel was somehow linking impossible possibilities. Was Daniel somehow linking himself with the boy Killua was talking about, he wasn't sure… but just in case he was, "I don't know… I want to remove the barrier so that we can decide together, whether we can continue to be… you know… together…"

"And if he chooses not to remain by your side…?"

Killua tilted his head slightly, Daniel's hand on his hip, gripping it harder as if he was fighting an internal struggle of his own, "I guess… the only thing I can do… accept it and move on…"

At that confession, Daniel's hand dropped slightly, now pulling Killua a little closer, his voice trained so only the two could hear what he was about to say, "Hair like the colour of snow, soft, like his features… his skin. Sometimes I wish I could feel it all the time, wondering how many expressions I could find to gaze at. Those eyes like a brewing storm, shining like the moonlight, an ocean vast, and endless…"

Killua's eyes widened, unable to look the boy in the eyes as he was forced to listen.

"A smile like a Cheshire cat, both wicked and happy, thinking he could hide his loveable, caring attitude, behind his mischievous nature. All I need to do is just pick and prod at those fortified walls until he laughs."

Daniel loosened his hand at Killua's side, twirling the boy on the spot before pulling him back in, Killua's back now resting on his chest, words being whispered into Killua's ear, "That laughter would take my breath away, stealing my attention, a smile permanent, unending. Even his eyes seem to resonate at those times, making his whole figure glow."

Sliding off to the side, Daniel swung his body back to the front, a twirl of his hips, hand back at Killua's side. With a dip of Killua's body, the two were now face-to-face, Daniel struggled to contain his tears, a few falling on Killua's face, gravity claiming them.

As they slide down Killua's cheeks, the boy was forced back upright, Daniel closing his eyes to contain the damage, "that's you… isn't it…?"

Killua bit his lip, unsure what to say. Does he agree, or disagree? Does Daniel want him to disagree, or did he want to pretend, to see if Daniel has any more to say?

His heart wanted to hear more, but he was unsure if he could, "I…"

"I'm sorry, it's probably a mistaken thought… pretend you heart nothing…"

Killua grit his teeth, frustrated at his lack of conviction. He slipped his hand off the boy's shoulder, to instead curl around Daniel's side. Taking one step forward, he dipped Daniel's body, the change of tempo forcing Daniel's eyes to widen in surprise, "When I was on Greed Island,"

Letting go of his fingers entwining with Daniel's, he swung his body around, using the momentum to pull Daniel's body upright, he crashed the two together. The action had caused the two to accidentally stumble, but Killua was quick to recover, pulling Daniel close as he took the lead, Daniel's back pressed against his chest, "He and I danced, not like this though. It was before the two of us got together but at that time… my mind wandered… It really wanted to continue to have those moments of togetherness, not like as a couple back then, but just the comfort of being by each other's side…"

Daniel listened carefully to the revelation, Killua had been on Greed Island as well, but when exactly…?

It was as if Killua could read the boy's mind, continuing onwards "It was during the end game, the loud music making him leave to overlook a balcony, I found him a little later during the night, alone, and the two of us danced under the stars… He was the one who incited the dance though…"

"I'm…" Daniel bit lip, forcing himself to stop the thought from coming out, instead, he uncurled his hand, letting it slip along the boy's side, alighting his nerves as he adjusted his step, an of step count, making him step forward instead to the side as Killua had. He used his other foot to follow Killua's original step, the foot being slid across the floor before being lifted to the sky like a ballerina pose.

He didn't let it linger, using the momentum again to perform a turn, letting go of Killua's hand with his right as turned to instead grab it with his left. He tugged Killua, not enough to make him stumble, but Killua immediately understood what the boy wanted.

The two took one step forward with their outer feet, now noticing the attention they had drawn.

Killua blushed as Daniel ignored the onlookers, using the middle feet to slid so they were now back to back. While this action had been uncomfortable, he didn't allow the position to be held for long. Daniel let go of Killua's right hand, instead opting to take hold of the boy's left.

Daniel hoped that the boy understood what he wanted. Sliding his foot once more, the two were side-by-side once more, Daniel's eyes meeting Killua's. With a smile Daniel stepped forward once more, only this time his foot was turned at a ninety-degree angle, Killua now mimicking the action.

They didn't crash together, Killua's hand being guided to rest on the boy's shoulder as Daniel's found his hip. But unlike when they first started, Daniel's was now below the waist, resting dangerously close to the boy's left butt cheek.

With a smile, Daniel found his eyes meeting Killua's, his mind unable to hold back his words, "Those feelings never ended, they only intensified the longer I stayed with him. Back then, I couldn't word it as I could now, but one thing is for certain, I don't wish to make it stop. I want them to rule my body, to see where they lead me."

Killua closed his eyes, taking in the rest of the boy's words with minimal reactions. He couldn't stop the painstakingly apparent blush, or how the words seemly pulled at his heartstring.

"No matter the mistakes…" Daniel muttered under his breath, his fingers gently circling along the boy's waist, "No matter the mistakes, I wish to become stronger! I want to become stronger for him! His saved me so many times, yet every time I try to save him, I feel like I depend on others, the knowledge I've yet to obtain."

Shifting his feet, the boy continued the waltz, guiding Killua along the floor, even when the boy's eyes were closed, "All I can do is watch and learn, seeing if there is something I can do for him, but all I end up doing is getting lost in his perplexing image. Is it right to sometimes have these disturbing thoughts, sometimes I make myself wonder… Just how many shades could I discover, just what kind of smile would he give me every time I say 'I love you'? Sure, he might kill me if I say it too much, but in all honesty, could I ever say it enough? Would I ever be able to stain that milky white skin pink?"

Killua's eyebrows furrowed, a tinge dusting the boy's cheeks, "I want to dance with him as we did under those stars… I want to see him blush, to memorise him, drawing his sight like an entranced beauty like I would imagine him as… Do I deserve these feelings? Sometimes I wish I didn't! All I want is to hold him and tell him everything is going to be alright, but can it truly be alright? I can't pretend that these feelings are set in stone, unable to be removed… forgotten…"

Killua's eyes open, hearing the love and affection he learned to revel in, his name being the last word uttered through the boy's lips. "I want them to be, to never forget a single thing about him, the teasing, the love, the warmth I receive when holding him close… But the thing I will always fear most is can I truly remain at his side always, even when threats come for him, him being forced to protect me all the time. I wish to be strong, but if protecting Killua means staying away, I will do it for him…"

Daniel tilted the boy slightly, Killua forced to rope his arms around the boy's neck, his eyes now glued to the boy, to see if there were any gears turning in his head. He wanted to see if Daniel was trying to figure out where the truth met reality, "Because of no matter what… As long as you want it, I will remain at your side… Killua…"

He expected to see the tone matched with his eyes, but there was something wrong with the situation.

Daniel's voice shows he remembers, but his eyes were still clouded. Had he failed…? Did the boy still no longer remember, even when he uttered his name? No, it wasn't that he still didn't remember…

Those words he spoke, it was as if he memorised them earlier…

Before losing his memories, Daniel wrote down his thoughts in that journal, on the page he had been asked to see what was on it.

Daniel wrote it just in case he forgot…

Tears welled up in Killua's eyes, "You made sure you would never forget…"

Daniel shook his head, "I… I still don't remember you… but I want to give you the benefit of the doubt… what now?"

Looking down at the floor, Killua sighed, a little frustrated that Daniel wasn't able to overpower the power still blocking his memories, "Even if you don't want the memories, I want to find Zaikaria… I want her to unlock the memories without altering the ones you have now…"

Daniel's eyes found Killua's, the boy not completely done yet. It was that last part of the sentence that made him recollect his thoughts. As long as you want it, I will remain at your side…, if Daniel was willing to continue with that line of thinking, he really hoped Daniel would choose him in the end, "I want you to make the decision… to choose me once more…"

Daniel closed his eyes, a smile creeping along his lips, widening once more, with a step back, Killua followed suit, the two bowing as a cheer erupted around them. Killua wanted to shrivel up and hide somewhere, but Daniel's hold stopped him from doing so, "I know who I want to win this event with…"

Killua looked away, blushing as he awkwardly scratched a cheek, "O- Oh yeah, who?"

"You…"

The boy's eyes widened, opening and closing like a fish. He had no idea what to say, how to read the boy's feelings. Even though Daniel still didn't remember him, that want… that need and desire still wrung in his voice. It was a step, and that was mattered right now, "S- Sure, I guess…"

From the corner of his eyes, he caught it, the teen from earlier glaring at him. Their aura flared into a frenzy around him, yet Daniel remained ignorant of it. Was he choosing to ignore it, or was Killua the only one who could see and feel it.

If he was the only one who could see it, Killua grinned, feeling for once smug for dashing someone's hopes and dreams. Although, hopefully, it didn't come back to bite him later. He'll need to make sure during the event, that his sister is safe at all times. Even still, he had something he needed to voice, "I help you, and you help me…"

Daniel offered a smile, "Ok, I might know a way to get my sister to come out of hiding…"

"How?"

Daniel held a finger to his lips, mouthing the words, 'it's a secret…'