Killua cuddles Daniel, the two talking in bed for a while, before getting up to start their day.
Killua was the first to stir awake, surprised to see Daniel in his bed. How the two of them managed to fit in a single bunk bed, he wasn't too sure. But he was super impressed with Daniel's ability to keep himself inside the bed, without falling out of it during the night.
He reached out, stroking a few strands of hair out of the way, only to have his boyfriend smile before snuggling into him.
With stained cheeks from the action, he continued to stroke the boy's head, fingers gliding through strands of hair as he did so. As though the boy was unconsciously mimicking his partner's actions, Daniel ran his fingers across his boyfriend's side, stroking Killua's waist at the same rhythm as his partner's actions.
As the hand moved, Killua could understand how Daniel managed to keep his position. He was clinging to his frame, effectively hugging him. One arm-hand has been wrapped behind his back, while the other was being used as a brace of sorts.
Also, Daniel's head was being nestled into his stomach, head almost in line with his heart.
Had Daniel fallen asleep while listening to his heartbeat? As cliché as the action was, something about this, made the action seem soothing, special to Killua today.
Daniel still wanted to be with him, no matter the space, or uncomfortableness during the night… he wanted to sleep by his partner's side.
"Looks like someone can't sleep without me, can you… Daniel?"
Daniel let out a half-asleep, begrudging noise, not wanting at all to move, let alone wake up.
Killua chuckled at the sound, "Alright, alright… you keep sleeping."
Daniel let out a hum of acceptance, head now moving to find a better position.
Once the boy was settled again, Killua continued to stroke his partner's head, a permanent smile etched into his face. While he could argue Daniel acting like this, made him seem more like the octopus in their relationship, there was something about Daniel remaining half-engaged while his asleep, which sounded cute in Killua's head.
Would Daniel respond in his sleep, or would he start to stir awake, from being talked to?
He really wanted to savour this moment, but then again… talking to a sleeping Daniel could be informative in its own, way, "So, how is my clingy partner?"
As he nuzzled his head in Killua's chest, Daniel groaned, still asleep when he moved.
"Are you hungry?"
The boy shook his head, neither noise nor flutter of the eyes indicated he was stirring awake.
So, he responds to yes and no questions, huh…? A wide smirk etched across his face, "You like sleeping on me?"
The boy nodded, a hand rubbing up and down his waist before settling.
"Hmm… Does Daniel want a… kiss?"
The boy nodded.
Moving his hand, he mimicked a kiss with his fingertips, making up the sound to go with the action.
Daniel smiled in response, body wiggling as though he were a happy puppy.
Killua snorted at the response before finding himself uncontrollably smiling at his partner. Even on a fake kiss, he responded as though he received one in his sleep. Killua shifted a little, getting up into a better-seated position.
Daniel moved with his partner, head shifting ever so slightly from the movement.
Killua tousled his boyfriend's hair, smiling as he continued to wiggle out of happiness. The boy decided to ask a more direct question "Do you like when I touch you?"
The boy nodded his head a few times.
Oh…? "I thought you didn't like those kinds of touches…"
The boy in his arms whined, moving into a better position. He turned around, grabbing Killua's arm as though it were the edge of the blanket, moving so his body was pressing against his lover.
Killua blinked in confusion, unsure how to gauge the reaction. On one hand, Daniel was using his arm as a type of blanket cover. On the other hand, his boyfriend was now pressing back against him, effectively grinding his body against the other.
It wasn't a continuous movement, but rather a static one. At least now, his other hand was free, but now the arm wrapped around his boyfriend's chest was unable to be tampered with unless he risked waking his lover in the process.
With a sigh, Killua shook his head, bemused from the situation. He used his now free hand to stroke his partner's hair, waiting until Daniel woke up on his own. And you say I'm the one who acts cute… if only you could see yourself now…
"~"
Daniel eventually stirred from his slumber, a single hand playing with his hair. The boy let out a soft groan, body moving in his bed, only to meet resistance. Opening his eyes slowly, the boy peeked to see where exactly he was.
He saw a bed, the same one he was supposed to be in.
Turning slowly, he came face to face with Killua, a wide smirk etched into his partner's face.
"I'm… not in the bed I slept in last night, am I?"
"I dunno… I woke up with you, cradling me… so you must have slept in the right bed." He stated it with a cheeky inflection, a continuous smile that radiated under the morning glow.
Daniel completely turned around, burying his face in his partner's chest, "I can't believe I'm the first one to break… and it's not even night one."
"I…" Killua awkwardly scratched the side of his chin, "Actually… don't mind. It seems like we can fit in a single bed. Plus, it was super cute seeing you grab my hand and wrap it around you, as though I'm your blanket."
"I'm glad someone got enjoyment out of that…" Daniel looked away, embarrassed for putting himself in that position. Although, seeing that glowing smile on Killua, was worth it.
The boy waited a bit, listening to Killua's calm breathing tickling his ear. He eventually turned around, snuggling into his lover's chest, savouring the way he feels warm and welcoming in his grasp.
In turn, Killua held his partner close, savouring the warmth of his partner. Sure, if Alluka were to walk in right now, he'd be a sputtering mess of words, caught in a compromising situation. Not the raunchy kind, but rather, the fact Daniel somehow managed to fit himself inside a bed that was supposed to handle only one person.
Yet still, Killua refused to push Daniel away…
Then the boy heard it, so silent, yet deafening to his ears…
"I love you…"
Killua melted from the word, hugging his partner tightly, not just because his boyfriend wanted it, but he also wanted to be closer to the one who sees him for everything, not just the positives.
With a tightening grip, Killua uttered the words back "I love you too…"
"~"
Killua held his partner by his hand, almost dragging him along into the living room.
The boy let out a long, tired, yawn, eyes lazily drawing to the surrounding architecture. Even though he slept fine in his partner's arms that morning, it was the fact he fell asleep right after their conversation was the problem. He was forced to get up hours later by his partner.
He was half asleep when he got dressed and was still half asleep as he was being led through the hallways.
Eventually, they reached a room, the others there waiting for them, a bowl of cereal in their hands as they ate lazily. Alluka was the first to address the two, "Big brother, Daniel… how was your sleep?"
"I slept fine…" Killua offered his sister a smile, "Daniel, however, is not a morning person…"
Daniel playfully swatted at his partner, a long yawn bellowing out of his mouth as he did so, "Speak for yourself. I slept like a delicate prince. So, where's Ashton?"
"Dealing with work, due to a backlog. She should be finished around five… so we're free to do whatever until then." Leo answered the question, a spoon being dipped into his cereal, pulling a few Coco pops into his mouth, he chewed for a bit before speaking once more, "Everything but her office is open to us…"
"Oh…?" Killua looked at the small selection of cereals, grabbing a random one for himself and his partner who was barely functioning right now. He led his partner to the couch, sitting him down. Pouring one box into a bowl for himself, he poured the second batch into a separate bowl, filling each with an equal amount of milk before grabbing a spoon for each of them.
He handed one of the bowls to Daniel who thanked him, then he proceeded to take a seat beside Daniel, on the other end of the couch, "So, what did you do while you were by yourself here?" Killua ate a bite of his cereal, waiting for the other to respond.
"There's an arcade room, with a couple of pinball machines, street fighter and a fair few boardgames… other than that, there's the library, or the ballroom?"
"Ballroom?"
"It's big and spacious, a place where I assume Ashton hosts guests from time to time…"
Killua looked at his partner, "I'll check out the ballroom, see if it's good for sparing, otherwise we're going to need to head out for that."
"Sounds good to me…"
"Sparring?" Leo tilted his head slightly, "So, you are fighters?"
"Sort of…" Killua hummed a spoon being pointed at the boy in question, "We're Pro Hunters, which means we should continue to strengthen each other…"
Leo raised an eyebrow, "I thought that was considered a ridiculously hard test people can die while trying to pass…"
"Well, we're not normal teens…" The boy offered a smirk at the other, "We're kind of skilled at what we excel at."
"I see…"
"You don't believe me…"
"The fact one of you stood up to my mother, tells me you're already strong." Leo shovelled a spoon of cereal in his mouth, chewing slowly.
Although tired, Daniel spoke up "Your mother is a tool… the kind that's terrible at everything."
Leo choked on the cereal, sputtering flakes of coco puffs on the floor. He hadn't expected it, but given that Daniel was barely functioning, the situation told him that the boy hadn't thought about what he said.
Killua barely looked at his partner, the boy still eating slowly. It was something he could imagine himself saying, more as a direct insult, rather than a passing judgement "What my brain-dead partner is trying to say, is she's problematic… not strong."
"What he said…" Daniel lazily responded.
"Either way, she's not the kind of person we'd train for… we've fought some difficult enemies over the years. The kind of people and monsters that were trying to kill us. Hence, why we're trying to get stronger…"
"I see…" Leo looked down at his half soggy cereal, "The strength to fight… I think Ashton is not only strong, but she might know of a place you can spar. I would wait to ask her… seeing as this is technically her home and business."
"I guess we can wait…" Killua sighed, "So, Alluka learn anything last night?"
"Besides Leo snores in his sleep?"
The older teen blushed "I- I- do not snore?!"
Alluka offered a nod, before frowning "I know… At first, I thought it was snoring, then I realised, it sounded more like whimpering. I thought you hurt yourself in your sleep… but you kept muttering no, in your sleep…"
"I see… I was afraid of that. Please don't pry, it's not something I want to talk about…"
Killua looked to his sister, shaking his head to indicate it was a topic she best avoids for now. Alluka nodded in return before changing the topic, "There was nothing new I learned otherwise. From the stuff, I already learned from Leo I think, I should think more about myself and try to figure things out."
"It's the best way to learn more about yourself, self-reflection that is…" Leo hummed in agreement, still sounding distant. He was relieved to know none of them will pursue the reason for his nightmares. It wasn't something he was ready to discuss with the others, besides Ashton.
The group continued o eat in silence, Daniel eventually whining out loud. Before Killua could ask what's wrong, Daniel flops onto him like a dying fish, almost knocking the bowl of cereal out of his boyfriend's hands.
Killua was quick to lift his arms, letting Daniel lie comfortably on his lap.
As much as he wanted to chastise his boyfriend, Daniel moving into a better position for the two of them made Killua sigh in defeat. He continued to eat his cereal, refusing to acknowledge his circumstance.
This wasn't the first time Daniel laid his head on his lap, so he was used to it.
But this is the first time his partner did it in front of a stranger. When his eyes glanced in his sister's direction to inform her to remain silent, her cheeky smile was the last thing on his mind. It was Leo's reaction, which was more of a concerning matter.
The boy's face showed no signs of a reaction. It's like what Daniel did, was something he had no idea how to compartmentalise.
The boy knew just from his life alone, that what Leo has gone through would've made him somewhat jaded to life. He didn't think that Daniel showing a form of affection while half asleep, would've caused a conflict in Leo's mind.
Killua waved his hand slowly in Leo's direction, drawing his undivided attention to him, "Alright, I just have to ask about that…"
"About what?"
"Your lack of reaction to Daniel's action…"
Leo frowned, exactly what was his lack of reaction? He didn't see why Killua needed to press him on this "Why you want to know?"
Killua raised an eyebrow at the response, a hint of anger in the questions. Was it a touchy subject, or was he just annoyed that he was being pressed for information? The boy broached the subject "Daniel's action would normally cause someone… to react in a way, other than deadpanned, usually. There are two ways it could happen… We've got the bigot version, which is like your mother… To condemn the action as if it's the evillest thing on the planet you could do… contradictory to what humans are truly capable of."
"Uh, huh…"
"Then we got the excessive way, which is…" Killua fluttered his eyelashes as he tried to mimic Bisky's tone. She was the best example he could think of, who could act in this manner "Aww, the cutest thing I've ever seen." It was so childlike, that the tone and delivery made Leo burst into tears of laughter.
The laughter forced Daniel wide awake, the boy unaware of his surroundings, or what exactly was going on.
Leo hadn't expected Killua to be able to raise his tone several pitches higher, to the point he sounded like a boy shrilling in a cutesy manner. Whoever the boy was trying to mimic, it sounds like the person has a proclivity for finding things they deem is cute.
Unless Killua made that up an act on the spot… then that was spot on for his desired effect.
The boy eventually managed to rein in his laughter, only slight giggles radiating his tone "I suspect you've been in contact with such a person…"
"Yeah, built like a brick house, but such a skilled masseuse, she'll be able to reinvigorate a half-dead tired person."
"Oh, Bisky…" Daniel hummed with mild amusement, "She'd wreck a bodybuilder in a one-on-one match… She's also Killua's kryptonite. No matter what, he can't call her by the title she wants…"
"Which is Bisky-Chama… I'm sorry, after learning, her actual age… I just can't do it."
"Which is…"
"Picture this…" Daniel started, "When we say skilled masseuse, we mean it… she would be around 58 or 59, right now. But… she looks our age."
"That's… is that considered reverse jailbait? She looks underage, but is way over the age of consent…"
"I don't know… and I don't care." Killua sounded half frustrated, "All I know… is as much as I hate to admit it when we needed to get stronger, she was there when we needed someone the most. Had we not run into her, we wouldn't be where we are now…"
Even though Leo was curious about the boy's frustration, why he despised, yet at the same time, revered the woman… it's something he wouldn't want to press because that also meant he too, would have to be willing to be just as open in return.
"Sounds like you've had quite a life…" Leo muttered aloud, a warm smile gracing his features for just a moment, "I wish you luck in your life…"
Killua held out a finger, "I still want to know one thing…"
"What…? Remember, I might not want to answer…"
"You never answered my question, so I'm going to ask it again, anyways… when Daniel was laying on my lap, you had zero reaction, why?"
The boy found himself quirking an eyebrow, "Why do you desperately want to know?"
"Because…" Killua looked at the boy seriously, "you looked jaded, as though you no longer cared about that type of affection. Not in the good kind either… since you show neither disgust nor smiled from the situation."
"I don't want to answer that question, because I don't have an answer to give you…"
Daniel looked to his partner, shaking his head. Killua agreed, it wasn't something he could press the boy on. They'll just have to wait, and hope he's able to answer the question before they leave to go on their next adventure.
Daniel offered the other a warm smile "Thank you for your answer… and for wishing us luck. We're sorry for pressing you." Leo offered him a smile in return to the response. Turning back to his partner, he hoped to change topics while they still could "What's our plan for the rest of the day?"
"I was thinking of training, but given that this is Ashton's penthouse, I agree with Leo… we should ask her if she knows a place. Otherwise, there's the option of the gaming room… a few arcades and board games by the sounds of things."
"As long as it's not the board game Monopoly, I'm fine…" Daniel blew out a sigh, remembering all his games with his parents, including how much of a bargain hunter Vastorie was during those times, he was a part of the game.
He has no desire, to get in a bidding war, much less play a game that could take hours, possibly, even weeks to finish… not when it's been ingrained in him to be ruthless in such challenging games.