I'M BACK.

So, this is probably the closest we'll get to comic relief in this fic, if you can call Killu getting pissed comic relief. Honestly, I find the idea of Gon just popping up annoyingly very 1999 version funny, but then again, I just finished exams yesterday so my sense of humor is definitely a bit off.

Also, a big shout out to my two serial reviewers Ashita no Hikari and Wailing Trigger. It means a lot that you guys leave me nice words now and again, and I'm really glad you're enjoying what's going on so far (even if the angst is super high, I know, I'm sorry!). I swear this is eventual KiruGon and LeoPika, we've just got to dig through all of the bs before these can be healthy relationships!

Disclaimer: I do not own HxH yada yada get on with the KiruGon!

Damn the bastard.

Gon was in his hotel room. Again.

The first time was five days after Killua had left him on the outskirts of the jungled wood; he'd just opened the door, tired and ready for a warm bath, and there he was, standing as if he owned the room. He'd stared, mouth agape for a moment, before slamming the door and finding an abandoned building to spend the night in. Sure, Gon was bound to find him eventually, but denying him a bed to sleep in while doing it was just plain rude.

The second time was three days after that. He'd traveled by airship to the other side of the continent, taken a boat to the northern shore, rented a room in one of the more luxurious inns in the fisherman city, only to find Gon sitting on his bed when he opened the door. He'd looked tired, exhausted really, but his eyes had lit up upon seeing the white haired teen.

"Killua-"

Killua fought the urge to pull his hair out.

He'd spent that night in a small boat, tied to the docks, wondering how much money Gon would owe him for unslept in rooms by the end of it all. The current total was enough to make Leorio cringe.

After that he'd pulled another disappearing act, turning to the City of Lights. It was easier than anything to get lost in the crowds; there were rumors that people who left for the city were never heard from again. The younger teen knew that it was probably no more than an urban legend, that people probably chose the most populated and advanced city to escape from their old lives, but he couldn't help but admit that there was something eerie about the place. It operated on opposite hours from the rest of the world: the citizens woke at dusk and scurried like rats until dawn. During the daylight hours the streets were virtually abandoned, a buzzing silence falling over the skyscrapers, holding the guise of a ghost town. Despite its sheer size from the ground up, the real heart of the city was underground, towering as deeply as it did below compared with above. The underbelly lay in the center, both where sun hit and did not, the streets as deserted during business hours as they did in the early hours of morning.

It lasted two days.

Killua avoided the streets during the daytime, knowing that it was less likely that he'd be spotted if he stuck with the hustle and bustle of the lively hours. The night always smelled of whiskey there, like the younger crowd had nothing better to do than drink and dance and procreate. He couldn't even blame them; the atmosphere oozed excess, even in its poverty. The neon signs that lined the streets made the asphalt glow, the darkness never quite drowned out. The vast majority of businesses were bars, most with booming music and dance floors in the back, all with bouncers larger than any of the bodyguards they had seen in Yorkshin during the Don wars. The ville practically begged to be treated like a paradise of intoxication, the aura of sex and danger lingering in the air just as addictive as the substances the teen saw passed between the hands of hookers, who seemed to hold quite a bit of power in the underground. It wasn't all like that; there were plenty of respectable enough neighborhoods from what he had seen on his way in, but this was what people came here for. Nothing was more intoxicating than the opportunity for sin.

His hotel was in the underground, taking up the first few dozen stories of one of the skyscrapers that pointed toward the center of the earth. There was a bullet train that passed by one block over; a quick escape if he found he needed out with little notice, which he was hoping he could avoid. He'd arrived without a hitch up until check in, the woman behind the counter giving him a suspicious look when he hesitated in handing over the card that he pulled out of his pocket. It hadn't occurred to him until then as to how Gon was finding him, how he'd managed to make his way from city to city on the other's tail without fail. He paused, moments before turning the card over in his palm so it could be seen, realizing his mistake.

After all, he'd been the one to teach the other how to use the internet.

He'd hurriedly shoved his Hunter's license back into his pocket, depositing a wad of cash into the woman's hand instead. How foolish of him; he'd only started using his license again a few months before the call, when he'd received word that his family was no longer concerned about his and Alluka's whereabouts. He'd made sure that she was safe, as far away from him as humanly possible before giving it a try, just to see what would happen. There had been silence in the ether, not even the whispering of Nen on the wind when he had, enough to keep him using it wherever he went (with the exception of visiting his sister when he could get the chance). It was proof enough that the battles were over, at least for the time being. Even his father, sick as he was, would give him fair warning before coming after him again.

He had done that last time. That was all the proof he needed.

He'd gone for a less luxurious room this time, choosing instead something middle of the range comfortable, hoping that the other would expect otherwise. He didn't really need the extras anyway; at this point all he cared about was a hot shower and something other than rock or wood to sleep on. He opened the door to find the room empty, breathing an audible sigh of relief.

He got one night of sleep in his own bed before it was taken over.

To be fair, it had been his choice. Sort of. Not that his conscience had anything to do with it. Damn the green wearing idiot for softening his heart to begin with.

His hunch about the license turned out to be true; but it didn't matter. Gon found him anyway. Or he found Gon. Honestly, it was a matter of semantics.

He was less than surprised at the prospect that Gon had started a fight; it had become an increasingly common occurrence since their initial reunion. He figured it was directly correlated to the loss of his Nen, and part of him understood while the rest of him resented the boy for it. He'd felt the other's presence from a few blocks away (there was nothing mystical about it; he had a sixth sense when it came to his once friend's whereabouts); the older teen had probably been trying to sneak into the back of one of the clubs, thinking that he had caught a glimpse of the other. The man beating on him was three times his size, and though Gon was holding his own it was only barely. He took a hit to the stomach as he spotted Killua, the white haired one's name coming out as a strangled noise as he doubled over, eyes bright and shining. The younger one's energy flared up; even he didn't know if he was more angry at the man hitting his once friend or the boy himself. Probably the latter.

"Who the hell is this?" the man with the iron fists barked, watching as Killua's hands clenched at his sides, the muscles in his arms becoming taut as he shook with rage. Gon stumbled up immediately, locking eyes with the other teenager dangerously. He opened his mouth, words specifically crafted for the moment on his tongue.

"Killua! He's my mo-" He was silenced by a sickening punch to the jaw, air crackling around them as the electric boy moved. The bouncer stepped back shakily as Gon fell to the ground, the white haired teen breathing hard after the force of the hit, eyes wide and furious. He'd known what the other was moments from saying, hated him for it. The least he deserved was a punch to the face, after pulling a stunt like that so knowingly.

Most important person my ass.

But then he was stuck with the unforeseen consequences, standing in that dirty alleyway, with Gon refusing to pick himself up off of the ground. He kicked at the boy's shin, not too gently, only to find that he was unconscious.

God damn it.

There was really only one option; he'd stacked the deck himself. It would've been wrong to leave him there, where anything could have happened, would have been a disgrace to the friendship that they had once possessed. It was the least he could do, really, to throw him over his shoulder (and when had Gon gotten so big?) and carry him back to the hotel.

They both pretended not to notice when Gon woke up just before they arrived, the boy growing laxer in Killua's hold as he relaxed into the touch. Killua pointedly ignored this, but made sure to drop him onto the mattress a little harder than necessary.

They sat in silence, the teen standing by stiff, his head turned to the side. Gon refused to open his eyes, smiling ever so slightly to himself, as if this was an improvement. It was, in its way. They were in the same room together, alone, for the first time in far too long – at least as far as Gon was concerned. Killua was still fuming, the blatant rage dying down into a still deadly simmer.

"I should really kill you, you know." Gon peeked an eye open at this, noting how the other was staring out the window. He sat up, energetic as always, crossing his legs beneath him. A hand came up to his chin, rubbing gently at it, but it didn't stop him from grinning.

"It's okay if it's Killua." The other boy's head snapped over to him, biting words on his tongue. He stopped before he could speak. Gon's smile was lopsided, not quite reaching his eyes. His shoulders were slumped, the hand that wasn't touching bruised skin wringing at his shorts almost nervously. He looked… sad. Somber. He looked just as tired of chasing as Killua was about being chased.

"You know I can't do that, stupid." His voice lost its fire, his posture slackening to meet the other's. Somehow, he felt weaker than he did moments ago. It was incredibly frustrating, wanting to tear Gon's throat out while simultaneously hating feeling that way.

For half a second, he wished he could just stop being angry.

But, like with most things, Gon had to open his mouth.

"Where's Alluka?"

The fire was back as Killua was reminded why he was angry with the other boy in the first place, wanting to throttle him for the genuine innocent curiosity in his voice as he asked. His eyes went cold, meeting the other's so sharply that Gon almost shivered.

"She's safe." Gon fought back the urge to whine, knowing that if Killua had wanted to tell him he would have. He was keeping it from him. The teen tried not to let it bother him, focusing on the one across from him instead.

"Good. I missed this though, just you and me." Killua just stared, his blood running hot and cold at the same time. Gon wet his lips unthinkingly, the other hand joining the one in his lap to shift anxiously. It was taking most of his self-control not to just throw himself at the ex-assassin. It was taking all of Killua's not to beat him to a pulp.

As it turned out, Gon's restraint won out first.

The raven haired teen's head hit the pillows as the younger one threw another punch at him, sending him into unconscious oblivion once again. Even after being hit, Killua could have sworn that Gon was grinning, despite being knocked out.

For the rest of the night Killua paced, torn between dumping the boy out the window and curling up next to him. It was hours before he settled into the armchair in the corner, eyes dark and weary, to watch as the other slept. He waited until morning came, arms wrapped around his knees to keep him from making rash decisions before they had a chance to speak.

If Gon wanted a conversation, he was going to get it.

God damn it.

Thanks so much for those of you who waited around for this! Updates should become more regular now! As always nice comments will make my day.

ALSO: I'm looking for a beta reader. I'm finding more and more mistakes in my writing; it's hard to proofread your own work. So if you're looking to beta (and get chapters before anyone else in doing so) please don't hesitate to drop me a line. Ideally, I'd like someone willing to read for HxH and Yu Yu Hakusho, but dreams are just that...