Everything Yet Nothing At All

by initforthelolz

It should have been simple... but then again, just how exactly do you go about kissing your best friend?

"What are you doing?! Falling for such a tired old cliche, huh?!" Honestly, saving the helpless woman from being assaulted in a dark alleyway? Was that really all it took?!

Gon pouted, rubbing his aching head from where he sat on the cobbled square.

Killua took a deep breath and tried not to slap Gon across the back of the head again. God, he was such an idiot. They hadn't even been in this Aiai place for five minutes and it was already nothing but trouble!

"Really? You want me to be your hair model?" Bisky squealed from across the square, clearly falling for yet another tired old cliche.

"Your hair's so long and lovely~ It would be my honor to style it~"

Sparkles? Seriously? Irritation crawled its way up Killua's spine.

The damn hag is no better than Gon is!

Killua hauled Gon up by the collar of his shirt and started lugging him towards the exit before another busty lady could drop in out of nowhere and try to seduce him like the fool that he was. "There's no point in us hanging around this stupid city," he grumbled. "Hisoka! Let's go somewhere else."

The clown glanced over his shoulder at Killua, smirking like he was having the time of his life. Of course that guy would love a stupid place like this. Killua ground his teeth, there was something in the air around here. All the NPCs were throwing themselves at their group left and right, there was no way they'd find anyone worthwhile at a place like this.

And besides–

Killua swiftly tugged Gon out of the way from another girl darting past with a piece of toast in her mouth. Didn't that one already happen?! Gon watched the girl run off down the street, screaming about being late with a totally unrealistic cup size bouncing all over the place.

The ex-assassin huffed and turned back to face Hisoka, a cloudy emotion burning like acid in the bit of his belly.

"But why?" Hisoka asked, holding a manicured hand in the air. "At least here boredom isn't an issue."

…Boredom?

"Yeah, we can't leave just yet!" Bisky protested, marching her way back to the main group with the blindingly handsome hairstylist hanging off her arm. "The least we have to do is search the city, right?"

"Like Bisky said!" Gon perked up. "We haven't even looked around at all!"

Killua's eyebrow twitched, "That's not the point! I can guarantee that we're not going to find anyone worthwhile in this stupid place, come on we're leaving!"

"But how do you know that?" Gon whined, refusing to move his feet when Killua tried to drag him off by the collar again. "We just got here!"

The silver haired boy huffed, "I just do, okay?!" Nothing good will come out of this place, we need to get out of here before Gon gets carried away by some stupid hag!

"There's no since not trying," Goreinu chimed in.

Killua shot him a death glare. The guy startled and quickly extracted himself from the conversation.

Hisoka chuckled, "Come now, don't you see how many interesting people are milling about?" Killua flicked his eyes about the square, finding nothing but clingy NPCs and players who were far too horny to see the trap for what it was. Yeah right, if they actually did find someone worth their time then they'd likely be a perv like Hisoka or a moron like Gon.

"At least one person in this city is bound to possess the qualities you're looking for~" Hisoka purred. Killua broke the clown's gaze, never able to hold it for too long before experiencing the urge to projectile vomit. "That is… unless there's another reason why you don't like it here?"

Killua stiffened, his eyes shooting back to Hisoka's in a split second. The clown just chuckled at him with a knowing twinkle in those yellow eyes. He felt Bisky's and Goreinu's curious glances (though nothing from Gon, he was far too dense), and shoved his hands into his pockets with a scoff.

"Whatever," he snapped, refusing to meet Hisoka's gaze again. "It's a lost cause, but if you don't believe me then that's your problem."

"We should probably split up," Bisky said - though more accurately drooled. "We'll cover more ground that way."

"Yeah, ground is what we'll be covering," Killua muttered as he judged Biscuit, who was gazing up at her hairstylist NPC with a look in her eye that made the ex-assassin shudder.

"I'll head west~" Hisoka offered.

"I can go north," Goreinu volunteered.

"My salon is over that way," the NPC cooed, his arm slipping around to cup Bisky's side. The blonde woman was back to drooling over men for the second time that day…

"Do what you like," Killua retorted. "We'll be waiting outside, right Gon?"

"No, we've gotta help look!" the raven protested, once again refusing to allow Killua to drag him the heck out of there.

The ex-assassin resisted the urge to punch Gon in the side of the head. Can't he take a hint for once?! "Why?" he snapped, "Bisky's going east, so it's fine!"

"I don't think she's going to search very thoroughly," Gon said bluntly.

"Ya got that right!" Bisky cackled shamelessly.

Killua prickled, "Yeah, so? That doesn't mean we have to pick up her slack!"

"Yes it does!" Gon argued earnestly. "Besides, I wanna explore the city! This is the first time we've been to Aiai!"

Killua groaned dramatically, narrowly preventing himself from stomping his foot like a child. Gon stood and waited patiently for his tantrum to subside, like they always would. He knew Killua would submit to his whims eventually. He always did.

The silver haired boy cursed himself the thousandth time over for lacking a spine.

"Fine, whatever, we can walk around the stupid brothel city if that's what you want, because of course you'd want to…" Killua scuffed his feet and complained incoherently under his breath.

"Yay!" Gon cheered, "Killua and I will cover the east side!"

"It's a plan then~" Hisoka purred.

"We'll meet back here?" Goreinu suggested tentatively.

"Yup!" Bisky said, already hurrying off with the NPC. "Two hours should be enough time!"

"Enough time for what, exactly?" Killua retorted.

"Searching the city, of course!" Biscuit declared with a suspicious laugh.

Killua wasn't convinced.

"Perfect! I'll see you guys in two hours!" Gon declared, buzzing with excitement to run around the newest Greed Island location. At least their map would unlock new areas, Killua supposed.

He sighed dramatically and trudged along behind Gon, who was off with a click of his heels.

And so Gon and Killua descended into the bowels of Aiai, the City of Love.

It was a pretty place, Killua supposed. The streets were paved with pink tinted stones, and the buildings were constructed from pink tinted bricks and russet wooden planks. The streetlamps were shaped like hearts, and all of the NPCs looked happy as could be.

Nothing prickled Killua's assassin instinct, there wasn't a single thing in this entire city that sparked any sense of danger. That was a first for Greed Island, but it also gave rise to Killua's suspicions. Not to mention it furthered along his declaration that they wouldn't find a single useful person in this awful place.

Lush bushes surrounded the perimeter of every building, and pristine trees with vibrant green leaves lined the streets in neat little picketed tree guards. Beautiful flowers spilled from every eve and windowsill, and the entire place smelled like a perfume shop.

Maybe Killua would have been allured by the vast array of chocolate stores that seemed to pop up on every street corner, but he couldn't be cheered up when some random lady straight out of a romance movie would come barreling for Gon every two fucking seconds. The guy was like a girl-magnet, they were spawning in faster than Killua could keep them away!

"Would you please take this flier?" the latest of them begged. She stood before Gon with a stack of lilac colored papers messily stacked in her arms. She held them pressed up against her chest, pushing up a rack that could draw even the most polite man's gaze.

"What are they for?" Gon asked curiously, always managing to fall right into the NPCs' traps. He held out his hand to take a paper, and their most recent enemy excitedly passed one over. She narrowly avoided spilling the entire stack all over the street.

"They're for a bake-sale my little sister is holding!" she explained, all too quick to gush. Killua dramatically craned his neck to look up at the clouds as they were stopped yet again by Gon's inability to ignore the side-quests.

"Bake sale?" Gon prompted, reading the flier in his usual idiot fashion. Did he not see what these NPCs were trying to do?! Seriously, Gon was too much!

"Yes!" the girl nodded, her cheeks flushing pink as she pushed a pair of wide-rimmed glasses up her nose. "It's for her school event! The school doesn't get much funding, so this bake sale is the only way they'll be able to purchase the supplies they need for the upcoming semester! I have to finish handing out all these fliers, my little sister will be so heart broken if she doesn't sell all of her cookies."

Gon gazed at the girl, compassion coming to life in his amber eyes. Killua watched Gon out of the corner of his eye. This was the twelfth girl in half an hour, and Gon hadn't hesitated to talk to each and every one of them. It was so frustrating…

"Oh no!" the girl cried out as a stray gust of wind blew through and flung several of her fliers off into the street. Her eyes widened with panic and lined with silvery tears, unruly chocolate curls whipped about her heart-shaped face.

Killua scoffed, that was a little much if you asked him.

But Gon, of course, went right along with it. He quickly snatched the papers right up and handed them back to the girl, who cheered and thanked him over and over again.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" she wailed. "How can I ever repay you?"

Gon grinned down at her as she clutched his hands against her paper-ladden chest. The flush brushing his ears set that cloudy emotion to a boil in Killua's gut. "It's nothing, seriously!" Gon chirped, "I was happy to help!"

"Okay, that's enough," Killua retorted. He snatched Gon's hand out of the girls' and tugged him down the street. Gon scrambled against Killua's hold to try and return to the girl, who had dropped her fliers again the second they'd left.

"Wait–"

"Just ignore it!" the ex-assassin snapped. "They're NPCs, Gon! God, if you keep falling for this shit then we'll never finish this stupid chore!"

The raven reluctantly turned away from the girl and walked obediently alongside Killua. The silver haired boy realized that he was still holding onto Gon's hand, and quickly dropped it. His stomach twisted, and his palm still tingled from the sensation of Gon's against his.

"That doesn't change the fact that they need help, though," Gon said with his cheeks puffed out. His eyes had that mischievous sparkle in them again, he was starting this argument again on purpose.

Killua gave his friend the side-eye, and Gon was unable to suppress his giggles. The ex-assassin sighed, there was no point. But still… he couldn't help but take the bait. He really was hopeless when it came to Gon.

"It doesn't matter if they need help!" he ranted. "That's what they're programmed to do! All of them are helpless hags designed to pull idiots like you into their traps! The entire point of this city is catering to gross people like the clown and Bisky, they don't even have any card events here!"

"Hey, they might have card events," Gon countered, grinning as he tossed their usual banter back and forth. "We just have to keep looking!"

"Yeah, real fucking likely," Killua argued. "Even if there were a card event it wouldn't matter! We're not looking for random cards anymore, we're trying to get Strip of Beach right now, remember?"

"I know that, but isn't walking around like this getting a little boring?" Gon sighed, adding a little skip to his stride and slinging his hands behind his head - a mannerism he'd recently picked up from Killua.

"You're the one who was so desperate to search this stupid city, so don't go complaining to me about it!" the ex-assassin chided.

"Maybe so," Gon said, puffing his cheeks out.

Killua rolled his eyes and stifled a smile. Gon got bored so easily, especially with drawn-out tasks such as this one. He couldn't help but find it cute, even if it was annoying as all hell.

"Besides," Gon added, "The NPCs make things more fun, don't they?"

"Huh?!" Killua exclaimed, drawing glances from bystanders, more NPCs though they were. "The hell are you talking about, Gon?!"

The raven cackled. Oh, he'd said that shit on purpose alright! No good troublemaker. Still though, I can tell there's truth behind his words. That cloudy emotion stirred in the pits of Killua's belly.

"What do you mean, fun?!" Killua demanded, taking Gon up in a headlock as he squirmed and laughed. "Is being harassed by random hags every two seconds fun to you?!"

"They're not harassing me at all!" Gon giggled. "They're just NPCs, right? It's a part of Greed Island! We're supposed to interact with them!"

"Oh really, are we?" Killua roughly tousled Gon's hair. It was thick like molasses, but soft to the touch. Killua had been oddly fascinated with Gon's hair lately, and instances like these were the only excuse he'd get to run his fingers through it.

Killua felt like such a sap. But he'd still take any opportunity that was passed his way.

His chest stirred with a familiar fluttering sensation as he shoved Gon out of his arms. The raven shoved back, sending blooms of static wherever his hands touched. Killua's cheeks tinted pink as he laughed, and suddenly the colors around him seemed brighter than they had before.

Gon's smile was blinding as always… but Killua couldn't help but notice that Gon's ears never turned red because of him. This city was making it all the more clear, what with all the girls that showed up around every corner. It hurt to see, and sent a knot of jealousy and pain twisting about in Killua's gut.

"I know why you're so grumpy, Ki-llu-a!" Gon laughed.

"Oh? Do tell," the silver haired boy drawled. I sincerely doubt that you do. No, you're not smart enough to pick up on something like that… The knowing twinkle in Hisoka's eyes resurfaced in Killua's mind. He dismissed the thought with a frown. Besides. It's better if you didn't know anyways…

"You're jealous!" Gon accused.

Gon could never understand… because he could never like me back. No, he's too good for that. Too good for me.

"What?" Killua sputtered, "The hell are you talking about?"

"You're just butt-hurt cause all the girls come to me instead of you!" Gon cackled. He seemed far too pleased with himself right now.

Killua rolled his eyes. "Yeah right, I don't give a rat's ass about stupid NPC hags."

"Oooo," Gon teased, slinging his arm around Killua's shoulder and prodding his finger into a pale cheek. "Killua's embarrassed~"

"I am not!" the ex-assassin argued, shoving Gon away before the proximity could stain his face red. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned his nose up in an attempt to hide his warm cheeks from Gon. "I'm not fickle like you, only morons care about stupid stuff like that."

"Killua's definitely jealous," Gon nodded.

"Jerk," the silver haired boy muttered.

The menace just snickered.

"It's okay Ki-llu-a, I'm sure all the girls love you!"

"Great. That makes me feel so much better," Killua said drily.

"I'm sure they'd be all over you if they could! How could they not fall for a pretty face like yours?"

Killua's heart skipped a beat. "What?" he coughed.

"You're too grumpy, is all!" Gon rattled on. He stuck his finger in the air as he spoke, grinning as he lectured to Killua about the inner workings of the female gaze. "You probably scare all the girls away! If you'd take that mean scowl off your face and loosen up a bit then you could get some NPC girls just like me!"

Killua gave a fat eye roll.

Yes, this was exactly what he wanted right now.

For Gon to be lecturing him on how to pull NPC girls.

This is why I hate this stupid city. Cause all Gon cares about is girls. It's only when we're here that he gets like this, why couldn't he have let me drag him out of here so he could talk about Nen and beating people up instead?

Killua didn't like thinking about it, this side of Gon. It only served to make him feel sad and dejected. He didn't want to acknowledge the vast distance between himself and the proverbial bunch of grapes dangling over his head.

He'd rather ignore his feelings and the stark difference between Gon and himself when it came to this sort of thing. It was easier that way, and he didn't know what he'd do if Gon were to find out… Killua didn't know if he could handle something like that.

He could picture the look in Gon's eyes even now. The pity. The mild sense of discomfort. It was always like this. Always had been. He'd learned over the years to avoid bringing it up in the first place.

Killua tuned Gon and his lecturing out. He didn't like talking about this stuff. He couldn't relate to anything Gon was saying anyways. The faster they got this over with and got out of this stupid city the better.

"Wait!"

Gon and Killua turned around when a breathless voice called out to them.

And then, it happened.

Oh no. This is exactly the reason I've been so uncomfortable with the NPCs. Because I was terrified of what would inevitably happen when one of them approached me–

"You dropped this."

Killua stood, effectively star struck, and gawked stupidly at the NPC that had gone so far out of his way to catch up with them. He walked right up to Killua, stumbling to a halt and quickly catching his breath.

The NPC was a young boy, just Killua's age. He had a couple inches on him, with tousled black hair and green eyes that flashed when the light hit them. The boy slipped his fingers nervously into his silken locks as he gazed down at Killua. His eyes darted about restlessly, unable to meet Killua's for two long. His skin was a dark, warm shade, and every time his eyes brushed Killua's his cheeks stained a lovely red.

"I dropped..?" Killua trailed off stupidly. God, he was always so awkward. He couldn't deny the way his heart tripped up in his chest. This damn city knew just what to throw at him to make him stumble. What could I have dropped? I don't have anything on me.

The boy grinned, and literal sparkles were set to life around his face. He was heartbreakingly beautiful. Killua had to remind himself to breathe. "Here," the boy said, holding his hand out.

Killua glanced down, and found his Greed Island ring sitting on the boy's palm.

The ex-assassin glanced down at his own hand, and sure enough his ring was gone. "Oh," he mumbled. "Uh, thanks." He took the ring from the boy's palm, and more sparkles came to life wherever their skin touched.

"Happy to help!" the NPC said proudly. He was gazing down at Killua, beckoning him to look up.

The ex-assassin slipped the ring back onto his finger and reluctantly glanced upwards through his silvery bangs. God, the boy was sitting there smiling at him with his eyes all soft and–

"Nope," Killua said through gritted teeth, quickly turning on his heel and speed-walking in the other direction; forcibly extracting himself from the romance movie scenario before he could do something stupid like blush any more or fall right into one of the very traps he'd been scolding Gon about.

Oh.

Shit.

Gon existed.

Panic fluttered in Killua's chest, and his stomach squirmed with a mixture of embarrassment and horror. It had happened.

What was he supposed to do? Killua was too scared to look over at Gon, who was tagging along at his side like always. He was too scared to acknowledge what had just happened.

I completely forgot Gon was even there! Why am I so stupid? I should have ignored the voice and kept walking! Who cares about this stupid ring? It's not that important, I would have been just fine without it–

Gon's presence at Killua's side felt heavy and choked with static. The raven walked along at his left, and the entire left side of Killua's body was prickling with shame and heated with nerves. Killua couldn't look at him. He wanted to crawl up in a hole and die.

"He was nice."

Killua's shoulders hunched up to his ears when Gon finally broke the silence. He couldn't bear to acknowledge it… but he could feel those amber eyes on him, he knew Gon was waiting for him to stop hiding.

"Uh…" Killua swallowed, summoned his nonexistent spine, and glanced over at Gon. He was surprised at what he found.

Gon was smiling at him. It was a small, smirk of a grin. His eyes twinkled like he'd just been given the final piece to a challenging puzzle, and the crinkle in his eyes could only be defined as smug.

There was no confusion. No judgment. Not one hint of the thinly veiled disgust that Killua had grown accustomed to from the likes of Illumi and his mother.

Gon looked… happy. Pleased that he'd learned something new.

It was as if nothing had happened at all. The way he looked at Killua hadn't changed in the slightest.

"Y-yeah," the ex-assassin managed.

Gon giggled, and continued marching on with a spring in his step. Killua's eyes fluttered, blood rushing to his cheeks right on cue. Gon doesn't care. He doesn't…

The silver haired boy found himself smiling. His heart fluttered in his chest.

Of course he wouldn't care. He's Gon, he'd never judge me for something like that.

Affection stirred beneath Killua's breastbone, and he felt the little flower of warmth within him grow a couple sizes larger. He hurried along after Gon, a burden now lifted from his shoulders. He didn't mind the NPCs anymore. He no longer felt awkward or distant whenever the girls showed up in Gon's path.

The two of them continued their search, and Killua found that he hated Aiai a little less.

Still though…

Killua waited for Gon to extract himself from the grateful embrace of a girl he'd tugged out of the way of a passing carriage. She buried her face in his chest, leaning all over him and rubbing the scent of her perfume into the fabric of Gon's clothes.

Gon played along like he always did. He wrapped his arms gently around her shoulders, waited for her to calm down and stop crying. The girl leaned up on her toes and planted a kiss on Gon's cheek, and Gon's ears turned red once again.

Killua averted his gaze and continued walking.

Still. Aiai was terrible.

"Hey, Killua!" Gon called from the arms of his newest NPC girlfriend. "Wait for me!"

The ex-assassin ignored him. That cloudy emotion grew into a larger and larger storm with every NPC they encountered. Gon was smug that Killua got approached by NPCs now just like he did, but he still didn't understand.

I just want to get out of here. The two hours are almost up, we've only got a half an hour left. Then we can leave, things can go back to normal, and I can keep pretending that I don't know Gon could never like me back.

"I feel like the scenarios are getting harder to ignore the further we walk!" Gon laughed as he hurried up to Killua's side. He bumped his shoulder into Killua's, noting his dreary expression and trying to cheer him up. Not that he understood why Killua was so grumpy in the first place.

"Yeah, it makes sense," Killua agreed. "There's not really anything important in this city, which leads me to believe that it's a trap meant to distract players from the game. People will come here looking for cards, but be dragged off by the allure of all these stupid NPCs. Like I've been saying this whole time, it's a trap."

"But if that's the case, then it's a challenge!" Gon declared.

"A challenge to resist mortal desires," Killua joked half-heartedly.

"Not really," Gon huffed, elbowing Killua in an attempt to shake the grump out of him. "If the entire point of Aiai is to trap players, then what about players that don't get distracted?"

"That would mean that they're smart like me," the ex-assassin snorted.

"No," Gon continued, "I'm saying that if this entire city is trying to lead players astray, then wouldn't that mean it's guarding something?"

Killua glanced over at Gon, "Are you suggesting that there is a card here? But it's not an Event that you have to win, it's the entire city itself that you have to beat?"

"Yeah! That's right!" Gon chirped, grinning wildly.

"I guess that makes sense," Killua mumbled, mulling it over. He hated to admit that Aiai wasn't a total piece of garbage, but he had to admit that Gon was probably onto something. He wouldn't put it past Greed Island to pull some stupid shit like this.

"If I had to guess," Killua mused, "This theoretical card would be located somewhere deep in the city. The further you make it without getting led astray, the more likely you are to stumble across a card."

"So the deeper into the city we go the more likely we are to find powerful players too!" Gon added.

"Yup, it sure checks out alright," Killua nodded.

"We've almost made it to the edge of the east side!" Gon gushed, "Come on, let's hurry and make it further! I wanna see if we can find a card before our time runs out!"

Killua cried out in surprise as Gon grabbed his wrist and took off running. Oh, of course now he wanted to stop dilly dallying. Killua shook his head, Gon would only haul ass when there was a proper incentive. The ex-assassin chuckled, classic Gon. But he wasn't complaining, at this rate they'd make it out of Aiai early!

The two of them sprinted through the streets, ducking NPCs left and right. For once Gon didn't stop at every girl he saw, and he tugged Killua along faster when the occasional boy would snag his attention.

Going through Aiai in a blur was much more enjoyable than stopping at every small cafe, corner shop, and crosswalk. With the wind in their hair, Gon and Killua were back to doing what they did best: adventuring without a care in the world.

Killua grinned as they left all the girls in their dust. He happily ran after Gon. This was exactly what he wanted. Even if Gon never returned his feelings, he'd be glad to follow after him like this forever. Just the two of them, no busty girls getting under their feet or stealing kisses that Killua didn't have the guts to attempt.

The two of them turned a corner, and found themselves in a large square. Roads from all directions connected around a dazzling fountain that sprayed turquoise water and sent rainbows arching across the sky.

Gon came to a screeching halt to gawk at the beautiful display, leaving Killua to run into his back and crack his nose against the raven's thick skull.

"Little warning next time?" Killua grumbled, shuffling to his side as he waited for the pain to subside.

"Woah, it's so pretty!" Gon ogled, Killua's complaint going in one ear and right out the other.

The square looked pretty important. The buildings reached higher than they had anywhere else in the city, and strings of triangular banners crisscrossed the square where they dangled from the rooftops. Cherry blossom trees in full bloom lined the square, spilling pink petals about like snow.

Oddly enough, this part of the city was completely empty. Everywhere else there had been NPCs and foolish players anywhere the eye could see.

"It's completely deserted," Killua observed.

"Not completely!" Gon corrected, swiftly grabbing Killua's wrist and dragging him to the other side of the fountain. On the other side of the square was a coffee shop with a quaint outdoor seating area boxed in by a black fence. There was an Event being held on the patio, with a desk set up and a woman standing behind it. The desk was decorated with bouquets of flowers and expensive boxes of chocolate, with ribbons and lace dripping off the sides and brushing the stone floor.

In the center of the table was a plaque up for display, and in the center of the plaque sat a Specified Slot Card.

"Yes!" Gon cheered. "We found it!"

He hopped the fence and trotted right up to the table with Killua in tow. The two of them stood before the desk to trigger the Event.

"Hello!" the woman cheered. She had honey colored skin and pink hair twisted into a heart shape on the top of her head. "Welcome to the Patented Cherry Blossom Square Love Scavenger Hunt Prize Competition of Aiai!"

Killua raised an eyebrow. The fuck was this? "That's one hell of a title," he mumbled.

"So it is!" the woman agreed all too enthusiastically. "It's an honor to find two dashing young competitors such as yourselves here with us today! As you can tell, Cherry Blossom Square doesn't attract too much foot traffic these days! The two of you are the first competitors we've gotten in almost two months!"

Probably because of all the bars and sex-clubs lining literally all the surrounding streets. Anyone traveling in this direction in this city of all places would get sucked right in before making it this far.

"Is this a card Event?" Gon asked excitedly. He was buzzing with energy, clearly ready to take on whatever crazy challenge they'd have to face to win the card up for display.

"It is!" the cheerful woman declared. "The Patented Cherry Blossom Square Love Scavenger Hunt Prize Competition of Aiai is held 24/7, 365 days a year! There can only be one winner each day, and every day a new Specified Slot Card is offered up as incentive to win! The two of you made it right on time, because today's card is the S-ranked card number 098, the Silver Dog!"

"Woah, it's S-ranked?!" Gon yelled. "Killua, we hit the jackpot! We don't have that card yet!"

"Not yet, we still have to beat the Event, remember?" Killua drawled as Gon shook him back and forth.

"Today's card is our best prize yet!" the woman explained. "The Silver Dog is an endangered species with silver fur! If you mix 5 grams of gold into his food daily, then he will excrete feces of solid silver! And an entire kilogram, at that!"

"Pfft, the hell?" Killua snorted.

"Woah, that's so cool!" Gon exclaimed. "Killua, he poops silver! How do we win?!" he demanded.

"All you must do is complete the Patented Cherry Blossom Square Love Scavenger Hunt Prize Competition of Aiai!" the woman prattled off. Killua was impressed that she remembered that entire title every time.

"Tell me what I have to do!" Gon said, passion burning in his eyes as he leaned across the table. Killua shook his head, there was seriously no reason to get this excited about a silver shitting dog.

"The Patented Cherry Blossom Square Love Scavenger Hunt Prize Competition of Aiai is a hunt for love!" the woman explained. "In order to complete the hunt and earn your prize, you must bring a suitor of your choosing and kiss them under the sparkling mist of the Fountain of Love!"

Killua's stomach dropped. He glanced over his shoulder at the fountain that sent rainbows across the sky. It rained a fine mist that stained the surrounding cobblestones purple. The moist stones reflected the sunlight and offered a reprieve from the stifling heat of the day. Pink cherry blossom petals floated about in the fountain's pool and spurts of water. That would certainly be a dramatic location for a kiss.

But why's it have to be a kiss?! That's so fucking stupid! What if you don't want to kiss some random hag, huh? I should have known this stupid city would have an Event like this!

Just the thought of Gon kissing one of those girls made Killua's heart ache. The storm in the pit of his belly darkened and struck lightning.

"So all you have to do is kiss someone by the fountain?" Gon asked, his head cocked to one side.

"That's right! Do you accept this challenge?"

"Yes!" Gon agreed immediately.

Killua whipped his head around so fast he almost snapped his neck. "Huh?! What the hell, Gon, don't agree to something like that!"

"What? Why not?" the raven asked, blinking in confusion. "It's super easy, we'll get an S ranked card for almost nothing at all!"

Killua sputtered, "No you won't, you'll have to kiss some disgusting old lady! This is sexual assault, I see what you're trying to do here!" Killua pointed his finger at the woman behind the desk. She held up her hands in surrender.

"Killua, don't point at her like that!" Gon scolded, grabbing onto the ex-assassin's sharpened finger. "She's just running the competition! It's not that big of a deal, it'll be super easy, right?"

The woman smiled, "Correct! There are hundreds of attractive young souls around our glorious City of Love that would be honored to assist you in our competition! I'm sure you've met at least one young lady on your journey through the city, you'll be able to complete our Patented Cherry Blossom Square Love Scavenger Hunt Prize Competition of Aiai in no time at all!"

"Stop encouraging him!" Killua snapped, "And stop saying that long-assed title over and over! We're not agreeing to this, come on Gon, it's not worth it! Who wants a stupid dog that shits silver anyway?!"

"I do!" Gon declared. "Don't hate on the dog, he's super cool! Besides, we need all one hundred cards, don't we? This'll be way easier than hunting the dog down in the wild or fighting some huge tournament for it!"

"That's not the point," Killua hissed.

Gon shot him a quizzical glance.

"It wouldn't matter if you're uninterested in the card we're offering," the woman at the desk spoke up. "You already agreed to compete in the scavenger hunt, and the Event has begun."

"What?!" Killua snapped, directing his rage at Gon. The raven squeaked and held his arms up in front of him.

"Now that our hunt has commenced," the woman continued, "I shall explain the rules! In order to win you must kiss a selected partner under the Love Fountain! It does not matter how long it may take you to complete your task, but if you leave Cherry Blossom Square you will be disqualified and considered forfeiting the hunt! In which case you will be banished from Cherry Blossom Square for all eternity and unable to reenter the scavenger hunt as long as you both shall live."

"Woah, that's really drastic," Gon muttered.

"That's what you're concerned about?!" Killua retorted, slapping Gon upside the head. "I can't believe you'd agree to this without asking me first!"

"I'm really sorry!" Gon whined, "I just got excited, is all! We'll complete this in no time and then we can leave, I promise it won't take that long! Like you said, we run into NPCs every two seconds so it'll be a piece of cake!"

"I don't care about that, you idiot!" Killua forced out through gritted teeth. "I'm not kissing some stupid hag, so come on, we're forfeiting, who cares if we're banished or whatever!"

"Good luck!" the woman called out as the two of them left the patio (as Killua dragged Gon away by his collar). Killua flipped her off.

"Killua!" Gon gasped in horror.

"Oh shut up," the ex-assassin scolded. "Come on, we're leaving. No stupid Silver Dog is worth all this trouble." I can't watch Gon kiss someone else. I just can't do it.

"No, we can't leave!" the raven protested as he dug his heels into the ground.

"And why the hell not?!" Killua yelled. They were so damn close to the out-of-bounds mark, why did Gon have to start being all stubborn now of all times?!

"I know I messed up by agreeing without asking first, but we've entered this competition!" Gon exclaimed. "We can't just leave, we have to see the Event through and win the card!"

"Why? Why do you care so much?"

"Because my dad made this game and I don't want to disrespect him like that!"

"How is that disrespecting him?! It's setting personal boundaries!"

"It's disrespecting him by turning my back on the challenge he gave me!" Gon yelled, the two of them having descended into a screaming match in the middle of the square. "Ging told me to beat Greed Island, not to give up and run away! I have to collect all the cards, and this is how I do it!"

"So? You can get the damn silver shitter another way!" Killua argued, spitting fire.

"I said I'm doing the competition so I'm going to do it!" Gon declared stubbornly. "Like you said, I'm the one who agreed to enter the competition, not you! You don't even have to do anything! Yet the only one who's so upset with all of this is you! Why do you care about this so much?!"

The words dried up on Killua's tongue. Gon's words burned like acid. He stood gawking at Gon, who was fuming with clenched fists and raging amber eyes. What am I supposed to do, tell the truth? Say that I can't stand to watch you kiss one of those girls? No… I could never admit to that.

The silver haired boy hid his eyes behind his hair. What is he saying, that I'm not involved at all? How does he not understand?

"I'm in this game with you too, aren't I?" Killua asked, his voice soft and almost at a whisper. "We're in this together, so that means I'm involved in the scavenger hunt too. I was the second you agreed to participate."

Gon opened his mouth, closed it again, and backed off. His face slackened. "Oh… yeah. I'm sorry I said that." He gazed down at his boots for a moment, then peeked up at Killua through midnight lashes. "We are in this together, so I'm sorry I roped you into this."

"It's alright, I guess," Killua mumbled. He let go of Gon's collar and shuffled away from the out-of-bounds mark, once again turning belly up in the face of Gon's whims. He cursed himself for lacking a spine. "Let's just get this stupid thing over with. It's just a kiss, right?"

He gave Gon the opening… but did the raven pick up on the hint?

"Yeah! I'll hurry and get us out of here Killua, don't you worry!"

No… no he did not.

"Hm, all we have to do is find another NPC, that shouldn't be too hard," Gon thought out loud. The two of them walked around the square, Killua looking at his feet while Gon searched for his key to victory.

Of course he doesn't understand why I'm so upset. He's Gon, do I really expect him to figure it out on his own?

He can't read minds. He'll never know unless I say something. But… how could I do that? Tell Gon that I like him as more than a friend? He just wants to be friends with me, I can't ask for more that he's willing to give.

Besides. Gon likes girls, he could never like me that way.

Killua scuffed his toe across a nearby petal, ripping it apart and staining its pink hue across the stones.

I hate that I'm so weak. I wish I could work up the balls to say something to him, but I just can't do it. I'm not like Gon, I'm not brave and outgoing. It's why I admire him so much. He's everything I'm not and everything I never will be.

Killua didn't know how long he spent holed up in his own thoughts, but at some point Gon had stopped walking. He stood by the fountain, scratching his head as he looked around the square.

"Hey… Killua?"

"Hm."

"I can't find anyone."

The ex-assassin perked up. "Oh?" The spark of victory came to life in Killua's chest, quickly followed by the sting of guilt. What was he doing, celebrating Gon's failure to complete the scavenger hunt that meant so much to him? Just because it meant he wouldn't be kissing someone that wasn't Killua?

"The square is still completely empty," Gon admitted, sounding defeated. "I really should have noticed it before, but there aren't even any NPCs in here. No one besides the woman at the desk, anyway."

"Huh," Killua hummed. Sure enough, the square was just as deserted as it had been before. "I bet this is part of the trap. Even if you do make it here without getting distracted, you're screwed. We couldn't have known that we were supposed to bring an NPC in here. It's clear that Aiai tricked us after all."

"Yeah…" Gon whined. "I should have listened to you. If I hadn't agreed to participate so fast then we could have asked what the rules were beforehand and left to get an NPC before starting the Event!"

Killua snorted, so he had been right all along, hadn't he? "I guess we were stupid to think it would be this easy at the end, after how much trouble it took to get all the way here, anyway. This is a tricky place, I told you this city was stupid."

"Yeahhhhh," Gon pouted. He trudged over to the fountain, passing under the clouds of mist to sit on the damp stone edge. Killua followed after him, he could never stay mad at Gon for too long. He sat down beside him and watched the cherry blossom petals drift across the empty square. Water from the wet rocks soaked into their pants where they sat, and mist slowly began to slicken their hair and send water droplets rolling off the tips of their noses.

"Guess we won't be completing the competition after all," Killua chuckled.

Gon continued pouting, but Killua elbowed him until he got a giggle out of the boy.

"So much for the Silver Dog," Gon sighed.

"...You really wanted it, didn't you?" Killua teased. He knew it was probably totally fucked up, but he was feeling a whole lot better now that Gon's prospects of kissing a girl were obliterated.

"I guess so," Gon admitted. "It was an S-ranked card is all, and this was the easiest Event we've had to complete to get one so far. Usually they're super complicated or dangerous. Although now I realize it had only seemed that way, I fell right into Aiai's trap."

"Yup," Killua said, popping the p. "Looks like I'm the smart one, just like always!"

"Killua's the smart one," Gon agreed with a nod.

The two of them sat on the fountain for a time. The two hours had to have gone up at least twenty minutes ago, but Killua didn't care. For once he didn't mind Aiai. Seriously, this time. He was happy to sit with Gon under the cool mist of the fountain. Cherry Blossom Square was so peaceful and quiet compared to everywhere else in the city.

There were no busty NPCs, sleazy clowns, slutty hairstylists. It was just peace, quiet, and Gon.

"I sure went through all that trouble for nothing, huh?" Gon snorted, breaking the silence.

"Oh yeah?" Killua prompted.

"I got all passionate about beating Ging's game the right way only to realize I'd already screwed it up from the start. I even got in a fight with you about it! …I'm sorry I yelled at you, Killua."

The ex-assassin smiled. Look at Gon, owning up to his mistakes. Maybe this Aiai place is good for him, after all. "It's alright. I understand. Beating Greed Island means a whole lot to you."

Gon nodded silently. He chuckled, a smile turning his lips up as he watched the empty square. He was hunched over his knees with his fingers crossed before him. The mist had begun to deflate his wild hair, leaving it to droop into his eyes.

Killua glanced down at him. Gon's eyes always got so pretty when he was thinking…

"Damn," Gon sighed, sitting up and stretching his arms above his head. He looked just about ready to throw in the towel. "If only there were just one person in here, am I right?" he laughed. "I've met so many girls today, if just a single–"

Gon trailed off, and completely froze with his arms gripping each other over the crown of his head.

"What?" Killua asked, curious.

Amber eyes turned on Killua, flashing with a wild light that meant Gon had come up with one of his rare (and often terrible) ideas. "I only need one other person!"

"Yeah..?"

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe I didn't think of this before!" Gon laughed, slapping his hand across his forehead.

Killua's eyes flicked around, what was Gon even talking about?

"I got all sad because the square is totally empty," the raven snorted. "But it's not."

"Okay? What the hell are you talking about?!" Killua demanded. "Stop being vague!"

Gon rotated his legs to face the ex-assassin. "Killua, can I kiss you?"

"...Huh?"

Killua's mind completely shut down for a second. What? What was happening right now?! Blood rushed to his cheeks, betraying his racing thoughts and racing heart.

"They never said I had to kiss an NPC," Gon explained excitedly. "The entire square is supposed to be empty for the trap, but I've got you with me!"

Killua blinked twice.

Gon wants to kiss me? Not a girl, but me?

Normally I'd be beside myself but…

It's all for the stupid Event. Does he really want to kiss me, or is it just to get the card and follow Ging's shadow?

"Are you sure?" Killua asked skeptically. "I mean, you won't be kissing some girl."

"That's fine," Gon reassured with a flap of his hand.

Killua narrowed his eyes.

His entire being was screaming at him to take this chance. He'd never get an opening like this again. Gon was giving him the opportunity to kiss him without confessing his feelings in the process! Killua wouldn't have to cloud the water with his messy feelings, and he could live the experience he'd been dreaming about for the past several weeks.

But…

Sure, maybe Gon's okay with kissing me to win the Silver Dog. But he doesn't know that I have feelings for him. He thinks that this will be no big deal, but that's not true. This will mean so much to me, he has no idea what he's doing.

That can't be… right. How can I take advantage of him like that?

"You can't be serious," Killua said, forcing a dry laugh.

Gon blinked, clearly taken aback. "What do you…?"

"You'd be kissing me, Gon!" Killua said, though the words came out louder than he intended to.

"Yeah…? I don't see what the problem is…?"

Killua's breath caught in his throat. "Wh-What– You– Are you an idiot?"

"Uh, maybe but…" Gon scratched his cheek. For once he was unable to meet Killua's gaze. He seemed… embarrassed. "Killua is my best friend so I thought that…"

"You thought what?" Killua breathed. He'd never seen Gon embarrassed like this before. Gon's ears… they were turning red.

"I thought it would be okay," the raven said, soldiering through Killua's attempts to shut him down. He sure knew how to own up to his crazy suggestions, Killua had to give him that.

"Oh," Killua said dumbly. He mentally shot himself in the foot.

An awkward silence drew out between the two of them. He'd never felt so awkward around Gon before. He didn't like it.

Did I mess that up? Gon asked to kiss me and I violently shut him down.

He probably thinks that he overstepped or messed something up. When in reality I'd give an arm and a leg to kiss him like this…

Killua peeked at Gon from the corner of his eye. His ears weren't as red anymore, but he still looked uncomfortable. Killua felt really bad… he'd done that. He'd been the one to make Gon feel that way.

What if… Killua hated to get himself all hopeful over this, but what if Gon genuinely wanted to kiss him? Was his way of finding a chance to confess his feelings? But what about all those girls… Aiai only threw girls at Gon, never guys like it did with Killua.

AH, I'm overthinking everything!

I've wanted to kiss my best friend for like two months now, why am I making things so complicated?! It can't be that hard, can it?!

Gon's the one who offered…

I wonder if when he kisses me… he'll realize that he likes me? As more than a friend?

Who am I kidding, that's just wishful thinking. He was all too quick to kiss someone random and win that damn silver shitting dog. Does a kiss even matter to him at all?

"What do you think about… kissing? And stuff," Killua mumbled.

Gon perked up, more than happy to move past that awful silence. "If you're asking if I've kissed anyone before, I haven't."

"Seriously?" Killua asked. That had genuinely surprised him. But he'd been so comfortable around all those girls! He'd been so willing to give up his first kiss for some stupid slot card!

"Yeah, actually!" Gon laughed awkwardly.

"But you were so ready to kiss someone for the card," Killua pointed out.

"I was," Gon mused. "I mean, I've never really wanted to kiss someone or anything before. So I didn't think it really mattered if I gave up my first kiss. Greed Island is as good a place as any, you know?"

"Well that doesn't make sense at all," Killua grumbled. Gon chuckled sheepishly. Although… I have to admit that I understand where he's coming from. My whole life I didn't care much for romance and kissing and all that garbage. I didn't think my first kiss would matter anyway. I didn't understand why Alluka would daydream about hers all the time.

But now that I've met Gon, and I've started liking him like this… I understand it. I couldn't imagine giving up my first kiss so flippantly. That's something I could never imagine throwing away, because I wouldn't want it to be with anyone other than Gon.

"Have you ever kissed anyone, Killua?" Gon asked softly.

"Me? No way," the ex-assassin snorted. "I spent my whole life working, and now that I'm retired I've been with you the whole time."

"I guess that makes sense," Gon said. "Are you saving it for someone?"

Killua leaned his chin on his palm. Gon had really backed him into a corner, hadn't he? "Sort of… I suppose. Although it's hard to imagine kissing some random person." Someone who isn't you.

"Yeah," Gon nodded.

"You'd be so willing to throw your first kiss away, just because of Greed Island and your dad?" Killua asked. "I'm not judging you or anything, it's just some serious commitment."

"I mean, yeah. Or at least that's how I always thought about it," Gon answered.

"As in… you don't think that way anymore?"

Gon gazed thoughtfully upwards. Killua watched his face as the gears turned in his mind.

"I mean… I still don't have anyone I'd want to save it for," Gon said slowly. "But at the same time, I'm okay with it being you."

Killua's heart clenched. He felt the blood start to gather in his cheeks again. "I guess I… feel the same way."

Gon glanced over at him, "You do?"

Killua couldn't find the words.

"You'd be okay with… giving it up to get the silver shitting dog?"

"Don't say words like that!" Killua gasped, swiftly chopping Gon in the arm.

The raven threw his head back laughing. "But you talk that way all the time, Ki–llu-a!"

"Well just because I do doesn't mean you should start doing it, don't you know that I'm a bad influence?!" The ex-assassin sighed, giggles bubbling up from his lips as Gon's twinkling laughter echoed throughout the square. They were back to being just them… Killua hadn't messed it all up, it seemed.

"But…" the silver haired boy mumbled, "No. I don't really care. Even if it's all for some stupid card." It's still you. I'd want to kiss no matter what the circumstances. And even though I know you don't have a care in the world on the subject…

I can't help but wonder if it's entirely normal to be so casual about kissing your best friend?

Like, I know that we're close and all, but doesn't it bother you at all that I like boys? That this isn't just some flippant gesture to me? If you're so comfortable sharing your first kiss with me, then isn't there at least a tiny chance that your feelings for me aren't entirely platonic?

"So… I can kiss you?" Gon clarified.

Killua nodded.

God, this was so– so– so nerve wracking! He could hardly hear over the pulse of his heart in his throat, and Gon hadn't even made a move on him yet!

"Heh heh," Gon laughed sheepishly. "Thank you. For putting up with my nonsense, I mean."

"Yeah o'course," Killua mumbled. He wasn't quite able to look Gon in the eye with his face turning all red like this. "Friends help friends and junk. Let's just get your stupid card already."

Gon grinned and scooted around to face Killua. The ex-assassin reluctantly did the same. He tucked his hands under his legs to hide the fact that they were trembling with nerves.

Killua faced Gon under the downpour of mist. He dragged his eyes from the ground to Gon's, he couldn't keep acting weird like this or Gon would be onto him. No matter how insane it was that this was actually happening… no matter how hard Killua's heart was pounding.

He swallowed drily, still very much in denial. Gon seemed to be just as disbelieving as he was, where was that stubborn spirit now? Where was that trailblazing attitude?! If anything, seeing Gon hesitant made Killua even more flustered than a confident Gon would have been.

"I'm really gonna do it, okay?" Gon warned.

Killua nodded, resisting the urge to look at Gon's lips or lick his own. Instead he focused on Gon's eyes, yeah, perfect distraction. He'd ignore those soft, smiling lips and lose himself in the sticky honey of those caring eyes instead. Fuck, Killua was such a mess.

Gon tentatively leaned forward, he was clearly in uncharted territory. Yet even still, he managed to move assuredly, confident in his own ability to see this through, at the very least.

Those midnight lashes were adorned with little beads of water from the fountain. Whenever Gon blinked they'd dazzle like crystals in the refracted light of the midday sun. His hair was soaked and dripping where it dangled into his eyes, and it brushed his shoulders in messy waves. Gon scooted closer, close enough that Killua could see the faint sprinkling of freckles across his nose.

Crap, I think I'm going to pass out, Killua whined dramatically to himself.

Calloused fingers reached up to brush along Killua's jaw. Gon steadied Killua's face with his hand, then froze for a moment. Thinking. Waiting. Likely checking to be sure Killua didn't want to back out before it was too late.

But Killua held strong. He met Gon's eyes head on, unblinking. He was going to do this. He was going to kiss his best friend, the subject of his infatuations. Killua's lips tingled as he pictured the moment in his mind, the feeling of Gon's lips dusting across his own.

It would probably be light, unsure. A simple brush of a kiss, hardly anything to lay awake at night over.

Yes, Killua steeled himself. He could do this. He wanted to do this more than anything. And even if Gon was only going through with this kiss because of Ging… that didn't change the fact that at this moment - under muddled circumstances though it was - Gon wanted to kiss Killua too.

The raven slowly drew a mouthful of air, and then released it. A chill ran up Killua's spine when he felt Gon's breath on his lips.

That breath had been like Gon's preparation for battle; with that, he placed his other hand on the back of Killua's neck and closed the distance between them without hesitation.

His eyes flicked shut just a split second before he closed in, breaking the spell keeping Killua's eyes in place and leaving them to dart down to his mouth. Killua caught a passing glimpse of Gon's parted lips, and then it happened.

Gon's lips pressed against Killua's in full. The ex-assassin couldn't help but startle, he gasped through his nose and went completely rigid. The kiss wasn't faint or hesitant, it was assertive and almost hard. Gon clearly had no idea what he was doing, but he picked up on this skill just as fast as he did everything else he'd tried his hand at.

His lips stayed there at a pause, smooshed against Killua's. It was still, but Killua's ribs rattled as his heart pounded against them. His stomach was in knots. Eyes squeezed shut tight, Killua began to wonder if this was all there would be?

Only Gon took him by surprise, as he always did, not a moment later. He tilted his chin, slotting their lips together like matched puzzle pieces before breaking off with a soft smack of suction.

Killua's eyes fluttered open once Gon's fingers left his cheek. The ex-assassin was blushing so violently that the stain had spread down his neck. His face tingled, and his lips felt like they were choked with electricity. A very real spark of electricity jumped about in his hair, which had stood on end with static the moment Gon's lips had found his.

He'd kissed Gon back without even thinking about it.

Killua's thoughts could hardly catch up with him. The storm in his belly had morphed into a swirling mass of champagne bubbles and excited butterflies. His hands had drifted to his lap at some point, and he swiftly locked his left hand around his right before he could bring his fingers to touch his tingling lips.

He felt so warm, he felt so light. He couldn't think about anything but Gon, couldn't do anything but replay the kiss again and again in his mind. He'd completely forgotten why this had happened in the first place, and everything he'd been so worried about not moments before.

The only thing on Killua's mind was how much he wanted to take Gon by the shoulders and kiss him again.

But…

When Killua blinked the fog out of his mind and came to from his post-kiss stupor, the expression on Gon's face - or rather the lack of one in a way - made Killua's chest fall. It fell sharply, hard. The bubbles in his belly burst simultaneously and lined the bottom of his being with tattered ashes of passed ecstasy.

Gon didn't seem affected at all. There was no red splattering his face, there was no blinding light finding life in his eyes. There was no realization on Gon's part, only a cocked head, a lopsided smile, and eyebrows drawn together in a curious expression. Contemplative over the fact that he'd had his first kiss, and notably not over the fact that he had kissed Killua.

Before Gon could catch onto the falling of Killua's expression, and before the tears could well up in Killua's eyes, a single Specified Slot Card materialized in Gon's hand.

He perked up immediately, gawking over his newly attained card.

Killua watched him gush over it in a daze. He didn't hear any of Gon's words, they passed right over his head like empty ripples on the surface of a vast pond. Killua lay on the bottom, covered in silt and in the midst of the frigid temperatures of the deep.

It was clear without a shadow of a doubt.

Gon did not return Killua's feelings.

At some point Book was called and their new Silver Dog card stashed away, but Killua didn't notice. At some point Gon converted the card to pet the dog and reconvert it afterwards, but Killua didn't notice. At some point Gon called out to thank the woman at the desk, but Killua didn't notice. At some point Gon thanked Killua over and over for helping him complete the Event.

But once again, Killua didn't notice.

Killua had finally kissed Gon, the only person he'd ever considered growing close to in this way. It had been incredible, everything he had ever dreamt of. Gon's lips had been just as soft and warm as he'd expected. Yet they'd been plush and commanding, what he hadn't expected. He'd been swept off his feet, his heart set ablaze.

Gon held Killua's heart in his hands, but he didn't even know it.

And how could he?

It's not like Gon felt the same way. It's not like he ever would. It's not like he ever could.

Gon is my friend. My best friend. I love him with all of my heart and I'd die a million times over if only to stay at his side. But that's all he'll ever be, because Gon does not love me the way that I love him.

This was less of a realization, and more of a confirmation of that which Killua already knew. He couldn't decide if kissing Gon was worth the pain of this knowledge. Was it better this way, knowing it all for sure? Would it have been more painful going along fantasizing over impossibilities that were always just out of Killua's reach? Or would Killua have been happy to stay in his chosen ignorance? Comfortable in that blissful not knowing? With those impossibilities still adorning the horizon in dazzling crescents of what could be possible?

Killua wasn't sure.

The only thing he was sure of, was that Gon's kiss warmed his heart even as it tore him to shreds. He'd never give it up for the world. Even if it meant nothing to him, Gon had still given Killua the very sun.

And so he would continue on as the moon. Sitting in the cold, but ever content with the light Gon cast his way. I'll follow you anywhere, now more than ever. Because after all, I'm the one who should be thanking you.

"We should probably head back now!" Gon chirped as he stood and stretched his arms high above his head. His shirt was lifted to reveal a band of tanned skin, but Killua couldn't be bothered to look this time. He stood up alongside his friend.

"You're right," he agreed. His voice sounded hollow, but normal enough. "It's been three hours at the very least, Bisky's gonna kill us."

"I bet we'll still make it back before she does," Gon snorted.

The two of them stepped out from under the downpour of mist, their clothes soaked through and their lips dusted with a faint hint of the other's taste. They left wet footprints as they exited the square and headed back the way they came, and Killua wondered if they were tangled even tighter together, or if it was all in his head.

Gon walked happily along at Killua's side. Girls would call out to him and dart across his path, but this time he ignored every single one. He didn't give them a single passing glance. Killua couldn't help but wonder why that was, but at the same time he refused to allow himself to start reading into things that weren't there to begin with.

"So… that was a kiss, huh?" Gon spoke up.

Killua startled from his hundredth mental replay of said kiss. So that's why he's ignoring the girls? He's too busy thinking about the kiss to bother with them? "Yeah, I guess it was," Killua huffed.

He needed to stop acting all down in the dumps. He couldn't have Gon noticing. That would make a reveal of his feelings at this point even more awkward.

"I kinda thought it would be… I dunno, crazier or something," Gon chuckled.

Killua's heart shriveled up on the inside, but he forced himself to nod along. "Yeah, not entirely what I had been expecting." Except that it was. It was everything I could have wished for, yet nothing at all.

"It's fitting that we had our first kiss in the City of Love!" Gon joked good naturedly. He walked close at Killua's side, their arms brushing together with each step.

Our first kiss…

Yeah, Killua wished it was so. A phrase like that insinuated that there would be more kisses to come, but that was foolish to consider. It wouldn't stop Killua from fantasizing as he laid beside Gon at night though…

"I'm sorry you had to waste it on me." Killua was unable to prevent himself from saying it.

"Not at all!" Gon protested, slinging his arm around Killua's shoulders. Yet another friendly gesture. More proof that Gon did not reciprocate Killua's feelings, if he was so comfortable moving on like this after all that had happened. "I'm glad it was Killua. I wouldn't want to have my first kiss with anyone else!"

Killua sighed, his eyebrow twitching. He seriously couldn't stay mad at Gon for too long. "Don't say stuff like that, ya idiot! Makes it sound like you're all lovey for me and junk! God, you're so embarrassing!"

Gon cackled, "Aw, I know you agree with me, Ki-llu-a!"

"Yeah, whatever, keep dreaming," the ex-assassin drawled. "As if I'd ever fall for an idiot like you!"

Gon's laughter echoed throughout the streets of Aiai, and the two boys made their way to meet back up with the others. They hadn't found anyone worthwhile, and Killua's suspicions about this city had turned up as true as ever. They still had some serious work to do if they wanted to get the Strip of Beach before Genthru and his cronies. And Killua had some newfound revelations over Hisoka that needed investigating.

Killua would continue on at Gon's side, his friend through and through. He'd keep loving Gon for all his faults… and Gon would continue declaring Killua his best friend in the whole world.

His best friend… and nothing more.

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AN: ah yes, the aroace urge to obliterate any and all happy endings