Warning-This chapter is short.
"Gon?"
Silence.
"Are you there? I know you are! Who else would bother to answer your phone?"
More silence.
"Hello?"
"Goodbye, Killua."
It was getting colder and colder by every passing day, it seemed like. Whale Island, being so small, would often snow early. The unending blue sea around them could be blamed for that small unusual weather pattern on an island generally known for it's sunny atmosphere. The current, dragging cold water from the north, would freeze shores solid if not for the hustle and bustle of the hard working people of the island. Necessity of life, the need to make a living. The island citizens would die if not for their fishing ships.
On Whale Island, everyone had a job. That, however, was all before the current epidemic. That was when there were enough workers to band together and help preserve the simple life of the Island. Everyone depended on everyone else then, now there was no one left.
Gon noted how he could barely make out his breath in the cool morning air. While it wasn't quite cold enough for everything to begin freezing yet, it certainly felt like it in the pre-dawn hours. Regardless though, it didn't change the fact that it was getting colder much faster than what it used to. It also meant the winter would last longer.
A pained look crossed Gon's face as he closed his eyes and drew his eyebrows downward. A long winter on an already almost dead Island. With no one around to keep the ice at bay, no ships could dock, not unless they wanted to sink their ship first. Whale Island would perish in the midst of the ice engulfing its shores. If no one came to the Island to help them before the first snow, there would be no one left to help once the ice melted away. Anyone who didn't die from sickness would starve.
That included him.
As for Hisoka… Well, what about him?
Gon didn't know quite what to make of the man. During the Hunter trials he'd been terrified of him. During Killua and his trials in the Celestial Tower, Gon found a new strength in himself he owed all to the very same man who made him sweat just by being mentioned in a sentence. Then there was Greed Island, and Gon could no longer find himself fearing him. Now, it had been five years since their last encounter and Gon felt as if nothing had changed since their last meeting and yet everything was different. Some part of him felt much like he had during the Hunter Trials. Prey, would be the right word for it. However, Gon too had matured as a hunter and that part embraced the fact that the man brought with him an unspoken challenge. He needed that, at least once more.
In all actuality, it was probably why Gon hadn't thrown the man out of his house yet.
He highly doubted, though, that he even had the strength to do so, anymore.
The morning rays slowly made their way over the horizon and Gon trudged towards the house totting a few rabbits on his shoulder. Hunting was becoming harder and harder as anything edible was getting sparser the cooler it got. Rabbits were still a safe bet. Besides, they needed to eat something and the market wasn't exactly an option. Supplies ships stopped coming to Whale Island three months ago.
"Sorry, this was all I could get, they didn't exactly have anything fresh."
Mito looked forlornly at the canned vegetables. "It'll have to do. All the crops seemed to have withered before they even had a chance to grow."
"I don't understand, Mito. How could it have gotten like this? So bad so quickly…"
"Some things just can't be answered." Eyelashes fluttered closed momentarily. A rare moment of weakness for such a strong woman.
"Then what do we do?"
"Have faith."
Gon fought to keep back the bitterness from the memory. After all, look where faith had gotten her. A broken heart on her death bed. He'd known and never mentioned that look in her eye. Until the very end she had prayed that he would return if only to say 'Good bye.'
And until the very end, Jing had proven himself a coward.
All his life Mito had taught him how to act and behave. "Eat your vegetables, don't slouch. Be polite. Say things like thank you, you're welcome, and yes, please. Do not forget where home is. And do not Judge."
'The Commandments of Mito' and Gon was finding the last one very hard to abide by at the moment. He wanted to blame someone for his misfortune, anyone. Most of all he wanted to blame his father. Mito would have died happy if she had gotten to see him at least once more.
No matter how much he tried, though, he just couldn't keep it up. Mito had taught him too well in the art of forgiveness. After all, the disease had nothing to do with Jing being gone for so many years. It wasn't his fault that everyone had become sick. Rationality had a good way of ruining a good blame streak.
Gon had to close his eyes for a moment as a wave of dizziness hit him.
"Faith will be the guiding light in all of our endeavors, Gon. It's faith we must embrace the most in our darkest moments to continue forward."
Despite the slight nausea, Gon hadn't slowed or staggered in his pace, but merely continued forward towards home, the first rays of the sun guiding him all the way.
Killua headed to the receptionist desk, purpose in his stride. Tossing the keys at the desk , he didn't even bother to talk to the girl smiling mindlessly behind the counter, she didn't seem to notice him, anyway. Besides, they could just bill his hunter card for the room.
Heading out the doors he waited, impatiently, for a cab. None seemed willing to stop. After an aggravating fifteen minutes of nearly jumping out at the moving cabs with no passengers (who still didn't stop), Killua gave up and began to jog towards the city harbor. Carefully dodging in and out of the pedestrian traffic, Killua made it in an almost record breaking time.
Breathing loudly from the long run, Killua went inside to the clerk's counter. He needed to get a passenger ticket if he was going to get to Whale Island. Silver hair bounced back and forth from one side to another as Killua continued to shift his weight from one foot to another, glaring daggers at the back of the clerk the whole time.
The door opening again caught his attention. Funny, he hadn't recalled setting off any bells when he came in. The pudgy short man came up beside Killua at the counter. The brown trench coat and matching hat made him look like some sort of comical detective from those late night shows he and Gon used to stay up and watch. The man took off his hat to reveal his shining head underneath and laid it on the wood counter. His eyes could barely see over the top.
"Can I help you?" The overzealous clerk broke Killua out of his reverie and he opened his mouth to respond, however, he was beaten to the punch.
"I would like two tickets to the Genmai Islands, please." The short man replied, his hand holding up two fingers above the counter for emphasis and nearly knocking his hat to the floor in the process.
"Sure thing." The clerk turned to the computer and began to type. Killua started having trouble seeing through the tick in his eye.
"Uh, hello. I was here first." No one responded. "Hello?"
The silver haired man had no problem shoving his hand in the face of the clerk to get his attention, yet was still ignored. It was like he wasn't even there.
"Here's your tickets, sir." The clerk happily handed over the tickets in exchange for the man's money.
The short man placed the hat back on his head and turned to leave. Killua, on the other hand had placed himself nearly on top of the man in an attempt to catch their attention. When the man turned almost unexpectedly, Killua found himself stepping backwards in anticipation for the following collision. He braced himself and watched the man turn to face him… and walk right through him. His whole lower half disappearing into familiar inky blackness only to re-solidify when the man finished his passage through his body and came out on the other side.
Stunned, Killua looked up at the clerk who had already stopped paying attention to the short man and went back to busying himself behind the counter. Not even a glance in his direction. What was going on?
What the hell had happened on that island?
Shaking, he reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. He needed to call Gon. Gon would know he was there. Gon would still be there for him. He flipped open the phone and began to dial.
Basking in the afterglow, Killua found his mind wandering and couldn't keep himself from asking. "Doesn't your faith prohibit homosexual encounters?"
"It also says one shouldn't engage in sex before marriage."
Killua's eyebrows rose slightly and turned his head that had been resting on his arms. He greedily took in the sight of Gon's naked form under the blankets next to him. "So, you're giving up your religion for me, Gon?"
"No, I don't have to." Gon's smile told Killua of a secret.
"And why is that?" Sure he'd play along.
"Because, I love you, Killua and it also says that with in love you'll find forgiveness." Gon closed his eyes, a reminiscent look on his features and a tiny smile that looked that much sadder when he opened his eyes. He looked almost lost, far away in some memory. " I have faith in that."
Once again Gon changed his smile to something else, something so much more beautiful that Killua hoped to never forget it. "I have faith in you, Killua."
Because, faith binds all things.
Gon made his way to the house, his cheeks flushed from the cold, or so Hisoka presumed. "Good morning, Gon-kun? How are you feeling? Better, I hope"
"Uh…Yeah." Gon's cheeks became noticeably redder during his reply. "I hope you don't mind rabbit for dinner."
Really, what had he expected when he returned? It's not like Hisoka would have magically turned into the wallpaper and disappeared while he was gone. In all actuality, though, he was grateful for the man's company.
And before he even realized he was saying it, "thank you, Hisoka."
"Oh," Hisoka's brow quirked and his constant smirk widened on his face. "For what, Gon-kun?"
Gon tried to keep himself from turning into a tomato as he fought for a decent reply. What, in all honesty could he say? For being here, so I'm not alone? He may have been naïve, but he wasn't stupid. No way in hell was he giving Hisoka that opening.
The ringing of his phone saved him from anymore mishaps in front of the red haired man and he quickly dashed off to grab his cell charging in his room. Hisoka couldn't help himself when he chuckled, "Oh, how tempting you are, Gon. What a shame we can't start yet. It takes away all the fun when not all the players are here."
Gon breathed a sigh of relief when he reached the tiny thing ringing itself almost off of his desk. He crossed his fingers. "Please be Leorio." Despite promising to come to the Island, Leorio never showed and he didn't answer any of his calls.
Gon quickly picked up the phone and glanced at the front LCD screen to see who was calling and felt himself go numb. The name 'Killua' glared back at him in glowing blue lettering.
He wanted to cry and not out of relief.
A/N: lmao
You guys hate me don't you. I keep adding plot and not giving away any answers. XD I wish I could see your faces right now.
Chapter recap- Hisoka's plotting, Killua may be going crazy, and Gon's keeping secrets. Just like your average soap opera.
If it makes you feel any better, we've only just begun! I'm ending the next chapter with a big one that'll have you guys either screaming for more or screaming "What the Fuck!"
By the way, I noticed that all of my time jumps are probably confusing a few people, let me know if you'd like me to start putting a timeline at the bottom of every chapter for your convenience. Even if only one person out there asks for it, I'll do it. You know how many shy people out there are going to refuse to voice their opinions (even though I'd love to hear from all of you!)
And out of curiosity, did any one feel the need to pause and think about where first part of the chapter actually comes into the story when you first read it? I'm kinda just going with a 'WTF" scenario (and enjoying it immensely). Here's to hoping I'm pulling it off!
Cookies to anyone who can guess where the plot is going so far! Lmao
You all are going to hate me.