The smell of salt water was all too familiar to Gon, and the gentle rocking of the boat was quickly lulling him to sleep. Hisoka was in the cabin with him, reading one of the new books that he had purchased. Kurapika and Leorio were off talking to the captain about when they would be arriving. They had managed to make their stop at the coast and were on their way to the islands. This would be the longest part of being on the ship. Gon sighed, turning in his cot, wishing he had the soft talking of Leorio and Kurapika to add to the sounds in the room. It felt too quiet.

"Hisoka" Gon mumbled.

"yes, Gon?"

"Could you read to me out loud?"

Hisoka chuckled. "It's pretty dry reading, Gon"

"I don't mind" Gon turned back around to look at Hisoka.

Hisoka smiled, his eyes closed for a second. "Alright, I'll read it"

Gon smiled and laid back.

"For many years the darker forces of the world have all but eluded those who do not know their secrets. In the ancient cities, where magic was all but hidden from the public, a small group of wizards were able to discover just how to challenge the shadows that haunted their people. In particular, Guardians who became corrupted over time. Many of these kind ancient spirits offered blessings and brought good luck, often with their own special powers and abilities, but some uncertain as creatures like the Bane whispered in their ears. Guardians who did not control much of the world were looking to increase their power, and found it in the shadows. These new beings, Shadow Guardians, and other variants, would become an unstoppable menace for hundreds of years."

Gon was wide awake, aptly listening to a history that he had never heard before. Even though he was a Guardian, he never knew anything else about the other guardians. To hear how Shadow Guardians came into being was frightening. Could he, too, one day change into something evil? Is that what happened on his island? Gon's stomach dropped as he thought back to the his friends.

"Gon" Hisoka called out, putting down his book.

Gon looked up to Hisoka, who looked back at him with concern. "What?" Gon said quickly.

Hisoka raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You looked distressed. Perhaps I should just read a different book?" Hisoka was already shutting the book and pulling out a different one.

"No! I-" Gon was sitting up now, he yelled even though he didn't mean to. "Sorry. I…" Gon sighed, bowing his head. "Is that what happened to my island?"

Hisoka was motionless, but looked at Gon seriously. "I'm just doing research, Gon. We still don't know what we're dealing with"

"No! But, you do know!" Gon felt upset, and a little betrayed. "Why would you have that book if you didn't think that was what was happening. You… you're just telling me in a way that doesn't put the blame on you! You keep treating me like a kid." Gon sat up, feeling angry for the first time in a while.

Hisoka stood up as well. "Gon. I didn't want you to worry."

His response was just as good as a confession to Gon. "I can handle the truth Hisoka, I'm much older than you are!" Gon started walking toward him, uncertain why he did, but he was fueled by heartbreak and anger.

"With the way you're acting now, it's clear that you can't" Hisoka said. Gon stopped, balling his fists. His body felt hot. At that moment he wanted to hurt Hisoka. And immediately he was scared of himself.

"I-I'm just alone, Hisoka. That doesn't make me weak." Gon sighed, standing still. "I don't want to become a Shadow Guardian" he said, voice just barely a whisper.

Gon heard Hisoka move closer, and felt him put a hand on his shoulder. "Gon. I didn't tell you because I'm not certain. I don't want you to worry. Look at how upset you're getting." Hisoka sighed and pulled Gon close, hugging him. Gon felt like crying but he kept it inside.

"Gon, you're not alone, and I know you're not weak. I just want to protect you" Gon didn't know when the tears started flowing, they just did, and he hugged Hisoka tighter. He didn't deserve this kindness. What could he ever offer Hisoka in return?

Hisoka put his hands on Gon's shoulders to create a little distance between the two so he could look at Gon's face. He offered a small smile to Gon and just pouted a little, not ready to return the smile. Hisoka kissed his forehead and Gon looked up to the still smiling Hisoka. How could he be so pleasant all the time? Hisoka bent down again kiss his cheek and Gon closed his eyes.

Hisoka could taste the salty tears, but he did not mind. He bent down one last time to kiss Gon softly on the lips, and Gon felt like his breath was stolen away, like something very sacred had just occurred and he was lucky enough to bear witness to it.

In the doorway was Leorio and Kurapika, both stood in a shocked silence. In an instant Gon felt himself being pulled backwards and the distance between he and Hisoka was growing greater. He felt in a daze, clarity slowly coming back to him. He turned to look at who was dragging him away. It was Leorio, and he looked furious.

"Why are you upset?" Gon asked, starting to realize he did not want to be dragged away from Hisoka.

Leorio stopped when Gon began putting up resistance and pulled him into a corner of the ship. In a low whisper he said "Hisoka kissed you and he really should not have done that" It looked like Leorio was trying to keep himself calm.

"It's ok, Leorio" Gon said, finding that he kept thinking of Hisoka's face so close to his own. He blushed very lightly.

"No, it's really not, Gon" Leorio said, looking around. Was he trying to keep them hidden? Or maybe he was just looking for Kurapika.

"What is Kurapika doing to Hisoka?" Gon asked, feeling concerned for Hisoka's wellbeing.

"Kicking his ass, hopefully" Leorio said off-handedly, but he looked at Gon who was frowning and changed his answer a little. "Well, I mean, they're just gonna make sure Hisoka doesn't come near you…" Leorio looked like he was clearly lying, and Gon did not feel any more relieved. In fact, it just felt like a huge misunderstanding.

"Leorio, Hisoka was just comforting me because I was upset." Gon wanted to walk back to see what was going on, but he couldn't. Leorio was blocking the way.

"…" Leorio said nothing.

"Leorio!" Gon pushed against Leorio's chest. "I'm hundreds of years old. I can make my own decisions. So let me go back"

Leorio looked like he was debating something but stood firm. "No, Gon. That's not a good idea."

"Well, what's wrong with him kissing me?" Gon felt embarrassed and exasperated and frustrated, Leorio kept dancing around an answer and he was getting angry.

"It's just… it's wrong ok?" Leorio couldn't look him in the eye.

"Why?!" Gon yelled. "Is it because you and Kurapika don't like him?"

"No, Gon." Leorio looked around, as if the wall around him could tell him an answer. He looked back down at Gon. "Has Hisoka made offerings to you before?" Gon stopped and looked up at Leorio. Had he heard him correctly?

"… Offerings? No. I mean… he just takes care of me" Gon's stomach dropped when he thought of all the things that could have been considered offerings. It was quite a lot of things. Things that happened almost everyday.

Leorio sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Gon, Hisoka is more than what he seems." It looked like he wanted to say something else but he was holding back.

"What do you mean?" Gon looked fiercely at Leorio, practically commanding him to tell the truth.

Leorio sighed, lowering his defense and leaving enough room for Gon to walk by, but Gon stayed, wanting to hear Leorio's response.

"Kurapika told me not to tell you. I mean, it's pretty clear you don't know" Gon felt a slightly offended at Leorio's statement, but he continued. "Hisoka is a Guardian. And not just any Guardian. He's a Death Guardian."

Gon heard the words, but did not react. He didn't know how to feel. "Wh-…. How do you know?"

Leorio bit his lip and looked away. "I've seen him kill"

"..." Gon looked down at the floor. So what if he was a Death Guardian. Hisoka had treated him so well. Had cared for him. Was it really that bad?

"Gon, Hisoka has killed a lot of people, guardians included. If he's giving you offerings, it's not a good sign"

Gon pushed Leorio away and began walking back to the room, quickly at first, and suddenly he was sprinting, looking for a way to disprove what Leorio said. Somehow he knew it was true.

He returned to the room to find everything still in one piece. Hisoka and Kurapika were sitting at a table, talking, and it looked like they were playing a card game.

"Wh-" Gon started

"Ah, Gon, I wasn't expecting you to be here. Where's Leorio" Kurapika looked up at Gon who was still standing there. As Gon looked closer between the two of them, Hisoka was looking slightly disheveled, his shirt was slightly open, and his hair looked a little out of place, and he had chains wrapped around his hands and arms. Kurapika was looking just as messy, with cuts in their clothes and it looked like an earring was ripped from their ear.

"Leorio's back there" Gon pointed behind him, not taking his eyes off the scene. He stared at Hisoka who looked intently back at him. Kurapika must've tighten the chains because Hisoka quickly looked back at Kurapika.

"Gon, you should probably leave. Leorio should be finding us a new place to sleep for now. You won't be able to speak with Hisoka anymore." Kurapika said, firmly, as if Gon had no other choice than to obey.

"I-I… Hisoka is it true?" Gon said quickly, looking at Hisoka, who did not return his gaze.

"Yes." Hisoka said simply.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked." Gon was pulled backwards once more, feeling betrayed. And lied to. Not by Hisoka, but by Leorio and Kurapika. Hisoka hadn't done one thing to hurt him. Ever. All he did was help Gon. Why should he trust Kurapika and Leorio. He shouldn't. Gon summoned his strength, making himself heavy with his Guardian powers, and pulled away from Leorio, running back into the room.

As soon as he did, everything went black. He couldn't see, or hear, or feel. He was just floating. And he forgot what he was doing. Was he angry? He couldn't tell anymore. This was fine. He was fine.

…

The four of them made it to the islands, where Hisoka was abandoned, much to Gon's disdain. Leorio and Kurapika took Gon to a tiny boat that would sail them to the coast of Whale Island. Gon was quiet the whole time. Leorio and Kurapika tried to engage him, but he refused to even look at them. Gon felt that they had made their decision too hastily, and without Gon's consent. Even if Hisoka was making offerings, he hadn't killed Gon yet. Gon sighed, mourning the absence of Hisoka as he looked across the sea.

Gon had apparently been knocked out by Kurapika, who kept Hisoka away from Gon, and they spent the rest of the trip separated from one another. Gon was not happy with this. Once they arrived, Gon never even got to say good bye, because Hisoka had apparently left early that morning. Gon didn't care if he was a Death Guardian. Hisoka was trying to protect him, and he could never forgive Kurapika or Leorio for separating the two of them.

But he realized, as the three of them got close to the island, that they would have to work together if they wanted to get rid of the evil on the island. Gon sighed, looking over the sea, to the cloudy and gray looking island that used to be his home. He looked back to Kurapika and Leorio and saw them quietly chatting.

"What do we have to do when we get to the island?" he asked quietly.

Kurpika immediately answered. "We're looking for a Guardian that has been corrupted. It'll be a place that used to be a shrine. It needs to be cleansed. Leorio had the right type of spells for that. I'll be helping, and we'll need you to take us around the island, since you know it so well"

Gon nodded, looking back to his island, watching as it got closer and closer. He began to feel nervous. What if something went wrong? He wanted Hisoka to beside him. Petting his hair and assuring him that everything would be alright. Gon felt like crying, but he just looked forward, preparing himself for what lay ahead.

…

Gon felt so cold. All he could feel the soft flicker of warmth from a fire just a few feet away from his face. Gon looked over. It was small and glowed a purple unnatural light. Gon looked up at the sky. It was night time, and there were no stars or moon. It was just black. He could hear shouting. The voice was deep. Leorio? Maybe. He didn't care right now. He wanted to sleep. But it was just so cold. He tried to get up. Nothing happened. Gon looked down. He was covered in blood. Was it his? He couldn't remember. He laid his head back down on the ground. He was too tired. He heard an explosion, more yelling, a scream, and he was certain someone died. He looked over, past the fire. He saw Kurapika casting a spell, a huge hulking creature stood on its hind legs.

"Killua" Gon said outloud.

It had bright blue eyes, and power surged from every inch of its large body. That was the Guardian. The Shadow Guardian. Gon was crying. He felt sad at the sight, and he didn't understand why.

He closed his eyes and sighed. The cold didn't bother him so much now.

…

Gon felt fingers running through his hair. 'Hisoka' he thought. He looked up, and indeed, Hisoka was sitting over him, touching his face and hair.

"Hisoka" Gon said aloud, sitting up and hugging Hisoka.

"It's good to see you, too"

Gon looked around. He was home? Yes. It was his bed, and his desk, and the little clock that his dad had given him. He looked back at Hisoka, uncertain as to what happened.

"Where are Kurapika and Leorio?"

"They left" Hisoka said simply.

"But… what happened to the island?"

"You cleansed it."

"I-…. No. I didn't do that" Gon said.

"You're very clever Gon" Hisoka said mysteriously.

"What do you mean?"

"Leorio and Kurapika were barely able to handle the Shadow Guardian. It had become so warped and twisted that it no longer had a human form." Gon remembered the creature and shivered.

"When you arrived, apparently it was easy to find. But you were knocked out almost immediately."

Gon felt embarrassed for his own incompetence. "I- I wish I would've helped more"

"it was better that way. We would've been worrying about you the whole time anyway."

"We?"

"Leorio, Kurapika, and I"

"How did you get here?"

"I followed you. You still have that coin, don't you?"

Gon looked up at Hisoka, and moved his hand to his pants pocket. Yes. It was still in there, and he could feel the pull to Hisoka.

Gon nodded. He was staring at his hands. He wanted to say something else, but he had so many questions… too many.

"Maybe you should rest some more?" Hisoka said, standing up from his chair.

"No." Gon moved to sit on the edge of the bed, ready to stand up.

"Oh?" Hisoka was ready to catch Gon if he fell.

"I want to see the island."

"I'll let you walk outside, but you're not going to visit the whole island."

"Fine" Gon stood up, and walked to the door all by himself. Hisoka was close behind him.

The island was still dark, broken and ruined. It was bare, trees fallen, and there seemed to be no people here.

"What happened?" Gon felt heartbroken.

"The monster ravaged the land. We destroyed the source, but the damage cannot be undone. Kurapika and Leorio evacuated the island. But I stayed here to take care of you"

Gon looked around. For the second time he cried in front of Hisoka. He had been so hopeful… hopeful that he could fix everything. He failed. What would happen to him?

"I don't have a home anymore" Gon whispered.

"you can come live with me" Gon turned, looking at Hisoka who was looking into the distance.

"I couldn't do that to you…" Gon said.

"Besides, without offerings, I'll probably lose any power I have."

"I'll make offerings to you." Hisoka said softly. "Everyday"

Gon could feel his heartbeat. Why did everything seem so intimate.

"… You're a Death Guardian." Gon said.

"Yes." Hisoka looked Gon in the eye. Gon felt afraid for a second.

"Is that how you get your offerings? By taking them?"

"I harvest your life when you are fully mine… at least that's how I kill a Guardian."

"That means you'll kill me?"

"Eventually"

"…"

Gon could die alone on this island, becoming weaker everyday, or he could go with Hisoka, who would take care of him, until he was ripe for the harvest. Gon swallowed. He looked back up to Hisoka, then back out to the sea.

"I think I would like to die with you by my side"

Hisoka smiled, putting a hand on Gon's shoulder. "I'll be happy to have you."

THE END

Thanks to everyone who gave this story a try. It's really different from my other works. It lacks a lot of the smut from my earlier pieces, so I was going out of my comfort zone to write something that was an actual story. I spent a lot of time on this, slowly writing this over a couple of months, and I finally finished it. It's still pretty short for a story, but I'm happy with how it turned out. If people are interested I might write a one-shot of Gon and Hisoka back at Hisoka's cabin. Anyhoo! Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! :D

Oh! And there were some things that I did not go deeply into in this story, like Hisoka's true age, or how they defeated the Shadow Guardian, etc, but feel free to ask me about it if you have any questions!

Thank you very much and have a nice day :3