"I guess it's just you and me then!" Gon chirped, turning to face Killua.
The blue eyed male startled a bit, Gon had caught him staring. He averted his gaze, "It appears so." The fuck do I do now?! I don't even know this guy! Not really! This is gonna be so fucking awkward–
"Do you wanna ride in the carriages too?!" Gon suggested with an excited little hop.
Killua rolled his eyes, "Fuck no." Why would I want to sit in some frilly box for ten minutes? It's completely pointless. Also, why the hell would I wanna sit in a romantic-assed carriage with this guy?! Absolutely not.
Gon laughed at Killua's aggressive response, "Fair enough! It'll just be the two of us until Alluka and Zushi get back, so we might as well get to know each other a little better! We're step-friends now!"
"Step-friends?" Killua asked, raising a silver brow. "The hell does that mean?"
"Our friends are friends!" Gon explained, attacking the shorter male with a blinding grin. "That makes us step-friends! Technically Alluka's your sister, but it still counts!"
Killua snorted. "Huh. Good for us then."
"Oh! I know!" Gon exclaimed, "You wanna walk to the playground to kill time?"
"Why the playground specifically?"
"There are swings there! Come on, let's go!"
Killua rolled his eyes, but tagged along. His face appeared bored and nonchalant, but on the inside he was having a full on crisis. Why am I following him?! This is so awkward! I hate this so much! We barely fucking know each other, and this idiot thinks we're meeting for the first time because he's somehow managed to forget the fact that he fucking kissed me! But I don't have that privilege! Every time I see that stupid smile I can't stop thinking about that damn kiss!
What is wrong with me?!
"I love swings!" Gon declared as the two of them headed off down the golden-lit path. "They were always my favorite when I was a kid!"
"Huh," Killua grunted, not sure how he was supposed to be acting and not at ALL mentally prepared for being left alone with this guy.
"What was your favorite thing on the playground?" Gon asked.
Killua bit back a wince, now he was being dragged into a conversation. He'd prefer to walk in a dead, awkward silence to this! "I didn't like playgrounds," Killua mumbled, "Too many people."
"Really? Where'd you play then?"
"In the woods behind my house."
"Woah! I bet that was so cool!" Gon exclaimed. "It was super urbanized where I grew up! I was in the suburbs, but there were so many neighborhoods that there were almost no trees left at all!"
"Weird."
"Yeah! It was so crazy! Everywhere you looked there were buildings and people! There was nothing else around but desert and the city to the north!"
"Where'd you grow up?"
"Out in the midwest! Just south of Dorias!"
"Huh. You moved pretty far to come here."
"Yeah," Gon chuckled sheepishly. "I had my heart set on attending Yorknew University, though! I had to work my butt off all through high school to save up the money, but it's so worth it! This place is amazing, I absolutely love it here!"
"You and Alluka have got that in common."
"What about you? Why'd you choose to come to Yorknew University?"
"Alluka. It's where she wanted to go, and where she goes I go."
"Aw, you're such a good big brother!"
Killua snorted, "Yeah. I know."
"Why'd you choose law school?" Gon asked.
"Money."
The taller male barked a laugh, "Valid! That's why I chose software too! For the most part, anyway."
He's so energetic, Killua thought to himself. He was more reserved before, and was letting Alluka and Zushi have the spotlight. Not to mention the fact that I was doing all in my power to pretend he wasn't there.
"Do you have to learn how to code?" Killua asked. That curiosity was prickling in the back of his mind, and he couldn't help but keep the conversation going.
"Yup! That's what the whole major is about, pretty much," Gon admitted.
"Oh? Is it hard?"
"Well… I took computer science classes in high school, so it hasn't been too horrible. My only problem is learning so many different languages at once! Sometimes I forget what language I'm coding in, and switch from Python to Java in the middle of my work! My labmates give me hell for it…"
Killua snickered, "Yeah, of course they do. How the hell do you even manage to do that?"
Gon laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "I dunno! I get ahead of myself, I guess. Professor Wing says I'm too focused on what the program's result is gonna be, and I'm not paying enough attention to what I'm actually typing!"
"Guess it shows you know your shit, though," Killua snorted. "If you switch from one language to another subconsciously like that. Weirdo."
Gon laughed out loud, his voice echoing amongst the trees, "You got me there!"
Killua found himself laughing with him. Gon's laugh… it was contagious. He was like a bundle of light and energy, he was practically glowing… just like back at the coffee shop.
"What are you gonna do with your degree?" Killua asked. He felt his previously icy exterior starting to thaw out. Why was that? What was it about Gon that spread this glowing warmth into Killua as well?
"I wanna go into video game development," Gon answered immediately.
Killua blinked, "Wow, you sound so certain."
"Yup! That's been my goal since I was a little kid!"
"You've got better motives than I do," Killua chuckled.
"No, not true!" Gon protested. "Making money is a great motive!"
Killua laughed again, "Whatever you say, I guess."
Gon giggled, the sound soft and cheery like the twinkling of bells. "What do you like to do?" he asked, watching Killua as the two of them walked down the path. The lights from the trees bounced off the gold of his eyes, almost making them glow. The smile hadn't left his face since Killua and Alluka had met up with him. In fact, Killua had never seen him not smiling.
"Work," the silver haired boy responded.
"Is that all?" Gon asked with another giggle.
He's always smiling and laughing, how's he manage it? It'd get too tired to keep the grin up after like five minutes.
"Yeah. Money, remember?" Killua quipped.
Gon laughed, "Right! Capitalism!"
Killua giggled, realizing that he was smiling just as much as Gon now. What the hell, who would have thought that he'd be having so much run with a guy he barely even met? It felt as if they'd been friends their whole lives… or they'd been born to be friends or something.
"What music do you like to listen to?" Gon asked, hitting all the usual get-to-know-you questions.
"Doja Cat," Killua answered honestly.
Gon gasped, "Oh my god that's so awesome! I love Doja Cat!"
Killua snorted, "Everyone else gives me hell for it."
"Well they're lying to themselves! Doja Cat is a queen! What's your favorite song of hers?"
"Right now? Woman. It's all over the radio and pretty mainstream, but it's super catchy."
"That song is so good!" Gon gushed. "I listen to it while I'm running!"
Killua barked a laugh, "Somehow that doesn't surprise me. What about you? What's your favorite song right now?"
"Oo! Definitely Griftwood!" Gon declared.
"By Ghost?" Killua asked.
"Yup! You shine like the sun and the moon and the stars in the sky~ It's been stuck in my head for like two weeks now! It speaks to me."
Killua laughed at Gon's enthusiasm, "Really? Now that does surprise me! You didn't seem like the type."
"I love metal! Ghost is my favorite!" Gon announced. "I'm hard core!"
Killua cracked up, "Yeah, definitely."
"Oh! What's your favorite color?" Gon asked with another one of those wild grins.
"Purple," Killua said, tapping a finger on his chin. "Really dark purple."
"Oo, mysterious~" Gon teased.
Killua rolled his eyes, "Whatever. What's yours?"
"Green!"
"What do you like to do?" Besides getting wildly drunk, that is. Killua found his eyes drawn to Gon's face. He couldn't look away, and this smile was glued to his lips.
"I like to go to the gym!" Gon declared. He held his arms up and flexed, though it didn't really work through the white coat. "I'm strong!"
Killua giggled, "I'm sure, all that energy's gotta go somewhere, huh?"
"Yeah! You should come with me one day!" Gon suggested.
Killua wrinkled his nose, "Ew. I don't think so, I'm not an exercise guy."
Gon gasped in mock horror, "What? How? What is there in life if you don't lift?!"
"My couch."
"Shameful."
…
The next hour and a half flew by, and pretty soon Killua had forgotten all about Alluka, Zushi, and how he'd been scared to meet Gon's gaze not two hours ago.
Gon and Killua had really hit it off. Like, really. Killua hadn't been expecting that. He'd known that Gon was obnoxiously smiley and talkative, but he hadn't known how funny he was, or how contagious his laugh was, or how much fun it was to watch him goof around on a children's playground.
Gon was so… alive. It was like everything he said and did was overflowing with life and energy. He could talk about the damn park trash cans and Killua would be hanging from his every word.
Who the hell was this guy?! And why did him and Killua manage to click so well?!
This random guy that had come into Killua's life with a drunken kiss…
It'd only been a week, and he'd somehow managed to turn Killua's entire world upside down and then rightside up again. It seemed that Killua was just along for the ride. Since when had his life gotten like this?!
"It's so pretty," Gon cooed appreciatively.
Himself and Killua had returned to the Christmas tree, and were currently leaning up against the metal fence in front of it. The two of them stood before the tree, golden light raining down upon them and bathing them in a fuzzy glow. They watched the crowd mill about and the water sparkle in its fountain. It was freezing fucking cold outside, but the square felt so strangely… warm.
Maybe it was the enormous crowd of people, or the din of so many voices. But more likely… it was Gon. Standing here with Gon, made Killua forget about the cold. And soon, Killua had forgotten about why he was here in the first place. There was nothing but him and Gon and the twinkling lights at their backs.
"It is," Killua agreed, craning his neck to look behind him at the enormous tree.
"Christmas is my favorite time of year," Gon sighed. "I love the winter and the decorations and how all of December is a giant countdown to Christmas Eve! It's just so fun."
Killua quirked an eyebrow, "You like all this madness?"
"Of course I do!" Gon declared, turning to Killua and shooting him another of those patented grins. "Christmas is my favorite holiday! Isn't it great?"
"No, I hate it," Killua snorted.
An expression of pure horror crashed across Gon's features. "What?! You hate Christmas?!"
"Yup," Killua sighed, threading his arms behind his head as he got ready to have this conversation for the trillionth time.
"But why?" Gon asked.
"It's just so much," Killua complained. "Everything turns red and green and people start pretending to be all nice and generous. The music is annoying, it's Christian dominated and inconsiderate of every other religion, it's in your face, it's way over marketed, need I go on?"
Gon stared at Killua like he had two heads. "What?! That's not what Christmas is about at all!"
"Maybe it's not what it's about, but it's what it is," Killua argued.
"I– I just don't understand!" Gon sputtered dramatically, slapping his hand against his breastbone in false-offense. "How can you hate Christmas?!"
"I just do," Killua shrugged.
"You like the tree, don't you?" Gon whined, sounding genuinely concerned.
Killua snorted. "Yeah, the tree is alright. The lights they've put up are pretty and all. I just don't like Christmas. No big deal."
"This is the biggest deal ever!" Gon exclaimed, turning to fully face Killua.
The silver haired male glanced over at him with a lopsided smile. Gon was fixing him with a stern gaze, his hands braced on his hips.
"What's this about?" Killua asked.
"What made you hate Christmas?!" Gon asked in a rush. "Who hurt you?!"
Killua rolled his eyes. A lot of people have hurt me, actually, but that's not relevant right now. "I don't know what type of trauma you're trying to drag out of me, I just hate Christmas! Simple as that!"
"You're like Scrooge McDuck," Gon breathed. His eyes sparkled with a childish wonder.
"Huh?! The fuck?!" Killua exclaimed. "Why Scrooge McDuck?! Is the only version of that story you've seen the Disney one?!"
Gon ignored Killua's question, instead leaning forward and gazing determinedly into Killua's sapphire eyes. "I'll change your mind! I'll save your Christmas spirit, Killua! I swear on my life!"
Killua's breath caught in his throat. With Gon leaning so close, the only thing he could think was… Killua's eyes flicked to Gon's mouth, but only for a fraction of a second. No one could have noticed. Killua felt a heat crawling into his cheeks. The hell's with that reaction?!
He rolled his eyes and leaned his head in the opposite direction, a perfectly casual move, but one that put some distance between him and Gon. "Whatever. Knock yourself out, but I won't change my mind."
"You will! I promise you will! You can keep hating Christmas for all those reasons, but there are so many things to love about it too! I'll save Christmas for you, Killua!"
"What world do you think we live in, huh?" Killua snorted. "Some shonen-hallmark mashup universe? You're making such a big deal out of this."
"I'll show you Killua, just you wait and see!" Gon declared. He leaned out of Killua's personal space (thank god), and turned to face the fountain. A grin crept across his face, and his amber eyes flashed with a newfound excitement.
Killua rolled his eyes, and continued leaning against the fence as they waited for Alluka and Zushi. "Well I'll be waiting for a long assed time, cause I'll never renounce my hatred of Christmas. No matter how hard you try."
The silver haired man pulled out his phone, and started scrolling through Tik Tok to pass the time. Eventually himself and Gon dissolved into a lively conversation about each other's for-you pages, but before that there was a slight change in Gon that Killua missed, having been too absorbed in his phone to notice.
Gon gazed out at the fountain for a couple more moments, gears clearly turning in his mind. Then he glanced back over at Killua, and a soft emotion glazed his eyes before he shoved it back away and proceeded to bug Killua about being on his phone.
The two of them soon forgot all about Alluka and Zushi once more, and returned to their own little world. They didn't notice when their other two friends returned to the square, and certainly didn't notice when Alluka angled herself behind the fountain for an artistic shot and snapped several pictures of the two of them.
Zushi squatted behind Alluka, and peeked over her shoulder to see what she was taking pictures of. "Why are we hiding?" he whispered.
"I need to take pictures for advertisement!" Alluka whispered back. "And they're just so cute together!"
Zushi glanced from Alluka, to Gon and Killua, and then back again. "They are getting along really well. Your brother was completely ignoring Gon when we left them."
Alluka bounced excitedly on her heels, "I know! This is the greatest day of my life." She took one last picture, and then scrolled through her newly acquired collection of blackmail to use against Killua. She couldn't wait to post these without a warning and see his reaction! It would be hilarious.
"Look," Alluka whispered to Zushi, holding up her phone so he could see the best shot she'd gotten. Zushi rested his chin on Alluka's shoulder, and peered at the picture she'd taken.
Gon and Killua stood side by side, leaning against the fence bordering the Christmas tree. The background was blurred by selective focus on the two of them, and it looked like they were standing before a swarm of fuzzy golden orbs. They talked animatedly together, clearly lost in their own little world.
It was a perfect picture for advertising the clothes Alluka had forced them into, but more than anything it felt like some sort of couples' portrait…
"Are you shipping my roommate with your brother?" Zushi asked suspiciously.
"Yup!" Alluka chirped, "And now you're an accomplice!"
"Oh no."
"Oh yes!"
…
Killua drove himself and Alluka home in some sort of a daze. His cheeks were all sore from smiling for too long, and the faded afterglow of having so much fun clung in the recesses of his mind like embers from a dying flame.
Gon…
"So."
Killua startled, his foot jumping against the gas pedal a little in his surprise. Dread washed over him, and he hunched his shoulders up. "I know what you're going to ask, and the answer is no."
Alluka, sitting beside him in the passenger's seat, cackled like a witch.
She was a witch, or at least she was really acting like one right about now!
"You and Gon?"
"No. Stop," Killua commanded, already feeling the flush crawling across his cheekbones.
"Who would have thought that Gon was Zushi's roommate?!" Alluka exclaimed, still grinning like a fool and all but wriggling in her seat. "I seriously had no idea who Zushi's roommate was! How crazy is this?!"
"Real fucking crazy!" Killua complained. "I just about had a stroke and fucking died!"
Alluka giggled, "I know! I saw you face brother, it was priceless! You looked like you'd seen a ghost!"
Killua grumbled, slouching in his seat and trying to focus on the road instead of his troublesome sister.
"It's like when the glass slipper was brought to Cinderella's house! Your Prince came for you! A stroke of fate, you separated at midnight and have reunited at long last–"
"-Stopppp!" Killua whined. "I already told you it's nothing like that! He doesn't even remember kissing me!"
"And how do we feel about that little detail?" Alluka prodded.
Killua bit the inside of his cheek. He remembered how Gon had leaned close to his face earlier… and how suddenly his entire brain had been occupied by the thought of "is he going to kiss me again?"
Silver brows furrowed. "I'm glad he doesn't remember. If he did then things would just be awkward. He's just some random guy, we're not even friends."
"Oh? Sure didn't seem like that to me~"
"Alluka!" Killua yelled in exasperation. "For fuck's sake!"
The young woman was in hysterics, and her poor brother wouldn't be free from her teasing until he finally dropped her off at her apartment.