Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I know there"ll be risks, but I want to face them with you. It"s wrong that we should be only half alive...half of ourselves. I love you.
So here I am - standing in your doorway. I have always been standing in your doorway.
Isn"t it about time somebody saved your life?" 

M.J. Watson, Spider-Man 2

---

 

The sun settled on the horizon, turning the sky into a beautiful painting of ember and honey. Gon watched as the clouds caught each fleck of sunlight to turn into a soft pink, reminding him of the cotton candy Aunt Mito would often buy him whenever they’d go to the carnival. The sight was calming and quiet.

The exact opposite of his heart right now.

“Hey...Killua?” Gon asked, ignoring the pitter-patter of his heartbeat. He kept his gaze on the sunset to distract himself. To his left, Killua and Alluka were lazing about with their heads down in the grass. Killua was playing on his phone, sounding a happy hum of victory - he must have caught a good pokemon - while Alluka was obviously more interested in the clouds above them, perhaps creating shapes in their fluffy bodies. 

“Yeah?” Killua replied, voice still obviously distracted by his game. He placed his index onto the screen and moved in a circular motion, most likely attempting to put a spin on a Pokeball for extra points. Gon never bothered much with that - as long as he caught the creature in the end, that was all that mattered.

“Why’d you become a Hunter?”

Gon shifted his eyes to the boy and held his breath as he saw Killua’s finger stop moving. Alluka herself seemed to still at the topic as well. Figures this was a pretty heavy topic - it’s not like people became Hunters for the fun of it. If anything, the whole system weeded those types out since you needed dedication and passion to power your own abilities in the first place. If you didn’t have a good reason for taking the oath, you couldn’t take the oath at all. That didn’t change the fact that everyone had their own different and personal reason for becoming one though.  

And Gon really wanted to know why Killua did.

“What do you mean?”

Gon huffed. Of course.

Killua didn’t like talking about his other life with Gon one bit. He could only assume this was because Killua wanted to keep him out of that world, the world of Hunters. While that was pointless considering he already was, it was the thought that counted. He’d even say it was sweet - and especially cute - of Killua to try and protect him like that. It still didn’t change the fact that whenever he would ask, the boy would often try to dodge the question or change the subject - sometimes even flat out refusing to answer if Killua thought it was none of his business. And Gon hated that. Even harmless questions like how many Prey he had taken down that week or how fast his lightning could take him were hard to pry out of him. A question like this was way worse in comparison.

Oh well. Gon was anything if not stubborn.

“It means exactly what I asked: ‘Why did you become a Hunter?’” 

Killua twisted his mouth as if he could seal his lips shut, effectively ending the questionnaire if he could not physically talk. He looked at his sister with a weird expression on his face. If Gon had to describe it, he’d almost say it looked like Killua was asking for permission. Judging by Alluka’s nod in response, maybe it was. Phone now abandoned at his side, Killua looked up to the caramel sky and took in a breath. Gon waited as the air slowly left Killua’s lungs and the boy’s lips parted in exhale. 

A moment’s pause. 

“Because I wanted to kill my family.”

“...Aid. FistAid?” 

Gon looked up from his bloodied hand, the skin raw and covered in dirt and debris. Unisong was looking down at him, a pleasant but slightly worried smile on her face. She held out a hand, offering him help out of the man-made crater left from their most recent struggle. He gratefully accepted and let himself be pulled up out of the hole. He wrapped one of his bandages around his wound and took in the damage. Most of the destruction seemed to be fixed. Queen of Diamonds stood a ways away and placed a hand on a half-standing building, commanding the cells to mend, reorganizing themselves to their former state. In an instant, the building was repaired. He glanced at the rest of the street and noticed the other poles and buildings had received similar treatment - as if the Level 4 incident hadn’t even happened.

Just how long had he been sitting down there?

“You guys are so cool. Everything looks good as new!” 

Unisong laughed softly at the praise while Queen of Diamonds tutted in reprimand. “They looked just fine without our help before you tore them apart, you know?” 

Gon rubbed his head sheepishly. He did have a habit of throwing caution to the wind and going all out during Prey takedowns, but this had to be one of his more disastrous outcomes yet. He couldn’t put his finger on why his powers were being so destructive as of late, but it didn’t bother him too much. What were a few broken roads and windows when it meant saving people’s lives and purifying Prey anyway? It was fine, he just had to work on holding back a little more from now on. 

“Thank you both for the help once again. I was worried that the Prey would leave and attack the other neighborhoods before I could purify it. I had no idea it was deaf. Fortunately, my songs could still create sound barriers to protect the residence.” Unisong gave an apologetic smile to him and Queen of Diamonds. 

“Not at all! I should be the one apologizing! I’m the one who made all the mess since I tried taking it on myself. You should thank her, it was all Queen of Diamonds,” he grinned. 

At his words, Queen of Diamonds placed her hands on her hip, an amused look dancing across her face. Gon’s grin grew wider in response. He knew Bisky wasn’t as mad at his mess as she let on. If she was, even his compliments would be useless in changing her mood. Seeing her smile like this proved that her previous comment was only an attempt to teach him and remind him to work on his self-control.

“Well, now that I’ve finished most of the repairs, I’ll be taking my leave. You should hurry back to school yourself soon, okay?” Bisky warned, the farewell more an order than a request. 

Gon nodded fast in agreement, knowing he’d best not ignore her advice for fear of a future scolding. He turned back to Unisong, a goodbye ready on his lips, before feeling a familiar vibration in the pocket of his trousers. A call? He pulled his phone out and felt his heart plummet at the sight of Killua’s face smiling up at him. Oh. Right. He tried his best to relax before clearing his throat and picking up the call. Hopefully, his voice would sound normal as could be and wouldn’t give away the fact he was exhausted from the battle.

“Hello-?”

“WHERE ARE YOU?!” 

Gon held the phone away before his ear could take any more damage. Oh boy. Usually, he was the loud one. If Killua was yelling, he must be really mad. 

“Well-” he started.

“Nuh-uh, nope. I don’t want to hear it.”

“Then why did you ask, Killua?!” Gon whined. 

“Just get back here. Right. Now.” Killua growled. “You know I suck at presenting - that’s why I worked on the paper instead. If you make me stand up here by myself, I swear to God-”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. We’re the last group anyway so-”

“So that means you better hurry. The period is almost over, you dummy.”

Gon flinched at that. He really was just standing around in that crater for a while. “I’ll be right there. See you soon.”

“‘Kay. Bye.”

He hung up the phone with a relieved sigh. Thank goodness Killua didn’t push it - he hated lying. He was pretty sure he sucked at it too but that was another matter. Before he could go back to telling Unisong goodbye, he found himself being interrupted yet again. This time, though, it was by Unisong and not his phone.

“FistAid, may I ask you something?”

Gon closed his mouth, his farewell disappearing once again. He nodded. Unisong walked closer, tucking a strand of her violet hair behind her ear. It seemed as if she was trying to carefully choose her words, like the question itself was hard to phrase. Maybe it was.

“Are you sleeping?”

Gon blanked. “I. Um. Sorry? I don’t get what you mean? I mean, I’m awake…”

Unisong laughed quietly before shaking her head in disagreement and clarifying. “No, no, I meant: Are you sleeping at night ? I noticed it during the battle and just now when you were on the phone - your soul has been giving off a heavy melody, as if it is anxious or stressed. It’s a quite common tune I hear in tired souls, so I thought perhaps you might be having trouble sleeping.”

Gon felt his heart sink yet again. Oh.

“Ah. I apologize if I am intruding-”

“No, it’s not that,” Gon shook his head. “I don’t mind. I just didn’t know it was that obvious is all.”

Unisong knit her brow together, worry on her face. “May I ask why you are?”

“Um...” Gon scratched his cheek. He thought about everything. About the guilt he felt lying to Killua as of late. About the stress of acting like he knew less about Hunters as he let on. About responding to Prey attacks where Killua would be going less and less out of fear that Alluka or Ikalgo would figure it out. He thought about everything.

Even about Killua’s reasons for becoming a Hunter.

His soul must have said it all judging by Unisong’s ever-increasingly worried expression. Even her eyes looked somber, their sympathy quite evident. 

“I know it’s not my place, but this type of stress is unwell. I can only imagine your Soul Gem has been taking the brunt of all these emotions as well. If it gets any worse…”

The result didn’t have to be said. 

He would fall into despair - never to return. A Prey that couldn’t be purified. A monster.

He shuddered.

“I’ll...I’ll be okay. If it gets even a little bit worse, I’ll get Queen of Diamonds’ or the Chairman’s help, I promise. The last thing I want is to become something like that,” Gon promised her.

“I understand,” Unisong whispered, most likely still unsatisfied by his answer but unwilling to push the topic any further, for his sake. “Well then, I best head off to relay the report. Be safe.”

“You too!” Gon waved. Feet as fast as they could go, he sped off back to school - leaving Unisong’s words and worries behind him. Nearing the silhouette of the gates of the school, Gon ducked behind a tree and transformed back into his normal form. He hopped over the gates, landing with a soft ‘oof’, before finding an entryway - the side door entrance to the cafeteria still thankfully open. He looked at the clock looming over the large room, checking the time. Phew. He still had 15 minutes before the period was over and plenty of time to present their project. Ignoring two hall monitors and their gripes about running inside, Gon made his way to Biology. A smile quickly overtook his lips as he spotted Kite’s familiar hat and relaxed grin currently leaning against the classroom’s door frame, a knowing look on his face. He pointed a thumb towards the entrance and chuckled when Gon quickly jogged inside, the boy catching his breath once he had made it. 

All at once, the adrenaline from the earlier Prey battle and anxiety from Unisong’s words faded from his brain. Killua was sitting on the edge of Kite’s desk, dangling his feet in agitation and looking down at his phone with a pout on his face. As if sensing the new presence in the class, he looked up to meet Gon’s gaze and his eyes narrowed.

“You’re. Late. ”

“But I’m here and that’s what counts, right?” Gon smiled, hopeful that Killua move right along and get to the part where he’s forgiven. It seemed Killua didn’t get the memo though and Gon was given a pinch on his arm as punishment before moving to Kite’s computer, pulling up a PowerPoint and displaying it on the projector. Oh well, that was good enough. If Killua wanted to, he could pinch him at least 10 times harder than that. 

Gon made his way to the side of the projector screen and checked for Kite’s approval to start before facing the class with a confident and toothy smile. First, introductions - just as Kite had them rehearse. “My name is Gon and…” he looked towards Killua.

“...I’m Killua.”

“And our presentation is on Lichen! Lichen are...”

Kite watched as his godson naturally eased into presenting, listing off all the facts and topics of the species they were assigned. Killua stayed off to the side, his eyes usually on Gon instead of the words projected behind him - so much so that he even jumped when asked to click to the next slide. Kite chuckled at the sight. While Gon was instantly likable and practically impossible to hate, he had yet to see someone develop such a deep affection for the boy. It warmed him to see someone care for Gon just as much as he did for them. He wouldn’t be surprised if by this time next year the two would be joining him on fishing trips as a couple instead.

He let his eyes wander over Gon and Killua’s smiles, their explanations fading into the background, before Gon’s pendant caught his eye - the hue a deep and dark green.

Hm. How strange. He could have sworn the gem was a lighter shade, closer to a lime. 

Perhaps he was mistaken.

Killua couldn’t explain it but there was something off with Gon lately. Sure, he was the weirdest person he had ever met - and that was saying something - but nowadays he was downright strange. 

Take last week, for example.

Mr. Kite had assigned a group project about some type of living organism where a duo had to write a paper and put together a slideshow to present in front of the class. Naturally, he and Gon raced to each other’s desk when they found out they could choose their own partners. Not only was it obviously a win since he could work with his best friend, but they also made a great team too - Gon the charismatic public speaker, happy to make the presentation actually fun to listen to, and Killua the brains, happy to stay as far away from the spotlight as possible but make everything work and fit together for Gon to say in the first place. 

They just fit together perfectly. Killua wouldn’t ever say so out loud, of course, but it was true nonetheless. So everything seemed fine. They argued a little first on what organism they were going to choose - although they always argued about the stupidest of things so he wasn’t really surprised to find Gon wanted to present on algae for some dumb reason. After a “heated discussion” over which was cooler, algae or bacteria, they decided to just compromise and choose Lichen, which was both. That was all par for the course though - he and Gon always fought over little things like that. What wasn’t expected though was how hard it was to get Gon to actually come over and work on it in the first place. And that was weird. It took until that Wednesday, a full 2 days after the project was assigned to them, for him to come over. Months ago he had to fight to keep Gon from basically moving in with them but now it was like he had a million reasons why he couldn’t even come over for dinner. 

Even Alluka had caught on quickly that something was up.

“Did you have a fight?” He remembered Alluka asking him one day over breakfast. He had shook his head no and went back to eating his pancakes right after, but the question nudged the back of his brain on repeat for the rest of the day. 

Had they? Sure, whenever they did fight they’d make up practically 5 minutes later - he begrudgingly accepted the fact that he’d never truly be able to get mad at Gon for real - but maybe he had said something without realizing it and that’s why Gon was suddenly so busy. Paranoid over the idea, Killua found himself constantly reading too much into his and Gon’s interactions that day. Did Gon always say he had to call Mito at lunch? Was he always a little quiet during first period? Did he always yawn during Home Ec?

Killua couldn’t remember. He tried to think about how Gon usually acted but he kept drawing a blank. Maybe he was acting as usual and Killua was the weird one for once. He would have accepted that and forgotten all about it.

Until The Cupcake Incident happened.

He remembered Ms. Palm screaming in anguish and chucking Gon’s cupcake into the trash can, gasping for breath and tears streaming down her face. Their Home Ec teacher had a flair for the dramatic so he initially chalked her reaction up to that until she spit out her explanation.

“Awful, disgusting -” she choked, “- the most VILE cupcakes I have EVER tasted!” 

Gon by this point would normally be rubbing his head bashfully and apologizing for the mistake - he wasn’t a great baker, to begin with. This time though-

“...Oh. I. I guess I forgot the sugar. Sorry, I’m. I’m not feeling too great, Ms. Palm. Can I be excused?”

What? Killua frowned at Gon’s words. He never asked to go to the nurse. He was so stubborn Ikalgo joked that Gon would have to have his arm chopped off before he would consider visiting a doctor - and even then he’d probably say he just needed a bandaid. Now, he was flat out forgetting to add sugar, one of the only important ingredients in desserts, and asking to see a nurse? 

Something was definitely wrong. 

He tried asking about it after school, but Gon laughed it off, saying he just stayed up for too long studying - an obvious lie considering Killua had to tape his eyelids open whenever reading their textbooks on study nights. He decided to let it go. If Gon wasn’t going to tell him, he couldn’t care less.

Or at least, that’s what he told himself at first. Turns out, he cared a lot . Seeing Gon so obviously distracted by something was starting to make him distracted. Even when Gon ended up coming over on Wednesday to finally work on the project, he spent the entire time focused on studying Gon instead. He’d be formatting the paragraph spacing one minute while the next he’d be wondering why Gon kept breaking the lead on his pencil. 

And that wasn’t even the worst of it.

“...Gon?”

“Hm?”

“Nothing, just... You okay over there?”

For the first hour they had sat down to work, Gon was dead silent. No grunts of frustration about trying to remember scientific names or whining that he wanted to take a snack break as usual. No random fact he just ‘had to tell Killua right now!’ in the middle of reading a sentence. No nothing. Just...quiet.

Strange.

“Yeah, just thinking.”

Really strange.

Killua shrugged into his jacket, adjusting the hood slightly and pulling the sleeves down - the ends reaching just past his knuckles. His mind wandered, all of last weeks events at the forefront of his thoughts.

Something was up and now that the project was over? 

He was going to get to the bottom of it.

“Sleep well last night?” Killua asked. Switch now placed down and blue eyes steady on Gon’s own brown, the question felt loaded - to him, at least.

“Yep?”

“Really?” 

Yikes. Gon knew that tone.

“Yep! Super well! Why?” Gon hoped his smile was strong enough to fool his friend’s scrutinous eyes. Why did he have to be so bad at this? It didn’t help that Killua was the king of lies, knowing a bluff when he saw one, but Gon didn’t have a poker face anyway. 

“Because that’s the fifth time you’ve yawned in the last 20 minutes,” Killua stated, every ounce of his voice teaming with disbelief. 

He had counted?!

“W-well -” Gon stuttered before turning to his default excuse these days “- I did stay up a little bit studying but-”

Killua flicked him on the forehead. Ouch! What was that for?!

“What was that for?!” he said as much.

“For being the worst liar in the world!” 

Gon watched as Killua crossed his arms in a huff, his face painted with furrowed brows and a deep frown. Oh. 

“You’re angry angry,” Gon stated, almost breathless. He hadn’t seen Killua like this except a handful of times - the memory of Killua talking about his family coming to mind. 

“Really? You figure that all out by yourself?” Killua sighed, deciding to put his game away completely now that they were having a more serious talk. He let his backpack fall the class floor haphazardly - its importance apparently secondary to their words - and he readjusted himself in the seat, leaving only the few inches of desk between them. 

Gon looked down, unable to look anywhere else now that Killua took up most of his field of vision. If he met Killua head-on, there was no doubt the truth would be out of his mouth in an instant. Lying over the phone or as a casual excuse was one thing.

He never could lie to Killua’s face. That would just be cruel. Killua deserved better than that. 

“Gon, seriously. I-” Killua’s voice cracked slightly. It sounded like he was trying not to cry and Gon felt himself flinch at the implication. Here he was, trying to protect Killua’s feelings by keeping his identity a secret but somehow it ended up hurting him more. “I’m worried about you.”

Gon raised his eyes at that, shocked, and felt his lip unintentionally twitch.

“Shut up. Don’t even start.” Killua glared, but his voice betrayed him - a hint of laughter now replacing its once emotional tone. 

Before he could stop himself, a giggle escaped Gon’s lips. Almost as if a dam had broken, Killua had also started laughing and the two found themselves gasping for air - faces red and cheeks wet with happy tears. 

“I’m- ” Gon laughed, ”- I’m sorry. Honest Killua just sounds so funny. It doesn’t fit!” 

“Hey, I’m trying here, okay?” Killua’s laughter died down but the smile still remained on his lips. 

It seemed that, thankfully, their conversation would be more comfortable now that the tension had broke. However…

“Gon.”

“Yeah?”

“I mean it though - is something wrong? You know you can talk to me, yeah? You’ve been kinda…” Killua trailed off.

Despite the more relaxed air, the topic was the same. Gon felt his eyes fall to the desk once more. 

Even if keeping the truth made Killua worried like this, was it right for him to just tell him now? It’d just make things worse once Killua found out. The tension would be back, no doubt, and probably turned up to a hundred. He could just imagine how hurt Killua would be that Gon kept it from him or, worse, think that Gon didn’t trust him enough with it. That was the last thing he wanted Killua to think. And if it caused a fight and Killua wanted space, seeing him every day in class but unable to talk or working with him would be torture.

No. Now wasn’t the right time. He should wait until break, when Killua could have time to process it - when he and Gon could talk about it at length and not worry about something else like homework or projects. 

But Killua was asking him now . And right now...Gon couldn’t tell him.

"Killua, you know how much I trust you, right?" 

Killua turned a shade pink, looking away from Gon"s sincerity and focusing on one of the trees outside their classroom window. He nodded his head "yes". Gon smiled. 

"Do you trust me?" 

"Of course, moron," Killua grumbled. "Like you even have to ask."

His heart clenched. Killua was amazing. What did he do to deserve a friend like this? Every fiber of his being screamed to just blurt out the truth, that Killua should know, but he resisted and continued on with the only alternative. 

"Then please trust me when I say I can"t talk about it right now. It"s not you-"

""It"s not you, it"s me?"" Killua smirked, his earlier shyness now faded. "Really, Gon?"

"You know what I mean!" Gon whined. "I want to tell you, I really do! I just-"

"Can"t," Killua finished for him with a sigh of acceptance. "You"re gonna tell me the minute you can though?"

Gon nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. Promise."

"Fine. I guess that"s better than nothing. It"s not like I"d force you to tell me anyway so I"ll take it." Killua leaned back in his chair, leveling him with one last look, as if he could magically figure out the secret just by Gon"s face. Gon wouldn"t be surprised to learn that he could - Killua stopped surprising him a long time ago. 

Ready to put this topic behind them and talk about something - anything - else, Gon opened his mouth but was interrupted by Killua"s phone. He watched as his friend"s face turned sour, eyes filled with trouble. Ah. 

"Is it a bad one?" 

"Yep," Killua said, "Level 4. Those are-"

"-when the Prey is so strong it needs a team of hunters to take it down. I remember." Gon added, making sure he didn"t let on more than he was supposed to know. "You gonna go?"

"Nah, gonna let it mess up a couple of buildings first. If I give it a good 5-minute headstart, maybe it’ll take down Dump Tower-”

“Killua.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going,” Killua relented. ”I might not be back in time for Home Ec. though so if Palm asks, cover for me.”

“Okay. Be safe,” Gon reminded him. Handing his bag over to Gon’s protective arms, Killua opened the classroom window before crawling out onto its ledge. He turned back to his friend and gave him a confident smile. 

“Aren’t I always?”

“I can’t believe you! I thought you were my friend!”

“No…” Gon called out. “Killua…Don’t. I’m so-”

“You’re ALWAYS sorry! Well, guess what Gon? I’m sorry. I’m sorry I ever trusted you in the first place!” Killua screamed out him, tears forming a river down the boy’s cheeks. He sent sparks of electricity through the air, illuminating his body and the entire room that was once a void of darkness. A flash of lightning and that was it. Killua was gone. Vanished. Out of Gon’s life forever.

Gon gasped for air, sweat clinging to his back and chest tight. Not again. He looked at the alarm clock on his bedside. 4:17 . He unclenched his hands releasing the sheets within them - now crumpled and abused from his death grip. The night air around him remained quiet, oblivious to his heightened state and frantic pulse. Exhausted, Gon pushed himself out of the covers and made his way to the kitchen for a glass of water to calm down. Careful to avoid waking Aunt Mito and Abe, still probably fast asleep at such an early hour, he plucked a glass from the cabinet and filled it halfway. Every drop cooled his senses, his heartbeat steadily returning to normal. He rinsed and placed the cup into the dishwasher before heading back to bed, climbing back to his slightly damp sheets and resting his eyes for the second time tonight. 

He drifted back to sleep, praying Killua would be smiling this time instead of crying. 

Gon clutched his Soul Gem - its orb a murky swamp of green. 

Two. No, three. There were definitely three. Gon readied his punch, the usual green glow illuminating his knuckles.

“Your left!” Killua’s - no, SilverShock’s - voice rang out from a distance. Before Gon could even think about dodging, SilverShock had taken care of it. The Prey cried out in pain, its body convulsing with anguish as the magical electricity coursed through its veins. One down, two to go. Deeming Gon now safe, SilverShock went back to dealing with his original target.

“Thanks,” Gon called out, his attention back to his opponent. He collided his fist into the Prey’s jaw, its bones crackling in repercussion to the blow. The monster fell back into a nearby building, one thankfully strong enough to not collapse under the increased weight. He landed down, knees aching with strain. Gon winced. 

Something was wrong with his powers. Landing, even messy, shouldn’t hurt him this bad. Maybe he had overdone it with that last punch? But they hadn’t been fighting for more than 5 minutes, he couldn’t be out of power yet. He steadied his lungs, taming his choppy breaths, before concentrating on his Soul Gem and starting the purification incantation. The sooner he took care of his Prey the better. Just as he was about to finish, however, he realized his mistake. Appearing from nowhere, a wolf-like Prey vaulted its hulking body and rammed into Gon’s, flinging him into something hard, most likely made of some type of metal. Maybe a mailbox, although he couldn’t be too sure - he was too busy concentrating on the taste of iron in his mouth to focus much. 

That wasn’t a good sign.

“FistAid!” Gon heard Killua’s voice, strained and concerned. He stopped himself again. No. Not Killua. SilverShock . Killua was SilverShock right now and he was FistAid. Right...right. 

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and rolled his tongue across his teeth, feeling for cracks. Well, at least he hadn’t broken a tooth, those took forever to heal unless it was using powers like Leorio’s. Shakily, Gon stood up, his knees wobbling in disagreement. In his ears was a wheezing sound, breaths foreign to his brain. Was that him? He opened his eyes, the sight of the looming beast hazy and blurry in front of him. He had to move. He had to. He readied his fist again- 

“-Hey, Ugly. Over here!” SilverShock yelled. The Prey turned its head curiously towards the owner of the voice, ignoring Gon without a second thought. Streams of blue light overtook his vision and the tell-tale sign of the Prey’s defeat rang through the air. 

He felt his body relax and slump to the ground, grateful that he no longer had to muster the strength to fight. Blood or sweat - or both - trickled down his temple. He wiped at the annoyance with a tired hand, grunting a bit when he saw the bandage wrapped around it turn a muddy red. Blood. Definitely blood. Gon leaned his head back to rest on the destroyed mailbox. 

Tired. He was so, so tired.

“FistAid.”

But he couldn’t rest yet.

“Yeah?” Gon waited for - oh, forget it, he was too tired to care anymore what he should call him - Killua’s reply. The Hunter was looking down at him palely, eyes the bluest and most worried Gon had ever seen since they met. 

“You look like crap,” Killua said, trying to remain his usual playful self. Gon wasn’t buying it though, he could tell when Killua was putting on a brave face. He must look pretty bad if Killua was trying to cheer him up.

He laughed or tried to, at least. Ouch. Every part of him ached. 

“Can you...heal yourself?” Killua suggested, squatting down beside him and surveying his injuries. 

“Not enough power left, I think.”

“ Great ,” Killua responded sarcastically before going quiet again - most likely searching his brain for some type of solution. He was about to suggest Killua call for help, Leorio hopefully, before he heard a sharp intake of air. 

“W-what? What’s wrong?” Gon panicked. Was he in worse shape than he thought?

“It’s okay. I...have an idea.”

Gon tensed. He didn’t like the way Killua said that. He was too injured to wait for Leorio then it seemed. 

“What is it?” 

Fingertips familiar and grounding wrapped around his, causing Gon’s heart to leap into his chest. Was that-

“Are you holding my hand?” 

“Shut up, I’m trying here!” Killua stuttered, reminding Gon of the same words said only a few days ago. He smiled. How the heck did it take so long for him to figure out his friend’s true identity again? “I’m going to share some of my powers with you.”

He could do that?

“I don’t know, I’ve never tried it before.”

Oh. Guess he said that out loud. “How…?”

“I’m going to shock you technically. Not to hurt you though. Just to charge you, if that makes sense. Kinda like how those paddle’s EMTs use to restart someone’s heart, you know?” Killua tried to explain.

“I’m not dead though,” Gon supplied worriedly. This plan seemed risky even to him.

“Well, duh, of course you aren’t. I’m not giving you enough to bring you back to life or anything, just to supply your powers with a source of energy. Like electric energy and then you convert it to chemical energy or however your powers work. It’s cellular, right?”

“...Um,” Gon squeaked in confusion.

“Nevermind, just. Trust me, okay?” Killua sighed in frustration. 

Gon tightened his grip, squeezing Killua’s hand in affirmation. “I can do that.”

“...’kay,” Killua mumbled shyly before closing his eyes. “On three I’m going to shock you. I want you to try and focus on the feeling of my powers and use it to heal yourself. Ready?”

“Ready.”

“1...2…” - Killua sucked in a breath - “3!”

Gon felt his hand tingle, the strange feeling of Killua’s lightning currents stinging his nerves and travel up his arm in less than a second. He imagined taking hold of that feeling and sending it to his injuries, just like how he pictured when using his own powers. He felt his skin mend and repair even faster than normal - almost jumping in surprise when he felt his fatigue fade instantaneously. This was…

Amazing. He never felt like this before. Wasn’t lightning supposed to hurt? Wasn’t it deadly? Wasn’t it one of the most destructive things in the word? There’s no way that could be true. Not with the way it made Gon feel so alive. It was like a million fireworks were exploding inside his body. Like eating a bag full of Poprocks in one go, the crackles tickling your tongue and stomach but now all over his skin and in every cell. It was…

Amazing. 

Amazing.

Just like Killua. 

“...thanks.” 

“Huh?” Gon asked breathlessly. Oh. The lightning was gone. When did that happen?

“You said ‘ You’re amazing’. ” Killua pushed a white tuff of hair out of his now bright red face. “So. Thanks. I guess.”

Gon felt color rise to his cheeks himself, but he ignored it and smiled anyway. He was the one that should be saying ‘thank you’.

“A-anyway,” Killua cleared his throat and rose up, turning to face away from his friend’s smile .

Gon laughed to himself. ‘Cute even as Silver,’ his brain commented.

“Now that you’re all good, I’m gonna take off and report to the old geezer. Neither of us has much power left to do any decent cleanup repairs so we should leave it to the Organization.”

“That’s a good idea, Silver,” Gon said, picking himself up off the ground on steady feet. “Thanks again. I’m glad you’re the one that responded to the alert.”

“Ugh, stop being so embarrassing,” Killua said, trying to hide his smile. “I’ll see you later, Patchy.”

With a wave goodbye, Gon was left alone - smile still plastered on his face and the tingly lightning remnants still electrifying his skin. A happy sigh sounded from his lips and he checked to make sure no civilians were nearby before letting his powers dissipate and his form return to normal. Feet guiding him to the half cafe - half bookstore further down the street and untouched from the Prey attack, he finally let the adrenaline leave his body. 

And that was stupid of him really, now looking back on it.

“Hi, how can I help y- hello?! What’s wrong?! Are you okay?!!” a woman, voice somehow motherly and warm, working the cash register cried out - immediately leaving her post and running to the front of the counter. Gon could hear other footsteps and murmurs coming from somewhere around him not long after. How many people he wasn’t sure…

He couldn’t see them. 

All he could smell was salt.

Well, salt and a really strong cologne - both of which gave away who was in the room with him immediately.

“...Kite? Leorio?” Gon croaked out, his voice unrecognizable even to himself. He opened his eyes to see both men hovering over him in relief, but still with worried expressions. 

“Hey kiddo, how you feeling?” Leorio asked with a small chuckle.

“Not too hot,” Gon laughed before breaking out into a cough, his throat obviously angry with its owner’s mistreatment and neglect for however long he had been out cold. “What happened?”

“You were irresponsible - like always - is what happened,” a familiar and motherly voice chided from the doorway. In it stood an absolutely livid looking Mito, arms filled with what appeared to be groceries, mostly apples. Abe stood slightly behind her, eyes happy to see her great-grandson awake and talking. 

Gon paled. 

“Would you care to explain to me why -” she held up his Soul Gem pendant, “- you let it get to this point? It’s not even green anymore!” He watched as Mito’s hand shook, her voice choking with held-back tears. “You could have told me. I know I’m not a Hunter. I know I’m not your mom-”

“You are,” Gon interrupted, unable to let Mito remotely think Gon viewed her as anything less. “You’re the only mom I’ll ever have or want. I just…”

“Just what?” she whispered.

“Didn’t want to worry you,” he confessed, eyes falling to look at his lap. “I knew it was dumb and selfish of me, but I didn’t want you to have to worry. You already hate seeing me fight on the news, I didn’t want to give you another reason.”

“You’re right,” Mito said, walking over to his bed and placing the groceries on his bedside table. “That is dumb and selfish.” She smiled softly at him, her lips contradicting her words. “I’m going to worry about you no matter what you do or where you are, regardless. You are just going to have to accept that. You could have been a fisher and I would have worried about storms at sea - or a doctor and worried about you overworking yourself. You could have even been a janitor and I would’ve found something to worry about like finding a gun in a dumpster and shooting yourself on accident,” she smiled at her nephew’s hoarse laugh. “My point is, I’m going to worry. So it’s better you just tell me. Because you know what makes me worry even more?” 

Gon shook his head softly, waiting for the answer.

“Seeing you like this. This makes me worried the most. So please, don’t ever - and I mean ever - be worried about telling me something again. You said I’m your mom, right? Well then let me be a mom. Let me worry. And let me help you when you need help.”

Gon felt a tear roll down his cheek, his heart stuck in his throat. He nodded, unable to speak.

“Good,” Aunt Mito laughed, her own eyes misty as well. She sniffed a bit and wiped Gon’s cheeks with one of the tissues by the hospital’s sink. “Now then, how about some apples? I’m sure you’re starving since you’ve been in here sleeping for days.”

“Days?! How many?!” Gon gasped out, shocked he had been here that long.

“Just two.” Leorio chuckled at the young Hunter’s outburst, taking a seat next to the bed and adjusting his patient’s fluids. “You’re lucky I’m friends with the woman who works at that bookstore. She knew what was wrong the second she saw your Soul Gem and called me."

Gon widened his eyes. Wait, so then- "She knows stuff about us Hunters?"

"She is a Hunter. You know Unisong?" 

Gon nodded enthusiastically. 

"That"s her real identity. Name"s Melody. Oh, and don"t worry, she told me I could tell you all - saying you had a "kind soul with a joyous sound to it". In other words, she trusts you and your family, " he elaborated. 

Gon thought about the woman"s voice - that explains why he found it familiar. Wait. If he had been in here for so long- "What did you tell Killua? My friends-?!”

Leorio raised his eyebrows as if he didn’t quite follow. Kite, on the other hand, understood immediately. “I let your homeroom teacher know what happened and to tell all your friends that you fainted on your way home from school the day before yesterday. He assured them it didn’t seem serious, just fatigue, but they were keeping you here at the hospital to keep an eye on everything just in case. Killua actually stopped by yesterday...right?” 

Mito nodded, now peeling one of the apples she had bought. “Yes, he and Alluka stayed for quite a while in fact. The nursing staff had to practically tear him away when visiting hours were over,” she laughed at the memory.

“So, he…?” Gon looked back at Kite, checking to confirm his suspicions. 

“No, he doesn’t know.”

Gon sighed. That was a relief. This was the last way he wanted Killua to find out. 

“Actually, about that,” Leorio piped up, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. “I know it’s not really any of our business, but I know I personally can’t just stand back anymore. It’s not healthy - this secret keeping. White lies here and there aren’t too bad, but something like this where the guilt weighs on you? I mean, it’s killing you. Actually, physically killing you, kiddo.”

Gon clenched his fists. He was right, but…

“If I may - ” Abe spoke for the first time since stepping into the room, her “ - I think, as adults who have had a lot more time to gain experience in secret keeping, our advice might be worth taking a listen to.” She laughed as every person besides Gon bowed their heads in embarrassment, denying such a statement. Leorio, in particular, mumbled out that he wasn’t that old, but Gon grinned at the comment anyway and nodded that he would hear them out. “If you are waiting for the right time to tell him, I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Firefly,” Abe told him gently. “The truth is, there is no ‘right time’. You will always find a reason not to, whether it’s raining that day and it’s bad luck or because he might have already gotten bad news. There will always be a reason. So the key is to just rip the bandaid and let the skin begin to heal. Tell him...and do your best to fix everything after.”

Mito placed the now peeled and sliced apple on a napkin, handing it to Gon with care, and hummed her agreement. Gon looked around to see if Leorio and Kite felt the same, unsurprised to see they did. Abe had a way of putting words that made the answer always seem obvious to him, like he was blind for ever trying a different way. It was like that when she explained math to him or when she would teach him how to chop veggies. It was like that when it came to how to tell Killua too it seemed. 

On his nightstand, his phone buzzed - a light chime accompanying it. That was Killua’s tone. Aunt Mito picked it up, giggling a bit at whatever the message said, and handed it to Gon for him to see. Sure enough, it was Killua texting him - the most recent of many, apparently. Killua always complained that Gon texted way too much but if the 50 plus messages and 3 missed calls in under two days proved anything, it was that Killua, when missing his best friend at school, was just as bad.

[Tuesday 7:12] hey. where r u?

[Tuesday 7:12] they had those donuts on sale and i got u 1 so unless u want me to eat it u better hurry up

[Tuesday 7:48] seriously gon alluka is guarding it with her life but im faster than her so like. U snooze u lose and if u are still asleep i swear to god

[Tuesday 8:05] so class is starting...and u arent here. and ur never late without texting me first to cover for u. Im not gonna say im worried but u know. Im worried. 

[Tuesday 8:05] if i find out there was a prey attack and u got caught in it and are dead im going to shock u back to life just to kill u again

[Tuesday 9:16] GON FREECS. PICK UP YOUR PHONE RIGHT NOW. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU FAINTED.

[Tuesday 9:16] I WAS JOKING ABOUT THE DYING THING BUT SERIOUSLY. WHAT HAPPENED. 

[Tuesday 9:17] this better not be because of that thing you won’t tell me about. If it is, i"m going to be majorly pissed. 

[Tuesday 12:02] i guess ur still asleep since you haven’t answered. alluka wanted me to tell you she did an origami cat for u to get better soon. whatever that does. i thought it was cranes that did that but she says its an inside joke?  anyway we are coming to see u after school. 

[Tuesday 12:03] hope u wake up soon.

Gon scrolled through them all, most being about what he figured they would: random complaints that class was boring and he’d have a lot of work when he came back or any Prey attacks that he figured Gon would probably like to be kept in the loop about. It wasn’t until he got closer to the end, a random message at around two in the morning, that caused him to take a pause and reread.

[Wednesday 2:28] you better wake up.

[Wednesday 2:29] going to school and you not being there sucks. I miss you. I miss you a lot. It’s only been a day but. I don’t know. I just. It feels like it’s been a lot longer. I know that’s stupid. It sounds stupid. But yeah. I miss you. So you better wake up. 

[Wednesday 3:31] and you better not bring this up one day 10 years down the line and say “remember that time you said you missed me after one day” or something because if you do I’ll stick my yo-yo so far down your throat even Leorio won’t be able to pull it out with surgery. These texts never happened, okay?

[Wednesday 3:31] so whatever you do, just wake up. Anyway. Night. 

Gon swallowed the last bite of his apple, realizing he somehow had already finished the plate. He must have been trying to get rid of the knot in his throat while reading Killua’s messages. He knew they were best friends and hoped that Killua cared about him as much as he did. But to see it with his own two eyes like this was completely different. This was proof. He reread them again, at least the third time now, before scrolling through the rest and then reaching the ones that caused his phone to buzz in the first place.

[Wednesday 16:04] class is over so omw solo this time since alluka is going to wings dojo. apparently 1 of her classmates has a tournament today??? and she wants to cheer him on??? idk i think she has her first crush so once ur awake ur coming with me to check him out and make sure hes not a weirdo or anything. 

[Wednesday 16:15] also stopped by delmars for the usual so u better be up if not im giving urs to mike when i get back home. i even made sure it had those gross pickles u like and everything so ye.

Gon breathed in slowly, calming his nerves before answering. 

‘I’m up! And that sounds great because I’m starving! thanks so much Killua!!!!’ 

Before he could back out, he sent one more. ‘There’s also something I want to tell you when you get here, okay? You might get angry, and I wouldn’t blame you if you did, but I want you to hear me out first. Sorry for getting all serious. See you soon’

He stared down at the phone, waiting for a response. Never in his life did he think he’d be so happy to see a bunch of letters pop up on a tiny screen. There, hovering right below his messages were the words ‘Killua is typing’ .

The bandaid was ripped.

Killua peeked his head into the room, giving the open door a few knocks for courtesy’s sake. “Okay to come in?” 

“Of course, Killua.” Gon’s aunt welcomed him in before standing up from her seat. He swore he saw her give Gon a wink before moving to stand near him by the door and looking to the other visitors, but he wasn’t sure why. “We were actually just leaving to get some food down in the cafeteria. Do you want anything?”

“Nah, I’m good. Actually - ” Killua grinned, handing her a wrapped tuna sandwich from the to-go bag, “ - I picked you up your favorite. You too, Granny - turkey on rye, right? I figured you guys were still here and might be hungry.”

Abe accepted the sandwich warmly, giving the boy a hug in return.”This is why you’re my favorite of his friends,” she whispered for Killua’s ears only, laughing when his cheeks turned a touch pink. He smiled back. The feeling was mutual. 

“What about the doctor that’s been looking after the patient this whole time? That’s been tending to him night and day. You know, your old pal Leorio?” Killua noticed Leorio side-eyeing the takeout bag. He rolled his eyes - pulling out and tossing a meatball sub at the man and laughing when he caught it with a ‘Hey! Watch it!’

It was when he noticed the last visitor, one with silver hair and a blue hat, that Killua felt a little guilty. He didn’t know Kite was here or he would have picked him up something too. Killua opened his mouth to say so but Kite beat him to it. 

“Don’t worry, I have dinner plans anyway so there’s no harm. I’ll have you treat me when you come on one of my fishing trips instead. Sound good?” Kite smiled at him, tone slightly teasing but its sincerity and warmth ringing true. Killua grinned and agreed, ready to hold his science teacher to that sometime soon. He hadn’t ever tried it before, but Gon had been trying to talk him into coming to the docks with him and Kite a lot and he was anything if not excited. 

Killua took a seat next to Gon’s bed - taking out their own sandwiches now - and waved bye to everyone. It was pretty obvious that the cafeteria trip was just an excuse and they were really just giving him a chance to talk to Gon alone for a bit, which he appreciated. Gon was his best friend and he hadn’t seen him in days, so sue him if he wanted to monopolize him for a bit. 

There was also that thing Gon wanted to talk to him about. The ‘serious’ thing. 

If he was honest, part of him didn’t want to know. There was a decent chance that the ‘thing’ was about whatever was making Gon so stressed out as of late - stressed enough to even freaking pass out. It was what was causing him his sleeping troubles most likely too. And if that was the case, Gon had made it crystal clear in the past that he didn’t really want to tell Killua about it. Even worse? Gon said that he’d probably get mad when he learned what it was.

And that was what really scared him. He couldn’t really think of anything that would make him be truly angry with Gon. He had been upset and worried about him, but never actually mad. Killua was also fairly sure that Gon was aware of this too, since it felt like sometimes Gon would push his buttons on purpose or act a little more selfish around him because he knew it was okay. In a way, Gon knew how much he had Killua wrapped around his finger even if he didn’t understand why or what that meant. So for him to think Killua would be angry…

It must be something really important that he kept secret.

He handed Gon his sub before unwrapping his own, taking a bite. He figured Gon would tell him when he was ready, so in the meantime, they might as well eat. A few good bites into the sandwich and half a finished orange juice, Gon seemed to be ready and he put down his meal, adjusting himself in the bed to face slightly more toward Killua. Killua himself brushed off some crumbs of his sub on his face and grabbed his soda, leaning back in his chair. Sipping on the sweet drink, he motioned for Gon to go ahead. 

“Do you remember...telling me about why you became a Hunter?” 

Killua raised an eyebrow. What the hell did that have to do with anything? “Sure?” he answered, confused as to where Gon was going with this. 

“You said you wanted to kill your family. I didn’t get it at first, especially since Killua isn’t that type of person - I mean, you don’t like hurting others - so it must have been for a good reason. And then when you explained it, I got it. ‘Of course, Killua would want to kill them’ I thought. They hurt his sister and didn’t really care about him either. Both you and Alluka were just...objects to them. And they were killers too - hired guns. But because they were like that and no one would ever be able to stop them, that also meant that you couldn’t live free from them. So, you wished that they would die since it was the only way.” Gon smiled sadly at him, the gravity of his words sinking into the air. 

“...yeah.” He...didn’t really know what else to say to that. They had discussed this before so it wasn’t as if this was new information, especially not to him, but it was like Gon was acting as if he just now figured it out. Why were they even talking about this again?

“Hunter’s become Hunters for different reasons. Every one of them wishes for something, right?” Gon started again, his head tilted slightly downward. 

“Yeah. We do.” Killua repeated. He waited for Gon to finish his question but was surprised when he found his friend now looking upward to the ceiling, his eyes sad - almost guilty. What was going on-?

“Did you know that Kite died? Back when I was 12,” Gon said.

He froze. What? But-

“He was on a fishing trip and a bad storm hit. I was at summer camp when it happened so I didn’t find out until I got back home. I was supposed to be on the boat with him - just the two of us - but Aunt Mito had signed me up for the camp during school and I forgot,” Gon whispered, like the words hurt to even be spoken out loud. “Kite told me I could go next break instead but I still had a weird feeling. And it turned out I was right. Kite left that day and they found his body two days later with his broken ship.”

Killua felt a numbness in his fingers and loosened his hold on his soda. If what Gon was saying was true then-

“I blamed myself, you know. It was stupid - ” Gon laughed, as if his past 12-year-old self was nothing but a joke to him, “ - but I thought that, somehow, if I was there with him, he wouldn’t have died. That maybe if he had an extra pair of hands he could have maneuvered the waves easier, or maybe I could have swam and gotten help when the shipwrecked, since I was a better swimmer than him. So...it was my fault. Because I wasn’t there. Kite died because I wasn’t there for him.” 

“...It wasn’t your fault,” Killua spoke up finally. Gon looked at him, eyes misty and a watery smile. 

Oh.

“You wished that Kite was alive.” It wasn’t a question. 

Gon nodded. “Yeah.”

Killua stood up quickly, feeling his pulse race at the confirmation. All the canceling of plans. All of Gon’s specific Hunter questions. The way Gon would get upset whenever he talked about FistAid around him, like he was comparing the two of them. The fact that Gon and FistAid were practically identical in every way. How he thought he heard FistAid the day Gon found out and also explained why FistAid was so tired in combat lately too. And then now-? How did he not see it? How-?

“How.” He felt his heart catch fire. This moron- “how could you ever think I’d be mad at you for something like this? Did you ACTUALLY think I’d-”

Gon looked up at him with wide eyes. “Wait, hold on-”

“I? I can’t believe you!” Killua found his feet pacing the floor in frustration, ignoring his friend’s pleas to slow down. “Actually, no. I take it back, I AM mad. Not because you’re a Hunter and you didn’t tell me,” - he spat out, eyes now sharp as daggers - “but because you THOUGHT I would be MAD about you hiding it in the first place!”

“...So you’re mad that I thought you’d be mad?” Gon asked slowly.

“YES. I thought it was something awful, like you were moving away or you had cancer and that’s why you passed out or. I don’t know! This though? Seriously?” He calmed his breathing, rant now over and his thoughts now relaxing. He pinched his brow before sighing and asked Gon a simple question: “Don’t you think that if this really was something to get mad about, you would have gotten angry when you found out about mine?”

Silence.

“...huh. I...never thought of it like that.”

That was it. Killua stomped over to the table and grabbed his sandwich before heading for the door. 

“Where are you going?!” Gon called out.

“I’m going to the cafeteria while you grow some brain cells!”

“So, when you said I was your favorite Hunter,” Gon asked, blowing a small bubble with his gum. “Did you mean-”

“Shut. Up.” Killua grumbled, regretting every nice thing he ever said about his friend’s alter ego. 

“I mean, you know you are still my favorite, so I just thought maybe-”

“Ugh! Yes, I think you’re cool. Yes, I think you are one of the strongest Hunters here in Yorknew. And yes, I enjoy fighting alongside you! There!” Killua huffed. He popped another stick of gum into his mouth, sticking his tongue at his now giggling sister by his side. Traitor.

“Good. Because I only think it’s fair. I mean, if we are going to be boyfriends-”

Killua choked on his gum. 

“ What. ” he croaked out, gum now past his windpipe.

“Hm? What?” Gon cocked his head to the side. 

“Repeat that last sentence and see what’s wrong with it.”

“‘ I only think it’s fair’ ?” he asked.

“After that.”

“Oh! The boyfriend thing? Do you not want me to call you that in front of Alluka? I mean, I know you don’t like PDA-”

“That’s-! That’s not the problem... ,” Killua flushed, his voice cracking before finishing his objection. 

“It’s not?” Gon asked innocently.

“No! I mean-” Killua felt his face grow brighter. Was it hot out here?

“I don’t think Brother knew you two were dating,” Alluka finished proudly, a knowing smirk on her face. He hissed in his sister’s direction.

“Because we aren’t!” 

“Well, we should,” Gon said matter-of-factly. “I mean. I like you. And you like me too right? So it’s simple. You said I needed to stop overthinking stuff from now on, because it led to the whole ‘Black Soul Gem’ thing so here I am - not overthinking it. ”

“...”

“...Brother, you’re really red-”

“Shut up.”

[5 months later]

“So, you and Alluka are coming over tomorrow for dinner?” Gon asked, weaving his fingers between Killua’s and a content smile resting on his lips.

“Yeah, Mito’s making meatloaf right? Should we bring anything?” Killua checked, keeping an eye on his sister currently inside the toy shop.

Gon shook his head. “No, I think we have everything. Maybe some dessert? Mito really liked those cookies Alluka had last time.”

“Sounds good, I’ll see if we have any left. If not, we can make some more tonight. Right, Sis?” Out of the toy shop entrance stood a happy Alluka - smiling widely, her new treasures in hand. Before she could answer, both of the boy’s phones sounded. Alluka could only sigh in resignation, realizing she’d probably be making the cookies by herself now.

“Just be safe, okay?” she reminded them, watching as they both responded to the alert. 

“We will,” Gon promised for the both of them while Killua went on ahead, checking to make sure the nearby alleyway was clear for their transformation. 

Alluka waved goodbye as Gon followed soon after, a distant roar catching her attention somewhere near the bay and confirming what she already knew - the Prey was a big one. With a flash of light from the alley and two blurs of blue and green, she knew it wouldn’t be long before the roaring stopped, however. 

Humming to herself, she took her time heading home - Mr. Sakamoto and Mr. Kurisu smiling and offering her a bouquet to take for half off on her way. She declined, saying she spent all her money for the week, but that she’d definitely take them up on the offer next time, walking away with a daisy in her hair because they just couldn’t let her leave empty handed. She greeted Mike at the door, excited to see her home finally, but sad once he realized Killua wasn’t with her. With a laugh, she handed him one of his favorite treats as a consolation prize, amazed at how something so cheap and simple could distract him so, before heading to her room to display the newest addition to her collection. Rows of figurines - all of varying sizes, color, and outfits - decorate her bookcase, the top 3 shelves almost filled to the brim now. She carefully rearranged them, moving one of her favorites of Gon with a smile on his face and a fist in the air closer to the front as well, carving out a spot dead center for the find she bought today. Package opened and protective plastic discarded, she placed the figurine tenderly on the shelf and stood back to admire her handiwork. 

There, in between all her favorite poses and outfits of her brother and their friends stood her most prized possession today. SilverShock and FistAid stood side by side, arms interlocked and smiling at each other. Their outfits billowed in imaginary wind, their hair colors looked slightly when compared to the real deal, and the tiny sparks of blue electricity and glow-in-the-dark green fists were definitely cheap looking. All in all, the figure probably wasn’t all that spectacular to most, its quality likely to be outdown in less than a week, but that wasn’t what made it so special. What made it special was what it meant. 

On the base of the toy read the title of the figurine and what Hunter line it was part of. Etched in tiny, reflective gold flakes were 15 words Alluka couldn’t be prouder to read. It was fitting that this was her crowning glory.

 ‘Team Defibrillator: FistAid and SilverShock

Limited Edition, 2020
Created to commemorate the first official Pro-Hunter couple’

She was their biggest fan, after all.