Chapter Text
“Okay, so, how about this one for kiss, marry or kill: Ladybug, Chat Noir, or Professor Wing?”
There was a strangled squawking sound. Gon looked left just in time to see his best friend’s mouth fall open, pale cheeks blooming red.
“Are you okay, Killua?” he asked with a hesitant smile.
“I’m-” Killua’s face was growing darker by the second, the way it always did when he whenever he got really embarrassed or anxious, “-um. I’m f-fine.”
“What’s with that expression, hmm?” Palm’s eyes glittered as she leaned forward on their tiny cafe table. “Don’t tell you’re so sensitive that you get embarrassed over a silly little game like this?”
Killua glowered. “Shut up, as if! I’m not that bad.”
“Then why are you blushing so much?”
“Maybe…” Gon pondered and Killua’s head snapped around to glare at him. Gon continued on anyway, totally unfazed by the murderous aura radiating of the silver haired teen, “Maybe you actually like like Ladybug or Chat Noir, Killua? That’s the only reason I can think of why you’d be acting like this.”
One of Killua’s blue eyes twitched. “You have got to be joking.”
“No, I agree with Gon,” Palm said and Gon giggled at Killua’s drawn out groan.
“You two are horrible,” Killua muttered. “Why the hell would I like Ladybug or Chat Noir?! Ladybug’s got a cool power but the guy has so much energy that he’s practically bouncing off skyscrapers half the time-”
Gon frowned, unable to hold the flicker of annoyance off his face. He did not do that! Well, maybe sometimes he did. But definitely not most of the time!!! Chat always made sure to bring him back if he ever got too distracted, so it was fine, right?
“- not to mention he carried me bridal style that one time even though I totally didn’t need his help!”
“You did need his help,” Gon said lowly.
“Did not! You weren’t even there, what do you know?!” Killua hissed at him and Gon just barely held back a bark of laughter at the irony of Killua saying that to him. “And Chat, on the other hand, is just…”
“Just what?” Palm prodded, nudging Killua’s shoulder.
Killua shoved her away with a scowl. “He’s just some random dude in a cat suit! I don’t know why anyone would find that attractive- especially that stupid bell. Ugh. Talk about dumb costumes.”
“You’re wrong,” Gon said before he could stop himself.
Killua blinked, clearly taken aback. “Huh?”
Whoops, I shouldn’t have said that, Gon thought with alarm. Killua didn’t know he was Ladybug, much less the fact that Ladybug happened to have a massive, mind-blowing crush on the ‘dude in a cat suit’, as Killua had put it.
But he had to say something now that Killua and Palm were staring at him.
“Uh, I-I mean,” Gon stammered. His face was on fire right now. “Chat’s really cool, you know? He’s always so graceful in akuma fights with his jumps and spins and everything. A-And its really amazing how he knows to use is ability to his advantage even though its supposed to bring bad luck. And, I think he’s…”
Gon trailed off as he remembered racing Chat across rooftops just last night, out of breath and high on adrenaline. He remembered Chat’s sharp-teeth grins and how Gon’s stomach twisted into knots whenever those glowing blue eyes glanced in his direction. He remembered the way his heart stuttered and soared every time he saw Chat’s lithe figure effortlessly leap and twist in the air.
“Gon?” Killua’s voice dragged him back to the present. Both Palm and Killua were looking at him with worry-clouded eyes and furrowed brows.
Gon took a deep breath. Then he admitted quietly, cheeks aflame, “I think Chat’s kind of beautiful, actually.”
“W-What?!”
Killua’s expression was nothing short of flabbergasted but Gon nodded stubbornly despite the nervous roll of his stomach. He refused to take back what he knew to be the truth. Chat was an enigma wrapped in black leather. He shone in the moonlight on even the darkest of nights. And Gon wanted nothing more than to pull back that dark mask and find out the identity of his most trusted ally and long-time crush.
“So-” Palm said with a suggestive smile, “- I’m taking that to mean you’d choose to make out with or marry Chat Noir? You’d have to kill Ladybug or Professor Wing, though.”
“Yes!” Gon said immediately, ignoring Killua’s surprised sputtering in the background. “Well, actually, I’d marry Chat because then I could make out with him whenever I wanted.”
“I can’t believe this,” Killua said weakly.
“Why?” Gon asked, confused. He didn’t get why Killua was acting so weird! It wasn’t like the topic was taboo. They’d talked about Ladybug and Chat before.
“Because! It’s just. It’s kind of, uh.”
“Kind of what?”
Killua scrunched his nose. “It’s just really weird to hear you talk about anyone like that! You’ve never shown interest in kissing or even dating anyone for real. And, no, I don’t count your idiotic platonic dates as actual dates!”
Palm’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me? What was that about platonic dates?”
“Gon goes on platonic dates with girls that ask him out.” Killua crossed his arms over his chest with a sour expression on his face. “It’s ridiculous. It’s like he can’t outwardly reject anyone.”
“I can!”
“No,” Killua said flatly. “You can’t. You’re too nice, that’s why they all like you.”
Gon stuck his tongue out and Killua flicked him in the forehead.
“Ow!!! Killua, that hurt!”
“Good, that mean’s you’ll stop acting like a little kid all the time, then.”
“I was not-”
“Alright, that’s enough you two!” Palm interrupted, but her voice shook with repressed laughter. “No more fighting! I’m dying to hear about these platonic dates. Do you kiss them on the cheek afterwards like a proper gentleman, too, Gon?”
“Paaaalm,” Gon whined as Killua snickered. “It’s not like that! I’d only kiss someone I’d really like!”
“Someone like Chat Noir, then?”
Gon’s pulse skyrocketed and for a second he forgot to breathe. His skin tingled like he’d been struck by lightning as he imagined what it might feel like to have those pale, thin lips pressed against his own.
What should he say? He hadn’t told anyone about his intense feelings for his superhero partner, not even Killua-
“I’m tired of this game,” Killua announced suddenly and his chair made a loud screeching sound as he pushed away from the table. “I’m going to get more hot chocolate. You’d better not still be talking about this when I get back.”
“You’re such a kill-joy!” Palm yelled at Killua’s retreating back. Killua stuck up his middle finger without turning around and Palm let out a laugh that sounded like a witch’s cackle. It was so loud other people turned to stare at them.
Gon fidgeted in his plastic chair. He was glad that Killua had changed the topic, but…
But why was it, though, that he could see the back of Killua’s ears burning bright red as he walked away?
“Hey, Palm?” he asked.
“Hm?”
“Do you think Killua is acting weird?”
Palm gave him a funny look. “No? He’s being his usual grumpy and sassy self. You know how he is better than anyone, Gon- you two practically live together! He’ll be in a better mood once he gets his chocolate, you’ll see.”
Gon bit his bottom lip. Maybe he was just being paranoid?
Or maybe Killua was hiding something from Gon.