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As always on Saturday night, the local Pizzeria thrummed with life from families to college kids, no one really paid any attention to Gon and Killua shoved into a booth together in the corner. Killua paid more attention to the world outside the shop window.
Gon watched Killua as he loudly slurped at his iced tea. “You’re lookin’ kind of bummed.” Gon pointed out, as he casually stirred his tea with the plastic straw.
“That’s because I hate this time of year.” Killua dead panned with hardly a look at Gon, who he knew instantly deflated.
“You always say that, but you never actually tell me why.”
“That’s because you don’t need to know.” Killua fully looked at Gon now.
Gon was ready to open his mouth in some kind of response when he stopped. “Alright, one large deluxe pizza!” Their waitress chirped as she placed the meal between the two of them as well as two plates. “Anything else I can get you?”
“We’re good, thanks.” Gon smiled up at her and their waitress nodded happily before she left. Killua took a few breaths and simply enjoyed the smell of the pizza. Gon dug in and grabbed a slice immediately and devoured it with little appreciation for the taste. “Oh man, this is so good!”
“How would you know? You swallowed the damn slice without chewing.” Killua pointed out with a huff, he tried to not get jealous, but when his favorite meals were involved he couldn’t help it. Least this time they got pizza instead of spaghetti.
Gon looked concerned for a moment before he shyly set his second piece back. “I know you said I don’t need to know,” Killua fell back against the bench’s backrest with a sigh, “but I’d really like to know why you don’t like the winter.” Gon offered softly.
Killua reached out and plucked a slice of pepperoni off the pizza and stared at it before he tossed the disk of meat into his mouth. As always it turned to ash and he frowned at the gritty feeling on his tongue. None the less he swallowed. “Fine.” Killua answered as he shook his head. He’d know Gon for several years, and they were best friends. (Least the best kind of friends a Vampire could be with a Fairy child)
Gon shifted and sat at full attention, his honey colored eyes focused only on Killua.
“You don’t need to be that excited.” Killua scoffed. “It’s not that great of a story. Nor is it all that happy.”
Gon nodded and slouched a bit. He reached for his second slice again and moved it to his plate slowly, he waited for Killua to start.
“I,” Killua began, still unprepared for the emotional band aid he was peeling off, “I had a little sister. A human little sister, once, for a while? I mean, I had a sister that didn’t turn.” He blabbed.
“She was a few years younger than I was, but mom, dad, Illumi, they all hated her. Alluka was an angel and they hated her.” Killua continued to explain. “They left her locked in the basement for so long, I was the only one that’d sneak in and talk to her and play with her. Then it got harder to leave Illumi’s gaze, once he turned, he always knew where I was.”
“You mentioned before, he turned late, didn’t he?” Gon asked.
“Zoldyck family tradition, first born waits until they’re twenty five to be turned. Then the younger siblings all turn at eighteen,” Killua replied, “you know their bullshit attempt at following the vampires guide to consent. That and being sure the eldest can take turning.”
Gon nodded at the explanation and Killua continued.
“Well, I knew they were gonna leave Alluka to rot. So after I turned, I kidnapped her and went into hiding.” Killua smiled like a reminiscing old man, which he was technically roughly one hundred and two years old so Gon couldn’t blame him. “She got to live out the rest of her life. I gave her away at her wedding, saw her adopt and raise kids, stood by her when she lost her husband. Then when the kids started to get old enough, they realized I wasn’t,” Killua stammered, “wasn’t getting older.”
Gon felt his heart seize in his chest, oh. Wait, he didn’t realize, hell he had hardly ever considered that Killua had kept such a memory to himself.
“So in the mid fifties I faked my death. I wrote to Alluka with a fake name, every chance I could until the letters stopped coming back, that was just at the end of the nineties, I think? Yeah, middle of January in ninety seven.”
Both of them fell silent for a good long while. Before Killua offered a choked wet laugh. “It’s funny, I watched her get married and have her kids, but in all the memories, I just see twelve year old Alluka. Just asking me to pet her hair or carry her.” Gon watched the muscles in Killua’s face twitch, tears wouldn’t fall. However Gon could feel how badly the vampire must have wished he could have mourned properly. Now and when he’d first lost her.
“I’m sorry Killua,” Gon had lost the gusto to eat and only poked at his pizza slice, “I had no idea that all happened.”
“Funny. Almost like I made a point of trying to not talk about it.” Killua said softly as he went for an olive, he didn’t like them, but he’d give anything to not feel empty. Besides ashes and olives probably tasted similar enough.
“I’m happy you told me. I think I understand you a bit better now.” Gon smiled and kicked at Killua’s feet under the table. A harsh kick was returned as Killua smirked at Gon.
“Yeah,” Killua snorted, “you found out I don’t think immortality is all it’s cracked up to be and that I miss my little sister.”
“Is that why you said you were jealous of Kurapika?” Gon asked without a second thought and Killua’s head snapped up. “Their family was wiped out before they were cursed. So they didn’t have to watch any of them grow old and die.” Gon grabbed his ice tea again and began to stir it with his straw. “You had a choice though, about becoming a vampire. If you didn’t want to become one your parent’s wouldn’t have turned you, or you would have just died, but you’re still here.”
Enough of his past had been brought up and laid bare before Gon for the night Killua had decided. So he kept it simple as he reached up and flagged their waitress for a carry away box. When he looked back to Gon, Killua shook his head. “Turning.” Killua thought of Alluka small and starved for attention, her hands that would clutch at his own when he’d been found in her prison. He thought of the demon his parents had sold her to and then he looked back up at Gon. “Turning was my only choice.”
Gon heard the severity and gulped. Even though Killua didn’t say it, he knew there was more that the vampire hadn’t shared with him.
“Speaking of Kurapika.” Killua hummed and reached for his phone. “Any idea where Kurapika even went? It’s been like three days hasn’t it?”
“Uhh, no? I think there was mention of something about a lead coming up in his divination, but other than that Kurapika told me nothing, which means it's related to their mission or the Phantom Troupe.”
Killua reached into his pocket and tugged out his cellphone. He sighed after a moment and looked up to Gon. An unknown number flashed across the screen and Killua rejected the call. If it was important, they’d leave a message. A few seconds later a voice mail alert popped up. Killua listened to it while Gon waited with curious eyes.
“Speak of the devil that was him.” Killua hummed.
“Kurapika?” Gon asked as he glanced down to the phone Killua stuffed back into his pocket.
“Yep, he’s at the morgue. Again. Needs a clean set of clothes and a way out.”