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Killua didn’t expect the cards in greed island to be so cruel. He was walking, he should say running, back to Masodora with Gon by his side. Running an errand Bisky asked for. She probably didn’t need it. It was just a reason to make them run back again. The thought made Killua grit his teeth.
They moved quickly and in a comfortable silence. Until a man jumped out to the bushes to the front of them, yelling, “Book!”
Gon and he skidded to a halt, respectively summoning their own books confidently. The man in front of them wasn’t intimidating. He was tall, lanky, and already looked shaken by their lack of being startled. Killua resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The guy was probably just looking for someone easy to steal cards from. Whelp. No use wasting time anyway.
He ran forward, going to tackle the man’s midsection. The man was already using a card. “World of imagination!” he said. “Go!”
A shower of light rained over Killua’s head. He tried to dodge it, but it followed him. “Ack!” He said, covering his head, waiting for… something to happen. Maybe an explosion, or… what had the man said? World of imagination? Hallucinations maybe? He looked around, meeting Gon’s concerned gaze. Everything… looked normal.
They both turned back to the man. “What did you do to me?” The man sweated, giving no response. “Answer me, idiot!” He ran to punch the guy in the gut. A ghost of himself pealed off of his body and punch the guy seconds before the real Killua. When the ghost’s fist made contact, it fractured into soft particles of light. “Wha-?”
With the warning, the man jumped away. Killua tried again, this time aiming for a kick to the face. Again, the ghost pealed off of him, giving the man plenty of time to dodge. Killua landed, gritting his teeth.
This was obviously the work of the spell card that was just cast on him. Did it show his moves before he did them? That seemed the most obvious answer. To test it, he punched a tree. Seconds before, it showed his move. Yes, that had to be it, nothing he could do about-
He caught Gon’s eyes from off to the side, asking a silent question of if he needed help. Killua was happy to see his concern, but wavied him off. He was determined to finish this. A ghost of Killua’s head materialized, and Killua could only catch a soft smiling expression that Killua is pretty sure his face has never made in his entire life-
Wait. He hadn’t been planing to smile. So that meant that the card did more than just show his moves, or worse, it showed something different entirely. To test the theory, he imagined a frog hoping across the path. Alas, there it was, it’s ghostly form almost see through. So this power projected what he thought, huh?
Smiling, Killua decided he could work with that. He’d trained to clear his mind. Rushing forward, Killua let martial arts instinct take over, careful to not let himself slip into assassin mode. The man was unconscious in a matter of seconds.
“That was awesome, Killua!” Gon came up by his side.
Killua fought the heat that rose onto his neck. “Yeah, yeah. Anyway, let’s see what cards this guys has.” He only had a few Accompanies and an unslotted magic card called World of Imagination. “This is what he used on me,” he told Gon, reading the description.
This card, when cast on another player, turns their thoughts into a projection onto the real world.
There was nothing else. “Huh. I guess the guy figured out it was pretty useful in fights.” Gon nodded. “Come on, let’s get to Masadora so we can go back.”
Gon grinned. “Okay, Killua! I’ll race you!” Then he started running.
“Idiot! Don’t waste your energy!” But he was already rushing after his best friend.
--
Bisky told them to take a break, and no matter how much they begged and pleaded; We can go on! We can still train! She said rest is apart of training, and they hadn’t been getting nearly enough of it. That’s how Killua found himself sitting on a rock, dangling his feet above a bubbling river. The trees rushed in the wind, and the water gurgled. It sounded like music. Gon sat next to him. They both watched without interest as music notes surfaced into thin air. It had been a little while, and they’d grown accustomed to the temporary disturbance. It didn’t seem worth noting most of the time.
“It’s just so frustrating!” Gon continued to say. Killua had already made his peace minutes ago that they would have to wait an hour or two before resuming training. A useless hour or two of doing nothing. An hour or two they could have been using to train but- “I want to train! I need to get stronger!”
“I know, me too, Gon. But if Bisky says we should rest, we should probably do what she says. Besides, it’s not like you actually get any sleep.” Gon glared at Killua’s snickers, rubbing at his bruised head.
“Don’t pretend you’re not mad too!”
How indignant. Killua ruffled Gon’s hair saying, “I never said I wasn’t!” Even though Killua felt the maniacal grin on his face, the fond ghost expression returned to sigh at Gon. The two stared at it, until Killua had the sense of mind to clear it away. He didn’t want to wonder what it meant. Half because he probably knew… and half because the wondering would probably surface inappropriately as well. Killua’s face felt hot.
“How long do you think it will last?” Gon said, drawing his attention.
“Uh… I think the card said a few hours.”
“Oh,” Gon said indifferently. If he didn’t care, why’d he ask? “Well I think it’s nice to see what Killua’s thinking.”
There it was. The heat pooled at the base of Killua’s neck. “Wh-what?!”
“You never talk about what you’re thinking! How am I supposed to know you, if you don’t share you?” As Killua looked away, he saw a see-through image convey his deep blush, looking abashed but smiling nonetheless. Killua swatted it away, only to find Gon grinning. “Are you embarrassed, Killua?”
“Shut up!” he pushed a hand into Gon’s face, only to receive a laugh and a shove back. They pushed back and forth, swaying and laughing. They locked eyes for a moment, and Killua forgot how to breathe. Gon’s eyes were like puddles of mud in the rain, dark and inviting, never knowing how deep it could go. Freckles scattered across his face, nesting onto the bridge of his nose. Killua couldn’t stop these thoughts from coming, couldn’t make that conscious choice, because all he saw were the strands of hair escaping onto Gon’s forehead. Gon’s grin, that made his chest feel warm.
“Killua? What’s wrong?” Always so kind, so bright, so Gon. It all made Killua forget. Forget, forget, forget. A projection of himself creeped forward, only to meet Gon’s projection in the middle with a smile. Killua’s ghost pushed the strands of hair away from ghost Gon’s forehead, bringing a hand to rest on Gon’s jaw. They leaned forward until their lips-
The real Gon inhaled sharply, “Oh.”
Killua blushed the hardest he’d ever blushed in his entire life, scrambling backwards. Gon’s hands were still raised where Killua just sat, his eyes wide, his face a bit pink.
“I-um! I didn’t---I don’t---that’s not--”
Gon was still stunned.
Frantically, Killua said with a voice an octave too high, “I’m going to go find a different place to rest,” he start walking away before he added, “Don’t follow me please.” He didn’t see the ghost of himself hitting himself in the head.
Killua left Gon in silence.
--
Later that day, Bisky asked them to spar. Under normal circumstances, this would have been fine. Fun even. These were not normal circumstances. Killua’s thoughts wondered, causing Bisky to reprimand him when he thought of water, or a chocorobo, or even the sky. Anything that wasn’t training. The problem, was that Killua himself was avoiding thinking about what happened. He did not need more of his feelings broadcasted to the world. Neither of the boys were working with each other, too focused at avoiding eye contact to notice when the other one punched. How could Killua look Gon in the eyes after that? (After what? Nothing happened, of course nothing happened, nothing he would think about happened, nothing happened… )
Bisky had had quite enough. “Alright, stop!” she yelled after Gon got hit by Killua for the third time. “Did something happen? Did you two have a fight?”
Killua refused to blush. He absolutely refused it. “No,” he gritted out, stubbornly glaring at a crack in the dirt, imagining some grass growing in it to avoid actual thoughts. Gon stared for a moment before agreeing. Bisky sighed.
“Fine. Gon, go do three-hundred push-ups. Killua, come talk with me for a moment.”
“Osu!” Gon dropped right down and started.
They walked a ways away, out of even Gon’s hearing range. Killua continued to imagine grass growing the gaps of the dirt. Bisky whirled around. “What happened? Did it have something to do with your thoughts problem?” As if to show itself, a mirage of grass falling came between them. Killua kinda remembered thinking it would be funny if he could throw grass in her face but- a ghost Killua threw grass in her face. Her eye twitched. Killua let out a strangled and frustrated sound.
“No.”
“Don’t lie to me, Killua, I can sense lies.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Bisky looked him right in the eyes. “Well you’re gonna have to. This problem is affecting not just your training, but Gon’s as well. Don’t you think that’s a bit selfish?”
It was selfish. He knew. Gon wanted to get stronger, and Killua was complicating that. A ghost of Gon appeared to his side, saying, “I need to get stronger, Killua!” The projection turned it’s gaze onto him, and his breath hitched. More projections of Gon laughed around him, making his cheeks heat. He smacked them away, too embarrassed to think coherently anymore. Bisky stood with her arms crossed, looking unamused.
“You like him.”
How many times could Killua blush to his fullest in a day? Were the Gods making bets on how red he could get? “N-no!”
“Your thoughts say otherwise,” she said. “Is this what happened? Did he find out?”
“I don’t know what you’re-!”
“Listen, Killua,” Bisky sighed. “Your voice is higher than usual. Your face is red. You stare at Gon all the time. The signs are there, whether you’ve admitted it to yourself or not. But right now, you both need to train, so could you please sort it out?” Killua ducked his head without an answer. Bisky took it as one anyway. “Great.” Bisky’s aura spiked, and Killua could only cover his ears before the her aura magnified her voice. “Gon!” Gon came running, not even out of breath when he arrived. Obviously. “Alright you two, you are going to run around this hill-” she jerked a finger to the small mountain behind her “-until this is all sorted out. Good luck.”
They stood there for a moment. Bisky opened her mouth to shout. “Osu!” they gave, and started running.
--
Everything sucked. Killua was never going to recover. If he thought the gods could be cruel before this day, he was oh so wrong. He would almost prefer to go back to poison training. You know how his father made him work off the poison? Whipping. At least he could recede into his mind and not think about the pain. But now, running next to Gon, his mind couldn’t keep still. Well, with his training he had managed to halt all coherent thoughts except for “everything sucked” and “why me.” So far, neither of these had manifested as anything useful. On the other hand, with the lack of content to broadcast, the magic seemed to like his feelings shown to the world.
No. Not to the world. To Gon. Which, in case anyone hadn’t noticed, was worse.
When they started off, both were silent. Each in their own head--or around their heads in Killua’s specific case. Gon would glace over to him, waiting to start a conversation. Killua refused to say a word. What was he going to say? Gon, yeah… about earlier. It was a spur of the moment thing, totally not influenced by the fact that for the past six months I think I’ve developed a crush on you, anyway- Yeah, no.
Killua swatted the about to confess ghost away from his face.
Still. He felt wrong to directly disobey Bisky’s orders. So, “Gon, listen. Just forget about what happened okay? Let’s just get this over with and go back to training.” There. Now if Gon could take the hint, they could just move on and pretend nothing happened-
Gon turned his head, smiling. “We are training, Killua. We can talk and train!” Gon’s arms pumped as he ran.
Killua was overwhelmed with nervous adrenaline. “No,” he spit out before running ahead. Far ahead. Unfortunately, Killua remembered why they were friends as Gon closed back the distance. He groaned dramatically, causing his breath to form a wide eyed and blushing Killua.
Gon’s face all seriousness, even down to the little smirk on his lips, as he speed up to match their paces. “I really do think we need to talk.”
Killua gave no answer.
“Ki-lu-aaaa…”
He would not give an answer. He’d said what he wanted to say. Forget it, Gon! A translucent zipper pretended to zip Gon’s mouth shut. Alas, if only it was real.
“Are you trying to tell me to shut up?” Gon was less serious now. This was dangerous.
Yes. Stop talking to my thoughts idiot. Did Killua mean to have a conversation this way? No. But it was easier than talking at least. Ghost Killua stuck a tongue out at Gon.
Gon laughed. Ghost Killua blushed. Real Killua definitely didn’t blush (nope).
Gon’s laughter died slowly. “Killua… do you…” Every damn bone in his body was scared. Why were feelings going to be the death of him? Even so, every atom vibrated with anticipation. Like each of them were rooting for their home team who was winning the sport. He swallowed. “Do you like me?”
Killua chanced a glace to see the inquisitive freckles he knew he would see if he turned. And oh yes he did. The freckles framing a skin-kissed face, lips hanging ever so slightly open, eyes wide and round. Quite frankly, it was too much for Killua to handle right now. His real face flushed three shades of red before settling on one that simmered and spat. Killua hunched his shoulders to hide his ears, hide anything. His mouth opened, because what was he going to do? Admit to feelings? Oh heck no. What he was going to do, was he was going to say no. So he did.
“Yes,” the ghost Killua whispered leaning close to Gon’s face. Gon turned pink, leaning away in a fashion not unlike in a romance manga. NOT like Killua would know any romance mangas. “Do you?”
For the sake of everything made of chocolate in this world, if I could kill myself without killing myself--
“No!” He chirped, frantically jumping through the illusion. “Ha, I don’t know what that was talking about, that’s ridiculous and-”
“Killua.”
“No, no, really. I promise it’s not like th-”
“Are you sure?” Gon slowed them down, almost all the way to stop. He took up Killua’s hand, watching his own movements he made carefully and slowly. “Are you really sure?” Gon’s eyes met Killua’s. They shone bright. They were a hundred types of gold, but Killua could only name one. Gon. Which he belatedly realized wasn’t even a color. He remembered all the times his heart raced as they fought together. He remembered the times they slept side by side, and remembered when Gon showed him every inch of his island home. Everything they’ve ever done is like a dream to Killua… everything he does with Gon just makes him happy. Makes his heart skip a beat.
Killua continued to blush, but he managed words. He hoped to every god, maybe even Ging (he was the god of Greed Island right?), that he wasn’t reading this wrong.
“No… I’m never s-sure,” he tried. He cringed at his fabulously terrible flirting. It was something he’d only read in books, he’d never tried to flirt. Never had to, never wanted to.
Gon smiled again, beautiful eyes cast to the ground. “I like you, Killua.” Killua’s heart skipped a few beats. His breath hitched. Sparing a glace back up, Gon saw the utter shock on Killua’s face, and rushed on. “Like, like like you. You’re just so cool and smart! And I didn’t think about it before, but then your ghost kissed my ghost and I thought that was nice, but it wasn’t even me so-” Gon rambled, hands flying, trying to convey his conviction.
Killua’s heart beat faster with every word, and he did what he actually wanted for a change. He steadied a shaky hand on Gon’s jaw. Every curve and slope of his face was right there in front of him. Gon’s lips, the same ones that just confessed, halted, gasping. “Killua…” he murmured, staring down his nose at Killua’s lips.
His face blushed, his heart hammered, his lips tingled. His body moved before he could think anything. Forward… forward… eyes fluttering closed.
There was a moment of silence. Of sharing breath with eyes closed. Then their lips touched, and Killua was sky high. They were soft, and sweet, and everything about the boy in front of him overwhelmed his senses. He inhaled, pressing ever so gently closer. He slid his hand to the back of Gon’s neck, pulling away to rest their foreheads together. Again, standing in their place of contentment and shared air. Killua was suddenly aware of Gon’s hand on his waist. Both of them might as well be blushing from head to toe.
“Oh.”
They giggled, and Gon kissed the tip of Killua’s nose still smiling.
“How… how long?” Gon asked.
“I could ask the same of you,” Killua responded wryly.
“I already told you! I didn’t think about it until today, but then I realized that it made sense.”
“Wait, so hold on, you’ve only had a crush on me since today?”
Gon made an exasperated sigh. “That isn’t what I said!”
“Then what did you say?” Killua blew his breath into Gon’s face.
Gon’s nose wrinkled adorably, and Killua heard the gasp the boy tried to hide. It made him grin.
“I said I’ve always liked you,” Gon breathed.
It was Killua’s turn to blush. He couldn’t think of any coherent thoughts, he only gaped. Gon laughed.
“Shut up! That’s so embarrassing!”
“It’s not more embarrassing than what you said!”
“Yes!”
“No!”
They laughed, red to the tips of their ears.
“I guess we should… finish running the mountain,” Gon started.
“What are we going to tell Bisky?” Killua asked nervously.
“The truth?”
“We’d never live it down.”
“But she’d know if we lied.”
“Damniiiit…” Gon giggled again, before they lapsed back into silence. Killua pulled away, letting go slowly. “Better get a move on then.”
“Okay, but…” Gon kissed the side of Killua’s mouth, holding himself up with a hand still on Killua’s waist. “I’m allowed to do that now, right?”
“Gon!” Killua swatted at Gon who danced away, still smiling. Happy and laughing.
They slowly started get back to running. Killua still thought today sucked… but the high he was riding right now was worth it. Glancing back at Gon, feeling his heart skip a beat, only proved his point.