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Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
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A low crackle of thunder echoes outside, the sound muffled slightly due to the barrier of concrete. A boy, no older than 6 years old is huddled in a corner, arms wrapped around his knees tightly. He rests his head on his folded arms, watching rainwater trickle and slip through thick iron bars. The water runs down the concrete wall and onto the dusty floor, creating a puddle of water spreading by the second.
It's gross in the basement. He hates it.
Then, the door opens and a figure walks in, the heavy wooden door closing behind them.
"Kil, I'm so proud of you." His brother smiles at him. Killua avoids the gaze of those empty black eyes. He feels his stomach clench because Illumi being proud of him was the last thing he wanted.
Illumi creeps closer into Killua's corner and leans down to his level. Fingertips that are cold to the touch and trail down his cheek.
"You did so well."
Killua shivers, moving his head to the side so the fingers aren't touching him anymore. The weight of the blade in his hand feels so heavy. He does not feel in the slightest that he "did well."
The cold, dark, dungeon he's in blurs and shifts until he feels his eyes crack open and consciousness floods into his mind. Killua opens his eyes fully and takes a moment to stare at the ceiling fan's blades swirling around.
'Just a bad dream. Not real.' He thinks, preparing to lift an arm to cover his face but stopping once he feels an unusual weight on his left arm.
Oh, he forgot.
He's lying in bed with Gon, the Freecss sleeping peacefully while latched onto Killua's arm like a koala. Occasionally, his nose twitches slightly and he snores, drool escaping onto the pillow.
'Ugh he sleeps like a pig.' Killua thinks, nose scrunched up in faux disgust because the sight is honestly adorable, and he secretly likes the smaller boy close to him. Suddenly the numb iciness in his body leaves, warmth quickly arriving in its spot. Screw Illumi. That was years ago and Killua is proud to say that he hadn't contacted his family for almost 6 years now.
He'd met Gon at a train station when he was 12. Both boys running away from home, albeit for different reasons. After one of the roughest training sessions with Illumi he'd experienced in all his 6 years of being an assassin, Killua finally had enough and ran away from the mansion in the dead of night. (Though not before stabbing his mother and Illumi.)
Gon, on the other hand, was a rowdy rambunctious child who truly believed that at age 13 he'd be mature enough to leave home. Killua still likes to tease Gon about his naivety to this day.
5 years ago.
"Hi!" Gon chirps out, completely forgoing personal space and pressing himself up against Killua. "I'm Gon Freecss!"
Killua side eyes the boy and moves farther down the bench he's sitting on. "Why are you sitting so close to me? Back off weirdo!"
The boy pouts, his brilliant hazel eyes dimming in disappointment. Guilt squeezes its way into Killua, which makes no sense considering he wasn't the one being creepy.
"You looked sad... and a little lost." Gon trails off. "-So, I want to be your friend!"
Killua stares at the boy before him completely flabbergasted.
'I want to be your friend!'
No one has ever said that to him. And Killua mastered the art of keeping a poker face long ago, how could this boy read him, a complete stranger, so easily?
He smirked. Color him intrigued. "Alright Gon Freecss, I accept. My name is Killua."
Gon seemed to visibly brighten and reignite at his words. "Ki-llu-a. I like it!"
Killua stifles a blush from embarrassment. Why did he have to say his name like that??
"So Killua, what are you doing here?"
Killua eyes the red and white backpack lying beside him. He decides to tell the truth. "Running away from home."
"Eh? Me too!"
Killua blinks in surprise and looks at the other boy. "You are too? Where is your bag or whatever you're carrying?"
Gon laughs sheepishly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out...
Two granola bars and half a piece of bubblegum.
He snorts once, twice, before a full laugh escapes him. It's unrestrained and the most genuine its been in years.
"Baka! You didn't think to bring more than that?"
The black-haired boy beside him huffs indignantly. "I was in a rush okay! D-don't make fun of me!"
Killua starts to laugh again until he spots a woman, clothes rumpled as if they were thrown on in a rush and orange hair tied up in a loose bun, stomp her way over to them.
"GON FREECSS!! YOU ARE IN A WHOLE LOAD OF TROUBLE."
Gon squeaks in mortification, slowly turning around to face the woman.
Killua narrows his eyes, claws out and subtly hidden behind his back. He'd just met Gon and already feels a strong connection between them, if he is in trouble Killua will not hesitate to defend him.
"Ahh! Uh?? Aunt Mito?" Gon laughs nervously. He looks like a puppy being caught after it ate a whole bag of treats.
"What in the WORLD where you thinking, young man?! I told you many times that you are too young to explore! Ging was 18 when he set off and you are nowhere near that age! Now you are going home right this instant!" Aunt Mito huffs and starts dragging Gon by the arm when suddenly Gon cries out.
"W-wait Aunt Mito!"
She stops, mouth open and ready to argue again.
"Um...Can my new friend come with us? He was running away from home too..."
Aunt Mito's mouth closes, amber eyes meet icy blue and stare for a second before immediately softening. Something in her expression has Killua's claws retreating and walls lowering. Killua was too young to sense it then, but in that moment Aunt Mito could see through his exterior and into his scars and pain. She empathized with his situation and knew she couldn't refuse a child in need.
"What's your name, sweetie?"
A beat.
"Killua."
And that is how Killua found his new mother figure and other half.
Killua doesn't realize until it's too late that during his reminiscing he started running his fingers through spiky black locks.
"Mmm?" Gon sits up with a yawn, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and then looking at Killua. Sleep immediately clears from hazel eyes and endearment clearly shines through. "Ne, Killua why are you still up?"
"Sorry didn't mean to wake you. I was just up thinking, that's all."
'I had a dream about him again and can't sleep.' Is what Gon hears. There were times when they were younger where Gon would believe Killua at face value. Now though, Gon considers himself fluent in Killua language and mannerisms. He knows that the Zoldyck will let his mind wander and wander until he becomes so lost in thought he can't find his way back.
Gon also knew that Killua hated that. So, the 17 year old made it his personal mission to prevent it from happening.
"Hmm..." Gon unlatches himself from Killua, his finger tapping his chin and expression one of deep thought. Thoughts and ideas scatter around his brain until the teen hops out of bed, jumping up and down with excitement. "Let's go to the beach!" He practically yells in a tone way too chipper and loud when its 2 in the morning and Aunt Mito is sleeping soundly in the room beside them.
"Hah? Gon, do you know what time it is?"
Gon puts a hand on his hip, rolling his eyes before smiling. 'Sassy little shit' Killua thinks.
"It's never too early to have fun, Killuaaa! Now come on."
Killua relents, knowing that once Gon got into one of his adventurous moods he'd act on them in one way or another. So, it was either let him go off on his own and get into trouble or accompany him and somehow still find trouble.
"Ugh... fine." He huffs. But then slowly smiles. "I guess it could be fun."
That's all it took for Gon to rush to their closet and whip out 2 pairs of swim trunks, Killua's favorite sweater and sweatpants, and jeans and a hoodie for himself. They both had separate rooms of course, being older and needing space and all, but the two still kept items in each other's rooms. 'You both already act like a married couple sometimes!' Aunt Mito liked to tease.
Gon sets their clothes on the bed and they both make quick work of getting dressed. Killua is in the middle of lacing up his sneakers when Gon asks, "Killua, where did you leave the flashlight?" He eyes his boyfriend scrounging around the nightstand.
"I left it in your desk drawer."
Gon nods and heads over to his desk, opening the first drawer and pulling out their trusty red flashlight. This wasn't the first time they've snuck out of the house and most certainly wouldn't be the last. "Ready?" Gon asks Killua from his spot by the newly opened window.
"Lead the way."
Gon carefully hops out, his boots hitting the ground with a soft thud. Killua goes next and jumps out as if he's been doing parkour for years.
"Show off..." Gon grumbles at his boyfriend's visible athleticism.
"Only for you~" He teases.
"Did I ever tell you how big a flirt you are in the morning?" Gon shakes his head then reaches in his pocket to pull out the flashlight and turn it on. He makes his way down the dirt path and into the woods. Killua trails behind him.
Killua could find his way to the beach if he really wanted to. After all, he was no stranger to Whale Island. Ever since that fateful day he'd happily spent his time here with Gon. From caves, cliffs, to the dense forest, they've snuck out to nearly every part of the island.
Aunt Mito was always none the wiser. Or...maybe she knew and had long given up on chastising them.
The trek through the forest only takes a few minutes, Gon excitedly pointing out every firefly they came across to Killua's amusement.
"And we're here!" Gon shouts once they arrive to their spot. They're on top of a hill, and right below it is the beach. Moonlight shining on the waves that ripple through the sea. It smells like nature and sea-salt - home.
Killua glances over to Gon, the boy smiling and glancing at the stars, distracted. The mischievous Zoldyck exploits the opportunity. He's already shedding off his sweater and pants by the time Gon notices what he's planning.
"Last one to the bottom has to do the other's laundry!" Killua shouts, already taking off down the hill.
"Killua! No fair!"
Killua is almost at the bottom when a whirlwind of green tackles him and they roll down to the bottom, both hitting the sand.
Gon untangles himself from Killua and sits up, shaking the sand out of his hair. "Guess we both won... So how about I do your laundry and you do mine?" The Freecss pauses for a second. "Wait... still not fair! You have like 50 million outfits!"
Killua just laughs, brushing sand off his swim trunks and leans over to kiss the pretty pink lips before him. Gon melts into the kiss, sliding a hand up to cup the other's face. Killua pulls away first, breath coming out in soft pants. "Not my fault you only wear 2 outfits." he smirks.
Mood killed. Gon pushes him off and flicks sand at him. "Mean!"
"Oh? Are you challenging me, Freecss?" Killua says, wiping sand off his cheek.
"Maybe I am!"
Sand war ensues.
It makes a comical sight, really. Seeing two 17-year-olds building barriers of sand and crouching behind them, throwing sand at each other like it's a snowball, laughing away like there's no tomorrow.
After an intense struggle, Killua surprisingly relents first. Probably due to the sheer amount of sand on him. 'Darn it! Gon has good aim!'
"Let's go wash up, sandy." Gon teases, sticking a tongue out at him.
"Yeah, yeah! Whatever." Killua retorts. Though his tone is fond with no real annoyance.
After a quick wash, thanks to the courtesy of the sea, they're both dressed and sitting on top of the hill. Listening to the crashing of waves and chirping of crickets as comfortable silence consumes them.
"You know Killua, this reminds me of the first time I took you out at night. That time when we stargazed." Gon says, holding Killua's hand as the younger teen's head lays on his lap.
"I knew nothing about stargazing. You looked so excited talking about all the constellations and I just listened. Oh boy, I was blushing so hard. You didn't even notice! You just said 'Killua, are you sick?'"
"Ahh noo! Don't remind me of that. I really thought you were sick! Not...crushing on me."
"What about the time where you accidentally read my journal?"
"You said I meant a lot to you! I thought you meant as like...best friends."
Killua laughs at his boyfriend's past obliviousness. Well, he still was a little oblivious but not as extreme as before. It was endearing. "Sunshine, no offense, but I even wrote about my feelings for you, and you still didn't catch on."
"In my defense, I always loved you as more than a friend. I just didn't realize it until Aunt Mito pointed it out. I'm older now! I understand more."
"Says the kid that tried to start a new life with only 2 granola bars."
"Ugh, Killuaaa you still remember that? ...I love you. Even though you tease me all the time."
Killua laughs again, the sound light and airy - cheerful. It makes Gon's heart race with warmth.
'Mission Accomplished.' he thinks, a loving smile on his face.
"Sorry I'll stop for now. I love you too."
The walk back to the house is when trouble strikes. It was almost too good to be true. A fun night out with no incident? Gon is behind Killua this time, following him, when he trips on an untied shoelace and falls to the ground.
"Ouch!" The sound of his lover's cry of pain has Killua spinning around immediately.
"Gon?!"
Said boy is getting up from the ground and clutching his right arm to his chest, the light from the flashlight illuminates rivulets of red streaming down tanned skin.
"Shit. What happened?" Killua moves over to inspect the wound. It looks deep, but not deep enough to require immediate medical attention or stitches.
"Stray twig sliced me I guess. B-but I'll be fine!"
Killua shoots Gon a look. "Do you want to get an infection?"
Oh boy. Here they go again.
It was always a battle to clean Gon's injuries. The boy dreading the inevitable burn and sting from the hydrogen peroxide and alcohol.
"N-no. But-"
Gon's protest is quickly cut off by Killua grabbing the hand to Gon's good arm and leading him back to the house and outside the window. He helps the boy climb inside before climbing in himself.
The house is still quiet. No sign of Aunt Mito awake and waiting to bust them. Wordlessly, Killua leads Gon to the bathroom at the end of the hallway and makes him sit on the toilet seat. It's a familiar routine, Killua grabbing the first aid kit in the cabinet while Gon fidgets from his seat.
"Alright. Let's wash it off." Killua grabs a washcloth and soaks it in warm water from the tap. He carefully lifts Gon's forearm and gently wipes it clean. Now that the blood has been cleared, it doesn't look as terrible anymore. But now it was time for the difficult part...
"You already washed it Killua! I'm good now!" Gon chuckles nervously.
"With water. Not with any disinfectant."
He pulls out a small bottle of rubbing alcohol and a cotton pad.
"Nooo!"
"You'll be even worse off if you don't let me bandage this!" Killua snaps, dabbing the cotton pad on the gash.
Gon quiets at that and instead bites his lip, hissing softly in pain.
Killua works quickly, dabbing the spot a few more times then reaching over for the gauze from the first aid kit. He wraps it around Gon's forearm, using a small roll of medical tape to secure it.
"Thanks for nursing me back to health, nurse Killua." Gon smiles as Killua throws the used items in the trash and puts the kit back.
"My services don't come cheap. Pay up."
"Mmmm..." Gon hums, standing up and hugging Killua from behind. "I'll make it up to you..."
The white-haired teen stills. Red paints his cheeks. 'Wait...was he serious? Right now? Right he-'
"-Later." His partner finishes, effectively cutting off any increasingly naughty thoughts.
"And you say I tease you." Killua near whines, Gon chuckling at his boyfriend's expense.
"Sorry. But it is pretty early in the morning. Aren't you tired?"
Killua thinks of what Gon said an hour before. 'It's never too early to have fun, Killuaaa!'
He doesn't bring it up. Instead, he shuts off the bathroom light and tugs Gon to bed.
"Oh my goodness! Gon, what happened to your arm?"
Hours later after showering and getting dressed, the two head downstairs for breakfast. Unfortunately, neither had the idea to cover the bandages, the thought completely skipping their minds. Now Aunt Mito was triggered into momma mode, frantically checking the two teens for any further cuts and scrapes.
Gon and Killua shared a knowing look.
Gon nods his head then proceeds to confidently state the worst lie possible.
"We fell out of bed."
Killua facepalms. "Idiot!"
That was the day where Aunt Mito finally found out about their escapades.