Chapter Text
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
Gon had been planning this for months, making messy lists of all the things he’d need to remember because he didn’t want to forget. He kept making them because either the older ones were too messy to read or just plain got lost. After going through a whole notebook’s worth of paper rewriting it over and over, Mito had written her own list in secret.
The weather was warmer as the early June air was settling in. School had recently freed its students from their bonds, allowing them to engage in summer activities. Many of the kids in Gon’s class were either staying home or going on a family vacation. He didn’t really remember nor did he care really about what they were doing. He was more focused on his own plans.
They were nearly finished packing his suitcase when she asked him that question. In all honesty Mito would prefer he not do this. Years ago, her trash can of a cousin had moved out of state without a word, and 20 years later he came back to drop a baby on her stoop with barely a hello and goodbye to her. No one else in their family had even known he was in town until she told them, and to boot she had a baby to raise when she was barely an adult herself.
Fifteen years later, that baby was staring at her with big brown eyes, full of excitement. She was one of the few people who knew him well enough to see the uncertainty lying within him as well. She didn’t want see him get hurt if Ging was not up to his expectations or if Ging neglected him.
“We could always try to get the money for your plane tickets back if you’ve changed your mind.” She tried to be assuring. “Be honest with me.”
Gon looked at the contents within the luggage he was kneeling next to. There was a week and a half worth of clothes that he’d be able to wash. Along with that there was his toothbrush and other toiletries, some first aid supplies, medications, an umbrella and plenty of other things. Gon’s Nintendo 3DS and phone were in his backpack with a light jacket and contact information Mito had written out for him as a just in case.
“Gon, talk to me,” she urged him again.
A few more moments of silence came from him before he finally figured out what he wanted to say. “Mito, I really appreciate that you care about me, but this is something I feel like I need to do.” He got a nod from her in response. “I need to go there and see what he’s been doing. He’s my dad, so I should at least try this.”
Mito gave another hug before zipping up the suitcase. Once they were both standing she took him into her arms, embracing him tightly. It’s the first time they would ever be apart for so long, and she loved the kid just as if her were her own son. In all honesty she despised his father but she wouldn’t let her bias ruin things for Gon. For some reason it seemed like he looked up to Ging and had respect for him. If anyone was going to ruin things it had better be Ging instead of her.
Gon said his goodbyes to their Grandma Abe as Mito put Gon’s things in the car so she could drive him to the airport. The ride to it was quiet, Gon’s anxious vibes resounding within the closed space. It was a comforting quiet at the same time. The radio played softly and Mito was humming parts of songs she recognized, just like when he was a lot younger. After a while Gon calmed down slightly, but once they reached the airport they came slamming back.
Checking in was mostly handled by Mito, giving the woman the suitcase so that it could be put with the rest. After that was handled she turned back to Gon, who had never been to an airport in his life before. His fascination with everything was distracting him from his worries from what Mito saw, and it made her feel better, the knot in her own stomach loosening slightly.
“Okay here’s your ticket. Keep this in your bag until it’s time to board. Once you get through security you should eat something, so here’s some extra money for that. Don’t use the emergency money I put in your backpack unless absolutely necessary. Remember to chew gum on the flight to relieve the pressure. Ging should be waiting by the luggage carousel to pick you up when you land. And-“
“Mito, I’ll be fine.” He smiled wide at her, and she couldn’t resist smiling back. Gon latched onto her in another hug, letting her pat his head. It was the last time he would see her in a few months, so he was getting in as much affection as he thought he would need to last him that long. When he had enough, he released her and took a few steps back. “Will you wait until I get through security before you go?”
“Of course sweetie.”
She waited on the other side of the rope while he was in line to get his ticket checked out by a man sitting behind a small desk. After that, he would need to put everything through the xray machine and walk through the metal detector. Before walking through he gave a final wave to her before disappearing into the crowd of people looking for their designated gates.
The flight wasn’t as bad as Gon had heard about. Sure there were some crying babies but he could easily drown it out. He’d been so into playing Monster Hunter that he barely noticed when the plane landed at its destination. Once again his nerves came back to him, but he was even more excited.
It took far too long for him to get off of the plane, everyone sluggishly crawling down the aisle, one man accidentally hitting a woman with his carryon when taking it out of the overhead. After about ten minutes of bouncing and whining he was finally out of the plane and into the airport. Now all he had to do was find the luggage carousel, grab his suitcase, and finally meet Ging.
He walked at a strangely slow pace towards where the signs pointed above him. He was really gonna do it. He was getting his chance to meet Ging. He took the photo that Mito had given to him out of his backpack. She had said it was dated but he’ll know at least what Ging might look like. He looked sort of like an older version of Gon, but with small differences. They both had dark hair, tan skin (though Gon’s seemed tanner), and brown eyes. He really must be Ging’s son.
When he reached the carousel Ging wasn’t there. Gon blamed traffic since the town that Ging was living in was apparently pretty far from the airport and decided it would give him more time to try and settle himself. His suitcase took far too long to make an appearance and he ran to it as soon as he spotted it, apologizing to the other tourists as he bumped into them before it ended up taking another loop. After that all he had to do was sit down and wait.
He had just pulled his 3DS back out when he heard a voice call his name from behind him. He slammed the handheld console back into the pocket of his bag and jumped out of his seat. Ging was here! He finally got to see Ging! He was finally meeting-
A tall gangly man with long white hair.