Chapter Text
“Happy birthday, Killua,” Gon whispers, turning back from the car window to his friend.
Killua blushes, smiling.
On the other side of Killua, Alluka cranes her neck to see more of the mountain views out the window, eyes shining. Kalluto, sitting shotgun, looks too, but more calmly.
“Enjoying the views?” asks Mito from the front seat.
“Yeah!” Out the window, Gon spots a lightning-struck tree, out of sight before he gets the chance to blink.
“Oh, I can tell you’re dying to explore,” Killua says, elbowing him.
Heh, Killua knows me so well.
“Well, no road trip is complete without a few pit stops for exploring. We’ll be coming up on the next town pretty soon, and of course you’ll have plenty of time at the cabin we’re staying at tonight.”
Killua’s stomach growls loudly.
“Can we stop for a snack, too?”
Mito smiles. “We need groceries for tonight, anyway.”
~~~
The little mountain town doesn’t have much, but they do have a small grocery store.
“I’m going to ask directions to the cabin we’re staying at. Why don’t each of you pick out a snack for yourselves?” Mito suggests.
Gon and Killua and his siblings move further into the store.
“Whoever finds the most disgusting food gets first dibs on beds when we get there,” Killua says.
“Okay! Start on three,” Gon says, distracted from his hunger by the lure of a competition.
Beside Gon, Kalluto turns to Alluka. “Are you participating?”
“One!”
“Of course!” she says.
“Two!”
Kalluto nods.
“Three!”
The four of them scatter across the store, eyes scanning the shelves.
Onion flakes, dried garlic, cayenne pepper, mustard, Gon reads quickly. None of these will work, he’ll have to find another section. Mustard is NOT gross.
He speeds over to the vegetable aisle. Maybe there will be something there.
Lettuce, radishes, celery, kale, broccoli… None of this is that bad, and he’s already almost at the fruits section. He glances to the other side of the aisle. Avocados, oranges– oof–
“Sorry, mister,” he says, backing away from the man he’d bumped into.
The man turns to face him, holding the container of blueberries he’d been examining before Gon crashed into him. Recognition flashes through his eyes. Yellow eyes.
“Hisoka?” Gon says, shocked. It is Hisoka. Although, Gon never expected to find Hisoka like this, in sweatpants and a T-shirt in a random grocery store, cart loaded with flour and berries and milk. His red hair falls loosely around his face, instead of being gelled up like the previous times Gon had seen him.
He’d helped Illumi try to take back Killua.
He’d helped stop Illumi from taking back Killua.
For a full second, Hisoka looks totally and completely blindsided. But he recovers quickly. “Gon,” Hisoka says, teeth showing in a wide grin. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“What are you doing here?” Gon asks. He doesn’t trust Hisoka, but he’s also not convinced that he’s up to anything bad.
“Shopping. For my husband.” Hisoka gestures at the half filled cart. “If I were doing anything malicious, I would have dressed for the occasion.”
Gon supposes that makes sense.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“It’s Killua’s birthday,” Gon says. “We’re on a road trip.”
“Ah, I see. You’re growing older,” Hisoka comments. “You’re getting stronger.” His smile grows wider.
“The four of us train every day,” Gon says.
“Does ‘the four of us’ count that one over there, who’s currently watching us?” Hisoka points over his shoulder.
Gon looks up, to where Kalluto stands frozen at the end of the aisle.
“Oh, yeah,” Gon says. “Kalluto, this is Hisoka. I don’t know if I’ve told you about him.”
Kalluto doesn’t come closer, keeping their gaze fixed on the red-haired man. “I’ve been warned about you,” they say. Gon cocks his head.
“You have been, hm?” Hisoka says.
Kalluto narrows their eyes. “The traitor…Number Four.”
Gon isn’t sure what Kalluto is talking about, but Hisoka’s grin widens with a manic intensity. Suddenly Gon gets a sense of danger.
“Ohh, I see. I understand what’s going on. Do they know?” Hisoka glances at Gon, who’s still confused, and seems to find some information from his face. “No, they don’t,” he answers for himself. He strolls down the aisle towards Kalluto, stopping in front of them and leaning in close. “I wonder what dear Chrollo and his friends would do with me if something were to… happen to you,” he says. Hisoka leans even closer. “... Number Four.”
Gon stalks down the aisle towards them, brimming with anger, even as Kalluto doesn’t flinch. He reaches out a hand to grab Hisoka’s arm, but Kalluto gently stops him.
“Don’t encourage him, Gon,” they say. They look back at Hisoka. “Nothing they don’t already want to do, I’m sure. I, for one, have absolutely zero interest in fighting you.”
Hisoka frowns. “What a disappointment. But maybe it’s for the best. I wouldn’t want to upset Illumi too terribly.” He turns back to his shopping cart and wheels it away. “Bye now, Gon, Kalluto.”
Hisoka is out of sight when Killua runs up to their aisle and seizes a green pepper from the veggie shelf with a little “Ha.” Then he looks up at the body language of Gon and Kalluto. “What’s up? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Not a ghost, just a serial killer,” Kalluto says. “Do you also know this Hisoka person?”
“That weirdo, Illumi’s fiancé?” Killua blinks.
“Seems like they're married now,” Gon says.
Killua’s eyes narrow. “Wait, was Illumi here?”
“No. Well, I guess he’s in the town, but not here,” Gon explains. He looks at Kalluto. “Is Hisoka really a serial killer?”
“Yes,” they say. “He’s always trying to find an opponent for a duel to the death. He’s extremely capable. On parr with our family,” Kalluto says, looking at Killua.
“So he’s bad news,” Killua concludes.
“He’s easy enough to deal with. He likes opponents who are strong, smart, spirited, and interested in him– meaning, they want to kill him. Avoid having those qualities and he’ll leave you alone.”
“How do you know all this?” Killua asks.
“He’s famous. He was a floor master in Heaven’s Arena, for a while. People talk,” Kalluto says.
Killua looks skeptical, but accepts this information with a nod. “I’d have avoided him just knowing he’s associated with Illumi.”