Chapter Text
Today has gone well , Gon thinks to himself, pleasantly surprised. All things considered.
He woke up with his head pushed into the crook of Killua’s neck, and though it was slightly expected, it didn’t stop him from feeling the hot flush of embarrassment. Thankfully, Gon was roused into consciousness first; he was able to sneak out of the bed (again) and explore around the house in his free time. Gon made conversation with anyone he happened to stumble across while his friend remained fast asleep, even convincing Milluki to let him have a try at Mario Kart, too; he failed miserably, but Milluki looked pleased with an easy victory.
The day was rather uneventful, right up until dusk. Gon had finally cornered Kalluto who, with a little prompting, opened up as beautifully as a moonflower on a cloudless night.
“So, basically,” Kalluto says, cutting colorful paper with a pair of scissors that he apparently carries at all times. “You kind of just—there, like that. Sorry, this wasn’t a very descriptive tutorial. I’m bad at this.”
Gon blinks at the paper chain in Kalluto’s hand, wondering how they made it despite literally watching the process. He lost Gon somewhere around the second step; the sad, ugly attempt in his hands is insulting in comparison to his teachers.
Kalluto had even let Gon try on the paper necklace that he wears, though it didn’t look as charming. Kalluto told him that he makes new ones often because they ruin so quickly; they didn’t seem irritated at the fact, however, just content with the knowledge that paper will be paper and therefore fragile. Gon didn’t understand it but clapped nonetheless.
“You are very talented, Kalluto,” Gon compliments, giving up on making a matching necklace and instead turning his paper piece into a snowflake. “It’s really impressive.”
Kalluto blushes a little bit. He smiles shyly, grabbing another piece of paper. “Thank you. I can do origami too,” They seem to catch themselves for a second and their small smile starts to fade. “I mean, only if you want to see it.”
“Of course!” Gon agrees enthusiastically, not giving the boy time to doubt himself. He wonders if Kalluto is not usually given this much undivided attention and praise. “Please show me.”
Kalluto nods; as he folds the paper, his lips start to quirk again at the edges. He pauses his ministrations, thinking for a second, before holding out a tiny hand close to Gon’s face.
“Close your eyes, actually. It’ll be a surprise.”
Gon obliges, listening to the rustle of paper along with the other sounds in the house; in the distance, he hears someone washing dishes and the hum of conversation on the opposite side of the room.
“You can look now,” Kalluto says quietly. It seems to be the default pitch for the younger. Gon slowly opens his eyes, glancing at the tiny origami piece held out in a small palm. They formed it into the shape of a koi fish, and Gon is once again amazed at the speed and precision that must have come from years of practice.
“I saw that you brought a fishing rod,” They comment, looking at the fish. “So I figured you might like it?” The last part sounds more like a question.
Gon gasps as he delicately plucks the paper out of Kalluto’s hand, turning it over in his own. “Like it? I love it! I’ll try not to smush it on the way back tomorrow, I would love to put this on my shelf. I know just the place that it’ll fit.”
Kalluto stares at him for a moment, and then they smile, the biggest Gon has seen so far. “That would be nice. If it gets crumpled, though, I can just make you a new one later.”
Gon perks up at the promise of other meetings; he hopes that it could happen, despite knowing that he will have no real reason to be with Killua’s family after they inevitably go through a fake-breakup. Gon’s finding himself more and more charmed by the Zoldyck’s than he would care to admit.
Kalluto looks over Gon’s right shoulder, and he turns to see Killua eying the mess of paper bits and failed folding attempts on the table. He softly shakes his head.
“Everyone is watching a movie, if you guys want to join,” Killua announces. Kalluto glances between the two of them quickly and nods, getting up and heading towards the opposite end of the room.
Killua turns to him, waving at the remains of their recent activities. “It’s sweet that you did all this with them. Kallu’s usually so guarded, it’s rare for him to have this much fun, I think.”
Gon just shrugs, brushing off the unneeded praise effortlessly. Kalluto and Killua are alike in more ways than one, it seems. He stands up and starts heading for the nearby couches. “He’s a charming kid. Runs in the family.”
Killua laughs and hits his shoulder, trailing behind him. Gon spots the only open seat in the room, a spacious single chair that Gon is surprised Kalluto didn’t beeline for. He nods to the family and sits in the seat; some superhero movie that Gon has never heard of is titled across the television. He expects Killua to complain and begrudgingly sit on the ground, maybe squeeze next to Gon if he really feels like it, but Killua suddenly glances at him with this competitive and mischievous look in his eyes.
Killua slinks over to the plush chair and purses his lips; before Gon can even utter a protest, he sits directly on Gon’s lap and relaxes. Alluka makes a little aww sound at the action and Gon blinks because right, there’s an audience who would expect Gon to let his boyfriend sit on him rather than the floor.
There’s a heaviness on his shoulder as Killua leans back, head fitting close to Gons. Gon is distantly aware that he is blushing , so taken aback by the bold move that he doesn’t know what to do for a few seconds. In hindsight, it would be only fair for the other teen to do something like this after the little kiss-on-the-cheek stunt Gon pulled yesterday, but still .
Gon hesitantly loops his arms around his friend, hands clasping on his stomach. The whole situation is so domestic and embarrassing that Gon knows he should be pulling away; Killua’s weight and warmth feel so pleasant, though.
Gon spares an observing look towards the rest of the room; Illumi is pointedly not facing in their direction, face slightly puckered in distaste, and Gon feels his stomach drop. He wouldn’t put it past the older to give Killua shit for their position at the moment, but hopes that he’s worrying for nothing. Illumi hasn’t said anything particularly rude since the first night’s dinner, anyway. His eyes shift to Milluki, who’s hungrily stuffing his face with popcorn, and then finally to the rest of the family; they have their attention solely on the screen. Alluka makes eye contact and winks, making Gon smile.
It’s… strange, because Gon would have thought that after all of the occurrences yesterday and the day before, he would feel awkward around his best friend. Although awkward isn’t the right word, it does certainly have him feeling some sort of way; the possessive attitude from the prior evening still hasn’t fully gotten out of his system yet. Gon has noticed that it calms sometimes, like when Killua brushed hands with him during breakfast or ran nimble fingers through his hair when Kikyo entered the room, claiming that he was “fixing it.”
Lots of comments swirl around his brain, specifically the ones from Alluka and Silva—they both seem so convinced that Killua is in love with him that it sends the brunet down a little spiral. Of course, Killua is just pretending, and Gon taking his first kiss is just speculation, and he is just walking around looking lovesick as an act . It would be utterly ridiculous to think anything otherwise. Killua has just convinced the others this much; Gon hears that Killua is actually an excellent liar, despite Gon always being able to tell when his friend is bending the truth. It’s not a big deal.
… except it is, and Gon is nearly bursting with the need to just ask . Ask why he let Gon kiss him. Ask why Gon kind of wants to do it again, although he’s sure Killua would not have an answer to that one.
Gon tilts his head a little bit in a vain attempt to pour these weird thoughts straight out of his ear; the movement makes it so that his cheek is now resting on the top of Killua’s head, and Killua hums a little bit, leaning even farther onto Gon’s body.
He feels more than sees Killua’s head turn a minute amount to survey the rest of the room, apparently looking for something. He must find it, as he tenses up the slightest amount, back stiffening. Gon peeks through wisps of white hair and notices it, too: Illumi is no longer pretending to be interested in the movie and is instead staring at them with lingering traces of revulsion. Gon isn’t surprised that Killua felt the heavy glare, wondering how he didn’t catch it himself. He sees the corner of Killua’s lips dip into a frown.
Gon can practically hear the gears turning in Killua’s brain, which is worrying for several reasons: Killua can come up with simultaneously the best and worst ideas Gon has ever imagined. Killua has a peculiar dynamic with Illumi, one that Gon has caught bits and pieces of between long-winded rants and quiet mumbles from his friend. It’s clear that they don’t particularly like each other (at least, at face-value) , and he is slowly starting to realize why.
Gon knows all of this information yet is still surprised when Killua nonchalantly places his cool hands on top of Gon’s, playing with his fingers, and quickly moves his head to leave a faint kiss on his jaw. The touch of lips feels spiteful; it’s proven by the malicious smirk on Killua’s face when Illumi jerkily looks away at the kiss. Gon know’s his eyes are wide and cheeks are hot, he can feel it, and the spot where Killua touched him is tingling just the slightest bit. Killua continues to fiddle with Gon’s hands, looking more satisfied and smug with his little performance than Gon has ever seen him.
He’s not sure if Killua’s face is red or if it’s just the warm tinge coming from the glowing screen in front of them.
The movie passes by in a blur, Gon too focused on willing his fingers not to sweat as Killua fidgets with them to pay any attention. It’s too soon that the end credits roll and Killua taps on his arm to signal that he’s ready to get up; Gon is almost instantly whisked away by Alluka who insists that he watches Kalluto create a string of paper shaped like all the members of the family.
“This is like, Kallu’s specialty ,” She gushes, pushing him back towards the table. “Watch, watch! Before all the sheets run out!”
Gon follows, albeit hesitantly; as soon as Gon was separated from Killua, he was shuffled into the kitchen by Illumi, Silva slowly trailing behind them both. Gon is immediately wary and strains to hear the conversation despite the bustle of the house, to no avail. He’s sure whatever the topic is cannot be pleasant.
He hardly concentrates on Killua’s siblings due to his concern over his friend. Gon tries to give compliments at the correct moments but doesn’t observe what is happening right in front of him until Kalluto proudly holds up a long chain of boxy people. He blinks at it, wondering how much time has passed and how long Killua has been in the kitchen.
Kalluto points at the end of the series to a shape with spiky hair. “I added you, too.” Their voice is mumbling and shy. Gon’s character is right next to Killua’s.
Gon and Alluka both gasp. “It looks so good!” He gushes, genuine; his heart swells a little bit at the gesture. “Thank you for including me.”
“Aww, Kallu!” Alluka coos. She pulls on his cheeks, nearly making them drop the craft, and Kalluto desperately tries to wiggle out of her grasp. “You’re so sweet! Such a softie, Kalluto, you sneaky little shit.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Gon spots Silva walking out of the kitchen. Gon stands up and quietly excuses himself; the siblings don’t seem to hear, too caught up in an impromptu wrestling match to notice. He makes his way towards where Silva just exited and catches a glimpse of Killua’s back, his shoulders bunched up with obvious tension. Gon hears hushed whispers of heir and disappointment and grits his teeth.
Gon steels himself for a moment, preparing for the act that he is about to put on, and steps fully into view within the room. Illumi instantly stops talking, face impassive, and Gon wills himself not to openly frown at Killua’s shaking, clenched fists.
“Hey, honey,” He greets, deliberately putting extra emphasis on the pet name. Gon slinks behind Killua to wrap his arms around in a comforting back hug, chin resting on Killua’s shoulder. “What’s going on?”
“We are having a private conversation,” Illumi butts in. His eyes are like magnets.
Gon hums in fake-surprise. “Oh, in the public kitchen?” He asks, sarcasm slipping easily through his lips despite hardly being practiced. “I just wanted to grab a snack, that’s all. I didn’t realize I would be interrupting anything.”
He starts to pull away and Killua catches the hint. “I’ll come, too,” Killua announces. “We were finished talking, anyway.” He sends Illumi a glare, as if daring him to disagree, and huffs when there is none. Killua grabs Gon’s arm in one hand and two granola bars in the other, stalking out of the room. Gon barely resists flipping off Illumi as he passes through the threshold.
There must be something in Killua’s face that prevents any of his family members from stopping him as he drags Gon into their bedroom and shuts the door with a little more force than necessary. He aggressively throws the snacks onto the bed and makes a strangled sound in the back of his throat.
“I hate him!” Killua whisper-yells, still conscious of the people outside. “I hate him, hate him, hate him, hate him- ”
The grip on Gon’s arm becomes almost painful. Killua seems to realize this and let’s go, moving to crash face-first onto the bed with a groan. Gon watches him for a moment, contemplative, and takes the initiative by boldly sitting on the bed with him. He patiently waits for Killua to start talking; sometimes he needs a push, but Gon much prefers letting Killua come to him first.
“Illumi doesn’t… he doesn’t believe any of this,” Killua finally speaks up. His voice is muffled and it forces Gon to strain to hear him. “Not even because it’s sudden, or anything. He just said that…” The sentence fades off.
Gon gives a little questioning hum.
“‘ He doesn’t love you, because you aren’t worthy of love ,’” He quotes as he slowly sits up. Gon’s eyes widen at such harsh words but Killua doesn’t even flinch. Gon wonders how often Killua gets told things like this. “Just went on and on and on about how love doesn’t have a place in the heir’s life unless it’s business-related, and dad couldn’t even stick up for me! I don’t even want to be a lawyer, what the fuck? No one else in the family gives a shit if I take over the family business, not anymore.”
Killua sniffs once and continues. “And then—the physical affection and shit, he’s like, that’s inappropriate and it’s fake . As if the idea that you dating me for anything more than my family’s money is utterly ridiculous and inconceivable. You saw the way he glared at us during the movie. It makes me so—ugh, it makes me want to, like,” A frustrated sound bubbles out of his mouth and he quits talking.
Gon takes a moment to process this information. Everything from this weekend is finally coming to a head on their last night here; Gon had been wondering what seemed so terrible about Killua’s family ever since he met them. Most of them are incredibly polite and kind people, but after hearing tonight’s conversation, Gon can easily pinpoint where the problem occurs: Illumi. Gon guesses that the adults are simply enablers. The way Killua said it made it sound like his parents and possibly grandfather used to nag him as well but recently dropped it, thankfully.
Illumi is nothing if not perseverant, it seems.
Gon’s concern is being slowly shadowed by confusion, however; Killua seems particularly distraught over the accusation that their relationship isn’t real, which is slightly ironic considering it isn’t . Killua must recognize this, right? Yet he makes no move to clarify anything.
“Well,” Gon says hesitantly, not really sure where to start. “I mean, Illumi technically isn’t wrong—”
“ What? ” Killua snarls. His anger is now fully targeted towards Gon, and he belatedly realizes what that sounded like.
“No, wait, that came out wrong, it’s just that we aren’t dating, so—”
Killua points a slender finger right at the center of his chest, face contorted into an unattractive grimace. “You know what, Gon, this is partly your fucking fault, too. Maybe if you weren’t so shit at this, Illumi would have believed it, and then I could have been spared from his lecture.”
And, rationally, Gon knows that Killua is just looking for someone to blame this whole ordeal on without using logic. His friend just needs somewhere to vent his frustrations, so Killua is reaching, grasping for straws to explain why he is treated so horribly; Gon gets it, he really does. That doesn’t stop him from instantly bristling at the accusatory tone, however, his face now mirroring Killua’s.
“Me?” He asks, incredulous. “I have been eons better than you!”
Killua scoffs and jabs his finger harder into Gon’s chest. “I’m great at flirting, asshole.”
“Yeah, because you have such an extensive dating track record to back that up, right?”
“Shut the fuck up!”
They both sit there for a moment, seething. Gon sends an unimpressed look towards the digit still digging into his shirt; Killua slowly removes his hand. He sighs a little bit, eyebrows still furrowed.
“Okay, fine. I didn’t mean all of that,” Killua admits. “None of it is your fault. It’s Illumi’s. I just—I just want to piss him off so badly. ”
Gon keeps quiet and allows Killua to collect his thoughts, grateful that his friend came to his senses a little.
“It’s not that late yet,” Killua thinks aloud. He has that funny, glazed-over look in his eyes whenever he’s planning something out. “We have today and some of tomorrow to crank things up a notch. I mean, really put on an act, hanging off of each other and stuff.”
“Won’t that just make things worse?”
“Who cares? It’s not like he can do anything about it, the fucker. The more uncomfortable and angry he gets, the happier I’ll be.”
Gon gulps, not doubting Killua’s words in the slightest. He doesn’t know how to diffuse the situation. “I don’t know if that’s the best idea—”
“Oh my god, it’s not that big of a fucking deal,” Killua dismisses. “Just kiss me more, douchebag!” He stutters a little bit on the word kiss and Gon pretends not to notice.
Normally, Gon would be laughing at his current situation. Nothing about it feels real; the whole scene is so absurdly funny that he almost senses a hysterical giggle make its way up to his throat without permission. It dies, however, at the thought of having to kiss Killua more, especially after having such confusing feelings following the first one. Knowing that this was a proposal built purely on revenge and spite leaves him with a heavy stomach, loud warning bells ringing in his ears.
He doesn’t have time to come up with an excuse for a response because there is suddenly a light rapping on the door. They both whip their heads around to face it, tensely listening as Zeno’s airy voice floats through the wood.
“Boys? Sorry for the interruption,” There’s a moment where Zeno coughs out something that sounds suspiciously like a laugh; Gon’s cheeks start to burn, knowing that he must have heard the last of Killua’s loud sentences. “When you aren’t busy, the family wants you to come out and play a game. Just delivering the news!”
This time the older man's chuckles are unmistakable, the slight muttering of ah, young love being trailed down the hallway until Zeno is far away enough that Gon can’t make it out anymore. They both sit there for a second, eyes wide, before Killua groans.
“Holy shit,” He whispers, bringing up a hand to hazardously pass through white locks. “Fuck. My grandpa thinks I’m some lovesick teenage boy who’s so clingy that he begs his boyfriend for more kisses.”
Gon’s stomach does a summersault at the description. “Almost hit the nail on the head,” He tries to joke.
“I fucking hate my life,” Killua mutters, ignoring the teasing jab. He’s subconsciously curling into himself as if trying to shy away from the palpable humiliation.
They spend a couple of moments in a suffocating silence, letting their rapid heartbeats return to normal. Gon listens to the sound of Killua’s breathing until it evens out into his natural pattern and waits for the tight grip on his hair to loosen. It does, eventually, and Killua sits back up once the embarrassment has passed for the time being.
When Killua no longer exudes such a mortified yet murderous intent, Gon figures it’s finally safe to probe a little bit more.
“Is there… anything else I can do to help?” He cautiously asks; He wants to console his friend but isn’t quite sure how to, other than the impossible task that Killua had asked of him.
Killua’s eyes harden again, ripping away from the bed to give Gon a threatening glare, and Gon determines that no. No, it was not safe to question any further.
“There’s nothing to fucking help with, Gon,” Killua spits his name out as if it’s poison. “This is just my life. Don’t look at me with so much pity.”
What?
“What the hell are you talking about? I don’t—I’m not pitying you, I’m being sympathetic . Is there something wrong with me wanting to comfort my best friend?”
Killua flinches a little at the bold statement, momentarily looking a bit vulnerable, before straightening himself up and leaning into Gon’s side of the bed. Gon bridles at the infiltration of his personal space, eyes narrowing the closer Killua gets.
“You don’t need to comfort me,” Killua grits from behind clenched teeth. They are face to face now. “So just lay off. This entire thing was a mistake.”
Gon wants to respond. He wants to defend his own actions and calm Killua down to a point where Killua can think with a clearer head, he truly does.
The notion loses all priority when he feels Killua’s breath ghosted across his face.
He smells like the small chocolate candies that Gon spied him snaking out of a pocket earlier. Gon suddenly realizes just how close they had gotten while arguing, faces less than a foot away from each other, and Killua’s eyes are large and beautiful and filled with a deep hurt that makes Gon want to do something stupid. Something so incredibly stupid.
Gon tries to stop himself from glancing down because what the fuck, Freecss, don’t do it, don’t—oh my god. Ignoring his own advice, Gon takes a quick look lower, eyes pulled like magnets to lips that are stretched into a threatening scowl; these are the lips belonging to a boy whose closest family members whole-heartedly believe is in love with Gon. He has to forcibly rip his eyes away, hoping Killua didn’t see that.
He has the urge to kiss him. This is simply absurd because there is possibly not a worse time to have that epiphany; the choice doesn’t seem to be his anymore, the very blood in Gon’s body thrumming with the need to shorten the distance between them.
Killua notices, of course, being as observant as he is even when emotional. His eyes widen and his mouth opens a little bit, which doesn’t help Gon resist looking at the movement. They spend a couple of long seconds like that, with Gon staring at an awkward point in the middle of Killua’s brows and Killua scanning over his face, seemingly searching for something.
The anger emitting from Killua’s aura has faded, thankfully, leaving an expression that Gon can only describe as… anticipating. Uneasy, but anticipating. That, coupled with the craving for the high he felt after kissing Killua the other day, pushes Gon to do the aforementioned stupid thing just the teensiest bit more.
Gon Freecss has never been one for resisting his selfish desires.
Gon tries to grab Killua’s arm as gently as possible for how quickly he’s moving, desperately pulling him forward until Killua nearly falls on him. Gon uses his arm to keep the other afloat and ducks a little bit so that he can push their lips together.
Killua lets out a surprised sound that’s muffled by Gon’s mouth; he quickly softens into the kiss, the end of his content sigh extinguishing somewhere down the back of Gon’s throat. He sits up the best he can without disconnecting and weaves a hand around the back of Gon’s neck to curl fingers through coarse hair; Killua uses it to yank Gon even closer.
It’s not their first kiss, but Gon still treats it like it is. He can almost taste the lingering irritation and embarrassment on Killua’s lips from their previous conversations but presses against the bitterness all the same. Kissing Killua without being pressured to for the sake of their image is incredibly satisfying, and if the way Killua is eagerly being responsive to it means anything, then Gon assumes Killua feels the same way.
Killua pulls away for a moment and softly stares at him, a bit dumbfounded. “Why did you do that?”
There are a million and one reasons that pop up in Gon’s head; he could lie, maybe, or ignore the question—but he’s not very fond of pretending, anyway.
“Because I wanted to,” Gon says truthfully.
It’s in that moment, after saying those simple words, that Gon realizes Kalluto was right. Killua does look at him like how he looks at chocorobots.
Never in Gon’s life did he think he could possibly be on the receiving end of a gaze so full of warmth and love; the other teen’s eyes are wide with awe and Gon nearly melts at the affectionate expression on Killua’s face.
You’re a dumbass, he thinks to himself as he leans in to steal another kiss from Killua’s awaiting lips. Everything makes so much sense now.
He is about to reach up a hand to fix the position of Killua’s face—just a little tilt to the left because though they’ve done this before, his friend’s now-obvious lack of experience prevents the kiss from being even better than it already is. Gon’s hand stops midair at a sudden noise behind him.
“Oh, Jesus Christ, what the fuck!” An exasperated Milluki cries from somewhere near the door. “Grandpa, they are not fighting, you liar, it’s the opposite —hurry up, you animals, we are about to play a board game.”
Killua jerks the back of Gon’s neck to the side with a tight grip on his hair so could have a full view of Milluki. He is looking anywhere but the couple on the bed.
“Have you ever heard of knocking ?” Killua nearly shrieks, his shrill voice sounding like his mother’s. “Get the fuck out, loser! Oh my god! You—I’m going to kill you!”
“Fuck you, I literally did!” Milluki yells in response, heavy footsteps leading back out of the room. “You just didn’t hear it over your slobbering , dumbass!” There’s a thud as the door closes, his complaints following him down the hall.
Killua stares at the now-closed entry for a second, threatening, before realizing what he’s doing; he instantly releases his death grip on Gon and simultaneously pushes himself back to put some distance between them both. He’s blushing fiercely, fidgeting with his nails and clearing a throat.
Gon hardly pays any mind to his friend's internal dilemma; instead, he gently rests the tips of his fingers onto his tingly lips. They are already starting to sore from the bruising intensity of their kiss and he loves it.
“Holy shit,” Gon whispers, still prodding and wincing. He hardly feels any shame at Killua’s brother walking in.
“We should go,” Killua starts with a slightly hoarse voice. “Um, we should—yeah. Go.”
Gon frowns at him. He knows Killua is the evasive type, but for him to try and run away after this is ridiculous. “What? No. We should talk about this, actually.”
“I completely and utterly disagree,” Killua says, shaking his head and standing up. Gon grabs his wrist before he can take a step away and Killua glares at the offending limb, tugging. “Let me go.”
“My favor,” Gon suddenly remembers. “I want to use it. Now. I want you to stay.”
Part of him mourns the loss; he’s guaranteed a one-way ticket to summer school now, with the option of forcing Killua to do his homework now diminished, but Gon can’t find it in himself to regret the words. Killua looks at him for a moment, clearly just as shocked as Gon that he remembered something like that at a time like this , but minutely nods his head and shifts his body to face Gon anyway. He doesn’t sit down again, but Gon can work with this.
“I liked that,” he admits. He isn’t really sure where to start, but this feels like a good place. “Like, a lot. I enjoyed it the first time, too.”
Killua’s mouth remains stubbornly closed.
“And I want to be able to do that whenever I want,” Gon blurts out without thinking, but the words ring true in his ears. “Kiss you, I mean. And—and everything else, too. For real .”
Killua disbelievingly blinks at him. “Do you even hear yourself right now? You know what you’re saying, right? Because, dude...”
“I’m being honest! I’m sorry I didn’t… I mean, I don’t know why I didn’t realize it sooner.”
“Realize what sooner, Gon?” Killua asks, voice a little bit wobbly. “Be specific, because-”
The sentence breaks off and Gon rushes to fill the gaps in the conversation. “I like you! Like-like you. I’m positive. It sounds even more true now that I say it out loud.” Gon takes the wrist in his hand and brings it to his mouth, placing a light kiss on the delicate area where Killua’s heartbeat is fluttering rapidly.
“I’ll take you on a real date after all this is over,” Gon whispers the promise against thin, pale skin. “Anywhere you want, if you’ll have me.” He prepares for rejection despite the enthusiasm with which Killua kissed him earlier.
It’s quiet for a moment. Killua sniffles. “Even that one fish place that you hate? The really expensive one?”
Gon doesn’t even flinch at the (horrific) suggestion, too caught up in what sounds like the Killua-version of a yes to his offer. He easily agrees, smiling. “Of course.”
He finally looks up from Killua’s pale hand to gaze at the tender expression on the blond's face. Killua leans down and presses a slow but sweet kiss to Gon’s lips; he stays at eye level when they separate and mirrors his partner’s grin.
“Is that good enough of an answer?” Killua asks, somehow shy and cocky at the same time. Gon laughs and pulls him down even closer, peppering chaste kisses everywhere he can reach just because he can. Killua giggles when one lands on his nose, back aching at the awkward angle, and makes an irritated noise until Gon stills enough to kiss properly once again.
Gon loves how he’s able to feel Killua get more confident with each one.
—
They end their last night in Masadora with Monopoly—which, contrary to the popular belief, might be the single worst decision anyone has made in the past week.
Killua plays with a renewed vigor that seems to surprise even Illumi; he’s ruthless, not even letting Alluka and Kalluto’s team get away with landing on their most expensive property for the fourth time in a row. Killua often turns towards Gon with this expectant face after playing a particularly good move, almost like he’s seeking some sort of validation or praise. Gon gives it every time, of course, appropriately oohing and ahhing but also sending apologetic smiles to the rest of the family when Killua refocuses his attention back on the board. He hardly has to do much more than that, feeling slightly useless in the actual game, but Gon figures that being moral support is just as important as a job.
Killua inevitably wins, besting even the frightening duo of Silva and Illumi. When victory is confirmed by their very tired-looking banker, Milluki, the Killua gives Gon this look with a shine in his eyes so bright that it could rival light itself, probably. Gon wishes he could have seen it sooner.
The expression kind of makes Gon wants to kiss him.
So, he does: an arm wraps around Killua’s waist to bring him as close as possible, and Gon presses a gentle kiss to his pale temple. Killua flushes pink—although this time, the blush is caused by a healthy mix of both happiness and embarrassment—and grins wide. Gon’s lips quirk up, too.
Gon is suddenly so thankful; thankful for dumbass ideas, thankful for this shitty yet loving family, and, most importantly, thankful for the boy whose eyes he is currently getting lost in because holy fuck— Killua is ethereal.
Distantly, Gon hears the click of a camera.