Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

21 year old Gon Freecss hoisted himself up to what is known to be the World Tree. Landing on his two feet, Gon was greeted by giant Tree Birds, excited to see their familiar guest. Gon giggled, bending down and patting each of the round Tree Bird and ruffled their feathers. Gon’s ears perked up at the sound of an ever so familiar voice.

“Took you long enough.”

Gon jumped up to his feet and tackled the young man in front of him. His first friend. His best friend in the world. And his first boyfriend. “Killua!” Gon squealed in glee, wrapping his buff arms around the taller, white-haired Hunter. Killua allowed his older yet shorter boyfriend land on his arms roughly. Usually, he would have berated Gon of his childish behavior and tell him to act like his age. But, it has been several months since he saw Gon. And boy, it has been a painful 6 months after their separation.

“Gon,” Killua whispered softly, circling his arms over Gon’s waist. It’s been far too long since he had Gon in his arms. Gon giggled at the feeling of Killua’s hair ruffling around his exposed neck. Killua must have missed him a lot for him to snuggle his face against his. Soon, he felt the ex-assassin’s lips in his own. The two were at loss of their long-awaited contact, ignoring the background noises mostly made up of the Tree Birds wanting attention. Gon sighed happily during their passionate kiss. The two simultaneously broke apart and stared into each other’s eyes. The Tree Birds continued to wail out loudly behind them, but both Gon and Killua could only see each other at the moment. Everything else outside of each other’s eyes and faces was a blur.

Leaning his forehead against Gon’s, Killua was the first to say, “I missed you.” Gon nodded against him, and then lowered his head so that his ear was laying on Killua’s chest. Gon always hated to admit this, but sometimes it hurts for Gon to always keep his head up forward to align his eyes with Killua. Why did he have to inherit Ging's shortness while Killua gets to stand up straight and tall as a 6 foot 1 man? Killua on the other hand was delighted at their height difference because it gave him the power to plant short kisses all over Gon’s head, forehead, eyes, and everywhere above where Gon couldn't really reach. As Killua began his shower his affections over Gon’s upper face, Gon pouted beneath. Killua smirked, trailing his lips above Gon’s eyebrows, between his eyes, then the tip of his nose.

Suddenly, Killua stopped his tracks while Gon started to whine, “Killua, now you’re just teasing me about my height! Don’t tell me that you’ve gotten taller again!”

Killua only responded by kissing on Gon’s forehead. Then he whispered, “It’s not my fault that you barely reach 5 foot 10. “ Before Gon, who was sensitive about his height, protested, Killua quickly interrupted, “By the way, what happened to your left temple? I never seen this scar before.”

“Ah, this? I uh, ran into an accident.” Gon winced as Killua carefully stroked Gon’s side temple, feeling the clean, jagged scar. Killua frowned. What kind of knife could have grazed Gon like this? And when did this happen?

“Did this accident involve with another person?” Killua asked with a hint of agitation. Killua’s frown deepened when he saw Gon’s frantic eyes wandering elsewhere. He doesn’t want to tell me.

Gon stuttered, “Well um, maybe, but it’s all good now!” Gon was never good at hiding things, especially from Killua. But Killua wasn’t going to let him have things go his way. Not this time. Killua released his embrace from Gon almost abruptly and positioned himself in his regular fighting stance. Watching Killua carefully, Gon raised an eyebrow, but his mouth twitched into a smile.

Killua didn’t smile however, trying to sound serious, “If I am able to pin you down for 5 seconds, you have to tell me what you’re hiding, deal?”

“And I pin you down for 5 seconds?”

“I’ll forget about it for the time being. And maybe I will kneel down for you to pet my hair so you can feel better about your shortness.”

“That does it!”

And then, just like old times, the two wrestled each other. The Tree Birds continued chirping, watching the two young men struggling against each others’ limbs. Gon beamed, feeling a rush of excitement when exchanging blows with his boyfriend. He didn’t have to worry about holding back at all. He and Killua were precisely in sync with every attack, block, kick, and punch. However, because of Killua’s nasty remark, Gon rushed in and pressured Killua into a defensive position. Gon unleashed his barrages of punches, keeping Killua at defense. Killua’s back edged in front of one of Tree Bird, leaving him trapped. But he’s not allowing Gon take the victory so easily. When Gon swung his arm to pull Killua down on the ground, Killua ducked away in time. Half an hour passed by, and the two young adults were now scuffling on the ground, still trying to obtain victory over the other. However, Gon was at the advantage, who had locked Killua underneath his smaller body. Finally, Killua decided to show Gon who’s the dominant one and easily flipped Gon’s body over. Gon yelped in surprise as Killua secured his hold on Gon by placing Gon between his legs and grabbing his wrists to lock him.

“I win again,” Killua smirked. Gon stuck his tongue out playfully.

“Now its 287 against 271… I will catch up eventually, Killua,” Gon retorted.

Killua chuckled, “Why bother keeping count when you’re just adding more to your losses?”

“Killua!” Gon furrowed his eyebrows at Killua’s snide comment.

“Haha, sorry, I shouldn’t be making fun of you after we’ve been apart so long,” Killua apologized. Killua leaned down above Gon’s face and pecked his lips to compensate his teasing. Gon still furrowed his eyebrows, but decided to let it slide. Kilua then pried himself off of Gon and laid next to the spiky haired Hunter. Gon snuggled into Killua’s arms, but still stared into Killua’s sapphire eyes. Gon loved gazing into Killua’s eyes. These moments never fail to pick up his heart rate and bring a smile to his lips. The two continued to face sideways against each other, savoring every second in indulging each other’s presence.

“So, fess up right now.” Killua said, breaking the comfortable silence.

Gon pouted, and his eyes darted to the right. He whispered, “Can I uh explain that later? We should catch up first before I start telling stories about my new scars.”

“Scars? Wait, are you telling me you have other fresh and new scars? Show me.”

“I will tell you everything later! First I want to know how you have been doing for the past year!” His right hand found its way to Killua’s left hand.

Killua sighed, knowing that there was no way to win the stubborn male. “I just travelled a bit here and there, continued my job, and finished some businesses.” Gon raised his eyebrow in suspicion. That’s incredibly vague. Usually, Killua would have gone on a rant of how troublesome some of his missions were, or tell Gon some random thing he found in one of his travels. Their solo travels lasted no more than 2-3 months, but they’ve been on their own for half a year! Something big had to have happened during those 6 months.

“That’s it? What kind of businesses? What kind of missions did you have this time?” Gon asked.

Killua avoided Gon’s questions by asking him, “Well what about you? What were you doing for the last six months? It seems like you had your time with various of activities judging by the scars you won’t tell me” Gon smiled sheepishly.

“Well I also travelled to some places. And I also finished some personal businesses. Yeah…” Gon couldn’t find any other stories to make up what he did in the last 6 months. If he told the truth…

“That’s so interesting Gon,” Killua scoffed.

“Your’s wasn’t all that interesting either!”

“You just basically copied me!” The two young couple glared at each other and the tension between them spiked. Even the Tree Birds quieted their chirps, noticing the intense atmosphere radiating from the two humans across from them. However, whatever uneasiness the Tree Birds felt, it instantly disappeared seconds later. Gon and Killua, who were glaring at each other intensely before, broke into sly smiles and laughed to themselves. Who were they kidding? They both figured that the other is trying to give them a surprise or something.

Killua leaned back at the edge of the giant test and gave the spiky-haired Hunter in front of him a knowing glance. “Since I won our fight, you better start talking first.” Gon chewed on his bottom lip, slightly panicking. It was now or never. Gon closed his eyes and went over his lines repeatedly. He had been practicing what he was going to say over the past few nights.

Gon sat straight up, positioning his knees on the ground and his shouldered scrunched together in nervousness. Killua peered at Gon curiously, also sitting up with him.

Before Killua could question Gon’s sudden actions, Gon blurted, “Killua, d-did I ever told you why I really like you?” Killua was taken aback by Gon’s random question. The white-haired Hunter scratched the side of his head in embarrassment, but he was in no better shape than the red-faced raven-haired man in front of him.

“I think. Why are you asking this all of the sudden?”

Gon breathed. Good. All according to plan. “I don’t know if you remember, but I did pour out all of my feelings to you when we first confessed our feelings 3 years ago. It was when we first reunited after traveling alone for so long. Do you remember everything that I said?”

Killua of course remembered that day. He remembered the anxiety, dread, and unattainable excitement he felt when meeting Gon after the awful catastrophe that almost took Gon’s life away. He remembered how he hard he tried to control his romantic feelings toward Gon when first seeing him again. It was impossible. Even though Killua was convinced that there wasn’t any possibility of Gon ever loving him back that way, all of his feelings returned on the second he laid his eyes on Gon. And when Gon suddenly confessed that he had been loving Killua romantically, Killua felt as if his heart exploded. Then everything afterwards, it was full of tears, mush, kisses, and yeah, more mush.

“N-not exactly,” Killua lied. For some reason, Killua was feeling awfully excited at where Gon was going. It’s not always for his straightforward and simple-minded boyfriend to act this jittery. He and Gon were way passed the shy and awkward stage of their relationship. So what was causing Gon so much worry?

Gon took a deep breath. “Can I remind you why you are the most important person in my life?” Killua face flushed. He slowly nodded with his heart slowly racing. To ease his mind, Gon stared at Killua’s face, his gorgeous eyes, pale skin, sharp jawline, and snow-white hair. Wearing a now determined face, Gon starts his declaration, “Killua, I’ve been thinking about this for an entire year. I realized how important you are to me, and it’s been harder every time we go on our own ways. It’s good that we are, you know, a couple and everything for the last two years, but that only makes it harder to adventure out on my own. I know we have our own jobs and personal goals that we want to accomplish first before we can uh… travel together again.” Gon paused.

Killua’s eyes never left Gon’s amber orbs. “Okay, go on.”

Gon continued, “So I’ve been thinking about what I really want to do in my life now that I found Ging and found a specific Hunter profession I want to pursue. And then I thought about our long-distant relationship. I realized that our different goals and relationship don’t really work together—“

“W-what are you trying to say? Are you saying that it’s not working out?” Killua interrupted, panicking.

Gon quickly took Killua’s hand and cried, “No, no! That’s not it! I mean, we are still seeing each other as much as we can, but it’s just doesn’t feel right, you know? Why am I separated with you for half of the year when you are the most important person in my life?” Killua clenched Gon’s hand and averted his eyes. He too, has been thinking of this, but unlike Gon, he has been thinking of this every since they separated after Gon was healed. Even after a week has passed without Gon by his side, Killua kept wondering why it felt so lonely without his best friend. And ever since they became lovers at the age of 18, the two continued to walk on different paths, pursuing their careers and personal goals. The only reason Killua continued to travel alone was because he wanted to respect Gon’s personal ambitions. Gon said it himself back when they first reunited was that he has to continue training until he feels strong enough to be someone’s companion. And Gon never indicated that he wanted to travel with Killua again. Although Killua kept reassuring Gon that he has forgiven him from that incident with Pitou, Killua knows that Gon was still feeling guilty about it. Gon always hesitated at his and Alluka’s offer to join them in some expedition or even a vacation in general. And for Killua, it pains him to hear Gon refusing him every time. So he decided to not bring up the topic of traveling together again and savor the moments they are together. But at each separation, a piece of Killua’s heart goes to Gon.

“Gon… I—“ Killua started to say.

This time, Gon interrupted, “Killua. I don’t want to be away from you anymore. I want to keep that promise back in Whale Island when we were 12. We are both 1 Star Hunters now, and we have fulfilled our original purposes.” Gon paused once again and then pulled out something from his pocket. Killua’s eyes widened at the sight of a silver ring embedded with two shining diamond and a glistening sapphire at the center. Gon’s voice lowered into a whisper, “I can’t imagine a life without you, Killua. At this rate, we may stop seeing each other for more than months and even years. I don’t want that. So, I found a new purpose in life. I want you to be my life goal. And for that to happen, Killua Zoldyck, will you please marry me.” Killua was speechless. His mouth formed a wide “O”, and his eyes wandered from the silver ring in Gon’s tanned hands, to his nervous face with quivering lips, and then back to his hand. Floods of emotions struck Killua. His heart swelled, blood rushed to his ears, and his eyes started to water.

However, only one thing came into his mind.

“What the fuck.”

Gon dramatically gasped, “Killua, I stayed up all night memorizing my confession, poured all my feelings to propose you, and all you have to say is ‘what the fuck’? What the actual fuck, Killua!” Killua started to laugh hysterically, tears streaming from his eyes from joy and amusement. A long minute has passed, and Killua was still laughing. Gon was puzzled at his lover’s strange reaction, but seeing Killua laughing brought a smile to his own face. After calming down, and Killua sighed as heat spread across his face.

“Sorry Gon, I didn’t mean to ruin your proposal. It’s just that…” Instead of saying it outright, Killua too fished out something inside his pocket and revealed a wooden box.
Gon gasped while Killua sheepishly mumbled, “I also was planning to propose you today. That’s why I kind of swore in frustration. You beat me to it.” It was Gon’s turn to laugh uncontrollably. He had to hold his stomach from his obnoxious giggles, and Killua joined along. After their heartfelt laughter, Gon jumped into Killua’s arms once more and kissed him fully on the mouth. Killua returned the kiss as passionately. Both still had wet tears in their faces, but neither paid attention to the saltiness from their tears. Gon slowly wrapped his arms around Killua’s neck while Killua gently cupped Gon’s face to have a better angle. Killua continued to kiss Gon senseless, until his fingers felt Gon’s rough scar. He suddenly paused, and mindlessly stroked the jagged mark. Gon slightly squirmed, but brought his hand on top of Killua's. The two broke apart, panting from their heated lip lock. Amber eyes gazed into sapphire orbs. Gon then broke the silence.

“Killua, do you know what I had to go through in order to be here right now? The reason why I told you that I have businesses to take care of was because I had to prepare a lot for this proposal!” Gon whined.

“What the hell, same with me! The reason why I was away for so long was because of this damn ring!” Killua barked. The two looked at each other and laughed again. All of Gon’s insecurities disappeared after hearing Killua’s confession. He remembered how awful he felt when Killua announced that he would be away for a longer period of time.
The desire of staying with Killua longer and the fear that Killua planning to leave Gon really prompted him to struggle through what he had to do to buy this ring…

Gon pouted, “So does that mean… you also visited my family members to tell them about your plan to p-propose to me? ” Gon swore he saw Killua scowling in a split second.

Killua responded, “Yeah. That was the first thing I did when we first separated in Yorknew City. I travelled back to Whale Island to see your family after you told me that you were planning to go to Heaven’s Arena. I thought you were going there to train, so I took this opportunity to go to your home without you being there.”

Gon smiled widely. Oh boy he wanted to tell Killua everything what had happened in the last six months. Since they are on that topic, Gon prompted, “You know, I went to Heaven’s Arena to see Alluka. And then after that, I payed a visit to your mansion.” Killua’s eyes bulged.

“You what?!” Realization struck Killua on the face. “Then those scars…”

Got laughed a little timidly, scratching the back of his head. “I’ll start at the very beginning. Let’s not rush into the part where your parents attempted to kill me a thousand times.”

Chapter Text

“So after we spent a month together in Yorknew City, you suddenly told me that you were called to finish up some business. And then you told me that this business would take at least 4 months. I’ll be honest Killua, that left me in a slump for about a week!” Gon started.

Killua smiled sheepishly, “Well I have been planning this proposal for a while, and I wanted to have time before I can ask the magic words.” Gon’s heart fluttered at Killua’s revelations, but he would have to learn about Killua’s side of story later. Now, it was time to reveal what he had to go through for the past 6 months since Killua was anxious to know about his newly formed scars.

Gon fidgeted a bit, then continued his story, “Anyway, after we parted ways, I was feeling lost. I don’t know why, but I started to feel insecure about our relationship.” Killua’s eyes never left Gon, so Gon took a deep breath before he began his 6 month adventure.

Flashback

It was already past noon, and Gon was still lying flat on his back on his fluffy, hotel bed. It’s been only hours since he saw Killua leaving on an airship, and he was still at loss of what to do. Gon sighed once again and turned his body sideways. His heart wrenched in pain when Gon saw that the pillow next to him was empty. The bed was much bigger than he remembered. No longer wanting to mourn over Killua’s departure, Gon sprung up from the bed and landed on his two feet gracefully. He needed to find something to distract him from his brooding thoughts. The first thing he thought of was to go shopping. Yeah. He can restock his emergency kit with more first aid materials and other healing supplies for his next journey. He should also buy new clothes so Killua won’t make fun of his outfits again. Killua…

Gon slapped his cheeks to snap out of his thoughts once more, and then he opened the windows a bit forcefully. The sunlight gleamed, burning his vision, and the warm air tickled his exposed face and neck. Gon stood on top of the window still and then leapt down. Who wants to be normal and leave the hotel in the old-fashioned way? Despite the shocked faces of some people who were startled from Gon’s odd entrance (by falling from the sky), Gon immediately jogged to the nearest store.

For the next 7 days, his routine was monotonous to say the least. He wakes up, ponders about Killua, slapping himself back to reality, and find some activities to distract him. It was a long and tortuous cycle. For the most part, however, Gon was productive with the exception of moments of daydreaming about his boyfriend. He performed many civil services while he was here in Yorknew City and aided the yearly Yorknew Auction.

During that day, Gon witnessed something that enlightened his internal struggles. As Gon was on patrol duty around the auction building (security significantly increased ever since the Phantom Troupe attack 9 years ago), Gon spotted an odd event near the building. His curiosity took control of his body, and before he knew it, he found himself inching closer to the crowd surrounding… two people? Gon stood on his tippy-toes, and he discovered that many people at the front had cameras. At the very center of the encirclement were a man in a blue tuxedo and a rather attractive young woman. The man in the blue tuxedo had one knee down and his face up, staring lovingly at the honey-brown haired woman in front of him.

Holding her right hand with both of his hands, the man declared loudly so everyone could hear, “Charlotte, I swear to you, I will do anything to win the Eternity Ring in this auction. The Eternity Ring has three rarest gems in the world, and all signify eternal love. Charlotte, you are the only woman I can see myself be with until the day I die. So, if you will, will you marry me once I obtain that ring?” The pretty looking woman gasped, tears gushing out from her eyes. She nodded frantically, and Gon could see stars and light gleaming out from the man’s eyes. The crowd cheered and whistled, watching the man jump up and pick up his lover. The two lovers laughed and cried, not caring how informal they look with the man twirling the woman around like a child.

“We will be together forever, Michael!” Charlotte cried, wiping the tears from her eyes. The crowd cheered louder as Charlotte leaned in and kissed Michael. Gon also smiled at the cute scene.

“Forever, huh,” Gon whispered to himself. As Gon turned back around to return to his duties, suddenly, a lightbulb lit up in his brain. Hold on a second! Gon replayed the entire proposal scene in his head. Then he thought about his current problem: missing Killua too much. Gon understood that both have different careers and goals of their own, but he couldn’t help but want to give it up all just to be with Killua. He doesn’t think Killua is aware of this yet, but Gon has almost completed all his goals to make up his past mistakes. The only things that were keeping him from traveling with Killua again permanently were his own insecurity and Killua’s different profession.

“That’s it!” Gon cried out loud. He pieced together his findings and developed a conclusion. He wants to be with Killua to the point that he no longer wants to leave his side. That means he wants to have Killua by his side forever. And the easy solution to that is…

“I just have to propose to him!”

 “Wait, hold up, hold up!” Killua interrupted. Gon stopped his storytelling and tilted his head in confusion. Killua frowned and crossed his arms. “You’re telling me that you decided to propose to me by witnessing another couple’s proposal?”

Not understanding Killua’s outburst completely, Gon innocently smiled and said, “Yep! That was my inspiration!”

Killua groaned, “I can’t believe you. Just how simple can you get?”

Gon stuck his tongue out, “Hey, let me finish my story first before you complain! I’m not even a quarter in to my story.” Killua snorted, but beckoned Gon to continue. With Killua’s approval, Gon beamed and continued his story.

 Gon finished checking out his and Killua’s hotel room that day, and then he bought tickets to Padokea continent. After finding a solution to his problem, the first person he thought of to share his plan was a certain special Zoldyck besides his boyfriend. If it’s anyone who deserves to know that Gon is planning to keep Killua forever is his beloved sister, Alluka. As much as he wants to proceed his plan to propose to his boyfriend, he knows that there are plenty of those who also love Killua with all of their hearts. To Gon, he is basically taking him away from those people, and the number one person that might have a problem with that was Alluka. Or so, that is what he thought.

When Gon arrived to Heaven’s Arena, where Alluka was currently located with Gon’s previous master Wing and his student Zushi, and told the news to Alluka, Alluka bounced in joy much to his shock. Alluka, who was now a beautiful young lady with long black hair flowing to her back and wearing modern style dress and a cute red ribbon, had tears in her eyes and jumped on to her brother’s boyfriend.

“Of course I approve! Oh my goodness, brother will be so happy, he might cry on the spot, Gon!” Gon chuckled through the excited girl’s black, voluminous hair, a bit overwhelmed by her huge reaction.

“R-really? You really think he would accept me?” Gon mumbled shyly. In all honesty, Gon was still insecure about his plan. How could he not when they are basically in a long-distant relationship most of the year? Because of these insecurities and his desire to not be separated with him any longer, he had to think of something that can change their current relationship. If it comes down to a proposal, Gon will do it.

Alluka laughed, “Of course, silly! You can’t possibly think that there’s a chance my bother will say no! That’s like saying brother would reject an offer of 1000 chocolates.” Gon smiled at Alluka’s reassurance and funny joke.

“But Alluka, you know that me marrying Killua could take most of his time away. I’m basically asking you if I can keep him forever and-“

“Oh geez Gon, just take him away. Brother wants you to take him away for the longest time now. Yeah, I’ll miss him since he is going to probably spend his entire life with you, but I know he will make at least some room for me! Plus, if he becomes your family, then we are family too! I would love that, and I get to visit Mito-san more frequently now!”

Gon beamed at Alluka’s speech and said, “Haha, I already feel like we are family though. But I guess it will be official if I propose to Killua, huh?”

Alluka nodded, “Mhm! By the way, have you bought a ring yet? I wanna see it!” Gon suddenly blinked fast, and then he scratched the side of his head embarrassingly. Alluka gasped, and the buff boy behind her who had been listening to the entire conversation snorted out loud.

“Oh yeah, I guess I should go ring hunting, huh?”

Alluka crossed her arms, “Zushi, can you believe that? My future-brother in law still hasn’t thought about their marriage rings yet when he is planning to propose!”

Zushi chuckled, “I believe we should have expected this from Gon-san. He probably hasn’t thought about how he would propose to Killua-san.” Alluka stared at Gon with hope in her eyes. Her hope shattered when Gon sat down on the couch, crossing his arms in deep thought.

Alluka pouted, “Gon, I thought you would be more of the romantic and cheesy partner. What happened?”

Gon laughed, “I haven’t thought that far yet. The idea of proposing just came to mind yesterday, and I have some things to do before I can actually propose to Killua.”

Both Zushi and Alluka asked simultaneously, “And what is that?” Alluka slightly shuddered when she saw Gon’s eyes flash almost mischievously.

Offering the two younger couple his famous, toothy grin, Gon told them, “Well, I should at least inform Killua and Alluka’s parents before I officially marry him, shouldn’t I?” It took several seconds before Alluka and Zushi react to Gon’s announcement. Just as he expected, Gon watched as Alluka’s eyes widened while Zushi opened his mouth into a wide “O”.

“WHAT?!” the two teens shouted.

“Yup.” Gon said, emphasizing the “p” by smacking his lips to make a popping noise. Alluka suddenly stood up from the sofa she was sitting on with Zushi in shock.

Alluka stuttered, “G-gon! You do know that my family probably hates you more than anything right now! If you decide to show up at their front door step, they would be delighted to find an opportunity to kill you!” Gon laughed, causing Alluka to place her hands on her hips. “This isn’t funny, Gon!”

Gon stopped laughing and smiled at the Zoldyck girl. “Sorry, Alluka, I know that your family isn’t the best people in the world—“

“They’re psychos,” Zushi corrected. Alluka firmly nodded.

“But they’re still your and Killua’s family. I have to let the people who gave birth to Killua know that I am going to take his hand,” Gon insisted. Then Gon’s eyes darkened a bit when he added, “Plus, if I see Illumi there, I won’t hold back on him since he’s been horrible to you and Killua.”

Alluka smiled a bit at Gon’s care. “That’s sweet Gon, but Illumi already swore that he would leave me alone. I don’t want you and him to clash needlessly. And I definitely don’t want him or my parents to kill you when they find out that you’re wanting to take brother away from them forever. I know they already lost hope in the possibility of brother returning back to his assassin days, I’m not sure they have given up completely. Especially my mother.”

Gon laughed again, “Yeah, I imagine that her reaction will be the worse one.” Knowing fully well of the raven-haired Hunter’s insane stubbornness, Alluka sighed in defeat. No matter what she says, she knows that Gon will still march to her family’s mansion.

So, to ensure his safety, Alluka firmly glared at Gon. She told him, “Gon. As your future-sister-in-law, I want you to give me a text every week to me so I know that you’re still alive. If I don’t receive a text from you for a full week, I will contact brother right away without hesitation. I don’t want you to die, especially from my family. Promise?”

Gon gulped, but nodded. “I promise.”

Gon then stayed in Heaven’s Arena for another month. During that month, he spent all of his time with Alluka, Zushi, and Wing. He watched in awe of how much stronger the Zoldyck girl became after a year of training with the bespectacled teacher. He also was impressed with how much Zushi has grown. He is now a Floor Master, ready to participate in the Battle Olympia. Gon really wanted to watch one of Zushi’s battles before he embarks his journey, and he did not regret it. The exhilarating battle gave him chills and feelings of excitement. Gon learned a few useful techniques through Zushi’s fights and from Wing. He had a feeling that he might need them for his upcoming battles that may endanger his life. When he was ready to depart and head to Kukuroo Mountain, he could tell that Alluka tried her best to stay positive.

To give her mind some ease, Gon gave her a tight hug, whispering, “Don’t worry, Alluka. There is no way I’m going to get killed and leave your brother alone. I promise that if I feel like my life is in danger, I will defend myself and escape as soon as I can.” He could feel the smaller girl’s thin arms wrapping around his back. He reluctantly let go of the girl who he considers as a precious sister. Soon, just soon, he thought, he could officially call her his family. But before that…

Gon turned his attention toward the muscular teen who only reached up to his nose. Zushi, still wearing a karate uniform but now standing over 5 foot 7, stared Gon back.

With a deceptive smile, Gon said in a low voice, “By the way Zushi, I’m not so stupid to not notice how you have been sneakily holding Alluka’s hand when I’m not looking. Know your boundaries, and we’re good. Am I clear?” Zushi gulped, sensing Gon’s rare intimidation. He slowly nodded, and Gon continue to whisper, “Good thing Killua isn’t here. But you know that when we’re gone, it’s up to you to protect her, okay?” This time, Zushi eyed Gon with determination.

“Osu!”

“BACK UP!” Killua shouted, once again interrupting Gon’s oration. Gon this time allowed Killua to take his time to process everything he had just said. Especially to the part where he revealed the status between Zushi and their dear, little sister. Killua gaped Gon. “Since when did Alluka and Zushi g-got together? Why didn’t I know of this? I texted Alluka just last month!”

Gon laughed, “She also tried to hide it from me, but I guess she’s still waiting for the right time. She’ll probably tell us when she sees both of us together.” Killua scowled, cracking his knuckles.

“That little punk! Making a move on my sister when we’re not watching!” Gon laughed at Killua’s irritation, while Killua continued to curse Zushi’s name. After a full minute, Killua calmed down and sighed. “Well at least you were there to give him a good threat. Anyway, continue. I’m eagerly waiting for the part you stupidly decided to face my parents.” Gon smiled, and his heart rate increased its pace. Even though he had a feeling that what Gon might reveal may irk Killua, he was nonetheless excited to tell Killua his experience with his family. So he continued:

 Gon sat by the window of the tourist bus. Gon smiled while the tourist lady continued to ramble on the basic facts of the Zoldyck family. He remembered the first time he rode on this exact tourist bus. He was with Kurapika and Leorio, and they were on a quest to retrieve back their silver-haired friend. Speaking of Kurapika and Leorio, Gon started to wonder about their current status. Is Kurapika managing well as a full-time Zodiac member? How about Leorio? He finally became a doctor, so is he fulfilling his dream in healing those who cannot afford healthcare? If there were to be any wedding, without a doubt in his mind, Gon knew he wanted both Kurapika and Leorio to be his and Killua’s best men. Gon then realized how bashful he was already, thinking way ahead in the future. Planning for his and Killua’s wedding! Already? The young Hunter slightly blushed, feeling quite content just at the thought of walking down the aisle with Killua. This certainly helped ease his mind before his upcoming predicament.

The tourist bus stopped at the same place last time, and Gon was now standing in front of the giant, double steel doors. He knew behind it was all of the Zoldyck property. Gon never really thought about it, but now that he observed at the gates and mountain in front of him, it’s insane how influential his boyfriend’s family is. Gon was too mesmerized by the scenery until he heard a shrill scream from the tourist lady.

“What are you guys doing?” she shrieked. Gon saw three burly looking men, each wielding some kind of weapon behind their backs, threatening a familiar Zoldyck janitor. Wow, Gon thought. Everything was like a recap from his first visit to the Zoldycks. These men were probably here to face the Zoldyck family to gain fame or gold . Not that they could even reach the starting line of this mansion that is.

“Give us the keys, old man!” one of the men growled, inching the crescent shaped blade close to the old man’s face. The elder sighed, then his eyes shot wide open when he felt a familiar, strong presence. His attention snapped back to the muscular, young man behind the three goons.

“Gon-kun?!” the three men stared at the old man confusedly. Then, the three turned back around to where Zebro was gazing at.

Gon waved at the elderly man,“Hi, Zebro-san!”

“What brings you here? Is master Killua okay?”

“Oh he’s fine! I just came here for myself.”

The three goons’ eyes bulged. The spectators behind also had their mouths wide open in shock. The guard and this random, black haired dude are having a normal conversation even when one of the assailant was holding a knife right next to the guard’s face. It’s like they do not even acknowledge or realize the three attackers’ existence.
Clearing his throat, the knife-wielder said in a scruffy voice, “Oh, so you know this man? What is his relation to you and the Zoldycks, huh?”

Zebro answered honestly, “Oh, he’s my master’s lover.” There was a complete silence. Both Gon and Zebro himself knew that Zebro would have never answered this question honestly, but the reaction from these goons and the bystanders was far too amusing.

“WHAAAAAAT!” the tourists screamed while the three thugs dropped Zebro in shock. Zebro let out a quiet “oof” while Gon just smiled at the trio.

“So what’s your deal with the Zoldycks? Mine is quite personal, and I’ll probably occupy their time for a while so you better spit it out quickly,” Gon told them casually.
The knife-wielder pointed his weapon at Gon accusingly, “Y-you’re one of the Zoldyck children’s lover?” Gon could hear flashes and clicks behind him. Gon decided to ignore them for now, and he disappeared from everyone’s sight. Or he seemingly disappeared from their vision, but he then suddenly appeared behind the thugs. The thugs flinched violently and backed away from the young Hunter.

Offering a somewhat unsettling smile to the goons, Gon stated, “I suggest you guys to leave if you want to stay alive. You don’t want to be 100 feet near them when I unleash their wrath.” Gon suddenly released his aura, knowing fully well that everyone near Gon can feel enormous power from him. Although the tourists and the thugs do not know of nen’s existence, they could tell that the man standing in front of them was no ordinary human being. Scrambling to their feet, the thugs and the tourists all ran to the bus. Even the bus driver backed out in a rush, feeling threatened by Gon’s immense aura.

When Zebro and Gon were finally alone, Zebro questioned, “Gon-kun, what do you mean that you are going to unleash my master’s wrath?” Gon stopped his Ren and smiled at the elder man.

“Well, I came here to announce that I am going to marry their son!”

Zebro’s eyes, which were normally closed, flew wide open. He stuttered, “G-Gon-kun? You shouldn’t be here then if you are planning to propose master Killua! It is already enough that they discovered that you’re his lover—“

Gon interrupted, “But they should know if their son is getting married. And since I’m proposing, I should tell them myself of my plan. I don’t care if they don’t approve. I just need to inform them and have them accept it.” Zebro scratched his head. He knew that there was no way convincing this young man. He had watched with his very own eyes when this young man was just a child, stubbornly climbing over the testing gate to retrieve back a certain silver-haired Zoldyck. The young boy had a broken arm for crying out loud, and he tried his earnest to train his body in order to open the insane Testing Gates. He had no fear in facing the Zoldyck family, only interested in getting to his friend. And this same boy, who has now grown up to be a capable man, is standing in front of him once again to defy the Zoldycks. This man is insane indeed.
“Well, I can’t stop you, can I? Although I can’t guarantee you that you will come out here alive. Almost everyone is back from their duties. Even master Illumi will be coming back very soon. I hope you know what you are doing, Gon-kun.” Zebro said.

Gon nodded, “Of course. I don’t deserve Killua if I can’t face his family and his past life.” With that said, Gon walked towards the Testing Gates. Gon stopped in front of the giant, double doors. Even when Gon craned his neck up high, he couldn’t see the top of the Testing Gates. He remembered how difficult it was for him to push only the first set of gates. But now… Gon dug his heels against the ground and drew a deep breathe. He recalled his training over the years when he and Killau first separated in front of the World Tree. For the first year, Gon did nothing but focus on his physical strength. He would do daily exercises and then devoted most of his day pulling up a giant boulder that was a size of a two story house uphill. Of course, it took him several weeks form him to pull up a boulder all the way to the top of the mountain. And it took him half a year for him to finally pull the boulder easily in one hour or less. These Testing Gates should be a good warm-up. Gon placed his tan hands on the two doors. With all of his might, Gon pushed forward. Gon’s humongous force rattled the ground, sending vibrations to Zebro’s feet. The first pair of doors flew right open. Then the second. Then third, And next. All the 7 doors flew wide open, and a loud thumping noise was released once the final door cracked wide open. Zebro’s breath hitched, and his legs failed him to stand up. Gon then smiled at the fallen janitor, giving his final, reassuring grin. Quickly, Gon jogged inside, entering the Zoldyck property. As much as Gon wanted to stop by and look at the Zoldyck gigantic guard dog, Mike, he knew that he didn’t have much time. At least, he knew that he didn’t have much time to talk to some of the butlers he knew before getting caught by one of his boyfriend’s family members. He predicted that it would take at most 5 minutes before one of them pops up out of nowhere and stab him in the back when he least expects it. He could already feel nerves running through his body as he zipped past through the forest. He was feeling both excited and nervous of the danger that was just up ahead.

Gon stopped his tracks when he saw a familiar lodge on the way up to the mansion. He knew he did say that he didn’t have any time, but the sound of a familiar voice broke his willpower. In less than a second, Gon slipped inside the lodge and surprised an older looking Seaquant and two unfamiliar, young faces.

“Who are you?” the shaggy brunette demanded, immediately raising his guard. The blue-haired female next to him also tensed up, but calmed down when their leader Seaquant raised his arm over them.

“Don’t worry, he’s not an enemy. But I can tell you for sure that he’s not a welcomed guest.” Seaquant told the rookie groundskeepers. The rookies glanced at their experienced worker with confusion on their faces.

“Awh don’t be like that! It’s been a while, Seaquant-san!” Gon chirped. Seaquant only sighed as he sat down on the couch almost tiredly.

“Are you here to stir trouble again, kid?”

“I’m a man now.”

“You’re still a brat to me.” Gon giggled as a smile formed on Seaquant’s face. He raised his hands up in defeat, “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. It’s been dry and boring here these past days. Just don’t get your head sliced for me, will ya? You’re a good kid, and I don’t want to see master Killua slaughtering his own family and all the butlers that didn’t stop them from killing you.”

Seaquant’s eyes softened a little when he saw the younger man’s pupils dilated. That look, he thought. That youth’s determined look is still there. To this day, he still admired them.

Gon smiled confidently, “That won’t happen. But you’ll definitely won’t be bored for the next month or so!” Gon left on that note, leaving a stunned pair of rookies and an amused Seaquant.

“M-master Killua?” one of the pair whispered.

“Slaughter? M-month?” the other muttered.

Gon zoomed past on the path he took last time when pursuing Killua after the Hunter Exam. The smell around him was familiar, and the aura a few meters ahead of him was also recognizable. When it took Kurapika, Leorio, and him precious time to reach to this destination, his current self made it in less than 2 minutes. A shocked Canary stood in his way to the butler’s lair and then, the actual Zoldyck mansion. Gon feet skidded on the ground due to his abrasive halt, while Canary clutched onto her scepter. Canary didn’t seem to change much over the past 5 years. She changed her hairstyle a bit. Instead of multiple pony tails, she now tied those pony tails into one long one, which made her look even more beautiful and mature. She was also taller, and Gon hated to admit it, but it appeared that they are the same height.,,. Maybe even a centimeter taller. Ugh.

 Of course Killua had to interrupt at the part of the story. Killua couldn’t help but snort when Gon revealed that Canary stood a bit above his height-sensitive boyfriend.

“Even Canary is taller than you! Why are you such a midget?” Killua teased.

Gon crossed his arms a bit angrily, “I am not THAT short! You’re just comparing me with abnormal giants such as yourself.” Killua continued laughing, until he pulled Gon to an embrace. This made Gon smile and instantly forgive him. This time.

“But man,” Killua whispered near Gon’s right ear. “Hearing you describe about that mansion and the butlers… It’s been so long. It’s kind of refreshing to hear how they haven’t changed that much.” Gon nodded slowly against Killua’s hair.

“Do you miss them?” Gon felt Killua’s grip tighten around him.

Killua leaned in to Gon’s forehead and whispered, “I guess a little. But when I’m with you, I am too happy to think about others and my past. It’s almost selfish, but they never come to mind that often. ” Gon was smiling widely now. Killua’s sweet words always managed to make his heart race. Gon pressed his lips against Killua’s, and to Killua’s disappointment, quickly withdrew.

Gon stuck his tongue out, “You made me blush, but I still haven’t forgotten about your mean comment about my height before, so that’s all you’re getting!”

Killua made a noise that sounded a mix of a laugh and a grunt. “Come on, give me some credit. I’m not usually this sappy, unlike you.” Gon leaned back just a bit, with a mischievous smile in his face.

“I’m glad you’re learning from me, Killua! One day, I feel like you’re going to make a cornier pick-up line than me.”

“I know you’re being sarcastic, but I think I can do that pretty easily.”

“Killua, are you actually challenging me to see who’s more romantic?”

“I would love to prove that you’re wrong, but I want to hear what happens next,” Killua whispered, nuzzling against Gon’s neck. Oh yeah, Gon thought. Giving Killua his final hug, Gon releases himself from their embrace, and sat crossed legged in front of the silver-haired hunter. They were getting close to the exciting part.
Gon cleared his throat, “So then…”

 “Canary!” Gon cheerfully greeted. The cocoa-skinned woman dropped her guard, but was still wearing a serious expression.

She asked in a concerned tone, “Hello, Gon-san. What are you doing here? And is Master Killua alright?”

A smile formed on Gon’s face. Honestly, he thought, the butlers here really do love the ex-assassin. The first thing they ask Gon when Gon greeted them was about Killua’s status. Gon suddenly showing up in the mansion must have made them feel like Killua was in trouble or something. He now kind of felt guilty for his selfish actions. Almost. Got responded, “Killua is fine, at least, last time I’ve seen him.” He could see a flash of relief through Canary’s eyes. Then Canary immediately tensed up.

“T-then what are you doing here? Are you our intruder?” Canary cautiously questioned.

Gon scratched his head. “Maybe?” Canary bit her lip.

Canary sighed softly, “Gon-san. Whatever you doing, I advise you to leave. Master Killua will be… heart broken to discover t-that… that…” Canary couldn’t finish her lines. Her heart already wrench in pain when imagining her master’s reaction if finding out that the love of his life had died in his family’s hands. And Canary couldn’t do anything about it.

Without noticing him, Gon was already standing next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Canary jolted, and she instinctively flipped backwards to create distance. How did the raven-haired hunter managed to slip past her radar?

Gon grinned slyly, “Don’t worry about me, Canary. At least, not yet. But I’m not planning to die anytime soon.” Canary’s eyes lingered toward the ground. Gon could tell that Canary really wanted to stop him from endangering his life, but he also could see marvel in her eyes by his astonishing abilities. Taking that as her reluctant approval, Gon continued his venture through the mountain, before it took him another minute to past the butler’s mansion and then the actual Zoldyck estate. Standing in front of the large, golden fence was a tall, elderly lady and a pretty-looking, black-haired woman. The two women seemed like they were expecting Gon. Gon’s lips curved into a small smile. He knew that meant that Killua’s family members are waiting for him, and they are actually willing to invite him in civilly. Well. Hopefully.

“Welcome, Gon-sama,” the elderly woman spoke. Her monocle flashed from the sunlight, and Gon’s gut feeling told him that there was someone else looking through that eye glass. The two lightly bowed before opening the golden gates leading to the enormous mansion.

“Our masters are aware of your entrance. They request a formal dinner with you in about an hour.” the younger woman spoke.

“We were also ordered to prepare you for this dinner and help you relax from your long journey. Are there any additional questions?” the older lady added.

Gon nodded, “What are you names? I should know the names of people who are helping me.” Although the two woman held strong composure, Gon could see the black haired woman’s eyes widen just a smidge, while the casual smile on the older lady’s lips stretched a millimeter.

The butler lady with pink tuxedo bowed and answered, “My apologies, Gon-sama. My name is Tsubone, and this is my granddaughter Amane. We will be the ones escorting you inside and providing all your needs.”

Gon then placed a fist in his palm as if he finally remembered something. “Ah! I think I remember Killua mentioning about you guys!” Gon could see both of the women’s smiles growing wider.

“Did he? Well, Gon-sama, Amane and I will lead you to our fanciest guest room.” Tsubone said to Gon in a sweet tone. Gon nodded eagerly while Amane and Tsubone simultaneously opened the golden gates. Gon entered through the fancy gates, following after the butlers. He observed his surroundings. The Zoldyck mansion was prestigious indeed. There were numerous of water fountains in the front yard along with flourishing plants and flowers. Honestly, Gon would view this scenery as something from his childhood fairy tales. The entire front yard was the size of his town’s forest.

It took another minute for Tsubone and Amane to arrive in front of a silver door. Gon could tell that the door in front of them was not the main entrance. With the size of the mansion, the main entrance has to have some kind of grand staircase or gate. This door is far too simple to be the front of the house.

Answering Gon’s suspicions, Tsubone told Gon, “This entrance will lead straight to the guest hallway, Gon-sama. Please come in.”

Amane opened the door, and Gon cheerfully said, “Thank you, guys!”. As he entered inside, following behind Tsubone, Gon interrupted once more, “Is it Amane, right?”
Not expecting to be addressed, Amane cleared her throat before responding, “Yes, I am Amane.”

Gon smiled at her, “You have pretty eyes! You should loosen yourself a bit so you can look even brighter and prettier!” Again, Amane was not expecting a blunt response from the young man.

“E-excuse me?”

In front, Tsubone chuckled lightly, “My, what an honest man you are, Gon-sama. I apologize for my granddaughter’s stern exterior. She was raised to be like that.” Gon peered at the midnight-haired woman, who had a light blush spreading across her pale face.

Gon giggled, “You don’t have to apologize! I was just concerned with Amane’s strained face that might ruin her beautiful eyes.”

Flustered, Amane tried to retort, “W-what? I…” Amane cleared her throat again to regain her composure. Then she smiled formally and said, “Thank you, Gon-sama for your kind words.”

“It’s just the truth!” Amane couldn’t help but shake her head at the brutally honest man. Afterwards, Tsubone finally stopped her tracks and gestured Gon to the very end of the guest hallway. She opened the door for Gon, and Gon softly gasp at the intricate room the Zoldycks provided. Not only did the guest room offered a king-sized bed and a flat screen tv, but there was a lounge chair, round table, and a personal bathroom!

“Wow, this is just a guest room?” Gon exclaimed. Unknowingly, the two older women watched the hyper man excitedly observing the fancy-looking bathroom. Gon once again had to emphasize how wealthy and prestigious his boyfriend’s family is; the guest room has a glass-themed shower room!

“Yes, this is our master’s proudest guest room. It is only used for our special guest.” Tsubone said. Gon caught how the pig-tailed elder had a different tone when she said the words “special guest”. He had to remind himself that he is not wanted in this household. Specifically, he is most likely wanted dead than anything else. What a love drama he is in, having his boyfriend’s family out for his blood.

Continuing his innocent act, Gon smiled, “So I’m guessing they want me to clean myself up before showing up for dinner.”

Amane nodded, “Yes, Gon-sama.” She then added, “We will also provide you some clothes, if you don’t mind.”

Gon glanced at his worn out clothes before agreeing, “Yeah, I think Killua’s mom would shoot me right then and there if I arrived wearing these dirty clothes. Haha.” Tsubone smiled at the joke, but Amane pursed her lips in a thin line. Gon noted how strongly composed Tsubone is compared to Amane. She would be so cute if she didn’t have to hold back her emotions…

“Hey, why are you always mentioning how pretty Amane is?” Killua questioned with an irritated huff. Gon smirked at his boyfriend’s increasing jealousy. Killua didn’t mind at first, but as Gon continued the story, he couldn’t help but notice how much Gon stressed about Amane’s beauty.

“Well, she is really cute. From the moment I saw her, she had that adorable personality where she tries to a mask her true feelings. But the thing is, even though she’s good at looking serious, she sucks at it at the same time since she is really emotional in the inside.” Gon explained.

Killua frowned deeply. “There you go again, calling her cute and stuff! What, are you that attracted to her?”

Gon laughed at his jealous boyfriend, “She did kind of caught my eye.”

“What?!” Killua’s purple orbs darkened a bit.

Noticing this, Gon quickly added before Killua exploded, “Because she reminded me of you.”

Killua snapped his mouth shut, then open them again, and then closed. “Huh?”

Gon giggled, “Just like you, Amane isn’t that honest and gets embarrassed easily from simple compliments. Of course I love you a million times more, but I couldn’t help but find her cute when she acts just like you.”

Killua gritted his teeth before grumbling, “W-whatever. Continue. Just stop teasing me when you’re telling the story.”

And Gon laughed before continuing.

Gon turned off the water and got out of the hot, relaxing shower. He grabbed the white towels from the rack and dried himself. Gon peered at the clothes Amane handed. He was slightly amused. The Zoldycks went out of their way to find him clothing that he would generally wear. It wasn’t random at all. This was definitely his style: a simple olive green sleeveless shirt with a loose hood along with brown, baggy joggers. He wasn’t just amused anymore. He was impressed. Slipping on to his outfit, Gon sensed the two butlers waiting outside. His guard never dropped, even when taking a shower. He had a feeling that either Silva or Kikiyo was keeping tabs on him. And because of their strong animosity, Gon never dropped his defense. But at the same time, Gon appreciated their hospitality and sometimes wished that things were different. If only his boyfriend’s family was a normal one…

Gon sighed as he finished drying his hair. It was time to have this “dinner” with the notorious Zoldycks. He had seen Killua’s mother once when Gon was trying to retrieve Killua back. He had never directly seen Silva, but he has definitely encountered the man a few times when Gon was still on his own quest without Killua. After all, Silva is the head of the Zoldyck business. He is usually occupied with his assassin business. Gon exited out the bathroom, and immediately, Tsubone and Amane raised their heads at their guest. Then they bowed when Gon walked past them out the guest room.

“We still have 15 minutes before they expect you, Gon-sama,” Tsubone said, catching up to the spiky-haired man and walking in front of him.

“Then I have some time to kill?” Gon asked.

“Yes. Is there something you would like to do before the dinner?”

Gon beamed, “Is it okay for me to see Killua’s room?” Knowing that Tsubone would only smile, Gon’s eyes darted to see Amane’s reaction.

Just as he expected, Amane’s eyes widened while Tsubone only answered, “I’m certain that you are allowed to visit master Killua’s bedroom. It’s been a while since a person has stepped inside that room.” Gon beamed and earnestly followed Tsubone and Amane to Killua’s room. Along the way, Gon noted how there were so many hallways that it seemed like a maze to him. And each hallway leads to a different set of rooms. He started to envision a young Killua running around these same hallways. Gon softly chuckled to himself at the thought. How he wished to see just a snapshot of his boyfriend’s childhood. Just as he tried to imagine what a young Killua would do in this gigantic house, Tsubone and Amane stopped their tracks and gestured the raven-haired to a smooth, blue door. At the center of the door had a name tag that read, “Killua” on it. Gon’s lips curved into a smile. He slowly twisted the knob and opened the door.

The first thing he noticed was Killua’s giant, fluffy bed. Of course the Zoldycks would have given their favorite child the fluffiest, king-sized bed along with cozy pillows and high-quality blankets. And of course, Killua would have wanted his bed and room to follow his color scheme: White, dark purple, and navy blue. Gon’s eyes then followed Killua’s walk in closet, posters, and then another flat screen tv. Gon smirked as he approached his boyfriend’s tv and picked up a random game console He then noticed how there was a bin full of games, movies, and other things he didn’t quite recognize. Gon suspected that Killua must have played games in his spare time when he’s not training or assassinating. Gon then stood in front of Killua’s desk and giggled when he saw a poorly drawn chocorobo-kun taped at the top shelf of the desk.

“Awh, how cute,” Gon whispered, but loud enough for the lady butlers to hear. Gon continued to inspect his boyfriend’s room, until he suddenly blurted, “I can tell that Killua must have escaped his room plenty of times.”

Tsubone couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “Oh? How so, Gon-sama? Our cleaners did a thorough job to clean this room as if no one had stepped inside.”

Gon smiled widely, “Well, I can see some skid marks on the stills of the window. This means that Killua must have flung open the windows a lot. Also, knowing Killua…” Gon paused before tearing out the chocorobo-kun drawing off the desk. Tsubone and Amane’s eyes widened when they saw a tiny hole underneath the drawing. Gon stuck his fingers inside the hole and pulled out a silver key. “Aha! I knew it Killua would have hid something important behind this paper! Of course he would have successfully stolen a key, whatever key this is.”

It took a few seconds for Tsubone to recover from Gon’s discovery. Tsubone then returned back to her normal mask and bowed slightly, “Gon-sama, if I may?”

Seeing that Tsubone wanted to see the key, Gon happily handed her the key. Tsubone held the key close to her monocle and examined its design. Chuckling lightly, the older woman said, “My, what a little devil Master Killua was. My mistress had been searching for the spare master key for the last 15 years. And to think Master Killua had it the entire time.”

This time, Amane couldn’t help but also giggle affectionately. Then, she whispered almost adoringly, “You must know Master Killua very well, Gon-sama.”

Gon nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah! But I came here to love him even more than I do now. I love him inside out, but I still haven’t faced his past and family. And once I do, then there’s nothing stopping me from having him my lifetime partner!” Tsubone only laughed but Amane suddenly frowned.

Because of Gon’s abnormal hearing ability, he could hear Amane whisper, “Oh… if only…” Before Gon could question Amane, Tsubone checked the watch on her wrist.
She suddenly said, “I think my head master and mistress are expecting you soon. It is time for us to depart.” Amane flinched while Gon obediently followed Tsubone to the exit. Gon looked over his shoulders to give his boyfriend’s room one last glance. He wished he could scavenge more, but he already found a good chunk of what he wanted to know. Satisfied, Gon gently closed the door behind him and followed the two women ahead of him.

Gon could feel his and the butlers’ footsteps getting heavier and heavier. As the three pairs of feet were walking closer to their destination, Gon could feel the tension growing between them and what’s ahead. Gon knew he kept reassuring others that he knows what he is doing. But if Gon had to be honest with himself, he was actually shoving the possibility of being assassinated by Killua's parents from the get go to the back of his head. He knew he shouldn’t have because that is certainly a plausible scenario, but his optimism wouldn’t allow to think of such negative outcome. Plus, he still wanted to believe that he and his boyfriend’s family can find middle ground. After all, when Killua didn’t deny his relationship with Gon when his family suddenly contacted him out of nowhere, none of the family members threatened to eliminate Gon. At this point, Gon knew that he is just trying to calm his nerves and brighten his mood. He should be really concerned and fear for his life, but he couldn’t shake off the excitement growing inside him. He tried to calm it down, since he knows that his love for danger always irritated his boyfriend. But that’s just who he is. An abnormal person who for some reason doesn’t mind the danger for his life.

But Gon has long improved from that. He may still have a knack for danger, but now, he has learned the right amount of taking risks and staying cautious. After all, he can’t make the same mistake again that tore him and his beloved apart. Part of the reason why he was willing to show up in front of the crazy Zoldycks was to show that he can return back alive. Then, he can truly feel redeemed and feel almost worthy to have Killua to himself.

Gon’s inner thoughts quickly dissipated when Amane and Tsubone stopped 10 feet away from the hallway leading to the dining hall. Gon could see the giant chandelier standing on top of a long table filled with amazing dishes, fancy silverware, and a giant bouquet in the middle. Gon couldn’t see anyone sitting around the long table, but there were exactly 6 chair, 2 chairs on each side and two chairs at the ends. Gon’s breath hitched. This dining room is eerie. The entire room is a circular shaped room, and the ceiling is arched like a dome. There were more than 5 hallways surrounding the room, and the interior design was quite dark. The main source of light was the one chandelier hanging above the ceiling, and there were metal knight armors standing at each hallway.

Interrupting his thoughts, Tsubone whispered, “You will be sitting at the chair at the end of the table. Our masters and mistress will arrive shortly after you have seated.”
Gon lips formed into a small smile. How weird. They would come once he sits down? Gon nodded slowly. He shouldn’t expect anything less from this family of assassins. Gon walked slowly towards the dining room. He could sense Amane’s growing agitation as he slowly passed by her.

Before his foot stepped out the hallway he was in, Amane suddenly shouted, “Wait, Gon-sama!” Amane grabbed hold of Gon’s wrist. Gon turned around quickly and stared at Amane quizzically. Even Amane herself was quite confused with her sudden action, but her grip on Gon’s wrist was strong. Tsubone was the most shocked. Her composure was completely destroyed, and she looked as if she had no idea what to do next. A wave of determination flashed through Amane’s sharp eyes. With quivering lips, Amane pleaded, “P-please. G-gon-sama. It’s… It’s.. a—“

“Amane!” Amane jumped at the sound of her grandmother’s loud voice. Amane dropped her hold on Gon, and instantly, she clamped her mouth shut. She then covered her mouth in shock at the mistake she just made. Gon couldn’t help but smile softly at the midnight-haired butler. She was truly a soft person and had a haughty personality at the same time. Just like a certain silver-head he love.

Gon only gave Amane a fierce look before offering his toothy grin. Amane only looked away, but Gon knew that she’s trying to hide her concerned expression. He could see Tsubone sighing in relief in the corner of his eye. He had a feeling that if he had reacted any differently, Amane might have received some sort of punishment. So, now aware of this possibility, Gon turned back around. Without hesitation, Gon stepped forward and entered the dining hall. The tense atmosphere increased exponentially. He felt ready for whatever that is coming for him. He had now established all his motivations for proposing to Killua. He had confirmed his willingness to forgive himself once he survives this perilous dinner. He has now seen a glimpse of Killua’s past. The only thing he can do now is to move onwards if he wanted be with Killua forever.

Gon pulled the fancy chair back and sat down the soft cushion of the seat. As soon he took his seat, he felt one of the two strong auras approaching at the hallway to his left and the other southeast. The person who first arrived was none other than Silva Zoldyck. Gon’s mouth stretched into a slight smile. This man definitely had insurmountable power and strong demeanor. Just by his appearance sent Gon a chill through his spine. The buff, long-haired man wearing a purple ninja outfit with red wristbands and piercing, purple eyes eyed the raven-haired hunter as he approached to the chair directly across from Gon. Gon noticed how Silva’s footsteps were not audible at all, and that would explain why he didn’t even notice the elderly man approaching from his left. Gon’s eyes grew wide in joy, recognizing the elderly man to be Killua’s grandpa. Gon remembered him. He ran into him during that awful catastrophe. Zeno sat on the chair that was close to Gon on the left side. Zeno glanced at the young Hunter and gave him a curt nod in acknowledgement. Gon nodded back in courtesy. The two men were silent, while Gon’s eyes darted to the next aura he sense to his right. This time, this Zoldyck didn’t bother trying to hide his presence or keep the atmosphere tense. Gon could hear wheezing and whining as the looming shadow approached to the dining room.

‘“Man, why do I have to join in this stupid dinner? I was watching my favorite show!” a voice complained. Gon’s eyes widened when a portly, black-haired man came out from the hallway, wearing a white dress shirt that surprisingly did not rip from his expansive figure. Silva gave his son a disapproving look, which immediately shut what Gon assumed to be Killua’s older brother (and if he remembered right, his name was Milluki) up. Milluki huffed once more, taking a seat between his father and grandfather.
Milluki glanced at Gon. When Gon smiled back at Milluki, the older man snorted.

“Of course Kil’s boyfriend is cheeky as him,” Milluki grunted.

“Milluki,” Silva said in a low voice.

“I’m sorry, Papa.”

Gon soon heard a rhythmic sound of clicking heels. For some reason, it was Killua’s mother Gon was more concerned with. As much he owed her for giving birth to the best person in the world, he still had a hard time actually liking her. Hearing awful stories from Killua and seeing with his own eyes how she doesn’t have any care for her butlers, Gon least likes Kikyo Zoldyck. Soon, Kikyo stepped out of the hallway to his northeast. Wearing a flowing, maroon European gown along with her signature electric visor and giant hat, Kikyo held her fan out in front of her mouth. Her visor clicked and zoomed in at Gon. This time, Gon’s lips formed into a thin line. Kikyo didn’t say anything as she took a seat next to her husband. The last person was a Zoldyck he had seen only once. To his right, a shorter, feminine looking teen arrived. Gon recalled Killua telling him that he only had brothers with the exception of Alluka, so he assumed that this pretty-looking teen wearing a purple kimono was Killua’s youngest brother. Kalluto caught Gon’s stare. Gon shivered slightly at the sight of the youngest Zoldyck’s glare. Honestly, why do all the Zoldycks have piercing eyes?

When Kalluto finally sat down on her seat beside his mother, Silva cleared his throat before declaring, “Now that everyone is here, dinner shall commence.” Everyone nodded, elegantly picking up their food. Gon eyed at the fancy plate in front of him. On his plate were steak, cooked vegetables, a slab of cooked salmon, 5 jump sized shrimp, and a nicely shaped baked potato. Gon swallowed, knowing that if he didn’t, drool would be flowing out from his mouth. However, he has to be careful. Who knows what could be inside their food. Gon intently watched the others Zoldycks formerly picking up their food and casually eating like there was no problem. Gon almost sighed in relief, but then he gritted his teeth. He had a sudden flashback of Killua being unaffected by poison. This means that all the Zoldycks are immune to poison. Damnit it, Gon thought. Now how would he know that the food isn’t poisoned?

As if reading his thoughts, Zeno chuckled, “Don’t worry. The food is safe.” For some reason, Gon trusted the elder’s words. Trying to maintain the same formality as the Zoldycks, Gon slowly picked up a piece of broccoli and popped it in his mouth. He had to admit, their chefs are top notch. Soon, Gon felt a bit more relaxed as he continued to work on his plate. But, he still made sure to not lower his guard.

After 15 excruciating minutes, Silva finally spoke, “So, I have heard that you are known for being one of the youngest 1 star Hunters alongside with my son. Are you following your father’s footsteps?”

Gon quickly swallowed the chunk of steak he was chewing. Forgetting the situation he was in, his eyes lit up at the mention of his father. “Yeah! Ging personally showed me his methods of being a Ruins Hunter.”

Silva nodded slowly, “I see. Then I am certain that you can rise to be a greater Hunter one day.”

“Thank you!” So far, so good, Gon thought. The dinner is going nicely, and Silva is talking to him quite normally. It’s like Gon popping out of nowhere is totally normal and almost appreciated.

Gon concluded that he spoke too soon when the room suddenly temperatures dropped. Gon could feel the arising aggression from Silva with what he was going to ask next.
“It’s been a while since my sons have last contacted me. How are they doing?” Silva asked.

Without a second thought, Gon quickly interluded, “You son and daughter are doing fine. Killua is continuing his career as a Blacklist Hunter, while Alluka is currently mastering Nen.”

“Again, don’t get so cocky around Papa!” Milluki growled.

Before Milluki could argue further, Silva calmly answered, “That is good to hear. Then I shall skip the formalities and ask you straightforwardly. Why have you come to us, Gon Freecss?” Gon could feel all 5 pairs of eyes gluing on to him. He could tell one pair of eyes were filled with bloodlust. Two other pairs of eyes gave a sense of curiosity. One set of eyes was only showing annoyance. And finally, the pair of eyes that was directly across from him showed mysteriousness. Gon had absolutely no clue how Silva felt towards him. If Silva was hiding any blood lust or animosity, he sure was superior at hiding it.

“I came here to tell you guys that I am planning to propose to Killua.”

Right as he spouted those words, a loud shriek can be heard diagonally across from him. It was Kikyo, who was so distraught that she instantly stood up and pointed her shaky finger at Gon.

“You! You first took Kil away from his destiny to become the greatest assassin in our family history. And now you are going to take him away for good? You are not worthy for Kil’s hand!” Kikyo shouted. Others had various of reactions. Milluki for some reason started to burst out into fits of laughter, Zeno continued to eat his dinner, and Kalluto placed his utensils down and shifted his attention fully at Gon. The dinner table honestly became a chaotic circus.

Once Silva cleared his throat loudly, everyone quieted down in the table. Kikyo reluctantly sat down, but was still seething silently. Milluki furiously shoved his salmon to his mouth, while Kalluto still did not leave his eyes on Gon. In a low voice, Silva asked, “So you now want to marry my son? Unfortunately, as you already know, not all of us approve your relationship with my son, so marriage is an impossible option.”

Gon stubbornly stood his ground and retorted, “I’m not here to negotiate or ask for permission. I am just here to tell you guys my plan, since I think it’s fair for Killua’s family to know that I plan to marry him.”

Silva quietly swallowed the food he was chewing on. “I hope you know that our family business lost a tremendous amount now that Kil refused to return and took Alluka with him. If he refuses to become the heir to our business or at least be a part time worker, then it is expected for him to produce children that has his blood. Kil is an exceptional assassin. No one in our family history had potential and talent like him. We already have a list of suitors good for him to produce another extraordinary Zoldyck.”

Gon frowned and glared back at the muscular man sitting across of him. Gon stood up and snapped, “Killua shouldn’t be expected to produce powerful kids just for them to forcefully grow up to be assassins. If you still have plans for Killua to not be with me, then I dare you to try and stop me from taking him away!”

In less than a second, Gon’s whipped his head sideways and then grabbed an empty plate beside his dinner plate. Gon barely dodged the incoming knife that grazed his cheek deeply, but was able to protect his abdomen from the sailing knife that crashed into the plate he was holding. Gon turned his attention to his assailant. Kikyo was standing up now; her aura emitting malice and bloodlust. Her visor was blaring, and on her hands were sets of throwing knives. Drops of blood dripped down on his left temple. That was close, Gon thought, heart beating wildly. Any second later, Kikyo could have stabbed through his head! Gon jumped backgrounds as Kikyo threw three more knives to his direction, and all three knives landed on the chair he was standing in front of.

Gon could hear her chanting, “Kil, Kil, Kil. You need a female companion. You need to bear children. You need to come back. This is for your own good. That degenerate must be eliminated.” Although she was saying awful things to him, Gon couldn’t help but admire Killua’s mother’s knife throwing skills. But he had too little time to admire as more knives came flying to his direction. Gon jumped up, ducked down, swerved to the right, and flipped in the air to dodge the countless of knives that were thrown at him. Or at least, some were thrown. Gon then realized that some of the knives were being reused, meaning that Kikyo was manipulating the knives. Gon scurried to the other side of the room, while Kikyo gathered all the knives in the room. The 20 knives danced around in a circle above her, like some wheel of death hanging above someone who was being judged for afterlife.

Silva stood up as well and faced directly at the fleeting Hunter. “I have a proposition for you, Gon Freecss.” Gon positioned himself in a defensive stance when he felt Silva releasing his own aura. He then darted his eyes left and right when Milluki, Zeno, and Kalluto got out of their seats, releasing their auras as well. Silva continued, “If you manage to survive in this mountain for the next 3 months, then I will deem you worthy to be part of the Zoldyck family and marry my son.”

“And if I refuse?” Gon challenged. He hated the idea of being tested, and he also wanted to know if there was a possibility of escaping this predicament.

Silva smiled bitterly, “You can’t. We will just chase you till the ends of the Earth. My wife won’t have it any other way, and I want to assess how worthy you are to take a Zoldyck companion, Gon Freecss.” Silva’s smile did not fade when the raven-haired Hunter smiled back with a determined look on his face. “Each of us will personally be your assassin. You have all the area in this Zoldyck estate, but it is up to the butlers to decide whether they want to aide you or not. We can attack you any time and anywhere, so always make sure you are prepared at all times. If you truly love my son and desire to take him away from us, then you better survive till the very end.”

With that said, Gon’s eyes widened when Silva, Zeno, Kikyo, Milluki, and Kalluto unleashed all of their individual power at Gon. There was a dragon head, a giant purple orb, paper darts, knives, and whatever Miluki manipulated were coming at his direction at a terrifying speed. Gon shot a projectile up to the ceiling and sprung his feet upwards.
A knife sliced through the side of his upper arm, causing Gon to yelp out loud as he escaped outside the dining hall. Gon quickly looked down to see that the entire dining room was destroyed by the combination of all the Zoldycks’ attack. Ignoring the pain on his temple and upper arm, Gon landed on the side of the roof that was now blown off to bit sand tumbled down to the ground. As he landed on the ground, he could hear heels clicking behind him. Gon consciously held his upper arm and felt warm blood on his fingers as he slowly turned around. His sweat dropped as he was face to face with Kikyo, who had a sinister smile. Knives were still circling above her, and he could see that two knives were coated with his blood.

“I gladly volunteered to assassinate you first,” Kikyo whispered in a snaky voice. She licked her lips as she gazed Gon through her visor with blood lust. “No one will take Kil away from me and our business. Especially from you.”

Chapter Text

Before Gon could continue any further on his story, he shut his mouth when he sensed Killua’s aura seeping out of his body. He also felt Killua’s fingers rubbing the side of his temple, and then his other hand slowly finding its way to the side of his right upper arm. Killua felt the rough patches of skin, and when Killua analyzed the outline of Gon’s scar, Killua couldn’t help but pull Gon in a tight embrace.

Giggling softly against Killua’s ear, Gon whispered, “Killua, it’s fine. This all happened in the past—“

“Show me everything,” Killua interrupted rather discernibly. Gon closed his mouth and stared into his lover’s mournful eyes. Gon leaned in and captured the sliver-haired Hunter’s lips.

In between their kisses, Killua murmured almost pleadingly, “Please… “ Killua gently nipped on Gon’s bottom lip. “Don’t leave out a single detail.” Gon reluctantly pulled back from their kiss to stare into Killua’s shimmering purple orbs.

“Okay.” Gon said. Gon slowly lifted up his cotton sweatshirt to show Killua the sides of his lower torso. Gon bit his lip when he heard Killua hissing harshly under his breath. Though Gon typically disregards his wounds, he had to admit that the nasty carve he received months ago was something he wanted to erase. His stitches was not clean first off, and the cut was both deep and infected when he received it. Not only that, Gon would find out later that the weapon used was poisonous. His skin and blood badly reacted to it, so now, his right side looked hideous making even Gon himself flinch.

“Fuck…” Killua’s voice was low. Gon shivered at the uncontrollable aura his lover was emitting. Gon quickly pulled his shirt down and gave Killua a small smile.
“You’ll soon get to hear how I got this ugly scar,” Gon chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. Killua’s eyes were still dark. Killua didn’t know how to react; he wanted to continue hugging Gon, wanted to kiss him everywhere, and then maybe march back to his mansion to show his family a piece of his mind.

But by judging Gon’s nervous eyes, Killua knew that now was not the time. Finding his voice, Killua softly said, “Okay. Please continue. But let’s take a break once you get to the part w-where you get those scars.”

Gon nodded, “That’s a good idea. I feel like you’re not going like what I’m about to tell you next.”

 Gon didn’t know how, but even though Gon escaped from Kikyo’s radar, Kikyo’s flying knives managed to find him in the depths of the Zoldyck forest. Gon jumped from his hiding spot underneath a large shrub, barely dodging the large dagger. The manipulated knife wedged itself from the ground and chased after the fleeting raven-haired man. Gon swore under his breath when he glanced behind his shoulder to check if the knife was following him. Sure enough, the flying knife was only few feet on his trail. The knife is like a missile, Gon thought. Kikyo must have commanded her throwing knives to follow Gon everywhere until he gets stabbed. Gon quickly released his en, which stretched as far as 40 meters, to make sure that Kikyo was truly out of his vicinity. Confirming that Kikyo was not anywhere nearby, Gon quickly charged up his fist while continually running from the missile-like knife.

“Paper!” Gon shouted, shooting a projectile at the knife behind him. His emission successfully decimated the knife. Gon quickly sprung onto a large branch of a random tree to catch his breath. He was panting hard with beads of sweat dripping down his neck and forehead. He had been running for the past several hours, and the sun had finally set. He managed to lose track of Kikyo only an hour ago due to his incredible speed. But he knew that Kikyo won’t rest until she could slice his head off. He heard a rustle nearby, causing him to bolt up from his resting position. His eyes scanned around his surroundings while clouding himself into Zetsu. The rustling increased in volume from the bushes next to the tree he was occupying. Gon held his breath as he could sense someone coming closer and closer. His mind was running wild, contemplating whether to run or fight.

All of the tension in his body released when he heard a familiar voice, “Gon-sama?” Canary’s head popped out of the bush, and her gold scepter gleamed through the darkness. Gon sighed in relief, releasing his zetsu and then hopping down from his hiding spot. Canary flinched in surprise, but then her eyes grew concerned when she noticed Gon’s untended wounds.

“You need to get treated,” Canary harshly whispered. Gon nodded sheepishly.

“I didn’t have time to treat them, and in all honesty, I can’t even feel them anymore.”

Canary frowned, “That’s not a good sign.” Gon could only nod again, before dropping his backpack from his back. He bent down and opened his bag to fish out his first aid kit. Canary also leaned down next to him, grabbing the alcohol and white cloth from his hands.

“Let me help you, “ she urged. Gon smiled as the cocoa-skinned woman gently poured the alcohol on the cotton. “This is going to sting,” Canary warned.

“That’s okay, I’m used to it,” Gon reassured her. Canary then proceeded in dabbing softly on Gon’s wound in his temple. Gon bit his lip from the burning pain he felt in the side of his face. Judging but the amount of pain he is feeling, this cut is definitely going to linger for a while. As Canary finished disinfecting his wound, she placed a bandage over it. Then, grabbing another white cotton and coating it with alcohol, Canary slowly worked on his upper arm. This time, Gon bit the insides of his cheek from yelping out loud. That really did sting. Canary then wrapped around the bandage on his arm before helping him pack up his bag.

“Thank you, Canary!” Gon warmly said, his bright eyes gleaming into hers. Canary gave him a small smile.

“Of course, Gon-sama,” Canary whispered back. Her eyes followed Gon’s as his attention shifted to the cobblestone path behind him. She softly asked, “What is your next move, if you don’t mind me asking.”

Gon hummed in deep thought. “I’m still deciding whether I want to run away the whole time, fight back, or maybe negotiate. Do you think there is a chance that Killua’s mother might listen to me for just a minute?”

Canary paused for a minute. But because of her somewhat serious nature, Canary shook her head, “I don’t think my mistress want anything else but to get rid of you. To her, you’re the biggest obstacle that is preventing Master Killua from coming back home.”

Gon laughed at Canary’s brutal honesty. “I already knew, but I still wanted to ask. Oh well.” Gon stretched his arms, carefully moving his injured shoulder. His voice suddenly softens, “I don’t want to hurt Killua’s mother, though. So even though she might stab me on the spot, I’m still going to try and talk with her.” Canary sighed, knowing that there was no way of talking it out to the raven.

Instead, Canary said, “Gon-sama. If you ever need assistance, a place to rest, or anything else of the matter, please don’t hesitate to ask me. I will do anything for Master Killua’s happiness.” Gon smiled widely this time. He was grateful that he has someone he can turn to in this household.

“Okay! Could you do one favor for me then?” Gon asked. Canary nodded. Gon then asked, “I don’t want to keep running away and waste the three months Silva gave me. I want to face Silva head on instead of just surviving. He probably expects me evading all of the Zoldycks. But I want to do something he won’t expect. And what he doesn’t expect is me going back to him.” Gon could tell that Canary isn’t liking what she was hearing from the look on her eyes. But he still continued, “I can’t really tell you what I have in mind when I’m going to face Silva, but I don’t think I can keep my promise with Alluka. Can you text her for me every week on my phone? Tell her that I’m still alive, and I will make sure her family will forever leave Killua alone to do what he wants.”

Canary chewed her bottom lip. All she was hearing is that Gon is indirectly telling her that there is a good chance of him doing something crazy that increases the risks of him dying. He’s also hinting that whatever he is doing, he’s either going to be fatally injured, out of commission, or worse, dead. She couldn’t help but ask, “Gon-sama, why don’t you just run away? You have already accomplished your goal in telling them your plan, right? There is no reason for you to even participate this game of theirs. If they successfully capture you, they have a guarantee that Master Killua will return. If they kill you…”

Gon’s eyes twinkled almost mischievously, “You’re right, I only came here to tell them. But if I run away now, I won’t be satisfied, and I would feel like I am still not worthy of being with Killua. This is something I have to do. I want to know how it was like for Killua to grow up here. I want to see more, experience more, and understand more. How can I come back and propose to Killua when I have ran away from his past and family?” Canary couldn’t argue with Gon on this one. This man was being the most sincere to her precious master. Who was she to tell him that he was wrong?

So she slightly bowed and begged, “Then, will you please not underestimate my mistress and masters? They are deceptive, cunning, and worst of all, experts at killing. One misstep can lead to death.”

Gon nodded, “I know! I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me, but here’s my phone! If I ever need help. I’ll think of you, Canary!” With that said, Gon bounced up to a large tree and disappeared into the shadows. He hopped on tree to tree, moving east of the mansion he had escaped from. His eyes detected a small open area within the Zoldyck forest that was far enough distance from Canary and not too far from the mansion. Gon estimated that the open area he is now heading to is about 7 miles from the mansion and 8 miles from the place he ran into Canary. It took him a good 45 minutes to reach to his destination. He stopped at a sturdy, willow tree standing in the boundary of a large, circular open area in the middle of the forest.

Gon decided to use this area to lure out Kikyo. This may be Gon’s simple theory, but he believed that Kikyo mostly had the eyes of the mansion because of her visor. So, he assumes that she knows where is he is at the moment. Gon catches his breath before leaning his back against the tree. He should rest as much as he can, he thought. Who knows when a knife may come flying at him.

As if Kikyo can also read minds, Gon jumped down the tree branch when a hurling knife stabbed itself on the tree trunk Gon was leaning against. Gon quickly scanned his surroundings, not sensing Kikyo anywhere or other flying knives. He then quickly released his en. Kikyo presence was caught at the edge of his en radius, but in a flash, she disappeared from his radar. Before Gon could follow her traces, he quickly dodged the same knife that caught him by surprise earlier. As soon as he jumped out of the way, another knife sailed from behind. Due to his quick reflexes, Gon instantly ducked backgrounds as if he was doing a limbo.

“These knives are fast like bullets!” Gon thought in his head. After a good 10 minutes, Gon was dancing in the middle of the open circle, dodging about 8 flying knives. Kikyo was definitely trying to trap him in this open area. “I wonder if I can take all the knives by blunt force only releasing Ren,” Gon thought. His eyes then wandered to his injuries. It’s risky since he has a feeling that these were no ordinary knives. If they were regular kitchen knives, Gon could have easily let the knives hit him, expecting them to just break or be deflected. But since they aren’t, Gon has no choice but to release an insane amount of nen to stop the knives. He couldn’t use paper individually at each of the flying knife. That takes more energy that what he was about to do now.

Gon jumped high in the air, and just as he expected, all 8 knives followed up to his feet. Gon shouted, “Ren!”. A giant burst of aura was released from the Hunter’s body, which immediately halted the knives movements. He then released his projectile, destroying the knives for good. Gon’s sharp eyes then caught a familiar, pink frill. He quickly landed on his feet, then rushed to the tree Kikyo was hiding behind. Kikyo was caught off guard, but only for a second. Unsheathing a long, samurai sword, she sailed her weapon down on the Hunter.

Preparing for an abrupt attack, Gon immediately blocked the attack with Scissors. The clash between Kikyo’s sword and Gon’s transmutated sword released a shockwave.

“With the strength you have, you should easily overpower me, “Kikyo seethed, trying her hardest to push down her weapon.

Struggling against her sheer efforts, Gon grunted, “I just want to talk! I don’t want to kill you.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. I just want you to be gone!” Kikyo shrieked. Gon quickly pulled down his Scissors, causing Kikyo to yelp in surprise. She first stumbled, then got back to her feet. Without wasting a second, Kikyo screeched again, swinging her weapon wildly at Gon. Gon easily evaded her mindless swingings.

“Why do I have to be gone? Even without me, Killua would still not be an assassin!” Gon try to reason.

Kikyo was not having it. “STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP!” Gon hopped over the upset woman, while Kikyo sailed her weapon down on the soft ground. She pulled back her sword roughly and glared at the Hunter behind her. “Kil still doesn’t realize how he has the talent to become the greatest assassin. You're his biggest distraction! And now you are taking away his chances of being the greatest assassin!” Gon then realized that Kikyo’s mind was not stable at the moment. The way her body was trembling and the way she can’t speak civilly tells Gon that he has to wait until she calms down.

He suddenly side-stepped from her attack, and before she knew it, Gon was behind her. Pulling back his strength a tiny bit, Gon slammed his elbow at the edge of her lean neck. He could the air knocked out of her lungs. Kikyo quietly drops to the floor with her hand still clutched onto the sword. Gon sighed in relief, flopping himself down on the ground.

Suddenly, Gon heard chilling laughter coming from Kikyo’s body. Gon immediately jumped back to his feet and distanced himself from the cackling lady. Slowly, the lady assassin twitched violently, and Gon suddenly felt a spike of aura coming from the woman. It’s as she received some weird power boost.

“We assassins are from a different world from the likes of you,” Kikyo whispered in an eerie voice. Gon knew this feeling. He had felt it several times from Killua long ago. The aura of an assassin. Whenever Killua switches on to his assassin mode, everything around him appears dark and almost creepy. And if Gon remembered quickly, Killua becomes insanely faster as if he isn’t thinking at all.

Just as he said, Gon barely dodged Kikyo’s sudden claw attack. Gon stumbled backgrounds, but Kikyo grabbed her umbrella from the insides of her large skirt, and tried to aim at Gon’s head. Knowing that something shoots out of her umbrella, Gon scrambled up to his feet before he felt an explosion near his feet. Gon made a final decision.
“I need to run away right now, and then I can try confronting her again when she’s out of her assassin mode.”

…………………………………………………….

Has it been a week? 10 days? Even 2 weeks? No, that can’t be true. Gon’s record of staying up without sleep is only a week. Panting heavily, Gon slid down on his bottom against a log. He was dirty, sleep-deprived, and exhausted. At this point, Gon lost track of time. He knew that it had more than several days. This was the 8th or 9th time the sun had finally set. Or so he remembered. He barely managed to drag his feet to stand up when he sensed Kikyo’s distinct scent.

A low chuckle echoed through the forest he had been traveling around. “I am quite impressed at your endurance. Even Kil would have a hard time staying awake,” Kikyo said with a devilish smile.

Having dark, black bags under his eyes, Gon barely muttered, “So am I experiencing the same torture or practice Killua faced in order to stay awake this long?” That’s all he cared about the moment. His tiredness and headache was temporarily gone. He had accomplished one goal; Kikyo had finally started talking accommodatingly.
“Not quite. But this would be a good preparation,” Kikyo answered. Gon could tell that she was exhausted as well, judging by the slow speed she was walking. But unlike his looming figure, Kikyo showed no sign of exhaustion through her appearance and expression.

“What makes Killua the perfect potential to be the greatest assassin?” Gon groggily asked.

Kikyo laughed cold-heartedly, “Be enlightened, intruder. Ever since Kil was young, he was exceptional in all the torture training, assassin training, and combat we ever imposed on him. I never felt so much joy in seeing my Kil easily taking in poison as a 1 year old! Mastering assassin techniques takes years, but for our Kil, it took less than a year. No one in our family had accomplished that. But even though he is able to do all that…” Kikyo glared at the tired man.

Gon quickly grabbed a fallen tree bark near him to block another knife. Kikyo clicked her tongue in annoyance. In all honesty, both knew that they had barely enough energy to unleash their hatsu. It was now up to their endurance, conviction, and pure strength. Gon knew that he is miles above her in strength, but he had a feeling that their endurance might be on the same length. As for their sheer determination…

“Have you ever considered what Killua wants? You’re his mother. You should know that he isn’t cut out to be an assassin. Killua has one of the kindest souls I ever seen,” Gon huffs.

Kikyo bit her lip. “Shut your mouth!” more knives popped out from her sleeves. She threw them across like darts. Gon used every ounce of his willpower to jump out of the way. But because of his sleep-deprivation, his vision failed him. He ran into a tree, causing him to have a more severe headache. Gon groaned, but Kikyo was in no better shape. She fell to her knees, sweat dropping from her pale face.

Gon took this chance. Rubbing his head, Gon limped to the fallen Kikyo. Kikyo tossed more throwing knives at the Hunter, but her movements were sluggish for Gon to easily swerve left and right to dodge them. Finally standing only a few feet from the woman assassin, Gon crouched down to his knees. Gon’s honey-brown eye bore into gleaming red light. He said in a low voice, “I don’t want to kill you. But I will say this. I—.” Gon didn’t flinch when Kikyo suddenly plunged her pocket knife through what she wanted to target: his heart. But because of Gon’s fast reaction, he held to his palm to block it. His left eye only blinked as the knife stabbed through his hand. But his eyes never left hers. She gasped in shock. The blood on Gon’s hand kept pouring, yet Gon continued where he left off. “I am going to take Killua away, and I will marry him. Because I love him.” Kikyo couldn’t help but gaze into those deep, amber orbs that sucked her in. She didn’t even glance at the blood that was now seeping through her own hand and sleeves. Then, Gon drew back his hand, and roughly pulled Kiko’s grip from the pocket knife. She was frozen still, still gawking at the Hunter as he bravely yanked out the knife that wedged through his hand. Kikyo’s breath hitched when the spiky-haired man pointed the knife at her neck.

Almost smiling playfully, Gon said, “I’m going to be your selfish son-in-law. Don’t hope that I will be this nice in the future.” With that said, Gon’s sudden surge of energy gave Kikyo a jolt. Those eyes… that fearlessness… and his insane nen output. Kikyo fell into unconscious from shock. Her body dropped onto the Hunter’s weak body, but he was still strong enough to hold the thin woman. He gently lifted the woman over his shoulder and placed her down next to a tree.

He then distanced himself from the woman, allowing the bystander nearby to reveal themselves. Gon didn’t recognize the butler at all, but the butler wasn’t too strong or weak. He was good enough to conceal his presence, but not enough for Gon not to notice. The butler made sure to hold eye contact as he walked towards his mistress. Bending down to gently pick her up, the butler only gave Gon an acknowledged nod.

“You have survived Mistress Kikyo’s assassination attempt. As a reward, I have a message from Master Zeno.” Gon tiredly stared at the butler, indicating him to continue talking. Without any change in his facial expression, the butler continued, “He expects you to see you in the Zoldyck garden by dawn. That is all.”

“Thank you,” Gon whispered. The butler nodded and then vanished into thin air. Gon stood still for a good minute, making sure the butler had completely left. Too tired to care about potential sneak attack, Gon let himself fall to the ground, back first. He grunted as he roughly landed, but fatigue overpowered the slight pain. He couldn’t believe that he had been running for more than week straight, escaping from Kikyo’s clutches. And now, Killua’s grandpa wants to see him at dawn? Gon glanced at the sky, noting that the sun was half set. He didn’t have a phone or watch, but being used to nature, he guessed that the time is currently 6 or 7 ish. How much time does he get before dawn? His vision started to falter.

“No,” Gon whispered to himself. He couldn’t risk sleeping through dawn. But his body wouldn’t listen. Gon’s arms twitched, trying to force himself to move. His final attempt to get up was releasing the little aura he had left. But that brought him more pain and fatigue. Gon started to grab the grass, failingly pulling himself. He was moving at a snail pace, but Gon’s goal was to reach the log a few feet ahead of him to use as leverage. As he kept pulling across the ground, Gon felt a shadow blocking him from the sunlight. He stopped his futile efforts, and then tiredly craned his neck to see who was above him. His eyes widened at a familiar face.

“S-sequant-san?”

The older man snorted, “Looks like you were having fun.”

“Yeah… I didn’t realize that I’m this far away from the mansion.”

Sequant snorted again, “What can you do when some crazy assassin lady starts chasing you around with knives?”

Gon slightly chucked, “So you saw.”

Seaquant shrugged, “You kinda ran everywhere, including our front lawn. It gave my rookies a scare.”

“Haha.”

Seaquant sighed, dropping down to his knees to pick up the exhausted young man to his shoulders. Seaquant knew that if the man had energy, he would have protested and struggle against Seaquant’s help. But at this current state, Gon had no motivations to decline the older man’s support. “You gotta ask for help, sometimes. You need to drop at least an ounce of your stubbornness, “ Seaquant grumbled.

“T-then…. can you please wake me up before dawn?” Gon asked.

Seaquant chuckled, “Sure can, brat. You did give me a sight I thought I would have never seen.”

“What… sight…” before Gon knew it, he had lost consciousness.

 Gon suddenly stopped his storytelling and eyed at his somewhat sulking looking lover. Killua glanced at Gon confusedly. Crossing his arms, Gon pouted, “This is where you compliment me on how I managed to stay awake for a week, Killua!”

Killua rolled his eyes. “Really Gon?” Gon childishly furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms.

“That was the number one thing I wanted you to get out of in this part of my story!”

“The thing I got out of from this is how much of a bitch my mother is!”

“Killuaa, she lost to me! She failed to kill me—,” Gon tried to soothe, but was cut off by Killua’s lips. Gon instantly closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of his lover’s desperate kisses. Drawing back from their kiss, Killua grabbed his boyfriend’s hand and inspected it. Gon was silent as he watched Killua’s eyes darken at seeing the scar he received from his mother.

“Just the thought of my mother making an assassination attempt on you make my blood boil, “Killua said in a harsh voice. Gon shuddered at the change Killua’s tone. Killua closed his eyes, leaned in, and gently planted a kiss right at the center of Gon’s palm. Gon let out a soft gasp, a bit surprised from Killua’s sudden action. Killua continued kissing softly at his lover’s scar, but this time, he opened his eyes to stare into the blushing Hunter’s eyes. Gon’s lips quivered at the feeling of Killua’s lips kissing his palm. It sort of tickled.

“Where else did my mother hurt you?” Killua whispered. Gon was now leaning backwards, his back barely above the ground. Killua was slowly climbing on top of him, waiting for the raven-haired Hunter to answer.

“My s-shoulders,” Gon said. Gon bit his bottom lip when his lover slowly pull down his shirt to find his other scar. This scar was a clean line running through his shoulder blade. And much like his scar on his hand, it was rough and badly patched. Killua scowled before his eyes turned soft. He leaned down to gently brush his lips on Gon’s shoulder blade. Gon squeezed his eyes shut, feeling incredibly warm, nervous, and most of all, loved. Killua slowly trailed his lips on the patched line through Gon’s shoulder blade. Gon could feel Killua’s hot breath tickling on his sensitive skin. Coating his scar with his kisses, Killua then gave Gon’s shoulder a teasing lick. This time, Gon yelped, “K-killua!” He could feel Killua’s lips forming a smile through his shoulders. Both of their hearts were hammering, but Killua wasn’t finished.

“Where else?” Killua whispered through Gon’s ear. Gon breath grew more rhythmic. He wanted Killua to stop before things started to become too serious. But at the same time, Gon was loving every second of attention he had been receiving from his lover.

“D-during the week where I was just running away from her… She managed to graze the side of my neck. It wasn’t too bad to leave a scar thought” Gon whispered back. Killua was now right on top of Gon; Gon’s head was between Killua’s arms.

“Show me where,” Killua said in a low voice. Still flustered, Gon leaned a bit sideways, and placed his two fingers at the right side of his neck. Killua bent down and asked, “What happened to this one exactly?”

“It was the second or third night after she switched to her assassin mode. I was too busy trying to escape from her manipulated knives to feed myself. So I decided to risk keeping myself vulnerable to scavenge for food. And then, she was able to graze me with her throwing knife and— ah, Killua!” Killua gently removed Gon’s fingers from the cut and swooped in to place a wet kiss. Gon bit his tongue to prevent a moan escaping from his mouth. Gon was sensitive with neck kisses, and he really didn’t want to get too excited when he was still not done with his story-telling. Killua kept kissing on the same spot, then teased Gon with a small click of his tongue. Gon gasped out loud, before Killua removed himself from Gon’s neck. There was light in Killua’s eyes now, but his face still appeared strained.

Stroking Gon’s scar on his left temple, Killua asked, “So my mother wasn’t the one who gave you the s-scar on your… s-side?”

Gon nodded slowly, “W-we’ll get to that part later.” Killua frowned, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he leaned down and started to peck tiny kisses on the side of Gon’s face. Gon giggled, wrapping his arms around the albino’s neck.

Gon could hear Killua whispering, “I’m going to cover up all your marks with mine.” His face turned beet red from Killua’s declaration and tried to control the excitement he was feeling. But that was a time for later. Using every inch of his self-control, Gon tried to get up from his lying position.

“Hold on, I’m not finished, “Killua murmured, lips brushing at the side of his temple.

“B-but Killua! I really want to continue my story,” Gon whined.

“Wait. I have to do this, or else I won’t be satisfied,” Killua muttered. Gon sighed, but smiled warmly. Honestly, Killua can be so strange sometimes. But that was why he was utterly in love with him.

Giving Gon his final kiss on his scar, Killua pulled back from Gon. “Okay, you can continue now.”

Sensing that Killua had somewhat calmed down after listening to the events of his mother trying to kill him, Gon took a deep breath before resuming his oration

 Gon groaned at the sound of an urgent voice interrupting his dreams.

“Gon-kun, wake up. It’s almost dawn.”

“Come on, let me have a good punch at him. Or else he won’t wake up.”

“No! He is still recovering from mistress’s attacks.”

Gon’s eyes fluttered open, and he sighed out loud when a bright light hovering above him burned his vision. The two voices, belonging to Zebro and Seaquant, hushed.
“Oh, look who’s awake,” Seaquant chuckled. It took Gon a few more seconds to suddenly bounce up from his lying position. Zebro flinched at the Hunter’s jolt, while Seaquant rolled his eyes.

“How long was I out? What time is it? Where am I?” Gon sputtered. Gon then groaned. He suddenly felt pain at the back of his head.

Zebro rubbed the raven’s shoulders before answering, “Do not worry, Gon-kun. You’ve bene out only for 8 hours. It’s 3:30 am right now. You are in our lodge.”

Before Gon could react, Seaquant interrupted, “And you should stay down a bit longer. You are going to have a massive headache after staying awake for 10 days.”

“So it has been 10 days?” Gon asked, eyes brightening. Despite the pain he was feeling, Gon was feeling accomplished for passing his previous record.

Seaquant snorted, “ You’re just as abnormal as those Zoldyck monsters.”

Gon laughed, “Maybe. You said it’s 3:30, right?”

“Yes. Dawn should come in about 30 minutes or so. Since we are high up in the mountains, dawn comes earlier than usual.” Zebro explained.

Ignoring Seaquant’s advice, Gon swung his legs over the single bed he was sleeping on. Both groundskeepers sighed as they watched the raven-haired Hunter stretching his limbs and slapping his cheeks. “Alright! It’s time to see Zeno-san!” Gon declared.

“M-master Zeno?? They are sure merciless,” Seaquant muttered. Zebro scratched the side of his head in silent agreement.

As Gon was doing some squats, he hummed, “Hmm, I don’t think Zeno-san will do anything to me. At least, that’s what is what my gut is telling me.”

“If your gut is wrong, I would be on my knees right and praying to God,” mumbled Seaquant. Gon giggled while doing small bounces on each of his feet. He then observed himself and his unpleasant appearance.

Gon smiled sheepishly, “Do you guys happen to have spare clothes? I don’t want to present myself like this to Zeno-san.”

Zebro smiled, “Of course.” He then exited the small room, leaving Seaquant and Gon alone.

Seaquant shook his head in disbelief, “You’re one insane dude. I would have pissed myself if I had a psycho assassin lady chasing me around with those floating knives.”
Gon chuckled, “It was pretty terrifying. Especially since she couldn’t comprehend any of my words.”

Seaquant then smirked, “You actually made my rookies piss themselves when you suddenly landed in front of our front porch. You appeared and then vanished in a flash. And right behind your heels was this incarnate that scared the living daylights of my rookies. Mistress Kikyo’s visor was blinking like crazy, and her aura seriously emitted black shadows.” The two shared a light-hearted laugh at image of a raging Kikyo scaring the groundkeeper’s apprentices.

Just then, Zebro returned with a folded clothes on his hands. Gon gladly received them and noted how these clothes once again matched his style. He tore off his ragged olive-green shirt and slipped onto a forest green sweatshirt and a black baggy shorts that fell above his knees. He easily opened the bathroom door to wash his face. He remembered the last time he was here, it was almost impossible for him to swing open the bathroom like the way he just did. Splashing the water on his face, Gon stared at himself at the stainless mirror in front of him. He bit his bottom lip as his eyes stared at his reflection, particular at the clean cut he received from Kikyo. His bandage ripped off during his clash with Kikyo. And the cut still looked as fresh as before. Which means…

“Darn it, it’s going to stay for a while, “Gon whined to himself. Hopefully Killua doesn’t find it funny. Scratching his scar, Gon grabbed a fluffy towel next to the soap, and dried his face. The cold water managed to fully wake him up. The back of his head stung a bit, but he knew that he has to see Zeno soon. He didn’t want to think of the consequences of bailing Killua’s grandfather.

Before he snuck out the door, Gon stopped by to see Zebro and Seaquant. With a wide smile, Gon told them, “Thank you so much for taking care of me and waking me up!”

Zebro smiled sweetly while Seaquant huffed, “Cheeky, aren’t we? Anyway, remember what we said.”

“Uh yeah! Don’t get my head chopped off!”

Gon was already at the door before Zebro called. “Not just that! Please take care of your body, or else we can’t face Master Killua!”

Gon dashed through tree by tree, following a particular aura a few miles ahead. “He’s already there,” Gon thought in his head. Gon increased his pace. If any normal human were to witness Gon’s hurried run, it would just be a blur. The abrupt wind from Gon’s speed broke a few twigs from trees. It only took Gon a few more minutes before he was just in front of a hedge that separated the forest he was in and the marvelous Zoldyck garden. Cloaking himself in Zetsu the entire time, Gon spared a few seconds to catch his breath and stared in awe at the scenery in front of him. The garden was truly breathtaking. There was a miniature bridge that led to the circular area full of flowers, bushes, and plants. The river that surrounding this circular shaped garden was thin and smooth. Gon sometimes wondered if Killua’s family was from a fairy tale.

Gon shook his head from his daze and concentrated on the elderly man standing on the center of the small, arched bridge. He was staring at something, probably one of the flower bushels. His back was turned, and he had his Ren on. Perhaps this was Zeno signaling Gon his location? Gon took Zeno’s Ren as a friendly invitation. But he still wanted to sneak up to the elder. Familiar with the nature of grasses, Gon tiptoed past the hedge. His steps were noiseless, and since it was still pre-dawn, the moon barely shone light to capture his shadow.

Gon inched closer and closer to the older man, and when Gon was only a few meters away from Zeno, Zeno spoke, “You will need 10 more years to surprise attack me.”

Gon silently cursed, but released his Zetsu. He scratched the back of his head and stuck his tongue out.

“I wanted to see how far I can go before you caught me.”

Zeno turned his body around to face the taller, younger man. Because Gon had exceptional vision, he could catch the elderly man’s eyes twinkle. “You weren’t bad for a youngster as yourself. You’re probably as good as my grandson. Maybe even better.”

Gon didn’t even need to ask which grandson he was talking about. His smile grew wider, proud that his Zetsu was as good as or even better than Killua’s. His boyfriend needs to stop slacking. “Wow, I guess training Zetsu for 6 months straight did paid off!”

Zeno raised an eyebrow. “Did you train solely on Zetsu for 6 straight months?”

Gon nodded enthusiastically, “Mhm! Ging told me that Zetsu is one of the most important abilities that I must master. If I wanted to work on Ren or Hatsu, I had to completely master Zetsu first. He even said sometimes I should value Zetsu more than anything else.”

Zeno chuckled, “Ah, what a wise man. I can agree with that.” Gon and Zeno stood in comfortable silence as the watched the sky sparkled from the tip of the sun’s entrance. Gon loved this time of the day when the sun slowly climbs itself up to the sky. He especially liked seeing how his surrounding would shroud itself in basks of bright colors, making flowers and the water shine in radiance.

Gon estimated that a good 10 minutes passed until Zeno spoke again, “Let’s talk over there.” He gestured towards the two small benches next to the rows of iris and violets. With his hands behind his back, Zeno casually approached to the bench and sat down. Gon followed closely behind then stood behind the elder man, unsure whether to sit down next to him or stand behind him. Without looking up, Zeno merely said, “Sit.” Gon sat down beside his boyfriend’s grandpa, and the two once again entered another period of silence. This time, Gon observed how the violets and irises gleamed beautifully by the rising dawn. Their color reminded him of a certain person’s eyes.

“This was one of his favorite places. This was also one of his favorite flowers,” Zeno stated, interrupting his thoughts. Gon eyes lit up at the new information he obtained about his lover. Irises and violets? He knows what he’s going to order next time to surprise his silver-haired Hunter.

Gon grinned, “So he used to really like blue flowers? That sounds like him.”

Zeno raised an eyebrow, “Used to?”

Gon hummed in response, “To celebrate our anniversary, I wanted to get him flowers. I asked him what was his favorite, and he told me he liked daffodils.”

“Did he? Well, he isn’t the same boy anymore, so that is to be expected.” Zeno then seemed to hesitate before saying, “I reckon that the change in his interests is mostly due to your influence.”

Gon blinked. “Huh?”

Zeno lightly chuckled, “Just by learning his new favorite flower, he has obviously changed. Tell me, have you ever given this flower before to that boy?”

Gon thought long and hard and saw a quick flashback. “I remember! I did. When I first introduced him to Whale Island, I showed him those flowers in the forest I always played at when I was young. Then I plucked one and gave it to him, saying that it’s one of my favorite flowers and I thought that it would fit perfectly in his white hair.” Gon swore that the quiet grunt coming from the elder was a snort.

“I never knew my grandson can be so simple.” Gon seemed confused at the old man’s words, so the man explained, “It seems as if my simple grandson found a new love for daffodils because you gave it to him that day. Those flowers do awfully resemble you, young man.”

Gon suddenly blushed and bashfully smiled. Of course, why didn’t he realize that from the start? Oh Killua. Gon then giggled when another memory popped in mind. “I remember he tried to give me flowers as a gift. It was before we started dating, and now that I remember, he gave me daffodils. But I don’t know why, he was so embarrassed even though he was only giving it to me for my birthday. He basically shoved the bouquet flowers on my face, yelling at me that he is happy that I was born. You should have seen him, he was so red!

Zeno sighed, “Instead of teaching my grandson assassin techniques I should have taught him how to flirt.” This time, Gon bursted out laughing. He could hear Zeno quietly joining along. His conversation with Zeno was miles different than his failed attempt in talking with Kikyo. Both parties have respect each other, and, much to Gon’s excitement, both love the silver-haired ex-assassin. Gon peered sideways and smiled at the old man.

“You really love Killua, don't you?”

Zeno only gazed upwards. “I can’t deny that he is my favorite grandchild.” Gon’s curiosity got the better of him.

“Then were you sad that Killua left the assassin business?” There was silence, but there wasn’t any tension or awkwardness. At least, Gon didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable asking Zeno these personal questions.

Zeno finally whispered,” I expected it much when I first heard that he ran away, stabbing my daughter-in-law and his older brother. But I can’t help but feel happy as a grandfather to see your grandchild doing what he loves, even if it’s not my treasured business.”

Gon’s curious eyes never left the old man’s face. “I always wondered, but how did the Zoldycks start their assassin history? Did they suddenly feel like assassination could be open for business back then?” Zeno closed his eyes briefly before a small smile formed on his lips.

Instead of answering the raven’s question, Zeno muttered, “No wonder that old man took a liking towards you.” Seeing that the raven didn’t understand who he was referring to, Zeno clarified, “Netero. Netero told me a few stories about you and Kil when you two took the Hunter Exam together.”

“Oh, Netero-san!” Gon then smiled sadly, remembering how valiant he was during the Chimer Ant catastrophe.

Returning a somewhat sad smile, Zeno continued, “That old fool wouldn’t stop gushing how you reminded of himself and how different you were with my grandson. Then he would go on rambling how you might grow up to be the greatest Hunter, maybe even surpassing your dad.”

Gon’s eyes lit up excitedly. “Really?!’

Zeno nodded, then said. “And then he once said that one day, Kil would elope with you. I don’t know if he was joking or not, but that man always had terrifying foresight.”
“H-huh? How could he have predicted that when we were only 12?”

Zeno shrugged, “But it will happen soon, I believe.” Gon’s whole torso turned towards the elder next to him. The sun was now halfway up, and Gon could see that the Zoldyck elder was staring into the sky almost thoughtfully.

“My daughter will probably never accept you, nor will my son acknowledge you. At least, not in the near future.” Zeno stated. Then the older man peered sideways to catch a glimpse of the smiling, raven haired hunter. “But I don’t see them successfully killing you. There’s something in you that makes me think that you have great amount of potential, just like that geezer said.” Zeno stood up suddenly and began to walk away. Gon stood still, knowing that the Zeno still had more to say. Zeno stopped as he was now a good distance away, then turned around.

He gazed into the amber orbs that he knew his grandson adored. “Make my grandson the happiest man he can be, Gon Freecs.”
After sharing a long, hour conversation, Gon knew what his words translate to. His face was now shining brightly with a beaming smile. Zeno words equated to, “You have my blessing. Now go and take on my family.”

Gon stopped his story when he saw Killua fidgeting slightly. It seemed like his favorite Zoldyck had something to say for a while now. Smiling almost mischievously, Gon asked the ex-assassin with a hint mockery, “Have anything to say, Killua?”

Turning a bit red for holding his breath to prevent himself from bursting out in frustration, Killua nodded furiously, “Yeah, I got a shit ton of things to say. First off, why the hell did you and my grandpa made fun of me so naturally? And second off, I can’t believe that old geezer Netero betted our love lives to my grandpa! He’s still taunting us from his grave!”

Gon giggled, “Ahaha, you know Killua, I learned a lot of cute things you did when you were little from Zeno-san!” Gon saw the horror forming on Killua’s face. With an evil smirk Gon continued to tease, “I asked him to tell me what you were like when you were young. Killua, you never told me how cute and naughty you were!”

Now turning bright red, Killua sputtered, “W-what did he tell you? Y-you don’t need to know what I was like when I was young—“

“Like when Alluka first called you onii-chan, Zeno-san told me that for a while, you tried calling Illumi onii-chan! Hahaha!”

“DON’T FUCKING REMIND ME! UGH!”

“And then, he even showed me some pictures! You had long hair back then! Why did you cut it short?”

“HE SHOWED YOU PICTURES? NOW GRAMPS IS IN MY MURDER LIST BESIDES MY MOTHER AND ILLUMI!”

Gon cried, “Noooooo! I like Zeno-san! He showed me a lot of things about you when you were young!” Gon then dug in his jacket pocket and pulled out a square shaped photograph. “He gave me this picture! Look, isn’t this boy adorable?” Gon revealed the image to his boyfriend. Killua glanced at the photo and immediately blushed. Killua couldn’t believe his stupid grandpa handed the love of his life a photo of him of bathing himself in chocolate sauce. His 5-year old self loved chocolates so much that he ordered a chocolate fountain just to jump in and swim in chocolate liquid. In that picture, chocolate was smeared all over his face, clothes, and hair. He was not proud of revealing to Gon that he had been a chocolate addict ever since he was little, and most of all, him looking so messy was NOT cute.

Seeing that Killua was silently fuming, Gon quickly pecked his lips to Killua’s and declared, “I love you!”.

It was a cheap trick, really. Killua turned his head sideways to avoid the Hunter’s bright, adorable eyes. “I love you too,” he muttered in defeat.

“Then can I continue my story?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, so after Zeno-san and I finished talking about your adorable childhood, he warned me that Illumi would be arriving soon! So he told me to take the time I need to rest since I was still exhausted from your mother’s assassination attempt. I took his advice, so I ran straight back to Zebro-san’s place. I slept for a whole day, until I felt a scary presence that woke me up!”

Killua raised his eyebrow, feeling more tensed as Gon approached closer to what he predicted to be the climax of his story. He was anxious to know what happened to that horrible scar on his torso. He wasn’t sure if he could handle that part.

Unable to withhold his anxiety, Killua blruted, “Who was it?”

“It was Kalluto!”

“Huh? Kalluto?”

 Gon blinked rapidly as he stared into those pinkish orbs. Right above of him was none other than Kalluto Zoldyck, the youngest child of the family. And to Gon, he was the most mysterious. Killua hasn’t really mentioned about him, nor has Alluka. He had only seen Kalluto once, and that was what, 9 years ago? Then, remembering that the entire Zolydck family are all making an assassination attempt on him, Gon leapt up from his cot and released his aura. This made Kalluto flinch, releasing his own area as well. The two had a stare down for a long minute. It was then Gon noticed that there wasn’t any hostile intention coming from the young Zoldyck.

“Uh, hi Kalluto…-kun?” Gon hesitantly greeted. He stopped using Ren and dropped his defensive position. Kalluto’s eyes never left Gon. Gon observed the outline of the young Zoldyck’s eyes. Much like his lover, Kalluto’s eyes resembles of a cat. It was mesmerizing.

“Just call me Kalluto,” Kalluto whispered, also lowering his guard.

Gon then smiled at the young teen. “Kalluto it is. So uh… You’re not here to kill me?” Gon nervously laughed when Kalluto’s face expression did not change. Honestly, how do these people keep their faces so composed?

Unfazed nor amused, the raven-haired Zoldyck replied, “I decided not to anymore.”

Gon’s ears perked up, “R-Really? That’s good to hear!” There was an awkward silence afterwards. Gon shifted his feet uncomfortable before breaking the silence, “Ah, let’s go and sit down at the living room? I’m not sure if you want to keep standing here or not.” When Kalluto didn’t say anything, Gon just took that as a silent agreement and lead the young assassin to the living room. The teen followed, and Gon rubbed his eyes before sitting down comfortably on the couch. The kimono-wearing Zoldyck sat across, still holding the same, neutral expression. Gon was quite curious about Kalluto since his lover never mentioned about this sibling. So he decided to keep the conversation going. “Why did you decide to not kill me? I’m sure you could have good chance when you snuck up on me like that when I was sleeping.”

Kalluto casually answered, “I just wanted observe you.”

Gon bit his lip from laughing hysterically at the teen’s bluntness. He didn’t think that the teen meant anything by his confession, but it was quite hilarious. Already, Gon was intrigued by this Zoldyck. Killua sure has interesting family members. “Was I so interesting that you decided not to kill me?”

Gon noticed that Kalluto shot him a quick glare. Finally a reaction. Kalluto told the Hunter, “You could have killed my mother many times during her assassination attempt. Why didn’t you so you could marry my older brother? You could have easily eliminated more obstacles.”

Gon hummed in deep thought before answering. Then, Gon said to the teen, “Well, I don’t want to kill your mother. I actually wanted to have a peaceful negotiation so we wouldn’t have to involve death.”

“But why?”

Gon cocked his head sideways, “Because I don’t want her to die? Just because she wants to stop me from marrying Killua, doesn’t mean she should die.”

Kalluto’s eyes finally left Gon’s amber orbs. His eyes darted downwards before muttering, “Oh.” It was then Gon finally realized something.

“Kalluto, do you miss Killua?” It was as if Kalluto had a switch in personality.

Cause right after Gon blurted his question, the reserved teen suddenly blushed and angrily denied, “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s not like I wanted to see you personally to learn more about older brother.” Bingo, Gon thought.

Gon was incredibly amused at this point. He could’t help but tease the cute Zoldyck, “I bet you really admire Killua, huh? I can’t blame you, I admire him too.” Gon could see the teen pucker his lips into a frown and heat spreading across his face.

“No.”

“Yes you do!”

“No I don’t."

“Come on, it’s not that embarrassing.”

“But he never acknowledged me.”

“Eh?”

Kalluto clamped his mouth shut and stared at the floor a bit angrily. Gon tapped his chin before asking, “Have you ever tried to talk to Killua?”

Kalluto hid his eyes before answering in a low voice, “No.”

Gon smiled, “Well that’s your first problem! You should talk to Killua if you want him to look at you. I’m certain that he would be happy if you tried to talk to him!”
“But he has Alluka,” Kalluto whispered, face slowly leaning towards the floor. Gon felt so much empathy for the teen in front of him. He just wants Killua to love him, Gon thought. How cute.

“He does, but he doesn’t have you. I don’t think that’s fair,” Gon said. Kalluto gazed into the bright-eyed man.

“You’re a strange man,” Kalluto bluntly said.

“You’re strange too!” Gon argued. Gon really thought that things were going smoothly. First, he had won over Killua’s grandfather with somewhat of an ease. And now, he is getting along with the youngest Zoldyck member. It’s been only 2 weeks, and he already knocked down 3 Zoldycks. He was almost feeling confident in getting out of this mountain by the next week or so.

All of those optimistic thoughts vanished when he felt an ever so familiar, sinister aura. Even Kalluto tensed up at Illumi’s presence. The Hunter and younger Zodlcyk straightened their backs as Illumi revealed himself from the shadows.

“Hm, look who’s here.” Illumi soundlessly approached to the couches where the two current occupants were sitting on. His long, black hair effortlessly swished back and forth as he stood besides Gon, who kept his body still.

Gon’s eyes continued to look straight at what’s in front of him, and only acknowledged the long-haired assassin with a single word. “Illumi.”

Illumi cocked his head sightly. Gon didn’t need to look at Illumi’s direction to know that he tilted his head leftwards in confusion. That’s what Illumi always did when he is pleasantly surprised. “I would never expect Kil to let his so called love of his life to walk in here all defenseless and alone.” Then Illumi glanced at his younger brother quizzically. “Kalluto, what are you doing here with him? Is he our prisoner?” Kalluto shook his head. This made Illumi sigh in disappointment. “We can’t let this chance slip away. Oh well, guess I’ll finish the job.”

Gon immediately jumped from his sitting position and created enough distance between him and Illumi. His aura spiked high, causing Illumi to release his aura as well. Yellow needles popped miraculously in Illumi’s fingers, who was ready to attack at any second. Gon gritted his teeth, prepared to either dash out of this lodge or prepare to face Illumi head on. What the two did not expect was for Kalluto to suddenly stand at the middle to prevent their encounter.

Kalluto stared at his older brother. “Nii-san. You should talk to father first before engaging with Gon Freeccs. We are currently in the middle of Phase 3 of Assassination Trial #8.” Phase what and assassination trial what? Gon was lost, and he did not hide any hints of his total confusion.

Contrary to Gon, Illumi’s eyes lit up in realization, “Ohh. Okay, I will return back to Father immediately. Does that mean mother failed?”

“Yes.”

“How long did it take?”

“About 2 weeks.”

“That’s unexpected.”

The older assassin put away his needles and glared at Gon. “I hope you’re prepared, Gon. I’ll be your next assassin.”

Gon smirked back at his most hated Zoldyck. “I hope killing the assassin isn’t part of your rules in this game.”

Illumi laughed bitterly, “You? Kill me? I always knew you make the best jokes, little Gon.”

Gon released a bit of his malicious aura. Illumi didn’t flinch, but Kalluto on the other hand jumped a little. Gon never revealed his blood lust ever since the Chimera Ants reign, but that never meant Gon lost it. There were several reasons why he tried to contain his blood lust all these years. One, he knew Killua was traumatized by that event, and showing even a bit of blood lust can trigger his beloved’s unwanted memories. Two, he himself is also scared of being unable to control his own rare bloodlust. He remembered how he couldn’t feel anything when he was using all his focus on one target. Third, he wanted to keep his promise to Killua: to change and never let the event with Pitou ever happen again. And finally, while Gon knew that bloodlust is sometimes inevitable, he just couldn’t utilize it yet until he has fully forgiven himself.

But right now, he couldn’t help but have some of his bloodlust escape from containment when Illumi appeared. This man had hurt Killua and Alluka. And now, he knew that this man would do anything to prevent his plan to marry his one and only love.

Trapping his bloodlust, Gon innocently smiled, “You’re right, I wouldn’t kill you. But you can’t kill me. I won’t let you.”