♦ Love Me After 12AM: Write about our characters staying up late at night together.
It’s nighttime; Gon is playing with one of his friend’s yo-yo’s while Killua leans against the bedframe. It had been an uneventful day, at best — but the entire day, Killua had been sort of subdued, less interested. Gon had noticed, of course. But he wasn’t the type to pry.
At the sound of Killua’s voice, Gon looks up. “Killua?”
"What do you think about death?"
It’s a sudden question. Gon glances at his friend, whose head is bowed down, dipped a little in thought. From his position on the bed he can see Killua’s wide, expressive eyes, seething with an emotion that he can’t place. “Hmn … ” the boy replies, moving his legs a bit. ”What about it?”
"Killing is something that comes to me really easily. I don’t even think about it, really. I could go outside right now and find somebody and rip their heart out. I don’t even have to go outside — there are a hundred ways to use the window — and slit somebody’s throat."
Gon lowers his head onto the bedsheets as Killua continues. The white haired boy’s chin rests on his knees, pulled up close to his chest. For the very first time, Gon thinks, He looks a little vulnerable.
"Some people deserve it, so I don’t care. I would kill so many people if — it meant. I just." Killua clenches his fist. "I don’t — "
"Killua, you’re amazing."
Gon rolls onto his back to stare at the ceiling. His voice is casual, as if he’s talking about the weather, or the scenery. ”You were born and raised like that, right? Just like I was born on Whale Island, you were born into your family, and you were trained into being an assassin without any choice.”
Killua unclenches his fist. “Well, so.” His voice verges on defensive. “So what?”
"Well, despite that, you’ve saved a lot of people, haven’t you?"
Gon tilts his head with a slight smile.
"You’ve saved my life before!"
At his words, Killua turns a little red. “T, that’s only because you would do the same for me,” he retorts, lifting his head to look at Gon with a scowl. Gon sticks out his tongue. With a look of chagrin, Killua picks up a nearby pillow to smack it onto Gon’s stomach — the black-haired boy catches it with a lighthearted laugh.
They tussle for a while until they’re both out of breath, sprawled out on the bed, pillow matter floating in the air.
Gon takes a pause to look at Killua. The other boy’s silvery hair is tousled and all over the place — but his resting face, so serene and peaceful, makes Gon feel a little funny. He pulls closer to the other boy with a slight exhale.
"I think the power to kill someone is scary." He plops down on the sheets next to Killua so their shoulders touch. "So anybody who can do that would have to use their power well."
Killua stares at him. Gon goes on with a smile —
"Idiot." And Killua rolls forward to smack Gon on the forehead before they both explode into laughter.
The next morning, when Mito-san goes to wake them up, she finds them nestled side by side — fingers entwined — as if not even the world could separate them. With a smile, she pulls the blanket up to their shoulders to let them sleep a while longer.
A knowing whisper. “Always together, huh?”