August 25th. Today was the day. Gon had been waiting for this day for years, and the anticipation only intensified when he received his acceptance letter in the mail a few months ago. After a teary goodbye with Aunt Mito, he was finally off on his own and starting college.
A freshman in college AU!
Chapter 1: New Places, New Faces
August 25th. Today was the day. Gon had been waiting for this day for years, and the anticipation only intensified when he received his acceptance letter in the mail a few months ago. After a teary goodbye with Aunt Mito, he was finally off on his own and starting college. Whale Island wasn’t that far from York New City, though Mito fervently disagreed--”Not that far?! It’s a boat, train, and bus ride away!”-- Either way, Gon had arrived safely, and as promised, he texted her to let her know. The entrance to the campus was a large iron gate, and a statue of a catbear stared down at him.as he crossed the threshold of his father’s alma mater.
Ging had walked these same grounds decades before and went on to become a world renowned Archaeologist. His career was demanding and exciting, so much so that it kept him abroad most of the time. It became Gon’s dream from a very early age to follow in his father’s impossibly large footsteps, traveling the world exploring and discovering artifacts and lost civilizations. It had to be amazing if it was worth missing out on so much of his son’s life.
Suitcase in tow, he climbed the stairs leading to the administration building two at a time, and eagerly tugged on the large oak doors. Once inside, he noticed a small line forming across the lobby. A banner reading ‘Freshman Check In’ was hung above a long table on the back wall. He joined the line and waited, shifting from foot to foot as excitement coursed through him. When it was his turn to step up to the table, a petite woman with blonde pigtails came into view. She smiled warmly at him as he approached.
“Hello! Welcome to York New University! What’s your first and last name?”
“Hello, thank you! My name is Gon Freecss.”
She sifted through some folders lined up neatly in front of her before pulling one out of a stack and handing it to him.
“This packet has your room number and key in it, as well as a brochure of course options. You’ll want to select your classes and build your schedule online as soon as possible. You’re in Hunter dorm located just North of the library. Follow the brick walkway through the courtyard and you can’t miss it. Best of luck and welcome to YNU!”
Before he could say anything more, the next student in line was being motioned forward, so he turned and headed out the door and to his dorm. Grass and trees decorated the space between buildings, and the walkways were buzzing with students. The biggest and oldest looking building he passed had a cool tower on the side of it. He wondered what it was, and couldn’t wait to find out!
After a while he arrived at a large, multi story brick building. Gold lettering over the entrance read ‘Hunter Dormitory’. With a deep breath, he headed inside. His room number was 405A, so he boarded the elevator, and pressed the button for the 4th floor. It let him out on the top level of the building and into a long hallway. He passed room 400, then 401, 402, 403, 404, and finally, at the very end of the hallway, 405.
The front door opened to a common room with a couch, mini fridge, a tv, and a coffee table. On the far wall there was a door to the right labeled ‘A’ and one to the left labeled ‘B’ His room was pretty standard, just four white walls with a bed, desk, and dresser. It looked so plain and boring, he couldn't wait to make the space his own. He had to remember to thank Mito for reminding him to pack some decorations. There was a window by the bed overlooking a courtyard, and on the left wall was the door to the bathroom. When he stepped into the shared bathroom, he saw another door on the wall opposite his. Curious, he turned the knob and peeked inside. It opened to a room that was identical to his own. His roommate must not have arrived yet, as the room was still empty. Disappointed, he closed the door with a click.
He returned to his room and flopped onto the bed. His mind was racing, imagining what his roommate would be like, what his classes and professors would be like, what friends he would make and what clubs he would join. This had all been just a dream for so long, and now he was, finally living it. His phone buzzed in his pocket, letting him know that it was 12:45. Oh! He almost forgot! He stood in a flash, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and skipped out the door for freshman orientation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Killua was not very excited about being forced to attend a freshman orientation. Wasn’t the whole point of college to get away from people telling him what to do? Nevertheless, here he was, making his way to the small group forming under a large oak tree in the center of the campus’s main courtyard. As he approached them he noticed a tall man standing in the center of everyone and motioning for people to move as he called out.
“Please gather around me so everyone can hear!” The man was wearing white slacks, and his dark hair was shaped into a large pompadour. When the group was settled, he spoke again. “Hello everyone, and welcome to York New University! My name’s Knuckle Bine, I’m a junior here and the RA of Hunter dorm! I’ll be your guide around campus today. It’s my job to help you guys get acclimated to your new environment, and to teach you the in’s and out’s of life here at YNU!”
His eyes scanned the group from one end to the other, a smile on his lips. “To start, I’d like to break the ice here with an introduction game! We’ll go around the circle and introduce ourselves. When it’s your turn, tell us your name, your major if you’ve chosen one, something about yourself, and a reason you’re here at the University! I’ll go first. I’m Knuckle and my major is Pre-Veterinary Medicine. Something about myself is that I love animals! I came to college to make a career for myself that helps them!” His smile was warm as he turned to the person to his left with expectant eyes. “Now, your turn!”
Killua did his best to focus on the petite girl who was now speaking--shit, what did she say her name was? Ponzu?--but his mind was busy rushing to think of the right thing to say for when it was his turn to speak.They were a group of complete strangers, standing together in the grass, and they were really expected to just… introduce themselves? With such weird and arbitrary questions? What was he supposed to say? This was not how he wanted to start meeting new people once he finally got away to college.
Alright, name was easy, major was undecided so also pretty easy, if a little embarrassing. What was next? Something about himself? What? That was such a broad thing to ask! And he only had a few more people before his turn. And shit! He had not been paying attention. He glanced up to see where the next person speaking was. Okay, he had about 6 more people before it was his turn. His eyes fell on the next person, a boy about his height with black spiky hair and bright, round colored eyes the color of honey.
“Hello!” he waved cheerily around the semi circle, a bright smile on his face. “My name is Gon Freecss. I’m not exactly sure of my major just yet, but I’m thinking about Environmental Biology or maybe Anthropology. I’m from Whale Island and I love hiking and exploring. I’m here because this is my life’s next adventure and I’m excited to learn and make some new friends!”
Killua thought this guy was a little overzealous, but he seemed nice enough. He was wearing green shorts and a cream tank top that revealed tan, muscular limbs. His gaze roamed up the boy’s body, noticing broad shoulders, a strong jaw, full lips, and then, those eyes…eyes that were now staring right back at him. Crap. He quickly turned his head away, a blush creeping across his cheeks. Welp. That was awkward. Oh shit, now there were only 2 more people before him. When it was finally his turn, he spoke quickly and avoided eye contact.
“I’m Killua. I’m undecided and I’m here because I graduated high school and this was the next step. I guess something about me is that I like to skateboard.” He felt a rush of relief as the next person started speaking, and focused intensely on the rest of the people as they spoke so his eyes wouldn’t wander back to that boy--Gon--again.
A few people later, and Knuckle was the one speaking. “Alright! That’s everyone. Now that we’re all acquainted, we can begin the campus tour! Follow behind me closely, and feel free to ask any questions you may have along the way!” With a bright smile, he turned on his heel and walked across the lawn.
The tour was relatively uneventful, Killua was pretty bored most of the time. Hadn’t these people done a campus tour? His mother barely let him attend a college so far away, let alone without touring it first. The only thing keeping him occupied was occasional glimpses at Gon’s facial expressions. He was very easily amused and his face lit up with each new place they entered. Killua had never seen someone so happy and energetic before. It was almost tiring to watch, but he found himself looking up at the boy frequently. They walked through some of the classrooms, followed by the main campus administration building, a few of the degree program offices, the campus gym, and finally the cafeteria.
“Okay guys, we’ve got one stop left, but first, we’re going to break for lunch! I like to eat my lunch on the green,” he motioned to the expansive lawn they were standing on, “but you’re welcome to eat inside as well. Just make sure you meet back here in 45 minutes!”
With that, the group dispersed. Killua, deciding he wasn’t hungry enough to venture into the cafeteria, sat down under a shady tree. He was scrolling mindlessly on his phone when he heard soft footsteps in the grass next to him. He glanced up to see who it was and his breath caught in his throat. Golden eyes were staring down at him, accompanied by an ear to ear smile.
“This seat taken?”
“Uh, no?” Killua watched as Gon crossed his legs and plopped down in the grass next to him.
“You don’t have any food, aren’t you hungry?” Gon asked, voice tinged with concern.
“Oh, I guess I just didn’t feel like dealing with the cafeteria line.”
Gon immediately began rifling through his backpack. He pulled out a sandwich, an apple, and a bottle of water. “Here, have some of my lunch!” He passed the apple to Killua, and offered him half of the sandwich as well.
“No thank you, I couldn’t take your lunch from you.”
“You’re not taking it from me, I’m sharing it with you! C’mon, at least have the apple.”
He wanted to argue, but Gon’s smile was almost a pout and his eyes were burning into him, so he quickly grabbed the apple and took a bite. Gon grinned in response and took a bite of his sandwich.
“So, your name is Killua? I’m Gon! It’s nice to meet you!”
Killua swallowed hard and ignored how his stomach flipped when Gon said his name.
“Yeah, it’s nice to meet you too.” The two sat in comfortable silence for a bit, eating and watching the activity on the lawn around them. Gon was the first to speak.
“So, are you from York New City?”
Killua shook his head. “My family lives on a compound in the Kukuru Mountains, a few hours North of here.”
“Oh yeah? That’s so cool! My Aunt Mito and I went on a hiking trip there a few years ago. The forest at the base of the mountains is beautiful!”
Killua raised an eyebrow. “The forest is also pretty dangerous, y’know.”
Gon chuckled. “Don’t worry, I basically grew up in nature, my survival skills are pretty good. Not that Mito would’ve let me hike off trail or as far as I wanted to anyway.”
“You said you’re from Whale Island, what’s it like there?”
“Whale Island is beautiful. The forest there is lush and the wildlife is diverse. I spent all of my free time outside exploring alone, learning every inch of the island.”
“Alone?”
“Yeah, there weren’t many kids my age. It’s a small port town; so a great deal of the population there is people in town for business for a few weeks or months at a time. The locals are mostly older folks. There were only a few families around when I was growing up, but they all had girls. I made friends with them just fine, and with the kids that would move in and out of town. But I never really had solid friends, and never a best friend.”
Killua nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I never had any real friends either. No one I could trust or that I actually enjoyed spending time with. I got to know the kids that my parents’ business partners would regularly bring to parties, and I knew some kids at boarding school too; but most of them were boring or snobby or both. So I was alone a lot.” Killua’s gaze shifted down, his fingers nervously raked through the grass. He wasn’t sure why he was suddenly spilling his guts to a stranger, but something about Gon being so open made him want to open up as well. He could feel Gon staring at him, and when he looked up he was met with a pair of warm golden eyes, and an understanding smile. That smile made his stomach flip...again.
“Killua?”
“Yes?”
“Would you like to be friends?”
”I--w-what?” he stammered, eyes wide with surprise.
Gon didn’t waiver, his smile only grew wider. “I think you’re really cool, and I’d like to be your friend! Would you like to be mine too?”
“Uh, s-sure. Yeah, we can be friends.” he rubbed at the back of his neck, trying to calm his embarrassment along with the excitement bubbling up inside of him.
Gon was positively beaming. “I’m so glad! This is gonna be great!”
Gon’s excitement was contagious, and Killua couldn’t help but smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~
For the rest of their lunch break, the two talked and laughed. They were really hitting it off, and Gon was so happy to have made such a cool new friend. Killua even promised to teach him how to skateboard if he taught him how to fish! Before they knew it, Knuckle was clapping his hands and waving for everyone’s attention.
“Okay folks, it looks like everyone’s finished eating, so it’s time to finish our tour!” He pointed to the large building behind them and motioned for them to follow. They all stood and headed across the lawn towards a large brick building with a marble staircase on either side of the double door entrance. It was the building with the tower Gon noticed earlier.
Knuckle led the group up the stairs and inside. When he spoke next, it was in a hushed tone. “Everyone, welcome to the library! This is the biggest building on campus, and where you will probably spend most of your time.The best way to learn this place is to explore it yourself, and since this is the last stop, feel free to stay as long as you like.You’re also free to go whenever you’d like. I’ll be around for a bit if you have any questions or want to chat. I hope you enjoyed the tour today and again, welcome to NYU!!” He ended with a bright smile, and the group began to disperse.
After a chat with Knuckle, Gon headed straight for the elevator to explore each floor. He asked Killua to join him, but he declined saying he had some stuff to do, so they exchanged numbers and went their separate ways. By the time he finished in the library, it was well after 5. He stopped at the cafeteria for a quick bite to eat and then headed back to his room.
He was unpacking when he heard shuffling in the other bedroom. His roommate must be home! He headed out to the common room and knocked on the other door. Gon heard some more shuffling before the door swung open to reveal a familiar face. He stared in surprise and ocean blue eyes stared right back through a frame of silver hair.
