Chapter Text
It was the fourth consecutive day that Gon was tardy to his first period pre-calc class. Coincidentally, it was also the four day anniversary of Gon's and Retz's pre-relationship stage.
And, Killua absolutely noticed. He also noticed Gon had seemed.. almost, drained recently. I mean, how could he have not? The two had practically been attached at the hip since sixth grade.
Killua watched Gon with a concerned look on his face as he handed the teacher his tardy slip and slid into his seat spiritlessly. Killua averted his gaze from Gon to the floor for a while.
The teacher, Mr. Wing, had already began his lecture. But to Killua, it just went in one ear and out the other. The same could be said for Gon.
It was odd. Usually, Gon would come into first period and essentially talk Killua's ear off. But as of these last four days, he hasn't gotten so much as a 'Good-morning, Killua!'.
The sound of chalk scratching and Wing's voice echoed through the silent classroom, filled with many sleep-deprived teenagers. Gon included. He adjusted his gaze to Gon once again, who was slumped in his chair, already appearing to be dozing off.
Sure, Gon was never one to enjoy math class by any means, but he never slept in class. Most of the time, he would be scolding Killua for doing such.
He lightly nudged Gon with his foot under the table, attempting to gain his attention without attracting others. Gon's body jumped a little in his seat, which made it clear to Killua that he really was dozing off.
"Gon." He whispered, keeping his head low and turned in Gon's direction.
Gon rubbed his eyes lazily, "Hm?"
"Is Mr. Wing's star pupil really sleeping in class?" Killua teased, still keeping his voice low.
"Mmm, shut up. I'm not sleeping," Gon grumbled, "and if anything, you're the star pupil. Mr. math genius." He giggled quietly, putting that last part in air quotes.
Killua raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? How come I literally just had to wake you up?"
Gon blinked, then sighed in defeat, "Okay. I might have been sleeping. I've had a long couple of nights."
"Long couple of nights?"
"Too much to explain right now."
"Promise to tell me about it later?"
"I promise, Killua."
"Good. Seriously, you get mad at me for keeping stuff from you and then turn around and pull a stunt like this." He rolled his eyes. Gon just shrugged and reached into his bag to pull out a pen.
Then, Killua felt his pocket buzz. He took out his phone, sneakily hiding it under the desk in order to not catch Wing's attention. There, he saw a text message from his current boyfriend, Kenji.
8:12 kenji: hey, shalnark's having a party today with the guys, they said I could invite you
Killua stared at the text message for a moment. As if he would willingly hang around Kenji's idiot friends.
8:16 killua: hi sorry I'm staying after to watch Gon practice lmao. but next time?
The screen showed Kenji typing, then it stopped, then started again for a few minutes.
8:18 kenji: last time I checked, I was your boyfriend?:(
8:19 killua: you are I just have plans with my (best)friend haha
8:20 kenji: the party isn't until after 6 surely you'd make it
Killua rolled his eyes at Kenji's despicable inability to read his social cues.
8:22 killua: uhh probably gonna go to Gon's place after and stay the night sorry
read, 8:22AM.
Killua let out a breath he wasn't fully aware he had been holding. He tucked his phone back into his pocket, glancing over at Gon who was very clearly struggling to understand the concept of trigonometric functions.
"You good over there?"
"Shh!! I'm trying to listen." Gon shushed.
"Excuse me?" Killua teased in a challenging voice, leaning in so far to the point where his face was mere inches away from Gon's cheek.
Gon laughed and gave him a playful shove on the head, forcing him to lean back. Under normal circumstances, Killua would have declared war. But he decided against it as to not get Gon into any more trouble.
"You're lucky we're in class." Killua grumbled, only half-joking.
________
Killua sat in his fourth period Spanish class, bouncing his leg up and down out of habit. Thoughts of his flimsy relationship clouded his mind. He needed to get out of this class and get to lunch, where he could get his mind off of things. And more importantly, talk with his best friend, who was conveniently always the best at getting Killua's mind off of anything that bugged him.
After a long forty minutes of eyeing the clock, the bell finally rang, signaling Gon and Killua's lunch period at last. Killua packed up all his belongings and sped out of the class, pushing his way past all of his smaller classmates, being the whopping six foot ‘nothing’ giant he was. He navigated his way through the busy halls to the spot him and Gon meet everyday before lunch: Gon's locker.
As he approached, he noticed a short blonde haired girl standing in front of Gon, her hand resting on his chest flirtatiously.
Must be Retz. He rolled his eyes and kept walking forward until he was at Gon's side, slugging an arm around Gon's shoulder. A little too close by his side for Retz to approve. When she saw him, she removed her hand from Gon's chest and instead crossed them in front of her.
"Hi Killua!" Gon smiled, taking his attention off the girl in front of him.
"Hey. We gotta go, don't wanna be late." Killua shifted his gaze towards Retz, "You don't mind if I steal Gon here, do you?" He smiled, practically dangling Gon on a stick right in front of her.
"We were actually talking. Can you just hold up a sec?" She replied.
"Nah, sorry, we have an important project due. We have to work on it. Like, now." Killua asserted, squeezing Gon's shoulder as if to silently tell him to keep quiet.
Retz raised an eyebrow in suspicion, "Uh, right."
"So, you don't mind?" Killua repeated, an innocent glint in his tone.
She put on a strained smile. "Not at all."
"Cool, see 'ya." Killua began to move, pushing Gon lightly forward at the small of his back.
"Bye Retz, talk to you later." Gon called back as he followed Killua's lead.
"Bye."
"We don't have a project due any time soon, Killua." Gon commented.
Killua snickered, "I know."
"That was rude."
"I wasn't being rude, I was making sure she wasn't late by using up all her passing period talking to you!" Killua huffed defensively.
"Yeah, sure—and the sky is green." Gon giggled.
"Whatever you say."
Killua tugged on Gon's arm and pulled him closer behind him, assuring he wouldn't lose him in the crowd of high school students. He let go of Gon and let him follow on his own once they neared the cafeteria. Unfortunately, at this point, Killua's wish of not being late had already been thrown out the window as the bell rang.
"Mm, Killua?" Gon muttered lazily.
"What's up?" Killua replied, slowing down to match Gon's delayed walking speed.
"Did Retz sound mad? Honestly, I can't tell anymore." He grumbled.
Killua raised an eyebrow, "Uh, no? Why? Does she have anything to do with your last four tardies?"
"Dunno, maybe. I don't think I feel like sorting through all the details right now." Gon rubbed the back of his head as the two made their way inside and towards their usual table.
When they sat down, Ikalgo and Meleoron were already there, chatting away passionately about some debate neither two felt like asking about at the moment.
Their two friends noticed them and pulled away from their previous conversation.
"Look who's here! Not like you two to be late for lunch." Meleoron teased, earning an eye roll from Killua and a very delayed laugh from Gon. Ikalgo looked at Killua, with an even amount of confusion and concern in his expression.
Meleoron leaned in closer to Killua's ear, adjusting his voice to a quiet whisper,"What's up with him?"
Killua shrugged, "dunno, he won't tell me yet, he's being a weirdo."
"I literally hear you guys talking about me," Gon stuck his tongue out, blowing a raspberry. Killua did as well, right back at him.
"Anyway, Mito baked banana bread yesterday, she told me to bring some for you guys." Gon said, pulling out his lunch box, offering the container of banana bread to the other three.
Killua was already busy taking a bite out of the hugest chunk of banana bread Gon and to offer.
"Oh, God, that's perfect." Ikalgo chuckled as he took a piece, "My little brother insisted on packing my lunch for me yesterday, and I'm only now realizing how bad of an idea it was."
Meleoron grabbed a slice and popped it into his mouth, licking his fingers immediately after. "Wow, remind me to thank Miss Mito!"
"Oh yeah, same here, this is really good. If only you had her baking skills." Killua grinned.
Gon flicked him on the nose, gently, but hard enough. "Hey! I'll have you know I am a fine baker. Don't underestimate my abilities."
"Jee, okay, okay." Killua mumbled, rubbing his nose with two fingers. The two other boys laughed at their bickering.
"Fighting like an old married couple, it's always the same with you two." Ikalgo laughed.
"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, Gon, are you not gonna eat?" Killua asked, half out of genuine concern and half due to the fact he was hoping to eat the left overs.
It's not like he didn't have a fully stocked fridge at home. Killua was just too lazy to make his own lunch everyday, and the cafeteria food was nothing more than pure slop to him.
"I don't think so. You can have it, I'm so tired." Gon mumbled drowsily.
"If you insist." Killua grabbed a hold of Gon's lunch box and began rummaging through it.
Ikalgo's worried expression returned to his face, "Gon, are you okay? You've been weird these past few days."
"Yeah, you're acting more like Killua than yourself." Meleoron added, Killua gave him a playful shove and went back to wolfing down Gon's grilled cheese.
"I'm fine, don't worry. I've just been staying up longer these last few nights. Really." He yawned, stretching his arms over his head. "Killua, let me lay on you."
Killua paused and looking at him for a moment, blinking. "Um. Sure. Don't expect me to stay still, though."
Gon looked up, a smug grin forming from his lips. "Okay. Maybe I'll go over and sleep on Retz then."
"She's not even—are you—are you trying to make me jealous—Ugh, whatever. Come here." Killua stuttered in between words, before throwing an arm around Gon and pulling him to his shoulder.
Killua shivered for a split second, Gon's full weight pressing against him as he slugged an arm around Killua's stomach to steady himself better.
"You're too much, you know that, Gon?" Killua grumbled.
"You love it." He teased.
"Hopeless." Ikalgo whispered to Meleoron, pressing two fingers at the bridge of his nose, "absolutely hopeless."
"I know exactly what you mean." He chuckled, "So—anyway,"
"Yes. Meleoron. Jesus Christ. Water is wet." Ikalgo hissed.
"Okay. No. You don't understand."
Ikalgo rolled his eyes. "Enlighten me."
But before he could respond, Kenji was already sitting down in between Killua and Meleoron.
"Hi Killua." He smiled, planting a kiss to Killua's flushed cheek.
"Um, hi. What's up?" He turned to face him, subconsciously rubbing circles on the arm of an already long asleep Gon.
"What's up with him?"
"He's tired, some personal stuff." Killua replied, his tone slightly colder.
"Mm. Okay. Anyway, I came here just to, you know.. about the party, y'know how much I love it when you come with me to these kinds of things." Kenji reminded.
Ikalgo whispered something inaudible into Meleoron's ear.
"And you know how much I hate going to those kinds of things with you, Kenji." Killua rolled his eyes. Kenji bit his lip, now clearly uncomfortable.
"Right. Sorry. But text me if you change your mind, I'll pick you up from Gon's at any time yeah?"
"Mhm." Killua nodded as Kenji walked back off to his lunch table, made up of Shalnark, Uvogin, Feitan, Machi, and Phinks. Lunch was always a problem. Since Killua's friend group hated Kenji's friend group, while Kenji's friend group also hated Killua's friend group.
Still, Killua didn't mind. Sitting with a smaller crowd was better than a bigger one.
"That was kind of weird." Meleoron spoke, breaking the prolonged silence.
"I guess." Killua shrugged.
"Are you and him, like, okay?" Ikalgo inquired.
Killua blinked for a few beats before replying. "I dunno, we're fine, I guess. He just wants me to go to some idiot party along with his idiot friends."
Meleoron chuckled, "Sounds about right. You gonna hide out at Gon's?"
"I hope so." Killua mumbled. Gon's body shifted, his body stretching more across the benches and his head falling into Killua's lap. Killua tried not to pay attention as he scarfed down the remainder of Gon's lunch.
____
Gon slid into his seat, already pulling out everything he needed for his photography electives class.
When he looked back up from his backpack, Retz was standing just behind his laptop in front of him.
"Oh, hey Retz." He greeted nervously, feeling butterflies suddenly swarm his stomach.
"Hi, Gon, how'd the project go? Y'know, with Killua?" Retz asked genuinely as she leaned forward into him.
"What pro—oh—that project. It went great!" Gon laughed, almost getting caught up in Killua's stupid white lie.
"Good to hear! Anyway, I wanted to ask..." she paused, Gon tilted his head, eagerly awaiting her request.
"You know Killua's boyfriend? Or Shalnark?"
"Yeah, Kenji and Shalnark? I know of them." Gon replied, not sure of where this was going.
"Shalnark's having a party today, Kenji and Killua are probably going, so I was wondering if you would go with me?" Retz suggested, twiddling her thumbs.
Gon felt a little heat rise to his cheeks, "Oh, man. I'm sorry, I wish I could."
"Why can't you?" She raised an eyebrow, fixing her posture and placing both hands on her hips.
Gon froze for a second, scouring his brain for an excuse to get out of this situation. Truth be told, it wasn't that he couldn't go. He just didn't want to. Why? Because of the people that would be attending.
He wasn't a huge fan of Kenji's friends, nor was he a huge fan of Kenji to begin with. But he would never tell Killua that, in Gon's eyes, they had the perfect relationship. He would never want to ruin that for Killua. But to him, they were all just a bunch of 'too cool for everybody else' druggies who didn't give a single crap about their future outside of high school.
"I have to.. um.. help Mito with her bakery! Tomorrow! It's always swamped on the weekends, haha." He chuckled awkwardly. Retz didn't look convinced.
"I don't see why that clashes with the party? It's tonight, not tomorrow." Retz spoke.
Gon cringed, "I just want to be well rested, you know."
"Mm. Okay, I guess that makes sense." She frowned.
Gon was now completely washed over with guilt, "Yeah, sorry about that. Maybe next time."
"Mhm, I'll text you later." She smiled, walking back off to her seat.
Gon sighed, finally releasing a tight breath he had been holding as he waited for her to finally sit down.
That was awkward.