Ghost Orchid |KilluGon|

prologue

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...true love was one of the rarest things in the world. sometimes even the purest of souls never found it. it's like a ghost orchid. strong yet delicate. rare...but hauntingly beautiful. maybe even more beautiful than life itself...

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It was winter, but the snow was yet to come. It was getting colder, but the lakes were yet to freeze. December. The first month of winter. The month of Christmas. Gathering. Gift exchanges. But most of all, a month of love.

There was a week. A week left of college before everyone could go home. Killua was dreaming about it already. He didn't have any plans yet but the idea of being able to relax for a few weeks pleased him. No deadlines, papers due, homework to cram, tests to prepare for. Just peace.

Killua looked out the window. It was slightly foggy since it was so cold outside. The ground was still the color of dirt, and the trees were bare but standing tall and strong against the chilly weather. the grass was starting to frost over but the blades were still green.

A single dot of white was floating through the air. It was a single snowflake that fell to the ground. Killua's eyes widened and he poked Gon who was sitting to his right under their desks. He pointed out the window and then looked back himself to see a delicate flurry of snowflakes dancing about in the air and landing one at a time on the dirt and grass outside.

It was the first snow of the year. Slowly the whole class turned to look. The teacher had stopped teaching to look outside of the window as well. It was a beautiful sight, and it made the atmosphere truly feel like Christmas was coming for the first time in December.

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The last class of the day was over and all that was left was the reviews and test days during the next and final week. Killua had walked over to Gon's locker like he always did at the end of the day. It was a routine by now and he did it without thinking. Gon was almost done packing his bookbag to prepare for the last science test of the semester. He hated science but it was mandatory for the first year of college since the school the two boys had chosen required general education for the first year.

Gon shuffled around inside his locker looking for his review notebook, where he wrote down everything he needed to know for any assessment. It helped him remember things better. He searched a little longer, pulling out textbooks and spirals trying to find his notebook. Finally, it peeked through after Gon removed another textbook. It had been pushed too far back the last time he'd put it back and fallen behind his shelves.

Gon placed the notebook in his bag, zipped it up and closed his locker.

"Ready to go?" Killua and Gon normally walked back to the apartment that Gon was renting together and then they did homework or something of the sort before Killua went home to his own apartment that his family had let him rent. It was just a habit they had formed.

"Yea" Gon heaved his backpack onto his back and the boys walked out of the school. Without realizing their legs matched up in their walking patterns.

Gon shivered at the cold burst of air that had smacked him in the face after the two left the building. Killua had sort of prepared himself for the cold air, but he still shivered at the cold air when it grazed his face. He was wearing one of his signature navy turtlenecks which helped to keep him warm.

They walked slowly on the worn-down sidewalk and discussed their plans for the winter break. Killua hadn't really planned anything and Gon didn't know what he was going to do either. They discussed going shopping together and making hot chocolate and were soon talking about Christmas gifts and everything else that comes with the festive season.

Soon Gon's apartment complex was in sight and the two boys felt excitement imagining the warm air inside. They walked faster and soon made it into the building and let the warm air thaw their slowly numbing bodies.

Neither saw it, but a single ghost orchid was beginning to bud right outside of the apartment complex.

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This is a short chapter to get things moving. I'm planning on this fic being a longer one and slower paced so hopefully the chapters will be a lot longer than the one here. This one can be a prologue if it helps to think of it that way