Black Butterfly [written by TheRealGonZoldyck] Killugon fic

chapter 5

"So you yawn because you're selfish? Got it."

The smacking stops. "Not just me, Killua," Gon huffs. "Everyone yawns because they're selfish. But I think we don't yawn when we see cats yawn because they have such little mouths that we don't feel threatened about them taking our air. And also-did you ever notice that cats don't make that sucking-in Hoover-y noise when they yawn?"

"The what?"

"You know, when a normal person yawns you hear this loud intake of air, like a tire going flat but in reverse. But when cats yawn they don't make any noises at all. Why is that?"

Killua pauses. "You're asking me why cats don't yawn properly?"

"Is it because they aren't actually yawning and they're really just stretching their cheek muscles, or is it that they've learned how to not make the gaspy 'I'm-stealing-all-the-good-air-and-leaving-you-with-carbon-dioxide' noise so that we won't gulp all the air after they yawn?"

"I don't even know where you're going with this."

"I'm just saying, are cats not yawning audibly because they want all the air to themselves?"

"I'm hanging up."

"You can just tell me if you don't know. I DON'T KNOW EITHER, KILLUA. There's nothing to be ashamed of here."

"Goodbye, Gon."

"No, Killua, wait-" he hangs up, then turns his phone on silent.

What in the actual fuck? How did this happen? What did he miss?

Killua groans out in frustration, slams his pillow over his face and settles for screaming into the feathers.

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The thing is, Killua has an excellent memory. He swears he can remember moments from before he was three. He remembers the names and even birthdays of friends he knew back in pre-school.

He's always been good at remembering things other people usually forget. And that, Killua thinks, is both a blessing and curse.

The summer before ninth grade, Killua had been forced to take a gym class. He'd managed to use swim as an excuse not to take the class during the school year, but the loop hole only worked for so long. Eventually the guidance counselor told Killua he'd have to make up the credit over the summer, or take a fail for the class.

Embarrassed and infuriated over the thought of failing fucking gym, Killua had grudgingly signed up for summer school. There were only four other students in the class, and of course, one of them had been Gon.

"Aunt Mito thought it'd keep me busy," he'd said, giving Killua that cautious look he always had back then, like he didn't trust him. It never failed to piss Killua off for some reason.

"Why don't you, like, do some old hag's grocery shopping or mow lawns like everyone else?" Killua asked.

Gon shrugged one shoulder. "It'd take all day. I wouldn't have time to...do other stuff."

Killua didn't know what "other stuff" entailed, but knowing Gon, it was probably something he'd hate. So he rolled his eyes and tried to ignore Gon as much as he could.

Unfortunately, a five-person gym class made up of three girls and two guys made that harder than he expected; eventually Killua found himself paired up with Gon in the weight room nearly every day. It was awkward being the only fourteen-year-olds around a bunch of upperclassmen jocks, which forced them to talk to each other as a distraction.