[26] P.O.V.: Gon Freecss
Even if the two weren't related by blood, [Y/n] had been in Gon's life since before he could remember. Like Aunt Mito, she was a permanent fixture, and no matter what happened between them, he would always love her. Growing up, the two had a sibling bond that had been terrifyingly unbreakable; Aunt Mito had always joked that the two were twins in another life.
The one problem, though, was that Gon felt more protective of [Y/n] than [Y/n] felt of Gon. Of course, the older girl would argue that statement, but it was true, and everybody else would readily agree on that. [Y/n] had an untamable recklessness about her that made Gon worry about what could happen if she continued her journey with Gon and Killua. Kurapika and Leorio also worried over her, although to a different extent — he wasn't sure to what extent, or the reasoning behind their worries, but they did worry.
Really, the only one that never seemed worried for her wellbeing was Killua. The Zoldyck was completely confident in [Y/n]'s capabilities despite his constant nagging and teasing.
Funny, considering Killua and [Y/n] clashed the most out of everybody in their group.
It had certainly been a while since he had seen [Y/n] now, too — they were all supposed to meet up in York New City, and with the upcoming auction, soon things would be kicked into gear. She didn't go to Heaven's Arena, saying that she was going back to Whale Island to train more, but knowing [Y/n]... Well, even if she was home, the teen would probably find her way into trouble. That's how she's always been.
"Oi, Leorio's coming back," Killua noted, not even looking up from the GameNino he was currently playing on. Gon could smell the familiar aftershave and perked up — and then, another smell invaded his senses, of cinnamon and warmth and nostalgia.
Only one person had that kind of smell, and even in the hotel room, he could hear the exuberant voice talking to Leorio.
Bolting up from his spot on the couch, Gon jumped over the back of the couch and ran to the door just as it opened, nearly tackling the newcomer to the ground in a hug. She laughed airily, wrapping her arms around him and spinning him around.
Since when did she get arm muscles?
"It's good to see you too, little bro," [Y/n] teased, and for a moment the two just stood there hugging, before Leorio finally butt in.
"Can you two at least take this inside the room so I'm not standing out in the hall?"
The Freecss siblings laughed, bright and cheerful as they all went back into the hotel room. Killua paused his game, looking up towards [Y/n] and raising a slender, silver eyebrow.
"Oh, you're not dead. That's a surprise."
[Y/n]'s mood did a quick 180 as she glared over at the younger teen, sticking her tongue out at him. "And I see your attitude is still rotten as ever, but that's not really a surprise, Zol-dickhead."
That was a new nickname, and Gon could only laugh helplessly as [Y/n] and Killua immediately began to argue, throwing names and playground insults at each other.
No, [Y/n] may not be related to him by blood, but she would always be Gon's older sister, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
—·—·—
[27] P.O.V.: Killua Zoldyck
There weren't many people Killua genuinely respected, and even if he did respect somebody, it was very begrudging and hard for him to admit it. His father was one person — Silva Zoldyck was a force to be reckoned with, not that he would ever tell his dad that. Gon was another, and Alluka was also on that list; those two, he'd be more likely to admit he actually respected them, although his actions certainly spoke for him.
The last person, irritatingly enough, was [Y/n], Gon's older sister.
At first, he had seen her as a nuisance that never shut up. She hovered constantly over Gon during the Hunter Exam, and when they were apart, Gon would often share stories of him and [Y/n].
From the pit of his stomach, a jealousy had started to form against her. He wasn't good with friendships, or people in general — you didn't need to be when you were an assassin — but Gon was somebody he truly cherished. Having Gon's attention constantly shifted from him to his older sister was aggravating in a way Killua couldn't really explain.
Even with that jealousy, though, Killua Zoldyck still respected [Y/n]. Coming into this world had made him acknowledge the fact that she couldn't be underestimated.
She was brash, stubborn, childish, immature, and impulsive — yet she was still incredibly strong. Being in this world, separated from Gon and Killua, she had clearly grown. Her hatsu was developed well, she had figured out how to go back and forth between worlds, and she had somewhat matured during her absence. Her self-confidence was justified now, and that was clear as day.
Weirdly enough, though, she reminded him of his younger sister, Alluka.
This wasn't something he had even thought of comparing until the day they were supposed to leave, when he saw [Y/n] transform into something. Nanika. The resemblance was so disorienting that he was frozen for a moment, before reminding himself that it wasn't Nanika. No, they called themselves Ai, but now that Killua had a good look, he started to connect all of the dots together.
They had similar, childish personalities, Ai and Nanika had that genderless, honeyed voice and eerie appearance, and both had deadly abilities. Nanika granted any wish; Ai could literally cross through worlds.
No doubt, Nanika and Ai were of the same race. How would Alluka and [Y/n] get along? He wanted them to meet, if only to help Alluka and Nanika, not to mention he wanted to sate his own curiosity.
Just what was Ai? Nanika? [Y/n]? And what was this weird, warm feeling he felt in his chest for a moment? Feelings? Gross.
"Uh, so.... What now?"
Back to normal, [Y/n] was looking at everybody expectantly, and Killua quickly averted his gaze after realizing he had been staring her down the entire time.
What now indeed... Killua wasn't sure what he was feeling now, but he did know one thing; he actually wanted [Y/n] to come back to their world.
What a weird notion.
—·—·—
[28] P.O.V.: Leorio Paladiknight
"[Y/n]... Can I kiss you?"
Leorio couldn't help it. Unlike Kurapika, he didn't want to beat around the bush — knowing [Y/n]'s oblivious nature, it would only cause trouble later. While his timing could definitely have been better, he felt the need that he had to confess then. With [Y/n] sitting on the sink counter, her shoulders and collarbone exposed so he could bandage the hickey that had been left, she looked like a goddess. He didn't know when he started crushing on her — maybe during the Hunter Exam, when she helped him out? York New City?
When she agreed, Leorio had gently tilted [Y/n]'s head up by her chin, caging her in against the sink and leaning down to kiss her.
She was warm, and clearly flustered. It was reassuring to know that he wasn't the only one nervous; his heart was thumping erratically against his chest, an uneven rhythm that almost made it hard to breathe. He never knew just how much he had wanted to kiss her until he was already doing it.
It wasn't a long kiss — last thing they needed was for Kurapika to barge in impatiently to yell at Leorio for taking his time — but it was sweet, like honeysuckle dreams.
No, this wasn't a crush. Somehow, down the road, Leorio had actually fallen for [Y/n].
It felt too soon when he had pulled away, and he could practically feel the embarrassment radiating heat from her face.
"Leorio, I—"
Leorio cut her off abruptly, standing up straight and giving her an easygoing grin. "I know a lot is going on for you, so don't respond to that confession right now. Think on it, and then tell me."
In return, [Y/n] gave him a shaky smile, relieved. No doubt, she had a lot on her mind, and the last thing Leorio wanted to do was add more onto those worries. Instead, he ruffled her hair, with her trying to swat his hands away. After a moment, he finally stepped back, allowing her to hop down from the sink.
"Think about it," Leorio repeated with conviction. "Once this is all, I expect a real answer, got it? And then we can go on a date."
"Bold of you to assume I'll say 'yes'," she joked, but the taller male didn't take any offense to that. Instead, he just shrugged and exited the bathroom, feeling light after their shared moment.
"I'm pretty confident."
"Of course you are."
She walked him to the door but stopped him before he could leave, tugging at his sleeve once. He couldn't stay around much longer lest he really get yelled at by Kurapika and Killua, but he turned around nonetheless to make sure everything was fine. He hadn't been prepared for [Y/n] to grab him by the collar and tug him down; he definitely hadn't been prepared for her to kiss him square on the cheek before bouncing away with a cheeky smile.
"Until I come up with my answer, though, take that in its place!"
Oh god — she was too cute. That confidence that Leorio had from earlier had vanished and he quickly averted his gaze, scratching at the side of his face that [Y/n] hadn't kissed with a giant blush marring his features.
"Y-Yeah, I will," he mumbled, and [Y/n] giggled as he finally opened the door to leave. "I'll — I'll see you later then, [Y/n]." Kurapika, Gon, and Killua were all standing outside, with the latter two deep in conversation. Narrowed gray eyes glared into Leorio, courtesy of Kurapika.
[Y/n] nodded in confirmation and gave him a double thumbs up.
"Yep! See ya later, Mister Leorio!"
Oh god. He could feel his face heat up again, and huffing under his breath he finally left, hoping that nobody wouldn't question his mood or blush.
That was too much to ask.
"Oi, your face is red," Killua bluntly pointed out, deadpanning. "Is your age getting to you? Are you running out of breath?"
"SHOW SOME RESPECT TO YOUR ELDERS, BRAT!"
—·—·—
[29] P.O.V: Kurapika
Kurapika of the Kurta wasn't a teen prone to jealousy, but when Leorio had come out of [Y/n]'s apartment all red-faced and flustered, the pang of jealousy that hit him hurt. Kurapika wasn't stupid, and even as Leorio blew up at Killua for being snarky as usual, the blond could get a fairly good grasp at what had happened in there.
Leorio had kissed [Y/n]. Was that all they did? Did [Y/n] enjoy it?
Jealousy was an ugly emotion, one that Kurapika didn't appreciate whatsoever, but he couldn't help it.
He wished it were him kissing [Y/n]. He wanted to be the one that [Y/n] fawned over, wanted to be the first thing that was on the [h/c]-haired girl's mind in the morning and the last thing on her mind at night. He wanted to hold her, comfort her, kiss her. Wanted to wake up to her by his side, to see her bright smile that chased away the dark clouds that always seemed to hover over him.
He had it bad for her. Unlike Leorio, Kurapika knew exactly when he had fallen for [Y/n], the memory crisp and clear in his mind, still.
During the Hunter Exam, there had been a brief period of rest where they had all stayed on an airship, heading to Trick Tower — in that time, Killua and Gon had left [Y/n] behind to go explore, causing the older Freecss sibling to hang out with him and Leorio. At first, Kurapika had written her off. She was kind and determined, clearly protective over Gon, but was overall childish despite them being the same age. That night, though, after Leorio had fallen asleep, him and [Y/n] had talked for hours.
It was like his childhood sleepovers with Pairo — her energy and enthusiasm was contagious. She had such a bright outlook on the world, and was supportive as Kurapika talked about his past. In return, she had admitted she knew nothing about her true family, just how Aunt Mito had found her, abandoned. At the end of the night, she had kissed his forehead in an almost motherly way.
"To chase the nightmares away. Think of it as a charm."
That's what she had said, before going to find her own room, leaving Kurapika red-faced and dealing with new emotions.
Since then, his eyes had constantly been drawn to her. Those negative personality traits he found annoying before seemed more endearing, now. She was a bright light in a dark world, and he desperately wished he could have that sort of innocence still, the one he had before the Phantom Troupe had destroyed his clan.
The only problem here was that Kurapika didn't believe he was worthy of her feelings. Sure, everybody had skeletons in their closet, but he had a whole tomb of them. Between destroying the Phantom Troupe and gathering the eyes of his fallen brethren, there wasn't much room for romance. That wasn't something he wanted to drag [Y/n] into.
She deserved better.
So why oh why, then, did such a bitter taste rise in Kurapika's throat like bile at the thought of [Y/n] and Leorio kissing? Leorio was a great guy. He was genuine, a trait Kurapika struggled with daily, and if it were any other girl Kurapika would have thought them to be stupid to not want to date Leorio. He should be happy for [Y/n] and Leorio, he knew Leorio would take care of her.
No, he knew why. It's because he didn't want [Y/n] to date Leorio, but to date himself instead.
Funny, considering he still hadn't confessed at all, yet.
"Kurapika?"
The blond hadn't realized his fists were clenched tightly until Gon called out to him, bringing him back to his senses. Terse, brown eyes locked with topaz ones. Even if Gon and Killua didn't realize what was going on, recognition flitted across Leorio's face — hell, the 19-year-old had to audacity to look guilty.
"Sorry," he said flatly, not averting his gaze from Leorio. It was tense between the two, and finally Kurapika turned away, reminding himself that it probably wasn't worth it to start a fight with his friend over Gon's older sister — and in front of Gon, nonetheless. "Let's head on over to my apartment, then."
He started to walk away, when Leorio's voice piped up.
"Kurapika—"
"Don't," he warned, cutting Leorio off. "Whatever you're going to say, don't."
". . . Eh? What's going on?"
Neither Kurapika nor Leorio answered Gon, leaving Killua to sigh and reply, annoyance lacing his voice.
"Just leave it, Gon. You don't want to get in the middle of that."
Nothing more was said on the subject as they all left to Kurapika's apartment — but despite nothing being said, Kurapika's heart continued to hurt.
Without either of them quite noticing it, Leorio's actions had been an act of war, and like with everything else, Kurapika was determined to win.
—·—·—
[30] P.O.V.: Chrollo Lucilfer
Chrollo had dealt with Hisoka long enough to know that he always had ulterior motives. Most people in their line of "work" did, and Chrollo was no exception. Even now, as he "teamed up" with Pariston and the League of Villains, he had his own plans running in the background.
Certainly, the situation had gotten much more convoluted than Chrollo had expected, although with both Pariston and Hisoka involved, that shouldn't have come as a surprise. Chrollo had worked with Pariston in the past; despite him being the Vice Chairman of the Hunter Association, he had often turned a blind eye when it came to the Phantom Troupe, not to mention would slip information to the Phantom Troupe every now and then. It was him who had told Chrollo about the Kurta; funny, considering that went against the Hunter Association's plans, but Pariston Hill was never one to follow to anybody else's whims but his own.
At the center of it all, was [Y/n], the teen who was practically related to Gon Freecss.
It was funny, really; Nobunaga had been pushing for Chrollo to let Gon, [Y/n], and Killua join the Phantom Troupe with a strong emphasis on Gon. However, Chrollo saw the most potential in [Y/n] — what with their conversation in York New City and Pariston's interest in her, as well as her strange ability to jump through dimensions, she would be a perfect addition to the Troupe.
That was, if he could convince her.
[Y/n] was young, and somewhat naïve, but that didn't mean she would be easily manipulated. It would take bribery and some hard convincing to join them. Mostly, she seemed tethered to Gon — perhaps if he had Gon killed, [Y/n] would be more likely to join the Phantom Troupe? Illumi would probably do it for free — he wasn't happy with Killua having a friend.
Hearing about the League's plans to have Hisoka fetch [Y/n] now that she was in Hosu, Chrollo had a choice to make. Pariston's stipulation on returning Chrollo's nen had been the retrieval of [Y/n], alive. If Pariston got ahold of [Y/n], though, chances were he wouldn't be able to get her to join the Troupe. Right now, Chrollo wasn't too concerned about getting his nen back. Not now. Besides, who knew if Hisoka would really go through with that plan? What was stopping him from double-crossing everybody?
Pulling out the burner phone that Chrollo had stolen, he found [Y/n]'s number in the contacts (Thanks, Pariston) and texted her.
To: [Y/n]
From: +81-XX-XXXX-XXXX
[5:45 pm]: If you know what's good for you, I'd highly suggest leaving Hosu, [Y/n].
To: +81-XX-XXXX-XXXX
From: [Y/n]
[5:47 pm]: lmao who the fuck is this?
Chrollo couldn't help the amused smile that tugged his lips upward. Vulgar as always — somethings didn't change. With that sent, though, Chrollo saw no need to respond and quickly destroyed the phone so there could be no way to trace the message back.
It was strange — Chrollo had arrived in this world right after [Y/n], apparently, and had immediately stumbled into the League of Villain's base. From the get-go, he had been working with them, helping lure [Y/n] away from Nezu's office so Shigaraki could see when they would go on their next training missions; it was he who had ran into Pariston and brought him back to the base, and it was he who had kept tabs on [Y/n]. In a regular business suit, with his hair down, Chrollo blended in perfectly with the Tokyo population. Even better was the fact that, with his nen sealed, in public it'd be hard for [Y/n] to detect him.
But she was a valuable pawn that he wanted to continue to play with, so this time, he would interfere with Pariston, Hisoka, and the League to warn her away.
Not that she would listen.
Looking back at the pool of blood that Stain had left behind — Kurogiri had yet to clean it up and was too busy dealing with Shigaraki's temper tantrum — Chrollo sipped on the gin and tonic he had Kurogiri make.
As more people arrived in this world, and tensions on all sides ramped up, things were sure to get interesting.
It was only a matter of time until Chrollo go what he wanted himself — [Y/n] joining the Phantom Troupe.
He just had to wait a bit more.