Gon and Killua trudged up the stairs of their apartment complex. They didn't speak. Only heavy footsteps and labored breathing could be heard in the hallway. Killua was preoccupied carrying six or seven heavy boxes of things that he had ordered online. Gon was struggling himself, carrying nearly fifteen bags of groceries.
When they finally reached Killua's apartment, Killua set down his boxes with a loud thud that echoed through the hallway. He jammed his key in the door and unlocked it, throwing it open. He moved aside to let Gon walk in first.
"Just set the groceries on the counter," Killua said, going to pick up his boxes. Gon gave a strained hum in response, walking into the kitchen and setting them down with a relieved sigh. As soon as he let go of all the bags, Gon laid on the cold floor, panting for air.
Killua walked into the living room, setting the boxes down, and then walked over to Gon. He stood over him, looking at him with a cocked head and raised eyebrows. "Hanging in there?" He asked.
"Hardly," Gon said, melting into the coldness of the ground. Carrying fifteen bags of groceries up five flights of stairs did not work out well for him.
"You're fine," Killua said through a smirk, stepping over Gon to get to the groceries. "Get up and help me put this shit away."
Gon let out a loud groan, moving to his feet and helping Killua unpack the many bags. "How's your nose?" Gon asked, putting away the cold items in the fridge.
Killua shrugged. "Never been better," He quipped, turning to look at Gon for a split second with a sarcastic smile. "How's your fist?"
"I won't lie to you; it hurts," Gon admitted with a pitiful laugh at the end. Killua walked over to Gon, making him turn around. He took Gon's right hand in his and grazed over his knuckles with his other hand. Gon winced slightly at the touch.
"Sorry," Killua mumbled, continuing to cradle and examine Gon's hand. His knuckles were red and somewhat raw, already turning purple. One of his knuckles was bleeding, and the skin was cracking. They stood there for a few seconds longer, Killua looking over Gon's hand and Gon looking at Killua. Without a word, Killua let Gon's hand drop and walked away to continue organizing his groceries.
"Could've been a lot worse," Killua said, putting away food in the cabinets. "Where'd you learn to throw a punch like that? You almost knocked the bastard out."
Gon turned his attention back to his job of filling the fridge with food and drinks. "Kurapika, actually," Gon replied in a quiet tone.
"Oh, so he's a violent trainwreck? He sounds fun," Killua mused. Gon let out a small laugh.
"You have no idea. In middle and high school, he made me learn how to protect myself and how to throw punches," Gon recalled. Leorio had been against it, not wanting Gon to quote, 'turn into a hardened criminal'. But Kurapika insisted.
"Why'd he make you do that?" Killua scoffed.
"I... don't actually know," Gon trailed off, trying to remember Kurapika's reasoning. But he couldn't identify why he'd been forced to learn, only that Kurapika was very adamant about it. Well, who knows why Kurapika does anything?
Killua hummed in response before the room went silent for a while. It wasn't unbearable, though, not even for Gon. It was a comfortable silence between the two who had had a long, eventful day. They finished unpacking, and Gon decided he should head home. It was around six now, and he wanted to see Kurapika and Leorio. Killua walked him to the door. Gon opened it and left, walking the few steps to his door and moving to turn the doorknob.
"Wait, Gon," Killua said, stopping Gon in his tracks and causing him to turn around. Killua was looking at the ground. "Uh, I just wanted to say... Thanks. For today," He said, his voice hardly above a whisper.
"Hm? What for?" Gon asked, visibly confused. Killua looked up, barely able to meet his eyes.
"For having my back against that asshole in the store today. Trying to protect me from him, trying to stop me from ripping his head off, and for... well... for punching him honestly," The two shared a quiet laugh at the last sentiment.
"Killua," Gon started, earning a look and a hum from Killua. "I've always got your back. That's what friends are for, right?" He asked, a beaming smile shining on his face.
Killua looked at him with a much smaller smile, but one that conveyed the same feeling. "Right."
Gon started to turn back around and open his door. "Thanks for letting me tag along. I had fun today," He said to Killua.
"You had fun punching a homophobe?" He said sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at Gon.
Gon laughed. "Well, I was with you, so yeah, I had fun."
Killua instantly looked away, turning to retreat into his apartment. "Ice your knuckles, or they'll bruise and swell even worse," He mumbled before shutting his door and leaving Gon in the hallway. Gon smiled to himself before finally opening his door and walking inside.
"Hey, the superior roommate is home!" Gon called out, walking to the fridge and getting a bag of frozen peas from the freezer.
"But, I'm already home," Leorio wittily responded from the couch. Gon scoffed, smiling at his roommate before walking over and joining them in the living room. He sat on the sofa next to the one Kurapika and Leorio were sitting on, holding the frozen vegetables to his hand. This didn't go undetected by Kurapika.
"The hell'd you do?" Kurapika asked, standing up from the couch as soon as he saw the bag of frozen peas on Gon's hand.
"Nothing," Gon said instantaneously, moving his hand out of Kurapika's reach. But Kurapika was swift, grabbing Gon's wrist before he could move it all the way out of his vicinity. Oh, fuck. Why hadn't he just waited to ice when he got to his room? Goddamn idiot. Here it comes-
"Gon. What the hell did you do?" Kurapika fumed, his voice controlled and droning. He pulled Gon's hand even closer to his face to see it better, which only pissed him off more. Leorio stood up as well, peering in behind Kurapika's shoulder but saying nothing.
"It's not a big deal. Killua and I-"
"That new neighbor of ours got you into this?" He implied, his voice low and monotone.
Gon stood up, letting out an audible scoff, filled with tumult. He tore his hand from Kurapika's grip. "What- no! This wasn't Killua's fault at all! There was a guy-"
"Gon, you've never been a violent person, and all of a sudden, you're hanging out with this random guy who none of us have talked to, and you hit someone? What's gotten into you? Is this because you're upset about-"
"Don't you dare try and chalk this up to me being emotional about my break-up! I'm trying to tell you what happened, just listen to-"
"I already know what happened." Kurapika decided, speaking in a monotone still.
"No! You don't! I'm trying to tell you and-"
Kurapika held up a hand, letting Gon know he wasn't permitted to speak any further. "I don't wanna hear it." He stormed off, slamming the door to his room hard enough to shake the walls. Gon stared daggers into Kurapika's bedroom door.
Gon hated when he got like this. Kurapika would stay all calm and collected during a fight; his voice would never be loud nor filled with emotion. He'd cut off every sentence you're trying to form, twisting your words to fit his own ideas or desires. When Gon told Killua earlier that day that there's no winning a fight against Kurapika, this is what he meant.
Gon let out a loud groan, filled to the brink with frustration and anger. Leorio, still standing next to Gon, put a hand on his shoulder and sighed. Gon looked up to see Leorio wearing a kind yet heavy smile.
"C'mon, kid, let's go to the bathroom so I can take a look at your hand," He offered. Gon nodded with a forced smile on his face. He could never be mad at Leorio.
Leorio turned Gon around so that his back was to him and put his hands on both of Gon's shoulders. They walked to the bathroom next to the entrance of their apartment. Gon hopped up, sitting on the counter like he usually did when Leorio patched him up. Kurapika was right when he said Gon wasn't a violent person. But he was reckless as all living hell which required frequent trips to Leorio's 'at home office' as he liked to call it.
"So," Leorio started, pulling out the medical kit. "Did ya win?"
Gon let out a half-laugh, half-scoff from his nose. "Duh," He said, sporting a cheeky smile. Leorio stood up, giving him a single and solid pat on the shoulder.
"That's my boy," Leorio said softly with a wink. His voice, although quiet, filled to the brim with pride. He picked up Gon's hand in his and examined its range of motion and surface injuries. "Nothing too bad, just some scrapes and bruises. It'll be a little swollen tonight and tomorrow, too, so keep the ice on it. Twenty on-"
"Twenty off. I got it, doc," Gon said, completing Leorio's orders. He flashed Gon a soft smile before ruffling his hair.
"Okay, tell me how this happened," Leorio said, opening the med-kit and pulling out antiseptic, bandages, and some anti-inflammatory cream.
Gon took a deep breath. "Okay, so, Killua and I went to the grocery store, right? We were walking, and Killua turned to look at me, and this guy opened up one of those freezer doors and nailed Killua right in the nose. He started bleeding, and Killua got pissy with the guy, understandably. The guy was a lot more aggressive, though, and I had to separate the two of them. Then he shoved me, Killua caught me, and as things were about to de-escalate, he called Killua the f-slur," Gon recalled, telling Leorio the story of their wild grocery store adventure. The last sentence earned a gasp from Leorio. Gon nodded, grateful Leorio understood and was willing to hear him, unlike a certain little blonde bitch. "So, obviously, I decked the guy in the jaw and Killua dragged us out of the store. Then we sped away from security and the raging homophobe," Gon said, mumbling the last part under his breath.
"Uh, wow. To say the guy deserved it is an understatement. You know I don't condone violence, and I don't want you getting into any more altercations like this. But, I understand why you did it, and I'm glad you left with only one bloody nose and a bruised fist between the two of you. This could've gone a lot worse, you know that, right?" He asked, spreading anti-inflammatory on Gon's hand. Gon nodded. He did understand that. People who were hateful like this had a tendency to get violent, and he was lucky things didn't go that way.
"Also, is he?" Leorio asked, eyeing him.
"What?" Gon asked, cocking his head to the side.
Leorio rolled his eyes at Gon, the densest object on the planet. "Is Killua gay?" He asked.
"Ohhh- yeah, he is," Gon replied nonchalantly. Leorio wiggled his eyebrows up and down.
"Oh- he is, huh?" He teased, wrapping the bandage around Gon's wounded hand.
"Hey! It's not like that! We're just friends!" Gon claimed, socking Leorio weakly in the arm with his left hand.
"I know, kid, I'm only giving you a hard time," He laughed, tying up both ends of the bandage into a little bow on the inside of Gon's hand. Gon stuck his tongue out at Leorio. "But in all seriousness, what's he like? What do you think of him?"
"Hm.." Gon started. "Well, he's kinda an asshole. But, like, in an... endearing way, I guess. He's super funny, too. And he's kinda mysterious and intriguing. Like, I wanna learn more about him and be his friend. I really enjoy being around him, you know?" Gon said, smiling to himself.
Leorio stifled a knowing laugh. "Yeah. I know exactly what you mean."
"Oh, and today, I was telling him about you," Gon said, earning a curious look from Leorio. "All good things, all good things. And he said you sound like, and I quote, 'the epitome of a doctor,'" Gon said proudly.
"I like him already," Leorio decided. "So, about you and Kurapika...." He started. Gon's smile dropped, as well as his good mood. "Talk to me, kiddo. What's going on between the two of you?"
"I don't know. Maybe ask Kurapika why he's being such a fucking d-"
"Watch it. I'm here as a peaceful mediator, and I care about what you have to say and what you're feeling. But that's still my boyfriend," Leorio retorted. He was very protective of Kurapika. He always had been.
"Fine. I really don't know. I feel like Kurapika has just been ten feet up my ass recently, trying to tell me how to feel and what to do. He keeps telling me I have to 'work through my feelings' and shit when he can't even do that himself. And he's been so much more strict and pissy with me lately. I'm always walking on eggshells around him. Did I do something, or?" Gon said, his voice cracking at the end. Not with sadness, but with frustration. Kurapika never told him outright when he was upset with him, but he wasn't good at hiding his passive-aggressiveness either. It made things very hard whenever they got into a fight.
"Oh, kiddo. No, you didn't do anything wrong. Kurapika's just been having a hard time at work recently, and he's been really stressed," Leorio said, running a hand through his hair. He'd probably been experiencing Kurapika's lashes of stress too.
"So because he's stressed, he can be an absolute asshole to me? And you too, probably?" Gon growled, earning a disapproving look from Leorio. He let out a pained sigh. "Sorry, but it's true. Just because he's overwhelmed doesn't give him any excuse to be a little bitch. If I was pulling this shit, Kurapika would kill me and hide the body somewhere I'd never be found. But because the roles are reversed, I'm supposed to suffer through it??" Gon said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
Leorio sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Okay, yeah, you're right. It is wrong, and I'm really sorry you're on the receiving end of this," He said, putting a supportive hand on Gon's shoulder. "On top of being stressed, suppressing your feelings about this whole break-up is something he'd do... something he's done. It's not unlikely he's projecting onto you a bit and treating you as he'd treat himself," He offered. Gon looked away, feeling a twinge of guilt for being upset with Kurapika now.
"However," Leorio continued. "It's not right of him to make you feel like this. You're going through a hard time too. I'll talk with him tonight or tomorrow, whenever he's cooled down. Just keep hanging in there," Leorio said, earning a weak smile from Gon. "I'm gonna go check on our persnickety blonde. You good?"
"Mhm, I'm good. I'll see you tomorrow morning, yeah?" Gon piped in his usual, cheery tone.
"Yeah. Night kid," Leorio said with a smile, ruffling his hair one more time before leaving the room.
Gon hopped off the bathroom counter and walked into his room. He fell face forward onto the mattress with a loud thud. He let out a muffled groan, voicing all his pent-up emotions and thoughts. Today had been a long ass day, that's for sure.
WC: 2,736
A/N: This was one of my favorite chapters to write, just like the other one. This was literally just me venting lowkey like I didn't even have this chapter planned, I just- wrote it.
I love Leorio in this book, I'm just gonna say it. Favorite character so far. (Fun fact, me and Leorio have the same MBTI type and I almost cried with joy)