Black Butterfly
TheRealGonZoldyck
Chapter 2
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Killua's fierce hatred toward any and everything involving Gon lasted until tenth grade. By that point, the two finally stopped putting energy into their rivalry and took the silent route instead, and up until the day prior Killua hadn't spoken or looked at Gon for almost two years.
Well, the looking part isn't exactly true. And there was also that one time during junior year, when he was driving to the mall and spotted Gon standing in front of Tonpa's Meat Market. Killua gunned the big V-8 engine of his father's old Buick, jumped the curb, and clipped Gon from behind, bouncing Gon off the front right fender. Killua stopped the car and got out to assess the damage. "Anything broken?"
Gon was sprawled on the pavement, scowling up at Killua. "My leg, probably?"
"Good," Killua said. Then he turned on his heel, got into the Buick, and drove to the mall.
He attributes that incident to temporary insanity, and in his own defense, he'd like to say he hasn't run over anyone since. He would also like to say that he did not spend the last few years actively ignoring Gon, while running the risk of getting arrested for a hit and run somewhere in between, for it all to boil down to this.
"Killua," Gon says slowly, leaning back against the brownstone wall of their school as he idly taps his cigarette. "We sort of have a problem. Don't ya think?"
"What I think," Killua hisses, "is that it's unbelievable you even went along with it in the first place." He glances around cautiously, a little nervous, because if anyone catches them talking like this, well. The rumors will only get worse.
Gon raises a brow and takes a long drag off his cigarette. "I saved your butt yesterday, so honestly, the least you could do is-"
"I had everything under control, okay? I didn't need you running to my rescue. Those guys were all talk and full of shit. I can take care of myself."
"Oh, yeah?" Gon chokes back a laugh. "I didn't realize 'taking care of yourself' included referring to me as your boyfriend."
Killua's face bursts into flames. "Shut up! It was a fucking accident and you know it."
Gon blows smoke straight in his face. "And now the entire school thinks we're dating."
"Well it's not like you corrected them or anything."
"I didn't get the chance to." Gon shrugs and glances away, flicking the spent cigarette into the bushes.
"I wish you would've minded your own goddamn business," Killua gripes, shoving his hands through his hair. "A couple of sore losers from the rival team get all pissed that I beat them in a relay, and suddenly you think you've gotta right to barrel your way into my personal shit."
"You're used to being threatened?"
"I'm used to guys hating the fact that I can swim faster than them, so yeah, I am."
Gon's mouth curls up in a smile.
Damn it. His dimples throw Killua for a loop, and they might as well be fourteen years old again.
"Well." Gon sighs and rubs at the back of his neck. "What do you suggest we do, then? I take it you're not willing to admit that you couldn't defend yourself against a couple jerks who were being poor sports?"
Killua glares at him, shoves himself into Gon's space. Gon smells like smoke and Old Spice, and Killua notices a freckle at the corner of his mouth. Just one, at the edge of his bottom lip. Like it had scattered away from the rest on his cheeks. Tch, honestly. "Are you gonna admit to coming to my rescue like some lame-ass knight in shining armor?"
"Are you trying to get me to admit that I care about you?" Gon gives the sort of buoyant grin Killua wants to backhand off his face. He ignores the pounding of his pulse and the sudden wetness pooling in his mouth.
"As if I want you to care about me," he says tersely.
"Never said ya did."
"Well, I don't."
"Good."
"Fine."
They face off, Gon's eyes narrow, a muscle twitching in his jaw. The tops of his cheeks are faintly pink, but it's warm outside and he's still wearing his football jacket. His lower lip is full, slick-shiny, and Killua swallows once before taking a step back, slowly unclenching his fists.
"I don't wanna look like the fucking idiot," Killua murmurs, in a low, irritated confession.
Gon huffs, seeming equally frustrated. "Then what do you think we should do?"
Killua doesn't know what to do at all. He doesn't see this ending well for him, because there is nothing to keep Gon from telling all of his pretentious football groupies that he saved Killua from getting his ass kicked. Killua doesn't have the reputation of being a wimp-he is the captain of the swim team, and even placed second in Nationals last year-but Gon is physically broader than him, and the football team carries a hell of a lot more influence. He could easily humiliate Killua with this.
Except, a tiny voice in the back of Killua's head says, he hasn't done it yet.
"We can just run with it," Killua blurts out.
Gon looks at him like he said he invented the light bulb, and blinks. Just fucking blinks. Blink. Blink. Blink. Killua is two seconds away from stapling Gon's eyes open when, "Seriously? You wanna pretend that we're-that I'm your-"
"Oi, just chill out! It's not going to be a forever kinda thing, just, uh-I don't know, a few weeks maybe? Then we can say you were a huge dick and I broke up with you." Killua's heart is heaving in his chest. Fuck, this is so stupid. This is so god damn stupid. How could he even think Gon would-
"But Killua, you've never dated a guy before." Gon's voice is suddenly quiet.
Killua stares at him; he didn't think Gon knew that, or would begin to know that information about him.
Then he shrugs, kicking absently at the grass with the same scuffed-up Converse he wore all those years ago. "What does that matter? Half the swim team is gay, anyway. Everybody knows it. 'S not like it'll be a surprise or something."
Gon has dated a handful of guys, and if the star quarterback is anything, he's a god damn charmer. His unbelievable wooing skills have proven successful between a mix of jocks and male-cheerleaders (because why the fuck not) who speak in sports-tongue more than they do the English language. Gon likes them cute and stupid. Not that Killua has noticed, or anything.
He doesn't realize he's holding his breath, waiting for Gon to chuckle and roll his eyes and tell Killua to go to hell, until Gon lets out a deep sigh and murmurs, "So what do I get outta this?"
Killua opens his mouth, then closes it and swallows hard. His eyes flicker off to the side, and he notices his brother's car in the parking lot. Jesus Christ. Illumi is just standing there, leaning back against the door with his arms crossed over his chest. Waiting for Killua like one of those weird, pervy college kids who is too awkward to make friends their own god damn age. Save for the clown next to him, who hangs around the high school because he's actually a pervert.
He narrows his eyes, then turns back to Gon.
"How are you doing in pre-calc?"
"I know you know how I'm doing in pre-calc."
He does. Killua has always known Gon struggles with math, so the heat crawling up the back of Killua's neck is honestly uncalled for. "I'll do all your homework for two weeks if you keep your trap shut."
"Three weeks."
"Two and a half."
"Do it for one month and I'll pretend to be your boyfriend the entire time."
Boyfriend. Why does the sound of that one word in Gon's stupid voice make the butterflies in Killua's stomach go ape shit? They have no chill. Killua has no chill.
"We don't have to, like, hold hands and make out or any of that shit."
Gon laughs, looping his thumbs through the straps of his backpack, pulling it over his shoulders."Yeah, making out with you isn't worth even an A plus," he teases, but he doesn't meet Killua's eyes. "Alright, alright. No kissing, no touching, no-none of that. For one month."
Killua nods, his pulse still leaping. "We gotta deal?"
Gon sucks in a breath, then holds out a hand. "You gotta deal, daddy-o."
"No."
"Fine."
They shake, and Killua's breath definitely doesn't hitch at the feel of Gon's calloused, warm fingers curling around his own for those few seconds.
He is so fucked.
Notes:
I saw a smoking!Gon hc / fanart on tumblr (and once i find it i'll link) ... but i fell in love with the role reversal and decided to include it.
*EDIT* ahhh, yes! Here is the awesome, gorgeous fanart by Milcs! Mila your artwork is amazing <3 bless.
Also, smoking isn't cool, kids. So, uh. Don't do it. and don't fucking hit people with your car on purpose. jesus.