You're No Monster || GonKillu

Chapter 4 | Unexpected

"So, uhm," Killua cleared his throat. Gon wasn't much of a talker, and Leorio was humming some song. So Killua felt that the atmosphere was too awkward for his taste.

"Why does your biography say that you're dead?" Killua asked.

"You ask a lot of questions."

"Can't help it, I'm a curious person." Killua grinned. "But seriously, why? I don't see a reason for people to pretend a legend is dead."

"Because that's all I am to them." Gon shrugged, his armor shifting against itself. "A legend. Wouldn't want those children's stories to be tainted."

Killua was utterly confused. "What do you mean? I don't see how-"

Killua was cut off, staring at Gon. He'd removed his helmet. Killua's mouth fell open and they couldn't avert their eyes. It was a shock, seeing Gon's face. Killua still didn't find him ugly, and he didn't understand why a kingdom would pretend their scarred hero was dead. Wouldn't people usually celebrate a veteran's scars and sacrifice?

"The people of Ocleiqua would rather think that I'm dead, than show this face to their children." Gon stated. "I don't care. I'd rather people think I didn't exist. It's more peaceful, for me at least. The kingdom hasn't won a single battle since I retired. But they signed up for that when they cast me away. Once the dragons stopped showing up, they figured they could survive without me."

"..." Killua didn't know what to say. But he felt like saying nothing would be wrong somehow.

The group had fallen silent as Killua still couldn't fight out what to say. They continued traveling, and Killua remained silent. A wordsmith, he was not. Gon had put the helmet back on, and Leorio's hooves were all that was heard by the trio.

The sun had started setting, so they found a place to settle down. Killua looked around frantically for somewhere he could sleep, alone. He had to figure it out before the sun set.

Gon took down a tree, setting it down and trimming the branches off of it. With the branches he made a bonfire, and he sat on the log as he took off his helmet. As he watched the flames crackle, flashes of memories from his childhood and his many battles plagued his vision.

"Killua, where are you going?" Leorio asked as Killua strayed from the other two.

Killua paused, glancing nervously at the dwindling light over the horizon. "Uhm, I'm not too fond of wide open spaces. Especially at night. A life of solitude can do that to you."

Gon stood, taking a large branch. He walked past Killua, and pried a large boulder away from the side of a small ledge. A cave entrance was revealed. Gon inspected it first.

"Would this work?" He asked.

"...Yeah, thanks." Killua nodded, going inside the small cave.

With Gon's help, they rolled the Boulder partially back into place. Gon placed the branch, still fully clothed in leaves, against the remaining space of the open entrance.

Killua sighed in relief, laying back against the cave walls. They closed their eyes as the feminine body vanished, replaced by his male form. He pulled his knees up, hugging himself. He held a lock of his hair, which was now not even half the length it was just moments ago.

A shadow approached the cave, and Killua panicked. He put up the hood of his cloak to hide his short hair, and positioned himself to disguise his less feminine figure.

"Killua?" Gon knocked on the boulder. He slipped an arm between the rock and branch, holding out a small blanket.

Killua gulped, and made his voice sound as feminine as he could. "Thanks." He took the blanket.

Gon left, his shadow disappeared. Killua sighed in relief, and wrapped the blanket around himself. He leaned his head back and took a deep breath.

He wondered if he'd ever be rid of this curse. Just maybe, he could possibly fall in love with the king before his secret was revealed. If not, if he couldn't, Killua didn't want to imagine how horribly the king would react once he finds out.

Gon sat on the log with his forearms leaning on his knees. Leorio kneeled down and laid beside the log, yawning. "You seem to have a lot on your mind." Leorio commented.

Gon shrugged, and continued to watch the fire. "Fire..."

"Well obviously. What about it?"

"Three years ago, a villager had seen my face when they ventured too close to my property, saw me scaring  a bunch of goblins away from my chicken coop. They started telling horror stories of a violent patchwork monster. They gathered together a group of villagers and had tried to burn me on a stake." He looked to the ground. "Can't feel anything in my legs anymore. Their burnt to hell."

"God, how'd you get out?"

Gon looked back at the fire. "They thought I was dead, and left. The bottom of the stake I was nailed to had burnt and corroded away, and it toppled over and broke into splinters. I couldn't move, however. They'd poisoned me so that I couldn't fight against them. Some kid with a heart still intact eventually walked by and helped me out of there."

"That's horrible, man..." Leorio sighed. "I thought all your scars were from battle."

"Not even half of them." Gon told him. "Anytime I find myself fighting my decision to forsake the kingdom, I remember each time someone had tried to execute me, purely due to my appearance. Those fucking story books paint me as a Saint, the dashing hero that saved the kingdom time and time again. But as soon as I no longer looked the part, they figured I'd be more useful to them dead. A martyr. A fairytale."

Killua twisted his lip. And he thought to themself, that the scars didn't taint the stories. The scars cemented them, the scars made those stories real. If not for those scars, would it even be believable that Gon accomplished the things described in the books?

Killua then realized that their silence earlier may have made Gon think he was just like everyone else. Enthralled by the story until the true face of the hero is revealed. Killua was an idiot for not saying anything. Hell they could've said wow, cool, or made a fucking corny joke to lighten the mood. Anything, just to show that he didn't think less of Gon just because of his face.

What kind of people would do that to a person? Killua wondered, thinking about the story Gon was telling Leorio. He understood being frightened, spooked, or surprised by Gon's scars. But to go so far as to try to burn him at the stake?

What the fuck.

Killua decided he should probably say something tomorrow. About how Gon's still just as amazing as before, if not even more so. That the scars show just how badass and incredible he is.

Yup. Tomorrow. After sunrise.