King of Hearts

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Gon woke up the following day to an email notification. He rolled over in bed, groaning and squinting at the bright screen of his phone. The blinds were drawn over his window, and he could see the sunlight underneath his dorm door and around the curtains. Class was in an hour, but upon opening the email, class simply... wasn't happening that day.

    Classes were cancelled due to a body found just off of campus. Gon sat up in bed, startled, and read over the report that was sent out to students. The details of the death weren't released, of course, but the only information given mentioned that it all involved a student. A Yorknew student.

    The dorm dining hall was solemn that day. Gon felt the silence resonate in his chest with every metal fork clanking against plates and bowls. He sat across from Zushi and Canary, who were already halfway done with their meals by the time Gon ever got to the dining hall. He put his tray down, hesitantly, and paused when both Zushi and Canary looked up at him. When neither of them turned him away, he sat down.

    Canary left shortly after without saying a word. Gon picked absently at his food until Zushi said, hushed, "A champion killed a vampire last night."

    Gon stared up at him. Zushi twisted his fork around in his hand, eyes dipping to Gon's untouched food. "The vampire wasn't... a part of the war. They had a champion, but they didn't have what everyone is looking for."

    "The ore," Gon said, and Zushi met his eyes. "I know. A friend told me."

    "A friend," Zushi bit out through clenched teeth. He looked away, at the cafeteria, and leant even closer to say, "No one is a friend. I mean, Alluka and Killua are close but that could change! If one of them loses their piercings—"

    "They're siblings," Gon said, as if that changed anything.

    Zushi stared at him for a moment before scoffing and shaking his head. He went back to his food and said, "That doesn't matter. All you need to know is that the body isn't a Zoldyck."

    I feel like there's more I need to know, Gon thought, watching Zushi shovel the remainder of his food into his mouth.

    "I'll be spending the day with Alluka—you should find Killua, if you can," Zushi suggested, and that was that. Whoever was responsible for the killing was at large, so to speak, and Gon was petrified.

    And, so, Gon's first task after leaving the cafeteria was to drink tea from plants harvested from the magic resources greenhouse, and head over to Killua's apartment. He drank from a travel mug as he walked, mostly because it distracted him from the bitter taste and the sharp note of peppermint on his tongue. It was earthy and pungent and he hoped his breath didn't reek of it.

    He checked his breath at the apartment building door. He breathed into his hand and sniffed it as a group of people left the building. It didn't smell awful, by any means. Just a bit stale from breakfast, he presumed, so he reached for the closing door and caught it before it could shut.

    He wandered up the steps, humming to himself, and cradling the travel mug against his chest where it warmed him through the fabric of his Yorknew sweater. In the midst of humming, he rounded the railing and looked up at the sight of Killua standing outside of his apartment door, key in hand, staring directly at Gon.

    Gon's eyes went straight to Killua's septum piercing.

    "The fuck?" Killua said, lowering his keys to his side. He pocketed his hand and turned, sharp eyes narrowing on Gon. "Who keeps letting you into the building? Seriously."