The Queen's Gambit | GonKillu

Chapter 1

March 1949

"Auntie! Can I buy this?"

6 year old Gon Freecss held up a childplay wooden chess set box marked 35 cents to a older woman with dark ginger hair wrapped in a dark gray cap. "Hm... do you promise not to bother me as much as you do?" She said tiredly, after once glance at the box she was still looking at the adult clothes marked 50 cents since her last coat was teared to shreds. The young boy eagerly nodded, a bright smile printed across his face. The woman sighed heavily, taking a deep long hit of the lit cigar she had in her right hand, "Sure, sure... no more asking for the whole month for anything now, ok? You're already spoiled." She muttered, settling on a dark green woolen coat with a sewed hem and folded cuffs. Winter was waning away in Chicago, Illinois after all.

He beamed in enthusiasm, "Yay! Thank you auntie thank you!!" He hummed, intently reading the back of the slightly tattered box, it read, "Comes with description of chess rules and two bags for handcrafted wooden pieces" he basically was as ecstatic as he could be, his grip on the box almost damaging it's packaging. His aunt noticed and slapped his hand, "Don't break the fucking packaging before I buy it, boy!" She scorned, then grabbing his wrist and leading him to the checkout. He didn't mind though, to him this was normal. As he was walking with his aunt, he accidentally bumps into a slightly smaller boy and falls to the floor stoll holding onto the box.

"Owww...!" The boy whined, rubbing his head sorely. Gon gasped and stood up, holding out a hand for the boy to grab, and he hesitantly does so. The boy has short oddly white hair and light blue eyes, and dressed odd. "Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Gon apologized, and the boy spoke, "Мне так жаль! О... Ты хорошенькая. Меня зовут Киллуа!" He smiled at Gon, who tilted his head, "You speak russian? Cool! Всем привет!" The white haired boy smiled but was all of a sudden yelled at, "Киллуа! Иди сюда, подальше от этого бедного мальчика!" Someone had yelled and Gon frowned but waved bye as the boy timidly ran out of right past people who were also shopping. Soon he tugged on his aunt's arm and she sighed, "There you are- come on" they get to a open register.

"Hello miss. What do you want to buy?" A older man around his 50's asked, and she sighed deeply, taking another hit from the cigar and simply layed out the coat and couple other items of importance. Gon noticed it was his turn and gleefully went on his tippy toes and placed the box on the counter. The man nodded and checked the prices on the items, and collected the due payment from Gon's aunt. "Alright, have a good day." The man announced and she sighed and stuck the slightly heavy bag in between the 6 year old boys hands, "Carry this, shortie." She said and walked away, assuming he would follow. Gon was about to so do as the man leaned on by the desk with a creak, "Hey boy. You like chess?" He asked with a coarse voice. Gon smiled and nodded, causing the old man to chuckle, "Good. Maybe come by and I'll see what you got then, boy." He offered and Gon gasped, "Really sir??"

"Gon! Come here you dumb kid!" His aunt yelled from across the store near the front exit and he squealed and ran towards her, clutching the bag, "I'll be back sir, sorry sir!" He called behind him and reunited with his aunt, who slapped the back of his head firmly, "Dumbass! Old men like that want little boys like you for dinner! My cousin didn't die for you to fuck yourself up this early!" She nagged, and he nodded quietly, "Yes auntie, sorry auntie..." he said, swaying the bag in his clutches. She sighed and they walked to their car and she threw the cigar on the floor, stepping on it to extinguish the flame. "Get in" she ordered and got in the drivers seat, and Gon climbed into the seat next to her, arms tightly around the bag she gave him. The drive was long and tedious, since they lived a bit away from the city, on the outskirts in a apartment. As the car pulled into a crammed spot surrounded by other vehicles, his aunt got out of the car and Gon followed, as a beep sounded behind and they walked to the apartment room number 13 on the second floor, the third door in from the flight of stairs.

As soon as she unlocks the door, the smell of cheap alcohol and cigars were present, and Gon walked in behind her placing the bag on a chair. "Now, you go to your room with your little toy and do whatever you want." She dismissed, handing the box to him and grabbed a bottle of vodka, "Yes Auntie Mito." He hummed as he ran to his room and almost immediately opened the box and sat on the floor, pulling out the wooden board and pieces along with the slightly yellow stained instructions. He already knew much about chess from the assortment of books he got into in his father's old study, so he set up the pieces. Rook, Knight, Bishop, King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook and then the assembly of pawns infront.

About 3 years later, he checkmated himself twice and smiled, "I can't wait to try out this strategy!" He hummed, playing the rook to a5. He scratched the back of his head as he wondered his next move. But, then there was a ruckus coming from the room beside his. Gon paused, got up and hesitantly opened his door. The noise got slightly clearer and he sighed deeply, knocking on his aunt's door vigorously and backed up.

Soon, the door opened and his aunt walked out, folding a robe around her waist, "What the hell do you want, kid? I'm fucking busy!" She huffed bitterly and he clenched his fists, "I CAN'T FOCUS ON MY FUCKING GAME WITH THE NOISES OF YOU SCREWING AROUND WITH THE LANDLORD, I NEED SILENCE! DO YOU WANT ME TO NOT BRING HOME MONEY ANYMORE FROM ME WINNING BETS IN THE PARK? BECAUSE YOU AND YOUR FUCKING COMMUNIST FRIENDS ARE ALWAYS SO LOUD! SO SO LOUD! YOUR TOO DRUNK TO EVEN GET A JOB, GOD!" he screamed at her, throwing his hat to the ground and going into his room, locking his door. It took a moment for Mito to recognize her nephew just said that, and she tightened her jaw and clenched one of the empty bottles on the wooden table near her, smashed it against it, shattering half of the bottle off and the held it upside down then knocked aggressively against Gon's door, "YOU FUCKING LITTLE SHIT- GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW BEFORE I BEAT THE EVERYLIVING LIFE OUT OF YOU-! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HARD IT IS TO PROVIDE FOR YOU! AND I NEVER WANTED YOU ANYWAYS, I WISH YOUR PARENTS NEVER FUCKING DIED! IT WAS YOUR FAULT ANYWAYS, USELESS USELESS USELESS-!"

He slumped to the ground, choking back tears, his aunt just said she wished he wasn't there. He sobbed to himself, running over to his bed and hid under the sheets, screaming in fear into a pillow, tears flowing down his warm cheeks and snot down his lip, "LEAVE ME ALONE!!" he screamed, and suddenly his heart stopped. The door burst open. He held his breath, then breathlessly muttered to himself, "A...auntie..?"

Then, the blanket was ripped off of him.