A Battlefield Bond

Chapter 6: Illumi

After dinner, everyone made their way to the barracks to get to bed for early training in the morning. Gon and Killua had been cracking jokes ever since dinner and enjoyed each other's company.

Upon arriving at the barracks, Killua stayed near the doorway, not entering. Gon looked back at him, confused.

"Aren't you coming in Killua?" He walked over and grabbed his wrist, tugging a little, but Killua didn't budge.

"I'm sorry Gon, I have my own room here. My brother is a lieutenant and he insisted that I have one to myself, ya know overprotectiveness." Killua gave him a small smile and scratched his head as Gon frowned, not wanting his friend to leave him. "Don't worry I'll see you in the morning."

Gon nodded, slowly letting go of Killua's wrist and watched him walk off down the hall before returning into the room and settling onto his bed.

Killua didn't want to tell Gon the actual reason for his brother getting him his own room, which was simply so he wouldn't make friends. This might cause Gon to ask too many questions about his past that he really didn't want to answer at the moment.

As Killua walked down the hall and into his room, there was someone there waiting for him.

Illumi Zoldyck, Killua's older brother.

"I've been waiting for awhile Kill, don't tell me you've made any friends that are keeping you busy." Illumi said in an expressionless tone, Killua staying silent.

"Mom and dad never fully explained why you can't have friends which was a mistake, so I'll inform you."

Killua looked up, a slight anger in his expression. "I want to be Gon's friend." He exclaimed sternly .
"You can't be."
"Why not!"
"Friends will slow you down, you'll be held back from your true potential."
"Working as a team is better than working alone...."
"Then what if Gon dies in the heat of battle, what then Kill?"

Illumi knew he had won at Killua's silence.
"You can't get upset over the death of your comrades, we are in a war, people will die." Illumi took his leave from Killua's room, leaving him alone.

Tears dripped from Killua's face, and he hated to admit that Illumi was right, but he kinda was. It was better to not be close to others, so their death wouldn't leave a mental scar. Although Gon changed Killua, making his emotions break through his firm façade, and Killua couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing.

So starting tomorrow he would go back to being the same Killua he was when he first entered the army: cold, distant, and friendless. It would be better this way.