04. even away from home

ー

au killua and
gon as interns.

&

Killua did not like this idea.

At all.

"C'mon, Killua! The building looks super cool!"

At Gon's hyperactive voice, Killua's right eyebrow twitched. Right - this was all his idea after all - going to this very particular boring branch instead of the much, much exciting one for internship. Killua could not simply accept that they turned down the heavenly offer of working under the staff of "the" Neko Chocolate Factory! He could not believe it. This was so ridiculous. Who wanted to go to this... dull, inanely plain, stodgy, moth-eaten branch called the -

" - Research and Development!"

...well, that. It was supposed to help Gon find his father, since it was all research and stuff like that. Killua still remembered how he said it. ("Killua! Maybe they have clues on Ging, you know, there are archeologists there and he's one, right?!")

Killua blinked twice, that was a voice he didn't recognize.

The bespectacled man in front of them coughed, "I said, welcome to Research and Development! Or R&D, both's okay." The albino boy stared him down. A tan, a formal attire, a creepy grin and a suitcase. And another creepy grin. Overall, he looked like a pervert old man. Killua rolled his eyes, feeling a headache coming along. This was an employee of this R&D stuff? He was so lame, so old.

Killua felt someone nudge him and he turned to see Gon giving him a look.

Right.

He, the old man, was welcoming them. What was he supposed to say?

Oh, Killua sighed, remembering formalities, "Thank you, sir. I'm Killua Zoldyck, 12 turning 13 next month, please take care of me - er, us?"

Apparently, Gon already gave his introduction, and Killua was a little (just a little) embarrassed now that he probably spaced out scrutinizing his senior nonetheless, while they were just there, staring at him, waiting for his response. Gods, he wanted to go home n- oh wait, not go home, that's worse.

"You're welcome. Leorio Paradinight, 19 years old, doctor also occasionally a scientist, technically your superior - as is everyone since you're interns, and the co-head of the Medicine Department."

Killua almost gagged.

Nineteen! It was preposterous! It had to be a lie!

And look, Gon was with him on this. He had his mouth gaping, closing and opening like a fish.

"Uhm, okay..." Killua still had no words. They seemed to have dried down his throat at the mere mention of his senior's supposed age.

Thankfully, Leorio did not seem to mind the incoherent reply, "Glad to have you, by the way. Youngest interns yet. You guys must be something. Take your forms down the hall to the left and look for Melody for your Evaluation. She's good at judging the new guys, so yeah. You might also get your test there. I'm babbling now so I'll leave you to it, yeah?"

The two twelve year-olds could only nod, staring openly at the 'nineteen' year old man walking away from them while hitting on the other female employees from the other departments only to get smacked and harshly turned down. Not like Killua blames them for it, anyway. Who would date an old ma- well, an old looking man, maybe?

Killua still wasn't sure of this. The people on R&D looks sketchy, and he doesn't know if he and Gon will fit in. He'd always had the problem of being unable to socialize but wherever Gon goes, he follows, and that's why he's currently at Research and Development. Killua's not certain this.. mature new environment will do any good to the both of them. They're all they ever had, just the two of them and suddenly there's all these people walking in and out of R&D and the thought of them entering their quiet lives was slightly disconcerting.

But his worries aside, he looked at Gon. He was still obviously confused at the whole ordeal of Leorio's age, and going back to what he said.. maybe..

"You think this is a test?"

Gon blinked, "Like, for the admission for internship?"

"Yup. Maybe the test is we have to find out what Leorio's true age is. By research, or something. I mean we're at Research and Development, right?"

"Ooh! That makes sense! You're really smart, Killua!"

Killua scoffed and fought the inopportune flush that rose up his cheeks, "Idiot. Saying things like that is embarrasing, you know?"

Gon gave a sheepish grin and scratched his nape, "Hehe, but you really are!"

"Oh shut up, let's just first ask people what his age is - it's the simplest way. We'll do it while taking down our forms."

Luckily for Gon and Killua, at the hall where Leorio directed them to go to, there were potential (non- threatening) people around lounging in the hall. It made things easier.

After Gon turned their forms in, they immediately asked the genial looking blond beside them drinking coffee while peering down on a newspaper the question, for all these things to be over with.

"Er, hello," Killua looked down at his name tag, "Kurapika-san?"

"Oh? The new interns? Hi, what can I do for you?"

"We were wondering what Leorio-san's true age is?"

Kurapika blinked, setting both his coffee and newspaper down on the table, "Leorio? Oh, he's nineteen, as far as I know. Also, your written test will be given to you by the person over there," there was a sketchy looking guy with weird mustache and seemingly no mouth, "and what do you mean true age? You thought he was probably past his thirties, yes?"

At Kurapika's statement, the other employees lounging on the hall laughed, some doubling over.

And what?

Written. Test.

So they were probably wrong (technically, Killua was), and Leorio's age might just really be nineteen all this time. Gods. Killua palmed his face and groaned.

Well, he was an old looking man in his teens, in Killua's defense.

Suddenly a new voice entered their hearing, and a man suspiciously looking so much like Gon entered the hall, "Serves that four eyes right for punching me. I mean, punching me! Darn brat is too disrespectful, why can't Melody take him under attitude contro-"

"Ging!"

Oh, god.

The man who looked like Gon, and which was probably his long-lost father, turned their direction and paled shades lighter, almost like Killua's. Ging looked personally attacked and ready to bolt.

And he did run.

"No, wait up, Ging! Killua bye just have to get my Dad!" Gon said all in a rush, sprinting off, leaving Killua in the dust.

Killua pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. This Research and Development internship might just really turn out troublesome.

But, Killua thinks, it may not really be that bad after all.

ー

[s.] i will now fucking eat my sock because goddamn this is not a sappy sad oneshot. go to hell and rot, non-believers. i can write light hearted and definitely not sad pieces. albeit performing horribly in both categories. do shut up, me.