Archive of Our Own

Two in the morning, drunk and alone.

Killua Zoldyck right now, was one of them. Walking home from Leorio's (a friend from college) birthday party. The guy had no merits whatsoever on how much alcohol a 19 year old should intake. He was supposed to be a medical student and yet the way he chanted, "drink, drink, drink" when it was Killua's turn had him doubting his now young adult friend.

Killua thought he wasn't even slightly drunk—or maybe it was his pride talking and told Leorio he can go home alone just fine, or maybe it was because he was avoiding the girl who was flirting with him all night and offered him a ride home. It was a fifteen minute walk from Leorio's to his apartment. But in the middle of his walk, Killua's head spun and he almost fell flat on his face. Clutching his stomach, he finally feels what it's like to be young, drunk and stupid.

He finds a trash bin to puke the poison out. Nothing. He just stared at pieces of trash for a quarter of an hour before deciding that the alcohol didn't want to leave him yet. He takes his phone out, making sure to let the culprit know of his misery.

To: Leorio

Message: ur an ass

And then he sends it. Pocketing his phone back inside his jacket. He didn't feel like walking anymore. The whole world was spinning. It was a good thing it was two in the morning, less hazards and less people complaining about how the youth are doomed.

He sees a cafe still open in this dead of a night. Killua remembers a distant memory of someone telling him to drink coffee when you're drunk, or something like that.

Killua checks if he had cash on him. He didn't. Only his brother's card (who doesn't even know he has it) Killua stole just to piss him off. He didn't really ever intend to use it. 

He stands outside, contemplating if he should go in and try to ease off the drunkenness a bit or try to climb up the four flights of stairs to his room and end up dead before he could even get his keys in. He must've been standing outside the cafe for awhile, because he was sure he saw someone leave his bike and also saw them take it back. Or maybe it was a thief...? Killua decides to just go in.

The bell rings the most annoying sound of the day. 

"Welcome!" Someone says in a super chirpy tone.

Killua barely manages to make himself walk to the counter.

"I...I'll have...uh" he looks at the menu. Futile effort since everything was a blur.

"coffee." He says, stupidly.

"We have different kinds of coffee sir." The barista says. Killua doesn't know a thing about coffee. Alluka liked coffee, always bringing him packets from the different countries she's traveled to. Killua doesn't drink coffee, he drinks soda if he wanted to stay up. But if coffee could get this miserable feeling off of him, he'd give it a shot.

"I'll have your bestseller then, make it hot." Killua gives him the card. Only remembering the possibility that maybe Milluki has already cut if it off or something. But the sound of receipt printing told him otherwise. Killua signing Milluki's name in such a drunk way, he didn't care. Nor did he know just how drunk he looked, spaced out and handing out a credit card that's been expired four months ago.

He almost trips onto a chair. But successfully sits himself on a love seat. He burrows his face on his hands. Whispering curses to Leorio.

"Goddammit." He whispers. He just wanted to collapse to bed, to puke and to die. Maybe he could just sleep on this cafe's bathroom. No one would probably mind, at least until morning.

"Here you go." Someone tells him. Putting down a tray with a cup of hot coffee. Killua drinks it, not even caring on the hotness or the bitterness of it, ignoring the sugar and cream packets completely.

He decides he's had enough, feeling more lightheaded. Settles the cup down and stares at it.

Written on a neat handwriting, was his brother's name with a smiley.

And underneath was something smaller. Killua picked it up and squinted.

Do you believe in love at first sight? Or should I walk by again?

Killua's initial reaction was to look around, maybe he got the wrong coffee. But he was alone.

He finally looks at the Barista whose been serving him.

Tall, spiky hair, and tan. The green apron he was wearing was a little bit small for his broad chest, Killua notes. It looked liked it wasn't his. He was sorting out cups while humming. With a smile on his face.

Cute is what Killua describes him.

He gets up, not really thinking about what he's doing, and swaggers his way to the counter. He scans the bar, checking if the barista was alone. He was. 

"Yes?" Brown eyes lit up, asking him with a smile. Killua looks at him, almost taken aback by how much more attractive he is up close. Killua's eyes then latch onto the guy's name tag.

Hi! I'm Gon.

"Hey, Gon." Killua says. Gon smiles wider. "Uh. This cafe new?" Killua slurs, his mind still uneasy but he felt a little better.

"Yep. Opened three weeks ago." 

"Oh. Never noticed." Killua scratches his head.

"You live near here?" Gon asks, looking at Killua with curiosity. 

"Uh yeah. The building with the flower shop." Killua tells him. Gon's eyes widen at that. 

"Really? That's pretty close." Gon exclaims, pausing on arranging the plastic cups.

"Yeah. I should visit this cafe more huh."

"Yeah, that'd be nice." Gon says in excitement. Killua notes on how Gon's eyes are slightly golden on the edges. 

"Do people dig it?" Killua asks, cutting to the chase. 

"Dig what?" 

"Corny pick up lines on their coffee?" Killua was as blunt as drunk teenagers can be.

"Oh," Gon visibly blushes, slightly bowing his head. "That's actually just for you." 

"Huh?" He didn't think he heard that right.

"Yeah. Sorry if it was, uhm, corny. I thought it would make you smile." Gon scratches his cheek with an embarassed smile. "Since you looked, uhm,"

"Miserable, I know." Killua sighs. "No it was fine. Corny but sweet I guess." Killua starts drawing circles on the counter with his finger, not really knowing what to say next. "What makes you think that would make me smile?" Killua asks the golden boy as he leans towards him.

"Well, considering," Gon drawls. Suddenly reaching out a hand to Killua's face. He swipes his thumb on the side of Killua lips. Killua takes a step back, in which Gon giggles, showing him the leftover coffee foam he wiped. Gon clears his throat. "Considering how drunk you are right now, anything should make you smile."

But he wasn't smiling. Killua was gaping like an idiot. Drunk and hazy, and blushing like crazy.

"You're touchy." Killua says, still feeling the warmth where Gon's thumb brushed. 

"Sorry, couldn't help it." Gon smiles, wiping his thumb on his apron. Gon didn't sound sorry at all. 

"Thanks for the coffee I guess. It was bitter." Killua comments, leaning once again on the counter bar. Gon laughs.

"Yeah of course. You didn't put sugar or cream after all." Killua raises an eyebrow.

"You're supposed to?" He says, in all honesty. Gon laughs. "Oh, sorry. Mr. Coffee Master. Sorry I don't sniff beans and put cream on my coffee." Killua says. Gon laughs again, his eyes squinted from smiling so much. Killua's sass came handy sometimes. Like getting a smile like this from someone like Gon.

"No, I guess I should've expected that when you ordered 'coffee' on a cafe, Milluki." Gon smiles with a hint of teasing. "If that is even your name."

"What?" Killua snaps, his drunkenness forgotten for the moment.

"Your card is expired actually. And the signature didn't match at all." Gon says, chuckling.

"Then...why did you..." Killua says, his head throbbing again.

"My treat. Now, that should make you smile." Gon tells him, as he decreases the distance between him and KIllua.

Killua couldn't help it, the way his head lightened, his eyes wide, and somehow a smile drew it's way on his face. Then he immediately hides his face with his hands. His face felt numb but he knew he was blushing. 

"Uhhhhh...Sorry. I'm so drunk. And thanks... for the coffee. I'll...pay it back... tomorrow." Killua bows his head in embarrassment. 

"No. It's my treat!" Gon argues. 

"No, you work here. That's unfair." Killua says, poking Gon's name-tag.

"Alright. I'll take your name as payment then." The taller one tells Killua. He's actually taken aback by the interest Gon was showing him.

"K-Killua." He answers. Gon smiles.

"Killua, do you believe in love at first sight? Or should I take you on a date first?" Gon tells him. Gon was smiling, almost beaming with confidence, but his face was just as red as Killua's was—or that's what Killua's drunk mind would have him believe.

It was a stretch of a moment. Like the galaxy itself pausing and watching Killua flush up on that statement, watching his heart stop, watching his stomach twist.

Watching him as he vomits on Gon.