The snow falls steadily, never stopping as the frozen rain drops cover the earth, tucking her in a white blanket. All the grass, the trees, the flowers, all covered by this blanket. it's as if every other color but white doesn't exist anymore.

For many this cold weather would be unbearable. When it gets really late at night, the temperature can drop to the signal digits. So cold that you can feel your own nose drippings start to ice over if you stay out too long. Any water would surely be frozen, and anyone who was cautious about their health wouldn't be out in this kind of weather close to twelve in the morning.

Gon Freeces, the only human being walking the streets of Luna Valley at this time of night, takes the cold in stride. The twenty two year old hums to himself, a large book bag bouncing on his back as he takes in all the snow with this twinkle in his eye. His cheeks are flushed, and his hands are starting to feel numb despite them being in his jacket. He can't feel his nose and the tips of his ears are so red. Every breath he makes is made visual, puffing out like a cloud before disappearing into the air.

He keeps trekking on, the only light he has is from the lamp post that illuminate his way. The only sound is from the snow and ice crunching under his feet as he walks. it's a peaceful night. A beautiful night. Gon can see the stars in the sky, and as he looks up, it looks like the stars are falling down on him in the form of snowflakes.

Gon sticks out his tongue, shivering when the snowflake lands on the appendage. Not from the cold. He's not shivering from the cold. No. The snow flakes remind him of a different time. When he wasn't walking alone, years ago when he was still considered a child. He can't taste the frozen water anymore without being reminded of those days.

And that's why he still sticks out his tongue. That's why he still adores the snow and he will continue to adore the snow, in till the day he dies.

"Oh Mito..." Gon smiles to himself, puffs of his frozen breath coming out between his dry lips. The snow flakes cling to his black spiky hair and get caught in his eyelashes, even when he blinks they don't fall off. They just linger. "Another long day at school. The tutoring is helping I think. Leorio is very nice but I always come back tired and with a headache."

The young man keeps walking, his words lingering in the air much like the snowflakes on his clothes, his words, nor the snowflakes being addressed by anyone. Gon's smile doesn't fall, enough though his lips are cracked and it's painful in this cold weather. He has bags under his eyes, but those amber orbs are filled with a fire that one could almost believe could melt the surrounding ice.

"The snow reminds me of you Mito. When it snows like this...sometimes I forget I'm going home and you're not going to be there." Gon closes his eyes, letting the snow cover him, trying to bury him like the rest of the world under its blanket. Gon's eyebrows furrow, the first painful expression turning his features. if any tears would be expelled, Gon is sure they would be frozen. Gon won't shed a tear while it's snowing. Mito loved the snow. Gon loves the snow. He loves the chill. He loves it all.

The quiet is broken by a high pitched wail. Gon's eyes snap open, all his thoughts being disrupted by the shrieking of pure panic and anger coming from the alleyway he just passed. Gon's eyebrows furrow and he turns around, heading into the alleyway. The shrieking is certainly from an animal, and by the sound of it, a cat. His first thought is a cat being attacked by a dog. it happens sometimes and most the time the dogs don't kill the cats. They leave them to suffer.

Gon looks around, following the wails and the deep 'meowwww's that sounds almost like growls. The snow is tainted with red, the more he walks into the alley, the more red there is and the louder the sounds are.

Gon stops, his eyes widening when he spots the animal. As he thought, it's a cat, a cat with fur as white as snow. if not for the cat's striking blue eyes, and the red staining the pure white, Gon may have not been able to see the animal in the blanket of white. The cat is wailing and growling in anger as it scratches viciously at the back of his neck with his back paw, the cat is scratching so hard that he's causing himself to bleed with his nails. His front paw has been ripped open in front, Gon being able to see the muscle shift with every movement of the cat.

Gon is moved by seeing the cat in the freezing cold and wounded. The blood in the front paw is starting to get frozen and the scratching the cat is doing to the back of its neck is slowing down. He's getting tired.

"Hey Kitty, it's cold out here isn't it?" Gon walks closer to the cat. The cat stops in his scratching, those piercing blue eyes locking on him. Gon lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. This cat is beautiful. Surely he must belong to someone? Did a dog attack his paw?

The cat hisses at him when he gets closer, his back lifting up in warning, his white tail getting puffy, this pupils blown out. Gon holds his hands out, a frown turning his lips.

"I just want to help you. You're bleeding. I can take care of that for you and I can take you somewhere warm." Gon offers, walking closer. Gon has always had the habit of talking to all animals like they could understand him. He believes they can. Gon has always been good with animals. He can't leave one like this one without helping him.

The cat just hisses again but it's weaker this time, backing away from Gon as he comes closer. The cat's eyes have dulled and Gon knows the poor thing is hurting and freezing. "Here." Gon takes off his book bag before unzipping his jacket. The cat watches him warily when Gon moves closer. When he gets too close, the cat lashes out, cutting him on his hand. Gon winces from the pain to his frozen flesh but his eyebrows furrow with determination as he wraps his jacket around the cat, not caring as it gets stained with the cat's blood.

"Meow!" The cat protests, struggling as Gon wraps up the cat in a cocoon before lifting him up, hugging him close to his chest like a baby. The cat hisses at him, bares his teeth, and tries with the rest of his strength to get out of the jacket and scratch him.

"Shh, it's okay. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to take care of your wounds and get you somewhere warm. You'll die if you stay out here." Gon speaks to the cat calmly as he grabs his book back, putting it on his back before he walks out of the alleyway, walking a bit faster than before to get home with the new bundle in his hands.

The cats meows and growls slowly die down, those blue eyes never looking away from Gon. The warmth must be luring the cat to sleep, he can barely keep his eyes open and he keeps yawning.

"You must be tired, huh? What happened to you? Did you get attacked?" Gon frowns at the cat. The cat's ears perk up, those eyes open up fully again. Those eyes glare at him before the cat looks to the side, away from him. "Don't want to talk about it, huh?" Gon chuckles. The cat in his hands bristles and a low meow leaves him but that's it. He's stopped struggling.

Gon keeps the cat close to him but he can feel his arms go numb from not having any protection. He should have worn a long sleeve shirt. His whole body is shaking now and he can feel his heat leave him. The cat glances back at him, watching him closely as he snuggles him close, the cat being his only source of heat as of right now.

By the time Gon makes it up to his apartment floor, his whole body feels numb and once he walks into his apartment, he feels the heat of his home and closes the door behind him. He feels the pain of his body starting to defrost.

"The only thing I don't like about the cold is the defrosting part." Gon sighs, wincing from the pain in his arms as he walks the cat over to the furnace in his home, the warmth causing him more pain but he knows it's needed. He needs to get the circulation flowing again.

Gon places the cat down, loosening up the jacket so he can get out if he wants to. The white cat is still looking at him with those striking blue eyes. He's watching him like he's staring at a new being, with curiosity and a bit of suspicion.

"Stay here and warm up by the fire. I'm going to get some things to help take care of your wounds." Gon smiles at the cat before he walks over into the kitchen, those blue eyes following him the whole time. Gon walks into his bathroom and grabs his first aid kit, the one he received from Leorio as a gift. it has everything he would ever need. He almost feels like he could perform surgery and be okay with the stuff in this kit. it's certainly a kit for doctors.

"How is the fire feeling? You feeling warm?" Gon comes back out into the living room, smiling when he sees that the cat has stayed in place. The cat was looking around his apartment only to turn and look at Gon. The cat's eyes narrow before it looks back at the furnace. When Gon walks closer, the cat hisses at him, lashing out with a claw in warning. "I'm just going to clean your wounds and bandage you up. I don't want you getting infected. That looks like a bad gash there." Gon frowns. The cat blinks and looks down at his wound, staring at it for a moment before looking back at Gon.

"Meow." The cat gets out of his jacket and walks closer to Gon, the poor thing limping slightly on his hurt leg. He turns his back to Gon and sits down, meowing louder. When he does this, Gon can get a good look at the wound on the back of his neck.

"Oh wow...you really scratched deep." Gon gets closer, peering at the wound that reaches the layer of fat. He blinks when he sees something inside of it. it looks like a disk, stuck in the fat. "You have something inside the wound-"

The cat meows, nodding his head, his tail flicking in annoyance. "I'm going to get it out, okay? And then I'll clean it and bandage you up." Gon is amazed when the cat nods again, his shoulders relaxing. "That's why you were scratching so much. You wanted to get this out." Gon opens up his kit, looking for his tweezers.

He finds them and cleans them with an alcoholic prep. "It must have been bothering you a lot." Gon peers closer, his tongue sticking out in concentration as he digs in with the tweezers. it takes him a couple of tries to latch onto the disk before he pulls. The disk comes out easily since the cat had sliced at it so much. Gon looks at the small disk, his eyebrows furrowed before he places it down next to him. "What was that doing inside you?"

The cat growls, flicking his tail, the white appendage hitting his arm, like he's telling him to get on with it. Gon opens up a packet of saline, flushing the wound on the back of the neck, watching it till it turns clear. He puts some antibiotic cream on the gash before covering it up with a bandage. "There, now let me just get your paw."

Gon is stunned when the cat turns around to face him, his ears are pressed against his head, and those blue eyes are watching him cautiously. "You're really smart. Such a good kitty." Gon beams. The cat bristles, hissing at him, but he doesn't lash out with the claw. Gon chuckles as he holds out his hand. The cat hesitates before he puts the hurt paw in his hand. The cat watches him carefully as he gets some more saline packets and flushes the wound. He puts some antibiotic cream before wrapping the paw up.

"There you go. All done." The cat looks down at the bandage before licking it. The cat stares at him with those blue eyes boring into him. Gon smiles, overwhelmed by the cuteness. He's never seen a cat that's as adorable as this one is. Gon has always been more of a dog person, if he had the money he would have a dog as a companion. But this cat makes him think differently.

"You're such a pretty kitty. Your blue eyes are amazing and your fur is like the snow. I love the snow." Gon reaches out to pet the cat. His ears go back, his hair bristling, growling as he snaps forward suddenly biting Gon's finger hard. "Ow!" Gon frowns, pulling his finger away. The tip of it is bleeding from the cat's teeth piercing his flesh. "What was that for? I just wanted to pet you." Gon glares at the cat who blows out of his nose. Those ears are staying back and Gon is sure if he tried to pet him again, he would bite him once more. "Aw, don't look at me like I'm a bad guy." Gon frowns when the cat keeps watching him with suspicion, a low growl like meow coming out.

Gon sighs and stands up, grabbing his kit before walking over to his kitchen. He doesn't have any cat food but he's heard that cats like milk. He pours some milk into a bowl before sticking it in the microwave. Once the milk is heated he walks back to the cat who is staring at him with his ears perked, his eyes narrowed.

"Here's some milk. I'm sure you're hungry." Gon smiles as he places the milk in front of the cat. The cat looks at it before looking away from it, puffing out his chest. "What's wrong? You don't like milk? I thought all cats like milk." Gon blinks when the cat glares at him. "I don't have any cat food..." Gon smiles at this cat, the animal tilting his head. " Tomorrow, I'll go shopping and get you some food. Do you have an owner? is there someone who is going to be looking for you, worrying about you?"

The cat stares at him a moment, something in those blue eyes before the cat shakes his head.

"No way! You can't be a stray. You're so smart and pretty." Gon frowns, the cat hisses at him and looks away, glaring at the milk. Gon smiles. "if you don't have anywhere to go, you can stay here if you want." The cat hisses again, his fur bristling. Gon chuckles. "You don't like that idea? I guess it must be exciting traveling outside and being free." Gon smiles. "I suppose I thought it would be nice to have someone living with me here. it gets lonely, especially on cold days like this."

The cat doesn't look at him.

"Well, I'm going to keep you here until you're healed. Then I'll let you go." The cat looks at him, hissing and lashing out towards Gon but he stands up. "Don't be mad! I don't want you getting more hurt. Don't worry, I'll keep you well fed and it's not permanent. I won't keep you here forever." Gon reassures. The cat is still looking at him with those blown out pupils, like he's about to attack his feet at any moment. "Do you have a name?"

Those eyes lock with his. They stare at each other for a moment before the cat nods. "Really? I wish you could tell me what it was...maybe I could guess! With your fur...is your name Snow Flake?" The cat shakes his head quickly, hissing at him. "Snow Ball?" The cat's tail flicks. That's not it. "Winter? Snow Angel? Blizzard?"

"Meow!" The cat meows in irritation, his tail flicking before he turns his back to Gon, curling up in a ball to lay down on the floor. His chest his puffing up and down.

"None of those, huh?" Gon chuckles. This cat can get angry easily. "I'll get you some newspapers if you have to go to the bathroom. I'll get you somethings tomorrow so you can stay here better." The cat's ears twitch but he doesn't turn around to face him. "You can sleep on the couch if you like and you're welcome to sleep with me on my bed. I'll keep the door open for you." The cat's ears perk up. "Tomorrow, I'll give you a bath to get rid of the dried blood on your fur-" The cat's ears flatten and he hisses.

"I know, but I need to keep you clean." Gon walks over to his door and picks up the morning newspaper left for him by the people who own this place. He leaves the newspapers laying next to the cat, right next to the milk he hasn't touched. The cat's tail flicks, banging against the floor in irritation. "it's late. I'm going to go to sleep. Good night." Gon reaches out and quickly strokes the cat. His eyes widen when the cat turns on him quickly, those pupils blown out and his tail puffy. Gon gets scratched on his arm before he runs into his room, the cat running after him till he jumps on his bed. Gon turns around, blinking when the cat stares at him for a moment, a dark look to those eyes before the cat walks away slowly.

Gon frowns. The cat isn't that nice. Then again, it seems this cat is a stray. He's probably mad that Gon is making him stay but he couldn't let the cat out when he's injured.

Gon takes off his shirt and pants so he's just in his boxers, curling up into his blanket after he's taken care of the bite wound and put away his kit. He closes his eyes, letting the warmth take him. Tomorrow, he has to work but he'll have plenty of time to get some things for the cat. He can't wait to tell Kurapika and Leorio about this. They're probably going to scold him for having an unknown animal in his home when he can barely buy food for himself but it's only temporary. Even if it wasn't, Gon would just have to work more shifts to have enough money to have a pet.

Having the cat here, having to take care of the cat, reminded him of why he's working so hard. He's missed having someone to come home to. He's missed having someone to take care of and to pamper. Mito was the one who pampered him but still. He wants to pamper someone. Having a pet might be just what he needs.

After working and studying all day, he wouldn't have to worry about coming home to silence and an empty home. There would be someone waiting for him once again.

With that thought in mind, Gon curls into himself and falls asleep. Sleep comes much easier to him than it normally does, the boy drifting off, not aware of the slanted blue eyes that are watching him from the open doorway.

Gon awakes with a start, his breathing ragged. Water falls from the corner of his eye, staining his mattress before he sits up, taking deep breaths to calm down. Always...

Gon gets out of bed, walking blindly into his bathroom, his brain still fuzzy and his muscles stiff like he's slept wrong. The floor is freezing and it makes Gon want to jump back in bed and wrap up in the cozy blankets but he doesn't want to fall asleep again. Gon hums to himself as he gets into the shower, loving the warm water that pours down on him, making him feel better. it's his routine. When it gets cold like this, he can't help to have that dream. He can't help to think about what he lost. The drop in temperature will forever be a reminder for him. The snow and cold is like a phantom haunting him, it's the only thing he has now of her, the only thing he has to come home to-

Gon blinks when he catches sight of the scratches on his hands and the bandage wrapping his fingers. His groggy mind stares at this in confusion before those amber eyes light up and his chest feels light. The cat! He has a cat! Gon needs to get him food!

Gon hurries up and washes himself off, a kick to his step thinking about the cute kitty he has in his living room. He runs out of the shower, a towel tied around his waist loosely, almost slipping from him not drying off properly. Gon runs into his living room, his eyes hopeful and light like a child running to the tree on Christmas.

Gon frowns slightly when he doesn't see the cat wrapped up in his jacket like he had left him last night but it comes right back when he sees that the cat had drank all the milk he gave him. "Kitty, where did you go?" Gon walks into the middle of the room, looking around, his hands on his hips, water dripping off of his back and onto his floor.

Gon's eyes light up when he spots the white cat hiding underneath one of his kitchen chairs, his ears back, those blue eyes watching him cautiously. "There you are!" Gon beams as he walks into the kitchen, the cat backs up more under the table, those pupils getting bigger like at any moment he's going to run up and attack Gon. Gon finds it adorable. "How did you sleep? What do you want to eat this morning?" Gon crouches down, smiling at the cat who narrows his eyes at him. "I still don't have cat food. I'm going to get some after work. I can get you some more milk for now."

The cat's tail flicks and Gon can't help to think the cat is annoyed. He chuckles. "Milk is good for you! I'll be drinking some milk with you." Gon hums as he stands up and walks to his fridge. The cat crawls under the table towards him, those blue eyes watching. Gon pours the cat a bowl of milk before he pours some milk into a bowl of Fruit Puffs cereal. He hums to himself as he places the milk in front of the cat before taking his seat at the table, starting to eat his own food.

The cat stares at the milk for the longest time before he slowly creeps out. He sniffs the milk cautiously before sticking his tongue out, licking up some of the milk. The cat's ears perk up and he starts to drink more readily. Gon eats his cereal, smiling as he watches the small animal.

The cat tenses, looking over at Gon, the ears flatten before he moves away from the milk, his tail flicking. "I won't stare at you if that bothers you when you're eating." Gon chuckles, before he drinks the rest of the milk that is left after he's finished his cereal. He throws his bowl in the sink, knowing he'll have a pile by the end of the day he's going to have to clean.

Gon walks over to look at the living room, already taking in the damage the little cat has caused. The cat hasn't gone to the bathroom yet, the newspapers have been ripped up and are everywhere. His couch has some fabric sticking out from the cat most likely using it to sharpen his claws. The cat has also knocked down one of his vases, the glass shattered on the ground, the flowers laying in the puddle of water.

Gon cleans this up without a word, soaking the water up with a towel, before getting a broom to sweep up the pieces of glass. He picks up the newspaper and throws it away. He places a towel down instead, looking over at the cat who is staring at him. Those blue eyes seem to be gleeful but when the cat looks at his face, for some reason that look seems to die down and his ears go back. "Use this towel to go to the bathroom. When I come back I'll have food, a place for you to go to the bathroom properly, and other things that you'll need."

The cat just stares at him before it suddenly runs from the kitchen and jumps on the couch. The cat starts to dig his claws into the couch, pawing at the soft fabric. "Could you not do that? I'll get you a scratching post if you want one!" When the cat keeps doing it, locking those blue eyes with his while he does it, Gon frowns.

"Hey-" Gon takes a step forward, reaching out towards the cat only for the animal to hiss at him, those ears going down. Gon raises his hands in surrender. "Why are you so angry? I thought cats were suppose to like pets and loving." The cat breathes out of his nose, his tail flicking. "Oh well." Gon smiles. "When I come back I'll change your bandages and I'll give you a bath to get you cleaned off-"

The cat hisses, his fur bristling.

"You don't want to have blood crusted in your fur forever do you?" The cat looks away, glaring at the wall, his tail flicking. "It won't be so bad!" Gon reassures before he walks into his room. He gets dressed into his work uniform noticing the cat has followed him. He's keeping his distance but he's watching him closely. It's like every moment the cat is taking account of.

Gon grabs his keys walking towards the door. He stops and looks back at the cat who is sitting in the middle of the living room, his ears perked up, a questioning look in those eyes. That's at least how Gon sees it.

"Don't worry. I'll be back. I have to go to work and then I'm going to go shopping. I'll be back around 8 tonight." Gon smiles staring at this little cat that just stares at him with those beautiful eyes. "Aww man! I don't want to leave." Gon whines, reaching to pet the cat only for the cat to turn and back away from him.

"You're so cute." Gon whines again, getting the cat to hiss at him. "Why do you get so angry when I call you cute? it's a compliment!" Gon smiles, the cat's ears staying flatten. "I wish I knew your name. I'd like to address you. When I remembered you were here, I got so happy." Gon smiles at the cat who looks at him with this puzzled look. "I'm going to take care of you while you're here. You have nothing to worry about. You can count on me!" Gon beams, those eyes sparkling, the cat backing away to hide behind the couch. Gon giggles. "Bye beautiful, I'll be back!"

The cat pokes his head out just to hiss at him. Gon chuckles walking out of his apartment, making sure to lock the door behind him. The smile hasn't left his lips as he walks down the steps, the ground covered in snow and every time he takes a step his foot print is left. The cold doesn't bother him today and when he walks, all he can think about is the cat he has at home and all the things he wants to get the kitty. It's exciting. Something new.

"Mito...I have the cutest cat at home now." Gon snuggles up against the scarf around his neck, the one she had made him so long ago. He can't wait for work to be over and he can go back home.

He'd never thought he'd be excited to go back home again.

"Gon, you look happier than usual." Gon looks over at the stunning blonde that just walked next to him with a tray filled with empty classes and plates.

"I do? You look happy today yourself, Kurapika." Gon smiles as he fills a couple of glasses up with soda, the drinks fizzing with a tasty sound. Kurapika is putting his tray down for the dish washer to take care of, wiping some sweat off his brow. The blonde's long hair gets in his face and he has to tuck it behind his ear, those gray eyes finally locking with his.

"Yes you do. You look cheery most of the time but today you have a glow to you. I think the customers have noticed too. You're cracking more jokes." Kurapika chuckles, those gray eyes looking at him fondly. "If I seem more happy today it's because of you. Your smile is contagious." Kurapika grabs a basket of bread for him and places it on the tray of drinks he's making up for table 4.

"I wish. It would help me with some of our tougher customers." Gon chuckles, his chest getting light, the excitement building before he can't stand it. "But I am really happy today. I got a cat at home!"

"A cat?" Kurapika blinks, raising his eyebrow. "You went out and bought a cat?" Kurapika's lips start to turn in a frown.

"No. I found him last night. I think he's a stray. He was injured so I bandaged him up and he's just the cutest cat ever! I don't think he likes me much though." Gon sighs.

"That explains your hands. I was going to ask about that next." Kurapika glances at Gon's hands before looking up at the other male who is smiling too largely. Kurapika sighs. "Gon I know you love animals but weren't you just telling me last week that you were having trouble keeping up with your rent? Animals are expensive. You don't know if this cat has gotten his shots either and a trip to the vet is out of the question if you can't afford to take yourself to the doctor, Gon."

"I'm not going to keep him! Just till his wounds heal up and I can find a nice place to set him loose. And it's not that expensive! I'm just going to buy some cheap food for now!"Gon waves his hands when Kurapika gives him this look. "I'm keeping up with my rent! I won't get evicted!...probably."

"Gon." Kurapika puts his hands on his hips, giving him this look at that reminds him of Mito when he would do something stupid.

"It's just one kitty! It'll be fine Kurapika! I'll pick up some extra shifts if I have to." Gon smiles sheepishly when Kurapika doesn't seem convinced.

"You barely have the time now with going to medical school and spending the rest of your time working here." Kurapika sighs when he sees the look on Gon's face. "That cat must really be something. If you get behind on your rent, I could try to get together some money-"

"I don't need any money Kurapika! I'll be fine!" Gon reassures. "I won't go overboard with the cat! Could you not tell Leorio though? I feel like he would freak out if I told him I got a cat." Gon sticks his tongue out.

Kurapika stares at him a moment before shaking his head, that fond smile coming back. " Yes, I won't tell your father." Kurapika and Gon chuckle. "Leorio would freak out. I swear you're going to give him a full head of gray hair before he's 30 with how much he worries about you."

"Probably." Gon giggles as he grabs the tray full of drinks. "That's why he has mommy to help get rid of that stress right?" Kurapika flushes, waving Gon off.

"Get out of here before the people at table 4 give you the stink eye."

"Got it!" Gon beams as he walks out of the back, balancing the tray, walking to table four. He gives them a friendly smile. "Sorry for the wait! Here are the drinks you ordered." Gon places the four sodas down, proud when everyone agrees that these are the drinks they ordered. "Are you guys ready to order your food? The steak here is really good! And if you like seafood there's our number 6!"

Soon after the ball of light came with their drinks, the slight irritation the people had for waiting is gone, those amber eyes calming.

Gon is having a easy night tonight and soon he'll be back home.

"I'm home, kitty!" Gon calls as he walks into his apartment with a couple of bags, his breath coming out in puffs, his cheeks flushed and numb. He winces when he starts to defrost but it doesn't destroy his smile as he closes the door behind him. He looks around the living room, not spotting the kitty anywhere. "Kitty, I got you food and I got you a little something!" Gon bounces the bag he's holding, making a rattle sound.

No response.

"Are you going to make me find you?" Gon smiles, walking over to the kitchen, glancing under the table but the cat isn't there. He places his bags on the kitchen table before he walks into the living room, crossing his arms as he looks around. The towel he placed down hasn't been touched and the couch doesn't look that bad off. The milk he gave the cat is completely gone.

Gon's stomach growls and his knees hurt from standing all day. All his work is finally catching up to him and he yawns walking over to the kitchen. He gets out the food dish he bought for the cat, smiling when he reads what it says: 'too cute for my own good.'. It's a good thing that cats can't read or the cat would probably get angry. Gon pours some cat food into the bowl, making sure he's being loud with it. "Dinner!" Gon calls as he places the bowl down before getting another bowl to fill with water, placing it down.

Gon opens his fridge, wanting to dig into those left over ribs from last night- Gon stiffens, his mouth opening wide. All his food is gone. The water bottles, the ribs, even that piece of chocolate cake Kurapika had given him the other day, all gone. His fridge looks bare. All the milk is gone too! Gon frowns...he had milk this morning and he had food right? He didn't eat all his food without remembering, did he? No. He would remember eating all his food, but what happened to it? His door was locked when he came in and he's the only one with the key. It doesn't look like anyone has broke in either. The cat was the only one here but the idea of the cat eating all his food is ridiculous.

Gon scratches his head, his gears working, he can feel the steam coming on. Did he misplace his food some how? Where would he put it? Gon starts to open all the cabinets in his kitchen, frowning when he sees he still has his cereal but none of his other food.

"Oi! Stop slamming stuff. I was sleeping." Gon jumps a foot off the ground when he hears a deep, silky voice behind him. He whips around, his eyes wide, his fist out ready to fight. A intruder- Gon stops. His breathing gets caught in his throat and now he's wondering if this is some really weird dream he's having.

A man has just walked out of his bedroom. There's a couple of things wrong with this man, things that Gon can't help to notice as soon as he looks at him. First off, the man is wearing his clothes. He's wearing his long sleeve white shirt with his jeans. They're a little baggy on him but for the most part they fit. Second off he's drinking from the carton of milk that Gon had thought went missing. And third, the most important detail, is the fact that this man has ears sticking out of his head and a white tail wiggling around behind him like it has a mind of its own.

Gon gapes at him like a fish out of water. "You have ears and tail! Wow! Are those real?!" Gon completely dismisses the fact this man is in his home and is wearing his clothes and is probably the reason he has no food right now.

"Of course they're real, stupid." the man huffs, his tail flicking behind him before he takes a chug of milk.

"That's amazing! Can I touch them?" Gon gets closer. The man hisses at him, backing up quickly, his pupils getting larger. Gon freezes.

"Hell no. I didn't want you touching them before, what makes you think I want you touching them now."

"Touching them before?" Gon blinks, not really getting it. This is the first time he's seen this man right? But there's something familiar about how this man is acting...and those striking blue eyes and pale skin. Gon gasps. "Are you by chance the cat?"

"Who else would I be?" The man-er cat- or whatever he is grunts. He rolls his eyes when Gon's eyes sparkle in wonder.

"B-But how?! You were a cat when I left! How did you turn into a human? That's so cool! This is amazing." Gon has forgotten about his hunger completely. He walks closer to this guy only for the man to hiss, baring his teeth. Gon stops, but his eyes haven't stop sparkling.

"Maybe I don't even exist and you're just crazy." The man smirks when Gon blinks, seeming to try to wrap his mind around that. "I mean come on, a cat turning into a person? That doesn't happen." He chuckles.

"I don't think this is in my head. You're real. I know you are and you were a cat and now you're a person." Gon keeps his eyes locked onto this man's piercing blue eyes. The amusement has left his face and now he's just staring at him. "How did you do that?" Gon smiles, moving closer. The man backs up.

"I ate magic beans." The man stares at him blankly.

"Magic beans?" When the man drinks some more of his milk, Gon's eyebrows furrow. "I don't think you're telling the truth." The man looks at him from the corner of his eye before he grins.

"You believe I'm a cat turned human but you don't believe in magic beans?" The man chuckles before smirking at him. "If you must know, I'm a run away test subject. They've been doing tests on me since I was a kitten and they succeeded in creating a cat like boy. I'm a product of science and I've been trained to kill since day one, mixing human traits with a cat's perfectly."

"So you're a cat mixed with human? And you can change between being a cat and a human?" Gon stares at this man with wide eyes, his heart beating faster. "That's why you had that chip in you! How did they make you like this? Did it hurt?"

The man blinks at him before chuckling. "You really believed that? Such an honest response."

"It's true though, isn't it? I don't feel like you were lying that time." Gon takes a step closer, the man takes a step back. He stares at Gon a moment before shrugging his shoulders.

"it doesn't really matter what you know. No one around here would believe that you have a cat like man here. They would think you're crazy." The man grunts as he walks over to his couch and sits down on it, laying so he's taking up the whole couch, those blue eyes watching him carefully. "So yeah. That chip you got out of me was their way of keeping me in my cat form. They would hate for their crazy experiments to get out in the open. They've been doing some naughty things." The man smirks. "Many unspeakable things. Now that you've gotten that thing out I can do as a please. It took a couple of hours for the effects to wear off of me, but here I am. There's nothing stopping me now." Those blue eyes get darker when they look over at Gon who has gotten closer, gawking at this man, his eyes haven't stopped shining.

"That's amazing! You're incredible!" Gon cheers, the man glaring at him. "It all makes sense! You were out in the cold trying to get away from those scientist people and you were trying to get the chip out of your neck by scratching it out! That's why you're so smart too!" Gon suddenly stops smiling, a frown coming to his lips. The man's ears twitch at the change, those blue eye staring at him, watching him, just like he did when he was a cat. "Were those scientists hurting you?"

"What do you think?" The man's grin is dark. "They morphed my DNA, mixing me with you nasty humans. The pain felt like being boiled alive only to be frozen back into one piece but all wrong. It didn't stop there. No. So many tests they did on me. Every day was a new experiment. They've choked me half to death just to see how long I could hold my breath under water. That's just an example. The humans would have their way with me, drugging me so I couldn't fight back. By the time I got used to the drugs, it became a part of my purpose. To kill and to please. That place could drive anyone mad." the man's eyes become dark, he bristles, his tail getting puffy and straight out. His nails are digging into the couch and he grinds his teeth.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore." Gon swallows thickly, something burning in his chest when the man looks at him with his eyebrow raised. "You're safe here. You got away and I'm not going to let them take you again. To force you to do things you don't want to do, hurting you...I won't forgive that."

"Why the hell do you care?" The man hisses, those ears going back. "Why did you pick me up anyway? I was just a cat off the street. Most humans would think I was crazed with the way I was acting."

"I couldn't leave you there! You were freezing and hurt. I don't know what it was but when I saw your blue eyes...I was drawn in. I wanted to help you." Gon smiles when the man's ears slowly start to perk up. "Since I'm gong to be a doctor, it's natural I'm drawn in by someone in need!"

"I wasn't a person. I was a cat. And you? A doctor?" The man blinks before shaking his head. "You're stupider than you look. There's no way you're going to be a doctor-"

"Hey! I'm not that stupid." Gon pouts, feeling a bit hurt by the man's words.

"Yes you are. Bringing a stray cat into your home that could very well have rabies. I bit you and scratched you. You should have thrown me out then."

"It was my fault for trying to pet you." Gon watches as this man's eyes widen slightly. "You didn't like it and I kept trying. You just looked so cute." Gon smiles remembering the small little kitty.

"Don't call me cute." The man hisses, his pale cheeks getting flushed and his ears flattening on his head. Even as a man, he's adorable. Gon finds himself gushing. This only seems to annoy the man further. "Keep at it and I'll slice up your face."

"But really, I couldn't kick you out. Not when you're hurt and it's so cold outside."

The man glances at him from the corner of his eye before sighing. "Well, now you know I'm not a little kitten that can't take care of himself. I'm going to be leaving after I've finished this milk-"

"But you're still hurt and what if those scientist come after you?" Gon frowns.

"So what do you suggest?" The man raises his eyebrow. "That I stay here with you and be your house cat?"

"Well...maybe." Gon smiles sheepishly when the man glares. "I want you to stay so you'll be safe and...I like having you here. I've never been so excited to come home like I was today!"

The man's ears perk up again, his tail moving restlessly behind him. "You're really weird. Why get all excited for a cat that doesn't want anything to do with you?" The man shakes his head before drinking what's left of the milk. "You must be a sad human that has no companions."

"Well, I do have friends." Gon rubs the back of his head. "It's just...nice coming home to someone."

The man stares at him for a moment. "You know if I stay here, and the government finds out you're holding me, they'll kill you. They might do experiments on you as well. You'll lose your sanity before they get rid of you."

"The government won't find out and even if they do, I don't care. I'll keep you a secret and I'll take good care of you! I won't let them hurt you anymore. I'd really like for you to stay till your wounds heal. After that...you can leave if you want. I don't want you to feel like you don't have a choice. I just want to know I've done all that I could for you."

The man watches Gon closely before stretching. "Well, I guess I'll stay till I heal. It won't take that long and really these wounds aren't a big deal. If I'm staying ,you better be buying me good food. I want chocolate. A lot of chocolate. I'm also going to be sleeping in your bed. You can sleep on the couch. No touching me either, or I will scratch you. I'll humor you, human, since you helped me out back there, but I will not be staying for long."

"Yay!" Gon beams, getting the man to blink at him. "You're staying! Even if it's just for a little bit...I'm happy." the man's ears flatten and he glares away. "So you don't eat cat food?"

"No. I will not eat that garbage."

"Okay. Then I need to go to the store again." Gon sighs when his stomach grumbles. "Did you really have to eat everything in the fridge?"

"I was hungry." The man glares. "Not like you had a lot in there anyway."

"Yeah..." Gon frowns before he smiles once more. "So the cat food is a waste...Do you use a litter box?"

"Who do you think I am? No I don't use the litter box! I'm toilet trained, thank you very much. I did not appreciate the newspapers."

"I thought you were a regular cat! How could I know you were a person like cat?!"

The man just huffs in response to that.

"Hmm, I guess I bought that stuff for no reason. I'm sure I can take it back." Gon thinks to himself as he gets up walking over to the bags of stuff he got. He digs through it only to stop when he spots the little stuffed mouse he had bought at the store. It was supposed to be the cat's play thing but Gon's not sure if he will like it. "Do you like cat toys?" Gon throws the mouse.

"No I-" The man stops, his pupils getting blown out when the mouse hits the ground, making a jingling sound. The man jumps across the room, biting the mouse, sinking his teeth in as he rolls around the ground, his tail flicking.

Gon stares with wide eyes at seeing this before he giggles. Not expecting that reaction but loving it. It was too cute.

"Shut up!" The man hisses at him, his tail puff up, his face getting red and he spits out the mouse like he just realized what he did. "It was moving so...I just thought I needed to kill it. I wasn't playing with it."

"Sure you weren't." Gon chuckles when the man glares at him. He made a mental note that the man still likes cat toys. He's sure that Gon can still pamper him yet.

"Keep laughing and I'll rip up your couch the next time you leave." The man warns standing up, straightening himself out, his tail flicking behind him.

"Leave the couch alone. Now I know you know better." Gon gives him this look when the man smirks. Gon blinks when he takes in his clothes on this man once more before locking eyes with him. "Do you need some clothes of your own? Or do you want to wear my clothes? I'm fine with sharing."

"I'll wear these." The man hugs himself. "These are mine now."

"I guess that's okay." Gon doesn't really wear those too often anyway. if he's not at school or work he's outside or bumming it. Gon's eyes light up and he smiles at the man. "I just remembered! Now that you can talk, you can tell me what your name is!"

"Fuck off. I'm not telling you my name." The man hisses at him when he gets too close.

"Well, my name is Gon! Gon Freeces! And, if you're not going to tell me your name, I guess I'm just going to have to keep calling you beautiful-" Gon starts to tease, watching as the man's face gets red, and those ears flatten.

"It's Killua." Killua grinds his teeth, glaring at him. "So don't you dare call me beautiful. Now that I'm like this. You can't get away with that."

"Killua..." Gon tries it on for size, smiling at his new friend. "Was that name given to you by your Mother?"

"Yeah. At the lab I'm known as N67895. Killua was given to me by my Mom and Dad." Killua rolls his eyes. "Can you believe they tried to stop me from leaving the lab? My mom is so annoying. They all wanted me to stay so I could get stronger and be the best for the humans but that's so overrated."

"Are your parents cats or..." Gon trails off.

"They're like me. Test subjects. They were cats and now they're half cat and half human. My whole family is. They were really proud in the fact that they successfully turned 7 of us."

"Wow your whole family." Gon frowns when he thinks of Killua's family still at the lab. "Are you worried about your family-"

"No. Hell no. They like it there. I think they've all lost it. My one brother is too fat to do anything with his life so he'll just do whatever is easier. My youngest brother just wants to please my mom. And my oldest brother enjoys the kills. The killing was fun. Getting stronger was cool but I had no freedom over there. They were controlling and I was sick of having a human male mate with me." Killua grimaces. Gon frowns. He can tell talking about this is upsetting Killua. The man's tail is wiggling restlessly and his ears are flatten, those eyes becoming distant.

"Well, Killua." Gon smiles, the man's ears perking up and looking over at him. "Welcome to your temporary home! I'll do my best to take care of you so let me know if you need anything!" Gon gives him this determined look. "You don't have to worry about any of that stuff that happened in the labs. You're safe here."

Killua stares at him for a while before shrugging his shoulders. " I guess. If you tried anything I would rip your balls off." Killua stands up, yawning. "I'm going to sleep in your bed. Try keeping the fridge filled would you?" Killua huffs as he walks into Gon's bed room. Gon follows him, watching as the man jumps into the bed, curling up in a ball on top of it, much like a cat with his tail close to his face, taking up the whole bed.

"Killua it would be full if you didn't eat all the food in one go." Gon rubs his head. "I don't have much money but I'll think of something."

"You better." Killua grunts. Gon walks into the bathroom, Killua watching him with one eye open. Gon takes off his clothes, staying in his boxers before he walks back out to Killua. The man glares at him when he comes out, his body getting stiff at seeing his lack of clothes.

"Good night Killua! I'll see you in the morning! I have some cereal for us to eat for breakfast but we don't have milk because you drank it all." Gon walks over to Killua, reaching out to stroke the man's hair only for him to bat at his hand, hissing at him in warning. Gon's smile doesn't fall as he waves good bye before heading out of the room and into the living room. He lays on the couch, his brain still humming from everything he just found out.

The cat he found yesterday is actually a half human half cat, who's escaped from a lab that's made him this way. It doesn't sound like it could be real but Gon knows it is. He knows this man is the cat he saved. The way this man acts is just like how the cat acted. It's crazy. It's insane, really, but Gon still wants to keep him around. When Killua was looking upset, all Gon wanted to do was protect him. Gon still wants Killua as a friend. He's going to be sad when Killua leaves him but he'll make the most of it right now.

This feels like a dream. It probably would be easier to think that Killua is something he made up in his head rather than a test subject that's escaped from some government lab. But he believes it. He knows he's real and he doesn't think he's lying about that. What is the government doing? Why would they do test on cats? Gon remembers seeing this thing on the history channel where they would talk about how the government could clone things and they're trying to mix animal DNA with human but they've been failures. Works of science fiction. But maybe that was a lie? Maybe they've been able to do this for a while now.

Gon slightly wonders how the government is going to look for Killua. They probably won't make an announcement that a lab subject has gotten loose. That would cause panic and then they'd have to tell the world what they did. No. Maybe they're just going to look for him? Gon doesn't know what they're going to do to Killua when they find him but he doesn't want to know. He doesn't want Killua to be taken.

There's a lot of questions he has. Like is Killua more human than cat? Or more cat than human? How does his ears and tail feel like? Can he turn back into a cat? Is it okay for him to eat human food? Does he take baths and showers like a human? And, since Killua said that the humans had their way with him and they mated with him...the humans were raping him. No wonder Killua is so uneasy with touch. Gon would never do that to him though. Like Gon said, he has nothing to fear while he's here. As a future doctor, as a friend, as a caretaker, Gon will take care of Killua.

Despite being on the couch, and hungry, Gon falls asleep much easier than most nights. The idea that someone is in the other room helps him. This place doesn't' seem as lonely anymore now that Killua is here and he has someone to come home to. Someone to count on him.

Yes, I know what you're thinking. A new story? But you have so many that you haven't finished already. I know, I know. But this is how I do.

I want to thank my new beta reader Anathemal for helping me with this chapter! With Anathemal's help, hopefully i'll be able to get chapters out easier. Thank you for your support. Till the next time!