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kalevalakryze · 5 months

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Yhe'na Det Och'sa

Chapter 2: Det Bahko

Characters: Shin Hati, Ahsoka Tano, Professor Huyang, Bail Organa, Leia Organa, Breha Organa, L0-LA59 | Lola, Kaeden Larte Relationships: Ahsoka Tano & Shin Hati, Ahsoka Tano & Bail Organa, Bail Organa & Leia Organa, Shin Hati & Leia Organa, Mentioned Ahsoka Tano/Kaeden Larte, Bail Organa/Breha Organa Word Count: 6,110 AO3 Link: Here! Chapter One

As always, special thanks to the people who keep this AU alive, we wouldn't be here without them and their big brains, mwah: @somewillwin , @cmbdragon98 , @mandalorianfleshenjoyer

The route to Alderaan would be long, several days at least to get past all of the jumps that Fulcrum would need to make to ensure safe, Imperial-Free travel.

It wasn’t long before the excitement of hyper-space travel wore off and the small child they’d brought on had started to nod, however, forehead pressing into the safety straps around their shoulders as silvery eyes began to droop.

“Alright, tazi unt, let’s get you to bed,” Ahsoka called quietly as she finally rose from her seat. Both Shin and Huyang blinked up at her.

“Lady Tano, it will be mid-day when we reach Alderaan,” Huyang warned, turning his head to watch as Ahsoka started to undo the buckles securing Shin in place.

“And that’s a long way away, right now,” Shin scorched off the seat as soon as she was free, rubbing at their eyes with the heel of her hand and leaning into the hand that Ahsoka set on her shoulder. “Come on,”

The crew quarters were small; Ahsoka had never had any reason to need more than one bunk, her training area, and Huyang’s area. “It’s not much,” She started, suddenly sheepish as Shin looked around the room. “But it’s home,”

Shin’s lips seemed to twitch at this as Ahsoka leaned against the doorframe of the almost broom closet-esque space. “I have to go make a call, but Huyang and I will be right outside, okay?”

Her hand ruffled through choppy, uneven hair as Shin nodded, smiling warmly at the way they leaned into her touch. Fingers brushing against their forehead, Ahsoka took pause at the warmth. Though… it had been some time since she’d touched a human not out of the need for survival, she couldn’t remember how warm they were supposed to run. “Get comfy, I’ll pop back in and check on you soon?”

Ahsoka only left once she saw Shin shuffle towards the small bunk, the door sliding shut behind her as she stepped into the main cabin of the shuttle, rising the table from the floor and getting her comms set up to talk to Bail.

It didn’t take long for the holo projection of Bail to spring to life in the middle of the room, though a laugh was barely concealed by the Rebel at the sight of him. Hanging off his arm was his and Breha’s daughter, Leia, giggling as she clung to her father’s arm with a little droid hovering by his shoulder, chirping the young princess on. “Good morning Bail, and Leia,” she greeted, folding her hands nearly behind her back as she regarded father and daughter.

“Yes yes, hello Ahsoka!” The smile on his face was tired, though his eyes crinkled in the corners with only the love a father could have for their child as he swung the girl into both of his arms and getting a pout from her. “Say hello, Leia,”

Pouting at being pulled from her human pull-up bar, Leia was quick to perk up again upon seeing Ahsoka. “Aunt ‘soka! Are you coming to visit?!” She squirmed in Bail’s hold until he let her down, crowding the holo-projector with a view of her face close up.

Laughing freely now, Ahsoka nodded; there was always a relief when it came to communicating with Bail and his family, a small moment of herself long forgotten that was allowed to resurface; too much like spending time with Anakin and Padmé. “I am, in fact. And I’m bringing a friend, that I need to talk to your father about, think you can do me a top secret favor?” Leia was still in the dark about the rebellion, for her safety, but she’d never know Ahsoka as a Jedi, or even as someone who knew her birth parents, and that was for the better, to keep her away from the force and do what she could to crowd the child’s latent abilities.

“I need you to find this part for me, there’s this droid I’m workin’ on-“

“I’m on it! Is it the one you were working on last time?”

“It was, thank you for remembering,”

Leia shot off without another word, letting Bail back into view as he shook his head. “The energy that girl has in her,”

“So much like her father,”

Bail’s smile faltered. “Ana-“

“No, Bail, like you.”

The senator took pause as a small smile pulled at his lips, head craning to look at the door Leia had previously retreated through. “What can I help you with, Fulcrum?”

“I found a kid,” The Alderaniaan’s eyebrow rose sharply, though before he could question, Ahsoka raised her hand to continue. “On Ibaar, she… didn’t have anyone,” The Rebel’s arms crossed over her chest, facial markings twisting as she looked away for a brief moment to recome herself.

“And she’s like you,”

“Yeah, is Kaeden still on Alderaan?”

“Yes, I’ll postpone her deployment, I suppose you’ll need her to check her out?”

“Yeah, she’s young, underweight, and I’m certain she’s been living off of trash for too long to be well, much less get any of the vaccines that would help her in space,”

As if on cue, a soft, wheezing cough rang through her montrals, turning Ahsoka’s head in worry. “We’ll be there by mid-day, could you see if she would be ready?”

“It will be done,”

“Thank you, Senator Organa,”

Instead of correcting her once more, Bail simply shook his head and smiled before the blue hologram flickered away.

Spinning on her heel, Ahsoka turned back to the small bunk room, eyes scanning the bunk… that was still neatly made. Panicked, her eyes flitted about the room, to the top bunk she’d used as storage, and finally, to the floor.

“Shin?” She called quietly, watching as the young human shrunk down under their cloak. “Tazi unt?” She called again, watching her press their feverish forehead into the cool steel of the bunk’s base, searching for relief from the heat while curling closer to find liberation from the cold. “Did you fall off the bed?”

When no response came, the Togruta turned to the expert. “Huyang!” Ahsoka hissed through the open doorway, frowning at the quiet sound of discomfort from her small human at the sound. “Humans shouldn’t run this warm, right?” She questioned, making room for the droid to join her.

“Not typically, no. You will need to help her cool off,” Mechanics clinked and whirred as his head moved to study the shivering child. “She will not like it.” He warned with a shudder, no doubt reminiscent of his own rare occasions when a sick initiate would undoubtedly find him before their Master.

Frowning, Ahsoka reached over to gather Shin up in her arms, which did well for waking her up, at least, “Good morning, suun ghe.” She greeted, taking mind to keep her voice low as their head drooped into her shoulder. “How do you feel?”

“Cold,” They rasped out, tucking closer to safety Ahsoka walked them to the ‘fresher, perching the small human on the edge of the sink as she moved for the drawer with a cool pack in it, as well as some face wipes to clear off the rapidly drying sweat on their brow.

Huyang followed the two force-sensitive sentients, helping Ahsoka go through the different items in the med-kit as she returned to her youngling. “This is going to be cold, I’m sorry,” The cold pack was activated and chilled in quick order, wrapping a small hand towel around it, Ahsoka pressed it into their head and frowned as they tried to pull away.

There was a time, once, when she remembered the clones doing the same for her; She’d been older than Shin, then, had known how to use the force to burn off her sickness, and yet, when Fives and Jesse had found her overheating, the five-oh-first hadn’t missed a beat in helping her out, even if Togrutan Biology was something none of them could understand.

She remembered a call for Kix, that led to a call with Coric, which included Master Obi-Wan, and while she hadn’t been conscious enough to remember what was said, she recalled enough of how they helped her center enough until she could burn it off. “Huyang, could you start a pot of water to boil for tea? One of the golden packets, and could you grab one of the ice pops from Coruscant too, please?”

Turning from his task in finding a human-safe relief aid, Huyang stared up at her, then back at the fevering child leaning back against the mirror to avoid the cold. “Of course, Lady Tano,” Which… honestly, was the easiest the old droid had ever taken instruction from her, when it wasn’t something to do with the old Jedi Order. “Ad’ika-”

“What do those mean?” Their attention was focused more on the strange names she’d been addressed as, over the sickness burning in her system and the torture of the cold-pack on their head.

“How about this,” Ahsoka pulled the back away, relief clear as day when Shin leaned back in, even going so far as to reach out and brush her fingertips against Ahsoka’s bicep, almost asking her to stay, even as the woman held herself directly in front of the human as the droid clanked out of the room. “I’ll tell you what each one means if you let me help you get cleaned up and cooled down?” She held up the pack again and watched as their eyes flickered to it like it was an enemy. “I promise it won’t be too bad, I won’t hurt you, Shin, never.”

Tentatively, the child nodded their head, watching in trepidation as Ahsoka retrieved a face wipe from the small package and began wiping sweat away from clammy skin. The wipes were cool, but not nearly enough to keep their temperature down.

“Tazi unt, it’s Togruti, my people speak it on Shili and some of the other planets we’ve migrated to, but it’s generally safe to use as most humans have not bothered to learn it - it means little one.” Ahsoka explained to a half-attentive human, wondering herself if they would, like her, ever remember any of the words leaving her mouth, or if they would fade away to the back of her memory.

“Suun ghe means sunshine,” Their nose crinkled at that, and Ahsoka half chuckled as she ran the cool wipe over the bridge of their nose. “You have a problem with that, young one?”

“Never liked the sun, much,” They admitted with a boneless shrug, finally leaning into the relief that the cool cloth offered as their temperature changed.

“Mm. Perhaps Daaark grut.” They perked at the words, even if they couldn’t understand them. “It means moon hunter… it feels… fitting,”

“Mhmm,” Came a tired agreement as Ahsoka finished wiping off her face and neck.

“Come on, do you want me to carry you again?”

Shin paused, now that they were partially through the brain fog and being given a choice… she wasn’t sure what to pick. No one had ever carried her before, much less touched her like Ahsoka had, or as often… The nod of their head was eager, one that Ahsoka hadn’t missed as she stepped in to gather Shin up in her arms, letting their legs wrap around her waist as their head pillowed against her lek. “Hold onto that ice pack for me, please?” One bony hand clutched the pack to their chest while the other hesitantly reached out to touch Ahsoka’s other lek; they were soft and leathery, not entirely unpleasant.

Waiting for them in the main cabin, Huyang was sitting with a holonovel open in front of him, a book specifically on human sicknesses. In a cup at his side, a bright purple ice-pop sat, faintly glowing in its container as the time worked its magic in softening the treat.

Shin was set carefully on the edge of the bench, where they proceeded to scoot in until their shoulder was jumping against the cool metal of Huyang’s arm. “Have you ever had one of these before?” Ahsoka questioned, nudging the cup closer to the child who shook their head. “It’s gonna be really cold, and really sweet, but it’ll help your fever go down some. Just grab it by that stick and lick it,”

“Some also bite it,” Huyang interjected, only half listening as his eyes scanned his old records.

“Huyang, we are not raising a monster.” The smile on her face said she didn’t truly care how Shin ate the cold treat, so the child decided to try both.

The first lick was freezing, and the ice-pop was dropped back into the cup as their hand covered their mouth. “That’s cold!” They shouted, voice hoarse as she backed away from the table, almost hiding behind Huyang’s arm from the offending treat.

Stifling her laughter behind her hand, Ahsoka shook her head. “Give it a moment,” She promised, watching as the human started to recognize the taste of sugary sweetness, something that called to all kids, even if they’d been so deeply deprived of it for so long.

It took a minute before they slowly poked back from the droid’s arm, eyeing Ahsoka warily as they picked it back up. A gentle finger was brought to their forehead, testing the heat that still simmered under pale skin. She wasn’t as hot as when Ahsoka woke her up before, but she definitely still needed more than they could offer. “Sorry,” She apologized quietly for interrupting, watching warmly as the child licked and ate the ice-pop experimentally.

“We will need to pick up supplies from Senator Organa for a human. We’ve managed to store safe medicines for Rodians, Nautolans, Brylls, Gungans, Umbarans, Twi’leks, and Togrutas, yet we have nothing safe for humans, especially ones as small as the youngling.” Huyang informed as he went down his list.

“Can you add it to the list of supplies for our redeployment?” Ahsoka was standing, stepping back to the bathroom to grab the face wipes again as Huyang listed off all of the items on the list, taking care to list off new items for their addition.

When she came back, Shin was a mess of sticky purple sugar and sweetness. “Look here,” She called, taking a wipe to clean off the stickiness before it could get too bad. “Feeling any better?”

“Mhmm, thank you.” They were drooping again, slowly dozing as Ahsoka helped clean them up again, small frame leaning into the sturdy metal of Huyang as he continued reading as if a feverish human wasn’t using him as a pillar of support.

“Come on, let’s get you back to bed, for real this time,” This time, Shin scooted readily to the edge of the bench, reaching out before Ahsoka was even turned around to pick them back up. “Did you fall off the bunk earlier?” She questioned as she gathered them back up, finding a comfortable spot on her hip for the small human

“I’ve never..” They trailed off as the hydraulics on the door hissed open, staring warily at the enclosed space on the bunk. Every now and then, the straw from the very few farmers on Ibaar was thrown out, and she’d been able to stuff enough in her poncho on the way past the refuse bins on her way back to what counted as home in the maintenance tunnels; it was the softest thing she’d ever been able to sleep on.

“Well, the bunk is a lot more comfortable than the floor,” Ahsoka sat on the edge of the cot, keeping Shin in her lap as she leaned to dig under the pillows. The little tooka toy was hand-stitched, a long project led by Rex and Cody when she’d first become Anakin’s Padawan, and the utmost horror from her men when they’d learned Jedi didn’t really have possessions. “This is scratcher. My Ori’vode - big brothers, gave him to me when I was just a little older than you are now. He helped me through some really tough times during the war, kept me safe when it felt like there was no one else who could.” The fabric was still soft as when it had been made, though the child took pause.

With the touch of fabric came the sound of ghosts in the back of her mind, barking laughter calling for ‘snips’, warm hugs against cold plastoid, hundreds of identical faces that they knew were different, and the weight of the paid beneath it all.

When their vision cleared, Ahsoka was looking at them in wonder. “We’ll work on it, when you’re feeling better.” She promised, already seeing the questions forming on the tip of their tongue. “For now, you need some rest before we land.”

Getting Shin to lay back on the bunk with her was more difficult than it should have been, as they tried to adjust to the thin strip of padding beneath them. Ahsoka let them stay closer to the door, knowing Huyang would be up if something happened that she miraculously could not hear, not wanting to crowd them, but not wanting to be too far away, since their hand still had yet to leave her lekku.

Eventually, the shuffling stilled, too tired to continue fighting for comfort, the small child managed a position they could sleep in, dangerously close to the edge of the bed, with Scratcher tucked awkwardly into their stomach as sickness goaded them back to sleep at last.

When Ahsoka woke, it wasn’t to the ship rumbling in an attack, Imperial forces boarding, or even her comms going off, it was to lazy alarm bells, muffled by the grogginess of sleep and the safety in the force. There was a warm body curled up against her chest, small fingers wrapped loosely around her lek, breathing slow and heavy against her neck.

Predatory instincts began to awaken as consciousness ebbed to the forefront of her mind, eyes blinking open quickly and narrowing at the small form pressed into her. Carefully, Ahsoka’s arms shifted from where they were stuffed under the pillows, one arm wrapping carefully around Shin as her other arm moved to gently pry their hand from her lek, soreness accompanying the sensitive organ.

The small human groaned thickly at the movement as Ahsoka attempted to extricate herself from them. By the time Ahsoka managed to clear herself entirely, the mattress was going cold, leaving Shin attempting to curl into the arm still wrapped around her for warmth.

The hydraulics on the door hissed open quietly, filling the dim room with light and the sounds of Huyang clattering at a counter. “ ‘soka?” Their voice was deep and groggy, congestion clogging their chest and throat in a way that had them sniffling painfully. “Not feeling much better, tazi unt?” She tried to keep her voice comfortably low as the girl shook her head. “Alright, come on, let's head to the ‘fresher and get cleaned up, yeah? Should make it to Alderaan soon,”

Cleaning up a sick kid was not as easy as the cheesy holomovies made it seem when Shin kept running from anything their small, overheating body deemed too cold, which was… everything, unfortunately. Really, she had no clue how the old créche masters would deal with entire groups of younglings who could act in such a manner.

At least the accidental exercise chasing them around the ‘fresher was enough to tucker the kid out by the time Huyang pulled the T-6 into the shipyard. Anxiety buzzed in the air from the child who had never set foot on another planet. When Ahsoka offered a hand as the ramp descended, clammy hands were quick to secure around her own, and their small frame tucked easily into her side, using the many folds of her poncho to gain coverage from the bright late morning sunlight that flooded in.

Waiting for them on the platform stood Bail, Breha, and C3PO. “Where’s trouble?” Ahsoka questioned as she guided Shin from the ship, Huyang following just a beat behind them.

“You know Leia,” Bail shook his head as Jedi and Apprentice came to the bottom of the ramp. “So this is your new addition,” The corners of his eyes crinkled warmly as he caught the scruffy brunette peering over his shoulder. “Ahsoka says you weren’t feeling well,” He was slow in lowering himself to one knee, closer to Shin’s level, as Breha’s hand moved to rest on his shoulder. “I’m Bail, this is my wife, Breha… We can help you,”

When his hand extended towards them, Shin ducked closer into Ahsoka. Instead of reacting in offense, he allowed his hand to drop. “Ahsoka has a friend inside who can help more than we can, but she’s been ignoring her comms,” His eyes flickered to the Togruta, whose boot scuffed the alloyed metal of the landing pad sheepishly. “Think she may need your help to go see her,”

Peeking out at Bail, then up at Ahsoka’s diffident expression, Shin nodded her head quickly. “Who is she?”

Behind her, Ahsoka could hear Threepio and Huayng talking ‘shop’, which… would have been preferable to coming face to face with Kaeden for the first time since Raada. “She’s a doctor, a good one at that,” He promised, rising back to his feet with a quiet grunt.

Taking Ahsoka’s hand once more, Shin tentatively took the first step. “Hold on tight, she’s a runner,” Breha commented with a sly smirk, earning an exasperated sound from Fulcrum.

“One time,” The Togruta grumbled, allowing Shin to lead her by the hand into the buildings that touched the sky.

The floors were not crowded in layers of dirt and grime, the lights were clear, and everyone they passed was kind to their group, even when Ahsoka pulled her hood low over her head, concealing her face from the several different security patrols they’d slipped past.

“Hey! There’s my favorite-” The stranger's voice was warm and chirpy, though they trailed off kind of awkwardly before they could slip up and say something that would get them killed. “Transport captain!” “Smooth, Kaeden,” Ahsoka had brightened under their gaze, even if there was a feeling of nervous energy stirring in the air the closer their group came to the room she was peeking out of. Intimidation kept Shin back, pressed nervously into Ahsoka’s side, using the familiar fabric of her poncho to hide from stunning eyes as the woman scanned their group. “Shin,” Ahsoka called not unkindly as she tried to peel her personal attachment away; with all the eyes on her, the human only pressed herself closer into the one pillar of safety she’d ever had in this world, even as Ahsoka continued to actively make her part. “One moment-” It was a bit awkward, and mildly cramped, as Ahsoka dropped to a knee and pulled the poncho around both of their heads, montrals sticking comically from the top of the fabric. “Hey, are you okay?” The hand that wasn’t being used to keep the poncho up reached out, allowing two tiny hands to wrap around hers, feeling rough fingers smoothing across her knuckles, and the rapid beating of their heart that seemed loud enough to shake their tiny fort.

“ *’scared,”* They admitted woefully, tips of their fingers pressing into the indents in Ahsoka’s hands.

“I bet,” Ahsoka shifted to take some of the pressure from the hard floor off her knees. “But that woman out there, Kaeden? If there’s one person in the medical field I trust, it’s her;” Sure, Kaeden was still very new in her practice, and no where near on Coric or Kix’s levels, but she was a friend. And those were about as rare as a Jedi, these days.

“And I’ll be here every step of the way, we’ll do it scared, together,” Shin ducked into her chest, appreciative of the support, and the strength that Ahsoka was giving them in such a wildly drastic environment to what they knew. “They’re waiting for us-” Someone out side of their fort coughed at that, allowing Ahsoka to exaggeratedly roll her eyes. “Shouldn’t keep them waiting-” Shin’s shoulders squared and chin raised, meeting the group of new faces head on- Ahsoka’s heart warmed at the display of strength; When Kaeden had stepped aside to allow Master and Apprentice into the room, it was Shin who’d taken Ahsoka’s hand and led her in. “Kriff, you’d think this was *my* appointment,” “Not off the table, Tano. You’re not looking so hot either-” Kaeden teased, bidding farewell to the senator as the door slid shut behind them. “Ouch, alright-” Ahsoka helped get Shin up onto the table as Kaeden moved around her. “Jedi, huh; You been taking care of her?” The woman questioned Shin playfully, only receiving a shy twitch of their lips and the bowing of her head. “Well, on behalf of everyone who cares about her, thank you. Someone needed to.” Ahsoka groaned dramatically as she slid into a seat beside the bench.

“Larte, isn’t Bail paying you?”

“Just catching up, Tano; Jeesh!”

A small wooden stick was tossed halfheartedly at Kaeden’s leg in response, warm laughter erupting that helped ease the tension that had been steadily rising in the room.

The appointment went about as well as Ahsoka had expected, Shin had a low-grade case of Mynock fever, was underweight, and was underdeveloped compared to others her age. Kaeden had given them everything they needed to combat this; Shin received the vaccinations they would need to continue traveling through space, taking each shot like a trooper, even if their nails did leave crescent-shaped indents in the tops of Ahsoka’s hands from squeezing so hard.

Kaeden had even been kind enough to give Ahsoka instructions on how to take care of human hair, Shin had seemed to be learning just as much as Ahsoka was, but hey, it got her kid cleaned up properly. They also discussed the varying diets they’d need to work on and even some idea on where to start in teaching Shin more than the ways of the Jedi. “And hey, don’t forget; you ever get over your Jedi hangups-”

Ahsoka laughed as she led Shin from the room. “I know, you’ll be my first call, promise,” Or… one of them, but definitely up there.

“Are you feeling better?” The woman asked as Shin quietly tucked back into her side, reaching down to cover the small hand that was rubbing against the multicolored bandaids taped onto their bicep.

“She was nice,” Shin remarked instead. As they walked, Ahsoka was able to observe the way they started to slowly acclimate, until she was walking almost a foot away from Ahsoka, knuckles dragging listlessly against walls and railing, one hand still wrapped loosely in Ahsoka’s own. “And she smelled nice… And she was really pretty. Does she love you? Do you love her?”

Blanching, Ahsoka forced her eyes straight ahead, cheeks darkening considerably under curious eyes. “She’s dear to me, yes,”

“You love her.”

There was a conviction in Shin’s voice that made even Ahsoka come to terms with it. Reaching across the small gap with her hand not held in their own, the Togruta ruffled her hand through freshly cleaned hair. “Your hair is a mess, you know?”

“Your hair doesn’t exist,” It seemed being properly cleaned, fed, and given medicine had somehow given the kid some snark, which took an unfortunate amount of control to not laugh at.

“Yeah yeah,” Pulling Shin from the railing, a gentle tug sent the small human back into her arms. There wasn’t much light left in the galaxy, but kriff, if the kid beaming up at her was an indication at something better, she’d fight for it tooth and nail. “Hey, I think Bail mentioned Leia having some extra clothes that’ll fit, and she’s got a pretty cool droid too, wanna go check it out?” “Who’s Leia? You mentioned her earlier,” Shin swung their connected hands as they walked, peering through big glass windows every chance she got to take in the dazzling visage of the city beyond.

“She’s Bail and Breha’s daughter, careful, I hear she’s a bit of a troublemaker-” She was interrupted by the chirping of a droid as they passed a window.

“Lola!” A small voice shouted, and a girl came running from an adjoining hall to shove her hands out of the window to the droid to perch in. “Father doesn’t like it when you spy on people,” She scolded sheepishly, though she gave herself away with the smile she beamed up at Ahsoka.

“He doesn’t, it makes him very upset you know,” Ahsoka chided, pulling the young girl into a side hug. Leia was older than Shin by a few years, almost towering over the scrawny kid at her side as she looked to the newcomer expectantly. “Who’re you?”

Nervous eyes skittered between Ahsoka and Leia; The Togruta had to give Shin a gentle nudge to get them to introduce herself. “Shin,” They were timid; Ahsoka wasn’t sure if they’d ever had a name to introduce themselves to anyone before, or if there had been other kids on Ibaar, before her arrival.

Leia seemed to understand, at least, looking the lanky girl up and down before turning to Ahsoka. “Mother said she may fit in some of my old stuff, can I take them with us?” Lola chirped from her shoulder, metal feet tapping excitedtly against the Princess’s shoulder as they eagerly waited.

“Does that sound okay to you, Shin?”

“... You’ll come back?” They weren’t looking at her or Leia. Alderaan was pretty, sure; but she didn’t know it like she did the streets of Ibaar, and she didn’t feel the same connection with the people they’d met here like they had with Ahsoka and Huyang.

“Hey,” Ahsoka was crouching to her level again, finger gently tapping against their chin to get their attention. “I will always come back,” It was a promise she should have made to Anakin, to fill the painful silence when she’d walked away… She wouldn’t make that mistake ever again.

Shin had still seemed uncertain about the truth to these words; They’d been burned before, and the pretty medic had listed lot of work that they would need to put into her to catch her up… If Ahsoka decided they weren’t worth it;

It was Leia who’d pulled them from the spiral as Ahsoka blanched; How someone so small could dig into the vastness of the darkside so fast, so easy in a half second spiral, it had left her reeling. “Ahsoka always comes back, no matter what,” The older girl promised, squeezing the brunette’s shoulder before moving her head in the direction of an adjoining hall as Ahsoka regained her bearings. “Come on, if she tries to go anywhere without you, Lola will zap her!”

The girls disappeared before Ahsoka had even gotten to her feet. “Do you know binary?” “No?” “...Do you want to?”

The clothes Leia had passed off to her were itchy, silky, flowing sleeves that made her skin crawl and dangling pieces that clanked, reverberating through her ears in a way that put her on edge. “Mother doesn’t like when I do this, much;” Leia started explaining as Shin’s nose scrunched up at their reflection. “Stand still-”

Fabric ripped under small hands, until Shin’s arms were free of the unpleasant texture. With the sleeves gone, Leia began adjusting the grey fabric so it sat better on them. “I’ve been trying to learn sewing from the handmaidens, and I think I know exactly what’s going to make this better, but we gotta be quiet, got it?”

Leia looked at them with an intensity burning in her eyes that had Shin nodding her understanding before the words had even registered. “Okay,” They agreed, allowing the older girl to take her hand and drag her from the large ‘bedroom’ that had alone been bigger than even Drell’s cantina on Ibaar.

Leia led her through a small series of hallways attached to the room, muttering about handmaiden’s passages and how there were some she swears hadn’t been touched since the Clone Wars, whatever that was. “Shh!” Leia was pushing Shin back uncomfortably into another hall as two sets of feet approached, coming from a nearby door.

“We’re going to have to build the network more,” She could hear Ahsoka’s voice pour from the open door that Bail’s handmaidens had departed from. “I can’t… I won’t take her into this fight like this, you of all people should understand,”

“Fulcrum,” Bail’s voice was calm, but even Shin could pick up on the desperation in his voice. “If you’re insistent on taking the child with you, you’ll have to tell her eventually; Makers forbid something happen-”

There was a quiet groan from the material of the chair Ahsoka had been sitting in as she presumably dropping back. Shin could feel the heavy sigh in her bones. “I’ll keep her ready, but I am not deploying her into an active warzone, she isn’t even eight standard years, she’s too young for this life. Way too young.”

“Weren’t you?”

“That’s different. I didn’t have a choice, but now, I do,”

“That should be her call to make,”

Leia was tugging on Shin’s shoulder as they pressed closer to the cracked opening of their hiding place. What were they arguing about? Was it her? What fight? Fight the Empire? That couldn’t be done… Fight for the Empire? She’d heard of them taking kids… But Ahsoka was fighting to keep her promise, even with one of her friends? “We should go, Father gets upset when I eavesdrop,”

Moving quietly from their step off the path, Shin followed Leia in deep thought, new boots scuffing pristine carpets and linoleum as they moved through different rooms. “This is where the Tailor keeps all the cool stuff,” Leia spoke up once they crossed into a rather empty workshop. “We really make this yours now.” The devious smile on the girl’s face only lightened Shin’s spirits as she peered across the thousands of different materials all over the room. “Let’s get started.”

When the super-secret meeting was finished, Shin and Leia had met Bail and Ahsoka at the border of the woods. Lola was weaving through the trees, flashing multicolored lights as the girls chased her, trying to catch the droid, calling out different colors each time their fingers brushed a leg or a chipped white underbelly. “Lola! Slow down!” Shin called as she vaulted over a log, pumping their arms as the older girl used longer legs to cover the distance she’d lost.

“Don’t do it! It’s a trap!” Leia shouted, laughter bubbling past her lips as she reached to tug on the navy fabric on Shin’s shoulder, forcing the younger girl to fall behind. Shin laughed as she recovered, allowing the droid to circle them back to the mouth of the forest.

“Father!” Leia called as their running feet slowed. Bail and Ahsoka stood at the mouth of the trail, Ahsoka’s warm smile peeking from under her hood as Bail dropped to one knee, allowing his daughter to pounce into his arms.

“Did you two have fun?” He questioned, reaching to pluck stray leaves and wild twigs from the girl’s braids.

“So much! You guys are gonna come back soon, right?”

Ahsoka spared a glance at Shin, catching the almost hopeful look on their face as the girl plucked at the smooth fabric hanging past a leather belt cinched around their middle. “I think we’ll definitely have to set a date, absolutely,”

“Yes!” Both girls shouted at once, laughter filling the small wooded area once more as Leia jumped from Bail’s arms to wrap around Shin.

The younger girl had faltered at the contact, though she’d sunk into it after a moment with encouragement from Lola, who’d promptly perched herself on Leia’s head. “I can’t wait!” Leia exclaimed when she’d pulled back, allowing Lola to hop over to her head with her own laugh. When they reboarded the ship, Huyang had seemed much more relaxed, mentioning something about an oil bath and Alderaanian mechanics. The handmaidens had already loaded the small container of clothes that Shin and Leia had performed their secret alterations to, leaving it sitting in a neat stack. In a smaller, messier box, she could see a wild array of pieces and a handwritten note from Leia, scrawled on a small piece of flimsi in the messiest writing she had no hope of reading.

A large hand ruffled through the choppy mess of brown hair. “Well, Shin… This is where the fun begins,”

#Shin Tano AU #Ahsoka Tano #star wars #shin hati #Bail Organa #Leia Organa #L0-LA59 #Kaeden Larte #Breha Organa #Huyang #fanfiction #alternate universe

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duckymcdoorknob · 2 years

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After five long days! My promised super fluffy HXH fic!!!

PS: Kurapika and Leorio could be seen as dating, but they also could not be! It’s up to you! 💓

Slip of the Tongue

Ships: NONE DO NOT TAG AS SHIP OR I’LL EAT YOU.

Warnings: Brief mentions of a nightmare, H*soka mention, injury mentions, super fluff aside from that.

Prompt: He never means to say it, it just happens. He could never seem to catch himself before it happened, until the one day he truly wanted to say it.

The five times Gon accidentally calls Leorio “dad” and the one time he meant to.

Tags: General taglist! @littlebbyleesfw, @0s0me0n30, and @justanunknown.

Plus my wife @tohrusoftie bc ily and this is cute and I think you’ll like it, and my papa @lonely-occultist bc HxH

Mito Freecs once told her nephew’s friends that they were always welcome at her home. She never imagined the frequency of times that they would take her up on that offer, not that she minded. Most times she’d forget that the boys that came to her home didn’t really have the best, if any, family at all. But, she could never complain about having extra guests over to polish off her Thanksgiving leftovers.

To show their gratitude, all four boys decided that they wanted to help out Mito with the preparations this year. Killua helped her set the table, Kurapika was in charge of cooking the turkey, and Leorio and Gon were in charge of sides.

Gon and Leorio had a… fun time with their dishes. The younger boy insisted that he could handle all of the cooking on his own, but after two dropped potatoes and spilled milk, it was evident that he could not.

“Okay, so let’s take things slow.” Leorio stated, hands behind his back, tying a bow on the apron given to him. “What would you like to make first?”

“Let’s make stuffing first!” The green-haired boy chirped, rushing to grab a stool to stand on.

“Okie doke. Let’s look at all of the ingredients we need, and the processes involved.” Leorio replied, grabbing Mito’s cookbook off of the shelf. “We need… some bread cubes, carrot, onion, celery, chicken stock aaaaaand some butter.”

“Can I help cut things?” Gon inquired, adjusting the little chef hat adorning his sparkly eyes.

“Yes, but be very careful.” The older male replied, grabbing a knife from the block.

The boy watched his friend intently, taking in exactly how small Leorio had sliced the onion. He deduced that Leorio wanted him to cut the carrots and celery at the same size.

“I’m gonna go check on Kurapika. He said he was going to help your grandma out in the garden. Please be very careful; your aunt is just in the other room if you need help.”

“Okay! Thanks!” With that, Gon got to work carefully slicing away at the carrots in front of him. He was content, happily humming a tune as he carefully cut through the vegetables. His ears tuned in to Mito and Killua chatting on the couch, and he noticed Leorio, Grandma and Kurapika entering the room to chat with them.

When he finished cutting the carrots, and put them in the bowl, Gon discovered that he didn’t know how to prepare the celery.

So, he called for Leorio. At least… he thought he did.

“Uhhh. I need some help! I don’t know how to cut the celery. Hey dad can you help me?”

He furrowed his brows when he saw five heads turning towards him. Was there something on his face? Was it something he said? What did-

“Hang on, buddy, I’m on the way.” Leorio announced, standing up to make his way into the kitchen.

“Yeah, dad. Go help your kid.” Killua dared to tease.

“Waaaaah! Did I really call you dad?” Gon cried from the kitchen.

Surely it was just a fluke?

“It’s okay! It happens to the best of us.” Though he tried to hide it, no one could miss the wobbly smile that decorated Leorio’s features as he rushed out of the room.

———

Sometimes, Gon forgot that he was still just a kid. Sure, he had the stamina and power of a deity, and an inhumanely high pain tolerance, but he was still just barely a teenager. Kurapika deduced that he felt older because he was forced to grow up faster than other twelve year olds. Regardless of what others thought his age was, Gon was still a child.

And children had a high tendency to become ungodly sleepy at any given moment. Unfortunately for Gon, he was having one of those moments while he was hanging out in Leorio and Kurapika’s hotel room.

“Are you sure you’re awake, Gon?” Leorio asked with a cheeky smile.

“Most definitely!” The boy replied, eyes opening suddenly.

“Really? What was Killua just talking about then?” The oldest male inquired, seeing right through the boy’s defenses.

“Uhhh… Greed Island, yeah!”

The ex-assassin couldn’t help but chuckle, “Well yeah, but not exactly. I told them that we were saving our Jenny for the Yorknew Auction.”

“Yeah! I was totally paying attention.” The green-haired boy replied with a smile.

As time passed, Gon was meeting his maker. He did not want to go to sleep at all. The young hunter was relishing the tender moment between him and his friends, knowing that if he went to sleep now, they may never have a moment like this again.

“Gon? You still with us?” Kurapika inquired, causing two more pairs of eyes to fall upon the boy.

With his head laying on his arms, which rested atop the coffee table, the green-haired Hunter shot his friends a thumbs up. The three laughed, for Gon’s sagging eyelids brought his lie out to pasture. When the attention turned back to Kurapika’s nen stories, the boy watched his friend’s lips move with sleepy eyes.

“He’s barely conscious, Leorio. Should we let him go on like this?” The blonde asked suddenly, for he couldn’t help but worry for the little guy’s neck, and how much pain he would be in if he continued to lay there.

“You’ve got a point.” The med student replied, biting the inside of his cheek.

“If he’s awake enough to walk is the question.” Killua butted into the conversation.

“The two of you weigh like a hundred pounds.” Leorio stated matter-of-factly, “I can just carry him to bed.

The brown-haired male knelt down behind a barely awake Gon, placing a warm hand on the boy’s back. “Hey, buddy. Ready for bed?”

The green-haired boy didn’t reply. Instead, he lifted his head, rubbed his eyes, turned to face a smiling Leorio, and latched onto the older male, with arms around his neck.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” The med student said with a chuckle. “I’ll be right back.” He announced to the other two males in the room.

The gentle rumbling in Leorio’s chest, from his talking, only lulled the boy to sleep more. The older male opened the door, and quietly stepped next door to Gon and Killua’s hotel room.

“Okay, I’m gonna put you down n-“

“Noooo. Stay with me.” The sleepy boy demanded in a voice that was just above a whisper.

The med student smiled fondly, settling down onto Gon’s bed. He held the boy close, humming a gentle song.

The young hunter mumbled a quick message to the man holding him securely. “Thanks for staying with me.” A yawn followed. Then, “Goodnight, dad. I love you.” Gon didn’t even realize that he had said it, for he promptly fell into a deep sleep after the word was uttered.

The warmth that blossomed in Leorio’s chest was no stranger to him. He had felt it once before on Thanksgiving day. As he held the sweet boy close to him, he pondered heavily upon the accidental nickname given to him… again.

“I love you too, little guy. You’ll always be safe with me.” The med student kissed the crown of Gon’s head carefully, fearing he would somehow wake the snoozing boy in his arms.

———

On the off days that Gon and Killua had the ability to just go out and be kids, they seized the opportunity instantly. There wasn’t a specific thing that they liked to do, so to say, they just enjoyed each others’ company and the leisure time. On one specific day, the two boys had a mission: teach Gon to skateboard.

In their defense, Killua was holding his hands the entire time. They just… didn’t see the stairwell. In an attempt to keep the boy from falling down the stairs, Killua yanked his friend’s hands upward, causing Gon to land on his feet.

Unfortunately, he landed on the side of his right foot, promptly twisting his ankle in the process. The white-haired boy cocked an eyebrow at his friend, an unspoken check-in. When Gon didn’t reply, Killua pursed his lips and began to guide his friend toward the abandoned board.

After one step on his right foot, the green-haired hunter yelped and fell on his butt. “Agh! Killua wait! Something’s wrong!”

Killua’s eyes widened, and he wasted no time placing his friend on his back. He grabbed the culprit from the base of the stairwell, and carefully rode home. If Gon lived to tell the tale, the two of them would be in a serious pickle afterward.

The two boys made it back to Leorio’s apartment (safely, thankfully), and burst through the front door. “Hey! Leorio, Kurapika!” Killua called in a panic, “Gon’s hurt!”

Upon hearing their name, and the young boy’s tone, the two males raced into the foyer. Their hearts dropped when they saw Gon on Killua’s back, tears pricking the corners of his eyes.

“Killua, give me Gon. Kurapika, sit down with Killua and find out what happened.” Leorio was uncharacteristically calm. The blonde deduced it was to keep the young ones calm.

The white-haired boy obliged, carefully transferring his friend from one piggyback ride to another. As he sat down with Kurapika to share their tale of woe, the brown-haired male disappeared down the hallway. Leorio settled the injured boy down on his own bed, kneeling down to his level. “Where does it hurt, buddy?”

A sheepish Gon carefully kicked his right foot up with a sniffle. The med student carefully took off the boy’s shoe and took his foot in between two fingers. Gently pulling the sock down a little revealed a mess of blue and purple on his ankle. Yep, definitely just a twist.

“Oh dear…” Leorio mumbled, taking his time to examine. “Gon… it looks like…”

More tears rushed to the poor boy’s eyes as he awaited his diagnosis.

“It looks like…” the med student couldn’t help the smile that broke out over his features, “you’re gonna be just fine.”

Gon sighed in relief, thankfully it wasn’t as bad as his mind had convinced him it was. He wiped his eyes with a chuckle. “Phew. That makes me feel better, thanks dad.”

Both males looked up and stared at each other for a moment with wide eyes. They both sat blinking for at least a second, registering Gon’s usage of the nickname, again. The boy’s ears subsequently sported a gorgeous scarlet hue. “Aaagh! How do I always manage to do that?!”

The med student couldn’t help the chuckles that erupted from his chest, “C’mere kiddo.” He pulled his patient into a tight embrace. “Not to worry, son. No matter what, Doctor Leorio will always fix you right up without fail!”

The two stayed in their embrace for a while, for both males enjoyed the contact greatly. Leorio wondered if this is what Ging missed out on: the sweet and tender, no to mention accidentally embarrassing, moments. The brown-haired male soon felt the familiar warm feeling in his chest once again. When it dawned on him that he got these moments with Gon before his actual father did, it made him feel… happy in a way.

———

Christmastime on Whale Island has to be Gon’s favorite place in the world. All of the townspeople get together and rig up lights on every single tree. Moreover, Aunt Mito lets him help in the kitchen. This year, his friends were over for Christmas. That meant that the boy had to make at least three dozen more cookies.

The morning before Christmas Eve came quickly. Gon awoke quite early, prepared to help his Aunt with the cookies. He out of bed, got dressed, and raced to the kitchen. Like he does every time he cooks, he placed his chef hat on his head, and had Mito tie his apron.

“Okay, Gon. I have to help your grandmother wrap the extra gifts. Do you think you can handle baking on your own this year?” Mito asked as she rested a hand on her nephew’s shoulder.

“Uh huh! I’ve watched you enough times to know what to do!” The young hunter chirped in reply, dragging the recipe book toward him.

“I’ll leave you to it.” The woman chimed as she exited the kitchen, “Oh, good morning boys!” She greeted as she saw the others on her way out.

“Morning, Mito!” Killua replied with a smile. He approached his best friend, glancing over his shoulder at the recipe book, “Cookies?”

“Cookies!” The green-haired boy replied excitedly, “Wanna help?”

With heavy persuasion from Gon, each of the three males in the kitchen were somehow involved in the cookie baking process. Killua made fridge and pantry runs for ingredients, Kurapika was in charge of the butter and sugar mixture, and Leorio oversaw the entire disasterprocess.

“Man, Kurapika, you’re a natural at this.” Leorio noted after stealing a glance at the focused blonde’s handiwork.

“Oh, really? It’s not much talent, more so following instructions.” The Kurta replied with a tinge of sheepishness.

“Oh and you’re so good at that.” The med student dared to tease, swiping some loose flour off the counter and tapping the boy’s nose with it.

Kurapika tried to look offended, his mouth agape and glare sharp as a tack, but Gon’s sudden giggling made it hard to stay stoic for long.

“Killua look, Kurapika has flour on his nose.” The young hunter said through his laughter.

“Wow…” Killua replied, “Are you gonna stand for this, Kurapika?”

The blonde looked between his two younger friends, and a cross-armed, brow quirked, Leorio. He pondered upon his answer for a moment. “Nope!”

The left side of the kitchen was filled with Kurapika’s occasional yelps, and the older boys’ war cries and laughter. On the right side, Gon couldn’t help but smile to himself.

“Ging would’ve loved you guys.” The young hunter said as he dumped the required powders into a large bowl.

“You say that like we’ll never find him.” Killua replied, looking up at his best friend’s face. “We will.”

Gon sighed, looking at Killua, then at the portrait hanging in the hallway. “We will.”

When all of the dry ingredients were mixed and ready, the green-haired boy knew it was time for the egg mixture. So, without averting his gaze from the photograph, he asked if it was ready.

“Hey I’m all finished here, did Kurapika finish his part, dad?”

The laughter and war cries came to an abrupt halt, all eyes focused on the young boy.

“Dude!” Killua hissed, “That’s Leorio!”

“A-“ Gon’s mouth hung agape as he frantically looked between the painting and a flour-covered Leorio. “I was- the painting- I… waaaaah! I do this so often now, it’s not even funny!“

“Heh, yeah. Leorio might as well be your dad now, you know, with the amount of times you’ve called him it.” the white-haired boy teased in response.

Upon hearing this comment, Leorio looked at Kurapika with a gentle flush on his face. The blonde knew exactly what was in his friend’s mind, and smiled back at him. To add even more fuel to the fire in his mind, the warm feeling in Leorio’s chest came back. It seemed that the universe was trying to tell him something…

“Hey, Kurapika… I’ve got a crazy idea.”

———

As a hunter, a person is exposed to dangers both big and small. From the smallest frog, to the largest foxbear, even to other hunters. For Gon, he had his fair share of experiences from all three of those things. On a particularly stormy night, the young hunter found himself plagued with nightmares.

Dream after dream, monster after monster, the poor boy could just not escape his own mind. Though he awoke a few times in the night, he was able to go back to sleep.

Until one specific dream pulled him away from the desired peaceful slumber. Gon thought that he had seen the last of this person. He thought that he had left them behind at Heaven’s Arena, and that his life would finally be safe and happy.

Unfortunately Hisoka followed him everywhere, including in his bad dreams…

Leorio looked up from his crossword puzzle with a sudden start, catching the attention of the blonde seated next to him. “Something wrong, Leorio?”

“I thought that I heard something. Maybe I’m just hypersensitive from work today.” The med student replied, closing his eyes gently. He kept his ears on alert, listening intently to the silence in his apartment.

A sudden cry grabbed both males’ attention.

“NO! GET AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Without a need for words, the two were on their feet and bounding down the hallway.

When they reached Gon and Killua’s bedroom, they were met with the white-haired boy kneeling at his best friend’s bedside. He looked distraught, as if he was scared to wake the boy.

“It’s okay, Killua.” Kurapika whispered, “Come here.” He held out a hand.

While wiping his eyes, Killua trudged over to the blonde’s side and held his hand. “I couldn’t wake him up. Well… I didn’t have it in me. I think he’ll be more scared if we try to touch him.”

“Hey, Kurapika, can you get Killua something to drink for me? I’ll stay here with Gon.” After confirmation from his friend, Leorio stepped quickly, but cautiously, over to the bedside. He knelt down and waited, for Killua was right, touching him and waking him would only make Gon more scared.

Fortunately, the brown-haired male didn’t have to wait much longer. Gon shot up from his bed with an anguished shriek. As he panted and readjusted to reality, the young hunter focused on the hand that gently warmed his back.

Gon looked to his left to see Leorio kneeling next to his bed, sporting a sympathetic look that couldn’t even be described with words. “H-He’s not here… is he?”

“Who, buddy?” The med student moved in a little closer, hoping to hear the boy’s quiet words.

“Hisoka… he’s- he’s not gonna get us… right?”

“No, Gon. Everyone is safe, and Hisoka is no where near here.” The hand that Leorio had on the boy’s back began to gently rub up and down, “It’s okay.”

Out of nowhere, all of the fears that Gon had experienced in his dream came out in the form of heavy sobs. Leorio was quick to wrap the boy in a hug, holding him close. “I-I was so scared! H-Hisoka he… D-Don’t ever let him get us! You ha-have to promise me! Dad please!”

“I promise you. Everyone is safe here, little guy. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you. Kurapika and Killua are in the kitchen, and you and I are right here. There’s no one else at home besides the four of us.” The brown-haired male soothed, gently rocking the boy back and forth.

“Please don’t go. I’m… im scared to go back to sleep.” The boy whispered through his hysterics, not wanting to see the frightening face that he had just previously been exposed to.

“How about…” the med student began, causing Gon’s bleary eyes to meet his, “We all have a sleepover. We can set up our pillows and blankets in the living room, and we can put on that one movie about the singing skeletons that you and Killua love so much.”

“We can watch Coco?” The boy asked with a sniffle, bringing a hand up to wipe his eyes. The sweet look on his face absolutely warmed Leorio to the core… the funny feeling in his chest lingering for reasons unknown.

“Yes Gon, we can watch anything you’d like.”

———

Gon stood anxiously in the foyer of Leorio’s apartment, peering out of the window as often as possible. He couldn’t stay in his and Killua’s bedroom any longer, for he was too nervous. The deluge of pouring rain made it hard to see, but he still had to try. Any time that he wasn’t met with the desired sight, his heart began to race as tears pricked the corners of his eyes.

Leorio was late.

He was never late.

In this weather, the young hunter could only assume that the worst had happened.

“He’s okay, Gon. The rain is heavy, so he’s probably backed up at the hospital.” Kurapika’s soft voice entered his ears, as he felt two hands holding his shoulders. Gon deduced that his friend had come from the master bedroom, where he had priorly been reading. “I promise you, Leorio will come home.”

“H-How do you know?” The boy whispered, tears finally falling.

“He just does.” This time, it was Killua’s turn to help. The white-haired boy appeared in front of Gon, and wiped his best friend’s tears with his thumbs. “I’m sure the old man stopped for milk and eggs, like he always does. You know how much he loves going to the stupid market.”

“Yeah…” the boy sniffled, “I hope he brings us all home a cookie again.” His voice was tiny, but he couldn’t bring himself to talk any louder.

With a sudden accompaniment of falling rain, the front door opened. A very soaked Leorio exhaled loudly, and shut the door with his foot, since his hands were full of shopping bags. He placed the bags on the ground, and began to speak to his friends as he took his shoes off. “Man, it’s really coming down out there. I figured that I should stop and get us some flashlights and cookies in case if we lose elect- Gon? What’s the matter buddy?”

The young hunter’s tears had began falling faster out of nothing but pure relief. He was home… Leorio was finally home safe. His best friend, his favorite kitchen partner, his go-to story reader, his… his… his-

“DAD!” Gon cried out, jumping into the med student’s arms and lamenting all of his anxieties.

“I’ve got you buddy, I’m here. It’s okay… everything is alright.” Leorio hummed, running a hand along the back of the boy’s head. “Please don’t cry, Gon. I’m so sorry that I scared you.” He knelt down, sitting on the backs of his calves, and held the boy as if he would disappear.

Kurapika and Killua watched the scene unfold in front of them, hearts both breaking and warming at the sweet moment. Eventually, the green-haired boy trusted that Leorio wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon, but his nerves were still settling slowly. “Y-you can’t leave, ever again. Do you he-hear me? Never.”

“Never ever?” The older male teased, gently kissing the young hunter’s forehead. “Not even for school?”

“No. Never ever.” Gon replied, burying his face into the med student’s chest. “You can’t go anywhere ever again, we can send Kurapika for milk and eggs, or we can all take turns.”

“Aw man, that’s like my favorite thing to buy at the store though.” Leorio faked displeasure upon hearing the statement.

Gon looked up at him, “Okay maybe for milk and eggs, but I’m coming with you.” The low rumble that escaped Leorio’s chest provided even more comfort to the boy.

“You’ve got yourself a deal.” The brown-haired male replied.

“Good.” The young hunter replied sleepily, a yawn following his demands.

“How about I take you to bed, little guy?” Leorio asked softly, carefully standing to his feet.

“Only if you stay with me. You’re not allowed to leave.”

“And why is that?” The med student asked, mouthing a few words to his friends, then walking down the hall to the master bedroom. He settled into his own bed, ensuring Gon’s comfort,

The boy cuddled up to his chest, “Because I finally have a real dad that loves me, and I don’t want to lose him.” After that statement, the older male was sure that Gon had fallen asleep.

With a single tear trickling down his cheek, Leorio held the sleeping boy tightly. “I love you so much, little guy. You, and our little family. I’m so glad that you all agreed to live here with me.” Leorio had the gentle sound of falling rain, and the all-too familiar feeling of blossoming warmth in his chest, to keep him company as he waited for the boy to fall asleep.

Nothing but silence filled the room as he pressed a gentle kiss to Gon’s forehead. He looked up to see Kurapika and Killua waiting patiently for him. Leorio smiled and pat the bed beneath him, inviting the rest of his family to join him and Gon.

When all four of them were snuggled close in bed, a whispered voice broke the silence in the room.

“I love you too, dad.”

—————♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎—————

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