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Gon Freecss was two years old when he was left by his father in the hands of his aunt. He couldn’t remember the moment clearly. If he’s lucky, he can remember the glimpse of a black-haired man and the panicked shaking of his aunt.
Gon Freecss was nine years old when he was saved by a white-haired man who soon admitted to being a student of his father, looking for the older man to be seen as a true hunter by him. He was still nine when he decides he wanted to meet his father and to become a hunter to do so.
Gon Freecss was twelve years old when he captured the Master of the Swamp and left his home with his aunt’s blessing to set out on his journey. He was still twelve when he met a future doctor, a surviving clansman, and a boy that was just a bit too young to have red on his ledger.
Gon Freecss was thirteen years old when he left his father’s student behind to die. He was thirteen when something within him broke and he put his life on the line to end the life of the one who had hurt the man, his friend, that had saved his life four years ago. He was thirteen when he fell comatose, his last hope being a Dark Continent creature that lived alongside the youngest child of the Zoldyck family.
Gon Freecss was thirteen years old when he met his father for the first time in eleven years.
When Gon was thirteen, he and his father had met atop the World Tree. There, Ging had promised himself, promised Gon, he would be present. He was a godawful father, no doubt. But he could try his damn hardest. His promise of being present took the form of calling at least once a week and, despite his lack of social prowess, he found himself looking forward to the calls. They managed to continue.
When Gon Freecss was sixteen years old, he managed to finish his schooling (though he never did manage to improve much in math, did he?). At sixteen, he reunited with the boy with the ledger, his best friend, maybe something more. With his help and the help of their master since twelve, Gon found control of his Nen once more. At sixteen, with a light heart and bright eyes, Gon was a hunter once more.
At eighteen, with river-soaked clothes and shoes that weighed them down, Gon finally realized what that silver-haired boy meant to him. Killua was his best friend, his anchor, the love of his life. With a loud laugh and a tackle sending both freshly adults back into the clear water, Gon exclaimed his adoration. At eighteen, Gon fell asleep with Killua, his best friend, his partner, tucked safely in his arms.
Gon Freecss is twenty-two when he answers the call from Ging, the weekly calls cut down to monthly with how busy their schedules have become. There’s comfortable ease in conversation as they talk, one that had taken months, almost a year, for both of them to settle into. The topics of conversation are per usual. They exchange the most recent development on their respective jobs. Gon shares an update or two about their family still on Whale Island. Ging tells him about when he last heard from Kite, chuckling as he recounts the disaster of a project Colt had been working on that they had more than happily told him about. It’s during a lull in conversation that Gon speaks up, his tone equally confident and soft.
“I think I’ve finally realized why being a hunter was worth leaving me behind.”
Though he can’t see it, the younger hunter can sense the tension in his father’s body. If he imagined hard enough, he could picture him gripping onto his phone. Though they didn’t exactly avoid the topic, it had been months, years, since either one of them properly brought it up. It wasn’t something that seemed important anymore. They were happy. They had a relationship. Gon never did forget the idea, though. The question he always asked himself, asked Ging in his head.
It takes a solid twenty seconds before Ging pulls himself from his stupor and responds. “You think so, do you?”
“I don’t think in any other life you could have as many opportunities as you do as a hunter, you know?” Gon shifts in his seat, his legs stretching out across the couch as he glances towards the bedroom where he can faintly hear Killua on video call with Alluka. His heart warms at the thought. “Sure, it’s dangerous, but that’s kind of a given in general in life, don’t you think? As a hunter you meet people, you can reach places you couldn’t without the benefits, you know?”
“I mean, that’s kind of obvious, though,” Ging retorts, but there’s a fondness in his voice.
“Sure, but it’s still true, isn’t it? If you didn’t stay a hunter you wouldn’t have met Kite or Razor or basically anyone else. You probably would’ve been stuck on Whale Island for who knows how long.” There’s a faux pained noise from the other side of the phone and Gon can barely stifle a laugh. “I’m not the best at words but you get it, right? You had me and… And I’m sure that you cared about me even then. But you couldn’t just settle down right away. You had more people to meet, more places to go. And I’m glad you did because we’re here now right?”
There’s a soft breath from Ging and Gon can practically hear the smile in his voice. “Yeah, we are. You’re a fucking sap, you know that, kid?” Gon can’t help but laugh.
“Yeah, I know. One of us has to be.”
Gon Freecss is twenty-two years old, engaged, and a ten-year hunter when he finally ends the call with his father. The two had eventually drifted away from his epiphany in favor of the younger updating Ging on the few plans he and Killua had managed to throw together so far for the wedding. If Ging was honest, he didn’t care much about the wedding itself. He had known the two long enough to know there was no way in hell they would separate. But the excitement and almost childlike enthusiasm in Gon’s voice made listening worth it.
Ging Freecss is forty-two years old when he realizes that despite the strain and hurt between him and his son for almost twelve years, he wouldn’t trade where they ended up for the world.