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callmerainman · 6 months

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𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 | 𝐊𝐧𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

fandom. Hunter X Hunter

pairing. Knuckle Bine x hunter!fem!Reader

spoilers!. huge Chimera Ant Arc spoilers

plot. the night before the final fight against King Meruem in the palace of East Gorteau, you decide it’s time to confess your love to none other than your friend and Hunter companion, the oblivious Knuckle Bine. Because you can’t sleep, and cause maybe you’ll never have another chance to tell him. But instead, Knuckle makes you promise something: to put the World before him tomorrow. Will you respect his wishes?

word count. 3,6k

prompts. Chimera Ant Arc, aftermath of the Chimera Ant Arc final battle, Reader is also a Hunter and Morel apprentice, secretly in love, love confessions, awkward romance, Knuckle is dense, kissing, making out, getting together.

You like many things about Knuckle.

In the beginning he didn't give you a good impression. You both got close to each other after you got taken under the protective wing of Morel, who instructed you along with Shoot. Shoot is a quieter type, really silent, but getting along with him was smooth and easy. With Knuckle it was a whole other story. During your first missions together he always raised doubts about the tactics you proposed, on the other hand you did the same with him. If you said A, he would say B. If he wanted to go right, you wanted to go left. And this would always end up in yelling, staring contests and headbutting. You understood some things about Knuckle: he was hot-headed, impulsive, loud and a braggart. But he was also kind. No matter how many times he shouted against you, he never did it for personal hatred. It was for genuine interest in helping people in need, and to make sure that the mission was successful. He never insulted you with more than a superficial "idiot", and from his eyes you always understood that he didn't really mean it and that he didn't want to offend your intelligence. Even Knuckle soon realized how kind you were, and how much you took care of things and people you cared about. He respected it. You two learned how to trust one another and make a better team, much to Shoot's and Morel's relief, who honestly couldn't take it anymore. Your fights decreased, replaced by an unconditional affection and a unbreakable loyalty. And from your part, even love. People would often ask if you and Knuckle were a couple. And every time both you and him would answer with a ferocious "OF COURSE NOT!". Knuckle's cheeks and ears would get hot, and you would feel your stomach erupt in warmth from embarrassment. You couldn't look at each other in the face.

His hair, first of all. They were his trademark. Always styled in a pompadour, they were really popular between high school thugs. Knuckle told you that he even formed a gang when he was a student, and that it was the most feared inside the school. To be honest, you were really sure that it was just a very normal group of friends who loved to slack off, and that he told you that just to sound tough. You like the stress lines under his eyes, which give him a serious look just how he wanted it. And you appreciate his ears, which become red and hot when he loses his shit or when he's embarrassed, two moods he constantly swings between.He has a pretty body, toned and muscular thanks to his intensive workouts and his inclination towards the art and use of Nen.And you like that he takes care of stray dogs, and the way he cries so easily out of sympathy and emotion. He's a sweet guy who gets moved to tears so often even though he hides it behind a tough-guy armor. You like more things about him than you can count.

One time, while patrolling alone with Morel and Shoot during a mission, you dared to question them about all of this.

"I wonder why people always ask me and Knuckle if we're a couple. For example, why not me and you, Shoot?"

If only Shoot had eyebrows, he would have raised them all the way up his hairline. So his hooded eyes were just comically wide. Morel, on the other hand, erupted in a loud, gigantic laugh that made you jump in surprise. A laugh so hard that he had to hold onto his pipe. You stopped, putting your hands on your hips.

"C'mon, what are you laughing at!" you pouted.

"Are you really asking why people think that you and that idiot are couple?!" Morel choked between laughter "you with the shiny eyes every time you stare at him? Who drools when he takes off his jacket during combat? Who plays with her hair like schoolgirl when we get out for drinks and he offers you a beer? You gotta be kidding me!"

And he proceeded to keep laughing again. Meanwhile, your face caught on fire. You smacked both hands on your mouth, shaking your head vigorously.

"I never stared at him!" you tried to object.

"If I may intrude" Shoot intervened, shyly "you stare at him a lot"

"That's not possible..." you whispered.

You wanted to threaten your own mentor to stop laughing, because what Morel said wasn't true at all. You didn't like Knuckle that way. But you just couldn't protest. Morel was right. You did really like Knuckle that way!

"Fuck, I like Knuckle! How could it be...and most importantly, what do I do!" you exclaimed, fisting your hair in your hands out of panic.

Morel sighed, puffing some smoke in the process. Then, he showed off one of the big grins of his.

"Boys are complicated, dearie, so I suggest we all get drunk tonight"

"Sounds like a great idea" you replied.

The step from liking to loving was really short. It was so easy to fall in love with Knuckle once you understood that you had feelings for him. Even though you kept fighting now and then, and you still called each other idiots. He cared about immensly, and you cared about him. Everything culminated one night after you promised to protect each other with your own lives. Morel took you out to drink as usual, and maybe you and him were a bit drunk.

"If the situation ever requires it, I'll give up my life for you, (Y/N)" Knuckle said.

Yeah, you did drink, and you were waiting for a taxi outside the bar you usually spent your free time in. But the way his eyes looked into you as he said that was so damn serious. And you, to such a determined and kind gaze, could answer with a stare just as serious.

"And I'll do the same for you, Knuckle"

Night before the selection

It's a quiet night. Clear, silent. You and your teammates would appreciate it more if only there wasn't this uneasiness in the air. Tomorrow the King of Chimera Ants, Meruem, will begin the selection, which will kill millions of people in no time. You, Knuckle, Morel and Shoot were selected to go to the NGL region to get rid of the menace. It's, without the shadow of a doubt, the most dangerous mission you've ever dealt with, you understood it during your fights against the Ants. And facing the Royal Guards will be way worse. Both you and Knuckle risked a lot, and if you ever had to die one day, you feel like it would be tomorrow. And you still didn't tell Knuckle that you love him. What if this is the last good moment to tell him? Tomorrow you won't have time for sure, and maybe not even after, because you're not sure that there'll be an after tomorrow. The thought creeps you out and prevents you from sleeping and gathering energies. You tried to sleep on the floor of the small abandoned chalet where you and and your squad are resting. But the fact that Gon and Killua keep doing push-ups doesn't really help. With a nervous sigh, you get up. You exit the chalet, taking a big breath of fresh air. You were feeling like suffocating before. The air is cold just right. And stars are really beautiful in NGL, without any artificial light the night sky is a whole other story. This could be your last chance to see so many pretty stars, because you're pretty sure that tomorrow you won't have any time to raise your nose up. An imperceptible sound of chattering makes his way towards your ears. You turn around to see if you have company, but there's no one. A small leaf lands on your nose, and you look upwards. Shoot and Knuckle are discussing something on top of a tall tree, you can't hear what they're saying but the concern in their voices is evident. Knowing that you aren't the only one uncomfortable relieves you, so you decide to climb up the tree and reach them.

"Trouble sleeping?"

As soon as Knuckle sees you, he jumps. And Shoot flushes red in a matter of seconds, sweating profusely. You raise a curious brow.

"What's going on? Did I interrupt something?" you ask, concerned.

Even Knuckle's cheeks become a blushing mess, his lips pressed tightly against each other and his muscular body stiff under his white jacket.

"No it's just..." Knuckle says, almost stuttering "y-you...YOU HAVE SOME NASTY EYEBAGS!"

Knuckle points a finger right to your face, and Shoot covers his face with his hand.

You're absolutely not convincing...he thinks.

But Knuckle still manages to make you mad as fuck, and you grit your teeth.

"That ain't true! It's just that I can't sleep tonight!" you protest, raising two fists in front of the Beast Hunter.

"I think I'll leave you two alone" Shoot whispers, and with only a jump he gets down the tall tree.

"Shoot, wait!" you exclaim.

Having his company would have reassured you, since he was just as anxious as you. You're always surrounded by impulsive Hunters without any sense of danger, who understands you better than him?

"But for real, are you okay?"

It was Knuckle who talked, who's voice got softer. He's looking at you with apprehension, the stress lines under his eyes frowning. You relax your gaze too as you meet his eyes.

"Not really" you sigh, and you sit right next to him on the tree branch, your feet swinging in the darkness beneath it.

"Nervous for tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we went on so many missions before this one without loosing once. But we aren't invincible, and this is a really big menace. I'm worried that we might not make it"

You were so scared of never getting to tell him that you love him. Maybe you should do it now. Knuckle doesn't say anything. It's true, by this hour tomorrow he could have already lost you. The thought terrifies him. He had already faced 5000 battles without losing one, but nothing can guarantee him that you'll be with him after tomorrow. He presses his lips together and looks down. You can't stand his eyes either.

"You're right, this time we can't be so certain" he murmures "I'm sorry, (Y/N), I can't make you feel better"

You have to tell him now.

"Knuckle, there's something I have to sa-"

"Wait, (Y/N), I have to tell you something too" Knuckle interrupts you. He has never done this, he always respected your words, even when he didn't agree.

You hold your breath, gripping your clothes between your fingers.

"What?" you ask with half a voice.

Knuckle finally looks at you, serious. He reaches for you with his hand and softly grazes your face so that you can look at him. You hope he doesn't feel it getting warmer under his touch, because you feel that way in response of his unexpected gesture. You just know that your pupils are dilated now. You're drowning in his eyes, always so furious yet kind. After making sure that you're looking in his eyes, he lets his hand fall from your face slowly.

"I..." Knuckle opens his mouth, but it seems like words are stuck in his throat. He never had trouble talking, why now?

For a moment it seems like Knuckle's stumbling on his own words.

"I..." ha takes a deep breath, before shaking his head "made you a promise, one night in front of our bar"

You look at him intently.

"And I know that I was very drunk, but I always took it seriously. And I know you did the same"

You didn't expect him to talk about your promise. Instinctively, you scoot closer to him making your body scratch against the bark of the branch.

"Of course I took it seriously" you say.

"But I gotta ask you to break it”

You spread your eyes open. Knuckle gets close to you too and lays his hand on your shoulder. A shiver goes down your spine.

"Knuckle I can't"

"But you have to, because this isn't just a mission, you just said it yourself. This is about saving the world, and promises can't count anymore. Except for this one"

"Which one?"

Slowly your hand trailed up your own shoulder to touch Knuckle's, caressing his fingers. Usually the embarrassment would be too much to handle. Your physical touch was always playful or angry, never intimate. But you don't have time to be embarrassed.

"Tomorrow you have to prioritize the mission, not me. Even if I'll be on the verge of death, you have to put our duty first, not me. I know that this goes against what we always said to each other, but please respect it. If the situation ever requires it, put the world before me"

Your fingers tighten around his hand harder. You feel yourself tearing up but you repress them. You grit your teeth and tremble. You start to really fear how you'll feel tomorrow if this is your reaction at just the idea of losing Knuckle. Would you ever take it?

"Alright, I'll do it"

Knuckle is surprised, but pleasantly. He really didn't want to fight with you tonight.

"But only if you'll do the same with me. If the situation requires it, choose the world and not me"

Knuckle holds your hand on your shoulders. He frowns. He always does it when he's conflicted. Then, he nods with determination in front of your eyes.

"Alright, I promise"

"Then I promise too"

Too focused on holding your hands, none of you noticed the free ones crossing their fingers behind your backs.

Dawn after the fight of East Gorteau

You broke your promise with Knuckle and Knuckle did the same for you. You woke up next to Ikalgo in a warehouse under East Gorteau's palace, where Meruem lived. The octopus explained to you that it was over, that the King was poisoned and was spending his last moments with Komugi, the girl you had in custody hours ago. You won. You're covered in wounds, but still able to stand up. You ended up like this while fighting against Youpi, throwing yourself in defense of Knuckle who fell in his trap. Your weapons were reduced to dust by the Royal Guard, but you were able to blind some of his eyes. However, the fight made both you and your Nen unable to fight. Your Nen was proven really effective against Royal Guards, so giving it up was a loss for your team and for the chances of saving humanity. You broke your promise. Knuckle did the same for you when Youpi threatened not only to kill Morel, but also yourself if he didn't deactivate Potclean. And so Knuckle did. You both broke the promise that you never intended to keep. After the fight you collapsed from tiredness and loss of blood. You had a brief and confused memory of Knuckle taking you in his arms before laying you down in a safe place. When you woke up, Ikalgo was next to you and told you the news.

"Where's Knuckle? Is he okay?!" you blurt out.

Ikalgo nods "The King knocked him out along with Meleoron, but he's fine. He should still be at one of the palaces towers"

Using your last energies, you stand up. Ikalgo cured all your wounds but scratches and cuts are still visible. Some scars will never go away.

"(Y/N)! Are you sure?" Ikalgo asks, concerned.

"Yeah, I'll go get him. Can you take me to him? There are some things that still haven't said to him and I thought I would never be able to"

Ikalgo, seeing your sincere and tired smile, nods. He takes you under one of his tentacles, supporting your body until you arrive in front of the room where Knuckle was laying down unconscious. You stand in the room. Sunlight beams through the window and delicately touch his sculpted body, his face still frowned in determination despite his loss of senses. You smile again, calm, before looking at Ikalgo. You exchange looks of understanding, then he trots towards Meleoron and takes away his sleeping but unscathed body.

It's just you and Knuckle now.

You get close to his body slowly, ruins crankling under your feet. You crouch down in front of him, sitting on your legs. You reach for his hair and start caressing them slowly. You almost don't want to wake him up, even though it's a tormented sleep caused by violence.

"Knuckle, it's me, (Y/N)"

His back rises as if he had been underwater for so long. He groans deeply before using all his energy to roll on his back. Now he's facing upwards, his gaze looking up at your calm and sweet smile. Knuckle squeezes and opens his eyes slowly, welcomed by your face. A small smile extends on his own face in response.

"(Y/N)..." he slurs, his voice raspy "you're alive...did we win?"

Carefully, you take Knuckle's head between your hands and slowly place it on your lap. He lets you do so without daring to protest.

"Yeah, we won. The King was poisoned and is spending his last hours in peace. It's over" you answer.

You gently start to caress his pompadour, now messy. Your delicate strokes go in tandem with your tired breaths.

"Great, but...I broke the promise" Knuckle goes on, a bit mortified.

"I did it too, it doesn't matter, I would do it again" you reply as you keep touching him.

You never had such an intimate moment, such a gentle touch under sun rays. You've never been so happy to see the sun rising.

"Knuckle, there's something I have to tell yo-"

"I'm in love with you"

You jump in surprise and spread your eyes open. For a moment you believe that he's just being delirious because of tiredness. But then you get lost in his gaze. Knuckle's face, always so angry and tough, completely melted in a tender and meek smile, kissed by the sun, pacified. You stop stroking his hair for a sec.

"What?"

"I'm in love with you, I really mean it. Tonight I realized how precarious the world is and that I couldn't afford to just not tell you" Knuckle says, in a whisper.

Your eyebrows arch upwards and a moved smile sprawls across your wounded face.

"I love you too, Knuckle"

Knuckle's reaction is similar to yours. Mouth slightly parted, a small inhale of surprise. It's really sweet. He didn't expect you to reciprocate, he didn't expect nothing from you in fact.

"(Y/N)..."

"I love you even though I always fight with you, even if you're hot-headed, stubborn, a braggart and with a weird haircut. But I love the way you care about others even when you deny it, and the way you cry for them. I love your haircut too, by the way. I just want to give you back the kindness you give to me and other people"

Your hands touches him again, this time caressing his cheek. Knuckle doesn't know what to say, words dying in his throat. You get lost in his eyes once again, then you snap out of it and your cheeks get hot.

"Ah-ehm, sorry...um...I wanted to say these things last night on the tree but I chickened out " you stutter awkwardly.

Knuckle breaks the silence with a laugh that echoes through the chamber.

"Hey, what are you laughing at?" you ask, scowling.

"It's funny, I wanted to confess too last night. Me and Shoot were talking about that, and that's why you scared us when you appeared out of nowhere. Ah, I don't even know why I told him!"

You chuckle "Maybe because you care about him a lot"

"That's not true, take that back!" Knuckle shouts, pointing a finger in your face.

Knuckle's face becomes a blushing mess, and you let yourself go in a laugh because Knuckle is always the same. Incapable of hiding his kindness and his affection towards other people. The finger aiming at your face touches your cheek, then under the eye, next thing you know his entire hand is encapsulating your cheek.

"Come over here..."

Without even realising it, you bend over Knuckle and you kiss. You often asked youself how kissing Knuckle would feel like, and this exactly corresponds to the idea. So delicate, but passionate. Knuckle's lips move on yours and you reciprocate immediately, closing your eyes. You press your mouth against his, it's warm like a hug of someone coming back from war. Warm like someone who couldn't wait anymore to say I love you. When you rise up you press your lips together, trying to suppress a smile, but unsuccessfully. You're sure that your face is a mess, just like Knuckle's which is really hot red.

"Wow..." you whisper.

"Yeah, wow..." Knuckle murmurs, dumbfounded.

You look down at him again "What do you say if we wait for Morel and Shoot to get better, then we all go out to get drunk to celebrate, then we go make love in my apartment?"

"Hell yeah"

Knuckle gathers some energies to hoist himself on his elbows and sit up. You help him stand up, but you have to support each other under your arms because both of you are too tired. You start to walk out the room.

"And after that you'll be my girlfriend?" Knuckle asks.

"I'm pretty sure that I already am"

Suddenly, you hear some sniffling echoing through the empty palace alley. You turn around.

"Are you seriously crying right now? For real?" you ask, startled.

"Shut up! I'm not!'

"Yeah you are, idiot!"

"Don't you dare tell this to anyone, or..."

"Or?"

"I don't know, I can't do anything to you you're my girlfriend now!"

#knuckle bine #hunter x hunter #Hunter reader #ao3 writer #knuckle bine x reader #knuckle hxh #knuckle #morel mackernasey #shoot mcmahon #fem reader #knuckle x reader #one shot #ao3 fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic #reader insert #writers on tumblr #x reader

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uvobreakmylegs · 9 months

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When Push Comes to Shove

first Shoot fic :D

Warnings: stalking, depictions of violence, kidnapping

Word count: 4.9k

The apartment was largely empty; the walls were bare and the only pieces of furniture within the unit were a small table, a chair and a sleeping bag that stayed out in the living room area as opposed to the bedroom. The only other pieces of miscellaneous objects was the phone that was currently plugged into a charger, a bag and a small pile of laundry that had yet to be washed. Other than those things, there was little else in the apartment unit.

Aside from Shoot himself.

Currently he was standing near the window that looked over a parking lot and a different apartment building across the way, peering through the glass as he watched his current target.

….. Using the word target didn't feel quite right in this situation. Even if it was accurate. Even if the person he was watching was one that he'd been watching for months now.

No, 'watching' wasn't the correct term; what he was doing was stalking.

But it was different, he told himself.

After all, Shoot didn't mean you any harm. He just wanted you to be with him.

But actually going through and making that desire a reality was where he was slipping up.

In his role of a Beast Hunter, Shoot had faced down hordes of charging animals and encountered all sorts of shady characters in the most hostile of environments, but somehow the thought of taking you, a defenseless civilian, felt like the more difficult task. As usual, his cowardice would show its face at the worst possible time.

He sighed to himself, and then looked back again to a particular window in the apartment building across from his.

You were in the same place: on the couch in your living room with your laptop, your eyes focused on the screen and your mouth set in a slight frown.

No doubt you were looking through available job listings.

The company you had worked at previously had downsized, causing a fair amount of employees to be laid off. Unfortunately, you were among those that were deemed to be expendable.

All that had happened a few months prior, and you had since gotten a temporary job. It wasn't one that you liked, however, and you had told everyone around you that it was just something to keep yourself afloat until you found something better. Except the 'something better' that you were looking for had yet to reveal itself to you, so you'd been scouring job sites and putting in your resume where you could, though it wasn't going as well as you'd hoped. You were still stuck with a job you didn't like, and came back home after every shift exhausted and stressed.

Shoot had been keeping an eye on you since you'd gotten back today, and some time had now passed since you first opened up your laptop in search of a job better suited to you. Though it seemed as if you were finishing up with the job search tonight, as he watched while you sighed to yourself and then shut the laptop closed, stretching your arms out over your head after. It was confirmed to him when you pulled out your phone and began scrolling through it aimlessly.

No luck tonight, but you'd try again tomorrow. That was most likely your line of thinking.

He hoped you'd eat something soon, though. Since getting back, you all you had done was take a shower and then immediately after went on the job search, and the only thing he'd seen you consume during that time was a single glass of water.

You needed to take better care of yourself.

But as much as he wished he could head over to your unit and remind you to eat something, all that would result in was you becoming afraid of him when you realized that he had been watching you. Plus some possible issues with law enforcement if you were to go to the police. Though with his Hunter license on hand, they wouldn't be able to do much of anything even if they did manage to come across him. But it would no doubt cause you stress.

That worry about your well-being was also why he was in this current predicament:

As much as Shoot wanted you, he worried about how well you would take it if he went through with kidnapping you. No matter what, your mental state would suffer and you would definitely hate him in the beginning.

Shoot sighed again, chiding himself internally. There had been a time when needing to take you wouldn't have been necessary, when he could've possibly approached you and started up a relationship in a 'normal' way. But every time he had tried, he always ended up psyching himself out and running off before you could even lay eyes on him.

And every time after, as he berated himself while staring at you from the apartment he rented for the sole purpose of keeping an eye on you, he told himself that he could try again next time, and that he'd be successful then. That he had as much time as he needed to accomplish that.

What a stupid thought.

He should've known better. Not just as a Hunter, but as someone with common sense. He should've known that he couldn't have expected that things would always stay the same with you, that you would magically stay single until he finally built up the nerve to speak to you.

Shoot noticed when the screen of your phone suddenly lit up as you received a phone call, and after reading the name on the screen, you smiled to yourself.

Based on that reaction, Shoot already had an idea as to who was calling, and his suspicions were confirmed when you answered the phone and he read your lips as you greeted the caller with a 'hey babe'.

The only person you would speak to like that was Kian.

Your boyfriend.

The two of you had only been going out for over a month now, but it seemed to be going well for you. And despite the short amount of time together, you always seemed so happy whenever you spoke to him after a difficult day.

Just like now, when he saw you smiling at something Kian had said and observed the way the tension left your shoulders. Just because of a few words from him.

…..

… Ah, damn.

Shoot realized that he was grinding his teeth again. It was a bad habit that he'd begun only recently, coinciding with when you started dating Kian. Just knowing that another man was spending time with you like that frustrated Shoot more than he thought possible.

It was even worse to see another man touching you.

Though that was his own fault, he reminded himself. For never getting up the courage to approach you and telling himself that it was fine to continue hanging back and watching you from afar. That cowardice of his had cost him his opportunity, and now he was forced to watch you go on dates and being affectionate with your boyfriend.

Despite that, Shoot couldn't bring himself to do anything to your boyfriend. Not only because he truly didn't enjoy hurting others, but he was aware that Kian hadn't done anything wrong. Even if he frustrated Shoot just by the way he spoke to you, you had chosen him, so it was natural that he would be loving towards you and that you would respond in kind.

Shoot simply disagreed with your choice.

You were still on the phone with Kian, and Shoot could tell most of what you were saying by reading your lip movements, though you occasionally made it difficult whenever you turned your head away from the direction of the window. The topic was your job search and how you still hadn't heard anything from any of the places you'd applied to.

After you said that, your expression fell slightly, and your demeanor was more in line with what he'd seen when you were on those job sites earlier. But that changed when your boyfriend said something to you, and there was a smile on your face once more. It looked like you were agreeing with him.

I sent in an application to Motoba, too. Maybe they'll like my resume.

That was the last thing he could decipher before you changed the topic away from the job hunt and instead asked your boyfriend how his day had been. After that, you were mostly quiet, only piping in occasionally with some comment to whatever your boyfriend was saying.

All Shoot could hope for was that this wouldn't be a call that lasted hours again. It wasn't terribly late, but you had a tendency to talk for a long time with Kian. And you still hadn't eaten.

Tell him that you need to hang up, Shoot silently urged you. That you need to do the bare minimum in taking care of yourself. If he really cares about you, he'll respect that.

All you did was reach for the glass of water you'd gotten for yourself earlier and drink what little was still left in it.

And the phone call was still ongoing.

Shoot sighed.

Once again, all he could do was watch. Watch and wait until you were done talking with him, and then hope that you'd get some dinner before you eventually went to bed. At least you could get a decent rest tonight, he thought to himself. Your job had scheduled you to work in the early afternoon tomorrow, so you could sleep in if you needed to.

That would likely be the only highlight, however. After that, it would be another day where you worked hard at a job you hated before returning home to continue your unsuccessful search for one that would be better for you. All because Shoot couldn't bring himself to follow through.

Because every time he felt like he could go to you and catch you off-guard, a voice in his head would give him some reason as to why he shouldn't.

Breaking in would make too much noise and leave too much damage.

You would fight him and he'd need to use more force than he wanted.

There were too many bystanders in the area that would either act as would-be rescuers or potential witnesses to your kidnapping.

Every time, lines of reasoning like that would pop into his head, and his cowardice would reappear as he once again did nothing to put an end to the limbo he'd created for himself.

And that was the case now, it seemed.

It was unlikely that anything more would happen tonight. Once again he was disappointed in himself for having squandered another chance to take you, but he countered that by telling himself that it would be fine; he'd follow through once he worked himself up to it.

….. Wasn't that mentality the reason he was in this predicament in the first place?

He found that he wanted to assure himself that it'd be different tomorrow, that he would finally follow through and make his desire to have you for himself a reality.

Unfortunately, that was also something he'd said to himself far too often.

Shoot glanced over to you again, just in time to see that you were now speaking, and he read the words on your lips again.

Yeah, that sounds great! I work later tomorrow, anyway.

Shoot's brows furrowed.

What had you just agreed to?

You stood up and turned around as you ended the call, inadvertently keeping Shoot from being able to tell what you said to your boyfriend before hanging up. Then you walked away from the window, heading towards your bedroom.

A pit formed in Shoot's stomach; it felt like something was going to happen that he wouldn't like.

When you walked back into view, you were carrying a small backpack, finishing up in stuffing extra clothes inside before tossing the backpack onto the couch and collecting your shoes from the other side of the room.

You were going over to spend the night with him, Shoot realized.

All the signs were pointing to that, and he felt his teeth grinding again.

….. No.

He wasn't going to let that happen.

But what could he do to stop you? Your boyfriend was expecting you and he would quickly notice that you were missing when you didn't show up at his place if Shoot chose to take you then. At the very least the Hunter wanted a few hours head start before anyone realized you were gone. That couldn't be accomplished at the moment.

It likely wouldn't be questioned it if you canceled on those plans, though. But the only way Shoot could see that happening was if he grabbed you on your way out and forced you to call up your boyfriend to tell him that you weren't going over. That would probably require threatening you, something Shoot didn't think he could do even if he didn't mean it. And it still ran the risk of you blurting out something over the phone and thereby making his efforts pointless.

No, the safest way would be if you canceled on your own.

But was there any way he could get you to do that?

Not sure of what to do, Shoot looked about his own unit, if there was possibly anything in there that could help him. That was when he caught sight of his phone, still plugged in and fully charged, and a thought struck him.

It was a bit late, but not so late that it would be outrageous if you were to get a call from one of the companies you applied to. Even if it was still odd, you were probably desperate enough to not question it.

And the name you had mentioned during your call... It was Motoba, wasn't it?

Taking in a deep breath after retrieving his phone, Shoot typed in the number to call your cellphone, a number he had learned and memorized a while ago but never had any reason to use. He then put the phone up to his ear, and listened as the line began to ring.

So much time spent watching you, but it was only now, when he felt that his back was up against the wall that he'd managed to make himself go forward with something.

Not the best tendency to have, but at least it was some assurance for himself: when push came to shove, Shoot could do what needed to be done.

He moved towards the window again, peeking out of it to see if he might see you again. Sadly, there was no sign of you in the window of your apartment, but after the phone rang twice, he heard you pick up.

“Hello?”

Your voice came through the phone's speaker, and Shoot felt as though his heart was fluttering at the sound. Realization hit him that this was the first time the two of you would exchange words.

Trying to keep his tone level, he addressed you by your first and last name as he asked if that was who he was speaking to. He needed to do his best to keep from messing this up.

“Who is this?” you asked.

The next attempt at speaking to you failed, and he needed to clear his throat again before he could get the words out. There was a time where he'd needed to impersonate a company worker and convince the manager in charge of an oil rig to allow Morel and Knuckle access when the management on said rig had refused to be accommodating towards the Hunters. As long as he put himself in the same mindset that he had for that job, he could pull this off too.

“I work for Motoba,” Shoot began, “I'm calling about the application you sent in.”

“Oh!”

There was more of a cheerful tone to your voice now, and he heard you walking about the apartment as you spoke again. He still didn't see you – you must've been in your bedroom.

“For the assistant position?” you asked.

“Yes, the position you applied for.”

Shoot immediately felt awkward answering like that and added “I wanted to know if you could come in tomorrow for an interview.”

“Tomorrow?” you asked.

There was a hint of surprise in your voice, as if you weren't expecting an interview to be scheduled so soon.

Stay in that mindset, he told himself. Play it off like it's normal.

“Is that a problem?” he asked.

“No no. That's completely fine,” you quickly answered, “Sorry, I just didn't expect to hear anything so fast.”

“Of course,” Shoot replied, “I'm sorry if I'm calling too late.”

“Oh no, not at all! I'm really glad to hear from you.”

With his eyes still on your window, he saw when you finally walked back into view, the phone up to your ear while you looked ready to head out. He had called just in time, then.

“What time would you like me to come in?” you asked.

“Does eight in the morning work for you?”

“Yes, that should be-”

You stopped speaking when your eyes happened to look out the window. For a brief moment, your eyebrows furrowed as you looked at the apartment across from you.

The one where Shoot was currently standing at the window.

Only for a brief moment, however, for as soon as he saw your eyes catching sight of his form, he moved to the side and out of view.

His palms were starting to sweat, but he kept himself calm.

“Is everything alright?” he asked you.

His question brought your attention back to the call, and you stammered out “y-yeah. Sorry. It's fine. Eight is just fine.”

“Good. And you know where the main building is?” he asked.

“I believe it's off of Continental Street?”

“Yes.”

“Then yes, I know where to go,” you replied. In the background, Shoot could hear you doing something, though he wasn't certain what exactly that was just from the noise alone.

“We'll see you tomorrow, then,” Shoot told you.

“Yeah- yes! I'll see you tomorrow at eight,” you said, trying to keep your words professional as you added “thank you for calling me.”

“Of course.”

The phone call ended shortly after, leaving Shoot to stare at his phone screen.

Your voice sounded warm during those last moments of the call, and Shoot imagined you smiling when you spoke to him, like he'd made you happy. Though part of him was fully aware that you were happy for the opportunity he told you of and that you felt nothing for him. Certainly not from a phone call that didn't even last five minutes.

Still, he chose to imagine that it had brought you a little bit of happiness. Largely because he knew it would take some time for you to feel happy again after tomorrow. It would be a long period of distress and anger on your part once you realized what he did, and it would likely stress you out even more than your current situation was doing to you.

But it would work out for the best, he told himself.

Shoot then peeked out his window to look at you again, but he was disappointed when he found that the blinds to your window had been closed.

So that was what he'd heard you doing at the end of the call.

Still, it could've been worse; you could've been heading out to be with your boyfriend right now. And as Shoot watched your front door for several minutes and saw that it stayed closed, he felt some relief. The need to get up early in the morning kept you from going to spend a late night out at your boyfriend's place.

At least he had put a stop to that.

The next few hours passed by without any incident. You stayed inside, though because of the blinds that now covered the windows, he only had an idea of what you were doing based on what he had seen of your previous habits. Eventually the lights in your apartment turned dark, signaling that you'd gone to bed so you could get up early to be ready in time for your interview. Once that happened, Shoot sat down, leaning against the wall as he went over everything in his head.

There was no backing out of this now.

No matter what happened tomorrow morning, he couldn't back down again. Even if things went wrong. That internal voice of his would need to keep its mouth shut.

And finally, the limbo would come to an end.

In the early hours of the morning, when the light of the sun was only barely brightening up the sky, Shoot was waiting for you.

Standing at the end of the walkway, his eyes were fixed on your front door as he waited for the moment where you left.

You hadn't left yet, though he assumed that you would soon in order to make it to your eight o'clock interview. With the distance and how bad traffic could get, you would want to make sure that you had plenty of time to get to the Motoba building.

He would strike when you stepped out, when your back was turned and you were focused on locking up the door behind you. And even if Shoot wasn't the strongest Hunter around, subduing you wouldn't be an issue for him. Compared to some of the jobs he had taken, it would be incredibly easy.

As long as he didn't psych himself out in the middle of it.

No, that wouldn't happen. Like he had told himself last night: when push came to shove, he could do it. And as long as he moved fast and quiet, everything would go as he hoped.

A click from the door sounded as the lock was undone.

Anticipation caused his heart to beat harder when he heard that.

The door opened, and there you were. Wearing a set of nice clothes that you typically used for instances like job interviews when you wanted to make a good first impression. As expected, you were distracted when you stepped out, your attention on the door as you began to close it.

He moved.

Reaching you in moments, he clamped his hand over your mouth. He then pushed against you, forcing the door to crash open while you were forced back into your unit. And once the both of you were inside, he used his foot to shut the door behind him.

Now there would be no witnesses.

Initially, you didn't fight back. Perhaps it was shock combined with how fast it had all happened that left you pliant as he forced his way in after you. But at the sound of the slamming door you began to struggle and pull at his arm, a muffled screaming coming from beneath his palm as you tried to make as much noise as possible. And when that didn't work, you began to try your hardest to bite and scratch at him.

Shoot's left sleeve slipped off, falling to the floor.

You didn't notice the hands at first, too focused on gouging your nails into your attacker's arm to get him off of you. But you became aware when two of them grabbed ahold of your wrists and forced them away from his arm. For a brief moment, your cries stopped and you looked on in shock as you saw that you were being further restrained by a pair of floating hands.

Then you started to hyperventilate, taking in harsh breaths as you tried to comprehend the situation. Without a knowledge of nen, you couldn't understand it.

Shoot had been watching your expressions during this whole time, and when you looked up at him as the tears started to form in your eyes, he felt his resolve falter slightly.

He could stop this.

He could end this before it went any further and leave you alone. Leave the area completely and never come back, and if by some strange chance he was identified as being the one who attacked you, his Hunter status would still protect him. This could end here and there wouldn't be any affect on his life as it was right now.

For you, the situation was one that was terrifying and the aftermath would leave you shaken and confused, but if it stopped here it would leave you relatively unharmed. All you would need to deal with would be police reports and therapy sessions, and you would no doubt have some trauma that would cause you to be more aware of your surroundings, but that would be it.

Shoot could leave, and then all he would be to you was just a terrifyingly bad memory.

A bad memory....

…. And then what, you would go to your boyfriend for comfort every time that memory surfaced? Forever viewing Shoot as the monster while you stayed with a man who wasn't right for you?

Shoot's jaw clenched as he steeled himself. This needed to happen.

“I'm sorry,” he told you, “but this will be for the best.”

You were trying to shake your head 'no', trying to convince him without the use of your words that what he was doing was wrong. You were so focused on trying to appeal to him that you didn't notice the third floating hand that hovered in front of you and clenched itself into a fist.

You weren't aware of it until it slammed into your stomach.

Your eyes widened further for a moment before they fell shut, and you became limp in his grasp. Now you were unconscious, something he was grateful for as Shoot had no desire for you to be awake as he began the process of placing you within Hotel Rafflesia. There was now a hole of black mist in the area where he had hit you, and when the hands on your wrists squeezed hard to cause just enough pain to meet his requirements, those areas of your body also disappeared, replaced by the black mist while they were sent to the birdcage that stood next to him.

No, you didn't need to see any of that.

Minutes later and now Shoot was the only figure standing in the apartment, his heart still beating wildly, this time from the knowledge that he'd actually done it. He had you. Not that he was in any position to be celebrating; he could still be discovered if he hung around here too long. Best to leave sooner rather than later.

But as he picked up his sleeve that had fallen earlier, his attention went back to the small cage before him. Hotel Rafflesia now housed all of you, and you were now sprawled out on the floor of the cage. You would likely be out for some time. That was what Shoot hoped for, at least. You hadn't understood his conjured hands from earlier, and you definitely wouldn't understand if you woke up while still being trapped in his ability. It would be for the best if you slept through all of that.

You'd be sore all over when you woke up, but all the injuries you'd gotten from him would be easily healed.

Less easy would be the state you would be in mentally, but he chose not to think about that for now. That would be a bridge Shoot would cross when he came to it.

As for now, he needed to leave.

With the cage and his conjured hands hidden within the long cloth of his sleeve, he quietly shut the apartment door behind him before heading back towards the stairs. He couldn't hear anything odd coming from any of the units he passed by as he descended, no signs that anyone noticed something amiss. A majority of them were either asleep or too focused on their morning routines to notice the slight disturbance from moments ago.

Good. That was what he'd hoped for.

When he exited the property line of the apartment complex was when Shoot allowed himself to let out a sigh of relief. He had gotten you out without incident, though he was well aware that it was still too early to celebrate. You were now out of the apartment, and now he needed to get you out of the city, preferably before you woke up.

That part would be easier, all things considered, as it would take a bit of time before anyone was aware that you were missing. He knew for certain that you weren't expected anywhere until the early afternoon, and even if you had made plans to meet up with anyone for immediately after your 'interview', he still had plenty of time to leave before any alarm could be raised on that front. It would all work in his favor.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, he remembered the way you looked at him before he knocked you out. The terrified look in your eyes as you started to cry, convinced that he was going to do something horrible to you.

…. In fairness, you weren't wrong – he had hurt you. But he did it because he needed to. Not just as a way to keep you from the other man, but because things couldn't continue as they were any longer. He couldn't keep watching you and doing nothing as you went on with your life, but he couldn't imagine leaving you behind.

It would take some time before you could trust him, no doubt. But again, he told himself to only worry about that when the time came.

And again he told himself that when it really mattered, Shoot could go through with anything.

Getting you to love him back would be no different.

#reader insert #yandere x reader #yandere hxh #yandere hunter x hunter #shoot mcmahon #yandere shoot #yandere #hxh shoot #yandere shoot mcmahon #shoot x reader

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