Where Do I Begin. ( HxH - Reader Insert )

.:3:.

It was warm here.

Warmer than the ship, warmer than the cabin, possibly even warmer than the island you had grown up on. The dark clouds that had rolled overhead since the departure from your island couldn't reach you here. Whale island sat at the edge of the horizon, streams of sunlight bathing the swell of trees with an almost purifying glow. Like the island was protected from anything and everything that intended to harm it.

You understood, now, what the captain meant when he said something or someone special was going to come from this island. You understood what he meant when he described the fluttering feeling of excitement churning in the pit of his stomach with each passing second as you approached the docks. Perhaps on the outside this island was nothing special, a strangely shaped clump of land with an overgrown forest, but if you looked and you really saw one might be able to catch a glimpse of something more.

The closer you grew to the dock, the wider the smile on the Captain's face became. He clutched his pipe with a proud grin and tipped his head back to bathe his face in the rays of sun pouring out from behind the island. He didn't go into detail about the Hunter that he picked up on that fateful day all those years ago, not a name, not an age, not even the date that he picked him up. Like everything about that Hunter was kept tightly under wraps in one big secret, all you knew about him was where he came from.

"We'll be docked here for a few hours, if you wanna get off and roam around be sure to make it back after the horn," the Captain informed from your side.

You bit your lip and rocked back and forth from heel to toe as you braced your hands on the banister, it was a tempting prospect, even from here you could hear the sound of joyous laughter and happy chattering from the shore. You'd love to see what made them so happy, you'd love to be surrounded by happy faces and happy smiles again, you'd love it, but you'd hate it all the same. Being around others, so happy and so full of life when you yourself are drowning in sorrow was a heavy burden.

"I don't know," you replied, "I'll think about it."

"We're an hour out from shore so best think quick, little one."

The Captain stepped away from your side and back to the wheel of the ship to ease it into dock when the time came and you were given a moment of peace. You were getting closer and closer to your end goal as time passed, what was gonna happen when you made it there? All of this waiting, all of this suspense, all of this dreaming for what could be-- at the end of the day would you be able to fight for your life?

Chest heavy, heart in your throat, you turned away from the deck and wandered the dark hall that lead down to the cabins. Though it was noisy down here, though it was dark, and it stank of body odor and dust, somehow it was still easier to think in. The warm air and the crisp forest breeze was almost overwhelming, it felt-- free. Had you ever known what it meant to be free before? After what you had gone through, the weight it lifted and the relief it brought felt taboo almost. Like you were living a life you didn't deserve, not after what you had seen. Like a calm in the storm that would only rage harder when your peace had expired.

Pushing the door open, you kept your head tucked low and slipped round the group of brawling men to find a safe space in the corner where you could simply be. Knees pulled to your chest, head tucked against your legs, you blocked out the sound of boisterous laughter and general douchebaggery.

If you were honest, you weren't sure what exactly it was about Whale Island that was so terrifying to you. Perhaps it was what the captain said, that some huge chunk of your fate was waiting for you there. Perhaps it was the fact that you weren't ready yet, weren't ready for your future to unravel when you were still clinging onto your past.