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You can leave now. ❤
The second she sent that message, her phone immediately vibrated. Without sparing another glance at the screen, Hisoka slipped it inside her pants pocket; dampening the heat. She shifted slightly to rest her back against the wall.
Not far from her, Pakunoda sat alone, gazing out the window. Seemingly had forgotten that Hisoka was also in the airship with her. Or she simply no longer cared; too occupied with having a silent breakdown over how things went down. Had Hisoka shared half of her sentiment for the troupe, she might've asked to join her so they could be depressed together. Just a split second, she was tempted to—if only to see how the latter would react.
Hisoka straightened up a bit.
Before she could move her foot, she saw Pakunoda avert her eyes. Now that woman was staring at her hands. Hisoka watched her curl and open her fingers a few times. Then she leaned down, and buried her face in her palms. Thinking she was about to weep, Hisoka held her breath; briefly entertained by the idea.
For a full minute, there was nothing but silence.
She stared at Pakunoda, making no attempt to hide the fact that she was watching. Waiting to see the barest display of emotion—soft sobbing, back trembling, anything.
Pakunoda's finger twitched.
After the third minute went by and still no follow up reaction, Hisoka let out a sigh, letting her shoulders hunch slightly; any flicker of amusement she felt earlier, gone. She leaned back before closing her eyes.
Her phone vibrated once again. She reached inside her pocket, just to hold it. To feel the weight beneath her palm, the heat pressing against her skin. She waited for another message to come.
It felt like only a minute passed since she had her eyes shut, and all of sudden they were closing in to Lingon Airport. Hisoka opened her eyes, seeing Pakunoda rise from her seat. She followed suit, keeping her distance. No word was spoken between them by the time the airship prepared to land; and as they stood by, Hisoka took out her phone, reading the texts she ignored earlier. The first was a simple reply,
[Okay.]
and the next one was longer:
[I'm out of there. My hair's slowly changing back when I got up to leave. I think the guy with the bandages noticed, but he said nothing. Phew! Anyway, are you done? How badly did she mess you up?]
Hisoka lifted an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips. She typed back, Why do you assume I got beaten up?—added a scoffing face emoji, then pressed send.
It was read at once. Either Illumi kept their chat message open, or she had been waiting for Hisoka to answer.
[That was too quick.]
Maybe I killed her, Hisoka replied.
Illumi was shown typing for a moment, then it was gone. After a brief pause, she resumed typing.
[If it were true, you’d be boasting about it right now. Maybe send a photo or two.]
From the corner of her eye, she noticed Pakunoda shifting toward the door. Hisoka counted to three before falling into steps in the same direction. She lifted her phone and took a selfie. See? Not a scratch on my face.
The reply came as she ducked her head to avoid bumping her forehead on the lintel.
[What happened?]
She answered, truthfully, Nothing.
They stepped outside and descended the passenger stairs. Above, the sky was dark; the evening air sinking its teeth onto her exposed skin, though she paid it no mind. Before her, Pakunoda turned to the left. There was a certain stiff resolve in her shoulder that she had just noticed. Nevertheless, she didn't think much of it. Any sliver of interest she'd ever had in their business was long gone by now.
“Bye,” Hisoka said, turning in the opposite direction.
Behind her, Pakunoda's footsteps faltered, then came to a stop. Hisoka didn't glance back. Not even when the other surprisingly returned the gesture in kind.
“Goodbye.”
Not until much later she learned, that was the last time she saw her alive.
—
Her initial plan was to get back to the hotel, take a quick shower, then plop down on the bed to sleep away the night. Matter of fact, she had gotten the first step right, as she now stood inside her hotel room, sliding her pants down her legs, letting it pool on the floor alongside her bra.
From the window, Hisoka could see the streets below, packed with pedestrians, some lingering around the lamplights posted nearby. Her eyes swept over the faceless strangers, looking for particularly nothing. She watched them for a moment, listening to the muted sounds outside that gave the illusion like she was observing from a different side of the world.
Frankly, it wasn't a foreign feeling for her. And yet, with how quiet everything around her was, the room felt much bigger and lonelier than it should be. Maybe she was a bit sentimental tonight.
Hisoka stepped away from the window.
With phone in hand, she opened the last message from Illumi; one that came when she was on her way to the hotel earlier. Sorry it didn't work out. What happened? it read.
Her thumbs began moving on the keyboard. She was about to press send when something popped up in her mind, causing her right thumb to halt a millimeter from the screen. She deleted the entire sentence, closed the chat, then pulled up her mobile banking application. After finding Illumi's name in her contact list, she put a certain amount of money and wired it into the latter's account.
Chuckling to herself, she attached the screenshot to Illumi. How much of your time can I buy with this? :)
Like before, her message was read right away.
[Are you hiring me? I guess I never told you the procedure… you need to submit a formal request through our official website first. My father will review it. If he approves, we'll send you the fixed price and if you agree, then you can transfer me the down payment. Here's the link.]
Hisoka stared at the words, unable to tell whether Illumi was playing dumb on purpose.
Still, she opened it, out of curiosity. The “website” turned her screen black. Something that looked like a pop-up advertisement appeared, and when clicked, led her to a form she had to fill if she wished to use the Zoldycks’ services. Her eyes scanned the whole thing as she scrolled down; seeing a list of detailed questions regarding her request, the target, et cetera.
She found out one could ask for a specific Zoldyck. The fact there was a different fee for each of them somewhat fascinated her, though it wasn't a surprise, she thought, if one had to put experience and specific skills into consideration.
Such a hassle~ She typed back. Can't I just negotiate directly with you?
[Everything has to go through my father.]
If Hisoka hadn’t been sure whether Illumi was messing with her before, now she was one hundred percent certain of it. They had been… tiptoeing around each other for quite a while, yet Illumi had never brought up the need to inform her parents about her existence.
This is not a job, she replied.
[Then why the money?]
Hisoka pondered on it. She was about to type something, but stopped herself. Her thumb scrolled up to find the message she sent Illumi with the screenshot, tapped on it, then replied, Read this again.
While Illumi was still typing, Hisoka quickly sent another message.
Find me. :)
She turned the location off and left her phone on the bed.
—
The water running next to her, coupled with her humming, were the only sounds echoing in the bathroom at the moment; all while she sat on a small chair by the bathtub, meticulously shaving her legs. If there was anything she put her mind into, that would be keeping her appearance perfect. Especially for special occasions.
For this specific instance, Hisoka made sure to shave twice.
After it was done, she got up, stepping aside to place the knife next to a still-packed bar soap. Then she turned and leaned over to switch off the faucet. The water was quite hot when she settled in, going up slightly, almost spilling out of the tub as she leaned back and soaked in it.
Minutes passed, yet Hisoka was still unable to relax her muscles. The shaving process helped briefly, keeping her hands and attention full. As soon as she had nothing to do, though, all the restlessness began creeping in again; her toes curling and opening against the bottom of the tub, fingers tapping on her thighs, and before long she started slowly rocking back and forth.
More than once did she glance toward the door. And every time, her too-sharp senses detected not a thing behind it. No coming footsteps. No slithering presence closing in. As she leaned to the side, resting her chin on the top of the tub, she half-hoped the other managed to find a way to slip through the tiny cracks of her radar and barged in. With a pinch of bloodlust, preferably.
Hisoka liked to consider herself a very patient person. Whether it be waiting in the corner, looking for the right momentum to challenge someone… or generously letting those little girls grow to reach their peak, while she bided her time, counting every second until the time came to feast on them… she had proven it many times, hadn’t she?
And yet, as she threw another look toward the door and saw it remained closed, she felt her patience was wearing thin. Some things were just not meant to take this long.
She let out a heavy sigh, shifting from the edge of the tub, then lifted a hand to rub her face. When she looked down, she found that her palm was smeared with white paint. Realizing that she had been scammed by the sparkling ‘new, hottest, best waterproof’ makeup ads she saw on the street of Yorknew two days ago, a shriek tore its way out of her throat. More frustrated than anything.
With ferocity that could tear her skin off, Hisoka scrubbed her own face, scrubbing it all away including the glitter and mascara and lipstick, her eyes stung as something got in them. Her brows, her nose, her cheek, it felt like everything she touched melted off; the water unflinchingly floating and carrying the waste inside the tub. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand one last time before rubbing the stain against the inner side of the tub.
And just like that, the door swung open.
Hisoka glanced up, blinking twice to stop the sting in her eyes. She, with her face puffy-red, bare of all paint, looked straight at the figure standing in the doorway.
Illumi stared back. She didn't say a word for about a minute.
Then, “Who are you and where's Hisoka?”
Swallowing up the mild embarrassment that had climbed and nearly clawed its way out of her, Hisoka straightened her shoulders, eyes narrowing slightly. “Real funny,” she replied, her smile tight. “Took you long enough, Illumi.”
True enough, Illumi didn't look like she had been in a hurry. Her red and purple clothes were so neat and pristine; as if she made someone iron it twice before coming here, while she cleaned those needles until they reflected the light. Not a speck of blood on her face. Not a single hair out of place. She stood there, in her usual, polished self; unblinking, unperturbed.
“Sorry,” Illumi said, infuriatingly calm, doing nothing to make an effort like she meant it. “I had matters to attend to. But I'm here now.”
Silence fell. Hisoka waited for her to continue; to maybe start talking about what she had to do earlier. Like she usually did. And yet, Illumi only returned her stare, saying nothing. She didn't move. Neither did Hisoka.
It stretched into minutes. That was when the silence turned rather awkward—when she realized both of them were waiting for the other to speak.
Sighing, Hisoka leaned back, shutting her eyes in a show of exasperation. “Are you just gonna stand there the whole night?”
“Not the whole night,” Illumi corrected. “Your payment only suffices for one hour.”
Her eyes snapped open. Lips twitched, shaping an amused curve. “Very generous of you,” This time, her smile came with teeth. She repeated her question, “Are you just gonna stand there the whole hour?”
Illumi replied without a beat. “What do you want me to do?”
That was an interesting question, one that deserved to be thought over carefully. Hisoka wondered why she didn’t do it while killing time earlier. Now, her mind was immediately buzzing with these things she'd have Illumi do—too many, in fact, that at the same time she had no idea what she should do with her.
She leaned to the side, placing her right hand on the edge of the tub, thumb rubbing the wet, hard surface slowly. After letting another moment pass, she decided. “Wash my back.”
Almost right away, Illumi moved to approach, prompting Hisoka to raise an eyebrow. She watched Illumi roll up her sleeves, and her suspicion rose as the latter stepped around to stand behind the tub. Behind her. “What are you doing?”
“You want me to wash your back,” Illumi replied simply, reaching out as if to grab her.
Hisoka shifted away. “Are you for real?”
This time, Illumi’s eyebrows curved in seemingly genuine confusion; hands stopping mid-air. “What do you mean?”
Had she not been familiar with how Illumi went about things, her head would've exploded. Briefly, she closed her eyes, taking time to regulate her irritation, which in fact was her not actually regulating it, just quickly shifting her attention on focusing to find the situation amusing. After she felt convinced it was funny (not hard to do, if one looked at the bright side), a nearly sincere-sounding chuckle slipped out of her lips.
“I mean,” She drawled, her eyes shifted to rake Illumi up and down, and lingered on the latter's neckline. She hadn’t paid attention to what Illumi wore when they switched places a few hours ago—it was dark and her mind was elsewhere. Now she noticed.
This cut was very low. The edges, flat and covered with needles, seemed like it was just hanging there. She had a long-sleeved undershirt beneath, yet curiously, it didn’t extend to her chest. Hisoka couldn't remember when was the last time she saw Illumi baring it like that.
And as far as she knew… Illumi had always preferred high collar tops. Even when they went out for casual drinks. Even after Illumi started imitating her choice of outfit. Illumi could be terrifyingly consistent like that.
So why the sudden change?
“I did say I want you to wash my back…” Even her collarbones are pretty, she thought, somewhat resentfully. If hers looked as delicate as Illumi's, she would make sure to flaunt them all the time. “But you need to get in this tub with me.” Then, using a pointed yet provocative tone, she added, “Naked.”
Illumi blinked. “Oh. Okay.”
“Okay.”
“You should be more specific with your words, Hisoka,” She stepped away, leaving Hisoka who tilted her head to the side, eyes following the latter's steps as she left to enter the bedroom. She watched as Illumi began peeling her top off, letting it fall onto the floor. When she thumbed around her waistband, Hisoka pulled back, rolling her shoulders a bit. “You never know how much time you can save if you just say what you want.”
“My fault.” Again, she closed her eyes briefly. “Don't take too long there.” Or I'll come and get you.
She didn’t say that. It needn’t be.
The air inside the bathroom was still when Illumi came back, quiet and abrupt, like a strange shadow that suddenly appeared in the corner of your room. She was nude, just as Hisoka requested. No hint of hesitance in her posture. She looked as Illumi stood in front of the mirror, back facing her, movement precise; both hands lifted to gather her long, silky midnight hair into a bun.
Hisoka's gaze swept over her back. Over the ugly, scattered scars; like some messed up constellation adorning the sky, the long years evidence of loving efforts to forge her into the perfect killing machine. Judging from how all the marks had paled, almost blending into her skin; it must have been a while since the last time something sharp had kissed her skin. As Illumi moved toward the shelf, Hisoka privately wondered when they deem that it was enough and handed her the whip instead.
Illumi never told her. She doubted Illumi would consider it a sensitive topic if she went ahead and asked, though.
“They only got lemon.”
Hisoka blinked; her train of thoughts cut short. Illumi turned, lifting her elbow to show the bar soap in hand. And next to it, her breasts. Shapely and firm, yet small enough that she was able to cup one with her entire hand. “Are you okay with this?”
Illumi stared at her. It took a moment for her to realize the latter had just asked her a question.
“I love lemons,” Hisoka replied.
A very faint curve suddenly appeared on Illumi's forehead, then disappeared just as quickly. “No, you don't,” Her tone accusing, “you made me swap the air freshener I've been using in my car for years.”
Hisoka didn’t recall ever doing that. Then again, unimportant things rarely ever stayed in her memory for long. She shrugged. “I changed my mind quite often.” When Illumi only gave her an empty look, she held her hands up. “I'm flexible, you know?”
There was another silence after that. Brief, but loud.
Then, “If you say so.”
She looked on as Illumi approached, her feet light yet precise against the floor—very much like a feline. She lifted her eyes to the fold between her thighs, covered by tiny hairs as dark as the one growing on her head. Hisoka thought of the first time she buried her face there; with Illumi's fingers on her scalp, her body tense yet responding in a way Hisoka knew she would never allow herself to, had they been under another circumstance.
She recalled Illumi had told her to move away, just seconds before reaching completion. Something that she deliberately ignored, mistaking it for shyness instead of a warning—and stuck her tongue deeper. She hadn’t even had the chance to savor the taste before blacking out.
When Hisoka came to her senses, her head was stiff and heavy—as if someone had just crushed her skull and put the pieces back together again. She found Illumi sitting next to her, staring like one would inspect a mangled corpse. “You were out for three hours, thirty eight minutes, and two seconds,” Illumi noted clinically. “Honestly, I’m a bit impressed.”
It took a minute until she managed to find her voice, which didn't sound like hers; cracking and hesitant. “... What the hell happened?”
With a slow blink, Illumi replied, “I forgot to take my daily dose of poison yesterday.” She reached out and felt Hisoka's forehead with the back of her hand. It was so odd, seeing her mimicking a thoughtful gesture. “I added another spoonful into my coffee this morning. My body can neutralize anything… to a certain degree. Since I got an extra pinch, I suppose the output isn’t fully neutralized.” Her brows curved briefly. “I’ve had my suspicions, so I tried to tell you to get off…” She looked at her right in the eye. “But, you didn't listen.”
Hisoka could hear a hint of smugness in her tone. Considering there were so few that could take her off guard in everyday situations, Illumi must have taken pleasure in seeing her getting knocked out. Who knew what else had she done to her while she was out cold earlier, other than counting the time.
Nevertheless. If you thought the incident would discourage her from putting her mouth anywhere near Illumi's pussy in the future, you were sorely mistaken. Ever since she found out about the deal, she immediately subscribed to this specific poison-resistance training. Zero hesitation.
And now, back to this very moment, Illumi stopped next to the tub.
“Scoot over.”
Hisoka obliged, bending her knees and dragged herself forward. Behind her, Illumi stepped into the bathtub, the water going up as she settled in. Though Illumi was silent, almost as if she wasn’t there, the perks of knowing her long enough had inadvertently made Hisoka hyper-aware of her presence, of every little move she took. Had Illumi tried to hide her being, she was certain she could still sense her.
She propped her chin between the creak of her knees as Illumi removed the wrapper. While the latter was squeezing the soap and rubbing her hands together, she absent-mindedly moved her hand underwater, making small waves, causing drops of water to spill onto the bathroom floor. The water had cooled off since she waited quite a while for Illumi to arrive. It felt warmer with her in it now.
Then Illumi's palm, sticky with soap, touched her back. Hisoka clenched both hands into fists, pressing them against her knees. She closed her eyes. Soon after, Illumi began rubbing her back; her touch gentler than she expected. Perhaps she was imagining it. No words were spoken between them as the back rub began to turn into a massage. As Illumi's fingers moved around her shoulders, working to loosen the stiffness, she mentally began counting backwards.
Three.
Two.
One.
“You're so tense,” Illumi remarked.
Hisoka cracked her eyes open slowly, head tilted to the side. “Sorry,” She said, not bothering to hide the insincerity in her voice. “Just trying to hold myself back. You know I get… certain urges whenever you're this close to me.”
“Oh, really?”
“Really,” Hisoka lifted her head off her knees and turned slightly, though she couldn't fully see Illumi's face this way. With a lazy smile, she took Illumi's left hand, bringing it close to her lips. Under Illumi’s watchful gaze, Hisoka nibbled on the tip of her fingers. The sour taste from the soap immediately assaulted her teeth and seeped into her tongue, but she managed to maintain the facade of playful seduction by pushing Illumi's fingers a tad deeper inside. “Mhm…”
“Hisoka,” Illumi said, while she was licking her index finger. “You're peeing the water, aren't you?”
Her tongue halted at once. She blinked. In a slow motion, she pulled those fingers out of her mouth, then turned to face Illumi completely. There was a brief silence, Hisoka thinking she had misheard or Illumi was simply joking, but the latter only stared back, her big eyes boring into her soul.
“I beg your pardon?”
“The look on your face is very similar to my sister's whenever she peed inside the bathtub,” Illumi's eyes narrowed a bit. “Trying to distract me so I wouldn't notice.”
Hisoka frowned. Regardless of how she had gotten used to Illumi’s strange quips, sometimes she did have moments where she was left wondering whether Illumi deliberately said stuff in order to throw her off. From the looks of it though, like she just spoke the exact thing that happened to cross her mind; made her doubt. After a short contemplation, Hisoka decided that she was only a little amused by this. “I'm not a child.”
“It's not just children. People do it all the time in public swimming pools.”
For that, a chuckle bubbled up inside her throat. “True. But this is not a swimming pool.” Then, she leaned forward and gently squeezed Illumi's hand, a show of mock affection, and she teasingly asked her. “Do I look like someone who urinates in the exact place where she bathes?”
Illumi fell silent.
Hisoka lifted an eyebrow, watching her, and Illumi watched her back. Of course she didn't mean that as a real question, though most of the time Illumi took everything literally. Whether she realized Hisoka was making fun of her or not. She had to admit it was kind of entertaining to observe Illumi attempting to figure something out, so she always jumped at the chance whenever it presented itself.
And it was fun alright… until she realized Illumi took a long time to reply. Or that Illumi actually seemed hesitant about answering. Her ego wasn’t fragile by any means, but the audacity kinda felt like a punch to the gut. Ow.
“Probably not,” Illumi said at last.
Hisoka dramatically gasped at the implication, followed by dropping her hand like she just touched something dirty. The water splashed. “I'm going to ignore that.” She leaned back against the inner end of the tub, rolling her shoulders a bit, putting on a show as if she was trying to relax her taut muscles. “The fact you even need to think about it offends me enough.”
Illumi shifted her legs. She stretched them in the cramped space, making the side of their legs touch. “You asked me a question and I answered it. What's wrong with that?”
Her fingers tapped the inner bottom of the bathtub as she lowered her gaze, staring at the space between their legs. She found herself slowly losing interest in this… whatever this was. “Nothing,” She said, closing her eyes for a moment, before opening them again, and looked Illumi in the eye. A taunting smile tugging at her lips. “Say, Illumi. If you thought I urinated in here, why didn’t you get out then?”
This time, Illumi blinked. Probably just remembered to do that. She pulled her legs slightly, pressing her knees against her chest, and put her right hand on the edge of the tub. “A little drop of piss won't scare me away.” Those eyes, black as bottomless well, unwaveringly held her gaze. “And you've paid me to be here, after all.” She tilted her head, as if considering it. “I'm not leaving until my hour's up.”
This, made Hisoka pause.
She noticed a few tiny hairs had escaped Illumi’s bun. After thinking it over for another second, she placed an elbow on the edge of the tub; mirroring Illumi. Then, with a hum, she said, “That’s right.” Her eyes drew back from Illumi’s pale neck, meeting her gaze once more. “I did pay for your time.”
Illumi nodded, nothing shifted in her expression. “Unless you asked me to leave.”
A beat. The silence felt like a snake, slithering around them, whispering quietly into their hearts.
Then, very slowly, Hisoka's eyes narrowed. She put the other elbow on the edge of the tub, stretching both arms along the side; index finger making a slow, quiet tap over the surface. Another second passed in silence before she broke through it, her voice dripping with sickening sweetness that didn't match the wicked smile on her face. “Come closer.”
Illumi didn’t move. Not immediately. This wasn’t a surprise to Hisoka. She had figured Illumi wasn’t used to being told what to do—by anyone other than her parents, that is. And so, for a moment, Illumi just stared at her like she’d just grown two heads.
She considered using Bungee Gum to pull Illumi toward her. In fact, her aura had begun pooling at the tip of her index finger when Illumi inched forward. The water around her stirred along, creating a small ripple as she went. Her face was a careful blank mask; betrayed nothing of her thoughts. As if this was just another task she merely had to do.
Noting this, Hisoka lifted her elbows off the edge. Illumi stopped just before her toes touched Hisoka’s inner thighs. She let Illumi wait another beat before leaning in, one hand had moved first to touch her cheek. No matter how many times she had done so, she always thought she’d feel the cool smoothness of a porcelain doll. But Illumi was warm under her touch, and she felt human; despite all. As Hisoka brushed a wet thumb near the corner of Illumi’s lips, her eyes shifted upwards, returning the latter’s gaze.
Illumi, as expected, only watched her in silence. Likely measuring. Her quietness was somewhat unsettling; yet it was the kind of subtlety that fueled Hisoka to keep going. She put her other hand on Illumi's knee, keeping her touch light, and their breaths mingled as she leaned closer, noses almost touching.
At that moment, Illumi blinked once. Then again. As if she just realized what was happening; like she had been in a state of dissociation a while ago.
This prompted a flicker of amusement to appear and dance in her eyes. With hand drifting down to Illumi’s nape, Hisoka thought for sure she could count Illumi's lower eyelashes, had most of her attention beenn't somewhere else. Her fingers moved gingerly, feeling around. Under her thumb, it didn’t come as a surprise when Hisoka found the latter’s pulse was nothing out of the ordinary—something that she both admired and resented. Always in complete control of herself.
Hisoka tilted her head slightly, making it clear she was preparing to close the gap. Though she didn’t immediately dive in. Giving Illumi the chance to pull away.
Which Illumi didn’t take.
Seizing this as a cue to continue, she shifted her thumb to the side, caressing the column of Illumi’s throat as her index finger absentmindedly poked on the tiny black hairs escaping her bun. As she leaned in, her lips that ghosted over Illumi's curved into another smile. A genuine one this time.
So cute, Hisoka thought to herself, stopping her thumb at the base of Illumi's neck; a look of certain fondness settled on her face as she looked at her. I can wrap my entire hand around her throat.
Then she grabbed Illumi’s neck and slammed her down full force.
A startlingly loud crack followed the moment the back of her head hit the tub—the sound was enough to cause her clenched teeth to shake. Water swashed around as she held Illumi underwater, free hand tight on her stomach as she quickly pressed her knees against Illumi's thighs to prevent her from trying to get up.
Ignoring Illumi's hands was a deliberate choice, and when they shot up at her, she only tightened her grip around her throat. The cramped bathtub made it harder for either of them to move freely, though Hisoka still had a slight edge here. And she was confident she'd still get the thing she wanted, no matter what the outcome would be.
Of course, Hisoka preferred Illumi to retaliate. At this point she was half-expecting to be riddled with needles; her body struck with immobilization, then have her limbs painfully contorted in a grotesque manner. Her heart pounded in anticipation, eyes glinting with mania.
Bubbles floated up to the surface. Something pierced her arm. And her shoulder. This is it, She thought for a beat, her head almost dizzy with joy, before it registered to her mind that those were Illumi's nails digging onto her skin. Illumi was about to throw her out of the bathtub, she realized, and probably broke her arm and shoulder while doing it. This swiftly renewed her anticipation as she looked down on Illumi with glee, who was staring back at her from underwater.
Come on, Illumi, Hisoka squeezed her neck, her own nails pricking the latter’s pale skin; showing a hint of red. Give it to me.
Illumi met her gaze through the water. She knew that for once, Illumi clearly understood what she wanted. And Illumi would give it to her. This, she was certain of, for Illumi rarely ever refused her.
So when Illumi tightened her hold and grabbed her, she prepared to hear the bones crack. In fact, she had loosened her grip a bit, a semi-conscious decision to make it easier for Illumi to do it.
All that barely contained excitement, only for Illumi to drag her down.
Figuratively. Also literally.
Another big splash happened as Hisoka hit the water face-first. She unintentionally inhaled, causing the water to surge into her nostrils, and accidentally swallowed a mouthful. It wasn’t even painful—she was more caught off-guard by the act; enough that she didn’t realize Illumi's hand had crept to the back of her head. Her iron hold got impossibly firmer, and Hisoka believed Illumi meant to snap her neck.
Between all that, their eyes met once again. Hisoka blinked. Illumi didn't.
Next she was being pulled down, face pressed flush against Illumi's collarbone. With her hands still around Illumi's neck, this position was slightly awkward, though she wouldn't mind if this led to Illumi putting her in a headlock. She hoped she passed out.
And then Illumi began shifting her hand. Starting from the top of Hisoka's head, down to her nape; and despite everything, Illumi's touch made her neck heat up, just a little bit. Illumi repeated that motion again. And again. The gears in her mind turned at once, trying to identify this new, strange ritual that wasn't remotely similar to one of Illumi's usual moves.
Oh yes, she watched Illumi alright, whenever she was invited to join the latter at work. Sure there were times where Illumi finished faster than she could catch up with. But what she did witness, she'd never forget. It was impossible to. The way Illumi moved, always with a highly disciplined, lethal precision—a mere flick of her wrist, one’s at death's door! They had no chance to defend themselves. They didn’t even see her coming!
Sometimes Hisoka wondered if those killing blows were painful. More often than not she imagined Illumi would turn and look at her the way she did her targets. If they were to fight for real, it would be a matter of speed and how much the other could dodge until one landed a hit, she thought. She was still attempting to figure out how to spectacularly break through Illumi's rhythm.
So it went, this movement felt off. Instead of Illumi's calculated hand, this touch felt… somewhat clumsy. Like she was trying to mimic a butcher stroking an animal before slaughtering it. That kept going, and probably would still go on until she felt Illumi's hand stopped over her nape. The moment Illumi started patting her—not unlike the way she did her sister back then during the exam—only now it dawned upon her that Illumi wasn't doing what she initially thought she'd do.
(Again, she did say Illumi rarely ever refused to give her what she wanted. Clearly, this was one of those rare occasions.)
Like a thief, a spark of flusterment stole its way into Hisoka's chest. Is she looking down on me? Then, as quickly as it appeared, the spark morphed into something uglier. Something that resembled anger. Why did she even feel embarrassed in the first place?
She wrenched away from Illumi’s hold, the water making a big splash around them once more as she resurfaced; sliding herself backward until her back hit the side of the bathtub. She turned to the right and spat a mouthful of water. In front of her, Illumi followed suit, coughing it out. With the hair tie gone—lost, floating somewhere—her long, black hair fell over her face, giving her the look of that one ghost who terrorized people by crawling out of their television.
Hisoka swallowed her annoyance, leaving only disappointment to fill the void. She looked as Illumi brushed her hair back, watching her blink a few times; then deliberately let out a loud sigh, with hand on her cheek. “You’re no fun.”
Illumi cocked her head to the side. “Want me to leave?”
No apology. No pretend wait, I messed up, let’s repeat it again. Just a direct question to bail herself out of this situation. Did Illumi really think she would let her go that easily? Or maybe that was Illumi’s intention all along. To just stare at her, purposely not taking the bait; to piss her off enough that she'd tell Illumi to leave.
If that was the case…
“You’re not setting a foot outside until your time's up.” Hisoka flicked her fingers, throwing a speck of Bungee Gum to glue Illumi's left wrist to the side of the tub. She did the same to the right one. Leaning in slightly, she put on the most irritating smile she could muster. “I've paid in full upfront, after all.”
Illumi glanced down, eyeing her wrists. By the looks of it, she must've realized that Hisoka didn't put much effort to restrain her against the tub. If Illumi wanted to, she could tug once or twice and it would stretch, shifting in accordance with her movement. It would stick to her like a second skin, though.
Was it a childish attempt to get back? Yes.
Was it annoying? Oh yes, she hoped so.
Thus, Hisoka watched as Illumi looked up again. Waiting for those eyebrows to curve, for Illumi to tell her to retract it.
Only for the latter to meet her stare and simply said, “Alright.”
Followed by a brief silence. Then a laugh; sharp, spontaneous. She shook her head in disbelief, and with Illumi's eyes on her, unblinking, never leaving; she felt her irritation gradually die down. While it wasn't unusual for her to hop on to different moods in a span of two minutes, the amusement of watching Illumi's inability to read the room made it impossible to stay mad at her for long.
The water had thinned since then, almost half of it had flowed out of the tub—leaving their chest barely covered, wet and glistening under the light. It stirred as she moved closer, once again closing the gap between them. Illumi barely shifted as she put her hands next to her shoulders, fingers gripping the edge of the tub. Hisoka leaned in to press her lips against Illumi's neck, right on the blue-purple marks where she had touched her earlier, and licked the skin.
“Does it hurt?”
Illumi tilted her face, accidentally bumping her chin against Hisoka's temple. “Would you be happy if I said yes?”
“Certainly,” Hisoka replied. She kissed the wet stripes off Illumi's throat, her mouth slowly traveling lower and lower, tasting the warm and pulsing skin under, stopping short beneath her collarbone. Propping all the weight on her left hand, she moved the right one to settle on Illumi’s hip. “Does it?”
She opened her mouth and sunk her teeth, not deep enough to draw blood, yet hard enough to leave another mark.
“No,” Illumi said, her voice strangely kind, “but your hair stinks.”
Hisoka froze. Even so, she recovered just as quickly not to let the moment linger; letting out a snort as she drew back and turned around. “My apologies, darling,” To prove her sincerity, she leaned back, nuzzling her head up right against Illumi's nose. “You've seen the toilet in the hideout. Think I would take a shower there?”
She waited, but Illumi didn't try to push her away, both hands still glued to the inner side of the tub. After Illumi tipped her face to the other side, she took the chance to rest her head comfortably on Illumi's shoulder.
“Mine didn't smell as bad when I slept underground.”
“Well, if you were plagued by excitement but you had to wait and do nothing, your body too would start producing… unwanted perspiration.”
Though Hisoka couldn’t see it, she could tell Illumi was frowning right now. “That doesn't sound right.”
“Don't think too much about it,” She put her left hand on Illumi's knee, thumb making small circles; eyes closed, relishing in the moment. Her back grazed Illumi’s chest, pressing against her hard nipples. When she felt that, a grin graced her lips. It didn’t take long for her to start rubbing her back against them.
“Speaking of,” Illumi spoke, and—to her dismay—seemingly completely unaffected, “what happened with Chrollo?”
Hisoka sighed in mild exasperation. “I already told you. Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Yes,” She said, her tone sharp. “Nothing happened.”
Illumi, of course, didn't get the hint and kept pressing. “How come? Did she dash away when she saw you?”
“I left her there.”
“I don't understand.”
Though deeply uninterested in pushing it back to the front of her mind, she still recounted what happened, for her own sake and sanity. Knowing Illumi… if she continued being vague about it, Illumi would hound her until she gave up. If she didn't, Illumi would find another way to fish the answer out of her.
“—and with that chain on her heart, she couldn't use Nen,” Hisoka gave a shrug. “I’d be lying if I say I'm not disappointed, but honestly… It's not a big deal. I still got other toys to play with.” When Illumi didn't respond, she glanced up, and saw that the latter was in deep thought. Slyly, she tested, “like your little sister.”
Illumi flinched. Or something that resembled it. She blinked at her, eyebrows curving. “What?”
Hisoka stared. It was just a notion that formed in her head, at first, after observing Illumi’s interaction with Killua. She had deduced that maybe the key to activate Illumi's berserk mode was… well, Killua. But seeing Illumi's bewilderment, apparently she was wrong?
Or…
She raised an eyebrow, “Care to share what’s going on inside that pretty little head of yours?”
Illumi looked away. “It makes sense now.”
And she didn't say anything else.
“What are you getting at?”
Hisoka watched Illumi blink once more, which was uncommon in such a short period of time; before her eyes were met again.
“I had no idea… she lost her Nen,” Illumi said, very slowly, like she was actually thinking and choosing her words the exact moment before she let them out, “I thought, if she just… merely escaped… you would be tailing her. Right now.”
After that, she smiled, looking very much like a dumb cat who was pleased with herself because she believed she managed to fool everyone and hide her mess. When in reality, it was written all over her face. Though Hisoka wasn’t sure if there was even a mess to be hidden in the first place.
And so, she only replied with a short, “I guess,” then looked away, to the wall, and decided to drop the Killua thing for now, certain the right timing would come some other time.
For some reason, it seemed like Illumi was too eager to continue with the topic. “How soon do you think she will try to restore her Nen?”
Hisoka tried stretching her legs. Illumi shifted a bit, her crotch pressing against her backside. “Soon,” She closed her eyes again, placing both arms over the sides of the bathtub. “Or later. Who knows.”
“Then worry not. You'll get your fight anyway,” Illumi said, her tone cheerful, like she was trying to console her. Illumi moved her left hand—probably tugging at the Bungee Gum, testing. “In the meantime, why don't you train some more?”
“Yeah, I'll do that.”
“I mean proper training. Research. Even though you manage to have the upper hand every time, you can't always rely on improvisation. Considering your opponent…”
“I'm comfortable with my own approach, thank you.” Hisoka glanced up again, meeting Illumi’s eyes, and wiggled her eyebrows. “If you want to know, I also think this position is quite comfortable.”
Illumi’s frown appeared, this time deeper than before. “This will be your most serious match yet,” was what she said, prompting Hisoka to sigh and roll her eyes. “Chrollo is not to be underestimated, after all.”
For that, Hisoka couldn’t help but snort. Not out of disbelief. She just couldn't see why they were still having this conversation right now. Even so, she decided to humor Illumi a little bit longer. “Listen to yourself,” Her tone was laced with deliberate mockery. “Speaking from experience?” A smile crept upon her face, one that barely reached her eyes.
As if sensing the drop in the air, Illumi held her gaze. “Not mine,” Her voice was even. “My father's.”
Now that sparked her interest. “Oh?”
“That’s right.” Another tug. “Three years ago, he was commissioned to eliminate somebody from this bandit gang. Since the target's location was a bit obscure, it required him to track them down first, so that job was bound to stretch longer than usual.”
Illumi made a move behind her. Trying to, at least. Hisoka didn't shift, and stayed silent as Illumi flicked her a look. They stared at each other, with Illumi looking at her expectantly, but she didn't back down until Illumi narrowed her eyes and stopped her attempt to move. After a moment of silence, Illumi continued.
“Nearly a week later, Father returned. The next morning, he called me and my sisters to come up to his room… and once we were all together, he recounted what had happened,” She gave a pause again. “Out of all targets he had ever needed to hunt down, this one was especially difficult to find. It took some time for him to finally pin his location. When he did face the target, he already had a hunch that he wasn’t dealing with some ordinary thief. Father wanted to assess the situation, so he let him attack first, and to his surprise, the target—number Eight, he called him—though gave a decent fight, was still no match for him. Now with the job done, Father initially thought the inkling would soon disappear, too.
“But as he was leaving, he knew right away that he was being followed. All over the place, even among the crowd, there were eyes on him. Watching. Waiting… getting closer. Whenever he caught them from the tail of his eye and gave chase, they disappeared into the shadows with no trace.”
“Like a spider,” Hisoka remarked.
“Precisely.” The corners of her lips lifted up slightly, forming something that should've been a smile—but for some reason, it wasn't. “And not just any spider. After a while, he decided it was a waste of time, and thought he would ignore the whole thing if it came back. Just as he was about to get back on his way… he found her waiting for him.”
Illumi halted, averting her eyes. While waiting for Illumi to collect her thoughts, Hisoka stretched her toes, blinking away a drop of water from her eye. Soon enough, restiveness began to crawl its way up inside her stomach as the silence stretched on for longer than she was able to tolerate.
She wanted the details. She had to know the dirt. She needed it now.
That drove her to break the quietness, her tone pressing impatiently. “And?”
Illumi didn't look at her. “It wasn’t worth it.”
“... What wasn't?”
“The payment. After everything he had to deal with, that just wasn't it. He didn’t explicitly say this, but he warned us to keep away from the troupe—and at that moment we understood she is too much of a trouble even for him,” Illumi glanced. “He rarely said that about anyone.”
Briefly, Hisoka only stared at Illumi, certain she would add something else. Something she surely knew Hisoka was eager to hear.
Illumi didn’t blink. She kept silent.
“And?” Hisoka repeated, her eyes narrowed a bit, “your dad fought her, right? How did it go? Who won? Tell me everything.”
“My father, obviously.” Illumi looked at her like she was an idiot for asking that in the first place. And the icing on the cake was, once again, she pointedly ignored the other matter. “You think Chrollo will let him live if he'd lost?”
Well. She sorta had a point.
Still, Hisoka couldn’t help but get annoyed that she disclosed everything except for the thing she wanted to know the most. Especially for someone who oddly insisted on having this conversation at the outset—indirectly alluding that she was trying to help, only for her to… not really doing anything.
Letting out a sigh, she looked away from Illumi and bent her knees up. The water had entirely cooled off now. Her shoulders almost dried as she tried rolling them against Illumi, the tension in her muscles ever persisting. She stretched her fingers. As she did so, she reconsidered this.
Perhaps her dad didn’t tell her the whole thing. Maybe Illumi really had no idea how it went. With her lack of filter and tendency to overshare about basically everything, if she had known, she would've spilled it already. Illumi had no reason to keep it hidden from her. Maybe that was the reason she suggested doing research. Illumi might not have cared about Chrollo at all, but anyone who knew her well understood how nosy she could be about other people's affairs, no matter how trivial. Hisoka always assumed that was her way to maintain the sense that she was in control; of being the one who knew everything, or at least pretending to.
While Illumi didn’t give her the full picture, it did leave plenty of room for her imagination to wander…
Hisoka exhaled again. This time, it was more of a dreamy sigh instead of an exasperated one, and slowly, her surroundings came to a stop as she tilted her head up, with a smile creeping on her face.
Chrollo Lucilfer and Silva Zoldyck. The leader of the infamous group of murderous thieves and the head of the most notorious assassin family. Two predators standing across one another, the air between them brimming with tension as they stared each other down… she knew there was a certain quietness in that brief moment, like an explosion waiting to go off, just right before the collision…
A small shiver ran down her spine at the thought.
What a sight it must have been, when they clashed, with no hesitation from both sides… one was out for blood, the other out of retaliation… all that intense, raw power, so deliciously destructive…
Did their dance manage to shake the earth?
What kind of move did they pull at the beginning?
How was the rhythm?
She wondered who managed to land the first hit. Oh, she would've done anything to—
Somewhere below her left thigh, a piercing pain snapped her back, clearing her mind as suddenly as it was shocking. It felt like something was pulling on a chunk of her flesh, almost tearing it apart.
Hisoka sucked in her breath, lips pursing tightly.
Then the force beneath the pull sharpened, digging an inch into her flesh; wrenching a moan out of her throat.
“Don’t stop.”
“Oh, you're you again,” Illumi's fingers loosened until she was no longer pinching her. Hisoka glanced down, and though she couldn’t see the wound, she could feel her lower thigh throbbing from the pain. “Your bloodlust was seeping out, Hisoka.”
Giggling at that, she took Illumi's hand and put it over her stomach. There was a red line at the corner of Illumi’s thumb nail. She tilted her head to the side, seeing that Illumi was already staring at her.
Deliberately, Hisoka leaned, pushing all her weight against Illumi. Her frame had always been bigger, even though they were nearly the same height. And, just as she expected, she felt Illumi tensed a bit behind her.
“I'm crushing you right now.”
Illumi was silent for a second. “No, you're not.”
“Oh?” Hisoka smirked and pushed back even more, though Illumi didn't budge. Not even to try to shoulder her off. “I’m heavy, aren’t I?”
“No.”
“You sure?” She teased.
“Yes,” Illumi tilted her head slightly, gaze didn’t waver. “You’re never too heavy for me.”
The smile was still on her face as she averted her eyes. All of sudden she found the pattern on the wall so interesting that she had to observe it, letting the pause settle in. Only the sound of her breath, and Illumi's behind her, filled the silence.
And the silence went on,
and on,
and on…
Until after a while, it tiptoed dangerously close to the verge of discomfort, so much that Hisoka decided to step in—
“Sooo,” She started, making sure her tone was casual, in a way that definitely didn’t sound like she was trying to steer away from where they left off just then. “Daddy thinks Chrollo is dangerous, huh?”
“That's correct.”
“What do you think?”
“She's powerful, of course,” Illumi replied. “And also trouble. I've told you before.”
Hisoka felt her smile return. “More than me?” And when Illumi didn't respond, she glanced up to the side. A frown had appeared, gracing her forehead, and this particular look—everytime she was in deep thought, making an effort to figure something out—reminded Hisoka of how fun it was to be the one who made Illumi hesitate about something.
“I can't say,” Illumi finally admitted, “I've never directly seen her in a fight before. But I trust my father’s judgment.” The hand on Hisoka’s stomach shifted a bit, the tip of her fingers brushing against her skin like a butterfly’s kiss. “Besides, when I called Father to inform him the contract’s completed, she’s still hanging there. Even though my father and grandfather attacked her at the same time. I believe it’s not a stretch to say she's even more dangerous now than before.”
“Yet your dad still allowed her to hire you,” Hisoka mused.
“Father respects strength.” There was a tug, this time coming from her right side. Like before, it seemed like Illumi was testing, probably trying to find a way to get the Bungee Gum off her wrist. “And a job is a job. If the payment is good, then it's a deal.”
Hisoka gave a nod before closing her eyes. “Fair enough.”
For a moment, no word was exchanged between them. Everything was so quiet… the kind of silence that made one feel drowsy, enough that it lulled her into dozing off.
“Hisoka?”
Almost.
She cracked one eye open. “Yeah?”
“If you will, you can hire me to be your temporary sparring partner,” Illumi offered. “We both know you lack the patience and discipline to evaluate yourself properly. And, knowingly overlooking your weak points to pretend you don’t have any… it can be quite fatal one day. I helped train my younger sisters, so I can say I'm good at noticing these things.”
Oh, how generous of her. Hisoka couldn't help but scoff at that. “You just want an excuse to monitor all of my hidden moves, or the ones I might develop later.”
“That certainly is my use as your partner. I will update you on your progress and note your flaws so we can work on that.”
The corners of her lips lifted up again, and this time it formed a grin, one that was full of teeth. As a matter of fact, she felt her cheeks hurt from how wide it was.
“Illu.”
Tilting her head to the side, she also raised her left hand, fingers caressing Illumi's throat. They stopped over where the blue-purple mark bloomed, tenderly pressing against the pulse at first. Then her sharp nail dug half an inch into Illumi's skin as her thumb squeezed harder. A drop of red dripped down the same time she spoke, her voice sickeningly affectionate.
“Do you keep a file on me?”
Illumi's eyes. Already as black as the evening sky, they looked even darker than usual. Yet something made them seem to glow, if such a thing was possible. Like a cat's eyes during the night… the kind that gave one a fright when they turned around and caught her lurking nearby.
In all the years Hisoka had been alive, she had met many people, chased them, fought them, killed them. When they burned, they were like fireworks: beautiful and bright and dazzling for a moment, then gone. Ask her about the last person she pursued. Or the one before them. They had been lost to the memory she never bothered to hold close, her interest fading as soon as their light died out.
She saw it now in Illumi's eyes, as the latter looked back. But hers was always there—steady, like a lantern in the middle of the night. The calm in her demeanor intensified this. That kind of flame might worth keeping in mind, at least for now.
“I do,” Illumi confessed, “yours is thicker than the rest.”
Hisoka's grin eased into a smile. “I hope it is,” She drew her hand back and sat up slowly. Her neck felt rather stiff after leaning for that long. Something that Illumi must’ve noticed. Soon enough, she felt those hands on her back, rubbing experimentally before moving to massage her shoulders. The pressure under her fingers did wonders to her joints.
“Can't say I'm not tempted to agree.” Hisoka shut her eyes, bending her head down a little. As she contented herself the treatment, a spark of mischievousness rose within her. And this, prompted her to keep talking. “I have never tried to have myself electrocuted, you know, at least not under surveillance. Will you have me follow the Zoldyck training regime? If my muscle doesn't turn into iron by the end, I'm gonna ask for a refund.”
It was a joke, of course. But, as per usual, Illumi took it seriously.
“It doesn't work like that. All the torture we go through during our training makes us able to endure, not invicible. Be it from Nen users or those who aren't,” She added the last part as if she forgot that seven people, including Hisoka herself, witnessed Gon breaking her arm months ago. “Not even from animal attacks. Mike almost lopped my thigh off, once.”
“Mike?” Hisoka raised her brow. “Didn’t you say he’s super duper obedient to you guys?”
“He is now,” Illumi shifted and began rubbing the side of her shoulders. “That happened years ago, a few days after my youngest sister’s birth.” She didn’t spend much time around her shoulders, her hands squeezed them one last time before drawing away.
A moment of silence occurred—which was probably a short contemplation on Illumi's part—Hisoka felt her fists touching her back, and soon Illumi was using it like she would a punching bag; only the poundings didn't try to punch holes through her body. They were quite nice, actually, and before long, she could feel the effect starting to take in. The tension in her muscles gave way.
“One afternoon, I came back after completing a mission. I could tell Mike was hiding somewhere behind one of the larger trees,” Illumi continued. “I sensed him lunging at me before I saw him—and the moment I did, his teeth were an inch away from snapping my thigh bone.”
“Oh my.” Like a switch being flipped, her mind conjured an image of Illumi, much younger than she was right now, that monster of a dog chomping at her lower half, a jug of blood spurting out and dribbling down his mouth like some spilled sauce. Hisoka stifled a chuckle. “You weren’t able to move in time?”
“Of course I could, but I decided he needed a wake-up call first.”
“Ah,” Hisoka let out a pleased groan as Illumi put more force in her punch. “How long did it take for him to recover?”
For the first time, Illumi's voice was suddenly sharp, every word clipped. “He was a puppy, Hisoka. Do you take me as some kind of a psycho?”
“Well…”
“Mike had been in our care for several months by then. His training went well,” Illumi cut in, “but he was wild once, not to mention still young enough to be easily confused. Sometimes, he acted like he forgot that he was no longer just a barbaric creature. That now he belonged to us.” She moved downward, now targeting her ribs. As she carried on, her tone slowly lost its tightness. “So when his teeth were inches deep inside my flesh, I looked him in the eye, and I saw that beneath all his aggression, he understood this. Yet that didn’t stop him from challenging me. It was a test—to see whether I, his supposed master, would stoop to his level just to remind him of his place.”
Only then Hisoka noticed how each knock of Illumi's fist matched the rhythm of her words; almost like the motion was measured, purposely done. She had to admit she didn't think much about it at first, or the fact that it was probably nothing—but she couldn't shake off the feeling as if some dark clouds had descended from the sky to shroud her eyes, all while she reached out to probe around and was still unsure what she was touching.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, Illumi halted, as if she could hear them somehow. When the water moved as Illumi drew her legs, Hisoka wondered whether she was getting up to leave.
But Illumi only went closer, until her knees bumped against her lower back. Soon, she resumed giving Hisoka those jabs—now aimed a little above her hips, using the sides of her fists to do it. There was a bathtub plug near Hisoka's toes, something she observed for a bit, even if half her mind was elsewhere. “So you didn't reprimand him,” she mused. “In fact, you did nothing.”
“Correct.”
Hisoka debated taking the plug off, just to feel how the water would flow under her butt when it went down the drain. She bent down slightly and reached for it. Behind her, Illumi continued speaking.
“I looked at him, and him at me, and for a time, there was nothing else.” The water made a small splashing sound when Illumi's jabs went lower, her fists now underwater as she worked on Hisoka’s hips. Hisoka thumbed the plug before closing her fingers around it, still toying with the idea. “And very slowly, with his eyes still on me, I could feel his teeth loosen. I watched him release my thigh. I still looked at him as he moved closer to lick my wounds. When he was done, he sat down on my feet.”
Illumi gave her two, three more knocks before stopping. Hisoka felt her fists opening against her hips, and not a moment later, she went back to massaging.
“Had you played by his rules,” Hisoka contemplated, stopping short from unplugging it. “He would just see you as another animal. Someone he could challenge again later, and next time, it may not be just a mere test.”
“You get it.”
She let go of the plug.
It wasn’t as if her perception of things were dull. She knew she was far from what one might define as ‘normal’, and she always thought the fact that she was even aware of it made her sane enough. And yet, there were times like this that made her question her own common sense. Not often, but coincidentally, it always happened whenever Illumi was with her.
“That's…”
A saner person would have been flabbergasted by now; offended by the analogy, perhaps even insulted. Yet she felt nothing of the sort. Indeed she loved the idea of someone being potentially stronger than her, but suggesting she was on the end of the leash? Now that was a whole different thing. And yet, a wave of giddiness engulfed her, and soon she was stifling her laugh like some teenage girl giggling over her crush’s unfunny joke. Maybe it was about time for her to get off her high horse and admit her sanity wasn’t completely intact, after all.
The same issue, apparently, could be extended to her ability to take in what currently was happening around her when she was deep in thought like this. Until the very last second.
Illumi was no longer working her hips.
Somehow, Hisoka failed to notice this.
Or the fact that Illumi had trailed her right hand down her thigh, crawling like a snake, and stopping at her crotch.
When she came to, those fingers were already on her clit; their brush shy like the flap of a butterfly's wings.
“That is,” Hisoka drew a short breath, “quite far from my back.”
“I know,” Illumi replied calmly, her index finger pressing her entrance. Then she slipped in and crooked that finger, successfully causing Hisoka to stiffen. “Would you like me to go further?”
At that, Hisoka shut her eyes, letting her voice drop an octave. “If you don’t stop fucking around,” she said, very quietly, tightening her Bungee Gum around Illumi's right wrist. The slight movement made her finger jerked a bit inside, pushing Hisoka to hold back a whimper as she continued, “I will rip your hand off and make you watch as I fuck myself on it.”
“You can,” Illumi acknowledged. “But you won't.”
Before she managed to give a response, Illumi pushed the second finger in. Somewhere, she could hear someone gasping, followed by Illumi wrapping her left arm around her stomach; her hold iron-clad, yanking Hisoka back to her once more, her back bumping against Illumi's chest. Without a pause, Illumi's thumb rubbed against her clit, pinching the soft flesh, and Hisoka threw her head back over Illumi's shoulder. Her mouth wide open, panting, as Illumi began pushing deeper, deeper; those long fingers forcing their way in oh-so-roughly that she thought surely Illumi was aiming to grab her womb and wrenched it out of her vagina.
Wrenched it out of her… even before she could feel it stolen from her. Before she could flinch. Illumi would be dangling it in front of her eyes; blood and all.
The idea unsettled her to the core.
“Hah… haa, m… more…” She groaned. “Illu…”
Putting her chin on Hisoka’s left shoulder, Illumi momentarily halted her fingers, letting them nestled inside comfortably; her breath was even.
Not one second had passed, she knew, but it was still a tad bit too long for her liking, to the point she started whining again. Though bless Illumi’s merciful heart, she listened and went back to stretching them, and Hisoka felt her insides opening along with the movement. Illumi closed her fingers, opening them again, twisting them, again, again, and again, so agonizingly slow, all while accompanied by impatient pants from Hisoka. She reached for Illumi's hand, the one with knuckles buried deep, intent on forcing her to move the way she wanted it; fast, rough, she needed Illumi to mess her up.
But as soon as her hand landed on Illumi's wrist, the latter’s voice came right next to her ear, firm and clinical.
“Don’t touch me.”
Hisoka frowned, clamping her fingers around Illumi.
“Take your hand away or I'll pull out,” Illumi said. Hisoka hesitated, just for a moment, and the next thing she knew those fingers were moving, slipping away, half-out of her; which sent her mind into mini panic.
“You're so cruel,” She pouted, moving her hand off Illumi.
Illumi paused, knuckles half buried. “Put your hands on the side of the bathtub.”
Hisoka did as she was told. Then she tilted her head to the side to get a kiss, only for Illumi to tilt her face away; her wide, unblinking eyes looking at her like she wasn't worthy of a modicum of treat.
“What do we say?”
Mildly amused, Hisoka smiled before lifting her head a bit and moved to close the gap, only for Illumi’s left hand to act faster and grab her face, squishing her cheeks.
“Hisoka,” She began again, her voice gentle and patient, as if she was coaxing a disobedient pet. “What do we say?”
Hisoka's smile turned tight, eyes narrowed. “You little shit.”
Down there, the tip of Illumi’s thumb dug onto her clit. She dragged it up to the top, bringing it down again, then rubbed a circle.
“Please.”
“There we go.” Illumi leaned in and kissed her on the mouth—something she immediately, eagerly, reciprocated.
The moment their mouths moved together, Illumi released her face. That hand crept below Hisoka’s arm and cupped her right breast, squeezing once, rougher the second time, and gave her nipple a pinch, followed by a particularly painful twist that made her bite down on Illumi's lower lip. She tasted blood.
Soon after, Illumi pushed her fingers back in, all the way to the hilt; and Hisoka arched her back in response, her grip tight against the tub. Another loud gasp broke away when Illumi began thrusting in and out.
Illumi, oh, she knew Hisoka's spot very well. Each time she made sure to hit it. Fast, with no restrain. Each time Hisoka rewarded it with a shudder, a groan. Illumi’s name whispered between a trail of moans and gasps, along with the water splashing; those were the only sounds filling the bathroom at the moment as Illumi kept stirring her passage, seemingly keen to turn her inside out.
The swarm of pleasure rose higher and higher, making her toes curl. She would twist her body, head lolled on Illumi’s shoulder, pushing back. But Illumi never budged; always firm, always holding her up. Illumi was like an immovable wall.
“I’m…” Hisoka's knuckles were white against the tub, clutching for her life. Just five, three, a little bit more push, and she’d be over the edge. “Illu, I'll—”
And Illumi chose that moment to pull out.
The second her tips were leaving her clit, it was as if Hisoka was being forcefully put through a slow-mo… she watched it right before her eyes… she felt it happened… and she wasn't quick enough to stop it.
And now.
Her lips trembled in shock, so did the one below: utterly empty, viciously abandoned.
Then, her bewilderment turned into anger.
“What the hell?”
With one languid motion, Illumi lifted her hand. Hisoka opened her mouth, ready to curse her—and that was when she saw the veins under Illumi’s skin move. Like a slow ripple, they went up, climbing her fingers…
Her fingers morphed. Her pale, smooth fingers; they grew a few inches, the nails sprouted out like razors—white and wicked.
“No?” Illumi asked.
Wicked enough to cut through flesh and bones.
“Oh, yes,” Hisoka groaned. “Yes, please.”
She could barely able to contain the brimming excitement rising inside her, like a fire reignited; as Illumi brought her claws south. Parting her legs wider, she looked on. Her knuckles hurt from clenching the tub too tight. Inside her ribcage, that heart thrummed like crazy, impatient to welcome this new kind of delicious pain…
Illumi’s claws scarcely touched her throbbing clit when they morphed back into her normal fingers.
“Why should I?”
Felt like someone just poured cold water over her.
“What?”
“You haven’t earned it.” As if she hadn’t just killed Hisoka for the -nth time, Illumi remarked, sounding so innocent and wonder-like. “Why should I give it to you?”
Hisoka gritted through her teeth. “I said please. Please, Illumi? Pretty please?”
“What I mean is,” Illumi put her thumb near her entrance. “I need you to prove yourself first, Hisoka. What exactly have you done—” Sliding the thumb inside, pressing against the soft flesh. “—to deserve me, destroying this?”
At this point, the tub nearly cracked beneath her palm. “Illumi, darling,” She spoke gently, sweet as venom. “Must I go over my past accomplishments? Out of every battle I’ve fought, have I ever faced defeat?”
Illumi met her eyes. “There is one you have yet to win.”
A beat.
Then, “I’m gonna win that one, too.”
Trailing an index finger down her clit, Illumi said nothing.
Hisoka sucked in her breath. “Are you doubting me?”
“No,” Illumi replied quietly, and only after another moment of silence.
With eyes narrowed, she unclenched the tub. There were faint dents there. The shape of her fingers. Illumi might think of herself as clever, but Hisoka had played these games many, many, many times before; with higher stakes.
An easy yet mocking smirk took shape on her lips. She straightened up a bit, rolling her shoulders, mindful of the fact Illumi still had her fingers lingering down there. “Illu,” she said, enjoying Illumi’s slow, confused blink. “You’ve really deluded yourself.”
Illumi looked at her, brows furrowed. “I have?”
“Do you think I'll rise to any bait you throw at me?” The corner of Hisoka’s eye followed Illumi's motion as the latter leaned in to put her chin on her shoulder. “That I'll immediately launch to do whatever you want just because you told me to?” Illumi tilted her head, so now Hisoka was looking over her.
All the while, Illumi's gaze was on her, silent and unreadable.
With a smug face, Hisoka added, “Next you’d want me to boast how I’ll win my fight.”
Illumi slid her thumb out. Soon it was replaced by her index finger, which then started moving in and out. As the thumb worked her clit, she thrusted her finger, passing through the passage as smoothly as a snake sliding inside a cavern, unhurried but determined. Yet each time, she managed to narrowly miss her spot.
And that carried on until Illumi pulled her finger out; the tip hanging on to her clit. Waiting.
Hisoka's breathing had grown heavy by then. In a quiet, brief moment, she held Illumi's gaze.
“I'll kill her,” She swore. “I'll tear her apart.”
The faintest hint of a smile hovered at the corners of her mouth. “That’s the spirit.”
Without warning, Illumi plunged her finger back in.
And she heard a shriek. Loud enough to shatter her eardrums.
Then, she felt it.
The pain. Shockingly blinding, painfully raw—the kind that swallowed every other thought in her mind; so overwhelming that it got rid of all her senses, forcefully narrowing her world and everything in it until the pain was all there was. The pain dragged inside her, very… very, slowly… leaving licks of fire burning in its way…
It’s… it’s ripping me—
And then, just as abruptly as it came, the agony faded—allowing her lungs to fill again.
Gradually, she managed to pick up other sounds. The sound of someone saying her name.
“... soka,”
Illumi's voice.
“Hisoka.”
She tried to blink. Her head was over Illumi’s shoulder once again, and she was met with the latter’s stare after she tilted her face.
“If you win,” Illumi said, “You can have as many fingers as you want. Take my entire hand, if you can handle it.”
Down there, she could still feel herself throbbing from the lingering ache. The reminder of the searing pain was enough to make her wince. Even so, the idea had her grinning so hard that she was practically salivating. “Is that a promise, my dear?”
“I always keep my word.”
Illumi moved her elbow. Hisoka stiffened, her toes curling so sharply it felt they might snap. For a fleeting moment, a small burst of fire cut through her inner flesh, then disappeared.
“Win, and I will fuck you until there is nothing left between your legs except a mush of bloody meat.”
She groaned.
What came after that, she recalled little except for Illumi who pushed in again, sparking the firelet within her core, which in turn began dancing in tune with Illumi's rhythm. Her feet hit the end of the bathtub. She must’ve cracked some toes by now.
The longer it glided inside her passage, the more accustomed she became to it. And though the pain persisted, it no longer overrode her senses like before. At one point, she was able to hear Illumi asking her to get rid of the Bungee Gum still sticking on her wrists.
Who am I to say no?
Illumi raked a nail over her sensitive spot, and a flare of pain drowned her vision in white.
This is just the beginning.
After I emerged victorious, I will receive far more than this.
Until there's nothing left, she says.
Oh, Hisoka would absolutely take great pleasure in crushing that spider with her own bare hands. She would savor every passing second.
It didn’t take long for her to be driven over the edge.
As it happened, stars exploded behind her eyes—every nerve trembling from the force, and a moment later her lower half was an overflowing fountain; refusing to be suppressed, flooding the entire tub.
The sensation left her trembling against Illumi, who said, “Hisoka, look.” Her eyes fluttered open just as Illumi took out her claw—which turned into her normal, index finger as soon as it was out; and she saw it was laced with blood. Around her vagina, which was still slightly quivering, a bit of blood and other fluids were carried up to the surface.
“You’re peeing the water,” Illumi called out smugly before drawing her hands back, free from restraint.
Hisoka propped herself on one arm over the tub, watching Illumi rise and step onto the floor. When she was calm enough to speak, a tease was the first thing she decided to let out. “I thought you weren’t scared of a little drop of piss.”
“I’m not,” Illumi reached for the towel on the hanger. “But my hour’s up.”
“Ah.”
After Illumi left the bathroom, Hisoka sat there with the plug taken off. She waited until all the water ran out. Only then did she get up and walk to the bedroom, a speck of red running down her inner thigh. Since Illumi had stolen the one towel there, she entered the room dripping with water, uncaring that she wet the floor.
Before her, Illumi was bending over, hands pulling the pants up her legs.
“Not staying over?”
She shook her head. “I've got someplace to be.”
“I see.” Hisoka took Illumi's shirt off the bed and rolled it, stepping closer. She held the shirt above Illumi's head, looking as the latter put her head through it. “You're screwing someone else after this?”
Illumi slipped her arms into the sleeves. “My sister is waiting for me.”
“Oh, so your sister…”
“That's a disgusting insinuation,” Illumi narrowed her eyes and Hisoka raised her hands in peace, though she couldn't help but smile at Illumi’s annoyance. “I was supposed to meet up with her an hour ago, but then your message came in. So I told her to wait somewhere.”
“Fantastic. Your service’s definitely earned a five-star rating from me,” Hisoka’s grin widened, fingers under Illumi's chin, and she leaned in to steal a quick peck. Her thumb brushed over Illumi's lower lip, pausing over the small split where she'd bitten her earlier. “I’ll make sure to give you a proper tip…” Her hand travelled down her neck. The bruise had turned darker, and it sat nicely around her throat like a choker. “For your trouble.”
Illumi caught her jaw before she was able to lean in for a bite. “I see you’ve gotten your whimsy back,” She noted.
“I’m always full of whimsy.”
“Not when I found you back there.” Illumi let go of her and turned to pick her crop top up. “Your vibe's totally off. I figured I had to do something to snap you out of it before Sad Hisoka began terrorizing everyone else.”
Hisoka raised an eyebrow. With all the glaringly obvious hints she'd thrown from the very first time Illumi walked through that bathroom door, she wondered how long it took for Illumi to ‘figure out’ that she needed to be entertained. “Why thank you.”
“Anytime.”
Lightly, she grabbed the towel to dry her skin; gaze never leaving Illumi who went to put the crop top on, before proceeding to check her clothes out once more. Sensing eyes on her, perhaps, Illumi glanced and looked at her, tilting her head a bit in silent question.
If there was one thing she had made peace with for longer than she'd like to admit, it had to be how little she minded being the sole focus of Illumi’s attention. Of course she didn't say this out loud, though she couldn't care less if Illumi noticed. At least she wasn't in love with Illumi. Had she loved Illumi, the shame alone would've broken her. She would let Illumi kill her rather than having to bear the humiliation.
She let the quiet settle around her, just for a bit, allowing herself a moment to gather her composure.
And that moment passed.
Hisoka slung the towel over her shoulder and, with her usual smirk, said casually, “After I kill Chrollo,” She watched for Illumi’s reaction closely. “I think I'll fight your dad.”
Illumi stopped in her tracks, hand on the doorhandle. At first, she just stared at Hisoka like she had sprouted two heads. Her mouth opened, then snapped shut again. A frown appeared, a deep one, complete with the sharp arch of her brows. “You don't know what you're asking.”
It was the most conflicted she had ever seen Illumi. Good, she thought, at least both of us are uncomfortable now.
“Believe me, I do.” She remained rooted in place, her golden eyes narrowed like a fox zeroing in on her prey. “If I can hold out against him, maybe he will consider me dangerous too.” Then, tauntingly, she added, “Maybe he will even allow me to ask for your hand.”
Illumi’s gaze lingered. She blinked slowly, as if weighing her words. “You don’t need to do that. I already promised you.”
“Yes, you did,” Hisoka agreed. “But Papa Zoldyck still has to review the contract first. Unless I got it wrong with the procedure?”
For a long moment, Illumi studied her silently. Slowly, her frown smoothed, and a rare, fleeting smile appeared. Her hand pressed the door handle until it opened.
“In that case,” She said, gently, “let's hope you have more than one life to give.”