Chapter Text
Dim lighting illuminated the sluggish pub, its usual customers absent from its modest confines. From an unremarkable corner of the room, Illumi watched with distracted interest at the figure sat at the bar table. Sipping absently at his own drink, he watched your exchange with the bartender as you received a drink of your own.
“That would be 30 Jenny,” the bartender announced as he slid across your order. You thanked him with a polite nod as you reached into your pockets. The uneasy feeling of being observed grew by the minute, and as you finished the exchange with the bartender, you looked suspiciously around the room to determine the cause of your discomfort.
Illumi wasn't normally the type to go through the trouble of fraternising with his targets before he dealt the blow. Sure, the occasional odd case does pique his attention, but being in this field for years has eroded a lot of his curiosity, and whatever interest he had in the personal affairs of others was quickly forgotten after business was dealt with. Work is work, he tells himself, which is exactly why he found himself unable to justify his sudden desire to interact with you.
He admits that your case was out of the norm. Initially, he spent an uncharacteristically large amount of time wondering what such an unremarkable person such as yourself could have done to warrant such a heavy sum on your head. The anonymous commissioner had offered little information – only a blurry image and a first name, and Illumi admits that it had been a challenge to find you. You had a peculiar circumstance in that it was, to most people’s impressions, as if you had just materialised from thin air. You had no known family, no history, no notable achievements or connections, and the commissioner had even less information to provide. To the world, you didn't even exist until just a month ago. His curiosity was only intensified when he finally tracked you down in a small, sluggish town to the North of Yorknew City. He could tell that you were being deliberately cautious – perhaps you were on the run. You did have enemies after all.
Your weary eyes darted around the room, determined to pinpoint the watchful eyes you had felt ever since you entered this bar. You had chosen this exact location in order to be inconspicuous, but it seemed like it had backfired. In truth, you were a trained assassin under an influential lord in a small country to the South of the known world. However, what differentiates you from others in the business was that you were not for public hire – you had sworn servitude to the same master your entire life. Growing up, you had no need to establish a brand or identity, you had a stable existence living out your only goal. To the world, you might as well be Death itself – revealing yourself only for one reason and retreating when that purpose is fulfilled. Your bond with your master was not out of loyalty or respect, it was simply what it was.
Illumi had no way of knowing this, but as he noticed the sudden shift in the air as you made eye contact with him, he immediately determined that you would be a potentially cumbersome target. His annoyance with the newfound hurdle was broken when you suddenly spoke out to him.
“Can I help you with anything?” came your question. Tilting his head and raising a finger to his temple, he found himself having to pause to think before responding.
“I will buy you another drink,” was what Illumi settled for, as he logically determined that feigning romantic interest would avoid the most suspicion. A pause followed, and under your gaze, he became oddly conscious of his gesturing, and lowered his hand with very subtle hints of apprehension. Ah, shit. Was he nervous?
Much to his relief, you didn’t question him any further. However, his guarded demeanour and very un-suave statement didn’t go unnoticed. You traced your fingers absent-mindedly over the rim of your glass. You took your time to observe, as you normally do. The man had long, almost delicate looking hair that framed a face that was as beautiful as it was handsome. It was impressive how well his clothes complimented his lean, built figure. However, you decided that the most remarkable thing about him were his eyes. It seemed to trap a certain heaviness within them, a darkness so dense that it could have its own gravity. He’s probably just socially awkward, you had thought at first, but there was definitely something odd, and potentially dangerous about this guy. Him appearing here in this particular bar, on this particular night, was no work of chance.
Now regarding him with an air of reserved curiosity, you thought over his offer. You can acknowledge that you are easy on the eyes, and although you’ve remained quite impartial to your own appearance throughout your life, you are familiar with gazes of lustful interest. His gaze did in fact hold something similar to this, but it also had something foreign attached to it that you could not help but feel distrustful towards. Normally this would be a sign to retreat and disappear into the night again, but perhaps months of hiding in isolation had made you more daring than usual. You decided to entertain him. Plus, his reaction was pretty cute – his eyebrows had knitted together ever so slightly when you had first noticed him tucked away in his little corner, and only relaxed when you agreed to his proposal. He also had a habit of making a show of tilting his head and gesturing with his hands when he was thinking. What a strange guy. You thought about the firm reprimands you would receive from your Master if he could see you getting all curious about some stranger at a pub.
But that’s all in the past now! Which is why as you faced the mysterious man standing in front of you, you allowed yourself just the smallest amount of excitement at the idea of inciting more of those small reactions from him.
Illumi wasn’t one to fall victim to alcohol – resistance to substances was covered in the most basic training regimes. However, he does understand its benefits when given to others. Most humans, he notes, become way more susceptible to revealing their most well-guarded secrets when given the correct prompt under the influence, and luckily for Illumi, he was great with giving prompts. Unluckily for Illumi however, was that the target seated next to him was particularly hard to get drunk.
You two had sat in silent company for a short while now, and Illumi had blankly stared at a random, insignificant spot in front of him the entire time, only holding your gaze when offering another drink. Yeah, this guy is definitely weird. Pretty loaded too, you deduced, as he showed no signs of hesitation at spending hundreds of dollars on alcohol for a person he has no previous connection to. Still, you were talented at reading people. This guy might be an oddball, but that just makes him all the more interesting.
“Are you trying to get me drunk so you can have your way with me?” You teased after he offered to buy you yet another drink after you’ve emptied your seventh cup. You had a pretty high alcohol tolerance, but you definitely weren’t invincible to it.
“Huh?” was his immediate reply. With the side of his face rested in his palm, the man blinked at you with a blank expression. When this was met with an awkward pause, he continued. “Have my way with you?”
His voice was laced with the subtlest hints of concern. The way he actually had to deeply consider your question was quite cute.
He turned away from your quizzical stare to clear his head. He had no idea what you had meant by your words, and it was worrying him a little. Very rarely in his life has he felt the uneasy feeling of being out of control, of being vulnerable. He's never conversed with his targets before — he has never felt the need to. They weren't much for conversation after the quiet needle in the head anyway. Your words both perplexed and unsettled him. Illumi was certain that nothing he had done so far was enough to reveal his murderous intent. As usual, he began to consider all the possibilities to this scenario.
Could you have a nen ability that allowed you to read minds? Perhaps he had accidentally revealed hints of his bloodlust, and you were observant enough to notice? Illumi came to the conclusion that at the end of the day, he just had to finish you off quickly and quietly, just as he has always done.
Little does he know that his uncharacteristic anxieties were for naught, as you were slowly letting your guard down. In fact, you were preoccupied with observing the minute tensions in his face with fascination. As his face slowly darkened, you observed with equal intensity. This guy is kinda hot.