Work Text:
Every night, at 11:30 pm.
"There's a magician outside, oh my god that is so dorky. Let's take a look."
Every godforsaken night, at exactly 11:30 pm.
He stands outside in the dark, dirty, cold street that is lined by bars and nightclubs, and does some cheap birthday clown magic tricks. Some visitors of the bars will flock to him, made more gullible with booze, and 'ooh' and 'aah' at a card trick.
And after exactly 25 minutes, he will stop, bow, and walk right into Illumi Zoldycks workplace.
Illumi had been working at the bar that his parents owned, for about two years already, in relative silence. Being a bartender wasn't particularly hard for him, there was something calming in mixing drinks, and the late work hours were beneficial to his night owl lifestyle. A few patrons would complain about his cold behaviour towards them, but his skills brought them back anyway.
But for the last two weeks, this peace had been disturbed. During every shift he took, the street magician would come into the bar, with the sole goal of being as much of a nuisance as possible.
He had introduced himself as 'Hisoka', tried to shake Illumis hand with his grotesquely long nails, and would order increasingly sugary drinks with each visit, along with fruitless attempts to get Illumis attention.
Sometimes there would be young women glued to his side, asking to see this or that trick again, giggling as if it were the most precious thing. Sometimes there would be men, too, and Illumi tried not to raise an eyebrow at it. The magician would consider any reaction he could pull from him as a win.
"Good evening, Illumi~" And there he was again. 11:55 pm, the magician with the pink hair was leaning once again leisurely against the bar. "Did you watch me today? I must say, possibly my best performance this month."
The bartender looked straight at the other man, facial muscles relaxed and unresponsive to whatever nonsense may happen.
"I'm feeling experimental today, how about a…" He leant forward as if to try and read the menu in the back clearer, despite a menu card sitting on the bar. "...'Unicorn vomit'."
Illumi nods, though there is the faintest wrinkle on his nose.
Frozen strawberries, vodka, sugar, vanilla sugar, milk, cream, and a spoonful of strawberry Yogurt; served in a shooter glass, topped with edible glitter.
How anyone in their right mind could drink a sugar-bomb like that was beyond him.
He knew the recipe by heart, of course, since he had learned the entire menu card and all of its necessary ingredients.
He wordlessly slid the glass over to the tall man, repulsed and yet determined to watch him drink it. There was no way someone could genuinely enjoy-
Hisoka had drank the shot immediately, slammed the glass with a satisfied 'ah!' back down on the bar. "Not bad, not Bad at all~. Ah, you're making quite the cute face, Illumi."
Right, despite his charms, this man was a degenerate. The only way to explain the obnoxious, revealing clothing, the bright hair, the poor career choice, the immature way of talking, and the bad taste in drinks, was insanity.
There were of course many 'weird' personalities that would make their way through the club street. But none of them had decided to stick around for this long, except Hisoka. Illumi wondered if this was all he was doing, every night doing magic tricks for cheap change, or if he possibly had a real daytime job.
"Come join me outside, won't you? I'll secure you front row seats for the next performance~"
Probably not.
Hisoka was leaning towards him again, golden eyes fixated on him like a predator on prey. "Pretty please~"
"I have to work."
"Come on your night off."
"I'd rather stay at home when I am not working."
"Where do you live, I'll give you a private show free of charge~"
Illumi dug his nails into the towel he was holding. There had been customers before who tried to flirt with him, but they usually gave up after a short while, or had handed him their number, never to be called. But this bastard was persistent. He briefly wondered what his father would say if he assaulted a paying customer.
On the other end of the bar, someone else waved their hand to order.
"Not interested. Goodbye."
He turned and threw his long black hair over his shoulders. He could feel invading eyes on him for a bit longer, but when he finally turned to look, the seat was thankfully vacant, all that was left was a 5$ Bill and a napkin with a crudely drawn heart on it.
But dammit, he definitely said more words to him than last time.
The cold night air hit Hisoka as he left the crowded bar with a sigh. He had successfully coaxed another reaction and a couple of words out of Illumi Zoldyck, but he was still nowhere near as close as he’d like him to be. This was the longest he had ever hunted after someone, but that was also what made it fun; The chase, the uncertainty, and the eventual satisfaction.
His tongue lapped over his teeth, stopping at sharpened canines; The hunt came natural to a beast like him.
To find out the bartender's name hadn’t been a hard task, after all he wore a name tag, and “Illumi Z.” wasn’t a common name. ‘Zoldyck’ rang a million bells immediately, a family name as old as the city itself, connected to half the businesses in the night district. So, his raven-haired beauty was working at daddy’s bar to feel like he’s contributing.
The taste of the liquor still lingered on Hisokas lips. At least Illumi was actually good at his job. It made the nauseating feeling of an empty stomach attempting to digest alcohol worth it.
“Is the show already over, mister magician?” And there was just the fix for his nausea. A young girl, skimpy clothes too revealing for the cold weather, tell-tale drunk-blush on her face. She had taken a hold of Hisokas hand and smiled mischievously at him.
He looked around for a few seconds. Few to no passer-by’s, no friends who seemed to be waiting on her-
“I’m afraid so, but for a beautiful girl like you, I may just make an exception.”
The girl giggled and let herself be pulled by her hand into the secluded alley just behind them. With the moon being the only light source that could reach them, she could barely tell where hands would touch, lips would kiss.
Hisoka spun her around, pulled her back close to his chest, he could feel her heart beating wildly with excitement.
Maybe if his heart were still capable of it, it would beat the same.
He curled one arm around her waist, gently took a hold of her chin and tilted her head to the side.
And with a swift motion, his fangs had dug into her external jugular. Sweet blood filled his mouth, and the girl twitched in a mix of confusion, horror, and helplessness. After a minute she had paled and fell limp, after two more she had been completely drained, the shrivelled remains a mockery of what a human looked like.
Copper taste coated his lips and tongue, and a warm, full feeling settled in his stomach.
But he wasn’t satisfied.
The true target for his hunt was still left alive and running, and no easy prey would satisfy until he had him.
But he’d have him eventually.
And he would savour every last drop.
Sunday night, Illumis first night off the entire week.
Despite enjoying his work at the bar, as far as anyone could enjoy work, he assumed, he was grateful to have some time for himself.
A glass of Japanese single malt whiskey, a classical music CD, perched on his bed with his laptop. Beside him lay a few pieces of cloth, loose needles, and threads in different colours; He had recently picked up sewing as a hobby and seemed to harbour a natural talent for it.
Illumi opened his private blog, a sterile and clean design webpage for him to anonymously vent his thoughts. It was a habit he had developed near the end of high school, a place for him to say the things he wouldn’t deem appropriate to say in a social setting or around his family.
“28th of October- Bachelorette Parties are the worst, and if I had the power to, I would ban them from my workplace. Their obnoxious screaming, their disgusting orders, their over-the-top behaviour; They are an annoyance to staff and patrons alike.”
He wasn’t sure if anyone actually read his blog, he never bothered to incorporate a way to check visitors or allow anyone to interact with his blog posts, but in the end, it was only a thing for himself.
Illumi took another sip from his drink. “...The unpleasant pursuer has naturally come by again as well, with his revealing outfit, undrinkable order, and potentially flirtatious behaviour. Why he keeps coming back is beyond me. The second he gives me the justification to; I will gladly toss him out myself.”
His mind flashed to an image of Hisoka, roughed up, with his hair and clothes a mess, lying in the back of an alley, still flashing his grotesque smile. Maybe some blood from his nose would drip over his sharpened teeth-
Illumi slammed his laptop shut. There was no reason to let his mind wander that far.
Instead, he took to his fabrics and continued to practice different kinds of stitches, occasionally sipping on his drink.
There was no reason to think about Hisoka on his day off from work.
There was no reason to think about Hisoka at all.
Especially not in a strange and potentially inappropriate way.
It was most likely the slight buzz from the whiskey that made the proposition of putting a mysterious, annoying yet handsome stranger into his place.
He let himself fall back into his pillows, idly needling into fabric, dark eyes unfocused.
Maybe this dull ache in his chest was some kind of desire. One that was natural for him to suppress, because it seemed to be of a lower nature for him.
Though, he was an adult, it should be alright to be able to indulge in fantasies now and again; On the other hand, it was also incredibly unproductive and served no real purpose.
“Hisoka…” The name left his lips in a mixture of disdain and frustration.
And then there was a brief, sharp pain in his index finger.
Distracted, he had pricked himself with his needle, and soon droplets of blood covered the fabric he had been practicing on.
Illumi cursed under his breath as he sat up. He wanted to clean up but froze mid movement.
Someone was watching.
He was alone, but he could feel someone's eyes fixated on him; Intense, dedicated, malicious eyes.
There was no one else in the room. The door was locked. He had earlier been at his closet and could confirm that it was empty.
The window.
Illumis room was on the third floor, no one could just casually look in. He got up, slowly, and firmly grabbed the candlelight holder from his nightstand; Not ideal, but blunt damage was better than none.
There was no light coming in from outside. As he approached slowly, his mind went through the possibilities. Ladder? Fixated with ropes? Climbing device?
A cold sensation ran through his hands.
Click. He undid the window lock and threw it open.
Silence. Darkness. Nothing but the night.
The man cocked his head to the side. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but he also shouldn’t be surprised that there was nothing preying on him.
And so, he closed his window once again, set the lock, and cleaned up the previously made mess; Oblivious to a swarm of bats that flew over the cityscape.
Monday. 11:30 pm.
Illumi glanced out towards the street to confirm his suspicions. Of course, there he stood once again, performing his tricks for a group of amused party goers. Card tricks, roses pulled out of thin air, all performed effortlessly.
The bar was mostly empty, safe for a few regulars and a handful of college students. The quiet atmosphere (un)fortunately gave Illumi plenty of time to watch the whole performance, until the dreaded bow and wave, as Hisoka made his way towards the bar.
Somehow, Illumi had the feeling he had even less tolerance than usual for his bullshit.
“Good evening, dear Illumi~” The magician leaned on the bar, long nails tapping against the surface.
Don’t react, don’t engage, don’t react, don’t engage-
“Today I’m feeling a strong Hibiki Harmony, please and thank you.”
Illumis jaw fell ever so slightly open.
“What’s the matter? Even I can like a sophisticated drink occasionally. I’m a man of culture.” Hisoka snickered, and with some hesitation, Illumi poured him his drink.
There was no way. There was no possible way for Hisoka to know that that was the drink he had last night. Right? It had to be a creepy, unexpected coincidence.
The magician licked his lips with satisfaction. “Very good, smooth and relaxing~”
But what if it wasn’t a coincidence? What if somehow, Hisoka was the one watching him last night?
“Illumi? You’re starting to look quite scary.”
No, that would be humanly impossible. He let his facial muscles relax and fall back into their neutral position with a slow blink.
“Sorry.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it, I like a man who could bludgeon me to death~”
Illumi started to fidget with another empty glass, wiping it dry for the n-th time. He felt on edge, though there was no reason for it. It was the same as every night, the same annoying customer, the same late-night buzz.
“Oh, is your finger feeling better, by the way? ~”
“Mh?” It didn’t register for a few seconds. And then it hit the bartender with a cold shock that ran through his body. “...What did you say?”
Suddenly the magician was leaning over the bar, possessive hand on Illumis shoulder pulling him close. “That was an awful lot of blood, after all.”
And with that, Hisoka left his seat, slammed a fifty-dollar bill on the counter, and left with a laugh.
It felt like a noose had tied itself around his neck. A nauseating cold enveloped his body.
And then it melted under a surge of heated rage.
Illumi didn’t know how, but that man had found his home, spied on him, and had now disturbed him at his place of work for the last time.
He leapt over the counter of the bar, in chase of the other man, out into the night.
Balled fists, clenched teeth.
Illumi Zoldyck had beaten up a couple of unpleasant guests before, but this was the first time he could feel an intent to kill within himself.
Whenever he turned a corner, he could see the disappearing silhouette of the tall man, and he picked up his pace. The different walls of the old city started to blend together as he lost trace of where exactly he was chasing the other man to.
Until eventually, he stopped.
Dead end.
The sound of footsteps clicked behind him on the pavement.
“Who knew all I had to do for you to come out and play was to be a little mean to you~” Hisokas voice was a purr in the darkness.
Illumi clenched his fists tighter in anticipation, his heart was beating hard against his chest.
There were no other sounds other than the circling footsteps in the dark around him, and his own shallow breaths.
And then sharp nails cut through the air.
“This...is a surprise.” Hisoka had found himself with his wrists being tightly held. Even through the dark, he could clearly see the other man's face, emotionless yet laser focused.
He tried to kick away Illumis feet from under him, though he was whipped down towards the ground by his wrists. He caught himself mid air and used the movement to pin the other man against a wall with his shoulder.
The bartender attempted to kick him in the side, though he couldn’t quite reach. Instead, he managed to land a fist against Hisokas jaw, with a satisfying crack.
The man- no, creature- stumbled back. Golden eyes met black ones and he let out a crazed laugh. “I knew you’d be fun, Illumi! I’ll make sure to savour your taste, every delicious drop of you~”
This time, the other man was the first to move, one fist pulled back and ready to strike at any vital points. Hisoka dodged the first couple of attempts, countered with his own to grab and scratch wherever he could reach. He was confident in his strength and agility, though he had never encountered someone who may be a match for him.
He blocked another fist that tried to go for his sternum but missed the fist that slammed into his temple. The recoil from the hit slammed him into a wall, and Illumi didn’t hesitate to follow up with a kick to the abdomen.
A trace of pain shot through his nervous system, a long-forgotten sensation.
it was exhilarating, and only drove his hunger.
Soon he lunged again, grasping at the silky strands of Illumis hair. He whipped him around, coaxing a pained grunt from the smaller man, before wrapping his arms around him, securing his wrists. Illumi struggled, kicked, but Hisoka had tired himself out on his hunger. It was time to feast.
Illumi flexed, kicked, and thrashed in the grasp of the other man. By now he could feel his heartbeat so harshly that it pressed against his skull. He didn’t want to lose; He wanted to beat the other man just for a bit longer.
Suddenly, he could feel something wet lap over the skin of his neck; A sensation so foreign and strange that it elicited a gasp from him. It was followed by something soft, warm. He didn’t need to have experience with these things to recognize lips on his skin, and somehow it made his legs feel weaker.
Sick, twisted excitement filled his mind.
But before he could say something, or chastise himself for these thoughts, the warm soft sensation was taken from him, instead replaced with a sharp, paralysing pain.
Hisokas teeth had buried themselves in his neck, blood flowing freely into the man's mouth.
The pain subsided into a cold numbness.
He didn’t want to die by the hands of this strange monster.
He wanted to be the one who killed him.
Even now, at death's door, he wanted to feel Hisokas bones crack against his fists again.
There was only a faint tingle left in his fingertips. But suddenly, he felt Hisoka remove himself.
The creature wiped his mouth clean off Illumis blood, before giving him a slight push against a wall.
Illumi slid down until he came to sit on the dirty ground, no strength left in his legs to support himself.
Hisokas face came close, hot breath hitting his cheek.
“I want to play again soon, Illumi dear, so patch yourself up good, alright? ~”
Into Illumis hand, a small medical sewing kit was placed.
And with a few more steps in the dark, Hisoka vanished.
Illumi picked up the sewing kit with shaky hands.
He was determined to live.
And he was determined to rip Hisoka into all of his undead pieces next time he’d see him.