"Illumi"

"Yes father?"

"I have an urgent mission for you. I need you to hunt down a guy named Hisoka Morrow, and kill him immediately. " Sylva said while handing Illumi a picture of the said guy.

Illumi was slightly shocked that of all the people, Hisoka is the person that needed to be assassinated by him. He wanted to know what Hisoka had done that gave him up for assassination, but he didn't want to ask, if not his father will find out that he had been crossing paths with someone.

 "That guy has been involved in some serious criminal acts that cannot be pardoned, infact, rip his heart out and tear it to pieces!"

 "Yes father. " He said and set off almost immediately to hunt down Hisoka.

Knowing him, he was probably either in heavens arena, or with the fanthom Troup, pretending to be a member just to fight their leader, Chrollo, so at least he had a clue of where to look.

 'This is quite annoying. I'll have to fight my way to the top where he is.' Illumi thought as he walked into the heavens arena and signed up, but with his forged name and fake self, so he won't be recognized, at least not so easily.

 Knowing Illumi, he had already climbed up to the 200th floor before daybreak. Now, all that is left to do is get to Hisoka. It shouldn't be hard at all, he can already sense a bit of his Nen, while masking his own.

Slowly and skillfully, he crept to the door, and used his needles to unlock it. Lo and behold, Hisoka was sitting down with his back faced to him, while assembling his cards or something. Illumi was about to leap and slit his throat, but he hesitated for a second. What if he hadn't done anything wrong? No, he pushed those thoughts away and dived straight into action, but something unexpected happened.

His needles aren't reaching his throat...Illumi glanced down to his arm to see that Hisoka had a firm grip on it.

 "Oh Illumi, it's so nice of you to visit. But don't you think it's more polite to knock before entering someone's room?" Hisoka said with that his classic smirk.

"Huh?" Was all Illumi could muster up with all the confusion in his head right now.

"Oh yeah, here's a bit of advice, if you want to kill someone, you should just go ahead and do it."

What? Hisoka is giving him, a professional assassin killing advice? No, that did not just happen. Illumi of all people just failed a mission because he hesitated?! God, he's finished.

"Now now, enough of all these pretence, what do you actually want?" Hisoka asked as he stood up to face Illumi.

"I want to kill you." Illumi said as he aimed his needles at his neck, but his hand got stopped again.

"Kill me? Why don't be silly, let's sit down and talk..."

"I do not wish to talk with you, I must kill you now." Illumi said as his expression became dark, and he appeared behind Hisoka's back within a second, only just to hesitate once more.

"Are you sure? It's not like you to joke like that. "

'Oh wow, now I look like a joke.' Illumi thought. He gripped the needles he was holding so tight to the point that his hands started to shake.

"Illumi, are you okay? Is anything the matter? You're..."

"Why can't I god damn kill you?" Illumi yelled as he angry charged towards Hisoka and attempted to strike him again, but failed without Hisoka even holding his arm. Illumi finally realized that he won't be able to kill this man for some reason, and he just let himself drop to the floor.

"I can't kill him? Why can't I kill him? why? How?"

"I...Illumi? What's wrong?" Illumi tried to strike him again but failed. His thoughts were just scattered everywhere.

"Why are you attacking me so desperately? Are you seriously trying to...kill me? But what did I do?"

"I don't care if you did something or not, my job is to assassinate you and that's what I'm going to do!"

"Calm down Illumi!"

"Why the hell is this happening? me of all people?even Killua won't do this, I'm so dead!"

"Who's going to kill you?"

"My father of course, I don't know why he wants you dead, but please just kill yourself and set me free!"

'That doesn't make any sense, If not for his already familiar presence, I would have killed him for probably pretending to be Illumi. ' Hisoka thought.

"Well, he doesn't know where you are right? You don't have to go back, you can just stay here with me, 'cause trust me, the last thing I want is to die."

"What if he does?"

"He won't, don't you know who I am?"

"*sighs * It's better than facing him."

'What is taking him so long? I gave him just a simple assassination mission and he's yet to return? It's so unlike him. I don't want to assume that the worst has happened, infact, that should be close to impossible with his skill level. But if he doesn't return by tomorrow, I'll have to find him myself, since he's the only one that can take these other missions that are piling up.' Sylva thought to himself.

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

"Illumi? Illimi!" Hisoka called out to his friend as he searched around, only to find him sitting at the balcony, staring at the midnight sky.

"Illumi, you should really get some sleep, suffering yourself like this won't solve anything." Hisoka said as he sat beside Illumi.

"I know, but It's too difficult to." Illumi said as he now turned to face Hisoka. "I have trained my whole life for this, and now I chicken out for such a stupid reason? And knowing my father, I'm sure he has already sent out people to find me, and when he does, I'm as good as dead." Illumi explained.

"Don't talk like that now, no matter what you've been through, you're still human, and this only shows that you have a heart. Plus, you're an adult, you can do whatever you want and your father has no right to stop you." Hisoka reassured.

"You don't get it. This is the family's business, passed down in the Zoldyk clan for generations, It'll be a big disgrace to the family if a member couldn't complete a mission simply because of friendship, which is highly prohibited! They're still trying to handle Killua's case, and now me? If anything his situation is even better than mine right now!"

Illumi said as he held back something that was

stinging in his eyes. He can't even remember the last time he ever felt emotions, so it was completely alien to him.

Hisoka watched as the moonlight highlighted the sad features of his face, including the dark circles around his eyes from sleepless nights. Hisoka felt his heart sink as he imagined the kind of torture Illumi was forced to withstand in that hell hole he calls home. Anger flowed through his veins as he hugged Illumi tightly and Illumi was like a lost puppy who has never known love before.

"Screw family and responsibilities, if it can kill you and make you feel unloved, then it's not worth it." Hisoka said as he hugged him tighter, and soon after, Illumi gave it to it. The warmth and safety he felt was too good to ignore.

'Love, what exactly is that word?' He used to wonder.

'Is this it? Is this what love really is?' Now he understands why Killua left the mansion for a friend. The sensation he's feeling is too overwhelming, he just can't let go.

Soon after, he fell asleep and Hisoka carried him bridal style to the room, and laid him on the bed. He looked down at his sleeping face and smiled, and he seized the opportunity to kiss him on the cheek. But as he was about to leave, Illumi grabbed him by his arm, and looked up at him with sleepy eyes.

"Could you please sleep with me?" Illumi asked. That was an innocent request, but for some reason, Hisoka took it another way.

"Huh?"

"Please Hisoka." Illumi said with a half asleep voice.

"S...sure." And Hisoka got in with Illumi, who immediately wrapped his arm around his waist and fell asleep. Hisoka's face immediately went red as Illumi cuddled so close to him. 'Was he always this cute?' Hisoka thought as he fell asleep.