Beyond the Grave [ILLUMI X CHROLLO]

[ 16 ] Mom Said It's My Turn With The Xbox

alternate chapter title: Interior Crocodile Alligator I Drive A Chevrolet Movie THE A T E R

After obtaining legitimate renter information from the office, Sukuna and Illumi had a list of units ready to break into. Sukuna reviewed the papers as they walked.

"They wouldn't have a social security number... it could be faked," Sukuna said.

"I don't see why you can't refer to your wings by name."

"I never gave them a name," Sukuna said with an air of boredom. He flipped to the next applicant.

"You haven't spoken to your wings since the dawn of humanity, as you say. He's a person just as much as you are."

"Growing soft, are we?" Faced with Illumi's scowl, Sukuna sighed. "Look. I get it. A visage of me flashes you an innocent, heavenly smile and your knees buckle. Heart goes a little weak. It's to be expected."

"Fuck you. That isn't it."

"Is it not? If Killua's memory serves me right, then—"

"Killua's never had a good memory."

"You just don't want to admit that my wings and I are one and the same," Sukuna said, smiling. "And even the half of me that never met you before now can't resist you."

Flustered, Illumi took a sharp left turn back to the matter at hand, arms crossed, and said, "This is the first unit."

At the front door, Illumi stared at the number and the doorknob for a long moment. Naturally, he knew he'd need to unlock the door for Sukuna if the two of them were to investigate the place, but it was so distinctly not Illumi's style to break in—Gon's apartment building excluded.

He knew Gon, but this was potentially a complete stranger.

"After you," Sukuna prompted.

"I'm processing," Illumi said. "It's weird being a ghost."

"No one can see you."

When Illumi still didn't move, Sukuna sighed. "Just don't let me in. It will be like no one broke in at all."

This was marginally more acceptable. He felt better breaking the law when the law would never know. Before Illumi could push much more than his hand through the door, a window creaked open above them.

Illumi and Sukuna glanced up at a woman leaning out. There wasn't a screen on the pane. "What's this I hear about you breaking in?" she shouted down at them.

"Nothing, ma'am," Sukuna said.

"'Nothing', my ass! Get the hell off our stoop!"

"What unit are you? I was called to do maintenance on the second unit," Sukuna said, his calm breaking into a scowl when the woman ducked back inside and came back with a coaster. She started throwing them like ninja stars at them.

Sukuna ducked to avoid being taken out by the eye. He glanced back at Illumi and droned, voice dead, "I'll meet you by the bus stop," before leaving. The woman got him square in the back, which prompted him to swear aloud and revert temporarily to snarl with his fangs at her, "I'm leaving! Christ!"

"Yeah, that's right, you better leave!"

She lingered there even after Illumi stepped directly through the second unit door and into the quiet of an apartment he didn't own. The place was nice enough to be staged for an open house but was sterile enough to not contain photographs or food in the pantries.