Seeing through the Flames (Killua x OC) (Kurapika x OC)

Lawrence's Past - One-Shot

The eyes of a thin thirteen year old boy looked heavy and dark. He held the dagger in his hand tightly as he silently approached the tall wealthy male from behind. But before he could even move, the tall male had somehow held the boy's wrist securely.

"..." They stared at each other as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He never expected the older man to notice his presence - usually they never did. 'I have to escape. But where?' He needed to find an escape route, but before he realized, the older man had removed the dagger from his hand.

"This is quite a dangerous weapon, but..." The older man smiled warmly at him. "I think I could use someone like you."

'...Use...? This bastard thinks he can use me?!' The boy bit his lips roughly as he glared at him. "Maybe if you can beat me in battle, then I'll consider working for you, you ugly bastard." There was no noble out there who would even consider in hiring someone from the other world - the darker sides of the streets.

The older man tilted his head to the side, his stern eyes twinkling. "That is acceptable. Then here is your dagger." Without waiting, the older man placed the dagger back into the younger male's hand. He then took out his own sword, preparing for the battle that the younger boy initiated.

"Hah." He snorted. "You'll regret this in your deathbed, old man." In seconds, he dashed forward, swiping at him with the dagger, but the older man dodged with ease. No matter how many times he slashed at him, the older man either used his sword to block or simply took a step to the side to dodge.

"WHY WON'T YOU ATTACK BACK?!" He screamed, feeling more and more of his anger bubbling up inside of him - ready to explode. The older man simply shrugged. That was when he snapped, getting faster and faster with his attacks, despite how at ease the older male was.

Finally, he fell to his knees, the dagger falling to the ground. "...You never had the intention of winning this battle, did you? Are you just making fun of me-"

Before he could finish, he felt the cold blade of the older man's sword touching his neck.

"It is all part of the strategy." The older man simply smiled at him. "And now, thanks to my strategy, it is my win."

"Keh, what a nuisance." The younger boy slammed his fist against the floor. "I guess it is your win, you old bastard." He kicked the dagger away as the older man put away his sword. "So what are you going to use me for?"

"I will be hiring you as a bodyguard." The older man looked at him as if he was talking to another human being.

To the younger boy, this felt like the first time he was seen as and treated like a normal person. He then blinked in confusion. "A bodyguard? Wouldn't you want an actual guard then?"

The older man smiled sadly to himself. "Unfortunately, those guards are hard to trust, compared to you." He then turned around. "If you have any family, they can join you as well."

He snorted at his words. "You're kidding, right? You think a kid like me has a family or anyone who I consider to be family?" He put his hands behind his head. "I'm an orphan and will always be one. There is no family for someone like me." His eyes darkened in seconds. "I fit better and am more comfortable in the shadows, but I doubt you would understand that."

A sad expression lingered on the older male's face. "I see. I suppose I would not understand, but it only reinforces my belief that I should hire you even more as a bodyguard. Those who can understand and see the dark sides of human beings, as they had once lived that kind of life, will be able to fight against it more effectively."

"...Well, whatever." The younger boy rolled his eyes. "Can we get on with it? The longer we stall, the more I'm contemplating about how I can kill you."