You are Darkness

Chapter 9 - Consequences

Chapter 9 - Consequences

The dishes were piling up and Illumi decided to try and wash them the moment he couldn't fit another cup in the sink. His missions were paying well but deprived of his previous funds he wasn't sure how much he could spend every day without running out of money. As a former privileged child, household management wasn't in his skill set.

He had tried cooking once, it didn't go well. Nothing burned down as he was an intelligent man and could follow the simple steps of a recipe, but what he couldn't do was make it taste anywhere near edible. He decided then that he would make good use of Hisoka's multiple take-out magnets and menus. He could make that expense. But since he wasn't a farm animal, eating out of the disposable containers wasn't an option and soon the dishes became an issue.

Hiring a maid was another option of course, but he couldn't stop thinking about Hisoka's words. Just because he had the money, it didn't mean that he should use it for those unnecessary luxuries, or something like that. That's why, wrinkling his nose, he washed them himself, cursing on his past self for not doing it sooner.

Living alone had proven to be a new and invigorating experience for Illumi. He hated doing the cleaning of course, but all that freedom was empowering. He wasn't his family's disposable puppet anymore. Used to doing what he was told, he wasn't even allowed to feel or express himself. He was starting to notice how unfair it seemed, not being able to laugh or cry at his own volition. He'd always envied Hisoka for how open he was with his thunderous laugh and his unapologetic sensuality, all wrapped up within his extravagant self.

The dishes were done, sort of, he couldn't believe how much, wet leftovers disgusted him. "I've seen you put your hands through people's bodies but a wet noodle in the sink is too much for you?" He imagined Hisoka's voice in his head and he smiled, ever so slightly, as he put away the last fork in the drawer. He noticed the time, almost an hour had passed by unnoticed, he needed to get ready for a mission that his father had informed him about during the morning.

Almost three weeks had passed since his roommate had left after that thief's whim. Hisoka told him that he was welcome to stay, but he wasn't comfortable enough yet. He went into the empty bedroom that was across the hallway from Hisoka's room and stepped inside. Illumi wondered if he was supposed to buy his own furniture during these days, but he didn't know what was more intruding, buying a bed for himself in another man's apartment or occupying his own while he was gone. 'While he was gone' those words didn't resonate well within him, Hisoka wasn't gone, he was away for a few weeks, that was all.

Illumi decided that he would continue to sleep in his friend's bed until he came back, and then see how everything developed. A few things, though, were not acceptable anymore if he was to stay there. The big traveling bag he had brought with him the first day, still contained all of his clothes that he washed, folded, and put back in there. He was tired of the inconvenience so Illumi ventured into the magician's closet to try and find room for his possessions. That was not rude, he thought, it was a necessity.

Hisoka's closet was a simple white door from the outside, but nothing could prepare the assassin for what he would find behind it. An enormous walk-in closet filled to the roof with rows and rows of outfits, shoes, accessories, and even makeup sets, he had never seen such a wide array of color, and his simple handful of clothes were shamed by all the luxury and style that lay in there.