Disclaimer: I do not own HxH.
Dragonflies in Summer
Summer is the best time to play outside for most children; not the children of Zaoldyeck. Because they are special; they are born and breed to be the best assassins. Playing is just a waste of time when they can use it for training. Plus assassins don't have friends to play with in the first place.
Illumi has long accepted his fate and grown up before the other children of his age stopped wetting their beds. But there is one particular memory which has gathered dust, but nevertheless carefully kept and categorized in his meticulous mind - the memory of a summer afternoon when he first found someone vaguely akin to a friend or rather a rival.
Illumi was trying to concentrate on cleaning and sharpening his weapons when a tiny bug somehow managed to slip into his rented room, flying and knocking every corner blindly. The buzz of its wings echoed in the quiet room. It wasn't before long that Illumi decided to silence it with a needle, thrown with deadly accuracy without a glance.
Just when he thought that he finally had some peace, he heard a thud on the glass window. He ignored it at first, but few seconds later he heard another one, this time harder and louder. With a disgruntled grunt, he reluctantly abandoned his work momentarily and walked towards the window.
When the curtain was pulled aside, he saw a red-haired boy grinning and waving towards him just a meter away outside the window. The boy had somehow managed to climb up the tree besides the building which is equivalent to three storey building high. But what troubled Illumi more was how that boy he merely met yesterday actually found out where he stayed.
The boy's name slipped his mind when he tried to recall it. He brushed the issue aside as more pressing questions came to his mind. Was he being tailed? How? He had made sure that he was clear before entering the building. He couldn't afford such costly mistake which might cost his life.
As if sensing his distress, the boy's grin broadened and gestured Illumi to let him in. Illumi frowned as he considered his options. When he realized that there wasn't much else he could do under the circumstances (after all, the boy didn't seem to mean harm – he probably wanted someone to play with), Illumi sighed and opened the windows.
The boy was surprisingly agile as he leapt to the window, gripped on the window sill for support and slid into the room with little effort. Illumi was starting to wonder whether it was a bad idea to let him in.
"Wow, Illumi-kun has some pretty cool stuff here!"
Illumi mentally smacked himself for being careless and barely stopped the boy in time before he could get his own hands on the weapons.
"Don't touch them!"
Or you'll be dead. He added silently.
But his icy glare and threatening voice didn't seem to intimidate the boy at all. The boy merely shrugged nonchalantly and sat on Illumi's bed like his own as he materialized a pack of cards from thin air. After a long uncomfortable pause (at least for Illumi), Illumi broke the silence.
"What do you want from me?"
"What do you think I want from you?" the boy chuckled.
"It's not funny. And how did you know I'm here?"
When the boy ignored him and continued to fiddle with his cards, a pin flew past the boy's cheeks without warning, drawing a thin red line of blood.
A strange grin spread on the boy's face as he wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. The blood smeared across his cheeks like a strip of red paint, giving him a sense of eeriness.
"Well, I've learned some new tricks that I like to show you." The boy stood up.
"… and I know a perfect place where we can play."
Illumi didn't like how the word "play" sounded.
"No, I don't have time. Leave now."
"Aw, Illumi-kun is no fun-"
Just then, a card suddenly flew towards Illumi. Confident of his skills, Illumi caught it with his bare hand instead of dodging it. A few seconds later, he was proven otherwise when his finger felt a tingling sensation – a paper cut.
"What's your name again?"
"Hisoka."
"Let's play."
It was a perfect summer afternoon. Sunshine spilled over the lush green field like honey. They waded through some thick bushes before they reached a deserted field. No one was there saved for the two of them. One thing caught Illumi's attention though, there were dragonflies flying everywhere. Illumi wondered briefly what game would the other boy suggested at such a venue.
"We've arrived." Hisoka announced and licked his lips with thinly veiled excitement.
"And?"
"My, my. Impatient, aren't you?" Hisoka smiled and continued, "So am I. Let's see who gets the most dragonflies by sunset."
Illumi had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes when he first heard Hisoka's suggestion. It was a childish game. No point playing it, really. Unless… there's a bet.
"And the loser will do anything that the winner wishes."
Anything is a dangerous word, as dangerous as the boy besides him, Illumi contemplated. He had no absolute confidence that he would beat that boy; but he should or he wouldn't be worthy of his family's name.
"Deal."
The game started with the count.
3,2,1.
Illumi sent his pins flying like his life depended on it.
Both boys lay on their back, exhausted by the time their competition ended. Most of Illumi's body felt numb, but he could still feel the blades of grass on the back of his neck. He allowed himself to smile a little because he had won, albeit a close call to a tie. Victory never felt so sweet.
Despite the talent Hisoka had displayed, Illumi's vicious training since birth gave him an edge that the other boy could never hope to gain unless he did the same. Illumi propped himself up, ready to leave.
"I want a rematch." The bitterness in Hisoka's voice made Illumi more proud than he would ever admit.
"Find me when you're ready. In the meantime, I will keep this card until you defeat me."
Illumi slipped the Joker card into his pocket casually.
"Wait, and the bet?"
"Next time."
With that, Illumi left without a backward glance. Hisoka just smiled as he continued to lie on his back contently.
Next time, I'll definitely defeat you.
END
A/N: My first HxH fanfic. All comments are welcomed. I haven't write in a long time,so my writing is getting rusty. I intended this fic to be non-yaoi but if you do see anything beyond that, be my guest.