Yumexhime : Thank you so much for your comment! I actually updated the fic back then in 2021 (in AO3 playform) but I forgot to update it here, your comment has reminded me ^_^ Hope you enjoy this update.
Hello. After a long-long time, I finally got to update this fic. Last year, this was submitted as a part of Kuraneo Week 2020. And soon there'll be Kuraneo Week 2021, oh how time flies. While I promise you a Kuraneo ending, the way Chrollo treated Neon played an important part in this story, so there'll be quite a lot of Kuroneo scene in this chapter. I apologize in advance for the terrible grammar and inconsistency, I really don't have time to pay attention to details right now.
Warning though, the fic's changed to M-rated in AO3Platform, but since FFnet doesn't allow Explicit content, I'll remove the scene here ^_^ I'll also start adding title chapter, hopefully I can be consistent.
Chapter 3 : Dream and Desire
Zenji stares at the cell door in revulsion. Water for bath, silk sheet, wool blanket. Luxurious facility catered to the new prisoner just filled him with disrelish. Is it really necessary to spend that much expenditure on this new prisoner just because she helped with the guild experiment?
The bald man still remembers his tragedy like it was yesterday. With bloodshot eyes and skin as white as chalk, the vampires came in group, sucking the blood dry off his now deceased wife and child.
The band of vampires was not Neon or any other classified high-level vampires. But for him, there is no difference between the so-called high-level vampires who mimic human and the mindless low-level trolls. He has lived long enough to witness the damages done by the blood-sucking monsters in his life.
He throws the blood-pack tray violently into the cell and the girl on the bed just glances. The apathetic look in her eyes burns his blood with anger.
"Creature of evil. The guild will stake you and burn your head in fire." he provokes her, but Neon just yawns.
"That stupid Kurapika will regret falling to your immoral trap, you whore." he kicks the metal door in frustation. Yet, once again the girl just rolls her eyes and shifts her sleeping position, as if the bald prison warden is just a buzzing mosquito.
She picked up the blood-pack tray once the bald man has left. Sitting on the decorated bed, Neon sips on the packaged blood slowly.
The silence in the isolation makes her feel drowsy. She has been there for only a few days but it feels like centuries already. When will her blonde friend visit?
Neon closes her eyes. At times like this, she dreams of fond memories with her late lover.
Neon stared at her wounded knee in distress. The servants were closing her windows and curtains for bedtime. Disgruntled in pain, she was not immune to injury and still a human girl; jolly and fully of life.
It was her 13th birthday and she forgot to add the simplest present in her wish list. Ruby butterfly wings. The little girl fell in an attempt to catch the ruby butterfly in Toussaint during her birthday trip.
After the servants left her room, she heard someone knock on her balcony door.
"Little miss, did you wish for the ruby butterfly's wings?"
Trembling with fear and curiosity, she braced herself to answer the voice.
"Who are you? Why are you on my balcony?"
"My name is Chrollo. I am merely a passing angel." the voice then answered from a different direction ,"Look at me, I am granting your wish. You will see that I am no liar."
When Neon turned her head, a tall and beautiful dark-haired man presented himself by her bed. She wanted to scream. But, upon seeing him, her fear dissipated and replaced with wonder.
The man was several years older than she is. With hypnotizing voice and gentle expression, he was a fine bachelor and he looked human, nothing like an angel except his beautiful face. He opened his palm and showed the treasure she was wishing for.
"In exchange of this little treasure, I would love you to grant my wish."
"Ruby butterfly wings! It's my birthday wish. Are you really an angel?" she gasped at the dead butterflies emitting its red light in his palm ,"And what would your wish be?"
"I smelled a sweet smell from miles away. My wish is to lick the wound on your knees. Would you let me, little miss?"
"My… wound?" she nervously took the ruby wings from his hand and placed it on the end table next to her.
Neon turned her head to the left and right, scanning the area. Although she still hasn't come of age yet in the age of 13, she often heard that a noble woman was not supposed to show her legs for anyone, especially the opposite gender.
"Is this fine?" But here she is, lifting her skirt up for a total stranger in the dark of the night.
The mysterious stranger got down on his knees, his fingers caressed her legs carefully before his tongue licked her knee wound. Her heart fluttered, the pain which once was there disappeared and replaced with trancing numbness.
"You're feeding from blood on my wound. Are you a vampire?"
"Vampire?" he licked his lips ,"Yes indeed I am… It's how humans call creatures who drink blood."
"So, you're a monster?"
"Monster is not who I am, little miss." He smiled ,"In fact, I will grant your wishes whenever I hear them. "
Several years have passed and Neon's secret rendezvous with Chrollo continues. Her secret friend always flocks to her window whenever she gets a scratch. There are times when she misses him so bad, she would even harm herself to call for his presence. Fortunately, the day was not the day where they meet in the dark balcony corner.
"Are you injured, little miss?" Chrollo scanned her from head to toe ,"The smell of your blood was so strong that my hunger was clouded with worry."
"N...no, I was not injured in any way." Neon shyly added ,"And Chrollo must stop calling me little miss from now on."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"Because I am officially a woman now." she huffed proudly.
"Hmmm…" he smiled playfully, gesturing his hand to hover above Neon's head ,"little miss is still this short, how am I to believe that you're a woman now?"
"Chrollo!" she pouted and crossed her arms, "You see, the smell of blood you mentioned earlier, is the proof that I'm no longer a little girl."
"Really?" he reacted in a skeptical tone ,"Would you let me prove that?"
"Prove it?"
"Of course, that's only if little miss wanted me to." he chuckled.
"If you proved that I'm no longer a little girl, will you call me by my name?" her whole face reddened.
"With a tangible proof, I will keep my word."
Neon couldn't let the offer pass. The girl immediately pulled her secret friend into her room and locked the doors. She sat on her bed before lifting her skirt up.
"Neon… Do you really wish to be mine?" laying by her side, the dark-haired man asked.
"Of course." Neon whispered ,"I want to be with you. Always."
"Yes princess, you will become a part of the night like me." Chrollo caressed and kissed her long hair.
Yet, as soon as the sunlight hit the room, his presence and voice started to vanish.
"Chrollo?" she started to run towards the bright window and jumped over it, in hope to find her strange lover.
Too bright… too hot… It's always this part of the memory that blends with feverish dreams. No matter how much she chases him, she could never find him in the bask of light.
"Is that your offering for the devil?" Zenji looks at the bouquet of flowers with disgust ,"Have you got no shame? Do you think this prison is an inn, young wrench?"
"Watch your mouth." he sharply says ,"These are merely Miss Neon's requests as a part of our laboratory members."
"Miss?" Zenji bursts out laughing when hearing the honorific title "What did she give you? Did you have fun playing measurement tape with her last week?"
"You will regret falling into that whore's immoral-."
Before he finished talking, Kurapika punches him and Zenji felt his body hit the wall. The bald man fails to understand why the young hunter holds his prisoner in high regard.
"Miss Neon?"
"Chrollo?" she mumbled. The girl is still in her slumber.
Chrollo, huh? Kurapika heeded bitterly. That man is gone. But, he just hates it when his prisoner's lips called out for his arch-enemy's name.
"No. It's me." He tried to shake her.
"Chrollo!"
When she opened her eyes, a familiar young man whose hair was bright as the sun appeared before her eyes. Blonde hair reflecting the white light got her wincing her eyes.
"Kurapika?"
"What happened? You were sleep talking."
"You are finally here!" Neon jumps from her bed with excitement ,"I've waited forever."
"For this?" He looked at the package of tailored-dress next to him.
"Yes. And for you."
He blushed, trying to keep his face down for feeling more excited than he should be. Not feeling quite right that he flustered because affection from a vampire flatters him.
"But they already fed me today. Usually you would only visit when they don't feed me."
"I arrived earlier to present the stuffs you requested-" He explained while handing her the bouquet of flower ,"-And this."
"It's been a long time since I saw this flower." Neon looks at the purple-coloured flowers with admiration ,"I used to pick them myself when I was a human girl. Is this for me?"
When she was a human girl? Kurapika was fazed for a second with the choice of word. A reminder that before being turned into a monster he despises, she was a human just like him. Smiling without thirsting for blood.
"I am glad the flowers suits your liking, Miss Neon. I would love you to elaborate on some questions and I could not come empty-handed."
"Oh? We've got a gentleman here." She giggles when he awkwardly looks away, enjoying his unexpected adorable side.
Upon placing the flower on the stone table in the middle of the room, she started to notice something; a faint sweet smell coming from the young hunter's direction.
"Speaking of which, are you hurt?"
"I got a small scratch here." Kurapika traced the direction of her eyes to his upper arm ,"It's nothing serious."
Neon bites her lip. She had her share of blood earlier, but the blonde young hunter just tempts her with his presence. She stares at him long enough before jumping on his lap and pushing him onto the bed. Her move was so sudden that he resists in fear.
"What are you-"
"Stay still… I won't hurt you." she started unbuttoning his shirt. Her green emerald eyes locked into his.
Hypnotized by her convincing gaze, Kurapika shut his eyes when Neon started licking wound on his upper arm. Her hands caressing his chest. Just a moment ago, she was not a monster he thought she was. But now, she's already licking blood off his wound.
Half-conscious, he placed his hand on her back to pull her closer. Giving up to the opioid sensation of her tongue and skin. To the creature of evil showing her true form.
Notes: I can't believe this chapter alone is 2000 something words! Honestly this is the hardest fic I've ever written because I have zero world-building experience. And while I know how it would end, I don't know how the story should go. Still… everything for my OTP. I think their dynamic is worth translated into an AU.