Illumi stared at the door, questioning if this was a good idea. He should give her space, time. He shouldn't immediately come back to her, right?
But he wanted to. He was tired, barely daring to sleep since he'd gone home. His parents had reacted as he'd expected. Sylva was unimpressed, but lenient. Zeno had been curious and then thrilled when he'd told him Adella was also a patron of the arts. And Kikyo had thrown a fit. So much so, Sylva had to order her to back off.
He was glad he had finished his job early, needing the extra days for his parents' background check. They had found out everything about her (or most about her at least) within hours. Kikyo had been disgusted at how proletariat Adella was, but Sylva had deemed her acceptable.
"Just make certain she isn't a liability. Train her well and teach her our ways. If she will not obey them, we will take action."
She wasn't completely safe, considering Adella had already voiced her opinion on his upbringing, but she wasn't in immediate danger. She was a smart girl, she'd be able to hold her tongue around them, if he ever let her around them.
Realizing he's probably been standing there to long, Illumi reaches for the door. The apartment welcomes him with a soft glow, the smell of chicken coming from the kitchen. Adella must have been busy.
"I'm back." He offers, hoping the little pest will scurry her way into view.
"Lumi?"
His heart leaps to his throat. Was she really calling him Lumi again? Did he deserve it?
Of course. He'd only been trying to protect her.
No, he can't think like that. What had this woman done to him?
Adella pops her head out from around the kitchen entryway. "Hi!" Hurrying over, she barely lets him get two steps further before she's in his arms.
As much as Illumi really doesn't believe he should be allowed this familiarity after everything, he's still selfish. He wraps his arms around her, holding her close, having missed her deeply.
Burying his face in her hair, he nearly misses her welcoming him home. "I don't suppose you missed me too badly, killing people and dealing with things."
He hums, loosening his grip so he can look at her. "I went home. I told my parents about us."
She steps away from him, clearly on high alert. She's readying herself for heartbreak. "Oh? Am I…"?
"They like you. Well, tolerate. My grandfather likes you; my mother wants you dead, and father lands somewhere in between." He pauses. "So long as you… listen to our rules, you are welcome."
She takes in the information with wide eyes. "I… we… really?"
He nods and is immediately assaulted by a rather harsh kiss. Not that he is complaining, but if he was hesitant about the hug, he is certainly not allowed a kiss. Especially one this intense.
Adella grabs his hand, safely on her waist, moving it up her body to cup a breast. Brows furrowed, Illumi can't stop himself from swiping his thumb over the fabric covering her. She groans into the kiss, and sadly, Illumi must force himself to pull back before he gets too distracted.
Adella seems defeated, deflating like a balloon at the rejection. "I…"
"As much as I would desperately love to continue," Illumi cuts her off, breathless. "I think in the interest of regaining your trust, I shouldn't be allowed such freedom with you. Your rules, after all."
Still dispirited, but less so, Adella nods. "I understand."
"I am sorry." He hurriedly adds, following her towards the kitchen. To be honest, he is sorrier about denying her advances and denying himself than he is about her wounded pride. "I cannot express how much I would like to continue."
"Yeah, I could feel that." She winks at him, glancing at the tightened stretch of his pants, small smile lifting the corner of her mouth. Illumi scowls. Why did he suffer this injustice again? Love? Love was idiotic.
She sighs, turning back to the stove. "I just don't want to deal with this fall out. But I get we have to. I was the one who insisted on talking. I'm just grateful you're still willing to talk."
He sits on one of the barstools, watching as she continues fussing over dinner. "I'm grateful you haven't kicked me out yet."
"I probably should after everything." She admits, causing Illumi to wince. "The relationship was rather toxic those few weeks, and before, but I contributed that to your upbringing. You've gotten better. Well, got."
He sighs, knowing he will have to be open with her. Did he?, part of him wonders. Would it really hurt to keep his deceit a secret now it was practically a non-issue?
Yes, he had to, or at least that's what the smallest part of him was saying, and annoyingly, he couldn't ignore it. "Then, if I am to win your trust back, I should tell you I haven't been honest."
He sees her tense, turning to lean against the counter, arms folded across her chest. "Oh? How so?"
"I entered this relationship under false pretenses." He admits.
Adella frowns, cocking her head. "Were you hired to kill me?"
"No! No, I…" Did she really think so little of him? If he had been contracted to kill her, they wouldn't be having this conversation. "I was intrigued by your aura, your nen. I've told you how powerful you are; I wanted to control it, control you."
Understanding paints itself across her features. "You didn't like me, just my power."
He nods. "At first, yes. But I found you to be entertaining and stayed close. I'm not sure when I fell in love with you, but I did. I am. I…" He clenches his fists, fighting to find the words. This was new territory for him, one where he wasn't in control. He wanted control, liked control.
Adella rests a hand over his, opening his fist so she can entwine her fingers with his. "Hey, hey. Thank you for being honest. To be fair, I didn't think you had been interested in me for my looks or anything. You're a Zoldyck, nothing you do is without reason. I'm glad I finally know why, but that doesn't change this."
She motions to the space between them. "What does change things is that needle."
Illumi breathes deeply, pulling out the very one he had used to drug her. "Something so small."
She hums, looking at it as though it will bite her. "But it caused a rather large reaction. I thought your nen manipulated people until they died?"
"It can. I didn't use my nen. This one was poisoned, drugged. You aren't freeing yourself from me that easily." He means it as a joke, but some dark part of him, one not so hidden, means it just a little too much. He was sorry all of this had hurt her, but if it meant keeping her alive and by his side, Illumi would do whatever it took.
Pulling away, she turns down the heat on the oven, as if she doesn't want to look at it. Illumi looks at the small piece of metal. Whatever it took. "Do you want me to get rid of it?"
"Why? It won't magically fix things." Adella hisses, sounding annoyed.
"As a gesture. A sign of throwing out the past. A new start." Part of him really wants her to say no. It would be such a waste of a needle.
She glances over her shoulder at him before glancing at the pin. "I can't tell you what to do Illumi. You have to decide what you want and do it yourself."
Illumi looks between her and the needle. It wasn't as though he wanted to get rid of it. His needles were practically part of him, a conduit for his nen, a sign of his ability. But still, the choice wasn't about his ability. It was about his relationship.
That was what made the choice so easy. He had plenty of other needles, but there was only one Adella.
Rising, he grabs the needle, moving from the kitchen back into the living room. "Lumi?" Adella calls after him.
"I'll be back. Unless you want to come with me?" He offers, already at the door.
She peeks around the doorway, scowling. "Dinner will get cold. Get your ass over here and eat. We can go out afterwards. The pin isn't going to roll away."
He sighs, returning to his designated spot at the counter as Adella hands him his plate. Leaning over, she presses a small kiss to his cheek. "Thank you."
He reaches for her hand, squeezing lightly. He had been dreading this moment since he left on his job, the moment when he would have to sit and talk with her about how to proceed. He knew the conversation wasn't over, but here they were, together, side-by-side. They could still get through this.