Killua and Daniel throw Alluka her first birthday in ages, hoping to make it the most special day for her.
Alluka slipped into her floral pattern dress, smiling as she looked in the mirror. Killua and Daniel promised her something today, the moment they signed up to attend Xavier's school of the gifted, the date 12th of December marked down as her assigned birthday.
The Zoldyck never participated in birthday parties. Whenever they wanted something, they could be given it up to a certain age. For her, it was around four, the moment they discovered Nanika.
She was locked up, surrounded by only stuffed toys. The only one who would visit her from time to time was Killua… Then he just stopped coming for almost two years. During that time, the family never paid attention to her existence, except for the one-time Milluki visited her… for a computer.
After that… it was radio silence until Killua showed up… with Daniel.
The rest became history once she got know her brother's partner.
She stepped out into the hallway, finding her brother trying to slice a piece of cake for himself. Daniel smacked her brother's hand away, glaring at him for trying to take a piece for himself.
"I'm checking to see if you're going to poison my sister…"
"You ate the batter! Unless that oven is filled with Mercury, she'll be fine. Speaking of which…" Daniel held out a hand to his boyfriend's sister, "the star of today's show."
Alluka bushed from being put in the limelight. Daniel was putting her on a pedestal, and judging by the way Killua jogged out of the kitchen towards her, he was about to do the same thing.
The boy hugged his little sister, smiling widely "Happy birthday!"
"Thank you… big brother."
"Anything for my little sister."
"Daww…" Daniel remarked from the kitchen, cleaning up the last of the bowls he used for baking.
It was Killua's turn to blush. He wanted to hide his face, but at the same time, he still had a few things to say to his little sister "Even though I've forgotten your actual birthday, I hope that I can make up for it today, by celebrating it on a day closer to Christmas. I'll try to make up for those years Illumi made me forget about you."
Alluka wiggled her finger at her brother, a sly smile showing "You taking me out of that forsaken home, was the best present you've ever given me!"
Killua turned to his partner.
"Don't stare at me, she learnt that language from you…"
"He's right!" Alluka drew her brother's attention once more, "I only learnt how to praise my brother from him." Killua sighed, cheeks tinted as Alluka continued "You've taken me on an adventure… I couldn't have asked for a better brother…" She held her brother's hands, smiling widely, "Thank you for coming back for me."
"I know…" Killua hummed in understanding, "I just wish I didn't have to do it under selfish reasons."
"What's done is done…" Daniel turned off the water, turning to the siblings with a smile "I guarantee if Gon walked away from the fight unharmed… before the moment he can say let's go on another adventure, the next few words to come out of your mouth… would've been but first I want to make a pit stop. You care…"
Daniel closed the distance between them, standing before the two, still smiling "You always have. Your family might try to shut down that part of you, but they never will… You just needed the right person to open that part of you."
Killua flashed a smirk, "And you are that person, right?"
"Nope…" Daniel's expression softened "I'm good… just not that good. I wish I was, there's no doubt about that. Gon gave you the first step… you took the steps… I was just there to make sure if you fell, I can at least be able to pick you back up."
"Aww…" Alluka smiled, looking towards her brother who now had an unreadable expression. He was looking directly at Daniel, trying not to betray his internal thoughts. He was caught off guard, but Daniel learnt this from someone else… he learnt to be kind and caring from Nathaniel.
This was a by-product… a very cheesy boyfriend he'll cherish "You're right about one thing…"
"Hmm…?"
"I would've gone back for my sister first, but I wouldn't…" Killua sighed in defeat. He wanted to say it more for Daniel's sake, but at the same time, he wanted to hide it because of how cheesy the thought was, "I'd make sure you'd be there in the room with Alluka and I, not just Gon and I… As much as he is a best friend to me, it's still you, I want to introduce her to first…" The boy then showed a childish grin, "because Gon would introduce himself as Gon Freecss, and accidentally start the process to make the first wish…"
Alluka smacked her brother's shoulder "That's mean!"
"No, he probably would…" Daniel hummed in agreement, "the whole introduction part. Not sure about what his first wish would be…"
"I want to be your friend Alluka!" Killua mocked in the boy's tone. He got another playful slap from Alluka.
"Careful, a third slap means you have to fulfil one of Alluka's wishes."
"In that case…" Alluka playfully slapped her brother across the shoulder for the third time, she wants to make-a-wish "I want you to make this day special."
Killua lifted his head, giving off an expressionless smile "Ai…" Alluka poked her brother, poting from the joke he made about poor Nanika. She can handle her brother teasing her, but Nanika's childlike personality wouldn't understand the joke. Killua sighed in defeat, relenting from his sister's reaction "Alright, alright… I promise to make the day special."
"Good!" Her smile widened, "so what we have planned."
"Well… Daniel wanted to take you off-campus to the movies."
"But Killua doesn't like the idea because Victor could be out there."
"Right, so… We're having a dinner and movie night in-house."
"More like in-campus."
"I approached Eifion and got us an Elfin Tx subscription; we're going to watch movies in the comfort of our room. We have snacks, drinks and a cake ready to go. I need to prepare dinner, which means Alluka and myself, will figure out what she wants to try, besides my cooking. Daniel will sort out the shopping, we'll meet back here, settle down and watch some movies while I cook."
Daniel held out a finger to Alluka, "And while I'm gone, you must make sure that cake remains intact. Your brother will not eat it before you get to try it."
Alluka nod with a smile, "I'll make sure he doesn't."
"I find a fingerprint in that cake…" Daniel wagged his finger at Killua, "I'll figure out a punishment later. For now, I'll head out to start shopping, while you two, sort out what's for dinner… Just message me what you'll need."
Daniel grabbed the key and wallet on his way out, stopping at the door to look at Killua one last time "Remember…" Daniel made a gesture, suggesting that he'll somehow have his eyes on his boyfriend.
"~"
Killua hummed as he flipped through the recipe book, wanting Alluka to finally announce what she wants to eat. When they reached towards the end, near the soup department Alluka finally picked something "This…"
Killua read through the requirements, smiling as he saw the dish wouldn't take all day to make "Alright, so we're going to have Shoyu style Ramen… with…" The boy looked over the toppings choices, "which you'd prefer? Pork, chicken or fish?"
"We'll go with the pork."
"Alright…" Killua pulled out his phone, messaging Daniel for the ingredients they were missing. He went into the kitchen, getting started on the things he could make ahead of time. Pushing the cake over to the side to make room to cook, he heard Alluka whine "Daniel said I'd get the first piece…"
"I know. I haven't touched it per se, I've just moved it over. I need space to cook… although, the batter tasted delicious."
"That's not fair… I didn't get to try the batter."
Killua expression softened as he pulled out a chopping board for later, "He has been preparing it in secret since yesterday. He didn't want you to find out until he was making the finishing touches today, so, you can't really complain. But, he's not wrong… he can't cook for peanuts, but he makes a mean chocolate cake. I didn't get to taste the layers in-between, so you get to try them before me…"
Killua leaned over to look at the cake. It was a basic cake, nothing to fancy. Each base was chocolate, but the layers in-between added a new texture to bite through. The first layer was dark white chocolate, with the second layer being caramel and the layer on top was rich dark chocolate.
He hoped it wasn't the bitter kind, the kind that was 80% cocoa. That would ruin the first and second layer, the sweetness of the two being unable to save it from the layer on top.
He appreciated how Daniel wrote: Happy 12th Birthday Alluka in caramel sauce; it contrasted well with the Dark Chocolate.
"I can hear you drooling from here…"
Killua huffed in annoyance "I'm not drooling…" He definitely, wasn't drooling; he was just worried about how Alluka would perceive the taste. He wants nothing but the best for her "this day is supposed to be special for you. I want nothing but the best… I want to make up for all that missed time. For leaving you alone…"
Alluka turned around, smiling at her older brother as he fumbled around in the kitchen. She appreciated everything he has done for her up to this point. She'll never regret anything, except being unable to see how Gon and Daniel changed her brother over those two years.
She still loves him, with or without this change. Although, she likes the new changes her brother has gone through "I appreciate everything you're doing for me… but I don't want it to be perfect, as long as I get to have the two of you here."
"Someone has been picking up someone's bad habits…"
"Well that someone, also makes my brother happy. So, he shouldn't be complaining…"
"He should be allowed to complain. But you're right. You have become wise… I won't worry about the cake… the movies choices… or my cooking. As long, as you don't lose your smile today. Don't even try to fake it until you make it… I'll know. A big brother should always know when his sister is unhappy."
"Okay… I won't stop smiling unless you stop smiling."
"Deal!" Killua broke out into a huge smile, "Now it might be your birthday, but I'm going to show you the basics to cooking. If I go down, Daniel can't cook… so it's up to you to carry on for us."
"That's mean!"
"Not as mean as your insults will be when you taste his cooking."
"~"
Alluka and Daniel sat on the couch, sifting through the movies as Killua continued to cook. The delicious aroma lingered in the air, making the two sitting on the couch drooling with anticipation.
It wouldn't be too long until their digging into Killua's cooking.
Killua wanted to tease the two sitting on the couch about drooling, but he couldn't stop smiling. He was happy with today's events so far; he can't complain. The presents had been brought, Daniel getting her the necessities and him buying her new accessories and clothes, the day in his opinion was perfect.
Daniel was even comfortable to kiss his sister of the forehead when he sat down. That, he couldn't be jealous over. Alluka loves affection as much as he does but seeing her smile after that action was bound to make her day even more special.
Daniel brought his boyfriend's sister closer, "If I hit down anymore, we're going to run out of movie choices. How about…" Daniel hit back, going over to the search bar, "Now I know we said we'll let you make a choice, but…" The boy typed in Howl's Moving Castle "This movie?"
Alluka looked over the synopsis before smiling "that sounds nice."
Killua peeked from over the counter, "Which movie?"
"Howl's moving castle… It'll make even you, cry."
"Is that a challenge?"
"Oh, no… has my boyfriend taken on a certain green coloured attired boy's bad habits?"
"At least I know when to stop."
"Before or after you win several times."
"Hmm… after. After sounds nice." Killua burst into laughter, his cheek brightening as he continued "As long as Alluka likes it, I can't complain. We'll watch that movie. For now, I'm almost done…" Killua shifted from the pot to the bench, grabbing the chopping board to throw it in the sink.
Daniel added an idea, "You know what… I don't think you two got to do it when you were kids."
Alluka perked up, wondering what Daniel was going to suggest, "The three of us will get into our pyjamas, I'll grab our blanket and we'll snuggle up on the couch while we watch the movie. It's something I would do with my fathers when I was younger. I would usually be in the middle while they hugged me, and we'll just watch movies. I was usually the first to pass out… but the whole experience was memorable."
Killua looked at his sister, "up to you."
"I get the middle!" Alluka ran to the room, leaving her brother chuckling as she started cleaning up.
Daniel walked over to his partner, hugging him from behind. He placed a small kiss into the boy's neck, the two of them swaying in front of the sink.
Killua sighed, so badly wanting this situation to continue while Alluka was getting ready. But he was in the middle of something "the food is going to burn…"
"I only want a second. I hope I didn't infringe too much on your sister's choices."
"She liked them, so I can't complain. She's happy, so I'm happy… Also, thanks for helping me splurge on my sister. I appreciate the help… I want this day to be extra special for her."
"I'm glad to help my partner make his sister feel special…" Daniel tightens his arms around his partner, giving the boy a tighter hug before letting go, "the same goes for you. If your sister wants to do the same for you, I'd do it… you both mean a lot to me. Also, sorry for kissing your sister of the forehead."
"I don't mind. It made her smile… that means a lot to me."
"No, I mean…" Daniel once more held his partner "I promised I would only kiss you…" the boy once more let go of his partner.
"Yeah," Killua turned to give his partner a Cheshire Cat grin, "but then I asked you to promise that you'll love only me… but then, you said you'll love someone else…" When Daniel pouted, Killua finished the argument, his lips ghosting over Daniel's "You said they'll call me daddy if I remember correctly…"
Daniel chuckled, pulling Killua into a quick kiss "I did. I promise that I won't love anyone, but you… your sister or any of our kids if we have any."
"Oh, kids now…? What happened to the singular kid… did they multiply?"
"I can't predict the future, so I'm leaving it open. Plus, you grew up with multiple siblings, so you might want more than a single child."
"That's true… but let's not talk about that now. Maybe when we're older…"
"Of course," Daniel gives his partner a final kiss before leaving, "I've kept you long enough from the food cooking."
Killua panicked, "Shit! Shit! Shit!" As his boyfriend chuckled from his reaction, he pushed Daniel aside, hoping that nothing was burning. He turned off the heat, double-checking to see if it had burned. It didn't smell like anything was burning, so it must have been ok.
As he looked up, he saw Daniel saunter off to their bedroom, smiling once more as he stood in front of the doorway. Killua broke out into his own smile, happy with how everything has gone so far with their life.
Daniel makes his sister happy…
He makes him happy…
He couldn't have asked for a better partner. He just would like some of the circumstances to change, namely… the issue with Victor.
Sighing, the boy finished up washing while the others got ready for cake and movie night. Looks like I won't be sleeping like I normally do… I'll ask Daniel for a loose T-shirt, see if he'll let me borrow one of his.
"~"
The three hummed in delight, slurping their ramen in almost silence. Alluka and Killua were eager to try the cake. By now it had set, the finishing touches completed hours ago.
Daniel didn't add any kind of heavy decorations; it wasn't his forte. One day he might learn to make fondue, but right now all he can do was a type of melted or chilled icing over the top.
One day he wanted to try to make a seven-layered rainbow sponge cake. It'll be difficult to have the same consistency between each layer, but he was willing to try. That might be the next kind of cake he makes for Alluka.
For now, the next cake will be for Killua. He wants to make it extra special for his boyfriend, considering he missed out the boy's birthday last time. They had a lot going on their mind at the time; the whole memory loss, combined with Victor watching them… without any of them noticing. That man ruined those lost moments of time they could've been sharing together.
Once the three had finished their meal, they set aside the bowls, Daniel pulling the cake closer. He rotated it so the text was facing Alluka. Killua brought the bowls over to the sink, placing them down before grabbing a knife and lighter.
As much as he'd like to light the candles with his Nen ability, using Nen on the school grounds was limited to the building underneath it "Alright…" Killua places the knife on the table. He then proceeded to light the candles already placed in the cake, a smile forming as he explained what was about to happen to his sister "We're going to sing you Happy Birthday. Once we're done, make a wish before blowing out the candles."
Alluka nod in understanding, eager eyes looking at the cake before her. She couldn't wait to try it; it looked delicious.
Killua started first, Daniel joining in right after.
Happy Birthday to You~
Alluka's smile widened, her eyes lingering on the wavering candles.
Happy Birthday to You~
Happy Birthday Dear A~llu~ka~
She was full of joy, tears streaming down her face. All this time she missed out on this kind of event, surrounded by people who love her for who she is. She won't have a wish to make by the end of this…
Not while her life already feels complete.
Happy Birthday to You~
"Make a wish…"
Alluka stared at the candles, wondering what to wish for. She wants nothing more right now… In a sense, her wish has already come true.
As she makes more friends…
When Daniel pieces back together his family… there will be more people standing by her brother and his partner's side, singing the exact same tune, wishing her a happy birthday.
I want this happiness to never end… Taking a deep breath, she blew out all the candles, the two boys clapping their hands.
Killua took the knife, placing it in Alluka's hand, helping guide her to where she should be cutting "Cut here, but don't touch the plate, or you have to kiss the nearest person to you." The boy let go of his sister's hand, taking a step back.
Alluka got a mischievous grin "Ok~" slicing through the cake, as soon as she hit the base, she kissed her brother on the cheek "Thank you!" The boy's cheeks warmed at the affection, Alluka immediately leaping into Daniel's arms to bypass the rule. She couldn't thank one, without thanking the other, especially when he put all that time into making the cake.
She kissed Daniel on the cheek, "Thank you! Thank you both for today." Alluka let go. She turned to watch her brother remove the candles. He placed them in a small plate before slicing his sister a piece of cake, placing it on another plate along with a spoon.
Alluka took the cake with a smile. As she picked up the spoon, she saw her brother cut himself a similar sized-slice. She pouted at her brother's action. She thought her brother will be more generous with her, cutting a bigger slice for her, considering it was her birthday. But then she remembered chocolate is Killua's kryptonite. He wouldn't give anyone a bigger slice than himself, unless, he was getting the same size.
Daniel shook his head with a cheeky smile "Someone is being a little greedy…"
"What are you talking about? I see chocolate, I devour it… of course, I'm going to give myself the same size as my sister."
The boy continued to shake his head at his boyfriend, taking the knife to slice a smaller piece for himself. Taking a spoon, he placed it in the plate, waiting for Alluka and Killua to have the first bite.
Alluka took the first bite, smiling widely, "It's delicious!" Daniel smiled as Alluka took another bite.
Killua took a bite himself, "I'm surprised the dark chocolate didn't overpower the rest."
Daniel was happy at the reviews he was receiving, so he took a bite of his own cake, enjoying it because he gets to spend it with two people he loves. One like a sister, the other as a boyfriend.
Alluka spoke up after the third bite "Who taught you to make delicious desserts?"
"My dad…" Daniel finished off his bite, "before you ask which one, Vastorie. He is the king of the kitchen. Nothing gets moved without his say so…"
"More like the dramatic queen…" Killua huffed out, chuckling soon after he saw Daniel smile. The boy tapped his piece of cake before asking a question of his own, "So what did you do to combat the dark chocolate?"
"A mixture of a little bit of caster sugar, and mostly coconut sugar, to give the more caramel taste. The caster sugar is mainly there to give it a little sweet kick; so that you don't get just a sweet taste. For the Happy Birthday bit, I used a piping bag with a small cut at the tip. No need for a proper piping kit. I can't do anything extravagant… No flowers, figurines or fondue… or spectacular cake designs. Don't expect me to make a three-stacker chocolate fountain cake anytime soon."
Killua drooled at the mental image. A three-stacker, chocolate fountain cake… that'll be heaven on earth for me. Killua decided to voice his thoughts, hoping to plant a seed in Daniel's mind "You know… a three-stacker chocolate cake would be a great gift for someone I know…"
"Oh, yeah…" Daniel held up a finger to point at Killua's chin, "this someone wouldn't happen to be the same person drooling, right?"
Killua wiped the drool off his chin, "No… Not at all."
"How about this, you make a chocolate fountain machine that constantly cycles warm chocolate, that, would also allow me to thread doughnut-shaped cakes through, I'll make it…"
"You better keep your word!" A smile grew on Killua's face. I'm definitely, going to study Electrical Engineering now… That's a dream I can get behind on! "I'll make that Chocolate fountain for you, even if, it's the only reason I'm going to study here for."
"Well if you are going to be that selfish… please promise me the first question you ask your teacher isn't going to be How do I make a Chocolate fountain?"
"Of course, not… I'll ask for specific components whenever we reach a topic milestone. Like making a heating component and so forth."
Daniel offered a nod, returning to eat his cake. If Killua is going to study that, I'll study to be a Pastry Chef… just so I can bake Killua's dream cake. But at the same time… I might pick up a minor in psychology… to help me understand the mind a little better. I want to be able to understand my father, no matter how difficult it is…
Daniel loved his father, no matter what he said back then. He understands that he was upset, that the realisation of the one who threatens to destroy the life he has built, is alive… and possibly immortal, or at least in Vastorie's mind, the man was immortal.
The man was after him or Zaikaria now, trying to find a way to pull his son out of hiding. Vastorie was hiding from even his family, but he was watching them… keeping tabs on them without his father being aware of it.
Eifion was probably keeping tabs on them for his father, so if Vastorie sees the video of the two of them dancing on Christmas, it might shock him out of hiding… or at least, make the man try to rebuild contact with his family, mainly his husband… He wants to believe that this one thing, could change his father's mind.
Then again, this was a pipe dream after all…
But, he still couldn't deny that he hoped things would change.
Taking a deep breath, Daniel looked at Killua. If the same thing happened to him, not only he would be devastated, but Alluka would be too. Neither of them could see a life without the boy.
Killua looked at Daniel; an eyebrow quirked upward from his partner's deep breath, "Is everything ok?"
"Just thinking about things…"
"Not us…" Killua shoved a piece of cake into his mouth "I hope."
Daniel shook his head, "Nah, our life is perfect." Killua blushed from the compliment, but before he could say anything, Daniel continued, "Anyways, I want to believe that I could change my father's mindset."
"But you consider it a pipedream, correct?"
"Yeah, how-"
"It's written all over your face. That's a face of worry, not I can do this mentality."
"You're right about that… Well, I've figured out what I want to study in this school."
"Oh, yeah…" Killua hummed, listening intently as he shoved more cake into his mouth.
"I'm going to study to be a Pastry Chef, with a minor in human Psychology."
Killua stopped mid-lift, placing the spoon along with the piece of cake back onto the plate. Once more, he was staring into Daniel's eyes. He wanted to make sure, that, that was what the boy wanted to do… not for the sake of his father or himself, "Are you sure? Making desserts is one thing… but human Psychology, that isn't easy. I'm not saying this from experience, it wasn't something I had to major in as a child… but I had to learn how people move, predict their next… think about how this person would think during my previous job. It's very taxing, difficult even…"
Killua shifted in his seat, noticing how the boy's eyes wavered for a split second. The boy never liked hearing anything about his previous job, because his partner knew he hated it "I should've said something while we were with Clarisa and Kiel, but I didn't because it would've made them privy to my previous life. But I'm saying it now… Unless you are absolutely, sure about this path, don't take it…"
Daniel quirked a lip, smirking at his partner "The same could be said about Electrical Engineering."
"No, that's different. What I'm saying now… Listening to the list of people your father gave us, the other information handed to us by Eifion… maybe… maybe that's enough to understand your father. You shouldn't push yourself to try to understand a complicated subject."
"But…" Killua gave him a look, begging him to reconsider without words, "Think about it… if you want to predict other's motives, their next move… I can teach you that stuff. But again, unless you're absolutely sure about it… don't pick up that subject."
Daniel nod, looking down in silence as he ate another piece.
Alluka glared at her brother, but Killua was more interested in Daniel's reaction. The boy was trying to push himself, but he knows there's a limit to how much his boyfriend can take. He's going to stretch himself thin trying to study so many things at the same time…
With Eifion's information, along with a selected choice of study, and Nen practice… he didn't want Daniel to snap and unravel from overstudying. But he could also see how much this whole thing meant to his partner. He wanted to do it… no matter how much stress it burdened him with.
With a sigh, Killua spoke up once more, trying to correct some of his mistakes, "I know how much you want to do it. And while I sound like I'm telling you not to do it, because it's too much… I want to help you in my own way. Don't pick up Human Psychology, right now. Delve deep into the documents you got from Eifion. If you still want to study it, after, depleting the stacks of information you have right now… go for it. I'll even help you where I can."
Daniel closed his eyes, looking up with a smile. He was happy to hear that Killua wanted to have his back, no matter his choice. He was only looking out for him… He only thought Killua wanted him to stop, but he should've known…
He should've seen that part of Killua coming a mile away.
Maybe the one reason he could connect so well with Killua was thanks to the string of aura, the connection it supplied them with. Without it, he might never understand his partner as well as he thinks he does.
"If there's one thing I really want to do… it's to understand you better."
Killua's cheeks tinted at the words, constantly poking the cake with his spoon. He was playing with his food as he was trying to get his point across, not fish for compliments "You… you already understand me enough."
"Not enough it would seem… I think the connection I have with you, is limited to what I can feel through that string of aura. I want to understand you, without the need for it… I want… I want to know you better."
Killua closed his eyes, "I'll tell you everything about myself." When Daniel looked into his eyes with hopeful ones, Killua scooped the last piece of cake into his mouth "But first I want to watch a movie with you… and with Alluka…"
"Alright, as long as I get to snuggle with you."
Alluka pouted, "it's going to be difficult with me in the middle."
"A group snuggle then…" Daniel offered with a smile.
"Yes!" Alluka's lips widened, smiling like a bright light. She aimed to finish off her cake as quickly as possible, wanting to snuggle with the two boys in a blanket as quickly as possible.
Killua shook his head with a smile of his own. I have a dork as a partner, and my sister is slowly becoming a similar kind of a dork.
Next chapter will take a while. I want it to be perfect… at least to me. So maybe 3 weeks tops… I hope.