USEFUL ➴ Illumi x Reader

LXXVI. Sparring

When we arrived at the manor, I went straight back into writing. The plot was coming out alright and the plan was done, sadly if I had more time it would come out better but now that it was all planned out I only had to write it and add the little tweaks and sparkles.

All I needed was time and peace and quiet.

One would expect me to have all that while being a guest in the Zoldycks manor. Somehow that was wrong.

Just as I had gotten into a nice work schedule, Illumi walked into my room, without knocking of course. I materialized a knife and threw it at him. He grabbed it effortlessly. "Illumi."

"Y/N."

"What do you want?" I mumbled as I typed away in the laptop.

"I'd like a sparring partner, father and grandfather are away." I rolled my eyes.

"Why don't you fight Kikyo or Milluki?"

"Milluki doesn't leave his room, nor has enough stamina to keep up and mother has been in a terrible mood lately." I stopped typing and turned around to finally face him.

"Really?" I whined.

"Yes." He didn't seem to get my exasperation. Simply waiting for me to get up and go fight him.

"Can't I also be in a terrible mood?" He tilted his head.

"No." A sigh left my lips as I got up, stretching as I walked to him.

"Of course not." I muttered under my breath. He led the way, to the training room with weapons hanging on the walls from last time. "It has been a while..."

Illumi faced me, he was wearing a long loose white shirt and large baggy black pants. He didn't move, waiting for my sign.

My eyes met his as I nodded, he attacked, swinging his leg over my head as I quickly ducked, my heart started racing, as I dodged the multiple attacks, punches, and kicks. Without a room to attack back, I kept on the defence as my eyes raided the walls. As I avoided the being sliced by his sharp nails, I rolled over to the wall and touched a large curved knife, immediately conjuring a similar one on my other hand, I spun them and threw them with all my force. Illumi jumped to dodge, his elegant moves amazing me.

I kept conjuring them, keeping the distance between me and him as I threw more and more. They disappeared as they hit the floor and not one managed to graze Illumi, so I decided to switch the strategy, and jumped closer to him. Swinging my leg, and seeing him dodge to the left, exactly where I wanted him as I swung the knife, he dodged immediately though. Leaving me to sulk.

This kept going for a while, no hits managing to land on either side, but I was getting tired by the minute, and I knew Illumi had a monstrous stamina. As my chest rose and lowered as fast as possible, I dodged some needles thrown at me, mind racing trying to figure out plans, be several moves ahead.

One wrong step costed me a trip to the floor, a loud gasp leaving me as my back hit the floor. And, of course, I had no time to get back up, as Illumi pinned me down.

"Alright, my loss Illumi." He stared, not trusting my quick surrender. "I'm serious."

He eased the weight on me but didn't move.

"Well, since I'm assuming that we'll be staying here for a while, what happens if I complete the last test Illumi?" He finally got up, allowing me to sit and gaze at him waiting for an answer.

It never came.

"Seriously Illumi?" The complaint leaving my lips, as he extended his hand to me, I took it and was yanked up with ease.

"Again?" He muttered softly, taking three steps back expecting my cue. I dashed to his side attempting to graze my knife on his skin, as he bent in an incredibly flexible way to dodge it, and the fast dance continued.

I lost many times, but of course this was mainly a physical fight, the little nen I used was to create weapons.

By the end, I was surely looking like a fish out of the water, wet from the sweat and gasping for air. I laid down on the cold floor, resting for a while. Illumi stood straight, his chest raising slightly faster than before.

"Why are you still here?"

"I assume you don't know how to return to your room." Ah crap, that was right, I had forgotten the blueprints again. "Maybe I should request a watch with the maps integrated, Milluki can probably pull that off." That was very considerate of him, what did he want from me? Did he have something to hide somewhere in these halls? It took me long to reply.

"Well, that would be very helpful considering a watch is easier to keep on me at all times." He nodded, and seeing that I wasn't getting up anytime soon, sat nearby, his legs crossed, and an impatient eyebrow raised just enough so I could notice.

"I shall ask Milluki."

"He seems very skilled."

"Yes, his inventions and technologic knowledge are admirable." He hummed, a little of the care he had for his brothers revealing itself.

"You care a lot for your family..." Even though it seemed to be in the wrong ways. I didn't add the rest of the sentence, he wouldn't understand it. How could he? This was the only love he had ever known; how else could he show it if not for his possessiveness and weird controlling behaviour?

"Yes, I do." He agreed, seemingly in a better mood. I pulled myself up, stretching in all sorts of ways and verifying if there was nothing broken. He too was up in a second and leading the way to my room where I would finally go back to writing. I took the precious watch off my s/c wrist, handing it to him.

"Keep it, I'll get a new one for Milluki. Lateness isn't really acceptable." I scowled; I knew someone would mention my delay for that meal. "Ah, I have a new job next week you'll accompany me."

Art By: p (Pixiv ID 25215332) lmao really check their art out it's hilarious

Author's Note: 

Is Illumi being considerate?

What do you think of the way things are progressing?