Chapter 2
"That bad?" the light voice over the phone chirped.
"Did you expect any different?" Killua sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I told you my parents had high hopes for me. They put almost all of their eggs in my basket."
"Wait, eggs. What?"
"It's an expression, Gon. They wanted me to marry into money and give them an ass load of grandkids. I suspect they wanted my husband to die off sometime after that." Killua left her taxi as soon as they approached the airport entrance. The woman hoisted a backpack and unloaded a suitcase from the cab trunk.
"Are you serious?!" the girl on the line almost shrieked.
"Ow! Gon!"
"Sorry."
"Yeah, I'm serious. They've done this kind of thing before. Why do you think Illumi is gone so much? They practically whore him out all over the world." She entered the airport and looked around for her airplane gate. She had her ticket ready to show off.
"I just figured he was studying abroad," Gon replied.
"For six years, Gon?" Killua sat down by her gate and waited. She could feel the man sitting behind her watching. This flight was going to be great.
"Maybe he really likes Europe?"
Killua snorted. Gon giggled on the other side; she was the only one who could make Killua laugh like that.
"Oh Gon," Killua said dreamily, her expression softened. "I really miss you."
"I miss you too, Killua. I can't wait to see you again."
"Me too." They had been separated for almost a year, their relationship consisting of phone calls, video chats and instant messages. In that time, Gon had boasted about having a tattoo etched in a very intimate place that made Killua's mouth water. She could not wait to see the ink herself.
The voice on the intercom interrupted their conversation, "Now boarding, Flight 172 to Sahelta."
"There's my flight. I'll talk to you soon, Gon."
"'Kay! I love you, Killua!"
"I love you too, Gon." The call ended and Killua went through the gate. She could still sense the man who was looking at her walking right behind her. A fun flight, indeed.
It was not long before Killua was regretting not shelling out the cash for first class. She was sitting next to an older man with small circular sunglasses and spiked brown hair. As soon as the plane took off, he was bugging the stewardess to serve him scotch and offering Killua a few glasses. All of which she refused but that did not stop him from ordering two glasses every time the ones that were just brought out were drained.
"You're really hot, y'know that?" he slurred over his sixth drink. Oh why did she not bring headphones? "I would totally nail you in the bathroom on this thing if I wasn't already in a relationship."
"I bet," she said, staring out the window and trying to ignore him.
"I'm serious. But my boyfriend would kill me if he found out."
That caught her attention. "Boyfriend?"
"Yup." He dug into his pocket and brought out his wallet. Flipping it open, he showed off a picture of a young blonde male with greyish-brown eyes. He appeared very feminine: his hair almost reaching his shoulders, his features were thin and delicate. His eyes were attention grabbing, containing a seriousness but also a soft, guardianlike spark. "He's really smart. Way smarter than I could ever be but he believed I could be a doctor."
Killua remained silent, thinking of Gon.
"I love that pretty bastard," the man continued. "At first, I thought he was a chick but then he wasn't. I don't regret anything though. He made my life better." Tears started coming to his eyes. "I miss him so much."
The woman started thinking the worst. "What happened?"
"Nothing," he belched. Killua fanned the smell away from her face. "We had this huge fight before I left and we didn't make up until after I was gone. I texted him every day and night, telling him how much I loved him."
"That's sweet."
"Seriously," he leaned over to her. "You are really hot. Do you have a boyfriend?"
Killua grimaced. "Girlfriend."
"Huh?" He appeared puzzled by that. "I thought lesbians were supposed to be ugly chicks who couldn't get laid."
"Aren't you a treat," she replied. "Could you move? I need to use the bathroom. Do not follow me," she added as she entered the aisle.
Killua walked past the waiter's station. All of the flight attendants were gone, probably serving out drinks to morons like the one she just walked away from. She entered the lavatory and was about to close the door when a hand reached out to block it.
She huffed out an exasperated sigh. "I told you not to fucking follow me-"
The face at the door was not the drunk man, it was the man from the airport who would not stop staring. "Oh?" he said, his voice almost seductive. "Were you talking to me?"
"Who the hell-" The man was tall and pale with gelled red hair and gold eyes. The way he looked over Killua made her feel like he was seeing through her clothes. "Get the fuck out!"
"Hmm, I don't think so," he purred, walking into the lavatory and cornering her against the back wall. He grabbed a strand of her hair that was resting on her shoulder, running it between his fingers. "I'm here for my own reasons. I don't really care if you want me here or not." He leaned in to sniff her neck, causing Killua to freeze.
Every nerve in her body was shouting at her to run, to push the guy back and make a break for it. But the room was too small, he was blocking her path whether he was directly in her way or not.
"After all," he continued, his leg brushing against the crouch of her jeans. "Why would I let my prey get away? Killua Zoldyck."
Killua's heart stopped for a beat. Her breathing had ceased. "How...do you know my name?" she exhaled.
"Indeed, how do I know?" His hands were on her waist, fingers dancing around her belt. "You could say, I'm a friend of your brother, Illumi."
The mention of her brother caused a cord in her brain to snap. She reached out and pressed against the man's throat, though it did nothing to move him away. "What does Illumi have to do with you being in here?"
"Ooooh that's a delicious look in your eye. I'm almost convinced you could kill me."
"That's not an answer!" She increased the pressure, causing him to stumble back a little.
"Why don't you ask him yourself? After we land."
Killua gritted her teeth. "He's in Yorknew City."
"Bingo."
"He wants to take me back home."
"So it seems."
She looked directly into the man's eyes. "He wanted you to make sure I didn't disappear."
His ever present smiled widened. "Why are you telling me what I already know?"
"How would he feel if he knew you assaulted me in an airplane bathroom?"
"Angry, I suspect." He sounded unashamed. "I can't help myself when I see something as fresh and unsoiled as you."
"Disgusting," she spat.
"Perhaps, but you have a point." He backed away from her. "This might be a perfect opportunity but it's too soon to pluck an unripened fruit."
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"I intend to keep an eye on you but a chase is more fun. If I happen to lose you in a crowd, who can blame me?" He placed his thumb on Killua's chin. "I want to see you in your full wrath and destroy you then. When that happens, I will return you to your family." With that, the man opened the lavatory door and walked out.
Killua's heart was trying to return to its normal tempo but she was completely unnerved. Illumi was waiting for her, there was a man now stalking her, and she was afraid all of this would hurt Gon. Her knees gave out and she slide down the wall until she was sitting. She remained that way for almost half an hour before returning to her seat. The drunk man had passed out by then.