X Syn X (Illumi) Hunter X Hunter

X Chapter Twenty Six X

Illumi waited for me to stop vomiting before gently rubbing my back. He set the trashcan aside and reached for another plate. It was the strange hamburger between two ice cream sandwiches. He offered it to me, his expression still blank.

I hesitated again. More tears welled in my eyes now that my stomach was starting to hurt. I tentatively took a bite and instantly vomited. Illumi reacted quick enough to get the trashcan to me.

My tears fell freely as I wretched.

Illumi gently rubbed my back. He waited until I stopped before setting the trashcan aside and reaching for another plate.

"Illumi." I begged him helplessly, "please, no more."

He paused, and for the briefest of moments I saw a slip in his blank emotionless mask. It looked like he was in pain. He clenched his fists. His dark gaze flicked to my abdomen. "If it doesn't stop hurting you, I'll cut it out."

I felt a fleeting moment of panic and instinctively wrapped my arms around my stomach, "Illumi!"

He looked conflicted. He picked up a glass and it shattered in his hand. I jumped as glass clattered to the floor in a shower of blood. My stomach let out a soft rumble as I watched the blood drip to the floor.

"I-Illumi? Are you alright?" I asked worried.

He turned to me and I thought I saw his eyes widen for a fraction of a second as I felt like my mouth was watering. A heavenly aroma wafted in the air around me, it was the first time in weeks I felt hungry. I blanched as I realized I'd become ravenous after smelling his blood. What the hell was wrong with me?

"Syn?" He appeared at my side worried.

"Something is wrong with me." I groaned and tried to pull away from him.

He looked at me blankly, not understanding.

I tried again to pull away from him, "why does your blood smell good?" I closed my eyes and pressed my hands to my head.

Illumi was quiet.

The delightful aroma grew more potent. I felt like I was drowning in it and my stomach let out a growl. It was overpowering now, the thought of it made me want to gag but for some reason my body was reacting as if it was just what I needed to consume. My mouth was practically watering. I opened my eyes and jumped as I realized Illumi was holding his bleeding hand in front of my face.

"Wh-what are you doing?" I stared at him in awe.

There was the briefest crack in his emotionless mask, a glimmer of worry, fear and desperation, "try it."

"What?!" I attempted to pull away from him, but I didn't have the energy.

He easily caught me with his free hand, sliding it around me and keeping a firm hand pressed to my back halting my escape. His bloody hand drifted closer to my lips. I frantically shook my head and pressed my lips together.

"Please." His voice was so soft, and cracked with emotion.

I felt my heart crumble. This was hurting him. He couldn't bear to see me in this state and he was desperate enough to try anything. I clenched my eyes tightly shut not wanting to see. Illumi lightly pressed his bloody hand to my lips. Feeling repulsed, I hesitantly parted my lips. Blood spilled into my mouth and I resisted the urge to gag at the thought of what we were doing. The taste was neither good nor bad, it was somewhat metallic, a little salty with a mineral like flavor. Nervously I swallowed, and held my breath waiting for the instant gut reaction of retching to happen.

After a moment, I felt a fluttering in my belly as if the tiny fetus growing inside of me were content. Realizing I'd yet to vomit, Illumi cupped his hand and tilted it slightly spilling more blood between my lips. It took a moment to fight back my own repulsion enough to swallow again. Another moment and I felt another fluttering in my belly and let out a groan of disgust.

I opened my eyes and threw Illumi a helpless look, "I don't understand."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. His hand on my back, keeping me from fleeing, gently slid upward and he traced his fingers over the raised-up letters that had been carved in my back. The letters spelled out 'DEMON' in angry raised slashes. I had a feeling he was hinting at the fact demons usually consumed souls or blood as the life essence or 'soul' was usually in blood. Was I truly a demon?

A single tear slipped down my cheek. Illumi wiped it away with a bloody thumb, drawing my gaze to his. His usually blank, soulless eyes were filled with an emotion I wasn't used to seeing him express, love. Even if I were a demon, he would still love me.

He offered me his hand again and I grimaced. I didn't want to drink his blood for the rest of my pregnancy. Noticing my reservations, he frowned and thought for a moment before moving away from me and heading to the refrigerator. I watched curiously as he seemed to be looking for something. After a moment he returned with a plate of raw meat.

He set the plate down next to me and cut off a small piece before holding it up to my lips. I was a little hesitant but took a tentative bite. I reflexively cringed waiting for my body to reject it as I chewed quickly. Nothing happened. I swallowed the bite and waited a moment. There wasn't a pleasant fluttering like there had been when I consumed Illumi's blood but it went down without issue and I felt a little better.

Illumi looked relieved. He lifted me into his arms without warning and carried me to our small dining table in the kitchen. I looked up at him curiously as he placed me in a chair and pushed my chair in for me without a word. He walked back to the plate of raw meat and cut them up into bite size pieces before returning to the table. He set the plate in front of me with a fork. Tenderly he kissed the top of my head before shuffling away.

I took a few bites of the raw meat and watched him warily as he shuffled away looking dead on his feet. He dropped onto the sofa in the living room. My heart hurt, he'd been so worried about me he'd run himself ragged trying to find ways to get me to eat and trying to take care of me when I was sick. I knew he'd be upset if I left one of the only foods the baby would let me consume to tend to him so quietly finished my plate before retreating to the living room.

Illumi was sound asleep on the sofa, his long silken ebony hair spilling over the edge. He looked somewhat like a fallen angel when he slept. There was something celestial and otherworldly about him. I smiled to myself as I draped the warm throw blanket, that had been resting on the back of the couch, over top of him.

A soft squeal of surprise escaped me as his arms caught me as I leaned over him to cover him up. I found myself being pulled into his arms. The blanket fell over top of us. Illumi held me in his arms, sound asleep and I couldn't help but smile.

I hugged him back as best I could in our current position before laying my head atop his chest, "I love you."