Lila sat in boredom behind the bar with their most recent addition. She believed the girl's name was Ophelia or Opal. Something that started with an O.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she counted the seconds as they ticked by. 9 minutes until Hisoka waltzed through the hanging beads. It was rare that Hisoka wasn't present in the work building, and never had Lila been this way for an appointment. She'd never count down the minutes for any other client, but here she was watching as it went from 9 minutes to 8 minutes until Hisoka arrived.

From the floor, Saki and Yasu both couldn't help but watch Lila glance from the door to the clock. It almost seemed pathetic to watch. Also unbelievable, as this was Lila. This same Lila who would also take the wallets from men staring into the orbs and take all the money that was in them before returning the wallet back.

The clinking of the beads turned heads, but it wasn't Hisoka and his red hair. Instead, it was Lila's former 2:00 appointment. It had been at least a couple of months since his slot was given away. Prior to that, it was weeks since Lila had seen this man. The man walked straight to the counter, providing his reasoning for being there.

"I'm sorry, but that slot was filled," Ophelia-Opal told the man. "You've been missing appointments, so the slot was given to someone else."

"No, that can't be right." The man argued, glancing over to Lila. "Look, she's right there. Tell her so we can go to the back rooms."

Lila felt herself stiffen up when attention was directed to her, glancing at the girl's face. The girl was pleading for help, probably because this had yet to happen to her. Lila wasn't sure if this ever happened to her personally. She couldn't remember in all the years working there, they ever had a customer come back after they lost their time slot.

"It's just as she said," Lila started.

"Shut up! I paid good money to be a usual client. The 2:00 is my slot, so get off your ass and-"

The clinking of beads drew Lila's attention to the front, relief filling her as Hisoka waltzed through the doorway. Lila stood to her feet, making her way to Hisoka and grabbing his hand, tugging him in the direction of the private rooms. She didn't give him the chance to sing out his pet name for her.

"Hey, you! That's mine, so get your hands off her and give me back what's-" Lila was pulled back before even making it to the other door. She glanced to Hisoka, cringing at the murderous look on his face. She dared to look at the other man, noting that he still had an angry look.

"Look, sir, you heard the same answer twice now." Saki dared to intervene. "Just leave and find a new place."

"Shut up!" The man slapped the younger girl. Just following the sight of the girl falling to the floor was the sound of glasses shattering as well.

"Saki!" Both Lila and Yasu yelled, the two of them checked on the girl. Lila ran her fingers over the girl's cheek, a screaming red mark already present. Something had snapped in Lila as the sight of Saki being slapped and falling to the ground replayed in her head.

"Asshole!" Lila yelled at the man. "So pathetic that you can't take no for an answer?" She stood to her feet. "Have to take the anger out on us because you paid for it?"

The man glared at her, grabbing her face in a tight hold. "I pay you to give me what I want." He sneered. "I expect the services that I pay for without any lip."

Just as Ophelia-Opal was about to run to get Nana, her scream silenced the whole area. Lila stared at the man who now laid on the ground, playing cards littering the side of his body.

"Come with me," Hisoka's voice broke Lila's trance, tugging her out through the front and down a nearby alleyway.

Lila couldn't help but glance back at the work building as she stumbled behind Hisoka. "You killed him." She pulled her hand out of his grip, forcing Hisoka to stop and look at her. "You killed him."

"Like you wouldn't have done it yourself."

"I make the threats, but I don't think-" she had to stop herself as she wrapped her arms around herself. The man's body littered with cards in him, it stained her vision. "What if they come to us? They might find the building, and we'll all-"

Hisoka forced Lila's head into his chest, muffling her incoherent sobs and words. Weak punches were thrown against him, and he just accepted them from her. "Lila," he mumbled, rubbing her head gently. "Darling," he pressed his lips to her head. "I will make sure that no one will hurt you."

Lila gripped the fabric of his shirt, calming down almost immediately once she got her breathing under control. "Why'd you kill him?"

Hisoka sighed as he leaned back against a wall, bringing Lila with him as well. "He was going to hurt you as well. I wasn't going to allow that to happen."

Lila couldn't help as she rested comfortably against him. She listened while watching people walk the streets. "You've done it before? Kill someone?"

His silence Lila took as a yes. She couldn't help as she squeezed the fabric tighter at the thought of more people getting killed. Random bodies began to litter her vision, forcing Lila to squeeze her eyes shut.

"I keep seeing bodies. I don't like it." She mumbled as she buried her face deeper. Lila wanted to make them disappear from her vision, her memory.

Hisoka held Lila's face and forced her to look at him. "I promise, Lila, that you won't have to see them anymore. I won't let you see them or have to do it."

Lila barely nodded her head, mouthing an ok, before releasing her grip from his shirt. Just as she did that, Yasu had spotted them, calling out their names.

"Saki's alright, I think she's willing to convince Nana to not claw out Hisoka's eyes or cut off his," she trailed off as she thought about the creative threats they were coming up with earlier. "I think it would be best if he isn't here when she finds out."

Sighing, Hisoka voiced an agreement before looking back to Lila. "Come with me?"

Lila thought about staying behind with the other girls to help with the mess. The idea of having to deal with Nana, though, and listen to her go on about how horrible Hisoka is-

"Ok," she mumbled pushing herself away from Hisoka. When she glanced at Yasu, the girl was holding Lila's bag as well. Like she knew wherever Hisoka was going, Lila would go as well.

"I have a few lies to cover for you," Yasu assured Lila watching as the girl disappeared deeper down the alleyway with Hisoka.

Lila was surprised that Hisoka brought them back to the housing building, but kept her mouth shut as they snuck through the window of her room. Still somewhat stunned by the prior events, Lila allowed Hisoka to push her to the bed before he disappeared briefly. Clothes were placed on her lap followed by a needle and thread.

"I figured this would be a preferred distractor."

Lila raised an eyebrow at him. "In contrast to what?"

"Filing and painting my nails," Hisoka sighed while looking at them. "Though, I like how they are. Playing cards is another option."

"We won't be playing cards any time soon," Lila added quickly while threading the needle and looking at the multiple holes in the shirt she was handed. "So sewing it is." She determined before patching up the first hole.

Hisoka nodded before taking his spot behind Lila, resting his chin on her shoulder as he watched her work. "Are you mad at me?" He mumbled his question.

Lila quietly cussed as the needle poked her finger before pulling it all the way through and placing the shirt and needle on her lap. She knew that killing was wrong. That was taught at an early age. Lila also knew for their own safety they shouldn't kill anyone. Even if the individual had it coming.

So why was it, Lila didn't necessarily feel completely upset that the man was killed? She knew that the root of all of her emotions went back to the safety of her fellow sisters. Saki and Yasu. Lila was scared for their safety. The more she thought about the man himself, Lila couldn't help but feel relieved. One less disgusting man to worry about. One less man that viewed them with price tags.

"I'm not mad," Lila's response had assured Hisoka and he couldn't help himself as he buried his face in her neck. "It's just-does it make me a bad person for being grateful that he's dead?"

"In my eyes, no." Hisoka smiled into her neck, holding himself back from kissing and sucking on her skin. "Perhaps I'm rubbing off on you." Just like that, Lila laid down on her bed against the pillows. Hisoka hovered over her with his face still buried in her neck.

"Will you-will you be there?" Lila wrapped her arms around his neck. "You were there to prevent me and the girls from being caught, and just earlier-" Lila stopped herself short as Hisoka smiled and nodded his head.

Hisoka rubbed his thumb against her cheek, even more content as Lila leaned into his touch. "I'll make sure that no one tries to harm you. That includes Saki and Yasu as well."