Standards disclaimers apply. Uhm, I'm still flat broke, and Hunter x Hunter is still not mine. The world is cruel. Anyway, consider this chapter as the time Hisoka finally snapped. Oh, yeah. Obligatory warning. This is what makes this fanfic yaoi. *points at chapter* And for the first time, I think it's not entirely Hisoka's fault o.O Yeah, I think it's creepy too... I'm not entirely comfortable with this chapter (as I have been with the previous chapters lately), but unless I want to start another one from scratch, you guys will still have to bear with me right now . Inspiration is running scarce and the weather isn't helping any, y'know? (damn summers...)

Oh, and to Pillow, maybe it's just me, but mostly, Hisoka reminds me of Gackt. Well, not Gackt-in-the-JPop-world kind of Gackt. Geez, Gackt, despite that libido and that take-me-and-do-what-you-will image, is the type of guy who cries easily and faints after concerts. (*sighs* Although trust me to fall for a guy who cries... darn that man) I mean Gackt while he was in Malice Mizer (with matching sharp eyes and interesting hairstyles) plus the libido/take-me add-on I pointed out back there. Have you seen him as Death? Gaah, 'tis the best costume ever given to him. Mana's cuter, but I'm biased. Meh. Anyway, Gackt's image drastically changed when he left Malice Mizer, his features became significantly soft and... er, cute o.O (I'm going to get killed saying that...)

To Mica, thank you again for the wonderful feedbacks. I hope this makes you happy. I told you sadomasochism will somehow be involved... but hey, at least there's blood. =P

OF GAMES AND ASSASSINS
by: Cherrie ( [email protected] )

Chapter 14 - Meeting the Brink

The phone was set down with little to no grace, with the light 'bang' as a clear indication of the contempt with which the action was done with. An indignant scoff soon followed, all of which being faithfully followed by two keen ears.

"Who does that fool think he's playing with?" said the man responsible for the earlier commotion. The smooth leather executive chair shifted as its occupant turned none-too-gently to the pair of eyes from across the room. A snarl grew on the old man's already wrinkled face, making him look like a white-haired lion just about to strike. "I hope you're happy with yourself. This is all your fault for not following orders."

The other man, a young man in his mid-20's, pushed himself off the wall and stepped into the light. Strands of black hair fell on the smooth surface of the pair of glasses covering the lad's eyes. Not even bothering to push away the minor annoyance, he made the move to turn away, his direction leading him to the oak doors of the office.

"Mark my words, Lee. If this brings shame to the family name, you know who I will be pointing the blame to," threatened the older man. But all words were ignored as the footsteps that moved away from the speaker never faltered.

Coming only to stop to open the doors, the young man, the one called 'Lee', uttered words that were lost to the older one's ears. "That's the least of my concerns, sir."

* * * * *

"Yes, 7:00 will be fine," said Illumi, the pen in his hand twirling in between his fingers the moment the place and time were jotted down on the small piece of paper. There was a moment of silence as the assassin received further instructions, an unconscious hand that still held the pen going up to press on the his temples, then eventually the bridge of his nose, eyes closing for a moment as a wave of discomfort passed itself through his body. "Yes, I understand. Thank you."

The phone was set down, and automatically, dark eyes shot up from the table to the other pair of eyes that had been watching the assassin's every move since the phone call started. Illumi sighed, giving the magician on the bed an exasperated glare. "What is your problem now?" he asked, quite disturbed, not because of the gaze that followed every step he took, but because of the fact that he seemed to be starting to get used to it enough to actually find being watched by the other so commonplace that it was as if it was as normal as him breathing. Not to say that he didn't mind, but he was starting to tolerate it after a few days. It also didn't help that every time the magician would shift his eyes elsewhere, Illumi would find himself watching him in return.

Damn that man.

Hisoka could feel the corner of his lips lifting, undoubtedly gaining some sort of amusement from the discomfort of the younger man. It somehow developed into a trait, seeing Illumi that way. "You said 'thank you'," he said, pointing a playful finger at Illumi.

Illumi, giving out a sigh in between relief and frustration, rolled his eyes. "Hisoka, I say it when it's called for. And besides, I said 'thank you' to you once before," he said, staring back at the piece of paper he just wrote on. "Although right now, I can't remember how you even deserved such a thing." Great, this seemed to be a start of another inane conversation with Hisoka. Not a good thing.

"Aah, now that's just mean," the magician started, his cheerful expression immediately falling from his face. "And besides, good deed or no, you're still kind of scary doing that. You don't eat people, do you?" he teased. He gained a raised eyebrow at that, but the tension eventually waned when Illumi's muffled, 'As if you're not scary yourself,' brought another grin back in Hisoka's face in two seconds flat. Hisoka eyed the assassin for a few more seconds before saying, "Ne, Illu? Are you still sick?"

Illumi winced at the thought. He's been sick ever since he stepped on this new country, and to him, he already handled enough of his share of such ill discomfort to last him a lifetime. He was a Zoldick, damn it! Sure he was on his way of getting himself disowned (disturbing thought, that), but he still carried the family traits. "No. Probably just an upcoming headache. That phone call took longer than necessary," he said, the knuckle on his forefinger still kneading the same spot on his temple. He was just about planning to stay like that, but it was Hisoka's hand that made him look up, beckoning him to where the magician laid.

For a moment, he stared at the hand offered, wondering if it would be a good idea. But when the magician showed no signs of taking the offer back, Illumi gave a yielding sigh and a light shrug before walking over to where the other was. He sat himself on the carpeted floor, leaning his head back on the soft side of the mattress when he felt the others fingers on his head, massaging the same spot that he preoccupied himself with just a while ago.

Hisoka rose from his position to sit behind Illumi, both hand's fingers gently yet firmly clawed through the assassin's hair, working on the scalp and removing the heat that was trapped beneath the thick mass. Cool fingers replaced the heat that was being radiated, and the younger of the two leaned back to the touch. Hisoka couldn't help but provide a raised eyebrow at that. Illumi was probably feeling worse than he let on. He wouldn't normally be as complacent to him.

Whoa. Was that him being insecure? Damn, that's bad.

"I need a name."

Fortunately, Illumi's voice pulled him back from that dangerous line of thought. He could feel his ego going down a notch, and that was definitely not healthy. "What was that?" he asked instead. Satisfied that the heat trapped under Illumi's hair had cooled enough to be comfortable, he started pressing on certain points on the assassin's face, starting with the places where the eyebrows began, sliding down to the temples, then around and under the eyes.

Whatever Hisoka was doing, he was certainly doing it quite well. Illumi allowed himself to lean down on the cross from which the magician's ankles met sitting down. Finding his voice, he replied, "I meant a false name. I don't want to risk my family prodding in on my personal accounts from here on again. And besides, I don't think it would be a good idea if I use 'Zoldick' right now, seeing my case."

"That wouldn't be so hard," said Hisoka, who was busy taking note of the faraway look in the other's eyes. Of course, that was right before he had to look away lest he develop the same dazed look himself. It wasn't like it was helping things. He was starting to think that this was a bad idea. As if he wasn't sexually frustrated enough, but no, he just had to forget the little things, didn't he? "Most assassins use false names. I think your family is only one of the very few who actually give their real name."

"Like I said before, we have nothing to hide."

"No, you people are just too damn proud."

That, at least, earned a smirk. Cute. Hisoka wondered if he should start getting his head checked. "Perhaps," said Illumi, shifting in place. He groaned at the sudden lightheadedness that waved past him at the slight movement.

The sound, of course, did not escape Hisoka. That, of course, was not a good thing. "Maybe it's just jet lag or something," he offered.

Illumi opened his eyes halfway. Hisoka didn't even notice them closing a while ago. Shit, that's just too sexy-- And double shit for ever thinking that. So Illumi's being too submissive. Remember that he's got the ability to disembowel you if you do so much as try anything. His life sucked. "I can only wish it's just that," said the assassin not without a hint of spite, his gaze straight on the wall across them. "You'd think my first experience with the flu was enough, but someone up there seems to hate me so much."

Hisoka smirked despite himself. "You acknowledge the presence of someone greater than your father?" he teased, pulling the assassin's head so their eyes met. "That's new. You must've done something really wrong, huh?"

"Yeah, well everything seems to be going wrong," said Illumi, sighing yet again.

"Oh, not exactly everything."

There was silence after that, but Hisoka didn't mind as he continued on with what he was doing. He briefly wondered if Illumi had his own soap or was he also just using the ones the hotel provided. How come his skin looked and felt so much better than his? That's almost not freakin' fair. Illumi's a man and an assassin. Where does beautification get in between?

"You still up for that meeting tonight?" he asked instead, referring to the previous arrangements the other just made over the phone to once again cut off his train of thought. Conversation seemed to be getting rather difficult.

"Of course," said the assassin, but Hisoka could spot the light hint of soreness in the response. He was now working on the muscles on Illumi's nape, his thumbs alternating in movement as he dragged them along the length of the pale neck, feeling the vibrations as Illumi spoke. "The assignment seems urgent. Involves some family feuds or something. But the amount offered would be enough to at least cover a small part of one of my previous accounts."

"I guess that issue about giving me the expenses for now is really out of the question, huh?"

Illumi sighed again, though from exasperation or from the massage he was being given, Hisoka wasn't sure. "We're not fucking married, Hisoka," said the assassin. So much for that last thought.

That same deadpan answer and yet despite all that, Hisoka laughed. He. Freakin'. Laughed. You'd think he would be in the least bit upset, but not really. He supposed he must've cracked from being set aside like that for too many times that he somehow grew immune to it. Besides, he realized that most of the time Illumi didn't mean the fowl words. Most of the time, at least. The man could have a sharp vocabulary if he wanted to. And to think that Illumi had a limited grasp on language.

Apparently, his little eruption caused the person under him to look up and give him a weird look. "You really are crazy," came Illumi's wry comment, but that's it as far as movement was concerned. He was still letting Hisoka work on him despite the looks he was shooting the other with. He settled that he needed it more than he needed to get away from the other man anyway.

"And tact seems really non-existent with you," replied Hisoka, now combing through the assassin's hair with his fingers. "You know, with me helping you out and all, you can at least cut the smartass cracks. What do you think?" This was said by tilting Illumi's head up to him again..

And that was what triggered it: his fingertips on that white, graceful neck, both thumbs rubbing against two smooth cheeks and that sharp look he received upon meeting those coal black eyes. Hisoka seemed to feel something snap, and for a moment he stopped. Something in his eyes shone like faint gold as a new wave of need flowed through him, different and much more stronger than those before, washing over him uncontrollably, pulling him down to close the gap.

Briefly, Hisoka remembered that he made a promise to himself that he will cut the kills for as long as he could. Why the thought actually crossed his mind then, he wasn't quite sure. But there was something about the situation that sent a giant wave in him, although he couldn't pin-point what it could mean. Their noses touched, and for a brief second he pulled away, the better half of him pounding on his head with the same warnings that kept him away from the other for the past weeks, and perhaps it was his initial fear - if that's the right term - of the assassin that kept him still. But when their eyes met again and he could see the other's steady gaze, he realized that Illumi hadn't even spoken, and merely seemed to wait for his next move.

Satisfied that there were no signs of restraint from the other, the magician lunged for the nearest touch of skin he could reach. Starting from the area behind the assassin's ear, he played the soft lobe between his teeth. Unable to contain himself, his arms wrapped around the assassin's waist and shoulders, pulling him as close to him as humanly possible. It was Illumi's moan that became his undoing and whatever held him against claiming the assassin's lips just seconds ago was immediately pushed away.

Now, he was already able to kiss him before, during that time back in Quenya with Illumi's brothers chasing after them. But that was just a brief touch, and he wasn't even able to do much nor last for too long because Illumi didn't seem to be in the position to respond positively to that intrusion. And besides, Killua and the others were there. Though that wouldn't have been a problem for Hisoka, he didn't think Illumi would ever forgive him if he did anything worse than what he had done in front of the his younger brothers.

But this. This was more than a kiss. There were no restrictions, no limits, and they were behind the confines of four closed walls. There was no audience to fool, no family to deceive into believing anything. Just them. And somehow that was the very thing that brought him back his past madness, reminding him of that almost unquenchable hunger that made everything seem to radiate heat underneath his touch. He didn't notice himself sliding down to level with Illumi, nor did he notice it when he was already straddling the other's thighs, tearing through cloth and skin for a reminder of that crimson stream from which he had been deprived of for so long.

It was that, the mixing of blood and his built-up desire for the younger man underneath him that pushed him to the brink of insanity, and he growled at that unsatisfied craving, his hands clawing and practically not knowing what they wanted to do first before Hisoka finally pushed in to run his tongue along the pale skin, the thick, metallic taste of the assassin's very essence pouring through him like an elixir.

Too much into his own daze to realize anything else, it was Illumi calling out his name that somehow woke him up. Narrow eyes snapped open, gold fading back into that recognizable black, and he would've pulled away completely had Illumi not taken a firm hold of his bloodied wrist. The assassin stared at the crimson-stained hand for a while, ragged breathing being the only sound that could be heard inside the room. But his face remained blank, and eventually his gaze shifted back to the fire-haired magician in front of him. "Just don't get any of my blood on the sheets. I don't want to cause any commotion around this hotel."

Hisoka gaped - and no, there was no other word for it - and stared hard. Waiting.

And... That's it? No needles up my throat, no death threats, nothing?

But that wasn't all. The magician could only sit still as Illumi extracted himself away from his legs and weight. The raven-haired man stood, wincing slightly as he touched the wound from which Hisoka had somehow clawed his way through the skin. It had been a while since he bled that much, but he supposed that humoring Hisoka for a while wouldn't be so bad. A pale hand was in front of Hisoka after that. "Come with me," he beckoned.

Having no other choice but to follow the more sensible of them both, Hisoka took the offered hand and allowed himself to be helped up. Illumi wasted no time after that and pulled Hisoka with him, going around the coffee table and the towels that littered the floor and into the closed bathroom. He shut the door, opened the glassed shower stall and pulled Hisoka in without another word. The next thing the other knew was his shirt being pulled out of his pants along with the pull on his belt buckle.

"Uh... Illumi?"

"Shut up."

Okay, so that deadpan tone was at least Illumi-like. Hisoka could only watch as his companion's quick hands deftly worked on the buttons on his shirt. Dark eyes drifted closed as the piece of clothing fell on the tiled floor, followed by the sound of the metal of his belt crashing onto something somewhere outside the shower stall. He wasn't given the chance to dwell on whatever it was that it hit though, because soon after that, Hisoka lost all his senses as soft lips descended down to his once again. Something else was also poured into the kiss, like a thick fluid flowing from the assassin's mouth to his, a cross between tangible and intangible, liquid and gas. It wasn't just the effect of the kiss. He was sure that it was something that really came from the assassin himself. [2]

He wasn't able to think on it too much though because soon, Illumi's tongue had invaded his mouth and was being too much of a pleasurable distraction. Although whatever it was that was given him, it was quick to act. From his lips alone, everything seemed to spread at a steady pace, covering every inch of him with heat and electricity that can almost be compared to mild static, leaving him only with the feel of soft strands of silk rubbing on the skin of his neck and shoulders. He gritted his teeth and let out a small hiss as the initial softness turned into hard points, slitting the skin just below his shoulders, three cuts on each side that resembled the work of sharp claws.

He arched back against the wall as he felt a feather-like touch running through the fresh wounds, and when he opened his eyes, he met Illumi's gaze, now fired and intense and so much unlike the way he had looked at him in the past. He could feel the corners of his lips lifting into a grin. "I thought you'll have to get ready for a business meeting?" he teased, not entirely powerless now that he's gained some of his senses back. His fingers lifted up to tangle themselves between the strands of black hair. "Nice trick, though. I forgot that the strongest path of nen to another body is through the mouth. I actually planned to offer it when you were sick, but I didn't think you'd want it." [1]

The other gave a smirk. "Learn from your mistakes then," was all he said.

Hisoka couldn't help it. He gave the assassin another weird look. "You're acting weird, you know that?"

Illumi shrugged. "So you're contagious."

"Ooh, that's harsh. I still regret not offering the nen thing, though," said Hisoka with a dramatic sigh, half-mockery, half-truth.

Illumi shook his head with an expression of amusement. "It's all right. You gave me the aspirins, anyway."

"Yeah, but wouldn't it be more fun if we used the easier way?"

Illumi gave a small smirk before turning thoughtful for a while, watching his own fingers playing with the small droplets of blood that fell from the wounds he inflicted. Right. This was already a sudden move for a first time but still there's already sadomasochism coming into play. Trust Hisoka to be obsessed like that. Illumi leaned in once again, whispering in the other's ears in a way that sent a shiver through the magician's body. "We've got an hour."

* * * * *

"Damn it, it just goes on ringing," said an exasperated Killua. The cellphone was pressed to his ears with an effort, and he looked like he might bang the thing to the nearest wall if he had to wait any longer than he already was. Of course, his insistent brother pulling on the hem of his shirt might contribute to his agitation. Alluka really never got over the whole Illumi-is-with-a-stranger issue.

"Killua, don't you think you're crowding Hisoka with all those phone calls? With what I've heard, you never get off the phone," said Kurapika, who was leaning on the far wall just beside where a sleeping Leorio was laid out on a three-person couch. He and the other man just met up with the three kids just hours ago, when Killua gave them this twisted sort of an 'okay signal' for them to follow. There never really was a clear explanation as to what was truly happening, but the young Kuruta decided that there better be one soon or else his head will explode with all the surprises. Hisoka alone was bad enough, but throw in Illumi? That, he just can't take.

"I have a bad feeling about this," contributed Alluka, who was busy twisting around with the covers on his bed after being pushed away by his older brother.

"Yeah, for 624 hours straight and I think you better give your mind a break from all the worrying before you blow up," came Killua's retort. With a final sigh, he set the phone back down on its rest before plopping down to sit on the bed with Gon. "I say we just go there straight. Kurapika, where is Daventri anyway? How come I never heard of it before?"

"It's probably because that country actually goes by two names. The name was just recently changed to Interterra for political reasons. They've just modified the maps last year or perhaps earlier, but Daventri is still a known name. Also, some people still use Daventri, some for nationalistic purposes, some for the familiarity, some perhaps--"

"Okay, so with history books set aside, where is this Daventri, or Interterra, as you say it?"

Kurapika, not too happy with being cut off, glared at Killua but continued with his explanation anyway. "It'll take about 6 to 7 hours to get there by flight. You did notice the difference in time as compared to this place, right?"

The Kuruta stopped in mid-speech when Leorio started to stir from his place. As the doctor sat up and rubbed his eyes, Kurapika spoke again. "Although... don't you think it strange? I mean, why would Hisoka want us to follow them there?"

"Because, as I've been saying all these time while you people are there ignoring me, this guy is just fooling around with Aniki!" retorts Alluka, who was beyond anxiety by then. "He thinks it's fun for us to go there because of the chase. We won't even see them, that's for sure. Of course it's better than being in another country, but still! He's playing with us, he's playing with Aniki, I don't even think he'd care if we actually get a hold of Aniki. He keeps him with him so this little game of his will go on, but once he loses, he'll be upset, but will he do anything to get Aniki back? No, and that's just not fair because doesn't have the right to play with Aniki's feelings!"

Leorio, although still in a daze from his nap, was quick with his reply. He snorted before saying, "What feelings?"

Before Alluka could say anything - which he was obviously planning to do at the intensity of his glare at Leorio - Kurapika spoke up again. "Perhaps, but how do you explain Hisoka refusing you to take any adults with you? When you look at it, the only reason why he could've wanted that is because if ever they were to be faced with your elders, there might even be no contest. Illumi-san, if necessary, might even be taken against his will and Hisoka can do nothing about that."

"So there's no fun with fighting people you can't defeat. Illumi has the same ideals, perhaps he passed it on to Hisoka," said Killua off-handedly.

Kurapika shrugged. "Again, perhaps, but you've got to keep in mind that with Hisoka's antics, his relationship with Illumi-san lasted for years. Not even Kuroro," insert small wince here, "gained Hisoka's attention for so long."

"Oh good gods, he said relationship..." was Alluka's prompt moaning before he buried his head beneath his pillow.

"I didn't mean that in a romantic sense, Alluka-kun," said Kurapika, a bit awkwardly. He still didn't believe Hisoka and Illumi being lovers despite what the others said. He tried to keep an open mind still, but he supposed that his perception of the two just bounced the whole concept. At least, he needed more time. Not that he actually wanted to think about it.

"Do we have to care whether or not Hisoka's being faithful? 'Cause I kind of thought that I'm just here to bring Illumi back," said Killua, still looking bored with whatever he was doing.

"Aaw, come on Killua, don't be like that! Shouldn't you care about Illumi-san? I mean, he's your brother," said Gon, who finally spoke from where he was sitting beside the white-haired Zoldick.

"Of course I care. I mean, it's not like he's just your typical cold-hearted bastard who takes me under his little spell so I can kill an innocent old man who did nothing to me and whom, might I add, Leorio took time to be allowed to heal after a certain sadist who has a penchant for cards scared the shit out of him. I mean, Aniki may be ghastly, cruel, selfish and creepy, but he's still my brother~!!!" said Killua with an exaggerated accent before clutching his chest to complete the drama.

After an awkward pause wherein everyone took their own definition of weird faces, Leorio spoke. "Uh... okay. With all these personal issues set aside, maybe we can start that whole Daventri thing again? 'Cause though I still don't know what this is all about, it seems pretty important to you guys," Killua snorted at this, at which he earned himself a smack on the head care of Gon, "...or at least, to Alluka-kun. But same thing, it's urgent."

Killua, who was still rubbing the sore spot where Gon's hand landed ("Damn kid's too strong for his own good... not to mention mine as well," he muttered to himself), looked around and shrugged. "Fine. All this lying around is getting boring anyway. Maybe we can also fill you in on the details on our way."

End of Chapter 14

[1] Regarding the transfer of nen through the mouth, it was never actually said in the series. As for nen transfer in general, I will say that yes, it has been done to inanimate objects through touch, but never to another person. While it is possible that you can transfer nen to another person through touch (that is, provided that it can be done), it is more effective if we would take an element out of one of Mr. Togashi's past works. Yuu Yuu Hakusho has the ki, which is somehow similar to nen in a way, and that is transferred through the mouth, as Keiko had done for Yusuke to revive him. I'm talking here in a way that nen is given to a person, not inflicted on a person, wherein the person can utilize the nen given to him for himself. I kind of pictured it before like this: sickness weakens a person, which may affect the nen power as well, which then means that Illumi would not be able to heal himself. But if Hisoka has the same ability as Kurapika (battle with Ubougin, but Kurapika has 100% access to his nen abilities... what a cheater... love him anyway, darn bishies) and saying that my theory on nen transfer is correct, (which it is, at least in this story being my fanfic and all ;P) it would be possible for him to heal Illumi.

[2] Okay, before you reprimand me for my counting ability, I explained the first issue first because this second point I'll raise up is a bit more far-fetched. But this is my fanfic, I get to be the one spinning the world ^^; Okay, Illumi is Sousaka. Don't argue, he is - the last episode bears witness to that. He controlled a corpse, and that's basically control and manipulation, isn't it? Besides, Hisoka agrees with me on this (Hisoka's way of determining nen through personalities). Now, this being my fanfic, as established, I will back this up a bit more by giving Illumi the ability to not just control others, but also to render them immobile (which I know he can do even without my meddling), not necessarily because he can stop the muscles from moving, but in a way that Gon described as "heavy and disturbing," like weights being put on you to keep you still. But that's Illumi with a dark intent. For all we know he can use it for sexual purposes too if he willed it. Yes, I'm just making Hisoka's life a lot more pleasurable, I know. He kind of bribed me to do it. *goes off to look for Hisoka and her promised bag of candies*

Author's Notes: *twitches* I'm starting to get more and more insecure by the day. Uh... how's this chapter? I don't like it. I was kind wondering about this fic for a while... is it going the way it should? o.O' Gaah, whatever, have it you!!! *runs off to trash some random public tourist spot in frustration*

Damn, Kurapika's here. Now I'm required to think.XP