General Summary: Gon is an Earth Guardian and he stumbles into Hisoka after searching for a wizard to help his corrupted island. Hisoka helps Gon get back on his feet. Hisoka reminisces about an old acquaintance and agrees to help Gon, but will he continue in the adventure?

((Rated M due to a steamy scene between Hisoka and Illumi. The rest is pretty tame))

Chapter summary/notes: The chapter establishes the relationships between Hisoka and Gon and Hisoka and Illumi. No steamy scenes just yet ;)

...

Gon looked down, uncertain of what was happening. His eyes travelled across the room, it was clean, almost bare, like someone had just recently moved in. And it smelled strongly of spices and fire, which complemented the space nicely. The floor was a dark wood finish and the walls a deep color that Gon could not determine. The room was dark and the only source of light was from the fireplace opposite the bed he was currently resting in. It was quite beautiful but Gon knew that it was most certainly not his. And he was even more curious, and perhaps scared, to find out who it belonged to.

Luckily Gon didn't have to wait long to find out. A knock came from the door, light and short, and the it opened slowly, revealing the mystery stranger. He was intimidating, by Gon's opinion, tall and lean and so pale that he seemed to glow in the dark space. His golden eyes gleamed in the firelight and his smile seemed wily, like he was always holding a secret.

"Good to see that you're finally awake" He said, his voice deep and just above a whisper.

"Uh, yes, thank you, but um… who are you?" Gon said, a little embarrassed, scratching the back of his head.

"Hm, you can call me Hisoka" He said, gesturing with his hand. Gon didn't believe that was actually his name, but he didn't push the point.

"Um, hello Hisoka, what am I doing here?"

"I found you on my way home yesterday. You were stumbling around asking about some magic"

"What?" Gon had no recollection of this. The last thing he remembered was asking someone where he could find a city…with magic. Now he remembered.

"Yes, I thought you were drunk at first, but it became very clear that someone cast a confusion spell on you." Gon stared at Hisoka, as if nothing was making sense. There was no way someone could cast a spell on him like that. He was too aware of what was going on… But he didn't have much other choice than to believe what Hisoka was telling him.

"So… you just took me to your place? That was awfully kind of you." Gon was starting to feel wary of this place. Perhaps it would be best to be leave as soon as possible.

"Well, not at first" Hisoka moved from the doorway, settling in a chair by the fireplace, ready to tell his story.

"I was on my way home from the market when I saw you, stumbling around, ripping off your shirt, trying to talk to a tree… or climb it. I couldn't tell. Anyway, I asked if you needed help, but you didn't answer. So I offered to take you back to town, to an inn where you could rest. You seemed quite pleased, but then you started making wild offers. I won't go into the detail, but I definitely didn't want you making the same offers to random strangers in the town. So I changed the whole plan. I decided to take you back to my home. You seemed ecstatic either way. You were quite chatty the whole time… and apparently very warm" Hisoka looked at him pointedly.

"What do you mean warm?" Gon was beginning to feel embarrassed about how he acted, and he was not eager to hear much more of the tale, but he had to know exactly what he had said and done. It could compromise his mission.

"Well, you were rather insistent on taking off your clothes as we walked. You kept telling me how warm it was on the island, and how you missed it. I tried my best to make sure you kept on your pants, but you seemed to throw all caution to the wind."

Gon's face looked horrified. Hisoka chuckled noticing Gon's negative reaction. "Don't worry, it wasn't anything I hadn't seen before." Somehow that did not make Gon feel any better and he pulled the blankets up to his chin, as if covering himself now could take back his prior nakedness.

"I soon figured out that you were not, in fact, drunk, but the victim of a pretty strong confusion spell. All the more reason to take you back to my place."

"Well, uh… thank you very much for taking care of me. You are very kind to do so. Almost unbelievably kind." Gon was feeling more and more wary by the second. He had a feeling this man… he forgot his name already, was really not who he seemed to be. He slowly trying to shuffle out of the bed, but found that he was only wearing an oversized shirt.

"Where did my clothes go?"

Hisoka had been watching Gon's little dilemma with a quiet delight. "Ah, I tried to help you get dressed, but you kept throwing them off. The only thing you would wear was that shirt after I told you it was a blanket"

Gon looked down on the floor and across the room, confirming Hisoka's story by seeing the bits of clothing laying around.

"So, uh…" Gon was at a loss. Gon had a bad feeling about this guy, but it seemed like he was being absolutely honest. Maybe there was something he wasn't telling Gon?

"Well, you'll have to stay here for the next few days, Gon. I've been feeding you the remedy while you were asleep but you still need to sleep for another night or two before the effects of the spell go away."

"Whoa, wait a minute, a few days? I can't do that, I have to go…" Gon stopped himself. He couldn't tell this man about his plans. It might put the Island in jeopardy.

"Oh trust me, they'll go by pretty quick. You'll be asleep for most of it. If you go out now, you might start stumbling around again. And since I'm not a wizard I can only provide store-bought remedies."

Gon stood up, throwing the blankets off and tried gathering his clothes.

"You don't understand I have to-" Gon stumbled, falling to his knees. His eyesight blurred a little and floor looked like it was spinning. "I…am…" Gon looked up to Hisoka over him, hands on his hips, smirking a little.

Gon immediately felt fear. He was at the mercy of this frightening man. "D-don't" Gon tried raising his hands, but stumbled further, practically falling on his face.

"I told you, Gon, you're going to have to rest for a little while longer." Hisoka scooped Gon up, carrying him back to the bed, softly settling him down and covering him with the blanket. Gon's heart was still beating fast. Why? Why was this man so nice to him? Especially when he scared him so badly?

"Alright, I'll be in the other room if you need me. Just let me know if you get hungry or have to use the bathroom. I'll help you out" Hisoka petted his head, his fingers lingering a little longer than necessary along Gon's face. Gon got chills up his spine as Hisoka looked at him. But Hisoka turned and walked away, leaving the door open. Gon sat there, ready to fall asleep once more. He sighed, turning over, sleep beginning to take him. Perhaps he really would be safe here.

…

Gon rolled over, a pounding headache waking him up, he felt nauseous and was in a cold sweat. He threw back the covers, panting slightly. He felt a warm hand touch his forehead and he looked up, the dim light in the room still harsh on his eyes. He could see Hisoka hovering over him, a frown on his face. Gon felt a small bottle touch his lips and he opened his mouth, letting the sour liquid cover his tongue and he swallowed it, his brows furrowed at the taste, but immediately his body stopped tensing, his head felt lighter, and his body was cooler. He sighed, relieved to be better.

He looked over at Hisoka who was sealing up the bottle, stuffing it into his long jacket. For the first time Gon really looked at Hisoka. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, his bangs pulled back in a tiny bump above his head. His hair was a soft purple, practically lavender. His skin was pale and he was broad shouldered, but it was hard to see with all of his clothes on. Hisoka looked lean and muscular, but Gon could not tell. His shirt was fitted, but he wore a vest and a belt full of little bottles, and it looked like knives. Perhaps Hisoka was some kind of hunter. Gon looked up at Hisoka's face again. Hisoka was looking down at Gon, smiling slightly. Maybe this man wasn't as bad as Gon thought him to be. The only thing that threw him off was his face, his eyes were a sharp yellow, like an eagle, shrewd and almost conniving. They scared and excited him. But his face was handsome, accentuated by make-up which was especially clear by the marks below his eyes. Perhaps a sign of his allegiance to a certain group? Or a personal preference. Gon could not be sure.

"You'll be ok, Gon. I have to go out for the day. I left an extra bottle in the kitchen, but I don't think you'll need it. I think you'll be able to set out on your journey once again."

Gon just stared up at Hisoka, still drowsy. "What's your name again?" Gon asked, that question suddenly popping into his head. Gon needed to know what to call him.

"My name is Hisoka" he smiled a little wider, sitting on the edge of the bed. Gon sat up a little, wishing to learn more about the person who was helping him.

"Thank you for helping me Hisoka. I really would like to repay you for your help." Gon sat forward, bowing a little to show his thanks.

Hisoka just looked at him, smiling that strange smile.

"So, uh, is there anything that I could offer you?"

"Hmm, Gon, I don't really need anything. Besides, your first offer to me seemed a bit much. I'm assuming you don't have much in the way of… well, anything." Hisoka offered, standing up, ready to leave.

"No! I have things. Well I used to have things… And I really do have an island! I… I just can't offer that to you." Gon stopped. He would reveal too much if he kept going, but he felt like he wanted to share everything with Hisoka.

"Oh? An island? Well, why aren't you on your island Gon?"

"…" Gon hesitated. This could ruin his plans. But what if he could help?

"I used to have an island. But it was corrupted. About a year ago an evil presence came to the island and I was forced out, trying to find a way to help my people. You see, I… I'm an Earth Guardian." Gon paused, too scared to look at Hisoka's face, so he just continued his story.

"The people would bring me offerings and I would protect them. I mean, I don't need offerings, but I really knew them and loved them and I enjoyed taking care of them. But something started corrupting the land and I couldn't stop it. So… I'm looking for someone to help." Gon sighed, pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes. "I feel like I've been on a wild goose chase" He almost felt like crying. But that would look pathetic. He didn't' want to seem that way in front of Hisoka.

"Hmmm, an Earth Guardian." Hisoka looked him up and down.

Gon was starting to get that bad feeling again. "Uh, yeah. So um… you-you said I could leave tomorrow?"

"Absolutely, but I really must be going. I have a busy day today. I'll return sometime tonight. You are free to leave at anytime."

Hisoka walked out, leaving Gon to feel uneasy, and consumed with his thoughts. Hisoka seemed to have an underwhelming reaction to his big reveal as a Guardian. Perhaps Hisoka was some kind of Guardian hunter, and he killed them for their powers. Or skinned them and wore their pelts. Gon was being absurd but he couldn't help it. He was still in a weird place with a weird man who seemed to constantly keeping secrets despite his apparent transparency.

Gon sighed. He laid back in the bed, which he had been in for several days. In fact, he didn't know how long he had been sleeping. He had just stayed there, in and out of consciousness. He should be getting up and getting out. But he drifted once more, his thoughts swirling around Hisoka.

…

Gon felt a presence behind him, and every time he turned to see, there was nothing here. He was in a dark forest and with every step it kept getting darker and darker. He could hear the echoes of something dangerous in the distance. The loud footfalls of some kind of beast. But it never came any closer to him, nor any further away. Just continuous foot falls, as if the large animal was watching him. Gon turned again, and caught a glimpse of something. He stopped, and the footfalls stopped too. He shivered. It suddenly got colder and colder. He tried rubbing his hands together to generate warmth but his hands became frozen. He continued forward, hoping to find to someplace warm. But as he went it became freezing, and soon he was in a frozen wasteland, nothing but ice and snow all around him. A shadow was behind him and he turned to see Hisoka standing over him.

Gon was lying awake, his eyes wide open, his blankets gone, fallen off the side of the, the window was wide open, it was dark in the room, the fire had gone out and a cold wind was blowing in.

Gon shivered, sat up and quickly moved to shut the window. He slammed it, still feeling scared from his nightmare. He gathered the blankets and wrapped them around himself. Wanting to fall back asleep, hoping that he wouldn't have the same terrible dream again.

"It looks like the fire went out" a low voice said. Gon jumped at the sound, but quickly realized it was Hisoka who spoke. He didn't know if that was a comfort or not.

"Gon are you awake?" Hisoka walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed. Gon felt a hand on his hair.

"Ya, I'm awake" Gon mumbled. He liked how Hisoka's fingers were brushing through his hair, so gentle.

"Did you want me to start the fire again?"

"mmmm" gon made a pleased sound when Hisoka started scratching the back of his head. Gon froze. This was starting to get embarrassing. But Hisoka didn't seem disturbed by it. He felt Hisoka move away from the bed and started the fire once more. Gon felt Hisoka above him once more. He almost wanted Hisoka to sit down again beside him. He still felt so cold.

"I'm surprised you didn't leave" Hisoka said quietly, sitting down, which made Gon happy.

"…" Gon didn't know what to say. He laid there until Hisoka's hands found his way to his back. "I don't want to be alone" Gon said, so quietly he didn't think Hisoka could hear him. He didn't want Hisoka to hear him.

"Oh Gon." That's all Hisoka said, and he moved closer. His hands caressed his face, and Gon wanted to start crying.

He didn't need Hisoka's pity. He felt a little rush of anger for acting so childish. Gon was a Guardian, he had to be stronger than this.

"You're free to stay here as long as you like." Hisoka leaned forward "But I would like my bed back eventually" His voice low, it almost seemed threatening despite the clearly playful sentence.

Gon was frozen, Hisoka's warm breath was close to his face. "I-I can sleep on the couch if you want."

Hisoka started laughing, sitting up, covering his face with his hand. "I'm trying to ask if I can sleep here tonight"

"It's your bed, why wouldn't you be able to sleep here?" Gon said immediately, without even thinking.

"Well, you are currently resting here, I thought it would be a little shocking if I had slept in the same bed as you the first night."

Gon paused. He was right. Gon definitely would have tried to leave much faster. "Yeah, ok I see where you're coming from now." Gon sat up, smiling at Hisoka, scratching his head. "But uh, is there a place where I could clean up a little." Gon realized how badly he smelled with Hisoka so close to him.

"There's a nice hot spring that I like to visit. It's about a twenty minute walk from here."

"That sounds pretty nice, actually. Are you sure it's not too late to visit it. I could just use your bath that you have here"

"Hn, don't worry about that, its worth the little bit of travel." Hisoka stood up, and Gon followed. Gon was fully dressed this time. Hisoka handed him a spare coat and they headed out into the woods, Gon trailing closely behind him. He felt fear, as if he was back in his dream and he wanted to hold Hisoka's hand. It was as if Hisoka could read his thoughts and he reached a hand out for Gon to take.

"The path can get a little tricky for those who don't know the way." Gon took the offered hand and Hisoka led him through the woods, their way illuminated by the sliver of moonlight sparkling through the trees and by Hisoka's small lamp.

Gon and Hisoka walked for twenty minutes in silence and at the end of the twisting and bumpy path there was a small spring. The air was humid and warm, and Gon felt as if he were back home, with his family. He felt some nostalgia and a little bit of sadness at the sensations.

"Well, this is it Gon. I do have to say one thing about the spring. It has mild healing powers." Gon looked up from the sparkling pool, which seemed to be putting off its own eerie light.

"Healing? Does that mean I could have been here and left earlier?" Gon said, realizing it, but not feeling angry at Hisoka from hiding this secret. It must be precious to him. Perhaps this was a sign of trust between the two now.

"It heals physical wounds, like cuts, or bruises. Yours was a magical kind of wound. Instead I let you drink from the waters of this spring. It seemed to help with your physical effects" Hisoka offered, his eyes still on the spring.

"Why would I use it to bathe if it is so precious?"

"Why wouldn't you use something like this? It will make sure all your ailments have disappeared. Surely your muscles must ache from lying down for so long?"

He was right. Gon didn't feel like arguing the point any further. He was getting tired again, and the warmth of the pool was tempting him. "You're right, Hisoka." Gon pulled off his top, beginning to strip, eager to feel the water against his skin.

Gon turned to look at Hisoka, who looked like he was getting ready to leave. "Are you not going to stay?"

Hisoka looked at him, mild surprise flashed across his face before it turned into a smile. "I thought you would appreciate the privacy" He gestured with his hands.

"Well, I mean, yeah I would but, it's dark out and…" Gon didn't want to admit aloud that he was scared.

"Ah, I see. Well, then I will sit behind this tree. It will give you privacy, and I will still be present" Hisoka put a lantern next to a tree and sat so Gon could see his arm and shoulder, but so Hisoka wouldn't see Gon.

Gon stripped off his shorts, quickly getting into the hot water, which stung his body, but felt so good, like it was burning his pains away. He sunk deeper into the pool, sighing with pleasure as the warm water lapped at his face.

"mmmm" Gon couldn't contain his sound of pleasure.

"I know" Hisoka said, listening to the soft splashed of water from Gon moving.

Gon just sat with his eyes just above the water, watching Hisoka. He stood up slightly to ask a question. "Why weren't you surprised when I told you that I was an Earth Guardian?"

Hisoka looked over at Gon, certain he was in the water, and pursed his lips a little. "Are you hurt that I didn't fawn over you?"

Gon frowned. "No! I just… I dunno… you seem so understanding. It's just unusual is all" Gon said, losing the fire in his outrage.

Hisoka grinned "I've dealt with your kind before" Hisoka said mysteriously.

"What do you mean?"

"…" Hisoka never answered, so Gon just dropped the subject, deciding to swirl around in the water a little.

Hisoka thought back to his dealings with the Shadow Guardian he had met many years ago. In fact, Illumi was the one who showed him this pool in the first place. Hisoka noticed the black hair moving in the shadows. It would swish back and forth, as if it was warning him and protecting him. In his line of work, the shadows were necessary. So each night, he would thank the shadows, giving a small offering. And each night it would be taken, by that Shadow Guardian with the long black hair, swishing out of sight before he could see his face. Hisoka grew unbelievably curious. And offered greater gifts, food, and writings, and potions, and once, a few vials of his own blood.

Eventually Hisoka began waiting next to his offerings, wanting nothing more than to see this intriguing creature. One evening, sitting next to a large tree, a basket of sweets by his side, Illumi stepped out of the shadows. Hisoka watched with rapt attention as Illumi walked forward grabbing the basket and looking down at Hisoka.

"Are you the one leaving me these gifts?" Illumi crouched down to be eyelevel with Hisoka who was still resting against the tree.

"Yes. I thought I'd offer my thanks"

"Thanks?" Illumi cocked his head. Hisoka thought he was the cutest creature alive.

"You protect me when I need it most, whether you know it or not" Hisoka said, his voice reverent and low.

"Ah." Illumi stood up, nodding his head slightly. "So what do you want in return?"

"Return?"

"You gave me these gifts for more than something that you get with or without offerings. So why have you been trying to bribe me"

Hisoka's skin prickled as Illumi's tone changed. Hisoka was excited but he didn't want to reveal that to the Guardian before him.

"I wanted to see you"

Illumi frowned slightly. "See me?"

"Yes, I wanted to see your face. I only ever saw your hair." Hisoka stood up and took a step forward.

"That's it?" Illumi cocked his head again. Hisoka's heart skipped a beat.

Illumi looked Hisoka over. "What do you call yourself?"

"Call me Hisoka. What should I call you?"

"Illumi" he began digging through the basket of sweets.

Hisoka grinned. "An odd name for a Shadow Guardian"

"My parents have a sense of humor" Illumi said in the least humorous way possible.

Hisoka smiled wider, eyes following Illumi's every movement. "May I see you again?"

"Hmm, yes. You may see me again, Hisoka. Bring meat next time" Illumi stepped back into the shadows, the basket empty, and just the swish of his hair visible as he turned and disappeared.

Hisoka shivered when Illumi left. Now that he saw him, he wanted to kiss him.

…

Hisoka's memories drifted to the times he had spent alone with Illumi until he was pulled out of his reverie by Gon calling out to him.

"I think I'm clean enough now" Gon said.

"Mmm, alright, let's get out of here."

"Is there anything I can use to dry myself off with?" Gon asked, covering his lower half with his pants.

Hisoka was getting ready to take off his shirt and hand it to Gon, who looked at him uncertain. "No, I don't wanna use your shirt!" Gon said when he realized what Hisoka was doing.

"You can use it to dry off" Hisoka said, pausing.

"No! I'll just put on my clothes it's no big deal." Gon's ears were turning pink from the attention Hisoka was giving him while he as totally naked.

"Alright" Hisoka put his coat back on and fixed his vest.

Gon sighed, quickly getting dressed and following closely behind Hisoka, who led the way back to his home.

…

Gon slept fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Hisoka sat up a while longer, watching Gon and thinking back to his thoughts of Illumi. Illumi would come to visit him at his home while Hisoka would continuously offer gifts of his appreciation.

"What do you have for me today?" Illumi whispered behind him. Chills ran down Hisoka's back and he shivered slightly. Partially from Illumi's proximity, partially from arousal.

Hisoka turned to face Illumi, reaching a hand into his coat, pulling out a small vial with a bright glowing potion, sparkling and shimmering a light blue.

Illumi looked at the vial, taking it. "Luck potion?" Illumi said after examining it a little.

Hisoka nodded.

"Why would I need a luck potion?" Illumi said, almost playfully, sitting down on a small table in Hisoka's sitting room.

Hisoka grinned, his eyes closed. "I know you like collecting potions."

Illumi smiled softly, watching the liquid swirl in the vial, mesmerized by its motions. "How do you know what I like?"

Hisoka's face fell very slightly, a look of distress flashing in his eyes. 'Why don't you know me?' Hisoka thought to himself. He quickly covered up his distress, grinning and waving his hand "I have my secrets"

"Mmm" Illumi pocketed the vial, and looked back up at Hisoka. "You could give your secrets to me. I like secrets" Illumi said, getting very close to Hisoka. Hisoka resisted the urge to touch Illumi, wanting to kiss him. Instead he looked into his eyes, smirking slightly.

"Oh? Perhaps if you come back tomorrow I'll give a little secret" He leaned in closer. Hisoka and Illumi's breath mingled, their lips terribly close. Hisoka's tongue danced behind his lips, and he felt himself getting hard.

"Mmm, I'd like that, Hisoka." Illumi leaned back into the dark wall, already disappearing back into the shadows, "I'll see you tomorrow" And Illumi was gone, with the swish that long black hair.

Hisoka shuddered, his hand reaching down to touch himself. "Ah, Illumi" he said aloud, thinking about Illumi's lips and mouth.

Hisoka felt Gon shuffle beside him, and Hiskoa stopped his ministrations. He needed to have more control than this. Hisoka stood up and sat beside the fire, thinking about Illumi once more and falling asleep soon after.

…

"Well, um, thank you for all of your help Hisoka." Gon shuffled back and forth on his feet, with his small knapsack in his hand. He just had to get up the courage to ask Hisoka.

"It really was no problem." Hisoka smiled at him, looking like he was getting ready to leave as well. Maybe Hisoka was really busy, it would be silly to ask him…

"So, are you sure there is nothing that I could do to repay you?" Gon asked, still waiting, not wanting to leave just yet.

"Hn, no, I'm not really in need of anything right now. Let's just consider it a favor that you owe me" Hisoka grinned and winked, patting Gon on the head.

"Of course! Maybe you could come visit me on my island after I banish the evil that's there." Gon grinned, but he doubted himself. Would his island ever be the same?

"Mm, I'd love to."

Gon decided to be bold. "Well, if its' not too much trouble, maybe you could escort me on my trip?" Gon was nervous. He was already imposing, and asking this of Hisoka seemed insolent, but he wanted a companion.

"…" Hisoka said nothing, looking as if he were choosing his words.

"I just want someone to teach me about potions and spells. And you're perfect for that! And I don't want to be alone. Its hard to find people to trust nowadays and you and I get along pretty well, so please, Hisoka, will you come with me?" Gon found himself begging, and his face turned pink at how desperate he seemed. It didn't matter. If he could get Hisoka to go along with him, it would all be worth it.

"Ah, Gon, I'd love to, but this sounds like it would be a very long trip" Gon's face fell a little, and Hisoka backtracked slightly "Hmmm, how about this? I'll escort you to the next town, get you settled, and teach you what I can."

Gon's face lit up and he nodded vigorously "Yes! That's perfect, thank you so much Hisoka!" Gon wrapped his arms around Hisoka, the smell of leather and spices and flowers strong as Gon buried his face in Hisoka's chest.

Hisoka chuckled, patting Gon's head once more, "It's really no problem at all. It will take less than a day to get there, so if we leave now, we can be there by nightfall."

Gon stepped back, and nodded seriously. "I'm ready, Hisoka"

"Then let us depart"

…

"Perylan is a flower whose roots are often found in healing potions. Chewing the root will provide relief from mild pain, and even mend minor wounds, but can be addicting to those who over use its properties."

Gon nodded, wishing he had a pen and paper to write everything down. "What does it look like?"

"The flower is white, almost glowing in the sun. It's petals are triangular and make a sort of star shape. It has a dark red center. The roots are a dark color, and squeezing them will cause the red residue to rub off on your hands. If your fingers are stained red, it's Perylan."

"Ah that's so cool! Sounds kind of messy though"

"Indeed. I spent a day picking some and when I came home my hands were completely red. People tend to avoid me after I pick it" Hisoka chuckled and winked at Gon.

"Hah, I see." Gon smiled. It was interesting, all the things he never knew.

The conversation dropped, but Gon was still eager to know more. Perhaps Hisoka would tell him about the potions that he used on Gon to make him better.

"Hisoka, what did you use on me?"

"It's a potion I had purchased, actually. I didn't make that one. I didn't have the time, given your symptoms."

"How long does it take?"

"Potions are great if you know what you're dealing with ahead of time, but spells are much faster."

Hisoka paused, stopping in the middle of the road. Gon even bumped into him. He tried to look at Hisoka's face but he couldn't see it.

"Ah, Gon."

"What's wrong?"

"There's some Perylan, over there if you'd like to pick one." Hisoka pointed to a small grouping of flowers just below a tree.

"Oh, yeah! I'd love to." Gon hurried over and grabbed a flower, gently pulling it from the ground, and the flower, along with the roots, came out. Hisoka was right, the roots were bright red.

"Wow, it's really pretty"

"Indeed"

And the conversation died once again. Gon gently pet the flower petals. He realized just how little he knew about Hisoka.

"Hisoka, are you married?"

Hisoka burst out laughing. Gon felt even more embarrassed.

"No, I am not, hm, but I think it's funny that you ask, Gon."

"Well, I wasn't sure if you lived alone or not, so I just wanted to know, was all." Gon felt defensive.

"Hmm, that may not be a good question to ask then. I could live with many people and not be married to them."

Gon realized then, that perhaps Hisoka was not the marrying type.

"So do you have, like, a roommate or something?"

"No."

Gon was understanding Hisoka better already, a man with some kind of mysterious past, a man who spent much of his time alone, but willing enough to take care of people other than himself. Maybe Hisoka had a kid? Gon didn't want to ask for fear of being laughed at again. He would just have to find out some other way.

"Why don't I keep telling you about plants and ingredients for potions, huh?"

"Sure!" Gon was relieved at the change of conversation.

…

Hisoka was resting on his bed, reading another book about defensive spells.

"Where is your offering of secrets?" Illumi said, sitting beside him.

Hisoka grinned, sitting up, and putting his book away. "My secret is that I like to kill"

"Oh?" Illumi looked intrigued. "You enjoy killing people or animals?"

"People." Hisoka said aloud. He felt ecstatic. He was exposing himself to Illumi and he loved the feeling.

"That is a good secret. It's so dangerous." Illumi said, lounging on Hisoka's bed.

Hisoka laid beside him, watching Illumi look up at the ceiling.

"May I kiss you?" Hisoka whispered, staring at Illumi's lips.

"Two offerings in one day is excessive. Tomorrow" Illumi stood up, walking back into the shadows. Hisoka shivered, excited for the next day to come