A/N: Earlier than I thought I would post, but it's also not as long as the first chapter either. Hisoka still doesn't belong to me, and right now I'm actually happy about that fact. Sleep depravity + psychopath + me = Nothing good. Enjoy reading ^^


The click of the door closing behind Tsutae sounded loud in the silent room. There was no light to see by, but that didn't bother Tsutae, in fact, it was preferable for now. Leaning her weight against the closed door, she slid down until she was sitting with her knees curled up and her arms wrapped around them.

Tsutae was shaking.

Visibly shaking.

The feeling had started in her stomach when Hisoka had first started listed the things he had discovered about her. Somehow she had managed to fight down the urge until she was protected in isolation.

How? Was all she thought as the conversation ran through her mind again and again…


"Yes." Tsutae said in response to Hisoka's question. He smirked as he faced Tsutae on his side. Their positions were mirror images; Hisoka laid out on his left and Tsutae on her right. She had tucked her arm beneath her head and rested against it like a pillow. Hisoka had propped his own head up on the knuckles of his hand, enjoying the new view.

His free hand reached out and stroked her cheek, causing Tsutae to flinch back before relaxing into the rhythmic touch.

"Hmm~ Where should I start Tae-chan?" Hisoka mused, without really wanting an answer. Tsutae just lowered her eyelashes and stared at the small patch of grass between their bodies. She was too conscious of him, too close to him. Yet, as much as her brain knew to get away from him, her heart was telling her to stay where she was.

"Zoldyck, Tsutae…" He purred to gain her attention once more. Tsutae's brown eyes, though not reflecting her shock, showed more white than usual. Hisoka chuckled before withdrawing his hand and using his finger to tap the earth in front of his chest, continuing on, "Sixteen years old. Favourite color is purple. One younger brother, though not sure how close. Twins maybe?"

Tsutae's eyes had lowered again and she grew irritated with herself. Of course he was pulling her leg, anyone could figure out all that. Just today he had learned of her family. Her age he could have simply gotten from the sign in desk, she had filled out a standard registration form. Color… well, she kinda wore a lot of purple so he probably just took a guess and managed to get it right.

What had she been expecting?! That he would somehow, intuitively know things that she never told anyone else? That he would know the inner workings of her mind because he had been around her a few times?

God Tsutae, she scolded herself, you're pathetic.

"Hmm~ I also know you're from the Zoldyck branch family, and have an older cousin named Illumi…"

"You know Kage-kun?!" Her voice snapped out the question before her mind could even fully register it.

Hisoka chuckled.

"Of course I know Illu-chan; you look quite like him in fact…" Hisoka could not help wetting his lips as he thought of the similarity between the two Zoldycks. It was quite remarkable how similar their features were to one another, the only striking difference between them were the eyes. Hisoka remembered Illumi had large, black eyes that seemed to take in everything but react to nothing. Tsutae's were brown… and sometimes green…

Tsutae did not know how to react to his last statement. She remembered the first time she had met her cousin, and even then she had noted the great number of similarities between the two of them.

Unfortunately, Hisoka was far from finished listing all he knew of his 'Tae-chan'.

"You're practical, not one to joke about. Nor are you one to talk, probably a consequence from your profession. Tae-chan also has a soft spot for animals, especially dogs. Ne~ what's the pooch's name? The Irish setter you always stop to pet when you see him out walking with his owner?" The magician grinned widely, acting as though he had a sudden 'ah-ha' moment, "Redrum I believe, was it not?"

Tsutae's body was ridged, tense, filled with uncontrollable fear. How had he known that?!

"You also like to wander about, not a good habit for an assassin though is it? You were probably punished quite a bit as a child, yes~?"

When Tsutae pretended to ignore his words, Hisoka reached out with his hand and traced over the four invisible scars her mother had left on her face when she was ten years old. At the time she had received them, they had bled heavily and hurt like hell, but for some reason they had healed with only the faintest of traces.

Even on a bad day, Tsutae had trouble finding the physical traces with her eyes. But she could still feel them.

How had he discovered something like that?

"Hmm~ What else shall I tell my Tae-chan? There is oh so much to tell and I just can't seem to decide where to stop~" Hisoka's yellow eyes narrowed in amusement as he noted the slow increase of breathing from Tsutae. Her chest rose and fell with each in- and ex-hale. Her mouth went dry and her eyes felt near to bulging from her eye sockets.

There was more?! Dear god please let him be bluffing! Tsutae begged in her mind, as her tongue refused to utter those words aloud. Zoldycks never pleaded or begged.

"Oh~" Hisoka said with extreme glee, "Should we reminiscence about Tae-chan's first kill? Hmm~ That politician from nine years ago, yes? Ueda Kazuhiro."

Gulping, Tsutae glanced helplessly skyward and say with relief the darkening sky. With an inner strength Tsutae did not realize she still had, she pushed down her fluttering stomach and said, with deceptive calm,

"It's time for me to go." Tsutae slowly stood up and Hisoka, ever the gentleman, stood as well and walked her back. His face was triumphant. Her's was starkly pale.


Tsutae looked up to see the long expense of the hallway. Down a few feet and on the right, she could see the jutting doorframe of her bedroom. Further along, on the left, was the entrance to the en suite bathroom. Between those two doors was still the shirt Tsutae had discarded the day she had first met Hisoka.

The end of the hallway fed directly into the sitting area of the room, which was complete with a couch, comfy chair, small coffee table, and flat screen TV. All the floors were hardwood. All the walls were painted white.

And all Tsutae could see were slowly darkening shadows as day turned to night and the moonlight was too weak to filter through the large bay windows in the sitting room.

Feeling mentally exhausted from the day, Tsutae refused to stand up and walk to her room. The beds may have been soft, comfortable, and inviting to others, but Tsutae was different. She had never been overly fond of her own, so why would the one in Heaven's Arena be any different? Since the moment she was given this room, she only went in and out of the bathroom for fresh clothes.

The bed was completely untouched in the near month Tsutae had spent on this floor of the arena.

However, if Tsutae had gone into the bedroom tonight, she would have discovered Hisoka's secret on gathering information on her. But, that was something she would have to find in the morning, for her eyes closed and within seconds Tsuate was deeply asleep.

A sleep so deep, she did not stir once during the moonlight hours and opened her eyes only as the sun's rays began to seep through the bay windows and extended down the hallway to land upon her face.


Hisoka was in his own personal room when dawn broke. He was sitting on his bed, one knee drawn up with the other bent, contentedly building his third house of cards. He was no longer in his usual outfit, but instead had donned a pair of blue jeans with a dull orange sweater half zipped up. His hair was still dripping wet from his shower and his face paint had yet to be applied.

Focused on his task, Hisoka chose to ignore his phone the first time it rang. Though only one person would ever call him, and at such a time as this, Hisoka, for once, did not feel inclined to speak to his precious 'Illu-chan'.

Sticking his tongue out the left side of his mouth, he steadily completed the top tier of his card house. Sitting back satisfied, his face fell into a frown as his phone continued to beep. It grew increasingly more irritating the longer he ignored his friend's call, so Hisoka used his nen ability, Bungee Gum, to snatch up the phone from its place on the bedside table. If Hisoka had moved, all three card houses would have toppled and ruined his happy mood entirely.

"Yes~"

"I do not appreciate waiting Hisoka." Hisoka smiled in spite of his irritation. It had been a while since he last heard his black-haired assassin's voice. He had been too busy playing with Illumi's adorable cousin to bug the seventeen year old boy with pesky text messages and phone calls.

"Gomen Illu-chan~" Hisoka sang, and was rewarded with hearing an audible sigh from the other end of the line.

"What is your current location?"

"Hmm~?" Hisoka evaded, raising an eyebrow. Was Illumi actively seeking the clown out? Hisoka thought there really was a first for everything if that was the case. "I'm in the Heaven's Arena."

"I will see you shortly then." The line was disconnected, leaving Hisoka with a few questions of his own. It really was strange for Illumi to act like this. The last time they had seen each other in person was… Hisoka had to think hard about this for a moment before recalling their chance encounter on the streets of some city or another eleven months ago. It had been a stroke of luck for Hisoka, and Illumi's misfortune that the two had run into each other, before it turned into Illumi's good luck. Hisoka, at the time, had given Illumi the 'in' he needed to complete a rather, runaround assassination. The target had been intelligent enough to have multiple doubles who went out in public in his place, but in private…

Hisoka licked his lips and with a single tap to each of the card houses, sent them to collapsing atop the covers. He watched them fall with a thralling ecstasy, only to be pulled away by the knock on his door.


Stretching the cramps from her legs, Tsutae pushed herself up from the hard floor and ran a hand through her hair. Stepping slowly, to allow the blood to reflow through her numb legs, Tsutae made a beeline for the shower, turning the tap and standing under the cold spray of water until she was soaked from head to toe.

Water dripped into her eyes and skewed her vision as she stripped out of her clothing. Tsutae discarded the garments onto the floor just outside of the shower and washed her hair with vigor. A few moments after thoroughly washing the shampoo from her long hair, Tsutae switched off the taps and wrapped a towel around her body.

Carelessly trekking her way to the rarely used bedroom, Tsutae walked by the bed and nearly overlooked the small corner of the sheet out of place. She paused and looked closer. That wasn't right, Tsutae thought, the bed should be perfectly made as always

NO!

Tsutae's green eyes flew wide and panic seized her heart, causing the blood pumping organ to race. Tsutae reached for the sheet and yanked the cover up, followed by lifting the mattress and staring down at nothing more than the wooden boards used to support the mattress.

WHERE WAS IT?!

Fumbling with her hands, Tsutae began to pray there was maybe a hidden compartment or something the book could have fallen into. The longer she searched, the more she knew it was no longer where she had placed it.

Tsutae finally realized how Hisoka had known so much about her. She had practically told him with her own writing.

Gnawing her lower lip to keep from screaming her outrage and humiliation, Tsutae rocketed back onto her feet and marched forth from her room, her blazing eyes set solely on a single goal; the room of a certain spikey, red headed asshole.


With a solid kick, her heel connecting between the doorknob and the frame, Tsutae broke the lock on Hisoka's bedroom door. She marched down the identical hallway and into the sitting room which also mirrored the one in her own room. God it's like walking around a freakin' hotel, the back of Tsutae's mind snidely commented.

The girl was too pissed to really pay much attention to her mental voice as she reached the end of the hallway and barely stopped herself from marching further and punching the man she so desperately wanted to torture.

Hisoka, sitting calming on the couch, was creating yet another card tower. This one was as large as the earlier three combined and then some. He smiled, completely ignoring the anger rolling off of Tsutae in waves. Having not yet looked up at her, Hisoka completed his house of cards and sat back.

His smile was wiped from his features and replaced with a look more akin to a predator than anything human. Tsutae, in her rampage, had forgotten that she was wrapped in a short, white towel. He licked his lips, enjoying the view of her uncovered legs. The towel was wrapped about her torso in such a way that Hisoka could see the curve of her sides and could admire her crossed arms that were pushing up her small chest.

His yellow eyes narrowed, thinking of many things he could do to this girl who so willingly and stupidly appeared before him in such a vulnerable state. Without any coverings besides the towel, there was no conceivable way Hisoka could think of for Tsutae to hide a weapon. She had also never displayed much inclination in the use of nen, which left Hisoka to believe the only weapon the girl would use (if she was going to attack him like she so desperately seemed too) would be her claws.

"Tae-chan… What, intriguing apparel. Is this going to become a new trend hmm~?" His blasé attitude, coupled with his intensive gaze, finally got through to Tsutae and she looked down at herself. Although Tsutae was not as a rule self-conscious, there was something about looking like this in front of Hisoka that made her deeply regret her actions.

Unfolding her arms and instead using them to clutch the top hem of the towel in the attempt to stop him from seeing too much, Tsutae tried to retain the hold on her anger.

"Where is it you bastard." She growled out.

"Whatever are you referring to ne~?"

"Don't play innocent; you know precisely what I want from you." Tsutae's hands trembled as she struggled to keep them gripping the towel instead of the man's throat. He smiled coyly, continuing his act.

"Tae~chan… The conversation cannot move forward if you don't care to share what it is that you are looking for. And why you would think I of all people had it?" Bringing his hand up to rest against the arm of the couch and hold his chin, Tsutae involuntarily stepped forward.

She would have travelled closer if not for Hisoka's blood lust tainting the air and completely smothering Tsutae's, which could be described as pitiable in comparison. Blinking, Tsutae felt the blood lust recede just as quickly as it had spread.

Tsutae muttered a curse beneath her breath and forcibly calmed herself. Force was not a way to make this man give her what she wanted. If not for being enraged, Tsutae would have known this from the start and she may have already been on her way by now.

"Hisoka," she started, "please return it to me." Tsutae's green eyes looked directly into his yellow ones, and she allowed her feelings to show. Hoping that the vulnerability he saw would distract him, Tsutae shifted her hands to that a full set of her fingers was hidden from his sharp gaze. Contorting her hidden hand to become claws, Tsutae suppressed her rising killing intent and watched Hisoka's movements carefully for an opening.

"Tsk, tsk Tsutae. You are as transparent as you are exposed." His voice was no longer playful. He was actually… serious. Tsutae felt herself swallow and willed her legs not to move. Every instinct was now screaming for her to slowly back away; running would only entice the beast to chase.

"H-hisoka." Tsutae's voice wavered, watching the other teen slowly push to his feet and stalk towards her. He moved slowly, confident her fear would keep her paralyzed and unable to run. He was having too much fun at the moment for it to end so soon.

Hisoka's tongue ran across the bottom of his top lip. He really did enjoy his new toy. She was almost as comparably fun as her cousin. Hisoka's face dampened as he wondered if it truly was fair to compare the two. They were both entertaining in their own ways, if asked to choose a favourite between them Hisoka would not be able to choose either one.

Working her mouth in the attempt at speaking a comprehensible sentence, Tsutae finally managed a tiny,

"W-w-what?" in a soft, squeaky voice. Hisoka leaned his body closer to Tsutae's and the girl could not hear anything over the pounding of her heart. Blood rushed through her ears and, without realizing, her breath has stopped. Her vision began to narrow as black swam in Tsutae's peripheral. Hisoka said nothing. He saw what his proximity to the girl did, and he was relishing in the feeling.

He drew out the moment. Keeping his face close to Tsutae's, Hisoka blew against the girl's ear and watched delighted as her eyes closed and a shiver went down her spine. Smiling, he whispered,

"Tae~chan…" Hisoka's finger circled Tsutae's naval, tracing around her lower body until he reached the small of her back, all the while the girl's breathing had hitched and a brilliant blush rose up from her chest to her cheeks. "Here."

His voice was instantly cold as he leaned away from her warm body and held out the thing she had been seeking; a small, bound, black book. There was no writing on the outside cover or spine. Nothing to identify what it truly was.

Slowly opening her eyes as Hisoka retreated, Tsutae did not know how to react. Her heart rate and breathing weren't slowing. Her body was hot. Her mind was screaming to run. And Hisoka was standing serenely in front of her, like he was completely unaffected, as he held out her journal.

"Was this not what you wanted? Here Tae-chan, take it." Hisoka offered the book to her once more, and this time she reached out shakily to grasp it. The other hand continued to clutch the towel so it would not fall.

Turning his back, he went back to the coffee table, where the house of cards still stood, and Hisoka knocked it over so he could gather the cards. He was acting like the whole thing had not affected him, but in truth, he was barely leashing his blood lust. Her expression, her actions, her appearance, it was all beginning to soak through the magician's skin. If she stayed too much longer, Hisoka wasn't entirely sure she would survive. And asides from losing an amusing toy, he did not want to think of the repercussions killing a Zoldyck might have on his relationship with Illumi. The assassin had threatened him once before not to interfere with his family. That had been the first time Hisoka had commented on Illumi's youngest brother Killua. Apparently Illumi was very protective of the boy, and to a lesser degree the rest of his family, extended included.

Tsutae was still in shock at the abrupt changes in Hisoka. But since she had what she had originally come to get… The younger teen made a hasty retreat while Hisoka's back was still turned and nearly bolted at top speed to her bedroom.


Inside the confines of her room, the first thing Tsutae did was shower again. She scrubbed at her skin until it turned red and she could finally forget the feeling of Hisoka's body heat against her. He had been… Hisoka had…

Her face flamed. Tsutae's thoughts were so confused that she could barely keep them straight. No one had ever been so close to her like that; no one had ever really been close to Tsutae unless they were inflicting pain on her body.

Her experiences with Hisoka for the past few days had been so new. Tsutae was struggling with them. Were they good experiences to have? Or should she be more wary and avoid the magician? And, what would happen when she was forced to leave?

Vanessa's note still floated in the back of Tsutae's mind… Her uncle. Why was she being sent to the main house? What would happen to her there? Would she survive?

Once she left Heaven's Arena, would Tsutae ever see Hisoka again? Despair filled the young woman… Did she want to leave the magician? Or would she disobey her family and stay with him?

Would he let her stay with him, if that was what she wanted?

The previous lukewarm water turned as cold as ice. Tsutae exited the shower and quickly dried off, changing into a pair of jeans and a long sleeved dark purple top. Snatching the reclaimed journal from the bathroom counter, Tsutae flipped through the pages absently until she came to the last entry.

She hadn't written in this journal since she was twelve years old. One look also showed the writing was not hers.

Was it Hisoka's?


A/N: Just wanted to say thanks to those who have reviewed/favourited/followed. I was nervous as to how people would take this story since I think it is a little bit different from my normal fics, but the positive feedback has helped me feel more confident with posting the new chapters. I really owe you guys! But I also owe myself sleep, so good night! *waves*