The afternoon was just beginning when Hisoka finally strode into the small restaurant that Illumi had suggested for their lunch time meeting. The magician had finished off his 'everyday' outfit with a denim jacket that had all four suit symbols decorating the front and back, and some simple flat pumps.
Waiting at their table Illumi resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the way Hisoka didn't so much as walk, as strut across the room to join him. Finally taking his seat, he removed his jacket with a wry smile tugging at his lips, and folded it next to him in the booth.
"Did you deal with your little pest problem Hisoka?" Illumi asked as soon as he'd sat down across from him.
"You could say that." Hisoka replied rather absently, "Say this is a bit fancy for just a meeting Illumi. Are you sure this isn't meant to be a date?" the slightest hint of mockery in his tone.
Illumi gave his friend a pointed look but otherwise ignored the bait, "Well this place comes highly recommended. Also it's got the right balance of being public enough so that we won't be noticed but quiet enough for us to talk discreetly." Not that you don't draw enough attention to yourself as it is.
"So it's all business then?" Hisoka pouted and sighed in a put upon fashion, "You never call me to do anything fun anymore Illumi, I thought we were taking our relationship to the next level." He continued to play up his pretence of acting as if he were being taken for granted he picked up a copy of the menu and decided on what he would like to eat. "Let's order food first then you can tell me all about it."
It didn't take long for the men to signal a waiter to their table, place their orders and resume their comfortable silence. It was of no surprise to Illumi that Hisoka was the first to speak.
"So was it really that bad spending time with me playing chaperone that you had to ignore me for weeks?" he complained. Staring out across the floor of the restaurant, he kept a mental note of how many empty tables there were currently. So far it was only the beginning of the lunch rush and the place was already mostly full.
"You kissed me Hisoka." Illumi spoke in his usual monotone, "In front of Kil, what would you have done if he'd recognized us both?"
Hisoka didn't respond at first, choosing to keep observing their environment as he lightly tapped his fingers on the table. To anyone else who didn't know the magician well they would think he hadn't heard what was said. Illumi knew differently, the redhead liked to play dumb when it suited his whims. "The way I remember it somebody kissed me back." he finally replied without looking at the man sitting across the table.
"Can we talk about what I asked you here to discuss now?" Illumi asked, wanting to get back on track. Hisoka responded with a slight shrug of his shoulders finally turning his attention back to the assassin. Illumi said, "I wanted to request your assistance on an upcoming job as I believe you know the area in question quite well. The target is in Glam Gas Land in the United States of Saherta..."
Hisoka gave a dismissive wave of his hand, "What of it? If this is your way of trying to uncover more about me Illumi, it's not going to work." Sneaky Illumi, but you're not the only one who can push a person's buttons. Hisoka was about to add something else to his retort when their waiter returned to their table with their order. Leaving as quickly as they appeared.
"That thought hadn't crossed my mind Hisoka. I've heard the rumours that you are indeed from the 'Pleasure Capital' but it's not necessary for me to know your origins. My intention was simply to ask if you knew the city and if you could recommend a good place to stay." Illumi was confused by his friends sudden defensiveness but chose not to push it for now. There wouldn't be any advantage in annoying the man at this moment in time, and he wanted to maintain a discreet presence.
"I suppose that is something I could help you with..." Hisoka relaxed his posture and leant back against his seat. "I mean it's not like you're trying to dig up the skeletons in my closet so you can ask my parents permission to court me or anything. This is you we're talking about Illumi."
The dark haired man paused, just about to take a bite of his meal, dark eyes narrowing slightly at the strange phrasing. "I fail to see how any relationship that is not strictly for business purposes could possibly be advantageous for me, or the family business"
Still feeling a little excitable from his earlier confrontation with his unexpected visitor Hisoka was already feeling quite playful. The way Illumi was deftly deflecting his flirting was only adding fuel to the not entirely dead embers. I could have some fun with this, perhaps I could persuade him that it would be advantageous? Giving a languid stretch of his upper body to show off his toned arms he repositioned himself so that he had one leg crossed over the other. Fixing his companion with his golden gaze, he started his little game. "Don't you need a helping hand to relieve a little tension every now and then?"
"That's why I learnt acupuncture Hisoka. I'm very good with my needles." Illumi replied quickly, missing the point entirely, much to Hisoka's amusement.
"Hmmm oh yes I remember how good you are with those..." Hisoka looked at Illumi through his lashes with a flirtatious smile, "But a massage can be just as good and I am very good with my hands, or so I'm told"
Without looking up from his food Illumi replied, "I find massage to be needlessly time consuming."
Hisoka arched his brow in surprise at the thought that Illumi would ever willingly expose his back to somebody else, "Really?" he paused to try and keep the wonderment out of his next words, "Well they can't have been that good at it then."
"Mother made sure all the staff were professionally trained. But I found them to be rather inefficient." came the familiar mono-toned response. If he had picked up on the amazement in Hisoka's question he didn't react to it. "There was always one who took far too long and paid too much attention to my gluteal muscles."
It was now Hisoka's turn to pause, "Mama Zoldyck made one of the butlers massage you?" he asked in surprise.
Illumi gave a small nod of his head, watching as Hisoka picked up his drink, "She decided that I needed to experience new kinds of relaxation methods. She insisted they visit me once a week throughout my teenage years. I found it tedious, but as it was part of my training, I accepted it's necessity."
Hisoka choked on his drink but recovered quickly, wiping his mouth with a napkin as he gave Illumi a curious look. "Tell me Illu... was she pretty?"
"I've never had an opinion one way or the other as to my Mother's appearance, why do you ask?" Illumi continued to observe the redhead, he couldn't understand how this was relevant to their conversation.
Hisoka rolled his eyes, "Neither do I Illumi, honestly it's like talking to a pin cushion talking to you sometimes. I meant your masseuse. Was she pretty?"
"He" Illumi corrected, " But I fail to recall his appearance. Why would that affect his competence as a masseuse?"
Hisoka fixed Illumi with an intense stare for a moment thinking about his reply, "Oh no reason, just that I thought... no it's stupid there's no way it could be that."
In response Illumi tilted his head. "Are you suggesting that I missed a lesson during my training, Hisoka? I assure you, I was a diligent student."
Silence settled between both men as they continued to eat. The restaurant was now in the grips of the lunch-time rush and the background chatter grew with the increasingly number of occupied tables. Once again it was Hisoka who chose to pick up the conversation, unwilling to let his suspicions go just yet. "I have no doubt you are very diligent Illumi, but even teenaged you must have been distracted by something?" he paused to take another bite of food chewing thoughtfully, "I mean it's not like you to forget a face, maybe he wasn't your type."
Illumi frowned, irritated by the insinuation that he would be distracted by anything. "Training to be an assassin requires complete focus Hisoka. You of all people should understand this. And I fail to see how the attractiveness of my butler Hishita, or whether he is or is not my 'type' would have any bearing on this conversation."
Sensing he might be pushing too far too fast Hisoka decided to soften his approach, "Yes you're quite right Illu, my apologies I didn't mean to cause any offence." he flashed a pleased smile, "How uncouth of me to suggest that a masterful assassin such as yourself could possibly be so fixated on his ass being played with that he didn't remember such important details as a person's facial features..." he let the sentence hang in the air, returning his focus to his lunch.
Illumi stiffened in his seat. He remembered the feeling of Hishita's hands on him, of how irritated he had been at the man's insistence that he thoroughly work all the muscles in his lower back, buttocks and legs. He hadn't needed to see the man's face to know who he was. How would seeing him have made the experience any less frustrating?
"I was lying on my front Hisoka. It would have been extremely difficult to observe Hishita's face as he worked. If you are suggesting that I do not know what Hishita looks like, I assure you, you are wrong."
"Oh so they didn't fire him for irritating you?" the Magician had noticed his dinner companions sudden change in demeanour but pretended not to see, "I would have thought they'd have disposed of him if you had of complained."
"I found the whole experience irritating, Hisoka. I simply understood that Mother saw it as a necessary part of my education. Complaining would have been both insulting to my Mother and deprived me of an important educational experience. I would not have gained anything by doing so," Illumi said, watching his companion eat.
Feigning ignorance to his friends irritation Hisoka glanced around at their surroundings, the cafe was still busy, and full of other customers. Discreetly he slipped one of his feet out of his pink pumps and trailed it up Illumi's calf while idly staring at his drink. "I am curious about one thing though Illu-mi" he stretched out the man's name deliberately still not making eye contact, "Do you prefer me without my makeup like last time we went out like this?"
Illumi stilled in his chair. "If you're trying to assess how many weapons I have on my person Hisoka, I can assure you asking is faster. And I found your appearance without your make-up to be," he thought for a second, "different. I had never noticed how sharp your cheek bones were, for example." He paused and then added, "The answer is 27, if you aren't including my Nen needles. So you can stop rubbing my leg." He was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Hisoka was reminding him of the way Hishita had touched him. His heart rate was increasing and his body was beginning to tense as the man's foot continued to move further up his leg.
Unperturbed by the other's declaration that he was armed Hisoka continued slowly trailing his foot up the other's body. "It's so sweet of you to notice, and where is the fun in simply asking? Are we counting a certain larger weapon in that number, that doesn't count your needles?" He purred the second question as he brushed his foot against the other's crotch, watching him intently for any subtle change in position and body language.
For the first time in a while Illumi felt truly confused. He didn't know which question to answer first or which weapon Hisoka was referring to. He did have a custom built throwing knife at his lower back. Illumi gasped as he felt Hisoka's foot make contact with his crotch. It hadn't felt like this when Hishita had massaged him there. His body felt hot. "I'm afraid I don't understand your question Hisoka." Illumi adjusted to a more comfortable position in his seat. "My apologies."
Amusement danced in Hisoka's golden eyes when he heard the gasp, he kept the touch gentle and barely there, enjoying the sight in front of him. Dinner and a show eh Illumi? he thought to himself. "That's quite alright" he purred lowering his voice an octave and leaning forward, "Does it feel nicer when I touch you than when your butler did? Would you like me to touch you in other places?"
Illumi focussed on Hisoka's face, his smile, his eyes. He understood how to read people, even if he didn't understand the outside world's insistence upon emotional connection. The man was enjoying himself. "It feels different," he said. "For starters Hishita never used his foot." Watching Hisoka's face did make the experience less... "I find it to be less unpleasant, yes." His breathing was erratic and he closed his eyes in an effort to calm his body. "I can not ever recall wanting anyone to touch me anywhere, other than to heal me when I was injured," he said and was irritated at how breathless his voice had become.
Still leaning forward Hisoka continued to maintain the intense eye contact as he listened to the Illumi's words, noting with pleasure the way they had been spoken. He had never imagined he would be able to affect the assassin quite this much. He'd smirked when his friend had closed his eyes. Was he closer to the mark then he had anticipated? "Not even yourself Illu?" he asked softly but still using that same tone as before, "Don't tell me you've never been curious about what it would feel like to touch yourself, to see how it felt in comparison to him... I promise however he made you feel I can make you feel much better. You can't tell me you didn't enjoy kissing me back at the bakery Illu." Upping his gambit Hisoka reached out a hand to move a stray hair that had fallen across his friends face.
"I have enough self control," Illumi startled and opened his eyes when he felt his companions hand by his face. He stifled a groan as Hisoka's foot found a particularly sensitive area at the head of his cock. "I have no doubt that you are a skilled masseuse Hisoka." Illumi swallowed and tried to concentrate. "You are an accomplished man. But I have never desired any other pleasure than that of the kill." He closed his eyes and remembered the feeling of Hisoka's lips against his. The surprising softness and heat. He brought his hand up to cover his mouth as a small moan escaped him. "You...you are a very skilled man."
Hisoka didn't even try to hide the chuckle that came out upon hearing the compliments coming from Illumi's lips, tilting his head and giving him his signature closed eye smile. "You're so sweet when you want to be. Such an honour to be considered skilled by one of your family no less!" He opened his eyes again, and rested his head on his free hand. "I can assure you that I have many talents wrapped up in this body of mine, as you could probably imagine... but should you decide to actually allow yourself to find out more..." he let the moment hang as he traced Illumi's jawline. "I could be persuaded to give a private demonstration of just what I can do."
Both meals remained half-eaten on their plates. Completely forgotten in the mist of the oddly intimate moment.
Illumi shuddered at the touch. The man's words were making him feel...uncomfortable. Hishita had never spoken to him, he'd never looked at him the way Hisoka was...he'd never caused him to feel...this almost felt as good as the first time he'd sliced through his first target's throat in one, clean stroke. The memory brought back a rush of adrenaline and he couldn't control his bodies urge to push up against Hisoka's foot. "It is not flattery to acknowledge your opponents strengths, it is simply logical. I-" Illumi grasped the edge of the table. "I...can not...I would not gain any understanding..." Illumi's head momentarily tilted back as a thrill of pleasure unlike anything he'd ever felt passed through him. "If you continue as you are...I..." Illumi felt himself flush. "I believe this is not usually a public event."
"This Illumi?" Hisoka intoned with an inquisitive expression, "Just what do you think this is?" he gave a pleased hum as he took in the slight flush to the other's pale complexion. "Although you are right, perhaps I should stop, I doubt the other diners are here for this kind of show... As much fun as exhibitionism can be I think that might be a little much for you." Suddenly sounding bored Hisoka withdrew his foot and quickly inserted it back into his forgotten shoe. Sitting upright once again as if the exchange had never taken place, he watched for the other's reaction to the loss of contact.
Sitting in silence and staring into those dancing golden eyes Illumi tried to think around the fog which had descended in his mind. Just what do I think this is? I don't know? That's the problem Hisoka.
"I...I don't know, but I...I believe that you do." Illumi continued to observe Hisoka blankly before asking quietly. "Please, could you explain?"
"Explain what?" Hisoka asked innocently, before breaking out in a cheeky grin. Messing with the usually stoic man was always a fun past time. When his lunch date continued to stare at him without moving he sighed theatrically. "Tell you what, let's go back to your hotel and kind generous soul that I am...I'll give you a practical demonstration?"
Illumi blinked as he tried to process his friend's continued odd behaviour, he was staring at with a strange expression he didn't understand. Golden eyes cloudy and his pupils were dilated, and his smile was suggestive. I really don't understand the look he's giving me, but if going back to my hotel will get me the answer...I see no reason to delay. If I truly do have a gap in my understanding, then that needs to be rectified.
Decision made Illumi spoke up, "That would be acceptable Hisoka. Wait outside and I will pay for the meal, then we shall head to my hotel."
******
Languidly stretching Hisoka sat up in the large bed he was currently sharing with an equally naked Illumi and smiled. The lesson he had offered his friend had gone much better than he had expected and he felt pleasantly satisfied. Shivering with delight at the memory of what they had shared, he pouted when he heard his phone vibrating against the bedside table.
"Is everything alright Hisoka?" Illumi asked sounding rather tired as he looked up at the ceiling. He'd heard the phone going off and wondered if Hisoka was going to leave now or not.
"My little pest problem might not be fully solved, it's fine I'm sure. Just give me a moment Illumi." Hisoka replied as he reached over for his phone; he was slightly surprised to find that he had received over twenty text messages from Gon. He had entirely forgotten he was was still waiting for him at his apartment. His eyes widened as he quickly scanned through them, each message becoming increasingly demanding. It was the final message which had Hisoka bounding out of the bed to find his clothes in a hurry.
From: Apple-chan 3: I swear Hisoka if you don't let me out I'm going to break down the door!
"I'm afraid I'm going to need to go Illumi" Hisoka said, quickly dressing himself and looked for his shoes. Ignoring the perplexed expression on his friends face, they had sat up and were watching him curiously.
"You left your shoes by the chest of drawers Hisoka." Illumi advised before yawning, "Do you need any assistance with your 'pest problem'?"
Smiling back at Illumi as he found and put on his footwear Hisoka tried to sound as reassuring as possible. "Oh? No, it'll be fine. Don't worry about it Illumi, I can handle it on my own. I just need to get home before it becomes a bigger problem that's all."
From his position in the bed Illumi continued to stare, he'd never seen Hisoka quite so flustered and it was actually quite entertaining. I wonder who sent him a message to make him come running like this? Shrugging the thoughts away he settled back down into the bed so he could take a nap once Hisoka had left. "Alright then, if you need me you have my number." his voice slightly was muffled by the pillows.
"Of course Illumi, I'll let you get some rest after all that exercise. If you ever want another demonstration you have my number as well." Hisoka purred from the hotel room door. "Until next time, I really do need to hurry." He waited for his friend to reply for a few moments before it became apparent that he wasn't going to. Shaking his head with a fond smile Hisoka quietly exited the room and pulled out his phone to send a message to Gon.
To: Apple-chan 3 If you break anything I will make sure you pay for it Gon. My apologies for being gone for so long, something came up that I had to attend to. Hisoka.
I am heading home now, and we will have that little chat.
