A X Deadly X Interest

Chapter 18

AN: Welcome back! Notes are at the bottom. Enjoy~

I flipped the coaster of my peach cider and let it spin a couple of times before snatching it out of the air with depressing ease. When I was a kid, I had loved this little game but as I grew older and trained more it became too easy to hold my attention for long.

Sitting here alone, in the dimly lit bar that I had frequented with Tomo these past two weeks, I felt discontent hit me harder than it had in a while. I felt restless, bored even.

Without the other girl here, there was nothing really interesting in this town. Sure, the other mafia members were supposedly still around, but I had no way of contacting them.

I knew this city had nothing left to offer me and yet I couldn't quite bring myself to leave yet either. It had been a week now since Tomo had left and ever since I hadn't really done anything special. I'd made a few half-assed attempts to find more information on interesting individuals, but all had come up empty. I'd even tried hitting up the mafia again, but without their favorite enforcer accompanying me I was politely but firmly turned away. All this resulted in a familiar restlessness creeping its way into my bones. At the same time, I felt a great reluctance at the thought of leaving.

If I left would have to start over. I would have to resume my search and stumble blindly through cities until someone else caught my eye. While I had been lucky to find Tomo so quickly, or rather that she had found me, I was too much of a pessimist to believe that that luck would hold. More likely leaving here would mean a boring search that could take weeks, maybe even longer.

The thought was depressing and that was exactly why I'd been here for the past hour or so sipping on my cider and wallowing in self-imposed misery.

I finished my drink and gestured for the bartender to bring me another. He did so without question. I'd left an impression when I'd broken that one guy's hand the first time and after that the bartender had apparently decided not to bother with me more than necessary. That suited me just fine and I always made sure to tip well to show my appreciation for the unspoken agreement.

While I waited, I spun the empty glass between my fingers listlessly.

I knew I was acting childishly. I'd known being a Hunter would not be easy. I'd known that by choosing people as my area of interest I'd doomed myself to an ever-repeating cycle of searching, finding, and leaving. Or being left behind. There was no way to cage a person, after all. At least not any I wanted to try.

I smiled a sardonic smile, unable to help the vague amusement I felt at the dark humor.

I hadn't quite been prepared for the time in between finding people. I had believed that once I was free from my little village a whole new world would open before me. A world that was filled to the brim with interesting people. People like me. People who could like me. Reality, of course, was not that kind.

The truth was the Hunter Exams had spoiled me. It had been my first time leaving my hometown behind for an extended period of time and almost immediately I had found several people who could keep my interest. Hisoka, Hanzo, Gon and even most of the other finalists had been loads better than most people that had surrounded me up to that point.

It had set an unrealistic precedent.

The sound of clunky footsteps announced the arrival of the barkeep and pulled me out of my reverie. He didn't bother with the coaster and deposited the drink on the table with a loud clunk.

I muttered a quiet thanks and he grunted something unintelligible in return before clunking back to his station.

I grabbed the big glass with one hand and immediately downed half. With my other hand I flipped the coaster a couple of times more, but it had grown soggy from the condensation gathered on the table and when I caught it, it snapped in half easily.

I frowned at the two halves unhappily, willing them to come back together but of course they didn't. The half I wasn't holding spun lazily, attached by a single fiber, and I almost felt like it was mocking me.

Annoyed, I threw the soggy cardboard to the table where it landed with a soft squelch.

I took another sip and considered asking the bartender for a new coaster.

Just then I felt a vibration running over my leg. Startled, I touched the pocket where I kept my phone. I pulled out the sleek silver device, absently making note once again to replace it with a sturdier model once I had the money for it and flipped it open.

Seeing the screen light up with the symbol for an incoming text message I considered just closing it again and reading it later. It was probably just my mom checking in anyways. I briefly entertained the thought that it might be Tomo, but I was pretty sure she wouldn't be texting me so soon. She seemed like she'd be the type that preferred calling over texting anyways.

Reluctantly, I resisted the temptation to put the phone away again. While I did not particularly want to hear from anyone, the people who had my number weren't the type to message me unnecessarily. Something bad might have happened.

Taking another gulp from my cider I scrolled to the text menu, only to almost spit it out in surprise.

I coughed loudly and felt the alcohol burn my throat as it went down the wrong way.

Disbelievingly, I stared at my screen. I blinked a couple of times and reread the short message.

'Heaven's Arena, March 1st.'

The text was signed with a smiley face that was flanked by a teardrop and a star on either side.

My eyes traced the odd-looking smiley a few times, then moved to the top of the message where the contact's name was proudly displayed.

'Hisoka 3.'

Slowly I could feel the corners of my lips start curling up against my will. My melancholy mood was fading away rapidly and the longer I looked at the silly little smiley the tougher it got to keep my composure. The feeling kept building and then suddenly I couldn't help it anymore.

I laughed.

Not a pretty laugh either. A full-bellied, snorting, aching laugh that made my sides hurt.

'Think of the devil and he shall text.'

At the thought another peal of laughter escaped me, although this one was tinged with slight apprehension. I could not deny that the comparison between Hisoka and the devil was a fitting one.

Once I started to calm down a little, I suddenly realized what I must look like to the other patrons. The morose girl who had been drinking in her lonesome suddenly curled up on herself and laughing at the stained tabletop.

They probably thought I was crazy.

I considered this for a moment before coming to the conclusion that I didn't really care.

I pocketed my phone, finished the last of my cider and walked over to the bar. The barkeep was watching me with a concerned expression, but he didn't bother asking me if I was alright. Again, I appreciated his quiet understanding of the situation. Or maybe he was just too used to things like this. This wasn't exactly a high-class establishment, after all.

I threw a couple of notes on the bar, more than enough to cover my drinks, and turned on my heel. "Keep the change!" I called out, not bothering to wait for a response.

I wouldn't be back.

Three days had passed when I arrived at Heaven's arena. Standing in front of the massive building I couldn't help but feel slightly awestruck. The building towered over me, its grey exterior extending many stories and piercing the sky.

'Fourth tallest building in the world, huh?' I mused. 'I wonder what the other three look like.'

I rearranged the bag slung over my shoulder as I considered what my next move should be. I'd done a quick search of Heaven's Arena on the Hunter website, so I had a base understanding of what I was in for. I'd also taken the liberty of doing a quick search on the Arena's own website for Hisoka, and from that I'd found out he was an occupant of the 200th floor. Knowing him, he'd probably be waiting for me up there.

I sighed. This meant I'd have to fight my way up first. Only participants and their guests were allowed up there, and although I'd been invited by Hisoka I doubted he'd make things that easy for me. How bothersome. At least the arena provided free lodging for those participating in the battles after hitting a certain point. The view would certainly be spectacular that high up.

I checked my phone for the time and was happy to see it was early still. Early on the day that is. I smirked at the big letters announcing the date as March 2nd. If Hisoka thought he could just order me around and have me follow his every order he was mistaken. It was a small act of defiance, and I had to admit I did feel a little petty, but after all the things that had happened at the Hunter exams I couldn't stand the thought of letting him boss me around again. I wasn't here to cower; I was here to hunt and I'd be doing that on my own terms. If Hisoka objected he'd just have to find a way to deal with it.

Something startlingly close to excitement curled in my stomach at the thought of resuming the continuous battle of wills I'd grown accustomed to during the exams. Sure, it had been exhausting and frustrating, but at the same time it gave a thrill I'd not found anywhere else yet. It might just be the precarious balancing act and the continuous sense of danger I was responding to, but Hisoka was worth exploring further as a person of interest.

With my resolve strengthened I entered the building.

It was coming up on nighttime by the time I finally entered the elevator that would take me to the 200th floor. I handed the attendant the form with my destination and she took it with a polite smile. Thanks to my early start and the subtle application of Nen I had been able to advance more quickly than expected. Subtle in so much that I didn't use any lethal force at least. I was sure a few of the attendants watching the fights had picked up on it and fast-tracked me here.

My curiosity about the room that would be assigned to me was increasing steadily. While the fights hadn't been particularly challenging, it had been a long day and I longed for a nice shower and a good night's sleep.

A soft 'ding' announced the arrival of the elevator and I thanked the attendant before stepping out onto the 200th floor. I took a moment to orient myself and noticed a presence lingering in the hallway up ahead. For one short, heart-stopping moment I expected Hisoka to be waiting for me. When I rounded the corner however, I saw that the one presence I had thought I'd felt in fact consisted of three much weaker ones.

Assembled in front of me were three of the oddest, most disheveled looking figures I'd ever encountered: A spikey-haired man in a wheelchair, a man with a peg leg wearing a red cloak and a breathing apparatus, and a pale man whose face was as expressionless as a mask. I'd seen their faces on the Heaven's Arena website, so I knew they were fighters rather than guests, but I couldn't recall much else about them.

The three were emitting an aura of malice and I silently slid into a ready stance. I also activated my Hatsu briefly. What I saw then almost made me laugh. These three, while certainly a step up from the fodder on the lower floors, were nothing compared to me. I remained in my ready stance, nonetheless. After all, I had to take into account that they might have some special ability and my Hatsu might not have had enough time to register that information yet. That, and I was still woefully unexperienced in group fights.

'I really should fix that," I thought, frowning unhappily, before pushing the though aside for later.

The three men had been sizing me up, although it didn't look like they had registered the flicker of my Hatsu. When I frowned the man on the peg leg seemed to take that as some kind of sign because he hopped forwards. "Welcome, young lady, to the 200th floor," he rasped, his breathing apparatus distorting the words unpleasantly. It couldn't quite disguise the condescending lilt, however.

I suppressed a sneer. If there was one thing I didn't like it was people thinking they were above me. Especially an apparent weakling like this. I made sure to keep my expression neutral when I replied, however. No need to instigate a conflict if it could be avoided. I was in unknown territory after all.

"And you are?" I asked.

"Think of us as the welcome committee," the man said, spreading his hands to indicate the two men besides him.

It didn't escape my notice that he did not give their names.

"Well then, consider me welcomed," I drawled, making to continue up the hall.

"Ah, ah, ah," the man said. "We take our job very seriously. It would be remiss of us to let you go on without the proper welcome."

The other two men grinned and moved to flank me, whilst simultaneously making sure they were blocking of the hall.

I raised my hands defensively in front of me, silently cursing the fact that my daggers were currently stored inside the travel bag slung over my shoulder. I'd put them away so I wouldn't be tempted to draw them on the lower floors where weaponry wasn't allowed, but they would have come in very handily right now.

The red man pointed his finger at me and yelled, "now!"

At his command both he and his companions blasted me with a concentrated burst of malicious Ren.

I staggered under the combined assault for a moment, but I quickly regained my senses and put up a shield of Ten. The amount of energy I exerted was more than enough to combat their attack and I straightened.

The three men staggered backwards in surprise, and for a moment I could feel their fear tinge the Ren still lingering in the air.

'They should be afraid,' I thought. 'If I had been as inexperienced as they clearly thought, that would have forced open my nodes.' Rage coursed through me in red hot waves and I could feel my hands tremble as I tried to suppress the urge to bash their head in. I had heard horror stories about what forcing nodes could do to a person and to think these bullies would dare attempt that on me was making me see red.

"That," I started, "was exceptionally stupid." I locked eyes with the red man and glared my fiercest. Then, I gathered my Nen and expelled a rage-tinged wave of Ren at all three of them. The three trembled under the sudden bloodlust and I could see them struggle to stay upright.

While I couldn't keep this up for very long, the men didn't know that, and I could see their fear. I smiled darkly and walked towards them, upping the pressure slightly as I did so. Seeing them stumble back in fear I chuckled out loud.

Before I could do anything else, however, a voice called out from behind the trio.

"Gido, Sadaso, Riehtvelt! What do you think you are doing, you…" the voice trailed off as the white-haired man who had been speaking came into view and took in the situation. He clearly felt the presence I was exerting and took a slow step backwards.

"Ah, it appears my presence here was not needed after all," he said, raising his hands in the universal gesture to indicate he meant no harm. He glanced meaningfully at the trembling threesome and his lips curled up slightly in clear satisfaction.

When he saw I had no intention to respond he continued. "My name is Kastro," he introduced himself, bowing slightly. "I was coming to assist our beautiful newcomer against this vile scum," he glanced at the three in distaste, "but as I said, I see now my assistance was unnecessary. My apologies for presuming."

I evaluated him for a moment longer. A quick flash of my Hatsu revealed this man was a lot more experienced than the three stooges. It would be best not to get on his bad side if possible. He also appeared genuinely apologetic and I could detect no malice coming from him. Deciding to take a chance I flashed him a smile and responded with my best attempt at friendliness. "There's no need. You couldn't have known."

Kastro looked pleased with my response. "That's very kind of you, thank you." He hesitated a moment, before continuing. "You might wish to release them for now, however. While there are no rules protecting an unregistered participant from harm, these three are registered to the 200th floor and as such harming them in between matches will be frowned upon by the organization."

I frowned but figured I should trust him for now. I was also starting to feel the strain of the extended application of my Ren and did not want any of the men to notice. I withdrew my Ren and the three men let out shuddering gasps as the pressure disappeared. They exchanged panicked glances, and without another word they fled down the hall. Unseen to the men, Kastro sneered at them as they passed.

I glared after them, simultaneously thinking I would really like to walk down that hall now too. I still had to deal with my newest acquaintance before I could do that, however. Who would have thought walking down a hallway would be my biggest challenge today? I certainly hadn't. Yet it would be foolish to alienate another occupant of the floor, especially now that I knew how hostile the environment could be. Kastro mentioned that violence between registered members was frowned upon, but he hadn't said it was expressly forbidden. That alone told me a lot about the area I was about to enter.

While I had been thinking on my next course of action Kastro had approached me. "My apologies on behalf of the floor for those fools," he said.

I thought he was laying it on kind off thick with the gentleman act but figured I should respond in kind. "No need to apologize," I said, "it would be foolish to hold you responsible for their actions."

Kastro smiled once more and I noted he was in fact quite handsome. His white hair shone in the dim lighting in a way I had never quite achieved with my own messy locks. It was almost enough to make me jealous.

"Nonetheless, I feel like I should make it up to you. Allow me to walk you to the registry?"

I really didn't think I'd need a guard, but who knew what could be waiting for me? I also found myself wondering what a man of his seemingly gentle nature would be doing in a place like this. The hints of disdain he had shown earlier hinted that there might be more to him and I felt the first stirrings of interest.

"That would be nice, thank you."

Kastro placed a hand on my back and guided me towards the hallway. Strung up as I was from the confrontation, I had to work hard to suppress my instincts at the unexpected touch and when I managed not to react beyond a minor tensing of my muscles I considered that a win. Kastro acted like he hadn't noticed my discomfort, and I was likewise happy to pretend.

After only a few steps a reception area became visible through the gloom of the hallway. My attention wasn't on the reception, however. No, it was pulled almost immediately to the tall figure leaning against the wall of the hallway leading up to the cubicle.

"Hisoka!" Kastro exclaimed. His hand twitched against my back quite forcefully.

And indeed, it was none other than the magician himself that was waiting for us there. He had changed outfits since the Hunter Exam, but there was no mistaking the characteristic clown make-up, nor the piercing golden eyes. I privately thought that the new color scheme of blacks and reds fit him a lot better than the pale blue he had worn during the Exam.

Hisoka briefly moved his eyes to Kastro when the other man called out. I watched those golden eyes flick downwards and narrow in displeasure before Hisoka's expression smoothed out again.

"Kastro," he greeted with some degree of politeness, which quite surprised me. In our time together I had never pegged Hisoka as one to observe social niceties unless it was absolutely necessary. It only made me more determined to study Kastro. Coming here had been a good idea it seemed.

Then, Hisoka focused his full attention on me and all thoughts of other hunts left my mind. In our few weeks apart, I had forgotten how heady it felt to have this man's full attention focused on me. It was terrifying, yet at the same time it inspired a fierce kind of determination in me. He commanded attention like no one else I'd ever met before.

"Sachi," he greeted me and gone was the thin veneer of politeness, in its place a husky drawl tinged with the barest traces of bloodlust.

I licked my suddenly dry lips. "Hisoka," I managed to respond.

"You are late," he stated. He tilted his head to the side as if he were a large cat sizing up his prey.

I suppressed the urge to grimace in the face of such a predatory look. Suddenly I doubted whether coming late deliberately had been such a good idea after all. No way in hell was I going to show Hisoka that though. "I am," I stated boldly instead, raising my chin slightly in defiance.

Hisoka chuckled. It wasn't a nice sound, but it put me strangely at ease. A chuckling Hisoka I could handle. This was familiar territory.

"No apologies?" he asked, stalking forwards slowly until I was forced to tilt my head back even further if I wanted to keep eye contact. Even though the motion was uncomfortable I refused to back down. Really, I thought we'd moved past these obvious intimidation tactics a while ago.

"We do apologies now?" I retorted, bringing up a hand to brush significantly across the ribbon choker tied around my neck.

Hisoka's eyes narrowed slightly in distaste at seeing the fabric, but amusement quickly overtook the distaste as he considered my reply. "I suppose not," he drawled.

I was about to respond when I heard Kastro make a frustrated noise besides me and I startled as I remembered he was still there. Hisoka seemed likewise reminded of his presence because he flicked a dismissive gaze towards the other man.

"I can take it from here," he said.

I could feel Kastro's hand tense on my back and somehow knew he was about to kick up a fuss. I had had more than enough conflict for one day, however, and thus I carefully extracted myself from his grip. The betrayed look Kastro shot me made me regret my choice briefly, but really only briefly. While I hadn't known him for long I was pretty sure a hurt Kastro was a whole lot less annoying than a thwarted Hisoka. Possibly less deadly as well. I still didn't want to get on his bad side though, so I made sure to look apologetic as I spoke to him. "Hisoka and I have some catching up to do but thank you for bringing me this far. Maybe we can talk later?"

Kastro hesitated for a moment, glancing at Hisoka, before a smugly satisfied look entered his eyes. "That would be lovely," he grasped my hand in his and pressed a kiss to the back of my hand. "I will see you later." That said he turned around and walked deeper into the building.

I felt Hisoka's bloodlust spike briefly and felt like I'd missed something important. Once again I wondered at the type of relationship the two men had. There was clearly something going on here. It felt like I'd stepped right in the middle of some pissing contest. I would have to file the topic away for later though, as Hisoka was once more speaking.

"I take my eyes off of you for one minute and look what I find." Hisoka gestured at the surroundings with his signature theatrical flair. "Not only are you talking to strange men, but you are also late. This won't do. No, this won't do at all." His tone was playful, but I noticed a core of displeased steel underneath. Guess I really had pissed him off more than expected.

"I can take care of myself," I insisted, but from the look on the magician's face I knew my protests were for naught.

Hisoka tutted reproachfully and shook his head. "We'll see about that," he said. "For now, I suppose I should escort you to the register."

He placed a hand on my lower back, and I wasn't able to refuse as he steered me towards the register. After all, he had seen that I had allowed Kastro to do so. If I denied him now he would surely bring it up and I would have to explain myself to an irate magician.

'Choose your battles, Sachi' I reminded myself. It was something my father had hammered into my head again and again. Probably because I wasn't very good at it. I could survive a few meters of hallway though.

I had expected Hisoka to let go once we reached the reception, but no such luck. If anything, he tugged me closer against his body and the hand that had been resting on my back moved to rest on my hip possessively.

I kicked back at his shin, but Hisoka only tightened his grip and let out a breathy little noise that I did my damndest not to identify. 'Fucking masochistic clown,' I thought. I recognized a losing battle when I saw one though and forced myself to focus my attention on the attendant manning the desk. The sooner I could get to my room, the sooner I could get away from Hisoka.

I cleared my throat expectantly and the woman at the desk looked up somewhat startled. She quickly regained her bearings however, and I wondered if she hadn't been pretending not to notice us out of a misplaced sense of politeness.

"I would like to register myself as a participant," I stated, handing over the form the previous floor's attendant had given me.

"Of course," the woman said, looking at me and Hisoka curiously, before taking the form. She looked it over briefly. "It seems everything is in order here." She picked up a large stamp and pressed a stamp into the corner. She then placed the papers into a drawer. Next, she opened another drawer and fished out a keycard. After messing around with the computer for a bit she handed it to me. "Here is your key."

"Thank you," I replied and made to grab the keycard only for a pale hand to snatch it before I could. I turned around, disentangling myself from Hisoka's grasp as I did so. Surprised and a little irritated I saw Hisoka was now holding my keycard. "Hisoka! What the hell? Give me that!" I snapped and attempted to take back my card.

He stepped back slightly at the last second, making sure the card was well out of my reach. "Now, now, not so fast," he admonished. He pushed me lightly to the side and handed the card back to the bewildered woman behind the counter. "She won't be needing this," he stated with authority and gestured with the card.

"Like hell I won't!" I yelled and made another grab for the keycard. I was positioned awkwardly, however, blocked by Hisoka's back, and even with my long arms I could not reach it. "Damnit, Hisoka! I need to sleep somewhere. You can't just take my room away!"

I looked over his shoulder at the receptionist to see if she would help, but the woman looked paralyzed. She was staring at Hisoka and me with wide eyes, her hand halfway raised as if to grasp the card.

Frustrated I turned back to Hisoka and hit his back with my fist. I put in some Nen to make sure he felt it. To hell with being careful and not kicking up a fuss. I was tired and I wanted to go to my room and sleep.

I could feel his muscles tense under my hand and for a moment I feared I had gone too far. His energy lashed out and caressed my hand as it withdrew. It spiked in a mixture of tightly leashed aggression and excitement. Instinctively, I took a step back and put my hands up in a placating manner.

When Hisoka turned around a slightly feral gleam to his eyes was the only thing that reflected the chaotic mix of emotions I had felt in his Nen. I saw a displeased flicker in his eyes when he spotted my held-up hands and I quickly put them down.

"Look, why don't you want me to have my card?" I asked, suddenly feeling exhausted. I had forgotten how troublesome it could be to deal with Hisoka sometimes. Especially when he didn't feel like sharing the rationale behind his crazy actions.

He tilted his head and regarded me silently. For a moment I was convinced he would not answer, but just as I was about to demand he reply his expression changed completely.

"You won't need it because you will be staying with me," he said, a predatory undertone to his words that almost made me shiver. "My room is more than big enough for the two of us. Besides," and here his expression changed into a greatly exaggerated pout, "how else will I know where you are? You get into trouble so easily; my heart wouldn't be able to take it."

I gaped at him. I couldn't have heard that right.

"With…with you?" I asked incredulously once it became apparent that Hisoka was not going to say anything more. "Then where will I sleep?" There were probably lots of other things I should be asking but I was a little too caught off guard to really comprehend the situation.

"With me," Hisoka replied smoothly, looking much too pleased with himself for my liking. "I don't mind sharing." His eyes lingered on me suggestively, something dark stirring in their depths, even as his lips twitched with barely suppressed laughter and I heard the receptionist let out a squeak behind me.

It took a moment for the words to hit me. "Like hell I will!" I yelled.

"Oh, you will," he purred, words dripping with sin. It seemed strangely deliberate for some reason and I faltered as I tried to figure out what he was planning. Hisoka had always been very forward, but now it felt almost like he was putting on a show. Something wasn't adding up here. Hisoka, noticing my silence smirked at me, before turning back to the woman at counter again and waving the keycard at her. "Please reprogram this for my room." He smiled at her charmingly.

The woman who now resembled a tomato more than a person looked between the two of us hesitantly but ended up taking the card from Hisoka. She cast a curious glance at me, before turning to her computer and busying herself with the task.

"I can't believe you," I hissed. "Don't you dare think I'll go along with this. I'll just rent a hotel."

Hisoka sent me a look that clearly conveyed how much he didn't believe that. "I don't see why you are so upset," he drawled silkily. "I'd think you'd be more excited to observe me in my natural habitat." The emphasis he put on natural erased all doubt what he could be talking about.

"I've seen all I need of you and your natural ways" I retorted without thinking, recalling our time on Zevil Island and Hisoka's apparent issues with clothing and feeling flustered.

"Now now, that is not the attitude I'd expect from a good Huntress". He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice. "After all, I think there is still plenty I can teach you about myself."

The whispered words felt surprisingly genuine and coupled with the close proximity I could feel the heat rush to my cheeks. Mentally I cursed Hisoka for messing around so much. People were totally going to get the wrong idea if he kept going like this!

Chancing a glance at the attendant I saw it was already too late. The woman was looking at us with a fiery blush on her cheeks and was slowly fanning herself with a folder.

Turning back to Hisoka I saw that he was also looking at the woman. He threw her an exaggerated wink and raised a finger to his lips to mime silence.

The woman nodded, appearing almost as if in a daze, and busied herself with something on her computer. I felt pretty sure she was only pretending though, as I could still see her peeking at us from behind her fringe.

Deciding there was no use in continuing my argument with Hisoka if he was going to be like this and not wanting to think any further on my own reactions to his teasing, I turned away from him and cleared my throat. The woman at the counter glanced up immediately. "I would like the keys to my room now, please," I stated. Stressing the my so there could be no doubt about what I intended.

The woman looked over my shoulder and I saw her eyes widen slightly before she nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, yes, please wait a moment." She started typing furiously on the pc and I glanced over my shoulder to shoot Hisoka a smug smile.

The jester was standing close enough that I could see the slight crinkling around his eyes in return. Almost like he was humoring me.

Feeling confused but deciding not to let that dampen my victorious spirit, I turned back just as the attendant put down a keycard on the counter. This time Hisoka made no move to stop me as I reached for the card.

"Room 204, please enjoy your stay." The attendant said with an overly bright smile. Maybe she was trying to make up for her misunderstanding? Not like I cared much, I just wanted to go and sleep.

"Thanks," I said and quickly went to look for my room. Hisoka, of course, followed after me. I don't know why I'd expected any differently. At least this time he was keeping his distance. I'd had more than enough of the pushy attitude for tonight.

Seeing a brass 204 next to a door further up the hall I made my way there. Placing the key against the card reader I was relieved when the door clicked open. Pushing the door further inwards I caught my first glimpse of the room I would be staying in for the foreseeable future.

The first thing to catch my eye were the humongous floor to ceiling windows. This high up the view was spectacular. I reached blindly for the light switch, resolving to have another look at the view once I could make sure I wouldn't smash my shins on any furniture.

Once I turned on the lights, however, it became quickly apparent that this room was already occupied. Frowning, I took a step forwards and took in the dirty plates on the coffee table and the bathrobe slung casually across the couch.

Before I could do anything else I heard the door click behind me. I whirled around and saw Hisoka was leaning against the door, gazing at me with amusement written on his sharp features plain as day.

"You," I growled out, quickly putting 2 and 2 together.

The magician quirked a brow as if to say 'Me?'.

"That attendant didn't give me the keys to my own room did she? This is your room."

"I prefer to think of it as our room now," Hisoka responded, doing his level best impression of innocence. He would probably be more successful if he weren't smirking at the same time.

"I told that woman I wanted my own damnit." I rubbed a hand across my face tiredly. "This is your fault," I stated unnecessarily, but I still felt like I needed to express my displeasure. "You scared her into doing this."

"Ah, I don't believe she was scared," he corrected me. "In fact, she probably felt she was doing you a favor."

"A favor? How?" I struggled to think of something to say. "Ugh, never mind. I'm going back and getting my own room." I glared and made my way to the door, mentally daring Hisoka to even try and stop me. My patience was well and truly spent.

To my surprise Hisoka stepped aside easily as I got near. "Suit yourself," he said and moved passed me to lounge on the couch.

Confusion welled up inside me, but I decided to put it aside for now, like I was doing with many things this evening. I wasn't about to ignore this opportunity. I slammed the door behind me as I left, muttering about capricious clowns and their fucking mood swings as I did so. I didn't care if Hisoka heard, the bastard deserved it.

Back in the hallway I spared a second to glare at the gleaming 204. Now that I knew what it represented I felt like the number was mocking me.

AN:/ Hi all, hope you enjoyed this one! It is a bit shorter than previous chapters, but if I was gonna add in all the scenes I had planned initially it would have gotten way too long. On the bright side; that does mean I have a good idea what's gonna be in the next chapter (still not making promises on a regular update schedule though, cause damn working takes energy).

I just found out ff had this weird thing around when I last posted where reviews did not show up. Looks like I missed responses for some people because of it, sorry! Please know I do appreciate and am grateful for all the feedback and support you guys give me! That goes for everyone supporting through reading, faving, alerting etc as well ofc.

Any things you are excited for now that we've hit Heaven's arena? Let me know! I have a lot planned, but I'm curious what y'all are thinking.

Till next time~

xXx-Mai1564