Hey ya'll, it's been awhile. Life's been busy. I'm still not done rewriting my original story, but I missed Kilera (my ship name for them, don't expect it to catch on but it's canon in my head), and ended up marathon writing this chapter in pretty much one sitting. I still don't know when I'll be able to get back to uploading regularly, but I'm still pumped for this next (and probably final) story arch, so don't think I'll drop Venom. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this hefty dose of Kilera.

I return to the star-den room that night to sleep. The temperature and my last night of inadequate, uncomfortable sleep makes me groggy the second I enter, but I don't fail to notice a certain lack of a Killua in the room.

I turn on my heel and exit.

My vague memory of our first night here carries my feet back to what is probably Alluka's room. I yank back the hanging curtain—

—and Jess perks up in her seat, staring at me from where she sits at a tiny table.

I drop the drape and get ready to track by scent when from inside the room, Jess calls, "Wait!" Before I can walk away, she's already lifted the curtain and gotten out, "I have wanted to talk to you. Come and sit." When I still move to leave, she says to my back, "It's about Killua."

"And what," I inquire, head tilted to glare at her, "would you have to say about him?"

She motions for me to come in, and doesn't relent when I don't move. I run a tongue over my fangs. Her aura isn't hostile, per se, but it isn't stupidly friendly, either. She's not relaxed, nor is she as guarded as Jin. Compared to her butting in this afternoon, she's much more neutral. Her mannerisms bear a distinct similarity to Gemmana's.

Even once I've decided, I stand still a bit longer to tell her I'm not someone she can just control as she likes. Only then do I stride past her and seat myself on the enormous bed. She returns to sit in the chair from earlier. She leans an arm on the backrest, and looks at me straight.

"You and Killua, what is it between you two?"

"Do you have something to say? Because I'm not gonna sit here to be interrogated."

"I am asking because things need to...come to light, I think the saying is. You should want to understand because you are involved. I want to understand because I want to see if I can get involved."

"No reason to concern yourself."

"Contrarily, there is a reason. I am also seventeen, and the eldest Rivenon child. Our business will continue in my family line, and I am old enough to search for a suitable husband. Killua is not only my age, but a young Hunter with potential, and I also find him handsome. This past day has proven to me we get along, as well. I am very interested in forming a connection to him, and from what I have seen, my greatest obstacle in doing so is you."

The more she speaks, the more I bristle. Her expression, which had remained stable through her whole speech, twitched as caution entered her face.

"I'm telling you this because I want no trouble with you. I want to know if you and he are in a serious relationship. If you are, I can look elsewhere. If he is just a...fling, then I want you not to get in my way."

Relationship, relationships, is that all humans can ever talk about? I'm tired of hearing the word. "He's mine."

I still feel cold thinking about this afternoon. But with that coldness, there's certainty. I'm sure I don't want to be without him. I want to be near him, I want to feel his heat, I want him to smile at me and blush at me and take care of me and I don't want to see him doing any of that towards her.

The air in the room feels heavy, even to me, but Jess still pushes, "Are you serious about him?"

"Very."

She sighs. "Alright. To be honest, I'm not sure how suited you two are for each other. He is very mature, and human, and you are neither of those, and you have also been bickering since you came to our house. But I will be fair since you set your eyes on him first."

When she falls silent, I get to my feet and head straight to the door, more than ready to be absolutely done with whatever this conversation was now that she's given up, but she still calls at my back.

"Make sure you treasure him. He's a first-class catch."

"Of course he is. I only take the best."

The cloth snaps down behind me and I go back to the place to sleep, only to remember halfway that the reason I had to listen to that girl at all was because I was looking for Killua. I licked my lips and sniffed the air, and found my way to the right room this time. Sure enough, his scent also lingers around hers, and I stride in.

The siblings are facing each other cross-legged on the bed when I burst in, frozen with Killua's arm positioned to redirect Alluka's Nen-covered fist. They both stare at me as I climb onto the bed, but when I try to kiss Killua, he moves his arm to prevent me from getting closer. Again, his face tints pink.

"Stop it, you can't just go around kissing people."

I run a hand on the underside of his bare upper arm, feel him flinch, and repeat myself. "You're mine."

"I'm not a possession." He shoves me lightly before taking away his arm, the pink in his cheeks darkening. "What do you want? I'm busy with Alluka's Nen training." He glances at her, and when he sees that her face is redder than his, the color in his cheeks rushes to match it.

"Sleep with me."

His eyes go wide, and for some reason, Alluka covers her eyes.

Teeth gritted, he stammers, "E-Even if...if we're...come on." He grips my arm and drags me out of the room, not stopping until we're at the end of the hallway. There he lets me go, and says, "Can you not act like that in front of Alluka? You're so embarrassing!"

Even though my mood isn't exactly perfect, I can't help but smirk as I take his face in my hands and force him to look at me.

"You look cute when you're embarrassed."

I'd be shocked if his face could get any redder. He pulls my hands down and turns away in a panic. "Anyway—! Even if you really like me, and even if we're...even if we might be a thing, it's...too soon! Is that something you can understand?"

I blink, then snicker. "Warmth, Killua." While he's still facing away, I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head near his neck. He's as rigid as a tree, but even without electricity snapping in his aura, he's as warm as embers. My mood is fully recovered when he lets me wrap around him. "I'm tired, exhausted, and I want to sleep in that cool room, but you have to be there because otherwise it's not perfect."

I'm about to add that while I hadn't meant it, I was totally up for it if he wanted sex, and harrass his neck while I say it, but his stiff muscles suddenly go soft, and a hand smoothing down my hair sends my heart trilling with delight, and decide against it.

Yeah, that little brunette weasel better give him up.

"Okay. We need to talk about some stuff, anyway." His voice is as gentle as I've ever heard it, and it elicits a rumbling from my chest. His hand on my head stills, and he wonders, "Did you just purr?"

I prop my chin on his shoulder, wondering myself. "I've never done that before. Guess I've got some feline in me."

He scoffs in disbelief. "Let's go to our room."

I cling on tighter. "Carry me."

He rustles my hair hard and scolds, "Even if I become your boyfriend, that doesn't make me your servant. Use your own feet."

"That human term, I still don't get it," I complain, nuzzling him. "The label's stupid. Just be my Killua."

In his chest, I feel his heart pound, and that vibration in my chest happens again. He mutters under his breath. "What the hell. Why are you…" His hand falls down to stroke my back before he pushes me away. He won't meet my eyes, and he's trying not to smile, but it's easy to tell he's happy. "Come on, let's go."

I rub my chest with my fingers as we make our way back to our room. I've really never made such a rumbling sound before, but just now, it came out without trying. Inside of me there's also that feeling that's kind of like the warmth I get from looking at pretty things. Even though I just acted how I wanted to with him, our interaction felt way different from human interactions I've had before.

I like it.

Back in the star-den, I roll myself onto the bed and hold out my arms, waiting to cling to him again. His smile finally breaks through his defenses. He doesn't lay down, though, but sits on the edge of the bed. I grumble in complaint and move myself over to hug him.

"Stop it," he says, but his voice is still soft. "We seriously have to talk about stuff."

I look up at him with a huff, but since I'm in such a good mood, I let him do what he wants.

"I...We… If I have to be honest, I've never dated anyone before. I've rarely even thought about it. But when I did think about it, I always thought it'd be some super cute girl. I've heard some guys like guys, but I never actually met someone dating another man. That's not the point I wanted to get at. Well, it's not unimportant, but not what I was getting at. What I'm trying to say is that...I can't casually do things like...kissing, and hugging, and especially stuff more than that. For humans, the person you do that stuff with is supposed to be really important, someone you trust your life with, or want to trust your life with. To humans, doing that stuff means a lot...to humans worth forming that kind of a relationship with, anyway.

"I don't know if you actually are, or even if you know if you are, but I think you're starting to understand that sort of thing. You're one hundred percent a brat, but you're right. I'm attracted to you. And sometimes you can be really cute. And sometimes it makes me want to take care of you. I have no idea if this is insane or not, but...you have to at least understand, if I'm gonna be…y-your...Killua…" I turn up my face despite the darkness, entertained just knowing how flushed he probably is based on his voice. He looks down at me and leans a little closer, tone becoming so solemn my skin tingles when he speaks. "...you have to be...my Sera. We need mutual respect. Trust. Honesty. And we have to be loyal to each other. Even if we don't have sex right away, you can't even kiss another person, or this thing we have is over. I know that's weird to you, but if you're willing to try it," his hand threads through my hair, "I'll give us a shot."

He's hotter than usual. He's nervous, but his voice is low, and firm, and definitely a turn on. So basically what he's saying is...next time he asks me to jump off a building, I should be able to do it without hesitation. Back when we were in that mutt-ruled town, I definitely couldn't, but I don't think it would be a problem now. I'm not too keen on the whole not kissing anyone else even if he won't indulge me, but it's also been awhile since I've felt anyone was as attractive as him.

"Fine." I reach up and trace my fingers under his jaw. "But I expect reimbursement."

He lets out a breath, then takes my hand to intertwine our fingers. "Well, I'm not about to let you get away with everything. But I'm loyal to the people important to me. It may not be the easiest relationship you've ever had, but I can swear it'll be true."

Can you tell I was Kilera deficient? Hopefully this will help sooth your guys' hunger for fluff while I chug on through the last few weeks of the semester. I want to be back writing this as soon as possible, but I've got a portfolio to put together, papers to write, projects to complete, and sometimes I just wish the world for stop. For like, a year. Wait a—forget I said that, we've had ENOUGH of the world being stopped, I think. But like, end of school year stuff, could still do without it. Anyways, catch ya later!