Cherrie's Universal Rule When Reading Her Yaoi Pieces applies here. Read chapter 2 for the whole statement.

Disclaimers: Hunter X Hunter © Yoshihiro Togashi, Shounen Jump Weekly, Shueisha and Nippon Animation. This fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only.

Author's Notes: Uhm...actually, I based Hannah Schwarz partly from Pansy Parkinson and (ditzy) Narcissa Malfoy of Harry Potter ^^; Y'know, Draco's date for the Yule Ball (the lucky slut) and Draco's mother - the fanfic-ditz side of her anyway. Narcissa has different personalities, but I won't elaborate 'cause that's just plain out-of-topic ^^; Hm...anyway, Yomi-san had a good point in her review for me. She said that Hannah would be better off seducing Illumi instead of chasing after him. I think it's a good idea, not to mention more appropriate for her age. 'Course, I'm not sure about things, but it's a start ^___^ Thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 6. Hah, I knew that chapter was the worst yet! XP

Oh, and about the woman thing...*pokes cheek* 23 is still young. Not a teenager, but I still find that age as one of a young lady...not that Hannah acts that out either. Hm, I'll try to tone her down, don't worry. Probably, my view is different from others because of where I come from. Yomi-san said that by 18, people leave home to live on their own, but we don't do that here in my place. Unless you're leaving home because you're getting married, you're still your parents' child. So yeah...and some people are just plain attached to their parents. Sure most people see them as people sick in the head, but most spoiled children are like that. My uncle for example...but again, madness runs in the family (seriously, I've got at least 3-4 aunts and uncles with experiences in mental asylums and rehabilitation centers ^^;), so maybe it's just me. Aah, the wonders of the environment...

OF GAMES AND ASSASSINS
by: Cherrie ( kurapikasama@yahoo.com )

Chapter 7 - The Girl, Hisoka's Curse

How wonderfully convenient...

The sarcasm of his inner voice didn't miss him, and he took note of it rather wryly as he leaned back on his two hands that were supporting his head. His eyes continued to stare up at the ceiling, almost glaring, as if his very gaze itself would bore a hole through it just for the hell of things.

The clock on the table beside him blinked a piercing red 3:45 that stood out on the general darkness of the room. Great, Hisoka thought sardonically as he felt his eyebrow and the corner of his mouth twitch in frustration. For days, he hadn't had a decent good night's sleep ever since Illumi came. The first few nights, he must admit, were the best he ever had, and he remembered sleeping for more than twelve to thirteen hours because he found out that his bed was never as warm as it had been when Illumi was there. Granted, the assassin stayed on the edge of his side of the bed and was too far for Hisoka's own liking, and that the warmth he felt must be something that his own creative mind came up with just because he knew that there's somebody else there with him. But nevertheless, the point was that the warmth was inviting, and he would've slept his whole days away until his back cracked from all the lying around.

But no. Three to four nights off, Hisoka eventually found the suggestive position they were both in rather uncomfortable. If he would just roll on his right side just once, he could wrap his arms around the other's body and...well, he was sure his instincts could take it from there. And ever since that realization dawned on him, he couldn't get it out of his head, and he hasn't slept a wink without ending up all hot and bothered, among other things.

Personally, had this been somebody else, he would've done them so badly he'd have somebody after his throat for a lifetime. Never had he felt any more drawn to anybody as much as he was with Illumi, it was almost starting to get creepy. But something about the other kept him in place. Hisoka knew that he had a knack for getting rid of people in a second's snap, and he figured that if he'd do so much as push Illumi to his limits, he'll lose his only living ally, plus sport a very painful black eye for the rest of his life. That is, unless he wouldn't be caught floating down some river, dead and decomposing all in all.

Fact was, he wanted to figure out how to get Illumi to him without risking his heart getting ripped out of his chest - and he's talking literally here, he's no sissy romantic.

But now this. Hisoka scowled at the memory of the day before, when he first met Illumi's so-called fiancée. The little bitch had herself attached to Illumi the whole time, and none of their discreet little practices worked on her. She saw Hisoka as "Illumi-sama's annoying friend" who incidentally buys him things whenever he gets the chance, touches him with every presented opportunity, whispers in his ear every time she turns around, and also coincidentally sleeps with him on the same bed. Either she found his relationship with Illumi naively platonic or she's really just too blind to realize anything that would take the assassin away from her.

And speaking of beds, it took all his and Illumi's efforts to kick her out of the room. After an agonizingly long argument about making her take another room, and then a much longer and much more agonizing one as to where Illumi would be sleeping, they settled for her staying on a nearby room while he and Illumi stay where they initially were.

He never really understood why Illumi's being so kind to the girl. By the time they reached the front desk so they could book a room for the newcomer, she had herself latched on to Illumi's arm still and continued to try to convince him that it wouldn't be so bad to sleep together because they'll eventually get married and end up on the same situation in the future anyway. Illumi looked completely wasted with her hanging around like a leech, but nobody seemed as disgruntled with it all than Hisoka himself.

He was told to ignore Hannah - and again he wondered why Illumi was so kind - but how could he do that when she's like that? The hotel receptionist was giving them confused looks from behind the counter, but Hisoka all but ignored her because he was too busy glaring at the girl attached on his assassin like she was sewed right on the man's sleeves. He was still seething even until he succeeded in breaking the pencil in his hand into four little sticks, which only ended with Illumi apologizing for it while giving him an odd look at the corner of his eyes.

He had no chance to talk to Illumi about it because by the end of the day, they were both so exhausted that they fell asleep instantly by the time they got back to their room. But his sleeping habits remained loyal to the sudden change, and around 2 in the morning he again woke up from yet another suggestive dream that involved him, a bed, and the very person sleeping mere inches from him.

Hisoka thought of getting it all done with. In other words, he could take Illumi then and there for Hannah to find in the morning, but once again, reality kicked in and he knew that blood will be spilled if he does so much as try.

The clock now blinked a disturbing 5:00. Heaving out a curse, Hisoka grabbed his pillow out from under his head and proceeded on burying himself on it, as if the darkness of being squished by a pillow is any better than the darkness of a room. But at least, he thought, he couldn't hear Illumi breathing this way. So much distractions...he should've asked for a fee after all.

* * * * *

Hisoka wouldn't budge. Shifting a glance at the girl by the dresser, Illumi tried to suppress a scowl as he shifted his attention back on the magician in front of him. When poking him didn't work, he started to shake him, calling out his name every once in a while.

"You know, I can wake him up like I did yesterday. I'm sure he'll be out of bed before you can even count a second," said Hannah, who continued to fix her already made hair in front of the mirror. Illumi could see that she was watching him through his reflection, and again, he couldn't understand why she remained blind to the masquerade he and Hisoka's been playing for her to see.

Although, he was having a hard time calling it a masquerade nowadays. It was just that Hisoka was so good in playing the part that he even found himself believing that they were...well, as Hisoka would call it, an item. He was convinced that the kiss meant nothing, and so was everything else. But yesterday, back when they were at the main lobby with Hannah looking around at the souvenirs store and Hisoka stomping off by himself elsewhere, Illumi found himself free of them both. But that was also the time when the lady behind the counter said a low, "I think he's jealous" while smiling for all the sunshine's worth.

Well, Illumi thought sarcastically. People who aren't even involved seem to get the picture more than those who are, how about that?

A voice shook him out from his thoughts, and again, Illumi found himself staring at the girl he was supposed to call his fiancée's reflection. "Illumi-san, I really won't mind waking him up for you," she said again. She was now dabbing a bit of pink blush-on on her cheeks.

"I can handle Hisoka by myself, thank you," he answered in cold politeness. He wished she's just get the idea and go off on her own, thus sparing him his family's wrath. Why his family was so fond of her, he didn't know, and he doubted he even wished to. But once again, she ignored his manner with her and just shrugged.

Cursing everything from his ancestors to the very bed Hannah was born on, Illumi started to give Hisoka small slaps on the cheek, willing him to wake up. Hannah wanted to go out around the city, but Illumi would be damned if he'd have to accompany her alone. "Damn it, Hisoka. I'm not going to do this alone, wake up!" he hissed.

A sigh of relief escaped the assassin when he finally received a sign of consciousness from the other. A low groan escaped the magician and his eyes just scrunched up in a sign of annoyance, but if he was stubborn, Illumi was much worse. Especially when it's his sanity on the line. For some odd reason, he needed Hisoka to be there as a walking excuse just in case he gets himself in a bind he couldn't stand.

"What the hell...?" was the first words that escaped Hisoka as he adjusted his eyes around him. He rubbed his eyes before they landed on Illumi, and he gave the assassin a curious look before he looked up at the bedside clock he had on the table. He ended up groaning again, grabbed for the nearest pillow - which was the one Illumi uses every night - and buried his face under it.

"Well it's about time!" same Hannah's defiant voice, the click of her lipstick cap closing giving out a faint sound. "Do you realize the effort Illumi-san had to go through just to get you out of bed?"

Illumi watched as Hisoka jerked, threw the pillow off his face and bolted up. He could've sworn he heard a faint, "Shit" from the magician, but he quickly dismissed it and stood up. "We're going out," he said, eyeing the magician as the other continued to wake himself up completely by rubbing the top of his head, his flaming hair going out in all sorts of mess. "Would you like to come?" he asked.

He knew Hannah's lips pursed into a tight line with that question. It was obvious she didn't like Hisoka very much, but she dared not speak against him, he knew. So instead, Illumi continued to catch Hisoka's eyes, hoping that the other would get the message and just get up.

Hisoka stared up at him for a while, but with a single glance at the girl from the corner of his eyes, he scowled and grudgingly stood up, slamming the bathroom door at his wake.

"He could've said he didn't want to come, we wouldn't have minded," said Hannah.

Illumi turned away from her and walked towards the window. It was a clear day outside, but Illumi couldn't help but wish that it would rain. He wished for a storm, actually, just so they could stay indoors. Since Hannah's room was way off across the corridor, he could lock her out of Hisoka's room and just say that he wanted to sleep. Which wasn't much of a lie; he really liked sleeping on Hisoka's bed, as strange as it may sound even to him. Even if Hisoka was bit of a violent sleeper, he never pulled the blankets to himself or any of those annoying habits he would hear from other people. Illumi found that he seemed to sleep better than he had ever done before. Then again, he figured that it was just because of the fact that he never slept beside anybody, and the new feeling must've gotten to him.

The sound of the bathroom door opening made Illumi shift his gaze back inside the room. Hisoka emerged clad in a white bathrobe while drying his hair on another towel. "Maybe you could step out of the room for a while, miss? Unless you want me to go around naked for you..." said Hisoka, giving Hannah a pointed look.

Hannah glared at him. "Certainly not! I'm sorry but I'm not interested," she said indignantly. She turned around to close her purse, held it in her right hand and looked back at Hisoka. "I'm going," she said, and at this, she then turned to Illumi. "Let's go outside then, Illumi-san."

Illumi pressed his lips together but made to move anyway, but Hisoka spoke again.

"No," he said, his gaze leveled down as he continued to stare at the girl in front of him. "Illumi will stay. He helps me pick out my clothes, right Illu?" he asked, shifting his eyes to the assassin by the window.

Illumi blinked, once, but that was enough to say that he was surprised. Hannah seemed to be surprised as well, and she was now looking at him with a questioning look. Illumi settled his eyes on Hisoka, whose expression was that of straight calmness, as if what he just said was true.

Following his lead, Illumi turned to Hannah again and said, "You go on ahead."

"But I--" she drifted off in mid-sentence and just proceeded on alternating between Hisoka and Illumi with her eyes. But the look the assassin gave her shattered her defiance, and with a last glare at Hisoka, she disappeared out the door.

They were silent for a while, even when Illumi walked to stand beside Hisoka, leaning his back on the wall. He had his arms crossed, and he watched as the magician picked out a red shirt from among the clothes he had hanging on the closet. Hisoka's clothes dominated the right side of the closet while the left side was Illumi's, divided only by the small space in between.

The red-haired man emerged from behind the doors, holding up the shirt he picked out. "How's this?" he asked.

Illumi briefly wondered how he ended up helping the other pick out clothes this time, but he knew that he'd rather do this than stay outside waiting for Hisoka with the devil's own daughter by his side. He eyed Hisoka with a blank expression and considered telling him that he really didn't care which shirt he wore, but his words seemed to come out differently from his thoughts. "Wear the white one," he heard himself saying. "You have a necklace that goes well with it."

For a moment, Hisoka stared at him as if he just said the most inane thing in the world. Apparently, he also didn't expect that the assassin would seriously take part in the clothes-picking thing. "You don't mean the white collared shirt and the silver cross, do you?" he asked, disbelief etched on his usually calm face.

"The cross with the leather string, yes," was the prompt answer.

Hisoka paused for a while, giving the other a critical look. His mouth opened, but his expression didn't change. "You do realize that I wear that shirt with the first two buttons off, right?"

"So?"

Again, they ended up in silent staring. Illumi never moved from his position, his nonchalance airing out the simplicity of his suggestion, even if neither of them thought it simple. But eventually, a small grin tugged on the corners of Hisoka's lips, and he disappeared again behind the doors of his closet, coming out only when he had a white shirt in hand.

* * * * *

"Gon, really," drawled Kurapika, who started to drag his luggage behind him. His arms pained him greatly, and so did his legs. They've been walking for hours. Perhaps Gon really was being to enthusiastic about his meeting with Killua. Not that he could blame him. The two boys haven't seen each other in quite a while. But still... "We could at least get to a decent hotel," he said, casting the boy in front of him a tired look.

"Uhm," Gon looked back at him and gave out a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, Kurapika, but I just can't seem to find the hotel Killua was pointing out," he said, shifting his gaze back at the city map he had in hand.

"'Course, we can always call a cab. Or give Kurapika the map at least, right?" asked Leorio good-naturedly, holding up a hand for Gon to hand over the map to. The boy hesitantly gave him the little booklet.

"Right," said Leorio, passing the map on to Kurapika. "So what did Killua say he's doing here?"

"He said that he needs our help," said Gon, looking up at Leorio. "Something about family problems and...Illumi." He shuddered at the mention of that name. Illumi was still his most disliked person, a close contest with Hisoka. But being Killua's brother and probably his main rival when it comes to keeping the other boy his friend, Illumi had the tendency to hit below the belt, and that just doesn't pass as a very nice thing to Gon.

Leorio cast a look at Kurapika, who was now busy making a call. He decided that he was probably reserving a room for the three of them, and just shifted his attention back to Gon. "So, what's with them again?" he asked.

"Killua won't tell. He said that he'll just tell us when we get there," he replied.

The sound of Kurapika's cellphone brought both males' attention to him, and he eyed them warily from his place. "Has any of you even bothered to reserve a room for us?" he asked irately, and from the sound of his voice, Gon and Leorio exchanged sheepish looks.

"I thought you did," said Leorio, scratching the back of his head.

"The thought escaped me," said Gon, giving out a tight grin.

Kurapika sighed, shaking his head. "Apparently, the hotel was fully booked. The thought must've escaped Killua as well," he said, putting his cellphone away. "According to the map, that hotel is just along this road," Kurapika indicated the road in front of them, tracing its straight path with his eyes, "so we could just look around the hotels here. We can always meet Killua somewhere else."

"Good idea," said Leorio, grinning. "Guess we can always start with that one, huh?" He pointed at a building across the road.

Kurapika looked up and eyed the building with a frown. "The Legacy," he said, shielding his eyes from the sun as his continued to crawl up the tall building. "It's a well-known hotel, as far as my readings are concerned. I highly doubt that it'll have any vacant space if Killua's hotel is fully booked."

"Oh come on," said Leorio, slumping down beside him. "I'm tired. Let's just check it out, maybe we'd get lucky. After all, we're tired, we can always use a moment's rest."

"I suppose," mumbled Kurapika. He bent down to grab his bag. "Fine, we'll see. Let's go then."

End of Chapter 7

Extra A/N: Haha! This chapter endured lots of reloads in FF.net, sorry about that ^^; I just couldn't stand the uselessness of it, ehehe....and yup! I decided to include Leorio and Kurapika. I miss them ^^

To the reviewer who pointed out the LeoPika with the fiancée, yep, I noticed that too. Did so around chapter 5 or 6, I'm not sure. I told Quince-san already - she's the author of that fic. Haha, I ended up beating my head up a wall when I realized that, didn't I? *tugs on Quince's sleeves* Ehe, but I swear that it's coincidence. 'Course, if anybody's original, it'll be her because she got the idea first. But I'm not one to copy. I can be inspired, but I try to be as original as possible. So...er, yeah ^^;

Last note. Yomi-san would be away for a while. That means I'll have no comfort for the whole of July, and my birthday's coming near too! . Aah, but we'll miss you, enjoy yourself! ^.^