Disclaimer - Hunter x Hunter does not belong to me, all characters and such are the marvelous product of Yoshihiro Togashi.

Notes – The silliness continues :P Expect some very mild fluff between Hisoka and Illumi.

Summary - Hisoka agrees to make Illumi an outfit for an animal-themed masquerade ball involved in Illumi's latest job. In exchange, Hisoka is making Illumi come with him on a quest to retrieve some mystical hair gel said to have the ability to 'make your head shine in all the colors of the rainbow if you apply it to your hair'.

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Chapter 4

Illumi returned long after the moon was full in the sky. Shaking his head, he looked at how Hisoka was slumbering, wrapped up in the sheets as if he were burrito. Illumi had to admit the air was chilly, which was why he attempted to nudge the sleeping magician free of at least part of the sheets.

Hisoka grumbled in his sleep and allowed some of the blankets to escape his grasp. Hisoka mumbled something which resembled, "The muffins are baking in the rabbit's tummy…get 'em before they burn."

Illumi questioned what the magician could possibly be dreaming about, but choose to ignore it; he didn't really want to get inside the other man's head. The assassin settled on the opposite side of the bed and buried himself under the covers, drifting off to sleep.

Sometime later Illumi awoke from the chilly room and felt a hand pull him closer. He was just about to flip Hisoka off the bed when he saw the magician was still sound asleep. Regarding the other man groggily, Illumi relaxed back onto the bed. The night air is quite cold here, I'll tolerate his arm around me. Illumi was not going to admit to himself that the sensation of another person's arm around him was the least bit soothing.He drifted back off to sleep.

Hisoka awoke the next morning, his arm still around the sleeping assassin. As nice as this is, I should probably move before Illumi wakes up and rips my arm off, Hisoka thought ruefully. He disengaged his arm from around the other man.

Once he selected an outfit and dressed himself he looked back at the sleeping form of Illumi. My, and I thought I was a restless sleeper. Illumi was sprawled across the bed, an arm flung off one side and a leg where Hisoka had been sleeping. The mass of dark hair obscured the assassin's face. Hisoka beat back the temptation to brush aside the hair. Instead, he called room service for breakfast, still thinking how seemingly defenseless the assassin looked as he slept.

Illumi blearily opened an eye when he heard the knocking at the door. He immediately shut said eye and buried himself under the pillow when the daylight hit him. As a professional killer he could fully rouse himself in a heartbeat, but it didn't mean he wanted to do so this early in the morning.

"So you are awake!" The cheerful reply greeted him from an all-too-awake magician. Illumi grabbed a pillow and chucked it in the general direction of the voice.

Hisoka expertly caught the pillow and threw it back onto the bed. "Illumi, I'm boooreeed," he complained.

Illumi knew there would be no more sleep with the other man around so he reluctantly got off the bed. He stumbled towards the bathroom, "Shower," was all he said, shooting a sleepy but threatening glance at the magician.

"I would have thought you were more of a morning person" Hisoka giggled. He was accustomed to waking up early, eager for the new day and new exploits awaiting him. He had no use for prolonged sleep, it was considered an interruption to his fun.

In contrast, Illumi had no love for mornings, assuming he had such a feeling for anything at all. If possible, he conducted most of his work when the sun had long ago descended. He firmly believed that Hisoka's being a morning person was another way for the world to plot against him.

Hisoka looked at the door to the restroom as he heard the shower turn on. Giggling, he pictured it was the perfect moment to see what the assassin looked like out of his clothing. The sound of the water will at least cover the sound of the door opening, he thought mischievously. Stealthily making his way towards the door he cracked it open. A pin sunk into the wall by his head. "Oh, I was just looking for a towel, really! Where do you keep those pins while in the shower?" Hisoka ducked back out of the doorway in case Illumi decided to make it rain anymore pins.

Now that the brief moment of excitement was over Hisoka had to find something else to occupy his time as the assassin prepared. I'll go take a look around, the outside has to be more interesting then the inside of a hotel room. Hisoka scribbled a note and left it on the cart of food.

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Illumi was fully awake by the time his shower was over, ready to start and finish the foolish quest he and Hisoka had come for. Finding the room devoid of the other man the assassin blinked irritably. Where could that lunatic have gone off to?

Noticing the slip of paper Hisoka had left on the cart he plucked it out from under a tray. Hisoka's barely legible scribbles reported that he had gone to see the sights and would be back "eventually". Illumi scoffed when he saw the note was signed by "the greatest magician in the world". There is no doubt the note was written by Hisoka. That man is really trying my patience.

Since the assassin had nothing else to do while he waited he settled down to have some breakfast. The food was still warm. In addition to eggs, sausage, and waffles Hisoka had ordered an array of colorful cereals. Illumi eyed the Lucky Charms and Fruit Loops and could not envision how anyone could ingest such disgustingly cheerful food. This does explain Hisoka's unnatural amounts of energy in the morning.

Hisoka still was not back by the time Illumi finished his breakfast. Illumi's eyes roamed the room in search of something to read until the magician returned. Finding no magazines or even newspapers, he fingered a deck of cards Hisoka had left out. I have never built a card castle before, it can't be so difficult considering the most unstable of all people can do it. Illumi removed the cards and took the two from the top, placing them against each other to form a triangle. Letting go, the cards remained upright and he continued on, placing several more in a similar fashion in a row. A single card functioning as a bridge and a connector between each triangle. He found the activity strangely relaxing, and thought perhaps that was why the magician could always be seen building them.

Illumi was on the fifth level of his card castle by the time Hisoka arrived back at the room. "Aren't card castles fun?" Hisoka asked in delight as he saw Illumi working with the cards. "The best part is when they fall down." Hisoka giggled at this, from some inner joke no doubt.

"I had to do something while I waiting, who knew when you would come back." The assassin stood up, now quite awake and ready to go to the jungle and the shrine where the supposed hair gel of legend was to be found.

"This place has some interesting tuff. Here, I saw something and I just had to get it for you." Hisoka handed a bag to Illumi.

Illumi eyed the bag wearily, expecting to find inside something suggestive at best. Peering within the plastic bag he saw a familiar red box. Pulling the box out, he turned the handle on the side and the jester he saw the night before popped forth.

"Do you like it? I figured it would remind you of a certain magician if you ever got bored." Hisoka grinned devilishly.

Illumi was unsure of what to make of the gift. "Thank you," came out before he could stop himself.

The magician reached out a hand and placed it on the other man's forehead. "Are you feeling alright? You are aware you just said 'thank you', to me, aren't you?"

Sweeping the hand away, Illumi responded stiffly with, "Yes, I'm just tired. I do not find being awake at this hour pleasant." Which was true, but not at all the reason he was feeling something approaching happiness because of the present. "In my line of work one must be polite to one's client," the assassin added more to calm his mind than for Hisoka's benefit.

So I'm a client? That sounds even worse then an associate, and I thought this trip would make him relax around me a little. They had known each other going on 3 years now, rarely had someone so constantly stayed in his life with his erratic existence. Shrugging the idea aside Hisoka focused on the thought of obtaining the hair gel he wanted. "While in town I found a map of the surrounding area. This is the way to the jungle the magazine mentioned." Hisoka pointed a path leading to the east.

Illumi placed the box on the table next to his card castle. "We should leave, it gets extremely cold around here at nightfall. Being caught outside with such temperatures does not strike me as very appealing."

"I'll keep you warm." Hisoka volunteered while cheerfully smirking.

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End Note – Oh dear, I hope I didn't make that too cute or whatnot.