Author: NekoRyuko :3

Fanfic Title: Valentine's Day

Summary of fanfic: On the next 14th of February following the defeat of the Chimera Ants, our Hunters find themselves involved in yet another battle (it's in their nature to get into trouble, after all). This time, however, our fighters must fight for love.

Pairings: Hints of HisoGon, KiruGon, HisoIllu, LeoPika; and whatever other pairing your imagination wishes to assume. X3

Chapter Title: Sweet Devotion

Chapter Summary: On Valentines Day, people give chocolates to show their heart's devotion towards a certain someone. Devotion spawns from true love. True love is often associated with selfless action, taking wild risks, throwing logic into the wind, all for the sake of the one who is dear to you. Can Killua rescue his best friend from his possessor? Will Hisoka get his Valentines wishes granted? Why can't Leorio concentrate on his studies? Will all the worry and pain be healed by love in the end?

This chapter is very different from the first, with more focus on the narrative, action, and many unexpected twists, without too much compromise of dialogue. :D

Rating: Still at PG-13. Nothing overt, just a bunch of allusions and insinuations related to adult themes, and a bit of 'language'.

Warning: References to slash. Characters may show new sides of themselves, but hopefully this will enrich the characters, rather than distort their natures. It is also highly advisable that you have watched HxH. Knowledge of nen, inside humor, and popular HxH allusions would aid your enjoyment.

Disclaimer: In case you were wondering, no I DO NOT own Hunter x Hunter, its' characters or Valentines Day for that matter. There is also one idea that I obtained from a doujinshi, which I really feel I must credit. You can find its' reference at the end of the page (don't want to put spoilers in intro notes! Heh).

A/N: I've noticed that I had made about 4-5 serious errors in my previous chapter!! Argh!! I'm so ashamed!! But I have an excuse!!! I was really tired during the exam period. XP …Ok, ok no one really cares about excuses, right:D Fortunately I now have a beta-reader, SpiritsMelding, -glomps- (Check out her lovely KiruGon and other works.) Thank you so much for your invaluable contribution to the presentation of this story :) Thanks also to my friend, LadySaturn, who helped me realise some things are better left unsaid (these notes were humongous before!) Also, I want to thank my lovely reviewers! Your feedback really put me on course for this chapter! I've included some Hisoka x Illumi moments…as a lot of you requested. I realize now that there are very few HisoIllu musings out there, and so I decided to make a contribution… cause I'm just too nice -.-...haha. xp Naah, it actually feels rather good to stand up for the underdog! Sorry, no explicit yaoi this time. For those who want to see some, don't distress. It will exist in further stories, which will come chronologically after 'Valentine's Day', as either continuation of the main plot or as extras and side-stories.

Nb: Ailong is a city near YorkShin. It's a scrambled version of 'Long Island City'. Refer to notes for a full explanation.

Happy reading!!

Chapter 2 – Sweet devotion

"Kyaaa it's batman!!"

"Baaa-ka! Look carefully! He doesn't have any wings!"

"Then he must be superman!"

"But he's just a kid! I bet he's a young ninja."

Everywhere he went, people stopped, stared and pointed and screamed. But Killua could not care less. Even though Ailong City, a small town towards the coast from YorkShin, was significantly less populated, the evening traffic was still horrendous. Killua simply had no choice but to leap from building to building if he was to have any hope of rescuing his best friend from the grips of a certain maniac magician.

Fifteen minutes later, he stood puffing in front of an aged concrete condominium that had been home to Hisoka for the past few months. Killua couldn't help but reprimand himself. Out of millions and millions of towns out there, why did the four of them have to settle down in the same town as Hisoka. Certainly the idea wasn't his, nor was it Kurapika's or Leorio's. They were all too weary and cautious when it came to the crafty magician. It was, of course, Gon who insisted like an obstinate mule that he wanted to have all his friends within close proximity. The three of them hummed and hawed but this only induced Gon to dish out more and more explanations of how Hisoka has changed and why they all should accept him as a friend. And like always, Gon's perseverant attitude eventually drove the three of them to give in. But just look where its' gotten them now!

Without wasting another precious second, Killua swung open the main entrance door and raced his way up the flights of stairs. The very thought of Hisoka as Gon's friend made Killua sick to his stomach. Being a transformation type user and having been involved with the darker side of life himself, Killua could intuitively read Hisoka's motives with great erudition. But despite their similar natures, Killua's feelings for the spiky-haired boy were different from those of Hisoka. The man only wanted to use Gon as his toy- to play around with, be challenged by its intricacies, and abandon or destroy it once it reached the limits of its use. And although a couple of years ago Killua feared that his companion would meet the same fate at his own hands, now he could see that he was wrong.

"You're like a kid who just got a new pet dog. A kid's gentleness only exists in the beginning. Soon you will get bored of looking after the dog. Soon you will ask yourself whether you can kill him or not…" You're wrong, Illumi. Killua thought. Your theory might work for Hisoka… but I'm not him, and I'm not what you think I am. I would not use Gon, nor abandon him, nor hurt him.

"You can't have any friends." Wrong again. Gon truly is… my friend. Not because I need him, not because of what he's done for me, but because---aaah.

All of a sudden, Killua was jerked out of his thoughts, as he lost his balance, or more precisely, began to slide on sleet that covered the outer corridor that connected the fourth floor apartments. His body was flunked forward and he landed knees first on some hard concrete. Aww crap! He cursed inwardly; his knees and right lower leg beginning to bleed profusely. The teenager stopped briefly to take a deep breath. No matter how increasingly screwed up everything was becoming, he could not be vulnerable now. If there was one valuable lesson that Killua learnt from being around Gon is that willpower creates miracles. Now, more than ever, it was vital to adopt a Gon persona and go demand his friend's freedom; stubbornly, until the end, no matter the cost.

"Room 44." Killua grimaced. "Should I knock? Like hell!" With one kick, he busted the door open, watching with grim satisfaction as it swung wildly, barely able to hang onto its hinges.

Killua could hear sounds of commotion coming from the depth of the flat; likely due to the dramatic racket he had just produced. Following in the direction of the voices, he treaded down the hallway corridor with a steady gait, each step echoing the rhythm of his heartbeat that was no longer hysterical but thumped with a firm determination.

As he finally stepped into the living space of the magician's apartment, he was greeted by two pairs of bemused eyes, staring, as if he had sprouted an extra head or two. And that was only the first impression. A split-second of environment scanning later, realization hit hard, and the boy's subdued aura once again flared out in fury. Somewhere at the back of his mind the boy heard his friend's voice ringing "Killua, you're bleeding!!" but it went completely dismissed, overshadowed by the earth-shattering shock the boy was experiencing.

"W—WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING??!!" he cried out in dismay.

Before his eyes stood a coffee table that seated Hisoka, grinning and fully clothed; and a perplexed-looking Gon, wearing nothing but mere boxers, the remaining pieces of his attire scattered throughout the room. His green shorts lay in the centre of the table together with one of Hisoka's wristbands and a pile of discarded playing cards.

Acknowledging his newest guest with a sly smile, Hisoka turned his attention back to his little game. "Full house" he chimed, spreading his cards on the surface before him. "Aaaah!!!" was the response from the other side of the table. "Dammit!!!" the boy snivelled as he reached for his boxers.

The inertia bestowed on Killua was at once dissolved, and with emergency bells ringing in his mind, he launched himself towards Gon in an attempt to avert the imminent disaster. "Don't do it Gon!!!"

Just as he was about to reach his friend, something tugged at his shirt collar, hauling and nailing him into a nearby wall. His azure eyes darted towards the older man, whom grinned maliciously and skilfully tossed two more aces from his 'full house' hand, pinning the boy around the waist.

"Killua!!" Gon leaped from his chair, only to be hampered by Hisoka's arm. "Don't worry, I'm just going to have a little talk with him."

"What's there to talk about, you snake! Let us go right now or I—"

"Shh." The magician hushed him, placing a card up against the younger boy's mouth.

"Do not interrupt," He whispered into the boy's ear "my little game."

Having articulated his demand, Hisoka removed the card from the boy's mouth to obtain a response, but the latter continued to bicker.

"You're as low as I thought! Tricking Gon into playing strip poker!" he spat.

"Oh please, we both know you'd be doing the same thing in my place."

The statement was followed by a reflective pause before Killua retorted.

"Shut up! I don't trust you. You're gonna hurt Gon."

Killua couldn't deny in himself occasional temptations to take advantage of Gon's innocence, but he would definitely step on the breaks if his friend would be in any way harmed. The same did not apply to Hisoka, whom in Killua's opinion would be all too eager to press on the accelerator in situations where sane individuals would press on the breaks. The man was a psycho… a sociopath! Who knows what kind of madness would have ensued if Killua hadn't stepped in when he did. Whatever it may have been, it would certainly involve spilled blood, and wounds… both physical and psychological. The devil.

"It was Gon who insisted that we keep going, you know? That boy refuses to give up, and I quote, 'until everything is won back'." The jester explained. Killua turned his attention to the subject of their conversation, who stood in the background, watching the two with intent concern.

"Gon. You IDIOT! Do you honestly think you can ever win against him? He's a magician, it's obvious that he cheats!"

"WHAT?!" Gon screamed in disbelief.

Hisoka's expression turned sour at the accusation. "Aww come on! Why would I ever—"

"Just shut up already! I'm sick of hearing you!" He shot the man a glare, placed both palms against the wall he was bound to and released his Narukami, bolts of lightning penetrating and cracking the wall behind him and simultaneously repelling Hisoka's nen. The playing cards landed by the boy's feet and the magician no longer had a hold on him. Killua's first thoughts were to seek vengeance. "I'm gonna beat your deranged ass now and leave with Gon. And never come back."

Hisoka stood transfixed, his demeanour suggesting that he was either surprised, impressed or maybe both. He didn't even make the slightest attempt to block Killua's incoming round kick to the left side of his face. Tossed by the impact, the magician found himself fumbling over his television set and smashing into the bookcase, some shelves cracking, permitting its' contents to rain down onto the man. With a grin of satisfaction, Killua walked over to the sprawled Hisoka. Crouching before him, he placed two palms on his nemesis's chest before executing the Izutsushi, jolting the man with something close to a million volts. The shock was so powerful that any human being, even one as physically resiliant as Hisoka, would have ended up unconcious or worse, had he not protected himself with a couple of layers of aura. But even his self-defense shield was not impenetrable. The traces of electricity that managed to pass through had stung his muscles and organs and sent waves of pain through his entire being.

Once the sensation came down a few notches, Hisoka rose from the rubble, swaying on his feet. "Aah that was rousing!" he uttered, lips quivering. He could see his attacker's face sink into a deeper scowl.

The jester teased him further by licking the blood that oozed from his smashed lip, and grinning gleefully.

Increasingly disgruntled, Killua clenched his fist, veins becoming strained and evident. He then released his grip and let his nails stretch out, not at all unlike a cat. He mentally resolved to give the man more pain, until he could not demean others any longer.

Raising his right elbow, Killua prepared to strike but what appeared in front of him was not the treacherous magician but his best friend.

"G-Gon…" he stammered. Dizziness suddenly descending upon him as his body began to respond to his ample loss of blood.

"Stop it! Both of you." Through his daze, he could see the boy's brown eyes harbouring a stern conviction.

Apparently during the skirmish, Gon had found some first-aid bandage tape, as he started to wrap its white cotton fabric around Killua's right knee and coming down.

"Gon, it's all right… you don't need to—" the blue-eyed boy pleaded his friend gently, flinching from the feeling of warm hands on sore skin. "Just go clothe yourself, na?" Not like you look bad this way but…

"Hold on, almost done." The brown-eyed boy chirped, unrolling a few centimetres of bandage ribbon, tearing it from the rest of the roll, dividing the ends in two, and finally tying them in a knot around Killua's ankle. "There." He then took a few moments to marvel at his handy work.

"Aww isn't that sweet." Hisoka gushed. "Come here and give me some love too!!" He continued in a maudlin tone.

A few blinks of an eye later, Gon spun around to face the man, and then leapt straight into his arms.

What the--?! Killua started.

"Don't look so petrified, boy. If you behave, maybe I'll lend him to you…sometime." The older man reassured him mockingly, evidently satisfied from Killua's reactions to his antics.

"Lend??" Killua shot back "Gon is not your possession, you know! I bet you used some trick back then, didn't you?" All he needed to do was to focus his vital energy in the eyes, and he would foil the magician's tricks. As expected, Hisoka's aura was attached to Gon's trunk, like gum. Because an aura is invisible unless observed with gyou, to a naked eye it seemed as if Gon willingly jumped into the embrace.

"You can't fool me with such primitive tricks, Hisoka."

The man responded with an approving smile.

"And you're a complete retard if you believe that Gon would ever feel that way for you!" the blue-eyed boy continued.

"My my, has anyone ever told you you talk too much?"

Killua arched an eyebrow in annoyance.

"Don't get me wrong" the jester exculpated. "You're really rather amusing, but… I think I had enough of your interference for today." With this, he tossed the raven-haired boy back at Killua as a distraction, while shifting himself behind the teenager. With the side of his hand, he placed a blow against the back of Killua's neck, sending him into unconsciousness.

The silver-haired boy fell limp into Gon's arms, and was placed gently against a nearby surface. Gon turned to glare at the offender. "I said that's enough!!" he exclaimed. "I don't know why you two are fighting over me. I'm a friend to you both! And the only way you guys really hurt me is when you fight each other!" he sighed. "Sorry we didn't finish the game, Hisoka. But I think it's better if Killua and I get back home now." He said, slipping back into his clothes and then heaving his unconscious friend onto his back.

"Thanks for stopping by." Hisoka replied instinctively.

Once the last of his guests had departed, Hisoka threw himself on the couch, releasing a deep breath. "Well… that was entertaining." He spoke to thin air.

"Indeed." A reply echoed from the walls around him.

Startled, Hisoka jumped up, only to come face to face with none other than his assassin friend, looking down on him from behind the couch.

"Illumi?" he shrieked, voice rising into the soprano tones. "Why do you keep doing that?" he wailed like a bullied child.

The raven-haired assassin's expression somewhat resembled a smirk when he replied "Because it's fun." When Hisoka's frown hadn't uplifted, he went straight for the punch line. "Just kidding."

Now it was Hisoka's turn to smirk. "Of course you were. You impostor. And I was just dramatising." He replied with mirth, which disappeared when he realised that his friend was soaking wet.

"Oh gosh Illumi! What happened to you? You're practically dripping!" he asked with innocent concern in his voice.

"This is what happened." The raven-haired man stated matter-of-factly as he pulled back the curtains behind him with one swift movement, revealing the heavily pouring rain outside.

"I see." Hisoka nodded. "In that case, I'll go get you a dry towel and you can tell me the reasons why you've come back to me."

By far, this was the most exuberant Valentines Day of his life. Love was definitely in the air tonight.

"Actually I came to rescue little brother from his own foolishness…"

Okay, so maybe love was in his head tonight. Nonetheless, all this interaction provided Hisoka with a sense of excitement, and contributed towards the fulfilment of his inner hunger. Although the more excitement he devoured, the more of it he desired. But he couldn't help himself. Whimsically desiring… this is the only way he knew how to live.

Hisoka practically skipped his way back into the room, handing his soaking guest a soft white Kashmir towel. Illumi scooted along to accommodate his redheaded companion on the couch, began drying his long silky hair, and continued with his story.

"It's my family duty to look after the Zoldyck heir. But then you took care of him just right."

"Well, thank you."

"He's getting strong, albeit still a little neurotic. Father thinks if we let him roam free for a while he'll eventually surpass his doubts and emotions, and come to realise for himself where he really belongs."

"Is that so. But don't you think that for some people 'home' is next to their loved one?" he nudged the assassin.

Noting and then disregarding Hisoka's attempts to flirt, Illumi rolled his eyes and replied, "Don't tell me you believe in that sentimental mumbo-jumbo?"

"Tsktsktsk." Hisoka clacked his tongue. "Maybe you say so because you haven't found that other home yet, naa?" came the thought-provoking question, which reminded the magician of plans he had made earlier that day. He resolved to uncover at least one desire in his impartial friend until the day's end.

Having done drying his hair, Illumi now preceded to rub the length of his arms as far as his clothes allowed.

"Take them off." Hisoka ordered.

Illumi stopped and lifted a brow at the older man. "You're really into stripping others, aren't you?"

Hisoka laughed, convulsively, at the sarcastic jab. "I'm not asking you to strip for me. If you wear this any longer, you'll catch a cold." He replied innocently, tugging at Illumi's sleeve. "Don't be ridiculous. Assassins are immune to such—"

Hisoka cut Illumi's retort short by covering the young man's mouth with the palm of his hand. "Nonsense. Look, you're shivering!" He then removed the hand and tenderly wrapped the towel around the other's shoulders.

"Oh, thank you." He replied so politely that it sounded forged. "I'll go take a hot shower then, if you don't mind."

With a sigh, Hisoka resigned and backed his hands away so Illumi could stand.

"Go ahead. Ask me if you need anything."

"Sure."

Hisoka noticed something long ago about the dynamics of his relationship with Illumi. Hisoka seemed to take on a different personality when around the man: similar to that of a naughty little boy masquerading as an angel. And Illumi was like the parent or sibling who saw right through him and exacted him with discipline: one completely responsible, the other entirely nihilistic, both murderous. It was the lethal combination of raging fire and freezing ice. Each fascinated by the properties of the foreign power and yet finding they have so much in common.

However, much to Hisoka's disgruntlement, no matter how long the two of them associated with each other, their relationship never progressed beyond these subtle mind games. And no matter how hard they tried, they could not catch the other out. But tonight, Hisoka wouldn't stop. Wouldn't stop until he got to the depth of Illumi's mind and soul.

Clouds of steam oozed their way into the living room as the bathroom door yielded. A slim shadow manifested, walking towards the seated man.

"Tell me something. Why are you so damn beautiful?" Hisoka questioned, blatantly ogling at the figure that just appeared before him. With only a towel to cover him, the assassin's athletic yet slender legs and shoulders were for the first time exposed to the magician's eyes.

Illumi put a hand to his chin, in a contemplative manner. "Hmm…Maybe I'm a siren?"

The magician's grin widened, indicating to Illumi that his words had their intended effect.

"Let me be your devoted sailor, then." The man played along, as expected.

"Sure. You can start by bringing me some clothes."

"Damn you. Always taking advantage of me." Hisoka sulked.

"Does that bother you?"

"No." Hisoka changed face again. "I'm impressed."

"Thank you."

"But then again, two can play it that game."

"What are you plotting this time, Hiso?"

"Nothing horrible, Illu. Just play a little game with me. Then I'll let you cover up that beauty of yours."

"Ten minutes ago you said you didn't want me to catch a cold."

"Ahh quit it with that logic already. The past is past, and now is now, okay? Now do we have a deal here or not?"

The longhaired man narrowed his eyes. "What kind of game?"

"Truth or Dare blackjack."

---

--Meanwhile--

He eyed the clock hand with such disgust; one would think it was his worst enemy. With one hand tapping the table in annoyance, and the other pressing the receiver of his cell phone tightly against his ear, Leorio waited again and again for someone to pick up on the other end, but to no avail.

Although he appeared calm when he spoke to Killua this evening, he was actually hiding the fact that he was completely and utterly stressed out. Not only did he have Gon to worry about, but he also had to prepare for his rapidly approaching medical exams. But that was only touching the surface. What really gnawed away at the young man was his pining for a certain friend.

"If only I could at least hear his voice" Leorio sighed. He didn't want to think of the reasons why; he only knew that this is what he needed. And stuff his exams, it WAS Valentine's Day for Christ's sake! And the one person he really wanted to speak with right now wasn't picking up the phone.

He's been calling Kurapika all day, pressing the re-dial button until it demonstratively caved in. Any attempts to concentrate on his studies have proven futile. To his embarrassment, Leorio found himself drifting away and idly sketching the face of his blonde friend. Such notes, of course, had to be chucked into the fire so that no one could ever pry on his shameful obsession. Some of the faces, however, looked so adorable he just didn't have the heart to toss them into the destructive flames. Albeit aware he was being illogical, he couldn't help but feel like these Kurapika faces carried his friend's soul, and thus must unquestionably be treasured.

Eleven Forty-five.

Come on, Kurapika. Pick up, please. Don't make it look like you don't care. Sure you do, right?

He unwrapped one of the chocolate covered gooey candies and chewed on it, smiling as he remembered that at least one of his friends is thinking of him.

---

In the room across, a young boy blinked heavily as he started to regain his consciousness. Everything was still a blur, but he recognised the boy beside him, smiling. "Gon… Where-?"

"We're home, Killua." His friend replied heartily. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Me too…" Killua echoed. "I mean, I'm glad that you're safe." He rubbed his head, trying to regain his senses.

"Of course I am. Hisoka didn't do anything bad to me, really! So don't worry, 'kay?" Gon comforted him, before leaning over to give him a gentle hug.

Killua closed his eyes and rested his head on Gon's chest, the steady beat of his friend's heart soothing him, and the strong arms around him making him forget all his troubles.

"I have something for you" Gon whispered, drawing Killua out of the quickly advancing sleep he had almost fallen into.

"Really?" he yawned.

"Come on, let's go outside, you'll feel more awake." The black-haired boy extended his hand, which the other took, and was lifted up, so that they both stood by the window. Gon then climbed onto the windowsill, reached for the roof above, and pushed himself up. Killua followed.

It was a beautiful night. Although the stars were slightly covered by the fog that was the city's fuel emissions, they were still just as endearing. The moon was round and yellow, effusing a warm glow. The air was fresh and moist, carrying a delicious scent of rain.

But true beauty, Killua thought, lay in the fact that he was finally home, alone with Gon, on the most romantic night of the year. And what's more, there was some kind of surprise awaiting him.

"So," Killua rubbed his feet together in anticipation "what was that 'something' you wanted to give me?"

"Oh that!" Gon exclaimed, having momentarily forgotten. "Well, it's Valentines Day today, right?" he started.

"Right…" Killua replied casually, trying hard to restrain his excitement from seeping into his voice.

"Well, I want to give you something special, to let you know that I like you."

Killua's heart skipped a beat. "R-really?"

"Yup. Just close your eyes."

The silver haired teen's brain raced with possibilities of what Gon could do to him now. Something that let him know that Gon liked him, something that required him to close his eyes… he couldn't help but think of that.

"Now open your mouth"

Another beat skipped. "G-Gon, What are you planning?" the boy stammered.

"I think you'll like it." Gon announced proudly. "It's a kiss."

The beating stopped. "G- A...A WHAT?!" Killua gagged.

"Just relax" Gon reassured him, but Killua's heart now raced like mad.

A couple of moments later, he felt something soft and warm touch his lips and slip into his mouth. His taste buds immediately responded to the familiar flavour. "Chocolate??!!!"

Killua lifted his eyelids now and stared dumbfounded at Gon, whom was holding in his hand a packet of Hershey's chocolate kisses, and laughing delightfully at having succeeded in surprising his friend.

Feeling like he'd been ridiculed, Killua launched himself at Gon, with an arsenal of shakes, strangles and tickles.

Gon winced and whimpered under the ex-assassin's death grip. "Didn't you like your gift?" he wept.

"Next time, give me a proper kiss!" Killua slipped.

Gon just shrugged, perplexed as to what his blue-eyed friend meant by a 'proper kiss'.

The tower bells chimed, notifying that it was now twelve a.m., the start of a new day.

Surely, the two of them ended the day fighting, but they now laying next to each other, once again at peace.

"Sankyuu, na." "…For the chocolate. It was very sweet."

"You're welcome. Want more?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

The two burst into fits of laughter that continued until the two tired themselves out and fell asleep on the roof, snuggled in each other's arms.

--THE END--

OMGGG this ended with fluff!! Hahahaha. Honestly, the fic just writes itself!

So did you enjoy it? Which part(s) did you like? How was the fight? (my first time illustrating a fight scene!) To those who wanted HisoIllu, are you happy? How about fans of other pairings:3 Any thoughts or comments at all? All kind of feedback is welcome… with open arms! Lol.

Please support this late starter of a writer. XO XD

I need to know whether my endeavours are useful! XP

Bottom line being: should I write more:D

Some Japanese vocabulary you may find useful for this chapter:

Kyaa –squealing sound

Baka – idiot; fool.

Narukami – Lightning Bolt. Killua's houshitsu ability that transforms his nen into bolts of lightning, emitted through his hands.

Izutsushi – Lightning Palms. Killua's second houshitsu ability. He can electrocute his opponent by touching them with his palms.

Gyou – The concentration of aura (vital energy) in one part of the body. It is frequently used on the eyes, allowing the user to see the hidden auras of others.

Na(a) – isn't it? Right?

Sankyuu – Thank you (Killua's preferred way of saying this)

Chapter Notes:

1.Remember how Hisoka was candidate no.44 during the Hunter exam? Well, imagine the unpleasant memories other candidates would experience upon discovering that he lives in an apartment of the same number? (For those who don't know, 4 is an unlucky number in many Asian countries, including Japan.)

2.Ailong is a town I invented for the purpose of this fanfiction. I assume that Togashi-sensei meant New York when he talked about 'Yorkshin' ('shin' means new). Since I needed a town within close proximity of YorkShin, I googled 'towns near New York' and came across a city called Long Island city (Its' population is under 40,000 people, so I thought it'd be rather serene in comparison with the capital). I took the first sound of 'island' – 'ai' and then combined it with 'long', thus 'Ailong'. I'm not from the States and have never been there, so my apologies if the description of 'Ailong' is very different from what you would normally find in that city. The incentives behind choosing this particular city will become more apparent in later chapters. )

3. I have adopted the 'kisses' idea from a doujinshi I've recently discovered on DA. It was such a perfect fit for this fic that I just couldn't resist. I've reassembled it a little to adapt it to what and how I wanted to illustrate it, so I don't think I've plagiarised.

It's a very beautifully made doujinshi, too! Please check it out there. I can't seem to paste links here, so I'll just have to do it this way:

Kikane - Deviant Art.

4. The reason why some characters may sound a little OOC is simple. Love makes even the most poised of people crazy and sensitive. ) Am I wrong?

Other than gushing over some yummy HxH pairings, and showing how everyone spends their Valentines, the objective of the fic was to differentiate Hisoka's and Killua's character and incentives. I hope I succeeded in making this distinction.

Hisoka still wants to engage in bloody battles, play with his toys, to possess and control. (Although we also see the softer side of him.)

As for Killua, let me present you with a synopsis of his feelings for Gon, written at the top of my head:

You brought me out of the misery and hell that was my life. You helped me escape and become a free person. I'm indebted to you, Gon. But more than that, I admire you and enjoy spending time with you. There's no one else who could possibly bring me so much joy or understand me as much as you do. It's hard to put it in words, Gon. All I know is… I want it always to be like this. To be with you, close to you, next to you. Forever. (Sounds so married --)

KiruGon is doomed to fluff. They're just too young to be lovers, for now. :D

5. Poor dear Leorio. Seems like he got a rather unhappy ending there, despite the little cheering up from Gon. No worries, his time to shine is yet to come! D

6. Please don't kill me for not having written HisoIllu yaoi. I would write it, but it felt like too much for this chapter and this fic. The cliffhanger seemed to work much better. Plus, I had to work within the timeframe of one day. I'll make an extra chapter for their little game though. (I hope you still enjoyed the chapter! I personally thought it had its' hot moments.) Else, you could tell me what you like, be specific, and I'll do my best to accommodate your wishes.

7. This fic probably felt a bit out of season for most of you, who are living in the Northern Hemisphere. I live in New Zealand, located in the South. It's the middle of winter here. We don't get snow, but it rains an awful lot. And right now it's freezing…brrr Xo Since in this fic our Hunters are located in the States, I portrayed February as the cold, winter month. 3