"BOO!"

"AH!" I threw my hands up in the air with a mock scared expression on my face as Manny and Amy jumped out of the closet as I walked past. They were both already dressed for the haunted mansion that would be beginning in an hour, it would start as soon as the sky was dark.

Manny was dressed in a tattered tux with his face painted to resemble a rotting corpse. We had even rolled the tux in the dirt so it looked like a freshly unearthed zombie. I was happy that I had been able to replicate a deep cut on the side of his neck, so that if he tilted his head sideways he looked partially decapitated. That would look so awesome!

Amy was wearing a ball gown with the same "adjustments" as well as rotting corpse face paint. Only around her neck was a noose. The extra rope we had stuck a straightened wire hanger into so it stood upright (she was a walking hanging victim hahaha).

"Oh my god you two!" I pretended to scold, placing a hand against my heart as if it was pounding. "No heart attacks on me tonight, save that fright for the guests."

"Okay onee-san!" They chorused and went scampering off down the hallway. I continued on to the living room to hang the spider decoration lights, they would flash multicolored just like the pumpkin ones I had already hung around the front door. The kids who were trick-or-treating would come to the door, while the older kids and some adults would go through the haunted house. I had placed flyers in mailboxes all last night, so I was sure we would have quite a few visitors.

I stepped onto the step ladder, stretching up to reach the top of the window where we had hammered in nails last year when we bought the lights. My tongue was hanging out of the side of my mouth as I reached up, my shirt riding up to show off my stomach. Being average height sucks! Why couldn't've Jason come back this year? He was tall enough to hang these. He had been tall enough to put the nails in.

I wonder what he's doing right now? Isn't his wife Emily supposed to be pregnant too? Maybe he stayed home this year to be with her. They do make a cute couple. I wouldn't mind seeing Emily again, that girl knew how to cook an apple pie that could make even the devil grovel on the floor for another piece.

I reached higher, still trying to hook the lights onto the nail. I leaned further to my left, standing up on tippy toes. I just needed another inch!

The ladder was beginning to tip, but I continued to try for that same nail. I wasn't giving up. I was almost there!

"Come on you frickin' mother f-ing lights." I muttered, getting slowly closer every second. I was just about to hook it completely when the ladder had had enough and began to topple over. I was so focused on my goal that my reflexes were slow. I was falling sideways.

Before I could twist my body to land I felt arms grab hold of me and I was being held bridal style in someone's arms. I leaned my head back and saw long black hair.

"Illu!" I shouted and reached my hands around his neck in a hug. He was here! He had caught me!

Illumi didn't say anything due to the shock of Haruka hugging him, again. The assassin was unfamiliar with such actions, but the girl saw no problem with physical contact. She released him and squirmed to get down, Illumi dropped his hand so her feet touched the floor before stepping away, simply blinking with his large black eyes.

"I'm so glad you're here! You're just in time! Since you're taller, albeit by only a couple inches, you can hang these lights for me. Here." She handed me the string of lights she had previously tried to hang and dashed off. I blinked once and looked from my hand to the doorway to the window. There wasn't a way I could argue so I simply straightened the ladder and started to hang the lights around the window frame.

I fled down the hallway, face flaming red. How had Zoldyck boy shown up? I hadn't heard the doorbell, or a knock. Mimi was outside, had she simply told him to come in? I was so going to kill her. I skidded to a stop as I flew into the kitchen where Bekah was helping Seiji and Miki to carve the last jack-o-lantern we needed for the porch.

I grabbed her collar and yanked her backwards out of the room telling the siblings,

"I'm borrowing Bekah-nee-san for a minute." I only dragged her out into the hallway, there wasn't any place in the house that was really private so I kept my voice to a whisper (praying Illumi didn't have supersonic hearing). "Cutie in the living room, you gotta come see him."

Bekah's eyes lighted up at the mention of "cutie", she had been the one to inspire my taste in men after all. Any guy I brought home she hadn't liked she (literally) kicked his ass straight out the front door and told them if they stood ten feet near me she'd cut off a certain appendage they would rather keep. So I knew when she saw Zoldyck boy she would instantly like him. But I would have to remind her to keep her hands to herself.

"OMG!" Bekah gushed, trying to keep her voice from carrying as she saw Illumi's back, and even that was adorable. His hair was hanging straight to his ass, with a forest green hoodie, sleeves pushed up to his elbows, over a pair of blue jeans. He looked scrumptious.

"You'll never guess who he is either!" I whispered, trying to hold in my giggle.

"Who? Tell me!"

I slid my eyes back to Illumi's figure as he fluidly hung the lights. Man was Zoldyck boy perfect! He didn't seem to lack anything. Usually those types of people irritated me, but with Zoldyck boy he didn't boast, he didn't even have an ego. He was just… silent and reserved. It was the complete opposite to how I can be loud and outspoken. Which is ten times worse when I'm drunk… How would Illumi act if he was drunk?

Could the Zoldyck family even get drunk? I was soooo going to have to find out one day.

"Haru! Spit it out! Who's the eye candy?" Bekah was poking my shoulder, like we used to do to glean information out of each other. I smiled… okay, I smirked.

"Zoldyck." Bekah's hands flew to her mouth to stifle a gasp. "Illumi Zoldyck, the eldest son of the assassin family. Can you believe it?!"

"No shit? That's really Illumi?" The woman Haruka had called Bekah was baffled. They were huddling on the other side of the doorway, ducking behind the wall every time I looked over. I could still hear them though, and it was taking a lot of will power not to simply fade away and go back home. I was regretting this promise already.

"Uh-huh. He's promised to help with the haunted mansion too."

"Damn girl, how'd you managed it?" The voices were beginning to muffle as they moved farther back into the house. I continued to hang the lights.

XXX

A/N: Yeah, this chapter is stopping here simply because I don't know how to continue it. I'm basically half asleep right now so if this chapter feels random from Haruka's POV – gomen. Excuse: Just returned from a weekend vacation where total hours of sleep equal maybe 6? I also had a few drinks yesterday (when I started writing this chapter). So, yeah.

Haruka: Ria. Sleep. Now.

A/N: But I don't wanna… *whines*

Haruka: No more sugar for you.

A/N: Sugar? *perks up*

Hisoka: I've got some candy Ria-chan.

A/N: STRANGER DANGER!

Haruka: *doubles over laughing*

Hisoka: Ria~chan, play nice kitty.

A/N: Bite me clown.

Pstscrpt: Seriously, sorry for stopping my updates for a while. Life is… For everyone who doesn't know I wrote a one shot featuring Bekah and Hisoka called Bekah's Fight. The only review on that is from Razorblade Mistress (who seems to like all my fics for reasons beyond my understanding ^,^). So if you all want to make me super happy (which equals faster updates) dropping reviews on that story and/or this one would be AWESOME!

Sincerely,

Review Junkie Ria