The long, exaggerated shadows that the pinks and lavenders of sunset so willingly cast across the Volcanic Islands had since swallowed the flora and fauna below in a swirl of dusk. The quarter moon, though its emission of light seemed fleeting, was enough to make the world outside of Haku's residence appear four or five shades lighter than the contrast of sheer darkness within the shelter. This was easily discernible when glancing out through the gaping hole where the living room door had not yet been repaired, and it was here that Illumi (still disguised as Yuto Fukui) had been granted to sleep… surrounded by the majority of the other remaining group members.

It seemed that Haku was not one to often accept company at his home, for there were only two bedrooms; one that was still hopelessly cluttered from his previous avalanche of devices. Apparently he was a gentleman of sorts however, since he had been all too quick to suggest that Misaki, as the only girl, should be able to take rest in private. Of course she had agreed, and of course Illumi found this very fortunate.

Rising on to silent feet, he easily passed a snoring Haku and a peacefully dreaming Gon, whose eyelids were twitching in the shadows to indicate his REM cycle at work. He had made it to the opening of the small hallway just beyond, when a voice pierced through the general silence.

"Going somewhere?"

He turned to face the voice, which he immediately recognized as his younger brother's. Killua was leaning, aloof, against the opposite side of the hallway wall. His eyes were striking in the dark, even while his arms were folded in a loose and bored appearance over his chest.

Illumi's first thought had been that perhaps Killua had recently exited Misaki's quarters (which was a worrying notion to him on its own whether it was fact or fiction), though he dismissed the idea. No, he would have heard the door… but that meant that the only other option was…

…Had Killua really been standing here all night, waiting for him to make a move?

The younger boy narrowed his eyes further, and then gestured with a nod back the way Illumi had come.

"I'm pretty sure your bed is over there," he added firmly. "…Unless there was some other reason you would want to be coming this way?"

This was no good at all. Illumi had taught Killua to be a great assassin, not a pitiful, self-hired "bodyguard" to some girl that should not even matter. She didn't matter… and yet here he was, face to proxy-face with the heir to his family name and almost being interrogated. Admittedly he may have at least found the boy's overwhelming suspicion worth of acknowledgement if it was not currently being used to his own disadvantage.

"Misaki…" Illumi said to his brother in his slightly pitch-altered 'Yuto' voice, "You like this girl, do you?"

"What's it to you?"

"It's obvious."

Killua turned his gaze downcast for a moment.

"What do you want with her, anyway?" the blue eyed boy asked indignantly.

"It's none of your concern."

"It is if you're sneaking in to her room in the middle of the night!" Killua snapped louder than necessary.

Haku's snore caught mid-way in the living room, though he turned over and continued sleeping.

"She might want me to do that."

"Not likely," Killua snorted.

"Is that so?"

"She seemed pretty annoyed by your sad little attempt back in the forest," the boy replied with a wicked grin.

"Did that please you, to see that?"

"It doesn't even matter. The point is she doesn't like you."

"You don't believe that, though."

Turning his glare icier, Killua argued, "I do."

"If that were true," he explained, placing his hand on his sibling's shoulder , "you wouldn't have felt the need to try and stop us… then and now."

Killua squirmed slightly under his grasp, and the scent of fear wafted distinctly through the air. Fear for the strangely threatened and dominated sensation that the boy felt while being touched by this "stranger". Fear for the words that were spoken, and were possibly true. Fear for the upperhand that his competition, who was now not simply some empty shell of a man with no real attributes to convince Killua to see him as both human and real, was rapidly gaining.

Another win.

Illumi turned toward the living room.

"Good night, Kil'," 'Yuto' called back to the boy when he was satisfied that his words had efficiently possessed the boy's mind and caused his confidence in Misaki's relationship with him, however innocent or explicit it might have been, to falter.

"You certainly have been working a lot lately," Misaki's voice greeted the eldest Zoldyck sibling as he swung his leg over the window sill from outside. "Have you forgotten that you can use the door here?"

Illumi opted to simply ignore her joke, and instead regained focus on Killua's reactions in the hallway. Misaki could not know that he was protecting her, at least under his own adolescent definition of such. She had probably, he knew, found herself attached to her victim, and so reasonably she could become persuaded by Killua, too…

He shrugged, though as his eyes met the girl he understood that it had been a wasted effort, as her own glance was cast between the pages of a book. In spite of this, she had already stripped down to her underwear from upon the mattress, a mismatching navy blue bra and pale grey panties. Her back was propped up against an almost humorously tall tower of pillows, and her hair was released from its usual ponytail and instead hung in thick, deep purple strands to her collarbone. She licked her lips absentmindedly as she turned the page.

"You were waiting for me?" he asked, perhaps more to ensure that it was indeed for him she had been waiting.

"Shh."

Her eyes continued to scan the inked sentences.

"You spoke to me first."

"Yes, and you ignored me," she replied as though she were not particularly interested in her own words, still reading. "I only have three pages left to finish this chapter, so keep your shirt on." A half smile formed on her lips, and she added, "…Or, you know… don't keep it on… Either way I'll be right with you."

Illumi seated himself on the side of the single bed, peering over to ensure that the curtains were closed before rolling down the shirt collar and removing handfuls of pins from his neck, setting them on the night table afterwards. He supposed it did not matter too much whether or not he left them in, but there was something terribly exciting in the thought that Killua wanted this girl so badly, and meanwhile he could simply waltz right in- his brother, his trainer- and have her himself. He could have her how ever he pleased, and in ways that Killua could not even begin to imagine…

In a single, swift motion, Illumi peeled both the shirt and the vest from his limbs, and then immediately got to work on the pants.

"Are you fini-?"

"Almost."

His fingers brushed her hair away from her neck, replacing it with his mouth. Misaki tried to ignore him, but he was pleased to see her failing as a wavering breath escaped her.

"One more page…" she begged, in truth that was exactly how he translated her tone.

Begging.

It was too tempting now… He could own her now if he liked… She was begging for his approval, and maybe she would not even be capable of denying any request he made. He certainly hoped that was the case, and if not…

"Please, Illumi…"

"No. Now."

…If not, he could find a way…

"Just one more…"

"No…"

…a way to really claim her…

"…Now."

…to teach Killua a much deserved lesson.

A/N: I just wanted to take another opportunity to thank everyone for the encouraging reviews! It means a lot to me!