The dress was so airy on her body that Soleil thought for a moment that she was standing completely naked on the side of the road. Only the high, dark blue shoes on her feet reminded her that all this was nothing more than imagination. Her hair adorned with a golden feather and her figure hidden behind a floor-length, dark dress decorated with gold stitching, she probably had something of an elf, as Hell had once said. The make-up had made her eyes more intense and the dark blue lipstick was almost too much. At least in her world.

The nobility loved things that stood out.

The lights of the hotel rooms, whose windows faced the street, seemed to reach down to the floor, bathing the world in dim light next to the street lamps. Colours appeared more sombre than they were and shadows adorned the faces of people going about their business. Machi's features weren't excluded from this at any moment. Her pretty, narrow face was graced by darkness and the glimmer on her lips followed the brake lights of the cars.

She looked more discreet, completely different from Soleil. She had tied her wild cherry blossom mane into an equally wild knot and the loose strands that framed her face along with her fringe stood out a little. Her dress was simple, with no elaborate patterns, in pure white that fell to just above her knees. Her neckline was covered, while Soleil had chosen something that allowed a deep peek behind loose, gathered fabric.

Presumably they seemed like night and day on this roadside and Soleil couldn't deny that she held the desire of the night tightly, while Machi embodied the innocence of the day. Mismatched and yet suited for each other. All while they exchanged not a single word.

Silently, Soleil followed the scattered cars that passed them. It was a miserably drawn-out sight before a limousine stopped right in front of them. The perfect vehicle for invited guests of the upper classes. They both watched as the driver got out and opened the rear door for them, giving them a view of two men in suits.

Only slowly did Soleil push her way inside to find a seat straight next to Chrollo, whose eyes scrutinised her briefly. Machi followed and settled next to Shalnark.

It was only when the door fell back into the lock and renewed silence broke out that Soleil's senses wandered through the atmosphere. Shalnark had explained it as an afterthought; the men would watch the party at a regular distance and gather some information that required a certain charm. Chrollo was the first choice in this sense, and Shalnark seemed trustworthy enough to dominate the second place. He was probably the one a few of the guests would confide in without asking. It was a simple scheme, a game they played to cause chaos. Nothing she did every day and yet not an occasion that made Soleil's heart leap. It was just a party. Just like the last time. The only difference was that the payment was different, and that thought alone made her glance at Chrollo.

His attention was on the outside world, and yet he noticed her in the same breath. Soleil couldn't look away nearly as quickly as he set his sights on her. Only for a fleeting moment before he gave her a gentle smile. She swallowed. Clenching her hands into fists on her lap, she tried to return his gesture, but pressed her lips together tighter instead. Then she held her breath, swallowed the rush in her chest that thundered against her ribs in protest, and looked the other way.

Somewhere in between, Shalnark spoke up. His sentences chased past her, barely perceptible, and yet Soleil picked up a few terms. It was about the prince. About some recently obtained information. Murmurs in the background. Soleil couldn't follow. Everything Shalnark was saying disappeared somewhere behind a front of daydreams that lured her into no-man's-land. Behind it, the spellbinding thought that she wanted to get closer to Chrollo.

His smell of mint reminded her of the first dance she had had with him. His unmistakable scent that attracted her and made her want to bury her nose deep in the crook of his neck so that she wouldn't have to think about anything else. Perhaps then he would place his hands on her back and press her tightly against him so that the warmth of his body could become a part of her, too. An exciting, fascinating closeness that only he seemed to possess. Soleil wanted to settle in his arms, find space on his lap, and come as close to his lips as she had on the first mission. Perhaps she demanded even more. His tongue, his body, his voice, just everything of him should be within reach – hers for a moment. Only while no one was looking.

"Soleil!" Shalnark's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and made her hastily glance at the blond.

"Huh?" Brows raised, she waited for him to repeat his words until she noticed Machi was missing and an icy breeze rushed inside like a traitor. They had already arrived.

"You need to concentrate," he warned her.

"Sorry. Car rides are... They give you time to think," she returned before giving him a smile and separating from Chrollo's side. Pulling the fluffy scarf tighter around her shoulders, she faced the cold.

Finally, alone with Machi, the limousine pulled away with the men, dispelling Chrollo's scent and clearing Soleil's senses. Her companion took the lead, leaving Soleil only to follow. Machi's purposeful, quick steps brought her to the entrance within a few breaths, where she handed the invitations to one of two doormen and waited to be let in.

The man's eyes skimmed the details on the two letters before he nodded and gestured for them to enter – straight into a garden that exceeded the size of a football field. Lights provided soft illumination in every corner and, although it was cold, the entrance to the party seemed warm. People bustled around every corner and someone was praising the heater under the flagstones of the pavement. Soleil listened to them, overheard other conversations, saw the masks and turned to Machi in the same breath. The latter was already holding out one of two gold masks to her, which Soleil took with a nod. She lifted the disguise by the handle, covered her face, and continued to look around silently.

The atmosphere had little in common with a party. Everything had the air of stuffy and the appetisers found on a long table in the middle of the event were reminiscent of the displays at a ball or a wedding ceremony.

"Where do we start?" Finally, Soleil broke the silence between her and Machi.

"We should walk the edges. That way we'll have the centre in view." She didn't even look at Soleil, and yet she answered with such caution and clarity that it didn't seem dismissive at all.

Still, Soleil couldn't bring herself to say more. Instead, she grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing server and took a sip before moving – along with Machi slowly along the edge. The ambling steps that brought them forward took two glasses of alcohol before Soleil thought she spotted the boy at the edge on the opposite side. Momentarily, she stopped before gesturing to Machi with a nod of her head that they didn't need to look any further.

The boy had settled into an oversized upholstered chair, armed with a glass and the bored look of a teenager. He was no older than sixteen, trapped in a boring garden party, and not keen on hiding his unpleasant face behind a mask. He simply watched the colourful hustle and bustle of the crowd.

"We approach slowly." Machi's instruction was nothing more than the most obvious statement they had to comply with from scratch. To address the boy in those breaths would make them suspicious. Instead, it was a matter of hiding and blending in with the crowd.

So Soleil emptied her drink, set the empty glass down on the nearest table and pushed her way onto the dance floor. The slow, boring music suited cuddling well, but not what she knew.

With a few graceful turns that gently lifted the dress, she made most of the couples stop. Shortly after, the music followed and amidst the silence, Soleil just kept spinning – head craned back and eyes fixed on the sky. The stars only brushed against her briefly. There was no point in losing herself in them.

Eventually, the instruments started up again and luckily for her, it was a faster tune that everyone could use to dance their best moves. Soleil joined them, just watching Machi and the boy. Her companion merely bobbed along, and the boy remained disinterested in the scene. Once again, Soleil spun with momentum, pushing past two old gentlemen and catching a server from whom she took a second glass of champagne. She downed the contents in a few gulps, had a third glass follow, and only then went back into the crowd.

Heat combined with cold, in some corners the oxygen was barely enough and when she once swayed to the side to avoid a woman, she bumped into a man. The quick apology on her lips soon dissipated before she gained distance and relieved another server of a glass of champagne.

Dancing footsteps sent her gliding through the crowd like water, bumping into someone again and again until a collision seemed so violent that Soleil staggered back several steps, away from the crowd, straight towards the boy. With difficulty, she came to a halt in front of him and still spilt some of the alcohol on his trousers, so that the shock awoke his senses and his horror moved to her.

It was the moment she had expected. The tiny calculation that had played perfectly into her hands so that she could lean forward towards him, the cleavage right at his eye level.

"I'm sorry ... mister?" She put on a wry smile. "I didn't mean to."

His brown eyes widened, almost as if he hadn't expected to be spoken to at all. Still, he couldn't bring himself to make a sound, instead he just waved it off. Soleil took it as a sign to settle down beside him. The other guests continued to indulge in the fun of dancing. Watching them do it seemed like a distant spectacle from an awful movie.

"It's hard to say it would be easy to bring life into a society like this," she sighed softly a moment later, only to catch the boy's gaze again. His hooked nose distracted from his raised brows and his brown hair shone greasily under the light.

"Maybe," he managed then, his voice flowing like honey. "But they think it's fun, so I let them."

"You enjoy looking at them like dolls in your hand?" Soleil gambled on a hint of amusement as she tried to locate Machi. But to make matters worse, her partner was caught in a dance with two women.

"Maybe," he said again. "Smart people know their place."

"And they know how to enjoy an evening like this by just watching, because all of this came about because of their power," Soleil added. "You are a clever young man."

His eyes, comparable to the gaze of a dead fish, pierced her. "Does a wench even know about such things?"

Idiot, it flashed through her mind – the smile unbroken. "Not as much as a man knows about it, but enough to recognise when someone like that belongs to the elite."

"So you're not half as blind as the others." He nodded curtly. "It's just too bad you're the unattractive sort of woman, or I might have asked you to dinner."

She held her breath. No part of her had thrown on a beautiful dress that her breasts almost didn't fit into, thanks to push-up, to be passively labelled ugly by a sixteen-year-old, unkempt rat. Sure, she was far from a fashion cover, but dancing had treated her body well and her face didn't crack mirrors, after all.

Lips pressed together, Soleil swallowed any venomous retort before struggling to form a few words. "That's a shame. Yet I chose this dress to catch a compliment."

"The dress is beautiful," he returned. "But I think it would look nicer if you... I don't know..." He lifted his hands to wave around in front of the chest area. "If you just weren't so fat here."

"F..." She ran out of breath before she could get a full word out. She opened and closed her mouth. It was the first time a person of the opposite sex had degraded her breasts as fat – which wasn't exactly wrong – and one look at her cleavage made the puffy D her worst enemy all at once. She wouldn't be able to seduce this boy in this way and that would be the end of the date with Chrollo.

"And what is attractive to you then?" Defeated, she turned back to him.

"The woman you came with," was his banal reply. "She looks like a beautiful doll. A doll and a prince. I'm sure she would be fascinated by me."

Machi. Machi, of all people, was his type of woman. Even if the outcome was more important, the chances of her reward were dwindling with every passing breath. The heat in her head was throbbing by now and her body was falling into a strange coldness.

"That's Machi," Soleil put in at last. Nausea turned her stomach before she burped silently, tasting champagne. "You don't stand a chance there. She hates nobility and is only here because I made her. To her, a prince is just another something she'd be happy to turn her back on."

"Then she would definitely adore me!" The sudden gleam in his tuna eyes made Soleil slide back a few inches in her chair. "I don't like the nobility either. They're all so ... simple."

"And you don't think simple is enough?"

"No." He shook his head slightly, the grin on his thin lips looking haunting. "I see it in my family. If there is trouble, assassins are ordered to take care of the problem. Policemen are bribed, there are no punishments, and everyone puts their feet up because the leftovers have been thrown to the pigs and no one can get their hands on all the money we hoard. Not least because we are spreading it all over the place and we think that the last illegal deal to send a few workers to their deaths was really intelligent." All at once, a sigh came over him. "I think further than that because I am smarter. Everyone can see behind this stupid facade of the rich and it's just pathetic. That's exactly why I think I'm the perfect man for this Machi. Not faithful, but perfect."

All his words were like a torrent of information that was known. The usual. It made him no less valuable, but certainly no wiser than all those who had come to wealth and power with their schemes.

Inwardly, Soleil was left with only a brief shake of her head before Machi arrived at and tugged her fringe into place. Circumstances grew a little tighter with each passing moment, and simultaneously increasingly opposed to the date Soleil could have had. Finally, it burst for good when the young prince shifted a little in his seat.

"I see beautiful women have also been invited," he began helplessly as Machi's gaze slowly drifted in his direction. "Your eyes remind me of those of my cat Twinx."

He had probably never communicated with a female before to find such a worthless comparison. Still, he looked at her with bright eyes, winking at Machi just in the nick of time before she turned to Soleil. The look on her face spoke volumes. The circumstances weren't what was expected and everything she had been counting on was just drowning in bad pick-up lines, of which her target produced two more. Not only did he find Machi's dress indescribably milky, but her face was definitely worthy of a doll found in his grandma's attic. Everything he said had more of an insult than a compliment.

"We should be going. It's been two hours already." Machi didn't even engage with his flattery. Soleil, however, raised her brows.

"So much time already?" Slowly, she pushed herself out of the chair. Her senses still worked, but her body swayed slightly.

"You are leaving already? But I want to see you again, pearl." The prince jumped up as well. "What do I have to do to get closer to you?"

Machi gave him a curt sideways glance. "You would have to be willing to see your family fall."

"Because you don't like nobility, do you? That's what your friend told me." He beat his chest. "I'd do anything you asked, provided you'd go on a date with me."

"Really anything?" Soleil couldn't stop herself from butting in. "Even push your family into the abyss?"

"Nothing easier than that." He snorted in amusement. "Then I can finally live up to my name as the black sheep of the family and show them what happens when you mock a clever man like me."

His stupidity was excellent and yet the corners of Machi's mouth pulled down. Dating this boy had something of an exuberant nightmare about it. Still, the mission came first, even if it meant making sacrifices. Soleil swallowed. Had Chrollo agreed to her wish because he believed he had to make a sacrifice?

Lips pressed together, she only heard Machi agree to a date in the background before turning away and heading back. Soleil followed in silence.

Machi's discontent grew with each step. Although her face showed no emotion, her eyes glistened, causing Soleil to grab a glass of champagne from a server as she passed and slowed down. Her companion noticed the change immediately. Her gaze swung over her shoulder, attaching itself to Soleil and poking holes in the air at the same time.

"We should hurry."

Probably they should, but going back to Chrollo also meant admitting defeat and going home. All of which Soleil was a little less capable of with each breath.

"Or we could stay a little longer," she suggested in the end, causing Machi to stop.

"We don't have time to waste, and we're not here for fun either." She pursed her lips. "Besides, I'm not interested in dancing with that boy."

"A dance won't hurt anyone," Soleil countered nonchalantly before taking a large sip from her glass. It tasted bitter. "Besides, you're pretty. You've probably been through a few bad pick-up lines in your life."

"No." Machi's words remained clear. "And I don't have time for that either. I work for our boss and follow his orders whenever he asks me to."

Soleil's lips twisted into a wry smile. "Sounds almost like you have a crush on him."

Machi's eyes seemed to widen before she took a breath and shook her head. "No." Then she turned away. "If you want to stay here, I won't stop you."

Without further ado, she started moving again. Hasty footsteps that Soleil followed with only her eyes before she emptied the glass. Machi was a bloody liar. The sigh on her lips weighed heavily as she fixed her gaze on the food once more, only to feel a faint grumble in her stomach. Something sweet might soak up all the alcohol. So she set her sights on the food, grabbed another glass and strolled along the desserts. As she did so, it took barely the blink of an eye before the vibrating in her garter demanded attention. Nimbly, she pulled out her phone to open the incoming message and held the device close to her ear before letting the computer read it out.

Shalnark:
Machi just got back to the car. Where are you?

Soleil's fingers snatched at a muffin before she used the voice input.

"You guys can go without me. I'll stay for a bit." She cleared her throat. "Machi has everything you need. It's not like I contributed anything."

Shalnark:
What if someone attacks?

"It's alright."

She simply ignored the next message. Whatever Shalnark had to say, she didn't want to talk. Not with alcohol in her blood and the knowledge that Chrollo was within reach. Instead, she gulped down the pastry and emptied another glass. Simultaneously, her gaze wandered over the guests. All rich, all well dressed. They were people from a social class that remained out of reach for most. It was tantamount to a joke of how uneven the society was. There was no equality and no betterment either. Watching them all fall sounded like a dream.

And Soleil put her hand to the nearest glass, which made the air hot and twisted her senses. Whenever she stood still, the world tilted. Maybe she tilted with it, too. Her gaze wavered, somehow and yet somehow not, and people became colourful blobs that no longer held meaning. In between, she consumed four slices of baguette with strange red balls on them and a glass of wine that tasted frighteningly much like dishwashing soap. No one spoke to her. There was no music to dance freely to. Everything was designed for couples.

Finding a partner to dance with seemed impossible. A handsome blond was deciding between four women and a handsome redhead was trying with a friendly smile to get out of the cluster of desperate women who were fluttering around him like moths. But he somehow managed to escape the clutches of these women, only to saunter to the buffet where Soleil had taken root. His gallant step and the playful smile on his lips were the only things that got through to her at first. It was only when he paused beside her, taking a glass of white wine, that she also noticed that he was a good deal taller than her. The mask that sat firmly on his face and covered the upper part was dazzling white.

"You don't seem like a woman for games." Out of nowhere, he addressed her, the smirk still on his lips.

"Hah?" Brows raised, Soleil tilted her head. Whatever he wanted, his words sounded as if they were from a completely different time.

But the man merely tapped his mask, and though the alcohol was heavy on her senses, Soleil at least understood that she had dropped the mask somewhere between dance and prince. The masked ball had barely got through to her.

"Too much of a fuss," she finally returned.

"Yet little secrets have their charm." Without further ado, the stranger reached for his mask and pulled it off, turning it, like a trick, into a simple cloth and tucking it gallantly into the breast pocket of his black jacket.

It made him not a bit more obvious, and yet, his red hair, perfectly styled so that it framed his handsome face and his eyes, with the charm of amber – she had seen these things before. Not in this way. Not in a black suit that was perfectly tailored to his body. She remembered a wilder appearance. Of bright colours. An–

"Ah!" it came back to her. "You're ... Hiroka. No, wait..." She raised a hand. The letters in her head barely wanted to arrange themselves. "Hysuka? Hasoku? Hi... Soka... Hiroka! Wait. I... already said that..." The words in her head were spinning, almost as if the dishwashing soap hadn't matched the champagne, and also as if she'd had a little too much to drink.

But her counterpart took her misstep with a calmness that refused to be seen behind the facade. "Hisoka."

"Hiiiisoka." Soleil nodded knowingly. That was exactly what she had said. More or less. "What are you... ... doing here?"

He nimbly reached for a glass of alcohol to hand to her. A gesture she accepted. It was just another glass of many and if she was kind to him, then perhaps she could do something. Even if she couldn't remember what.

"I heard Chrollo would be here tonight." He lowered his eyelids. "Instead, I find a woodpecker." His lips sipped the glass. "What brings you here?"

"Me?" Was it permissible to tell a man who was looking for Chrollo where Chrollo was? Probably not, and when she thought about it more carefully, she didn't even know where he was. The name of the hotel seemed to be missing from her memory and the room number could have been anything from four to two hundred and eighty. "High society," she finally returned. "Belong to it. To this."

The low hum in his throat had alien charm, vibrating in Soleil's chest like an earthquake, and made her set the glass aside. She needed to drink less. Simultaneously, she felt warm breath on her skin, combined with the light scent of roasted almonds. It reminded her of fairground stalls, of fun and a little of the horror of getting lost among it all.

Hisoka had leaned down to her, his lips close to her ear. His whisper was hot, threatening, knowing, with nothing she could do. "You're lying."

No sooner had he stood up straight again and looked down at her as if she were a simple toy than a questioning sound escaped Soleil. The words failed her entirely.

"Because I know Illumi gave you a discount for your order, while the second one was completely free," Hisoka replied. "How long did you have to save up to be here?" He smiled. "Or is it possible that someone gained you access?"

Momentarily, Soleil's mouth twisted. She hadn't saved up, and even if her words sounded like a lie, with what her mother had left behind, she was certainly part of high society. She was good enough for this life. Even if Chrollo didn't give her access. She didn't need him.

And yet, she had let him down and wasted the only chance she had. Perhaps Chrollo was even glad of it. This pest of a prince had labelled her ugly and even if there had been men who lusted after her naked body, that didn't mean Chrollo was one of them. Maybe that was why he had looked away then. Because she was unsightly.

Lips pressed tightly together, she swallowed the strangely heavy lump in her throat and tried to glare at Hisoka. Angry. Kind of. The way one often read in books. But part of her firmly believed she was failing.

"Is that all?" She wrinkled her nose. "Or do you want to ... push more off your mind?"

His light, restrained laugh made his shoulders quiver before he set his glass aside and took a step closer. Without hesitation, he put a hand around Soleil's waist, solely to push her towards the dance floor. "How about a little entertainment?"

She didn't want any conversation, didn't even want to be near him, and yet her steps were swaying too much for her to run away. His scent made her legs spongier than they should be and although Soleil knew there were limits, her body didn't know what to do.

Meanwhile, in the background, the music changed, and it took her a moment to understand that Hisoka would lead her. Even drunk, she would cut a fine figure, solely because the man at her side attracted all eyes.

The lusty sound of a saxophone started a melody that made some couples stumble; Hisoka, however, leaned in her direction and forced Soleil to put her head to one side. One hand settled just above her buttocks, the other held her fingers gently. Then, with a tug, he pulled her closer. Soleil's body simply followed him. Without really moving, one of his legs slid back. A movement she followed. Body close together, Soleil had to tilt her head far back in her neck to avoid bumping her nose against his chest.

For a few steps, they stuck together before they broke away from each other. Only Hisoka's hand held her by one wrist, so that the lively turn under his arm seemed like a tangled piece of wool that rolled itself up the next moment. He pulled her close again, far too near, and yet, the charm slowly spilled over to her. Heat clung to Soleil's body, making this dance seem like a fever dream where Hisoka knew exactly what to do to cloud her senses.

They darted off to the side, graceful steps whose pace was reminiscent of a chase. Repeatedly, until they drew a circle and Hisoka's hand slid to her ass in one slick motion. His grip tightened, Soleil's arms wrapped willingly around his neck and his free fingers found hold on one thigh. He lifted her leg, forcing her to rub the bare flesh against his suit and feel his unyielding body beneath. Simultaneously, he leaned towards her, bringing them both to an incline, matching the luring sounds of the saxophone. The air between them remained stuffy and, having Hisoka's chest so close to her nose, threw the smell of her champagne breath back to her.

"I'd really like to fight Chrollo," a voice whispered in her ear, so soft and hot that Soleil couldn't help but listen. Somewhere in between, they straightened up again, dancing a few steps in a strange tightness that blurred into an indistinct mosaic. "Otherwise, I'll have to make him play with me."

Chrollo didn't seem like the sort of man to be provoked. He took most things with a thin smile and sank away from it into blood and books.

"What do you think, would he take notice if I killed all his members in order?"

Murder. She followed the tune in the arms of a suspected murderer. Hands full of blood, with nails scraping across her skin. Danger she couldn't be bothered with. Danger was good. Danger desired her. At least a little.

It made her forget the failure and also the fact that she had come to this place completely for nothing. Not even when she lifted her head again to look at Hisoka did remorse surface. Instead, she felt his breath on her lips and the distance between them was all at once too great.

Soleil didn't let herself stop as she pulled herself up and placed her lips on Hisoka's perfectly curved features. A gentle kiss that stopped the dance between them and directed the heat in her body. The throbbing in her womb was unexpected. The outflow made every further step a little uncomfortable. Still, she didn't break away from Hisoka, enjoying instead that he returned her caress. His lips pressed harder on hers and the way he found the perfect pressure, the way he left her wanting more and still fulfilling needs, differed completely from what she had shared with Chrollo.

In those seconds, it was better.

It was only when Hisoka pulled away and emptiness remained that longing for more arose, stifled in the same breath. The mischievous glint in her dance partner's eyes demanded all attention.

"It seems to me you are more interested in physical pleasure than dancing." His words dripped down on her like honey.

Soleil couldn't deny it. Her body craved love, distraction, anything to take the pressure off her shoulders and free her senses.

"Would that be bad?" She lowered her lids, her words only a heavy breath.

"It would be a pleasant change." Hisoka didn't wait for agreement. Instead, she noticed the grip on her wrist.

His footsteps led them both off the dance floor, and from there, straight to an entrance inside. Although most of the guests were hanging around outside, a few had settled on chairs and sofas in a living room where Hisoka didn't stop. Soleil followed the passing lights, blanking out the moisture between her legs, but still stuck to the sensation as Hisoka pushed her into a room that looked suspiciously like a guest room. Before she could even turn to face him, the door slammed shut and his fingers brushed her waist as he circled her.

"What is Chrollo up to?" Hisoka came to a stop in front of her. The gleam in his eyes seemed darker all at once.

"Can't say," she purred back. Chrollo's plan was Chrollo's plan. Not hers and not Hisoka's either. But her words triggered no satisfaction in him. In his world, there seemed to be only one correct answer, and it was far from ignorance.

He didn't hesitate to grab her by the waist and slide his knee between her thighs. The sudden friction sent tremors through her body, and yet she remained silent – so that Hisoka kissed her. When his knee pressed harder against her middle, it was a restrained sigh that escaped her. But it was enough to let his tongue enter her mouth – in constant search of the right words. He explored her, tracing every inch like a dance, as if she were nothing more than a toy to be enjoyed.

It took him forever to let her breathe freely; to pull back to give her oxygen as he settled into her mind.

"I want to help him," he whispered. "To make him relax a little."

She knew he was lying. The alcohol didn't cloud his falsehood. She wasn't stupid enough to believe him. But his knee made her crave more and if she said something, anything that satisfied him, he would stop asking questions. Then he would give her what her senses craved.

But instead of lying, instead of creating a story, her desperate mind found only the truth. Loose words that summed up what was needed and roughly gave away Chrollo's plan. Enough information to cause problems, but not enough to set alarm bells ringing in her in those breaths. And it was enough.

Hisoka believed her.

His hands settled firmly on her cheeks before another kiss followed. His tongue snaked past her lips and inside, playing around, not allowing a single breath of Soleil's to escape. She, meanwhile, clawed into his shoulders, surrendering, pushing Chrollo to the back of her mind. He no longer mattered. Not in those seconds.

Hisoka's hands broke away from her barely a moment later to grab her by the arm and drag her with momentum to the bed. She stumbled, landing hard on the sheets and taking a moment to sort out the spinning world. Her body had landed on her stomach. Her senses somewhere on her head.

Only slowly did Soleil push herself up a little, crawling forward to get more comfortable, and in the same blink she felt Hisoka grab her by the ankle and pull her back. It was a fluid movement that burned in her forearms and yet gave her no time to say anything. With a jerk, he turned her around, put his hands to her neck and squeezed. The oxygen in her body was already spent. Her fingers darted to his grip to loosen it, and yet it was entirely his decision to give her a bit of air. As if he controlled her breathing, as if in those seconds it was entirely up to him to decide how much oxygen she deserved.

The lack made perception dim, twisted the world, and turned Hisoka out of focus. The only thing she saw clearly was him licking his lips and breathing a thin kiss on her cheek. It was like a dream and faded before Hisoka turned her again. A hand rested on her belly as he did so, directing her upwards on all fours. It was a hideously awkward hold, and though the air had improved, nothing seemed to change. Instead, Hisoka's nails scraped across her shoulders, brushing off the straps. He pulled the dress down to her stomach, then attended to her bra – letting it follow and exposing her breasts.

The heat on Soleil's skin built up, cooled, trembled as a tremor overtook her body. At the first moment, there was no sensation. The next, throbbing followed. Wild, burning pulsations, followed by a slapping that sent her ass into stinging pain. It was three, four strokes that Hisoka gave her, firm and controlled. Pain that made Soleil moan, unsure if it was good or bad. The alcohol dulled her perception, and yet she thought she could feel the pulsing of her flesh.

"You really have your charms." Hisoka's voice purred, akin to the sound of a tiger that had found its favourite toy.

A moment later, he grabbed her black hair and pulled her head back forcefully, causing her scalp to sting and an involuntary hiss to escape Soleil. Simultaneously, Hisoka's lips settled on her neck, kissing her in a few countable places, while one hand found renewed hold on her neck. Once more he stole her breath, dominating her for countless minutes in which the world grew ever so slightly darker, before releasing her as if out of nowhere.

Her body fell powerlessly onto the bed while coughing shook her senses and the rest of her struggled for breath. For what seemed like an eternity, Hisoka let her. It was only when Soleil sat up to just stare at him that he presented her with the next hurdle. The black trousers that had covered him before had been opened and his penis was pointing towards her.

"I take it this isn't your first time?" The gentle smile on Hisoka's lips captivated her for a moment before she swallowed. It wasn't the first time, but it was sudden.

Still, she followed his silent command, wrapping her lips around his cock and taking him into her mouth as far as she could. Her tongue played with his lust, tracing the veins whenever she could, as she pushed back and forth in languid movements. Good enough to satisfy a man, but not enough to impress Hisoka.

"No need to be shy." Once more, he licked his lips, looking down at her as if he wanted to rip her like a sheep. The atmosphere grew heavier and his penis throbbed.

With nimble fingers he loosened the wine-red tie, took off the jacket and opened the white shirt underneath. Soleil, meanwhile, stopped and eyed him closely as he removed the fabric, revealing pale skin. Every muscle of his body was clearly defined and every second she stopped moving, the tension grew. In the room and between her legs.

When his eyes settled on her again, the amber shimmered in them. His fingers buried in her hair and before Soleil understood the circumstances, he thrust. Through her lips, as if there was no resistance. His member pushed deep into her throat, seemed to stretch her gorge and steal her breath. Both were probably impossible, but the feeling couldn't be shaken off. Gagging overcame her and yet her body was too weak to resist him. Hisoka took advantage of her obedience. He thrust several times, enjoying the feel of her tongue with a soft sigh as she struggled for breath. Gurgling reached her ears. Suddenly, she thought she was suffocating. The saliva could no longer be swallowed. Some ran down her chin, the rest lingered in her throat.

Each time Hisoka's cock took hold of her throat, her thoughts softened. No more clear ideas. No protest. No Chrollo.

It was a good thing.

The alcohol made even the racing of her heart a minor thing, unmemorable of fear. Her nails clawed into the mattress. Her gaze lingered on Hisoka's face; on the gentle pleasure, on the lust that drove him and released her in the next blink of an eye.

Air filled her sore throat, her gasps rattled and her shoulders shook. Her body couldn't even find the strength to rise against Hisoka as he shoved her backwards into the sheets with one hand.

Soleil landed softly as he reduced his clothes to nothing and she spread her legs far too naturally as he too pushed himself onto the bed. His arousal shimmered in the artificial light from the saliva she had left behind. Hisoka, meanwhile, pushed her slip aside, exposing her, and didn't hesitate for a moment to take the wet heat for himself.

His penis thrust in, unrestrained and harsh, not giving her a single moment's respite. Her inner walls stretched, willingly wrapping around his flesh, yet getting nothing to grasp. Without care, Hisoka found his pace, thrusting and rubbing inside her, hard and fast, almost as if this was just a hurried act between them on their way to the next mission. His movements met resistance, a sensitive point that made her gasp.

Her back pressed through. Soleil clawed at the sheets while Hisoka's hips pressed heat into her that travelled through her body like a tingle. Each thrust seemed to swell her vulva, making the blood between her legs so thick that every movement sent a twitch through her system. Hisoka's moans were like the epitome of pleasure. Thick as honey, his breath settled on her breasts, causing her to come up to meet him a little, only to be icily rejected. Before she could catch his glare, long before she was allowed to taste his lips again, he pulled out of her to turn her over one more time – nails digging into her hips.

Her own gasps were smothered in the sheets. His hands pushed her determinedly to her knees, her upper body remained on the mattress, and his cock thrust into her. Again, he followed his rhythm, pounding against the swell between her legs, making her thighs quiver with each thrust.

His pace didn't change even when he grabbed her by the hair and tugged her upper body up so far that she almost found a place on his lap. Her moans grew wilder, putting her in a position that robbed her of all self-control. The seconds grew loud enough to bring Hisoka's lips to her ear.

"If you get any louder, the other guests will hear us." His tongue slid wetly over the shell of her ear. "Not like it would bother me."

She knew what he was getting at and even if she couldn't grasp it, couldn't put it into words, she swallowed her voice. With effort, she clung to low moans, voiceless gasps masked by the slapping of her skin against his hips.

Meanwhile, the heat inside her rose, bursting over her like a torrent, inevitably clenching her muscles. The weight of her breasts tugged at her back, making her upper body a little heavier with each passing minute. Her breath stuck to her lips like lead. Hisoka stopped his movements. His cock pulled free from her. With force, he pushed Soleil forward, sending her belly-down on the mattress, spinning her world a little more. Then heat spread across her back. Wet spots that threatened to burn her cold skin.

And she didn't even know if all this had really been fun.

All that remained were tired eyes, covered by heavy lids, shrouding her in deep blackness.