Chapter XLIII
When the pink gas started whizzing throughout the cave, Valtiel knew she was in trouble, though she never knew how much.
The fragrant scent reminded her of fresh flowers in a meadow, of grass and rain and earth. It was enticing, yet her brain registered it as hazardous. Yet, the damage was already done—she could not hold her breath for much longer while keeping a part of her brain alert for possible sneak attacks. She coughed, she inhaled, and then she felt dizzy all of a sudden.
The first signs of trouble came when her body felt hot all of a sudden. The sort of feverish heat that would have one panting and sweating. She fell on her knees and felt her insides tighten, the need to touch and to be touched almost overwhelmingly painful.
When Hisoka emerged from the lake, the need increased a hundredfold. She could not stop her eyes from glossing all over his body, noting every inch of the pale skin, how his muscles rippled on his broad chest and abdomen.
Her cheeks were burning, her eyes unstoppable—they wandered even lower and stared at him, down there, where she shouldn't even be looking.
When she asked, or begged more like, for him to kiss her, her world shattered.
I'm scared.
To want someone this much. To want to be kissed and touched by someone who is not Chrollo. To see someone in this kind of light and it is not Chrollo. It feels… wrong. It feels as if she is betraying his trust. Guilt claws at her heart as much as this unnatural lust for Hisoka.
It is the poison, she kept telling herself as she pressed closer to the magician's body. Her own body had grown sensitive, feeling every movement and admiring every contour her glazed eyes could reach. When she pressed her nose against his throat, she smelled salt from the ocean on his skin. It was intoxicating to want someone like this.
But it is not the Danchou. No one could ever compare to Chrollo.
When they were back on the shores, she breathed in and out as deeply as she could, hope to get some of the poison out. It seemed to have worked, her mind clearing from its fantasies and focusing on the task at hand.
In a distance, Hisoka was on his phone. She cringed. The Danchou would not be best pleased if he ever finds out. She felt guiltier, more disappointed at herself.
That was three minutes ago.
Now, lust gives way to fear.
Valtiel stands with Hisoka on the shore, both of them watching in fascination and utter horror as one of the nearby islands is swallowed by thick dark red mist. The skies over the island are whirling, a black storm brewing over it. Tidal waves are crashing against sharp rocks, tossing their boat.
She has never seen his aura like this. She knows what it is like to have him pissed−but not like this. Never like this. She has always threaded on the safe side when it comes to him.
"That's Fei-san." The storm clouds continue whipping above. "And he's angry."
"We should probably see what's happening there." Hisoka pockets his phone and peers down on her.
At once, she could feel the mischief heavy in that gaze.
"Are you feeling all right now?"
His voice is soft, gentle. She feels all the more terrible.
"Yes," she croaks, hoping against all odds that she's not blushing. To remember how she felt about him only minutes ago, it is downright embarrassing and no doubt the magician would tease her about it.
But they have no time for that. "That's most definitely Fei-san. We should check to see if he's okay."
"This much aura?" He hums, cheerful. "I'm getting a bit excited."
She doesn't trust herself to touch him, so she cements her point by rushing towards their motor boat. The magician follows behind, throwing in their bag and treasure, and starts the engine.
The waves grow larger, stronger—and the boat fights against them. Valtiel clutches the either side of the boat, bracing herself against the tidal assault, while Hisoka just hums a song as he drives through the waves, swerving the wheel violently to avoid the rocks.
One tidal wave hits their boat head-on, drowning them out if it not for Hisoka grabbing her round the waist and pouncing out of the fray. He jumps over rocks with ease, Valtiel over his shoulder like sack of potatoes. He lands on the ground, as a dark red mist is being sucked towards the vortex in the middle of the island.
The ground rumbles beneath their unsteady feet. Valtiel breaks into a run, not wasting any more second to suffer the magician's provocative stares, and heads straight towards the base of the vortex. She could feel Feitan's intense anger radiating throughout the entire island, his bloodthirst mingling into the very air. The feel of it sends goosebumps on her body, the danger imminent. But if no one stops Feitan, then who will? The entire area could be wiped from the map if no one interferes.
Her furisode is a curse, hindering her feet as she runs. As she ascends towards a hill, she blinks as Phinks, Shalnark, and Shizuku are running towards her.
"Don't stare−Run!" Phinks roars at her, snatching her by the hand and dragging her back with them.
"What happened?" She tries to keep up with his panicked running.
"Fei got puffed right into the face by that mist," Shalnark says from Phinks's left.
"I tried to get the poison out," Shizuku adds from the right, "but he was already very angry."
"And you never try to get close to Feitan!" Phinks shouts. "Unless you wanna die!"
The four of them race down the hill and come upon Hisoka lounging on the beach.
"Idiot! Don't just stand there!" Phinks looks over his shoulder and winces at the pulsing vortex and the lightning that flashes every once in a while. He tightens his grip around Valtiel's wrist and uses his other hand to push Shalnark faster. Then he glares at the magician. "Stop standing, dipshit! Start the boat!"
"Boat? What boat?" Hisoka tilts his head to the side.
"Our boat, idiot!"
Phinks leads his group towards the western part of the beach, where the boat he shared with Feitan is docked. He pushes Valtiel in first, then Shizuku, and jumps in with Shalnark. He helps Hisoka remove the rope from the rocks while Shal immediately takes the wheel.
More waves crash against the rocks and boat. It forces them away from the island, which is the initial plan, but as Feitan's sheer aura grows, the more waves and whirlpools badger the surroundings. Valtiel could barely comprehend such immense aura power. She is squeezed against Phinks, the blond Spider holding her and Shizuku around the waists to keep them from flying out of the boat. She clutches at Phinks's tracksuit and looks around for Hisoka.
The magician is safe at least, bracing himself on the other side of the boat and keeping Shalnark from being overthrown as well.
A wall of waves crashes against their boat. Valtiel senses that Feitan is amassing as much aura as he could for one final push. Fear assaults every sense in her. She holds onto Phinks, keeping watch on the other Spiders, but her eyes are back to the island, widening further when the top of the vortex pulses and sends tremors from top to base. The ground shakes in its wake, the sea forming another round of tsunamis. The waves cast long, dark shadows over their little boat. She has never seen anything of this caliber. She might as well die tonight.
The tsunami bears down on them with all its might. Hisoka jumps up from his seat and moves his arms. Under Phinks's tight hold, Valtiel could see the bright pink Bungee Gum enveloping the boat like a ball, fighting off the sea and strong currents at the same time.
The protective bubble lasts for only two seconds−until she could hear the unmistakable crack of the bones of Hisoka's fingers. The force of the tsunami throws him overboard, the waters crashing down on them, and Phinks loses his grip on her and Shizuku.
Valtiel screams as the waves take her. She slams against the rocks, and the surging whirlpools drag her deeper underwater. She kicks her legs and resurfaces, blurry vision making images of the other Spiders drowning and fighting off the assault like her. Then another wave goes over her head, and she doesn't have enough strength to fight it off. She lets the current take her deeper, the water as dark as night.
A strong hand closes in on her wrist. With an effort, she opens her eyes and sees Phinks. Like her, he is doing his best to fight the waves while trying to keep everyone safe. His grip is tight on her, with no intentions of letting go. He grits his teeth and grabs hold of one of the sharp stones. He pushes her up, back to the surface, pushing and pushing at her back.
He coughs, and then, "Oh, shit."
Valtiel looks up just in time to see their motor boat hurling towards them. She feels Phinks's hands on her waist and drags her back to the water again, evading the boat.
Her head dunks into the water, her fingers clawing out for him, but Phinks is already nowhere near her. Panicking, she grabs the rock and pulls herself to shoulder-level, searching around for any Spiders left.
The last wave must have washed Phinks away. Her teeth are chattering from the cold, and her limbs are screaming with pain. More waves hit her right in the face and it takes all her remaining strength to keep holding onto the rock. From a distance, the vortex keeps brewing, whipping thunder and lightning from the black skies.
She shivers. She knows she has to get out of here. She couldn't let the waters take her farther from shore. She could drown, she could be lost and no one might find her body in these depths.
Another wave crashes on her right, breaking her already weakening grip from the rock. Her body jerks with the waves, sinking deeper, ramming her against the many rocks and sharp corals underwater. She kicks as powerfully as she can, desperate to get back on surface, but another wave spirals her downwards without a chance of another gasp of air.
Her vision starts to spot, and then darkens. Her eyes sting. Her lungs are already burning. Without air, without much energy left, all she could do is fall limp and let the waves do their business with her.
She feels another hand on her.
She knows that sensation. Above anything else.
Weakly, she opens her eyes and makes out the silhouette of another Spider. Red-purple hair, usually lazy amber eyes now glinting with deathly determination. She returns the gesture, reaching out for him and fisting the collar of his jester outfit, pulling herself flush against him.
Hisoka smirks despite the danger. His other hand is outstretched, glowing pink with his aura. The Bungee Gum sticks to one of the rocks, keeping them in place as the tide surges on the surface. With a mighty pull, he drags her out of the water and sticks her with Bungee Gum on the waist. Then he pulls himself up, more Bungee Gum across their bodies, pasting them behind a massive rock while the waves crash and swell on their sides.
She coughs, choking on seawater. The magician's fist thumps on her back and more seawater follows. If he thumps stronger, her dinner might follow next. She sighs, cheek on the slimy rock.
"Thanks."
He winks at her. "Friendship."
Suddenly, there is a gunshot.
Valtiel's head shoots up, sensing a hostile aura from faraway. Not from the island. Not from Feitan. Another Nen user, perhaps across another island. Her eyes are wide with fear and shock as she looks at Hisoka. He nods, lips pressed into a thin line, his gaming mood gone.
Someone is hunting them.
Feitan's aura calms down. The vortex slowly fades into the night skies, the thunder and lightning giving way to the calm skies and stars. The sea also calms, without the signs of the previous nightmarish tidal waves and whirlpools. Somewhere on the left, the motor boat is smashed into pieces of splintered wood and broken steering wheel.
"Can you stand?" Hisoka asks her, dispelling the Bungee Gum from her waist.
"Yeah. Let me get off here for a second." She pushes herself higher onto the rock and sits on the flat top. In this position, she could see the extent of the damage, but there are still no signs of the others. She glances back down to Hisoka. "Are you okay?"
"But of course." He forces himself up and sits beside her, his hair a wild damp mess. "Although I did break all of my fingers from that first wave." He holds up both hands, all ten fingers mangled and a dark shade of purple from the swelling bruise. He grins as she cringes.
"We should find the others."
"Good idea."
They stand from the boulder and ease their way from one rock to another, like two children playing hopscotch under the veil of moonlight.
When they reach the island, it is barren, the trees and plants destroyed, leaving nothing but a white space and a large crater at the middle. Valtiel is about to check on Feitan when she notices three figures walking on her left.
Relief washes over her—Phinks is leading Shalnark and Shizuku towards her and Hisoka. All five of them are bedraggled, clothes tattered and destroyed from the assault.
She sighs in relief and meets them halfway. "Anyone hurt?"
"We're all right," Shalnark moans, caressing his shoulder. "Bumped onto so many rocks."
"Me, too," Shizuku chimes in. "I'm not a very good swimmer."
"And you, kiddo?" Phinks glances at Hisoka's direction before attending to her.
"I'm fine."
"As if." Growling, Phinks turns her around and peers at the small gash on the back of her head. He clicks his tongue and turns her around again. "You're bleeding from a cut. We should get everyone back to base and tend to the wounded. Shal, can you call Danchou?"
Shalnark is on the verge of tears. "Can't," he says, sniffing and pulling out his phone. "Broken."
"We should probably attend to Fei-san first," Valtiel interrupts.
She removes Phinks's hand on her shoulder and runs back to the center of the island, now marked with a large crater. She skids to a halt, hands on her mouth to stop herself from gasping.
Feitan is lying facedown on the earth. He wears an ancient full-body bronze armor with maroon inner paddings and sash around his waist. There are markings of a beast stamped on his shoulder guards, while his bronze helmet bears a serpentine dragon wielding lightning bolts in both its clawed hands. As his aura completely nullifies, the armor fades into his usual black coat and shoes.
He coughs and forces himself on his hands and knees. Valtiel flinches and runs towards him, guiding him gently to sit up. He growls at her in a foreign language.
"Hands off," Feitan snaps in the common tongue, slapping her hands away from him. He pants as he clutches at the gaping wound in his chest.
Blood seeps between his fingers, staining his robes and the ground. His dark eyes glare into her worried face, a trickle of blood dripping down his chin.
"You should… get away… Now… Run!"
"I don't−"
A bullet whistles through the air and hits Feitan on the back. He grunts in pain, choking on the blood that gurgles in his mouth. Eyes rolling back to his skull, he falls limp against Valtiel.
She catches him and rests his head on her shoulder. Then she glares to where the bullet came from. Though she could feel the hostile aura, she could not point where the sniper is coming from. She feels warm blood on her hands where Feitan is trying to keep the blood loss minimal. As he leans against her, she knows he is at the edge of consciousness, drained from both anger and immense aura from a while ago. And now, suffering from two bullet wounds.
Another bullet. Missed. Ingrained to the earth at arm's length away.
Feitan shifts in her arms. "Stupid," he snarls redly at her. "Run. Now."
"Maybe if you let me care for you, you wouldn't be too weak now," she snaps back−and so wishes she did not. No one is supposed to be talking back to Feitan. She clamps her mouth shut at that mistake.
Instead of another verbal argument, she tears from her furisode's long sleeves and presses it against his chest. He grunts again, hissing through gritted teeth.
"Val!" Phinks and the others catch up to them. "Fei! You guys all right?"
"Someone's firing at us," she says.
"Ah, probably one of those Hunters in charge," Shalnark observes.
"We have company." Shizuku points to the other side of the island. Three motor boats are approaching.
"We have reinforcements, too." Hisoka points to another side, where two figures are silhouetted against the dark. As the images come into focus, he licks his lips.
Valtiel cranes her neck and sighs. She feels safer already.
Across the distance, Chrollo Lucilfer and Pakunoda are making their way towards the group. The Danchou wears a long black coat that whips with the breeze, his raven hair combed back and his eyes boring through everyone. Framed against the horizon with his handsome face serene, he looks very picturesque.
Pakunoda ambles a few steps behind, in her own coat and leggings. Her blonde hair is pulled up into a small bun, with bangs framing her face.
Valtiel cradles the nearly unconscious Feitan in her arms and meets the Danchou's thoughtful gaze. That thoughtfulness immediately vanishes, replaced by a steely gaze. His pace quickens towards her.
"What happened here?" he asks no one in particular.
"Uh, Fei got the brunt of a poisonous gas. Got really angry. Almost decimated the island. Almost killed every one of us. Got shot by a sniper Hunter. And now they have reinforcements," Shalnark reports cheerfully. "Nothing out of the ordinary."
"Any casualties?" Chrollo kneels next to Valtiel and cups her cheek. She sighs.
"Fei got shot twice," Phinks lists them off. "Hisoka broke his fingers. Val's got a gash behind the head."
"Let me see," Chrollo whispers to her and guides her head. His eyes narrow at the wound, not particularly large and deep, but still bleeding. He produces a handkerchief from his pocket and puts pressure on the wound. He looks up to them. "And they have reinforcements?"
"Three boats. Nine people in total," Shizuku answers.
"I see." He frowns and turns to Pakunoda. "Paku, tell Machi we will need her back at the lighthouse as soon as possible. We have three injured. Tell the others we have to regroup as well. Meeting there in half an hour. Phinks, Shizuku−" The two Spiders blink at him, he nods. "Kill anyone who gets close."
"Got it." Phinks flexes his arm.
"Shal, will you carry Feitan to the boat?"
"Sure thing." Shalnark smiles down at Valtiel and reluctantly, she passes the dark-haired thief. He hoists Feitan in his arms like a child and walks down to the beach with Pakunoda beside him, herself working on her phone.
On the other side of the island, the reinforcements arrive, all nine falling victim to Shizuku and Phinks. The former conjures Deme-chan in her hands and asks it to suck every ounce of water from their bodies, while the blond man makes a quick work of breaking everyone's necks.
Chrollo glances at their work, before checking on Valtiel. "Is there anything else that hurts?"
"I ache all over," she admits, letting out a tired sigh.
"Then we should head back to base and tend to your wounds." He wraps an arm around her waist and she leans against him, while his other hand is still pressing on the wound on her head.
Now that the nightmare of Feitan's anger is finished, her body prickles with another kind of sensation. She thinks she has escaped it, but the pink gas lingers inside her system, fear slowly turning into lust. She whimpers at the strange feeling, squeezing herself closer to Chrollo's build.
There it is again−the need to be touched.
It scares her again, but not as much as it had earlier. She has Chrollo now, and wanting him does not feel a crime anymore. She has him and he is holding her, the swell of his bicep tight around her waist. Her skin starts burning up again, eyes getting hazy. It is not as scary as before.
The only thing scaring her now is how much she wants his touch.
He seems to sense the change in her demeanor. He looks down on her, dark eyebrow raised.
"You are blushing quite a lot, Val," he observes, nonchalant.
Her eyes are drawn to his mouth, his lips. She gulps, and then raises her eyes to his.
She stands on her toes and kisses him then and there.
"I feel very hot," she murmurs against his mouth.
Chrollo has the grace to blush at the implication.
Behind them, Hisoka gurgles with barely suppressed laughter.
Machi and the other Troupe members are already waiting at the shore when they arrive. Shalnark dashes back into the lighthouse, Machi behind him, as they worry for Feitan and his constantly bleeding bullet wounds. The others disembark from the boat, forming a long line. Everyone is quiet, everyone is on the edge. If any more Hunters come to assault them, they would face the wrath of the entire Troupe.
Valtiel sits with Chrollo on the platform, surrounded by his many scented candles. The heat burns her up even more, as she tries to get her bearings and keep her fantasies from taking hold. She has already embarrassed herself and Chrollo with that one kiss, and really, she should not be thinking of stealing another one until her wound and the poison are gone from her system.
Like a professional, Machi works on Feitan's injuries. "Two bullets through the right lung," she announces, stitching him up with her Nen threads. "Extreme blood loss, exhaustion from the aura."
She finishes the operation and brushes a thumb over Feitan's chest. He is asleep, taking shallow breaths. In this rare opportunity, he doesn't look too dangerous.
"He should not move too much," Machi adds. "The threads are delicate. One wrong move could open the stitches again."
"We'll watch over him," Phinks says, standing over Fei's head.
"Shizuku, can you get the rest of the poison out?" Shalnark asks. "There might still be some left. We don't want him waking up angry and irritated again."
"Sure, I can handle that." Shizuku materializes her vacuum cleaner and poises the mouth over the sleeping thief. With one curt command, Deme-chan sucks out the dark red poison. Feitan's chest rises, and then he exhales. She steps back. "There, all done."
Valtiel regards the sleeping Feitan with wonder. How could someone so small be so horrendously aggressive? When she looks at him now, he looks so peaceful, without the shadow of his regular sneers and frowns. She purses her lips but says nothing.
Chrollo presses his handkerchief on her wound. She winces, digging her nails in his forearm. He smiles in reassurance and nods to his two Spiders. "Machi, Shizuku, can you tend to Val next?"
Machi leaves Feitan under Phinks's and Shal's care, and approaches. Her blue threads are already glowing across her deft fingers. "Turn your back to me, Val. Let me see."
"Will it hurt, Machi-san?" Valtiel sounds like a child.
The pink-haired Spider's smile is soft, almost kind. How odd for Machi. "No," she promises, seating herself behind her and assessing the crimson stain on her hair. "You won't feel a thing, I promise."
Chrollo turns to Shizuku. "And the poison, please."
Shizuku stands in front of Valtiel and hovers Deme-chan in her face. The monster-like vacuum cleaner grins toothily at her. "Take a deep breath, Val. When you exhale, I'll take out the poison."
"Okay." She breathes in, and out, and the pink gas bursts out of her. She coughs, eyes stinging with pain.
"There now." The Danchou pats her hand. "Better?"
"Finished," Machi announces from behind and smooths Valtiel's hair.
"Will it scar?" asks Chrollo.
"No, it's just a small gash, nothing too deep."
"Thank you, Machi-san," Valtiel murmurs, feeling for Chrollo's warm hand.
"It's not free." Machi stands and meets the shocked face. She smirks and starts walking away, the purple sash around her waist swishing. "You'll gonna have to treat me some food later."
Valtiel laughs.
With the first part of their ordeals finished, Chrollo takes up the platform. He gives new instructions for the mission: the Phantom Troupe would not be abandoning the treasure hunt, but since there are Hunters out for them, they would stay the night at the base and gather every treasure they have collected so far and hide it. Uvogin, Franklin, and Nobunaga are on patrol duty, allowed to kill any suspicious figure within a 45-meter radius. If the coast is clear until tomorrow morning, the treasure hunt begins with new groups while the injured ones stay behind.
Then he bids everyone a good night's rest. Valtiel follows him up on the spiraling staircase, trying to avoid Hisoka's mischievous eyes but fails. She shoots back a glare of her own, and the magician's amused laughter echoes in the very quiet base.
Their temporary bedroom is small and almost suffocating if not for the meager extra space which could be a balcony in some houses. The extra space can only hold one person, opening through a small door and black rusting railing. There is not enough room for the usual bed and dresser combination. The room could hold one bed and two wooden chairs at best.
Valtiel moans in pain and sits on the bed's edge. "What are the plans for tomorrow?"
"Were you not listening to a word I said?" Chrollo removes his black coat and hangs it over one of the chairs. He opens the buttons of his white shirt down to the sternum and rolls the sleeves to his elbows. "We would continue with the hunt if the Hunters would not persist. We have one chance in collecting the remaining treasures. Once everything is settled, we can get out of here."
"Ah, that sounds good." She tries to stretch, but her body, having been slammed to rocks over a dozen times an hour ago, aches so much that she winces.
"You sound like a squeaky toy, wincing like that." He grins.
"I hurt all over."
"Did Hisoka not care for you?"
She stops her complaining and falls silent. Suddenly, her muscles and joints do not matter anymore. Without the lust or the fear, guilt bleeds into her. She knows he could sense it in her, but he is not saying anything. Does he want her to make the move? To take the reins for once? Because she knows she has to. Something this big, this kind of scare, she has to tell him.
Her still damp clothes make her shiver. "There is something I need to tell you," she begins, her voice almost a whisper.
When she looks up, the Danchou is already waiting for her to continue. She gulps.
"Like Fei-san, I fell victim to one of those gases. It made me feel…" Please don't tell me I'm blushing again. "It made me feel all… strange… all of a sudden."
He says nothing. He doesn't even move.
"I asked−" She fists her skirts. "I asked Hisoka-san to kiss me."
The air in the bedroom shifts. Not too dangerous. Not too lax either. It makes her terrified to the bones to speak again.
He speaks after a while. "And what did Hisoka do?"
"Nothing." She has to defend the magician before Chrollo could come up with another prejudice against him. She keeps her voice firm, determined. "He did nothing, I promise. He took care of me and even tried feeding me. Then he called you to ask for your assistance. You remember, don't you?"
"I do."
"So there's no need to blame Hisoka-san for anything," she says rapidly. "The fault is mine. I fell victim to an enemy trap. I was not being careful even when you told me to be." She stares up at him with imploring eyes. "I am very sorry, Danchou."
He pushes himself off the chair and kneels on the floor, taking her hands. "There is no need for apologies," he assures her. "I know you didn't mean to do it. And I am glad you're honest with me about something so big. That's the most important thing." He kisses her hands and smiles. "Everything is fine, Val."
She takes his face and kisses his cross tattoo. She could feel his broad smile. "Thank you."
"And now you should get out of those clothes." He picks at the damp fabric with thumb and forefinger, and stands up. "You will get sick if you stay in them longer, given how cold the night is."
"I don't have my clothes. They were all in the backpack and it's gone. The treasures, too."
"Oh, don't worry. I saved the treasures before we left the island."
"You managed to find the treasures but could not save my clothes?" she demands, bewildered.
Cue the sweet, innocent smile. "I have my priorities straight."
He laughs at her disgusted face and rummages through his own pack. "Here, you can wear one of my shirts until we can find you some decent clothes from town."
He passes a navy blue shirt and heads for the door.
"It's fine," Valtiel murmurs and lowers her eyes to the ground.
His steps considerably slow, until he halts into a full stop and stands by the door.
Now, it is her turn to put her back to him, fumbling with the ribbons and sashes behind her furisode. "You can stay. It doesn't make any difference if you leave anyway. You'll just waste time and energy for something so trivial."
"If you insist," he whispers and she hears the click of the closing door.
Well, damn. She allows him to stay, but that does not mean he can watch her remove her clothes. Even with her back turned to him like this, she could still feel the heaviness of his gaze on her, how his dark eyes are boring through her back and calculating her every movement. It makes it harder for her to pull free of the many ribbons behind her back. She sets her jaw and yanks at the ribbons, harder.
Behind her, he chuckles and steps closer. "Do you need help with that?"
Her shoulders drop in defeat, complete and utter defeat. "Yes, please."
Chrollo steps in behind her. He is careful in his touches, she could feel that much, gently undoing the ribbons and letting them fall to the ground. The hairs on the back of her neck rise as he steps even closer, almost flush against her. He buries his nose in her hair, inhales deeply, while his hands take the folds of her kimono and slowly, slowly push them off her bare shoulders.
She bites at her lip to suppress a sigh. The sensation of the fabric and his feather-light touch very soothing and sensual. He leans down and kisses where her neck meets shoulder, his hands working to remove the kimono from her arms. She squirms and snatches the kimono back to her chest, and hears his low chuckle right in her ear. She shivers from it, and then gasps as he bites down on her shoulder.
His lips wander lower, from shoulder to the skin of her back, still cold from the sea. He trails kisses down the length of her spine and back up. He guides her chin sideways to kiss her lips.
"Is this you apologizing for what happened?" he murmurs in her ear.
"Don't flatter yourself," she shoots back. "Verbal apology is enough."
"How are you feeling now?" His thumb trace circles on her wrist, and then reach down to grip her at the waist. She gasps again, and he chuckles. "No more traces of the poison, sweetheart?"
"It's nothing you should worry about." She turns over to him and finds him peeping behind her shoulder. His eyes are big and round, almost innocent, but his smile is certainly not. She scoffs, unimpressed. "I am hardly going to rape you."
His smile widens to a malicious smirk against her skin. "It won't be called rape if I am willing."
She gasps and rounds towards him. "Danchou! That's filthy talk!"
He shrugs, forever playing the innocent. "Well, you started it."
She opens her mouth to argue, and does not see anything wrong with his logic. "Fine."
"Get dressed," Chrollo reminds her, pulling off the kimono from her arms and gathering the ribbons from the floor. He puts a hand on the small of her back, kisses her once. With lowered eyes, he hands back the navy blue shirt and returns to the other side of the room, staring at the bland grey wall.
The room is silent but for the shuffling of clothes. When Valtiel finishes, she yawns and goes back to the wooden bed. She looks up at him. "I was thinking about what happened on the island."
He finishes his bland staring and joins her, helping her free her hair from the tangles. Pakunoda's light blue ribbon has disentangled from the pale blonde locks. He tries to help but ends up pulling. Valtiel hisses at him like a cat and scratches his forearms away. He laughs and backs off.
"What about the island?"
She fingers through the locks, wincing. "It was Fei-san's aura, wasn't it? How does that work? It was so powerful. I've never seen someone with that kind of capacity in Nen."
"His ability is of the counteractive type," he explains, folding his knee. "Once Feitan receives enough damage to go along with the rage, he unleashes his aura. It makes him extremely powerful and dangerous. You and the others are lucky to have escaped the form he used tonight."
"The form?"
"It can take many forms, depending on the damage taken. Ever since he developed that ability, I have seen only two forms." He blinks, checking at himself. "Perhaps this should be the third one."
"And counteractive? It can only activate when he gets damaged?"
"Yes," he says. "Supposing that Feitan is damaged, his ability would activate and return the same level of damage to the opponent, perhaps even stronger, depending on his talent and the ability's restrictions. The more risks for the Nen user, the more powerful and effective the ability would be."
"I see."
Somehow, it reminds her of last New Year's Eve with her jaw and collar bleeding freely to her white straitjacket, her broken ribs and torn flesh from a fall from a cliff. Her Scarlet Eyes were activated then, allowing her to endure the brunt of the pain and fight back. And that ability−whatever she did was born of pain and desperation, the restrictions immensely flawed. She bites back another question.
"You did well tonight," he says after a moment of silence.
"Did what well?"
"Care for Feitan. That was kind of you."
She nods, knowing well enough for much he cares for everyone. She watched him grieve for Yuan. What more if they lose Feitan, a childhood friend so close to home?
"I did what anyone else would have done for him. Fei-san is well-loved, although he doesn't really acknowledge that."
He chuckles, amused. "That's true. He is his own man, after all." He stands from the bed and goes back to his belongings. "You should get some rest. It's already past midnight. You would need your strength if ever the Hunters come for us," he says.
The bed creaks under her weight. "We have no mattress or pillow or anything at all."
"We can use these."
"Our books?" She sounds incredulous.
"Why not?" His smile is genuine. He stacks six books into two rows and lays his head. He laughs at her confounded expression. "What? It worked for me back in Meteor City. And are you aware of the common conception that if we sleep with books under our pillows, we would absorb the knowledge in them?"
"I think I've heard something of the sort."
"It's really effective." He pats on the little space next to him. "You should try it."
"You think you're so smart, aren't you?" She sighs exasperatedly, but slips into bed beside him, her head resting on his left shoulder and her arm thrown across his torso.
His arm holds her around the waist to keep her steady, and to keep himself from falling to the bed's other side. She nuzzles against his neck, so tired and drained she could fall asleep in a minute.
"I am smart," he says, ungracious. "And you love me for it."
"Perhaps I do." She yawns. "But let's leave that debate in the morning."
A sunrise by the sea is always so mesmerizing. The golden dawn rises from beneath a horizon of deep blue sea and dark green islands. The seagulls are calling, the waves are shimmering under the early sunlight, and the winds are warm. No traces of the nightmare last night. Just as well, for Valtiel could not stomach nightmare after nightmare.
She stands at the extra space that could only be a balcony, and curls her hand around the iron railings. Chrollo's blue shirt flaps against her bare thighs, the sleeves so long that they almost go past her arms. And her hair, freed last night from the tangles, is getting tangled again now. She laughs at it, letting the winds whip color to her cheeks.
Then she looks down, admiring the gentle waves as they crash on the rocks. There are boats lined up on the shore, and some black cars for their escape. She searches further ahead and blinks. Down there, almost by the base of the lighthouse, is Hisoka, coming from his early morning swim.
She watches him walk away from the shore. Thankfully, the magician is already dressed, but his hair is down and his makeup absent. She likes him better this way. He almost appears normal.
Almost.
Hisoka raises amber eyes to her direction and smiles. He stops walking and keeps staring at her. After a while, he waves a hand.
Smiling, she waves hand back at him.
As if on cue, Chrollo emerges from the bedroom and yawns. He presses his chest on her back and buries his face into her hair, breathing in and out for a few moments, and then, still with heavy lidded eyes, guides her face sideways so he could kiss her over her shoulder.
The kiss is soft and almost lazy, tasting each other so early in the morning.
When the Danchou pulls away, he leans down and offers his forehead to her. Valtiel laughs and stands on her tiptoes to kiss him there. He gives a lazy, indulgent chuckle, kisses her again on the lips, much deeper this time, more passionate that it sends her panting by the end of it all. But his dark, triumphant gaze steals a glance down to the shore.
Valtiel, sensing his distraction, follows his gaze and lands on Hisoka. The magician is still all smiles, before conceding authority to the Danchou and walking back to the lighthouse.
Chrollo stops glaring and turns back to her. He blinks at her narrowed eyes. "What?"
She snorts. "You're so petty sometimes, Danchou."
Author's Notes: Welcome back, everyone! I am so sorry for the late update. Real life has been extremely busy; I went back to work and I do six days straight. Today is my day off, so hurray! I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe!
Should we speak about this chapter though? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Perhaps the only thing I could say is Hisoka is such a mood. (°◡° )
Special thanks to everyone who left a review last chapter: xenocanaan, Lily Narcissa , Kojima Miharu, ICPM, and Amy! I'm sorry if I can't reply to you individually; I've been very busy and have limited time today. But I want you all to know that I do really appreciate the time you give to leave reviews, that I do read your comments, and I do make a note of every little review anyone gives. Any suggestions, comments, or opinions are loved and welcomed! Thank you so much, guys! Thank you for all the loyal readers and followers out there! I appreciate you, too!
Thank you for reading this lil update! The next few chapters will be a whirlwind—and I'm so excited for you guys to read them! Until next time! Stay safe and stay out of trouble! Have a great week! (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)