ripe fruit

setting the ground

Hisoka was quietly pacing through the forest grounds, leaves soaked with blood sticking to his black heels. "hmmph, this was too easy, illumi" he thought to himself "I expected a more entertaining task from you..."

Suddenly the phone muttered in hisoka's pocket - "yo" he answered

" are you done?" asked illumi's familiar voice, robotically calm as always "off course" hisoka replied, slightly amused

"good. Bye then - " "wait, illumi, can you meet me for dinner tonight? I have some more business I'd like to discuss in person" "huh?" illumi's monotonic voice sounded atypically surprised "ok I guess, see ya" he continued. Catching illumi off guard seemed to be one of hisoka's favorite new games. "illumi would suffice as a toy for now..." he thought as he was walking out of the forest, with later tonight on his mind.

Hisoka started removing his clothes as he closed his hotel room's door "oh that's too bad" he said to himself looking at his dirty suit on the floor.

He stretched his broad aching shoulders as he stepped into the steaming shower, letting his red hair fall down and his makeup run down with the hot water streaming on his cheekbones.

-

---------------

Hisoka could feel illumi's aura as soon as he set foot in the restaurant, sending a slight shiver down his spine, he mindlessly licked his upper lip as he was walking towards illumi's seat, who was calmly playing with a strand of his long black hair.

"oh, you're here" noted illumi as hisoka was about to take the seat beside him. "so what was it you wanted to discuss?"

illumi's straight forward approach made hisoka chuckle, "how about you buy me a drink first? Or ask about my day? No, huh" he laughed as he watched illumi's blank expression. "fighting him now would be such a waste, but so is letting him go, maybe we can still have some fun..." hisoka thought while resting his chin in his palm.

illumi continued to stare blankly at hisoka's direction when a short purple haired waitress in a simple suit approached them - "we'll have a bottle of your best" hisoka turned to her with the most charming smile, she nodded bashfully and returned to the bar – "hisoka I'm not planning to stay here much longer" illumi muttered while playing with a long dark strand of hair. "Come on illu, my treat" he replied playfully while relieving a set of cards that seemed to magically appear between his long fingers. Hisoka knew giving illumi cutesier names would make the zoldyck uncomfortable, but he felt like stretching the limits (which was what he usually felt like). Nevertheless, it seemed as if illumi either was not listening or chose to ignore hisoka's small games.

After the bottle arrived, hisoka started pouring the amber like liquid into their glasses "it seems I am in need of your help tonight" he said calmly while slightly elevating his eyes from the glass to look onto illumi's face. "Well as long as I'm still here" illumi replied between taking small sips. Hisoka refused to elaborate on what exactly he needed illumi to do before they would finish drinking, and so after about a minute or so illumi started talking about killua and the rest of his family. Hisoka knew this would be the best topic to bring some raw emotion to the surface of illumi's aura, and he also didn't really mind listening to his companion's monotonic yet somehow relaxing voice.

By the time the bar was closing, the two men seemed to have loosen their guard... "my room is pretty big illu, if you prefer a bed to a hole in the ground" hisoka said jokingly while they were getting out of the bar "hmm, it is rather late" illumi replied, unaware of the joke "ok".

They continued walking in silent to the elevator leading to hisoka's room on the 10th floor, only to the sound of hisoka's high heels clacking against the marble floors.