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shadowynn · 1 year

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| death's sweet kiss | two |

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pairing: hisoka x fem! reader, chrollo x fem! reader (though, it will mainly be hisoka x reader for the first bit)

genre: soulmate/poly au

warnings: some cursing and violence

summary:

hisoka had never been interested in love and you were just another object to be used for his own personal gain. he never planned to get attached, but it's not long before he finds himself in deeper than he ever planned to be.

No one had ever treated him the way you did, and he often fought the urge to keep you locked up and far away from the rest of the world, where he could keep you all to himself.

despite his outward demeanor, chollo has always longed to be loved, and yet, no matter how long he searches, you always remained just out of reach. and then, just when he's given up, you come tumbling into his life in a whirlwind he had never expected.

It’s no wonder Hisoka is so enraptured by you. You’re so terribly pure, it feels as though it’s a sin to think I could ever have you.

wordcount: 8.2k

a/n: i can't make any promises, but updates for this fic should come out fairly quickly in the beginning. i've got quite a bit of this fic written already, though i do have to go back and make some changes and switch to second person, so i'm not entirely sure. but hopefully, you all won't have to wait too long for updates here. thank you all so much for your support thus far, i appreciate it! and with that said, we're now onto the second phase of the hunter exam!

| one | two | three |

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"What do you think happened to Gon?" Killua mumbled the question through the mouthful of nuts he was munching on before grabbing another handful from the bag you were holding. "Do you think he'll make it?"

"I'm sure he'll be here soon enough."

You and Killua had finished alongside Satoz nearly twenty minutes ago, but neither of you had seen any sign of Gon or his other two friends in the steady stream of examinees making their way out of the swamp. It made you feel slightly guilty for abandoning the boy so quickly earlier, but there was nothing you could do about it now. Not without sacrificing passing the exam yourself.

But Gon's absence wasn't the only one you were aware of in that moment, and it was Hisoka that stressed you out more. You had scanned the crowd of examinees several times over the past few minutes, but he was nowhere to be seen. The thought of him not passing had left you feeling relieved at first; his absence would allow you to put your full focus on the exam, but now it simply made you antsy. If he failed now, you had no guarantee of ever seeing him again and you might have very well lost your only opportunity of ever meeting him.

Any anxiety that had built up, however, quickly disappeared when you finally spotted him coming up the path. It didn't take long for your relief to be replaced with confusion, though, when you noticed Leorio's unconscious body hanging across his shoulder. He deposited the body against one of the trees along the edge of the clearing before settling against a neighboring one to wait.

Gon and Kurapika appeared just a few minutes later, scanning the crowd for whom you could only assume was the man Hisoka had been carrying. Curious to hear what might have happened between the four of you in your absence, you waved the two boys over to where you and Killua were waiting.

"If you're looking for Leorio, he's over near the trees." You pointed over in the direction you had just mentioned. "What happened to you guys though? He was unconscious when he arrived, but I think he's starting to wake up."

"We ran into Hisoka," Kurapika began, "and Leorio couldn't see it was a fight he wouldn't be able to win."

Upon hearing they had chanced a fight with Hisoka, you did a quick assessment over the two. They might have had the capability to become a Hunter, but it was obvious neither of them would stand a chance against someone like Hisoka who was sure to have more combat experience than the two of them combined. You weren't sure exactly how powerful the man was, but you were fairly sure he was even above your own level; his nen far stronger than your own.

Kurapika must have played it safe as he remained uninjured, but you could see the faintest of bruises beginning to form around Gon's neck even before you used your nen.

In all your time wondering about your soulmates, you had never stopped to consider the possibility of you being the one who would have no desire in pursuing a relationship. Seeing the way your parents had been had secured the idea in your head that you would be a perfect fit, while the result of your uncle's rejections had left you worried about being rejected yourself. And while you had contemplated what to do with Chrollo often, you had never stopped to think about treating Hisoka with the same caution and distrust until you saw the bruises along Gon's neck forming the outline of a handprint.

"Hey, Gon, do you mind if I take a quick look at your neck?" you asked, bending down to your knees to get a better look at the bruises before Gon could even accept your request. "Why'd he attack you guys, anyway?"

"Leorio and I saw him kill several of the other applicants who had surrounded him in the swamp, and while I told Leorio our best course of action would be to just run, he wouldn't do it. He might have even gotten himself killed if Gon hadn't come when he did."

"Do you two know each other from somewhere?" Gon asked as you inspected his throat. You were careful in your touch, gently tilting his neck to each side to assess the overall damage while you worked your aura into his body and began speeding up the recovery process. It wasn't nearly as bad as you had first assumed, but your anger towards the incident did leave you fully healing it. "He seemed pretty interested in you and asked about your name."

"No, I've never met him before." Your body tensed up, not at all liking what Gon's questions implied. If Hisoka had asked about you, then he knew. He most definitely knew. "Looks like it was just some mild abrasions, so you shouldn't have a thing to worry about."

"Wow, how'd you do that? It feels better already!" Gon replied, oblivious to the state his words had put you in. He twisted his neck back and forth, amazed by the new ease of the movement. "Do you think you could take a look at Leorio too?"

You paused, the conversation might have begun to turn away from the topic of yourself, but the new one wasn't any better. One glance in the direction Leorio was sitting you noticed how close he was to Hisoka, the latter of whom was currently assessing your small group with a smug smile across his face.

Oh, he most definitely knew.

You stifled the curse that threatened to roll out. You knew you wouldn't have been able to remain invisible for the entirety of the exam, but you had been hoping for a little more time than just the first phase. Now the only advantage you had over him was that your mark was safely tucked away beneath your clothing. He wouldn't be able to prove anything until he saw it and you didn't plan on showing it to him until after you had finished the exam and settled your own thoughts on the matter.

"Sure." You did your best to return Gon's smile, but you knew it didn't quite meet your eyes. And while Gon seemed oblivious to your current state, you saw that both Kurapika and Killua were assessing you more closely. Your reaction to Hisoka had not passed either of them by.

You wanted to stay as far away from Hisoka as possible, but knew it wouldn't matter. Not anymore. Not when you were confident he knew who you were at this point, so there was no reason for you to try and stay hidden anymore. And really, you should have known from the beginning what a useless plan it was. From what you could tell, there was only one other notable nen user beside the two of you, so he had probably picked you out the moment you had arrived at the exam.

“Don;t worry, Leorio, Miss y/n says she can help you.”

Well, if for some reason Gon hadn’t confirmed your name already, he had now. There was no way Hisoka hadn’t heard Gon’s words from just a few meters away and you inwardly cursed him and your bad luck for coming to the one exam he happened to be at too.

“You a doctor?”

You shook your head, trying your best to focus on the task at hand and not the eyes boring into your back. “My parents were though, so I’ve picked up on some things over the years.” Crouching down in front of him, you carefully prodded at the side of his face that was injured, using gyo once more to assess the damage. “It looks much worse than it is,” you murmured, tilting his head to the side as you patched up a few of the internal injuries. Hisoka must have gone easy on him because there were no broken bones or a concussion to worry about. Just a clean hit that would lead to a sore face over the next few days. “So, just try not to get hit in the head again, okay?”

“Well, it’s not like I did it on purpose, you know? At least, I don’t think I did.” Leorio’s face was heating up, whether by how close you were or his embarrassment from being beaten. “I don’t even know how I got beat up so badly in the first place. My memory is so hazy.”

“It would probably be a good idea to not tell him what happened,” Kurapika whispered as you climbed back to your feet, and all three of you nodded in agreement. The farther you all stayed away from Hisoka, the better.

“Excellent work, everyone.” Your conversation drew to a close as the first phase of the exam came to an official close. “The second phase will take place here in Visca Forest Park, so I will now take my leave. I wish you all the very best of luck.” And with his job now done, he made his way back into the swamp they had all just come from.

The gates to the park opened at his leave and you heard the next examiner calling you inside. With a new phase underway, you helped pull Leorio to his feet and followed the rest of the applicants into the gated grounds. It was a significantly smaller group than what you had started with, only around fifty or so applicants now left of the four hundred you had started with.

“Welcome all! I’m Menchi, your examiner for the second phase.” The girl who addressed your group was not quite what you had been expecting. Young, charismatic, and with a soulmark boldly on display beneath the mesh of her shirt, she was the exact opposite of the man who had led you through the first phase.

“And I’m Buhara.” The man behind her was also not what you had been expecting, with a build at least five times your own size.

“Sounds to me like you’re getting hungry,” Menchi continued after Buhara’s stomach growled loud enough to shake the ground near them.

“Not just hungry. I’m famished.”

“Well, there you have it. The second phase of the exam will be,” Menchi paused, drawing out the anticipation, “cooking!”

Cooking?

While just as surprised as the rest of the applicants, you could feel the relief flooding through you. If there was one thing you did pride yourself on, it was your skill at cooking. Your mother had taught you the basics when you were young, but you had really flourished when you had been taken in by your uncle. He had an innate ability to ruin just about anything he touched when it came to cooking, and you had quickly learned it was in both of your best interests for you to take over the cooking from then on.

You understood the complaints held by the other examinees, however. What did cooking really have to do with being a Hunter? Not even your uncle, a Triple-Star Hunter, himself, would have been able to pass a phase like this, but it left you feeling more confident than you had for the first phase. If all you had to do was prepare a meal that would satisfy each of them, then well, you were pretty sure you had already guaranteed passing this phase as well.

But despite your excitement, the majority of the other applicants turned from disbelief to amusement upon learning the two examiners were Gourmet Hunters, and it was pissing Menchi off. You could see where they were coming from, as much as you loved cooking, you had never wanted to center your whole life pursuing it, but you also knew these two were more than met the eye. Not only did they have enough skill to pass the exam at a relatively young age, but there were plenty of natural ingredients that took some level of determination and skill to obtain.

“Today’s required ingredient will be pork. Feel free to use meat from any species of pig in Visca Forest. Once you have acquired your meat, you will use these cooking facilities to prep your pork dishes. To pass the exam, you must create a dish to satisfy our discriminating palates.”

So that must have been what the real challenge of the second phase was, obtaining the pork. And though it did set you a bit on edge, wondering just how hard it would be to obtain, you still felt relatively at ease, confident in your ability to do whatever task they had set before you.

“But we won’t be evaluating on taste alone, so you better take this seriously. Is that clear?”

Menchi’s mood had soured tremendously since the beginning, and you were beginning to wonder if the other examinees’ lack of seriousness from the beginning had just put you all at a serious disadvantage. “When we’ve both eaten our fill, this portion of the exam will be over.”

“Let the exam’s second phase begin!”

With the second phase officially underway, you followed the rest of the examinees into the forest to search for the main ingredient. It wasn’t until you had started parting ways with the rest of the examinees, that you noticed the four boys from the first phase had stuck close to you. Without quite realizing it, you had become a part of their group and had formed a temporary alliance. And though you had no desire forming an alliance with anyone when you had started the exam, you enjoyed the company this unexpected friendship had brought, especially Gon and Killua who were beginning to feel like the younger brothers you had never had. And in the end, you knew having allies could be beneficial. Especially allies you knew you could trust.

“Man, this is way easier than the first phase,” Leorio stated in between his half-hearted effort calling for the pigs. The swelling in his face had gone down a bit, and he seemed to be in a much better mood than he was before.

“I just hope it’s as simple as it seems,” Kurapika replied, mirroring your own thoughts. You had been confident when you had first set off, but after nearly ten minutes of searching, you were beginning to wonder if the phase wasn’t nearly as easy as it was made out to be. And with the mood Menchi had gone into, you didn’t put it past her to make the phase impossible for any of you to pass.

“Hey, guys, look!”

It was Gon who spotted them first, taking off down a hill before any of you could process what had happened. You quickly followed after him, thankful the pigs actually existed, but your relief was short lasting when you finally saw the pigs for yourself.

These were no normal pigs. Standing at least four times the height of any pig you had seen back home and with a snout that looked as though it could pack its fair share of a punch. You could feel your confidence dwindling at that moment, having spent years practicing combat against humans and other nen users, but not anything such as the creature before you.

“Are they chewing on bones?”

The pigs hadn’t noticed your group at first, but upon Leorio’s question, your presence had become known. A split second later, the pig who had caught sight of you first let out a ear splitting squeal causing the entire herd to start charging towards you.

The five of you reacted instantaneously, running away from the herd as quickly as you could. You had thought you wouldn’t be able to run a single step more after the first phase, but you soon realized you could still go quite a bit further when a herd of giant, angry pigs were chasing after you. How you were going to kill one without killing yourself, you weren’t sure just yet, especially once you saw just how far one of those snouts could throw a person.

If you could just get a few moments of peace, you were sure you could think of something. All you had to do was get close enough to create a connection that would allow you to snap the pig’s neck. While you weren’t familiar with this specific breed of pig, you couldn’t imagine them being much different from the pigs you were used to. In order to help hone your ability, your uncle had often sent you to help the local farmers out in slaughtering their livestock. An act you had seen the purpose of - you couldn’t practice it on other humans, after all - but never enjoyed. Even after all the years of training, the ability to end a life so swiftly and easily still frightened you.

Taking a brief moment to assess your surroundings, you noticed the overhang of a branch just up ahead. Darting off towards it, you pulled yourself to safety above the rampaging herd. One of the pigs saw you, however, and ran full force into the trunk before you even had a second to catch your breath. You swore, barely managing to grab a nearby branch to keep yourself from being thrown off.

Upon seeing how the action left the pig dazed, you knew this might be your one chance to act. Jumping down on top of its back, you slammed both of your hands down on top of it. The pig reared beneath you, but you managed to hold the contact just long enough for you to work your aura through its body, feeling the spot you were looking for and… snap.

The pig was cut off mid-squeal, frozen for just a second before the weight of his body left him slamming into the ground. You jumped off before you got yourself smashed, taking a few seconds to let yourself breathe now that the rest of the herd had moved on.

Gon, Killua, and the others caught up with you on your way back to the villa, each one dragging a dead pig of their own behind them. You set up shop at stations beside each other in the middle, but while they each set their pig up to roast, you were the only one to start looking at the rest of the ingredients you had each been given.

“What are you doing?”

“Cooking?”

You looked up from the garlic you had been mincing to see Leorio peering over at your station. You had felt his curious gaze among others for a while now, but had just assumed they were trying to get a few hints and tricks from watching you. All of them, that is, except for one. You had felt Hisoka’s eyes boring into you ever since you had gotten back, unabashedly taking you in from a few stations behind you.

“I’m making sweet and sour pork,” you continued, doing your best to ignore it and thankful you were familiar enough with the recipe and act of cooking to not allow his gaze to distract you too much from the task at hand. “What are you making?” You turned your gaze to his station, too absorbed in your own task to really take a look around you and see what everyone else was up to.

Leorio laughed. “Why go through all that effort when you can pass with just the pig?”

“I like cooking.” You shrugged, unperturbed about putting in a little extra effort when it wasn’t much harder in your mind. And it gave you a distraction from the man who seemed keen in taking in each of your movements from behind. “Well, that, and the fact I’m hungry and it sounds good.” This was also true. Besides the handful of nuts you had shared with Killua after the first phase, you hadn’t had anything else to eat and you were starting to get hungry. Menchi and Buhara never mentioned anything about not being able to sneak a few bites here and there, and you weren’t about to let good food go to waste.

You were grateful you had stuck with it too when the first wave of examiners started turning in their own pigs only to receive negative reviews from Menchi. Either she was just super particular about her food, or she was taking out her anger on them from before. Whatever her reason was, however, you were starting to sweat alongside the rest of them. You may have had some experience in cooking, but you had never had to butcher your own meat before. You had a general idea of which cuts were the best to use, but were still nervous when it came to how your dish would turn out. Just because you liked it, didn’t mean Menchi would.

After each of your four friends had their own dishes turned away, they started coming to you for help. You could feel the gaze of the other examiners beginning to become more frequent as well, trying to mimic your work for their own. You helped them out as much as you could while balancing your own dishes, giving them ideas and showing them how to execute certain processes. But in the end, there was no point. Just as you were putting yours together and gathering the confidence to have it judged, Menchi stood up and addressed you all.

“I’m pretty stuffed, so none of you pass on to the next phase. Exam’s over!”

The fork in your hand dropped at Menchi’s statement, wondering if you had just heard her correctly. Was the exam really over? Had you all really just failed?

The field grew silent at first, just a few murmurings among the applicants checking to see if they had all just heard her right and if she really had failed them all. But once the shock had passed, the uproar was swift to hit. The worst of it coming from an examinee numbered 255, who smashed his entire workstation with his fist in retaliation.

“Say what you want, but you all still failed.” Menchi didn’t relent. Despite how much he and the others were beginning to protest, she stuck to her decision without any hint of wavering. Not even when he went to attack her, causing Buhara to send him soaring through the air.

But despite the uproar he and the others were making in that moment, you quickly realized they were not the real threat. While everyone had focused on Menchi and the other examiner, it was Hisoka who caught your attention.

Whatever interest he had held for you earlier was gone, his full attention focused on the blue haired examiner before him. You could feel the anger radiating off of him, unable to completely conceal his bloodlust behind his suave exterior. He held another playing card in his hand and you were swiftly reminded of the reason he had been disqualified the prior year. But before he could throw it or you could do something to stop him, a voice from an intercom up above interrupted them all.

“Well, that said, it seems a bit excessive to fail every single applicant.”

A giant airship could be seen coming up from behind the villa. With the Hunter Association logo printed clearly on one side, it was clear who the blimp belonged to, but not as to why they had now made an appearance in the exam.

You didn’t have to wait long. Once the airship reached the area directly above you, someone jumped out of the side and landed with a blow that left the whole ground rumbling. Dust went spiraling from the force, but it was impossible for you to hold back a gasp when it finally settled and you saw who was now standing there.

“Chairman Netero?” you questioned, more to yourself than to anyone in particular. What was he doing here?

“You know him?” Kurapika asked.

You nodded. “He’s the head of the exam committee and has been friends with my uncle for longer than I’ve been alive. They used to be a part of the same Hunter group back before my uncle retired, and I think they even took the exam together. He used to come visit us occasionally when I was younger.”

But that didn’t explain why he was here now. You had expected to see him towards the end of the exam, but not now. And the only explanation that seemed plausible was that his appearance had something to do with the fact they had all just been failed by Menchi.

“Oh, I just tend to work behind the scenes,” Netero began once Menchi had introduced him to the rest of the crowd. “I just intervene when little issues like this one pop up. Did you really choose to fail all this year’s applicants based on their general reluctance to challenge the unknown?”

“I’m sorry, sir. I just snapped when one of the applicants insulted the Gourmet Hunters and I made the exam harder than necessary on the rest of them. I feel like I must resign as examiner, so if you will, please let them retake the second phase.”

Your heart soared at Menchi’s request. Were they really going to let you retake the second phase? Did you still have a chance at passing the Hunter Exam?

And with Netero swiftly approving Menchi’s request, as long as she participated in it with them this time around, you could feel the panic from earlier beginning to fade away. It wasn’t over, not yet. You still had a chance to pass, just so long as Menchi’s decision to go boil some eggs wasn’t as impossible as the first dish had been.

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“Wow, that was a lot of fun!”

“And delicious!” you added to Gon’s statement with a smile of your own before popping the last bit of your egg into your mouth as you made your way back to the airship that had previously brought you here.

Much to your relief, the second attempt had been far simpler than the first. Menchi had taken you all to a place called Split Mountain where you had been tasked with obtaining one of the eggs rooted between the two cliffs that made up the mountain. And though you had slight reservations in the beginning - heights really had never been your thing - Gon had been right. Once you were back on solid ground, the act had been quite fun and the eggs delicious.

With the second phase now completed, Netero gave you and the remaining forty-two applicants a brief introduction before giving you free reign of the ship for the next twelve hours. Gon and Killua ran off nearly immediately to go explore, but you remained behind with Kurapika and Leorio, feeling their sentiments of wanting to relax and eat while you had the chance.

“I just realized they never told us how many phases there are,” Kurapika said as you made your way towards the bedrooms.

“Say, you’re right. They haven’t said anything.” Leorio turned to you. “You know the chairman, y/n. How many phases do we have left?”

You shrugged. “I may know him, but I’m just as in the dark as you are. I only know what snippets I’ve picked up since the exam started. It seems most people have said there’s usually five or six.”

“She’s right. That’s about how many there’s been as long as I’ve been doing this.”

Your body tensed at the voice that spoke up behind you, integrating himself into the conversation you had been having. It was the same man who had tried to poison you earlier that morning and get you out of the exam before it had even started. Tonpa, the rookie crusher.

“If that’s the case, we should probably go rest now. Who knows when our next chance will be,” Kurapika replied, turning back around to follow through with his original plan, but Tonpa stopped your group once more.

“Okay, but I’d be careful if I were you. They only told us when we would be arriving tomorrow, not when the third phase would take place. The last thing you would want would be to wake up and find the third phase had come and gone without you.”

“I suppose that makes sense.” Kurapika milled over his words. While you knew it was just another scheme he had whipped up to see you fail - Tonpa’s body screamed of his real, manipulative intent while there had been nothing but honesty from Netero and his secretary - he and Leorio seemed to be inclined into believing him.

“I wouldn’t worry about it to much. The third phase won’t start until tomorrow morning,” you butted in, fighting a yawn. “He’s just trying to keep you from getting any sleep tonight so you’ll fail the next phase.”

“Yeah, and what makes you so sure? I thought you said you didn’t know anything.”

“I don’t. I just know when someone’s lying, and right now, the only honest thing that’s come out of his mouth is to confirm the number of phases.”

Leorio opened his mouth to dispute you once again, but Kurapika cut him off. “She did know who was telling the truth in the swamp, remember? I think she really can detect when someone’s lying,” he began, head tilting as he took your figure in. “And why would she lie to us now? She did her best to help us pass the last phase, and I don’t doubt she would have passed the first attempt if she didn’t waste so much of her own time on helping us. Why would she sacrifice herself to try and help us pass only to trick us later on?”

Leorio’s face reddened at Kurapika’s words, but he wasn’t the only one. You couldn’t fight your own blush from blooming at the younger man’s praise. You hadn’t thought about how your actions may have prevented you from passing the second phase, nor had it dawned on you until now that those few precious minutes might have allowed you to submit your dish on time.

“You’re right. Good thing you’re with us, y/n.”

“There’s no guarantee my dish would have passed, you know?” you replied once you had all bid Tonpa farewell, doing your best to ignore Tonpa’s frustrations towards you for openly calling his scheme out. You’d have to make sure to keep an extra close watch on him in the future, unsure whether or not he would attempt to retaliate. “I think Menchi was determined to make sure all of us failed, regardless of how any of them had tasted.”

“Are you kidding me? That was delicious! There’s no way she could have turned her nose up at that,” Leorio exclaimed, having eaten the majority of your meal once you realized it had all been for nothing. “Where’d you learn to cook like that?”

“My mom taught me the basics when I was younger, but it really just took lots of practice and experimentation.” You laughed, fighting another blush at his praise. “Maybe once the exam is over, you can come visit me in my village and I can cook for you all. Sort of a celebration dinner for passing the exam.”

You were surprised by how much you meant the invitation. You hadn’t come in with any intention of making friends, but after everything you had gone through and would go through, it felt strange just parting ways afterwards. And while Leorio was still a little iffy in your mind, you thoroughly enjoyed Kurapika’s company, as well as Gon’s and Killua’s.

When the two decided they would be heading straight to bed, you bid the two goodnight and made your way down the hall to shower. You were just as exhausted as they were, and terribly hungry, but you also couldn’t wait to wash off, hating the sticky feeling of the sweat and grime that covered you from the day’s events. And if you showered first, it would give the dining hall some time to clear out before you made your way down there, giving you a bit of privacy and a chance to relax. After a day surrounded by people, you wanted as much peaceful time to yourself as you could get. Especially when you had no idea when your next chance would be.

You sighed when you stepped into the shower, just standing and soaking up the warmth of the water for the first few minutes. Not only did it feel nearly heavenly to finally strip your skin clean, but it also helped to soothe your tired muscles before you had the chance to use your aura and do it yourself.

Once you were clean, you quickly washed the clothes you had been wearing as best you could with what you had on hand. You had another set of clothes in your bag, but they were for more casual wear than actual training, so as long as you set the clothes out to dry overnight, they would be ready for you in the morning. They wouldn’t be the cleanest, but it would still be better than what they were after today, and the last thing you wanted to do was put them back on after finally getting clean.

When you were done, you tugged the oversized sweater and shorts on. Unlike your other shirt with its turtleneck, the sweater left the edges of the soulmark along your neck and upper torso showing. You didn’t normally hide either mark completely when you went out and about in your village, but you did tend to cover the majority of them. While most of the villagers were unable to see either mark, the fear of someone recognizing the spider kept it hidden under a layer of clothes at all times. You didn’t usually mind the outer traces of the web showing like it was now, as no one would be able to tell what it actually was, but today was different. With Hisoka on this ship alongside you, you were afraid of what might happen if he saw it.

It wasn’t just that you were anxious about how he might react to you having two soulmates, but how he might react knowing exactly what it meant. You’d be lying if you said the mark didn’t embarrass you at times, leaving you to often wonder how the universe thought one of them was a perfect match for you. Sometimes you would even wonder if it had been some mistake, some error in the universe, but upon meeting Hisoka, you began to fear this wasn’t the case at all.

You were by far perfect yourself, well aware of the blood that covered your own hands. No matter how much you strove to be the person your parents would be proud of, nothing you did would be able to make up for your past sins. Perhaps no mistake had been made after all, and your relation to them was simply a dark reflection on yourself, showing who you truly were inside.

You didn’t know what you were going to do, only able to use the exam as an excuse to put it aside for so much longer. Sooner or later you would have to come to a conclusion, if Hisoka didn’t end up making one for you. And if that was the case, you needed to prepare yourself for whatever that might be and the rejection that could surely follow.

Sighing, you ran a hand through your hair, fidgeting with the strands until they hid the rest of your mark from view. You didn’t want to go out, not with the way your mood had suddenly soured and not with the threat of running into Hisoka, but you needed to eat. After the way the exam had started, and with no guarantee of food in the future, you needed to make sure you ate and refueled your body while you could.

So, before you could talk yourself out of it, you slipped your fingerless gloves back on and made your way back out into the hall. Dropping the majority of your belongings in the room Leorio and Kurapika had crashed into, you headed over to the dining hall to eat.

There were only a few other examinees still hanging around in the dining hall when you arrived, making it easy for you to spot the one person you had been hoping wouldn’t be there. He was settled in the corner of the hall, empty plates discarded across the table and replaced with a half-built tower of cards. The way his eyes snapped in your direction the moment you entered the hall, all but telling you he had been waiting for you.

You fought the urge to leave and head back to the bedroom, knowing your quick escape would only make things worse for you in the long run. Instead, you shifted the edge of your sweater to ensure the mark was covered and made your way to the buffet table as quickly as you could without giving your nerves away and without another glance in his direction. Your appetite had almost disappeared from the nerves his presence brought, but you couldn’t leave now. You needed to eat and as long as you grabbed something, you could then disappear into some random corner of the ship and eat your meal in peace. There were plenty of benches along the windows in the hallways you could go to, all of which were better spots than anywhere in this room.

Once you had a semi-full plate, you left the room without a second glance in anyone’s direction and wandered around the ship until you landed at a spot far enough away to make you comfortable. Pulling yourself up onto the ledge next to the window, you leaned against the pole behind you and turned your gaze to the world passing by beneath you.

“y/n, wasn’t it?”

You had just begun to relax when you heard the voice behind you a few minutes later. Turning your gaze upwards, you took in the hazy reflection of him in the window and hoped he didn’t notice how his sudden appearance affected you.

He had certainly wasted no time.

“Can I help you?” You tried to keep your voice as even as possible, hoping your attempt at disinterest would make him give up and leave like all the others before.

“That depends.”

Taking your reply as permission, he jumped onto the ledge opposite you, pulling one leg up to his chest while the other was left dangling off the edge. He extended his hand in greeting, which you were quick to note was his left. You debated whether or not to take, fearing he would pull something to get a look at your own mark all the while searching for any sign of his own beneath his bracelets.

“My, there’s no need to be so defensive, sweetheart.” Though he seemed unfazed by your choice of remaining still. “I had you pinned as a manipulator, you know, but who knows, maybe you really are a conjurer. You’re definitely guarded enough to be. It’s simply killing all these little men’s egos. They haven’t quite decided what’s worse, that a young, pretty woman doesn’t want anything to do with them, or that she might just be better than them.”

“And what do you think?” Your eyes narrowed, wondering just what he was trying to get at by this conversation all the while doing your best to stop your cheeks from tinting by the way he had offhandedly just complimented you.

“Oh, the former most definitely. I have no qualms with the fact your talent is miles above the other applicants. In fact, the idea of finding out just all that you can do is really quite exciting indeed.” He smiled, though it did little to settle your nerves, and stole a strawberry from your plate. “Which is why I wish to propose an alliance.”

His words surprised you, leaving you struggling to come up with a response. Out of all the things you expected to come out of his mouth, the last thing you expected was for him to propose an alliance for the exam.

“I don’t need an alliance.” You shook your head, turning your head back to the window unable to hold his gaze any longer. What had prompted him to suggest one? Was it simply a way for him to get closer to you and see just all you were capable of like he suggested, or was it something else? Something more along the lines of believing you were incapable of finishing the exam by yourself. “Nor do I want one.”

“Oh, is that so? Then just why do you continue to stick around those four boys of yours?” Hisoka’s head tilted, tone playfully accusing as he caught you in a lie. “You wouldn’t happen to be in alliance with them, now would you?”

“That’s different.”

His brow lifted, silently prompting you to elaborate, but you were saved a response when your name was called from further down the hall. Peering past Hisoka’s shoulder, you saw Gon and Killua coming down the hall with Netero in tow.

Both boys seemed taken back at seeing you alone with Hisoka, eyes glancing in between the two of you as they approached. You inwardly cursed at your luck, knowing fully well how the situation might look from the outside and the questions that were bound to come later when they caught you alone.

“Mr. Netero said if we can beat him in a game, he’ll make us Hunters!” Gon recovered first, eyes focusing on you as he spoke. “Do you want to play too, y/n?”

“No, I’m okay.” You forced a smile as you shook your head, doing your best to ignore Killua’s curious eyes beside him. Out of the two of them, Killua was the one more likely to question her on just what Hisoka had wanted from her, a question she didn’t have the answer to. “I’m about to head to bed here in a minute, anyways.” Even if you weren’t exhausted by the first two phases, you had no desire to partake in whatever game Netero had proposed. Not when you knew you would have better luck passing the exam on your own than beating Netero at anything.

“Ah, y/n, it has been a while, hasn’t it? I don’t think I would have even recognized you if Goro hadn’t told me you were participating this year. You’ve grown quite a bit these past few years.” Netero smiled at you, unperturbed by whose company you were in, unlike the other two who were still eyeing Hisoka with distrust. Hisoka, on the other hand, paid them little mind, much more interested in your conversation with the chairman. “How is your uncle, dear? I can’t get much out of him these days, all he ever wants to talk about is you.”

Your cheeks tinted, embarrassed by your uncle’s mentions of you. “If he’s not starved in my absence, then he’s doing just fine. Retirement hasn’t seemed to hold much of an impact on him; he can still pack one hell of a punch,” you replied, having felt enough hits from him over the years to know he was just as capable as he was fifty years ago. Even with all your training and your ability to heal yourself in a fight, you had still never managed to beat him fairly in a fight, and yet, he had announced you more than ready to take the Hunter Exam on your twenty-second birthday last fall.

“And you as well, from what I’ve been hearing.” Netero laughed at your statement. “I’m looking forward to seeing just how you do, but for now I’m afraid I will have to bid you good luck and let you get back to your previous conversation. I’m quite eager to see what all these two can do.”

Netero bid you goodbye with a wave of his hand before leaving, allowing Killua one final look between you and Hisoka before following afterwards.

Speaking of Hisoka, you felt your nerves return as the others left, leaving you alone with him once more. He didn’t seem upset by the interruption, and there was a gleam in his eyes that hadn’t been there before, as though something said had caught his interest.

“Well, if all you needed was to ask whether or not I would form an alliance with you, then I believe we’re done here as I hold no interest in one.” You jumped up from your seat, stretching out your muscles in an attempt to loosen yourself up. While you were indeed tired and ready for bed, you were much more interested in finding a valid excuse to get away from him. “Goodnight.”

You turned just in time to catch his movements in the reflection of the window beside you, but not quite fast enough to stop him completely. His hand grabbed your wrist, pulling you back towards him and tugging the collar of your sweater low enough to see the name that resided there.

“My, what an interesting turn of event,” he hummed, brushing the remainder of your hair out of the way. “Seems like our sweet, little y/n has a spider for a mate.”

“And what of it?” You could feel your face getting hot and reached for his wrist to pull it away and cover the mark back up. “I’ve never met him, so if it’s information you’re after, I don’t know anything.”

“Oh, I’m aware.” Hisoka’s reply made you stop, leaving your hand momentarily wrapped around his wrist. “He’s been looking for you for some time now. The fact you’ve evaded him for this long is quite the impressive feat.”

“You know him?”

You couldn’t keep the surprise out of your face. While you were shocked at hearing Hisoka might have met her other mate before, you were just as equally shocked to hear he had been looking for you. Did that mean he wanted you? And while the thought sent a shiver of excitement coursing through you, it was quickly followed by fear. What if he found you? What would happen then?

“Perhaps.” Hisoka’s head tilted, that unnerving smile of his just as present as ever. If he was deterred by the fact you had another soulmate, he didn’t let it show. But based on where this conversation was heading, you were beginning to wonder if he hadn’t known all along. And he had to, right? Because he had known exactly who the man was without seeing the full figure of the spider that laid lower on your chest, a fact that didn't hit you until that moment. “And with the right persuasion, I might just be able to introduce you.”

“And just what sort of persuasion are we talking about?”

“Oh, I’m not too picky on the details. You can start by becoming my ally for the exam and then who knows just what it might bloom into after that. I think I'm beginning to quite like your company, after all.”

You could feel the blush working its way up to the back of your neck, uncertain if he was referring to what you believed he might be. He took advantage of your shock, using his free hand to reach for your left wrist, but you were prepared this time around. Using the grip you still had on his arm, you turned, tugging him hard enough to knock his balance off just long enough for you to paralyze his arm for the time being. Your fingers worked their way up his arm, hitting each pressure point along the joints before finishing with one last jab at the juncture where his neck met his shoulder before letting him go and creating some much needed distance between you.

You expected cold retaliation, remembering what had happened to the others who had antagonized him and readied yourself for his incoming attack. But it never came. His eyes only traveled to the left arm now hanging uselessly at his side before back up at you, all the while giggling.

“It seems my initial guess was correct. You are a manipulator.” You didn’t understand why he was smiling like that, more unnerved by his amusement at the whole situation instead of the bloodlust you had been expecting. “How exciting.”

“You’ll regain full motion of your arm in time for the third phase tomorrow.” You couldn’t keep the shudder from racking through your body at the way he was now looking at you. “As for your proposal, I’m afraid I’m still going to refuse. I don’t need your help with the exam and I don’t need your help in finding him.”

And with one final look, you gathered up your belongings as quickly as you could and took off in the direction of your room, hoping he wouldn’t dare follow and not stopping until the door was firmly shut behind you.

♥♡♠♤♣♧♦♢

taglist: @mandysfanfics

#hxh #hxh fic #hunter x hunter #hisoka x reader #hisoka morrow #chrollo x reader #chrollo lucilfer #anime #soulmate au

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