Red stained the water as it swirled down the drain. Steam saturated the large washroom, but it would never wash away any of Hisoka's numerous sins. He scrubbed anyway, unbothered by the reality that his twisted nature and life would always remain that way. 

Screams echoed across his mind, and he revelled in the recent memory of ripping flesh apart, ending those who stalked Violet. More enticing was the glint of dark excitement in her eyes as she did the same to her prey in the alleyway. How could someone who walked so easily in the world of light have such an attractive dark side? 

It didn't matter, but it certainly captivated him all the same. Wrapping a towel around himself, he replaced the fabric on his back with the large spider tattoo with the number four in the middle. He would be better to leave following his fight with Gon to travel to Yorknew. The Roydan group, also known as the Spider or Phantom troupe, had strict instructions to meet in Yorknew at the end of August. But there was over a month before then, more than enough time to play longer with Violet. Time enough to receive his fill of her and break the string that seemed to bind them to one another. 

But did he even want it severed? 

The door opened on his pull, spreading leftover steam into the hallway and grand living room. A floor lamp illuminated the otherwise dark room. It touched Violet's form, casting a soft glow across her skin, where she rested on his couch. Her shopping bags were collected in a messy pile by the couch while she clutched her phone, hugging it into her body as she rested. 

It is odd that someone would put a bounty on her head. There is no doubt many lost bets when I didn't murder her in our fight. As she shifted a touch, her hair fell over the edge of the cushion, falling in a smooth tumble like silk. Reaching down, he took a small bundle of the smooth strands into his fingers and twirled the golden dirty blonde locks through his fingers. But to place a bounty so high that multiple groups would come to collect? That doesn't match up. 

No doubt remained in his mind; there was more to the story of her bounty than what they discovered that evening. He could be certain of one thing: no one was touching what was his.

Yes, the threat could provide her with an excellent opportunity to hone and improve her skills as a fighter and aid in the mastery of her Nen. But she lacked education and training. Could she handle the threat and learn through experience alone, as he had? For the first time in his life, he battled with the answer. It was true others had failed this test, and he deemed them unworthy of dying by his hand when that was the case. 

She was different, war-inducingly so. 

Let her run the same gauntlet every other toy did, or provide further protection and training? He'd already reached far beyond what he'd ever done to protect any other prospect in the past. 

With a deep sigh, he dropped her hair. On a swift scanning glance, her injuries appeared superficial and already well sealed. No first aid was required, and he admired her quick reflexes during the fight. Nen bullets were dangerous items for any novice. She avoided injury where others would have died. 

That punch to her gut was no joke... Gingerly, he lifted her shirt and found black, green, and purple discolouration fanning out into the already discoloured areas, still healing from their fight. It could have been far worse, but tension snagged his chest in a cold, uncomfortable way. He replaced her shirt over her stomach to preserve her dignity. You may hate me for this, but I won't allow you to leave until that's properly healed. You're far too reckless with your health, and if worry keeps you from resting, then you can push that all onto me. 

Dimming the lamp light, he turned to rest in his bed but halted before reaching the destination. Correcting his course, he returned and lifted one of the footrests where blankets remained tucked away. Grabbing the soft cotton piece, he fanned it out before draping it over the sleeping form of his consistent house guest. 

"Rest well, Violet," he whispered before disappearing into the bedroom. 

The door remained ajar in his room. He couldn't see her from the angle of the furniture and room layout, but it was enough to sense and hear her without issue. Watching the dark ceiling as he listened to her rhythmic breathing, disappointment saturated his mind. He'd wanted to interact with her more, but waking her wouldn't aid anything. She needed the rest, and they would have tomorrow morning. With the right mood and interactions, they might even be able to play again. 

Sleep was never something he needed in vast amounts. It proved an easy task to go for days without it, but he was more at ease receiving four to five hours a day. However, a technique most Nen user learned early on was to sleep while maintaining awareness of their surroundings. Even before he learned Nen, sleep had never been deep. Children in the slumps of Glam Glass Land, his home town, were taken if they lacked vigilance and cunning. His mother taught him how to hone those skills at a young age. It kept them alive and surviving far longer than others. 

He loathed recalling the past. Yet that was where his mind wandered as the music of Violet's breathing in the otherwise silent apartment lulled him to darkness. It lasted for an unforetold time. The echoing shrieks called through the hollow emptiness. With it, the memory of cold fear bit his tongue and sweat laced his skin. 

Her voice whispered through the darkness, spoken as if it hadn't been years piling on years since he last heard those sweet vowels call him. The phrase he couldn't forget. 

"Don't look, Hisoka, my love."

Of course, he knew that. Intelligence saved him in his youth as much as it did now that he was in his thirtieth year. That didn't stop the urge to know, to see, to witness what his ears already knew. A part of him wished he'd never opened his eyes to look into her striking amber ones, a few shades darker than his own eyes. He should have listened to his mother's warnings. But a larger part needed to help her, save her from a fate he couldn't begin to surmount a defence against. A position he vowed never to be in again. 

"Don't leave the shadows; stay hidden, Hisoka. Hush now, or they'll find you. Stay in the dark." 

Shrill screams and harrowing shrieks invaded the world around him, rousing him with a start. As loud as his mother's had been that night, but she was long gone, and her cries were echos alone. The ones that bounced off the walls in terror drew him with strength to ease the anxiety. Rushing into the living room on instinct alone, darkness saturated the room, only disturbed by the starlight shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Tossing and fighting in the dark, Violet contorted her face and body as a nightmare struck once more. 

He sighed and forced the loose strands of hair out of his eyes, pushing them backwards with a palm. "You said the night terrors were improving..."

Fixing his nightshirt that laid loose over his sweatpants, he approached the couch. She was tense and grinding her teeth more than was healthy. Squatting, he placed a hand gently over her arm. The struggle wasn't as severe as the night he found her ripping her arms apart, and the longer he connected with her, the more she calmed.  

"What exactly has you so distraught this time, darling?"

With a tenderness he couldn't explain, he lifted her slowly into bridal style. Turning, he walked towards the bedroom when a dull clunk vibrated along the tile floor. Shifting her against his chest, he held her settled form with one arm, then picked up the phone she dropped with the other. Carefully, he set her hidden treasure on the end table before moving them both into his bedroom. Given the scuffs and lack of care, the device itself didn't matter much to her. It was merely the vehicle she used to hide what she truly coveted. Her behaviour clinging to it in sleep revealed much of the sorrowful answers to questions he'd pondered since meeting her. 

Laying back, he rested her against his chest, and the familiar warmth invaded his soul as it always did any time they were close. Rubbing her back, he said, "You're safe... Just rest." 

The nightmare seemed to pass, and her body relaxed in an alluring way against his own. If she found comfort in their shared heat, there was no need to return her to the couch. He considered removing himself to let her keep the rest of the night in the bed but found spikes of tension taking hold at the thought of leaving her alone. 

All the behaviours he acted out around her were foreign. Yet, they seemed so natural and intuitive. The reason for his responses was becoming harder to deny, but it was ludicrous to assume he, of all people, could be afflicted by such things. But he'd never experienced strong emotions since childhood, and they grew every day. They were muted and likely a dull version of what another would experience, but the vibrance grew with every interaction. 

 There had to be another explanation, so he clung to the more reasonable history; he was merely invested temporarily. Everything would pass with time, and he wouldn't think deeply about it, enjoying the entertainment until everything ended, as such things always did for Hisoka.  

Still, her scent was lovely, with hints of fresh nature and wafts of strawberry accompanying him back to rest. Tightening his hold, he held her close. For her security or for them both? That he couldn't answer and didn't bother as sleep took hold again.

She started moving more than expected after another few hours, and he roused in response. Annoyance coloured his mood this time. It was one thing to be waken once, but several times during a night drew on even his patience. He remained still, hoping she would douse off as well.  

She shifted, and her breath fanned across his neck in a light puff, and he knew she watched his face. Rolling on her side, she rested her head on his chest and cuddled into position against his arm and body. His heart thumped and skipped; with it, warmth saturated his core, followed by a relaxation he'd never experienced before. 

Opening his eyes, he peered at her as she quickly drifted back to dreams. "Why did you really come to my room earlier? ♠"

"I was stress...ed. I'm comfortable... with you. You let me be me without judgement...I like it," she answered, her voice heavily laced with sleep.

Hisoka began stroking her hair and was pleased with her response to it. "Do you always hide yourself from others? ♠"

"Yes." She spoke hardly above a whisper. "I like it when you play with my hair. It feels nice."

A soft smile broke across his lips. "I'm glad you enjoy it." He paused before asking, "Why do you hide your true self? I quite like her. She is beautiful, strong, and soft."

Hisoka loved her fierceness and the challenge of figuring her out. However, between the indifferent expression that only leaked emotions for split seconds and her roundabout way of answering questions to hide the full truth, it was nice to be able to find out a bit more without the trouble.

"Safety. They... hurt me when I show myself..." She nuzzled into his chest, and the slightest sniffle sounded. "I like being myself around you. It's nice just to be, without worry."

Hisoka frowned and became uncomfortable with that answer. It hit too close to home for him. He held her closer, disliking the nature of where this might be headed. "Who hurt you? And how?"

She whimpered, and her face contorted in pain. Viscous hatred for the context of her reaction clawed in battle fury against his mind and chest, and the memory of her back scar blazed across his mind.

"Lots of... ways..." She swallowed hard. 

"Do you have anyone else in your life? On your side." 

She gave a half laugh laced with exhaustion. "Shouldn't you have asked me if I was single before we slept together? No, there is no one. I'm...alone. Everyone is gone... Please, I don't want to re-live any of this. It hurts, and it's in the past."

He moved his hand to her shoulder, soothingly rubbing his thumb along her arm again. He wasn't one to comfort others, ever receive it himself, and, honestly, hadn't the foggiest clue how to do it for another. Yet, whenever this kitten seemed to need it most, he found a way.

Weakness in others was a common target for him. But the weakness within her? That he wanted to ease and erase. He couldn't exploit it any more than he could toss Violet from his bed. Instead, he found himself pondering how he could aid her. 

He closed his eyes and smirked as she began snoring. It was the most adorable sound she'd graced him with hearing. Any thought of aggravation or aggression towards the sound never appeared. She could do no wrong, and as much as he enjoyed it, the thought unnerved him. Had she become his strength or greatest weakness? Time would tell, but he didn't want to risk discovering such knowledge. The cost was too high. But for the night, he would sleep with her, sharing his heat, bed, and so much more.