Chapter 25 - At Water's Edge

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From what Hisoka tells me, shortly after our makeout session, I was in and out of consciousness. I finally focused my attention enough on a patch of flora around us and used its nen to heal myself. I did wake last night on the ground to find Hisoka spooning me, his arms wrapped around mine. He was wide awake and looked down at me with a smile. I think I smiled back before going back to sleep. It was like a guardian angel was watching over me. I thought it was a dream til I woke up the final time and saw that I was still in his arms. It was a hot day like any other and yet fog begins to build up in the air. Creatures of the outback chirp and howl lightly. Frogs, monkeys, warblers by the sound. The air feels almost as moist as the water in the distance.

I gently move away from him and put up my hair. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Around," he answers.

"How'd you find me?"

He places a hand on the back of his neck and stretches. "When I didn't hear from you, I wondered if something happened. I went back to the club and asked (look up old lady's name) to ask where you might be. She told me about a factory holding wambari, some creature you were after. When I got there I saw a group of them flooding the sky. With you. Gon. Killua. I didn't know where you were headed, but I figured with them playing the game from scratch, they'd be looking for more cards. The closest card to win was in—"

"Antokiba," I finish, "nice detective skills."

"I do my best."

"That's an awful long time to look after someone. When do you sleep?"

He grins. "I don't."

"I forgot. You're not human." I remember the time both his arms were removed at Heaven's Arena and he still won the fight.

Hisoka lowers his eyes. "I have my moments."

I lean onto my right hip, hand supporting me against the ground. "Well, if you saw as much as you claim, I'm sure you know I don't need looking after."

"Your little trip underseas says otherwise."

I narrow my eyes at him. "How'd you know I was there?"

He flicks his wrist a few times and produces a a deck of cards. "Magic."

"Seriously?"

He shuffles the cards back and forth between his hands"It wouldn't be much fun if I gave you all the answers."

I sniff. "I guess admitting it was dumb luck lacks imagination."

"You tell me. You're the artist."

I lay back down on the ground, watching birds circle above us. "Sometimes I think I picked the wrong profession. Being a dancer would've been a safer line of work."

Hisoka twirls the whole deck of cards on his middle fingers then grabs them in his palm and makes them disappear. "You also would've made an incredible singer, but then we never would've met, would we?"

"Yes, I'm sure there would've been a painful void in your life without me," I say sarcastically.

"Well, I didn't swim after you for nothing." He hesitates. I can tell for the first time, he's debating whether or not to tell me the truth. "Let's just say I'm not done with you yet."

I sit up and fold my arms. "So you saved my life in hopes that one day you'll be the one to take it? I thought we were past that."

He wades his head slightly from side to side. "I don't want to kill you. Not really."

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