Illumi and Machi holed themselves away while they designed Hisoka's costume. He already had measurements since he's has costumes made before, and that's all the pair needed. They refused to leave their hotel room.

Leaving Hisoka to be salty with the teenage boys. Killua ate just as much as Gon and Hisoka had to cook extra to feed them all. Not to mention the fact they never left each other's sides. Ever. It's like they were...

Well, they were made for each other.

Hisoka scrunches up his nose as he heads home from class, knowing the two boys will be there. Idiot boys... Stupid soulmates.

"Someone looks distraught," muses a voice beside him. Kurapika walks alongside him, causing Hisoka to smile ever so slightly.

"Fancy seeing you visit," Hisoka responds to the smaller blonde who had fallen into line beside him. Kurapika, admittedly, was someone Hisoka missed. Pika might be one of the only people Hisoka considered a friend. And that's only thanks to Gon. Kurapika's soulmate... Well, Leorio was a whole other issue who didn't appear to be here right now. Good.

"Please do enlighten me, what's new?" Pika questions as the walk towards Hisoka's apartment.

Hisoka wastes no time in telling Kurapika of all the couple-like things the boys did. All the shared glances, the inside jokes created in seconds, the way they just clicked. Hisoka's jealousy coming all out to the younger man.

"Did you feel that way when seeing Leorio and I?" Pika muses.

"No, you two were like that right from the get-go," Hisoka snorts, opening the door to his apartment. "Didn't take much getting used to."

Kurapika's laughter draws Gon and Killua from the kitchen... Figures that's where the two are. Hisoka decided he's beginning to tire of taking care of the two. They could hang out at the damn hotel and get plenty of food there. Killua is rich after all.

"Been a little while, hey Gon," Pika smiles and offers the boy a hug.

"Yeah!" Gon has the biggest smile on his face. "Wheres Leorio? Look, this is Killua."

"So I've heard," Pika smirks, glancing back at me. "Leorio had a school assignment. He'll be stopping by in a few days."

"We should have a party!" Gon claps. "When Leorio comes back."

"In our apartment? Nice try kid." Hisoka snorts, walking into the kitchen and cleaning up after the boys. He closes his eyes and sighs. Seems everyone had a soulmate except for him. He had some ideas thinking Machi and Illumi were together.

That leaves Hisoka all to himself. Great. He glances at his phone as it beeps and Illumi's text telling him to come over has him curious. Must be for the costume... I mean, what else could it be?

Hisoka hardly says bye to the others as he heads to the hotel. He walks straight to the room which had been transformed with mannequins and fabrics. It really looked pretty cool... Thinking of them practicing their craft makes him scrunch up his nose, maybe he should practice his performance... Ah, whatever. He's done unchoreographed stuff all the time, he hated practice.

"Good," Illumi walks over, holding a leotard. "You're finally here."

Hisoka looks over the piece of material, reminding him of a figure skaters outfit. Did they really want him to wear that? He had a strict rule against leotards, nothing really against them except for the fact your whole body is basically on display... Cottons always flowed nicely with dancing, leotards just clung to you...

"Wheres Machi?" Hisoka questions instead, noticing the pink haired girl isn't in the room.

"Out." Illumi shrugs. "Now hurry up, put it on."

"If you wanted me to strip for you, you could have just asked," Hisoka snorts. Illumi doesn't respond, holding the leotard while Hisoka slips off his pants.

"You've got to be kidding," Illumi groans. "What kind of underwear is that?"

"Um... boxers?"

"That won't do..." Illumi disappears and Hisoka strips down the rest of the way, crossing his arms as he waits. When Illumi walks back in, Hisoka smiles at him and he freezes. He's carrying what appears to be a new and different pair of underwear to go under the leotard. But Illumi's eyes are trained on Hisoka's biceps.

"Oh yes, I'm quite strong. Like what you see?" Hisoka smiles, flexing for him.

"Your... tattoos." Illumi manages and Hisoka tenses.

"What?" He chokes out.

"I can see them."

The two men stare at each other in disbelief. He can't be serious... but it's not like the chances of guessing the places of tattoos is gonna be right. Hisoka's tattoos curled around his biceps. Needles and long tendrils of what Hisoka can now piece together to be fabric on them. Illumi... a fashion designer... it made sense now.

"Where's yours...?" Hisoka says in a rather small voice, unlike him. Suddenly it was here, the person he had been looking for ever since the tattoos first appeared. Illumi hesitantly puts down his things and pulls up his shirt, turning around to show basically a mural on his back. The silhouette of a man, posed as he had just finished a performance, playing cards flying around his figure.

Definitely Hisoka. He walks over and trails his fingers over Illumi's tattoos. The tattoos marking their soulmates. Illumi... his soulmate. Illumi's back is tense under his touch and Hisoka wraps an arm around his waist.

"I've been looking for you everywhere," Hisoka mutters, burying his face into the crook of the smaller man's neck from behind.

"What am I supposed to do with you?" Illumi responds, though his voice isn't harsh, it's soft and rather confused. "I've never thought about..."

Hisoka spins Illumi around. "I've got you," Hisoka brushes a piece of Illumi's hair behind his ear.

"Leotard!" Illumi claps, grabbing the piece from where he had set it. Suddenly Hisoka had no issue with it. Illumi made it after all. His soulmate made it... Hisoka has a stupid smile on his face as he tries the piece on.

Illumi moves around him, judging the suit. It was really well made, Hisoka couldn't deny that. Perfectly clinging to everything it needed to, the flashy colours reflecting Hisoka's personality all too well. It's like Illumi read him as soon as they met. All Hisoka wanted to do was hold the other man close but every time Hisoka stepped towards him he returned with a dark look.

"Let me do my job," Illumi responds before putting a few pins into the suit.

"What about after," Hisoka places a hand under Illumi's chin so he looks up at him.

"Wait until after. Take it off."

Something told Hisoka this relationship was going to be very one-sided... Illumi seems reserved from the idea unlike Hisoka and for some reason that hurt Hisoka. A lot. He removes the leotard, accidentally poking and scratching himself with the needles multiple times.

"Hisoka," Illumi scolds at the scratches the needles produced. He pulls Hisoka into the bathroom where he takes a cloth and dabs at his side.

So maybe Illumi wasn't as reserved as he originally thought. He just... shows it in a different way. Illumi looks up at Hisoka and Hisoka notices Illumi freezing up a little.

"What's wrong?" Hisoka murmurs, leaning closer.

"Shouldn't... it be a while... before we're naked in front of each other." Illumi was so matter-of-factual is almost hurt.

"Why wait?" Hisoka says softly, kissing the man before him. Hisoka had been waiting to do this for years. To have his soulmate in his arms. But they only have a moment before Illumi pushes him away.

"No, no this is stupid! Soulmates don't... they're nothing." Illumi practically growls.

"What...?" Hisoka looks over the distraught man.

"Soulmates are just some ruse! I don't need one... I don't need you." Illumi crosses his arms. "I don't need you."

Hisoka has no idea the feeling that his chest feels. It was the worst feeling he believes he's ever experienced. Pain like no other. It hurt so bad, he wanted to cry. Hisoka never cried. Ever. He takes a deep breath, gaze turning dark towards Illumi.

"Fine," he walks from the room, grabbing his own clothes and leaves the hotel room in only his boxers.

Machi passes him on his way out but avoids him pretty quick. He must have had death on his face for her to have avoided him. She always gave comments...

He dresses as he moves, leaving the hotel and going to the one place he could count on. The strip club.

Strip clubs were great places. Normally they were full of people who had lost their soulmates or people who's soulmates rejected them... Hisoka's chest clenches. Oh my god, did it ever hurt. It hurt so bad.

He pushes himself into the club, flashing his ID to get in.

It's not long before girls surround him. He tended to have that effect on people. And it's not long before he's pulled one into one of the private rooms. He always thought his first time would be with his soulmate... But not anymore he guesses.