DISCOVERY ➴ Chrollo x Reader

XIV. Shadow

Should I just wait here? If I went for a walk, how would I know when to return, I didn't have anything to tell the time. I stared at the taxi. It was hot enough outside to wish for some shade... Maybe I should just find a comfortable place to sit nearby... I took in my surroundings, several cars were parked, people walked about, leaving and entering their vehicles and proceeding with their lives.

My life was on hold, so there was nothing for me to do, no previous arrangements to attend to, no one to smile at my arrival, no hurried shuffle to go shop for something.

A sigh left my lips and I walked to the exit of the large parking lot where a small garden was placed, there were some benches under the shade of large trees and the calmest square fountain in the middle. I walked nearby to feel the humid air created by the small jets, took a deep breath and enjoyed the running water sounds for a while. A limestone plaque with an intelligible name carved in caught my eye, I squinted trying to pry out the details written, maybe the founder of something, someone worth acknowledging for sure, something about justice?

I circled the fountain and moved farther away from the parking lot, there was a small market to my right, small colourful stands set on the street selling anything from clothes, food to obscure trinkets. The smell of freshly baked bread had me crossing the grass lawn to reach the edge of the garden, small baguettes cut open and stuffed with the most various sandwich fillings, round buns with hidden cream inside them, bagels-

My belly wished for some nourishment and grumbled with resentment. I had no money. How was I to get food? Teenagers ran by, knocking against the relaxed people roaming the market street. Screams of ire and befuddlement echoed, one of them had shiny bracelets, entranced by the scene I observed as they picked up an apple from the nearest fruit stall and continued their run. The shop owner cursed the kids loudly but didn't follow them.

That's right, I could steal. I could. But what if I got caught? Would I survive in jail? Would it be better than whatever I'm caught up in now? Did I even have the guts to steal food for myself?

The kids were long gone, my gaze was still stuck on the little alley they took to leave the larger street. My stomach kept complaining. One of those sandwiches would do me better than any leftover chips or cookies Chrollo had stored in the car.

Was I seriously considering stealing?

What else could I do... Wasn't I already doomed? What was getting caught stealing food for my poor malnourished self going to add to my sentence? Did I even care for my final sentence?

None of these people knew me. Who was I trying to please? Myself? My sense of morality? My fears of the repercussions?

Was my shirt baggy enough to hide one of those? Would they fit in my pockets? I walked calmly through the street, not to closely to the stands nor too far, sellers rambled in excitement trying their best to display their product's strength to the people who stopped to take a closer look. I passed by several food stands and did nothing.

I reached the end of the market, the large street continued onwards before curving around an old church building and disappearing. The large clock looked immobile for a second, then the larger hand moved to meet the fourth number aligning perfectly over the smaller hand.

A shiver ran up my spine and I turned around, merging once more with the growing crowd. The food stalls had the most people surrounding them, maybe that was a good thing. Maybe that just meant that more people would watch me fail. Who cared anymore? Well- besides myself, but I was beside the point.

I reached the stall. A small older lady was in front of me chatting excitedly with the clerk. I peered over her shoulder, she smelled of mint candy and soap. The clerk turned to grab a bag. The lady, Eunice, placed her large handbag over the display table and roamed through it trying to find something. A baguette was on the far corner, hidden away by her bag and when she pulled out a beaded wallet, my hand closed around my target.

My heart was louder than anything, beating against my ears. My brain was empty, and I was walking away, blending with the crowd once more. A normal person, with a small baguette hidden under my shirt, the warmth seeped through the plastic wrapping and burned my arm that was squishing it against my body so it didn't fall.

The stairs to the garden were a step away, I couldn't hear anything yet, my breathing was ragged and so dim compared to the sound of my heartbeat. I looked around and locked eyes with the fortune teller, the first stand to the left if one were to see it from the garden. Her hair was grey, braided and falling over her large orange and bright pink tunic, her eyes somehow looked milkier than the previous sky blue hue they had.

She smiled and the first sounds I hear from the outside come from her glittery lips, "Oh sweet child, you have such a large shadow around you! I'll make you a special deal, 5 jenny for a palm reading to tell you what it is exactly!"

I shook my head, "No need. I know exactly what my shadow is. Thank you though."

I walked through the garden, stopped next to my familiar taxi, leaned against it and sunk down to meet the concrete. The shade wasn't near enough and the concrete was awful. I pulled my baguette out and my trembling hands unwrapped it quickly.

I ate like a starved child. I was starved so... It does excuse my bad manners. From first to last bite, I tasted bliss, nothing had ever tasted this good.

The last bite was a dash salty, and I only realized that it was because of my tears as I wiped the crumbs off my jeans.

The shade grew around me, I didn't feel surprised when my eyes met the dark cross tattoo and moved down to meet his grey gaze. "Well, aren't you quite literally my shadow?" And that was peak humour, so hilarious that I couldn't hold my laughter, I couldn't stop it, so I just let it roll out. My sides hurt and my lungs whined for air and my eyes felt wet once again.

His voice held no judgement as he unlocked the car, "Have you finally gone mad?"

> Author's Note: Hello~! Much like Y/N I too have gone mad. The burn out is real, my dears, don't be like me and organize your life better so that you don't have to study everything and deliver every project at the same time. :3