DISCOVERY ➴ Chrollo x Reader

XVI. The water

Eyes wide, mouth hanging open and with an incapacity to form any words that reflected whatsoever what I wanted to express, I sighed. Of course, nothing would work out as well for me.

"Thank you for the water." I swallowed, still feeling thirsty but at least now I knew I had had water and I'd force my body to believe it as well. My foot stomped the clutch, I twisted the key waiting for the usual whining to die down and the car to start.

It didn't. The car didn't start. It hiccupped and died out. I closed my eyes, Chrollo remained silent and I thanked the universe for that. I couldn't bear to be judged for not being able to start a car right at this moment. No. There was no ego to take a hit anymore. I'd rather die.

"Oh no." Taking a deep breath, I repeated the same steps, this time more carefully. The car whined, lurched a smidge and somehow coughed itself into the silence of death.

This couldn't be happening. Not now. Please not now. My hand trembled to twist the key once more, I stole a glance at the pedals to assure myself I was in fact stepping on the clutch. This time the engine didn't even make a sound.

"Fuck me." I banged my forehead on the steering wheel, eyes closed and breathing ragged. "It was too good to be true."

"What was?" As if completely oblivious to the predicament at hand, Chrollo's voice resonated with the least inflection. No stress. No panic. How could he remain like that?

"The water." The water had been too good of a blessing for me. Surely. The heavens had decided to punish me for believing that I deserved not to die of thirst. This self-commiseration was growing out of hand. I could hear myself whine and I chastised myself for it. Why was I being so dramatic?

"What?"

Well, it was not like anyone was listening to my thoughts so... Couldn't I at least complain and set up the pity show for myself mentally?

"Y/N?"

"Never mind that. The car isn't starting." I almost dislocated a finger with the intensity I had grabbed the door handle. My teeth sunk into my lips to muffle the cry, I swung the door open and nearly jumped out of my old taxi. I heard another door open and close, but my eyes didn't follow the Spider's movements, they were taking in the hood as I flung it open.

The engine was still warm, there seemed to be no damage to be seen from an initial top view. I kneeled on the warm asphalt, sighing as my hands laid on the grit to take a look underneath.

"Aaaaaaaah." I moaned lowly as I noticed a few metallic pieces scattered on the floor and falling into the pothole where the left wheel was. That better not have punctured the tire. I would ugly cry if I managed to fix the damn car only to find a deflated tire that I couldn't replace.

"Did you break the car?" The voice seemed to come from behind, and I shook in surprise. How could he move so quietly? I snapped my focus back to the problem at hand. I couldn't be considering that I had my back facing a killer. Well. Now I was considering it. Fuck.

I rolled my eyes as I got back to my feet, muttering under my breath, "Isn't it more like – 'Did I break the car?'"

"Oh? Feeling sassy? How did I break the car then?" His grey gaze was awfully blank, his lips were upturned as he leaned against the car and I pressed my lips together to shoo away the urge to slap him away. Such a dumb killer. Why was he putting weight on my obviously dying car?

"How do you have such good hearing? Years straining to hear people's sins in the confessional room?"

"Do you have any sins you wish to report F/A?" He stepped away from the car and I relaxed. He had to be heavy, my car was already tilted because of the wheel on the pothole... lord knew what the damage underneath was. I didn't even know where to start.

"Yeah." I quickly sunk to the floor once more, wincing as I tried my best to reach the pieces. "I stole a sandwich."

"Next time you should also steal a bottle of water and some clothes that fit you. Perhaps even something to spoil you." Could my eyes fall out if I rolled them too much? I had been doing it quite frequently. I couldn't reach anything else, so I crawled back from the shade underneath the car to the afternoon sun.

"That's not good advice." I squinted to take his figure in, his eyebrows seemed to be arching up.

"Want some tips on how to steal?"

I didn't even dare answer that. I wanted to say yes. My mind was reeling at it. Stealing was bad. I shouldn't be learning how to do it right. I cleared my throat, "Can you push the car off the road? Out of the pothole at least."

"What an awful driving service."

I gaped, hands clenching and unclenching as I moved to reach the door, I had left open. It was an awkward silence. There was no bite to his comment, he didn't mean it to hurt me. Why did I still feel angry at it? Why did I still consider it an attack?

"You're right." I scoffed. "The unpaid, threatened and kidnapped usually provide better service." Ducking inside the car, a knee over the seat, I pushed the hand brake down.

"Aren't you enjoying your holidays?" He hadn't moved an inch. His arms were crossed over his chest and his body was facing me, I couldn't see his face from inside the car, not like I wanted to. I remained silent, feeling another incoming sigh at the thought of dragging the car all by myself as this killer watched.

"Why don't you go ahead and run then?" I jumped, his voice now coming from behind, it seemed to be a popular thing- The car moved forward, lurching as the wheel climbed the hole and shaking as it levelled out. I rose my foot from the ground and gripped the wheel, turning the car to the stripe of dirt that separated the forest and the road.

In no time it was out of the road and parked over a patch of grass. I yanked the handbrake up and jumped out of the car, Chrollo didn't seem fazed or tired after pushing a whole iron framed car and my weight. Scary. I considered thanking him.

"Tell me you kept the toolbox" His arm stretched to point at the passengers' seat, and there it was.

"This would be a good time to steal a new car."

"Good luck with that mate. Have you seen any cars passing by ever since entered this road?"

Chrollo tilted his head, black hair sliding with the movement. "All in due time, Y/N"

I stepped closer to him, flinging the door open and prying the toolbox from the seat. How had I not noticed it before? "Sure thing, keep an eye out then."

> Author's Note: Why hello there~ How are you doing?

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