DISCOVERY ➴ Chrollo x Reader

XXV. Interlude

"In a way." He looked out of the window, pensive. If I believed it possible, I would see pain and horror crossing his eyes. "I did want to tour the world while acting once."

I snorted, nothing makes sarcasm better than applying it to real life, to what is happening... "Who do you think is waiting for you... somewhere East of here?"

"There's only so much oversharing a criminal, thief and killer can do." His pale fingers combed through his dark hair. Strands fell down, loose, messy and casual. Fuck me if he didn't look good with his hair down and messy. I shook my head and looked ahead at the road. "And why are you heading east? Do you have a poem too?"

"Ha. Funny. You should definitely try being a comedian if crime stops paying. Well, if we put aside the obvious:" My right hand left the wheel to point in his general direction. "You've kidnapped and threatened to kill me if I didn't- I don't think I've ever travelled anywhere far... ever. Maybe I should enjoy your interlude as well."

"A positive outlook on the situation." Was that surprise in his tone? I overtook a large caravan and gasped when I noticed I was going over the limit. Newer cars... can't even feel the speed when riding them...

"Shocking, I know. Do your ... friends? know where you're going?" Were they friends? We're they business partners? I truly knew nothing about the Phantom Troupe... If only I had my phone I could look them up. Did I even have mobile data? I hadn't... I hadn't paid for the month yet so... maybe even if I had my phone it'd be useless.

"Curiosity killed the cat, Y/N." Both my hands gripped the steering wheel tighter. Why was I being careless and asking questions? This man was dangerous... if I triggered something like bad temper... what would happen to me?

I mean... I was going to die anyway...? Why was I hesitating? Funny how human nature makes people consider survival first. I had decided my fate. I accepted it and, somehow, I still feared it. Death. The great unknown. The idea of pain.

"S... satisfaction brought it back." I muttered under my breath, defying my gut and my current thoughts.

"There are only so many lives it can live." I inhaled sharply. That was a fast response. He mused it as if it had been the obvious continuation of the saying. Sweet gods, why was I overanalysing his response to a fucking popular saying?

I was going mad, locked inside a car with him... who wouldn't?

"Leave on exit 9." I finally conceded myself a glimpse at him. He had his trusty map open. He was nibbling at his bottom lip, his brows scrunched in thought as his long finger tapped the plasticky paper.

I followed his order in silence. The mood for open chatting had died. It was hard to grasp his mood changes... and to tread lightly through them.

The directions kept coming in a timely manner. Cold, detached and precise, we left the highway for a two-lane road. A bit ahead, he gave directions again, making me turn into a run down one lane road that cut through the forest.

Cold sweat ran down my spine. This was suspicious... Why were we...

"Turn right here." My feet stepped on the brake and clutch slowly, the car came to a stop, and I took in the tiny dirt track to the right. It descended and curled out of sight, there was little room for manoeuvre and I was sure the jeep would have to take some branches with it to go through.

"You want me to go down this road?" My voice got an octave higher as I spun to gape wide eyed at Chrollo. He was going to kill me. Maybe I wasn't in my acceptance phase yet... Maybe I was still in denial... I wasn't ready for it.

"Yes." Sweet... How was it people said? Peachy! This was going to be it. I had asked too much... or knew too much? Why was I being killed, really?

I pulled the wheel with my left hand, gulping as I mustered the courage to step on the accelerator enough to put the car moving. Two blinks later, I did, the jeep tilted forward as the front wheels sunk into the soil and followed the natural slope of the hill.

Branches snapped against the windows and roof, I kept the car going slowly, a foot leveraging the brake as there was no need to accelerate in a slope.

I saw sparkly greenish water hidden between branches of trees below. Well... My body could be floating there soon enough. The road ended in a circular clearing, the grass was tall and leaves and branches marked the floor everywhere.

No one had been here in a while. The perfect place for a murder. I parked the car and stared ahead into the dimming trees and the river that spanned about the same as a two-lane road.

"What did I do wrong?" I heard myself croak, I felt sad, disappointed?... I couldn't find tears to spill for myself. I had cried over a good sandwich but, facing the time of my demise, I just- couldn't.

This was reality.

"What do you mean?" Chrollo shuffled about, grabbing his bag as he swung the door open.

"What was it that..." I gulped, "you know... got you to decide you wanted to kill me now?"

"I'm not killing you now." His feet sunk into the gravel and my head snapped to him. My eyes met his dark ones instantly. He shook his head, as if confused. "What gave you the idea?"

I opened my mouth, closed it and opened it again. Until I finally found my words. "What gave ME the idea? MAYBE THE FACT THAT YOU, A CRIMINAL, DECIDED TO MAKE ME COME TO AN ISOLATED CLEARING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FUCKING WOODS, NEXT TO A RIVER THAT LOOKS DECENT ENOUGH TO GET RID OF A CORPSE?!"

"Ah." He looked around, as if considering it. "I see it now, yeah."

> Author's Note: Hello~ I'm sorry it's been so long my dears. T.T (I've had one hell of a semester.) Hope you enjoy this update ❤️❤️❤️✨ XMAS 'holidays' wooo