DISCOVERY ➴ Chrollo x Reader

XXVI. I won't if you don't

Chrollo was an infuriating man, but not killing me looked good on him. His carefree smirk was less of a mask, at least as close to his true self I'd ever get. He tilted his head to the side, a silent motion that made me pull the handbrake as much as I could for the safe parking of our new vehicle and hop out of the car.

The air was humid, fresh and somehow filling. It was chilly on the shade of the trees, but not a bad September chill. Just a small reminder that the shadows contained darker and colder things than I could ever expect.

Chrollo was already exploring, looking around and stepping closer and closer to what looked like a pitfall from where I was standing.

I stepped closer, a slithering idea told me to push him and run, but as I moved closer the pitfall turned into anything but. The terrain levelled out and sulked smoothly until it met the clear waters of the river.

Leaves rustled with the wind, matching the soft, drowsy noise of running water. Well, good thing I didn't follow through with my dumb thoughts. It would've ended up in my misery. It was dumb to think there was a lucky chance I could make it out...

He was silent, standing still, breathing quietly as if enjoying the breeze.

Could I get closer? Maybe it was a private moment... a killer relaxing after they've killed? The quiet after the storm.

"F/A - Y/N... come along, we're gathering wood."

"Oh? Are we staying for long?"

"A while. Dry twigs only. Nothing too thick." He finally moved with renewed confidence, it seemed.

"Hm." I moved the opposite direction, eyes dropping to the ground as leaves crunched under my feet. Was it the fresh air? Maybe I should take a moment to breathe in and get myself some confidence...

I bent down to grasp the first twig I found, it was rough and cold... my body was too whiny about full body movements. I took my time stretching, feeling my bones crack in several ways and my muscles feel the nice burn of being back to their rightful positions. I straightened up my spine, and moved along. Gathering wood as I went, keeping it under one arm as I picked them with the other. The woods weren't silent, there was always the sound of leaves crunching, twigs breaking, the occasional animal scurrying along... and the soothing water broken every so often by falling a pebble or a stick.

I found myself some steps away from the water, and gasped when I made out shiny little fish swimming far off. What a beautiful sight. I spun around, hoping to show Chrollo the fish and... Nothing. He wasn't there. He was nowhere to be seen. He had left me alone, to my own devices... as if I couldn't run away.

Can't I? Or won't I? Does it matter? Is a caged bird always a sad sight? Or is the cage simply it's home, something that grounds it, something that it knows...

Why would I even want to show Chrollo the fish? Why was I excited to do so? I turned back to the water, rippling softly. I wished I could run my hand through it, but I had an armful of wood and I didn't trust myself to manoeuvre myself well enough.

I walked back calmly in the general direction I had come from, and found a pile of wood in a clearing just in eyeshot from the jeep. He had gathered a lot already... I made a smaller pile with mine just next to his and decided to head towards where I had last seen him go.

No wood to be found on the floor, he was good... Maybe I should've gone back to my side...

"Oh Y/N." I jumped at the sudden voice. Where had he come from? Why wasn't he making an awful lot of noise over the leaves like I was? "Good, take this back"

He handed me an armful of twigs and sauntered off. Did I want to question this as well? The problem with this whole trip was that I had too much time to spend with my thoughts... I shook my head and proceeded to do my task.

This was nice. The place, the tranquillity it instilled... When have I ever been this relaxed? Never... There was no rush here. No deadline, no worries... Did I really have no worries? Ha.

I explored more of the forest, gathering another armful and returning to see the pile thrice as big as last time. That should probably do it. I didn't know much about camping or fire pits, but... it seemed like too much even.

My hands finally managed to run over the water, it was cold, but it felt good.

"Do you want to go for a swim?" This time, I managed only to twitch at the surprise appearance of the spider.

"Do you promise not to steal my clothes and run off with the jeep...?" I rose from my crouched position and faced him. Oh, how I could imagine him doing worse...

"Would you trust my word?" He tilted his head, a smile dangling on his beautiful lips... His eyes... were they shining with amusement?

"No." I rushed to say. Did it sound like a lie? It was the truth... Would he get mad?

He took a step closer, I sucked in a breath, preparing myself for whatever it was to happen. His arm rose over his head and to his back, where he gripped his shirt and pulled it off his torso.

I had taken my breath in, how was I supposed to take another? A slow exhalation left me, slow and as quiet as I could make it. He shouldn't hear my breath quicken over his nudity... oh that would be so... embarrassing...

His lithe hands reached for his trousers, unzipping them in one go. He tossed the shirt over a tree branch near the water, and did the same to the strappy pants he stepped out of. His large muscular back was moving as he ensured the clothes were stuck in place.

What was happening? And why did he have such juicy thighs, not too thick but muscular enough to be round and... oh sweet lord-

His tight black underpants were sliding off, and that was a marvellous looking ass.

So much for not gasping like the prude he imagined me to be. He turned his head, and I wasn't sure if I was disappointed or relieved. The duality of want is desiring it so bad that you don't want to be ruined by whatever it is you desire...

"I won't do it if you don't." And five steps later, he was waist deep in the river.

I managed to gather my wits and close my gaping mouth, "If I don't... what?"

"Steal my clothes and run off with the jeep."