DISCOVERY ➴ Chrollo x Reader

XXVIII. Awkward

Cold prickled my skin and I sunk deeper into the water, my shoulders appreciated the gesture, even if my legs strained to move while slightly bent.

The fish had finally stopped flapping in Chrollo's grip. Silence had stretched ever since we had spoken over each other.

The fish's greyish scales glimmered under the sun as he lowered his hand and looked over his shoulder. His dark grey eyes met mine. "I did not think this through."

I held back the ungodly snort that wanted to come out of me. His eyebrows were knitted together, and he seemed to be the closest he would ever be to pouting. "The trip or the fishing?"

"Both." He took a step closer, unbothered that the water barely covered his torso, and sighed.

"Hmm... There's a large rock nearby, you can drop the fish there and come back for it later." I looked around for the large boulder protruding the water, it was close to the place we had left the gathered wood. The water would probably only reach his knees, but it would be better than leaving the river completely and finding a place to drop the fish.

I pointed it out, and when I turned to face him, he was closer than he should've been. I hadn't heard his approach at all, my eyes widened, a gasp left my lips and my heartbeat sped up.

His face drew closer, droplets of water slowly sliding from his hair and through the planes of his face to drip back into the river once they reached his jawline.

"Why, thank you for solving the easier problem." His whispered voice was nothing but teasing, and I couldn't help the shiver that ran down my spine.

"Always here to help." I managed to get out, there was no snark or teasing in my remark. Not that I didn't mean it like that, I was just too... too close to him to manage those intonations. Flustered! I was too flustered... Oh sweet heavens, why was I too flustered by a killer?

He didn't move away for a second, that seemed like an eternity when his eyes roamed my face and his thin lips seemed to be curved upward. It couldn't be. I was dreaming it. Oh. Oh no... Why was I looking at his lips?

In the haste of looking away from his lips, I was caught by his dark grey gaze. This only for a second, because my eyes jumped to his forehead tattoo as if they had been burnt by merely gazing at Chrollo's expanded pupils.

The dark ink was so pigmented, I wondered if it was a new tattoo, don't these usually fade with time? The thin lines that defined what could be a plus sign with adornments, intersected in a small black circle. Around that circle and connecting the lines, were arcs, reminiscent of a cobweb in the way they sloped towards the dot from the straight lines. At the edges of the crossing lines, there seemed to be what seemed to be water droplets, as if falling to the centre of the tattoo. Did it have a meaning? Was there a religion or group that used this mark? I was left to wonder, since my eye avoidance and tattoo inspection moment was broken by Chrollo, as he turned away from me and started walking to the rock I had pointed out.

The water surrounding him rippled as he moved away from me, small droplets ran from his dark hair to his lower back. I knew I should look away, I knew. Logically, I shouldn't be looking at his arse as it emerged from the water and strong thighs that flexed as he walked. 

Knowing what I should be doing and actually following through were two completely different things. This applied to a lot of things in life... So when he stopped by the rock and leaned forward to drop the poor fish, I didn't have the will to look at him below the waist, but I did enjoy the way the muscles on his back moved. 

Truly beautiful things were bound to be both captivating and frightening. His pale skin, inked with the large 12-legged spider, was the epitome of beauty, specially when he moved just slightly to the right and the water dripping down shone beneath a patch of sunlight. He could've been any man, beautiful, bathing in the river, but he was Chrollo, one with the Phantom Troupe.

His torso twisted as he turned his head to face me, still frozen in spot, hiding my body under the water. "Enjoying the sight, Y/N?" His voice echoed louder than I'd ever heard it, strong and smooth, confident with himself.

The complete opposite of me, the envy I felt shouldn't be justified. I was a better person, I wasn't a criminal... Yet... As he patted his black half dry locks, which looked too slick and straight at the moment, like he had all the time in the world... He seemed to be free of burden, simply free even.

Chrollo stood there, waiting for a response, and I just knew... that he'd never get self-conscious no matter how long I took. 

"It's like watching a car crash, I just can't seem to look away." The words I spoke left my lips softly. That was a fair assessment of my situation. No matter how much I kept thinking that I was going crazy by staring at this man's naked body... I just couldn't seem to make myself look elsewhere. 

When silence stretched, I wondered if I would have to shout it. Maybe he hadn't heard it. Blood rushed to my face, heating my cheeks at the thought of shouting it. Could I even? Would I?

"Since I am the star of your show, I'll be sure to give you the performance of a lifetime." I hadn't even processed what that meant when he turned fully and started strolling closer. 

My eyes shouldn't have jumped straight there. They simply shouldn't have. But what was I to do now? The deed was done. How could I ever erase the sight of Chrollo's cock out of my mind? Did I even want to?

My mind seemed to catch up with the situation and forced my eyes to look up, to his v-line, well-defined abs, chest... And when I saw his face... A knowing smirk and glimmering eyes... I knew for certain.

Beauty was danger. Attraction was a rope tightening around my neck, and denial could only keep me sane for so long.