DISCOVERY ➴ Chrollo x Reader

LII. Calls and Clowns

I spent most of my break day lazying around. Chrollo had found a comfortable couch when he went out in the morning and, while part of me wanted to scold him for stealing from the small village we lived in, where people were quite kind, as soon as I sunk into the soft cushions all my arguments disappeared.

We needed that couch, I needed that couch. It was my one true love. The satisfied sigh that left my lips every time I sunk into it and wrapped myself around thick blankets was what I considered happiness to sound like.

I made sure to spend most of my day there, and Chrollo, inspired by my cosy bliss, decided to do the same in the afternoon. At first, I had whined that the couch wasn't big enough for the two of us to be stretched out, but he had a different idea.

That's how I, now, found myself lazying about with a very warm Chrollo wrapped around me. His chest was a bit too hard to make for good back support and pillow, but... the warmth certainly made up for the mild discomfort. 

I shuffled around, after a nap, and Chrollo cleared his throat, before whispering next to my ear, "Right... I called a friend of mine about the lawyer in the morning."

I gasped and spun in his hold, wanting to see his face, as if I could discern when he lied to me. "You did?"

His lips stretched up, and he drew close enough for our noses to touch before sorting out the blankets, which had got wrapped around a single leg of mine with my sudden turn. "Yeah. I thought the name sounded familiar, so I called the author... I've been assured that Mr. Mori won't call the police on you and that he often just likes to play around, make people uncomfortable."

"Huh..." That was good news... But it didn't mean the police wouldn't be able to find me some day... I had no idea how to feel about the situation. "I... So... I changed my hair for nothing..."

"Yeah..." His hand patted my hair slowly and his lips landed on the tip of my nose.

A sigh left my lips, and I closed my eyes, focusing only on his lips as he pecked my cheeks and forehead. "Are you not going to tease me about my overreaction?"

I felt him shrug against me, before he whispered, "Nope, you didn't overreact."

And just like that, relief flooded through me, I felt light, I felt justified... My throat must have swelled up, since I couldn't manage anything more than a simple whisper, "Thank you..."

He pulled the blankets up, over my shoulders, and adjusted his stance so we could both be more comfortable before interrupting what seemed like a heavy silence. "Well, I should tease you about something else."

I didn't hide the smile that crept over my lips, and joked, "Can't have your big shot criminal reputation tarnished!" My hand patted his chest twice.

"Don't be jealous, darling," he chuckled, "you're on your way to the top! What was it? Theft and arson? I'd have it on the fridge if you had kept the paper". I caught his dark grey eyes looking right at mine, his lids half closed, and my heart decided it was time to get self-conscious.

I breathed in, "Oh you-", but found myself, suddenly, flipped around, my back hitting the soft pillows of the couch and my brain lagging to catch up to the sudden movement. "Wha-"

"Shh-", his pointer finger came down to touch my lips and demand for silence. My head tilted, and my eyebrow rose up, hoping he got the confusion and questions I wanted to ask. He shook his head and stood up.

"Why, hello, Chrollo~" A dark purring voice had me jumping to sit and look around, and Chrollo's sudden alertness started making sense. There was a strange man leaning against the door frame of our living room. His hair was sticking up, and a bright shade of pink, with purple edges. His face was nearly white with two colourful shapes drawn on each cheek, his eyes were mere slits, adorned with a golden yellow iris, and his body was a taunting hourglass-shape. His clothes, a white crop top over a weird under shirt made of pink rings, and baggy white pants that tightened at his ankles, also had the suits of cards adorning them. "Didn't think you to be the type to have a hidden, boring life." 

His eyes left Chrollo and took me in, squinting further as if analysing my whole being. My entire body filled with goosebumps, and my hands started trembling under the blanket. "And, who might you be?" His gaze was scary, threatening, and I just wanted to shrink into a ball and roll my way to safety.

Chrollo took a few steps towards the strange man and cut his line of sight, "Hisoka, uninvited visits are considered rude."

He waved his hands as if to dismiss what Chrollo had said, and I couldn't help but focus on his long, sharp nails. "Mhm... Just here to tell you that the lead you gave me didn't pan out. But I'll find another exorcist, I want to fight you."

Chrollo's back straightened further, and he took another step closer to the clown like man, Hisoka, "This could've been a message. If that's all-"

Hisoka's torso twisted unnaturally to the side, while his legs remained perfectly vertical, and he took me in once more, now that his vision wasn't obstructed.

"I always thought you would pick someone powerful... Here I was, curious to see what you were hiding, only to find someone that's not worth my while..." The disappointment in his face was brief and disappeared as fast as it had appeared, and here I was thinking Chrollo's mask was disturbing... when this man showed most of his emotions, but they lasted mere seconds.

Chrollo sighed, and pointed at the door, "Life is made of disappointments."

"Tell me about it... Who would've thought that boy would cock block me in Yorknew... Whatever, I'll find you your exorcist in exchange for a fight, do you have any clue on where one might be?" He twirled his fingers and a few cards appeared between them, a flick of the wrist and they were gone, appearing on his other hand instead.

"GREED ISLAND." Chrollo's voice was smooth, unbothered... if felt like he had regressed to the time I picked him up, and he kidnapped me, his mask was back on, not that I could blame him. The clown man was giving me the creeps.

He nodded, finally deciding to move from the door frame to the hallway. "Aight, boring Chrollo... I'll find you."

Chrollo followed him, "Sure." His hand grabbed the door with a calmness he couldn't be feeling, "Did you break my front door?"

Hisoka made a show of looking offended, flourishing his hand to his chest,"Of course not, I'm not a heathen!"

Chrollo must've given him a look because the clown started laughing heartily, before touching Chrollo's shoulder and winking, "See you, daddy~"

I watched Chrollo's body physically cringing, a full body tremor of sorts, as he shook his head and followed him, disappearing from sight. I heard the door slam shut, and Chrollo soon returned to the living room.

Silence weighted on us, and I cleared my throat, breaking it, "That clown is... interesting"

"Mhm... that's a way to describe him." He sat by my feet and sighed deeply.

I licked my lips and started straightening out the blankets, that had twisted and picked up some that had fallen, "Are you going to elaborate on about the exorcist and greed island?"

"Not really." He stood to help me.

I didn't look him in the eyes when I asked, "Because it benefits you?"

"No, because it benefits you.", and just like that, tears fell down my face, and I was enveloped by his warmth again.

Author's Note: Isn't this just... lovely? What are you thinking about it so far? (our first ending is coming soon!)