Beyond the Grave [ILLUMI X CHROLLO]

[23] Meet 'n Greet

"I almost forgot," Illumi said, on the ground tangled in Chrollo's sheets. He tipped his face to look at Chrollo, their noses brushing. "Wrath and Killua say hello."

"Oh." Chrollo glanced awkwardly away, turning onto his back. His arm, which was slung behind Illumi's head, shifted as his fingers intertwined with the rest of the sheet that was still tucked into the bed frame. He pulled on it. "I... actually have stuff. For Wrath. If you're willing to deliver it."

"Of course."

"And Meruem?"

Illumi shrugged, lazily. His body was liquid in Chrollo's arms, conceding to every whim. "I don't see why not. I have..." He counted his fingers and held up the remaining three. "-three extra slots on my speed dial before I actually have to start learning how to travel."

Chrollo gave him a shove in the arm, scoffing. "You're procrastinating. It's so much easier to travel by thought."

And probably less hazardous, Illumi mused, his mind drifting back to the pew he'd gotten an erection on.

Illumi shook his head to dispel the devout image of Pride worshiping Illumi's soul to the full extent of his lips. The afterimage still hung, taunting, as Illumi raised his voice to drown it out. "Yeah, well, we haven't really gotten that far yet in training."

"That's so precious. Training."

"Stop."

"You're so green at this."

"I'm starting to think it's embarrassing. I feel like Gon," Illumi said, and made a show of punching his fists in the air.

Chrollo's hand wrapped around one of Illumi's extended arms. Illumi's grip eased to make way for Chrollo's fingers sinking between his own. They latched on.

When Chrollo pulled Illumi's hand back down, it was with a reverence imbued by their impending deadline. His lips met Illumi's knuckles. "Speaking of Gon, you should probably go."

Though Illumi didn't know the time and knew he should have a care, Chrollo's touch was far more compelling that the shitshow that was sure to be his introductory meeting between Itadori and Wrath.

"Once more."

"Now who's trying to delay?" The teasing only egged Illumi on, turning him up and over Chrollo to pin him down by their joined fingers. The hand Chrollo wound around the sheets drifted to Illumi's side, thumbs kneading against his soul.

Illumi was struck, not for the first time, by how empyrean Chrollo looked when he blushed. The violet sunset dotted with stars, escalating to the deep blue hues of his horns was a sky Illumi could stare at forever. And Chrollo's eyes, washed out by pure white pupils, were two moons in perfect synchrony, watching Illumi watch him.

The blush dipped down the column of Chrollo's throat. The stars shone brighter. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Chrollo asked.

"I just—" Illumi knew that, in some ways, he and Chrollo barely knew each other. Chrollo's memory was as much of a blur to him as Illumi's history was with Sukuna. But what he did know—Chrollo's talents in the arts, his preference for the 21st century philosophy Illumi's brain couldn't grasp, and how he absorbed the emotions of those closest to him—Illumi thought he might love.

"I was just thinking about how I should know you better now."

He couldn't stop the lilt of guilt pricking the end of his words. He swallowed back against them as Chrollo's brow furrowed. "We have time. And what I know about you isn't... I mean, a lot has changed with you in five years. And at court, I was only looking at your empirical memories."