Ill-Fated (Phantom Troupe x Reader) [Soulmate AU]

8.

Authors note: There's no accurate/canon source that says where Chrollo's spider tattoo is located in the 2011 version, so I will say it's on his right shoulder like in the 1999 version.

When Chrollo was a child, he wanted to meet his soulmate. Somebody who would let him experience a love like in the stories he read: a love he never received growing up in Meteor City. Of course, that was before the universe had stolen his innocence from him. Before he formed the troupe. He was a very different person now. Over the years of desensitization to tragedy and death, he completely forgot about the idea of soulmates altogether, with only his mark and the marks of his companions reminding him that there was someone out there who had matching marks. Still, with the life he led, he completely let go of the childish idea of meeting your 'one.' That was until Shalnark came to him with a curious rumor, one that implied obtaining their soulmate might just be their most profitable heist yet. 

Now, she stood before him. Briefly, Chrollo thought back to his childhood self; this wasn't how he had envisioned meeting his soulmate, but this was the life he chose, and he would never choose to return to where he came from. His grey eyes analyzed her features. She was different from what he would have imagined; she lacked the kind of rugged shell that everyone else in the troupe had developed. She tried to put on a brave face and stiffen her upper lip, but he knew better. He could tell she was scared, and he could tell that her last night must have been hell. Her (e/c) eyes were puffy, and she looked exhausted. What else was expected from someone whom the Phantom Thieves had just kidnapped? Actually, Chrollo was surprised you weren't more injured. She was lucky that it was Phinks and not Feitan from who she tried to run away from. However, more than fear in her eyes, he saw a glimmer of confusion and hatred.

Setting down the book he was reading on the stone, he stood up and outstretched his hand toward you. You looked at him like he just aimed a gun at you rather than offering his hand. Still, you walked slowly toward him: your sense of self-preservation overpowering your distaste for the source of your problems.

The raven-haired man watched you as you advanced toward him. His voracious eyes swallowed up every detail of you, not unlike a panther watching a gazelle before it pounces. You stopped just before reaching him, keeping at least a little distance between you, too. To your surprise, the man made no move to invade your personal space. Instead, he took a seat on the pile of rubble again. 

"Sit." He ordered. His voice was polite but commanding, and without even thinking about it, you lowered yourself onto an adjacent pile of rubble. You could definitely tell why he would be the man to command this group of maniacs.

There was a long silence, and it was clear that he meant for you to break it. 

"Why am I here?" It was a dumb question you knew the answer to, but it was the only one that came to mind in the tense silence. 

Maybe you weren't even asking him why he brought you here as much as you were questioning why this life is what the universe had in store for you. Chrollo cocked his head to the side, never once breaking your eye contact; his presence felt overwhelming and all-encompassing.

"You know the answer to that." It felt like he knew exactly what you were thinking.

"What's your name?"

"Chrollo Lucilfer." The man spoke.

"Are you going to hurt me?" This question wasn't dumb, and it clearly piqued Chrollo's interest as his right eyebrow lifted.

"Why would you think that?" 

"What else was I supposed to think?" You said, an undertone of annoyance slipping into your voice. 

"Fair." Chrollo said to himself more than you, "No, we are just going to talk."

All this was really starting to irk you. This guy was clearly playing some twisted mind game, and after the night you had, you were not interested in participating. Instead, you tore your eyes away from his hypnotic stare and looked down at your hands. With the sleeve of your jacket lifting, the fraying edge of the day-old bandage that you had diligently wrapped around the 5th spider marking on your arm was visible. Quickly, you tugged your sleeve back into place. Now more than ever, your soul marks felt more like brandings than a beautiful homage to a loved one.

Chrollo noticed your attention shifting from him to the bandage on your arm. 'She must have been covering up the spider marks. Pitiful effort,' he thought. 

You must have sat in silence for another ten minutes, Chrollo studying your face like you were a specimen from a different world.

"If you aren't going to hurt me, then what will you do?" You finally asked.

"You will stay with us; you will go where we go and do what we say." 

"Because of the increase in Nen?"

Chrollo nodded. 

"If it's just for the power, couldn't you touch me and let me go? You already got what you wanted."

"It doesn't work if you get too far away, so you will stay near," Chrollo replied simply. 

You looked up at him again. He was much closer now; he must have been inching toward you this whole time, and you haven't even noticed.

"And what if I won't?" 

You didn't have much time to consider your own boldness because a warm crept up the side of your neck as the tall, dark-haired man reached his arm toward you. You felt his hand move the hem of your shirt to the side, exposing the bandages wrapped around your right shoulder. His fingers haven't touched you yet, but you already felt the burn of your soulmark: spider number 0. His fingers deftly pulled at your bandages, dismantling them with far too much ease for your comfort. 

"Then I will have to make you."

Chrollo's eyes left your face, now focusing on the dark mark on your skin: it called to him. Beckoning him to touch, and so he did: ghosting his fingers over it. The sensation was not what he expected, a rush of heat flooding him from head to toe and igniting a fire like no treasure had in years. He heard you inhale sharply, overwhelmed by the sensation. Chrollo felt similarly to you; this feeling of power and lust was overwhelming and yet so enticing. Wrapping his hand around your shoulder, he ran his thumb over the marking gently: thin black legs of the spider stretching elegantly against your collarbone. This mark which destined you to be his: he felt a pang of anger at the that you had spent so long covering it up. Finally, unclasped his hand that held your shoulder firmly. Emotion swirled intensely inside him, and he needed time to let it settle again.

After what seemed like forever, Chrollo finally let you go, and you quickly scooted away from him, desperately pulling your shirt up over the mark. He stayed where he was and made no attempt to follow you, his eyes staring blankly at you. 

"I'll ask Machi to bring you somewhere you can bathe. I'm sure you can appreciate that." He said finally, turning his face away from you and fishing out a cell phone from the pocket of his dark coat.