Lucilfer (ChrolloxReader)

Chapter 5

I awoke feeling stiff and out-of-sorts, my brain at first not comprehending where I was, what day it was, and what I was doing. My neck felt like it'd been in an unhealthy position for too long, and my toes were freezing. Furrowing my brows, I allowed my eyes to flicker open slowly. I assumed there was some harsh light I needed to be wary of, but there was none, further confusing me.

    My eyes opened completely, and I groggily absorbed my surroundings. Damp rock walls surrounded me in a small cave, the ceiling probably not higher than six and a half feet. Distant water dripping sounds reverberated off of the enclosed space, and I took note of the small spring of water not too far from where I was sitting. The smell of lavender and something woodsy and warm comforted me.

    It was then that I remembered falling asleep in Chrollo's arms. The reason I wasn't shivering to death in that dank, chilly cave was because of his heavy velvet and leather coat laying on top of me with my arms in the sockets backwards, and that's also where the thick, welcoming scent came from. I breathed deeply, feeling a familiar blush creep into my cheeks as I became very conscious of Chrollo's arms still around me. I had been placed between his legs, my head leaning back against his chest with his arms constricting tightly around my waist. I tried to stay as still and quiet as possible and listen to his breathing—it was slow and rhythmic, making me think he was definitely asleep.

    I sighed in relief. For one, I was glad he was asleep because I didn't know how well I would have reacted if he'd have been consciously holding me that way; for two, it was good to see him actually sleeping, at least doing something a normal human would do.

    What would I even know about normal humans? It's not like I was ever allowed to meet one.

    I probably shouldn't have laughed at my inwardly-made joke, but I couldn't help it. A small chuckle escaped my throat, and the smile on my lips was wide and frozen in place as I tried to stay silent and still while resting in Chrollo's sleepy embrace.

My quiet laughter died down, and I bit my lip to keep the smirk off my face as I felt him stir beneath me. His arms around me flexed gently when he was situated, barely jostling me and keeping his hands linked together over my chest and underneath his coat. Part of me almost wanted to feel guilty or out of place in my current resting position, but a bigger part of me didn't want to. I didn't let myself wonder about his intentions again, because they didn't matter—in that moment, I was safe.

My stomach fluttered in a combination of excitement and anxiety when Chrollo's chin suddenly rested on my head, keeping me held tightly to his bare chest. He hadn't said a word, and his breathing hadn't changed in the slightest, but the way he moved so purposefully made me think he might be awake. Either way, I didn't want to disturb the peaceful moment of silence just yet. I knew that we had to leave if we wanted to get to York New City as soon as possible, but I hadn't been so content in a long time, perhaps ever.

I began to realize how hollow my stomach felt, since I hadn't eaten in longer than twenty-four hours—maybe closer to thirty-six hours, depending on what time it was—and the last thing I ate before that was a few handfuls of some dry almonds. I knew I had more in my bag, which was lying not far from where we were sitting, but I was torn between needing food and wanting to stay tucked in Chrollo's hold. My mouth, too, felt dry, and just as I wondered about where the water bottle was, one of his arms carefully slid away, causing me to shift into his side. His head lifted, and he reached to grab the small canister as if he'd read my mind.

"Here, drink this," he murmured softly, his husky morning tones breaking the tranquil silence pleasantly.

It wasn't really too much of a shock to me that he wasn't asleep, but the sound of his voice still made my heart rate climb unintentionally.