Lucilfer (ChrolloxReader)

Chapter 7

I felt my eyes widen, though truthfully I wasn't very surprised that he knew I was there. With a defeated sigh, I walked to his side, studying the way he fiddled with the cigar as he stared straight into the night.

"No, I couldn't," I admitted.

I lowered myself to the ground, crossing my legs beneath me as I sat. Chrollo looked down to me, the rings around his eyes slightly faded but still prevalent against his pale skin.

"Bad dreams?" He brought the cigar to his lips and puffed gently, allowing some of the smoke to escape his lips before fully exhaling, all the while maintaining eye contact.

"Something like that," I muttered, resting my chin in my hands and gazing out into the dark forest beyond the property of his home. "How did you know?"

I heard him chuckle weakly.

"Because I know you, (Y/n)."

His words were straightforward, matter-of-fact, like he'd never spoken a more consistent truth in his life and I would be foolish to assume otherwise. My gaze twitched up to him and then back out into the muddy shades of indigo and green.

"What does that mean?" I felt hesitant in my inquiry.

"You remind me of my old friend sometimes," he mused wistfully. "There's a way you do certain things, be it when you ask me blatant questions or when you discuss philosophy with me so openly, or just now, coming to look for me without even knowing the reason why." He looked thoughtful, scrubbing his face with his free hand. "You remind me of him."

I didn't need an explanation on who this friend was—I remember exactly who it was, because Chrollo had told me about this friend when revealing the meaning behind why he chose Lucilfer as a surname.

"So, that means you know me?" I tilted my head, facing forward.

"Yes." He nodded slowly, his gray eyes far away. "It feels like I do, at least. You're familiar, and yet you're different at the same time. What an enigma you are, (Y/n)."

I related exactly to that statement; I'd thought the same thing about him many times before. The thought of completely trusting a stranger, in hindsight, was a bad idea, but with Chrollo, there was a sort of familiarity, a sort of comfort I'd never experienced before. I couldn't explain it, nor did I want to, for fear that it might lose its intrigue.

Another large puff of smoke came from his lips as he drew in a breath from the cigar. I watched the hazy smog curl and fly about in the hardly-breezy night air. We were both silent for a few moments, unspoken thoughts passing between us. Looking up, I found him gazing at me with his intense eyes again. I felt like I was being burned by his stare, like every single memory or thought or feeling or emotion I'd ever had would come spilling out of me if he stared like that for much longer.

"I really did try, (Y/n)," he murmured, a helpless twinge in his tone.

I cocked a brow, confused.

"Hmm?"

Chrollo's lips turned up gently, but his smile felt overwhelmed by the melancholy energy surrounding him.

"I tried to fall asleep, but I couldn't stay asleep for very long," he explained.

I giggled, feeling my eyes close with the force of my grin. It almost sounded like he expected me to be disappointed in him or something.

"I'm glad you tried." I met his gaze, trying to keep the reassuring smile on my face. "You still look exhausted, but the purple under your eyes faded a little."

A passionless surprise made his eyebrows raise infinitesimally, and he reached with his free hand to graze the shadowed skin as if he could rub it off.