Disclaimer: I added some extra stuff to the last chapter in my latest update. I suggest you catch up with the new end. Also, apologies if I made the last chapter a bit too uncomfortable, but I couldn't think of any other way and tried to tone it down as much as possible.

Chapter 34: Aftermath x Of x Rescue

January 28, 1999

Levi wakes up to a dreadful pain all throughout his body. His muscles are sore, his skin burns and stings at places, and he has a terrible headache.

"Are you okay?" A soft concerned voice asks.

Levi groans and rubs his eyes. Something fluffy jumps on top of him. As their eyes meet, Levi recognises the fluffy ball to be his gray cat.

Meow! Mrrrppp...

It nuzzles its face against Levi and purrs, content with the fact that he's finally awake. Despite all the throbbing and stinging pain, Levi manages a smile, albeit a weak one.

"Levi, how do you feel?" A thumb gently slides under his eyes, wiping away a previously unknown tear.

Levi looks up to see Chrollo sitting on a chair next to his bed. He grimaces when he notices the worried expression on his face.

"I'm fine, " He mumbles, "no need to worry."

His hand moves from wiping his cheek to stroking his hair. "Please don't lie."

Levi reluctantly replies. "I feel awful."

"Can you elaborate?"

Levi looks at Levi snoring on his chest. He purses his lips, refusing to answer.

"Very well." He runs his hand through Levi's hair once more, before standing up. "I'll call Shalnark to check up on you. I promise it won't take long."

"Mhm."

Levi closes his eyes and tries his best to tear his attention away from the pain and focus on the more important things-- like what exactly happened that got him so badly injured.

His last memory is of pain-- a pain worse than his current one-- like his soul being detached from his body. After that, it's just... nothing.

Levi also remembers feeling furious at something-- no, someone... but who? Levi strains his brain but all that comes out is a pair of familiar black irises filled with blood lust-- ones that could belong to either Chrollo or Feitan.

Levi takes a deep breath and tries to discern the shape of the eyes but that only makes his headache worse. He decides to take a break and closes his eyes. But damn, he's constantly getting distracted by the pain and just can't fall asleep.

He turns to the side, earning a sharp hiss from the disturbed gray fluff ball. The new position is no better and he decides to turn to the left, but to no avail. He changes his position again, and again, and again. But all is in vain.

By the time Shalnark arrives, Levi's breath is ragged. His frustrating makes tears roll down his cheeks. He folds his arms over his head, trying to ease the headache. Even that doesn't work.

"Woah! Levi! You seem awful!" Shalnark rushes to the chair beside him, shooing away a flustered cat.

Levi opens a tired eye. "Help me, Shal-san. Please."

Shalnark conjures his antenna and carefully sticks it into Levi's nape. It halts Levi's movements and senses to allow Shalnark's aura to completely override and examine his system.

Some furious typing on Shalnark's phone, and he gently takes the antenna out with a sad sigh.

"Will I be okay, Shal-san?" Levi asks in a small voice.

Shalnark looks at him. His hair is even messier than usual. His blue eyes lack their usual shine and are wet with tears. His cheeks are flushed and his breathing is constricted.

"You'll be... you'll be alright. Don't worry. We'll take care of you, okay?" Shalnark gives him a soft smile, trying to ease his tension.

Levi slowly nods. "Thank you."

"Do you think you can take some medicines? Just for a few days-- I promise."

Levi reluctantly nods.

Shalnark beams. "Excellent! You'll be perfectly healed in no time then!"

He exits the room with a small wave of his hand and returns, after a while, with another, this time bringing some bottles and a glass of water along with him.

Levi frowns but drinks his medicines. They taste pretty awful, but thankfully not as much as he assumed they would.

Shalnark states that one of the medicines' side effect makes one sleepy, and true to its reputation, it helps Levi to drift off to sleep in just a few minutes.

Levi wakes up feeling a lot better. He rubs his eyes and lets out a nice long yawn.

"How you doing?" A low voice asks.

His head snaps to the chair. His blue eyes meet black. They're the same ones from his last memory. Levi looks at the face attached, and gulps. It's Feitan.

He still can't remember why he was angry at him, but he does suddenly remember leaping at him with an intent to kill. He really hopes he didn't hurt him.

"... Better."

"Hm."

Levi blinks. Feitan turns around to return to the open book in his hands.

As the silence drags on, Levi struggles to think of something to say. Without eye contact and his disinterest in further conversation, Levi decides to bury himself back in the blanket.

A few minutes later, Feitan glances at him. He's not asleep yet. He expects him to say something, but he has just hidden himself under the blanket.

Chrollo had asked him to look after Levi and also resolve their... problems.

He grimaces. If the boy doesn't talk, he has to.

"Hey. You sleep?"

Levi pokes his head out from under the blanket with a nervous look.

"What last thing you remember?"

Levi flinches. He thinks about lying but one glance at his face and he can tell he can't.

"You." He mumbles.

"And?"

"Well... I think I... might have attacked you... but I swear I... don't really know why! I just... I'm sorry..." Levi hides himself back in the blanket to avoid facing him.

"You was acting strange... it actually is that woman's nen."

"Nen?"

"Yes. She have manipulator type nen."

"So..." Levi slid his head out of the blanket again. "... she was controlling me?"

Feitan nods.

"And... you aren't angry with me... right?"

Feitan frowns. "Why?"

"Uh... huh?"

"Why I angry?" He narrows his eyes, making Levi retreat half his face back in the blanket. "You think you hurt me?"

Levi shakes his head.

"But... I tried to... so maybe, I thought..." Levi answers is a small voice.

"You are idiot." He turns back to his book.

Levi stares at him for a while, unsure of what to do. He still hasn't gotten a direct answer, which puzzles him.

Finally, he decides to make a move. He very carefully and lightly taps Feitan's hand that holds his book. A scowl from him and Levi shrinks back.

"What? "

"Nothing.

"Talk."

"I said it was nothing. I'm sorry. Okay-"

Feitan, at the end of his patience, yanks the blankets off of Levi.

"Talk. Now."

Levi stares at him for a while, his lips trembling, his eyes wide, and his breaths shaky. His eyes, then turn to the door. He has found his escape route.

He leaps out of the bed and sprints to the door. Feitan doesn't bother to catch him, as he rushes out of his living room and into the lobby.

His eyes dart around until he finds a sign pointing to the elevator. He dashes towards it, and in his hurry, accidentally crashes into something-- no, someone.

He looks up. It's Chrollo.

Someone behind him tsks, and Levi instantly grabs the end of Chrollo's sleeve, and jumps behind him.

"What's the matter?" Chrollo's concerned eyes scan Feitan's scowl, before moving to the whimpering Levi behind him.

"The kid a brat-"

"Fei-san is a big meanie!"

Chrollo sighs and turns back to Feitan. "Did you hurt him?"

"Obviously, no-"

"Fei-san ripped off my blanket."

"He interrupt reading. He annoying. How my fault!"

"You were the one who wasn't talking to me. Why were you in my room if you didn't even want to talk to me?"

"I sent him there to sort things out with you." Chrollo answers for him, his voice calm, despite the tension.

"If he wanted an apology, why didn't he ask for it?"

"Actually, I technically asked him to apologize to you." Chrollo sighs again.

"Well now, wasn't ripping off my blankets a great apology!"

Shalnark and Phinks emerge from opposite rooms.

"What the hell is going on here? I can't sleep, damn it!" Phinks slams the door shut behind him, sending a crack through the wall.

"Levi! You shouldn't be out of bed! You still have a lot of recovering to do! " Shalnark exclaims.

Feitan smirks. "Brat fine. His tongue run well enough."

"Not true!" Levi snaps.

Machi come out from another room with a dark scowl. "If you all don't shut up, I'll seriously kill you all- except you of course, Danchou."

"Hey! What did I do?" Levi whines.

Uvogin bursts out of a room, kicking the poor door of its hinges. "Who's killing who? I'm all fired up!" He asks with a huge grin.

"You idiot." Nobunaga steps out of another room with a frown. "It's a fake threat."

"Damn!" His smile fades.

Shizuku pops her head out of a room with a smile. "Oh! Good morning everyone!"

Hisoka suddenly appears, leaning to a wall beside Chrollo. "Now, what did I miss~"

"Damn! Who the hell called for this creep?" Nobunaga scowls.

"And how the hell is this a good morning? It's fucking four am!" Phinks slams a fost into a wall, nearly breaking it.

"Says who?" Pakunoda emerges from her room. "I was just making breakfast."

Chrollo watches the scene unfolding in front of him with a smile. He has long passed the annoyed phase, he just finds it amusing now.

"Everybody, shut up! I'm trying to sleep!" Franklin comes out of his room.

"I second that." Kortopi sighs as he opens the door of his room.

Of course, now everyone is here. Chrollo muses.

"Make brat shut up. He start it." Feitan shoots said brat a disgusted look.

Levi recoils closer to Chrollo, who softly pats his head. It's all light-hearted, until...

"Pathetic little baby " Feitan sneers.

"It's all your fault!" Levi chokes back a sob at the end of it but ends up letting it out.

Before, Chrollo can console him, Levi starts crying, still holding his sleeve close to himself.

There is a fountain tears but barely any sounds from Levi, and Chrollo has yet to decide whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Chrollo sighs, shooing away the unnecessary thought from his head, he gently wipes away the boy's tears-- a task, made harder by the fact that he's still clung to his sleeve-- and picks him up the bundle of tears in his arms.

A few of the members raise an eye brow at that, having never seen such a... truly... affectionate act from him. It's not that he doesn't care for them-- absolutely, not. He probably cares for them more than the boy-- but it's just that he's not really the type of person to show it so openly.

But, here he is, comforting a little boy-- perhaps because... he's just a tiny kid? I mean like he is not even four feet tall, and is literally seven years old?

Nevertheless, they keep their thoughts to themselves out of respect for their leader.

"I'll take care of him from here. Try to have a good night." Chrollo gives them one of his serene smiles, and amidst them bidding him a good night as well, returns to his room.

It's different now, the previous one having been destroyed during a... certain fight between Uvogin and Phinks.

The living room is smaller but also cosier. There is a cream couch and two armchairs drawn up to a coffee table. Hand-made wall-hangings don the wall. Next to a hanging depicting a river side, stands a table with four drawers and a bubbling aquarium on top. Overall, unlike all the other rooms in the hotel, the customised room, has a nice bohemian aesthetic to it.

Chrollo sits on one of the armchairs, seating Levi on his lap. Tears still stream down his red face. He carefully wipes them away.

"Levi, it's okay. Don't worry." He slowly combs his fingers through his hair.

"But-but Fei-san-" Levi struggles to get his words out, hyperventilating.

"Don't worry. He won't hurt you. Nobody will hurt you."

"How can- how- how can you be so- so sure?"

"Because I will protect you. Promise. Besides, Feitan's not our enemy. He can be difficult to deal with at times, but he's a good friend."

Levi sniffs and nods. "He helped me- helped me during the hunter exam."

"See-" Chrollo smiles, tucking a stray hair behind Levi's ear. "- he's a good friend.He's just not used to... taking care of children."

"Mhm."

Finally, his tears stop and Chrollo wipes the remaining ones away.

"How do you feel physically? Be honest."

"Uh... Not good. Everything hurts and I still don't know why..."

He ruffles Levi's hair. "Would you like to know?"

Levi nods.

Chrollo softly sighs. "Very well. Do you understand now why the others didn't want you to go with them?"

"Mhm... dangerous people?"

"Exactly. Good. They disguised it as punishment so that you won't persist and get yourself in danger. "

"But then- but then why did they let me get taken away like that?"

"Hm... that was their fault. They wwnt a step too far. I'm sorry. The lady there was offering a good price and they... well... wanted to teach you why they decided to leave you with Franklin."

Levi tightens his fists. "They could have just said it. They could have just gotten me back before she took me there."

"I understand your frustration." Chrollo wipes away another tear. "They were planning to get you from the car, but things got complicated. That lady... she had hired professional hunters as guards Not to mention, she's a nen user herself-- she used her nen ability to... well... charm you."

"I'm sorry for not understanding." Levi's voice shakes, and his eyes get wet again.

"It's okay. I don't blame you for anything. They shouldn't have left you unsupervised in the first place." Chrollo gives him a warm smile and once again, wipes away the oncoming tears.

But, simply more slide down his cheek. Chrollo sighs and scans the room. He needs a distraction for him. His eyes land on the aquarium.

"Hey," he gently lifts his head up to face him. "Do you remember the fishes you bought earlier?"

Levi's eyes widen. "Goldy, Clowny, Bubbles, Eureka, and Fishy!"

"Uh... yes... whatever their names are. Do you want to see them?"

Levi nods. "Of course! I completely forgot about them!"

Chrollo smiles. He leads Levi by the hand, to the aquarium. It's higher than him, but that's not a problem that shifting an armchair can't fix.

Levi's face lights up when he sees the fishes dancing around in the aquarium. His previous weeping is forgotten when he beams, as brightly as ever.

Chrollo sighs contently and returns to the couch. With a fresh book open in his hand, he sits down and immerses himself in it.

After about an hour of Levi talking to the fishes-- apologising to them, telling them about his exam, and what not-- Chrollo closes his book and stands up.

"Levi, it's nearly five am. It's time for you to go back to bed." He walks up to him.

"Levi." He brushes his fingers through Levi's hair to get his attention.

Levi looks up with a pout. "Five more minutes?"

"No."

"Pleeaaasee! "

"No. It's very late. You're not even completely healed yet. You need to rest."

"But-"

Chrollo picks him up in his arms again and, despite his protests, takes him to the bedroom. Once inside, Levi knows it's futile, and finally complies.

"You'll sleep here. Is that okay?" Chrollo asks, as he tucks Levi in his bed.

"But this is your room."

"Don't worry about it." Chrollo smiles. "I have gotten enough sleep."

"Hmm... okay." Levi murmurs, already feeling quite sleepy. "I... don't want to sleep right now though... can't I stay awake for a little longer, Chrollo-san... please..."

"No, I'll wake you up early tomorrow. You should sleep early too." He turns off the lights.

"Chrollo-san!"

"Hm?"

"Can't you leave a light on? Please..."

"Sure." Chrollo turns on a small lamp on the bedside table.

"Sleep well." He brushes his finger's through Levi's hair once more before he he turns to leave.

"Good night... Chrollo-san..." Levi murmurs as Chrollo softly closes the door with a smile.

"Good night, Levi."

[A/N: Thank you for helping with the honorifics Phantomtroupelady. Your guide is useful!And Mona Klein, although I will focus on his relationship with the troupe more, I still have a lot more interactions between the three in store and I hope I execute them satisfactorily.]