Rise From The Ashes:
Chapter VII:
Live
November 8th, XX21 : Age 25 : Paris
Chrollo Lucilfer was a peculiar man. One could call him emotionally detached, but then they'd have to ignore his obvious love for the other members of his band of thieves. Chrollo Lucilfer was a bloody psychopath with everyone but his makeshift family. Which made it all the odder that he was willing to go this far for someone outside it.
The man removed the lid of the box containing the pendant. He gathered the golden bird was meant to be a phoenix. One single brilliant ruby sparkled in place of its eye. Spectacular workmanship, no wonder he'd stolen it all those years ago.
Placing the cover back on, Chrollo leaned back in the leather seat. He hadn't stolen it this time, knowing that Kurapika wouldn't be too thrilled about possessing something illegally. A couple thousand dollars was nothing to him. His thoughts returned to the blond, and he found himself missing his company. It felt strange after all these months to not know what was going on in the blond's life. Though, Chrollo guessed he was probably out with Pairo again. The raven-haired man found him a bit too simple for someone of Kurapika's complexity, but then, it was the blond's choice. So Chrollo contented himself in wondering how long they would last. As blissfully domestic as they seemed, Kurapika didn't completely trust Pairo. He cared too much.
He sighed, turning to look through the window of the train, at the flashes of rain and lightning bolts mingling together in the dark sky. How pathetic. Worrying about someone who really had nothing to do with him. And not in the way one would worry about something they possessed and were dedicated to the growth of. That sort of worry he was well-acquainted with. This was different somehow.
His phone brought him out of his reverie. Without even glancing at the Caller ID, he flicked the screen and answered the call.
"Yes?"
"Hello, Danchou ~!"
Chrollo considered hanging up right then and there. Hisoka was the last person he wanted to talk to now. Or ever. Unfortunately, the demented magician was good at his job.
"Hello, Hisoka. Make it quick, please," he said, polite and calm as usual. Hisoka was annoying, but he was still a Troupe member, and Chrollo was nice to all Troupe members.
The man on the other side of the conversation chuckled. "I have some information on your pretty blond toy."
Chrollo ignored his taunts. Replying to them would only serve to encourage him further. "Go on."
"They got him."
His grip on the box tightened, his hand shaking a little before he reigned in his emotions. This was bound to happen. He just needed to decide how to approach the situation. Before now, he would've left him to die. The Spider came first and getting in the way of the twins' plans could possibly put it in danger.
But then, a face flashed to the front of his vision. Straight, golden locks framing a delicate-looking pale face, his cheeks flushed from the cold night air. Defiant brown eyes gazing up at him from under thick eyelashes. There had been so much life left to be seen in those eyes. To think in a few hours they might be nothing more than two empty, glassy lenses. That he'd touch him and all he'd feel was the cold grasp of death.
What was he saying?
Kurapika would be burnt to a crisp at the hands of those twins. There would be no corpse to bury. Just ashes mixed in with more ashes.
Bloody hell, was he really going to do this?
Kurapika's face flashed across his vision once more.
Oh, hell yes. He couldn't let him die. The twins would just have to deal with it.
"Where are you now, Hisoka?"
"Just being your toy's stalker, that's all."
"Save him."
The next words came in an excited, disbelieving tone, "everything comes with a price, Chrollo."
"Save him."
The call ended and Chrollo dropped the phone on the seat next to him. That was about as much affirmation as he'd get from that man.
He really wasn't looking forward to whatever this 'date' business Hisoka had been yearning for was.
The door to the compartment slid open and Pakunoda popped her head in.
"Hey, Danchou. They're playing cards if you want to join . . . is something wrong?" Paku asked, every inch the older sister he'd never had.
"It seems," he started, voice level and calm. Chrollo wasn't surprised Pakunoda could tell. Reading people was her specialty, "the boy has been kidnapped."
Pakunoda immediately took a seat across from him. She cast him and anxious gaze. "I see. What are you going to do about it?"
"I'm going to save him."
Pakunoda's lips curved upwards.
"Good choice."
. . .
November 9th, XX21 : Age 25 : Outside the Spider's Mansion
"Signed, sealed, and delivered," Hisoka chirped, handing the beautiful boy off to Chrollo, who took him gingerly in his arms and moved to walk back inside. Had it been anyone else, Chrollo would never have let the meeting place to be in front of the mansion, but this was Hisoka and knowing him, the magician already staked out here a few times.
"Thank you, Hisoka. You're dismissed," Chrollo said, bringing the frighteningly cold boy closer to his chest. His breathing was shallow and his clothes a bit charred. There were a few minor burns here and there and a particularly nasty one on his thigh. His legs and arm were bent at inhuman angles. Chrollo felt something akin to anger engulf him.
Hisoka didn't leave. He just stood there with an excited grin on his face. "Aren't we forgetting something, Danchou?"
"I suppose I owe you a favor, hmm," he said, closing his eyes to keep his annoyance safely underneath his mask. "Very well. What is it you'd like?"
"A fight."
"A fight?"
"I heard you were an undefeated street fighter before you went into the thieving business. You're quite infamous," said Hisoka, grin widening as he saw Chrollo stiffen at the mention of his past. "How many people did you kill again? Twenty?"
"Nineteen. The last one survived."
Hisoka chuckled, joyously, "your own little brother, I heard. Poor boy got mixed in with the wrong crowd."
Chrollo allowed the memories of that time to be remembered. He'd stopped trying to forget about him. About his little brother and what he'd done to him.
"Agreed," he finally said, Kurapika's body suddenly feeling heavier, "I'm a little rusty, though. Give me a few months."
"I'll give you six."
"We have a deal." He shut the door behind him. Looking up, the dark-haired man finally acknowledged his Spiders. Some were furious, some were worried, and others remained unemotional.
Nobunaga was the first to speak. "We can take care of that bastard here and now, Danchou!"
"Yeah! Who does that clown think he is?" Phinks said.
"Leave him alive for me," Feitan added, maliciously.
Chrollo smiled at them. "Leave him be. He earned himself a favor. Machi."
"Yes, Danchou," she said, looking like the good soldier she was.
"Come with me."
She followed him up the stairs to the bedroom where they had kept Kurapika before. Chrollo placed him gently on the bed, and the turned to her. Machi was one of the most talented underground doctors he'd ever met. If anyone could heal him up, it was her.
"Can you help him recover?"
She moved to inspect the damage. A few minutes passed and she nodded. "They were counting on the fire to kill him. None of his injuries are too serious."
"I'll leave you alone then," he offered, knowing Machi preferred to work in solitude.
The woman nodded, already calculating the injuries if the look on her face was anything to go on.
He'd be fine.
. . .
November 16th, XX21 : Age 25 : In Chrollo's Office
"Danchou," Machi's cold voice reached him. "The blood tests brought up something interesting."
Chrollo turned to her, feeling a strange sense of unease well up inside him. "What is it?"
"A paralyzing agent," she said. "I've never seen one so potent before. At this rate, his organs will stop functioning."
Well played, twins, well played, but he wasn't giving up that easily. "Is there any way to counter it?"
"I know a few people who are experts at paralysis, I've already contacted them. I sent them the blood samples as well," she informed.
"Well done. Thank you, Machi. Tell me if you find anything."
She nodded curtly before turning to walk out, leaving Chrollo to return to his work on their next heist.
"One more thing," he remembered. "How long do you think he has?"
"He's surprisingly resilient. I'd give him a week, maybe a week and a half."
He leaned back in his chair. "I see. Best not to waste any time then."
. . .
November 16th, XX21 : Age 25 : In Chrollo's Office . . . again
"You found a cure?"
Machi nodded, though he could see the reluctance written on her face. There must be side effects.
"What's the catch?"
Machi wet her lips, before starting to speak in a quiet, almost worried tone, a direct contrast to her usual monotone. "Later in life, he might develop some . . . complications."
"Like?" It wasn't in her nature to beat around the bush.
"Seizures, blackouts, chemical imbalances in the brain, paralysis from the neck down, and," she paused, "death."
Chrollo pursed his lips. Surely, if they had more time, they could narrow the list down a bit, but they didn't. Kurapika had gone through a week now, but his condition was rapidly declining. He'd be dead within days.
"Sounds like a standard fee," he muttered. "Do it. I won't let them be the cause of his death." That was surely what Kurapika would want as well. He wouldn't let him die. Not now. Not because of them.
She nodded, still reluctant, but willing to obey as any Spider would.
. . .
November 16th, XX21 : Age 25 : Kurapika's Room
The blond stirred a little, and then slowly, his eyes opened. He blinked to get the sleep out of them, and his face scrunched up adorably as he took in his surroundings. Chrollo felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders as he saw that life flood back into the man's face. In the back of his mind, he registered that he'd been worried about him. Especially, since he had now placed his emotions into more-or-less a category.
"Finally up, are you?" Chrollo said, placing the book he'd been reading on the nightstand beside the bed.
Kurapika turned to him, as if only now noticing he had a guest. For a few seconds, there was silence, and then . . . "what took you so long?"
Chrollo couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that comment. Kurapika certainly had a strange way of thanking people.
"I'm sorry the trip here from Paris put a bit of a damper on my rescue mission. I had to get Hisoka to save you instead."
Kurapika cringed. "What'd he ask you to do?"
"Nothing I can't handle."
Kurapika raised an eyebrow but said no more.
"How are you feeling?"
Kurapika shrugged. "I've been better, but I suppose that's too much to ask for."
Instinctively, the man reached out and fiddled with one of those honey-colored strands of hair. "I'm glad you're alright."
"Here I thought you wanted this to be over quickly," said Kurapika, slapping his hand away. A smile spread across his face even as his hand began to sting a little. Same old, stubborn, standoffish, hot-tempered little sweetheart, wasn't he?
"So did I."
"What changed?"
Chrollo debated telling him the truth about his feelings. It wasn't like he was afraid of rejection, and the last few couple days had merely confirmed that he had fallen hard for the boy. It couldn't hurt him. No, his concern did not lie with himself, but with Kurapika. It'd be selfish to drop something like this on him after what he just went through. On the other hand, it might prove as an efficient distractor. The boy might look the same as ever, but it was clear there was a storm brewing underneath that facade.
"I love you."
Silence fell over the room like a blanket of snow. Kurapika's face reddened and his eyes widened as the words were processed in his genius-level brain.
"What?" Kurapika asked, voice quiet, none of his usual confidence laced into it.
Chrollo stood and leaned in close, the gap between their faces so small it was nearly nonexistent. "You've tamed quite a beast, sweetie."
Kurapika frowned. "How come you get to be the beast?"
"I clearly have more issues than you."
"Wanna bemph!"
Chrollo noted Kurapika's lips were dry and chapped, but nonetheless satisfying to claim. He'd bring him some water later, and then steal a few more when he wasn't paying attention.
His hand went up to caress his cheek and tilted the blond's head for further access. He never knew exchanging saliva with someone else could be so pleasant. It left him wanting more. Wanting to test his limits. He pushed further, eliciting another moan from the blond. And suddenly, he was being kissed back just as fervently. It couldn't last though. Eventually, their individual situations brought them back to reality. Kurapika broke the kiss.
"Chrollo." The blond nudged him away. "I'm still with Pairo."
Chrollo fought the urge to kiss him senseless again. He had no limit to his self-control most of the time, but this proved to be surprisingly difficult. Another issue revealed itself.
"Which reminds me. How did those two catch you off guard, anyway?"
Kurapika averted his eyes. "I might've gone out alone for, maybe, five seconds?"
"After I explicitly asked you to stay with at least one other person?" he asked. Kurapika nodded, a bit sheepishly. "You're horrible at following directions, you know that?"
"Well, I couldn't just let Pairo go on thinking I had feelings for you," Kurapika scoffed. "I have no clue where he got that idea. It's completely ridiculous."
Chrollo smirked. "I think those moans from a few seconds ago would beg to differ."
Kurapika rolled his eyes, and if he could he would've surely crossed his arms. "So you're a good kisser. That doesn't mean anything."
His body urged him to show the blond just how little significance it had, but his mind quickly slammed the breaks.
"So, what happened with your dear Pairo?" he asked. "Did he break up with you or something?"
Kurapika became solemn all of a sudden. "Sort of. But I'm sure I can talk some sense into him."
Chrollo gave him his own version of a Hisoka grin. It was less creepy and certainly fewer people would doubt his sanity, but it was still obvious where this was going. "So, for all intents and purposes, you're single now."
"I - I suppose." He was so cute when he stuttered! Oh dear, he really did become Hisoka for a second there. He didn't like what this 'love' was doing to him.
Chrollo leaned down to kiss him again, planning to go a little further this time, but then someone cleared their throat. They both turned towards the source of the sound only to find a disapproving Machi standing there with her arms crossed.
"With all due respect, Danchou," she started, voice tight and curt. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped sexually assaulting my patient when he only has one good limb to use."
"Understood," Chrollo said. "I'll be going now. Take care, kid."
"Kid? You confess your love to me and yet you still call me a kid?! How old are you, anyway?! Hey, where do you think you're going! Machi, how old is he?"
"I believe he'll be turning twenty-six on November 30th."
Paku was already waiting for him downstairs, dressed immodestly as usual and not caring.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I'm going to have a little talk with Kurapika's idiot boyfriend."
. . .
November 17th, XX21 : Age 25 : Some Pub
"Now, this is pathetic," Chrollo scoffed, walking up behind the brunet with an almost cruel smirk on his face.
"What do you want, Lucilfer?" Pairo asked, swishing the alcoholic liquid around in the crystal glass, eyes following the movement.
Chrollo took the seat next to him. "I'm here to talk about Kurapika."
"There's nothing to talk about," Pairo replied, almost bitterly. "It's over."
"Don't assume everything is about your relationship with him. I don't care about that."
"Clearly."
"I'm not in the mood for your attitude, young man." Oh, now he just felt old. "You haven't seen him all week, have you?"
"I figured he was with you."
How petty.
"He is now. I found him in a burning cabin, beaten and bruised. They broke both of his legs and his arm, and injected him with a poison that could easily stop his heart." Go on. Ask him the question.
"They? Who are they?" Pairo asked, his overprotectiveness clear. Silly boy, he couldn't do anything against the twins. He'd be dead before he even got close.
"They're called the Volkov twins. They're after Kurapika. They have been for weeks now," Chrollo explained. It wasn't his place to say any of this, but he knew Kurapika would never come clean and Pairo needed to know if he was to be of any help to the blond. "He'll explain it better. I can take you to him if you'd like."
He stood up but Pairo immediately caught his arm.
"Why are you trying to bring us together?" he asked. "You love him too, don't you? You want him just as much as I do."
Chrollo smiled, closing his eyes and laughing a bit. "It's true. I won't deny it, but I'm afraid my brand of love is different from yours. I'm not looking for a relationship. These feelings are enough for me."
"Is this one of those moments where you sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of the person you love?"
"Perhaps." It was mostly true, though. He wasn't looking for a relationship. He had had plenty of those. Kurapika was different. Rather than wishing to possess him in the webs of his love, he would rather see him happy. So, while a relationship with him was preferable, he was content with settling for admiring him from a distance.
"I won't stand for it," Pairo said, and for a moment, Chrollo saw his brother in the brunet's place. It wasn't the first time this had happened, but he'd never noticed it so acutely. Pairo's personality and appearance were miraculously similar to Demitri's. Too kind for a world like this. And unfortunately unsuited for someone with Kurapika's potential for darkness.
"Excuse me?"
"I want to win against you," Pairo clarified. "I won't let you just drop out after all this. Fight me for him."
Chrollo turned back fully, surprised to see such selfishness. "And if he chooses me?"
"Then I'll admit defeat and give him to you."
"Don't get cocky, boy. I don't accept gifts, if I want something, I take it."
"Do we have a deal?"
Chrollo smirked. So, even a man like Pairo could surprise him? Were his abilities to predict other's actions fading away? Well, he couldn't have that.
. End of Chapter .
A/N: Is Chrollo OOC? He seems like the type to accept his feelings for someone quickly. Maybe, I didn't put in enough build-up? As for him being willing to give up Kurapika so easily. I figured that if he ever fell in love with someone as a person, he wouldn't be too possessive of them, but rather want them to be happy. I don't know, he seems pretty selfless to me when dealing with the Spiders, and I've never really seen him treat them like possessions. It's true that he sees humans as toys, but if he truly grew to care for someone, that person wouldn't really be a toy anymore. Maybe, I'm stretching the limits of his character a bit. His love is strange, that's all. He wants to love Kurapika, but that doesn't automatically equal a relationship in his mind. As for the kiss, that was to distract Kurapika from his traumatic experience. You'll see more of that next chapter.
Next:
Kurapika deals with the fact that he almost died. Pairo apologizes profusely. Oh, Kura also contemplates what that kiss meant to him. There are about two to three chapters left, folks.