Sanctuary (Chrollo x OC)

10. Plans of Spring

The next morning Chrollo acted perfectly normal. He was good at hiding it when he was bothered. Always had been. Growing up in meteor city, trying to simply make his way, more than just survive...to live. It required him to learn many skills, one of such being the ability to cover up his own emotions From himself, from others.

So, despite the raging doubt clinging to the back of his mind, ringing with questions of why he, he of all people cared so much. Why what he had seen in the nen-stored memory had triggered such a reaction. 

He shouldn't care. He really shouldn't.

But he did. He couldn't deny it any longer.

So Chrollo was there working away on making part of breakfast. Charred apples with fresh cherry syrup, for Azuma of course. It was one of her favorites. For a brief moment Chrollo wondered when he had begun paying so much attention to Azuma's small, almost irrelevant habits and tastes. 

He was simply going to settle on a yam. Honestly, Chrollo had no idea how she hadn't died of diabetes yet. Cherries and apples were sweet in the first place, but when you cook them, you might as well be making pure sugar. 

"Chrollo.~" Azuma chimed from the table. Not helping at all.

"Mmm." Chrollo absentmindedly hummed in response. 

"What's bothering you?" She hummed in a light voice.  

Chrollo froze like the arctic. 

He quickly reevaluated his actions that morning. Gotten up early, maintained a reserved quiet, hadn't spoken much, maintained his normal expressionless face.

There wasn't anything out of normal. He hadn't done anything to possibly hint at his troubles. 

A second passed. "Nothing." Chrollo answered, his voice passive. 

"You won't tell me?" Azuma sighed. 

Once again, Chrollo tried to remember if he had done anything strange. He had been emotionless as ever this morning, just like any other.

Emotionless as ever. The phase echoed in Chrollo's mind. Emotionless? Had...had Chrollo really been 'emotionless as ever' since he got here? Had he been stone faced will cold, blank, ghost eyes?

Ah.

No.

He hadn't. 

-

When Azuma had first seen Chrollo that morning she had known something was wrong. To her it was quite obvious. She had, after all, been observing him for quite a while. In truth, she asked what was wrong Azuma  had not been expecting a proper answer.

She had hoped, but when Chrollo refused to answer it hadn't surprised Azuma. She should just be happy bout her lovely, delicious, sweet, syrupy pile of pure sugar. And her upcoming plans. Those were also pretty damn important.

After a small silence over breakfast, Azuma finally broke the news. "Chrollo," He looked up. Why was it that every time Azuma looked at Chrollo, he seemed to get more attractive? Wait, off subject. 

"I'm gonna be gone for a few days, look after the house when I'm gone." The statement  was completely out of no where. A subtle flash of surprise briefly crossed Chrollo's face. Then it was gone.

"Really? Mind telling me why?" Grey eyes looked up in question. 

"Of course I will! All in due time." A slight smile tugged at her lips. Azuma really, really loved to tease Chrollo. 

And thus, right after breakfast Azuma dressed in some of her best clothes, took up a relatively fancy basket, a pouch of actual money, and went on her way. Azuma and Chrollo's goodbye was something along the lines of 'be back soon.'  'Don't you dare eat the honey.' and 'See you later.'