Madam Maid

“Perhaps... I have been too forthcoming with my expectations of everyone. It can be a heavy burden to bare.” Chrollo hummed, tapping his finger on his chin absentmindedly.

“We will complete whatever task you ask of us, Boss. No burden is too heavy.” Machi replied, Chrollo’s eyes flicking to hers briefly before he looked up at the decrepit ceiling of their hideout.

“Maybe, but I think the Troupe deserves to be rewarded every now and then. It keeps morale high and other’s thoughts of betrayal tucked away.” Their Leader sighed, looking at his watch quickly.

“Well, I best go and change. I have some business to attend to.” Chrollo stood and Machi took a step towards him.

“Do you need any backup?” She asked. She didn’t want to question him but he would usually disclose his plans to the troupe before disappearing.

“No, no. I’m just going to retrieve everyone’s... reward.” Machi caught the glimmer in Chrollo’s eyes as he left but she couldn’t quite place what it meant. Though she thought that they were rewarded enough by being part of the troupe, she wouldn’t deny a gift their Leader had gone out of his way to get them.

She turned to face the few members that were present. Franklin sat on a large rock playing cards quietly with Shizuku and Shalnark while Hisoka sat quietly by the broken stained glass window listening to the quiet rain. Their eyes met and Hisoka smirked, earning a glare from Machi before she went to sit beside Shizuku and await the Boss’ return.

———————————

Chrollo had settled into a booth at a quiet bar, the low light and soft music made for a relaxing atmosphere. He wore a crisp black suit, white shirt with a few of the top buttons undone and a white cloth around his forehead to cover his tattoo, his hair spilling around his face. Before him on the table were various files, and he checked his watch again while awaiting for the first to arrive.

Two hours had passed with no success. All candidates thus far had been missing something. That was, until you arrived, catching his attention promptly. You introduced yourself, sitting daintily in the seat opposite him while he examined you, the soft lighting of the bar accentuating your features.

“So, to begin, I will be your employer. You may refer to me as Boss.” Chrollo watched as you nodded.

“You are applying for a full time position as a live in maid, correct?” You nodded.

“You are aware that your duties include general cleaning as well as... other expectations.” Chrollo raised a brow as he saw your cheeks flush.

“O-Other expectations?” You chirped, flustered.

“Yes. You will be expected to tend to our group’s... needs. Is that something you’re prepared to do?” A small nod confirmed your answer and Chrollo’s lips pulled into a soft smirk.

“Our group has members that aren’t, how you say, normal. Some do not pass the standards of beauty and can be seen as quite intimidating. You will be dealing with members of various genders, ages, body types and heights. All of them are quite dangerous. Are you willing to attend to all of their individual needs?” Chrollo watched you process the information. You swallowed nervously.

“Can you guarantee my safety?” You asked, biting your lip.

“Your safety is my top priority.”

“Then, I can do it.” You confirmed, cheeks flushed a soft pink.

“Great. Just two more questions. First, are you able to use Nen?” Chrollo rested his hands on the table as you glanced down at your lap.

If you could use anything like that, you wouldn’t be in this position to start with. Since you were a child, your dream was to become a hunter. You were frail but you wanted to help others, but that was quickly discarded when you watched your friends leave to take the hunter’s exam and none of them returned. If they couldn’t pass the hunter’s exam then you had no chance. Your dreams were further shot when you came to the realisation that you were unable to manifest the use of Nen.

“No, I’m not.” You sighed. Would this be another job position where you were turned away due to your lack of ability?

“Don’t look so solemn. I’m looking to employ someone who cannot use Nen.” Chrollo gave a small smile and you looked at him blankly for a moment before smiling.

“This is just a simple maid job, with added extras.” He closed his eyes as he smiled and you felt compelled to smile back.

“Last question; as I’m sure you read in the job posting, this position requires your full attention and commitment with a guarantee of relocation in the future. Do you have any family? Unfortunately this job requires that you don’t contact anyone with any information about us, however, I believe your wage is made up for that.” Chrollo sat back in his chair and awaited your answer.

To be honest, you couldn’t wait to leave this city, it was full of bad memories that you just wanted to get away from, and as for family...

“I don’t have any family. I’m more than happy to relocate.” You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

“That’s great to hear. How soon can you start?” You looked down at your small bag; your only belongings.

“Um... now?” You laughed nervously, you were unsure if you could scrap together some cash for another night in a hotel. The ad said immediate start so you had assumed it was immediate. Chrollo let out a soft chuckle.

“That’s brilliant. Well, you officially have the job, Miss [L/N]. Welcome to the Troupe. Would you like to meet the members you will be attending to?” He cleared the files away, standing and offering you his arm which you took immediately; nodding in response.

Chrollo led you to a sleek black car, taking your bag and placing it in the trunk before opening the door for you. You blushed as you sat down, quickly clicking your seatbelt on and averting your gaze out the window.

The drive was silent, but as you drew near to a seemingly abandoned complex, Chrollo spoke.

“I must warn you, some of our members can be quite harsh while others can be rather... excitable. I will inform them to leave you alone to get settled in but I cannot guarantee that at least one of them won’t knock at your door tonight.” He kept his eyes on the road as he spoke and you shifted in your seat.

“T-That’s fine, it’s my job after all...” You paused for a moment.

“Will you also be using my services, Boss?” You asked boldly and Chrollo chuckled, his hand sliding off the searing wheel to the gear stick, changing gears quickly.

“That’s a rather inappropriate question to ask your employer.” He mused, eyeing you quickly before turning his attention back to the road.

“I don’t think you could handle my needs at this point in time, my Dear. Just focus your attention on the other Troupe members for now.” Chrollo smirked as he pulled up outside the building. The headlights going out made it seem rather ominous.

Chrollo came round and opened the door for you. You gave him a shy ‘thank you’ before following him inside. The interior, unlike the exterior, wasn’t too shabby, there were doors lining the corridor you walked down and you assumed these were bedrooms. The corridor then forked, one side going to what you assumed was the kitchen and bathroom room while the other opened out into a decrepit room full of rubble.

“It’s not much, but we haven’t had time to clear this area yet.” Chrollo gestured for you to walk beside him, inspecting the room as you walked in.

Your presence caught the attention of all the Troupe members who had gathered during their Boss’ absence. All of them were staring at you, some with suspicion or disinterest, others with curiosity.

“This is our live-in maid, Y/N. She will be with us from now on. Treat her kindly and she will be very sweet to you.” Chrollo’s words made you blush shyly as his words garnered a view of the Troupe’s attention.

“And no killing her. This goes without saying but should you hurt her, you will not be getting a replacement. She will keep the base clean, she will cook for you and take care of your needs. She is unable to use Nen so she is no threat to you. Ignore her or use her services, the choice is yours.” He turned to look at you.

“Is there anything you would like to add?” Chrollo asked smoothly and you looked at each of the Troupe members.

“I-I look forward to working with you all. I hope I can meet each of your expectations. Um... are there any allergies or dietary restrictions I need to know about if I’m going to be cooking?” You asked nervously.

The Troupe members just stared at you in response before looking back to their Leader.

“This isn’t a joke?” A man in a cloak with a sword asked.

“Nobunaga, I’m very serious. You’ve all been doing such a good job, I thought I would reward you all. Place nice with her now, and don’t bother her until she is settled in okay?” He smiled sweetly but you noticed there was something almost threatening to that sweet smile. You gulped. What had you gotten yourself in to?

“Her room will be next to Uvo’s, I think his presence may be comforting if she should feel unsafe.” Chrollo glanced at the large man, a wide grin spreading across his face.

“I’ll keep her nice and safe, don’t you worry Boss.” Uvo grinned and you couldn’t help but shift awkwardly. While your Boss may have had good intentions, sleeping next door to a giant man that could probably snap you in half with his bare hands brought you little comfort. However, he seemed to be the large teddy bear type, someone who is nice under all those muscles, perhaps it would be good to get to know your neighbour once you had settled in.

Chrollo brought your attention as he lead you away, his hand on the small of your back as he briefly showed you the rest of the base before coming to a stop outside a door along the corridor you have previously walked down. You imagined that this would be your room.

“It isn’t much, but there is a bed and a desk, a place for your clothes and some towels and bedsheets.” Chrollo took a key from his pocket and unlocked the door, allowing you to enter first.

“You’re free to decorate it how you like, there are some necessities for your job in the desk draw, I encourage you to acquaint yourself with them.” Chrollo smiled before handing you the key.

“I shall leave you to get settled in- Oh, I almost forgot.” He handed you a box from his pocket.

“This is your own phone. It has mine and the other Troupe’s contact details should you need to get hold of us or need to ask something. Only use it if absolutely necessary if we are away from the base as we will be working.” He smiled before leaving you to settle in, closing the door behind him with a small click.

You placed the phone on the bed along with you bag and quickly unpacked, you only had a handful of clothes, a few essentials, some books and a potted plant. It wasn’t that you didn’t used to have a lot of items, but you had to sell a lot of them to afford board should you risk staying on the streets and having what little left stolen by thugs. Within half an hour you were unpacked and curiosity got the best of you when you looked over at your desk.

You stood from the bed, awkwardly walking over to it and opening the draw. Inside were a pack of wipes, tissues, lube and other scandalous sex toys. You flushed beat red, almost slamming the door shut before two boxes caught your eye. You picked up the first and nearly dropped it. A pack of condoms. You calmed yourself, heart beating erratically as you looked at the second - birth control tablets. You slammed the draw shut, face as red as a tomato.

It made sense, your Boss would want to protect his members and you from any unnecessary mishaps. But still, the thought of your Boss going out and purchasing these was beyond embarrassing.

You sat back on the bed, picking up your phone. You decided that maybe going through your contacts would help you get better acquainted with the Troupe rather than braving out leaving your room and going back to where they were all sat. You flicked through the contacts, each had a name and their number, as well as their room number but none had a picture. The names meant nothing to you, the only one you recognised was your neighbour’s - Uvo. You sighed, closing your phone and setting it on the bedside table before picking up a towel that was folded neatly at the end of your bed. It had been a long day, and you could use a shower, especially if you had to be up early to make everyone breakfast.

You quietly tiptoed out of your room, towel clutched to your chest as you made your way to the bathroom, locking it behind you and showering quickly. Upon exiting, you clutched your folded clothes to your chest, skin still steaming from the hot shower as you quickly darted towards your room. You opened the door, shutting it behind you quickly and sighing, thanking whatever gods there were that no one had seen you. You were shy and unsure if you could handle one of the Troupe seeing you in just a towel. You hoped they at least gave you a few days to settle in before coming to you for help with their... personal needs.

You flicked the switch on, almost letting out a scream as you saw a hulking figure sat at your desk. You recognised him as the man who your Boss had said was your neighbour.

“U-Uvo, right? You scared me! You know, it’s rude to enter a lady’s room without permission.” You huffed, slight annoyance settling in after your initial scare. He just laughed gruffly.

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to see if you were settling in okay. I did knock, but when I didn’t hear anything I thought you might have run away.” He stood and you backed away slightly, despite his smile he was much taller than you, almost encompassing your space; the room seemed smaller when he was standing in the middle of it.

“Hey, relax, I’m not going to hurt you. I did honestly want to see if you’re okay. I might not be the smartest or the best looking of the bunch but I hope we can get along at least.” He gave a cheesy grin, holding out his large hand. You bit your lip, holding your hand out and taking his before shaking it.

“Thank you for your concern. I’m okay, really, I’m not going to run off.” You smiled and he pulled his hand back to his side.

“That’s great to hear. Well, I’ll leave you alone now, if you ever need me, just knock on the wall, my bed shares the same wall as yours does so I’ll hear you.” He side stepped you awkwardly, his large frame awkwardly shuffling to the door before opening it. He turned back to you and smiled before leaving, gently shutting the door behind him.

You sat down on the bed, partly in shock of what had just occurred. You brushed it off and got dressed for bed before combing your hair and turning the light off. You crawled into bed and stared up at the ceiling breathing a soft sigh.

You wondered what awaited you, how your future would go if you stayed here. You hoped you would get along with everyone and maybe even make some new friends. Hopefully these ones wouldn’t leave you, they all seemed close and you wanted to be apart of that. You decided, your first corse of action would be impressing everyone with an amazing breakfast.

You turned to face the wall, staring at it for a moment before the image of Uvo lying atop his bed slipped into your mind. He was just behind the wall. You flushed heavily, quickly turning your back to the wall and burying yourself in the covers.

He seemed nice.