Chrono Crusade Only Time Will Tell

_Spending the Night Out_

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Her sunshine blonde hair whipped back and forth through violent waves of wind. She smiled as she enjoyed the cool air on her face and the red glow of headlights zig zagging past her as the car sped by other vehicles. The crisp air of a summer night surrounded her and she fell into a content daze observing the earth pass by her in seconds leaving behind brilliant echoes of light and the pleasant smell of life. Even at this time of night the city still thrived and she enjoyed knowing that she was thriving with them. But what she enjoyed the most was watching her partner next to her smiling while experiencing the same feelings and thoughts that she was. His red eyes with golden flakes gleamed with satisfaction as he steered the car down the city lit road. His lips curved into a smile and his violet hair blew into his face, which he didn't seem to mind. She looked lovingly towards him and veneratedhim as he focused on the road ahead of them.

At this moment they felt so happy and carefree. There was no feeling of rush or any concept of time at this moment, just pure contentment as they rode together into the night. There was no awkward silence as there was no need to share words, their feelings radiating off them telling each other more than what could be spoken.

Rosette's eyebrow arched when she heard Chrno chuckle. She looked at him while he tried to keep himself from laughing but he couldn't help it. His cheeks pinked and he broke down in laughter.

"What? What is so funny?" Rosette asked defensively.

"Oh applesauce R-Rosette," He tried to speak in-between laughs, "I-I don't know!"

"How can you not know?" She leaned closed to him with a threatening look plastered on her face which made him laugh even harder.

"Gah what is with you!?" Her chest rumbled wanting to release a chuckle of her own.

"You are gonna make me laugh too, stop it! You look crazy!" Her face got red and she tried to stop smiling.

"I-I can't help it," he had laughed so hard tears formed in the corner of his eyes, "I'm just so happy right now!" He sighed finally managing to stop laughing.

At first Rosette looked a bit confused but then she grinned and started laughing herself.

"Geez Chrno you are such a sap!" She laughed causing a reaction and Chrno began to laugh again.

"Ow my side hurts!" he drew in gasps of air between laughs.

"See what you did!" Rosette giggled and pushed his arm causing the car to swerve and he drove into the grass and ended up parked underneath a bridge next to the river.

"I love this Rosette," He coughed seizing his laughter. She finished with a few chuckles and looked out the windshield as fireflies buzzed by in the dark night.

"Me too, I wish it would stay like this forever…" She spoke watching as two fireflies landed on the mirror beside her. Their yellow bottoms glowing off and on like some kind of signal. She stared at the reflection in mirror of the watch dangling in front of her heart.

"I am glad I met you…Rosette," Chrno said not taking his eyes from the sky. Rosette's heart warmed and goose bumps appeared on her skin, the way Chrno said her name with such affection it sent shivers up her spine.

He leaned over and placed his calloused hand on the watch hanging around her neck, she put her hand over his, the hairs on his neck rose.

"Let's break the seal and never open it again…" He spoke, his voice low and serious; she turned and met his eyes, his gaze burning into her soul. She found it hard to take her eyes away from his and she forced herself to look down.

"You know we can't until I find Joshua," her voice sad.

Chrno just stared at her, desperate to make her change her mind. All he wanted was her happiness but sometimes he couldn't help but think selfishly and yearn to be near her at all times. Was it really selfish to want her to live longer just so he could be with her? No, it was selfish of him to have taken her life from her in the first place. He could never forgive himself and would never be able to stop arguing with himself over it.

"I just... I get this awful feeling in my chest when you're not around, even if only for a little while. I...I don't really understand it, I hate that we don't have a lot of time..." Chrno fidgeted with his hands and looked down shyly.

"We?" Rosette asked as she felt the pain in her chest as he described it.

"I don't plan on living any longer than you."

Rosette blinked a couple times, her eyes straining to produce tears she would not allow. She ran her finger along a strand of violet hair that framed his face and sighed.

"We were so happy a minute ago, why don't we talk about something else?" She spoke softly.

He looked up at her and leaned back into his seat and they were quiet again. It was hard for both of them to really savor the cherished times like these with the contract tugging at the back of their mind. Always reminding them of what's to come and never letting them forget.

Chrno opened the car door and stepped out into the refreshing outdoors. He took a deep breath inhaling the salty mist from the river and looked around at the pitch black night surrounding them. It seemed a lot later than it was, although he wasn't really sure what time it was to begin with. A rare assurance since he always found himself staring at whatever source of time happened to be around him, like a bad habit.

Rosette watched curiously as he opened the backseat of the car and began digging through his large case of ammunition. His tongue found its way on the side of his top lip as he concentrated on whatever he was looking for. When he found it he quickly shut the door behind him and headed down towards the bank of the river. Rosette crossed her arms curious to where he was going and what he was taking with him. She kicked open the door and decided to follow him.

"Chrno, what the hell are you doin'?" She moaned almost loosing her footing as she carefully stepped down the step hill. She could barely make out the outline of his body in the darkness, but as the fireflies buzzed all around them she managed to see what was in his hands.

He held an empty milk bottle; droplets of the white cow discharge still clung to the sides. He was carefully catching the fireflies and placing them in the jar.

"You are a dork," She said, her hands on her hips as she watched him gather the glowing bugs. The jar let off a pretty glow as it got fuller and it lit Chrno's face well, illuminating his features causing Rosette to blush.

"The males will glow looking for females and when the female sees a glow she likes she will flash her own as bright as she can," Chrno explained sitting down and examining the jar of bugs.

"So why are putting them in a jar?" Rosette asked sitting next to him.

"I don't know, thought it would look neat."

"You are a dork," Rosette repeated herself.

"Did you feel that?" Chrno asked out completely off subject. Rosette slid her hand over the gun on her hip.

"What do you feel?" She hissed.

"You don't feel it? The feeling of déjà vu, I could have sworn you called me a dork five minutes ago," Chrno said with a big innocent grin on his face.

"You ass!" Rosette grabbed her gun and gently pistol whipped him on the side of his head.

He cracked up and blocked her attacks as she punched at him. They rolled around in the moist grass getting muddy and stained but they didn't care. They laughed and Rosette cursed until they were too tired to move. They lay next to each other breathing hard and stretched out in the grass.

"I-I gotta," Chrno caught his breath, "let the fireflies out." He slowly got up and crawled towards the glowing jar.

"Why? They look pretty all together in there…" Rosette whined.

"They'll die if I keep them in it," Chrno said trying to get the lid of the jar.

"No Chrno, keep them in there for a little longer, I like it," Rosette mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. Chrno smiled at her and crawled over to her side watching her as he drifted off into slumber.

_Rosette was wearing what looked like a red gown and was circling the stone bodies outside Seventh Bell Orphanage. Chrno runs up to her and notices that she is wearing a white wedding dress and the watch around her neck is gushing blood. The clock's hands are moving at top speed as the blood stains her dress. His stomach turns and stares at her frightened and confused. Every time one of the hands move his chest tightens and he can't breath._

"_Because of you I will never have a wedding day," Rosette spoke while tracing her fingers along the frozen bodies of her orphaned friends._

"_R-Rosette…" His throat is tight and swollen._

_Rosette ran her fingers along the stone baby in her friend's arms. She glared at Chrno and walked up to him._

"_Because of you," She reached up and grabbed a hold of the horns he didn't realize he had. She pulled at them and he howled in pain and held his hands against the empty holes and torn flesh where she tore off his horns._

"_Because of your horns Joshua is gone and I am dying! Because of you Chrno, don't you even care?"_

"_Y-y-yes Rosette, how could I not? I'd do anything-"_

"_Then do something Chrno, give me back my life!" Rosette took one of his horns and drove it through the clock and into her chest._

"I'm sorry!" Chrno sat up quickly and opened his eyes. He was panting and gasping for air, his eyes were wide with fear and his body trembled. He looked around holding his hand against his chest trying to calm himself and reminded himself that it was only a nightmare. He looked down at his side and saw Rosette, sleeping with a smile on her face.

The color in his face came back and he felt relieved to find her clothes unstained by blood. He looked around, it was early morning and humid. Fog hovered around him and there was dew on the grass. He noticed the jar of fireflies and cursed crawling over to it. He had fallen asleep and forgot to let the top off and now all the fireflies were dead at the bottom. He felt guilty and said a small prayer as he set the jar in the river and it floated off.

_**Ring... Ring… Ring…**_

"Applesauce!" Chrno panicked when he heard the phone ring from inside the car. The thought that they hadn't gone back to Magdalene last night had never crossed his mind. He rushed to Rosette's side and pushed her arm trying to rock her awake.

"Leave me alone…" She mumbled and swatted her hand in the air.

"Rosette you gotta wake up, its morning!" Chrno rocked her harder and his hand slipped and pushed against her breast. Rosette let out a small moan and his face turned completely red.

"Mmmm…. that's nice Chrno…" Rosette muttered obviously still asleep.

Chrno was frozen still and unable to move his hand. His brain screamed at him telling him to run away, run away now but his hand wanted to stay grasped on to Rosette's chest.

His nose began to itch and….

"Achooooo!" He sneezed and Rosette opened her eyes. Fear radiated off him as she blinked and looked down, seeing his hand firmly attached to her boob.

"Pervert!" She screamed and with great celerity flipped over and jumped on top of him placing his hand securely in her mouth between sharp teeth. She growled and dug her teeth into his skin, and he thought demon's had sharp fangs they were nothing like Rosette's.

"Rosette! Ow, ow, ow, ow!" He yelped.

_**Ring... Ring… Ring…**_

Rosette looked up, her eyes ample with shock and let go of his hand enough to mutter the words, "Oh crap!" and disappear up the hill towards the car.

"W-wait for me!" Chrno ran after her nursing his punctured hand.

She started the car and Chrno jumped in the passenger's side as she began to drive off.

"Were you just going to leave me there?" he asked.

"Were you just going to grope my chest all night?" She spat.

"I-It was an accident…"

"This is not good Chrno that is probably Sister Kate calling!"

"Are you going to answer?"

"No way, I'm hoping we can sneak back into our rooms so she'll think we just over slept," Rosette pushed her foot harder against the gas pedal.

"Have you done this before?"

"What are you implying?" She glared at Chrno and drove up onto the curb barely avoiding a stop sign.

"N-nothing at all, just keep your eyes on the roooooaaadddd!!" Chrno gasped as Rosette swerved in between vehicles trying to pass them. He would think he'd be used to her frantic driving but she still managed to scare the living daylight out of him.

Much to Chrno's surprise they managed to make it back to Magdalene without wrecking the car. Rosette smiled sincerely at him, and he smiled back, as they separated and proceeded to sneak back into building.

Rosette sighed with relief and collapsed on her bed. She was proud of herself for making it back to her room without being noticed. But before she could get too comfortable there was a loud knock on the door. Rosette's heart skipped a beat and her face went pale when she heard the loud and familiar pounding on her door. The violent, fists of pure anger knock only capable by Sister Kate. Rosette considered jumping out of her window, a few broken limbs would be better than facing Sister Kate's wrath. She inched over to the window and as quietly as she could opened it. She looked down and gulped, it was a pretty far fall maybe she should just surrender.

"Rosette..." She heard Chrno's muffled moan from behind her door.

"Chrno?" She blinked a couple times wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her.

She walked over and opened the door, "Chrno, what do you--" and stopped in mid sentence as Sister Kate stood in front of her. She had poor Chrno by the collar of his shirt almost lifting him off the ground. Rosette looked at Chrno, who gave her a defeated sigh, and then at Sister Kate who's eye was twitching.

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End file.
