A/N: Okay, here goes nothing. For my very first fanfiction, I'm going to try something I've never tried before. A light-hearted one-shot. I'm not very good at writing humor or really anything but serious stuff, so I thought I'd at least give it a shot. I decided to use Rosette and Chrono because they're great for both serious and not-so-serious stories. I'll warn you, this is pretty cheesy, but it's something I've wanted to do with at least one pair of characters.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rosette, Chrono, or any of these characters, of course. (Do I really need to say it?) "Chrono Crusade" belongs to its brilliant creator. This is a work of fiction and is in no way associated with the person who actually does own the characters – namely Moriyama Daisuke.
Now, on with the story.
Rosette tried to focus, but there was too much distraction. Her habit was stifling in the musty old room, and there was a noisy fly poking about among the dusty tomes of the library. Her nose itched and she felt like she needed to sneeze. Not far from where Rosette sat, Sister Kate was droning on about some set of rules. Rosette assumed she'd broken them. It wasn't the first time, and it probably wouldn't be the last.
It wasn't as if she didn't try. She didn't go around breaking the rules on purpose. Sometimes she just didn't agree with them. Sometimes she didn't know them. Sometimes it was an accident.
Sometimes it was to annoy Sister Kate.
"Rosette, are you listening?"
"Yes, Sister Kate."
At least she was a good liar.
The blonde girl hid a yawn behind her hand and earned a sharp whack with the ruler that Sister Kate held. "Sit up straight!"
Rosette stuck her tongue out when the woman turned her back.
"I'm going to say it once more, Rosette," Sister Kate announced firmly. "You are not to use these religious tomes as stepstools. They are very old and very fragile. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Sister Kate."
"This is the third time I've had to lecture you in two days, Rosette. You're forcing me to take some preventative action this time. You will not be eating dinner with the rest of the Sisters tonight."
"What?!"
"You will remain in your room for the rest of the night. No visitors. I'd like you to think about your bad habit of breaking the rules."
"But –"
The ruler waved menacingly in the air. Rosette hurriedly stood up and left the library. In the hallway beyond the large wooden doors, she heaved a sigh and leaned against the wall. The air was cooler here in the corridor, but she hardly noticed. The thought of going without dinner weighed heavily on her heart and mind, but even more heavily on her stomach.
The sneeze came. The dust from the library had done its job. Wiping her nose, the girl trudged heavily down the hall toward her room. She really, really wanted to sneak into the kitchen and take some food with her, but she heard the heavy library doors creak open and knew that Sister Kate was watching. She hung her head and looked as pitiful as possible, but the iron heart of the older nun would not be melted so easily.
The room was full of beds, each assigned to a different young nun of the Magdalene Order. Rosette made her way to her own bed, kicked off her shoes, and plopped down face-first. Her stomach gave a loud growl.
"Stupid Sister Kate," she moaned. "If I could just sneak back to the kitchen for a second…"
She fell asleep despite her hungry stomach. When she woke up, darkness had filled the room and the beds around her were occupied by sleeping girls. The headdress of her habit had fallen from her hair while she slept, but she didn't notice. Her stomach felt like it was about the size of a pea. An empty pea.
She got up carefully, trying not to wake the others with the telltale creak of old springs. She was experienced in the art of sneaking out at night and knew how to be quiet. She reached the door and pulled it open just a crack so that she could peer through. She expected to see Sister Kate standing guard, but the hallway was empty.
With a silent cheer, Rosette crept out into the hall and padded toward the kitchen. The floor was cold against her bare feet, making her shiver. She reached the door and pressed her back against the wall, certain that Sister Kate would be there at the table waiting for her. She held her breath and peeked around the doorway. The kitchen was empty.
"Huh. Maybe she's starting to trust me a little more," Rosette smiled as she strode into the darkened kitchen, headed for the cupboards where she knew she could find something good.
"Rosette?"
The sharp whisper startled her into dropping what she had already gathered into her arms and made her jump, hitting her head on the corner of the cupboard door. She doubled over with a wail, covering the bump that was already forming. A second later, quick footsteps from the hallway announced that the sound had alerted someone else. They were some distance away, but getting closer very quickly.
"You're in trouble again, aren't you?" The exasperated voice belonged to a short boy with pointed ears and purple hair tied into a long braid with a bow. "Of course you are. What did you do this time?"
"Ow! I just –"
Chrono glanced toward the hallway and grabbed her arm. "Never mind. Come on, we'll hide."
"Huh?"
"If you're already in deep enough trouble to be stealing food in the middle of the night, I'd hate to find out what Sister Kate would do to you if she found out."
Rosette paled.
A second after they had escaped the kitchen, Sister Kate appeared in the doorway through which Rosette had entered, brandishing an oil lantern and tousled dark hair, her glasses sitting crooked on her nose. She glanced around the kitchen and quickly located the only proof she needed: a cupboard door hanging slightly ajar.
"Rosette!"
Around the corner, Rosette and Chrono were making a run for it as quietly as they could. Chrono pulled her around another corner and opened a door, closing it softly behind them. The room was pitch black. Rosette felt for a wall and instead fell over something on the floor. Her landing was surprisingly soft.
"Get off of me!" Chrono demanded in a loud whisper.
"Oh…sorry." She climbed up and stood with one hand out to either side, trying to orient herself in the darkness. She heard Chrono get to his feet beside her. "What now?" she asked quietly.
"She probably heard that," he answered, referring to the fall.
"Should we go somewhere else?"
Sister Kate's footsteps were getting louder. She was following them. Rosette gulped, unconsciously holding her breath. It was too late to find another hiding place now.
Sister Kate came closer, each stride falling heavily with the force of an avenging angel on a mission.
Steadily louder and closer the footsteps came. They came even with the door, paused…and moved on.
Rosette was about to breath a sigh of relief, but Chrono wisely covered her mouth until the nun was far enough away. The sigh was all the more forceful for having been postponed.
"You okay?"
"Yes. Thank you, Chrono. I thought I was going to die for sure."
"No problem." She heard shuffling and a rattling sound, then silence. "Oh no."
"What?"
"It's locked."
Sister Kate stomped into the girl's dormitory and stalked down the aisle between the beds, shining her lantern over each sleeping figure. One bed was empty.
"That girl will be the death of me," she muttered as she turned and stepped back out into the hallway. She glanced to either side with narrowed eyes. Another lantern was bobbing down the corridor toward her. "Remington?" she called quietly.
"Yes, Sister Kate. Is everything under control here?"
"What do you mean, locked?"
"I mean we can't get out."
He heard Rosette moving toward him and put up his hands just in time. She bumped into him, sending them both into the wall. After a short scuffle to free himself, Chrono shuffled a safe distance away to let her try the door. He knew she wouldn't be satisfied until she tried to open it herself, but the lock was in place. He could hear the rasp of her hands on the wooden wall and door before she finally located the knob. She tried to turn it, but it wouldn't budge.
"Quiet, Rosette. Sister Kate will hear you."
"How else are we going to get out of here?" Rosette demanded, twisting harder on the doorknob.
Chrono's eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough to make out the shapes of boxes piled on top of each other on the other side of the small room. The space was no wider than three feet and didn't seem to go back very far. There was no hope of another door through which they could escape.
"I'll just have to kick it down," Rosette announced, taking a step back and dropping into a fighting stance.
"Don't!" Chrono hissed, grabbing her arm. "As much as you need it, I don't like to see you get chewed out by Sister Kate all the time. Besides, now that I'm with you, I'd get in trouble, too."
"So that's it."
He shot her a look that she couldn't see in the darkness. "I guess we have no choice, though, do we? I don't want to be stuck in here all night."
Rosette slid down to sit on the floor. "I don't know if I can face Sister Kate on an empty stomach."
Chrono settled himself beside her. "So, what do we do?"
"Beats me." Her stomach gave a plaintive growl and she moaned in response. There was a short but not uncomfortable silence. Then Rosette tilted her head and asked, "Why were you wandering around so late, Chrono?"
He jumped guiltily, waving his hands dismissively as he stammered out, "N-no reason. Just taking a walk."
"Uh-huh." She yawned loudly and hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on top of them.
He felt the blush on his cheeks and was glad for the darkness that hid them from Rosette. "You can fall asleep if you feel like it. You seem tired."
"Yeah." She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. "Being hungry…does that…" She was already asleep before she could finish. Chrono smiled and rested his cheek gently against the top of her head.
The hours ticked by slowly, each second measured on the watch that hung from Rosette's neck. Chrono stayed awake, listening for the sound of footsteps in the hall beyond the door. He waited for a long time. Before he knew he had fallen asleep, he awoke to the sound of a sharp knock on the door. He clambered to his feet and fell over as Rosette caught his ankle, still half-asleep. Rubbing the spot where a bruise would soon appear on the side of his head, he put his other hand against the door. "Hello?"
"Chrono? Is Rosette in there with you?"
"Yes, Sister Kate."
The door swung open and the bespectacled nun stood in the doorway with one hand on her hip. "Get up, Rosette. I hope you realize how much trouble you've caused."
Rosette staggered groggily to her feet. "Huh? Am I in trouble again?"
Sister Kate and Chrono exchanged a glance. "Undoubtedly. My colleagues and I have been working tirelessly all night on your account."
The girl rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Sorry, Sister Kate."
Chrono was having difficulty holding back a laugh. He took her hand, letting a smile slip. "Follow me, Rosette."
He led her back down the hallway, through the kitchen, up the other hallway past the library doors, and to the door that led into the dormitory.
"What're you doing, Chrono?"
"Close your eyes for a minute." He opened the door and gave her a gentle push into the room. "Okay, look."
As she opened them, her eyes were met with brightly colored balloons, streamers, and a broad banner that spanned the room, painted with the words that all of the girls in the room were yelling. "Happy birthday, Rosette!"
And there was food. Lots of food.
Stunned, Rosette stared at the brilliant arrangement with wide eyes and an open mouth for several seconds before Chrono's laugh made her turn around.
"I thought you'd like it," he chuckled, beaming. "Happy birthday, Rosette."
"Did…did you plan all of this?"
"With Sister Kate and Father Remington's help." He smiled up at the older nun as she appeared in the doorway. "We wanted it to be a surprise, but it's so hard to get anything past you, so –"
"So you sent me to bed without dinner and then locked me in a closet overnight," she interjected dubiously.
"Yeah, pretty much."
Chrono's grin won over her in the end. She threw her arms around his narrow shoulders and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Chrono."
He hugged her back, blushing. "It was nothing. I –"
Before he could finish, she had bolted toward the food, especially the large birthday cake, that was spread out on a table in the isle between the beds. Chrono smiled after her for a moment before Sister Kate gave him a gentle nudge and he joined Rosette at the table. It wasn't long before a food fight broke out and Chrono, caught in the crossfire, ended up on the floor with a face full of cake. The party went on for most of the morning. Sister Kate pretended not to see the destruction and, though it pained her, she didn't insist on having it cleaned up until that afternoon. Rosette was happy enough to help with the cleaning, with Chrono nearby doing twice as much work with a laughing smile.
The sun was starting to sink low in the sky by the time the room had been returned to its normal order. Rosette sat on her bed with Chrono beside her, exhausted and overjoyed.
"So, was it worth it to be chased into a closet without dinner?" Chrono asked with a soft laugh.
"Oh, yeah." She smiled and patted her stomach. "Definitely worth it."
Chrono sat back for a moment. "I have one more thing for you."
"Really? But I thought this was your present. What is it?"
She blinked as he put a hand softly against her cheek, turning her face towards him. He leaned closer and smiled, blushing, before his lips touched hers gently for just an instant. For the second time that day, she was too stunned to do much more than stare. He was still smiling with his face glowing in the golden light of late afternoon, still blushing, his red eyes reflecting the glitter of the sunlight on her blonde hair.
"Happy birthday, Rosette."