Disclaimer – I don't own the characters of Chrono Crusade.

Summary – Chrono has a crush on Azmaria… or does he? Rosette contemplates. Short one-shot set in episode three of the Anime.

A/N – So… I haven't written fanfiction in over a year. Well, that's not entirely true. I have a few unfinished first chapter of Buffy the Vampire Slayer crossovers with various TV shows started. That has nothing to do with this fic, though.

I've only seen the Anime, and I don't really know what happens in the Manga… other than Chrono goes to fight Aion for eight years. And although the last episode of the Anime made me cry—along with episode eighteen—I still liked it.

I have other one-shot ideas, so there might be a few more fics from me.

Crush

He was doing it again.

Rosette ground her teeth as she watched Chrono watch Azmaria, who was oblivious to what was going on around her.

She wasn't jealous – she didn't think of Chrono like that – but, still, he was watching a twelve year old like… like… well, she wasn't entirely sure, but with the look on his face – he seemed deep in thought – she couldn't help it if her mind wandered to the obvious conclusion – at least to her.

But what on Earth was he thinking about while looking at Azmaria like that?

Protectiveness – both for Azmaria and Chrono, which seemed like quite a contradiction – welled up inside her. Chrono was hers. She didn't like thinking about him like that, but it was true. He was hers. The pocket watch around her neck reminded her of it all the time.

She had the sudden, overpowering urge to dig her elbow into Chrono's side to snap him out of whatever he was thinking about.

"Chrono!" She snapped instead, and he jumped like she had surprised him.

"Wha… Rosette! I…" He fidgeted nervously, avoiding her angry gaze. "I was just…"

"I know what you were doing!" She growled, her eyes darting to Azmaria, who had moved to Claire, Mary and Anna and was asking them if she could help them with anything else.

"Rosette, it's not like –"Chrono flushed, his eyes widening. "It's not like that!"

"Oh, really?" She asked, sarcasm evident in her tone. "Tell me, Chrono, what was it, then?"

"It was just… Azmaria… reminded me of something." Chrono explained, his face still red.

"Reminded…" Rosette trailed off, frowning.

What could Azmaria have possibly reminded him of?

Chrono sighed in relief – it seemed like Rosette had been distracted from that line of thought.

"What do you mean, she reminded you of something?" Rosette asked, now curious instead of angry.

Chrono swallowed, his face going red again. She just had to ask…

"Um, well… she kind of… reminds me of… you when we first met." He said quickly, hoping she would just drop the subject entirely.

Rosette stared. What… Azmaria had reminded Chrono of her?

She blinked.

Then, she thought. Yes, she could see herself in Azmaria. She had been twelve when she and Joshua had first met Chrono, and she had been an orphan… but somehow, she doubted that was all Chrono had meant.

But… He had been staring at Azmaria because she reminded him of Rosette herself?

Although, when she gave it a little more thought, it wasn't that strange.

Deciding to drop the subject, she glanced at Chrono, who was watching Azmaria from the corner of his eye as she helped the three Sisters with chores.

"Come on, then." She pulled him to his feet and started dragging him over to the four girls.

"Wh… What?" Chrono scrambled to follow her, eyes wide.

"We're going over to help them." Rosette smiled softly.

Chrono smiled, too, and they walked the short distance to the girls in silence.