Unexpected Moments

A/N: I saw the title for this theme and I knew it was perfect for the pairing. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: This is merely a fanfic meant for entertainment and none of the characters present belong to me unless I say otherwise.


49. Stripes

Characters: Chrona, Kid, Ragnarok

Quote: "Your flaws may be what make you attractive,"

"Hey, Three Stripes!"

Ragnarok popped out of Chrona's back, startling both meisters who were sitting calmly next to each other on the edge of Kid's bed. Chrona merely asked Kid to help her with studying, but of course their peaceful silence was always ruined by her pesky weapon. Chrona was used to him butting in, though, and didn't really mind unless it involved hitting her. Kid was another story.

With a sour frown, Kid glared at the black blob, anger and annoyance in his golden eyes. "What did you just call me?" Chrona's eyes widened in fear- Ragnarok said something wrong again. "What, you have a problem with being called 'Three Stripes'?" Ragnarok teased, slightly tapping the side of Kid's head that had the three white stripes that stood out.

"It's funny," Ragnarok snickered, "You have them on only one side of your head. Shouldn't a prissy, symmetry-loony like you have them on BOTH sides?" There was a now tense silence after that seemingly harmless question. Chrona has always wondered about those stripes herself, but Liz told her that it's best not to ask. She wondered "Why not?"

Her question was answered when Kid fell to the floor, on his knees and his head buried in one arm as he slammed the free arm's fist against the clean-tiled floors. "YOU'RE RIGHT- I'm an insult to symmetry! How could I be born with stripes only on one side! If only it could have been either sides, or no stripes at all! I'm an abomination- I cannot live with the fact I'm a walking pile of unsymmetrical garbage!" He started making loud, wailing noises- like a child who just lost his favorite toy and wasn't getting it back.

"Ki-Kid?" Chrona knelt down by the depressed boy, unsure what to do. Her eyes were now wide with fear as she looked around the room, hoping that Liz and/or Patty would pop out of anywhere to help her. Liz told her about Kid's "episodes", though: One, Chrona didn't understand what she meant by that, and two, she didn't think it would be THIS bad.

'Oh- I don't know how to deal with this!' Chrona screamed in her head. Ragnarok stared down at Kid, "Hmm- I didn't think I would make him cry like that."

"Um," She figured that she had to say something soon or else Kid might take his rather strange depression to a more drastic level. But-But what do I say?

"Um," Chrona hesitated, though the words finally came out, "I-I-I-think that-they're-they're kind of….Nice…"

"What?" Kid looked up at her, his usually stern eyes were now those of a pleading puppy- big, wide, and hopeful. "I-I think that-that they look nice on you…" She raised a shaking hand as she reached over and brushed the bangs that were stained with white, "They're-they're even kind of-kind of…Cute…." She mumbled the last word, as it was a thought she would prefer to have kept in her head but of course his presence just seemed to force everything out of her.

It was the truth though. She found those three white stripes to be both strange and nice. It made him stand out when compared to the hairstyles of her other new friends. She really didn't understand why they were so bad. Of course she didn't understand Kid's concept of "symmetry" either.

Chrona quickly pulled back her hand, feeling her face grow extremely warm. As she looked down at Kid, she saw his cheeks turn a certain shade of pink. "You-you really think so?" he asked slowly, lifting himself off the ground. Chrona could only nod nervously, trying to keep her cool. "Damn it, Chrona, if you want to get into the boy's pants, do it now. He's vulnerable when he's like this!"

"Ragnarok!" Chrona shrieked, hitting the black blob with her fist. She forgot that he was still sticking out and listening. It wasn't a hard hit- Chrona wasn't one for physical violence even if it was Ragnarok- but it still told Ragnarok that he wasn't helping her at all. Kid ignored what Ragnarok said, particularly the 'vulnerable' part. Slowly he stood up, fixing his jacket and slowly regaining his dignified pose. "Well if you think they're nice, Chrona, I guess they can't be THAT bad…" He reached down with an open hand, beckoning Chrona to take it so he could help her up. Hesitantly she took hold and was pulled back onto her feet gently.

"….But if you say I look cute with just one side- what would you say if it covered both- Wouldn't that be better, because I think it would?"

Chrona's eyes widened in fear as the boy started going on about "symmetrical hair", though if one were to look at her they would see a somewhat annoyed expression on her face instead of a frightened one.

I really don't know how to deal with him sometimes.