Hey once again, everyone. I did say that I would give continuing this fic a try, so here goes. Keep in mind, I have no solid direction (I'm sorry!). I have no idea where this is going to go yet. Maybe it'll even go beyond this addition if I think of a decent plot. I can make no promises at this point, however. So please bear with me on this.

And I know I've been really lazy with writing this. Please don't hurt me. I'm just confused on what to do. Some people like Chrno being that way, others want Rosette to take a stand. Well, I guess you can always stop reading if you don't like what I end up doing with the characters...

Special note: Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! I really do feel better. And the reader reviews for Chrno's Smile will be in chapter 3 of Blank Pages, so look for the responses there (I know it's messy, but please bear with me).

With that said, I'd like to provide some feedback to reviewers for "Strawberry Shortcake":

Lord Cynic: The manga is definitely worth it if you can get your hands on it! (Trust me, Daisuke Moriyama is a genius). The anime was somewhat disappointing, but it was nice in its own light. I'm glad you enjoyed the read, though. I know Chrno was pretty blunt, but I have fun bringing his character to new lights and to his extremes. Strangely enough, I thought it was a pretty long one-shot, though. oO Thanks for the review!

Aiko: Your reviews are always so fun to read. XD lol. Thanks for reading and supporting my one-shots! I really appreciate it. :3

Angelstars: You like Chrno that way? XD I don't know what it is I find in his character that makes me see him in that light, but it just seems right somehow. I can't explain it. He is a demon, though. And I like to portray him that way. Thank you for the compliments and the review. :D

RyuuMahou: I'm glad you didn't find it OOC (though I'm certain I pushed some aspects of their characters a bit hard at some points). Thanks for the review and I'm glad you liked it!

davis45108: You're most welcome. I think reader-responses are a must for writers, especially in the area of questions. Thanks for the encouragement and the review! I'll keep at it. :3

Shado-Fyre: Poor Rosette. XD hehe Yeah, I have fun with that. And of course Chrno bites. XD I have to give his fangs some purpose. Thanks for the review!

Rauko: oo...I've, erm, never been quite complimented in such a way before (blushes to the roots of her hair). I don't know about going to college for it, but I'll definitely continue writing! Thank you so much for your support and kind words! (hugs)

Lillian Claire: Cliches can be fun sometimes. XD I'm glad you think the title worked out. I only now noticed the similarities of the title to one of Maiden's fics, though. I hope that wasn't a problem... And I'm glad they didn't appear to go too OOC. I know I really do push them to the limits sometimes. And I agree that manga will almost always outshine whatever they can do with anime (you're right about it being loads cheaper, too. XD). I'm very into reader-responses, so be expecting them from me. :3; Thanks for the review!

Zillenoise: Once I read it over again, I realized how kinky it was. XD; I mean, I'm well over-age for that kind of thing, but I never thought I could write anything erm...suggestive, even. XD;;; And I'm really glad you thought they were in character. I'm always afraid of straying from their true portrayals when I start pushing limits. :x And yeah, Rosette probably should have slugged him a good one, but I guess she got caught up in the moment? lol. Thank you for the review!

NightElfCrawler: I'm glad you liked it. XD I'm not really good at suggestive stuff, but I'll get the hang of it eventually (how sad that is, since I'm freshly 20). Thanks for the review!

Chizz-muffinChik: Lol. Reeked of cuteness XD That made me laugh. hehe I'm glad you liked it! Thank you very much for the review. :3

JasmineScent85: Thank you :D I'm glad you liked it. And I know I push their characters to the limits sometimes, but I really try not to break those limits. I'll keep it up. Thanks for reviewing!

roguehobbit: Oh, their fighting scenes are just too fun to write. Trust me. XD I'm glad you liked it! And I'll still be writing CC fics for a long time, so don't worry. :3 I'm addicted. Thanks for the review!

Centauri Cruxis Angel: I have a lot of fun portraying Chrno's character, lol. And due to the hints they drop in the manga, he's definitely got something darker in that head of his. I play on bringing that forward in my fictions, constantly. Thank you for the review :3

Jazzy Uchiha: Thanks for the review! I will be writing many more CxR fanfics, guaranteed. :D

Milena: Me too, but I'm not so great at writing suggestive things, for the most part. XD I'll practice. Thanks for the review.

Corporate Lullabies: I would probably say it took place after Azmaria, actually. I know they visit a similar place along with her, but this is another area altogether (sorry if that was confusing! Hope that clears it up a bit). Thank you very much for your review and I'm glad you liked it.

Outsane: Glad you enjoyed it! I'll definitely keep writing more CC fanfiction. Thanks for the review!

elyssalyn: Thank you! I'm so glad it was fun for you to read (I had a lot of fun writing it, too). I'll keep cranking. XD Thanks for the review!

thechickenlittle: I'm glad you liked it! And I'm a big fan of your CC fanfic, as well! You're an excellent writer.

Dark girl and Hiei's Girl: I will try to keep it up. Thanks for reviewing!

yeyana: XD I made some squee!

ooooooooooooo

Blank Pages Chapter Two: Hidden Pages

ooooooooooooo

Bright sunshine poured through the opening of the curtains, dropping a thin ray of daylight across the snoring form of Rosette Christopher. The figure laying messily upon the bed payed no heed to the gentle light and grumbled unitelligibly as she turned over on her side, facing away from the window. Satisfied with her new position, the groggy young nun snuggled into her pillow and the snoring resumed almost immediately.

That is, until a loud knock on her door caused the blonde girl bolt straight up and fall unceremoniously to the floor, due to her half-asleep state and lack of balance.

"Rosette?"

The sleepy exorcist rubbed her eyes and pulled her legs down from their tangle atop the bed, to join the rest of her on the floor. Blinking as the knock fell upon the wood once again, she raised herself to her knees. She could vaguely recognize the voice, but her mind was still too muddled to put two-and-two together.

"Hum, wassissit?" she slurred lazily.

The figure on the opposite end of the door sighed. "You can't possibly still be asleep! This is late, even for you."

"Oh, Chrno," Rosette finally realized, slumping back to the floor with a yawn. "Still too early. Want to sleep more."

Chrno sighed with aggravation, easing the door open. "Rosette, get up. Sister Kate already isn't pleased that you missed morning mass. You'd better not push it."

He was answered by a loud train of snores from his Contractor, who was happily curled up on the floor by her bed. A vein started to throb on the demon's temple as he approached the girl's side, his long train of violet hair fluttering out slightly from behind him.

"Rosette!" He crouched at her side and shook her shoulder lightly. "You can sleep later. Now get up!"

"Mmm...just a little longer, please," she mumbled, grabbing his hand from her shoulder and cuddling the dark-skinned apendage to her chest.

He immediately blanched, attempting to pull his hand away as his face heated up. Rosette hung on, whining softly from his struggling.

"Dun go...please..." she whined sleepily.

Azure eyes suddenly shot open and she promptly released his hand. "What the?"

Still in shock from her behavior and sudden waking, the crimson-eyed demon didn't pull his hand away quickly enough for the nun not to have taken notice. In two seconds, she was on her feet, blushing madly and glaring at the demon in mounting rage.

"You-YOU! CHRNO, YOU PERVERT!"

The overgrown boy backed up slowly, waving his hands before him in some form of defense. "I didn't do anything, Rosette! You grabbed my-"

"DON'T YOU TRY TO BLAME THIS ON ME, YOU CREEP!"

It was quite a sight, the high-ranking demon, even in his older false form, cowering from the roaring blonde teenager. The latter, which proceeded to snatch her pillow with one hand and beat it against his head while her free hand pulled violently on one of his pointy ears.

"Not my fault! Not my fault!" the demon chorused pathetically, crossing his arms above his head in some form of protection.

Rosette finally ceased her onslaught and threw the pillow across the room with a huff. "Shoulda done that last night when you were comin' on to me," she mused, crossing her arms.

He went ridged, then blinked up at her, ruby eyes laced with confusion."Last night? What are you talking about, Rosette?"

The blonde blinked back at him, gesturing between herself and his form, equally as confused. "Didn't you...? Didn't I...?"

Chrno raised an eyebrow in further puzzlement and she immediately blushed, turning away from his awkward but curious expression. 'Oh, it was a dream! Of course. Another one of those weird dreams. Just an sleepy illusion.'

"Nevermind," she stated with finality, forcing her blush off as she supplied him one more hit upon his noggin.

He rubbed the crown of his purple hair, sending a slight glower of irritation in her direction. "Well at least you're awake now. And you're snoring probably woke anyone within ten miles of here-OW!"

Rosette provided another smack to his head for the comment, then pointed toward her messy bed with a light sigh. "Okay, you know the drill."

Nodding, the demon rose to his feet and sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting patiently as Rosette retrieved an object from on top of her bedside table. She climbed onto the sheets behind his form, situating herself comfortably behind him, and started brushing through the long violet strands with swift strokes.

It was odd, she thought, to have to reach up into his hair for a change. The young nun remembered the days when she would have to reach down to brush out and braid his soft purple hair. And her cheeks flushed suddenly as she stared at the back of his older form, relieved that he couldn't see her face from their current position. Now that she'd actually stopped to take notice of it, his hair had seemed to have enlongated along with the rest of him. ...And thus was getting more difficult to brush through.

She began combing with a rougher stroke, determined to get the knots out and thus making the young demon squirm and wince from the force. Chrno turned his head to the side slightly, and managed to catch a snag in his hair beneath her left knee.

A near-squeal of pain released from the demon's mouth. "OUCH! Rosette, you're sitting on my hair!" Chrno complained.

She snatched his head between her hands none-to-gently. "Stop moving around!"

Grumbling to himself, he quieted down as she continued rolling the bristles through his smooth locks, until all the tangles and knots were successfully removed. Eyeing the silky sheen of violet hair with satisfied approval, she put the brush aside and laced her fingers into his soft hair.

Chrno instantly relaxed as her hands began weaving to and fro, twisting three large locks of purple hair in the familiar pattern. He loved the feel of her hands in his hair and when they lightly licked against the back of his neck. The brush was always harsh and left his scalp feeling irriated, but her gentle fingers worked wonders. She always took more time braiding his hair than brushing it out, but he never lifted a word in question. He'd be content to let the girl braid his hair all day if she wanted to.

Rosette's skilled fingers continued their task and his eyes instinctively half-closed in response to the thrilling sensations her touch was delivering to his system. He suddenly felt the need to be closer to her.

Humming inwardly from the warm and calm feeling that was slowly intesifying, he began to lean back into the touch, craving more of it.

And abruptly startling the busy teenager behind him.

"Chrno!" she squeaked, letting the braid fall loose as she dropped it in surprise. Quickly regaining her composure, Rosette pushed him forward with both hands. "Look what you did, dummy! Four whole sections fell out!"

"S-Sorry," the demon boy stammered, his cheeks flooding pink with embarrassment. "But it felt...nice."

The combination of his words and tone of voice caused the nun to turn red. "W-Wha?" she sputtered. "I do your hair every morning and you never...well you never react like that!"

The demon muttered another apology and she huffed, returning dutifully to the task of braiding his long hair.

"You know," she voiced after a few moments of silence. "Your hair really has gotten longer."

"Does it bother you?"

Rosette stiffened, flashes of her dream raining back down upon her as she heard his words. Coincidence, right? But the way he said it sounded just like he had in the dream.

"Are you...sure we didn't see each other last night?" she questioned softly, her hands resting limply in his violet locks.

He coughed slightly. "Is something wrong, Rosette? You've been acting a little funny this morning."

He sounded genuinely concerned, she realized. Those dreams must have really been going to her head. But come to think of it, she'd never thought to ask him...

"Chrno, why did you decide to change forms?"

Although she still couldn't see his face, she felt him stiffen once more.

"I...I don't know," he finally said after a period of prolonged silence.

She frowned at his back, prodding his spine with one finger. "Tell me what you're hiding, Chrno. You're tensing up about something. What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing!" he spouted harshly, causing the girl behind him to rock back onto her feet, blue eyes wide.

"But Chrno," she protested yet again. "If there's something serious going on, or something I can help with, I want to know!"

"Just forget it, Rosette!"

And without another word, the crimson-eyed demon hopped off the bed and stalked out of the room, violet wave of hair trailing after him, and leaving a confused and upset Rosette behind him, clutching a yellow ribbon tightly in one hand.

He hadn't let her finish braiding his hair. This had never happened before.

And unable to stop the torrent of emotions that came over her, the blonde nun sank forward on her bed and cried.

ooooooooooooooooo

Some days he truly hated himself.

His senstitive ears had picked up her sobs well after he'd left the room. And his heart clenched painfully at the acute, but distinguished noise.

He had made her cry. His Rosette was crying because of him.

And yet, he was too ashamed to go back and tell her the truth.

He wanted her to believe it had been a dream, something her own conscience came up with. And it seemed that's what she began to think was true. But he couldn't keep up the charade. Rosette was catching on too quickly. He couldn't throw of her questions forever. How could he have thought he might actually be able to fool her?

He was the real fool.

...But what could he possibly do now? Run back in there and spit everything out?

Yes, Rosette, I kissed you. Yes, Rosette, I said strange things to you. Yes, Rosette, I liked it.

Oh God, he couldn't tell her that.

Shame, Shame, Shame.

He did register that she'd responded to his kiss -but that didn't mean anything! Anyone could get caught up in a moment. Even Rosette.

And what had possessed him to...?

The demon boy looked down at his newer form's hands as he came to a rest upon his simple bed in the Elder's hut. He'd been the one to ask for this. To ask the elder if there was a way to alter his human form to something above that of a child.

And the old coot succeeded brilliantly.

Chrno no longer looked like a twelve-year-old boy. His form now resembled that of a young man (with a few quirks, such as the ears). And with the form change, came other changes.

The first time he'd seen Rosette after the body morph, she'd gone into shock from his apperance. And he immediately felt the guilt for what he'd done. She was uncomfortable around him now. He'd asked to be altered from what she was used to.

And then the strangest feelings had come over him. Sensations he most definitely wasn't used to.

Somehow, standing taller than Rosette, instead of looking up at her, triggered something in him. He was rarely around her in his true demon form, so he wasn't sure if the same effect would be granted in that situation (not that he was eager to test the theory). But when...

When had he ever stopped and wondered how soft her skin would be to his touch? How pretty her eyes shined in the sunlight? How inviting her lips were when she smiled?

He found himself looking at Rosette in a new light.

And it frightened him.

Why? Because he liked it. He was attracted to her. And the attraction was only growing.

He didn't want to scare her, but he didn't want to go back to being a child, either.

Chrno was torn.

And the previous night had changed everything. If possible, things only got worse once night would fall. He didn't even have to be around her to be thinking of her.

He knew she was going to find him that night. He could feel it. He was waiting, and yet he was hesitant. Of course he wanted to see her, but what would happen? What if he felt compelled to do or say something strange?

She came.

He tried to ignore her. He really did. The only thing he could find to distract him was red-covered book by the fireplace. And the damn book didn't even have any words! What was he going to do?

It was clearly obvious that Rosette did not appreciate being ignored. She'd pulled at his braid, his cheeks, his ears, whatever she could get her hands on. He didn't give in. He refused her every attempt.

But when she finally resorted to her fists, as she had commonly done when he was in child form, he'd felt an undeniable urge to stop her.

The electricity that coursed through his system at the skin's contact sent a pleasurable chill down his spine. And it subsided as quickly as it came, once she had apruptly pulled away.

But he craved more. More touching. More contact.

And she delivered, with another furiously aimed punch to his head. Only this time, he wasn't content to let her pull her hand back. He wanted to hold it. To keep it. Savor the feeling.

Still, he looked at the book, keeping his eyes away from hers as she tugged strongly against his grip. She must have been dumbfounded by this point. He smirked at the thought. His actions had surely floored her, as much as they were equally shocking him.

However, his resistance was growing weary.

...And he let go in one simple crash of blue and red when his eyes met hers.

Chrno remembered everything he did. In full detail. It wasn't as though he was acting through some kind of spell or drunken stupor. He wanted to do it, to say it. All of it.

And it was the first time he could ever recall Rosette being rendered speechless.

But should he even be proud of that? Some part of him was, he realized with another dose of shame. He liked having an affect on her, being something other than a scratching pole for her anger and irritation.

Recollections of the their first liplock flooded back into his mind and he flopped back onto rough mattress, gazing at the peeling plaster ceiling.

He wanted to kiss her again.

Yes, even through all the shame for just having run out on her, all the shame due to his actions the night before, he just couldn't help what he was feeling.

This had to stop.

"Oh, Chrno, my boy, you're back."

The demon boy sat up, violet hair slightly ruffled as he caught sight of the Elder in the doorway. He furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, then stood as he approached the old man.

Yes, it had to stop.

"Elder, I want to return to my child form."

oooooooooooooooooo

Rosette wasn't sure how long she had been laying there. The curtains were messily closed, and she still hadn't even gotten dressed.

Dim reddish-gold light filtered silently into the room and she was made aware that the day was nearly to its close. She'd rudely chased off anyone who came to her door all day long, giving numerous excuses for being allowed the priveledge of being left alone. The young nun could tell they were worried, especially Azmaria, but she wasn't about to get anyone involved in her problems.

No. She and Chrno would work this out.

Sitting up from her mattress, Rosette pulled the yellow ribbon, which was still clutched safely where it had been all day, back into her view. Her eyes shifted from sadness to a sort of resigned determination.

Grasping the ribbon more tightly in her fist, she rose to her feet and stomped out the door, not even bothering with her boots or any other form of outer clothing.

Even if she had to pound on the Elder's door in her nightgown, she wasn't about to let this go unsettled.

And she would braid Chrno's hair before the sun set. He wasn't going to break their tradition. She treasured it, and she was sure he did too. The blonde exorcist could tell.

Maybe he could overlook the missing link for one day, but something that precious would not be broken if she had a say about it. Like the pocket watch, it was a connection. Something special between just the two of them.

Perhaps she had been a bit nosy with stubbornly poking into his business that morning, however. He'd tell her when he was ready, right? She had been wrong not to trust him.

Her pace slowed as she reached the door to the stone hut, hearing a familiar voice shout from within.

"What do you mean I'm "stuck" like this! You didn't tell me this was permanant!"

"Oh, come now, Chrno. It's not really that bad, is it?"

"Yes it is!"

It was rare to hear Chrno yell...what had happened?

Rosette's sapphire eyes narrowed in confusion and she lifted her hand to the door, sliding it open and effectively grasping the attention of the two individuals within.

Chrno nearly choked on his own breath. "R-Rosette?"

Ignoring him, Rosette turned to the elderly man in the lab coat. "Can you excuse us for a little while, Elder?"

The elder grinned widely, nodding as he came toward the door. "Of course, my dear. And to repay my kindly stepping out of the way..."

As his wrinkly hands reached out toward the area of her chest, Rosette immediately pounded the living daylights out of the old pervert and mercilessly kicked him out of his own hut.

Chrno merely blinked, having seen this behavior many times.

Slamming the door behind the old man(who was whining about his poor back), the young nun brushed her hands in satisfaction and turned to fix a glare on the violet-haired demon, who cringed in response.

"You. Sit. Now," she instructed the devil, pointing at the floor.

He opened his mouth in inquisition, but promptly closed it when she narrowed her blue eyes further. Complying, the crimson-eyed demon obediently sat down on the dust-covered floor and looked up at his Contractor with a blend of curiosity and apprehension.

She walked right by without casting a glance at him and proceeded to kneel behind his form, much like she had previously done earlier that very morning. And to his astonishment, she combed her hands into his purple mane and began braiding his hair.

No words were exchanged between the two as she twisted his locks. He didn't need to ask her why. This had been an important daily event between the two of them. He silently cursed himself for having left her before the task was finished that morning.

Upon finishing the intricately knotted pattern, Rosette briskly tied the bright yellow ribbon to the end, like she always did.

There was an almost comfortable silence that followed.

And naturally, Rosette was the one to break it. "So, what was it you were yelling at the Elder about?"

Chrno could tell she was trying to act casual about the question, so as not to pressure him. He inwardly smiled. "Nothing important." Ouch, he realized. That was a lie. "Er, don't worry about it, Rosette."

She sighed almost wistfully. "It's alright. You'll tell me about it when you're ready, right?"

His ruby eyes broadened faintly, but became the size of saucers once he felt her hands brushing a few stray violet hairs away from his neck. He swallowed, trying to will himself to stay calm.

Perhaps...Perhaps now would be a good time to tell her. He didn't like lying to her by any means, he was just afraid of scaring her, like he was sure he had done the previous night. But he couldn't just keep running from the problem, either.

Her finger began playing with the collar of his shirt and he shifted under her touch, shutting his eyes tightly.

"Rosette, there is something I have been hiding from you..."

My first cliffhanger? Well, it seemed like a pretty good place to leave off. I hope no one is upset. This means I'm going to continue even further though (yay?). So um...look forward to chapter three :3;; I hope no one is upset on where I'm going with it so far...

NOTE: I did have another idea for a series CC fanfiction. A parody, actually. I doubt many of you have seen or heard of Labyrinth, but with some changes, I found a way to twist it to a CC Universe (lots of twisting, but it might work, in some twisted way ;3). But I won't touch on the idea if you guys don't want me to. It was merely a really, really, really cracked idea I had when I passed by downstairs a few nights ago while my parents were watching it. So, please tell me what you think. I'd be very grateful. And don't worry, Blank Pages will be continued until I'm done with it.

NOTE 2: Credit for the routine of braiding Chrno's hair in the morning goes to Maiden of the Moon, and her CC fic called "Tangles" (which was excellent, by the way. Great use of metaphors :3 )

Review please if you can spare the time. I appreciate it a great deal.

And of course, Thank you for reading.