Author's Note: This will be, more or less, a sister collection to my story 'Ticks of the Clock'. Originally they were all going to be chapters in said fic, but because they (and there is a growing number of them) have a common factor (the fact that they take place during those 6 "alone" months), I figured I'd group them by themselves to avoid confusion. Other than that, they will be written in a nearly identical format to those moments in TotC, will still be ranging from humor to angst to romance to stupidity, and will continue to be nothing more than seconds passing between Rosette and Chrono.
I hope you enjoy this new collection.
WARNING: Spoilers (ranging from subtle to glaring) for the last episode of the Chrono Crusade anime.
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Sunsets
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Bed
Silence. A long, thick, blanketing silence in which the pair looked at each other, then towards the object of their immediate concern, then back again. Faces were red, to say the very least.
"Er. . . so. . ." Chrono cleared his throat, opening his mouth as if to say something significant—before losing the courage and shaking his head. Rosette grunted in response, clenching her fists tightly and trying to think of some sort of solution to this problem.
But there seemed to be none.
". . . we. . . uh. . . could always share it. . . ?" the devil squeaked timidly, instinctively cowering for having the mere thought. Surprisingly, he was lucky— his Contractor glowered, but didn't smack him. (She was too busy attempting to look like she hadn't had the same idea.)
"Of course we can't!" she then snapped, crossing her arms stubbornly over her chest. "I'm a girl and you're a boy! It'd be— that is—it's just—um. . ."
". . ." Chrono pouted a bit, offended by how little she obviously thought of his honor. "It's not like I was going to try anything," he mumbled, twiddling his thumbs. "We used to share one, you know, when you were younger and had nightmares."
One could have fried an egg on her face. "That was different!" the blonde spluttered, looking determinedly the other way. "I was little!"
He shrugged. "You're still little, compared to me."
Rosette scowled. "At least I'm taller."
"Not really. This isn't my true form, remember?"
It was her turn to pout—so she did with vigor. Her devil only sighed, massaging his forehead.
". . . I guess. . . I could sleep on the floor," he suggested quietly. "If it made you feel more comfortable. Or I could go look for more hay somewhere. Or. . . I dunno. Something."
The ex-nun didn't respond right away. Instead, she shuffled her feet, fiddling with the pocket watch; chewing the inside of her cheek with a creased brow. "Don't be stupid," she eventually muttered, flopping stiffly down upon the make-shift mattress. "The ground is cold and hard and if you're all sore tomorrow you won't be able to help with chores. As for more hay, you know there's none—we already looked. And staying up to think of more options will only make us cranky in the morning." Yawning, the girl curled up on the bed, eyes jammed shut in embarrassment. "So. . . I guess we can share, for now."
". . ." He smiled, flushed; lying beside her blushing form and allowing his own lashes to flutter shut. "Thank y—"
"But if I wake up to find you all over me tomorrow you're dead meat!"
A chuckle echoed through the darkness. "I wouldn't dream of it."
And he didn't. In fact, it was Rosette's fault that they woke to find their limbs and hair tangled, faces close and heartbeats one. Needless to say, Chrono was still the one punished. . .
. . . but he was allowed (rather cheerfully) back in bed each night all the same.
(NOTE: This one was inspired by the picture inside the DVD box, of Rosette and Chrono lying, hand in hand, in a pile of hay. It looked like naptime, so. . . yeah. XD)