Chapter Three: Staying Out of the Cold

The drive was quiet. No, the drive was silent. He looked out the window at the scenery. I glanced over at him with curiosity more than needed. Why wasn't I saying anything? Why wasn't he saying anything?

I sighed with tired eyes as I turned my head to the beautiful nature outside my window. I really should have been paying more attention to the road, but what was there to watch? It was a constant wide expanse of road that wasn't coming to an end any time soon. However that choice was wrong as I felt the car collide with something. It didn't help that when Chrno turned to me with disbelief that I was looking his way like some absent-minded dumb ass. It took me a few moments to register what I had done before I screeched the car to a halt and readied myself for Chrno's attack.

Chrno jumped from the car door and turned his accusing gaze onto me as he witnessed the poor helpless animal on the ground in front of the car, barely breathing. I stepped from the car with a shocked expression and gasped, bringing my hands up to my mouth. I ignored Chrno as he pointed a finger at me and shouted something that sounded like YOU! I lowered myself to the poor dear to feel if it was still breathing, luckily it was.

"HOW COULD YOU BE LOOKING AT ME WHEN YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DRIVING?" He asked with an extremely loud tone.

"I WASN'T LOOKING AT YOU! I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE AND HAPPENED TO LOOK AT YOU AT THE LAST SECOND!" I replied, equalling his anger with my own.

He growled with frustration and wiped his hands down his face.

"WHO CARES ROSETTE? THE POINT IS YOU WEREN'T LOOKING AT THE ROAD!"

"Who would when it just continues forever?" I yelled in return, pretending to be focusing on the animal in front of me.

"If you did this WOULDN'T have happened!" He lowered his voice slightly as he too bent down to observe the animal. "You have taken its life how do you feel now?"

I turned away as I patted the animal's stomach in its last few moments on this earth. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry okay?" I stood up and turned my back on him.

I heard him sigh and probably haul the animal over his shoulder. "I'm going to bury it; you stay here and watch the car!" I could tell that although he had lowered his voice the bitterness still hadn't left.

I leant against the car with a sigh of my own and watched the peaceful scenery again. The peaceful scenery was now tainted with blood on the road. I didn't want to spill blood anymore, I just wanted to stop. I felt my wound ache as I brought my hand around it and stiffened. They were healing, slowly and surely. But I was still weak from loosing so much blood. I was tired of driving too, my body was weak and I just felt like falling asleep.

I turned in the direction Chrno had walked off in and glanced at the car seat which looked like a nice place and curl up for a sleep. I hopped into the car and closed my eyes after I had curled myself up into a ball.

"Just for a few minutes… just…" I felt myself drift almost instantly. The distant sound of a car starting some time later on.

I was awoken by a jolt and opened my eyes a few moments later to find myself alone. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. How long had I been asleep? Was Chrno still out there? Hang on a second. My eyes widened as I noticed this wasn't where I had fallen asleep, we were in the middle of some village and after my eyes scanned the scenery for some time I found Chrno talking to a man. I moved to the window to hear the conversation.

"My friend and I stayed in a cabin once up in the woods, for purposes of getting out of cold." Chrno told him.

I smiled as I remembered the time, the memory still fond in my mind.

"Look Rosette it's a cabin!" Chrno had called to me.

I frowned as I looked at its run down condition and turned to Chrno with dissatisfaction.

"Can't you find me something better?" I yelled, wrapping my arms around myself as snow continued to fall around me.

"It's this or the snow Rosette!"

"Oh that rundown cabin up there?"

Chrno nodded. "We want to purchase it, we don't have much but I'm sure we can work out an agreement."

The old man began to laugh hysterically. "Ha-don't-ha-ha-bother."

Chrno frowned. "That place only has a blanket and a fireplace." The man laughed again.

I wrapped my arms around myself as I remembered the warmth of that time we had spent in the cabin. We were stranded on a mission, we were cold, and we were alone.

"Come on Rosette, we can share the blanket!"

"No way! I don't want you trying any funny demon stuff on me while I'm asleep!" I pulled the blanket back around myself.

"Don't be stupid!"

"It's MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINEEEEE!" I yelled, wrapping it tighter around myself. "I'm freezing Chrno! Go find your own blanket!" He had glared at me but didn't argue any further.

We had sat in silence then, the only sound was of Chrno shivering as he wrapped his arms around himself and curled up for some warmth. He was trying to make me feel guilty; I wasn't going to fall for the guilt trip.

But as the time passed his coldness only became more apparent, his freezing appearance began to make me shiver just from watching him. He looked like a small child, alone and abandoned. I suddenly felt like the cruellest person in the world and opened my arms.

"Don't be an idiot Chrno! Just come here already!" Before I knew it, he had thrown himself into my embrace, wrapping his arms around me as he dug his face into my chest to try and escape the cold. I tried not to think of him as a full grown man rubbing himself against my chest for obvious reasons; instead I tried to think of him as a child who needed warmth. It worked for a while anyway… I wrapped the blanket around us and wrapped my arms around him, hearing him whisper sweet words of thanks and my name at times.

"Rosette"

"So? I want to purchase it? Just tell me what I need to do? Look, my friend is really tired and I need to lay her down soon."

"It's yours to take; if you just want to fix the place up a bit I would be happy to lend it to you." Chrno's apparent annoyance had soon faded at this and both our eyes were lined with surprise.

"Uh… Thank you…"

"Just remember it gets cold out there, you might want to rug up a bit."

Chrno nodded and turned back to the car. I scooted over so he could take to the steering wheel again. He smiled at me briefly as he started up the car. I laid back down, finding myself staring up at the man with amazement.

"When did you wake up?" He asked as he looked over his shoulder to check if anything was behind him.

"A few moments ago…" I whispered, realizing my body was still tired. "Are you sure it's okay to drive Chrno?"

"Well, I may not have a license but I drive a hell of a lot better than you! I wouldn't be suspected in this form either, you are obviously too tired to drive, Rosette." We were soon driving up the mountain road which let to our secret little cabin.

There was this boy that had stayed by my side constantly. I had forgotten often how old he was but his wise all-knowing eyes and gentle smile had always reminded me. Now he was in his real form but he was still that same Chrno I knew and I found that I could get used to having an adult around.

"Thank you Chrno."

"Thank you Chrno"

He kept his head buried in my chest and I narrowed my eyes slightly. "I'm warmer now."

"Same" His tone was almost cheeky, and although I could be imaging things Chrno did make it out like he was taking advantage of having his head buried in my chest. He would rub against me every so often when I was sure he wasn't cold anymore.

"Can you get your head out of there now?" I heard him laugh, a different kind of laugh that I wasn't used to, a laugh that reminded me of his real age. I blushed a darker shade of red.

"Does it bother you?" His voice was muffled slightly. I blushed again.

There was another silence when I realised he wouldn't budge. He knew that I wanted his warmth just as he wanted mine.

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could stay like this?" I heard him whisper.

Although I did agree it would be nice I had to ruin the moment. "I have to find Joshua; I don't have time to stay in a cabin cuddling up with you."

Although I knew I had hurt him he didn't let it show, after all he had accepted the fact long again that Joshua was more important than anyone. Or maybe he knew that I was protecting myself, maybe he knew that I never said things straight out, that I avoided these types of conversations with him for obvious reasons. But he didn't stop; did he know he was important? Did he know I wouldn't have been able to go on at all if he wasn't beside me? Where would I be if he hadn't been beside me? I would have been killed long ago.

"One day, I want to live with you like this. Just the three of us, you me and Joshua."

I began stroking his hair. "I would like that."

"One day I will bring you back here for sure. And marry you."

"WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT? GET OFF ME YOU PERVERT!" The cabin was filled with my embarrassment and his hysterical laughter.

I smiled to myself at the memory. "Marry me?" I giggled slightly at the idea of it; I couldn't imagine being a very good wife…

"Well it's a bit early for that don't you think?" Chrno replied with a hint of amusement.

I sat up with embarrassment; I had forgotten he was in the car. "What? No no no! I was just remembering something!"

"I see." He turned his eyes that twinkled with amusement away from me as he pulled up outside the place.

"Well here we are."

I gazed out the window and smiled. It looked exactly the same, and the memories of my time with Chrno here still seemed fresh, like they were living.

"Yes, here we are."

Saturn Stars