Hello everyone! Yes yes I know. "Update The Possessed before you write another goddamned story!"

Well I can't say when I'll pick up on TP again, but I hope soon. Finals are coming up, but once those are over, I'll have plenty of time to roleplay with Amai and Jen and Toboe again and gain back my drive to write.

Until then, enjoy this little one-shot. :3 Er, hopefully you'll enjoy. If you don't, flames are welcome.

Chrno Crusade (c) Daisuke Moriyama

Holidays

Growing up in an orphanage is a rough thing to do at a young age, since you learn to grow up without the true love of parents. Rosette Christopher, and her brother Joshua lost their mother and father tragically when they were mere toddlers, and were soon transferred to the remote acres of the Seventh Bell orphanage, where they began a somewhat awkward life with a handful of other kids, and one mother-figure, Mrs. Jean.

It was nothing like what Rosette expected, learning to live without the warm and tender caring of one's genetic parents. Sure, Mrs. Jean was like a mother to her, but she had to tend to so many kids at once... they all thought of her as their mother. She was never able to spend time with them as much as she'd like, since she did most of the chores - cooking, cleaning, and bills - and had to spread her love thin so that every child was equally cared for.

So Rosette learned to accept this, and soon became accustomed to a life where she didn't expect any type of paternal care. Besides, she was so close to her brother... They watched out for each other, played together (Even if it was something as simple as reading a book), and most of all, loved each other. He was all the family she needed.

But that soon changed, when the two siblings discovered something amazing, something that would change the course of their lives so drastically, it was like a twist in fate in itself.

A tomb.

The tomb of the sacred maiden, Mary Magdalene, where a demon slept alongside her for fifty years, until the two children broke the seal upon the very doors that locked him inside, and woke him. To Rosette, he was an odd child about their age, claiming to be a demon... something to be feared by humans. But she didn't hesitate to help him in his time of need, and easily befriended the timid violet-haired wonder - Chrno.

Months passed. The two siblings continued to visit the demon that refused to part very far from the tomb he slept in, and soon, it was like he became part of their little family. Though he was quiet and mysterious, he was also dependable, caring, and a joy to be around. Rosette had thought of him as like an older brother at the beginning, but that sort of love began to change, on the fateful night that separated her from her brother, and the children at Seventh Bell.

Her new-found contract with Chrno lead her to the Magdalene Order, in hopes of becoming stronger so that she could one day find her brother. Living in a convent was a whole new experience in itself, especially when the rumors started circulating around the church, about how she was giving her life to a demon, the very kind the Magdalene Order lived to destroy. And even though said demon had to stay there in hiding, with a practically psychotic inventor, he was always there to comfort her. Sometimes, he would sneak out and night and lay beside her on her bed and embrace her while she would cry, or tell her stories to help her go to sleep. He protected her, cared for her, and was always there to comfort her.

He had somehow gone from being a second brother... to being a father.

After they had formed a contract, Rosette knew for a fact that Chrno was a demon, and he was much older than her. At least fifty years old, since he was asleep for that long in Magdalene's tomb. So by her logic, he could very well be her adoptive father, though he certainly didn't look like it.

And because of this logic, on her first year at the Magdalene Order, on June 18th, she got him a present.

"Rosette... what is this?" Chrno asked quizzically as the young blond-haired girl handed him a blue box with a white ribbon delicately laced into a bow at the top.

"W-well, it's Father's Day." She said quietly, blushing ever so slightly as she played with her fingers. "And... you've always been like a father to me, so... I got you a present. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

The demon blinked a few times, before smiling and reaching out, patting her head affectionately. In a sense, he did think of her as a daughter... because, that's the only relationship that would work between them, right? "You didn't have to give me anything..." He laughed softly, but she coaxed him into opening the little box. Inside was a new yellow ribbon for his hair, since the one he had was a little torn and getting old. He gave her a gentle hug for a thanks, and she almost immediately put it in his hair. He smiled proudly for the next few days, as if he were showing off a million-dollar prize.

After that, Chrno subconsciously came to expect another small surprise from Rosette the next year, though he didn't want her to take the trouble or spend the money of getting him anything in particular. The next June 18th though, he received a nice pair of leather shoes, and an adorable hand-made card.

But jealousy began to boil when he saw his 'daughter' give a present to someone else as well... Yuan Remington.

It was understandable, since the man had been the one that saved them a year ago, and took a great deal of his time training Rosette, and spending time with her when Chrno couldn't. It was perfectly logical... so why did it bother him so much? It's not like she couldn't share her affection. And yet, it made him practically burn with jealousy.

Was it because he was a demon? They can get very possessive, especially with their contractors... but he didn't see Rosette as a means of power, like others would. She was a precious friend, and his only family. Maybe that's why he felt the way he did... because she was all he had left. She was his world.

Of course, the next two years went by as expected - Chrno's beautiful golden-haired angel grew from the small orphan he met so long ago in Mary Magdalene's tomb, to a stunning young woman. She steadily became more outgoing and friendly with the other nuns and exorcists in the Order, and even more noticeably, began to 'shape' into a young woman. Soon she was sporting curves Chrno never expected to see on her, and actually found himself staring for moments before he mentally slapped himself - or Rosette would do the job for him. Of course, this was all in good humor, because neither of them expected to have their relationship grow past what it already was. They were best friends, and family. So obviously, whatever unholy thoughts Chrno had of his contractor, were short lived. Fathers never thought of their daughters like that.

"Merry Christmas, Chrno." Rosette said cheerfully, sneaking up behind the violet-haired demon and hugging him. Like every other holiday, she came to the Elder's cottage in the safety of the night, since he was forbidden to leave the grounds unless given specific permission. "Well, Christmas Eve, but..."

He laughed softly, having heard the novice exorcist the moment she stepped inside the seemingly vacant home. The Elder was out on one of his panty charades, he figured, like he does almost every night. Just because it's a holiday, wouldn't stop him. 'That's when they're guards are down the most' he said, or something like that. "Actually, in about twenty minutes it will be Christmas Day." He turned around to smile at her the moment she broke away from the embrace he rarely felt, since they were often being watched by others - and Sister Kate would absolutely explode every time they displayed affection for each other, no matter how innocent. "So you're close enough."

"Do you want your present now?" She smiled triumphantly and pulled out a small card and brightly wrapped present that was about the size of her palm. "I used my new calligraphy set to write on the card...see?"

He smiled warmly and accepted the gifts with great care. He would store her hand-made card in a small box where he kept all of her cards she'd receive from her from various holidays. He kept all of them, and cherished them. "It's beautiful Rosette, you're really getting good at this." He marveled at the whimsical calligraphy on the card, before placing it on the coffee table beside him, and opened the small box. Inside was white tissue paper, and... a yellow ribbon?

"...This..." Chrno said softly, pulling out the brightly colored ribbon with great care, a certain look of adoration in his eyes.

"Well... I didn't have any money left on me after Sister Kate forced me to help pay for the damages on our last mission..." She replied with a guilty look. "So I've been making everyone's gifts. I was able to scrounge up some coins from under my bed though, so I bought you a new ribbon, just like-"

"Like on my first Father's Day." He smiled warmly, setting the box down and holding the fabric almost delicately in his hands, like he was holding a porcelain doll. "...Would you put it in for me?"

Rosette nodded and took the ribbon, motioning for him to turn around. He did as he was told, letting his contractor unweave his hair up a few inches, before expertly re-braiding the small portion and tying it with the new ribbon.

"You know...I feel really bad." Chrno said softly, as she finished up with his hair. "Every holiday you have something nice to give me... and I never have anything for you. I'm not allowed to leave the grounds without an escort, and I'm not given any pay..."

"You could make me a nice card, you know." Rosette replied flatly, but with good humor.

"Well..." He laughed with a guilty look. "In this mess... Elder doesn't have a piece of blank paper around, they're all crumpled or written on, or have coffee stains on them..."

"It doesn't matter, if it's from you." She replied with a little blush from her cheeks. He turned around, looking up at her with a sort of awe. "I mean, it doesn't have to be fancy, or clean, or perfect... as long as it's from you, I'll like it."

He smiled warmly, touched by her little speech. "I'll keep that in mind next holiday." He nodded. "But... I still want to get you something for Christmas...Can you give me until tomorrow?"

"W-well..." She began to play with her fingers, an obvious sign she was a little nervous. "I was thinking of something you could give me... is that okay?"

"Of course." He laughed softly. "But you know I don't have a penny..."

"You don't have to have any money." She shook her head, blushing slightly. He nodded and waited for her answer, ever patient.

"Will...will you kiss me?" Her voice was unusually small, her gaze weighed down to the ground.

Chrno blinked, taken aback by her request. At first he thought she was joking, and would end up smacking him for taking her seriously - but as the moments passed, and she continued acting shy and timid, he knew she wasn't joking.

"R-Rosette...?" He began to speak, his voice soft and a little puzzled.

"Y-You know what, forget it. I mean, I don't...I didn't..." She sighed and put a hand up to her face, groaning slightly with frustration. "I didn't mean..."

A soft hand brushed up against her cheek, making the blond novice open her eyes and look down at Chrno's warm, red eyes.

"Rosette... " He spoke softly, before brushing her hand away from her face and leaning in, giving her a tender, innocent kiss on her lips.

And outside, away from the warm safety of the Elder's cottage, snowflakes began to fall.

-

"Remington!" Rosette waved down the reverend, running up to the tall man as the sounds of summer echoed across the courtyard.

Chrno sat on the bench beside the Elder's cottage, yawning slightly from the muggy weather, but sat up and watched as Rosette as she handed Yuan a small present. Today was June 18th once again, Father's Day. Chrno never got anything from Rosette that day, but he wasn't jealous, or sad.

Besides, he got his present four months and four days earlier.

Cookies for whoever can add up what holiday Chrno got his present on. xD

I always thought Rosette and Chrno's relationship was very complicated, and changed at least a few times throughout the story. In the beginning they were like siblings... then once Rosette was put in the strange world of the Order, she looked at Chrno like a comforting father. Then that slowly evolved to what we all know would happen, it was just a matter of when. I know this is a bit farfetched, but I enjoyed using holidays to help portray where their relationship evolves into. That, and, Chrno and Rosette are just too adorable.

Yeah, and you can all make jokes about what may have happened after he kissed her. You're all thinking it.

Or maybe that's just my wishful thinking. ;3

Hope you all liked it!

Zoey