Chapter 4 - The Truth Of Healing

In the moment we're lost and found
And I just wanna be by your side
If these wings could fly
For the rest of our lives

Birdy - Wings

Chrono heaved out a sigh of defeat. Of course Rosette knew this situation wouldn't be an easy ride. She was so used to things never being easy. Rosette lit the candle on the bedside table, waiting for her partner to speak.

"..there's a chance things could go wrong, a few complications." Chrono said. He managed to move over, allowing Rosette to lay next to him on the bed.

Rosette nodded. "Thought so. To think you could try and be smart by hiding things from me. Devils are suppose to be good at deceiving others, you know." She smiled.

"I think it's safe to say I failed at being like most devils." He said, soft humour laced with his deep voice.

"You're fine just the way you are, silly." Then she raised an eyebrow; "Now spill."

Chrono closed his tired eyes for a brief moment, readying himself to speak. "There's no easy way to say this but there's a chance the horns could reject me."

Rosette frowned, not quite understanding. "Reject you? But they're yours?"

Chrono shook his head. "You're forgetting they once belonged to Joshua for 4 years. And not to mention I've been without my horns for 54 years, leaving them with no bearer. The wounds would of had plenty of time completely heal over everything. Healing the broken bone, tissue, muscle, everything that once held the horns in place and made them work, it's as if I never had horns. If I'd been without my horns for only a couple of years, there's a high chance the wounds would of still been open and easy to heal if the horns were put back in."

Well it made sense.. "So what happens if they reject you?" She asked.

Chrono wasn't entirely sure what things could happen but he knew the basics. "They would refuse to work. Now my horns have broken everything that has healed, my body now has to heal over again."

"But this time with the horns being in instead of being out?" Rosette said, finishing of what Chrono was about say.

"I'm afraid so. There's a lot of damage that has been done. It's as if a foreign disease or virus has entered my system and my body has to find a way to deal with it and figure out what it is. Hopefully, my legion will realise that they are my horns and heal over rather than attacking. In a way, the horns no longer register that I once originally owned them, considering the amount of time they've been left untouched and then they were forced onto Joshua..and with his powers..who know's what it's done to the horns."

Rosette was silent for a moment, looking down in uncertainty. "How long will they take to heal, if they even do?" A part of Rosette felt a little upset that Chrono withheld such important information from her, but she knew he was like that sometimes.

"Honestly, I don't know. A few months, 6 months, possibly over a year."

Then Rosette asked her most worrying question; "And If they don't heal..?" She glanced sideways, making eye contact with her partner.

His sorrowful eyes said everything and Rosette knew the answer. "Well..you know.." He said quietly.

Rosette pulled up her knees and wrapped her arms around them. "I won't let that happen." Rosette said in her usual determined tone, the kind of tone that nothing and no one could convince her otherwise. Heaven help anyone who dared to try.

"Rosette.." Chrono pleaded.

"I wont." She repeated in a whisper, resting her head on Chrono's shoulder. "No more dying, okay?"

Chrono wasn't sure how to reply to that. He wasn't willing to make her promises that he couldn't keep, it would only fuel Rosette's determination even more. It wasn't easy letting Rosette down.

"I'll try my best." And he would for her, he'd do this all for her to give her some form of happiness. Chrono looked at his ex-contractor's soft face, her large ocean eyes lost in some deep thought. Rosette leaned against Chrono's side, resting her head on his shoulder. They could have more peaceful moments like this together if Chrono manages to get through this.

It was only a few months of healing right? Chrono sighed and placed his head on top of Rosette's blonde locks and closed his eyes.

Rosette stretched out her arms to welcome the warming sunlight touching her fingertips. Opening her eyes towards the window, she realised she wasn't in her room.. She turned around and there he was; shoulder length purple hair streaked with golden from the sun, his olive skinned face at peace as he slept, it made a change to see him at peace.

Her face beamed bright red, as she squealed and fell of the bed onto her backside.

She'd never had the feeling of sleeping next to someone. Especially not with Chrono looking so... Rosette stop! She shook her head to clear the thoughts.

Rosette stood up and straightened her crumbled uniform to compose herself back to normality.

Her tumble much of awaken Chrono as he stirred in his bed, heavy eyes searching for her, staring at her for a moment in slight confusion. "Did you just fall off the bed?" He smiled.

Rosette huffed and folded her arms. "Shut up." That only made him smile even more, confirming his suspicions.

"Right! Let's get those bloody rags changed again." She said, avoiding the subject as she walked towards him. Then she stopped, hesitation on her face. "If-if that's alright with you." Her head lowering to the ground.

Chrono pulled himself up. "Of course."

Rosette nodded and went of to fetch a bowl of water and clean cloths. She soon came back, a bowl in hand.

"Don't you want to eat first? I can wait." He said.

"Hey, I don't always think about food, ya know. You're more important right now." Chrono decided to not argue against that. Rosette placed on a disposable cloth and began to cut off the bandages as smoothly as she could, though no mater how slow she'd do this, there was no way to make it a painless process. "I'll be gentle." She reassured him.

"Rosette Christopher doesn't know how to be gentle." Chrono remarked. Normally, Rosette would of held up her fists from that statement, but she knew better. "Hey, who's the one taking care of you here!? You should be nice to me." Rosette raised a threatening eyebrow. Chrono chuckled with nerves.

It was sort of strange hearing and seeing Chrono joke around with her in this form, she was so used to seeing him be all serious and adult-like during battle (though of course she knew he was no child) but no matter what form he took, her fun-loving and gentle demon was always there. Rosette returned to changing his bandage, Chrono tried his best to resist grimacing from the pain to avoid making Rosette feel bad but unfortunately it wasn't possible.

"You'll be an excellent nurse after all of this is over." Chrono offered a supportive smile. Part of that was a joke but of course Chrono remembered 4 years ago by the riverside where Rosette confessed she wanted to be a doctor for the sake of her younger brothers health, but perhaps that dream is now too far out of reach.

"Yeah." Rosette replied softly, finally taking of the last bloody bandage. She picked up the cloth and carefully cleaned off much of the dried blood from his face, it was best not to try and clean off the blood where the horns were for now. As Rosette dried off the blood, Chono's eyes locked with Rosette, looking up at her. Unaware to Rosette, a single tear escaped from her ocean eyes. Of course it went unnoticed by Chrono.

"Everything is going to be alright. You're doing a great job, Rose." He said and the way he spoke each word make her seem like it would all be true. Rosette wiped the single tear away once she felt it slip down her cheek. If she was already beginning to cry when it had only been a few day, what would she be like with months to come? She had to be strong for Chrono. And so she would.

"Thank you, Chrono."

Ik Chrono has never called her Rose, but I thought it sounded sweet.