This side story was written for a Slayers Winter Contest on DA, it takes place after the events of Chapter 60 of The Soul Touch
"Will somebody please explain to me why we're in the coldest area around when I could be nice and warm back in Seyruun?" Lina Inverse growled as she was shivering, she was in her usual outfit with the addition of a large coat. The snow on the ground went just about halfway up her boots making travel difficult at times, but not impossible.
"Oh don't be that way Miss Lina!" Amelia pouted, placing her hands on her hips. "With all the excitement that's gone on lately it's good to have a little vacation! Daddy chose this place himself as a pre-wedding gift for Miss Sylphiel and Mr. Gourry!"
"More likely he just picked a random place to get Amelia's mind off her grandfather's death." Zelgadis grumbled.
"Gift? He had to send someone here anyway so how is this a gift?" Hawke, Lina's cousin scoffed.
"I think it's nice." Gourry chuckled, holding his fiancée close to him. He looked up at the trees covered in the snow. "It's a pretty sight when the sun hits the trees."
Sylphiel nodded. "Why is it Miss Naga didn't come with us?"
"Figures the jellyfish brains would like it…" Lina grumbled.
"I think she figured that with outfit of hers she'd freeze to death here." Filia brought up, holding Val within her coat in her arms. "Actually wasn't it only Miss Amelia that had to come out here?"
"Why did she have to come here Filia?" Val shivered a bit. "It's freezing cold out here…"
"Well with her father taking over as king he has many things to get in order, including the other kingdoms that worked with Seyruun, as the castle still needs to be rebuilt he has to stay there but send someone on diplomatic situations." Zelgadis explained. "This kingdom sent word they want to renegotiate their contract with Eldoran Seyruun, since he is dead they won't uphold the same with Phil."
"And as the crowned Princess of Seyruun it's my duty to help daddy as he can't be leaving the kingdom right now." Amelia said, holding up a scroll. "So I'll be delivering this and we can relax the rest of the time in the resort and ice skating fun here!"
Lina rolled her eyes. "Phil talked Amelia into dragging the rest of us with her for protection, which he paid for the whole resort inn and all their other stuff, granted it's a lot of free food and all but I HATE THE COLD!" she then looked around. "Wait, we're missing someone where is…?"
"How can you people even move in this weather?" Xelloss the newly humanized priest was shivering as he was several steps behind them. Xelloss had been a Mazoku for over 1,000 years but due to circumstances that involved Cepheid and saving Lina's life, he was cursed and bound to a human form that they were currently trying to figure out how to break. His Mazoku servant and 'bodyguard' Bulzome stood next to him, not saying anything.
"Well it doesn't help you didn't bring a coat." Zelgadis replied curtly.
"How was I supposed to know this weather affects you humans like this?" Xelloss grumbled, wrapping his cloak around himself. "As a Mazoku I never felt the cold before. Look at Bulzome do you see him shaking like the rest of us?"
"Considering he's stiff as a board 24/7 it's hard to tell he feels anything like most Mazoku." Filia scoffed.
"It's ok Mr. Xelloss, just stay together and get a warming hug from Miss Lina and you'll be perfectly fine!" Amelia squealed.
"AMELIA!" Lina shouted.
"They flaunt their relationship enough if you ask me." Hawke rolled her eyes. "Especially at night you can hear them through the thin walls."
"HAWKE!" Lina formed a Fireball in her hands.
Zelgadis sighed. "Can we please get inside before we all freeze to death?"
"I do not understand Master Xelloss." Bulzome spoke finally, pointing to a group of children playing in the snow. "If humans dislike this weather, why do the young ones there radiate such positive emotions?"
"In my lifetime I've seen human children react much differently than most adults to things." Xelloss shrugged. "Though I have heard of humans doing other things in this weather."
"Oh lighten up, it can be fun in the snow as long as you aren't out in it too long!" Filia snapped. "Namagomis like you two wouldn't know that."
"Well I HATE the cold and want to get inside so let's go!" Lina growled, rushing inside the rather small castle, it was only a quarter of the size of Seyruun's castle before it was destroyed.
The group sat by a fireplace while Amelia spoke inside with the king, Zelgadis insisted on going with her and staying by her side. Lina and Gourry of course went right for the meal that was prepared for them.
"When do you think Miss Amelia will join us?" Filia asked.
"Royal duties can take a while so I imagine not for a few hours." Hawke shrugged.
"Well it's too bad but I guess we can try to make the most of this trip then." Sylphiel shrugged.
"How can we make the most out of an area this cold?" Xelloss narrowed his eyes. "I can't understand why you humans would even move from this room your bodies cannot take the temperature."
"You'll get used to it Uncle Xelloss." Val spoke up. "Hey why don't we play outside?"
"That sounds like a great idea." Gourry said, finishing up his plate.
"You guys go, I'd rather stay in the warmth." Lina huffed.
"More like she'd rather everyone leave so she can make out with Xelloss." Hawke teased with a wide grin.
Lina's face turned bright red. "HAWKE! I'm not like you god dammit!"
"What? I'd do it if Fi-chan was up to it." Hawke grinned wide.
"Up to what?" Val asked innocently.
"Let's go outside and play Val!" Filia bolted up, grabbing Val and heading towards the door getting their coats on before heading out.
"Gourry dear, I heard there's ice skating on a frozen pond nearby, want to go?" Sylphiel asked.
"Sure thing Sylphiel!" Gourry took her hand and headed out.
Hawke chuckled. "See Lina? Everyone's taken the hint. Hey Bulzome come with me and you can learn why some humans can enjoy the winter." She grabbed the priest by his cloak and pulled him out.
"But I'm supposed to watch over Master Xelloss…" Bulzome said.
"Go with her Bulzome, I'll be fine." Xelloss laughed as they left.
Lina just huffed and got up, moving over by the fire. She stood over it wrapping her arms around herself. "…"
Xelloss noticed her standing there for a few moments until he stood up and walked over, slowly wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Cold?" he whispered into her ear.
Lina shivered right then, and it wasn't because of the temperature. "J-just a little…"she turned her head to look at him. "You're probably worse since you aren't used to it…"
"I'm warming up now it seems." He replied, his human eyes looking at hers. "You humans radiate a body heat I never really noticed before as I couldn't feel that as a Mazoku. Quite the built-in defense you have there." He pressed his lips into her hair.
Lina blushed at that. "Well I guess that's what they mean by cold weather can bring people together…. For survival purposes that is."
"If I could feel your emotions right now I could tell for sure if that was the only reason for it." Xelloss teased, leaning his head in closer.
"You fruitcake." Lina mumbled, her face entirely red now and his closeness getting to her, making her head spin. She was trying so hard to control the feelings she had for this Mazoku made into a human man, or else in the heat of the moment she might let it slip that she was in love with him.
He chuckled, then leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Lina responded eagerly almost immediately, their kiss deepening with her willingness they felt both their body heat increasing. As Xelloss held her close, Lina turned herself to better angle their kiss and press herself closer, allowing her to wrap her arms around his back, her fingers running up and down his ribs.
Xelloss cursed his human body's need to breathe as he broke the kiss, looking to see Lina's eyes were closed and her cheeks blazing red that matched her hair. He wanted more from his moment so he leaned in for another kiss.
"Where is everyone?" a voice startled them, causing Lina to shove Xelloss away from her and throw her arms behind her back. It was Amelia with Zelgadis right behind her, obviously having finished what she came here for.
Xelloss sighed, quite annoyed the moment was taken from him, then turned to Amelia. "I believe they all went outside to enjoy the snow as they claimed."
"Yeah…" Lina just nodded, her hand on her heart. She couldn't believe how she let herself get caught up in the moment.
"Well let's go outside and join them Miss Lina!" Amelia cried, grabbing Lina's arm and pulling her along.
"N-no hey wait I don't like the cold!" Lina shouted.
Zelgadis sighed, shaking his head. "There's no telling Amelia no." he followed along shortly.
Xelloss sighed and decided to follow along, perhaps something interesting could come out of this.
The snow was coming down again outside, Val was with Filia making a snowman with Hawke's help. Bulzome just stood and was watching them. Gourry and Sylphiel were skating on the ice, Sylphiel looked so graceful on her skates, moving around Gourry so easily. The couple looked adorable each time they came together.
"Come on Miss Lina let's try the ice skating!" Amelia cried, getting pairs for each of them.
"I suppose it can't hurt." Zelgadis sighed, allowing Amelia to drag him onto the ice.
Lina though hesitated, standing the edge for a moment before taking one step forward… and losing her footing to crash on her bottom on the ice. "OOWWW!"
"Are you alright Lina-chan?" Xelloss helped her up.
"No dammit!" Lina growled, adjusting her earmuffs. "I can't do this crap and it's too cold!"
"Well hold onto me then, I won't let you fall." Xelloss took her hands and stepped onto the ice, and then it seemed like they were flying.
"W-what the?" Lina looked at him shocked. "… Just how many damn things can you do? Dancing is one thing but ice skating?"
"You can learn a lot in a thousand years, Lina-chan." The ex-Mazoku chuckled, holding her close as he swirled her around, as if they were easily dancing on the floor instead of skating.
"Wow Mr. Xelloss you skate so well!" Sylphiel cried.
"Who knew a Mazoku had so much talent!" Amelia's eyes were shining. "And Miss Lina is the one bringing out all these wonderful things of him!"
Xelloss sweatdropped. "I never had the need to show such things, that's all."
"Ignore them and get me back inside it's cold!" Lina snapped, but blushed as he pulled her closer, skating a bit more on the ice. "I mean it fruitcake!"
"I'm sure I can warm you up just like before…" Xelloss grinned down at her. "Care to try?"
Lina blushed brightly. "Not now you damn fru-" she was cut off by his lips suddenly against hers. Before she could react a snowball hit Xelloss in the head.
"Hey lover boy we didn't come out here for you to make out with Lina!" Hawke laughed, having been the one to throw it.
Xelloss turned towards Hawke and the dragons, his eyes open halfway. "Oh really now? Perhaps some manners need to be taught instead." He tossed a Flare Arrow in that direction, but it hit a nearby tree instead of the snowman they were working on. His Flare Arrows were still tiny though, just like Sylphiel's.
"Ha! You missed Namagomi!" Filia stuck her tongue out, just as a huge pile of snow crashed on her head.
"Oh really now?" Xelloss laughed. "I'm starting to see why humans can enjoy this sometimes."
"Come on Uncle Xelloss! Join us in the snowball fight!" Val cried.
"Yes! We can have a snowball fight in the name of justice!" Amelia cried, her eyes shining just as a snowball hit her.
"Hey I got one!" Gourry cried, which he got hit and fell on Sylphiel.
Lina couldn't help but laugh as she and Xelloss got off the ice and changed to their normal boots, while dodging a few other snowballs.
"I'll teach you guys to mess with Lina Inverse!" Lina formed a series of snowballs, then cast a quick spell. "Bomb Di Wind!" she used the wind to launch the snowballs into her friends, who each tried to return fire.
"Oh now you're gonna play rough cuz? Ok! Freeze Arrow!" Hawke fired off the ice spell, making Lina duck behind a large rock.
"You missed me Hawke!" Lina laughed, throwing another snowball.
"Windy Shield!" Zelgadis cast to protect himself, but it seemed the wind of the shield threw the snowball back into Lina's face!
Lina huffed in annoyance and tossed a snowball right into the back of Xelloss's head.
"What was that for?" the priest complained.
"Because you were close by." She scoffed.
"Oh really now?" Xelloss narrowed his eyes, scooping a large amount of snow into his head and throwing it at her.
"Ah! Hey!" Lina cried, falling back into the snow while her friends continued the snow fight with each other.
Xelloss chuckled and tried to get up as he slipped and fell back into the snow right next to her. "How can you move in this stuff?" he groaned.
"Practice, like your magic lessons." Lina stuck her tongue out at him and whipped her arm around to smack some snow into his face.
Xelloss looked at her annoyed for a moment before pouncing on her. "Well perhaps Lina Inverse could do with a lesson herself!" he said, his hands reaching out to grab some more of the snow.
"Get off me you damn fruitcake!" Lina struggled, just causing the snow to move around them and bury herself deeper into the white fluffy ice.
"Well perhaps you should make me." He chuckled with a wide grin, pinning her arms down to stop her movement.
"Maybe I just will." She snapped, with his face so close she lifted her head up and locked her lips with his. Her face flushed and Xelloss's eyes widened in surprise from her actions.
The snow continued to come down in soft flakes as their kiss lasted, the cold, the noise from their friends, nothing mattered in the moment as they continued a battle of their own, neither wanting to give in. In the end they both pulled away, breathless as their breath could be seen in the cold air, their eyes gazing at each other as they just stayed that way for a little while.
"Lina…" Xelloss said, seeming at a loss for words.
"Xelloss…" Lina tried to move her head up a bit. "… I…" the moment seemed to stop and her rational thinking gone, she felt the urge to speak her feelings on her mind in that moment. "I…"
"Hey Lina! You ok?" Gourry's voice could be heard suddenly. "We were worried you got hit a bit hard back there." He was standing just a bit behind them as he seemed to have come out of nowhere.
Xelloss grumbled as the swordsman's timing couldn't had been worse. "I was just checking her, she's fine." He slowly got up, helping Lina to her feet.
Lina didn't speak, her cheeks flushed and her heart hammering like mad. Did she really just think about telling Xelloss her best kept secret? She couldn't believe how much she got into the moment and how angry she got at herself.
"I think we've had enough excitement for one day, we better head inside before we all catch our death of cold." Sylphiel spoke, coming up next to Gourry.
Lina nodded, the group returned back inside for dinner, Lina changing back into her normal outfit minus the shoulder armor and cape. Her necklace hung over her chest as she had left her talismans in the room they were staying in. Filia and Val had already gone to bed, Amelia and Zelgadis had just left, Sylphiel had decided to ask Hawke to help her take the sleeping Gourry to bed. Bulzome just stood in the corner by the fireplace. Xelloss sat on a couch near the fireplace, his head slumped over as if he were asleep, his cloak hanging on the corner to dry so he was only in his yellow shirt and black pants.
Lina finished up her dinner as she looked around, seeing nobody else was in the room besides Bulzome she sat next to Xelloss. "Is he asleep?" she asked the Mazoku.
"I believe so." Bulzome said. "His human body can't seem to stay conscious when it's overtired I guess. Well if you'll excuse me." He suddenly vanished.
Lina just shrugged, Bulzome must had felt there was no need for him to be there. She smiled slightly, watching the snow outside the window as she scooted herself closer to Xelloss, admiring his sleeping face. Before she knew it she leaned her head on his shoulder, it reminded her of how she did this once with Gourry by a fire, and it didn't feel anything like this time she had to admit. She did it once out of curiosity, and of course Auntie Aqua had interrupted her before she could put any thought into it. But right now as she wasn't interrupted she felt calm and relaxed leaning against Xelloss. She closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying it for a while until she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Huh?" she shot her eyes open, as the next thing she knew she was pulled into Xelloss's lap. "H-hey I thought you were asleep!" she shouted.
"I was until a few moments ago." Xelloss laughed, kissing her cheek. "Or are you going to claim you thought my shoulder was a pillow?" he wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her close.
"I'll just quote you and say it's a secret, jackass." Lina huffed, turning her head.
"Mmm my favorite kind I'd gather." Xelloss laughed, moving one hand to move her head to face him. "Perhaps you can share this secret with me someday?" he asked, his lips lingering over hers.
Lina placed her finger over his lips. "Maybe if you earn it, but why should I give up the one thing I have over the Beast Priest Xelloss?"
Xelloss laughed at that. "Lina Inverse, you never fail to surprise me, no wonder you became my Soul Touch." He said right before he kissed her.