Title: If You Would
Author: Chrissy Sky
Rating: PG
Warnings: No porn, alluded or otherwise. Just touching and non-descriptive nudity.
Prompt: Slayers, Xellos/Zelgadis: Washing (washing one's partner, body or hair; bubble baths; shower scenes; slave service in bath; cleaning/cleansing someone who's been raped, degraded, or who is injured) - I'll never let you drown
Summary: After being (vaguely) injured, Zelgadis is taken care of.
A/N: Xellos' speech in this is very rhythmic. That happens sometimes when I'm free writing, so it sounds funny. Might help to remember that he's very old.
The pain was intense and encompassed all his senses. Zelgadis was far beyond thinking straight as he gave into the pain, fully expecting to die. So strong was the pain that he almost welcomed death's cold embrace, his will to fight exhausted.
He was aware of cool hands touching him, slowly realizing that they had been there for some time, stroking his face lightly. The fingers felt so soft he thought at first that they must belong to one of the girls, but for once did not have the strength to feel embarrassed.
Then those hands, and the arms they were attached to, urged him into a bath. His eyes were caked shut with blood, but even after this had been gently washed away, Zelgadis was far beyond caring enough where he was, or who he was with, to look.
He tried to force himself to care, to not trust whoever was doing this to him, since the identity of the person helping him was still unknown. He should have been suspicious, but he was just so tired. Of everything.
The hands washed him gently and his aches began to fade away into the warm water. A soft voice urged him to cast a healing spell but Zelgadis shook his head, knowing he had worn himself out too much to even heal himself. There was a gentle exhale of air next to his ear, like a sigh, and it sent a shiver through him. As the pain faded, he began to feel rather good, the attention he received making him feel just as warm as the water.
He didn't help much with the assistance, yet the person managed to get him back out of the water and dry him off with an ease that also should have made him suspicious.
Dimly, he began to hear that voice again, spoken softly against his ear. It distracted his already foggy brain as he was carried upstairs and put to bed.
"If you chose me, and accept me for what I am, I would never let you down. You would know better than to expect something I cannot give, right?
"I would never hate you, would never scorn or mock. Your aggravation and anger are beautiful, but I do not wish to see you in pain.
"If you would but choose me, dark menace that I am, I would never lie or curse you. And in the quiet moments we would share, perhaps I could tell you all my secrets, in exchange for yours.
"If you would but see me, as I see you, then we might find some happiness, and even a few laughs.
"If you would choose me, Zelgadis-san, I would never let you fall. I would never let you drown."
At the end of the long speech, Zelgadis sat up in bed with a gasp, searching for the speaker whose identity he now knew. His memories came back quickly. He remembered Rezo, and Shabranigdu's ghost, and never being more grateful for his stone skin than when the dark lord's power had seared him.
He had been bandaged and put to bed after the battle, but that was all he remembered. Maybe the bath and the speech and the cool hands had been nothing but a dream.
Zelgadis felt his body gently, searching for any sign, anything at all. He was about to let doubt settle into his gut before he felt his hair and gasped – it was still wet!
"Xellos?" he called softly.
It couldn't be possible. Xellos had been badly hurt during the battle. No mazoku could have recovered that quickly. And what was even more impossible was thinking that Xellos would bare his soul to him like that. And take care of him! Zelgadis sorted softly – of course not. It had to be some delusional dream caused by the pain of his wounds. Nothing more.
And yet, his hair was wet…
Despite how impossible it was, given recent events, Zelgadis figured he had nothing left to lose. He looked into the darkness of his room and answered, his voice slightly uneven.
"How do I know you wouldn't just use me? You've never shown me you can be anything but a trickster."
"You don't," Xellos answered back from the darkness.
Zelgadis sighed, relieved. "So it wasn't a dream."
The priest appeared finally, perching on the side of his bed. Zelgadis blushed at his appearance – he was naked.
Xellos smiled. "You must be feeling better in order to blush like that."
Cool fingers touched his face again. They seemed so real. Foolishly, Zelgadis leaned into the touch. "You're still recovering. Is that why you don't have any clothes?"
Xellos giggled. "Partly. But it's difficult to stay like this right now. I'll have to go again soon to rest. I won't be far away though. If you call me, I'll hear you."
Zelgadis smiled hesitantly. "If I would choose you?"
"If you so would," Xellos said, in that strange formal tone from earlier, and leaned forward, their foreheads pressed together. His face felt as cool as his hands.
Zelgadis looked into those almost cold dark eyes and thought Xellos was planning to never move again, they stayed that way so long. Then Xellos sighed and closed the distance, kissing him lightly. Though he had been expecting it, Zel still gasped.
"I have to go now," Xellos whispered. "You'll be alright."
Zelgadis nodded, dazed from the simple kiss. "Yeah… I think I will be. Eventually."
He offered another hesitant smile, receiving a bright one from the priest in return before he was gone. Zelgadis lay back down and closed his eyes, already plotting how he would get Xellos to stay longer on his next visit.
He hoped it was soon. There was much they needed to talk about.
~ End. Thank you for reading! ~