Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, blah, blah, they are copyright by their respectable owners.

Hidden Pain - Chapter Two

Xelloss and Lina sat at a restaurant in a near by town. Lina stared at him in disgust. The usual neat and clean priest was a site to be told. Food covered his face, from his grin to his nose. "Xelloss . . ." She paused for a moment. "Could you eat without a little more MANNERS?!?!" She asked slamming her fist down on the table.

The trickster looked up at her in curiosity. "But Lina-san, I didn't know food was this tasty!!!" He answered while chewing and talking at the same time.

Lina sighed and shook her head. "By the way, why would you need my protection anyway . . . from what . . .?" She trailed off, waiting for his half ass answer.

Xelloss let out a sigh of relief while slamming his fork on the table and patting his stomach. "Well--"

"WILL YOU WIPE OFF YOUR FACE FIRST?!?!" Lina asked cutting him off, taping her fingers on the food-covered table.

The priest stared at her for a moment. "Oh . . ." He picked up a cloth and wiped the food from his face. "Better?" He asked, placing the permanently stained towel on the table. (O.o)

Lina nodded in approval. "Yes, better . . . continue."

"Well . . ." Xelloss said again, pausing to clear his throat. "You have to know that I have enemies, right?"

"I would assume that would be correct." Lina stated, clarifying that she had already known that.

"See the thing is, they know about my present state." Xelloss added.

Lina stared at him, getting irritated by his smooth way of going around questions. He was still the same Xelloss, powerless or not. "Who?" She asked bluntly, requesting a blunt answer.

Xelloss waved his finger in the air but before his famous words could escape his mouth, Lina was standing on top the table, holding a chair over her head. Flames of anger circled all around her.

Xelloss fell from his chair. "L-Lina-san . . ." He pleaded, sliding across the floor to the edge of the wall.

Lina paused. She saw fear in his eyes. She sighed, placed the chair back on the floor realizing that he couldn't just regenerate anymore. He was human for now anyway and slamming a chair down on him, or chocking him wasn't best. "Get up." The sorceress sat back down, resting her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand, pouting. He had pissed her off, and there was nothing she could do.

Xelloss slowly got up, brushed the dust from his pants and sat back down at the table.

Lina glanced over at Xelloss. "Your lucky."

"Am I?" He laughed slightly, trying to regain his composure, or at least what appearance he had as a mortal.

Lina was about ready to say something about his sarcastic remark, but instead jumped at Xelloss, pushing him out of his chair and against the wall as she fell to the floor. Both sat on the ground, eyes wide at the now pill of wood were the table and chairs used to be.

A figure appeared in the doorway. "Damn . . . I missed."

Xelloss elbowed Lina staring at the door. "Lina-san, your on . . . do your best! Good luck!" He said, as he crawled away on hands and knees.

Lina sat there staring at the table . . . were her food used to be. She rose to her feet, head hung low. "My food . . ." She growled. "MY FOOD!" Lina swung her head upright, anger flowing through her body.

The person in the door way jumped back nervously. ". . . y-y-your food?!?!"

Xelloss glanced back at Lina. "Oh my . . ." He shot to his feet. "DRAGON SLAVE ALERT!" He yelled. The priest sweatdropped. "I'm even acting human now." He thought to himself.

Everyone's heads shot towards Xelloss and in a flash of light the restaurant, no the entire town was vacated.

"DRAGON SLAVE!!!" Lina screamed as the stream of fire plunged forward toward its victim.

After the smoke cleared Lina stood proud in her victory pose and Xelloss upon the ground coughing up smoke. "I think you over did it." He stated before passing out.

To be continued . . .

Author Comments: I know people are going to think Xelloss is out of character, but he's actually not. Sure he might know how humans react, and how to react back, but the thing is he has never been human, and to actually feel the things humans feel, so there really can't be any OOC.