Chapter Fourteen

"Cold," Zelgadiss shivered and looked jealously at Lina wrapped in both her blanket and his. He was an idiot. She had been shivering so Zel had given her his blanket. He was such an idiot. She hadn't even been awake! Dieing in your sleep of hypothermia wasn't that horrible was it? Zel shook his head. Okay Zel the cold is affecting your sanity. Now he was going to die and it was going to be while he was awake! He was going to get pneumonia and DIE! Just keel over and die, a little Zelly-cicle on the living room rug! Zel stood and looked around the room for another blanket. This had become a ritual practiced every five minutes tonight. Zel looked down at Lina again "Damn you," he hissed quietly "Damn you!" She looked so calm...so peaceful and calm...he just wanted to kick her! She was warm and he was catching some new illness that came from Africa...or something...did people catch diseases from the cold there? Well wherever it was from it was going to spread and multiply and then spawn the apocalypse! ...Okay the cold was affecting him more than he had originally thought. WHY THE HELL WASN'T THE HEAT WORKING?! Zel gave up and walked to the closet.

"Oh joy, rapture," Zel kicked the broken white box formally known as a "heater". It was broken and the snow was falling harder than ever. Angrily he pulled at the sleeves of the down-jacket and gloves he had found in the closet. Okay so Sylphiel's family could afford this house but not a working heater?! Zel kicked the reason for this horrible outcome again. Without anything else to do Zel walked further around the house in search of firewood. They had a fireplace didn't they? Well if not Zel would just light a match to the house "Ah," Zel took an armful of wood located in a pile under the front deck and now motivated ran to the front door again...only to find..."NO!" Zelgadiss dropped the wood and pulled at the locked door "NO!" This was not a good day!

"Mm." Lina's eyes fluttered open. It was so cold "Huh?" Lina noticed the second blanket tucked under her chin "Zel?" Lina sat up and looked where her friend had been sleeping "Huh?" Lina rose, the comforter wrapped around her "Wow," Lina breathed and hurried to the window momentarily forgetting Zel as she saw the snow. She hurried over to the frosted pane. The snow had covered most everything, the lawn, the streets, the tops of the trees. I was truly beautiful but you'd have to be insane to go out in that...Lina couldn't help herself...she would just open the door a bit. Lina pulled her blanket close and then unlocked and opened the door "Zel?!" A form huddled on the stairs caught Lina's attention immediately.

Zel looked weakly at Lina as though she wasn't really there...then..."OH M'GOD!" Lina was almost knocked off her feet as Zelgadiss bolted indoors.

"I still don't understand how you were locked out there," Lina said striking a match and then holding it to a log.

"I went to see if the heater was working," Zel sneezed and then shivered.

"Well I see it wasn't," Lina said a little firmly facing Zel and pulling the comforter she had been wrapped in before further around his shoulders "You could have froze,"

She was treating him like a child! This was an insult, a-

"Want any hot chocolate Zelly?"

"With marshmallows?"

"With marshmallows,"

"Mm-hm,"

"Okay," Lina patted Zel on the head and walked to the kitchen laughing.

"It's not funny," Zel sobbed cuddling into the blanket.

Lina laughed some more and put the mug in the microwave.

"How do you know you're way around the kitchen so well?" Zel asked changing the subject.

"Weeeelllllllllll that night Gourry was looking for Sylphiel we went back to her house and I had some hot chacolate then," Lina smiled in rememberance "That's when he asked me out,"

"Oh," Zel stared at the floor, he was sorry he had asked.

"There," Lina entered the room and kneeled beside Zel "Here ya go," Lina handed him one of the mugs she was holding.

"Thanks," Zel took the mug in his hands, the porcilan warming the palms of his hands.

"Welcome," Lina took a sip of her hot chacolate.

Zelgadiss sighed and looked into the fire. All of a sudden he didn't feel so well. He hadn't been thinking about Lina's new relationship until now "Ugh," Zel shivered again. The snow had melted and soaked through to his clothes.

"What?" Lina looked at Zel in confuison.

"Nothing,"

"You idiot. You're supposed to change you're clothes when you get out of the snow! It's w-a-t-e-r,"

"Change into what?"

Lina paused a moment then dissapeard into the darkness.

"Lina?"

"OW!"

"What happened?!"

"Found the dryer," Lina came back a second later rubbing her hip and carrying a pair of black pants "Here," she shoved then at Zel angrily.

"What no shirt?"

Lina glared at him as though daring him to ask her to go back.

"That's okay," Zel squeaked taking the pants.

"That's what I thought,"

"Do you mind?" Zel had shed the blanket and didn't particullarly like the idea of Lina watching him strip.

Lina grumbled something but walked to the sofa, her back to him. Lina rubbed her arms. She was begining to feel the cold again now that she had been away from the fire.

"Who's pants are these?" Zel sat wrapping himself in the comforter again.

Lina hurried back over to the fire "I dunno. Sylphiel's dads probobly, why?"

"Too big," Zel took another sip of the hot chacolate.

Lina shrugged. It was too late...early...whatever time it was. She yawned. The fire was warming her again and she felt sleep begin to overcome her "Uh,"

"Huh?" Zel felt Lina fall aginst him "Oh," gently he layed Lina on the ground so that her head rested on the pillow he had been using a long while ago. Sighing he loosened his grip on the comferter, he had no use for it now, the fire had pretty much gotten rid of the cold. Not that he would have noticed now anyway. Lina had forced him to remember. Zel let out a painful sigh and rested his head on his arms. Why did he have to love her? She couldn't love him. She loved Gourry. Zel put a hand on his arm, tracing the scars. It didn't help that he looked like some kind of monster either. Zel slammed his hand aginst the ground.

Lina awoke grogily, her eyes only halfway open after hearing the sound of something stikeing the floor. Without making a sound Lina looked towards Zel. His hand was still resting on the ground in a fist. Lina looked upwards a little more. The light from the fire eluminated Zel's face and body. Lina couldn't help but stare. He looked amazing in the glow of the fireplace, the light playing off his skin with the rise and fall of his chest. He was beautiful...but...his face was so sad. Lina frowned as she saw he was looking at the scars on his arm. They covered his entire body, as far as she could tell but Lina could really care less. Why was he so discusted by his own apperance? Lina closed her eyes and gently reached forward from where she lay and rested her hand on his "Stop it," she whispered and then drifted into unconciousness.

Zel was startled by her touch and looked at her hand with discomfort. He wanted leave right then and there. He wanted to move...but couldn't...Zel closed his eyes and without daring to remove Lina's hand settled into a troubled sleep.

Wow these last few chapters have been way to short. Oh well hopefully they'll improve length wise with my next chapters. Please keep reviewing...wow...I say that enough. Note to self stop repeating yourself. I just repeated self...ugh...Talking too much now.