Title: Love...or something like it.

Authoress: Ruby Moon Metallium

Summary: You're basic love triangle... hinted shounen-ai, lots of pairings.

Warning: Shounen-ai, X/L, X/F, X/Z, G/A, G/L, Z/L, Z/A

A/N: About time I continued ne? Oh well *shrugs* I decided to get rid of the Gourry/Xellos pairing cause that was too creepy for me to write. But maybe later chapters I might do it....

D/C: I don't own Slayers, baka....but if I did....Xellos, Zelgadis and Gourry would all be wearing no shirts!



Lina spun around in her new outfit. She wore a beautiful red dress that cut above her knees, it hugged her hips and accented her petite chest giving her a more curvy body. She but everything together with a pair of hanging turquoise earnings.

"How do I look?" Lina smiled and brushed back her hair.

Three male pairs of eyes stared in her direction.

"Oh miss Lina! You look so nice!" Amelia squealed , she wore a dark blue tank top and a short black skirt with a lovely silver necklace with a emerald pendent.

"Hey you look pretty good too Amelia!" Lina smiled. In Lina's mind of course she was only thinking of how beautiful she looked as she wisped in the room and all three men, that included Xellos, looked her way.

"Miss Lina! Must I go? I really don't feel like dancing tonight!" Filia whined.

"Filia just get out here!" Lina snapped.

"Fine..." Filia's voice was icy and spiteful.

Filia walked wearing a dress similar to Lina's except that her's was light blue and a bit shorter, revealing more of her legs. It was about as low cut as Lina's but because Filia's breast were fairly larger, the dress accented them.

Filia blushed as she entered the room. If the men were staring at Lina, they were gawking at Filia and she could feel them looking at her. "Please miss Lina, I feel awkward in this."

"Oh you look fine, Filia! I think Lina made the right selection for you!" Xellos commented, Filia only sent a pair of angry eyes his way.

"He's right, Filia. You'll have fun tonight!" Lina smiled. "Now, I see everyone is ready." She inspected the men, they all had changed their clothes to go out. As Lina looked them over she noted that they all looked quite handsome, especially Gourry who was sporting a nice leather jacket and dark pants ensemble. "C'mon guys! Let's get partying!"

Lina led the way to the club that was only a few blocks away from the inn they were staying at. Lights flashed and they could hear the upbeat music already as they turned the corner. Like all clubs, they waited in line for a while and then finally got in.

The music played loudly. Lina's laughs could have been heard if only the music did drown them out. She was dancing with Gourry, at last. The night in her mind was perfect but in Filia's...

"Hey beautiful....Can I buy you a drink...."a man, who had been trying to pick up several woman that night, asked Filia.

'Jerk' Filia hissed in her mind. If she had her mace she would have bashed his head in. Damn Miss Lina for making her wear the stupid dress!

"Oh no, I'm not drinking tonight." Filia smiled to the man.

"Awww, come one lovely....How bouts a coke an' rum..." He placed his arms around her shoulder.

"Errr...." she hesitated, maybe one drink couldn't hurt.... "Very well, I accept."

After a few coke and rum, Filia was feeling quite emotional. She forgot that dragons take to liquor differently than humans. As where humans start to get dizzy and happy, dragons get very emotional and weak (Strength and willpower wise. I'm making this up for the fic.) The man kept trying to hint at going to his room at a nearby inn but Filia kept trying to ignore him until he grabbed her wrist and started to pull her towards the door. She was too liquored up to resist as her strength disappeared.

As they got outside he tried to pull her down an ally as she screamed and kicked out at the man. He pulled her in close and leaned down to kiss her when someone approached them, the man stopped and looked over to the newcomer.

"Getshhh....outa 'ere ya biummmm..." the man, who tried to assault Filia slurred.

"My, my....trying to hurt a poor defenseless women...tisk tisk." the new man said, Filia recognized the voice as Xellos. She looked up at him with tears freely streaming down her face. She broke free from the man and ran to Xellos, pressed herself against his chest for shelter. This surprised Xellos quite some as Filia would never attach herself like that to him.

"I suggest you leave this lady alone and go home now." Xellos hissed. His eyes flashed as he opened them to get the full eerie demonic look. The man stumbled back and ran off through the ally.

"Filia? Why are you hiding your face in my chest?" Xellos frowned. Filia started crying suddenly, he could feel the hot tears seep through his shirt.

"I was so scared!" She bawled.

"Shhhhh....Filia calm down! You had a bit too much to drink, Filia. I'll bring you back to the inn to sleep." Xellos told her. He tried his best not too feed off her sentiments but they tasted so sweet.

Xellos led her to the inn, he brought her in the little living room they had and sat her down on the couch. He took up a chair across the room. She was still sniffling and coughing but at least she had calmed down some.

"Th-thank you Xellos. I hate it when this happens..."

"It happens often, does it?" he teased.

"I'll ignore that...Xellos, why are you being nice to me lately?"

"I...." he paused "....sore was himitsu desu...." he bitterly said the rest. He didn't want to tell her the real reason for he knew what she would do.

"It's that bet....isn't it?" Filia sighed and looked down at her feet.

"You know about that?!" Xellos coughed out, a little shocked.

"I overheard the other day when Zelgadis changed places with me to take care of Lina. I was outside the room but I heard everything...." she wondered if she should tell him about the 'other' thing Lina said.

*flash back*

"Why did you really make that deal with Xellos?" Zelgadis asked.

"I know what you must be thinking Zelgadis. You're thinking that I set this up so I could get a date with Xellos or something. Or maybe you think I'm trying to make Gourry jealous. And right off the bat I'm going to tell you flat out it was either of those reasons. Sure Xellos is nice but I'd never like him THAT way. And so what if stupid Gourry hasn't payed attention to me this whole damn week!? If that's what you're thinking you're dead wrong!" Lina blurted it all out. That had shocked Filia, all this time, Lina held that all in.

" I- I never thought any of that.....well maybe the Xellos thing came to mind....So are you saying that you really did this to help Filia?" Zelgadis gasped.

"I suppose. At first it was because I thought all their fighting was going to kill me so I had to end it somehow before I lost my mind but then....I dunno....maybe somewhere in my mind I thought I had a chance to be with Xellos. It's obvious now that maybe I like him more then I say and that all this was my subconscious telling me what to do to not feel so lonely anymore."

*end flash back*

"So all this time, you knew what we were doing?"

"Yeah...." Filia decided that it should be Miss Lina to tell Xellos how she really felt.

"You're a good actress, Filia. I have to watch you more or you might even get passed me."

"I did get passed you! I fooled you all this time remember!?" Filia yelled.

"Ok, ok...you got me this time...."Xellos retorted "..this time..."

"Anyway, thanks Xellos for helping me out back there. I know that it's the liquor that's making me tell you all this so just disregard all this kindness tonight....And I hope you win your bet....." Filia said as she got up and walked to her room.

"...She....wants me to win the bet?!" Xellos scratched his head.

*Back at the dance club*

Lina was having the time of her life dancing with Gourry. Amelia was talking it up with a guy at the bar and Zelgadis....he was....Lina looked around for him but couldn't see him.

"...Sorry Gourry...I have to go....do a few things. Thanks for the dance..." She said quickly and walked away. She looked around the club for Zelgadis and finally she found him sitting in a dark booth, playing with the salt shaker. "Zelgadis! Get up and have fun!"

"No, Lina."

"Zel! Get up or I fireball your ass up!"

"Lina, I don't feel like dancing at the moment." He told her bitterly.

Lina sat next to him and looked him fiercely in the eyes. "What's wrong now, Zel?"

"It's nothing Lina. Just go away....go Dance with Gourry...."he told her.

Lina looked in Gourry's direction and saw he had already found a new partner, she frowned and then looked back at Zel. "Please tell me what's going on..."

"Fine...." he stopped and didn't say anything else.

"Go on....I'm waiting."

"The bet....What if....what if Xellos has the same feelings for you....What will you do then?"

Lina blushed furiously. "I'm sure he doesn't so there is no harm and I can get over a little crush..."

"I see...."

"Can we go dance now? You shouldn't waste your life way here Zel" Lina winked and her reluctantly got up with her.

As they danced on, Xellos appeared where Zelgadis and Lina were before. "The chimera....he has feelings for Lina-chan..." Xellos mused and then quickly disappeared again.

~*~*~*~

Oh what shall happen!? Filia knows about the bet....tricky Filia....And what about Zelgadis? He likes Lina as well! And Xellos! What is our little priest planing now? anyway r/r!