Title: Love...or something like it.

Authoress: Ruby Hayashi (Otherwise known as Ruby Moon Metallium so on and so forth)

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 and a slight bit of G/X

A/N: So it's the long awaited 7th chapter but dare I say not the last yet. I have one more to go and then I can finally say I finished a story! It's been so long since I last wrote for this story so of course if I mess up on details please do point it out and I'll fix it as soon as possible.

D/C: Slayers ain't mine. The plot and such is so hands off!



As Lina and Xellos walk back to the Inn with both Amelia and Gourry on each of their backs, neither spoke a word as one might have thought. Many things played on Lina's mind, things like 'Had Filia told Xellos every detail of what she must have over heard?' or 'Why is Zelgadis acting like that to her?'

They reached the Inn finally, after the half hour walk from the club. Usually one would have made it back to the Inn in less time than that but with Amelia and Gourry weighting you down, it's needless to say, you'd take some time. Lina was just happy that she could be relieved of the burden that was Amelia and perhaps the nagging silence between her and Xellos.

"Let's bring them up to their rooms, ne?" Xellos said, point to the stairs. Lina groaned, a flight of stairs with a heavy princess was about just as inviting as being eaten alive by a Venus Flytrap. "Come now, don't be lazy Lina-chan!"

"Yeah yeah....Gimme a second here to catch my breath. Not everyone has your kind of stamina!"

A wicked grin crept to Xellos' already grinning lips, "Why Lina, you have no idea what kinda of stamina I have..." he purred, "However, if you'd want to find out....."

"Keep it in your pants." Lina glared and then hauled Amelia up the steps, taking huffs of breath with sweat running down her face.

Xellos took the easy way up, he teleported with the swordsman to the top of the flight of steps while Lina kept dragging the unconscious princess one step at a time. "You see, it would have payed you to be nice...or at least humor me Lina-chan." Xellos wagged a finger in her face as she approached the last step.

"If you think I'd sink to humoring you, you creepy fruitcake than you got another thing coming!" Lina laughed in his face.

Xellos shrugged, he had another plan....

They brought the two unconscious figures to their respective beds. Lina laid Amelia down in the bed next to hers then walked to the room that Gourry and Zelgadis shared. She peered into the room, hoping to see Zelgadis asleep but there was only Gourry with Xellos pulling the blankets over his body. She sighed.

"Are you going to bed now Lina-chan?" Xellos asked as he walked to her.

"Not yet, I think I just want to sit downstairs for a while."

"Can I join you than?"

"Whatever, I don't care." she rolled her eyes, "You'd do it anyways."

"That's right! Oh you know me too well!"

They walked down the flight of stairs and into a small livingroom type place. A soft fire crackled in the fireplace, candles adorned the room with a sweet sent of roses and lavender. Why did it feel so awkward in this dumb room...that seemed to have been set up.....

"Xellos did you do something to this room?" Lina questioned the mazoku.

"Hmm....Sore wa Himitsu desu!"

Lina's face began to sweat, her brows furrowed and her eyes began to dash to one side of the room to the other. She got the picture.

"Xellos, what's all this about?"

He stood behind her, breathing slowly down her neck. The hairs lifted with the little goose bumps he gave her with his soft breath. He raised his hands, bringing them to her arms which laid still to her side, hands in fists. He leaned in more, brushing his tender lips against her rigid neck, she shuddered.

"What do you want Xellos?" She said with a hoarse voice.

"What's the matter Lina? Don't you like me?"

"I- I don't....I don't know...."She stuttered. Her breathing was shaky and spasmodic.

'This is what I always dreamed of but why does it feel so wrong now?' Lina's mind raced, it wanted an answer! Why had her feelings changed so rapidly for Xellos? She couldn't have gotten over him in the matter of hours could she?

Perhaps the answer lay within her heart. "I thought I did Xellos, I'll admit....Considering Filia must have said something to you between your little talk with her but if I did truly love you than this should feel so right. But it doesn't. I pictured something like this in my mind for so long. To have someone finally hold me, love me. But this isn't real, you could never do that, you would never want to. This is another one of your lies isn't it?"

Xellos hugged her from behind, "Yes Lina. It is. You saw through me once again." he leaned his head against the back of hers. "I would have gotten away with it too...."

"You're right. I dreamed of you holding me, but than again...I dreamt of Gourry and Zelgadis doing just the same. I understood then that you didn't really love me....Nor does Gourry, or Zelgadis."

"Hmm....That I am not sure of." Suddenly his cheerful expression came back, "And to think if I could have just fooled you....I could have gotten that wonderful power you have! I guess next time I'll try harder!"

Lina shook with rage, "There won't be a next time you fruit!...But I guess this means the bet is off....I'll still treat you to diner if you would like to accompany me. You did do a good job at stay civil with Filia after all."

"You know Lina, how about you keep your diner."

"Hmmm...whatever, more food for me..." Lina laughed, "I guess I need to apologize to Filia when she wakes up."

They said goodnight then. Lina went to her shared room with Amelia. Xellos disappeared in the night but surely he would be back in the morning.

What a mess they had. Lina thought she loved Xellos for so long now but when the chance(if you can call it that) came to be with him, her heart told her that it wasn't true love. And true love it wasn't. All along he would have used her if she gave herself to him....or so he says. Before she laid her head down on her fluffy pillow she wondered about Gourry, she somehow knew that it would never work out between them now. Besides, she was getting over him. As for Zelgadis, she wondered if he would return. She had to say sorry to him after all.



~*~*~



The long awaited ending to come soon. Stay tuned. :P