A Work of Art

Chapter: 3

Weird Realizations

Next chapter up and here we go.

Zel fought himself to remain asleep. It was the best rest he had had in ages and he didn't want to wake up now. It was so warm here, so comforting that he wished he could stay here forever. At about that moment the alarm went off and before he could move to hit it something moved on top of him. He would've described it as if a cat, make that a really big cat, had slept on his chest and was now jumping because of the clock. His eyes opened wide when he remembered that he didn't own a cat and that the clock was now silent. He looked to see the red head from the painting sitting on his chest holding what remained of his alarm clock. His eyes grew wide as he stared at her, 'I thought that was all just a dream.'

At that moment the red head flinched at the movement of his chest. She looked down at him and stared for a moment. She then realized she was still holding the broken clock in her hands and quickly hid it behind her back while covering with, "Morning."

Zelgadis blinked twice before saying, "If you're still here then that means last night wasn't a dream."

Lina smiled and commented, "That's right...what do you not want me free of the painting," as she went into a cute little pout.

Zel sighed as he rubbed his temples and said, "I didn't mean it like that it's just that how can I believe that happened. This isn't some fairy tale and I can't find a way to explain your existence."

Lina smiled and then commented, "Maybe some fairy tales can come true?"

Zel sighed again and then remarked, "I guess but what was that kiss about last night."

Lina's face turned as red as her hair as she put a hand behind her head while saying, "Oh so you remember that...um...let's just say I got a little over excited to be out of that painting."

Zel just looked at her and then asked as he blushed, "Um...could you get off my chest?"

Lina looked down, noticed her position, and turned an even darker shade of red. She moved to the end of the couch but didn't turn her back to Zelgadis. After Zel sat up he yawned and said, "By the way I saw the clock so you can stop hiding it."

Lina ducked her head and handed over the broken appliance while apologizing, "Sorry it's just it went off and I didn't know what to do. I haven't been part of this world for quite sometime you know."

Zel nodded and chuckled somewhat saying, "I can understand and I don't care that much about the clock...it's just I feel as if I'm going crazy...I still have a hard time believing the painting thing."

Lina smiled at Zelgadis. She liked how his laughed sounded and would like to hear it more. But, she would first have to get him off the non-believing line. She looked at him and said, "Okay, just think of it this way. You have a new roommate that no one has ever meet before."

Zel thought about it for a second then looked at her and said, "I guess it could work...seeing as how no one really comes here to visit me so you can stay here."

"Yea," Lina proclaimed while holding up her fingers in the normal V sign. She then commented, "I'll just sleep out here on the couch and you'll never notice me."

Zel shook his head and said, "No you can have the bed I'll take the couch."

Lina looked at Zel after that comment and then blurted, "Oh, no don't tell me that macho, chivalrous bullshit is still going on! I'll be fine on the couch and it's your house you should use the bed."

Zel looked at her and replied, "Well I'm sorry if I was raised to be courteous to a lady, but that's how I was taught so I still insist that you take the bed."

Lina grumbled at the young man and said, "I'm not taking your bed. It's your house you use the bed."

Zel smirked and replied with, "Yes, it's my house and my word is final so you use the bed."

Lina ground her teeth and clenched her fist. Her face became red with anger as she launched forward and hit Zel in the face. "Fine!! It'll take the damn bed if you're so damn insistent!!"

Zel sat up from being sprawled out on the floor and rubbed his jaw. He looked at Lina and said, "You have quite a left hook there."

"And, don't you forget it," Lina shouted as she walked towards the bedroom.

Zel picked himself up and went into the kitchen to see what time it was. He looked at the clock and saw he only had twenty minutes to get to work. He thought for a moment and decided against going to work because Lina might destroy anything that so much as beeped before he got back. He walked to the phone and dialed his bosses number. "Hi Boss...I'm feeling under the weather today so I'm going to be using a sick day. Alright, I should be in tomorrow unless I've caught something...Thanks bye."

Zel hung up the phone and when into his room to see Lina sitting on the bed looking around the room. She soon turned to him and said, "This is a lot better than anything I've stayed in before."

Zel chuckled and said, "Well, one it's not some hotel, and things have improved since your day and age."

"Speaking of which...What is the clothing style now? I'm sure I'll attract unwanted attention with this outfit on," Lina commented as she looked at her clothes.

"You're right...Tell you what, I'll take you out clothes shopping after I take a shower," Zel said as he grabbed a towel and what he wanted to wear that day.

Lina blinked at him twice and said, "Won't that take a good while?"

"What...oh no it won't. You see we no longer need to draw and heat our own water. Now everyone has indoor plumping and water heaters," Zel explained from the bathroom door.

"Oh...you'll have to show me this works. I'm not going too long without at least a bath once in a while," Lina commented.

"Okay...I'll show you after we back in today," Zel called as he shut the door and turned on the water to the shower.

Lina came out of the changing room and asked, "What do ya think," as she modeled one of the outfits she had chosen form the rack.

Zel couldn't have but be at a little loss for words. To say Lina was pretty in that outfit was an understatement; she was stunning. She had chosen a white long sleeve t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. The jeans hugged her hips and legs well to show off her trim lower body. The t-shirt was all so rather tight but it didn't matter to Zelgadis...Lina's upper body was just a beautiful as her lower. Zel shook his head slightly before thinking, 'What am I thinking...I barely even know her and I'm already to the point drooling. There's no way I'm gone already.' Zel was soon brought out of his thoughts by Lina's voice, "Zel...Zel...Yo earth to Zelgadis!"

Zel shook his head again and looked up to see Lina looking at him. He smiled dumbly and said, "I'm sorry Lina I just got caught up in a thought...what do you need?"

"Who do I look," Lina asked for the second time as she struck a pose.

"You look great Lina," Zel replied while trying to not sound too enthusiastic.

Lina smiled and said, "I think that'll be enough I haven't picked out this many clothes in my whole life," referring to the full winter wardrobe Zel was about to buy her.

"Well, we have a lot of things nowadays that you would need a least this amount of clothing," Zel replied as he helped Lina carry the clothing to the cashier.

After finishing the clothes shopping Lina walked along side Zelgadis for a moment before asking, "Zel...Um...why didn't you give her any money? You have a tab there or something?"

Zel smiled at Lina, 'It's like having a little sister,' he thought before a more adult thought came into his mind, 'A little sister that you aren't related to and can't take your eye off of....Stop that,' he berated himself before answering. "Well you know that little card I handed her?"

"That little thing that she ran through that funny little machine that made all that noise and spit out a receipt," Lina replied making sure she was talking about the same thing.

"Yeah that's it. Well, that card allows me to purchase items now, and pay for them at the end of the month...so it's kind of like a tab but I have to pay it regularly."

"Oh," was Lina's reply as she continued to walk down the street. She was mesmerized by this new age that Zelgadis had brought her into. A lot of things were still confusing, but what she did know was that things were a lot more convenient nowadays. Then she was alerted by her stomach she was hungry, "Uh Zel...can we find some place to eat?"

"Sure," Zel replied and then said, "How about here this is a nice little cafe...not a big chain so they make sure to cook the food correctly."

Lina nodded in agreement and sat down with Zel at one of the tables outside the cafe. They were soon greeted by a young woman with menus asking, "How are you today? My name is Filia and I'll be serving you today...Oh, Mister Greywords, I see you've come to join us for lunch again. And, who's this? A newcomer to the office," Filia chirped away happy to see Zelgadis was back for the food...he was such a generous man.

Zel smirked a bit and replied, "Filia ever the gossip. This is Lina...she's a friend of mine that just moved into the city so I'm helping her move in and showing her around."

Lina smiled and said, "Hiya, I happy to meet you I'm Lina, Lina Inverse."

Filia smiled and took there orders...by the time she got to the counter to place them with the cook both she and Zelgadis where pale looking and had swirls in their eyes. 'How can she eat so much,' was all Zelgadis could think as he watched Lina finish off the last of her food. He paid and left a generous tip as he and Lina continued on back to his apartment.

Disclaimer: Any characters or ideas from The Slayers do not belong to me. I am not selling this material, just writing for the heck of it as I go.

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