AN:
Kaeru Shisho: Yes, Zellas is nutz… I wanted her to be that way, it adds… flavour in my opinon and since I never saw her in the anime … that sorta gives me free reign right? (not really does it?) Hehehe, anywho… Thank you so very much for taking on my story to beta!! I was in much need of one and I really appreciate it!! *many, many bows*
Deep Sea: I feel very privileged that you're reviewing chapter by chapter! * bows low* As for the Gourry/Lina bit… hmm… I'm not sure if that'll be worked into the next chapter or a little further into the future but the suggestion is noted! Thanks! I never thought of it! As for the lemon, well, here's the censored version! Till next time…
e-chan16: Why thank you! I'm very flattered. Hopefully I can keep it interesting for you!
Mala Darkling: I'm happy you find that X/L work… they are my personal faves (obviously) and I try to write it in an interesting way, but one's tastes are not always another's right? But thanks for the review! Glad to have a new reader! And as requested, here's the 'tame' version!
Anyone, please let me know if I start getting too OOC, or it stops being interesting, or you have a suggestion or idea you'd like to mention! Flames … well… those do no one good but I can take criticism and use it to better the writing!
So enough of my blather, here's some more story:
- - - - - - - - - - -
A soft melody floated through the air to soothe the excitement left in the room from the previous song and several smiles were seen as couples glanced at each other before making their way onto the dance floor. One such couple was Gourry and Sylphiel, he in a handsome dark suit and she in a form fitting violet gown with a flaring skirt. They swept around the floor with grace and finesse, and Lina watched in envy. She couldn't dance, she'd never learned.
A smile graced her painted lips when she spotted Akkari and Amelia join the dance from the other side, and Zelgadis and Zellas were swaying together in their own little corner. It seemed Zelgadis still didn't like the crowds and the Beastmaster hadn't convinced him to venture out of their little area, though how the Mazoku Lord had convinced the troubled chimera to dance at all was beyond Lina's ability to figure out at the moment.
"Care to dance, Lina-chan?"
The sorceress glanced up at the violet haired priest but shook her head with a slightly disgusted look. "Naw, it's for lovey-dovey couples like Amelia and Gourry."
"I never knew you thought that of the chimera too," Xelloss teased. "What's the real reason you're a wallflower?"
"I never learned, never wanted to," she mumbled, her gaze returning to the many couples now crowding the floor. Now why had she admitted that, she thought gloomily. "Why don't you go find some other pretty girl or guy and go dance?"
"I'm not gay, Lina," the demon said softly, glancing down at her in surprise.
"I thought your race was asexual or something, right? So what would it matter? Just because I'm knocked up doesn't mean that I know if you prefer one spice to another," she muttered just loud enough for him to hear. She didn't belong in this scene of graceful dancers, gentle music, and tender lovers.
"Maybe I want to dance with an expectant mommy..." he stated with a goofy grin, choosing to ignore her dark tone. He'd heard her mumble about her inability to dance, but decided to pretend that he hadn't heard.
"Well there's one over there," Lina told him unexpectedly, pointing over by the balcony doors. There stood an attractive woman in a soft blue gown, her pregnancy made obvious by her extended stomach.
"But she's taken," the priest pointed out with a gesture to the man next to her. "Perhaps I want to dance with you."
"Well you can't." The words were clipped, signifying the end of the conversation.
Xelloss said nothing but gave a small shrug. He noticed Lina sigh softly and stifle a yawn.
"Well I'm going to bed," she announced at last before turning on her heel and weaving her way out of the room. "These damn balls are too boring anyway." What she didn't say was how much she wished she could have been one of the dancers, graceful and beautiful, enjoying the lavish attention bestowed upon them by their partners.
Xelloss frowned slightly at the flow of emotions coming from the petite sorceress as she departed. He could sense her disappointment, boredom with traces of anxiety, and a deeper, less noticeable current of joy. Though his being automatically drank deeply of the negativity she exuded, along with the traces from around the room, he still wondered what thoughts were running through the redhead's mind. She hadn't wanted to dance at the Anniversary Ball either and that was nearly two weeks ago. This party was to celebrate the approaching wedding of the Sairaag Knight and Priestess. He'd already given Gourry and Sylphiel his regards and best wishes, as had Lina, and had spent the night watching the festivities from the balcony. Zellas had finally approached and told him to go ask the sorceress to a dance. But now that she had refused, what was he supposed to do? Sighing softly, he took Lina's advice and asked a pretty young lady nearby to dance.
The song seemed to last forever and the priest was quickly bored with the young woman. She was staring up at him with wistful eyes and a dreamy smile and he felt his stomach churn with the force of the waves of positive emotions wafting off her. He forced a smile and bade the young woman well as the melody ended before moving off to ask another to the next dance. Men by nature, he'd noticed, were not as positive as the female half of the race, and thusly, often more entertaining. He'd earned himself quite a few delicious "meals" by playing on men's natural territorialism, insecurities, and jealousy. And he hoped that perhaps a male partner would prove less nauseating than his last, and possibly provide some entertainment; perhaps evoke a taste of jealousy from a girlfriend perhaps? Perhaps that would be enough to distract him from his dilemma between his mistress' "suggestion" and Lina…
This one was a handsome young man, nearly his height with short-cropped green hair and vibrant blue eyes. This dance, like the last, did not raise his spirits any though he gained an appreciative smile from his dance partner. So much for negativity, the priest thought with a twinge of disappointment.
"What do you say to a stroll out to the balcony?" the young man asked softly, the unspoken promise twinkling attractively in his dark eyes as they danced.
"Thank you for the dance," Xelloss said quietly, turning his head away slightly to glance at the doors leading into the rest of the palace. Perhaps if a certain sorceress weren't clouding his thoughts, he would have taken the youth up on his unsaid invitation, but molten tresses and ruby eyes danced through his mind's eyes. "But there is someone I have to go see."
"But... who?"
Xelloss didn't reply as he quickly left, slipping easily past the dancing couples and the many others gathered through the great hall. He didn't stop his quick pace until he stood outside Lina's door, where he hesitated. Wishing for once that he knew whether he was doing the appropriate thing or not, he silently turned the doorknob and opened the door, slipping quietly inside. The interior was dark, lit only by a candle by the bed, leaving shadows to dance erratically over the walls. Closing the door as silently, he took a step towards the sorceress where she lay, still clothed, on her side upon the bed, a book in hand and her back to the room.
"Lina?" he called quietly and he saw the shoulders stiffen slightly as the book was slowly closed and set on the bedside table.
"Yeah?"
"I want you to dance with me," he said firmly, continuing on to the side of the bed.
Lina hid her smile as she rolled onto her back to look up at him. He was gorgeous, there, illuminated by the dancing candlelight, the shadows darkening his luxurious hair and the golden light giving his normally fair skin a healthy glow. She felt her heart race as she allowed her eyes to travel over him, taking in the deep royal purple suit and crisp white shirt beneath the jacket, accenting his violet hair and glittering open eyes. How she loved those eyes; dark and mysterious with a twinge of underlying malice despite the gentle look now softening them. Always a reminder of their difference in races, she also found them his most compelling feature; making her fall apart inside whenever she gazed into those amazing amethyst depths. There was something about them, perhaps the danger that sharpened those twinkling orbs, but whatever it was, they drew her to him, breaking down what few defences she still held against the demon priest.
Xelloss remained still under her roaming gaze though he had to suppress a smirk from forming. He knew that he was appealing, he'd been created so, and he took great delight in the fact that Lina was not beyond taking the time to look. He was mildly surprised though, that she was studying him so carefully; she'd never done so before that he could remember. Not like this. Even when he'd escorted her to the Great Hall, she'd merely looked him over quickly as if to make sure that he was dressed appropriately. As her eyes searched his, he was stunned to feel a twinge of déjà vu. Had they'd gazed at eachother like this before? If so, when? And what, exactly, had it lead to?
"And if I refuse?" she asked lightly, already having decided what her answer would be.
"Then I shall dance with you anyway," was his cool response. A smile softened the firm line his thin lips had formed and he reached out a gloved hand to her. "But it's generally better to have a willing partner."
Lina grinned and placed her hand in his, allowing herself to be pulled up to stand before him. "But we have no music."
A soft hum rumbled deep from the throat of the youthful-looking man as he curled his free arm about the slight waist of the sorceress. After a moment the tune became familiar being one of the many the orchestra had played at the balls before, and with a smile, he swept them around the marble floor of her room, his steps never faltering, his hands never lessening their hold about her. She returned his smile, a bit shyly, and allowed her hand to slip from his shoulder to his chest, her long fingers toying absently with the folded material of the lapel where it parted to reveal the crisp shirt beneath.
Lina didn't notice when they'd slowed their movements to a gentle sway, nor the way that they'd drawn together as they moved, leaving them pressed snugly together. What she did see was the way his deep, dark eyes bored into hers, capturing her, drawing her closer, keeping her from looking away. Why hadn't she ever noticed the softness in his eyes that she saw now? Had she been so cold and distracted, so frightened as to block it out, not wanting to see it because of what it might mean? Could it be a hint to the past, the months forgotten? Lina's heart fluttered with the next thought; had they done this before? Was that how they'd gotten together before?
These thoughts and more drifted lazily through her preoccupied mind as they swayed slowly to only the sound of Xelloss' faint humming. Could she face the consequences of letting herself fall completely into that gaze? She'd always liked the demon in her own way, but he was a Mazoku, a man untouchable. Not only did his loyalty lie to his mistress, whose word was his law, the race was practically immortal, like the Dragons. He would far outlive her. She had never allowed herself to entertain spending her life with the General Priest, a being who'd never age as she grew old and wasted away; a creation that could, and would, kill her at the slightest whisper of his mistress' desires. That's what she'd always told herself and she'd never thought twice, so why was she now?
What of her friends and what they would think? Yes, she was selfish and egotistical, and never one to care much about what others thought, but she had to admit, if only to herself, that she was nervous how her dearest friends would react. She wasn't sure if she could handle their rejection if they decided to shut her out. She was THE Lina Inverse, Sorcery Genius, Bandit Killer, Enemy of All Who Live… but she was also a teenaged girl with lifelong goals, a human heart, and a need for companionship. She couldn't be alone. Sure everyone needed a bit of space, but to be rejected and loathed by those she held close to her heart would wound her deeper than Xelloss ever could at this point. She wanted to believe that she could count on the Mazoku to be with her, but she had no guarantee. Her friends had already accepted Xelloss as a companion, but could they accept him, and her, as a couple?
"They will think what they will," Xelloss murmured, guessing her thoughts. "Amelia and Akkari already suspect we are lovers."
The sorceress swallowed hard against the swell of emotions threatening to override her well-kept facade, lowered though it was. Perhaps this once, she thought as she gazed up into his handsome face, just this once she could let herself fall. I mean, the fact that I'm pregnant must mean I gave in at least once before, she thought. "Then maybe we should give them a reason to suspect," she whispered, surprising the Mazoku.
But his wonder didn't show itself long as he smiled and leaned down slowly only to pause, his lips barely brushing hers. "Only if you're sure." His voice was like silk as he breathed the words over her slightly parted lips. Looking deeply into her large, crimson eyes, he whispered, "You're still as beautiful as ever…"
Her response was to tip her face up, closing the small distance between them, and allowing her lips to meet his in the only act of submission she knew. She was far from sure of what the implications of what would happen would be on the morrow, but at that moment she knew that she wanted him, all of him, the way that her friends already suspected they'd shared. Perhaps her pregnancy was clouding her better judgement but she didn't particularly care about that at the moment, she just cared for the gentle and, dare she dream, affectionate touch of the father of her child still unborn.
- - -
Gourry held out a glass of the deep red punch to his fiancé and glanced around. It didn't take him long to locate nearly everyone even through the large crowd milling about the hall during the orchestra's intermission.
"Ano, where's Lina?" he finally voiced having been unable to spot the fiery-haired sorceress among the many people.
"I think that she left already," the ebony-tressed woman at his side informed in her ever-soft voice. She'd seen the sorceress leave a little while before but had thought nothing of it. "She doesn't much like the parties it seems."
"I know she doesn't, Sylphiel, but I didn't think that she'd go to bed this early!"
"Well, sometimes a woman needs extra rest," the shrine-maiden told him lightly, pausing to sip her punch, "especially in her condition."
"Condition? What condition?"
Sylphiel glanced up into her fiancé's large worried eyes and smiled. He'd always loved the little sorceress in his own way, and she should have guessed that he would have picked up on that particular little word. Perhaps she wasn't in a position to say... "Nevermind, Gourry-sama, nevermind. It's a... woman thing."
"Oh," the tall blonde said tactfully, however his doubt was still clear in his sky blue eyes. He'd have to remember to ask Lina in the morning... "As long as you're sure that it's nothing... let's go dance!"
- - -
"Hey Zellas," Zelgadis called over his shoulder from where he leaned against the balcony rail to the sultry blonde approaching from behind him.
"Yeah?"
"Where's that annoying little minion of yours? I haven't seen him for a while," the young man commented with a trace of a grin tugging on the corners of his stone lips. He was thrilled not to have the annoying Mazoku bothering him all evening, but it also made him wonder why he hadn't seen Xelloss for the better part of the evening.
"Aww, did you wanna dance with him?" the Beastmaster teased lightly earning a scowl from the young chimera. "Fine, fine. No, I don't know where he is, hold on a sec."
Zelgadis raised an eyebrow inquiringly and was rewarded by being handed a glass of wine before she disappeared. "Well?" he prodded when she rematerialized a moment later.
"Uhh," Zellas hesitated, a smile brightening her expression as she leaned with her back against the rail, turning her attention to the ongoing festivities inside before she accepted her wine flute back. "He's busy at the moment," she answered. She could about guess her younger companion's reaction should he find out just what her son was busy with.
"Doing what?" he scoffed, obviously not convinced by her answer.
"Well, he's busy catching up on something that he should have done a while ago," she answered truthfully, her smile widening further.
"Zellas."
"Hmm?"
"Zellas... don't jerk me around," he growled. He knew that his companion was a Dark Lord, the thought hardly strayed from his mind, but he had spent the last month getting to know her again and found that while she was in a good mood such as tonight, he was a bit safer than normal to speak his mind. Though, he mused, she seemed to like keeping him around, even putting up with his dark moods. Entertainment value, I suppose.
Amber eyes flicked to take in the steely gaze of the chimera before returning to a promising young man she'd spotted earlier as he wove his way casually through the throng. "You really are no fun, Zel. I mean, what business is it of yours what my dear boy is up to?"
"It's my business if it happens to be concerning Lina," he replied flatly. There was something about the way that she was avoiding answering him fully that set him on edge. He had no doubt that she was not lying to him, as she never did, but she also had a nasty habit of never telling the complete truth and this was one of those instances.
"Why is it that sorceress is any of your concern? You haven't seen her in a year, my dear, nearly two, and although you two'd kept in touch, you had let her go her own way for once." She turned her head to face him again, her eyes glittering darkly in the pale moon's glow. "Hasn't it sunk in that she's been under Xelloss' care for the last year and half? Or had that thought conveniently slipped your stony little mind? Hmm? Tell me, why is it that now you are taking an interest in her again?"
"She's always been my concern, just as she's Gourry's, ever since we met," Zelgadis growled defensively. The woman's cheery tone hadn't changed but her eyes belied her bright mood. There was something in his words that was obviously upsetting her. "Look, she's my friend and your darling little fruitcake son hasn't exactly proven himself to me that he can take care of her, not that I remember. What I remember is the many backstabbings, partial truths, and run-arounds that he put us all through."
"Zelgadis, I will remind you once more that Xelloss does not have to prove himself to you or anyone else, just me. I am his mother, creator, mistress, and on a certain level, friend," the blonde said smoothly, pushing back her ire. Why was she getting so upset by the little chimera? She'd never reacted this way before... but then, perhaps she wanted to ensure that the human didn't try and move in on the sorceress, not now that her priest was finally with the girl. It would be so much easier just to kill the lot of them, but then Lina would be frightfully upset and then she'd be a real nuisance, not to mention Xelloss would become concerned for the whelp and not perform his duties to top notch… What a situation, she mused silently, before continuing her conversation with the tormented youth next to her, "You would do well to think about yourself as well."
"Me? What do I have to do with your son?"
"Did it ever cross your mind that maybe he hasn't made a point of showing you his better qualities because you will not accept that he has them? You seem to think that just because he's a Mazoku that he is evil and thusly cannot conceive of his ability to do well. Perhaps he has let you believe that you are right about him simply for the fact that it's so far suited everyone's purposes and it is greatly amusing to see your single-mindedness despite claims not to be."
Zelgadis fell quiet. He had no quip with which to reply to his newfound friend and part of him felt distressed at angering her. In silence they continued their respective drinks while listening to the various melodies permeate the air until he took a breath and asked another question.
"Is what Xelloss doing going to affect Lina?"
"Yes," she responded softly.
"Will it be a negative effect?"
"Not if she's as strong as we all know she is."
"What is he doing?"
Now Zellas paused. What would the boy do if he knew? With a slight shrug, she determined that she could always kill him should he react in an adverse way and deal with the consequences from there. "Surely you've noticed that Lina's gained a few pounds..."
"Yes, only the slightest bit though, but what does that have to do with any--" Zelgadis froze. She couldn't be serious. When she grinned and winked at him he felt his jaw drop. "Surely not..."
"Listen, they've been together all this time and when you all regained your memories following the enchantment, he was as surprised as she at the discovery of her pregnancy," she told him in a low tone. "But do not doubt, Zelgadis, that he cares for her as much he does, probably more than even I am aware of, or can understand, being what I am. Believe me, my dear, no one knows how it happened, and I was never informed of his seduction of her before hand. And I know Xelloss; he wouldn't have kept a secret from me if it affected him to such a degree. And before you ask," she added, pausing to sip her wine and light a cigarette, sending a plume of smoke above her to disappear on the night's light breeze, before continuing, "He can keep information to himself, unless I ask. If I were to ask him, he'd have to tell me. I've just never asked. I do not care to know. Human emotions are something that I do not wish to understand outside of the entertainment and, shall we say, nutritional value."
"But even if they... coupled, which I can not believe she'd do… I mean..." the young man babbled, his eyes locked on his wine which he swirled slowly in his hand. "Anyway, even if they were together like that, I thought it was impossible for a Mazoku to impregnate a human."
"So did we all, but three midwives have reported the same results. She is about 10 or 11 weeks along now, and that the infant has Xelloss' and Lina's power signatures making him the father."
"I... I guess there's only one thing for me to do now then, ne?" he whispered.
"What's that?"
A wicked little grin spread slowly over the blue stone lips and he winked at his beautiful companion, a finger rising to waggle before him. "That… is a secret!" he imitated though his cobalt eyes slid over the tall blonde slowly.
- - -
"No pain," she whispered softly, noting Xelloss' relieved nod as both remembered that there would be no pain as her pregnancy proved previous activity of this kind. Definitely not the first time even if the baby was a trick of L-sama, she thought, but also that their body's coordinated in a way that she'd never heard of for 'first timers' confirmed the notion. How often had we done this? What happened since we were drugged that Xelloss and I ended up such lovers? Obviously we've done it more than just once; no one that's new to sex, truly new, climaxes with their lover on the first bout, that I've heard, she mused silently.
He, meanwhile, had the nagging feeling, like a barely remembered dream, that they'd done this before. He just wished he could remember completely.
Lina smiled quietly as she rolled onto her side to snuggle next to her lover, one leg sliding comfortably between his as she pressed her hands against his firm chest while her thoughts continued to wander. For all intents and purposes, Xelloss seemed as emotional as she imagined any lover to be, so did that mean that he could feel? How much would things change now that they'd been intimate, and would remember it? She wished she could know what the Mazoku felt, if anything, and wondered what he was thinking. Will he stay, she wondered, glancing up at him, finding his eyes closed though a small smile was spread across his thin lips. I won't ask, I don't want to hear that he can't! Besides, it's not like we're married or something, she admonished herself, he's free to come and go like always! Just because we had… sex, which we've obviously done quite a bit before, doesn't mean anything's changed from earlier today! Why does everything have to be so damned complicated?!
She lifted her head slightly when he shifted and she felt his arm slide comfortingly beneath her to act as a pillow as the other curled over her lightly and she smiled, and pressed her lips against his collarbone in thanks, tasting the salty sweat still drying there. Sighing softly she allowed her eyes to close and sleep gradually overcame her.
The priest hesitated to move as Lina drifted into slumber land, unsure what her reaction would be if a sudden movement woke her. Lina was not the most sensitive person nor overly affectionate and he was mystified at how … cuddly … the sorceress was being. What did this mean on her part? Relaxing, he began to caress her back in long, fluid strokes with his free arm as he ran the situation through his mind. He'd become abnormally attached to this human after discovering the news of her being with child, unaware of the transition until he paused to think about it thoroughly. She was his, he determined with a predatorial smirk. She may not believe so yet, or perhaps she did, that's why she had curled into him to sleep, but no matter what she was aware of, she was his. There was nothing, save Zellas, that would take his new treasure from him! Soon, he thought, I'll have her heart in my palm. I always get what I want, and you, my dearest Lina, are mine…
Xelloss' smile became fond as he bent his head to look down at the woman in his arms and planted a kiss on top of her damp head. He felt the tendrils of power gradually lessen their hold around his and he also relaxed, and eventually the soft tickle of her presence was distant, not gone completely, merely detached. Raising his hand, he gently moved a lock of hair from her forehead to tuck it back behind her ear, then down to lightly trace her arm then up her side, travelling the small rise of her hip and the soft swell of her waist where he paused. With a tenderness not unlike that which he used to handle priceless artefacts, but still foreign to him where it came to another, he slowly caressed her stomach, marvelling at the miracle he knew grew within.
He may be a Mazoku but the sheer thought of fathering a child, a real being of flesh and bone, had softened him, a flaw he knew but one that he was quite willing to leave be. Zellas would be interested in the infant, he was sure, but if he could convince her that the child was of value to her or of no significance at all, his offspring would be protected from his mistress. Besides, he was sure that Zellas was nearly as curious and amazed at the miracle as he was. With that thought, he pushed the faintest twinge of fear from his thoughts as he assured himself that the child would be safe; Zellas was the only threat that he or Lina could not take care of with ease and as long as she was either too bored to bother, or too intrigued, the child, still unborn, would be safe from her. Another thought tugged at his drowsy mind; what of the mother? Another smile made an appearance as he kissed the top of her head once more. Well the mother and child were part and parcel, were they not? A warmth flooded through him and at last he allowed himself to sleep, for the first time uncaring who may catch them.
- - - - - - - - - - -
AN: sorry all the juicy stuff was taken out… it was so I could keep the rating down low enough that the story was more likely to be read ^_^ if you want the lemony-goodness just email me, or state it in a review, and I'll either send it to you or post it as a separate thing (as soon as I revamp it… just haven't been in the "lemony" mood lately)… Well, on to the next one…. Comments, crit, and suggestions, are welcome as always.
~Ishy-chan