"Well, it isn't a bad fuse," Zelgadis explained as he closed the fuse box, "My guess is a fallen power line. Let's get upstairs where it's warmer." The cold concrete of the basement floor was starting to sting his feet, and he could clearly see his breath in the narrow beam of the flashlight.
"Great, just great," Lina grumbled as she turned and walked back to the stairs, "Guess we'll be missing the movie."
"More importantly Lina, we have no power," Zelgadis said as he followed her up the narrow steps that lead up to the den, "Which means everything won't be working."
"Everything?"
"Everything; water heater, lights…everything electric." The two of them walked into the den, which was already starting to feel a little cooler than 20 minutes before when the power had gone out.
"That means the heating too, doesn't it?"
"Yep, the heating as well. Looks like we'll be sleeping in the living room tonight."
"Why there?" Lina asked.
"It's the warmest room in the entire house. Unless you want to risk freezing you butt in the guest room, which is the coldest room in the house save for the basement."
Lina hugged herself and shivered, "Okay, let's go and gather my covers." Zelgadis nodded, and the two of them moved quickly through the kitchen and down the hall to the guest room. Lina went in and reemerged quickly, shivering heavily.
"Damn, it's cold in there."
"I told you," Zelgadis chuckled, "Now, lets get into the den where it's still nice and warm."
Once back in the den, Lina and Zelgadis breathed a collective sigh of relief, the air far warmer than any other room in the house. They both climbed onto the couch and pulled their blankets up over their legs.
"Whew, that feels better," Zelgadis smirked.
"Definitely," Lina agreed, "It reminds me of a movie I saw a long time ago."
"Oh?" Zelgadis raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. There was this group of people trapped in a horrible blizzard, and they all slept in the same room together to conserve heat while they waited out the storm."
"Did they survive?"
"Yeah, but at the same time they were trying to deal with some nasty monster they inadvertently released and was trying to kill them all off."
Zelgadis rolled his eyes, "Sounds like a real award winner."
Lina shrugged, "Eh, it was okay." She shivered again, shifting a little closer to Zelgadis, "It doesn't feel like this warmth is going to last long."
"Well, if the snow falling earlier was any good indicator as to what weather to expect, it's only going to get colder." He shifted uncomfortably, the arm of the couch becoming somewhat cooler as he sat leaning against it.
"And what's worst of all is that all my long clothes are in the wash," Lina whined softly.
"As are most of my good winter clothes," Zelgadis huffed. He let himself sink closer to the couch cushion and curled up tighter, trying to intensify what heat he'd managed to hold on to.
"Hey, I've got an idea Zel."
"What?"
"Heating pads?"
"Electricity?" Zelgadis replied sarcastically.
Lina stopped and gave Zelgadis an embarrassed look, "Whoops, right, electricity; guess this cold is getting to me."
"And with the current weather situation, I doubt Rezo's coming back tonight," Zelgadis added, "If it hasn't stopped snowing since 2:30, we must be in three to four feet worth of snow by now."
"And the temperature keeps dropping," Lina said, he teeth beginning to chatter, "Boy, I wish I was with Xellos right now, on those warm, sandy beaches he kept talking about."
"Yeah, me too," Zelgadis chuckled, "Somewhere where we wouldn't have to see our breath every time we breathed out." Though he meant it more to lighten the situation, the fact that he was starting to see nearly invisible clouds of breath was making it awful hard to be considered funny.
Lina shifted again, drawing closer to Zelgadis once more, "What if the power doesn't come on soon?"
Zelgadis looked at her, then looked at his own blanket, "Then it'll only get colder. Luckily, we're inside where it will stop getting cold eventually, but not before it can become dangerously so. I can't imagine being stuck outside in this weather."
"Living snowperson," Lina commented, then chuckled, "I am glad that I'm not alone in this."
"Me neither," Zelgadis sighed, then, taking a risk, "You know, if it were warmer, you would look a lot cuter in your current outfit."
"And I don't look cute now?" Lina asked as she peered over the edge of her blanket. Zelgadis withheld a small smile; she did look cute when she gave him that look, her eyes surprisingly soft and caring in what little light there was in the room.
"No, you still look cute, it's just that you looked cuter when you didn't have to hide under the blanket."
"You know, the longer we talk, the more I can see my breath," Lina said, slowly lowering her glance and her smile fading away, "It's kind of scary."
Zelgadis sat forward and brought his hand out from under the blanket, gently squeezing her shoulder through her own blanket. She looked up to him, and he smiled as pleasantly as he could manage.
"I wouldn't worry too much; it's only a matter of time before the power comes back on."
Lina let out a small chuckle, "Geez, we're acting as if this is a matter of life or death, when all we're worrying about is a little cold," she gently grabbed his hand with hers, "But thanks for the inspirational chatter. Boy, you are warm!" Without hesitation, she reached out and touched his face, her own palm somewhat icy as it touched his cheek.
"Damn, you're freezing!"
"That's what I've been complaining about; haven't you been listening?"
Zelgadis nodded, "Yes, but I didn't think that the cold was affecting you that much."
"I'm skinny Zel. I don't have much to hold onto the heat."
"Sorry, I guess I'm like a furnace."
Lina sat back in frustration, "Stupid blanket and no body heat! Why can't I have at least a little something to use for insulation?"
Zelgadis watched her struggle, wishing there was more he could do to make her comfortable. An idea was in his head, but he wasn't sure how hot she would be with it.
"Why can't you give me some of your body heat, Zel?"
"Well," Zelgadis started, "There is a way of doing that…"
Lina interrupted, "What? Why you…how dare you suggest that!"
He saw he spring toward him, "No Lina, that's not what I meant! I swear to you, sex is the last thing on my mind."
Lina halted just before reaching him, her expression changing quickly, "Oh, then what did you have in mind?"
Zelgadis released a small sigh of relief that Lina wasn't going to hit him, then continued, "There is a simple way to keep warm like this," he gently lifted his blanket a little, then motioned into the small space he'd created, "We share this blanket for the night and sleep together under it."
Lina eyed him for a moment suspiciously, "No funny stuff?"
"I promise that I won't try anything."
Lina sighed, looking at him first, then looking at his blanket for several moments before she returned eye contact, "Alright, I'll trust you on this."
"Good," Zelgadis replied warmly.
"But if you try anything, you'll find yourself in more pain than you can ever have imagined."
"I doubt it," Zelgadis said, his face turning to stone, "But I guarantee you I won't try anything funny."
Lina's expression softened again, "Okay, here I come."
Lina crept in at the foot of the blanket, gently pushing and sliding along next to Zelgadis' body. His leg had a reflex at the touch of another body, and his toes bumped into a soft part of Lina.
"Hey, watch where you're poking, Zel!" Lina barked from under the blanket.
"Sorry," Zel said, his face blushing over as she continued to slide along, "It was a reflex."
"Yeah, sure," Lina said as she popped her head out from under the blanket, her eyes meeting his, her own face red with blush as well. Zelgadis could feel Lina's body against his, much colder than he had imagined, and could also feel her nipples poking through her shirt, therefore clarifying any possible question of whether she was wearing a bra or not.
"Feeling better?" Zelgadis asked, now nervous that Lina would suddenly think he was up to something because he could feel her nipples poking through her shirt.
"Actually, yes," Lina said as she snuggled even closer, "You're very warm, and that's a good thing."
"Well, now that we're comfy, that's good too," Zelgadis said as he draped an arm over her shoulder.
"Wait a minute, Zel," Lina said as she started to back away. She stared into his eyes and saw their serious glimmer, unassuming and curious as to her own apprehension. She stopped moving and slipped back inward, letting Zelgadis keep his arm on her shoulder. She felt comfortable like that, protected and warm.
"Zelgadis, thank you."
"Hey, of course. I haven't given you reason to distrust me yet, I hope."
Lina shook her head, "No, you haven't." She scooted in closer, and Zelgadis' arm encircled her gently, "It's just that things just feel a little weird right now, that's all."
Zelgadis chuckled, "Yeah, for me too."
"But, at the same time, it feels good too," Lina said as she snuggled even closer, leaving no real space between them, "Oh, you are so warm."
Zelgadis swallowed hard, "Thanks, I guess."
"Goodnight, Zel."
"Goodnight, Lina."
Zelgadis watched her drift into sleep, the heat between them strong and comforting, and he began to get sleepy as well. He let himself sink slowly, the cold of the night around him pushing him into the sleepy warmth of the shared heat under the blanket.
"Mmmm…Zel," Lina murmured.
"What?" Zel asked, looking to Lina quickly.
"No, it's my chocolate," Lina softly gurgled between yawns, her eyes closed and face relaxed.
Zelgadis only smiled. She was dreaming; boy, did she ever go under quickly!
The warmth called to him again, and he let his head finally rest against his pillow, sleep sitting heavily upon him as he slipped into unconsciousness.
"Zel," Lina murmured.
"Lina?" Zelgadis murmured back as sleep took him.
"Why can't we talk?"
Bacon, pancakes, hash browns.
Warm, and soft.
Zelgadis snuggled in even more, wanting to keep sleeping rather than awakening. He started to feel sleep retake him when his mind came across something that bothered him.
Warm, and soft?
He opened one eye and saw black fabric.
Not my blanket.
Suddenly, the person next to him shifted, the soft and warm flesh pressing against his cheek.
Not my body!
He opened the other eye, and noticed the words running across the t-shirt: LORD OF NIGHTMARES.
He took one slow breath, speaking very softly, "My face is planted between Lina's breasts…great, just fucking spectacular. What if she wakes up and sees me like this?"
Suddenly, Lina moved again, this time wrapping her arms around his neck and draping a leg over his waist, hugging him close.
"Shit!" he cursed quietly. He kept himself quiet, and closed his eyes, praying for the best.
He thought he heard music in another room. He listened closely, and he could softly hear the lyrics:
Moving on the floor now babe, you're a bird of paradise
Cherry ice cream smile, I suppose it's very nice
With your scanty Latin, a click to the right you match the mirror way out west
You know you're something special and you look like you're the best
Her name is Rio, and she dances on the sand
Just like that river twisting through the dusty land
And when she shines she really shows you all she can
Oh Rio, Rio dance across the Rio Grande…*Zelgadis groaned; Rezo was home, and he more than likely had seen the two of them wrapped together under his blanket. For some reason though, the blanket seemed to be heavier.
"So, he wrapped us in more blankets?" He asked himself, letting out another yawn. He was never going to hear the end of this from Rezo.
He felt Lina stirring, and he started to panic; Lina was going to kill him once she realized where he was.
She groaned and grumbled, "What, what time is it?"
"Zelgadis, Lina, breakfast!" Rezo called over the music. Zelgadis flinched; Lina was going to wake up for sure now, see him here, and probably give him a black eye.
"Food?" Lina asked as she awoke, then, as if someone had dumped cold water on her, "Food!" Using Zelgadis like a springboard, she leapt from the couch and ran from the room toward the kitchen.
Reeling from the force of Lina's push and from the slight glimpse of Lina's panties, white this time, Zelgadis lost his balance and crashed to the floor, landing hard on his right hip. A small flash of pain erupted through his body, and he grimaced as he forced himself to his feet and followed Lina.
Coming into the kitchen, he saw Rezo setting down a bowl of scrambled eggs and plate of pancakes next to a plate of hash browns and plate of bacon. Lina leered at the food like a starving animal for only a moment, then reached forward and began heaping portions of it onto her plate.
"You'd best hurry," Rezo said, smiling, "Or else Lina will get all of it."
Zelgadis only nodded and took his seat at the table, then loaded his plate with as much as he could get his hands on. Once he finished, he noticed the serving plates were empty.
"Rezo, what about you?"
"I already had set aside a plate for myself. Don't worry, I planned ahead."
Nodding once again, Zelgadis began to eat. Lina ate noisily next to him, whole pancakes disappearing with the flash of her fork and strips of bacon stripped away faster than the eye could detect.
"Hungry?" Zelgadis asked Lina, wondering if he should move further away to avoid any random piece of food she may have missed.
"You got a problem?" Lina asked as she stuffed another pancake in her mouth, "I'm a growing young woman you know."
"Right," Zelgadis replied sarcastically, "At this rate you'll grow out faster than up."
Without warning Lina's hand shot out, her fork impaling a pancake and two pieces of bacon on Zelgadis' plate, and brought them back to her own.
"Hey!" Zelgadis protested, Rezo laughing behind him.
"You want to keep teasing me?" Lina asked as she stuffed his pancake and bacon down her throat, "Or do you want to keep the rest of your breakfast?"
"I think I'll keep it," Zelgadis said, then stabbed three pieces of bacon on Lina's plate, "And add a little to my collection." Before Lina could act, Zelgadis took the bacon and stuffed it into his mouth, smirking as best he could despite his puffy cheeks.
"You jerk!"
"All's fair in love and war," Zelgadis said, barely able to keep the bacon in his mouth. He started chewing slowly, his jaw protesting the amount of food in it.
"This is breakfast though," Lina protested, then snatched another pancake from Zelgadis' plate and ate it. Zelgadis almost spit up the bacon as he tried to protest. Lina laughed, took another mouthful of food from her plate, and moaned in near ecstasy, "Mmmm, it's delicious! Rezo, you are a really good cook."
"Why thank you Lina," Rezo said, "I'm much improved since I was living on my own. Actually, I was kind of forced to improve my domestic skills when Zelgadis moved in with me."
Lina paused for a moment and looked to Zelgadis, who only looked down at his plate, "Well, your cooking is absolutely excellent. What do you think, Zel?"
"Yeah, it's great." Zelgadis replied, his voice a little melancholy.
The room fell silent, and Lina just looked at her food, Zelgadis' mood causing a cramp in her appetite.
"Hey, I have an idea," Rezo said to break the silence, "Why don't I take you two to the mall and you can go shopping for Christmas gifts for one another."
"Yeah, that sounds great," Lina followed, trying to cheer up the situation, "I'm sure we can still find something good…Let's do it, Zel!"
"Yeah, sure," Zelgadis replied as he poked a pancake with his fork. Lina scowled and punched him in the arm.
"Ow!"
"Get out of your self-pity, Zel, it's depressing the rest of us!" Lina barked, "And besides, it's Christmas in a week, so cheer up and let's go shopping."
Zelgadis looked up and made eye contact with her, wanting to throw an excuse in her direction, but found himself held in place by her gaze, powerful and driven. He felt like he was acting childish, and he blushed with shame as he realized the annoyance he was being.
"Alright Lina, I'll try," he half-smiled, and Lina's expression became friendly again. She looked better with a smile, far better than when she was angry and willing to tear someone's head off.
"Well, why don't the two of you get dressed? I pulled your warm clothes out of the dryer and hung them up on the basement racks before breakfast. Once you're ready, I'll take the two of you to the mall."
"Okay," they both said as they rose from the table. Lina picked up her plate.
"Rezo, where do I put the plates?"
"Oh, just leave it there and I'll take care of it while the two of you are changing."
Zelgadis shook his head and followed Lina out of the kitchen, "Boy, is Rezo being generous! He never does that when it's just the two of us."
"She's a guest, Zelgadis," Rezo called after him, "Plus, it's Christmastime; you should stop being such a grump!"
"Bah! Humbug!" Zelgadis mocked as he grabbed the handrail that descended the stairs into the basement.
"That's the spirit, Zel!" Lina laughed, "Now, where is your clothes rack?"
"I know it's a bit of a maze down here, what with all the things we have stored. Hang a right here, now a left, and straight ahead." He chuckled to himself; it was difficult for him to picture getting lost in the maze of boxes that was their basement, but then again he was used to the layout. Lina would be able to find the stairs for sure, the only clear area of the basement, but otherwise she'd find herself stuck down here until someone came and guided her out.
"Ah, here they are," Lina said cheerily as she grabbed a shirt and her all-too favorite bondage pants and immediately pulled off her shirt.
Zelgadis saw the white of her skin on her stomach and immediately turned away.
"What's wrong with you Zel? I'm wearing a bra."
"No, you're not." Zelgadis said, realizing a moment later what he'd just given away.
"What? How do you know that I'm not?" Lina asked, "Oh, you jerk!"
Zelgadis cringed, holding down the impulse to bolt, "Lina, just hear me out…"
"You promised me no funny stuff," Lina growled as he felt her grab him by the shoulder and whip him around, her fresh shirt held across her chest by one arm, her bare shoulders gently glowing in the basement lights.
"Lina, I swear I didn't mean to notice…"
"Oh, I see. So, you saw me asleep and figured 'Ah, well, this is a good time to cop a feel,' right?" Lina was red with anger, her eyes deadly and fixed on him.
"No, it wasn't like that." Zelgadis asserted, starting to lose his patience.
"Well then, how did you come to know that I wasn't wearing a bra? I thought I knew you well enough to trust you. Hell, I even crawled in next to you last night and slept with you, and you…"
"I did nothing Lina," Zelgadis cut in, his voice low and angry, "If you would just shut up for a moment, I was trying to explain why I know you weren't wearing one."
Lina looked to him, shock registering at first, then an uneasy calm, "Okay, explain to me then how this is."
Zelgadis took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, "Alright, here is how I know. Last night when you crawled under the blanket with me, it seems the cold air had your nipples hard as rock, and I could clearly feel them as you brushed past me."
"Oh," Lina said, starting to look sorry for what she'd said.
"And on top of that, when I awoke this morning, you hugged me and pulled me very close, planting my face right between your breasts and draping one of your legs over me," Zelgadis finished, and he took another deep breath, exhaling hard.
Lina blushed, "I did that?"
"Yes, you did."
Lina looked down, "Zel, I'm sorry for accusing you. I have a bad habit of jumping to conclusions."
Zelgadis nodded, "You do," then added, "Apology accepted."
"Thanks for letting me be stupid," Lina said, quietly turning from him to slide into her shirt.
"It's no problem, Lina. I'd expect you to do the same for me," Zelgadis looked away to be polite, "But, I have to be honest."
"Oh?" Lina asked as she pulled the shirt down over her head.
"Anyone who says you have a pathetic body is a damn idiot."
Lina blushed and finished pulling the shirt on, "All clear." She watched Zel look back to her, and she worked her way into her bondage pants, "Your turn, I guess."
Zelgadis crossed to the rack and picked out a pair of jeans and one of his black long-sleeved shirts and wordlessly slipped out of his shirt.
Lina looked away, but out of the corner of her eyes she could make out some of the more prominent scars across his back, looking like jagged tears that ran across his body and angry patches where surgery had done all it could to restore burned flesh. She felt a small lump in her throat, and questions began to boil in her mind. But she forced herself not to speak; it simply wasn't polite to ask those kinds of questions.
"I'm ready," Zelgadis said, gently grabbing her shoulder, "You ready to go?"
Lina smiled softly and nodded, "Okay, let's go shopping."
The Christmas music ran softly behind them as they sat at dinner. Rezo pushed a plate of turkey toward Lina, still with a few pieces on it.
"Here Lina, there is still some left, you have it."
"No thanks Rezo; despite my normally huge appetite I find myself full. I wonder if it could do with the fact that we've been eating for the past three days straight?"
"Nah, couldn't be," Zelgadis jibed, thinking about the cookies and brownies that he, Lina, and Rezo had made and eaten, along with the junk food that Rezo's coworkers had given to him. He chuckled when he thought of the sugar cookies they'd made, how he'd managed to get a frosting fight started with Lina, which had escalated to the point where a quarter of the frosting had been wasted. Rezo had been smart and waited until the fight was in full swing, and had then captured the moment forever with his digital camera.
"What are you chuckling about?" Lina inquired as she narrowed her eyes at him.
Zelgadis chuckled again, this time making a disgusted face, "Oh great, now I have frosting all over me: my clothes, my arms, my neck, my cheeks, my nose, and," he pulled the front of his pants up, "and my crotch too."
Rezo chuckled and Zelgadis laughed out loud, while Lina frowned at both of them, "That's not funny you two. It isn't fun to be sticky all over."
"I know how you feel, Lina, I was in the same boat," Zelgadis said, "Remember, I was pretty covered too. But the thing is, you said that line in front of both of us, and that is more precious than gold."
"I even managed to capture a photo of you looking too," Rezo said, "Boy, won't your sister and parents get a kick out of this when they come back."
"Those photos will never reach them," Lina threatened, "My sister would never let me live it down."
"That's why I'm glad I'm an only child," Zelgadis smirked.
"Oh, don't worry Zelgadis, I'm planning on putting these up in my office; you'll get your publicity."
Zelgadis turned a deep red and sunk slowly into the chair, "You wouldn't."
"Do it Rezo! That's what he gets for laughing at me."
"I should do it to both of you, seeing as to what you did with those poor snow people." Rezo said as he grabbed the plates and brought them over to the sink.
"What, what's wrong with anatomically correct snow people?" Lina asked.
"Not to mention your 'anatomically correct' gingerbread people?"
"Well, the gingerbread men would get lonely without gingerbread women," Zelgadis countered.
"Unless they were gay," Lina added, causing both of them to burst with laughter.
"And I will reiterate, I have photos of all of this; I swear you two are worse than five year olds!"
Still laughing the two of them rose from the table and helped Rezo put the food away.
"Okay you two, head into the den, and I'll be out with the camera and that cider that's been stewing since last night."
The two of them nodded and started to walk into the den.
"Wait, Zel."
Zelgadis looked to Lina, "What?"
Lina only pointed up, and Zelgadis followed the finger until his eyes came to rest on the mistletoe hanging above them, "Oh, that."
"Yep," Lina said, looking a little nervous, "Well, we have to kiss then, don't we?"
"I guess so," Zelgadis agreed, swallowing hard.
The two of them stared at one another, neither moving but both holding their breath. Zelgadis could feel his heart pounding in his chest. She was pretty tonight, somehow prettier than she had been a week ago. Even when her temper flashed, there was something powerfully attractive about her that always showed through.
"Well?" Lina implied.
"Well what?"
"Aren't you going to kiss me," Lina blurted, "I mean, isn't the guy supposed to do that kind of thing?"
"The guy?" Zelgadis asked, surprised at her use of words, "But you kissed me first, at the Halloween party."
"That was different, Zel," Lina said, the color rising to her cheeks, "But now it's your turn to do it."
Zelgadis thought about it, not sure what to make of the information he'd just received. It was different? How? Why?
"Well, come on now, do want to be standing here all night?" Lina interrupted his thoughts. He looked to her and shook his head.
"No, I don't want to stand here all night."
"Then kiss me Zel. I don't see how hard that can be."
"Jeez! Okay, I'll kiss you! Don't get your panties in a twist." He cleared his throat and looked at her, cleared his throat again and took a deep breath. He stepped forward, close enough that he could feel the heat rising between the two of them, his own face growing hot by the second. He reached up and touched Lina's face, amazed at the softness of the skin and the smoothness of its contour, and gently pulled her face forward. He watched her close her eyes and pucker her lips, and he got in close before closing his own. He leaned forward, the heat of her breath tickling his lips as he pulled in close.
Suddenly, a flash of light and a series of beeps threw him off, and he looked to the source.
"Damn, guess I took it a little too early!" Rezo cursed.
"Rezo!" Zelgadis barked in embarrassment, his face even hotter as the feeling washed over him.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the moment," Rezo said, "I just wanted to capture the moment for posterity."
He looked to Lina, who was equally flushed red, and exchanged uneasy grins with her before walking into the den.
Sitting at the back of the den was a Christmas tree the three of them had picked out the same day they had gone shopping for gifts. It stood just a little above Rezo's head, but was broad enough that it held all the ornaments they had plus the lights, including a strand they normally set up outside.
Underneath the tree was a small assortment of presents, seven in total, with many colored wrappings and shiny ribbons.
"Okay, I think, since Rezo is oldest here, he should get to open the first gift," Zelgadis suggested.
"Oh, I think Lina should have the first gift. She is our guest, after all."
Lina sighed, "Well, to end this before it becomes an argument, I'll open the first present."
Lina grabbed a medium-sized box and shook it gently. The contents made a dull thump against the box. Shrugging, she tore open the wrapping and opened the box, he smile increasing to each corner of her mouth.
"Shitenoe's complete song collection! Holy shit, where did you find it?"
"A small shop on the other side of town," Rezo said warmly, "Zelgadis told me you were into Shitenoe, and I thought you might like it."
"Oh, I love it," Lina almost squealed, "Thank you Rezo." She hugged him tightly, then gave Zelgadis a hug as well, "Thought I'd spread it around."
"I don't mind," Zelgadis chuckled.
"Okay, you next Rezo," Lina insisted.
"Alright," Rezo laughed, "Is there one you want me to open in particular?"
"The big one," Zelgadis piped in, "That's from both of us."
Rezo only nodded and grabbed the big box, taking his time to open the wrapping.
"Tear it!" Lina egged.
"Stop being so slow, old man!" Zelgadis teased.
Rezo shrugged in defeat and ripped the wrapping from the box, staring with amazement when he could read the label.
"A karaoke machine?"
"Well, we tapped the band's budget as well as the money you gave us to get that. We thought that, while we were rehearsing and performing, that it wouldn't be fair unless you could do some performing as well."
"Yeah, from well inside the house," Zelgadis poked.
Rezo looked at Zelgadis, "Are you saying that my singing voice is bad?"
"No, just that you're a little too old school to sing like us," Zelgadis mocked.
"Well, you just don't have any taste for the classics."
"He's got you there," Lina agreed, dodging as Zelgadis threw a ball of wrapping paper her way.
"Shut up."
"By the way Zel, your turn is up."
Grabbing one of his, a small box that rattled slightly, he stripped the wrapper and opened the box.
"Hey, some guitar stuff. Picks, strings, slider."
"Well, I thought they might come in handy," Lina said, "You do play a rather mean guitar."
"Thanks," Zelgadis said, "But I'm not as good as you."
They proceeded to open the rest of their presents, Zelgadis getting some new clothes and a CD by Chimera from Rezo, Lina getting a new pair of boots from Rezo and a pin and a pair of guitar picks from Zelgadis.
"The pin is gold with obsidian; I don't know why, but it struck me as you."
"It's beautiful," Lina said as she pinned it to her shirt.
"And the guitar picks are made from Demon's Blood."
Lina's eyes widened, "Demon's Blood? You mean that shit that's nearly indestructible?"
Zelgadis nodded, "It's really rare, and it's hard to work with, but I thought something with that much careful craftsmanship would be best suited in skilled hands."
Lina blushed, "Wow Zelgadis, this is incredible! Thank you."
"Well, that brings us to the last present," Rezo announced as he rose from his seat.
"Last present?" Zelgadis asked.
"Yes. I figured you two would pitch in for me from the band, and so I got something for the band to use as well." Rezo opened the basement door and walked down, returning several moments later with a large box one would expect to see a big screen television inside, wrapped in what looked to be a roll and a half of paper.
Lina and Zelgadis rushed excitedly over to the box as Rezo set it down.
"There you two go. Open it and find out what's inside."
Without hesitation, the two of them tore open the wrapping and opened the box.
"Damn!" Zelgadis squeaked.
"Double damn," Lina said, her voice detached.
"I was able to get a good deal on this stuff from someone I knew. There are a few items missing, but I'm sure the band will be able to get them without problems."
"A digital recorder, a turntable, cd recorder, and a sound board?" Lina asked, the breath gone from her lungs, "Rezo, this is too much."
"Hush now, you two and the band deserve it," Rezo said as he yawned, "Well, it's getting past my bed time, so I'll see you two kids tomorrow morning. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," they replied.
"And don't do anything too foolish," Rezo winked as he left the den.
After he was gone, Lina and Zelgadis looked at each other.
"You know, we forgot to drink our cider," Zelgadis mentioned, laughing nervously.
"Oh yeah, we did," Lina laughed back, "Maybe we should do that."
Zelgadis paused for a moment, and then acknowledged, "Yeah, you're right. Let's have some of that cider."
The two of them grabbed two of the mugs still on the coffee table, the pewter still warm to the touch and steam rising from the top. They each tipped back the glass and took a gulp, the liquid warming and sweet.
"Is it just me, or is there another flavor to this?" Lina asked.
"There is; Rezo likes to add a little bit of whiskey to the brew along with some herbs."
"Great, alcohol, like we need that," Lina laughed again.
"Right."
The two of them stood nervously next to one another, silence hanging heavily between them as they sipped at the cider.
"Zel?"
"Yeah?"
"When did you first start to like me?" Lina looked to him, "I'm just wondering."
"When did I?" Lina nodded, and he took a deep breath, "Well, to be honest…"
"Uh oh," Lina said, looking scared, "I assumed too much again, didn't I?"
"What?" Zelgadis shook his head, "No, you're not assuming too much. Um, I would say, from the day you shoved ice cream down Martina's sun dress."
"Oh yeah," Lina giggled, "I remember that all too well."
"How about you Lina," Zelgadis asked, "When did you start to like me?"
Lina looked into her mug, "Well, it's a little embarrassing…"
"I told you, so why can't you tell me? It can't be that embarrassing."
"Yes it can."
"Lina, you're not being fair."
"Okay, I'll tell you," Lina said, "I've kind of, had this thing for you, um, off and on since about eighth grade. I just never had the guts to talk to you. I was afraid to talk to you."
"Lina, afraid of something?" Zelgadis joked, "Now there's something I've never seen before."
"Hey, cut it out, I already told you that it's embarrassing."
"Sorry, but I had to tease you just a little," Zelgadis took another gulp from his mug, finishing the last of his cider, "You finished with yours?"
"Not yet, hold on though," Lina said as she tipped the mug, draining the last of the cider from her mug.
"Well, after all that excitement and fun, I think I'm ready for bed," Zelgadis said, "You coming too?"
"Yeah, I might as well," Lina sighed, "Besides, this cider is making me tired."
The two of them walked out of the den, Lina stopping them again in the doorway.
"Hey, here we are again," Lina chuckled.
"Yep," Zelgadis said, his heart starting to pound again.
"Should we try again?"
"I don't see why not," Lina said, taking a step closer, "Rezo isn't here to interrupt anymore."
"True," Zelgadis nodded, "Okay, let's try again." Zelgadis once again reached up and touched her face, gently pulling it toward him. He leaned in as well, and closed his eyes as he drew in for the kiss.
"Wait," Lina said.
"Why?" Zelgadis asked.
"Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, it's just a silly old tradition that…"
Zelgadis moved forward, pressing his lips against hers and initiating a kiss. For a moment, Lina fought the kiss out of surprise, and then let herself sink into it, reaching over and pulling herself against him, the heat rising faster and faster.
Zelgadis could feel the passion and energy being exchanged between them, and his heart was pounding so hard he could swear that Lina would be able to hear it clearly. But, the kiss was so delightful he did not want to stop.
Time seemed to be frozen for them, even as they pulled away from the kiss. Zelgadis looked into Lina's eyes and saw a soft care fill them.
"Wow!" Zelgadis said.
"You could say that," Lina said as she snuggled against him, "But I think that even that is a little light to describe it."
"Very true."
"Zel?"
"Yes?"
"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Lina asked as she moved her head to look in his eyes, "It would just feel too lonely to sleep by myself tonight."
Zelgadis felt the warmth rise in his chest, and he nodded, "Sure, that's fine with me."
The two of them proceeded through the kitchen, to the hall, and into Zelgadis' room. Zelgadis closed the door, and he slid out of his jeans and sweatshirt, leaving his undershirt on. He watched Lina slide out of her jeans and remove her bra from under her shirt, a curiosity for him to watch.
"Ready?" Zelgadis asked. Lina nodded and climbed into the bed, Zelgadis shutting off the light before joining her.
After a little positioning, Lina tucked against Zelgadis' body, sleep started to come, heavy and warm.
"Lina, are we a couple now?"
"Well, we have kissed, though we've never been on a date together."
"So, you're not sure?"
"Let's just say we are," Lina said, "At least that keeps it from getting complicated."
"Agreed," Zelgadis replied
"Merry Christmas, Zel," Lina said as she sank into sleep.
"Merry Christmas, Lina," Zelgadis replied as he sank into peaceful dreaming.
* Song is "Rio" by: Duran Duran
