Disclaimer: I don't own The Slayers but a few added little spells and chars and such. Please don't sue me and I'll give you cookies:D

If you read I'll make you all pancakes...:O I LOVE PANCAKES! yummy:DDDD

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"I want...that one, and that one, oh...and that one too! What do you mean they aren't for sale? Make them for sale!" Lina uplifted her palm, showing a fireball in the making, and put it within an inch of the store clerk's face. His eyes widened and he hastily reached down to grab the little gems inside his store case. Tentatively dropping them into her palm he waved her away. "Take them! J-Just don't hurt my store!" Lina grinned and shrugged. "Suit yourself, and thanks for the gifts." She jangled them in the air. "Glad you changed your mind."

Zelgadiss shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Ever the charmer." He murmured, watching as Lina started yet another argument with the clerk. Hiyo gave Zel a worried look and held her hand to her mouth. "Oh kami, would she really blow up that poor man's store?" Zelgadiss norted. "Of course she would, and this wouldn't be the first time either."

Hiyo blinked, and turned to Lina again, who was now getting fighting with the store clerk about another piece that had caught her eye. "100? Ms. you have to be joking! This ring sells, at the least, for 500!" Lina slammed her hand onto the counter, earning a flinch from the man. "That is just way too pricey. Isn't there some sort of sorceress discount in here?"

"No, I'm afraid there isn't."

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to get angry."

"W-Wait Ms., maybe I can-"

"Fireball!"

Too late, Lina's fireball had already burned him to a crisp before he could utter another protest, and before she knew it she was climbing out of broken piles of wood and debris. Taking a look around, she gave a sheepish look and rubbed the back of her head. "Whoops..."

"You! Look what you've done to my store!" The store clerk screamed, pushing himself out of a pile of what used to be his store, and pointing a finger at Lina.

"Heh, maybe I should just leave now since you seem to be so busy?" Turning swiftly, she turned tail and ran with Hiyo and Zelgadiss at her heels. The distant angry cries of the man chased them all the way to the edge of the town, and they stopped to rest. "Ms. Lina, why did you want all these so bad?" Hiyo asked between breaths, her hands supporting herself on her knees.

"Because these aren't just any jewels, these are magically enhanced jewels." She answered roughly, her hands braced against her knees as well. "What is that supposed to mean?" Zel asked after catching his breath."It means that we can use them to strengthen minor spells to last longer."

"What would jewels like that be doing in that kind of shop?"

"I don't know, but they reek of magical aura."

She stood up straight, dusting herself off. "Well now that I've got what I needed from this place, let's get the hell out of here. If we want to make it to Nara before tomorrow's nightfall then we need to head out." Hiyo gave Lina an annoyed look. "Oh, Ms. Lina, like we have a choice."

Lina whipped around, reading to spit fire at the little sorceress maiden when a cheery voice sounded from above, clamping her mouth shut she looked up to the hovering priest with extreme annoyance. "Oh dear Lina, has your nasty temper gotten the best of you again?"

"Shut up, fruitcake."

"Very clever comeback, Lina-san, your wit as usual proves to be just as big as your bust." Lina's eyes twitched at the mention of her bosom, and she shouted an angry spell up at the mazoku. "FIREBALL!" Xelloss as usual dodged it through teleportation, and reappeared just in front of her, his face only centimeters away from hers. He lifted a finger to her lips, and chuckled at the pinkness flooding her cheeks. "Now Lina-san, you wouldn't want to hurt a humble priest such as me, would you?"

She blinked, and after a moment of realizing what had happened her hand came into contact with his face. Xelloss fell to the floor with a grunt and a small 'oof'. "Damned fruitcake! You know I'm sensitive about that! I knew I couldn't trust you to travel with me, damned mazoku! I'll kill you!" Lina screamed down at him, stomping her foot with each word angrily.

"Now, now, Lina-san. I was only making polite conversation." Xelloss responded from below.

"Polite...conversation...?" The strain in her voice brought both fear and excitement to Xelloss, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to be here right now when she was so mad...

Sinking to her knees she grabbed the front neckline of his shirt and started shaking him roughly, cursing him with every name she'd ever learned. "THAT WAS NOT POLITE CONVERSATION, DAMN YOU!" In between shakes Xelloss tried his best to respond. "Lina-san,"-ack-"it was only a joke!"

"They're at it again." Zelgadiss sighed, shaking his head. "Why do they fight so much Mr. Zelgadiss?" Hiyo asked, chewing nervously on her nails. "Because Xelloss is a smartass, and he is the only one who can piss Lina off without getting killed."

"But she looks like she's going to kill him."

"Not quite, when they fight it's more like what I'd call a lovers' quarrel. Even though I hate to admit it, I know that Lina has a strange sort of connection with that fruitcake." Hiyo nodded, turning her attention back to Lina and Xelloss. "Do you think they'll stop anytime soon?"

"The only way this will end without someone, obviously Xelloss, getting killed is if that coward runs."

As if on cue, out of the corner of his eye Zel saw Xelloss teleport from Lina's death grip to hover into the air once again. Lina growled and pointed an angry finger up at him. "Get your fruity ass down here, now!"

Xelloss laughed, not making any move to comply with her wishes. "Now why would I do that?"

"So I can kill you!"

"Are you sure it isn't because you miss me already?"

"Keh, miss you my ass!"

"Come now Lina-san, why don't you be honest with your feelings?"

Lina clenched her teeth, balling her hands into fists. "You...you...argh!" At a lack of words, she stuttered, blinded by her fury. He was so annoying! Why couldn't he just go away? After what happened in the mansion she'd been even more annoyed with him then she could ever remember being, and it annoyed her even more that she let him provoke her they way he did. In a way she had been going a little paranoid, thinking that every teasing insult was regarding what he'd done to her only days ago, and it was so frustrating!

It had to be that stupid smile of his, that I-know-something-you-don't-know-smile. "Ah, yet another ingenious retort Lina-san, bravo." Xelloss taunted, breaking into her thoughts. A low growl sounded from inside her and she curled her top lip, revealing tiny canine-like teeth. "Shut...up!"

Xelloss just laughed again, enjoying every delicious negative emotion oozing off her tiny body. While she'd been sleeping he'd had no one but Zelgadiss to tease, but he was no where near as fun as Lina-san. "Wait, both of you!" Hiyo broke in, holding her arms out wide and planting herself just in front of Lina. "Would you two please stop fighting? We can't just sit here and argue while that poor city sits in ruins."

Lina grunted, but agreed mutely and turned her eyes away from Xelloss. She heard the soft 'thump' as he descended, and walked around both him and Hiyo to continue forward. Hiyo hurried to fall into place next to her while Xelloss stayed a little ways behind with Zelgadiss.

"Ms. Lina, why does Xelloss tease you so much?" Hiyo asked, staring at the side of Lina's face. "I don't know, but I have a feeling that he sees me as his 24 hour buffet. I don't know why he's so focused on me though, he could always annoy Zel."

Hiyo grinned. "I think he likes you."

"I think he likes to piss me off."

"Maybe that too, but I think there is something more."

"Well then stop thinking, it makes things a hell of a lot easier for everyone."

"Ms. Lina you really can't see it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do." Hiyo persisted, the grin still on her face and growing wider with every word.

"He's a mazoku, he doesn't know how to like."

"After living for as long as he has Ms. Lina, I think he must have some idea of what affection is."

"Don't mean he has any affection for me."

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you."

Hiyo rolled her eyes and folded her arms childishly. "Ms. Lina can't you even consider it? Think about how he saves you so much, and how all of his best efforts are focused on you. I know you are just a little slow, but to just write those facts off as normal is just plain dense."

"I am not slow!"

"Ah, so then you're in denial? Something must have happened between you two."

Lina opened her mouth to respond, but she clamped her mouth back shut as she felt heat flood her cheeks. "Err...no...I mean...well..." Hiyo held up a finger, smling openly now. "So something did happen? I wonder if he thinks about it just as much as you do?"

"I hope not." Lina muttered under her breath.

"Ms. Lina I think you should trust Mr. Xelloss again. I know that what ever he did probably hurt your feelings, but maybe he had an ulterior motive to doing it. Maybe he's trying to keep you from trusting him so it would be easier for you to hate him if he ever had to do something bad, maybe he's protecting you."

"Then maybe I just shouldn't trust him, just like he wants."

"But Ms. Lina he has to be doing it because he cares about you."

"Hiyo, mazoku ain't the type to care about anyone but themselves and their master. Those kind of positive emotions hurt them, so they just don't bother feeling them"

"I think you're scared."

"Huh? Me? Scared? Of what?"

"Of getting hurt. You've been hurt before, haven't you?"

Lina turned her head away, keeping her eyes on the ground. How did this little brat know so much? Maybe she was right, because after losing the most important person to her it darkened a piece of her heart where love was supposed to reside, but she didn't think she could love anymore. Especially not someone who would obviously betray her without a second thought. Hiyo stayed silent as well, recognizing the obvious signs of wanting to stay mute and ponder the past.

"I'm going to kill you." Zelgadiss said through clenched teeth, glaring at the trickster priest from the corner of his eye. Xelloss only chuckled. "Well that's not very friendly, why would you do that?"

"Because you hurt Lina, you bastard."

"That, was not my intention."

"You still did it."

"Indeed I did, but how do you know her insults didn't hurt my feelings as well?"

"Because you're a heartless ass."

"Ouch."

"I hate you."

Xelloss chuckled again. "I couldn't guess."

Zelgadiss grunted and swung his arm around to yank at Xelloss's neckline tightly. "Don't you ever do anything to her again, you bastard." He hissed, throwing Xelloss backwards as if he were acid. Xelloss watched as he walked back on ahead to catch up with the females, and a frown grew on his face. "Well, it seems some things don't change."

OoO

"Oh gosh Ms. Lina! He didn't!" Lina yelped and clamped her hand over Hiyo's mouth, shaking her head frantically. "Shh, not so loud! I don't want anyone else knowing about this, it's so humiliating." Hiyo nodded, and Lina removed her hand slowly.

They were sitting atop the huge bed in their shared hotel room, and Lina had just explained her and Xelloss's little incident. She didn't really know why she told Hiyo, but the best excuse she could some up with for telling her was that she desperately needed advice on how she should look at Xelloss now.

"So that's why you were so mad when we were in the mansion?" Another blush swept over Lina's face and she nodded slightly. Hiyo's cheeks pinkened as well and she held an embarrassed hand to her mouth. "No wonder you were so mad, that's just plain evil."

Lina nodded again. "Yeah, I feel just so stupid. I actually told him to..." She groaned and reached for one of the pillows to shove her face into. "Did you...like it?" Hiyo asked quietly, and even though Lina's face was still in the pillow she could just tell that Hiyo was squirming around right now. Lifting her face up slowly, she thought for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yeah...I guess it did feel kind of good." She could just imagine how red her face must be.

Hiyo nodded, averting her eyes downwards as well. "Then why are you so mad about it?" Lina sighed and leaned backwards against the wall. "Because it was all just a big game to him, none of it meant anything."

"So you wanted it to mean something?"

"No...Yes...I don't know. I'm just so confused, and I have a feeling this is how he wants me to feel."

"Why don't you just talk to him?"

"Talk to him?! No way. I'd just embarrass myself."

"Then just get revenge on him." Hiyo met Lina's gaze and smiled innocently. "Revenge?" Lina inquired, staring at the sorceress she once believed to be innocent and naive with a new perspective. "What kind...of revenge?"

"Seduction." Hiyo answered simply, not batting an eye.

Lina's jaw dropped to what had to have been the floor, because there was no other word to explain her feelings besides flabbergasted. "I can't seduce a mazoku! I can't seduce anyone! I don't even know how to seduce!"

Hiyo put a firm hand on Lina's shoulder to calm her babbling. "I can teach you." She said clearly, staring into her eyes. Lina swallowed hard, already feeling like she was not going to like this at all. "Umm, Hiyo?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't have to get naked, do I?"

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lol, omg what will Lina do...? :O