First of all this is an INVOLVED chapter. Therefore, if you are not old enough to be reading things under MATURE content you shouldn't be reading this. TURN BACK NOW!

Now that all those darned under-aged kids are gone, let's get on with business. I decided not to be too explicit about the interaction between Xellos and Filia. I feel like (A) it would take away greatly from this work which I am not trying to write a harlequin romance here and (B) if I really mentioned any body parts even if it's a throbbing (it rhymes with ember) I'd like to abide by the rules of But it is mainly reason A.

Well anyways, on to the story! For the disclaimer, see first chapter.

Kara Metallium !

Chapter Five—The Inevitable

Filia was dimly aware of it being morning and was quite warm nestled under her feather comforter. She felt a presence beside her with a warm arm wrapped around her, snuggled against her. It stroked her hair and whispered affectionate words. "Xellos," she thought longingly. An alarm went off inside Filia's head. It's déjà vu. "Xellos!" she yelled panicking and sitting upright and consequently pushing the object beside her off the bed. Thump! went the shape.

"Itai….why are dragons always so violent? Even when they wake up?"

Filia looked over the side of the bed. There was Xellos lying on the floor, lying on his stomach, face smashed into the wooden floor boards. She snootily upturned her nose and replied, "Because certain monsters are exactly upstanding citizens, that's why."

"Itai…" Filia looked at him again.

"Xellos, why don't you just sit up instead of laying there in that uncomfortable position?"

"Because," Xellos sighed, "I was hoping, being the upstanding moral citizen that you are, that you'd help me up off the floor where you so kindly deposited me." She smiled lightly and giggled.

"Very well, but only because you complimented me so nicely."

Filia had some grocery shopping to do that day, so Xellos agreed to go with her to the market in the next village over. From the moment she stepped out of the shop, Filia knew the day was going to be cold, but being the headstrong dragoness she was she decided to forgo retrieving her cloak from the closet and forged on ahead with Xellos. Who, thanks to mazoku like tendencies, had rather strong resilience to adverse environments. Not that he couldn't feel anything, she mused, but rather that he just tolerated it as any monster would.

The day was rather pretty because it was late fall. The air, at that point, was quite cool. Leaves hung on nearly bare trees and huge piles of leaves in assorted warm colors littered the ground. The sky was a light blue, with a few wispy clouds rather high up in the atmosphere and the sun was very bright. It cast dark shadows beneath their walking forms from directly overhead. The dragoness and mazoku communicated amicably as they walked along the rather wide flat path to the next village over.

"Baka!" Filia chided herself. It was cold. Correction, it was DAMN cold. Filia now wished for the warmth that her cloak would have afforded her. If only she hadn't been so stubborn before. Now she had to walk back to the other village with Xellos, who was fine with the temperature by the way, with their arms full. She shivered violently and the large bag she carried toppled out of her arms, sending the late fall produce of apples, onions, potatoes, and squash rolling along the path. A particularly large pumpkin fell into the shallow ditch covering it with flecks of mud. If Filia hadn't been a former priestess of the fire dragon king, she might have cursed his name. As it was, her deep-rooted upbringing brought another oath to her lips. "Shabranigdo be DAMNED!"

Xellos, who up until this point, had only been content to stare at Filia's misfortune and smirk as her delicious irritation fed him a delectable meal. His expression turned to one of confusion and he blinked twice.

"Filia…"

"Yes Xellos?" she was a little more than irritated.

"Shabranigdo IS already damned." That caught her with surprise. Then she turned to him in a snarl of indignation.

"I know THAT!" He smiled drolly, more to himself than her. "Well?" she demanded getting on her hands and knees to pick up the spilled goods.

"Yes Filia?"

"Are you going to help me pick these up or what?" He smirked.

"No." She cursed his name and picked up all the rest of the produce and put it in the bag. As she stood up to stretch her back, which popped a few kinks out, she shivered violently again.

"Argh! It's so cold!" She was unaware that her voice betrayed a whimper. Xellos's eyes danced. He set down his own package next to Filia's and walked to her side. She looked to him questioningly and he smiled. Next thing Filia knew, she was tucked in his arms, with his customary cloak around both of them. She snuggled appreciatively into the warmth. They stood contentedly that way for a few minutes, until Filia's ears detected a sound. It sounded like the rattle of a wagon, and it was approaching from the direction of the village they had just left. It came closer, but Filia paid it no mind as she leaned against Xellos. The sound stopped directly in front of them.

She looked up to find a kindly woman looking down at them. She, by human terms, looked a few years older than Filia. The unknown woman smiled.

"You look so cold," she said, "how about a ride? You're headed to the next village right?" She cocked her head in that direction.

"Yes! Yes we are!" Filia said relieved.

Later after they had arrived back at the shop and put away the groceries. Filia and Xellos had a quiet dinner and retired to bed early.

The bedroom was only lit with candles. The shadows of Filia and Xellos danced an ancient dance across the walls. A preempt of what was to come. Xellos was the first to make a move. He glided across the room in his own mazoku like way, smooth and silently. He made little noise sitting down on Filia's well made bed. Amethyst eyes caught sapphire ones.

"Filia." Her name spoken with question, longing, desire, and something else. It conveyed in sound what the eyes asked. Come to him. Filia's heart was fluttering. His dark eyes bored into hers. Come to me. The silent request made her all the more flustered. Unsteadily she took a step toward him and then another. Before Filia knew it, she had crossed the room to the seductive dark mazoku. He patted the bed beside him. Quite innocent the gesture in and of itself, but filled with implied meaning behind it. She sat. Her tail swishing nervously, bumping against her calves.

His violet eyes stared into hers. Depths so deep were his eyes. Hidden from view the knowledge built up from over a millennium of existence. How many others had Xellos been with in that span of time? Filia suddenly felt intimidated and nervous. Why would Xellos, the trickster priest, so old compared to her, be interested in an ill-mannered, selfish dragon like her? Why did Xellos want her? Surely, this wasn't a game, was it?

Soft glove tips touched her chin, pulling it up to meet those violet eyes once again. Her heart quickened its beat. Those eyes came closer and noses softly bumped one another. Why—her thoughts cut off as warm soft lips covered over hers. Soft but tender was his kiss. She kissed him back steadily. Mouths opened and a dance of warm wet tongues ensued. Time seemed to speed up as his kisses became more demanding and insistent. His hands caressed both sides of her face. He pulled her to him and over top of him as he slid back to lie on the bed. Their mouths never separated all this while.

Filia felt somewhat confident lying atop Xellos. His hands caressing her sides as she hungrily kissed him. He rolled her over so she was underneath him. He started to shed his gloves and the cloak he always wore, along with the bag he kept tied to his waist and his shoes quickly followed. Xellos smiled with a glint in his eye as he removed her shoes. His hands, warm and flexible slid up her calves, past her knees, caressed the inner part of her thighs before sliding back down her legs bringing the stockings she always wore with them.

He covered her again with his body and kissed her passionately. Each kissing deepening, until Filia was sure that nothing could surpass those kisses. His fingers tickled her sides. Her own hands, which had remained motionless up until this point sprang into action. They gingerly slid up the sides of his hips to the sides of his torso and stayed there drawing unknown patterns on the soft cream colored material of his shirt. Xellos pulled back from kissing her, without looking into her eyes she noted, and drew away the hair from the side of her neck. He looked concentrated and serious. The mazoku's eyes flicked to hers a moment before focusing on a point in her neck again and then he went in for the kill.

At the first kiss, Filia shivered as a chill went down her spine. At the second, she became incredibly relaxed. At the third kiss, she knew that despite her decision before, now she truly wanted the dark mazoku to possess, to fill her, and to give her, a dragon of over three hundred years of life, had yet to experience. Her hands, which had paused at his sides, began to knead the flesh through his shirt, and as Xellos nipped her neck her fingers clenched his sides. Her slim fingers slid up to his chest and pushed. Xellos stopped what he was doing and sat back on his knees. She smiled slightly and tugged at his shirt.

Xellos smiled too as he slid his shirt off over his head. What Filia saw there in the candlelight of the room gave her pause and took her breath away. She had never been a judge of a male's body, but she liked what she saw. Broad shoulders gave way to a well toned chest and even better toned abdominal muscles. She could tell that despite his slim torso he had a muscular build without much definition on the surface. Well, what do you expect for a projected physical body? He can take any form he likes! the anti-mazoku part of her mind shouted, but it was just a whisper now, so deep were her feelings for the ancient dark mazoku.

Xellos, by this point, had taken advantage of Filia's preoccupation with his body, and started to slide his hands up her legs under her dress. She realized what he was doing, sat up a bit, and the material easily slipped over her head.

Filia suddenly felt very vulnerable, just lying there beneath the powerful mazoku with only her bra and panties to adorn her. His eyes flicked over her being, staring hard at her. No part of her body left their scrutiny. Filia felt as if she was one of Jillas's experiments.

Before she could think anymore, Xellos was kissing her again. Fingers dancing over her sides, lips kissing her insistently. His tongue plundered her mouth and possessed it. His teeth nipped at her lips. His fingers slid up and she felt light feathery touches to her breasts. Her heart pounded and she felt extremely warm and excited down below. Xellos ground his hips into hers, which took away what little breath she had left from his hot kisses. She was unsure of what to do. But his hands covered over her breasts and her hips bucked. Liking the feeling, she did it again. Soon she was participating in the dance that Xellos had initiated.

Xellos slowed his movements and stared into her eyes a moment. He leaned down and shared a long deep kiss with her. Then he moved his lips to her ear.

"Do you want me Filia?" He brought his head back to stare into her eyes. She stopped and hesitated. She returned the stare of his eyes.

"Yes."