Lina watched Gourry fall asleep, breathing lowing and body going limp. This was the fifth week. More than a month.
Lina was actually helping the damned thing. She snorted and kicked the wall.
It didn't do any good, really. Her foot went right through it. She sighed and sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall.
Yeah, I know I just said she went through the wall. Suspend your disbelief, okay?
When did I end up like this? She was a failure. If anyone in hell knew what she was up to... I would be in teeny, tiny bits right now. Lots of them. She sighed again. I'm no good at anything.
No good at art, no good at being human, no good at piety, and now no good at evil. Damn, she was worthless.
And what do I have to show for all the work I put into each of them? Nothing. I can't believe it.
"...okay?"
"What?" She looked up. Blue eyes with silver-purple hair wisped about them looked into her ruby ones.
"I said, are you okay?" Zelgadis knelt in front of her. She sighed, stood, and glided softly down the stairs.
"I'm fine."
"Right."
"I'm fine, really."
"Sure."
Lina sat down on the couch and glared at him. "I. Am. Fine."
"No. You're. Not."
"How would you know?"
"By the way you're acting?" Zelgadis sat next to her and pushed the bangs from her forehead in what he hoped was a kind gesture. He hoped she didn't take it the wrong way and run off...
"It's nothing."
"So now there IS something wrong, but it's nothing. Next you'll tell me it is something, and it'll be silly."
"Well..."
"What's bothering you? I told you I'm here for you."
"It's no big deal."
"It is to me." Zelgadis put a brotherly (he hoped) arm around her.
In truth, Zel was having a very hard time himself. He was feeling things that he was pretty sure he didn't want to feel, saying things he wasn't exactly supposed to say, and thinking things...
Let's just say Zel was a teenager for his race and leave it at that. No matter what you are, teenagers tend to stay the same.
And he was almost certain that his stomach was not supposed to tense up like that whenever the light caught Lina's face, or that he broke into a cold sweat whenever she smiled.
She grinned. Uh oh, cold sweat...
"I'm fine," She replied flippantly, tossing her head to the side and smiling.
It was forced.
"Right."
"Zel, please, I'm okay! Really!"
"Mm-hmm."
In all honesty, Lina wasn't doing so hot either. Well, in the intended terms. She was having a hard time not jumping Zelgadis right then and there. She was feeling quite a few things that were pretty normal for her, but she knew for a fact weren't for Zel. Control, control, control... She clenched her hands and held herself very close to the couch.
Goddamned hardwiring... I really wish We were built more for resistng this sort of thing...
Unfortnately, Zel took this as meaning something else.
"Lina? Lina, are you okay?" He moved closer to her.
Much as I hate to do this... "Zel, please don't touch me."
Zelgadis yanked back but was still too close. "Wha...I...I'm sorry..."
"It's not you," She said through grit teeth, "It's me."
"What?"
Lina dug her nails into the couch and clenched her teeth even harder. If he didn't get out of here, she was going to go nuts...
"I mean, if you don't get very, very far away, I can not be held responsible for what I do to you."
Zelgadis got a hurt, sad look on his face and... damn him, he moved closer! "I don't think you would ever hurt me, Lina - "
"I mean if you don't get away I am going to rip that goddamned ugly toga off you and jump you, Angel boy!" She snapped, trying not to do just that.
Yeah, I know it's turning into a rather stupid scene. But the thing is, these don't seem quite so stupid when you're experiencing them. I'm sure if you were in their place, you would be having every single cell in your body yelling oh shit at top volume.
Lina's certainly were. "Zel.. please..."
Zelgadis put his... Goddamnit, what is he DOING??? Arm tightly around her shoulders. "You're not going to threaten me away that easily, Lina."
You goddamned IDIOT!!! Well, fine, if that's how you're going to be -
Lina darted forward, knocked him down on the couch and planted her lips very fully on his. Zelgadis' eyes went very, very wide.
If you care to visualize it this way, imagine a slight popping sound. That was the sound of Zelgaids' brain shutting down and an overall What????? Going on it what serviced as his mind at the moment.
Lina pulled back. It was taking a lot of effort not to continue. At least I'm not succubus... "Get it, stupid? Get lost before I end up doing something that you, if not I, will regret a great deal."
Zel managed to get his mouth to work. "I don't think it will quite work if I'm not into it also, Lina..."
"Zelgadis, I will make do if you don't...don't..."
Zelgadis made the biggest choice in his life. I would like to say that the thoughts in his head had to do with making a decision of outmost importance, raising a demon and lowering an angel for the bonding of both races on a whole, of that for all his life he had been what was dictated and he needed to develop his own self worth, or even that he felt this would help Lina to trust him more, stupid as THAT on may be. Unfortunately, I can't say that, because the only thing going through his head other than the rushing hormones was the overall thought of Ah, SCREW IT all...
He kissed Lina.
Lina froze. I shouldn't. I shouldn't shouldn't shouldn't. This will completely ruin him, I will damn him to hell, I will stain him in ways he can't think of right now and I -
He kissed her again.
Damn that all! I don't care! Lina pounced.
And they forgot all about the whole damn world for a while.
Zelgadis stirred and woke at the touch of sunlight on his face. His first thought was, I'm not in my dorm...
His second, once he noticed where he was, happened to be,
HOLY SHIT!!!
He looked at Lina, lying against him, breathing softly. I just slept with one of Satan's minions. I just lost my saintly virginity to a demon of evil.
Then common sense slapped him in the face.
If Lina is evil, then I must be Satan himself. Lina is nothing but hurt and betrayed.
Which then immediately led to the thought of, If they're wrong about that, what else are they wrong about?
His brain had no time to catch up with that thought before someone started laughing.
Lina slept soundly as Zelgadis leapt up and searched for the voice. He turned in a slow circle, looking for the source of the voice.
A tall woman with long, black hair walked into the sunlight, grinning. She was wearing black leather, and not very much of it, with skulls everywhere and spikes everywhere else. She looked like a true demon.
Bless it, what have I done now??
"Hello there, Zelgadis Greywyrds." Her stance just radiated 'I'm sexy as hell and I know it.' "my name is Naga. I'm here to offer you a few things."
Zelgadis moved towards Lina and spread his wings slightly. "I don't want any."
"I thought you loved her?" Naga nodded to Lina's prone form. Lina was not a morning demon.
"How - "
"You were saying quite a few times last night." Zelgadis' entire body turned bright red. "you do love her, correct?"
Zelgadis nodded, flustered.
"Do you actually believe that you two could possibly be together?" The look on Zelgadis' face told the world that he obviously had. "Well, you're a sweetie, that's for sure..." Naga rolled her eyes. "Let's go over the basics, shall we? You," She pointed at him, "Are an angel. She," She pointed to Lina, "is a demon. Clear so far?" Zelgadis nodded warily. "Therefore, you two are mortal enemies. Right?"
"We don't have to - "
"Yes you do. I know about this; how long before your superiors? You aren't going to have a chance to explain. This will not work."
Zelgadis gave her a look. "And I'm guessing you have an idea to change this?" he asked skeptically.
"As a matter of fact..." Naga smiled nastily and leaned in close to his face. "I do. Ever hear of damnation?"
"WHAT?"
"You love her, don't you?" Naga asked snidely. Zelgadis froze. She smiled and lifted his chin to look at her. "You want to be with her, don't you?" She grinned. Her mouth was full of sharp, nasty, pointy teeth. "Forever?"
Zelgadis swallowed. "Well... yes..."
"You'd give up anything for her, wouldn't you?"
"Well... yeah...."
"Even," She said in a hissed whisper into Zelgadis' ear, "your god?"
Zelgadis swallowed and looked at Lina. She was sleeping so softly, so lovely...
She's not evil. But... God preached that she was, simply by being what she was.
What does that say about god?
Zelgadis took a deep breath as Lina stirred. He smiled at her as she slowly opened her eyes and...
"Yes."
Lina's eyes snapped open all the way as a laugh flew from a thousand throats and black hands reached up from the floor, clutching at a terrified Zelgadis. "Zelgadis! What did you - "
Naga laughed. That annoying, hideous, detestable laugh that was so uniquely hers. The questing hands grabbed Zelgadis by his legs and began dragging him into the floor.
Lina spun to glare at Naga. "Naga! What did you do??"
Naga grinned. "You owe me, Lina. I just helped you damn him to hell. Congratulations." She laughed. "You managed to damn an angel. We all knew you were something special." Lina spun to face the betrayed, hurt face of Zelgadis, not really hearing Naga. "This is even better than Damning Gourry. I'm so proud of you, Lina. You're going to be one hell of a high demon. Maybe even second in command. Congratulations."
Zelgadis held out a hand piteously to her. Lina could only stand and stare. What else could she do?
"Lina, I lo - "
Lina sat in her room. The streets of hell were filled with lost souls, blood flowed everywhere. Hell was celebrating. Why?
It was the first fallen angel for millenium. And they were going to get everything they could from him before breaking him in. Currently he was waiting interrogation in a cell somewhere dark, dank, and unpleasant.
Completely alone.
Suffice to say, Lina was not a happy camper.
Lina didn't even look up at the knock on her door. She just didn't care anymore.
"Come in."
Xellos walked in, beaming with pride. "Lina, you actually seduced an angel. I am so damn proud of you - "
"Cut the crap."
Xellos froze. "Wha - "
"I said cut the crap, Xellos. No one down here is in anything for anyone other than themselves. You think you have your claws in me; you don't. I don't care anymore."
"Lina do you think - "
Lina looked up at him. The anger, hurt, hate, and yet, somehow, apathy in her eyes made him pull back suddenly.
"You used me, damned me, killed me, betrayed me... and afterwards you expect me to trust you?" She snorted. "Fat chance."
"Lina...I..."
Lina turned away from him. Who cares anymore? What good is anything? I don't care if I'm one of the highest in hell...I don't care if I can steal back everything that was taen from me.. what I stole from him was too much, too much...
To...to...to HELL with it all!
"You wanna know how I seduced the angel, Xellos? Maybe this will help you. Then you won't need to suck up to me." She turned to look at him again, and her eyes took on a listless, angry quality.
"Lina, I - "
"I cared, Xellos. I let my heart loose. Again." She snorted. "I was stupid. I would have given anything for him. Do you know what that's like? Probably not."
"And I got him damned anyway." She sighed and sat back down. "So go away, Xellos. Just go away."
Xellos stood against the doorway. He took a deep breath.
"You'd give everything for him?"
"What?" Lina looked at Xellos oddly.
Xellos walked towards her. "You'd do anything for him? Give up everything you have?"
"I - "
"then ...go to him."
"What?"
Xellos pointed down the hall. "I said go to him. Give up everything, Lina. Get him out of their clutches and get him back to heaven where he belongs." Xellos Glared at her. "The sooner the better."
"I..."
"Go!"
Lina smiled softly. "Thank you... Xellos." She leaned forward and kissed him, before hurrying down the hallway at a practiced lurk.
Xellos watched he dissapear down the hall and leaned against the wall.
"DAMNIT!" Xellos reached to something around his neck, ripped it off and threw it to the ground, and the infuriated grimace turned to an angry, rueful half smile, as if laughing at someone's pain that was all too like their own. "I guess love hurts like that." he spun and stalked out of the room.
A little piece of silver on a thin chain glittered on the floor. If you looked closer, you could see it was a locket.
It had a picture of a girl with red hair holding a paintbrush in her hand, and a smile that lit up her eyes.