Song by Sarah Mclachlan. I love you is the title.
I have a smile
stretched from ear to ear
to see you walking down the road
we meet at the lights
I stare for a while
the world around disappears
just you and me
on this island of hope
a breath between us could be miles
let me surround you
my sea to your shore
my sea to your shore
let me be the calm you seek
oh and every time I'm close to you
there's too much I can't say
and you just walk away
and I forgot
to tell you
I love you
and the night's
too long
and cold here
without you
I grieve in my condition
for I cannot find the strength to say I need you so
oh and every time I'm close to you
there's too much I can't say
and you just walk away
and I forgot
to tell you
I love you
and the night's
too long
and cold here
without you
Lina sighed and leaned against the wall. She was really, really sick of this. Zelgadis, as usual, was being moody, silent, and cold. Damn him... Val was being moody, cold, and vocal. Very vocal. He had more of a vocabulary of dirty words than she did.
It had been nearly a month. Val had turned out to be quite a talkative, sweet boy, if adept at hiding it. Lina rather liked him.
But around eachother, Zel and Val seemed to tense up, snuck glares at eachother when they thought she wasn't looking, sent silent threats across meals. Lina was sick and tired of it.
Tonight they were sitting in the lower dining area of the inn they were staying at. Lina was grinding her teeth at the idiocy of the two. She had no idea why hey chose to be rivals, but it was getting annoying.
"I'M heading to my room. You tow can battle it out where I don't have to hear you bickering." She stood and stalked out.
Val glared at Zel. "Great going. You just drove her off."
"Whatever."
"Don't whatever me, hood boy. What the fuck is wrong with you?" Val crossed his arms and glared at the man with metallic hair glinting inside of his hood. Which hadn't left his face since they'd joined up with Val. Zelgadis really, really did not play well with others. And Valteira was no exaception other than Zel did not like him in the least.
"Nothing's wrong with me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I was ignoring you. If I may continue?"
"I don't think so." Val grinned. "So, what's with that hood, anyway? Were you horribly scarred when you were a child?"
The temperature in the room dropped twenty degrees. Anyone with sense was edging away from Zelgadis' stiff form.
"None of your business."
Valteira had no sense. "Awww, sensitive? Poor baby. So what is it? Did your mom come after you with a butcher knife at age three or something? It would explain your personality."
"I said, none of your business."
"Aww, come on. Lemme see." Val leapt across the table and yanked back Zelgadis' hood before he had a chance to react.
Silver hair fell over a face made of pure rock, startled diamond eyes turned quickly to anger and hate. Pointed ears came up to frame the pebble-studded face, and plates of stone that served as eyebrow pushed together in a look of absolute fury.
Valteira stared breathlessly at Zelgadis, not noticing the gloved hand arcing to meet his face until it struck.
Val literally went flying through the wall as Zelgadis stood, knocking over his chair and causing every occupant of the room to run screaming. Zelgadis turned slowly to where Valteira was slowly pulling himself out of the wreckage of the fallen plaster, Hand to his cheek where Zelgadis had punched him and staring shocked at the man standing stock still and straight, looking down at him and glaring daggers.
"I told you, it's none of your business."
Val stood up shakily. "I didn't...actually think...you'd hit me."
Zelgadis snorted. "That's where you were wrong, then. Your first mistake was making an enemy of me. Your second mistake was provoking me." Zelgadis walked over to the stumbling Valteira and moved in close enough that Val could feel his breath on his neck.
"And your third," he whispered, barely holding back from killing the youth, "Is falling in love with Lina. Stay away from her, boy. Anyone who tries anything with Lina goes through me first."
Val managed a grin. "I don't care if you hit me again for this one," He said flippantly, pushing back a lock of hair, "Because I just have to ask. You love her, don't you?"
"None of your business."
Val grinned and put an arm around the tense Zel. "You were that one, weren't you?"
"What one, youngling?" Zel made no effort to hide the rage in his voice.
"The one who betrayed her."
Val felt Zelgadis freeze. The man turned to Val, Voice dripping with anger, hate, and...pain? Yes, pain. "I. Don't. Care. If I kill you. The only reason you're not dead in a trench somewhere is that Lina doesn't want you to be. I suggest leaving matters that are not of your concern alone, or you'll wind up very, very dead."
Val grinned. "So it was. What did you do?"
"Are you even listening?"
"Only to what I want to hear. You love her, don't you? But you don't want to hurt her. So you keep your distance, and make everyone else keep theirs."
"I...am going...to kill you, child."
Val smacked Zelgadis.
Zel raised a startled hand to his face. Wide eyes slit suddenly, and he spoke in words just barely getting past the fury and resentment in his throat.
"Do you have a death wish? Because I would be more than happy to help you fulfill it."
"What the f*ck is wrong with you!"
"What - "
"How can you just sit there and think what you're doing is right? Do you know how much this is hurting her? It’s not protection. It could never be protection! You're locking her inside a gilded cage, and she doesn't even know it. But no one can feel happiness if they can't feel pain! You're killing her!!" Valteira yelled. He smacked Zelgadis again, panting, anger ripping through him like a knife. "How dare you sit there on you're mighty throne and do that! And you won't even let her get close to you! You're so, 'oh, she could never love me after what I've done to her. Oh, she could never care.' And you sit and sulk and never show your face! It's hurting her! Your very protection is hurting her! Well, I don't know what you did, or are afraid you might do, but You better get over it, and fast! Because if you're not going to love her, she needs someone who will!"
"Boy, you're turning this into a melodrama, with yourself as the star. Don't try it." Zelgadis yanked his hood over his face, glaring at Val. "Go after Lina. You're not going to get anywhere. But try to make her, and you will not die. You will live in pain for as long as I care to torture you, and then I will leave you to wander the world crippled and more disfigured than I am." He turned on his heel and stalked away.
"Oh, and by the way," Zelgadis said softly over his shoulder on the way up to his rooms, "She likes roses."
Val just stood there.
Where am I?
Who am I?
What the f*ck is going on?
A boy of about fifteen, with aqua hair that never seemed to behave drifted through murky nothingness.
What...
A woman, with cascading blonde hair.
Who are...are you...
A hand reached out to him. A smile upon her face.
Mo...ther...
Red...
Deep crimson, filling his vision, while a pair of laughing eyes danced before him.
Mother!
MOTHER!!
"MOTHER!!" Val shot up from his bed and hit the headboard on the way up. Groaning and holding his scalp, he turned to take in his surroundings.
Right, I'm here. God, I saw...
I saw...
I think I'm going to be sick.
"Val?" Valteira's head snapped around to see a red head in flannel pajamas staring at him from the doorway. Worry was written clearly across her face, and she looked like she had just fallen out of bed and ran to see if she was okay.
God, he loved her.
Val turned so he could look at her and not stretch his neck. "Yes, Lina?"
"What's wrong?"
Val chuckled. "You're the one who just showed up at my doorway. You tell me."
She snorted. "I heard you scream and I hurried over to see how you were. When I scream at night it's never good, and I assumed it was the same with you."
He sighed and she sat next to him on the bed. "It was my mother again."
"I see."
And she understood. Just like that. It was what was so wonderful about her.
Why won't Zelgadis forget the past and just come and sweep her off her feet? I know I'm dying to, but she loves him. She smiled at him. Damn asshole! Why does he have to make my life so hard? Val Put his head into his hands and bit back a scream of annoyance.
"Val? Val, what's wrong? Did I do something?"
"In a way," He ground out, turning to look at her. "In a way it's your fault."
"Val, tell me, I don't want to hurt you, I - "
Val swept her into his arms and kissed her. Lina's eyes flew wide and she stared at him, unable to react.
I could stay like this forever -
"Lina? I heard you wake up and - VALTEIRA!!!"
Then again, maybe not. Val felt a stone uppercut smash him in the jaw. He tumbled to the floor, then rolled over and grinned at the half clothed demon glaring down at him.
"You really have quite an uppercut, you know that?"
"What the HELL did you think you were doing? What did I tell you not an hour ago?"
"Awww, I think she rather enjoyed it - "
"That is not for you to decide!"
Val went serious. "It's not for you to decide, either! Give her room to breathe, dammit!"
Zelgadis barely controlled the hand that flew to his sword. "I should kill you."
"Try it."
In seconds they were a beating and bloody, squirming pile on the floor. Zelgadis was, predictably, winning, due to stone skin, but Val was holding his own.
"WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK YOU'RE DOING???" Both males turned to give startled glances to the object of the fight. Lina was shaking with barely controlled anger, a dark red aura steaming off of her like a demon. She pointed at them, trembling with fury.
"You two are fighting over me! Actually fighting over me! I don't believe your gall!! You think that I’ll sigh and find this all romantic? Do you?" She picked up a book from the bedstead and threw it at the frozen tusslers. "Well I don't! I hope you both kill eachother! I sure as hell am not going to deal with you anymore!" She spun on her heel and marched out the door. Neither fighter moved, both staring in startled awe at the fuming redhead who had just stormed out of the room.
Zelgadis slid off of Val and slammed his head against the wall. "I can't believe I did that. I can't believe I was so stupid ad to do that."
"Well?"
Zel turned to see a grinning Val. "Don't piss me off, you gloating little - "
Val kicked him. "What are you waiting for? Go after her!!"
"Lina?"
Lina didn't even look at Zel. "Go away, Zel. I don't want to talk to you right now."
Zelgadis sat beside her in the empty tavern. "Don't you?"
"I said go away."
Zelgadis leaned on the counter and looked at his hands. "Funny thing, when I say, 'go away,' do you know what I mean?"
"What do you mean, Zel?" Lina didn't even try to feign interest.
"Stay here, show me you care enough to be worried about me."
Lina turned away from him. "Why should I care?"
"Call me silly, but that last 'go away' sounded a lot like 'I need someone.'"
"Are you so sure it's you?" Lina put an extra sting into her words. Zelgadis ignored it.
"No. But I'm willing to try." He put a hand on her shoulder. She didn't flinch away.
"I know I've hurt you. I know I've done a lot of stupid things. And I know I'm probably going to do more. But I want to love you. I'm just not sure how." Zelgadis hugged her gently from behind, maing sure she could break away if she wanted to.
"Will you let me try?"
Silence.
I screwed up. I hurt her one too many times. I -
Something fell on his hand. He looked to see Lina's hand clasping his, eyes bright.
"I'm willing to let you try." She smiled and looked up at him.
"And I'm willing to let you make mistakes. And then, if you let me, I'll let you try again."