"Lina-san, have you heard of a holiday called Christmas? It's a holiday celebrated around this time of year in another world." Xelloss told me. It was a cold winter day, and all I wanted to do was cuddle up inside my bed and have a some nice hot chocolate.
"Nope, Never heard of it." I replied. I then started to get up from my seat in the cafeteria, when Xelloss grabbed my hand and motioned me to sit down. I stared at him for a second before sitting down again.
"Are you not interested in hearing the festivities that come with it?" Xelloss then smiles and looks at me for awhile. I am, kind of interested, but information that Xelloss brings is sometimes hard to trust. I nod though, thinking it won't hurt to just listen. "Well, it originally was the day when God's son was born."
"You're talking about a festive that celebrates GOD!!!??" I interrupt him surprised. Judging from past experience, Xelloss dislike gods.
"Well, Xelas-sama likes anything unusual, and the moment she hears of holidays, she goes wild as you do Lina-san." He says with a laugh. "Well, back to the story. The holiday was originally for a group of religious people who believed in Christ, the lord. But as years past, it became into a holiday, were people received presents."
"Presents?" I repeated Xelloss's words. This sounded like my kind of thing. I always enjoyed receiving gifts for any occasion. "So, who do we receive gifts from?" I ask.
"Well, pretty much from your family, and friends and ... " Xelloss's words trailed off there. I guess he noticed me holding out my hands, in anticipation of a gift. "Lina-san, I already gave you the talismans."
"Correction, you Sold me the talismans. Can I have a present?" I ask, my eyes round and innocent. "Please?" I ask in the cutest voice I can make.
Xelloss sighed and answered my question. "I guess I can give you something, but only on Christmas Evening."
"Why!?" I whine. "I want a present now!"
"Lina-san, it is not Christmas yet. Christmas Eve is tomorrow, so tomorrow night, I will give you a present."
"Really!?" I ask, wanting to confirm that I'm going to get a Christmas gift. "Really and truly you'll give me a present!?"
"Yes.. under one condition though." Xelloss says holding up his pointer finger. "You would spend Christmas Eve with me. Is it a deal?"
"Sure" I say and extend my hand which Xelloss shakes to confirm the deal. Now I'm getting lucky, I can get a dinner and get a present. "Where would the dinner be?"
"Well, since we are in Seyluun City, would you care to go someplace formal?" He asks. I think it over a while and nod. Come to think of it, I haven't gone anyplace formal in a while. "Okay, then tomorrow evening six o'clock, please meet me down here." I nod and salute him.
"Got it, see you later then. If I'm going to a fancy restaurant in Seyluun, I need a dress good enough for it. Bye!" I wave my hand and go out of the cafeteria.
I was looking through my personal bag for some jewelry to go with the Red dress I bought yesterday when Amelia came in.
"Lina-san, do you know how to read this thing?" She asks and holds out a book. I take it from her and scan it.
"Where?" Amelia then points to a small passage. "Oh, this, it's says 'Silent Night, Holy light, All is calm, all is well.'" I tell her and hand the book over to her. "What's that for though?"
"Oh, it is a book of some songs, I found it in the grand library in Seyluun." She then notices that I have a red dress out and some jewelry. "Are you going someplace Lina-san?"
"Yeah, going out to a Christmas dinner with Xelloss. I'll be back around ten or eleven, so would you ask the owner of this inn to keep the gates open for me?" I then find a small necklace with a gold chain and a small emerald hanging from it. "Amelia?" I ask after a while when there is no response.
" ....Lina-san.. you are going out on a date with XELLOSS-SAN!!!!!" she practically screams into my ears.
" .....What do you mean.. date?" I ask. "I'm going out to a dinner with Xelloss 'cause he's treating me." I tell her. "Why would it turn into a date?"
"Lina-san, if you are planning to spend some time with a male friend, and eating out, it is a date." Amelia tells me.
"Get real." I laugh her off. "If that's what a date is, I'd be dating Gaury every day. Or even going out on dates with Zel." I tell her, there were times when I've eaten alone with Zel and Gaury, but no one considered those dates.
"Lina-san, you are getting dressed up to go out with Xelloss-san. You never did that with Gaury-san or Zelgadiss-san." Amelia points out.
"Yeah, true I've never got dressed up to have dinner with Zel, but I've done it with Gaury before. But those were because we were going someplace formal, it's the same today. Xelloss is taking me out to a formal place, and I can't wear my sorceress outfit to a place like that." I tell her very reasonably.
"Are you sure you are just going out to eat Lina-san? Anything else you are hiding from me?" Amelia asks glaring at me.
"No, Amelia, Xelloss told me yesterday about this holiday in another world called Christmas, and that you get presents on Christmas. Well, when I asked him for a present, Xelloss said he would give me one if I went out to dinner with him. I agreed since now I can get a present and a dinner." I retell her the story.
"So, Xelloss-san asked you out on a date?" She asks again.
"NO! And can you get out, I need to get ready." I yell at her and literally kick her out of the room. I go over to the red dress I bought yesterday and put it on. It was a long straight tight dress, which for sleeves had translucent green material. It showed off my long legs and slim body well. I put on the necklace I found, and looked at my reflection in the mirror.
Not bad.. I thought. My hair, which I thought was one of my best accents, had extra curls on it, giving it a fluffy look. All in all, I looked pretty good. I started looking forward to this dinner more and more. I love being the center of attention and this is bound to catch others attention. I wonder what Gaury and Zel would think of me looking like this. It would surely blow off their minds. I chuckled at that thought. I'd love to see the look of shock on Gaury and Zel's face. Just as I was thinking that, I noticed the clock on the night stand read 5:59.
"I better get going" I mumble to myself and walk out of the room and downstairs to the dining room. As I make my grand entrance, I hear voices like 'oooh.' And 'ahh'. Feels great to receive such attention. I then notice Xelloss who is wearing a black suit coming forward to the stairs. Suddenly I feel sort of uneasy. Xelloss offers his hand before I reach the end of the stairs and I slowly take it. Xelloss then guides me down the rest of the stairs, and hands me a single red rose, with a white ribbon tied onto it.
"Thank you." I say and smile. He smiles at me and then takes me out of the inn. After we are a safe distance away from the inn, I slide my arm around his. I then look up at his face, and can understand why Martina went crazy over him. Just like Gaury, he has a very nice looking face.
"Is there something on my face Lina-san?" He asks turning to me. I blush and shake my head, thinking up of something else to talk about.
"Um, where are we going?" I ask, looking down and just let Xelloss guide me the way.
"Have you heard of 'Chiffon de Seyluun?'(accent on o, my comp. Doesn't do accents)" Xelloss tells me. My eyes lit up the moment I hear this.
"YES!" I say with a lot, and I mean a lot of enthusiasm. "When I was ten, and Neechan was fifteen, my parents took us to Seyluun along with them just so that we could eat there! It served one of the best meals I've ever eaten. Are we going there!?"
"Yes, Lina-san. I made some reservations last night." Xelloss tells me smiling down at me. I am so happy that I get to eat at that place again, I am ready to go dancing. "Would you like to go dancing after that?" Xelloss says with a chuckle, I nod and smile up at him. This is going to be so much fun!
"Boy was that a fun evening" I say and sit down on one of the benches in a small park, it seems that since it is late, and that it's cold would be another reason, no one is out here. I usually would be freezing and either be inside a warm room, or throwing fire balls around, but the jacket I 'borrowed' from Xelloss keeps me a lot warmer.
"I am glad you enjoyed it Lina-san." Xelloss then hands over a cup of hot chocolate he bought at one of the stores near by and hands it to me before he sits down next to me.
"So, where's my present?" I ask turning to him. Xelloss just smiles and hands me a small box carefully wrapped. I take it and slowly unwrap the paper, and then open a small velvet box. Inside the box, is a necklace which is all pure gold, and on it is a small charm, in the shape of a 5 sided star. " ... .Thanks. Where did you get this?" I ask, my hands tracing the delicate outline of a star.
"That is a secret." Xelloss repeats one of his favorite phases and takes the necklace from my hands, and slowly puts it on my neck. As his fingers brush my neck, I can't help but feel a chill run down my spine.
"I kind of feel that I'm being spoiled, by you know, you taking me to Chiffon de Seyluun, giving me that rose, taking me out dancing, and then this necklace. But, I don't have a single thing for you. I didn't think I would get anything since the only people I ever got presents for were Mom, Dad and Neechan." I say looking up into Xelloss eyes, which for once are open.
"Lina-san, you already gave me a present. For as long as I can remember, my life was so dull, I would do what ever Xelas-sama ordered me to, but it was so easy, there was no challenge in it." He then slowly touched my cheek. "You have given me something that interested me. You have given my life so many things. This is just my way of saying thank you.. and ... "
"And?" I repeat Xelloss's last words, I lay my face against Xelloss's warm hand. Is it strange to think that a mazoku is warm? I don't know, but right now Xelloss gives me a lot of warmth. 'Silent night, holy light, all is calm all is well.' The phrase I read out to Amelia earlier is repeated in my head. It is perfect for that situation.
Xelloss moves his hand from my cheek and embraces me. I just lean against his warm body, feeling so calm and at piece. Then, Xelloss's voice reaches my ear. "Lina-san, can you close your eyes?" Xelloss asks. I do as asked and feel Xelloss's hand on my chin, bringing my face slightly up, and feel something brush my lips. "and to say ... Good bye, my love" Xelloss whisper reaches my ear and I pop open my eyes.
"Xelloss?" I stand up and look around, but he is no where to be seen. "Xelloss, come out, where are you! This isn't funny you know?!" I say running around the park looking for him. "Xelloss!?" I yell, but it just echoes in the night ear. I slump down on the ground. "Xelloss." I repeat again, and again. Snow starts to fall around me, and I slightly shiver. God do I hate the cold, I wish it were summer, I wish I was back in Zefiria, I wish I was beating up robbers, I wish ... Xelloss was here.
The box of the necklace that Xelloss gave me was in, fell to the ground. I looked at it, and found a note in it. I slowly took the note and read it. It had just a simple two word message. 'Merry Christmas.'
'Christmas is originally a holiday to celebrate the birth of god's son.' Xelloss's words echoed in my head. "I spent a holiday that is for god's son with a mazoku. I can imagine what Filia would have acted like.." I laugh slightly and take the note and tuck it in the pocket of the jacket I borrowed from Xelloss.
I'll see him again. I tell myself. He needs to get his jacket back anyways, I know I'll see him again. And when I do, I'll yell at leaving me to go home alone. I smile and walk back to the inn. Brushing away the few tears I shed.