That night found the group sleeping under the stars. If the sun had obliged them with just an hour or two more of light, they could've reached the next town. However, such was not the case.
"I want a nice, soft, fluffy, oh-so-comfy bed!" Lina whined.
"Well, we could've all had nice, soft, fluffy, oh-so-comfy beds if you hadn't insisted on us going to that lake this afternoon!" Amelia replied.
"That wasn't me! That was Gourry!"
"Huh? What about me?"
"Baka!"
BASH
"Itai... Oi, what'd you do that for?"
"You deserved it for coming up with the swimming idea. Now I'm hot, hungry, and tired and I don't get a nice, soft, fluffy, oh-so-comfy bed!" The sorceress unceremoniously plopped down onto the ground and sighed, pulling her cape around her small frame. "I'm pissed. I'm not taking first watch. You get it, Gourry!"
The others trudged off to make places for themselves as the sullen swordsman sat by the fire.
With a snap of his fingers, Gourry was asleep. Perfect. He popped over to the other swordsman of the group and ran a gloved finger down the chimera's spine. Zel shivered slightly in his sleep, arching his back slightly. "Zelgadis..." he whispered.
"Mmm...five more minutes, kaa-san..."
"I think not." The figure teleported the two of them away to a nice little bathhouse, dumping Zel into the water with a splash.
The shaman sputtered and flailed his arms before standing up and glaring at his lover. "Xelloss... that was not funny. You do realise I was asleep, yes?"
"Oh but of course!" ^_^ "That was the whole point, Zel-chan!"
"Well, now that you have me here, what do you... where is here, exactly?"
"My private bathhouse on Wolf Pack Island," Xel grinned.
"WOLF PACK ISLAND?!?!?!!?"
"...Hai. Do you really need to shout like that? My pets might come looking around, and that would be bothersome."
"Pets? No, I don't want to know."
Xelloss slipped into the waters, fully clothed, and waded over to Zelgadis, catching the shorter man in an embrace. "Zel-chaaann..."
"Hmm?"
"You haven't kept your promise yet."
"What pro - oh."
"Yes, oh." The mazoku began tracing patterns on Zel's chest through his tunic, making circles around every stone he could see poking out.
"And you want me to do it here, I suppose?"
"Mm-hmm!" came the cheerful reply.
"Alright." Zelgadis pushed his lover back a bit, giving him some room. Then he moved his hands out to start undressing Xelloss, letting the released items either float away or sink to the bottom. He soon had the priest garbed only in his gloves and the ever-present necklace, then quickly divested himself, leaving nothing on.
He guided their two bodies to the edge of the bath. Xel sat down on the built-in seat that surrounded the bath, then held his gloved hands up his lover's mouth, the fingers trailing over the stone lips, dribbling warm water over his face. Zelgadis caught one of the fingers in his mouth, first sucking it, then biting down. The mazoku gasped, then groaned softly at the pleasure/pain of the experience. Zel caught the tip of the glove's finger with his teeth, then pulled, beginning the process of peeling off the soaked fabric from Xelloss's hand. He did one glove, then the other, all the while his hands mapping his lover's body.
Once all the clothes were gone, he joined the other on the seat. Hooking one leg around one of Xel's, he faced him and kissed the man passionately, first simply with lips but then with tongue. The two fought for dominance, struggling. Zel took the opportunity to slide his hooked leg up to caress his lover's length gently, earning him a hiss and the victory of the tongue war.
"Ooh, but you do learn fast, Zelgadis..."
"Even you can learn something new in your old age," Zel smirked. He lifted Xelloss's arms above his head, then pushed the two of them underwater. He caught the other's lips once more, sharing air and mouths as their legs tangled together on the marble seat.
The mazoku's hands found release, starting to wander over his lover's body, attacking the stone flesh that writhed atop him. The two came up for air, but he held them close, raking short nails down the chimera's back. Zel arched into him, exposing his neck for the priest to trail kisses down. The shaman came back to earth and ran his hands through the other's violet hair, discovering what it felt like wet for the first time. So soft and silky, unlike his own...
Xelloss stopped as he felt a wave of depression sweep over Zelgadis. He was about to ask what was wrong when he spotted him staring at the handful of his hair. Oh dear, he's depressed about that... "Don't worry about it, Zel-chan. You know it doesn't matter to me. I like stone. It makes the experience just that much more interesting."
Zel sighed. "I just wish...I just want it all to be over," he whimpered, burying his mottled face into Xel's shoulder.
"I know, I know," he replied, rubbing his back. "I'll make you forget all about it tonight, okay?"
"No," he sniffled, raising his head. "It's not your turn," he added, a slight smirk and a smoldering fire building in his eyes.
"Oh, you're quite right about that! How could I have forgotten." The mazoku hooked his legs around the chimera's back, using his feet to play there while his hands fondled the man's chest. "It's your turn to make love to me tonight."
"Hai." He placed his hands on his lover's inner thighs, making long, stroking patterns. Each time he made a pass, he came closer and closer to his arousal, then would sweep back out to his knees. Xelloss looked on, wrapping his arms around Zelgadis's neck, his fingers playing the wire strands of hair. Then he noticed something.
"Yare, yare, you've been pleasing me, but you haven't gotten any attention where it's needed, have you?" The mazoku slipped his hands down around Zel's length, eliciting a moan from him. He raked his nails along the stone skin, his strength enough to massage the flesh. The shaman was soon fully aroused, and Xelloss wasn't far behind him, despite the teasing that had been going on.
"Xel..." he panted. "I, I need..."
The priest silenced him with a kiss. "Take me," he whispered, his voice soft and sultry.
Zelgadis lifted the two of them, Xel's legs still wrapped around his waist, to a standing position on the seat, then he set his lover down on the edge of the bath. He pushed him back, sliding him over the rough floor. Xelloss arched his own back at the sensation, then pulled Zel down on top of him. The chimera lowered himself onto the taller man's chest, taking another kiss while twining their hands together. He spread Xel's legs wide, then lifted his lower body, bringing himself into position. He broke off the kiss and looked questioningly into his eyes.
"Are you sure?"
"Don't you dare stop now, Zelgadis." As if to prove his point, the man on the floor thrust his hips upward just enough so that their shafts touched, sending both into shivers of pleasure.
He needed no more reassurance. Zelgadis plunged into Xelloss, earning a scream from the one below him. He looked down, worried that he'd hurt him, but only saw his lover panting, a look of pure ecstasy written across his features. He smiled slightly and started moving atop the other man. Xelloss soon followed his movements, his fingers digging trenches into his partner's stone shoulders.
It was all over much sooner than either expected. The chimera collapsed on the mazoku, gasping for breath and resting his head on the other's chest. Xel linked his hands around Zel's back and pulled him even closer, kissing his forehead. His mind barely registered that Zelgadis had his bangs tucked behind his ears, his whole face exposed at once for a change. One of his hands came down and brushed against the stone cheek, avoiding the offending pebbles embedded along the jaw and around the eyes. Xelloss smiled. The shaman was already asleep.
"Well, it won't do to wake up achy from sleeping on a rough floor all night. That can be fixed." He proceeded to phase them back to his bed. After summoning a few cashmere sheets over their bodies, he joined his lover in peaceful slumber.
The only signal that morning had arrived in the bedroom came in the form of two large, silver-furred wolves entering the room and jumping up to the foot of the bed. The female of the pair proceeded to nudge her master's face, waking him.
"Ungh," he intelligently replied.
Ohayo, Xelloss-sama.
Xel blinked, then peered up at the shewolf. What do you want, Xaire? he responded in his mind. No need to wake Zelgadis if unnecessary; cuddle-time would be much nicer without interruptions.
Zelas-sama wants to see you. She tried to call you, but... Xaire tilted her head in a manner that on a human would be considered cocky, I guess you were a bit preoccupied, ne?
The priest chuckled softly. You could say that. But I'll bet you were, too, seeing how you've got your mate with you. Is it urgent?
I don't know, but do you really think it wise to keep Juuou-sama waiting, master? the male wolf replied.
No, he mentally sighed. I'm going, now get outta here.
The two wolves hopped off the bed and exited the room. Xelloss yawned and stretched slightly, his nerves finally alerting him to a bit of a problem. The lovers hadn't detangled themselves last night. "Zelgaaadisssss..." he whispered.
"Umh?" The chimera stirred, opening his eyes at the mazoku's insistent nudges. "What is it?"
"I've got to go talk to Zelas-sama."
"Oh."
"We can snuggle when I get back, alright? But for now, I think we need to disengage ourselves, ne?"
Zel blinked at him, confused, then looked down their bodies. He was still fully sheathed in Xelloss's depths. "Oh. I passed out afterwards, didn't I? Gomen," he blushed, pulling out as his lover's laughter filled the echoing recesses.
"Not a problem at all, my dear little Zel-chan!" He sat up and clothed himself with a whisk of his hand through the air. "Be back as soon as I can." With a quick peck on a stone cheek, the priest was gone, leaving Zelgadis alone in the large room.
He sat up and looked around the floor for his clothes. Nowhere in sight. Damn, he bitterly thought. Pulling one of the cashmere sheets around his form, Zel stood and walked over to a set of obsidian-carved double doors. They hadn't been there the last time he idly noted, and hoped that he had found the closet. It was indeed. From a horizontal pole hung some assorted outfits. A few pairs of Xel's black silk pants, a fish costume, a purplish-black tuxedo, and the red Chinese dress Zelgadis remembered the priest wearing when they were in Femille. "Well, half-naked is better than totally nude," he sighed. The chimera pulled out a pair of the black trousers and slipped them on.
Taking a look around the dark room, Zelgadis cast a light spell and headed over to one of the bookcases. The shelves practically bulged with texts and assorted trinkets, boxes, etc. Zel ignored these, opting to scan the spines of the books for an interesting title. He sighed in exasperation after about looking at three shelves. "They would all be in one of the few languages I haven't learned yet." He gave the case one last look-over, spotting one literate copy. Bending down, the shaman took the book from its place on the shelf and walked back to the bed, the light orb following him. Zel satisfied himself with this tome on pre-Kouma Sensou history as he waited for his lover to return.