This fanfic is inspired by Kanzeyori's poem The Layers In Battle and the title is taken from one of the lines of that poem, which I obviously love and advise you to read if you haven't already ^_~
Zelgadiss sighed softly and snuggled closer to the body beside his as he savoured the experience of waking up in another person's arms. It was so... he couldn't even find the words and so he stopped trying. How had they wound up like this? Opening his eyes he allowed his gaze to wander vaguely over the creamy skin of Xellos' body, smiling slightly as he mused over the simple fact that the mazoku did indeed sleep.
Last night... he sighed. Last night he had been in this clearing, separating himself from the others for a moment of grief filled self-pity when Xellos had arrived to bother him as he often did. This time however, somehow it had bothered him more and it had caused an actual battle between them. He had just... snapped, he just couldn't take it anymore. They'd stopped using simple spells and pulled blows trading them instead for the fullest intention of harm. He'd reached levels within himself that he hadn't known existed, and some that he hadn't wanted to know existed. He could remember a blinding rage, an anger deeper than any he had even felt burned through his veins with the entire focus of that deep emotion being the mazoku who had been striking back with equal fury.
Equal fury, that had surprised him on some level, though it had not interfered with his own retaliation. Why had Xellos let his mask slip? The ever-present smile had been notably absent as they traded spells and blows; giving and receiving injuries as they inflicted pain in order to drain the anger only to have the effort fail as it was not enough. Not enough, never enough, for it was not right. His sword had tangled with Xellos' staff and both weapons had flown across the clearing causing a momentary stall in the battle as they glared at one another from their collapsed positions. The rage had burnt as strongly within Xellos' amethyst gaze as it had within Zelgadiss' pounding heart and he had sensed confusion in both as well. His own mask was long gone by that point, it had shattered at the beginning of the fevered battle and he had been unable to summon its comforting detachment again.
Struggling in the face of his loss he'd lashed out at Xellos with his fists then and the mazoku had once more mirrored his movements as their war dissolved into nothing more than a fistfight that was better suited to a schoolyard than a battlefield.
Then... How had it started? He still didn't really know, but somehow blows had given way to gripping hands and manoeuvring for position to simple wrestling. He had found himself lying underneath Xellos as the mazoku momentarily gained the upper hand, pinning him to the ground as they both panted to regain their breath. Meeting the heated amethyst gaze he had suddenly realised that it was no longer anger that burned within their depths, just as it was no longer rage that was sending the blood racing through his veins. That one startling insight had stopped all movement between them for an eternity before that stillness too was shattered and they'd reached for one another again, pulling close to each other with all the intensity that had used only moments before in an attempt to annihilate each other.
That was how it had started. He sighed again as he stretched slowly, trying not to wake Xellos as he did so. It had been a different kind of battle then, one far more acceptable to both as they'd stripped the clothes from each other's bodies and explored the barred flesh with eager hands. Hot, almost fevered and fast in their need it had also been intense and this then was finally enough for them both. They'd lain panting beside one another as so-called normal reasoning began to reassert itself. He hadn't known what to do or what to say and then Xellos had pulled him close and used their cloaks for a makeshift bed. They'd fallen asleep without saying a word to each other, but at the time they hadn't seemed to need any.
And now it was morning and still he did not know what he should say, but he did know that he felt better than he had in a very long time. That alone told him the directions his words should take, though he was not sure he would be able to speak them. The shifting of the body beneath his own drew his thoughts directly into the present moment. Reactions were now a reality instead of an abstract and he found himself surprised by his lack of nervousness.
"Good morning." He said softly and Xellos looked down at him with warm confusion.
"Good morning." The mazoku's hair was delightfully messed and a small smile graced his beautiful lips, a real one this time, not the fool's mask he normally wore. They just stared at each other for a long moment of delightful uncertainty as they tried to grasp the change that had come between them so suddenly. To his surprise, Zelgadiss began to laugh. It just seemed... funny to be lying in the arms of the man he's been trying to kill only the night before and to be perfectly content to remain there forever. He finally broke off with a sigh, looking up into Xellos' equally amused eyes as he leaned up to kiss his lover as they once more decided to forego words and revel in the enjoyment of each other's arms.