Aelis scowled. Lina shifted absently back and forth. Xelloss smiled.
"Now," Aelis said again. "WHY are you with Lina?"
Lina scratched her elbow. "You really shouldn't encourage him by emphasizing your words like that," she said, and half-turned to look at Xelloss, who was seated almost directly behind her. He gave her a innocuous grin and a small wave and Lina turned back around in disgust.
Aelis' eyebrows almost became one. "I'll get an answer out of him sooner or later."
Lina snorted and almost leaned back, but remembered what was there just in time. "Be fun watching you try. I've put up with him for years now and I still haven't gotten anything but "That is a secret."
Behind her, Xelloss chuckled.
Lina peered at him from the corner of her eye. He was seating neatly, his staff tucked against his left shoulder. Xelloss noticed her watching and grinned faintly, then leaned forward and kissed her cheek.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Aelis jumped, then hastily scrambled out of the way of Lina's frantic dance while Xelloss leaned back and smiled widely. Lina came to an abrupt stop about ten feet away, then rushed over and started pounding Xelloss' face into the ethers of the Astral Plane.
"YOU DAMN STUPID EVIL BASTARD, I'LL GRIND YOU INTO A MAZOKU PANCAKE!"
"Lina-san, I didn't know you liked me this much!"
"AAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!"
"Isn't she cute when she pretends to be shy?" Xelloss managed to quip up at Aelis despite his beating.
Aelis' face turned several shades of crimson, decided on tomato, then started to turn a lovely shade of pale blue as she choked on her own rage.
"STOP IT! STOP IT!" she yelled, trying to pull Lina off the Mazoku and getting a stick-sharp elbow in her nose for her trouble. "OUCH!"
Beneath the two screaming girls, Xelloss was enjoying himself hugely.
"I don't think Aelis-san likes me very much Lina-san," Xelloss said sweetly while he readjusted his cape. "What do you think?"
"I think you're an ass," Lina spat. She was nursing a banged elbow-Aelis' nose was hard, damnit! - and was not interested in being questioned by Mr Mazoku Troublemaker, especially now that she was alone with him. Aelis had disappeared in search of something for her bloody nose and bruised cheek, promising to be back in a few minutes. While she waited, she put herself as far away from where Xelloss was sitting as possible. The Trickster Priest's face was nothing but pure and total innocence, and his placid expression reminded her of just how this whole bit had started.
"Why did you kiss me?"
Xelloss smiled just a bit. "Because you're so pretty and sweet, Lina-chan."
Lina's lips tightened into a thin, straight line. "Try again."
Xelloss shrugged, one shoulder lifting a fraction of an inch. "What can I tell you that you will believe? At times, you're almost as stubborn and incredulous as your friend Zelgadis."
Lina's eyes flashed red fire. "Like hell I am. I have a long way to go before I'm as bad as Zel."
"Think what you like."
Lina stiffened. "Xelloss, Mazoku don't love, and they don't come down to the physical plane to do anything other then feed. You're nothing more then a sentinent cone-shaped mass of negative energy in reality, and what I'm looking at is how you choose to look," she said quietly.
Xelloss laughed out loud and stood up. "You forgot about how I'm asexual and have no real gender," he snickered. "I'll be a woman for you in a instant if that's what you prefer, Lina-chan."
Lina's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
Xelloss nonchalently swung his staff from one hand to the other. "I thought you were such an expert on my race, Lina-san. Maybe you're wrong and I do like kissing you just because you're you. Maybe I fancy you the same as any human boy. Maybe I want to love you in my own way." He ruined the end by grinning so falsely a blind man wouldn't be fooled.
Lina's eyes turned into slits, the red darkening into old blood.
"Don't try to fool me. I know what you are, I know what you can and can't do and why you are completely untrustworthy."
"He's given me something of value, so he can use me any way he wants."
Lina stiffened, then turned to look at him over her shoulder. Xelloss smirked. "Were you making me a promise, Lina-chan? Why do you tolerate me? And can you admit.." he said, moving behind her before she could run away. His tongue slid into her ear and traced the curves. "How much you really don't know?"
Lina went rigid in shock and Xelloss used the opportunity to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her against him.
"Ummm...ummmm.." was all Lina managed to get out. Xelloss was pressed up right against her, she noticed frantically. Squirming would only encourage him and it wasn't really an option since his arm was wrapped so tightly around her she'd be lucky if she had enough room to even squirm. His tongue left her ear and flicked a warm trail down her jawline while his free hand turned her head.
"Xelloss.." Lina gasped. "You little.."
From her position she could see the corner of his mouth twist into an evil smirk, and then his tongue touched her lips. He used his arm to pull her completely around so she faced him, then kissed her full on the mouth.
Lina's mouth tried to fall open, then belatedly she realised it wasn't such a good idea as his tongue slipped in. He'd never kissed her like this, she decided, then promptly lost the thought.
Xelloss smoothly tugged Lina around so she was facing him, his cape swishing around her legs, its folds encircling her like a pair of arms. Lina barely noticed, as she was trying very hard not to fall over in shock or let the fact that Xelloss' tongue was playing with her own drive her to her knees. She had absolutely no desire to end the kiss or try to get away. In fact, she realised, she didn't even want to kill him. Not at all. Hmmm, this was beginning to get interesting..
Lina turned her head slightly, trying to get a better angle for the kiss. He was too tall, and it was ackward stretching up on her toes to kiss him. There had to be a better way to stand... Xelloss then promptly solved the problem by lifting her up. Lina's feet dangled in midair for a moment, then Xelloss pulled her against him tightly, finally breaking the kiss. Lina rested her cheek against his, panting, while Xelloss gently arranged it so her arms were around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist.
"Doesn't this feel nice Lina-chan?" Xelloss purred, stroking her back. "Don't you like being close to me?"
"Yes," Lina murmured. She felt so warm and sleepy.
"I don't like you Xelloss, but I like this," she whispered a few moments later. "I like it so much."
Xelloss laughed, a pleasent rumble Lina could feel all the way into her bones. "How can you like this and not me? Aren't we one and the same thing, Lina-chan?" He shifted her slightly, pulling her into him even more tightly.
Lina thought about this for a minute, her nose pressed into his neck. "Yes you are," she admitted.
"Then we agree perfectly."
"Yup," Lina said absently. She had the strangest feeling that her arms were starting to go through Xelloss instead of around him.
"Since we're in perfect agreement, we must think alike, don't you think?"
"I guess so." Now her legs were starting to sink into Xelloss. Lina debated a bit about whether to tell him..but shouldn't he notice? Besides, he had the nicest expression on his face. He looked almost like he was happy.
Xelloss was purring contently, the thrumming making her own body vibrate gently in time with him. Although it was beginning to get a bit difficult to tell where she left off and Xelloss began..
"Two beings in such harmony with each other should stay together always, don't you think, Lina-chan?" His voice echoed inside her mind, filling it with images of him.
"Yes," she said, and stretched out a slim, black-coloured arm.
"We'll stay together always then..we'll fill the emptiness within each other..there will be no you and no me anymore..just us."
"Just us," she agreed. His true form covered her body inside and out. She looked at her slender arms and legs, felt her wild tumble of hair. The blackness that was Xelloss completely enfolded her. Her entire body tingled with numbness. So, this is what negative energy feels like!
"We're beautiful," she said calmly. It was true.
"Yes, we are," she answered a beat later. "A perfect match."
Lina took a step forward, trying out her new self. Laughter soared inside her when she realised her feet now longer touched the ground.
"We're free! We're FREE!" she shrieked gleefully, then doubled over in laughter. It felt so good. She clutched herself and began to laugh harder, doubled over in spasms.
"We can do anything now! Anything! Free..."
"Lina? Lina? Oh, Lina please wake up! Please! LINA!"
Episode 15 | Story Index | Fanfiction