They setteled down at the campsite near the spring like planned. Rose layed out her sleeping bag an dwalked back to the fire with the rest of the group. It was a cool outside and the breeze blew slowly through the top of the trees. Rose looked up and looked at the stares, amazed at how they are always there and never seemed to change.
Lina and the others were all talking about where they should go next and how to get there. Rose, not paying attention at all, just nodded to their routes and shortcuts to get there. Lina finally looked up across from the fire at her and said, "Rose. Are you going to help us or are you going to ignore us all night?"
Rose shook her ehad and looked back at Lina with a grin, "Sorry. Just thinking."
Xellos stared at Rose and smiled, "Head up in the clouds Rose?"
She glared at him and didn't answer. She payed attention o the rest of the conversation and tried her best not to look at Xellos. Gods it hurt her though. She could feel his eyes on her and didn't wan to meet the gaze.
Zel was the first to get up and go to his sleeping bag. soon followed Firia, Amelia, and Gourry. Lina streched and said, "Rose. You can go on if you like. I'll take first watch."
Rose shook her head and answered, "No. Go on. I'm not that tired and I can tell you are."
Lina just got up and turned to her. "Thanks. Wake either me, Zel, or Gourry up for next watch. Goodnight Rose," she rolled her eyes as she walked to her sleeping bag and said,"Goodnight Xellos."
Xellos smirked and called back,"Goodnight Lina-chan! Don't let the mazokus.... i mean, bed bugs bite."
Lina laid down and answered back to him very sarcasticly, "Hahaha. Funny fruitcake." With that she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Oh gods. I'm alone with him, Rose thought to herself. She streched again and warmed her hands by the fire. Her red eyes looked deeply into the flames as it swirled as if in an endless dance of burning and warmth.
Xellos sighed and finally broke the silence,"Fire is such a beautiful thing. It reminds me much like love. It is so hot and wild when it first comes out. Dancing about as if not a care in the world. Then the fire seems to die out slowly as if the one who whiched it loved didn't feel the same and so it finally goes out. It becomes nothing but ashes and smoke and the wind carries it away in the cold of night."
Rose stared into his eyes the whole time, trying to find any truth behind what he said that applied to himself. Rose gulped and said quietly, "Yes. You have a point, but how would you know so much about love when people say you can't feel that emotion."
Xellos narrowed his eyebrows and said, "Do you believe everything you hear? I can feel love Rose. Just because I feed of negative emotion doesn't mean I can't positive ones of my own. When one loves and doesn't get the same feeling back from that person who seems to be the object of their affection, they slowly seem to melt away. Their heart sinks, their soul is crushed, pride broken, and finally their mind goes crazy. Not to the point where they have to put in a crazy bin, but secretly their mind loses it."
Rose felt a bad vibe from this before she asked but she had to anyway, "So, who was your love Xellos?"
Xellos just gave a sligt smile and said, "Isn't it obvious Rose. You were. I was hoping you would have seen that in my little speech."
She looked down and said in a voice just above a whisper, "I'm sorry Xellos. I just can't be with you."
He stood and sat down next to her, starring straight into her face and eyes, "And why not? Is there a rule saying you can't? Cause if there is I sure the hell have never read it or seen it!"
Rose sneered and said in a tone that sounded between anger and sadness, "Xellos. That night, when you and I almost had sex, I kept seeing all those Golds die. All of the ones you killed. Now, tell me I can still be with you when that is my first thought. Seeing my kind die like that."
He was shocked and didn't want to answer to that. He just shook his head and said softly, "I'm sorry. I can't begin to tell how sorry I am, but if I knew that I would meet you and you had to go through this, I would never have killed them. I am so sorry."
She kept her headdown, tears flooding her eyes. She looked up at him, blinked so the tears could finally come out, and whispered, "Xellos. This isn't like you. Not at all. Why the change Xellos?"
Xellos took her hand in his and out it on his face, holding it there and kissing her palms lovingly. "I love you Rose. I always have. You are what changed me. I haven't been the same since that night."
Her tears finally flooded down her face as his arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace. She whimpered onto his chest as he rocked her gently. Her words came out broken but he understood them, "Xellos ..... we can ne ... never be toget .... together."
He pulled back and wiped the tears from her face and stroked her hair, "Yes we can. It has to be. My desire, my passion, my love," he leaned down closer to her ear, "My Rose."
Rose turned her head so she could be eye level with him. He leaned in and kissed her lightly, having his arms still around her waist. She kissed back as his tongue licked over her lips. She shyly opened her mouth as he slowly began to search the inside of it. He pulled her closer to him and let his hands go up the back of her leather shirt.
Rose let him, missing and wanting this feeling again. He removed his tongue from her mouth and begain to kiss her earlobe and jawline, taking it slowly. She put her head to the sky as his kisses ran down her chin to her neck.
He went back up to her lips and kissed her deeply again, being more faster this time. She let her tongue be entangled with his until she saw the same scene again. She pulled away and whispered, "No .... not again"
Xellos' face was sad stricken as he came closer to her and kissed her lightly on he lips, only to be pushed away again as Rose's tears streamed down her face and her words were chocked, "No.... Xel... Xellos... we can't."
She got up and ran in the woods, not looking backas Xellos stood and watched with a pain expression. He sighed fighting back tears himself. He sat back down, taking the watch now, knowing she would be back and she wanted to be alone. He stared into the fire that was slowly dying and whispered, "Yes. Just like the fire." He could feel what human soul he had left begin to break as the fire went out.