Chapter Selection

The tea is still hot, it leaves its presence marked as it drains down my throat, spreading to the rest of my body. Like rage. The two sensations have set my nerves on fire, it's pleasant, I have no difficulty maintaining my deceptive smile as I watch them through closed eyes. As I watch the little princess.

She is flirting with Zelgadiss again. This is nothing new, but it never fails to annoy me. The handsome, stone-skinned chimera belongs to me, I want her to keep her hands off my property.

That bothers me a little, my possessiveness. It is not the first time my behaviour regarding Zelgadiss has caused me concern. My acuissance during our tryst in the cave, while enjoyable, was troubling. What is the cause?

The trap of course. I needed to capture my elusive prey, and what better way then to give him everything he desired? That is the cause of the possessiveness too, I would imagine. He is mine, but he is not secured yet. My hold on him is so tenuous, one brief interlude so many days ago, I need to bind him closer.

I should get rid of the princess.

But I won't.

Why not?

...

She's Zelgadiss' friend. Even though I don't really understand it, she is, and he would never forgive me. I can humour him for now. That's the reason.

That's all.

He's looking at me, what a dark expression. Getting darker as I smile at him; he finally looks away. He's so cute. I chuckle softly and watch as his face flushes in annoyance.

I should stop teasing him, but it's so much fun! Wait, the others are going to bed now. I take another sip of tea and don't move from the table.

I have no room of course, why would I need one?

Hmm? Zelgadiss isn't leaving with the others? Interesting. I wait until we are alone, then smile at him again,

"Something you need from me Zelgadiss-san?"

"I wouldn't forgive you." He says without any preamble.

"What?"

"If you hurt one of them, I wouldn't forgive you. Not now, not in the future. Beside, can you really kill your friends?"

Best to ignore that question, he really doesn't need to know the answer. Play innocent, "Why would you think I'd want to hurt one of them?"

"Because, for a second you looked like you wanted to see Amelia slit open and spread across the restaurant."

Oops, he's paying closer attention than I thought, I better watch myself from now on. Hmm, nervous looks from the table next to ours, how amusing. "Now, Zelgadiss-san--"

"I don't have enough friends for you to kill any of them off Xellos. Neither do you for that matter."

Silly boy, ignore it again. More nervous looks, chuckle, "But if I wanted to, you couldn't stop me." A different kind of smile at that, the people at the next table get up and leave. Humans are so much fun.

"No, but I would try, and nothing would be the same after that."

Hmm, interesting image, facing my sweet chimera in a real battle, and all it would take is killing one of them?

But no, I don't want to.

Why not?

It would be over too quick.

That's it.

He's waiting for a response.

"Things would be easier if the little princess wasn't hanging off you all the time." Did I actually say that? I sounded jealous, I'm not, am I?

"For you and me both," he replies with a laugh and swallows the rest of his tea, setting the cup on the table. "Are you finished?"

I look up at him, why is he asking? I finish what remains of my own tea, lukewarm now, when did that happen? I nod to him as I finish.

"Good," he replies, standing up, "I got a room of my own tonight, you coming?"

I smile, he's surprised me again, how does he do that? We walk together up the staircase, no one in the room watches us leave.

I rest my head against my lover's chest, smiling smugly as he draws me closer to him, even in sleep.

A bed is far more comfortable than a stone floor, but strangely, it didn't seem to effect either of us much.

Zelgadiss invited me up.

I am quite pleased with myself. It was more than just a tryst to him apparently, much more to judge by the events of the evening. A thrilling idea. Perhaps it will not take as long to trap him as I thought.

Perhaps I already have him.

That would be nice.

Dammit, why am I so happy?

Because I've won.

Almost won. That's it.

That's it.

His hands are moving softly over my back, when did my muscles get so tense?

Relax.

My body obeys the command, allowing my lover to soothe me until I drift off to sleep.

I wake slowly, foggy tendrils grasping at my mind, but none making contact long enough to form a thought. Shrugging I open my eyes to meet Zelgadiss' clear, blue gaze. He's smiling slightly, happiness in his eyes, what a rarity. He is beautiful.

"Ohio gozaimasu." I say brightly, I'm feeling good as well this morning. His return greeting is a kiss, I think I like that better. It is very pleasant, waking to find your lover waiting for you, it's been so long.

Lover.

"What were you dreaming about?" He asks, lying on the bed next to me.

"Was I dreaming?"

"It looked like it."

"I really don't remember." The foggy tendrils touch my mind, but I shrug them off again.

"That's a pity, you seemed to be enjoying yourself."

"Then I must have been dreaming of you."

"Does flattery come to you naturally or is it a skill?"

"It's a talent."

He laughs at this, his mood as exuberant as my own this morning. Am I really the cause? The thought makes me smile.

Sighing deeply he rolls onto his back and stress at the ceiling. "I suppose we better get ready to meet the others for breakfast." He lays there for a moment more, then gets up to get dressed.

"Is there really that much of a hurry?" I roll onto my stomach to watch him as he covers his magnificent body in those boring clothes yet again.

"Yes there is. You know if we're not down there they'll just come looking for me, and keep coming back until I finally join them."

"But we have some time before they even look up from their food and notice that you're not there." Am I really whining? I am. How disturbing.

But he's stopped dressing, his cloak and sword-belt are still sitting on the chair. His gaze has drifted over to where I'm lying on the bed, naked among the rumpled sheets. He's coming back towards me.

There's a knock at the door.

"Zelgadiss-san?" It's Amelia, of course. "We're all going down to breakfast now."

I glare at the door, I can't help it, she has the worst timing.

"Thank you Amelia," Zelgadiss answers, starting to dress again. "I'll be down in a moment, please go ahead." Her footsteps trail away. "And so it begins," he mutters to himself, to me, and then turns around to face me again, only to start laughing. "You get used to it you know."

I look at him, confused, "Used to what?"

"Having friends. Even when they interrupt the things you want to do, they're good to have around."

Is he back on that tripe again? "You just don't want me to kill her."

"True."

His answer makes me melancholy. Why? I was teasing him, why this reaction? What is wrong with me? "You don't want to lose her." I say in a soft voice I hardly recognize and slide off the bed, beginning to dress. His strong arms surround me from behind, making me jump, he's so damned quiet when he wants to be. I find myself leaning back into his embrace, it feels good, his arms around me.

"It's true that I don't want to lose her," he whispers into my ear, "But I don't want to lose you even more."

Gotcha.

I've done it. I've captured my serious, lonely, traumatized little chimera. I'm suddenly ecstatic, I think I would grant him anything in the world right now.

"Very well Zel-chan," I turn within his arms, facing him, "your friends are safe from me."

"Our friends."

I should really correct him on that, but he kisses me, and I don't feel like it anymore.

My friends?

Not possible.

Not...

Is it?

Dammit.

He breaks off the kiss then, holding me as he sighs, "I'd better go now. I'll see you down there." A brief parting kiss and he exits the room, leaving me wishing that there was no one waiting for us.

I laugh then, looking at the closed door as I finish dressing, I've finally figured it all out.

"Sneaky Zel-chan," I murmur to the empty room as I clasp my cloak around my neck, "I was so busy trapping you that I didn't realize you'd also caught me."

Strange feeling this.

I don't like being vulnerable.

Still... my gaze drifts to the bed and its rumpled sheets. Perhaps it's worth it after all.