Endless Night
by Za Metallium
Chapter Select
Chapter 1 The Hunger -
Chapter 2 The Night Bleeds in Black
Pairing: Lina/Xelloss
Tags: [lemon][dark]
Notes: "The Hunger" was written by Fred Mollin and performed
by Lori Yates; it may be found of the first /Forever
Knight/ soundtrack. Lyrics follow "#"s.
#close your eyes
"Are you going to come out or what?" Lina's voice reflected her true emotions this once: slightly annoyed, but mostly resigned. She closed her eyes briefly, and was not surprised when, upon opening them again, she saw Xelloss staring back at her.
He really did have entrancing eyes, Lina thought absently. Would she...? Well, it didn't really matter.
"Hello, Lina-chan." Xelloss' smile bordered on a smirk.
"Don't smirk at me, you smug bastard," Lina told him without much fire. Damn him, he'd probably known she'd do this before she did. The again, what else would she expect from him?
#and walk the endless night to sleep
"What are you doing out here at night, so far from your companions?"
"Like you don't know," she snapped, this time with true agitation...although, in all fairness, it wasn't his query that was causing her nervousness so much as the answer.
"Come now, surely you don't think me omniscient?"
He was going to make her ask, maybe even beg. She should've known. Maybe she had.
"No, I don't," she returned, feeling strangely detatched, as if she were in a dream. "But I do think you know why I'm here."
#no goodbyes
#and no more promises to keep
She'd left her friends without a word. Things--or rather, her emotions--had been getting progressively more difficult to cope with, and she'd reached the point where she couldn't deal with the others, dear as they were to her.
So where did she turn? To him.
That meant giving up everything. Or, perhaps more accurately, giving everything up to him. For him. Whichever.
Xelloss graced her with a knowing look. Oh yes, she was right: he knew exactly why she was there.
#light the light
#and follow closly as you lead
"Come with me, Lina-chan."
Lina cast a small light spell to guide her, less because she really needed the illumion ton to guide her and more because she knew she would never again truly require such light.
They walked side-by-side for a while, going deeper into the darkness. Finally they reached...somewhere. It was total blackness, featureless, and Lina was pretty sure they hadn't really walked there.
#it ends tonight
#it fills the emptiness and need
"You are certain about this?" Xelloss asked, turning to her.
"...yes."
He deftly removed her cape, her armor, her headbathenthen placed a hand on each of her shoulders. "I'm glad."
His eyes captured hers, and Lina's resolve crystalized. This was worth it, to be with him.
# you must give in
Xelloss caressed her cheek, exuding self-satsifaction. He then quickly removed his gloves, tossing them aside where they disappeared into the featureless darkness that surrounded them.
He extended his index finger, looking for all the world as if he were about to wag it at her and say "that is a secret," as he had countless times before. He didn't, however. Instead, he licked his finger and placed it on her forehead: I claim you.
Lina had expected this, and actually didn't mind. Being violently independant hadn't brought her happiness, so why not try something else? Besides, this was him; the idea didn't seem so unappealing where he was concerned.
# you must give in
Lina knew what was to come next. Of course, knowing only made it worse. A not-that-small part of her balked at the idea of simply submitting to this. That part cried out for her to forget this madness, to blthe the smirking priest with some spell and to get the hell out of there. Lina told that part to kindly shut up.
Might as well make this as much on her terms as she possibly could. Lina removed her belt and scabbard and offered them to Xelloss. He cocked his head to the side, then accepted the offering with a little bow.
She got the oddest sense of ritual as he extricated her sword and tossed her belt away. With painful slowness, Xelloss leveled the tip of her sword with the base of her throat. She watched him, seemingly impassive, though she was having a little trouble breathing.
Lina managed not to cry out as the sword was plunged into her throat.
#a game that you can't win
#the hunger
It hurt. A lot. But not for long; soon her eyes closed of their own violation, and reality gave way to nothingness.
#the darkness aches
#and tears away the strongest heart
She was lying on something slick and cool. Satin, probably. She opened an eye. Yup, satin. It seemed as if she were lying on a giant pillow.
She opened the other eye and glanced down at herself. Hm. It seemed that she was nude. How interesting.
She looked to the side and saw Xelloss lying next to her, also nude. "How are you, Lina-chan?" he asked with his almost-smirk.
Lina examined the situation mentally: she'd just shed countless responsibilities and burdens and qualms, and was now lying naked on a bed-like something with him. "Pretty damn good, thank you very much."
#the music plays
#the fire burns the soul apart
"Why don't we see about upgrading that to just 'damn good,' ne, Lina-chan?" Xelloss suggested.
Not waiting for a reply, he climbed atop her, smiling down at her sensually. Lina returned the the smile with one of her own, feeling an unfamiliar hunger rise within her.
The kiss was intense. Xelloss' tongue seemed to be mapping her mouth, claiming each curve and ridge as his own. Lina responded instinctively.
She felt his knee wedge between herghs,ghs, parting them. Violently he entered her, ripping through her virginity. Blood flowed out between her legs, and with it a delicious pain. She moaned as their lips parted.
Lina grasped his shoulders, pulling herself to him as they settled into a staccato rhythm. She cried out as she climaxed, calling his name.
Still he thrust into her, and soon the her world exploded in a burst of pleasure again, then again.
#the fever breaks
#cool rain is falling on our bed
Some time later, she lay in his arms, both of them sated.
"How are you now, Lina-chan?" Xelloss asked, lazily caressing her neck.
"Mmmm...damn good," Lina replied with a languid smile.
#the time has come
#the hunger's longing to be fed
"There are many things I will have to teach you," Xelloss stated, giving her a look that made her think that most of those things might involve activities like the very pleasant ones they'd been engaged it previously.
"One of these things," he continued, "involves one of your favorite activities: feasting."
Lina grinned widely. "Really?"
"Really," Xelloss confirmed. "You can still eat mundane food, of course, but your main source of sustinance will be the darker human emotions on which all mazoku feed."
"How do I do that?" she wondered aloud.
"You need only find a human with these emotions, or induce them. The former is simple enough, as humans arer aer and always despairing or fearing or hating. The latter, however, is much more fun."
He rose and made a great show of getting dressed: stripping in reverse was nearly as arousing as the normal way, Lina decided. She, toose ase and began getting dressed. Staying nude and watching him, while nice, would not be condusive to getting anything done that didn't involve Xelloss taking his clothes back off.
"There is a veritable banquet awaiting us in your amusing friends, Lina-chan," Xelloss commented as she was pulling on her gloves.
Yes, she'd imagine there would be.
# you can't turn back
Xelloss took her hand, and the darkness dissolved into landscape. Lina recognized the place where they arrived as being near her friends' camp. She didn't really have time to think on it, however; she was quite overwhelmed at the moment by what she felt: their emotions...all of their fear, their worry, their apprehension and anger and...and it was exquisite. "Now, Lina-chan," Xelloss instructed.
# you can't turn back
Lina bounded into camp, doing her Xelloss impression--smiling, eyes closed. She didn't need to use mundane vision, anyway; she could 'see' them via her link to the astral plane. "Hi, minna! Miss me?"
Relief washed away much of the others' delightful fear and worry, much to Lina's disappointment. Ah well, she and Xelloss would fix that.
"Lina!"
"Lina-san!"
"Praise the gods, you're alive!"
"Lina...where have you been?" Zel, ever the practical one, got right to the point.
"Weeellll...I needed a little time to think. And guess who I ran into while I was out wandering?"
Xelloss joined Lina, his hand coming to rest lightly on the small of her back.
A-ha. There was the apprehension.
"Are you...are you okay, Lina-san?" Amelia asked, obviously worried that Lina had been with Xelloss yet trying not to show it.
Zel had no such qualms. "Did he hurt you, Lina?"
"I'm fine. Wonderful, in fact." Lina smiled widely.
#the night bleeds in black
#the hunger
"You're certain you're all right, Lina-san?"
my. my. It seems they wanted you to return all cut up. Well, why not oblige them, Lina-chan?" Xelloss offered Lina a dagger.
Lina shrugged and took the proffered dagger; if he wanted her to... "Whatever you say." With that, she sliced opened her left wrist.
Lina's friends gasped collectively. She paid them little attention, however; she was totally emmersed in the sensations that washed over her: the cool sweetness of the knife's blade, her blood pulsing out in time with her heartbeat, the skin mending itself...
"Dear gods, she enjoyed that!" she heard Zel whisper, his shock obvious. Oh yes, she most certainly did. Well, Zel always was the observant one. Why not see what else he'd observe...?
Lina opened her eyes and stared at her friends. She was right, Zel noticed first, as was evidenced by his unintelligible exclaimation and horrified expression.
"What is it, Zelgadiss-san?" Amelia asked just as Sheifyl breathed, "Oh no!"
"Gee, Lina, I don't remember you having those funny slitted cat eyes like Xelloss." And Gourry was the first to vocalize it! How amusing!
"Lina-san, you didn't...," Amelia began, apparently finally getting a grasp on the situation.
"Of course I didn't," she paused for effect, watching her friends' expression change to relieved and/or confused. "Xelloss did."
# you must give in
"That's not true, Lina-chan. You dtoo,too, several times if I recall correctly."
"I don't think she was referring to that."
"Referring to what?" Amelia asked innocently.
"Be silent, Amelia!" Zel growled. It seemed that he was the only one who caught Xelloss' innuendo.
"But--"
There were two ways to handle this, Lina figured. One was to let Amelia and the others stay clueless; Zel certainly didn't look like was about to enlighten the poor innocents. Or, she could let the others know just what Xelloss meant. Hm, the latter option sounded like more fun.
"Xelloss was referring to the number of times I achieved orgasm when we had sex," Lina explained mildly.
Amelia's eyes got impossibly wide and she covered her mouth with her hands. Sheifyl seemed ready to faint. Zel was bright red with anger--such lovely anger, too; no wonder Xelloss had tormented Zel so often in the past--and looked fit to explode any moment. Gourry stared at her with a sort of dull shock.
Lina glanced over at Xelloss and was gratified when he gave her an approving smirk.
"You...were with...Xelloss...," Gourry said slowly. Not the brightest star in the sky, that Gourry, but he did occasionally get what was going on.
"After I killed her and resurrected her as a mazoku," Xelloss clarified, using the same nonchalant tone Lina had moments before.
# you must give in
At the affirmation that Lina had, indeed, become a mazoku, Sheifyl fainted. Grinning widely, Lina zoomed over to her friends in time to catch Sheifyl before Gourry or Zel could. She then returned to her previous position next to Xelloss.
"Poor Sheifyl, guess the shock was a little much." They were afraid now, afraid she would do something horrible and mazoku-like to Sheifyl. Lina surpressed the shiver of pleasure that came with their wave of fear.
"I'm hurt," she pouted, hugging the unconcious shrine maiden closer to her. "You think I'm going to hurt dear Sheifyl."
"Are you?" Zel managed to ask with most of his usual calm.
"Of course not," Lina returned. "In fact, I'm just going to wake her up."
Amelia relaxed at that, and Zel stiffened. Gourry was still pretty much frozen with shock.
"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty!" Lina crooned, then kissed Sheifyl deeply.
A gasp came from Amelia, a fish-out-of-water-gulpy noise from Gourry, a sharply indrawn breath from Zel, and a chuckle from Xelloss.
"Ooohhh..." Sheifyl groaned as her eyes fluttered open. "Li-Lina-san! What...?!"
"Hey, Sheifyl-chan," Lina greeted, staring straight into Sheifyl's eyes. Poor, poor little thing, she had a deer-caught-in-a-lightspell thing going. It was cute in a rather pathetic way, actually, and the shrine maiden's utter terror was wonderful.
Becoming desperate, Sheifyl squirmed, trying to escape Lina's grasp. "If you want me to let you go, just ask," Lina informed her quasi-captive.
"Ple-please, Lina-san, let me go," Sheifyl begged.
"Sure!" Lina gave an encore performance of the previous kiss she'd bestowed upon Sheifyl, then released the very confused, very frightened girl. The shrine maiden stumbled over to the othend cnd cowered against Gourry. Gourry's arms encircled Sheifyl protectively.
#a game that you can't win
#the hunger
Her friends' emotions were incredibly intense: mostly betrayal AmelAmelia; sheer terror from the cringing Sheifyl; betrayal and confusion and hurt from Gourry; and primarily anger from Zel, although the anger seemed to be directed at Xelloss, as Zel was glaring balefully at the preist. In fact, he seemed to be near the boiling point.
"YOU!" Zel exploded as expected, drawing his sword and rushing at the Trickster Priest. "This is all YOUR doing!"
Xelloss easily avoided the livid Chimera. Lina suspected it was easier for him to do so than usual, so mad with rage was Zel.
"I get the feeling I'm not welcome here anymore. Let's leave," Xelloss announced, pretending to be hurt.
Lina joined him, grasping his hand. As the forest gave way to the darkness again, she heard the others cry out for her to please stay.
#the hunger
"I always knew you'd make a lovely mazoku," Xelloss commented as he idly stroked her hair.
"I make a lovely anything," Lina huffed, feigning indignation.
"Indeed," Xelloss agreed, and gave her a rousing kiss that soon led to even more pleasant things.
#the hunger
-end-
Endless Night
by Za Metallium
Chapter Two: The Night Bleeds in Black
Pairing: Lina/Xelloss, Lina/Zelgadiss
Tags: [lemon][dark][caution]
Lina and Xelloss were lying in the center of their bed, completely nude. The bed in which they lay was quite extravagant, in everything from size to craftsmanship. However, the two mazoku were so close together that one would think they were trying to take up as little of that space as possible. Lina lay on her side, her head situated under Xelloss' chin, one leg curled lazily around his. It was a position by now quite familiar to them.
"Xelloss?" Lina ventured, her musical voice breaking through the atmospheric silence.
"Yes, Lina-chan?"
"You know I'm not at all sorry I did this..."
Xelloss extricated his leg from Lina's and turned over on his side, propping himself up on his elbow. "I know," he confirmed. "But...?"
Lina offered a rueful smile as she looked up at her lover. "But I miss them. At least, I think I miss them. Maybe it's not the right word...but you understand, right?"
Xelloss reached over with his free hand and absently caressed her side. "You wish to see them again?"
Lina considered this. It wasn't like they'd be particularly pleased with her presence now. And it wasn't so much a desire to see them as to...to what? "Sort of."
"You want to make certain they can never forget you?" It wasn't really a question.
Yes, that was part of it...but there was something else. Suddenly ans answer occurred to Lina: she wanted to make sure they knew she loved them! "Yes--and I want them to know I still care. After out last 'conversation,' I don't know if they realize that."
"If that's what you want, Lina-chan, you will have it." He leaned down and kissed her with not a little passion. "Just so long as you remember where--and with whom--you truly belong."
Lina grinned, slitted red eyes sparkling. "Like you'd ever let me forget?"
"True." Xelloss turned over again, so that he was now straddling his lover. "I don't plan on ever letting you forget."
"Good," Lina replied, her grin morphing into a sensual smile. She rose up a little and nipped at his neck, the tiny red marks of her teeth disappearing almost as soon as she made them.
Xelloss inhaled sharply, then pushed her down and returned the favor. Now it was Lina's turn to inhale sharply. Lina reached up and grasped his arms just below the shoulders, then ran her nails down both his arms simultaneously. Despite their short length, the sharpness of Lina's nails and her own strength allowed her to leave ragged trails of the billowing ebony substance that was mazoku blood.
For a moment, his body sd tod to lock in place, stiff and immobile. Then he moved up from her neck to her mouth, kissing her with bruising intensity. Suddenly, he bit down on herer ler lip, hard. Somehow a little surprised by how pleasant the sensation was, Lina gasped. She could taste her own blood, and a moment later Xelloss' tongue was in her mouth, seeking that blood-flavour. Feeling turnabout to be fair play, Lina bit down on his tongue, enjoying the salty-sweet taste of his blood. Xelloss moaned, a low, hungry sound not entirely muffled by their kiss.
He broke the kiss in favor of kissing a fiery trail down her neck. Upon reaching her breasts, he moved a hand down to pinch one breast while he nipped at the other, his teeth barely grazing her nipple. Lina moaned, her back arching up of its own accord, seeking more sensation.
She felt more than heard Xelloss chuckle before he obliged, both teeth and fingers increasing their pressure. Lina began pantingttlettle ecstatic whimpers escaping her every now and again.
At length he released her breasts, and Lina groaned with disappointment. He looked down at her, his violet eyes regarding her. Even now Lina got a sort of thrill out of seeing his eyes, open and focused on her. Lina grasped his arms, the wounds she'd inflicted earlier long gone.
"My Lina-chan..." he pronounced, and she felt his hardness pushing against her. Lina obligingly spread her legs wider for him. "Mine," he said again, then entered her. This time, Lina's nails dug into his arms of their own violation; she barely realized she was doing it, even when his blood trickled down her fingers.
The lovers thrust together, their joining so complete they seemed to know just when to move and in what way. The both of them were panting now, interspersed with little moans or grunts occasionally. Their synchronism lasted to the point of release, when they climaxed almost simultaneously.
In the afterglow, they resumed their favored position. Snuggling against her lover, Lina mumbled sleepily, "I knew you wouldn't let me forget."
* * * * *
About a day later, Lina went about finding her friends. It wasn't difficult; they were hardn inn inconspicious group, and they were familiar enough to her that she had little trouble locating them via the astral plane.
Only Gourry, Zelgadiss, and Amelia were travelling together; Shiefyl had returned to Sairaag, Lind led learned.
Lina appeared on the outskirts of her friends' campsite. Zel and Amelia were asleep, and Gourry was apparently keeping watch. All the more reason to deal with him first, then.
Lina stomped on the ground, breaking sticks and crunching leaves and basically making a suspicious if quiet racket. As expected, Gourry cautiously approached Lina's position. She waited until he was about to see her before whispering, "Hi, Gourry!"
"Li-lina?" the blond stuttered, flabbergasted.
Lina beamed. "You remembered! I'm so glad."
"Have you come back?" Gourry asked in his direct, simple way.
"Not exactly..." Lina evaded as she grabbed his sword arm. "C'mon!" she urged--as if he had a choice; Lina teleported them to a nice little building Xelloss had given her for this purpose before Gourry could speak a word.
"Uh, Lina, where are we?"
Lina grinned impishly. "Here."
Gourry seemed to consider this. "Oh, okay."
"Well, don't just stand there--c'mon!" Lina tugged as his arm, and Gourry followed her, his expression more confused than usual.
They stopped upon entering a room made entirely of light blue-grey stone. The only thing within the room was a large metal chair with metal restraints. Lina pushed Gourry down in the chair, and before he had a chance to figure out what was going on, Lina had strapped him into the chair.
"Stop squirming," Lina instructed, fastening the restraints on his legs.
"What are you doing?"
Lina gave him a pouting look. "Are you only going to ask me quest? Y? You haven't done anything but that since I showed up. Well, it doesn't matter, I guess."
Gourry's wrists were strapped down at the very end of the armrests, leaving his hands dangling. Lina positioned her hands, palms up, a little ways below his. Gourry watched this with trepidation, but said nothing.
Lina chanted in a language long-forgotten by humans, and cast a variation of a fireball. Instead of an explosive projectile, twin tongues of flame lept from her palms. While harmless to her, the twitching flames seared the flesh of Gourry's unprotected hands. He screamed and attempted to work free of the bonds, but succeeded only in scraping his wrists raw. Lina's eyelids fluttered shut as she drank in his agony.
The flames soon began heating the metal, nearly searing the rest of him while his hands were engulfed in flames. He screamed again, and didn't stop screaming, redoubling his efforts to get loose.
"Mmmm..." Coming back to herself finally, Lina commented, "Well. I thought your screams would be less...effeminate." She expected no reply, of course; she doubted the only half-concious Gourry heard her. She doused the flame in one of her hands and experimentally prodded his hand. Gourry twitched, but his screaming didn't increase in volume. Satisfied, Lina nodded to herself and doused the other flame. She pulled a jar of salve from a pouch on her belt and spread the pungent jelly-like susbstance over Gourry's ruined hands.
He looked at her, and obvious surprise joined total hurt. "Oh, wondering why I did this just to heal you afterwards?"
"Yeah," Gourry croaked, barely audible as his throat was raw from screaming.
"I'm not healing you per se. Have you noticed how the pain in your hands isn't so bad now? Like you just can't feel it was well?"
Gourry nodded.
"That's what it is--you can't feel as well. The burns are such that your hands have been permentantly damaged. Tsalvsalve will cure the surface wounds, but it'll also keep any sort of resorative healing spell from working."
"Why?"
"Simple. We had such wonderful times travelling together, ne?"
Gourry again nodded, a melancholy look on his face.
"That was our special thing, travelling together, taking odd jobs...I don't want you to share that special thing with someone else. If you can't use a sword anymore, you can't work as a merc, and therefore won't find a new partner."
Gourry looked at her with a kind of dull horror. Before he could say anything, Lina leaned in close. "I really do care about you," she said, then whispered, "Sleep." She lightly kissed him on the lips, and his head lolled back as he lost conciousness.
* * * * *
The first thing Lina noted as she and Gourry appeared in Shiefyl's room was that the bed was already large enough to accomdate both Shiefyl and her gift.
Lina was debating whether to wake Shiefyl or just leave a note when said shrine maiden awoke and made the quandry moot. "Hi, Shiefyl! I brought you a present!"
"Lina-san?! What are you doing here? What happened to Gourry-sama?" Shiefyl sat bolt upright and stared at the intruders.
"Last question first: Gourry has basically lost the use of his hands and won't be able to work as a sword-for-hire anymore. As for the first question: I'm bringing you a token of my affection, something I know you've always wanted. Here ya go!" With that, Lina tossed the unconcious Gourry onto the bed at Shiefyl's feet.
"I--I don't understand." Sheifyl looked at Lina, eyes wide and expression confused.
"Well, Gourry needs someone to take care of him now. Isn't that what you've wanted since you met him?"
Shiefyl looked flustered. "I...well, I suppose something like that, but..."
Lina beamed. "Thought so."
Shiefyl just blinked.
"Enjoy the present. See, I do care..." Then Lina darted forward, putting her face right in front of the confused Sheifyl's, so close that their noses touched. "Ne? But right now--sleep." Lina kissed Shiefyl on the lips and the shrine maiden crumpled as sleep overtook her.
* * * * *
Lina phased back to her position outside camp. Luckily, the others were still there, sleeping. Lina walked over to the main campsite, making only a little noise as she did so. This little noise was sufficient to wake Zel, however, though this was exactly what Lina expected. The chimera jerked awake and looked around frantically. His eyes widened when he saw Lina.
Lina waved at him and motioned for him to remain silent. Zel looked hesitant, but did as she bid. Approachhim,him, she offered a hand up. Even more hesitantly than before, Zel accepted. Smiling, Lina teleported back to her building.
"What--?!" Zel exclaimed.
"Not particularly articulate right after waking up, huh?"
"Lina, where are we, and why?" Mister Direct, that was Zel.
"Just a little place of mine. And why? 'Cause I want to show you something."
She tugged at Zel's sleeve, but he obstinately remained still. "And where's Xelloss?"
"Oh, I dunno for sure. Not here." Lina was a little surprised just how much anger Zel exuded as he said Xelloss' name. "Now, will you please come with me?"
Zel nodded, his sadness almost as intense as Gourry's pain had been. "Very well. Lead the way."
Lina grinned and did so, skipping a few steps, floating another few, then skipping again. Zel trailed after her, looking around suspiciously.
Lina grabbed his hand and quickly pulled him into the room she'd set aside. After all, the room she'd convinced Gourry in was nearby, and there was no reason to deal with those inevitable questions if she didn't have to.
The room they were in was done in various shades of grey. The only furnishing was a king-size bed with royal blue satin sheets.
"Is this what you wanted to show me...?" Zel asked apprehensively.
"No, no, this is just where."
"And...what is it you want to show me?"
Lina grinned knowingly, and with one lithe movement, shed her tunic and leggings. As she no longer bothered with undergarments, she now stood nude before Zelgadiss.
"....." Zelgadiss turned bright red and looked about ready to faint.
"I'm going to show you that your body isn't monsterous like you seem to think," Lina explained sweetly as she approached the stunned Zel. "Wanna guess how I'll do that?"
"Lina..." Zel croaked, higher speech--and higher thought--beyond his grasp at the moment.
"Was that an answer? Well, it's close enough," Lina murmured, examining his clothing. "Cute pajamas," she noted, unbuttoning his shirt.
"Gah!" Zel eimedimed, and attempted--though without much force--to stop her. Lina batted his hands away and finished unbuttoning his shirt. She tried to situate his arms so she could pull the shirt but but Zel obstinately resisted.
"Well, if that's how it's going to be..." Lina literally tore his shirt off. Seeing how well that worked, she did the same thing with his pants, leaving him in only his undergarment.
"Lina, I--we can't--!"
"Don't be absurd." Lsmirsmirked, her eyes trailing down his body. "In fact..." Lina's hand encircled the proof that Zel was far from disinterested; this caused the rest of his body to become rigid, as well. "In fact, it seems like it's more than possible...ne?"
Zel, rapidly approaching nonverbal, managed, "But..."
"Look, Zel...you can't beat me, not with strength and certainly not with magic. Why don't you just relax and enjoy it? That is part of the point, after all." With her statement about enjoying it, she squeezed her hand around his manhood.
"GODS!" Zel exclaimed, his hips bucking forward.
"See? Isn't that better?"
Zel didn't answer, instead concentrating on remembering how to breathe. Lina giggled, then showed his undergarment the same treatment she had his pajamas. Lina's eyes widened appreciably at the sight of a very excited Zel.
"Mmm, nice. Very nice..." Lina commented, stroking him almost absently. "Stone skin even here, huh?"
Speech was way past Zel at this point; his eyes were closed and he was panting a little.
Lina bit back another giggle. It was cute, how sensitive he was. She pushed him onto the bed and climbed atop him, noting that he was offering very little resistance now.
"Li-lina..." Zel gasped.
Lina smiled sweetly at him, then positioned herself above him. Looking into his eyes, she winked, then lowered herself down, taking him inside her, his stone skin scraping against her soft flesh.
Zel made a sound somewhere in-between a whimper and a moan. His eyes scrunched up, an expression of pleasurable pain on his face.
Lina's smile widened and she began moving, slow at first, then increasing gradually in speed. Stone scraped against flesh, a pleasurable experience for both parties. Zel was moaning in ecstacy now, and Lina found herself expelling a little hiss of pleasure.
She was more than a little surprised when she climaxed before he did; she had not expected to climax at all. Her orgasm seemed to trigger Zel's, who actually cried her name as he spasmed in ecstacy.
Lina stayed where she lay atop him several moments. At last she moved off him. This elicted a groan of disappointment from Zel, though Lina sincerely doubted he actually realized he made the sound.
Zel finally opened his eyes and looked at her. He looked exausted, though there was...something...beneath that which Lina couldn't identify.
"You don't have a monsterous body. It's positively gorgeous, actually."
Zel stared at her a little blankly.
"Ah, well, I can't expect you to accept it all at once. Just think about what I've said and done, 'kay? And remember, I do care for you."
She leaned over and kissed him deeply. After a few seconds, he responded, whether conciously or instintctively, Lina didn't know. At length, Lina broke their kiss, murmured, "Sleep," and kissed him lightly. "And sweet dreams."
* * * * *
Lina, still nude, teleported back to the camp yet again, setting a sheet-clad Zelgadiss next to the fire. She then went over and sat down next to Amelia.
The little princess stirred, and Lina quickly cast a sleep spell, kissing Amelia on the lips as she did so, just as she'd done with her other friends.
Lina sat crosslegged and set Amelia's head in her lap. "Ah, sweet little justice-loving Amelia..." Lina whispered, petting the younger girl's hair. "You're so naive. You haven't figured out yet that the real world isn't remotely similar to the one you live in.
"There's something special about that, you know. Sure, you're annoying, especially your little justice speeches, but you have this spirit...
"I'm not going to let that spirt be destroyed. That's why I'm doing this." Lina extricated a small vial from her belt and poured the dark liquid it contained down Amelia's throat. The little princess coughed a little, but swallowed most of it.
"There," Lina said with a satisfied nod. "Now you'll never lose that special naivte. I'm sure Zel-kun here will arrange for your body to be sent back to Sailloon. Xelloss and I will even come to your funeral...incognito, of course, but we'll be there."
Lina stood and looked at her two friends a long moment, smiling gently. Then she teleported home.
* * * * *
Upon arriving home, fou found Xelloss waiting for her. He did not look pleased. Lina looked at him questioningly.
"You are mine," he said quietly, clearly enunciating each syllable.
Lina brow furrowed in puzzlement. "I know..."
"Then why did you give yourself to the chimera?" her lover growled, the last word holding particular anger.
"You said I could convince him his body wasn't so awful. That was the best way to do it."
Xelloss scowled and grabbed her arm, pulling her against him. "Never again, my Lina-chan. You are to be only with me. Understand?"
Lina blinked, then nodded. "I understand."
"Do you?" Xelloss queried, pulling her closer. "Do you really?"
Before Lina could attempt to answer, he was kissing her passionately. Before long, he was leaving a trail of violent kisses down her neck to her collarbone.
Abruptly, she was forced to the floor. After taking a moment to hastily remove his clothing, Xelloss joined her on the nd. nd. Without prelude, he entered her.
His movements were harsh, almost frantic in their fervency. It was as if Xelloss were trying to stake--or, rather, re-stake--his claim on her. Lina found herself gasping.
A few moments of this ardent lovemaking and Lina climaxed. This time she was the one calling out her lover's name: "Xelloss!"
This seemed to spur him on, and his movements became even faster and harder. Soon, Lina came again, and this time Xelloss came with her.
* * * * *
Some time later, Lina and Xelloss finally made it to their bed. Lina curled up against her lover in their favored position.
"Feeling better about your friends now?" Xelloss, back in good humor, inquired.
"Mm-hmm," Lina affirmed. "Much."
"There's mya-cha-chan," Xelloss murmured fondly, then kissed her forehead.
"I love my life," Lina thought, then snuggled closer to Xelloss.
-end-
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