Dance of Change
Chapter 1
Waltz
Lina could hardly breath it hurt so much. She just didn't understand. Gourry had said he was going to follow her for the rest of his life, she'd asked him point blank how long he was going to continue protecting her. He'd come after her when the Lord of Nightmares had taken her body, followed her into pure chaos. She still had the sense that something important had happened in there, but apparently it wasn't so important to him. She had gone ahead and ignored the fact that he was dumb as a brick, had decided to love him for being gentle and sweet. She really had decided to love him. She had thought he loved her too, had thought he was finally seeing her as more than a little girl.
But it never changed. He still acted like some sort of guard dog crossed with an older brother. He still made disparaging comments about her chest size. He never made any remotely romantic overtures. But what hurt, what really hurt was the way he was dancing with Sylphiel. Gourry had never, ever danced with her. Ok so maybe she wasn't the dancing type, but apparently he was. Maybe it came from all his sword practice, but he moved through the steps with a grace that belied his size. Sylphiel was blushing, but moving gracefully with him. Lina watched, feeling as though she'd been sucker punched. She saw Gourry smiling at Sylphiel, and sneaking looks at the shrine maiden's abundant bosom. Lina just couldn't believe it, she'd even worn a dress. Amelia had practically dragged her to this damn ball, celebrating the team's defeat of Darkstar. Sylphiel hadn't even been there!
Scowling Lina decided she'd had all she could take. Gourry had been dancing with Sylphiel for the better part of an hour, he wasn't going to come ask her for a dance. Even if Sylphiel had asked Gourry to dance, which was likely, he could have left by now if he didn't actively want to be dancing with her.
"Hello Lina-chan."
She froze, startled not by the voice, but by it's tone.
"Xellos?"
"Would you like to dance?"
Lina just about fell over. Xellos was asking her to dance? Xellos? Where was his fruitcake smile? His mocking eager tone? His voice was like dark smooth silk, and he was holding out a hand to her with his eyes open. His eyes are so beautiful. She blinked, where had that come from? He was smiling now, but it was a soft smile that was somehow predatory and nothing like the usual grin he had plastered on.
"Yes." Why had she said yes? Her voice had come out with the soft sound of assent before she'd even really processed the question. Blushing she placed her hand lightly in his. His smile widened ever so slightly as his hand closed over hers and he led her slowly onto the dance floor. A soft slow waltz was starting and Lina looked up at him in mild trepidation, she didn't really know how to dance. But he confidently placed his hand on the side of her waist and lifted her hand with his into the air, then he began to move with the music. Lina hadn't realized dancing was so easy, granted they were only doing a box step, which she'd seen Amelia doing as the princess tried to convince her to come to the ball, but it was effortless. With a start she realized she'd been staring at her shoes to make sure she didn't miss a step.
"How do you know how to dance?" The question was barely a whisper, but Xellos' smile became mildly amused.
"I've been alive a long time."
"Monster's have balls?" She was smiling softly back at him, regaining a bit of her spark.
"No, but I've seen a few of them when I needed to gather information. I've never actually danced with someone before now," and as he said this he dipped her gently, "but it's fun, ne Lina-chan?"
She turned several shades of red as Xellos lifted her back up and moved smoothly on. Her eyes flashed up to meet his and she gave a small gasp when she looked into his open gaze. He so rarely had his eyes open, so rarely wore anything but the happy oblivious expression that made people assume he was harmless. In fact he only opened his eyes for serious things.
"You look lovely tonight," he said in a voice that sent shivers down her spine. Lovely? Me? She glanced down at herself. Her gown was beautiful, Amelia had ordered the seamstresses to make her a custom gown. It was dark crimson silk, cut a bit low over her chest to show the swell of her breasts with sleeves that were little more than large straps resting gracefully on her upper arms, leaving her shoulders completely bare. The dress hugged tightly down her small waist, before flairing out smoothly, but without becoming a poof like so many other women's skirts. He hair had been pulled up into a sort of bun, with the length of it falling from the bun to her waist in curled strands of fire. She had looked nice in the mirror, the dress showed that she DID have breasts, even if they weren't as big as Amelia's or Slyphiel's and the color contrasted sharply with her pale skin, making her look creamy and soft while bringing out the deep red of her hair and eyes.
"Th-thank you," she stuttered slightly, "you look nice too." He looked quite a bit more than nice and she knew it. He was in a black suit, with a purple silk shirt, and the whole thing was tailored to him like a glove. His normal bulky clothing hid a suprisingly muscular form, though he was still of the lithe instead of bulky build. His hair was glossy and loose, it was always that way, and yet it seemed she had never noticed how beautiful his hair was until now. His hair really was gorgeous, but though the color matched that of his eyes, Lina couldn't help but think the eyes looked even better. She was blushing like mad now, but those eyes she found so wonderful were holding her captive, she couldn't look away.
He dipped her once more as the song came to a close, but this time he pressed her close against him. Her stomach was pressed tightly to him, his hand had moved to the small of her back and held her there as he gazed at her. She felt as though she was frozen in time, staring into those amethyst eyes. His gaze had turned truelly predatory now, and she felt that were it not for his arm around her she would have crumpled to the floor. He leaned closer slowly, tightening his hold on her marginally, and gently kissed her on the lips. The kiss was at odds with the look he gave her, it was a soft brush of the lips, but though it was soft and light it held for a moment before he slowly righted them both. Lina simply stared at him, that kiss had left her feeling as though she would melt from bliss, and she was no longer cogniscent of the world around her.
He slowly led her towards the balcony, keeping his arm around her and her hand in his. As the cool night air touched her skin she shivered slightly, moving a bit closer to Xellos, who tucked her a bit more firmly against him. He radiated warmth, and though that perhaps should have been odd since he was not human, Lina never thought twice about it. He was gazing at her now, his hair and eyes blending with the night sky, and yet standing out as only a pure color could.
"Lina-chan," he murmed softely, releasing her hand and folding her into both his arms. She melted into his embrace, welcoming his warmth.
"Why are you calling me -chan?" He usually called her -san, but sometimes, when he had teased her, he had called her -chan.
"That, is a secret," he said softly. Yet the words held none of their usual candor or jest. What was happening? He was a mazoku, he lived to torment her and her friends, where was this softness coming from? Yet even as she thought it she knew that it wasn't softness, not really. It was tenderness, and that tenderness was wrapped around something that made Lina all too aware that he was the general-priest of the Greater Beast. Gazing at him she tried to read what his eyes were saying, but while she was an expert at bargaining and bickering she had no name for what she found there. The air outside was making her nose cold, she'd always been oddly suspectible to cold. She hesitated for a moment, then buried her nose in his shoulder. She was sure that her face was glowing, but he was so warm and his embrace had already soothed away all her hurts. With a slight shock she realized that she hadn't thought of Gourry once since he had spoken to her, and what was more that she didn't want to think of him. His arms pulled her even closer, molding her to him and a chin rested on the top of her head.
"Are you warm enough, Lina-chan?"
She didn't say anything, but nodded slightly into his shoulder and cuddled a bit closer. Time didn't matter, and neither did Gourry, or the ball, or the cold, or anything else. Her world had slowed down to the warm arms around her, the chest she rested on, and a head gently laid atop her own. It was perfect, that moment was perfect.
Of course perfection rarely last.
Standard disclaimers apply, Slayers and all associated concepts and characters are not mine, and since I don't have any money suing me wouldn't do you any good anyway.