One Night Magic

He arrived at the meeting site not one minute earlier, nor one minute later than the agreed time. She, on the other hand, was apparently going to go with the latter--Lina was nowhere in sight, and it had just turned nine o' clock. The remnants of twilight still lingered in the air--an ephemeral glow from all the living. It was in this final breath of day that she appeared, bathed in the natural afterglow of the world, and Xelloss turned to greet her with an equally charming smile on his face.

"Good evening, Lina-san."

Her steps slowed as she neared him, the soft clacking noises from her sandals against the wooden bridge left echoing in the air. She was suddenly a sight to take in, wrapped in that pink summer yukata of hers that was held together by a meticulously folded brilliant yellow obi. Even her hair was nicely pulled up and fastened by a large crystal clip, though a few loose strands cascaded in waves down her slender, white neck. By the time Xelloss realized that his eyes had been drawn in by her exposed neckline, he had already been staring at it for an embarrassing amount of time.

He cleared his throat before continuing. "You look rather lovely tonight."

As soon as he had concluded his statement, her eyes immediately flickered off to the side, avoiding the connection. "Thank you," she replied halfheartedly.

"Hmm," he began curiously, minimizing the distance that separated them. "May I ask your terms?"

Her fingers lightly brushed the wooden rails along the bridge, tracing its ancient curves. Her eyes twinkled as she gazed at the steadily flowing water, a reflection of the young night. "Just one night," she answered. "I just want one night."

"And in exchange?"

She reached into the folds of her yukata and pulled forth a small stack of folded, aged papers. To any other traveler, it would have taken more than a glance to decipher the importance of those sheets, but Xelloss knew immediately what they were. "Oh--how unexpected," he replied lightly, opening a single, mischievous eye.

"Pages of the Claire Bible," Lina began, "that I'm sure you wouldn't want others to see."

He grinned. "Fair enough."

Lina saw a green gleam pass across the seams of his upturned eyes, and the sheets she held in her hand fluttered off into the air as they burned in a blur of green flames--pages of priceless knowledge lost to mankind. Her chest sank with a heavy sigh; she was beginning to feel a bit of regret, not knowing whether the exchange was worth the sacrifice or not.

When Xelloss offered her an arm, however, she felt a bit more at ease with her decision. "Shall we?"

"And this is alright for you?" she inquired. "I mean, isn't it weird for a mazoku to attend a human festival?"

"Well, I'm not just any mazoku, now am I?"

She glanced at the sky thoughtfully. "That's true."

"I return the question to you--Isn't it weird for a human to ask a mazoku's company?"

"Well," she began, "I'm not just any human, now am I?"

He chuckled quietly. "Of course not. If you were, I would have declined immediately."

The comment merited a wink. "You do know how to flatter me."

"Naturally."

- - -

The night began with the usual for Lina--a lengthy, hearty dinner that included anything from takoyaki to fresh okonomiyaki. They walked and chatted while she indulged in her small plates, then stopped at a larger stand for barbeque.

"Just a cup of tea for me, please."

The waitress walked off after scribbling down Xelloss's order, leaving the couple to chat amongst themselves while the food was being prepared. Though it was a considerably cool summer night, Lina found the heat generated from the grill to be rather stifling. She fanned herself with a hand as she leaned back in her seat, abandoning her mannerisms for the moment. "It's too hot," she whined.

"Better than cold?"

"Better than cold." Lina was never a fan of cold weather, and she would gladly bear the intense summer heat before she would dive into the horrors of a cold winter night.

Xelloss took a sip of his glass of water before he lifted and pressed it against her cheek, startling her. But then her mind grasped the situation at hand, and she took the glass from his hand gratefully, gliding the cool water over her neck and shoulders. Xelloss watched intently, eyes fixated on the trail of glistening skin. It was particularly captivating when little droplets slid down into the little hidden crevices beneath her cotton yukata, places that were hidden from view.

"So tell me, Lina-san," he began, breaking his attention away from her body before he could be sucked in further. "What do you want most out of this night?"

"I don't know," she replied, absentmindedly setting the glass of water back down on the table. "I just wanted to know what it felt like to go on a date, that's all."

Her words sparked his interest. He had avoided using the word date on purpose, and she had blatantly stated it without a single bit of denial. That meant she had full control over the situation. "And what is it that you normally do on a date?" he inquired.

Her eyes shifted in his direction, perhaps realizing the true extent of the word. "Oh--a little bit of fun, a little bit of relaxation, a little bit of food, and a little bit of romance…"

Her voice had faded to a soft hush at the last word, and if not for his improved senses as a mazoku he probably never would have caught it. "Then, after food, what would you like to do next?"

"Walk around--see what's out there. It's not every day I get a chance to kick back and relax in a normal little town like this."

The girl returned with a plate of meat and a bowl of marinade. Lina immediately jumped up and helped herself to what was there--making sure to coat each piece of meat with a flavorful layer of sauce before laying it atop the grill. Xelloss helped her, knowing full well that she would be able to devour every piece without his help. And though he would not be eating any of it, he found himself strangely enjoying it.

Well, if only just a little bit.

- - -

"Wow, I'm stuffed."

Lina decided to take a break along the path that connected the two halves of the festival. It was a quiet, dark little pathway lined with benches and green grass, along with a small number of couples enjoying a quick romantic retreat. She sat down on one bench, then patted the spot beside her for Xelloss to sit. He obeyed, lounging on the cool stone slab as they both rested their feet.

After a short while, Xelloss glanced over at the sound of rustling fabric. He saw that Lina had been struggling with her bow, which left little room for the feast in her stomach. "Need help with that?" he offered.

"I think I've got it…" Lina replied, though she still struggled with it. The bow had started to come undone, but she still fought to save what was left of her earlier work.

An amused smile came to his face, and he lightly laid his hands atop hers, stopping her from what she was doing. She hesitated for a moment, then yielded to his will and allowed him to assist her.

When he undid the bow, he noticed that her sleeve shifted a bit on her arm. She quickly reached up to adjust it, but the brief exposure of her skin to the evening breeze sent a chill up her back. He licked his lips, then set himself to fixing her obi.

The finished product didn't look quite as good as she had it before, but it was a decent attempt. Before she could thank him, however, something else had already grabbed her attention.

"I didn't know there were pyreflies in this area," said Lina as she gazed at the blinking lights floating around the trees.

"A bug interests you?" Xelloss inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"No, no," she replied with a small laugh. "It's just…"

"Just?"

"Have you ever felt happy to be alive?"

There was silence.

"Nevermind," Lina added with a sigh, knowing regrettably what his answer would have been. "Let's keep going?"

He smiled at her. "After you."

- - -

As they explored the other half of the festival, they were being attacked left and right by stand owners and workers alike trying to attract their attention. Lina declined most of the games, knowing that the rewards were hardly worth the effort, until one stand caught her eye.

Discreetly, she inched over to Xelloss and said, "Hey, I think I wanna try that one."

He followed her gaze and found a stand with stacks of bottles, accompanied by a basket of balls. What could be so entertaining about that, he wondered.

"Think I can win?"

One of those annoying, amused grins appeared on his face. "Looks easy enough."

"Oh really? Why don't you try it out then Mr. I-can-do-anything-better-than-you?"

"What am I trying to do?"

"Simple. Just take a ball and knock all the bottles over."

Xelloss rubbed his chin, contemplating the idea, then smiled as he stepped forward. He handed over the money, received the balls in exchange, and picked one up.

Lina watched as he tossed it up into the air--she guessed he was trying to assess its weight. When he caught it, however, he tossed it up again into the air, this time in the direction of the bottles. It bounced off the mouth of the top bottle, knocking that one over. The second level then teetered before falling, followed by the third and fourth levels, resulting in a domino effect. The shop owner stood agape for a moment before putting the cone to his lips and shouting, "W-we have a winner!"

Lina threw her hands up excitedly and skipped over. "I want that one!" she exclaimed, pointing to a green dragon plush as she slipped a hand around Xelloss's arm, indicating that they were together. The man pulled it down and handed it to her, to which Lina giggled with delight.

Xelloss thoughtfully pondered her response for a moment before his casual smile returned. Lina didn't catch this reaction, but if she had, she would have realized that Xelloss found her reaction much more entertaining than the game itself had been. It wasn't every day Lina Inverse became a normal girly civilian, after all.

- - -

"Ah--it's Lina-san!"

Zelgadiss followed the direction of the princess's finger, eyes eventually settling on the red-haired sorceress who had an arm wrapped around a dragon plush. That was a pleasant sight to see, but his eyes then travelled to the companion at her side--a purple-haired mazoku priest-acting-general that he rather despised. "What is he doing there?" the chimera asked gruffly.

"Well… It looks like Xelloss-san is with Lina-san on a date."

He scoffed. "Ridiculous," he muttered, but then he started to walk in their direction.

Amelia was quick to jump in his way, though, and stopped him with a pair of hands. "Wait a second. I know how you feel, but I don't think we should interrupt."

"Why not? He's up to something--you know that."

"Maybe…" Amelia began, "But you never know. Maybe it's exactly what it is--a date."

"Even so--"

"Even so," she said, "This is the happiest I've seen Lina-san in a while--ever since Gourry-san…"

When her head dropped a couple inches, Zelgadiss's angry demeanor fell a couple degrees with it. The assertiveness in his steps vanished, and he hesitantly succumbed to the princess's wishes. Then, he angrily spat, "Whatever."

"Besides, she knows how to handle him," Amelia added confidently.

"I hope you're right." Zelgadiss was hesitant to let it go, but the cheerful look on the sorceress's face convinced him to make an exception. He would trust the mazoku with her for one night--the only night they would be allowed to have.

"Let's go," Amelia begged, tugging on his arm. He surrendered to the order, allowing the other pair to coalesce as he struggled to keep up with the energetic princess.

- - -

"Wait here," Xelloss instructed before he walked off around the corner. Lina was initially a bit miffed by his sudden departure, but she obeyed nonetheless. It's not like he always has to be here, she told herself.

She hugged her plush tightly as she waited, resting her chin on top of its head with a small pout to her lips. It was then that she began to take notice of the people around her--children, families, and young couples all the same. As her eyes drifted along the crowd, she felt the loneliness creeping up behind her like a shadow she couldn't be rid of. Then she unconsciously found herself wishing Xelloss would return soon.

A few more minutes passed, and Xelloss returned with his usual cheerful grin on his face. She eyed him curiously, trying to figure out what had taken him so long, but she couldn't come to an answer. When she grew impatient, she finally asked, "What took you?"

"Well that," he began, then reached over her ear. She felt his finger trace a path just beneath her jawline from her earlobe to chin, and suddenly a flower appeared in his hand as he pulled it forward. He concluded, "Is a secret."

She took it from him, and upon further inspection realized it was a lavender colored rose. The thorns had also been neatly removed from its stem, so she didn't have to worry about being pricked. She smiled, indulged in its sweet aroma, then shyly answered, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," he replied, then took the rose from her fingers and slid it in behind her ear. He caught a few strands of her hair as he finished the gesture, then bowed down and kissed them sweetly.

What stole her breath away, though, were his eyes, unveiled and exposed to her in the brisk night. They were already gorgeous before, but it seemed that they were particularly breathtaking in the middle of the night. She swallowed, blushed, and whispered, "It's beautiful."

He promptly put his usual façade back in place, pulling his face away from her. She felt somewhat relieved, and somehow disappointed all the same. Instead of waiting for her to place her hand in his arm again, however, he boldly took her hand in his, guiding her through the crowds. Lina felt like she was being swept along in a dream--it strongly resembled the ones she used to have, where a mysterious hand would pull her through dense crowds. The strangest part about those dreams was the fact that she trusted this mystery person to lead her to where she wanted to be, even when she didn't know who it was that was guiding her. And what was weird about the situation now was that she trusted the person who was guiding her, knowing full well who exactly he was.

"I want to show you something," he said, and Lina nodded. She trusted that strong hand that pulled her along--the promised end was enough to make her believe.

- - -

The couple arrived at an empty deck, far enough removed from the festivities to enjoy the peace of the evening, yet still close enough to still bask in its glow. Xelloss escorted her by the small of her back to the edge, where she leaned forward out onto the railing to enjoy the sight.

The breeze swept by then, carrying with it numerous flower petals of all colors and sizes. Lina was swept along with them, feeling her chest inflate as they flew by. The petals settled atop the lake, each contributing its own set of ripples to the surface of the water.

"If only every night could be like this…"

Xelloss glanced at her, wondering what the sudden change in her tone of voice meant. She had already been strangely calm all evening, but just now it seemed like her voice might vanish into thin air. He remained silent though, watching as she pulled something out from her sleeve.

It was a small paper boat, flattened when she first pulled it out but quickly adjusted to its proper shape. She pulled out a small candle, too, and set it properly on top of the boat. Then she tapped her finger to the wick, lighting it afire, and set it gently on top of the water.

"I heard that some people do this to respect the dead," Lina explained.

Xelloss took a couple steps forward, noting with a grimace how loudly the planks creaked under his weight. When Lina showed no intention of moving, he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer as they began to sway to the natural rhythm of the water splashing upon the rocky beach. She hesitated briefly before relaxing into his embrace, eventually returning it with one of her own. Then she snuggled into him, indulging in his incredibly comfortable warmth.

"Isn't this weird? I mean, I never imagined you would ever…hug me."

"What's weird about it?" he asked in return, resting his chin on top of her head.

"Well, you're a…"

"Mazoku," he finished for her. Then he chuckled. "I'm glad you remembered."

They both lingered in the embrace, distanced from the usual life they usually led. There was no one to interrupt the mood--no one to disturb the peace. There was only the sound of waves lapping at a rocky shore and the occasional creak of the wooden boards beneath their feet as they continued their slow dance on top of them.

"Lina-san."

"Hm?" she murmured, keeping her eyes closed. She felt his fingers gently caress her head, brushing through the strands of hair as his fingers traced her earlobe. She sighed contentedly as he repeated the action--it felt nice, and somewhat soothing.

"There is one spell I know," began Xelloss, an idea coming to mind. "It only works on a night like this, so it's not something that could possibly ever be repeated. A one night magic, if you will."

"What is it?" she asked, voice no louder than a whisper. She lifted her head to him, exposing her slender neck to the crisp night air.

"Close your eyes," he instructed.

She shut her eyes obediently and waited. Moments passed, and Lina began to grow impatient, but then a sweet breath of wind suddenly swept by her, filling her bosom with all sorts of pleasant emotions as she gasped. But the effect was just as brief, and it departed from her as soon as it had arrived.

Her eyelids slowly opened. "It's over?"

"It's over."

She sighed. "That's too bad. It would have been nice if a spell like that could be repeated."

They stopped dancing. The waves continued to crash in and out, but the melody was already gone from their ears. They remained wrapped in the embrace for a little longer before Lina pulled away and smiled at him.

"Thanks, Xelloss."

Then she pressed her fingers against his collarbone, leaned up, and kissed him on the cheek. She lowered herself from her toes slowly, holding her breath as the magic of the evening faded away. Her tongue ran over her mouth, attempting to rid herself of her uncomfortably chapped lips, and she stepped away from Xelloss, leaving him on the deck to consider her as she walked away. And consider her he did, until she was gone from his view, along with the last remaining glow of twilight that clung to her body.

- - -

Author's Note: Well that was a fun little one-shot :D. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed thinking about it, because it's just too cute to imagine Lina walking alongside Xelloss in a little yukata like that. Well, until next time!

Reviews are greatly appreciated too :3.