Here's another song ficcie! People said they liked my last one a lot, and I got assurances that this sounded like a good song for a Zel/Ame ficcie, so... Yeah... Here it is...

Trisha Yearwood

Maybe It's Love

Zelgadis stared across the fire over at Amelia. She laughed along with Lina and Gourry, smiling happily. He found himself once again captivated by her beauty, loosing himself in her deep blue eyes.

As he thought about Amelia, he found that his heart starting aching. It felt empty, hollow. Why? He gazed longingly over at Amelia, and knew why.

Everybody's heart aches

Every time it opens

He had grown soft, being around Lina and Gourry and Amelia, and he left his heart open, almost waiting for someone. And that someone had found him. The thing was, he wasn't sure he wanted to give his heart away.

That just made him feel even emptier.

You don't know if you'll win or lose

You have to just let go

Zelgadis sighed inwardly, and let his eyes drift away from Amelia. He hadn't meant to leave his heart open like that. It had just... Happened. And he didn't want someone to walk in, either. That had just happened as well.

The thing was, ever since Amelia had walked into his life, his heart hadn't felt so empty.

Until now.

No I wasn't looking

It's funny how I found you

He was debating whether to tell Amelia how he thought he felt, or ignore it, and hope it went away. He didn't want these feelings... Did he?

Just when I thought

I'd live my life alone

Zelgadis had been prepared to live the rest of his life on his own, being rejected by every person out there, just for the way he looked. He had resigned himself to that fate, and had thus let his guard down. He didn't want anyone close to him, for fear of being rejected.

But, still...

Maybe it's love

That I have longed for

What if he had opened his heart on purpose? What if he really did want to feel these feelings? What if he did want to share them with someone? With Amelia?

Maybe it's love

I should be strong for

He had built up these barriers-- these walls --around and inside himself for most of his life. So why was now the time when those barriers failed? They had held up for all of his life-- until he met Amelia.

As soon as he met her, he had opened a door in those walls, and she had been able to walk right in.

I'm tearing down the walls inside

And now, he felt himself tearing down those walls, wanting to let Amelia in. But, wait. Just a moment ago, he wanted to build those barriers again, he wanted to keep everyone out. Now he was thinking that he wanted to tear them down, and let everyone walk in?

I want to laugh, and cry and kiss

Maybe it's love I miss

Zelgadis leaned against a tree, and lost himself in his thoughts. Did he want to care for anyone... For Amelia? Did he want her to care for him back?

Care? How about love? He had almost forgotten what it was like to love.

I've close my heart down

So many seasons

He had locked himself away from the world after he had lost his love. He had loved, and then she turned and left as soon as Rezo had turned him into a chimera.

But Amelia had seen through that. She saw through his body, and into his heart. Zelgadis knew that Amelia had feelings for him-- it was very obvious.

But did he want to return those feelings?

I didn't want to hurt again

I didn't want to try

After his last love left him, he had been broken-hearted, and locked himself away. He didn't want that to happen again. What if Amelia suddenly realized one day that he was a freak, and then turned away without looking back? It had hurt him enough the first time, but for it to happen a second time...

So I turned myself to ice and stone

Said I don't need anyone

So his heart had become a cold, hard rock, just like his skin. No one could ever find that single soft spot he had in his heart, until Amelia came along.

She found that one soft corner in the bottom of his heart, and it had grown. Now he was open to the world, and he wasn't sure whether he liked it or not.

And nobody else

Would ever make me cry

Once again, his thoughts turned back to the past. That was the last time he had ever cried, that he could remember. When his love had rejected him for being a chimera. He didn't want to hurt like that again-- not ever. That's why he turned his heart cold, and built up his walls. So he wouldn't have to face the world.

Maybe it's love

I've run away from

Was he, perhaps, afraid? Afraid to be rejected by the entire world? Is that why he built those walls? And then Amelia had come, and she smiled at him. No rejection, no hate, no fear. Just a warm smile and innocent, carefree feelings.

Maybe it's love

Bringing me back home

Zelgadis looked out of the corner of his eyes over at Amelia again. She was still smiling and laughing. It was that unsual, childish demeanor that had broken his walls, had warmed his heart. Despite the things she had seen, the terrors she had witnessed, she never lost her cherubic smile or her sparkling eyes. Her innocence.

I'm tearing down the walls inside

I want to laugh, and cry and kiss

It was that innocence in the middle of the maelstrom of chaos that had captured his eye-- and his heart --and now he couldn't turn away. No matter what happened, she was always smiling-- at him.

That smiled tore down the walls around his heart. He now found himself wishing that he could accept Amelia's feelings towards him-- and admit his own to her.

Maybe it's love I miss

So put your arms around me now

Wait! Now he was feeling for Amelia? Zelgadis looked once again over at Amelia. Now Lina and Gourry had both gone back to their tents, and Amelia was sitting on her own, smiling and staring into the fire.

His heart started pounding at the sight of Amelia. Her smile that lit up her dazzling eyes. Her innocence and naivete... He knew in an instant that he did, indeed, care for her in return.

No, he didn't care for her. He loved her. His heart said it out loud, even if his mind wouldn't acknowledge it.

Hold me tight

Show me how

Gathering up his courage, Zelgadis stood up, and walked around the campsite to sit next to Amelia. She turned and smiled up at him, that dazzling smile... Those sparkling eyes... Always on that pure, innocent, childish face.

No one has ever loved me more

I've waited for so long

Zelgadis said nothing, and just stared at the fire for the longest time. He was about to say something-- anything, he didn't know what --when he felt Amelia lean against his shoulder. The trust she showed in that one single movement sparked another flame in his heart, warming it to the core.

Maybe it's love

Maybe I'm dreaming

Slowly, hesitatingly, Zelgadis put his arm around Amelia's shoulders. When she didn't back away or resist, he relaxed. Amelia would never turn away from him-- she wouldn't reject him. Her pure heart allowed her to see inside a person, and not judge by what they looked like.

Maybe it's love

I can believe in

Zelgadis looked down at Amelia, and saw her still smiling. She shifted so her head was against his chest, and she was gripping his shirt. Then she turned, and looked up at him. Her bright eyes twinkled like the stars above, and there was more than a faint blush on her dimpled cheeks.

I'm tearing down the walls inside

I want to laugh, and cry and kiss

That smile, the way he held her, tore down the final walls around his heart. He let Amelia walk in, willed her to walk in. His mind, heart, and soul all knew it, all craved it-- Amelia loved him, and he loved her back.

Maybe it's love

Now that his heart sang it, his soul praised it, and his mind knew it, he had to have himself say it. He looked down into Amelia's deep blue eyes-- they held such naivete, but have still seen too much for Amelia's young age.

Maybe it's love

"Amelia..." Zelgadis started, not knowing how to say it.

"Yes, Zelgadis-san?" Amelia asked. Her eyes were filled with hope. Hope that he would finally tell her? Hope that he would finally admit that he felt the same as she?

Maybe it's love

Finally, he could hold it in nor longer. He decided just to say what he felt in his heart. "Amelia, I love you," he said quietly, putting every shred of feeling he had into those simple words.

Amelia's smile widened, and she stared up at him with bright, wide eyes. "Really?" she asked, gripping his shirt tighter.

"With all my heart," Zelgadis told her.

Like this...

Amelia's eyes closed, and she snuggled against his chest. "I love you too, Zelgadis-san."

Zelgadis's heart flew within him. He had known all along, of course, that Amelia had feelings for him. But hearing her say it was something different all together.

With his free hand, he tilted Amelia's head back. He stared into her deep eyes for a single moment, before he leaned down and kissed her.

Yes, he definitely welcomed this. He couldn't even imagine thinking that he didn't want to share his heart with someone... with Amelia. Every wall around him was gone, his heart was no longer a lump of ice. All the doors were open, and he gladly welcomed anyone who wanted to walk in.

And always-- always! --there, was his beloved. His Princess. His Amelia.

.~*~.

At first, this started out as a Lina/Gourry ficcie... But when I read the line "So I turned myself to ice and stone" I thought-- "Hey! Zel/Amelia!" So, I changed it. And I like writing Zel/Amelia better anyway ^_^