Hold Me
By: Mysticdragon 3
Lina poked at the campfire with a random stick, trying not to watch
Zel
twitch and turn in the night. It was hopeless. Moments later, found
herself holding him in his sleep.
She touched him gently, and timidly. Her self-consciousness still
working
over-time, despite everyone's sleeping state. But she managed not to
blush
in her action. She just wanted to comfort him---that's all. The
sentence
repeated over and over in her head, calming her nerves enough to hold
him
the rest of the night.
~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~
Nightmares again. Amelia watched him toss and turn. He was having
nightmares again. And with tonight being her watch over over sleeping
friends, Zel's feverish movements snatched her attention from the
campfire,
from the still night.
"Zelgadis-san?" She kneeled at his side, by the fire.
"Zelgadis-san?"
She said a little more loudly, trying to wake him from his bad dreams.
But still, his eyes struggled beneath his shut lids.
Amelia leaned down to holdhim, at least to calm his movements. Maybe
his
subconscious would acknowledge her presense, and he'd be comforted.
"...A...Amelia?" Zel's eyes fluttered open, at the sudden hold on
him. He
tried to sit up.
"Oh! Zelgadis-san!" Amelia loosened her grip on the chimera and
frantically tried to explain her close proximity to him. "Um...um..."
She
sat back on her feet, and looked anywhere, but to him, for the answers.
"You were having nightmares, and...um..." The princess started to
blush.
Zel's mind raced at what could have hinted his nightmares. *Was I
talking
in my sleep?*
"Are you ok, Zelgadis-san?"
He heard Amelia say.
"Just fine." He laid back down and turned over, covering his face
with his
bedroll blanket, away from Amelia.
Amelia shrunk away, a little at a loss, at his attempts to coldly deny
the
whole incident. Only to return to his nightmares later, no doubt.
"Do you want to...um... tell me what your nightmare was about?"
"I didn't have any nightmares, Amelia. You should return to your
watch."
The princess shrunk further away, but maintained her helpless worry.
But
still she had to try. "Zelgadis-san?"
"Good night, Amelia." He punctuated with a tone of finality.
The princess's shoulders sagged, and she moved away from the chimera
to
continue her watch.
~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~
Amelia's eye cracked open slightly, as Zelgadis' troubled turnings
disrupted her sleep. But she made no movement.
Lina was keeping the watch across the campfire, where Zelgadis lay as
well.
She leaned over, gently setting her hand on him again, like the night
before. His breathing calmed slightly, but there was no indication
that he
had noticed her touch. She made the same extra care as before, to
ensure he
would not notice her touch, her hand, then the rest of her as she held
him.
His breathing eased to a slow, steady pace. One more suited to sleep.
Lina continued to lay curled at his side, holding him. *Please don't
wake
up, Zel!* If he woke up now to find her holding him, she just wouldn't
know
what to do.
It was a good 2 hours, after he had gone through a better sleep cycle
that
he finally did wake up.
There was a warmth all around him. And a heavy weight. But a
comforting
one. One that let you know something was there, and close, but not
heavy
with straining pressure. Zel took a deep waking breath, and found his
arm
around Lina's firey waves of hair.
"Lina?" He tested in a whisper. "Are you awake?" He watched her
carefully.
Her breathing was regular and calm. Her eyes were closed, but they
both
knew she was awake.
But who would want to face it and deal with an embarassing situation
like
that?
*That's right, Zel. I'm "asleep".*
Well, since she was "asleep" on top of him, and he couldn't very well
hope
to move her without waking her, Zel leaned back and watched the stars,
with
Lina still curled, half-laying on his stomach. His thougths drifted to
her
warm presense before wandering to sleep and untroubled dreams.
~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~
"Lina...Lina..." Zel mummbled in his fitful sleep.
The Trickster Priest carefully closed the door to Zel's room at the
inn.
The chimera had grown far too accustomed to being with Lina at night,
Xellos
decided.
He set aside his ruby-ended staff, and approached his bed. A slight
spell
to keep Zelgadis in a sleepy, almost unaware state, and Xellos woke him
to
find some answers.
"Zelgadis?" A slender finger tilted the chimera's chin forward.
His eyes fluttered open, but his pupils were still clouded with sleep.
"Hm?..."
"Having bad dreams again? Would you like me to comfort you?" Xellos
inched his lips closer to Zel's own.
Even in this state, Zel turned his head away, managing a sleepy roll
of the
neck. Also almost unconsciously, his eyes kept away from Xellos as
well.
Xellos pursed his lips in a disappointed manner. "Why don't you want
me to
hold you? I can keep the nightmares away, just as well as Lina." His
voice
going down to an enticing whisper. "Hm?"
Zelgadis closed his eyes, and struggled to speak. Must be pretty
ingrained
in him, if his subconscious had something to say. Which was exactly
the
point of questioning him in this manner.
"But...I want..._Lina_..."
"Lina, huh?" Xellos slightly bowed his head dejectedly, releasing
Zelgadis' face from his fingertips, as well as his little spell.
Xellos took back his staff. There were footsteps coming closer to the
room
from the hallway. And at this time of night, it could only be Lina.
It was
foolish of her to think he wouldn't know she had been sleeping with the
chimera lately. Xellos thought as he vanished.
~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~
Lina could feel the strain and tension in Zel's limbs as he held her.
She
would ask him about it after this kiss, she decided against his lips.
While
on the topic, his manner of kiss worried her as well. Almost
desperate.
Their lips released.
"Zel. You want to tell me something?"
"Huh?" Zelgadis stared down at her with a puzzled look.
She rubbed his arms until the muscles loosened, and they both took
note of
his only now, recent calm.
Zel sighed. He was caught.
Lina gave him a look, proding him to answer her earlier question.
"I just...want to hold you. That's all." He demonstrated, taking up
Lina's opportunity to protest his avoiding the subject.
*Zel...Do you really want me to say it out loud?* Lina internally
groaned,
as her eyes shone with worry. "Zel, what's wrong?"
He got up from her shoulder.
"Why are you so tense? And after you kiss me, you always look so
sad."
She questioned.
"Well, you still shake when I undress you."
"That's because I'm still getting used to not being embarassed,
undressed
in front of someone!" She took a deep breath. "C'mon, Zel. I'm here.
I
lo...love you." After her voice stopped shaking and her cheeks stopped
blushing, she quickly managed to calm her breath. "So why look so
sad?"
Only when he lay against her shoulder, did he manage to get the answer
out.
"I just...I've just been alone for such a long time, Lina. ...And
for a
long time...I couldn't show that it hurt..."
Lina wrapped her arms around him, listening intently, letting him vent
his
floodgates.
"It hurt so much, Lina..." He began to shake against her.
Lina felt something wet on her shoulder, below Zel's eyes. Lina held
him
more tightly. "I-If I..." Her throat tightened against her will. "If
I...promise to hold you...when you cry... Will you hold me, when I'm
scared?" Her voice cracked.
Zel looked up at her, almost disbelieving. *Lina, so strong, scared?*
She just stared back up at him, almost shrinking with insecurities,
after
what she had just said.
But he smiled down upon her, understanding. Lina had been holding
back her
own floodgates.
"I promise." He smiled, as he nuzzled her cheek and held her.
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