Revealing Your Heart

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Zelgadis looked up at the darkening grey sky and cursed cruel fate. He shifted the precious bundle in his arms and desperately looked for some sort of shelter. The day had started off normally enough, Lina, Gourry and Amelia fighting over breakfast, but it had deteriorated rapidly from there. Soon after breakfast they had been attacked by two Mazoku, and Lina and Zelgadis had gotten separated from the others In their efforts to draw one of them off. They had finally managed to kill it, but Lina had been injured and knocked unconscious byits last blast, and then, on top of everything, it had started to snow. Mostof the time Zel kinda enjoyed snow, but when Lina's life was at stake...

Suddenly he noticed a small building off to the right. It looked like a shepherd's hut, and was obviously crumbling, but at this point Zel couldn't afford to be picky about shelter, the snow was picking up, and the night would only get colder.

"Hang on just a little longer now Lina." Zel said as he ploughed threw the snow toward the cabin.

Well, at least it has four walls, a roof, and a door that closes. Zel took inventory of his surroundings as he laid Lina gently down in the middle of the wood floor. Whoever had last used this hut had obviously not followed the travelers' code, since the place was practically stripped bare.

About the only thing left was a blanket which had obviously been missed because it was shoved behind one of the bare shelves to keep it from leaning on the wall. Thankfully it was in fairly good condition, there were only a couple of moth-holes, and it was of tight-woven wool, so it should keep her warm. Lina didn't seem to be physically injured past some minor burns to her hands and face...The blast had burned her gloves off and charred the front of her outfit slightly, but it shouldn't have been enough to knock her out for more than a few minutes, and yet it had been over half an hour and she still hadn't woken up. Zelgadis tenderly wrapped the blanket around her and Lina began to stir.

"Oh my head hurts...Zel?" she turned toward him, "Where are we?"

"I have no idea."

"Are we safe?"

"Yes, your Ragna Blade took out that Mazoku, but he managed to hit you with one last energy spell before he disappeared. I tried to get to you in time, but..."

"But you were on the other side of that river still, I understand." Linasaid.

"Do you have enough energy to cast a Recovery?"

"I don't know, but I'll try."

Lina cast the healing spell and Zel shared with her what little power hehad left. Both of them were on their last reserves of power, and Zel realized only after Lina was healed that that little bit of power might have beenbetter used to light a fire. But then again, there wasn't anything in ornear the hut which might be considered firewood anyway, so it was reallya moot point.

Thoughts of fire made Zel realize just how clod it was, and he glanced down at Lina to notice she was shivering.

"W...when d...did it g...get s...so c...cold?"Lina asked between chattering teeth.

"After you killed the Mazoku it started to snow." Zel explained as he tucked the blanket better around her.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked

"I'll make do." he said, "I wear more clothing than you do, and it's fairly hard to freeze stone, after all."

"Zelgadis Greywords, don't you dare pull that 'Noble Self-sacrifice' shit on me. Your skin MAY be stone, but you can get hypothermia just as easily as anyone else, and you and I both know it." Lina raged.

"Honestly Lina, I'm not that cold." Zel said, trying to conceal the factthat he was beginning to shiver.

"Fine than, if you don't want the blanket, then I don't want it either."Lina said, eyes blazing, "My cloak will keep me warm enough." She threw theblanket off and tucked her cloak around her, facing away from him.

It wasn't long before she started to shiver. Zel shook his head. This wouldn't do, not at all. Picking up the blanket he went over and wrapped it around her again, then sat back down nearby and wrapped himself tightly in his cloak, pulling up his mask and hood to keep in as much heat as possible.

When he looked over at Lina he realized her shoulders were heaving. Was she actually...crying? It couldn't be! But it seemed that she was. Hesitantly he went over and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Lina, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Why do you always do that? Why do you always act like you're not worth anything, that your death wouldn't matter? Why can't you understand that if anything ever happened to you I'd die? I know I'm obnoxious and not very ladylike, not to mention not much to look at, but why can't you realize how special you are to me? I love you so much." She started sobbing.

Zel quickly recovered from his shock and pulled her into his arms, rocking her back and forth. "Shh, shh Lina, it's alright." he soothed, "I never realized you might..." he took a deep breath, "I love you too."

"You..." Lina hiccuped, "You do?" She looked up at him.

He nodded.

Lina shakily wiped her eyes.

"I do." he said softly.

Gleefully Lina threw her arms about him and kissed him. "Zel!" she crowed happily.

Suddenly Zelgadis didn't feel nearly so cold as he had a few minutes ago. He blushed brightly, but hugged and kissed her back. "Don't let anyone tell you you're not much to look at. You are by far the most beautiful woman I know. I just don't think you deserve a freak like me."

Lina frowned at him. "You are NOT a freak, and if I have to prove that to you I will." She began to kiss him vehemently.

"Lina, what are you...mmmph!" Zel tried to object, but Lina kissed his mouth shut.

When she finally broke the kiss to breath, Zel caught her hands. "Lina, this isn't like you, what's going on?" He looked concerned.

"What do you mean?" She stretched her head down to kiss his neck.

Zel backed up as far as he could without letting go of her hands. "Lina,you're not yourself. I think the blast from the Mazoku did something to you."

"I understand..." Lina sniffled, "I know I'm immature and underdevelopedand not very desirable and..."

"No, no!" Zel cut her protest off and hugged her tight, "That's not it at all. I just think things are moving a little fast is all."

"I don't think so." Lina disagreed, "If there was any result of the Mazoku's blast it was only a little less emotional control."

Zel looked her in the eyes and tried to gauge if she was really all right. "I just don't want you to regret anything." he said seriously.

"The only thing I could possibly regret is not doing this sooner." Lina said, and he could see the honesty in her eyes.

---

Zel had just enough presence of mind to make sure he collapsed beside Lina rather than on top of her before the "Little Death" claimed him and he briefly passed out.

When he came to, Lina was smiling but shivering slightly. In one swift maneuver he rolled onto the other side of her, bringing the blanket with him and creating a warm little cocoon in which they might sleep out the night in relativecomfort.

Lina snuggled up to him and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Love you." he said.

"Love you too."

They both drifted off to sleep happy and sated.