Disclaimer: I don't have the ownership rights to any of it.

Warnings: Lemon, some angst.

AN: I think this was the second fanfic I ever wrote. It was very tempting to go in and "fix" it a little, here and there…but if I went back and fixed everything I didn't like on all my fics they would never be finished! So I'm publishing it, blemishes and all. Er, OK so I did make one or two little changes, but nothing major, I swear! ^_^

With Love

by Xellas M.

Zelgadis had been traveling for nearly six months on his own searching for his cure when he stopped to rest at a small, cheap inn. He wasn't even sure what town he was in or where he was headed next. Not in the mood to deal with the curious stares of his fellow guests in the common area, Zelgadis had his meal sent up to his room as he got ready for bed.

It was a warm night, and after he had changed into his pajamas, Zelgadis looked through his open window out at the moon. The loneliness of his condition was starting to get to him and he was missing his companions. Lost in his thoughts, he barely heard the soft knock at his door. Thinking it was the hotel staff come to take his dinner things away, he called out, "Come in!" without bothering to turn around.

He heard the door open and the words "Good evening, Zelgadis-san." The voice was familiar and Zel turned around quickly in surprise.

"Xellos!" Damned if he wasn't glad to see even THAT familiar face. "What…?"

The purple-haired Mazoku, wearing his habitual smile, crossed the room to stand next to Zelgadis at the window. "Such a beautiful night, ne?"

Apparently little had changed with the trickster - he didn't seem to be in any hurry to get to the point of his visit. Still, Zel wanted to enjoy the company for the short while he figured it would take before the Mazoku said something to spoil things.

"Yes." he replied simply.

A few minutes passed in a surprisingly comfortable silence as the two men looked out at the night. A shooting star streaked across the sky. "What did you wish for, Zel-kun?" asked Xellos softly.

Zelgadis did not bother to remark on the priest's sudden informality. Somehow, it didn't seem to bother him. "The same thing I always wish for."

"Granted!" Sang out the Mazoku. Suddenly in his gloved hands he held a small crystal vial. Zelgadis couldn't be certain, but it almost looked like a minute, glowing eyeball glared at him from inside. Zel's good mood evaporated like smoke.

"Quit fooling around!" he said, punching Xellos in the face. Of course; the priest had simply run out of other people to get a good meal from and had come to feed off his hopes.

"Hey! I'm SERIOUS!" snapped the Mazoku, barely retaining his grip on the potion while recovering from the punch. He took Zelgadis' right hand and carefully placed the vial in it. "Here it is. Your cure."

"What's the catch?" Zelgadis' one visible eye narrowed.

"No catch, but I do want to ask for something in return."

"Well…as long as you just want to ASK." replied Zelgadis, echoing one of Lina's tactics.

"That is acceptable."

"Well?"

"Once you have drank the potion, it will take effect immediately," the priest began. Zelgadis looked again at the bottle - such a tiny thing! Against his will, his disbelief was evaporating. Xellos continued speaking, unusually hesitant. "I want you to make love to me. Tonight, before you drink it."

"NANI???" Shouted Zelgadis, looking at Xellos in shock and horror. "You - You - " he stammered.

"I want you." Xellos had taken a step back and his face was now masked in shadows.

"This is ridiculous!" snapped Zelgadis. "Why go through all this? If that was what you wanted, you could have just taken it from me any time. I couldn't have stopped you." His stone fingers gripped the vial with enough force to have crushed ordinary glass. This couldn't be happening!

Xellos sighed. "I happen to prefer my partners willing, Zel-kun." There was something tired about the Mazoku's mocking voice.

"So why tonight? Why before I drink it? I would think it would be more - " Zelgadis gulped, then continued, "more enjoyable for you afterwards."

"Zelgadis, I swear to you that the cure is genuine and will not harm you in any way. You are free to refuse. It is yours, no strings attached."

Zelgadis looked down at the potion, his eyes unfocused. The words the trickster had used were completely binding for any Mazoku. There was no doubt the vial contained exactly what Xellos said it did. But how to answer the question? If he said no, he would remain morally in the priest's debt for the favor. If he said yes, could he live with himself?

Xellos wanted to fuck him (using that word somehow made the act less personal, easier to deal with). The Mazoku was attractive enough and certainly had plenty of experience. If he said yes, they could get it over with and he'd be free to get on with his life. He still didn't understand why Xellos wanted him in this freakishly deformed body, but then no one ever understood that fruitcake's motives.

Zelgadis walked over and carefully set his cure on the dresser. It could wait one more night. He sat on the edge of the bed and said coldly, "Fine. Get it over with." He blinked; just saying the words had sent a shiver of fear mingled with unexpected desire down his spine.

"I'm glad you've agreed to play, Zel-kun." The priest breathed, not moving from his shadowy place in the corner. "But I can't make love to you with your pajamas on. Take them off."

The moonlight softly illuminated the chimera and the bed he sat on as he slowly unbuttoned his pajama shirt. His shoulders were deliciously broad and his arms sculpted, as muscular as they could be and still be attractive on his small frame. The shirt fell to the floor and with shaking hands Zelgadis untied the drawstring around his waist, then stood up to slide the bottoms down to the floor. He remained standing defiantly, waiting.

Xellos quickly removed his clothes and folded them up neatly. He crossed the room rapidly, a purple fire burning in his eyes as he looked at Zelgadis. When he reached the chimera, he cradled the stone face in his hands before kissing him, full on the lips and hard enough to bruise a normal man. To Zelgadis, however, it simply felt wonderful. He grasped the back of the Mazoku's head to increase the pressure of the kiss as their tongues fought for knowledge and control of the other. Their naked bodies pressed together, each pressing his arousal aggressively into and against its cause.

When they finally broke for air, Xellos began biting Zelgadis' neck, nibbling and licking upwards along the edge of the chimera's pointed ear. Moaning, already wanting this so badly and unable to stop himself, tears began to form in the chimera's eyes.

"I hate you." He whispered, then gasped as Xellos raked his fingernails down the chimera's back in response, hard enough to draw blood even from stone. The priest threw Zel backwards onto the bed and held both of the chimera's hands in one of his own with no effort at all.

He looked Zelgadis in the eyes and hissed, "Be that as it may, you are mine tonight and I intend to have you in every way possible." Mockingly, he kissed the chimera lovingly, then caught Zelgadis' lower lip between his teeth and bit down sharply. The shaman whimpered in pleasure and arched his back into the Mazoku's body.

Satisfied that his point had been made, Xellos released the shaman's hands, intent on exploring the stonelike body that writhed beneath him. With hands, tongue and teeth he pleasured the chimera. When he bit down on a hard nipple, Zelgadis cried out and grasped Xellos' head, tangling his fingers in the soft purple hair, pulling it. He pushed the Mazoku's face down to his swollen erection, rocking his hips to rub the sensitive head against the priest's cruel, soft lips.

Xellos was more than happy to comply. He opened his mouth and took Zelgadis completely inside, grabbing the chimera's hips to control the rhythm of his thrusts. The hands still tangled in the Mazoku's hair began twisting and pulling painfully. With one final, sharp tug, the hands ceased pulling as the chimera came and Xellos swallowed, licking up every trace of the shaman's loss of control. When he was finished, Xellos looked up with a wicked grin.

"My turn." He said to Zelgadis, who was still too dazed to understand what was meant even when in Xellos' hands a second small vial appeared from out of nowhere.

The Mazoku opened the vial and poured a tick substance onto his hand. Kneeling between Zelgadis' knees, the slowly rubbed the liquid on his huge cock, waiting for the chimera to fully understand what was happening. When the sated man finally came back to his senses and understood, his breath caught in just the smallest gasp of fear and anticipation.

"Not like this," murmured Xellos. "I want you on your hands and knees." Shakily, Zelgadis rolled over and pulled himself up. Almost immediately, he felt a finger slide into him, coated with what was probably the same fluid Xellos had used on himself. It didn't feel bad at all, certainly it wasn't wonderful, but this he could deal with. Zelgadis gasped as another finger joined the first and, stretching him out, found a spot that felt VERY good. Xellos slipped yet another finger inside of him and he felt himself begin to harden again in spite of his recent release. Finally the priest removed his fingers and positioned himself behind Zelgadis. Zel could feel the large head of the Mazoku's shaft pressing against his opening, and almost before he could wonder how it was ever going to fit, it had slipped inside. Xellos paused a minute before pressing further, waiting for the chimera to adjust with a gentleness that was completely unexpected. Finally fully inside, Xellos stroked Zelgadis' back, carefully avoiding the deep scratches he'd left earlier. He began to move, savoring the feel of the tight passage until his breath began to quicken. When Zelgadis began moving his hips in time to meet each thrust, Xellos quickened his pace until, with a strangled moan, he released into Zelgadis' body.

Temporarily exhausted, the Mazoku disengaged and lay down on his back. Zelgadis, now fully aroused but unsatisfied, looked over to the dresser at the two vials, one open and one still closed. Grabbing the open one, he treated himself the way he had watched Xellos do earlier and prepared to return the favor…

Eventually exhausted, the pair fell asleep in each other's arms.

When he woke up the next morning, Zelgadis was alone in his room. Bitter disappointment rose within him for a minute, which he quickly fought down. Sitting up gingerly, he noticed that the vial containing his cure was still safely in place and that a letter had been placed beside it.

He slowly walked over. Without hesitation he grabbed the letter first and opened it. The handwriting was slanted and rather large and in a few places the ink had run as though wet.

Zelgadis-san,

I thought it best that I leave before you wake up.

You made your feelings for me perfectly clear last

night, so be reassured that I will not be coming back

to trouble you further.

Just this once, however, I'd like to explain my

actions. At some point, I'm not even sure when,

I fell in love with you. I knew you'd never accept

me, or even believe me capable of love, so I

decided the only thing I could do was give you

what you most wanted. Unfortunately, once you

became human again I could no longer have you -

human bodies are a bit frail for some of a Mazoku's

more passionate needs, not to mention their very

short lifespan.

So I took what I could while it was still possible

to do so. I had no idea you hated me quite so

much, but I wouldn't change any of it.

Anyway, it's all over now. I hope you will be

happy as a human again and maybe marry the

Princess.

With love,

Xellos

Zelgadis stared at the letter, re-reading it until the words swam before his eyes. Damn Xellos! He stared into the mirror hanging above the dresser. Somehow, his freakish stone skin and wire hair failed to disgust him the way it always had. He brushed his fingertips against a small bruise left on his neck and wondered what that bite would have done to a human. Killed him, possibly.

Howling with rage, he picked up the vial and hurled it at the mirror. The glass in the mirror shattered, but whatever type of crystal the vial was made of, it was too strong to break so easily. Once again Zelgadis had failed in not knowing what it was he truly wanted. The first time had cost him his humanity, the second had cost him his love.

Sighing, Zelgadis packed his belongings, hanging the small vial, unopened, from a cord around his neck. He had a new quest now: to find Xellos.