Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Inseparable ❯ Chapter 4

Inseparable

Zelgadis woke up the next day with a horrible crick in his arm. He and Amelia had stopped at an inn in a town on the border of Sailoon for the night on their way to Xoana, and he, like a complete (if gentlemanly) idiot, insisted Amelia take the bed and he take the floor beside the bed. "Next time, we sleep on the same level," he commented to himself, trying to ease the aching pain in his arm without moving it to much and waking Amelia. "Propriety be damned, I want use of my arm when this is done."

This verbal outburst was enough to wake Amelia. "Morning, Zelgadis-san." Zel helped her sit up on the bed. "Itai... my arm hurts..."

"So does mine... it'll pass."

"You know, maybe if I had slept on the floor as well..."

"I suppose." Zelgadis didn't add that, if they would be sleeping in close proximity in a room with a bed, they might as well use it. Amelia would just take it the wrong way.

Amelia stood up, still wearing the dress from yesterday, when they had left the palace. It looked... well, it looked like the wearer had done several hours of walking, then slept in it. Amelia tried to straighten it ineffectually.

Zel, who had also slept in his clothing, but, since his clothing could probably stand up to a Dragon Slave (and has), he looked presentable (well, at least as presentable as he always looks), sighed. "I don't think that will help, Amelia."

"I have my traveling clothing in my bag, but I can't get it on," Amelia complained. "I couldn't even get this dress off. The sleeve wouldn't go over your body."

"Well, you will just have to deal." Pain made Zel a cranky chimera.

"Easy for you to say, Zelgadis-san," Amelia snapped back, "but some of us actually care how we look."

"I care."

"Only to complain about how you look like a monster."

Zel realized this was just going to end with them not speaking to each other... bad when two people are traveling together... worse when they were attached to one another. "Let's just get some breakfast... we'll feel better when we aren't hungry and when I get the feeling back in my arm."

Zel led Amelia downstairs and got a table at the combination restaurant/tavern that seems to exist in every fantasy inn. A waiter walked over. "May I take your order?"

"I'd like this and this and this," Amelia said, pointing to the menu. "And a cup of tea."

"You're turning into Lina," Zelgadis commented.

"No... Lina-san would have ordered triple portions of that," Amelia said. "Besides, Zelgadis-san, you are no Gourry Gabriev."

Zel blushed a bit. After all, everyone knew about Lina and Gourry. He recovered his composure. "Yes. Unlike Gourry, I'm actually useful without a magic sword."

The waiter gave them a look of impatience. "Would the gentleman like to order, or would he just like to flirt with his lady friend some more?"

"We're not flirting," Zelgadis informed him coldly. "I'd like some coffee... and a fried egg."

The waiter scurried off and quickly returned with their order. "Ikidekimasu!" Amelia made a grab for her fork and realized that was the hand Zelgadis was holding. "Well, this could pose a bit of a problem."

Amelia's comment seemed to bring the couple to the attention of two local men seated at the bar. "Can't keep yer hands offa her, eh, Rocky?" one said loudly.

"Woulda thought those two got enougha each other last night in their room," his friend added.

Zelgadis rolled his eyes, but ignored the two drunks. He watched Amelia try to eat with her off hand only, then lowered his voice, to talk to her without being overheard. "Amelia... I have an idea. Step on my foot."

"If you say so..." Amelia did so.

Zelgadis bit back a yelp. "Not with the heel... and not that hard! Perhaps I should have said rest the ball of your foot on mine."

"Well, I suppose that makes more sense... not much more, I'm afraid, Zelgadis-san."

"It's simple... as long as some part of me is touching some part of you, the specifics shouldn't matter. Just like when I was traveling to Sailoon -- as long as I didn't step away, I could still circle the city to my heart's content." Zelgadis removed his hand from Amelia's. "See?"

Amelia dug into her food with an intensity normally only seen when she was near Lina and Gourry and mealtimes were like battles over who got to eat what. Between mouthfuls, she said, "But that still doesn't solve our basic problem, Zelgadis-san. We can't exactly walk for this... though it is more convenient for eating."

Zel nodded. "We'll still have to go to Xoana. I estimate we can make there tomorrow." He glanced at their two hecklers, who were whispering comments to each other and snickering. Even with his heightened hearing, he couldn't make out all the words. From the words he could make out, he was glad Amelia wouldn't be able to hear them at all -- virgin princess ears shouldn't be subject to that. Besides, most of their speculation was completely untrue. "I think we'll camp outside tonight. Inns are too crowded."