Chapter Two: Rhapsody in Blue

Note: 'Aoi' means Blue. We debated the naming a bit at the time because most of the names in Slayers are very Western. (Hence the many alternate spellings.) But 'Aoi' was actually supposed to be a nickname, so just imagine that if you were to hear them call a child 'Blue' in canon, there's a chance they would say it in Japanese.

Zelgadis wasn't stupid. He knew Xellos was up to something. His lack of real surprise since mentioning the thing pillaging their garden, and the way he smiled now, made it all too obvious that Xellos had known about the child the whole time. (He wasn't too sure how, though, and that was one thing he wanted enlightening on.)

He wasn't even angry about knowing Xellos was hiding something. Once, when those secrets had involved toying with his and his friends' lives, he would have been angry. Now he knew he could trust Xellos with his life and his heart.

It was comforting in a way, to know that Xellos hadn't changed completely upon becoming human. He was still Xellos. He kept things to himself until he felt like sharing them, and he plotted when he was trying to be clever or sneaky as if Zelgadis couldn't tell. As if he didn't know the older man well enough by now.

That was what bothered him the most – not that Xellos was plotting something, but that he thought Zel didn't know he was doing it. The chimera knew it was nothing that would endanger their lives so he didn't see his lover's need to hide it.

Well, he supposed, he was just going to have to confront him about it.

"My goodness. You could have just asked, Aoi-chan. We have plenty to share."

Zel glanced at Xellos, startled, before realizing where the name must have come from – the boy's hair was a pretty shade of blue.

He sighed. "Well, you might as well come in for dinner, kid." It wasn't as if they didn't have enough and the kid looked half starved. Besides, it would help him figure out exactly what his lover was plotting.

He had no plans of stopping what Xellos had in mind. He just wanted to know what he was planning. It seemed Zelgadis hadn't changed much either in that sense, domestication aside.

The boy looked surprised. "But I stole from you…"

In addition to being half starved, his clothes were dirty and torn, he had no shoes, and it was almost hard to tell that his hair was blue underneath the grime.

"Only because you were hungry," Zel remarked knowingly. "I don't know anyone who wouldn't if they needed to. Lucky for you, Xellos always cooks more than we eat." Even though occasionally it was things they couldn't eat. Xellos' experiments could be interesting.

"I got used to serving Lina-san's large appetite!" Xellos giggled, releasing the spell and offering the boy a hand up. He was smiling kindly. "Come."

The boy eyed the offered hand with wide blue eyes before accepting. "Alright…"

They led the boy into their home, where he proceeded to look around with curiosity and—yes, eagerness. As if he had wanted to see the inside for awhile. Zelgadis saw his eyes light on the large hand-crafted table and the decorations they had scattered around the dining area. Off to the right, the kitchen was large, filled with delicious aromas, and had onions, garlic, and various herbs hung within easy reach.

"Dinner will be awhile yet before finishing," Xellos said. "Let's wash up. We're all dirty from the garden."

Zel noted how delicately Xellos touched on the subject of the boy's appearance. The boy noticed it too and sent him a grateful glance before walking up to the sink. He got the boy a step to stand on (he was maybe five, and small for his age). 'Aoi' rolled up his dirty sleeves and began to wash the various layers of grime off with warm water, looking grateful to do so.

No child should be happy to get clean, Zel thought sadly. Especially a boy. Children should enjoy getting dirty.

"You allergic to anything?" Zel asked him, handing Aoi a wet cloth as the boy started on his face.

"Don't think so," said the boy. He seemed comfortable with them. Zel and Xellos kept their distance, reaching around the boy to wash their own hands, instinctively not wanting to scare Aoi. But he only seemed a little skittish.

He definitely didn't seem startled at all by Zel's appearance. At home, the chimera had no reason to hide his appearance, so his stone face and wire hair were clearly visible.

The boy noticed him staring and frowned up at him. "What? Never seen a dirty orphan before?" he asked with a small amount of heat, and perhaps shame.

Zelgadis looked away, uncomfortable from the reminder of certain things. "Used to be one myself."

He didn't remember his parents. He had a vague memory of a funeral and of living in a dark house all by himself, until an impossibly tall, purple-haired man took him away. Rezo burned down the house and they never returned there.

Then his days had been filled with light, and learning, and purpose. Even, occasionally, with fun. Rodimus and Zolf had taken care of him, because of all the mercenaries that had worked for Rezo, they had been around the longest. Dilgear and Noonsa had come later, but most of Zel's memories of them were fond too. He lived, slept, and ate meals with Rezo's guardsmen, and even as a teenager, all of them had seemed to look after him.

It was something he could never explain to Lina—how everything in his life had finally fallen completely apart when he met her. Everyone that ever meant anything to him was dead in just a few days, by his hands or hers. He couldn't even hold a grudge because they had been fighting for their lives and it was the right thing to do.

And Rodimus and Zolf, the ones that had been like fathers to him, had died in battle trying to save the world. It was hard to find fault in that—but he still missed them.

"Oh," the boy whispered.

He shut off the water and took a seat at the table while Xellos checked on dinner. His hair and clothes were still a mess, but the brief washing helped.

Zel set the table for three people. "So you're an orphan?" he asked awkwardly.

Aoi was looking around the dining room again, but a little more soberly now. "Yeah… You have a lot of magic things," he added, obviously not wanting to talk about the orphan subject.

His eyes settled on a cluster of small floating bobbles that moved in hypnotizing circles. They were supposed to mirror the movements of the solar system. Amelia had sent it as a house warming present, among other items. The princess seemed ecstatic about them having a home, though Zel wasn't quite sure why.

Zel smiled faintly at the colorful bobbles. "Comes with being a sorcerer." He was proud of their home and everything in it. It made Xellos happy and he had done it with his own hands. Having steady furniture that wouldn't break under his weight was a perk too. That had always been a risk when staying in inns or even the Saillune royal palace.

Xellos continued to move about the kitchen as they waited, cutting up slices of bread and toasting them over the stove.

"Most beast people I meet aren't very good with magic," the boy commented shyly.

Zel winced. "I'm not a beastperson." It was better than being called a monster, but only slightly.

An awkward silence fell, neither sure what else to say, until eventually Xellos came in with the finished stew. He served the boy first.

"Zelgadis is a chimera," he told Aoi with a soft smile.

"Oh." The boy flushed. "Sorry. Didn't mean to offend."

Zel shrugged. All things considered, he had gotten worse reactions for his looks. "Don't worry about it. Go ahead and eat as much as you want."

Needing no further encouragement, the boy dug in with zeal. It was all too likely that it had been some time since he'd had a proper meal.

Xellos sat down beside Zel and introduced them in his usual polite manner, if a little more gently than usual. It reminded Zel a lot of how Xellos had been with Zel-chan, Zelgadis' second childhood. Due to a curse in one of the fake Aqualord shrines, Zel and Lina briefly became children for a few days, and Xellos had taken care of him with a steadfast loyalty.

It was in part what finally convinced Zelgadis to trust him.

"What's your name?" Xellos asked.

The boy shrugged. "Don't got one."

"Hmm. We shall continue to call you Aoi for now then."

He was so surprised he actually stopped shoveling food into his mouth. "For now?"

Xellos smiled gently. "Until we think of something better. You do know why things are named, don't you?"

"I think he's more surprised at the idea that we're inviting him to stay," Zel told him, a little amused that Xellos was also going into teacher mode.

"Ah, yes. That is what I get for thinking a few steps ahead, I suppose."

Ah ha. So that was it. He was starting to comprehend Xellos' plan now.

Aoi was flushing uncertainly. "I don't know why things are named, and I don't know why you're inviting a stranger to stay in your home."

"You don't have either," Zel noted softly. "Would you like them?"

"I…" The boy was blushing hard.

"Then you won't have to steal from people's gardens, Aoi-chan," Xellos pointed out kindly.

Aoi swallowed thickly. "I—I'd like that," he said finally, shy.

Xellos looked at Zel then, a question in his eyes that the shaman understood immediately. Can he stay? It didn't matter if it was only for a few days, or what he thought Xellos was hoping for, there was no way that Zel could simply let the child leave. Not after seeing so much of himself in Aoi.

He knew Rodimus and Zolf would expect better of him than that.

Zel nodded silently at Xellos, who smiled.

"Then welcome home," the former priest said to the boy.

It took several minutes before the boy said anything else as he struggled to keep from crying. When he eventually did, he asked shyly, "Why are things named?" as he resumed eating.

"Things are named," Xellos explained with a raised finger, in teacher mode once again, "so that they are bound to this world. Without a name, they are not bound by anything. They float away."

Zel smiled. That was a paraphrase on how teachers taught beginner magicians about spells and how they worked. He had never heard it applied to people before, but he thought it made sense, albeit in a strange way. "I figure you're old enough to pick a name on your own, so let us know when you decide on one. Until then, we can just go with Aoi."

Xellos pouted. "We cannot name Aoi-chan?"

Zel shook his head firmly. Sometimes, he could resist the pout. Sometimes. "He should be allowed to choose his own."

"I suppose." The pout lessened.

Zel smiled wider, amused, and changed the subject. "Next time Lina visits, I guess Gourry'll have to settle for the couch, since Aoi will need a room of his own."

"She certainly would not take the couch herself," Xellos giggled. "But I suppose it would be unfair to Amelia-san to ask her to."

Lina and Amelia had been together almost as long as Xellos and Zel, within a few days at least. Zelgadis often wondered if they had anything to do with that, or if it was a coincidence; but the girls weren't talking and he had enough tact not to ask. The girls were private people, as much as Zel and Xellos were. (While Xellos had to sometimes struggle to not perpetrate any public displays of affection, he still wasn't likely to go around talking about their sex lives.)

"I get my own room?" Aoi gasped.

Zel shrugged. "We have two extra bedrooms." There was no reason not to.

Then Xellos petted the boy's head, saying it was alright, and Aoi flinched a little at the touch. As if he expected to be hurt.

Zel tried to hold in a frown. "Anyway, you can't exactly sleep with us, and we're certainly not going to make you sleep outside or on the couch. After dinner you can decide which room you want."

"Okay," Aoi murmured quietly, then lifted his bowl. "Can I get more?"

"Certainly!" Xellos said, and quickly got Aoi a refill. If he noticed the flinch, which Zel didn't doubt he had, he chose not to comment on it.

The boy would need some clean clothes; the ones he was wearing now seemed hardly salvageable at all, even after a few washings. It looked like another visit to the tailors was in order.

"Those clothes Zel-chan wore last year might fit Aoi-chan in the meantime," Xellos said thoughtfully.

Zel gaped. "You saved them?" What the hell? He'd had no idea Xellos held onto the clothes from his second childhood.

Xellos grinned sheepishly. "Fond memory, Zelgadis. You made such an adorable child."

The chimera studied his eccentric lover, more pieces fitting into place, enough that he decided to wait no longer and confront Xellos now about the plot. "You never said anything about children before."

The other man blushed guiltily, lashes fluttering. "I did not really consider it… until recently, that is."

Zel softened and reached for Xellos' hand, kissing the soft skin of his knuckles. "You didn't have to hide it from me." Nor had he needed to hide Aoi, he added silently, giving his lover a meaningful look.

Xellos blushed further and laughed nervously. They both seemed to notice Aoi watching them at the same time and pulled away mutually, Zel blushing a little himself. He wasn't used to having an audience, apart from their friends, and while they were frequent visitors, they didn't stay long.

"You'll also need a toothbrush and some other things," he said around his embarrassment. "We'll go to a tailor and the market tomorrow."

"I'll pay you back," Aoi told them immediately, finishing his second bowl of stew.

Zelgadis shook his head. "No need. Kids should have someone to take care of them."

Aoi looked like he could hardly believe this was really happening. Zel took pity on him and changed the subject back to shopping. The tailor in Sarta, where they had purchased all their new clothes—and the village where Zelgadis had briefly been a child, coincidentally—would do for Aoi's. Then they could get the rest of what they needed at the market.

They ushered Aoi into the main bath, giving him one of their spare shirts to wear, and the boy insisted on bathing himself even though Xellos was obviously reluctant to let him. It made Zelgadis remember, very clearly, how Xellos had done everything with him during his brief second childhood.

"He hasn't had an easy life," Zel murmured softly, while they waited outside the bathroom door. It was the larger of the two bathrooms he had built; the second, smaller one was connected to the master bedroom.

Xellos nodded but he continued to eye the door in concern. "He is also hiding something. But I still want to help him regardless. He reminds me so much of you at that age."

Looking away, Zelgadis nodded. It was really hard for him not to see the similarities.

"He has the same eyes as you," Xellos went on, drawing closer and touching Zel's cheek, making him meet his eyes again. Now-human purple eyes were filled with concern and fondness.

"You were right, before. I have thought about children. I was merely waiting for the right time, and we have only been living together a year. I wasn't sure it was proper, or if you even wanted to be a father. Then I saw Aoi digging in our garden early one morning…"

The chimera drew closer, resting his forehead lightly on the taller man's shoulder. "We'll take care of him," he said, voice thick with emotion he couldn't express. He really wasn't sure what kind of father he would be, or Xellos for that matter, but there was no way he could just turn Aoi out now.

He still wasn't sure what had come over Xellos, though. Children seemed very out of character. Maybe it was some leftover from Zel's second childhood. Maybe Xellos missed having someone small to dote on, like Zel-chan, but he couldn't be sure. He would try to ask him about this too, at some point, if he thought Xellos was comfortable with answering. Maybe there was more to it than he could see.

Xellos hesitated before he spoke again, fingers lightly brushing against the back of Zel's neck. "Zelgadis? If we find out that he is hiding something painful, promise not to be angry with him."

"He's a kid," Zel pointed out softly. "Whatever he's hiding likely isn't his fault."

"I agree."

Zelgadis smiled and kissed his pale, warm neck, enjoying the closeness and light cuddling. Some sensations were still hard to feel, but he loved this regardless of that. He could feel just enough to make up for what was lacking, and it was still leagues better than feeling nothing at all. He had no regrets about the life he had chosen.

He felt Xellos stiffen at the sound of Aoi climbing into the bath and sighed.

"Let him have privacy, Xellos. If he needs anything, he'll ask. He's not a baby."

He could hear Xellos' pout. "I know that. I still want to take care of him."

"As much as he lets you," he chided gently, petting Xellos' hair some more. He really loved the longer hair. It was one of the few delicate things he could feel most of the texture of, and the slightly euphoric expression his lover got whenever he touched his hair helped considerably.

He felt Xellos shiver a little in his arms and smiled. "You have to give him time to trust us. Don't push him."

"Alright," Xellos sighed quietly, sounding content and relaxed.

Zel tightened his hold and was about to pull Xellos into a kiss when the door opened and Aoi's slightly damp head emerged. He was wearing one of Zelgadis' pajama shirts—light blue and much too big for him, but it would work for the child to sleep in. He was also much cleaner, which was nice to see.

It wasn't quite dark yet, but Aoi looked tired, so they let him pick one of the spare bedrooms for his own and put him to bed. Zel pulled the blankets down for him, and showed him the toilet off the side of the room. "In case you need to use the bathroom during the night."

"'kay," Aoi murmured, tugging the sheet and quilt up to his chin.

"We'll be right across the hall if there's a problem, okay?" Aoi had picked the bedroom right across from theirs, as if he wanted to be near them.

Maybe he wasn't scared of them, but he was certainly scared of something.

The blue haired boy smiled shyly. "Thanks."

"Door open or closed?"

"Closed, please."

"Okay. Let us know if you need anything."

Zel closed the door as he left, and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes while Xellos cleaned the hall bathroom. His lover joined him before he finished, hopping up onto the counter to watch.

When he finished, Zel moved to stand in front of him, grabbing hold of Xellos' hips.

Xellos wrapped his arms around Zelgadis, smiling. "This might change things slightly, of course."

Zel couldn't help but smirk. "No more sleeping in the nude."

Xellos giggled. "No more sex all over the house."

The chimera felt his face grow warm. "That too."

"But since Aoi-chan seems so independent, I don't suppose we'll have to worry about him wanting to sleep with us."

Zel sighed sadly, thoughts back on their houseguest again. "Maybe. We should be careful until we're sure, though."

Xellos began to do that trick of his with his tongue on his neck. "Oh?"

Zel gasped and leaned into the warm, wet touch. "Careful doesn't mean stop."

"Shall we also call it an early night then?" Xellos asked cheekily.

"Oh, yes."

A little while later, while they were relaxing in each other's arms, naked, still a little sticky and sweaty, they heard a noise in the hallway.

Zel and Xellos separated quickly, hurriedly putting their nightclothes on. Zel reached the bedroom door first, which he unlocked and opened.

Aoi jumped in surprise. He was in the act of returning to his room, a glass of milk in his hand, which he looked a little guilty about. He was not sneaking out, nor did he appear to be stealing anything.

"You okay?"

Aoi flushed, looking a little less scared and more sheepish. "Yeah. Had a bad dream."

Zelgadis glanced back at Xellos, not really sure how to handle this. Bad dreams he was familiar with, but not so much how to deal with a child's.

Xellos crept closer and bent down so that he and Aoi were on eye level. He smiled gently. "And you got some milk, that's good. We can warm it for you."

The boy nodded and offered the cup shyly. Zel cast a small spell to warm it up before giving it back. Aoi smiled shyly and sipped.

"Would you like to sleep with us tonight?" Xellos asked, in that same gentle, kind tone. It was not patronizing, like many adults used with children. It was just a kind, honest voice, and it made Zel fall a little more in love with him, which he had no idea was possible.

Zel glanced at the bed, which was still in disarray from their private time. But it was easy to fix. "If you're frightened, we don't mind," he added.

Aoi inched into the room slowly, clutching his milk and sipping little by little. "If it's okay…"

Zel watched his lover smile. "It is perfectly alright. Zelgadis and I were just about to go to sleep ourselves."

"We just need to fix the bed," the chimera said.

"'Kay," Aoi murmured and he climbed into a cushioned armchair that Xellos sometimes sat in to read. He did so slowly, being very careful not to spill his milk.

Zelgadis efficiently stripped the bed and Xellos brought clean sheets in, helping him get the fresh ones on and throw the soiled ones in the hamper. Sex was great—fantastic even—but it did have a tendency to get them and the bed dirty. He knew they still smelled a little like sex, even after washing up quickly in the bathroom, but hopefully Aoi would not be able to tell.

Xellos offered to tell a bedtime story, but Aoi shook his head shyly.

"Sorry. Maybe later?"

The former Mazoku merely smiled. "Very well."

Zel pulled back the blankets. "Climb in."

Smiling shyly, Aoi finished his milk and climbed into the center of the bed, leaving the men to situate themselves on either side of him. Zel pulled the blankets up over the three of them, nervously trying to not touch Aoi too much, but the boy was relaxed. He curled up into a ball and fell asleep pretty quickly, either because of the milk or just general tiredness.

It was a strange sign of trust. Zelgadis wasn't sure what to make of it.

He glanced over the small boy's body to Xellos, who rested on his side facing them, hair pushed back from his face.

It was the first time in a year that they would not be sleeping tangled in one another's arms. Zel wasn't sure what to feel about that, either, not when the reason was Aoi.

Xellos smiled, a tired, playful expression, and Zelgadis felt himself relax.

Things may change because of this, but their relationship wouldn't. He knew Xellos would still love him regardless.

That comforting thought lulled Zelgadis to sleep.

TBC. Thanks for reading!