Hmm...where to start with my position about Zelgadis and love...? The thing is that the first impression I ever got of Zelgadis was "loner", and throughout the majority of the series, he always gave off that kind of vibe to me. He's a very introverted, quiet person and extremely focused on his goals. It always seemed to me that Zel was with the others at times simply because they followed him, or that he needed their assistance. He never seemed to travel with them for the sheer joy of it all, but rather because it would benefit him or his quest in the long run.
I think he feels that Lina, Gourry, and Amelia are his friends, probably the closest people he's ever had since Zolf, Rodimus, and Dilgear. But in the end, I still think he's subconsciously using them. I'm getting confused by getting into the wrong part of this. Okay, let me try this again.
I don't support ANY pairing for Zelgadis. Not one. Not even a yaoi pairing.
Don't take me wrong, I'm no militant "ZEL IS MINE!" girl. I've gone to each camp with each pairing (canon, alternative, yaoi, whatever) and read viewpoints and opinions and fics and the like. But everything I read...everyone I saw Zelgadis with...it all seemed to me somehow inherently wrong or implausible, somehow...unreal.
Slayers itself isn't a show about love anyway, but rather a show about action and eventually good over evil, in whatever subtle ways they have. I think it's good that they don't emphasize the romantic subtext at times (except say, in the case of Sylphiel. Martina's romance was done very quickly and in a very silly kind of way, which I think fits the series itself.) and keep it focused on the real issue at hand. I think it would be extremely strange to have any kind of heartfelt, emotional, loving words come out of anybody's mouth at any time in the series (again excepting Sylphiel). I don't think anyone in Slayers could really have a healthy honest relationship with ANYone. They all have so many problems, and they're all so self-contained.
Well, the point is, I think Zelgadis is essentially a loner, and will forever be a loner until he finally finds his cure. It's painfully obvious that that is what he has devoted all his attention towards, and I think it would be unlikely that he would distracted by love for anyone from what he is so fanatically obsessed with. Zelgadis has fixated a great deal of his flaws and problems on the fact that he's a chimera, and in his search for betterment ("I want to be STRONG! STROOOONG!"). I think, in a way, he has idealized the search and acquiring of his cure as the solution to all of his problems.
Again, he's often out for himself and constantly in search for this ultimate answer, ultimate solution. He stays with Lina and friends to help them if they need him out of obligation and because he cares about them, but as the ends of Slayers and Next showed, Zelgadis was not above leaving them to set out on his own. He cares about them, but I think he knows that they are alright without him, and he has more important things to do.
I wouldn't go past saying that Zelgadis is essentially selfish, but heck, almost everyone in Slayers is. I think Zel is a bit more subtle about it then most.
I think any relationship that Zelgadis would try to establish (or rather, someone would try to establish with him, because it's painfully obvious that Zelgadis really doesn't reach out to ANYone at any time or reveal his feelings at all) would eventually become a thing of friction, a hindrance in the search for his cure. I think in the end he would have to go searching for his cure, and I think his one-minded obsessiveness about it would eventually become hard to take for anyone.
Not to mention that Zelgadis, before meeting up with Lina and the gang, led an apparently nomadic life with his friends, Zolf, Rodimus, Dilgear, and probably to some extent Noonsa. He's used to being by himself, and I don't think it truly bothers him as much as it may bother others. I don't think that Zelgadis, even after finding his cure, would ever have the patience to settle down in one place. He seems to me to be someone who is constantly looking for something, a quest or some other mission, that he can perform, something he can dedicate himself to. I don't think Zelgadis could ever truly settle down with anyone.
I think Zelgadis would be able to have friends (heck, he already does!), but I think any relationships deeper then that would be confusing and frustrating to him, considering his relative introverted nature. He can't express himself well around people at all, and his feelings even less. I think he feels comfortable around people who do not expect too much from him, and can handle things without him if required. I think when pressure is put on him to constantly take care of things, it only helps fuel that deep inner-doubt inside him ("STRONG!") of his own abilities.
So yes, I think he has a self-esteem problem (DUHHHH everyone says) which originated BEFORE his curse. Therefore, I think that even if he DID find his cure, he would also have extreme difficulty expressing affection for anyone past friendly, considering his own self-hatred and fear of inadequacy AND his inability to express his emotions at all.
Not to mention that Zelgadis needs a single goal that he can direct all of his efforts at. Something external that he can project all his solutions on. A very "If only I had..." "If only I was..." "If only I could..." kind of complex. I don't think Zelgadis would ever be happy with himself, much less anyone else he would get involved with, and I think he would eventually again become fixated on one goal to define his life and his direction.
And in the end, I think he would again become a loner. I think it suits his personality. Being lonely doesn't bother him, and he doesn't like great crowds of people either. I believe that Zelgadis will continue to search for his cure by himself, and even after finding it, find something else to search for to find that ultimate solution to his problems. He doesn't seem to particularly need anyone. He's a wanderer, and I think he wanders alone.
That's why I don't really support any couplings for Zelgadis, slash or otherwise. It's not that he does not care about the people he's paired with (Zelgadis obviously cares about Lina, Amelia, Gourry, etc., to some extent...the exception here is Xellos, but you could also easily read the hate=love equation if you wanted to get REALLY deep into it, but I digress...) and it's not really a fault of the people involved in the pairings themselves. The problem really lies with Zelgadis himself. I don't think anyone in Slayers would really be able to overcome and destroy that deep self-hatred and constant, obsessive focus that he needs in life, defines him. It just to me does not seem plausible. And he DEFINITLY doesn't seem like the romantic type.
Weird stance, huh? How many peeps did I offend right there? Ooo, wait, lemme make it even more controversial. ::scribble::
Yeah, not to mention it's so obvious that Amelia's boffing Lina anyway.
Mwa ha. ^_^ Just kidding. MAYBE! Mwa ha. ^_^