Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, but if I did I would be incredibly happy. Anyways, I wrote this fiction for a friend of mine, and I hope they enjoy it, as I hope all of you do (I am a big Lina/Gourry fan, so I enjoyed writing it). Reviews and criticism are welcome, and I do admit it is heavy on the mush, but that is what was asked for.
Edit – I've begun to work on the next chapter of this story, but I believe I will have to raise the rating up a bit (R Rated). I hope that won't dissuade any of you who enjoyed the first part to stop reading. That being said, the second part should be out soon, I just need to find time to write it (currently in college). Also, I corrected some grammar and changed a view sentences.
My Only One
By: Kast
Gourry Gabriev awoke with a start, gripping the sheets of his bed with an astonished look in his eyes. He gazed around his room frantically, his eyes darting to each piece of inn furniture as if it concealed some hidden secret or could offer him some form of solace. Content that his close scrutiny didn't reveal anything unusual or important, Gourry finally lowered himself back into bed, resting his head on the soft pillow with a longing sigh.
It had been more than three months since Hellmaster Fibrizo's defeat, but Gourry had recently started having strange dreams concerning the events afterwards. Until a week ago, he could only remember chasing after Lina as she floated towards the giant black "thing" in the sky. However, more and more visions of what took place inside the dark sphere were slowly coming back to him. Images of Lina's body surrounded by a glowing golden light, and her swiftly floating away from him as he furiously chased after her. He could hear himself yelling at her, pleading for her not to leave him. He could see himself finally reaching her, both his sword and armor gone, only to have her fade away from his grasp. He experienced the overwhelming sorrow and frustration at watching her vanish, and then the feeling of unbridled joy when she reappeared in his arms. The dream had ended there the previous night, but Gourry knew that something else had happened, something wonderful that he had yet to see. He had been waiting in anticipation all day to see how it would end and the result couldn't have suprised or pleased him more.
"Still, how do I tell Lina..." said Gourry quietly, as he rolled over in his bed. Thinking wasn't usually his strong point, but a plan was slowly coming together in his mind. They would be in Seyruun tomorrow, meeting Amelia and their other friends for a grand festival that Prince Philionel was hosting. Gourry knew this would be the perfect time to tell Lina...and then it hit him, the flawless and most memorable way to show Lina what happened, to show how he felt about her. Content that his plan was a good one, Gourry looked out the window to see that dawn was slowly approaching. A small smile crept across his face, and he shut his eyes to get what little more rest he could.
It will be perfect...thought Gourry as he drifted off to sleep...all for Lina...
"Gourry!" shouted Lina, "Hurry up or your going to get left behind!"
Lina continued walking down the trail at her leisurely speed, a pace that Gourry should have easily been able to keep up with. However, every time she turned around he was falling further and further behind, looking as if he was lost in some deep train of thought. Lina knew that something wasn't right since they ate breakfast in the inn that morning. Gourry, usually as much of a ferocious eater as her, barely touched his food. Also, she caught him staring at her several times, but when she turned to look at him, he quickly averted his gaze. One time, she could have sworn he was smiling...
"Gourry!" bellowed Lina again, "Come on! I don't want to be late for the festival, and I especially don't want to miss any of the food."
Gourry finally snapped out of his trance, and noticing the considerable distance between himself and Lina, began to sprint until he finally caught up.
"Sorry Lina..." murmured Gourry, rubbing the back of his head with his hand, "I guess I keep losing track of where I am."
"That isn't surprising," said Lina, "What are you thinking about anyways jellyfish?"
Gourry look startled for a minute, but he quickly recovered his composure and told Lina not to worry about it. This puzzled Lina for a moment, but she soon brushed it off as nothing more than typical Gourry behavior.
"I wouldn't mind if you would keep up," said Lina, "But than again you have been acting pretty suspicious lately."
"Me? Suspicious?" replied Gourry, trying to look as innocent as possible, "I don't know why you would say that."
"I don't know who your trying to fool Gourry," said Lina, "Your appetite has apparently disappeared, and I could swear that you've done nothing but stare and smile at me for the past six or seven hours. In fact, I believe you know something you're not telling me."
"Umm, well, you see..." replied Gourry nervously, desperately trying to come up with an answer for his apparently strange condition. He knew what Lina was doing, pressuring him so he would get confused and reveal his thoughts to her. The problem was that even though he knew her plan, there was little he could do to stop her. Lina had a way of coercing information out of people, whether they realized it or not. His only hope was that some miracle would occur within the next five minutes to interrupt her inquisition and save him from revealing his perfect plan.
"So Gourry, are you going to tell me what's going on?" asked Lina, cocking her right eyebrow in a way that suggested she would take nothing less than the absolute truth.
"I...that is..." Gourry stammered for a minute, trying to think of a reply that would buy him some time. However, just as Lina was about to tighten the noose, the city of Seyruun came into few. Gourry had never been happier to see the city, and immediately began to run towards the main gate.
"Come on Lina!" shouted Gourry, "We don't want to be late!"
"Hey, wait up Gourry!" replied Lina, caught off guard by Gourry's sudden burst of speed, "I want an answer!"
Whether he heard her or not, Lina began to chase after him. She finally managed to catch up to him, both of them now sprinting towards Seyruun side by side. Suddenly, Gourry picked up his pace a little and started to pull away, a fact that irked Lina's natural competitivness. She in turn ran faster, pulling a little ahead of him. Gourry caught up to her again, but this time they both turned to look at each other, a challenging demeanor overtaking their faces. Lina's sly smile and quick nod and Gourry's smug appearance signaled the beginning of the race, and both participants began to run all out towards the finish line. Lina began to pull away slowly, her cape bellowing out behind her as she picked up speed. Convinced that her victory was assured, she decided to have a little fun with her protector.
"What's the matter Gourry," chided Lina, turning her head slightly and teasingly waving her finger back and forth, "Tired already?"
"Maybe I'm letting you win Lina," replied Gourry, teasingly waving his own finger back at her.
"I doubt that Gour..." Lina wasn't able to finish her taunt, however, as her foot caught an upturned stone on the road. She began to fall, throwing her hands forward to try and lessen her inevitable impact on the hard ground. She chastised herself for being so careless, and knew that there wasn't enough time to cast levitation due to the sudden surprise of her fall. All she could do was watch the ground rush towards her…
The impact never came, and instead Lina found herself lying on top of Gourry, who had protectively encircled her in his arms. Not only had he managed catch up to her, but he was also able to dive under her and use his body to soften her landing. They laid on the road silently for a few seconds, their eyes locked and bodies pressed close together.
"Gourry..." whispered Lina softly, looking to see if Gourry's face showed any sign of pain.
"Are you okay Lina?" Gourry's face was a mask of concern, his blue eyes studying her for even a hint of discomfort. He hadn't even answered her question yet, but just continued to stare intently at her.
Lina nodded a silent yes, and began to push herself off of Gourry's chest. As she rose though, she felt something holding her down, and for the first time noticed how Gourry's arms were wrapped around waist. A deep blush crept across her cheeks, and Lina froze, staring at Gourry with a flustered expression.
"Do you mind..." stated Lina bluntly, in a voice that Gourry recognized very well. He remembered her screaming about her stolen innocence in that tone, before knocking him into a small lake of cold water. Gourry quickly released Lina from his grasp, and backed away slowly. He waited for the inevitable spell or kick that would send him sailing through the air, and kept his eyes focused on watching to see if she made any sudden moves. Lina surprised him though by simply offering her hand to help him up and brushing off the dirt and dust from his clothes and armor.
"Lina?" asked Gourry cautiously, still expecting the blow to be delivered at any moment.
"You helped me, and I helped you," replied Lina in a very friendly tone, "Now we're even."
Lina gave him a quick wink and continued walking towards the main gate of Seyruun, with Gourry now following closely beside her. They arrived at the gates within in a few moments, and were escorted through the city towards the palace by an entourage of royal guards. Gourry silently breathed a relieved sigh, and looked over at Lina to see if she was going to start her line of questioning again. Apparently, though, she had forgotten all about her curiosity over his behavior, and was only concerned with following the guards. Gourry smiled briefly, and was content with the fact that all was still going according to plan. Now, he only needed to get Amelia to play her part…
"What is this?" asked Lina incredulously, eyeing the silk gown with a disdainful eye. Not that Lina had anything against dresses, or the expensive jewelry Amelia had laid out on her bed, but the fact that a festival would require such formal attire was a little peculiar to her.
"You didn't know Miss Lina?" asked Amelia, "This festival is a very special and important event in Seyruun, and everyone will be wearing their finest clothing."
"I don't see you wearing a gown," replied Lina skeptically, once again her gaze falling onto the array of luxury laid before her. The dress itself was a simple ball gown, but the fabric was a rich blue silk of incredibly good quality. Lina ran her bare hand over it one more time, and shivered in delight at how amazingly soft it was. The jewelry itself was also simple in design, but looked stunning due to the beautiful craftsmanship of each piece. A pair of blue slippers cut from the same silk as the dress was sitting on the floor before her bed, but there was another item Lina couldn't bring herself to stare at for more than a few seconds. A matching set of blue silk lingerie, also created from the same silk as the dress and slippers, was laid out on the bed next to the dress. Lina herself never wore anything so frilly or lacey, considering it would get only get damaged on one of her many adventures. But now, looking at it lying on the bed, she began to wonder what it would feel like…
"I'll leave you alone to get ready Miss Lina," said Amelia, "I need to wash up and change as well." Amelia then hurriedly exited out the room, closing the door with an abrupt shove. As she turned to face the bed again, Lina could have sworn she heard Amelia giggling outside the door before hearing her retreating footsteps…
After Amelia had left, Lina shed her clothing and went to take a much needed bath. The bathroom, which adjourned the bedroom by a large ornate door, was completely covered in white marble and silver trim, and the tub itself could easily have held five people. Such luxury, Lina concluded, was never wasted on her, and she giddly walked forward towards the tub. After adjusting the faucet until she found the right temperature, Lina went to gather the rose scented soaps and oils that surrounded the nearby sink. Once she was satisfied with her provisions, she returned, gingerly placed one foot into the tub, and after contently sighing, slipped her entire body into the wonderfully warm water. All the dirt and dust from the road had left her feeling grimy, and the touch of the aromatic soap against her skin was something to be savored. After soaking for a bit, Lina noticed a bottle of shampoo near the tub, and decided to begin the arduous task of washing her long hair. She remembered washing Gourry's hair once, the memory of him sitting in the tub and asking her for help brought a blush to her cheeks.
"Why am I blushing," said Lina aloud to herself, "I've dressed Gourry up as a woman before, something like washing his hair shouldn't embarrass me."
Even though she told herself this, she couldn't stop thinking about how soft his hair had felt, or the swelling feeling in her chest when he told her how good it had felt…
Lina shuck her head fervently for a minute, and scolded herself for thinking such silly thoughts. Gourry had never shown any romantic interest in her, so why should she think such things. But a flood of memories began to surface in her mind during that moment, memories of Gourry saying how he would protect her for the rest of his life, of him risking his own life again and again to save her time after time...
Lina sank down into the tub, only the top half of her head remaining above water. She contemplated this new outlook on their partnership, and began to think. Auntie Aqua, later revealed to be the memory of the Water Dragon King, had once asked her what kind of relationship she had with Gourry. Lina had dodged the question back then, but now she was seriously contemplating it.
Lina ducked her head completely underwater, pondering her new predicament as she washed out the last remnants of shampoo from her hair. She stepped out of the tub, carefully avoiding any damp, slick spots on the marble floor. After making her way out of the bathroom, Lina dried off and approached the bed, staring at the clothes before her.
How does he feel about me…thought Lina, as she dressed for the festival.
Gourry paced back and forth in the hall nervously, waiting for Lina to come out of her room. Night had fallen over Seyruun, and the commotion of the festival below could be heard even through the thick stone walls of the palace. Amelia had told Gourry she picked out the perfect dress for Lina, and had even added a special surprise to her apparel. Gourry liked the idea of a surprise, but all he was really thinking about was seeing Lina the minute she walked out of her room. Zelgadis had come by earlier to see him as well, wearing his traditional white attire. Apparently Amelia had tried to get him to put on something more formal, but he had outright refused and stated that his clothing was fine as it was. An hour had almost passed since then, and Gourry was beginning to wonder if Lina was ever going to come out.
The shirt and pants Gourry was wearing were comfortable at first, but it seemed the longer he waited for Lina the more he itched. Gourry was starting to debate if the clothing was possessed by some form of curse, when he heard a creak coming from Lina's door. His focus immediately shot up from his shirt, and became enamored with the figure standing before him.
He had never seen Lina look more beautiful. The dress she wore flaunted every subtle curve of her body, and she moved towards him with a catlike grace that he had never noticed before. She stopped in front of him, her head tilted down towards the ground.
"Is something wrong Lina," asked Gourry, curious as to why she was looking at the floor.
Lina lifted her head slowly, revealing that she had applied a small amount of makeup to her face. Her lips were painted a deep crimson, and her eyes shone with a preternatural force that struck Gourry like lightning where he stood. He could also smell rose and jasmine in the air, and decided that Lina must be the source of the enchanting scent. After a few seconds of nervous tension, Gourry offered his hand to Lina, which she took with a gracious bow. Both of them smiled at this small act of civility, and proceeded to make their way towards the bustling streets of the festival.
Amelia and Zelgadis greeted them at the palace entrance, and hoped they would have a great time at the festival. Lina, confused as to why their friends weren't coming with them, was told not to worry by Amelia, and was assured that she and Zelgadis would meet them later. Zelgadis came forward and wished Gourry good luck with a peculiar intensity, but than again, Zelgadis had always been a very serious individual. Even more confusing was when Amelia leapt forward and ferociously hugged Lina, with perhaps the biggest smile to ever grace her face. Lina felt Gourry pull lightly on her arm, and she averted her gaze from the chimera and princess to see him smiling at her with a big grin. Lina tossed back her hair, and gave Gourry an inquisitive arch of her eyebrow, which he simply ignored and pulled her into the crowd.
The night was filled with dancing, games, and most assuredly food. It went by as a blur for Lina, but the one constant thing in her vision was Gourry. He seemed increasingly on edge as the evening progressed, however, and continually made sure that they were doing everything she wanted. When Lina asked him about this, he had only answered that everything had to be perfect tonight, and wouldn't say anything more on the subject.
Naturally, Lina's stomach was stirring with butterflies by the time Gourry had taken her to a dark balcony located on the west wall of the city, and her curiosity was finally getting the better of her. Lina was prepared to grind Gourry for some answers, when he turned and looked at her with an unbridled intensity, a look that made her body freeze and her heart beat furiously.
"Do you remember when we fought Fibrizo, Lina?" asked Gourry, "When you cast the Giga Slave and lost control?"
Lina nodded a wordless yes, taken back by the strangeness of the question. For one thing, Gourry remembering any enemy's' name that they had fought was a major surprise, and his continued refusal to lessen the power of his gaze only dumbstruck her more.
"I told you and the others I could only remember chasing after you," continued Gourry, "Until I entered that thing in the sky."
"I remember," said Lina quietly, afraid that if she raised her voice it would break the spell he had weaved over her.
"I've been having these dreams lately," said Gourry softly, "Dreams about what happened to both of us…"
Gourry walked back a few steps, and turned to face her, a look of pure purpose taking over his features.
"I didn't think telling you would have been as special as showing you," said Gourry, "So I decided that is what I would do."
"You were floating away from me, and I was yelling for you not to go," as if to animate his words, Gourry took a single step forward, closing the distance between them by a small margin.
"My armor and sword were gone, but I knew that if I could reach you, if I could just get to you, you wouldn't leave me alone," Gourry took three steps forward, and was now directly in front of Lina.
"I grabbed you," Gourry raised his hands and placed them on Lina's arms, "I had finally made it to you, but then…you just disappeared."
Gourry released his hands from Lina, and she noted with a hint of dismay that she didn't want him to let go. His arms lowered to his sides, Gourry proceeded to tell her his story.
"I didn't know what to do then," said Gourry, "I didn't want to go back, because I knew you wouldn't be there. I don't think I've ever felt as sad as I did then."
Gourry surprised her by boldly placing his hands on her waist, and moved his body close to hers, almost pressing the two of them together. Lina's eyes glowed with heartfelt tears, and the realization that Gourry was truly doing something wonderful settled over her.
"But you came back to me," whispered Gourry, "I was so happy, to just know that you hadn't left me, that we could continue being together…"
"I…Gourry…this is…" said Lina breathlessly, trying desperately to regain her composure, her heart beating against her chest as if it was struggling to be free. Gourry silenced her by placing a finger over her lips, a request she obeyed willingly. She would do anything to hear how the story ended.
"Your eyes were closed," said Gourry, and Lina obediently complied. It was so unnatural for her, to feel so powerless against someone. But, by the same token, this wasn't a bandit or monster asking her to do this, but her protector. The feeling didn't terrify her in the least though, it was just strange, as if some deep well of emotion had been tapped within her, and feelings for Gourry she couldn't control were taking over. Her legs were weak, she felt flustered and hot, but Gourry's arms were supporting her. She brought hear hands to rest squarely on his chest.
"And then you opened your eyes," said Gourry, tightening his hold on Lina slightly. Lina slowly opened her eyes, and was once again meet by Gourry's gaze. It was different though, his eyes were soft now, no longer driven by purpose, but almost appeared overwhelmed by the thought of what was coming.
"Gourry," whispered Lina, her eyes studying the loving expression on his face.
"Lina," whispered Gourry, slowly moving his lips towards hers.
The kiss was stronger than any enchantment or spell she could think of. Her legs finally buckled, and she fell into Gourry, her weight being completely supported by his strength alone. Lina found her hands roaming over his chest, and she could feel his hands resting on the small of her back. The kiss deepened over time, and both Lina and Gourry could feel the rising passion within each other. Suddenly, Gourry pulled away slightly, his face flushed and his chest rising and falling heavily with each breath. Lina herself was overcome with quick shallow breaths, and a hurt and confused expression was coming over her face. She hadn't wanted the kiss to end, and Gourry pulling away from her was surprisingly hurtful…
"Gourry, did I do something wron…" Lina wasn't able to finish though, for Gourry said the words she had been longing to hear.
"I love you, Lina Inverse," said Gourry, his right hand brushing away the new tears forming in Lina's eyes.
"I love you, Gourry Gabriev," replied Lina, and with that, the two embraced again.
An understanding dawned on both of them in that instant, that a pledge of great love had just been forged…a pledge that would last a lifetime.
Fin