AN: I do not own "The Slayers," I just play in the sandbox.
Set at the end of the 15th novel, after Lina has killed Luke and she sends Milgasea and Memphis out of Gourry's room.
Any fears Lina had over being chastised for crying were swiftly soothed by Gourry's gentle, calm demeanor as the idiot somehow managed to find the right words, words that resonated. Words that she needed to hear as she confronted the emotional storm that having to kill Luke had wrought. He acknowledged that she hadn't wanted to kill Luke, and that she had a reason to be sad. He understood that she didn't want to celebrate or bask in her power or skill. And somehow, he gave her hope that she would get through this.
"Idiot," was the only reply she could manage, yet somehow it didn't seem like an insult.
He smiled a little, as if to say he heard the underlying meaning of what she said, and then he patted the bed beside him, inviting her in. It was all the encouragement she needed to climb in beside him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried herself to sleep.
When she woke in the morning still encased in his arms, she felt a mix of emotions. Embarrassment and confusion waged with how safe and secure and loved she felt. It was wonderful to wake up with him beside her. But as always, she was unsure about what the boundaries were in their relationship. Was he comforting her because she was a woman in need, or did his feelings go deeper? She didn't know and couldn't figure out how to ask. So the conversation was avoided as they woke and prepared for the day. Yet despite the awkwardness, it was far from the last time she came into his bed. To the contrary, it was the last night she slept alone.
From that point on she kept finding excuses to share a room. Money was tight, when it wasn't. Inns were booked, when they weren't. Nights were cold, and they were. Winter was coming, and the chill they felt was real, so Lina said it was okay if they shared a bed. He could even get under the covers. It was too frigid for him not to. She didn't even warn him against getting fresh.
After all that had happened, after all they had been through and seen, all the times they had nearly lost the other but hadn't, it was comforting to share a bed. So they never stopped. And keeping a modicum of personal space didn't last long either. Not even one night. Soon they were seeking the other out, but they stopped at just holding each other, taking comfort in the other's presence.
Looking back, Lina wasn't sure if the process of going from just holding each other to sexual intimacy took days, weeks, or months. But there was a progression from just holding each other to wandering hands. From wandering hands to steamy kisses. From steamy kisses to disrobing. From disrobing to actual exploring. And from there was finally a point where Lina realized she could no longer consider herself a maiden.
And she was completely comfortable with it.
And so from that time on, they passed their days walking side by side and their nights entwined.
AN: This was a scene that originally was supposed to be the start of a different fanfic that I did post, but plot changes required me to cut the opening scene, which I hated because I loved parts of it. Then the latter half of this scene got incorporated into a completely different fanfic that I posted, but I still couldn't fit the first part in. I keep trying to find a place for it, but I don't. Perhaps I will in the future, but for now, enjoy. BTW, anyone who guesses which two fanfics this scene intersected gets a prize! I'll make the announcement when I do my official yearly fanfic recap.