Gourry let out a huge sigh of relief as Lina fell into his arms. He caressed her hair while whispering sweet nothings into her ear, mostly sugary sentences like 'I'll never let anything happen to you ever again' and 'I love you so much.'
Lina craned her neck and looked into his eyes "Gourry, darling…" she blushed "do you love me?"
"Yes." Gourry stated without having to think "You mean more to me than all the worlds hanging on L-Sama's staves."
"Would you die for me?" Lina smiled, her eyes twinkling while holding his gaze.
"Of course." It wasn't a lie, Gourry knew he would lay down his life for hers at any given moment.
But that's not what she meant. "Good." Lina smirked, showing her feral grin as she shoved her dagger straight into his stomach, eviscerating him.
Gourry woke up with a start. This was the third time in the past week that he had a similar version of that dream. Zelgadiss stirred from beside him, grunting some curse in his half awakened state before going back to bed. Gourry focused as he remembered that they were in the cabin of a ship headed to the Outer Worlds, a little over a week since they had left Zephilia. Gourry turned his back to Zelgadiss so that he was facing the wall. Although he wanted cold comfort, he didn't want to wake the chimera up.
Lina woke up uneasily as she tried to decipher her quickly fading dream. All she could remember is long locks of blonde hair and a horrible emptiness in her chest. The semi light pouring through the window told her the sun was on the verge of rising, so she decided to dismiss the thought and get out of bed.
Upon stepping into the main hall in her robes she saw Cailan sitting down next to a fire pensively. "Silver coin for your thoughts?" Lina smiled, sitting next to him.
"500 silver coins and you have a deal" he smiled, looking at Lina from the corner of his eyes. "No, we're all just concerned about you. Although we've heard of a fugue state like this, no one at the temple has ever experienced someone who is going through it. We don't know how to help you."
"I figured as much. It's been what, a month and a half, and still nothing?" Lina sighed, not taking her eyes from the flames. Something about them mesmerized her.
"I'm sorry, Lina darling." Cailan half smiled.
"Cailan…" Lina took her gaze from the fire to his profile "You told me you were the one I was thrust to? Please tell me everything about that night. Please." She pleaded
The beastman sighed, although more out of frustration than sympathy, as Lina thought. "A priest, I never captured his name, came on a horse drawn wagon and dropped you off at the front gate, that I was guarding. He told me you were a child bride from a neighboring village that he lived near, and that your husband beat you mercilessly. He found you at the side of a road in the condition he brought you to us, bruised and beaten. I took you in and he left."
"Can I tell you a secret?" Lina looked at him with an uneasy face.
"Of course, Lina darling, anything."
"I keep having a dream… but when I wake up all I remember is long blonde hair and an uneasy feeling. I think I'm kinda gay?" the petite redhead blushed.
Cailan risked a shocked glance at her and then smiled. "Anything is possible" he mused, as the redhead leaned into his shoulder and fell asleep.
A/N okay so in my head Gourry's 'cold comfort' means spooning, but you can certainly think what you want since i'm not opposed to the pairing ;) (and hey, in the manga i've seen worse between amelia and lina...) and also in case you havent noticed (and you probably havent) this fic is a bit heavy on the Buffy quotes, as i just finished rewatching the series. so forgive me :)