No claims to ownership of Kanzaka's characters. Just having fun with them.
Lina gets some reassurance about her body.
After disposing of their extensive main course, Lina and Gourry were about to dig into dessert. Suddenly, LIna heard the laugh she most wanted to forget and saw the endowments she was most jealous of bounce into view. Gourry's eyes seemed to match in size the said endowments, while his hands went over his ears.
"Looks like you landed a cutie, despite your lack of bait, Lina Inverse!" Naga observed as she flipped her hair and lifted up her chest.
LIna sighed in resignation and greeted the loud, raven-haired one, "Hello, Naga. This is Gourry Gabriev, swordsman extraordinaire. Gourry, this is Naga the White Serpent. Before I met you, I traveled with this sorceress/pain the butt."
"Whoa, Lina. Swordsman extraordinaire, eh? It's definitely a pleasure to meet you, Gourry," Naga exclaimed as she thoroughly looked him over.
"Nice to meet you, Naga," the blond responded with some reservation. Leaning over to Lina, he whispered, "They allow people wearing so little clothes in this restaurant? What if somebody spilled soup on her?"
Completely oblivious as always, Naga said, "I hope you two are staying here, Lina. We can talk about our old adventures, and I can get to know Gourry better." She batted her eyes at the swordsman and swayed away to the bar.
Lina was an alarming shade of red and stiff with resentment. Gourry cleared his throat and summoned their waitress, who approached with trepidation. "We'd like everything on the dessert cart, please, including a fruit basket." The waitress complied and hoped the couple tipped well.
"I like cakes," he declared as he looked over the cart, "but I like cupcakes even more." He held up a rich chocolate example which had pink frosting and a cherry on top. "They fit in the hand nicely without making a mess. It's fun to slowly peel the paper off to reveal the goodness inside, and then, to make it last, lick the frosting off before savoring the rest of the cupcake. And two cupcakes are even better." Looking slyly at Lina out of the side of his half-closed eyes, he proceeded to demonstrate, undressing the cupcake slowly and carefully.
Lina initially didn't know why she felt slightly uncomfortable watching him, but as his tongue took its time licking the frosting around the cherry before he engulfed the fruit with his mouth, her hormones told her why. Damn her sneak reading of Amelia's bodice rippers, she thought. Forgetting the pie on her fork, she gulped nervously as he with little noises of delight then nibbled at the rest of the sweet. As he reached for a second cupcake, she began to furiously shovel in blueberry pie, and grabbed an eclair. She blushed in shame at her thoughts as she bit into it and the creamy filling squirted into her mouth. She quickly put the pastry down. and decided concentrating on the baklava might help vanquish the antsy feeling she was getting down low. But her eyes kept going back to Gourry and the ravishing of his second cupcake.
"What the hell is he doing eating like that?" she fumed in her mind. "Being subtle and flirtatious is not something Gourry is good at. Is he really just enjoying cupcakes? Yeah, that's it. Get a grip, Lina."
He finally finished the treat. "I think some fruit might be a refreshing way to finish," he said. "Melons can be good, but you can never be sure of their ripeness or flavor. He looked at Naga at the bar and then with a raised eyebrow and a quirk of his mouth, at Lina. "Apples are more dependable and fit in the hand nicely, just like cupcakes." He tossed an apple into the air, cored and sliced it before it landed, and offered the slices to Lina, who suddenly got the message she didn't have to worry about Naga. She stared in amazement at the swordsman.
He then took a fig from the large fruit basket in front of them. He bit into it and sucked and licked the insides before popping the rest of into his mouth.
An increasingly hot Lina fanned herself and realized Gourry might have been teasing her about going to her home town for the grapes. Could it be his past tactlessness and seeming clueless demeanor were just a cover for the true man?
The heat wasn't lessened by his taking another fig and a banana. "Hey, Lina. Which do you like better? Bananas or figs?" He looked at her seriously. The fact she had traveled with Naga and the lack of sexual intimacy he and she had had all these years made him wonder a bit. Then there was that time she had planted her face in Amelia's chest in fear when Xelloss mentioned Luna to Lina in that trap the mazoku and the inspector had set up.
Lina blushed even redder as she squeaked, "Bananas!"
Gourry heaved a sigh of relief, and affirmed, "For me, figs."
Lina forced herself to look at Gourry and shyly asked the bold question, "Would you mind, uh, sharing my room and canceling yours? Um, the inn is full, and I'm afraid Naga will ask if I'll share with her. She gets sloppy drunk and even more obnoxious. She then can have your room." She took a nibble at the eclair again.
With a satisfied grin Gourry replied, "Be glad to."