The Ebony Flowing
" The Calm After the Storm? "
By: Tamoko Sanjii
There the knight stood, muddled. Lina could see his brow lower in confusion, due to her reluctance to answer him. The lower it got, the more confused he was. /((_?)\
Lina, what's your problem tonight?!
Lina's eyes fell upon the ground as a small girlish smile crept across her lips. She thought she made a mistake by giggling at him, but Gourry didn't mind at all. He blushed actually, putting his arm behind his head in a nervous state, rubbing the back of his neck through his long hair.
" Ahhh…stop it…" he laughed, " I can't help it."
" Gourry…" Lina shook her head, knowing he knew she didn't mean it in a critical way. A weird feeling came across, she was forgetting something…?
" Hey! Lina! You didn't smack me this time!" Gourry exclaimed, holding up a finger at her. His face had brightened, thankfully enough.
" That's right!" she answered, after realizing he was right. " Thanks for reminding me!"
" No, come on!"
Gourry turned from her, shooting down the hall before she could respond. He stopped near the stair case, cocking his head to the side, smiling like a small child. It quickly faded when he realized that Lina hadn't budged. She was staring at him queerly. " You weren't going to hit me, were you…?"
Gourry, you're hopeless…
Heaving a deep sigh, Lina followed his trail. Just after stepping down onto the first wooden stair, the swordsman took her hand into his. A heated rush exploded deep down within Lina's body, spreading quickly to her arms and legs, anything that was capable of moving. Gourry gave her shaky hand a tight squeeze, clearly feeling her damp palm.
Don't worry, Lina…
With a secretly smiling soul, he proceeded on, walking with her down the stairs.
" Gourry…?" Lina voiced, as they approached the bottom of the staircase.
" Just helping out the famished, M' lady." He said warmly, trying not to look back at her beautiful face. " I guess you were too hungry to talk back there, huh? I'm starving too!"
" But…no ones serving at this hour, Gourry…it's too late…" Lina took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut for a second or two. Gourry let go of her hand, going on ahead into the dining area.
" So what, Lina," he reasoned, " how long have we been staying here? Besides, they KNOW what YOUR appetite is like!" Unusually smart for Gourry, she thought to herself.
She shrugged off the butterflies and followed him into the kitchen.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After the meal, during which Gourry noticed Lina had barely touched her food, the two travelers still sat together at the round wooden table, listening as the storm died out, going further into the distance. It had to be about midnight, and they both hadn't said anything while eating. It was very awkward for both Lina and Gourry to sit there in silence, but this past while, Amelia Zelgadis and Xellos were always there with them. ( Not that Zel would talk much. Maybe an occasional correction of Gourry's speech and a threat or two to Xellos about misleading them, but none much otherwise. ((_-))
Gourry thought of ways to start conversation, desperately seeking to hear Lina's voice again…
"…Sooo..ummm…" Lina looked up from her reflection in the polished table, listening to her companion carefully.
Come on Gourry! Think, you idiot, THINK! She thinks you're dumb enough, now you go and open your damn mouth with nothing good to say?!
" LI-naaa…." He tapped his finger against the table, frustrated, while the sound slightly echoed in the empty dining room. She looked at him, raising an eyebrow.
"GOU-rryyy…" Lina answered back, hoping it would release some of the tension. She caught his blue eyes, and couldn't force back another smile.
Gourry adjusted himself in the uncomfortable wooden chair, sitting straight now with his knees together under the table . He found himself gazing at her again, but, God! He couldn't help that she wasn't stopping him! Lina is so beautiful, he thought, so ravishing… More than anything else he ever saw in his life! Gourry completely forgot about opening his mouth to Lina, as he pondered. Why DID such a beautiful woman travel with someone such as himself? How did no other man desire her as badly as he did? Where did their relationship stand, really? Gourry once told her that he would protect her for the rest of his life…for, as long as he could protect Lina, he could always be near her…make sure she was safe…make sure she was happy…make sure she had someone to love her…
" Lina…" he started over…summoning up the courage within.
" Hmm?" Something told her, that…
" Lina…what… " Gourry sighed, trying to think of how to put this without asking the OBVIOUS question. " …What exactly…do…" he wanted to stop badly now, thinking he was wrong in asking her. But it was too late…Lina was listening with her heart open wide.
You can't stop there. Go ahead…a voice seemingly whispered to him. He looked directly at Lina now, wondering if that was HER thought.
" What exactly do you…think of me, Lina?"
Her heart pounded hardly against her ribcage. She could feel it everywhere, heavy and fast in the back of her neck, her fingertips, legs… The same rush erupted deep in her stomach, surging to all parts of her body. She could feel the blood rush into her cheeks, turning them into strawberries. Funny thing is, is that it all happened in a split second.
" I…" Lina breathed out, trying to maintain her focus.
She saw that same look in Gourry's deep blue eyes. So curious, yet somehow, knowing.
Can I really-…?
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