Four - Moving On?
Lina wasn't surprised when Zel still didn't return after dark. Not wanting to be alone, she insisted on keeping Gourry company. Gourry and Lina sat at the small wooden table that was stationed in his room.
"Where do you think he went, Lina?" Gourry knew she was wondering about Zel. She'd been staring out the window for a whole five minutes. The rain was coming down hard and didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon.
"Huh?" Lina blinked as her eyes changed focus from outside to Gourry's face.
"Where do you think he is?" Gourry asked again.
Lina's eyes seemed vacant. That usual spark of cheerfulness was gone. And with good reason. "I don't know..." Lina sighed, leaning back in her chair and resting her arms behind her head. "But I'm sure he'll be back anytime now, Gourry. Just you wait." She smiled unconvincingly.
Gourry didn't return her weak smile. "Lina..."
"Whaaat?" Lina sighed. "Stop worrying. Zel always wonders off on his own. He'll come back when he's good and ready."
Gourry frowned, but didn't reply. He knew Zel wasn't coming back just as much as Lina did. The question was what happened to him.
For a while, Lina and Gourry just sat there. Lina sipped her coffee, staring vacantly out the window at the blinding rain.
"Hey, Gourry?" Lina broke the silence once more. "Gourry?!"
"Huh?? What??" He blinked rapidly, looking around curelessly.
Lina shook her head. Of course he'd fallen asleep. All this thinking was giving her a headache. And Gourry, well, he just DIDN'T think.
Lina stood, stretching. "Well, it is pretty late. So I'm just going to go to bed." She reached up and untied her cape, letting it fall to the floor. Then she bent down and slipped off her boots.
"Oh, ok." He yawned sleepily in reply. "Uh..." Gourry blinked as he watched Lina crawl into his bed.
Lina rolled over onto her side, turning her back towards him and pulled the covers up to her chin. She closed her eyes and yawned. Then she was still.
Now Gourry was really confused. But he decided to just let it slide. A superior look came across his face as he "realized" Lina just needed to feel safe. 'Of course. I am her body guard after all.'
Then another realization came to him. 'Wait! Where am I supposed to sleep now??' He worried, glancing around the room. Gourry sighed and shrugged. "Looks like the floor is it." He declared, removing his armor and boots. The Hikari no Ken was already safely hidden in his closet.
Gourry walked around to the bedside table and blew out the candle, glancing at Lina's face. Something made him freeze. He straightened himself up, just hovering over Lina. His blue eyes looked her over. Her small form was barely visible in the dark. Then, just as it came, the fleeting moment of curiosity was gone. Gourry walked over to the other side of the bed, the one Lina's back was facing, laid down on the wooden floor and went to sleep.
Lina wasn't surprised when Zel still didn't return after dark. Not wanting to be alone, she insisted on keeping Gourry company. Gourry and Lina sat at the small wooden table that was stationed in his room.
"Where do you think he went, Lina?" Gourry knew she was wondering about Zel. She'd been staring out the window for a whole five minutes. The rain was coming down hard and didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon.
"Huh?" Lina blinked as her eyes changed focus from outside to Gourry's face.
"Where do you think he is?" Gourry asked again.
Lina's eyes seemed vacant. That usual spark of cheerfulness was gone. And with good reason. "I don't know..." Lina sighed, leaning back in her chair and resting her arms behind her head. "But I'm sure he'll be back anytime now, Gourry. Just you wait." She smiled unconvincingly.
Gourry didn't return her weak smile. "Lina..."
"Whaaat?" Lina sighed. "Stop worrying. Zel always wonders off on his own. He'll come back when he's good and ready."
Gourry frowned, but didn't reply. He knew Zel wasn't coming back just as much as Lina did. The question was what happened to him.
For a while, Lina and Gourry just sat there. Lina sipped her coffee, staring vacantly out the window at the blinding rain.
"Hey, Gourry?" Lina broke the silence once more. "Gourry?!"
"Huh?? What??" He blinked rapidly, looking around curelessly.
Lina shook her head. Of course he'd fallen asleep. All this thinking was giving her a headache. And Gourry, well, he just DIDN'T think.
Lina stood, stretching. "Well, it is pretty late. So I'm just going to go to bed." She reached up and untied her cape, letting it fall to the floor. Then she bent down and slipped off her boots.
"Oh, ok." He yawned sleepily in reply. "Uh..." Gourry blinked as he watched Lina crawl into his bed.
Lina rolled over onto her side, turning her back towards him and pulled the covers up to her chin. She closed her eyes and yawned. Then she was still.
Now Gourry was really confused. But he decided to just let it slide. A superior look came across his face as he "realized" Lina just needed to feel safe. 'Of course. I am her body guard after all.'
Then another realization came to him. 'Wait! Where am I supposed to sleep now??' He worried, glancing around the room. Gourry sighed and shrugged. "Looks like the floor is it." He declared, removing his armor and boots. The Hikari no Ken was already safely hidden in his closet.
Gourry walked around to the bedside table and blew out the candle, glancing at Lina's face. Something made him freeze. He straightened himself up, just hovering over Lina. His blue eyes looked her over. Her small form was barely visible in the dark. Then, just as it came, the fleeting moment of curiosity was gone. Gourry walked over to the other side of the bed, the one Lina's back was facing, laid down on the wooden floor and went to sleep.