Beer and Marriage By Dee

Chapter 1

Getting down right drunk is fun. But getting drunk and talking sensibly with Gourry is downright odd.

Lina was drunk out of her brains. And Gourry was just as drunk. And they were talking like normal human beings.

No "what?" from Gourry every other line. No 'bam' as Lina bashed his head every other two lines.

"So, Lina, why did you get drunk this night?"

Lina looked up through bleary eyes. "Me? I couldn't stop thinking," 'about him,' her mind added.

"Ah, your mysterious love, right?"

"Eh?!"

"Ha! I'm right!"

"Gourry, why are you so smart when you're drunk?"

Gourry shrugged. "No clue." He grinned dumbly.

Lina shrugged and stared at her empty beer mug. "Waiter, another round for my friend and I."

The waiter sweatdropped as he carried away at least 20 mugs. Bringing back two more, he scampered away from the pair. The girl was known to blow up whole towns when she felt like it.

"So," Gourry began, sipping his beer. "Who is he?"

"Ah, I can't tell you." Lina drank half the mug in one gulp.

Gourry stopped drinking. He glanced at the silent, drinking sorceress. 'Is she talking about me?' he thought to himself. 'Nah.'

"I can't tell you. Because I think he doesn't return my feelings. I'm afraid of rejection," she mumbled. "And I'm embarrassed. Besides, we're just friends, and I don't want to lose that friendship. The friendship we have means more to me than me telling me him how I feel."

Gourry's eyes widened. 'She is talking about me!' Gourry stood up. He chugged the rest of his beer and quickly left the table.

Lina stared after him. "What's with him?" she muttered. "Was it something I said?" She shook her head. 'Zelgadis.'

Two months later:

"Lina, will you marry me?" Gourry was on one knee in front of her.

Lina's eyes bugged. "WHAT?!" she screamed.

"Will you marry me?"

Lina's eyes burst into red flames. "Where did you ever get the idea that I would marry you?!"

Gourry looked up at her. "That night that we both got drunk. You were talking about me."

Lina's eyes were reduced to dots. "I WAS NOT!" She charged up a number of fireballs.and chased Gourry, flinging them at him, but so angry, she was having trouble aiming.

At last, a burnt Gourry lay at her feet. "Baka, I wasn't talking about you, and I don't love you, and, and, and that priestess, Slyphiel does. So go ask HER!"

Lina stomped off. Gourry pulled himself up. "Slyphiel? Ask Slyhpiel? I miss her. I'll go visit her.without Lina. Eeto.where is Lina?"

Back at the inn they were staying at:

Lina stormed in. The innkeeper had already prepared a very large dinner for her and was hurrying to bring it out. But Lina shot him a look. "Don't bother, I'm not hungry," she snapped.

The innkeeper's jaw dropped and he watched her stupidly as she walked up the steps to her room.

Lina slammed the door to her room. Why was Gourry so stupid? Why did he have to ask such a stupid question? 'Why couldn't it have been Zel?'

The innkeeper looked up as the door opened. A man in a cloak walked in. A gray mask covered his face and the hood of the gray cloak was rolled down.

"Do you have a room available?" his voice was husky and deep. The innkeeper could see blue eyes that sparkled underneath.

"For how long?"

"Just a couple of nights."

"I've got one room left, you're in luck, sir." Zelgadis quickly paid the man for three nights, plus some for dinner and coffee in the morning.

He climbed the stairs and was about to enter his room when he noticed the door next to him was slightly open and curses could be heard within.

Zel had heard curses of that nature from only a few people. Curious, Zel peeked in to see a flash of red hair. Zel's eyes widened. It couldn't be! She couldn't be here! He cracked the door open another inch and saw her. It was her! The same, petite red-head with ruby colored eyes and flame hair. Her black cape lay over a chair and she was pacing back and forth. He could hear her muttering and using the foulest curse words.

"Why the hell did he have to ask now? Not that I'd ever want to, ever. But still, NOW? He has to ask now? And just because I told him I secretly loved a man?" He heard her plop down on the bed with a sigh of frustration.

Zel's heart pounded. She loved someone? Why did he feel like crying? Zel shook his head and knocked on the door.

"Go away Gourry! I already told you I wouldn't marry you."

Zel opened the door. "I'm not going to go away, and I'm not Gourry, and when did I ask you to marry me?" Zel asked, as he tried to go for humor.

Lina looked up. "ZEL!" She jumped up and wrapped him in a big hug. Zel blushed slightly, but returned her enthusiastic hug. Lina pulled away to look up at him. "Zel, what are you doing here?"

Zel shrugged. "On another lead for my cure. Some as always."

Lina gave him a once over. "Still looking, eh? Well, like I always said, you don't need a cure, you look great as is."

Zel smiled, but quickly changed the subject. "So? What's this I hear about Gourry asking you to." he trailed off, waiting for her to fill in the rest.

Lina sighed and plopped onto her bed. "Oh, well, that jellyfish for brains got it into his head that he loved me, and that I returned those feelings." She snorted. "Hah."

Zelgadis settled into a chair and looked at her. "Is there some reason he might have thought that?"

Lina blushed a bit. "Well, a couple of months ago, he and I ended up drowning our mutual sorrows in 5.or 20 mugs of ale. He thought that I had some mysterious love and assumed.which made as ass out of him, that he was my 'secret love.'"

Zel nodded. "Ah, I see. So he mistook what you said."

Lina leaned back. "And on top of that, he had to mess up my life. Well, I sent him off to visit Slyphiel. He'll come to his senses soon enough. Until then," she shrugged. "Until then, I guess I'm gonna be wandering alone again."

Zel nodded. "Right." He cleared his throat. "Well, let me drop everything in my room, and how about we get some dinner?"

Lina grinned. "Zel, you always know what a girl needs."

Zel blushed. "Yeah, well, it comes with being around you for so long."

Lina's smile widened. "Well, Zel, seeing as how I've got nothing better to do, I'll take you up on that offer. And even better, I think I should tag along with you for awhile. I don't need you getting into any trouble without me around." She winked at him, and Zel laughed as he walked out of the room.

Lina's smile slowly faded after he left. He was here. It was good, and she was happy that he was.maybe this was fate. Or maybe she was getting her hopes up again. Well, either way, it was nice to see him again. And just being around him made her feel better.

"You ready, Lina?" His dark, velvety voice called from the hallway.

Lina looked at herself in the mirror. She could handle it. Of course she could, she was Lina Inverse. "Hai!" She ran out of the room, ready to gulp down some massive amounts of food.

Author's notes: Alright, y'all, this is an old story that I began ages ago. I found it again and edited it just a bit. If I get some reviews, I'll write some more, but only if everyone likes it. Well, read and review. I'm always up for some constructive criticism. Email me if you want, either way, it's all good.

-Dee