Cookies for Gourry

by AeroGirl7986

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Slayers or any of its characters. Slayers is owned by Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi and some other people. I think that should go without saying, but hey, don't feel like getting sued today!

CHAPTER 5

With a full course meal in front of them, Gourry and Lina wasted no time. They preyed on the side dishes, they pounced on the main entree; in short, they devoured most of the food after the parents could even start. "Raluf-dear, I never ate that way when we were together, did I?" Fiona couldn't help but ask. Raluf said nothing, just staring at the tremendous speed his daughter and her friend they were eating. "GOODNESS TO L-SAMA! HOW DID YOU KIDS LEARN TO EAT THAT FAST? HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF INDIGESTION!" Raluf, Mr. Inverse, couldn't help but roar at the young pair. Lina just giggled girlishly, stating, "We couldn't help it, Papa. We were SOOOO hungry!" Lina batted her large crimson eyes, knowing that her faher could never stay mad at her for long, as long as she batted her eyes. "Aww, Pumpkin, you know that I can never yell at you when you do that!" Raluf whined, and Lina tilted her head, laughing. Fiona cleared her throat, "So, dearest, how was the business doing today, without me?" she asked non-chalantly. "Oh. Yeah, The store was OK. Some of our regulars stopped in. They didn't see you, so they asked about you. Told them you had the day off. They told me to give you their regards." he informed, stabbing some food on his plate with his fork and inserted it inside his mouth. "Aww, that's sweet of them! I can't believe it's barely been a day, and they already miss me." Fiona sighed. "Maybe because they miss your food that you'd sell there." Raluf stated bluntly. "Hush, dearest." Fiona pouted, sipping her tea.

"Store?" Gourry asked, pausing his eating. "Yep. Fiona and I own a grocery store here." Raluf turned to Gourry, while he nodded, taking in that Lina's parents were both merchants. "So, Luna stopped in today, didn't she? I bet she got quite a surprise today, uh?" her father asked, while patting Lina's head when he was talking about her.

L: You know, Papa, you don't have to do that anymore.

P: Oh? So you can weasel your way out of scoldings by those methods you'd used when you were a girl, but I can't treat you like a little girl anymore? Is that how it is, Pumpkin?

F: Now, now! Don't start an argument, now! Anyways, Luna had to leave early, today, to feed Spot. And, I also remember that tomorrow morning, she's going back to the temple of Ceipheed bright and early. Oh, dearest, remember when we went there for Luna's ceremony for knighthood. She was just a little girl, and yet she was one of the best squires; now, she's an adult, and a full-fledged Knight of Ceipheed! I'm so proud of my two girls!

G: Eh? Luna is the Knight of Ceipheed? Since when?

L: (slams her head on the table, snarls) Now, look here, Jellyfish Brains! Don't you even remember that letter Filia gave us, when she recruited us for help her, Jellyfish Brains? When Filia was referring to my sister? She said that I was the stand-in, and that she asked someone before me; someone more powerful! She asked Luna because SHE is the Knight of Ceipheed! But then, she said she couldn't do it, because of her job, but also because she was a swordswoman, not a sorceress; so she went to ask me. Got it now, Gourry?

G: Don't think so.

L: ARRRGGGHHHHH! HOW COME SOMEONE BE SO DUMB! H-HEY! KEEP YOUR FORK TO YOUR OWN PLATE! (mumbles) I'm gunna teach you a lesson or two. (starts eating off his plate)

G: OI! STOP EATING MY FOOD, LINA! (starts eating off of her plate)

Soon, the war between their silverware started. Forks jabbing, knives slashing, even spoons defending. This went on until Raluf lost his temper, which was quickly. "YOU TWO, STOP FIGHTING IN MY HOUSE!" he roared at Gourry and Lina, who yelped as they threw their silverware out of their hands. "Now, now, dearest. You shouldn't let your anger get the better of you! You know you get migraines when you get too upset, too quickly." Fiona consoled, as she fanned his face with a spare plate. "Fiona ... ?" he qustioned, as she would usually support him. "I'll explain later." she whispered in his ear, then turned back to the scared duo. "Hehe! Don't worry, Lili, Gourry-hon! He didn't mean anything! Well, since you two pretty much finished your dinner, it's time for your dessert!" Fiona giddily said, looking like she was hiding something from them all. This made Lina suspect that her mother was up to something again. That is, she did, until her very-culinary-savvy mom returned from the kitchen with a large plate of cake, the dragon beard candy from before, and other pastry delicaties she tends to fix oftenly. Gourry and Lina let out a triumphant yell as they both finished the desserts, by themselves.

Later that night, Lina decided to retire to her room. She raced upstairs to see her old room again, and was stunned to see everything in its exact place, after all these years. She picked up an old doll she used to play with when she was a child, and noticed something. It was clean. Not a single speck of dust was there. Not a dust bunny; nothing. "Mama's definitely been here. A lot." Lina nodded, sighing. Her mother had a strange addiction to cleaning; she doesn't know if she always had, nor has she ever told her. Nevertheless, she still hugged her old doll close to her, reminiscencing her younger days. "Oi, Lina?" a certain male voice called back, from the hallway. Lina suddenly put the doll back, and opened the door. "What?" she asked, leaning her figure against her door frame, using her arm. "I was just wondering, where will I sleep?" Gourry asked, bouncing his index fingers together. "Uh?" Lina blinked, blushing. "Oh, well, we have a spare room down the hall. Or, at least, the last time I was here, we did ... What are you looking at?" Lina noticed that Gourry was no longer looking at her, not past her shoulder, at her room. "Hey, is this your room, Lina?" he asked bluntly. "Yep. And, Mama actually kept everything where I left it. Of course she's been here, 'cause everything's clean. Wanna come look, Jellyfish?" Lina asked, giving him a cheeky smile. Gourry nodded innocently, and Lina moved out of the way for Gourry to enter.

For a room that was housed for Lina, it was really girly. With a white canopy bed in the middle of the room, with long lacy bedsheets, and matching lace throws pillows, with random stuffed animals sitting on the bed. Her window had a view of the neighborhood, with a window sill for birds to perch and peek into her room. Across her bed, she had a bookshelf which was full of books and spellbooks, on the top of shelf was a place where she sat all her remaining dolls and random stuffed animals. Besides her bookshelf was a wooden desk; a place where she's done almost all her homework before, if she didn't feel like being outside. Besides her bed was a stereo-looking appliance and a guitar-looking instrument; something which Lina always turn to when she was a pre-teen, while she listened and even played her own genre of music. Then, when she plopped on her bed, she turned her head and looked at her wardrobe. In it still kept all her Lina's old clothes she used to wear, even her old outfits she wore so often when she was thirteen and fourteen, when she was travelling with Naga.

Gourry sat beside her, on her bed, taking in all her room displayed. "This room really shows another side of you, Lina." Gourry simply stated, holding one of the stuffed animals that were sitting on Lina's bed. Lina looked at his direction, staring at his back, which was covered by his long golden hair. She was in a trance, just staring at how glossy it looked and how his hair seemed like golden silk; it was when she realized what where her thoughts were leading her that she snapped herself out of the trance. "Hm? Do you mean by that, Gourry?" she asked calmly, almost sincerely interested in what his answer was. "Well, you know, for the past three years I've known you, you've never shown any appreciation for stuffed animals, or anything like this; hey, remember when we were travelling for Sandora, and you had dressed up as a girl, and that Volun guy brought us to his ship and I showed you my room he had for me. You said it was the most girliest room you've ever seen. Well, your room looks almost girlier than my room, then. I didn't know you used to be such a ... girl." At this moment, under usual circumstances, she would've fireballed him right then and there, but merely kicked him off her bed, screaming, starting to whack him senseless with one of her stuffed animals, "WHAT DID YOU SAY? Of COURSE I'm a GIRL! LOOK AT ME; I'm TOO BEAUTIFUL to mistaken for ANYTHING ELSE, GOURRY!"

G: STOP IT! I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!

L: WHAT ELSE COULD IT'VE MEANT, JELLYFISH BRAINS!

G: OI! STOP IT OR YOU'LL MAKE YOUR PARENTS COME UP HERE!

L: I DON'T CARE!

With that, not wanting Lina's parents to be disrupted from any business they were doing, Gourry took it upon himself to try and stop Lina. Since she was standing over him while he was sitting up from the floor, he grabbed her by her legs, lifted her up so she was off the ground and in his arms, wrapping her legs around him, and dropped her on her bed, with him trapped by the strength of her legs. For what seemed like an eternity, Gourry realized that he was on top of Lina, and her legs were still holding him to her, on they were both on her bed. He lifted his face up to look at her, to see that she was looking back at him, both furiously blushing. When it finally dawned on Gourry what exactly was he doing, he immediately jumped off her and awkwardly hurried out of her room, wishing her a good night, and scurried off to the guest room. Lina just laid there, still not fully convinved what just happened just now was real. Her heart was racing, her breathing was a bit faster than normal, her cheeks are burning, her mind was racing.

Did that really happen? Just now? If it didn't, why do I have these feelings? These feelings ... I can't have these feelings! Not for Gourry! He's my best friend! If something were to happen, something like that, then ... everything would change! I can't have that! He's my first best friend I've ever really had, in my life. If I lose that, ...

Lina had to interrupt her own thoughts before the end of that thought had occur. She jumped out of her bed and walked to her wardrobe. She opened the door, and looked inside of it. All of her clothes, her shoes, her jewelry, her socks, everything was in here. She looked through her clothes and saw a small familiar pink robe and mantle hanging in the wardrobe. She just shook her head, and continued to look through her closet till she found a familiar dress in there. "Wow. Haven't wore this thing since the last harvest festival I was around for! This thing is ages old ... " she said to herself, while holding it to her body in front of the mirror provided behind the wardrobe door. "Hey, I still fit into this thing, too!" she cheered, then put it back in the closet. Then, she found what she was looking for: her white and yellow striped-and-polka dot flannel pajamas. She undressed her yellow bandeau, which she always wore over magneta shirt, then proceeded the remove the yellow undershirt, that she wore over her matching magneta leggings. With that, she slipped into her cozy pajamas, and removed all her jewelry. Sighing, she undid her bed, putting all the stuffed animals at the end of the bed. A knock came to the door. "Gourry?" Lina called back, unsure if the person on the other side was Gourry or not.

"Lili? You ready for bed already?" Fiona popped her head in her room. "Yeah, I'm starting to feel a little tired, so I thought I'd just hit the hay." Lina smiled, pulling back her blankets. "Aww. Good for me, that way I get to tuck you in, just like I've always done!" Fiona smiled, giggling giddily. "Um, ... sure." Lina sweatdropped. "So, Lina, do you think you should Lulu tomorrow at her work, so you two can go and have permission to participate in this spring's festival?" Fiona asked Lina, while she slipped in her bed. "Um, I guess." Lina replied, sitting up on her bed, with the blankets covering her lap. Fiona sat on Lina's bed, sighing. "Lili, I have a question for you: what exactly is your relationship with that boy, Gourry?" she bluntly asked her daughter, who was now blushing a storm. "Um, NOTHING! He's just this guy who keep following me and calls himself my protector and all!" she stated, nervously.

F: Lili, I'm your mother. You can tell me; I'm not like your father. You know I've always been the one who's told you to always trust your gut feeling and follow your heart. I know for a fact that Gourry has a fondness for you, and I can tell that you have one for him.

L: WHAT? He's ... fond of me? ... Wait, WHEN DID YOU TALK TO HIM, MAMA!

F: Those details are not important right now, Lili. What I'm trying to say is that it's apparent he has such affection for you, and I think you should show him that you appreciate it, and not by beating him to a pulp, like you'd usually do.

L: Mamaaaa ...

F: Look, the festival's coming up in a few days, and also, his birthday is soon. Why don't you show him then, hm?

Lina laid down, and Fiona proceeded to tuck her youngest daughter in her bed. "His birthday? Jellyfish never told me about his birthday; I don't even how old he'll be!" Lina said to no one in particular. "Well, I know that it'll be on the same day we're holding this year's festival. I think that'd be an excellent time to do it!" Fiona suggested, while Lina made a questioning look to her mother. "What exactly are you scheming this time, Mama?" Lina bluntly asked her mother, while she simply replied, "I haven't the faintest idea what you talking about, Lili!" with a matter-of-fact tone. Lina made a suspicious eye towards her mother, while she laid on her bed. Fiona uncast the Lighting Spell in her room, and looked back at her daughter. "G'night, Lili." she said, taking a last look at her before shutting her door.

"Night, Mama." Lina replied, and rolled over to her side, knowing very well that her mother was up to something. Well, whatever it is, I can think about it in the morning, Lina reasoned, before she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: WOOHOO! Fifth chapter's done & complete! YAY! I'm so happy! Anyways, onto the sidenotes: Raluf's, Lina's father, may be a little obvious, due to the fact that her hair can be identified as orange; what other cute name could be given, as a pet name, for someone with orangey hair? Hmmm, ... how 'bout PUMPKIN! Also, I thought that nickname might suit her, since she tends to favor her daddy when she find herself in a pinch (she just bats her eyes and he becomes putty in her hands, I like that!)! If anyone has read the novel, you guys might've recognized the pink robe and cape I mentioned in here; yes, I LOVE in-jokes! Back in Lina's younger days, she used to go to the Zephilia Sorcerers' Guild to learn her magic, and was bestowed with a certain color title that, even to this day, makes her cringe. The dress she's referring to, and looks at herself with, is the dress she was the one she wore when she remembered her days in Zephilia, crushing grapes for the harvest festival, from Slayers: the Motion Picture (a.k.a. Slayers Perfect). The fact that her parents own and run a grocery store is something I believe to be true; I remember reading something like this in the second novel, along with the fact that the Guild knows her as Lina the Pink. To those who don't know, Luna IS the Knight of Ceipheed; I did NOT make up that fact for the sake of the story or anything. Another thingy I've added is that most people, including me at one point, believed that Luna was a powerful sorceress, even more powerful than her sister. That is untrue, which I remember reading somewhere that that was why she didn't go to take on DarkStar; Filia probably told the prophecy, & knew that she couldn't do it, because she is a swordswoman and not a sorceress. But don't undermind Luna's skills at the sword, she's probably as good as Gourry is; in fact, she had slice a Dragon Slave using a regular, steel sword! WOW, LUNA! That could probably why Lina's no novice with a sword, hm? Their father's quick temper, I felt, should be added, since I felt I had to show WHO she got that from! Also, the fact that Raluf probably constantly gets in Lina's head to always reject any boy who tried anything funny, though I think Lina reinforces it tenfold, I thought it'd be a nice constrast to show that her mother thinks that Lina should attempt to calm down more often. I don't know how many notice, but Fiona stated that she was the one who always trust her gut & follow her heart; I know this is purely my figment of imagination with a created character, but I believe that that is Lina's main philosophy; I know she also travels around to find herself, but that fact that she hasn't come to stopping tells me that that is exactly what Lina is doing (& also to keep Gourry out of trouble, maybe!) Lina's room, a fine example of Fiona's odd love & addiction of cleaning, is sort of based off my room; I couldn't think of anyone else's room to base it off of, so why not mine? Also, I'd like to add that the stereo-looking thingy & guitar are what Lina used to play with, since I can also picture her as a rock-n-roll kinda girl, like me! Gourry pinning Lina on her bed, ... well, you HAD to see THAT ONE comin'! Anyways, I figured this had to give the story a start, & what better way than an idea that would give me a wide, evil grin? Fiona's talk with Lina, I think, gave this the necessary push; now, what's next is Luna's input on all this! STAY TUNED:D (What? You need bathroom time? ... I really didn't need to know that!) Ciao!