Disclaimer: Not mine rights reserved to Hajime Kanzaka
Part 3"Umm, hey Gourry? Uh, I just want to ask you one thing though."
"What is it Lina?" He said as he smiled. She smiled back and turned her back to him while looking over her shoulders.
"C-could you give me another massage? It made my shoulders stop hurting and well now they hurt again soo…" She cut herself off as Gourry chuckled a bit.
"Sure Lina. Anything you want." He placed his hands back on her shoulders and gently rubbed the sore muscles. Lina sighed as she let him work out the kinks again.
'As long as you stay by my side I'll be fine. I won't have to tell you my feelings yet… those three words I secretly hold inside as long as you're by my side…'
Lina grumbled as she turned to face on her left side. She looked over at Amelia's sleeping form wishing that she were asleep right now as well. After Lina had asked Gourry to continue Amelia had came up to their room interrupting her massage once again. By the way she had looked at her and Gourry she probably thought something was going on so Lina reacted the only way she knew. She punched Gourry out of the room yelling that he was a pervert and that he was trying to take advantage of an innocent girl. After that she tried to explain that she and Gourry were doing nothing out of ordinary to Amelia. She would only blush and say she didn't care what they did as long as they we're happy.
Lina huffed out a sigh then threw off the covers on her bed. She got up and walked to the door. Opening it as quietly as she could she stepped out then began her decent down the stairs. She dodged the occasional chair or two but made it to her destination. The kitchen. She couldn't sleep so she thought maybe the food would help her to get some rest after all they still had to go get their supplies that had been ruined, some one who would be nameless in the area. She coughed at the thought. It wasn't really much of her fault it's just that everyone seemed to know her anger point and just would steadily push that button till she couldn't control that anger anymore.
She sighed again then went to look for something to eat. She didn't really want to make much noise so she just grabbed a few loafs of bread and sat down on the counter. She sat there munching as she tried to think of a way again for her to tell Gourry but she just couldn't come up with anything. She glared at the bread in her hand.
"It doesn't matter anymore." She said quietly to the bread and herself. She quickly ate the rest of the bread then jumped down off the counter and made her way back up the stairs for some sleep.
Lina yawned as she looked at a few items from one of the stands they were by as they discussed who was going to look for what.
"So Zelgadiss and I will go this way to get what we need on our list and you and Gourry go the other way." Amelia pointed to the right then pointed to the left for Gourry and Lina.
"WAH?! Why do I have to go with Jellyfish for Brains here?" She looked over at Amelia who was already half way down the street with Zelgadiss. She growled under her breath then looked up at Gourry who just smiled at her. She heaved a sigh and walked up ahead of him while motioning him to follow.
"Come on. The faster we get this done the faster we can eat." Gourry grinned and nodded his head.
They walked along the side carts as they looked and asked for what they needed. They came out with only two new tents, some pans to cook in, and one sleeping blanket for the cold weathers. Lina grumbled at the little pile they got.
"Well the good thing is that we actually looked for some stuff right? So Zel and Amelia won't be too mad." Gourry said. Lina looked at him.
"That's not the point. We can get the things we need we just have to wait three to five days for them to get finished and I don't exactly like the thought being in a town more than two days only cause we still have enemy's out there and will attack this town or any other town we come across." Lina took in a deep breath. "And the fact that we have to go around town looking for thing we really do need, it's just that I'm freakin hungry!" Lina slouched over and just sighed.
Gourry half-smiled then looked around to find a food stand to his luck they were only a few feet away from one. "Hey Lina." He pushed her a bit with his hand. She muttered out something but he didn't catch it so he stood up and went over to the stand.
He looked down at the different kinds of food the seller had cooked up. He smiled as eyed the Roast-Beef on a Stick. He looked at the seller. "Ten of those please." He pointed to the beef-on-stick. The seller looked at him strangely but got ten sticks and gave it to him. Gourry smile as he paid for them then walked back over where Lina still was slouched over. He sat down next to her and pushed her again she sat up.
"What Gourry?!" She yelled and he leaned away from her.
"Ok. I'm sorry. Just thought you were hungry I mean didn't you say you was?" He said as he held out five pieces of the Roast-beef on a stick to her. She looked at then at Gourry and smiled.
"Yeah, yeah I am. Thanks." She took them from him and started to munch on them right away the same for Gourry. They sat in silence watching people pass them now and then some staying talking to one another others running around trying to do errands that needed to be done. Gourry finished before Lina had so he stood up and stretched. Lina, following with her eyes, watched him as he stretched. He leaned his head to the left hearing it pop then leaning it the other way to hear the same. Her eyes drifted downwards only to be looking straight as his…
She adverted her eyes as she was now blushing bright. She quickly swallowed the rest of her beef then stood up. She threw her trash away then picked up the bags and started to walk away towards the inn they were staying at.
"Ah! Oi Lina! Wait up!" Gourry noticed that she got up and left him behind. He caught up to her and grabbed her arm. "Lina what's wrong? You've been acting real strange lately."
Lina, being angry with her self, yanked her arm out of his grasp and turned on him.
"How 'bout you just go away and… and… do whatever you do when you shop alone. I need to go back and rest for a bit." Gourry watched her walk away as he looked at her in a way that only people really notice hurt looks. He sighed then fished out the list they had to look at it again. They needed more blankets. He looked up and to his luck he found the store that was selling blankets. He ran to it and opened the door to the store. A doorbell ringed in the air as he walked in and closed the door. He looked around admiring the different colours that were displayed around the store.
"Can I help you?" Gourry turned around to face a middle-aged woman. She only looked to be 50 or 60 years with short brown hair and she had a kind aurora that surrounded her. Gourry smiled back and bowed politely at her.
"Yes. I… um… was looking for blankets." The old lady chuckled.
"Well you've come to the right store. What is it that you're looking for boy?" Gourry looked at her in a confused way then he remembered that they were looking for weathered type blankets.
"Um… do you have any blankets that can be outdoors?" The kind lady laughed again and nodded her head. Gourry smiled, "Then I'll have some of them."
"We don't have to wait for them to be made, do we? My friends and I are in a hurry so we don't have much time to wait." The seller just smiled and shook her head.
"Oh don't worry, boy. Here we don't make the costumers wait. Just give me a minute and I'll be back with you stuff." Gourry nodded his head. He turned to look at the other nice blankets. Some were made of the finest silk and others heavy to keep bodies warm at cold winter nights. The doorbell ranged again as somebody came in. Gourry turned his head to only see blonde pass by him. Gourry turned his head to see a girl standing by the counter trying to peer inside the back room.
She sighed then turned around only to look him in the eyes. "Oh! Do you work here?" She asked as she walked closer to him. Seeing how she looked up close she was young with her hair going to her mid-back and the way her bangs flared made her look almost childish. Gourry shook his head and she sighed. "Then do you know when the owner of the shop will be back?"
"Yeah she'll be back after she gets my stuff. Why?" She looked at him weird.
"I'm going to be traveling from here to my hometown. My mom has gotten really sick and she asked for me to come see her." She looked down at the floor. "I actually came here to work recently to help here get the money she needs for a doctor but so far I've had no luck in getting a good job to pay the bill fully. Now I have to go back with nothing to give for her." Gourry placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked up.
"That's not true. She has your love. You have been there for her and she has all she'll need to be happy even if you can't get her a doctor. And I'm sure she'll love it when you see her soon with or without money." The girl gave him a smile before the lady had come back with his stuff.
"Here you go, boy. Oh? I'm sorry to keep you waiting my dear. How can I help you today?" The girl turned to look at the older women and smiled.
"I was hoping you might have some blankets on sale. I don't have that much but whatever you have I'll take." She bowed low. The owner looked at the young girl then smiled.
"I'll see what I have." The young girl smiled again then bowed once more.
"That won't be necessary." The two women looked at Gourry. He smiled. "I'll buy another set of what you had gotten me." The owner looked at him then to the girl then back again while smiling.
"I'll be right back with your things."
The girl looked at him. "You didn't have to do that."
Gourry smiled. "Of course I did, that is if you going to be traveling with us." The girl looked confused then smiled.
"Are you sure?" Gourry gave her a thumbs up and she grabbed him a quick hug. "Oh thank you! I promise I won't be any trouble. I'll even cook if needed."
Gourry chuckled and pulled the girl away from his body. "That won't be a problem but now we have to tell my other friends." She smiled and nodded her head.
"Oh thank you so much! My name is Kaori. Kaori Yazawa."
Gourry smiled. "Gourry. Gourry Gabriev. Welcome to the group."