Lina muttered darkly to herself as she opened the dressing room door. She was going to hurt Amelia and Filia after this -
Somehow the whole slayers group, including Xellos and Filia, had arranged to have a night out at a nice restaurant which had a dancing floor and a stage for the singers and instrument players. And it was a pretty nice restaurant so -
"I don't wanna wear a dress!" she whined to the door.
"Ms. Lina, it's a special occasion, even Filia is getting a dress!"
"NO!" she screamed.
"If you don't, I'll tell the guys about the time you got really drunk at the inn after one too many Zelfian glasses of wine while they were gone!" Amelia threatened.
"You wouldn't dare!" Lina's face turned red.
"Try me!" Amelia's voice held mirth.
"Are you sure you’re not part mazoku?" she muttered with anger as she slipped off her top and changed into the dress.
"HEY!" came the indignant reply.
After an hour of looking for clothes the girls walked around and decided to go full out on the whole ordeal. Minus Lina, but she was dragged into it anyway.
So they went for the public baths, the manicures, the hair dresser, and finally dressed up. Lina was NOT happy.
"What a pain!" she tugged at her blue dress and sighed in frustration.
Amelia wore a gown that was green and was mid calf length and short sleeves with a belt. Filia wore a white dress which reached her ankles and form fit at the top, while from the waist down it frilled out. Poor Lina, she was wearing a dress which had an empire waist which meant the dress sash cam right below the chest and from there on down the dress splayed out. The sleeves were off the shoulder sleeves and the dress was low cut.
They walked down the inn's stairs and were met with three men who were dressed in tuxedo's. As the men saw the girls walk down, their jaws dropped to the floor. Gourry walked up to Lina and just looked at her for the longest of moment's.
Everyone noticed this and stared at the two in interest as Lina blushed furiously. Gourry than spoke up... Which we all know means he was going to seriously screw up the moment...
"Gee, Lina, you actually look like a girl!"
The group facefaulted as Lina beat the ever living life out of him.
"BAKA! Insensitive - " she was pulled off by Xellos.
"Now, Lina-chan, remember to stop while he's still breathing - Besides all of us still have that restaurant date..." he put her down away from Gourry and slipped beside Filia, "Shall we?" he slipped his arms around her, and Filia's eye twitched...
"HENTAI NAMAGOMI!!!" she whipped out her mace and thwacked him into the atmosphere.
Zelgadis sighed, "Come on, you guys, from the direction he's heading, he should be waiting line by the time we get there."
True to his word, as they came to the building, Xellos was there in line. He waved his hand at them, and they walked over.
"Hello, Filia-chan! How are you?" he asked sweetly.
If looks could kill, he would of turned into a puddle of goo instantly.
"Xell, quit baiting her." Lina smacked him across the head and he smiled, much to her disgust.
"Thank you, Lina-chan." Xellos said.
Lina refrained from comment as they waited in line. As they got in, they gave their names and were escorted to a table close to the dance floor. All of them sat down and gave their orders to the waitress. Who almost passed out when she heard the amount they wanted... (which could of fed a continent and a few smaller cities and towns...)
The three men were talking quietly as Amelia was asked to dance, and Filia and Lina talked together.
"Gourry, are you still going to?" Xellos asked.
"Yes, I just hope she has the decency to fireball me outside of the restaurant, I don't want to pay for the damages she may cause..."
"Just be honest with her and - if she does throw a fireball-" 'If' I say...yeah right no way she wouldn't fireball him for this... Zelgadis thought to himself, but he continued, "Duck."
Gourry sighed and nodded. After the dinner arrived, and Amelia had reseated herself, they chowed down. Gourry seemed to get more nervous as eight o' clock approached...
All of a sudden, a man's voice boomed over the crowd, and it went silent.
"Ladies and gentlemen! I hope you are enjoying the music, the food, and the fun. Were going to be doing something special in five minutes, so I hope you look forward to it! Now, you gentleman, grab a girl and dance!"
The man stepped off stage and the music began playing and couples went onto the dance floor. Xellos turned to Filia, "Care to dance?"
"Not with you, namagomi." she muttered darkly. He slightly winced, then sighed.
"Amelia?" he asked hopefully.
Amelia kinda looked startled and glanced from him to Zelgadis, sighed, stood up and nodded. Xellos fancily spun her round as they came onto the dance floor and started dancing with her.
Zelgadis sighed and sipped his wine. (what you expected coffee? well suffer, he's at a nice restaurant and even he takes a break...) Filia looked to the dancing couples and wistfully sighed and turned back to Zelgadis shyly.
"Ne, Zelgadis?"
He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Do - do you - IwaskindahopingImeandoyouwanttodance?" she asked quickly.
Zelgadis raised his eyebrows at the onslaught of rushed words, and realizing what she meant, slightly nodded and stood up offering his hand, as they too, joined the dancers. Which left Gourry and Lina -
Why can't he ask me? She thought to herself. Stupid jerk...
Gourry stood up, and her heart sped up...
"Lina, I need to do something, be right back ok?"
Lina facefaulted and waved a hand at him dismissfully, "Fine. Go."
He left and she laid her head down on the table which had been cleared away. It wasn't fair! She then heard a voice sound over the audience once more but didn't even bother to look up.
"And this song is dedicated to a fiery young little lady out there, you know who you are!"
Lina blinked but sincerely doubted it to be her. She then heard music begin to play and an all too familiar male voice sing out, and in tune no less....
We were strangers,
Starting out on a journey,
Lina's mind flooded with memories from days long passed by...
Great, it some wide-eyed flat chested little kid. I thought I was rescuing a babe! A luscious damsel in distress, not some skinny little toothpick...
My name is Gourry Gabrieve! What's yours?
It's Lina! My name is Lina Inverse!
They had barely known each other for five minutes, yet he was all ready to protect her till she was 'safe'. Lina looked up slowly as she noticed that Gourry WAS on stage, and what sent a flutter through her was he was looking directly at her. He continued singing:
Never dreaming
What we'd have to go through,
She smiled, they had fought Shabernigdo together, copy Rezo, Eris, Vrumagan, Gaav, and Fibrizo. And had lived through it all. Though she would never admit it she had grown closer to the dumb, sweet guy.
And I'm suddenly standing,
At the beginning with you.
Through thick and thin, heaven and hell, and they still were a team, they were still friends... She didn't know why she was feeling so many emotions at once.
Gourry continued putting forth all his emotion into the song that was meant for her...
No one told me,
I was going to find you,
His hand moved outwards and pointed to her, and he looked at her smiling gently, many couples turned to see who he had pointed at and found their attention on the blushing sorceress...
Unexpected,
What you did to my heart,
He brought his hand to his chest, and she saw warmth and love in his eyes... She looked out to the dance floor, which held five couples, two of the couples were her companions, who were smiling and slowly dancing with their partner, looking at her and Gourry.
When I lost hope,
You were there to remind me,
This is the start.
Gourry looked at the sorceress and took a breath, she hadn't fireballed him yet... Had she any idea how much he meant every single one of these words he was singing to her? He may not be the smartest thing on the planet, but he knew what he felt for her.
During the times when he had been miserable, or when the group had lost any and all hope of defeating their enemies, she had been the one to yell at them that they still had a chance and they were going to win cause they still had their WHOLE lives ahead of them. It was only the beginning, and she wasn't about to stop.
Life is a road,
And I want to keep going,
Love is a river,
I wanna keep flowing,
Life is the road now and forever
Wonderful Journey.
Lina stood up and could only just look at him with shock and an open mouth. The words seemed to bury themselves deep within her heart.
I'll be there,
When the world stops turning,
I'll be there when the storm is through ,
In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you.
He once again moved his hand to her, and she lowered her head a little, feeling a blush creep across her cheeks. She had heard this song before, and knew it by heart, not many knew of it for it was very old and was rare.
Filia sighed at the romantic scene before her as Gourry sung to Lina telling her what he felt... She frowned, that would never happen to her -
While he sang he stepped down off stage, and the couples left the dance floor leaving him there still singing to Lina. As he held out his hand to her, she started to sing the next verse out loud, and he stopped singing to look at her in shock, but also with love.
We were strangers,
On a crazy adventure,
Never dreaming,
How our dreams would come true...
The words came out with a graceful ease, and she held out her hand to take his as she walked to him. Xellos watched with a secretive grin as he watched the two. Amelia sighed and said something to the equivalent of, How romantic -
He saw Filia watch the two on the dance floor, and he felt sadness from her, she didn't love Gourry, so it had to be sadness because of something else... She's lonely...he realized. He quietly looked at her and turned back to Lina and Gourry.
They watched as Lina continued the verse. They never knew she could sing...
Now here we stand,
Unafraid of the future,
At the beginning with you.
She reached him and placed her hand in his, and he felt a happiness wash over him. They then both continued the song and many people cheered.
Life is a road,
And I wasn’t to keep going,
Love is a river,
I want to keep flowing,
Life is a road,
Now and forever,
Wonderful journey.
Gourry then took Lina and began dancing with her. She started swirling to the music with him, singing on as the band continued, and the crowd watched.
I knew there was somebody somewhere,
Like me alone in the dark.
Lina felt tears build behind her eyes at the truth of the statement. After she had ran away from home, afraid for her life, (Luna), she had felt as if a cold nothingness had washed over her leaving her blind, lost and lonely. And Gourry had been the light who had saved her.
Now I know my dream will live on,
I've been waiting so long,
Nothing's gonna tear us apart.
Lina could see the sincerity in Gourry's eyes as he sung this and his grip on her waist and hand had slightly tightened, but not much, and he had brought her closer to him, they were so close now...
Two singers had come on stage and as the man and woman began singing taking Gourry and Lina's place, Gourry and Lina themselves continued dancing and swirling to the music, and Amelia and the group began cheering them on.
Life is a road,
And I want to keep going,
Love is a river,
I want to keep flowing,
Life is the road,
Now and forever,
Wonderful Journey.
Gourry took a breath and prayed what he was going to next wouldn't get him fireballed, or worse, dragon slaved -
Life is a road and I wanna keep going,
Love is a river I wanna keep going on,
Starting out on a journey...
Lina couldn't believe she hadn't tripped yet... Why was Gourry so close to her?
Love is a river I wanna keep flowing,
Gourry stopped twirling her, and they stood in the middle of the dance floor. He looked at her carefully as she gazed at him slightly confused. Everyone in the room held their breath anticipating what he was going to do...
In the end I wanna be standing...
Gourry took a deep breath and with his right hand tilted her face up to him and with his left hand brought her so close to him they were touching and could not have gotten closer if they tried. Lina's breath caught in her throat as she began to realize what he was about to do -
"I love you - " he whispered as he slowly bent his head down and kissed her gently, deepening it when she kissed him back and had wrapped her arms around his neck.
Their friends cheered and whistled at the two and even Zelgadis held a smile upon his face as the two kissed.
Author's Notes: Okay, well, I am on a bloody rampage of song fics and - (interrupted by screams of horror and hysteria) sweatdrops - And I decided, screw it, I'm sending more in. This song is from the movie,Anastasia, and the idea to write it hit me like a ton of bricks when I was on the school bus listening to the track - blah blah. Well 'nough with the chatter, on with the story! (oh yeah...I don't own Slayers or the song...)
