Author:  DQBunny
Title:  Something More - Affaire de CÏur

Something More

Chapter
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Disclaimer: "Slayers" does not belong to me, but belongs to Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

Note: This fic was originally written for the LiveJournal community, "30 romances", a themed community similar to "30 kisses". All 30 parts will be combined to form one complete story that is the prequel to "Law of the Land." This chapter contains theme #33 Colonge ; Perfume ; Strange smells and theme #29. Affaire de CÏur.

Secondary note: This is the lemon version of this chapter. The clean version is available at Fanfiction.net

oOoOo

Chapter 14: Affaire de CÏur

They left Zefiel City early the next morning, after exchanging tearful hugs with Lina's parents. Lina handed her mother a jewel that she'd embedded with the Vision spell. "We'll use this to keep in contact," she said. "Keep us up to date on what's going on here."

"Count on it," Lana replied and gave her a victory sign.

"Good job, Lina," Raulf said and ruffled her hair. "We'll find a way to get the two of you back here soon."

Lina frowned. "I noticed that last night. You're not calling me 'Lina-chan' anymore."

Lana smiled. "You're no longer a little girl."

The feeling made Lina feel a bit odd and she covered it with bravado. She winked at them and flashed a V-sign in return. "I don't mind if you call me that, though!"

"Okay, Lina-chan," Zelgadiss replied.

Lina promptly punched Zelgadiss and sent him crashing back into a display of apples. She brushed off her hands, admired her new gloves for a moment and turned to Luna.

The Knight of Ceiphied gave her a quirky grin. "If you take as long to contact us next time, I will hunt you down. I'm not going to handle Dinasa all by myself you know."

Lina gulped. "R...right."

The grin spread. "Geez, stop look at me like I'm going to shove a slug down your tunic. That was years ago. Are you still scared of me like that?"

She fought the urge to hide behind Gourry and Amelia. "N...no, not really."

Luna snorted. "Chicken." Then she leaned over to whisper in her ear. "You might want to consider your new husband a little more. If my senses are correct, he's got an amazing capacity to do magic within him."

Lina blinked at her. "Gourry? The guy who sometimes forgets what he ate for breakfast, right?"

Luna laughed. "You never know. He just might surprise you one day."

She shook her head in disbelief. "Anyhow, we're off! And we'll be back when we find out how to beat Shabranigdu!" With a cheerful pump of her fist, Lina led her group away from the store.

The three Inverses watched them run off. "I suppose they live happily ever after, huh?" Raulf asked, chewing on his cigarette. Lana sighed and yanked it out of his mouth.

"Not yet." Luna turned and stared at the Royal Palace looming over them. "I have a feeling all of them have more trials to go through before that happens."

oOoOo

As soon as they reached the city gates, Lina and Zelgadiss grabbed Gourry between them and, followed by Amelia, Raywinged as far as they could. They bypassed Mylenta and stopped by a river not far from it to rest a bit. Then they kept going, racing over the countryside to put as much distance between themselves and the capital city before dark.

"That magic barrier's still up at the border, but as far as I know, they're not checking people going out," Lina commented.

"That's all right," Amelia replied. "I'll use my seal and say you're all with me. They won't be able to deny the influence that Saillune has."

"One thing does bug me," Zelgadiss commented. "Xelloss disappeared right when I was beginning to fight Dinasa. Where did he go?"

Lina shrugged. "Who knows? Xelloss comes and goes as he pleases. I wonder why he was serving Dinasa like that, but it's something I can beat out of him next time I see him."

They camped outside that night, both Lina and Amelia tending to Gourry's queasy stomach with Recovery. He'd born the trip stoically, but Lina knew that he didn't like flying at all.

The next day, they reached the border and passed through with relative ease. They stopped in the afternoon at the first town in Saillune they came to, Hyrel.

Amelia secured three rooms for them and they all immediately retreated to them to rest. Lina was grateful that this room was much larger and so was the bed. There was plenty of room for both her and Gourry, though she hadn't minded too much when she had woke up in his arms both earlier that morning and the day before that. This morning, she didn't even scream or throw him across the campfire when it happened.

Lina stretched on her stomach and nearly jumped when she felt Gourry's hands on her back. She almost yelled at him, but it changed to a satisfied purr when he began kneading the muscles in the small of her back. "Thank you. You're the one who deserves the massage, putting up with all of that flying."

He gave her a weak smile. "I'm getting used to it. A little. It's not so bad with you and Zel holding me up."

"I know. I felt better once we were out of Zefielia. Now, if Dinasa has woken up yet and shoots down the story that my sister made up, then we're at least under Amelia's protection." She frowned and pillowed her head on her arms. "I don't like having to depend on it, but it is nice for now."

It was peaceful, lying there being massaged while a cool breeze came through the open window. It was autumn, and close to harvest time. It really was a wonderful time of year. She was almost asleep when he turned her over and touched his lips to hers.

Awareness returned as he deepened the kiss and she had no choice but to participate. Feelings of desire began to stir low in her abdomen and this time, she was able to recognize them for what they were.

She also knew that this time they wouldn't stop until their relationship was consummated.

They broke the kiss and he felt her trembling under his hands. "You're scared," he commented lightly.

"No, I'm not," she immediately shot back at him.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not!"

"Are too."

"Are not!"

"Too!"

"Not!" She broke away from him and turned onto her side, her heart racing. She wasn't scared of the actual act of making love. There was one thing about having Luna Inverse for a sister - everything was told to you in a painfully honest manner. And Luna hadn't minced words when she told Lina that her first time would not be the end all to be all experiences.

Well, that's fine, she could live with that - only if it got better afterward.

Gourry couldn't understand that she never let anyone get this close to her before. She'd always managed to keep everyone - including him - at some sort of distance. Granted, the distance between the two of them was very miniscule, but it was still there. Once they did this, he would know everything. He would know just how much she loved him.

It's just love, she told herself. It doesn't hurt...much.

She felt the bed dip as he laid down beside her. They stared at the ceiling together, neither of them quite sure what to do next.

"If you want to wait a little longer, it's fine by me," he said slowly. She picked up on the slight strain in his voice and remembered the times they'd nearly lost themselves in their kissing. He wanted this, at the moment probably more than she did. Then she realized the gift he was giving her - the gift of choosing when they consummated their marriage.

She ached to tunnel her fingers through his hair and to feel the steady beat of his heart beneath her hand. She breathed in the scent of the clove oil that hovered around him like a perfume, felt it calm her down. She knew there was something more, a lot more, to all of this. They'd been connected for years, had been able to tell what the other was thinking and feeling. They would be partners in every sense of the word. Was she ready for it?

She noticed he was asleep, his breathing even and his face peaceful. Emotion surged inside of her, the same love she'd been feeling for years. But now she didn't have to hide it any longer.

She snuggled against his side and automatically, he lifted his arm and allowed her to cuddle closer. She wrapped an arm around his waist, rested her head against his chest and fell asleep.

oOoOo

It was sometime around dark when she woke up. The room had grown cold. Lina got up and closed the window, then crept toward the door, stubbing her toe in the process. With a soft curse, she hopped on one foot until she was able to cast Recovery on it.

"Lina?" Gourry stirred, then sat up, rubbing at his eyes.

"Go back to sleep, I just need to visit the necessary. I stubbed my toe. Lighting!" Lina called forth a small ball of mage light and suspended it in the air. "Much better."

She left the room and headed downstairs. When she was done with her business, she noticed Amelia and Zelgadiss sitting in the dining room. She almost went in to see them, then noticed the faint blush on Amelia's cheeks. Wisely, she crept back upstairs and was pleased to find a spread of food waiting for her in the room.

"Amelia and Zel are spending time together," Lina commented, helping herself to some bread. "Do you think they'll ever get their acts together?"

"Who knows," Gourry shrugged and worked on his own dinner.

They ate companionably and swapped small talk about where they were going to head next. First priority was escorting Amelia back to Saillune City. Although Lina wasn't feeling too charitable toward the Sorcerer's Guild as a whole, she figured that the so-called bounty against her would be null at this point.

It was late by the time they were finished and the dishes cleared out. Lina headed back downstairs again and saw Amelia sitting alone, staring into the fire. Now she approached her. "Hey, what's going on?"

Amelia startled, then looked up at her. "Hi, Lina-san."

"What's the crushed look for? You look like you've lost your best friend." Lina sat next to her.

Amelia sighed and rested her head in her hands. "Zelgadiss-san said he was going to split from us in the morning and follow a rumor he heard about his cure, about some powerful spell. He said he'd keep an eye out for a way to separate Shabranigdu from Dinasa, but I was hoping he would return to Saillune with us."

"Don't worry, Amelia," Lina winked at her. "Knowing Zel, I have a feeling we'll be seeing him again soon."

She sat with Amelia for awhile, each lost in their own thoughts. The two shared some sort of puppy love that was apparent, even to Gourry. But Zelgadiss had a higher calling - to that of his cure. Until he found it, it would be something that Amelia would always have to compete with. Lina was convinced that Zel's mind was made of stone as well, it was so thick. But Amelia was also strong, she could handle it.

She hoped that the chimera would realize that if he didn't act on those feelings relatively soon that he was going to lose Amelia, most likely to a politically advantageous marriage.

Her gaze lifted to the ceiling. She was lucky. She was decisively middle-class and could do whatever she liked, marry whom she chose. Lina had a suspicious feeling that Gourry was a little bit higher class-wise than her due to the family's status of being the wielders of the Sword of Light, but since that sword was gone, it didn't matter anyhow. The whole class system grated on her nerves to begin with.

Bidding Amelia good night, she took care of her night business and headed back upstairs. She rested her head on the knob for a moment and weighed an enormous decision in her mind. Eyes set with determination, she opened the door.

oOoOo

She found him where she'd left him, lying on the bed dozing. It would be too easy just to change for bed and go to sleep without bothering him, but damn it, she wasn't a scaredy-cat. Her hands curled into fists and she approached her side of the bed. Sitting, she pulled off her boots and removed the yellow band around her chest before stretching out next to him.

His eyes immediately opened. "What's going on, Lina?"

"Nothing. I just came back from giving Amelia a pep-talk. Zel's leaving in the morning."

Gourry nodded. "Yeah, he stopped by here to tell me. He heard a rumor regarding his cure a couple hours ago."

They laid in silence, staring at the ceiling. Knowing the first move was suppose to be hers, she shifted onto her side and simply looked at him. Her heart did an odd flip inside her chest as she allowed herself to view him as what he was suppose to be to her now - a husband. Not a jellyfish. Not a swordsman. Not a protector. Yet, he was still all of those as well.

His gaze slid over to hers and waited.

She leaned over and tentatively pressed her lips to his, splaying her hands over his chest. Beneath her hand, she felt his heart lurch and it fascinated her. As she kept kissing him, she could feel the changes in his body as it responded to her and it made her feel slightly giddy to have that sort of power over him. She caught a whiff of the oil he used to clean the Blast Sword and it soothed and aroused at the same time.

He gently turned them, reversing their positions so he could press kisses down the side of her neck. Unconsciously, she thrust up against him, not entirely sure what to do. But she liked it in any case. Her hands made their way across his back, under his hair. Her fingers brushed the nape of his neck and he made a startled noise that sounded like a satisfied purr.

Pleased, she nudged him back up until they were kissing again. She felt one of the hands that he'd used to lever himself above her slide across her chest until it reached the fasteners. Then he grunted when he realized he couldn't undo them with one hand and sat up to undo them.

She snickered. "Having problems there?"

"No," he bit out, his tongue caught between his teeth. "What do you use on these, a sealing spell?"

"Not hardly." Amused, she batted his hands away and undid the fasteners herself. "It's just not normal buttons. It's a special type of hook and eye that does a whole lot better at keeping it closed. Do you really want me to bust out in the middle of battle?"

Gourry tapped his finger against his chin. "Well..."

Lina's eyes flashed with temper. "Say it and you're sleeping with Zel tonight."

He gave her an innocent look. "But I don't like men in that sort of fashion."

She sat up, her tunic gaping open. "You are such a jellyfi...," her sentence was cut off as his lips covered hers again and his hand slid inside of her tunic. She gave a little squeak as he began to massage one breast, then sagged into him.

He pulled back. "You were saying?"

"You fight dirty," she grumbled.

He pushed the tunic off of her and tossed it aside, then ran one finger under the strap of the yellow one-piece she wore beneath it. "Why do you wear so many clothes like that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Think about all the running, jumping, getting smashed around we do. Believe me, it hurts. The more protection, the better."

"I can always help you get a good breastplate."

"Yeah, right. No thanks. My one experience wearing your armor was more than enough."

His hands slipped under the straps and started to edge them down, but she stilled them with her own. She eased one arm out, then the other and allowed the fabric to pool to her waist and tried to ignore the trembling overtaking her body.

Her chest size had always been a point of contention between them, from the day they first met and he was upset that she wasn't a full-figured woman. He constantly teased her about them, and she gave back as good as she was given. But now, she wanted him to be happy with her. She had grown some in the five years since they met, but she would never be like Amelia, or even Filia and Sylphiel. Her hands instinctively lifted to shield herself from his view. With every ounce of willpower she had, she forced her arms back to her side.

He considered them for a moment. "They're still rather small."

Hurt, betrayal flickered in her eyes and she felt magic start to well in her fingers.

"But I love them anyhow," he continued, leaned down and took one into his mouth.

The resulting jolt of sensation had the anger fleeing and she cried out as his tongue swirled around her nipple. His other hand started to caress her other breast and she whimpered, clinging to him. He pulled her into his lap and instinctively she wrapped her legs around his waist and ground herself against the hardness that prodded against her leggings and the lower part of her one-piece. She felt his groan of pleasure and knew that she was doing something right.

Her mind growing somewhat hazy, she didn't protest as he pulled back and removed his shirt, along with the rest of her clothing. For her, revealing her chest had been the hardest part, and now that he seemed to be pleased with her, she was nearly giddy with joy.

He returned to her and she started to kiss his neck and thrilled in his own little gasps and moans. So much of this was instinct, she realized. It had to be, she never thought she had it in her to do something like this before.

One hand slid between her legs. Her eyes popped open wide and she started to ask what he was doing when his fingers reached a small nub between her legs. She strained toward him, her legs automatically clamping around his waist like a vice. His fingers slid down and she realized that she was wet down there. Confused, she wondered if she had an accident and started to push him away.

"What's wrong?" He blinked a few times to clear the hazy fog of pleasure just enough to be coherent.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I went before I came up here and...," she stammered and tried to push him aside.

Confused, he automatically flexed his fingers against her and saw the resulting vibration go through her, as well as a small spurt of wetness against his hand. Then he smiled. "No, no, you didn't. It's natural, don't worry about it."

"But..."

"Trust me." He kissed her again and realized it was time for him to take over. It was an odd position to be in within their relationship. She'd always been in charge and he was content to let her guide them wherever they needed to go. Now, he needed to be the one helping her. He pulled her to her feet and kept kissing her. Her hands slid down to his waist, then over his buttocks and she pulled herself to him, quickly regaining her desire.

She felt his hands slide between them again and she hoped it was to go back to touching her where he had been before. Instead, they were working at his own pants and after a moment, they fell away.

She sucked in a breath before stepping back. She glanced down at him and forced air past the large lump forming in her throat. "I suppose this would be the time to break out the sword innuendo, right?"

Gourry rested his hands on her shoulders. "Please, please, don't compare me to the Sword of Light."

"And why not?" She gave him a cocky grin and decided humor was the best avenue to take. "That thing would grow based off of a person's will. It looks like you and your sword had a lot more in common than you thought and believe me, I think there's a lot of willpower on your end at the moment."

"Lina," he groaned.

"Though...," she tapped a finger against her chin. Humor was definitely the best way to deal with this. "With the Blast Sword, I can prepare it with spells and then it shoots off when you command it for my sake. So you're like both swords!"

He gawked at her. He wasn't quite sure if he should be impressed or mortified. "Lina! I thought you're a virgin!"

"I am one!" She rested her hands on her hips. "Virginity doesn't mean I'm clueless, jellyfish. Now, I want to see how you well you use that sword. You seem to handle the other ones with some expertise" With a laugh, she snaked her arms around his waist and pulled him back with her. They landed in a heap on the bed, laughing in-between kisses.

That was when she learned an amazing thing - that you could laugh and have fun while making love. The laughter suited them and eased the tight knot of nerves that seemed to found a permanent home in her stomach. She poked a little more fun at his "sword" and enjoyed the color of red his face turned as a result before kissing her to shut her up.

As she grew a bit bolder, the excitement building in the lower parts of her body made her antsy and she wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing his shaft in direct contact with her. As they kissed, she felt him shift and rub up against her, and the pressure inside her started to build up a bit more. Her body recognized that it was a good feeling and she started to rub herself against him, allowing the sensation to mount.

He pulled away slightly and tried to still her. "Slow down a little bit."

"I don't want to," she replied stubbornly.

He laughed, cupped her breast with his hand, gave the nipple a squeeze and reveled in the resulting moan. "You've always been impatient." He weighed his options and found the choice nearly made for him when she shifted and the tip of his shaft rested against her opening.

He pushed himself up, stared into her eyes. "Are you sure?"

She nodded firmly.

"Promise you won't blast me out of the room with a spell?"

She caught her tongue between her teeth, not entirely liking the sound of this. "Not on purpose."

With a muttered apology, he started to push into her. The pleasure she felt immediately dissipated and she clamped her legs around him like a vice, whimpering in pain. The whispered words of encouragement and pleas to relax rolled into an incoherent buzz.

She felt his hand work its way between their bodies and rub slightly above where their bodies were joined. The resulting jolt of pleasure caused her legs to splay open and he surged the rest of the way in. She felt something tear and bit on her lip, hard, tears leaking out of her eyes.

Then he was still.

They panted, locked eyes with each other. Something needed to be said, and she realized she needed to be the one to say it. She offered him a small smile. "Being impaled by Copy Rezo was worse. Trust me."

He groaned and dropped his head to her shoulder. But when he vibrated with laughter, she knew it had worked. She pulled his head up and gave him a leisurely kiss while fighting every instinct she had to not toss him across the room.

The vibrations caused him to start moving and she felt the moment nature began to take over. Unfortunately, her sister's words had rung true regarding the pain. But he kept kissing her and she focused on the way he looked - how his eyes were squeezed closed in pleasure and small moans he made as he tightened his grip on her and increased his thrusting. Through the pain, she felt something stir deep inside of her - like the feeling she experienced before.

With a innocent sense of awe, she watched as he suddenly trembled and threw his head back, crying out in a mostly incoherent groan that sounded somewhat like her name. Then he collapsed, sinking to the bed, but rolling onto his back at the same time so he wouldn't crush her. He took her with him, so she sprawled on top of him.

They laid there, quiet. She felt sweat and stickiness (some of it blood, she realized dimly) coating both of them. But she pushed herself up and gave him a smile. "We did it, didn't we?"

He blinked at her for a moment before returning it. "Yeah. Yeah, we did. We finally did." Then he hugged her fiercely as they both began to laugh, relieved and somewhat giddy before pulling apart.

"It gets better, I promise," Gourry vowed as they cleaned up and changed into their nightclothes.

Lina raised an eyebrow at him. "Just how much experience are you speaking with?"

He slanted a look in her direction. "It depends on whether or not my answer will get me blown into the next town or not.

"It just depends on what that answer is," she replied smoothly before approaching the bed. She glanced down at the sheets and winced at the mess they made. "Though, as long as none of that experience has come within the past five years, then I don't mind."

He rolled his eyes and tossed the spare set of sheets he found at her. "And just when would I have gotten said experience? Protecting you is two full-time jobs in itself."

Now Lina chucked a pillow at him. "I'm not that bad, Gourry!"

"Yes, you are!" He darted back behind the privacy screen before she could let loose a spell at him.

They bickered as they changed the sheets and snuggled with each other under them. When she woke a few hours later, it was with his hands pulling her pajamas off and mouth on her as he used it to demonstrate exactly how it really did get better.

Then she decided that she enjoyed the act of making love.

oOoOo

The sunlight nearly blinded Lina when she blinked her eyes open and automatically sat up. She yawned, stretched and promptly screamed when the sheet fell away and she realized she was naked.

"What is it?" Gourry immediately leaped from the bed and grabbed the first weapon he could lay his hands on - a pencil lying on the nightstand.

It came back to her in a rush, everything that happened from the moment she returned from her talk with Amelia. Snatching the sheet back up, she took a moment to laugh at her husband. He made quite a picture, she thought, balancing on the balls of his feet while brandishing a pencil.

"It's nothing," she replied, proud that she'd been able to control the laughter and turn it into a quirky grin instead. "I just forgot what we were doing for a moment." She cocked an eyebrow. "Nice pencil. What are you planning to do, poke someone's eye out?"

Gourry gave her an exasperated look. "Now, look, you..."

Lina gave into her laughter until he decided to shut her up the best way he knew how.

Okay, so it was the only way that didn't involve her biting his hand, he told her after the kiss was finished. But, he cheerfully invited her to bite other places instead.

He was promptly rewarded with a pillow upside the head.

oOoOo

"And so we part ways here," Zelgadiss said later that day as the four stood at the crossroads that would take them in different directions.

"When once we get to Saillune, we'll take a few days to look through the libraries and try to see if there's some sealing spell that would amplify what Luna is doing now," Lina explained. "If we don't, we can head to Atlas City and start there as well - though with it being the white magic capital, I would hope Saillune would yield better results."

"You'll keep in touch, won't you, Zelgadiss-san?" Amelia asked.

He nodded. "I still have the bracelet."

She gave him a relieved smile. "Good. If you find anything, or if we do, we'll use the Vision spell to contact you."

With a wave, Zelgadiss headed on his way south. Amelia stared after him, watching as his form grew smaller and smaller until he was nothing more than a small, blue speck on the horizon. She jumped when she felt a hand clasp on her shoulder.

"Come on, Amelia," Lina said cheerfully. "Let's head back to Saillune."

"Right!" Amelia nodded and immediately fell into step with her friends.

"How long do you think it'll take to find a way to extract the Shabra-thingy from the queen?" Gourry asked.

Lina rolled her eyes. "Sha-bra-ni-gdu. I don't think you'll ever remember it," she remarked, punctuating it with a playful slap to his arm. Her smile quickly faded. "I'm not sure how long the power of Luna's sealing will last. She amplified it with the Orihalcon pebbles, but it's not a permanent fix. If we don't find a way to safely extract that piece without killing Dinasa, we're going to have a huge problem on our hands.

"Don't worry, Lina-san!" Amelia pumped a fist into the air. "Justice always wins in the end!"

"She's got a point, Lina."

"Yeah, yeah." Lina pressed a hand to her forehead and shook her head. "Still, the next few months are bound to be interesting."

"It will be," Amelia nodded seriously. "With both this to explore and your marriage." She gave them a sly wink. "I'm sure you'll do plenty of exploring on the latter."

Lina gaped at her. "Amelia! A princess doesn't make those types of jokes!"

"They do when they've been around your mother for the past couple of weeks!"

Lina groaned and buried her head in her hands while Gourry laughed. "Don't worry, Amelia. We won't bother you too much."

She faced them and gestured wildly with her hands. "I could never be bothered by something that is so right! I'm so happy for the two of you. Remember, justice and love shall lead mankind and will give us the strength to face any trial!" With that, Amelia spun back around and marched off ahead of them.

"Well, that's quite the speech," Gourry said, rubbing his chin.

Lina shrugged. "It's nowhere near as bad as some of Prince Phil's." She smiled at him and held her hand out. "Shall we go before she reaches the next town ahead of us?"

"Absolutely." He grasped her hand and they began to walk together. "This is nice," he remarked after a minute.

"Yeah, it is." She gave his hand a squeeze and reminded herself to drop it before Amelia noticed. But for now, she didn't mind. "Just don't start making any weird speeches about love and justice or I'll have to fireball you."

"Duly noted." With a laugh, they raced ahead to join Amelia.

oOoOo

Endnotes: Thank you very much for seeing this fic all the way to the end! A little bit of trivia here - this is the longest fanfiction I've ever completed to date and the first multi-chapter story in four years. It's been a lot of fun, but the adventures aren't over yet. Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadiss' trials continue in "Law of the Land," which is currently being posted, and several stories beyond that.

Many thanks goes to the reviewers who have provided input on the chapters. I've always considered them to be the icing on the cake, and it's lovely to hear feedback. Special thanks goes to Stefanie2, Stara Majika and Ichiban Victory for their input into the storyline and the correcting of errors along the way.

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