Chapter Ten

They seemed to part the crowd as effectively as if they were wielding weapons and demanding that everyone move. They were still getting strange looks, Lina noted as she stuck her tongue out at a particularly obvious gawker. Said gawker had the grace to blush and look away.
Upon reaching her room, Lina again turned the handle and Zel again knocked the door open with his shoulder. He gently set Lina down on the bed, and, after closing and locking the door, sat down in the chair next to the bed.
Lina's shoulders shook with silent laughter. She briefly covered her mouth with her hand, then gestured in the direction from whence they'd come.
"Yes," Zel agreed, chuckling, "Amelia's expression was priceless."
Grinning, Lina gestured broadly, then tapped her right temple.
Zel nodded. "I imagine her expression if we really did get married /would/ be even more amusing." He tried and failed to keep a note of wistfulness from seeping into his tone. Absently he started picking the blades of grass off of his cloak.
"Thanks, Zel." Lina's voice was somewhat raspy and sounded a bit weaker than usual, but otherwise was fine.
"Lina! You're feeling better?" It was only partially a question.
Lina nodded. "Much." Thanks to you, she wanted to say but didn't, suddenly feeling a little shy.
Zel rose. All good things must come to an end... "I'll go tell the others."
"Don't you dare, Zelgadiss Greywords. Sit back down right now."
Zel blinked, confused, and did as Lina commanded. "Why?"
"I love Gourry and Amelia, really I do...but, gods, it's nice having a break from his stupidity and her obsessive-compulsiveness."
"Ah, I understand. I've been enjoying this...respite...too, I admit." More than was probably good for him, even. He started picking grass of his cloak again.
"Zel...do you have any idea why this happened?"
Zel froze. "Pardon?"
"This. Me, getting sick. Even Amelia couldn't heal me. But it never got serious enough to make me suspect a curse."
"Ah." Zel picked a long strand of Lina's hair off his cloak and absently wrapped it around his index finger. "Perhaps it was divine intervention," he suggested lightly, smiling ever-so-slightly.
Lina snorted her amusement at the absurd idea. Feh, what purpose would that serve?
"Perhaps it will have to remain one of those mysteries to which no one will ever know the answer," he suggested, laying his cloak on the left arm of his chair.
Lina considered this a moment. "Probably," she agreed.
Zel blinked at her as she got up. "What--"
"Would you mind turning around for a minute?"
Zel gave her a "are-you-/sure/-you're-not-delirious-with-fever?" look before obliging. Why in the name of the gods would she--
The soft sound of cloth rustling answered that question. True to form, he felt himself blush. Still, a small part of him noted how nice it was that she trusted him to such a degree...
Lina sighed quietly, examining herself. Back in her normal clothing, she looked as good as ever. It was so /nice/ to be back to her old self...well, mostly back, she amended as she found herself coughing.
"Are you okay, Lina?" Zel asked from where he stood, his hands tightly clutching the arms of the chair before him.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm just fine," she said dismissively, then added, "You can turn back around now."
"Oh," he said, then did so.
Lina cocked her head to the side just a bit. /Now/ what was he blushing about? Oh, well, it didn't really matter.
"It's almost dinnertime," she announced.
Zel nodded. Lina was better than a clock where meals were concerned. "And what would you like to do about dinner?" he inquired politely.
Lina pondered that briefly, and decided to share one of her loves--eating--with her other...er, that was, she wanted to have dinner with Zelgadiss. That was all. Really. "Let's go eat somewhere. Not here. Somewhere else," she stammered.
Zel studied Lina's face. Maybe she was as well as they'd thought; she was flushed and seemed to be having trouble forming sentences. "As you wish," he agreed, but felt obliged to ask, "Are you /certain/ you feel well enough to--"
"Of course I do. Now, if you'll excuse me a minute..." Lina smiled as she opened the window. She loved this stuff, she thought as she cast a very loud fireball at a tree some distance away.
Zel's eyes widened in understanding: Lina was creating a diversion so no one would see them leave. Although probably it was just an excuse to cast a fireball.
"Really, it was just an excuse to cast a fireball," Lina commented absently, and Zel's eyes widened a bit further. "But it /is/ less agitating this way."
Zel just nodded: of course, whatever you say.
Lina waited 'til she saw Gourry and Amelia amoungst those running out to investigate the ruckus before grabbing Zel's arm and exhorting him to hurry up, before their companions got back.

--Elizabeth, Trickster Priestess ~_~