and your bones have been my bedframe
and your flesh has been my pillow
Some days it just sucked to be in love.
Lina leaned on the table picking at her food in a very uncharacteristic manner while Gourry gorged on oblivious to her. She glared at him from underneath her unruly bangs, wondering what she saw in the King of Jellyfish. Stoopid, moronic, idiotic, forgetful ...
Huffing loudly, she dropped her fork and looked up. Lacing her fingers under her chin, she gave Gourry a deadly smile. "Gourry..." she said with saccharine sweetness.
He paused and looked up at her. "Hmm?" he said, mouth full and eyes wide.
"You don't think you've forgotten something, do you? Something...important? Hmm...?" She batted her eyelashes at him prettily.
The blonde swordsman made several faces as if he were thinking very hard, trying to remember if there was something he'd forgotten. Eventually he sat up straight, smiled broadly and said, "Ah! I know!"
Lina leaned forward eagerly. "Yes? You remember?"
"I need to go pick up my new boots at the cobbler's!"
The tiny, flame-haired sorceress fell face-first onto the table. Dishes scattered everywhere as she fought to right herself. Pushing herself upwards, she raised her head and glared at Gourry. "Gourry..." she growled.
The tall man jumped and pushed back from the table, back-pedaling to escape her fiery aura. "Lina..." he began.
"Don't you 'Lina' me, you big blonde oaf!" She jumped up on the table and scooped several of the plates into her arms. "Don't you dare run away, either!" she shouted as she lobbed a plate at his head. Gourry ducked and the plate went sailing over his head and exploded on the wall behind him.
"Lina! Stop!" he shouted, ducking and jumping to avoid other articles of flying crockery. He yelped in terror when she caught up the cutlery and dashed out of the common room and into the lane. Lina followed behind closely, chucking knives and forks and the occasional spoon after her horrified husband. He yelled when a spoon beaned him, causing him to trip. He scrambled to his feet and turned around. "Calm down, Lina!"
"Come back here and take this like a man!" she shouted, chucking the last spoon at him. He ducked and it flew harmlessly over his head.
"What did I do?" he shouted at her. "Would you calm down and talk to me?"
Lina's temper, however, was unabated. She stood there glaring murderously at him and gathered her magic in her hands. "FIREBALL!" she shouted as she thrust the ball of magically produced flame through the air after him.
"GAAH!!" The tall man threw himself to the side and flattened himself against the dirt and prayed that Lina hadn't cast one of those controllable fireballs.
It appeared she hadn't as it raced down the lane and buried itself in a hay wagon standing in its path. It exploded in a fountain of flame. Shouts came from the lane from both directions as the townspeople rushed to put the fire out.
Pushing himself up, Gourry turned to look at Lina. "Don't talk to me," she said as she turned her back on him. "Just don't talk to me." With that she stalked off back to the inn.
Left to himself, Gourry huffed and shook his head and pushed his hair out of his face. But a small, secret smile played across his lips. Perfect. And he'd even managed not to get hurt -- yet.
"Hey! You!" someone shouted at him. He turned, the smile fading. "Get over here and help!" They brandished a bucket at him and gestured imperiously towards the line that was forming.
Taking a deep breath, he nodded and hurried off to join the fire brigade.
Lina stalked back into the common room, shoulders hunched and fists clenched tightly at her sides. The landlord approached her. "Now, look here! Who's going to pay for all this damage?" he demanded.
Turning her angry glare on him, she grabbed his tunic front and pulled herself up so she was on eye-level with him. "Don't bother me with petty things like that right now. You wanna get paid? Then ask my dear husband to pay you when he gets back. If he has enough courage to come back." She released him and he stumbled back into the wall as she brushed past him and up the stairs. Her boots pounded on the steps as she climbed to the second floor and down the hallway to the room she and Gourry shared. She kicked the door open then slammed it shut and locked it behind her. Let Gourry find somewhere else to sleep tonight.
"Stupid jellyfish," she muttered, ripping off her cloak and shoulder guards and all but chucking them into a corner. She did the same with her boots and sat down hard on the bed and put her face in her hands. Her eyes were burning as she fought back the tears. Why couldn't he have remembered? It wasn't as if she'd exactly been subtle about it; subtly was as lost as sarcasm on the blonde idiot. The only thing she hadn't done was come right out and said that it was her birthday.
Yet all her hints had somehow been lost on him. She shook her head; he'd been acting incredibly dense and thick the past few days. Even for Gourry. Why couldn't he have remembered just this one time? And after all, this wasn't the first time they'd celebrated birthdays while together.
"Oh, screw him," she said, ripping off her clothes and digging irritably through her pack for her nightshirt which she jerked on over her head. "Or rather not. See if he gets any for a long time." Lina pulled the covers back and crawled under them. Pulling the quilts around her shoulders, she lay on her side facing away from the door and stared at the window. It was only then that tears she'd been holding back leaked out of her eyes and moistened the pillow under her cheek.
Stoopid jellyfish...
The door was locked. Gourry wasn't surprised and had come prepared. Taking the extra key from his pocket, he carefully inserted it into the lock and turned it. He slipped quietly into the room and shut and relocked the door. Pocketing the key, he set the covered bowl he was carrying on the table by the bed, sat down on the nearby chair and took his boots off. Setting them aside, he caught up his pack, and the bowl and headed for the bathroom. He reeked of woodsmoke and wasn't going to bed smelling like a chimney.
Once inside the bathroom, he slid home the bolt, dropped his pack, found an out-of-the-way place for the bowl and lit the lantern before stripping off his reeking clothing. One nice thing about this inn was they had an arrangement of tanks that were heated by fires and provided patrons with hot water for baths at any time of the day. He filled the tub with hot water and climbed in, smiling at the luxury of being able to take a hot bath even when Lina was pissed at him.
He took only a moment to enjoy it, however. He wanted to get finished with this quickly. Grabbing the soap, he rid himself of the smell, washed his hair, and climbed out. Wrapping his hair in a towel and another one around his waist, he dug out his shaving kit and shaved while his hair was drying.
That taken care of, he unwrapped his hair and vigorously toweled it dry and dragged a comb through it. He sighed as he found that a good two or three inches on the bottom had been singed; it seemed he hadn't completely missed the effects of Lina's fireball after all. Not the first time, he thought ruefully to himself. He'd have to get Lina to help him trim off the singed parts and even it up later -- after he'd put everything to rights between them or he'd probably end up bald.
Dropping his hair and gathering up his clothes, he hung them over the rack to be laundered. Picking up his pack, he reached inside and pulled out the length of red silk that he'd bought earlier that week. Shaking his head, he wondered where he'd come up with this idea; it wasn't like him at all. But Lina would like it, he was sure; besides, he'd need something to stop her dead in her tracks if he wanted to survive, which he very much wanted to do. Dropping the towel wrapped around his waist, he quickly set to work arranging the cloth as he wanted. Pulling on one of the inn's complimentary robes, he pulled it shut and belted it. One last thing...Picking up the lantern and the bowl he'd brought into the bathroom with him he opened the door and entered the darkened bedroom.
Frosty silence radiated from Lina where she lay on her side facing away from him. He knew she was still awake just from how cold the air in the room was and he smiled to himself. Carefully setting the bowl and lantern down on the table by the bed, he knelt on the bed and brushed her hair away from her ear. "Lina," he whispered into it. She stiffened and tried to pretend she was asleep. "Come on, Lina. I know you're awake." He leaned down and put his lips against her neck just under her ear.
One...Two...He jumped back just before she could jab him with her elbow. "Get lost, Gourry," she growled. "I really don't think it's a good idea for you to be sleeping here tonight. I might kill you and we'd both end up regretting it."
Perfect. He put his hand on her shoulder and moved close again. Using his best drawl, he said in almost a whine, "Lina..."
"Gourry. Go. Away." Her voice could have frozen him solid if he hadn't been prepared for it. "Just go away."
Carefully timing his reactions, he remained leaning over her, then turned and sat on the edge of the bed, heaving a harsh sigh that was balanced perfectly between anger and hurt. He leaned his elbows on his knees and stared at the floor for precisely ten seconds before standing up and removing his robe. Dropping it to the floor, he reached into the bowl and picked up one of the red fruits that rested inside. Turning and kneeling on the bed next to Lina, he looked at her back. "Would it help if I said I was sorry? I mean, I don't know what I did, but whatever it was, I'm sorry. Just don't make me go away."
"What good is apologizing if you don't know what you did?" She still refused to open her eyes or turn, instead remaining huddled in on herself with the covers clutched protectively around her.
"Then tell me. Please don't play games with me, Lina."
"I said go away!"
"No. I won't." He leaned forward and put the strawberry close to her nose.
Her nose twitched and she opened her eyes to stare at the rich, red fruit in front of her face. "What's that?"
"It's a strawberry."
"I know that. I meant, what's it for?"
"It's for you."
She finally turned her head and looked up at him. "What?"
"It's for you. Happy birthday, Lina," he whispered, pressing it to her lips.
Lina pushed his hand away and sat up, eyes blazing crimson. "You mean you remembered?"
He nodded, grinning broadly and winking at her. "Fooled you, didn't I?"
"YOU!!" She sprang forward, reaching for him with fingers crooked into sharp claws. He scrambled backwards as those claws reached for his face. She froze as she got a good look at him and what he was wearing. All her anger drained away as she stared at him. "Gourry...?"
"Yeah, Lina?" he said, not bothering to cover his smile. He lay back on his elbows, long legs stretched out alongside her.
"What are you wearing?"
"What does it look like?" He arched his sunny eyebrows at her as his grin broadened. He popped the strawberry into his mouth and chewed it while gazing at her out of playful blue eyes.
He looked so ludicrous she couldn't stifle the giggle that welled up. Biting her lip and trying to keep her anger alive, she glared at him. "It looks like a big red bow."
Looking down, he nodded. "That's what it looks like, all right."
Nearly choking from trying not to laugh, she finally gave up. "Gourry, why are you wearing a big red bow?" she gasped between helpless laughs.
He sat up and shifted so he was sitting close to her. Putting a hand on her cheek, he leaned down. "Because this is your present. Part of it, anyway." He kissed her forehead.
"What is?" she asked, still too shocked to respond with anything more intelligent. This was definitely the last thing she expected from Gourry.
"Me. Tonight, I'm your slave. Whatever you want, you just have to ask." Moving down, he kissed her nose then slid his lips over hers and kissed her tenderly. He pushed his tongue against her lips, forcing his way past them and into her mouth. His arm went around her and lifted her up onto his lap as he kissed her.
She melted against him, falling into his kiss like she always did; she could taste the rich, red fruit on his lips. It never ceased to amaze her how completely he could unhinge her by such a simple act. But she wasn't ready to give up yet. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed away. "You don't seriously think you're getting off that easy, do you?" She glared up at him. "What you did was mean and spiteful and I can't believe you did it, Gourry Gabriev!"
Gourry adopted as subservient a pose as he could. He hung his head and let his hair fall forward. "I know, Lina. I'm sorry. But I wanted it to be as big a surprise as possible." He lifted his head and she saw that he didn't look at all contrite; in fact, there was a sly gleam in his blue eyes. "I'm going to have to work extra hard to make this up to you, aren't I?"
Lina flicked the end of his nose with her fingernail. "Better believe it. You're going to be working long and hard to make up for this little prank."
"So, how shall I begin?" he asked. "Ah, I know." He held her against him, leaned forward and reached into the bowl on the table nearby. Lina couldn't see what he was doing, but she could hear the sounds of crockery clinking softly together.
When he leaned back, he held another strawberry in his hand, this one coated with thick cream. He pressed the fruit against her lips, coating the smooth line of her lips with the cream, pushing it against them gently. Lina opened her mouth and let him touch it to her tongue; the cream had been sweetened lightly with sugar, just the way she liked it. She closed her eyes and bit down through the fruit, letting the cream and the juices run down her chin.
Her golden-haired lover leaned down and kissed her lips, running his tongue along them and down her chin, cleaning the rich liquids from them. She shivered as he kissed her again; the sweet cream and tart strawberry juices on his lips made her ache for more. Swallowing the piece she had in her mouth quickly, she opened her lips to let him in. He accepted her invitation into her and made a sweeping inspection of it with his tongue. Lina moaned and slipped her arms around his neck, holding tightly to him.
When Gourry pulled back from the kiss, Lina's eyes remained closed and she leaned against him, breathing in his scent. "How should I start making up for my prank, Lina?" he whispered into her flame-red hair as he stroked it. "Anything. Command me."
The tiny woman in his arms opened her crimson eyes and took a deep breath. She pushed away from him, and put a hand on his strong jaw. "I think some more of these for a start," she said, trailing her fingers across his lips. "And the strawberries."
"Your wish," he said with a seductive smile. Kissing the tip of her nose, he leaned forward and took another of the red fruits from the bowl and dipped it in the cream. Lina leaned back against the pillows and let him feed her. She closed her eyes and smiled with decadent pleasure as she took the fruit from his fingers then kissed the tips of his fingers where they rested against her lips. Her smile widened as she heard him gasp. She looked down to see what sorts of interesting results had been produced -- and saw that ridiculous bow around his waist --
And burst out laughing.
The mood completely ruined, she curled on her side clutching her middle as she laughed. Gourry looked down at her in wonderment. "What?"
"That bow," she managed to say as she wiped tears from her eyes. "It's got to go."
"Aww..." he said as he looked down at the slightly crushed bow on his lap. "I thought you'd like it." But he was grinning even as he said it.
"I do, I do, but it still looks ridiculous. Take it off."
"I can't."
She arched an eyebrow up at him. "Oh? And why not? You said anything I wanted, right?"
He looked pained. "Yes, but you're supposed to unwrap your presents, not me."
Lina's eyes went wide. "Ah, I see." She sat up and reached for the red material, gently tugging on the ends of the bow. The red silk fell loose around Gourry's slim hips and she could see the raised bulge that it concealed. She dropped the end to grasp the material and pulled it loose. He'd wrapped the silk around his waist a couple of times so it rubbed against his manhood as she pulled it towards her. Her reward for the deliberate slowness with which she removed his "wrapping" was a long drawn out hiss of pleasure from him.
Then the fabric fell away to leave him clothed only in the bright sunshine of his hair. From the darker patch that grew between his legs rose his manhood, standing at glorious attention. The small flame-haired sorceress grinned hungrily at the sight, feeling a corresponding warmth rising between her own legs. It took all her strength of will, but she resisted the urge to reach forward and brand the image of his erection upon her palms.
Instead, she sat up and faced him. "You've got some unwrapping of your own to do," she murmured in a sultry voice.
Gourry opened his brilliant sapphire eyes to gaze lovingly at her. "Is that what you wish?" he asked, moving forward and putting his arms around her.
"It is," she said.
He ducked his head in acknowledgement and leaned forward to touch his lips to her nose. His fingers found the hem of her shirt and gathered it up; his hands went under the fabric and molded themselves to her body as he brought them upwards, gathering her shirt and pulling it with them. They passed over her breasts, pausing a moment to linger there, but only a moment. It was her turn to hiss as his fingers touched her nipples, already hardened and highly sensitized by her excitement. Then he pulled her shirt up and off, and her hair tumbled down in loose curls around her shoulders.
Gourry put his hands on her shoulders and gently laid her back against the pillows. He kept his hands on her as he drew them downward, over her breasts and to the waistband of her underpants. Lina smiled and put an arm behind her head while her other hand stroked her skin above her breasts. She watched him carefully, noticing the way his breath caught in his throat when she trailed her fingers down to lightly tease her own nipple.
He looked away to attend to his undressing of her. Slipping his fingers into the waistband of her pants, he pulled at them. Lina helped by putting her feet together on his lap and lifting her hips, but kept her knees together, not letting him have a glimpse of what lay between her legs. She lowered her hips after he'd pulled her underpants off and used her toes to explore the warm skin of his inner thighs and erection. He sat up straight and closed his eyes as she caressed him, breathing heavily through his mouth.
"Hey," she said, lifting a foot and poking him in the chest. He startled and looked at her. "The strawberries?" she said pointedly.
Taking a deep breath, he smiled and nodded. As he leaned over her to pull the table closer, she raised her foot and again pressed it against his groin. His breath was an indrawn hiss, but he managed to pull the table around without knocking anything off of it. He took one and dipped it in the cream and held it to her lips.
She opened her mouth to accept the fruit, but instead of biting down, she closed her lips around the tip and sucked the cream off. Parting her lips, she ran her tongue around the pointed end, up underneath it as he held it, then flicked the tip with her tongue. Only then did she lean forward to catch the fruit between her teeth and bite down, closing her lips around the strawberry and pulling it into her mouth. After she'd chewed it and swallowed daintily, she caught his hand before he could pull it away. "Here," she said, very voice soft and sultry. "Let me clean those off." Using a delicate touch, she licked the few drops of sweetened cream from his fingers, running her tongue around them just as she had the strawberry moments earlier. The shudders that ran through him were wonderful to behold. She never took her eyes off his but she could see him reacting from out of the corner of her eye. Releasing his hand, she leaned back and with an impish smile asked, "Another one, please?"
Gourry swallowed hard and nodded dumbly. He had never expected her to react like this, throwing herself completely into the idea. He loved it, but it was so hard to hold himself back. But this is what he'd given her, so she had total control. That in itself was exciting, knowing he had the choice to disregard her instructions, and yet choosing to obey them anyway, doing only what she allowed him to do and nothing more. So, meekly, he leaned forward and took another fruit from the bowl, dipped it in the cream and held it out. She repeated her performance from the previous ruby fruit, driving him mad with desire. His heart was racing and the pressure in his loins was maddening.
When that one was gone, he reached for the bowl again. Lina put her hand on his arm. "I think I'll save the rest of those for later. Right now I'd like a -- " She looked towards the heavens and tugged on her lower lip with her teeth as she considered what she wanted. Suddenly flopping over onto her stomach, she crooned, "Oh, Gourry. I need a back rub. Would you give me one?" She looked over one shoulder and gave him a wily grin, showing one sharp tooth and coyly biting the tip of her pinky. She wriggled her hips at him; her grin widened as Gourry's eyes glued themselves to those lovely curves. "Gourry..." Lina called petulantly.
He startled and tore his eyes away from the back of her lap. "Anything you want, Lina," he said in a thick voice. He leaned over her and gathered up her tangled curls and settling them carefully out of the way. She hummed softly to herself as his large, gentle hands moved over her shoulders. Recently, a bit of unpleasantness they'd been through had resulted in the palms of his hands being burnt, and the calluses hadn't yet had time to reform completely. They glided smoothly over her skin, pressing lightly and kneading gently at the muscles. Nearly purring with satisfaction, she lowered her head to the pillow and arched her back under his hands in a decadent, feline stretch. Reversing the stretch, she put her hands out in front of her and lifted her hips to pull her back into a concave shape. She could feel his arousal press into her flesh. He gasped and she pressed harder then settled back onto the mattress.
"Oh..." she said in that same purr. "That feels so good, Gourry." It was no act: She loved it when he rubbed her back. His large hands were incredibly gentle and loving yet so firm. He could span her back by putting the heels of his hands together and he used that to his advantage. She lowered her head to the pillow and shoved her arms under it and cuddled it close.
After a few moments of this, those lovely hands moved towards her derrière. "Ooo..." she crooned, diverting his attention by raising a foot. "My legs are aching. They could use a good rub, too..."
Without hesitating, his hands slipped over the gentle curves of her hips and down her legs. With the same deliberation and patience that he had used while rubbing her back, he gently kneaded the muscles in her legs, moving from her thighs, to her calves and ankles and finally ending at her shapely feet.
When he was done with that, she half turned and held out her hand. "I got the strawberries I asked for, but I never got any of those kisses. Going to have to change that."
Gourry grinned and took her hand as he leaned forward to kiss her. "My pleasure."
She held up a finger and placed it on his lips. "Not here," she said taking the finger and putting it on her own lips.
He looked at her in confusion. "Where then?"
"Well, you can start with my shoulders and work downwards," she said with a little grin.
The swordsman grinned back. "I can manage that," he said, moving to kneel over her. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to her shoulder, just where it bordered with her neck. It was her turn to hiss in pleasure as the touch of those beautiful lips sent electric chills through her. She reared her head back and clenched the muscles of her hips as the chills settled in them.
Grinning, Gourry moved his kisses lower, working down the middle of her back, leaving wet lingering kisses along her spine then pulling back and breathing on them. By the time he reached the small of her back, she was shivering with delight.
As he moved downwards, his hands cupping her shapely bottom, she jerked upwards and turned. Planting a foot on his chest, she pushed him away. "I need more strawberries," she said. "Just hand me the bowl, Gourry," she wheedled in the singsong, little girl voice she used when she wanted to get her own way. He leaned over and retrieved it off the table and handed it to her. "The cream, too, please." He picked up and held it out to her, too.
She took the bowl of cream and poured it over the fruit then handed that bowl back. "Thank you. Mmm...I love cream on strawberries. Don't you, Gourry dear?" Sticking her finger into the cream, she lifted it and let the thick liquid drip onto her tongue before slipping the whole finger inside her mouth. Slowly, she pulled it out, letting her lips purse around it. She grinned at Gourry as he stared enraptured by her performance. "Don't you, Gourry?" she asked again. Lina dipped her finger and held it out to Gourry, pressing it against his lips.
The blonde man parted his sensuous lips and let her slip her finger inside his mouth. Those shapely lips closed around it and he sucked it inside, twirling his tongue around it. Lina watched closely as he never let his eyes fall from hers. Her grin turned sly as she pulled slightly. When he released her finger, she used the moistened tip to trace the line of his jaw. "Good, isn't it?" He nodded, apparently unable to say anything.
She looked into the bowl and fished out one of the strawberries and bit into it. The cream dribbled down her chin and she was about to wipe it away when she paused, remembering what he'd done before. "Gourry, I seem to have made a mess. Could you clean it up for me?"
Gourry nodded and smiled as he leaned forward. "Certainly," he said, then kissed her chin, licking up the spilled cream as he did.
As he pulled back a little when he was through, she grabbed another strawberry. This time she let the dripping cream run down her neck. "I'm such a klutz," she said, with a little shake of her head. "Would you take care of that?"
He gave her a nod and moved downwards to lap the cream from her neck. Lina bit into and chewed the strawberry, looking every bit as satisfied as a cat having her chin scratched. She leaned her head back on the pillows and sighed contentedly as he moved his lips on her neck.
Once finished, Gourry sat back and looked at her. "All clean. Think you've managed to get over your clumsy spell?"
"I'm not sure. Let's see." Taking another strawberry, she let the cream dribble into the hollow of her throat where some spilled over the cup shape and ran down between her breasts. "I seem to have done it again." She looked at him from under her long bangs, silently asking for his help.
"Let me help." He shifted and leaned down to touch his tongue to her breastbone, gathering the drops of cream on his tongue in an upward scoop towards her throat, making sure to get every bit of liquid. "All done," he said, breathing against her skin. He lifted his head and looked up at her.
Lina seemed to come back to herself slowly, from a long way away. "Oh," she whispered, a happy smile playing on her lips. "You do that so well..."
"I aim to please," he said, putting his arm around her and leaning in close to kiss her lips. She let him for a moment, tasting the sweet cream on his lips before lifting a foot and setting it on his thigh and pushing him away.
"Na!" she scolded, waving a finger under his nose. "I didn't say you could kiss me. You have to do what I tell you to do, isn't that what you said?"
"Yes, Lina," he said meekly, sitting back and bowing his head. Damn, but this was driving him crazy. He wanted her so badly it hurt! Now what was she going to do...
"Gourry..." He looked up at her voice and his eyes went wide. She had another strawberry and this time dripped cream down her breasts and actually used the fruit to trace a line down to her nipples. "Help..."
Eagerly, he leaned forward and covered her breast with his mouth. She hissed as he used his tongue to scoop up the drops of cream that glistened on her nipples and the surrounding flesh. Sucking hard, he pulled and tugged at her breast while he cleaned away the cream. He had the satisfaction of hearing her soft cries turn into moans of pleasure. Finished with one breast, he moved over to the other and did the same with it, enthusiastically mouthing her flesh.
When he was finished, he sat back. "Really, Lina, you should try to be more careful," he said, grinning at her.
She looked up at him through eyes half-lidded. "I'll try..." Her voice was a husky whisper. Even as she said this, she was using another berry to draw a line between her breasts down to just below her navel. "I just can't seem to control myself, though."
Shaking his head, Gourry leaned forward. "I've got to teach you some manners, don't I?" And then his tongue was busy.
Lina gasped as he kissed and licked his way from her breasts to the small mound just under her navel. He was kneeling between her legs and was so close...She could barely keep from squirming, she wanted him so badly and the yearning she felt grew with each nuzzling kiss. As he leaned over her, his hair slipped from behind his back and trailed down her leg, brushing her sensitive labia with a whisper's kiss. Throwing her head back, she caught her lip in her teeth and tried to keep from screaming and climaxing at the same time.
"Lina?" he asked, lifting his head and looking curiously at her.
When she'd gotten herself under control, she pushed him back so that he was sitting on his heels. Looking into the bowl, she saw that there was only one berry left. An idea formed in her mind and she grinned at him. "Last one, Gourry," she said, lifting it out of the small puddle of cream on the bottom of the bowl and touching it to her lips. Instead of eating it, however, she lowered her hand and placed it just above her sex, leaving it there as she drew her hand back. She shivered as she felt the cool cream drip between her hot folds. "It's yours if you want it." She licked the cream off her lips and grinned a wicked, decadent grin as she put her hands behind her head and watched to see what he would do.
The tall swordsman lifted his summertime blue eyes to meet her bleeding crimson ones and she shivered at the intensity of his gaze. They were like blue fire, those eyes, and they burned with lust for her. Never breaking eye contact, he leaned down and slipped a hand under her legs and rested himself on his elbows. This brought him maddeningly close to her; she could feel the heat coming off his body which glistened with sweat from just his arousal. His hair, those silken strands of spun gold, tickled her legs as he leaned forward. Eyes still locked with hers, he opened his mouth and lowered his head, closer and closer --
With one quick motion, he swept his tongue up through her flesh, across her throbbing center and further to capture the red fruit, which disappeared quickly into his mouth. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until it came out as an explosive gasp. Her head rocked backwards into the pillows and she clutched the sheets with enough force to rip them while she emitted a high keening shriek. Then his tongue was there, licking away the sweet fluid that had coated the berry, searching for the last droplets that had slipped through her, prodding her, shoving her towards that edge over which she so wanted to throw herself and go flying through the endless sky --
Just when she thought she was going to go diving over the edge, he pulled away. With an inarticulate screech of rage, she sat up. "What did you do that for?" she shouted.
Gourry sat up and looked at her with that same gas-blue fire in his eyes. "I'm through," he said calmly, though his hands were clenched in the sheets under her legs.
"What do you mean, through?" she shouted in his face.
"I can only do what you tell me I can do, right?" was his breathy reply. "Well, I've finished. You have to tell me what do." His eyes held hers, awaiting her orders while the corners of his mouth quirked up insolently.
She looked into his eyes and found herself breathing hard. "Look, you...you jellyfish," she rasped, voice rough and thick with emotion. "I don't care what you do -- just do something!"
Nothing changed in the gas-blue burn of his eyes. "Is that your request?" he asked.
"I just said it, didn't I?" She nearly screamed in her frustration.
When she saw the flicker in the gas flame, she realized she'd made a mistake. That was all the warning she got as she found herself flat on her back, his lips locked on hers, her wrists trapped in his strong grip and held out to the side. Caught off-guard, she offered no resistance, as his tongue invaded her mouth and explored the sweet, dark recesses inside her. His lips, tasting of cream and her own musk, caught at hers, alternately pulling and releasing them. He ground his hips against hers, rubbing himself against that place he'd just been kissing. Oh, it felt so nice, she thought as she lifted herself up to facilitate the contact between them. What started as low, soft moans in the back of her throat increased in volume as the friction drove her towards that edge again. She struggled against him, wanting to hold him tightly to her; unable to break his hold, she compromised by wrapping her legs around his waist.
Finally he released her only to slip his hands up underneath her and she found herself being lifted up. She went limp as he pulled her up, her head lolling back and her hair forming a bloody curtain down her back and over his crossed legs as he pulled her onto his lap. He leaned forward and nuzzled her neck where it arched backwards, delicate and inviting, and she shivered. Lina placed her hands on his shoulders and slowly lifted her head. Her lover lifted his head and met her with his mouth and they shared kisses of dark fire as his hands moved purposefully down her back catch up handfuls of her smooth flesh and pulled her closer.
She gasped beneath the kiss; it turned into a soft moan as she felt him touch her between her legs where she was throbbing and balanced on the razor's edge of pleasure. Reaching behind her, he sought for and found her opening, already slick from their foreplay. A soft, breathy cry escaped her lips as he slid his finger inside her; the cry turned into a full-fledged shout of delight as he pressed the tip of his manhood to her opening then lift himself up, forcing himself into her. Throwing her head back, Lina called out to L-sama to preserve her; dimly she was aware of Gourry doing the same. That slow, controlled thrust into her seemed to go on forever!
It was then that she realized that straddled across his lap like this, she was the one that controlled their movements, how deep he could go and how fast. She lifted her head and smiled seductively at him as she draped her arms over his strong shoulders and around his neck. Their eyes met and Lina could swear she felt sparks shiver over her body. Just as he had never broken contact with her eyes earlier, now it was her turn to hypnotize him with just a look. Leaning close, she whispered his name while she pulled upwards with agonizing slowness. He hissed and tried to throw his head back, but she pulled him forward.
"No, Gourry," she breathed, her face close to his and her eyes still burning in all their crimson glory. "Don't close your eyes." He lifted his head, opened his eyes and looked, no, fell into hers. Once she had his full and undivided attention, she began to move, impaling herself on his length, driving him into her as far as he would reach, then pulled back just to repeat the same motion. And again. And again. And, oh, gods, again ...
Soon she was moving in steady time, her labored breathing a potent counterbeat to her racing heartbeat. Gourry's skin became slippery with sweat under her hands; she could feel the sweat trickle down her own back, plastering her hair to her skin and her bangs to her face. At this point she didn't care. Gourry's hands were on her waist, at her back and lifting her hair to let the heat dissipate only to let the heavy tresses fall back before she could feel chilled, at her waist again, then tracing the line of her thighs as they embraced his legs. He leaned forward and touched his lips to her, whispering her name, like a plea: A plea for release, for it to go on forever and ever, never stopping, never changing, just the two of them on the verge of discovering what color eternity was and if it extended as far as people said it did. And his eyes never left hers.
"Gods, Gourry!" she shouted, planting her hands on either side of his face and pulling him close for a deep soul-merging kiss. His arms went around her and held her as she shattered through that veil that kept her earthbound, weighted. The edge was there, and the endless sky beyond, beckoning her --
There was a drag on what used to be her hand, holding her back but only for a moment. Gourry floated forward, beside her as always. His familiar form was clothed in sunlight, and the smile he gave her was blinding. She held out her other hand, and found she was clothed in fire. Laughing, she pulled him forward, and together the two of them took to the skies. It was then they discovered that from the outside eternity was most definitely blue...
"Lina?"
She'd forgotten she had ears. Or even a brain to process what the ears heard. But the sound of her name made her remember. It was then that she also remembered she had a mouth and could use it to communicate, although words of more than one syllable were going to be difficult for a while.
"Yeah?" There was something warm under her cheek. Warm and slick and it moved.
"Are we alive?"
Alive...After that? No, they were only truly alive while they were making love. But it was life of a sorts, and they were most certainly here.
"Yeah, we are, Gourry." She pushed and found she could sit up. Looking around, she discovered she was lying on top of Gourry. His eyes were closed and his breathing was rapid. She moved over to stretch out beside him, pausing to reach up to kiss him tenderly before settling by his side.
"Oh, good." He blindly sought her hand. When he found it, he laced his fingers with hers and gripped it tightly. Still without opening his eyes, he smiled and said, "Because I'd hate to think we wouldn't be able to do that again. Which I really want to do."
She smiled and tucked her head close to him. "We will," she said. "Soon."
He was silent a moment, then rolled over and pulled her close. "So, did you enjoy your birthday present?" he asked.
Lina's breath caught in her throat. She wanted to say something flippant, but found she couldn't. "That was the best birthday present anyone has ever given me, Gourry." She couldn't lie or even joke about that, but it had been too...words failed her. "Thank you."
She could feel him grin even though she couldn't see his face. "I should thank you."
"Yes, you should, since I helped." Lina pushed herself up and leaned over him. Raising a hand, she smacked his cheek lightly to get him to look at her. "But if you ever pretend to forget something when you really haven't, I'm gonna pound you into next week, catch up with you, and pound you again, do you understand me?" Her eyes flamed.
"Yes, ma'am," he said meekly, trying to hide a grin.
Lina made her face angry a moment longer then relented. She leaned down and kissed him. "And then you'd have to start paying for it," she said in a whisper against his lips.
Gourry's arms went around her and pulled her down. "And I certainly wouldn't want to do that, would I?" He pushed his hair out of his face. "I tell you what, though, I'm never going to look at strawberries the same way again," he said with a sly grin. "I don't think I'll ever be able to eat them in public after this. I'd...embarrass myself."
She giggled and kissed the tip of his nose. "Then you'll have to watch me eat them, won't you?"
His eyes opened wide. "You wouldn't do that to me, Lina...Would you?"
The tiny sorceress trailed her fingers down his throat. "You might want to try and avoid the situation unless you want to find out how embarrassed it'd make you."
He sighed. "I knew I shouldn't have said that."
"No, you should have." Then her grin twisted and she pushed herself up. She ran a hand down her front and grimaced. "I'm all sticky and sweaty. I need to take a bath." Lina tried to pull away, but Gourry held her down.
"Want some help?" he asked.
She opened her mouth to say something, then paused. Cocking her head at a jaunty angle, she grinned and nodded. "Yeah. You can help wash my hair."
The blonde swordsman sat up next to her. "Sounds fun. And you can scrub my back."
Glaring, she fixed him with her ruby eyes. "What do I look like? Your personal maid?"
"No," he said, leaning down and picking up the red silk off the floor and draping it around her. "You look like a Ceiphiedmas present." He wrapped it around her before she realized what he was doing, then jumped off the bed. "I get to go first!" He disappeared into the bathroom.
Lina jumped up and fell on her face. "HEY!" she shouted, becoming entangled in the silk. "You get outta that tub before I come -- Damn it!" She ripped the silk off her then sprinted into the bathroom just as the sound of running water started. "I said get out!"
"Hey, Lina! OW!!" There was a loud splash, an exclamation of pain then a triumphant laugh. "No fair..."
"All's fair at bathtime," Lina said, leaning back. "Gourry dear," she purred. "Would you rub my feet?" She lifted one tiny foot out of the water and waved it in his direction.
"Why should I?" he said from where he pulled himself onto a stool, rubbed his behind and glared at her.
"It's my birthday! I seem to recall someone playing a little prank on me, for which he's only started atoning for, I assure you!"
Grumbling, he pulled the stool over and took her foot in his hands and rubbed them. "Yes, Lina," he said meekly. She sighed happily and leaned back, closing her eyes and enjoying the foot massage. He rubbed for a few minutes then gave Lina a predatory grin. He dropped her foot, stood and stepped into the bathtub.
Lina opened her eyes and stared up at him. "Gourry! What are you doing?"
"I thought it would save time if we simply took a bath together. I'm tired and want to get to bed. It's late."
"But, there's not enough room!"
"Sure there is. Come here," He pulled her forward so she was straddling his lap. Water sloshed over the edge of the tub.
"Gourry, stop!" she fought against him but he pulled her down. Her eyes went round and she smiled and stopped struggling. "Gourry!!"
Some days it was wonderful to be in love.
Inspired by the song Both Hands by Ani Difranco. My eternal thanks to Kamui for sending the song to me.