Zel came in from the misty morning street, finishing off his jog/practice punches, and toweling himself off. Is someone fighting? He peered out towards the garden.
Xellos came in, the ever-cheerful morning person. He joined Zel, watching Lina-chan and Luna spar over the koi pond. "Nice to know you've got such a spry young fiancee, eh, Zel-kun?"
"Well, I guess she is pretty good - Wait a minute!" Zel blushed a deep crimson and turned on his brother.
Xellos only laughed and sat down for breakfast.
"Oh, Luna-san! Lina-san! Time for breakfast!" Sylphiel called, as she carried in a serving dish.
"Here." Zelgadis offered. "Let me carry that for you, Sylphiel-san."
"Why thank you, Ototo." Sylphiel smiled.
"Bamboo shoots and shirmp in coconut milk, Oneechan?" Xellos asked, as the plate was set on the table. "For breakfast?"
"Well," Sylphiel placed a thoughtful fingertip to her chin. "Since Luna-san may turn into a - "
SPLASH!
"Mwwwrrr." A panda groaned from the koi pond.
"You're going to be late for school, Zel-kun!" Xellos called as he headed out the door.
"Then just go ahead!" Zel called from the table as he gathered the used dishes.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Lina watched from where she sat at breakfast. "You're going to be late. Sylphiel can do that."
Zel wiped off the table. "Well..." He blushed. "I want to help her, ok?!"
Lina eyed that blush with some suspicion. Masaka...
"Oh!" Sylphiel came in from the kitchen. "How kind of you!" She regarded Zel.
Lina watched a little befuddled as Zel stood straight up at the sound of Sylphiel's voice. Although now he could barely meet her thankful gaze.
"But you really didn't need to - " Sylphiel continued.
Zel wrung the towel in his hands nervously.
" - Ototo."
Zel sighed. "It's no problem, Sylphiel-san."
Sylphiel smiled and headed back into the kitchen.
"Hey." Lina called.
"What?" Zel turned.
"Why don't you call Sylphiel Oneechan, like Xellos does?"
Zel blushed hotly. "B-because!... Don't compare me to Xellos!"
"Ooo-ooohh!"
"Arg! You're going to make me late for school!" Zel stormed off to grab his bookbag.
"Lina!" Luna's voice resounded from the hall.
"What? - Oof!" Lina held the thrown briefcase to herself. Of course, the force of the throw had knocked her over, not to mention the wind out of her.
"You're going to be late for class. Follow Zelgadis. He knows the way."
"Wait up!"
"What are you doing?!" Zel looked behind, but didn't stop his run towards school.
"My Neechan arranged for me to go to your school now, but she didn't tell me the way. So I'm following you." Lina ran up behind him.
"Hmph. Well, don't expect me to show you around."
Lina gave him the death glare, not that he was looking. "Fine! Cold jerk! You'll never catch Sylphiel being like that."
"?!?!" Zel stopped in his tracks. "What did you say?!"
"Oh, please! Like it's not obvious! Look! You're even blushing right now!"
"Hrrg!" Zel turned quickly and returned to his sprinting pace.
"Zel no baka... She may not be related, but she's supposed to be like a sister."
"Well, she isn't! Not that it would matter anyway." His voice trailed off quietly.
There was something about his silence that really hit Lina. Maybe it was that sad face of his. Is he trying to say Sylphiel already has someone she likes? Maybe she felt sorry for him. Maybe. "WAAHHG!"
SPLASH
Zel stopped and turned. "Hm? Oh, great." His shoulders sagged.
Lina-kun climbed out of the water and back up the fence he was walking on a minute ago.
"Something make you lose your impecable concentration?"
"Urusai!" He made it onto the street. "We're pretty far from the dojo. Know anyplace around here I could get hot water?" Lina demanded more than requested.
"There's always Furinkan High."
"I meant BEFORE we get to school! I don't want anyone seeing me like this!"
Zel groaned. "Alright. Follow me."
"Doctor Gourry Tofu?" Lina read the sign.
"Just make it fast, ok?" Zel knocked on the door. He definitely did not want to be here. "And be careful around this guy."
"Huh?"
"I'm coming!" A voice came from behind the door. CRASH!
"What the hell was that?!" Lina slowly turned to Zel.
"Just the beginning."
Several more stumbles and a tall blond man with glasses answered the door. "Oh! If it isn't Zeldigas!"
"That's 'Zelgadis', Gourry-sensei!"
"Ah, yes! Come in, come in!"
"Just borrowing some hot water?" Gourry glanced quizzically at the two boys.
"Yes." Zelgadis replied, almost curtly. "The kettle should be the other way, Gourry-sensei."
Gourry looked down at the upsidedown tea kettle in the sink, as the faucet continued to pour over it. "Well, what'd y'know!" Gourry laughed and clutched the back of his head, embarassed. The private practicioner turned the kettle over...so that it stood on its side.
Zel sweatdropped.
"And he's a doctor?" Lina-kun whispered.
"Yup." Zel sighed.
knock knock
"Oh!" Gourry scrambled from the sink. "Someone's at the door!" And it was then that Lina knew what all those earlier crashing sounds were before they came in. The water began to flow out of the full sink.
"Don't tell me." Lina-kun began.
"He forgot to unplug the sink before he left the water running." Zel was about to turn off the faucet, but was too late.
"I'll get that." Gourry came back inside, suddenly more composed. "Oh, who left the sink plugged up?" Gourry-sensei immediately, cleaned things up and filled the tea kettle the right way, in less time than it took for him to get things wrong earlier.
"Oh." A voice came behind Gourry. "Shouldn't you two be at school?"
"Lina needed some hot water, Sylphiel-san."
"I've got it right here!" Gourry declared, suddenly taking the piping teapot from the stove.
Lina-kun took it, wide-eyed. "Wow. Efficient." So what was with the clutzy act earlier?
"C'mon, Lina. Let's go."
"Hey! Wait!" Lina barely had time to pour the hot water on herself and leave the tea kettle in Gourry's clinic, as Zel snatched her wrist and ran outside.
"So does Sylphiel pop up at Gourry-sensei's clinic like that a lot?" Lina-chan ran along the fence.
"Every. Day." Zel scowled. "She can't get enough of him."
"Hm." Lina smiled. Kind of cute...Sylphiel's visiting him everyday. She looked down at Zel. Angsting already. Poor guy.
That's when a ton of girls came at them from Furinkan's front gate. All screaming, "I love you, Zelgadis-sama!"
I take it back. He should just give up, get over it, and move on. Lina scowled now. "Your fanclub?"
Zel growled. "Just stay out of the way if you don't want to be hurt." He sprinted on ahead.
"HEY!" Lina-chan shook her fist. "What's that supposed to mean!"
Episode 3 | Fanfiction