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The countryside was breathtaking, Lina thought as the group known as the Slayers passed through on one of their many excursions. Wide, flat fields spread as far as the eye could see, dotted with colorful patches of wildflowers. Trees were few and far between, but what grew here towered over everything, casting shadows that stretched seemingly for miles in the afternoon sun. The group paused for a break underneath one of these giants, cooling in its shade.
Zelgadis leaned against the trunk, eyes closed while Amelia chattered something or other about the relationship between Justice and trees. Gourry stared, fascinated, at a tiny green caterpillar inching its way up the tree trunk.
Lina stood, not content to merely sit still at the moment. "I'm gonna go take a look around."
"Don't go too far," the Chimera warned, not opening his eyes.
"I won't, Zel. Its not like I'm just gonna take off, you know." She walked off into the glaring sunlight before anyone else could protest.
"What's wrong with Miss Lina?" Amelia asked, watching the redhead's form lessen in size as she moved away. She looked at Gourry, who didn't answer. He was still watching the caterpillar. Zelgadis shrugged. "Maybe she just needs some time alone."
Lina walked knee-deep in the grass that swayed in the soft summer breeze, rippling like water as the breath of wind moved through it. Finding a soft spot where the plants weren't quite so tall, she sat, knees to her chest and idly ran her fingers across the soft petals of a patch of wildflowers that spread beside her. Its so lovely here, she thought. The sorceress gazed upwards at the blue sky with its soft, gauze-like clouds, her mind wandering. Her fingers plucked a blossom from its stem and brought it up to her face, sniffling its gentle perfume delicately. Lina then looked down at the flower, noting what it was.
"A daisy," she chuckled. "These were my favorites when I was little." She carefully stroked the white petals, recalling happy moments from her childhood. A thought popped into her mind and Lina giggled, remembering the game she used to play. The carefully pulled a petal from the blossom.
"He loves me..." As all small girls do, she had imagined what her perfect match would be like, her Prince Charming on his white horse, coming to ride her into the sunset and live happily ever after...yadda yadda. The redhead had to laugh at the foolish childhood dreams. If only things were that simple...
Delving into her past once more, she brought forth the image of her ideal man: dark hair, tanned skin, kind blue eyes... "He loves me not," she giggled, plucking another petal. Without her even realizing it, the dark hair of her dream man faded into summer's gold and flowed in waves past his shoulders; his blue eyes seemed to see right into her very soul.
"He loves me." Every kind word ever said, every thoughtful gesture... "What kind of man sleeps in a bed when there's a woman sleeping on the floor?" He was always there, protecting her (even though half the time she didn't need it...) "You're not gonna touch that lady, you dirty thief!"
"He loves me not." All the times he'd teased her... "Oh great. Its a kid. A wide-eyed, flat-chested little kid." Did he ever know how much his words had hurt? "Keep eating like that and you'll bust everywhere but, heh...your bust!"
"He loves me." Facing every enemy, he'd stood right beside her, never swaying in his loyalty. She remembered his agonized scream as she'd fallen, pierced through by Koppi-Rezo's mage-blast. "He loves me not..."
"Where's Lina?" Gourry asked out of nowhere, looking around for the redhead. "Over there." Zel pointed to a tiny orange dot in the distance, almost swallowed by the bright colors of wildflowers surrounding it. What's Lina doing way out there, all by herself? Gourry wondered. He stood, making his way through the grass towards her, unaware of Amelia's confused look or Zelgadis' smug, knowing one.
Petals littered Lina's lap, a tiny blanket of white and stark contrast to her fuchsia leggings. Only one remained clinging to what once was a full daisy blossom. Lina's fingers reached up to pluck it and thereby end her game.
"He loves you."
The sorceress whirled around at those words. The sunlight blocked her view, but Lina knew it could only be one person. The silhouette moved forward, leaning down and deftly picking the last petal from the daisy. Gourry then sat down beside her, taking one of Lina's hands in his. "You.....you heard me?"
"Yeah."
Lina couldn't think of anything else to say. "Oh."
Fingers softly brushed her hair, tucking strands behind her ear. Gourry removed his hand, leaving a freshly-picked daisy in the fiery tresses. He held up another and looked into her eyes as he pulled off a petal.
"She loves me?"
Then the swordsman found he could say no more on account of Lina's lips meeting his. But then, he didn't really need to say anything anyway.