A gentle warmth filled his arms; the girl's quiet, even breaths brushed his neck with soft puffs of heat.
Clearly worn out from last night, Levy had drifted off again.
"Then sleep a little more," Aurel murmured.
Savoring the shared warmth, he closed his eyes too, ready to catch up on rest.
Only… they were pressed very close, and the girl had changed out of her clothes.
So…
"Honestly—don't you ever get tired?" Levy's amber eyes cracked open, fixing on his profile.
"Strictly speaking, this isn't my fault. What man could resist in a situation like this?" Aurel glanced aside and added, "Especially when the girl in his arms is this cute."
"Mm…"
Whether from shyness or something else, a blush spread across Levy's delicate face—like a ripe red apple, sweet and tempting enough to bite.
...
Noon.
Water pattered steadily in the bath. Steam rolled and gathered, and through the frosted glass door a lovely silhouette came and went in soft curves.
Outside, Aurel was washing his hands. He fetched a new set of clothes from the wardrobe and left them neatly by the door.
In the bedroom, the Gourmet Napkin was already spread over the low round table: two steaming bowls of ramen and a piled-high bowl of dorayaki on the side.
Freshly rebooted, Mini-Dora sprawled happily on the cloth, nibbling the dorayaki one bite at a time.
Yes—after the little thing fell asleep last night, Aurel had forced a shutdown.
Chances were this would happen a lot going forward… Sorry, Mini-Dora.
He offered a silent apology, then casually picked up a book. Judging by the title, it was a biography.
"Entertainment really is scarce in this world…"
He flipped a page and sighed thoughtfully.
From what he'd gathered these days, "relaxing" meant pub-crawling or wandering the streets.
There were billiards and cards too, sure—but nothing you could really do in a bedroom at night.
So aside from doing the things lovers like to do… there was only reading.
He suddenly missed the days of having a phone.
Propping his cheek in one hand, Aurel glanced at the suitcase on the desk, and an idea sparked.
Slide—
The bathroom door rolled open. Steam spilled out, and Levy, just stepping out, spotted the outfit left by the side.
Obviously—not hers.
That black T-shirt looked familiar. She held it up, thinking.
Wasn't this the shirt they bought together when she'd gone shopping with Aurel?
Drying her short blue hair with a towel, Levy slipped into his shirt, then padded over in light steps.
On a not-quite-one-sixty frame, the loose black tee hung like a baggy dress, the hem falling to her thighs.
No pants, huh.
Catching the scenery beneath the drape, Aurel calmly averted his gaze.
Levy plopped cross-legged onto the clean carpet. The sight of the steaming ramen drew a sleepy yawn from her.
All his fault—she'd planned to sleep in, and not only did she fail to, she'd ended up paying extra, so to speak.
"Pervert…"
She shot him a sideways look and muttered under her breath.
He accepted the label cheerfully and started on his ramen at a leisurely pace.
"And who was it last night who got so dazed she confessed to sneaking into a dark guild member's house by pretending to be a child?"
Aurel's mouth quirked as he teased.
In that mood last night, he'd ask and Levy would answer—and he'd learned quite a few fun tidbits.
Like how she'd infiltrated a target without Transformation Magic, just by passing as a little girl.
And how someone in the guild once used Erza's portrait as a dartboard and got pummeled half to death when found out.
"You were the one steering the conversation on purpose…"
Levy bit down on her chopsticks, flustered and vexed.
...
Breakfast—no, lunch—finished, they dawdled a bit and then got ready to head to the guild.
With weather like this, staying cooped up together in the room had its limits; better to go enjoy the guild's bustle.
"Raining again?"
They stepped outside. Fine droplets kissed Levy's face, cool and bracing, clearing her head a touch.
Staring up at the gray sky, she whispered, half to herself.
Was it just her imagination, or did it always rain when she was alone with Aurel?
"It started last night. Besides, doesn't it set a nice mood?" Aurel opened an umbrella behind her, smiling.
"I don't feel any mood at all… it's just cold!"
They huddled close and walked toward the guild.
Inside Fairy Tail.
By the time they arrived, it was already two in the afternoon.
Maybe because of the rain, plenty of members who'd planned to take jobs had stayed in.
A quick sweep of the room told Aurel there were quite a few unfamiliar faces today.
"Yo, Aurel's here!"
Pipe clenched between his teeth, Wakaba greeted him while playing cards with Macao. Beside them sat Jet and Droy.
Both were staring holes through Levy, feelings complicated.
At this point, their relationship was basically out in the open…
"Morning, Jet! Morning, Droy!"
Levy waved with a bright smile, as lively and cute as ever.
"M-Morning?"
Jet and Droy exchanged a look—and realized the problem at once. Did Levy… just wake up?
And she'd walked in with Aurel—so they'd slept together?!
"Levy, um… it's afternoon…"
Jet forced a crooked smile and tried to break it gently.
Right—looked like they really had no more chances…
"As a server, you're late today!"
Just then, Mirajane passed with a tray, smiling as she chided Aurel.
"Ah—sorry, forgot to call the Shadow Legion in!"
Her reminder jogged his memory—he hadn't given the Shadow Legion any orders today. He rubbed his neck, a little sheepish.
The motion made Mirajane blink. Her pretty eyes flicked to the faint red marks at his throat.
Those… were kisses, weren't they?
A sharp pang of crisis flashed through her.
(End of Chapter)
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