The first time Leon had visited Isha's home, his dear sister-in-law had prepared a suite fit for passion. Rossweise hadn't expected that, with the war only recently settled, her sister would already have it set up again. Maybe next time we visit, we should just bring a simple tent, she mused.
"No, I didn't redecorate," Isha replied innocently.
"Then what is all this…?"
"After you two left last time, I haven't touched this room at all. Even during the busiest times of the war, this room was kept perfectly intact." Isha crossed her arms, a triumphant smile on her face as if her plan had succeeded. "From your reaction last time, it seemed like you both liked the room's setup, so I kept it just for you."
"..."
The couple exchanged a glance, both seeing the same profound speechlessness in each other's eyes.
While their relationship had deepened significantly since their last visit, and sharing a bed now involved far more than just "holding hands," they were still both slightly unnerved by the overly enthusiastic waterbed. And that was without even considering the collection of... appreciative props in the nearby cabinet.
The entire room could be summed up in one word: Lingering. It was steeped in ambiguity, anticipation, and the intimate tension between a man and a woman.
"Alright, then! I wish you both a pleasant evening. Goodnight~" Isha, having seemingly appeared from nowhere, was now retreating toward the door, bidding them goodnight as she slowly pulled it shut.
Rossweise opened her mouth as if to say something, but with the final sound of the door clicking closed, she swallowed her words. She turned and looked at the room. Leon was already by the edge of the waterbed, pressing down on it experimentally. The bed surface rippled with a few small waves.
"Not bad," he commented. "About the same as last time."
"So, it sounds like you remember the last time we shared a bed pretty clearly," Rossweise teased, a sly smile playing on her lips.
"Of course, I do."
Rossweise paused, caught off guard. She hadn't expected him to abandon his usual stubbornness and admit it so readily. Yet again, after all these years of their verbal sparring, she still couldn't always predict his next move.
"I'll remember for a lifetime how you were so scared of that spider you dove straight into my arms."
Rossweise: "..."
Ignoring the queen's eye-roll, Leon looked up at the ceiling above the waterbed. There shouldn't be any little traps this time, he thought. He remembered that before leaving last time, he had placed a toy spider by the door as a parting "gift" for Isha. He must have successfully pranked her, which was probably why those childish toys were absent now. He had never told Rossweise about that, though. He didn't want her to misunderstand him as some overprotective husband. Who protects their wife like that? Not me!
After confirming there were no more pranks or hidden traps, Leon turned his attention to the nearby cabinet. When he opened the door, a wave of what could only be described as intense enthusiasm seemed to emanate from within.
Whips, candles, handcuffs, red strings, and some kind of ball…
"Your sister is... very knowledgeable," Leon couldn't help but sigh. "It feels like there's even more here than last time."
Rossweise walked over and surveyed the dazzling array of 'toys.' "Probably because she's been reading some... unusual books during this time."
"Oh? Do you dragons have books dedicated to this kind of thing?"
"What do you mean, 'you dragons'? Don't humans have them too?"
"Heh, true enough." It seemed engaging in these kinds of activities was a universal constant across all races.
"So, dear wife," Leon began, holding the whip in his left hand and the candle in his right, looking at Rossweise with a raised eyebrow. "Are you planning to enjoy the whip tonight, or the little candle?"
Rossweise mirrored his raised eyebrow. "Enjoy? Let's be clear. If these things are to be used, it should be me using them on you."
"Why?" Leon protested.
"Because I'm the Queen."
"...So?"
"A queen with a whip sounds perfectly normal, doesn't it?"
Leon's jaw almost dropped. He threw the whip and candle back into the cabinet and shut the door firmly. "Then let's not play at all."
The queen smiled a victorious little smile. "Fine, we won't. After all, I can still beat you without needing a whip."
Leon raised an eyebrow, a challenge in his eyes. "Oh? And how could you—Ouch! Hey!"
Before he could finish, Rossweise's long, silver tail swished through the air, delivering a light but stinging tap to his backside.
The beautiful dragon queen tilted her head slightly, narrowing her eyes into a smug, smiling curve. "With your favorite tail, husband~"
Leon glared at her, then in a swift motion, grabbed the tip of her tail.
Rossweise hadn't expected that. The moment the sensitive tip of her tail was captured, a jolt ran through her, and she lost her balance, stumbling forward straight into Leon's arms.
"Speaking of tails," Leon said, his voice dropping to a murmur near her ear, "little dragon, let me see the Dragon Mark on your back."
Rossweise pressed her hands lightly against his chest in a token resistance, but with her tail held fast, she couldn't muster much strength. The more she struggled, the more it seemed like a coy pretense. A blush crept up her neck. "Alright, stop it…" she said, her voice softening. "We're at my sister's house. Let's… talk about this when we go home."
Despite their clear desire for each other, they both understood basic decorum. Being guests at a relative's home meant they couldn't act too inappropriately. Even though their dear sister Isha had practically laid out a welcome mat for such activities, it still felt a bit like walking into a mischievously set trap.
Leon finally released her tail. "Well then," he said, stepping back and clearing his throat. "How about a bath and then bed?"
"Mm," Rossweise agreed, smoothing down her clothes and trying to regain her composure.
The two moved to the bathroom and were relieved to find that this time, the bathtub was not clogged, and they could change the water. However, the quantity of rose petals floating in the tub still seemed... excessive.
"You said last time you wanted to invite me for a rose petal bath," Leon remarked, a wry smile on his face. "Well, your sister must be deeply in tune with your wishes. She prepared it for us."
Rossweise extended a hand, rolled up her sleeve, and let her delicate fingers brush through the warm water, gently moving some of the petals aside. "Mm, the water temperature is just right. But if you want to bathe with me, I have a condition."
"What is it?"
"After we go home, I want to use the whip."
"...You're dreaming."
Leon waved a hand dismissively and turned to leave the bathroom, leaving the queen standing by the petal-strewn tub, a mixture of amusement and frustration on her face. It seemed their playful battle of wills was far from over, even in the most intimate of settings. The night at Aunt Isha's was proving to be anything but simple.