"Doraraa..."
Swaying, Mini-Dora toppled onto the briefcase, shut his eyes, and fell back into sweet dreams.
Even a house cat isn't this lazy.
Warm light filled the small bedroom. When Levy came in, her off-shoulder dress had been swapped for a long-sleeved jacket, and she was hugging a tall stack of books.
If you looked closely, the topmost cover had Mirajane's photo on it.
"An old issue of Weekly Sorcerer—back when Mira was modeling. Well? Interested!"
Not sure what she planned to do with that at night, Roland still felt the girl was up to something.
Seven or eight volumes thumped onto the table. Levy planted one hand on her waist and wiped the sweat from her brow with the other.
"You're not planning to read all of those tonight, are you?"
Arching a brow, Roland picked up the Weekly Sorcerer on top and flipped to the table of contents with interest.
Exploring the unknown of the magic world; guild visit—Blue Pegasus; mage interviews; most popular boyfriend and girlfriend rankings.
At a glance, it was clearly an entertainment magazine.
"I could probably finish them in one night. About this much is fine."
Rubbing her sore shoulders, Levy flopped onto the soft bed and closed her eyes in comfort.
Mmm, smells like Roland.
Shame the room's a bit small, or I'd move my dorm bookshelves in here.
Roland didn't answer. Her meaning was obvious. Not just tonight—she'd probably be staying here from now on.
They'd already done things that intimate. Living together wasn't strange at all.
No—what would be strange is not living together.
If this keeps going: confession, dating, marriage, a family, children...
Levy hugged a pillow, blushing hard, buried her face in it, and let out a cute little hum from her throat.
Women... what are you imagining now.
Hearing the tempting little sounds beside him, Roland sighed inwardly and kept his eyes on the magazine.
"Most Popular Boyfriend/Girlfriend Rankings."
At the top of the girlfriend list was, unsurprisingly, Mirajane, very familiar to Roland. Even without continuing as a model, her popularity was absurdly high.
Below that was Blue Pegasus's Jenny Realight—golden wavy hair, a bombshell figure, and a luxe purple gown. In looks alone she was on par with Mirajane.
Judging by the rankings, maybe the pure type had a slight edge.
Cheeks still pink, Levy lowered the pillow and squinted at Roland propping his chin and reading.
This guy... and last night he was so forward.
She stood, tiptoed behind him, and craned her pale neck to see what had him so engrossed.
"Isn't it mostly the Blue Pegasus guys—and Loke in there too?"
By the time she leaned in, Roland had flipped ahead to the boyfriend rankings.
"Me, huh—are you that bored?"
Levy lay across his shoulder, puffing her cheeks like a pufferfish and asking in a wounded tone.
Blue hair spilled over his shoulder; her warm breath tickled his cheek, and the fresh scent of her shampoo teased his nose.
"I'm trying to learn more about the Kingdom of Fiore. Besides, you're on the list too."
Roland tilted his head left. Their foreheads touched, and the warm air between them turned instantly intimate.
"My rank's low. I can't compare with Erza or Mira..."
"It's just a subjective popularity vote. In my heart, little Levy's no less than either of them."
Levy's lips curled in satisfaction.
Scanning down the page, the top of the boyfriend list was full of Blue Pegasus members, with Loke at eighth.
Worth noting—above Loke was Siegrain, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, Jellal's thought-form.
Thinking of Jellal, Roland instinctively thought of Mystogan and the parallel world called Edolas.
If only he could visit someday.
He closed the magazine and stretched lazily, then, to the girl's surprised squeak, scooped up her soft body and lay back on the bed.
"Be my pillow tonight."
"J-just a pillow? Aren't we going to do anything else?"
Levy set her hands against his chest, lips glossy and moist, clear eyes fixed on him.
Seeing that look, Roland knew what she wanted. He didn't answer—he simply kissed her, fingers sliding into her silky blue hair.
The room lights dimmed; pale moonlight slipped through the window like a thin shawl draped over them both.
Tick... tick...
Fine raindrops tapped at the sill. Outside, a soft drizzle began to fall, like a lullaby easing the heart.
"Slow down, idiot!"
Morning.
Haze rose over the town. Last night's drizzle continued, pattering crisply against the windowpane.
"So cold..."
Awakened by the sound, Levy frowned and murmured, then instinctively snuggled into the warmth beside her, a satisfied smile stealing over her face.
They hadn't taken the final step, but the sweetness of now made her reluctant to let go.
"I'm going to make breakfast."
Feeling her arms snake back around his neck, Roland poked her cheek.
"It's still early. Sleep a little longer... besides, we've got the gourmet tablecloth."
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