"How are you turned on again?" Llewellyn asked, amused, looking down at me.
Well! He certainly wasn't helping!
"Shut up," I muttered, pulling him closer.
Did he have to feel everything through the bond? Should I turn this thing off?
Though… I didn't really want to.
Llewellyn kissed me, grinning, and a moment later we were making out again.
I went for his clothes, which were maddeningly still on, and we started moving against each other before Llewellyn held me down and slid into me again, making me shudder.
…This was great.
Best Valentine's Day ever, no contest.
And I'd actually died, too.
"How long do you reckon this is going to last?" I asked, gasping against Llewellyn's mouth. The heightened physical sensations were going to kill me again.
"All three days, I hope," Llewellyn said—and took out the rope again.
***
Three days, five takeaways, and three Divine Restoration Draughts later, I was finally ready to go back home.
Llewellyn clearly wasn't too thrilled at the idea though.
"You can't really believe there could still be side effects from dying," I huffed. "We had sex for three days!"
"I'd be more at ease if you just stayed here until we're sure," Llewellyn scowled.
"You're going to have to deal with it," I said, putting my Seashell White Trench Coat on. "I'm on shift tonight and I have to visit Gran first."
We'd been lucky no new Distorted Realms had opened in the meantime. But I'd only had a brief call with Gran. I really had to go and see her before anything else happened. And who knew what had been on the news in the meantime!
In fact, I was starting to suspect Llewellyn had kept me busy on purpose.
…Not that I was complaining.
Anyway.
Besides, there was something else I wanted to do, too.
Llewellyn kept scowling, but in the end could only let me go, though… not before crowding me against the front door and kissing me again.
...Okay, I might have kept him from moving away too.
In the end, I made it back home.
I looked around and sighed. Penguin seemed a bit depressed at the sight of my flat too.
I mean, the downgrade was really too much. Maybe I should really start looking for a new place.
Still, now was not the right time.
I changed into clean clothes and both Penguin and I teleported to Gran.
***
The Yeonvale Residences' complex looked just as insane as the last time I'd been here.
I signed in at the front desk, but before I could go upstairs to Gran's apartment, I suddenly spotted her… coming out of the Elemental Café.
I blinked.
What!
Since when did Gran go to Elemental Cafés?
I waved at her from where I was standing. Gran spotted us and waved back, looking very pleased.
I thanked the girl at the front desk—who I was certain had recognized me judging from the way she was trying not to stare at me—and crossed the lobby to Gran.
Gran pulled me into a hug, then moved back to give me a quick once-over.
"You look like you've been thrown around."
Uh… She could tell after so many Divine Restoration Draughts?!
Well. It was a good thing that she didn't know about either kind of throwing around I'd been subjected to lately.
She patted my shoulder and Penguin chirped from my pocket, asking for a head rub too, then hiding immediately when he saw someone walking in our direction.
"Come upstairs," Gran said. "There's cake for you."
Cake!
We followed her.
"Wait, you literally just baked it?" I asked, when we stepped in. Gran's apartment smelled like chocolate and hazelnuts.
"About an hour and a half ago," she said. "I'd imagined you'd come to tell me the news sooner or later. I'm not seeing your boy anywhere, though."
Did that mean she'd seen…
"I gathered you saw the news?"
"Everyone saw the news," Gran said. "And a very interesting video in a hotel closet too among the rest."
"…"
Kill me now. This was too embarrassing!
And, now that I thought about it, I was on shift tonight, so all of that was literally waiting for me at home.
I dragged a hand over my face.
Gran grinned, looking for plates. She cut a thick slice of cake and placed it in front of me, then a smaller one for Penguin, who followed it with wide eyes until it was placed in front of him.
I took a bite.
"…"
So good. This was my favorite cake since I was… probably five.
Gran placed tea and cream on the table and sat down, waiting for my explanation.
"So, uh," I said.
"Yes?"
"We might… I mean, we're… Um."
"Together?" Gran supplied.
"Yeah, that," I said. I took a big gulp of tea, burning my tongue.
Gran looked so delighted about it she cut me another slice of cake.
Well!
Meanwhile, Penguin had finished his slice and had flopped on his back, looking very full.
Gran patted his belly gently and Penguin chirped and scooted closer to her.
"I've also seen footage of the hotel ballroom." Gran eyed me. "Did you get hurt?"
Damn it. I wished I was better at lying. Still, I couldn't tell her I'd literally died. Better just give a... uh... lighter version.
"A bit," I said, keeping my voice neutral. "Nothing serious as you can see."
Gran's eyes narrowed.
"Not serious, yet you couldn't call or visit for three days?"
Ah, that. Damn it.
What should I even tell her? I didn't want to lie, but also…
"That's not why I didn't visit," I said in the end, not looking at her.
Gran took a sip of her tea, watching me eat.
"So?"
I coughed.
"It was Valentine's Day," I muttered.
Gran looked at me.
"Oh!" she said. "Well! In that case you're forgiven. I imagine you'd need to make up for all the lost time."
"…"
I wanted to die again.
"Anyway," I said, trying desperately to change the subject. "Since when are you into Elemental Cafés?"
Gran clearly didn't buy it for a second, but she still perked up at the mention of Elemental Cafés.
Apparently, one of the residents convinced her to try it right after she'd moved in and she had ended up enjoying it.
She started listing all the games she had tried. She seemed to be particularly into those detective games in which the clues had to be unlocked with the right Elemental combinations—which wasn't a surprise considering that she loved reading detective novels.
"Mrs. Ryan challenged me to that one in which you throw Fire and other Elements at flying fruit. Very satisfying. I beat Mrs. Ryan by forty-three points."
I grinned. "I see the competitive streak runs in the family."
"Obviously." Gran said, taking another sip. "The staff said I should try the gardening one next. Apparently it's very relaxing."
"BonsAI Studio? Yes, it's good."
Gran hummed. "You should play with me sometime, if you're not too busy fighting metal bulls and kissing your boy on camera."
I cleared my throat. "You're not going to let me forget this, do you?"
"Obviously not," Gran said, eyes twinkling. "Not until you bring him back with you when you come visit, at least."
Well. I buried my face in my mug.
***
Once I left Gran's, Penguin and I quickly went grocery shopping before I could finally sit down at home and dedicate the time before my shift to what I had to do: find a (belated) Valentine's Day present for Llewellyn.
He'd enjoyed his own present plenty too, so maybe it was okay to let it slide, but… I wanted to get him something.
"System," I asked, "Do you have any idea what Llewellyn might want?"
The System pinged immediately.
[System Analysis: Partner Llewellyn's current n. 1 preference: Increased intimacy with User Ryo.]
What!!!
I coughed.
"I meant as a present!"
[Clarification: Partner Llewellyn's current n. 1 preference: Increased intimacy with User Ryo.]
What about n. 2?
[System Analysis: Partner Llewellyn's current n. 2 preference: Increased intimacy with User Ryo.]
Well. My face was hot again.
"There should be something else," I said. "A sword? Maybe one of those expensive gacha replicas on his wall? Or maybe a real sword? Something from the System Shop?"
Though… He could get all of those himself.
"What's third in the list?"
[System Analysis: Partner Llewellyn's current n. 3 preference: Increased intimacy with User Ryo.]
I groaned. "What about the rest of the list?"
[System Notification: Suggestions remain unchanged.]
"…"
I mean, at least I wasn't the only one whose mind was in the gutter—but still! I wanted to get him something!