Shane hopped lightly down from the roof, his boots sinking into the snow with a soft psh.
Before he could even steady himself, he met Erza's eyes—flat, unreadable.
She was wearing a loose blue yukata with a small floral print, clearly having waited here for a while. Fresh from a bath, she looked warm and faintly flushed, like a peeled lychee—heated pink at the edges.
Her usually pale ears were now a vivid red, and the blush on her cheeks had spread all the way down to the base of her neck.
She looked great.
Unfortunately, her gaze made Shane's skin crawl.
A second ago she'd seemed to be in a great mood—so why the sudden…
"Just now… did Ultear come by?"
Erza asked as she dabbed her hair ends with a towel, sounding almost casual.
"You saw her?"
It clicked for Shane.
So that was where this random low pressure was coming from.
For some reason, Erza's attitude toward Ultear had always been… subtle.
Not exactly hostility—more like closeness mixed with a feline, food-guarding kind of vigilance.
"Yeah. We talked on the roof about some things over there."
Shane pointed up at the night sky, completely straightforward, not hiding a thing.
From what he knew of Erza, as long as he was honest—and had a reason—this principled knight usually understood.
Sure enough, the chill in Erza's eyes softened a little.
She gave a small nod and didn't say anything else… but the way she pressed her lips together made it obvious she wasn't totally unaffected.
She did like the fact that Shane trusted her without reservation.
That didn't mean she was going to unconditionally tolerate his complete lack of boundaries.
Every time she saw him acting so close to Ultear—so familiar, like they had secrets that belonged only to them—
Even "Erza," the one everyone in the guild feared, sometimes got a little temper.
Shane, of course, didn't notice any of that.
Seeing the "danger alert" apparently cleared, he finally relaxed. He turned toward the corner of the yard and, amid Natsu's wailing, retrieved the little clump of Heart's Flame he'd tossed earlier.
If he didn't take it back, that idiot would keep trying to force it down even after he couldn't swallow anymore—and might end up setting the house on fire.
Then he heard wheels rolling behind him.
Mira, following Erza, was pushed into the front yard by Lisanna—freshly bathed, changed, and looking much better.
"Hey! Shane!"
The moment she appeared, Mira shouted with surprising energy.
"I think I'm basically recovered! When do we start training again?!"
She waved her mummy-wrapped arm from the wheelchair, eyes shining.
"…."
Shane stared at her, speechless.
Just a moment ago she'd been sitting here like a bored, wheel-chair-bound salted fish who'd lost all her dreams. Now she was suddenly bursting with life—what, did something poke her in the brain?
"Wait until you can actually walk again."
Shane pressed a hand down on the wheelchair armrest, stopping her from trying to do a wheelchair charge.
"And if you've got that much energy and nothing to do, go back and increase your meditation time. Your magic power is still too low!"
"Ugh…"
The moment she heard the word "meditation," Mira let out a tragic groan.
Even through all the bandages, Shane could practically see her face collapsing in real time, full of pure reluctance.
Compared to boring meditation, staring at a wall sounded more fun.
"It's late—I'll head out first…"
Mira panicked and looked left and right, searching for an escape route.
She finally spotted Elfman sitting on the ground, doing who-knows-what, and immediately called to him and Lisanna.
Then the three siblings left in a whirlwind.
Once they were gone, everyone chatted for a bit and gradually said their goodbyes.
The lively yard finally went quiet.
Shane loved it. Now he could enjoy the hot spring by himself instead of squeezing in with Natsu and Gray.
…
Late at night.
Clean and exhausted, Shane towel-dried his hair and went back to his bedroom.
But when he went to turn off the light, he realized the red-haired girl hadn't gone back to her own room.
Instead, she hugged a pillow and squeezed in first.
"Huh… what's up?"
Shane blinked.
Erza's yukata sash was tied a little loose.
As she moved, the side slit flashed a glimpse of her thigh—tight, smooth, and clean, the kind of line you only get from constant training.
She didn't answer.
She walked straight to the bed, kicked off her slippers, climbed up like she owned the place, sat in the center, crossed her arms, and stared forward.
"Uh…"
Shane blinked again, and slowly it hit him.
Is she… sulking?
He carefully walked over and sat beside her.
That sweet, clean scent—warm skin and soapberry—filled the air.
He'd already explained the roof thing. He didn't understand what she was still mad about, and he hesitated, unsure how to start.
Then Erza glanced at him.
Still without speaking, she lay down and claimed half the bed.
Then she raised a hand and patted the empty space beside her—hard.
"Sleep."
Her voice was stiff, leaving zero room for negotiation.
Conversation ended before it began.
"…."
Shane swallowed the words he'd been about to say.
"…Are you… not okay with me being alone with Ultear?"
Somehow, his brain finally caught the right wire and he tested the question.
Erza lay there with her eyes closed, breathing steady like she was asleep, ignoring him completely.
No answer—but it was the loudest answer possible.
"So it is that…"
Shane couldn't help laughing a little.
He didn't expect Erza—normally so mature and steady—to have gotten this possessive.
Being wanted felt nice, sure, but considering their age… this was moving way too fast.
He sighed, resigned, and went toward the foot of the bed, deciding to humor his little tyrant for one night.
Then—
He felt a cold, lingering stare on his back.
He turned.
The "sleeping" Erza had already propped herself up halfway, frowning, expressionless, watching him.
"…."
Shane forced an awkward smile.
Under that unyielding gaze, he obediently returned to the head of the bed.
The moment he lay down—
swish.
Erza turned and casually draped a long, warm leg over him, like she was marking territory.
Shane looked down.
Erza's face was calm and flat, like she wasn't hugging a living person, but some life-size plush she'd bought for 1000J on Central Street.
They'd slept together before, but the vibe had never been like this.
Uneasy, Shane shifted, trying to pull her yukata down over her side where it had loosened.
"Don't move."
Erza caught his hand immediately.
But she didn't let him fix her clothes—she yanked his hand down and pressed it against her waist, forcing him into a tight hold.
Her "try me and see what happens" look made Shane's heart drop.
Wait.
This feels like—
"She didn't actually take that 'be stricter with Shane' nonsense seriously, did she?!"
Shane's brain short-circuited.
If she really went into "strict mode" on him, he'd never know peace again.
"Damn you, Cana!"
He clenched a mental fist, grinding his teeth.
But with Erza already activated, resisting was obviously a terrible idea.
"Guess from now on, if I meet Ultear, I either bring this princess along… or I make sure she never finds out."
He started planning instantly, tightening his arms around her on reflex.
To keep things from escalating, he decided he had to act extra "well-behaved," so Erza would come back to normal sooner.
Feeling him pull her closer, Erza's tightly held expression finally eased.
The corner of her mouth lifted—just a hair—into a satisfied smile.
She nuzzled into his chest, found a comfortable spot, and closed her eyes again.
…Cana was right.
I really was too indulgent with Shane before. Just a little stricter… and it works perfectly.
~~~
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