Knock knock

From her place under the covers, Louise glanced up from her book. Her simple nightgown draped over her curvy body as the light fabric almost fluttered as if in a soft breeze. Her long pink hair was already undone as it cascaded down her back."Come in," she called.

She waited for the door to open with bated breath. As a familiar silhouette slid into view, she closed her book and smiled. She set the novel aside, already certain she'd do no further reading tonight. "I was wondering when you'd be coming. How was she?" Louise asked casually, tucking her hair back behind her ear.

Ranzal gently shut the door before turning to face her. His broad figure was mostly covered thanks to a simple pair of black pajamas. He shook his head and chuckled at a certain Child of Miracles' state. "Heh, out like a light. The rest?"

"They're all in bed now - hopefully they'll know better than to sneak sweets out of Cleo's kitchen again," Louise chuckled. Hopefully, the Halidom's henpecked mother wouldn't be too stringent with a little pilfered platter of cookies. He crossed his arms and grinned as she sighed.

"Well. I suppose you could always take the fall for them. Again."

"Nah - everyone gets one from ol' Ranzal," he ribbed back. Louise's mind conjured some rather vivid rebuttals, but she opted to keep her lips shut as her cheeks bloomed.

"Amane didn't last anywhere near as long as the others, did she?" she mused.

Ranzal shook his head and stroked his broad, bare chin. "Nah, but I can't blame her at all. When she's working herself ragged like that, it's only fair she'd crash so soon," he admitted.

Louise giggled and nodded. Ranzal's rumble of mirth rolled over her even from the distance that divided them. She felt herself shudder even from his chortles. As if the winds themselves were poised to buffet over her.

Their shared chuckles slipped low until only the muted crackle of candles remained. The two's gazes stayed locked through the dim light - him from her door, and her atop the bed. The pale moon's light leaked through the window and bathed over them, as it awaited a private show.

The shadows shifted as they slowly drew towards each other. He crossed the room with calm, even steps. She shimmied over to the side of the bed to greet him. When he sat down beside her she faintly heard her bed frame groan in protest. Yet both she and he were already preoccupied as their lips drew together.

Soft - that was the way to describe it. Soft, almost like a tepid gale or a gentle zephyr. She brought her hand up and cupped his cheek. His own palm easily overtook hers as he squeezed his fingers between hers. His other hand shifted and wrapped around her dainty waist to nudge her into his embrace. an invitation she graciously and gladly accepted until she found herself straddled in his lap. Their lips remained locked in place even as their bodies gently caressed and squirmed together.

It was still a secret and miraculously so. Not because either one feared reprisal but rather they didn't want their relationship to compromise their fight with the Empire. To all others, friend and foe alike - they remained distant and firmly in their stations.

Ranzal rubbed his hand over her back as he rolled his tongue against her lips. The sweet taste of apples caressed against his palate. He felt the softness of her bosom through her nightgown as she rubbed over his taut body. Her unclaimed hand reached under his shirt from below and began to gently massage his muscles.

On the battlefield, she was a fierce sniper, and he- the Halidom's commander. In conflict, she remained back to support his charge with showers of arrows and winds that pierced her foes. He used the openings she provided as he charged ahead - no more a mere wall of storms, but now a mighty tower and bastion of the Haldiom's command. One who carried the standard of New Alberia in one hand while his sword swung cyclones upon their foes.

Yet here - behind the privacy of closed doors, they were more than their stations. Beyond Commander and Subordinate, beyond the seasoned tactician or the doting sister. More than just Ranzal and Louise.

They were lovers.

Louise pulled herself deeper into his embrace as her woes and whims melted away. She had no thoughts of her brother's wellbeing or even the care of a certain recluse for that matter. Here in her room, with the door well locked and the night sky over her head, she could, at last, let her hair down. Quite literally tonight, in fact. All so she could feel and relish every touch and taste of the man who had captivated her so.

It wasn't terribly hard to see what drew her to him. He was reliable, strong, and had a certain coarse charm about him. His antics endeared her even when they caused no shortage of woes to the Halidom itself. Plus, him going the extra distance for Lowen's comfort were big bonuses in her eyes as well.

In turn, the attraction was obvious, even beyond her bewitching beauty. He was drawn to her spirit- her passion and her drive. The way she fought for what she held dear with the fierce gale that buffeted all but the most stalwart to the ground. The way she could shift from the cruelties of war and release tenderness and kindness from her weary bosom with a smile on her face. From that, and more, they'd ended up in each other's arms.

And neither one could be happier.

"Mmmwah~"

She pulled back, already breathless from such a simple kiss. Webs of saliva dropped down and hung off her chin. She brought her hand to her bosom as deep, needy gulps of air struggled down to her lungs.

Her more active partner wasn't the least bit winded, much to her delight. He gave her space to collect herself as he waited for her next move with bated breath. He didn't have to wait long as Louise slowly brought a coy finger to her lips and swirled the thin strand of spit until her mouth was glossy. "You know...I don't have any missions tomorrow," she cooed.

"And my war meeting isn't until the afternoon…" he growled in return. She returned his husky growl with a sultry giggle of her own. Her mirth morphed to a shriek of delight as she let him knock her down onto the bed and rolled atop her to take her lips again. "Mmmm~"

Louise's hands roamed in his robe to squeeze and caress his muscles. Meanwhile, he simply kept his hands pinned between her sides to keep him from crashing down on her. Her antics proved more active than him as he showed incredible restraint in the ministrations to his lover. Clearly, he'd pull his punches for tonight for a single, apt reason.

Her hair was already undone.

It was a system shared between them. Down hair meant slow and easy - strip bare, and grind the night away. Strange as it was Ranzal actually really liked these times, especially after a long day. Sometimes it was more rewarding to cuddle after mowing down fiends and imperials by the scores as opposed to trading one battlefield for another. It gave him more time to savor her, worship her.

Tease her.

"Mmm...mma-aahaaah"

Louise's breath hitched as she felt his crotch rub against hers. He exploited her distraction and slipped his tongue in her mouth. Her eyes rolled up as he flicked and smacked against her teeth with pure impunity. His spit slowly leaked into her mouth as he lowered himself gently atop her until she was pinned against the bed by his broad body. Her hands traced up behind him as she gripped the back of his head, wanting him even deeper in her mouth.

Ranzal easily broke away from her grasp and looked down at his handiwork. He smacked his spit-licked lips clear before he leaned back in to tease her with a coy grin. "Needy tonight?"

Louise panted, eyes lidded over as she writhed against him. Her nails dug into the back of his shirt while she levied a glare against her smug superior's face. "You...you have no idea - I was debating on my hair ever since you left to take the kids back to bed," she admitted.

He didn't say anything, but his hard desire as he rubbed against her nightgown was enough of an answer. She'd clearly made her choice based on how her hair spilled down around her like long curtains of rosy water. He scanned over her and her plain-yet-perfect face before he mused aloud, "No other getup?"

His lover looked away with bright red cheeks. She shifted her hands up to the back of his head while he waited for her answer. Her legs squirmed under her dress and let him feel her bare thighs. "I um...I forgot to wash them from last time," she mumbled under her breath.

Louise let go of his head and traced her fingers to his cheek. She turned to face him with a warm, bright smile. "Enough stalling. I want to go all night - and I want to feel you, Ranzal~"

He nodded at his girlfriend's desires. Her commander and lover leaned into her bare neck. She tilted her head aside to give him full access, already eager to see what he'd do first. All she knew was that whatever it would be was bound to leave her breathless in the utterly best way possible.

She should've paid more attention to his almost-unseen smirk.

Ranzal's hands rolled up her hips as she writhed against him. Her thin nightgown rubbed against his chest while her smaller hands tugged at his shirt's shoulders. Her desperation was clear as day. More than clear to him as well. And even more incentive to toy with her.

Louise should've guessed what he was up to with how remarkably tame her lover was being. His touches were even more restrained than 'hair down' would normally evoke. He hadn't even dipped under her nightgown yet, and usually, he was already all over her. "W-What are yo-ooooh~"

"We've got no hurry, right?" he asked right in her ear. She could feel the grin on his lips just from the light tone that left shudders down her back. The archer tried to protest but found her words cut short as hot, husky breath blew into her ear.

"Aaah!"

Ranzal took enjoyment in his lover's short gasps while he gently peppered kisses along the side of her head. He kept his hands over her gown and even avoided her bosom or the wet loins between her thighs. Simple, slow, and sensuous strokes up and down her hip or across her stomach. It felt wonderful...but it also left her in the most pleasurable circle of hell imaginable.

Louise bit her lip to try and mask her moans. Her flushed cheeks glowed in the candlelight while she struggled to keep herself muted. 'If that's the game you want to play, I'm not gonna give you the satisfaction,' she swore to herself.

Were it so easy.

The bed creaked beneath them as Ranzal toyed with his lover. His bulk easily kept him pinned over her and in control. Try as she might to keep herself composed she couldn't stop her mewls and grunts. Nor could she stop her limbs as they twitched and spasmed under his restrained, feather-like touch.

Ranzal shifted down and began to suckle her collar. Her hand shifted off and gripped the sheets as the heat between her legs left her numb. Her mind was trapped between screams of desire and the urge to have more.

She couldn't hope to overwhelm him, at least not with raw strength. So instead she could try to aim somewhere a little more exposed. More vulnerable.

The mercenary-turned-commander was too preoccupied with his subdued, succulent feast that he failed to notice her shift beneath him. How her hand traced down from his back and seemed to fall off. He gave no heed to where the missing limb could possibly go.

At least, not until it groped against the obvious bulge in his trousers.

"Hrmph!"

Ranzal's grunt made a grin curl across Louise's flushed cheeks. She curled her fingers over the tent and squeezed. Her other hand reached up from the sheets and struggled around his back, just above the waistline of his bottoms. "H-How's that?" she taunted him as her nails traced over the bulge.

He shifted forward under her ministrations and even tightened his grasp on her side. His hair hung over his face and made it hard to read his expression at first. Yet when he waved it clear with his free palm, she saw only that same cocky, confident smirk that left her weak in the knees. "You said take it slow," he teased her.

"Hmph! You know what I meant," she huffed and gave his loins another squeeze. "I want to feel you - not fall asleep under you."

Ranzal winced both at her tone and her squeeze. He still managed to keep her in anticipation even as she grew a little more forceful in how she handled his bulge. "Ngh! Alright alright - we'll pick up the pace a bit," He finally relented.

Louise nodded in satisfaction and released his crotch. "Good. now let's get this o-oomph?!"

Her instructions were cut short as he pushed all his weight down on her and crashed against her lips. Louise's eyes bugged out from the sudden attack and the pressure, which gave him the perfect chance to force his tongue into her mouth. Her gaze quickly narrowed as she returned his advances with her own tongue. Slowly, she pushed him out of her lips until they were left to dance between their open mouths.

His hands shifted on her body as he started to bunch up her nightgown. Ranzal grabbed a fistful from her sides and pushed it up her hip. Slowly, her legs were revealed, as well as the cute and simple pair of pink panties that were already stained from his earlier torment on her. She gasped and shuddered as the cool air from her room struck her exposed belly.

Louise moaned into the kiss as her fingers blindly groped down to Ranzal's crotch again. This time her strokes didn't stay outside, however, and soon she reached into his trousers and wrapped around his crotch in full. The heat and especially the girth made her gasp and distracted her long enough to have her mouth be re-taken.

Ranzal shifted and rose just enough to give Louise room to squirm beneath him. The archer tried to loop her leg around his back but only managed to graze her thigh over his. Her other hand shifted up and cupped his cheek again as their tongue-of-war settled down into soft, gentle kisses.

While she tried to tug and pull at his crotch, he had a somewhat easier time. With her nightgown pushed up to just below her chest Ranzal was easily able to reach down and caress her damp panties. His finger pressed against her mound and sent a shudder right up her back. More strokes over her thinly protected pussy made her quiver and shake until light mewls passed through her open lips.

"A-AAH!"

Lousie gasped and arched her hips up against his meaty fingers. Her superior and lover easily and gently pushed her back onto the bed. All without a single pause as he smoothly rubbed over her ruined intimates to tease the sensitive lips beneath. She squirmed and squeezed her thighs together as the heat threatened to overwhelm her.

"R-ran-zeeep?!"

Her plea was cut abruptly short as one - a finger- slipped past her underwear and directly touched her pussy. Louise's eyes shrunk to pinpricks as pure, hot ecstasy threatened to burn her alive. Her already wet walls practically flooded around the fingers that probed against her without a single digit's penetration.

Ranzal relished the reactions of his lover with a cocky grin. It was always a treat to coax out her reactions, regardless if it was a hair up or hair down night. Something about how she squirmed and squealed got the older mercenary going like little else.

Still, he had more he wanted to do and only so much time in the night to do it. He slowed down his ministrations to give her time to re-compose herself and try to return the favor. The soft, supple hand that barely flexed around his shaft still managed to send a deep, satisfied growl from his lips.

Louise shuddered from her prior fits and the groans of the man above her. She slowly and shakily dragged her other hand down to join the first in the struggle to jerk him off. With both hands now wrapped around his girth, she could at least cover the shaft and even stretch her thumb up to tap the glans.

"Hngh...you're getting better, Louise," he grunted before he shifted back to let her work more. The rosette flashed him a glare through her flushed cheeks before she returned her attention to the thick girth that imposed in her grasp. 'I-Is it even bigger than before?' she whimpered to herself.

Regardless, she wanted to show him just what she could do, and that was exactly what she intended. Her hands worked in rhythm - sometimes in tandem, others separated, as she strived to work him off. His guttural growls were a constant reminder of her progress. Especially when paired with the shivers that each grunt sent down her back. Her arms pressed tight against her barely-covered bosom as she used both hands in his trousers with all the skill and finesse she could muster.

She was no expert, to be fair, but she still managed his dick with the same fingers that could effortlessly tout her trusty bow. The rosette felt some pride as she felt the first sticky dollop of precum drip out of his slit and onto her thumb. She pulled it out of his pants and brought it up to her mouth for a taste, right beneath his gaze.

"MMmmw-wAAH?!"

Louise gasped as he pulled himself free of her grasp and down the bed. She looked after him as he settled before her drenched panties. Realization flashed over her as the blush on her cheeks brightened like fire. "R-Ranzal don't you da-aaaaaeeeeeh?!

Ranzal swiftly pushed her small clothes aside and brought his mouth to her honeyed lips. Her protests died on her lips the moment his fat, meaty tongue slapped against her drenched folds. His nose poked into her well-trimmed pubes and sent another tingle right up her spine.

He struck swift and pierced her pussy with the same precision that she could fire an arrow. The sweet, sinful nectar of her velvet walls rushed into his mouth as he lapped his tongue like a dog in her loins. She tried to protest his antics even as her body shook and bucked against her will.

"Eyah! S-Slow dooooooooown-gh!"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as the commander feasted. The same ferocity that could clear taverns or Cleo's kitchen now assaulted Louise's honeypot while she thrashed and squirmed above him. Her legs wrapped around his head and pushed him further between her legs. Her nails dug into the sheets as she hissed and howled like a rabid Fiend.

"F-Fuck!"

Ranzal blinked, unsure if he'd really heard that. His lover rarely used such coarse words, even when it came to the bedroom. To know that he'd managed to do that made his already-hard cock twitch and throb against the bed.

His little game could wait - he needed her. Now.

Louise winced as his tongue slipped out of her folds. Her hips bucked and rolled as a mewl of protest escaped her lips. But any actual complaints were cut short as she watched her commander raise back over her with every bronzed, tight muscle on full display. "R-Ranzal?"

"I know we said take it slow...but damnit Louise I can't hold back anymore," he told her as he pushed down atop her. His cock rubbed over her slit while she tried to process what he'd said.

"I uh...um, A-Alright. I-I can't wait either," she sheepishly admitted through the cascades of disheveled rosette hair. He had the decency to reach down and stroke the hair out of her eyes. Their gazes locked together - brilliant blue and brazen brown.

Their hips locked together.

"O-Ooh!" Louise gasped as his thick cockhead pushed her pussy lips aside. She squirmed and writhed as Ranzal slowly and carefully slipped more and more of his shaft in. He had to keep himself under control, not just for her sake, but for his own.

"D-Damnit...tight," he grunted and bucked forward.

Louise gasped, both from the entry and his blunt words. Her hands wrapped around his shoulders as she looked away in embarrassment. "Don't say tha-haaaaaahah-t." she tried to scold him.

"Sorry, sorry," he grunted. His hands reached down and cupped her hips for further support as they worked in tandem to come together. Their respective voices and pitches were the guide as Louise squirmed up while Ranzal shifted down.

Their efforts bore fruit as her loins touched his for the very first time. Louise's smaller, lithe body was practically swallowed in Ranzal's bulky frame. His arms wrapped around her back, easily able to pull out of her grasp before her hands went limp at his sides. She gasped and panted into his chest while she struggled to collect herself.

Ranzal rubbed the small of her back as he waited for her signal to go further. "So...New fragrance?" he asked.

Louise blinked and looked up from between his pecs. "You just noticed?" she gawked.

"Nah, just making small talk," he explained with a shrug.

The rosette opened her mouth to respond, but let it close when no words passed out. Instead, she merely sighed and offered a small, embarrassed smile. "Y-You don't have to do that. Just be gentle. Please?"

"Hey, I know the rules," he promised her before he slowly pulled his hips back. The tight walls that compressed around his shaft made it quite the trial, but Ranzal wasn't a greenhorn in any stretch. Especially not when it came to sex. He managed.

Barely.

"Aaaah, t-that's it," Louise panted as the bliss tricked over her. Her toes and fingers curled in delight. Her body relished the cock that stretched her in the most delightful of ways. Already she felt herself straddle the threshold of release with only the slightest twitch ready to knock her clear over. Something he knew about after some of their earlier evenings together.

Ranzal played his cards well as he gently coaxed Louise through the initial stages. His hands roamed up and down her sides to relax her tensed muscles. He held her close and let his own wider body's heat waft over her. The masculine musk that filled her nostrils was an added boon to her as well. "K-Keep going, slowly," she insisted.

He complied with her requests and raised the tempo just enough to shorten the gap between thrusts. In and out, from base to tip, he rolled his hips into her loins. Her pleased groans and moans rang like sweet music in his ears - an apt reward for his exercise in restraint.

"H-Haah, yes, yessss~"

Louise felt herself melt in his arms. Slowly, she began to roll her hips back as she got more and more comfortable. Her hands shifted from his arms and rolled up to his shoulders for support. She took a deep breath before she leaned forward with her lips puckered.

Ranzal leaned down and met her in a soft kiss. His hands shifted around her sides and cupped just over her rump as he coaxed her up and down his cock. The lubrication from her loins made things easier as time drew on, long past the point where either one could pretend to care.

"H-Hwaaaaaah"

Louise blinked at the deep yawn from her lover that made the bed beneath her shudder. She glanced up and noticed the slight list in his eyes. "Getting tired?" she asked him, not unkindly.

He nodded even as he continued to thrust into her. "Yeah. Been a long day. How about you?"

The rosette pondered his question as she rolled her hips up against him. A torch lit up in her head before her lips curled into an impish, coy smirk. She let go of his shoulder and toyed with one of her free locks of hair. "I'm wide awake now. I think I could go all night you know~" she fluttered her eyes and bit her lip.

That sight alone was all Ranzal needed to spring back. And Louise got a sudden abrupt thrust in her pussy as a response. H-Hey, easy!" she laughed as her hand went back to his shoulder.

The commander pouted at how he'd been outplayed by his lovely lady. Sure, he wasn't so childish as to complain after he'd basically tormented her earlier, but it didn't sit right to let her get a little dig in. Still, he could show a little leeway to his subordinate lover. A little.

Just a tiny bit...right?

…

'Nah, can't go showing favoritism,' he mentally shrugged as he cooked up a way to get back at her. His solution was pretty simple as he clutched her hips and casually tilted over with her still plugged on his cock.

"O-Ooh!"

Ranzal shifted to his side and brought his lover with him. Lousie instinctively wrapped her leg around his back while she pushed her breasts against his chest. "R-Ranzal?!"

"Just getting more comfortable," he told her while he kept his pace the same. She looked uncertain but went along with it regardless.

"Okay. But you better not fall asleep on me-eep!"

Louise slapped his hand under her disheveled nightgown as he pinched her nipple. Ranzal simply chuckled as he shifted to cup and gently caressed her boob instead. His downward hand shifted and curled under her until he could cup her rump. The results left her in close contact as their hips rolled and undulated together.

The rosette shuddered, from the now threefold attack. Between the thick cock in her pussy, the meaty palm on her tit and teat, and the equally girthy hand that massaged and squeezed her bottom, she found herself in quite the predicament. Her head tilted back and let her free hair coil around her as she panted out, O-Ooh wow, this feel so...so-"

"Good?" he chuckled as his ministrations went on.

"A-Amazing!" she gasped out.

"Whoa, that's a new one from you," he mused before he leaned in and suckled her nape. Louise's arm swiftly went around his neck as she writhed and ground against his body. His persistent advances against her wore down her defenses until she found herself right back against that threshold when he'd first thrust in. And this time, she went over the edge.

"C-Cumming!" she wailed.

"Ngh!"

He tried to thrust even as her already-tight pussy clamped around him. The constant lubrication from her loins wasn't enough as the friction from his thrusts stoked the heat that already broiled in her velvet hall. His grip on her breast and her butt tightened as he passed his own threshold. "Louise!"

To his credit, Ranzal didn't pull out. He didn't even stop. He kept going at exactly the same pace even as his cum shot and sloshed into her womb. She slowly recovered from her climactic stupor and soon her hips twitched and rolled against him to try and keep pace once more.

The night was young, and they had so much more time to burn.

Knock knock!

Louise blinked and winced as the morning light shined right in her face. She looked around her room until her eyes came to rest on the lump beside her. The same lump that rolled over to show the deep sleep of her superior and lover

Huh, no snoring," she giggled and winced. Her body felt so sore - as sore as a run against an Astral in fact. But unlike those times, it was the kind of lethargy and exhaustion that she couldn't help but cherish. She gently stroked a stray lock out of Ranzal's face before she leaned forward. Lips puckered and ready...

Knock knock knock!

The rosette froze as the rattle echoed through her ears. She pushed back and stumbled off the bed. Her naked, sore body almost shined from the window's light while she stumbled to her nearby night robe. "J-Just a second!" she pleaded.

Squish

She bristled, glancing down at the obvious puddle at her feet. The same one that had leaked off the disheveled bed and onto the ground. "Oh winds, guide me," she prayed before she threw her robe on

Knock knock!

"C-Coming!" Louise shouted as she quickly tied her bathrobe together and ran her hand through her wild hair. It wasn't pretty, but it could pass for bed head easily enough. With that, she limped for the slippers near the door. Her messy foot left a squishing sound in its wake. she fumbled for one of her slippers as the rattling at her door grew louder. "One moment please!" she begged.

Her attempts to reach the other slipper only ended with the insufferable thing slipping behind her dresser. Louise gave up and opted to just confront the interloper now. She fumbled with the lock and opened her door before peeking out. "How can I help yo...oh!"

"Louise!"

"Oh Lowen!" his sister gasped before swiftly stepping out into the hall. She kneeled down and gave her little brother a hug, just like every other morning. His arms felt as nice and firm as always, though that same touch left her more than a touch aware of her current state of undress. "D-Did you sleep well?" she asked him with a shaky, yet sincere smile.

Lowen looked down, clearly guilty about last night. "Yeah I did...um Sis, I wanted to say so-"

Uuuugh

Louise blinked before glancing back behind her. Groaning noises from a lady's bedroom tended to raise eyebrows, except in the young and naive. And while Lowen was racing to his own conclusions, she knew exactly what it was. 'Really? The one time you're actually up on your day off?!'

"W-Was that the ghost?" Lowen gulped.

"Ghost?" Louise looked at him with a look of confusion. Realization dawned on her face as she tried to hide her giggles. "Uuuh...of course not Lowen! The ghost only moves around at night, right? Not the middle of the morning...eh he heh heh." she nervously chuckled.

Lowen clearly wasn't convinced and balled his hands into fists as he tried to be strong. "I dunno sis...M-maybe it's hiding in your room," he mentioned as he took a step forward.

Louise yelped before stepping in front of her little brother. "Lowen, you know better than to walk into someone's room unannounced!" she admonished him.

He winced at her tone, but still tried to be brave."Don't worry Louise - I...I'm not scared!"

Oh Lowen, please," she insisted, not wanting to push her brother back. Her eyes darted back behind the door and the muffled shuffling she heard within.

Grrrrrr

Louise blinked at the growl in her ears before she looked down at her brother as he rubbed his stomach. "Well well - someone needs to go downstairs for breakfast. I'll be down later, okay?" she promised.

"But Louise-"

No buts - I heard Cleo was making muffins today," she grinned. Lowen couldn't hide his smile at the idea and swiftly nodded before scampering off. Satisfied, Louise glanced around the hallway before slipping back into her room and locking the doors taut. She leaned back against the door and finally breathed.

"Phew….Oh?"

Out of everything she anticipated, she hadn't quite expected to see her lover sitting up in bed with the sheets tossed aside. Ranzal ran his hand through his hair, too tired to acknowledge his immodest state or the way she was eyeing him like a prime cut of meat. " Hwaaaaah ...what time is it?" he grunted.

Lousie threw off her robe and jumped back into bed and right into his unaware lap. "Time to test those soundproof walls you all installed~" she purred.

Notes: Whew...so you know how I said that the last chapter was like a half a year old? This story had its first take laid out on November 28th...of 2019. over a year and a half it was sitting, all after a certain Dragalia Life comic that involved the kids trying to stay up late. And yes - first take. I basically clean slate and started from scratch about 3 weeks ago and things went a hell of a lot smoother. Anyway, I'm sure everyone who's followed all my Dragalia stuff anticipated this couple...and here it is. It's not any more canon than anything else really, but I hope to do a little more around this couple and their antics. I'm sure everyone's gonna be interested to see what 'Hair up' nights are, after all XD So...today, May 7th. Four years ago today, I posted the last chapter of Arrows of Burning Heat on AO3. I completed my first story and posted it all, even if the whole thing had been done before the first post on May 4th. Four years later and 130+ stories...and I'm still here.

I'll have more to say on that when my first true and proper anniversary story comes out (sadly they're a bit delayed due to my work schedule and me moving to an apartment this weekend), but until that point, I just want to say one thing - Thank You. Thank you to everyone who's been there to enjoy my works, for however long that's been. I'm beyond humbled and grateful to have met such wonderful people over the past four years, and I look forward to meeting even more. I know that some of them, whoever they may end up being, will be short-lived for whatever reason, and all I can do is wish them off with full sails, clear skies, and smooth trails. Like I said, I'll have more to say when the Anni block proper begins - some old, some new, and allll of it smutty to all get-out. Thanks again, and see you next time!