The bathroom in Mira's house was quite spacious, with two neatly organized sets of toiletries inside.
The shampoo and body wash used by her and Elfman were different, and Mira's section even had a few extra jars labeled with things like "body lotion" and "hydrating essence."
It was basic common sense, if you didn't know what something was, you didn't touch your girlfriend's stuff. Just like you wouldn't use lipstick as a highlighter.
For Rhodes, shampoo and soap were more than enough.
Elfman wasn't home right now, so using his stuff was off-limits.
Which left him with only one option: Mira's.
Since he'd been out working hard all day and was thoroughly coated in dust and sweat, his shower took a bit longer than usual. Not that it mattered to Mira.
By the time he stepped out, Mira had already washed her face and was holding a small basket with a change of clothes.
Rhodes turned back with a start. "I forgot to grab my clothes."
Mira grabbed his arm. "Leave it there. I'll wash them later. Now out—move it."
She shoved him gently out of the bathroom. She looked so uncomfortable in her dirty clothes she seemed ready to dive into the water fully clothed.
As the door closed behind him, her voice came through from inside.
"The hair dryer's on the table."
"Got it," Rhodes replied.
He glanced around. Which table? It had to be her room.
Sure enough, Mira had not only prepared the hair dryer but had also left a magazine on the desk beside it, probably so he wouldn't get bored while waiting.
It was the latest issue from yesterday. The cover model was Jenny from Blue Pegasus, wearing a red-striped swimsuit and striking a very sultry pose.
"Tch. Bad taste," Rhodes muttered.
He instantly understood Mira's intention. She wanted them to flip through the magazine together while drying her hair.
Being in love for the first time, Rhodes didn't quite understand. Did normal girls really enjoy ogling other beautiful women with their boyfriends?
Especially Jenny, Mira was always way too excited when it came to her.
Rhodes quietly dried his hair and then sat cross-legged beside Mira's bed, slipping into a quick meditation.
He had just enough time to complete two rounds of focused breathing exercises before the bathroom door creaked open.
Mira stepped in, wrapped in a towel.
Even though the towel was more secure than some of the skirts she wore, it somehow felt even more alluring.
Her cheeks were slightly pink, though it was unclear if it was from embarrassment or just the warmth of the shower.
She didn't say anything about Rhodes sitting on her bed. Instead, she sat down calmly in front of the vanity, one hand still modestly over her chest. Then she turned and looked at him.
"Alright. Go ahead."
Rhodes turned on the hair dryer and tested the temperature against his palm. Once it was warm enough, he gently began combing his fingers through her damp silver hair and drying it carefully.
He had gotten quite good at this.
Mira opened the magazine and flipped through it casually, sometimes glancing down at the pages, other times looking at their reflection in the mirror.
Rhodes focused quietly on her hair, his expression relaxed and patient.
"Hey, look," Mira raised her voice slightly to be heard over the dryer.
"Look at what?" he asked.
"What do you think of Jenny's swimsuit?"
Rhodes sighed and pouted playfully. "I wouldn't know. You won't wear one and show me yourself."
"Geez. Who suddenly brings up swimsuits out of nowhere?" Mira snorted.
"I'll show you next time we go to the beach."
Rhodes sighed again. "I feel like we planned that ages ago, but it never happened."
"That's because things keep coming up," Mira agreed, flipping another page. "I really wanted to go too…"
"We'll just have to wait until the guild's rebuilt."
"Yeah."
"Otherwise," Rhodes said with a grin, "starting tomorrow, I'll do the work of two people. Then I can exploit them with a clear conscience, just to finish construction faster."
"I'm in too!" Mira raised her fist in mock threat. "If they can't keep up with our workload, no food for them!"
"Exactly!"
The two of them made their bold declarations in unison, then looked at each other through the mirror, and burst out laughing.
But as Mira made that dramatic gesture, her bath towel slipped ever so slightly. She quickly grabbed it to hold it back in place.
Rhodes, ever observant, let a hint of regret show in his eyes. But worried she might catch him staring, he immediately buried his attention back into the task at hand. What he didn't notice was the mischievous glint in Mira's gaze.
After drying the last of her hair, Rhodes set the dryer aside and began tying up her hair with practiced hands.
The new style he'd learned today might not be as refined as what Cancer could do, but it wasn't bad. Not bad at all.
Using the small mirror Rhodes handed her, Mira checked the result and gave an approving nod.
Sure, she could have done a better job on her own, but this one had emotional value. Knowing Rhodes styled it for her made her feel even happier.
"All right. Let me change clothes and then we can head back." Mira stood up and gave Rhodes a little push toward the door.
Just as she reached out to close it behind him, the bath towel slipped and fell to the floor.
Wait. Was this one of those classic rom-com moments?
Rhodes froze. He didn't even blink.
But then, he blinked again.
What he saw wasn't exactly what he expected. Mira was already fully dressed in a black one-shoulder dress, the hem of which had been cleverly folded up and hidden under the towel. When the towel dropped, the dress unfolded with it, covering her completely. No "bonus visuals." In fact, even her long legs were now covered.
She'd planned it.
Rhodes' expression morphed from stunned anticipation to utter confusion.
Mira watched it all unfold and doubled over in laughter.
"You… did that on purpose…"
Of course she did. Hiding the hem of her dress so it looked like she had nothing underneath? That was classic Mira Jane Strauss, sweet on the outside, devious on the inside.
"Because—haha—sorry, but I just felt like it would be such a waste not to recreate that classic 'oops-my-towel-slipped' scene!"
She couldn't stop laughing. The prank was a total success, and Rhodes' expression had been priceless.
"Haha… wuu…"
Mira laughed uncontrollably, until it turned into soft hiccups from giggling too long.
Rhodes watched her, helpless at first, but then he couldn't help laughing too. Eventually, unable to take any more, he leaned forward and kissed her to stop the teasing.
Maybe he was being a little petty, retaliating out of embarrassment, but so what? Pulling off a prank like that deserved a little punishment.
Mira was startled at first, but then her hands naturally wrapped around him. He moved closer. She backed up. But neither of them let go.
She stumbled back against the edge of the bed, and he followed, tumbling down with her.
...
A while later, the two of them lay on their backs, side by side on the bed, breathing softly. Their fingers were still interlocked.
"We should head back to the guild," Mira said quietly.
"Yeah." Rhodes exhaled, though a part of him wanted to pretend he forgot.
But Mira was firm. If they didn't return soon, someone might get suspicious and come looking, and that would definitely be a disaster.
Rhodes rolled over and stole one last kiss, deep and full of lingering reluctance, before helping her up.
Mira lowered her gaze, adjusting the front of her top and smoothing out the layers underneath. She could feel his eyes still on her, burning with mischief.
Annoyed and blushing, she gave him a soft shove. "Stop staring. Let's go."
This perv's hands have been getting bolder lately, she thought, face still flushed.
"Okay, okay, we're going."
"Wait." Mira grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back again, her cheeks even redder than before as she fixed his collar. And maybe brushed off some imaginary dust that didn't really need brushing.
If he's being shameless, maybe I'm not doing much better…
Rhodes smiled knowingly and gently helped fix her hair, fingers light and affectionate.
He had recently realized something. When it came to love, the mischief wasn't one-sided.
Especially for a couple at their stage, hands often had a mind of their own.
Once they were sure their clothes and hair were in order, the two left the house, walking side by side under the evening sky as they made their way back to the guild.
...
Bonus Chapter