If She Doesn't Sleep, I Can't Sleep!

"Mmm..."

"Wait... I..."

"No! Not, not there! I..."

"Stop squirming... it's coming out!"

Ignoring the girl's pitiful resistance, Lumine firmly pinned her writhing shoulder with one hand and gave a sharp tug with the other-

"Ah!!"

With a short scream, Gabrielina collapsed onto the bed like a fish out of water. And Lumine finally...

Finally managed to undo that damned corset lacing.

"Phew... why was it so tight...?" Lumine wiped the sweat from her temple and looked helplessly at the disheveled angel.

So you were just taking her clothes off- the system drawled. And here I thought you were taking... her... clothes... off~

Where Lumine couldn't see, Gabrielina's face, buried in the blankets, had turned bright red.

It wasn't just because of this suggestive dress, which had to be undone from behind, but also because of the unspeakable fluttering deep within her body.

Her body was so powerful that she could even subdue a dragon with her bare hands, yet every touch from the girl left her so sensitive...

Especially the skin hidden beneath the fabric, and the wings currently being gently poked.

Lumine: poke, poke.

"Stooop~ poking~ me~~" She squirmed and wrapped her wings tightly around herself, only for the loosened fabric to slip off completely.

In the flickering candlelight, the girl's bare form appeared and disappeared between the gaps in her wings-

Warm light gilded her slender neck, and the curve of her back swept gracefully down to her waist like a swan's. Her smooth skin shimmered faintly as feathers brushed over it.

Everything was half concealed, utterly sacred-a magnificent work of art for her to admire!

If the system could speak to Lumine, it would surely have screamed right then:

A perfect chance for girl-on-girl romance! Go for it!

But Lumine merely turned her flushed face slightly aside and gently draped the nightdress over Gabrielina. "Put this on... you'll catch a cold."

When her fingers accidentally brushed Gabrielina's lower back, both girls shivered.

Not daring to look at her body again, Lumine hurriedly withdrew her hand and turned to extinguish the candle on the bedside table.

The bedroom instantly darkened, leaving only the hazy moonlight outside the window and the halo above Gabrielina's head shining together.

Interestingly, the once-brilliant halo dimmed almost the instant the candle went out. Its soft glow barely outlined a vague silhouette, and even her flushed cheeks disappeared into the shadows.

...Was that some kind of organ? Or did it reflect her mood?

"...There are only two pillows." Gabrielina suddenly spoke, her halo tracing a soft golden arc through the darkness as she sat up in bed.

It wasn't dazzling, but it was enough to tell Lumine she was right there.

"One for me, one for you..."

"Zzz-"

Paimon's snoring came from beside them at just the right moment.

After a brief silence, rustling filled the darkness, accompanied by the soft sound of clothing falling to the floor.

Lumine had thought that if she couldn't see, her mind wouldn't wander. But she realized she was wrong-

First, with that halo there, it wasn't completely dark at all.

Second, the less she could see, the more she imagined... and imagination was powerful indeed.

Yes, very powerful!

Lumine was still standing there in a daze when she heard Gabrielina's amused voice. "Lumine... are you peeking?"

Her halo even flickered playfully twice as she spoke.

Could she see me clearly? She's that drunk... surely she can't, right?

Lumine stiffened as she answered, "No."

"Oh..."

In truth, Gabrielina could see Lumine far more clearly than Lumine could see her. Those golden eyes easily pierced the darkness, catching every little movement the girl made.

For example... she had actually been stealing glances at her the whole time.

"Hehehe..." The angel suddenly giggled, her silvery laughter ringing through the room. "Why... can't I get this on?"

"You can't get it on?" Lumine asked, puzzled.

After thinking for a moment, she immediately realized the problem-those soft... those enormous wings.

The innkeeper had clearly never expected a guest like her, and naturally hadn't prepared a nightdress with holes in the back.

Seeing that the wings were about to win their battle against the fabric, Lumine hurried forward to rescue the dress.

And then disaster struck.

"Ah!"

Something suddenly tightened around her arm. Her world spun, and before she could react, they had both tumbled side by side onto the soft bed.

Lumine's cheek sank into faintly fragrant pink hair, while the bend of her knee inadvertently pressed against Gabrielina's smooth skin.

The girl's warm breath came from behind, brushing Lumine's ear with the scent of wine. Her soft chest rose and fell with her quiet giggles, like warm jade wrapped in velvet.

"Caught... you~" Gabrielina gently nuzzled the back of her neck twice, her halo flickering happily in the dark.

"Ga... Ga... Gabrielina, you..."

Lumine's voice caught in her throat as she watched Paimon turn over in her sleep right in front of her.

Her amber pupils abruptly contracted. She stared fixedly at Paimon's tiny back as an inexplicable sense of guilt seized her heart like a devil's claws.

Fortunately, Paimon merely mumbled something about "grilled fish" and "Mora," then fell deeply asleep again.

"Mmm... you're so soft..." Gabrielina pushed her luck and snuggled closer, pressing almost her entire body against Lumine.

Lumine, meanwhile, had gone completely rigid, as though even her brain had stopped working.

What do you mean... I'm soft? But... girl, you're hardly firm yourself! It's getting a little crowded here...

...Oh, wait. She's still only wearing her underwear!

"I'm so sleepy..." The girl's murmuring brushed Lumine's ear, and the arm around her tightened a little more.

"...Gabrielina, let go of me..." Lumine struggled in vain, unable to escape, as though her body had sunk into a muddy abyss. Those wings seemed to tremble unconsciously too, occasionally brushing her bare calves.

"Let go, and then we'll sleep... okay?"

"Mmm... hmm?"

The angel drowsily nuzzled the back of Lumine's neck, hooked a bent leg around her waist in a clingy gesture, and breathed evenly against her delicate skin.

"...If I don't let go... does that mean... I can't sleep with you~?" The tearful lilt of her voice was as cloyingly sweet as melted syrup, yet her body pressed even closer.

"I, I... why..."

Lumine felt so flustered she was about to cry.

This isn't even about whether you let go! And... and how is this sleeping...?

I'm a girl... she's a girl too. Do girls... do this with each other?

Gabrielina: no (sad).

There should have been four "people" on the bed right then-the one who genuinely wanted to sleep and the one who was truly excited were neither of the two helpless girls.

"Mmm... Lumine!" The angel behind her seemed to launch one final offensive, pressing all that heavy softness against her without leaving a gap.

Lumine instantly held her breath, acutely experiencing a weight she should never have had to bear at her age.

"Please... don't go... I just want... I don't want to be alone..."

After a moment of silence, Lumine asked in a trembling voice, "Then I won't go... let's sleep. Right now, okay?"

Gabrielina buried her burning cheek against the back of Lumine's neck. With a sweep of her wings, a thin blanket gently settled over both girls.

After a brief silence, a faint reply finally came from behind her.

"...Okay..."

Lumine tentatively shifted and finally freed her trapped leg, only to find that the arm around her waist still wouldn't budge.

"Gabrielina...?"

"Good night." The angel lightly brushed against Lumine's shoulder and moved her head onto the pillow.

In her daze, Lumine felt something warm brush her cheek, soft and a little hot. It happened so quickly that she couldn't even tell whether it had been Gabrielina's cheek or something else...

Soon, Lumine heard Gabrielina's steady breathing.

As if moved by some unseen impulse, she released her grip on the bedsheet and gently laid her hand over the one holding her.

"...Good night."

Their hair intertwined on the pillow like streams of pink and gold, and their heartbeats gradually fell into rhythm in the dark.