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[40ps]
The desert town slept quietly under a blanket of starlight. Wind whispered softly across sandstone walls, rustling loose drapes and brushing against cracked windows. The inn on the far end of town—old but welcoming—sat nestled near a rocky outcrop, warmed by firelight and cooled by the coming night.
After days of exhausting travel through the dry, unforgiving dunes, Rael, Kaya, and Vivi had taken a pair of rooms to rest, clean up, and prepare for the next leg of their journey.
Downstairs, Vivi had just finished her dinner. She nursed a warm drink in her hands, watching the dancing firelight flicker across the table as thoughts swirled in her mind. Crocodile's plans, Robin's cryptic warnings… and Rael.
She glanced toward the upper floor, where the rooms were.
Kaya had gone up just a few minutes earlier after exchanging a look with Rael—soft, knowing, full of heat. Vivi felt something twist in her chest when she saw it.
She set her cup down, grabbed her towel and clean robes, and decided to take a bath. The heat of the day had clung to her skin like sand, and the bathhouse at the rear of the inn promised peace.
As she made her way upstairs, the wooden floors creaked softly under her steps. She reached the end of the hall where the bathing room was, but as she passed by the bedrooms, she heard something.
A soft sound.
Then another.
Vivi stopped in her tracks.
It was faint—muffled, rhythmic. A light gasp, then a low, masculine exhale. She turned her head toward the slightly open door near her.
Rael's room.
Her heart began to race.
She knew she shouldn't peek. She was raised better than that. But her curiosity—burning, almost stinging—pushed her closer.
She tiptoed toward the door. The opening was just wide enough for a glimpse.
And what she saw made her breath catch.
Rael was shirtless, his back to her. Muscles rippled down his spine like they were carved from stone. His shoulders were broad, his arms powerful, and his entire form was glistening with sweat.
Kaya was with him, her body tangled with his, her hands gripping him as if she were afraid to let go. Her soft moans, tender and breathy, rose and fell with each motion.
Vivi's cheeks exploded into color.
Her body froze, caught between shame and wonder. But her eyes... they didn't move. They traced the lines of Rael's physique, each flex of his back, each subtle movement.
And then she saw it.
He turned slightly—just enough for her to catch a partial glimpse of his front.
Her eyes widened.
Her heart jumped.
She clutched her towel harder.
"H-He's… huge..." she whispered in disbelief, lips parting unconsciously. "No way that's real..."
Her whole body trembled. She hadn't meant to look that far—but now the image was burned into her mind. The way he moved. The way Kaya moaned his name. The way he whispered something too low to hear but strong enough to make Kaya shiver.
Suddenly, guilt flooded her.
She gasped and stumbled back from the door, nearly dropping her towel. Her feet carried her quickly down the hallway toward the bathhouse, cheeks burning, pulse hammering in her ears.
Once she reached the bathing room, she slammed the door behind her and let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
She dipped her hands into the water and splashed her face.
"What... what was that?" she whispered, trembling as she sat on the edge of the tub.
She hugged her towel to her chest, her body still hot despite the cooling air.
For a long moment, she sat in silence.
She had known Rael was strong. She had seen him fight, seen him crush monsters and marines alike. But this… this was a different kind of power. A quiet, dominant force. Confident. Unshakable.
She had never seen anyone like him before.
And Kaya… she wasn't jealous of her. Not really.
But she now understood what Kaya meant that night when she'd whispered about Rael's stamina. His body. His intensity.
Vivi exhaled again and slowly slipped into the warm water. It surrounded her like a blanket, helping her calm down—though her face was still red, her heart still beating a little too fast.
As steam rose around her, she stared at the ceiling.
She didn't regret what she saw.
But she knew that something inside her had shifted.
And it couldn't be ignored anymore.
Meanwhile...
Inside the room, Kaya lay atop Rael's chest, her golden hair fanned across his skin. Her breathing had slowed, her body relaxed, but her lips curled in a satisfied smile.
"You didn't hold back this time," she whispered against his neck.
Rael's arm draped across her waist, pulling her closer. "You didn't ask me to."
Kaya giggled softly and traced her finger across his chest. "You spoil me."
"You say that," he murmured, eyes half-lidded, "but you still keep coming back for more."
"Mmm... Maybe I like being spoiled."
They lay in silence for a while, the only sounds being their calm breaths and the whisper of wind outside the window.
Rael opened one eye. "You noticed her?"
Kaya blinked. "Vivi?"
He nodded slightly.
Kaya smirked. "Yeah. I heard her footsteps. She didn't stay long."
Rael chuckled faintly. "Curious little thing."
"She's already falling for you," Kaya said, nuzzling his chest.
Rael didn't reply, but the faint twitch of a smile tugged at his lips.
Kaya looked up at him. "Would you take her… if she offered?"
Rael turned his head, looking at the flickering lamp on the wall. "Only if she truly wanted it. Not just from curiosity or guilt."
Kaya nodded. "That's what I thought you'd say."
She kissed his collarbone and sighed. "Still… I wouldn't mind the company."
Rael raised a brow. "You planning a team now?"
"Maybe." Kaya grinned mischievously. "After all, it takes more than one girl to tame a man like you."
Rael didn't deny it.
Elsewhere…
Vivi finally stepped out of the bath, wrapped in her towel, her skin flushed from the heat—and maybe something more. She glanced once down the hallway toward Rael's room but quickly turned away.
"Tomorrow," she whispered to herself. "I'll face it tomorrow."
But even as she slipped under her covers in the other room, her thoughts refused to leave her alone.
The sight.
The sound.
The tension.
And her own heart, pounding in her chest, echoing just one truth:
She was starting to fall.
Hard.
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