CHAPTER 41: STEAM, SORENESS, AND SENTIMENT

Steam clung to the walls of the bathroom as the light filtered through the frosted window. The tub was already half-full, warm water sloshing quietly as Sarra eased herself down into it.

"Ahh..." she winced, freezing halfway as her rear touched the water.

Lina looked over, towel wrapped lazily around her as she stood brushing her teeth in the mirror. "That bad?"

Sarra bit her lip, sitting a little further with extreme caution.

"N-Not bad. Just... unfamiliar," she muttered, cheeks going red. "It’s not as painful as I thought. Really. He was... gentle."

Lina raised an eyebrow, watching the shy way Sarra sank deeper into the bath, arms wrapping around her knees.

"Gentle, huh? That sounds like someone who’s already thinking about round two."

Sarra didn’t respond immediately. She blinked down at the water, a small smile curling at the corner of her lips.

"Maybe. I mean, I wouldn’t mind. He was..." She hesitated, then admitted in a whisper, "...really kind."

"Tch. You catch feelings already?" Lina chuckled, rinsing her mouth. "Sarra, it was one night. Don’t go falling for a fuck just because he didn’t break you. That’s like, the first mistake."

Sarra nodded, still blushing, but her eyes didn’t leave the water.

"I know. It’s just... easy with him. He makes it feel like it’s okay to be me."

Lina narrowed her eyes, grabbed a comb, and stepped into the bath too, sitting across from Sarra.

"Well, look at this place. You think any guy from the street scores a suite like this? And did you see how he played that court? Like he is from another world. I bet he got scooped up by a Breakball team. Maybe even a top tier team."

She leaned back and gave Sarra a smirk.

"I mean, I’m not dumb. I plan to stick around him. Build something. He might be worth the bet."

Sarra turned pinker at that, her smile softening even more as she stared at the water rippling around her fingers. Lina watched her for a few seconds, then muttered to herself with a small grin.

"Damn... you’re really serious about him, huh."

Lina rolled her eyes to the ceiling and exhaled.

"Judging by how hard he was into your ass? Might not be that hard to keep him around."

She raised one finger and added with a wink.

"And since we’re a package now, he has to take both. That’s the deal."

Sarra blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"If he wants one of us, he gets both. That’s how we get out of this misery. And trust me, guys who play like gods? They want to be treated like one. He’ll go for it, no hesitation."

Sarra looked doubtful. Lina shrugged.

"Just roll this ass whenever he’s near. Works wonders."

She stood, towel dropping to the side as steam curled around her hips.

"Speaking of which... come on."

"W-Why?" Sarra asked, caught off guard as Lina grabbed her hand.

"Trust me. It’s showtime."

They stepped out of the bathroom together, both still damp, hair tangled from the bath.

Then they stopped.

Nash stood at the far end of the room.

The towel had slipped from his waist.

His body was... transformed. Broader shoulders, cut abs, legs solid like marble pillars. His arms flexed unconsciously, veins running like carved lines over his forearms and biceps.

Steam still emerged from his body, and he looked taller. Visibly taller.

But what caught their eyes was what hung between his legs.

His cock.

It was already big, now it looked monstrous. Veiny, pulsing, thick. And when he saw them, naked, wet, stepping out of steam, his erection flared like a tower of destruction.

Both girls froze.

Neither said a word.

Sarra’s mouth parted, breath catching. Lina’s iris shrunk with disbelief, then wonder, then... hunger.

"...Oh... My... God," she whispered.

That was no man.

That was a god.

Lina was the first to break from the trance. Her eyes wide, she walked slowly toward Nash, never once looking away from the towering, pulsing proof of his transformation.

"What the hell is that..." she murmured. "I don’t remember you being so... so..."

She meant to say muscular, but the sight robbed her of the word. Her hand reached up on its own, fingertips brushing the heat of his shaft, then curling around it.

Her mouth parted slightly as she gave a slow stroke, more fascinated than lewd.

Nash blinked, trying to stay composed.

"Maybe... the alcohol made you imagine things."

"Mmhmm," Lina hummed absentmindedly, still stroking. Her eyes followed every vein, every throb.

Behind her, Sarra stepped forward too, more cautious, eyes wide. Her gaze drifted across his sculpted chest, down his abs, and finally landed on what now stood fully, proudly, and dangerously between his legs.

"You look... different," she whispered. "I didn’t realize you were this... fit."

She reached out, one hand on his chest, the other hovering, then brushing the base of his shaft. Her cheeks reddened as her fingers made contact. Her eyes, round and uncertain, lifted to meet his.

She said nothing, but her body did, tense, heated, curious.

At that moment, it would have taken only a word. A nod. Anything.

But Nash placed one hand on each of their waists and pulled them gently toward him. Both girls gasped, heat rising between them, the closeness dizzying.

"I’d love to," he said, voice more manly. "But I have a schedule today. And we definitely overstayed the time limit."

Lina pouted, displeased.

But Nash was now aware of a way to deal with these situations.

He lowered his hands and gave each of their asses a tight squeeze, making both girls flinch slightly, breath catching.

"That doesn’t mean it’s over," he said. "We’ll meet again later. Even today. Let’s just exchange contacts."

Sarra blinked, looking suddenly nervous.

"I... don’t have one yet. A phone."

Nash tilted his head.

"Oh? Well, that’s easy. Let’s go get you both new ones. My treat."

Both girls froze.

"Wait, really?" Lina asked.

He smirked.

"Sure. You think I’d let my girls go around unconnected? Let’s gear you up. In fact, let’s stick together a little bit today."

For a second, neither of them said anything. Then Sarra gave a small, stunned smile.

And Lina, arms still half-wrapped around his torso, grinned.

Damn, she thought. This guy really is different.

Leaving the hotel felt like walking out of a dream.

The total bill flashed on the screen: 2,800 credits. Nash grimaced, but paid. The suite, the room service, the minibar, and the late checkout fee, all paid in full.

The clerk blinked when he saw the account, but said nothing.

Outside, the atmosphere of a new day greeted them.

Their first stop was the electronics store.

Nash didn’t let them hesitate. He picked out two brand-new phones, sleek, top-tier models that would cost anyone else months of work. 1,800 credits total. The girls tried to object, but he silenced them with a look.

"You’re my girls now," was all he said.

After breakfast at a quiet café, another 60 credits for three full meals and coffee refills, they found themselves seated outside, the day just beginning.

That’s when Nash made the proposal.

"I want you two to move," he said. "Out of wherever you’re staying. Today. I’ll get you a room in the same hotel block, something low-profile but comfortable. I don’t want you sleeping in trash anymore."

Lina blinked.

"Wait, are you serious?"

Sarra looked unsure, staring down at the phone like it was a foreign object.

"I’m dead serious," Nash replied. "We’re together now. That’s what this means. You’re my girls. I take care of you."

At first, there was only silence, then disbelief.

"You’re joking," Lina said, narrowing her eyes, though her voice was shaking.

Sarra blinked, her hand tightening around the phone.

"This is a joke, right? A... game?"

Nash didn’t flinch. His voice stayed even.

"You think I’d buy you phones, feed you, let you sleep in my arms, and then drop you? This isn’t a game. It’s a choice. I made mine. Now you make yours."

Lina looked away, biting her lip. Her usual bravado wavered. Sarra sat stiff, blinking rapidly.

"You want us to just... pack up and move like that?" Lina muttered. "Like this life... like we matter?"

"You do," Nash said. "Both of you. If you’re with me, you don’t go back to the trash. I’ll cover the hotel. The rest, we build. I’ll take care of you. That’s what it means to be mine."

Sarra looked at him more intensely than ever. There was no place for lust now.

She stood up suddenly, stepped forward, and kissed his cheek, soft, slow, like she couldn’t believe she was doing it. Her voice trembled.

"I’ll pack now. Just... don’t disappear."

Lina clicked her tongue, eyes moist despite her smirk.

"You better not flake, Blaze. ’Cause I’m holding you to this. If we’re in, we’re in forever."

She leaned in and kissed his other cheek, firm and real.

And just like that, the shift happened. A street fantasy started to root into something closer to belief.

Between their lips, Nash smiled. For a second, he felt fulfilled.

You’re really a madman, he thought. And for a while, he just let the moment happen.

Then a bit of discomfort crept in. Like he’d forgotten something.

Somewhere, far away in the red zone, on the top floor of a luxury hotel, a wine glass met empty lips.

Nia sat in silence, one leg crossed, her eyes locked on the untouched bed she’d planned to ruin. Her throat burned faintly with the last swallow of her celebration.

She set the glass down.

"Alright," she whispered to herself, voice low and sharp. "You wanna play like this?"