After dark, in the Chantry bathhouse…

Mirrors are cloaked in steam, the scent of lavender soap and warm water filling the air as Anna and I sit on our little wooden stools. The day’s grime, exhaustion and blood… it’s all melting away.

Tonight, it’s just us in here. It’s an unspoken tradition for healers and paladins who brave the Cathedral of the First Saint – and endure Saint Alyssa’s infamous three minutes – to claim the entire bathhouse for themselves when they return well after dinner and evening prayers. In our case… we endured far more than just three minutes!

And now, the night is ours to claim. We’re savouring every moment of it together. This feels good – and feeling good’s… good enough.

“You like them a lot, huh?” I tease as Anna’s fingers glide through my damp hair, her touch gentle but deliberate. “Good to know!”

She giggles softly, nodding. “I love it. And you as well.”

“Me too, Anna. Me too…”

She hums in agreement, her voice a melody in the mist. Her fingers are thorough, carefully combing through each lock of my hair.

“I envy you, Arisa…” Anna says wistfully. “Your hair is so fancy. I mean… look at those pretty curls! I wish I had something like that…”

“Hey, your hair’s lovely too!” I reply, turning to look at her properly. Her cheeks are flushed, whether from the warmth of the bath or something else… I can’t say. “Your fringe frames your eyes so perfectly. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s special – just like you!”

“Oh! Really now…”

She ducks her head, the blush on her cheeks spreading further. It’s an endearing sight.

I grin. “I mean it, Anna. Don’t be so modest. I love your hair, and that’s what matters.”

“But is yours natural?” she asks, her curiosity utterly charming. “Or is there magic involved? I asked about this before… and you mentioned having a haircare routine back in your world to achieve this?”

“No magic here! Just curlers. Every night while I sleep,” I reply, laughing. “We’ve got hairspray in my world, but I don’t use it. Makes your hair stiff, y’know?”

“Curlers, you say…” Anna murmurs, her voice trailing off. Her blush deepens as her eyes flicker down briefly before darting back up to meet mine. “Oh! Speaking of things from your world…”

I smile as my gaze drifts downward from her eyes, tracing the soft flush on her cheeks. She smells good – lavender and steam weaving around her like a delicate veil, infused with the finest luxury soaps the Order of Selene has to offer. And uh…

“Arisa…?”

“Shit! My bad…” I admit with a sheepish grin, realising exactly where my gaze had wandered. “Guilty as charged! I was, uh…”

The air shifts slightly, the warmth around us thickening. Her hands still in my hair momentarily before she pulls it back. Then, hesitantly… those hands of hers reach for mine.

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"Anna…?”

Her touch is tender as she guides my hands forward, pressing them against her breasts. My breath hitches. Her skin is soft and wet beneath my palms… the heat of her body seeping into mine. Her heartbeat drums steadily under my fingertips. It feels... grounding.

“It’s okay, Arisa…” she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Her face is a beautiful shade of crimson now, her lips parted slightly. “Because, you know… we’re… umm…”

I nod, swallowing hard. “Yeah. We are.”

The words feel inadequate, but they’re all I can manage. My fingers curl instinctively, gently cupping the curves of her breasts. She exhales shakily, and the sound sends a pleasant shiver down my spine.

“I love you, Anna…” I whisper. “I really, really do.”

“I love you too.”

Her words are tender, filled with unspoken promises. Carefully, I pull my hands away, though the lingering warmth of her skin stays with me. Leaning closer, I kiss her cheek – a light, fleeting touch. Her skin burns even hotter under my lips, a vivid scarlet spreading across her face as she places her hands on her cheeks.

“Oh my…” Anna murmurs, her voice trembling with emotion. “Arisa!”

I grin, my heart swelling at the sight of her flustered but happy. “That’s all from me. Anyway… you had a question for me? Something about my world?”

She blinks, momentarily startled, before nodding. “Yes, umm… I’ve been meaning to ask. What’s your world like? I don’t think I know anything about where you’re from.”

“Hmm…”

I lean back slightly, cupping my chin in thought. Anna watches me intently, her wide eyes shimmering with curiosity. The sight of it makes me smile.

“It’s a lot like Nisha, actually,” I begin. “We’ve got bad people doing awful things, but good folks are also doing good things for others. It’s… a world worth fighting for.”

“In that way, our worlds aren’t so different,” Anna says thoughtfully. “On principle, at least. Distant… yet not so far apart!”

“Exactly.”

“But you said there’s no magic? No monsters? Just… hairspray?” she teases, her voice lilting with playful curiosity. “Oh! And that ‘smartphone’ of yours… right? That strange device with the glowing screen – the one you control just by tapping and swiping?”

I chuckle. “Yeah. No dungeons or monsters, either. Or demons! At least, not the kind we’re used to here in Nisha.”

“Then what do your world’s adventurers do?”

“Well, adventuring isn’t really a thing for most people,” I explain. “We have explorers who go on expeditions to document the dark corners of the earth… but for the average person… we stay close to home. Sometimes, we go on vacation.”

“Why is that?”

“Most of us have school or work. When we’re done for the day, we spend time with friends or indulge in hobbies. That’s enough adventure for most of us! And some of us… don’t even have that luxury.”

Her expression softens. “Why not?”

“Life’s tougher for some, more than others,” I say simply. “Just like on Nisha, y’know? Some are born into wealth, others into hardship… some are cherished, while others are left behind. It’s fate, circumstance – different worlds, same realities.”

“I see…” Anna murmurs, her gaze dropping briefly before lifting again. “But if there are no monsters… then it must be a peaceful place, right?”

I nod. “Like I said, it’s a world worth fighting for. Not having magic sucks, though. But that’s perhaps that’s why the technology of my world developed the way it did… to emulate it!”

If the chance ever arises, I’d like to visit your world,” Anna adds sweetly, her smile warm and bright. “If you can be summoned here, then maybe… the reverse can also happen, right?”

“Maybe. And if that day ever comes, I’ll take you everywhere,” I promise, placing a hand over my heart. “We’ll visit all the nice and cool places, eat all the best food, and have tons of fun together. Just you and me. We’ll hang out!”

Her eyes light up, her excitement palpable. “Is that a promise?”

“Hell yeah!”

“Oh, Arisa…”

Anna’s voice is filled with reverence as she dips her hands into the pail of warm water, scooping it up and running it through my hair again. Her touch is softer this time, almost reverent. The water cascades over my shoulders, warm and soothing.

I close my eyes, letting myself relax under her care. Her fingers glide through my hair with an intimacy that makes my heart ache in the best way possible. It’s a feeling I never want to let go of. Ever.

For in this moment… with the steam curling around us and her hands in my hair, I know one thing for sure – I’ve found my peace, my home… with her.