Chapter 206: Hot Water [18+]

Arthur woke up to the sound of crumpled parchment hitting the floorboards.

He opened his eyes. Mid-morning sunlight angled through the dorm window, catching the dust motes drifting in the air. His shoulders and back were stiff from yesterday’s fight.

Felix was sitting at his desk, staring at a large tunnel map. His damaged tower shield leaned against the wall near the door, its iron face dented and scratched.

Arthur sat up, his left wrist protesting as he pushed himself off the mattress. "Did you actually sleep?"

"For four hours," Felix muttered, not taking his eyes off the map. "Then I remembered Vale wants that evacuation plan finished by tomorrow."

Arthur walked over and glanced at the map on Felix’s desk. Half the tunnels were crossed out in red.

"What about that passage?" Arthur asked, pointing.

"Collapsed."

"And that one?"

"Flooded."

Arthur studied the map for another moment. "Dig?"

Felix set his quill down and looked at him.

"Brilliant. I’ll put that in the report."

Arthur grinned and walked toward the washbasin. He splashed cold water on his face with his right hand, keeping his left wrist carefully elevated. The canvas burn had finally closed into angry pink skin, so he had taken the bandages off, but the deep strain in the joint still ached with a dull, persistent throb.

His phone buzzed on his nightstand.

Arthur dried his face and checked the message.

[Emily and I are heading into the city. Bathhouse near the merchant quarter. Come if you want.]

Arthur read the message twice. A bathhouse with Emily and Chloe. Easy choice.

He threw the towel onto his bed and pulled a clean shirt from his wardrobe.

Felix watched him buckle his belt. "Where are you going?"

"City," Arthur said. "Chloe and Emily are waiting for me."

Felix glanced at his map, then at his dented shield. "I hate you."

"Good luck with the cave-in," Arthur told him, and walked out the door.

He found them waiting near the academy’s outer gates.

They had both abandoned their heavy academy coats and combat gear for the weekend. Chloe was wearing a pale, sleeveless sundress that stopped just above her knees, her hair tied back in a loose braid. Emily stood beside her in fitted dark trousers and a cropped linen shirt that left the smooth skin of her midriff exposed.

Arthur looked from Emily to Chloe, taking his time, making no effort to hide his appreciation.

"You’re both going to cause me problems today, aren’t you?" Arthur said.

Emily crossed her arms, a slow grin spreading across her face. "We haven’t even done anything yet."

"That’s exactly why it’s a problem." Arthur stepped in and kissed Chloe, then kissed Emily.

"Morning."

"It’s almost noon," Chloe pointed out, looping her arm through his right one. "We already had breakfast at the dining hall."

They caught a carriage heading down toward the merchant district. Shops were open along the route, and groups of students wandered through the squares without the usual weekday rush.

Inside the carriage, Emily stretched her legs out across the opposite bench, wincing slightly as the movement pulled at her ribs.

"I thought you two were sleeping in," Arthur said, settling his arm around Chloe’s shoulders.

"I tried," Emily said. "Chloe kicked me out of bed at nine because she wanted to go over her alchemy notes."

"I didn’t kick you," Chloe corrected. "I asked you to move to your own side of the mattress. You decided to get up and start complaining about it."

"Same thing." Emily looked at Arthur. "How’s Felix?"

"Miserable," Arthur said. "He’s trying to figure out how to pull thirty civilians out of a collapsed tunnel before Vale fails him."

Emily laughed, cutting it short with a sharp breath and pressing a hand to her side.

"I’ve spent enough time in the infirmary this week," Chloe said, leaning her head against Arthur’s shoulder and watching the city pass by through the window. "Today, I don’t want to hear about classes, patients, or assignments."

The bathhouse sat on a quiet street tucked behind the main commercial thoroughfare. It was a well-maintained stone building with heavy wooden doors and a polished brass sign.

Arthur walked up to the front desk and paid for one of the larger private bathing rooms, booking it for the rest of the afternoon.

The attendant led them down a quiet, stone-paved corridor and unlocked a thick oak door. The heavy wood clicked shut behind them, muffling the ambient noise of the building into a dull, distant hum.

The room was lined with smooth, dark slate tiles and lit by warm amber glow-lamps. In the center, a sunken pool steamed heavily, the water fed by a carved stone spout in the shape of a lion’s head. Benches ran along the edges, stacked with clean cotton towels and soap.

Emily pulled her shirt over her head, unfastened her trousers, and kicked them into a corner. She left her underwear on the bench and stepped down into the pool, sinking in until the steaming water reached her collarbones.

She waded toward the carved stone spout but stopped a few feet away, grimacing as the churning current pushed against her torso. She backed up and found a calmer spot near the corner, resting the back of her head against the stone edge with a long sigh. "Fuck. That is exactly what my ribs needed."

Arthur stripped down, tossing his clothes onto the bench beside hers. He stepped into the water, the intense heat sinking immediately into his tired muscles. He found a submerged stone bench and sat, stretching his arms out along the edge. His left wrist pulled sharply at the angle, so he pulled his hand out of the water and rested it on his knee instead.

Chloe folded her sundress on the bench beside her bag, unhooked her bra, and stepped out of her panties. She walked down the stone steps, the warm water rising over her thighs, her hips, and her bare breasts.

She waded across the pool and settled on the bench directly beside Emily, leaning her head back.

"Is the water too hot for the bruising?"

"No, the heat’s perfect," Emily murmured, her eyes closed. "Just couldn’t sit near the spout. The current hits too hard."

"You’re supposed to sit *away* from the spout," Arthur pointed out.

Emily cracked one eye open. "I wanted to see what it felt like."

"You have terrible instincts."

Emily flicked a handful of hot water across the pool, catching Arthur right in the face.

Arthur swept his wet hair out of his eyes. "Mature."

"I thought so," Emily grinned.

They settled into the water, letting the deep, penetrating heat do its work. Arthur soaked his sore shoulders, listening to the ambient rush of the water pouring from the stone lion. Chloe shifted on her bench, stretching her legs out beneath the surface until her toes bumped against Arthur’s calf. She left her foot there, sliding her heel lazily up and down his leg.

"Enjoying yourself?" Chloe asked.

"Very much," Arthur said, his eyes dropping to the curve of her wet breasts breaking the surface of the water.

Emily shifted her weight, leaning her shoulder lightly against Chloe. "He’s been staring since we got in the carriage."

"I have excellent taste," Arthur said.

Emily turned her head and met Chloe’s eyes. A slow, filthy smile pulled at the corner of Emily’s lips. She lifted her hand out of the water and brushed a wet strand of hair away from Chloe’s face.

Chloe leaned in and kissed her.

Emily slid a hand behind Chloe’s neck and pulled her closer. Chloe’s hand moved from Emily’s thigh to her waist, careful around her tender ribs.

Arthur watched them, his pulse kicking up a heavy, steady rhythm as his cock started getting hard under the water.

Chloe broke the kiss, her lips wet. She looked across the pool at Arthur.

She stood up from the submerged bench. The water cascaded down her body, over her bare breasts and the smooth curve of her stomach, as she waded through the center of the pool toward the edge.

Chloe reached up to the bench and retrieved a small bottle of unscented, water-resistant lubricant from her bag.

Arthur leaned back against the stone, letting her come.

Chloe straddled his lap, the water splashing over the rim of the bench. She opened the bottle and applied a little lubricant.

She braced her hands on his chest, shifting her hips so her dripping pussy settled directly over his slick cock.

She leaned down and kissed him, her tongue sweeping into his mouth. Arthur brought his right hand up, tangling his fingers in her wet hair, pulling her face hard against his.

The water rippled as Emily waded across the pool.

She knelt on the submerged bench beside Arthur, her bare chest pressing against his right arm. She leaned in, her lips grazing the line of Chloe’s jaw.

Chloe broke the kiss with Arthur, tipping her head back.

"Ahh..." Chloe gasped softly as Emily’s mouth found the sensitive skin of her neck, sucking a wet mark into her skin.

"Touch her," Chloe whispered to Arthur, her voice breathless and hungry.

Arthur slid his right hand down Chloe’s back, cupping the heavy curve of her bare ass underwater. He hauled her hips flush against his groin, grinding his thick, aching cock directly against her wet slit.

"Nnngh—" Chloe whimpered. She rolled her hips forward, chasing the friction, her hands gripping Arthur’s shoulders tight.

Emily trailed wet kisses down Chloe’s neck, her hands coming up to grab Chloe’s heavy breasts. She rubbed her thumbs hard over the taut, dark nipples.

"Ah! Fuck—" Chloe arched her back with a sharp cry.

Arthur found the rhythm, grinding his hips upward, rubbing his dick right against her swollen clit. Water rocked against the stone bench as they moved. Chloe rode the pressure, her hips snapping down in short, frantic grinds against his pelvis.

Emily moved closer to Chloe, keeping a steadying hand on her waist.

"Ahh! Arthur!" Chloe threw her head back, a loud moan bouncing off the slate walls. She ground her pussy down violently against him, soaking his dick in her slick arousal.

"I want it in. Put it in," Chloe begged, her fingers digging into Arthur’s shoulders.

Arthur grabbed her bare hips. He guided the thick head of his cock to her wet slit and shoved upward.

"Fuuuck..." Chloe let out a long, drawn-out cry, sinking down and taking his entire length in one smooth, agonizingly tight movement. Her pussy stretched around him, gripping his dick like a vice.

Arthur groaned, his head dropping back against the stone wall.

Chloe started to ride him.

The wet, heavy sound of her thighs hitting his hips echoed loudly over the rushing water.

"Keep it down," Arthur grunted, glancing at the heavy wooden door. "We’re not the only ones in this building."

"Then don’t fuck me so deep," Chloe shot back breathlessly, before sinking her hips all the way down onto his dick again.

She rode him deep and slow, using the buoyancy of the water to take the weight off her legs. Emily stayed beside them, her hands mapping the wet curves of Chloe’s body, her mouth returning to Chloe’s lips in deep, sloppy kisses. They shared the air, their tongues tangling together to muffle their moans.

Arthur let Chloe set the pace. He used his right hand to grip her ass, keeping his injured left wrist resting on the stone. He drove his hips upward, meeting her thrusts, burying his cock as deep into her pussy as he could go.

Chloe’s climax hit her fast. She broke the kiss with Emily.

"Ahhh! Oh fuck!" A high, keening moan tore from her throat, and Emily quickly clamped a hand over Chloe’s mouth to stifle the noise. Her pussy clamped down violently around Arthur’s cock, milking his dick with ruthless, squeezing spasms.

Arthur cursed, driving his hips up hard, burying himself deep inside her tight walls while the aftershocks racked her body.

Chloe collapsed against his chest, panting hard against Emily’s hand, her wet hair clinging to Arthur’s skin.

Emily pulled her hand back, running it gently down Chloe’s back, pressing a soft kiss to her temple.

After a few minutes, Chloe lifted her head. She shifted her weight, pulling her pussy slowly off Arthur’s cock with a wet sound, and slid over to the side of the bench, resting her back against the warm slate.

Arthur looked at Emily.

Emily reached for the bottle Chloe had left on the ledge, used a little, and moved closer to Arthur.

"Ribs?" Arthur asked quietly.

"I can’t bend like she just did," Emily admitted, frustration leaking into her voice. "It pulls too much."

"Turn around," Arthur told her.

Emily turned around and eased herself onto the submerged bench in front of him. Arthur shifted closer, supporting her waist as she leaned back against his chest.

She adjusted twice before finding a position that didn’t pull at her ribs.

"Better?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah. Stay there."

He reached around her waist with his right hand, grabbing her hip and pulling her ass tight against his groin. He lined the head of his cock up with her dripping pussy and shoved deep inside her from behind.

Emily bit her lip hard, burying a sharp, ragged gasp in her throat as his thick dick stretched her open. She let her head fall back against his shoulder, her hands gripping the edge of the stone tight enough to turn her knuckles white.

Chloe waded through the water, kneeling right in front of Emily.

She leaned down, her hands framing Emily’s face, and kissed her hard. Emily met the kiss hungrily, her tongue sliding wetly against Chloe’s.

Arthur set the rhythm. He pulled his hips back and drove his cock forward, hitting the deepest part of her pussy with every thrust. Because Emily was leaning back against him, the angle was brutally deep.

Arthur’s thighs hammered against Emily’s ass.

"Nnngh—" Emily moaned directly into Chloe’s mouth, her hips jerking backward instinctively to take his cock deeper.

Chloe broke the kiss, trailing her wet mouth down Emily’s jaw. She reached her hand under the water, her fingers finding the swollen, highly sensitive clit between Emily’s legs. She started rubbing it hard and fast.

Emily’s entire body tensed. "Chloe—ahh! Fuck—!"

Arthur gripped Emily’s hip, anchoring her ass against him, and fucked her harder. He let the raw, primal friction take over. The water churned around them, splashing violently over the edge of the submerged bench.

Emily was completely trapped. Arthur’s hard cock was pounding deep inside her pussy, while Chloe’s fingers ruthlessly worked her clit under the water. She didn’t have to bend. She didn’t have to move. She just had to take it.

"Mmph—!" Emily screamed directly against Chloe’s shoulder, burying her face into the other woman’s neck to muffle the sound. Her body arched rigidly against Arthur’s chest. Her pussy clamped down like a fist around his dick, squeezing him incredibly tight.

Arthur didn’t hold back. The intense, milking pressure pushed him right over the edge. He buried his cock to the hilt and blew his load deep inside her, a harsh, guttural groan tearing from his throat.

Emily sagged back against him, completely spent, her chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath. Chloe leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead, her hand resting warmly on Emily’s unbruised side.

They stayed in the water for another hour.

Emily floated lazily near the edge, careful not to twist her torso. Chloe rested her head on Arthur’s shoulder, her eyes closed, completely relaxed.

They climbed out of the pool and rinsed off in the washing area. The cool air of the room hit them as they reached for their towels.

By the time Arthur found his missing sock, Emily and Chloe were already dressed.

It was sitting in a puddle beneath one of the benches.

Arthur picked it up between two fingers.

"You’re not wearing that," Chloe said.

"You want me walking back with one sock?"

Emily picked up her bag. "Buy another one."

Arthur looked at the soaked sock, then stuffed it into his jacket pocket.

Outside, the sun was sitting low over the western walls of the city.

The evening air was crisp and cool against Arthur’s damp hair.

They walked back toward the main transit line together. The streets were still crowded with weekend shoppers and returning academy students. Chloe walked close beside him, her fingers naturally finding his and linking together. Emily walked on his other side, her shoulder bumping lightly against his arm every few steps.

"I still have that alchemy essay to outline for tomorrow," Chloe said, sounding thoroughly unenthusiastic about the prospect.

"You could just not do it," Emily suggested reasonably. "Take the zero."

"I am trying to graduate, Emily."

"Graduating is overrated. Give me the essay. I’ll finish it for you."

Chloe caught Emily by the sleeve as they stepped around a cart crossing the street.

"You are not touching my essay."

"I was offering to help."

"That’s what worries me."

Arthur laughed as they reached the carriage stop.