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— In Flight Obsession —
#14. Dirty words and Unfairness.
Or How Coping with a Seducing Devil can lead to Sins.
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"That tomato scrub was divine!" Sakura squeaks as we head out to the bathing and steam area of the SPA. Despite myself, a smile stretches my lips. The tomato scrub had indeed been more than pleasant, although I'm sure, not for the same reasons Sakura would think of.
"Yes, yes, it was pretty good," I tell her, my hand —the one not holding onto the towel— coming up to feel the smooth skin of my shoulder.
"Right?" She beams at me, "I don't know about you, but my masseuse was also super stunning! Did you see her hair? Such a pretty color!"
I don't remember anyone's hair color, but I certainly do recall the softness of my own masseuse's hands. Smooth and silky, her touch had been soothing after the embarrassment I've been through, earlier that morning.
"Yeah, probably," I deadpan with a forced laugh. The small cobbled pathway snakes through the small garden, leading us to a sauna facility. The modern lighthouse is of light wood and clear glass, making the design impossibly appealing. I don't see anyone inside yet, nevertheless, my eyes linger on the gender mix sign.
No matter as alluring as the idea might appear, I'm skittish about the gender mix unrestriction. I resolutely try to steer our direction away from it. After all, being in a small room with strangers for a wet heat sessions is a no-no for me.
Sakura —being as clairvoyant as she is— locks my arm in her hold and curves us back towards the wooden lighthouse.
"Why, Misaki? We used to go to every sauna we saw! You're the Sauna Queen, aren't you?" She pouts, looking at me with doe eyes.
My gaze flees away from her inquisitive eyes. "Yes, but no..." I sputter indecisively, "I don't think it's a very good idea..."
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it is a very good idea, Misa-chan!" A cheerful voice says behind me.
Tch.
Sakura is hot on her heels, spinning to greet the duo.
"Hinata!..." She pauses, a slight hitch in her voice making her do so. "—and Usui-san!... Why don't you two join us for the sauna? There's no one inside yet."
I want to smack her head and put some sense into her skull, but if I ever do that, I should rather be ready to spill every single details about why... —Why I'd avoid a certain someone. That aforementionned certain someone being here right now, bare chested with a white towel hanging low on his defined hips.
Sakura's eyes are big when they peek at me, and she mouths a big "HOT" at Usui as the men are too busy considering the offer to notice. I shake my head at the gesture for she truly is an embarrassing character.
"Let's go," Hinata eventually grins at Sakura, and the merry duo head towards the sauna cabinet with delight. They seem like two kids at an amusement park as they depart.
"W...wait," I tentatively say in my breath, far too low for them to hear.
When I concede to finally lift my gaze from Sakura's form, unsuccessful in catching her attention by burning a hole in her head, I find myself being stared by taunting emeralds.
"Ayuzawa-san," Usui acknowledges with a smirk, looking all glorious in his sinful indulgence. Standing way too close to be deemed comfortable, I grudgingly nod a greeting. His eyes skim the shape of my shoulder, up the curve of my throat and neck, and I awfully feel the need to cover myself from his perusing gaze.
My clutch on my towel unconsciously tightens and somehow, he seems to notice it. His eyebrows arch up as a slow smile curves his lips.
"Shall we head in?" He leans a bit towards me, his palm brushing the small of my back in an incentive to spur me forward. I briskly break the contact by stepping towards the cabinet.
"We have no choice," I stiffly say, walking as fast as possible to the facility. Undeterred by my brush off, he still manages to stride fast enough to open the glassy door just as a gentleman would, although I know he's anything but that.
"Thanks," I grit as I push past him, and he only gives me back a bright smile.
"My pleasure," he softly speaks, and the words come off as lascivious in his voice that I could only describe as... deep and dark chocolate trickling down over a rough surface...
My heart painfully clenches at the thought.
His presence is frustrating.
And incredibly... decadent.
I instantly dismiss it and make it straight to the steam room, where Sakura and Hinata are already seated on opposite benches. They're immersed in the room's decoration as I step inside, Usui right behind me.
The humid and scorching air invades my lungs, making me lightly choke. Taking a few deep breaths, I sit next to Sakura as Usui takes the place in front of me beside Hinata.
"The interior is pretty nice," Hinata states as he gazes around, his towel messily propped over his thighs. He's already sweating buckets, but I can understand. This sauna is more sizzling than average.
"I like the wood, what is it?" Sakura asks with curiosity, her cheeks reddening. "White Cedar?"
"Most likely Finnish Spruce," Takumi eventually says, making Sakura beams at his cultural knowledge.
"Wow, that's amazing," she says as Hinata difficultly whistles and claps. "How could you tell that?"
"The pattern is larger and rounder than Cedar's. And also, you can smell the timbre. It's faintly coarse, isn't it?"
"I wouldn't have found a better word to describe it," Hinata butts in, out of breath. The heat is more than kicking in, and I know that Hinata doesn't hold it up the best.
"Actually, I can smell it pretty well," Sakura adds, sniffling the air with her nose pointed upward. I pinch it down, because she's ridiculous in her posture.
"Are we seriously discussing wood in a sauna?" I mumble low enough to myself. Strays wisp of hair stick to my forehead, and I slowly exhale.
"Oh," Usui breathes, as if something he forgot finally struck him back. "Shintani-san, I haven't finished my story about last night."
Although I appear indifferent, my heart just freezes at the mention. Sakura perks up, her drama-gossip sensor rising into saturation and her light brown eyes lighting up with a hint of mischief and thirst.
"What is it about?"
Hinata snickers. "Usui was telling me about how he couldn't get into his room last night. So he had to compromise elsewhere..."
"Yes, I had to move to another room downstairs." Usui nods in agreement, picking up to where he left. "It wasn't as hard as I thought to get into that other room, after all, people around here are exceptionally kind..." He trails off, his eyes drifting to my left knee where a dark bruise remains from his handling me at the restaurant, last evening.
I uncomfortably shift, the sheen of sweat coating my skin making it slick and wetter than average. A smile touches his lips, his eyes darkening. He continues, his voice dropping to something akin to thick and rough, and yet velvety silk.
"Actually, the worst part of it came when someone started..."
His voice halts as if he's searching for his words, but when he says it, I know... I know it was all calculated.
"—When someone started banging on the door, intruding on my sweet dreams time."
I quietly choke as Sakura grins uncontrollably.
"Really?" She asks. "What was that dream about?"
"I wouldn't dare put it into words," he grins mischievously, and it seems like some kind of understanding clicks between Sakura and Usui.
My gaze wandering to Hinata, he seems to sluggishly fight against the heat as his eyes turn glassy. "I know you're good at sauna, Misa-chan, no need to eye me with pity like that," he blabbers and I faintly smile.
"Do you want to step out?" I offer, half out of kindness, but mostly because I want to escape the two devils in here scheming something against the world.
"Nah, I'm fine. And I know that you are far from your limit," he laughs weakly, the sound coming off all breathy.
Sakura instantly rises.
"Actually, I'm super super hot," she fanes herself, her cheeks tainted in deep pink. "Hinata, let's get out for some air," she pants and Hinata gratefully follows as I'm lost for words.
"I'll get out with you guys," I say but Sakura whirls around.
"No, no! I know how you love your sauna sessions long, warm and heated. Don't worry, I'll take care of Hinata!" She manages a grin that appears rather mischievous than friendly, and by the look of it, I can guess she's up to no good. Faster than a whirlwind, she closes the glassy and fogged up door.
I still step up but when I reach for the door, Sakura blocks me from outside.
When I give her a questioning frown, she writes on the foggy surface:
Don't you dare come out and enjoy!
One wink and she's off.
I just want to murder her... Where is her loyalty!?
"Why the sudden rush, Ayuzawa-san?" Usui's amused voice taunts me. "And here I thought you were called the Queen of sauna for a reason... Perhaps was I wrong?"
"Maybe you do not stand the heat as the rumors goes..." He hums, his voice oozing challenge. "Hmm, I wonder... Maybe I'm better than you at that..."
Rousing my fierce defiance, I stomp back to the bench in front of him. One onceover at his disheveled state and laid back posture and I adopt a similar one, sprawling in my bench in order to look more imposing.
"Are you challenging me?"
"Perhaps. Do you take it as a challenge?"
"I do."
"Really? Then, let's compete."
"Fine," I grit, intent on making my point.
"That's good then. And I think it's not hot enough in here, so maybe we should stick up to each others." With that being said, he switches and plops down beside me. I instantly gather back into a closed posture, my earlier lofty position shrinking to pure girly awkwardness.
"What in hell," I blurt, motioning to jump to the bench he's just left, but he catches my wrist first, pulling me back. In retrospection, I wish I had fallen back into the bench, but no...
I stumble in his lap instead, and rather than sitting on them and touching him, I manage to straddle him. The position is so damn embarrassing... Instantly, I try to cower and shift out of his grasp, but he cuts all my attempts by caging me into his hold. One strong arm deliciously sneaks around my waist while his other hand restraints my wrist in place.
"Let... Let me go!" I struggle half-heartedly and he doesn't seem fazed at all. His hold is hard and unyielding, his hands clamping onto me in a vise grip I can't deny makes me all sort of tingly.
My heart races like hell, and I'm afraid he's hearing it thumping loudly, because he's so close to my chest he could even untie my towel's knot with his damn teeth... The thought of it makes me clench my thighs together, ashamed and yet undeniably aroused by the vision.
Here he is, quietly watching me with his goddamned grin as if he has all the time in the world. I hope he doesn't see all the things that's going on in my head...
"Just... —Damn... Let me go, Usui..." I sass, heat unfurling low in my body. I wish I could defend myself, saying that it was all because of the sauna, but I'm not sure anymore. It feels like I'm so damn hot and warm, and the worst part of it is that the sauna is not the reason to all of it.
"That would break the purpose of making things hotter, Ayuzawa-san."
I freeze. "You're such a pervert!" I gasp, trying to punch him in the face. His other hand catches the offending palm, and he clenches his hold, deterring all my endeavors to escape.
"Me? Pervert? If you want me to be..." His voice hints at the suggestion, and before I know it, he yanks on both my wrists and I fight the pull, stiffening my spine. Then, he blows a cold whiff of air against my slick throat and I uncontrollably shiver.
"If you want me to be, I could." He finally finishes, a dark glint in the forest of his eyes.
I difficultly gulp.
How in hell... did I get into this mess?
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Author's note:
Update! *beams like Sakura*
Sorry for the radio silence. Life's been busy and still is. I might not be truly out of my hiatus, but I hope you will forgive me with this like piece of sinful cookie. *grins*
As for my other stories, don't worry, I'll update, but don't expect them to be too soon, I'm still preparing for my exams :) ! Life will get much easier in a few, so be patient with me. Thanks, my lovelies!
-J