Now here he come with the thirst, ayy

Nick stepped out onto the patio and was greeted by the warm kiss of the steam. To his relief, he wasn’t immediately tackled by Carly and had her breasts shoved in his face.

Maybe he was a little disappointed about that fact, if he was being honest. But he saw the two of them chilling in the water, and that disappointment faded because he was just happy to be around them both right now.

“Hey guys,” he greeted them as he walked over to the hot spring.

“Heya, Nick!” Carly waved at him. She was lounging at the other end of the spring with a content smile on her face and her breasts floating in the water. She was taking full advantage of not being joined with her sister at the hip today, and relished in all the space she had to herself.

Morgana sat about halfway between Carly and where Nick was standing. Close enough where she could engage in conversation with the other woman, but still content on her own. Her pale face was flushed from the heat of the steam, and even though Nick’s initial assumption was that she was red out of embarrassment, the way she smiled and waved at him when he stepped down into the water dispelled those fears.

Wow, she actually seems comfortable with me being here, he thought as he took off his towel and sank into the spring. He scooted a little closer to the two of them. That’s a really good sign, I think. It means she’s getting more comfortable with the dynamics of the harem in general.

When Nick first met Morgana, she had been incredibly excited about being in a harem and what that meant for her. But as he got to know her, he realized that her behavior had just been bluster, and the fantasies she’d developed from manga and anime coming into play. Once she understood the actual dynamics and the weight of the situation she found herself in, she’d become far more unbalanced and flustered by what she was facing.

Limited sexual experience on her part certainly didn’t help matters, either. It took a bit of time for Morgana to open up to what was going on and become a closer friend, but they’d settled into a pretty good spot, Nick felt.

Now, seeing her sitting in the water completely naked without trying to hide her body or pretend like he couldn’t see her, it was obvious how much Morgana had grown since then.

Nick felt overjoyed at all her progress.

In fact- she raised her head and looked him in the eye, and even though he was staring right at her naked body she didn’t move to instinctively cover herself.

She just waved at him.

Ironically, that made Nick feel more awkward himself, so he waved back, not sure what else to do in response.

Carly watched the interaction and tried not to break out into a gleeful smile.

“Are you two enjoying the hot spring?” Nick asked, realizing how awkward things were going to get if they all just sat there staring at each other without saying anything.

Morgana bobbed her head up and down. “Oh, yes, it’s very relaxing!” She said quickly. “I’m enjoying it quite a bit!”

“I know, right?” Carly nodded. “Man, this water is the perfect temperature!” She stretched her arms over her head, giving Nick the added bonus of watching her boobs rise up from how she shifted her body. Her nipples just barely poked over the clear surface.

“Nothing’s better for an achy back,” she said, dropping her arms to rub her shoulder. “And I think we all know why I’m so sore, don’t we, Morgana?”

She winked at the goth girl, and normally, Nick would have anticipated some sort of flustered response on Morgana’s part, and her telling Carly not to joke about stuff like that because it was embarrassing for her.

Instead, Morgana just gave her a good-natured laugh.

“Oh, Carly!” She waved her hand. “That’s MY joke! I said the same thing when we were in the shower and you complained about your back! …Or, well, I thought about it, anyway.”

Carly giggled and scooted closer to the other girl. “Oh, that won’t do! It’s not enough to just think up the clever zingers, Morgana!” She shook her head and wagged her finger back and forth. “If you come up with something funny, just blurt it out there! Otherwise you might regret it!”

“Regret it how?” Morgana questioned, confused.

Carly smirked. “Well, isn’t that obvious?” She turned her head and suddenly Nick found she was looking directly at him. “Because now, I come across as the funny, witty one, and you don’t. Whereas if you’d told that joke, Nick would have laughed his balls off, and you would have earned lots of points in his book!”

“Oh!” Morgana nodded enthusiastically. “I see!”

Nick was pretty sure that the steam from the water was the only reason she wasn’t scrawling down notes about what Carly just said.

He also noted that Carly’s entire argument fell apart because she’d just admitted that she didn’t come up with the joke herself.

“In that case,” he pointed out, “wouldn’t it be better not to say anything at all, rather than admit that Morgana is the one who deserves some credit as well?”

Not that Morgana deserved credit in this instance per se, but Carly admitting that she’d made the joke kind of meant that he should dock points off or something, right?

…Wait, what kind of points were they even talking about here? That was the part Nick was still having a little trouble defining, if he was being totally honest.

Carly covered her mouth and smirked. “Aww, Nick… look at you,” she cooed, leaning forward and batting her eyelashes. She squeezed her breasts between her arms to emphasize them even more than their natural size already did. “How cute, standing up for Morgana like that!”

It was a taunt, even Nick could tell that much from the tone of her voice. So, he regarded her statement carefully, not wanting to be too overbearing.

“…I think Morgana is capable of standing up for herself,” he said diplomatically, acknowledging the progress and growth that Morgana had gone through in the process.

This time the redness in Morgana’s face wasn’t solely from the heat of the steam.

“That’s very sweet of you to say,” she replied, playing with a few strands of her wet hair. “But, well… …It still feels nice to have someone stick up for you… you know?”

She appreciated the fact that Nick had recognized how much more confident she’d become, but at the same time, she also thought that it was an area she needed more growth in.

Nick seemed to agree, which didn’t make her feel better, but did help her with understanding what she wanted a little more.

As Morgana roasted in the hot spring, she examined what she was facing right now and tried to unpack what it was she actually wanted.

I want Nick to feel more comfortable around me, like I’m just a regular friend. Like how he is with Carly, even though he’s really attracted to her, she thought, biting her lip. But that’s difficult in a lot of ways, unfortunately.

Unlike with Carly, Morgana didn’t have a lot of experience being naked around men. She felt like she had done a great job just getting this far! Nick was obviously attracted to her and trying not to show that, which she appreciated, but in the present situation, she wasn’t sure how to go about actually showing her gratitude to him for everything being normal.

What does it even mean to be normal and casual with a boy I like, anyway? Morgana desperately wanted the answer to that question. She wasn’t like Carly, who could slide right over to him and press her breasts against him and not have a single problem with that! That wasn’t like her at all, she’d die of shame!

So, what should she do to show Nick that she was comfortable and relaxed in his presence, even if she wasn’t?

“…I… can I be honest?” Morgana spoke out. She waited until Nick and Carly turned their eyes towards her.

They both looked surprised, intrigued, and confused in equal parts.

Normally, Morgana didn’t like drawing attention to herself.

This would have to be the exception.

She scooted her butt over to Nick and looked right at him.

Nick was surprised to see her get this close to him when they were both naked. And try as he might, even with Morgana’s curvy figure obscured by the steam, it was impossible to hide how attractive she was.

Her white skin was practically glowing!

Carly watched from the sidelines, very interested in seeing how this was going to go. She was excited that Morgana was taking some initiative.

“I… I’m not feeling as comfortable as I would like to be,” Morgana admitted, surprising the both of them with her statement.

Nick didn’t know what to say to that, because he didn’t see what was happening as that big of a deal for any of them.

In contrast, Carly bit her lip in concern.

Morgana, what are you doing, telling him that? She wondered. Don’t you remember the point of what we’re doing here? We’re trying to relax and have fun with Nick, telling him outright that you’re feeling uncomfortable isn’t going to go over well!

“I’m not uncomfortable or anything,” Morgana clarified quickly. “Actually, I’m quite enjoying myself here!”

The bright smile she wore on her lips confirmed her words for them.

“Well, that’s good,” Nick said, giving her a hesitant nod. He didn’t know what Morgana was driving at, so he was reticent to comment further than vague statements like the one he just made.

Morgana’s eyes twinkled at him and the corners of her mouth turned up into a smile.

“To tell you the truth… I’m having a lot of fun right now,” she said, reaching up and placing her hand over her chest. “I wanted to have a nice dip in the hot springs so we could all relax together, and… I’m not sure I have any complaints, but…”

Nick watched her closely, and realized that maybe staring at her could be making things more uncomfortable for her, somehow. But at the same time, if he looked away, it might send the opposite message.

So, he decided not to change anything he was doing and wait to see how Morgana responded. That might not have been the safest option, but it was the one that would give her the most agency over how she chose to respond to him and this situation.

Morgana turned her crimson eyes (still wearing contacts even in the hot spring) towards Nick, and gave him a sweet smile.

“…Do you think I’m pretty?” She asked finally, standing up out of the water and showing her full body to him.

Carly nearly slipped on the rocks beneath her out of the shock. Her eyes swung over to Nick immediately to gauge his reaction, and when she saw the stunned expression on his face she immediately started to worry.

Come on, Nick, it’s not a big deal! She thought, biting her lip. Morgana’s putting herself out there for you, and you can be cool with that, right?

Nick was trying very hard to be cool, yes. A difficult feat in a hot spring, but not an impossible one, even at the temperature of his body continued to rise.

He had an erection. But not just because of Morgana. The fact of the matter was getting into the hot springs with the two of them, after that intimate photoshoot both women participated in, had made him aroused practically the second he set foot in the water.

And while he didn’t mind doing anything with them right now, he was pretty sure that wasn’t what Morgana wanted.

She just wanted him to be honest with her.

So he was.

“I think you’re very pretty, Morgana,” he said sincerely. Her eyes widened slightly when she heard his words, and a sigh passed her lips.

“Oh, do you?” Her smile softened. “Well, I should hope so.”

She sank back down into the water before Nick could fully process what she just said.

“H-huh?” He stared at her for a second as she giggled with amusement, and he realized that she’d just been messing with him. “Wait-”

“He said I’m pretty,” Morgana giggled innocently, batting her eyelashes at Carly. “You’re right, he does look cute when he can’t think of anything else to say other than compliments!”

Carly relaxed a little once she realized that Morgana had just been playing around. The ends of her lips twitched back up into a smile.

“Doesn’t he, though?” She tittered, nodding in agreement. She scooted a little bit closer to the two of them. “If you ask me, it’s one of his most charming qualities.”

“Thank you for the compliments,” Nick said, trying not to groan. “Now could we stop with the inside jokes at my expense?”

He was only half-serious. The fact that Morgana looked so happy as she said all this stuff warmed his heart considerably.

“I think it’s sweet,” Morgana murmured, as Nick relaxed in the water. “Sorry- I just wanted your honest opinion.”

She tilted her head to the side and gazed into his eyes. “Does that make me a bad girl, Nick?” She asked him.

Nick blushed a little. “I wouldn’t go that far,” he replied, shaking his head.

“Aww, look at the two of you, getting along so well you can even tease one another!” Carly crowed. She puffed out her chest with pride. “And it’s all thanks to my hard work!”

Nick glanced over at her, not sure what to say to that.

Morgana did though.

“You mean my efforts!” She said proudly, sitting up straight. “I’m doing the best I can here, too, you know!”

She looked over at Nick again. “Isn’t that right?”

Her face was burning right now. This was way more work than she’d expected, and she was starting to run out of fun ways to tease him and just stay casual. But she was striking a rapport with Nick, and she didn’t want to lose the momentum she’d already gained.

So, if she was running out of words, the next best option for her was to use her body. And not in the way that the producers on this show probably wanted.

Morgana was aware of the effect that her figure had on Nick. It may not have been on Carly’s level, but when he was looking at her, she had been looking at him, and she’d seen the desire in his eyes for that brief flash.

So she had to be careful with this. It was easy to try and make it seem like she was physically seducing him, but that wasn’t what this was about.

Instead, Morgana scooted over until she was sitting about a foot away from Nick, right at his side. Not to try and be sexy for him or anything like that- but because she wanted to be closer to him.

Like this, we can build intimacy together and I don’t have to rely on any jokes or words that I might make a mistake with! She thought, feeling triumphant about her clever plan. This should work out just perfectly for us!

“You don’t mind if I get a little closer, do you?” Morgana asked, trying her best not to stutter even though her whole body was quivering with embarrassment. “I’d just like to get to know you a little better, that’s all.”

It was a very bold move on her part, and Nick respected her immensely for it. And even though Morgana’s Sotto Voce transformation was keeping him aroused, he was able to put those feelings aside and sincerely answer her question.

“I don’t mind that at all,” he said honestly. “In fact, I’m glad that we’ve reached a point where we can be comfortable together like this.”

Morgana twitched. Because the truth was, she wasn’t totally comfortable, like she’d told him earlier. Oh, she was certainly trying to be, but not all efforts are successful.

Not sure what to do and not wanting to lose out on the progress she’d already made, Morgana decided to throw caution to the wind and just be honest with him.

“Actually, I’m pushing myself quite a lot,” she admitted, surprising Carly.

Carly shook her head sharply, telling Morgana that she was risking the progress she’d made so far. But Morgana already knew as much.

“Don’t worry,” Morgana assured Nick, “I’m not doing anything I don’t WANT to do, Nick.”

“O-oh, really?” Nick asked.

“Mm,” she said, shaking her head. “I actually am quite enjoying myself! Even though it’s a little embarrassing. It’s, like, what’s that term? Um… exposure therapy, that’s it!”

She nodded, and Nick saw embarrassment was slowly starting to seep into her expression. But he admired how hard she fought to stem the tide.

“If I can be around you more like this… I think it’s for the best,” Morgana said sincerely, looking up into his eyes. “I mean… don’t you feel the same way, Nick?”

He understood the logic behind her feelings. After all, if Morgana could be more comfortable being naked around him, that was better for the both of them.

And especially better for her.

This idea had Carly written all over it, and he was glad that she’d put that idea in the other girl’s mind. And Carly herself seemed to relax once she knew for sure that was what Morgana had been going for here.

“Well, I’m happy to help you with this exposure therapy of yours whenever you need me to,” Nick assured her with a smile.

Morgana beamed back at him.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “I would really like that.”

The two sat and stared at each other for a moment, neither quite sure what to make of the situation at first or which of them should say something to shift the direction of the conversation.

But they knew that if one of them didn’t say something quick, things would turn awkward, and nobody wanted that.

Carly could have taken the conversation in a dozen directions. But she forced herself to hold back, because she knew that Morgana was trying her best here, and the last thing she wanted was to take over and insinuate Morgana couldn’t handle the situation herself.

Then Morgana figured out what she could do, after remembering her earlier lesson about physical actions taking the place of words.

“Can you, um… put your arm around my shoulder?” She asked, gazing into Nick’s eyes as she scooted closer to him.

Stunned by the request but happy to comply, even if he was a little nervous, Nick did exactly that, draping his arm around her narrow back and holding her close to him.

Morgana was startled for a moment, but her pounding heart gradually slowed down, and a tiny smile touched her lips. Yeah, this was nice and comfortable, and she didn’t need to push herself or anything like that.

She could just enjoy her time with him.

Carly watched the two of them with a broad grin, pleased as could be that they were enjoying themselves so much, and becoming that much more comfortable around one another.