Natalie waits for him to come out

Natalie heard the water shut off and waited just long. Then, casually, she stepped out of her room and leaned against the doorframe.

She didn’t need to; there was no rush. She could’ve waited until the bathroom was clear, and the hallway was empty, but she didn’t. He’d seen her that morning, standing there staring. So, fair was fair.

Her light robe was tied loosely, where it cinched around her waist. The fabric hung soft against her frame, revealing more of one thigh than she usually would from how she posed it. Her arms crossed as she leaned back into the wood, the position making her chest rise a touch higher than necessary. She kept her gaze on the opposite wall, like she was thinking about something else. Like this was just part of the experience of their shared space.

Inside the bathroom, she heard movement. A rustle of the towel, a soft cough. Then the click of the handle as the door opened.

Aiden stepped out, the shower steam surrounding him. His skin was still flushed from the hot water, damp in places. The towel sat low on his hips, really low compared to normal, and draped in all the right spots, hinting at the shape beneath.

He didn’t see her at first, but when he did, he stopped.

His shoulders tensed slightly, but his gaze held. “Hey.”

Natalie tilted her head. “Took your time.”

He didn’t say anything, just reached for the edge of the towel, adjusting it with a casual tug meant to be subtle to disguise the way he was still partially swollen beneath it. But the motion drew her eyes anyway.

She didn’t linger, but she didn’t immediately look away either. Fair was fair. Her gaze dipped, caught on the shift of fabric over his hips, the telltale outline beneath it. Then, as though the reality of what she’d invited finally settled on her skin, her hands rose to the collar of her robe. She closed it higher over her chest, the movement slow, perhaps less automatic than before. She’d suddenly felt the implications of her own choices.

She’d meant to tease him, and catch him off guard, but now she was the one feeling exposed. Perhaps even a little flushed and breathless.

“Well,” she said clearing her throat, then stepping forward and brushing past him, “good thing I’m patient.”

The edge of her robe brushed the back of his wrist as she passed, a light, trailing contact that sent a pulse through his skin, sure she was unaware.

At the bathroom door, she paused for a breath, then glanced back over her shoulder, a look that was meant to be quick. But her eyes caught his, still watching her, and something fluttered low in her belly.

“And use the fan next time,” she said, her voice softer than intended. It was a flimsy excuse for the glance, but the best she could offer. She wasn’t sure if it carried any real authority or if he heard her. He seemed distracted by the fact that she’d looked back at him once more.

She stepped inside shutting the door behind her, leaving the hallway quiet again.

Aiden stood in place, with his towel coming loose from his waist, as his hand held it up. His heart was racing from the quick encounter after having just rubbed one out thinking of her. The door had shut, but her voice still echoed, "Use the fan next time." It sounded almost like an afterthought to him. But the way she’d glanced back… the way her eyes had caught his…

He felt like an idiot to still be standing there once she started to move. But he couldn’t get his legs to move once she brushed past him in that robe.

His hormone addled brain wondered how long she’d been standing there. Was she there while he was still in the shower, groaning into his own shoulder? Had she caught him? Maybe she’d expected it and that was why she was there. Maybe she didn’t care. But it still made his stomach flip as he stood frozen in the hallway, unsure if he should’ve apologized for watching her, or do anything other than replay that moment in his head until it was burned in for good.

He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and finally turned toward his room, wiping a hand down his face as he went. The towel loosened in his grip, slipping lower against his hip, one careless step from ending up around his ankles.

He caught it just in time, yanking the towel back into place with a quiet mutter. Christ. That would’ve been perfect if she’d still been watching then. Just standing there like an idiot, towel slipping, with nothing left to hide.

As he walked to his room, her voice echoed in his head. Use the fan next time. Telling him what to do. Again. He smiled to himself. Yeah... he really didn’t mind.

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