Warmth Beneath the Surface

Solene & Seraphyne

The steam curled in lazy swirls around the hot spring, carrying soft scents of crushed herbs and blooming light.

The others had fallen into a gentle quiet—Nyxara now leaning back with her eyes closed, half-lost in her own world; Lira floating near a cluster of glowing lilies, eyes wide in awe; and Nerys resting with her head against the stone, soaking the fatigue from her limbs.

Solene shifted closer to Seraphyne, who was still half-tucked beneath a flowering vine overhang, only her shoulders and the tops of her knees above the surface.

"Sera," Solene said softly.

Seraphyne turned, eyes half-lidded, lips already parted like she'd been waiting for the sound of her name.

"Can I wash your hair?"

Seraphyne blinked.

Then nodded, her cheeks already turning a deep red. "Y-Yeah. Okay."

Solene moved behind her with a gentle ease, her hands slipping into the water and guiding Seraphyne back until her neck rested comfortably on Solene's thigh, head tilted just right. With slow, reverent fingers, Solene worked the water through raven-black strands, the herbal oils swirling with heat and care.

"You always look like you're thinking too loud," Solene whispered.

Seraphyne gave a breathy laugh. "It's hard to think quietly when you're touching me like this."

Solene smiled, brushing damp hair away from her ear, then leaned in, lips brushing just behind the curve of her neck.

Seraphyne tensed slightly—but didn't move away.

Then—

Solene kissed her.

Once. Twice. Her lips moved down Seraphyne's neck, each press slower, softer, as if tasting warmth and memory together.

And then—

Her hands moved.

Not hurried. Not forceful.

Just slow.

One arm slipped around Seraphyne's waist, the other gliding upward, gently cupping her chest beneath the water.

Seraphyne's breath hitched.

She didn't pull away.

Didn't flinch.

Just leaned back slightly, her eyes fluttering shut.

"I thought you said we'd take things slow," she murmured.

"I am," Solene whispered against her skin. "But I can't stop loving you with my hands."

A pause.

Then, soft and vulnerable: "Tell me if it's too much."

Seraphyne shook her head slowly.

"It's not," she said. "Not when it's you."

Solene kissed her again—just below the ear—and held her tighter, the two of them wrapped in steam, in silence, in something stronger than lust.

Even with the others nearby, it didn't feel exposed.

It felt sacred.

---

—Part II—

Nyxara & Nerys

Across the misty expanse of the spring, Nyxara watched them.

Seraphyne and Solene.

Intertwined in steam, wrapped in soft affection and private touches they likely thought went unnoticed.

They didn't see the way Nyxara's smile thinned.

How her golden eyes flickered not with malice—but envy.

Not for Solene.

But for that moment.

That closeness.

The simplicity of being wanted.

Her fingers dipped beneath the water, trailing up her thigh absentmindedly—just enough to feel the ache she refused to name. She closed her eyes, letting her mind wander. Letting herself pretend—

That Solene's voice was whispering to her instead.

That those touches weren't meant for someone else.

Her breath hitched.

But only for a moment.

She opened her eyes again.

And stopped.

Not for shame.

But because pretending would never be enough.

With a soft sigh, Nyxara rose slightly, her body half-floating through the water, as if the air itself bent to her will. She drifted silently toward the edge where Nerys sat, alone in her thoughts, arms draped along the stone, jaw tight.

Nerys didn't look up when Nyxara approached.

But she spoke.

"Wasn't going to say anything about the way you looked at her."

Nyxara raised an elegant brow. "At Solene?"

Nerys nodded. "We've all looked at her that way."

Nyxara settled beside her, not quite touching. Her voice came softer. "So much fire in her… but none of it makes her cruel."

"Yeah," Nerys murmured, her voice low. "That's what breaks you, isn't it?"

Nyxara didn't answer.

For a long time, they simply sat there.

The night wind brushed the surface of the spring.

Seraphyne's quiet gasps still echoed faintly through the steam.

And still—

Nerys and Nyxara remained quiet, watching the sky.

Two strong women. Both tired of being second. Both too proud to admit it out loud.

But they saw it in each other's eyes.

Not pity.

Understanding.

"Maybe," Nerys said finally, "we're just the kind who don't get to be chosen first."

Nyxara's voice was a whisper. "But still worth being chosen."

Nerys didn't respond.

She didn't need to.

Their silence said enough.

—Part III—

Solene & Nerys

Later that night the castle was quiet now.

Lanterns flickered softly in their sconces. The marble floors glowed faintly under Solene's bare feet as she walked, her robe drawn tight around her, hair still damp from the bath.

She should've gone to sleep.

Seraphyne had kissed her goodnight, whispered "I love you" against her cheek before curling up in the warm sheets.

But Solene hadn't followed.

Not yet.

Instead, she wandered.

Until she stood outside a familiar door.

Nerys's.

She stared at it for too long.

Her hand hovered. Her heart beat fast.

Then—

A breath.

And a knock.

"Nerys…"

A pause.

"Can I come in?"

There was silence on the other side.

Then the softest click of a lock.

The door eased open.

Nerys stood inside, also robed, hair towel-dried and messy, eyes tired—but not surprised.

She stepped aside wordlessly, letting Solene in.

The room was warm. Dim. Quiet.

Solene stood in the center, unsure for a moment. Then turned.

"I couldn't sleep," she said softly. "Not before I talked to you again."

Nerys met her eyes. "You didn't say anything wrong earlier."

"I know," Solene said. "But I didn't say everything either."

She stepped closer.

"Nerys…"

The name was soft on her lips.

Her hand reached up, brushing fingertips across Nerys's cheekbone, thumb ghosting the edge of her jaw.

"You still live in me. In all my best parts. That hasn't changed."

Nerys didn't breathe.

Solene leaned in.

Their lips met—slowly.

Not hungry.

Not desperate.

Just inevitable.

Nerys's hand rose to rest at Solene's waist. Solene pressed closer, their robes brushing, warmth shared in stillness.

The kiss deepened.

Their bodies moved together—not to claim, not to replace—but to remember.

Solene's hands roamed gently, untying Nerys's robe, revealing her bit by bit as if seeing her for the first time again. Nerys let her, guiding Solene with careful touches and quiet moans that lived between breath and heartbeat.

The night unfolded like a story only they could read.

Not hurried.

Not conflicted.

Just two women rediscovering the ache of what still lived between them.

And when they finally laid together, skin to skin, heart to heart—

It wasn't to fill a void. It was to share a truth they never stopped holding.

—Part IV—

Seraphyne—

The room felt colder without her.

Seraphyne had woken the moment Solene slipped from the bed. She hadn't moved.She hadn't called out.She just laid there, still half-tangled in the sheets, eyes fixed on the ceiling as the warmth where Solene had been slowly faded into cool night air.

At first, she'd told herself it was nothing.

A walk.

A breath of air.

Maybe a restless moment—Skyreach did strange things to dreams.

But minutes passed.

Then more.

And the bed stayed empty.

Seraphyne rolled onto her side and stared at the spot Solene had vacated. She pulled the blanket closer, tried to breathe slower. Tried to quiet the ache building in her chest.

She's not yours, she reminded herself.

She closed her eyes, but they stung.

It was strange, how silence could make a person feel louder inside. How want could twist into fear, even when you trusted someone.

Even when they'd held you like you were the only thing keeping them alive.

Seraphyne sat up slowly, blanket slipping off her shoulders.

She didn't cry.

But gods, she wanted to.

Instead, she whispered to the empty room:

"Please come back."

—Part V—

Solene & Seraphyne

Solene hugged Nerys gently before she left, pressing her lips to her temple with a final whisper of gratitude.

Then she slipped out of the room and into the halls of Skyreach once more—barefoot, robed, heart both full and heavy.

When she entered her own room again, the scent of lavender and warmth welcomed her. The bed glowed faintly in the soft moonlight that poured through the crystal-paned window. Seraphyne's silhouette was still, facing the far wall, wrapped in blankets.

She was "asleep."

Solene didn't crawl back into bed right away.

She sat on the edge, robe slipping slightly off her shoulder, hands resting in her lap. Her gaze was far away, unfocused, as if her heart was still catching up with her body.

Then she whispered, voice so soft it barely reached the walls.

"Gods… Sera."

She exhaled.

"I love you."

The words weren't dramatic.

They weren't heavy.

They were real.

"You're so beautiful," she continued, fingers curling slightly over the blanket. "So peaceful. And the way you get angry, the way you pout, the joy in those red eyes…"

She smiled faintly.

"It makes my heart flutter."

Her voice cracked on the next words.

"If you were awake… I'd hold you so close I could feel your heartbeat."

Silence.

Then—

Arms slid around her waist from behind.

Solene stiffened slightly in surprise, then melted as Seraphyne buried her face into Solene's back, voice muffled but trembling.

"I wanted to say something earlier," Seraphyne whispered. "But I didn't want to seem possessive. Or selfish."

Solene turned slightly, enough to see her face.

Seraphyne's eyes shimmered in the moonlight.

"I heard you leave," she continued. "And I told myself to be strong. To trust you. But the truth is…"

She held Solene tighter.

"I was scared. Scared I'd be your comfort, but not your choice. Scared that what we have is just warmth before you go back to someone else."

Solene twisted around, cupping Seraphyne's cheek.

"I did go back," she said. "But I came home to you."

Seraphyne blinked, tears slipping quietly down her cheeks.

Solene kissed one away.

"You don't have to compete for my love," she whispered. "You already have it."

Seraphyne let out a shaky breath, burying her face into Solene's shoulder. "I just want to be enough."

"You are," Solene said, pulling her into her lap. "You are more than enough."

They held each other there—silent, close, raw.

And for the first time in a long time…

Seraphyne slept without fear.

And Solene—held between two truths, two women, and her own expanding heart—finally let herself believe she could love freely.

—Part VI—

Solene & Seraphyne

All night, they barely moved.

Solene and Seraphyne lay entangled beneath soft blankets, skin to skin, warmth shared in silence. No tossing. No dreams. Just the steady rhythm of their breathing and the quiet promise in every touch: I'm still here.

Every so often, Solene would tighten her arm around Seraphyne's waist.

Every so often, Seraphyne would shift, as if afraid Solene might vanish if she loosened her grip.

The sky outside slowly lightened—cool silver brushing against the edges of the tall windows, casting gentle rays over their tangled forms.

Seraphyne woke first.

She blinked slowly, lashes brushing against Solene's collarbone, and then smiled—small, content, the kind of smile that lived in the bones.

She nestled her face deeper into the crook of Solene's neck, breathing in the scent of skin and lavender and warmth.

Solene stirred with a soft hum, her hand brushing lazily up Seraphyne's spine. Then she leaned in, eyes still half-closed, and pressed a kiss to the top of Seraphyne's head.

"Good morning," she whispered.

"Too early," Seraphyne murmured back.

They didn't move.

Not for minutes.

Not for an hour.

It was the kind of stillness neither had ever allowed themselves before. No one chasing them. No one bleeding. No alarms.

Just this.

Then, without warning—

A sultry voice echoed in both of their minds.

"Listen up, you cute sleepyheads…"

Seraphyne blinked.

Solene groaned.

"Get dressed and meet the rest of us in the arena~" Nyxara's voice sang. "Or I might have to punish you."

A teasing hum followed in both their heads. "And not in the fun way."

Seraphyne buried her face in Solene's neck. "She's going to be impossible today."

Solene snorted, rubbing her eyes. "She was born impossible."

But neither of them moved for another minute.

Eventually, Solene sat up, pulling Seraphyne gently with her, their fingers still laced together as the blanket fell away.

"Let's go," she said.

Seraphyne smiled sleepily. "Together?"

"Always."