NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39
The medic room's sterile silence shattered with a crisp, loud bark—"Hey! You two! What are you doin'?"—Pako's voice slicing through the hush like a blade through fabric. Syn's head snapped up from where Aster's warmth pressed against his chest, her tear-streaked face now still, her breathing soft against his shirt. Pako sat upright on her bed, her dark eyes glinting with a suspicious glare, her short black hair tousled from sleep, her posture rigid as she fixed them with an accusing stare.
Aster didn't flinch, her massive frame sprawled atop Syn, her thighs bracketing his hips, her blonde hair spilling over his shoulders like a golden shroud. She basked in his gentle warmth, her hands resting lightly on his stomach, her earlier sobs faded into a quiet calm. Syn's arms encircled her back, his fingers tracing slow, comforting arcs across her spine, a steady anchor against the storm she'd unleashed moments before. Pako's glare sharpened, her lips pursing as she tilted her head, her voice dipping into a wary probe. "You guys didn't do it, did you?"
"What?" Syn asked, his tone flat, a flicker of confusion creasing his brow as he shifted beneath Aster's weight, his hands pausing mid-motion.
"We did it—so what now?" Aster retorted, her voice a low rumble against Syn's chest, her warm breath seeping through his shirt, radiating a tingling heat across his skin. Her head rolled lazily against him, a defiant smirk tugging at her lips, her eyes glinting with a playful challenge as she met Pako's stare.
"No, you didn't," Pako countered, her suspicion unwavering, her gaze raking over them with a detective's scrutiny. "You're still wearing all your clothes." Her tone was matter-of-fact, a smirk of her own curling her lips as she leaned forward, her elbows braced on her knees, her eyes narrowing as if daring them to prove her wrong.
Syn's face flushed, a sudden heat creeping up his neck as her meaning sank in—Pako's mind, as ever, leaping to the lewdest conclusion. Aster didn't reply, her smirk softening into a quiet defiance as she rolled her head against his chest again, her cheek brushing his collarbone, her breath a steady rhythm that sent shivers down his spine. Syn patted her back, his touch firm yet gentle, a signal amidst the chaos. "I think we should go now," he murmured, his voice low, a thread of exhaustion weaving through it as he tried to shift beneath her.
Aster shook her head, a soft, stubborn refusal as she nuzzled deeper, her nose grazing his shirt with a low, guttural hum—a sound that vibrated through him, primal and possessive. Pako, meanwhile, slid off her bed with a groan, cradling her heavy head as the anesthesia's fog lingered, her steps unsteady as she crossed the room. She climbed onto Syn's bed, her small frame slipping beside him with a graceless thud, her body pressing close as she snuggled into his side, her arm snaking around his waist with a clingy insistence. Aster's hand darted out, a reflexive nudge to shove Pako away, but Pako's grip tightened, her tenacity matching Aster's own—she wasn't budging.
"Aren't you two vice-captains?" Syn asked, his voice rising with a mix of exasperation and disbelief as he squirmed beneath their dual assault—Aster's heavy warmth pinning him from above, Pako's ticklish snuggle pressing into his ribs. "Aren't you even a little worried about this ship?" His words hung in the air, a plea lost to their relentless affection, his body trapped in a vice of their care.
"Syn, Syn, Syn," Pako purred, her voice a teasing lilt as she rubbed her cheek against his side, her breath warm and tickling through his shirt. "How you feelin' my skin?" Her question veered wildly off-topic, a gleeful distraction as she shifted—and then he felt it, a cold, soft press against his ribs. His shirt had ridden up, and Pako's bare breasts brushed his skin, her nipples grazing him with a deliberate, maddening friction that sent a jolt through his core.
"Stop that—it's disgusting," Aster snapped, her hand slipping between Pako's chest and Syn's side, her fingers splaying to block the contact, her tone a mix of irritation and possessiveness. Pako smirked, swatting Aster's hand away with a playful flick, pressing herself closer, her breasts flattening against Syn with a shameless insistence that made him squirm harder, his breath hitching as heat flushed his face.
"You're just jealous of my boobs, aren't ya?" Pako taunted, her dark eyes glinting with mischief as she arched her back, flaunting her curves with a victorious grin, her voice dripping with glee as she caught Aster's glare.
Aster's eyes narrowed, her mocking smile sharpening into a blade. "My bust's bigger than yours," she retorted, her tone laced with a smug edge as she shifted atop Syn, her own chest pressing subtly closer, a silent challenge in the flex of her frame.
"Should I really be hearing this?" Syn muttered, his voice low, strained, the absurdity of their bickering clashing with the heat creeping through him. For years, he'd lived alone—solitary, guarded, a wall between him and the chaos of connection. Now, pinned beneath Aster's weight, Pako's teasing skin igniting his senses, he felt unmoored, a tide of sensation crashing against the solitude he'd built. Pako's brazen touch was too much—too warm, too soft—stirring a flicker of arousal he couldn't suppress, a betrayal of his own restraint.
Aster's smirk widened, her gaze dropping as she felt it—a firm bump beneath her thighs, unmistakable and growing. "Hey! What are you thinking?" she asked, her voice a naughty trill as she tilted her head, her blonde hair spilling forward, her eyes glinting with a predatory delight as she peered into his flushed face.
"No—it's nothing," Syn stammered, his words tripping over themselves as his cheeks burned hotter, his hands twitching beneath her grip. "It's because of Pako—" He jerked his head toward her, desperate to shift the blame, his voice a flustered rush.
"Me what? Oh! He's hard?" Pako giggled, a high, gleeful sound that danced through the room as she stretched a hand toward the bump, her fingers wiggling with intent. Aster's reflexes flared, her hand slapping Pako's away each time it crept close, a sharp *smack* echoing as she guarded her perch with a possessive scowl.
"Cut it out!" Aster growled, her grip tightening on Syn's wrists, her thighs clamping harder as Pako's laughter bubbled louder, her breasts still brushing his side, nipples teasing his ribs with every shift. Syn squirmed, his breath shallow, his mind scrambling for anything—stars, dice, blood—to douse the heat Pako stoked, the sensation a relentless tide he couldn't escape. He clenched his jaw, willing his body to still, but the friction was maddening, a distraction clawing at his focus.
Then—a jolt, a shard of clarity piercing the haze. His eyes widened, his body tensing as he tried to sit up, the weight of Aster and Pako pinning him down like anchors. He pushed, a sudden force rippling through him, his face twisting with a worrisome frown that silenced their playful tussle.
"What happened?" Aster and Pako asked in unison, their voices overlapping as they felt the shift—his muscles straining, his breath catching, the abrupt urgency in his expression cutting through their teasing fog. Aster's hands loosened, Pako's arm stilled, both staring at him with a mix of concern and confusion, their earlier mirth snuffed out by the shadow crossing his face.
"Mia! Where is she?" Syn's voice broke, sharp and insistent, his eyes darting between them as he wrestled against their hold, his pulse hammering. "I haven't seen her since I met her in her room." The words spilled out, a sudden dread clawing up his spine, his mind flashing to that quiet encounter—her shy blush, her trembling confession, the last thread of her he'd touched before the shapeshifter storm erupted.