NOVEL NEXT Chapter 41
Syn's hand pressed into the soft warmth, his fingers sinking slightly before realization slammed into him like a cold wave. Purple hair spilled loose across his vision, a cascade of vibrant strands framing a flushed face—Vera, standing there, her cheeks glowing with a shy blush that clashed with the sterile medic room's stark light.
"Can you be a bit more gentle?" she murmured, her voice a soft, hesitant lilt, her eyes darting away as she bit her lip. "I'm still recovering."
Syn yanked his hand back as if burned, his breath catching in his throat, his pulse spiking with a jolt of shock. "Vera!" he exclaimed, his voice cracking as he scrambled upright, disentangling himself from Pako's unguarded hold with a frantic twist.
Her arms flopped aside, her legs sliding off his torso as he leapt from the bed, his boots hitting the tiles with a sharp thud. He stepped closer to Vera, his eyes narrowing with concern as he inspected her—bandages crisscrossing her arms and torso, neat but stark against her skin, a testament to the fight she'd barely survived. "What… how are you feeling now?" he asked, his tone softening, worry threading through each word as he hovered near her, his hands twitching with the urge to help.
Vera tilted her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she straightened, her posture shifting from fragile to defiant. "These are nothing," she said, her voice brimming with a quiet confidence that belied the bandages. "I don't feel a thing." Her eyes glinted, a flicker of her captain's steel shining through, a stark contrast to the shy blush still staining her cheeks.
"You bitch—you've got the worst timing," Pako snapped, her voice cutting through the room like a whip, her dark eyes flashing with irritation as she propped herself up on the bed, her bare chest still pressed provocatively against the sheets. She glared at Vera, her pout a mix of annoyance and envy, her short black hair falling into her face as she shifted.
"Or the best," Vera countered, her smile widening into a mocking curve as she tilted her chin, her purple locks swaying with the motion. "Wait—this is the first time you've squeezed my…" Her voice faltered, her blush deepening as realization dawned, her hands fluttering briefly to her chest before dropping. "I'm marking today as the boob-squeezing anniversary," she declared, her tone shy yet teasing as she glanced at Syn, her eyes glinting with a playful spark that sent a fresh wave of heat rushing to his face.
Syn's jaw dropped, his mouth hanging open as her words tumbled over him, a whirlwind of absurdity he couldn't grasp. Things were spiraling—slipping from his hands or, worse, into them—a chaos he'd never wielded control over. "Vera," he said, his voice a strained rasp as he forced it steady, pivoting to the mission at hand, "we caught all the shapeshifters. I guess." His tone anchored him, pulling the moment back to the grim reality beneath their antics, his eyes searching hers for a flicker of the captain he knew.
Vera's smile softened, a glint of pride flashing in her gaze as she stepped closer, her bare feet silent against the tiles. "That's my Syn," she said, her voice warm, almost possessive, as she tilted her head. "Now, as a reward—here." Before he could react, she seized his hand, her grip firm yet trembling, and pressed it against her other breast, the soft swell yielding beneath his palm. "Squeeze this one too."
"Wha—!" Pako's jaw dropped, her dark eyes widening in tandem with Syn's as a startled gasp escaped them both, their mouths mirroring each other's shock. Syn froze, his hand locked in place by Vera's daring, his fingers sinking into the plush warmth—soft as marshmallows, pliant as jelly—a sensation that sent a jolt through his core despite the protest screaming in his mind. He didn't want this—not like this—yet his hand lingered, traitorously kneading as Vera's blush deepened, her breath hitching with a shy delight he couldn't fathom.
Pako snapped out of her stupor, lunging forward with a snarl, her hand yanking Syn's arm free from Vera's grasp. "Hey!" she barked, tugging his wrist toward her own bare chest, her breasts swaying with the motion, but Syn jerked back, wrenching his hand free with a sharp twist. He stumbled off the bed, retreating to a safe distance, his boots scuffing the tiles as he put space between himself and their relentless advance, his breath ragged with exasperation.
"Enough!" he snapped, his voice cutting through the room, firm and edged with a frustration that bordered on desperation. "Pako, go do something—anything you usually do." His eyes narrowed as he pointed at her, his tone sharpening. "And cover your boobs first."
Pako pouted, her lips pursing as she crossed her arms over her chest, a reluctant shield that did little to hide her curves. "Fine, spoilsport," she muttered, sliding off the bed with a huff, her bare feet slapping the floor as she rummaged for her shirt, her movements slow and petulant, her dark eyes still glinting with mischief.
Syn turned to Vera, his expression softening into concern as he stepped closer, his hands hovering near her bandaged arms. "Vera, your crew's worried about you—they need you," he said, his voice steady, a quiet plea to anchor her back to her role, to pull her from this whirlwind of flirtation into the captain he knew she could be.
Vera blinked, her shy blush fading as her posture stiffened, the shift palpable—a flicker of the captain snapping back into place. Her purple hair swayed as she tilted her head, her eyes narrowing with a sudden, piercing clarity. "Hmm… these bandages," she said, her tone crisp, authoritative, as she brushed a hand over the neat wraps Syn had applied. "They don't look professional—you did them?"
Syn nodded, a faint flush creeping up his neck as he met her gaze, his hands slipping into his pockets. "Yeah," he murmured, his voice low, a quiet admission of the care he'd poured into each careful wrap.
Vera's lips curved into a sly smile, her eyes glinting with a mix of gratitude and triumph as she stepped closer, her boots silent against the tiles. "Thank you," she said, her voice softening briefly before hardening again, a captain's steel threading through it. "I knew you'd come around once you spent some time with us." She closed the distance, her presence a quiet force as she stood before him, her bandaged arm brushing his sleeve. "And I hope it only gets better," she added, her fist tapping his chest lightly—a playful punch laced with a warning. "If you don't mess it up, that is."
Syn nodded again, his throat tight as he watched her shift—shy flirt to commanding captain in a heartbeat, her duality a storm he couldn't predict. "Now," Vera said, her sly smile widening as she wrapped her hands behind his head, her fingers threading through his dark hair, "give me a kiss, and I'll let you leave." She rose on her toes, her body pressing close as she pulled him down, her lips meeting his in a firm, lingering kiss—a captain's claim, warm and unyielding, her breath a soft gust against his mouth.
"Hey! That's abusing power!" Pako yelped, her voice a sharp protest as she scrambled forward, her shirt half-on, one arm still tangled in the sleeve. "I want in too!" She waited, bouncing on her heels as Vera's kiss stretched on, then pounced the moment Vera pulled back, her small frame launching onto Syn's waist with a gleeful thud. Her legs clamped around him, her arms snaking behind his neck as she claimed his lips, her kiss a fierce, breathless assault that pressed her bare chest against his, her warmth a suffocating tide.
"Pako—enough… can't breathe," Syn gasped, his voice muffled against her relentless press, his hands pushing at her shoulders as he struggled for air. Her kiss wasn't tender—it was a vise, squeezing the breath from his lungs, her lips a force that felt less like affection and more like she was wringing him dry, her grip unyielding as he squirmed beneath her.