Jalen moves to kneel at the head of the tub, and I watch as his hands disappear into Sierra’s hair. She makes another one of those contented sounds, her eyes drifting closed as he works the shampoo into a lather.
“Your hair is beautiful,” Jalen says quietly. “So soft.”
“It’s a mess,” Sierra murmurs.
“It’s perfect,” he counters, and the certainty in his voice makes her smile.
Malik has picked up a washcloth and is running it gently over her shoulders, her arms. Cole is on her other side, his hand trailing lazy patterns through the water near her knee. And I’m kneeling at the foot of the tub, watching all of this unfold, feeling something shift and settle in my chest.
I pick up another washcloth and gently lift one of Sierra’s feet from the water. She makes a small, surprised sound but doesn’t protest as I start washing carefully, working my way up her calf with gentle pressure.
“You don’t have to—” she starts.
“We want to,” I interrupt softly. “Let us do this for you, Sierra.”
She goes quiet, and when I glance up, I see tears gathering in her eyes. Happy ones, maybe.
“No one’s ever...” she starts, then stops. Swallows hard. “This is really nice.”
“You deserve nice,” Cole says simply. “You deserve to be taken care of.”
“All the time,” Malik adds, his washcloth moving in soothing circles across her back. “Not just during heat. Always.”
A new kind of silence falls, one filled with everything he didn’t say. This isn’t just about heat anymore. It’s about what we want. About what we’re offering, if she’ll have it.
But no one pushes. We just keep washing her, taking care of her, showing her without words what we can’t quite say yet.
Jalen rinses her hair carefully, his fingers massaging her scalp in a way that makes Sierra practically purr. “Lean back,” he murmurs. “I’ll get the conditioner.”
She complies, sinking deeper into the water, and I can see the tension continuing to drain from her body. The bath is working. She’s relaxing, letting go of whatever walls she normally keeps up.
Letting us in.
We work in silence for a while, the only sounds the gentle splash of water and Sierra’s occasional contented sighs. It’s peaceful in a way I didn’t know I needed. It feels…right.
“I could fall asleep in here,” Sierra mumbles after a while, her eyes still closed.
“Don’t,” Malik says, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Drowning would really ruin the mood.”
That makes her laugh. A soft, breathy sound that fills the bathroom with warmth.
“Fair point,” she says, her voice still breathy with laughter.
“Besides,” Cole adds, “we have breakfast plans for you.”
Sierra’s eyes open at that, curiosity sparking. “Breakfast plans?”
“Mmhmm. Real food. Not just protein bars and whatever we could grab between heat waves.”
“I don’t even remember what real food tastes like,” Sierra admits.
“Then we’ll remind you,” I say, finishing with her other leg and setting the washcloth aside. “But first, let’s get you out before you turn into a prune.”
She looks down at her hands and makes a face. “Too late.”
“Come on,” Jalen says, standing and reaching for one of the warmed towels. “Up you go.”
Sierra rises slowly, water streaming off her body, and I cansee her legs are steadier now. The bath helped. But when she steps out of the tub, she still sways slightly, and we’re all there immediately.
