The thermal spring felt like something out of a travel brochure, tucked into a clearing, steam rising in slow, lazy curls that blurred the edges of the water. Sunlight filtered through the tall trees, dappling the mossy ground and making the whole place feel hidden and private. Even the air seemed softer here, warmer, like it belonged to another world.
I gripped my towel tighter, the damp heat already clinging to my skin. Nearby, two older women wandered past, naked, their bodies catching the light in ways that felt too natural to be awkward. They chatted easily in a language I didn't understand, completely at ease with themselves. I swallowed hard, my stomach flipping at the thought of joining them, of actually going naked, in public, with David right there.
David caught my eye and grinned. "Bec, you're thinking about it," he said, voice teasing but low. I tried to laugh it off, but it came out thin. "Only because you are. I bet you wouldn't do it."
His grin widened, but I caught the flicker of nerves in his eyes. "Oh, I would." He adjusted his grip on his towel, betraying himself. "In fact, I will. If you do."
I stared at him, my heart thumping. His confidence was usually effortless, 188 centimetres, lean but strong, built from running and swimming. But now, his shoulders slouched just slightly, the flush creeping up his neck giving him away. It unsettled me, seeing him like that, uncertain, but also made it harder to back down.
I squared my shoulders. "Fine," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "Let's do it. But no backing out."
David hesitated, his fingers twitching on the edge of his towel. Then he nodded. "Deal."
We stepped closer to the water, the moss soft underfoot and the steam curling around our ankles as we moved. I sat down on a flat rock and set my things aside, the bubbling spring just a few steps away.
David shifted beside me, fidgeting with his towel. He wasn't usually like this, hesitant, unsure. Watching him felt like staring at a cracked mask, something too new to know how to name. It made me feel braver, even as the heat crawled up my neck.
"Ready?" I asked, the word sharper than I intended. He nodded, but the movement was quick, almost too quick, like he needed to act before he changed his mind. We dropped our towels.
The first thing I noticed was the sun, how it warmed every inch of my skin, even places I usually kept hidden. It felt strange, unfamiliar, almost too much. Instinctively, I folded my arms over my chest, pressing my small breasts against my forearms. My dark curls were neatly trimmed, but even that didn't stop the feeling of being exposed or seen.
I glanced down at myself. Fit, sure, but nothing special. I'd always thought of myself as plain, good enough in clothes, maybe, but not much else. But then David's eyes found me, his cheeks pink, his gaze wide and lingering.
"You look..." he started, his voice quieter than usual. He hesitated, then smiled, almost shyly. "Good."
The word landed heavier than it should have. I smiled back, nervous but unable to ignore the way my stomach fluttered. "Thanks."
My eyes drifted down to him before I could stop myself. His cock hung soft against his thigh, uncut, the loose skin shifting slightly as he moved. He shifted under my gaze, his hand twitching at his side, his chest rising just a bit faster.
I could tell he wasn't as comfortable as he was trying to seem.
David had never said it outright, but I knew he worried about his size. He'd made enough offhand comments about porn and "what girls expect" for me to piece it together. But there was nothing wrong with him, far from it.
When soft, sure, he was average. But when he got hard? His cock was beautiful: long, smooth, perfectly proportioned to the rest of his lean, athletic frame. Just thinking about it made my cheeks flush.
I looked away quickly, the heat spreading low and sharp.
"Hallo!"
The voice startled me, warm, easy, the kind that carried confidence. I looked up to see a man and a woman approaching from the spring. Older, maybe mid-40s, but something about them felt younger, like they belonged here in a way I didn't yet.
The woman smiled first. Her black hair, streaked with grey, was pinned into a loose bun, stray strands framing her face. Her hips swayed as she walked, her full thighs brushing slightly, her breasts moving freely, the darker skin of her nipples exposed without hesitation.
I felt David shift beside me, his breath hitching just slightly. I glanced at him, at the way his eyes flicked down and then back up, fast enough to pretend he hadn't looked but too slow to hide the flush creeping up his neck.
"Beautiful, yes?" the woman said, gesturing toward the water. Her accent gave her away, Romanian, but her English was clear.
I nodded, clutching my towel. David's hand brushed my lower back, light but deliberate, like he needed to remind himself I was there. Or maybe he needed to remind me.
The man beside her stepped closer. Shorter than David, maybe 180cm, but stockier, rounded but solid, like someone used to lifting and working with his hands. His chest was broad, dusted lightly with hair, and his cock hung soft but heavy. Shorter than David's, but thicker, so thick it seemed impossible to ignore.
David noticed. I saw the flicker of comparison in his face, the way his shoulders squared slightly, like he had something to prove.
The woman tilted her head. "Ana," she said, tapping her chest, then gestured to the man. "Mihai."
I cleared my throat. "Bec."
David added quickly, "David," his voice steadier now, but his eyes flicked to Mihai's cock before darting back to Ana's face.
Mihai's grin sharpened. He didn't say anything, but his gaze dropped briefly, to where David's hand rested on my hip, to the towel still clutched in my fingers, before returning to David's eyes. It wasn't hostile, but it wasn't casual either.
Mihai said something else, gesturing to the water.
Ana translated. "You try? The water is very good. Relaxing."
David hesitated, his fingers tightening on my hip. I caught the way his eyes flicked to Ana again, to the soft curve of her stomach, the gentle sway of her breasts, the smoothness of her bare pubis, and then quickly back to me. He looked rattled. Not jealous, exactly. Unsettled.
I swallowed, suddenly aware of how different our bodies were.
Ana's body was soft and full, her hips wide, her arse round, the curve of her stomach smooth above her waxed pubis, bare and shining slightly in the light. Her legs were thick but shapely, her thighs pressing together naturally as she moved. There was no hesitation in the way she carried herself, nothing to hide.
I glanced down at myself. My hips were narrower, my arse smaller, firmer. My legs were long, lean from running, my thighs set slightly apart even when I stood straight. My breasts sat higher, smaller, neater, but there was something girlish about them compared to Ana's heavier curves.
And then there was my hair, shorter than it used to be, trimmed but still long enough to curl slightly at the edges. It felt deliberate, a choice, but next to Ana's smoothness, it suddenly seemed unfinished, like I hadn't quite committed to the look or the confidence that came with it.
David's hand pressed slightly harder into my back, like he'd sensed the comparison before I had.