Billows of warm steam still floated in the air, filling the spacious, classically-styled bathroom. The soothing scent of soap slowly swept away the lingering remnants of tension. Arvin leaned his back against the edge of the large tub, letting the warm water relax his muscles after a long, exhausting, yet satisfying encounter with Alrain.
Beside him, Alrain closed his eyes, his head resting comfortably with a faint, contented smile still lingering on his face. The atmosphere felt profoundly peaceful and intimate.
However, that tranquil silence was shattered in an instant.
Once dinner had been prepared in the dining room, Allen followed them into the bathroom. The door swung open, revealing the pink-haired teenager walking into the center of the large room. His hands were planted firmly on his hips, while his eyes stared sharply through the mist of steam that obscured his vision.
"You two are taking forever!" Allen's protest broke the silence. He stepped forward, the sound of his footsteps echoing against the wet ceramic floor. He walked straight toward the edge of the tub, glaring at the two men who were still leisurely soaking. "I'm joining you!"
Hearing the familiar footsteps and the signature nagging, Alrain slowly opened his eyes. Without a moment's warning, and with an extraordinary level of self-confidence, the youth stood up straight in the tub. Droplets of water slid freely down the smooth curves of his naked body, without a single thread of clothing to cover him.
Allen's eyes widened in shock. His breath hitched in his throat as he was confronted with the explicit sight presented so openly right before his eyes.
"W-Why are you standing there naked like that in front of me?!" Allen cried out, his voice rising several octaves. He abruptly turned his face away, his skin now a deep shade of crimson, completely unsure of where to look. "Have you no shame being naked in front of me?!"
Seeing Allen's flustered reaction, Alrain let out a low, playful chuckle. He had no intention of covering himself, let alone feeling awkward.
"Of course I would be ashamed if you were a stranger!" Alrain replied quickly, his tone relaxed yet laced with mischievous teasing. "Aren't you his first spouse? Why are you embarrassed around me, the second spouse? Besides, we are both men, and we both serve the same husband."
Alrain leaned slightly toward Allen, letting the steam accentuate the smirk on his lips. "Or maybe..." Alrain continued, lowering his voice to provoke the pink-haired teenager further, "do you like me? Is that why you're so shocked to see me naked like this?"
Hearing the baseless accusation, Allen's pride flared. He snapped his face back to look at Alrain, refuting the claim without a second thought.
"Don't talk nonsense!" he barked, his sharp gaze implying an unshakable loyalty. "Arvin is the only one who can make me fall for him! Even if I am a man like him, it's impossible for me to like anyone else but my husband!"
To prove his words and mask the nervousness that had been gnawing at him, Allen unhesitatingly began to strip off all his clothes in front of Alrain. One by one, the fabrics fell onto the wet floor until not a single piece of clothing remained on his body. He stood tall, challenging Alrain's gaze with his chest puffed out.
Instead of looking away, Alrain didn't waste the opportunity. He stared intently, starting from the tips of Allen's soft pink hair, trailing down across his shoulders, chest, and stomach, all the way to the feet of the youth standing before him. His gaze was thoroughly observant and evaluative.
"So, this is the physique of the first spouse." Alrain murmured, his voice sounding genuinely impressed. "No wonder our husband is so head over heels for you. Your body is perfectly proportional. And your face... it's very cute, especially when you're angry like this."
"W-What are you saying?!" Allen exclaimed, his face already flushed, now felt even hotter, the heat spreading all the way to his ears. He was completely flustered by such an open compliment from the person who now shared his husband. "I should be the one saying that to you! Your face is much cuter than mine!"
Inside the tub, Arvin, who had been leaning back in silence while watching his spouses' antics, felt the situation was veering off course. Listening to two men toss compliments back and forth about who was cuter made him unable to hold back a thin smile.
"How long are you two going to argue about such silly things?" Arvin said, his deep voice calm and authoritative, breaking the sweet but ridiculous debate.
The sound of his voice made both spouses turn toward him simultaneously.
"Allen, hurry up and wash yourself. And Alrain, get back in here so we can prepare and eat together. Yonna has been waiting for us for too long," Arvin commanded, leaving no room for argument.
Hearing their husband's words, Allen and Alrain immediately obeyed. They ended their silly bickering at once. Allen stepped toward the shower area in the corner of the room. He began to clean himself, letting the water rinse his body as he lathered up, scrubbing away every bit of dust and sweat to ensure his body was perfectly clean before joining the soak.
Meanwhile, Alrain followed Arvin's order. The youth returned to the tub, sitting comfortably right by his husband's side, enjoying the remaining time of their soak.
It only took a few minutes for Allen to thoroughly clean himself. Once he finished rinsing the suds from his body and felt refreshed, he finally stepped toward the large tub. He entered the warm water, joining his husband and Alrain.
However, the comfort of the soak did not last long. Only a few minutes after Allen allowed his muscles to relax in the warmth, his mind jumped to the dining table. He immediately climbed out of the tub.
"Let's finish up!" Allen urged as he reached for a dry towel hanging nearby. "We've prepared the food on the table. If we wait, it'll get cold and lose its flavor. Besides, Yonna is waiting for us all alone out there."
Recognizing that Allen's point was perfectly logical, Arvin and Alrain exchanged a brief glance before nodding. They followed him, rising from the water and ending their tranquil bath.
The three of them began to dry their bodies. However, while Arvin was busy drying the remaining water on his arm with a towel, Allen's gaze accidentally fell upon the back of his husband's left hand.
There, a white contract symbol had been perfectly engraved, the absolute mark of the post-marital bond Arvin had just solidified with Alrain.
"It turns out, if you have more than one spouse, the contract symbol appears on the other hand." Allen said under his breath. He stared in awe at the new symbol on his husband's hand, comparing it to the symbol on his own.
Arvin looked at his hand, then turned to Allen with a casual expression, as if he were merely discussing the weather.
"Yes, that's right." Arvin replied casually. "If I eventually have six spouses, there will be three identical contract symbols on my left arm and three on my right. Remarkably, they will merge and appear as a single, completely different pattern."
Arvin spoke based on his deep knowledge of the mechanics in the 'game BL: The Sign of Destiny' from his previous life. However, to the natives of this world, his statement sounded utterly impossible.