The bathroom in Kasia and Iza’s family home was a disaster of a space, a cramped, humid box with peeling floral wallpaper that curled at the edges like a secret unraveling. The showerhead, a relic of better days, dribbled incessantly, a leaky metronome to the chaos of their shared mornings. Steam clung to every surface, fogging the cracked mirror and making the air thick with the scent of cheap lavender body wash. It was barely 7 a.m., and already the room felt like a pressure cooker of unspoken things.
Iza pushed the door open without a second thought, her mind still half-asleep and tangled in dreams she wouldn’t dare admit to. She needed to brush her teeth, grab her hairbrush, get out—routine, autopilot. But the sight that greeted her snapped her awake faster than a bucket of ice water. There, behind the flimsy, half-transparent shower curtain, stood Kasia. Her silhouette was sharp and unapologetic, the water cascading over her lithe frame, glistening like she’d been carved from some forbidden marble. Droplets raced down the curve of her spine, catching the dim light, and Iza froze, her breath hitching in her throat as a strange, unfamiliar heat bloomed in her chest.
The curtain did little to hide anything, and Iza’s wide eyes betrayed her before she could look away. Kasia, of course, noticed instantly. Her head tilted, a slow, predatory smirk curling her lips as she turned off the water with a deliberate flick of her wrist. The sudden silence made the dripping showerhead sound louder, a mocking rhythm to Iza’s pounding heart.
“Well, well,” Kasia drawled, her voice cutting through the steam like a blade, low and teasing. “What do we have here? A pervy little gremlin sneaking a peek?”
Iza’s mouth opened, but nothing came out except a strangled noise that might’ve been a protest. Her face burned, and she fumbled for the doorknob behind her, desperate to escape. “I—I didn’t mean to— I was just— I didn’t know you were—”
“Oh, save it,” Kasia interrupted, stepping out of the shower with the casual confidence of someone who owned every inch of the room. Water dripped from her dark hair, pooling on the cracked tile as she grabbed a towel and draped it loosely around herself. It barely covered anything, clinging to her damp skin in a way that made Iza’s throat go dry. “You’ve got that deer-in-headlights look, Iza. What’s the matter? Never seen a real woman before, you awkward beanpole?”
Iza bristled, her hands clenching into fists at her sides, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away. Kasia was all sharp edges and effortless power, her presence filling the tiny bathroom until there was no air left to breathe. “I’m not— I’m not staring!” Iza finally managed, her voice cracking on the last word. “And I’m not a beanpole! You’re just… just standing there, flaunting yourself like some kind of—”
“Goddess?” Kasia supplied, arching a perfectly shaped brow as she took a step closer. The towel shifted, revealing a sliver of thigh, and Iza’s brain short-circuited. “Careful, sweetheart. Your tongue’s tripping over itself. Might wanna pick it up before I do.”
Iza backed up, her spine hitting the wall with a dull thud. The peeling wallpaper scratched against her shoulder blades, grounding her just enough to stammer out, “You’re ridiculous. I’m not even— I don’t even care! I just needed my hairbrush!”
Kasia’s laugh was a low, throaty thing, dripping with amusement as she leaned in, one hand bracing against the wall beside Iza’s head. Up close, the scent of lavender was intoxicating, mingling with the heat radiating off Kasia’s still-damp skin. Her dark eyes glinted with mischief, pinning Iza in place like a butterfly under glass. “Oh, come off it. Your cheeks are redder than a slapped ass. What’s got you so flustered, huh? Is it the view, or are you just mad you didn’t get an invite to join me?”
“Join you?!” Iza sputtered, her voice shooting up an octave. “Are you insane? I wouldn’t— I don’t even— You’re so full of yourself!”
“Full of something,” Kasia shot back, her smirk widening as she straightened up, adjusting the towel with a slow, deliberate tug that made Iza’s stomach flip. “But let’s not pretend you weren’t gawking. I’ve seen house cats with more subtlety.”
Iza opened her mouth to argue, to throw something—anything—back at Kasia, but the words wouldn’t come. Her mind was a mess of static, caught between the sharp sting of Kasia’s taunts and the way her gaze kept slipping to the droplets of water still clinging to Kasia’s collarbone. It wasn’t fair. Kasia was always like this—bold, unapologetic, wielding her confidence like a weapon. And Iza, gangly and perpetually off-balance, was always left scrambling to keep up.
“Relax, beanpole,” Kasia said, her tone softening just enough to throw Iza off guard. She stepped back, finally giving Iza room to breathe, and ran a hand through her wet hair, shaking out the excess water with a flick that sent droplets scattering. “I’m just messing with you. But if you’re gonna barge in on me, at least have the guts to admit you liked what you saw.”
“I didn’t— I don’t—” Iza’s protest died on her lips as Kasia brushed past her, the brief contact of bare shoulder against arm sending a jolt through her entire body. Kasia didn’t even look back, just tossed a final quip over her shoulder as she sauntered toward the door.
“Next time, knock. Or don’t. I’m not shy.”
The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Iza alone in the steamy bathroom, her heart hammering against her ribs. The dripping showerhead echoed in the silence, each plink-plink-plink a taunt of its own. She pressed her hands to her burning cheeks, trying to steady herself, but the image of Kasia—wet, smirking, utterly in control—refused to leave her mind. For the first time, Iza felt something shift inside her, a quiet tremor of curiosity and want that she didn’t know how to name. And as she stood there, trembling in the aftermath of Kasia’s presence, she couldn’t shake the feeling that everything she thought she knew about herself had just been turned upside down.
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