Barely Made It Pt 01

The airport's sliding doors parted, and I stepped inside, my bare feet shocked by the cold tiles. I clutched the bath towel that barely covered my body.

SKREEEE-OW! SKREEEE-OW!

The echo of the fire alarm still assaulted my ears. The siren had forced me out of my hotel room in a rush. Mid-shower, soap suds sliding down my legs. No time to grab anything but this flimsy piece of cloth and my passport.

I had waited outside for several minutes to be let back inside--back to my belongings. But then I saw them, the plumes of smoke starting to rise.

It wasn't going to be soon--if ever.

My plane was set to depart in a few hours. It was the only flight to Gweniva leaving today. Gathering all my courage, I took the hotel's shuttle to the airport. I had to get to Dr. Voss immediately, no matter how I was dressed.

The air conditioning pummeled my exposed skin. Goose bumps were my only defense. Shivering, I glanced down to check my situation. The towel's edge barely contained my chest. Pulling it higher risked revealing everything below. A slit at my hip parted as I walked. This wasn't going to be easy.

Luckily I never took my necklace off so it wasn't given to the fire--I reached for it and squeezed the pendant as I stared wide eyed into the crowd.

The airport was a mob, every worker on edge as if warned of a threat. Two security officers at the entrance locked eyes on me. My towel. My bare feet. Their radios crackled as they started toward me. My stomach dropped, cursing myself for not making it very far at all.

Before they could close the distance, a woman with a red suitcase walked past, and they pivoted like hounds catching a fresh scent. The female officer swiftly tackled her to the ground with a shout. I didn't stick around to gawk. I carefully slipped past them.

Weaving through suitcases and travelers, I heard a man muttering to another, "Damn thing's acting up again, the specialist said it's the new update." His friend nodded, wincing, as they awkwardly waddled past me.

Oh for a coat, a robe, not this tiny scrap. I should have grabbed something else before running but no, fear took over and had me bolting immediately. My first impulse was to run out utterly naked, but that would have been obscene, even in an emergency.

My gut churned as I veered toward a hallway, each step sending a jolt of anxiety. The towel's hem rubbed my thighs, teasing disaster. It wasn't modesty I was worried about. It was getting detained and missing my flight.

Rounding a corner, a woman with a cart of oversized suitcases barrelled into me, rolling over the side of my toe.

"Fuck!" Pain shot through my foot as I scrambled for balance and I fell back onto a person behind me, their hands wrapped around me--keeping me upright. The woman's face turned red when she saw me. She huffed while slowly rolling the cart away, having lost all her momentum crashing into me.

"Are you okay?" asked the man behind me, still holding me.

"That bitch decapitated my toe," I snapped, pulling my right foot up, expecting to see a baby toe missing--blood spurting everywhere.

My pain faded when I saw it was intact. Only a pink scuff visible. No signs of swelling or laceration. I assessed the injury like a medical chart.

The empty hallway spared me an audience. Except for this man. I could feel the chill air between my thighs. I lowered my leg and adjusted my towel before turning to him.

It was Ivan.

"Do you usually dress like this when you fly, Clara?" He questioned with a smirk and an eyebrow raised. His full lips curled in a way that made my stomach flip.

"No, I--" I started, glancing around, worried we were drawing attention but no one was looking.

"Noah's gonna love this, bet you're having fun too."

"No. Why do you say that?" my voice wavered, heat creeping up my neck. Regretting what I had joked about last night.

"Let's get you out of the walkway and we can look at your foot." He nodded toward Noah, who lagged behind, nose in his phone. He was lazily pushing a cart with a mixture of large boxes and suitcases.

Feeling embarrassed at my overreaction and not wanting Ivan's steady hand to leave my waist, I feigned a small limp and agreed to join. I barely knew them, but I figured they could help me blend in.

I had met them the night before. I'd been swimming laps in the hotel's rooftop pool, trying to unwind the twisting knot in my stomach. The two strangers were there with beers and a glowing joint. "Hey, join us," the louder one called, his grin was wicked and made my skin tingle. I climbed out, water dripping from my swimsuit, and took a beer. Ivan told tall tales about their travels, his voice wrapping around me like a warm current. Noah, eyes red and hazy, only chimed in occasionally. Three beers in, their easy charm nearly drowned my fears--I felt a strange sense of relief having bumped into them again at the airport.

Ivan steered us to a small nook beside a self check-in kiosk, and lifted me onto their tower of luggage. A nearby partition shielded us from the airport security patrolling nearby.

With a sly grin, Ivan whispered only to me, "I know you are faking it, you little flirt. Did I mention last night that Noah has a thing for feet? Ask him to attend to your 'wound.'"

"So, Clara, where's your clothes?" Noah bluntly asked, his voice low enough to make my skin prickle. He had spoken so little last night. The pleasant rumble made me wish he said more.

Ivan circled the cart to stand behind me. My body was rigid, arms crossed and legs squeezed tight. Feeling safe for now in this hidden corner, I let my shoulders soften, exhaling a breath I hadn't realized I held. His fingers brushed my bare skin, a touch that sensed my need to relax.

"There was a fire at the hotel," I said. Ivan and Noah swapped a quick, curious glance.

"Not again, Noah."

"That wasn't me, I unplugged it before we left."

"Unplugged what?" I asked.

"Nothing, it's a stupid joke." His fingers pressed into my shoulders, causing a shiver that drowned my paranoia. "So a fire burned all your clothes but not you. I'm glad you made it out. Now let the medic look at that foot." Ivan gave my shoulders a light squeeze.

I took the invitation of escape with ease. Their dreamy charm, same as last night, unraveled me.

"Aren't you a doctor, Noah?" I tried to ask seriously. I lifted my leg towards him. Twirling my ankle slowly, I leaned back onto Ivan's firm chest.

"Not exactly," He chuckled. His hands were warm, cradling my ankle as he lifted it to inspect my foot. "But I've fixed worse." His voice was steady. He took out hand sanitizer from his pocket and sprayed it on my insignificant wound. His eyes never travelling down my leg, to edge of my towel. He truly was a foot man.

"I think a foot massage would make it feel better." I bit my lip, holding back a laugh. Noah's shocked face turned to Ivan.

"You're such a bastard." He playfully shook his head. A phone in his pocket started to buzz and he silenced it without looking.

"You may have to beg," Ivan bent down, his breath on my ear. My heart began to pound in my chest. "Noah won't do it unless you beg, Clara." Ivan began to caress my neck. The way he said my name sent a pulse down my core, evaporating my anxiety.

I took a deep breath and sighed, "Please Noah, I need a foot rub. I don't know if I will ever recover without one." I meant to sound playful, but my voice was low and needy. I felt a pang of embarrassment. Did they know how much I wanted this?

Noah answered with thumbs pressing hard into my heel, gliding slowly toward my aching toes. Heat curled down my leg. I watched, mesmerized by the contracting muscles in his arms. His skilled hands and grip were all that I needed now.

The towel shifted and my breath hitched. Ivan's hands matching Noah's rhythm, ran his fingers down the sides of my neck. I watched them travel down my breast. They slowly glided to the towel and one hand grasped the knot of the fabric. My core sparked, not knowing what he was about to do. His hand remained in place and I realized he was keeping the edge from falling further.

For a moment, I let myself sink fully into the sensations. The fire, the towel, the chaos--my nerves were fried. This fleeting distraction felt like coming up for air. Their hands grounded me, reminding me I had a body, not just a crisis.

Beyond the kiosk, people were oblivious. Most were glued to their phones, or staring aimlessly ahead, earbuds sealing them in their private soundscapes. A guard passed close. His boots clicked louder, and I tensed, but the nook's angle and the partition's cover kept us hidden.

"God, your feet are perfect" Noah's voice broke with longing. I shifted my focus back to his hands. Fingers twirling circles on my arch, a hungry edge to his touch.

He began to slowly spread my toes and he let out a quiet groan. My hands tightened on the suitcase as his fingers rubbed between the little digits. I squirmed when it tickled and leaned harder into Ivan's chest behind me, my ass grinding on the suitcase handle.

"Don't break my suitcase, Clara." Ivan said as he softly combed his fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck. This was torture.

Ivan's hand stilled and he reluctantly said, "It's getting pretty late, we should check-in." He gave me one last squeeze on the shoulder, breaking the trance.

Noah raised my foot higher and planted a soft kiss on my foot. He offered me a hand as he slung his backpack over his shoulder, a tangle of cables and a laptop peeking out. "We need to find you some clothes." His hands grasped my towel, adjusting it tighter than I physically could. The tuck pinched my breasts, creating fuller cleavage than before.

"Unfortunately I don't have anything for you now, my bags are stuffed with shit from the museum. We'll make sure you get through security, Clara. I promise." Ivan winked, pushing the cart towards the line.

"Oh, that would be helpful, thanks. And thank you for the medical attention, Dr. Noah," I said with a grin, my pulse racing from the thrill and the risk. I stepped out of the nook, their surprised faces following me as I stealthily approached the First Class lane.

--

At the counter, the young man in a crisp airline vest stiffened when he saw me. I didn't blame him. Everything about me screamed hot-mess. My wet hair stuck to my neck, my skin flushed, wearing nothing but a fucking towel. I tried to act like nothing was abnormal.

"Hello." I slid my passport over. Leaning against the counter, I felt the towel ride up, baring the bottom of my ass to anyone behind me. I straightened quickly, tugging the towel down. I needed to remember not to raise my arms.

The attendant opened my passport and his hands started to shake. He used one finger to slowly hammer the letters on his keyboard. His eyes darted between the screen and my passport, as if he expected the information to change at any moment. The phone rang loud, making him jump.

"Yes?" he answered with a hand to his heart. His eyes darted to me, then immediately away. He turned around, hand covering his mouth--muffling his words.

My anxiety was back ten fold, the massage having no lasting effects. My fingers found the pendant--a tiny oval locket engraved with a caduceus. It was a gift from my mentor Dr. Voss. Sliding it along the chain, back and forth, I scanned the crowd.

"Come on, it's only half a kilo," Ivan said to the attendant checking in his luggage.

"I'm sorry sir, you will have to remove something from this box."

My eyes moved instinctively to a security officer at the far end of the check-in counter, his piercing dark gaze fixed on me like he knew exactly who I was running from. His handsome face was an unreadable mask. He raised his radio to speak and walked away.

My blood was racing with a mix of fear and thrill. Letting Ivan and Noah's hands distract me from the weight of it all was fun--but now, it was time to focus. I didn't know what Magnus was capable of when he eventually realized what I had stolen, but the thought of his cold smile made my stomach lurch.

"You're all set, Dr. Nacht." The attendant said, pulling me from my thoughts. He did not look well, I probably didn't either. I grabbed my boarding pass and gave him a sympathetic smile, "Thanks."

Thighs brushing together, slick with excitement, I felt my locket pounding on my chest with every step. Hidden inside was the truth.