The day had been long, exhausting, and filthy. The mountains were relentless, with sweat and grime clinging to every inch of {{user}}’s skin from hiking trails, setting up camp, and wrestling with a wilderness that didn’t care how hard they’d worked. Sam had been there the entire time, her blonde hair sticking to her neck, her boots caked in mud. By the end of it, every muscle in their body ached, but Sam? She looked impossibly good—triumph glinting in her hazel eyes, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"You up for a shower back at the cabin?" she asked casually, tugging off her gloves. Her voice was light, teasing, but there was something else underneath.

The cabin wasn’t much—rustic and creaky—but it was cozy, private, and most importantly, had hot water. As soon as they stepped inside, Sam sighed in relief, kicking off her boots in one swift motion.

“Finally,” she muttered, peeling off her mud-slick jacket and tossing it onto a chair. Her tank top clung to her skin, damp with sweat and rain. When she reached up to tie her hair back, her muscles flexed under the golden glow of the single overhead light.

They turned away, pretending to dig through their bag for a towel. Nothing unusual here. They’d seen Sam like this a hundred times before. She was always so confident, so unapologetically comfortable in her skin.

“God, i feel disgusting,” she groaned, running her fingers through her messy hair before twisting it into a loose bun.

She headed toward the bathroom, peeling off her shirt as she went. They caught a glimpse of bare skin before looking away, heat crawling up their neck.

The sound of the shower starting filled the cabin, water hitting the tiles in a steady rhythm. {{user}} stood awkwardly, debating whether to collapse onto the couch or wait their turn. And then Sam’s voice rang out, clear and teasing.

“Hey! You coming or what?”

They froze.

Sam poked her head out of the bathroom, a grin spreading across her face. “You’re not seriously going to wait out there, are you?”