298 First Time

"Fine," I snapped, crossing my arms. "I'll just ask someone else!"

I froze for a moment, my breath catching.

"Why are we even here?" Lennox grumbled, flipping through a comic book without reading a word. "You said this would be five minutes."

Lennox groaned. "Seriously?"

"I'm serious," I said, hugging my knees to my chest. "If it's supposed to be sweet and pleasurable... if it's supposed to mean something... then I want it to be with you. With all of you."

Levi blinked. "Wait, what?"

I tried to smile. "I can't move."

Louis cradled my hand in his, his thumb stroking across my knuckles. "You did amazingly," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

"Take it back, Olivia," he said, his voice low and full of warning.

"Whoa," I whispered.

Then slowly, my lips curved.

Lennox, Levi, and Louis sat nearby–sprawled out lazily on the rug, bored out of their minds. They had followed me there after training, still wearing their sweat-damp shirts and looking completely out of place in a room full of silence and books.

He didn't let me finish.

Louis gave a small smile. "You can always ask us anything, remember?"

Louis kissed my temple. "You don't have to. Let us take care of you."

Then I heard footsteps approaching.

Louis exhaled slowly. "Olivia…"

I nodded into his chest, wrapping my arms around his waist, holding on like it meant everything. Because to me, it did.

I was cocooned between them. Warm. Protected. Held.

He tilted his head, pressing his forehead to mine. "Can we... have this talk again when you're older? When we've all grown up a bit?"

I looked at them.

Then Lennox was at my side, wrapping the blanket over my body, tucking it around me like I was something precious.

At Lennox, who was still pretending to read his comic, but his jaw was tense.

Louis leaned over to peek at the page, but before he could read it, Lennox was already snatching the book out of my hands.

Everything went still.

"No!" I snapped. "That's what you all say! 'You're too young. You don't know what you're talking about.' But I do know how I feel."

I ignored him, flipping through the novel I’d just found. My eyes widened as I reached a particular paragraph, and my cheeks instantly flushed.

"Okay… fine. I promise. One day, when the time is right… we'll be your first."

"What?" Levi asked, his voice a cracked whisper.

I drifted off to sleep with their hearts beating around mine.

The room was quiet. Too quiet. I felt their discomfort, their confusion… and something else. Something heavier.

I blinked, startled. "Lennox-"

Olivia’s POV

At Louis, who still sat beside me, calm but lost in his thoughts.

I looked at him, wide-eyed. "Oh…"

"What?" I asked, defensive now. "I'm not a kid anymore. I'm thirteen. I can have feelings."

A small, shy smile broke through the sadness.

I rose to my feet, my fists clenched at my sides. "Fine. If you don't want to be my first, I'll give it to someone else who does."

I couldn't move.

That made Lennox move. Fast.

"Why are we even having this conversation?" Lennox muttered under his breath, shoving the book into his jacket like it was a threat to national security.

None of them spoke. Just silence.

All three of them stared at me.

"Your body's limp," Levi murmured near my ear, concern threading through his voice.

He stepped in front of me, his eyes blazing with possession. "Take that back."

Lennox shot up from the floor like he'd been burned. "Okay, that's it." He pointed at the book tucked in his jacket. "From now on, before you read anything, I'm going to approve it first. You're banned from the romance section."

And when he pulled away, I let myself fall back against the mattress.

Then, he leaned down–his breath warm against my ear–and whispered so only I could hear:

I flinched, his tone sharper than I expected.

I was sitting cross-legged on the library carpet, tucked between two towering shelves of books that smelled of old paper and stories long forgotten. The room was quiet, except for the distant sound of a ticking clock and pages turning.

Lennox climbed into bed beside me, his chest pressed to my back, while Levi curled at my other side. Louis remained in front of me, his forehead resting against mine.

And slowly… gently…

I looked between them, still pouting but a little calmer. "I just… I don't understand what it means when they say it was ‘sweet.' Isn't sex supposed to hurt the first time?"

"Hey, hey, relax," he said softly. "You don't need to go asking someone else. If you're really curious… ask us."

And before I could pull away, Lennox was standing right in front of me.

My eyes narrowed, my face burning more from embarrassment than guilt. "Why not? I just wanted to know."

I didn't answer. I just nodded slowly, burying my face against Levi's chest as more tears slipped down my cheeks.

Every part of me felt heavy, like I'd been wrung out completely. My legs trembled without lifting, and my breath came in soft, uneven waves. I was floating somewhere between reality and the stars, my body humming with lingering pleasure, my mind blank and full at the same time.

I thought about what Louis had said–if it's with someone who really cares about you… someone gentle… then it can be sweet.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah," I whispered, though even I could hear the exhaustion in my voice. "Just… tired."

I blinked slowly, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes–not from pain, not even from the pleasure–but from the way they looked at me now. Like I was made of something rare. Something sacred.

Louis tucked himself beside me, brushing damp hair from my face. Levi's lips were warm against my shoulder, and Lennox was still pressing kisses to my stomach, his touch delicate now, like he was afraid to break me.

I blinked, and a tear slid down my cheek. Levi wiped it gently with his thumb.

I hesitated, then turned the book toward him, pointing to the passage. "It says… the girl’s first time was sweet and pleasurable. What does that even mean?"

I felt Louis pull out slowly, and then his warmth shifted beside me. I reached out blindly, needing him close, and the moment our lips met, I melted into him. It was soft… unhurried… like he was pouring every unspoken word into that kiss.

"Well," Louis said eventually, choosing his words carefully, "for some people… it can hurt a little at first. But if it's with someone who really cares about you, someone who is gentle and patient… then yeah, it can be sweet and pleasurable."

I barely registered it when Levi disappeared, only to return with a warm cloth. The bed shifted gently as he cleaned between my thighs with slow, careful strokes. I winced once, my body too sensitive–but he murmured an apology and soothed the spot with his lips.

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the sting in my chest.

Levi stood slowly, walking over and wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Oli," he said softly. "We're not saying we don't want to. But this conversation–it's just too soon."

Levi coughed. Lennox looked like he wanted to jump out a window. Louis just rubbed his temples slowly.

My limbs refused to move.

Levi scratched the back of his neck, clearly flustered. "Yeah, just… maybe not here. Or, like, out loud."

I looked up at him, tears burning behind my eyes. "Why? Because it's true?"

The triplets all froze.

At Levi, who had turned a little red and was scratching behind his ear, awkwardly avoiding my gaze.

"Stop crying," he whispered, his voice rough. "I… I hate seeing your tears."

Levi choked on air. Lennox looked like he’d just short-circuited. And Louis–his mouth opened slightly, then closed again.

I couldn’t even lift my head, but I didn’t feel afraid. I felt… safe.

He cupped my face unexpectedly, tilting it up to meet his eyes. His brows were drawn, mouth tight, and I saw real pain behind his gaze.

In my dream, I was thirteen again.

I stood abruptly, but Louis was faster. He gently caught my arm and guided me back to the floor, his voice calm and soothing.

The words came out before I could stop them. "Then I'd like my first time to be with you guys."

No words were needed now. Their hands said enough–the way they stroked my arms, threaded fingers through my hair, kissed the spots they'd once claimed with fire.

I shook my head, lips trembling. "No. I meant it."

"Olivia!" he barked. "You shouldn't be reading stuff like this!"

"You're still young," Levi said gently. "You'll understand more as you grow up."

He pulled me away from Levi and straight into his arms, holding me tight. Like he needed it too. Like letting go wasn’t an option. His chin rested on top of my head, and I felt his chest rise and fall, slow and heavy.

"Okay?" he asked, voice tender.

"You're thirteen!" he shouted, waving the book in the air like it was something dangerous. "You're not supposed to read stuff about… that!"

Levi looked over, curious. "What?"

And that silence hurt more than anything.

Silence.

"You okay?" Louis asked, his voice low and gentle, fingers brushing over the back of my hand.

I glanced at him, surprised.